Galaxy Z Fold 6 may finally bring a wider cover screen

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Galaxy Z Fold 6 may finally bring a wider cover screen
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Samsung‘s Galaxy devices are rumored to undergo significant design changes in the coming years. This design evolution may begin with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 later this year. The new foldables, particularly the Fold model, may see a major shift in their form factor. Reliable tipster Ice Universe claims that the Fold 6 will be squarer than its predecessor, making the cover screen wider.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 to feature wide cover screen

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be Samsung’s sixth book-like foldable smartphone. Over the previous five generations, the lineup has seen a lot of design changes. The company has made the device shorter, wider, and thinner with each new generation. The original model had a dimension of 160.9 x 117.9 x 6.9mm when unfolded, while the Fold 5 measures 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm in dimension.

You can see that the latest model is 6mm shorter, 12mm wider, and 0.8mm thinner than the first-gen Galaxy Fold. However, with an aspect ratio of 23.1:9, the Fold 5’s cover screen is still too tall. It doesn’t feel like a regular smartphone screen—all three Galaxy S24 models have a display aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Fans and foldable enthusiasts have been calling on Samsung to make it wider.

The calls have grown since OnePlus launched its first-gen foldable, the OnePlus Open, with a 6.31-inch 20:9 cover screen. The device measures 153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8mm in dimension when unfolded, which is significantly wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Samsung may be looking to do something similar. According to Ice Universe, the next-gen model be wider than the current Fold.

The tipster didn’t share the dimensions but said the information is “absolutely accurate” and not based on patent drawings. He also claimed that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 isn’t as wide as shown in a recent Samsung patent. However, it may be wide enough to make the cover screen less tall. Whether the Korean firm matches the OnePlus Open’s cover screen aspect ratio of 20:9, we shall find out soon.

The new Fold has a flat frame and sharper screen curvature

Alongside making the screens wider, Samsung is reportedly reducing the curvature of display corners on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The corners will have sharper curvature with less curve. The new foldable will also sport a completely flat frame. The tipster draws similarities between the new Fold and the Nubia Z60 Ultra (shown below) in terms of the screen and frame design. Expect more leaks about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 from Ice Universe in the coming months.

Nubia Z60 Ultra color 2


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Walmart takes aim at Amazon with Vizio acquisition

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Walmart takes aim at Amazon with Vizio acquisition
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Walmart has announced that it is planning to acquire the TV maker Vizio; this deal is valued at $2.3 billion. Just last week, it was rumored that Walmart would purchase Vizio, and now the deal is made official. Of course, pending regulatory approval.

Walmart says in a press release that “the acquisition of Vizio and its SmartCast Operating System (OS) would enable Walmart to connect with and serve its customers in new ways, including innovative television and in-home entertainment and media experiences.” It goes on to say that “It would also create new opportunities to help advertisers connect with customers, empowering brands with differentiated and compelling opportunities to engage at scale and to realize greater impact from their advertising spend with Walmart.”

The Vizio acquisition would bolster Walmart’s own brand of TVs

Over the past handful of years, Walmart has started to create its own line of electronics under the Onn brand in an attempt to compete with Amazon. Currently, Amazon has over 100 different brands that produce different products and undercut its competition.

The acquisition of Vizio would allow Walmart to really bolster its own line of TVs. While the Onn brand isn’t bad for a good cheap TV, Vizio is definitely the king of good cheap TVs. But the real question is whether this deal will actually go through.

Those who have followed the TV industry for quite some time might remember a time when LeEco was planning to buy Vizio for around $2 billion back in 2016. The acquisition would have made the combined company the largest global television powerhouse. This was shortly after LeEco held a massive event in San Francisco to bring their products to the US.

Shortly after this announcement, LeEco had to pull out of the deal, and the company continued to experience financial limitations. By September 2018, LeEco had sold its remaining ownership of Leshi Zhixin Electronics Technology Co., Ltd and Le Vision Pictures to Sunac. Vizio accused LeEco of breaching its settlement after the deal fell through. LeEco was supposed to pay $100 million as a breakup fee to Vizio, which it failed to pay completely.

So let’s hope that this acquisition goes better than the last one for Vizio.


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New Gold Pickaxe Malware Aims To Steal Users’ Faces

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New Gold Pickaxe Malware Aims To Steal Users’ Faces
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Another threat surfaces online for mobile phone users that targets Android and iOS devices alike. Identified as “Gold Pickaxe,” the new malware is a potent data stealing trojan that typically aims at stealing facial recognition data alongside other sensitive information.

Gold Pickaxe Android Malware Running Active Campaigns

According to a recent Group-IB report, a new malware, “Gold Pickaxe,” is actively targeting Android and iOS users. The malware lures victim users into downloading it via social engineering.

The researchers traced back the malicious campaign to June 2023, when another malware from the same threat actors appeared online. Identified as “GoldDigger,” it seemingly served as a predecessor for the newly identified Gold Pickaxe trojan, targeting Vietnamese banks’ users. It was then followed by GoldDiggerPlus and GoldKefu in September 2023, leading to “Gold Pickaxe,” which appeared online in October 2023.

Regarding the malware functionalities, the researchers explained Gold Pickaxe as a data-stealing trojan aiming at personal/sensitive data. However, what makes it noteworthy is its advanced functionalities and specific aim at victims’ facial recognition data.

First, the previous three malware targeted Android devices, but the latest variant, “Gold Pickaxe,” also targets iOS devices. This enables the malware to target a wider user base globally. Secondly, Gold Pickaxe, alongside stealing other data, also aims at pilfering facial recognition data, biometric data, and identity documents. With these details, the attackers intend to create victim users’ deepfakes to trick banking apps and perform financial frauds. This technique particularly facilitates the attackers in attacking Thai banks where facial scans are commonly applied for safe transactions.

The researchers have shared a detailed technical analysis of this malware in their post. Regarding the threat actors’ identity, the researchers identified them as a Chinese entity, “GoldFactory,” which was also hinted at by the presence of Chinese language in the malware’s C&C servers and debugging strings. They also observed some similarities between the GoldFactory trojans and another banking trojan “Gigabud.” However, they couldn’t establish a specific link between the two.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.


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How to Launch a Successful ICO: 2024 Guide

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How to Launch a Successful ICO: 2024 Guide
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Dive into our step-by-step guide, explore the benefits, navigate legal complexities, and execute a successful token sale with precision.

A Strategic Guide to Launching Your ICO in 2024

The blockchain market is predicted to reach over $25 billion by 2025, and ICOs, or initial coin offerings, will lead the charge in making this happen. Anyone looking to get in on the action needs to know that the development of an ICO means understanding the technology behind cryptocurrencies and blockchains. Further understanding needs to be around the implementation of smart contracts and solidity programming.

At the onset of the crypto market, launching an ICO was easy, but over the years, the market has become more complex. Additionally, many countries have started cracking down on the launch of new ICOs.

The limitations placed on ICOs have partly come from rising incidents of scams. Many investors often also back out of poorly planned ICOs by trading coins for more significant cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum, then converting ETH to USD to get out of failing investments. 

Benefits of ICO Launch for Blockchain Projects

The world of blockchain technology is dynamic, and ICOs have changed how businesses and individuals set out to raise money. Many ground-breaking projects have been launched due to funding obtained from ICOs. 

Launching an ICO has many benefits, including access to funds globally, a potential for profits, and easy access to the crypto market. Here’s a closer look at three of these benefits:

  • Connecting global investors: With ICOs, there are no boundaries, and the ability for start-ups to gather funds is not limited to traditional means. ICOs have opened the door to investments on a global scale, unlike more conventional funding means, such as venture capital, which is limited to approved investors. Anyone who has access to the internet can participate in ICO funding.
  • High-profit potential: The lower fees and reduced administrative costs involved in ICO funding mean a higher yield of funds allocated to projects that reach the target. ICOs have circumvented traditional regulatory hurdles to ensure much-needed funding reaches projects with as little loss as possible.
  • Easy entry into the crypto industry: ICOs are more than just an avenue for fundraising. They are a platform for distributing existing cryptocurrency tokens and launching new tokens. The tokens, in turn, facilitate transactions and oversee governing rights in the ecosystem.

Alternatively, some choose to go for an initial exchange offering (IEO) to add a layer of security and increase exposure.

Step-by-Step Guide for Launching a Successful ICO in 2024

For anyone looking to raise funds for a new project, an initial coin offering is the quickest way to bring in the capital needed. However appealing this may sound, it is vital for those seeking funding to note that the launch of an ICO can be risky, technically complicated, and very difficult to market. Here’s everything you will need to get your ICO off the ground:

1. Create a White Paper

Essentially, a white paper is a document containing all the technical information about the project and the rationale behind why funding is needed. When creating a white paper, several key aspects need to be addressed, including what the problem and solution are, the focus market, analysis of the business model and market, token costs involved, strategy for marketing, how much money is needed, and what would happen if the target set is not reached.

The next step in launching a successful ICO is to seek collaboration with legal experts. A legal expert well-versed in the launch of an ICO will ensure that the ICO complies with local and international laws. While the penalties for those not legally compliant vary, the punishments can range from charges of terrorism to financial fraud. A legal expert will consider the ICO regulations in different countries, anti-money laundering compliances, Know-Your-Customer compliances, and the taxation laws surrounding ICO funding.

3. Choose the Right Blockchain

To ensure an ICO’s success, founders must select the blockchain that best suits their needs. Ethereum was the blockchain that launched the ICO market and has been the go-to platform for founders for many years. Its popularity has resulted in slower transitional speeds and high gas costs. However, it is essential to note that the Ethereum blockchain may not be the perfect fit for all ICOs. 

For some, it would be better to choose Ethereum Layer Two. Blockchains on Ethereum L2 as rollups such as Base and Optimism offer lower gas costs with the benefit of Ethereum-level security. Alternative blockchains like Polygon and BNB are becoming more popular with ICO founders for their integration into popular exchanges, including Binance, which allows access to newly launched tokens.

4. Develop Your Token

Part of the token development journey involved creating a smart contract. ERC-20 has become the industry standard for these contracts, and it outlines parameters for an ICO. Once the smart contract has been tested and the coins are minted, distribution can start. ICO founders must select tokens that most exchanges can accept.

5. Make an ICO Promotion

To promote an ICO, founders need to have a defined strategy that includes a targeted message, proactive engagement, and compelling content. The strategy will help founders create awareness around the ICO and build credibility in the cryptocurrency community. A well-defined strategy can mean the difference between a successful launch and a failure. It is always a good idea to get the help of an agency specializing in ICO marketing to help out when promotion begins.

6. Initiate a Successful Token Sale Campaign

One of the critical things to consider in any ICO is how the tokens will be distributed. Distribution can take the form of pre-sale and public or general sale. At the pre-sale stage, tokens are offered to investors, sometimes at a reduced cost. The pre-sale is targeted at investors, private funders, and loyal supporters. The public sale stage is when the sale of tokens is opened up to the general public. At this point, the ICO may have already raised significant funds, and token sales can be increased.

Conclusion

An ICO is one of the most popular ways to raise funds for a project leveraging blockchain technology to access funds from global investors. The process is technically challenging but, when done right, can have the potential to launch careers. It takes planning and preparation to ensure the success of an ICO. Additionally, there are costs involved, but the reward at the end could be priceless.


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Samsung ramps up preparations for Galaxy A55 and A35 launch

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Samsung ramps up preparations for Galaxy A55 and A35 launch
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Samsung is swiftly completing the formalities before it unveils the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35. In recent weeks, it has obtained several regulatory certifications for its upcoming mid-range smartphones. The company has also put up official support pages for the phones on its website in some regions, including Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the UK. It has just published the pages for the duo in a few more European countries as it prepares for the launch.

