Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes a Galaxy Z Flip 5 review, Pixel 8 Pro specs leak, Honor and Xiaomi preview new folding phones, Samsung updates OneUI, Android 14’s important update, and China’s latest mobile app crackdown.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
Latest Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review
Reviews of Samsung’s latest large foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, are highlighting the improved hinge mechanism but also flagging up how much else Samsung has decided doesn’t need to be changed. Samuel Gibbs has put the newest Flip through its paces, starting with that hinge:
“The Flip 5 feels like a plush piece of technology, and more refined than previous versions. A new hinge allows the two halves of the phone to close flush rather than leaving a gap at one end, which is more aesthetically pleasing and stops pocket fluff from getting in there. The new design also makes the phone thinner and slightly reduces the size of the crease in the screen… You can still feel a depression across the middle of the fold and see it in the glare of lights but it isn’t generally noticeable in use.”
(The Guardian).
Looking At The Fold
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has offered an early look at the design of the upcoming Mix Fold 3 handset on the social network formerly known as twttr. The design is expected to pack in a wirelessly charged 4800 mAh battery along with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which should give it a nice boost over the current Mix Fold 2.
Honor Folds A Few More Handsets
Honor has teased its upcoming releases this week. Looking ahead to Berlin’s IFA event, the Shenzhen-based company will be debuting two more high-end foldable devices:
“The company has confirmed that it will be announcing two foldable smartphones at the event. One of the devices is the Honor Magic V2, which was originally released in China in July 2023…. The other foldable device that Honor is expected to announce at IFA 2023 is a new, undisclosed model. While there haven’t been any rumors or leaks about this, it’s not out of the question to see a flip phone-style foldable launched.”
(9to5Google).
Pixel 8 And Pixel 8 Pro Specs Leak
Thanks to an early publication by online retailers, we have a look at some of the core specs of Google’s upcoming Pixel handsets. There’s some change at the top, but Google is continuing with a smaller entry-level model, presumably to keep prices low for those coming to its platform:
“The latest details on the upcoming Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro suggest that Google will offer the two new handsets with either 128 GB or 256 GB of storage; and a further 512 GB variant for the Pixel 8 Pro. These are the same configurations as the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, and the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.”
(WinFuture via Forbes).
OneUI Reaches Six
Samsung has updated its flavour of Android. OneUI now reaches its sixth version, updating many features, addressing many bugs, and tightening security. One of the most significant updates is to the camera software:
“The stock Camera app in One UI 6.0 offers you three advanced choices: Maximum, Medium, and Minimum. These options are only applicable to still images. Maximum is the default option, and it prioritizes image quality over capture and processing speed. Medium sets a good balance of image quality and capture speed, while Minimum prioritizes camera speed over quality. You should choose Maximum for the best possible image quality, even if the camera app can feel a little slower.”
(SamMobile).
Security Updates For Android 14
Android 14 will make several changes to Google’s security model, many of which are detailed in the company’s latest blog post. Of note is the hardening of a phone using 2G GSM connectivity:
“2G networks, first implemented in 1991, do not provide the same level of security as subsequent mobile generations do. Most notably, 2G networks based on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard lack mutual authentication, which enables trivial Person-in-the-Middle attacks. Moreover, since 2010, security researchers have demonstrated trivial over-the-air interception and decryption of 2G traffic.”
(Google Security Blog).
And Finally…
The Chinese government is tightening the regulatory control of smartphone App Stores; Josh Ye reports that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) requires all mobile app providers to file business details with it by March 2024. This is expected to hit both Android and Apple’s app distribution stores:
“Rich Bishop, co-founder of app publishing firm AppInChina, said the new rule is also likely to affect foreign-based developers which have been able to publish their apps easily… without showing any documentation to the Chinese government. Bishop said that in order to comply with the new rules, app developers now must either have a company in China or work with a local publisher.
(Reuters).
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!
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