Apple acquires Dark Sky and will shut down the weather app for Android and Wear OS

Apple has always been about improving its own ecosystem and growing and improving its “walled garden,” but one app from this ecosystem that has not seen a major overhaul in quite some time is its own Weather app. It has not received one since iOS 7 was first released, in fact — and that was 7 years ago, in 2013. There were some alternatives, however, and one of them included Dark Sky, an alternative weather app for iOS, Android, and Wear OS. Now, the app has been purchased by Apple, as they’ve shared in a blog post.

One of the very first immediate effects of this is that the app will no longer be available for any non-Apple devices. The app will soon be removed from Google Play, so it can’t be downloaded for Android phones or Wear OS devices. For existing Android users, though, the app will continue to work through July 1st, at which point the app will be completely discontinued and existing customers will receive a refund. iOS users, though, are still able to purchase the app through the App Store and will continue to be able to use it. The app has also been rebranded as “Dark Sky by Apple”.

Despite how invested Apple is with their ecosystem of apps, they don’t normally do this. Shazam, for example, was acquired by Apple in 2018, yet they still keep an Android version of the app active. One of the possible following steps for Apple, then, is that they might roll it into iOS natively at some point, merging it with the existing Weather app. Web services are also being gutted together with the Android app.

As for their API, it will also be phased out, albeit much later on: it will continue to work through 2021 and will be killed off come 2022. Dark Sky serves as a weather provider for apps and services like Carrot Weather, DuckDuckGo, Microsoft, Yelp, and more, and this will affect these apps, so it needs to be a more gradual phase-out.

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EMUI 10.1 roadmap reveals beta timeline for Huawei and Honor smartphones

Just a few days ago, Huawei unveiled its newest series of flagship devices, which include the Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro, and the Huawei P40 Pro+. The Chinese OEM is shipping a slightly upgraded version of their custom Android 10-based UI, dubbed EMUI 10.1, with the P40 lineup. One notable inclusion in EMUI 10.1 is Celia, Huawei’s own Voice Assistant, which can be invoked with the hotword “Hey Celia,” or by holding the power button for a second. Now the company has announced the rollout schedule of EMUI 10.1 beta for existing Huawei and Honor branded devices.

The current roadmap is applicable to the Chinese device variants. This internal beta will be further expanded to a series of public beta tests before concluding with the stable release of EMUI 10.1. Huawei has been known for prioritizing their home country to conduct beta testing or release updates and take several months before rolling them out worldwide. Hopefully, this incremental update doesn’t take that long, as the EMUI global Twitter handle is actively teasing EMUI 10.1.

The full list of eligible devices can be found below.

Model	EMUI 10.1/Magic UI 3.1 Internal Beta Recruitment Timing
Huawei Mate 20 Huawei Mate 20 Pro Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design Huawei Mate 20 X 4G Huawei Nova 6 Huawei Nova 6 5G Huawei Nova 6 SE Huawei MatePad Pro Huawei MediaPad M6 (8.4/10.8) Huawei MediaPad M6 Turbo Edition Honor 9X Honor 9X Pro Honor V30 Honor V30 Pro Honor V20 Honor 20 Honor 20 Pro Honor Magic 2	Has already been started from today (March 31)
Huawei Nova 5 Huawei Nova 5Z Huawei Nova 5 Pro Huawei Nova 5i Pro Honor 20S	Early April
Huawei P30 Huawei P30 Pro Huawei Mate 30 4G Huawei Mate 30 5G Huawei Mate 30 Pro 4G Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G Huawei Mate 30 RS Porsche Design	Mid April
Huawei Mate X Huawei Mate Xs Huawei Mate 20 X 5G Huawei Enjoy 10S Honor 20 Youth Edition	Late April

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Source: Huawei China Forums, EMUI Weibo

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Realme 6 launches in Europe with 90Hz displays, 64MP cameras, MediaTek Helio G90T alongside Realme 6i and Realme C3 Global variant

Realme has had quite an eventful year so far. While the majority of its launches this year have catered to Asian markets, especially India, the company did launch in 5G flagship – the Realme X50 Pro (first impressions) – in Europe and in India last month. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down its launches, perhaps impacting it the most in India. But despite hiccups, the global launches continue. Today, Realme launched the Realme 6, Realme 6i, and Realme C3 global variant in Europe over an online live stream.

Realme 6

Starting off, Realme 6 is the newest mid-ranger from the company. While the nomenclature suggests the Realme 6 succeeds the Realme 5, it actually sits almost at the same price point as the Realme 5 Pro (review). Meanwhile, although the Realme 6 Pro (review) was also launched in India, it wasn’t even mentioned at the event.

The key highlights of the Realme 6 include its Full HD+ hole-punch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, the 64MP quad cameras on the back, 30W fast wired charging. It runs on the MediaTek Helio G90T platform and comes in 4GB and 8GB RAM variants with up to 128GB of UFS 2.1 NAND storage.

Among other design changes over the Realme 5, the Realme 6 features a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a USB-C port. It runs on Realme UI which is a fork of ColorOS 7 and is based on Android 10.

Realme 6 Specifications

Specifications	Realme 6
Dimensions & Weight	162.1 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm 191g
Display	6.5-inch LCD 1080 x 2400 20:9 aspect ratio Gorilla Glass 3 90Hz refresh rate 120Hz touch sampling rate
SoC	MediaTek Helio G90T (12nm) 2 x Arm Cortex-A76 @ 2.05GHz 6 x Arm Cortex-A55 @ 2.0GHz Mali G76 GPU
RAM	4GB/8GB
Storage	64GB/128GB UFS 2.1 Dedicated microSD slot
Battery	4,300mAh, 30W charging via USB Type-C
Fingerprint Sensor	Side-mounted
Rear Camera	64MP, f/1.8 8MP ultra-wide, 119°, f/2.3 2MP macro sensor, f/2.4 2MP mono, f/2.4 1080p video recording at 60fps 4K video recording at 30fps
Front Camera	16MP, f/2.0 1080p video recording at 30fps
Android Version	Realme UI based on Android 10
Colors	Comet Blue, Comet White

Realme 6i

Although the Realme 5i was launched just a couple of months ago with the specifications resembling the older Realme 5, the Realme 6i was launched in Myanmar earlier this month. Unlike the predecessor, however, the Realme 6i varies greatly from the Realme 6. Design-wise, the Realme 6i sports interesting patterns that have been named after milk and green tea.

The Realme 6i is the first phone in the world to run on MediaTek Helio G80 chipset. Unlike the Asian model, however, buyers wouldn’t get to choose between different configurations. The European variant is only available in a 4GB+128GB option. The Realme 6i also comes with a quad-camera setup, including a 48MP primary sensor. The phone also gets a massive 5,000mAh battery along with 18W charging support through the USB-C port.

The Realme 6i also comes with Realme UI based on Android 10 out of the box.

Realme 6i Specifications

Specifications	Realme 6i
Display	6.5-inch LCD 1600 x 720 resolution 20:9 aspect ratio
SoC	MediaTek Helio G80 2 x Arm Cortex-A7 @ 2.0GHz 6 x Arm Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz Mali G52 GPU
RAM	4GB
Storage	64GB/128GB UFS 2.1 Dedicated microSD slot
Battery	5,000mAh, 18W charging via USB Type-C
Fingerprint Sensor	Rear-mounted
Rear Camera	48MP 8MP ultra-wide, 119° 2MP macro sensor B/W depth sensor
Front Camera	16MP
Android Version	Realme UI based on Android 10
Colors	White Milk, Green Tea

Realme C3 Global

Alongside the Realme 6 and 6i, Realme C3 has also been launched for the European markets. The phone differs from the Realme C3 launched in India last month and matches the variant launched later in Thailand. While matches the Indian variant to quite an extent, the global variant features three cameras on the back as opposed to two on the former along with a fingerprint scanner.

