Samsung brings 360-Audio experience to Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Camera Controller for Galaxy Watch 5 / 4 series

In an unpacked event held in August 2022, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Galaxy Watch 5 series. The Galaxy Watch 5 series includes Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. The brand is now rolling out a new update for both devices with new features. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro would get a 360-Audio experience, and the update is already live. It would capture sound on video as the user hear it. The feature uses a microphone in each earbud to enable the 360 audio experience.



The new feature is the first in the Galaxy line to use an advanced Bluetooth audio standard, LE Audio. Besides bringing better audio quality, it also improves latency and battery life. The audio feature would be available while connecting with Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Z Flip 4. The standard expands the spectrum of audio experiences to offer a rich sound experience.



On the other hand, the Galaxy Watch’s Camera Controller app would enable users to control their phone camera right from their watch. The update would be available to the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 4 series starting from February 2, 2023. It would bring zoom capabilities to the app. The Galaxy Watch 5 & 4 users can remotely control the camera zoom by pinching on the watch face or using a rotating bezel. The remote-control feature would help to click pictures without the help of others.

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Redmi Note 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro + made global debut in India

Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi took the wraps off its much-anticipated Redmi Note 12 series globally in India. The 12 series includes Redmi Note 12, Note 12 Pro, and Note 12 Pro+. Both Pro models share identical specifications except for the primary-rear camera and fast charging speeds. However, Xiaomi has disappointed us by providing MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box. The common feature includes an IP53 rating, an IR blaster, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Redmi Note 12 and 12 Pro+ Specifications & Pricing

The smartphones feature a 6.67 inches OLED display with 2400 x 1080 pixels resolution. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, a 240Hz touch sampling rate, 10-bit color depth, a peak brightness of 900 nits, Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Underneath, both Redmi Note 12 Pro and 12 Pro+ sports a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC that pairs with 6/8/12GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128/256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. 



The Redmi Note 12 Pro features a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary rear camera. It is a 1/1.56-inch sensor with an f/1.88 aperture and OIS. On the other hand, the Note 12 Pro+ sports a 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HPX sensor. It is a 1/1.4-inch sensor with an f/1.65 aperture, OIS, 7P lens, and ALD coating. Other sensors include an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor and a 2MP macro lens. Upfront, both features the same 16MP sensor that sits inside the punch hole in the center. A 5000mAh battery backs the smartphones with 67W and 120W fast charging tech.



The Pro will be available in Stardust Purple, Frosted Blue, and Onyx Black colors. The price for Redmi Note 12 Pro are as follows;

• 6GB + 128GB - Rs 24,999


• 8GB + 128GB - Rs 26,999


• 8GB + 256GB - Rs 27,999

In contrast, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ would be available in Arctic White, Iceberg Blue & Obsidian Black, and the prices are as follows;

• 8GB + 128GB - Rs 29,999


• 12GB + 256GB - Rs 32,999

Xiaomi offers Rs 3000 Instant discount using ICICI Bank cards and Rs 4,000 for exchange at Mi.com and Flipkart.

Redmi Note 12 Specifications & Pricing

The device features a 6.67-inches Samsung AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, and a peak brightness of 1200 nits. Underneath, it sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC that pairs with 4/6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage. 



On the optics side, the Redmi Note 12 sports a 48MP primary sensor that pairs with 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens and 2MP macro lens. Upfront, it sports an 8MP sensor on a centered punch-hole. A 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging backs the device. It will be available in Matte Black, Mystique Blue, and Frosted Green. The pricing is as follows;

• 4GB + 128GB - Rs 16,499


• 6GB + 128GB - Rs 18,499

Xiaomi offers a Rs 1500 instant discount with ICICI card holders and Rs 1000 for exchange. It will be available through Mi.com, Amazon.in and offline stores.

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Google Pixel 7A leaks reveals RAM & storage options

We got the leaked renders of the upcoming Google Pixel 7A smartphone a few months back. A new leak reveals the in-hand video of the Pixel 7A smartphone from a Vietnamese Facebook group. The video gave a glance at the overall design of the upcoming smartphone. The person also reveals that the smartphone sports a 90Hz panel. Since the video went viral by displaying its serial number, Google managed to lock the device remotely. The pre-production unit doesn't boot and only displays its fastboot menu. Interestingly, the fastboot menu reveals the RAM and storage options of the forthcoming device.



The thing was pointed out by a tipster on the micro-blogging platform Twitter. The images he shared reveal that the upcoming Pixel 7A will sport 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM. It will sport 128GB of UFS storage which could probably be UFS 3.1. Samsung will supply the RAM, and Micron will supply the storage. The fastboot menu also reveals the codename for the Pixel 7A, i.e. Lynx.

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In contrast, the existing Google Pixel 6A features the Tensor chipset with 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The upcoming smartphone was earlier rumoured to be a powerful device. The addition of the Tensor G2 chipset with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM confirms the same. Other rumours include the support of wireless charging and Sony IMX787 and IMX712 sensors on the rear.

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[Update: First System Update] Redmi K60 Series Updates Tracker

On December 27, Xiaomi announced the Redmi K60 series in China. The series includes Redmi K60, K60 Pro, and K60E. All these smartphones run on MIUI 14 based on Android 13 out of the box. K60 and K60 Pro feature a 6.67-inch CSOT OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. The vanilla K60 sports Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and Pro features Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1. The Pro variant has LPDDR5X & UFS 4.0 storage (excl 128GB) and vanilla with LPDDR5 RAM & UFS 3.1 storage.



The budget Redmi K60 gets a similar screen but with a Samsung E4 AMOLED panel. Underneath, it gets the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset with LPDDR5 RAM & UFS 3.1 storage. Both Redmi K60 and K60E gets 5,500mAh battery with 67W fast charging. The Pro variant gets a 5000mAh battery with 120W fast charging. The 30W wireless charging is available for both K60 and K60 Pro. 

Note: This is an update tracker, and the page will be updated with every build released for the Redmi K60 / Redmi K60 Pro / Redmi K60E in descending order.

Redmi K60 Series Updates Tracker

• [January 2, 2023]: Xiaomi has pushed the first system update for Redmi K60 and K60 Pro in China. The update comes with firmware version V14.0.11.0.TMNCNXM for K60 and V14.0.11.0.TMKCNXM for K60 Pro. It brings December 2022 security patch to smartphones. The update fixes the status bar that wasn't displayed correctly in some cases. It also improves the touchscreen experience and fixes Wi-Fi connection issues.

The update is rolling out phase-wise, and it may take some time to reach all the units of Redmi K60 / K60 Pro / K60E. The users can head to Settings > About Phone > MIUI version to check the update manually. Ensure that there is enough storage space and battery backup on your device. Also, connect to a Wi-Fi network before updating the smartphone.

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Telegram brings feature to hide medias with a spoiler filter

Telegram has been improving consistently over the years in terms of privacy. It recently brought features such as signing up without a SIM card, auto-deleting all chats, and much more. Telegram now brings spoiler formatting for media, new drawing & text tools, zero storage usage, custom profile pictures, and more. Earlier, the spoiler formatting was available for text messages. The spoiler formatting for media is nothing but a feature to hide photos and videos. The feature will help users to hide photos and videos in a chat with the filter. So, the other person accidentally opening your chat will see sensitive images with a blur filter.

[video width="1080" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thegoandroid.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Media-spoiler.mp4"][/video]

The app also introduces Zero Storage Usage, where you can remove cached media from your phone storage. It will remove automatically, but one can set exceptions for specific chats.



The new Pie chart will help one to understand what's taking up space. It will clear the largest items and cached media in a few taps. The app allows users to redownload the media from the Telegram cloud later. It also adds new drawing tools, blur tools with photobombers, text tools, and custom animated emoji to text on images is made available for all users.

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Another privacy-related improvement is adding a profile photo option for your contacts or a few people you prefer. Telegram will allow you to add another profile picture for the public and the rest of your contacts.



Users can also choose a picture for their contacts which will be only visible to them. However, users can also suggest a picture for their contacts that can easily be set by the other with a single tap.



Telegram groups with over 100 members can hide their members and save them from unwanted spam personal messages. The Topics feature is available to every group without any eligibility criteria. Other improvements are more interactive emojis, new animated emojis for premium users, and new progress animations on Android.

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[Update: OneUI Core 5.0 based on Android 13] Samsung Galaxy A04 / A04s Updates Tracker

In August 2022, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A04 smartphone with Exynos 850 chipset. It runs on Android 12 on top of OneUI Core 4.1. The smartphone came with a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD Infinity-V display with a water drop notch. A 5000mAh battery backs the smartphone. The chipset pairs with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage. Later in December 2022, the smartphone made its way to India with MediaTek Helio P35 chipset. Samsung had launched another smartphone in the lineup, i.e., Galaxy A04s. The smartphone has similar specifications with the former. The only difference was the addition of a 2MP depth sensor with the global variant. 

