[Update: May move forward] U.S. Government considers blocking TSMC from making chips for Huawei

Update 1 (03/27/2020 @ 02:00 AM ET): New report states the Trump administration is moving forward to introduce restrictions to block TSMC from supplying chips to Huawei. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on February 18, 2020, is preserved below.

For close to a year, Huawei has been trying to stay competitive despite dire US sanctions hitting them very hard for certain regions. The company was placed on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List, meaning that US companies are barred from exporting products to Huawei. This sole fact by itself is already pretty devastating, as Huawei is blocked from conducting any business with Google, the company behind Android development and Google Play services (software is also considered an export), as well as with companies like Qualcomm. But for the most part, the company has managed to stay afloat, mainly in part thanks to the fact that they can source most of their components from places outside the US and they have access to Android since it’s open-source software.

Now, though, the company may be facing serious trouble as the Trump administration keeps trying to intervene in the company’s affairs with non-US companies, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The newest measures against Huawei, which have reportedly been drafted but are still far from being approved, might come in the form of a modification to the Foreign Direct Product Rule, which oversees foreign-made goods based on American technology. Under this proposal, foreign companies using American chipmaking equipment would need to seek a license from the US government before supplying equipment to Huawei.

Such a restriction could have catastrophic consequences for Huawei as a whole. One of the companies that would be affected by this is TSMC, which uses American chipmaking equipment while being based in Taiwan. Huawei has managed to keep putting out smartphones since the entirety of their lineup uses HiSilicon Kirin processors, designed in-house by Huawei, instead of Qualcomm processors. The problem is, however, that Kirin chips, such as the Kirin 990 powering the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro, are manufactured by TSMC. If the US government goes forward with this, then this would effectively cut Huawei’s chip supply completely, thus hampering the company’s ability to manufacture and ship new devices almost completely.

TSMC is just a manufacturer, though, and it is Huawei themselves, through its subsidiary HiSilicon, who owns the chip’s designs. So can they just go to another chipset maker, such as Samsung Foundries? The answer is — it’s complicated. The new measure is not specific to any company in particular, and if Samsung Foundries is using US chipmaking equipment, then they would also be affected by this change. It is almost certain, however, that Huawei would have a hard time going forward if this change is approved, as the same report takes cognizance of a claim that there are no production lines in China that use only equipment made in China, making it difficult to produce any chipsets without U.S. equipment.

Huawei is right in the middle of the United States-China trade war, with the US government having major concerns regarding Huawei because of charges such as spying. As of now, though, these new sanctions have not entered into effect yet as they are just a draft right now, but we’ll keep you in the loop on any new developments regarding this story.

Source: Reuters

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Update: USA may move forward with the chip block for Huawei

After the news (reported above) initially broke out, there was a brief lull in this regards as the US President pushed back against approving the modification to the Foreign Direct Product Rule. Under the proposal, foreign companies using American chipmaking equipment would need to seek a license from the US government before supplying equipment to Huawei.

Now, the US administration is renewing the push for these modifications to be approved, in the backdrop of tit-for-tat actions by the governments against the others’ subjects.

The proposed rule change is aimed at curbing the sales of chips to Huawei by TSMC, which is a major producer of chips for Huawei’s HiSilicon. Most chip manufacturers rely on equipment produced by U.S. companies such as KLA Corp, Lam Research and Applied Materials. However, the exact impact of the rule change will remain unknown until the technical thresholds within the rule are clarified, as different foundries make different chips at different technical capabilities.

Source: Reuters

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Google Play Store now shows download count and size in app search results

Thanks to the Play Store, downloading an application on Android devices doesn’t take more than a few taps. You open the market, search for the desired app, and tap install. Though, with more than 2.8 million applications hosted already, it’s not always easy to find exactly which one you want, especially if you’re downloading it for the first time. There are a couple of components that should be taken into consideration when comparing different apps of the same category. The most relevant ones are undoubtedly user reviews, download count, and in some cases, the size of the application. Google is now displaying these components straight in the search results.

