Is the Samsung Galaxy S21 being released in January, and why?

Rumours from old hands in leaks such as Onleaks and IceUniverse have strongly pointed to a January launch of the latest incarnation of Samsung's flagship phones - the Galaxy S21 series.

Whilst it may seem puzzling why they would do this, I have a few theories if these rumours come true.

Having the latest version of Android only on your flagship, then rolling out the update to previous years phones increases the perceived exclusivity of the phone.

With people updating from the S20/S10 or sim...

https://redd.it/jdqcmm
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I wish phone reviewers demoed the NFC readers on phones with passive tags

With COVID-19 both QR codes and NFC tags have become more of thing that I'm seeing at restaurants and retail. My OnePlus 5 is great overall but it has a pretty weak NFC reader when it comes to reading tags. I know phones like the galaxy s20 and pixel 4 have fantastic tag readers but I don't really know how they are on other phones.

So just some food for thought for any reviewers that happen to be perusing this subreddit....

https://redd.it/jdvv9c
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Why aren't we using NFC to its fullest potential? - Android Authority
https://www.androidauthority.com/nfc-android-1166793/

https://redd.it/jdw87x
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Xiaomi Introduces Pioneering 80W Mi Wireless Charging Technology
https://blog.mi.com/en/2020/10/19/xiaomi-introduces-pioneering-80w-mi-wireless-charging-technology/

https://redd.it/jdvuv9
@reddit_android

OnePlus is now pushing third-party apps like Amazon Shopping via OTA updates
https://twitter.com/geekyranjit/status/1318065212210073600?s=19

https://redd.it/jdwiry
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What is your favorite gimmick on an Android phone?

Over the years, many manufacturers have introduced new features that many have called gimmicks. Many of these are done on a few phones, and just as quickly as they appear, they disappear. However, many of us absolutely love some of the gimmicks that have come out, despite them not catching on in the general market.

Personally, I have had an HTC Evo 3D, which featured a 3D camera, and glasses-free 3D screen. I currently own an LG G8X with a dual screen. While LG is pushing their dual screen phon...

https://redd.it/jdurn2
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Moronic Monday (Oct 19 2020) - Your weekly questions thread!

Note 1. Join us at /r/MoronicMondayAndroid, a sub serving as a repository for our retired weekly threads. Just pick any thread and Ctrl-F your way to wisdom!

Note 2. Join our IRC, and Telegram chat-rooms! [Please see our wiki for instructions.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/wiki/index#wiki_.2Fr.2Fandroid_chat_rooms)...

https://redd.it/jdzqlm
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Samsung's Unique “Inspired by a True Photo” Campaign
https://martechlive.com/samsungs-unique-inspired-by-a-true-photo-campaign/

https://redd.it/jdwxah
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Redmi wants to produce a mini phone, but there’s one major hurdle [ Battery]
https://www.androidauthority.com/redmi-small-compact-phone-1168787/

https://redd.it/jdz7gf
@reddit_android

Which company has the best RAM Management?

Depending on your experience, are you happy with your ram management?

Do you have missing notifications, apps getting killed in background all the time etc.?

I want to hear your real world experiences to see what the current state is because https://dontkillmyapp.com/ doesn't seem up to date anymore.

Claims:

OnePlus had a major rework of Oxygen OS but the reviews of OnePlus 8 Pro even said that why have a 12 gb ram if you are not allowed to use it. Is this still the case? If so this means O...

https://redd.it/jdot7k
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Pixel RMA policy change - no more RMA devices under standard warranty.

I've had to RMA almost every Google device I've owned (my Pixel 3 was RMA'd 3 times for repeat issues). In the past, Google would just swap my device with a refurbished unit.

I guess their poor quality control has caught up with them, as they changed their policy back during the 3A. I have to swap my 4 XL (hardware related issue again), and Google just told me my options are to send in the device for them to repair (being without a phone for weeks), or to go to one of their "certified repair ...

https://redd.it/je21t4
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Apple's MagSafe wireless charger magnetically connects to the Pixel 5 - VIDEO
https://www.reddit.com/r/googlepixel/comments/jdu5v0/_/

https://redd.it/je1y1p
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Our favorite 10 new things coming to Smart Displays
https://blog.google/products/assistant/our-favorite-10-new-things-coming-smart-displays

https://redd.it/je4kft
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How to get Timely working on Android 10+

This is basically the solution to the locked topic [https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/czlf0z/timely\_alarm\_on\_android\_10](https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/czlf0z/timely_alarm_on_android_10/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) which was since locked.

Basically what we need is to modify Timely to include the new permission `START_ACTIVITIES_FROM_BACKGROUND`

This is not entirely trivial but manageable:

* Download ADB for your system. On Linux you can usually ...

https://redd.it/je0a12
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Pixel 5 owners report gaps between phone's display and frame
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/10/19/pixel-5-owners-report-gaps-between-phones-display-and-frame/

https://redd.it/je5ebc
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YouTube no longer lets you tap the seek bar to skip
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/10/19/youtube-no-longer-lets-you-tap-the-seek-bar-to-skip/

https://redd.it/je7ze6
@reddit_android

Google Assistant smart displays getting a new UI w/ dark mode and more
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-assistant-smart-displays-new-ui-dark-mode-multi-account-support/

https://redd.it/jeb2b8
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Report: India could get a sub-$40 5G smartphone soon
https://www.androidauthority.com/cheap-5g-phone-jio-1169949/

https://redd.it/je0v5q
@reddit_android

Google unifies the old and new Assistant UIs for all devices
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/10/19/google-unifies-the-old-and-new-assistant-uis-for-all-devices/

https://redd.it/jecwj8
@reddit_android

Dear Android Manufacturers, the iPhone Mini is heading for pre-order soon and many are considering a switch --- It's time to tease or announce your ‘mini-flagship’ alternatives now.

The iPhone Mini will probably be a success, or at least have an 'Apple' effect in creating a new demand for something that has been there before previously - in this case smaller phones. What's new for the smaller form factor is the lack of bezels, with the iPhone Mini being an almost all screen device.

This is where Android phone designs could be much better - the iPhone 12 Mini still has an awfully huge notch and Android manufacturers have generally found better solutions for this. In additio...

https://redd.it/je4yg2
@reddit_android

Samsung is investigating the possibility to produce future Galaxy phones with a speaker resonance chamber, which would significantly improve the sound quality, by using a flexible screen, which can partly fold forward and come out of the frame (with a kind of pop-up mechanism)
https://nl.letsgodigital.org/smartphones/samsung-smartphone-galaxy-s-series/

https://redd.it/jeevt7
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