Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes stunning Pixel 6a leak, Samsung’s new camera technology, OnePlus 10 Pro review, the problem with benchmarking, Microsoft updates Windows’ smartphone software, and the community debates bloatware.
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).
This Pixel 6 Upgrade Is Brought To You By The Letter ‘A’
Following the successful launch of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro late last year (not forgetting the Google-designed Tensor Mobile system on chip), plans for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro in 2022 are cropping up. before that, though, there’s the small matter of a mid-cycle update in the form of the Pixel 6A… which could be revealed in early May:
“Google I/O ’22. From what I understand, Google will officially be announcing the Pixel 6a + “teasing” the Pixel Watch. Pixel 6a launch (in most markets) pushed to July 28th. Pixel Watch will be formally announced and launched with Pixel 7 and 7 Pro in October.”
(Front Page Tech on Twitter).
RealMe’s Camera Gets Real
Samsung’s latest camera technology, the Isocell HM6, promises to offer sharper images, improved light capturing ability, and more clarity on details. Yet it won’t debut on a Samsung device. Instead it’s coming to the RealMe family later this year:
“This will be the company’s second smartphone to come with a 108MP image sensor. Notably, the Realme 8 Pro was the previous device. However, it came with the Samsung ISOCELL HM2. On the other hand, the Realme 9 will get the brand new Samsung ISOCELL HM6 image sensor, making it the first device to ship with the HM6 image sensor.”
(SamMobile).
OnePlus 10 Pro’s Camera Credentials
Ahead of the global launch of the OnePlus 10 Pro, the OnePlus camera team published a deep dive into the key benefits of the new handsets. The performance and the display are highlighted, but the headline features in the camera are probably of most interest; with three camera color profiles that echo the work of a Hasselblad Ambassador photographers Yin Chao, Ben Thomas, and David Peskens:
“Now, we’re introducing Master Style − three color styles accessible via the filter’s menu that are each calibrated by a Hasselblad photographer. Working together with two Hasselblad Masters winners and a Hasselblad Ambassador, we spent several months meticulously calibrating the three color styles to match the color and style each is known for.”
(OnePlus Forum).
OnePlus 10 Pro 5G
Ewan Spence
OnePlus 10 Pro Reviewed
The upgraded camera software was one of the key features in the new handset. Following the global launch, reviews on the OnePlus 10 Pro were published, including my own. It’s very much a flagship handset, but as with all of the 2022 handsets, it will launch with Android 12, and that comes with a number of mandates that don’t fit the philosophy of many:
“If the OnePlus 10 Pro has a weakness, it’s one that is becoming a common discussion point on any Android smartphone and that’s Android 12. This lies at the heart of OxygenOS, and with Google essentially pushing more of its own theming and UI principles to its Android partners, OxygenOS has had a visual overhaul that is, to my eyes, a downgrade on previous versions. In the main, the clean and stripped back UI that I liked from OxygenOS has gone.”
(Forbes).
When Is A Benchmark Not A Benchmark?
With ultimate performance becoming a key marketing feature of flagship handsets – especially those with a focus on gaming and media creation – balancing battery endurance against the hungry specs is part of optimising a handset’s software. I don’t think anyone would complain at this. But with companies trying to game the systems to get the best single benchmarking numbers, it’s getting fraught, as we can see in the discussions of the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro handsets.
“Versions of the Geekbench app the system recognizes as either Geekbench or Genshin Impact saw benchmark results with up to 50% better single-core performance on the 12 Pro compared to versions of the app that the system believed were Netflix or Chrome — a substantial performance penalty. Even the 12X was affected to a certain degree, with a similar but smaller difference in results that was nonetheless larger than any expected margin of error.”
(Android Police).
Your Phone Meets A New Windows Desktop
A prominent part of Windows 11 is Microsoft’s smartphone connectivity software. Previously called “Your Phone”, the emotional connection has been lost as Microsoft rebrands the utility as “Phone Link.” Along with the name change, it also picks up a UI redesign to better fit Windows 11, and has paired up with Honor to support its new portfolio of phones.
“Phone Link now places the notification panel upfront, and the notifications tab is now pinned to the left-hand side panel. Microsoft has also moved the Messages, Photos, Apps, and Calls sections into a navigation bar that sits at the top of Phone Link. The notifications section has also been cleaned up to make it easier to see the notifications that matter.”
(The Verge).
And Finally…
As smartphone manufactures continue to ship their own apps and services alongside those mandated by Google Play Services, more apps that are considered by some as bloatware slip into the packaging. But what is bloatware? The /r/Android community on Reddit have been discussing that very question:
“…. stuff like the s4’s “S Health” app, modern updates to alcatel’s builtin files app, preloaded games and social media, ad delivery software, and personally most of google’s preloaded programs, are bloatware as they provide little to no utility to the end user, provide little to no functionality to the phone, or who’s primary purpose is to satisfy a company’s monetary interests.
(Reddit).
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!