Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes the latest reviews of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, problems with the Pixel Watch, Samsung’s ambitious update plans, a new Honor Magic V for China, and Apple faces more RCS messaging pressure.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
Pixel 8 Review
It’s a little smaller, it’ has one less lens in the primary camera, and there’s nothing incredibly exciting about the new Pixel 8; but it’s a great day-to-day phone where a lot of tiny advantages add up to something pretty damn smart for a phone:
“Cool design, a better display than before and super-fast performance all make the Pixel 8 a highly usable phone that, unless you really must have the significantly better camera set-up on the Pro, is easy to recommend. The price has gone up this year to $699, compared to $599 last time around. But that’s a great deal cheaper than the $999 you need to splash out on the Pro. Last year’s Pixels were flagship phones at mid-range prices. That’s not the case any longer, but the Pixel 8 still represents good value.”
(Forbes).
Pixel 8 Pro Review
The larger Pixel 8 Pro picks up where last year’s model left off, although the popularity of the flat display on the Pixel 7 compared to the curved Pixel 7 Pro has led to the 8 Pro using a flat display as well. As for everything else, the hardware has been iterated on while the AI software makes the real difference:
“All this positioning is lovely, but is it a “good smartphone” for consumers? As an upgrade from last year’s Pixel 7 Pro, there are not enough points of difference in the hardware, and I’d expect much of the AI-based software to be backported over time. Coming from the Pixel 6 Pro, there’s an argument that there is now enough of a difference to be considered.”
(Forbes).
Pixel Watch 2 Review
Last year saw Google debut the first Pixel wearable in the Pixel Watch. Targeting the sports/fitness crowd and working with the Fitbit platform was a useful first start with some areas to address. Has the Pixel Watch 2 managed that?
“Before this watch launched, I wrote that all it needed was good battery life. Spoiler alert — the Pixel Watch 2 has made big strides on this front (though probably not enough for folks looking for a truly multiday smartwatch). The watch went from being a gadget I had to baby to something that could fit into my everyday life. That, plus a barrage of updates big and small, have, in turn, opened up a lot of possibilities that just weren’t there last year.”
(The Verge).
The Pixel Watch Just Looks Slower
Meanwhile, owners of the first Pixel Watch have been handed slower charging times for their wearable. Alongside the new firmware, Google has updated the charging time required to reach 50, 80, and 100 per cent. This is more of an indicative exercise than a code change, but it does make the Pixel Watch 2’s charging time look more attractive to shoppers:
“Google tells us that a “firmware update for Google Pixel Watches required us to review the charging times, the new times are what the average user will experience.” The company did not say when this change rolled out or why it was necessary. Thermal concerns come to mind, with the Pixel Watch being quite warm to the touch after a full charging session. (The pin-based charger on the Pixel Watch 2 generates less heat.) These updated times are more reflective of what we experienced on the first-gen device in recent months.”
(9to5Google).
Samsung’s Bigger Window For Security
With Google now promoting seven years of software and security updates, other manufacturers must consider stepping in to reach this goal. Samsung is certainly doing so with a wish to extend the current five-year window. While Shin-Chul Baik (Principal Engineer and Technical Program Manager of the Security Team) cannot mention software updates, he can reinforce the security team’s message:
“He revealed that Samsung has been actively discussing what the company should be doing with regards to long term security updates beyond the five years of support that it currently provides. He mentioned that this vision of supporting devices for longer aligns with Samsung as well and that in light of new regulations coming up, Samsung is preparing to go beyond its current period of five years of support.”
(SamMobile).
Honor’s Folding Price Point
Honor has released an “S” variant of its book-fold Magic V2. The straightforwardly named Magic VS2 is available now in China. Rather than bumping up the specs all around, this S release has specs which are slightly lower than the main phone, but that makes it a more affordable folding phone.”
“The Honor Magic Vs2 is the second in Honor’s “Vs” lineup, which is a slightly trimmed-down version of the brand’s flagship foldable. It’s all very confusing, but the short version is that this is a slightly cheaper version of the foldable that Honor launched earlier this year. Pricing on Honor Magic Vs2 starts at 6,999 Yuan, around $960 when converted to US dollars, and launches later this month in China. That’s down from the 8,999 Yuan of the Magic V2.
(9to5Google).
And Finally…
The pressure on Apple to adopt the RCS cross-platform messaging framework grew this week, with Samsung supporting Google’s #GetTheMessage campaign. And the topic? APple’s use of colors to segment the wider market from iMessage users:
“The video, titled “Green bubbles and blue bubbles want to be together,” shows a Romeo and Juliet-style conversation between two users who want to be together, but who are kept apart by one of their “parents.” “What did green ever do to them? We’re bubbles too,” one of them asks.”
(The Verge).
Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course, read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!
Read the full article here
