iOS 15 was released to the public less than a month ago, and some complaints have already started surfacing online. It’s common for new major software releases to have some bugs, even after months of beta testing. However, major bugs usually don’t make it through to the public builds. Unfortunately, a critical bug has been discovered in iOS 15. Several users have reported that their backed-up iCloud photos are getting deleted due to this bug.
According to MacRumors, by deleting a thread from the Messages app and performing an iCloud backup afterward, all photos saved from the deleted thread are removed from the users’ photo libraries. This occurs despite the images having been safely backed up in iCloud originally. The bug causes major concern because it could permanently delete certain moments from people’s lives without them even noticing.
To replicate this bug, MacRumors states the following steps:
Save a photo from a Messages conversation to your Camera Roll.
Check to see that the photo has been saved.
Delete the Messages conversation the photo came from. The photo will still be in your iCloud Photo Library at this point.
Perform an iCloud Backup, and the photo disappears.
So any average user that deletes Messages threads may end up losing photos that had been shared with them.
15.1 beta 2 is still deleting photos from my library when I delete the iMessage thread I saved them from FB9658241
It’s worth mentioning that Apple hasn’t patched this bug in iOS 15.1 beta 2. Some users have shared that it’s still present in the beta release. It’s likely Apple will fix it in a future iOS 15.1 beta, and they might even include a patch in a potential iOS 15.0.1 update to get it out as soon as possible. iOS 15.1 could be weeks away from a public release, and a bug like this one requires immediate attention.
Billions of people around the world don’t have an address. To tackle this issue, Google has announced a new app called Address Maker, a free service that helps governments and non-profit groups (NGOs) easily create unique addresses for developing communities.
With Address Maker, organizations can create unique, functional addresses at scale right from an Android device. The Address Maker app relies on Plus Codes, an open-source system developed by Google that generates a digital address using latitude and longitude coordinates.
Google launched Plus Codes in 2015 to let organizations and local authorities quickly create functional addresses for homes and businesses. Last year, Google integrated Plus Codes into Google Maps for Android, making it easier to generate and share your digital address. Users can now simply open Google Maps on their phone and tap on the blue location dot on the map to create a six-digit Plus Code.
As Google notes, creating addresses for a whole town or village could take years. But with the Address Maker, it only takes a few weeks to get under-addressed communities on the map.
“Previously, creating addresses for an entire town or village could take years. Address Maker shortens this time to as little as a few weeks — helping under-addressed communities get on the map quickly, while also reducing costs. Address Maker allows organizations to easily assign addresses and add missing roads, all while making sure they work seamlessly in Google Maps and Maps APIs,” said Google in a blog post.
Address Maker is already being used by governments and NGOs in India, Kenya, The Gambia, South Africa, and the US, “with more partners on the way.” Governments and organizations interested in running scaled addressing programs in their areas can send their application using this form.
At its first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year, Samsung unveiled its flagship Galaxy S21 series. During the launch presentation, the company revealed that the devices would let users find and unlock Audi, BMW, Ford, and Genesis cars. The feature is now finally rolling out to users but, while it’s available on a couple of Samsung phones, it currently only supports one car model.
Samsung has started rolling out the Digital Key feature with the latest update for the Galaxy S21+, Galaxy S21 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The update is currently rolling out in Samsung’s home country of South Korea, but it should reach more regions in the coming days.
Samsung says that the Digital Key feature supports the newly launched Genesis GV60 luxury EV. If you happen to have one of the phones mentioned above and the new car, the Digital Key feature will help you lock/unlock your car and safely share the key with friends.
As shown in the attached image, the Digital Key feature will also let you turn on your car’s engine remotely. In addition, the feature offers a horn button that will help you honk your car’s horn using your phone and easily find it in a crowded parking space.
If you’re worried about losing your digital key and thereby your car, Samsung assures that the Digital Keys feature uses Secure Element (eSE) to protect your information and encryption keys. This means that you won’t have to worry about your virtual car keys falling into the wrong hands.
Along with the devices mentioned above, Samsung plans to release the feature to the older Galaxy Z Fold 2 as well. It will likely be a part of the next software update for the device, which should start rolling out in the coming days. While the feature currently works with just one car, it should become available for more models in the coming months.
Update (09/30/2021@03:10 ET): Vivo has launched the X70 series in India. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on September 9, 2021, is preserved below.
Vivo’s new flagship series is here, and it includes three feature-packed devices — the Vivo X70, the Vivo X70 Pro, and the Vivo X70 Pro Plus. While we’ve seen all three devices in leaked renders over the last few weeks, we now have concrete information about their hardware.
As expected, the Vivo X70 Pro Plus is the most feature-rich device out of the lot, featuring the most powerful chip, the best display, fastest charging capabilities, and more. The other two models are slightly less powerful, and they offer the same hardware, with a few exceptions. Check out the table below for the complete specifications.
Vivo X70 series: Specifications
Specification
Vivo X70
Vivo X70 Pro
Vivo X70 Pro Plus
Dimensions & Weight
160.1 x 75.39 x 7.55mm
181g
158.3 x 73.21 x 7.99mm
185g
164.54 x 75.21 x 8.89mm
209g
Display
6.56-inch FHD+ AMOLED
2376 x 1080
19.8:9 aspect ratio
120Hz refresh rate
240Hz touch sampling rate
92.76% screen-to-body ratio
6.56-inch FHD+ AMOLED
2376 x 1080
19.8:9 aspect ratio
120Hz refresh rate
240Hz touch sampling rate
92.76% screen-to-body ratio
6.78-inch WQHD AMOLED
3200 x 1440
20:9 aspect ratio
120Hz refresh rate
240Hz touch sampling rate
92.22% screen-to-body ratio
SoC
MediaTek Dimensity 1200
MediaTek Dimensity 1200
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Plus
Imaging Chip V1
RAM & Storage
8GB LPDDR4X + 128GB UFS 3.1
8GB + 256GB
12GB + 256GB
8GB LPDDR4X + 128GB UFS 3.1
8GB + 256GB
12GB + 256GB
12GB + 512GB
8GB LPDDR5 + 256GB UFS 3.1
12GB + 256GB
12GB + 512GB
Battery & Charging
4,400mAh
44W wired fast charging
4,450mAh
44W wired fast charging
4,500mAh
55W wired fast charging
50W wireless fast charging
Security
In-display fingerprint scanner
In-display fingerprint scanner
In-display fingerprint scanner
Rear Camera(s)
Primary: 40MP
Secondary: 12MP
Tertiary: 12MP
Primary: 50MP
Secondary: 12MP
Tertiary: 12MP
Quaternary: 8MP
Primary: 50MP ISOCELL GN1
Secondary: 48MP IMX598 ultra-wide gimbal
Tertiary: 12MP
Quaternary: 8MP
Front Camera(s)
32MP
32MP
32MP
Port(s)
USB Type-C
USB Type-C
USB Type-C
Connectivity
5G
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
5G
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
5G
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
Software
Funtouch OS 12 based on Android 11
Funtouch OS 12 based on Android 11
Funtouch OS 12 based on Android 11
Other Features
–
–
IP68 certification
As you can probably tell by looking at the spec sheet above, the new Vivo X70 series brings minor improvements over the Vivo X60 series. The top-of-the-line Vivo X70 Pro Plus features a larger and higher resolution display, the Snapdragon 888 Plus chipset, a new design, and 50W fast wireless charging support. The other two models now feature the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset instead of the Snapdragon 870, and they come with faster wired charging support.
Although all three devices still feature a 32MP selfie camera, Vivo has made some changes to the rear-facing cameras on all three devices. For instance, the Vivo X70 now comes with a 40MP primary camera, and the X70 Pro features a 50MP primary camera, as opposed to the 48MP sensor on the older models. For wide-angle and portrait shots, both phones now feature 12MP cameras instead of 13MP sensors. In addition, Vivo has included a fourth 8MP sensor on the Vivo X70 Pro. On the flagship model, Vivo has offered the same 50MP primary and 48MP wide-angle sensor as the older model, but the device now features a 12MP portrait sensor. The fourth 8MP sensor remains unchanged.
(L to R: Vivo X70, X70 Pro, X70 Pro Plus)
Along with improvements to the camera hardware, Vivo has also packed bigger batteries on the Vivo X70 series. The vanilla X70 now features a 4,400mAh battery with 44W wired fast charging support. The Vivo X70 Pro features a 4,450mAh battery with the same fast charging capabilities. And the Vivo X70 Pro Plus features a 4,500mAh battery with 55W wired fast charging support and 50W wireless fast charging support.
Vivo X70 series: Pricing and availability
Currently, Vivo hasn’t shared pricing and availability details for the X70 series. But the company has revealed that the devices will make their way to India, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, the UAE, and other regions soon. We’ll update this post as soon as we have more details about the new devices.
Vivo unveils Imaging Chip V1
Last week, Vivo unveiled its first self-designed IC for imaging and video, called the Imaging Chip V1. Vivo says this chip “employs an AI system to apply NR (noise reduction) and MEMC (motion estimation, motion compensation) effects across the board.” This chip is only available in the top-end Vivo X70 Pro+, which also has a “High-Transmittance Glass Lens” to “ensure extra-low dispersion for improved image quality.”
Update: Vivo X70 series makes its way to India
The Vivo X70 series has made its way to the Indian market. However, Vivo has only launched the Pro variants in the region. The X70 Pro will be available for pre-orders in the region starting today with the first sale scheduled for October 7. The X70 Pro Plus is also available for pre-order starting today and it will go on sale on October 12. The phones will be available in a couple of RAM/storage variants and they’re priced as follows:
Smartphone cameras have come a long way in the past few years. We’ve seen multiple lenses, large sensors, hundreds of megapixels, and whatnot. Every brand aims to have a top-tier camera system on its smartphones. Apart from using newer, bigger sensors and better processing, several brands have tried to bring innovative technologies to improve the camera performance on their devices. Periscope cameras, for example, allowed smartphones to achieve a larger zoom range than a traditional telephoto lens. Samsung used a variable aperture camera on a few of its phones to improve low light performance. Similarly, Vivo stood out with a gimbal camera system on the Vivo X50 Pro last year.
For those of you who are unaware, a gimbal is a device that stabilizes a camera by countering its movements across all three axes. Gimbals are generally used to mount cameras or phones while recording videos in order to minimize shakes or disturbance. Vivo found a way to integrate a gimbal within the camera system itself to reduce jerks and hand movements while clicking a picture or shooting a video. As a result, the Vivo X50 Pro was one of the best camera phones out there, especially in terms of stabilization. The Vivo X60 Pro+ launched earlier this year only improved on the sophisticated camera hardware and produced even better results.
Just about 6 months after the X60 series was launched, Vivo is back with their next iteration — the X70 series — with the same core philosophy of providing the best camera experience on a smartphone. It’s not just about the cameras though. The Vivo X70 Pro+ that we’ve been using offers a premium, flagship experience across all departments. While we work on our review of the device and pit it against some other top-end phones its segments, here are our initial impressions of the device and what we think of it so far, especially in the camera department.
Vivo X70 Pro Plus Specifications. Click to expand
Vivo X70 Pro+: Specifications
Specification
Vivo X70 Pro+
Dimensions & Weight
164.54 x 75.21 x 8.89mm
213g
Display
6.78 inch AMOLED
3200 x 1440 pixels
517 PPI
120Hz refresh rate
Schott Xensation protection
HDR10+
1500 nits peak brightness
SoC
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+
Adreno 660
RAM & Storage
12GB LPDDR5 RAM
256GB UFS 3.1 storage
Battery & Charging
4500mAh battery
55W fast charging
Security
In-display fingerprint scanner
Rear Camera(s)
Primary: 50MP Samsung GN1, f/1.57, OIS
Ultra-wide: 48MP Sony IMX 598, f/2.2, OIS+Gimbal
Telephoto: 12MP Sony IMX 663, f/1.6, 2X optical zoom, OIS
About this article: Vivo India sent us a unit of the Vivo X70 Pro+ for review. The device was used for a period of one week before we penned down our first impressions. The brand did not have any inputs into the content of this article.
