Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 may have an S Pen, 120Hz display, 512GB storage

The Samsung Galaxy Fold was one of the most innovative smartphones from last year. There were some missteps in its early days, but at its core, the Fold was a glimpse into the future. We are now in prime leak season for the phone’s successor which is rumored to be called the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2. If these details we’re hearing are anything to go by, then the Galaxy Fold may be the most interesting device this year, too.

Most of the new information we’ve learned today comes from a company called Display Supply Chain Consultants, or DSCC. Before we summarize the report, it is worth mentioning that DSCC claims the Fold 2 is code-named “Project Champ” while we found evidence in kernel source code referring to the device as Project Winner2. We are thus not sure if Project Champ is a different code-name for the Galaxy Fold 2 or if it’s an entirely different device. At the moment, we are going to assume these two devices are the same models but are referred to by two different codenames.

In a recent report, DSCC mentions the specifications of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 as well as other upcoming foldable devices. We reached out to DSCC for the specifications of the Galaxy Fold 2 and we were given some interesting details. First off, DSCC claims the main display will be a 7.59″ flexible Dynamic AMOLED display. The backplane technology will be based on LTPO, or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide, which will enable variable refresh rate and better energy efficiency. The display will reportedly have a resolution of 2213 x 1689 pixels and the pixel density will be 372 ppi. DSCC also claims that the display will have a 120Hz refresh rate. As for the main display camera, DSCC claims that Samsung wanted to do an under-display camera but couldn’t make the original shipment timing. Instead, the Fold 2 will reportedly have a hole-punch cutout for the main display camera. According to my own sources, there will be a Galaxy Z Flip-like hole-punch cutout in the top right corner.

DSCC’s report also mentions some details on the front display. Specifically, they claim the front display will be 6.23″ with a resolution of 2267×819. The front panel will have a standard 60Hz refresh rate like the original Galaxy Fold. This display will be a Dynamic AMOLED display with a backplane of LTPS, or low-temperature polycrystalline silicon. LTPS is very similar to LTPO but with reduced efficiency. DSCC also claims the front display will have a hole-punch cutout that will likely be centered.

Concept creator Ben Geskin took to Twitter with renders of what he believes this device will look like based off of DSCC’s information. These renders help us visualize what the actual device may end up looking like, and I think it looks quite good.

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DSCC isn’t the only one with more information about the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, though. According to our own sources, the Galaxy Fold 2 will come in 2 different models: a 4G and 5G version. These will be sold in different regions with the main difference being the modem firmware and antenna hardware. Both the 4G and 5G versions of the phone will use either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 or the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ depending on the production speed of the supply chain. Our sources have also told us that Samsung will be using UTG, also known as Ultra Thin Glass, on the Galaxy Fold 2. DSCC corroborates this and elaborated further by saying that Samsung would be using an improved plastic layer to help with scratch resistance. This will be for a few different reasons, but the main reason is for S Pen support. Samsung wants to include an S Pen so they need to also include a harder plastic layer so the display won’t scratch. The other reason, of course, is to address customer concerns with the existing Fold’s display.

Our source also claims there will be two storage sizes: 256GB and 512GB. SamMobile previously reported that a 256GB version of the Galaxy Fold 2 will be available, which we can corroborate. We are also able to corroborate a previous rumor from a Korean blogger on Naver. They claimed that the Galaxy Fold 2 will be available in 2 of the original Galaxy Fold colors: Martian Green and Astro Blue. Our source had previously told us this as well. We are not sure if these colors will make it to market, though. Our source also told us Samsung was working on an ultra-premium version of the Galaxy Fold 2 made of ceramic and stainless steel. This version will likely not make it to market, and if it does, it will be limited edition and only available in specific regions.

As for the camera, the Galaxy Fold 2 is likely going to use the same rear camera setup as the Samsung Galaxy S20+. There were rumors that it would be using the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra camera setup, and while that might have been true on some prototypes, we are told the latest ones borrow the setup from the Galaxy S20+. This means the Fold 2 should have a 12MP main sensor, 64MP secondary/telephoto sensor, and 12MP ultra-wide sensor along with a TOF sensor. The front cameras are either going to be a 10MP or 40MP sensor.

According to our source, Samsung also wants to include a battery at least as large as 4,500 mAh. Our source claimed Samsung was aiming for a battery between 4,500 mAh and 5,000 mAh in capacity, and since then, they have likely decided on a capacity for product. We were also told Samsung wanted to include 45W Super Fast Charging but that they are likely going to limit the Galaxy Fold 2 to 25W Super Fast Charging. This is for both heating and battery health concerns. The Galaxy Fold 2 will still support wireless and reverse wireless charging, we’re told. The reverse wireless charging will be upgraded from 5W to 9W.

As a Galaxy Fold owner, all of these rumored improvements are exciting to hear. The original Galaxy Fold was one of my favorite phones of 2019, and I enjoyed every minute of using it. You really can’t get what it’s like using a foldable phone until you use one yourself. Hopefully, the Galaxy Fold 2 is more reasonably priced so more people can enjoy it!

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OPPO Reno2/Z, F11/F11 Pro, A9, and R17 receive stable Android 10 with ColorOS 7

OPPO’s ColorOS is known for borrowing inspiration from the design elements of iOS, but with the introduction of ColorOS 7 (our review), the company performed a complete visual overhaul on their custom UX while upgrading the underlying layer to Android 10. With the passage of time, the company published a preliminary timeline regarding the update rollout plan for the global units and eventually started beta testing of ColorOS 7 on the OPPO F11 series. After continuing the public beta event on several other phones for a while, OPPO has now started pushing out the stable Android 10 update to the global variants of the OPPO Reno2, OPPO Reno Z, OPPO F11, OPPO F11 Pro, OPPO A9, and the OPPO R17.

XDA Forums: OPPO Reno2 || OPPO Reno Z || OPPO F11 || OPPO R17

A recently released roadmap on the ColorOS global forums did hint about the arrival of the stable version of ColorOS 7 for the aforementioned phones (including the OPPO F11 Pro Marvel’s Avengers Limited Edition), while the OPPO Reno2 Z should join the club by April 25. The OPPO F11 lineup and the OPPO A9 share a common firmware, thus the build version of the Android 10 OTA is CPH1969EX_11.C.20 for all of them. The OPPO Reno Z is getting software version CPH1979_C.21, while the owners of the OPPO Reno2 should expect the build number CPH1907PUEX_11.C.25 for the latest update. Lastly, the OPPO R17 units are receiving CPH1879EX_F.03 build.

Here is the official changelog (expand) for the ColorOS 7 update for these phones:

ColorOS 7 Changelog

• Visuals
  • Brand new borderless design makes visuals more attractive and operation more efficient.
  • Added OPPO Sans as the default font. The new font delivers a refreshing feel and fits well with OPPO’s pursuit of blending beauty and technology.
• Smart Sidebar
  • Optimised user interfaces and improved one-handed operation.
  • Drag an app out of Smart Sidebar to open it in Split-screen mode.
  • Added two settings: Assistive Ball Opacity and Hide Assistive Ball on Fullscreen App.
  • Optimised the Floating Window feature for more apps.
  • Added a bubble: A bubble is displayed when you open an app in a floating window from the Smart Sidebar. Tap the bubble to collapse and open the app.
• Screenshot
  • Optimised 3-Finger Screenshot: Use 3 fingers to touch and hold the screen and swipe your fingers to adjust the screenshot size. Use 3 fingers to touch and hold the screen and swipe your fingers outwards to capture a long screenshot.
  • Added screenshot settings: You can adjust the position of the screenshot preview floating window and set the screenshot sound.
  • Optimised screenshot preview floating window: After taking a screenshot, drag it up and release to share it, or drag it down and release to take a long screenshot.
• Navigation Gestures 3.0
  • New gesture: Swipe inward from both sides of the screen and then hold to switch to the previous app.
  • Optimised gestures: All gestures are supported in landscape mode.
• System
  • Added Dark Mode: Protects your eyes while reducing power consumption.
  • Added Focus Mode: Shields you from outside distractions when you are learning or working.
  • Added all new charging animation.
  • Optimised the Quick Settings user interface for easier one-handed operation.
  • Swipe left or right to ignore banner notifications.
  • Added a pause function for screen recording.
  • Added a floating window and settings for screen recording.
  • New sounds added for file deletion, calculator key touches, and compass pointer.
  • Optimised system pre-loaded ringtones.
  • Added TalkBack floating prompts for Accessibility.
  • Colour Accessibility Mode added to improve the user experience for visually impaired users.
  • New management function for recent tasks: You can view memory information about recent tasks and lock apps.
• Games
  • Optimised visual interaction for Game Space.
  • Optimised the startup animation for Game Space.
• Home Screen
  • More live wallpapers.
  • Added Art+ static wallpapers.
  • Customise whether to open Global Search or the notification drawer when swiping down on the Home screen.
  • Customise the size, shape, and style of app icons on the Home screen.
  • Swipe up on the Lock screen to switch unlock methods.
  • Optimised the graphic design of password unlocks to facilitate one-handed operations.
  • Supported live wallpapers on the Lock screen.
  • More screen-off clock styles.
  • Added a simple Home screen mode, featuring larger fonts and icons and a clearer layout.
• Security
  • Connect your phone to Wi-Fi networks using a random MAC address to avoid targeted ads and protect your privacy.
• Tools
  • In Quick Settings or Smart Sidebar, you can open Calculator in a floating
  • Added the trim feature in Recordings.
  • Added the Weather (dynamic) ringtone, which automatically adapts to the current weather.
  • Added weather-adaptive animations in Weather.
• Camera
  • Optimised the Camera UI for better user experience.
  • Optimised the Timer UI and sound.
• Photos
  • Optimised the Album UI for a clear hierarchy and quick lookup of photos.
  • Added Album Recommendations that recognises more than 80 different scenes.
• Communications
  • OPPO Share now supports sharing files with vivo and Xiaomi devices.
  • Optimised the Contacts UI for a more efficient experience.
• Settings
  • Search Settings now supports fuzzy match and contains a search history.
• Applications
  • Soloop Video Editor: Create your video with one tap.
  • Added DocVault, an app for easy management and use of your digital ID cards (available only on phones sold in India).

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Source: ColorOS forums (1, 2, 3, 4)

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[Update 2: Weather Info] Ambient Mode will bring enhanced lockscreen functionality to Chrome OS

Update 2 (4/20/2020 @ 2:20 PM ET): Chrome OS‘ Ambient Mode will also show weather info on the lock screen.

Update 1 (4/2/2020 @ 4:20 PM ET): Chrome OS’ Ambient Mode feature is now partially working.

Over the last couple of months, we’ve learned about several features from Android making their way over to Chrome OS. Back in December last year, Chrome OS 79 introduced media controls on the lock screen, something that we’ve had on Android for quite a while. Then, early in January, Chrome OS 80 introduced Android 10-like gestures to the platform. Following that, Google released a new Quick Answers feature on the Chrome OS Canary channel, which works quite a lot like the contextual shortcuts on Android and provides information/relevant suggestions for highlighted texts. Now, we have reason to believe that Chrome OS could be getting Android’s new Ambient Mode soon.

Google announced the new Ambient Mode at the IFA trade show last year. The mode essentially allows you to turn any Android smartphone or tablet into a smart display. You can then use it to show information from your calendar, the current weather, notifications, reminders, music controls, and even smart home controls. Initially, the feature was only made available for a couple of devices. Just this month, however, OnePlus announced that it was also releasing the feature on all its phones starting from the OnePlus 3. Now, we’ve spotted a new commit in the Chromium Gerrit that adds a new feature flag. The flag description states “enable Ambient Mode to show an enhanced lock screen with more functions”, thus making it clear that this Ambient Mode in Chrome OS will be for more than just showing images.

Information about this new Ambient Mode was first spotted by ChromeStory on the Chromium Gerrit back in July last year. At the time, the only information that was known was that the feature would let you view your wallpapers as a slideshow on the lock screen. Following this new revelation, we can now be sure that this feature is related to the Ambient Mode on Android and might allow users to view information from their calendar, the weather app, notifications, reminders, and more right on the lock screen. Once the recently spotted commit is merged, a flag for the feature will be accessible at chrome://flags#enable-ambient-mode.

Source: Chromium Gerrit

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Update 1: Partially Working

Chrome OS’ Ambient Mode feature is slowly making progress. In Chrome OS 83 Canary, we were able to enable a flag to see the new Ambient Mode settings. These new settings appear in the system settings under “Personalization.” Currently, there are two options for Ambient Mode: Google Photos and Art Gallery. Neither work right now, but you can imagine how this will look.

The flag describes Ambient Mode as an “enhanced lock screen with more functions.” As we wrote in the original article above, this will eventually evolve into more than just a screensaver for images. It can essentially turn your Chromebook into a Smart Display. This feature is still in very early development, so it should be quite some time before we see it in beta and stable channels.

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Update 2: Weather Info

Chrome OS’ Ambient Mode is still a work in progress and more features have been discovered. Google is working on adding “glanceable information” to the Ambient view. A new commit specifically mentions weather information, which would be extremely useful. The commit says weather information would be shown as “part of the glanceable information on ambient screen,” implying there will be other information provided.

Via: Chrome Unboxed

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Stay Connected With up to 60% off these Power Banks and Wireless Chargers

Keeping all your devices and accessories charged can feel like a never-ending chore. However, there are ways to make the process less painful. These portable power banks and smart wireless chargers should have you back up to 100% in no time. Right now, you can get up to 60% off the MSRP at the XDA Developers Depot.

1) Crave PowerPack 2: 50,000mAh Battery Charger

This portable power pack has a monstrous 50,000mAh capacity and four charging ports. These outputs are split between Power Delivery and QC 3.0, meaning you can charge laptops, phones, cameras, and other devices at top speed. Normally $249.99, it’s now only $189.99.

2) Clutch Slim Portable Charger

Billed as the world’s thinnest portable charger, Clutch is the size of a credit card and only 0.15 inches thick. Despite these tiny dimensions, the charger has a capacity of 2,300mAh and a built-in Lightning connector for iOS devices. Clutch earned a 4-star review from iMore, and it’s currently 10% off at $35.99.

3) SaniCharge Phone UV Sanitizer

On average, there are 10 times more germs on smartphones than on toilets. SaniCharge provides a quick solution — this sanitizer uses UV light to eliminate harmful bacteria in just a few minutes. At the same time, it charges your phone and acts as a diffuser. Worth $99.95, this 3-in-1 device is now only $37.99.

4) 2-in-1 Wireless Charger + UV Sanitizer

Another great option for sterilization, this wireless charger has a UV-C lamp that kills 99.9% of germs. The base offers 5W and 10W charging, and you can use the sterilizer with many other items. It retails for $44.99, but the charger-sterilizer is now $37.99.

5) Marble Wireless Charging Pad

This beautiful wireless charger has a top surface made from genuine Italian carrara marble. The pad works with all Qi-compatible devices, providing excellent charging speed and safety features. Usually $69, the marble charger is now just $55.99.

6) 4-in-1 Versatile Wireless Charger

The perfect addition to any nightstand, this 4-in-1 wireless charger lets you power two phones, your Apple Watch, and your wireless earbuds. It works with both Apple and Samsung devices, with an upright podium that allows you to check the time. Normally priced at $60, it’s now only $40.95.

7) Suction Powered Wireless Charger

This innovative wireless charger sticks to the back of your phone via mini suction cups. As a result, you can easily continue using your phone while it soaks up power, with room on either side for a solid grip. It usually retails for $69, but you can grab the suction charge now for $51.95.

8) CORE Power 26,800mAh Portable USB Battery Pack

With a generous capacity and dual QC 3.0 USB ports, the CORE Power battery pack helps you stay connected on the move. IntelliQ Smart Chip technology allows the battery to identify the perfect output for each device, meaning you can charge up to four times faster. It’s currently 15% off at $101.99 when you use code MOBILE15 at checkout.

Prices subject to change 

More from the XDA Developers Depot

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• New skills you can learn without leaving home

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OnePlus 8 Pro unbrick tool is now available

Devices with Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets feature an alternative boot mode called Emergency Download Mode (EDL), which is strictly intended for OEM servicing. With the right combination of model-specific software binaries (usually referred to as programmers) and EDL flashing tool, it is possible to revive a hard bricked device that has lost Fastboot access. OnePlus, for example, labels their EDL flasher as “MsmDownloadTool”, which is used by customer support representatives to perform a low-level flash on your device to restore the factory firmware. The company has apparently upgraded their repository to support the newly-released OnePlus 8 series, as the MsmDownloadTool for the OnePlus 8 Pro is now up for grabs.

OnePlus 8 Pro XDA Forums || OnePlus 8 Pro XDA Review

Apart from unbricking, the EDL package is especially useful to carry out a downgrade, as neither the stock recovery nor the local update option of OxygenOS allows end-users to do so. Triggering the EDL boot mode is quite simple – all you need to do is turn off your OnePlus 8 Pro, then hold down both volume up and volume down buttons and plug the phone into your PC. The flasher should detect the phone automatically, otherwise, you need to install the correct driver linked in the thread below. Keep in mind that the flashing tool will wipe your phone, and re-lock the bootloader as well.

MsmDownloadTool for the global and Indian OnePlus 8 Pro — XDA Thread

Due to the scope of access over the device’s storage, the EDL mode is often exploited by security researchers as well as the modding community. As a preventive measure, companies like Nokia and Xiaomi have imposed server-side lockdowns over the flashing procedure. Fortunately, owners of the OnePlus 8 don’t need to go through all these troubles, and the MsmDownloadTool (based on OxygenOS 10.5.4) even allows cross-flashing the Indian firmware on the global units (and vice-versa). It is still advised to take a backup of the ‘persist’ partition before cross-flashing as the fingerprint scanner may give an error related to some enrollment issues afterward.

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Download the new Hydrogen Icon Pack from the OnePlus 8

Following the customary period of leaks and teasers, OnePlus finally lifted the covers off the new OnePlus 8 series earlier this month. The new OnePlus 8 (review) and OnePlus 8 Pro (review), featured several improvements over the OnePlus 7T series, including Qualcomm’s latest flagship Snapdragon 865 chip, a new 120Hz high refresh rate display on the OnePlus 8 Pro, and more. On the software front as well, the company added some highly-requested features to OxygenOS, including native Google Discover feed integration and a new Hydrogen icon pack. While we aren’t sure if these features will be released for older OnePlus devices via a software update, you can now download the Hydrogen icon pack on your phone right away.

 

Thanks to our tispter, the Hydrogen icon pack is available as a standalone APK on APKMirror that you can download and install on any older OnePlus device. As you can see in the screenshot above, the new icon pack features square icons with rounded edges that fall in line with Google’s requirements to make every Play Store icon a squircle for uniformity. To use the icon pack, just follow the link below and download the Hydrogen icon pack APK on your device. Once you’ve successfully installed the APK, you’ll be able to use the icon pack by setting it up from within the OnePlus Launcher settings. Additionally, the company also released some cool new wallpapers with the OnePlus 8 series that you can download by following this link.

Download Hydrogen Icon Pack from APKMirror

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Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for the screenshot and tip!

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Popular Android app store “Aptoide” suffers major data breach

Portugal-based third-party Android app store Aptoide, which has previously been in the headlines for accusing Google of unfair treatment, has now suffered a major data breach. According to a recent report from ZDNet, the data breach affects 20 million users of the app store, whose personal information has now been shared on a renowned hacking forum. The publication was able to acquire a copy of the leaked data, in collaboration with data breach monitoring service Under the Breach, which consists of information like the user’s email address, hashed password, real name, sign-up date, sign-up IP address, device details, and date of birth (if provided).

The report further reveals that the data breach affects users who registered or used the Aptoide app store between July 21, 2016, and January 28, 2018. The leaked data, which was obtained by a hacker earlier this month, has been shared as a PostgreSQL file which also consists of technical information like account status, sign-up tokens, developer tokens, and more. The leaked data is part of a larger batch of 39 million user records, which the hacker obtained from the app store. As of now, Aptoide has not released an official comment on the matter despite ZDNet’s efforts to contact the company. It’s also worth noting that the leaked data is still available for download on the aforementioned hacking forum.

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Source: ZDNet

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