As far as gaming phones go, the brand-new Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 — stupid name — might be one of the weirdest so far.
Expand Expanding CloseLenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 goes official w/ weird landscape pop-up camera, more
Author
Damien is 9to5Google‘s resident Video Producer and has over a decade of UK media experience. He worked within the sports industry and with numerous sports-focused publications — including golfing publication National Club Golfer — prior to joining the 9to5Google team.
After completing a BSc in Computer Science at the University of Hull with a major focus on data analytics and UX, he joined the Press Association (now PA Media), developing growing sports data products for the Barclay’s Premier League. These’s data packages included the now-defunct ACTIM Index which eventually evolved into the EA Sports Player Performance Index.
While working with the UK’s largest media agency, he attained a MA in Journalism at Sheffield Hallam University after completing his studies in 2014. This is where a love affair with all things videography surfaced after a brief stint in student TV. A major interest and constantly growing know-how of technology and videography have seen Damien lead 9to5Google’s official YouTube channel since 2018. He previously hosted the 9to5Google Daily podcast from 2019 to 2021.
Damien’s expertise and focus area lie in a number of beats including Android and OEM software updates, mobile applications, smartphone and accessory reviews, and just about anything that makes a modern mobile nerd tick. He says that he is “platform agnostic” despite primarily using Android devices and attempts to regularly test the iOS waters to better understand the nuances of the tech he covers on a day-to-day basis.
Outside of the tech space Damien is an avid supporter of his boyhood soccer team Hull City and is even a fully qualified Barista — with 3 years of experience making speciality coffee. Be sure to follow him on Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and Instagram for insights and upcoming video updates and tidbits. If you are interested, you can also check out just what video gear he is currently using on his dedicated Kit.co page.
Goodbye Google Play Music: 7 alternatives to YouTube Music you should probably try [Video]
With Google Play Music now double dead and even fully disabled on devices in favor of YouTube Music, if you’re simply not a fan of the replacement, you might be looking for some serious audio alternatives.
Expand Expanding Close9to5Google Daily 634: Final Play Music update lets you hide app, Pixel Buds A leak in green, plus more
Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Spotify,Google Podcasts, Amazon, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
Nest Hub vs. Nest Hub (2nd gen): What are you missing out on? [Video]
Often the two-year period between a device launch and its proposed follow-up brings with it a whole host of changes and improvements. The original Nest Hub — formerly the Home Hub — has now been superseded by the Nest Hub 2nd gen, and it raises questions as to which is right for you.
Expand Expanding Close9to5Google Daily 633: Pixel 5 April update brings GPU boosts, Workspace accounts keep unlimited Docs until 2022, plus more
Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Spotify,Google Podcasts, Amazon, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
OnePlus Pay could expand to India in the coming months
OnePlus Pay could be expanding outside of China in the coming months as an Indian trademark filing hints that the payment platform is coming to the region.
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WhatsApp begins testing chat migration between iOS and Android
Switching a smartphone is fairly easy in 2021, but the migration of chat history and messages between iOS and Android devices is practically nonexistent in apps like WhatsApp — at least for now.
Expand Expanding CloseOxygenOS 11.2.3.3 rolls out for OnePlus 9/9 Pro w/ battery, camera boosts
OxygenOS 11.2.3.3 is already the second update rolling out for the recently released OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro aimed at improving some of the more problematic areas of the flagship duo — namely the battery and camera performance.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Lens translate chip for Recent Apps screen shows up on Android 12 w/ new design
Even after trawling through almost all aspects of the recent Android 12 Developer Preview, things slip the net. One of those looks to be the long-overdue addition of a Google Lens translate option within the Android recent apps panel.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Maps restores compass when navigating on Android
After initially removing the compass within Maps on Android way back in early 2019, Google has now restored the much-loved feature after fan pressure.
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[Update: Galaxy S9 ] Third-party ROM brings Android 11 w/ One UI 3.1 to the Galaxy Note 9
The last “true” Note has to be considered the Galaxy Note 9, as it had almost everything that hardcore fans desired and deserved. But Samsung’s old or previous update schedule means that the Galaxy Note 9 will never officially get Android 11.
Expand Expanding CloseOnePlus 9 Pro review: Consistently inconsistent [Video]
The OnePlus 9 Pro is not the killer Android that it may be marketed as, but it’s the best Pro-series OnePlus to date, but it doesn’t necessarily improve in quite as many ways as you initially thought.
Expand Expanding CloseFiat 500 ‘Hey Google’ car series launched w/ cute tweaks and neat voice controls [Gallery]
Yes, you’re reading that correctly. Fiat has released three actual 500-series cars with “Hey Google” branding and integration directly with the Google Assistant.
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ASUS quietly launches the Chromebook Flip CM3
ASUS has very quietly launched the brand-new Chromebook Flip CM3, with a fully articulating display and fairly small footprint.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Maps adds indoor AR directions, will favor eco-friendly navigation
Google has announced that Maps will now offer indoor AR directions and can even favor eco-friendly navigation when pointing you from location to location.
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OxygenOS 11.0.5.5/11.0.8.11 roll out for OnePlus 8/8T series w/ March 2021 patch, more fixes
The OnePlus 8/8 Pro and OnePlus 8T are getting simultaneous updates — OxygenOS 11.0.5.5 and 11.0.8.11 respectively — that add a laundry list of fixes plus the March 2021 security patches.
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Files by Google skyrockets to 1 billion Play Store downloads
Files by Google has reached a fairly major milestone having just surpassed 1 billion downloads from the Google Play Store — and in super quick fashion we should add.
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Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite goes official w/ Snapdragon 732G, 90Hz display, more
Alongside the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, the Chinese tech giant has also unveiled the Mi 11 Lite, which offers a little taste of the latest series but with some notable compromises.
Expand Expanding CloseXiaomi Mi 11 Ultra goes official w/ 120x zoom, 1.1-inch mini rear display, more
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra has now officially been unveiled, with the smartphone taking the Mi 11 DNA and adding in some seriously powerful added internals and camera prowess.
Expand Expanding CloseLawnchair 11 arrives in Alpha with Android 11 support
After a complete from-the-ground-up rebuild, Lawnchair 11 has arrived in Alpha with support for that latest Android 11 release.
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Sideload Helper lets you continue using a Pebble watch with an Android smartphone
Pebble may have shut down in December 2016, but the original smartwatches live on courtesy of a new app from the Rebble community called Sideload Helper that lets you open Pebble files on modern Android smartphones and sideload them for usage and installation on the basic wearable.
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Google Photos ‘In the spotlight’ highlights concerts in new Memories collection
The latest Google Photos AI-powered Memories collection is now highlighting gigs, concerts, and outdoor shows as part of the “In the spotlight” collection — as if the lack of festivals across the globe isn’t depressing enough on its own.
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[Update: OnePlus 7/7 Pro] Stable OxygenOS 11 with Android 11 begins rollout for OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro
A mere 24 hours before the release of the OnePlus 9 series, the stable OxygenOS 11 update complete with Android 11 is now finally rolling out for the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro.
Expand Expanding CloseChromecast with Google TV tips: 10 essential tricks you need to know [Video]
Google decided that the Chromecast needed its own unique flavor of Android TV to properly compete with the best streaming sticks on the market, which means quite a big shift in how you use the device. We — like many of you out there reading — have been using Chromecast with Google TV for a few months and have some tips and tricks that we think you really need to know.
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