After launching a big overhaul of the Apple Support app in May and expanding it to Vietnam, Apple has released a small but useful update for the app today that brings more details about nearby locations.
Along with performance improvements and bug fixes, the new feature is store hours, accesssibility details, and specialty services showing up for nearby locations.
Apple Support 5.1 release notes:
Added helpful information about nearby locations, including store hours, accessibility details, and specialty services available
Performance enhancements and bug fixes
This release follows Apple Support 5.0 which launched in May with a new UI, the ability to browse nearby Apple service providers, improvements to managing calls, chats, reservations, and more.
Apple Support app overhauled with new layout, quicker access to nearby providers, more
Apple is rolling out a notable update to the Apple Support app for iPhone and iPad today. The update brings a revamped layout that makes it easier to manage your activity, expands the app to new regions, and more. Head below for the full details.
Apple says that the revamped Apple Support app layout streamlines the process of viewing and managing your support account, including calls, chats, reservations, and more. There’s also a new feature that allows customers to easily browse the providers in their area to find the quickest way to get support and service for their devices.
Today’s update to the Apple Support app also brings the app to Vietnam and adds Vietnamese as a supported language. In total, Apple says the app is now available in 32 languages and 174 regions.
Here is the full changelog:
Browse the providers in your area to see what’s nearby.
New layout makes it easier than ever to view and manage your calls, chats, reservations, and other activity.
Expanded region availability to Vietnam and added Vietnamese as a supported language. The Apple Support app is now available in 32 languages and 174 regions.
Performance enhancements and bug fixes.
The Apple Support app is a useful resource for finding help for any problem you might face with your Apple hardware or your Apple ID. You can download it on the App Store for free. Today’s new update is still rolling out, so you might not see it right away in the App Store on your device.
Google is finally adding a native translate capability to Gmail for Android and iOS after long supporting it on the web client.
Update 8/21: Gmail’s translate feature is rolling out via a server-side update. We’re seeing it with version 2023.07.23.x. It’s not yet widely available, but one way to check is by tapping the second overflow menu in the message body for “Translate.”
That option brings up a banner with the settings gear letting you select something other than “Detect language.”
Before the message body, Gmail will show a “Translate to” banner. Tapping updates what appears below with the ability to “Show original” again and “Automatically translate” a specific language going forward.
Press the settings gear to pick another output language, with over 100 supported. This prompt appears when the contents of an email doesn’t match your “Gmail display language,” which is the first dropdown menu in web app settings.
You can manually translate a language by going into the three-dot overflow menu in the top-right corner if an email was not recognized. The feature can also be disabled for a specific language by clicking ‘x’ on the banner and then “Don’t translate [language] again.”
Translations in Gmail for Android are rolling out from today onwards, while it will come to iOS in the coming weeks. This is a much-needed integration as users previously had to open an email on their computer, or taking a screenshot on mobile and send it to Google Lens or Translate.
Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts
Gmail encouraging users to enable Enhanced Safe Browsing
Over the past few days, Google has been prominently promoting Enhanced Safe Browsing in the Gmail apps.
Appearing just above your inbox on Android and the web, getting “additional protection against phishing” is the main benefit for Gmail users: “Turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing to get additional protection against dangerous emails.”
We first saw this message on Friday, and it’s seeing a wide rollout. Google touts:
Provide real-time security scanning to warn you about or block dangerous websites, downloads, and extensions.
Improve Google’s ability to detect and protect against phishing and malware for you and everyone on the web.
Give you better protection from dangerous links across Google apps.
In other security news, Google shared today that “70% of Google Accounts, owned by people regularly using our products, automatically benefit from second factor authentication that confirms their identity when a suspicious sign-in is detected.” The company is looking forward to wider passkey adoption.
What is Enhanced Safe Browsing
First introduced three years ago in Chrome, Enhanced Safe Browsing provides real-time web protections. The standard, non-enhanced version works by checking the URL of sites you visit against a local list that is downloaded/refreshed every 30 minutes (as of 2020). This list is widely used by many other apps and browsers.
Google created Enhanced Safe Browsing because “sophisticated phishing sites” got around the update period. “Uncommon URLs” are sent in real time to determine whether you’re about to visit a phishing site, with Chrome also sending a “small sample of pages and suspicious download,” while Gmail, Google Drive, and other apps you’re signed in to contribute data.
Later on, Enhanced Safe Browsing expanded to provide warnings about Chrome extensions, conduct in-depth file analysis, leverage ML models, and is now also available in Chrome for iOS.
It’s also accessible in Chrome settings: chrome://settings/security.
New Gmail ‘Offer times you’re free’ tool streamlines calendar scheduling
Google is rolling out a new Calendar tool in the Gmail web client that makes it easier and faster to schedule meetings.
