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lundi 1 novembre 2021

The Best Smartphone to buy in November: Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and more!

This has been a great year for smartphones so far — conventional slab phones are all extremely polished, and foldables are coming into their own. So if you’re looking to upgrade your phone, now is as good a time as any. We here at XDA test almost every smartphone on earth, so here’s our expert guide on the best smartphones — covering both the best Android and best iPhone — depending on your budget or need!

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Best Overall Smartphone: Apple iPhone 13 Pro

iPhone 13 in Sierra Blue

Apple’s new iPhone 13 Pro takes this top spot because it offers much improved low light cameras over previous iPhones; a game-changing Cinematic mode that lends an air of authenticity to amateur videos; the most powerful mobile processor; and a price that seems reasonable by 2021 flagship standards. It’s not well into the four-digit pricing like some of the 2020 and 2021 premium flagships.

The iPhone 13 Pro has arguably the best chipset on any phone right now. The A15 Bionic from Apple is a beast when it comes to performance so if you’re going to be doing intensive tasks on your phone like gaming or editing and rendering videos, the iPhone 13 Pro would be a perfect choice. Apart from raw performance, Apple’s hardware and software integration is unmatched. What this means is the OS is perfectly optimized to run with the hardware onboard, and this applies even for third-party apps. A lot of apps run better natively on iOS than on Android.

It’s not just about the performance though. The A15 Bionic provides a great boost in terms of battery life too. The iPhone 13 Pro can easily last you an entire day — and even more if used judiciously. Even if you’re a heavy user, you won’t find it hard to get to the end of the day without plugging the phone into a socket. And yes, this is with the new 120Hz ProMotion display. The 120Hz OLED display is a huge improvement over the older 60Hz panel on the iPhone 12 Pro and was something enthusiasts were asking for for years. Apart from the faster refresh rate, the notch up top has also shrunk by 20%.

Unlike last year where the Pro Max had a hardware advantage over the standard Pro in the camera department, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are exactly the same this year except in terms of the physical size and battery life. The cameras on the iPhone 13 Pro are excellent and reliable, and they’re the best in the business when it comes to video recording. Apple has also introduced new features like Cinematic Mode that improve the overall experience of using the camera on the iPhone 13 Pro.

All of these parameters come together to make the iPhone 13 Pro an ideal candidate for the best phone you can buy. Of course, if you’re an Android fan, we’d recommend you take a look at our best Android smartphone list, but if you’re a general consumer looking for a phone that will work well, last you for years, keep its resale value, and have a strong hardware and software ecosystem around it, then look no further than the iPhone 13 Pro.

    iPhone 13 Pro
    The iPhone 13 Pro is probably the best well-rounded smartphone right now.

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Best Affordable Premium Smartphone: OnePlus 9 Pro

The OnePlus 9 Pro

This category is different from the above “best overall” category in that this is no longer looking at it from an average consumer perspective. This category is for people who follow the smartphone scene closely and want a phone that offers the best combination of specs, features, and value.

There were a lot of worthy contenders but the OnePlus 9 Pro is our choice in this spot. It’s got a brilliant 120Hz OLED display that’s almost as good as the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s (it falls short in peak brightness by a hair), premium build quality, excellent haptics, and a really strong main and ultra-wide camera. In fact, the only area in which the Galaxy S21 Ultra clearly beats the OnePlus 9 Pro is in zooming prowess. But then the OnePlus 9 Pro charges much faster and costs $250 less. So ask yourself, do you want sharp 10x photos or save $250?

As a standalone device, without comparing it to other phones, the OnePlus 9 Pro offers a great package. OnePlus has built its reputation over the years as a brand that focuses on being “fast” and that theme continues with the 9 Pro. The Snapdragon 888 is one of the best smartphone SoCs on the Android side of things so performance is top-notch. While we would have loved the clean and minimalistic look of OxygenOS to stay, the software on OnePlus phones going forward is going to be heavily influenced by ColorOS. It may not entirely be in OnePlus’ favor, but ColorOS isn’t half bad either.

Apart from performance, another thing that’s really fast on the OnePlus 9 Pro is charging the battery. The 65W charger can juice up the phone in just about half an hour which is very impressive and helpful when you’re in a hurry. The battery life, while not being excellent, is decent, and the ultra-fast charging with fast wireless charging too makes up for it. The display as we already mentioned is excellent and refreshes at 120Hz. OnePlus partnered with Hasselblad this year to improve its camera processing and while it doesn’t necessarily beat the competition, it holds its own and performs well in most scenarios.

There will be readers who will push back at the idea of a $900-ish phone being called “affordable”, but four-digit pricing for top-tier flagships has been a reality in the smartphone space for several years now. It’s worth remembering these are now cutting-edge personal computers. The OnePlus 9 Pro offers almost everything those four-digit phones do without crossing that mark.

    OnePlus 9 Pro
    The OnePlus 9 Pro is one of the best Android phones of the year and the overall best value for phone fans.

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Best Large Foldable Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

If you were interested in foldable phones before but had some concerns, the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 may change your mind. It took the already exceptional Z Fold 2 and added official water resistance, more durable materials covering the hinge and screen, and support for the S-Pen. It’s the best mobile device for multi-tasking, and Samsung somehow managed to lower the price a little bit this time too.

Foldables are a really interesting category. They’re refreshing and futuristic, and can also improve your productivity and change the way you use your smartphone. In fact, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 does exactly that. Unlike clamshell phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a phone that folds out to become a tablet, or a tablet that folds into a phone. No matter how you refer to it, it’s essentially a pocket PC that you can carry around with you to get some serious work done or enjoy consuming media like no other phone can.

The large internal display on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is what enables you to do all of this. Samsung has also optimized its One UI software in a way that makes using the foldable a treat. Right from split-screen view to launching multiple instances of the same app side-by-side for multitasking, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 almost replicates a tiny laptop that fits into your palm. There’s even a floating dock now that stays persistent across the UI, and which can launch your favorite apps directly within another app.

All of this is handled by the Snapdragon 888 SoC which means everything you do on the phone is fast and snappy, no matter how many apps you run. The cherry on the cake this time is the support for the S Pen. A lot of Samsung users would miss the S Pen from the Note series since Samsung didn’t launch a Note series phone this year. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 gets support for the S Pen so you can use it to take notes, sketch, doodle, or do just about anything on the internal display.

The internal display is a 120Hz OLED panel with an under-display front camera (UDC), giving the screen an immersive look. If you game a lot on your phone or even read a lot of e-books, you can’t find a better phone than this thanks to that huge display. This year, Samsung also upgraded the outer cover display to a 120Hz panel to make things more uniform. The phone is also now IPX8 water-resistant making it one of the most durable foldables out there. The cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 aren’t as good as some other phones including Samsung’s own Galaxy S21 Ultra which may be slightly disappointing to some.

With a Snapdragon 888, excellent speakers, and that large 7.6-inch screen, the Z Fold 3 is excellent for gaming or movie watching. While the cameras aren’t the best around, they’re still quite good and enough for most.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
    The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the best foldable phone money can buy right now.

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Best Small Foldable Phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3

the Z Flip 3 in flex mode

Do you think current slab smartphones have become too big to fit comfortably in your pocket? If so, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is for you. A clamshell foldable that, when folded up, can fit into the breast pocket of a jacket or a small women’s purse, the Z Flip 3 is a compact yet powerful device. It’s also one of the most affordable foldable phones that’s actually worth buying.

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 takes a different approach to foldables when compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Instead of being a large tablet-sized device that folds into a smartphone, it’s a conventional phone when unfolded, with a tall display that folds in half vertically to become half the size. It’s reminiscent of flip phones that we had in the past, except this one has a foldable display that goes from edge to edge and has flagship internals.

The Snapdragon 888 is what we have inside the Galaxy Z Flip 3 which means it’s no slouch when it comes to performance. You can run all sorts of apps and games on this phone, including the most demanding titles and you won’t have any issues. This isn’t really a phone meant for gaming though. It’s more of a fashion accessory or a phone that you would want to flaunt, given it’s so unique compared to traditional candy bar phones.

The internal display on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is an OLED display that’s as big as any other recent normal phone. It’s a 120Hz panel so you’re not really missing out on anything that you would get on other phones in this price range. There’s a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera. Speaking of cameras, there’s a dual-camera setup on the Flip 3 which you can also use to take selfies by using the small cover display on the outside as a viewfinder. The cover display is mainly used to check the time and any pending notifications.

The one inevitable problem that plagues the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is battery life. Given the unique form factor, it’s difficult to fit in a large battery, which means most people will have to charge the phone sometime by evening if you want it to get through to the end of the day. The charging speed isn’t very fast either so that’s something to keep in mind. Other than that, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the foldable phone for the masses and Samsung is surely headed in the right direction.

The Z Flip 3 features a 6.7 inch 120Hz OLED display on the inside and a 1.9-inch cover display that’s ideal for quick interactions with the phone when it’s closed. And because the phone can stay open mid-fold, it’s a great hands-free video watching or video call taking device too. With IPX8 water resistance and a durable hinge, the Z Flip 3 should ease fragility concerns.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
    The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a stylish clamshell foldable that brings back the compact form factor.

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Best Smartphone Camera: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra held out in hand with a swimming pool in the background

Now that Samsung has confirmed there’s no new Galaxy Note phone this year, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will remain Samsung’s absolute apex slab top dog and best camera offering until possibly 2022. That’s okay because the Galaxy S21 Ultra is that good a phone. Other than objective opinions like “it’s too big” or nitpicky things like a split-second shutter lag, this is a phone that doesn’t have a weakness. It’s the apex slab smartphone.

It has the most versatile camera system around — four strong cameras that cover focal lengths from 13mm to 240mm (not even factoring in digital zoom). The main 108MP sensor captures razor-sharp photos during the day, and at night can make do without night mode trickery due to its large sensor size. The ultra-wide is not the best ultra-wide around, but it’s still very good in terms of maintaining the sharpness and keeping consistent color science. The two zoom lenses are the best the industry has to offer right now, especially the Periscope lens that can capture 10x optical zoom photos. In fact, even up to 20x digital zoom photos remain very usable for social media. The Vivo X70 Pro+ is on track to unseat Samsung from this spot, but it’s not available as widely as the Galaxy S21 Ultra is.

The rest of the phone is top-notch too. There’s a Snapdragon 888 SoC or an Exynos 2100 based on which region you’re in, a gorgeous 120Hz display that’s probably the best on any smartphone, and a large battery that can get you through the entire day. The Exynos 2100 chipset might put some people off, given it’s not the best in terms of performance. If you play a lot of high-end games on your phone like Genshin Impact, then you may want to look elsewhere or try to get your hands on the Snapdragon variant of the device.

Apart from that, you won’t have a lot to complain about with the Galaxy S21 Ultra. It’s even got support for the S Pen so if you miss the Note series of phones from Samsung and don’t want to splurge on the new Galaxy Z Fold 3, you can still pick up the Galaxy S21 Ultra and you can doodle around or take notes during a meeting. It’s got the smaller things covered too like wireless charging, IP68 rating, Samsung DeX support, etc. It’s a complete flagship phone in all departments and is certainly one of the most versatile camera phones out there.

    Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
    If you care about smartphone photography, the S21 Ultra is for you.

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Samsung makes a lot of different phones aimed at different markets. If you want to take a look at a narrower list, here are all the best Samsung Galaxy phones.

Best Big Phone: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

iPhone 13 Pro Max

Last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max was already a very big phone, and this year’s iPhone 13 Pro Max one-ups it by adding a bit more thickness and weight. In return, you get a 120Hz screen and improved battery life over last year — two things that usually don’t go together. It also improves on last year’s phone with a larger image sensor and faster ultra-wide lens, so expect superior low light photography compared to previous iPhones.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max has arguably the best chipset on any phone right now. The A15 Bionic from Apple is a beast when it comes to performance so if you’re going to be doing intensive tasks on your phone like gaming, or editing and rendering videos, the iPhone 13 Pro Max would be the perfect choice. Apart from raw performance, Apple’s hardware and software integration is unmatched. What this means is the OS is perfectly optimized to run with the hardware onboard and this applies even for third-party apps. A lot of apps run better natively on iOS than on Android.

It’s not just about the performance though. The A15 Bionic provides a great boost in terms of battery life too. The iPhone 13 Pro Max can easily last you an entire day and even more for power users who are on their phones all day. It’s easily the smartphone with the best battery life and by a big margin. And yes, this is with the new 120Hz ProMotion display. The 120Hz OLED display is a huge improvement over the older 60Hz panel on the iPhone 13 Pro Max and was something enthusiasts were asking for for years. Apart from the faster refresh rate, the notch up top has also shrunk by 20%.

Unlike last year where the Pro Max had a hardware advantage over the standard Pro in the camera department, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are exactly the same this year except in terms of physical size and battery life. The cameras on the iPhone 13 Pro Max are excellent and reliable, and they’re the best in the business when it comes to video recording. Apple has also introduced new features like Cinematic Mode that improve the overall experience of using the camera on the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

All of these parameters come together to make the iPhone 13 Pro Max an ideal candidate for the best big phone you can buy. If you want the biggest and best that Apple has to offer, this is it.

    iPhone 13 Pro Max
    The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the phone to get if you want an unapologetically big smartphone.

