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... Which Apple in turn copied from the Palm Pre. And the cycle of tech "innovation" continues.

What I'm talking about here is gesture-based navigation, currently all the rage on the latest fruit phone. As luck would have it, it's also an option on the latest Open Beta of OxygenOS for the OnePlus 5T—the one without the capacitive buttons and front-facing fingerprint sensor / home button. Here's a close-up of my current home screen running the beta:



Notice the complete absence of software navigation buttons. It doesn't seem like such a big deal at first, but it very quickly makes my FHD+ screen feel bigger and the entire OS more modern. A few more examples:



Here's what typing looks like with the navigation buttons enabled...



... And here's what it looks like without. To be fair, a dark background behind the navigation buttons would make them look a lot better, but still not nearly as elegant as not having them at all.The gestures themselves are intuitive enough that they'll very quickly become second nature. Here's all you need to know:

Home screen - swipe up from bottom-centre and release;
App switcher - swipe up from bottom-centre and hold;
Go back - swipe up from bottom-left or bottom-right and release.

If still unclear, here are the gestures in action, courtesy of Droid Life:



I wouldn't yet call it perfect on the OnePlus. If you've never seen the navigational aid that Apple has on their iPhone X, it's a thin black strip at the bottom of the screen from which you can begin your swipe upwards. On the 5T there's no such aid, and swiping successfully can sometimes take a couple of tries. Yet I am convinced that this is a much better way to get around your phone. Hopefully this feature will make it to a stable build of OxygenOS, and to other Android phones as well.

Links: Android Central, OnePlus Forums

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From The Web:

Nokia 9 on the way, details leak with a Snapdragon 845 and “best in-class” camera

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Tidbits: Bottom Front-Facing Camera, Wireless Charging, ARCore Support

Google Lens object recognition now rolling out to all Android users

Report: Wireless Competition is Cooling Down

Two years after they said they didn’t, Toronto police admit they use Stingray cellphone snooping device

From The Forums:

Why does T-Mobile disable 3G UMTS Band 8 (900 MHz) on its phones?

F t-mo

Unofficial Survey: What support channel do you use?

Cheapest way to start TracFone?

Koodo's new rate card - Less for More [March 2018]

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If you frequent either Amazon.ca or Amazon.com you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were already here. But China's number two smartphone OEM has plans far beyond grey market imports; according to the Wall Street Journal they're planning to raise up to a hundred billion dollars in an IPO on U.S. markets, and shortly afterwards will start selling their Android-powered phones and other gear through an official North American sales channel.

Based on Huawei's recent troubles I wouldn't expect any carrier partners for Xiaomi phones, either; fortunately there's not so much sticker shock when it comes to their hardware, so carrier financing and/or subsidies aren't as critical to sales. That's my big hope here, that Xiaomi will have enough success with sub-$1,000 devices that Samsung, Google and Apple will take notice.

Apple in particular might also take notice of MIUI, the inspired-by-iOS ROM developed at a time when other versions of Android lacked polish. But there are plenty of other Android OEMs also blatantly copying iOS, and they haven't been sued yet. We'll have to wait and see, I guess.

By the way, the WSJ source lives behind a paywall, and my Google search trick to break it no longer seems to work. Fortunately, a helpful redditor on r/Android has done us all a favour and copy/pasted the text of the article right here.

Source: Wall Street Journal via r/Android

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From The Web:

Android and Pixel Security Bulletins for March are Now Available with OTA and Factory Images

Official Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Android Oreo Update Rolling Out Soon As Beta Builds Pass SafetyNet

The first Android P developer preview will apparently arrive in mid-March

Apple releases iOS 11.3 beta 4 for iPhone and iPad

5G wireless pits cities against telecoms and their friends in the FCC

From The Forums:

Tracfone ALCATEL POP ICON 2 LTE Free Shipping[No Plan Needed] $4.99. Limit 2.

5 Lines for $100 - Help with Looking for new Plan & Line

New York and the borough's

comsuner cellular Pixel 2 problems

Snowstorm Service March 2018

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With another Mobile World Congress come and gone it's time to get caught up on other smartphone-related stories of note. Almost two weeks ago Computerworld took a deep dive into the muddled waters of software updates, grading six Android OEMs on their Oreo OTAs and communication with their customers. To quote the author, such upgrades are basically "a big, hot mess".

Here's a summary of the report card, ranked from best to worst:

Google: A (94%)
Current flagship upgraded in 9 days (60/60 points)
Previous flagship upgraded in 18 days (29/30 points)
Mediocre communication (5/10 points)

OnePlus: D (65%)
Current flagship upgraded in 138 days (41/60 points)
Previous flagship upgraded in 91 days (24/30 points)
Poor communication (0/10 points)

HTC: F (49%)
Current flagship upgraded in 99 days (47/60 points)
Still waiting for upgrade to previous flagship (0/30 points)
Poor communication (2/10 points)

Motorola: F (45%)
Current flagship upgraded in 124 days (43/60 points)
Still waiting for upgrade to previous flagship (0/30 points)
Poor communication (2/10 points)

LG: F (0%)
Still waiting for upgrade to current flagship (0/60 points)
Still waiting for upgrade to previous flagship (0/30 points)
Poor communication (0/10 points)

Samsung: F (0%)
Still waiting for upgrade to current flagship (0/60 points)
Still waiting for upgrade to previous flagship (0/30 points)
Poor communication (0/10 points)

You can read the whole story at the link below. And feel free to add your own upgrade experience with any OEM not listed here.

Source: Computerworld

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From The Web:

Huawei distances itself after top executive goes off script about US

Oppo R15 and R15 Plus teased with iPhone X-style notch

The Feds Can Now (Probably) Unlock Every iPhone Model In Existence

Android Messages adds RCS support for dual SIM phones

OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T receive update to play Netflix & Amazon Prime Video HD, but there’s a catch

From The Forums:

SafeLink/TracFone and Internet...?

Telus "no longer wishes to do business with me" after I filed a CCTS complaint

Coverage (att) in Va & Wv

Global WiFi app going away

Speedsmart: T-Mobile Dethroned by Verizon for month of February Speed it up Neville

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Our MWC 2018 coverage ends with this concept phone by Vivo called the Apex—or, to follow the letter of its press release, the APEX™ FullView™. Vivo is one of three brands owned by BBK Electronics, and while it's theoretically possible that we'll see this pop-up selfie cam on a future OnePlus device, it's more likely to be a feature for China-only phones. That camera assembly is motor-driven, by the way, and takes less than a second to lock into place.

You'll recall that Vivo was the first OEM to market with an in-display fingerprint sensor on the X20 Plus UD; the Apex improves on that effort by making a full third of the screen fingerprint friendly. If preferred the user can also unlock the phone with two thumbprints simultaneously, for extra security.



All this tech lives behind a display with an astonishing 98% screen to body ratio. You really need to see it in action to appreciate it, so here's a video overview by The Verge.

Sources: Engadget, The Verge (1) (2), Vivo

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From The Web:

Hey, Android Phone Makers, I Don't Want an iPhone.

The notch is here to stay: Almost a dozen notchphones launched at MWC

LG G7 Spotted with a 6″ 3120×1440 Display with a Notch and a Snapdragon 845

Best Buy to shut down all 250 U.S. mobile stores on May 31

Smartphones Make Eating Out With Friends Boring, Shows Research

From The Forums:

Sprint continues to lose to T-Mobile

Anyone but Samsung working on band-71 phones?

Who's getting the s9?

Does AT&T allow transfer of billing responsibility for grandfathered plans?

Google voice early media detection no longer working

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You're likely to read a lot of derision from Apple fan blogs about the new ASUS Zenfone 5Z. It's the first of what's probably going to be a wave of Android phones from the Far East that mimic the infamous notch on the iPhone X. Somewhat hilariously, ASUS claimed in their Mobile World Congress event that their notch is 26% smaller than Fruit Phone X. That's a pretty bold claim; let's see how their trio of new devices spec out:



ZenFone 5Z (ZS620KL)
6.2 Full HD+ IPS display (19:9)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor
4 / 6 / 8 GB RAM, 64 / 128 / 256 GB storage + microSD
12 MP + 8 MP wide-angle rear cameras, 8 MP selfie cam
3,300 mAh battery
Dual SIM
3.5 mm audio jack, stereo speakers
Android Oreo
Available in Meteor Silver, Midnight Blue



ZenFone 5 (ZE620KL)
6.2 Full HD+ IPS display (19:9)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor
4 / 6 GB RAM, 64 GB storage + microSD
12 MP + 8 MP wide-angle rear cameras, 8 MP selfie cam
3,300 mAh battery
Dual SIM
3.5 mm audio jack, stereo speakers
Android Oreo
Available in Meteor Silver, Midnight Blue



ZenFone 5Q / Lite (ZC600KL)
6 inch Full HD+ IPS display (18:9)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 / 630 processor
3 / 4 GB RAM, 32 / 64 GB storage + microSD
16 MP + 8 MP wide-angle rear cameras, 20 MP + 8 MP selfie cams
3,300 mAh battery
Dual SIM
3.5 mm audio jack, mono speaker
Android Oreo
Available in Midnight Black, Moonlight White, Rouge Red

ASUS also announced a new ZenFone Max M1 (ZB555KL), a cheaper device with a big 4,000 mAh battery as its big draw. Unfortunately they don't yet have a product page up for that, so I can't verify the other specs.

