Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes all the Galaxy S11 leaks, how Samsung is helping the new iPhone, Android 10’s new look, rolling out the Nokia Android updates, Trump saving Huawei, a closer look at the Mate X, how Android is winning the new price war, and what happened to Android Q?
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
Latest Galaxy S11 Details Leak
A close look at the heritage of the Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy S10 suggest that a number of key components are ready for a refresh, which means that the Galaxy S11 is set to be one of the biggest shifts in the ‘base’ of Samsung’s flagship design. Forbes’ Gordon Kelly takes a look at the latest leaked details, starting with the camera and design:
Camera - While it may still top lab tests, everyone knows the Galaxy range has slipped behind Apple, Google and Huawei as a point and shoot master. This is because the Galaxy range has been using the same 12MP sensor first introduced in the Galaxy S7 in 2016. But we know the Galaxy S11 marks the start of a new era with a brand new rear camera module and expect the colours, in particular, to pop.
Design - The Galaxy Note 10 Plus already has a class-leading screen-to-body ratio but we know Galaxy S11 will push this even further by shrinking the front camera. That said, it won’t disappear under the display until 2021. I’d also be amazed if a high refresh rate 90/120Hz display doesn’t make it as this feature has taken the sector by storm in 2019 and it is already missed on the Galaxy S10 and Note 10.
How Samsung Is Helping The New iPhone
Both Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S10 handsets have one of the best OLED displays on the market. Naturally it comes from the Samsung Display side of the South Korean company. But that division also supplies screens and hardware to the competition, so the Galaxy advantage is going to be short lived… with Samsung’s help the iPhone is going to have a similar display:
What Apple has bagged is Samsung’s groundbreaking Note 10 Plus OLED display. Lauded by DisplayMate, benchmarks found it broke no less than 13 display records, including the reduction of harmful blue light, and put the iPhone XS and Galaxy S10 (which uses an earlier version of the panel) in the shade.
In Samsung’s defence, it sells components to most smartphone makers and will likely make a handsome profit from iPhone 11 sales. That said, in a year where Apple’s new iPhone is objectively ugly and struggling to generate excitement (Apple had to ’accidentally’ leak information to build hype), Samsung is compromising perhaps its best shot to tangibly eat into iPhone sales.
Android 10 Confirmed For Almost Every Nokia Handset
With the announcement of Android 10 this week from Google, a number of manufacturers have details their plans for updates to their existing handsets. inland’s HMD Global - behind the return of the Nokia name to the smartphone world - has confirmed its plans and the promise of providing at least two years of updates for each handset. Ben Schoon reports:
Since its takeover of the Nokia brand a few years ago, HMD Global has had a pretty good track record for updates and security patches on its various devices. Today the company has confirmed its roadmap for Android 10.
Starting in Q4 of this year, Nokia will update the Nokia 7.1, 8.1, and Nokia 9 Pureview to Android 10. From there, the Nokia 6.1, 6.1 Plus, and 7 Plus will get updated roughly around the start of 2020. Also during the first half of Q1 2020, Nokia 2.2, 3.2, 4.2, and 3.1 Plus will get their updates, with the Nokia 1 Plus, 5.1 Plus, and Nokia 8 Sirocco in the second half of the quarter. Rounding things out, Nokia 2.1, 3.1, 5.1, and Nokia 1 will all be updated to Android 10 sometime in Q2 2020.
More at 9to5Google. Missing from the list is the debutant Nokia 8, but it’s worth noting that although that handset will not get the version update, it has been previously announced that its security updates have been extended by a further year.
Meet The New Android
Google has opened up on the new branding on the tenth major version of Android, talking about colours, design, icons, and the more subtle features around the platform. David Imel takes an extensive look at the news, starting with the choices behind the branding:
In reality, color, shape, and names in branding are much more important for inclusivity than you might think. Some colorblind people don’t interpret certain shades of green correctly. Android’s tasty treat version names were hard to pronounce and even unheard of in a lot of regions. If Android is a global brand, it’s important that it represents a truly global audience.
This prompted a total return to the drawing board for Google. The company needed to decide how best to represent Android while making sure the brand felt easily accessible for anyone using the platform.
Trump Saves Huawei (For A Few Months)
Following the trade restrictions placed on Huawei earlier this year, the Chinese manufacturer has been vocal with its plans to have an alternative OS to Android (HarmonyOS, more on that here), but has also been fighting the restrictions. This week saw a 90-day extension of its ’Temporary General Licence’, allowing US companies to trade and work with Huawei, but 46 affiliate companies have been added to the list. David Phelan reports on the silver lining:
The next 90 days will see the release of the company's next big flagship phone, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro. Because it will launch in the extension period, it'll be able to use Google Android as its operating system. Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's Business Group which manages its smartphones division, said earlier this month that the company is prepared to launch the phone with its own operating system, Harmony OS, if needed, but that is very much Plan B.
Huawei will stress that this means that the phones will get the security and software updates that other Android phones will, making them much more appealing purchases.
A Closer Look At The Mate X’s Folds
Alongside the movement around the US trade issues, Huawei has being previewing its folding smartphone, the Mate X, to a number of journalists. The device debuted earlier this year and has matured to feature the latest Kirrin 990 processor and upgraded camera, presumably for a relase at Berlin’a IFA show next month. Rich Woods reports:
It doesn't fold completely in half though; there's actually a border on one side. That border includes three camera lenses, a flash, and a button to release the device to be unfolded. While it solved the problem of camera placement, it's also just comfortable like holding a Kindle Oasis.
What's cool about Huawei's method of putting the screen on the outside is that when it's closed, it looks like a regular phone. Samsung's Galaxy Fold has a separate screen on the front that's smaller, so you still have to take the extra step of opening it for even a full smartphone experience. With the Mate X, you only have to open it if you want more than what you see.
Lower The Cost, Sell More Handsets, Profit!
As Apple struggles to find growth in iPhone sales and pushes the price up to compensate, other manufacturers are finding that lower-priced handsets with higher volumes are generating better results. According to studies from Counterpoint Research, both OnePlus and Google are finding that more consumers are turning to more affordable smartphones. Michael Kan reports:
"We are seeing a shift away from premium devices as Apple showed a YoY (year-over-year) increase through the continued success of the XR as its top seller," said Counterpoint analyst Maurice Klaehne in a statement. "The iPhone 8 and iPhone 7 have also picked up sales this quarter, with some prepaid channels beginning the transition from the iPhone 6s to the iPhone 7 as the main iOS workhorse.
Although consumers are moving away from buying the most premium devices, Apple, Samsung and LG still remain the top three smartphone vendors in the US.
And Finally…
There’s been a fair amount of light-hearted discussion on which sweet name would follow Android Pie. What ‘Q’ names are there (apart from Major Boothroyd)? Google has an answer… and it’s tp drop the candy coating around the version number. David Ruddock reports:
First, it's really hard to find a good, easily-recognizable dessert that starts with "Q," a problem that only gets worse as you get farther along in the alphabet. Second, the number "10" provides a convenient point at which to change things up, given its significance (well, at least for those of us base-10 elitists). Third, you've only got so many letters — what happens after Z?
Take all of these considerations together, and it becomes kind of clear Google wasn't going to find a better time to drop the desserts; the band-aid had to be ripped. It's also been increasingly clear that the attention Google has received for some of its more recent Android name choices hasn't been overwhelmingly positive. Risking such negative reactions — reactions that then become associated with Android and Google itself — really doesn't make any marketing sense.
Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!