The Realme C3 global version also runs on MediaTek Helio G70 and we can expect similar performance as we saw in our gaming review of the phone. Realme has 3GB RAM and 64GB of storage. The additional camera on the phone is a 2MP macro camera with a fixed focal length of 4cm.

Like the other two phones, Realme C3 also runs Realme UI based on Android 10.

Realme C3 Global Specifications

Specifications	Realme C3 Global
Dimensions & Weight	164.4 x 75.0 x 8.95 mm 195g
Display	6.52-inch LCD 1600 x 720 20:9 aspect ratio Gorilla Glass 3
SoC	MediaTek Helio G70 (12nm) 2 x Arm Cortex-A75 @ 2.0GHz 6 x Arm Cortex-A55 @ 1.7GHz Mali G52 GPU
RAM	3GB
Storage	64GB eMMC Dedicated microSD slot
Battery	5000mAh, 10W charging via microUSB
Fingerprint Sensor	NA
Rear Camera	12MP, f/1.8 2MP depth sensor, f/2.4 2MP macro camera 1080p video recording @ 30fps 480p slow-motion @ 120fps
Front Camera	5MP, f/2.0 Full HD video recording @ 30fps
Android Version	Realme UI based on Android 10
Colors	Frozen Blue, Blazing Red

Prices & Availability

The Realme 6 comes in three variants priced as following:

• 4GB+64GB – €229.90
• 4GB+128GB – €269.90
• 6GB+128GB – €299.90

The Realme 6i with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage is priced at €199.90.

The Realme C3 will only be available in a 3GB/64GB variant priced at €159.90.

You can already pre-order the Realme 6 from the company’s online store and it will be shipped on April 6th, which is when it goes on sale. The Realme 6i and the C3 will be available for sale starting April 6th and April 13th, respectively.

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Samsung AKG N400 truly wireless earphones boast of ANC and water resistance

Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S20 series at the Samsung Unpacked event earlier this year in February. At the event, the company also announced the Galaxy Buds+ alongside the three highly-anticipated devices. As previous leaks suggested, the Galaxy Buds+ only offered a minor upgrade over the original Galaxy Buds with improved battery life, better microphones, and a few connectivity improvements. Sadly though, the Galaxy Buds+ didn’t include Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and opted for a feature called “Ambient Aware” that offers better noise isolation. This made the Galaxy Buds+ a little less appealing when compared to other premium truly wireless earbuds like the Sony WF-1000XM3, the Sennheiser Momentum TW2, and the Apple AirPods Pro.

Now, in a bid to offer something a bit more competitive, Samsung’s AKG sub-brand has launched the AKG N400 truly wireless earphones that not only feature ANC but also offer IPX7 water resistance, another feature that’s missing on the Galaxy Buds+. The AKG N400 packs in 8.2mm drivers with a frequency response of 10Hz-20KHz, an impedance of 16 ohms, and a sensitivity of 96 dB SPL. The truly wireless earbuds make use of a Bluetooth 5.0 chipset that includes support for SBC and AAC codecs. The earbuds feature capacitive touch controls on each bud to control playback and volume, and you can even use it to trigger your preferred voice assistant.

The AKG N400 weigh in at 7.7g, with the case adding another 65g. Samsung claims that the earbuds can last up to 6 hours on a single charge without ANC turned on and 5 hours with ANC. The case can charge the earbuds once over, increasing the overall battery life to 12 hours. For charging, the case features a USB Typ-C port and it also supports wireless charging. The earbuds can be controlled using a companion app that will let you customize the audio profile, ANC level, and the touch controls.

The AKG N400 is available in three color variants — black, blue, and navy — with the navy variant featuring a dual-tone finish with gold accents. The truly wireless earbuds have been priced at KRW 230,000 (~$190) and are currently only available in Samsung’s home market of South Korea. As of now, we have no information from the company regarding the pricing and availability for international markets.

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Source: Samsung

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LG V40 ThinQ Android 10 kernel source code published ahead of LG UX 9.0 rollout

The smartphone wing of LG heavily struggled in 2019 due to lagging sales, and the company might even drop their flagship G-series brand this year. The Korean OEM is also having a hard time to keep their existing phones up-to-date, as only a handful of LG flagships have received the Android 10 update so far. According to LG’s official update roadmap, the LG G8X ThinQ is next in line to get the taste of Android 10, while the LG G7 ThinQ, LG G8S ThinQ, and the LG V40 ThinQ will experience the same in Q3 2020. The company has now gone ahead and published kernel sources for Android 10 for the LG V40 ThinQ.

LG V40 ThinQ XDA Forums

At the time of reporting, we can only spot the kernel source code corresponding to the Korean variant of the LG V40 ThinQ (model number LMV409). The early arrival could be related to the fact that LG Korea is scheduled to deliver the stable version of Android 10 to the LG V40 ThinQ in the second quarter of 2020, way before the global rollout. The current package is based on the software version v30a, which might be the build version of the upcoming LG UX 9.0 OTA for the Korean edition of the phone.

LG V40 ThinQ Android 10 Kernel Sources

It is worth mentioning that only the European variant of the LG V40 (model number LMV405EBW) is officially whitelisted for bootloader unlocking. Interestingly, XDA Member Xsavi has come up with an exploit based on an engineering bootloader from the LG V35 ThinQ, which can be used to unlock other variants (except the T-Mobile one). An unofficial version of LineageOS 17.0 is already available for the phone on our forums, and owners of the LG V40 ThinQ should expect further custom ROM experiences thanks to the updated kernel source.

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Source: LG Open Source Code

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POCO X2 Custom Development Update: Paranoid Android, arter97 kernel, Google Camera port, more

Earlier this year in January, Xiaomi India set up POCO as an independent brand and, shortly thereafter, the newly-formed brand launched the POCO X2 into the market. Since the POCO F1 was quite a big hit among custom ROM enthusiasts and developers alike, POCO sent out a couple of units of the new POCO X2 (review) to custom ROM and kernel developers in order to help kickstart third-party development for the device. Development on our forums has been on high gear ever since and here’s our first custom development roundup for the POCO X2.

POCO X2 XDA Forums

Buy the POCO X2 from Flipkart (starting at ₹15,999)

POCO X2 Custom ROMs

Paranoid Android

The popular Paranoid Android custom ROM is now available in alpha for the POCO X2. The ROM, which is based on Android 10, comes with the arter97 kernel, Magisk, and Open GApps nano preinstalled. It’s packed to the brim with personalization features, however, since it’s still in the early stages of development, there are some major issues. Other than the device-specific issues mentioned in the forum post (linked below), the ROM is quite unstable and often leads to the device becoming unresponsive after it’s left unused for some time. Regardless, it’s great to see such a popular custom ROM already up and running on the POCO X2 so soon.

Paranoid Android Quartz for the POCO X2

Unofficial LineageOS 17.1

Much like Paranoid Android, LineageOS is among the most popular custom ROMs that you can get on any device and fans of the ROM will be glad to know that it’s now available for the POCO X2. You can flash the unofficially build of LineageOS 17.1, based on Android 10, on your POCO X2 by following the instructions in the forum post (linked below). Based on the comments in the post, most of the ROMs features work flawlessly, however, it does have some minor issues. If you’re a fan of the stock Android look, then I would highly recommend taking this custom ROM for a spin.

Unofficial LineageOS 17.1 for the POCO X2

Pixel Experience ROM

If you’re a stock Android enthusiast and want to experience vanilla Android just like on Google’s own Pixel devices, then you should definitely check out the Pixel Experience ROM on your POCO X2. The ROM, which is based on Android 10, comes with all Google apps and Pixel goodies, like the launcher, wallpapers, icons, font, and boot animation. Do note that the ROM doesn’t support custom kernels, so make sure you’re using the stock kernel on your device before you go ahead and flash the ROM.

Pixel Experience for the POCO X2

Xiaomi.eu ROM

For those of you who really like MIUI, but wish to get access to a few additional customization options, there’s the Xiaomi.eu ROM. Based on MIUI 11, the custom ROM has been localized for the European markets and does away with the bloatware and advertisements that are known to plague stock MIUI. If that sounds interesting, then you should head over to the Xiaomi.eu forums linked below and follow the instructions in the comments to get the ROM up and running on your device.

Xiaomi.eu ROM for the POCO X2

POCO X2 Custom Kernels

Arter917 kernel

XDA Recognized Developer arter97, who was among the list of developers to receive a POCO X2 from the company, has now released his custom kernel for the device. The kernel brings several improvements to the POCO X2, including better memory management, UFS optimizations, and WireGuard support among other things. To try out the kernel for yourself, you can follow the instruction in the forum post linked below, but make sure you install it on a supported custom ROM or you may face some unwanted issues.

arter97 kernel for the POCO X2

Optimus Drunk kernel

Along with arter97, the POCO X2 was also sent out to XDA Recognized Developer GtrCraft who has now released the Optimus Drunk kernel for the device. The kernel is compatible with MIUI and includes improvements like WireGuard support, Wakelock blocker, Westwood TCP and more. Try out the kernel on your POCO X2 by following the instructions in the forum post linked below.

Optimus Drunk kernel for the POCO X2

POCO X2 Mods

Google Camera Port

Fans of the Google Camera mod will be glad to know that a port is now available for the POCO X2. The port, which is based on Google Camera v7.3.020, reportedly works quite well with little to no issues. As per the forum post (linked below), you’ll be able to enjoy all Google Camera features on your POCO X2 using this port, however, you might encounter some issues while recording slow-motion video.

Google Camera Port for the POCO X2

Unofficial TWRP

If you wish to install any of the aforementioned custom ROMs or kernels on your POCO X2, you’ll first need to flash a custom recovery on your device. Thankfully, an unofficial build of the popular TWRP custom recovery is now available for the device and you can flash it by following the instructions in the forum post linked below.

Unofficial TWRP recovery for the POCO X2

Buy the POCO X2 from Flipkart (starting at ₹15,999)

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NewPipe lets you watch higher quality YouTube videos in India

Most of us are staying at home due to the Coronavirus pandemic. While it means more work for some and leisure for others, the burden on the internet has increased multi-fold as people seek new ways to keep their spirits high while in quarantine. This anticipation of the burden on the internet has led stakeholders and content providers to throttle the quality, especially of videos, to forestall the internet from collapsing. Following the nationwide lockdown announced in India last week in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we noticed that YouTube also started restricting the quality of videos on smartphones to 480p in the country irrespective of the nature or quality of the internet connection. If you dislike this forced change, an unofficial and ad-free YouTube client called NewPipe is a great alternative to watch YouTube in the maximum quality supported by your phone.

NewPipe works without the YouTube API or Google framework libraries so you can install it on any Android device, even those without Google Mobile Services. You don’t even need a Google account to use NewPipe – in fact, there is no method to log in. You can simply subscribe to the creators you like within the app and enjoy without any restrictions or ads.

As can be seen in the screenshots above, NewPipe allows playing the same video at 1080p 60fps which has been restricted to 480p on the official YouTube app. Trying with different videos yields the same results. NewPipe supports video playback at up to 4K but the highest available resolution may be limited depending on the resolution to your phone’s display – and that’s 1080p in my case.

Other than using NewPipe, you can also use a VPN to watch YouTube videos in higher quality. But note that doing so will cost you a lot of data, so only use a VPN if it either has a reasonably fair usage limit or unlimited bandwidth.

Features that NewPipe offers include direct import of YouTube subscriptions, picture-in-picture (PiP) video playback, and background playback even when the display is off. Additionally, the video player interface supports swipe gestures for volume, brightness, and double tap for play or pause. You can also import your YouTube subscriptions manually to have the same experience with NewPipe.

The latest version, released recently, also gets Feed Grouping for stacking similar channels in a single folder. It also introduces a new mute button which saves you the effort of lowering the volume step by step.

Download NewPipe from GitHub

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