In this week’s top stories: Google’s 3D animals in AR become social media trend, OnePlus shows off its new logo with a collection of wallpapers, OneUI 2.1 arrives for older Samsung phones including the Galaxy S10, and more.
As we all work hard at finding ways to keep entertained and sane while staying at home, a new trend emerged as the world collectively remembered that last year Google launched the ability to use their augmented reality know-how to put animals into your room. In particular, parents seemed particularly enthusiastic about Google’s 3D animals, as it created a fun time killer while their kids are stuck at home, out of school.
Unfortunately, many discovered this week that their Android phones are not able to work with Google’s AR technology. Only phones that can install the “Google Play Services for AR” app are able to use the “View in your space” option. The full list of supported devices includes most phones from the biggest Android OEMs, as well as many recent iPhones.
Last month, OnePlus took the wraps off their newly redesigned, but still familiar-looking logo. This week, the company took to Twitter to share a mini collection of wallpapers that boldly showcase the new logo. Unfortunately, by solely sharing the wallpapers on Twitter, you may see a bit more visual compression than an official on-device wallpaper.
Known for low-poly and more abstract wallpapers, OnePlus has decided that celebrating the new logo and branding is a call for some updated backdrops to freshen up your “flagship killer” — or any other smartphone, for that matter.
In the past, OnePlus has enlisted the help of Swedish artist and designer Hampus Olsson to create selections of minimal wallpapers, but it’s not clear who is responsible for this brand-new selection.
In other OnePlus news, the company has been rolling out the latest update for their OnePlus 7 series phones, bringing them up to the March 2020 Android security patch. With the update, OnePlus 7 owners will find that recording slow-mo will be more consistent, and that photos should no longer disappear from the gallery.
This latest update comes shortly after the OxygenOS Open Beta 11 update brought similar tweaks, the March 2020 patch, and performance enhancements a few days ago. For those not willing to run experimental software, it’s great news that the stable OxygenOS 10.3.2 update should be rolling out to your devices right now.
Similarly, this week, Samsung has begun rolling out an update in the US for the Galaxy S10, S9, Note 10, and Note 9 series phones that brings their One UI 2.1, first seen on the Galaxy S20. That said, the biggest improvements found in One UI 2.1 are fairly targeted toward the new hardware features of the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip.
After rolling out for Exynos devices first, those of you with the S10 and Note 10 in the United States can rejoice, as you’ll be getting a ton of Galaxy S20 features starting from April 3. Samsung confirmed that the US rollout will commence from tomorrow in an official blog post. Expect to get carrier updates and OTA notifications over the coming days, before enjoying Single Take mode, Night Hyperlapse plus tons more on top.
Android |
- Android Auto Wireless is now supported in 34 countries w/ latest expansion
- [Update: More devices added] The first official Android 10 builds of LineageOS could launch very soon
- OnePlus ‘Deep Dive’ officially confirms a handful of OnePlus 8 specs
- Anker’s 4K ‘Cosmos’ projector ditches AOSP for Google’s Android TV
- Nokia 7.2 now receiving stable Android 10 update
- Planet Computers’ Astro Slide offers a sliding keyboard, 5G connectivity for under $500
- [Update: Fix inbound] Android TV owners seeing unwanted cast notifications on their phone
- LineageOS 17.1 based on Android 10 is now officially available
Apps & Updates |
- New Google Assistant readying ‘Shortcuts’ and built-in list of supported apps
- Google rolling out streamlined settings for Assistant notifications on Android
- Best weather apps for Android now that Dark Sky is dead
- Latest Google app beta replaces pre-Assistant voice search UI
- Google app 11.3 preps offline Lens translation, Assistant photo suggestions [APK Insight]
- Google Keep gets always-visible docked sidebar on the web
- Apple killing Dark Sky for Android and Wear OS later this year after acquisition
- WhatsApp could add option for multiple devices per account
Chrome / OS |
Coronavirus |
- Google Fi temporarily raises full-speed data limit due to COVID-19
- Google Classroom is the most popular education app on Android and iOS amid coronavirus
- YouTube for Android is now restricting video streaming to 480p in India
Google |
- Google Doodle honors Dame Jean Macnamara, polio doctor
- Google highlights viral nature of 3D animals in new ad [Video]
- Hands-on with more educational 3D models including planets in Google Search [Video]
- Google Doodle offers coronavirus tips, ‘Stay Home. Save Lives.’
- Google releases moving ‘Thank You Healthcare Workers’ ad [Video]
- Google Podcasts team talks focus on simplicity, recognizes Play Music confusion
Google Stadia |
- Some YouTube Premium members are getting free Stadia Pro trials
- [Update: Claim now] Google adds three Stadia Pro games for April 2020
Samsung |
- Samsung’s Exynos team is ‘humiliated’ that the Galaxy S20 uses Snapdragon in Korea
- Over 6 months later, Samsung is still ‘preparing’ Galaxy Watch Active2’s ECG support
Videos |
Author: Kyle Bradshaw.
Source: 9TO5Google