The idea of voice-based social networks isn’t new. Clubhouse boomed during the Covid era and floundered soon after. However, Clubhouse’s moment of fame led to several copycats and even spurred the addition of voice to existing platforms like Twitter.
On the face of it, Airchat (Play Store) is yet another take on the old formula. So, why has it gotten so much attention recently?
If you’ve got an Apple device like an iPhone or Apple Watch, you’ll probably want (or even need) Siri, the company’s voice assistant. Here’s how to set up Siri for the first time and activate Siri on any Apple product.
It’s easy to delete all of your emails in Gmail, but it’s more likely that you just want to clear out the older ones that are no longer relevant. we’ll guide you through how to delete old emails in Gmail and keep your inbox streamlined. You can even make it automatic.
QUICK ANSWER
TikTok is now one step closer to facing a ban in the US if parent company ByteDance chooses not to divest its ownership stake. The ban could take effect as soon as in the next few days.
Despite massive lobbying efforts to keep TikTok in the US, the House of Representatives passed legislation today that would ban the app in the country, according to NBC News. The bill passed after 360 representatives voted in favor of the ban, with 58 saying no.
I’ve been using MacBooks for almost 14 years. Call me a creature of habit, but six machines later, when it came time to upgrade my laptop, it was clear that my next machine would be yet another addition from Apple’s stable.
Previously, the decision had been easy. I’m a pro user with pro needs, and only a MacBook Pro would cut it. That’s not entirely the case anymore. Apple’s M-series silicon has flipped the game altogether and leapfrogged the Intel and AMD competition in all but gaming. The M3-powered MacBook Air piqued my curiosity.
Circle to Search, the handy Android phone function that lets users quickly search for something by circling an item on their screen, might be getting two new features. On top of that, it may also get a new look.
PiunikaWeb, in collaboration with AssembleDebug, has discovered that Google is developing two new features for Circle to Search. It appears we could soon see “Copy image” and “Share image” options when using the search feature.
Welcome to the latest edition of Android Apps Weekly, where we discuss the latest in mobile news and take a closer look at some of the most interesting new apps and games. Let’s jump right in and take a look at some of the biggest highlights from the last week:
Looking for some new Android apps and Android games to keep you occupied? This week we highlight two new apps, as well as three games that are worth a closer look.
This is my Google ecosystem: phone, watch, headphones, audio, Chromecast. If I told you that you could get it all for under $1,000, I think a lot of people would be interested.
Let me clarify right off the bat: Clearly, this isn’t possible if you focus on buying the latest and greatest Google hardware. When I thought about this challenge, I didn’t aim it for the biggest tech enthusiasts who want a Pixel 8 Pro or maybe even a Pixel tablet; they are just too expensive and would take up my entire $1,000 envelop and more! I wanted to maximize my budget and get as much as possible for as little money. However, I also didn’t want to go and get something like a Google Pixel 5 because that phone is too old now and nearing the end of its support.
Update: April 19, 2024 (03:48 PM ET): We have updated our Google Pixel 9 rumor hub with the first real-life images of what we think is the Pixel 9 Pro.
The Google Pixel 8 got here last October, but we’re already hearing rumors about what’s next from Google in 2024. Let’s jump right in and discuss everything we know about the rumored Google Pixel 9 series!
Samsung announced the launch of the Galaxy A35 in the US only a day ago. If you haven’t picked one up yet but are planning to, one place you may want to consider getting it from is Best Buy to take advantage of its current deal.
At the moment, the electronics retailer is offering quite a deal for the Galaxy A35. If you head over to the Best Buy website, you’ll notice a promotion offering a free $40 gift with the purchase of an unlocked Galaxy A35. In addition to that gift card, you’ll also get a one-month subscription for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Earlier this month, Google finally rolled out its shiny new Find My Device network. Along with the rollout came announcements from Pebblebee and Chipolo about Find My Device network-compatible trackers. While Chipolo provided a shipping date for its upcoming item locators, Pebblebee opted to give a general date of late May. But the company has now revealed when we can expect to see their product.
Pebblebee has told 9to5Google when it plans to start shipping its new trackers. According to the outlet, shipments are scheduled to start going out on May 27. Not all orders will ship on this date; this will just be when shipments begin.
Are you even gaming if you’re not rocking a cool headset? The HyperX Cloud III Wireless fits the bill, and its down at its lowest price ever on Amazon today. A 33% drop from retail price gives you the chance to pick it up for just $114.70.
If you wanted to catch Coachella 2024, but couldn’t attend for whatever reason, YouTube had you covered last weekend with a livestream of the event. And just like last time, YouTube is once again livestreaming the event to cover the second weekend.
YouTube has announced that its back for the second weekend of Coachella. Users will be able to relive the over 80 performances from the first weekend, in addition to watching the event live, which starts later today.
There is a lot to watch on the various streaming services available in 2024 — sometimes, it almost feels like too much. To simplify things for you, we’ve compiled some of the best new streaming movies to watch that are new this week.
Check out our top picks from major streamers like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and will sometimes even bring you an exciting new VOD movie or two. In addition to the latest movies from this week, we also give you other recommendations for shows that have arrived on a new streaming platform in the last 30 days.
Recently, Apple surprised us all by quietly changing the rules of the App Store to allow emulators. Previously, emulating consoles and other systems on iPhones meant needing to sideload programs, but no longer. Now, we’re already seeing emulators landing on the platform, but today’s news is a really big one.
Provenance, the popular multi-platform emulator for iOS and tvOS, is officially coming to the App Store. Speaking with iMore, lead developer Joseph Mattiello said his team “are working on a release.” However, he did clarify: “I need to investigate these new rules before an App Store submission, and to improve some quality-of-life issues. Also, I need to change some things to adhere to the App Store’s rules, such as mentioning ‘beta.'” In other words, it might be a while before Provenance actually ends up on Apple’s first-party store.
Google is expected to launch the Pixel 9 series later this year, and we’re excited about seeing three phones in the lineup, as leaks have suggested. Google is said to be going for the iPhone strategy with the vanilla Pixel 9, a more powerful Pixel 9 Pro but in a smaller form factor, and a Pixel 9 Pro XL taking on the role of a large flagship. We’ve seen leaked renders of the three devices, and now we have our first real-life images of the Pixel 9 Pro.
Russian website Rozetked has anonymously received real-life photos of what appears to be the Pixel 9 Pro (h/t Google News (unofficial) Telegram channel). The phone is not in pristine condition, as we can see what looks like a large web of cracks on the top left of the phone (when seen from the back), held together with some tape. But the images still provide a good look at the phone.
Last year, Netflix implemented a crackdown on password sharing in an effort to boost subscriber growth. Although users hated the idea and company executives feared backlash, Netflix’s move has been a resounding success.
Bloomberg reports that Netflix saw a 9.33 million jump in customers in the first quarter of 2024. Analysts predicted the streamer would add around 4.84 million by this time, meaning Netflix nearly doubled estimates.
In recent years, Apple has been particularly loud about its environmental efforts and sustainability. As its 2030 deadline to become carbon neutral approaches, the company has been dedicating segments in its media events to share its progress and relevant updates. A new report, however, sheds light on some lesser-known procedures that contradict what the tech overlord publicly preaches.
While the smartwatch market is not as populated as the Android phone market, users still have a good variety of smartwatches to choose from. The options thin out a bit when you consider OS compatibility with your smartphone, but there are still plenty of decent options across OEMs.
That being said, all of us have our favorites. Smartwatches have been around for years, and most of us have already used them to form an informed opinion on what we like and dislike about them. Many of us have used multiple smartwatches, perhaps successors from the same OEM or jumping around OEMs and even OS options. We’re bound to have biases based on our likes and dislikes from our experiences, and that’s okay, as smartwatches are inherently personal products that serve both form and functional needs.
The new Anker Fusion 3-in-1 5,000mAh power bank is one of the charging specialist’s most innovative products yet. Given that it only launched earlier this year, we’re excited to see that you can already make savings on the affordable retail price. The device is on sale for just $29.99 from Amazon, marking the first 25% price drop.
Anker Fusion 3-in-1 5,000mAh Power Bank for $29.99 ($10 off)
OneDrive is one of the better Google Drive competitors, offering competitive prices as part of Microsoft 365 subscriptions. What if you want to transfer your files from a rival cloud storage service to OneDrive, though? There’s no easy way to do this right now, but our own APK teardown suggests Microsoft is working on a solution.
A teardown of the OneDrive v7.4 Beta 1 app for Android reveals strings suggesting that Microsoft is working on the ability to let you import files from other cloud-sharing services. The strings all contain the name “import_cloud_files,” while some of them even name Google Drive, Google Photos, and Dropbox as supported services.
Amazon’s Prime Video service has some great family movies on offer, and you can also catch some great streaming shows on it too. Despite the good catalog, users seem dissatisfied with the service, primarily because of a rather mundane reason: catalog errors.
According to a report from Business Insider citing leaked internal documents, Prime Video has a lot of inaccurate content details. These include incomplete titles, missing episodes, and bad translations. 60% of all content-related customer-experience complaints for Prime Video in 2023 are said to be about catalog errors. Amazon received almost 10,000 complaints on “season integrity,” which includes defects such as missing episodes, inconsistent playback options, and wrong content availability.
Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Gemini are transforming how we interact with technology. These incredibly sophisticated AI systems can understand and respond to your text inputs in a way that feels remarkably conversational. We often think of LLMs as productivity tools, but did you know they can also be fantastic sources of entertainment?
Whether you’re searching for a quick distraction or a longer, immersive experience, ChatGPT can provide hours of gaming fun. In this article, we list some of the best games you can play with ChatGPT. While a ChatGPT Plus subscription is needed for many of these games, we’ve included some engaging options you can try out with the free version as well. Remember, ChatGPT is still just a language model, so expect the occasional quirk or illogical move — these games are less about strict rules and more about embracing imagination and having fun.
Secure Folder is one of the more underrated features on Samsung phones, offering users a PIN-protected folder to store private files. Unfortunately, it seems like some users can’t actually delete the Secure Folder app following the One UI 6.1 update.
A Samsung representative confirmed this issue on the Korean Community forum (h/t: Sammy Fans). The representative noted that the inability to delete Secure Folder was related to a “Google security policy” that was applied to One UI 6.1. The issue affects version 1.9.10.27 of the Secure Folder app.
OnePlus offers Ace Pro phones in its home market of China, but the original Ace Pro actually came to global markets as the OnePlus 10T back in 2022. Now, a long-time leaker has revealed details about the upcoming OnePlus Ace 3 Pro.
The battle for AI supremacy between ChatGPT and Gemini just turned into a three-way race as Meta has unveiled a significantly upgraded version of its AI assistant. The new-and-improved Meta AI, powered by the cutting-edge Llama 3 language model, is boldly proclaimed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg to be “now the most intelligent AI assistant that you can freely use.”
Meta first introduced Meta AI last year, but it was limited to the US, and its capabilities were not on par with those of competitors like ChatGPT and Gemini. However, the integration of the Llama 3 model, also announced today, represents a seemingly quantum leap for Meta’s AI. Benchmark tests conducted by the company indicate that, with Llama 3 at its core, Meta AI has the potential to outperform other top-tier AI models, particularly in areas like translation, dialogue generation, and complex reasoning.
The overhauled Meta AI is now directly accessible through the search bars within Facebook, Instagram (DMs page), WhatsApp, and Messenger. Plus, you can access it at a new standalone website, meta.ai. It can search the web for you, provide recommendations for restaurants, flights, and more, or clarify complex concepts. On Facebook, Meta AI can also interact with your feed, allowing you to ask questions about content you see, like the best time to catch the Northern Lights after viewing a stunning photo of them.
I could even ask it for tailored content like fitness reels or comedy videos, with Meta AI curating a 5-video feed for me in those cases. Meta has included many prompts under the search bar on Facebook and Instagram to help us get the most out of Meta AI’s abilities. Thankfully, we can still use the search bars for regular searches for accounts and hashtags.
From what I could see so far, Meta AI’s answers are not as nuanced and detailed as what Gemini would give me for similar questions, but it could benefit from two key strengths. First, it’s seamlessly embedded within Meta’s popular apps — Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger — giving their billions of users convenient access to the AI assistant. Secondly, Meta AI isn’t tied to one search engine; it openly uses both Google and Bing to process queries, removing potential bias toward either company’s algorithms.
One of the most intriguing parts of Meta AI is its Imagine image generator. This feature first appeared within WhatsApp a few months ago and allowed users to create AI-generated images based on text descriptions. Since then, it has expanded to Instagram and Facebook.
Starting today, WhatsApp beta users and those using Meta AI’s desktop website in the US can try out an even more advanced version of Imagine. This version generates images in real-time while you type, with the image updating as you add more details, really demonstrating how far generative AI has come.
Currently, Meta AI works in English and is rolling out to many countries outside the US, including Australia, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with more on the way.
With smartphone companies pushing longer and longer phone update policies, it’s become increasingly important to consider factors like aftersales parts availability and ease of self-repair when making a new phone purchase. After all, even if your phone maker promises to deliver seven years of software support, will your phone’s hardware even last that long? There are easy steps you can take to maximize battery life, but there’s not much you can do to extend the lifetime of your phone’s storage chip. For starters, there isn’t even a way for you to find out the remaining lifetime of your phone’s storage chip. Fortunately, that’ll change in the Android 15 update.
Since late last year, Google has been working on surfacing useful information about your phone’s hardware. It started with battery health-related information such as the manufacture date, cycle count, and state of health, which are all useful factors in knowing when it’s time to replace your phone’s battery. Some of this information was briefly shown under the Settings > About phone > Battery information page before it was removed in March’s Android 14 QPR2 update, since the page is supposedly intended to only be enabled on the upcoming Pixel 8a and onward.
Alongside battery health-related information, Google is also planning to surface info about the health of the device’s storage component. Both sets of information will be surfaced in a new “Device Diagnostics” app. Under the hood, the Device Diagnostics app will utilize a new storage lifetime API in Android 15 that “returns the remaining lifetime of the internal storage device, as an integer percentage.” If the API returns 90, for example, then that means that 90% of the storage device’s useful lifetime remains.
Although the patch referenced above hasn’t been merged to AOSP yet, the API is already present and enabled in the latest Android 15 beta 1 release. This is because the patch that Google submitted to AOSP was already merged into Google’s internal Android codebase, which is what the company actually uses to make its Android builds. The API itself simply makes information that Android was already collecting available to (system) apps.
The description for the initial patch that implements this new API says it only “differs slightly from the previous API, which exist[ed] for idle maintenance.” Idle maintenance is when Android trims unused blocks in the filesystem, which is useful for flash storage chips. Trimming unused blocks excessively can reduce the lifespan of the storage chip, which is why it’s necessary to check the health of the UFS chip and intelligently run idle maintenance. Android 13 actually introduced a smarter idle maintenance service under the hood for this exact purpose.
The initial patch also mentions that this value is “intended to be displayed to users,” so it’s likely users will get access to the Device Diagnostics app in a future beta release. However, only some devices (like Google’s own Pixel lineup) will report the remaining storage lifetime at 1% granularity, while others will report at a less accurate 10% granularity. This means that the remaining storage lifetime value won’t be a useful metric on every device, unfortunately.
That’s assuming it’ll even be available because not every device will support showing the remaining storage lifetime. Devices need to collect and share this information with the Android OS through the Health HAL. On devices that don’t do this, the storage lifetime API will return -1, which means the feature is unsupported. Whether a device supports this API is up to the OEM or the vendor of the storage chip since Google currently doesn’t require devices to support it. If you have a Pixel device running Android 15, though, the storage lifetime API is fully supported and will be used by the Device Diagnostics app to show you the remaining lifetime of your Pixel device’s storage chip.
Google’s AI is everywhere, and its next goal is to transform the YouTube experience. The platform is currently testing a new coversational AI feature to help viewers get the most out of the videos they watch by facilitating real-time question-and-answer interactions directly within videos.
Currently, this feature is in the experimental phase and is limited to YouTube’s Android app for YouTube Premium subscribers who are 18 years or older and based in the United States.
Once you enable the feature for your account, you’ll start to notice an “Ask” button beneath eligible videos. Viewers can then type in questions pertaining to the video or choose from provided prompts requesting summaries or related content. The AI will then process both the video content and the query, offering context-relevant responses without pausing playback.
The responses seem to be reasonably accurate and surprisingly swift, indicating that Google’s AI might already be pre-analyzing YouTube videos even before we invoke the feature.
As far as I could check, most videos where English is being used to talk or narrate the content did show the Ask prompt, including all of our latest videos on the Android Authority YouTube channel. Informational videos with a mix of Hindi and English language didn’t show the Ask prompt, and the same goes for music videos.
For now, YouTube states that this feature will only be available until May 1, but I can’t wait for it to roll out publicly. There’s a treasure trove of informational videos and tutorials on YouTube, and having a way to quickly summarize them or ask about the specific thing you’re looking for could be fantastic.
Ever since Google went all-in on AI, the company has been working on ways to speed up its LLM implementation across its portfolio. The first signs of this seemed to appear after there were reports of Google implementing a “Green Lane” initiative that allowed teams to conduct their own product approval reviews to approve AI projects more quickly. The most recent example of this, however, has taken the form of a major internal reorganization.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai announced in a blog post that Google will create a new department called Platforms and Devices. This department will combine the software and hardware teams and oversee Android, Chrome, Chrome OS, Photos, and more.
The reason for the drastic change is said to be for delivering “higher quality products and experiences,” to help “turbocharge the Android and Chrome ecosystems,” and to “bring the best innovations to partners faster.” Simply put, the firm wants to speed up the process of its AI implementation even more than before.
Taking over the new team will be Rick Osterloh, who was formerly in charge of all of Google’s hardware efforts. Meanwhile, Hiroshi Lockheimer, who oversaw Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, G1, and Photos, is said to be moving on to new projects across Alphabet. Sameer Samat, who helped Lockheimer run Android, will now be stepping up to be the lead across the Android ecosystem.
According to The Verge, both Osterloh and Lockheimer started talking to Pichai about making this shift two years ago. The move is happening now because it “felt like the right time,” Lockheimer says. Osterloh told the outlet that he believes that combining the two teams will allow Google to “integrate AI across all of its products” al faster than before.
In the announcement, Pichai says:
These changes continue the work we’ve done over the past year to simplify our structure and improve velocity and execution — such as bringing together the Brain team in Google Research with teams in DeepMind, which helped accelerate our Gemini models; unifying our ML infrastructure and ML developer teams to enable faster decisions, smarter compute allocation, and a better customer experience; and bringing our Search teams under one leader.
Google’s heavy focus on AI, which is evidenced by the rapid expansion of its AI products over the last year, shows that the company sees AI as the future of its business. And if it wasn’t clear before, this significant reorganization should be enough proof.
Generative AI continues to reshape our digital landscape with seemingly huge strides forward every now and then, and Microsoft’s latest innovation is possibly the most groundbreaking — and unnerving — yet.
VASA-1, an image-to-video model, blurs the line between real and fabricated video. From a single image and an audio clip, it can generate shockingly realistic footage, complete with lifelike lip movements and expressions.
Microsoft is acutely aware of the technology’s power, noting that VASA-1 is “capable of not only producing precious lip-audio synchronization but also capturing a large spectrum of emotions and expressive facial nuances and natural head motions that contribute to the perception of realism and liveliness.”
The system generates high-resolution (512×512) video at an impressive 45 FPS. Even more remarkable, it can generate lifelike talking face videos at 40 FPS in real-time.
The potential applications are tantalizing. Imagine educational tools with lifelike historical figures brought to life or virtual companions offering support and therapeutic benefits. However, the potential for misuse is equally immense, immediately flagging concerns of highly convincing deepfakes capable of spreading misinformation and undermining trust.
Microsoft knows this very well and insists this is primarily a research endeavor, at least for now. The company acknowledged the inherent risks, stating: “…like other related content generation techniques, it could still potentially be misused for impersonating humans. We are opposed to any behavior to create misleading or harmful content of real persons…”
Thankfully, Microsoft maintains it won’t release this potent technology prematurely. Its plan to wait for robust regulations is reassuring and needs to become a norm for the rest of the tech industry.
The breakneck pace of innovation makes predicting the future — and the consequences of systems like VASA-1 — a daunting task. If such a tool were to be made public, would it usher in a new wave of creativity and accessibility, or would it fuel a rising tide of distrust and manipulation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Google appears to be tinkering around with the layout of its Phone app. It appears the Android app could gain a hamburger-style menu icon and lose the bottom bar.
PiunikaWeb, in collaboration with AssembleDebug, discovered a change to the Phone app in the public beta version 128.0.625763929. That change introduces a hamburger menu icon to the search bar on the top of the page.
When the icon is tapped, a panel pops out from the side and provides a list of options. However, the panel is fairly empty as it only contains two options: Contacts and Voicemail.
It’s a little strange to dedicate an entire panel to so few items. There’s a possibility that Google is simply testing out this new layout without plans to roll it out publicly. But there’s always a chance we could see it release sometime down the road.
Since the panel serves as the place were you can find all of the app’s important features, it eliminates the need for the bottom bar in the current version of the app. As such, this new layout removes the bottom bar.
This new menu wasn’t the only thing that was discovered while investigating the app. It appears AssembleDebug also found a string of code that adds permission for users to use the emergency satellite feature Android 15 will bring to Android devices. As we reported earlier, this feature is called “Emergency SOS,” which allows the user to connect with emergency services via satellite.
It’s hard to keep track of which streaming service is premiering which new show or movie from week to week. Netflix used to be king, but the streaming field is full of alternatives, and they’re all regularly pumping out new content. So, what are the best new streaming shows and where can you watch them? Every week, we answer that question for you, offering some exciting new and returning titles, including streaming originals, from services like Max, Hulu, Prime Video, Paramount Plus, and, yes, Netflix.
We’ll be updating this list every week, so stay tuned for more new streaming shows on every major service. Looking for even more? We keep an archive of our recommendations going back at least 30 days.
Let’s jump right in and take a closer look at the best new shows debuting this week. It was a bit slower than the week before, but there were still a few notable entries. Let’s jump right in.
The Circle has seen many adaptations, but this American version first aired on Netflix back in 2020. The show’s premise is fairly unique, as it takes a number of players and moves them into separate apartments in the same building. While in the building, players are kept isolated from the outside world and can’t even see each other in person, though they are allowed to communicate with other players through a special app that lets them see photographs and biographies, and engage in text chats. Every few days, each contestant must secretly rate all the others from first to last, but there’s a catch: the players are allowed to catfish if they so choose. In other words, the players may or may not be what they seem.
Samsung’s The Frame TV is one of the few smart TVs that can sit amongst fancy decor without looking out of place. Of course, you don’t need to feel like high society to want one, and you don’t need to pay full price either right now. A massive 31% price drop on the 50-inch model of the QLED 4K smart TV has dropped it to its all-time low price of $897.99.
Samsung 50-inch The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV for $897.99 ($400 off)
It’s no secret Google is working on bringing satellite connectivity to Android phones. In fact, the company added satellite connectivity support for SMS apps and preloaded RCS apps to Android 15 after Developer Preview 2 was released last month. But strings of code hint that Google could also add this support to the Maps app as well.
An APK teardown of Google Maps beta v11.125, conducted by AssembleDebug and shared with PiunikaWeb, reveals new strings of code that mention satellite-based location sharing. Based on those strings, users would be able to “update your location once every 15 minutes, up to five times a day.”
This means you would not need a cellular or Wi-Fi connection to update your location in Maps. Such a feature would come in handy if you ever found yourself in a location absent of cellular service.
Needless to say, but a phone that supports satellite connectivity will be required to use this feature. For example, this feature should work fine for the Pixel 9 series, which is expected to have a modem that supports 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN).
This feature would join Android 15’s growing list of satellite-supported features, which include being able to communicate with emergency services. We have also recently seen the UI that will be used for satellite connections, along with a satellite icon you can see above.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7t0tAsUdE0
When it comes to gaming, few companies are as recognizable and distinct as Razer. Its minimalist aesthetic and obsession with RGB lighting have made it one of the few crossover gaming brands that even non-gamers know and recognize. When it comes to mobile gaming, though, Razer’s most well-known contributions were two smartphones that failed to even make a dent in the market. Since those losses, the company has only strayed into the world of mobile controllers, and the Razer Kishi Ultra — launched on April 18, 2024 — is now the newest in its roster.
Razer previously launched a few other mobile controllers, including the original Kishi and the Kishi V2. The main difference between its previous efforts and the Kishi Ultra is that those controllers were designed for maximum portability, while the Ultra is designed for comfort. Gone are the stubby grips, shrunk buttons, and shallow analog sticks, and in their place are full-sized, premium components, not too dissimilar from what you’d get from console controllers, such as a Sony DualSense or an Xbox Series X controller.
This new design makes the Kishi Ultra the most comfortable Backbone-style mobile controller I’ve ever used. I don’t spend hours playing mobile games, but I do spend hours playing console/PC games, and I am certain I could use a Kishi Ultra for just as long as I do a “normal” controller without excessive wrist strain.
The Razer Kishi Ultra just might be the best mobile controller I've ever used, but it's a pricey purchase.
One of the drawbacks to this new focus on comfort, though, is portability. In the image below, you can see the Kishi Ultra next to one of the original Nintendo Switch consoles, and you’ll notice it is far larger once you’ve snapped in a big Android phone (like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which I used throughout this review). Since there’s no way to remove or break down the controller’s retractable back plate, it takes up about twice as much room as a normal console controller, making storage and travel a little trickier, too.
However, this large size also works to the controller’s advantage when it comes to compatibility with a wide range of devices. The Kishi Ultra can support pretty much any Android phone (even with a thick protective case on it), all models in the iPhone 15 series (and all future iPhones, since they’ll all have USB-C support), and even small USB-C tablets, like the most recent iterations of the iPad Mini.
It’s important to know that the Kishi Ultra has no wireless connectivity. It does not support Bluetooth and cannot be powered on without something attached to it. To connect a device, all you do is slide it onto the Kishi Ultra’s built-in (and non-removable) USB-C adapter and then lock it in place with the other grip. When you snap your phone onto the USB-C connector, it immediately starts powering the controller. There’s no battery inside the controller, so it will be leeching power from whatever you connect to it. And, of course, that’s going to make your device’s battery drain faster. But it also powers the Chroma RGB lighting, which, let’s be honest, looks pretty sick.
Thankfully, the Kishi Ultra does have a USB-C pass-through port at the bottom of the right-hand grip, so you can plug in and charge while you’re gaming. You can also use this port to connect the Kishi Ultra directly to your PC to act as a traditional wired controller. Of course, you’ll look pretty silly using what looks like a normal controller snapped in half with an 8-inch black bar connecting each grip. Additionally, the controller also has a 3.5mm headphone jack on the other grip, which is a nice touch.
Once you’ve connected your device to the controller, you’re good to start playing whatever you want. In my experience, the Kishi Ultra “just worked” across everything I threw at it. That included typical mobile games like Fortnite, streamed PC games through the Steam Link app, emulated games through Retroarch, and even games that don’t actually have gamepad support thanks to a neat trick I’ll come back to later.
Even though the controller just works on its own, Razer really wants you to use the Razer Nexus app, which is available on both Android and iOS. This is what you use to tweak everything about the controller, including the RGB lighting, remapping the buttons, and calibrating dead zones. It also acts as a game launcher, a way to easily record and share gameplay videos, and more. Thankfully, this app is totally free — no subscription required.
The Nexus app also supports a Virtual Controller Mode. This allows you to use the physical controller to manipulate a game’s virtual controls — useful if a mobile title does not support physical inputs natively. But be careful: some games might consider this cheating, so if you want to play competitively, you should check to ensure that it isn’t against the rules.
So the big question here is whether or not the Razer Kishi Ultra is worth buying. In a nutshell: yes, the Razer Kishi Ultra is an incredible, comfortable, and versatile mobile controller. It’s the best model I’ve ever used in its category. But despite all this, it’s difficult to recommend the Kishi Ultra to just anyone because it’s so, so expensive and only offers a few features you can’t get from other devices.
Basically, the Razer Kishi Ultra fits into a particular niche, and it’s really, really good at delivering to that niche. But if you aren’t specifically looking for a mobile-only controller that does everything at a cost that’s twice as high as competitors, there are other options out there.
You might love the Razer Kishi Ultra, but you also might loathe its exorbitant price. If you fall into that category, here are some much cheaper alternatives worth checking out:
Yes, you can play Call of Duty Mobile with the Razer Kishi Ultra. In fact, COD Mobile appears by default in the Nexus app (you’ll still need to download it manually, though).
Yes, but only in a wired state. Also, this isn’t recommended due to the fact that you can’t remove the telescopic mount plate, so you’d end up playing with a very long, silly-looking controller. It is possible to do, though, with a USB-C cable (not included).
Yes, the Kishi Ultra is designed to work with big phones and thick cases. In the box with the Kishi Ultra, you’ll find three sets of rubber mounts that you can swap out to find the perfect fit for your device. Obviously, some very thick cases might not work, but most should.
Yes, the PS Remote Play app appears by default in the Razer Nexus app. Just download it and fire it up; the Kishi Ultra should just work.
We tested the Kishi Ultra with the Android version of Retroarch, and everything worked automatically. Other emulators — including Dolphin and PPSSPP — also appear by default in the Nexus app, so you should see wide compatibility with the most popular mobile emulators.
Yes, but only modern iPhones with USB-C ports (i.e., the iPhone 15 series). There is no Lightning version of the Kishi Ultra, no way to swap out the USB-C connector, and no wireless support, so this is a USB-C-only product. Notably, USB-C support also allows this to work with the iPad Mini, which does fit into its large frame.
PNY is one of the big names in the memory card market, and there’s never been a better time to pick up the PNY 1TB PRO Elite microSD card than in today’s deal. The Amazon Choice product is down to it’s best price ever of just $67.99 right now.
Nothing is fresh off its launch event for the new Nothing Ear (2024) and the Nothing Ear a, wherein they also announced a deeper ChatGPT integration within Nothing OS. This integration is rolling out through the Nothing OS 2.5.5 update, arriving first to the Nothing Phone 2, while it will roll out to the Phone 1 and the Phone 2a later this month.
While ChatGPT integration is the highlight of the Nothing OS 2.5.5, the update changelog for the Phone 2 is quite lengthy (h/t 1NormalUsername). The Nothing Phone 2 is also getting the “TrueLens Engine” with “Ultra XDR,” though unfortunately, Nothing did not elaborate on these marketing terms. If we can speculate, this could allow capturing photos with high dynamic range in the Ultra HDR format (or a similar HDR-focused format), essentially as a jpg file with an extra HDR gain map file.
Here are all the changes that users can expect on their phones after the update:
Have you received the update on your Nothing Phone 2 yet? Let us know how you like the changes in the comments below!
It’s only taken Apple well over a decade, but the company finally allowed video game emulators on the App Store this month. This means the iPhone maker is catching up to Android by offering easy access to emulators.
It didn’t take long for developers to bring the first emulators to the App Store, and arguably the most high-profile (and legitimate) addition so far is the Delta app. The brainchild of the popular GBA4iOS app, Delta emulates NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and the Nintendo DS. The app was first released roughly five years ago and required users to sideload it, but the App Store availability means it’s finally available for all.
The new app has relatively lax requirements, only requiring an iOS device running iOS 14 or later. That means all iPhone SE models and the iPhone 6s series or later can run the emulator. It’s also worth noting that the emulator has no egregious permissions (only requiring access to Siri and Search and the ability to store data on the phone or in iCloud). According to the listing, the emulator doesn’t collect your data either, and there are no in-app ads here.
Setting up Delta is pretty simple once downloaded from the App Store. You’ll need to transfer your game ROMs via iTunes or the Files app. I transferred a few ROMs to the emulator by first uploading them to Google Drive and then downloading them to the Files app.
The transfer process isn’t nearly as simple or fast as on Android phones, where you can just transfer your files by plugging your phone into a PC, but this method gets the job done just fine. At least newer iPhones come with USB-C, allowing you to copy over ROMs from a flash drive or external drive.
You’ll also need Nintendo DS firmware files to run the DS emulator (which uses the MelonDS core). You’ll need to grab them from your own DS and transfer them to Delta via the Files app. But the other emulated consoles don’t require extra firmware files, allowing you to play games from the get-go.
Games get added to the app’s main screens, and there is a screen for each console’s games rather than one screen for all ROMs regardless of console.
Getting started is easy: Tap the desired game to get up and running. Delta defaults to touchscreen controls (with different skins on offer), but you can also use a Bluetooth controller if that tickles your fancy. We’d definitely recommend this option for the N64 titles or any games requiring precise/fast inputs.
The app specifically supports Nintendo Switch controllers, the Nintendo Switch retro controllers, PS4/PS5 gamepads, Xbox One S and Series controllers, MFi controllers, and Bluetooth/wired keyboards. And I found that my Xbox One S gamepad worked just fine, with no need to remap buttons out of the gate (although the option is there anyway).
I only tried about half a dozen Nintendo 64 and GBA games so far, and performance in compatible games seemed smooth enough. Just don’t expect games that ran poorly on the N64, like Perfect Dark, to run at a much smoother pace here. I also noticed some visual glitches in a couple of games, namely Conker’s Bad Fur Day and F1 World Grand Prix. World Driver Championship failed to actually run too, although this likely is a game-specific issue as it’s demanding on other emulators too.
There isn’t an FPS (frames-per-second) counter, though, and those expecting a resolution scaler for sharper visuals will be disappointed too. There’s no filter for GBA or NES/SNES titles, either. So, you might want to wait for console-specific emulators if you want to tinker with settings. But there are a few extras worth knowing, such as Delta Sync to import your save data from other devices, local multiplayer support, save states (both manual and automatic), and AirPlay support.
It’s clear that we’re still in the very early days of emulators on the Apple App Store, but Delta is definitely as close as we’ve got to a RetroArch-style experience on the platform. That is, an (almost) all-in-one app capable of running games from multiple consoles.
Delta is a winner by default, really, owing to it being the first Nintendo emulator on the App Store. But it still compares favorably to emulators on Android.
The app only supports Nintendo games up to and including the N64 for now, though. However, the developer noted that more consoles are coming. Furthermore, a reference in the app points to Sega Mega Drive support. So fans of classic Sega games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, and Golden Axe should keep an eye on this development.
It’s also worth reiterating the somewhat barebones nature of this emulator compared to rival emulators that give you loads of options. However, the major features that actually matter are present and accounted for, such as controller support and save states, making it well worth a look.
In the meantime, you can download Delta for free from the App Store by clicking the button below. The one downside is that EU users will have to download it via the AltStore alternative app market.
Those in the market for a new Chromebook that won’t break the bank are in a bit of luck today. Amazon just slashed $230 off the ASUS Chromebook Flip CM5, matching its previous lowest price from Black Friday last year. The versatile device is down to just $299.99 in the sale.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdSSIJAlqZM
If you’re shopping around for a clear Galaxy S24 case, odds are you’ve come across the Spigen Ultra Hybrid. It’s one of the most popular cases from one of the most popular case brands, and for good reason. After spending some time with the case, I can confidently say that it’s the clear case to beat. It checks all of the boxes you’d want, with a few minor asterisks.
With a rigid polycarbonate backing and TPU bumpers, the Ultra Hybrid provides great drop protection without adding too much bulk. It’s definitely not a thin case, but I still found it comfortable enough to hold. The finish doesn’t add much grip, but it was still much better than the bare metal rails on the Galaxy S24.
It also has a raised lip around the screen to prevent scratches, but the back is thick enough that it doesn’t need a ring around the camera lenses. Instead, there’s a slightly raised material in the four corners of the back of the case, which should prevent your lenses from making direct contact when placed on a table.
The version I tested is the Zero One White edition (seen above), which has the internals of the device printed on the back of the case. There’s also a fully clear version, of course, as well as several frosted colors. Unfortunately, the Galaxy S24 version of this case doesn’t have any options with magnets. Only the iPhone versions of this case get that added benefit, which is a real shame.
Speaking of price, the Ultra Hybrid is very affordable compared to most brand-name cases. It’s less than half the price of something like the clear version of the Otterbox Symmetry, making it a real bargain. You’ll have to pay a bit more for the Zero One edition, but the more basic clear and frosted versions cost significantly less.
There are cheaper clear cases, but the Ultra Hybrid is the best value.
And while sure, there are absolutely cheaper clear cases out there, few of them tick the same boxes as the Ultra Hybrid. If you don’t mind the extra bulk, save yourself the headache and spend a few more bucks for the Ultra Hybrid. For my money, it’s the best clear case you can buy for the Galaxy S24 series.
Spigen hits a great middle ground between bulk and protection with the Ultra Hybrid, but if you’re looking for something thinner or more protective, here are a few alternatives we recommend checking out:
If you want even more options, check out our picks for the best cases for the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Samsung typically launches a variety of mid-range phones every year, with entries in the Galaxy A5x and Galaxy A3x usually arriving in the US. Unfortunately, Samsung revealed the recently released Galaxy A55 5G will not be coming to the US. However, its more affordable sibling, the Galaxy A35 5G, will be available in the States and is launching today.
First things first, let’s start with the exterior of the Galaxy A35 5G, which comes in Awesome Navy, Awesome Lilac, Awesome Lemon, and Awesome Ice Blue colorways. The handset features a flat display with a top center-aligned punch hole camera. At the back, you’ll see the triple camera array that looks similar to the design used for the more premium Galaxy S series.
That display uses AMOLED technology and measures 6.6 inches. You can expect full HD+ resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate. If you think this sounds familiar, it’s about the same as what we got with last year’s model. To further improve the screen’s visuals, Samsung has given the handset a Vision Booster mode, which is said to provide clear visibility regardless of the environment.
While the display is important, so too are the cameras. The rear setup features a main camera, ultrawide, and macro lens that offers 50MP, 8MP, and 5MP, respectively. Meanwhile, the front camera boasts a 13MP shooter. Overall, the main camera gets a nice bump up from its predecessor, but everything else is fairly the same. Along with these cameras, however, we’re getting some nice camera features such as optical image stabilization, Night Portrait mode, 12-bit HDR, and video digital image stabilization.
On the inside, Samsung’s latest mid-range phone runs on an unspecified Octa-Core processor with your choice of the following configurations: 6GB + 128GB, 8GB + 128GB, or 8GB + 256GB. Last year, the Galaxy A34 5G was home to a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC, while the Galaxy A35 5G launched globally is powered by the octa-core Exynos 1380 SoC, though this hasn’t been specifically confirmed for the US unit.
The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G is powered by a long-lasting 5,000mAh battery and comes with “Super Fast Charging,” which supports up to 25W. This handset also offers decent protection with an IP67 rating.
Something interesting about this new phone is that it is one of the first in the A series to receive Samsung Knox Vault. You can also expect to be protected by Samsung Knox, a multi-layered security platform designed to protect hardware and software from vulnerabilities. The phone launches with One UI 6.1 based on Android 14. Samsung’s update promise covers this phone with four generations of Android OS updates and five years of security updates.
As with the Galaxy S models, the Galaxy A35 works very well with Samsung’s ecosystem. So you can connect with other Galaxy products in your collection.
If the Galaxy A35 sounds like it’s up your alley, it is available starting at $399.99 on Samsung’s website, Samsung Experience Stores, and at major carriers and retailers. You can also get 30% off the Galaxy Buds FE with your purchase, but only for a limited time. In addition, you can trade in your current phone to receive up to $150 off the handset.
ChatGPT has spurred the use of AI in mainstream use cases. Many people now prefer Google Gemini or ChatGPT to help with daily tasks, and every business is scrambling to integrate AI into its products and services. At the launch of the new Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear A earbuds, the company also announced that ChatGPT integration is coming to the earbuds and Nothing OS.
On the new Nothing Ear (2024) and Nothing Ear A earbuds, you can set a pinch shortcut to start a voice conversation with ChatGPT. Once set, you can pinch the earbud stem to begin talking to ChatGPT and tap once to stop the conversation. ChatGPT will then work its magic and get back to you with a response. You will need to be on Nothing OS 2.5.5 and set the shortcut through the Nothing X app for the ChatGPT integration to work.
