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 newest developments contributing to the digital panorama.
This week, we obtained a glimpse of the OnePlus Watch 2, Galaxy AI has reached extra units, Huawei launched its newest clamshell telephone, the Google Pay app is shutting down, and Gmail will get caught in a social media hoax.
Sneak a peek on the new OnePlus Watch 2
Earlier this week, OnePlus revealed the primary full look at its subsequent smartwatch. Dubbed “your companion in time,” OnePlus says the Watch 2 is greater than only a wearable gadget that enhances the consumer’s day by day life. This comes after the corporate’s three-year hiatus, which it known as a “reflective pause.”
The watch is alleged to have as much as 100 hours of battery life in Good mode. It is available in two colorways: Black Metal and Radiant Metal.
Whereas the corporate did not verify any particulars in regards to the working software program for this yr’s smartwatch, a number of leaks recommend that the watch will possible be the corporate’s first WearOS-powered smartwatch.
The disclosing comes simply forward of its official launch, which is about to happen on the Cellular World Congress on February 26 in Barcelona, Spain.
AI magic coming to older Galaxy telephones
On Wednesday (Feb. 21), Samsung introduced that it’s set to roll out the Galaxy AI options that debuted on the newest flagship sequence throughout extra of its units, such because the Galaxy S23 sequence.
The options may even be out there to the opposite 2023 flagship Galaxy telephones and tablets, and the rollout will happen by means of the brand new One UI 6.1 replace out there beginning in late March.
Based on the press launch, extra Galaxy customers will be capable to customers will now be capable to entry Galaxy AI options, equivalent to Circle to Search, which permits customers to seek for something inside numerous apps, Chat Help for reside translation of textual content messages, Dwell Translate for calls, and extra.
Moreover, Samsung customers will be capable to get inventive with their images and movies by means of Generative Edit, an AI photograph modifying device, and Immediate Sluggish-Mo, which might generate extra frames for slow-motion movies to seize moments inside movies.
“That is solely the start of Galaxy AI, as we plan to carry the expertise to over 10 million Galaxy customers inside 2024 and proceed to innovate methods to harness the limitless potentialities of cell AI,” mentioned TM Roh, president and head of the Cellular Expertise enterprise at Samsung.
Oops, Gmail obtained caught in a hoax
A manipulated picture was making the rounds on X (previously Twitter) stating that Gmail shall be sunsetting beginning in August this yr. As bizarre because it sounds, this tweet went viral, a lot in order that Gmail was trending on X.
“After years of connecting hundreds of thousands worldwide, enabling seamless communication, and fostering numerous connections, the journey of Gmail is coming to an in depth,” the picture reads. “As of August 1, 2024, Gmail will formally be sunsetted, marking the top of its service. This implies Gmail will now not help sending, receiving, or storing emails.”
Quickly sufficient, Gmail jumped in and put all these speculations to relaxation with only one easy tweet stating, “Gmail is right here to remain.”
Nonetheless, you will need to notice that Google is letting go of the Primary HTML view on Gmail this yr, as per an e mail from 2023. A help web page provides customers a information to transition to the newer model.
Huawei launched a flip telephone with 5 cameras
Huawei dropped its Pocket 2 foldable telephone this week, and it is the model’s new clamshell telephone launch after virtually three years.
The machine has a 7-inch display with a complete of 5 cameras: a 50MP predominant sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, an 8MP 3x telephoto lens, a 2MP spectral digital camera, and a ten.7 MP ultrawide selfie digital camera.
The primary display has an LTPO OLED panel measuring 6.94 inches, comes with 12GB RAM, and the storage choices vary from 256GB to 1TB. The Pocket 2 is available in 4 colours, and it prices roughly about $1000.
The dampener is that individuals within the U.S. cannot get their palms on this one since Huawei continues to be caught in the midst of a commerce struggle between China and the U.S. As of now, the smartphone is simply out there in China, and it stays unclear when it is going to be launched worldwide.
Say bye to G-Pay
Yup, this one’s for actual.
Google is all set to close down its Google Pay app starting June 4. The corporate states that the app will now not be out there to all U.S.-based customers in an try to push customers to begin utilizing the Pockets app.
That mentioned, customers will nonetheless be capable to use different G-Pay options like tapping to pay and different administration instruments instantly by means of Google Pockets.
From now till June 4, customers can proceed to make use of Google Pay to “view and switch” their steadiness from the app to their checking account. After that, the steadiness can solely be transferred by means of the web site.
Google Pay’s finish will carry its P2P (peer-to-peer) fee choice to an in depth, as properly. The publish states customers will now not be capable to ship, request, or obtain cash from others within the U.S. Google Pay app model.
These are a few of the greatest tales from this week. In the meantime, listed below are another tales from this week which are price catching up on: