Android is Google’s open-source mobile operating system; think of it like a public park compared to Apple’s walled garden. It dates back to 2007, and though its dessert-inspired version names were retired in 2019 for a straightforward numbering system, there will always be a special place in our hearts for an OS called “Oreo” and “Ice Cream Sandwich.
Never mind rotating smartwatch crowns, rotating cameras rings are the next frontier. Nubia’s Focus 2 Ultra has a spinning dial around its rear camera, and it’s actually functional: it controls the phone’s camera zoom. It’s surprisingly easy to rotate with one finger while you’re holding the phone in portrait, and is a gimmick I’d probably end up using.
This is the Nubia Music 2. Like the first Music it packs a 2.1-channel sound system perfect for annoying people on public transit, designed to be 600 percent louder than the average phone. This year, it adds LEDs and an AI music generator. God help us if they ever release a Music 3.
The 14 Pro and 14 Pro Plus, which launched in India last month, are coming to Europe, too, starting at €429.99 (around $450). The big hook is a temperature-sensitive, color-changing finish, with the pearlescent white back turning blue as it drops below 61 degrees Fahrenheit. And with an IP69 rating, Realme put both to the test at once by flooding the phone with cold water in a live demo at Mobile World Congress.
Two weeks after Apple announced its first 5G modem touting unmatched power efficiency in the iPhone 16E, its former supplier has announced its 8th gen 5G modem-to-antenna solution which includes mmWave support for gigabit throughput unlike Apple’s C1 modem. The Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF “sets new standards for 5G and gives connectivity leadership to the Android ecosystem.”
Honor has announced that its flagship Honor Magic phones will now receive seven years of Android OS updates and seven years of security support, starting with the recent Magic 7 Pro in the EU.
That makes Honor the first Chinese manufacturer to match software support pledges from Samsung and Google — Oppo and Xiaomi tend to offer four or five years of support for their phones.
The £179 (around $225) add-on for the company’s new 15 Ultra flagship hasn’t changed too much from last year’s except for the eye-catching color. The battery is bigger at 2,000mAh, though, so it’ll keep the 15 Ultra running a little longer. The two-stage shutter button and other controls are also now joined by a thumb rest, which may look like a film advance lever but sadly doesn’t do anything other than sit there.
YouTuber Alexis Garza showed off what he said is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung’s unreleased ultra-slim phone, in a video posted (and later removed) today.
Garza compared its thickness with an unfolded Galaxy Z Fold 6 and showed specs that included 12GB RAM, a 4,000mAh battery, and dual 12MP rear cameras, though the AIDA64 app he used may have had that last part wrong, according to Android Authority.
Update February 22nd: The video has been removed.
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Verge Score
The thinnest foldable in the world might mark the start of diminishing returns.
While everyone was busy looking at the new iPhone 16E, Samsung Chile accidentally confirmed the existence of the Korean company’s own affordable rival phones. The Galaxy A56, A36, and A26 are all currently listed on an out-of-warranty repairs page, as spotted by SamMobile. That confirms three new phones are on the way, and almost certainly arriving soon.
[samsung.com]
Some Android Auto users have had issues maintaining wireless connections since the recent 13.4 and 13.5 updates, but it gets worse: others can make a wireless connection, but actually trying to use it forces their phone to reboot. When turning off and on is the problem, what’s the solution meant to be?
[androidauthority.com]
In addition to adding features for pro photographers, the second public beta of Android 16 being released today lets you quickly access Google Wallet by double pressing your device’s power button, as discovered by Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman.
Previously, double pressing the power button on a Pixel device launched the default camera app, but there’s now a new settings option (under System > Gesture) that will instead launch the default wallet app.
Yesterday leaker Evan Blass shared renders of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy A56, and today he’s followed up with the similar looking Galaxy A36. It has the same redesigned camera module and raised power and volume button island.
We’re more confident the A36 will launch Stateside — while the A55 skipped the US, the A35 launched as the best phone for under $400.
The Google AI assistant’s Deep Research mode now works on both Android and iPhone, though is still exclusive to paying Gemini Advanced subscribers. The mode, which can produce relatively detailed research reports, launched as a web-only option in December. It expanded to Android last week and iOS yesterday.
ChatGPT has its own deep research feature, which we tested last week to mixed results.
[9to5google.com]
Here’s our first look at this year’s Motorola Razr Plus, courtesy of Android Headlines, and it looks an awful lot like last year’s Motorola Razr Plus. The design appears just about identical, so the only thing that’s really new here is the dark green color with a stitched faux leather finish.
Last year’s Razr phones launched in June, but apparently this year’s models could arrive much sooner.
Oppo has confirmed a February 20th global launch for its Find N5. The company already teased the phone’s thinness, waterproofing, and nearly invisible display crease, and we only have ten days to wait for the rest. A new trailer shows the phone off in full, but sadly this global ad doesn’t include the purple version China is getting.
It may launch in the US as the OnePlus Open 2.
Android Authority spotted Android 16 beta code that would add a new “Time zone change” toggle in Android Date and time settings under Notifications. A description below the toggle reads, “Receive a notification when your time zone is automatically updated.”
As a person who’s made many long, time zone-crossing road trips, that would be a very welcome feature.
[androidauthority.com]
