Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes updates from Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked, the launch of the Galaxy S24 family, Galaxy AI debuts, ASUS ROG Phone 8 review, Pixel 8 Pro special offers, Redmi Note 13 revealed, and the mystery of the Galaxy Ring.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
Galaxy Unpacked Reveals Three New Galaxy Smartphones
Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event dominates this week’s Android news. The most visible part of this was the unveiling of the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra handsets… three Android-powered smartphones the South Korean company is proud of:
“The Galaxy S24 series transforms our connection with the world and ignites the next decade of mobile innovation,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. “Galaxy AI is built on our innovation heritage and deep understanding of how people use their phones. We’re excited to see how our users around the world empower their everyday lives with Galaxy AI to open up new possibilities.”
(Samsung Press).
Talking About Galaxy AI
While the Galaxy S handsets are the big ticket item for consumers, much of Unpacked was given over to Samsung’s latest suite of artificial intelligence tools, Galaxy AI. Samsung’s James Kitto spoke to Forbes on the importance of AI for consumer devices:
“Ahead of the Galaxy S24 launch at Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung UK’s vice president and head of MX, James Kitto, sat down with me to sketch out the vision of Galaxy AI. “Back in 2007, the smartphone market changed forever. In 2024, the AI phone, and what we’re bringing to market with the Galaxy S24, is going to rewrite those rules once again.””
(Forbes).
Galaxy Software Updates Will Benefit All
One feature that many in the industry were watching for, and one that all smartphone manufacturers will have to react to, is the long-term support window Samsung will be offering. Following the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, the S24 family will offer seven years of updates and security patches:
“This is welcome news for all Android users because other companies will follow suit. After Samsung announced in 2022 that it was extending its level of software support to at least four years, OnePlus matched the policy later that year. The days of promising one Android update for an expensive phone is over. It took the threat of Google’s seven-year promise of parts, security patches and OS updates for Samsung to act—or react—but we got there in the end.”
(Forbes).
Pixel 8 Pro Special Offers
To make sure that Samsung doesn’t get all the publicity about the pre-order special offers for the S24 family, Google is offering a store credit for those buying a pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro from the Google Store over the next few weeks:
“The has company launched a new promotion that gives everyone who buys a Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro a £125 ($158.59) Google store gift card. The promotion runs until February 2nd and it’s only available to U.K. buyers. For U.S. shoppers, Google has slashed prices of its two flagships phones for January, which the company has done a couple of times since the handsets launched in October.”
(Forbes).
The Gaming Phone Trying To Reach Everybody
ASUS’ latest gaming phone has a peculiar side quest built it to its design. Rather than focus purely on gaming, the ROG Phone 8 has made some cues to appeal to the mainstream flagship market. There will be some small compromises in the gaming experience, but the strategy is going to be an interesting one to watch as it plays out.
“…this move from purely gamer-focused device to one with a more general appeal has been an ongoing process for a good few ROG Phone generations. If this is what it takes for more people to notice the excellent ROG Phone family, then it is more than warranted. Plus, at its heart, the ROG Phone 8/8 Pro is still a gaming beast with excellent hardware and arguably industry-leading software to ensure the best possible gaming experience out there.”
(GSM Arena).
The Next Step In The Redmi Series
Xiaomi has launched a new range of Redmi smartphones aimed at the lower segments of the market. Sitting at the top of the Note 13 range is the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G, offering a well-rounded mid-range handset:
“The Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G is both a total mouthful and the flagship of this new series. Its design packs a flagship-like IP68 rating and in-display fingerprint reader, while it’s powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Ultra processor and fronted by a 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED with a sharp ‘1.5K’ 2712 x 1220 resolution and a 1800 nits peak brightness.”
(Trusted Reviews).
And Finally…
Right at the end of the Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung announced the health-focused Galaxy Ring wearable… and then told s almost nothing about it as the stage curtains metaphorically closed. So, what could it be?
“At this point, we can only make guesses based on the health features presented during the keynote. According to Dr Wiggins, the Samsung Health experience will include the ability to monitor for potential sleep apnea symptoms by tracking sleep patterns, blood oxygen changes, and maintaining heart rate alerts during sleep. “
(ZDNet).
Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course, read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!
