Pocketnow Daily: TikTok & WeChat Ban is Official! Here’s What You Should Know… (video)

Posted on by Samuel Martinez

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Apple Watch Series 6 and more devices on sale today

Deals. Let’s start today off with previous generation Galaxies. The Galaxy Note 10 is currently available for $710 for the 256GB variant in both Aura Black and Aura Glow, you do have to pay an extra 20 bucks for the Aura Pink variant and disclaimer, these only work on GSM Networks as it’s sadly an Exynos variant. For those who want a US phone, the Galaxy S10 is available for $733 for the entry level variant. We’re about to talk Sony so, the vanilla Xperia 1 is currently $252 off, leaving it at $698 shipped. Finally, the LG G8 ThinQ is currently priced at $400 for the entry level variant. We also have more deals on other Samsung phones, Moto phones and more.
Buy Samsung Galaxy Note 10
Buy Samsung Galaxy S10
Buy Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
Buy Apple Watch Series 6

OnePlus Nord N10 5G with a 90Hz display, 64MP camera coming soon for under $400: Report

OnePlus Buds Z to be company’s budget TWS earphones: Rumor

OnePlus made a lot of buzz with the Nord earlier this year and, apparently they want to keep that up. We know that Carl Pei confirmed that we’d be getting more Nord devices and now, a new report from Android Central gives us more details on that possible device. It’ll reportedly be called the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and it will bring a 6.49in FHD+ display running at 90Hz, the Snapdragon 690 SoC, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It’ll apparently bring quad cameras at the back, with a main 64MP sensor, an 8MP ultra wide and of course, my favorites, a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro. Finally, the report claims that this device would be priced under the $400 mark to compete with the iPhone SE and the Pixel 4a. But, that’s not it, Max J is back at it again teasing a new OnePlus product. In his typical fashion he tweeted out the word BudZ which were also spotted by XDA in the Oxygen OS 11 Beta. Apparently these would be a more affordable version of the OnePlus Buds which are already pretty affordable. So far we have no specs for them just yet but, we hope they get a new design to avoid any other customs incidents.

OnePlus 8T launch date is October 14: Report

Let’s continue talking about OnePlus but about a more familiar device this time. We’ve been getting a lot of leaks for the OnePlus 8T, first we got some specs for it and then we got some CAD renders, revealing the design changes. Well, according to a new report from MySmartPrice and a very reliable tipster, we’ll be getting this device on October 14th. The 8T will reportedly feature a 6.55in FHD+ flat display running at 120Hz. It’ll be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, not the Plus, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. We’ll also be getting a new quad camera stove-module that consists of a 48MP main sensor, a 16MP wide angle shooter and again, my personal favorites, a whopping 5MP macro lens, and a 2MP portrait camera. It’ll also pack a 4800 mAh battery and it’ll run on the latest Oxygen OS 11, meaning Android 11.

Infographic reveals everything about the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G

We’ve been covering a lot of leaks of the Galaxy S20 FE, and I mean a lot. Now, Evan Blass just shared us the full infographic for the device which gives us, well everything. These new leaks serve as confirmation for the ones we’ve had before, including the 6.5in AMOLED display running at 120Hz, an Exynos 990 for the LTE variant, and the Snapdragon 865 for the 5G model. It also packs a 4500 mAh battery and an IP rating. We have a triple camera setup and the back which includes two 12MP shooters and an 8MP telephoto. It has a pretty similar design to the Galaxy S20 but with a flat display and the camera module kinda looks like the one on the regular Note 20. Apparently it’s getting it’s own Unpacked Event on September 23rd and it is rumored to start at €700.

Apple could have new magnetic wireless charger in the works

We know that Apple failed with AirPower after they announced it a crazy three years ago and we know that rumors for it have sparked up again. However, it looks like Apple might be working on a totally different form factor. 9to5Mac has posted a new video that claims to be of a “magnetic wireless charger prototype”. Honestly, it kinda looks like one of the AirTags but, we’re expecting those to be way smaller so that’s pretty much ruled out. It’s a flat white disc with somewhat of a connector at the back. The circular shape of course resembles the Qi connector on the back of iPhones and with that connector it kinda looks like it might be part of a larger accessory. Now, remember that we have had leaks of ring magnets on the back of the iPhone 12 to help it stay in place when you’re wirelessly charging it and this might be related. We don’t know if this is a new form of AirPower or what, but it definitely looks interesting.

Story of the day:

USA bans TikTok, WeChat from Play Store and App Store

And finally for the most controversial news today, let’s talk Ban Section and everything you should know. Let’s rewind a little bit so you’re aware of everything that’s been going on today. Some time ago, the President of the US gave an executive order to ByteDance, to sell their US operations of TikTok to an American Company, or they would be banned. There were several reports that Microsoft or Oracle would buy them, saying that it was practically a done deal but, TikTok didn’t want to sell. In the mean time they chose to sue the government and China also change their regulations, so they were only able to sell if they had permission from the Chinese government. Also, remember that WeChat was also getting banned and, earlier on we covered how that might affect Apple. Well, in a new press release, and we’re going to try to stay as far away from the political jargon as we can the US Department of commerce said “Today’s announced prohibitions, when combined, protect users in the U.S. by eliminating access to these applications and significantly reducing their functionality. So as of September 20 for WeChat and as of November 12 for Tiktok, they will be prohibited basically hosting services or provisioning content for their US application. The Department of Commerce said that they are doing this because of security due to the risk these apps possess. This basically means that they will ban you from downloading the app from both, the App Store and the PlayStore in the United States. We’re not exactly sure if you’ll still be able to fully use the app in the US but, if you’re in another country you’ll be able to get it.
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US sanctions may also affect the launch of the Huawei Mate X2

Posted on by Samuel Martinez

It seems that Huawei may be getting more headaches due to the US ban. New rumors now suggest that the launch of the new Huawei Mate X2 may also be affected because of the latest sanctions. Things don’t stop there, as there’s also further information suggesting that Huawei may have less Kirin 9000 processors than expected for its next Mate 40 flagships.

As if things weren’t already hectic for Huawei, the new US sanctions seem to be causing more problems. According to a Tweet by Ross Young, the new Huawei Mate X2 won’t be launching this year. The main cause of this delay would be related to hardware sourcing difficulties, and it would force the possible launch until 2021.

We could believe that losing Samsung and LG as display suppliers would cause the problem, but Chinese display company BOE made foldable panels for the Huawei Mate X and the Mate Xs. This means that we could expect the same BOE-made panels in the Huawei Mate X2. However, speculation would suggest that the new Kirin 1000 chipsets’ shortage may be the main cause of this delay.

Now, to make matters worse, not only Kirin 1000 processors would present an issue for Huawei, as a new report claims that the company would’ve only managed to get 8.8 million Kirin 9000 chipsets for the upcoming Huawei Mate 40 series. The information comes from a reliable leaker on Weibo, and he confirmed that the TSMC might only deliver 22,000 5nm wafers to Huawei, and if each wafer can yield 400 dies, we find that Huawei wouldn’t get all the processors it expected.

Still, Huawei is already expecting a 30 percent drop in smartphone sales, so getting fewer processors may not be so bad after all. Let’s remember that the Kirin 9000 is the first with 5nm process technology to include a built-in 5G modem, and initial reports suggested that Huawei had asked TSMC to manufacture 15 million units for its devices.

Source GSM Arena (1)

Via GSM Arena (2)

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Huawei could be left without display and smartphone chip suppliers very soon

Posted on by Samuel Martinez

The United States is slowly leaving Huawei without options. The ongoing ban is now threatening to leave the company without important display and chip suppliers, as it is now stopping Huawei from doing business with Samsung and LG.

The Huawei ban was already bad when it started back in May 2019, but it is now about to worsen. Huawei has already lost TSMC as its main chip provider, meaning that the upcoming Huawei Mate 40 series will be the last one to include Kirin processors. Now, starting September 15, Huawei will be left without Samsung Display and LG Display as business partners, as these companies are expected to stop shipments because of the latest trade restrictions imposed by the United States.

It seems that the chips used to drive Samsung and LG displays are affected by the new US sanctions; in other words, unless Samsung and LG get the necessary permissions, they will be unable to conduct business with the Chinese tech giant. Both companies are key suppliers for Huawei’s flagship devices, but we will have to see how Huawei manages to keep on going with BOE as its only display supplier, as the company would’ve already started using BOE displays in the new Mate 40.

The display issue may seem critical, but it seems that BOE would ramp up production to meet Huawei’s needs, or the company could also look to other OLED makers such as CSOT and Visionox. However, according to another report from South Korean outlet Chosun Ilbo, Samsung and SK Hynix may also stop selling chipsets to Huawei, which would leave the company without a source of DRAM and NAND flash chips.

These new events may help Samsung keep its crown as the world’s largest smartphone vendor, but it will also affect the South Korean chaebol, as SamMobile’s Mihai M explains:
“This is a considerable loss for Samsung’s semiconductor arm as Huawei was one of its biggest memory chip clients. However, the South Korean tech giant also lost one of its biggest rivals in the mobile industry, so it is sort of a win-lose situation. In any case, it will be interesting to see how Huawei will try to adjust moving forward given that there’s virtually no semiconductor company in the world that doesn’t use any software or equipment obtained from the United States.”

Whatever the case, Huawei has been preparing for these actions for some time, and it had stacked up on chips before these changes took place, since the US Department of Commerce made changes to the original sanctions that didn’t apply to memory chip manufacturers. Now, we will have to see how this evolves, and only time will tell if Huawei will overcome this complicated situation.

Source GSM Arena

Via 9to5Google

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MediaTek seeks permission to sell chips to Huawei

Posted on by Samuel Martinez

Huawei has confirmed that the new Mate 40 series will be the last of its flagships to include a Kirin processor. This is because the US ban has blocked the TSMC from selling chips to the Chinese tech giant. The company is still looking for possible chip suppliers, and it seems that MediaTek could be the only company willing to take action.

MediaTek has announced that it has formally submitted a request for a license to sell chips to Huawei. The US will make some adjustments to the current ban on September 15 to close loopholes that would prevent MediaTek and other companies from selling products to Huawei. Let’s remember that MediaTek is also a Chinese company, but it “reiterates its respect for following relevant orders and rules on global trade, and has already applied for permission with the US side in accordance with the rules.”

Huawei needs to find a source for processors, and MediaTek may be the best suited for this position. However, if the Trump administration decides to deny the request, Huawei would be left without processors for future devices. Both Chinese companies could also choose to ignore the ban and work together, but at this moment, we can’t tell or begin to predict what may happen.

Source Android Authority

Via Reuters

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Pocketnow Daily: The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro’s Perk! (video)

Posted on by Samuel Martinez

On today's Pocketnow Daily, we talk about the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 perks, the problems Huawei is causing FedEx and more

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ZTE’s US trouble intensifies, as company could lose access to essential Android apps and services

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

While it's practically impossible to prohibit ZTE from using actual Android source code, the company's smartphones might be kicked out of Google's Play Store.

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