Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Galaxy Z Fold 6 design, Pixel 8a Leaks, Google Photos offers AI, Find My Device opens up, Oppo X7 Ultra camera review, Fairphone’s new Wireless Buds, and Android 15’s first beta.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Android in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Apple news here on Forbes.
It’s The Same Story With A New Fold
There has been a lot of speculation around the specifications of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6, with many in the community hoping the foldable flagship will finally get a battery larger than the 4000 mAh that debuted in 2022’s Fold. Alas, the latest details suggest Samsung is sticking with a battery size that is smaller than competing premium handsets:
“...the ever-reliable Ice Universe posted on X that the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s battery would continue the now four-year-old tradition of sporting a 4000 mAh battery. Given that the Z Fold 6 is expected to use the same camera system as previous models, the Z Fold 6 is starting to look more like a point upgrade rather than a revolutionary step in foldable hardware."
(Forbes).
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The Next Pixel Phone Leaks
Following on from a misplaced image of its next Pixel smartphone, we have a clearer look at the upcoming Pixel 8a, widely expected to be announced at Google’s I/O developer conference in May. While the specifications aren’t on show, we can see the tweaked design and the key design cue of the Pixel brand:
"It showed rounder corners than on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro among other tweaks. Google’s usual policy is to release its A series phone about this time, as a more affordable phone than the flagship but with some of the same technology and almost all of the design language intact. The main difference is often just the size. But the rounded edges show a more noticeable design tweak here. The new images show the phone from the back, with a matte finish in a black color."
(Forbes).
Google Opens Up Imaging AI To All
The AI features once exclusive to Google’s Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are slowly rolling out across the entire Android ecosystem. The latest are Magic Editor, Photo Unblur and Magic Eraser. From the photo editing suite, this was one of the key tools in the handset, and while it remains just that, it’s set to benefit the entire Android ecosystem… if you;re ready to pay for the processing costs:
"ther Android and iOS devices now also gain free access to Magic Editor. However, its use is limited to just ten saves per month for non-Pixel products unless backed by a paid Google One subscription. Crucially, unlimited free access applies only at the 2TB tier or above, leaving users with entry-level 100GB or 200GB subscriptions stuck with the ten-save limit."
(Forbes).
Find My Ready To Be Found
Google’s location-based discovery network, Find My Device, is now up and running. Unlike the competition, the network is available across a wide range of devices:
"Like Find My on Apple devices, Google’s Find My Device works by leveraging the massive number of Android devices in existence. Once a phone, tablet or other item is marked as lost, it sends out a silent signal by Bluetooth to any passing Android devices, which send the location of the device to its owner. Apple does the same, but only with Apple devices.
(Forbes).
Oppo’s Camera Masterpiece
The team at Notebook Check have an in-depth review of Oppo’s latest flagship smartphone, the Oppo Fin X7 Ultra. The standout feature is the camera system, with Oppo choosing four different 50-megapixel equipped lenses for the rear camera—a main lens, ultrawide lens, a periscope telephoto lens, and a zoom lens (along with a 32-megapixel selfie camera):
"All 5 cameras of the Find X7 Ultra are able to record videos at up to 4K and 60 frames per second, delivering a very good image quality in our test. In the camera module on the back, you can switch back and forth between all the lenses during a recording at up to 4K and 60 FPS, and additionally you can also activate Dolby Vision for HDR recordings. But you cannot switch between the main and selfie camera during a recording.
Fairphone's Battery Focused Fairbuds
The latest hardware from Fairphone brings the company’s ethical angle to the competitive world of true wireless earbuds. While the sealed and small nature has made buds essentially throwaway products, Fairphone uses ethically sourced and recycled material in construction and allows you to replace the Buds’ Batteries to reduce e-waste. Samuel Gibbs takes a closer look at their battery life:
"The earbuds have a little door hidden behind a silicone sleeve, which opens to reveal a small button battery ready to be replaced once it wears out. The design seems so simple you wonder why no one has tried it before… Replaceable batteries do not mean the earbuds are short on battery life. They last between five and six hours with noise cancelling active and can be recharged just over three times by the case, which is competitive with mainstream rivals."
(The Guardian).
And Finally...
While it might not reach new devices until October, the first public beta of Android 15 is here, with new features, improved UI, and several fixes in place. The process of the community helping to get it ready for consumers starts now.
"The blog post highlighting updates in today’s release covers some pretty pedestrian stuff. Apps will scale edge to edge by default and will draw behind translucent system bars on the top and bottom of the screen, rather than around them. There’s OS-level support for app archiving and unarchiving so third-party app stores can take advantage of this feature. Android 15 will also provide better support for Braille displays. "
(The Verge).
Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course, read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!
