Eve starts presales of its second-generation crowd-designed ‘V’ detachable

Eve, the Finnish start-up which counts its users as part of its design team, first came to our attention with their crowd-designed 2-in-1 tablet, the Eve V in 2017. Fast forward three years and the company has just started pre-sales of its successor. The Eve V (2020) is, once again, the result of consultation with the Eve Community, with the final design a result of contributions from 2403 stakeholders giving their say on how the product will be specced. The Eve V (2020) is slightly bigger than its predecessor, with a 13.4“ touchscreen made of edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass, in either WQUXGA or full UHD, depending on the variant you pick. As with the last model, the clarity and accuracy of the monitor is a major consideration with the resulting display offering HDR10, and a 1.07 billion color gamut.

The processor has been upgraded to Intel’s 11th generation Tiger Lake processors in either i5 or i7 variant, with Intel Iris Xe discreet graphics. Because of the Thunderbolt 4 compliant port, there’s also the option to add an eGPU. There are 16-32GB of LPDDR4X of RAM and either 500GB or 1TB of SSD NVMe Storage. Connectivity comes courtesy of WiFi6, Bluetooth 5.0, plus optional LTE and A-GPS. Unlike its predecessor, there are no USB-A ports this time, which helps keep the overall thickness of the machine down. Instead, two USB-C ports are offered, with one doubling as the aforementioned USB4/Thunderbolt port. There’s also a built-in microSD card reader and a 3.5mm jack with built-in pre-amp.

There’s a front camera clocking in at 720p, with a 5MP rear camera, both compliant with Windows Hello, plus a fingerprint reader mounted on the power button. The whole shebang is housed in an anodized aluminium housing, with an integrated kickstand and comes bundled with a backlit folio keyboard (in US, UK, German, Nordic, French or Spanish locale) and Wacom 2.0 compliant pen. One of the decisions made by the community was that the second generation Eve should run Windows 10 Pro out-of-the-box as standard and with absolutely no bloatware. With the renewed possibility of Android apps in Windows, the combination of operating systems could prove stellar. Another decision taken by the committee was that the souped-up speakers will be front-facing, rather than downward facing

We loved the original Eve V. Our main gripes with it were the age of the processor, the weight, the lack of LTE and the lack of a rotary/hinged keyboard. All but the latter have been answered in this model, showing that, far from being a “camel”, the right group of minds can create something really special. We should add that the rotary keyboard is still on the wish list this time, but who knows, it could appear as an accessory.  Oh – and it’s also roughly the same weight, but with a display which is over an inch bigger on the diagonal, it doesn’t feel as heavy.

The Eve V (2020) is available for pre-order in seven configurations: depending on the processor, RAM, storage size, and whether or not LTE and GPS are included. The entry-level device clocks in at $1399, with the top device clicking in at $1999. All include the folio keyboard and V Pen – however, these are promotional prices which will increase incrementally as we move closer to launch.

Eve V (2020) is scheduled for delivery in Q3 of 2021, but by the company’s own admission, that’s a conservative estimate based on bitter experience and it hopes to start early-bird deliveries before that. Eve will be available globally, and will also be going into retail for the first time, albeit at a significant mark-up.

Whether or not you were involved in the speccing process, there’s no denying that the idea of another “Made by Us” laptop is exciting, and we’d love to know what you think. Was it right to ditch the USB-A? Would you have preferred LTE as standard? Wish it came in a different color? Let us know in the comments.

If you’d like to reserve a device and lock in the current price, you can do so with a $300 deposit, at this link. Eve’s next product, the Spectrum crowd-designed monitor is due to ship in Q1, 2021.

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[Update: Renamed to OnePlus Games] OnePlus Game Space 2.5.0 update brings over the OxygenOS 11 UI to the game management app

Update 1 (12/02/2020 @ 07:10 AM ET): OnePlus has renamed OnePlus Game Space to OnePlus Games. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on November 18, 2020, is preserved below.

Soon after OnePlus released its first Android 11 developer preview, the company started rolling out redesigned versions of its stock apps for older OnePlus devices. Over the last few weeks, the company has released updates for three apps — OnePlus Weather, OnePlus Notes, and OnePlus Gallery — all of which introduced the OxygenOS 11 design refresh. Now, OnePlus has started rolling out OnePlus Game Space v2.5.0 via the Play Store, and it too includes the new OxygenOS 11 UI.

