The Sony Xperia 1 IV could be in line for a key camera upgrade

We've got more as-yet-unverified information to share about the upcoming Sony Xperia 1 IV flagship smartphone, courtesy of the rumor mill: the handset will apparently come with a selfie camera upgrade, but won't have a charging adapter included in the box.

That latter development (via Notebookcheck) will come as no real surprise, as most phone manufacturers are doing the same. Now that many of us already have chargers we can use, it makes environmental and economic sense not to keep packing new ones in with every single smartphone sold.

It's likely there will still be an official Sony Xperia 1 IV charger to buy direct from Sony if you absolutely must have another charging brick in your home. The handset may well come with a USB cable as well, so could recharge it from another device like a laptop.

Think of your selfie

As for the other piece of leaked information (also via Notebookcheck), the Xperia 1 IV is rumored to be getting a selfie camera upgrade, with the upcoming smartphone in line to offer a 12MP snapper on the front of the phone, embedded into the display.

You may remember that the Sony Xperia 1 III sports an 8MP selfie camera: while megapixel counts aren't everything, this does suggest that the selfie camera on Sony's next phone will be significantly better than the one on its predecessors. We're previously heard that the phone's rear cameras will be upgraded too.

When it comes to the question of a launch date, a teaser video posted by Sony a couple of days ago points to Wednesday May 11 being the big day. Coincidentally that's also the day that the Google IO 2022 developer conference is scheduled to get underway.


Analysis: don't forget the selfie camera

When it comes to lists of smartphone specifications, the quality of the selfie camera isn't something that many of us check first. We're more likely to look at the internal processor (showing the phone's speed), or the cameras that make up the rear camera module, before glancing at the selfie camera spec.

Considering how many selfies get snapped every hour of every day though, that's quite strange. They're the go to photo choice for capturing what's happening during the day, whether it's drinks with friends or a funny moment with the pet.

Photos taken with the selfie camera require good-quality lighting and focus just as much as those taken with the rear camera, even though the specs are usually significantly inferior. That's partly due to the limitations of the form factor of course.

Hopefully the Sony Xperia 1 IV will come with a formidable selfie camera – Sony can be relied upon when it comes to its camera lenses. When picking your next phone though, it's perhaps worth making a note of how good or otherwise the selfie camera is.

Posted in Uncategorised

AirTags finally get that anti-stalking firmware update

AirTags are finally more discoverable - and that's a good thing.

Apple is rolling out firmware update 1.0.301 to AirTags that will make them louder and easier to locate.

You will need iOS version 14.5 or later to download and use this feature. If you have version 14.5 or are up to date, the firmware update should have already occurred as it downloads automatically. 

You can check if you have the right firmware by going to the Items tab in the Find My app. Tapping on AirTag will let you know if you have the new firmware. If you don’t have the AirTag change, you’ll probably get it later as Apple says the firmware update will be sent out again periodically.

Just make sure the AirTags are within 33 feet of your iPhone, which is the maximum Bluetooth signal range for the device.

A stalking problem

This firmware update is part of a series of changes coming to AirTag after it was discovered they were being used to stalk people. The purpose of the louder sound is to make finding unknown AirTags easier to locate.

The AirTags themselves are a neat device. They’re a great way to locate missing items, but some bad actors just had to ruin it for everyone. In February 2022, some modified AirTags were found being sold with their safety features disabled.

The good news is that Apple quickly discovered this glaring problem and took action. The company stated at the time that it was working with law enforcement on AirTag misuse and laid out a plan for future changes.

It took a while, but those changes are finally here.

Updates down the line

Increasing the AirTag’s volume is the first of four updates. Apple plans on bettering its unwanted tracking alert system to notify people earlier if some unknown AirTag is on their person.

If you were a part of the iOS 15.4 beta, you might have seen an inkling of this as a message would appear during AirTag setup stating misusing these devices to stalk is illegal.

There are also changes coming to Precision Finding and displays alert, but the details of these updates are still unknown. Apple has said very little other than they will be coming out later in 2022.

Posted in Uncategorised

Nokia reaps rewards of 5G demand but supply issues could have future impact

Nokia is reaping the rewards of global 5G deployments and its own internal changes after beating analyst expectations in the first quarter of 2022.

The Finnish networking giant saw sales rise by 5% to €5.35 billion, driven by demand for its 5G radio equipment, core platforms, and associated services.

This performance is all the more impressive given the supply chain issues and global component shortages that have persisted following the pandemic. Both could increase Nokia’s costs and force it to pass them onto customers.

Nokia results 

“Overall, Q1 was a strong start for the year both in terms of net sales and profitability,” declared Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark. “The demand environment remains strong and while supply chain and inflation challenges remain, we are confident we can deliver our 2022 outlook and continue to make good progress towards our long-term targets."

“Network Infrastructure delivered again strong growth with continued robust momentum in both Fixed and Submarine Networks. In Mobile Networks supply constraints hindered our revenue growth, nevertheless we expect to return to growth this year due to our improved competitiveness. Our 5G Core business continued to drive good growth in Cloud and Network Services.”

Despite the revenue gains, profit did fall by 17% to €219 million, with Nokia’s balance sheet showing a €100 million charge relating to the company’s withdrawal from the Russian market after the invasion of Ukraine. Russia accounts for less than 2% of Nokia’s sales and the firm said it would not impact its outlook for 2022. 

According to more ‘comparable’ metrics, Nokia says profit would have increased apart from the charge, easing investor concerns.

“It has been clear for us since the early days of the invasion that continuing our presence in Russia would not be possible,” added Lundmark. “We announced in early April that we will exit the Russian market in a responsible way and aim to provide the necessary support to maintain our customers’ networks, as we exit.”

Lundmark has overhauled Nokia’s business since he was appointed in the summer of 2020, saying the company would do “whatever it takes” to win in 5G. The company is locked in a fiercely contested battle with other Network Equipment Providers (NEPs) such as Ericsson and Huawei. 

However, the company was surprised by the earlier-than-expected shift to 5G and has struggled with the high cost of developing 5G technologies.

An internal restructure and a focus on research and development have transformed the company’s fortunes and make it well-positioned to capitalise on anticipated growth in the 5G space.

Posted in Uncategorised

OnePlus 10R and two other new OnePlus phones have just been unveiled

If you liked the look of the OnePlus 10 Pro but not its price tag, the company now has a trio of possible alternatives for you, as it’s just announced the OnePlus 10R, the OnePlus 10R Endurance Edition, and the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G.

The first two phones there are in most ways identical, but while the OnePlus 10R has a 5,000mAh battery with 80W charging (which can get it from 1% to 100% in 32 minutes), the OnePlus 10R Endurance Edition has a 4,500mAh battery with 150W charging, capable of getting it from 1% to 100% in just 17 minutes.

And while fast charging can sometimes also degrade a battery faster, OnePlus claims the Endurance Edition will keep 80% of its capacity after 1,600 charge cycles, which is double the industry standard.

A OnePlus 10R in black, from the front and back

The OnePlus 10R (Image credit: OnePlus)

Beyond that, both phones have a 6.7-inch 1080 x 2412 AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a fairly high-end MediaTek Dimensity 8100-Max chipset, 8GB or 12GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide one, a 2MP macro one, and a 16MP front-facing one.

The phones also run Android 12, and they will go on sale in India on May 4. Pricing and availability for other regions hasn’t yet been confirmed, but for reference the OnePlus 10R starts at INR 38,999 (roughly $510 / £405 / AU$715), while the OnePlus 10R Endurance Edition (which can only be had with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage) costs INR 43,999 (around $575 / £460 / AU$805).

Then there’s the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G, which has a 6.58-inch 1080 x 2412 LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 695 chipset, 128GB of storage, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, a 5,000mAh battery, 33W charging, a 64MP main camera, a 2MP macro one, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 16MP camera on the front.

It too has only so far been announced for India, where it will be sold from April 30 at a starting price of INR 19,999 (approximately $260 / £210 / AU$365).

A OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite in two different shades, from the front and back

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite (Image credit: OnePlus)

Analysis: one phone with three names

The OnePlus 10R and the OnePlus 10R Endurance Edition have only just been announced, and yet they’ve also previously been announced – just under different names.

Not long ago we saw the OnePlus Ace unveiled in China, which is exactly the same phone as the OnePlus 10R Endurance Edition.

But even before that we saw the Realme GT Neo 3, which is again basically the same phone, and is available in both 150W and 80W versions. There’s a slight difference here though in that the GT Neo 3 has a slightly lesser Dimensity 8100 chipset, rather than the Max version.

The Realme handset also has a very different, rather racing inspired paint job. The colors that you can get the OnePlus 10R and the OnePlus Ace in also differ from one another, but the overall design is identical.

So if and when the OnePlus 10R launches elsewhere, it might not do so under that name. Here’s hoping at least that a fourth name isn’t added to the mix, because three is more than enough.

Posted in Uncategorised

Confused about the four different iPhone 14 models? This image will clear it all up

If you've been following the iPhone 14 rumors, you'd be easily forgiven for getting very confused about what we're expecting. Sure, lots of them back each other up, but it sounds like there are going to be loads of changes this year - helpfully, though, there's a new leak that makes things a bit more understandable.

This important photo was shared by a Twitter user called @SaranByte - apparently, it originated from Chinese social media network Weibo, and we see lots of leaks from there, as lots of the iPhone manufacturing process is based in the country.

The leaked image shows the screens for all four iPhone 14 models, laid side-by-side so you can see and compare the sizes - there's the Pro Max, Max, Pro and standard in that order. And as we can see, there are two key features of them.

See more

Firstly, there's the size - both the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro are smaller than the other two models. We've heard that these two devices will have 6.1-inch screens, while the others will clock in at 6.7 inches - the image clearly shows this difference.

The other intriguing feature regards the space for the front-facing cameras: many leaks have suggested that the iPhone 14 series will use 'punch-hole' cut-out segments for the selfie camera and Face ID, like lots of Android phones have.

Newer leaks, though, have suggested that only certain members of the iPhone 14 family will get this, and others will stick to the notch like the iPhone 13 family. And that's exactly what we see in the images - the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have spots for the cut-out, while the standard and Max models have spaces for the notch.

NotchPunch-hole camera
6.1-inch screeniPhone 14iPhone 14 Pro
6.7-inch screeniPhone 14 MaxiPhone 14 Pro Max

The tweeter adds that the two Pro phones have narrower bezels than the iPhone 13 Pro devices do, and that the aspect ratio is different, making them slightly taller and narrower.


Analysis: a reminder but nothing new

This new leak doesn't really provide any new information, but it doesn't really need to.

With so many different leaks and rumors floating around - we sometimes seen multiple a day - it's hard to keep track of all the expected changes and differences in between the new iPhones and the older ones.

That's why leaks like this one are useful - it gives us an easy-to-understand reminder of some of the bigger differences that leaks have already told us.

Another big difference is the chipset - we've heard the Pro models will have a new A16 Bionic processor while the standard and Max devices will get the same A15 that the iPhone 13 models came with.

So in 2022, more than in previous years, it sounds like there's going to be a clear and stark division between the four phones. Of course, this is all based on leaks though, so we'll have to see how it all shakes out at the end of the year when the phones debut.

Posted in Uncategorised

Apple iPhone 13 sales power a big quarter but there may be trouble ahead

Even with supply chain constraints, Covid lockdowns in Shanghai, and a war in Ukraine, Apple managed another record quarter, earning $97.3 billion mostly on the back of an apparently very well-received iPhone 13 line.

The Cupertino, California, company released earnings numbers late Thursday and followed with an earnings call with analysts that, while painting a mostly positive picture, did outline warning signs in the supply chain, Covid, inflation, and European headwinds.

Consumers bought into virtually every product category Apple has to offer, pushing the iPhone up to a total of $50.5 billion in total sales, the Mac to $10.4 billion, wearables to $8.8 billion, and the fast-growing services category (which now has 825M paying subscribers) to $19.8 billion. 

If there was one cautionary tale among the group, it's the iPad, which fell 2% year over year to $7.6 billion. "We’re continuing to see such a strong demand for iPad even while navigating strong supply constraint," said Apple CEO Tim Cook during the earnings call.

The story on the iPad, which recently saw the release of the iPad Air with an M1 chip is not that isn't selling poorly, but that getting components to build the product (for iPad and Macs) is more challenging than ever.

The question of supply constraints and, in particular, silicon shortages came up repeatedly during the call as analysis wondered if Apple should be doing something to shore up supplies.

Cook essentially dismissed the idea. "In today’s world, not possible for us to have a buffer on silicon. [It] rolls off the fab into a final assembly very quickly."

The Mac was another bright spot for Apple, which is crediting Apple Silicon (the M1 line of chips) for much of that growth. The commitment to Apple Silicon, noted Apple CFO Luca Maestri, shows up in the results. He said they've experienced the best eight quarters ever for Macs.

Tough road ahead?

Apple, like other corporations around the world, is starting to return to normal and Cook said Apple is excited to welcome employees back to offices but added that it's "still monitoring Covid-related disruptions in China."

The subject of Covid and disruption in the Shanghai factories that assemble many of Apple's products came up repeatedly. Cook tried to paint a positive picture. "On a positive front, almost all final assembly factories have restarted. Also encouraged that the Covid case count in Shanghai has decreased in recent days," he told investors.

