Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera specs, ten million Pixels, testing Google’s Gemini AI, Pixel Fold 2 leaks, Nothing Phone (2a) glyph design, Galaxy Ring features, and AI in the Android Play Store.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Android in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Apple news here on Forbes.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 Camera Specs Could Disappoint
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series pushes innovation, and the upcoming Z Fold 6 will be no different. But not every area will get the absolute bleeding edge of smartphone technology; don’t expect the Galaxy S24 Ultra camera to be in the Z Fold 6:
“Samsung has rarely pushed the Z Fold series to the limit of camera technology. Bleeding edge camera hardware is expensive, and with a foldable phone already requiring significant investment by customers, packing the latest optical hardware into a handset people will be buying in part down to the origami of the handset, there isn’t a pressing need to be at the top of the pile…. It’s more likely that Samsung will make a practical choice and continue to use the same 50-megapixel lens used in last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 5.”
(Forbes).
Eight Figures Of Pixels
Google has passed a psychological milestone with its Pixel portfolio, as Nikkei Asia reports shipments have passed the totemic 10 million mark:
“The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro presumably made up a bulk of those 2023 shipments, but no breakdown was reported. Nikkei Asia previously reported that Google placed an order of 8 million devices, and over 7 million for the Pixel 6 series. Then there’s the Pixel 6a in the first half of the year and the 7a in the second. Google also launched the Pixel Fold, while 2023 should incorporate at least 2.5 months of Pixel 8 and 8 Pro shipments.”
(9to5Google).
Testing Google’s Gemini AI
AI is everywhere, but ahead of debuting its new AI on Android with its gee-whizz of video editing, face swapping, and audio editing, Google’s Gemini AI on the desktop shows the practical side of AI. Forbes’ Janhoi Mcgregor has been testing the potential with some relatable results:
” I asked Gemini to find emails from British Airways in Gmail. Not only did it find the messages, but it categorized them (T&Cs updates, upcoming trips, account and privacy) and summarized relevant emails so I could quickly find the information I needed. To me, this was more impressive than anything else I have seen Google demonstrate.”
(Forbes).
Pixel Fold 2 Design Visualisation
Working with the latest leaks and details from @OnLeaks, the artistic team at MySmartPrix has put together a short video on the Pixel Fold 2 design, picking out some of the key elements of the next foldable from Google:
” The 360-degree video reveals the elegant smartphone that the Pixel Fold 2 is, in its dark gray, or what the company likes to call the Charcoal finish. The first 10 seconds showcase the smartphone in an unfolded state, with the inner screen that measures 7.9 inches diagonally. Factoring in the corners, the measurement goes up to 8.1 inches.”
(MySmartPrix).
A Look At The Nothing Phone (2a) Glyphs
Nothing Tech’s next phone is its first push into the mid-range market. The Nothing Phone (2a) will look to make subtle compromises while keeping the flavour of the phone intact. Part of that will be the iconic ‘glyph’ LED-equipped rear panel:
“The [camera island] visor is accompanied by Nothing’s signature glyph interface featuring two large LED strips coupled with a shorter one. While the flagship Nothing phones came with a glyph interface covering the whole rear panel, the Phone 2a appears to be settling with only the top half of the panel.”
(Android Central).
A New Galaxy Ring Feature
At the end of January’s Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung’s demonstration of its health apps and services also teased the Galaxy Ring, a small wearable that would work alongside these services. While it is not due to launch until the second half of the year, some of the key features and how they are being implemented are becoming clear:
“The Elec’s story claims that the Galaxy Ring will include blood flow measurement for monitoring things like a user’s heart rate. The wearable will also have electrocardiogram “functions” to detect possible heart-related problems, such as an abnormal heart rhythm. I suspect by “functions” the source speaking with The Elec is suggesting that the Ring will deploy similar photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors that the Oura Ring uses, which the company says is 99.9% reliable when compared to a medical grade ECG.”
(Forbes).
And Finally…
Do you enjoy cutting through the PR language on the Play Store app listings to determine what an app intends to do? You might have some help with Google now using AI to summarize the app descriptions:
“According to an update posted on X (formerly Twitter) by code sleuth @AssembleDebug, it seems that Google is now using AI to generate information for the App Highlights section in the Play Store. Upon tapping on an app in the store, you’ll be able to see information about the app at a glance — the company explicitly notes that the details are summarized by artificial intelligence.”
(Android Police).
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!
