Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Samsung confirms Galaxy foldable launch date, Google teases Pixel 9 Pro release, why Galaxy AI is everywhere, OnePlus Pad 2’s powerful specs, Honor’s latest eye-care tech, the promise of the Surface Duo 3, and Google expands Find My Device network.
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 AI at Mobile World Congress 2024 (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Samsung has confirmed the long-suspected date for the next Galaxy Unpacked event. This will see the launch of Samsung’s new foldables—namely the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6—along with some interesting accessories:
“Also launching will be three key peripherals. The Galaxy Watch7 and Galaxy Buds3 will be joined by Samsung’s Galaxy Ring fitness and health tracker. This was teased at January’s Galaxy Unpacked, but details on its capabilities and software are currently scant.”
(Forbes).
The other part of the Galaxy Unpacked will be the update to Galaxy AI. It’s expected to reach across all of Samsung’s new products and integrate them into an AI cloud of existing production. With the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Book4 Edge laptop last week, I spoke to Samsung VP James Kitto about these integrations:
“A [Galaxy] user is going to get a better experience on top of that as well with the link to Windows. We have some exclusive features which allow you to run up to five different applications in separate windows.” Kitto points out that this is not limited to Samsung handset, but the best package will be to stay inside Samsung’s ecosystem: “Of you’re running a competitor brand smartphone, you can only mirror the entire display, so you’re going to get a much more enhanced experience if you’re using a Galaxy device.”
(Forbes).
Galaxy Unpacked wasn’t the only confirmed launch this week, as Google teases the launch of the next Pixel hardware. It’s fair to say Google didn’t make it easy, sending everyone scurrying to their ancient conversion tables to confirm the date.
“And finally, the release date. It’s also in Roman numerals: VIII-XIII-MMXXIV. That means 8/13/2024. Now, leaving aside the fact that I don’t think the Romans put the month first, it obviously means August 13, 2024 as there’s no 13th month (though didn’t the Romans consider one at one point? Let’s not go there).”
(Forbes).
Launching in China as the OnePlus Pad Pro, the upcoming global variant (the OnePlus Pad 2) looks to be the most powerful Android tablet yet. And it’s down to the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon rumored to be at its heart:
“As translated from Chinese, OnePlus is calling the Pad Pro ‘the most powerful Android tablet,’ strongly suggesting that it will come with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. This would be a significant upgrade from the Dimensity 9000 chip found in the original OnePlus Pad and would make it the first Android tablet to feature the 8 Gen 3 chip.”
Chinese manufacturer Honor has leaned heavily into eye-care technology across its smartphone and tablet range. That continues this week with an AI-driven tool for defocusing the display to promote better eye health:
“Introducing the latest advancements in eye-protection technology, HONOR launched AI Defocus Eye Protection at MWC Shanghai. Noting the global increase in cases of nearsightedness caused by long-term screen usage, this technology leverages AI to simulate defocus glasses on the smart device’s display.”
(Honor).
Microsoft’s quirky Surface Duo family only saw two generations; the rumored third handset was never released. Now, a recently published Microsoft patent shows a folding phone that many believe is the Surface Duo 3 design:
“The cover screen and inside foldable screen were edge-to-edge and featured in-display camera sensors for selfies and video calls. At the time, sources said the device would feature magnetic accessories that would attach to the back of the phone, and this patent details that exact aspect of the design.”
Launched in April, Google’s Find My Device network started focusing on “high-traffic areas” for coverage. now, the company is pushing users to switch the setting to allow the collaborative network to expand into areas with lower traffic:
“In a statement to 9to5Google this week, Google confirmed that improvements to the Find My Device network are coming, but also directly encouraged Android users to change the setting on their devices to allow the Find My Device network to work in “all areas.”
(9to5Google).
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!