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Best Small Phone: Apple iPhone 13 Mini

The iPhone 13 Mini

The iPhone 13 Mini isn’t just small — it’s tiny. It’s a phone that most people will be able to use with one hand with ease. Despite its small size, it’s still among one of the most powerful phones around, thanks to that Apple A15 Bionic chip and well-optimized iOS. Apple’s even improved on the below-par battery life of the iPhone 12 Mini for this year’s update.

The iPhone 12 Mini was a dream come true for small phone enthusiasts. Apple finally made a flagship phone with powerful, top-of-the-line internals fit into a compact form factor that could easily fit into your denim pockets. Small phones were a thing of the past until apple resurrected the category with the iPhone 12 Mini last year. However, the small form factor brought along with it a big drawback — average battery life.

There’s a limit to the size of a battery you can put inside a small phone like the 12 Mini and that limit meant that the phone had sub-par battery life. The iPhone 13 Mini fixes this very problem and finally presents a strong case for a small phone to be used like any other phone in 2021. Battery life is the single biggest upgrade that the iPhone 13 Mini brings and that alone is a big win according to us. We now have a compact phone that doesn’t need to be around a charge by afternoon.

While the capacity of the battery has increased, what’s responsible for the increment in battery life is mainly the A15 Bionic chip from Apple. It’s more power-efficient than last year’s A14 Bionic while being one of the most powerful chipsets around. The iPhone 13 Mini is also a performance beast and can play the most graphic-intensive games with ease. You can also shoot and edit 4K 60fps videos directly from the phone along with the option to record videos in the new Cinematic Mode. The display, while still being stuck at 60Hz, now has a smaller notch and is slightly brighter than its predecessor.

To summarize, you get a pair of 12MP rear-facing cameras that, while not the most versatile system around, can capture awesome still photos and best-in-class videos. Starting at $799, this is also one of the cheaper iPhones around. If you love small phones, this one’s a no-brainer.

    iPhone 13 Mini
    The iPhone 13 Mini is a very small phone with a lot of power.

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Second-Best Small Smartphone: ASUS Zenfone 8

Obsidian Black ASUS ZenFone 8 on transparent background

With dimensions of 148mm x 68.5mm x 8.9mm and a weight of 169g, the ASUS Zenfone 8 isn’t quite as petite as the iPhone 13 Mini, but in the Android space, it’s still a breath of fresh air. Most adults should be able to use the phone one-handed with relative ease, as the 5.9 inch OLED screen doesn’t stretch too high up.

If you’re not a fan of the closed nature of iOS and want to feel at home with a compact Android device, you don’t really have a lot of options. The Asus Zenfone 8 is your best pick if you’re looking for a relatively small Android phone that doesn’t compromise on the internals. The Pixel 4a is another compact phone but it only has mid-range specs and is quite old at this point. The Zenfone 8 packs in probably everything you need on a modern-day smartphone.

It’s got the Snapdragon 888, which you’ve probably realized by now is the most powerful SoC on the Android side of things. What this means is you don’t have to be worried about performance on this phone. Despite being small, it’s going to perform as well as any other flagship phone and run all your favorite apps and games with ease. Asus’ software is also relatively clean and is closer to stock Android, so you don’t get a lot of bloatware or unnecessary features to keep it light.

The cameras on the device are also competitive and while they’re not as good as the iPhone 13 Mini, they should be sufficient for most people. The battery life is also quite surprisingly good, thanks to a 4,000mAh battery onboard that can last you an entire day. There’s an OLED display which means the experience while consuming content on this phone is also going to be good, although you may not want to watch long shows or movies on a small display like this.

Despite the small size, the phone packs Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 888 SoC with a 4,000 mAh cell and copious amount of RAM. You also have a 64MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a headphone jack. If you are tired of big Android phones, this is the one to get.

    ASUS Zenfone 8
    The ASUS Zenfone 8 is the rare Android flagship with a screen under 6-inches and weight under 180g.

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Best Mid-Tier Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE was highly popular last year because it offered a flagship SoC and 120Hz Samsung AMOLED screen at a much lower price than the company’s top-tier Galaxy S and Note phones. In the latter half of 2021, the Galaxy S20 FE’s Snapdragon 865 can no longer be called flagship level, so this phone is now firmly a mid-ranger, which is a fitting place for this plasticky device anyway.

The Galaxy S20 FE ticks all the right boxes when it comes to everything one would need from a mid-range smartphone. It’s got an older processor, but the Snapdragon 865 is still no slouch and will still fair better than most mid-range chips today. Samsung One UI offers a good set of features that may appeal to a lot of people. This phone is also going to receive software support for an extended period which is surely a big plus. You can still run some heavy games on this device and use multiple apps without any issues.

The display is also excellent on the Galaxy S20 FE. It’s a 120Hz AMOLED display with punchy colors and deep blacks. Samsung makes one of the best OLED panels in the industry so what you’re getting with the Galaxy S20 FE is right up there with other flagship devices. If you’re going to watch a lot of videos, shows, or movies on your smartphone, you’re going to appreciate the display on this phone for sure.

The cameras on the device are also quite good considering this is a mid-range phone now. It’s not as good as some flagship phones launched more recently but it can surely compete against other mid-range phones and emerge to be the winner. The battery life is good thanks to the fact the phone runs on a Snapdragon chipset instead of an Exynos one. This brings us to the fact that the Galaxy S20 FE is only worth it if you pick up the 5G variant, since the 4G variant has a sub-par SoC and terrible battery life.

That 120Hz screen is as vibrant as ever, and while the cameras here aren’t as groundbreaking as the S21 Ultra’s, it’s still very capable and versatile. If you want the Samsung flagship experience at a discount, this is worth a look.

    Galaxy S20 FE at Samsung
    The Galaxy S20 FE is a near-flagship quality Samsung phone at a good price. You get a lot of premium features seen on more expensive phones, at a much lower budget. For some users, the polycarbonate body is also a plus.

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Best Gaming Phone: ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate review

If you do lots of mobile gaming and want a device that can keep up, then look no further than the ASUS ROG Phone 5. Between the blazingly fast and buttery smooth 144hz display, large 6,000 mAh battery, dual front-facing stereo speakers, up to 18GB of RAM, and touch-sensitive shoulder buttons, there isn’t a smartphone out there more equipped to handle mobile gaming.

Asus literally went all-in with the ROG Phone 5 this time. It’s packed with specifications that make it a powerhouse. If you’re looking for the ultimate smartphone that’s got everything you need on paper and even in practical usage, look no further. Starting off with the Snapdragon 888, the ROG Phone 5 offers solid performance with constant frame rates while gaming. Even if you’re playing the most intensive titles at the highest graphics settings and frame rates, the ROG Phone 5 doesn’t break a sweat.

Asus has managed to cool the Snapdragon 888 well for consistent performance. It’s also the phone with the highest amount of RAM right now in the market. 18GB of RAM is no joke and the ROG Phone 5 goes all-in in this department as well to ensure your games enjoy maximum resources at all times. Asus even put a small display on the back of this phone that you can customize via the Armory Crate app.

Long gaming sessions need extended battery life and you’re covered in that department too with the ROG Phone 5. There’s a large 6000mAh battery that lets you play continuously for hours. There’s support for fast charging too when you want to take a small break and get back to play. The large display on the front has a refresh rate of 144Hz making it one of the best for gaming. The display is flanked by thin bezels on either side which makes it easier to grip the phone while playing.

Then there are other small details like stereo speakers, a headphone jack, and the support for additional accessories like a cooling fan, dock, etc. The cameras on the ROG Phone 5 aren’t great but that’s not what you’re buying this phone for in the first place.

    ASUS ROG Phone Ultimate
    ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is, as the name implies, the ultimate gaming phone with up to 18GB of RAM.

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Best Budget Smartphone: OnePlus Nord N10

oneplus nord n10 5g product image

Retailing for $299, it’s hard to find a phone at this price point (in the US) that’s more capable than the OnePlus Nord N10. For a quarter of the price of an iPhone 12 Pro Max or Galaxy S21 Ultra, you’re getting a 5G-ready handset with a 90Hz LCD display and a multi-camera system that offers a solid wide and ultra-wide camera.

OnePlus has built a solid reputation throughout the world thanks to the good price-to-performance ratio its phones offer. While phones from OnePlus have now started to climb up the price ladder, they’ve traditionally been much more affordable than flagships from mainstream brands like Samsung and Apple. Since the prices of OnePlus flagships kept getting higher, the brand decided to launch a more affordable series of phones to capture the mid-range and budget segment. That led to the inception of the Nord series.

The OnePlus Nord N10 is a budget-oriented smartphone that’s meant for people who don’t want to splurge on the latest and greatest top-end phone. Instead, it aims to provide decent specifications at an affordable price point. The Snapdragon 690 handles CPU duties and while it’s no powerhouse, day-to-day tasks on this phone should be smooth. The 90Hz LCD display would also contribute to the smooth experience of using the device. The phone runs on OxygenOS which has traditionally been clean and smooth.

One of the major selling points of the Nord N10 is support for 5G networks. 5G is being adapted throughout the US and while it’s still not as popular as LTE, getting a 5G phone now would mean you’re ready to switch to 5G whenever it becomes widely available. There’s a quad-camera setup on the rear with a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and two 2MP sensors for depth and macro. The display is a 6.49-inch 1080p panel which should be good enough for media consumption.

There’s a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner for security, and the phone is available in a single storage variant — 128GB with 6GB of RAM. You can however expand the storage via a microSD card slot. Finally, there’s a 4,300mAh battery with 30W fast charging making this a good offering for the asking price. If you’re looking for an affordable 5G phone, the OnePlus Nord N10 is a good option to consider.

    OnePlus Nord N10
    The OnePlus Nord N10 is the most affordable 5G-ready, high-refresh screen phone available in the US.

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One thing to note, even the very definition of “budget” differs from person to person, and a singular choice may not be able to properly appreciate the nuances of all individuals. If you’re looking for more options, here are some other great cheap Android phones for you to consider.

Best Smartphone not sold in the US: Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra's camera module

Featuring a Snapdragon 888, 120Hz OLED display, a 50MP with the largest image sensor in the smartphone space, and a capable ultra-wide and Periscope zoom lens to boot, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra may be the one slab phone that can challenge the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for slab phone supremacy. If you’re into selfies, there’s also a second display located on the camera island module so you can take selfies with the main camera system (there’s still a selfie camera on the front side of the device if you prefer to shoot the traditional way).

The Mi 11 Ultra is among the most complete smartphones of the year. What we mean to say is it scores high in all departments and is one of the most well-rounded phones that can compete against the big guns. The display is absolutely gorgeous and has a 120Hz refresh rate. There’s even a secondary display on the rear which can be used to check notifications or be used as a viewfinder.

The reason you would want to use it as a viewfinder is that the cameras on the Mi 11 Ultra are right up there among some of the best smartphone cameras. The primary camera takes some crisp images with lots of details and the ultra-wide camera is also among the best out there. There’s even a periscope camera so you’re covered in terms of zoom. The Snapdragon 888 is what handles performance which means you’re getting flagship-grade performance. The phone runs on MIUI which might deter a few people because of its bad reputation due to ads and bloatware.

The big battery coupled with fast charging and fast wireless charging completes the package and makes the Mi 11 Ultra a superb option for those looking for a flagship phone, provided it’s available in your region. It gets most things right and you’ll certainly not be disappointed by what the Mi 11 Ultra offers. It does almost everything the Galaxy S21 Ultra does, while being considerably cheaper.

The Mi 11 Ultra isn’t selling in North America, but it’s available in China, most of Europe, Southeast Asia, and India. So importing one shouldn’t be difficult — if you’re ready to pay the Samsung/Apple-level four-digit price.

    Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
    The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is a culmination of the company's best hardware in a smartphone yet, featuring a great display, a great camera setup, great performance, and more.

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Second-Best Smartphone not sold in the US: OPPO Find X3 Pro

OPPO Find X3 Pro camera system

In our review, we called the OPPO Find X3 Pro the phone with the best ultra-wide camera around, and that title still stands. That’s because OPPO uses the exact same Sony IMX 766 sensor for both the main and ultra-wide cameras. This also means there’s more consistency between photos captured by the main and ultra-wide camera.

Elsewhere, the Find X3 Pro has a brilliant 120Hz, WQHD+ 10-bit display panel that can display over a billion colors, and is powered by all the latest components like Snapdragon 888 and UFS 3.1. There is also a never-before-seen microscope camera that allows the phone to capture eerily close-up shots, like the ability to capture individual strands of fabric in your shirt. It does lose out to the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra in zooming capabilities, hence this runner-up spot.

The Find X3 Pro also scores high in terms of performance and cameras and runs on ColorOS which has a slightly cleaner UI than some other Android skins. As we mentioned, the microscope camera on the Find X3 Pro is one of its biggest highlights. You can look at things from a perspective you would never have looked at before. It’s a really cool addition that unfortunately hasn’t made its way to any other phone. Hopefully, OPPO continues to include it even in future iterations of the Find X series.

The display on the Find X3 Pro is also excellent and is right up there with other flagship phones. It’s a curved AMOLED panel with a QHD+ resolution and can refresh at 120Hz. The phone is pretty large but feels light to hold. The glass back is premium and the phone feels good to hold in the hand. This is arguably one of the best phones made by OPPO to date and is a great option if it’s available in your region. As mentioned earlier, it misses out in terms of a periscope camera so you won’t be able to zoom into far away objects.

There’s a relatively big 4,500mAh battery to handle everything and it does a fairly good job. If you use your phone heavily, you can expect the phone to die by evening thanks to the large 120Hz display. The 65W charger that comes in the box is a saving grace here since it can charge the phone insanely quickly to 100% in about half an hour. There’s fast wireless charging as well at 30W completing the entire package.

