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OnePlus 10T is making its formal debut on August 3 in New York — and you could be there
The latest flagship from OnePlus will launch alongside OxygenOS 13
After this year's first big OnePlus launch brought us the OnePlus 10 Pro, but no base model OP10, we've been curious to learn where the series would be headed next. In the time since we've seen the introduction of the 10R, but our focus has really been on the device we'd come to know as the 10T. Following a whole lot of hardware rumors and leaked pics, we're finally about to see this phone go official, as OnePlus shares news of its 10T launch event, taking place on August 3 in New York.
Google and Samsung's latest promo is hitting hard with the '90s nostalgia
Between the Backstreet Boys and the Lawrence brothers, someone's got it bad for this decade
Whoa! Samsung and Google are both huge tech powerhouses in their own right, and recently we've been seeing the pair get closer than ever as they team up for some cross-promotion. Earlier this month, that brought us a cute video featuring TikToker Addison Rae, highlighting Google services and Samsung devices, all set to some Backstreet Boys. Now that '90s love continues, as the teen-heartthrob Lawrence brothers get their own chance to show off Samsung and Google gear.
Wordle is addressing its biggest weakness
Soon you won't have to worry about losing your streak when switching devices
How obsessive a Wordle player are you? Do you keep your carefully curated list of starting words secret, lest your friends gain an unfair advantage? Is your day-to-day vocabulary starting to drop all those useless longer-than-five-letter words? Maybe most importantly: what's your streak? The only thing worse than an undignified five-guess win is missing a day entirely — and that's not a situation helped any if you're juggling multiple devices. Thankfully, Wordle is planning to do something about that.
Samsung's June 2022 update is available for the international Galaxy Z Flip
The update is also reaching a handful of other Galaxy phones
Summer is so close you can almost feel it, and its arrival promises to bring us even more than long days, warm nights, and afternoons at the beach — it also means that Samsung's next security patches for its Galaxy phones should be right around the corner. But Samsung being Samsung, it couldn't even wait for June to roll around before dropping its next patches, and today we get a particularly early start with the Galaxy Tab S7.
The wireless industry's most whimsical carrier is reportedly up for sale
Hopefully Ryan Reynolds can find himself some kind of day job
Plenty of companies want to come across as cool, and spend no small sum on ad campaigns intended to paint themselves as just that. While it's easy to throw money at promoting your brand, it's much rarer to see a company that seems to actually be doing things differently — but for the past few years, that kind of feels like what we've been getting from Mint Mobile. Now we're wondering just how long that situation might last, as we get word that Mint Mobile is up for sale.
Tell Google exactly what you think about Android 13's home screen search bar
The company's looking for feedback on all the changes to search in Android 13
It's been a couple weeks now since Android 13 Beta 3 first landed, and Google's been keeping testers busy ever since, dropping its Beta 3.1 update only days later, ahead of Beta 3.2 late last week. Chances are, that'll be it for this cycle, and the next release we'll see will be Beta 4 sometime in July. But ahead of that, Google's looking to get some feedback from all you early adopters, and has put out a new User Experience survey to collect your opinions.
Senators call for US to follow EU's lead in creating a national standard for phone chargers
And that standard had sure as hell better be USB-C
It's finally happening: in just a couple short years, all smartphones sold in Europe will have to support a common charger, and that means USB-C. While practically all Android phones that matter already embrace the industry standard, Apple's going to have to swallow its pride and upgrade its hardware if it wants to keep doing business in the EU. And while this is all an undeniable victory for consumers, what about those of us who aren't in Europe? A group of US senators is on the case, and this week expressed its demands that America legislate its own standard for a common charger.
Google rushes out Android 13 Beta 3.2 with some real bug fixes this time
It's hot on the heels of last Friday's Beta 3.1 release
Android 13's development cycle is starting to wind down — we're long done with Developer Previews at this point, and have recently been checking out some increasingly stable Betas. By now, Google should be fine-tuning things for the software's ultimate release, but that doesn't mean we don't expect to get the occasional incremental update that tackles outstanding bugs — just like we did about a week ago when Beta 3.1 arrived to address the absent Android Beta Feedback app. Now we're already getting another bug-fix release, as distribution begins for Android 13 Beta 3.2.
Google Keep creeps closer to rich text support, with work towards multiple font sizes
The new size options would join bolding and italicizing text, also under development
How do you keep track of quick little lists and notes on your phone? While there are still those of us trying to unlearn “just email yourself” as the go-to solution for all things that need to be remembered, the obvious solution is using purpose-built tools like Google Keep. Back in May we took a look at work underway to bring Keep into, well, the 20th century (if we're being honest), with support for rich text markup. Now it looks like support for bolding, italicizing, and underlining text will also be joined by the ability to choose from a few different font sizes.
Google Maps adds up tolls to give you the true cost of your summer road trip
It can't do anything to help you with massive bills at the gas pump, though
Google is all about connecting you with the information you need to make your life better, and so far Maps has been just packed with that sort of data: it warns you about traffic jams, speed traps, road closures, and can even find the most environmentally friendly route. But for all it's been able to tell us, there's been one glaring omission: tolls. We could tell Maps to avoid tolls for ages now, but Maps had no way to tell us what tolls might actually cost. Thankfully, that's finally changing, as toll prices start going live.
YouTube Music is feeling nostalgic as it starts testing 'forgotten favorites' section
The carousel surfaces some of your past favorites
YouTube Music is all about giving you more of what you like the most, and that means a combination of tools that both help you discover new music that's up your alley, as well as those that make it easy to listen one more time to some of your favorites. But what about songs that you may have once had in heavy rotation, but have fallen by the wayside as you got caught up with new releases? YouTube Music wants to reconnect you with those tracks and albums as it starts testing a “forgotten favorites” carousel.
The best console controller that works on Android has some hot new customization options
Plus, the new Pride controller is finally available
When you're a big-time console gamer, trying to make do on Android can be a bit of an adjustment. Sure, plenty of games are designed from the ground up with smartphones in mind, and make smart use of touch input — but there are also more than enough that will have you wishing for the reliable, precision input you're only going to find with a physical controller. Microsoft's got some great options, and its Elite Wireless Controller is easily one of the best Android gaming controllers around. Today we're checking out the company's slightly more affordable offering, as some fun new customization options come to the Xbox Design Lab.
Android 13 Beta 3 brings more control to what you see in Pixel Launcher search
A new toggle allows users to disable web suggestions
Google's been working on enhancing the Pixel Launcher's search functionality for a while now, bringing us multimodal “universal” search support in Android 12. Over the last few months, we've seen Android 13 build this out even further, with widgets in results, search suggestions, and even pinning support. With the arrival of Android 13 Beta 3, Google starts giving us more control over just what we find here.
Paranoid Android Sapphire teases support for its highest-profile phone yet
Prepare your Pixel 6 Pro for some custom ROM love
Whether you're trying to breathe a little life into an older smartphone, or you just feel like a change of pace, custom ROMs can be a fantastic way to switch up the software your phone runs. While the practice may not be quite as widespread as it was in years past, there are still some incredible options to choose from, and easily one of the most popular is Paranoid Android. We've been tracking additions to the support roster for the Android 12-based Sapphire release for some time now, and today learn about a major new one on the way soon: a little phone you might have heard of called the Pixel 6 Pro.
Xgimi Halo+ review: A portable projector's got no business looking this good
With fast auto-keystoning and an internal battery, this projector's ready to get going in seconds
I still remember the first digital projector I ever ran into: a monochrome LCD panel that you had to place on an existing overhead projector like a fancy transparency. It... did not work well. And honestly, for a long time, using digital projectors felt like accepting a series of trade-offs: too heavy, too dim, too hot, too expensive to maintain — I could go on. Thankfully, technology has finally started to catch up with this idea, and modern projectors are actually getting really, really good.
Amazon's new Fire tablet will finally run a slightly more modern version of Android
Fire OS 8 is based on Android 11, while Fire OS 7 was built with Android 9
How much do you about which version of Android your devices are running? If you consider yourself a smartphone enthusiast, you're probably aware of the software that's on your phone right now, but what about all the other devices in your life? Have you checked which version of Android TV powers your living room set? Keeping track gets even more complicated when we're talking about Android forks, like Amazon's heavily tweaked Fire OS. Now with the upcoming release of the new 2022 Fire 7 tablet, Amazon is delivering a big update, introducing the Android 11-based Fire OS 8.
Wildly optimistic petition thinks it can convince companies to make Android flagship phones small again
Pebble's founder believes there are enough people interested in a premium small phone to make it happen
You don't have to read Android Police very long to pick up on the fact that many of us are quite vocal proponents of smaller smartphones. Market forces have utterly decimated your options when looking for a more petite Android handset, and the few phones we do get just don't tend to be very good. Frankly, it's nearly enough to drive someone over to the iPhone side of the fence, where small phones still get some respect. Now one man has made it his mission to convince Android manufacturers to give this maligned form factor another shot.
Visible now supports eSIM on Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones
Compatible models can access the carrier without a physical SIM card
When you're shopping for smartphone service in the States, it's all too easy to get tunnel vision and only end up checking out the offerings from the big three: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. With a ton of MVNOs out there, many with their own compelling plans, not taking the time to really look around would be doing yourself a serious disservice. Verizon-owned Visible isn't an MVNO in the classical sense, but today we do get some good news about its compatibility with Android phones, as it greatly expands its support for eSIMs.
Google Maps is upgrading its views with a slick, data-rich 'immersive' mode
The new look combines the best parts of Earth, Maps, and Street View
Who hasn't lost an afternoon to Google Maps — scrolling around some new city, checking out all the attractions, dipping into Street View, and feeling like you're almost walking around yourself? While it's fun to explore like that, this is only possible because of the fantastic amount of place data Google's compiled, and made it available in such engaging format. At Google I/O 2022, the company's sharing its plans to take that to the next level, with a new 'immersive' view set to start coming to major cities around the world.
Google News finally starts flirting with the idea of a Material You makeover
We're talking baby steps, but it's progress all the same
Android 12 arrived as one of the best-looking platform release in years, thanks in no small part to the responsive, graceful presence of Material You. We've spent a lot of time in the months since keeping track of the many apps picking up Material You integration of their own, and Google's own software has been of particular interest. Not every app has been super quick to make this transition, though, with some, like Google News, positively dragging their feet. It's still not ready for its full Material You makeover, but it finally looks like News is just about to start making some of those changes.