Week 51 in review: 108MP camera, Google turmoil and ongoing 5G hype

Less then ten days remain before we roll the calendar over to the nice and round year 2020. Beyond this neat decimal symmetry, the next few months actually have a lot in store for the mobile industry and tech realm as a whole and we are already starting to see clear hints about it.

Among the more prominent expectations is Samsung's second-gen 108MP camera sensor, said to debut on Galaxy S11 flagships. The more interesting rumor is about its 9-to-1 Bayer pixel setup. Yes, like quad-Bayer, just grouping 3x3 pixels under the same color, potentially unlocking unrivaled low-light perofrmance.

Beyond camera fascination and the Galaxy S11,, Samsung also made headlines this week with news of an upcoming Galaxy Note10 Lite. Like the name suggests, it will likely be a toned-down member of the legendary Note family, still sporting most of the features and notably the S-Pen.

In fact, the stylus might be gaining some new positioning capabilities as well. While not the first ever more affordable Galaxy Note model, the alleged Note10 Lite is still an unexpected and rare move on Samsung's end. And most of the bits and pieces of info about the Lite already out in the open have actually excited quite a few fans.

Huawei also managed to soak up some of the spotlight this week, most-notably with rumors and leaks regarding the next P40 and P40 Pro flagships. Unfortunately, every minute of media attention the Chinese giant gets lately seems to be overshadowed by the unfortunate geopolitical realities that continue to keep Google Play Services off of Huawei handsets.

And on a kind of related note, Google's mobile software practices recently came under fire in Turkey. A rather interesting legal development that is definitely worth catching up on, in case you missed it.

Samsung Galaxy S11 to feature 9-to-1 Bayer sensor on its 108MP camera

The design is also revealed, periscope shooter coming as a telephoto lens.

Huawei P40 and P40 Pro will be unveiled in Paris in March, no Google on board

Instead, the phones will launch with Huawei Mobile Services - the company's alternative to the Google app package.

Samsung’s clamshell foldable spotted in live images

The alleged Galaxy Fold 2 is betting on a more portable folding form factor.

vivo X30 comes with 5G modem and 50mm portrait cam, the Pro adds 5x telephoto unit

The 5G connectivity is thanks to an Exynos 980 chipset, which features a built-in modem. Both phones have 64MP main cameras on the back.

Leaked Galaxy S11, S11+ screen protectors show off super-slim bezels

The Galaxy S11 lineup is rumored to launch on February 18.

Google suspends GMS licenses to all new models for the Turkish market

Turkey's competition authority ruled that Google should allow users to change the default search engine, which kicked this off.

Renders of the Galaxy Note10 Lite reveal a flat display

The alleged device appears in black, red, and Aura Glow.

ZTE unveils Axon 10s Pro 5G with Snapdragon 865 and 5G

The phone will come with a new UI, new AI boosters, better storage, and RAM.

Samsung Galaxy S11+ to have a 108MP Bright HM1 sensor with Nonacell tech

Exceptional low-light performance is expected.

Samsung Galaxy S11 trio confirmed to sport 48MP telephoto cameras

The Galaxy S11 lineup is rumored to go official on February 18.

Huawei P40 and P40 Pro leak in a bunch of dark renders

They're not as detailed as you might want, but still give us a good idea of what to expect.

DxOMark: Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G has the best camera around

The 5G version outscores the original Mate 30 Pro by two points.

Samsung's Note10 Lite to know the exact location of the S Pen, thanks to BT 5.1

The phone is certified with Bluetooth 5.1 support.

Samsung unveils 14nm FinFET technology for 144MP image sensors

The researchers thing that going down to 14nm will be necessary for 144MP resolutions. Also, FinFET uses less energy than planar silicon.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite specs leak ahead of imminent unveiling

The S10 Lite and Note10 Lite represent a shift in Samsung's recent launch strategy.