AC Weekly News
News Weekly is our column where we highlight and summarize some of the week’s top stories so you can stay up to date with the latest tech news.
This is Android Central’s weekly news roundup, your go-to source for a concise summary of the week’s most important tech news. This is where we delve into the top headlines that showcase the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
This week, Samsung unveiled several of its devices in Paris, starting with the Galaxy Ring, Galaxy Z Fold and Z Fold 6, Buds 3 and 3 Pro, and the Galaxy Watch 7 series. While this launch may have grabbed the most attention in terms of news, here are some other things that happened in the tech world.
Let’s start with the XR headset launching this year, the new Galaxy Watch series might be missing a feature, Google is dropping Lollipop support, OnePlus devices are leaking ahead of its summer event, and a new feature might let you search the dark web. Let’s dive in.
Samsung will finally launch its XR headset
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Samsung always ends its events by leaving us wanting more. January’s Unpacked gave us the Galaxy Ring, while the mid-year event ended with a quick mention of the Samsung XR headset.
Samsung surprised us on stage by saying that a “new XR platform is coming later this year.” While we didn’t get to see any images of the device, we speculated about the XR headset. The company reportedly plans to debut it in the summer of 2025, but it looks like we’ll get to see it in action within the next five months.
All we know for now is that Samsung’s headsets are still in the early stages of development. Samsung’s headset could be more than just for gaming, like the Meta Quest 3, but we expect full access to the Google Play Store with all the apps included. Samsung also wants to make its XR device more affordable: to be three times cheaper than the Vision Pro, it could cost around $1,000.
The new Galaxy Watch Ultra is missing an important feature
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The new Galaxy Watch series has ditched a feature called PowerShare, a wireless charging feature that was compatible with smartphones. In a recent update to its support page, Samsung said that the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch 7 Ultra do not support wireless charging from a paired Galaxy phone. X user Jordy Verboven was the first to notice this change.
This handy feature allows compatible smartwatches to wirelessly charge their batteries by bringing them close together, a great way to top off your watch when it’s running low on power. While this feature isn’t available on newer watches, it’s still available on older devices.
Samsung had to remove this feature due to a design change with the new sensor array, which required reshaping the rear glass of both Watch models, which increased the distance between the internal wireless charging coil and the external charging surface, making the previous wireless power sharing capability impossible.
Android Lollipop is no more
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Google first launched Android Lollipop software in 2014 with its Nexus 6 device. Now, a decade later, the company is stopping official updates.
Google will stop Google Play Services updates for Android Lollipop devices starting this month. A Google spokesperson explained that the reason for the decision was the percentage of active Android Lollipop devices, which is believed to be less than one percent at present.
While updates are no longer available for this version of the software, Google Play Services support will continue to work. However, users will not receive “any new features, important security updates, and some apps may not be compatible.”
Android KitKat updates were also halted last July. With Lollipop gone, Marshmallow phones could be next in line.
Spoiler alert: OnePlus devices revealed ahead of launch
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A midweek leak revealed some serious information about OnePlus’ upcoming launch; it gave us a full list of devices that could launch on July 16 in Milan. The lineup includes the OnePlus Nord 4, Pad 2, Watch 2R, and Nord Buds 3 Pro.
The leak comes from Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka OnLeaks). According to him, the OnePlus Nord 4 will have an all-metal body, a tonal finish, and three colorways: black, mint, and silver. The Nord 4 is said to have a 6.74-inch 1.5K AMOLED display and a 120Hz refresh rate. The device will be powered by Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 and a 5,500mAh battery capacity. The dual cameras on the back include a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP secondary camera, and a 16MP selfie camera on the front.
Now, moving on to the OnePlus Watch 2R: the renders shared by the publication indicate that the smartwatch will come in green and a classic black colorway. It could be a revamped and affordable version of the OnePlus Watch 2 variant in the Chinese region with eSIM support.
Next up, the OnePlus Pad 2 could look a lot like its predecessor, with an aluminum unibody design with rounded corners. The tipster notes that it will feature a 12.1-inch LCD display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 900 nits.
Finally, the company’s upcoming earbuds also appear to have leaked. They appear to feature a stem with a similar design to the older Nord Buds 2, but with an oval aesthetic. The renders further indicate that the ear tip will have a glossy finish while the stem will have a matte finish.
Google could tell you if you’re on the dark web
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In April, Google One announced that it was shutting down two features: the Google One VPN service and free delivery of Google Photos prints. However, one of the key elements of Google One VPN is a feature called Dark Web Report, which provides subscribers with information about their data (including account login information and personal information) and lets them know if it has been leaked to the dark web.
As spotted by 9to5Google, a banner in the Google One app explains that starting in late July, dark web reporting will operate as a separate service and will no longer require a subscription.
“Dark Web Reports will be available to all users with a consumer Google Account,” the company explains, as reported by 9to5Google. “Dark Web Reports are integrated with Results About You as a combined solution to help users protect their online presence.”
Why might this be a good idea, you ask? Our editor Brady Snyder believes this kind of thing shouldn’t be a paid feature. “This feature that helps people stay safe and protect their privacy should be free.”
“Even if you stick to basic information like name, address, and email, it will be helpful to know what kind of data is on the web. For example, if you see your email showing up on the dark web, you may want to be more careful about receiving unsolicited messages and improve spam filters.”
Here are some of the biggest stories this week. In the meantime, here are some more stories worth reading: