Samsung seems to be getting ready to launch the Galaxy A82. Key specs of the phone have now appeared online, thanks to a listing on the Google Play Console.
Samsung Galaxy A82 visits Google Play Console. Key specifications revealed.
Android 11
6GB RAM
SD855+#Samsung #SamsungGalaxyA82 pic.twitter.com/NXEX5Y9pPE— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) April 1, 2021
The Galaxy A82 could be seen as a successor to 2019’s Galaxy A80. However, it seems the phone is losing its flippy camera system as the image displayed in the Google Play Console listing (see above) shows a device with a center-placed punch hole.
The listing also reveals that the Galaxy A82 will be powered by the SM8150p chipset, aka the Snapdragon 855 Plus. Even though the flagship SoC is dated, you can still expect it to do some heavy lifting when it comes to overall performance. It’s also possible that the SM8150p silicon is the newer Snapdragon 860. Qualcomm equates both chipsets officially and they also have matching specs.
Other specs revealed by the listing include Android 11 support, 6GB of RAM, and a 2,400 x 1,080 display. Unfortunately, there’s no more information available in the listing. However, a previous leak suggested that the device will get a 64MP Sony IMX686 primary camera.
There’s no word on a global launch for the Galaxy A82 just yet, but it’s expected to release as the Galaxy A Quantum 2 in Samsung’s home market. The name also appears in the latest listing, suggesting that the phone will come with a QNRG chip for enhanced security.
The first Galaxy A Quantum was based on the Galaxy A71 5G which launched outside of South Korea without the QNRG chip. Samsung may adopt a similar strategy with the Galaxy A82. We’ll just have to wait and watch.
Foldable phones aren’t going anywhere. This week, Xiaomi finally unveiled the latest addition to its Mi Mix line and its first commercially available foldable phone. The Mi Mix Fold is only available in China for now, but it hopefully won’t be Xiaomi’s only foldable for 2021.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold packs a design reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. It wears an 8-inch display on its interior and a 6.52-inch panel on its exterior complete with a 90Hz refresh rate. Internals consist of the Snapdragon 888 SoC, 5,020mAh of juice from two batteries, Xiaomi’s homemade Surge C1 imaging processor, and up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
Its imaging arsenal includes a 108MP rear camera, a 13MP ultra-wide shooter, and an 8MP camera with a liquid lens. The latter lets it shoot macros and up to 3x telephoto snaps.
That’s a pretty impressive loadout for a foldable, but the Mi Mix Fold arguably isn’t as ambitious as previous Mi Mix models. Even more curious is that it still runs on Android 10. While Xiaomi told us the foldable won’t be available outside China, it would likely cost a pretty penny if it ever does get released globally.
So, with the pros and cons listed, what are your thoughts about the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold? Is it hot or not? Be sure to vote in our poll above, and if your feelings are more nuanced, be sure to drop a comment down below.
Samsung launched the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (FE) in the second half of 2020, but the phone was available in 4G and 5G flavors. Only the 4G version made its way to India at the time, but the Korean manufacturer has now officially launched the 5G model in the market.
Of course, India doesn’t have 5G networks just yet, so this is more a case of future-proofing rather than being able to take advantage of 5G right now. But a big reason to welcome the Galaxy S20 FE 5G’s release in the country is the processor.
The Galaxy S20 FE 4G offered Samsung’s in-house Exynos 990 chipset, while the 5G model delivers the Snapdragon 865 processor. Our own Exynos 990 versus Snapdragon 865 testing showed a massive gap in GPU performance between the two SoCs, with Qualcomm’s chipset streaking ahead in a big way. In fact, a Speed Test G test we ran last year found that the Exynos 990-toting Galaxy S20 Plus was worse than the Snapdragon 855-packing Galaxy S10 5G when it came to GPU performance. Check it out below.
In other words, mobile gamers will want to choose the 5G model if they were considering the 4G version to begin with.
The Galaxy S20 FE 5G is otherwise identical to the 4G model. That means a 6.5-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED screen, IP68 rating, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of expandable storage. You’re also getting that 4,500mAh battery with 25W wired charging capabilities, wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging support.
Samsung’s 5G variant also packs the same camera setup, featuring a 32MP selfie shooter and a versatile triple rear camera combo (12MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 8MP 3X telephoto).
Samsung says the Galaxy S20 FE 5G price is pegged at Rs 55,999 (~$762), but notes that you’ll get Rs 8,000 (~$109) instant cashback. This means you’re effectively paying Rs 47,999 (~$653) instead. The phone is available via Samsung.com, Samsung exclusive stores, Amazon India, and other retail partners. You can also get it in Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, and Cloud Lavender color options.
Google is reportedly readying a new pair of true wireless earbuds for release this year, namely the Pixel Buds A.
According to 9to5Google, the Buds A may play a similar role in Google’s audio products line as the Pixel a series does for its smartphones. The publication believes the Buds A will be the entry-level variant to the Pixel Buds proper.
Aesthetically, the Buds A will reportedly mimic the Pixel Buds‘ design in all but color options. While Google offered the Pixel Buds with black accents, the Buds A are believed to wear an all-white design akin to Apple AirPods. Another forest green option may also be available as an alternative.
The Buds A may also offer touch controls on both buds for controlling media or accessing Google Assistant. There’s no word on which features will get the boot to keep its price in check, though.
So, when could we see Google debut its affordable Pixel Buds line? As the Pixel Buds debuted alongside the Pixel 4 series last year, it’s possible that the Buds A could arrive alongside Google’s rumored Pixel 5a. If that is the case, don’t be too surprised if the Buds A only make an appearance later this year.
Of course, Google may also choose to dish out the Buds A a little earlier or alongside its forthcoming mystery wireless streaming product.
Which features would you forego on a cheaper pair of Pixel Buds? And how much would you be willing to pay for a pair? Be sure to vote in our poll above, or drop your own suggestions down below.
Today is World Backup Day, so let’s take a closer look at how to back up data on your Android device.
Phones are getting better at automatically backing up data, but unfortunately, there’s always the possibility that you’ll lose your phone or drop it in water and lose everything. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to back up that data, ensuring that even if something does happen to your phone, you won’t lose all those embarrassing photos of your kids you were going to show at their 21st birthday.
Whether it be through Google, a third-party app, or your computer, here’s how to properly back up phones to make sure you never find yourself in a situation where you end up with lost data.
Helpful reading:
Backing up most of your data is actually pretty easy with Google, and it has gotten far easier over the past few years. Unfortunately, there isn’t yet a one-stop backup method for Android phones through Google, but there are ways to back up different types of data. Keep in mind, however, that these options don’t cover things like SMS, though we do have an entire article to help you out with that. Here’s how to back up your data with Google.
If you’re not already using Google Photos, you should be. The service automatically backs up every photo and video you take to the cloud, so you’ll never have to manually back up your media ever again. If the Photos app isn’t already on your phone, you can download it here. Once it’s installed, you’ll need to make sure Photos is set to automatically back up your files. Here’s how to do that:
The best part about Google Photos? You can upload as many files as you’d like for free. However, Google will change that rule soon. Starting June 1, 2021, any new photos and videos you upload will count toward the free 15GB of storage that comes with every Google Account.
Worry not, as any photos or videos you may have uploaded in high quality before June 1, 2021 will not count toward your 15GB of free storage and will still be considered free and exempt from the storage limit.
You should also know that if you back up your photos and videos in original quality, they will continue to count toward your 15GB of free storage across your Google Account.
That said, if you have a Pixel phone, photos uploaded from that device won’t be impacted. Photos and videos uploaded in high quality from Pixels will continue to be exempt from this change, even after June 1, 2021.
If you would like to up your storage space after the June deadline, you’ll have to purchase a Google One plan.
Photos and videos will have a maximum upload quality of 1080p for the free unlimited storage option, which should be good enough for most people. If you’d like to keep the original resolution quality of your photos and videos, you can, but it will count against your Google Drive storage limits. Here’s how to check your Google Photos upload quality:
Of course, you probably have more than just photos and videos on your phone. Here are a few ways you can back up the other files:
Google Drive lets you store your other files in the cloud, which means they’ll be accessible from any connected device. To manually upload folders and files, follow these instructions:
See also: How to use Google Drive: Everything you need to know
To back up your phone’s settings and apps, you’ll want to use Android Backup Service. This service essentially backs up the apps you use and the settings that you have selected in most Google apps, making it easy to restore those settings on a new phone. For a complete list of what gets backed up with Android Backup Service, head here. Otherwise, follow the instructions below to activate it:
And that’s it! Your device should be pretty much all backed up now. Unless, of course, you want to use a third-party service instead of Google’s own.
Cloud services are a dime and a dozen, and Google isn’t the only one offering oodles of storage. In fact, Microsoft’s OneDrive is a very competent alternative. In case you are subscribing to Office 365, the company tosses in 1TB of online storage for free.
Elsewhere, Amazon Drive offers unlimited photo storage plus 5GB video storage with a Prime subscription. Meanwhile, unlimited storage is a mere 100GB storage is mere $1.99/month or $19.99/year, making it an affordable, albeit not as tightly integrated alternative. The 1TB storage plan is also a great option for $59.99 a year.
The biggest downside of straying from Google’s ecosystem is the manual effort required in making sure all your content is copied over. All these services offer up a simple file browser app and you can copy over your files and documents as you please. The same files can then be accessed via a web browser or desktop app as well.
Also read: The best cloud storage services and apps for Android
Instead of backing up your device to the cloud or to the phone itself, you might want to back up all your files to your computer for easy access later on. Luckily, this is pretty easy to do, and the process is pretty much the same whether you’re a Mac or PC user. Mac users will need to download and install the Android File Transfer app, though. Here’s how to back up your Android device to a computer:
Yes, the Android File Transfer app is quite clunky and doesn’t always do the job. If manually copying over files is your preferred option, it might be a good idea to invest in a better app. Commander One is an excellent app that lets you do just that. Android Authority’s Oliver Cragg gives us all the information on the best way to transfer files between an Android phone and Mac.
Copying over files manually or cloud sync is a functional solution, but not always the best one for you. What if you could automatically back up all your images and files to your computer or NAS drive without having to connect a cable? That’s where sync utilities come into action.
Syncthing is a great utility to make sure all my photographs and additional files are downloaded to the computer. The premise is simple, install an app on your phone and select a folder to constantly keep an eye on. Meanwhile, a client runs on your computer allowing you to link up with your phone.
Now, whenever the app on the phone detects a change or file addition in the watched folder, it immediately sends over a copy to the computer. Simple, reliable, it just works. Of course, you can use it as a standard sync utility too, but I prefer to have all my files sent one way to the computer so that I have a copy available even if I delete something from my phone. So, how do you set up Syncthing?
Another great option is the camera upload functionality built into Plex. This is particularly handy if you already use Plex as a media server. An advantage over other backup solutions is that the solution works remotely and even lets you browse your entire photo library. How to set Plex camera sync?
That’s it. Sit back and watch as Plex copies over all your images to your computer. You can also pop over to the newly created photos tab to take a look at all your images. Since Plex has apps for nearly every platform out there, you can now beam up your photos to the big screen or any other phone or tablet with Plex signed in.
Also read: Kodi vs. Plex: Which one is right for you?
Google’s services are great, but if you’re looking for a more comprehensive solution — one that backs up everything at once, that is — you might need to use a third-party app.
There are a ton of great apps out there for backing up your data, and one of the best is Super Backup & Restore. It allows you to back up individual items on your phone, such as apps, contacts, SMS, calendars, voice calls, and more. Users can define where the backups go for easy locating later and you can also schedule automatic backups along with backing up to cloud storage.
And that’s all there is to it. Easy, right?
While most people won’t need to root their phones to back up what they need to, rooting your phone can help you back up a few more things. By rooting your phone, just about everything on your phone can be restored, including things like app settings, system data, and even Wi-Fi passwords. One of the most used apps for backing up a rooted phone is Titanium Backup. While Titanium Backup certainly looks a little outdated, it’s a very powerful app indeed. Here’s how to back up your files using Titanium Backup:
For a full explanation of Titanium Backup and how it works, head here.
Whether you need to create a full backup of your device or you just want to make sure you don’t lose your photos, backing up your phone shouldn’t be hard to do. Thankfully, it’s not! If you can think of any better ways to back2up your phone, let us know in the comments section.
Xiaomi has finally joined the ranks of manufacturers offering a water resistant flagship smartphone, with the Mi 11 Ultra and China-only Mi 11 Pro both delivering IP68 designs.
That got us wondering just how important water resistance is to Android Authority readers though. Is it a must or a non-factor when buying a flagship phone? You can vote in the poll below.
Personally, water resistance has been a key feature for me over the years, giving me some peace of mind if caught in the rain or if the device gets accidentally dropped in water. But IP ratings do have their downsides though.
One of the biggest downsides is that IP ratings aren’t cheap for manufacturers, with these costs often being passed on to consumers as a result. This is presumably why we seldom see mid-range and low-end phones with official water resistance ratings. Another lesser known downside to having a water resistant phone is that repairing it yourself can often be a tougher endeavor, as there’s a ton of sealing inside the device.
Give us your thoughts on the matter by voting in the poll and by leaving a comment below!
The Poco X3 Pro made its European debut a little over a week ago. Now, the spiritual Poco F1 successor has confirmed pricing and availability details for India.
Visually, the phone packs a large Poco logo at its rear with a two-tone color finish and a circular rear camera array. That design is reportedly hat-tip to the original Poco F1, but the X3 Pro’s looks aren’t really its selling point, though.
Internally, the Poco X3 Pro sports a 6.67-inch LCD with HDR10 support, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 240Hz touch sampling rate. Paired with a Snapdragon 860 chipset and UFS 3.1 storage, the X3 Pro could be a sleeper hit with mobile gamers. That display’s also protected by Gorilla Glass 6 while the phone gains IP53 dust and water resistance.
The phone’s powered by a 5,160mAh battery which can be topped up via its included 33W charger. More practical inclusions, like a headphone jack, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, an IR blaster, and hybrid dual SIM slots also make the cut.
For photographers, the Poco X3 Pro employs a 48MP primary shooter supported by an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro shooter. A 20MP selfie camera resides in a punch-hole up front.
Finally, it runs on Android 11 with MIUI 12 on top.
In Europe, the phone starts at €249 (~$296), but Indian pricing is much more forgiving. Pricing for the 6GB RAM/128GB storage config starts at Rs 18,999 (~$262). The pricier 8GB/128GB variant starts at Rs 20,999 (~$289). Early-bird specials cut Rs 1,000 off both those prices, too.
The Poco X3 Pro will be available on Flipkart from April 6 at 12 PM IST (2:30 AM ET). Colorways available include Graphite Black, Steel Blue, and Golden Bronze.
Poco’s clearly gunning for the Samsung Galaxy F62 and the OnePlus Nord with this aggressive price point.
Update: March 30, 2021 (1:09 AM ET): OnePlus is now disseminating another stable Oxygen OS 11 update for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro.
Oxygen OS 11.0.5.5 for the phones is currently rolling out in India, but OnePlus has promised that Europe and North America will also get the update soon.
There are no new features being added with the latest version. It mostly carries bug fixes and system improvements. However, it does come with the March security patch.
You can read the complete changelog below.
System
Camera
OnePlus Share
Clock
For more info on the history of updates for the OnePlus 8 series, continue on.
Welcome to the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro update hub. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about the latest Android updates for the two devices, including their current versions and when future updates are likely to arrive.
Both the 8 and 8 Pro run OxygenOS, OnePlus’ proprietary Android skin. OxygenOS is known for fast updates that come for a very long time, so be sure to bookmark this page and visit often.
The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro launched on April 14, 2020. Both launched with the latest version of Android out-of-the-box: Android 10. We expect both devices to receive at least two major Android updates in the future — Android 11 in 2020 and Android 12 in 2021.
Days after the phones launched, OnePlus rolled out the Oxygen OS 10.5.4 update for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro. It was a minor update, but brought Google’s Live Caption feature to the phones. It also enhanced support for the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z earbuds, optimized the cameras and fingerprint sensor, improved system stability, and more.
However, a bunch of users started reporting the appearance of a green tint on the displays of their phones. Some also reported a black crush issue which made dark areas of the screen lose detail.
OnePlus then rolled out Oxygen OS 10.5.5 for both the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. The update sort of fixed the green tint problem for some, but the black crush issue remained.
The changelog was also tight-lipped about the display problems. The only indication on it related to the display was a pointer noting “optimized the display effects,” which doesn’t clearly mean the green tint or black crush issue.
In early May, OnePlus rolled out Oxygen OS 10.5.6.IN11AA for the OnePlus 8 Pro and 10.5.5.IN21AA for the OnePlus 8. The changelog didn’t clearly verify a fix for the display problems on the OnePlus 8 Pro, but mentioned general system, camera, and network improvements.
However, some users who received this update weren’t too happy with it. A user on Reddit said that the update fixed the green tint issue on the OnePlus 8 Pro when DC Dimming was switched on, but it reappears when DC Dimming was switched off. Another user on OnePlus forums reports that the camera on the OnePlus 8 Pro became worse after the update and resulted in images showing random flares.
On May 29, OnePlus reportedly started rolling out an update to disable the color filter camera on the OnePlus 8 Pro, not just in China, but globally. The move came after it was recently discovered that the gimmicky color filter camera on the back of the OnePlus 8 Pro can be used as a sort of X-ray camera. The update was attached to Oxygen OS 10.5.9.
The aforementioned update was short-lived though, as the firm then pulled it and confirmed to Android Police that it was an accidental roll-out.
On June 4, OnePlus rolled out a heavy update for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. It added HEVC encoding to the phones allowing users to record videos at the same quality as the legacy H.264 codec while consuming far less storage. It also added a bunch of system optimizations, the May security patch, and more.
It also reinstated the “X-ray vision” capabilities of the color filter camera on the OnePlus 8 Pro. OnePlus had accidentally removed the controversial feature with an update in May. So if you happened to install the OnePlus 8 Pro update that disabled the feature, you can simply apply this OTA to get it back.
The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro received the August 2020 security patch, optimizations for the 16MP selfie camera, some bug fixes, and system stability improvements in the August update.
Early adopters were given the option to install Open Beta 1 of Oxygen OS based on Android 11 in September, closely followed by the release of Open Beta 2. The beta versions brought a number of UI tweaks to the system as well as improvements to the ambient display, Game Space, Zen Mode, and Dark Mode.
In mid-October, a new stable version of Oxygen OS 11 rolled out improving the phones’ Ambient Display, Dark Mode, Zen Mode, and Gallery app. Tweaks to Game Space and general system fixes also arrived.
On November 20, the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro started received Oxygen OS open beta 4. The update mostly consisted of bug fixes and optimizations. The November Android security patch also came along for the ride, but there were no new features to speak of.
A week later, the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro received Oxygen OS 11.0.2.2 in India, EU, and North America. It included a number of bug fixes and optimizations but doesn’t really add any new features to the phones. It did tag in the November Android security patch which was previously being rolled out with the Oxygen OS open beta 4 update.
OnePlus pushed out the fifth open beta update on December 23 2020, bringing Rewind Recording for Game Space, selfie camera animation tweaks, and addressing a Bluetooth call bug. It also brought the December 2020 security patch to the table.
The OnePlus 8 5G UW received its Oxygen OS 11 update in late January. Although the phone is a Verizon variant, the update brought all the key features you’d find on the stock OnePlus 8 series.
In February, the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro gained the sixth Oxygen OS 11 open beta build. It brought a lengthy changelog, which included the Android Security Patch for January 2021, and a host of tweaks to Weather, Shelf, and Gaming Space apps.
On March 1, 2021, OnePlus rolled out the seventh Oxygen OS 11 open beta build for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro. It added the February security patch to the phones and fixed several system issues.
On March 22, OnePlus started disseminating the eighth Oxygen OS 11 open beta build for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro. Alongside the March 2021 Android security patch, the beta update also brought a number of fixes for the system, camera, and other aspects of the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro.
| Android 10 | Android 11 | |
|---|---|---|
| OnePlus 8 | Current | TBA |
| OnePlus 8 Pro | Current | TBA |
Let us know which OnePlus 8/8 Pro update you’re rocking in the comments, and if you’ve spotted a recent update we’ve missed, tip us!
Are you looking for another device update? Head to our general Android 10 update tracker at the link.
