Tag: Phones

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Mobile Syrup

Leaked Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra looks a lot like a Galaxy Note

It’s looking like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is taking more than a few cues from the Galaxy Note line.

Based on a recently released render from credible phone leaker Evan Blass, the upcoming Samsung flagship can be seen with a flat form factor, wider screen, S Pen silo and rear camera array — all of which look rather Note-like.

This is the second S22 Ultra leak we’ve gotten this week, with the previous one offering a more restricted look at the handset. At the same time, it was reported that the Ultra will have 1TB of storage. And at the start of December, we got what appeared to be a look at the base Galaxy S22 model.

As it stands, it’s unclear exactly when Samsung will formally unveil the S22 series. However, a reveal will likely come in January or February, given Samsung’s track record.

Source: Evan Blass

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Mobile Syrup

OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro get December security update

OnePlus has rolled out the December 2021 Android security maintenance release (SMR) to the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro.

With the security update, a variety of bug fixes and optimizations have been added, including a solution for Google Assistant and Google Pay failing to display properly in the Setup Wizard and WhatsApp crashing for some users.

If you’ve been waiting for Android 12 on these older OnePlus handsets, though, you’re out of luck for now. Earlier this month, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau explained that the company has been having difficulty bringing the new Android OS to its older devices.

On the flip side, the OnePlus 10 is expected to launch in January.

Via: Android Headlines

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Mobile Syrup

Ookla data shows performance benefits of upgrading to a 5G phone

Ookla, the company behind the Speedtest app, has released a blog post analyzing the Q3 2021 5G performance of new devices compared to older 4G devices in several countries, including Canada. Ookla positioned the results as a way for people to see if it makes sense to fork out the extra money for 5G-capable devices, especially with the holidays approaching and smartphones potentially being on your gift list.

The data comes from Ookla’s ‘Speedtest Intelligence’ platform, which gathers data about download and upload speeds, network quality and more from consumer-initiated tests. You can learn more about Speedtest Intelligence here.

Additionally, Ookla did two main comparisons for each country included in the blog post — first, it compared the five most popular 5G Android phones and five most popular 4G Android phones in each country. Then, Ookla compared iPhone 11 and iPhone 13 performance. For the rest of this, we’ll largely focus on the Canadian results, but I do want to note that almost every other country shows a significant gap between 5G and 4G download speeds, while Canada’s data doesn’t.

Some 5G devices are a lot faster — most aren’t

Ookla’s measurements for Android phones in Canada are all Samsung devices. On the 5G side, there’s the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy S21, Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 FE. 4G devices include the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S8.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra clocked median download speeds of 121.53Mbps, nearly twice as fast as the fastest 4G device (the Galaxy Note 10+). However, the other 5G phones don’t show as significant a jump, with the S20 FE and S20 coming in only a few Mbps faster than the Note 10+.

On the iPhone side, Ookla listed a media download speed of 163.34Mbps for the 5G iPhone 13, a huge leap from the 48.71Mbps for the 4G iPhone 11.

The charts don’t show everything

While certainly interesting, it’s also important to consider several factors these charts don’t show. For one, all we’re seeing here are average download speeds. We don’t know other information, like which networks were used or the location of tests. These can be significant factors that impact speed results — for example, a phone might have faster download speeds on one network compared to another, or in a city compared to a rural town.

For example, I’ve seen download speeds over 300Mbps on a 4G LTE connection using a Pixel 4 on Koodo in Pickering, Ontario, while a Pixel 6 on Bell 5G pulled 106 Mbps down and 104 Mbps down on 4G LTE in Whitby. That’s not to say these charts don’t matter, there’s just more to the story.

Similarly, phone hardware itself can have a significant impact on download speeds. This is particularly relevant with the iPhone comparison since the iPhone 11 — the last non-5G iPhone — was also the last iPhone to use Intel modems, which had a reputation for not being as good as Qualcomm modems. The iPhone 12 and 13 series use Qualcomm modems and have 5G, but 4G LTE speeds should be better on these iPhones too.

