AC Weekly News
Weekly News is our column where we highlight and summarize some of the top stories of the week so you can catch up on the latest tech news.
This is Android Central’s News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise summary of the week’s biggest tech stories. This is where we dig into the top headlines providing the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
In this week’s edition, a slew of devices leak ahead of Samsung’s summer Unpacked, the Pixel 9 leaks in a new color, Netflix is losing its ad-free tier, Pixel devices are getting the July patch, and why Google wants to use music to train its AI models.
Leaks are pouring in for Samsung
Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6:
A set of marketing images filtered out The leak revealed on Thursday (July 4), giving us a glimpse of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. They hinted that the device is lighter (239 grams) and is said to have sharper corners, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The company could be using an “improved aluminum frame” and will have a larger 6.3-inch cover display and the same 7.6-inch foldable display. For the first time, the phone is said to come with IP48 water and dust resistance. The leak shows that the device will have a triple rear camera setup. Its main lens will be 50MP, the ultra-wide-angle camera will be 12MP, and the telephoto camera will be 10MP with optical zoom. The cover display is said to have a 10MP selfie camera, and the foldable display will have a 4MP under-display camera.
He Galaxy Z Flip 6The marketing images of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro also ended up online in a blue colour along with its highlighted specifications. Design-wise, it looks a lot like its predecessor. As per the recently leaked images, the phone’s design includes a 3.4-inch cover display and a 6.7-inch foldable display. It could be powered by a higher capacity 4000mAh battery.
We expect the phone to feature a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 camera, a 50MP main lens, a 12MP secondary camera, and a 10MP selfie lens. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is also rumored to have an IP48 rating, and for the first time, a vapor chamber is expected to debut on this flip phone.
Galaxy Buds Pro 3:
If you thought it was just about the foldables, another Reddit user who claimed to have purchased the new Buds 3 Pro posted images of them on the platform. They sport the new stem design and show a metallic grey finish and a charging case with a similar finish and translucent design on top. They also sport blue and orange indicators for the left and right earbuds. As for performance, the Reddit user who purchased the Buds 3 Pro, “Noise cancellation is on par with my first-gen AirPods Pro. Sound is great but a bit louder on the low end, but I personally love the bass. My Z Flip4 and iPhone pick these up too. Crazy how I was able to buy these.”
A pink Pixel 9? Yes or no?
Pixel 9 is now available in Algeria. Storage: 256 GB Color: Pink I’ll keep you posted tomorrow morning. pic.twitter.com/0mE1QlCbEgJuly 1, 2024
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Earlier this week, a new colorway of the alleged Pixel 9 series surfaced on the web. Hani Mohamed Bioud took to X to claim that Google has already launched the device in the Algerian market and shared an image of the phone in a pink colorway.
Posting several images and videos, Bioud revealed that the device has 256GB of built-in storage and resembles several Representations We’ve encountered this before. The device appears to have rounded corners but a rather square overall design. The new camera viewfinder has dual cameras with a matte finish, while the rest of the back has a glossy finish. The user only showed off the phone’s design without turning on the display.
In the comments section, several people had mixed reactions about the color, while most asked about other color combinations the user had seen and whether the Pixel had an optical or ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Bioud said he would post additional details about the device in the coming days.
Netflix is cutting its cheapest ad-free plan for some users
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It appears that Netflix is ditching its cheapest ad-free plan and is pushing users to pay more than usual to access the platform without ads. According to several sources, Reddit PostsNetflix’s $11.99 ad-free plan will no longer be available to customers on July 13. They must choose between a $6.99 plan that carries ads, a $15.49 ad-free plan, or the $22.99 ad-free 4K plan.
The user’s stream is interrupted by a page stating that their “basic plan has been discontinued” and that they “can change your plan at any time.” Based on complaints on Reddit, it appears the streaming giant may be testing the updated offerings in the UK or Canada first before expanding to other regions (including the US).
However, this move does not come out of nowhere. Earlier this year, during its fourth quarter earnings presentation, Netflix publicly announced Netflix said it had begun an effort to push customers to opt for more expensive or ad-supported plans. “Expanding our advertising business represents an opportunity to leverage significant new revenue and earnings capital over the medium to long term,” Netflix said in a statement. statement.
July brings new updates for Pixel devices
Google Announced On Monday (July 1), it was announced that a new update is rolling out for the Pixel Watch starting now and should reach models over the next week. According to Google’s blog post, the update doesn’t include any new features, but it does reinforce the July security patch that helps keep the Pixel Watch secure. The update is available for both the Pixel Watch and the Pixel 3a. Pixel 1 watch and Pixel Watch 2and comes with the software version TWD9.240705.001.A1.
Just a day after rolling out the above to its watches, Google has released its monthly software update for Pixel phones running Android 14. The company notes in the blog post that Pixel phones — from the Pixel 5a (5G) to the Pixel 8a, along with the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet — will receive bug fixes and carrier improvements. Additionally, some devices may see general improvements to camera stability “under certain conditions.” Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro They are said to be getting system stability and performance improvements along with an interface bug fix that addresses the back gesture navigation issue not working in certain scenarios.
Google wants to use music to train its AI models
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The tech giant has been waving its magic wand over all of its products and is now looking to get record labels to pay for access to music for “further experiments” using AI. For this to work, Youtube He wants to partner with record labels to move forward.
Youtube It has a Dream Track function YouTube relies on the work of nine artists. However, the Financial Times reports that YouTube is in talks with other record labels, including Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, about a potential deal that would involve YouTube paying “fixed sums of cash” for the right to use the labels’ songs for AI music training. YouTube told the Financial Times in a statement that it was “in talks with labels about other experiments.”
And here’s why it’s a bad idea. According to our writer Brady Snyder, record labels should back off because “it’s impossible to put a price on creativity.”
Synder adds: “Music generation tools can perform some tricks and are a great way for non-musically inclined people to get into song creation. However, the current generation of tools have nothing to do with professional musicians.”
“Most of the ones available today are based on the image of popular singers or create something that pales in comparison to what a human could do.”
Here are some of the top stories from this week. In the meantime, here are some other stories worth knowing: