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Android 13 is in the wild, although it's a long way from finished, and you need a Pixel phone to try it. Still, it's a new version of Android with changes big and small. A change to the Quick Tap gesture is on the small side, but it'll be useful nonetheless. In Android 13, Quick Tap can toggle the flashlight.
Here are our first Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra photo samples: Better than ever
Improved processing and new zoom cameras pay off
Samsung's "ultra" phones don't cut corners when it comes to the camera hardware. You get the highest resolution sensors, the longest zoom lenses, and none of those useless afterthoughts like a macro camera or depth sensor. The new Galaxy S22 Ultra is no exception, with a more powerful camera setup than the base model S22 and S22+, as well as some improvements over last year's model. The Ultra has four camera sensors on the back, and all of them do something useful. What can they do? Funny you should ask because we have a few dozen snapshots in our sample gallery for your perusal.
Google Translate is getting two new Material You widgets
They're hiding in the latest version but not yet enabled
The Google Translate app is getting some new widgets with Material You flavor. The app probably won't require an update to enable as the widgets are already present, but they're not unlocked for use yet. Both the design and release mechanism are reminiscent of the new YouTube Music widget that appeared a few months ago. They're very in keeping with Google's current design language.
How to choose the right Plex server: PC vs. NAS vs. Shield vs. Raspberry Pi
Some are cheaper, some are better
You can still load discs into a dedicated player like a caveman if you want, but we live in the age of streaming. Almost every piece of media you could ever want is at your fingertips... as long as you can figure out which streaming service it's currently on. If you care about control, you can manage your own media library with Plex, and the first step in that journey is to decide what kind of hardware will run your Plex server. You can just use your PC, but a dedicated piece of hardware like a NAS box is more efficient. What's a movie buff to do?
With everything going on the past few years, 2017 can feel like an eon ago. It's not, though! It was just five years ago when Google gave Google Voice a much-needed coat of paint and promised not to let it fall into disrepair again. Unlike many of Google's promises, this one has been upheld. The app still gets updates, like the one rolling out now with Smart Replies for SMS and a few other goodies.
Motorola has been on a roll lately, having slipped seamlessly into LG's mid-range niche to sell more phones in the US than ever before. The company's current lineup has some very cheap phones and a few almost-flagship devices, and now it's filling out the middle with the new Moto G Stylus. Of course, it's still got the built-in stylus, but you no longer have to sacrifice battery capacity for it, and the camera module has been upgraded to a 50MP sensor. That's not bad for $300.
Google One VPN comes to iOS, adds new features for Android
Google is getting competitive on features
The internet is a scary place what with all the scams, malware, and NFT right-clickers. You can keep your data more secure by using a VPN you trust, and if you trust Google, it has a VPN for you. The Google One VPN is expanding availability to iOS devices today, but Android isn't being left out. There are some new features for Google's own platform, and they sound quite useful.
Android 12 comes to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G in the US
And One UI 4.0 is coming along for the ride
Samsung used to be at the bottom of the barrel when it came to update support, but things have really turned around. Now, Samsung is often the first OEM to release updates after Google, and it's offering even longer update support. Yes, the phones of yesteryear are slowly but surely getting Android 12. Case in point: the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, which started receiving Android 12 internationally a few weeks back. Now, the OTA is rolling out in the US.
Android 12L Beta 2 drops for Lenovo Tab P12 Pro
Your latest glimpse of the future of Android on tablets
Google just launched Android 12 late last year, but there's another version on the way. No, not Android 13—that won't take long to show up, but first we've got Android 12L. Google is changing course by admitting that tablets exist, but it doesn't have any to use for the 12L beta. Luckily, there's the Lenovo P12 Pro, which has just gotten the second 12L beta. You can grab the new version now, but it's not as simple to install as it is on a Pixel.
The February patch is a do-or-die moment for the Pixel 6
The Pixel 6 deserves good updates, but will it get them?
Google released the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro late last year, and most of the Android faithful were delighted by Google's latest attempt. The Pixels had great initial quality, but as usual, the bugs caused widespread discontent. However, instead of fixing things, Google just broke them more with a botched December update. The January update appears to have smoothed over the rough edges, but what about next month? The Pixel 6 might not look so hot if Google can't roll out patches with some level of consistency. That's why the next round is so important.
Netflix plays things pretty close to the chest. When a new phone comes out, it most likely won't be able to access Netflix content in the highest available quality. Instead, you have to wait for Netflix to add it to the supported list. It just did that for Google's latest Pixel phones.
Lenovo Halo gaming phone leaks with Snapdragon chip and mature design
A gaming phone that doesn't look like one
Lenovo doesn't get a lot of attention for its phones, but that's because Lenovo-branded handsets rarely launch outside of China. The company's Motorola subsidiary is more prominent in the west, but you might be wishing Lenovo supported more regions when the Halo launches. This newly leaked phone, courtesy of our old friend @evleaks, is just 8mm thick with a 5,000mAh battery and the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (SM8475), which might be branded as "Gen 1 Plus."
Google is all-in with RCS Chat these days, for better or worse, but there's always another Google chat platform. In fact, there's another one called Chat. The teams-oriented Google Chat is more widely available these days, and it's getting a new feature. In the coming days, you'll see rich text formatting in Chats.
I know you're reading an Android blog right now, but what if you wanted to walk on the wild side and get an iPhone? Well, you could trade in your Android phone to save a few bucks, but it'll be fewer bucks going forward. Apple has changed its trade-in values for Android phones, cutting as much as $110 from the phones it accepts.
Netflix adds two more subscriber-exclusive games
Sorry, Netflix. This doesn't make up for the price hike.
Netflix started offering mobile games with each subscription late last year, but the selection wasn't exactly AAA. That part hasn't changed, but the library has been expanding, and Netflix is adding two more titles today. Like the rest, they're both free with a Netflix subscription. If you can't have quality, you might as well have quantity—that's the Netflix motto (or at least it should be).
Android 11 for the Nvidia Shield is breaking apps and Plex servers
Scoped storage is probably to blame, but there's a partial fix
Nvidia released the first Shield Android TV boxes back in 2015, and it's still updating them in 2022. The various generations of Shield just recently saw an update to Android 11, but owners have reported numerous apps, including the device's built-in Plex server, have stopped functioning. Nvidia is still working on a patch for the software, but you can (probably) get it fixed now if you're impatient.
Users protest Google's speaker group nerfing with hilarious post tags
"OurCustomersSureAreSuckers" and "Fraud" are just the tip of the iceberg
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Google was handed a defeat by the International Trade Commission (ITC) this week, which ruled that Google did indeed infringe on Sonos' intellectual property with its cast protocol. Luckily, basic volume controls are back in Android with the latest OTAs, but speaker groups might never be the same. The folks on Google's Nest support forums are not pleased with the changes, but it turns out Google supports user tags on its support site. You can probably see where this is going.
Last year, Google announced a feature for Meet called Companion mode, which was intended to make it easier to access interactive features in a call via a second screen. Now, you can actually use it. When taking a meeting on the web, you can use a Nest Hub Max or dedicated Google Meet hardware for Companion mode.
Android 12 just came out a few months back, and the Android Beta Program would usually be quiet this time of year. Not in 2022, though. This year, Google is prepping another Android release known as Android 12L. The second beta rolled out today (January 12), and Esper's Mishaal Rahman has dug in to identify a handful of user-facing changes.
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It's been hard to like Google's Pixel phones for most of their history. The first-gen was impressive for the time, but the design was already looking dated in 2016. However, every time Google tried to revamp the flagship Pixels, the results were disappointing. That is, until the Pixel 6. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's the best Android phone you can buy for the price, and that's impressive after Google basically punted in 2020 with the Pixel 5. My fear now is that Google will do what it has traditionally done with Pixel hardware: go big and fail. The Pixel 7 doesn't need to reinvent the wheel—the Pixel 6 is so good that the Pixel 7 should really just be a Pixel 6s.