Google is rolling out Android 15 to Pixel devices, bringing new features like Private Space, built-in app archiving support, and more.

Which Pixel devices are getting the Android 15 update?

The Android 15 update is rolling out to the following Pixel devices starting today:

• Google Pixel 6
• Google Pixel 6 Pro
• Google Pixel 6a
• Google Pixel 7
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
• Google Pixel 7a
• Google Pixel Fold
• Google Pixel 8
• Google Pixel 8 Pro
• Google Pixel 8a
• Google Pixel 9
• Google Pixel 9 Pro
• Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
• Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
• Google Pixel Tablet

Battery and charging

• Fixed an issue where the device occasionally restarted unexpectedly [2]
• General improvements in charging and battery usage [3]

Biometric method

• Fixed an issue where face unlocking did not work reliably under certain conditions [8]

Bluetooth

• Fixed an issue where connecting to certain Bluetooth devices or Bluetooth accessories was occasionally not possible [7]

Camera

• General improvements to camera reliability under certain conditions [7]

Display and graphics

• Fixed an issue where a gray shadow appeared on the inner display under certain conditions [10]
• General improvements to the reliability and performance of certain system apps [7]
• General improvements in display reliability [9]

Framework

• Fixed an issue where apps could occasionally fail to access media files [7]

System

• Fixed an issue that affected system reliability and performance under certain conditions [1]

Telephony

• Fixed an issue that affected the reliability and performance of adaptive connectivity services [6]
• General improvements in network connection reliability and performance under certain conditions [5,9]

User interface

• Fixed an issue where Android icons were not displayed correctly under certain conditions [1]
• Fixed an issue where the animation was not displayed correctly when launching Google Assistant on the lock screen [7]
• Fixed an issue where the center button would stop responding under certain conditions [3]
• Fixed issue with incoming call notifications under certain conditions [3]
• Fixed an issue that occurred with layouts and animations under certain conditions during transitions [7]
• Fixed an issue that affected the view and reliability of transitions between certain UI elements and animations [3]
• General improvements to the view and reliability of transitions between certain UI elements and animations [1]

What new features are available in the Android 15 update?

#1 - Private Space

#2 - App archiving support

#3 - More secure screen shares

#4 - Predictive back animations

#5 - App Pairs

#6 - Taskbar pinning

#7 - Edge-to-edge mode by default

#8 - Home Controls screensaver

#9 - Redesigned volume panel

#10 - Bluetooth auto-on

#11 - Additional security for sensitive settings

#12 - Color contrast settings

#13 - Cast volume controls for speaker groups

#14 - Richer widget previews

#15 - Single tap sign-ins with Passkeys

#16 - More security around factory resets

Alongside the Android 15 update, Google is rolling out a bevy of new Pixel-exclusive features as part of its latest Pixel Drop release.

New features for Pixel phones in the October '24 Pixel Drop

New features for Pixel watches in the October '24 Pixel Drop

People ask why an app is large on Twitter and we at Emerge break it down. It's kind of become our bat signal.

Usually, we break down iOS apps, as iOS apps appear to be an order of magnitude larger than their Android counterparts. Almost always, someone points to Android's size vs. iOS.

At face value, they're right! The size we see in the iOS App Store is almost always a multiple of the Android counterpart in the Google Play Store.

But what if I told you that Android app sizes are larger than they might immediately appear?

In this blog, we'll explain why Android apps are larger than people think, where size comes from on both platforms, and whether iOS apps are really that much bigger than Android.

Of all the apps you can install on your new Android phone, a solid app launcher can be the biggest transformation in your user experience, unlocking depths of customization most OEM-provided solutions are only starting to fathom. Talk to any enthusiast who's watched the launcher scene, and they may point you to older, reliable options like Nova Launcher and Smart Launcher as a good starting point.

Smart Launcher is around 12 years old, and that's a long time to keep a passion project up and running. We blocked some quality time with the app's creator, Vincenzo Colucci, to understand his perspective on what it takes to stay relevant as an older Android launcher, especially since the app segment is more competitive now.

The 2024 vivo Developer Conference kicked off today and one of the first announcements at the event was a sneak peek at the iQOO 13. It will be one of the first devices to launch with the freshly announced OriginOS 5 and it will also debut the latest BOE Q10 display. The Q10 light-emitting material is claimed to offer breakthrough advances in brightness, and power efficiency while increasing the panel’s overall lifespan.

BOE claims its new panel offers a 12.5% increase in global peak brightness, over 50% reduction in color deviation, and a 10% reduction in power consumption. The new panel is also said to offer a 33% boost in lifespan compared to previous-generation BOE panels.

The display on the iQOO 13 will be flat LTPO AMOLED with 2K resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. It is also claimed to offer improvements in eye protection and an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner.

Previous rumors suggest the panel will measure 6.7-inches and that the phone will launch with Qualcomm’s next gen flagship chipset – the Snapdragon 8 Elite which was previously rumored as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. We’re also expecting a 50 MP main camera, 50 MP ultrawide, and a 64 MP telephoto lens. The device should bring a 6,150 mAh battery with 100W fast charging and is expected to debut later this month.

Honor will announce new phones in the X60 series next week (October 16, Wednesday), which will be higher end offerings than the Honor X60i from July. The company has taken to Weibo to tease features from the new models, including one massive battery.

This will be the debut of a battery called “Honor Qinghai Lake”, which will boast a capacity of 6,600mAh. With this, the X60 phone promises 2-day battery life.

And note that leaked hands-on photos of the Honor X60 detailed a phone with a 5,800mAh battery and 35W charging, just like its predecessor. This suggests that the 6,600mAh battery will be available only on the X60 Pro.

It's quite an increase from the main X50 trio from last year, the Honor X50, X50 GT and X50 Pro, all of which had 5,800mAh batteries with 35W charging. Now, Honor is yet to confirm the charge speed of the new series.

Lately, Samsung Electronics has been in the news headlines too often for the wrong reasons. Workers are striking, the company is losing key semiconductor clients, the mass production roadmap for the Texas chip factory got pushed back to 2026, the public One UI 7.0 update isn't coming this year, and more and more people are beginning to think that the company lost its spirit of innovation.

Samsung is well aware of all this, and today, Samsung Electronics DS Division Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun issued an apology to customers, investors, and employees worldwide.

“Many people are talking about Samsung's crisis,” the letter says. “All of this responsibility lies with us who are leading the business.”

Samsung vows to do better, innovate, and be proactive

“Dear customers, investors, and employees,” says Samsung in its letter. “The performance that fell short of market expectations has raised concerns about the fundamental technological competitiveness and the future of the company.”

Samsung added it has a history of “challenge, innovation, and overcoming that has always turned crises into opportunities.” Now appears to be one of those times when the company has to turn a bad situation into a good one.

“Our management will take the lead in overcoming the crisis,” states the letter before listing three major talking points about the ongoing issues and how to solve them.

“Above all, we will restore the fundamental competitiveness of technology. Technology and quality are our lifeblood. It is Samsung Electronics' pride that we can never compromise on.”

Samsung wants to secure fundamental competitiveness rather than seek short-term solutions. And this statement seemingly rings true with Samsung leader Jay Y. Lee's recent discussion about not wanting to spin off Foundry and System LSI and continuing to think long-term.

The only way to make a comeback, Samsung says, is through “new technologies that do not exist in the world and perfect quality competitiveness.”

The second big talking point in Samsung's apology letter had to do with passion for pioneering. The company states it will better prepare for the future. “We will rekindle our unique passion to fearlessly pioneer the future and to cling to our goals until the end and achieve them.”

Instead of a defensive mindset armed to protect what Samsung already has, the company will “Re-arm [itself] with a challenging spirit to run toward a higher goal.”

Last but not least, the third major point was that Samsung vows to reexamine its “Organizational culture and work methods and immediately fix what needs to be fixed.” Samsung says that if it finds a problem in the field, it will “expose it and have a heated discussion to improve it.”

The OnePlus 13 is coming, and it will support magnetic wireless charging, but with a twist. The twist being that it's apparently not going to have magnets inside, but will instead rely on magnetic cases to hook up to magnetic wireless chargers.

This information comes straight from a OnePlus exec on Weibo, but since the original text is in Chinese, we have to rely on machine translation and that can always go awry, so do keep that in mind.

The exec in question has also confirmed that OnePlus will launch wood grain design cases for the OnePlus 13, although the wording strongly hints at these not being made out of real wood, instead simply emulating the look of wood.

Key Takeaways

• YouTube ad segments can be annoying but have a Skip option available after a few seconds.

• Users have noticed a change in the Skip button's display, potentially leading to confusion.

• The absence of a countdown timer in the Skip button's usual spot seems to be intentional.

According to reports, the Dimensity 9400 features the new Arm Cortex-X925 prime CPU core, delivering a 36% improvement in performance and a 41% boost in AI capabilities compared to its predecessor, the Cortex-X4. Additionally, the chip includes the Mali-G925-Immortalis MC12 GPU, touted as Arm’s most powerful and efficient GPU to date. In tests, the GPU achieved 134fps in the GFXBench Aztec 1440P off-screen Vulkan scene, outperforming the A18 Pro by 86% and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 by 41%.

Vivo X200 series to arrive with top-notch cameras

The Vivo X200 series is expected to provide an exceptional photography experience. A highlight of the X200 Pro is that it will flaunt a 200-megapixel f/2.67 85mm periscope telephoto lens with a V3+ imaging chip, covering focal lengths from 15mm to 85mm. It is the same periscope telephoto lens that’s available on the Vivo X100 Ultra.

The X200 Pro and X200 Pro Mini are both expected to come equipped with the Sony LYT818 f/1.57 23mm main sensor. For optically zoomed shots, the X200 Pro Mini is expected to feature a 70mm mid-telephoto periscope lens.

According to reports, the X200 will come with a 50-megapixel Sony IMX921 primary camera and a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 (or LYT-600) telephoto camera. All three phones are expected to feature a 50-megapixel Samsung JN1 lens for ultra-wide shots.

According to a report from Business Korea, Samsung is facing yield-related issues with its 3nm Exynos 2500 chips. Yield refers to the percentage of all chips that pass the quality certification while the rest are discarded. While Samsung has expressed faith in its second-generation 3nm process and the Exynos 2500 chip, the Business Korea report claims the yields are low and has failed to offer actual figures.