Lenovo believes it can become the number three smartphone brand

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Lenovo believes it can become the number three smartphone brand
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Chinese brand Lenovo is betting hard on its subsidiary Motorola. It bought the brand from Google in 2014 to compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple. Over the years, it has positioned itself as one of the key players in the smartphone range, but there’s more. At least, Lenovo Group’s executive vice president & president (international markets), Matthew Zielinski believes so. He bets Motorola will become the third biggest smartphone player in the world.

Lenovo’s top exec believes Motorola will become third third-biggest smartphone brand

“I would bet a paycheck that in three years we will be number three around the world,” Matthew Zielinski told CNBC. Right now, Motorola and Lenovo together have about 4% of the global smartphone market, according to Counterpoint Research (via CNBC).

Even though this doesn’t sound like a lot, Motorola is doing well in some areas. It’s the third-biggest company in the US. Zielinski explained that Lenovo has a plan to grow its market share in different parts of the world. They want to keep growing steadily until they reach a 10% market share in specific regions. This will add up and help them become more popular globally. They’ve also entered the premium market with the foldable Razr to compete one-on-one with the likes of Apple and Samsung.

Could India help Lenovo/Motorola succeed?

Samsung is currently the most popular smartphone brand in India, according to Counterpoint Research, closely followed by Xiaomi, Vivo, realme, OPPO, etc. Samsung aside, Xiaomi and others entered India about a decade ago.

Motorola had already made it to the South Asian country. Its legacy helped it rebuild trust among users. Despite changes over the years, Indians still associate Motorola with its reputation from the 90s, placing more importance on the brand itself rather than its current ownership.

So, India could be a safe bet for Motorola. Zielinski also mentioned, in the report, that Lenovo may increase manufacturing in Pondicherry, India. He added, “We’re having important talks with the Indian government, and we’re also planning to make more things in India, which will create more jobs there.” He concluded by saying that Lenovo is paying attention to India.


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The Pixel Watch 3 could end up coming in two sizes

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The Pixel Watch 3 could end up coming in two sizes
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Google might be planning to release the Pixel Watch 3 in two different sizes. If it does so, then Google would be giving consumers what they want — more options. If you look at some of the other popular smartwatches out there, they come in two sizes. Both the Apple Watch and the Galaxy Watch series offer a small and large size watch. This gives you a chance to pick the size that fits your personal preference.

Google, however, has chosen to stick with releasing just one size of the Pixel Watch for both generations. Leaving you with just one choice if you want your smartwatch to be a part of the Pixel ecosystem. That hasn’t really been a deal breaker for many as both watches were well-received and pretty popular with the consumers who were interested in them. But a single watch size has been a complaint about Google’s official smartwatch.

The size of the Pixel Watch 2 was one of our complaints here at AH as a matter of fact. Despite liking the watch overall, we found it less appealing to have a smaller size with no option for something bigger like what Samsung was offering.

Two Pixel Watch 3 sizes haven’t been confirmed yet

While this is certainly something Pixel Watch fans are probably hoping for, what the two sizes are is still unclear. According to 9To5Google, a source has confirmed that two sizes will be made. But the rumor doesn’t mention anything about the actual sizes. The Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 are both 41mm. So it would be a reasonable assumption that Google may release another 41mm watch while adding one that’s a bit larger, potentially around 44mm to match that of the Galaxy Watch 6.

A bigger version of the watch could also lead to longer battery life for the larger model. While the Pixel Watch 2 did improve on battery life slightly from the first watch, it still wasn’t amazing. A larger watch could help with that as Google would have more room to fit in a larger capacity battery. If Google is going to officially announce anything about two Pixel Watch 3 sizes anytime soon, it would likely be at its upcoming Google I/O conference. Of course, that still leaves a few months for leaks to trickle out and provide more evidence of these plans.


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The Galaxy Watch 7 might use the same chip as the Galaxy Watch 6

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The Galaxy Watch 7 might use the same chip as the Galaxy Watch 6
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We’re fresh off of the Galaxy S24 announcement, so we’re moving on to our next batch of Samsung-centric rumors. Now, we’re focusing on the company’s upcoming smartwatch. According to a new leak, it appears that the Galaxy Watch 7 will use the same processor that was in the Galaxy Watch 6.

Sure, Samsung is keen on using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips in its phones, but that’s not the case with its smartwatches. The company sticks with its own brand of processors for its watches under the “W” series of chips. The Galaxy Watch 6 uses the Exynos W940 SoC. It’s a powerful chip that gives the watch some great performance.

It looks like the Galaxy Watch 7 could use the same chip from last year

This news comes to us from leaker Roland Quandt. He explained some details on a few chips that Samsung is working on. At the top of the post, he mentioned that the Galaxy Watch 7 will use the same Exynos 5535, which is the international model number and not the official marketing name that Samsung gave it. He said that this is most likely the same Exynos W940 that was in 2023’s watch.

Since this is early information about a watch that’s not supposed to come out for another half a year, you’ll want to take it cautiously. Anything could change between now and the next Unpacked event.

Those who don’t know about Samsung’s strategy with its wearable devices would be shocked at this news. However, this isn’t actually odd for Samsung. The company has a bi-annual cycle when it comes to upgrading its wearable chips. Rather than a new iteration each year, Samsung’s Galaxy Watches get a new chip every two years. That may sound odd, but it’s been working for the company thus far.

The Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 shared the Exynos W930. So, the Exynos W940 belongs to the Galaxy Watch 6 and possibly the Galaxy Watch 7. We’ll want to wait for more information about this, as there are rumors that point to the contrary. One rumor states that Samsung will use a new chip this year. This new chip could be based on a 3nm process.

Mystery chips?

Along with the Exynos 5535, Quandt also spilled the beans on two other chips. The first one is referred to as the Exynos 5400, and the second one is called the Exynos 6375. There’s no information on these chips, unfortunately. The only information we have is that the Exynos 5400 might be a wearable chip, as per Quandt. We’re going to need to wait for more information on that.

This is just speculation, but it’s possible that Samsung could use last year’s chip for the standard Galaxy Watch 7 and the Exynos 5400 for a more premium “Pro” model of the watch. We’ll just need to wait and see what the company does.


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Spigen wants to provide you the ultimate Galaxy S24 protection

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Spigen wants to provide you the ultimate Galaxy S24 protection
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With the Galaxy S24 launch right around the corner, Spigen is ready to protect the new phones with its fresh lineup of cases for the Galaxy S24 series. If you’re not familiar with Spigen, it’s the same accessory company that made the case that was found on the iPhone that survived a 16,000-foot drop from Alaska Airlines flight ASA1282. Specifically, it was the Spigen Cryo Armor case. This is likely an isolated incident and you probably shouldn’t expect your phone in a Spigen case to survive a fall from that high. Especially since there were probably circumstances that allowed the phone to survive the fall in the first place.

However, the fact that it happened should give you peace of mind that a Spigen case can most certainly protect your new Galaxy S24 from a more reasonable height. And in case you were wondering, Spigen does make a Cryo Armor case for the Galaxy S24 series. It’s one of the company’s many models for Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones.

The launch of Spigen cases gives Galaxy S24 owners a lot of options

Some case makers are releasing only a few case types for the Galaxy S24 series. Spigen on the other hand has lots of options. Aside from the Cyro Armor, Spigen also offers Tough Armor, Slim Armor, Rugged Armor, Optik Armor, Core Armor, Neo Hybrid, and Enzo Aramid cases. if that seems like a lot of options, that’s because it is. That being said, these are also just the cases in the protective lineup. Spigen is also offering some clear cases and minimalist cases. Which adds another 9 options. In short, you have no shortage of stuff to choose from with Spigen.

Though we’d recommend a protective case, you might want something a little more stylish. They also tend to be less expensive. All of these cases are available as of this week. You can pick them up on Amazon as well as through Spigen directly.

Buy At Amazon – Spigen Cases for Galaxy S24 Series


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Here’s the first look at Nokia phone maker HMD’s first device

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Here’s the first look at Nokia phone maker HMD’s first device
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HMD Global, home of Nokia smartphones, is all set to debut in the market with its own brand. The company already officially confirmed this news in September last year. Now, ahead of the launch, the first HMD smartphone’s alleged press render has appeared on the interwebs. The render leaked by 91mobiles has revealed the design of the handset. There also appears to be a new HMD Global logo.

Leaked render suggests HMD’s first own-branded phone will be a budget offering

The leaked render indicates that the first HMD-branded smartphone will be a budget offering. This is in line with the earlier reports, which also indicated that the brand will make affordable handsets. Notably, the image shows the first HMD phone will have a hole in the screen to house the selfie camera. Also, the device appears to have rounded corners.

Talking about the rear, the phone will have the HMD branding right in the middle. The back panel appears to have a matte finish and seems to be made from plastic materials. Since there are no visible antenna lines, we can expect the HMD phone to offer a plastic frame. The budget offering will offer a square camera module in the top-left corner.

Furthermore, the render also suggests that the handset will have a square camera module in the top-left corner. It will be home to the two primary cameras as well as an LED flash unit. Notably, the phone could also have some AI-based camera enhancements, as indicated by the unreadable text around the lenses. The right side of the device will house the volume rocker as well as the power button.

The first HMD-branded phones could launch first in India in April 2024

Unfortunately, the source has not revealed anything about the specifications of the upcoming HMD smartphone. However, everything points towards it being an affordable offering. Notably, earlier reports have suggested that HMD Global will initially launch its first own-branded handsets in emerging markets like India. The launch is allegedly set to take place in April this year.

HMD is said to debut its own brand with two smartphones in the starting. Similar to the Nokia handsets, they will also be offering a stock Android OS experience. We will know more in the near future, so stay tuned to Android Headlines for the latest updates.


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A new leak shows just how nice the Motorola Razr+2024 will look

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A new leak shows just how nice the Motorola Razr+2024 will look
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2023’s Motorola Razr+ (Razr 40 Ultra in some markets) was one of the most interesting foldable phones on the market, and it brought a massive outer display and a solid overall experience. Well, we’re all looking forward to what the company has next. Thanks to a massive leak, we know what the Motorola Razr 2024 might look like.

You’ll definitely want to take this information cautiously, as this is very early information. We’re dealing with a leak, so anything could change at a moment’s notice. According to the leaked information, the Motorola Razr+ 2024 (unofficial name) could have the internal codename “Glory” and bear the model number XT-2453-3. Also, it looks like this phone will be made available through Verizon.

We don’t know anything about the specs of this phone, but the source says that this phone will use a new Snapdragon processor. It also promises that there will be performance and battery life improvements.

We have a new leak of the Motorola Razr+ 2024, and it looks nice

MSPoweruser exclusively shared an image of this phone, and it’s pretty consistent with what Motorola gave us last year. What made the Motorola Razr+ 2023 stand out was its large outer display. It made it go up against the Galaxy Z Flip 5. It covers almost every inch of the front of the phone and it even extends past the camera package.

In the leak, it looks like the company is repeating this, which is a good thing. We see an almost two-tone look with the back of the phone clad in an elegant gray material. It’s hard to guess what it is, as the photo is rather grainy. Above the gray area, we see the large black area that will be the outer display. When the phone is closed, it looks like you’ll still see some of the gray material on the front.

Motorola razr 2024 leak

As for the inner display, there’s nothing of note. We see a very Motorola-esque wallpaper with the clock displaying 11:35. Overall, at least for the colorway in the leak, this phone looks like it’s going to be a very nice-looking device. Motorola found a great formula last year, so we don’t expect it to stray far from that.

Right now, there’s no official information on when this phone is going to come out. However, according to the leak, the company plans on launching it sometime in the first half of 2024.


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X Premium: Everything you need to know – January 2024

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X Premium: Everything you need to know – January 2024
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X Premium Logo AH

Twitter… sorry, X is one of the many social media platforms that has a subscription service. Previously called Twitter Blue, X Premium gives you a collection of added perks and functionality that you don’t get with a free account. Unlike with other platforms, X Premium has three tiers that you can pay for, and they offer different perks, and it can be tough keeping up with all of them.

Well, we’re here to answer any questions that you might have about these three tiers. In this piece, we’re going to go through what each of the payment tiers offers and other useful information that you might be pining for. This article will constantly be updated, so we’ll add to it whenever new information is added.

What is X Premium?

Before Elon Musk took over the platform, it was called Twitter Blue. The point of Twitter Blue was to offer Twitter users a way to test out new and experimental features early. It was like a paid beta program. Some of the features eventually made it down to free users. Along with letting users try out new features, it also offered some exclusive perks.

Now, things are different. X Premium is more of a revenue stream for the company. It’s the first and only place where new features land. New features don’t really make it to free users. So, if you’re on the platform, and you want a more robust experience, X Premium might be the right way to go.

What are the three X Premium tiers?

X Premium is a little different from other platforms because it has three different payment tiers. They’re called Basic, Premium, and Premium+. They cover a pretty wide price range, and there’s a range of what you can do with them. Here’s a rundown of what you can do with them.

Basic plan

Starting off with the cheapest plan, it has the least number of perks, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not feature-packed. This plan costs around the price of Twitter Blue when it first came out. Getting it will set you back $3/month ($32/year) if you sign up using the web version and $4/month ($41.99/year) if you’re on mobile. We explain why the prices are different depending on where you sign up below.

Post and profile features

You can edit your posts. This lets you make changes to your posts for up to one hour after you post them. You’re able to make changes to the text and the content you added to it. When you edit a post, the original post isn’t technically altered. X will just make a copy of the post and post the new version. The app will then create a link in the new post that links back to the original.

Also, you’re able to undo your posts. This gives you a limited amount of time to take back what you’re saying.

Longer posts are a feature that all X users have been barking about for years. Well, the company decided to answer users’ prayers in a big way. If you have this plan, you can make posts as long as 25,000 characters long. To put that into perspective, this post up to this point is about 11% the length of a 25,000-character post.

The Reader mode lets you read long threads without any breaks in between posts.

If you are in the NFT community, you can use NFT profile pictures. You can take your minted NFT and display it in a hexagonal frame.

Videos

If you’ve been pining for longer videos on X, then pine no more. You’re able to post videos up to three hours in length, up to 8GB in size, and at up to 1080p resolution. This feature is only available on the web and iOS for the moment. Android users are once again left in the dust.

Next, you can play videos in the background. This lets you play videos while you navigate through the rest of the interface.

Other features

The remaining features are some smaller perks added in. You can customize your app icon, add bookmarks to folders, change the navigation bar at the bottom, hide your likes, hide your subscriptions, and view a highlights tab on your profile. The highlights tab is a tab that has all of your most popular posts.

When it comes to safety and security, this plan brings encrypted DMs and 2FA through SMS.

Messaging

[Updated Jan 19th, 2024] Having a, X Premium subscription means that you can make voice and video calls to other users. In order to call another user, that user needs to have messaged you in the past. To make a call, just go to the DM conversation with the person you want to call and tap on the Audio call  or Video call button. Then, the call will connect.

Premium plan

Now, we’re moving onto a more advanced plan. This is the middle child of the X Premium tiers, and it’s the baseline payment that you could get before X debuted the other two. This plan costs $8/month ($84/year) if you buy it through the web version. If you’re paying on your phone, it will cost you $11/month ($114/year).

Ads and monetization

For starters, you get all of the perks present in the Basic plan. You also don’t get any more advanced versions of the basic plans.

One of the most sought-after features is creator subscriptions. If your posts are so hot that you want people to pay you just to read them, then you can set up creator subscriptions. People will pay a monthly fee to view the posts that you choose to put behind the paywall.

There’s another way that you can earn income from X, and that’s through revenue sharing. X displays ads throughout the platform. This includes showing ads on users’ posts. Well, X splits the revenue it makes from those ads with the creators who made the posts.

Speaking of ads, you’ll see reduced ads at certain points on the platform. You’ll see 50% of the ads while on the For You and Following tabs. While this is the case, you’ll see the usual number of ads in other corners of the platform.

Verification

Firstly, you get the coveted blue checkmark. It will sit beside your username and show people that you’re verified. With your subscription, you can also hide your blue checkmark.

With your subscription, you’ll be able to see verified-only posts. There are some posts on the platform that are only for verified users (those with the blue checkmark), and you’ll be able to see them with your subscription.

If you want to make it impossible for other people to emulate you, then you can use I.D. verification. You’ll use your state-issued I.D. to verify you so that no one else can make an account pretending to be you.

Tools

Your subscription to the Premium plan will give you access to the Media Studio platform. This is a one-stop shop where you can access and manage all of the media that you’ve uploaded to X.

Finally, your subscription will give you access to the X Pro feature. This was previously called Tweet Deck. It allows you to view multiple timelines at once. Along with that, you can add contributors and admins to your account and use advanced search.

Premium+

This is the most advanced of the X Premium tiers, and it offers all of the perks present in the others. Along with that, it has a few more. Premium+ costs $16/month ($168/year) if you sign up through the web and $22/month ($229.99/year) if you sign up through mobile.

Starting off with the ads, this tier will give you even fewer ads compared to Premium. You will see zero ads in the For You and Following tabs. However, you’ll still see ads everywhere else on the platform.

With the highest payment tier, you’ll have a large reply boost. This means that your replies on other posts will be easier to see than other people’s.

Rounding out the list, you’ll have access to Grok. This is the company’s generative AI model that you can use like ChatGPT.

Why do I pay more if I sign up using the app?

You may have noticed that the monthly/yearly prices are higher if you sign up for X Premium using the app. The thing is that, when you sign up using the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store, you’ll use those companies’ respective billing systems. Well, Google and Apple charge developers a 30% fee for every transaction that happens through their billing system.

Some companies, like Amazon, have opted to only offer their services through their own websites, thus eliminating their fee. X, on the other hand, has opted to offer their services through the web and through their mobile apps. However, they’re more expensive so as to offset that 30% fee.

If I sign up through the web, can I still use the perks on the mobile app?

Yes. All of the features will be the same no matter what platform you sign up with. The only difference is which service is going to process your payment.

How to sign up for X Premium

If you’re sold on getting one of the X Premium tiers, then here’s how to sign up for the service.

Signing up through the web

You’re more likely to sign up through the web to save you a few dollars every month. Go to the browser of your choice and open the X website. Look on the left side of your screen at the panel. Near the bottom of the panel, you’ll see the X Premium button.

When you click on it, you’ll see a popup appear asking about what account you have. If this is your personal account where you post on your own behalf, then click on the I am an individual button. If this is your company account, then click on the I am an organization button. Once you choose the type of account you have, click on the Subscribe button.

In the next popup, choose the tier you want. It will automatically show you the Premium+ tier. On the top of the popup, you’ll see a left-facing arrow. Click that to navigate to the other tiers. On the bottom of the screen, you’ll see the option to either pay monthly or yearly. Once you’ve found the one that will suit you, click on the Subscribe & Pay button.

The next screen you see will be the page to type your credit card information. Just add that information and pay.

Signing up through the app

The process of signing up through the app isn’t all that different. Open the app and tap on your profile picture on the top left of the screen. You’ll see the left panel slide out. Right under the Profile button, you’ll see the Premium button. Tap on it, and you’ll see a page show up with the three tiers. Just swipe left or right to see the tier that you want to select.

To choose the one that you want, tap on the price at the bottom of the screen. When you do so, you’ll see a panel pop up with the monthly and yearly options. Be careful at this point because the yearly option is selected by default. If you only want to pay monthly, be sure to choose that option. When you do that, you’ll see your app store’s checkout screen. From there, you’ll pay.

The post X Premium: Everything you need to know – January 2024 appeared first on Android Headlines.


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What you need to know

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What you need to know
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If you want to contact other people on X, you’ve had the option of sending DMs or @-ing them in a tweet (post). Well, Musk and Yaccarino felt that this wasn’t personal enough and brought voice and video calling to X. It’s been out for iOS for a while and the feature finally dropped on Android. So, whether you’re team Apple or team Android, here’s what you need to know about this feature.

Are voice and video calling on X available widely?

At the time of writing this, it’s fully available for iOS users, as it’s been out for some time. In the case of Android users, it’s still in the process of rolling out. If you don’t see the option to use this feature yet, then you’ll want to wait just a few days.

To check if you have the feature, find x on the Google Play Store and see if the Update button is there. If so, then update your app. You’ll want to be on version 10.24.0 of the app. If you still don’t see the feature after updating, then you’ll just want to wait for it to hit your device.

How do you enable/disable it?

Chances are that this feature will be enabled automatically when you get it. The first time you open the app after getting it, you’ll see a panel at the bottom of the screen letting you know that it’s landed. It will give you the option to either enable the feature or decline it.

If you want to manually enable or disable the feature, it’s easy to do so. Go to the Settings & Support section and tap on the Privacy and safety button. There, scroll down to the Direct messages button.  Another way to access these settings is by going to your DMs and tapping on the gear icon right next to the search bar.

On the resulting page, you’ll see the toggle to enable audio and video calling.

Who can call me?

Under the enable/disable toggle, you’ll see another section with some additional settings. Here, you’ll be able to choose who can contact you through voice and video calls. You can choose to receive calls from people in your address book, people you follow, verified users, or any combination of the three.

Basically, you won’t be able to receive calls from perfect strangers. The only exception to that is the option to receive calls from verified users. So, if you don’t want the chance of getting called by a stranger, then you’ll want to deselect that option. It should be deselected automatically. Just double-check to make sure.

There’s an additional security measure below these options called “Enhanced call privacy“. If you enable this feature, your IP address will not be revealed to the person you’re calling. This feature doesn’t come enabled by default. So, if you don’t want the people you’re calling to have access to your IP address, you’ll want to dive into your settings and enable it.

Who can you call?

So, calling an account isn’t quite as easy as sending a DM. With DMs, you’re able to send a message to someone out of the blue. However, if you want to call someone, they’ll need to have sent you a DM previously. So, if an account hasn’t reached out to you in the past, you won’t be able to call them.

Is this behind the X Premium paywall?

Surprising no one, this feature does require an X Premium subscription. There are three X Premium payment tiers, and you’ll be able to use this feature if you’re subscribed to either one of them. No matter what payment tier you’re on, you’ll have the ability to make both voice and video calls.

BUT, you only need a subscription to make calls. Anyone, whether they’re a free user or a paid user, can receive calls. So, if you want to have a conversation with your friend, just one of you will need to be paying for X Premium.

One thing to note is that on Android, you’ll need to enable push notifications in order to be notified of a call.

How do you make a call?

So, if everything’s in order; you have X Premium and an account has messaged you in the past, it’s time to make your call. First, go to your DMs and find the conversation with the account you want to call. On the UI, you’ll see an Audio call and a Video call button. Simply tap on one of those buttons. The call will connect. If you’re not allowed to call that account, then you won’t see those options.

Voice call options

When you’re on a call, you’ll have the typical options that you’ll find in any dialer app. There’s the option to mute yourself during the call along with the option to put the person on speakerphone.

Video call options

While you’re on a video call, you’re able to switch between the front and rear cameras by tapping on the appropriate icon. If you want to shut your camera off completely, there’s an option to do that as well. As you can guess, there’s also a mute button.

Curious about joining X Premium?

Making voice calls on X requires a Premium subscription. X Premium is the enhanced version of the platform that offers additional perks and features over the free version. If you’re looking to get the most out of the platform, then you might want to look into getting a subscription.

There are three tiers: Basic ($3/month), Premium ($8/month), and Premium+ ($16/month). They all offer perks like being able to make longer posts, the ability to edit posts, the ability to undo posts, a boost in the algorithm, background video playback, and more. As you go up the payment tiers, you’ll gain more features.

If you’re curious about X Premium, check out our piece on Everything you need to know about X Premium for more information.


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Iran’s Mint Sandstorm Hits Universities with Hamas-Israel Phishing Scam

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Iran’s Mint Sandstorm Hits Universities with Hamas-Israel Phishing Scam
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Microsoft has warned of a sophisticated phishing scam, accompanied by the use of a custom backdoor called MediaPI, orchestrated by the Iranian Mint Sandstorm APT.

Microsoft Threat Intelligence has reported that Iran-linked threat actors, including Mint Sandstorm (APT35 and Charming Kitten), are targeting high-profile researchers working on the Israel-Hamas conflict through phishing scam led by a sophisticated social engineering campaign.

The campaign aims to gather diverse perspectives on the conflict by targeting those working at universities and research organizations. Mint Sandstorm, a subset of Iran‘s intelligence arm, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), specializes in compromising sensitive information from high-value targets through resource-intensive social engineering campaigns.

According to Microsoft’s research, a subset of Mint Sandstorm, PHOSPHORUS, has been targeting high-profile individuals working on Middle Eastern affairs at researchers associated with academic research organizations and universities in the UK, USA, Belgium, France, Gaza, and Israel since November 2023.

Microsoft has observed new tactics in this Mint Sandstorm campaign, including using compromised email accounts to send phishing lures, connecting to its C2 server using the Client for URL (curl) command and delivering a custom backdoor called MediaPl.

The threat actor uses spoofed email addresses to impersonate journalists and send benign emails asking for their review or feedback on an article on the Israel-Hamas war. They used legitimate but compromised email accounts belonging to the individuals they seek to impersonate.

If someone falls for the lure, Mint Sandstorm sends another email containing links to malicious domains that lead them to sites like cloud-document-editonrendercom to retrieve a RAR archive file supposedly containing the draft document.

The.rar file is decompressed into a double extension file (.pdf.lnk) and launches a curl command to retrieve malicious files from attacker-controlled subdomains of glitchme and supabaseco.

Microsoft observed multiple files downloaded to targets’ devices in this campaign, including several.vbs scripts and a renamed version of NirCmd. The attacker uses a malicious file, Persistence.vbs, to persist in compromised environments.

The campaign may have further bolstered Mint Sandstorm’s credibility and contributed to its success. The tradecraft involves impersonating known individuals, using bespoke phishing lures, and benign messages in the initial stages.

Research indicates that Mint Sandstorm is continually improving and modifying its tools to target desired environments, potentially allowing it to maintain persistence and evade detection.

Iran's Mint Sandstorm APT Hits Universities with Hamas-Israel Phishing Scam
Intrusion chain leading to backdoors observed by Microsoft in the ongoing Mint Sandstorm phishing scam campaign

Microsoft recommends implementing mitigations to reduce the impact of Mint Sandstorm campaigns. This involves training end-users against clicking URLs in unsolicited messages, and disclosing/sharing their credentials, as well as checking for poor spelling and grammar in phishing emails and spoofed app names.

Microsoft also encourages users to use web browsers that support SmartScreen to identify/block malicious websites and scams. Also, enable network protection to block connections to malicious domains and IP addresses. Cloud-delivered protection can cover rapidly evolving attacker tools and techniques.

For insights, we reached out to Balazs Greksza, a Threat Response Lead at Ontinue. “Actors like APT35 have primary goals around geopolitics, national security, and counter-intelligence and in tense situations military preparedness and in the general understanding of economic and trade practices; however sanctioned countries have a more difficult time to influence.,” said Balazs.

“Actors like APT35 have primary goals around geopolitics, national security, and counter-intelligence. In tense situations military preparedness and in a general understanding of economic and trade practices; however, sanctioned countries have a more difficult time influence,” Balazs explained.

  1. Iran’s MuddyWater Group Targets Israelis with Fake Memo Phishing
  2. Iran’s Scarred Manticore Targets Middle East with LIONTAIL Malware
  3. Iran’s Peach Sandstorm Deploy FalseFont Backdoor in Defense Sector
  4. Iranian Hackers Posed as Israelis in Targeted LinkedIn Phishing Attack
  5. Microsoft reports two Iranian hacking groups exploiting PaperCut flaw

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Android 14 is now available for the Galaxy A13 (LTE)

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Android 14 is now available for the Galaxy A13 (LTE)
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Midway through January, Samsung is almost done updating eligible Galaxy devices to Android 14. The company has already updated more than 50 different models to the new Android version, which brings One UI 6.0. The remaining few devices are also now getting it. The Galaxy A13 (LTE) is the latest Samsung phone to pick up the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update.

The Galaxy A13 gets Samsung’s Android 14 update

Three weeks back, Samsung released the Android 14 update for the Galaxy A13 5G. The 4G/LTE version of the phone didn’t get the big Android update alongside its sibling. The company is now pushing the new Android version to the LTE-only Galaxy A13. The rollout began recently in its home country, South Korea. Users are receiving the update with the firmware build number A135NKSU5DWL5.

Samsung will soon release One UI 6.0 for the Galaxy A13 (LTE) globally. As usual, you will receive a notification when the OTA (over-the-air) update package hits your Galaxy device. You can tap on the notification to download the update. Alternatively, you can open the Settings app on your phone, go to the Software update menu, and tap on Download and install to check for updates manually.

Once installed, this update will substantially improve your Galaxy experience. One UI 6.0 brings some UI changes, new camera features, new editing tools, improved homescreen widgets, additional lockscreen customization options, enhanced multitasking, new accessibility settings, improved stock apps, and more. There are also some security fixes and enhancements in tow.

Unfortunately, this might be the last feature update for the Galaxy A13. The budget phone debuted with Android 12 and has now picked up two major Android OS upgrades, i.e. Android 13 and Android 14. Samsung offers longer update support for flagship models—seven Android OS upgrades for the Galaxy S24 series—but low-cost devices aren’t covered under this policy.

Samsung is readying the One UI 6.1 update for Galaxy devices

Samsung’s Android 14 update brought One UI 6.0 to Galaxy devices. A couple of days back, the company introduced One UI 6.1 with the Galaxy S24 series. The new One UI version will be available to older models too, including the Galaxy S23 series and recent foldables. The Korean firm plans to push the update to over 100 million Galaxy devices in the first half of this year. It remains to be seen whether the Galaxy A13 gets One UI 6.1. We will let you know when the rollout begins.


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