The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will almost certainly be the first phones to ship with Android 13, but some older phones may actually be updated to Android 13 before these phones launch, as we’ll likely see the next Pixel Models come in October, and Android 13 now looks almost certain to arrive in September.
The latest evidence comes from Google‘s August security bulletin, which, as discovered by Droid Life, noted that Android 13 “will have a default security patch level of 2022-09-01.” Given that Google releases security patches every month, this Indicating that Android 13 will be rolling out in September, otherwise, it may have a default security patch level in another month.
That said, this is for the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) version, not the version pushed to most smartphones. Sometimes it can be a little later, but in most years, Pixel phones get the update on the same day as the AOSP version.
The exact date isn’t clear, but Droid Life speculates that we could see Android 13 on September 6, as Google often rolls out updates on the first Monday of the month, and September 5 is that Monday, which is also Labor Day, so it makes sense to move it to Tuesday. Of course, this is just speculation at the moment, and while Pixel users may see Android 13 by then, most other phones will get it weeks or even months later, as is common with Android updates.
Analysis: Lots of evidence in September
It’s compelling evidence that we’ll see Android 13 in September, but it looks like a September release. The biggest evidence before this comes from Google’s Android 13 roadmap, which has long hinted that September will be the time when the final version will land. Technically, September isn’t named, but given the spacing on the chart, it looks like September is the target.
The only real evidence we won’t see it in September is that Android 12 didn’t land until October of last year, but both Android 11 and Android 10 landed in September of their release year. So September looks very likely to go head-to-head with iOS 15.
Samsung and iFixit have finally launched their self-repair program, allowing owners of the Galaxy S20 and S21 series phones, as well as the Tab S7 Plus phone, to purchase replacement parts.
The initial announcement of the self-healing program was made in late March, and not much has changed since then. Across the three product lines, you’ll be able to buy repair kits for the screen and battery, charging port, and rear glass; separate batteries are not included. New is access to a free online repair guide that tells you how to repair your phone with a step-by-step guide with images.
Repair kits
Replacement parts and step-by-step instructions are available on the iFixit website. You first go to iFixit’s Galaxy page and select your model. Prices are basically the same between the S20 and S21 lines. Charge port replacement costs $66.99. The rear glass kit is $76.99, and the base S21 model is $66.99. Display and battery kits will vary by phone. The cheapest is the base S21 ($167.99), and the most expensive is the S21 Ultra ($239.99).
Prices for the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus tablets vary slightly. The display kit is $226.99, the rear glass and battery assembly are $86.99, and the charging port is $66.99. Apart from product-specific parts, each repair kit comes with the same tools: suction cups, iFixit opening tool, tweezers and some drivers, etc.
Each repair kit also comes with a free return label, so you can ship old parts back to Samsung for proper disposal. iFixit even includes instructions on how to properly dispose of lithium-ion batteries. You can’t throw these batteries in the trash because they can literally explode. We should also mention some repair kits, such as the S21 5G screen and battery pack, which are limited to seven per customer.
As for step-by-step instructions, Samsung has a handy landing page for quick access. By iFixit’s own admission, repairs can be a bit difficult. The Galaxy S21 Ultra screen and battery replacement page is listed as medium difficulty and may take several hours to complete. Repairs include using one of the opening picks and suction handle to pry open the phone and disconnect some parts to replace the battery.
The instructions show everything in detail, but if you’re not confident doing it yourself, Samsung has other options. You can use Samsung’s store locator to find an authorized repair shop or mail-in number. Just don’t forget to put your phone in repair mode to protect your data before bringing it in.
Google’s Pixel 7 series is the upcoming successor to the company’s successful Pixel 6 series. Google teased the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro at its annual developer conference in May, giving us an idea of what to expect from the company’s upcoming flagship lineup. Thanks to announcements made at Google I/O, we know that both devices will arrive in the fall with a new version of the Google Tensor processor, Android 13, and a more polished version of the Pixel 6 overall design.
That said, there’s still a lot we don’t know. But that’s where the rumor mill comes in — helping us fill in the missing pieces until the official event in the fall. Here’s a look at what we know about Google’s Pixel 7 series.
Release date: Pixel 7 could be released in October (unconfirmed)
Google’s flagship phone has been around for years since the first-generation Pixel was unveiled to the world in October. (Except for the Pixel 5, which was released at the end of September) Unless supply chain issues and other macro factors worsen, it is safe to say that the Pixel 7 will be officially released in October. Leaker Jon Prosser tweeted that the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will indeed launch alongside the Pixel Watch that month.
Processor: Pixel 7 will run on second-gen Tensor chip (confirmed)
Google‘s in-house chip, called the Tensor chip, debuted in the Pixel 6 series. Google will continue to use its own chips to wrap its phones in the upcoming Pixel 7 series. The company said in May that it would receive the second-generation Tensor chipset. The announcement isn’t surprising: Google took on the expensive and complicated task of developing an in-house chipset, so why not use that chipset in its phones?
Some of the chip’s enhancements are evident in the Pixel 6’s camera system, which has new features not found on previous Pixel devices. These include Magic Eraser, which removes unwanted objects from photos, and Real Tone, which depicts skin tones more accurately. While we don’t know much about the second-generation Tensor chips, we might expect similar machine learning-based improvements.
Design: Pixel 7 changes bar and camera cutout (confirmed)
Last year’s Pixel 6 upended the design that’s been used on the past five generations of Pixel phones. After that design overhaul, Google has only made improvements to its now-iconic aesthetic. Remember the black camera bar that spanned the width of the chassis? This year, the strip will be made from recycled aluminum and flow into the side rails of the device, making the camera cutout more visible.
Design: Pixel 7 with hole-punch front camera (confirmed)
Images shared by Google in May showed that the Pixel 7 will have a pill-shaped camera notch, while the Pixel 7 Pro will have a punch-hole cutout and a pillbox cutout, which together form a sort of side exclamation mark that houses three cameras.
Cameras: Pixel 7 Pro will have three rear cameras, Pixel 7 will have two (confirmed)
Google renders show the Pixel 7 Pro will also have a triple rear camera system like the 6 Pro, while the base Pixel 7 appears to have two rear cameras like the standard Pixel 6. As far as cameras go, we haven’t confirmed much beyond that, but the images seem to suggest that Google will stick to the Pixel 7 Pro’s standard wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and telephoto configurations.
Fujitsu has quietly launched the world’s lightest laptop, but it’s currently limited to Japan. The WU-X/G2, part of the company’s Lifebook lineup, weighs just 634 grams without a charger, just under 1.4 pounds.
That means this business laptop is lighter than the Apple iPad Pro 12.9 tablet at 682 grams. Size wise, it doesn’t try any tricks; at 307 x 197 x 15.5mm, it’s relatively large, allowing for a bigger screen, more connectivity, and, dare we say it, a better keyboard , the touchpad has a large Enter key and physical buttons.
Small battery capacity, big battery life?
Laptops come with 12th Gen Intel Core processors (1235U or 1255U) and 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR4x memory (dual channel and soldered onboard. Onboard storage ranges from 256GB to 2TB, and there is even an option for an external optical drive, which in Japan is still Very common.
The display is a massive 13.3-inch full HD matte display topped with an HD webcam and a privacy shutter. Wireless connectivity is achieved through the Intel AX201 chipset which provides Bluetooth 5.1 and WiFi-6.
Despite its weight, the WU-X/G2 has a full array of ports that can dwarf laptops that weigh two to three times the weight. There’s a card reader, three USB ports, a full-size HDMI port, and even a Gigabit Ethernet port, plus the power button doubles as a fingerprint reader. No need for a laptop docking station. Sadly, Fujitsu didn’t use any magic to save weight, instead using carbon fiber as the primary material for its chassis.
One corner has been clipped, however, and disappointingly, it’s the battery capacity. At 25WHr, it’s about a quarter the size of some heavier competitors, but that’s perfectly acceptable, since in theory you should be able to trickle-charge it with a phone charger or even an emergency power bank. Surprisingly, the manufacturer quotes an estimated battery life of 11 hours.
An unexpected freebie is a three-year warranty and a three-year subscription to McAfee Livesafe security software. This makes the rather high price (around £1950, $2400, AU$3400) of its top model (Core i7, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro) even more prohibitive.
There are many reasons to wonder how to remote desktop on a Mac. For starters, if you have multiple computers, you may need to access some files or applications on another Mac. Or, if you know someone who needs help with a Mac problem, it’s easier to use their computer directly, even if you’re far away. Here’s how you want to know, let’s take a look!
With screen sharing, remote access to your desktop is easy. You just need to know the Apple ID or hostname of the other Mac. From then on, just accept the method on another computer and decide what level of access you want. However, this means that someone has to have access to the other Mac.
1. Launch the screen sharing application on the Mac you want to use. You can do this via Spotlight Search if you press Command and Space on your keyboard – just type Screen Sharing.
2. Enter the hostname or Apple ID associated with the other Mac. In other words, the Apple ID of the computer you want to access. Click Connect.
You will now be told that you need to respond on another machine.
3. A message will appear on the Mac you want to connect to. To establish a connection, the person using the computer will need to click Options and select Accept.
4. A Mac is fully controllable. To do this, someone has to click “Control My Screen” on the Mac that will be accessed. Clicking Watch My Screen will not allow any applications to be opened or changes to be made to files.
5. You will now have remote access to the other Mac, which will appear in its own window. Simply close the window to stop access.
Apple could expand its Mac portfolio later this year with a high-end MacBook Pro and a Mac mini with M2 silicon. M2 products currently include the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the improved MacBook Air.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, MacBook sales will see a “massive increase.” “Apple will get more momentum later this year with a new Mac mini and a high-end MacBook Pro,” he said late Sunday. Earlier reports mentioned that MacBook Pro models with the M2 Pro and M2 Max will be available in the fall.
Rather than accepting any major shifts, the new Mac models will offer better internal specs. For Macs, Apple generated $7.4 billion in revenue despite supply constraints and a negative impact in the June quarter. Mac revenue fell 10% due to supply chain constraints and unfavorable foreign exchange rates. Apple released a redesigned MacBook Air last month with the company’s M2 chip.
“M2 offers faster CPUs, GPUs and Neural Engines, as well as new features like higher memory bandwidth and Pro Res acceleration. It continues Apple’s tremendous pace of innovation in Mac chips,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. .
Cook acknowledged that the company continues to face supply constraints on Macs, saying “we are encouraged by the strong customer response to our incredible lineup.”
“Like Macs, demand for iPads continued to be strong in the June quarter despite continued supply constraints,” the Apple CEO said.
Just bought a Pixel 6 or 6A? Updating some settings can refresh your phone’s software, prevent you from running out of storage space, or save you time by letting the Google Assistant wait for you. Google launched the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro last fall, but the Pixel 6A went on sale on July 28. It starts at $450, has the same Tensor processor as the Pixel 6, but has a lower-resolution camera and a significantly smaller screen.
Here are the settings you should change on your Pixel 6, 6 Pro or 6A. Let’s have a look!
Turn on theme icons to match your icons to the wallpaper
One of the biggest features in Android 12 is Material You, which customizes the software’s color palette to match your wallpaper. You’ll notice that certain elements in some apps will have colors that match the wallpaper as part of the wider material you refresh. If you go into Settings, you can choose from several options.
But you don’t have to stop there. To give your app icons a fresh, wallpaper-like look, long-press on any empty area on your Pixel 6’s home screen. Then click Wallpaper & Style , and make sure the switch next to the theme icon is turned on. The app icons on the home screen should now match your wallpaper.
Use quick phrases to turn off alarms or phone calls without saying “Hey Google”
Your alarm starts to go off, and you barely have the energy to reach for your phone. Google has made it easier for the Pixel 6 lineup to do just that, where you can snooze or dismiss the alarm simply by saying “snooze” or “stop,” without the “Hey Google” trigger phrase. You can do the same with a phone call by saying “answer” or “decline” without picking up your device.
To turn this feature on, open Settings, Menu and select Apps. Then, select Assistant and tap Quick Phrases. You should see alarms and timers and options for incoming calls. Click the switch next to each to enable this feature.
Choose whether you want to extend battery life or improve performance
Google‘s Pixel phones optimize battery life based on how you use your phone. While this is a useful perk, sometimes you may prefer to turn this feature off so you can get better performance out of your device. You can turn this setting on or off at any time by opening the Settings menu, selecting Battery and tapping Adaptive Preferences .
Turn on Smart Storage to avoid running out of space
If you shoot a lot of photos and videos, you know how valuable your device’s storage space is. But you can choose to have your Pixel phone automatically delete old photos to free up space. If you enable this feature, your Pixel device will delete photos backed up in your Google Photos account that’s been on your device for 60 days if your phone’s storage is below 25%.
