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Taking a look at seven days of news and headlines from around the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes reviews of the Galaxy S20 FE and Realme 7 Pro, OnePlus confirms the details of OnePlus 8T, unpacking the new Google Pixel phones , the Nokia 8.3 release, HMD Global’s Android 11 roadmap, and new security features in Chrome 86.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of some of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find Apple’s weekly news roundup here).
Reviewing Samsung’s Classy Galaxy
Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Fan Edition continues to receive praise. Priced at $ 699 in the US, the fourth phone in Samsung’s 2020 S range appears to have balanced the ‘S’ perceptions with the reality of hitting a lower price. Dieter Bohn sets the scene before his review:
“… the S20 FE retains enough of the most important ‘flagship’ parts to make it a great value of $ 699. It’s also proof positive that when Samsung wants to flip a phone quickly, it can. Development began immediately after the original three S20 phones were announced in March 2020, when it became clear that the economy would be plunged by the pandemic.
“” But the Galaxy S20 FE doesn’t seem like a rushed job. It has some high-quality components that will delight, while the cheaper parts don’t hurt the experience too much. “
Read the full review on The Verge.
The back of the OnePlus 8T
Ahead of the launch of the OnePlus 8 T next week, the Shenzhen-based company has discussed the new visor on the rear of the 8T. Not only that, but the accompanying video confirms a number of design features, including the camera island. CEO Pete Lau writes:
“Our ID (Industrial Design) engineers have explored ways to bring out the translucent, glossy texture of the glass, while maintaining a slim, tough profile that also reduces fingerprint build-up. After exploring countless iterations with different CMF (color, material and finished) for over 4 months, we made a breakthrough and produced a remarkable glossy back cover for the new aqua green variant of the OnePlus 8T. “
More on the OnePlus Forum.
Unpacking the new pixels
Ahead of the October 15 launch, various reviews have been posting ‘unboxing’ videos of Google’s upcoming Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G phones. Both were followed at the launch of the Pixel 4a in August, and beyond the addition of 5G, how do the two 4a smartphones compare to each other? Ryne Hager takes a closer look:
“If you’re familiar with the much-loved Pixel 4a, Google’s latest phone does more than just share its name.
“… Other design details match, right down to the radius of the corners and edges, and even the hole-punch camera cutout (although the hole itself looks a little smaller to my eyes). The thickness of this non-mmWave model is even identical to the 4a. There are some other small visual differences, such as a very slight change in the power button color and a slightly more prominent Google logo on the bottom rear, but you could easily mistake the Pixel 4a for the 4a 5G at a glance outside. the difference in size. and cameras “.
More on Android Police.
News of Nokia 8.3 5G and Android 11 in the same week
Announced in March with a planned April launch, HMD Global’s Nokia 8.3 was caught up in the coronavirus pandemic. With the promotion tied to the delayed James Bond movie, the 8.3 was withheld. It is already on sale in the UK. Roland Hutchinson reports for Geeky Gadgets:
“The new Nokia 8.3 5G has gone on sale in the UK from today and the phone is available for £ 499.99, if you buy the device before October 21 it comes with £ 100 in free accessories. On top of that, Anyone who buys the phone will get a free six-month trial of Google One with 100GB of storage. “
Also this week, HMD Global has confirmed which of its Nokia-branded phones will receive updates for Android 11. HMD Global has pushed its messaging two years of Andoird updates and three years of security updates on all of its phones, so good to see. a relatively quick step to 11. Sumit Adhikairi reports:
“A total of 14 Nokia smartphones will make the leap to the latest version of Android over the next two to three quarters. The first batch of the lot includes the Nokia 2.2, Nokia 5.3, Nokia 8.1 and Nokia 8.3 5G. They will start receiving the big update between the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021.
“The Nokia 1.3, Nokia 4.2, Nokia 2.4, Nokia 2.3 and Nokia 3.4 will follow in the first quarter of next year. Three more phones, namely Nokia 3.2, Nokia 7.2 and Nokia 6.2 will join the party between the first and Q2 2021. The Nokia 1 Plus with Android Go and the 2019 flagship Nokia 9 Pureview are the last two phones on the list. They won’t get Android 11 until Q2 2021. “
More on that on Android Headlines.
Reviewing the Realme 7 Pro
The semi-annual update of Realme’s mid-range phones continues with the Realm 7 and Realme 7 Pro. The GSM Arena team has reviewed the 7 Pro. None of the small iterative updates, they also highlight the benefits of the phone.
“The Realme 7 Pro wasn’t exactly what we expected – an incremental update over the Realme 6 Pro. We’re happy with the OLED switch and stereo speakers, sure, but some may disagree with the tradeoffs – the 90Hz update. and the dedicated telephoto camera are now gone.
“On the other hand, the Realme 7 Pro is still a very capable mid-range model with an affordable price. It offers an incredible screen, design, battery life and charge. It also has good performance and the quality of the photo turned out pretty good. “
Read the full review on GSM Arena.
And finally…
Google released Chrome 86 this week, with updated features for developers, a host of security enhancements, alerts for unsafe forms and pages, the usual quality of life fixes. Emil Protalinksi reports on all the details, including the new password protection system:
“Chrome for Android and iOS now tells you if the passwords you asked Chrome to remember have been compromised. Chrome sends an encrypted copy of your usernames and passwords to Google, which compares them to lists of credentials known to “They’re compromised. Because they’re encrypted, Google can’t see your username or password, the company claims. If you have a compromised password, Chrome will take you directly to the correct ‘change password’ form.”
More on VentureBeat.
Android Circuit summarizes the news from the Android world every weekend here at Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister column on Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have news and links you’d like to see on Android Circuit, get in touch!