Sources: ASUS (1) (2), Liliputing, NDTV

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From The Web:

Smartphone Stats: Full Year 2017 Top 10, OS Installed Base and Everything Else You Ever Wanted

Fitbit's new 'mass appeal' smartwatch: Exclusive pictures and details revealed

Motorola CEO just dropped a major hint at a Razr return, complete with foldable screen

Giant Art Installation Outside MWC Protests Planned Obsolescence

Nokia and Vodafone will bring 4G to the Moon

From The Forums:

Ray @ MWC: T-Mobile will deploy blazing 5G this year

UDP+ Hotspot Limits Implemented?

Issue receiving phone calls

New AT&T plans effect on cricket

Sony XA1 Ultra

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Sony has announced a new line of Xperia phones at this year's Mobile World Congress, with the most immediately striking thing being their new design. Both the XZ2 and XZ2 Compact feature a curved back that would suggest larger batteries than the previous XZ1 line—and they are! Also, the fingerprint reader is now on the back of both devices. Sony had previously built the reader into the power button, but had to disable it for the North American market due to legal issues (likely with Apple).

Anyway, here are the notable specs for the new devices:



Sony Xperia XZ2
5.7 inch Full HD+ HDR display (18:9)
Snapdragon 845 processor
6 GB RAM, 64 GB storage + microSD
19 MP rear camera, 5 MP selfie cam
3,180 mAh battery
IP65/68 water resistance
Android Oreo
Available in Ash Pink, Deep Green, Liquid Black, Liquid Silver



Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
5.0 inch Full HD+ HDR display (18:9)
Snapdragon 845 processor
4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage + microSD
19 MP rear camera, 5 MP selfie cam
2,870 mAh battery
IP65/68 water resistance
Android Oreo
Available in Black, Coral Pink, Moss Green, White Silver

Sources: Sony (1) (2)

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From The Web:

Nokia smartphones will be Android One devices going forward

The Nokia Lumia’s Pro Camera Mode is coming to Nokia-Branded Android devices

The Nokia ringtone's history, from Frédéric Chopin to earworm

Stephen Elop and the fall of Nokia revisited

While the Nokia Brand Flourishes, the BlackBerry Brand is Stagnating

From The Forums:

New Unlimited Plans 3/1/18, no Hotspot lines allowed

Moto G XT1625 4th Gen on Red Pocket?

Help finding a flip phone to work on Red Pocket

Is Saturation Coming to A (your) Town near you!?

Educate me. Will this hotspot work?

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HMD Global announced no less than five new Nokia-branded devices at this year's Mobile World Congress. There's a lot to cover here so let's get to it!



Nokia 8 Sirocco
5.5 inch QHD POLED display with 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
6 GB RAM, 128 GB storage
12 MP wide + 13 MP telephoto rear cameras with ZEISS optics, 5 MP selfie cam
3,260 mAh battery with Quick Charge, wireless charging
(no audio jack...?)
Android 8.0 Oreo



Nokia 7 plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
6 inch IPS LCD full HD+ display (18:9)
4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage + microSD
12 MP + 13 MP rear cameras with ZEISS optics, 16 MP ZEISS selfie cam
3,800 mAh battery with fast charging
audio jack
Android 8.0 Oreo



New Nokia 6
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630
5.5 inch IPS LCD full HD display
3 or 4 GB RAM, 32 or 64 GB storage + microSD
16 MP rear camera with ZEISS optics, 8 MP selfie cam
3,000 mAh battery
audio jack
Android 8.0 Oreo (Android One)



Nokia 1
MediaTek MT6737M processor (quad core 1.1 GHz)
4.5 inch FWVGA IPS display (854 x 480 pixels)
1 GB RAM, 8 GB storage + microSD
5 MP rear camera with LED Flash, 2 MP selfie cam
2,150 mAh battery
audio jack
Android 8.0 Oreo (Go edition)

Oh, and one more thing. Remember last year when Nokia resurrected the legendary 3310? Well, they're at it again...



Nokia 8110
Curved 2.4-inch QVGA display
Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform (MSM8905 Dual Core 1.1 GHz)
512 MB RAM, 4 GB storage
2 MP rear camera
1,500 mAh battery
audio jack with FM radio function
Kai OS

Sources: Android Police, HMD Press, Mobile Syrup

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From The Web:

The Galaxy S9 is supposed to be boring

Samsung's new DeX Pad is official, and it lets you use your Galaxy S9/S9+ as both a keyboard and a trackpad

Galaxy S9 Project Treble support confirmed

Samsung mobile CEO: Our foldable phone is no gimmick

Samsung’s Galaxy S9 AR Emoji are kind of horrifying

From The Forums:

Does Verizon have Extended 3G?

****Get Half Off! With Trade In: Samsung GALAXY S9 ****

Best T-Mobile MVNO

From the "What are they thinking" file

11.2.6 Downgrading

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Samsung has once again kicked off the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona with the big reveal of their new flagships for 2018, the Galaxy S9 and S9+.

The world's largest smartphone OEM hasn't yet figured out the under-screen fingerprint sensor, but they have at least moved the rear-mounted one to a better position, under the camera assembly rather than beside it. There's some new tech in those camera assemblies as well; both the S9 and S9+ feature a new variable aperture rear camera that can open up to f/1.5 or stop down to f/2.4, plus capture slow-motion video at up to 960 frames per second at 720p.

Here are the specs for both models:



Galaxy S9
5.8 inch 2960 x 1440 pixel sAMOLED display, Gorilla Glass 5
Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 processor
4 GB RAM, 64/128/256 GB storage + microSD
12 MP variable aperture rear camera, 8 MP selfie cam
3,000 mAh battery with wireless charging
IP68 dust and water resistance
3.5 mm audio jack (!)
Android 8.0 Oreo with Samsung Experience 9.0



Galaxy S9+
6.2 inch 2960 x 1440 pixel sAMOLED display, Gorilla Glass 5
Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 processor
6 GB RAM, 64/128/256 GB storage + microSD
12 MP variable aperture rear camera + 12 MP zoom lens, 8 MP selfie cam
3,500 mAh battery with wireless charging
IP68 dust and water resistance
3.5 mm audio jack (!)
Android 8.0 Oreo with Samsung Experience 9.0

Depending on the carrier and/or market, available colours for both models will include Coral Blue, Lilac Purple, Midnight Black and Titanium Grey.

In Canada, the S9 will start at $960 CAD, and the S9+ at $1,100.

In the USA, the S9 will start at $720 USD, and the S9+ at $840. Additionally, 24-month financing will be available directly from Samsung.

Sources: Mobile Syrup, XDA

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From The Web:

What to Watch for in Gadgets, Deals From the Biggest Mobile Show

Meet Sony’s first full screen smartphones: Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact

Google may add built-in Dark Theme to Android P, Add Weather Widget to Always on Display

Fido, Koodo and Virgin All Offer Promo $60 Plan with 6GB Data

The unwinding of net neutrality will begin on April 23rd

From The Forums:

DPP suspended 5 months after I bought it.

As of 2/23/18, What's the Rock-Bottom, No-Data, Emergency-Only GSM Deal?

Grandfathered 50$ UDP

What is your opinion on Universal RCS?

Tracfone Sunset

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If memory serves me correctly I first introduced the concept of "peak smartphone" last October, when I linked to a story about someone who had tracked Google searches for Apple and Samsung devices and found that interest in both of them had, well... peaked.

This week TechCrunch is running a story with further evidence of slowing smartphone sales worldwide. A new report by Gartner claims that Q4 numbers were down 5.6% from the previous year; Apple moved 5% less iPhones and Samsung 3.6% less units over the holidays. And if you thought the world's largest smartphone market would be safe, think again: recent research by Canalys suggests that sales in China dropped by 4% in 2017, and were down 14% in Q4 alone.

Back to Gartner, here's what they think is going on:

I would add that smartphones are getting too expensive, and that customers are passing over models without headphone jacks, but what do I know...?

Sources: TechCrunch (1) (2)

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From The Web:

First Android Go phones will be announced next week at MWC

Exclusive: the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is coming with Wireless Charging and Possibly an Iris Scanner

Apple Plans Upgrades to Popular AirPods Headphones

CRA inviting some Canadians to file taxes with their phones

Snap tells the 1.2 million people who signed a petition to remove the latest Snapchat update that they're out of luck

From The Forums:

Boy, you can't beat this with a stick....

New Report Shows HPUE Dramatically Improves Network Coverage and Speed

What is your opinion on Universal RCS?

5G testing in Huston and video of 5G tower.

AT&T announces regions that will get 5G service in 2018

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Phillip Huang, an analyst from Barclays Investment Bank, recently took some meetings with the CEO from Bell. That's actually not Huang in the photo (at least I don't think it is), but it's the closest thing I could find—the image appears alongside his name and phone number on this Telus investor relations page.

Anyway, Huang's thoughts about the carrier racket in Canada are covered in this article on the Financial Post. Mobile Syrup has a post of their own about Huang's meetings, but they don't cite a source. I can only assume that they obtained their own copy of the analyst's actual notes to his clients.

According to Huang, the holiday price war between carriers last December was more costly than anticipated, due to high churn and what he calls "a repricing of the base". He goes on to write that any future growth of Freedom Mobile is“unlikely to impact any of the major markets to warrant such a costly competitive response.”

His advice for Bell—which would also apply to Rogers and Telus—is to "maintain pricing discipline" rather than responding directly to any specific Freedom promotion. TL;DR don't expect another holiday miracle anytime soon.

Source: Mobile Syrup

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