Information Weekly
Information Weekly is our column the place we spotlight and summarize a few of the week’s prime tales so you may make amends for the newest tech information.
That is Android Central’s Information Weekly, your go-to supply for a concise roundup of the week’s most vital tech tales. That is the place we delve into the highest headlines that present the newest developments and improvements contributing to the digital panorama.
This week, we discover out simply how fashionable the Pixel 9 is, the OnePlus 12 will get OxygenOS 15 based mostly on Android 15, Samsung is rumored to have a Galaxy S25 Slim within the works, Google rolls out the November 2024 replace to Pixels, and Amazon is having some points with its Colorsoft Kindle.
Google has a success on its arms
The Pixel sequence is probably not as fashionable as Samsung’s Galaxy lineup, however Google has seen extra success with its smartphones in recent times, and the newest numbers present how fashionable the telephones have change into. In line with a report from Counterpoint Analysis, Google’s smartphone shipments grew 20% in Q3 2024, which may be attributed to the a lot earlier launch of the Pixel 9 sequence.
A second report from Statcounter reveals simply how drastic Pixel progress has been, with a graph revealing a bounce from about 5% to a whopping 14% share between September and October. The Pixel 9 sequence went on sale on the finish of August, when there was a noticeable uptick in share, giving Google a very good period of time to see the Pixel 9 affected Q3 gross sales figures. It is price noting that the Pixel 8 didn’t go on sale till This autumn 2023.
Whereas Google nonetheless has some catching as much as do to succeed in the numbers of Samsung Galaxy telephones, it is clear that the corporate’s technique is working. The Pixel 9 sequence has have been spectacular because of nice cameras, standout designs, a greater chipset, and enjoyable on-device AI options.
Breathe new life into the OnePlus 12 with OxygenOS 15
It hasn’t been that lengthy since Google rolled out Android 15 to its Pixel telephones. Now, OnePlus is getting in on the motion by rolling out OxygenOS 15 to the OnePlus 12, the corporate’s present international flagship (the OnePlus 13 remains to be China-only for now). Some Android Central workers have already acquired the replace, which is steadily arriving on international variants of the cellphone.
The replace brings a number of visible enhancements to the house display screen, themes, and animations and will make issues extra fluid and uniform all through the UI. The pulldown menu can now be separated by notifications and fast settings, much like iPhones and another Android telephones. There’s additionally a brand new Dwell Alerts characteristic that mimics Apple’s Dynamic Island by displaying real-time updates for apps and actions in an expandable tablet on the prime of the show.
There are a ton of latest updates, however Android Central senior editor Harish Jonnalagadda has highlighted a few of his favourite OxygenOS 15 options.
Galaxy on a food regimen, with an “Extremely” urge for food
Samsung is gearing as much as launch the Galaxy S25 sequence someday in 2025, however rumors are circulating that the corporate is making ready a “Galaxy S25 Slim.” The gadget, as hinted by the title, can be a thinner mannequin, however that apparently may not imply that it will be a watered-down model. A latest leak means that regardless of its thinner profile, the cellphone could characteristic an “Extremely” digital camera.
Whereas the leak does not specify what which means, it isn’t onerous to guess that it might undertake a 200MP digital camera much like the Galaxy S24 Extremely and former Extremely fashions. If true, it’s going to be attention-grabbing to see how this may match within the cellphone; will it characteristic a massively protruding digital camera sensor? We do not understand how “slim” this cellphone can be, however it could doubtless be thinner than the present batch of Galaxy S24 fashions, which are available in at 7.6, 7.7, and eight.6mm for the S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Extremely, respectively.
It is also being mentioned that if the Galaxy S25 Slim does launch, it will not arrive with the remainder of the Galaxy S25 sequence, which is anticipated in January. That mentioned, it isn’t clear when Samsung is planning to launch the gadget if it does find yourself coming to market.
Pixels seize post-Android 15 replace
October was a giant month for Pixel telephones with the rollout of Android 15. November is not as massive, however there’s nonetheless loads to sit up for with the November 2024 replace, which has begun rolling out to Google’s smartphones from the Pixel 6 and newer.
Many of the bug fixes tackle points with the Pixel 9 sequence, resembling Adaptive brightness not kicking in or issues pertaining to Bluetooth vary. There’s additionally a repair for the cameras when zooming in between sensors, which might trigger tilting beneath sure circumstances.
In the meantime, all eligible Pixel smartphones acquired efficiency enhancements for UI animations, whereas the Pixel 8a acquired a particular show repair for a difficulty that may trigger flickering.
The November 2024 replace is rolling out with model numbers AP3A.241105.007 and .008, relying on the gadget, and your cellphone have to be operating Android 15 to obtain the replace.
Amazon’s first coloration Kindle runs into issues
Amazon made headlines when it launched its first full-color Kindle. Nonetheless, as thrilling because it appears, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Version has already encountered some issues, with house owners complaining a few yellow tint on the backside of the show that bleeds into about an inch of the display screen. Not solely that, however apparently, the darkish mode isn’t engaged on the gadget.
The issue has led to loads of low critiques on Amazon, with the gadget sitting at a mean of two.6 stars. With Amazon properly conscious of the difficulty, the corporate is engaged on a repair and noting that house owners can contact customer support and request a alternative or refund. That mentioned, replacements could take a while to reach as Amazon works on fixing the display screen tint points, though there is not any phrase on the darkish mode challenge.
Extra tales this week
These are a few of the largest tales from this week. In the meantime, listed here are another tales which are price catching up on:
