HTC has very quietly unveiled the Desire 21 Pro 5G, a lower mid-range device that offers superfast networking but might not spread beyond Taiwanese borders.
Expand Expanding CloseHTC Desire 21 Pro goes official w/ Snapdragon 690, 90Hz display, 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.
The Google Assistant has a neat Dragon Ball Z Easter egg
It’s hard to quantify why software Easter eggs are just so interesting, with Google being no stranger to adding neat little nods to popular culture within all facets of their software and hardware offerings. The latest Easter egg to be uncovered is the Google Assistant’s nod to the late-80s and early-90s anime classic Dragon Ball Z.
Expand Expanding Close9to5Google Daily 584: Samsung offers old devices a new life, Fossil’s releases more Snapdragon 3100 Wear OS watches, 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.
Nova Launcher 7 hands-on: Still the go-to Android launcher? [Video]
There is no homescreen replacement on Android quite as popular and revered as Nova Launcher. It’s a staple, a stalwart of customization, but it has received its biggest update in recent years, courtesy of the Nova Launcher 7 beta.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung officially unveils the Exynos 2100 chipset ahead of Galaxy S21 series
Samsung has now officially launched the Exynos 2100 chipset that will be the bedrock of global Galaxy S21 handsets ahead of Unpacked 2021.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube rival Rumble sues Google over video search rankings
Video sharing platform Rumble is suing Google, accusing the YouTube-owner of abusing its power in the search and mobile market by promoting its own platforms.
Expand Expanding Close
The Honor Band 6 will soon be available in US for $35
While the Chinese company is still steadily removing ties with its former paymasters Huawei, Honor is set to launch the Band 6 fitness strap in the US in the coming weeks.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid 12 could add option to ‘hibernate’ unused apps to free up storage
The fear of running out of device storage is one that we’re sure many of you out there may know and have experienced at some point with your smartphone. However, in Android 12, we might be able to “hibernate” apps as a way to free up on-device storage.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube videos that use hashtags now have their own dedicated sections
YouTube shouldn’t be home to hashtags, but they were added anyway for no real reason. But in a bid to tidy up the feature popularized by Twitter, should you tap a video hashtag, you can now head to a dedicated section related to it — yes, in a carbon copy of how Twitter hashtags work.
Expand Expanding Close
[Update: Note 9] January 2021 security patch already rolling out for Galaxy S9 series
If you thought that Samsung was letting up with software patches and security updates in 2021, then think again. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are among the very first to get updated to the January 2021 security patch which is all the more impressive given the age of the former flagship duo.
Expand Expanding Close
[Update: More] Renders of the optional Galaxy S21 S Pen leak alongside carry case w/ Note series vibes
The first renders of the optional Galaxy S21 S Pen have now been shared online alongside a carry case which no doubt signals Samsung’s intent to call time on the Note series in the future.
Expand Expanding Close9to5Google Daily 583: Google Phone app preps call recording for unsaved numbers, Maps ‘2020 Timeline update’ recaps roll out, 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.
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Clock is a tiny €50 smart display for your bedroom
While Google has banked on Smart Displays in recent years, there aren’t quite as many available as we would have hoped. The latest though is the cutesy Xiaomi Mi Smart Clock, which is set to go on sale in Europe for just €50.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Calendar shifts search button to top navbar for easier access
Although not necessarily the best calendar experience, Google Calendar is a solid digital diary, but a recent shift to the search button to the top navbar might be one of the best simple UI changes in recent updates.
Expand Expanding CloseOnePlus Band goes official w/ 1.1-inch display, 14-day battery, more
After multiple early teasers, the OnePlus Band has now officially launched in India with a price tag to rival the most popular fitness bands on the market.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid 12 wish list: Features we would love to see [Video]
Android 12 may not be here in a full release capacity until the latter half of 2021, but that hasn’t stopped us from dreaming up a wish list of things we really hope to see in the next OS build.
Expand Expanding Close9to5Google Daily 582: One UI 3.0 removes ability to hide camera cutout, $499 Clearly White Pixel 4a 5G coming, 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.
[Update: Dead] Chrome working on one-stop video streaming hub named ‘Kaleidoscope’
Google looks to be working on a unified one-stop hub for all of your video streaming services in Chrome called Kaleidoscope.
Expand Expanding Close
Horror classics ‘Dracula,’ ‘Frankenstein,’ and more will briefly be free to view on YouTube
In terms of horror movie history, there are very few that match the iconic status of Dracula and Frankenstein. The horror movie duo along with five other classic titles are set to be made available for free on Universal’s “Fear: The Home of Horror” YouTube channel from January 15.
Expand Expanding Close
OxygenOS 11.0.3.3 rolls out for OnePlus 8/8 Pro w/ keyboard adjustments, no new security patch
The latest OxygenOS 11.0.3.3 update is now rolling out for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro with the incremental OTA update oddly missing the latest security patch but bringing some admittedly notable new features.
Expand Expanding ClosePoco M3 review: Battery beast, budget behemoth [Video]
The idea that cheap phones are bad has persisted for a long time, but it often isn’t true of every cheap phone — case in point, the Poco M3.
Expand Expanding Close9to5Google Daily 581: YouTube Music receives minor dark theme tweaks, Microsoft Edge gains overdue tab/history sync, 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.
One UI 3.0 removes ability to hide camera notch on Samsung Galaxy devices
Some people are not fans of display notches, and the ability to “hide” a camera cutout has existed on many devices for quite a while. However, for Samsung Galaxy owners updating to One UI 3.0, the ability to hide the camera display notch appears to have vanished.
Expand Expanding CloseHistory and tab sync features now rolling out for Microsoft Edge
In the browser battles, Microsoft Edge hasn’t made too much of a splash since being rebuilt from the ground up in Google’s Chromium. It has, however, added some notable tweaks and features, but like its counterpart Chrome, it has now finally gained the ability to sync search history and tabs across devices.
Expand Expanding Close