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Android is Google’s open-source mobile operating system; think of it like a public park compared to Apple’s walled garden. It dates back to 2007, and though its dessert-inspired version names were retired in 2019 for a straightforward numbering system, there will always be a special place in our hearts for an OS called “Oreo” and “Ice Cream Sandwich.

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“The most capable and versatile smartphone camera around” is only available in China.

Verge alum Sam Byford did a deep dive on Oppo’s new Find X7 Ultra for his Multicore newsletter. It’s a great read for photography nerds like me.

This is the first phone to ship with two periscope cameras. It’s stacked with today’s best sensors. And there’s a neat Master mode that makes the Find X7 Ultra’s images feel less computational and more genuine.

If only a gadget like this could be easily obtained in the US...


Galaxy AI cometh.

Samsung’s One UI 6.1 update arrives this Thursday, bringing AI features to last year’s devices including the S23 series, S23 FE, Z Flip 5, Z Fold 5, and the Tab S9 series. They’ll get the full suite of AI features announced with the Galaxy S24 series, including Circle to Search and live language translation for phone calls.

It’s all free of charge — at least for now.


Samsung “Galaxy AI” promo image with phones and tablets that will receive the One UI 6.1 update.
“Galaxy AI is here”
Image: Samsung
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The Google Pixel 6A is missing.

It stuck around as the company’s budgetiest budget phone since the 7A was released last year. But as DroidLife points out, there’s now a Pixel 6A-sized hole in Google’s online store.

If it’s truly gone, it could be making room for the rumored Pixel 8A with more storage and a 120Hz display, which could show up at Google I/O on May 14th — If Google doesn’t spoil its own announcement before then.


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Google is rolling out a way to manage custom contact ringtones in one place.

Look for the new “Contact ringtones” option in the Fix & manage tab of the Google Contacts app. I have it, but Android specialist Mishaal Rahman notes that may not be true for all yet.

In honor of this (and as the only Verge staffer who still uses custom ringtones, apparently) I’d like to point out that you, too, can hear a Brak song when your partner calls you.


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Google is prepping “Powered Off Finding” for Android phones.

You may still be able to use find your Pixel 8 or 8 Pro when it’s off using Google’s Find My Device network in Android 15, writes Mishaal Rahman for Android Police.

Rahman says older Pixel phones, including the Pixel Fold, don’t appear to support the in-progress feature, though.


A better way to find stuff to watch

Plus, in this week’s Installer: how the Apple Car failed, a great Cold War doc, an AI texting app, and much more.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra photography kit is a beaut.

I’m busy testing the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s camera but please take a minute to appreciate this gorgeous photography accessory kit. It updates last year’s version with a beefier battery that can power the phone. Just feast your eyes on that gorgeous two-stage shutter button!

One thing I’m noticing so far? It’s heavier than the previous version. That’s not so hot.


Xiaomi 14 Ultra with photography kit.

1/5

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
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YouTube Music may be laying the groundwork for a “trim silence” podcast feature.

It appears Google is further optimizing YouTube Music for podcasts as it prepares to sunset Google Podcasts at the end of this month.

9to5Google reports spotting a line of code that indicates it is building out a “trim silence feature,” which is standard on Google Podcasts and other podcast listening apps. It automatically skips long stretches of silence that appear in an episode, saving the listener a bit of time.


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Samsung’s new Galaxy A55 is skipping the US.

The company has confirmed to Android Police that only the Galaxy A35 will be coming to the US, and that “we will not be carrying Galaxy A55 5G at this time.” It’s unfortunate given that we rated last year’s Galaxy A54 as one of the best affordable handsets.


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Merry Dexmas, Pixel 8 owners.

Okay, it’s not exactly Dex, but Mishaal Rahman reports that the latest Android 14 beta allows Pixel 8 phones to use DisplayPort over USB-C for screen mirroring. Plug your phone into a monitor or TV and you’ll be able to output your phone’s display to the big screen — no adapter required. You can’t run a whole desktop environment ala Dex just yet, but that might be in the works.


WhatsApp is testing identifying when chats are end-to-end encrypted on Android.

That’s according to WABetaInfo, which spotted that a new “end-to-end encrypted” indicator that appears briefly at the top of chat threads was under development in late January. Yesterday, the outlet reported that the test is now rolling out to beta testers.

The change is being tested as Meta rolls out third-party chat interoperability in the EU.


A picture of a WABetaInfo screenshot showing the new badge.
What the new “end-to-end encrypted” status message will look like.
Screenshot: WABetaInfo

The perfect music streaming app does not exist

Plus, in this week’s Installer: the new Nothing Phone, Rivian’s upcoming crossover, the M3 MacBook Air, and much more.

The Pixel 8 won’t get Gemini Nano because of “reasons.”

Google is hosting its quarterly show for Android developers and the ever-watchful Mishaal Rahman caught the response to a great question: will the regular Pixel 8 be able to run Google’s mobile-optimized language model? Google’s answer: No, because of “hardware limitations.”

The thing is, the Pixel 8 uses the very same chipset as the Pixel 8 Pro, which can run Gemini Nano. What the heck, Google?


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It’s the end of the (software support) road.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite were the final two members of the S10 series still getting security updates — until now. 9to5Google notes that their promised four years of updates are up, and they’re no longer on Samsung’s security scope page; just last month they were still listed for quarterly updates. It was a good run, guys.


Google’s making game devs an offer they probably can’t refuse.

It’ll let them use their own payments alongside (or instead) of Google Play, starting this week.

If you do, it’ll only charge you 26 (or 27) percent of revenue instead of 30, or 11 (or 12) percent for subs instead of 15. What a savings! Never mind Google knows you’ll pay more than the discount to process payments yourself. Never mind that Spotify pays zero.

Play devs can also link to outside payment offers this week in the EU. Tim Sweeney’s calling that a “new Google Tax on web transactions,” but we don’t yet have details.


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1Password can store passkeys for Android apps.

To use the feature, your device needs Android 14 or higher, the latest version of 1Password, and an app that supports passkeys.

But even though 1Password added passkey support for Windows and macOS desktop browsers and iOS devices last year, Google does not yet have an API that supports 1Password passkeys on Chrome for Android. No word on when that will be available to Android users.


AI gadgets, bendy phones, and more from MWC

On The Vergecast: some big ideas about wearables, Android phones, and why your life might need a transparent laptop.

The very best food stuff on the internet

Plus, in this week’s Installer: Dune is back, a new tech book, Teenage Engineering, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

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Brave brings its AI browser assistant to Android.

The privacy-focused Brave browser launched its AI assistant, Leo, last year on the desktop, and now it’s available for Android, following other mobile AI-connected browsers like Edge and Arc (only on iOS).

Leo promises summaries, transcriptions, translations, coding, and more (while acknowledging that LLMs may “hallucinate” erroneous info). As for privacy, Brave claims, “Inputs are always submitted anonymously through a reverse-proxy and are not retained or used for training.”


That 10-year-old family group chat on WhatsApp just got easier to navigate on Android.

The messaging app’s “search by date” function is now rolling out to Android users. Already available on iOS, WhatsApp Web, and Mac desktops, the feature lets users jump to messages sent during a specific day.

To use it, click into any chat (or group chat), select “Search,” and then tap on the calendar icon on the bottom right.


A screenshot of the new “search by date” function on WhatsApp.
The new “search by date” function on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp