Tag: Android

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Mobile Syrup

OnePlus starts hyping up its Black Friday deals event

OnePlus is making sure everyone knows about its Black Friday deals this year. The company is staging its deals across November, starting with random flash sales and ending discounts on phones and earbuds.

The first sale begins on November 3rd, with discounts on products tied to $199 and $12.99 price points. I’d expect this to include cases, cables and maybe even earbuds. If the impressive OnePlus Buds Pro get a price cut, this could be a pretty good deal.

The second wave of sales happens on November 12th, which includes a discount on the OnePlus 9 Pro.

The third sale is on the 19th and it focuses on the OnePlus 9 Pro. Then, to wrap it all up on the 26th, the company will offer the “best prices on all phones.”

If you’re considering a OnePlus device, we’ve reviewed OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro and the OnePlus 8T.  It’s also worth noting that OxygenOS 12 isn’t great, which is something to consider if you’re new to the OnePlus ecosystem.

On top of that, if you put your email and name into a box on the page, you’ll be entered to win even more discounts and OnePlus prizes during November. However, I’d expect that entering this also means that you’re going to get a lot of sales-related emails from OnePlus moving forward.

You can learn more about the deals on the company’s deals promo page.

Source: OnePlus

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Mobile Syrup

Niantic’s Pikmin Bloom begins rolling out on Android and iOS

Nintendo has begun the global rollout of its next mobile game, Pikmin Bloom.

Developed by Pokémon Go maker Niantic, Pikmin Bloom is a similar location-based augmented reality smartphone experience. Unlike Pokémon Go, though, you don’t actually battle against any creatures. Instead, Pikmin Go is intended to be a more laidback experience that encourages walking around to grow your collection of titular critters in a combat-free way.

As you go around, you’ll find seedlings that can grow into the plant-like Pikmin. You’ll find more Pikmin as walk, and they’ll all follow you accordingly. You can also collect items like clothes for the Pikmin to wear and fruit to feed them. Meanwhile, you get to control a Mii avatar.

You can see more from the game in this official trailer, which features commentary from legendary Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto and Niantic CEO John Hanke.

If you don’t yet see the game on Android or iOS, keep in mind that Pikmin Bloom‘s global launch began with Singapore and Australia. Nintendo says it’s rolling out to more regions “shortly.”

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Mobile Syrup

Sony’s Xperia Pro-I sports a variable aperture and an 1-inch sensor

Is Sony’s Xperia Pro-I a smartphone or a camera?

The new device features a 1-inch camera and an f/2-f/4 variable aperture lens. Sony’s phone/camera device also features an RX100 VII’s 1-inch sensor that can shoot 12-megapixel photos with a 2.4µm pixel pitch (which refers to the density of pixels).

Additionally, the phone brings together phase-detect autofocus with real-time eye autofocus, and it offers high-speed continuous shooting with both AF/AE tracking at 20 frames per second.

The Pro-I also features a 16mm f/2.2 12-megapixel ultra-wide and a 50mm f/2.4 12-megapixel telephoto sensor. Moreover, the phone offers a two-stage shutter key as well as a shortkey with a circular button that opens a Videography Pro app that controls white balance, exposure and focus.

Alongside all this camera business, the Pro-I features a 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB of RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It also sports a microSD expansion port, a 4,500mAh battery and 30W fast charging with 3.5mm audio jack, stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos alongside IP68 water and dust resistance.

The device retails at $1,800 USD (about $2,229 CAD) and like all of Sony’s recent Xperia devices, will not release in Canada.

Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Did you pre-order Google’s Pixel 6/6 Pro?

Google has finally unveiled its Pixel 6 and 6 Pro flagship smartphones.

Both devices offer great specs and top-of-the-line features, including Google’s Tensor chip, 12GB of RAM for the Pro model, a trio camera setup (also for the Pro model), large batteries and more. The pair of smartphones also feature a sleek new design and up to 256GB of storage. Additionally, the Pixel 6 Pro sports a 120Hz display refresh rate, while the Pixel 6 sports a 90Hz refresh rate.

With all of this in mind, the most intriguing aspect of the Pixel 6 series is its reasonable pricing: the Pixel 6 Pro costs $1,179 and the Pixel 6 costs $799.

Did you buy a Pixel 6/6 Pro, and if so, which device and why? The Pixel 6 Pro is already sold out in the Canadian Google Store, so a lot of people are definitely interested in the handsets.

I’m currently testing the Pixel 6 Pro for my review (coming soon), but I would love to hear your thoughts on Google’s latest flagships.

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Mobile Syrup

Asus releases Android 12 update schedule

Asus has released its Android 12 update schedule.

The Taiwanese technology company has confirmed that Android 12 is coming to its Zenfone 7, Zenfone 8, Zenfone 8 Flip, ROG Phone 3, and ROG Phone 5 and 5s. It’s worth noting that only the ROG Phone 3, ROG Phone 5 and the Asus Zenfone 8 are available in Canada (the Zenfone 8/ROG Phone 5 haven’t released here yet).

The ZenFone 8 will get the Android 12 in December, the ROG Phone 5 in Q1 in 2022 and the ROG Phone 3 in the first half of 2022, which could mean anywhere from January to June.

Asus says that its Android 12 update will include battery and performance management features, as well as ZenUI-functionalities like easier navigation, streamlined control panels, increased visibility and customization updates.

Via: XDA Developers

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 specs leak online

Twitter account OnLeaks has shared some of the first specs for Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Tab S8 tablet.

