Articles by Harish Jonnalagadda

Xiaomi is now rolling out the MIUI 12 stable update based on Android 11 to a lot of phones.

MIUI 12 made its debut earlier this year, and Xiaomi has finished rolling out the stable update to most devices in its portfolio. Xiaomi’s latest skin offering an array of new features, including an improved system-wide dark mode, AI-assisted calling features, Dynamic Always-on Display, new visual design, tweaks to system animations, and much-needed privacy fixes.

Xiaomi is now turning its attention to the Android 11 update. It is starting to roll out MIUI 12 based on Android 11, with the stable update now rolling out to the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Mi 10. Xiaomi makes some of the best cheap Android phones, and it is good to see the manufacturer rolling out the Android 11 update earlier than usual.

So let’s take a look at the list of eligible phones slated to switch to Android 11, and when your device might receive the update.

MIUI 12 Android 11 update: Now rolling out to Redmi Note 9, Mi 10, …

Ray tracing and variable rate shading are coming to Samsung phones.

What you need to know

AMD announced that it will bring its RDNA2 tech to the mobile segment for the first time.
The tech will debut later in the year on Samsung’s upcoming Exynos platform.
AMD says it will deliver ray tracing and variable rate shading on phones.

At Computex 2021, AMD CEO Lisa Su announced key details for its RDNA2 architecture. The graphics architecture forms the basis for AMD’s RX 6000 GPUs and powers the latest gaming consoles — both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X feature RDNA2 chips — and AMD is now bringing the platform to new form factors.

AMD has announced that RDNA2 tech will be integrated into Tesla’s Model X and Model S. Tesla’s cars have an embedded Ryzen chipset already, and they will be getting a discrete RDNA2 GPU that unlocks AAA gaming — in your car. Su notes that the RDNA2 chip coming to Teslas will deliver up to 10TFLOPs of compute, which is on par with the 10.28TF…

Android 11 is coming to more and more phones every day.

The stable version of Android 11 was released a few months ago, and while it isn’t the most revolutionary update we’ve ever seen, there are plenty of reasons to get excited about it. Whether you’re looking forward to the new conversation notifications, chat bubbles for messaging apps, or the upgraded permission handling, it may be a while before you can actually start messing around with all of these software goodies.

The update is available for the Pixels and select OnePlus phones, while the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 lineups have also received their One UI 3.0 update, which is based on Android 11. We’ve rounded up all of the current info to help give you a better idea of when Android 11 will arrive on your device.

The timelines change based on manufacturer and region, but the list below should give you a broad overview of when to expect the Android 11 update on your phone.

Jump to:

Google Pixel
Samsung
OnePlus
Xiaomi
OPPO
…

The X60 Pro+ offers truly exceptional cameras and refined software — but it misses out in a few areas.

Vivo pioneered several innovations in the handset category over the last three years, including retractable cameras, in-screen fingerprint readers, and miniature gimbal modules for smooth video footage. Cameras have always been the differentiator for Vivo, and it is doubling down in this area in 2021. Vivo has teamed up with German powerhouse Zeiss to tune its cameras — emulating what its BBK sister company OnePlus did with Hasselblad.

The X60 Pro+ has four cameras at the back, and unlike most phones, all four modules here are noteworthy. You get a 50MP primary camera with a 1/1.3-inch sensor, 48MP wide-angle lens, a 32MP telephoto lens with 2x zoom, and an 8MP module with 5x optical zoom. The device also picks up a gorgeous vegan leather back — similar to last year’s Find X2 Pro — and features the latest internal hardware available today, including a 120Hz AMOLED screen a…

Looking to try out the Android 12 beta and don’t have a Pixel? Here’s what you need to know about third-party rollout.

The Android 12 beta program is now live, and like previous years, Google is making the build available on third-party phones. Last year’s Android 11 beta program made its way to 12 third-party phones from six manufacturers, and this time around we have 11 manufacturers offering beta builds on their phones.

These third-party phones are getting the Android 12 beta build:

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Xiaomi Mi 11
Xiaomi Mi 11i (Mi 11X/Redmi K40 Pro)
Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro (China-only)
OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9
OPPO Find X3 Pro
Vivo iQOO 7 Legend
Realme GT
Nokia X20
ASUS ZenFone 8
Sharp AQUOS Sense 5G
Tecno Camon 17
TCL 20 Pro 5G
ZTE Axon 30 5G Ultra

Read on to know more about how each manufacturer is rolling out the Android 12 beta, and when you can start using it on your own device. I’ve rounded up all the latest features in the Android 12 beta hands-on article, so head there fir…

Google’s Material You aesthetic gives Android 12 a fresh new look.

Google introduced Material Design back in 2014, and while Android looks very different from seven years ago, the design language itself hasn’t changed too much. Google has focused its attention on polishing core interface elements in recent releases, adding better notification management, overhauled gestures, new privacy features, and system-wide dark mode.

With Android 12, Google is embarking on a huge redesign that changes just about every facet of the interface. Google calls this the “biggest design change in Android’s history,” and that claim is warranted. The new design language is an evolution of Material Design dubbed Material You, and it makes Android much more playful and accessible. The best Android phones feature skins with plenty of customizability, and Google is heading down that path with Android 12.

Of course, Android 12 is much more than a fresh coat of paint. Google is introducing important privacy…

The best Android One phones get the latest Android updates on time and offer a clean interface. If you’re looking for an Android One phone in 2021, your options are limited to Nokia’s devices. The Nokia 8.3 is the best choice right now, but you can find other options at various price points. Here are some of our top choices to consider.

Nokia 8.3 5G: Best Overall

With the Nokia 8.3, HMD Global has a device that goes up against the best cheap Android phones. The phone has a massive 6.81-inch Full HD+ display backed by a powerful Snapdragon 765G chipset with 5G connectivity, and the 4500mAh battery ensures you get at least two days of battery life.

There’s also a 3.5mm jack, and the 64MP camera at the back takes great photos in most lighting conditions. The Nokia 8.3 gets a lot right, and the fact that it runs clean software without any bloatware gives it an added edge. That said, Nokia hasn’t been the best at software updates lately, and the Android 11 update for the Nokia 8.3 di…

With upgraded cameras and the latest hardware, the Mi 11 Ultra beats out its flagship rivals.

My favorite scene in This is Spinal Tap is when the guitarist gives a studio tour to the documentary filmmaker. When they get to the amp, he proudly shows off how all the knobs go to 11, saying that it’s “one louder” than normal amps and that it gives him that “extra push to go over the cliff.”

In a sense, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra feels the same way. Xiaomi already has a brilliant flagship in the form of the Mi 11, but with the Mi 11 Ultra, it is offering a phone that turns things up a notch. The device has a 50MP primary lens with a humongous 1/1.12-inch sensor, and the auxiliary cameras have been upgraded with two 48MP modules.

The standard Mi 11 has 55W wired and 50W wireless charging, but Xiaomi felt that it wasn’t enough for the Mi 11 Ultra, so the phone gets 67W wired and wireless charging. Oh, and there’s a secondary 1.1-inch screen at the back that lets you easily take selfies with …

The POCO F3 delivers high-end hardware for just $400, making it a brilliant mid-range phone.

The POCO F1 launched nearly three years ago, but it continues to be one of the best cheap Android phones. Xiaomi doesn’t usually sell phones beyond a 15-month window — the brand is all about flooding the market with new releases — but in a testament to the F1’s success, the phone is still available in India for ₹17,999 ($240).

POCO launched a lot of devices last year, but it wasn’t able to recreate the winning formula of the F1. The POCO X2 series was aimed at the budget segment, and while the POCO F2 Pro delivered top-tier hardware, it was too costly to be a true follow-up to the F1. It’s telling that Xiaomi didn’t bother launching the F2 Pro in India last year.

In 2021, POCO is doubling down on the value segment. The POCO X3 Pro delivered the ideal balance between performance and value, and now the POCO F3 is aiming to take the mantle of the POCO F1. The phone is a rebranded Redmi …

If you want to get your hands on the best Android phone in 2021, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is for you. It’s a device that delivers all of the high-end specs and features you could ask for in a flagship smartphone, all while coming in at a lower price than its predecessor. That said, if you’re in the market for a more affordable smartphone with different software, or a more unique design, there are plenty of other options to consider.

What are the best Android phones?

There are a lot of contenders when it comes to the best Android phones, but we think the Samsung Galaxy S21 is the go-to choice for most people. The S21 isn’t the absolute most premium Android phone you can buy in 2021, but when looking at the specs and features it offers for the price, it’s easily the best phone most people should buy.

The best part is that the Galaxy S21 costs less than its predecessor, making it an even better option. While Samsung made a few changes to bring down the price, the fundamentals are s…