Still, the lockdown had little effect on this quarter and seems to be part of a darker picture in the coming months. Apple is, like everyone else, dealing with inflation across the price of components (though Cook said some component prices are falling while others rise), shipping costs, the war in Ukraine, continue silicon shortages.

Talking about global challenges that we all face, Cook said, "We are not immune to these challenges, but we have great confidence in our people strategy and teams."

When pressed about how inflation might impact consumer product prices, Cook demured but made it clear that they're keeping an eye on how inflationary pressures impact sales.

"Obviously monitoring our daily sales very closely." Cook said Apple is seeing the impacts in sales and operating costs this past quarter and is assuming it will continue in the current one.  He added, "[We're] definitely seeing some level of inflation that I think everyone is seeing."

Cook and Maestri offered not a hint in the call of what is to come. There was scarcely a mention of AR, VR, new innovations, future iPhones, or wearables. The closest anyone came to offering a whiff of what consumers can expect from Apple in the coming months is in regard to services when Maestri told analysts, “We plan to add new services and new features that we think customers will love.”

Posted in Uncategorised

The Nothing Phone’s version of Android is surprisingly good

It's only fair to share...Share on RedditShare on FacebookShare on Google+Tweet about this on TwitterPin on PinterestShare on Tumblr

If you’re excited for the Nothing Phone (1), we’ve got big news: as promised in the phone’s teaser announcement, you can now download an early version of the device’s software to test and play about with.

Well, when we say ‘you’ we mean specifically people with a Samsung Galaxy S21 or Samsung Galaxy S22 series phone, or the Google Pixel 5 or Pixel 6 – this is just an early beta of the user interface, with only a few features and tools.

We’re expecting the Nothing Phone (1) to land sometime between June and September, but at an event with the silly name of The Truth, Nothing teased the device, and also promised that it’d launch the software soon – well, ‘soon’ is ‘now’ apparently.

What's the Nothing Launcher like?

How to install the Nothing OS

1. Find the Nothing Launcher (beta) on the Google Play Store (or click here). Download it.
2. Go to your phone's settings menu, then apps, then default apps, then default home apps.
3. Pick the Nothing Launcher and it'll automatically install.

There are three key features that the Nothing Launcher brings onto your phone, but we’re going to presume this doesn’t represent the full feature set, because it’s a little limited. They’re built over what looks like stock Android.

Firstly, there are three Nothing-themed widgets: weather and two clocks (digital and analog). The digital clock and weather widget have a spotty retro look, while the analog clock is a little more typical.

Nothing OS on a Google Pixel 6 Pro

(Image credit: TechRadar / Nothing)

Second, there's a new Nothing wallpaper, and it’s… certainly something? We thought our phone had broken when we first saw it, but no, that’s how it’s meant to look. You can change the color of it if you want, but this only changes the text color.

Admittedly those are two rather small features, and the third one is too, but it’s one we actually like. You can choose to enlarge app and folder icons, so instead of taking one space in the home menu grid it’ll take four.

This is quite useful for ease of access – you can easily slam your thumb on one part of the screen and be sure to hit the app. We also see this being really useful for accessibility, for seniors or people with physical disabilities who might struggle to tap really small icons.

We’re fond of this feature, and can already see our everyday phone feeling a little restrictive since it doesn’t have resizable icons.

Given that the app is called the Nothing Launcher (beta), we’re assuming this is the first version of the operating system, and hopefully we’ll see new versions before the Nothing Phone (1) launches with bigger updates. But for a first impression, we’re pleasantly surprised.

It's only fair to share...Share on RedditShare on FacebookShare on Google+Tweet about this on TwitterPin on PinterestShare on Tumblr

Netflix wants to be a genuine Apple Arcade rival, but it’s falling into the same trap

If you're a fan of mobile gaming, Netflix probably isn't your first port of call when you're looking to try a new title. You'll probably use our lists of the best iPhone games or best Android games instead, of course.

But it sounds like Netflix is trying to change that: it launched Netflix Games in late 2021, offering a few titles on its mobile phone app, and according to a new report from The Washington Post, that's just the beginning.

The report suggests Netflix will offer as many as 50 games on its app by the end of 2022 - at the time of writing, it has just 18. Currently, some of its titles are based on its TV shows, and others aren't, and it's not clear if this mix will continue.

Netflix offers plenty of TV shows and movies based on popular video games including The Witcher, Cuphead and League of Legends, so the company clearly has games on its mind, though projects in this vein have so far been duds far more than they have been hits.

According to The Washington Post, while Netflix has a legacy in adapting video games into TV series, it's looking to focus more on moving its projects the other way, turning more shows into games. Nailed It! The Game, anyone?

It's already been reported that Netflix is working to adapt the crowdfunding-hit board game Exploding Kittens to the screen, both as a TV show and as a mobile game, but that still leaves at least 30 more titles we can expect to see over time.


Analysis: quantity or quality?

It seems that Netflix wants to be Apple Arcade: that's a mobile game streaming service for Apple devices that, with one subscription, lets you download loads of games onto your smartphone or tablet.

However, for one big reason, Apple Arcade still isn't the mobile gaming powerhouse that Apple likely wants it to be, and it seems that Netflix could fall into the same trap. To turn eyes, Netflix doesn't need to produce loads of games - it needs one hit title.

Apple Arcade arguably doesn't have a massive title to convince people to use it - there's no rival to Call of Duty Mobile, Genshin Impact or Pokemon Go, three super-popular smartphone titles, to draw people away from those heavyweights.

It's one thing if Netflix increases its offering to 50 titles by the end of 2022, but unless any of those is a must-play, it's simply offering quantity instead of quality. Currently, it doesn't have any stand-out titles, perhaps other than a Stranger Things spin-off RPG which actually released well before Netflix Games debuted.

So if Netflix does want to be a mobile gaming player, it needs to come up with one smash-hit that keeps people coming back. And when that happens, perhaps we'll spend more time playing Netflix's games instead of using it to watch fun but forgettable blockbusters.

Posted in Uncategorised

You can now repair the iPhone SE 3 and other models yourself

The iPhone SE 3 only recently launched, but if you’ve already managed to break yours you don’t necessarily need to send it off for repair – you could send off for a repair kit instead.

That’s because months after announcing it, Apple has finally launched its Self Service Repair Store, which allows you to order from a selection of over 200 different parts and tools, designed to let you repair problems with the iPhone SE 3, along with the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 lineups.

Repairs to the display, camera and battery can all be carried out, and Apple will be expanding the service to support Mac repairs later this year.

To get started, you’ll want to check the repair manual for the device that needs fixing, in order to work out whether Apple offers a self-service repair for your issue, and which parts are needed. Then you can order them from the Self Service Repair Store.

The parts are the same ones as those available to authorized repair providers, and they’re sold to you at the same price, so you won’t pay extra to do it yourself. In fact, you’ll potentially pay less, since you’re not paying someone else to carry out the repairs for you, and because Apple will offer credit when returning certain parts for recycling.

That said, you will of course also need to order the tools to carry out the repairs, which will add to the cost. However, Apple is offering tool kit rentals for $49, with free shipping, for customers who only need to carry out a single repair. These rentals let you keep the tools for a week.

That's not a super low price, but it's still arguably reasonable, however it comes with a big caveat - as has been pointed out on Twitter, Apple will put a hold of $1,100 (excluding taxes) on your card, and some or all of that may be charged to you if you fail to return the tool kit, or return it with damaged or missing pieces.


A picture of someone conducting a Self Service Repair

(Image credit: Apple)

Analysis: A good step with limited availability and usefulness

Being able to repair your own iPhone is a great initiative, but it currently has a lot of limitations. The biggest limitation – and one which in fairness is outside Apple’s control – is that most people don’t have the skills to reliably repair their own iPhones. In most cases, you’ll still be better off leaving it to the experts.

But there are lots of other issues that should be more fixable. For one, the service is currently only available in the US – but Apple has said it will expand to other areas, starting with Europe, later this year.

You can also only repair a small selection of Apple gadgets. That too is set to improve with Mac repairs coming soon, but only for those with Apple silicon. Plus, the program still leaves out many iPhone models, not to mention iPads and Apple Watches. So hopefully support for these things will arrive eventually as well.

And finally, Apple Self Service Repair only supports certain types of repairs. For some issues, you’ll still have to get an authorized repair provider to do the job even if you do have the skills because the parts and manuals won’t be available.

Posted in Uncategorised

Motorola Edge 30 release date, price, specs, and features

Following on from the Motorola Edge 30 Pro the company has now unveiled the standard Motorola Edge 30 – a phone which logic dictates should have come first but is finally here now.

The new phone is a mid-range device, and a particular focus seems to have been placed on the design, the cameras, and the 144Hz screen.

Below we’ve detailed everything you need to know about the Motorola Edge 30, including those specs in full and information on the release date and price.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? Motorola's latest mid-range phone
  • When is it out? Early May
  • How much does it cost? £379.99 (roughly $480 / AU$670)

Release date and price

The Motorola Edge 30 is set to go on sale in the UK from early May, at a price of £379.99 (roughly $480 / AU$670). It will be sold in Currys and directly from Motorola’s online store.

The company also plans to launch the phone in Australia in the coming weeks, as well as in parts of Asia, India, Latin America, and the Middle East.

There’s no mention of the US, but the company has elsewhere said that it’s “excited to share its commitment to deliver a new Edge family device in North America this year." So if not the standard Edge 30, then another model will land at some point.

The Motorola Edge 30 in all three possible shades

(Image credit: Motorola)

Design

The Motorola Edge 30 has a jewel-like pattern on the back that shifts and changes as you tilt the phone. It comes in at 155g and 159.38 x 74.24 x 6.79mm, so it’s fairly lightweight and very slim. In fact, the company claims it’s the thinnest 5G smartphone in its class.

There’s no word on what it’s made from, but we would guess it has a glass back and a plastic frame, like the Motorola Edge 30 Pro – though it’s possible that the whole thing is plastic.

The back (which comes in a choice of Meteor Grey, Aurora Green or Supermoon Silver shades) appears flatter than many smartphones, and it has a large triple-lens camera block in the top left corner. From the front, there’s a flat screen with a punch-hole camera in the top center.

The Motorola Edge 30 also sports an IP52 rating, meaning it’s got reasonable protection from dust but only a small amount of water resistance.

A Motorola Edge 30 from the front and back, against a green background

(Image credit: Motorola)

Display

There’s a 6.5-inch AMOLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate on the Motorola Edge 30. That’s an exceedingly high refresh rate, even having the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro Max beat, but this is something Motorola has gone for before, such as on the Motorola Edge 20.

The screen also supports HDR10+, and it meets DCI-P3 cinematic standards for color range, brightness, contrast, and color accuracy.

The company hasn’t listed the resolution, but we’d imagine it’s similar to the 1080 x 2400 Motorola Edge 30 Pro, so reasonably sharp but not a match for most top-end phones, which tend to have QHD+ displays.

Camera and battery

The Motorola Edge 30 has a triple-lens rear camera, consisting of a 50MP f/1.8 main sensor, a 50MP f/2.2 ultrawide one (with a 114-degree field of view), and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor.

The company boasts that the main lens has ‘Instant All-Pixel Focus,’ which uses 100% of pixels so that you can get faster and more accurate performance from the camera in any light.

The main camera also has optical image stabilization, and can use pixel binning to combine four pixels into one. This lets more light in and allows for improved night-time shots.

A Motorola Edge 30 from the back, in someone's hand

(Image credit: Motorola)

The phone can also shoot UHD video at 30fps, or FHD content at up to 60fps, and there’s a slow-motion mode which can record at up to 960fps (in HD quality).

Finally, there’s a 32MP f/2.4 camera on the front.

As for the battery, that’s got a middling capacity at 4,020mAh, and supports 30W charging.

Specs and features

There’s a mid-range Snapdragon 778G Plus 5G chipset powering the Motorola Edge 30, and as that name suggests, the phone also supports 5G. The phone also comes with 8GB of RAM and a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage.

It runs Android 12, has two stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, and supports Ready For – a feature that lets you connect the phone wirelessly to a TV or monitor, to view content on a larger screen.

Posted in Uncategorised

I already regret downloading the Android 13 beta

Now that the Android 13 beta is out, I thought it'd be a good idea to download and install the thing - my job is to test tech, after all, and I wanted to see what upgrades it might bring.

So I dutifully booted up a Google Pixel 6 Pro that was ready and waiting in the TechRadar office, enrolled it in the beta program, and settled in to test out the new Google-built software...

...but after doing so, I really don't think you should, especially if you're doing it on your daily smartphone.

Avoid Android 13's beta

My first warning sign about the Android 13 beta was when I set my phone up to download and install it - the process took over two hours.

I had to leave my phone alone for over 120 minutes as it downloaded the 2.14GB file at an excruciating rate, and then installed it even slower - admittedly our office Wi-Fi being awful was no help here.

But I didn't want to touch my phone until it was complete, for fear of breaking something, so the device was a write-off until then.

Annoying new features

Android 13 beta

The five permissions I had to deal with before sharing an Instagram story. (Image credit: Future)

One of the big new Android 13 features is changes to security and permissions in apps, and from my time testing the beta, this is the most apparent one... in the most annoying way.

You see, in Android you always have to give apps permission for certain functions, but now there are even more to allow. I had to accept five different things just to send a story on Instagram.

And you might argue 'more options give people more controls over their privacy' - but who's going to be reading and researching the permissions if you're asked five different times? Most users will just rapidly tap that 'accept' button until the options go away.

Changes to Material You, including easier ways to use it, are one change I do like in Android 13. But there aren't enough changes right now to convince me that the download was a good idea.

Wait until the full update

I'm not saying Android 13 won't be worth the data it takes to download - nothing of the sort. The beta I tested today is a very early build - the first public one, in fact - and it doesn't necessarily represent the finished software.

Because of that, and the lack of meaningful changes, and the stability issues that happen with any software beta that could lead to a loss of data, I wouldn't recommend downloading the Android 13 beta to most people. Wait for the full version.

Oh, and there isn't even an Android 13 easter egg at the moment - you can trigger the Android 12 one, but that's it.

Luckily, I only downloaded Android 13 onto a side-phone, so it won't affect my day-to-day experience in the slightest - but if you install it onto your main device, I forsee you regretting that decision.

Posted in Uncategorised

Sony’s Galaxy S22 Ultra-rivaling Xperia 1 IV teased for a May 11 launch

We thought the Sony Xperia 1 IV would probably land soon and now we know it will, as Sony has virtually confirmed that we’ll see the phone on May 11.

The company has uploaded a teaser video not so subtly titled ‘Are You Ready For The Next ONE?’ in which it went through the history of the Xperia 1 range, then finished by saying that the ‘next One is coming’ on May 11.

The teaser additionally briefly shows an image which might be of the new phone, however it looks a lot like the older models too, with bezels above and below the screen, so we can’t be sure. It is in line with unofficial renders that we’ve seen though.

There’s nothing much else in the video, but the announcement kicks off at 3am PT / 6am ET / 11am BST / 8pm AEDT on that date.

It’s worth noting that we might also see the Sony Xperia 5 IV or the Sony Xperia 10 IV at this event, but they haven’t been teased here, so don’t count on it.


Analysis: what to expect from the Sony Xperia 1 IV

The teaser video above gives basically nothing away about the Sony Xperia 1 IV, other than possibly the design, but we already have an idea of what to expect.

According to leaks, the Sony Xperia 1 IV has a 6.5-inch screen, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery with 45W charging.

It might also have the same 50MP main camera as the Google Pixel 6, along with improvements to the telephoto camera.

However, it might also cost an awful lot, with a rumored starting price of 8,999 yuan (roughly $1,415 / £1,085 / AU$1,895), which would make it even more expensive than the $1,199.99 / £1,149 / AU$1,849 Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Posted in Uncategorised

Motorola’s new phone isn’t a cheap device but it has a surprisingly low price

Nearly two months after the Motorola Edge 30 Pro (known as the Edge Plus (2022) in the US) launched, its non-Pro sibling has landed - and this new Motorola phone has a very surprising price.

While the phone's name suggests it's part of the company's flagship series, it costs just £380 in the UK (that converts to just $490 or AU$670 though we don't have information on whether those regions will get the handset). At that price, it wouldn't technically fit into our list of the best cheap phones, but it's actually more affordable than certain members of Moto's budget phone line, like the Moto G200.

The Moto Edge 30 has some key specs in common with the Pro which we already saw. These include the camera set-up, with a 50MP main, 50MP ultrawide and 2MP depth camera,  the use of Android 12 software and a 144Hz screen.

But in most ways it's different - it has a 6.5-inch FHD+ screen, 32MP selfie camera, 4,020mAh battery and thickness of just 6.8mm - Motorola calls this the slimmest 5G phone so far.

In some areas, the Edge 30 shows its budget status - it has a Snapdragon 778G chipset and 33W charging, which might put off some users. But overall its specs do seem impressive for the price, and we're looking forward to testing it out.


Analysis: a surprising - and perhaps confusing - price

It's always useful for average consumers, when phone companies have distinct product lines. Samsung's Galaxy A phones are its mid-rangers, and the S ones are its premium line, and never the two shall meet.

But it can be confusing when there is overlap - Moto's G phones are known for being its budget ones, but when some of them are actually pricier than its flagship line, there's a lot of room for confusion.

It also makes you wonder why the Motorola Edge 30 wasn't called the Moto G300, or the G200 wasn't an Edge phone.