    OPPO Find X3 Pro
    OPPO's latest is a highly polished smartphone with a true 10-bit display that allows it to display over one billion colors.

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      Cons:

There are a lot of good phones to choose from right now, and we hope this guide helped. We will update this guide every month as we test more phones, so be sure to check back often. Let us know which phone you’re using now and which one you’d consider as your next phone!

The post The Best Smartphone to buy in November: Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and more! appeared first on xda-developers.



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macOS 12.1 beta brings back SharePlay support, but still no sign of Universal Control

Apple has released the first beta of macOS 12.1 Monterey for both developers and public testers. This update comes after the public release of macOS 12.0.1 early last week. The latest build brings back SharePlay support, a feature that is missing in the initial stable build. However, there’s still no sign of Universal Control, which should be available by the end of the year.

macos 12.1 beta

SharePlay

SharePlay allows friends and family to consume digital goods together. Users can now listen to Apple Music, control the same queue, watch Apple TV+ content, work out on Fitness+, share their screens, and more, all through FaceTime calls. It’s worth noting that they would each need to have a valid subscription to the respective service to participate.

This social feature has an API that third-party developers can take advantage of. So you won’t be limited to Apple’s apps and services. However, if Spotify decides to implement this feature, for example, your Apple Music friends won’t be able to join unless they have Spotify accounts. So this will further intensify the competition between rivals. Friend groups will likely settle or one service and ditch the other, if they plan on using SharePlay actively.

Universal Control

Universal Control almost breaks the space-time continuum by allowing you to drag-and-drop items from one device to another. You can pair up to three Mac and/or iPad devices and move your cursor through them all, magically. This is perfect for artists and designers who use their iPads to illustrate but resume their work on macOS. The process is natural and effortless.

The feature was first teased during the opening keynote of WWDC21, back in June. While signs of it had surfaced in a previous macOS 12 Monterey beta, the settings have been completely removed in macOS 12.1 beta 1. We will likely see it return in a more functional state in a future macOS beta, though.

What macOS 12 Monterey feature is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Samsung Android 12 Tracker: Here are all the official One UI 4.0 beta builds to download and install

It’s that time of year again when Google releases the new version of its mobile operating system! The stable version of Android 12 is finally here after a long few months of beta testing, and a range of smartphone makers have already announced that they plan to roll it out to their users. Being one of the largest Android OEMs, Samsung is also busy finalizing the features exclusive to its custom skin, One UI, on top of the new version of Android in preparation for an eventual rollout of One UI 4.0 via the stable channel.

When it comes to beta testing, the Korean OEM kicked off the Android 12-based One UI 4.0 beta program for the Galaxy S21 series back in September. Samsung has yet to announce an official list of eligible Galaxy devices to get the Android 12 update, but the company will likely bring a handful of other devices into the beta phase, including older flagships and even some mid-rangers, before the eventual stable release. The public beta initiative is being conducted through the Samsung Members app, hence Galaxy device owners are advised to check the schedule for their region by opening the app and heading to the “Notices” section.

This article will serve as the central repository of download links for all Samsung devices that have received their official Android 12 updates in the form of One UI 4.0, including both the public beta and the stable builds.

Navigate this article:

List of Samsung phones that have received Android 12

This article covers Samsung devices that have received an Android 12 update in the form of One UI 4.0 — be it (public) beta or stable — in any region. Since none of the Galaxy devices participated in Google’s Android 12 Developer Preview program, we will solely follow Samsung’s nomenclature of build numbers in the index below for the sake of simplicity.

Here are the devices that have received at least one Android 12 build with One UI 4.0 till date. Note that the devices are sorted alphabetically for their retail name.

  1. Samsung Galaxy S21 (o1s/o1q) — Added on 09/13/2021
  2. Samsung Galaxy S21+ (t2s/t2q) — Added on 09/13/2021
  3. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (p3s/p3q) — Added on 09/13/2021
  4. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 (b2q) — Added on 09/29/2021
  5. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 (q2q) — Added on 09/29/2021

Generic flashing instructions are available at the bottom of this article. However, we advise users to refer to the device forums for specific flashing instructions for their device, in case there are any variations or special instructions that need to be followed.

You can find download links of One UI 4.0 public beta and stable releases below. These builds are first sorted with device names, and then according to their regions/SoC variants and release. Notably, the concept of a downgrade ROM isn’t applicable here. It is also worth mentioning that you can’t cross-flash a firmware that is intended for a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC-based Samsung Galaxy model (e.g. the USA variant) on its Exynos-powered counterpart (e.g. the European variant) or vice-versa.

1. Samsung Galaxy S21 (o1s/o1q)

Samsung Galaxy S21 in pink

Sr. No. Channel, Build Number, and Region Recovery ROM Odin ROM Added On/Status Last Updated
USA
1.1. One UI 4.0 Beta 1 (ZUID)
  • Carrier variant (SM-G991U)
    • AUH9 to ZUID
  • Unlocked variant (SM-G991U1)
– September 13, 2021
1.2. One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (ZUJ1)
  • Carrier variant (SM-G991U)
    • ZUID to ZUJ1
  • Unlocked variant (SM-G991U1)
    • ZUID to ZUJ1
 – October 5, 2021
1.3. One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG)
  • Carrier variant (SM-G991U)
    • ZUJ1 to ZUJG
  • Unlocked variant (SM-G991U1)
    • ZUJ1 to ZUJG
 – October 25, 2021
Germany
1.1 One UI 4.0 Beta 1 (ZUIC) – September 13, 2021
1.2 One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (ZUJ1) – October 5, 2021
1.3 One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG) – October 25, 2021
India
1.1 One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (Beta testing started with ZUJ1)
  • AUIE to ZUJ1
 – October 5, 2021
1.2 One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG)
  • ZUJ1 to ZUJG
 – October 25, 2021
United Kingdom
1.1 One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (Beta testing started with ZUJ1) – October 5, 2021
1.2 One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG) – October 25, 2021
    Samsung Galaxy S21
    The Samsung Galaxy S21 is the starting point of the new 2021 flagship series, packing in a flagship SoC, along with a decent display and camera setup.

2. Samsung Galaxy S21+ (t2s/t2q)

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus in Violet 1257796696 in violet

Sr. No. Channel, Build Number, and Region Recovery ROM Odin ROM Added On/Status Last Updated
USA
1.1. One UI 4.0 Beta 1 (ZUID)
  • Carrier variant (SM-G996U)
    • AUH9 to ZUID
  • Unlocked variant (SM-G996U1)
    • AUH9 to ZUID
 – September 13, 2021
1.2. One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (ZUJ1)
  • Carrier variant (SM-G996U)
    •  ZUID to ZUJ1
  • Unlocked variant (SM-G996U1)
    •  ZUID to ZUJ1
 – October 5, 2021
1.3. One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG)
  • Carrier variant (SM-G996U)
    • ZUJ1 to ZUJG
  • Unlocked variant (SM-G996U1)
    • ZUJ1 to ZUJG
 – October 25, 2021
Germany
1.1 One UI 4.0 Beta 1 (ZUIC)
  • AUHD to ZUIC
 – September 13, 2021
1.2 One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (ZUJ1)
  • ZUIC to ZUJ1
 – October 5, 2021
1.3 One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG) – October 25, 2021
India
1.1 One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (Beta testing started with ZUJ1)
  • AUIE to ZUJ1
 – October 5, 2021
1.2 One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG)
  • ZUJ1 to ZUJG
 – October 25, 2021
United Kingdom
1.1 One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (Beta testing started with ZUJ1) – October 5, 2021
1.2 One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG) – October 25, 2021
    Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
    The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is the middle child in the new 2021 flagship series, packing in a flagship SoC and a premium build, along with a decent display and camera setup.

3. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (p3s/p3q)

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra in hand

Sr. No. Channel, Build Number, and Region Recovery ROM Odin ROM Added On/Status Last Updated
USA
1.1. One UI 4.0 Beta 1 (ZUID) – September 13, 2021
1.2. One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (ZUJ1) – October 5, 2021
1.3. One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG) – October 25, 2021
Germany
1.1 One UI 4.0 Beta 1 (ZUIC) – September 13, 2021
1.2 One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (ZUJ1) – October 5, 2021
1.3 One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG) – October 25, 2021
India
1.1 One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (Beta testing started with ZUJ1) – October 5, 2021
1.2 One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG) – October 25, 2021
United Kingdom
1.1 One UI 4.0 Beta 2 (Beta testing started with ZUJ1) – October 5, 2021
1.2 One UI 4.0 Beta 3 (ZUJG)
  • ZUJ1 to ZUJG
 – October 25, 2021
    Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
    The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the ultimate overkill in the new 2021 flagship series, packing in a flagship SoC, a premium build, a great display, and an amazing camera setup, as well as all the extras expected on a premium flagship.

4. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 (b2q)

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3

Sr. No. Channel, Build Number, and Region Recovery ROM Odin ROM Added On/Status Last Updated
India
1.1 One UI 4.0 Beta 1 (ZUJF)
  • AUJ7 to ZUJF
 – October 29, 2021
    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
    The Galaxy Flip 3 is Samsung’s new clamshell-style foldable phone. It features a 6.7 inch 120Hz flexible screen and Snapdragon 888 SoC.

5. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 (q2q)

Galaxy Z Fold 3 folded halfway with an S-Pen Pro nearby

Sr. No. Channel, Build Number, and Region Recovery ROM Odin ROM Added On/Status Last Updated
India
1.1 One UI 4.0 Beta 1 (ZUJF) – October 29, 2021
    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
    The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is Samsung's latest and greatest foldable phone. It brings several improvements over the previous model, including high refresh rate displays, an under-screen camera, and top-of-the-line hardware.

Flashing Instructions for One UI 4.0

We have a dedicated flashing guide for Samsung Galaxy users so that they can easily sideload OTA packages or install the official One UI firmware from scratch. Take a look at the following tutorial — especially the Sideloading through recovery section — to get a clear idea about installing the One UI 4 OTA ZIP files.

How to update your Samsung Galaxy smartphone and install official firmware

Note that the above is more of a generic set of flashing instructions that should generally be applicable to any Samsung Galaxy device out there. However, there is a possibility that there is a variation that is unique to your device (such as a carrier model), so we strongly advise visiting your device forums for device-specific instructions.

The post Samsung Android 12 Tracker: Here are all the official One UI 4.0 beta builds to download and install appeared first on xda-developers.



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Everything you need to know about Android Enterprise Recommended smartphones

Proper support from Android manufacturers, especially software support, has long been a heated topic for Android enthusiasts. To be fair, at this point, there’s very little Google can do to fix this without directly impacting the openness of Android as an operating system. That’s not to say that they aren’t doing anything about it, however. In the business space, at least some degree of software support is pretty much a necessity, especially when it comes to security. Vulnerabilities in a company’s infrastructure can potentially cause a big headache, even on something as small as a worker’s phone. In theory, this is where Google’s Android Enterprise Recommended Initiative comes in with phone recommendations.

In the past, we’ve talked about Android Enterprise Recommended devices. But what most people don’t know is the rigorous process that goes behind a device getting an Enterprise Recommendation. In this article, we’re going to talk about what these phones are, what’s behind the AER badge, what Google asks from these phones, zero-touch enrollment, why they’re important for businesses — and why they might or might not, be relevant to you.

Android Enterprise Recommended Phones

What is the Android Enterprise Recommended Program?

The Android Enterprise program itself is nothing new. Google’s Android Enterprise program enables the use of Android devices and applications in the workplace. The program has existed since 2014 when Android Lollipop launched, and from the start, the program has provided APIs and other tools that developers can use to add Android support to their enterprise mobility management (EMM) solutions.

With the launch of Android 6.0 Marshmallow in 2015, supporting these Android Enterprise APIs became mandatory in order to even get GMS certification, which greatly boosted their adoption across the Android ecosystem.

This brings us then, to Android Enterprise Recommended devices. These are pretty much devices that have gotten a seal of approval over from the folks at Google for several factors, the most notable being reliable and regularly scheduled security updates, particularly if they’re meant to fix critical vulnerabilities. Phones in this program are supposed to be best-in-class when it comes to reliability and security, two factors that are important in a work environment. After all, these phones are meant to be “ideal” to work with the APIs and EMM services we mentioned before for being used in a work environment.

Should I care about Android Enterprise Recommended phones if I’m not a business?

Even if you’re not getting a device with this seal of approval for a work environment (these phones can be managed through an EMM console), there are reasons why regular users could also find some value in these badges. Android Enterprise Recommended phones are supposed to have semi-regular security updates, although Google relaxed this requirement somewhat in the past few months.

Still, OEMs are still required to roll out prompt security fixes whenever critical issues arise. Smartphones in the program are also expected to provide, at the very least, one major Android update, and OEMs are expected to be transparent with updates and publish information about the guaranteed Android updates these phones will receive, both major and security ones.

Transparency is also needed when it comes to security updates. OEMs are required to publish a security bulletin disclosing all CVE vulnerabilities that they fixed on their phones. You might think most OEMs don’t often do this, but as a part of this program, a lot of them actually do, including Samsung, Motorola, and OPPO. Any update rolling out to these phones must also be compliant with the program’s requirements and will need to get revalidated.