As you can see in the attached images, OnePlus Game Space v2.5.0 features a new design that’s more in line with the overall OxygenOS 11 aesthetic. Much like the OnePlus Weather app, it now has a lot of empty space at the top, and most of its UI elements have been moved closer to the bottom of the screen for easier access.

The game carousel on the app’s home screen has been replaced with a simpler list, which shows an expanded card for the topmost game with two buttons — one to access settings like remove, uninstall, and shortcut, and the other to launch the game. However, the Game statistics page and app settings haven’t received any major changes.

As mentioned earlier, the updated OnePlus Game Space app has started rolling out to users via the Play Store. But since our tipster is enrolled in the beta program, we aren’t sure if the rollout is limited to the beta channel or not. In case you haven’t received the update notification yet, you can manually check for it by following the Play Store link below. Make sure you drop a comment below if you’ve received the update on the stable channel.

OnePlus Game Space (Free, Google Play) →

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Update: OnePlus Game Space renamed to OnePlus Games

OnePlus has renamed OnePlus Game Space to OnePlus Games. The announcement post goes on to detail some of the features of OnePlus Games, like the new UI, mis-touch prevention, notification control, and Fnatic Mode, but these have been available to Open Beta users for some time.

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Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for the tip!

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Google App hints at locking incognito sessions with biometric, disabling Nest device ringing, and teaching you how to pronounce words

The Google App is marketed as “the smarter way to search on the go”, but the app has evolved to become so much more. While Search does remain a good focus, there are other features such as personalized feeds, notifications, and more. Google appears to be in the mood to make the app serve even more purposes, as the latest Google App beta contains hints of features such as locking incognito sessions with biometric, disabling Nest devices from ringing when you are not at home, and even teaching you pronunciation.

An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by the developers in a future build.

Google App 11.39.7 beta contains a fair few new strings, as we mention below.

Smart Ring for Nest devices

New code suggests that Nest smart home devices could have their ringer feature disabled as an option.

<string name="assistant_settings_call_smart_ring">Smart Ring</string>
<string name="assistant_settings_call_smart_ring_description">Nest devices will only ring when you are at %1$s</string>

We presume this feature will give users the option to disable ringing of Nest devices when you aren’t at a certain location, presumably at your home.

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Locking Incognito with Biometric in Google App

The Google App already has an incognito mode, labeled as “Use without an account” in the Account Switcher menu. Google had also been working on an in-app incognito browser, though the feature is not yet live as far as I know. Google appears to be adding an option to enable biometric locking and unlocking for this incognito mode, according to new strings.

<string name="googleapp_incognito_biometric_prompt_subtitle">Confirm biometrics to continue</string
<string name="googleapp_incognito_biometric_prompt_title">Resume Incognito session?</string>
<string name="googleapp_incognito_enable_biometrics_dialog_msg">{count, plural, =1{When enabled, you’ll need to use biometrics to continue your previous Incognito sessions after one minute of inactivity.} other{When enabled, you’ll need to use biometrics to continue your previous Incognito sessions after # minutes of inactivity.}}</string>
<string name="googleapp_incognito_enable_biometrics_dialog_title">Use biometrics to resume Incognito sessions?</string>
<string name="googleapp_incognito_enable_biometrics_enable_btn_text">Enable</string>
<string name="googleapp_incognito_enable_biometrics_exit_btn_text">Exit Incognito mode</string>
<string name="googleapp_incognito_enable_biometrics_not_now_btn_text">Not now</string>
<string name="googleapp_incognito_offramp_internal_button">Turn off</string>
<string name="googleapp_incognito_offramp_internal_message">"You'll need to turn off Incognito mode for this. Your Incognito session will be cleared and you'll return to the app home screen."</string>
<string name="googleapp_incognito_offramp_internal_title">Turn off Incognito mode?</string>

Essentially, with this upcoming option, you would be able to browse in Incognito and then have the session locked after some time of inactivity. To unlock the session, you would need to verify your biometric, likely to be your fingerprint or face unlock, depending on what you have set up on your device.

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Pronunciation Learning

Google also appears to be working on teaching users how to pronounce words.

<string name="pronunciationlearning_app_logo_description">Logo of Pronunciation Learning App</string
<string name="pronunciationlearning_app_title">Speaking practice mode</string>
<string name="pronunciationlearning_content_box_title">English</string>
<string name="pronunciationlearning_correct_phoneme_title">"Correct pronunciation"</string>
<string name="pronunciationlearning_exit_button_description">Exit</string>
<string name="pronunciationlearning_expected_text_title">Try saying</string>
<string name="pronunciationlearning_feedback_text_title">Feedback</string>
<string name="pronunciationlearning_good_job_text">Good job!</string>
<string name="pronunciationlearning_input_text_hint">Try typing “How are you?”</string>
<string name="pronunciationlearning_start_practice_text">Practice</string>
<string name="pronunciationlearning_startover_text_button">Start over</string>
<string name="pronunciationlearning_tts_description">Hear text pronunciation</string>
<string name="pronunciationlearning_user_phoneme_title">"Sounds like you said"</string>

The upcoming “Speaking Practice Mode” appears to be restricted to English as per the currently visible strings, but one can hope to see the feature extended to more languages in the future. From what we can glean, the feature will show off a word and request the user to repeat it back, along with prompts to playback the correct pronunciation. There is also a hint for text input, though we are not sure how typing fits into the overarching theme of teaching pronunciation.

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It’s unclear when/if these features will go live for users of the Google App. It could take days, weeks, or even months. We’ll try and activate these features to show them off, but in the meanwhile, we’ll keep an eye out for their official rollout.

Google (Free, Google Play) →

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Xbox November 2020 update brings dynamic backgrounds, Game Pass improvements and more

Microsoft has begun rolling out the November 2020 Xbox Console Update. The update is available for the newly launched Xbox Series X and Series S gaming consoles as well as the Xbox One family of devices. The new features that are coming with the update include dynamic backgrounds, new badges optimized for Xbox Series X and Series S, the ability to preload games from Xbox Game Pass, the ability to add existing Xbox family members to a new console, and some performance improvements and bug fixes.

Dynamic Backgrounds

If your Xbox home screen looks dull, then the new dynamic backgrounds should add some new life. Available for the Xbox Series X and Series S, gamers will be able to customize their home screen with motion and color. There are six new options, including homages to older-gen Xbox consoles. Microsoft may or may not add more colors and themes depending on the feedback from users in the future.

Optimized for Series X and Series S badges

With the launch of the new Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, Microsoft did not launch any new or exclusive titles. It did, however, offer over 30 games fully optimized for the new-gen consoles and a bunch of older Xbox One games has also been updated to take advantage of the increased performance of the Series X and Series S. Microsoft has now added a special X|S badge to game tiles making it easier to see which of your games have been optimized. Users can also make use of the Filter button to see only “Optimized for Xbox Series X|S” games.

Auto HDR

We already know that the new Xbox consoles have the ability to run HDR games. With the latest update, both the consoles will now include an option called Auto HDR. Turning this on would “improve the visual quality of a game without changing its overall look.” The best part is, this feature doesn’t require any additional work from the developer. There will also be a new tag to let you know if the game is benefiting from this feature. Users will be able to access this when they open the guide during a game with Auto HDR running.

Pre-load games on Xbox Game Pass

The latest update is also adding a new feature for Xbox Game Pass users. Apart from viewing and adding games to your “Play later’ list, users will be able to pre-install certain games before they arrive on Xbox Game Pass. You can check upcoming games and pre-install them by heading to the Xbox Game Pass app on your console or smartphone under the “Coming soon” section. Microsoft says that all upcoming games will not be available for pre-install, but there is a feature on the smartphone app that will let you queue them to install on day one.

Adding family member accounts

The Xbox Family Settings app for Android and iOS allows users to create and add family member accounts to their Xbox console, allowing them to have full control over their usage, notifications, stats, and more. The ones who have been using the app since its launch will now be able to add family members to their console during the setup.

Xbox Insider Program

Along with the new update, Microsoft has also announced the Xbox Insider Program for Xbox Series X and Series S users. You can read more about it and register yourself by heading here.

