Tag: Android

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Android could soon get better call quality on Bluetooth devices

If you do a lot of Bluetooth calling, you might be aware of just how mediocre your call audio sounds to the person on the receiving end. However, that may soon be a thing of the past — Android could soon gain support for a wider frequency band, boosting the quality of hands-free devices.

Android expert Mishaal Rahman, with a hat tip to Luca Stefani, highlighted a recent patch to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) that implements features connected to Super Wideband (SWB) Speech as outlined in version 1.9 of Bluetooth’s Hands Free Profile (HFP).

In other words, Android will support a wider range of frequencies reproduced through hands-free devices. Currently, Android uses HFP version 1.8 with wideband support, covering frequencies from 50Hz to 7kHz (called HD Voice). SWB would support 50Hz to 14kHz through the LC3 codec, falling just short of ‘fullband’ reproduction at 20Hz to 20kHz.

Of course, it’s worth keeping in mind that HFP 1.9 hasn’t officially been adopted yet and remains a work in progress. Still, it looks like the way is paved to better Bluetooth call quality. All that remains is how long it will take to hit Android devices, which will likely depend on device manufacturers.

Source: Mishaal Rahman Via: Android Police

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One setting can fix (or break) group chats on Android

Being the person that breaks a group chat is liable to get you banned from future messaging threads, but if you’re on Android, there’s a setting that can help your phone play nicer with iPhones and other Android devices.

When I’m setting up a phone, this toggle is already set to Group Chat mode, but recently when moving back to the Nothing Phone (1), my chats were all messed up as I needed to reset it.

To start, open the Android Messages app. This is the default on most Android phones, but if you don’t have it, you can download it here. Once you have the app open, tap on your profile image in the top right corner and choose ‘Messages settings.’ Then scroll down near the bottom of the page and select ‘Advanced.’ The first option here is called ‘Group messaging,’ and it allows you to either send group chat replies or mass texts. Most people will want this set to the second option, ‘send an MMS reply to all recipients (group MMS).’

This allows you to have conversations with multiple people at the same time and, in my experience, even works with iPhones. You’ll still have a green bubble, but you can partake in chats. If you and all your friends have Android phones and RCS chat enabled, you can even add more members to a chat, leave a thread or even send read receipts.

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Android 13 is running on more than 12 percent of Android phones

The latest numbers show impressive growth from the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system, with Android 13 running on over 12 percent of Android phones — more than double the amount last quarter.

We may be used to companies like Apple boasting about the number of users running the latest version of iOS, but it’s not often Google can share similar successes (although on a smaller scale). In fact, the company just made it harder to access its market share graphs. Quarterly reports can still be accessed through Android Studio, however.

Despite having a history of falling short of first place, Google’s latest report shows considerable growth with its latest operating system after a start that saw only 5 percent of smartphones running Android 13 in its first month. Without question, users are switching over from Android 12 to Android 13, with the previous OS being down 2.4 percent since January.

This information comes from Android’s most recent distribution chart.

Samsung deserves a cut of the praise for Android 13’s recent growth, with the tech giant updating its older smartphones to Android 13 and the new Galaxy S23 coming with the operating system installed. Android 13 is expected makes its way to its mid-range models, so the growth could ramp up even more over the coming months.

Android will hopefully celebrate the small wins, but not for too long. Android 14 beta 1 was revealed by Google recently, which marks the company’s desire to capitalize on its recent growth immediately.

Via: Android Police

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Samsung Galaxy S23 series wirelessly charges a bit longer than predecessor

Sometimes newer isn’t always better.

In a recent comparison conducted by Phone Arena, we learned that the Galaxy S22 might feature faster charging than the Galaxy S23.

According to the report, the S23 Ultra takes about 40 minutes longer than the S22 Ultra to charge from 1 to 100 percent when wirelessly charging.

Phone Arena used Samsung’s EP-P2400 15W wireless charging to avoid any inconsistencies in the testing process.