Motorola has always been confusing with its phone names, a fact dramatically exacerbated by the fact that it uses different names for the same handsets in different regions, meaning that anyone who follows the global tech news struggles to know what the name is in their region.

For the Motorola Edge 30 itself, the low price is great - it means people can get access to these top specs at a relatively low price. But for people who are looking to buy a new phone but don't know which, the confusing naming scheme could just add to the headache.

Posted in Uncategorised

There might not be a Samsung Galaxy S22 FE, and that’s a good thing

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE only landed back in January, so we’re not expecting to see a Samsung Galaxy S22 FE anytime soon – but we might not see one at all according to a new leak.

Lanzuk (the leaker) posted on Naver (a South Korean blogging site), claiming that there’s currently no development firmware for the phone, and that it’s likely we won’t see the handset this year.

That doesn’t rule out a launch in 2023, which could make sense since the Galaxy S21 FE already landed this year (although only because it was delayed from an expected October launch), but the leaker adds that this situation is similar to that with the Galaxy Note line before it was officially canceled.

So it’s possible that there won’t be a Samsung Galaxy S22 FE at all, or even that the whole line is being killed off.

Of course, this is just one claim from one source, but another leaker, @chunvn8888, recently claimed that the Galaxy S22 FE “is not even in development just yet”. That doesn’t mean it’s not coming, but again it does suggest that it might not be coming this year.

On the other hand, we have previously heard a couple of leaks about the phone suggesting that it is in the works, as they mention the chipset the phone might use, so right now we’re not certain who to believe.


Opinion: the Samsung Galaxy S FE line doesn’t make sense

While it’s unclear whether Samsung is canceling the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE, it would probably make sense for it to do so, as the phone itself likely wouldn’t make for a very sensible purchase.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE launched a year after the Samsung Galaxy S21 and had largely similar specs, and while the launch price was lower than for the standard model, the S21 had been available long enough that it was easy to find it discounted below the S21 FE’s price.

That’s a problem, given that if anything the FE is positioned as being at the bottom of the Galaxy S line, although in the case of the S21 FE the issue wasn’t quite as pronounced as it was with the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.

So Samsung probably should stop making these phones altogether; either that or find a way to differentiate them more clearly from the rest of the Galaxy S line.

Via Notebookcheck and Dohyun Kim

Posted in Uncategorised

Google CEO drops huge hint about Pixel 6a announcement at Google IO

The Google Pixel 6a isn't a sure thing by any means - although Google hasn't missed an A-series phone since 2019, the Pixel 5a only got a limited roll-out, making it sound like the company wasn't sure about its spin-off affordable handsets.

However, for people hoping for the new device there's some great news: it turns out the Google Pixel 6 series has sold incredibly well, and the 6a could come soon.

In an Alphabet earnings call (a transcript of which can be read at Motley Fool), CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed "[the Pixel 6 is] the fastest-selling Pixel ever [...] I'm excited about the products we have coming and look forward to sharing more at Google I/O".

There are two big things to unpack there: firstly, while Pichai doesn't name-drop the Pixel 6a at all, it seems likely one is coming. If the Pixel 6 has sold like gangbusters, it seems likely that an affordable spin-off would come along too.

Secondly, it sounds like Google has hardware to show off at the annual tech showcase Google IO in mid-May. The event is typically for software - we're expecting to see Android 13 shown off this year - but we sometimes see hardware too, and the Pixel 3a and Pixel Buds A-Series debuted at the event in past years.

The word 'products' would seem ill-suited to software, as you don't 'buy' new versions of Android - that makes it seem very likely that Pichai is teasing the Pixel 6a.


Analysis: early is good

Google hasn't proven very reliable when it comes to launch dates for its smartphones - just look at this calendar of the last few years:

SeriesMain series announcementA-series announcement
Pixel 3Oct 2018May 2019
Pixel 4Oct 2019Aug 2020 (Sep 2020 for 5G)
Pixel 5Sep 2020Aug 2021
Pixel 6Oct 2021[May 2022?]

Sure, there are some patterns for each series - but there's never been a consistent amount of time between the main-series phone and its A counterpart.

While it doesn't sound like that will change with the Google Pixel 6a, maybe that's a good thing - clearly, people are keen to buy the Pixel 6 series, but with the cheapest option still being pretty pricey, a budget counterpart could go down a treat.

Sure, Google might tease the 6a now but launch it later, and might actually just save Google IO for headphones or the much-rumored Pixel Watch. But May would be the perfect time to give the 6a breathing room before the Pixel 7 debuts later this year.

Posted in Uncategorised