Turn the Samsung Galaxy S20 hole-punch into a battery indicator with Energy Ring

As manufacturers have tried to push the limits of bezel-less design, we’ve seen several “solutions” arise. Pop-up cameras and later notches were the first big trends, and they’ve both stuck around for a while. Another long-standing option is the hole-punch camera cutout. We’ve seen some clever methods for hiding the hole-punch, but we’ve also seen some manufacturers and developers of third-party apps use the cutout in creative ways. Energy Ring by XDA Recognized Developer jagan2 is a cool app that puts the hole-punch to use by turning the cutout into a battery indicator. The app was recently optimized for the Samsung Galaxy S20 series.

For those not familiar with Energy Ring, the idea is to utilize the space around the hole-punch rather than hide it. There are a lot of customizations at your fingertips, such as configuring the width of the ring, the direction of depletion, changing colors based on battery level, and more. There are a few extra features for paid users, but there is enough in store to keep free users satisfied. The developer says there is a very minimal effect on CPU and battery.

Energy Ring was originally made available for the Samsung Galaxy S10 and later came out for the Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy Note 10 series. Now, the app works on the S20 series. Note that there is a specific app for each supported device. The app linked below is specifically for the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, and the 5G variants.

Energy Ring for the Samsung Galaxy S20 — XDA Thread

Energy Ring for the Samsung Galaxy S20+ — XDA Thread

Energy Ring for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra — XDA Thread

Energy Ring - S20/5G/Ultra/+ battery indicator! (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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Samsung Galaxy A41 announced with AMOLED display, 48MP camera, and MediaTek Helio P65

The Samsung Galaxy A41 leaked last month and gave us our first look at the successor to the Galaxy A40. Today, the company officially announced the device in Japan. The announcement was pretty low-key as the device isn’t scheduled to be available until June, but let’s take a look at what it has to offer.

It turns out the previously leaked renders weren’t very accurate. The front of the Galaxy A41 looks basically how we expected. It has a 6.1-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a centered notch (for the 25MP selfie camera). There’s also an under-display fingerprint scanner this year. The back of the device, however, looks very different from the renders.

Instead of the familiar Galaxy S20-esque rectangular camera assortment, the Galaxy A41 has triple cameras and a flash arranged vertically. Those cameras are 48MP, 8MP wide-angle, and a 5MP depth sensor. The device is powered bu the MediaTek Helio P65 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. It has a 3,500mAh battery with support for 15W charging.

A nice feature that we don’t normally see in budget devices is IP68 water and dust resistance. There’s no word on ports and we can’t see any from the provided images. The Galaxy A40 had USB-C and a headphone jack, so we assume the Galaxy A41 has the same. The device will come in Blue, Black, and White color options. As mentioned earlier, the device will be available in Japan in June from NTT DOCOMO. No word on pricing or international availability was given at this time.

Specifications		Galaxy A41
Color		Blue / white / black
Battery capacity		3,500mAh
Memory	Built-in ( RAM / ROM )	4GB / 64GB
Display		6.1 inch FHD +, Infinity Display, Super AMOLED
Camera	Rear	48MP(f/2.0) 8MP wide-angle (f/2.2) 5MP Depth sensor (f/2.4)
	Front	25MP ( f/2.2 )
Waterproof / dustproof		IP68

Source: Galaxy Mobile | Via: GSMArena

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Samsung Galaxy S20 family gets another firmware update to address camera autofocus issue

The megapixel race is back, and the top-end ‘Ultra’ variant of the Samsung Galaxy S20 is one of the prominent contenders, boasting a massive 108MP ISOCELL HM1 sensor. The company already rolled out the first software update for the phone to improve the focusing issues, but owners are still reporting autofocus glitches. Samsung is now rolling out a new software build with an updated camera firmware to tackle the situation.

Tagged with the version number G98xxXXU1ATCH, this update is intended for the Exynos-powered international variant of the Galaxy S20 lineup. At the time of writing this article, the OTA should hit the units in various Asian and European countries, including India. The base models, i.e. the Galaxy S20/S20+ also utilize the same camera stack as the Ultra variant (despite having different hardware sensors), thus the owners of these phones should also benefit after installing the new update. The 5G-capable variants are picking up similar updates as well in different regions.

While the changelog does mention about camera performance improvements, the underlying changes are quite huge. Samsung is shipping a new version (10.0.01.98 to be precise) of the stock camera app, accompanied by an improved camera firmware. The initial feedback is mixed though, so do let us know your experience after installing the OTA. Sideloading the updated camera app on Snapdragon models might not be fruitful, as it depends on the new firmware as well.

XDA Forums for Samsung Galaxy: S20 || S20+ || S20 Ultra

Buy from Amazon.in — Samsung Galaxy: S20 || S20+ || S20 Ultra

Interestingly, all three Galaxy S20 models in India received an intermediate update before. Bearing version number G98xFXXU1ATC1, this build apparently brought stability improvements. Now that Samsung is aware of these pesky bugs (e.g. the random reboot issue), there is no doubt that they will push a bunch of similar updates in the near future.

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Thanks to XDA Retired Senior Moderator broncogr for the screenshot!

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Realme to launch new Narzo smartphone series

Realme intended to enter 2020 on a high, and the company has ensured the same by launching several smartphones within Q1 2020 itself. We’ve witnessed the likes of the Realme X50 Pro flagship, as well as the Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro to handle duties in the early-mid-range, as well as the launch of the Realme Band marking Realme’s debut into the fitness tracker category. It’s just been 14 days since Realme’s last launch in India, and the company is already preparing for the launch of a new smartphone series called “Narzo”.

Presenting the new revolution. Our new smartphone series #realmeNarzo.

Guess the name of our first smartphone in the Narzo series using #realmeNarzo and get a chance to be its proud first user. pic.twitter.com/wAkXAb1XRG

— Madhav 5G (@MadhavSheth1) March 19, 2020

Realme has posted a rather cryptic video that points towards the launch of a new smartphone series in the form of Realme Narzo. Official information beyond the same is limited, but a report from 91Mobiles suggests that this is an upcoming smartphone series from the company which will reportedly compete against the likes of POCO and Redmi in India. The Realme Narzo series will reportedly target the youth, as inferred from the flashy promotional materials that place a lot of emphasis on “Gen Z”. 91Mobiles also mentions that Realme Narzo can have two variants, and it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to guess this would pan out as a normal variant and a Pro variant.

Realme has not disclosed a date yet for the launch of Narzo. Specifications for the device are also unknown at this stage, but we can expect it to be around the budget or mid-range segments, and not towards the premium market. We hope to learn more about the phone very soon from official Realme handles.

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Source: @MadhavSheth, 91Mobiles

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Xiaomi Mi 10 with 108MP camera and Snapdragon 865 launching in India on 31st March

It wouldn’t be an overstatement if one was to say that Xiaomi has revolutionized the Indian smartphone market. Ever since the Chinese company entered the market, Indians have had very high-value products to choose from in the budget and early-mid range segments, much to the displeasure of other brands. Xiaomi’s massive success in India is, however, restricted to the under-₹20,000 (<$275) range. Historically, Xiaomi’s Mi smartphones haven’t done well in India, with the last products to launch in the country within this line being the Xiaomi Mi 5 and Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 (though Mix series doesn’t really count). Xiaomi had announced that this will change this year onwards, as they will launch a “lot more premium Mi flagships in 2020“. Now, Xiaomi has officially confirmed that it is launching the Mi 10 in India on 31st March 2020.

Mi Fans, wait is over! # : .

Watch Livestream across @XiaomiIndia social media handles. Know more here: https://t.co/oKPXrAaCYf

RT with #Mi10IsHere and #108MP if you are excited. #Xiaomi pic.twitter.com/P4KkLWFH95

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) March 19, 2020

The Xiaomi Mi 10 was launched in China on February 13, 2020. It brings along several premium features, such as a 90Hz FHD+ AMOLED display with HDR10+ support, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, up to 512GB UFS 3.0 internal storage, a 108MP quad-camera setup, a 20MP front camera, a 4,780 mAh battery with 30W fast wired charging, 30W fast wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging. The primary camera has a 7 piece lens setup and optical image stabilization and can capture 8K video footage with both OIS and EIS. Xiaomi has also released the kernel sources of the device, shortly after its launch.

Xiaomi’s Mi 10 launch does not come as a complete surprise. We had already found code references indicating a launch in India back in February itself. The code references, however, also indicate that both the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro will be launching in India, but Xiaomi has only officially confirmed the Mi 10’s launch for now.

Keep in mind that the Xiaomi Mi 10 will not be priced in line with what we expect from Xiaomi India, in the context of their Redmi value-pricing. The Indian government recently raised the GST applicable to smartphones. This tax increase, coupled with a depreciating INR-USD ratio and the fact that the Mi 10 will be imported from China and not assembled in India, means that the Mi 10 will command a premium pricing at par its premium listing. It is a very strong product, so expect pricing in a similar ballpark.

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OPPO Find X2 Pro certified as a YouTube Signature Device

YouTube recently launched a new Device Report website, where phones that can provide best-in-class YouTube experiences are listed down. These phones are listed after “rigorous testing”, and the team at YouTube also works with the manufacturers to improve video playback performance. Considering how integral YouTube has become to the smartphone experience of the average user, all of this effort makes a lot of sense. Smartphones from Samsung, Sony, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Google, Nokia, LG, HTC and more were listed at launch, and more Huawei and Honor devices were added down the road. Now, OPPO makes it to the list of YouTube Signature Devices with the OPPO Find X2 Pro.

To be classified as a YouTube Signature Device, a phone must support six technologies, including HDR, 360° video, 4K decoding, high frame rate, the VP9 codec, and DRM performance. Google notes the following details about the technologies:

• HDR: With support for High Dynamic Range (HDR), you’ll see videos that are richer in detail, with true-to-life colors. HDR capabilities allow a phone to display greater contrast, so you can see details of videos, whether that scene is shot in the dark, or bright light.
• 360° video: Immerse yourself in a new world with 360° videos, which have been recorded in all directions. Look up, down, or all around; with 360° videos you’re in control of the viewing experience, through on-screen controls or through a VR headset.
• 4K decoding: While some devices display 4K on their screens, 4K decoding ensures that you’ll see videos in high resolution and stunning clarity on VR, delivering riveting experiences.
• High frame rate: Enjoy gaming, sports, and action videos without missing a beat. Support for high frame rate (anything greater than 60 frames per second) means you get super smooth video playback.
• Next-generation video codecs: Watch high-resolution videos on YouTube while using up to 30% less bandwidth. 2019 Signature Devices are built with hardware VP9 profile 2 decoding, an advanced video codec technology.
• Digital rights management performance: From YouTube TV to rental movies, Signature Devices seamlessly stream premium content without disrupting your viewing experience.

The OPPO Find X2 Pro places a lot of importance on the display, which is one of the major determining factors for being certified as a Signature Device. There’s 120Hz refresh rate, 10bit color depth for 1.07 billion possible colors, JNCD of 0.8, as well as the O1 Ultra Vision Engine that enables features like Motion Clear Video Enhancements, and hardware-level SDR to HDR conversion. Being the best display from OPPO on a smartphone, the Find X2 Pro was in a good position to bag the certification.

This just in: #OppoFindX2Pro is the first OPPO flagship awarded with the YouTube Signature Device prestige.
Thank you @YouTube for recognizing #ColorOS7’s new HDR Video Enhancer among other OPPO exclusive optimizations! @oppo

Know more: https://t.co/XR6BB0R1z1 pic.twitter.com/gaXZiF9RYx

— ColorOS (@colorosglobal) March 18, 2020

OPPO Find X2 Pro users can thus enjoy vivid HDR videos, 360° videos and faster load time without pressing upon the available bandwidth.

OPPO Find X2 Pro XDA Forums

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Future Samsung Galaxy S20 update will address random reboot issue that some users are facing

The Samsung Galaxy S20 lineup is the perfect example of cutting edge, monster-specced flagship. Be it the processor, connectivity options or the camera, Samsung is ready to outperform its competitors in every segment. However, software optimizations play a significant role in the premium smartphone experience and the Korean OEM is well aware of that. The company recently rolled out the first software update for the Galaxy S20 Ultra that specifically incorporated fixes related to the camera auto-focus issue. The list of bugs does not end here though, as a number of Galaxy S20 owners have reported about a strange random reboot glitch affecting their units.

The reboot event is truly random, as there is no particular pattern in the user reports spread across the internet, including Reddit, Samsung’s community forums as well as our own forums. Disconnecting or reconnecting the charging cable or the headphone is enough to trigger the reboot event in some cases, but it’s still not very clear whether it’s a hardware (i.e. the USB Type-C socket) or software problem. Thermal throttling is suggested as yet another possible reason, albeit Idrees from our team hasn’t faced any such issues on his Galaxy S20+. From what we can gather, this random reboot glitch is prevalent on the Exynos variant.

The company is apparently trying to fix the random reboot situation with priority, as suggested by a moderator of the Samsung EU community forums.

The developers reckon that they’ve found the source of the issue, and are working on an update to resolve it. No timescale on that, but hoping it’s soon for you guys – so keep a look out for it coming your way.

According to the same person, opting for a replacement might be pointless, as the root of the bug is hidden beneath the software layer.

XDA Forums for Samsung Galaxy: S20 || S20+ || S20 Ultra

Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S20 units, on the other hand, are plagued with a GPS lock bug, which is still to be addressed by Samsung.

Buy from Amazon.in — Samsung Galaxy: S20 || S20+ || S20 Ultra

We hope that Samsung will deliver the necessary fixes in the form of a quick hotfix. In the meantime, let us know if you have faced random reboots on your Galaxy S20, S20+ or S20 Ultra down in the comments.

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