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The iQOO 9 Pro has the best in-display fingerprint scanner yet and now I want it in every phone
It’s so incredibly fast
I reviewed the iQOO 9 Pro here at Android Police a while back, but there is one thing I just can’t get over, even a few weeks later. Its ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner is incredibly fast. That’s because the iQOO 9 Pro one of the first internationally available phones to launch with Qualcomm’s third-generation 3D Sonic Max sensor, and it’s quite the step up over the previous version still used in devices as recent as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
I’d rather have Qualcomm’s always-on camera than not
The much-maligned feature is a big privacy benefit over existing features that do the same thing already
There’s been a lot of talk in the last couple of days when it comes to Qualcomm’s newly announced always-on camera feature. Privacy-mined folks are concerned that the new feature might be a step back, and that’s understandable. You don’t want your phone always looking, watching, waiting, recording from a camera, all to do who-knows-what, right? Intuitively, it just feels like a violation. But honestly, once you get how it all works, I’d rather have it than not. Not to drink Qualcomm’s marketing kool-aid, but it’s important to remember your phone is already doing things like this all the time. Frankly, you’re better off if it’s done securely than not, and Qualcomm’s solution is more secure than even hotword detection.
Why the EU forcing Apple to adopt USB-C would be a bad thing
When good intentions get in the way of good outcomes
Today, the European Commission has put forward legislation that would require all portable electronic devices to have a USB-C port — including Apple's iPhone. The proposal itself hasn't yet gone into effect (it stills needs to pass a vote in the European Parliament), but as much as I wish Apple would finally put USB-C on the iPhone, I'm actually hoping it doesn't pass. For several reasons.
The Pixel 6 is Android's best chance to stop the iPhone 13 Pro from dominating video
It should be great, but will it be enough for everybody?
Tuesday's iPhone 13 announcement brought out plenty of opinions, but the phrase I've seen repeated the most often is, "it's boring." While I admit that most of the presentation fell flat for me, largely because I'm not really interested in switching to an iPhone, there were two segments that highlighted exactly what it is I wish I could get from the phones I do buy: better video creation.
I've been an Android user since the Nexus One, but I have to admit: the recent generations of iPhone have tempted me. Apple's industrial design is amazing as ever, the Magsafe accessory system is innovative and flexible, and the Apple Watch continues to absolutely stomp any wearable alternative. Don't get me wrong — I still love my Pixel 5, and I know I'd miss the hell out of all the sweet customization that Android enables and even encourages. But as a technology journalist, it wouldn't kill me to give the other side of the aisle a try for a while.
Google should be worried about Epic's injunction against Apple
If the App Store is forced to allow non-Apple payment options, Google might need to reassess its own rules that kick in soon
The Apple vs. Epic drama probably isn't over yet, but the courts have come to one conclusion. While it's far from the victory Epic may have hoped for, the court has issued an injunction against Apple that should at least allow developers to point customers to non-Apple payment options. It's a small bit of good news for iOS developers, but it leaves us in Android land wondering: How might this affect Google's Play Store billing enforcement changes, which are set to kick in at the end of this very month?
Google Duo turns five, and it might even turn six before Google kills it
It's the only video calling app I use
Google Duo turns five years old today, and in that time, it's become one of the best video calling apps around despite fierce competition. So to celebrate its anniversary, let's take a look at what makes Duo so special.
The $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold3 doesn't come with a charger
But if you can afford to buy it, does it matter?
How does a manufacturer fill a product box? Does it do so with the consumer in mind where everything required for a rich and full user experience is included? Or does frugal intent take over, nickeling and diming accessories like a wall adapter or a stylus in order to recoup margins missed by pricing your third series of foldable phones at their lowest prices yet? For the Galaxy Z Flip3 and Fold3, it seems Samsung is counting on the latter's resulting wow factor beyond all else as its leading motive.
It's time for Google to fix Android's share menu
Useless direct share targets and custom in-app share sheets are the bane of my existence
The share sheet is both the best and the worst thing to happen to Android. Theoretically, it's a powerful built-in feature that allows you to share content from one app to another and that should make it easy to send photos, files, videos, and links to your most precious contacts with just two or three taps. The reality is far from this ideal, though. Suggested contacts in the top "direct share" row rarely consist of people you regularly talk to, and far too many apps (including Google apps!) have started implementing their own custom share sheets that prevent any muscle memory from building up.
On June 17th, Google finally opened the doors to its first full-time official retail store. And while Google has hosted a few special-occasion popup stores and experience centers around the US to celebrate what the company's hardware and Pixels can do, it's never had a true store until now. Apple, on the other hand, is the largest tech company in the US (if not the world) with over 250 stores here alone. The obvious question then becomes: Who does stores better, Apple or Google?
I used AR to give my uncle remote tech support, and it actually worked
Finally, you can help your family fix their tech long before coming home for the holidays
Sometimes, remote tech support involves more than just taking over your parents' computer using TeamViewer and co, like when the laptop just won't turn on or when the TV doesn't automatically default to the right HDMI input. That's where video calls and complicated instructions come in. "Hit this button. No, the other one. What do you mean it didn't turn on?" or "Plug in the cable. In the connector on the left, with the square plug. No, no, not this one!" are just a few conversations too many of us have probably had in their lives, these days more than ever.
Now that Out of Milk is under new management, Bring is the best grocery list app
Meet my personal favorite
Popular grocery shopping list Out of Milk has been sold, and its new owner wants to terminate all contracts with users outside of the US and Canada. That's a shame — from all I hear, Out of Milk is a great service millions of people love to use. But for many, this news means it's time to move on, and even if you reside in the US or Canada, you might be wary about the future of the app. That's where my favorite grocery shopping app could come in, created by a team of Swiss and German developers — Bring.
Why the hell are Google's Nest cameras so expensive?
Companies like Wyze changed the game, and Google didn't change with it
By all appearances, I'm Google's perfect smart home customer. I'm already deeply invested in the Assistant ecosystem, I've got tons of smart displays and speakers, and as the new owner of a house, I'm constantly in the market for little ways to update and automate things. But as I'm currently shopping for a set of smart security cameras, Google's first-party Nest hardware is at the very bottom of my list — the prices are simply ridiculous.
With WWDC officially in the rearview mirror, it's obvious that iOS 15 is more about polishing up last year's features than it is boldly treading new paths. That shouldn't be too much of a surprise for anyone paying attention to Apple's software — the company usually follows a tick-tock release for hardware and software alike. iOS 15 brings along some nice enhancements, especially for anyone deep inside the Apple ecosystem, but there's always room for improvement. As someone who cycles back and forth between Android and iOS, there's plenty of things I wish had changed in this year's version.
I gave up on Android tablets after I discovered the iPad as a writing tool
Oh, the wasted years (and wasted money!) trying to do this on Android
There’s a dream I’ve had for years: a platonic ideal of consumer electronics. I dream of the perfect mobile writing machine.I imagine a device that’s compact and light enough to carry anywhere, without the need for supporting hardware, and which differs enough from a conventional laptop or desktop interface to let me focus entirely on writing. With all that included, it needs to be powerful enough to run multiple applications at a time: a word processor, a small browser window for supplementary research, and a media player for music.Since I’m also a fan of mechanical keyboards, as are many self-described writers these days, a tablet + wireless keyboard combo is part of my ideal. (Yes, the keyboard counts as "supporting hardware." No one ever said dreams had to be consistent.) If I could get a tablet, or perhaps a convertible laptop with its fold-back screen, and an “endgame” keyboard, and I’d finally achieve portable writing perfection. Then maybe I’d finally run out of excuses for finishing off that second novel.
Android 12 Beta 1 hands-on: Halfway there and not half-bad
Buggier than I expected for a beta, though
Android 12 is set to be one of the biggest updates to the platform in memory — if not on a pure feature basis (though it probably is), then definitely when it comes to the overall look and interface. While I would argue that Android has hardly stagnated as much as iOS in that sense, it has become very familiar. But, as the old saying goes, "familiarity breeds contempt," and last year, many of our readers were upset to see Android 11 refrain from big visual changes. Well, you got what you asked for, and I hope you like it. For the record, I do.
Android is about to take over your world all over again
I/O 2021 makes it clear that the search giant has its eye squarely on the ecosystem prize
Every Google I/O, we get to see some impossibly cool shit from Google that, it frequently turns out, actually was impossible (at least in the practical, scalable sense of the word "possible"). That's not to say the company intends to mislead — far from it. I/O is a playground for the incredibly ambitious and often financially untenable experiments from a company that has more money than it is reasonable for a normal person to comprehend in anything but a purely mathematical and utterly abstract sense. The kind of money that could feasibly send not just one, but an entire colony of chimpanzees to space — each in separate rockets — dressed in adorable gold lamé suits with matching limited edition Rolexes and not incur a quarterly balance sheet impact worse than a particularly nasty EU regulatory fine. That kind of money.
Apple and Spotify could spell the end of everything we love about podcasts
Podcasts, welcome to the current state of video streaming
During its first 2021 event yesterday, Apple announced "the next chapter of podcasting" with its Apple Podcasts Subscriptions. It's a new platform for podcasters that allows them to monetize their shows using subscription fees — conveniently only available to consumers through the Apple Podcasts app. Apple positions the new monetization method as separate premium products in addition to existing free or ad-supported podcasts, and there are already tons of studios and independent podcasters lining up to become part of the service.
How long will your Logitech Harmony remote keep working?
Logitech's cancellation of the Harmony line means its customers are in a support limbo
A couple of days ago Logitech announced the end of its long-running Harmony universal remote line in a rather un-ceremonial forum post. The writing has been on the wall for a while; the last major Harmony release was almost two years ago, and that was an expensive dud. But it's still a blow to a community of dedicated hi-fi users who've loved these gadgets for almost 20 years.
The Pixel 5 costs way too much, and I don't care
It's been a long time since I loved a phone like this
I've been using the Pixel 5 I bought for myself for about half a year now. I'm kind of in love with it. Which is weird, because I'm in a definite minority among the Android Police staff. I'm going to take a few minutes to completely disagree with my editor-in-chief's assessment of the latest Google hardware… it's not like it would be the first time.