Android
Trending Stories
Do you want to run AI models locally on your Android phone? Well, with the MLC Chat app, you can now download LLMs like Gemma, Phi-2, Mistral, Llama 3, etc., and chat with them natively on Android devices. The token generation is slow though, especially on older Snapdragon-based Android devices.
Every Android device comes with an in-built screen recorder these days. However, in some phones like the Pixel series, you don't get a lot of control over the screen recorder. You can't tweak the screen recording quality, frame rate and other settings. This calls for reliance on third-party screen recording Android apps, like XRecorder, AZ Recorder and Mobizen. These are free too, with only certain features like recording at over 60 FPS being locked behind a paywall.
We have pitted the newly launched Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 with 2022's flagship, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The key takeaway from the benchmark comparison is that the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 matches the performance of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in all key benchmarks while maintaining better efficiency. Expect a lot of sub-Rs. 50,000 phones to feature the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 in 2024.
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Benchmark Comparison
View quick summary
We recently got our hands on the Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro from China which is powered by Qualcomm's newly launched, Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset. We tested the SoC on several benchmarking apps and compared the scores with the premium Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. We have performed various tests including Geekbench, AnTuTu, CPU Throttling, Geekbench GPU, and more.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is targeted at the premium segment but comes with underclocked CPU cores and lacks some Snapdragon experiences. We got our hands on the first Snapdragon 8s Gen 3-powered smartphone, the Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro, and tested the chipset with multiple benchmark tests. It performed on expected lines and rivals the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset from Qualcomm.
The OnePlus Ace 3V recently launched in China and it is highly likely to be rebranded as the OnePlus Nord 4 for global markets. I was fortunate to get my hands on the OnePlus Ace 3V recently, so here are my first impressions of what will be the Nord 4.
Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Benchmark Comparison
View quick summary
Qualcomm's newly released Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 is making headlines because of its sheer performance in the mid-range segment. In our benchmark tests, we found that it rivals the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC from 2022. The Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 comes very close to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in Geekbench, and AnTuTu benchmark tests. In fact, in the CPU Throttling test, it does better than the SD 8 Gen 2.
Qualcomm has delivered a powerful mid-range chipset in the 7-series segment. In our benchmark tests on the OnePlus Ace 3V, which is powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset, the SoC performed consistently on all fronts, be it the CPU, GPU, modem, or memory. It has officially defeated MediaTek's Dimensity 8300 Ultra and stands as the top performer in the mid-range segment. You can read our detailed article to find all benchmarks, including Geekbench, AnTuTu, CPU throttling, 3DMark, and more.
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 has gone official as the brand's latest offering in the Rs 25,000 price category. While it comes with average cameras, it makes up for it with a stellar performance, a clean (but unoptimized) software experience and long lasting battery with 100W fast charging. If you take into consideration all the things that it brings to the table and if you prefer performance over cameras, this is the phone to get in the Rs. 25,000 price segment.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 vs Dimensity 8300 Ultra Benchmark Comparison
View quick summary
While the Dimensity 8300 Ultra is used in mid-range smartphones, it delivers powerful performance in all aspects, be it the CPU, GPU, memory and storage speed, 5G connectivity, and more. As a result, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 loses to MediaTek's chipset in all categories. MediaTek has significantly raised the CPU core frequencies and packed a mighty GPU.
OnePlus has launched its mid-range Nord CE 4 smartphone so we benchmarked the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset to evaluate the performance of CPU, GPU, 5G modem, etc. Its CPU performed fairly well and in the CPU Throttling test, it sustained a high workload without dropping performance. In the 3DMark GPU test as well, the Adreno 720 GPU offered exceptional stability. You can go through our article to find more benchmark numbers of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3.
While there may not be any small phone launches in the future, since they've only recently been discontinued, you can grab the existing models and use them for years to come. Some of the best small phones you can buy right now are the ASUS Zenfone 10, Galaxy S24, Pixel 8, and Galaxy S23.
You Can Now Install Any Extension on Edge Canary for Android; Here’s How
View quick summary
If you are on Android, you can install browser extensions on Edge for Canary. With the latest update, it now lets you install any web extension on Edge. You just need to paste the extension ID and Edge will install it for you. While the experience is somewhat buggy and it crashes the browser often, the availability of extension support on Android is quite promising.
The new midrange king, the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset, is remarkably better than the four-month-old Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and a year-old Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2. It has received all new CPU cores, comes with a significantly upgraded GPU, and the NPU can handle on-device AI models as well. Its ISP is also quite powerful and supports many premium features. You also get Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4 support.
Qualcomm has unveiled a new Snapdragon 8 series chipset in the premium tier, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. Compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, there are minor specs downgrades in most departments. The CPU is underclocked and the Adreno GPU misses out on some gaming features. The 5G modem is also an older one. Having said that, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 still manages to position itself as a flagship chipset. Go through our detailed comparison to find out more.
In a world with distracting colorful UIs, the Glyph lights draw a line to help you remain focused. There are plenty of things you can do with Glyphs besides using it for notifications, so here's our guide on the various uses of Nothing's Glyph interface, the only guide you will need. Some of the best Glyph features are Flip to Glyph, Custom Glyph ringtones, and Glyph Progress tracker.
Dimensity 7200 Pro vs Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 vs Snapdragon 782G: Benchmark Comparison
View quick summary
Nothing has choose the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro over Qualcomm chipsets such as the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 and Snapdragon 782G for its latest mid-ranger, Nothing Phone (2a). We did extensive benchmark testing for all three chipsets and found that Dimensity 7200 Pro is a capable SoC and delivers good performance with unmatched efficiency. It packs newer ARM cores and the GPU performance is better than the competing chipsets.
Read Aloud is an essential accessibility feature and Google has improved the functionality using the Reading Mode app on Android. You can install the Reading mode app from the Play Store for free, and it will read aloud the content on your screen effortlessly. It works on web pages and most apps like Gmail and WhatsApp, which is great. Alternatively, you can use Google Assistant's Read Aloud mode to read the contents of any webpage.
Microsoft has finally brought a feature to Edge that Chrome users have been wanting for years. You can now install web extensions in Edge for Android. Yes, you read that right. So far, it only offers three extensions including Dark Reader, uBlock Origin, and Global Speed. And the feature is hidden behind an Edge flag on the Canary version of Edge. Nevertheless, it's a crucial development and we are happy that Microsoft has taken the effort to bring extension support on Android with Edge.
We ran extensive benchmark tests on both Exynos 2400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. In the Geekbench test, the Exynos 2400 remains behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, however, the scores are comparable. In the CPU Throttling test, the Samsung chip falters a bit, but again regains the performance. In the next AnTuTu benchmark test, the Exynos 2400 is 15% behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. And to test the GPU, we ran the intensive 3DMark Wild Life test, showing promising results from the Xclipse 940 GPU.
Samsung has quietly announced the Exynos 2400, which will be powering Galaxy S24, and S24+ in most regions around the world. We compared the Exynos 2400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to find the performance difference. Samsung has used a 10-core CPU, which comes close to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3's performance. The South Korean giant has also brought an upgraded Xclipse 940 GPU based on the AMD RDNA 3 architecture with HW-accelerated Ray Tracing support. Overall, Samsung has done a pretty good job with the Exynos 2400 and closes the generational gap against the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Samsung has announced the Galaxy S24 Ultra with a lot of noise, but how does it compare against last year's flagship, the Galaxy S23 Ultra? The Galaxy S24 Ultra features a titanium frame, a brighter display, performs better, and offers seven years of OS updates. Except these improvements, there are very few reasons you should upgrade from S23 Ultra. In most categories, and especially in the camera department, both devices are almost on par. In fact, the lack of 10x periscope lens on the S24 Ultra might push users to opt for the S23 Ultra. Read our comparison to find the difference between both flagship devices.
Earlier, third-party Android emulators like BlueStacks and Gameloop used to rule the roost, but with the introduction of Google Play Games on PC and Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) by Google and Microsoft, things have changed for better. With better optimization from Google and app developers, Android apps run much better on Windows 10 and 11 PCs. Particularly, Google Play Games on PC consumes less memory and offers better performance. However, you can use WSA to use any Android app on your Windows 11 PC. You can also explore other emulators such as LDPlayer, MEmu Play, and Nox Player.
Google could potentially launch the Pixel 8a in Q2 2024. And from the pattern that previous a-series phones have followed, it's easy to speculate the specifications of Pixel 8a. The Pixel 8a is expected to cost the same as the Pixel 7a, but recent reports suggest otherwise, and will potentially be powered by the Tensor G3, the new Tensor that was introduced in Pixel 8 this year.
The Xiaomi 14 series of devices went official in October 2023 with the newly introduced Android 14-based HyperOS on top, right out of the box. The new HyperOS brings a lot of features to the table, which I was able to put to the test in real time. One of the stand out features of HyperOS is the ability to be able to uninstall bloatware. In addition, you also get to see a more streamlined Control Center, several lock screen customizations, and more.
Download New Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro Wallpapers (Free)
Hands-On with Temperature Sensor on Pixel 8 Pro: Is It Accurate?
How to Use ‘Best Take’ Feature on Pixel 8 and 8 Pro (Hands-on)
10 Best Pixel 8 Pro Cases You Can Buy
Pixel Watch 2 vs Pixel Watch: Should You Upgrade?
29 Best Android 14 Features (New and Upcoming)
The OnePlus Pad is Great, but It Can’t Beat the iPad
How to Transfer Contacts from Android to iPhone
23 Best Apps for Students to Study Efficiently
