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Samsung's August 2022 security patch makes a late appearance on the Verizon Galaxy Tab S7 series
The update is also available for several older devices
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Carrier-locked phones usually play catch up with their unlocked counterparts when it comes to updates because carriers love to take the time to add their own touch atop stock firmware. While this holds true for many phones in the US, the story is different with Samsung. After the August security patch started rolling out to the company's latest flagships internationally late last month, US carrier-locked versions of the Galaxy S22 series are now getting treated to the same — even before the unlocked ones.
Samsung's August 2022 security patch is available for the international Galaxy A32, F41, and more
The update has also reached a handful of A series phones
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If you own a high-end Samsung phone, then you are probably used to getting the latest security patches before everyone else — yes, the Korean company has gotten that good at delivering software updates, routinely beating Google at their own game. Heck, they've gotten so fast at it that you might even receive patches several days ahead of schedule, allowing customers to rest easy knowing that the newest security holes have already been taken care of. Now Sammy's done what it does best yet again, giving the Galaxy S22, S21, and S20 lineup the August 2022 patches, even though it's still just July.
Oppo's ready to launch ColorOS 13, showing us how it totally isn't like OxygenOS 13
The Reno 8 series will be one of the first handsets to run it
It's fair to say that ColorOS is a lot more important to a lot more people now since it not only powers Oppo phones, but also shares its code base with OnePlus's OxygenOS skin. What started off as subtle changes on OnePlus devices, as we saw on the Nord 2, went on to become a much more homogenous software experience between the two sister brands with the current latest versions of ColorOS and OxygenOS sharing more elements than ever. While this means that the OxygenOS 13 launch from last week may have unintentionally provided clues as to what to expect with ColorOS 13 already, you won't have to wait to see the full thing for much longer now that Oppo has a game plan.
Spotify will let some users play or shuffle albums the way they like
Play and shuffle buttons will appear at the top of albums and playlists
When viewing albums on Spotify, the top of the interface has always had a green play button that shuffled songs by default, whether you liked it or not. That was until it didn't and all that took was a tweet from Adele. Artists deliberately arrange tracks on most albums in a particular order and shuffling can screw up the experience they want to offer. Opinions on this decision were divided, though, so to settle things once and for all, Spotify is now splitting its play and shuffle buttons on both playlists and artist pages. But, as always, there's a catch.
TikTok is aiming for Spotify in move to enter music streaming space
A patent filing throws some light on the platform's latest grand plans
TikTok looks hell-bent on becoming an all-encompassing app, a one-stop destination for all your entertainment needs, and not just something you can use to endlessly scroll through a carousel of short-form videos. The platform is already going up against countless other players in the mobile gaming space, but a new patent filed by parent company Bytedance now suggests that TikTok is broadening its scope further. It may also have its crosshairs aimed at the likes of Spotify and Apple Music.
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All that pre-launch hype seems to be paying off well, as the Nothing Phone 1 is off to a solid start in European and Asian markets. That's not to say that the launch wasn't without hiccups, though, but it wasn't anything that could deter the Carl Pei-founded company from its grand plans. Following the Phone 1's initial success, Nothing might already be working on its second phone.
Pick up a Spotify Car Thing at a sweet discount before it's gone forever
It's probably the lowest the accessory will sell for now that manufacturing has ceased
In the age of feature-rich and multipurpose interfaces like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Spotify's assumption that the market could use an accessory that solely allowed you to interact with your phone’s Spotify app was a bit awkward — and it's probably what led to its demise. That doesn't mean Car Thing is all redundant, though, as cars that lack a smart infotainment system can definitely benefit from something like it, or maybe you simply like its less distracting focus on music only. If you happen to check either box, or simply want to grab the quirky little device for whatever reason, then now's probably the best time to pick a Car Thing up thanks to a sweet 50% discount with a code.
Latest Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 leak shows off all the colors you can expect
The latest renders might just reveal all the colors the Watch 5 and 5 Pro will be released in
The Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic continue to be two of the best smartwatches you can pick up right now, despite being released almost a year ago. Still, we'd advise holding off from purchasing them, since it's nearly that time of the year again when Samsung announces a new generation of its smartwatches. There's already plenty known about the soon-to-be-released Galaxy Watch 5 series, and we even have a good idea of what the two watches will look like. However, you'll still want to check out these new renders that offer an even more detailed look.
Get ready for TikTok mini-games, currently in early testing in the app
It’s the latest video platform to get into gaming after Netflix
There is big money in gaming, so it's unsurprising to see many major tech companies wanting to enter the market. TikTok is now one of those opportunists, and it has been testing a pair of mobile mini-games on its platform for months after entering into a partnership with Zynga last year. Now, the app has not only expanded its games catalog but is also broadening testing.
It's time for Amazon Drive users to move all their files or lose them
The cloud storage service will be deprecated next year
Amazon is much more than just a shopping destination you can pick up a brand spanking new microwave oven from — it actually has something of an ecosystem of its own with both software and hardware products that give even the likes of Google and Microsoft a run for their money sometimes. Obviously, not all see success thanks to the intense, cutthroat competition in their respective categories. One such venture is a cloud storage application that's very similar to Google Drive. Chances are you haven't even heard of Amazon Drive until we brought it to your attention. If you're curious about dropping your files onto the service, though, it's probably too late.
Twitter pulls a Netflix, cranking the prices on its optional monthly subscription
Existing subscribers will continue to be charged at the old rates for a short while
Last year in June, Twitter announced a new subscription service called Twitter Blue, giving subscribers access to certain premium features on top of what free users get, such as the ability to undo tweets, customize the app icon, and compress threads in Reader mode. You had to shell out $2.99 every month to gain access to all of that, and as of Thursday, June 28th, the price is set to go up.
Here’s what the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 look like from all angles
Leaked renders give us the most comprehensive look at the upcoming duo yet
As you'd expect with Samsung's Unpacked event inching closer, there's been a steady stream of Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 leaks and teasers coming in. Most of what there's to know about the foldable duo is already making rounds on the internet right now — the look, possible hardware upgrades, color options, you name it. Now, yet another leak is showing off the handsets' design from all angles, and nothing is left to the imagination.
T-Mobile's $220 REVVL 6 Pro is a budget phone that's bigger than the Galaxy S22 Ultra
Its specs are nothing to sneeze at for the price, though the screen isn't very sharp for the size
T-Mobile's first-party REVVL and REVVLRY phones have been some of the most affordable options that subscribers have been able to purchase from the carrier. Following up on the REVVL 4 series in 2020 and last year's REVVL V, the carrier today unveiled the REVVL 6 series at prices that bargain-hunters simply can't afford to miss.
Our first look at the OnePlus Nord Watch is a blast from the smartwatch past
The perfect shape for anyone jealous of the Apple Watch
For many, the OnePlus Nord series brought back the company's original spirit, offering midrange and budget handsets that perform as well as more expensive devices. Although the Nord brand has been primarily associated with smartphones, it's clear that OnePlus has broader plans for it. While the wait's currently on for the arrival of the Band 2 and Watch 2, several screenshots from the dedicated N Health app (yet another Nord product) have delivered our first look at the very first Nord smartwatch.
This juicy deal brings Jabra's best earbuds back down to their lowest price
A flagship pair of earbuds for a not-so-flagship price
There are many brands in the earbuds space right now, but you can obviously trust some more than others. Jabra happens to be one of those brands putting out some of the best wireless earbuds out there. Just a couple of weeks back, several offerings from the brand saw considerable discounts as part of the Prime Day sale. The Jabra Elite 7 Pro noise-canceling earbuds, for example, were dropped to $140 on Amazon, which is actually the lowest we've seen them sell for to date — 30% the regular price of $200. If that deal slipped by you at the time, you'll be pleased to know you can pick them up at that price once again.
Rumors zoom in on expectations for the Galaxy S23 Ultra's telephoto camera
Why change a winning formula?
We might be months away from the launch of the Galaxy S23 series, but that doesn't mean rumors aren't already floating around the industry about Samsung's next non-foldable flagships. Last month, we heard the Galaxy S23 and S23+ might use the same 10MP telephoto camera as their predecessors, which wasn't all too surprising — after all, Samsung actually recycles camera hardware quite often. A new report now claims this rumor also holds true for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Fitbit app update makes navigating charts a whole lot easier
It may take a while before the update reaches you
There are a ton of fitness apps on the Play Store right now coming from a variety of brands, but the Fitbit app stands out as being a better one in the bunch — yes, especially if you own a Fitbit smartwatch or tracker band. Aside from the usual stuff like tracking your activities, the app goes above and beyond with advanced features like daily reminders, tips, workout videos, and training plans. Now, with a new update to its charts interface, the app has gotten even better... or worse — it really is up to you to decide with this one.
YouTube's trying out some changes to the Explore tab (for better or worse)
Trending content will likely only be accessible from the Trending tab once the change hits
Like any other Google division, YouTube likes to test new features with small groups of people to gain feedback and polish things up before making them widely available. While a few of them are the opt-in kind and can be accessed through the "Try new features" section from the app settings, many others pop up on their own through server-side switches. One of these experiments on the mobile app now makes it a bit easier to explore new content based on the kind of videos you want to watch.
YouTube Music update makes it fully compatible with Android 13's new media controls
Watch that little dot squiggle to your favorite songs
Considering Android 12 is one of the most significant updates the OS has ever seen, you shouldn't expect Android 13 to be a reinvention for the second time in a row. Even so, the update does bring its fair share of changes to the table, including a handful of new features, UI tweaks, and a more polished version of Material You. One of the most noticeable improvements in Android 13 is a new squiggly media player, which requires apps to target API level 33 to use the new design. YouTube Music has done just that now, making your musical experience with it a bit better.
Moto Razr 2022 launch date confirmed, and it's a week before the Galaxy Z Flip4
Let's see if it also beats the Galaxy in terms of specs
Ever since the return of the Motorola Razr brand, the company has gone all out on its clamshell design that heavily leans on nostalgia for classic handsets, like the Razr V3 from 2004. However, previous Razr foldable phones have struggled to keep up with the current king of clamshell handsets — the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series. So when leaks about a radically-different Razr phone for this year started coming in, it made a lot of sense. We have a fair idea of what to expect from the upcoming foldable handset now, and with the launch date officially announced today, we'll be seeing the whole thing quite soon.