Android is Google’s open-source mobile operating system; think of it like a public park compared to Apple’s walled garden. It dates back to 2007, and though its dessert-inspired version names were retired in 2019 for a straightforward numbering system, there will always be a special place in our hearts for an OS called “Oreo” and “Ice Cream Sandwich.
Google is testing new gaming functionality in its AI-powered search tool for Android phones, as found by Android Authority. It can screenshot a game you’re playing and run the image through a Google search to find tips and guides, which might be more useful if it was paired with more than the unhelpfully vague “Get help with this game” text query.
The change would show a completion date beneath a task in Google’s to-do list app, according to code spotted by Android Authority in a recent build.
The outlet spotted some other tweaks being tested, like buttons for going to a task from the list-reordering screen and a new sort-by-title option.
8
Verge Score
After several attempts, OnePlus made a great high-end phone.
Android Authority spotted references in a recent Google Play Services beta that suggest Google is working to support hearing aids through its Fast Pair standard for quickly connecting things like wireless headphones.
The outlet notes that Google announced last year it would support hearing aids with Bluetooth LE Audio, which is part of Google’s proprietary Fast Pair feature.
[Android Authority]
OnePlus’ new flagship device is already available in China, and now we know when it’s getting a US release. The company has a “Winter Launch Event” scheduled for 10:30AM ET on January 7th — the first day of CES. Guess we won’t have to wait long to get a closer look at that fetching navy vegan leather option!
[www.oneplus.com]
While investigating apps that let livestream viewers pay to watch child abuse, The New York Times reports that it found “more than 80 apps that advertised children” on the Apple and Google app stores.
The livestream apps downloaded from Apple and Google illustrate an even darker aspect of the social media technology boom, particularly for children living in poverty in developing countries. There, with the ease of a smartphone, parents and other adults can connect with pedophiles in the United States and elsewhere who pay to watch — and direct — criminal behavior.
Trigger warning: This Times story includes descriptions of child sexual abuse.
[The New York Times]
The company’s take on Android 15 looks like a major update, with a Dynamic Island-ish feature called the Now Bar and a redesigned camera app UI, along with refreshed widgets and app icons. It’s available starting today to Galaxy S24 owners via the Samsung Members app.
If you’ve changed your mind (or have a family member who accidentally backed up their entire camera roll) Google Photos now offers an “Undo device backup” option in the settings.
Images and videos will be removed from the cloud but will remain on the device and backup will be turned off. The feature is now available to iOS users, and is coming to Android soon.
Setting your phone’s wallpaper to the image you’re viewing in Google Photos is more complicated than it needs to be.
That could soon change, according to Android Authority, which discovered an update potentially coming to a future version of the app that adds a “Set as wallpaper” option to the toolbar that appears after tapping the three-dot menu button in the corner of an open photo.
Recent Pixel phones have a reputation for running hot. While largely fixed in the Pixel 9, the 6, 7, and 8 can get quite toasty. Now, a new troubleshooting tool can tell you just how toasty with a realtime estimate of the phone’s internal temperature along with steps the device is taking to reduce heat, like pausing charging. Kinda cool.
I would have sworn this feature already existed — probably because it does on desktop Gmail! But Google says it’s new for Android. Just expand your CC and BCC fields, drop your finger atop any email address for a moment, then drag it where you’d like.
6
Verge Score
The S24 FE feels less like a ‘Fan Edition’ and more like an exercise in retail positioning.
0There are so many things about the Palma 2 that could be better. But it’s still great at what it does.
Oppo has launched the Find X8 series globally, including the X8 Pro with dual telephoto lenses. The standard X8 comes with just one zoom lens, and it looks an awful lot like the OnePlus 13 — also expected to launch globally sooner than later. Both brands sure are leaning into the big circular camera bump look, but there’s an essential piece of hardware still present: the alert slider.