For a phone to get an Android Enterprise Recommended badge, it also needs to meet a series of minimum system requirements, to ensure an experience in the workplace that doesn’t suck. Devices in the “Knowledge Worker” category must meet internal specifications including 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, a CPU with a clock speed of 1.4GHz, Android 11, and 64-bit architecture. Rugged devices can sit a tad lower in specs with requirements of at least 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage, and a CPU with a clock speed of 1.1GHz. They’re also allowed to be 32-bit based, but they’re also required to feature a MIL-STD-810G or an IEC 62-2-32 certification at the very least.

Zero-touch Enrollment

Zero-touch Enrollment is one of the best aspects of the Android Enterprise Recommended program. It does exactly what it says — enroll devices into the program without a single touch of the user or your IT team. It brings down the time required to deploy devices to users in an organization and also removes the need for the manual setup of each individual device. If you have hundreds or thousands of employees, zero-touch enrollment is an efficient way to go about distributing Android Enterprise recommended smartphones.

Using zero-touch enrollment, organizations can directly order large quantities of eligible devices from zero-touch carriers or resellers and then use an online portal to assign each device to a user. All this is done without opening the box of the phones or manually setting them up. Once the devices are assigned, you can configure the Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution as per your needs. Once you do this, all devices will automatically enroll with the policies set by your EMM. Now, all you have to do is ship the device to the user and when they power it on for the first time, a setup process with all the regulations and policies will be right in place.

Zero-touch enrollment eliminates the need for any sort of instructions or training to be given to the IT department of a corporation since they don’t have to manually enroll every device. The entire process is done while the phones still sit inside the box. This saves a ton of time and effort while not compromising on security. Devices enrolled via this method will still retain the required policies set in place by the organization even if they are reset. End-users also do not require any sort of training since all they have to do is sign in with their respective accounts.

If a phone runs on Android 9.0+ and it is GMS certified, it’s automatically eligible for zero-touch enrollment. Though, keep in mind that purchases need to be done from zero-touch carriers and resellers.

Which phones are part of the Android Enterprise Recommended program?

Android Enterprise Recommended Phone List

The Android Enterprise Recommended program features 305 smartphones as of the time of writing, with 215 of them in the “Knowledge Worker” category and 90 of them belonging to the “Rugged” category. The list includes several devices from different manufacturers, a lot of them from relatively obscure OEMs. We’ve compiled a list of smartphones from some of the most notable manufacturers in the list:

List of smartphones in the Android Enterprise Recommended Program. Click to expand.

Google

  • Google Pixel 5
  • Google Pixel 4a 5G
  • Google Pixel 4a
  • Google Pixel 4
  • Google Pixel 4 XL
  • Google Pixel 3a
  • Google Pixel 3a XL
  • Google Pixel 3
  • Google Pixel 3 XL
  • Google Pixel 2
  • Google Pixel 2 XL
  • Google Pixel
  • Google Pixel XL

Xiaomi

  • Xiaomi Redmi 9T
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G
  • Xiaomi Mi 10T
  • Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
  • Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite
  • Xiaomi Redmi 9
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
  • Xiaomi Mi A3
  • Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite
  • Xiaomi Mi A2
  • Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
  • Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 10T 5G
  • Xiaomi 11T
  • Xiaomi 11T Pro
  • Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  • Xiaomi Redmi 10
  • POCO M3 Pro 5G

Samsung

  • Samsung Galaxy A52
  • Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy A32
  • Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy Xcover 5
  • Samsung Galaxy S21
  • Samsung Galaxy S21+
  • Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
  • Samsung Galaxy Note20
  • Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
  • Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20+
  • Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
  • Samsung Galaxy Xcover Pro
  • Samsung Galaxy Note10
  • Samsung Galaxy Note10+
  • Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S10
  • Samsung Galaxy S10+
  • Samsung Galaxy S10e

OnePlus

  • OnePlus Nord
  • OnePlus Nord N10 5G
  • OnePlus Nord N100
  • OnePlus 8
  • OnePlus 8 Pro
  • OnePlus 8 5G
  • OnePlus 9 5G
  • OnePlus 9 Pro 5G

LG

  • LG style 3
  • LG G8X ThinQ
  • LG G6
  • LG L-O3K
  • LG Style 2
  • LG V40 ThinQ
  • LG V30

TCL

  • TCL 20L
  • TCL 20L+
  • TCL 20 Pro 5G
  • TCL 20 5G
  • TCL 20S

Oppo

  • Oppo Find X2 Neo
  • Oppo A72
  • Oppo Find X2 Lite
  • Oppo A52
  • Oppo Reno 3 Pro
  • Oppo Find X2
  • Oppo Find X2 Pro

Motorola

  • Motorola Moto G Stylus (2021)
  • Motorola Moto G Power (2021)
  • Motorola Moto G9 Power
  • Motorola One 5G Ace
  • Motorola Moto G Play (2021)
  • Motorola Moto G 5G
  • Motorola Moto G9
  • Motorola Razr (2020)
  • Motorola Razr 5G
  • Motorola One 5G
  • Motorola Moto G9 Play
  • Motorola Moto G9 Plus
  • Motorola Moto G 5G Plus
  • Motorola Moto G Pro
  • Motorola One Fusion
  • Motorola Edge+
  • Motorola Edge
  • Motorola Moto G Fast
  • Motorola Moto G8
  • Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
  • Motorola Moto G Stylus (2020)
  • Motorola Moto G8 Power
  • Motorola Moto G Power
  • Motorola One Hyper
  • Motorola Razr
  • Motorola One Macro
  • Motorola One
  • Motorola One Action
  • Motorola One Vision
  • Motorola One Zoom
  • Motorola Moto G100
  • Motorola Moto G50
  • Motorola Moto G50 5G
  • Motorola Moto G60
  • Motorola Moto G60S
  • Motorola Evolve
  • Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G
  • Motorola Moto G40 Fusion
  • Motorola Moto G30
  • Motoroal Moto One 5G UW Ace
  • Motorola Moto Edge 20 Lite
  • Motorola Moto Edge 20 Pro
  • Motorola Moto Edge 20
  • Motorola Moto Edge 20 Fusion
  • Motorola Moto Edge (2021)

HMD

  • Nokia 5.4
  • Nokia 8 V 5G UW
  • Nokia 3.4
  • Nokia 8.3 5G
  • Nokia 5.3
  • Nokia 2.2
  • Nokia 3.1
  • Nokia 3.1 Plus
  • Nokia 3.2
  • Nokia 4.2
  • Nokia 5.1
  • Nokia 5.1 Plus
  • Nokia 6.1
  • Nokia 6.1 Plus
  • Nokia 6.2
  • Nokia 7 Plus
  • Nokia 7.1
  • Nokia 7.2
  • Nokia 8
  • Nokia 8 Sirocco
  • Nokia 8.1
  • Nokia 9 PureView
  • Nokia G10
  • Nokia G20
  • Nokia G50
  • Nokia X10
  • Nokia X20
  • Nokia XR20
  • Nokia T20

Sony

  • Sony Xperia 10 II
  • Sony Xperia 10 III
  • Sony Xperia 10
  • Sony Xperia XA2
  • Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
  • Sony Xperia XZ Premium
  • Sony Xperia XZ1
  • Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
  • Sony Xperia XZ2
  • Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
  • Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium

ZTE

  • ZTE Telstra Tough Max 3

You can check out the full list here.

Should I get an Android Enterprise Recommended smartphone?

This program isn’t really the be-all and end-all when it comes to choosing a smartphone with stellar software support — which is what it’s meant to deliver or at least was at first. Companies like Motorola, which are pretty infamous when it comes to software support, especially in the long term, have phones with this certification. And Google doesn’t really enforce this policy that well, which is why we mentioned previously that they recently changed their policy from semi-regular updates to only asking OEMs to roll out prompt security updates if there’s a vulnerability that needs to be patched urgently. This program instead mostly goes after stability, reliability, and transparency on both updates, support, and laying down the terms for both, as well as targeting needs of businesses. In this respect, it does deliver well.

So if the question is whether you should choose a smartphone for your own personal use based solely on this list, the answer is probably no. While the stringent requirements of this program do ultimately deliver some value to users who care about having a secure, reliable smartphone, they don’t deliver enough value to be the sole, decisive factor to the average consumer. There are many other factors that are considerably more important at the time of choosing a smartphone that an average consumer would use as their personal device.

There’s also the fact that most flagship smartphones from major device manufacturers often already have this certification anyway, and even some mid-range and low-end ones as well. Phones from the likes of the Galaxy S21 lineup, or the Redmi Note 10 lineup, for one, are already certified. Your phone might already be certified without you knowing it. So looking up the full list might end up with you choosing the same smartphone you were going to choose anyway.

If you’re a business and you’re looking for Android smartphones to connect to your network and give to employees solely for work usage, then yes, Google’s device directory could be a pretty good starting point, since you actually want what the program is delivering in a phone you’re going to deploy on your network.

The bottom line

While Google could definitely do a way better job in enforcing its program’s policies on some of its partners, particularly on the update side, the program does end up delivering pretty good value to businesses in particular, as well as to people who are interested in transparency and promises of continued and consistent software support. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s as good as it gets in the existing framework.

It also does make us wonder whether more strict guidelines that actually mattered for consumers, at least for the updates part, could actually be rolled out by Google for Android partners. While several OEMs have started to take Android updates more seriously, there’s still a long way to go until we actually get to Pixel-like updates across a majority of the Android ecosystem. Even then, Apple still one-ups Android by offering several years of both iOS updates and security updates throughout their whole device lineup.

The iPhone 5s, for one, which launched in 2013 with iOS 7, got updated up to iOS 12 in 2018, and it’s still getting security updates to this very day — iOS 12.5.3, the latest update for the device, was released in May 3rd, 2021. That’s not a typo, that was a few weeks ago. A phone getting up to 8 years of software support is pretty much unheard of in the Android ecosystem. To give you some context, back in 2013, we were all drooling over the release of Android 4.4 KitKat, and a phone released back then could have gotten officially, at most, Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

While you can technically grab a phone from that era, like the Galaxy S4 or the Nexus 5, and install something like LineageOS 18.1 or some other custom ROM from our forums to get present-day Android running on it, it’s not an official solution. It might be usable performance-wise, but the newer software is not meant to run on hardware this old, and the old hardware has been deprecated for years.

As we mentioned before, while the Android Enterprise Recommended program might fall short when it comes to actually deliver timely security updates, it still makes OEMs be more transparent when it comes to software support, including timelines and what the update themselves brings. We would also love to see Google come out with a similar program for ensuring Android OEMs actually update their phones for longer — but that appears to be a far-fetched dream.

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Slack’s Huddle feature may soon gain support for video

Back in July, Slack introduced Huddles, the company’s take on Clubhouse-style audio chatrooms. For starters, Slack’s Huddles feature lets you start a live conversation in a channel or DM to “recreate the spontaneous and informal discussions that you miss from the office.” While the feature is in its current state is audio-only, it may soon gain video support.

An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by the developers in a future build.

Slack version 21.11.10.0 recently started rolling out on the Google Play Store, and within the APK, we have discovered some new strings that suggest that Slack is working on adding video support to the Huddles feature.

The following new strings mention the huddle feature requiring camera permission, indicating that users will be able to start a “video chatroom.” Note that video support for Huddles hasn’t rolled out to users and appears to be a work-in-progress.

<string name="huddle_camera_permission_subtitle"></string>
<string name="To use video, you'll need to allow Slack access to your camera"></string>
<string name="huddle_camera_permission_title">Slack needs access to your camera"</string>

Slack already lets you call people and then switch on video and screen sharing, similar to Google Meet. As such, we’re not really sure why Slack feels the need to bring video support to Huddles. It will be interesting to see how Slack will differentiate a Huddle from a normal call.

As mentioned above, video support for Slack Huddles isn’t live yet. We don’t know when, if ever, Slack plans to roll it out to users. We’ll let you know as soon as we have more information about this upcoming feature.

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Apple’s App Tracking Transparency policy is unsurprisingly hurting platforms that track you

Apple announced last year a new privacy-focused setting for iOS users called App Tracking Transparency (ATT). This policy — which went into effect in April — forces app developers to ask for users’ permissions when they want to track them for advertising purposes. So now all active apps have to request approval before being able to track people across other apps and websites. Otherwise, they will get kicked out of the App Store. A report reveals that this policy has cost social media platforms around $10 billion in revenue, unsurprisingly.

According to The Verge, an investigation by The Financial Times has revealed to what extent the new ATT policy has been hurting social media platforms. Services like Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube heavily depend on advertising to remain free-to-use. Considering many users opt out of being tracked, ads are becoming less relevant and aren’t reaching the precise audience. This change has cost said platforms around $9.85 billion in revenue — so far.

Facebook criticized Apple’s move last December by posting full-page newspaper ads. According to FT’s report, they also have lost the most money “in absolute terms”. It will take at least one year to rebuild a new advertising system that doesn’t depend on tracking users across other apps and websites. Companies will have to either focus on targeting Android users or find more creative ways to target iPhone users without tracking them through the usual methods.

It’s worth noting that when users toggle tracking off in Privacy settings, apps can’t even request the permission to track them or provide an explanation as to why they need to follow them around. Apple also bans apps from compensating users who agree to get tracked. So apps can’t trick or tempt users into agreeing in return for digital goods. The tech giant has been focusing on user privacy and security features lately. Just last week, the company released its App Privacy Report feature in the first beta of iOS 15.2. This exposes the privacy-related practices of all apps installed on an iPhone.

Do you allow apps to track you to get more relevant ads? Let us know in the comments section below.

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