 

Note: This is an update tracker, and the page will be updated with every build released for the Galaxy A04 / A04s in descending order.

Samsung Galaxy A04 / A04s Updates Tracker

• [December 30, 2022]: Samsung is rolling out a new update for the Galaxy A04s smartphone. The update brings Android 13 on top of OneUI Core 5.0 to the device. It is live in Panama and comes with the firmware version A047MUBU1BVK5. The update also brings the November 2022 security patch to the device. It will be live in other markets in the following days.

The update is rolling out phase-wise, and it may take some time to reach all the units of Galaxy A04 / A04s. The users can head to Settings > Software updates > Security updates to check the update manually. Ensure that there is enough storage space and battery backup on your device. Also, connect to a WiFi network before updating the smartphone.

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Realme opens Early Access application realme UI 4.0 (Android 13) for Realme 8s 5G

In 2021, Realme unveiled Realme 8s 5G smartphone in India with Dimensity 810 SoC. It came with realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 out of the box. Earlier in 2022, Realme rolled out the stable realme UI 3.0 (Android 12) update for the smartphone. Realme has now begun the application for early access of realme UI 4.0 based on Android 13 for the smartphone. The announcement of the opening came through a community post. Realme will open the application starting on December 29.



Ensure that your Realme 8S 5G runs on RMX3381_11.C.06 or RMX3381_11.C.07 before applying for the beta update. Once applied, Realme will shortlist and approve the application. The realme UI 4.0 (Android 13) beta update will come with the firmware version F.04. To apply, head to Settings on your smartphone.

Open the Software Update menu and select the settings icon in the top right corner. Click on Trial Version and choose Apply Now option. Finally, submit your details and finish the quiz to apply successfully.



Realme asks to back up your data and ensure your smartphone isn't rooted. They also recommend at least a storage space of 10GB for smooth operation. Before applying, keep in mind that the beta update may contain some bugs that may interfere with your smartphone's smooth operation. 

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Realme pushes realme UI 4.0 based on Android 13 for Realme GT NEO 3T & Narzo 50 Pro 5G

Earlier in September 2022, when Google unveiled Android 13, Realme also shared the update schedule of smartphones receiving realme UI 4.0 updates. Now, Realme has rolled out the stable realme UI 4.0 based on Android 13 for Realme GT NEO 3T & Narzo 50 Pro 5G. The announcement of the update came through a post in Realme Community. To recall, the Realme GT NEO 3T was launched in September 2022. It came with realme UI 3.0 based on Android 12 out of the box.

[caption id="attachment_135715" align="aligncenter" width="461"] Realme GT NEO 3T Android 13 update[/caption]

The GT NEO 3T users running on RMX3371_11.A.09 will receive the update through OTA. The realme UI 4.0 update comes with the firmware version RMX3371_11.C.04 and December 2022 security patch. Various users in India and other countries have confirmed the receipt of the update. In contrast, the Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G users running on RMX3395_11.A.05, RMX3395_11.A.06, and RMX3395_11.A.07 are eligible for the OTA update.

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The update comes with the firmware version RMX3395_11.C.04 and is live for users globally. Realme rolls out both updates via batches, so only a small group of users will receive the update today. It will start the wider rollout in the following days after confirmation from users. That is, the users should confirm the absence of any major bugs in the update. Do let us know if you have received the update on your smartphones. 

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A new Spen arrives on FCC; likely to come with Galaxy S23 Ultra

In the previous week, the upcoming Galaxy S23 Ultra was listed in FCC with the id A3LSMS918B. The FCC listing confirmed that the device would get support for Spen. Samsung brought Spen support to the Galaxy S series device with the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Its successor Galaxy S22 Ultra had a dedicated slot for the same. There were rumors that the upcoming S23 Ultra would bring support for a better Spen. Those rumors were true, as a new Spen arrived on FCC. The devices list on FCC with the id A3LEJPS918.



It has a power output of 0.7 mW and a Bluetooth frequency range of 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz. The product will work in low energy mode, reducing the battery's consumption. The listing also reveals that it will feature the model number EJ-PS918. It will vary depending on your market, and it can be A3L-EJPS918 /A3L EJPS918 /A3LEJPS918 /A3LEJPS9I8 /A3LEJP5918.

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The FCC listing would publish the photographs of the upcoming stylus pen at a future date. The listing doesn't reveal any other specifications other than those mentioned above. Apart from using in Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung would also use the upcoming Spen with other forthcoming Galaxy S series smartphones. With both Galaxy S23 Ultra and Spen arriving at FCC, we can expect the device's launch imminently.

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