OnePlus CEO Pete Lau joins OPLUS as Senior VP, will oversee brand synergy between OnePlus, OPPO, Realme

OnePlus was co-founded by Pete Lau and Carl Pei back in 2013. Prior to this event, both Pete and Carl worked at OPPO as the Vice President and as the International Markets Manager respectively. As of now, both Pete and Carl hold key positions within OnePlus, as CEO of OnePlus and as Director of OnePlus Global respectively. However, a recent news report suggests that OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has taken on an additional role as Senior Vice President of OPLUS.

According to a report from Android Authority, Pete Lau has taken on additional responsibilities as the Senior VP and Chief Product Experience Officer at OPLUS. This new role involves duties around the brand synergy between the major OPLUS investment properties, namely OPPO, Realme, and OnePlus.

Pete Lau will retain the CEO tag with OnePlus, as per the statement offered by the company in the report:

Pete remains committed to his role as CEO of OnePlus. At the same time, he has also taken on the role of SVP and chief product experience officer for OPLUS, contributing to product and planning development.

If you’re wondering what OPLUS is, the report suggests that this is the investor company that oversees OnePlus, OPPO, and Realme. OPLUS’s mere existence is not really a mystery, as the holding company has different country-specific subsidiaries, such as OPLUS Mobitech India Pvt. Ltd. which counts OnePlus India’s General Manager Vikas Agarwal as its Director. You can look up OPLUS Mobitech on the Government of India’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs website to verify the same.

And now if you’re wondering what happened to BBK Electronics, the parent company that is widely presumed to oversee the three brands (OnePlus, OPPO, Realme) alongside Vivo, iQOO, and others — well that makes two of us that are a little confused. OnePlus has steadfastly denied associations with OPPO in the past, and now, Pete Lau denies that OPLUS is connected to BBK. As the original report notes, the background funding and corporate hierarchy of OnePlus and its sister brands remain shrouded in mystery.

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Source: Android Authority

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Google’s Android TV dongle could cost as low as $49 in the U.S.

In June, we brought you an exclusive first look at what could be Google’s upcoming Android TV dongle. We shared images that showed off the possible design, the dedicated remote, and the revamped Android TV user interface. However, what we were unable to reveal were the pricing and launch date. Fortunately, a new retail leak for the dongle, code-named “Sabrina,” may have just revealed its pricing in the U.S.

9to5Google is reporting that the “Sabrina” dongle has appeared in Home Depot’s internal system at a price of $49, making it one of the more affordable media streaming devices on the market. In fact, that prices it at exactly the same as the Roku Streaming Stick+ and Amazon Fire TV Stick and right around the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick. Earlier reports suggested the dongle would be “around or below $80,” so today’s report places the price much lower than anticipated.

As we previously reported, the “Sabrina” Android TV dongle will reportedly launch with Android TV on board and come with a dedicated remote (code-named “abbey“) that will offer a programmable button. Meanwhile, the debut of “Sabrina” is expected to concur alongside a revamped Android TV UI that’s more focused on content.

Possible remote

“Sabrina” may also feature integration with Nest doorbells and video cameras, making it easy for users to see alerts right from their TV. Additionally, we previously reported “Sabrina” would usher in a new Google Assistant response UI as well as YouTube TV integration into the “Live” tab.

9to5Google notes that the internal system at Home Depot lists “Sabrina” as coming in three colors: “Rock Candy”, “Como Blue”, and “Summer Melon”.

Google is expected to hold its next Made by Google event at the end of September or early October, where the company might unveil this mystery Android TV dongle alongside the Pixel 4A 5G, Pixel 5, and a new Nest speaker.

With so many details coming out over the past few months, it doesn’t seem like “Sabrina” will be a mystery for much longer.

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OnePlus Buds are now available in Gray in the U.S.

When the OnePlus Buds launched in the U.S., they were only available in a glossy white color. Now, OnePlus has opened up sales for a version in gray, giving consumers a sleek, stealthy option for the back to school season.

The OnePlus Buds in gray come with a case to match and also feature a red accent around the chrome touchpad, a nice attention to detail. Whereas the OnePlus Buds in white look a little too much like Apple’s AirPods, the version in gray is uniquely its own. The beautiful Nord Blue color option is not available in the U.S., though.

We reviewed the OnePlus Buds last month, praising their sound, design, and affordable price. The earbuds also feature support for Google’s latest Fast Pair features, which makes pairing the OnePlus Buds quick and easy with an Android device.

If you decide to pick up the OnePlus Buds in gray, you won’t have to pay a premium; the wireless earbuds are available for just $79. The OnePlus Buds are thus more affordable than the more premium wireless earbuds on the market, including the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live and Apple AirPods Pro, but they lack some features like Active Noise Cancellation and wireless charging. The app also only supports OnePlus phones, so you won’t be able to update the firmware or remap the double-tap gestures if you pair them with a smartphone from another manufacturer. They’re otherwise a great option if you own or plan to own a OnePlus device.

OnePlus Buds

Fast charging TWS earbuds

Free yourself from wires with a pair of truly wireless earbuds from OnePlus.

$79 at OnePlus.com

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The OnePlus 8T could have a flat display with a hole-punch cutout

It’s been a busy year for OnePlus. The company has already released 3 smartphones this year (the 8, 8 Pro, and Nord), its first-ever truly wireless earbuds (the OnePlus Buds), and plans on releasing possibly 2 more mid-range smartphones (code-named “clover” and “Billie“). As usual, though, OnePlus is gearing up to launch another flagship smartphone in the fall, and it’s expected to be the OnePlus 8T. Thanks to a teardown of the latest OxygenOS 11 Beta 4 release, we may have just caught our first glimpse at the upcoming phone, which is expected to be code-named “kebab.”

XDA Member and frequent OnePlus tipster Some_Random_Username did a teardown of OxygenOS 11 Beta 4 for the Oxygen Updater blog, and he found a few interesting tidbits that may pertain to the upcoming OnePlus 8T. First, a teardown of the new OnePlus Camera application suggests OnePlus is working on 8K video recording support, which currently isn’t available on any OnePlus device and is thus thought to be for the OnePlus 8T. We previously discovered evidence an upcoming OnePlus device may come equipped with a 64MP camera sensor, which can capture more than enough pixels to record at 8K resolution.

Here is the code mentioning 8K resolution support:

More importantly is a file found in the latest OnePlus Settings app called “oneplus_8t.webp.” This is an image file that is shown in the About Phone page in OxygenOS. Presumably, this render will be shown if the OS detects that the device is a OnePlus 8T, though we can’t confirm if this render is of the actual device or merely a placeholder.

From the render, we can see that the device has a flat display and a single hole-punch cutout in the top left. The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, in contrast, have curved displays, while the OnePlus Nord has a dual hole-punch cutout. We can’t really see anything else, though, including the back, but we can see the earpiece speaker, the volume buttons on the left, the power button on the right, and the Alert Slider on the right.

OnePlus typically releases its T-series of devices in the fall, which is right around the corner. With hints of a OnePlus 8T already trickling out, we’ll likely get more concrete details in the coming days and weeks.

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OnePlus explains how they optimized OxygenOS 11 for better one-handed use

It won’t be long after Google rolls out the stable Android 11 release for Pixel phones that OnePlus rolls out the final version of OxygenOS 11 for its devices. Earlier this month, the company unveiled the latest version of its Android-based software and rolled out a beta for the OnePlus 8 series. Alongside a new beta release today, OnePlus took to its forums to explain how they came up with the new design language for OxygenOS 11.

In the post, OxygenOS Product Lead Gary C. explained how OnePlus analyzed data to design a system that’s more comfortable for one-handed use. The company says they conducted A/B testing and found that 65% of users prefer slightly smaller headlines while 80% of users prefer titles with subtitles rather than without. In accordance with these metrics, OnePlus designed a new “headline-body hierarchy that streamlines information delivery in OxygenOS 11.” Furthermore, the company looked at anthropometric data to determine the general regions of the screen where people can easily reach or struggle to reach, as shown below.