Galaxy A55 and A35 get official support pages before launch

Samsung usually publishes its official support pages for its upcoming smartphones a few weeks before launch. These pages provide a wide range of support resources for the devices once they arrive on the market, including guides, tips and tricks, and FAQs. The Korean firm started putting up support pages for the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 about two weeks back. As the launch draws closer, the pages are appearing on more regional Samsung websites.

We can now see support pages for the upcoming mid-range duo in Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, and a few other countries. As usual, they currently don’t reveal anything more than the device’s model numbers—SM-A556B for the Galaxy A55 and SM-A356B for the Galaxy A35. Some are marked “DS” to indicate dual-SIM variants. In some regions, the storage variant (128GB or 256GB) is also mentioned.

This is an indication that the devices are nearing their market release. Samsung is approaching the first anniversary of the Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A34—launched on 14 March 2023—so it is just about time now. There are rumors that the 2024 models will arrive a few weeks later. Even with this delay, the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 may debut within the next couple of months. We will let you know when Samsung officially announces the launch.

Both models will bring a handful of upgrades

Samsung will upgrade its mid-range lineup with the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35. The former will jump from a plastic frame to a metallic frame, likely an aluminum one. It will also get a newer processor (Exynos 1480) with a custom GPU developed in collaboration with AMD. The Exynos 1480 is the company’s first mid-range chipset with an AMD-powered GPU. We may get camera improvements too.

The Galaxy A35, on the other hand, still has a plastic frame. However, Samsung is upgrading it from a notched display to a punch-hole design. The device is also rumored to feature a newer primary rear camera, likely the 50MP shooter found on the Galaxy A54. It might reuse the A54’s Exynos 1380 chipset as well. You can expect more leaks and rumors about the new Samsung mid-rangers in the build-up to the launch.


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Elon Musk’s X is exploring deals with OpenAI’s rival Midjourney

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Elon Musk’s X is exploring deals with OpenAI’s rival Midjourney
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The AI race doesn’t seem to take any time-outs, especially when big techs like Apple, Google, and Microsoft have stepped in. The technology is advancing each day. Just recently, OpenAI unveiled Sora, its text-to-video generator. Now, Elon Musk-owned X could be exploring a deal or partnership with Midjourney, a popular text-to-image tool. This comes after DogeDesigner shared the potential deal between X and Midjourney.

Midjourney is similar to other programs available such as OpenAI’s DALL-E and Stability AI’s Stable Diffusion. However, Midjourney is believed to put more light on details. This potential partnership between the two firms could benefit from it, and could even propel Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence ambitions forward by a leap.

X (aka Twitter) could partner with Midjourney

We don’t know much about the possible deal between X and Midjourney yet, but it’s about X’s Grok. Which is still in the early stages, and only available to X Premium+ subscribers in the United States.

If the deal goes through, X users could type a command like “a horse dancing in the rain” to generate an image and post it. This is similar to Instagram’s recent update, where users can create backgrounds using a built-in generative AI tool, but it’s also different. While X’s implementation could allow the creation of an image, Instagram’s feature only tweaks the backgrounds.

It’s unclear if the service will be available to all users or require an X Premium subscription, however, the latter is more likely. For those unaware, X has three premium tiers: Basic, Premium, and Premium+.

There could also be concerns because any information spread on a platform like X spreads like wildfire. It may pose challenges, such as AI-generated images flooding the platform. This is concerning because two of the biggest democratic elections are set to take place in the coming months, including the US Presidential Elections and India’s General Elections.

However, we expect that X would at least add or mention the differentiator.