To turn this feature on, open Settings, select Storage and tap Free up space. Then tap the menu icon in the upper left corner and select Settings. Toggle the switch next to Smart Storage.
Make sure your Pixel’s screen automatically switches orientation when needed
Nothing is more annoying than having your phone stuck in portrait mode when you put your phone in landscape mode to watch a video. Avoid this on the Pixel 6 by opening the Settings menu, selecting Display, and tapping Auto-rotate screen. You can also choose to turn on face detection to make automatic rotation more accurate. Google said the images used for face detection were never stored or sent to the company.
Choose whether you want smoother scrolling or better battery life
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are able to increase the refresh rate for faster scrolling and smoother animations, which makes the software generally feel more responsive. The Pixel 6 can boost its refresh rate to 90Hz, while the Pixel 6 Pro can go up to 120Hz. But since this feature increases battery usage, sometimes you may want to turn it off.
To access this option, open the Settings menu and select Display. Scroll down to Smooth Display and toggle the switch to turn it on or off. This feature is not available on Pixel 6A.
Leaks hinted at it, but now the company has confirmed it: the upcoming OnePlus 10T will be the first main-series OnePlus phone without an alert slider. It’s an interesting shift in focus for the company.
The news comes directly from OnePlus, which has been furiously detailing its new phone ahead of its official launch on August 3. In forum posts, OnePlus defended its decision to drop the feature, blaming the new feature that came with the phone.
“Our users expect high-power charging, large battery capacity, and better antenna signals from OnePlus devices. To excel in each of these three areas, the space inside the OnePlus 10T needs to be taken up by new technology.” This reasoning does make sense — there’s only a certain amount of space inside a phone, and unless a brand is willing to make a huge phone (which OnePlus obviously isn’t), sacrifices have to be made.
Alert sliders were popularized by the iPhone, but in the world of Android phones, OnePlus has always been their true champion. They’re a physical slider that you can use to easily toggle between silent, vibrate, or full volume ring mode so you don’t have to unlock your phone and change those settings when you’re in a meeting or want to take a call.
More recently, the OnePlus 10 Pro has a slider, but we should point out that the feature isn’t available on the company’s mid-range and budget OnePlus Nord devices.
Analysis: Clearly an unpopular decision
The decision did not go well among OnePlus fans. In the comments to the forum post, many fans expressed their dissatisfaction, with some accusing the brand of taking away the uniqueness of their devices, while others pointed out that the brand’s slogan (Never Settle) was ironic for removing such a feature.
When the phone launches, though, those fans may change their tune. Fast charging, in particular, is currently popular among phone fans, with OnePlus launching 150W fast charging in phones earlier in 2022. So there’s a good chance the 10T will get it as well.
We’ll need to see what hardcore OnePlus fans have to say about the company’s next phone after August 3rd.
It looks like Samsung may be taking a quality-over-quantity approach on some of its upcoming phones, as a report suggests the Galaxy A54, Galaxy A34, and Galaxy A24 will all have one less lens than their predecessors.
Specifically, TheElec claims that none of these phones have depth sensors, so the Samsung Galaxy A53, Galaxy A33, and Galaxy A23 all feature triple-lens camera configurations.
That’s good news, because while decent depth sensors aren’t a complete waste of time, those on budget and mid-range phones tend to be full fillers, with little addition to the camera’s performance at all.
Of course, it wouldn’t be great if Samsung removed the depth sensor but kept everything else the same, but according to this report, the company will focus on beefing up its core camera offering. So presumably the money saved by not including the depth sensor will be poured into other lenses or sensors.
Speaking of which, apparently the Samsung Galaxy A54 will feature a 50MP main camera, a 5MP ultra-wide, and a 5MP macro camera, while the Galaxy A34 is said to have a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 5MP macro. Finally, the Galaxy A24 is said to feature a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 5MP macro.
In terms of megapixel counts, if that’s correct, the Samsung Galaxy A24 will be oddly at its best, though it’s probably the cheapest of these phones, and the most premium — the Galaxy A54 — is reported to be in total Minimum of megapixels.
But that just goes to show that megapixels aren’t everything. If so, Apple’s 12MP phone wouldn’t continue to be among the best camera phones. As well as potentially leading to camera improvements, ditching the depth sensor could also reduce costs — although it remains to be seen whether those savings will be passed on to consumers.
