News Weekly is our column where we highlight and summarize some of the week's top stories so you can catch up on the latest tech news.
This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
This week, Samsung Unpacked several of its devices in Paris, starting off with the Galaxy Ring, the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Filp 6, the Buds 3 and 3 Pro, and the Galaxy Watch 7 series. While this launch may have taken the spotlight in terms of news, here are some other things that went down in the tech world.
Starting off, the XR headset that will be launched this year, the new Galaxy watch series could be missing a feature, Google suspends support for Lollipop, OnePlus devices leak ahead of its summer event, and a new feature could let you search the dark web. Let's dive in.
Samsung to finally launch it's XR headset
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Samsung always ends its events by leaving us wanting more. January's Unpacked gave us the Galaxy Ring, while the mid-year event ended with a swift mention of the Samsung XR headset.
Samsung surprised us on stage by stating that "a new XR platform is coming later this year." While we didn't get to see any image of the device, we've been speculating about the XR headset. The company was allegedly planning its debut in the summer of 2025, but it looks like we'll get to see it in action sometime in the next five months.
All we know for now is that Samsung headsets are still in the early development stages. Samsung's headset might be more than just for gaming, like the Meta Quest 3, but we expect full Google Play Store access with all the apps included in it. Samsung also wants to make its XR device more affordable— to be one-third the price of the Vision Pro might cost around $1,000.
New Galaxy Watch Ultra is missing an important feature
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The new Galaxy Watch series has let go of something called the PowerShare, a wireless charging feature that's compatible with smartphones. In a recent support page update, Samsung said that the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch 7 Ultra do not support wireless charging from a paired Galaxy phone. X user Jordy Verboven was the first to spot this change.
This handy feature basically lets the phone's battery wirelessly charge compatible smartwatches by placing them close together— a great way to get some charge into your watch when it's almost dying. While this feature won't be available on the new watches, it continues to be present in the older generation devices.
Samsung had to remove this feature due to a design change with the new sensor array, which required reshaping the rear glass on both Watch models, which increased the distance between the internal wireless charging coil and the external charging surface, making the previous wireless power-sharing capability impossible.
Android Lollipop no more
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Google first launched the Android Lollipop software back in 2014 with its Nexus 6 device. Now, a decade later, the company is shutting down official updates.
Google will discontinue the Google Play Services updates for Android Lollipop devices starting this month. A Google spokesperson said that the reason for putting a nail in the coffin is the percentage of active Android Lollipop devices, which is said to account for less than one percent at the moment.
While updates may no longer be available for this software version, Google Play Services support will continue to work. However, users won't receive "any new features, important security updates, and may not be compatible with some apps."
Android KitKat's updates also stalled in July last year. With Lollipop gone, Marshmallow handsets could be next in line.
Spoiler alert: OnePlus devices show up ahead of launch
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A mid-week leak spilled some serious beans about the next OnePlus event launch; it gave us a full list of devices that could launch on July 16 in Milan. The lineup includes the OnePlus Nord 4, Pad 2, Watch 2R, and Nord Buds 3 Pro.
The leak came from Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka OnLeaks). According to him, the OnePlus Nord 4 will have an all-metal body, a toned finish, and three colorways: black, mint, and silver. The Nord 4 is said to have a 6.74-inch 1.5K AMOLED display and a 120Hz refresh rate. The device will be powered by Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 and a 5500mAh battery capacity. The dual cameras at the back comprise a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP secondary camera, and a 16MP selfie camera in the front.
Now, coming to the OnePlus Watch 2R— renders shared by the publication indicate that the smartwatch will come in green and a regular black colorway. This could be an affordable revamped version of the OnePlus Watch 2 variant in the Chinese region with eSIM support.
Next up, the OnePlus Pad 2 may look a lot like its predecessor, featuring an aluminum unibody design with rounded corners. The tipster notes that it will include a 12.1-inch LCD panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 900 nits.
Lastly, the company's next earbuds also seemed to leak. They look like they will feature a stem design similar to the older Nord Buds 2 but with an oval aesthetic. The renders further indicate that the ear tip will have a glossy finish while the stem will have a matte finish.
Google could tell you if you're on the dark web
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It was announced in April that two Google One features are being shut down: the Google One VPN service and free shipping for Google Photos prints. However, one key part of the Google One VPN is a feature called dark web report, which provides subscribers with insights on their data — specifically account login details and personal information — and whether it has been leaked on the dark web will be made free to all.
As spotted by 9to5Google, a banner in the Google One app explains that starting in late July, the dark web reports will work as a separate service and will no longer require a subscription.
" Dark web reports will become available to all users with a consumer Google Account," the company explains, as reported by 9to5Google. "Dark web report is integrated with results about you as a combined solution to help users protect their online presence."
Why could this be a good move, you ask? Our staff writer, Brady Snyder, feels that things like this shouldn't be a paid feature. "This functionality that helps people stay safe and protect their privacy should be free."
"Even if you stick to the basics, like name, address, and email, it'll be helpful to know what kind of data is on the web. For example, if you see that your email is appearing on the dark web, you might want to be more cautious when receiving unsolicited messages and enhance spam filters."
Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:
- Samsung says it wants to grow its foldable sales by 10% in 2024
- European Pixel 9 series leak paints a steep hill of prices
- Samsung greets athletes with a new Galaxy Z Flip 6 Olympic Edition
- Amazfit Helio Ring may launch in India soon, in time for Prime Day
- Samsung confirms a massive Gen AI overhaul for Bixby is inbound
- Samsung's alternate Galaxy Z Fold 6 fingerprint setup is convenient and easy
- Android 15 preps better Matter smart home device control over Thread network
- The best Prime Day smart home deals 2024: dates, FAQ, and what to expect from the big sale
- Samsung left the Galaxy Tab S10 out of Unpacked, but it's coming
- Google's passkey update focuses on the 'high-risk' for improved data protection
