Spotify has been busy tweaking its mobile home screen to provide listeners with a more personalized experience. Now, the streaming service is introducing a redesign to its desktop and web apps.
Spotify said it spent months testing and researching today’s redesign, which the service said offers a cleaner look, more controls, and a foundation that the service will use for the years to come.
Image: Spotify
“With this redesign, we’re combining the technical opportunity of a modern and scalable web player together with a cohesive Spotify design and the features that you’ve all come to expect across the desktop app,” Spotify said in a blog post.
The redesign introduces refined navigation to make finding content easier. Search is now on the left side of the navigation page, while your feed now includes top artists and tracks. Spotify also said that you can now start a radio session for any song or artist radio by clicking on the “…” menu.
Spotify is also providing users with greater control over playlists. That means it’ll be much easier to write descriptions, upload images, and drag and drop tracks into existing playlists. There’s also a new embedded search bar to find and add new songs and podcast episodes to new and existing playlists.
Images via Spotify
It will also be easier to edit your Queue and view Recently played, and you can also apply new sorting options to “Your Library” via a dropdown menu in the top-right corner.
Finally, while Spotify has always offered offline play, the redesign introduces a download button (pictured in the screenshot above). The functionality is the same, but the experience looks more modern.
Spotify’s big redesign for desktop and on the web is rolling out starting today and should be available to subscribers around the globe in the coming weeks.
The ASUS ZenFone 7 lineup has been on the market for about half a year now. The device sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC (Snapdragon 865 Plus on the Pro variant), 6/8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and 128/256GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage alongside a dedicated microSD card slot. All of that comes in a slim package with 6.67-inch AMOLED display that refreshes up to 90Hz, stereo speakers, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a 5,000mAh battery, and the signature Flip Camera module. To put it in short, it’s a solid flagship device, none less than any other flagship from 2020. The ZenFone 7 was originally released with Android 10 with ZenUI 7 on board, but ASUS was quick enough to start recruiting beta testers for its Android 11 update. The beta testing phase is finally over, as the company is now rolling out the first stable build of Android 11 to ZenFone 7 users.
According to a recent post on the ASUS ZenTalk forums, the first stable build of Android 11 is now rolling out to both the ZenFone 7 (ZS670KS) and the ZenFone 7 Pro (ZS671KS) in Taiwan. Bearing version number 30.40.30.93, the updated firmware brings all the obvious aesthetic and functional changes introduced in Android 11, along with a handful of Zen UI-specific changes. It also bumps up the Android security patch level on the phone duo to March 2021.
Update applications such as smart housekeeper, contact person, phone, file management, computer, clock, picture library, weather, recording program, settings, one-key switch and local backup
Support one-time permissions, improved file access permission control, automatic reset permissions and other privacy functions
Supports maintaining Bluetooth connection when flying mode is turned on
Adjusted to the Android 11 notification bar style, support for displaying notifications of ongoing conversations
The classic power button style supports Android 11 device control and Google Pay.
Added the use of buttons to adjust the volume and return to advanced gesture settings. Adjust the style and automatically switch the color setting of the system. Remove one-handed mode.
Notification settings Added notification records and dialog settings
Adjust the quick setting panel interface and support media control. Added nearby sharing option (need to be added manually)
Some third-party software is not yet compatible with Android 11
Please backup your data before upgrading. If you want to downgrade from Android 11 to Android 10, you can use the official software package, but all data will be erased
The system update “Wi-Fi automatic download and installation” setting is turned on by default
According to ASUS, the OTA is rolling out in batches, so it may take a few days for you to see the update prompt on your ZenFone 7. After the confirmation that the update is, in fact, reliable, the company will push it to a wider scale. As of now, ASUS hasn’t shared any concrete timeline for the global release, but we expect the update to start rolling out to users in other regions in the coming weeks.
Motorola is expanding its popular Moto G lineup today with the launch of the Moto G100. The company had sent out invitations earlier this month and has today made the device official. As predicted, the smartphone is a rebranded version of the Motorola Edge S which launched in China earlier this year. The Moto G line has always focused on the budget segment, but the new Moto G100 can be classified as a higher-end smartphone with flagship-level performance.
The smartphone features the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset, the slightly tweaked version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 from last year. This also makes the Moto G100 the first smartphone in the Moto G series to sport a Snapdragon 800-series processor. The smartphone also features 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage that can be expanded further using a microSD card.
The 6.7-inch display comes with a full-HD+ resolution along with a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10 support. There are two hole-punch cutouts on the top left of the display for the dual front-facing cameras: a 16-megapixel main wide and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide. At the back, there are four cameras placed in a square module with a dual-LED flash below. There is also an additional ring flash around the ultra-wide 16-megapixel camera that can also take macro shots. The rest of the rear cameras includes a 64-megapixel main sensor with an f/1.7 aperture lens and 1/2″ sensor, a 2-megapixel fixed-focus camera to capture depth, and a ToF sensor. The camera also comes with an Audio Zoom feature that can capture directional audio.
Other features include a 5,000mAh battery with 20W fast charging, 5G (sub-6GHz) connectivity, Android 11 out of the box, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a dedicated Google Assistant button.
The smartphone will also come with Motorola’s “Ready For” connectivity suite, which is similar to Samsung’s DeX offering in that it allows you to connect the phone to a TV or monitor using the optional dock or a USB-C to HDMI cable. This feature also lets you cast video calls and games to larger screens for a more immersive experience. Notably, the dock will be available as a bundle in certain regions while others will get the HDMI cable.
The Moto G100 is available starting today in Europe and select Latin American markets and will be offered in Iridescent Sky, Iridescent Ocean, and Slate Grey colors. According to Android Central, the smartphone is priced at £449.99 in the UK.
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Last month, I got my hands on the China version of the Vivo X60 Pro Plus and due to limited time I focused my testing on two areas — the 50MP main camera co-engineered with Zeiss, and the quirky OriginOS software that sits somewhat buried inside the phone’s standard Android skin. Now I have the global version of the phone, which is almost identical to the China version except OriginOS has disappeared (Vivo says it’s a China-only software for now, but promises it will come to global audiences down the line). So for this hands-on I’m going to focus on the other headline feature — the gimbal camera system that Vivo first used in 2020’s Vivo X50 Pro.
Throughout my week of use, I shot dozens of videos around town, in various scenarios. So does Vivo’s gimbal camera system actually make a difference? The short answer is yes — if you’re doing something very active.
Vivo X60 Pro+: Specifications
Vivo X60 Pro+ Specifications. Click or tap to expand.
About this review:We received the Vivo X60 Pro Plus from Vivo in mid-March. Vivo did not have any inputs in this article.
Vivo X60 Pro Plus: The Gimbal Camera system with Zeiss optics
Let’s start by explaining the gimbal camera system. The most mainstream gimbal is a pivoted support system on which videographers place their cameras. Once mounted, the camera sits on a pedestal in a “floating” state, and sudden movements are slowed down via the pivoted pedestal.
Vivo’s gimbal camera system is a super miniaturized version of that. The tiny camera lens is mounted on top of an elevated system that helps stabilize sudden movements. If I look closely at the gimbal camera and slowly tilt the phone around, I can see it move subtly.
Unlike last year’s Vivo X50 Pro, whose gimbal system supported the main 50MP main camera, Vivo has applied that to the 48MP ultra-wide camera instead. This makes sense, since an ultra-wide camera is even more ideal for videography. And much like the OPPO Find X3 Pro (and other BBK phones like the OnePlus 9 Pro), the ultra-wide camera here — a 48MP f/2.2 aperture — is really strong and close in quality to the main camera.
If you’re wondering about the Zeiss logo, that’s part of the new collaboration between Vivo and the iconic German lens-maker. According to both parties, Zeiss experts visited Vivo’s production line to review the Vivo X60 Pro Plus’ optical hardware. Zeiss’ T-coating, which reduces glare and stray light, has also been applied across both the main and ultra-wide camera. I’ll cover this later as we look at some photo samples — the priority of this piece is to put that gimbal camera system to the test.
Vivo X60 Pro Plus Gimbal Camera Test vs Apple iPhone 12
The iPhone has, in my opinion, the best stabilization across the board in smartphones for several years, so it was of importance to pit Vivo’s gimbal system against the best. For this test, I mounted an iPhone 12 and Vivo X60 Pro Plus onto a selfie stick and shot a series of ultra-wide video while walking and jogging.
During the day, the iPhone 12’s video footage — which only uses EIS — held up very well against the Vivo X60 Pro Plus’ gimbal system. Even when I ran and panned quickly, I couldn’t say the Vivo X60 Pro Plus’ video was more stable. It wasn’t until the very end of the test (around the 0:24 mark) when I hopped up two steps, did I see that Vivo’s footage didn’t shake as much as the iPhone 12’s.
