Here’s our first look at the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

‘Tis the weekend of leaks. In the past two days, we have seen two high-profile upcoming phones leaked through renders. First, we got a good look at the Huawei Mate 40 Pro, and then the Samsung Galaxy S21. Now, we have our first look at the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

This leak comes to us courtesy of @OnLeaks once again, lending his reputation towards confidence in this leak. As mentioned before, the Samsung Galaxy S series for 2021 could be called either the Samsung Galaxy S21 or the Samsung Galaxy S30 — depending on the name that Samsung settles on eventually. For now, we presume it will be called the Galaxy S21, and the device pictured here is the top-end “Ultra” variant.

As one would expect, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra in these leaked renders looks fairly similar to the Galaxy S21 leaked renders. The difference comes in the display, which is expected to slightly curved, as is usually the case with more “premium” phones. @OnLeaks mentions that the screen diagonal is between 6.7″ to 6.9″, and there is a centered selfie punch-hole camera on the front. The device will measure about 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm, 10.8mm if you measure thickness at the camera bump.

The next big change will be with the camera. While the camera island follows the same design cues as we saw in the leaked renders for the regular variant, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will have a bigger camera island to accommodate the camera flash as well as the fourth rear camera. The camera specifications are not yet revealed, but one can expect a setup involving regular, ultra-wide, and telephoto/periscope lenses to begin with.

Samsung was widely rumored to be adding in S Pen support to the S-series lineup, possibly reserving the feature for the top models. However, OnLeaks mentions that the Galaxy S21 Ultra does not have a dedicated slot for the S Pen. This means that the stylus cannot rest within the phone as it does on the Note series, but the new devices could still support the stylus and house it externally as it does on a few Galaxy Tabs.

We hope to learn more about the upcoming devices soon.

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This is our first look at the Samsung Galaxy S21

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series arrived just about two months ago, and we’re already marching forward to the next one. Samsung’s usual flagship release cycle involves an S series launch in Q1 and a Note series launch in Q3 every year. Here’s our very first look at the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S21 (or Samsung Galaxy S30, depending on what Samsung will call its next release).

These leaked renders come to us courtesy of @OnLeaks, who has a very good record at leaked renders, so we’re inclined to believe that these do resemble what we can expect out of the final product. The next Samsung Galaxy S series release could be called either the Samsung Galaxy S21 or the Samsung Galaxy S30, depending on how Samsung’s decision making machinery wants it to spin.

As we can see, the biggest change on the Samsung Galaxy S21 is the rear camera island, which now begins from the corner and engulfs the three rear cameras. The frame of the device is expected to be made from metal. We can also spot a USB Type-C port on the bottom, besides the speaker grilles.

On the front, there is a 6.2″ flat display with a single, centered, punch-hole selfie camera. OnLeaks mentions that the device will measure around 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm, with the camera bump taking that thickness up to 9mm.

The next Samsung Galaxy S series is expected to involve three phones: the regular variant, the Plus variant, and the Ultra variant, though the naming could change here and there. Further, the devices are expected to launch sooner than the usual release window, with OnLeaks mentioning a launch as soon as January 2021.

Other rumors mention that Samsung could be sticking with modest upgrades only, instead of a revolutionary rethink or upgrade across the board. @IceUniverse suggests Samsung could be sticking with its 25W TA-800 charger for regular and Plus variants, the same charger that it bundles with a lot of its other phones across different price points such as the Galaxy M31s and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Samsung could also be bundling in an S Pen with the higher end variants of the S series. Another rumor suggests that the company could be looking at sourcing displays from multiple partners, instead of just sticking with Samsung Display. Note that all of these are admittedly rumors, and we’ll hear more in the coming days.

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Huawei Mate 40 Pro leak reveals 5nm Kirin 9000 SoC, circular camera bump, and curved display

Huawei is all set to launch what is widely believed to be the Chinese giant’s last flagship smartphone lineup for some time: the Mate 40 series. The company has already confirmed a launch event for October 22, where it’s expected to unveil two new smartphones: the Mate 40 and Mate 40 Pro. Now ahead of the official launch, a new leak has revealed some of the key aspects of the Pro model, including the overall design, display, camera, new Kirin chip, and more.

According to WinFuture, the Mate 40 Pro will feature a 6.76-inch OLED display with a screen resolution of 2772 x 1344. Just like the regular Mate 40, the display will be curved on its sides and feature a pill-shaped cutout to accommodate front cameras.

As seen in the renders, the phone will feature a circular camera module that seemingly resembles the iPod Shuffle button layout with Leica branding visible in the middle.

In line with previous leaks, the report notes the Mate 40 Pro will be powered by Kirin 9000 octa-core SoC, featuring 3x ARM Cortex-A77 cores clocked at 2.54GHz, 1x ARM Cortex-A77 core at 3.13GHz, and 4x ARM Cortex-A55 efficiency cores running at 2.04GHz. The Mali G78 GPU will handle the graphics side of things. Further, the report adds the chipset will be built on TSMC’s 5nm process and come with an integrated 5G modem.

In Europe, the Mate 40 Pro will be offered in only one memory variant: 8GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 flash storage with no microSD card expansion, according to the report. Coming to the cameras, the Mate 40 Pro is said to be packing a 50MP f/1.9 primary sensor with OIS, a 20MP f/1.8 ultra-wide-angle sensor, and a 12MP f/3.4 telephoto shooter. Meanwhile, there will be a 13MP f/2.4 selfie camera and a 3D sensor (ToF) on the front.

Lastly, the phone will reportedly pack a 4,400 mAh battery with support for 65W SuperCharge fast charger, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6, wireless charging support, and will come running Android 10-based EMUI 11 with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS).

The exact pricing and availability details remain unknown for now. With the official launch just a few days away, however, we won’t have to wait too long to learn about the missing bits.

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Source: WinFuture

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These are the best PUBG Mobile emulators right now

A major reason for the rise in popularity of mobile gaming is that most of them are free of cost. Of course, they come at the expense of advertisements or in-game purchases, but the real essence of the game seems mostly intact. Take, for instance, PUBG. Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds is originally a PC and console game, but the mobile version which is free of cost has managed to gain a wider audience as well as solid revenue numbers.

Now if you are more adept with the combination of a mouse and keyboard, when it comes to shooter games, I don’t blame you. It is just natural. But having played the game for almost two years now, I think it is pure fun even on a touchscreen. The good thing is you can play almost any Android game, including PUBG Mobile, right on your PC using an emulator. It’s a simple piece of software that lets you simulate an Android device on your computer.

PUBG Mobile Tips & Tricks: 20+ tips to help improve your game!

Here are five emulators that you can use to play PUBG Mobile on your computer:

A word of caution though, Android emulators usually rely on the Google Play store to install apps, including PUBG Mobile. If you’re in India, the recent ban around Chinese publishers, there is a high chance that you won’t be able to download the game if you reside in the country. Some of the emulators that we have mentioned below, offer support for side-loading APK files. However, if you are planning to take that route, then make sure you get that from a reliable third-party app store. Additionally, you need to be aware of the fact that while PUBG Mobile allows you to use emulators, you will only be able to play with players that are using the same method to play the game.

Tencent Gaming Buddy

Tencent Gaming Buddy is the official emulator offered by the developers of PUBG Mobile. It is also the best and safest bet if you want to play PUBG Mobile on your PC. Apart from being optimized to run the battle royale game, this emulator offers other games under the Tencent portfolio. To download the Tencent Gaming Buddy emulator, head over to the official website over here. Download the installation file and install it on your PC. Open the emulator to download the necessary files required to run PUBG Mobile. There will be an option to set a custom path in case you don’t want the game to install in your default directory. Once the game is installed, you can start playing directly using your keyboard and mouse. There are also options to customize the layout depending on your needs.

  Download Tencent Gaming Buddy

Bluestacks

One of the oldest ones out there, Bluestacks is available for Windows as well as Mac. It’s one of the most commonly used Android emulators and besides gaming, this is great for using all sorts of Android apps. Apart from having the Play Store preinstalled, there is a built-in app store. There is also the option to simply drag and drop APK files from your PC to instantly install on the emulator. One can set a custom display resolution along with custom memory, CPU, and storage allocation. The free version of Bluestacks comes with ads, but the paid version removes all of the distractions.

To play PUBG Mobile on Bluestacks, first, download the emulator from here. Once you have got the installation file, run that and install it on your PC. Open the emulator and sign in with your Google Account. There should be an option to search for apps on the top right. Search for PUBG Mobile and download the game. Once it is done, you can start playing on your PC.

  Download BlueStacks

LD Player

A fairly new emulator for PUBG Mobile, LD Player is available for Windows. This one also offers custom settings for display resolution and resource allocation just like Bluestacks. We specifically found the easy to access Android shortcuts to be one of the best features of this emulator. It can run most of your recent and popular Android smartphone games directly on your PC and can take full advantage of your PC hardware. You can download LD Player from here. Once it is downloaded, install the emulator on your PC. Open the emulator and let it load all the resources. You should see a bunch of apps pre-installed, including the Google Play Store. Open the Play Store, log in with your Google account and search for PUBG Mobile. You can then download the game just like you would do on your smartphone.

  Download LD Player

NOX Player

NOX Player is another recommended Android emulator that is available for both Windows and Mac. It was specifically made for gamers who wanted to play smartphone games on a PC. It’s a pretty good emulator allowing you to set your keyboard controls manually, and it has already been optimized for playing PUBG Mobile. You also get support for taking screenshots and screen video recording along with sideloading APK files in case you don’t want to use the Play Store. There are also some options to allocate system memory and CPU. To download the NOX player, head over to this link. Run the installation file and once the emulator is installed, you need to login to the Play Store using your Google account. Search for PUBG mobile on the Play Store and install it on the emulator.

  Download NOX Player

MEmu

MEmu is yet another popular Android emulator that is available for Windows devices including desktops, notebooks, 2-in-1 devices, and tablets. This emulator is claimed to offer the best compatibility so you can use this even if you have an old system with low-end specifications. Play provides the highest performance and greatest compatibility. You get a wide variety of customizations along with support for popular games like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile, Clash of Clans, Free Fire, Clash Royale, Brawl Stars, Arena of Valor, etc. It also offers one-click Android system creation/clone/deleting, allowing you to run multiple Android instances simultaneously. Download the MEmu emulator over here and follow the same steps as given above to play PUBG Mobile on your PC.

  Download MEmu Player

PUBG MOBILE - NEW ERA (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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The Google Assistant Driving Mode announced at Google I/O 2019 seems to finally be rolling out

After announcing Google Assistant‘s Driving Mode back at Google I/O 2019, Google seems to finally be rolling out the feature on Android. The new feature is supposed to serve as a replacement for the Android Auto app on smartphones.

Two weeks ago, a few users started to see a new navigation UI in the Google Maps app. Last week, we discovered evidence that tied the rollout of this new navigation UI to Google Assistant’s Driving Mode. Today, I found that the new navigation UI has been enabled on several of my devices, including the Google Pixel 4, the LG Velvet, and the ASUS ZenFone 7 Pro. The navigation UI that I’m seeing is the same one that a handful of users saw a few weeks ago, and I’ve discovered a new settings page that further corroborates that this new navigation UI is indeed part of Google Assistant’s driving mode.

As you can see in the screenshots embedded below, the “Google Assistant settings” item in the “Navigation settings” of Google Maps has been updated with the description “manage driving mode.” Previously, the description for this item said “Google Assistant settings”, and tapping this item merely opened the general settings page for Google Assistant. Now, tapping this item opens up a new driving mode settings page for Google Assistant. Strangely, though, toggling “driving mode” on this page doesn’t actually disable the new navigation UI for me, and I’m also unable to activate Google Assistant’s Driving Mode through a voice command. It’s possible that the feature has only partially rolled out for me, though.

The Google Assistant Driving Mode UI that was shown off at Google I/O 2019 looks very different compared to what has been rolling out for some users these last few weeks. It’s possible that Google is still running A/B tests for the UI, but it’s also possible that Google significantly changed the interface since it’s been over a year from the announcement. Here’s a screenshot gallery showing off the new UI:

The rollout of Google Assistant Driving Mode on my devices doesn’t seem to be tied to any particular version of Google Maps and the Google App. My LG Velvet is running Google Maps version 10.52.3 and Google App version 11.32.5.23, my Pixel 4 is running Google Maps version 10.52.3 and Google App version 11.31.9.29, and my ZenFone 7 Pro is running Google Maps version 10.52.2 and Google App version 11.32.5.23. All of these devices are signed into my primary Google Account, though, so I’m likely one of the lucky few to have received this feature as part of a server-side test.

You can download the latest version of Google Maps and the Google App from the Play Store links embedded below, though there’s no guarantee you’ll get this feature by updating your apps. Since this feature has started to appear on some devices in the last few weeks, we’re probably not far off from an official announcement.

Maps - Navigate & Explore (Free, Google Play) →

Google (Free, Google Play) →

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Samsung Home Up update adds convenient share sheet customization

Samsung on Friday released an update to its Home Up app, which is available as part of the company’s fantastic Good Lock experience. The update includes a handful of new features, including a Share Manager, which gives users the ability to customize the share sheet.

“You can place apps that you use often to the front of the sharing window and hide features and apps that you don’t need,” Samsung said of the update. “You can hide items such as shared data info, Nearby share, and Direct share and only show apps of your choosing in the sharing window.”

The update to Home Up is incredibly useful for a few reasons. If you have a lot of apps installed, scrolling through the old share window could be exhausting. By being able to pick and choose what apps show up in the share sheet, the process is far more streamlined. Samsung also includes a toggle that will add an icon to reveal hidden apps, so you can look through your entire app library on those rare occasions.

Users can also choose individual targets from their favorite apps. If you like sharing content on Instagram, you can share directly to your Feed, Stories, or Direct. Small changes like this really improve the experience, cutting down on the time you’d have to manually do everything yourself.

The Home Up app update is available in the Galaxy Store via Good Lock. It’s compatible with all Samsung devices running One UI 2.5. If you’re unfamiliar with Samsung’s Good Lock, it’s a set of tools that allows users to customize their Galaxy device. It features a ton of different modules — too many to list here — so if you own a Galaxy phone, it’s well worth checking out.

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Via: AndroidPolice

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Trusted Contacts is joining the Google graveyard

If you rely on Trusted Contacts to keep track of friends and family, we have some bad news: Google on Friday announced the app is joining the company’s graveyard. It’s another service in a long list of services that have gone way too soon.

Announced at the end of 2016, Trusted Contacts was a location sharing app that let family and friends know you were safe. You could request someone’s location, and that person could approve or deny your request. You could also see a person’s recent activity and device battery status.

Trusted Contacts later added features like customized timeouts and permanent location sharing following a request. The app also eventually allowed users to see where someone was directly in Maps — and therein lies the rub. In the last several months, Google Maps has since added real-time Location Sharing, essentially making Trusted Contacts moot.

“As a result, the Trusted Contacts app will be removed from the App Store and Play Store today, and will stop being supported after December 1, 2020,” Google said. “If the app is installed on your device, you can continue to use it until then.”

Users will be able to download their trusted contacts until December 1. After that, they will be unable to see the live location you are sharing with them from the app.

If you want to continue sharing your location with friends and family, you can do so in Google Maps. Even better, you can now utilize Live View with Location Sharing, making it easy to see where someone is, including distance, in relation to you.

There’s a running joke about Google killing off services not long after they’re announced. The demise of Trusted Contacts joins a long list of apps and services Google has killed off, including my personal favorite Google Allo.

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