Tuesday, July 31, 2018

ARCore 1.4 adds support for its first Chromebook, Google Pixel 3, Xiaomi Mi 8 SE, and more

Google ARCore

ARCore is Google's platform for augmented reality applications. Unlike its predecessor, Google Tango, it doesn't need dedicated hardware to support AR. It uses the existing camera hardware and sensors on your device, making it compatible with a range of devices. Version 1.4 of the application is starting to roll out and it brings support for the first Chromebook (the Acer Chromebook Tab 10), the upcoming Google Pixel 3 and Huawei Mate 20 Lite, the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE, and much more.

An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by Google in a future build.

Here's the list of devices that currently support Google's augmented reality platform, as taken from the official page.

List of devices that support Google ARCore as of August 1st, 2018

* Samsung Galaxy devices with a model number that ends in 0 or 8 are not supported.

Since our last update (ARCore 1.3), the OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 6,  Nokia 7.1 Plus, LG V30+ JOJO, Motorola Moto G6, Motorola Moto Z3 Play, and Xiaomi Mi 8 have been added to the official list of supported devices. The Essential Phone and Nokia 8 will eventually support ARCore according to Essential and HMD Global respectively, but it doesn't look like either device is included in the latest release. In any case, here's the list of devices that are expected to support the AR platform according to our teardown of version 1.4 of the app.

List of devices that will soon support Google ARCore

  • Acer Chromebook Tab 10 (scarlet_cheets)
  • Google Pixel 3 (blueline)
  • Google Pixel 3 XL (crosshatch)
  • Huawei Nova 3 (PAR)
  • Huawei Mate 20 Lite (SNE)
  • Motorola Moto X4 (regular and Project Fi/Android One) (payton, payton_sprout)
  • Nokia 8 (NB1)
  • RED Hydrogen One (HydrogenONE)
  • Samsung Galaxy A6 (a6lte)
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (gts4llte, gts4llteatt, gts4lltechn, gts4lltekx, gts4lltespr, gts4lltetmo, gts4llteusc, gts4lltevzw, gts4lwifi, gts4lwifichn)
  • Sony Xperia X Compact (F5321, SO-02J, )
  • Sony Xperia X Performance (502SO, F8131, F8132, SO-04H, SOV33)
  • Sony Xperia XZ2 (702SO, H8276, SO-03K,)
  • Vivo 1805 (1805)
  • Vivo NEX S (PD1805)
  • Vivo NEX A (PD1806)
  • Xiaomi Mi 8 SE (sirius)
  • Xiaomi Pocophone F1 (beryllium)
  • Unknown (akatsuki, deen_sprout, H8416, H9436, H9433, phoenix_sprout)

The most interesting new addition to this list is the Acer Chromebook Tab 10, the first Chrome OS tablet. We spotted evidence that ARCore would be made available on Chrome OS devices back in March, but we weren't sure what devices would support it. Perhaps the detachable HP Chromebook X2 and future tablet/detachable Chromebook devices will be next on the list.

Other notable additions to the list are the Google Pixel 3 (blueline) and Google Pixel 3 XL (crosshatch), of which the latter was recently leaked on our forums not once but twice. The upcoming Huawei Mate 20 Lite (SNE) is also listed, which showed up in our massive list of unreleased devices as well as our recent leak of the bigger Huawei Mate 20 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro. The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE (sirius) and suspected Xiaomi Pocophone F1 (beryllium) make an appearance as well. We would like to note that this release of ARCore is actually the first public appearance of Xiaomi's "beryllium" device since we first leaked its existence earlier this month. Next, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is also listed as are a few devices for which we have little information on (apart from "phoenix_sprout" which notable leaker Roland Quandt believes to be an upcoming Nokia-branded smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710.)

We can't say for certain when the listed devices will receive support for ARCore. Google hasn't updated the official listing since last month. You can check for yourself whether it's enabled by downloading ARCore from the Google Play Store below—if it installs and you can launch a supported app like the one linked below, then you know it works. Let us know below if your device is supported!

ARCore by Google (Free, Google Play) →

Just a Line - Draw Anywhere, with AR (Free, Google Play) →

Check out this video by Google to see ARCore in action if you've never used or seen it before.



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Samsung Galaxy Tab E gets Android Oreo Go Edition via unofficial LineageOS 15.1

lineageos 15.1 sony xperia xa2

Tablets don't get a lot of love in the development community. They aren't very popular in general, especially to average consumers. However, XDA Recognised Developer vince2678 is releasing an unofficial Android Oreo Go Edition build of LineageOS 15.1 for the Samsung Galaxy Tab E. That tablet came out in 2015 and isn't exactly the most powerful of devices, hence why it's getting an Android Oreo Go Edition build.

For those curious about Android Go, it can be used to run new versions of Android on older hardware to great effect. The Samsung Galaxy Tab E will certainly benefit from a light weight Android variant. Not only does it thrive on lower-RAM, but the applications themselves work just fine on weaker processors too. You can check out the thread below for instructions on how to flash it!

Unofficial LineageOS 15.1 for the Samsung Galaxy Tab E



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Google Pixel & Google Pixel XL now support official LineageOS 15.1

LineageOS 15.1 for the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL

After adding support for devices with A/B partitions (which you can learn more about here), LineageOS 15.1 now officially supports the first-generation Google Pixel and Pixel XL. The Pixel smartphones now join the Motorola Moto Z2 Force and Xiaomi Mi A1 as the first batch of A/B smartphones that support the custom ROM. We expect other A/B devices like the Pixel 2 and OnePlus 6 to eventually receive support too (both already have unofficial builds and a growing developer community).

Download LineageOS 15.1 for the Google Pixel and Pixel XL

Here are the links to the official download pages on the LineageOS website.

Download LineageOS 15.1 for the Google Pixel (sailfish)

Download LineageOS 15.1 for the Pixel XL (marlin)

And here are the instructions you'll need to install the custom ROM.

How to install LineageOS 15.1 for the Google Pixel (sailfish)

How to install LineageOS 15.1 for the Pixel XL (marlin)

Lastly, be sure to visit the XDA forum for each device to stay up to date on the latest developments for each device. You'll also find support threads if you have any issues.

XDA Forum for the Google Pixel (sailfish)

XDA Forum for the Pixel XL (marlin)

Cheers to razorloves and intervigil on the LineageOS team for making this happen!



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[Update: Live in North America] HTC U12+ update adds camera auto zoom, improved pressure sensitive buttons, & more

HTC U12+

Update 7/31: This update for the HTC U12+ is now rolling out in North America.

The HTC U12+ was released just last month, and it brought a lot of controversies. One of the main reasons for that is the buttons, or rather, the lack of buttons. Instead of standard physical ones, HTC went with pressure sensitive buttons. Not many people have been happy with HTC's approach. The good news is the company seems to have listened to its customers and is trying to improve the buttons. The new update just aired in Taiwan, which brought the June security patch as well as some buttons and camera improvements.

I'm quite confused about why they included the June security patch instead of the more recent July patch, but receiving a security update is always welcome. The camera application got an "auto zoom" feature, which lets you adjust the zoom by swiping on a gray dot. Not much of an automatic process, as the name implies. It is definitely different from Sonic Zoom, which automatically zooms in on the source of the audio.

As for the buttons, HTC made them more responsive and synchronized with this update. HTC U12+ users also reported that double-tapping on the Edge gesture is more accurate and reliable. As I already mentioned, the update is only rolling out to users in Taiwan at this time. It is only 422MB in size and bumps the system version to 1.21.709.3. The update will roll out in other regions, including Europe and North America, over the next few weeks.

Update: Rolling out in North America

True to their word, the update is now rolling out in North America. The update comes in at 437.1 MB and includes all of the same features highlighted above.


Photos via @ChengmingAlpert



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Honor Note 10 is a massive 6.9-inch smartphone

Honor Note 10

People have been complaining about smartphones getting bigger and bigger for years. Some like the ability to reach all major portions of the screen when holding the device in one hand. Others are using their phones more and more for TV, movie, and gaming consumption so they prefer the bigger screens. This trend seemed to reach a certain plateau until companies moved away from the 16:9 aspect ratio and now it's happening again with the slimming down of the bezels. Honor is certainly one of the companies that stays on top of the leading trends and they have officially launched the Honor Note 10 with a whopping 6.9-inch display.

When screens of this size are starting to get released, we have to take a step back and put things into perspective. Google released two Nexus tablets with displays that spanned 7 inches from corner to corner. Amazon has a Fire HD tablet that has a 7-inch display as well. Naturally, the Honor Note 10 doesn't have big bezels like those tablets do, but it does give you an idea of the size of this phone. This device isn't going to be a slouch in the hardware department either with the company using the HiSilicon Kirin 970 SoC.

The Honor Note 10 will have 6GB and 8GB of RAM so you can switch between applications and games with minimal lag. Naturally, it will be equipped with Android 8.1 Oreo with the latest version of EMUI. The initial launch event for the Honor Note 10 is taking place today, July 31st and it's for the Chinese market.

The device will be available via Vmall, JD.com, Suning.com, and Tmall tomorrow, August 1st in China. The 6GB + 64GB model will cost 2799 yuan, the 6GB + 128GB model will cost 3199 yuan, and the 8GB + 128GB model will cost 3599 yuan. The phone comes in two colors: Magic Night Black and Phantom Blue. Check out the full spec sheet below.

Specs Honor Note 10
Display 6.95-inch, AMOLED, 18.5:9, 1080 × 2220 pixels
OS Android 8.1 (EMUI 8.2)
Dimensions 177×85×7.65(mm)
Weight 230 (g)
Connectivity 900MHz, 1800MHz, 800MHz, 2GHz, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41 (2555-2575 MHZ, 2575-2635 MHZ, 2635-2655 MHZ), Band 1, Band 3, 1.9GHz, I, VIII
SoC Kirin 970 @ 2.4Ghz
RAM 6GB, 8GB
Storage 64GB, 128GB
Battery 4,900mAh
Colors Magic Night Black, Phantom Blue
MicroSD Slot Yes, 256GB max
Cameras Rear =16MP + 24MP f/1.8, Front = 13MP f/2.0

Source: Honor China



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Google Clock app can now use Spotify for alarms

spotify google clock alarm

Unless you're an expert at getting up at the same time every morning, an alarm clock is a necessary evil. There's nothing worse than hearing the obnoxious beeping when you're deep in sleep. The Play Store has plenty of great alarm clock apps that can help make the wake-up experience as stress-free as possible. Today, Google has announced Spotify integration in their own Google Clock app, which should make mornings a little more enjoyable.

An update is rolling out this week that adds a Spotify tab to the alarm sound options. You will need the Spotify app installed on your phone to use it. The tab shows your recently played music, Spotify's curated morning playlists, and a search button so you can find anything you want. When the alarm goes off you'll hear the selected music. You will have the option to continue listening to music after you turn off the alarm. This feature works for both Free and Premium subscribers.

It's interesting that Google is not integrating with YouTube Music, which is their new music streaming platform. Spotify is obviously a lot more popular, but you'd think Google would promote their own service. Google says this feature will be rolling out globally this week for Android 5.0+ devices. Make sure you have the latest versions of the Google Clock app and Spotify installed. Mornings just got a little more musical. How do you wake up in the morning? Do you use music or standard alarm sounds?

Clock (Free, Google Play) →

Spotify Music (Free, Google Play) →



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Coffee-Working helps you find the nearest coffee shop you can study or work in

coffee-working

Have you ever wanted to find a nice coffee shop to simply sit down, grab a coffee, and do some work or study in? If you answered yes, you aren't alone. XDA Senior Member crazyfool_1 feels the same, so they created Coffee-Working which does exactly that. It can give you information on the number of seats available, power outlets, Wi-Fi availability, and more. All information within the app is submitted by users, so if it doesn't work in your locality there's nothing stopping you from helping out. There are currently coffee shops in London, New York, San Fransisco, Mexico City, Bali, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Toronto, Montreal, and a few others as well. Coffee-Working is available on the Google Play Store and you can download it and install it below!

coffee-working coffee-working coffee-working

Coffee Working (Free, Google Play) →

Coffee-Working XDA Forum Thread



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Google publishes guidelines on supporting phones with notches on Android P

oneplus 6 notch

The year 2017 gave birth to the notch trend, for better or for worse. The Essential Phone is widely regarded as the phone that kickstarted the display notch trend, with Apple shortly following up on that trend with the iPhone X—and making it the norm on 2018 flagship phones in the process. Since then, we've had our fair share of notched devices, including the LG G7 ThinQ, the Huawei P20, and the OnePlus 6. OEMs can't hide the front camera and other sensors under the display yet, and we're yet to see whether moving sensors (like the ones in the Oppo Find X and the Vivo Nex) are a reliable alternative. Notches/display cutouts and extended aspect ratios (18:9, 19:9, 19.5:9) are the next logical step as the screen-to-body ratio keeps growing bigger and bigger. Google is making sure Android P will properly support them.

Mixed feelings aside, Google has published a guide to properly support phones with display cutouts on your Android app. The final version of Android P will include full support for display notches in all shapes and forms, including regular notches, double notches (top + bottom notch), and corner cutouts—which makes sense, since the Pixel 3 XL is touted to be the first Pixel device to rock a display notch. So it makes complete sense for Google to give developers a heads up on how to properly support a notch in their apps.

With that in mind, for the most part, your app should still function just as well with the display notch, since the Android system already takes care of UI elements so that they don't get in the way of the notch. But you can tweak your app to actually take advantage of that space properly. Since we're expecting to see a lot more notched devices in 2018 and 2019, which will launch with Android P, it's a smart move to prepare for it beforehand. You can have a look at Google's guidelines below. While you're at it, if you haven't done so yet, it'd be a good idea to adapt your application to taller aspect ratios as well.


Source: Android Developers Blog



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Chromebooks still don’t support spell check in Android apps

Chrome OS Spell Check

Despite all of the work being put into Chrome OS recently, there are a few problems with the platform – even now. With all of the Android-ification of Chrome OS recently as well, some functionality being left out is surprising. One of these is the lack of spell check support within Android apps. If you're using any of the available Chromebooks and run an Android application on your device, you can't make use of what would be Android's native spell checker.

The issue is made worse given that the bug was first reported on the Google Chromebook help forum in early 2017. Following that some 8 months later, an issue report was posted in the Chromium bug tracker. It outlines the problem and explains the intended behaviour, pointing out what actually happens as a result. It has been starred 35 times since its initial report, which one would expect is enough to warrant and official response. Those looking to do any writing on their Chromebooks through an Android application will have to use the likes of Microsoft Word, which has its own built-in spell check.

But why do we need a spell checker on a laptop anyway? Chromebooks are often used for productivity, and those who may have trouble spelling (such as those with dyslexia) may benefit greatly from its inclusion. Omitting spell check means that the platform alienates a whole group of people that may need to use it. We can only hope that the advent of Gboard on Chromebooks may be indicative of a spell checker being included, but it's nowhere near a guarantee. There is no real workaround for this issue at the moment, and you'll have to resort to using Chrome OS applications if you want a spell checker. It's possible that it's a limitation of how Chrome OS utilizes Android apps, but we would at least hope for an official statement nearly a year later.



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Motorola Moto G5 gets Android 8.1 Oreo soak test in Brazil

It's raining soak tests for Lenovo's Moto G5-lineup. It began with the Moto G5S Plus receiving its Android Oreo 8.1 soak test, followed by the Moto G5 Plus. Now, the Motorola Moto G5 (device codename: cedric) is receiving the love as soak tests for Android Oreo have begun in Brazil and other regions.

As shared with us by Telegram user @alanmax_tech, the Android 8.1 update comes in at a decent 1108 MB in size and has build number 28.85-3. As seen with the previous soak tests, the update also brings along the July 2018 Android security patch.

As usual, the changelog for the update includes:

Android 8.1 Oreo: many enhancements including new multitasking features, more efficient notification controls, improved data saver and battery features, new power menu UI and Bluetooth improvements.

Users in Brazil and other eligible countries who want to participate in this soak test need to enroll their device to Motorola's Feedback Network (MFN). Soak tests are essentially closed betas, rolled out to a select number of participants who have previously volunteered for the same. These volunteers use the new update as regular users, and report back bugs through the available feedback routes. Once all critical bugs are ironed out, the stable update is pushed to all users.

With the Moto G5S Plus, Moto G5 Plus and now the Moto G5 — all going through soak testing, only the Moto G5S remains from Moto's G5 portfolio from 2017. We expect the soak test for Moto G5S to arrive soon as well. Hopefully, all the devices pass through their tests and actually receive their stable Android Oreo updates before Google gets the chance to release the next version of Android to the public.


Check out XDA's Motorola Moto G5 Forums!



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Specs for Motorola One, upcoming Android One phone with a notch, appear on TENAA

Lenovo is on track to host a major event at the Motorola headquarters in Chicago, USA on August 2, 2018. This event will mark a "big announcement", with Motorola teasing its users to "Say Hello to a whole new way to connect, stream, download, video chat, and more". While this big announcement is very likely the rumored Moto Z3 flagship, Lenovo may also announce the upcoming Motorola One and Motorola One Power.

Motorola One

The Motorola One has passed through Chinese certification authority TENAA, giving us a very good look at what to expect of this device. This device is expected to be an Android One device from Motorola, coming in with a dual rear camera setup and a glass-body as shown off in the TENAA renders.

The TENAA listing for the Motorola One (XT1943-1) indicates that the device will come with a 6.18″ notched FHD+ LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2246 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9. Physical dimensions of the device are reported to be 155.8 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm, with a reported weight of 170 g. The phone is likely sporting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, which will be paired with options of 3, 4 and 6GB RAM and 32, 64 and 128GB of internal storage. MicroSD expansion of up to 128GB is also available on the device.

On the back of the Motorola One is a dual rear camera setup comprising of a 16MP main sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor. The front camera is a 12MP sensor.

The Motorola One will launch with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. The battery capacity on this device is 2,820 mAh, which is substantially lower than the 4,850 mAh reported for the Motorola One Power.

Specifications Motorola One
Display Size and Type 6.18″ notched FHD+ LCD display
Display Resolution and Aspect Ratio  1080 x 2246 pixels; 19:9
Dimensions 155.8 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm
Weight 170 g
SoC Octa Core CPU, Clocked at maximum of 1.8GHz
(Likely the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636)
RAM 3GB/4GB/6GB
Internal Storage 32GB/64GB/128GB
MicroSD Expandability Upto 128GB
Rear Camera 16 MP + 5 MP
Front Camera 12MP
Battery Capacity 2,820 mAh
Network Frequency 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz, 800MHz, 2GHz, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41 (2555-2575 MHZ, 2575-2635 MHZ, 2635-2655 MHZ), Band 1, Band 3, 1.9GHz, I, 2 , 5, 8
Color Availability Black, Silver, Gold

Source: TENAA



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Xiaomi may also be working on a foldable phone to compete with Samsung

Xiaomi Mi 7

Many smartphone OEMs these days are working feverishly to shrink the bezels of their smartphones as much as possible. Going as far as to using gears and mechanical parts to tuck away the camera sensor (which I think isn't as bad as others have made it out to be). However, for the last 3-4 years, these companies have also been working on a long-term project as well. These engineers feel that some type of foldable smartphone in the future and some of these companies have been pouring millions of dollars (or more) into the project. For the longest time Samsung has been very verbal about their plan for their first foldable smartphone project, but this month it looks like they will be facing some challengers. Xiaomi is one of these competitors, according to a news report from etnews just recently.

Samsung had previously announced that they would have a prototype of their vision in the 3rd quarter of 2017 with mass production actually beginning in 2018. That timeline has come and gone and whether that is the fault of management or specific employees is currently unknown. We do know that Samsung has been talking about putting an in-display fingerprint scanner in their flagships for the last couple of years and each time the feature just never made it into the final product.

So we can see how difficult it is for Samsung to hit a deadline on products and features when they announce their timelines so far ahead. It was believed that Samsung would be the first smartphone OEM to have a foldable smartphone available for customers to buy but Huawei recently announced they would end up becoming the world's first. Huawei is a big company and the report said that supply will be limited due to a lack of foldable displays.

Now, a new report from etnews says that Xiaomi (along with OPPO) is also looking into the technology and could be working on something in their lab. The report says that these companies will be will be taking a different approach to the design. For instance, Samsung and Huawei are said to be working on an in-folding method where the display folds inwards. But Xiaomi is currently testing an out-folding method that would have the two screens facing outward.

They didn't mention any specifics, but did say both Xiaomi and OPPO are planning to purchase their supply of foldable displays from unnamed Chinese panelists.


Source: etnews



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Everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is scheduled to be announced on August 9th at 11 am at the Barclays Center in New York. This is in a little less than 2 weeks from now. It's hard for Samsung to keep this all under wraps because of how high profile this device is. We have seen leaks that go from official renders to software information to hardware specifications to the launch of the phone itself. It's sometimes hard to find all of this information, so here is a roundup of everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. We will be updating this with information as we learn it.


Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Design

The design of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. They look almost the same. The Galaxy Note 9 is slightly smaller in the top and bottom bezel, but also slightly thicker. The phone was going to have thicker glass, but Samsung delayed the launch for 2 weeks in order to make the glass thinner and better. On the top bezel, Samsung has added a slightly larger earpiece grill compared to the Galaxy Note 8. This is to make room for the new speaker which will be similar to the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The Note 9 will have the AKG Tuned stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. Our source who has used the Note 9 hands-on says that the design of the device matches that of the renders perfectly. The device will most likely be made out of 7000 series aluminum like the Galaxy S9 and S9+, though we can not confirm this. The Note 9 will also be IP 68 water resistant which will allow for water submersion of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.

samsung galaxy note 9

Source: evleaks

Source: Nieuwe Mobiel

The back of the device will change just a little. Samsung is keeping the camera array horizontal instead of vertical like the Galaxy S9 and S9+. They are also putting the fingerprint scanner under the camera array instead of next to it. When the fingerprint scanner was next to the camera, it was widely known as being a horrible position and hated by many. The health sensor next to the camera flash will support heart rate, blood oxygen, and blood pressure, just like the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The fingerprint scanner takes design cues from the S9 and moves it under the camera array. There is also a difference in the camera array. The area around the cameras is the color of the phone. On previous phones, like the Note 8 and S9, the color around the camera was black.

The phone is going to come in four colors: Coral Blue, Brown, Lilac Purple, and Midnight Black. We don't have the official name for the brown color yet. The purple, brown, and black colors come with S Pens that match the color of the phone. The blue phone comes with a yellow S Pen. The color of the S Pen has nothing to do with the hardware in it. The only thing special about the yellow S Pen is the color itself.


Samsung Galaxy Note 9 S Pen

The new Galaxy Note 9 is going to come with a new S Pen. Our source was calling it a "smart S Pen." This is because the phone will connect to the S Pen with Bluetooth. The new S Pen can be used as a camera shutter button, slideshow controller, or music controller. We were able to confirm the camera control and music controls in an APK teardown of the AirCommand app from the Galaxy Tab S4. We were also able to find a feature that allows for the S Pen to be able to unlock the phone. Our source was able to go into more detail saying that it would also control slideshows. The S Pen will have integration into games like Fortnite. We don't know how, but our source said the new smart S Pen will be able to control Fortnite in some way.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Bluetooth S Pen confirmed via Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 firmware

The S Pen is supposed to last for around 200 clicks of the button with Bluetooth. It is also supposed to be able to charge in about 40 seconds. To charge the S Pen you will just insert it into the S Pen socket in the bottom of the phone. With this charging speed and amount of clicks, we can guess the battery size of the S Pen will be around 50 mAh, so it won't make much of a difference in the 4000 mAh battery inside the phone. We do not know the exact size of the S Pen battery, but it will be small.

Source: WinFuture

We were able to find a lot of the new S Pen features in the strings of the app from the Galaxy Tab S4 firmware. Here is a summary of all the new features we were able to confirm:

  • Control music with the S Pen. This will probably allow you to control music like you can with earbuds by pressing the play/pause button. The S Pen button will probably let you play and pause music while also allowing you to skip music tracks.
  • Use the S Pen as a remote camera shutter. This could be useful in situations where you want to take a picture of yourself and prop up your phone.
  • You will be able to remotely unlock your phone if the S Pen was removed from the phone and then the phone locks.
  • You will be able to press the S Pen button to do more in a range of apps. We don't know about what other integrations with apps the S Pen will have, though, as the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hasn't launched.
  • Press and hold the Pen button to open any app or S Pen feature.
  • Set up single and double press Pen actions.

The S Pen will have all of the same features as the old S Pen. You will have the on-screen notepad on the Always On Display. The Coral Blue phone with the yellow S Pen will have yellow ink for this notepad, while the other colors should be white. Live Drawings for the Note 9 is going to be updated with new backgrounds, new ink styles, AR Emoji support, and the ability to export the drawings as an MP4 video. The new ink styles will be hearts, snow, and a color changing rainbow option.


Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Camera

The cameras on the Galaxy Note 9 will be an upgrade over those of the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9+. Our source, who owns a Galaxy Note 8, said that the camera on the Note 9 is noticeably better than that of the Note 8. He also said that it is better than the S9+. The camera aperture will be f/2.4 and f/1.5, just like the S9+. There are also rumors of the Note 9 camera using AI depending on the scenery with an AI filter on it.

Samsung ISOCELL Plus Technology

Samsung might be using the new ISOCELL Plus technology showcased at MWC Shanghai. This would allow for better color accuracy and light sensitivity. Pictures could be more color accurate and hold more color information. This could result in more vibrant and true to life pictures. It would also mean videos would have better color accuracy. This could help with HDR support on the camera. The better light sensitivity would also make low light photos better. This could also improve super slow-mo to allow for the ability to record the videos in more lighting conditions than we currently can. Super slow-mo is also changing just a little. It will be 960fps for 0.2 seconds when recording in the auto mode. While recording in the manual mode it will be 480fps for 0.4 seconds. These changes will not seem like much but really make a difference. The difference between 480fps and 960fps is a noticeable one. The normal slow motion will also support 240fps at 1080p.


Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Specifications

The Galaxy Note 9 is going to launch with 128GBs of storage and 6GBs of RAM for the base model. The phone will have either a Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810, depending on your region. The Snapdragon model will be in North America, Latin America, Japan, Hong Kong, and China. The rest of the world will get the Exynos model. That is the only part of the phone that is region dependent. The phone is going to have UFS 2.1 storage for faster transfer speeds. It is going to come with a 6.3″ WQHD+ display. The display is supposed to be about 10% brighter than that of the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The phone is going to have a 4,000 mAh battery. This is 500 mAh bigger than the S9+ and 700 mAh bigger than the Note 8. It is going to have the new smart S Pen with Bluetooth Low Energy. The S Pen should last about 200 clicks and charge in 40 seconds. The cameras are going to be upgraded from the S9+. They will most likely be the same apertures as the S9+ with f/2.4 and f/1.5 on the variable aperture lens which it will be inheriting from the S9+. The second lens will be a telephoto lens at an f/2.4.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Display Size 6.3" QHD+ (2960×1440) sAMOLED 18.5:9
Glass Type Gorilla Glass 5
Display Color Palette HDR 10
System-on-chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 845/Exynos 9810
RAM Capacity 6GB/8GB
Storage Capacity 128GB/512GB + Micro SD Card slot (up to 400GB)
Speaker System AKG Tuned stereo speakers
Headphone Jack Yes, 3.5mm
Front Camera 8MP front camera with autofocus
Rear Camera 12MP with f/1.5 and f/2.4 variable aperture + 12MP zoom lens f/2.4
Battery Capacity 4,000 mAh battery
Wireless Charging Yes, Samsung Fast Wireless Charging
Fast Charging Yes, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
Biometrics Iris, Facial, and fingerprint recognition
Water and Dust Resistance IP68
Software Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung Experience 9.1
S Pen Samsung Smart Bluetooth S Pen

 


Galaxy Note 9 Software and Features

The Note 9 is going to launch with Android 8.1 and Samsung Experience 9.5. We were able to confirm this with a screenshot from the Galaxy Note 9. According to our source who used the device, there is not much new stuff in the software. It's supposed to be pretty much the same as Android 8.0 and Samsung Experience 9.0 from the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The Note 9 is still going to have Dolby Atmos like the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The Note 9 isn't going to have a semi-transparent like stock Android. This is going to be the same Samsung experience that we know and love (or hate).

The new features are coming as part of the Note line of phones. With the new Bluetooth S Pen, you will be able to control music, slideshows, and the camera shutter. All of this will be possible because of the Bluetooth support in the S Pen. There will be more features than this to come with it though. We are told that there are lots of new S Pen features coming but were not given any specifics. It is supposed to have integration into Fortnite mobile, which is going to launch with the Note 9 at Samsung Unpacked.

Samsung is also launching Bixby 2.0 with the Note 9. This is going to have a slightly updated user interface. It is also going to have more features and be more accurate. Bixby 2.0 is going to support being linked to 3rd party apps. This will use the Bixby SDK and allow for Bixby to control apps just like how Bixby can control Samsung apps. Bixby 2.0 should support apps like Spotify for controlling music. This is going to really expand the number of apps supported by Bixby. Bixby 2.0 is also getting better natural language processing, noise resistance capabilities, and will get faster response times. Samsung might also be including Viv in Bixby 2.0. Viv was created by one of the founders of Siri before it was purchased by Apple. To learn more about Viv you can watch this talk given by Adam Cheyer about Viv.


Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Accessories

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is going to be launching with a new wireless charger and a bunch of cases. The wireless charger will be a dual wireless charger that will launch with the new Samsung Galaxy Watch. This new wireless charger can both fast charge the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 while also charging the Samsung Galaxy Watch. This is useful for people who have both devices and like to keep them on a dock to charge at night. This wireless charging dock is connected to a USB Type C cable, which is new for Samsung wireless chargers. The new charger is rumored to cost  €75/$75.

Samsung Wireless Charger Duo

Samsung is also launching their usual cases with the Galaxy Note 9. There will be the clear view case, LED case, and protective standing case. The clear view case allows for you to have the Always On Display show through the flipping front of the case. The LED case has a customizable LED grid on the front that you can set to different options. The last case is a military grade case with a kickstand on the back. The flip view case comes in blue, black, brown, and purple. The LED case comes in blue and gray. The protective standing case comes in gray and black.


Galaxy Note 9 Launch and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is going to be announced at an event on August 9th at 11 am EST. You will be able to watch the live stream on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. During the launch, they are going to show off a couple new accessories for the device. It is said Samsung will be launching an even faster fast wireless charger for the phone. The phone should be available for pre-order between August 10th and August 14th. The phone will be officially available on August 24th. If you preorder you will most likely receive the phone a couple days early.

The phone is going to launch in four colors: Lilac Purple, Brown, Coral Blue, and Midnight Black. The base storage will be 128GBs with 6GBs of RAM. There should be a 256GB storage model also with 6GBs of RAM. There are rumors of a 512GB storage model with 8GBs of RAM coming to Korea. We have also heard rumors that there will be a 512GB storage model with 8GBs of RAM coming to the United States on T-Mobile and Verizon. We are not able to confirm this, so take it with a grain of salt.

The base price of the phone should be $950/€1,029. This will get you the 128GB storage with 6GBs of RAM model. For the 512GB model with 8GBs of RAM, it will cost about €1,250. We don't have any information on United States pricing. Keep in mind these prices are rumors and are not official. The phone could cost more or less than the rumored prices.



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