That is Android Central’s Information Weekly, your go-to supply for a concise roundup of the week’s most important tech tales. That is the place we delve into the highest headlines that present the newest developments and improvements contributing to the digital panorama.
This week, Samsung’s earnings reveal its plans for 2025, Google Maps is getting higher at navigation, OpenAI launches its Google Search competitor, the OnePlus 13 is official in China, and now you can purchase a Licensed refurbished Pixel telephone.
Samsung’s 2025: A less expensive foldable and XR glasses?
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Large tech earnings started this week, and Samsung introduced its quarterly report on Thursday. Whereas these will be type of boring, typically attention-grabbing particulars can come up from them relating to an organization’s near-term plans. Samsung’s abstract of its Q3 2024 monetary report highlighted its numerous companies and gave us a glimpse into its plans for 2025 relating to telephones, XR, and extra.
Unsurprisingly, the corporate plans to launch the Galaxy S25 within the first half of 2025. If we go by final 12 months’s schedule, we are able to count on the telephone to launch in January, together with the steady One UI 7 replace . Nevertheless, that will not be the one thrilling telephone coming subsequent 12 months, as Samsung seemingly teased a less expensive foldable might be within the works to assist promote adoption and supply competitively priced gadgets. Samsung has beforehand dismissed the concept of a less expensive foldable , so we hope the corporate supplies.
Lastly, Samsung made a small point out of “XR gadgets” and its want for the Samsung Well being platform to benefit from what we are able to assume will likely be Samsung Glasses , together with the Galaxy Ring .
Google Maps will get upgrades you will care about
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A decade after Google Maps began guiding customers to the right lane throughout navigation, the corporate is now making it even simpler to see which lane you need to be in. With an replace to Google Maps coming to Android telephones and iPhones this month, customers will be capable to clearly see which lane they should be in and when, due to a zoomed-in view.
This can initially be out there in 30 cities within the U.S., however Google plans to ultimately broaden the characteristic exterior North America in addition to to Android Auto and Carplay.
Gemini can be getting some Maps integration and might present concepts for actions , displaying customers numerous evaluate summaries of locations to determine the vibe. There are a ton of different updates as nicely, akin to assist with parking, navigation to locations from the place you have parked, expanded consumer studies, and extra, which you must begin to see rolling out by means of November.
ChatGPT is shifting in on Google’s territory
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OpenAI’s ChatGPT modified the sport with generative AI to the purpose the place many noticed that Google was taking part in catch-up with the corporate. Now, OpenAI is taking part in catch-up with Google with its newest effort: ChatGPT search.
Whilst you can nonetheless converse with ChatGPT naturally to get solutions to queries, ChatGPT search will scour the online and show related outcomes to customers. This may occur inside a chat, or customers can manually start a search, as a devoted button will likely be built-in into the chat UI, making it a secondary element.
Moreover, ChatGPT will make it simple to entry sources, with hyperlinks slightly below the outcomes and accessible through a Sources bar on the facet that you may open with only a click on.
OpenAI says it will initially be out there on the internet and its apps for sure customers, akin to ChatGPT Plus and Group customers, in addition to these on the SearchGPT waitlist, whereas all free customers will ultimately have entry to the characteristic.
The OnePlus 13 seems just like the telephone to beat
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The OnePlus 13 is formally right here, though not for everybody. The telephone has launched in China, with a worldwide launch anticipated later this 12 months or on the prime of 2025, however this preliminary launch provides us a full have a look at the telephone and what we are able to count on with regards to the remainder of the world.
The OnePlus 13 incorporates a principally flat 6.8-inch 2K OLED show that has a slight curve on all sides. The show has a 120Hz refresh fee and is extremely vivid, with a 4500 nit peak. On the again is a triple digital camera setup consisting of three 50MP cameras, together with a 120-degree ultrawide and 3x telephoto lens.
The telephone runs OxygenOS 15 primarily based on Android 15 , which means you will have a few of the newest options like Circle to Search and extra.
Powering all the pieces is Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite and as much as 24GB of RAM, which means the telephone is nicely outfitted for the AI period and may have loads of energy. And holding the lights on is a large 6,000mAh battery that helps 100W wired charging and 50W wi-fi charging. There’s magnetic charging, however provided that you utilize a case.
The telephone is accessible now for preorder in China, however we’ll be looking out for a worldwide launch.
Discounted Pixels
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Google has lastly launched a Licensed Refurbished program the place it sells Pixel telephones at a reduction. These are totally inspected, with Google checking the battery, housing, and screens “for any imperfections” and utilizing “genuine Google elements” to restore them if and when wanted.
The Licensed Refurbished program consists of the Pixel 6 and newer gadgets, with the telephones discounted as a lot as 40% off and nonetheless getting the identical one-year guarantee as a brand new Pixel. Google additionally says the gadgets will characteristic the newest Android software program, though it is essential to notice that as of October 2024, help for OS upgrades on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional has formally ended , which means the gadgets will solely obtain safety updates till 2026.
Google is not the primary to supply such a program, with Samsung constantly including Galaxy telephones to its Licensed Renewed program . Nonetheless, it is good to see Google making the trouble to convey extra sustainable choices, even when we query the pricing of those gadgets .
Extra tales this week
These are a few of the greatest tales from this week. In the meantime, listed below are another tales which might be value catching up on:
