Galaxy Surprise Confirmed, OnePlus Explains Benchmark Results and Nokia’s Short-lived Leak

Returning to seven days of news and headlines across the Android world, this week’s Android tour features Samsung’s confirmed S Pen Pro, keeping the Galaxy cool, Galaxy Watch 4 leaks, field smartphone battle for Christmas, the short-lived Nokia leak, the potential specifications of the OnePlus Nord 2, the details of the Pixel 6, the benchmark discussion of OnePlus, WhatsApp everywhere and the deactivation of 3G in the UK.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android over the past week (and you can find the weekly Apple News Digest here).

Samsung’s surprising S Pen Pro confirmed

Thanks to the consistently reliable FCC approval process, support for an S Pen Pro in the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has been confirmed; as well as support for flagship Galaxy devices up to Note 10. The stylus will include Bluetooth connectivity and air gestures:

“The next S Pen Pro has Bluetooth LE connectivity, which of course means it supports aerial actions, unlike the standard S Pen model released earlier this year. The Pro model is also larger and contains an internal battery. It’s still unclear how the S Pen Pro will be offered alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and whether it will be included in the retail package or sold separately as an optional accessory. It will likely be the latter, given the S Pen Pro’s compatibility with a variety of other Galaxy devices. “

SamMobile,

Keeping the galaxy cool

According to supply chain reports, Samsung is looking to reintroduce vapor chamber cooling into the Galaxy lineup, starting with next year’s Galaxy S22 flagships. This should allow processors to run at a lower temperature while providing optimal performance:

“Samsung Electronics would reconsider adopting steam chambers for its new smartphones for 2022, which could benefit sales from cooling solution providers, according to upstream supply chain sources.”

Digital hours.

Galaxy Watch 4 spotted in Canada

Thanks to an early registration error from Amazon Canada, we have more details on Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Watch 4. Two sizes have been listed – 42mm and 46mm – along with heart rate, oximeter, VO2, and sleep tracker sensors. The indicated potential release date is August 27:

“For now, nothing other than the fact that the watches will run on the new One UI Watch platform developed by Google and Samsung has been officially revealed. You can read all the rumors surrounding the Galaxy Watch 4 in our separate article. We also have a rounding of features. speculation for the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. “

Pocket plush.

The smartphone battleground of 2021

The battle for the middle market is not only intensifying, but becoming increasingly competitive. Expect there to be a lot more smartphone makers targeting this space before the end of the year:

“Competition in these mid and affordable Premium tiers has increased dramatically: ‘new’ vendors (ie Xiaomi, OPPO and OnePlus) now account for over a third of sales in these segments; a fourfold increase in one year. These “new” vendors also provide Samsung with decent competition for Android flagships. Xiaomi, OPPO, OnePlus, realme and vivo have all released impressive new flagship devices in the first half of 2021. “

Counterpoint search.

Nokia’s short-lived leak

Keen-eyed Nokia fans spotted a new handset appearing on the Nokia.com website this week, only to have the square camera island, the water-soaked handset disappear soon after. If only there was a phone launch coming up …

Nokia Mobile teased a new smartphone (most likely the Nokia XR20 5G) in the official Nokia community. The teaser originally had an image that showed the rear design of a smartphone with a square camera module and a resistor. to the water. Check the image above which was posted with the teaser earlier. If you check the teaser post now by clicking here, the image is gone. “

Nokia Power User.

Are these the OnePlus Nord 2 numbers?

Ahead of a launch slated for later this month, specifications for the OnePlus Nord 2 leaked, choosing both configurations (8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in the first, 12GB / 256GB for the second), a charger fast 65W for the 4,500-man battery, and new AI modes for the cameras:

According to Brar, OnePlus Nord 2 will support more than seven 5G network bands and the 4,500mAh battery will be supported by 65W fast charging support, likely the one seen on the OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 9 series. charges from 0 to 100% in just 30 minutes It has already been revealed that the OnePlus Nord 2 will have three cameras on the back, compromising a Sony IMX766 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2MP mono sensor.

91 smartphones.

Latest Pixel 6 Leak

Following the reveal of the “camera bar” design of Google’s upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro handsets, Jon Prosser has all the specs ahead of the handset’s launch. Two things caught my attention that may well be confusing. The first is the use of Google’s own “Whitechapel” processor, the second being the potential for five years of software updates:

“Both devices are equipped with Google’s custom chipset, WiFI 6E, support 5G and are AER certified… I am told that Google is committing to at least 5 years of software updates for these two devices, which is great news if you’re looking to get your hands on these phones. “

Home page technology.

Talking benchmarks

After its brief statement last week, OnePlus posted more detailed information on its forums on how it handles app optimizations, a topic highlighted by third-party benchmarking tools that have removed the OnePlus 9. and 9 Pro:

“With that in mind, our team has shifted their focus from simply providing pure performance to delivering the performance you expect from our devices while reducing power consumption and heat dissipation. To be more precise, we want to match each application with the most appropriate performance it takes. “

OnePlus Forum.

WhatsApp everywhere?

Facebook is working on decoupling WhatsApp from a single smartphone, to make it a messaging service that can run on multiple devices simultaneously for each account … personally, I’m looking forward to a standalone PC client, but I’m curious to see how it works. maintains the promise of end-to-end encryption:

“Today we are announcing the deployment of a limited public beta test for the updated multi-device capability of WhatsApp … Each companion device will connect to your WhatsApp independently while maintaining the same level of privacy and security. with the end-to-end encryption that WhatsApp users have come to expect. “

Facebook Engineering Blog.

And finally…

The UK EE network is preparing to deactivate 3G over the next two years. 2G will remain for another ten years, but the switch to 4G and especially 5G has created market conditions conducive to the rationalization of the network. No plan has been announced by EE’s parent company, O2, so this could be seen as a first test balloon:

As the demand for 4G and 5G continued to increase, the traffic carried over the old 3G and 2G networks decreased, he said. Less than 3% of the data traffic and 25% of the voice traffic was carried over 3G in March. EE is the first operator to set a deadline to stop supporting 3G services in early 2023, with customers encouraged to move away in a gradual transition in the coming months ”, a- he said in an online presentation.

Reuters.

Android Circuit provides updates on the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Be sure to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister topic in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!