Vivo X70 Pro+ Cameras: Versatile as ever
If cameras are high on your priority list, the Vivo X70 Pro+ has got you covered in every single aspect. And no, that’s not an exaggeration. The primary camera on the X70 Pro+ is a 50MP sensor that takes some beautiful shots with a great amount of detail in good lighting conditions. The natural depth of field that’s seen due to the large sensor and a wide aperture gives the pictures a professional look. The shallow depth of field can haunt you at times when clicking close-up objects, which is why the camera switches automatically to the ultra-wide lens when you go too close to the subject.
The dynamic range looks great with the right amount of highlights and shadows
This is quite annoying though since the quality of images shot using the ultra-wide camera aren’t as good as the ones shot using the primary sensor. Thankfully, you can turn this auto-switching off and stick to the primary camera. Coming back to that 50MP GN1 sensor, the dynamic range looks great with all the elements in the image having the right amount of highlights and shadows. We did not experience a scenario where the image wasn’t well exposed.
If you like your pictures to have natural colors, you’ll have to do some editing to turn down the contrast and saturation levels from the images captured by the Vivo X70 Pro+. Vivo’s image processing has always leaned towards eye-catchy colors that look slightly unnatural but are surely pleasing to the average eye. At times, this does lead to colors being represented wrongly. Vivo should ideally give users an option to choose between natural and boosted colors since an accurate representation of a scene is also something a lot of people seek.
Take a look at the image samples below. The drink appears to have a slight pinkish hue whereas the actual color was more reddish. Similarly, if you look at the image of the “B6” flag denoting the table number at the restaurant, the blue tones are boosted to look darker and deeper than what the actual scene looked like. In the same image, the color of the sky also appears to be slightly bluer than what it was in reality. These are slight quirks that Vivo needs to address by being less aggressive with the saturation slider.
The edge detection for portrait mode looks spot on, with a great background blur
Portrait shots from the primary camera also look brilliant in most scenarios. The edge detection looks spot on and the background blur does not seem unnatural. In some situations, especially with direct sunlight falling on the subject, we observed a slight halo effect around the image. Portrait mode images from the front-facing camera also look good but it seems like the phone applies some beautification and softening even when the option is disabled.
The 48MP ultra-wide camera is the one that has a gimbal which is slightly odd given that the primary camera is what one would use the majority of the time. Shots from the ultra-wide camera also look good with a decent amount of details. When shooting videos from the ultra-wide camera, the gimbal kicks in and maintains stable footage with little to no jerks. In low-light situations too, the ultra-wide camera holds its own thanks to the gimbal that makes sure the phone stays steady while clicking photos in Night Mode with long exposure. The primary camera also does a fantastic job in low-light situations. It captures the right amount of details and manages to keep everything in the frame well-lit.
Then comes the two zoom cameras — a 2X telephoto lens and a 5X periscope camera that can zoom digitally up to 60X. The 2X zoom lens is useful for portrait shots and close-up objects and does a good job in well-lit situations. The 5X periscope camera also does a fairly good job in broad daylight but struggles in low-light conditions. The 60X zoom isn’t the best out there both in terms of how far you can zoom in and the quality of the shots. The Galaxy S21 Ultra can zoom farther and also produce better zoom shots via the periscope lens.
This is one of the most versatile sets of cameras that you can find on a smartphone
We’ll have more to say about the different camera features on the Vivo X70 Pro+ as we continue to extensively test and compare it with other flagship phones. The first impressions though are excellent and we can confidently say that this is one of the most versatile sets of cameras that you can find on a smartphone. No matter what the situation is, you’re not going to be disappointed by the pictures clicked with the Vivo X70 Pro+.
