OnePlus CEO Pete Lau joins OPLUS as Senior VP, will oversee brand synergy between OnePlus, OPPO, Realme

OnePlus was co-founded by Pete Lau and Carl Pei back in 2013. Prior to this event, both Pete and Carl worked at OPPO as the Vice President and as the International Markets Manager respectively. As of now, both Pete and Carl hold key positions within OnePlus, as CEO of OnePlus and as Director of OnePlus Global respectively. However, a recent news report suggests that OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has taken on an additional role as Senior Vice President of OPLUS.

According to a report from Android Authority, Pete Lau has taken on additional responsibilities as the Senior VP and Chief Product Experience Officer at OPLUS. This new role involves duties around the brand synergy between the major OPLUS investment properties, namely OPPO, Realme, and OnePlus.

Pete Lau will retain the CEO tag with OnePlus, as per the statement offered by the company in the report:

Pete remains committed to his role as CEO of OnePlus. At the same time, he has also taken on the role of SVP and chief product experience officer for OPLUS, contributing to product and planning development.

If you’re wondering what OPLUS is, the report suggests that this is the investor company that oversees OnePlus, OPPO, and Realme. OPLUS’s mere existence is not really a mystery, as the holding company has different country-specific subsidiaries, such as OPLUS Mobitech India Pvt. Ltd. which counts OnePlus India’s General Manager Vikas Agarwal as its Director. You can look up OPLUS Mobitech on the Government of India’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs website to verify the same.

And now if you’re wondering what happened to BBK Electronics, the parent company that is widely presumed to oversee the three brands (OnePlus, OPPO, Realme) alongside Vivo, iQOO, and others — well that makes two of us that are a little confused. OnePlus has steadfastly denied associations with OPPO in the past, and now, Pete Lau denies that OPLUS is connected to BBK. As the original report notes, the background funding and corporate hierarchy of OnePlus and its sister brands remain shrouded in mystery.

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Source: Android Authority

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Walmart+ is the subscription alternative to Amazon Prime, will cost $98 per year

Walmart is insanely popular in the USA, proudly wearing the tag of being one of the biggest supermarket chains in the country. Now, Walmart is looking to take on Amazon Prime with its own subscription program, Walmart+, offering free deliveries and discounted gas to members who subscribe.

Walmart+ goes live for users in the USA on September 15, 2020. According to a report from The Washington Post, Walmart+ is the most direct attempt from the supermarket chain to compete against the popularity of Amazon’s Prime membership program. Walmart+ will reportedly cost $12.95 per month, or $98 if you opt for the annual subscription. In comparison, Amazon Prime costs $12.99 per month or $119 annually.

With Walmart+, members will receive unlimited free deliveries on orders from any of the retailer’s 4,700 stores across the USA, and up to 5 cents of discount per gallon of gasoline at Walmart, Murphy USA, and Murphy Express fuel stations. The membership also enables the “Scan & Go” feature in the company app, allowing customers to scan items as they shop and then check out using Walmart Pay.

Walmart will initially be offering around 160,000 items with free delivery eligibility, ranging across toys, electronics, and groceries. In comparison, Amazon Prime offered more than 10 million items for free one-day delivery, which explains why Prime boasts of 100 million subscribers. Amazon Prime also offers a bunch of other perks under its membership program, including Prime Video, Prime Music, and Prime Gaming. Walmart’s USP, on the other hand, is its wide network of stores, which could help the company scale up timely deliveries despite the COVID-19 disruptions. Walmart also has a better focus on groceries and essentials, two segments that have perennially received attention but have seen an increased influx during the pandemic. If the program does take off, we can expect to see more perks added along the way.

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Source: The Washington Post

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Google’s Android TV dongle could cost as low as $49 in the U.S.

In June, we brought you an exclusive first look at what could be Google’s upcoming Android TV dongle. We shared images that showed off the possible design, the dedicated remote, and the revamped Android TV user interface. However, what we were unable to reveal were the pricing and launch date. Fortunately, a new retail leak for the dongle, code-named “Sabrina,” may have just revealed its pricing in the U.S.

9to5Google is reporting that the “Sabrina” dongle has appeared in Home Depot’s internal system at a price of $49, making it one of the more affordable media streaming devices on the market. In fact, that prices it at exactly the same as the Roku Streaming Stick+ and Amazon Fire TV Stick and right around the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick. Earlier reports suggested the dongle would be “around or below $80,” so today’s report places the price much lower than anticipated.

As we previously reported, the “Sabrina” Android TV dongle will reportedly launch with Android TV on board and come with a dedicated remote (code-named “abbey“) that will offer a programmable button. Meanwhile, the debut of “Sabrina” is expected to concur alongside a revamped Android TV UI that’s more focused on content.

Possible remote

“Sabrina” may also feature integration with Nest doorbells and video cameras, making it easy for users to see alerts right from their TV. Additionally, we previously reported “Sabrina” would usher in a new Google Assistant response UI as well as YouTube TV integration into the “Live” tab.

9to5Google notes that the internal system at Home Depot lists “Sabrina” as coming in three colors: “Rock Candy”, “Como Blue”, and “Summer Melon”.

Google is expected to hold its next Made by Google event at the end of September or early October, where the company might unveil this mystery Android TV dongle alongside the Pixel 4A 5G, Pixel 5, and a new Nest speaker.

With so many details coming out over the past few months, it doesn’t seem like “Sabrina” will be a mystery for much longer.

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OnePlus Buds are now available in Gray in the U.S.

When the OnePlus Buds launched in the U.S., they were only available in a glossy white color. Now, OnePlus has opened up sales for a version in gray, giving consumers a sleek, stealthy option for the back to school season.

The OnePlus Buds in gray come with a case to match and also feature a red accent around the chrome touchpad, a nice attention to detail. Whereas the OnePlus Buds in white look a little too much like Apple’s AirPods, the version in gray is uniquely its own. The beautiful Nord Blue color option is not available in the U.S., though.

We reviewed the OnePlus Buds last month, praising their sound, design, and affordable price. The earbuds also feature support for Google’s latest Fast Pair features, which makes pairing the OnePlus Buds quick and easy with an Android device.

If you decide to pick up the OnePlus Buds in gray, you won’t have to pay a premium; the wireless earbuds are available for just $79. The OnePlus Buds are thus more affordable than the more premium wireless earbuds on the market, including the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live and Apple AirPods Pro, but they lack some features like Active Noise Cancellation and wireless charging. The app also only supports OnePlus phones, so you won’t be able to update the firmware or remap the double-tap gestures if you pair them with a smartphone from another manufacturer. They’re otherwise a great option if you own or plan to own a OnePlus device.

OnePlus Buds

Fast charging TWS earbuds

Free yourself from wires with a pair of truly wireless earbuds from OnePlus.

$79 at OnePlus.com

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The OnePlus 8T could have a flat display with a hole-punch cutout

It’s been a busy year for OnePlus. The company has already released 3 smartphones this year (the 8, 8 Pro, and Nord), its first-ever truly wireless earbuds (the OnePlus Buds), and plans on releasing possibly 2 more mid-range smartphones (code-named “clover” and “Billie“). As usual, though, OnePlus is gearing up to launch another flagship smartphone in the fall, and it’s expected to be the OnePlus 8T. Thanks to a teardown of the latest OxygenOS 11 Beta 4 release, we may have just caught our first glimpse at the upcoming phone, which is expected to be code-named “kebab.”

XDA Member and frequent OnePlus tipster Some_Random_Username did a teardown of OxygenOS 11 Beta 4 for the Oxygen Updater blog, and he found a few interesting tidbits that may pertain to the upcoming OnePlus 8T. First, a teardown of the new OnePlus Camera application suggests OnePlus is working on 8K video recording support, which currently isn’t available on any OnePlus device and is thus thought to be for the OnePlus 8T. We previously discovered evidence an upcoming OnePlus device may come equipped with a 64MP camera sensor, which can capture more than enough pixels to record at 8K resolution.

Here is the code mentioning 8K resolution support:

More importantly is a file found in the latest OnePlus Settings app called “oneplus_8t.webp.” This is an image file that is shown in the About Phone page in OxygenOS. Presumably, this render will be shown if the OS detects that the device is a OnePlus 8T, though we can’t confirm if this render is of the actual device or merely a placeholder.

From the render, we can see that the device has a flat display and a single hole-punch cutout in the top left. The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, in contrast, have curved displays, while the OnePlus Nord has a dual hole-punch cutout. We can’t really see anything else, though, including the back, but we can see the earpiece speaker, the volume buttons on the left, the power button on the right, and the Alert Slider on the right.

OnePlus typically releases its T-series of devices in the fall, which is right around the corner. With hints of a OnePlus 8T already trickling out, we’ll likely get more concrete details in the coming days and weeks.

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Lenovo announces the mid-range Tab P11 Pro and 2nd-gen Tab M10 HD Android tablets

Depending on who you ask, you might hear that Android tablets are dead. They’re not exactly dead, but Windows-powered alternatives and iPads are objectively better products overall. Android, with all its good and bad bits, is not as good as it used to be on tablets. But that doesn’t stop OEMs from trying to make them. Samsung is one of the few manufacturers that is deeply invested in the tablet ecosystem with its Galaxy Tab lineup. Now, Lenovo is launching a couple of new Android tablets of its own: the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro and the second-generation Lenovo Tab M10 HD. And they’re wildly different devices.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro

The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro is the most powerful device of the two, and it’s being touted as the premium option. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G which, while not the highest-end mid-range processor out there, is powerful enough to handle most games and apps, as well as daily usage. There’s an 11.5-inch 2560×1600 resolution, HDR10/Dolby Vision-certified OLED panel to allow for amazing media consumption capabilities, four JBL speakers with Dolby Atmos tuning, an optional keyboard attachment with a trackpad that connects via the 4-point pogo-pin connector, and support for the Lenovo Precision Pen 2 for getting work done on-the-go. The tablet is quite thin at 5.8mm and weighs 485g. It runs Android 10 and features 4/6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, an 8,600mAh battery, a dual 13 MP main + 5 MP wide-angle rear camera array, a dual 8MP + 8MP front camera array, a ToF sensor, and optional LTE support for the international SKU.

 

The Lenovo Tab M10 HD 2nd Gen series, which is comprised of the regular Tab M10 HD, the Tab M10 HD with Google Assistant, and the Tab M10 HD with Amazon Alexa, on the other hand, are much more modest tablets. Not only spec-wise but also to the public they’re aimed towards. They’re powered by the MediaTek Helio P22T, which is much weaker than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G found in the Tab P11 Pro. They have 10.1-inch IPS LCDs at 1280×800 resolution, 2/4GB of RAM, 32/64GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD card slot, a 5,000mAh battery, an 8MP rear camera, a 5MP front-facing camera, run Android 10 out of the box, and feature optional LTE support for the international SKU.

Where these 3 tablets’ hardware differ from one another are in audio and microphones; the regular Tab M10 HD features dual microphone and dual speakers, the Tab M10 HD with Google Assistant features a single microphone with a low-power DSP and dual speakers, and the Tab M10 HD with Amazon Alexa has dual microphones and speakers but supports a Smart Dock with dual 3W speakers and 3 far-field microphones.

Clearly, these devices aren’t catering towards enthusiasts but rather kids and families. In fact, Lenovo partnered with Google to introduce a new mode called Kids Space, which features apps, books, and videos curated for children.

The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro will start at €699 including VAT, which is definitely quite a bit more expensive than we’d expect from a device with those specs. The Lenovo Tab M10 HD though, on the other hand, starts at a much more modest price point of €159 including VAT. The Tab M10 HD with Google Assistant starts at €179 including VAT while the Tab M10 HD with Amazon Alexa starts at €199 including VAT. The regular Tab M10 HD is expected to become available starting September 2020, the Tab M10 HD with Google Assistant is expected to be available starting October 2020, and the Tab P11 Pro and Tab M10 HD with Amazon Alexa are expected to be available starting November 2020,

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OnePlus explains how they optimized OxygenOS 11 for better one-handed use

It won’t be long after Google rolls out the stable Android 11 release for Pixel phones that OnePlus rolls out the final version of OxygenOS 11 for its devices. Earlier this month, the company unveiled the latest version of its Android-based software and rolled out a beta for the OnePlus 8 series. Alongside a new beta release today, OnePlus took to its forums to explain how they came up with the new design language for OxygenOS 11.

In the post, OxygenOS Product Lead Gary C. explained how OnePlus analyzed data to design a system that’s more comfortable for one-handed use. The company says they conducted A/B testing and found that 65% of users prefer slightly smaller headlines while 80% of users prefer titles with subtitles rather than without. In accordance with these metrics, OnePlus designed a new “headline-body hierarchy that streamlines information delivery in OxygenOS 11.” Furthermore, the company looked at anthropometric data to determine the general regions of the screen where people can easily reach or struggle to reach, as shown below.

As a result, OxygenOS 11 moves touch controls closer to your thumbs for easier access. When you open a menu, settings will now be pushed to the lower half of the display. “We also wanted to add even more features to make one-handed use quicker and easier,” OnePlus said in a forum post. “So, for example, we added a new Quick Share button in the Camera app. Now you can long press the thumbnail of the last photo you took to quickly share the photo with just one motion.” The company also redesigned its Weather app based on these principles, with the new UI currently rolling out in beta.

 

The changes to OxygenOS 11 come in response to the current mobile landscape, which is flooded with devices that feature tall screens. While big displays are great for content consumption, they do present usability issues with people who have smaller hands.

Samsung made similar design changes in its One UI software, which made the company’s taller phones much easier to use by placing key interaction areas near the bottom of the screen. Even if OxygenOS 11 does take inspiration from Samsung, it’s still nice to see that better one-handed use is becoming more of a priority.

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