Previously, search results in the Play Store only displayed the name of the developer, rating, and price. Now they are adding app size and download count. The latter is displayed is thousands, millions and billions in some rare cases. Though, some apps boast ‘Editors’ Choice’ title, which replaces the download count in the search results. You can check the screenshot below, courtesy of AndroidPolice. All of these stats are only available for apps that are not present on your device. Those that you already have installed only display ‘Installed’ or ‘Update’ texts, traditionally.

As you can see, the update is nothing ground-shaking, but it manages to improve the overall user experience by saving you a few taps. Unexpectedly, these updates are gradually rolling out on the server-side. There’s nothing you can do to manually trigger it. From the looks of it, Google is rolling out each of these numbers one by one. For example, Play Store search results on my device only display the app rating. Users in Germany have rating plus app size, while those in Lebanon have all three, including the download count. Then again, a geolocation-based server-side rollout is one of Google’s favorite tricks.

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Via: AndroidPolice

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[Update: Resumed] Google temporarily pauses Chrome and Chrome OS updates to prioritize security

Update (3/26/20 @ 1:20 PM ET): Google is resuming Chrome and Chrome OS releases with an adjusted schedule.

It’s no surprise anymore that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is having a huge impact on nearly everything. In the technology space alone, we’ve seen major events get canceled, product launches pushed back, and the effects of changing working conditions. The next thing being affected by adjusted work schedules is Chrome and Chrome OS updates.

Due to adjusted work schedules, we’re pausing upcoming Chrome & Chrome OS releases. Our goal is to ensure they continue to be stable, secure, & reliable for anyone who depends on them. We’ll prioritize updates related to security, which will be included in Chrome 80. Stay tuned.

— Chrome Developers (@ChromiumDev) March 18, 2020

Chrome Developers shared the news on Twitter. Due to adjusted work schedules, they are pausing upcoming Chrome and Chrome OS releases. Google wants to make sure the releases remain stable, secure, and reliable. They plan on prioritizing updates related to security, which will be coming to Chrome 80.

While this may be disappointing to those who look forward to new features, it’s really for the best. There are a lot of people who work on Chrome who are adjusting to new working conditions. Pausing the releases will give everyone more time to react to issues and make fixes. A lot of people are relying on browsers to work from home right now, making the stability of Chrome and Chrome OS even more important. No timeline was given for the resuming of releases.

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Update: Resumed

After pausing Chrome and Chrome OS updates last week, Google is now ready to resume releases with an adjusted schedule. Here is the updated schedule:

• M83 will be released three weeks earlier than previously planned and will include all M82 work as we canceled the M82 release (all channels).
• Our Canary, Dev and Beta channels have or will resume this week, with M83 moving to Dev, and M81 continuing in Beta.
• Our Stable channel will resume release next week with security and critical fixes in M80, followed by the release of M81 the week of April 7, and M83 ~mid-May.
• We will share a future update on the timing of the M84 branch and releases.

You can stay up to date with the schedule on the release blog and check the schedule page for specific dates for milestone releases.

Source: Google

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Samsung Galaxy Fold receives Android 10 with One UI 2.0

The Samsung Galaxy Fold (review) might not be the perfect folding phone we had all hoped for, and the company has even released an alternate clamshell design with the Galazy Z Flip. Even with the insane pricing, Samsung has allegedly been able to sell a respectable number of Galaxy Fold units. Keeping aside the initial hype, the owners of this bleeding-edge device have been stuck with Android Pie to date, but there is a new ray of hope. Samsung has now started rolling out the long-anticipated One UI 2.0 update on top of Android 10 for the Galaxy Fold.

Samsung Galaxy Fold XDA Forums

According to Samsung’s Android 10 update schedule, the Galaxy Fold is expected to receive the taste of Android 10 in April. As the month of March is almost ending, the arrival of the OTA for this device – albeit only on the global 4G variant (model number SM-F900F) – is certainly a noteworthy event. The version number of the latest firmware is F900FXXU3BTCD, which is currently available in France. Samsung has not incremented the bootloader version (v3), thus it is possible to revert back to Android Pie though manual flashing. Regarding the Android Security Patch Level (SPL), it is bumped to March 2020 from January 2020.

