AC News Weekly
News Weekly is our column where we highlight and summarize some of the week’s top stories so you can catch up on the latest tech news.
This is Android Central’s News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week’s most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
In this week’s edition, a series of devices leak ahead of Samsung’s summer Unpacked, Pixel 9 leaks in a new color, Netflix is losing its ad-free tier, Pixel devices get the July patch, and why Google wants to use music to train its AI models.
It’s raining leaks for Samsung
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Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6:
A set of marketing images leaked on Thursday (July 4), giving us a glimpse of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. They hinted that the device is lighter (239 grams) and said to have sharper corners, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The company could be using an “improved Aluminum frame” and will have a bigger 6.3-inch cover screen and the same 7.6-inch foldable screen. For the first time, the phone is said to come with IP48 dust and water resistance. The leak shows that the device will have a triple rear camera setup. Its primary lens will be 50MP, the ultrawide-angle camera will be 12MP, and the telephoto camera will be 10MP with optical zoom. The cover screen is said to have a 10MP selfie camera, and the foldable screen will have a 4MP under-display camera.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6’s marketing images also ended up online in a blue colorway alongside its prominent specs. Design-wise, it looks a lot like its predecessor. According to recently leaked images, the phone’s design includes a 3.4-inch cover screen and a 6.7-inch foldable screen. It could be powered by a larger 4000mAh battery capacity.
We expect the phone to have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 camera, a 50MP primary lens, a 12MP secondary camera, and a 10MP selfie lens. Galaxy Z Flip 6 is also rumored to have an IP48 rating, and for the first time, a vapor chamber is expected to debut on this clamshell.
Galaxy Buds Pro 3:
If you thought it was just the foldables, another Reddit user who claimed to have bought the new Buds 3 Pro posted images of them on the platform. They sport the new stem design and showcase a Metallic grey finish and a charging case with a similar finish and translucent design at the top. They also sport blue and orange indicators for the left and right earbuds. Regarding performance, the Reddit user who bought the Buds 3 Pro, “Noise cancellation is on par with my AirPods Pro 1st gen. The sound is great, but a little higher on the bass, but I personally love the base. My Z Flip4 and iPhone pick them up, too. It’s crazy how I was able to buy them.”
Galaxy Buds3 Pro from r/galaxybuds
A Pink Pixel 9? Yay or Nay?
Pixel 9 is already out in Algeria.Storage: 256GBColor : PinkI’ll keep you updated tomorrow morning. pic.twitter.com/0mE1QlCbEgJuly 1, 2024
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Earlier this week, a new colorway of the alleged Pixel 9 series showed up on the web. Hani Mohamed Bioud took to X, claiming that Google has already launched the device in the Algerian market, sharing an image of the phone in a pink phone.
Posting multiple pictures and videos, Bioud revealed that the device has 256GB of onboard storage and resembles multiple renders we’ve encountered earlier. It looks like the device features rounded corners but an overall square-ish design. The new camera visor has dual cameras in place with a matte finish, while the rest of the back has a glossy finish. The user only showed off the phone’s design without turning on the screen.
Several people in the comments section had mixed reactions to the color, while most of them asked about other colorways that were spotted by the user and if the Pixel had an optical or ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Bioud said he’d be posting additional details about the device in the days to come.
Netflix is cutting its cheapest ad-free plan for some users
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It looks like Netflix is dropping its least expensive ad-free plan and pushing users to pay more than usual to access the platform without ads. According to several Reddit posts, Netflix’s $11.99 ad-free plan will be discontinued for customers on July 13. They must choose between a $6.99 plan that streams ads versus a $15.49 ad-free plan or the $22.99 ad-free 4K.
The user’s streaming is interrupted by a page that states their “basic plan has been discontinued” and that “you can change your plan at any time.” Based on the Reddit complaints, it seems the streaming giant may first be testing out the updated offerings in the UK or Canada before expanding to other regions (including the U.S.).
This move doesn’t come out of the blue, though. Earlier this year, during its Q4 earnings call, Netflix publicly announced that it had begun an effort to push customers to either more expensive or ad-supported plans. “Scaling our ads business represents an opportunity to tap into significant new revenue and profit pools over the medium to longer term,” Netflix said in a statement.
July brings new updates for Pixel devices
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Google announced on Monday (July 1) that a new update is rolling out to Pixel Watch starting now and should reach models over the next week. According to Google’s blog post, the update doesn’t bring new features but bolsters the July security patch that helps keep your Pixel Watch secure. The update is available for both the Pixel Watch 1 and Pixel Watch 2, and it comes with software version TWD9.240705.001.A1.
Just a day after rolling out the above for its watches, Google dropped its monthly software update for Pixel phones powered by Android 14. The company notes in the blog post that Pixel phones ranging from Pixel 5a (5G) to Pixel 8a, along with the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet, will receive carrier bug fixes and improvements. Additionally, some devices can see general improvements to the camera stability “under certain conditions.” The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are said to get system stability and performance improvements along with an interface bug fix which addresses the back gesture navigation issue that wasn’t working in certain scenarios.
Google wants to use music to train its AI models
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The tech giant has been waving its Gemini wand over all of its products, and now it is seeking record labels to pay for access to music for “other experiments” using AI. For this to work, YouTube wants to partner with record labels to move things along.
YouTube has a Dream Track feature based on the work of nine artists. However, the Financial Times reports that YouTube is in talks with other record labels, such as Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Records, about a potential deal that would involve YouTube paying “lump sums of cash” for the right to use the labels’ songs for AI music training. YouTube told the Financial Times in a statement that it was “in conversations with labels about other experiments.”
And here’s why it’s a bad idea. According to our staff writer Brady Snyder, the record labels should back out since “it’s impossible to put a price tag on creativity.”
Synder adds, “Music generation tools can perform a few tricks, and they’re a great way for people who aren’t musically inclined to dabble with song creation. However, the current crop of tools has nothing to do with professional musicians.”
“Most that are available today either rely on the likeness of popular singers or create something that pales in comparison to that which could be made by a human.”
Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:
