Information Weekly
Information Weekly is our column the place we spotlight and summarize a few of the week’s high tales so you possibly can make amends for the most recent tech information.
That is Android Central’s Information Weekly, your go-to supply for a concise roundup of the week’s most important tech tales. That is the place we delve into the highest headlines that present the most recent developments and improvements contributing to the digital panorama.
This week took us by OnePlus’ resolution to stall the launch of its subsequent foldable, Android Beta 2 arrived, Samsung gadgets received a brand new One UI 7 function, TikTok resurrects in app shops, and Spotify premium customers confronted a novel glitch. Let’s dive in.
OnePlus Open 2 will not launch this 12 months
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OnePlus is leaving the foldables scene, no less than for this 12 months. In a neighborhood weblog publish on their foldable technique, Vale G, a OnePlus product supervisor, mentioned the corporate is ‘recalibrating their foldable technique’ and confirmed that it is going to be holding off on launching a OnePlus Open 2.
“At OnePlus, our core power and keenness lie in setting new benchmarks and difficult the established order throughout all product classes. With that in thoughts, we’ve rigorously thought-about the timing and our subsequent steps in foldable gadgets, and we have now made the choice to not launch a foldable this 12 months,” the neighborhood publish defined.
Since OnePlus and OPPO are sister corporations, the 2 share mixed {hardware} and analysis groups, in addition to a typical software program codebase. It seems like the main target is now totally on launching the world’s thinnest foldable, the OPPO Discover N5, within the subsequent couple of weeks. That mentioned, OpenPlus does not totally rule out the opportunity of launching Open 2 sooner or later.
“Whereas this may occasionally come as a shock, we imagine that is the best strategy for us at the moment. That mentioned, our resolution to pause on foldable for this era doesn’t signify a departure from the class,” the neighborhood publish added.
Whereas the OnePlus Open 2 will not make an look this 12 months, the corporate’s subsequent wearable will nonetheless launch as scheduled. The corporate revealed the primary full look of its OnePlus Watch 3, which is able to launch on February 18 within the US, Canada, and European markets.
In an in depth press launch, the OnePlus claims that this new watch is about to mix in with the person’s every day wants with a “basic, premium, and sturdy design.” That mentioned, the corporate goes full throttle on its “By no means Settle” mantra by providing the Watch 3 with a whopping 16-day battery life on energy saver mode and a protracted 120 hours of battery on Sensible mode. This can be a bump from the 100-hour restrict on its predecessor.
Android 16 Beta 2 arrives with some enjoyable updates
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Earlier this week, Google launched the second beta of Android 16 to Pixel telephones enrolled for it. The replace got here with some much-needed media, digital camera, and graphics options. The Beta 2 comes with one thing known as the ‘hybrid auto-exposure mode,’ which permits customers handbook and auto-exposure choices whereas capturing pictures.
Proper now, customers can select both one of many above and never a mixture of the 2 settings. With Android 16 Beta 2, they’ll management ISO or publicity time and use auto-exposure algorithms concurrently. Beta 2 additionally brings actions for movement pictures, a mixture of nonetheless pictures and brief movies with audio in order that builders can resolve the place the movement picture might be saved.
Google stays on monitor to meet its new Android launch schedule, which means Android 16 might be launched to the general public within the second quarter of 2025.
One UI 7 brings enjoyable Residence Up Refresh function
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Samsung’s One UI 7 Residence Up Module was noticed on a Reddit thread not too long ago, clearly a beta model of the function. The unique poster displayed the “limitless” potentialities of the refreshed module in One UI 7, which showcased apps and folder placement. Pinching inward on their show introduced up the same old residence display modifying choices however with a newly added “DIY Residence” button.
What’s extra, is that tapping on the icon provides customers full freedom over the dimensions and orientation of an app widget or folder. With this, you can principally place any app icon anyplace you would like on the house display with out following the principles of the same old grid. The person can be in a position to overlap widgets and apps for a really chaotic residence display. The demo solely exhibits these adjustments making use of to the apps above the underside toolbar like messaging, telephone calls, contacts, or the rest. Moreover, tapping a folder that is been rotated or the other way up will open apps in it as regular.
Individuals enrolled within the beta program may give these customizations a go. Nevertheless, the corporate is reportedly pushing again the steady rollout of this OS on the Galaxy S24 on account of a show coloring problem. Samsung acknowledged that One UI 7 was getting ready to hit older Galaxy S gadgets “imminently” in Q1 2025.
TikTok is again in US app shops
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After a very good 20-day break, Tiktok made a comeback on app shops. within the U.S. following the federal government’s reported “reassurances.” In accordance with Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, TikTok was first noticed on the Apple App Retailer. A number of different customers took to X, stating that the app had on Feb. 12. It seems just like the app was being made accessible in phases and rolled out to most customers at this time Feb.14.
Moreover, the publication experiences that the app has reappeared on the Google Play Retailer. Android Central has additionally noticed TikTok’s availability by way of the Play Retailer, so customers who could have deleted the app or by no means had it might now obtain it.
Whereas this can be excellent news for a number of avid TikTok-ers, Bloomberg states it has 75 days (from Jan 20) to search out frequent floor with the U.S. authorities over privateness/safety considerations. This seems like an interim resolution whereas the corporate buys time to settle issues with the current authorities.
Spotify bug messed with Premium subscribers
Spotify premium subscribers had a irritating expertise this week. Regardless of paying $12 per thirty days for an ad-free service, they ended up listening to industrial adverts that disrupted their podcast or music. There have been a number of experiences of this problem on Spotify’s neighborhood boards, courting again to final Friday, Feb. 7. Individuals had been reporting points and reaching out to assist in a number of methods, with one person saying that it has been “not possible to speak to anybody at Spotify.”
Solely per week later, Spotify appeared to look into the difficulty. Spotify mentioned, “Our tech groups are presently investigating experiences of Premium customers listening to adverts. We’ll maintain you posted right here if we have now any information to share, so be certain to Subscribe to the thread to remain tuned.”
Initially, the corporate requested customers affected so as to add to the thread their machine data, app model or net participant, the kind of ad they heard, and any troubleshooting steps they’ve already taken.
Nevertheless, a couple of hours later, Spotify posted an replace on its neighborhood discussion board confirming that the difficulty was the results of a bug and has since been mounted. “We’ve excellent news from our groups a repair for the situations the place Premium customers seen adverts when listening to music has been deployed and you must discover a distinction instantly,” the corporate mentioned. “It is price protecting in thoughts, nonetheless, that it’s anticipated that each free & Premium customers should still see adverts when listening to podcasts.”
