OnePlus confirms its next phone will jump to a 120Hz screen - The Verge

Speaking to us last week at CES, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed that the company’s next major phones — presumably the OnePlus 8 — will feature screens with a refresh rate of 120Hz. Lau is not one for subtlety, and claimed in a note to us sent later that it would be “the best smartphone display in 2020.” Having not seen it, we obviously can’t say if that claim is more than just bombast.

OnePlus says that it worked with Samsung to develop the OLED screen, and that in addition it has done work on top of Android to improve animations (especially the core OS gestures) so they’ll look smoother at 120Hz.

OnePlus also intends to use a custom MEMC (motion estimation / motion compensation) chip to insert extra frames into videos to bring them up to 120Hz. It wouldn’t be completely inaccurate to call it motion smoothing for video on smartphones, though again we’d have to see whether it causes a “soap opera effect” in person before we called that a bad idea. MEMC will be able to be toggled on and off in settings.

The image at the top of the post, sent to us by OnePlus, doesn’t convey a ton of information but does indicate where the MEMC hardware chip would sit. It also, astute viewers will note, appears to show a pop-up camera mechanism.

Lastly, OnePlus claims its screen can hit 1000 nits peak brightness for HDR content, has a touch sampling rate of 240Hz, and supports 10-bit color. Add it all up and you have what is clearly the next front in the Android phone chest thumping battle: screen specs.

The OnePlus 8 (or whatever it will be called) won’t be the first phone to hit 120Hz. the ROG Phone 2 and Razer Phone 2 both did that last year. Nor will it be the only Android phone that has a higher-than-60Hz refresh rate to come out this year. Samsung’s Galaxy S series, for example, is expected to feature 120Hz refresh rates when announced on February 11th. The challenges facing all of those phones will include compensating for the higher battery cost of a high-refresh rate screen and convincing customers the extra cost it worth the improved smoothness.

Users should be able to switch between 60Hz and 120Hz, but it may not be a variable refresh rate as Google has tried (somewhat unsuccessfully) to do on the Pixel 4’s 90Hz screen. And while it may reduce the refresh rate in some cases when it’s not needed, it won’t be able match the refresh rate of, say, 24FPS video.

Lau believes that last part won’t be hard. “It’s something you can definitely tell” in the same way you could see 90Hz, he says, calling it a “further level” of smoothness, especially with scrolling and gestures. Lau also argues that the company has been focused on optimizing for power consumption. It’s already an issue with 90Hz screens, so it’s going to be even more of a concern with 120Hz.

OnePlus has promised to hold an event in Shenzhen, China today to show off more of this new screen technology. It seems as if companies announcing features of their phones before they announce their phones is just going to be the new normal now.

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2020-01-13 10:00:00Z
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The best thing about the OnePlus 8 display is now essentially official - PhoneArena

OnePlus 7T Pro

After unveiling not one, and not two, but three excellent phones with 90Hz displays in the latter stages of 2019, OnePlus is unsurprisingly still a few months away from showcasing new commercial-ready devices. In the meantime, though, the company is keeping busy by envisioning an intriguing concept with a never-before-seen feature that aims to hide a handset's cameras in plain sight at some point in the not-so-distant future while also building buzz for the fast-approaching OnePlus 8 family.

The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are not exactly the tech world's best kept secrets, but it's always nice when we get an official confirmation on the specs of such highly anticipated devices months in advance of their actual release. Especially when the feature being (indirectly) confirmed is as exciting as a screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz.

R&D completed, announcement coming soon

The OnePlus 7 Pro was the brand's first phone with a 90Hz display

Obviously, Lau doesn't name any names of upcoming handsets expected to use this groundbreaking display technology, and the same will probably be true for the Chinese press gathering later today. But with "research and development" already completed, there's naturally plenty of time to incorporate the feature into both the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, which are rumored to break cover in May after the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro did the same last year.

Speaking of the handsets' forerunners, you might remember the OnePlus 7 Pro was the brand's first device to support a 90Hz refresh rate, which then quickly became standard for the company's "flagship killers", as the OnePlus 7T, 7T Pro, and 7T Pro 5G McLaren all joined the smooth display club. As such, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that OnePlus is now prepared to go to the next level in its quest for screen hardware perfection.

2020 will be the year of the 120Hz display

While Pete Lau seems to suggest OnePlus is about to "lead the industry" with this breakthrough, it's worth pointing out that there are already a few phones available around the world with blazing fast 120Hz refresh rates. Sharp was the first company to achieve this commercial milestone several years back, but Razer and Asus brought the state-of-the-art technology into the mainstream more recently with the second editions of their respective gaming phones.

Leaked OnePlus 8 Pro renders

All signs point to 120Hz displays becoming standard affair in the high-end segment this year, as Samsung's entire Galaxy S20 lineup and even Apple's iPhone 12 family could make the jump, according to a host of rumors with varying degrees of credibility. For its part, OnePlus is likely to pair the upgraded refresh rate with a resolution of around 3100 x 1440 pixels on the Pro version of the company's next big thing, while the non-Pro model is tipped to settle for a pixel count of roughly 2400 x 1080. 

Both high-end devices are obviously expected to sport high-quality AMOLED screens measuring anywhere between 6.5 and 6.7 inches in diagonal. As for why you should care about the bump from a 90 to a 120-hertz refresh rate, you only need to look back at our in-depth OnePlus 7 Pro review last May to understand the hoopla. The 7 Pro raised its predecessors' 60Hz bar and the upgrade felt drastic at pretty much all interface levels in terms of navigation speed and system responsiveness. 

This time around, the difference may not feel as substantial simply because the 90Hz displays on the 7 Pro, 7T, and 7T Pro are so phenomenally smooth.

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2020-01-13 08:56:00Z
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OnePlus confirms they're working on 120Hz display refresh rate tech - XDA Developers

At the CES 2020 trade show last week, OnePlus showcased a prototype device with cameras that can turn invisible. The Concept One made use of electrochromic glass to turn the glass over the camera module from transparent to opaque by changing the current and voltage. While electrochromic glass isn’t new, OnePlus is the first company to use it to hide camera lenses on a smartphone. OnePlus’s argument behind this new technology was that the smartphone industry will eventually figure out under-screen camera technology, eliminating visible cameras on the front of a device. The disappearing cameras on the back, therefore, are complementary to the under-screen camera technology with the end goal to hide all cameras on a device from view. While we may not see these disappearing cameras in OnePlus’ next flagship, we now have reason to believe that it might include a 120Hz display.

OnePlus’ CEO Pete Lau recently took to Weibo to reveal that the company has completed the research and development of a high refresh rate 120Hz display. The company will be holding an event at 2 PM China Standard Time today to talk about its latest display technology. As of now, the company hasn’t revealed any more information about the new display tech, but we’ll update this post as and when we receive more information from the upcoming event. It is worth noting, however, that since OnePlus doesn’t manufacture displays itself, it’s quite likely that the company is sourcing the display from a major supplier like Samsung Display.

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Source: Weibo

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2020-01-13 05:12:00Z
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Top phone trends from CES 2020: Cheaper foldables, 5G and more - CNET

Angela Lang/CNET

This story is part of CES 2020, our complete coverage of the showroom floor and the hottest new tech gadgets around.

The annual CES electronics show in Las Vegas is a fantastic launchpad for the most exciting, futuristic tech companies can dream up. But phones aren't typically part of that equation. 

Phone-makers are far more likely to save their whiz-bang features and high-powered specs for Mobile World Congress, the world's largest mobile show, which takes place from Feb. 24-27 in Barcelona.

But that doesn't mean CES was bereft of handsets. The phones that we did see, as you can see in the gallery below, hint at important trends we'll see in 2020.

Cheaper foldable phones are coming

The Motorola Razr costs $1,500. The Galaxy Fold is $2,000. And the Huawei Mate X is $2,400. Foldable phones are anything but cheap. 

Foldable phones are an emerging category that shakes up an otherwise static world of phones by bending the display in half. The high cost of research and development and new manufacturing techniques make these early foldable designs at least double the cost of their 4G counterparts. The "privilege" of owning a cutting-edge device may also contribute to the price.

Now playing: Watch this: This foldable phone will cost less than the Razr

4:42

But the high price of these first foldables means that few people will actually be able to buy one. Lowering the price will also mean lowering the barrier to ownership, which foldable phones need if they're going to stick around. 

At CES, TCL showed us a working prototype of a foldable phone that's designed to cost less than the Motorola Razr. It features a 7.2-inch display and three rear cameras and will support 5G.

We also learned that Samsung's next foldable phone, which is rumored to cost $850, could be called the Galaxy Bloom.

5G phone prices are already dropping

5G phones aren't as expensive as foldables, but they still cost more per device than 4G handsets with the same specs. The same rule also applies to the faster 5G data technology -- cheaper 5G options will get more people using these devices.

And for carriers, the faster data speeds could translate into more profits as customers use more data per person.

For phone buyers, it's just nice to have more affordable ways to get 5G speeds. Enter the TCL Pro 5G for under $500, the CoolPad Legacy for $400 and Verizon's plan to sell 20 5G phones in 2020, including some that cost less than $600. Compared to the $1,300 Galaxy Note 10 5G, that's a pretty good deal. Just expect trade-offs in the features department.

Now playing: Watch this: Galaxy Note 10 Lite and S10 Lite: All about Samsung's...

3:23

Cameras continue to be a design element

Camera tech has always been essential for phones, but even the look and placement of the lenses elicit strong opinions. 

The Galaxy Note 10 Lite and Galaxy S10 Lite both feature square and rectangular black camera mounts respectively, mimicking the Google Pixel 4. Some industry-watchers think that Samsung is taking the bold road to counter the iPhone 11, whose large, protruding cluster of rear lenses makes Apple's phone immediately identifiable.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the OnePlus Concept One phone uses an electrical current to either hide or reveal the phone's multiple cameras on its back. The concept is to make the phone look sleeker, especially at a time when camera lenses are proliferating.

Now playing: Watch this: OnePlus Concept One phone has a 'disappearing' camera

2:28

Gaming phones continue to carve a niche

Phones aimed at gamers have made up a small but steady contingent of handsets. 5G data has a huge implication for gaming, promising far more immersive and sophisticated graphics through the kind of on-the-fly rendering that can be achieved through 5G's increased data delivery.

Processors, too, are getting into gaming, with the Snapdragon 765G, a midrange chipset that's specifically made for gaming phones. And more phone-makers are set to embrace displays with 120Hz refresh rates for smoother animations.

The Black Shark 2 Pro has neither of the first two things, but it's still possibly the best gaming phone we've seen, complete with a case that makes it work a little like the Nintendo Switch. A helpful gaming mode also makes this handset specifically geared toward gaming, rather than a mainstream phone that's powerful enough to play long sessions of resource-heavy games.

CES may be over, but for phones, the year is just beginning.

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2020-01-12 15:47:00Z
CAIiEJKi2VSvwVzCbTLYI-udSZcqEwgEKgwIACoFCAow4GowoAgwkRo

Samsung’s removable-battery smartphone is coming to the US for $499 - The Verge

We’ve already seen Samsung’s new rugged smartphone with a removable battery, the Galaxy XCover Pro, because the company revealed it on its Finnish website before taking it down. Today, though, the company is officially announcing the phone and that it’s coming to the US for $499.

For that price, you’re getting a phone with a swappable battery that’s a meaty 4,050mAh, and the phone even supports 15W fast charging, as well as with special docks that use pogo pins. The XCover Pro is intended to be used by workers in industrial settings or out in the field, so that huge battery should theoretically let workers use their phones for longer and give them the option to swap in a fresh battery in a pinch.

The phone also has two programmable buttons, which Samsung says can be programmed for applications like push-to-talk. And if you’re a Microsoft Teams user, you can use that button with the new Microsoft Teams Walkie Talkie feature.

Samsung says the XCover Pro is also EMV Level 1 certified, meaning you might be able to run a business where customers pay you by tapping their NFC-equipped credit card, phone, or watch to your Galaxy handset. The phone has Samsung’s point-of-sale software built in, and the company says Visa approved this phone for its Tap to Phone payments pilot program.

And to help the phone better survive the elements, Samsung says it has an IP68 dust and water-resistance rating, can withstand drops of up to 1.5 meters, and that it’s MIL-STD 810G certified, which means it should theoretically be able to withstand extreme altitudes, temperatures, humidity, and other difficult conditions.

Otherwise, the phone’s specs are mid-range: a 6.3-inch AMOLED 2220 x 1080 display (which Samsung says you can use when you have gloves on), a 2GHz octa-core Exynos 9611 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage (with support for microSD storage up to 512GB). For cameras, the phone has a 13-megapixel front-facing camera in a corner of the screen and two rear cameras: a 25-megapixel camera and an 8-megapixel camera.

It’ll also ship with the latest Android 10 and Samsung’s One UI 2.0, contrary to information from the early reveal that indicated that the XCover Pro was running Android 9 Pie.

Samsung hasn’t said when the XCover Pro is coming out, where you’ll be able to buy it, what carriers it works on, or even provided an official picture, but we’ve asked the company for more information.

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2020-01-12 13:45:00Z
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AGDQ 2020 Finale Video -

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2020-01-12 07:44:47Z
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Instagram's Boomerang adds much-needed editing and effects tools - Engadget

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The rumors of Instagram spicing up Boomerang turned out to be true. It just introduced a host of creative tools, including an (arguably overdue) trimming feature. Much like the trim tool in your phone's video editor, you can decide just where the animation loop starts and stops -- no more re-recording a Boomerang or settling for a less-than-perfect endpoint. There are also three special effects, including SlowMo (half-speed playback), Echo (a motion blur trail effect) and Duo (a glitchy appearance).

As TechCrunch noted, these effects (like some of Instagram's features) aren't strictly new. Snapchat has had some of these effects since 2015, while TikTok has its own share of effects. However, they should give you a much better reason to use Boomerang if you're tired of the same canned animation in your posts and Stories.

🐢 SlowMo
🗣 Echo
👯‍♀️ Duo

Boomerang has new creative twists that'll make you say yaaassssss. Try them all out today. pic.twitter.com/wp0A71RefL

— Instagram (@instagram) January 10, 2020

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Instagram (Twitter)

In this article: android, app, boomerang, facebook, gear, instagram, internet, ios, mobile

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2020-01-12 06:00:41Z
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