Andrew Grush/Android Authority
Welcome to the 523rd edition of Android Apps Weekly, where we discuss the latest mobile news and take a closer look at some of the most interesting new apps and games. Let’s jump right in and take a look at some of last week’s biggest highlights:
- Google Wallet seems to be following in the footsteps of the Dodo bird and taking its place entirely. Google has announced that it will retire the app and it will be completely unavailable after June 4 this year. Users can view and transfer their balance even after using the Google Pay website.
- Google this week launched a new artificial intelligence model called Gemma. The new open source artificial intelligence model is not as mature as Gemini, but it is very suitable for small, lightweight projects.
- After recently launching the Gemini app as an optional download, Google is now phasing out Assistant by default. You get Gemini when you download the Assistant app and have to switch it back manually.
- Google Messages may be getting new camera effects soon, as recently spotted in several signs spotted within the app. This isn’t the only change, as Google may also be experimenting with removing primary contacts during searches as well as a few other minor changes.
- Google is testing a new artificial intelligence feature called “App Highlights” in the Play Store. This new feature summarizes the key points of an app, making it easier for you to cut through the nonsense in the description and dig deeper into what the app has to offer. Currently, the feature is still only available to a few lucky users.
- Android Authority’s latest APK teardown of Snapchat reveals that the company is working on a new feature called Tiny Snaps. In a nutshell, the feature allows you to record a small snapshot when you receive a message. While we don’t know anything about the feature, the idea seems to be to capture users’ reactions as they type in new messages.
- This week, Google revealed how Assistant AI digests will work on Android Auto-enabled vehicles. The new feature will summarize group chats and personal texts longer than 40 words, giving you more to-the-point messages that you can easily reply to by voice.
Android App Weekly: New Apps and Games
Looking for some new Android apps and Android games to keep you busy? There are two new apps to highlight this week, and three fantastic games.
healthy steps
- price: Free with in-app purchases
Healthsteps is not your typical health and fitness app. While the core of the experience is engaging in healthy activities, viewing, and exercise, what makes this experience unique is that it also serves as a dating platform.
From what I understand, it matches you with people who are compatible with your life goals and also share the same interests in fitness. I’m happily married, so I can’t reveal too much about how well this app works, but if it sounds like something you’d like, you might want to check it out.
Rainbow Six is now available on mobile devices, but it’s definitely not as you know it. Rainbow Six: Smol plays exactly like traditional entries in the series, albeit in a more cartoony style. There are also tactical special forces missions, hostage rescues and breaking into your favorite doors.
During my time playing the game, I noticed that the game is easier than a typical shooter, but that’s not surprising given its mobile nature. The good news is that it gets more challenging as you get further into the game. The only major issue here is that this Android game requires an active Netflix subscription to play.
shovel pirate
- price: Free with in-app purchases
Shovel Pirate is a puzzle platformer that gives me serious old-school Kirby vibes in terms of art style. There’s almost no major story here, but the game doesn’t need to be.
Overall, this game is a lot of fun to play even though it’s short. You can also achieve two different endings, one good and one not so good.
Invincible: Protect the Earth
- price: Free with in-app purchases
The Invincible series has been around for over two decades, and despite having a huge fan base, until recently it had never received a mobile game adaptation. This new mobile game developed by Ubisoft feels a bit like a cash grab, with familiar gacha-style gameplay, plenty of quick combat, a simple upgrade system, and more. However, if you like these types of games and are a fan of the series, it might be worth trying.
In my limited playing time, I found the game to be fun enough, with good graphics and easy-to-learn mechanics. I did find a lot of the action repetitive, but on the plus side, the game is very stable and I didn’t notice any major bugs. All in all, this game may not live up to the legacy of the series it’s named after, but it’s better than nothing and can still serve as a fun diversion. It’s also free to play, although, as you’d expect, there are in-app purchases.
nascar manager
- price: Free with in-app purchases
NASCAR Manager puts you in the role of crew chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. You can manage your team, win games to get rewards, and more. If you like both management strategy games and racing games, this hybrid might be right up your alley.
During my time with the game, I found the graphics to be excellent and the gameplay to be decent, although in-app purchases, watching videos to earn coins, and other parts of the experience were much less appealing to me. Personally, I’d rather pay extra for a game like this and get rid of the ads and paid add-ons, but that’s just my opinion. It’s free, though, so it’s worth at least giving it a try.