Looking back on seven days of news and headlines from around the world of Android, this week’s Android circuit includes new Galaxy Note 20 launch date leaks, the return of OnePlus 8 Lite, beta details of Android 11, Huawei’s ambitions on hold, a curious pop-up on Xiaomi, and HTC is preparing a return to the market.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of some of the many things that happened around Android last week (and you can find the weekly summary of Apple news here).
Galaxy Note 20 launch date leaks
The latest leaks regarding the upcoming launch of the Galaxy Note 20 family by Samsung suggest a date much earlier than expected. It was also a date that raised eyebrows, given the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Gordon Kelly of Forbes:
“Thanks to the still reliable SamMobile, sources in South Korea have revealed that Samsung will announce the Galaxy Note 20 range on August 5, the first version in the history of the range and the highly anticipated Galaxy Fold 2 will be launched next door. really surprising given that the impact of the Coronavirus has delayed most product launches of the year, including Apple’s release plans for iPhone 12. This could also prove to be a crucial decision with Samsung looking to maximize the time between the launch of the Note 20 models and the iPhone 12 range. “
More here on Forbes.
Note 20 images leaked
As for the appearance of the new phablet, the Slashleaks team has some clear images of the new handset, thanks to the renderings of a protective case for the handset. The large camera island is clearly visible, as is the punch hole for the selfie camera – no under screen camera for this Galaxy!
More images can be found on Slashleaks.
OnePlus Z, Lite or North Gold?
Once again, the rumors of a “light” OnePlus handset are increasing. These accelerated at the end of 2019, but died out with the approach of the launch date for the “8” handsets. They heat up again, but how do you differentiate this handset from the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro? Deirdre O’Donnell reports:
“This can be done through a still unknown product or service under a new sub-brand called Nord by OnePlus. This name has been claimed as a trademark in the form of a request to the USPTO. to the international primary class of 042.
“This category includes a range of technological or scientific, research or development services, including those on hardware, software and storage solutions. However, it may not be the latter, as OnePlus also comes from announce a new initiative whereby its smartphone customers get free access to Google One for up to 3 months. “
More on NoteBookCheck.
Android 11 is here, at least in beta
Before a public release for manufacturers in September and a rollout on countless handsets in the following months, Google made the beta version of Android 11 available to developers. Notable features include the new notification system and power menu, as well as the usual series of settings around the system. Dieter Hohn has his hands on new notifications that group messaging alerts from a wide range of applications:
“Once upon a time, mobile operating systems tried to solve the problem of several chat applications by threading them into a single application – but these chat applications were obviously not satisfied with being aggregated. Android 11 is not about trying to create Synergy from WebOS or the omnibus contact sheet from Windows Phone, but rather treating it at the notification level.It’s an elegant solution, given the constraints under which Google operates. Each Android user has to manage multiple chat apps, and true integration is never going to really work. But at least their notifications are in the same place. “
More at The Verge.
Huawei’s ambitions on hold
There is no doubt that Huawei’s smartphone team was on the rise to become the world’s largest smartphone maker. Then, the company was added to the list of American entities, limiting its access to the main hardware and software components in America. Huawei is still looking to regain that momentum. Arjun Kharpal returns to history:
“A series of actions taken by the administration of President Donald Trump have hurt Huawei, analysts said.
“While the firm has managed to maintain its second largest position in the world, it has done so by focusing on China and other emerging markets, while losing shares in some critical regions of the world, the data showed. CNBC. Its global ambitions have been hurt in the process. “
More at CNBC.
Xiaomi’s Curious Pop-up patent
Xiaomi’s latest published design patent has a curious feature. While the front display of all screens and the angular edges may seem familiar to some, the top of the device has two unmarked cylindrical elements sticking out of the chassis. What are these mysterious pop-ups for? Ilse Jurrien has a few thoughts:
“Our thinking is soon on a camera system, maybe even a 360-degree camera – looking at its positioning. Finally, there is no camera at all at the front. Alternatively, this device could of course having a sub-screen camera, Xiaomi has already announced that it has such a phone model in development. But that would of course not solve the problem surrounding the two towers. It is also possible that they are speakers, well that I can’t think of a reason to use a system pop-up for this. “
More on Let’s Go Digital.
And finally…
Is HTC ready to return to the consumer market? Images posted on the company’s Facebook page suggest that a sequel to the 2018 HTC U12 + could arrive in the next seven days. Liu Hongzuo reports:
“From the image, it looks like on June 16, 2020 we will learn more on a HTC smartphone or similar device to a smartphone with a front camera punched on the screen, and there could be two variants of that product. ” In the comments, HTC fans and former HTC users say how much they missed the brand and how well the U11 smartphone has served them through their various anecdotes. “
More on Hardqare Zone.
Android Circuit gathers news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course, read the sister section of Apple Loop! Last week’s Android circuit is here, and if you have news and links that you would like to see in Android Circuit, contact us!