Apart from these, the new update brings some bug fixes and performance improvements. The new update is currently rolling out for all users of the Xbox Series X, Series S, and Xbox One consoles. If you haven’t got your hands on either of the new-gen consoles, then check out our restock guide for more information.

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Vivo V20 Pro with Snapdragon 765G and 44MP Dual Selfie cameras launched in India for ₹29,990

Vivo managed to beat the Google Pixel 5 to the podium, as it became the first OEM to launch a smartphone with Android 11 out of the box with the launch of the Vivo V20. The smartphone made its way to India too, and now, Vivo is bringing the Vivo V20 Pro to the country, a phone whose selfie prowess we have already witnessed in our selfie camera tests.

Vivo V20 Pro Selfie Camera Tests: Justified Marketing Hype!

Vivo V20 Pro: Specifications

Specification	Vivo V20 Pro
Build	Metallic frame Matte finish on the back
Dimensions & Weight	7.39mm 170g
Display	6.44″ FHD+ AMOLED 2400 x 1080 Centered notch
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G: 1x Kryo 475 (ARM Cortex-A76-based) Prime core @ 2.4GHz 1x Kryo 475 (ARM Cortex-A76-based) Performance core @ 2.2GHz 6x (ARM Cortex-A55-based) Efficiency cores @ 1.8GHz 7nm EUV process Adreno 620
RAM & Storage	8GB RAM + 128GB storage
Battery & Charging	4000 mAh battery 33W FlashCharge
Security	In-display fingerprint scanner
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 64MP, f/1.89 Secondary: 8MP, f/2.2, wide-angle, 120° FoV, 2.5cm macro Tertiary: 2MP, f/2.4, monochrome
Front Camera(s)	Primary: 44MP, f/2.0, autofocus Secondary: 8MP, f/2.28, wide-angle, 105° FoV
Port(s)	USB Type-C
Audio	AI Noise Cancelling for Video Calls
Connectivity	5G
Software	Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11
Other Features	Vapor Chamber Liquid Cooling

The highlight of the Vivo V20 Pro are three fold — it comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC, which is one of the better SoCs around for a mix of performance and price; it claims to be the thinnest 5G smartphone in the segment; and it has a powerful front camera setup. This combination makes the device an ideal choice for users who focus on content creation with the front camera, which can range from influencers to other content creators who need a good front camera for their daily needs. The 44MP “Eye Autofocus” camera actually produces results that justify the marketing around it. In our testing, we found the Vivo V20 Pro to produce sharper, better lit, and better-balanced selfies than other competing phones such as the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the iPhone 11 Pro. The front camera also enables features such as 4K video recording at 60fps, and slow-motion selfie videos.

The rest of the package is also decent. The Snapdragon 765G is a tried-and-tested formula at this stage, and the 6.44″ FHD+ AMOLED display should work well for most users. The rear camera also has good specifications, though one can always argue on the practical utility of 2MP auxiliary camera sensors. The battery is a decent 4000 mAh despite the thin profile of the phone, and the 33W FlashCharge fast charging can get you from 0-60% in 30 minutes.

Pricing and Availability

The Vivo V20 Pro will be available in India in Midnight Jazz and Sunset Melody colors, and in a single 8GB + 128GB configuration for ₹29,990 (~$407). The phone is already on sale across online stores such as Vivo’s website, Flipkart, Amazon.in, PayTM Mall, Tata Cliq, as well as offline stores such as Vivo Exclusive Stores, Croma, Reliance Digital, Vijay Sales, Poorvika, Sangeetha, and more. Customers can get ₹2,000 instant cash back on ICICI Bank Debit and Credit cards on online stores, and 10% cashback on ICICI Bank Debit and Credit cards and Bank of Baroda Credit Card on offline stores.

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Here’s when your Samsung Galaxy phone may get the One UI 3.0 (Android 11) update

Android 11 is the newest version of Android. While the update has rolled out to a bunch of smartphones, phones that come with heavier UX skins need to wait for a longer time for the update to reach them. Samsung’s One UI 3.0 update is based on Android 11, and so far, the update has largely been restricted to flagship S series, Note series, and Fold series. If you are wondering when will your Samsung Galaxy smartphone get One UI 3.0 based on Android, here’s when it will receive its update.

