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Download Android USB Drivers for popular OEMs
Download and install the correct USB driver for your Android device.
Aftermarket tinkering on Android phones isn't as prominent as it once used to be. That's not to say you can't root your Android phone or install a custom ROM like LineageOS on it. You can still tinker and customize your phone to a large extent as long as you have the interest and the technical know-how. Most — if not all — aftermarket tinkering requires you to connect your Android smartphone to a computer using a USB cable, so you can use tools like the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to interact with the device.
Vivo X Fold 3 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Foldable showdown
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the most prominent large screen foldable right now, but the best foldable hardware is from a brand named Vivo right now.
For four years, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series reigned supreme in the big foldable category, partly because the phones were very good, but also because they had almost no competition. This changed last year when Google and OnePlus each launched foldables in the US. The latter in particular stole a lot of Samsung's thunder, being named the "foldable phone of the year" by several tech publications, including XDA.
How to boot into recovery mode using button combos, ADB, and root apps
If you have an Android or iOS device and are wondering how to boot into recovery to clear cache or reset your device, this is how to do it!
All smartphones — including the budget-friendly ones — have a built-in recovery mode, which you can use for a variety of tasks depending on the operating system of your device. On Android smartphones, it can be used for things like performing a simple factory reset, installing update packages, and clearing the cache, among other things. On an iPhone, the recovery mode is used to restore the device using your computer if it's experiencing issues like being stuck on the Apple logo while booting.
Android 14 beta tacker: List of major phones getting the latest update
A lot of phones have already received a taste of Android 14, with more to follow soon.
Android 14 picked up the "beta" tag a while ago on Google Pixel devices, but that doesn't mean the non-Google phone you’re carrying in your pocket will get the same treatment anytime soon. This is because, unlike Apple, Google allows other OEMs to customize Android and ship their phones with various skins, which naturally takes time to develop and evaluate whenever a new version of the operating system is about to release.
vivo V27 Series: get in the spotlight with Aura Light Portrait System
This post is sponsored by vivo.
Click, click, click. It's easy and delightful to get clicking with vivo V series smartphones, a stylish flagship-level lineup for taking stunning portraits. As life keeps ticking around us, we are happy clicking great moments and making memories to share. Capturing life is easy with the sleek vivo smartphones, especially with its V Series, well known for advanced cameras and innovations that amaze us with each new version.
The vivo V27 is set to release later this month, and we're expecting great things from this stylish and forward-thinking smartphone.
Camera hardware still matters when it comes to capturing the best smartphone photos
Computational photography has been the buzzword in mobile digital imaging lately, but great hardware can still make a difference
"Computational photography" has been the buzzword for smartphone cameras in the past few years, and increasingly, I am hearing from my peers in tech media say camera software is flat-out more important than hardware in mobile photography.
Fast Charging Explained: The slowest to the fastest Fast Charging technologies
Curious about fast charging? Here's everything you need to know about fast wired charging standards and how to pick the best charger!
Smartphones are getting smarter by the minute, and as a result, our smartphone usage is ballooning. This spike in smartphone usage has inspired companies to devise newer methods to improve battery backup. While making batteries bigger is the most obvious choice, the bulking it causes to a smartphone is also unavoidable. The next best alternative is to slash the torturous waiting periods for charging, allowing users to get several hours of usage from just a few minutes of charging. The demand for fast charging is mushrooming parallel to our smartphone needs. That is why almost all smartphone manufacturers are trying to compete by improvising on the existing charging technologies.
Vivo X90 Pro Plus review: This kitchen sink phone sets a high bar for 2023 flagships
The Vivo X90 Pro+ packs some of the newest and best mobile tech in one big, slightly garish package.
The Vivo X90 Pro+ is an overkill phone in every sense of the word. From the unnecessarily long name to the tacky over-branding on its backside; the gigantic camera bump to the cutting-edge components used, it's the so-called "kitchen sink" phone because Vivo seemingly threw every mobile tech possible at it. In all my years of reviewing smartphones, only a few devices have hit the scene with this much "new" hardware: the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. The Vivo X90 Pro+ joins the list.
The Vivo X90 Pro Plus is the first phone to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
It's a camera-centric phone with a 50MP 1-inch primary shooter, a 64MP 3.5x periscope zoom sensor, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, and more
Although it's only been a week since Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 announcement, Vivo has already unveiled the first flagship featuring the new SoC. The Vivo X90 Pro Plus is a camera-centric device that packs the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, several camera improvements over the Vivo X80 Pro from last year, and a couple of other noteworthy changes. It's also the first non-Google phone to launch with Android 13 out of the box, but it's currently limited to the Chinese market.
Vivo X80 Pro Plus to launch with Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 in October 2022
It looks like the Vivo X80 Pro+ will see a release in 2022 afterall, set to make its debut sometime in October.
It was only a couple of months ago when Vivo announced the release of its Vivo X80 and Vivo X80 Pro. The Vivo X80 Pro offered the best of everything, even touting the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. But now rumors are swirling that a new Vivo phone is on the horizon, aptly named Vivo X80 Pro+. While not much is known about the device at this time, the handset is set to arrive sometime later this year.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Vivo X80 Pro: May the best camera win!
The Vivo X80 Pro is one of the absolute best Android phone right now -- how does it fare against Apple's iPhone 13 Pro Max? Let's find out!
The Vivo X80 Pro is the latest Android flagship to hit the market, and it more than held its own -- and arguably won -- in a showdown against the Galaxy S22 Ultra. And so it's only natural we compare the X80 Pro against another mainstream big name challenger: the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Vivo X80 Pro: The Camera Kings battle it out
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Vivo X80 Pro are the Android Camera Kings. We compare the two and see which phone comes out on top!
While Vivo is still flying under the radar in most chunks of the world, it's beginning to catch the attention of phone fans for its incredible cameras, and the company's latest, the Vivo X80 Pro, continues that strong camera streak. But how does the rest of the phone fare, particularly against the Android flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra? Let's find out in this general overview that examines every facet of the smartphone experience.
Vivo X80 Pro Review: The best camera on a smartphone, once again
The Vivo X80 Pro takes the best of Vivo's camera prowess and improves it further. But how good is it? Check out our review to know more!
When it comes to Chinese phone brands' reputation on an international stage, Vivo probably isn't as well known as Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, or OnePlus. But those of us who follow the smartphone scene closely know Vivo has been making really good phones for a couple of years now, and last fall's Vivo X70 Pro Plus was, in my opinion, the best smartphone camera for still photos. This wasn't just some half-baked opinion -- I pitted the X70 Pro Plus against every top contender in a series of camera shootouts and Vivo won all the key categories like nighttime and ultra-wide photography.
Some Vivo devices with Qualcomm processors can now be bootloader unlocked, unofficially
You can now unofficially unlock the bootloader of the Vivo X70 Pro Plus and a couple of other Vivo smartphones. Read on to know more!
What’s the best modding-friendly Android OEM in the market right now? Depending on who you ask this question to, the answer could range from Google to OnePlus to Xiaomi to something else entirely. And that is perfectly alright, as each of those companies have their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to aftermarket development, and they satisfy different needs for different people. But if you were looking to buy an affordable smartphone solely for modding, Vivo will confidently not be your first choice.
Vivo brings its Vivo X80 and X80 Pro flagships to India and other international markets
Vivo X80 and X80 Pro make their way to international markets after the China launch. Read on to learn all about Vivo's latest flagships.
Vivo launched its latest flagship lineup -- the Vivo X80 series -- in China towards the end of April this year. The new lineup includes two devices, the Vivo X80 and the Vivo X80 Pro, featuring several improvements over the Vivo X70 series from last year, including better displays, faster chipsets, improved cameras, and much more. Vivo is now finally bringing the duo to international markets, and here's everything you need to know about the new Vivo X80 and Vivo X80 Pro.
Android 13 Developer Preview builds are now available for these non-Google devices
Android 13 Developer Preview builds based on the beta release are available from multiple OEMs for a bunch of devices. Read on!
It’s raining Android 13 builds! Now that the Google's beta testing phase is over, we are all very excited about the launch of the stable version of Android 13. As usual, the Pixel line of smartphones are the first to gain access to the new software. However, other OEMs have also announced their own Android 13 beta initiatives in the form of "Developer Preview" programs.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Vivo X Fold: The Best Foldable Hardware or Superior Foldable Software?
Vivo's new X Fold foldable brings impressive hardware that is superior to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 on paper. But does it perform in real life?
Every new foldable phone that gets released should and will be compared against Samsung's latest foldables. Samsung is the pioneer and originator of the product category, and for most of the world, Samsung's foldables are still the only foldables they have access to. The latest challenger is the Vivo X Fold, which brings much of the same foldable hardware breakthroughs first introduced by Huawei's Mate X2, plus it gets Vivo's out-of-nowhere impressive camera system and Google Mobile Services support. How does Vivo's foldable foray measure up against Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3?
The new Vivo X80 Pro packs improved cameras and comes in Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Dimensity 9000 flavors
The Vivo X80 Pro and Vivo X80 are official. Both phones pack impressive camera hardware, including the company's V1 Plus imaging chip and Zeiss optics.
Following weeks of leaks, the highly-anticipated Vivo X80 series is now official. While last year's Vivo X70 series featured three models, there are only two models in the 2022 lineup: the Vivo X80 Pro and Vivo X80. The new phones bring numerous improvements over their predecessors, packing better displays, faster chipsets, improved cameras, and much more.
Vivo X Fold Hands-On: Setting foldable goals for 2022
The Vivo X Fold foldable phone is the first in the world to have an in-display fingerprint scanner and a flagship caliber camera system.
The foldable phone scene can still be considered nascent in the majority of the world. But inside mainland China, it's already reached a status of normal, with Huawei, OPPO, Xiaomi, Honor, Motorola, and even little-known brands like Royole all selling foldables alongside Samsung. With so much competition, brands really can't rest on their laurels, and the Vivo X Fold brings further breakthroughs to foldable tech, including the first in-display fingerprint scanner in a foldable phone, plus a flagship-level camera system.