Articles by Derrek Lee

OPPO is becoming the new Huawei, in a good way.

What you need to know

OPPO has overtaken its competitors in China, making it the largest OEM in the region.
The new development comes amid ongoing drama between the U.S. and Huawei, which was undoubtedly a catalyst.
OPPO is expected to launch the Find X3 Pro next week, which will undoubtedly boost the company’s position.

As of January 2021, OPPO has risen to become the leading smartphone manufacturer in China, beating out its closest “competitor” Vivo and giants like Apple and Huawei. It’s an impressive feat given how large China’s market is, which was not too long ago dominated by Huawei. OPPO has taken the helm thanks to Huawei’s ongoing U.S. sanctions, giving the company just the room it needed to propel ahead.

A look at OPPO’s market share from Counterpoint Research (via 9to5Google) shows the recent trends in the company’s growth relative to Huawei’s decline. OPPO’s 5G offerings saw a sharp rise around the same time Huawei beg…

Brave just pulled a fast one on Google Search.

What you need to know

Brave announces that it’s purchased the Tailcat search engine and is integrating it into its web browser.
The new Brave Search engine is focused on privacy and does not track or profile users.
Brave browser is available for both mobile and desktop and Brave Search will be available for testing soon.

The Brave web browser has set out to become one of the best Chrome for desktop alternatives, and this latest move puts it in a pretty good position. Brave announced in a blog post on Wednesday that it has acquired the open-source search engine, Tailcat, and is integrating it into its privacy-focused web browser.

For those not familiar with Brave, it’s an open-source web browser made using the Chromium source code. Because of this, it looks and feels like Google Chrome in many ways, although without many of its bells and whistles, while also claiming to be more battery efficient. The main difference, though, is that…

The upcoming Wear OS Galaxy Watch has an elegant codename.

What you need to know

Samsung has been rumored to ditch Tizen for Wear OS in its next Galaxy Watch.
The upcoming watch has supposedly been spotted in the source code for the Galaxy S20.
The code hints at least some of the connectivity options for the rumored smartwatch.

Rumors of Samsung replacing Tizen with Wear OS for its next Galaxy Watch certainly came out of nowhere. For years, the company had been pretty adamant about proving that it didn’t need to rely on Google for everything. Samsung made the switch from Google’s software to its own Tizen-based OS back in 2014 and hasn’t looked back… until now, it seems.

A developer known as ivan_meler spoke to XDA Developers about what he believes is code that references Samsung’s upcoming Wear OS Galaxy Watch. It was discovered in source code for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Exynos version, and references the device which is reportedly known internally as “Merlot”:

Elsewhere in …

Nest Hub displays finally have a useful clock face.

What you need to know

Google has rolled out a few new clock faces for its Nest Hub smart displays.
Two of the clocks are simple analog faces with light and dark themes.
The third clock face is a visual new weather experience that changes from day to night and depending on the weather.

The Google Nest Hub and Google Nest Hub Max are some of the best smart displays around as Google continues adding new features and functionalities. The latest features come in the form of three new clock faces for its Nest Hub displays. They aren’t really “features,” per se, but they’re still interesting nonetheless, especially since one of the new clock faces does have some neat functionality.

9to5Google spotted the new clock faces, two of which are the same but with a light and dark version that actually look quite nice. It’s also been noted that these originally appeared on the Lenovo Smart Clock and appear to have been reworked a little for G…

The first Android 12 update is arriving today to squash some bugs.

What you need to know

Google has released the first update for Android 12 Developer Preview 1.
Version 1.1 brings several bug fixes to address crashes, reboots, and battery drain.
As usual, a word of caution to those interested in flashing the developer preview to their phones, as the software is largely unfinished.

The first Android 12 Developer Preview was released a few weeks ago, giving developers and enthusiasts an idea of what to expect for the next major version of the OS. Of course, because it’s still a work-in-progress, it can turn even the most basic of tasks a bit of a chore due to random reboots, crashes, and more. Fortunately, those who have Android 12 flashed to their devices are being treated to the first update, which should address some of those problems.

This new update for the developer preview brings it to version 1.1 and Google’s release notes highlight nine fixes that are present in the…

Your Fitbit tracker will still work, so you can go on that run.

Update, Mar 3 (3:15 pm ET): Fitbit servers should be back online

What you need to know

Users have been reporting that the Fitbit app is not syncing their metrics.
Fitbit has confirmed that the app is experiencing technical issues, but the problem has been identified and a fix is on the way.
The app has reportedly been down since early morning March 3rd.

Fitbit users, you’re not alone. If you’ve noticed that the app has been acting funny lately then it’s not just you ― Fitbit’s services are down right now. Users have been reporting problems since early morning on March 3rd, with difficulties signing in or syncing metrics to Fitbits servers. This comes just a couple of days after the Fitbit web dashboard was down, with users complaining about sign-in problems then, too.

As noted by 9to5Google, the problem seems to affect historical data, sleep metrics, and food logging. Fitbit is apparently aware of the situation …

Microsoft’s work with Google on improving foldable phones is starting to pay off.

What you need to know

Microsoft has announced support for foldable phones in Flutter.
The new implementations make it easy for app developers to accommodate dual or folding displays.
Google and Microsoft have been working together on bringing Surface Duo features into Android.

Foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 are no doubt an impressive step forward for smartphones, but there are still plenty of things to iron out before they can become more mainstream. Aside from the price, which is often staggering, full app compatibility is still lacking, whether it’s on the best foldable phone or dual-screen devices like the Microsoft Surface Duo. Fortunately, Microsoft has been working with Google on improving the dual-screen experience, which will benefit not only its own foldable but future devices as well like the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Today the companies are announcing the first s…

There’s more bad news for anyone waiting for a follow-up to last year’s LG V60.

What you need to know

A new report indicates that LG’s next flagship, codename “Rainbow,” is put on indefinite hold.
The report claims that LG has halted all testing of its V60 successor, which was initially planned for a launch this month.
LG has supposedly been searching for a buyer of its smartphone business, which has been losing money for nearly a decade.

Fans of the LG V60 ThinQ 5G may be disappointed to know that the company has reportedly put its next flagship on indefinite hold. The smartphone, codename “Rainbow,” was expected to launch early this year, but according to a report from Korean outlet Chosun (via Sleepy Kuma), LG has already stopped testing the device with carrier partners.

The news comes amid rumors that LG has been considering an exit from the smartphone business and that it’s looking for someone to buy its manufacturing facilities. At one point, it seemed as though LG was co…

The movie is a short but gripping tale about the OPPO Find X3 Pro and its capabilities.

What you need to know

Promotional videos have leaked of the OPPO Find X3 Pro.
The first video is a sci-fi “film” focused on the capabilities of the upcoming smartphone.
The second video is all about the design, particularly the camera hump.

The OPPO Find X3 Pro may have a weird-looking camera hump, but the latest leak from Evan Blass really put it on display and makes the phone look like something straight out of a sci-fi film. In fact, putting its new flagship in a sci-fi film is exactly what OPPO did. The two leaked videos are apparently promotions for the upcoming successor to last year’s OPPO Find X2 Pro, with some impressive visuals that’ll make even the biggest Samsung fan look twice.

The first is a gripping tale of a space crew tracking and collecting colorful meteorites on an unknown planet. Throughout the video, several features of the OPPO Find X3 Pro are named, such as the dyn…

Google Play Books celebrates National Read Across America Day.

What you need to know

Google Play Books is launching new reading tools for kids.
The new tools can read full books aloud or just selected words to help kids learn.
These tools are launching as part of National Read Across America Day.

Last year, Google added a Kids tab to the Play Store, with a collection of kid-friendly, teacher-approved apps for your kids to download. We even have a guide to show you how to create a Google account for your kid through Family Link. This year, Google Play Books is launching new tools aimed at helping children learn to read their favorite books. These new features are rolling out as part of National Read Across America Day as an interactive way for young kids to build their reading skills and can be experienced on some of the best tablets for kids.

The first new feature is Read & Listen, which narrates the pages for your child with highlighted words to follow along, almost like…