If the leaks are correct, the tablet will feature 11-inch display with a 1600 x 2560 pixel resolution. The leak also indicates that it features an LCD IPS panel, so it looks like Samsung’s 11-inch tablet won’t include the same display as the Tab S7+. That said, it will offer a 120Hz refresh rate.

The tablet is also rumoured to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and an 8,000mAh battery. The battery will charge over 45W connection and offer some form of quick charging.

In terms of cameras, the leak suggests the Tab S8 will feature two shooters on the back with 13-megapixel and 5-megapixel sensors. On the front, there’s an 8-megapixel selfie shooter.

The leak also dinciates that the tablet will run Android 11 and is 6.24mm thick.

There’s no mention as to when we might expect the device to release, unfortunately. The last flagship Samsung tablet launched in the summer of 2020, so it’s unclear if this new one will come out soon or if the company plans to drop it next summer.

Since this leak seems pretty comprehensive, I’m leaning towards the tablet being revealed this winter.

Image credit: @OnLeaks

Source: Slashleaks

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Mobile Syrup

PUBG: New State launching on November 11th for iOS, Android

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds: New State (aka PUBG: New State) will arrive on Android and iOS on November 11th across 200 countries, following a final playtest slated for October 29th to 30th.

Krafton, the company behind the new PUBG mobile experience, showed off New State back in February. Now, the company has a new media showcase video that details New State’s features, services, anti-cheat system and more.

The video’s about 50 minutes long and is subtitled since it was filmed in Korea. You can watch it here, or via the embed below:

At launch, New State will offer four unique maps, including Troi and Erangel. The game will also feature weapon customization, drones and a store to purchase them. It’s still free-to-play and it’s a battle royale like the original PUBG, but is set in the future and boasts “next-gen” graphics.

Android Police reports the game already has 50 million pre-registrations across Android and iOS, so it definitely seems like there are a lot of eager players out there.

If you’re interested in PUBG: New State, you can pre-register on either Android (here) or iOS (here) to get an alert when the game goes live on November 11th.

Source: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s 512GB Pixel 6 Pro isn’t available in Canada

Google’s recently revealed Pixel 6 Pro isn’t available in the 512GB variant in Canada.

In the U.S., the Pixel 6 Pro is sold in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options, but north of the U.S. border, we’re stuck with 128GB and 256GB variants.

It’s unclear why Google didn’t opt to release the 512GB version of the Pixel 6 Pro here, but it likely has something to do with the ongoing chip shortage or that the Canadian market is much smaller than the United States’.

In the U.S., the 512GB model starts at $1,099 USD, which comes to roughly $1,359 CAD.

On the other hand, the Pixel 6 is available in 128GB and 256GB variants both in the U.S. and Canada. If you’ve been trying to buy the sought-after new smartphones through the Google Store, it’s likely the experience hasn’t been entirely smooth. Some would-be Pixel 6 buyers have reported error messages and sometimes inaccurate out-of-stock messages in the store.

The Pixel 6 starts at $799 and the 6 Pro starts at $1,179. Both smartphones will release in Canada on October 28th.

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TikTok can now read your text in the voice of Scream’s Ghostface

One of the signature elements of the late Wes Craven’s Scream films is a creepy stranger (‘Ghostface’) playing mind games with a character over the phone.

Now, Ghostface has come to TikTok. Through an official partnership with Paramount, Roger Jackson, the original voice of Ghostface, has lent his voice to TikTok’s text-to-speech feature. This means that you can have the iconic slasher flick villain read your words.

To use the Ghostface voice:

  1. Film your video
  2. Add text
  3. Tap on the text and select the ‘Scream voice’

The Ghostface TikTok voice not only comes right on time for Halloween, but shortly after the release of the trailer for the series’ fifth film, simply titled Scream. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Ready or Not), Scream follows a new generation of Woodsboro teens as they’re targeted by a new Ghostface.

Notably, Guelph, Ontario’s own Neve Campbell reprises her original Scream series role of Sidney Prescott, while Courteney Cox and David Arquette also return as Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley, respectively. Some of the series newcomers include Jack Quad (The Boys), Jenna Ortega (You) and Dylan Minette (13 Reasons Why).

The new Scream will hit theatres on January 14th, 2022. TikTok, meanwhile, is available on Android and iOS.

Image credit: Paramount

Via: Bloody Disgusting

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s Pixel is now the official fan phone of the NBA

Ahead of Google’s Pixel Fall Launch Event, the Pixel has been declared the NBA’s official fan phone thanks to Google’s new multi-year agreement with the league.

In addition, Google is now the Official Search Engine, Search Trends, and Fan Insights partner for each league, including the NBA, NBA G League and the NBA 2K League. The Pixel lineup will be the NBA Playoffs’ first-ever presenting partner, joining YouTube TV (also owned by Google but not available in Canada) in the postseason.

“Through this multi-year partnership, we’ll work with the NBA to create exciting immersive experiences for fans using our 3D and AR technology, as well as leverage new features that will be announced at our Pixel Fall Launch event,” reads Google’s blog post.

Google will also incorporate Search Trends throughout the season, displaying how fans search for information regarding games before, during, and after games using real-time data.

More information about the immersive experiences will be revealed by Google at the Pixel 6 launch event tomorrow. The company intends to unveil new Pixel camera features during a special Opening NBA Night on TNT Tip-Off pregame show following the launch event.

Image credit: Google

Source: Google