As for when the phones will be available, the Samsung Galaxy A34 will apparently land in March, while the Galaxy A54 is said to arrive in April. There’s no word on when the Samsung Galaxy A24 will launch, but the Galaxy A23 landed in March of this year, so it seems likely around March 2023.
The Google Pixel 6 has proven to be one of the most popular Pixel phones of all time, and fans love its design, photography experience, and clean software. But one problem is that it’s a pretty pricey phone, and that’s exactly what Google‘s Pixel 6a is going to fix — it’s a new budget alternative to the flagship model that’s less expensive and has some cuts to keep costs down .
Below we’ll check out their specs in a row, let’s take a look!
Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 design
These are very similar looking phones. The Pixel 6 series is unified by its appearance, with a horizontal camera “visor” breaking up the back of the device. The 6a protrudes less, but that’s really the theme of this phone – it’s smaller than the 6.
The Pixel 6a also has a plastic back, unlike the 6’s glass, so it’ll feel cheaper, but will likely take more of a hit. Neither phone has a 3.5mm audio jack, and both use the USB-C standard for charging and data transfer. The Pixel 6a’s advantage is that it uses a more advanced version of the Pixel 6’s in-screen fingerprint scanner, so unlocking is significantly faster and more reliable.
Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 displays
The Google Pixel 6‘s 6.4-inch display panel looks larger compared to the Pixel 6a’s 6.1-inch.
Beyond what you think of “big versus small,” the Pixel 6 has a great display. It has the same resolution, 1080 x 2400, but with a 90Hz refresh rate instead of 60Hz, and more advanced display technology, so it supports HDR10+. Both phone displays use a “punch hole” cutout for the front-facing camera at the top center of the panel.
Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6 camera comparison
The Google Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 have two cameras in common, one different.
The first similarity is the selfie camera, both boast an 8MP f/2.0 snapper that worked well in our tests, and the second is a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera with a 114-degree field of view.
The main difference here is the main camera — while the Pixel 6 has a high-res 50MP f/1.9 main camera, the 6a has the same 12.2MP f/1.7 unit that Google has used in all of its smartphones for several years.
That’s not as big a downgrade as the numbers suggest – it’s still good for bright photos, but they won’t be as high-resolution as you get on the Pixel 6.
Google has done a good job with AI, especially scene optimization, and using the same algorithm to optimize images on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a, the results aren’t worlds apart. The 6a also has many of the Pixel 6’s camera features, most notably the Magic Eraser, which lets you pick unwanted background elements in your photos and scrub them using AI.
Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 performance and specs
All three members of the Google Pixel 6 series have the exact same chipset. That’s Google’s own Tensor chip, and these three phones mark its debut in a consumer phone. Its real strength is the range of AI intelligence it facilitates. A lot of that is in the camera department.
The Google Pixel 6a feels almost identical to the Pixel 6 when it comes to gaming, AI, and intensive processing. That said, the standard Pixel 6 has an advantage in terms of RAM, as you get 8GB, while the Pixel 6a has 6GB. They’re both 5G phones, so no matter which model you choose, your connectivity should be the same. One spec you can play with is storage, and while both phones have a 128GB option, only the Pixel 6 also comes with a 256GB option.
Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 software
Another area where the Google Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 are the same. Both phones run stock Android 12.
Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6 battery life comparison
Unfortunately, the two Pixel phones don’t have enough in common when it comes to battery life.
On paper, the Pixel 6’s 4,614mAh battery and the 6a’s 4,410mAh battery seem pretty similar. But in our experience, we’ve found that the Pixel 6 has decent battery life, but the Pixel 6a’s battery life is disappointing, rarely lasting a day.
Charging speed is another key difference – there’s only 18W on the 6a, which means it takes nearly two hours to fully charge. By comparison, the Pixel 6 has 30W of power and reaches 80 percent after an hour of charging, and the phone also features 21W wireless charging and wireless power sharing.
Summarize:
The Pixel 6a does lead the way in some areas, with a more responsive fingerprint scanner and a smaller body that might appeal to some users.
But in many ways, the Pixel 6 is the better phone, with a higher-resolution main camera, more storage options, faster charging, a longer-lasting battery, and a higher screen refresh rate.