The company says that the ChatGPT integration will also be rolled out to all of its Nothing and CMF audio products in June 2024.
If you don’t have the earbuds, you can still enjoy the deeper integration with Nothing OS. With Nothing OS 2.5.5, you can now add ChatGPT widgets for Text, Voice, and Vision when you have ChatGPT installed on your phone. This is beyond the regular 4×2 widget that the ChatGPT app offers to all Android users.
Further, Nothing OS 2.5.5 adds a Clipboard to ChatGPT shortcut when selecting text, letting you paste the text directly into a new conversation on ChatGPT.
When you take a screenshot, you will also see a new Screenshot to ChatGPT shortcut that allows you to paste the screenshot directly into a new conversation on ChatGPT.
Nothing OS 2.5.5 is rolling out to the Nothing Phone 2 today. It will also roll out to the Nothing Phone 1 and the Nothing Phone 2a later this month.
Do you like this ChatGPT integration within Nothing OS? Let us know in the comments below!
iOS 18 is just a couple of months away, and, at this point, we may have an idea or two as to what to expect from this release. Apart from the AI goods we expect to see in Apple’s next-gen operating systems, a fresh iOS 18 rumor reveals potential upgrades that may be coming to the built-in Notes app on the iPhone.
According to information obtained by AppleInsider, iOS 18 may enhance the Apple Notes app by integrating some power-user features. These potential additions could include a native audio recorder and support for mathematical notations. The same features are also expected to become available on the latest iPads and Macs through iPadOS 18 and macOS 15, respectively.
For reference, Apple Notes already supports importing audio recordings from the Voice Memos app. However, adding a dedicated recorder in the Notes app itself could encourage more casual users to rely on the feature and simplify the overall process. That’s not to mention the rumored integration with the Calculator app, which would help Apple Notes compete with the more advanced third-party solutions.
Speaking of the Calculator app, the rumor also suggests that iPadOS 18 may finally introduce this highly anticipated application on the iPad. The iPhone, Mac, and even Apple Watch have had native Calculator apps for eons. Bringing this app to the iPad would address the endless user complaints found across the web and further streamline Apple’s app suite across its different operating systems.
We expect Apple to reveal iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 during the main WWDC24 keynote on June 10. Based on the company’s history, it’s safe to assume that the first developer betas of these operating systems will also be released later that day.
Qualcomm’s modems are the preferred choice in all the top smartphones sold in the US, but other companies also make competitive modems. Samsung has just announced the new Exynos 5400 5G modem, its first modem with two-way satellite connectivity. This is also the same modem used on the Exynos Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus and the same that we expect on the Google Pixel 9 series.
The Exynos 5400 supports 3GPP Release 17, at par with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 modem. Samsung is promising maximum data throughput speeds of up to 14.79Gbps. Further, the Exynos 5400 can aggregate three carriers of 100MHz and two of 40MHz into a single complete frequency of 380MHz bandwidth within the FR1 frequency band, achieving speeds of 11.2Gbps with 1,024 QAM.
The Exynos 5400 5G modem is built on a 4nm EUV process. It supports 4×4 MIMO for sub-6GHz and 2×2 MIMO for mmWave.
The Exynos 5400 is the first Samsung modem that supports both NB-IoT NTN and NR NTN for connectivity in remote areas. NB-IoT NTN allows you to send and receive messages by connecting to high-earth satellites, while NR NTN allows 5G devices to connect to low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites for better transmission of a large amount of data.
A Samsung Semiconductor spokesperson confirmed to us that the Exynos 5400 IP was used in the Exynos Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus, which sport the Exynos 2400 processor. However, Samsung Electronics has not mentioned two-way satellite connectivity as a feature on the Galaxy S24 series in any form. Unlike the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 series, you cannot send emergency messages without cellular connectivity (through satellite connectivity) on the S24 series in any form, at least not yet.
Nothing is all-in on smartphones now, with the recent Nothing Phone 2a earning strong marks from reviewers. However, the company started just a few years ago as an audio brand with the well-received Nothing Ear 1 earbuds. Since then, it’s launched a few other sets of earbuds, but today it’s revamping its naming system while simultaneously launching two new audio products: Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear A.
As you can see, the revamped earbud naming system includes removing numbers from the names. Nothing told us it is doing this to make customers feel less pressured to upgrade every time there’s a new release. Instead, you’d buy a set of Nothing earbuds now and then buy a new set in the same line sometime later when you feel an upgrade might be necessary (or, of course, opt for a more/less expensive model).
Nothing didn’t say anything about this new naming scheme also applying to its other products, including smartphones. Considering the Nothing Phone 2a dropped just a few months ago, we will assume that numbers will continue to be a part of its smartphone portfolio.
In addition to the new hardware, Nothing also announced deeper ChatGPT integration within these earbuds. On Nothing OS 2.5.5, with the ChatGPT app installed, you can set a pinch shortcut to start a conversation with ChatGPT.
Now, let’s break down what you get with the Nothing Ear and the Nothing Ear A.
First up, we have the premium model: Nothing Ear. While one might think these would be the Nothing Ear 3, the company isn’t going to call them that due to the previously mentioned abandonment of numbers.
Besides, these are more like Nothing 2.5 rather than a full numerical upgrade. They look incredibly similar to Nothing Ear 2, right down to the case design and available colorways (transparent black or white).
There are some differences, though, which I’ll list out for you here:
Other than these three points, Nothing Ear are basically the same as Nothing Ear 2. Therefore, if you already own Nothing Ear 2, there’s not much reason to upgrade.
If you don’t already own Nothing Ear 2 (or don’t care about Nothing’s ambitions to stop you from upgrading yearly), these will set you back $149 / €149 / £129 — the same pricing as Ear 2. Pre-orders are open now at Nothing.tech and general sales begin on April 22, 2024.
Do note that Nothing confirmed Ear will replace Ear 2. When the company sells through its stock of Ear 2, it will not make more. If, for some reason, you’d rather have Ear 2 over these new models, you’d better grab them quickly.
While Nothing Ear are an obvious iterative upgrade to Nothing Ear 2, Nothing Ear A are a bit trickier to peg. One would assume these would be the spiritual successors to Nothing’s previous budget-minded earbuds (Nothing Ear Stick), but these feel more like a slightly upgraded version of the original Nothing Ear 1.
Right off the bat, Nothing Ear A are in-ear earbuds, as opposed to Nothing Ear Stick, which simply rested in your ear canal, like Apple’s entry-tier AirPods. This allows them to support ANC, something that wasn’t possible with Ear Stick.
Nothing Ear A also have a brand new case design that’s unlike anything the company has done before. It’s smaller and curvier than the Ear/Ear 1/Ear 2 cases and nothing like the tube case for Ear Stick. There’s also a new colorway on offer: yellow. This is a fun choice for folks bored of the usual black/white colors Nothing offers.
