When the OnePlus Nord N100 was announced, one of the key specs that stood out was its 60Hz display . That isn’t necessarily bad for such an affordable device, but many pointed out that just months before, OnePlus promised every new phone it released would include a “Fluid Display,” or a display with a 90Hz refresh rate.
Turns out, the OnePlus Nord N100 actually does have a 90Hz display — it just needs to be turned on in settings. OnePlus confirmed the news to Android Authority, saying the Nord N100 is equipped with a 90Hz display, but actual refresh rate depends on settings, applications used, and processing limitations.
OnePlus didn’t say why it initially revealed the Nord N100 came with a 60Hz display. Android Authority speculates that due to the device’s weaker specs, it’s unable to provide users with a consistent experience across all apps. So, rather than promote the device as having a Fluid Display and risk tarnishing the brand, OnePlus instead played it safe and simply said the device features a 60Hz display.
Images via Android Authority.
With a starting price of £179, the Nord N100 still offers a lot, including a Snapdragon 460 processor, triple camera setup and 5000mAh battery. Most buyers would’ve likely been fine with a 60Hz display. But now it’s confirmed you have the option to switch to 90Hz, although the experience might not be up to the same standards you’d find on a device like the OnePlus Nord.
Beyond the screen, the Nord N100 has been the center of attention thanks to concerns about its longevity. While the device launches with Oxygen 10.5 out of the box, OnePlus said it’ll only receive one major Android update, along with a total of two years of security updates.
The Nord N100 is available in Europe and is set to launch at a later date in the U.S., although no pricing details have been revealed.
Your holidays will probably look a lot different this year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. But just because your plans are different doesn’t mean they have to be hard. To help keep parents sane over the holidays, Google has introduced new management tools for Google Assistant and Google Fi.
Many of the new Google Assistant functions relate to Smart Displays, including the Nest Hub Max. There’s now a “Family” tab, which will include a number of features that will help families stay on task and aware of where everyone is.
Family Notes is a feature that’s rolling out today, and it allows users to create digital sticky notes. They can be to-dos, reminders, or whatever thoughts you might want visible on your Smart Display. Google’s example features a family note that reminds the household to defrost a pie.
Google Assistant is also adding more sound effects and suggested bells to its Family Bell feature. Family Bell makes it easy for households to broadcast a recurring reminder, like it’s time to do chores or eat dinner. In the coming weeks, Google will also make it possible to pause your bells for a single day, so you can enjoy a day off without any interruptions.
Speaking of enjoying your day, Google is adding new education features to its Smart Displays. Ask Google, “What can I learn with my family,” and you’ll see learning activities from providers like ABCmouse. You can also ask Google Assistant to tell you about the animal of the day, and you’ll get some interesting facts, as well as what they sound like. Google has also added a new interactive story category on Smart Displays and phones, so you can flip through pages and follow along word-for-word.
The last family feature is focused on keeping track of your family’s whereabouts. With the help of Life360 and Google Maps, you can see where everyone in your household is at any given moment. You need to be over the age of 13 to use this feature and also have a family account with Google.
Meanwhile, Google announced it’s rolling out new family features for Google Fi. Parents can block calls and texts from strangers by only allowing saved and recent contacts to reach them. You can also set a data budget to restrict data usage, and Google is also making it easier to set up Family Link on a family member’s phone. The feature allows account holders to set content filters, limit screen time, and manage group downloads.
All of these new Google Fi features are available at no additional cost.
Did you have trouble grabbing the $1 OnePlus Buds for OnePlus Day? I understand, I don’t think OnePlus was expecting so many people to want to take advantage of that deal and the site was having problems! But, OnePlus isn’t the only retailer giving heavy discounts on their products. OnePlus Black Friday prices have started cropping up all around the internet, but today, the other stand-out deal is from B&H Photo and Video. One of their Deal Zone deals is the OnePlus 8T for $629, and they also come with a pair of OnePlus Buds for free.
Of course, Deal Zone deals are typically only available for one day, and this one is no exception. Available in both Aquamarine Green and Lunar Silver, the sale knocks $120 off the MSRP. But the discount is made even better with the additional goodies it comes with.
The big item is, of course, the free pair of OnePlus Buds. I would highly recommend them. Not because I have OnePlus Buds myself, but because my third-party earbuds occasionally have problems with my OnePlus 8 Pro in terms of linking up properly. So, you might as well stay in the OnePlus ecosystem! They’re also pretty good earbuds to boot, so you’re not compromising by going with them.
The other free goodies include a SIM kit for Ultra Mobile, as well as the chance to get a rebate for a free month of unlimited talk, text, and data with the carrier. You don’t need to worry, though, as this is still an unlocked phone that is advertised to work with any carrier. So if you already have a phone plan, you don’t need to go with Ultra Mobile!
Not sure if the OnePlus 8T is the one that’s right for you? Check out our review! It’s one of XDA’s Recommended phones of 2020!
Google Pay has launched a new version of its Android app, ahead of the launch of its ‘Plex’ banking service in 2021. The replacement app, which is now live in the Google Play Store, has been completely rewritten in Flutter, Google’s DART-based development kit. We got our first look at the new design when India replaced the Google Tez app with a retooled Google Pay. It was announced today after a series of teasers on Twitter, with a live stream.
We’ll start with the bad news because there’s not much of it. The new version of Google Pay can only be used on one device at a time. If you attempt to log in on a second device, you’ll get a warning telling you that the account is in use on another device. This is no bad thing because the increased scope of the app warrants extra security. The second niggling change is that changing your NFC payment source has been put behind a button in the bottom right of the screen, so it’s not as fluid as it was before.
The good news is that the changes are the result of a massive upscaling of Google Pay and its capabilities. The new version goes way beyond contactless payments. There’s now an option to pay friends and family members, based on your contact list, search for local retailers who accept Google Pay, and in some cases, order a meal directly from the app. You can view all your receipts and orders, with the app now integrated with Google Photos, allowing it to pull in any paper receipts you’ve photographed. This is on top of the existing order-pull-through from Gmail.
Google Pay will also be able to store discount codes and automatically apply them. Target, Burger King ad Etsy are amongst the first to join the scheme. Some car parks will let you park and pay from the app, whilst participating gas stations will let you pay for your fuel without visiting the cashier. It looks like this function also ties into Google Assistant, based on an APK teardown we analyzed earlier in the year. Meanwhile, if you’re at a restaurant, you can create a group, split a bill or keep track of who owes for their share. The group feature is also ideal for roommates to keep their financial affairs in one place.
Another integration is with Plaid, a fintech service that acts as a middle-man, allowing you to interact with your bank accounts, view balances, make payments, and so on, directly from within Google Pay. When international rollout begins, functionality will vary from country to country, such as in the UK where the Open Banking Standard means that a partner app won’t be necessary.
All these new functions are a mere curtain-raiser to the star attraction, the company’s Plex bank account service, launching in 2021. At launch, Plex accounts (as in Googolplex -ho ho) will be offered by 9 partner banks. Rather than banking with Google, which, as you may have noticed, isn’t a bank, you’ll have an account with the partner bank, offering deep integration with Google Pay. The debit card will say Google, of course, and Google Pay will become your banking app, putting it in direct competition with other digital-first banks such as Revolut, Curve, and N26.
Google Plex accounts will be free to open, without monthly fees, offer fee-free overdrafts, and free ATM withdrawals in-network. Two partner banks – Citi and Stanford Credit Union – have opened their waitlist for the service. Sign up today and you’ll be sent a debit card when the service goes live. The app experience includes regular spending reports, the ability to categorize spending types, and search by retailer, category, or date.
Any one of these features would have been a significant update for Google Pay. As it is, this is a complete reinvention of the service and a huge leap forward for digital banking. To celebrate, the new app has a new logo, in keeping with Google’s recent form of four-color monstrosities. This one looks like chamois leather, though apparently, it’s a wallet.
The new Google Pay app is now available in the Play Store for US users only (link below). International rollout will come later. In the meantime, the version of Google Pay in your app store is the right one for you. In the US, the old version is still available as Google Pay (old) but will nag you to switch to the new one. Alternatively, download the new app from APK Mirror. (Oh, and in case you were wondering, it’s also available on iOS).
YouTube announced plans to introduce audio ads, which will be designed to connect brands with audiences who regularly listen to music and podcasts. Currently in beta, YouTube is aiming the new advertising at companies who are looking to “efficiently expand reach and grow brand awareness.”
According to Melissa Hsieh Nikolic, Group Product Manager at YouTube Ads, more than 75 percent of measured audio ad campaigns on YouTube drove a significant lift in brand awareness. Nikolic said one client, Shutterfly, saw a 14 percent lift in ad recall and 2 percent lift in favorability after running audio ads.
The latest feature is targeted at those you primarily use YouTube as their service of choice for listening to music and podcast. Think of the ad experience as being similar to what you’d encounter with a free-tier membership on Spotify. Ads will be around 15 seconds long, and although they’re primarily focused on audio, they’ll still include a visual component, such as a static image or short animation.
Nikolic provided some guidance on creating compelling content:
When you’re preparing your audio ads campaign, keep in mind that audio should play the leading role. Think: If I close my eyes, I can still clearly understand what this ad is about. Be clear and specific with your message and pick a friendly, authentic voice to deliver it.
To cater to those who regularly visit YouTube to listen to music, the platform revealed it’s launching dynamic music lineups, which are dedicated groups of music-focused channels across popular genres. While this sounds great for users, they’re tailor-made for audios ads. YouTube said brands will easily be able to target these lineups and “drive results for your business.”
Nikolic said that when brands use both video and audio ads together, they can reach more people than ever before. Brands will have the opportunity to bid on audio ads on Google Ads and Display & Video 360 on a CPM basis with the same targeting options.
Last year, as part of Google’s Project Strobe, the company introduced new policies that required Chrome extensions to request only the permissions needed to implement their features. Google is now beefing up extension security even more, with new rules that require Chrome extension developers to disclose data collection policies.
Beginning January 2021, extensions in the Chrome Web Store will limit what extension developers can do with the data they collect. The new policy will also require developers to certify their data use practices, and display that information on the Chrome Web Store. Data disclosure collection is available to developers starting today so these changes can be implemented ahead of next year.
Regarding what developers can do with the data they collect, Google has four new policies:
Ensuring the use or transfer of user data is for the primary benefit of the user and in accordance with the stated purpose of the extension.
Reiterating that the sale of user data is never allowed. Google does not sell user data and extension developers may not do this either.
Prohibiting the use or transfer of user data for personalized advertising.
Prohibiting the use or transfer of user data for creditworthiness or any form of lending qualification and to data brokers or other information resellers.
If developers don’t provide privacy disclosures by the date stated above, a notice will be displayed on their Chrome Web Store listing. This is meant to inform users that the developer has yet to comply with Google’s new policies. Developers who want to participate in the new policies will need to provide data usage disclosures from the privacy tab of their developer dashboard.
Google said the new policies are part of a much larger initiative to protecting users and their data and should help put users at ease when downloading new Chrome extensions. Just this year, the search giant removed more than 70 Chrome extensions that tracked user data and browsing history, so requiring developers to be more transparent about their intentions could provide users with a much safer experience.
Developers around the world are breaking into the Chinese market as they grow their apps and expand their audience. To help developers learn how to grow in this market, Huawei hosted the Grow in China, Win with App Gallery developer webinar. This webinar was streamed online on 11/09/2020 and can be viewed in its entirety below. In this article, we will recap all of the most significant moments from the webinar.
China’s Flourishing Mobile Internet Sector
In the first section of this webinar, Ilya Fedotov [Head of Global Ecosystem Marketing for Huawei] talked about the growth being seen in China’s mobile internet sector. China currently has 940 million internet users, along with 932 million mobile internet users. Android phones account for 83.8% of the Chinese mobile phone market, with iOS phones accounting for about 7.5%.
The chart below shows the average daily phone usage in different countries around the world. China comes in second to Indonesia, with close to four hours of daily usage.
Ilya Fedotov [Head of Global Ecosystem Marketing for Huawei]
Ilya went on to reference XDA Developers’ research which shows that market access and revenue are the main concerns for global developers. These areas are often thought of as difficult issues for developers trying to expand overseas. Huawei’s AppGallery is one of the best ways to make a profitable app with the largest audience in China. Huawei phones make up 63% of Chinese 5G smartphones. This places AppGallery at a huge advantage, and a great opportunity for developers to profit from their app.
Special licensing was explained, as well as what types of apps need a special license from the Chinese government. These types of apps include finance, medical, media and entertainment, news, games, and more.
What you Need to Know Before Entering the Chinese Market
In the next segment, Gavin Kinghall Were [Huawei VP, Global Head of BD Solutions] comes on to share what you need to know before entering the Chinese market. He went over the revenue statistics, showing that the revenue from the Chinese mobile games market reached $15.6 billion dollars, between January and June of 2020.
Chinese gamers tend to favor games with great graphics performance, innovative gameplay, and abundant gameplay. Many of these types of statistics were explored, which can greatly help developers understand how Chinese gamers might react to their games.
Gavin Kinghall Were [Huawei VP, Global Head of BD Solutions]
The session continued to go over all of the advantages of Huawei’s HMS Core. He talked about how different kits available to developers can help to create fantastic games that will appeal to the Chinese market. To explore more HMS kits and topics, check out the Huawei Developers XDA forums.
How PicsArt Has Achieved Unlikely Success in China
One of the apps that has found a great deal of success in China is PicsArt, an all-in-one photo editing app for mobile phones. To tell the story of how PicsArt found a large audience overseas and gain over 200 million downloads in China, Jennifer Liu, [PicsArt China, General Manager] presented their experience with Huawei and her insights on user acquisition in China.
When entering into the Chinese market, translation is the first step. Jennifer talked about the importance of choosing a good Chinese name for your app. She also talked about marketing towards Chinese trends. When a user from China opens the PicsArt app, they’ll want to see editing filters and effects that are trending in Chinese culture. Preparing your app for China is more than just translating it, you must prepare it for a different culture with different interests.
Jennifer Liu [PicsArt China, General Manager]
The graphic above shows the different demographics of Chinese internet users. Understanding this type of information can be essential to your app’s success. Leveraging local platforms is the best way to reach your desired demographic. This includes services like Weibo, TikTok, bilibili, and more.
AppGallery’s user feedback and insights were extremely helpful in the success of PicsArt. You can also take advantage of AppGallery’s comprehensive marketing tools to boost the reach of your app.
Panel Discussion: How to Release Games in China
Gaming is proving to be particularly popular in the Chinese app market, accounting for over 15 billion dollars in the first six months of 2020. They continue to see rapid growth both in China and around the world. The Webinar also invited representatives from famous Chinese game publishers, such as Tecent Games, iDreamSky Technolocy, Jinke Culture Technology and Feiyu Technology. They were able to join the panel discussion on publishing mobile games in China.
Liu Han [Producer of A.C.E. Program Tencent Games]
All of these speakers were able to discuss different ideas and techniques that will help developers that are new to the Chinese market. The webinar ends up being one hour and 15 minutes in length and is a great resource for developers around the world.
We thank Huawei for sponsoring this post. Our sponsors help us pay for the many costs associated with running XDA, including server costs, full time developers, news writers, and much more. While you might see sponsored content (which will always be labeled as such) alongside Portal content, the Portal team is in no way responsible for these posts. Sponsored content, advertising and XDA Depot are managed by a separate team entirely. XDA will never compromise its journalistic integrity by accepting money to write favorably about a company, or alter our opinions or views in any way. Our opinion cannot be bought.