This is similar results to my testing with last year’s Vivo X50 Pro — the miniature gimbal seems to mostly improve on the Z-axis movement (which tends to be the shaky movements moving toward and away the user, as opposed to X- and Y-axis which covers vertical and horizontal movements). In fact, when I purposely shook both left and right in a jittery movement (0:29 mark), you can see the iPhone’s footage is far more jerky than Vivo’s.
Next up, I tried the same moving video test at night (0:37 mark of the above video), and the Vivo X60 Pro Plus’ video is clearly superior to the iPhone 12’s — not only does it have fewer stutters with each step I take, but the video is also noticeably sharper with less noise too, thanks to that 48MP sensor that trumps Apple’s 12MP ultra-wide in both pixels and sensor size.
Vivo X60 Pro Plus Gimbal Camera Test vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Next up, we pit the gimbal camera system against Android’s best slab phone right now, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. All footage in the clip below was shot with ultra-wide cameras.
Very early in the video, at the 0:04 mark, which is when I stepped off an elevated door entrance onto the ground, we can already see the Galaxy S21 Ultra footage appeared noticeably shakier than the Vivo X60 Pro Plus’. Then around the 0:09 second mark as I jogged, again the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s footage is less stable.
Since the Vivo gimbal system comfortably “won” against the Galaxy S21 Ultra during the day, it should come as no surprise that at night the differences are compounded. However, the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s ultra-wide pulled in more light and had a more pleasing aesthetic than the Vivo X60 Pro Plus’ ultra-wide video, which left my face in the shadows.
So as I said at the beginning, the gimbal camera system Vivo advertises does work in minimizing z-axis shakes, which is common when filming while walking fast or climbing stairs. However, if I walk at a slower pace, the difference is negligible.
Those who thought this gimbal camera system would bring game-changing improvements in video stability may be disappointed. Adjust your expectations accordingly.
Besides, even without the gimbal camera system, there is a lot to like about the Vivo X60 Pro Plus.
Vivo X60 Pro Plus: What I like
I already covered the Vivo X60 Pro Plus’ overall design during my hands-on with the China retail unit, so I won’t go over everything too in-depth here. But I really like the in-hand feel of the device. I’m a fan of leather in general (if I use a smartphone case, I tend to buy a leather one), and even if this is “vegan leather,” it still offers a nice grippy texture that’s warm to the touch. The display, despite being “just” 1080p, is also very nice to look at. It’s bright and vibrant, refreshes at 120Hz, and has subtle curves that aren’t as sharp as previous Vivo devices.
I also like the camera system. It’s well-rounded with good focal versatility. The 50MP main camera, which shoots 12.5MP pixel-binned shots that, paired with the large 1/1.3″ sensor, pulls in a lot of light. This is a camera in which the night mode doesn’t need to be used.
Much like the OPPO Find X3 Pro, the ultra-wide camera here keeps up with the main camera quite well, resulting in a shot that doesn’t look noticeably inferior to photos snapped by the main camera.
Now, about that Zeiss T-coating: I do notice the Vivo X60 Pro Plus reduces lens flare a bit if I am taking photos directly at a harsh light, as can be seen in the below samples. Notice the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 12 have that blue dot as a result of lens flair. But outside of these extreme examples, it’s hard to really see much of a difference.
Battery life is good. The 4,200 mAh cell is not the largest around, but the screen is not the power hungry WQHD+ panel found in the Xiaomi Mi 11, Galaxy S21 Ultra, or OPPO Find X3 Pro.
Vivo X60 Pro Plus: What I don’t like
For a phone that has premium flagship specs, the lack of stereo speakers is a notable omission. The bottom-firing speaker is weak compared to most phones I’ve tried lately. And while Vivo’s FunTouch OS software has improved by leaps and bounds over previous generations, it’s still not as good as OPPO’s ColorOS or Xiaomi’s MIUI. For example, the settings page is still over-complicated, and multi-tasking is still relegated to just split-screen, while ColorOS, MIUI, Huawei’s EMUI, and Samsung’s One UI all allow apps to open in a floating window, which feels like a more useful way to multi-task.
Vivo’s software also has an exhaustively long list of “beautifying” features which are essentially filters that alter selfies. It’s not just that the results can appear unnatural, but they also subscribe to a stereotypical western ideal of beauty such as lighter skin, skinnier nose, larger eyes. This type of mentality is not healthy.
Vivo X60 Pro Plus: Final Thoughts
Vivo reps say they do not have official prices yet for the global region (which includes India, Southeast Asia, and Europe), but in China, this phone retailed for 5,998 yuan, which is around $900. I think this is a fair price, considering that the Vivo X60 Pro Plus is an elegant-looking device with a capable main camera and ultra-wide that can hang with the big boys.
The screen doesn’t get as bright or hi-res as the OPPO Find X3 Pro or Galaxy S21 Ultra, and the lack of stereo speakers, wireless charging, or IP water resistance rating may disappoint, but the X60 Pro Plus will very likely be several hundred dollars cheaper. For me, I think the tradeoff is fair.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 series is a relatively recent entry in the company’s chipset portfolio. Introduced in 2018 to bridge the gap between the Snapdragon 6xx and 8xx series, the 7xx lineup combines some of the premium features from the company’s top-tier chips in an affordable package. Since its release, the Snapdragon 7xx series has become a go-to choice for many budget-friendly and premium mid-range smartphones. The Snapdragon 765G, in particular, has had great success, having featured on popular phones such as OnePlus Nord, OPPO Reno 5, Mi 10 Lite, Vivo V20 Pro, Nokia 8.3, to name but a few. Seeing just how big of a hit the Snapdragon 765G turned out to be, it was only natural that Qualcomm would follow up with a proper successor. And that’s exactly what the company is doing with the release of the brand new Snapdragon 780G.
The Snapdragon 780G is a direct successor to the Snapdragon 765 / 765G and brings along a multitude of improvements over its predecessor, including a triple ISP, a new CPU architecture, faster connectivity, and much more.
Specifications
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G
CPU
Kryo 475 CPU cores (up to 2.4GHz)
Kryo 670 CPU cores (up to 2.4GHz)
GPU
Adreno 620
Vulkan 1.1
H.265 (HEVC) and VP9 decoder
HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG
Adreno 642
Vulkan 1.1
Snapdragon Elite Gaming Features
HDR Gaming (10-bit color depth, Rec. 2020 color gamut)
H.265 and VP9 decoder
HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Display
Maximum On-Device Display Support: FHD+ @ 120Hz
Maximum External Display Support: 4K @ 60Hz
HDR support
10-bit color depth
DisplayPort over USB Type-C support
Maximum On-Device Display Support: FHD+ @ 144Hz
Maximum External Display Support: 4K @ 60Hz
10-bit color depth, Rec 2o20 color gamut
HDR10 and HDR10+ support
10-bit color depth
DisplayPort over USB Type-C support
AI
5th gen AI Engine
Hexagon 696 processor
Qualcomm Sensing Hub
5.5 TOPS performance
6th gen AI Engine
Hexagon 770 processor
Qualcomm Sensing Hub (2nd gen)
12 TOPS performance
Memory
LPDDR4 (2133MHz)
Up to 12GB RAM
LPDDR4 (2133MHz)
Up to 16GB RAM
ISP
Dual 14-bit Spectra 355 ISP
Single camera: Up to 36MP with ZSL
Dual camera: Up to 22MP with ZSL
Video capture:
4K HDR @ 30 fps
Slow-motion up to 720p@480 fps
HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Triple 14-bit Spectra 570 ISP
Single camera: Up to 84MP with Zero Shutter Lag (ZSL)
Dual camera: Up to 64MP + 20MP with ZSL
Triple camera: Up to 25MP with ZSL
Low light photography architecture
Multi-frame and stagged HDR sensor support
Video capture:
4K HDR
Slow-motion up to 720p@480 fps
HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Modem
Snapdragon X52 4G LTE and 5G multimode modem
Downlink: 3.7Gbps (5G), 1.2Gbps (4G LTE)
sub-6 GHz: 100MHz bandwidth, 4×4 MIMO
Snapdragon X53 4G LTE and 5G multimode modem
Downlink: 3.3Gbps (5G)
sub-6 GHz: 100MHz bandwidth, 4×4 MIMO
Charging
Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+
Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+
Connectivity
Qualcomm FastConnect 6200
WiFI 6 ready
2.4GHz / 5GHz bands
TWT, WPA3, 8×8 MU-MIMO
Bluetooth 5.0, aptX TWS, and Adaptive
Qualcomm FastConnect 6900
WiFI 6E, WiFI 6
2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz bands
8×8 MU-MIMO
Bluetooth 5.2, aptX suite
Dual Bluetooth antenna
Snapdragon Sound compatible
Manufacturing process
7nm EUV from Samsung
5nm process
CPU
Starting with the most important aspect, CPU, we are seeing some rather big changes here. While the Snapdragon 765G and 768G both used Kryo 475 cores, the Snapdragon 780G uses much more powerful Kryo 670 CPU cores clocked at up to 2.4GHz frequency. Qualcomm says the new CPU architecture provides up to 40% performance uplift when compared to the previous generation. Qualcomm’s press material didn’t go into the nitty-gritty of core cluster and other details, but the chip is likely employing the combination of ARM Cortex-A78 cores and Cortex-A55 cores. The Snapdragon 780G is built on a 5nm process which should provide a minor efficiency boost over the previous 7nm EUV process.
GPU
Moving to the graphics and gaming side of things, the Snapdragon 780G comes with Adreno 642 GPU, a step up from Adreno 620 on the Snapdragon 765G. It also includes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Elite Gaming Features suite, which offers various gaming enhancements such as Game Smoother, Fast Loader, Game Network Latency Manager, Jank Reducer, and so on. With increased GPU might, the chipset can now also handle displays with up to 144Hz refresh rate, enabling affordable gaming phones to push beyond the 120Hz ceiling.
Camera
The Snapdragon 780G features Spectra 570, a triple Image Signal Processor capable of taking photos from three different camera sensors simultaneously. The ISP supports up to three 25MP sensors in a triple camera setup, up to 64MP + 20MP sensors in a dual-camera setup, and up to 84MP single camera. The chip also comes with a new low-light photography architecture, which we are told brings drastic improvements to ultra-low light photography. Just like its predecessor, the Snapdragon 780G also supports 4K HDR, HDR10+, and HLG video capture.
Connectivity
The Snapdragon 780G also boasts impressive connectivity capabilities, featuring Qualcomm’s top-tier FastConnect 6900 system — which has so far only featured on chips like Snapdragon 888 and 865+, along with Snapdragon X53 5G modem. With an upgraded modem and connectivity system, the chip offers up to 3.3Gbps maximum throughput on 5G, WiFI 6E support with up to 3.6Gbps peak download speeds, support for 2.4GHz/5GHz/6GHz bands, dual SIM 5G, Dynamic Spectrum Sharing, and more. You also get Bluetooth 5.2 along with support for the Snapdragon Sound platform.
AI
AI performance is also getting a serious boost. The Snapdragon 780G comes with the 6th gen Qualcomm AI Engine and a new Hexagon 770 processor capable of delivering up to 12 TOPS (trillions of operations) performance.
Meanwhile, the new 2nd gen Qualcomm Sensing Hub greatly reduces power consumption in voice calls while also enabling background noise cancellation for a better calling experience.
Availability
Devices featuring the new Snapdragon 780G chipset are expected to hit the shelves in Q2 2021. In the backdrop of flagship prices reaching new heights and Qualcomm struggling to produce enough stock of Snapdragon 888 chips, the Snapdragon 780G could prove to be a good option for premium mid-range devices.
Magic: The Gathering Arena, the popular digital card game, was released in early access on Android back in January this year. The game is now officially rolling out for all Android and iOS users globally.
Launched originally for PC in 2019, the game is a digital adaption of the physical card game Magic: The Gathering, and it follows the same rules. Players use decks of cards featuring land cards that generate five separate colors of mana and play cards that consume that mana to cast spells, summon creatures, and perform special abilities. Players battle each other using a selected deck, and the goal of the game is to reduce the opponent’s life to zero before they can do the same to you.
The mobile version of the game is similar to the PC version and supports cross-play, which means you can continue using your current Wizards account to access your digital card collection. The game will also include all current card sets, formats, events, and more. If you aren’t adept at Magic: The Gathering, the app also has a tutorial that explains the game’s mechanics. You can also practice against AI for some casual battles before you go out into the competitive world.
During the soft launch, game developer Wizards of the Coast had said that the game had been optimized to run on higher-end devices and had recommended that you use an Android smartphone running on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or newer with at least 4GB of RAM, along with OpenGL ES 3.0 and ETC2 texture compression. The list of recommended devices included phones featuring flagship chipsets from 2018. So the game should run fine on most modern mid-range Android phones.
You can download Magic: The Gathering Arena for free from the Play Store link below. In case you have an iPhone, you can follow this link to download the game from the App Store.