Phone Arena also tested the Galaxy S23 Plus, which charges 15 minutes longer and the normal S23, which takes 16 minutes longer to recharge fully. It’s worth noting that the S23 Plus and S23 have slightly larger batteries than their predecessors.

Phone Arena tested the iPhone 14 Pro series as well, which took pretty long to charge, but it’s worth noting the 14 Pro Max has a comparable charge time to the S23 Ultra.

The S23 series likely takes longer to charge due to overheating protection. However, Samsung’s own documentation says the S23 offers an enhanced level of heat dissipation for the S23. It’s also unclear why the S22 Ultra, which offers the same battery as the S23 Ultra, takes longer to charge.

Phone Arena is using a 15W wireless charger, which isn’t the best charging source, as OnePlus offers a 45W wireless charger; however, the S23 Ultra and S22 Ultra only offer 15W wireless charging, so it makes sense to use this medium.

Image Credit: Phone Arena

Source: Phone Arena

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Android will soon auto-archive unused apps to make rooms for new apps

Google will bring a new ‘auto-archive’ feature to Android that will let users “automatically free up to nearly 60 percent of an app’s storage space” to make room for new apps.

In a post on the Android Developers Blog (via Android Authority), Google explained that one of the main reasons people uninstall apps is to free up space. The company hopes that auto-archive can help reduce unnecessary app uninstalls by removing parts of infrequently used apps instead.

The feature works by partly removing an app to free up space. Auto-archive doesn’t get rid of the icon or users’ data, however. That way, when someone wants to resume using an archived app, all they need is to redownload some of the files from the Play Store (assuming the app is still available) and they can pick up right where they left off.

People will need to opt-in to use auto-archive. Google describes the process in the blog post, which goes something like this: when users attempt to install a new app, but there isn’t enough space, Android will show a pop-up prompting them to turn on auto-archive. Once turned on, Android will start auto-archiving unused apps to free up space for the new app.

Android’s app auto-archive feature | Image credit: Google

Based on images shared by Google in the blog post, it seems like there will be an option to turn off auto-archive in the Settings menu, but it’s not clear if there will be a way to manually enable the feature without the pop-up. My Pixel 7 doesn’t appear to have any auto-archive settings or options, and with only about half my storage used, I don’t think I’ll be seeing auto-archive any time soon. That said, it’s also not clear if auto-archive is available now or coming with a future update.

It’s also worth noting that apps need to use App Bundles to be eligible for auto-archive. App Bundles is a feature that lets the Play Store generate optimized APKs for each device, which means only the code and resources needed for a specific device get downloaded. However, that shouldn’t be a huge problem for most developers, given Google has required that new apps use App Bundles since August 2021.

Source: Android Developers Blog Via: Android Authority

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Motorola unveils the new Moto G Power 5G to its budget-tier line

Motorola has just announced the latest addition to its budget-tier lineup — the Moto G Power 5G.

The phone features an octa-core processor with 5G performance, a 6.5-inch FHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 256GB of built-in storage, depending on the model. It also houses the spatial sound of Dolby Atmos on its stereo speakers for increased audio quality.

Motorola’s newest offering uses the Android 13 operating system, with easy access to popular Google apps.

Additionally, the Moto G Power 5G is capable of going more than a full day on a single charge, thanks to its 5,000mAh battery. It allows up to 38 hours of battery life, giving users more time to explore all of the features the phone offers, including customizable themes and wallpapers or testing features like three-finger screenshots and quick launch.

Moto G5

Further, users can use the 50-megapixel main camera for capturing photos day or night. The main rear camera also captures video in Full High Definition (60/30fps.)

Aesthetic-wise, the Moto G Power comes in ‘Mineral Black’ and ‘Pearl White’ and features a water-repellant design.

Moreover, Motorola offers ‘Family Space,’ allowing a custom safe space to be created, complete with adjustable screen time limits and app accessibility.

The Moto G Power 5G will be available in the U.S. at Best Buy, Amazon and Motorola starting April 13th and will retail for $299.99 United States.

In Canada, it will be available at Motorola.ca in the coming months for roughly $403.77 CAD.

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Android apps will need to let users delete their accounts and data

Soon, Android apps that let you make an account will also have to let you delete the account and its data from both the app and website.

According to a blog post on the Android Developers Blog (via Engadget), Google hopes to create “a more intuitive experience” and ” better educate our shared users on the data controls available to them.”

Along with providing the option to delete your account and data, developers will need to wipe data for an account when users request the account be deleted. And the web requirements are intended to help ensure users don’t need to reinstall an app just to delete their account.

The policy won’t come into effect right away, though. According to the blog, developers will have until December 7th to answer questions about data deletion in apps’ safety forms, and Play Store listing will start showing the changes in early 2024. Developers can also file for an extension until May 31st, 2023.

It’s worth noting Apple made a similar change with the App Store a couple of months ago.

The move to require account and data deletion is part of a wider concern about privacy violations and, as Engadget notes, perhaps a response to growing regulatory efforts in the U.S. to give consumers control over accounts and services (though that might focus more on subscriptions).

Source: Android Developers Blog Via: Engadget

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Anti shoulder surfer security features to come with Android 14

The latest Android 13 QPR3 Beta 2 dropped this week, and it brought with it several bug fixes and a minor improvement for Adaptive Charging.

Although Android 13 QPR3 beta 2 doesn’t come with a ton of changes, it includes hints about a new feature that could be incredibly useful for those who are always wary of shoulder surfers.

According to XDADevelopers, enhanced PIN privacy will make its way to Android devices with the next major OS update — Android 14. The new “enhanced PIN privacy” toggle in Android 13 QPR3 Beta 2 is located in Settings > Security & privacy > Device lock. What the feature essentially does is that it disables the animations, keystrokes and numeric previews as you enter your PIN on the screen. This is particularly helpful when you’re unlocking your phone in a crowded place and are wary of someone else reading your keystrokes.

Until Android 14 comes out, the “enhanced PIN privacy” feature is likely to remain a Pixel-exclusive feature.

From what we know so far, Android 14 will also bring separate live wallpapers for Home and Lock screens, alongside separate ring and notification volume settings in the new OS. Android 14 is expected to come out sometime this fall, so users wouldn’t have to wait too long to make use of the security feature.

Source: XDADevelopers

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Pixel 5 user reportedly gets April security patch a week early

A Canadian Pixel 5 user has managed to get Google’s April security update a bit early. Reddit user ‘-BEA5T- ‘ posted that they received the update early and even proved it with a screenshot.

The screenshot shows that their ‘system is up to date’ and includes the date of April 5th. The update will hit these devices next week, so seeing it roll out early is interesting, especially since some users are only receiving the March 2023 update.

-BEA5T-  shared that their Pixel 5 is running on build number ‘TQ2A.230405.003.’

Comment
by u/-BEA5T- from discussion Pixel 5 received April 5 2023 security patch this morning
in GooglePixel

It’s not unheard of for a smartphone company to release a patch early. Samsung does it occasionally; however, it’s also possible that this is just a glitch.

Google hasn’t released anything official about anything about April’s security update.

Source: Reddit ‘-BEA5T- ‘ Via: Android Authority 

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Google Camera update bring new zoom UI to Pixel 7/7 Pro

Google’s Camera app has received a new update that brings exciting features to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro as part of the March Feature Drop.

The update includes the required code needed to enable faster Night Sight on the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro, as shared by 9to5Google. Additionally, the latest version of the Camera app doesn’t only offer updates for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are also receiving a revamped zoom UI with the update.

The update is now rolling out on the Play Store, and the new zoom controls are only available on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. The new UI features light blue line segments, replacing the white dots used in the previous version, to indicate the different zoom levels. Additionally, the font for the zoom level indicator is now larger and easier to read, and it uses the same light blue colour as other areas of the Camera app.

We’re uncertain why the new zoom interface is limited to the latest Pixel flagship. It’s also unclear if the UI will roll to older Pixel devices as well.

You can find the latest version of Google Camera on the Play Store. The update is rolling out now, so you might not see it immediately.

Via: 9to5Google