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Google reveals how the upcoming Android Auto AI message summaries will work

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Google reveals how the upcoming Android Auto AI message summaries will work
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Following Google’s announcement — alongside the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch — that Android Auto AI summaries were on the way, the company has now published more information on how this feature would work. This feature will allow Google Assistant to summarize those long texts and lively group chats for safer driving.
Initially announced just as an ‘Android Auto’ feature, Google has clarified that its powerful Google Assistant AI will actually power these helpful summaries. This makes sense since Android Auto heavily relies on Assistant for voice interactions. Additionally, Google’s support documentation notes the feature could work on “Assistant-enabled Android devices,” potentially opening the door for this smart messaging tool to work on headphones and other gear in the future — as noted by 9to5Google.
While it sounds like this is a feature that would be beneficial for all your messaging needs, don’t expect every message to get the AI treatment. At this time, only messages over 40 words, and multiple messages sent in quick succession from the same person or group chat, will trigger the AI summaries. Anything that does not meet the aforementioned criteria will be read as a normal message — just like it has worked in the past.

How AI summaries will work on Android Auto | Source: Google

However, it’s important to note that AI summaries in your car will not be turned on by default. This is a feature that will need to be enabled manually via your Android Auto Settings. You can opt in by tapping on “Play AI message summaries” under “Notifications.” Additionally, Google will prompt you for permission the first time it has a summary ready, at which point you can either approve or decline to have either the AI-summarized version or the regular version of your message read out loud.

With everything going the way of AI nowadays, it’s natural to wonder about privacy implications. This is probably why Google included a few lines about this in the support documentation, assuring users that their messages and summaries aren’t saved anywhere, and the interactions won’t be used to train Google’s language models (LLMs).

While the original announcement of this upcoming feature focused heavily on the use of Gemini throughout the Galaxy’s AI features, the company didn’t explicitly state if Gemini in particular is at work here. However, with Gemini now present as a Google Assistant alternative on mobile devices, our best guess is that it will be powering this feature as well. In the meantime, we eagerly await this rollout and the promise of a less distracting commute.


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8 Spyware Firms Targeting iOS, Android, & Windows Devices

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8 Spyware Firms Targeting iOS, Android, & Windows Devices
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Spyware firms target iOS, Android, and Windows devices due to their widespread usage, making them lucrative targets for gathering sensitive information. 

Each platform offers unique exploitation opportunities, with iOS and Android dominating the mobile market, while Windows remains a primary operating system for computers. 

This complete scenario provides diverse avenues for surveillance and data collection.

Recently, Meta Platforms acted against eight surveillance-for-hire firms in Italy, Spain, and the U.A.E., as per the Q4 2023 “Adversarial Threat Report.” 

Cybersecurity researchers at Meta Platform have reported that spyware from these companies has been actively targeting iPhones, Android, and Windows devices.

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The malware used by spyware firms has stealthy features and capabilities that enable threat actors or operators to collect sensitive information from the targeted devices.

The following device information was accessed and collected by the malware:- 

  • Location
  • Photos
  • Media
  • Contacts
  • Calendar
  • Email
  • SMS
  • Social media
  • Messaging apps

Besides this, it also enables and gives threat actors accessibility to these elements of the targeted devices: microphones, cameras, and screenshots.

Spyware Firms Involved

Here below, we have mentioned all the spyware firms involved:-

  • Cy4Gate/ELT Group
  • RCS Labs
  • IPS Intelligence
  • Variston IT
  • TrueL IT
  • Protect Electronic Systems
  • Negg Group
  • Mollitiam Industries

Cybersecurity researchers asserted that all the above-mentioned spyware firms are also found to be engaged in scraping, social engineering, and phishing activity that targets a wide range of social platforms.

Fake personas linked to RCS Labs deceived users for phone numbers, email addresses, and surveillance. 

Now removed, Variston IT’s Facebook and Instagram accounts aided exploit development and testing. 

Meta reports that Variston IT is discontinuing operations. Negg Group and Mollitiam Industries were also identified for spyware testing and data collection.

Swedish telecom security firms suspect that the cyber attack method involves a unique binary SMS (MM1_notification.REQ) notifying of MMS, retrieved via MM1_retrieve.REQ and MM1_retrieve.RES, embedding device info in GET request as a fingerprint. 

Moreover, it has potential for spyware deployment, tailored exploits, and phishing campaigns, but no recent evidence of exploitation in the wild.

Stay updated on Cybersecurity news, Whitepapers, and Infographics. Follow us on LinkedIn & Twitter.


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Wyze cameras show the wrong feeds to customers. Again.

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Wyze cameras show the wrong feeds to customers. Again.
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Last September, we wrote an article about how Wyze home cameras temporarily showed other people’s security feeds.

As far as home cameras go, we said this is absolutely up there at the top of the “things you don’t want to happen” list. Turning your customers into Peeping Tom against their will and exposing other customers’ footage is definitely not OK.

It’s not OK, but yet here we are again. On February 17, TheVerge reported that history had repeated itself. Wyze co-founder David Crosby confirmed that users were able to briefly see into a stranger’s property because they were shown an image from someone else’s camera.

Crosby told The Verge:

“We have now identified a security issue where some users were able to see thumbnails of cameras that were not their own in the Events tab.”

So, it’s not a full feed and just a thumbnail, you might think. Is that such a big deal? Well, it was a bit more than that. Users got notification alerts for events in their house. I don’t know how you feel when you get one of those while you know there shouldn’t be anyone there, but it’s enough to make me nervous.

Imagine your surprise when you then see someone else’s house as the cause for that notification.

Wyze blames the issue on overload and corruption of user data after an AWS outage. However, AWS did not report an outage during the time Wyze cameras were having these problems.

And, while the company originally said it had identified 14 instances of the security issue, the number of complaints on Reddit and the Wyze forums indicated that there must have been a lot more.

This turned out to be the case. In an email sent to customers, Wyze revealed that it was actually around 13,000 people who got an unauthorized peek at thumbnails from other people’s homes.

Wyze chalks up the incident to a recently-integrated third-party caching client library which caused the issue when they brought back cameras online after an outage at AWS.

“This client library received unprecedented load conditions caused by devices coming back online all at once. As a result of increased demand, it mixed up device ID and user ID mapping and connected some data to incorrect accounts.”

Wyze says it has added an extra layer of verification before users can view Event videos.

So, all we can do is hope we don’t have to write another story like this one in a few months.

We don’t just report on threats—we remove them

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your devices by downloading Malwarebytes today.


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New OnePlus 12R improves camera, performance & more

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New OnePlus 12R improves camera, performance & more
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A new update has started rolling out to the OnePlus 12R, and it improves the phone’s camera, its performance, and more. This update is marked as OxygenOS 14.0.0.307, and it’s coming to Europe, the US, and India regions. It’s basically a global update.

Before we get to the changelog, do note that this update is rolling out in stages. That’s something we’re used to when it comes to updates at this point. OnePlus also has a tendency to roll out such updates a bit slower just to make sure no bugs pop up.

This OnePlus 12R update improves the camera performance, system performance in general & more

Having said that, let’s focus on the camera performance first. This update is supposed to improve the camera performance indoors. On top of that, it’s supposed to improve camera performance stability overall, says OnePlus.

The general stability and performance of OxygenOS 14 on the device have been improved, and the power consumption has also been optimized. The battery life should be a bit better now because of it.

OnePlus also tweaked the connectivity side of things. This update improves the stability and expands the compatibility of Bluetooth connections on the device. On top of that, it improves network stability and compatibility.

You’ll hardly find a better $500 smartphone out there

That’s basically everything that’s included in the changelog. Even without this update, we believed that the OnePlus 12R was the best $500 smartphone on the market, and with these improvements, it should become even better

The company really did manage to create a rather affordable smartphone considering what it offers on the inside. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is used here, along with a truly great LTPO AMOLED display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The camera performance is not bad at all, and so on. Overall, the phone managed to impress us during our review period, and you can read more about that here.


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