Most new phones include 5G hardware — it’s more about your carrier and location

On the hardware note, it’s also worth keeping in mind that if you’re buying a new phone in 2021, it probably supports 5G. Most smartphones, including flagships and mid-range options, boast support for 5G — I don’t think people will be deciding between 5G phones and non-5G phones so much as picking between carriers that offer 5G and carriers that don’t.

With that said, the carriers that do offer 5G charge much higher prices and current 5G coverage barely extends beyond major cities and hardly counts as 5G. The majority of 5G offered in Canada runs on spectrum considered to be low-band 5G, which is similar to the spectrum used in 4G. In a best-case scenario, you might see up to 15 percent faster speeds. In my experience, that’s typically not the case (and often I find 5G is actually slower than 4G LTE). That should change soon, now that carriers have bought up mid-band (a.k.a. Sub-6) 5G at the recent spectrum auction. Once carriers start rolling out service on that spectrum, people with 5G devices should start to see real benefits.

For now, however, getting a 5G-capable device likely won’t mean much for Canadians unless they’re on a 5G plan with one of the few carriers that offer 5G service (and they live in an area with 5G coverage). The benefits of upgrading to a 5G-capable device or plan depend heavily on what device you have, what you upgrade to and your carrier and location.

You can check out the full Ookla report here.

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Mobile Syrup

First Android 12L beta arrives for Pixel phones, here’s how to get it

Android 12L Beta 1 officially went live for Google’s Pixel phones, although there’s not a whole lot for phone users to try out. 12L is aimed squarely at large-screen devices and so far, most of the major changes only apply to screens that are 600dp wide.

Device-independent pixels (dp) is a way of measuring resolution to maintain how software looks on devices with different screen resolutions (a 1-pixel x 1-pixel dot will look much smaller on a 600ppi screen than it would on a 100ppi screen).

Android 12L notifications for large screens | Image credit: XDA Developers

Some of the major new features that XDA Developers spotted in Android 12L currently only show up on wider screens (and are generally intended to benefit people using devices like tablets or foldables with large displays). For example, Android 12L has a new two-column layout for the notification shade that puts quick settings on one side and notifications on the other. For people using tablets, this new layout makes better use of the display.

Android 12L taskbar in action | Image credit: XDA Developers

Another new feature is the ‘taskbar,’ which is exactly as it sounds. Large-screen devices running 12L can display a Windows-like taskbar with app shortcuts at the bottom of the screen. Users can easily open apps, or drag apps up from the taskbar to initiate a side-by-side multitasking view.

Other Android 12L changes will likely show up as people start messing around with the beta.

How to install the Android 12L Beta

If you want to go hands-on with the Android 12L Beta, here’s how to do it. First, you’ll need a compatible Pixel phone. The beta is on Pixels ranging from the 3a and 3a XL up to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, although 9to5Google notes that the 6 and 6 Pro will get the beta “soon.”

The easiest way to get Android 12L is through Google’s Android Beta Program. I’m going to focus on that since it’s ultimately the best way to do it unless you really, really want to get into the nitty-gritty of flashing it manually. There are plenty of guides on how to do that out there from people much smarter than me.

Finally, keep in mind that once you install the beta, you will need to wipe your phone to revert back to stable Android 12. The only way off the beta without wiping your phone is to ride it out until Android 12L leaves beta. If you’re not comfortable with that, don’t install Android 12L Beta 1. That said, it’s also a good idea to install Android 12L Beta 1 on a different device than the one you use as a daily driver. Beta software tends to have bugs, and it’s a good idea to avoid running the beta on the only smartphone you have just in case something goes wrong.

Okay, with all that out of the way, here’s how to do it. First, head to Google’s Android Beta Program website. You’ll need to sign in with the same Google account tied to your Pixel phone. Once you’re signed in, scroll down to ‘Your eligible devices’ and click ‘Opt in’ on the one you want to enroll in the beta. It’s worth noting that the site still details Android 12, not 12L. However, you’ll still get the 12L beta when you enroll a device.

Then, grab that phone and head to Settings > System > System Update and tap ‘Check for update.’ Your phone should show that Android 12L is available, although it may take a few minutes to show up. Once it shows up, you can download and install it like any other update.

On my Pixel 4, the download clocked in at 237MB and it will likely be around the same size for most people. While not the biggest update I’ve seen, it’s still on the large side so you may want to wait until you’re on Wi-Fi before you install it.

And with that, you should be on Android 12L Beta 1. Again, there likely won’t be much that’s different on your smartphone since 12L is aimed at tablets. Still, keep an eye out for new features and enjoy the beta.

Source: XDA Developers, 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Toronto-based Dbrand selling full-grain leather skins for limited time

Toronto-based Dbrand has a new set of skins for smartphones that, uh, actually use skin.

Cow skin, to be precise.

Yup, Dbrand now offers leather smartphone skins, which are on sale for a limited time and will ship in December.

Dbrand’s website claims the leather is 100 percent authentic (“Cows died for this,” the site cheekily proclaims), full-grain and vegetable-tanned. I’m not much of a leather expert, but Android Police’s “resident leather expert” Ryne Hager notes that the skins sound like they’re made out of “very good leather — or, at least, not bad leather.”

Moreover, Dbrand says that the skins aren’t stamped with an artificial texture and have authentic imperfections, also known as ‘uncorrected’ full-grain. That should make the skins more durable, which is good news. Plus, Dbrand makes it clear that the skins will develop a natural patina over time.

That said, the leather skins do come in at a slightly thicker 0.5mm compared to the 0.23mm vinyl skins Dbrand also sells.

Dbrand’s leather skins come in three shades and are available across a wide range of devices, including iPhones, Pixels, Galaxy devices and more. Most of the smartphone skins will run you $34.95, while larger ones for MacBooks cost $69.95. You can get leather skins for the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons or Pro controller for $19.95 as well. Heck, you can even get a leather skin for Apple’s AirTag.

And for those really into leather, Dbrand offers Rubik’s cubes and pyramids sporting leather skins. While cool looking, you can’t really solve these cubes (or even mix them up) since every side is the same.

Finally, each purchase comes with a free leather key tag and a microfibre cloth (you can upgrade that to a three-pack for $5.95).

Dbrand’s website has a counter ticking down that says the “drop” ends in 28 days (at the time of writing). It looks like the leather skins will only be around for a limited time, so if you want them, you better place your order.

You can check out all the skins here.

Source: Dbrand Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

OnwardMobility still doesn’t have any update on its BlackBerry phone

U.S.-based mobile security company OnwardMobility has still not provided an update on its promised BlackBerry-branded phone.

As PCMag notes, OnwardMobility said the handset would launch sometime in 2021, a window that will have passed in just under six weeks. The phone was originally unveiled in August 2020 for a release in the “first half of 2021,” with BlackBerry at the time saying it was “thrilled” to partner with the Texas-based company.

However, there’s since been no update. In a new statement to PCMag, an OnwardMobility spokesperson said the company is “unable to share more details or conduct any interviews.”

Given the silence, it doesn’t seem like we’ll get any form of update on the phone in the next six weeks, much less an actual release. Since OnwardMobility is keeping mum on the matter, it’s also unclear what sorts of issues the phone might have run into.

All we have to go off is that the phone — assuming it still exists — was to be a 5G Android handset that sports a physical keyboard.

The OnwardMobility BlackBerry phone was particularly notable since China-based TCL announced stopped selling BlackBerry-branded devices last year and that it lost the rights to design or manufacture new ones. Therefore, OnwardMobility’s device was positioned as an alternative for fans of the Canadian phone brand.

Otherwise, the last BlackBerry device to be released in North America was the BlackBerry Key2 LE.

Source: PCMag