As for specs, you’ll find a lot of crossovers here from Nothing Ear, including 11mm drivers, 45dB ANC, a triple-mic setup, LDAC support (but no LHDC), etc. There are a few significant differences, though:
In other words, it’s easiest to think of Nothing Ear A as a cheaper version of Nothing Ear rather than a sequel to any other Nothing earbuds.
Speaking of being cheaper, Nothing Ear A will set you back $99 / €99 / £99. Like the Nothing Ear, you can pre-order them today from Nothing.tech and general sales begin on April 22, 2024. Also, these will become the only other earbuds Nothing offers outside of Nothing Ear. In other words, if you want Nothing Ear Stick or Nothing Ear 1, you should buy them soon, as they will no longer be in production.
AltStore PAL is finally available to iOS users in the EU (via The Verge), enabling them to download apps that don’t necessarily comply with Apple’s App Store guidelines. Those running iOS 17.4 or a later OS version can access the third-party app store by paying €1.50 (plus tax) per year. The original AltStore — which requires a desktop computer and a hackier setup — is still available worldwide for free.
AltStore has been a prominent iOS third-party app store for years. Developed by Riley Testut, the marketplace hosts a wide range of apps that Apple may not allow on its own storefront. Now that the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) has forced Apple to authorize third-party app stores on iOS, Testut has released AltStore PAL as a standalone version.
Considering Apple still charges a Core Technology Fee (CTF), Testut had to make AltStore PAL a paid offering to fund these payments. Interestingly, developers wishing to feature their work on AltStore PAL will have to host their apps on their own servers. Consequently, AltStore PAL users downloading apps from different developers will have to add and authorize the different “sources” individually.
Expectedly, iOS will display multiple warnings when a user attempts to install a third-party app store to discourage them from proceeding. Furthermore, iPad users in the EU are still limited to Apple’s App Store, as the DMA hasn’t pushed the tech overlord to do otherwise.
In recent guideline changes, Apple has also started allowing game emulators on its App Store. As a result, the famous Delta emulator — built by the same developer — has also made its way to Apple’s App Store. Through it, iPhone users around the world can play NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS games without needing to jailbreak their devices or resort to complex app sideloading methods.
We thought the HUAWEI P60 Pro was one of the best camera phones of 2023, so we were curious to see how the company could build on this formula with its future devices. That time has come, as the Chinese brand has just announced the HUAWEI Pura 70 series.
The Pura 70 family consists of four models, namely the standard Pura 70, the Pura 70 Pro, the Pura 70 Pro Plus, and the Pura 70 Ultra. HUAWEI hasn’t disclosed the chipset, but a third-party report points to at least one of the phones offering the Kirin 9010 chipset (featuring a 12-core CPU and an in-house Maleoon 910 GPU).
Otherwise, the four phones have a number of features in common. This includes a similar 1.5K OLED screen (120Hz, LTPO, 2,500 nits peak brightness), a 13MP selfie camera, Harmony OS 4.2 (although the underlying Android version is unclear), an IP68 rating, and in-display fingerprint sensors.
The Pro, Pro Plus, and Ultra phones also support 100W wired charging, 80W wireless charging, and 20W reverse wireless charging. Meanwhile, the standard Pura 70 settles for 66W wired charging, 50W wireless top-ups, and 7.5W reverse wireless charging. Unfortunately, none of these phones come with storage expansion (not even NM cards), so you’ll have to choose your storage variant wisely.
HUAWEI’s first Ultra phone stands out primarily due to its interesting camera setup. The company is touting a retractable main camera here, featuring a one-inch sensor, a variable aperture (f/1.6 to f/4.0), and sensor-shift stabilization. I have some reservations about the decision to include moving parts on the device, but HUAWEI claims the mechanism is rated to retract and expand up to 300,000 times. It’s not the first modern smartphone with a retractable camera, as we’ve seen the TECNO Phantom X2 Pro in recent times. It also doesn’t seem to serve an extra purpose beyond enabling a large sensor (e.g. zoom). But this is still a rare sight on phones today.
In any event, the company asserts that all phones (including the Ultra model) are capable of capturing high-speed movement. The brand went so far as to claim that the Ultra camera, in particular, can clearly capture a car traveling at 300km/h (186mph).
We were very impressed with the P60 Pro telephoto camera, and the Pura 70 Ultra ups the ante in this regard too. Expect a 50MP 3.5x camera this time (up from 48MP 3.5x), along with the same wide f/2.1 aperture as last year’s phone. HUAWEI adds that the tele camera now supports macro shots from just 5cm away, down from the already impressive 10cm on the P60 Pro. The brand also says macro mode supports 35x zoom, although we’re guessing image quality will fall off a cliff long before you reach this zoom level. A 40MP ultrawide camera (f/2.2) rounds out the package.
Other Pura 70 Ultra specs worth knowing include a 5,200mAh battery, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB or 1TB of storage.
The next two HUAWEI phones on the totem pole are the Pro and Pro Plus models. These two phones pack the same rear camera system, namely a 50MP non-retractable main camera (1/1.3-inch) with a f/1.4 to f/4.0 variable aperture, a 12.5MP ultrawide lens, and a 48MP 3.5x telephoto camera (f/2.1). The latter camera seems identical to last year’s shooter bar the 5cm minimum focusing distance.
HUAWEI’s Pro phones also have the same 5,050mAh battery. However, the Pro Plus delivers 16GB of RAM and your choice of 512GB or 1TB of storage. Meanwhile, the Pura 70 Pro brings 12GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage.
Don’t have the cash for a Pro or Ultra phone? Then HUAWEI is also offering the standard Pura 70. This brings a slightly smaller LTPO OLED screen and flat edges, along with 12GB of RAM, 256GB/512GB/1TB of storage, and a 4,900mAh battery.
The Pura 70 also brings less impressive camera hardware. You’re getting a 50MP variable aperture main camera (1/1.3-inch), a 13MP ultrawide lens, and a 12MP 5x periscope camera. The brand says this tele camera brings macro focusing abilities too, but didn’t give a minimum focusing distance (suggesting it’s not on par with the other models).
The Pura 70 phones are only available in China right now, although we’re expecting one or several of these models to launch globally.
Chinese users can expect to pay a starting price of 9,999 yuan (~$1,381) for the Pura 70 Ultra. Meanwhile, the Pura 70 Pro and Pro Plus start at 6,499 yuan (~$898) and 7,999 yuan (~$1,105), respectively. Otherwise, the vanilla Pura 70 will set you back at least 5,499 yuan (~$760).
Sony’s Xperia flagship devices have long stood out as one of the best camera phones while also bringing a great multimedia experience to the table. We’re expecting the Xperia 1 VI later this year, and it looks like Sony has just announced what could be a launch date.
Přihlásit se