As a result, OxygenOS 11 moves touch controls closer to your thumbs for easier access. When you open a menu, settings will now be pushed to the lower half of the display. “We also wanted to add even more features to make one-handed use quicker and easier,” OnePlus said in a forum post. “So, for example, we added a new Quick Share button in the Camera app. Now you can long press the thumbnail of the last photo you took to quickly share the photo with just one motion.” The company also redesigned its Weather app based on these principles, with the new UI currently rolling out in beta.

 

The changes to OxygenOS 11 come in response to the current mobile landscape, which is flooded with devices that feature tall screens. While big displays are great for content consumption, they do present usability issues with people who have smaller hands.

Samsung made similar design changes in its One UI software, which made the company’s taller phones much easier to use by placing key interaction areas near the bottom of the screen. Even if OxygenOS 11 does take inspiration from Samsung, it’s still nice to see that better one-handed use is becoming more of a priority.

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Lenovo Smart Clock Essential is a $49 multipurpose clock with Google Assistant

If you’re having trouble waking up for work or the new school year, then Lenovo’s new Smart Clock Essential can help. The company on Monday introduced the new Google Assistant-powered digital alarm clock, which is a cheaper version of the Lenovo Smart Clock from 2019. The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential introduces a handful of new features, including a night light and USB port for charging devices.

The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential features what looks like an LED display that shows information such as time, day, temperature, and whether you have an alarm set. Speaking of alarms, users can now use buttons to set an alarm, in addition to voice. There’s a mic mute switch and buttons for play/pause, volume up/down, and night light, a previously mentioned.

You can also use the Smart Clock Essential to control your smart home network using Google Assistant. That includes turning off/on smart lights and streaming music through the device’s 3W 1.5-inch speaker. You can also group the Smart Clock Essential with other compatible smart speakers for a more immersive listening experience.

The original Lenovo Smart Clock was more of a tiny smart display, similar to the Nest Hub, than an actual bedside clock. The latest Smart Clock Essential appears to function more like an old school alarm clock, complete with old school alarm clock looks, but with Google Assistant smarts. Sometimes, that’s all you need.

The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential retails for $49, which is about the price of a Google Nest Home Mini ($59). If you want the extra clock functionality, Lenovo’s new device might be the way to go. You can pick up the Smart Clock Essential in September. It’ll be available in the U.S., Europe, and several other regions, including Latin America, Australia and New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, and China.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020 leaked renders show off Gold and Gray colors

The Android tablet market stands in no competition against Apple’s iPad lineup. But still, there’s ground to be covered at price points which Apple does not serve, and options to provide at the points where Apple continues to exist. Samsung’s premier tablets for this year are of course the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, but there’s definitely room for many more tablets to be spread across the price spectrum. Samsung appears to be working on a new tablet, as leaked renders now show off the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020 in its Gold and Gray colors.

These leaked renders come to us courtesy of Evan ‘evleaks’ Blass and his Patreon, and they show off the upcoming tablet from Samsung in two colors:

The render shows off a surprisingly basic looking tablet with a single rear camera and a front with decently-sized bezels. The Samsung branding can be seen on the back. Evan does not mention anything else, but the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (SM-T505) had earlier appeared in its 10.4″ avatar in a Google Play Console listing. From the listing, we know that the device will come with a 10.4″ display with a resolution of 1200 x 2000 pixels. The tablet will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC, and at least one variant will have 3GB of RAM.

From the looks and preliminary specifications, one can expect the Galaxy Tab A7 2020 to be targeting some of the early segments of the market. We can expect Samsung to offer multiple storage variants and possible options for Wi-Fi-only and LTE models. It isn’t immediately clear if the tablet would officially support the new S Pen just like the Galaxy Tab S7 series. But even if it does, it is unlikely that an S Pen would be included in the box as the target pricing is expected to be humble. There is currently no information on the existence of a smaller sized variant.

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