iOS 15.4 will add Universal Control and mask-friendly Face ID in March, too.

Report: Apple will introduce new iPhone, iPad on March 8

iOS 15.4 makes Shortcut automations way less annoying to use

Oppo’s next flagship phone leaks in full

According to Zac Bowden from Windows Central, Microsoft has plans to launch Surface Duo 3, but the company is unlikely to release it this year. Instead, the company is planning to launch the device sometime next year, though the exact date is unknown.

On the bright side, Microsoft is said to improve the overall user experience of the current Surface Duo and Duo 2. Microsoft may also add some new features to the Surface Duo devices, but Zac didn’t share the timeline of when we’ll see new features arriving for Microsoft’s dual-screen foldable phone.

While Microsoft releasing the Duo 3 next year will upset a lot of fans, it might be a good thing as the company will get more time to improve on a lot of things. For instacne, the company might get rid of the annoying camera bump, much like Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra.

We haven’t heard anything about what improvements and new features the next-generation Surface Duo 3 will offer, but users will appreciate features such as support for wireless charging and thin bezels. We’re also expecting an improved software experience since the Surface Duo 3 will run Android 12L out of the box. Meanwhile, you’ll keep you posted about all the latest leaks and rumors about the new Duo 3, so stay tuned.

Microsoft may not release Surface Duo 3 this year

Google's best phone in years is also its best seller.

The Pixel 6 is a hit: Google touts “record sales” in Q4 2021

Back in 2005, Julian Vargas bought a Nokia 6620 from AT&T for about $100. The phone ran the Symbian operating system, and AT&T sent him a memory card loaded with TALKS software, which provided text-to-speech access to nearly all of the phone's features and functions—this at a time when most phones had only numeric keypads, except for expensive BlackBerrys and Palm Treos. The iPhone and Android didn't yet exist.

“Having that [Nokia] phone was a game-changer for me,” said Vargas, who has been legally blind his entire life. “That was something, to suddenly have a phone that spoke all kinds of things to me that I never had access to before, like my signal strength, my battery level...If I got a text message, it would read that message and, even more importantly, I could respond to the message.”

One of the best features for Vargas, and other blind users of those rudimentary Nokia smartphones, was that they could use the TALKS software to store numbers in a contact list. Until that point, Vargas had to memorize his contacts.

Smartphones have evolved by leaps and bounds since then. And Vargas, who is now 52 and lives in the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles, has made something of a career out of training other blind people how to use smartphones, smart speakers, and all manner of digital technology—even microwave ovens.

ScripTalk

Today, Vargas spends relatively little time on his computer. It’s mostly apps on his smartphones that get him through his day. He’s very keen on Microsoft’s Seeing AI app, which he describes as the Swiss Army knife of blind tools. It speaks text as soon as it appears in front of the smartphone’s camera, can read some handwritten text, and identifies different denominations of currency. Vargas also uses an app that works with En-Vision America's ScripTalk, the free program whereby pharmacies will put an RFID tag about the size of a quarter on the bottom of prescription bottles. Using the app or a small standalone piece of hardware, all the info on the prescription label will be read aloud. Sometimes, Vargas needs another set of eyes to help him. At those moments he is likely to turn to Be My Eyes, an app in which a sighted volunteer on a live video call describes for the blind user what the camera on their smartphone shows. He also maintains a list of other iOS resources on his website.

“I feel that God gave each one of us a certain talent, a certain ability,” said Vargas. “And I don’t think it was intended for us to keep it to ourselves.”

A Long Road

Vargas and his younger brother were raised in an observant Catholic family in New York City. Both were born with a rare genetic condition known as Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). Somewhere around 2003, at the age of 33, Vargas’ already-limited vision began to decline. He knew that time would come because LCA is a degenerative disease with no cure or treatment. Not long afterward, he resolved to begin the transition from using magnification software for his Windows computer to an application that did both magnification and screen reading. His goal was to get to the point where he could just use a JAWS screen reader and no magnification to do whatever he needed to do on his PC.

“The more you increase the magnification, the less screen real estate you get,” Vargas explained. “When you get up to four, five, or six times magnification, you have so little screen real estate, it becomes impractical to use the magnifier and you realize it’s time to go to a screen reader.”

Though Vargas never went to college, he took computer courses in the late 1990s at a vocational center in California. He describes himself as an autodidact who realized that he had a knack for figuring out how to use all sorts of electronic devices. His career as a paid trainer for blind tech users began after a period of helping his friends without charge. That was followed by a series of presentations at blind service organizations, including the Braille Institute, the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International, and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). Word of his tech chops spread to the point where Vargas’ presentations at his San Fernando Valley NFB chapter drew people who normally didn’t go to meetings.

“I don’t want to make people dependent on me,” said Vargas. “I tell people from the start that my goal is to make it so that I don’t have to hear from them after a while.”

Vargas soon became a regular at the annual Assistive Technology Conference organized by California State University, Northridge (CSUN). The CSUN gathering, which features gear and software to help blind, deaf, and others with disabilities, has been referred to as the "CES of assistive technology." In 2009, after the conference’s location moved south to San Diego, a mini version of the gathering called Best In Tech began in the San Fernando Valley. At the last one where Vargas spoke, close to 500 people attended.

Another way Vargas kept abreast of tech developments was listening to radio and cable television shows that focused on the topic—particularly "The Tech Guy," the nationally syndicated weekend call-in show emanating from the influential Southern California news/talk station KFI-AM. In 2004, a new host named Leo Laporte took over the show. Over the years, Vargas evolved from being one of the listeners calling in for help to someone Laporte regarded as an authority on accessibility, who would help answer questions from blind listeners struggling with their computers and mobile devices. Radio has long been an important source of information for blind people, and Laporte has noticed that he gets a lot of calls from blind listeners or family members calling on their behalf.

Nokia 6620

Vargas remembers calling in the show when he got his Nokia 6620 and how Laporte was genuinely interested in learning what it was like for a blind person to use it. The radio host subsequently allowed Vargas to promote the Best In Tech gathering on the air. Eventually, Laporte encouraged Vargas to give out his phone number, email address, and website (www.techjv.com).

“Julian’s very generous of his time,” said Laporte. “He’s a really good guy.”

The respect is mutual.

“Leo doesn’t shy away from taking calls from blind listeners," said Vargas, who also listens to Laporte’s tech podcast network, TWIT.tv. "He embraces people like me being involved in the show."

Laporte said he can feel the frustration of his blind radio listeners when they call in to The Tech Guy. He tries to imagine the challenge of using a smartphone or computer— or living without them— in this modern world.

“As a sighted user, my experience of accessibility technology is never going to be the same as somebody who cannot see what’s going on,” Laporte explained. “I’m sympathetic how hard it is and I want to help, but I can’t really represent that audience, so it’s really important that people who are helping blind people with accessibility are blind themselves because only they can really understand the issues.”

Laporte and Vargas have both embraced smart speakers at home in a big way. While Vargas has several flavors of the Amazon Echo and one Google Home in his house, Laporte has Amazon, Google, and Apple smart speakers in practically every room of his home. But as far as Laporte is concerned, voice-enabled devices have not lived up to his expectations of what he thought would be a transformational technology.

“I don’t think Siri or Amazon’s Echo or the Google Assistant are as good as they could be or ought to be,” said Laporte. “And they’re not improving at the speed I thought they might.”

Paying It Forward

In addition to calling in "The Tech Guy" radio show and doing live tech presentations before blind groups, Vargas has spread the word on podcasts. He has served as co-host of a podcast called "All About Smartphones," available on the website of the Audio Internet Reading Service of Los Angeles (AIRSLA), a group he founded in 2012 to discuss everything from high tech to no tech used to meet in person until the pandemic. Since March 2021, Breaking Blindness Barriers gathers on Zoom and AIRSLA turns its meetings into a podcast.

Smart speakers are one of the things Vargas helps his blind clients learn to use. So is GPS. He taught Bob Acosta, a long-time client, how to follow travel directions spoken aloud on his iPhone by taking a walk with him around the block.

Acosta is a retired high school history teacher in Chatsworth, CA who has been blind from birth. He has paid Vargas for dozens of two-hour sessions to help with his own tech needs and those of his wife Ruth Ann, who is also blind. Now, 82, Acosta uses his iPhone to listen to text messages and audiobooks, as well as stream games of his favorite sports teams. And thanks to Vargas, he learned how to pair his hearing aids with his phone.

VoiceOver on the iPhone

Acosta got his first iPhone in 2013 but initially gave up on mastering the device, then gave it to his grandson.

“I don’t think a blind guy can learn this,” he said at the time.

But then a blind friend introduced him to Vargas, who told him, “You can do it.”

Acosta records the lessons with Vargas so he can go over the material, should he need to brush up on things. He said he likes the fact that Vargas never tells him that using tech is easy and that there are no dumb questions during the training sessions.

Acosta can call Vargas for remote guidance, which comes with no charge for clients who pay for lessons. Occasionally, a client who pays for just one lesson will behave as if there are unlimited follow-up calls afterward. It doesn’t work that way.

“People think they can call you at 2:00 in the morning,” Vargas complained.

Acosta had been blind his entire life when he started working with Vargas. But most of Vargas’ clients are newly blind and grappling with depression and bitterness. The requests for help have slowed down during the pandemic, due in part because of the necessity of doing the first training session in person. Vargas says that once a blind person has the basics of using a smartphone down, he can do subsequent sessions remotely.

“I don’t want to make people dependent on me,” said Vargas. “I tell people from the start that my goal is to make it so that I don’t have to hear from them after a while.”

Source

Head of WhatsApp on releasing an iPad app: ‘We’d love to do it’

Broken down, $700 million of the total will be used as an equity investment in Bharti Airtel at a price per share of INR 734 while the remaining $300 million will go towards implementing commercial agreements. Despite the companies having agreed between themselves on the terms of the deal, it will still be subject to scrutiny from the country’s regulators.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, said:

“Airtel is a leading pioneer shaping India’s digital future, and we are proud to partner on a shared vision for expanding connectivity and ensuring equitable access to the Internet for more Indians. Our commercial and equity investment in Airtel is a continuation of our Google for India Digitization Fund's efforts to increase access to smartphones, enhance connectivity to support new business models, and help companies on their digital transformation journey.”

Fundamentally, both companies will benefit from this deal. The lower cost of devices will help Bharti Airtel get more customers who will go on to top up their phones each month and Google will benefit as more people will be online to interact with its services and ads.

Google to invest $1 billion in Bharti Airtel for a 1.28% ownership stake

Can Google invest in Android tablets longterm, or is this another temporary interest?

Google says Android tablets are the future, starts staffing up new division

iPhone users: you’ll soon be able to turn your phone into a payment terminal

Previously, I bought a new phone whenever my old phone ran out of support, as I wanted to make sure that it received all the security updates for Android and also new versions of Android.

This time, I made the decision not to do that. I could buy a new phone, maybe the upcoming Google Pixel 6a when it comes out later this year, or another Android phone. Instead of doing that, I decided to keep the Google Pixel 3a phone and install another mobile operating system on the device instead.

I have to run some tests and see which works best, but will test custom Android ROMS such as GrapheneOS or Copperhead OS and install one of those on the device. These custom ROMs continue to support the Google Pixel 3a device (and others that ran out of support), and I plan to use these until support ends or core device functionality breaks. The latter includes fast deteriorating battery life among other things.

What is my motivation for keeping the old phone? I have a few reasons.

The phone works perfectly fine: it runs Android 12, the latest version of Android, has sufficient battery life, and serves me well throughout the day.

Why throw away a device that works well if there is no need to? Google changed the artificial support limited for security updates from three years to five years recently, but that is not helping me currently. Say what you want about Apple, but the company's support for its devices is better.

It is better for the environment: mobile phones and other electronic devices require lots of resources to manufacturer and only a fraction get recycled. Recycling does not work overly well either at the moment.

Buying new phones every three years, or even more often as many do, is not sustainable. I understand why companies do it, as they don't earn anything from their customers once a device has been purchased. The practice does not sit well with the image that many companies give themselves in regards to sustainability though.

I'm saving money: new phones require a purchase, or the renewal of a contract with monthly payments. I do buy my phones directly and without contracts, as I get a better deal usually and because it keeps me independent.

The next Google Pixel 6a costs around $400. While I could pick another manufacturer, I'd have to find one who gives at least three years of support (better 5 years) for the same price or less, and there are not many Android manufacturers who do. The manufacturer would need to supply security updates quickly after official release.

I do have to spend some time researching alternatives and installing them, but that is money well spend, especially since I may be able to write about my experience here on this site.

Privacy and security improves: custom Android ROMs such as Graphene promise improved privacy and security. You can check out GrapheneOS' features page, which lists lots of improvements when compared to AOSP 12. Improvements included security hardening and improvements, optimizations, improved networking defenses and more.

Closing Words

I'll start preparations to make the switch in the coming months. The Pixel device runs out of support in May, and I plan to make the switch by then at the latest. I don't expect the move to be overly problematic, as I don't use a lot of apps on the device and have used Google Play and other Google services or apps rarely only.

I still have to create backups and figure out how to get a few apps that I use regularly installed on the new OS.

Why I won't buy a new phone when my Google Pixel Android phone runs out of support

Microsoft is delivering the full version of Android 11 Update to the Surface Duo. The update includes January Security Patch as well. The update has been tagged as version 2021.1027.156. The Over the Air (OTA) update is 2.38 GB. Hence, Surface Duo owners are recommended to update their devices over Wi-Fi.

Microsoft released Surface Duo way back in 2020 with Android 10. It should have received Android 11 in 2021. Interestingly, after Android 11, the device could get Android 12L, which is a fork of Android that has been optimized for tablets, foldable devices, and dual-screen smartphones.

Thanks to 9to5Google we have the full release notes. Here are some of the new features that Surface Duo will get with Android 11 update:

• Enabled launching of OneNote when clicking the top button on Surface Slim Pen 2. (Feature needs Surface Slim Pen 2 to be paired with device).
• Enabled in Surface Duo features, in Settings, to choose a preference for answering phone calls when folded.
• Enabled in Surface Duo features, in Settings, to choose specific apps to automatically span across both screens when you open them.
• Optimized Quick Settings and notification width for portrait and landscape orientations.
• Adjust media volume directly from Quick Settings in any device mode.
• Use thumb mode in Microsoft SwiftKey now with all device modes and application states.
• Updated app drawer and folder design with improved drag-and-drop support.
• Refreshed Microsoft feed design with updated cards and new Microsoft Start widgets for News and Weather.
• Photos by OneDrive: New dual-screen enhanced experience for viewing and editing photos in the OneDrive app.
• Xbox Game Pass: Discovery and play games from the cloud with an on-screen controller. Some devices, accessories, and software are sold separately. Additional fees and/or subscriptions are required for some apps and features.
• Send feedback to Microsoft by opening Settings, then tap About, then tap Give feedback to Microsoft.

To update Microsoft Surface Duo to Android 11, head over to the Settings app, tap System, and System Update.

Microsoft Surface Duo is getting Android 11 update, and could go to Android 12L next

Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard update fixes the dark theme bug

Taking the app to version 6.211203.0.1025841., the update adds promotional banner on News feed page for users who don’t have the Start app installed. The update also brings Microsoft Rewards widgets to Italy and Spain. Additionally, the update offers general bug fixes and performance improvements.

Changelog

Microsoft Launcher gets updated with new features

Qualcomm has announced that it has collaborated with Vodafone, Inc., and Thales to exhibit a working smartphone featuring a new technology, iSIM, that allows for the functionality of a SIM card to be merged into the main processor of a device. This breakthrough will enable "commercialization of the technology, which could be rolled out in a host of new devices that will use iSIM to connect to mobile services."

Vodafone's Chief Commercial Officer, Alex Froment-Curtil stated:

Our aim is to create a world where every device connects seamlessly and simply to each other, and the customer has complete control. The iSIM, combined with our remote management platform, is a major step in this direction, allowing devices to be connected without a physical SIM or dedicated chip, making connectivity to many objects – the promise of the connected IoT world – a reality. It will enable our customers to enjoy the ease of multiple accounts on one device, while from an operator’s point of view, help eliminate the need for separate SIM cards and the additional plastic this consumes. We will continue working closely with Qualcomm Technologies and Thales to evolve further applications for this technology and accelerate its commercialisation.

The iSIM conforms with GSMA specifications and allows for augmented memory capacity, enhanced performance, and greater system integration. The latest technology demonstrates the transformation of SIM technology in which eSIMs are implanted into devices and need a separate chip. With the introduction of iSIM, a separate chip is no longer needed. Hence, it eliminates the need for exclusive space assigned to SIM services.

The press release from Qualcomm mentions:

iSIM technology is a significant evolution on existing eSIM solutions and delivers wholesale benefits to both consumers and telecommunications operators, further paving the way for mobile services to be integrated into devices beyond the mobile phone, taking the mobile experience to laptops, tablets virtual reality platforms, IoT devices, wearables, and more.

The iSIM is embedded in the application processor of the device and offers various benefits that include simplifying and enhancing device design and performance by freeing space formerly taken up within a device. It also integrates the SIM functionality into the main chipset of the device alongside other essential capabilities like modem, CPU, and GPU.

Senior Vice President and President, Europe/MEA, Qualcomm Europe, Inc., Enrico Salvatori stated:

iSIM solutions offer great opportunities to MNOs, free-up valuable space in devices for OEMs, and provide flexibility for device users to benefit from the full potential of 5G networks and experiences across a wide range of device categories. Some of the areas that will benefit most from iSIM technology include smartphones, mobile PCs, VR/XR headsets, and industrial IoT. By engineering the iSIM technology into the SoC, we are able to create additional support for OEMs in our Snapdragon platform.

The iSIM also allows for remote SIM provisioning by the operator leveraging the current eSIM infrastructure. Moreover, it has the ability to open mobile service connection capabilities to a number of devices that earlier on could not have SIM capabilities built-in.

Qualcomm announces major development in iSIM technology with "world-first" smartphone demonstration

According to tipster @dylandkt, Apple will introduce the 10th gen iPad at the end of 2022 with the same old design. While the next-generation iPad will be very similar to its predecessor, the former will be powered by a more powerful A14 Bionic chip, according to the tipster. Also, Apple’s new basic iPad is said to include 5G, Bluetooth 5, WiFi 6.

Moreover, the 10th gen iPad is said to feature the same 10.2-inch display as its predecessor, though the tipster doesn’t go into details about the resolution of the display. However, we’re expecting the display resolution to be the same as that of the current generation — 1620 x 2160 pixels.

So, those who’ve been waiting for Apple to update the design of the basic iPad will have to wait yet another year. Meanwhile, 2023 will also see Apple introducing a new iPhone SE 3 with a new design, which is rumored to be very similar to that of the iPhone 11.

Meanwhile, if you’re an iPad owner., what changes do you want to see in the iPad 2023 models? Let us know down in the comments.

 Apple will reportedly refresh the design of the basic iPad next year

The Exynos 2200 is based on 4nm architecture featuring an octa-core design that includes one Cortex-X2 core, three Cortex-A710 cores, and four Cortex-A510 cores. This is coupled with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS v3.1 storage.

For connectivity, the Exynos 2200 will feature both sub-6GHz and mmWave modem enabling "a maximum downlink speed of up to 10Gbps when in EN-DC mode, which utilizes both 4G and 5G connectivity". In a first, the Exynos 2200 also support 3GPP Rel. 16, allowing better coverage and lower latency. Samsung has also added an upgraded NPU (Neural Processing Unit) on the Exynos 2200 which should improve the Machine Learning capabilities.

For multimedia, the SoC will support for up to 200MP camera and MFC (Multi Format Codec) allowing the phone to record 8K@30fps. In addition to that, the Exynos 2200 can decode 4K videos at up to 240fps and 8K videos at up to 60fps. Furthermore, the SoC will support HDR10+ and high refresh rate displays up to 144Hz

Saving best for the last, the highlight of the launch is the Samsung's new Xclipse 920 GPU which is based on AMD's RDNA 2 technology. Samsung claims that "the Xclipse GPU is a one-of-a-kind hybrid graphic processor that is positioned between the console and the mobile graphic processor." The GPU will feature hardware-accelerated ray tracing (RT) and variable rate shading (VRS).

David Wang, Senior Vice President of Radeon Technologies Group at AMD said:

AMD RDNA 2 graphics architecture extends power-efficient, advanced graphics solutions to PCs, laptops, consoles, automobiles and now to mobile phones. Samsung’s Xclipse GPU is the first result of multiple planned generations of AMD RDNA graphics in Exynos SoCs. We can’t wait for mobile phone customers to experience the great gaming experiences based on our technology collaboration.

Unfortunately, Samsung has not given any indication of whether we will see the Exynos 2200 on Samsung Galaxy S22 series or not. However, the Korean giant noted that the chipset is already in mass production.

That being said, Samsung is positioning the Exynos 2200 as the flagship SoC capable of going toe-to-toe with Qualcomm's latest offerings. It will be interesting to see how the chipset fares out in the real world.

Samsung announces the Exynos 2200 SoC with AMD's RDNA 2-based Xclipse 920 GPU

OnePlus recently announced the much-awaited OnePlus 9 RT in India, and the company has another smartphone in the pipeline for users in India. The Shenzhen tech firm may soon launch the OnePlus 10 Pro in India as it’s recently spotted online and on India’s BIS certification site.

The online listing doesn’t tell much about the smartphone, nor does the certification site tell us anything about it. But we already know everything about the handset since it’d already launched in China. Users in India will also get the same OnePlus 10 Pro with the exception of the OS running it—while the Chinese model will be based on the ColorOS 12, those who purchase the phone in India will get OxygenOS 12 out of the box.

After launching the OnePlus 10 Pro in India, the company will focus on OnePlus Nord CE 2 launch in the country. If rumors are to be believed, the smartphone won’t release in India before February. Clearly, OnePlus will be quite busy in the next couple of months.

Coming back to the OnePlus 10 Pro, the smartphone will feature a 6.7-inch LTPO 2.0 AMOLED screen of 1440p resolution. The smartphone is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 coupled with 8GB or 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. gets benefits from a triple camera setup, which consists of a 48MP Sony IMX789, 50MP Samsung JN1, and 8MP Telephoto sensors, and a 32MP Sony IMX615 sensor for taking selfies. For the camera, OnePlus has once again partnered with HASSELBLAD. You know more about the smartphone here.

OnePlus 10 Pro may soon come to India

Google’s critical Pixel 6 January update is here

A ton of other features

The "App Language" feature in Android 13.

 

Those are probably the two major features so far, but a ton of other things have leaked. A "Panlingual" feature sounds like it will be a boon for bilingual people by enabling per-app language settings. Imagine wanting to use most apps in English, but if you have a big friend or family circle on WeChat, China's most popular messaging service, you might want that to be in Chinese.

Today, language is set at a system level, and while some apps might have independent language settings, those are all a custom solution. Google would be enabling per-app language settings at a standardized, system level. Hager says, "All of this is subject to change, but we're told the current logic is for a new 'App languages' setting that controls this feature in the existing 'Language & input' page in Settings, though it will also be accessible directly from the 'App info' screen." Following this report, XDA Developers came through with the above screenshot of the feature in action, called "App Language."

QR Codes are an easy way to get data to a smartphone, but Android has never really had a solid way to access a QR Code scanner, often leaving it up to third-party apps, Google Lens, or via some complicated setting in the camera app. In Android 13, Android Police says this will all be greatly simplified by a QRCode scanner quick-setting button and an option to display a QR Code shortcut on the lock screen.

Another Android Police leak has a user-account switcher on the lock screen, which will be great for shared devices like a tablet. Google is also apparently working on a "tap to transfer" feature, which sounds like it would let you quickly send media to a Nest Audio speaker.

A word of warning before we go: don't expect these leaks to immediately be confirmed in the first Android 13 development preview. Android 12's big redesign leaked in February last year, but Google likes to strip down the developer previews. That redesign wasn't active until the fifth preview release, which happened in June. Before Android 13, we'll also have to deal with Android 12L, a tablet-focused release. Google released another 12L beta this week, but this is a smaller, midcycle release, and not much has changed over the initial beta.

Android 13 leaks: More Material You options, opt-in to app notifications

The short answer is that there are some unique complicating factors at play this year but also that Android is inherently a little bit messy — that just comes with the territory when you’re designing a delightful public park compared to Apple’s walled garden. Despite a refreshed look and some appealing new high-end handsets, Android is still Android — the good and the bad.

Android 12’s release started predictably enough with a formal announcement at Google I/O in May 2021. After that, the timeline looks a little different from previous years. A full stable release came a month later than usual, on October 4th, 2021. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro launched later that month with Android 12 pre-loaded. A handful of bugs were to be expected, but Google’s December Pixel update included dozens of fixes despite Google having that extra month.

Even worse, the December patch itself proved problematic as some Pixel 6 owners complained about network connection problems worsened by the update. Google halted the update and later removed it from its archive to prevent manual downloads. When asked, the company didn’t offer an explanation for the problematic update but pointed to a statement that a fix is coming in late January that will include all of the bug fixes planned for the December patch.

Google’s not alone in having trouble with its new OS. Samsung users in South Korea reported serious problems with their Galaxy Fold 3 and Flip 3 devices after installing the One UI 4.0 (Android 12) stable release, including flickering displays and bricked phones. Samsung acknowledged the problem and responded initially by releasing a fourth beta version of the software to fix bugs introduced by the stable release.

OnePlus’ stable release wasn’t so stable, either: its Android 12 skin was so buggy that the company paused its release, like Google, after it was widely criticized. In a brief statement, OnePlus explained that the fact this release marked the company’s attempt to integrate its OxygenOS and ColorOS codebases into the same build “led to the software experience not being smooth” and that its software team “collected the Community’s feedback and released a new build of OxygenOS 12 within a week to deliver a better user experience.”

In each case, these “stable” releases were anything but, and none of these companies offered much detail about what went wrong. To try and figure out what the heck is going on, we talked to Mishaal Rahman, former editor-in-chief of XDA Developers, who’s well known for digging into Android codebases and discovering Google’s secrets. Speaking to the Pixel 6 bugs in particular, Rahman guesses that it has a lot to do with the unusually large size of the update. “Many people have called it, myself included, the biggest OS update to Android since Android 5.0 Lollipop, and that was many years ago. There are just so many massive changes to the interface and to the feature set.”

He also suggests that Google’s commitment to issue a new Android update every year can make things worse when it’s trying to do so much, and the self-imposed one-year development cycle doesn’t leave much wiggle room in the timeline. “They started immediately after Android 11 was released to the public — and they have a hard cutoff date… After that, they just focus on fixing bugs.” Delay any longer, and they’d risk bumping into next year’s development cycle.

It’s also possible that the attempt to bring timely Android updates to non-Google devices wound up backfiring. Android phone owners have been asking for faster updates for a long time — outside of Google’s Pixel phones and pricey flagships, many devices face long waits for OS updates. Sure enough, the updates have come faster this year. Case in point: Samsung users are accustomed to waiting about three months after an Android stable release to get their finished One UI update with the new version of the OS, but this year, One UI 4.0 arrived just one and a half months after Android 12. But the way things have gone this year, many users would likely have opted for a slower, stable update rather than a fast one riddled with bugs.

OnePlus, by its own admission, faced unique complications as it attempted to merge Oppo’s ColorOS and OxygenOS at the same time it incorporated Android 12’s changes. That’s a recipe for bugs, Rahman explains. “Devices that are upgrading from Android 11 with OxygenOS 11 to OxygenOS 12 are having a lot of settings and features being migrated.”

To illustrate the problem, he describes a bug that some Realme device owners have encountered: users who restore settings from an old Android phone when setting up a Realme device would sometimes find the Night Light setting constantly enabled on their new phone. This happened because of a mismatch between Realme and Google’s open-source implementations of Night Light. OxygenOS 12, he suspects, suffered from similar issues. “It’s those kinds of bugs that are plaguing this update.”

While it’s still hard to understand how an update as buggy as OnePlus’ initial OxygenOS 12 release earned a “stable” designation, it makes a little more sense when you account for the huge challenge of merging two codebases.

While all of these factors likely contributed to an unusually troubled release, the underlying problem is a familiar one. By its nature, Android is a fragmented ecosystem. There’s no straight line from Android 12 to the Galaxy S21 or OnePlus 9 — every major update sees handoffs between the manufacturer, carriers, and Google, all of which result in delays. Initiatives like Project Treble seem to have helped speed up some parts of the process, but unless Google takes some drastic actions, nobody can completely fix the problem.

While OEMs and Google push to get updates out faster, they’ve also made a push to produce more attention-grabbing, premium devices. OnePlus appears to be separating its “flagships, but cheaper” ethos into two different realms: “flagships” like the 9 Pro and separate “cheaper” phones a la the Nord series. Samsung is making a serious attempt to bring foldables into the mainstream. Google has positioned the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro as true flagships, with custom processors and a design language that’s more polished and less quirky than previous generations. This buggy OS rollout risks taking some of the shine off of the polished image these device makers are hoping to cultivate — in fact, the damage may already be done.

It’s a shame because they’ve succeeded with the hardware. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are two of the best phones Google has ever made. OnePlus’ ambition to create a true flagship competitor has resulted in a refined product that’s the genuine article. And this time around, Samsung seems to have succeeded at making a foldable phone that has captured the attention of more than just tech geeks. But behind the glossy hardware, the software experience can still be uneven at times. That’s easier to forgive on a midrange or budget phone, but it’s tough to stomach from a premium device.

It’s unlikely, though, that this unusually troubled release will sway significant numbers of people to bail on Android; as painful as some of these bugs have been, they’re probably not enough to push users over the hurdles of jumping ship to Apple. Rahman thinks that in most cases, the ecosystem lock-in is too strong.

“You’d lose out on so many apps and services that you pay for. If you have other devices that interact with your smartphone, you’d lose access to that, or that access would be diminished in some way. I don’t see it as a significant factor convincing people to turn away from a particular device.” Those barriers exist on Apple’s side as well, of course. Recently surfaced emails from Apple executives imply that iMessage remains exclusive to iPhones as a mechanism to keep Apple users with Apple.

Apple has also had its share of software stumbles, to be sure. But it’s generally a more predictable experience — if you’re willing to live within the boundaries of that walled garden. And there’s the flipside of Android’s fragmented existence: there’s no single entity dictating the hardware and software. In Apple’s ecosystem, you get what it deems to be the right features at the right time, and that’s that. Foldables? Maybe in a few years. A rainbow of customizable system colors? Forget it. Life is a little more interesting — if, at times, unpredictable and uneven — outside of the garden walls.

Google’s Android 12 update has been the rockiest in years

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Samsung is showing off the foldables of the future at CES

The device will go on sale on the 4th January and will cost €759 (128GB) and €829 (256GB) in France. The Galaxy S21 FE will start at £699  and will go up to £749 in the UK. In USA Walmart revealed the pricing to be $699 for 128 GB version. t should hit shelves on the 11th.

The handset is set to feature a 6.4 inch AMOLED screen with 401 PPI and 120 Hz refresh rate, under-screen fingerprint reader, protected by Gorilla Glass Victus.

The device has a 32 MP front-facing camera with an 81-degree wide field of view while the three rear cameras are 12 megapixels main, 8-megapixel zoom and 12 megapixels wide-angle.

The 3x optical zoom camera benefits from dual-phase detection autofocus as well as a hardware image stabilizer.

The device is powered by the Snapdragon 888 Octacore SoC running at 2.84 gigahertz and has an integrated 5G modem. It will have either 6 or 8 GB RAM and 128 or 256 GB storage but no microSD slot. It will however support 2 nano-sims and an eSIM.

The Samsung Galaxy s21 FE will have a 4500 mAH battery with USB-C fast-charging, has wireless Powershare, an aluminium frame and polycarbonate shell, and has IP68 certification. It will be available in graphite, olive, lavender and white.

Watch the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE’s first trailer

According to reports from the WC, Microsoft is not in fact planning to roll out Android 12 to either handsets, but will skip directly to Android 12L, which has special adaptations for large handsets.

According to Google:

“On screens with more than 600 dp, for example, the notification screen, the lock screen and other system interfaces use a new two-column layout to make the most of the screen space. Multitasking is also more powerful and more intuitive “

The update is currently in testing with Google, and Microsoft is also taking part in the development.

The update will reportedly roll out faster than Android 11, and will serve as a boost for the Surface Duo 2, which is not being replaced with a Duo 3 until at least 2023.

via Deskmodder

Report: Microsoft working on Android 12L update for the Surface Duo 1 and 2

Microsoft has officially failed in its efforts to deliver Android 11 to the original Surface Duo Android 11