Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds Live launched in India

At the recent Galaxy Unpacked 2020 launch event, Samsung finally lifted the covers off the Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Tab S7 series, Galaxy Watch 3, and the Galaxy Buds Live. Shortly after the global launch, Samsung released the pricing and availability details for the Galaxy Note 20 series in India, and now, the company has finally launched the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Buds Live in the country.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: Specifications

Specifications	Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
Dimensions & Weight	41mm: 41.0 x 42.5 x 11.3 mm, 48g 45mm: 45.0 x 46.2 x 11.1mm, 53g
Display	41mm: 1.2″ Super AMOLED Corning Gorilla Glass DX 45mm: 1.4″ Super AMOLED Corning Gorilla Glass DX
Watchband size	Large: 22.0 x 130.0 x 9.4mm Small: 20.0 x 115.0 x 9.4mm
Memory	1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage
Connectivity	LTE Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz Bluetooth v5.0
Other features	2 physical buttons Rotating bezel Mic Linear Motor Speaker
Sensors	8 LED photoplethysmography (PPG) Electrocardiogram (ECG) Accelerometer (up to 32G) Gyroscope Barometer Ambient light
NFC Payments	Yes, Samsung Pay
Battery	41mm: 247mAh 45mm: 340mAh
Durability	5ATM + IP68/ MIL-STD-810G
OS	Tizen Based Wearable OS 5.5
Colors	41mm: Mystic Bronze, Mystic Silver 45mm: Mystic Silver, Mystic Black Band: Black Leather, Pink Leather (41mm only)

---

The all-new Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 will be available in 4G and Bluetooth variants in India, in two dial sizes — 41mm and 45mm. The 41mm variant of the smartwatch will be available in Mystic Bronze and Mystic Silver color options, while the 45mm variant will be available in Mystic Silver and Mystic Black colors.

The Galaxy Watch 3 41mm has been priced at ₹29,990 (~$399) and ₹34,490 (~$459) for the Bluetooth and 4G variants, respectively. While the 45mm variant has been priced at ₹32,990 (~$439) and ₹38990 (~519), for the Bluetooth and 4G variants. All variants of the Galaxy Watch 3 will go on sale in India starting August 27 via major offline retail stores, Samsung Opera House, Samsung.com, and other major eCommerce portals.

Samsung has also announced a couple of pre-booking offers for the Galaxy Watch 3. Buyers who book the 4G variants will get the option to purchase the new Galaxy Buds Live at a discounted price of ₹4,990. This offer is exclusive to bookings made on Samsung Shop and offline retail stores between August 17 and August 26. On the other hand, pre-booking the Bluetooth variants will give buyers an instant cashback of ₹4,500 on the 41mm model and ₹5,000 on the 45mm model. This offer is exclusive to bookings made on Samsung Shop, Amazon, and Flipkart between August 20 and August 26.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: Specifications

Specification	Samsung Galaxy Buds Live
Dimensions & Weight	Buds: 27.2 x 17.3 x 15.5 mm, 5.6g (each) Case: 50.0 x 50.2 x 27.8 mm, 42.2g
Battery and Charging	Earbud: 60mAh (each) Case: 472 mAh Wireless charging support
Speaker and Mic	12mm driver tuned by AKG Bass duct 3 microphones + Voice Pickup Unit
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0 BLE Codec: AAC, SBC, Scalable Codec
Sensors and other features	Proximity sensor Accelerometer Touch-sensitive sensor Hall sensor IPX2 water resistance
Colors	Mystic Bronze, Mystic White, Mystic Black

---

Samsung’s latest TWS earphones, the Galaxy Buds Live, will be available for purchase in India starting from August 25. The earbuds will be available in three color variants — Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, and Mystic White — at a price of ₹14,990 (~$199).

The earbuds will be available across offline retail stores, Samsung Opera House, Samsung.com, and most major eCommerce portals in the country.

Pre-book on Samsung.com: Galaxy Watch 3 || Galaxy Buds Live

The post Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds Live launched in India appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/34bdba3
via IFTTT

iQOO 5 and iQOO 5 Pro with 50MP Samsung GN1 sensor, 120W FlashCharge launched in China

Vivo’s iQOO sub-brand is gaining steady ground in China and other markets, largely thanks to some innovative technologies from its parent company. Devices like the iQOO 3 are one of the cheapest Snapdragon 865 phones around, while the company was also teasing its 120W FlashCharge solution. Today, at an event in China, iQOO has launched the iQOO 5 and iQOO 5 Pro, sporting its 120W FlashCharge solutions and a camera setup that is reminiscent of the Vivo X50 Pro+.

iQOO 5 and iQOO 5 Pro: Specifications

Specification	iQOO 5	iQOO 5 Pro
Dimensions & Weight	160 x 75.6 x 8.32 mm 197g	Standard Variant: 159.56 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm 198g Special Edition: 159.56 x 73.3 x 9.53 mm 196.7g
Display	6.56″ FHD+ AMOLED 2376 x 1080 19.8:9 aspect ratio 120Hz refresh rate HDR10+ In-Display Fingerprint Punch-hole front camera	6.56″ FHD+ AMOLED 2376 x 1080 19.8:9 aspect ratio 120Hz refresh rate HDR10+ In-Display Fingerprint Punch-hole front camera
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 865: 1x Kryo 585 (ARM Cortex-A77-based) Prime core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 585 (ARM Cortex-A77-based) Performance core @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 385 (ARM Cortex A55-based) Efficiency cores @ 1.8GHz Adreno 650	Qualcomm Snapdragon 865: 1x Kryo 585 (ARM Cortex-A77-based) Prime core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 585 (ARM Cortex-A77-based) Performance core @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 385 (ARM Cortex A55-based) Efficiency cores @ 1.8GHz Adreno 650
RAM & Storage	8GB, 12GB LPDDR5 RAM 128GB, 256GB UFS 3.1	8GB, 12GB LPDDR5 RAM 256GB UFS 3.1
Battery & Charging	4500mAh 55W Fast Charging	4000mAh 120W Fast Charging
Rear Camera	Primary: 50MP, f/1.85 Secondary: 13MP, ultra-wide angle, f/2.2 Tertiary: 13MP, depth sensor, f/2.46 8K video recording	Primary: 50MP, f/1.85 Secondary: 13MP, ultra-wide angle, f/2.2 Tertiary: 8MP, periscope, f/3.4, 5x optical zoom, 60x digital zoom 8K video recording
Front Camera	16MP, f/2.45	16MP, f/2.45
Other Features	5G: n1, n3, n41, n77, n78, n79, n28 Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.1	5G: n1, n3, n41, n77, n78, n79, n28 Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.1
Android Version	iQOO UI 1.5 based on Android 10	iQOO UI 1.5 based on Android 10h

As expected, the biggest star of the show is the Pro variant, but the iQOO 5 also packs in its own punch. The display on both the devices is a 120Hz 6.56″ FHD+ AMOLED with support for HDR10+. Both the phones come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, alongside healthy amounts of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.

The phones diverge when it comes to battery, charging, and cameras. The iQOO 5 has a bigger 4500mAh battery but “slower” 55W fast charging support, while the iQOO 5 Pro has a smaller 4000mAh battery with the insane 120W FlashCharge fast charging. This insane 120W fast charging solution goes from 0%-50% in 5 minutes, while a full charge takes about 15 minutes. The included FlashCharge fast charger is compatible with up to 65W USB PD and has a 1.5m cable, so you can actually use it for laptops too.

For the cameras, the front camera on both the devices is a 16MP camera residing within the hole-punch in the display. For the rear, both the phones come with the 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN1 custom sensor that we also see on the Vivo X50 Pro+, but note that just like that smartphone, these too do not have a gimbal setup for stabilization. Instead, both have EIS, while the iQOO 5 Pro has OIS too. The 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera is common to both phones. The third camera is different: the iQOO 5 gets a 13MP depth sensor, while the iQOO 5 Pro gets an 8MP periscope camera that is capable of 5x optical zoom and 60x digital zoom. Both the phones can shoot in 8K.

Pricing and Availability

The devices will be available for the following prices in China:

• iQOO 5:
  • 8GB + 128GB: CNY 3998 (~$576/₹43,000)
  • 12GB + 128GB: CNY 4298 (~$619/₹46,250)
  • 12GB + 256GB: CNY 4598 (~$662/₹49,500)
• iQOO 5 Pro:
  • 8GB + 256GB: CNY 4998 (~$720/₹53,750)
  • 12GB + 256GB: CNY 5498 (~$792/₹59,250)

The Pro also gets a special BMW Edition on the top variant, with a leather finish on the back and a color palette that stands out.

It is currently unknown if the devices will make their way out of China.

---

What are your thoughts on the iQOO 5 and iQOO 5 Pro? Let us know in the comments below!

The post iQOO 5 and iQOO 5 Pro with 50MP Samsung GN1 sensor, 120W FlashCharge launched in China appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/31Y3ysL
via IFTTT

Google Chrome’s latest experiments are designed to improve battery life and performance

In an attempt to improve Google Chrome’s performance and reduce its impact on battery life, Google is testing two new features for the browser. The first feature, which was spotted in a Chromium bug tracker page, adds a new battery-savings meta tag that will optimize websites that are known to have high CPU or battery costs. An explainer regarding the new meta tag states:

“Saving battery or CPU is important for computing devices that are not connected to an electrical source, or to better share common CPU & GPU resources among running processes…Web sites that are known to have high CPU or battery costs may want to request that the UA optimize for CPU or battery, even if the users has not requested it…Most modern OSes also have battery saving features that kick in either when the battery is low or the user wishes to save battery. Ideally web sites should be able to respect these settings. Sites may wish to advice the UA on which strategies work best for the side in these situations.”

The new meta tag in Google Chrome will allow websites to add meta tags to reduce framerate, allow generic slowdown of script execution, and change behavior based on battery-savings settings for better battery life. Websites will be able to add tags like <meta name=”battery-savings” content=”allow-reduced-framerate”> in order to do so. The meta tag will allow video or video conferencing websites to reduce CPU usage and improve battery life, slow down JavaScript tasks that don’t directly impact UX, and switch to the battery savings mode if a user wishes to do so.

The explainer further highlights that the battery savings feature will have the following components:

• A meta tag that allows sites to indicate preferred modes.
• Media queries allowing sites to adjust their style sheets according to battery savings.
• Spec text saying that if the user or OS has gone into a battery savings mode, then the User Agent should apply one or more of the battery savings to the sites.
• Spec text saying that UAs should respect the meta tag on a site unless it conflicts with user or OS settings.

The second feature, which aims to improve Google Chrome’s performance, is restricted to Android devices. The feature has been added to the browser under a new flag called cpu-affinity-restrict-to-little-cores, and its description reads as follows: “Restricts Chrome threads to LITTLE cores on devices with big.LITTLE or similar CPU architectures.”

As per a recent report from Chrome Story, the feature is expected to make Chrome more power-efficient on ARM devices and improve its performance. The feature is currently in the experimental stage, and Google is studying its impact on power consumption, smoothness, and other system health metrics. Therefore, we may have to wait quite a while before the feature makes its way to the stable version of the browser.

It’s worth noting that these aren’t the only features Google is adding to Chrome to improve its performance and reduce its impact on battery life. The company is expected to add a Back Forward Cache feature in Chrome 86 for Android, which will allow users to go back and forward in the browser a lot faster. Google is also testing throttling background JavaScript timers to improve Chrome’s impact on battery life.

---

Source: Chromium bug tracker, GitHub, Chromium Gerrit

The post Google Chrome’s latest experiments are designed to improve battery life and performance appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3kR7UKO
via IFTTT

Facebook merges Messenger and Instagram chats on Android and iOS

Back in January last year, we learned that Facebook’s co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, planned to unify the infrastructure of all three of the company’s messaging services — WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. Even though reports from late last year suggested that the US Federal Trade Commission was planning on an injunction against Facebook’s interoperability rules, the company has now gone ahead and merged Instagram and Messenger chats.

According to a recent report from The Verge, several Instagram users in the US have noticed a new update pop-up on the app with the message “There’s a New Way to Message on Instagram” and a list of features including a “new colorful look for your chats,” additional emoji reactions, swipe-to-reply, and a feature that will allow users to “Chat with friends who use Facebook.”

Tapping on the update button at the bottom replaces Instagram’s DM icon with the Messenger logo and the chats are given a new look. However, for now, the update doesn’t allow Instagram users to message people on Facebook.

As of now, it isn’t clear when Facebook will allow Instagram users to contact people on Facebook. But since the feature has already been announced, the company may enable it via a server-side update any time soon. It’s also worth noting that when we first learned about the company’s plans to integrate its messaging platforms, sources familiar with the matter had revealed that Zuckerberg also planned on incorporating end-to-end encryption on all three apps. However, Facebook hasn’t revealed any information regarding that yet.

---

Via: The Verge

The post Facebook merges Messenger and Instagram chats on Android and iOS appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2Y5WQQ6
via IFTTT

[Update: More renders] This is our first look at the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition)

Update 1 (08/17/2020 @ 02:04 AM ET): More renders of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE have leaked. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on August 3, 2020, is preserved below.

The Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra launched earlier this year right before COVID-19 shut everything down, and Samsung is about to follow-up with the new Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in just 2 days from now. A few weeks before the big Galaxy S20 announcement in February, Samsung launched the Galaxy S10 Lite and the Galaxy Note10 Lite, two devices that were oddities in Samsung’s typical launch cycle. The S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite were both more affordable versions of their flagship counterparts, and it seems that Samsung may be set to repeat this strategy with the Galaxy S20. Thanks to renowned leaker Evan Blass, we now have our first look at the Galaxy S20 “Fan Edition”.

Credits: Evan Blass.

Samsung has previously used the Fan Edition (or FE) moniker with the Galaxy Note FE, a re-release of the disastrous Galaxy Note7 but with a fixed battery. This time, though, the Galaxy S20 wasn’t an exploding disaster that got recalled twice, so as you might guess, this is a different situation. The render that was posted on Evan Blass’s Patreon shows the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition looks pretty similar to Samsung’s vanilla Galaxy S20, with the same wallpaper and a centered hole-punch cutout for the front-facing camera. But the display is completely flat this time around, and the bezels are noticeably bigger than those on the flagship Galaxy S20.

We previously heard of a Galaxy S20 Fan Edition back in June thanks to a report from SamMobile. The publication reported that Samsung is developing a Galaxy S20 variant with model number SM-G780 (for global markets) and SM-G781 (for U.S. markets). The global model will apparently be available with and without 5G while the U.S. model will only be available in a 5G model. SamMobile did not share detailed specifications of the device but believes it should offer at least 128GB of internal storage and Android 10 on board with One UI 2.5. Notable Samsung leaker Ice Universe believes the device will have a 120Hz refresh rate display like the rest of the Galaxy S20 lineup, the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, an IP68 dust and water resistance certification, and a small hole-punch cutout measuring 3.3mm in diameter. Korean publication The Elec reported that the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition will have a triple camera configuration consisting of a 12MP wide-angle (Ice Universe reports it’s the Sony IMX555), 12MP ultra wide-angle, and 8MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom; they also report the device will have a 32MP selfie camera, a screen size between 6.5-6.7 inches, and a price at about 900,000 won (~$753) when it goes on sale in October. Finally, GalaxyClub reports that the phone’s battery capacity will be 4,500mAh and the color variants will be green, orange, red, and white in Europe.

---

Update: More renders of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE leak

More renders of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE have leaked, this time from @OnLeaks.

The report states that the Galaxy S20 FE will look very similar to the standard Galaxy S20. It will have a flat display with a very slight curve on the sides. The frame of the device will be metallic, but the back panel will likely be plastic. The phone will also skip out on the 3.5mm headphone jack.

The post [Update: More renders] This is our first look at the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition) appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2XlWep8
via IFTTT

Developer brings Dark Sky for Android back from the dead

Earlier this year, Apple acquired Dark Sky, a popular hyperlocal weather app available on iOS and Android. With the acquisition, the Dark Sky app for Android was shut down earlier this month on August 1st. The Android app is no longer available on the Google Play Store, and users who try to open the app will notice that it no longer shows weather data. However, one developer on XDA wasn’t satisfied with any of the alternative weather apps on Android, so they set out to reverse engineer the last version of the Dark Sky app to see if they could get it up and running again. Meet Darker Sky for Android—a likely short-lived revival of the beloved weather app that Apple killed off for Android users.