Samsung has not publicly posted an update timeline for its Galaxy smartphones, but a list has been posted in the Samsung Members app for users in Egypt (via TizenHelp). This list may be talking about the update in the context of that region, but we can get a rough idea of the general timeline on when different phones will be getting their update. So far, Samsung has rolled out One UI 3.0 betas for the Galaxy S20 series, Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy S10 series, Galaxy Note 10 series, Galaxy Z Flip, and Galaxy Z Fold 2.

According to the list, here is the update timeline for stable releases:

• December 2020:
  • Galaxy S20
  • Galaxy S20+
  • Galaxy S20 Ultra
• January 2021:
  • Galaxy S10
  • Galaxy S10+
  • Galaxy S10 Lite
  • Galaxy Note 10
  • Galaxy Note 10+
  • Galaxy Note 20
  • Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
  • Galaxy Z Flip
  • Galaxy Z Fold 2
• February 2021:
  • Galaxy Fold
• March 2021:
  • Galaxy M21
  • Galaxy M30s
  • Galaxy M31
  • Galaxy A51
  • Galaxy Note 10 Lite
  • Galaxy Tab S7
• April 2021:
  • Galaxy A50
  • Galaxy M51
• May 2021:
  • Galaxy A21s
  • Galaxy A31
  • Galaxy A70
  • Galaxy A71
  • Galaxy A80
  • Galaxy Tab S6
  • Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
• June 2021:
  • Galaxy A01-Core
  • Galaxy A01
  • Galaxy A11
  • Galaxy M11
  • Galaxy Tab A
• July 2021:
  • Galaxy A30
  • Galaxy Tab S5e
• August 2021:
  • Galaxy A10
  • Galaxy A10s
  • Galaxy A20
  • Galaxy A20s
  • Galaxy A30s
  • Galaxy Tab A 10.1
  • Galaxy Tab Active Pro
• September 2021:
  • Galaxy Tab A8 (2019)

As is apparent, the update timeline mentioned within the Samsung Members app prioritizes the devices that already have a Beta update available in some form. The update lands on Samsung’s mid-range and budget range not before March 2021, which is a little disappointing. The update timeline also stretches all the way to September 2021, which is about a month before the next Android release is expected in stable form. Also, keep in mind that the wording used in the announcement on the Samsung Members app is “Preparing in …”, and not “Rolling out”, which leaves room open for any unexpected delays. While you wait for the update to arrive, check out the features that Samsung has in store for you, and the general update changelog.

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Google announces Android Enterprise Essentials, a mobile device management (MDM) service for small businesses

Google has announced a new program designed to protect small business that deploy Android devices from malicious attackers.

Android Enterprise Essentials is described by Google as a secure mobile management service built by the Android team. The goal is to make mobile device management (MDM) on a smaller scale less complicated, providing businesses with the tools they need to keep their data protected.

Google calls the functionality of Android Enterprise Essentials a “critical set of default features.” These features are tailored for businesses with simpler needs and smaller budgets.

There are three core components that are applied automatically when a business signs up:

1. Requiring a lock screen and encryption on devices to prevent unauthorized access to company data.
2. Enforcing mandatory malware protection by ensuring Google Play Protect is always on and employees can’t download apps outside of the Google Play Store.
3. Providing the ability to wipe all company data from a device in case it’s lost or stolen. 

Google said companies can just purchase devices as part of its Android Enterprise Recommended program and hand them off to employees with persistent policies already in place.

“Businesses are increasingly telling us their top consideration for investment is in security and increased user productivity,” said Mark Bowker, Senior Analyst with the Enterprise Strategy Group. “During ESG’s validation of Android Enterprise Essentials, it became quickly evident that the simple management capabilities and seamless employee experience provide confidence in security for businesses and a safer work environment for employees.”

Google said Android Enterprise Essentials is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses, but could also work for larger organizations. The program is in the initial rollout phase with distributors Synnex in the U.S. and Tech Data in the UK. Once the program is taken global next year, Android Enterprise Essentials will be available through additional resellers.

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