Design and Display
Vivo has put a lot of thought into other departments as well apart from the cameras. The Vivo X70 Pro+ feels like a solid slab of metal and glass when held in the hand. The back has a textured feel that’s soft and easy to grip. The edges are curved and so are the sides of the display which melt and meet at the frame. Almost the entire top half of the back is occupied by the camera module which extends to the right to include the Zeiss optics branding. The phone is slightly on the larger side and you will need two hands to use it.
The large size can be attributed to the 6.78 inch AMOLED display that looks gorgeous. It has a hole-punch cutout at the top and the bezels look nearly symmetric all along. The colors on the display pop out and look pleasing to the eye. When consuming HDR content, the display can achieve a max brightness of up to 1500 nits which is one of the highest on any smartphone. Even under normal circumstances, we had no issues using the phone outdoors under direct sunlight. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures a smooth experience.
Vivo has not compromised even in terms of design and the display panel used on the X70 Pro+. It’s as good as you would find on any other flagship device. It’s also IP68 water-resistant this time around which is surely an added bonus.
Performance and Battery
The Snapdragon 888+ handles CPU duties on the Vivo X70 Pro+ and needless to say, the performance is top-notch. You get Vivo’s Funtouch OS which is better than what it used to be before but still needs some work. On the Indian unit, we found some pre-installed bloatware that you wouldn’t really expect from a device that costs as much as the X70 Pro+. That’s not really a Pro experience. We also faced the issue at times where the fingerprint icon on the lockscreen wouldn’t show up and we had to swipe up manually to unlock the device. We’ll make sure to include more about the software experience on the Vivo X70 Pro+ in our full review as we need to spend some more time with it.
The addition of 50W wireless charging this year makes the Vivo X70 Pro+ a complete flagship
A 4500mAh battery is what runs the show on the Vivo X70 Pro+, which given the huge display and large resolution sounded quite low initially, but we’re happy to report that the battery life has been pretty good so far. We have been averaging a day’s worth of usage in the initial few days with the battery dipping to about 15% at around 10 PM. The 55W FlashCharge charger included in the box does come in handy here as it can juice up the phone sufficiently with a quick 15-minute charge. The addition of 50W wireless charging this year makes the Vivo X70 Pro+ a complete flagship in all departments. Generally, phones like these skimp out on an IP rating and wireless charging but Vivo has both those areas covered.
Vivo X70 Pro+: The best camera on a smartphone this year?
Vivo has certainly done a great job especially in the camera department of this phone. The Vivo X70 Pro+ clicks crisp images in almost all lighting conditions and is also a good phone to record videos since it has a gimbal for stabilization. The overall package is also quite good considering it has a beautiful display, a solid design, a top-of-the-line processor, and all the perks that you would expect from a flagship smartphone in 2021 like a high refresh rate display, fast charging, UFS 3.1 storage, stereo speakers, etc.
The Vivo X70 Pro+ has been launched in India for a price of ₹79,990 which means it competes against top-tier flagships from OnePlus, Xiaomi, and even Apple if you’re willing to consider an iOS device. The OnePlus 9 Pro and the Mi 11 Ultra are slightly cheaper with the latter offering similar camera hardware. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is also available at a similar price and while it isn’t as feature-packed as the X70 Pro+, it can fold in half which will appeal to a lot of people.
The Vivo X70 Pro+ is a flagship phone with versatile camera capabilities. It's packed with features and if cameras on a phone are important to you, this phone can be a solid option.
We’ll have more to say about the Vivo X70 Pro+ in our review of the device where we’ll give you a verdict on whether or not you should buy the phone. However, if we go solely by our initial impressions of the phone, Vivo has made a solid device that can give other flagship phones a good run for their money. It just remains to be seen how good of a run it is.
Back in May, Xiaomi seeded an early developer preview of Android 12 to the Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11, and Mi 11i (Mi 11X Pro/Redmi K40 Pro). While the developer preview was a pure vanilla Android build, we saw the first glimpse of a proper MIUI build last month when an internal MIUI 12.5 beta based on Android 12 was released for the Mi 11. Now, as we inch ever closer to the Android 12 public release, Xiaomi has started testing the MIUI Global Stable ROM based on Android 12 for a bunch of Mi 11 series phones.
Xiaomi on Wednesday announced that it’s looking for beta testers to test drive the MIUI 12.5 Global Stable ROM based on Android 12. The company is currently recruiting testers for three models: the Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11, and Mi 11i.
If you own any of the above phones and want to get your hands on the new software, you can enroll your device in the beta program by filling in the Mi Tester Recruitment application. The program is only open to users running the MIUI Global ROM. Now, the Global ROM does have a few regional variants. To check your ROM variant, head to Settings > About phone and see if MIUI nomenclature includes the letters “MI” as highlighted in the image below. If it does, you’re eligible. If it says “IN” or “EU,” you’re probably running an Indian or European version of MIUI ROM and thus can’t participate in the program.
Xiaomi says it’s recruiting 200 users per device on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you’re interested, you can apply for the program by filling out this application. You’ll need to provide your Mi account number, IEMI number, and other basic details.
Xiaomi hasn’t shared any concrete timeline on when it plans to roll out the stable Android 12 update to the Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11, and Mi 11i.
Personal Safety is a preinstalled app on Pixel phones that adds features like car crash detection, location sharing during an emergency, and nearby crisis alerts. The latest update to the app adds a new feature called “emergency SOS” that lets Pixel users tap the power button 5 times to quickly call emergency services, share info with emergency contacts, and automatically record a video.
Version 2021.08.27 of the Personal Safety app, rolling out today on Google Play, added the new “emergency SOS” feature, as spotted by the folks over at the GooglePixels Telegram group. The feature, found in the app’s settings page, lets users choose what happens when they tap the power button 5 times in quick succession. Users can configure the emergency SOS to call the emergency services hotline in their area; share real-time status updates on their location, remaining battery life, and phone calls; and start a video recording that will be automatically backed up to the cloud. During setup, the user can also choose whether or not an alarm sound is played during the countdown before the emergency SOS is triggered, in case they want the SOS to be sent discreetly.
Setting up the emergency SOS feature in the Personal Safety app
The app says that video recordings can be up to 45 minutes in length, and that the average video size is about 10MB per minute of recording due to compression. A short 44-second video I recorded as a test ended up being 13.5MB in size, with a resolution of 720p and bitrate of 2.5Mbps. Videos are automatically backed up to the user’s Google Account, so their phone obviously needs an active Internet connection to upload the video. Once uploaded, the Personal Safety app can either automatically share the video recording with their emergency contacts or do nothing, depending on what the user chose during setup.
Sending an emergency SOS
When sending an emergency SOS, the user has about 5 seconds to cancel or let the SOS be sent. Once the SOS begins, the user will see a UI with several buttons and a camera viewfinder. If they chose not to let Personal Safety automatically share info with their emergency contacts or call emergency services, then the buttons will let them begin sharing emergency info with their contacts and call emergency services immediately. The other buttons let them stop the recording and change which camera to record from. The user can still operate their phone normally while an emergency SOS is ongoing; the video recording viewfinder is minimized to a picture-and-picture window when the user returns to the home screen, and a persistent notification is shown in the notifications panel to remind the user that a video is still being recorded.
Video recordings can only be stopped once the 45-minute limit is reached or the user taps “stop” while the phone is unlocked. Once the video is done recording, the user has about 15 seconds to decide whether or not they want the recording to be shared with their emergency contacts automatically.
Videos are stored on the cloud for 7 days, after which they’re automatically deleted. Before it’s deleted, the user can share a link to the file, which is hosted on Google’s servers and accessible via the personalsafety.google.com domain. The user can, at any time, stop sharing the video or delete the video recording entirely.
Downloading an emergency video from the web.
Settings for the new emergency SOS feature can also be found under Settings > Safety & emergency on Android 12. Earlier Android 12 preview releases added a native emergency SOS feature that lets users call emergency services by tapping the power button 5 times, but today’s update to the Personal Safety app expands upon what can be done when triggering the feature.
Emergency SOS settings accessible from Settings > Safety & emergency.
Google tells users that it’s their responsibility to decide when it’s appropriate to record and share videos.
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