Week 6 in review: Galaxy S20 craze intensifies, Poco X2 goes official
We're now less than a week out from the Galaxy S20 series' official announcement on February 11 and the hot stories are completely dominated by the upcoming Samsung flagships and their foldable brother Galaxy Z Flip.
This week we got our fill of Galaxy S20-related stories. Starting off with the US pricing, which breaks down like this - Galaxy S20 is going to be $999, Galaxy S20+ will start at $1,199, Galaxy S20 Ultra at $1,399 - the first pre-orders will start on February 14 with shipments aimed at March 6. If you pre-order a Galaxy S20 in Europe by March 8, you'll get a free pair of Galaxy Buds+ (normally worth €170).
We also saw the Galaxy S20 Ultra and its absolute unit of a camera hump in the wild. It will use Samsung's Nonacell 108MP camera, which will produce 9-in-1 binned 12MP photos. Samsung's new flagships will be able to capture images with all 3 of its cameras simultaneously thanks to Samsung's Quick Take mode.
Finally we saw the Galaxy Z Flip in its first hands-on video.
Moving on from the Galaxy S20 - Xiaomi could make its Mi 10 official in China on February 13 and even start shipping the phone on February 18. Global announcement is set for February 23.
Xiaomi's underling Poco announced its much-anticipated Poco X2 smartphone this week. It's basically a rebranded Redmi K30 and flaunts a 6.67-inch screen with 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 730G chip and a 64MP camera.
Xiaomi is reportedly working on three Snapdragon 865 phones, two of which will carry 108MP snappers and could even have 100W Super Charge Turbo technology.
Speaking of the Snapdragon 865, Qualcomm shared the first 8K video shot with a device powered by the new flagship chipset.
Finally our most-read article of the week was Yordan's journey with a Huawei Mate 30 Pro without Google Services. Despite his struggle to find what he normally uses on a daily basis with the Mate 30 Pro, he does find a silver lining - the free time he gets because of the missing apps. Still, Yordan's now back on a phone with Google services.
See you in a week!
A week with Huawei Mate 30 Pro: is there life without Google services
I was missing a lot of apps, but I found a surprising amount of free time in the process.
Samsung Galaxy S20 pre-orders to open on February 14 in South Korea, prices revealed
The basic Galaxy S20 is going to cost over $1,000, S20 Ultra to go for around $1,350.
Live image of Galaxy S20 Ultra reveals camera setup, Galaxy S20+ pictured too
Most of the leaked renders appear to be true - there are four snappers, an LED flash and a mic hole.
Poco X2 goes official: 6.67" 120Hz display, SD730G and 64MP camera
It's a re-badged Redmi K30 announced in China last year.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip's first hands-on video pops up
Check out Samsung's second foldable phone in its full glory.
European Galaxy S20 phones will be bundled with Galaxy Buds+, here's how much they'll cost
As predicted, the 4G models will be a bit cheaper, but the Galaxy S20 Ultra will come only in 5G flavor.
Samsung patents Nonacell name right in time for Galaxy S20 Ultra launch
That's the marketing name for the 9-in-1 pixel-binning technology.
First batch of Samsung Galaxy Note20 leaks starts pouring in
Apparently, the upcoming Note will have a better high refresh rate panel than the still unannounced Galaxy S20 series.
Xiaomi VP teases zoom camera on Xiaomi Mi 10 with two camera samples
Lu Weibing did not name the phone, but the Redmi K30 Pro is unlikely to have similar zoom capabilities.
An artist created Google Maps traffic jams by pulling a wagon full of smartphones
The amusing experiment made slowdowns appear on the app, likely diverting traffic. Google responds to the stunt.
Qualcomm releases the first 8K video shot with Snapdragon 865
The 8K video was posted on YouTube and recorded landscapes in Arizona back in November.
Galaxy S20 series to support simultaneous shooting with all cameras
The new "Quick Take" feature will allow users to experiment with different perspectives on the fly.
New leak suggests February 14 launch for the Xiaomi Mi 10
The Mi 10 Pro should follow closely, with an alleged February 18 sales start.
Samsung confirms Galaxy S20 naming through official website slip-up
The upcoming LED case for the device was shortly listed on the company's German website.
OnePlus design patent shows hidden cameras with a rotating cover
Four different designs imagine how the camera lens can be hidden from sight (and protected from scratches) by a round rotating cover.
Xiaomi is working on three S865 phones, two of which with 108MP cams
The Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro have been officially confirmed to use S865. And so will a new Redmi K30 model, but that's not yet official.
Xiaomi exec details challenges with 100W Super Charge Turbo technology
Multiple factors including battery capacity loss and safety need to be considered.
Google promises "something exciting" at Galaxy Unpacked event
It could be Google Duo integration or UI customized for Galaxy Z Flip.
Huawei Mate 20 X ranked top 20 in DxOMark evaluation
Though they use the same camera hardware, the Mate 20 X scored just one point below the Mate 20 Pro.
Motorola Razr fully torn down on video, virtually impossible to repair
The new foldable phone is virtually unrepairable by the user.
Huawei
Samsung
Huawei
Xiaomi
Apple
