Honor 9A, Honor Choice TWS Earbuds, and Honor MagicBook 14 launch in Europe with “VIP Day” promotions

Huawei sub-brand Honor today launched the entry-level Honor 9A smartphone, MagicBook 14, and Choice TWS earphones for the European region during a live stream event. Along with new launches, the company has also announced discounts under the “VIP days” along with benefits under the VIP membership program.

Honor 9A

Starting with the smartphone release of the day, the Honor 9A was originally unveiled in China in March this year. The phone runs on Magic UI 3.1 (a rebrand of EMUI 10.1) based on Android 10 but comes with HMS Core instead of GMS Core as a result of the trade ban imposed on Huawei by the U.S. The smartphone comes with Huawei’s App Gallery as a replacement to the Google Play Store.

Internally, the Honor 9A is powered by a MediaTek MT6765 SoC and along with 3GB of RAM. It features 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded by up to 512GB using a microSD card. A key highlight of the smartphone is that it is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery. Unlike the Chinese variant, that comes with dual rear cameras, Honor 9A’s global variant features triple cameras on the back including a 13MP primary camera, a 5MP wide-angle, and a 2MP macro camera.

The Honor 9A will be priced at €149.90 (~$170) for the 3GB/64GB variant and will be available across multiple platforms including Amazon and the company’s global store starting July 1st.

Honor MagicBook 14

Honor MagicBook 14 is a portable laptop powered by AMD’s Ryzen 5 3500U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB PCIe SSD storage. As the name suggests, it comes with a 14-inch “FullView” display with slim bezels and weighs only 1.38kg. The MagicBook 14 comes with a 65W charger.

An interesting feature of the MagicBook 14 is the discrete pop-up webcam which can be hidden behind a key when it is not being used. The company will be offering a free Microsoft Office 365 subscription for a year along with the laptop.

The Honor MagicBook 14 will be available for pre-order at a price of  €649.90 (~$735) in France, Germany, and the UK starting today until June 30th.

Honor CHOICE TWS earbuds

Honor also announced a new CHOICE lineup of IoT and lifestyle products. The first product in this lineup is CHOICE truly wireless stereo pair of in-ear earphones that come with 24-hour battery life, 7mm dynamic drivers, and dual microphone for noise canceling. The price for these earphones wasn’t announced at the live event.

Honor VIP Day benefits

Honor also announced special benefits for its “VIP” members including:

• Special discounts up to 30% on certain products and zero-ocost EMIs for France, Germany, Italy, and the UK
• Free 15GB Huawei cloud storage for Honor 9A and 9X Pro buyers
• Priority entries to fan meets
• One month of free Huawei Music for all Honor users
• Free shipping on certain devices
• A mysterious “Once-a-life Experience”

These benefits are valid for those who register between June 18th and July 1st on the company’s website.

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ASUS ROG Phone 3 and Lenovo Legion gaming phones will both launch next month

The category of gaming smartphones has matured thanks to the attention given by companies such as Razer, ASUS, Nubia. While most smartphone brands bill gaming as an added benefit on their flagship devices, some others such as ASUS have SKUs devoted to gaming, and the ROG Phone and the ROG Phone 2 are two examples of the company’s commitment to the category while the third is coming next month. ASUS just announced that the much anticipated ASUS ROG Phone 3 is set to release in July as Lenovo is also gearing up to launch its gaming-centric smartphone under the Legion branding.

ASUS took to Weibo and announced that the ROG Phone 3 with hardware finely tuned to meet the needs of gamers is on its way to launch soon. Just like the ROG Phone 2, its successor will also release in China in partnership with gaming giant Tencent. While ASUS did not disclose any other detail officially, we already know about its specifications to some extent, courtesy of its listing on Chinese regulator TENAA. As per the certification, the ROG Phone 3 should be powered by an overclocked Snapdragon 865, and a mind-boggling 16GB of RAM.

Earlier this month, Lenovo had also officially confirmed a new gaming smartphone under its Legion branding will launch in July. The Legion gaming smartphone is slated to come with 90W superfast charging dual USB-C ports to charge the 5,000mAh battery more efficiently, a side-mounted pop-up selfie camera – probably for streamers, and a 144Hz display.

Both of these devices will be powered by some quirky aesthetics to entice gaming enthusiasts. While the ASUS ROG Phone 3 is most likely to get an ROG logo with RGB lighting, the Lenovo Legion smartphone is also expected to feature lighter on the back. More details about the two phones are expected to pour in as we close in on the launch dates and we’ll update the article as soon as we learn more.

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Source: Weibo (1)(2)

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Download: MIUI 12 stable update begins rolling out to Xiaomi Mi 9 and Redmi K20 Pro/Mi 9T Pro

Xiaomi’s Android ecosystem is designed in such a way that the version of their custom Android skin, aka MIUI, gets more importance than the underlying Android version. MIUI 12 is the latest major release for Xiaomi devices, and the first batch of “Closed Betas” has been available for a bunch of smartphones in China since late April. The global version of MIUI 12 appeared almost a month later for a handful of devices in the form of “stable beta”, which is intended for Mi Pilot users only. Now, Xiaomi has finally started pushing out the stable MIUI 12 update across the globe, starting with the Mi 9 and the Mi 9T Pro/Redmi K20 Pro.

The update for the Mi 9 is rolling out in Europe, while the OTA is hitting the global variant of the Mi 9T Pro in a staged manner. The regular version of the Mi 9/Redmi K20 should get the same treatment soon, as per the proposed timeline by the company. Unlike the “stable beta” release, existing MIUI 11 users are receiving incremental OTA updates this time. You can either wait for the update to land on the device or directly sideload the appropriate update package onto your phone using the download links provided below.

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Download: MIUI 12 for the Mi 9 and the Mi 9T Pro/Redmi K20 Pro

Sr. No.	Device, Device Codename, XDA Forum Link	Build Number and Region	Recovery ROM
1.	Mi 9 (cepheus)	V12.0.1.0.QFAEUXM (Europe)	Download Recovery ROM
2.	Redmi K20 Pro/Mi 9T Pro (raphael)	V12.0.1.0.QFKMIXM (Global)	Download Recovery ROM

It is worth mentioning that Xiaomi’s update mechanism is getting more complex day-by-day. Keeping aside the convoluted update naming convention, the company prefers to control the sideloading ability for beta testers through server-side Mi Account whitelisting, which makes manual installation virtually impossible on devices with an unauthorized account and a locked bootloader. The builds linked above should be treated as partial stable release, and they might get opened up as part of the broad-scale stable release in the near future, but we can’t ensure anything concrete at this moment. If you get the error message related to Mi Account authorization while sideloading, you can flash the update through TWRP. Even though these are official update files, it is always a good idea to back up the important data on your phone before flashing.

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Changelog

The full changelog for MIUI 12, when updating from MIUI 11, is as follows:

• Highlights
  • MIUI 12. Yours alone.
• System animations
  • New: All-new physically based animation engine with advanced architecture will refresh your device’s look.
  • New: Dynamic window technology takes switching screen orientation to a new level.
• System visuals
  • Brand new visual design works for all types of content and languages.
  • Magazine-level layouts bring important things into the spotlight and make content structure clear.
• Super wallpapers
  • New: Super wallpapers break physical boundaries and keep inspiring you with every touch.
  • Fix: Status bar colors weren’t displayed correctly in the Dark mode
• Privacy protection
  • New: MIUI 12 is the first Android-based mobile OS that went through the rigorous enhanced privacy protection testing.
  • New: Use secure sharing to control what additional data is sent along with shared items.
• Floating windows
  • New: Pull down a notification sent by a messenger app to turn it into a floating window.
  • New: Floating windows keep apps running in the foreground even when you pause to do other things.
  • New: You can minimize a floating window using a full screen gesture.
  • New: You can open an app in a floating window directly from Recents.
  • Optimization: Press and hold an app preview in Recents to choose between Split screen and floating windows.
• Control center
  • New: Swipe down from the upper right corner of your screen to open Control center.
  • New: Animated icons are a joy to look at!
  • Optimization: Control center is now closed by incoming calls
  • Optimization: Press and hold redirection options
  • Fix: Brightness adjustment bar couldn’t be used when Control center was opened for the first time
  • Fix: Toggle order wasn’t correct on the old toggle panel
  • Fix: Switching SIM cards crashed the app in some cases
  • Fix: Accessibility features weren’t available in the editing mode
• Dark mode
  • New: Dark mode support is also provided for third party apps now.
  • New: Contrast is lowered automatically in low light conditions to protect your eyes.
  • New: Wallpapers can be displayed in darker palette when your device switches to Dark mode.
• Casting
  • New: You can hide private items while casting and minimize the window to multitask.
• Always-on display
  • Fix: Lock screen items were shown on the Always-on display
• Lock screen
  • Fix: Fingerprint unlock didn’t work on Always-on display in some cases
  • Removed: Lock screen and Always-on display issues in Second space
• Home screen
  • New: Animated Home screen icons are neat and satisfying.
  • New: App drawer allows you to keep your Home screen neat and categorizes apps so you can find them faster.
  • New: We’ve added a new animation for uninstalling apps.
  • New: Gravitational animations make returning to Home screen look seamless and natural.
• Camera
  • New: New Pro mode features and descriptions
  • Optimization: Pro mode parameter naming
• Weather
  • New: New animations bring the weather from outside directly to your screen.
• Settings
  • New: Lite mode simplifies your device and brings essential features up front.
  • New: New full screen gestures for switching between apps are available.
• Notes
  • New: You can create folders with notes now.
  • New: New dynamic backgrounds look gorgeous!
  • New: Tasks are completed with a satisfying animation now.
  • New: Checklists of subtasks make managing your agenda much simpler.
• Security
  • New: New animations feel natural and refreshing.
  • New: Binging your favorite shows will be more convenient with our new video toolbox.

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Thanks to XDA Recognized Developer yshalsager for providing the download links!

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Apple will now take feedback from developers on App Store policies, something Google should also do

Apple held an online edition WWDC20 (Worldwide Developers Conference) yesterday without any visitors. During the online event, executives from the company revealed everything new that will be coming to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, as well as the operating systems driving other hardware, including the Apple Watch and TV. Along with this, Apple also announced a new platform for developers to share opinions and feedback with Apple and appeal against penalties or takedowns in the iOS and macOS app stores. In a press release, the giant announced an online Apple Store Lab so that developers from all over the world can “help inform future improvements to the App Store.”

Apple announced two significant changes to the app submission and review process to be implemented later this summer. Firstly, apart from being able to appeal against decisions about the violation of App Store Review Guidelines, developers will also have access to a channel that will let them “challenge the guideline itself.” Secondly, app updates with bug fixes will not be held back or suspended over violation of guidelines for apps that are already live on the App Store unless in case of legal issues. Instead, developers will be able to submit new changes addressing the issue in the next update to the app.

Also, Apple plans to add new communication channels and forums where developers can exchange knowledge and submit their feedback for the company to learn from and implement to make the process smoother and improve the experience for app developers.

Phil Schiller, Apple’s chief of marketing and App Store lead, said the following in the WWDC20 keynote:

This WWDC, we’ve introduced innovative new APIs, frameworks, and tools designed to help developers take their app experiences further and reach even more users[.]

This year at WWDC20, we’ve added online App Store Labs, extended the annual App Store developer survey, and more because we want to hear directly from hundreds of thousands of developers on how they want us to improve the App Store for them, and for users.

Notably, these developments come a week after the European Union commissioned an antitrust investigation against Apple. The EU will be probing the tech giant over two main issues – the first being a 30% commission charged from developers by Apple to facilitate in-app payments – after complaints from Rakuten and Spotify. Another angle of investigation concerns the restrictions set by Apple on which apps can use NFC for payments on the iPhone or Apple Watch – which usually means NFC payments don’t work on apps from banks and other financial service providers.

Apple’s more developer-friendly aura is also seen as a measure to pacify developers and some lawmakers tensed by the removal of Hey email app. The app was removed from the App Store last week by Apple for not providing a “Sign Up” option on the welcome screen of the app. As you may have guessed, Hey developer Basecamp chooses this to avoid Apple from charging 30% commission on paid sign-ups. Apple reinstated the app just before WWDC ’20 after the developer added an option for 14-day trial sign-ups.

It is worth mentioning that Netflix also lacks an in-app signup option (both on iOS and Android) to avoid paying these commissions but hasn’t been taken down by Apple – and this preferential behavior could have possibly anguished developers.

What can Google learn from Apple’s new store submission guidelines?

While the general view after WWDC20 is that Apple appears to have taken a lot of inspiration from Android for iOS 14, Google can certainly use some of the changes Apple is applying to the review process. Google, much like Apple, also has a convoluted and inconsistent method of taking down apps that don’t meet its Play Store guidelines. While Apple’s policies and takedown procedures have arguably been more stringent, we’ve seen similar complaints from Android developers on public platforms like Reddit and Twitter.

There’s a vast scope for Google to learn from Apple and modify its Play Store policies, addressing issues such as inconsistent app removals, taking a 30% cut of in-app purchases, and not listening to feedback enough. The starting point can be improvements in communication channels with developers.

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Realme will expand its product portfolio in India with more AIoT and lifestyle products

Since its debut back in 2018, Realme has primarily launched smartphones in the Indian market. But in an interview late last year, Realme India’s CEO Madhav Sheth revealed that the company planned on launching more AIoT and lifestyle products in the country. Since then, Realme has launched several new products in the market, including TWS earphones, a fitness band, a smartwatch, and smart TVs. However, Realme’s vision of becoming a tech lifestyle brand is far from complete. In a recent post on the Realme community forums, Sheth has now revealed that the company will launch even more AIoT and lifestyle products in the Indian market.

As part of its new “1+4+N” product strategy, Realme will soon add smart speakers to its product portfolio in the country and launch more smartwatches, high-end TVs, and smart earphones. Additionally, the company will launch new AIoT and lifestyle products for its fans, including various accessories like car chargers, backpacks, luggage, and smart home gadgets. According to the infographic shared in the post, the company is expected to launch a smart scale, an electric toothbrush, smart cameras, projector, smart plugs, smart locks, and a sweeping machine in India. The first new lifestyle product — the Realme Adventurer Backpack — will be launched alongside the Realme X3 series later this month.

Furthermore, Sheth highlighted Realme’s plans to strengthen its workforce in India and expand its reach to Tier 4 and Tier 5 towns. The company plans to increase its local workforce strength to 10,000 by the end of this year and expand its distribution channels to Tier 4 and Tier 5 towns by hiring over 5,000 sales team members. As part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, the company will soon start manufacturing some of its AIoT products in the country, and invest in a production line to build TV products and set up high-end SMT lines for TV motherboards.

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Source: Realme community forums

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Samsung Capture update adds new options to the Screen Recording toolbar

Samsung’s Android devices have had an inbuilt screen recorder for quite some time but the feature was limited to only certain parts of the company’s custom Android user interface. A system-wide screen recorder wasn’t announced until the launch of the Galaxy Note 10 and eventually, it started reaching other devices with One UI 2.0 based on Android 10. Despite being late to launch a native screen recorder, Samsung has added some interesting annotation features like support for on-screen drawing as an overlay. Now, the company is adding more improvements to the screen recording feature with the latest update to a system app called Samsung Capture.

Although minor, these new changes improve the functionality of the Screen Recording feature. To begin with these changes, the toolbar that appears on the top right corner of the screen at the time of recording now gets new Play, Stop, and Pointer buttons.

In addition, Samsung has added a “Skip Countdown” button to begin screen recording right away instead of waiting for the counter to count back from 3.

For improved sorting of recordings, the Screen Capture app on phones running One UI 2 or One UI 2.1 will including the name of the app that is recorded for the longest time in the file name. Screenshots taken on Samsung devices are already named like this.

The update also enables screen recording on Samsung devices during a call, even though the voice from the call will not be recorded. Lastly, the update allows cropping the size of the screenshot for “Screen write” or on-screen annotations along with new Undo and Redo buttons.

The updated version of Screen Capture is available through the Galaxy Store. You can be downloaded on any Samsung device using this link. This feature will not work on smartphones from other brands.

The Screen Recording feature can be activated from the Quick Settings menu on a Samsung smartphone. If you can’t find it, just tap on the three-dot button and then on “Button Order” to reveal the hidden Quick Settings button. Using this option you can unhide the screen recorder on most Samsung smartphones running Android 10 with One UI 2.0 and above.

If you use an older Samsung phone that runs Android 9 Pie or Android Oreo, you can use the steps in this XDA forum post to use the screen recorder on your device.

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phh’s custom Android 10 GSI adds better support for the Razer Phone and new “My Device” settings

Google first announced Project Treble with Android 8.0 Oreo in an effort to bring faster updates to Android devices and minimize the long-standing issue of fragmentation. XDA’s developer community quickly discovered another interesting benefit with this modularization approach: the ability to boot an AOSP Generic System Image (GSI) on any supported device with an unlockable bootloader. After making history by successfully booting AOSP GSI on the Huawei Mate 9, XDA Recognized Developer phhusson has become a lead mentor in the field of community-made custom GSIs. The developer has now updated his vanilla Android 10 based Project Treble GSI AKA Quack Phh-Treble with a new option that greatly simplifies the setup process of various device-specific Treble app presets.

Quack Phh-Treble — XDA Discussion Thread

Dubbed as “My device“, the new section can be found under Treble settings. End users can directly contact their device maintainer with a tap of a finger through this option, as well as visit a community of users for that device. Developers who want to become maintainers, on the other hand, can enlist their names by submitting a simple pull request. The section also serves as a central location for most of the device-specific fixes you need to apply in order to fine-tune the GSI for your Android device (e.g. tweaking a particular vendor fingerprint property), eliminating the tedious trial-and-error part. Here’s a screen recording courtesy of phhusson showing off the newly introduced “My Device” settings.

The latest version of Quack Phh-Treble, tagged as v220, also introduces several platform fixes and a handful of new features like waking up the device using Home hardware button. Moreover, there is a new fix to correctly expose all supported refresh rates on the Razer Phone. There is no change the Android security patch level (SPL), though, as phhusson already integrated June 2020 security patches with his custom Project Treble GSI.

The complete changelog is as follows:

• Fix boot on Moto One Macro
• Fix media on Pie vendors
• Home hardware button can wakeup the device
• Treble settings now list resolution in addition to FPS, some devices can expose multiple resolutions and multiple FPS.
• Fix double tap to wake on Galaxy A51
• Fix fingerprint gestures on Moto One Action
• Fix various SELinux fixes to improve integrated su on Samsung devices
• Fix recent/home/back keys on some Samsung devices
• Expose all refresh rates on Razer Phone (originally only 120Hz was available)

Download Quack Phh-Treble v220

Planning to try out phh’s Android 10 GSI? You should first determine your device variant using the Treble Info app linked below. Users are also advised to take an off-device backup, as the flashing process will require you to factory reset your device.

Treble Info (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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