AC Newsweek
Newsweek is our column where we highlight and summarize some of the week’s top stories so you can stay up to date on the latest tech news.
Android Central’s weekly news release is your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week’s biggest tech stories. This is where we delve into the headlines, which provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
This week, Motorola launches two affordable phones, TikTok gets its last chance to stay in the U.S., Chrome improves phishing email security, Galaxy S24 Plus is a surprise hit, and Google Messages gets custom colors chat function.
Hello Motorola
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Earlier this week, Motorola launched its budget phones Moto G 5G 2024 and Moto G Power 5G 2024. Both phones offer upgraded specs, run Android 14 out of the box, and feature improved displays, cameras, and processors compared to their predecessors. previous model.
Moto G 5G is smaller in size, equipped with a 6.6-inch HD LCD display and a 5000mAh battery that supports 18W charger. It is powered by a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chip with a 2GHz octa-core CPU, paired with 4GB of RAM, and you can double the memory to 8GB using RAM Boost. The device has a 50MP primary camera, a secondary 2MP macro unit without ultra-wide angle, and an 8MP front-facing camera. This year’s device is cheaper at $199, which is a significant drop from last year’s $249 model.
The Moto G Power 5G is the slightly more expensive model, with a 6.7-inch FHD+ LCD display and a 5,000mAh battery that supports 30W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. The phone is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor with 2.2 GHz octa-core CPU. It has 128GB of internal storage and supports microSD expansion up to 1TB. There are two rear cameras – a 50MP primary camera with optical image stabilization and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens with 118-degree angle and macro support. On the front is a 16MP selfie camera. This year’s device sells for $299.
The phones will be available from March 21st.
Time is passing…Tik…Tok
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On Wednesday (March 13), the U.S. Congress passed a bill that will have a major impact on TikTok, an application used by at least 170 million Americans.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of the Protecting Americans from Applications Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act.Although the bill mentions TikTok, it applies to any app in the United States that is controlled by a foreign consulting agency
TikTok has been given 180 days to ensure that its Chinese parent company ByteDance sells TikTok in the United States or it will be banned in the country. This means that any app store or web server hosting TikTok will become illegal.
“We gave TikTok a clear choice,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.
The move comes after the U.S. government expressed concerns about national security and risks to platform user data. A spokesperson for TikTok called the bill a “ban” and hoped the Senate would consider the facts before taking any action.
The bill is currently before the Senate, where its fate remains uncertain.
Samsung S24 Plus is a big hit
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The popularity of the latest Galaxy S24 Plus has become a talking point, and we’re not surprised.
Sales of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series have increased compared to the Galaxy S23 series, and the latest data shows us why.According to the latest data from Counterpoint Research, sales of the Galaxy S24 series in the first three weeks increased by 8% compared with sales at the beginning of last year, with S24 Plus driving this growth.
“In Samsung’s largest market – the United States – we saw year-over-year growth, which is a solid number, especially considering a difficult February. Considering we are still in the beginning stages of the upcoming GenAI smartphone boom, Counterpoint Jeff Fieldhack, Research Director of North America, said:
For years, Samsung’s Plus models have been viewed as larger versions of their base models, with bigger batteries and faster charging. The device doesn’t offer much difference. However, this year’s version has QHD+ resolution for better image quality, RAM has been bumped up to 12GB, and, let’s not forget the magic of Galaxy AI.
You won’t get phished on Google Chrome
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Google announced on March 15 that it will add a standard protection mode to Chrome’s Safe Browsing feature so that everyone can get real-time protection against phishing and malware attacks.
Google upgraded Chrome’s protection system “Safe Browsing” last year, adding real-time protection capabilities.
This feature was previously only available in Safe Browsing Enhanced protection mode, keep an eye on the URLs you’re browsing and instantly warn you if you stumble into some sketchy part of the internet.
The update is live now and available to anyone using Chrome on desktop or iOS. Google also plans to bring it to Android users later this month.
Google launches RCS custom chat colors
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Google Messages allows beta testers to set custom colors for RCS chats.
Back in November, Google rolled out color options for chat bubbles, allowing users to personalize the color of their chats. Now, the update appears to be gradually rolling out to beta testers.
To explore new color options, simply click the three-dot menu button in any Google Messages thread and select “Change Color” from the overflow menu. Another method is to go to the overflow menu, click on “Details” or “Group Details” and look for the “Change Color” option under the Images and Videos section. A full-screen preview UI will pop up, providing nine choices, including default color, blue, purple, green, orange, and pink options.
Once you select a new color for your thread, a message will pop up at the bottom of the screen: “You have changed the theme.”
These are some of the biggest stories of the week. In the meantime, here are some other stories worth watching: