Taking a look back at seven days of worldwide Android news and headlines, this week’s Android Circuit includes Samsung nabbing a premium phone award, leaked Pixel Watch 2 specs, OnePlus tablet lenses, Honor 90 launch, test of the new Android Dash Cam, a new Weather app and Reddit pricing error.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of some of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find Apple’s weekly news roundup here).
Samsung gets top prizes
Samsung has taken the top spot in the premium Android smartphone space, with the Galaxy S23 Ultra bested only by Apple’s iPhone collection which grabbed the top four spots in Canalys’ Top Ten. Samsung also nabbed the best-selling foldable phone with the Galaxy Z Flip 4:
“The report also shows that people have bought more high-end phones in recent years. In 2019, 22% of all smartphones sold were priced at $500 or higher, but in Q1 2023, that number increased to 31%.This is a good sign for Android smartphone makers like Samsung as they can get higher ASP (Average Selling Price) and profit.
(Channels via SamMobile).
A new heart in the Pixel watch
Alongside the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, Google is expected to launch its second Pixel-branded smartwatch. The rumored Pixel Watch 2 is making a significant change behind the scenes. The Exynos chipset provided by Samsung has been replaced with wearable technology from Qualcomms in recent years:
“Google’s move from Samsung Exynos for its second-generation wearable is very notable and quite surprising. The Pixel Watch is just one of Google’s product lines, so it would be premature to speculate how a change in wearables affects the foundry’s decisions on the phone side, with [the Samsung fabricated] Tensor offers a lot more customization.”
(9to5Google).
The premium plan for the OnePlus tablet
Following the release of its first tablet, OnePlus released a new white paper on the premium tablet space and the growth opportunities the company is targeting with the said tablet. It’s worth highlighting the features that set the OnePlus tablet apart from the obvious comparisons to Apple’s iPad family:
“The OnePlus Pad, compared to all iPad models released in 2022, shows an immediate advantage when it comes to its display as it possesses larger size, higher resolution and higher refresh rate, making the display clearer, snappier and natural to interact with.In addition, with a larger battery capacity, faster charging and longer standby time, the OnePlus Pad reduces charge times and lasts longer than the iPad, allowing users to achieve more with one charge. , delivers iPad Pro-level specs while maintaining the price of the iPad 10.”
(OnePlus via Counterpoint Research).
Honor 90 launched
This week, Honor launched its latest high-end smartphone in China. The Honor 90 is built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. A global variant of the phone, with support from Google Mobile Services, will be launched later this year. Meanwhile, the 200-megapixel main camera appears to be the standout hardware feature:
“Equipped with best-in-class camera systems, the HONOR 90 Series features a 200MP main camera with a large 1/1.4″ sensor that supports 16-in-1 pixel binning to deliver performance equal to sensors with 2 24 million large pixels The HONOR 90 also comes standard with a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 2MP depth camera, adding versatility for capturing subjects from near or far.”
(Honor).
Androids own the Dash Cam
Following its reveal in the latest Android Beta source code, Kyle Bradshaw got Andorid’s built-in dashcam working. It’s a promising start, but it still doesn’t match the feature set of third-party dash cams:
“By default, Google’s Dashcam records using your primary rear camera. There’s a button to switch cameras if you’d rather record the inside of your car, but you’d have to press it each time. There doesn’t seem to be a way to switch the camera.” ultrawide, which is a shame, as it would provide a wider angle.
“For security and privacy, you’ll see a persistent notification when Dashcam is active. Also, just like any other camera-enabled app, the privacy gauge from Android 12 and up is visible in the top right corner.”
(9to5Google).
The new weather front is coming
Hidden in the code is also a potential new weather app. Not only does it look like a default app for the next major version of Android, but it also seems available for other apps to call upon. Just as manufacturers like to rely on camera technology to showcase hardware, the weather app is a key battleground for developers, both in the first-party and third-party space:
“Besides functioning as a standalone app to check the weather forecast, local weather results would be integrated into the Clock app for a better user experience. There is a good chance that some of these details could also appear on the home screen widget of the clock.”
(Android police).
And finally…
Reddit’s new pricing structure for its API is in the spotlight this week, as the developer of the popular Apollo client received an estimated bill on apps’ API usage. What is currently free will now cost $12,000. For 50 million requests. Given the app’s popularity, Christian Selig is facing a bill of millions of dollars a year to run the app:
Apollo made 7 billion requests last month, which would bring it to about $1.7 million a month, or $20 million a year. I am deeply disappointed with this price. Reddit reiterated that the price would be A) reasonable and based in reality, and B) they wouldn’t work like Twitter. Twitter’s price tag has been publicly ridiculed for its obscene price tag of $42,000 for 50 million tweets. Reddit is still $12,000. For reference, I pay Imgur (a site similar to Reddit in number of users and average) $166 for the same 50 million API calls.”
(Reddit).
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! The last few weeks Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!
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