Google publishes guidelines on how to build a high-quality Android app

To help Android developers build quality applications, Google has set up a new app quality section on the Android Developers website. This new section will serve as a resource page for all the best practices and current trends for building high-quality apps.

The page contains updated app quality checklists for Visual Experience, Functionality, Performance & Stability, Privacy & Security, and Google Play. Google says an ideal app should offer a polished user experience, load quickly without dropping too many frames, handle user data with care and ensure compliance with Google Play Store policy.

In the Visual Experience section, Google recommends that apps use Material Design components to create a user interface, support a dark theme, and support gesture navigation.

Next up in the Functionality section, Google has several recommendations for media apps, including using the HEVC video compression standard for video encoding and supporting picture-in-picture mode. It also says apps should use the Android Sharesheet for content sharing, minimize their background activity and ensure their compatibility with Doze and App Standby. On this note, Google also warns that developers should expect restrictions on background activities to continue to tighten in the future Android versions.

In the Performance & Stability section, developers are encouraged to take advantage of Android Vitals to test and reduce app startup times and diagnose and resolve any Android Not Responding (ANR) errors.

Meanwhile, in the Privacy & Security section, Google says apps should request only the absolute minimum number of permissions and should clearly convey to the user why it needs certain permissions. Apps should also use available biometric authentication methods to protect sensitive user data and use resettable IDs and scoped storage.

Finally, Google also encourages developers to focus on other form factors such as tablets and foldable, smartwatches, Android TB devices, and Android Auto.

The app quality checklist will be updated on a quarterly basis to keep up with the latest trends. Google says it plans to set up updated quality checklists for other form factors such as tablets and WearOS. For more details, you can check out the updated quality guidelines on this page.

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PSA: If you use ShareIt on Android, you should probably look for alternatives

If you’re using the ShareIt app on your phone, you may want to uninstall it right away. Cybersecurity giant Trend Micro has discovered glaring security vulnerabilities in the file-sharing app that can be “abused to leak a user’s sensitive data and execute arbitrary code with ShareIt permissions.“

In a report on the matter, Trend Micro has revealed (via Ars Technica) that ShareIt has access to a myriad of permissions on Android due to the functionality it offers. The app can access the entire storage and all media, use the camera and microphone, access location info, and much more. It can even delete other apps, run at startup, create accounts, and set passwords. Furthermore, ShareIt also has complete network access. Due to this extensive list of permissions, compromising the app can help attackers gain almost complete access to your phone and all your sensitive information. It also lets attackers execute malicious code remotely.

Elaborating on one of the vulnerabilities, Ars Technica reveals that ShareIt has one common Android app vulnerability that can give attackers read/write access to all of its files. The publication notes: “Android prides itself on intra-app communication, partly because any app can create a content provider and provide its content and services to other apps. If Gmail wants to attach a file to an email, it can do that by showing a list of available file-content providers installed on your phone (it’s basically an “open with” dialog box), and the user can pick their favorite file manager, navigate through their storage, and pass the file they want to Gmail. It’s up to developers to sanitize these cross-app capabilities and only expose the necessary file manager capabilities to Gmail and other apps.”

However, the developers behind ShareIt haven’t given much thought to limit the app’s content-provider capabilities, which can give attackers access to all files in ShareIt’s “private” directory. In effect, this vulnerability allows attackers to call on ShareIt’s file-content provider and pass it a file path to get access to all of its data files. This allows third-party apps to edit the data ShareIt uses to run, including the app cache generated during install and runtime. Trend Micro claims that “an attacker may craft a fake [app cache] file, then replace those files via the aforementioned vulnerability to perform code execution.”

Since ShareIt also features an Android app installer, it is also susceptible to a “Man-in-the-disk” attack. Due to the vulnerability mentioned above, attackers have the ability to swap out install packages with a malicious app as soon as they’re downloaded. This could lead users to install malicious apps on their devices unknowingly. Furthermore, ShareIt’s game store has the ability to download app data over unsecured HTTP. This can be subject to a “Man-in-the-middle” attack. As Ars Technica explains, “ShareIt registers itself as the handler for any link that ends its domains, like “wshareit.com” or “gshare.cdn.shareitgames.com,” and it will automatically pop up when users click on a download link. Most apps force all traffic to HTTPS, but ShareIt does not. Chrome will shut down HTTP download traffic, so this would have to be done through a Web interface other than the main browser.”

Trend Micro has already reported the vulnerabilities to ShareIt, but its developers haven’t released any patches to address the issues so far. We’d recommend uninstalling the app until the developers issue a fix. Until then, you can use Google’s Files app for all your local file-sharing needs.

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Exclusive: Realme confirms Narzo 30 series specs including MediaTek Dimensity 800U chipset

Realme introduced the Narzo series last year, targeting Gen Z. While it exists alongside the Realme numeric series and the X series, the Narzo series aims to satisfy the power-hungry demands of young consumers. After launching the Narzo 10 and 10A in May 2020 and following it up with the Narzo 20, 20A, and 20 Pro in September, the company is geared up to launch the third generation of Narzo smartphones and has already started teasing the Narzo 30 Series. In an exclusive interview with XDA, Mr. Madhav Sheth, Vice President, Realme, and Chief Executive Officer, Realme India and Europe, shared some primary specifications of the upcoming smartphone series.

Realme is known to keep the tech community occupied with new launches almost every month. Earlier this month, it launched the much-anticipated Realme X7 and the Realme X7 Pro in India. The Realme X7 series is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity chipsets and is touted as a flagship duo. The Narzo 30 series, on the other hand, is set to cater to users with budget restrictions.

Realme’s Madhav Sheth with the Realme 7 series

Realme plans to democratize 5G

Mr. Sheth has shared exclusive information with XDA, confirming that one of the devices in the Realme Narzo 30 series will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 800U 5G-enabled chipset at a “never-before-seen price.” The Dimensity 800U chipset competes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G for a spot in the 5G mid-ranger leaderboard. The Dimensity 800U is a 7nm octa-core chipset with two ARM Cortex-A76 cores for performance and six Cortex-A55 power-efficiency cores. It also features an ARM’s Mali-G57 GPU and an independent AI processing unit (APU).

“One of the devices in the Narzo 30 series will sport the latest MediaTek Dimensity 800U 5G processor at a never-before-seen price. ”

Madhav Sheth, VP, Realme and CEO, Realme India and Europe

The additional remark about the price indicated that the Narzo 30 device bearing the MediaTek Dimensity 800U chipset would be priced lower than the Realme X7, which launched earlier this month for a starting price of ₹19,999 (~$275).

Mr. Sheth says that 5G is the key focus area for Realme this year — it was among the earlier brands to bring competitive 5G flagship killers like the Realme X50 Pro in 2020. While devices like the Realme X7 series indicate the company’s strife to capture a large share of the 5G handset market, Mr. Sheth says that the Narzo series will be the “democratizer for 5G.” He added that the company plans to introduce “5G technology to the budget segment and then expand to other devices.”

Narzo to remain a part of Realme

Curiously, the Narzo series is marketed with minimal Realme branding. The upcoming devices are embossed with a “narzo” logo (stylized with a small “n”) instead of the regular “realme” logo (again, with a small “r”). Furthermore, the next boxes for the Realme Narzo 30 series phones will be tailored with a different character without any notable mention of Realme.

These cues make us curious to learn if Narzo may spin-off as an independent entity like Realme did from its parent company OPPO back in 2018.

Mr. Sheth clarifies that the company has embraced a new branding and logo for the Narzo series “to better cater to the young players.” He emphasizes, “narzo is a part of realme and is not a sub-brand. It will continue to be a part of realme.”

Additionally, there is no specific software feature that separates the Narzo series from Realme’s numeric and X series in terms of the user experience. Mr. Sheth tells us, “we do not have any such plans to bring any specific features that will be exclusive to narzo on the UI front.” The key differentiators, according to him, are gaming-centric processors, large batteries, and super-fast charging technology at a more reasonable price.

What to expect from Realme Narzo 30 Series?

While Mr. Sheth has officially confirmed one of the Realme devices will sport the MediaTek Dimensity 800U, we have some more information about the device, courtesy of its recent listing on Chinese regulatory body TENAA.

Last week, a Realme smartphone with model number RMX3161 was listed on TENAA, and it is suspected to be the Narzo 30 Pro because the Narzo 20 Pro from last year was identified as RMX2161. The listing reveals key specifications such as the phone’s dimensions, while a few images give us a glimpse into what the device could look like.

First of all, there is a square camera bump on the back with cavities for four cameras. Besides, the phone has been listed with a 6.5-inch display, a 4880mAh battery, and Android 11 out-of-the-box. Further, it measures 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.8 mm. While the listing does not elucidate the device’s charging capabilities, we can expect the Narzo 30 Pro to sport 65W SuperDart fast charging, just like its predecessor.

Glad to announce a new program named #MadhavsTechSquad, where #realmeCommunity members will get a chance to review our upcoming offerings, before we launch it to the masses.

Kicking off the program off with 5 #realmeFans for the upcoming #Narzobyrealme Launch. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/9IRJnvLgCR

— Madhav FutureX (@MadhavSheth1) February 17, 2021

In an image shared by Mr. Sheth himself, we can see Narzo 30 Pro 5G boxes line up with him holding a Narzo-branded phone in his hand. The phone appears to possibly be the Narzo 30 Pro only, but there is no confirmation. The phone in hand also differs from the phone pictured in the TENAA listings. Since Realme has already started teasing the series, we can say that the launch isn’t too far and will possibly happen sometime in late February or early March 2021.

Stay tuned for more information about the Narzo 30 series!

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Epic Games raises antitrust complaint against Apple in the EU

Epic Games is trying its damnedest to force Apple and Google to loosen their grip on the App Store and Play Store. We recently learned that the company’s Coalition for App Fairness non-profit was lobbying for the North Dakota bill that could dismantle Apple and Google’s app store and payment monopolies. But while the bill may have failed to pass, Epic Games is far from giving up.

Epic Games has now filed an antitrust complaint against Apple in the EU, alleging that “through a series of carefully designed anti-competitive restrictions, Apple has not just harmed but completely eliminated competition in app distribution and payment processes.” The complaint further claims that Apple uses its control of the iOS ecosystem to benefit itself while blocking competitors. According to Epic Games, Apple is abusing its dominant position and is in breach of EU competition law.

Talking about the complaint, Epic Games’ founder and CEO, Tim Sweeney, said, “What’s at stake here is the very future of mobile platforms. Consumers have the right to install apps from sources of their choosing and developers have the right to compete in a fair marketplace. We will not stand idly by and allow Apple to use its platform dominance to control what should be a level digital playing field. It’s bad for consumers, who are paying inflated prices due to the complete lack of competition among stores and in-app payment processing. And it’s bad for developers, whose very livelihoods often hinge on Apple’s complete discretion as to who to allow on the iOS platform, and on which terms.”

In its complaint, Epic Games has asked the European Commission’s Director-General for Competition to address Apple’s anti-competitive conduct by “imposing timely and effective remedies.” The company isn’t seeking any damages from Apple, just fair access and competition that it thinks will benefit both consumers and developers.

For the unaware, the entire Epic Games vs. Apple/Google saga started when the company’s popular battle royale title Fortnite bypassed Play Store and App Store fees with direct payments last year. As a result, both Apple and Google removed the game from their respective platforms. This led Epic Games to sue the tech giants for violating antitrust laws and issue complaints with antitrust regulators in various regions. Fortnite is still not available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

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Here are the best 4G laptops you can buy in February 2021: Lenovo, Dell, Microsoft, & more!

Traditional laptops are good at many things, but on-the-go connectivity isn’t one of them. Whether you are a mobile professional or a regular user, you need to connect to the internet to get things done. To do so, you can either use public WiFi or smartphone tethering. But both these options come with their own set of issues. Using public WiFi poses a major security risk, and smartphone tethering can prove to be a bit finicky. On top of that, tethering can take a toll on your phone’s battery life which could leave you completely disconnected after just a couple of hours. This is where 4G laptops come into play.

These always-connected laptops let you access the internet using a built-in modem. This means that you can stay connected to the internet when you’re out and about, without dealing with the aforementioned issues. But choosing the right 4G laptop can be a difficult process, as most manufacturers offer the built-in modem as an optional upgrade. To tackle this problem, we’ve created this list of the best 4G laptops that you can buy in 2021.

Navigate this guide to the best 4G laptops:

• Top pick: Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8
  • Also great: Dell Latitude 5520
• Most affordable: Microsoft Surface Go 2
• Best battery life: Dell Latitude 7420
• Best 2-in-1: Microsoft Surface Pro X
• Best thin and light: Samsung Galaxy Book S

Top Pick: Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8

Since most of the 4G LTE laptops on this list feature similar internal hardware, picking the best out of the lot boils down to personal preference. I’ve chosen the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8 as my top pick as it packs in an excellent keyboard and a decent-sized 14-inch display. Another great thing about the Thinkpad X1 Carbon, which you won’t get with any of the other models on this list, is that Lenovo lets you customize most of its hardware as per your needs and budget. The laptop can be configured with Intel’s 10th Gen Core-i5 and Core-i7 U series processors, up to 16GB LPDDR3 2133MHz RAM, and up to 1TB PCIe SSD storage.

The 14-inch display on the laptop can also be configured based on your requirements. Display options range from a full-HD IPS display with a peak brightness of 400nits on the base model to a 4K UHD IPS panel with Dolby Vision HDR 400 support and 500 nits of peak brightness on the top variant.

For 4G connectivity, the laptop can be equipped with a Fibocom L850-GL CAT 9 modem. The modem offers peak download speeds of 450Mbps and peak upload speeds of 50Mbps, which is more than sufficient for most workloads. The modem is an optional accessory that can be added to any X1 Carbon configuration for an additional $175. It’s worth noting that Lenovo has already announced the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, which features Intel’s latest 11th-Gen processors. So, if you’re not in urgent need of a laptop, we’d recommend waiting for the latest model to go on sale.

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8

The Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon is my top pick for the best 4G laptops that you can get right now. It offers a fantastic keyboard, durable construction, and a minimal design. On top of that, Lenovo also lets you spec the device as per your needs, which is an option you won't get with any other laptop on this list.

$1,559 at Lenovo

Also great: Dell Latitude 5520

If you’re looking for a 4G laptop that packs the latest specs and you’re fine giving up on the thin-and-light aspect of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon then the new Dell Latitude 5520 is a great option. It can be configured with 11th-Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, which offer better performance than the power-efficient 10th-Gen U series processor on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. The processor can be paired with up to 64GB of DDR4 non-ECC RAM and up to 2TB of M.2 PCIe NVMe storage.

Much like the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Dell offers plenty of customization options to let you decide exactly what you need on your laptop. Along with configurable RAM and storage options, the Dell Latitude 5520 can be configured with either a 15.6-inch FHD non-touch display or a 15.6-inch FHD touch display, both a backlit and non-backlit keyboard, either a 63Whr 4 cell or a 42Whr 3 cell battery, and more.

For 4G connectivity, the Dell Latitude 5520 features Intel’s XMM 7360 LTE-Advanced Pro modem, which offers peak download speeds of 450Mbps. The laptop works with Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon, and you can even get an unlocked model that will work with other carriers.

Dell Latitude 5520

The new Latitude 5520 is one of the latest 4G LTE laptops from Dell that packs 11th-Gen Intel processor and offers a ton a customization options.

Starts at $1,400 at Dell

Most affordable: Microsoft Surface Go 2

Although the Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 8 is a great 4G laptop, it is admittedly a bit pricey. In case you aren’t comfortable spending well over $1,500 on a laptop, then you can consider the Microsoft Surface Go 2. Although the device isn’t as powerful as the previous option, it’s certainly capable enough for Microsoft Office or browser-based workloads.

The convertible is powered by Intel’s Core M3-8100Y chip, coupled with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. It features a 10.5-inch FHD display, with a built-in webcam. But sadly, it doesn’t come with a Surface Go Type Cover in the box and you’ll have to purchase one for an additional $99.99. Despite the additional cost though, the Surface Go 2 is still the cheapest 4G “laptop” you can get in the market right now.

For 4G connectivity, the Surface Go 2 makes use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X16 modem, which is capable of 1Gbps peak download speeds and 150Mbps peak upload speeds. The Surface Go 2 supports both physical SIM cards and eSIMs.

Microsoft Surface Go 2

If you want a 4G laptop that doesn't break the bank, then the Microsoft Surface Go 2 is a great pick. Although it's not as powerful as some of the other devices on this list, it's capable enough to get most of your basic work done while you're on the go.

$729.99 at Microsoft

Best battery life: Dell Latitude 7420

In case you’re often in situations where you don’t have a charging point close to you for hours on end, then the Dell Latitude 7420 will be the best pick for you. The laptop can be configured with up to a 63Whr battery that not only lasts quite long but also features fast charging support to help you quickly charge your laptop back to full whenever you do find a charging port.

Much like the Latitude 5520, the Latitude 7420 can be configured with Intel’s 11th Gen Core i5 and Core i7 processors, coupled with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and up to 1TB of PCIe NVMe storage. The Latitude 7420 is also a great option for those of you who plug-in a lot of accessories on your laptop, as it offers a great selection of I/O ports. Its only downside is its 14-inch FHD display, which isn’t as bright as some of the other devices on this list. However, that plays a big role in the laptop’s great battery performance, so it’s kind of a necessary evil.

For connectivity, the Dell Latitude 7420 makes use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X20 LTE modem, which supports Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T. The modem is capable of peak download speeds of 1.2Gbps and peak upload speeds of 150Mbps. The modem is an optional purchase that will run you up an additional $140.

Dell Latitude 7420

If you often find yourself in situations where you don't have access to a wall outlet for hours on end, the Dell Latitude 7420 is the best 4G laptop for you. It offers the best battery life out of all the Intel-based laptops on this list, but it's a bit pricey compared to the other options.

Starts at $1,900 at Dell

Best 2-in-1: Microsoft Surface Pro X

The Microsoft Surface Pro X is unlike any of the aforementioned laptops on this list, as it isn’t an Intel-based system. Instead, the device makes use of Microsoft’s SQ2 chip, which is based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 platform. The processor is paired with 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage, for snappy performance.

The 2-in-1 device features a 13-inch PixelSense touchscreen FHD display with a peak brightness of 450 nits. It features an integrated webcam and a decent selection of ports to connect your peripherals, external storage drives, or even a display. But much like the Surface Go 2, it doesn’t come with the Surface Pro X keyboard in the box. For that, you’ll have to shell out an additional $139.99.

For 4G connectivity, the Surface Pro X features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X24 modem. The modem supports peak download speeds of 2Gbps and peak upload speeds of 316Mbps. The device supports both physical SIM cards and eSIMs. The only downside of the Surface Pro X is its software. The device runs Windows 10 on ARM, which still doesn’t support all the apps you might use on your regular Windows 10 PC. But it should be good enough for most basic tasks.

Microsoft Surface Pro X

The ARM-based Microsoft Surface Pro X is another great 4G capable 2-in-1 device, which offers better performance and battery life than the Surface Go 2. But it may not be the best pick for power users as you might face some compatibility issues with certain Windows 10 apps.

Starts at $1,499.99 at Microsoft

Best thin and light: Samsung Galaxy Book S

If the Microsoft Surface Pro X piqued your interest, but you don’t feel like investing in a device that doesn’t come with a keyboard, then you can consider the Samsung Galaxy Book S. Much like the Surface Pro X, the Galaxy Book X is an ARM-based notebook that is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx chip.

The notebook features  8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and a 13.3-inch FHD TFT touchscreen display. It’s one of the thinnest and lightest 4G capable laptops that you can get right now, and it promises a great on-the-go experience with its exceptional battery life. Unlike the Surface Pro X, it offers a more traditional laptop form factor, which means that you don’t have to spend anything extra on a keyboard.

For 4G connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy Book S also uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X24 modem, which supports up to 2Gbps download and up to 316Mbps upload speeds. The laptop supports both physical SIM cards and eSIMs, and it can be pre-configured with a connection from Verizon and Sprint. Sadly, it faces the same issues as the Surface Pro X on the software front and it isn’t suitable for power users.

Samsung Galaxy Book S

The Samsung Galaxy Book S is another great ARM-based device that offers a built-in 4G modem. While it faces the same issues as the Surface Pro X, it offers a better bang for your buck because of its traditional laptop form factor.

$949.99 at Samsung

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That wraps up our list of the best 4G laptops that you can buy right now. As I’ve mentioned already, the Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 8 is my top pick because my work involves a lot of typing and it features the best keyboard out of the lot. And it’s not just the keyboard that makes the X1 Carbon a great pick, which is why it has also secured a spot on our list of the best laptops you can buy in 2021. But if I had to pick a different option, I’d probably go with the Microsoft Surface Pro X simply because it’s the future of always-connected Windows laptops.

While we’re on the topic of the future, you can also consider getting a 5G-capable laptop, like the Dell Latitude 9510, the Lenovo Flex 5G, or the Samsung Galaxy Book Flex 5G, and future proof your purchase. You can also wait for all the new laptops that were announced at CES 2021 to go on sale. Also, make sure you check out our list of the best Chromebooks you can buy in 2021 as it includes a couple of 4G-capable Chromebooks that may be more suited to your needs.

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[Update: Voted Down] Proposed bill in a US state could dismantle Apple and Google’s app store and payment monopolies

Update 1 (02/17/2021 @ 02:29 AM ET): The Senate Bill 2333 has been voted down. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on February 11, 2021, is preserved below.

This might just be the year that Apple’s walled garden ecosystem gets some doors, windows, and a breath of fresh air. A bill proposed in the North Dakota Senate in the USA seeks to ban digital stores like the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store from exercising a distribution monopoly and force third-party developers on their platform to strictly use their platform-respective in-app payment systems.

The Senate Bill 2333 (via TheVerge) targets “digital application distribution platforms” that “exceed $10 million in annual revenue”, and not smartphone app stores in particular. But its wide definition does indeed put the crosshair on both Apple and Google. This bill, if it passes through and becomes law for the state of North Dakota in the USA, will restrict platforms from:

• Requiring a developer to use a digital application distribution platform or digital transaction platform as the exclusive mode of distributing a digital product.
• Requiring a developer to use an in-application payment system as the exclusive mode of accepting payment from a user to download a software application or purchase a digital or physical product through a software application.
• Retaliating against a developer for choosing to use an alternative application store or in-application payment system

Essentially, app distribution platforms and concerned payment platforms cannot exercise monopoly use from developers. They also cannot retaliate against developers for choosing an alternative store or payment platform. Do keep in mind that the proposed legislation will only affect business within the state of North Dakota. But to implement these changes, both Apple and Google will have to make fairly big changes to their policies, leaving the room open for these changes to also be brought in to more states, or even across the USA and the globe.

The proposed legislation targets situations such as the removal of Fortnite from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store as a consequence of Epic introducing its own payment system. There is a definite payment monopoly on both the platforms and the platforms even made changes that make it harder to bypass the commission they charge on using the payment platforms. Apple did cut its commission rate to 15% for smaller developers, but developers on iOS are still stuck on the Apple App Store as the app distribution platform because of Apple’s walled garden approach to iOS. Android does have the ability to sideload, but the efforts to gain momentum on anything other than the Google Play Store are gargantuan, resigning developers to contend with the Play Store as their only practical means of success on the app distribution front. Many large developers even joined hands to form the “Coalition for App Fairness” non-profit to oppose Apple and Google. North Dakota’s proposed legislation seems like another falling domino that might just change how apps are distributed on smartphones in the future.

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Update: Bill voted down

State senators of North Dakota have voted against the bill, 36 to 11 in favor (via NYTimes). The bill will consequently not materialize as a law in the state.  The bill was being lobbied by the “Coalition for App Fairness” non-profit, and attention has now turned to other states like Arizona, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin that are considering similar legislation.

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Samsung Galaxy A12 lands in India with a 5,000mAh battery and quad cameras

Hot on the heels of the Galaxy F62 launch in India earlier this week, Samsung is back again with a new smartphone: Galaxy A12. The Galaxy A12 is the direct successor to the last year’s Galaxy A11. It was launched in Europe in November last year, and today the company is finally bringing it to the Indian market. The latest budget-friendly offering from Samsung improves upon its predecessor in multiple areas, including the camera, battery, and memory.

Galaxy A12: Specifications

Specification	Galaxy A12
Dimensions and Weight	164 x 75.8 x 8.9mm 205g Plastic build
Display	6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V 1600 x 720 (HD+)
SoC	MediaTek Helio P35 9x ARM Cortex-A53 cores @ 2.3GHz 12nm TSMC IMG PowerVR GE8320
RAM and Storage	4GB RAM 64GB/128GB flash storage MicroSD card support
Battery & Charging	5,000 mAh battery 15W fast charger (inside the box)
Rear Camera	Primary: 48MP ISCOCELL GM2 primary Secondary: 5MP wide-angle Tertiary: 2MP macro Quarternary: 2MP bokeh
Front Camera	8MP
Ports	USB Type-C port 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity	4G LTE Bluetooth 5.0 Type-C port WiFi 802.11.b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz)
Security	Side-mounted fingerprint reader
Software	Android 10 with One UI Core 2.5

In terms of design, the Galaxy A12 is a clear departure from the previous model, packing a square camera module instead of a vertical strip and a waterdrop notch instead of the hole-punch. The display is marginally larger at 6.5-inch, but it’s still an HD+ panel, so we do not see a substantial improvement here. It’s unclear whether it’s an AMOLED or LCD panel, but it’s most probably the latter as Samsung’s press release is unusually mum about it.

On the back, we see a quad-camera setup consisting of a 48MP ISOCELL GM2 primary shooter, a 5MP ultra-wide camera, and 2MP macro and depth sensors. The 8MP selfie camera is unchanged from the last model.

The Galaxy A12 is powered by the MediaTek Helio P35 octa-core chipset, backed by 4GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB flash storage.

The battery has been upgraded to a 5,000mAh unit and charges via a 15W fast charger. The Galaxy A12 comes running Android 10 out-of-the-box with One UI Core 2.5 on top.

Pricing and Availability

Available in three colors, Black, Blue, White, the Galaxy A12 is priced at ₹12,999 for the base 4GB/64GB variant and ₹13,999 for the 4GB/128GB model. The phone will go on sale from Feb 17 from Samsung.com, leading online stores and offline retailers.

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