Latest from Android Central in Android-12

Android 12 and 12L have received their last official Google security update

bradypsnyder@gmail.com (Brady Snyder) — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 23:51:28 +0000

What you need to know

Google's last official security patch for Android 12 and Android 12L was the March 2025 update.
As of March 31, 2025, Google is no longer supporting the Android 12 and 12L operating systems.
OEMs can still choose to manually backport security releases to their devices; alternatively, users can switch to a custom ROM.

Android 12 and Android 12L have officially reached end-of-life status, and won't receive any more updates or security patches from Google. The last official security update for Android 12 and 12L was the March 2025 release, as devices running these operating systems did not receive the latest April 2025 security patch. Now, the company has confirmed that this isn't a fluke, officially ending support for Android 12 and 12L as of March 31, 2025 (via Android Authority).

Google supports Android operating systems for many years after they have been replaced. Typically, there is a large percentage of devices still running older operating systems, sometimes because they can't be upgraded. In this instance, Statcounter estimates that over 12% of Android devices worldwide are still running either Android 12 or 12L.

These devices have been receiving the latest patches from the Android Security Bulletin through security patch backports for years, but that support window has now come to an end. This is typical for Google support, as it maintained current security patches for more than three years after Android 12 and 12L officially rolled out.

(Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

Regardless, support for Android 12 and 12L ending means that older Android phones will almost certainly be stuck on older security patches, without the latest fixes. The list of phones no longer supported now includes the Samsung Galaxy S10 series, the Google Pixel 3a series, and the OnePlus 7 series.

OEMs still have the option of manually backporting security patches on the Android Security Bulletin to their devices, but it remains to be seen if any will do so.

Without the latest security patches, Android 12 and 12L devices immediately become security risks. To keep these devices in use, users will need to find a custom Android ROM capable of receiving the latest patches.

Android's photo picker now supports Google Photos and other cloud media apps

vishnu.skar@gmail.com (Vishnu Sarangapurkar) — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 06:00:27 +0000

What you need to know

Android photo picker gains new capabilities for choosing cloud media apps.
Users can pick their desired cloud media app, like Google Photos, to share photos.
The latest Android photo picker will also showcase the albums created in their cloud media apps.

The photo picker on your Android phone is getting a major update. The function allows users to share pictures from their devices with their favorite apps, but until now, it has been limited to sharing selected photos from the device. However, with the latest update, Google is now adding the ability to share pictures from cloud libraries.

One such cloud service, Google Photos, is now being added to the default photo picker on Android devices, notes the latest Android Developers Blog post. Users can integrate cloud photos from their favorite cloud media apps as soon as the photo picker is open to all.

(Image credit: Google)

The blog post explains that "cloud photos" will now be merged with your local ones in the photo picker, eliminating the need to switch between apps.

It further indicates that users who have created albums in their cloud photos app will also have access to the photo picker. This particular feature is being rolled out with the February Google System update for devices running Android 12 and above.

Google Photos has already integrated the new feature, and the developer blog post explains that any cloud media app that qualifies for their pilot program will be eligible to incorporate the photo picker hassle-free. Furthermore, the Android photo picker will be able to auto-select a default cloud media app for users, which can later be changed through new cloud media settings.

(Image credit: Google)

The blog post has further shared the required code to developers, indicating how to integrate the photo picker into their apps and advising them to migrate "for an enhanced, frictionless experience" as early as possible.

Another essential thing to note is that the cloud content from their favorite apps will be available to users running Android devices on Android 12 version and above. However, the photo picker is said to have been backported to Android 4.4 for developers to migrate, irrespective of device compatibility.

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Poll: Which version of Android is your phone currently on?

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 16:16:00 +0000

Android has come quite a long way from its early days. However, despite the progress Google has made to improve and speed up updates, there are still more than a few different versions of the mobile OS currently in use. And despite the Android 13 rollout continuing since the second half of 2022, its distribution still falls below other versions.

With that in mind, we want to know which version of Android your current smartphone is on. (We didn't include Android 14 because it's currently just in beta and only available on select Pixel smartphones).

More and more Android phones are launching with Android 13, and it seems like a ton of phones have received the update. That's probably because Samsung has done a good job updating its massive lineup of smartphones over the past several months. However, despite that, Android 13 only has a 12.1% distribution across active Android versions, according to Android Studio (via 9to5Google).

That percentage is below Android 12 (16.5%), Android 10 (18.5%), and Android 11, which is currently the most widely used version as of April 2023, sitting pretty with a sizeable 23.5% share of the pie. That said, Android 13 appears to be growing fast, as its distribution has apparently doubled in the last three months.

Somewhat surprisingly, even older versions of Android are still in use, as shown on the distribution chart.

(Image credit: Google via 9to5Google)

Of course, not all of the devices running Android are phones. And it's likely that many of these older devices are no longer supported. Android OEMs weren't very good at offering long-term software support, especially when it came to cheap Android phones. However, that's starting to change, with companies like Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and others extending their support promises to update phones through multiple OS versions and several years of software updates.

Even Motorola, which still tends to fall behind the pack, has started getting better at offering longer software support. LG has also kept its promise and rolled out Android 13 to its 2020 flagship phones, including the LG Wing.

Are you still waiting to get the latest version of Android on your phone? Are you on an even older version of Android? Drop a comment and let us know.

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The Fairphone 4 to finally receive Android 12 update on February 1

tips@androidcentral.com (Vishnu Sarangapurkar) — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 04:40:58 +0000

What you need to know

Fairphone 4, the company's first 5G phone, is getting a new big update.
It will get the much-anticipated Android 12 update this week.
The Fairphone 4 launched with Android 11 two years ago.

Two-year-old Fairphone 4 is about to get its next big Android 12 update on February 1, the company announced.

In a community blog post, an employee from Fairphone company shared when to expect the much-anticipated update on Fairphone 4. The device was initially expected to get the update sometime in December; however, it was postponed due to critical emergency calling issues raised in certain regions.

Starting this Wednesday, the Fairphone 4 in some regions is said to receive the Android 12 update as part of a staggered rollout. Fairphone says that in some regions, in countries like Switzerland and France, the update still needs to meet the company's quality standards. Henceforth, there could be some delay for Fariphone users on certain carriers in those regions, but they are assured of getting the update in the near future.

It still needs to be determined what features we can expect with the new Android 12 update, which is already a year old. But, Fairphone is one such company we don't expect to roll out new Android devices every year or push out the latest updates every quarter. The company's mission has always been about promoting sustainability and producing phones that have an enormous impact in terms of limiting e-waste.

That said, the regular security patches are indeed necessary, and Fairphone also shared plans to extend the support to not leave its users out in the cold. Fairphone users running Android 11 will shortly have a maintenance release with a new security patch with up-to-date security.

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Other Fairphone news this month includes the company's announcement that the seven-year-old Fairphone 2 will get its final major update in March. However, if any users are interested, a Lineage OS user named /e/OS has promised to prolong the support for at least another year.

Google launches new Android features for the holidays

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 17:19:35 +0000

What you need to know

Google is launching new features and app updated for Android ahead of the holidays.
Google Photos is receiving new holiday collages and Gboard is getting new Emoji Kitchen mashups.
Users will be able to share their digital car keys with others.
YouTube is getting a search widget for the home screen and the Google TV app will be able to cast to nearby televisions.

December is here, which means winter is coming. And to mark the top of the month as we approach the holidays, Google is announcing new features for Android that make it easy to create and share memories or find new content to watch with the family.

Google is launching a brand-new widget for the YouTube app that allows you to easily search for a video from your home screen. The widget is similar to some other Google widgets, such as Translate, featuring a search bar and shortcut buttons to the home page, Shorts, subscriptions, and your Library. You can also resize the widget a bit to better fit your home screen.

(Image credit: Google)

On the subject of content, users are gaining a new floating action button in the Google TV app. If you have a compatible Android TV or another smart TV, this button makes it easy to quickly cast whatever content you're consuming from the app onto the big screen. And while you're watching, you can continue browsing in the app or use it as a remote to control the program.

Google

But Google is also bringing more accessibility with its latest updates thanks to the new Reading mode. The screen reader is ideal for users with low vision or who are blind, allowing them to adjust size contrast settings, or even control text-to-speech speed.

Another Google app getting updated is Google Photos. The company introduced playful collages in the form of "Styles" earlier this year and is now updating them with new designs just in time for the holidays. The company partnered with artists such as Yao Cheng Design and husband-and-wife duo DABSMYLA for new collage styles to add a holiday touch to your memories.

You can also get creative with your messages thanks to new additions to Emoji Kitchen in Gboard, such as a snowman wolf.

Google

Finally, Google is giving users the ability to share their digital car keys. If your car model supports the feature, you can give others access to your car if they have a recent Pixel, such as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7, or a supported iPhone. Sharing your digital car key will create a link for the other user and require that person to enter a pin to start the car. Access to your car can be shared and changed from your digital wallet app, such as Google Wallet.

Google

Google says this will be available soon on other compatible phones running Android 12 and up. The company is also launching new features for Wear OS, including app updates, tiles, and new Google Assistant integrations.

Google Pixel 7

If you want the latest and greatest Android features before anyone else, grab the Pixel 7. It has a great display and tons of fun AI features to play around with. Plus, Google will support the Pixel 7 for five years, which is a lifetime in smartphone years.

Samsung Galaxy S22 review: Small, mighty, and imperfect

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 20:11:11 +0000

When Samsung launched its latest flagship series earlier this year, the Galaxy S22 Ultra got all the fanfare as the first Galaxy S phone to feature a built-in S Pen, a staple of the now-dead Note series. That left the other models to linger quietly in its shadow, particularly the smallest of the three.

It's clear to see why the standard model and Galaxy S22 Plus would be overshadowed. Compared to the S22 Ultra, these offer fairly minor upgrades over their predecessors, with similar but refined designs and some new attractive colors. But despite its small size, the base Galaxy S22 still has a lot going for it, and if you're looking for a small but powerful Android smartphone, this could be the one for you.

The Galaxy S22 features a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, improved camera sensors, a great-looking display, and a software promise that would make even the Pixel 6 jealous. However, the impressive power might be too much for the phone at times, and the smaller battery could very well be the Achilles heel of this flagship.

After spending nearly an entire year with the Galaxy S22, my feelings about the phone have not changed, and I still find it to be one of the small Android phones to beat.

Samsung Galaxy S22: Price and availability

Galaxy S22 rear glass (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The Galaxy S22 was announced on February 9 and was available for preorder through February 24, with sales beginning February 25. The phone is available at Samsung's website, various retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon, and all of the best wireless carriers in the U.S.

You can get the Galaxy S22 in various colors, including Phantom White, Phantom Black, Green, and Pink Gold. There are also Samsung-exclusive colors that you can find on the company's website.

The Galaxy S22 retails for $800, although there are plenty of deals that can land you the phone for as little as $0. You'll have to check with retailers or your carrier for details on how you can get the best deals.

Samsung Galaxy S22: Hardware and design

Galaxy S22 from the bottom (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Category	Samsung Galaxy S22
Display	6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display (1080 x 2340), 120Hz refresh rate (48-120Hz), Up to 1,300 nits
Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Storage	128GB, 256GB
Memory	8GB
Rear Camera 1	50MP Wide-angle, F1.8, 1/1.56", 1.0μm (12MP 2.0μm), 85°
Rear Camera 2	12MP Ultrawide, F2.2, 1/2.55", 1.4μm, 120°
Rear Camera 3	10MP Telephoto (3x), F2.4, 1/3.94", 1.0μm, 36°
Selfie Camera	10MP, F2.2, 1.22μm, 1/3.24, 80°
Battery & Charging	3,700mAh, 25W wired, 15W wireless
Connectivity	5G (sub-6, mmWave), Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6
Dimensions	70.6 x 146 x 7.6mm, 167g
Colors	Phantom White, Phantom Black, Green, Pink Gold

Off the bat, the Galaxy S22 has a great design. It takes after its predecessor, the Galaxy S21, and looks nearly identical. However, Samsung has refined the design, giving the S22 a more angular look. The front and back are flat slabs of glass, held together by a nearly flat aluminum frame. The effect: the Galaxy S22 looks nearly like an iPhone 13, depending on how you look at it, and that’s definitely not a bad thing.

But looks are just part of it. The device feels great, as well. The glass on the back is frosted, so the phone is incredibly smooth to the touch, and you don’t have to worry about collecting fingerprints. Of course, you can always throw on a case, but the phone feels so great that I try not to when I can help it. And surprisingly, despite how smooth the phone is, it doesn’t feel at all slippery. I never felt like I was going to drop the phone, something I’ve experienced with other devices in the past, like the similarly sized LG G8, which I managed to drop (and crack) within days of owning it. Of course, this is why I wear cases now, but I take it off every so often just to get a good feel.

I managed to get my hands on the green colorway, which is absolutely stunning. While the official renders and images look great, somehow, they don’t do justice to just how amazing this green looks. In some lights, it appears green, but view it in a different light, and the phone appears bluer. The phone comes in a few other colors such as Phantom White, Phantom Black, and Pink Gold, not to mention the Samsung-exclusive colorways, but none as impressive as the green in my opinion.

The green Galaxy S22 is almost blue, and I love it (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

However, it’s not all perfect, and I have a few small gripes with the design. While the phone has a decent heft that adds to the premium feel, some may find it a bit on the heavy side despite its small stature. Initially, you may not notice it, but after some time holding the phone, my hand will start to get uncomfortable. This is also a negative side effect of such an angular design. The edge often digs into my pinky finger the longer I hold the phone, which would drive me to throw the case back on.

Also, while the Galaxy S22 has stereo speakers, I've never been a fan of the bottom-firing speaker below the display and wish more phones would come with front-facing stereo speakers, even if that means a slightly larger chin at the bottom of the display. However, the speaker audio sounds great, although I recommend during off Dolby Atmos if you want a fuller sound.

Samsung Galaxy S22: Display

The bezels on the Galaxy S22 are minimal and very symmetrical (Image credit: Android Central)

I personally haven't used a phone this small since the LG G8, and coming from a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, I was nervous about missing my larger display. However, despite the Galaxy S22 being a smaller phone, the display manages to provide a surprisingly adequate experience for me. No, it's not as large or as sharp as the Note 20 Ultra or even the new Galaxy S22 Ultra, but it's a great display nonetheless.

The Galaxy S22 has a Full HD+ AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It's not QHD+, but it still appears quite sharp, probably due to the smaller size, which is one way the base S22 one-ups the Plus. The variable refresh rate also manages to keep things smooth, colors are vibrant even when I set the display to "natural" mode, and it's bright enough that I don't have a problem seeing it even in direct sunlight. The display reaches a peak brightness of 1300 nits, 450 nits shy of the S22 Plus. That said, I haven't found that the extra brightness is even necessary.

I have to say, I love that the display is flat. Curved displays are frankly annoying, and it's the biggest gripe I have with my Note 20 Ultra. The flat display on the S22 is surprisingly refreshing because that means no more accidental touches that would pull me out of whatever I'm doing on my phone. I'm also impressed by the incredibly small yet symmetrical bezels that, frankly, are hardly noticeable. Aside from the hole-punch selfie camera, the flat, nearly bezel-less display creates a very immersive experience when watching videos.

Videos look great on the Galaxy S22 (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The display also houses the in-display fingerprint sensor, which works very well. Unlike a certain Google phone, it's very fast and responsive. All in all, you won't be disappointed with this display.

That said, I might recommend throwing on one of the best Galaxy S22 screen protectors. While I'm not particularly rough with my phone, I've noticed after a few months of use that the display has received some unsightly scratches across the display, particularly around the selfie camera. I feel like this is typical wear and tear for a smartphone, but it can be easily minimized or avoided completely with a screen protector.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

They're not too prominent, and the display hasn't cracked once, but I also can't imagine what caused the display to get scratched up like it has when I normally keep it in a pocket clear of any other items.

Samsung Galaxy S22: Software and performance

(Image credit: Android Central)

The Galaxy S22 was launched out of the box, running One UI 4.1 based on Android 12. However, it has since been updated to One UI 5 based on Android 13 in many regions, bringing a host of new features and UI enhancements. You won’t really notice many visual changes from Android 12, which is fine for me as the software was already pretty great. However, I do appreciate that notifications are even more condensed to save space, and the added Material You dynamic color selections are pretty nice.

Smart Widget on Android 12 was one of my favorite features, letting you create a carousel of widgets without crowding your home screen. The feature has received a slight upgrade with One UI 5 and is now called Smart Stack, which does more or less the same thing, except now you can create multiple stacks on a home screen. That way, you can have one stack focused on essentials, another on music apps, and so on. You can swipe through different widgets depending on what you need, or the widget will auto-rotate itself based on what might be relevant at the time.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

For example, when I listen to music with the Samsung Music app, the widget will automatically show me the player if I have it enabled in the carousel. It will also pop up relevant calendar events that you may have coming up, which is quite handy. It’s kind of like Samsung’s version of the At a Glance widget on the Pixel, although it’s much more akin to the Smart Stack widget on iPhones.

Samsung has also made improvements to the camera app, making it easier to zoom in and out or add a watermark to images. The new Camera Assistant module gives you even more settings to adjust your camera to your liking. Samsung also included new features for the Expert RAW app, like a dedicated Astrophoto mode that’s actually pretty cool to use.

The Gallery also gets some nice improvements, like the addition of the Recents album, which is a nice space to see all the images recently captured or saved to your device. The software is now able to recognize text within an image, and with a tap, you can select and copy the text if you need to search or translate something.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Of course, my favorite Gallery features are still here, such as Samsung's Object Eraser. It's similar to the Magic Eraser on the Pixel series, using AI to remove unwanted elements from images. On the Galaxy S22, Samsung has a couple of additions called Reflection Eraser and Shadow Eraser. I tested Object Eraser on some old photos and ended up quite surprised at how well the results came out.

Overall, the software is pretty on-point, and while it brings a bunch of small updates, One UI 5 (Android 13) nicely refines software that already felt pretty mature. Be sure to check out our One UI 5 review for our thoughts on the new update, which is currently rolling out to more and more Samsung smartphones.

I'd be remiss not to mention the fact that Samsung promises four OS upgrades for the Galaxy S22 (we’re already one down) in addition to five years of security updates. That's seriously impressive, considering Google couldn't match that for its latest Pixel 6 or even the latest Pixel 7. That means you can hold onto the Galaxy S22 for years to come while still getting the latest features up to Android 16.

Samsung already offers fast updates for its smartphones, often ahead of the Pixels, so the fact that it's extending its software support is pretty awesome.

NeiR Re[in]carnation plays well on the Galaxy S22 (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

For the most part, the overall experience is generally what you should expect from a flagship Samsung smartphone, and thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, everything runs very smoothly. I haven’t noticed any jitters while navigating the UI, and with just 8GB of RAM, the Galaxy S22 seems to be able to handle anything I throw at it. I’ll often forget to close a lot of apps, but fortunately, the phone doesn’t seem to mind, even while playing a video in picture-in-picture mode, juggling between apps, or even when playing games. In fact, despite reports of throttling earlier this year, the Galaxy S22 has always handled games much better than my Pixel 6 Pro despite having less RAM.

That said, when playing graphically intensive games like Genshin Impact, GYEE, or NieR Re[in]carnation, the phone does get quite a bit warm. Sometimes I won't even have to play games, and I'll just be juggling through apps or watching videos, and I'll often notice the phone getting hot.

Other phones I've reviewed or used this year, like the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022), have not gotten nearly as hot when playing these same games. Throttling may no longer be a problem, but thermal issues still remain, whether it's due to the chipset or Samsung's own thermal management. That said, wearing any of the best Galaxy S22 cases seems to mitigate the issue. Still, given that Samsung has opted for a glass back on the base Galaxy S22, you may want to be wary of your gaming time on this phone, especially if you want to make your battery last.

Samsung Galaxy S22: Battery

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

While my experience with the Galaxy S22 has been mostly positive, I can’t say I’ve been too impressed by the battery life. I start my days pretty early — around 5 a.m. — and I’ll notice the phone will be on its last legs by noon. Between charges, I’ll average somewhere around 4-ish hours of on-screen time, which isn’t fantastic. I’m often surprised at how quickly the phone will get down to 15% battery life on a day of average use. That includes streaming on YouTube Music, juggling between social media and messaging apps, snapping a few pictures, about half an hour of mobile gaming, and light swiping through Tinder or Bumble BFF.

Granted, you may be able to squeeze out more battery life if you omit some gaming or doomscrolling on Twitter, but frankly, that shouldn’t be the case. Plenty of people seemed concerned about battery life given the smaller 3,700mAh battery, a downgrade compared to the 4,000mAh battery on its predecessor. I initially brushed off these concerns going into my review, but I do see how it’s a bit problematic.

If I’m going to spend flagship money on a smartphone, I should get flagship performance with battery life that can keep up. Instead, I haven’t been able to get through a full day on a single charge in my use.

You may fare better with the Galaxy S22 Plus, which has a larger battery and faster 45W charging. The Galaxy S22 charges at 25W, which is nothing to write home about compared to some of the best Android phones on the market. However, it charges relatively fast given the battery size, and I often find myself surprised at how quickly it tops up. That said, it would be cool to see Samsung toying with OnePlus levels of charging speeds, at least.

Samsung Galaxy S22: Cameras

The Galaxy S22 has a triple camera setup (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Samsung took a slightly different approach to the camera setup on the Galaxy S22. Instead of the tried and true 12MP primary camera from its predecessor, Samsung went with a new 50MP sensor, capable of capturing more light for better daytime and nighttime photography. Photos from the primary sensor are good, although nothing to get too excited over. I do enjoy how the camera reproduces colors, which appear slightly on the warmer side, but with plenty of vibrancy without being oversaturated.

The 12MP ultrawide angle camera manages to keep up with the primary sensor, and images seem to match up nicely between the two sensors. This is nice to see since the ultrawide sensor tends to be a bit of an afterthought for OEMs. That said, I'm not as impressed with the 10MP telephoto sensor, which Samsung downgraded from the 64MP sensor on the S21. It's decent enough in certain situations, but colors don't reproduce quite as well. Although you might get a good shot sometimes, depending on the conditions, the new telephoto lens is less consistent overall.

Nighttime shots are surprisingly good, even without Night Mode turned on. This applies to video as well, as there was little noise when recording in 4K in low-light conditions.

Derrek Lee / Android Central

Throughout the first half of the year, I juggled camera responsibilities between the Galaxy S22 and the Google Pixel 6 Pro. While the former is Samsung's entry-level flagship and the latter is Google's "premium" flagship, both phones offer triple camera setups with wide, ultrawide, and telephoto lenses, making them easy to compare.

The below image was taken from the primary cameras, both 50MP. The Galaxy S22 images appear bright and plenty vibrant, with highlights punched up a bit but good overall color balance. The Pixel 6 Pro, on the other hand, has a lot more contrast and detail, and the clouds are more easily discernible.

This next image uses the telephoto lenses of both phones. The Galaxy S22 has a 3x zoom lens, while the Pixel 6 Pro uses a 4x zoom. In my regular use of both phones, I rarely ever deviate from the preset zoom levels, so I did not change them here either.

Once again, the Pixel 6 Pro shows more contrast, particularly when you look at the orange on the Space Needle, which is much brighter in the Galaxy S22 shot. However, the Galaxy S22 image appears a bit cooler in comparison, which I definitely prefer here.

As mentioned before, ultrawide sensors are often an afterthought for smartphones, but both the Galaxy S22 and Pixel 6 Pro appear to take them seriously enough. In the below image, you'll notice that the Pixel has a bit more detail in the trees and the clouds, whereas the Galaxy image is a bit softer with a slightly greener tint.

This next image appears a bit washed out on the Galaxy S22, while the Pixel evens everything out, making the pillars much clearer. This is one example of when the Pixel's punched-up contrast works in its favor and isn't too over-the-top.

While the Pixel is often regarded as the low-light king, I think the Galaxy S22 handles indoor and nighttime images a lot better, as the image appears to have more dynamic range, brightening up the shadows and revealing a bit more detail.

With Night Mode turned on, things are a bit of a mixed bag on both phones. The Galaxy has plenty of detail, although the trees are still too dark, and there's some flaring around the lights. Meanwhile, the Pixel punches up the warmth, and the bell tower is much clearer, but the trees are a bit too bright.

Lastly, the Galaxy S22 shows that it might be the true low-light king in this next image. The scene was incredibly dark, but I kept Night Mode off for this shot. Surprisingly, the output from the Galaxy was a lot better than what I got from the Pixel, which didn't even seem to try to brighten up the image at all.

I also took some comparison shots with the Pixel 7 and found the results to be largely the same, although the Pixel lacks a dedicated telephoto lens. Still, the phone held up fairly well in all conditions. You can see more on how the two phones stack up in our Galaxy S22 vs. Pixel 7 comparison.

My main gripe with the Galaxy S22 camera is the time it takes between pressing the shutter button and the actual image being captured is too long. This can be quite inconvenient when trying to capture a quick moment, with the subject often coming out blurry or the camera missing the moment entirely. That said, I do enjoy how consistently bright images are, meaning I can rely less on Night Mode for low-light images.

The Galaxy S22 takes respectable selfies, even at just 10MP, and I especially like the Portrait selfies. There's also a fun "Director's View" mode that lets you preview all the cameras simultaneously and switch between them. You can even include a window for the selfie camera while you're recording.

Expert Raw is another interesting feature in Samsung's camera arsenal, something for users that like to really take control of their photography settings instead of relying on AI. I haven't played around with it much because I am not a master photographer, but it seems focused on capturing only RAW images and has a cool shortcut to Adobe Lightroom, so you can edit with ease.

Samsung Galaxy S22: Competition

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The brand new Pixel 7 is a force to be reckoned with, thanks to its sleek design. It is powered by Google's latest Tensor chip for improved AI capabilities and better camera performance. It also gets an upgraded selfie camera for crisper selfies and face unlock, which is pretty handy. That said, you're dealing with a much slower fingerprint sensor, inferior display specs, and no dedicated telephoto lens. You are paying less for the Pixel, so you have to decide if the shortcomings are worth it.

If you want something a little larger and faster, the OnePlus 10T is a great option. It has a great set of cameras, a newer flagship chipset with faster performance and better efficiency, and a fantastic design. Plus, OxygenOS has plenty of helpful software additions to get the best out of the phone. Not to mention, it has a much larger battery than the Galaxy S22, and charges much faster at a whopping 150W (125W in the United States). It's also cheaper, starting at just $649. However, it lacks a telephoto camera and opts for a macro sensor, the display isn't as sharp, there's no wireless charging, and OnePlus software may not be your cup of tea.

The new Motorola Edge (2022) is a surprisingly good phone that sits somewhere between mid-range and flagship. It's powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1050, has a large 6.6-inch OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and comes with a 5,000mAh battery to keep it going throughout the day and then some. However, given Motorola's reputation, you won't get nearly as many software updates. The cameras are also decent at best, and the device doesn't look or feel as premium.

Samsung Galaxy S22: Should you buy it?

Overall, the Galaxy S22 is pretty great (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

You should buy this if...

You want a flagship smartphone with great cameras
You prefer smaller phones that can fit in your hand or pocket
You want great software support

You shouldn't buy this if...

You prefer large displays
You don't want to worry about charging your phone often
You absolutely need microSD card support

The bottom line with the base Galaxy S22 is that big things come in small packages. While not packing the most impressive specs, it manages to provide excellent performance that should be more than enough for anyone interested in a smaller flagship smartphone.

Not too much has changed between the Galaxy S22 and its predecessor, especially regarding design, but that's okay. Samsung chose to launch the Galaxy S22 as a refinement of an already excellent smartphone, and that shows in several aspects of the device, from the design to the cameras, which provide excellent output. And thanks to the extended software support, Samsung is banking on you owning the Galaxy S22 for years to come.

Of course, battery life is something to consider if you're planning on making this your daily driver. Samsung curiously decided to lower the battery capacity on the S22, so battery life is not this phone's strong point. you may want to consider that if you're looking to buy a new phone. Additionally, there's no microSD support here, so you may want to spring for the more expensive 256GB variant.

That said, if you can get past the battery concerns and the lack of expandable storage, I find the Galaxy S22 to be a pretty solid smartphone. Even with the Pixel 6 Pro on hand, I still prefer to have the Galaxy S22 as my daily driver.

See here for more information on how we test and review our phones.

Samsung Galaxy S22

Small, but mighty

The Galaxy S22 may be small, but it packs a lot of power thanks to the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. This makes multitasking a breeze, and the triple camera setup is just as impressive with the new 50MP primary sensor. If you're going to pick this up, green is definitely the color you should go for.

Review changelog

This review was originally published on April 20, 2022. It was last updated on November 23, 2022, with the following changes:

Updated the software section with details on the One UI 5 (Android 13) update.
Added a comparison image with the Pixel 7 in the camera section.
Swapped out two of the phones in the competition section for the Pixel 7 and Motorola Edge (2022).

This review was updated on August 26, 2022, with the following changes:

Updated the main image
Included information about the One UI 5 (Android 13) beta in the software section
Switched the OnePlus 10 Pro for the OnePlus 10T in the competition section

This review was updated on June 20, 2022, with the following changes:

Expanded camera section with comparison images from the Pixel 6 Pro
Updated some of the camera samples in the gallery with new images
Switched the Pixel 6 for the Pixel 6 Pro in the competition section

This review was updated on June 9, 2022, with the following changes:

Updated the display section and included a new image
Added additional information to the Software and performance section regarding my experience with the Object Eraser and expanding on thermal issues
Updated the Competition section, which now includes the OnePlus 10 Pro and RedMagic 7

Android 13 beta update brings back useful battery stats

tips@androidcentral.com (Vishnu Sarangapurkar) — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 19:04:35 +0000

What you need to know

Android 13 new beta brings back the old battery stats feature many of us liked.
Beta users can now check their battery stats from the last charge.
Previously, with Android 12, users could only check the previous 24 hours' battery stats.

Google is making a change to the battery stats page on Android 13 that should prove much more useful when it arrives later this year.

New findings within the recent Android 13 beta update suggest that Google is returning the battery stats view to the way it was prior to Android 12 as default, reports 9to5Google. The search giant has started rolling out the Android 13 QPR1 Beta 2 update early this month to Pixel owners.

Previously, Google redesigned the battery statistics monitoring with Android 12 last year. It wasn't a welcome change, as it went from showing the battery level changed from the last full charge to showcasing battery usage for the past 24 hours.

The 9to5 report suggests with the new update, users are regaining the "battery level since last full charge" as a default option. This modification allows users to observe how their battery life varies throughout a full discharge. Users can see the battery discharge throughout multiple days and even select smaller time intervals on each day.

9to5Google

Many people seem to find the change useful because they prefer to examine their battery statistics based on their most recent charge as opposed to the whole 24 hours of usage, which may exclude helpful battery usage details.

This is particularly useful as we continue using Google's latest Pixel 7 smartphones. While the beta doesn't appear to be available for these phones just yet, having a better look at how battery life will be plenty useful for long-term testing of these and future devices.

Lately, we've heard of display problems on the Pixel 7 Pro affecting battery life, which is something buyers may need to be on the lookout for. Meanwhile, our Pixel 7 seems to get pretty decent battery life, and we've noticed no issues here.

Google Pixel 7

The Pixel 7 is Google's latest flagship smartphone, offering plenty of upgrades and refinements over the Pixel 6. New AI and camera features make the Pixel 7 a very fun smartphone to use, and buyers won't be disappointed.

LG Wing flew under the radar with the new Android 12 update in the US

tips@androidcentral.com (Vishnu Sarangapurkar) — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 18:42:01 +0000

What you need to know

Verizon has a new software version for the LG Wing smartphone.
The update brings Android 12 to LG's last "flagship" smartphone.
It brings July 2022 Android Security Patch level next to some privacy enhancements.

Verizon quietly updated the LG Wing in recent weeks, bringing the big update users have been waiting for. It brings several enhancements, like device performance optimization and resolving known issues, next to a new security patch. Other regions have received the update in previous months.

The software version F100VM30a, as part of Verizon's System Update 13, includes the Android 12 update, with several enhancements that come along with that.

You can update the phone by navigating to Settings > System updates > Check for new system update. Verizon suggests that LG Wing users stay on its strong wireless network connection or rely on stable WiFi before downloading the OTA update. It further ensures to fully charge the device before installing the update.

Despite bringing the Android 12 version — a year-old operating system that many Android devices launched with over the course of the year — it still brings crucial privacy features to the LG Wing. The new update allows users to turn off the camera and microphone access at a system level and icons to display when these functions are being used.

The support page also highlights the new location settings on the LG Wing, allowing users more control over the location data that apps can access. The feature has been on Pixel devices like the Pixel 6 Pro for a while. It allows users to access the device's location only while using an app.

The notification panel on the LG Wing also gets advanced features like quick access to IoT device controls like Google Home, which can be accessed from an icon on the notification panel. The 'Lock Down' feature also makes its way to the LG Wing. To enable it, users would have to set the device in advance mode and set a PIN, Pattern, or password.

Another addition includes a new function that allows the removal of app permissions in order to free up space. Furthermore, the Safety & emergency menu has been added to Settings with the new Android 12 update.

Unfortunately, the update does not include Android 12's Material You theming, sticking to LG's tried (and tired) personalization options. Still, it's great to finally have Android 12 on the Wing, even as the Android phones start testing Android 13, which the Wing is expected to receive at some point. The update also brings the July security patch, which is a couple of months behind other Android phones.

Earlier this year, Verizon updated the Wing with access to its new C-Band 5G spectrum for faster data speeds.

Google makes it possible to downgrade from Android 13 to Android 12, with a catch

andrew.myrick@futurenet.com (Andrew Myrick) — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 18:46:18 +0000

What you need to know

Google has provided "Developer Support images" for the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a.
These are builds of Android 12 and 12L featuring the updated bootloader that was provided with Android 13.
Unfortunately, Google states these are not to be used by anyone other than developers.

Following the launch of Android 13 a few weeks ago, users who upgraded but subsequently wanted to go back to Android 12 (or 12L) found that they weren't able to do so. This is because Google implemented a new bootloader update with the release of Android 13 for the Pixel 6a, Pixel 6, and 6 Pro, which includes security patches and an "anti-rollback counter."

While this was done to prevent the bootloader vulnerabilities from being harmfully taken advantage of, it still proved to be a point of frustration for developers. Now, Google has released its "Developer Support images" for its three most recent Pixel phones. However, these builds are not intended to be used by anyone but developers as there are a few caveats to doing so.

The images are, in fact, based on the stable builds for Android 12 and Android 12L. However, Google provides the following "advisories:"

Developer Support builds are for developers only and aren't suitable for general use.
Devices using developer support builds don't receive OTA security updates like other devices, and Developer Support images aren't rebuilt with the latest security fixes. Only an updated bootloader version is included, with its own security fixes and an incremented anti-rollback counter.
Developer Support builds aren't Compatibility Test Suite (CTS)‑approved, but they have passed preliminary testing and provide a stable set of APIs for developers. Apps that depend on CTS-approved builds or use SafetyNet APIs might not work normally on Android 12 Developer Support builds.

Essentially, this means that if you flash one of these images on your own Pixel device, it will not receive any future OTA security updates. And if you end up wanting to upgrade to Android 13, you will need to manually flash the image. This will result in you needing to wipe your device entirely and will need to set it up as if you just took the phone out of the box for the first time.

For the most part, there's little reason that non-developers would need to downgrade from Android 13 to Android 12. This is a more iterative update compared to the drastic changes going from Android 11 to Android 12, and Google has implemented quite a few security patches and bug fixes. While it may seem like a rather large inconvenience, it just goes to show that Google is doing its part to keep Pixel owners from being the subject of nefarious software attacks.

Google Pixel 6a

Best cheap Android phone

Are you looking to get your hands on a new Android phone that won't leave your wallet empty? The Pixel 6a is arguably the best cheap Android phone on the market with its incredible camera system and the same processing power as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.

When will my phone get Android 12?

michael.hicks@futurenet.com (Michael L Hicks) — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 22:12:54 +0000

Now that Android 13 has officially rolled out to Pixel phones, it makes it all the more awkward that many phones eligible for an Android 12 update are still stuck on 11, with no official indication of when they will receive it. So we're here to help you figure out when your phone will get Android 12.

Thus far, Android brands like Samsung and OPPO have done an excellent job updating their phones, and we have a pretty clear idea of when their remaining phones on Android 11 will jump to Android 12.

On the reverse side of things, brands like LG, Nokia, and Motorola have predictably been much slower in pushing updates to their eligible devices. It's likely these brands will still be updating to Android 12 well into fall 2022, if not later.

You're here to read which of the best Android phones will get Android 12, and when it's likely to happen. Here are all of the publicly-available roadmaps and rumors to help you learn more.

When will my ASUS phone get Android 12?

(Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

ASUS was one of the few companies to post an actual Android 12 release date schedule, and it lived up to its promises. With one noticeable exception, all eligible ASUS phones have received the Android 12 update.

Zenfone 8 / Zenfone 8 Flip (Received late 2021)
ROG Phone 5 / ROG Phone 5 Ultimate / ROG Phone 5s / ROG Phone 5s Pro (Received March 2022)
Zenfone 7 / Zenfone 7 Pro (Received May 2022)
ROG Phone 3 / ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition (Received June 2022)
Qualcomm Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders (Unknown)

The Asus Zenfone 8 and Zenfone 8 Flip received Android 12 right in the closing days of 2021, while the ROG Phone 5 got the stable build in mid-March.

Then, in mid-May, the ASUS Zenfone 7 received the stable update, while the ROG Phone 3 received it right on time at the end of June.

The one sort-of ASUS phone that's overdue for Android 12 is the Qualcomm Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders, which is built with ASUS hardware and has had sporadic, deficient updates despite its $1,500 price tag. We don't have any news about when it'll receive Android 12, and it may not be anytime soon.

The Android 12 update revamps the core ASUS apps, and adds the privacy dashboard and other privacy tools like camera/mic controls and approximate location. It adopts some stock UI features like Quick Settings panel and notification tray into the ASUS UI, and other changes you'll find in the changelog.

When will my Google Pixel phone get Android 12?

(Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

Unless you have a Pixel 1 or Pixel 2, your Pixel phone should have already received Android 12. And aside from the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, the same phones should also have received Android 12L.

Here is the list of phones that should be updated to Android 12 already:

Pixel 3
Pixel 3 XL
Pixel 3a
Pixel 3a XL
Pixel 4
Pixel 4 XL
Pixel 4a
Pixel 4a 5G
Pixel 5
Pixel 5a
Pixel 6

As for Android 13, Google officially rolled out the update in mid-August to the Pixel 4, 4a (5G), 5, 5a, 6, 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a. Older phones aren't eligible for it and will remain on Android 12 or earlier.

When will my LG phone get Android 12?

(Image credit: Android Central)

Despite its plans to exit the smartphone market, LG promised in April 2021 to update eight LG phones to Android 12 and two to Android 13. It then surprised us by releasing Android 12 on the LG V60 ThinQ T-Mobile version despite never promising to do so.

That means, as of now, nine LG phones will get the Android 12 treatment:

LG Wing (+ Android 13)
LG Velvet (+ Android 13)
LG V60 ThinQ
LG V50S
LG V50
LG G8
LG Q31
LG Q52
LG Q92

Aside from the LG Q31 and Q52, almost all eligible LG phones have received Android 12 as tracked by Piunikaweb— including the LG Velvet, LG V60 ThinQ, and LG Wing — but primarily in South Korea. Only a couple of LG phones like the Velvet, V60, and V50 have received the update in the US or Canada, and LG Wing owners outside Korea are still twiddling their thumbs.

At the moment, we know the LG Q52 will receive the update in "Q3 2022," meaning before the end of September, but we don't have word on specific regional updates. Considering most LG phone owners still use them as their primary phone and haven't moved on, we can only hope these phone owners receive the update soon.

When will my Motorola phone get Android 12?

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Motorola doesn't like updating its phones. As a result, most of them only get one platform update, meaning that Android 10 phones released in 2020 and early 2021 won't get Android 12. The only 2020 phones to receive it will be its Razr phones; those who bought recent phones like the Moto G Power (2021) are totally out of luck.

Wondering which Motorola phones will receive Android 12? Motorola released its update roadmap with the full list — about 25 in all. Here is the full Motorola Android 12 update list, with bolded names for those that have received a confirmed stable update:

Razr 5G / Razr 2020
Motorola Edge 20 / Edge 20 Pro / Edge 20 Lite / Edge 20 Fusion (+ business editions)
Motorola Edge (2021) / Edge 5G UW / Edge+
Motorola One 5G Ace / One 5G UW Ace
Moto G200 5G
Moto G71 5G
Moto G51 5G
Moto G41
Moto G31
Moto G100
Moto G60s
Moto G60
Moto G50 / Moto G50 5G
Moto G40 Fusion
Moto G30
Moto G Power (2022)
Moto G Pure
Moto G Stylus 5G
Moto G Pro

Motorola finally began its update schedule with the Moto G Pro in mid-March. It added new tools like the Material You UI, conversation widgets, accessibility improvements, approximate location permissions, new microphone and camera indicators, and a privacy dashboard.

Since then, Motorola started a streak of April updates with the Moto Edge 20 and Edge 20 Pro, Edge 20 Lite, Moto G30, Moto G50, Moto G100, Moto G200, Motorola Edge (2021), and Motorola Edge+ — at least in some countries. If you own one of these phones but haven't received it yet, you can assume it's on the way.

Since April, however, Motorola's Android 12 updates have fallen back into a lull, with only a couple of phones like the G40 Fusion and Moto G Stylus (2021) receiving it. While budget phones like the Moto G Power (2022) naturally have taken longer, it's very disappointing that owners of the Razr 5G and Razr 2020 are still waiting so many months later.

When will my Nokia phone get Android 12?

(Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)

Nokia's Android 12 rollout has been a mixed bag. The brand, which used to offer the fastest software updates outside of Pixel phones, started out strongly by pushing out the OS to the Nokia X20, X10, and G50 by early January.

Then we heard nothing from the brand for months, until it released the Nokia XR20 update in late March, the Nokia 8.3 5G update in late April, the Nokia G10/G20 and Nokia 2.4 in May, and the Nokia 5.4 and 3.4 in August. It still has a handful of phones and tablets like the T20 remaining, several of which have been spotted (allegedly) running Android 12 on Geekbench.

We still don't have an official Nokia Android 12 release list, but since its phones typically receive at least two updates, these Nokia phones are likely to get an Android 12 update (the bolded phones have already received it):

Nokia XR20
Nokia X20
Nokia X10
Nokia G300
Nokia G50
Nokia G20
Nokia G10
Nokia 8.3 5G
Nokia 8 V 5G UW
Nokia 5.4
Nokia 5.3
Nokia 1.3
Nokia 2.4
Nokia 3.4

Nokia missed most of its deadlines for its Android 11 update schedule, and it failed to deliver the promised Android 11 update to its Nokia 9 Pureview flagship. This year, it avoided giving us any actual update calendar, so we have no way of knowing how long Nokia phone owners will have to wait.

When will my OnePlus phone get Android 12?

(Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

Wondering when your OnePlus phone will get Android 12? At this point, OnePlus has pushed stable OxygenOS 12 to nearly all of its phones. Only the OnePlus 7 and 7T series remain on the open beta 2, which suggests the phones will likely receive the stable version by end of September at the latest.

The full list of OnePlus Android 12-eligible phones is below; phones that have already received the update are bolded.

OnePlus 7
OnePlus 7 Pro / 7 Pro 5G
OnePlus 7T
OnePlus 7T Pro / 7T Pro McLaren
OnePlus 8
OnePlus 8 Pro
OnePlus 8T
OnePlus 9
OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9R
OnePlus 9RT
OnePlus Nord
OnePlus Nord CE
OnePlus Nord 2
OnePlus Nord N200

The stable build first arrived on the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro in early December, was briefly suspended due to major bugs, then pushed again in mid-December with fixes. It's now available worldwide.

After a long wait, OxygenOS 12 began to roll out to the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, 8T, and 9R the week of March 21. Then it came to the OnePlus Nord, Nord 2, and Nord N200 5G in mid-May, early June, and mid-June, respectively, and finally came to the 9RT and Nord CE in late July and early August.

OxygenOS 12 has proven to be a controversial update, given that the latest software has merged with ColorOS and lost much of what made OnePlus phones distinct. Thankfully for long-time OnePlus fans, the brand reversed course and announced its intention to release OxygenOS 13 next as a return to form.

When will my OPPO phone get Android 12?

(Image credit: Daniel Bader / Android Central)

Besides Samsung, no other Android phone brand besides OPPO has done as well at pushing out speedy, prolific Android 12 updates. Thus far, in Europe, the following OPPO phones have completed or are in the middle of ColorOS 12 rollouts in at least one territory through August 2022:

Find X3 Lite / X3 Neo / X3 Pro 5G
Find X2 / X2 Pro / X2 Neo / X2 Lite
Reno6 / Reno6 Pro 5G
A54 / A73 / A74 / A94 5G
Reno5 (5G) / Reno5 Lite / Reno5 Z 5G
Reno4 / Reno4 Lite / Reno4 Pro 5G

At this point, OPPO has largely completed its ColorOS 12 rollout, with only a few phones with "ongoing" rollouts in specific countries in eastern Europe that'll complete sometime in "Q3 2022." You can see the relevant updates in the embedded tweet from @colorosglobal below. Otherwise, OPPO has moved on to planning its Android 13 rollout, instead.

The #ColorOS12 Official Version based on #Android12 is rolling out this July in Europe! Dates and device availability👇 pic.twitter.com/FYOzdvPinzJuly 2, 2022

Meanwhile, in most eligible Asian territories, OPPO has already released ColorOS 12 based on Android 12 on the Find X3 series, Find X2 series, Reno6 series, Reno5 series, Reno4 series, F19 Pro+, F17 Pro, A94, A93, A74 5G, A73 5G, A54 5G, and A53s 5G.

OPPO has mostly finished updating to ColorOS 12 in most of its territories, especially on newer phones. The full expected OPPO Android 12 update list is below, with phones bolded that are confirmed to have received the stable update in at least one territory:

Find X3 / Find X3 Pro / Find X3 Neo / Find X3 Lite
Find X2 / Find X2 Pro / Find X2 Neo / Find X2 Lite
Reno6 / Reno6 Pro / Reno6 Pro+ / Reno6Z
Reno5 / Reno5 Pro / Reno5 Pro+ / Reno5 Lite / Reno5K / Reno5F
Reno4 / Reno4 Pro / Reno4F / Reno4Z / Reno4 Lite / Reno4 SE
Reno3 / Reno3 Pro
OPPO A95 / OPPO A94 / OPPO A93 / OPPO A93s
OPPO A74 / OPPO A73 / OPPO A72
OPPO A55 / OPPO A54 / OPPO A53 / OPPO A53s / OPPO A52
OPPO A35 / OPPO A33 / OPPO A32 / OPPO A31
OPPO A16 / OPPO A15s / OPPO A12s / OPPO A12e
OPPO K9 / OPPO K7x / OPPO K7
OPPO F19 Pro / OPPO F19 Pro+ / OPPO F19
OPPO F17 Pro / OPPO F17

While OxygenOS 12 arguably performs as a watered-down ColorOS, the actual ColorOS 12 release looked and performed very well in our tests. The UI looks cleaner than the 11 OS, with better icons and spacing and OPPO's unique spin on the Material You color picker tool. So we're excited to see how the final version works.

When will my Realme phone get Android 12?

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

The Android 12-based Realme UI 3.0 has an official release timetable. The Realme GT currently has "early access" to the Android 12 release, which uses a new AI Smooth Engine, Fluid Space Design with 3D icons, and improved Always-On Display features.

Here is the complete Realme Android 12 update list, including when the company promised to release the early access beta on specific phones:

December 2021

Realme GT Master Edition
Realme GT Neo 2 5G
Realme X7 Max
Realme 8 Pro

January-March 2022

Realme X7 Pro
Realme X50 Pro 5G
Realme 8 4G
Realme 8i
Realme 7 Pro
Realme Narzo 50A
Realme Narzo 30
Realme C25
Realme C25s

April-June 2022

Realme X7
Realme X3
Realme K3 SuperZoom
Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
Realme Narzo 30 5G
Realme Realme 8s
Realme Realme 7 5G

When will my Samsung phone get Android 12?

(Image credit: Ara Wagoner / Android Central)

Samsung has released One UI 4 on dozens of devices, churning out updates like nobody's business. It's genuinely impressive how far ahead Samsung is compared with other manufacturers.

Now that Android 13, or One UI 5, is on the way, Samsung is finishing off its Android 12 (One UI 4) updates, with just a couple of budget Galaxy A phones remaining that are still eligible as of late August.

Here is the Samsung Android 12 update list, including the monthly estimates Samsung provided. We've bolded phones that have either fully received it or have begun to receive it in most countries:

November 2021

Galaxy S21
Galaxy S21+
Galaxy S21 Ultra

December 2021

Galaxy Z Fold 3
Galaxy Z Flip 3

January 2022

Galaxy Z Fold 2
Galaxy Fold 5G
Galaxy Z Flip 5G
Galaxy Z Flip
Galaxy S20+
Galaxy S20 Ultra
Galaxy S20 FE
Galaxy Note 20
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Galaxy Note 10
Galaxy Note 10+
Galaxy Quantum 2

February 2022

Galaxy A52 5G
Galaxy S20
Galaxy S10 (5G)
Galaxy S10+
Galaxy S10e
Galaxy S10 Lite
Galaxy Tab S7
Galaxy Tab S7+

March 2022

Galaxy S7 FE
Galaxy A Quantum
Galaxy F62

April 2022

Galaxy A51 (5G)
Galaxy A71 5G
Galaxy S7 FE 5G
Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
Galaxy M62
Galaxy M42
Galaxy M31s / Galaxy M31 Prime
Galaxy M21s / Galaxy M21

May 2022

Galaxy Tab S6
Galaxy Tab Active 3
Galaxy A72
Galaxy A42 5G
Galaxy A41
Galaxy A32 5G
Galaxy Tab A7 (2020)
Galaxy F41
Galaxy F22

June 2022

Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
Galaxy XCover Pro
Galaxy M51

July 2022

Galaxy A21
Galaxy A12
Galaxy Xcover 5
Galaxy A22
Galaxy A03s
Galaxy M32
Galaxy M12
Galaxy M11
Galaxy M02s / Galaxy M02
Galaxy M01s / Galaxy M01

August 2022

Galaxy A02s
Galaxy A02
Galaxy A01
Galaxy A11
Galaxy F12
Galaxy F02s

When will my Sony phone get Android 12?

(Image credit: Sony)

You'll find the full list of Sony Android 12 phones below, all of which have now received the stable update:

Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony Xperia 10 III
Sony Xperia Pro
Sony Xperia Pro-I
Sony Xperia 1 II
Sony Xperia 5 II
Sony Xperia 10 II

Beginning in early January, Sony began its Android 12 update rollout with the Xperia I III and 5 III. Then, in March, it began to roll out Android 12 to the Xperia 1 II, Xperia 5 II, Xperia Pro, Xperia Pro-I, and Xperia 10 III. Finally, it started rolling out on the 10 II in late April.

According to Sony, its Android 12 update added tools like native scrolling screenshots, privacy indicators for the camera and mic, approximate location, and improved one-handed use.

When will my Xiaomi phone get Android 12?

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

While reviewing the new Xiaomi 12 Pro, which runs MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box, we were very impressed with the new OS. Our reviewer described it as "clean, modern, and bloat-free," and the new OS adds "better storage management, efficient background use, and other under the hood tweaks to make it less resource-intensive."

Below, you'll find the official list of every Xiaomi phone expected to receive Android 12:

Xiaomi Mi 11 / Mi 11 Pro / Mi 11 Ultra / Mi 11i / Mi 11 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 11T / Mi 11T Pro
Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 / Mi Mix Fold
Xiaomi Mi 10 / Mi 10 Pro / Mi 10 Youth / Mi 10i / Mi 10s
Xiaomi Mi 10T / Mi 10T Pro / Mi 10T Lite
Redmi 10 / Redmi 10 Prime
Redmi Note 10 series
Redmi Note 9 series
Redmi Note 8 2021
Redmi K40 series
Redmi K30 series
Redmi 10X series
POCO F3
POCO F2 Pro
POCO X3 / X3 Pro
POCO X2
POCO M3 / M3 Pro
POCO M2 / M2 Pro
POCO C3

Rolling out Android 12

Android 12 has been an odd release, with a ton of new features as well as major design updates to the UI. And evidently, some brands have handled the new OS better than others. We'll continue to keep this post updated with new information as it comes in.

LG gave up on Android phones but still has tablet ambitions with the new Ultra Tab

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 01:26:47 +0000

What you need to know

LG has launched a new Android tablet in South Korea.
The tablet runs Android 12, sports a 10.35-inch display, and is powered by the Snapdragon 680.
The tablet has pen support and is available with either 64GB or 128GB of expandable storage.

LG may be down and out when it comes to Android smartphones, but the company is dipping its toes back in the tablet space with the new Ultra Tab.

The LG Ultra Tab sports a 10.35-inch ISP WUXGA+ (2000 x 1200) display. As opposed to the company's previous tablets like the LG G Pad 5 10.1, this is meant to be oriented in landscape mode, with the 5MP front-facing camera housed on the wider bezel. On the back is an 8MP camera.

Specs aren't really anything to run home about. It is powered by the Snapdragon 680, a 4G LTE chip launched late last year (so at least it's not outdated). It's paired with a measly 4G of RAM and either 64 or 128GB of expandable storage.

The tablet runs Android 12 (no word on Android 12L), has quad-stereo speakers, and Wacom pen support with an optional LG stylus pen. LG also offers an optional folio case with a keyboard for added productivity. Powering everything is a 7,040mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 3 and Power Delivery charging.

(Image credit: LG)

While it's the first LG tablet in a few years, it's hardly anything to get too excited about. The tablet features specs that would more likely compete with some of the best cheap Android tablets than anything akin to a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series.

It kind of reminds me of the Nokia N1 tablet that randomly launched while the company was drifting between the loss of Windows Phone and its entry into Android.

Still, it's good to see a little effort from LG, even if the tablet seems unlikely to launch outside of its home country. Meanwhile, some of us — in a likely minority — wish LG would launch new smartphones, but alas, I guess I'll just have to hold onto my LG Wing while it's still guaranteed support.

Major Nothing phone (1) update includes July 2022 patch, Tesla control feature, and more

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 21:11:39 +0000

What you need to know

Nothing is already issuing an update for the phone (1).
The update includes the July 2022 Android security patch and bug fixes.
Several new features are included in the update, including an NFT Gallery widget and a Tesla control feature.

Customers that pick up the Nothing phone (1) as it goes on sale will be treated to a jam-packed day-one update with several bug fixes, improvements, and new features.

The Nothing phone (1) update was spotted by Alex Dobie, who posted a screenshot of the changelog on Twitter.

In addition to the July 2022 security patch, the update also includes a bug fix related to the fingerprint scanner. There are also improvements to face unlock, battery life optimizations, and improved reliability of the Glyph interface.

The update also brings some improvements to its already decent set of cameras.

There are a few new features included in the update, two of which are labeled "experimental." The first is a "Tesla control feature" that will integrate your phone with a Tesla (assuming you own one) to control the car from the device. The second is an "NFT Gallery" widget for those of you interested in that sort of thing.

Lastly, users can now remove the Search Bar from the home screen.

Big OTA rolling out for Nothing Phone 1 pic.twitter.com/J9hB18zdn2July 20, 2022

In our early testing of the phone, we received an update from build 1.0.0 to 1.0.2, including stability fixes and camera improvements.

The new 1.1.0 build has begun rolling out for users that already have the phone in hand and should be available to new Nothing phone (1) owners. The update appears to come in at around 111MB, which isn't bad.

As far as software support goes, the Nothing phone (1) is already at a good start. The phone will support up to three major OS upgrades and four years of security patches. That's in line with some of the best Android phones on the market, so hopefully Nothing is about to keep this up.

Nothing phone (1) [UK]

The Nothing phone (1) is a unique phone with a transparent design and fun "Glyph" LEDs that light up for notifications and more. It also features a relatively lightweight Nothing OS and wireless charging.

The Galaxy S22 is even hotter with this $200 Prime Day discount

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 13:45:51 +0000

If you've been holding out on getting a new smartphone, then Prime Day is the perfect opportunity to snag a brand new one. Flagships are often too expensive, to the point where it doesn't seem worth it, but this Prime Day deal on the Samsung Galaxy S22 might be too good to pass up. For a limited time, you can snag the baby flagship for just $599.99, or more than $200 off.

The Galaxy S22 has been my main driver since it launched earlier this year, and I have not looked back. It's small and pocketable with a 6.1-inch FHD+ AMOLED display. It's powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, which means you can expect top-notch performance in regular use and even gaming.

On the back are three cameras; a 50MP primary sensor, an ultrawide, and a 3x telephoto. Thanks to camera system improvements, images come out crisp and vibrant, and video capture gets a boost with even better nighttime reproduction. Not to mention some of my favorite features can be found in the Gallery app, such as the Object Eraser for fixing up photos and Scene Relighting, which can turn a static image into a 24-hour time-lapse.

At $800, the Galaxy S22 may have seemed a bit out of reach for many, but this Prime Day discount makes the phone much more attractive. As one of the best Android phones at this size and price point, you don't wanna miss out on this deal.

See all the Prime Day deals: USA | UK | Canada | India

Green with envy

Samsung Galaxy S22: ~~$799.99~~ $599.99 at Amazon

The Galaxy S22 is the latest flagship smartphone from Samsung, offering one of the latest chipsets and an upgraded camera for better nighttime images. It was easy to recommend this phone at its original price, but Prime Day makes this a no-brainer.View Deal

And when you're snagging this deal, don't forget to check out some Galaxy S22 cases. You may get the phone at a steal, but you still want to protect your investment with a snazzy case. You should also grab a Galaxy S22 screen protector to avoid any unsightly scratches or scuffs on the display.

Looking for more sweet Prime Day deals besides a phone? We have guides on the best Prime Day smartwatch deals to pair with your phone, or the best Prime Day wireless earbud deals to listen to some epic playlists while you take your Galaxy S22 on the go.

The 'Switch to Android' iOS app now supports all Android 12 smartphones

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 18:03:43 +0000

What you need to know

Google quietly launched a "Switch to Android" app on iOS earlier this year.
Initially, support for the app was exclusive to Google's Pixel smartphones.
Google has now expanded support for Switch to Android to devices running Android 12.

Some Android OEMs have their own methods of transferring from one device to another, and Google's recently launched Switch to Android app is one of them. The app allows iPhone users to easily transition to an Android phone, although it was limited to Google's own Pixel devices — until now.

On Wednesday, the search giant announced that it is bringing support for the Switch to Android app to all smartphones running Android 12. This means it will be more straightforward to switch to another Android device, whether it's a Pixel, Samsung, or otherwise. Many of the best Android phones are launching with Android 12 on board, which means you should have no trouble getting things moved over when picking up a new smartphone.

The actual process of switching between iOS and Android with the Switch to Android app is pretty straightforward. As an iPhone user, you just have to download the app on your phone and connect both devices with a cable. Decide what information you want to copy over to the new Android device, then wait for the transfer to complete.

You can select contacts, messages, music, select apps, images stored on the iPhone, and more. However, accounts won't transfer over, and images stored on iCloud will require a transfer request.

Google also goes on to list the reasons why someone should consider switching to Android, from its growing ecosystem of devices, to its renewed focus on privacy with features like the Privacy Dashboard, and apps like Google Messages and Gboard adding tons of features to help make messaging more personal and fun.

Of course, if you're thinking about switching over to an iPhone, Apple also has its own Move to iOS app on Android that helps make the process more streamlined and now allows users to transfer WhatsApp chat history between devices.

Google Pixel 6 Pro

If you're considering switching from an iPhone to Android, the Pixel 6 Pro is one of the best options. It offers a clean Android experience, all the best features, amazing cameras, and excellent software support so you'll know your phone is safe for years to come.

The Pixel 3 and 3 XL are given new life with the June 2022 update

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 18:45:24 +0000

What you need to know

Google recently rolled out the June update to Pixel smartphones.
The update enabled LTE roaming for its devices amid the ongoing 3G shutdown.
The Pixel 3 and 3 XL are both receiving the update, despite support officially ending.

Software support for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL may have ended, but Google is issuing a surprise update for the devices, and it's a pretty important one. This update enables LTE roaming for both Pixel smartphones, allowing them to live another day.

The update is part of the June 2022 patch that rolled out to Pixel devices earlier this month. The update also enabled LTE roaming for those devices, among other bug fixes and new feature drops.

Google confirmed the new Pixel 3 update with 9to5Google. However, it's been noted that the update only includes VoLTE roaming support.

Support for the two phones ended in October 2021 following the Android 12 update. However, the phones later received a new update in February 2022, with today's update further extending use for the aging phones.

As Google previously explained, the update arrives amid the ongoing 3G shutdown that's taking place across the U.S. It allows phones to roam across networks within the U.S. on carriers that support VoLTE, which can also come in handy for international Pixel owners.

AT&T was first to pull the plug earlier this year, and T-Mobile is currently in the midst of its 3G shutdown, which retires on July 1. Verizon is set to shut its 3G network down later this year.

While the 3G shutdown affects some users, such as first and second-generation Pixel owners, some of the best budget Android phones support VoLTE, meaning many users don't have to be worried about losing service. This is especially true for newer flagship models like the Pixel 6 series.

Both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are being updated to firmware versions SP1A.210812.016.C2 or SP1A.210812.016.B2, depending on the carrier.

Material You: Everything you need to know

michael.hicks@futurenet.com (Michael L Hicks) — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:35:49 +0000

Material You is the theming framework that allows phones and tablets running Android 12 or higher to use your favorite colors throughout the user interface (UI). Introduced back at Google I/O 2021, it launched first on Pixel phones last fall and then incorporated into other Android devices through Android 12L.

It relies on something called the Monet theming engine, which pulls colors from your phone wallpaper and seeds those colors throughout your buttons, Google apps, and app icons. Google encourages third-party developers to incorporate customizable colors into their apps' UI as well.

Dynamic color is just one aspect of Material You. It also redesigned the look of Android, adding more space and thickness to buttons and sliders and redesigning widgets to give them a more rounded, colorful look. Overall, Material You ties to a very specific concept at the core of Android: expressing your personality by customizing your phone.

This all just scratches the surface of what you need to know about Material You. Below, we'll break down which Android phones (will) support it, how Android 13 adapted it, and how to customize your phone's colors.

Which Android phones have Material You?

(Image credit: Ara Wagoner / Android Central)

All Pixel phones that received the Android 12 update have access to Material You. That includes the Pixel 3 through the Pixel 6, and Google phones will be the first to receive any new updates to Material You, such as new colors.

As for other Android phones, the answer is more complicated. Most Android OEMs added some kind of color theming and a wallpaper color picker tool in Android 12, but they weren't initially based on Monet or Material You. Samsung's One UI 4, for example, used something called Dynamic Color that mirrored Google's color picker tool, but wasn't exactly the same.

By February 2022, Google announced Material You would "soon be available" on other Android developers' phones, including Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, realme, and Xiaomi. It made Monet open source starting with its Android 12L release, and essentially made it a requirement that phone brands would have to start incorporating Material You (or some equivalent design language) to all Android 12 phones moving forward.

Which phones actually have Material You now? The first non-Pixel devices to receive it were the Galaxy S22 phones and Galaxy Tab S8 series, which arrived that February. But not all Samsung phones on Android 12 have received the Google-backed version yet, as far as we know. Android 12L changes will come to One UI 4.1.1 — which is rumored to arrive this summer — and will likely bring more Material You design features to Samsung phones.

One UI 4 beta color options (Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

The same generally applies to ColorOS 12, OxygenOS 12, and the other operating systems. All of them made some design language changes to incorporate dynamic colors and a wallpaper color picker tool, but not with Material You or Monet. It appears Google is now asking OEMs to use its own tools instead, but it's possible they won't be available until they update to Android 12L or Android 13.

In other words, you can check when your phone will get Android 12 to see when it'll have a facsimile of Material You, but your phone's UI may get more in sync with Google's UI over the summer with the 12L update, and will match Material You more completely by the next full OS update.

What's different in Android 13?

(Image credit: Google)

With Android 12, Material You's color picker was largely dependent on your wallpaper; if you wanted different colors, you either had to change your wallpaper or choose one of the limited "basic color" options.

The Android 13 beta added new pre-made color variants, so you have reliably attractive options even if you choose a wallpaper that doesn't have your favorite colors. The wallpaper color extractor tool gives you sixteen total options, instead of just four.

According to Esper, these new wallpaper options come from four different Material You styles: Tonal Spot, Vibrant, Expressive, and Spritz. Tonal Spot is the default option, Vibrant adds "slightly varying hues and more colorful secondary and background colors," Expressive uses "multiple prominent hues, and Spritz delivers "an almost grayscale, low color palette."

The new Material You dynamic color styles work in DP2! Here's TONAL_SPOT, VIBRANT, EXPRESSIVE, and SPRITZ in order. I'll share how to enable them soon :)https://t.co/6tvDJaafi1 pic.twitter.com/FQWcuTelyGMarch 17, 2022

As for the new Basic color options removed from your wallpaper, Android uses Tonal Spot, Rainbow, and Fruit Salad styles.

Android 13 also extends Material You-themed icons outside of Google apps, which will give your home screen and app locker a more uniform look (assuming 3rd-party developers opt in and offer a themed icon).

Plus, the Android 13 beta added an improved Now Playing widget that shows album artwork and a cute squiggly progress bar, reflecting the more playful personality of the Material You UI.

Material You: How to customize your phone's theme

(Image credit: Nick Sutrich / Android 12)

To change your phone theme, open the Settings app and select Wallpaper & Style. Change your wallpaper if you want to opt for different color options, then select a theme palette, either picked from the wallpaper or from Material You's basic color options.

In this same Wallpaper & Style menu, you can tap Themed Icons to give your apps a distinct Material You look.

What's next for Material You?

Google now requires Android OEMs to build Material You theming into their phones. Although Pixels have received Material You features first, other Android developers could easily spin off their own versions of theming that try something new and exciting. If you own a phone that updates to Android 13 or beyond, you'll certainly see design changes over time that reflect this.

Moreover, 9to5Google reports ChromeOS could soon get Material You Dynamic Colors, meaning it will extend beyond Android to your Chromebook as well. Google is in the midst of making its devices communicate more closely with one another; it makes sense that it would push for a more uniform design language between them, too.

On a similar note, Pixel Watch leaks have shown evidence of Material You UI, so your favorite color scheme will extend to your wrist as well as your phone.

Aside from adding new colors, we're not sure what Google will do with Material You next. But it's very clear that it's here to stay, and not just on Android phones.

Moto G 5G (2022) review: Remarkably unremarkable

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 12:30:00 +0000

Motorola has made a name for itself in the affordable Android smartphone segment. The company's Moto G lineup has plenty to choose from, although not all of them are great. However, the company's 2022 lineup is stepping things up by bringing 5G to lower price points. The new Moto G 5G is the latest budget smartphone for the U.S. market, and it comes with some respectable specs, such as a Snapdragon processor, a higher-refresh-rate display, and a massive battery that would make plenty of Android phones jealous.

However, the Moto G 5G makes some compromises that are a bit hard to gloss over, and I'm not sure if the phone is really worth Motorola's asking price when there are plenty of other comparable budget Android phones that you can buy for much less.

Moto G 5G: Price and availability

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Sales for the Moto G 5G (2022) began on May 19, and the device retails for $400 unlocked. This gets you 6GB of RAM and 256GB of expandable storage. However, you may be able to find the phone for as much as $50 less at select retailers, including Best Buy, Amazon, and even Motorola.com.

Some carriers such as T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, and Cricket Wireless have the phone for as little as $200. However, with some carrier deals, you may even be able to score the device for free. Keep in mind that this variant only includes 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, so performance may take a hit.

Moto G 5G: What it gets right

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

One of the best things about Motorola smartphones is the mostly "stock" Android experience. You should expect a similar experience on the Moto G 5G (2022) to what you'll get on a Pixel smartphone. Of course, there are some differences, and Motorola has its own color schemes and themes to choose from.

Motorola also has a set of handy gestures (pun intended) that it includes with its phones that I really enjoy using with this phone. For instance, chopping or twisting it twice to turn on the flashlight and camera. There are also some finger gestures like double-tapping the side-mounted fingerprint sensor to bring up a shortcut to your favorite apps or swiping your finger back and forth across the display to enable split-screen mode.

All of this is thankfully on top of Android 12. Earlier in the year, we saw Motorola phones launching with Android 11, so it's nice to see the latest stable software version here. Thanks to the mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset, everything runs pretty smoothly. It's not a particularly powerful chip, but performance is good for this price point, and there's not too much in the way of jitters or stuttering. That's probably due to the 6GB of RAM in the version I have, with the lower-end model sporting 4GB.

Specs
Category	Moto G 5G (2022)
Display	6.5” HD+ (1600x720), LCD, 90Hz refresh rate
Chipset	MediaTek Dimensity 700
Storage	64GB/256GB, expandable
Memory	4GB/6GB
Rear Camera 1	50MP wide-angle, f/1.8, 0.64μm, Quad-Pixel
Rear Camera 2	2MP macro, f/2.4, 1.75μm
Rear Camera 3	2MP depth, f/2.4, 1.75μm
Selfie Camera	13MP, f/2.2, 1.12μm
Water Resistance	IP52, water repellant
Battery & Charging	5,000mAh, 10W charging
Connectivity	5G (sub-6), Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 5
NFC	❌
Dimensions	165.4 x 75.8 x 9.44mm
Colors	Moonlight Gray

Playing games isn't bad either, and though there isn't any sort of performance-boosting mode like on other Motorola devices, it manages to run graphics-intensive games reasonably well. That said, this chipset isn't exactly a powerhouse, so results may vary depending on what you're playing, but it plays well with apps and simple games. Just don't buy this phone expecting a phenomenal gaming performance.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

What is phenomenal is the battery life. Motorola tends to tout two-day battery life on its phones, stuffing 5,000mAh batteries into its devices. With the Moto G 5G, this is very much the case. The phone will easily last more than a day on even heavy use and likely the full two days on regular use. I play a lot of games, take a lot of pictures, and watch a lot of YouTube, but the phone chugs along happily throughout the day. Daily, overnight charging isn't really necessary here, which is nice to see.

Moto G 5G: The compromises

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Fast charging isn't expected on budget phones, and less so on Motorola phones. The phone takes quite a while to charge due to its slow 10W charging and large battery size. Fortunately, your battery will last you a while in-between charges, but when you have to plug it in, you'll be waiting around for it to top up, so it kind of balances out. Still, I wish the phone charged a little faster.

You also can't expect much in terms of design for a budget Android phone such as this. The device features the same design as just about every other Motorola phone launched this year. This was fine as far as the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) was concerned, as it had a nice sheen to it that made it feel a little more premium. The Moto G 5G, however, both looks and feels cheap; an aesthetic further solidified by the phone's sizeable bezels and a rather large chin. Nothing about this phone stands out, particularly amongst Motorola's 2022 lineup. It's not unexpected, but I find it a bummer when cheaper devices like the OnePlus Nord N200 look much better.

Another weak spot is the display. Motorola outfitted this device with a 6.5-inch HD+ display, which isn't the best by any means. It's helped by the 90Hz refresh rate, but the display isn't very sharp or vibrant.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The Moto G 5G sports a 50MP primary sensor with a macro camera and depth sensor. The lack of an ultrawide sensor is unfortunate, limiting me to the primary sensor or the rarely used macro camera. I'm also not very impressed with the output from the primary sensor. Images come out too saturated for my liking, as if the software is trying to overcompensate for the hardware. I'm not sure if this results from the sensor, chipset, or Motorola's algorithm, but looking at the final result always feels a bit jarring.

Low-light images come out okay, but don't expect much from this device in the camera department. Selfies are also a weak spot, and the 13MP sensor applies a lot of unnatural smoothing.

Derrek Lee / Android Central

As expected from a budget Motorola phone, the Moto G 5G doesn't have NFC, so you can pretty much kiss Google Pay goodbye.

Software support, or lack of it, is something else that's par-for-the-course for low-cost Motorola phones. The device runs Android 12 out of the box, which is great. However, you won't get any OS upgrades beyond Android 13, so you might want to look elsewhere if that's something you care about. Motorola does promise three years of security updates, so that's something.

Moto G 5G: Competition

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

If you're looking for an inexpensive 5G smartphone, I would look to the OnePlus Nord N20 5G. Not only does it have a spectacular design, but it's powered by a Qualcomm chipset, sports much faster charging, and has a fantastic FHD+ AMOLED display. Unfortunately, the trade-off for that impressive-looking display is a lower 60Hz refresh rate. It will also receive only one major OS upgrade, but launching with Android 11 out-of-the-box means it's already a bit outdated.

The new TCL Stylus 5G is another attractive option that can be had for a similar price. It has a decent design with a sharp FHD+ display, its quad-camera setup includes an ultrawide sensor, and it has a built-in stylus. However, its battery capacity is significantly lower than the Moto G 5G, and its only model sports 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal (expandable) storage.

If you want something more in the ballpark of what Motorola is charging for the "higher-end" Moto G 5G with 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, you might wanna look at the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G. For $50 more, you get a 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED display, fantastic cameras, water resistance, and years of OS upgrades and software support. You'll have to make do with half the internal storage, but you can always throw in a microSD card.

Moto G 5G: Should you buy it?

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

You should buy this if...

You're looking for an affordable 5G smartphone
You want a smartphone with long battery life
You want a "stock" Android experience

You shouldn't buy this if...

You want a fast-charging smartphone
You want a good, versatile camera experience
You want a phone that will give you more than one OS upgrade

The Moto G 5G (2022) is pretty decent for anyone looking for an affordable 5G smartphone. It packs a large display and an even larger battery that can really go the distance. Despite the nearly two-year-old mid-range MediaTek chipset, it performs quite well and should get you through a day or two with very little trouble.

That said, there are too many compromises that would make me hesitate to recommend this phone to anyone. The design is incredibly uninspired, the display is a measly 720p+ resolution, and the camera setup is pretty subpar. Again, it's not a bad phone, per se; it's just not great either. For a budget smartphone, that's actually okay.

Phones aren't meant to be extravagant at this price point, so I don't expect the world from this device, and you shouldn't either. As someone who often criticizes Motorola, I don't really mind the Moto G 5G (2022). That said, it wouldn't be the first phone I pick up if I were looking for a cheap 5G smartphone, at least at Motorola's recommended $400 price. If it were $150 cheaper, then we'd be talking, but there are plenty of other phones in the $400 price point (and cheaper) that offer much more than what you can find here, and you'd likely be better off grabbing one of those.

Moto G 5G (2022)

The Moto G 5G (2022) is a decent budget Android phone that can easily get you through a day or two of use thanks to its massive battery. Performance is great and you'll also enjoy a Pixel-like "stock" Android experience, with a few Motorola extras thrown in.

Stable Android 12 update arrives for the OnePlus Nord N200 5G

Jay Bonggolto — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 16:15:02 +0000

What you need to know

The stable Android 12 update is now available for the OnePlus Nord N200.
It is rolling out as part of the latest OxygenOS 12 build for the budget phone.
Android 12 is the final major OS update for the Nord N200.

OnePlus is now rolling out a new OxygenOS 12 update for the OnePlus Nord N200 5G. With the latest release, the phone gets a stable version of Android 12.

According to XDA Developers, the update is available for the unlocked version of the Nord N200 in the United States and Canada. The update includes the May 2022 security patch as well as a slew of new features and enhancements from OnePlus' Android skin.

Some of the notable changes are the new three adjustable dark mode levels for a more personalized user experience. The update also adds a "Work Life Balance" feature, which lets you switch between work and life mode using quick settings.

There are a few improvements to the Gallery app, too. For example, you can now use a two-finger pinch gesture to switch between different layouts. Your gallery also crops thumbnails based on content and uses smarts to identify the highest-quality photos.

However, Android 12 marks the final major Android OS update for the Nord N200. OnePlus said last year that the device would receive just one OS upgrade. This means that while it's one of the best 5G phones on the market, the handset won't be in line to get Android 13 when it launches later this year.

That said, the phone will get up to three years of security updates. If you own a Nord N200, the stable version of Android 12 should have arrived by now. The update is being rolled out in stages, so it may take a few days for everyone to see it.

OnePlus Nord N200 5G

The OnePlus Nord N200 5G is a low-cost 5G phone with a stunning 90Hz display and a solid matte plastic Blue Quantum body. Its Snapdragon 480 chip performs surprisingly well in everyday tasks, and its battery life is astounding.

How many OS updates will the Google Pixel 6a receive?

sdcontreras0790@gmail.com (Samuel Contreras) — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:00:00 +0000

How many OS updates will the Google Pixel 6a receive?

The Pixel 6a is built on the same Tensor chipset as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, and is likely to receive the same number of OS updates after its launch on Android 12. Pixel 6a is expected to receive three OS updates, as well as being amongst the first to be updated to Android 13 with five years of security updates.

How long will Google's budget phone stay up-to-date?

Cheap Pixel phones have been over-delivering in the price category since they were introduced, and the latest Pixel 6a looks like it may be one of the best value and longest-lasting smartphones from any manufacturer. Google will start taking pre-orders on July 21, with orders shipping a week later in the U.S. on July 28 at $449. This phone will launch with Android 12 and will be among the first to get updated to Android 13.

Under the hood, this phone looks a lot like the base Pixel 6 with the same Google Tensor CPU, though RAM takes a bit of a hit coming in at 6GB. This phone also supports much of the same wireless tech with Wi-Fi 6E and 5G supported on all carriers, including a Verizon version with mmWave. The battery should have no trouble reaching the end of the day with 4410mAh of battery capacity. The Google Pixel 6a should be one of the most performant phones at its price.

Since the Pixel 6a is based on the same platform as its older siblings, it’s set to get a very similar number of updates. With three expected OS updates, your Pixel 6a should receive updates through Android 15 with security updates for at least five years. While OS updates are nice to have, security updates are the most important thing when it comes to being able to safely and confidently use your phone into the future, especially if you plan to hand it down when you upgrade.

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

One interesting development in Android longevity has come from Samsung with its Galaxy A series of phones. Samsung’s Galaxy A53, for example, was announced to receive four OS updates, as well as five years of security updates with the same price tag as the Pixel 6a. While the rest of the A53’s specs look less likely to stand the test of time, Google is no longer alone when it comes to long-term Android commitment.

With more Android phones committing to longer support, Android enthusiasts are finally able to confidently use the platform for years without needing to wonder if the most recent update will be the last any time the phone stutters. It's no surprise that these are some of the best Android phones money can buy. Google, Samsung, and others showing long-term love to lower-end phones gives users the confidence the Android platform has long deserved.

Google Pixel 6

Get in on Tensor sooner with the Pixel 6. This phone sports fast performance on a high-end OLED display running at 90Hz. Like all Pixels, this phone raises the bar on photographs with some of the most realistic skin tone representations on any smartphone.

The OnePlus 10 Pro finally gets more RAM and storage in the US and Canada

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 14:01:28 +0000

What you need to know

The OnePlus 10 Pro launched earlier this year with one configuration for the U.S. market.
OnePlus is finally releasing a version of the phone with more RAM and storage.
The company is also revamping its Red Cable Club membership program in North America.

One plus is finally giving fans in the US what they want; a higher specced OnePlus10 Pro. Months after the device landed in global markets, the US will finally have access to the variant sporting more RAM and double the storage.

The "new" OnePlus 10 Pro offers 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. However, it won't be available through carriers like T-Mobile. Anyone interested in buying the souped-up version of one of this year's best Android phones will have to purchase the device through the OnePlus website, Best Buy, or Amazon. That said, the phone will support T-Mobile on Verizon's 5G networks (AT&T customers are out of luck, as a phone only supports the carrier's 4G LTE network).

OnePlus says the decision to finally bring this variant to the US came after "hearing feedback from the OnePlus community in North America." However, the choice to limit its flagship launch it's only one variant in the US mirrors the OnePlus 9 Pro launch, which only included the 12GB+256GB model and not the cheaper 8GB+128GB version of the phone.

In addition to the higher specced OnePlus 10 Pro, the company is also announcing a revamp to its Red Cable Club in North America. The membership program will now use a points-based system, where members can earn "RedCoins" to redeem third-party benefits like gift cards and even Google One subscriptions.

Points are earned through games or by making purchases. When you sign up for Rec Cable Club, you'll receive 500 RedCoins, while T-Mobile customers will receive a bonus 2000 points. T-Mobile customers will also get additional benefits, like a $50 trade-in bonus, extended warranty, and free shipping vouchers. You can sign up for Red Cable Club on the OnePlus website.

For those interested in the 12GB+256GB OnePlus 10 Pro, you won't have to wait long, as the device will be available on June 15. It only comes in the Volcanic Black colorway (sorry, green fans) and will retail for US$969/CA$1,249. However, you'll have to act fast because OnePlus is giving buyers a free pair of OnePlus Buds Pro if they purchase the phone between June 15 and June 20.

Google ends the Android 12 beta program for Pixel phones

jayar.decenella@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 14:11:54 +0000

What you need to know

Google has ended the Android 12 beta program for Pixel phones.
This coincides with the recent release of Android 12L QPR3 and the June feature drop.
After installing the June update, you can opt out of the beta program without having your data wiped clean.

One year after the first Android 12 beta was released, Google has announced the end of the beta program for Pixel phones. This follows the release of Android 12L QPR3 and the June Pixel feature drop yesterday.

Google made the announcement via its official Reddit account (via 9to5Google). "We’re excited to announce that the official Android 12 June release will begin rolling out worldwide to Pixel devices starting today!" the search giant stated. "This concludes our Android 12 (QPR3) beta program."

The move makes sense as Google turns its focus to Android 13. The Android 12 beta program kicked off in May of last year, with the stable version following in October. Google would have typically ended the beta program with that release, but it remained open to beta testers as part of the Android 12L beta that began in December.

Now that the beta program has come to an end, phones that have been enrolled in it, including Google's best Android phones, will be automatically removed from beta testing in the coming weeks. However, once you install the June update, you can manually opt out of the program without losing any data.

It should be noted that those wishing to participate in Android 13 beta testing must first unenroll their devices from the Android 12 beta program.

"Devices enrolled in Android 12 beta will not automatically receive Android 13 beta releases," according to Google. "New program enrollment is required."

If you've been waiting for the June feature drop and Android 12L QPR3, the updates started rolling out yesterday. Google added that the release will continue over the next week, though this may vary by carrier and device.

Google Pixel 6

Grab a phone that is smarter than you ever imagined. The Pixel 6 is an AI-powered phone featuring the Google Tensor chipset.

How to replace the Android 12 lock screen clock on a Google Pixel

namerahsaudfatmi@gmail.com (Namerah Saud Fatmi) — Mon, 30 May 2022 11:00:09 +0000

Most of us fell in love with Android 12's Material You facelift. While most of the dynamically themed bits of Android 12 look fantastic, not everyone's a fan of the large clock on the lock screen. If you're not big on the enlarged clock widget, here's how you can remove it. Once it's gone, we've got some decent recommendations for a fitting replacement.

How to replace the Android 12 lock screen clock on a Google Pixel

1. Open Settings on your Pixel.

2. Tap on Display under your Pixel's settings.

3. Select Lock Screen.

(Image credit: Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central)

4. Find the Double-line clock toggle and disable it.

5. Lock your Pixel to see the lock screen without the large Android 12 clock.

Android 12 Material You on a Google Pixel device is unlike any other user interface. Even Samsung's One UI can't compete with the automatic color-changing themes of Material You on a Pixel. Sadly, the lock screen is exactly the opposite of customizable, which is a darn shame. Considering how much effort Google invested into the home screen and the entire user interface as a whole, it's almost baffling why the company didn't try as hard with the lock screen.

I, personally, don't feel offended by the Android 12 lock screen clock much, but there are plenty of folks who hate it with a passion. If you can't stand the Android 12 version of the lock screen clock, the above steps will surely get rid of the eyesore for you. Switching off the toggle takes effect immediately, eliminating the enormous Material You-themed clock from the lock screen of your Pixel.

After successfully disabling the Double-line clock, you'll be left with a naked lock screen on your Pixel showcasing the At a Glance widget and your fingerprint sensor. Should you feel the urge to replace it with something else, you can consider replacing it with a third-party lock screen clock or widget. While launchers to customize your home screen are readily available, lock screen-specific launchers aren't even a thing!

You see, customizing your lock screen isn't a very popular idea these days. This has led to a severe shortage of third-party apps that offer creative solutions for your lock screen theming needs. Still, there are a handful of options to scratch that itch of yours. Our top pick is the KLCK Kustom Lock Screen Maker, which allows you to custom-make a unique lock screen for your own needs.

Other noteworthy mentions include the Always On AMOLED app, which adds a tailor-made AOD to your Pixel's lock screen, and Lock Screen & Notifications iOS 15, which replicates Apple's iOS 15 aesthetics, all of which you'll see listed down below. Happy theming!

Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) review: Finally, a Motorola phone I can recommend

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Mon, 23 May 2022 17:00:14 +0000

Motorola has a lot of phones, like a lot, to the point where you can barely throw a rock in a random direction without hitting one of Motorola's budget smartphones. The company has generally gone for a quantity-over-quality approach, pumping out as many affordable smartphones as possible. They're often underpowered, frustrating, and frankly uninspired, particularly the phones Motorola launches in the US. However, the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) actually surprised me.

Motorola's latest stylus-touting smartphone manages to hit the right balance of performance and affordability. Despite some flaws, I found myself quite pleased with the device and rank this among the best budget Android phones of 2022.

Pricing and availability

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Motorola prices the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) at $500 for its highest configuration, putting it squarely in the mid-range territory.

You can purchase the device at Motorola's website, which will snag double the storage at 512GB, thanks to a pre-installed 256GB microSD card. You can also find the phone at retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon, the latter of which also includes a microSD card. Buying it unlocked ensures that it will work on T-Mobile and Verizon's 5G networks. However, Verizon has recently begun selling the phone in its stores for $100 less, although this configuration sports half the amount of internal storage and just 4GB of RAM. That said, Verizon's model also supports the carrier's new C-Band 5G and mmWave.

What I like

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Off the bat, the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) looks like just about every other Motorola phone that the company launched this year. Sure, that screams uninspired, but I feel like the design is fairly appropriate for this phone at this price point. It has this nice blue sheen that seems to nicely reflect light and makes a phone look a tad more expensive than it actually is.

On the front, you'll find the 6.8-inch display with a hole punch camera and bezels that manage not to offend. It's an LCD, so it's not quite as vibrant as an AMOLED display, but I find the display shows images and video quite adequate, especially considering its high 120Hz refresh rate — a first for the Moto G lineup in the U.S. The phone also has a nice heft to it, and it feels excellent in hand.

Derrek Lee / Android Central

While it's nowhere near flagship-quality, the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) does have some pretty decent specs. It sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695, up to 8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256 GB of expandable storage, a large 5,000mAh battery, and of course, a built-in stylus (more on that later). The end result of this configuration is a mid-range phone that performs quite well.

Category	Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)
Display	6.8-inch FHD+ Max Vision Display, LCD, 120Hz
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G
Storage	128GB/256GB, expandable
Memory	4GB/6GB/8GB
Rear Camera 1	50MP wide-angle, f/1.9, 0.64μm, OIS, Quad Pixel
Rear Camera 2	8MP ultrawide, 118° FOV, Macro Vision
Rear Camera 3	2MP depth, f/2.4, 1.75μm
Selfie Camera	16MP, f/2.2, 1.0μm, Quad Pixel
Battery & Charging	5,000mAh, TurboPower 10, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
Connectivity	5G (sub-6, mmWave), Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 5, NFC
Dimensions	168.9 x 75.8 x 9.3mm, 215g
Colors	Steel Blue, Seafoam Green

During daily use, the phone shows very little in the way of hiccups or slowdowns, even with the display locked at 120Hz, although you can switch this to an auto mode that lets AI handle the refresh rate. The phone never really seems to falter, even while playing several graphics-intensive games at higher frame rates. The Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) features a game dashboard that lets you boost the performance of your gaming; even with that setting enabled, the phone performs like a champ. I haven't noticed it get too warm either, something that I've experienced with some flagship phones like the Galaxy S22.

Did I mention this phone has NFC? That seems like a weird thing to get excited about, but it's not exactly a given for Motorola phones, particularly its mid-range devices, so I count this as a definite win.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The phone runs Android 12 out of the box, and because Motorola likes to keep things simple, you'll find the experience to be pretty much identical to what you'll find on a Pixel smartphone. However, My UX does have some excellent additions that complement the software pretty well, and you can find them all in the Moto app. This is one of my favorite things about Motorola phones because it lets you enable quite a few helpful gestures, like a double twist to turn on the camera or a chopping motion to quickly enable the flashlight. My favorite gesture is being able to double-tap the power button/fingerprint sensor to reveal a pop-up shortcut of whatever apps I want.

Aside from the gestures, I really enjoy Motorola's take on notifications, allowing me to peek at a notification and drag the app icon quickly and perform various actions related to the app. The clock widget also has some nice weather animations and even tells me when it's going to rain and for how long, something that can come in handy here in Seattle.

Along with all these software additions comes the added hardware of the built-in stylus. I have someone mixed feelings about it because it's a fairly basic stylus. Don't expect any cool tricks as you'll get with Samsung's S Pen or even Motorola's new Smart Stylus that launched alongside the Motorola Edge+ (2022). That said, it gets the job done, and I can pull it out for a quick note which comes in handy. There's nothing special about it, but it's still nice to have, especially at this price point when the alternative costs more than twice as much, and when most of the phones don't come with styluses.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Another thumbs up for the hardware goes to the cameras. I hardly ever expect to be impressed by Motorola cameras, and the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) didn't exactly blow my mind. But the 50MP primary camera does manage some decent shots in various lighting conditions. It features optical image stabilization and uses pixel binning to output 12.5MP images with improved light capture. I like that nothing was really ever oversaturated, and the images seemed pretty true to life. It's also a decent ultrawide-angle camera that doubles as a macro lens, although it's hard to get any decent shots using the dedicated macro mode. Color science was also noticeably different in the ultrawide when compared to the primary sensor.

Wide-angleDerrek Lee / Android Central

UltrawideDerrek Lee / Android Central

Wide-angleDerrek Lee / Android Central

Low-lightDerrek Lee / Android Central

Night ModeDerrek Lee / Android Central

Low-lightDerrek Lee / Android Central

Wide-angleDerrek Lee / Android Central

UltrawideDerrek Lee / Android Central

Wide-angleDerrek Lee / Android Central

MacroDerrek Lee / Android Central

The Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) can easily live up to its two-day battery promise, for the right user.

What probably impresses me most about this phone is the battery life. Motorola says that this phone has a two-day battery life, and I believe it. I say that because I never quite get to two days, but I average roughly 10 hours of screen on time between charges, never ending a day on low battery. I'm a pretty heavy user, so I never expect to make it to a full two days. Still, even with all the picture taking, gaming, and scrolling through social media, the phone lasts a lot longer than the bevy of flagship devices I have lying around my apartment. Besides, a power user like me isn't going to buy a phone like this, and the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) is more likely to be picked up by someone who needs something fairly affordable but still capable of managing the basics, with a little extra oomph. Those are the ones that are likely to see this phone battery make it to two days before needing to be charged. Frankly, I'm still quite impressed.

What I don't like

Don't be fooled, nothing about its charging is rapid. (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

However, when it does come to charging the phone, things get a lot less impressive. Charging takes forever due to the 10W charger Motorola ships with the phone. That seems almost unfair for a 5,000mAh battery, and it's like Motorola is punishing you for needing to charge your phone every now and then. There's also no wireless charging, although you'll rarely find the phone at this price point.

There's a 3.5mm headphone jack, but the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) falls flat in the audio department.

Another feature that's not common for mid-range smartphones a stereo speakers. The Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) only has a bottom-firing speaker, and even the Dolby Atmos support can't really boost it enough to give me good audio. Fortunately, there's a headphone jack, but I honestly can't remember the last time I used wired headphones. And with this phone, you'll probably need them because, for some reason, the Bluetooth connection between my earbuds and the phone is incredibly finicky. Just walking around with my phone in my pocket, my music is constantly cutting off, something I hadn't experienced with any of my other phones being connected to the same Galaxy Buds 2. Frankly, it's pretty frustrating, especially at the gym while I'm in the zone during a workout.

While I don't mind the camera performance from the rear sensors, I'm pretty disgusted by the quality of the selfie camera. If you like taking selfies, this isn't the phone for you. There's very little in the way of detail, whether you're using the full 16MP resolution or pixel binning, and images are often overexposed and blown out.

Motorola's update policy also remains pretty weak. The Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) will only get one major OS upgrade (it's a good thing it ships with Android 12) and three years of security updates. That's a slight improvement for the company, but it falls behind Samsung, giving many of its midrange phones up to three OS upgrades, with recent ones like the Galaxy A53 5G receiving four years of upgrades and five years of security updates. Given that mid-range smartphones have helped propel Motorola in the U.S. smartphone market, I'd love to see the company improve on this front.

Competition

(Image credit: Nick Sutrich / Android Central)

If you're absolutely looking for a phone with a stylus, the best option you have is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. It's Samsung's latest premium flagship, so you'll get all the performance you need with an S Pen that can do a lot more than just doodle. However, the phone costs more than twice the amount of the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) with the same amount of RAM and half the built-in storage (non-expandable).

The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is another mid-range phone powered by the Snapdragon 695, so performance should be comparable. It offers a great design, a gorgeous AMOLED display, and an impressive primary camera sensor. That said, it doesn't have an ultrawide camera, it has less battery capacity, and the display only refreshes at 60Hz, which feels sluggish in comparison.

The upcoming Pixel 6a might be one to consider. The phone will retail for just $449, feature the same great design as its flagship predecessors, and will be powered by the same Tensor chipset, enabling some impressive AI features. However, you'll have to wait until July to pick it up, the display is also locked at 60Hz, and the camera hardware is practically ancient at this point.

Should you buy it?

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

You should buy this if...

You want a phone with a built-in stylus.
You want an inexpensive phone with good performance.
You want a phone with great battery life.

You shouldn't buy this if...

You like taking selfies.
You want a phone that will receive a few OS upgrades.
You live a busy lifestyle and need fast charging.

I've been pretty hard on Motorola over the past year, but it seems like the company is finally starting to get its act together. The Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) is a surprisingly good mid-range phone that offers excellent performance and even better battery life. Frankly, I'm still surprised at just how much I enjoy using this phone.

Motorola still has a few lessons to learn, particularly when it comes to the longevity of its smartphones. It's disappointing that the company insists on promising just one major OS upgrade with its sub-flagship phones, given how popular they've become in even the U.S. market. However, this phone shows that the company's stance on updates is slowly changing for the better, and at least you can rest easy for the next few years knowing that the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) will be secure.

Overall, I'm impressed enough with this phone that I would easily recommend it to friends or family. For me, that's saying quite a lot.

Android 12 update arrives for the ASUS ZenFone 7 and 7 Pro

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Tue, 17 May 2022 20:08:03 +0000

What you need to know

ASUS has begun rolling out Android 12 for its ZenFone 7 and 7 Pro.
The update includes a host of changes to various system apps and UI elements. It also brings Android 12 privacy settings.
ZenFone 7/7 Pro owners are encouraged to back up their phones before updating.

As the Android 13 beta chugs along, device makers are still in the midst of their Android 12 rollouts. ASUS is among them and has finally begun pushing the Android 12 update to its ZenFone 7 and 7 Pro.

The update comes with plenty of the features you'd expect for Android 12, including the new Privacy Dashboard and new privacy settings. The Quick Settings panel is updated to match the Android 12 design, and ASUS is updating plenty of system apps. The update also adds the divisive new Internet panel.

Here's the complete list of changes arriving on the ZenFone 7 series:

Upgraded system to Android 12
Revamped Mobile Manager, Contacts, Phone, File Manager, Calculator, Clock, Gallery, Weather, Sound recorder, Settings, Data Transfer, Local backup, Setup wizard, System update apps
Adjusted Quick Settings panel, notification tray, and volume panel to Android 12 design
Added privacy dashboard, camera and microphone indicators, show clipboard access, approximate location access, and microphone access features
Replaced ASUS Safeguard with stock Emergency SOS
Introduced the new widget page design in Launcher. Adjusted the position of the screenshot option and removed the hotseat app icons in the Overview page.
Removed the Quick Settings layout option in the Display settings
ASUS Phone removed SIP calling support
Added system charging animation
Merge WiFi and mobile network options to Internet settings

The update arrives several months after the ZenFone 8 series was updated to Android 12. For the most part, the changes here closely match those found on the company's best Android phones.

ASUS says the update may take some time to arrive for some users, as the server pushes it out in batches based on the serial number. Owners can manually check for the update by navigating to Settings > System > System updates. ASUS also recommends backing up your device before installing the update.

How to enable the Digital Wellbeing widget on Android 12

namerahsaudfatmi@gmail.com (Namerah Saud Fatmi) — Sun, 15 May 2022 18:00:48 +0000

Digital Wellbeing was conceived by Google way back in 2018. Since then, the tech giant has rolled out more and more features to help us find a healthy balance while using our phones. Android 12 brought us the adorable Digital Wellbeing widget that changes colors based on your phone's theme thanks to Material You. Here's how you can enable the helpful Digital Wellbeing widget on Android 12.

1. Press and hold the home screen.

2. Tap Widgets.

(Image credit: Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central)

3. Look for Digital Wellbeing under widgets and tap it.

4. Press and hold the Digital Wellbeing widget.

(Image credit: Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central)

5. Place the Digital Wellbeing widget wherever you want on your home screen.

(Image credit: Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central)

As you might have noticed, I used the Google Pixel 6 for this demonstration. If you don't have a Pixel 6 or 6 Pro, fear not because any Android phone running Android 12 and above can follow the same steps for similar results. You may not get exactly the same level of color optimization as the Pixel, depending on your handset, but the Digital Wellbeing widget's screen time functions are going to be there and that's really what matters the most.

Why you need to disconnect regularly

Technology is everywhere nowadays, from our bedrooms to our bathrooms. Notice how your phone never leaves your side from the minute you open your eyes until the second you close them. It has gotten so bad that losing your phone might be worse than losing your wallet, as discovered by our very own Rebecca Spear recently.

I appreciate all the convenience that the advent of smartphones has brought us, but there are also negative impacts to consider. Much like some of the best mental health apps, that's where Digital Wellbeing comes into play.

Google hopes to help us track the amount of time we spend on our phones and subsequently reduce it. With a little help from the screen time Digital Wellbeing widget on Android 12, you can actually achieve this. Just looking at the precious amount of time you've spent browsing through your phone can be a wake-up call. If you'd like to benefit from this wonderful wellness feature from Google, I implore you to look at some of the other Android Digital Wellbeing tools and learn how to use them.

Google Pixel 6

Google may have moved on from the Pixel 6, but we haven't. This amazing little phone is so easy to theme and it snaps some seriously impressive shots. Material You dynamically adjusts the colors of your widgets and that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Pixel 6's features.

The new Sony Xperia 1 IV is a powerhouse for creators, and it's predictably expensive

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Fri, 13 May 2022 22:57:15 +0000

What you need to know

Sony announced the Xperia 1 IV with an improved camera setup and larger battery.
The phone's telephoto lens can capture true optical zoom between 3.5x to 5.2x.
The Xperia 1 IV will sport a new Music Pro app for recording professional-grade audio and full-scale songs.
Sony also launched the Xperia 10 IV with a triple camera setup, 5000mAh battery, and multiple colorways.

Google may have pre-announced the Pixel 7 series before its Fall launch, but it's not the only company discussing phones months before they arrive on the market. The new Sony Xperia 1 IV was announced this week with impressive specs and a hefty price tag, but it won't be available for several months.

Like the Xperia phones before it, the Xperia 1 IV is aimed at content creators. Sony outfitted the device with a triple camera setup consisting of three 12MP cameras. However, the company has stepped things up by allowing all three cameras to shoot video at 120fps 4K HDR. This means you'll be able to get smooth zoom from the ultrawide, wide, and telephoto cameras.

Speaking of zoom, Sony's new periscope telephoto lens physically moves to offer "true optical zoom" between 85mm and 125mm equivalent (3.5x to 5.2x), resulting in smoother zoom and better image capture before digital cropping comes into play.

(Image credit: Sony)

Upfront, users will be happy to know that Sony has finally improved the front-facing camera, which now sports a 12MP resolution. This should make selfies crisper and allows the camera to shoot video at 4K HDR.

That selfie camera sits in the Xperia 1 IV's bezels, which house the front-facing stereo speakers and sandwich the 6.5-inch 4K 120Hz OLED display, making this a great phone for content consumption. However, Sony highlight's the phone's content creation features thanks to the inclusion of the 3.5mm headphone jack, which can be used to connect to a wireless mic. Additionally, you'll be able to use the phone's built-in mics to record "professional-level" audio with the new Music Pro app. The app will help reproduce studio-like audio recordings by reducing noise and reverberation and can even separate vocals from instruments so you can edit the tracks separately.

(Image credit: Sony)

The phone also enhances Sony's already excellent gaming experience by allowing users to livestream their gameplay, and gamers can even view comments during the livestream so they can respond in real-time.

Powering the Xperia 1 IV is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which puts it above many of the best Android phones. There's also a large 5,000mAh battery, quick charging, and wireless charging. However, this package won't come cheap, as Sony is asking for an eye-watering $1600 for the phone. That's nearly as much as the folding Galaxy Z Fold 3 (which you can find cheaper with deals) and more than the dual-screen Microsoft Surface Duo 2. But as usual, Sony isn't targeting the average consumer and instead expects creators to shell out for a phone that essentially acts as a full creator studio.

That said, if you're interested in the Xperia 1 IV, you'll have to wait to get it, as Sony won't actually bring it to market until September. That's right, September. Still, you can preorder the phone now and snag a free pair of WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds to sweeten the deal.

(Image credit: Sony)

Finally, Sony announced the new Xperia 10 IV. This mid-range device is powered by the Snapdragon 695, which you'll find on many of the best budget Android phones. It sports a 6-inch 21:9 OLED display, a triple camera setup with HDR and OIS, and a 5,000mAh battery. Sony says that this is the lightest 5G smartphone to sport said battery capacity.

The Xperia 10 IV will be available in black, white, Mint, and Lavender colorways and is available for preorder now in select markets. Fortunately, it will arrive on the market much sooner than its flagship counterpart, with a mid-June release set.

The Honor Magic 4 Pro makes its UK debut with quad-curved display, 100W charging

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Fri, 13 May 2022 01:32:17 +0000

What you need to know

The new Honor Magic 4 Pro was previously launched at MWC 2022.
Honor is finally launching the phone in global markets, starting with the UK.
The phone features a 50MP primary camera, 50MP ultrawide, and 64MP telephoto lens.
The company is also launching the Honor Watch GS 3 and Honor Earbuds 3 Pro.

Months after Honor unveiled its latest flagship Android smartphone at MWC 2022, the Honor Magic 4 Pro finally arrived in global markets, starting with the United Kingdom.

(Image credit: Honor)

Honor is essentially filling in the gap left by Huawei, offering an attractive, premium 5G flagship that makes us wish we could purchase one in the U.S. This includes a unique 6.81-inch quad-curved OLED display with a 1312x2848 resolution and 1000nits of brightness. It also has a dynamic refresh rate capable of switching between 1Hz and 120Hz, depending on the scene.

(Image credit: Honor)

On the back, you'll find a 50MP wide sensor, a 50MP ultrawide, a 64MP telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom, a depth sensor, and something called a flicker sensor to reduce flickers while capturing images. That's pretty hefty as camera setups go, which is why the Honor Magic 4 Pro was voted the best phone camera for Android Central's Best of MWC 2022 awards. And Honor really highlights the phone's camera capabilities, including its 100x zoom and enhanced computational photography. The Honor Magic 4 Pro can also capture 10bit Log 4K video in 60fps, allowing videographers to capture and edit "cinematic-level footage."

The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The phone runs Magic UI 6.0 based on Android 12, and keeping the lights on is a 4,600mAh battery. That's notably smaller than some of the best Android phones out there, but the Honor Magic 4 Pro makes up for it by offering 100W charging, which can top the phone up in just 30 minutes.

The phone retails for £950 and will be available for preorder on May 13 in the UK.

In addition to the phone, Honor introduces two accessories for prospective buyers to pair with the device. First is the Honor Watch GS 3, which features a 1.43-inch AMOLED display and is made from 316L stainless steel. It features onboard GPS, a heart rate monitor, and supports more than 100 workout modes. The watch will be available for purchase on May 13, starting at £190, although you can snag one for free when you preorder the phone.

(Image credit: Honor)

Lastly, the Honor Earbuds 3 Pro feature a sleek design with adaptive ANC, an 11mm dynamic driver, and up to 24-hours of listening time. They also include fast-charging tech to get you two hours of listening time from a five-minute charge. These will also be available for purchase in the UK on May 13 for £170.

(Image credit: Honor)

Android 12 QPR3 Beta 3 brings minor bug fixes and the May security patch

andrew.myrick@futurenet.com (Andrew Myrick) — Wed, 04 May 2022 19:06:49 +0000

What you need to know

Google has released Android 12 QPR3 Beta 3 for select Pixel devices.
The update does not include any major new features or changes.
Instead, Beta 3 focuses more on bug fixes and improvements to call quality and connectivity.

Earlier in the week, Google released the May 2022 Security Patch for Pixel devices, which brought with it the official patch for the Dirty Pipe vulnerability. That release was part of the stable build of Android, and now, those who are running the Android 12 QPR3 beta are getting some love.

Android 12 QPR3 Beta 3 has just been released for Pixel owners, which will bring your beta-enrolled Pixel up to the May Security Patch. Unsurprisingly, Google hasn't included any other major feature changes, and instead, is focusing on fixing bugs and providing stability improvements.

With Google I/O 2022 set to kick off on May 11th, Google likely pushed this update just in order to keep things quiet until after I/O is done. According to the release notes, the update provides the following fixes:

Fixed an issue on Pixel 6 Pro devices where a white line sometimes flashed on the screen after waking up a device that was not configured to always display time and other info on the lock screen.
Fixed various issues to improve call quality and connectivity.
Fixed a keystore issue that caused the NHS COVID-19 app to crash when launching.

It also appears that there are still a couple of "known issues" with QPR3 Beta 3, and these include instances of Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro models crashing when "the user tries to take a picture." The camera app is also causing issues as the "personal profile erroneously displays a work profile indicator." The former is definitely more concerning than the latter, so we'll have to wait and see how long Google takes before patching that potentially-frustrating bug.

Finally, if you were hoping to jump ship from Android 12 to test out the new Android 13 beta, you'll have to wait. Google has confirmed that those who are running QPR3 Beta 3 will have to wait until Android 13 Beta 2 is released in order to switch over. In the meantime, the QPR3 Beta 3 update should be arriving as an OTA for devices ranging from the Pixel 4 and Pixel 6 Pro.

Google Pixel 6

Google's Pixel 6 remains one of the best Android phones on the market, while providing an incredible value. Even with the Pixel 6a looming, this is a great option thanks to its flagship specs and even better camera hardware.

The LG V60 ThinQ is finally receiving Android 12 in the US

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 17:01:52 +0000

What you need to know

Reports are pouring in that the LG V60 has started receiving the Android 12 update.
The update appears to be available for T-Mobile customers in the United States.
The March security patch is included with the update.

LG's slow Android 12 rollout has continued as users report that the LG V60 has begun receiving the update in the United States.

There are several reports on Reddit indicating that the update is available on the T-Mobile variant. There isn't much of a changelog included in the notice that appears on users' devices, but the update includes Android 12, bug fixes, system improvements, and the March security patch.

T-Mobile doesn't seem to have updated its Android 12 support page to include the device.

(Image credit: Binarybitz on Reddit)

LG's Android 12 update rollout began in March with the LG Velvet in South Korea. U.S. versions have since begun receiving the update as well. Interestingly, the LG V60 update appears to have started in the U.S. as opposed to the company's home country, which is usually par-for-the-course. That said, the company recently released an update schedule for Q2 2022 on its Korean site, and the V60 was curiously missing from the list.

Not counting the LG Wing, the V60 was the company's last "standard" flagship phone, competing with the best Android phones from Samsung. Despite some shortcomings, the device was quite popular among LG fans for its great camera performance, battery life, and its cheaper price tag when compared to other flagship devices at the time. Unfortunately, a V70 never materialized, which is likely why there are plenty of fans still holding onto their V60s.

So far, we haven't noticed reports of other variants receiving the update, but it can't be long for other carrier versions and regions to push the update. The V60 is also expected to receive at least one more major OS upgrade per LG's promise, which will probably arrive sometime in 2023.

Android 12 QPR3 Beta 2 lands for Pixel owners with potential 'Dirty-Pipe' fix

andrew.myrick@futurenet.com (Andrew Myrick) — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 19:59:43 +0000

What you need to know

Android 12 QPR3 Beta 2 is now available for select Pixel devices.
This release includes the April security patch, along with a few bug fixes.
There are also a couple of known bugs to be aware of.

Early last month, Google surprised Pixel owners everywhere with the release of the Android 12 QPR3 beta software. The QPR stands for "Quarterly Platform Release" and gives users the ability to test out new features ahead of the official launch. This update in particular contains new features and bug fixes that will be made available in the June Pixel Feature Drop. Fast forward a few weeks, and now Google has released Android 12 QPR3 Beta 2.

The update is currently available for some of the best Android phones from Google, ranging from the Pixel 4 and 4 XL all the way up to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. According to the release notes, this update includes the following fixes:

Fixed issues that caused a high pitch noise during phone calls on some devices. (Issue #224716473)
Fixed an issue that caused the bottom of the Google Maps UI to be cut off at the bottom of the screen on some devices. (Issue #223688137)
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the Google Messages app to fail to send a message that was sourced by scanning a QR code.
Fixed an issue that caused the Google Phone app to crash after using the back gesture while searching.

Unfortunately, there are also some new bugs that have cropped up, and Google provides some explanation as to what those are:

In some cases, the Google Camera app icon in a device's personal profile erroneously displays a work profile indicator.
When launching the NHS COVID-19 app, a keystore issue can cause the app to crash.

Along with being able to test out new features first, another reason why you might consider jumping on the QPR3 beta bandwagon is for a rather important security patch. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are open to a Linux kernel vulnerability known as "Dirty Pipe." If your device is affected, it could allow hackers to gain full-control over your phone, but the patch was not included in the March Security Patch. However, according to one developer, Google has updated the kernel with the QPR3 release which supposedly includes the fix for Pixel 6 and 6 Pro owners.

(Image credit: @mile_freak07)

With this update, you have a couple of different ways of installing it. If you've already enrolled in the Android 12 QPR3 beta program, then you should be receiving an OTA update over the course of the next day or so. But if you opted to hold out following the initial release, Google has already published the factory images if you want to manually flash the update yourself.

Google Pixel 6

Stay on the bleeding edge of the future of Android with the Pixel 6. Google has combined its excellent software prowess with impressive hardware to provide one of the best experiences on the market.

Pixel At a Glance widget starts showing Bluetooth battery levels for some

andrew.myrick@futurenet.com (Andrew Myrick) — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 20:57:20 +0000

What you need to know

Google is finally rolling out the ability to view the remaining battery of your Bluetooth devices from the At A Glance widget.
This feature was announced as part of the March 2022 Pixel Feature Drop.
It seems that Google is bringing this to users as part of a staged rollout.

When Google announced the first Pixel Feature Drop of 2022 back in March, Pixel owners rejoiced to see a bunch of new changes coming. These included things like the new Battery widget, along with the ability to see even more pertinent information in the At A Glance widget.

(Image credit: Reddit)

While the Battery widget has been available for many, the ability to view battery life for your favorite headphones in the At A Glance widget has yet to be seen. A post from the r/GooglePixel subreddit suggests that Google is rolling out this new feature. It appears to be part of a staged server-side rollout, meaning that you can't just download the latest version of the Google app to get this functionality.

According to images shared by u/mattbxd, there will be a new option under the At A Glance widget settings, complete with a toggle for Connected devices. Then, when you have a set of headphones or other Bluetooth accessories paired to your Pixel phone, the remaining battery life will appear in the widget.

(Image credit: Reddit)

What makes this even more confusing is that the original post was updated stating "Seems nice... but it disappeared shortly after." We tried to see if this would work with our Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel Buds A-Series, but have not been able to get the additional settings option to appear. This just goes to show that Google's history of staged rollouts for features that were previously announced will continue to frustrate many.

The At A Glance widget has been kind of a mixed bag for many Pixel owners. Despite promising to offer useful information such as flight plans or calendar events, sometimes the widget just shows nothing more than the time and maybe the current weather conditions. It's clear that Google has big plans for the widget as more and more features are being promised. Now, we just have to wait for the execution to follow through.

Google Pixel 6

If you want the Google phone of all Google phones, you can't go wrong with the Pixel 6. From its vastly-improved camera hardware to the Tensor chip powering everything under the hood, the Pixel 6 is simply a fantastic device.

LG outlines upcoming Android 12 update plans, but it's a bit disappointing

Derrek Lee — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 20:36:25 +0000

What you need to know

LG has released its upcoming update schedule for Q2 2022.
Thee phones will be updated to Android 12, including the LG Q92 and the 2019 LG V50/V50S.
The LG Velvet was recently the first LG phone to be updated to Android 12.

LG may be down and literally out, but the company is sticking to its commitment to continue providing major updates to its phones (we hope). LG has just published a new update schedule for Q2 2022, outlining the upcoming device updates it has in store. As exciting as that sounds for fans of LG, the schedule may be a bit disappointing.

According to LG, three phones are set to receive the update to Android 12 this quarter. That includes the 2019 LG V50 ThinQ and its S variant and the mid-range LG Q92. Besides that, other devices are set to receive new security patch updates this quarter.

It's a bit disappointing that LG isn't bringing Android 12 to the LG Wing. Fans likely won't be pleased to see the LG V60 missing from the list since it was arguably one of the best Android phones of 2020 and a cheaper yet quite capable alternative to Samsung's Galaxy phones. That said, the update schedule is for LG's home country of South Korea, and its plans could differ depending on the region.

That said, it's encouraging that LG is sticking to its promise to update phones released in 2019 and onwards, meaning it's likely just a matter of time before more devices receive Android 12. Although, with Android 13 around the corner, don't hold your breath for speedy updates.

The LG Velvet was the first — and so far only — LG smartphone to receive Android 12, which began rolling out in March. It arrived just over a year after the device was updated with Android 11, which it was also the first to receive. LGnormally updates its phones in its home country before other regions get them, but hopefully, it won't be too long until the remaining LG fans are treated to the latest version.

Google releases April 2022 Update for the Pixel 6 and others with bug fixes aplenty

Derrek Lee — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 17:24:29 +0000

What you need to know

Google has released the April security update for Pixel smartphones.
The update includes several bug fixes, among them are fixes for wireless charging and camera viewfinder issues.
The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro appear to be receiving the update alongside the rest of the eligible Pixel lineup.

April is upon us, which means Google Pixel smartphones are set to receive the latest monthly update patch. The April update includes the latest security patch along with several bug fixes for various Pixel models.

Google launched the stable version of Android 12L alongside the March update and feature drop for Pixel devices, making this the first update since the tablet-focused Android version was released.

As per the release notes, the most notable bug fixes for the April 2022 update include addressing problems with wireless charging on the Pixel 6 devices, some fixes for various UI bugs, and more. Below is the full list of bug fixes, some of which are exclusive to the Pixel 6 series:

Fixes for the Pixel 3a and later

User interface:

Fix for crash in System UI while using apps in Picture-in-Picture (PIP) mode in certain conditions *[1].
Fix for issue causing error message to display when setting up certain live wallpapers *[1].
Fix for issue causing notification shade and Quick Settings to appear invisible after changing wallpaper in certain conditions *[1].
Fix for issue occasionally causing animation to display incorrectly when canceling a search in the app drawer *[1].
Fix for issue occasionally preventing navigation in overview screen while TalkBack is active *[1].
Fix for issue occasionally preventing recents button to show the overview while using 3-button navigation with third party launchers *[1].

Fixes for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro

Battery & Power:

Additional improvements for wireless charging performance with certain accessories *[2].

Camera:

Fix for issue causing front-facing camera preview in certain apps to appear zoomed in *[2].
Fix for issue occasionally causing green screen to appear in camera preview *[2].

Unlike previous months, Google appears to be launching the April update for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro alongside the rest of the eligible lineup. This hasn't exactly been par for the course for Google's best Android phones, which have had to wait until weeks later before receiving the update, to the annoyance of those that purchased the phones.

To update your Pixel, navigate to Settings > System > System update and tap Check for update. It may take some time before it appears on your device, and Google states that it will arrive "over the next week in phases depending on carrier and device."

Google Pixel 6 Pro

The Google Pixel 6 Pro is a fantastif smartphone with one of the best cameras you'll find on the market. It features Google's latest hardware, gorgeous colorways, and you'll get the latest updates and features before most other Android phones.

T-Mobile OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro devices finally receive OxygenOS 12 (Android 12)

Derrek Lee — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 22:20:04 +0000

What you need to know

OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro owners are starting to receive the OxygenOS 12 update based on Android 12.
The update appears to be rolling out in waves and includes the February security patch.
The update includes an updated UI, new privacy features, an updated Work Life Balance mode, and more.

The OnePlus 10 Pro may be all the rage right now, but OnePlus 9 owners in the U.S. have a reason to rejoice. Those of you who purchased T-Mobile branded devices are being treated to a big update in the form of OxygenOS 12, aka Android 12.

The update apparently started rolling out this week, as pointed out by OnePlus forum members (via XDA-Developers). It arrives four months after the stable update started rolling out to the unlocked version of the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro in December 2021.

OxygenOS 12 arrives with plenty of new features and UI updates that should give your OnePlus 9 a new lease on life. That includes the updated Work Life Balance 2.0, which is available globally and can now be automated. The Shelf has been updated, there's an adjustable dark mode, updates to the Gallery app, and plenty more.

While the update may have arrived late for T-Mobile users, it at least comes after all the bugginess that users dealt with during the initial rollout, which resulted in OnePlus pausing the OxygenOS 12 update. Fortunately, OnePlus has managed to get everything relatively cleaned up for its best Android phones, and you should be presented with a stable experience.

According to the changelog, OnePlus 9 owners can expect the Android 12 update, the February 2022 security patch, and "general improvements and fixes." Ironically, T-Mobile's Android 12 support page doesn't seem to have been updated to reflect the change, but it may very well soon catch up.

To update your phone, navigate to Settings > System > System updates and tap Check for updates. Standard OnePlus 9 devices are receiving software version LE2117_11.C.16, while the Pro variant is receiving version LE2127_11.C.16.

OnePlus 9 Pro

The OnePlus 10 Pro may be the latest and greatest, but the OnePlus 9 Pro still has a lot going for it, from its impressive display to its versatile cameras. If you're looking for a relatively inexpensive yet recent flagship, this one is worth a look at.

The OnePlus 10 Pro will come with a notable downgrade in the US

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 22:15:14 +0000

Update Mar 29, 1:00 PM ET: OnePlus further clarifies charging capabilities of the OnePlus 10 Pro. The article as been updated to reflect the new information.

What you need to know

OnePlus details its upcoming flagship ahead of the global launch on March 31.
The OnePlus 10 Pro will feature downgraded 65W wired charging for North American units.
Wireless charging will remain at 50W.

We're just days away from the global launch of the OnePlus 10 Pro, and OnePlus has decided to detail its latest flagship in a forum post on Monday. The new phone will be nearly identical inside and out to the variant released earlier this year in China. However, U.S. models will come with a notable charging downgrade.

According to the forum post, while OnePlus 10 Pro units in Europe and India will support 80W SuperVOOC charging, the North American variant will only support 65W. That essentially keeps the charging speed in line with OnePlus' previous flagship phones. When questioned about this decision, a OnePlus forum staff member explained why U.S. models are receiving slower charging speeds:

"In North America, the OnePlus 10 Pro supports 65W SUPERVOOC. This is because 80W SUPERVOOC does not currently support 110 or 120-volt AC power – the typical standard for power outlets in the region."

It's a bit of a bummer that the U.S. won't get a bump in charging speeds. However, OnePlus further clarifies that the 10 Pro's charging remains "the fastest standard for charging in North America," capable of topping up the phone's 5,000mAh battery in just 34 minutes. That's plenty faster than the speeds offered by the best Android phones sold in the U.S., particularly Samsung, which caps its latest flagships at 45W.

Fortunately, it doesn't seem like wireless charging will be affected. OnePlus has also clarified that the OnePlus 10 Pro will retain its speedy 50W AirVOOC, which can fully charge the phone in 47 minutes. The U.S.-bound 10 Pro will also feature the same Smart Charge Protection feature as other variants.

OnePlus 10 Pro internals (Image credit: OnePlus)

OnePlus also highlights other features and specs, such as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, a custom cooling system, and software optimizations made to OxygenOS 12.1. Hopefully, these together should allow the OnePlus 10 Pro to live up to the claim of "20% improved performance and a 30% improvement in power efficiency" while also avoiding the Galaxy S22's thermal issues.

Meanwhile, you can still reserve the OnePlus 10 Pro now to receive a free pair of OnePlus Buds Pro and early shipping.

Reserve the OnePlus 10 Pro for $1 to get free wireless earbuds and more perks

Derrek Lee — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 19:09:20 +0000

What you need to know

OnePlus has opened reservations for its upcoming flagship launch in the U.S.
You can reserve the OnePlus 10 Pro for just $1 on the OnePlus website for exclusive perks.
Perks include early shipping and a free pair of OnePlus Buds Pro.

OnePlus is less than a week away from the global debut of its latest flagship smartphone. The OnePlus 10 Pro is set to launch on March 31 in North America, India, and Europe, but fans can already reserve the new phone early, at least in the U.S.

The company has opened up reservations on its website, allowing users to place a $1 deposit on the phone. This deposit will unlock a few perks that could sweeten the deal for those who might be on the fence. This includes a free pair of the fairly impressive OnePlus Buds Pro, which can hold their own among many of the best wireless earbuds.

Those who reserve the OnePlus 10 Pro early will also get first dibs on the new flagship with early shipping. That is, of course, once you pay the total balance owed on the phone, which OnePlus notes you will have to pay any time between March 31 and April 7. International pricing has yet to be revealed.

(Image credit: OnePlus)

The OnePlus 10 Pro has already launched in China, so the phone isn't exactly a mystery. It features a striking new design with a large 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED display, a triple camera setup with second-gen Hasselblad imaging, a 5,000mAh battery with 80W SuperVOOC charging/50W wireless charging, and it's powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. That said, there may be some differences between the China-only version and the global variant, but we won't know the full picture until the launch on March 31.

Reservations are open on the OnePlus website (below) through March 31 at 6 am PT or just before the launch event.

Reserve the OnePlus 10 Pro for $1

The OnePlus 10 Pro is the latest flagship smartphone from OnePlus, featureing an impressive Hasselblad camera, super-fast wired and wireless charging, and a gorgeous Emerald Forest colorway to rival the latest green smartphones.View Deal

Google Pixel 6 series exclusively gets Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1.1 with bug fixes

jayar.decenella@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 09:50:20 +0000

What you need to know

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are picking up an interim Quarterly Platform Release beta build two weeks after Google released the first beta.
Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1.1 includes bug fixes for a few issues affecting battery life and call quality.
Older Pixel models, from the Pixel 4 series to the Pixel 5 lineup, are still receiving the initial beta build.

Two weeks ago, Google released the first beta build of the Android 12 Quarterly Platform Release (QPR) and it wasn't for the faint of heart. Indeed, a few nasty bugs reared their ugly heads following the release, and Google is fixing them with a new patch.

Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1.1 is rolling out to the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro with bug fixes that address previously known issues such as battery drain and degraded call quality. However, the interim update is exclusive to Google's latest flagship devices.

As a result, some of the search giant's best budget Android phones will continue to receive the initial beta build. These include the Pixel 4 and 4 XL, the Pixel 4a and 4a (5G), and the Pixel 5 and Pixel 5a.

If you're running a beta build on any of the Pixel 6 phones, you'll automatically get Beta 1.1 via an over-the-air update. Google's release notes listed a few patches, including:

Fixed some issues that caused excessive battery drain
Improved call quality related to issues like Issue #224716473 that caused a high pitch noise during phone calls on some devices. Although we're still investigating the root cause of this and similar issues, we're planning additional improvements for future beta releases.

The QPR3 Beta 1.1 retains the same March 2022 security update that shipped with the initial beta build. Its build number is S3B1.220218.006, which you can find by tapping that "check for update" button.

Additionally, the new beta build fixes "the issue that prevented Pixel 6/Pro devices from opting out and not being able to apply the stable public update."

Google cautions that you may encounter "various stability, battery, or performance issues," so you might not want to install the update on your daily driver.

Google Pixel 6 Pro

The Google Pixel 6 Pro is an excellent Android flagship device. It's sleek and fast, and thanks to Google's impressive AI chip, it has exclusive access to Pixel-only features. It also has a versatile camera setup with upgraded hardware, so you can be confident that you'll always get the best photos.

OxygenOS 12 (Android 12) is now rolling out to the OnePlus 8 series and OnePlus 9R

qualiafan89@gmail.com (Babu Mohan) — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 11:59:00 +0000

What you need to know

OnePlus has released the stable OxygenOS 12 update for the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, 8T, and 9R phones.
Along with new Android 12 features, the OxygenOS 12 update brings a revamped UI, Canvas AOD, and more.
It also includes the February 2022 Android security patch.

OnePlus rolled out the first OxygenOS 12 Open Beta for its OnePlus 8 and 8T smartphones last month. The company has now started rolling out the stable OxygenOS 12 update to its 2020 flagships. In addition to the OnePlus 8 series, the update is also now available for the OnePlus 9R and OnePlus 8T.

While the rollout is currently limited to OxygenOS 12 Open Beta users, OnePlus says the update will soon roll out to stable branch users as well. The update announcement post on OnePlus’ community forum also notes that the update for the European variants of the OnePlus 8 series phones will take a little longer to arrive due to additional validation steps.

As you’d expect, the update includes all the key Android 12 features such as conversation widgets, microphone and camera indicators, a new privacy dashboard, a one-handed mode, and accessibility improvements.

There are a bunch of OnePlus-specific changes too. These include a refreshed user interface, Canvas AOD, OnePlus Watch Card in Shelf, and Dark mode improvements. Disappointingly, OnePlus hasn’t included the latest Android security patch with the update. It comes with the February 2022 security patch, which began rolling out to the best Samsung phones in late January.

As confirmed by OnePlus previously, the OxygenOS 12 update will also be released for the OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 7T Pro, Nord, Nord 2 5G, and Nord CE 5G phones later this year. The company is also working on OxygenOS 13, which it says will be closer to stock Android to deliver a “lighter experience” to users.

From the Editor's Desk: Why are there so many Android betas?

alex@androidcentral.com (Alex Dobie) — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 16:00:00 +0000

Android 12 QPR 3 Beta 1 is not a soccer scoreline, but the next release of Android 12, following the recent launch of Android 12L on some Pixel devices earlier this month. If you're slightly confused, you're not alone. It seems like there's an alphabet soup of different Android 12 varieties to choose from right now, especially when it comes to beta and pre-release builds.

First, there's Android 12 itself, which was released last October and has been rolling out to various phones over the past few months.

There's Android 12L, which was pitched as an update mainly for big screens but also recently rolled out to some Pixel phones as the "March Feature Drop".

And now there's the new Android 12 QPR3, which stands for Quarterly Platform Release 3 and is available to test through the Android beta program ahead of its launch in June alongside the next Google Pixel "Feature Drop."

In any of those cases, though, if you look under System > About phone on any device running either baseline Android 12 or 12L, or even the new Android 12 QPR3 — you'll just see "Android 12." Google doesn't offer any detail about which precise flavor of Android 12 you're running.

What does this all mean?

(Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

The problem here doesn't really have to do with the software itself but the opaqueness of the branding surrounding it. Given the messaging from Google, a lot of people might assume Android 12L is just for tablets and foldables — a separate branch of Android for these devices similar to the old tablet-exclusive Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

"QPR3" also implies the existence of earlier Quarterly Platform Releases — so if this latest beta build really is the third QPR for Android 12 then what happened to the first two? And is this "QPR" continuation of Android 12L or is it a separate branch of Android 12? From branding, it's not at all clear.

Google (sorta) explains what's going on in this statement on its official developer site:

"Following the stable release of Android 12 to AOSP, we continue to update the platform with fixes and improvements that are then rolled out to supported devices. These releases happen on a quarterly cadence through Quarterly Platform Releases (QPRs), which are delivered to AOSP and to Google Pixel devices as part of Feature Drops."

In the past, Google quietly worked away on QPRs for previous Android versions like Android 11, 10, and 9 without much public fanfare. (And before that, in older versions like Android Oreo, they were called maintenance releases — MRs — and weren't tied to a quarterly schedule).

So QPRs aren't new. But the fact that Google's testing them publicly is new — and probably not a bad thing considering the relatively buggy state of early Android 12 builds. On Google's latest handsets in particular, an embarrassing cavalcade of software faults resulted in the first major software update for the Pixel 6 being pulled in late 2021, leaving users on an older build with a different (though less serious) menagerie of bugs until mid-January 2022.

By publicly testing the third Quarterly Platform Release for Android 12 a few months ahead of launch, Google will hope to avoid a repeat of that situation.

As for the outstanding first and second Quarterly Platform Releases of Android 12, turns out they do actually exist.

As Esper's Mishaal Rahman explains on Twitter, QPR1 was the big Android 12 bug-fix update that landed in December — the one that was ultimately halted on Pixel 6 phones due to outstanding bugs. QPR2 was the recently-launched Android 12L — which contained several minor updates for phones alongside its widely publicized tablet and foldable features.

(Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

There's no fragmentation going on here — Android 12L contains everything that was already in that December patch. And QPR3 includes everything in Android 12L.

A couple of unusual things are going on, though: First, Google's actually talking about QPRs now and letting Pixel owners test them months ahead of release. And second, we've had the anomaly of Android 12L combining the second QPR with a bunch of new tablet and foldable features and new APIs for developers.

A look back to the past

(Image credit: Android Central)

To further demystify this stuff, let's look back to how Android releases used to be numbered, before we had Ls and QPRs. Android had a decimalized version number similar to a lot of other kinds of software.

Major Android versions are the ones that used to get sweet treat nicknames — the big annual Android releases with a bunch of new user-facing features and new APIs for developers that let apps do new things. They'd typically arrive in late summer and be accompanied by a new Nexus or Pixel phone — think Android 6.0, 7.0, or 8.0.

Then sometimes you'd have point releases — like Android 5.1, 5.2, or 7.1. These weren't a huge deal in terms of new user-facing features, but they did introduce new APIs for developers. New APIs tended to mean bumping the version number by 0.1.

Finally, there were minor Android updates like Android 5.1.1 or 7.1.1 — usually small bug fix updates that changed a few things behind the scenes but didn't introduce new APIs or anything as large in scope as a full point release.

If Google was still numbering Android releases in this way, things would have shaken out as follows:

Baseline Android 12 would, obviously, be Android 12.0.
Then that first big December 2021 bug fix update, QPR1, would've been Android 12.0.1.
Android 12L, with its new APIs for tablets and foldables, would've been Android 12.1.
And then Android 12 QPR3, which doesn't include any new APIs, would've eventually come along as Android 12.1.1.

(Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

The old numbered releases give a better idea of what's going on behind the scenes, and how big of a deal each subsequent version is. But they also give the impression that, once a point release comes along, the original release is old. That's not really the case, especially since we now have monthly Android security patches that arrive independently of whichever Android version your device might be running.

That's probably a big part of why you just see "Android 12" now when you look at the version number on your phone's "About" screen. Google doesn't want you to get too hung up on anything besides which major, annual release of the OS you're running. (And, of course, the Android security patch date).

With the arrival of public betas for Android QPR builds, we're moving towards three software "channels" for Pixel phones. Like Google Chrome and Chrome OS, these offer varying levels of stability depending on how quickly you want to play with new stuff.

First, you have developer preview builds — the stage Android 13 is currently at, where you can expect things to be early and potentially pretty broken. These need to be flashed manually, so they're aimed at tech-savvy users, engineers, and developers.
In the middle, there's the Android beta program, aimed at a more general audience. It's still technically pre-release, but things like Google Pay and DRM still work, and you get to play with new Android features up to three months early.
And then there are the stable builds, which the vast majority of Pixel phones will be running.

So what's next for Android?

The new Android 12 QPR3 beta gives Android fans a chance to test the next minor update to the OS ahead of launch with the June Feature Drop in a few months. This version is the successor to Android 12L, and will eventually be succeeded by Android 13. Once that launches, expect beta testing of Android 13 QPR1 to begin in earnest towards the end of 2022, followed by QPR2 in early 2023. This will likely be the new normal cadence for Android beta releases.

All of which should mean future Android versions will be a lot more stable on the best Android phones of the day — especially compared to the early days of Android 12. By getting more eyeballs on the next QPR months ahead of launch, Google will also hope to never again have to withdraw a big software update from devices, as it did with QPR1 for the Pixel 6 back in December.

While the branding may be somewhat confusing, more beta testing means a more stable Android going forwards.

Android 12 finally arrives for the ASUS ROG Phone 5 and ROG Phone 5s

qualiafan89@gmail.com (Babu Mohan) — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 14:47:10 +0000

What you need to know

ASUS’ ROG Phone 5 and ROG Phone 5s devices have started to receive the stable Android 12 update.
Along with all the new Android 12 features, the update also introduces a refreshed ROG UI.
A ton of bug fixes are included as well.

Back in December, ASUS released the stable Android 12 update for the ZenFone 8 and ZenFone 8 Flip phones. Nearly three months later, the company has finally started updating its best gaming phones to Android 12.

As per posts on ASUS’ ZenTalk forum, the Android 12 update arrives as version 31.0810.1226.57 for both the ROG Phone 5 and ROG Phone 5s. The official changelog reveals the update packs a ton of new features, improvements, and bug fixes.

In addition to Android 12 features such as approximate location, a new privacy dashboard, and a redesigned quick settings panel, the update also brings a few other changes. These include a new ROG UI design, an updated console design in Armoury Crate, AirTriggers’ dual control feature, and more. Many of the system apps have been revamped as well.

As with any major update, ASUS is rolling out Android 12 to the ROG Phone 5 and ROG Phone 5s in stages. This means it may take a few weeks before the update becomes widely available. If you don’t wish to wait for the OTA update to arrive, you can also download the update from ASUS’ website.

Before you do that, however, you must back up your data. In case you want to downgrade to Android 12 using the official software package, you will lose all data stored on your device.

The ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7 phones are next in line to get the Android 12 update. As confirmed by ASUS in October last year, the two phones will start receiving the update sometime in the first half of 2022.

LG’s Android 12 rollout finally begins with the mid-range Velvet

qualiafan89@gmail.com (Babu Mohan) — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 14:00:28 +0000

What you need to know

The LG Velvet has finally started receiving its Android 12 update.
For now, the rollout appears to be limited to South Korea.
LG also plans to bring Android 13 to the Velvet and other high-end phones launched in 2019 or later.

After years of struggling to compete with rivals such as Samsung and Apple, LG finally decided to exit the smartphone market in April last year. Shortly after announcing the move, however, LG promised that it would continue to provide software support to its best Android phones.

Staying true to that promise, LG has now started pushing the stable Android 12 update to Velvet users in its home market. Sadly, there’s currently no word on when the update will make its way outside South Korea.

It also looks like owners of the LG Velvet LTE variant will have to wait a little longer to get Android 12. Last year, the LTE variant of the Velvet received the stable Android 11 update a few weeks after it was rolled out to the 5G variant.

As you’d expect, the update includes a number of new features — including camera and microphone indicators, approximate location, a new privacy dashboard, and Material You design tweaks. We can expect to learn more about the changes included in the update once it expands to Europe, North America, and other regions.

The LG Velvet was launched in mid-2020 with Android 10 out of the box. It received an update to Android 11 in the second quarter of last year. Since LG has announced a “three-year pledge” for OS updates, we can expect the Velvet to receive the Android 13 update sometime next year. Besides the LG Velvet, the LG Wing, G series, and V series phones released in 2019 and later are also expected to get three major OS updates.

Google's Android 12 Pixel UI keeps me going back to Samsung's One UI

Derrek Lee — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Android 12 is here, and we’ve seen how all the OEMs are putting their own spin on the OS. Companies like Samsung, OnePlus, and others have slapped their UI over Android 12 to make it look, feel, and act how they want. Meanwhile, Google had made a pretty drastic change to the Pixel UI with the latest version, focusing on more colors, unique widgets, and big buttons. I had not owned a Pixel smartphone until very recently, and I have to say that trying out Android 12 on a Pixel is what makes me want to stick with Samsung and One UI.

I'll start by saying that it was hard not to get excited about Google's Android 12 UI when it was first unveiled. Thanks to Material You, it represented such a massive overhaul of the OS from what we’ve seen on previous Google phones, one that mirrored the new Pixel 6 hardware. It’s much more colorful, more personal, and, dare I say it, fun. But as time went on, I became more and more concerned about some of the questionable choices that Google made with its UI and, frankly, hoped with all my might that other OEMs wouldn’t adopt them.

Bigger isn't always better

My main complaint? Everything is so damn big on the Pixel UI, to the point that I feel like the Pixel has turned into a caricature of Android. Why in the world does Google have four big-ass buttons on the Quick Settings menu for my Pixel 6 Pro, which opens up to show me only eight in the pull-down menu? Compare that to the six toggles that I have access to on the Galaxy S22 pull-down menu, letting me view up to 12 toggles before having to swipe over for more.

Comparison between the Pixel UI and One UI 4Android Central

The UI for notifications is also unnecessarily large on the Pixel. I keep going back to my Samsung because everything is just so compact, to the point that Samsung can fit the brightness bar in the pull-down menu and still take up less space than the Pixel, while still giving me quick access to the Settings app without making me swipe down again like I have to on the Pixel. Samsung also makes its UI more reachable by including a huge banner for different screens throughout its UI and apps, which pushes everything down. This is probably the only instance where it makes sense to waste space.

On the one hand, it's easy enough to go into Pixel settings to make the display smaller, so some of those UI elements aren't as in-your-face, but the problem is that it makes everything else in the UI smaller, like app icons and text, and things end up looking strange and way too small. Plus, it's not like that solves my problem with having fewer accessible Quick Settings toggles

Pixel's UI makes notifications unnecessarily large.

Speaking of settings, the layout of the Settings app is another thing I just prefer on One UI. Everything is laid out in a way that appears to make sense. On the Pixel, Google combines Wi-Fi and data for the new Internet tile, which I'm also not a fan of, but decides to give us a separate "Connected devices" option in Settings for Bluetooth and other connections. Samsung puts all of these into a "Connections" option in the settings menu. Plus, Samsung nicely sections things off so they're less cluttered, and you can have a general sense of where a particular setting is. Google appears to just throw caution to the wind and splatter its settings all over the place.

Comparison between the Pixel Launcher UI and One UI 4 (Image credit: Android Central)

I also love love love Samsung' Edge Panels, which essentially gives me another Quick Settings menu but for apps and other functions. Unfortunately, I've yet to find a native equivalent on the Pixel (but if there is one, please point it out).

If it ain't broke...

My colleague, Nick Sutrich, notes how Google made such a drastic change with the UI on its Pixel phones, but the switch from One UI 3 to One UI 4 on Galaxy devices hasn't been as dramatic. He argues that Google is likely doing what it can to differentiate itself while trying to compete with the iPhone with a visual (and unique) hardware and software overhaul. After all, the Pixel 6 series is probably the first true flagship Google has made. Previous Pixels have barely made much of a dent in terms of sales, but that's slowly starting to change as Google makes a huge push for these phones.

On the other hand, Samsung is one of the most successful Android OEMs in the world and constantly churns out many of the best Android phones around. It didn't need some massive visual overhaul for One UI 4 to help make it successful; it just is. And as someone who now uses both, I can see why. Samsung's UI is clean, compact, and consistent, something it has gone out of its way to ensure on all its devices, from the Galaxy Watch 4 to its Windows laptops.

Samsung doesn't need a massive visual overhaul for One UI 4 to help make it successful, it just is.

Mishaal Rahman, the senior technical editor at Esper and former editor-in-chief of XDA Developers, says he doesn't think it's a coincidence that Google made Android 12 such a big update for the Pixel. He notes how Google dictates the changes that go into the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), developing Android "mostly in secret" before they "push out the source code over the walled garden they've constructed to AOSP."

"The reason this is important to note is that it explains the decision-making that goes into a lot of the features and UI changes you see in Android 12, both in AOSP and on Pixel," Rahman explains in an interview. "Google does develop a lot of its own proprietary software additions, but what isn't fully proprietary and is in AOSP was still likely influenced by what the Pixel team needs. For example, Android 12 in AOSP added a UI for setting up and using an under-display fingerprint sensor because the Pixel team needed it for the Pixel 6."

In a blog post in January, Rahman also noted that this likely led to more problems for the Pixel series. "Android 12 was Google's biggest OS update in years, and given the approximately one-year turnaround for its development, it's no surprise that the initial release had a lot of bugs and unresolved issues." Meanwhile, Samsung's Android 12 update has gone mostly smooth, again, likely due to the fact that Samsung didn't need to make such a drastic overhaul to its UI.

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

That's not to say there aren't plenty of things to like about Google's Pixel UI. On the Pixel, it's smooth, simple, and free of bloatware, which is sadly still a win in 2022. Vertical scrolling in the app drawer is a personal favorite and something my colleague Chris Wedel points out as a reason he prefers the Pixel UI. Unfortunately, you can only achieve this on the Galaxy when using Good Lock, but it's easy enough, even if it's an imperfect solution. Plus, the Pixel's exclusive apps and services like At a Glance definitely add to the experience. Unfortunately, it's just not enough for me, and I have a hard time taking the Pixel seriously with this UI. My annoyances are why I often find myself recommending Samsung smartphones to my friends that are looking to upgrade from their older Pixel phones.

Be together. Not the same.

Yes, I spent this article nitpicking at the Pixel UI (and I could go on, but there's only so much space on the internet), but part of buying a phone is the experience and the feeling you get when using it. I can't help but feel like Google just wastes a lot of space with its UI choices by making everything comically large. But while the Pixel may not be my favorite phone, that's okay because plenty of other people like what Google has done with Android 12 on the Pixel.

I may try to convince my friends to go Galaxy, but some decided to upgrade to a newer Pixel because it's familiar, and they've learned to love the new UI. Just like I've become accustomed to Samsung's — arguably better — UI, other Android users like what they like from various OEMs. As our Jerry Hildenbrand points out, Android's best feature is choice, so find a phone that makes you happy. For me, I'll keep standing on my soapbox telling everyone to stay away from the Pixel's oversized buttons. But then again, it's not like Samsung needs my help selling phones.

Honor details Magic UI 6.0 (Android 12) rollout plans for the Honor 50 series

qualiafan89@gmail.com (Babu Mohan) — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 15:11:55 +0000

Honor has announced the launch of Magic UI 6.0 for its 50 series flagship phones.
The company’s latest custom interface is based on Android 12.
It promises to bring a smarter and more personalized experience than previous Magic UI versions.

Earlier this year, Honor introduced the latest iteration of its custom interface alongside the Magic V foldable. The first phones running the new Android 12-based Magic UI 6.0 were unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month.

Honor has now revealed that the Magic UI 6.0 update will start rolling out to the Honor 50 series phones in the second quarter of 2022. Honor 50 Lite users, however, will need to wait until the third quarter of the year to try out Magic UI 6.0.

Honor says its new Magic UI 6.0 brings a smarter and more personalized user experience “than ever before.” Honor 50 users will be able to customize and resize card widgets on their screen using the new “Efficient Smart Desktop” feature.

Honor has also made a few performance tweaks to ensure more apps can stay live in the background. Another useful new feature that is part of Magic UI 6.0 is Honor Share, which lets users easily transfer files between their Honor smartphone and a PC supporting Honor Computer Manager.

Honor 50 was announced in June last year with Android 11-based Magic UI 4.2 out of the box. It was the company’s first major release since its split from parent brand Huawei and launched in Europe with Google apps and services preinstalled.

The Honor 60, which is a follow-up to the Honor 50, made its debut in China late last year with a bigger battery and a few other minor upgrades. Both phones are soon expected to make their global debut to challenge the best Android phones in the premium mid-range segment.

OPPO Find X5 Pro review: The perfect Galaxy S22+ alternative

harish.jonnalagadda@futurenet.com (Harish Jonnalagadda) — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 12:41:14 +0000

We've seen plenty of great phones already in 2022. Samsung launched the first salvo this year, but Chinese manufacturers aren't far behind. I'm very interested in what OPPO is doing this year; the brand witnessed a 50% year-on-year increase in its Find and Reno series over the last 12 months, and is seeing a lot of momentum in key western markets, including the UK.

OPPO is aiming to build on that growth with this year's Find X5 Pro. The phone is now making its way to global markets, and is aimed squarely against the Galaxy S22+. It follows a similar design as last year's Find X3 Pro, but there are a lot of exciting changes under the hood, including OPPO's in-house imaging NPU, the MariSilicon X. There's also a new Hasselblad integration, upgraded internals, and faster charging tech that now goes up to 80W wired and 50W wirelessly.

With the Galaxy S22+ offering a strong overall package, does the Find X5 Pro have what it takes to go up against the best that Samsung has to offer? Let's find out.

OPPO Find X5 Pro: Price and availability

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

The Find X5 Pro was unveiled on February 24 at Mobile World Congress, and the phone is now up for sale globally. It is available in the UK, France, Germany, and other European countries, and is sold in select markets in the Middle East and Africa. As with other OPPO phones, the Find X5 Pro isn't launching in North America.

There's a single variant of the Find X5 Pro with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and it costs £1,049 ($1,365) in the UK.

OPPO also has a standard Find X5 variant that comes with an FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED screen, the Snapdragon 888 chipset, identical cameras as the Find X5 Pro, and 80W wired as well as 30W wireless charging. This version has a glass back and 8GB of RAM with 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, and costs £749 ($975).

OPPO Find X5 Pro: Design

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

Last year's Find X3 Pro had a unique design with the camera island blending seamlessly into the chassis, and OPPO is building on that aesthetic on the Find X5 Pro.

The effect is a little more pronounced this year, and that makes the phone stand out even more than usual from the glass-and-metal designs that dominate this category.

The Find X5 Pro is the best-looking phone of 2022 yet — the ceramic chassis is gorgeous.

But the biggest difference this year has to do with the materials: the Find X5 Pro has a ceramic chassis, and that makes the integrated camera housing and curved design all the more impressive.

The Find X5 Pro is sold in two color options — Ceramic White and Glaze Black — and in my opinion, the white version looks more striking. The camera island isn't as busy as last year, and that's because the 2x zoom lens is now integrated into the cutout for the LED flash module.

The UK version of the Find X5 Pro has a lot of regulatory text at the back that detracts from the design, but the Chinese version I'm using (CPH2035) doesn't include these labels; there's just the OPPO logo along with Hasselblad branding at the back.

Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central

The back of the phone curves gently to meet the mid-frame, and it makes holding and using the Find X5 Pro that much more comfortable. The phone is 6.3mm taller and 0.9mm thicker than the Galaxy S22+, and at 218g, it is 23g heavier — this is down to the ceramic chassis and the larger 5000mAh battery.

In spite of the added weight, the Find X5 Pro feels great to use, and the weight is ideally balanced; it doesn't feel top-heavy in the least. The curves from the back and front cut into the mid-frame, but there's still enough thickness here to hold the phone without it becoming unwieldy.

The Chinese model has a dual SIM card tray, but the global version has a single SIM card slot — you'll have to use an eSIM if you want a secondary number on the Find X5 Pro.

Overall, the Find X5 Pro gets a lot right in terms of design. The ceramic back is fabulous and it is more resistant to tumbles, the phone feels great to hold and use, and although it is heavy, it is well-balanced. This may just be my favorite phone design of 2022, and that white color option in particular looks very distinctive.

OPPO Find X5 Pro: Display

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

The Find X5 Pro uses the same screen as last year, but there are a few meaningful tweaks. But first, a look at the numbers: you get a 6.7-inch QHD+ (3216 x 1440) AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh, up to 1000Hz touch polling, and max brightness up to 1,300 nits. The screen is backed by a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus.

This QHD+ 120Hz AMOLED screen is one of the best you'll find on any phone today.

While the panel itself is unchanged from last year, there's better color calibration out of the box. OPPO notes that it calibrated the screen at 100nits, so you get the same color vibrancy when using the phone indoors with the brightness turned down.

The phone has Vivid and Natural color modes, and there's also a Pro option that lets you switch to the DCI-P3 color gamut or sRGB. Regardless of whatever mode you choose, you can manually adjust the color temperature between cooler and warmer tones.

You get an extensive set of customization options for the screen: there are three styles for dark mode, and you can manually set dark mode for third-party apps that don't have the feature yet (looking at you, LinkedIn). Xiaomi has a similar feature within MIUI, but I found OPPO's implementation to work better for inverting colors.

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

The always-on mode lets you view the time, battery level, and pending notifications without having to unlock the screen, and it can be scheduled. You also have plenty of clock faces to select from, and you can even set up your own patterns.

As you'd imagine from a phone in this segment, the screen is fantastic in day-to-day use; colors are vibrant, you get excellent contrast levels, and dynamic scaling works really well. The phone defaults to FHD+ and 60Hz refresh out of the box, but you can switch to QHD+ and 120Hz mode via the settings.

The display has LTPO tech that lets it dynamically adjust the screen refresh on the fly — if you're watching a video, it goes down to 30Hz, and comes back up to 120Hz for social media and general navigation.

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

OPPO is introducing LTPO2 on the Find X5 Pro that makes a few tweaks to the dynamic refresh feature. The mode now changes refresh rate based on zones; for instance, if you're in split-screen mode and have a video playing on one side and social media running on the other half, the refresh rate for those two sections of the screen will be different.

The video portion would be at 30Hz or 60Hz, and for the social media app you're using, you'll get the full 120Hz. OPPO notes that the scaling is also faster, so switching from 30Hz to 120Hz or vice versa now takes just a few milliseconds. The screen goes all the way down to 1Hz for static content.

The dynamic refresh combined with the high-res AMOLED screen make the Find X5 Pro an absolute joy to use for gaming and general browsing. There's stereo sound as well, and it gets pretty loud; it's still not quite as good as the Mi 11 Ultra or the quad driver array that Xiaomi introduced in the 12 Pro, but it's close. There's no distortion at high volume, and the stereo channels make a lot of difference when gaming or streaming YouTube videos.

OPPO Find X5 Pro: Performance

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

It wouldn't do for any flagship launching in 2022 to miss out on Qualcomm's latest silicon, and as such the Find X5 Pro is powered by the 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. There's also a larger multi-tier cooling system that's designed to ensure the phone doesn't overheat during gaming sessions, and in the time I used the phone, I didn't notice any issues with thermals.

You get all the extras you'd want from a 2022 flagship.

There isn't much to talk about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It delivers incredible performance in just about any scenario, and I don't see that changing for at least a few years. The Find X5 Pro runs through day-to-day tasks without breaking a sweat, and for most use cases, the hardware on offer is overkill.

As for memory and storage, the Find X5 Pro is sold in a single 12GB/256GB configuration, and I like that OPPO is now offering 256GB of storage as standard on its mid-range and high-end devices. There's no microSD slot here, but the internal storage should be more than adequate for most users.

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

Another feature I like is the haptic engine; the Find X5 Pro has a vibration motor that delivers excellent feedback. And like everything else about the phone, it is inherently customizable — you can adjust the vibration intensity and pattern of feedback from the settings. OPPO did a brilliant job here, and the same motor made its way to the OnePlus 10 Pro and other BBK offshoots of the Find X5 Pro.

When it comes to connectivity, you'll find Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, AptX HD audio codec, and global 5G bands with a 360-degree antenna design. While the Find X5 Pro isn't launching in North America, it has the requisite Sub-6 5G bands for the region. Here's the breakdown of all the 5G bands: n1/2/3/5/7/8/12/13/18/20/25/26/28/38/40/41/66/77/78/79.

And finally, the Find X5 Pro includes IP68 dust and water resistance, giving it the ability to withstand the elements. You're getting all the hardware features you could want in a flagship, and the Find X5 Pro holds its own against the best Android phones.

OPPO Find X5 Pro: Battery

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

OPPO has a long history of innovation around charging tech; the first phone with the manufacturer's 25W VOOC standard debuted in 2014. There are now over 220 million phones globally with OPPO's fast charging tech, and while 150W wired charging is on the horizon, the Find X5 Pro gets 80W wired and 50W wireless charging.

That's still better than the 65W solution we got last year on the Find X3 Pro. The Find X5 Pro gets a larger 5000mAh battery as well, and it uses the same dual-cell configuration we've seen in the last two years. Unlike Samsung and Xiaomi, OPPO still includes a charger in the box, and the 80W SuperVOOC wall plug takes under 40 minutes to fully charge the battery.

But what's more interesting is the fact that it takes just 10 minutes to go from flat to 43%, with a 15-minute charge delivering 60%. I wasn't able to test the efficacy of the 50W AirVOOC wireless charger, but the brand notes that it takes 47 minutes to fully charge the battery wirelessly.

Best of all, the 80W charger works over USB PD, so you can easily charge other devices.

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

Battery life itself is pretty standard fare; I got a full day's worth of use from the Find X5 Pro with the always-on mode enabled. I averaged just over 4.5 hours of screen-on-time over the course of the day, and that's on par with the S22 Ultra that I was using previously.

Another big change this year is the introduction of the Battery Health Engine (BHE). Battery degradation is a real issue with fast charging tech — particularly 65W and above — and while the industry quotes 600 charge cycles without any noticeable degradation, that doesn't hold up in actual use. OPPO is looking to improve those figures with BHE, which involves a suite of algorithms that optimize battery use along with hardware-level changes to fine-tune battery charging.

The result is that the Find X5 Pro is guaranteed to last 1600 charge cycles before you see any noticeable battery degradation. We'll obviously have to wait and see how this plays out over the coming months, but OPPO is betting on BHE to extend battery longevity, and the tech has made its way to other BBK devices, including the Realme GT Neo 3.

OPPO Find X5 Pro: Cameras

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

The Find X5 Pro doesn't have new camera hardware; it's using the same dual 50MP lenses as its predecessor. You get a 50MP f/1.7 Sony IMX766 primary lens alongside a 50MP f/2.2 Sony IMX766 wide-angle module with 110-degree field of view. The 13MP telephoto is back as well, and you get the same 2x optical zoom.

There's a brand-new 32MP camera at the front with a customized Sony IMX709 RGBW sensor that was made in collaboration with OPPO. If that sounds familiar, it's because the sensor debuted on the Reno 7 Pro.

The Find X5 Pro takes phenomenal photos in challenging conditions.

What's new this year is the stabilization. The Find X5 Pro gets 5-axis stabilization with a 3-axis sensor shift system that leads to much better videos. But the biggest addition is the MariSilicon X NPU, OPPO's first custom silicon for imaging. MariSilicon X is built on a 6nm node, and the ISP provides noteworthy gains when taking photos and videos. It's designed to deliver natural skin tones, improve detail and photo quality in conditions with little to no lighting (under 10 lux), and decrease noise levels in low-light shots.

Going with an in-house NPU obviously gives OPPO greater freedom to tweak the camera, and the Find X5 Pro delivers exciting gains in low-light and video. MariSilicon X works with all three sensors at the back and the front 32MP camera on the Find X5 Pro, but it is limited to the back cameras on the standard Find X5.

That's not all either; the Find X5 Pro sees the commencement of OPPO's Hasselblad partnership, with the Chinese manufacturer working closely with the Swedish camera giant to fine-tune its processing algorithms.

OPPO says that it understands what its customers are looking for when it comes to the cameras, and it teamed up with Hasselblad to deliver natural colors. OPPO's tuning gravitated toward oversaturated colors in the past, so it's good to see the brand changing its strategy to focus instead on accurate colors.

Of course, you also get a custom shutter sound and UI changes similar to the OnePlus 9 series, and you'll find three filters designed by Hasselblad Masters.

Alex Dobie / Android Central

As you'd imagine, the Find X5 Pro takes fabulous photos in daylight conditions, preserving detail and dynamic range while delivering accurate colors. Having used the Find X3 Pro a lot last year, it's immediately evident that photos aren't as saturated as they used to be, and that's a good thing.

Where the Find X5 Pro truly shines is low-light scenarios and portrait shots. The MariSilicon X really comes into its own in these situations, producing some of the best photos you'll get out of any phone today.

Low-light shots have plenty of detail, little to no noise levels, great dynamic range, and in photos where a light source is dominating one section of the scene, the Find X5 Pro manages to eke out details from the shadows without overexposing the rest of the scene.

The front 32MP camera may just be the best selfie camera around, and it automatically adjusts its field of view between 80 and 90 degrees based on the number of subjects in the frame.

While the front camera is great for photos, it is limited to 1080p video. OPPO says it focused on the back cameras for this generation — both for stills and 4K video — and that it will bring this particular feature to next year's Find X flagship.

The one issue I have with the Find X5 Pro is the wide-angle lens. Although it uses the same hardware as the primary lens, it doesn't deliver the same caliber of shots — you tend to get photos with washed-out colors. In a similar vein, the 13MP zoom lens is good for 2x zoom, but it struggles beyond that.

It's clear that the priority for OPPO with the Find X5 Pro was to deliver a device that can take great photos and videos in challenging scenarios, and it managed to do that. And as for the issues with the wide-angle lens, a software update has made it a little more consistent, but it is still not on par with the best in this category.

OPPO Find X5 Pro: Software

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

The Find X5 Pro runs ColorOS 12.1 based on Android 12 out of the box. This is a minor refresh of the ColorOS 12 release that debuted last year with several stability and optimization tweaks.

ColorOS 12 is one of the best Android skins you'll find today, and considering it forms the basis for OxygenOS 12 and Realme UI 3.0, it is used widely. The UI itself is clean and modern, and you'll find a lot of customizability.

ColorOS 12 is modern, clean, and highly customizable — but there are software bugs at launch.

While it lacks the Material You aesthetic, OPPO has its own version of the color picker that lets you select accent colors based on dominant color of the phone's background. This feature doesn't work across the board, so you'll find a few icons that have their default accent colors.

You get all the latest features in Android 12,including a privacy dashboard, recording indicators, toggles to turn off system-wide access to the mic and camera, and approximate location sharing. In addition, OPPO has its own suite of features: the floating windows mode is very useful, there's a powerful theming engine, ringtones and notification sounds based on nature, gesture customization, and much more.

Android Central

If you're a power user looking for a highly customizable interface, you'll find a lot to like in ColorOS 12. And with the bootloader now unlockable via a code, the Find X5 Pro is mod-friendly as well. The UI is well-optimized for the hardware as well, and I didn't see any issues on this front.

That said, the phone isn't without its shortcomings. There is a lot of bloatware out of the box, and while it can be uninstalled, it is more than what you'll find on Samsung and Xiaomi phones.

ColorOS 12.1 also has aggressive battery management, so much so that I couldn't get my email client (Newton Mail) to work reliably for the first two weeks. Even after disabling battery optimization and choosing auto-launch, I didn't get push notifications for incoming mail.

This isn't an isolated incident either, with Slack and Telegram also affected. I had similar issues with ColorOS in the past, and thankfully, a software update fixed this particular problem.

As for updates, the Find X5 Pro will get three guaranteed Android OS updates along with four years of monthly security patches. That's one year less than what Samsung is offering on its latest flagships, but it's still a good showing considering OPPO's history in this area.

OPPO Find X5 Pro: The competition

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

If you're looking for a flagship in 2022, the Galaxy S22+ is one of the best options currently available. The phone has a premium design, FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED screen, the same caliber of hardware as the Find X5 Pro, and it takes stunning photos.

It is lacking on the charging front — you're limited to 45W and 15W wirelessly — but it will get four guaranteed Android OS updates. And at £999 ($1,300) it is just that little bit more affordable than the Find X5 Pro.

The OnePlus 10 Pro is a reliable alternative as well, and it costs less than the Find X5 Pro while delivering a lot of the same hardware. The biggest issue is the inconsistent software and the poor cameras — both are not on the same level as the Find X5 Pro.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro is one of my favorite phones of the year. It has a sleek design, a strong camera array that takes great photos in any situation, and the same caliber of hardware as the Find X5 Pro. It's annoying that Xiaomi doesn't include water resistance as standard on its devices, but other than that omission, the 12 Pro is a decent alternative that costs a little less than the Find X5 Pro.

OPPO Find X5 Pro: Should you buy it?

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

You should buy this if:

You need a gorgeous phone with a ceramic chassis
You're looking for the latest hardware with global 5G
You need versatile cameras that take excellent low-light shots
You want a phone that charges faster than the Galaxy S22+

You shouldn't buy this if:

You need a telephoto lens that goes beyond 2x zoom
You want four Android OS updates
You want a flagship that costs less than the Galaxy S22+

I overhauled AC's best Android phones list recently, adding the Galaxy S22+ as the best all-round choice. The S22 Ultra gives you a better camera and is my favorite phone of the year, but as an overall option, the S22+ is ideally positioned for most users. With the Find X5 Pro, you're getting a phone that holds its own against the Galaxy S22+ and comes out ahead in a few areas.

The 120Hz AMOLED screen is absolutely stunning, the cameras take outstanding photos in low-light, the software is clean, modern, and gives you a lot of customizability. You also get 80W wired and 50W wireless charging with better battery longevity. And of course, there's that design to consider; I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is my favorite phone design in 2022.

OPPO did a good job addressing software gremlins that were present out of the box, and the result is that the Find X5 Pro is devoid of any issues right now — at least on the software front.

All things considered, the Find X5 Pro is a fantastic overall choice if you want a flagship in 2022. The one downside is the cost; at £1,049, it is £50 more than the equivalent Galaxy S22+ variant. You get a lot for your money, but there's no denying the Find X5 Pro would have been just that little bit more enticing if it undercut Samsung's offering.

If you live in North America and want the Find X5 Pro, you should just get the OnePlus 10 Pro; that particular device is a rebranded Find X5 Pro with a slightly different design, and it costs a lot less.

OPPO Find X5 Pro

The Find X5 Pro is one of the best phones currently available, combining a gorgeous design with the latest internal hardware, 80W wired and 50W wireless charging, and fabulous cameras.

Brave Pixel owners can already test out the June 2022 Pixel Feature Drop

Nicholas Sutrich — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 21:10:42 +0000

What you need to know

Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1 is now available to download for Pixel 4, 4 XL, 4a, 5a (5G), 5, 5a, 6, and 6 Pro.
This beta includes the beginnings of the June 2022 Pixel Feature Drop and is designed to be tested by app developers.
Interested users can go to the Android beta website and enroll their devices to download the update.

If you enjoy living on the cutting edge, you probably have a Pixel phone. Google's own brand of phones are often the first to get access to early Android beta versions. Case in point, the June 2022 feature update can already be tested if you have one of the following Pixel phones:

Pixel 4 and 4 XL
Pixel 4a and 4a (5G)
Pixel 5 and Pixel 5a
Pixel 6 and 6 Pro

This update, properly known as Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1, comes just after Android 12L's release, which was a special update designed to better suit tablets and foldable devices. While it seems like Google is just adding a bunch of random letters on to the latest Android 12 beta — they are owned by Alphabet, after all — QPR stands for Quarterly Platform Release.

Right now, there's no obvious changelog or published feature list to delve into, so we'll just have to wait and see as Google builds this next major update to Android 12. Google is also developing Android 13, which is currently also in beta and can also be tested on Pixel devices right now.

It's one of the many reasons we think Pixels are some of the best Android phones you can buy. As always, don't install these beta releases on a phone that you rely on daily. They will likely contain lots of bugs and could cause you quite a headache.

Pixel phones receive tons of bug fixes with the March 2022 security update

jayar.decenella@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 22:02:22 +0000

What you need to know

Google's March 2022 security update is out now for supported Pixel phones, except for the Pixel 6 series.
The latest update brings with it a plethora of bug fixes and performance improvements that have annoyed many users in recent months.
Some of the issues fixed involve Bluetooth connectivity, display refresh rate, frame drop issues, and fingerprint sensor problems.

Google has been religiously releasing new monthly updates to its Pixel phones on the first Monday of each month (except for the troubled December update). Today is no exception: the March 2022 security update is now available for eligible Pixel devices, alongside this month's Pixel feature drop.

Like previous monthly updates, the latest release introduces a ton of bug fixes and performance improvements. However, the most recent batch of patches is available first on the Pixel 3a series, Pixel 4 and 4a series, Pixel 5, and Pixel 5a phones.

This means the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro won't get the update until later this month. It's not the first time Google has delayed a security patch for its best Android phones: the January update also made its way to these devices a few weeks after its arrival on earlier models.

The March update addresses a slew of bugs affecting device performance, stability, and connectivity, among other issues. Recent problems with the battery, fingerprint sensor, Bluetooth, camera, framework, display, graphics, and user interface have also been fixed.

You can find the full changelog on Google's community help page for Pixels. Google also unveiled the build numbers for the latest Pixel update:

Pixel 3a (XL): SP2A.220305.12
Pixel 4 (XL): SP2A.220305.12
Pixel 4a: SP2A.220305.12
Pixel 4a (5G): SP2A.220305.12
Pixel 5: SP2A.220305.12
Pixel 5a (5G): SP2A.220305.12
Pixel 6: SP2A.220305.013.A3
Pixel 6 Pro: SP2A.220305.013.A3

The OTA update should begin rolling out to eligible phones today, though Pixel 6 series owners will have to wait a little longer. It's unclear why Google is delaying the release of the update to its latest flagship phone, but it's a safe bet that the company is taking extra precautions to avoid making another mistake.

It's also worth noting that the fixes appear to be primarily for the Pixel 6. The list is lengthy, but it should resolve some or many of the issues you've been having with your Pixel phone.

4 reasons the Pixel's Material You is better than Samsung's One UI

chris.wedel@futurenet.com (Chris Wedel) — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 16:00:00 +0000

For years, as fans of Android smartphones, we have loved and maybe hated the visual differences between each manufacturer's user interface (UI) or skin. Though Google develops Android, what consumers see on Pixel phones is a whole different thing. With Android 12 and the Pixel 6 series, Google gave us the Material You skin. Samsung has its own skin too, and with the latest version of Android, it's reached One UI 4.1.

Google made a significant shift in its design language with Material You and it has mostly been well-received. On the other hand, Samsung stayed true to its UI style by making very few changes in One UI 4.1 from the design language that began in 2018. The decision to stick with what works isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's coming up on four years, and the new Material You from Google is helping One UI show its age.

Setting the stage for my comparison here, I use the Pixel 6 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 to inform my opinions. With that said, my Z Fold 3 has yet to update to the new One UI 4.1. While there are a few small visual differences, they won't affect the points I'll make below. Here are four ways that Pixel's UI is better than Samsung's.

Overall, Material You feels fresher

(Image credit: Android Central)

When the Pixel 6 series with Android 12 was finally released last October, it ushered in an entirely new feel to Google's UI. Before the latest version of Android, the UI was known simply as Material Design — and the addition of You makes all the difference. Given that One UI has primarily stayed the same since 2018, with only small visual changes showing since then, it's no wonder that Google's new Material You just feels fresher.

While Samsung has long been one of the best Android phone manufacturers, their UI wasn't always popular. The change to One UI was a big one, and overall a very choice. However, the skin is starting to show its age and that could be in part because Samsung found one that worked after years of getting skewered because it used to be so bad.

Though the Pixel's UI was due for an overhaul, Samsung's One UI is overdue for its update.

Material You has taken on the idea that bigger is better for much of the UI. The quick toggles in the notification shade are oblong circles in two columns from the three columns of circles, similar to the current One UI in previous versions of Android. Samsung did adopt much of the Material You color palette, which is a more muted pastel rather than the bolder colors used before. However, with Samsung, the palette change had much less of an impact.

When I asked Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC's worldwide device tracker, why Google made such a big change to the Pixel UI, he told me, "in many ways, the Pixel 6 series is a rebirth of the Pixel line, and what better way to make consumers see that than by offering a brand new and highly customizable UI to go with it."

Explaining a feeling can be difficult, but when using Android 12 on a Pixel — it just feels new. The change to Android 12 for Google displays a major shift in UI design, and maybe that's part of what makes it feel fresher. Because even though Samsung picked up the new version of Android, its skin, One UI, still feels stale.

Material You feels more personable

(Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

When something is personable, it is not about showing personal information or how it physically fits you. It's about being approachable or even comforting. By making elements within the Pixel's Material You theme larger overall, it makes using the interface seem easier and less complex. If you think of one thing that iOS users say about Apple's UI, it's that iPhones are just easier to use.

When I asked what he felt were the benefits of the Pixel's UI in comparison to what Samsung has in One UI, Ubrani said, "Pixel appears to have a simpler interface and often puts the Google Assistant front and center which allows Pixel phones to do things that others cannot."

While some smartphone users prefer a more compact layout that shows more app icons and toggles, many find that to be overwhelming. Google went so far as to introduce a new system font that is a bit bolder to make the text easier to read throughout the interface. Buttons within Google apps that sport the new Material You theme, quick toggles in the navigation shade, and even the settings menu all have larger icons, touchpoints, and fonts — for better overall ease of use.

If anything should be personable, it should be the phone you use all day.

Android 12 and Material You on a Pixel adapts to make the phone more, well, you. As Google would want you to believe, the new UI comes across as more personable due to the inclusion of the important You in Material You. This is primarily due to how the interface is designed around how you use your Pixel. This includes your Google Assistant interactions, the apps you frequently use, the wallpaper that you set, and more.

Yes, some of these features are in One UI or something similar, but the way the interface displays the information and how it's shown is just a little on the sterile side.

Widgets are more adaptive in Material You

(Image credit: Android Central)

In Google's UI design overhaul with Android 12, it took a shot at improving widgets, and though there wasn't anything inherently wrong before — the changes are nice. Suppose there was one area of using widgets on a Pixel device that wasn't great before: it was the flexibility for resizing them. With Material You, not only has this been improved, but Google added some really unique features.

When picking a widget for your home screen, there will be some numbers indicating the original size of the widget — 2x3, 4x1, 2x2, etc. That size stays true if you place it onto a blank home page. The cool part about Pixel's Material You is that if you have other widgets or apps already on your home screen, it will automatically resize the widget if possible.

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

Let's start with the dynamic colors. Part of Material You is that the system will interpret colors from within your phone's wallpaper and give options to set the system colors to match via a few color palettes. Those colors extend to widgets too. When you place a widget onto your home screen, the colors within it will shift depending on where it's placed and the colors of the background.

Vertical scrolling app drawer

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

Lastly, this one may seem like a nitpicky type of thing and not necessarily new to Material You, but the Pixel's vertically scrolling app drawer is so much better than what Samsung forces on users. The side-by-side paginated syle in One UI is just not great to use.

Yes, I know that a vertically scrolling app drawer isn't exclusive to Pixel devices, but when picking up my Pixel 6 Pro and Galaxy Z Fold 3, the last thing I want to do is swipe multiple times to get to the app I want. Sure, on both UIs there is the option to search within the app drawer. However, when you don't have both hands free or can't shuffle your phone in your hand so you can start typing — you don't want to have to swipe to find your app.

When talking about ease of use, a paginated side-scrolling app drawer isn't it.

If I need to open an app that I maybe don't use so often that it needs to reside on my home screen, I want to be able to get to it in my app drawer quickly and, with a flick of my finger, fly through 100 apps or 20 apps and stop right where I need so I can open the app I need. Quick, easy, done.

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

I'm sorry if this strikes a nerve with some of you — but it's true. I say this lightheartedly because I'm all for everyone having a choice and using what they like — and that extends to your preference of app drawer style. Personally, I would like for each UI to offer both options.

Android's best feature is choice

Though many older phones will get updated to Android 12 and new ones released in the future certainly will, we won't see the Pixel's version of the OS on them. However, this doesn't mean that some OEMs will not incorporate the feel of Material You onto their devices. Ubrani said, "Smaller brands like Nokia, Moto, and maybe OnePlus have had success in offering a similar UI to Pixel or stock Android — and again that strategy has worked well for them. That's probably why OnePlus recently said it would once again try to appeal to long-time users with the next OxygenOS."

Don't get me wrong. Material You isn't perfect and Samsung's One UI 4.1 isn't terrible. In fact, I find things to love and hate in both interfaces — and isn't that what we love about Android? The ability to use various devices from different manufacturers, each with the opportunity to find what you like: choice. So, whether you are Team Pixel or Team Samsung, we're all Team Android.

The right phone for (Material) You

Google Pixel 6

The Google Pixel 6 brings even more impressive photography chops than before, with the help of new sensors and Google's own Tensor Chip processor — and making it all feel effortlessly yours is the Material You user interface.

Android 12 starts rolling to Sony's Xperia 1 II and Xperia Pro phones

qualiafan89@gmail.com (Babu Mohan) — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 16:36:07 +0000

What you need to know

Sony’s Xperia 1 II and Xperia Pro flagships are now receiving the stable Android 12 update.
Along with new Android 12 features, the update brings the January 2022 security patch as well.
Sony kicked off its Android 12 rollout in January with the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III.

After rolling out the stable version of Android 12 to the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III, Sony has now shifted focus to its 2020 flagships. As reported by XDA Developers, the Japanese tech giant has started pushing the Android 12 update to the Xperia 1 II and Xperia Pro phones.

The update arrives as software version 58.2.A.0.899 for both phones. While Android 12 appears to be rolling only to the global single-SIM (XQ-AT51_ variant of the Xperia 1 II, the update for the Xperia Pro is currently available only for the dual SIM (XQ-AQ62) variant in the U.S. You can expect Android 12 to make its way to other variants of the Xperia 1 II and Xperia Pro within the next few weeks.

As you'd expect, the update brings a ton of new Android 12 features — including the ability to take scrolling screenshots, a revamped one-handed mode, enhanced privacy with mic/camera indicator, approximate location, and more.

The January 2022 Android security patch is included as well, which is a disappointment seeing how Samsung’s best Android phones have already started receiving the March 2022 security update.

If you have a Sony Xperia 1 II or Xperia Pro, you can manually check for the update by heading over to the Software update section in the Settings app on your phone.

The next Xperia phone to get the stable Android 12 will likely be the Xperia 5 II, which was launched with Android 10 out of the box and received an update to Android 11 in January last year.

Android's best feature is choice

jerry@smartphoneexperts.com (Jerry Hildenbrand) — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 16:00:38 +0000

You're probably reading Android Central because you have a bit of interest in Android phones. You're likely an enthusiast who enjoys reading about Android and interacting with others who share your enthusiasm.

That's a great thing! The world of Android is kind of crazy and fast-paced, with the next best Android phone always right around the corner — usually right after you bought a phone. It's worth remembering, however, that what one person thinks is best probably isn't what you think is best. Or at least not for the same reasons.

We're all different people

Pictured: The T-Mobile G1. (Image credit: Source: Jerry Hildenbrand / Android Central)

I'm going to make a confession: I'm not a big fan of phone hardware. I dig Android because of the software itself. When the T-Mobile G1 was first announced, I knew I had to have it because of the open software. It was similar to how I had to have a phone that ran Meego or webOS. In my eyes, the phone is just the vehicle for the software that I love.

That means the best phone for me is probably not the best phone for you. Want to know what I think the best Android phone was? The Google Nexus S. Nothing since has offered me the same access to software that it did, and it's likely no phone ever will.

It's OK to think I'm totally wrong and that your Samsung Galaxy S22 or Pixel 6 is a better phone because in this case, it is. The phone I like best is old and tired and no amount of tweaking can get it to reliably run Android 12.

You also have to know that someone out there thinks your choice of best is just as crazy. How can you use a Samsung phone with the bloated mess of apps and stupid features? Only a sadist would buy a Pixel because they are buggy and Google doesn't care about them. Those are examples straight from the comments of articles here at Android Central.

We like what we like. And we should like what we like without caring what anyone else likes. But we have a need to act as a champion for what we like because humans are funny like that.

Different but the same (not really)

(Image credit: Android Central)

Mixed into all the bickering and snide commentary we tend to make about the things we do not like is one simple and important fact: Android offers a ton of choice.

It's easy to demonstrate this by looking at the only competition Google has in the world of smartphone operating systems: Apple. You can choose from several different iPhone models, but outside of the color and amount of storage, they are exactly the same phone.

This is really good for Apple because it makes it easy to tailor the software to the hardware. If it works on the iPhone Pro, it will work on the Pro Max. If Apple ever makes one, it will also work on a Pro Max Plus. Limiting your choice is good for Apple's bottom line because it makes things easy for you.

Google, on the other hand, loses money by building Android and giving it away. Don't worry, it makes up for it in plenty of other ways that make keeping Android around a necessity for the company. More importantly, Google doesn't care what a company like Samsung or OnePlus does to Android as long as the terms of the contract for GMS are met.

Pictured: Google Pixel 6 Pro (Image credit: Source: Nick Sutrich / Android Central)

That's where all the choice comes into the picture. For example, Samsung can match the great hardware its divisions make with software tailored for it. Additions that user metrics show we love are maintained and improved until we have something as great as the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Google's phone division could take the time to try building its own chips and doing more with the camera on the Pixel line. Motorola can keep finding ways to add more to its affordable models. The list goes on and on.

Most importantly, we get all these choices when it comes time to spend our hard-earned money. I think it's wild that phones cost so much when I buy one, so it better be the one I like the most. When you buy one it had better be the one you like the most, too.

It's fine to discuss the others and even have a little fun in a comment thread and troll a bit. But in the end, we should make sure we're happy with our choice no matter what anyone else thinks about it.

OnePlus 8, 8T owners can try Android 12 with the OxygenOS 12 open beta

Derrek Lee — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 19:54:30 +0000

What you need to know

OnePlus has announced the OxygenOS 12 Open Beta for the OnePlus 8 series.
The beta is also available for the OnePlus 8T and includes enhancements like improved Dark Mode, Canvas AOD, and more.
OnePlus 8 and 8T owners can download the necessary files now to take part in the beta.

Three months after launching the OxygenOS 12 (Android 12) closed beta for the OnePlus 8 series, OnePlus has finally announced that the open beta is now available.

The OxygenOS 12 closed beta was limited to some OnePlus forum members, but if you were unable to join the closed beta, now's your chance to try out OxygenOS 12 on your OnePlus 8 series phone before the stable version rolls out.

As far as what you can expect in this version, it's largely similar to what we got on the OnePlus 9 series, with features such as an enhanced Dark Mode, improvements to the Gallery app, new options to the Shelf, and more. Of course, since this is a beta, you can expect there to be some bugs that will hopefully be ironed out before OnePlus rolls out stable Android 12 to its best Android phones from 2020.

The following is the full changelog for the OxygenOS 12 open beta:

System

Optimized desktop icons with improved textures, by using a design inspired by brand-new materials and uniting lights and layers

Dark mode

Dark mode now supports three adjustable levels, bringing a more personalized and comfortable user experience

Shelf

New additional style options for Cards, making data contents more visual and easier to read
Newly added Earphone Control Card with Bluetooth earphone one-click adjustment
Newly added access to OnePlus Scout in Shelf, allowing you to search multiple contents on your phone, including Apps, Settings, Media Data, etc
Newly added OnePlus Watch Card in Shelf, to easily glance at your health stats

Work Life Balance

Work Life Balance feature is now available to all users, allowing you to effortlessly switch between Work and Life mode via quick settings
WLB 2.0 now supports automatic Work/Life mode switching, based on specific locations, Wi-Fi network, and time, also bringing customized App notification profiles according to the personalization

Gallery

Gallery now allows you to switch between different layouts with a two-finger pinch gesture, intelligently recognizing the best-quality pictures, and cropping the thumbnail based on the content, making the gallery layout more pleasing

Canvas AOD

Canvas AOD brings you new diverse styles of lines and colors, for a more personalized lock screen experience with inspiring visuals
Newly added multiple brushes and strokes and support for color adjustment
Optimized software algorithm and improved face recognition to better identify the features and skin color of different figures

In order to participate in the beta, you'll need to download the appropriate zip file for your device, which you can find on the OnePlus forum post. A separate post is also available for the OnePlus 8T for owners that want to give Android 12 a go.

The beta comes as OnePlus gears up for the global OnePlus 10 Pro launch as well as OxygenOS 13, which has caused some confusion about the direction the company is going with its software amid plans to unify the OxygenOS codebase with that of ColorOS from OPPO.

For now, OnePlus hasn't indicated when stable OxygenOS 12 will be available for the OnePlus 8 series phones.

Photography first

OnePlus 9 Pro

The power of Hasselblad
The OnePlus 9 Pro has impressive imaging chops thanks to a collaboration with Hasselblad to improve the color science of the cameras. Ultrawide angle shots are also the most impressive you'll find on a phone, with little to no distortion.

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