Items tagged with android 12
Google launched the first Android 12 beta last month at Google I/O, and now the company is following up with Beta 2. All the new features that we first discussed in our original article are at play here in Android 12 Beta 2, but Google continues to refine the OS experience and UI to the benefit of users. One of the most significant changes comes with connectivity via removing the Wi-Fi button in Quick Settings, the Status Bar, and within Settings. Instead, the Wi-Fi button has been replaced with a new button called Internet. Tapping it brings you to a screen that allows you to change your Wi-Fi network or toggle on/off your cellular connection. If you have a dual-SIM-capable device, this is also...
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Google is moving along swiftly with the development of Android 12, and today at Google I/O announced that the first public beta is now available for download. Android 12 brings many new features to the table, including a new UI design philosophy called Material You. With Material You, Google provides Android 12 with a more personalized way of customizing their apps and UI in real-time based on "the user's unique Material palette" all in real-time. Custom color palettes can be created based solely on your chosen wallpaper. And OS will then extract colors from your wallpaper to use throughout the UI for things like buttons and app text. This color extraction can be further tweaked and fine-tuned...
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In early April, Woot.com ran a sale on the Google Pixel 3 that saw its price fall to a low $169.99. That was a significant price cut for a device that initially launched at $799 in October 2018. The Pixel 3 was superseded by the Pixel 4 and Pixel 5 but remains a competent performer for budget smartphone shoppers. Woot now has another deal on the Pixel 3, and this time its price has been reduced to $159.99. The smartphone has a locked bootloader and was originally made for Verizon's network. However, given that it is carrier unlocked, it is compatible with "most major U.S. carriers," including AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Given that the Pixel 3 is nearly three years old, it doesn't exactly...
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There was no Google I/O developer conference last year, as Google cancelled the event amid the Coronavirus pandemic. However, that will not be the case this year. Google announced that its developer event is returning as an online event, and will be free for anyone and everyone to attend (provided they have an internet connection, of course). "Connect with developers from around the world at this year's virtual Google I/O for thoughtful discussions, hands-on learning with Google experts, and a first look at our latest developer products," Google says. The multi-day developer event kicks off May 18, with a pre-show scheduled for 9:40 am PT (12:40 pm ET). After that, there will be a Google keynote...
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If you're a fan of LG's smartphones, it was probably heartbreaking news to learn last week that the company announced plans to exit the business. LG cited an "incredibly competitive mobile phone sector" for its decision, which was compounded by the fact that the division has been a money loser for six straight years. The company would later confirm that it will provide up to three major Android OS updates. It then added the caveat, "future updates will depend on Google's distribution schedule as well as other factors such as device performance and compatibility." Well, LG has now updated its Korean-language support website with a rundown of which specific devices will receive Android updates...
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We're still months away from the [inevitable] launch of Google's Pixel 6 family of smartphones, but leaks are already starting to make their way to the internet. Late last week, Google introduced the first Android 12 Developer Preview, and code sleuths have already been poring over the operating system to see if they can find any hidden features that could be included in future Pixel devices. Mishaal Rahman of XDA-Developers seems to have uncovered one feature that could be making a reappearance on Pixel devices along with a new one. The first is facial recognition, which was last used in the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. However, when the Pixel 5 series rolled around, Google went back to a traditional...
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Google is presumably on the cusp of releasing Android 12 in developer preview form, and as you might expect, leaked information is starting to come in at a more rapid pace. Last week, for example, we wrote about supposed screenshots highlighting enhanced privacy features and new widgets in Android 12. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. Game Mode Headed To Android 12 There could be a whole lot more to Android 12, according to a recent rash of leaks. The folks at XDA Developers have been able to source a bunch of details about what to expect when Android 12 arrives, including some kind of new game mode. According to the site, Google is working on something called "GameManager service" in...
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It is getting to be about that time when Google pushes out a preview of its next version of Android. While we wait, however, some supposed screenshots of Android 12 have emerged, plucked from what is purported to be an "early draft" from Google summarizing what changes are headed to the next major release. As such, this could be our first look at Android 12. Potentially, anyway—the leaked document and the screenshots contained within it have not been confirmed to be real. The timing is interesting, though, because whether these are accurate reflections of Android 12 or not, the first developer preview is likely just around the bend at this point, based on Google's past time frames (the...
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Google has announced that it is making changes in the next major release of Android that is probably music to Epic Games’ ears. As you recall, over the summer, Epic got into a heated battle with Apple and Google over the cut that each developer took out its revenue stream from the App Store and the Play Store respectively citing anticompetitive behavior. After Fortnite was kicked out of both app stores for using its own payment scheme (which is forbidden), Epic returned fire with lawsuits against Apple and Google. While Apple users are out of luck installing Fortnite on their devices going forward, Android users actually have alternative methods of installing the game without Google...
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