This is Android Central’s weekly news release, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week’s biggest tech stories. This is where we dive into the headlines that provide the latest developments contributing to the digital landscape.
This week, we got a glimpse of the OnePlus Watch 2, Galaxy AI is reaching more devices, Huawei launches its latest flip phone, the Google Pay app is shutting down, and Gmail is caught in a social media scam.
A first look at the new OnePlus Watch 2
Earlier this week, OnePlus gave the first full look at its next-generation smartwatch. OnePlus calls the Watch 2 “your timely companion,” and it’s more than just a wearable device that improves users’ daily lives. This comes after a three-year hiatus, which the company described as a “reflective pause.”
The watch is said to have a battery life of up to 100 hours in smart mode. It comes in two colorways: black steel and radiant steel.
While the company hasn’t confirmed any details about the software that will operate this year’s smartwatch, some leaks suggest the watch could be the company’s first with WearOS.
The product will be officially launched on February 26 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
Older Galaxy phones are getting AI magic
On Wednesday (February 21), Samsung announced that the Galaxy AI features that debuted on its latest flagship series, such as the Galaxy S23 series, will be rolled out on more devices.
These features will also be available for other 2023 flagship Galaxy phones and tablets, and will be rolled out through the new One UI 6.1 update starting to be released at the end of March.
According to the press release, more Galaxy users will be able to use Galaxy AI features such as Circle to Search (allowing users to search for anything across a variety of apps), Chat Assist (for real-time translation of text messages), real-time translation of calls, and more.
In addition, Samsung users will be able to get creative with their photos and videos with AI-powered photo editing tools Generative Edit and Instant Slow-Mo, which generates extra frames for slow-motion videos to capture the moment in the video.
“This is just the beginning of Galaxy AI, as we plan to bring the experience to more than 10 million Galaxy users in 2024 and continue to innovate ways to harness the endless possibilities of mobile AI,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Division. Experience Samsung Business.
Oops, Gmail fell into a scam
A manipulated image is circulating on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that Gmail will be retired starting in August this year. As strange as it sounds, the tweet went viral so quickly that Gmail became a trending topic on X.
“After years of connecting millions of people around the world, enabling seamless communication and cultivating countless connections, Gmail’s journey is coming to an end,” the image reads. “Effective August 1, 2024, Gmail will officially be retired. End of service. This means Gmail will no longer support sending, receiving, or storing email.”
Soon, Gmail stepped in and put all of this speculation to rest with a simple tweet: “Gmail is here to stay.”
However, it’s worth noting that Google will ditch basic HTML views on Gmail this year, according to a 2023 email. The support page provides users with guidance on transitioning to the new version.
Huawei launches five-camera flip phone
Huawei launched the Pocket 2 foldable phone this week, the brand’s first flip phone in nearly three years.
The device has a 7-inch screen and a total of five cameras: 50MP main sensor, 12MP ultra-wide sensor, 8MP 3x telephoto lens, 2MP spectrum camera, and 10.7 MP ultra-wide selfie camera.
The main screen uses a 6.94-inch LTPO OLED panel and is paired with 12GB of RAM, with storage options ranging from 256GB to 1TB. The Pocket 2 comes in 4 colors and costs around $1,000.
The downside is that Americans can’t get their hands on the smartphone as Huawei remains mired in the U.S.-China trade war. Currently, the smartphone is only available in China, and it’s unclear when it will be launched globally.
Say goodbye to G-Pay
Yes, this is true.
Google is preparing to shut down its Google Pay app starting June 4. The company said the app will no longer be available to all U.S. users in an attempt to get users to start using the Wallet app.
In other words, users can still use other G-Pay features directly through Google Wallet, such as click-to-pay and other management tools.
From now until June 4, users can continue to use Google Pay to “view and transfer” their balance from the app to their bank account. After that, balances can only be transferred via the website.
The end of Google Pay will also end its P2P (peer-to-peer) payment options. The post states that users will no longer be able to send, request or receive funds from others in the US version of the Google Pay app.
These are some of the biggest stories of the week. In the meantime, here are some other stories worth watching this week: