Tag: smartphones

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Mobile Syrup

Oppo offers a sneak peek of its first foldable smartphone

Three years after this Oppo patent showed off a foldable smartphone design, the Dongguan, Guangdong, China-based company has finally released an official sneak peek of its foldable smartphone.

The smartphone, dubbed the Oppo Find N, is described as “a foldable smartphone that is truly easy to use and can provide an innovative experience.” According to Oppo, almost four years of research and development and six generations of prototypes went into developing the Find N.

While the company didn’t provide any information about the device’s specifications, it did say that it kept in mind two guiding principles while developing the product — first, that the device is beautiful and second, that the device is useful and easy to use.

The company also says that it has worked meticulously to solve common foldable smartphone problems, including creasing and durability issues. Further, the device is expected to “offer powerful performance while maintaining an appropriate weight and size.”

Oppo plans to unveil the device on its INNO Day, which is scheduled for December 15th. It’s important to note that Oppo doesn’t officially sell its devices in Canada. That said, given Oppo is the parent company of OnePlu — a manufacturer that does sell its smartphones here — there’s a possibility that the technology featured in the Find N could make its way here at some point.

Image credit: Oppo

Source: Oppo

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Mobile Syrup

December’s Pixel feature drop offers ‘Now Playing’ enhancements and more

Google’s latest Pixel feature drop brings more functionality to the tech giant’s smartphone.

For instance, Google has added new wallpapers created by Vancouver, B.C. artist Dana Kearly to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

My favourite part of the update is what the tech giant has done with ‘Now Playing.’ Now Playing, an on-device feature that automatically recognizes songs playing in your environment, now lets you save the current song playing as your favourite. There’s also a Favourites category where you can find the tunes you liked the most. Further, Now Playing now lets you manually search for a song playing nearby. You can also now turn on the new search button and Google will connect to the internet to find the song.

If you’re an owner of the Pixel Buds A-Series, you can open the Pixel Buds app and use a slider to manually adjust the bass from -1 to +4, giving you far more control. The Recorder app can also now transcribe in Japanese, French and German on Pixel 3 phones and newer.

On your Pixel 4a with 5G or newer, you can now use ‘Quick Tap’ to access Snapchat, and you’ll soon be able to add a new Pixel exclusive lens to the platform.

Ultra-wideband is now available on the Pixel 6 Pro, which improves ‘Nearby Share,’ allowing you to quickly share files, videos, map locations and more. Additionally, the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 6 can work with digital car keys on select 2020-2022 BMW models.

Another new feature is ‘Conversation mode,’ an early-stage accessibility feature in the Sound Amplifier app. The feature uses on-device machine learning and connects to their conversation partner to better hear conversations in loud environments and tune out competing noise.

Lastly, Google has added a new ‘Car crash detection’ mode, but this feature isn’t available in Canada.

Source: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Huawei will reportedly unveil Mate V foldable on December 23

Huawei is reportedly planning to reveal a new clamshell foldable smartphone on December 23rd, according to a Weibo tipster.

The rumoured Mate V foldable handset will lead the upcoming event, but Huawei says it will also reveal new TVs, laptops and a new smart band.

According to previous leaks and patent filings, the Mate V Flip will sport a new hinge design and feature a unique heat pipe designed for the foldable. It’s unclear if this foldable smartphone, in particular, will feature the flexible heat pipe.

Huawei likely aims for the Mate V to be a direct competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3.

That said, without access to Google’s Play Store, it’s unlikely we’ll see the Mate V release in Canada.

Source: GSMArena, Weibo

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Mobile Syrup

Huawei will reportedly unveil Mate V foldable on December 23

Huawei is reportedly planning to reveal a new clamshell foldable smartphone on December 23rd, according to a Weibo tipster.

The rumoured Mate V foldable handset will lead the upcoming event, but Huawei says it will also reveal new TVs, laptops and a new smart band.

According to previous leaks and patent filings, the Mate V Flip will sport a new hinge design and feature a unique heat pipe designed for the foldable. It’s unclear if this foldable smartphone, in particular, will feature the flexible heat pipe.

Huawei likely aims for the Mate V to be a direct competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3.

That said, without access to Google’s Play Store, it’s unlikely we’ll see the Mate V release in Canada.

Source: GSMArena, Weibo

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Mobile Syrup

MediaTek fixed chip flaws that could allow apps to eavesdrop on users

Vulnerabilities in the artificial intelligence (AI) and audio processing components of recent MediaTek chips could have allowed eavesdropping on device owners. However, the flaw was reportedly never exploited in the wild.

MediaTek has fixed the vulnerabilities as of October, according to Check Point Research (via Android Police). While resolved, the vulnerabilities were quite serious and impacted a wide range of devices. As of Q2 2021, MediaTek powered about 43 percent of the worldwide smartphone market, making it the number one phone chip manufacturer by volume.

Although a list of impacted devices and/or chipsets wasn’t made available, Android Police reports that it sounds like the vulnerabilities affected modern MediaTek Dimensity chips and other MediaTek chips that use the ‘Tensilica’ APU platform.

In total, Check Point found four vulnerabilities that, when exploited together, could allow an app to pass commands to the audio interface. In other words, a malicious app could interact with the audio interface in ways that it shouldn’t be able to do and, in some cases, could even hide malicious code in the audio chip itself.

Researchers claim that malicious apps could have eavesdropped on customers using the vulnerability. Worse, device manufacturers could have used to create an eavesdropping campaign. However, the vulnerabilities weren’t caught being exploited in the wild.

In a statement to Android Police, MediaTek said:

“Regarding the Audio DSP vulnerability disclosed by Check Point, we worked diligently to validate the issue and make appropriate mitigations available to all OEMs. We have no evidence it is currently being exploited. We encourage end users to update their devices as patches become available and to only install applications from trusted locations such as the Google Play Store.”

If your phone has a MediaTek chip in it, you should make sure to install the latest security updates if you haven’t already.

Source: Check Point Research Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Google releases fix for Pixel 6 autodialing issue

Google has finally fixed one of the Pixel 6 series’ most annoying bug.

For those who are unaware, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro suffered from an issue that caused the device to randomly automatically dial people in your contact list. Now, according to Android Police, the issue has been remedied

The problem relates to Google Assistant’s hotword detection. You can clear the Google app’s cache and settings to briefly resolve the issue, but the only way to prevent it currently is to disable the feature.

The problem was first spotted in early November shortly after the Pixel 6 series release. Google then announced a fix was coming and it’s already here. This all happened in just 10 days, which is pretty impressive on Google’s part.

Google’s new flagship handsets also suffer from a display flickering problem that will be fixed in an upcoming December update. 

Source: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro review episode [SyrupCast 249]

On this week’s SyrupCast, Brad Bennett and Patrick O’Rourke grill Jon Lamont and Dean Daley about their respective Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro reviews.

The pod squad talks about how the smartphones fit into the Canadian market, their significant refreshed designs and why Jon prefers the Pixel 6 and Dean is all about the Pixel 6 Pro. If you’re interested in an hour-long conversation about the Pixel 6 series (and honestly, who isn’t, right?), this is the SyrupCast episode for you.

For more on Google’s latest Pixel devices, check out MobileSyrup’s reviews of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

As always, you can listen to the show on your favourite podcast platform or watch the video version on YouTube.

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Mobile Syrup

Staples’ Black Friday pricing is live now

Staples’ latest batch of deals has been released with Black Friday pricing, discounting gadgets by up to 50 percent.

Here’s a look at some of the notable product categories on sale:

Laptops

PCs

Peripherals

Monitors

Headphones

Tablets

Several other product categories that aren’t mentioned in the list above, including smart home accessories, printers, video games, office furniture, cameras and drones are on sale too. Find all deals under Staples; Black Friday pricing sale here.

It’s worth noting that products on the list have varying ‘sale end dates.’ Make sure you check when the sale price is ending if you’re going to sit on the idea of purchasing a device.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links.

Image credit: Staples

Source: Staples

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye still using the Google Pixel 3 in new Disney+ series

Superman isn’t the only superhero who loves the Google Pixel.

At the 30-second mark in the latest ‘Event’ trailer for Marvel’s upcoming Hawkeye Disney+ series, there’s a moment when Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton takes a phone call outside of a store. The purpose of this scene is for a fun “I’ll be home for Christmas” line from Clin, but Eagle-eyed viewers may also notice that he’s actually using the Google Pixel 3.

It’s a particularly notable phone for him to have since it’s the same model he used in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. The phone can be seen in the pivotal scene where Hulk uses Tony Stark’s makeshift Infinity Gauntlet to bring back half of all life in the universe. Clint receives a call on his Pixel 3 from his previously deceased wife, thus showing that Hulk’s efforts worked.

But what’s especially interesting is that Clint’s phone would undoubtedly have been destroyed immediately after this call, given Thanos’ airstrike on the Avengers compound. Therefore, Clint was clearly enough of a fan of the Pixel 3 to not only get a new one, but still be using it by the time of the Hawkeye series.

It’s unclear exactly how long Hawkeye takes place after Endgame, but presumably, there are at least a few months between both MCU titles, suggesting he’s been using the Pixel 3 for a little while. (I like to imagine that Clint went to replace it immediately after Tony Stark’s funeral in Endgame).

Interestingly, fellow Avenger Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) was seen using a Windows Phone in her eponymous solo film earlier this year. However, that film took place in 2016, which made it more understandable that she might be using one of the now-discontinued devices.

Hawkeye is Marvel’s fourth live-action series for Disney+, following WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki. Set to premiere with two episodes on November 24th, Hawkeye follows Clint Barton as he teams up with the young archer Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) to fight enemies from his past and get back to his family in time for Christmas.

It’s also worth noting that ahead of the Hawkeye premiere, Disney will hold its inaugural ‘Disney+ Day’ event on November 12th. This presentation will stream on Disney+ and offer news on future streaming titles from a variety of brands, including Marvel.

Via: 9to5Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye still using the Google Pixel 3 in new Disney+ series

Superman isn’t the only superhero who loves the Google Pixel.

At the 30-second mark in the latest ‘Event’ trailer for Marvel’s upcoming Hawkeye Disney+ series, there’s a moment when Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton takes a phone call outside of a store. The purpose of this scene is for a fun “I’ll be home for Christmas” line from Clin, but Eagle-eyed viewers may also notice that he’s actually using the Google Pixel 3.

It’s a particularly notable phone for him to have since it’s the same model he used in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. The phone can be seen in the pivotal scene where Hulk uses Tony Stark’s makeshift Infinity Gauntlet to bring back half of all life in the universe. Clint receives a call on his Pixel 3 from his previously deceased wife, thus showing that Hulk’s efforts worked.

But what’s especially interesting is that Clint’s phone would undoubtedly have been destroyed immediately after this call, given Thanos’ airstrike on the Avengers compound. Therefore, Clint was clearly enough of a fan of the Pixel 3 to not only get a new one, but still be using it by the time of the Hawkeye series.

It’s unclear exactly how long Hawkeye takes place after Endgame, but presumably, there are at least a few months between both MCU titles, suggesting he’s been using the Pixel 3 for a little while. (I like to imagine that Clint went to replace it immediately after Tony Stark’s funeral in Endgame).

Interestingly, fellow Avenger Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) was seen using a Windows Phone in her eponymous solo film earlier this year. However, that film took place in 2016, which made it more understandable that she might be using one of the now-discontinued devices.

Hawkeye is Marvel’s fourth live-action series for Disney+, following WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki. Set to premiere with two episodes on November 24th, Hawkeye follows Clint Barton as he teams up with the young archer Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) to fight enemies from his past and get back to his family in time for Christmas.

It’s also worth noting that ahead of the Hawkeye premiere, Disney will hold its inaugural ‘Disney+ Day’ event on November 12th. This presentation will stream on Disney+ and offer news on future streaming titles from a variety of brands, including Marvel.

Via: 9to5Google