We are unable to get our hands on the complete changelog at the time of writing this article, so it is not possible to tell whether Samsung shipped all the goodness of One UI 2.1 in this update or not. The OTA may take several weeks to reach other regional markets, but those who are interested can manually download the complete firmware package directly from Samsung update server using tools like Frija.

Samsung has not published the kernel source code for this particular build yet. Moreover, the aforementioned firmware is not at all compatible with the 5G Galaxy Fold variant (SM-F907x), so stay away from cross-flashing.

Source: Samfrew

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GCA, an Android launcher app inspired by Chrome OS design, gets a massive rework in version 2.0

For Android users, there’s an abundance of options when it comes to custom launchers. Almost every noted custom launcher brings a new flavor to the user experience. While a lot of launchers focus on giving you extra features, GCA, a custom launcher inspired by Chrome OS, takes the route of simplicity and minimalism. GCA is a single screen, single widget launcher, designed while keeping low-powered devices in mind. While the first version was developed especially for Android Go devices, the version 2.0 update is aimed at more fluidity and flexibility of usage.

GCA is developed by XDA Senior Member Nx Biotic, who recently released the pre-beta to the v2 of the launcher. The updated version has been written from scratch and differs from the previous one significantly. The new version comes with improvements to the shelf as well as new customization options for the app drawer. The developer has also introduced “Sheets” which slide out of the right side of the screen as an overflow menu and offer quick access to various settings and quick actions.

App Actions are also available in overflow menus in GCA Launcher. You can also tap on the “>” arrow to access more options. Additionally, the apps in the drawer can be arranged in both horizontal and vertical orientations. Work and personal apps can also be segmented into two different tabs in the app drawer.

The search bar at the bottom of the home screen is persistent and even visible when the app drawer is open. It can be used to search installed apps, for searching apps on Play Store, and for web search. Additionally, the launcher also supports navigation gestures from Android 10. Meanwhile, the developer is also working on a feature called “Focussed Customization” which will restrict customization to minimize bugs.

A lot of the new features, including Sheets, are currently under development. Since this is a pre-beta stage, be prepared to face some bugs and crashes if you use this as your primary launcher. You may if you’d like to contribute to the development. You can pass on your feedback to the developer on their forum thread. You can also pledge to buy the final version of the launcher to support its development. Meanwhile, if you’d like to try the first version of the GCA launcher, you can use the Google Play Store link below.

GCA Launcher v2 pre-beta thread on XDA Forums

GCA Launcher (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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Huawei P40 Pro Hands-on [Video]

The Huawei P40 Pro is! Check out our video at XDA TV with a full hands-on with the new photography-focused phone.

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Huawei P40, P40 Pro, and P40 Pro+ announced with the 5G Kirin 990, 50MP RYYB camera sensor, and Huawei Mobile Services

Back in December, Huawei made plans to announce the P40 series in March. Suffice to say a lot has changed in the world since then, but Huawei is still moving forward with their announcement. The company has now officially revealed the Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro, and Huawei P40+ during an online launch event.

The Huawei P40 series was actually kicked off back in February with the P40 Lite, but today we’re finally seeing the flagship offerings. These are Huawei’s latest high-end smartphones for 2020 and they pack tons of features into attractive packages. The display sizes range from 6.1-inches to 6.58-inches, but in general, the family shares many of the same specifications.

Huawei P40 Pro XDA Forums

Huawei P40 Series: Specifications

Specifications	Huawei P40	Huawei P40 Pro	Huawei P40 Pro+
Size & Weight	148.9 x 71.06 x 8.5mm 175g	158.2 x 72.6 x 8.95mm 203g	–
Display	6.1 inches OLED 2340 x 1080	6.58 inches OLED 2640 x 1200 90 Hz	6.58 inches OLED 2640 x 1200 90 Hz
CPU	Kirin 990 5G OctaCore CPU: 2x Cortex-A76 @ 2.86 GHz 2x Cortex-A76 @ 2.36 GHz 4x Cortex A55 @ 1.95 GHz	Kirin 990 5G OctaCore CPU: 2x Cortex-A76 @ 2.86 GHz 2x Cortex-A76 @ 2.36 GHz 4x Cortex A55 @ 1.95 GHz	Kirin 990 5G OctaCore CPU: 2x Cortex-A76 @ 2.86 GHz 2x Cortex-A76 @ 2.36 GHz 4x Cortex A55 @ 1.95 GHz
RAM	8GB	8GB	–
Storage	128GB, nano memory card expansion	128/256GB, nano memory card expansion	–
Rear Cameras	50MP UltraVision with RYYB, 4-in-1 pixel binning, f/1.9 16MP ultra wide-angle camera, f/2.2 8 megapixel telephoto with OIS, f/2.4	50MP UltraVision with RYYB, 4-in-1 pixel binning, f/1.9, OIS 40MP video and ultra-wide-angle camera, f/1.8 12MP SuperSensing Telephoto, f/3.4 TOF sensor	50MP UltraVision with RYYB, 4-in-1 pixel binning, f/1.9, OIS 40MP video and ultra-wide-angle camera, f/1.8 8MP 10X optical super periscope telephoto 8MP 3X optical telephoto TOF sensor
Front Cameras	32MP, f/2.2	32MP, f/2.2 IR depth sensor	32MP, f/2.2 IR depth sensor
OS	EMUI 10.1 based on Android 10 (no Google services)	EMUI 10.1 based on Android 10 (no Google services)	EMUI 10.1 based on Android 10 (no Google services)
Battery	3,800mAh	4,200mAh	4,200mAh
Charging	40W wired charging	40W wired charging 40W wireless charging	40W wired charging 40W wireless charging
Connectivity	GSM, HSPA, LTE, 5G Bluetooth 5.1 WiFi AX NFC e-SIM GPS, AGPS, Glonass, Galileo, QZSS	GSM, HSPA, LTE, 5G Bluetooth 5.1 WiFi AX NFC e-SIM GPS, AGPS, Glonass, Galileo, QZSS	GSM, HSPA, LTE, 5G Bluetooth 5.1 WiFi AX NFC e-SIM GPS, AGPS, Glonass, Galileo, QZSS
Sensors	Fingerprint sensor, proximity sensor, ambient light, compass, accelerometer	Fingerprint sensor, proximity sensor, ambient light, compass, accelerometer	Fingerprint sensor, proximity sensor, ambient light, compass, accelerometer
Misc	IP53 water/dust resistance USB Type-C Dual SIM, eSIM	IP68 water/dust resistance USB Type-C Dual SIM, eSIM IR blaster	IP68 water/dust resistance USB Type-C Dual SIM, eSIM IR blaster

Huawei P40 series: Design

As you would expect, the design of all three devices is fairly similar. They all have rectangular camera modules positioned in the top left corner on the back. All three also feature hole-punch displays with the hole placed in the top left. Speaking of the display, the Pro and Pro+ have 90Hz displays, and Huawei has included what they are calling an “Overflow display” on these.

Huawei P40 Pro – Ice White

The Overflow display is a full edge-to-edge display. The edges of the display are curved on all four sides, creating a very smooth transition anywhere you touch. The usable area of the display curves ever so slightly over the edges, but it is far from the “waterfall” display of the Mate 30 Pro. This creates a stunning bezel-less feel without sacrificing usability. The Huawei P40 Pro and P40 Pro+ have 6.58-inch displays, while the P40 has a smaller 6.1-inch flat display.

Huawei P40 Pro+

The display is home to Goodix’s “ultra-thin” optical in-display fingerprint sensor as well. This sensor is 30% bigger and 30% faster than the sensor on the previous generation. Huawei also has some fancy new animations to go along with it. Goodix has also provided the AMOLED touch controller and smart audio amplifier for the P40 series.

Sticking with design, there are a number of color options available. All three models will be available in Ice White, Deep Sea Blue, and Black with glossy finishes. There is also Silver Frost and Blush Gold colors available in a matte finish. The P40 Pro+ has a ceramic back and is available in black and white.

Cameras

If the giant camera modules didn’t give it away, the Huawei P40 series has a lot going on in the camera department. The headliner on all three devices is a 50MP RYYB 1/1.28” “Ultra Vision Sensor.” This camera boasts the highest light intake, higher dynamic range, and lower noise compared to the 40MP sensor on last year’s P30 series.

To go along with the bigger sensor, the Huawei P40 series also has a new HD Image Engine. This is the company’s 3rd generation AI image engine and it has a number of improvements. It goes pixel-by-pixel looking at lossless image separation, optimizing every scene possible, and it does this at any focal length. You can take large photos and chop them up into smaller photos without losing quality.

Another cool trick is “Super Resolution.” The phone takes information from the main camera and telephoto lens and merges them together to create a boosted resolution image. The features work with the XD Fusion Engine so you can zoom in and crop to create crisp images at any time of day.

Speaking of zoom, the P40 series has plenty of abilities when it comes to zoom. The standard P40 can do 3X optical zoom, which is good for portraits. The P40 Pro can do 5X optical zoom with the SuperSensing SuperZoom Lens. The P40 Pro+ has short-range, mid-range, and long-range versatility. It can do 3X optical zoom and 10X optical zoom, plus it claims to smoothly transition between them.

All three devices have a 32MP camera on the front, but the Pro and Pro+ also have an IR depth sensor. In addition to the 50MP main camera, the P40 Pro has a 40MP wide-angle camera, 5MP telephoto lens, and a TOF lens. The P40 Pro+ has, in addition to the main 50MP and 40MP wide-angle cameras, dual 8MP telephoto lens, and a TOF lens.

While the hardware is impressive, it combines with the software to yield much more versatility and function. On the Huawei P40 series, you can take studio-like shots regardless of complexities in the lighting thanks to Multi-Spectrum Color Temperature Sensor with AI AWB Algorithm. The Golden Snap Moment feature takes multiple shots before and the shutter button is pressed and presents you with the three best shots to save; while such a feature has been around on other phones for a while, the presence of this feature on the P40 series is impressive because of the newer camera hardware. The software also enables neat editing tricks such as eliminating photobombing passerby from the image and eliminate reflections when shooting across glass. There’s a Handheld Super Night Mode onboard too.

For video recording, the devices are capable of a fair few things. You can shoot in HDR, 4K 60fps, 4K timelapse, 7680fps super slow motion, super-steady telephoto video recording with OIS plus AIS. The phones are also capable of audio zoom thanks to the 3 stereo microphones. Of course, there is Pro Mode on the camera too for video recording.

Performance

Let’s talk about performance. The P40 series is equipped with the Kirin 990 5G SoC, which includes the 16-core Mali-G76 GPU. The P40 Pro+ has a 4 layer SuperCool system, 3D graphene film, and a super-thin Vapor Chamber cooling system. The P40 has a 3,800mAh battery, while the P40 Pro and Pro+ have 4,200mAh batteries. All three have 40W wired charging, while the Pro and Pro+ also have 40W wireless charging with the Huawei charging pad.

Software

The Huawei P40 series comes with the company’s EMUI skin, which in this case is EMUI 10.1 based on Android 10. Huawei is including a new preloaded app called “MeeTime.” This is a video/audio calling app similar to FaceTime and Google Duo. It claims to have the best resolution in poor network bandwidth situations. Some of the other features include background changing, screen sharing, and tablet support.

Google apps are obviously a big topic with Huawei devices and the P40 does not include them. Huawei has 3,000 engineers working on HMS Core (Huawei Mobile Services) development. They partnered with Qwant for Search in Europe. Huawei also has its alternative to Instant Apps called “Huawei Quick App.”

Huawei also has its own Voice Assistant on EMUI 10.1 on the P40 series, called Celia. You can summon the voice assistant with the command “Hey Celia”, or by holding the power button for a second. Celia can help you with regular daily tasks, such as initiating phone calls and texts, setting up calendar appointments and reminders, start voice recording, translate sentences, play music, videos, toggle device settings and flashlight, and of course, search for information such as sports, weather, and more. Celia is compatible with HiVision AI Lens and AI touch-shopping. Celia will be available in UK, France, Spain, Chile, Mexico, and Colombia in languages such as English (UK), French, and Spanish.

Huawei P40 Pro XDA Forums

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