Below are screenshots from my current daily-driver Android phone, the ASUS ROG Phone 3, running the first release of Darker Sky. As you can see, most of the basic features work, including the full weather forecast, the time machine feature, the radar, the precipitation forecast, and the temperature forecast. The only features that don’t work are weather report submissions, weather notifications/alerts, and widgets. The developer has no intention of enabling the paid features, for obvious reasons.

 

 

Darker Sky was made by a prolific developer and reverse engineer who wishes to remain anonymous since this modification was done on shaky grounds. The developer in question is well-known by us for their work on reverse engineering other popular applications, but they decided a low-profile release was more appropriate this time around. The developer says they got the app working on Android by decompiling the iOS app’s IPA file and retrieving the API key. If our word doesn’t instill any confidence, then I would advise against installing this mod. If, however, you still want to use Dark Sky for Android once again, then give Darker Sky a shot.

You can download Darker Sky from the Telegram channel linked below. The developer aims to post updates in this channel but won’t be signing their name on new messages so they can remain anonymous. I’m told the developer is the only one with posting privileges on this channel, though, so new releases won’t be coming from any other source. Lastly, since Darker Sky is a newly signed app that hasn’t been submitted to the Google Play Store yet (…and it obviously will never be submitted), Google Play Protect may warn against installing it. That’s a normal message that Play Protect throws up to warn against installing unknown apps from unknown sources, so don’t be surprised if you see it.

Download Darker Sky for Android

What’s unclear is how long this mod will continue to work once Apple takes notice. After all, Apple seems to be integrating part of the app’s features into iOS 14, and the app itself is still available on the Apple App Store.

The post Developer brings Dark Sky for Android back from the dead appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/311wi4s
via IFTTT

Sony Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 get temp root access on a locked bootloader with an exploit

When it comes to bootloader unlocking and custom development, Sony is undeniably one of the most developer-friendly OEMs out there. The company maintains an initiative called the Open Devices program through which they provide tools and guides to the development community to help them compile Android Open Source Project (AOSP) builds on select Xperia devices. Moreover, Sony offers a dedicated online portal for bootloader unlocking, but there is a catch.

Unlocking the bootloader of any Sony Xperia device simultaneously wipes out a certain portion of a partition named the “trim area” (TA). That particular segment holds a bunch of DRM keys that are used by Sony’s proprietary audio and video features (e.g. X-Reality Video Enhancement, DSEE HX, ClearAudio+, etc.) on the stock ROM. Those unique keys can only be backed up before unlocking the bootloader when you already have root access. (You normally need an unlocked bootloader to be able to get root access in the first place.) Now, finding a privilege escalation exploit that can give you stable root access without unlocking the bootloader can be tricky, but XDA Recognized Developer j4nn is here to help. Together with XDA Junior Member bb-qq, he has worked on using an existing exploit that is capable of spawning a root shell—albeit temporary—on the Sony Xperia 1 and the Xperia 5.

Sony Xperia 1 XDA Forums ||| Sony Xperia 5 XDA Forums

The developer duo decided to reuse CVE-2020-0041, which was originally discovered on the Google Pixel 3 running Linux kernel 4.9. As a matter of interest, j4nn did utilize the same exploit to achieve temporary root access on bootloader locked LG V50 ThinQ units. All the modifications needed to make the exploit compatible with the LG V50 ThinQ are more-or-less useful to port it to the Sony Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 as well, partly because these phones are based on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset and run on Linux kernel 4.14.

The newest iteration of the exploit also supports calling Magisk Manager from the temporary root shell, which is a big plus for inexperienced users. For those of you interested in how to get root on your Sony Xperia 1 or Xperia 5 without unlocking the bootloader, head on over to the thread linked below. Read everything carefully, make sure you are running a compatible version of the stock ROM, and execute the scripts as detailed.

Sony Xperia 1/5 Temp Root Exploit — XDA Download and Discussion Thread

It is worth mentioning that access to a root shell using this exploit does give you the ability to make a full dump of the TA partition on the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5. However, we have yet to see a confirmed report of getting all the DRM keys back by restoring such a dump on these phones. For the more technically interested people, there is an ongoing discussion on this topic you may like to take a look at and participate in.

The post Sony Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 get temp root access on a locked bootloader with an exploit appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3iQePBV
via IFTTT