When composing an email on the web, the toolbar will feature a new Calendar icon at the right with two options:
Create an event: This functionality was previously accessed from the “three dot menu on top of the email conversation view.” Event title and recipients are pre-filled from the email. Gmail will also automatically insert an event summary into the email body for easy sharing.
Offer times you’re free: This new option opens the Calendar side panel, where you can “select and insert proposed meeting times” by highlighting what’s free in your primary calendar across multiple days. Recipients will be able to select one of the proposed times via an interactive email reply, and this will automatically generate a Calendar invite after confirming their name and email address.
At the moment, Offer times you’re free only works for 1:1 meetings: “If multiple people are included in the recipient list, only the first person to book an appointment will be added to the event automatically.”
Google hopes to make “scheduling much easier by reducing the back-and-forth in lengthy email threads when negotiating or scheduling meeting times.” This is rolling out over the coming weeks:
Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts
With the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro last October 2022, Google reintroduced Face Unlock to its phones after abandoning the Pixel 4’s approach.
At the launch event, it was announced as such:
And the front camera has another role to play. Pixel 7 and 7 Pro’s front camera uses our advanced machine learning models for face recognition, to power Face Unlock. So you have the faster, more secure under-display fingerprint reader, and now you have the convenience of unlocking your phone with a glance.
Instead of using a dot projector, flood illuminator, and IR cameras in conjunction with the Soli radar, Google turned to a front-facing camera that supports DPAF (dual-pixel auto-focus) to presumably create a depth map to be used with the aforementioned ML models. I find it slightly weird that Google has yet to detail the technology behind this Face Unlock approach in an AI/Research blog post, like it did before.
For the most part, the experience has been fine. It’s not better than the dedicated hardware of the Pixel 4 or Face ID on the iPhone. That approach lets face recognition operate in all lighting conditions, including the absence of any. My usage of the fingerprint sensor definitely picks up at night, resulting in a two-tiered security experience throughout the day.
Of course, the more stark tiering is how face recognition is not considered a secure unlock method by Android for things related to payments, passwords, and passkeys. In that regard, today’s Face Unlock is less secure than what came before in an unfortunate and uncharacteristic step backward. Assuming Google decided to continue the Pixel 4 lineage rather than reorienting, the Pixel 5 would have probably not had a hole punch and instead opted for an iPhone-esque cutout in order to avoid a thick upper bezel. The design would have presumably shrunk by now. That’s one big shame with the Pixel restart.
Going back to reality, the Face Unlock we do have today on the Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a, and Fold is best summarized as a convenience. I’ve been using it a bit more with the Pixel Fold as a way to transition from an under-display to a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Having used the former for two generations now, I’ve come to like how you’re literally interacting with the UI for unlocking. I’m amused at the hardware/software synergy.
In optimal conditions, Face Unlock on the Fold works quite fast and lets you start doing things on your phone pretty quickly, which is arguably what’s most important.
That said, the security and environmental conditions will always stop it from becoming ubiquitous. I wonder whether the primarily software-driven approach to Face Unlock is something that has a future. The roadmap behind the IR approach that Apple uses is more straightforward in that ideally all those components can be placed and work underneath the display.
Namely, for Google, will the recognition algorithms get foolproof enough that it cannot be tricked and gets elevated to a secure unlock method? Does this require a front-facing camera upgrade, more on-device processing, or another innovation entirely?
Or will the future of Face Unlock on the Pixel be a return to IR? That would be great from a security and convenience perspective but would make the current feature feel one-off.
Following the last update just over a week ago that did not introduce any new features, Google is rolling out Android 14 Beta 5.1 as another bug fixer.
While Beta 5 was said to be the “last scheduled update” and that the “official release is next,” Google does not consider .1 patches to be milestones. A similar thing happened during last year’s preview cycle.
There are just four fixes with UPB5.230623.005 for Pixel phones and UPB5.230623.005.A1 on the Pixel Fold and Tablet. Notably, Google has disabled the trademark live wallpaper on the Pixel Fold for performance reasons.
Fixed an issue that caused the system to stop detecting a SIM card if Fixed Dialing Number (FDN) features were enabled.
Fixed an issue that caused connectivity interruptions for devices with carriers using 5G standalone (SA) mode.
Fixed an issue for some devices where a blank home screen displayed after unlocking the device.
Fixed a performance issue by temporarily disabling feather-styled live wallpaper on Pixel Fold. The live wallpaper version will be re-enabled after the other underlying issues are fixed.
Android 14 Beta 5.1 with the August 2023 security patch is available for the Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel Fold, as well as the Android Emulator.
Ahead of the public launch, Android 14 is getting a Beta 5 for Pixel phones, the Tablet, and Fold. It comes a month after the last major release and is the final scheduled update.
With the official release of Android 14 only weeks away, today we’re bringing you Beta 5, the last scheduled update in our Android 14 beta program. It’s the last chance to make sure your apps are ready and provide feedback before non-beta users start getting Android 14.
GOOGLE
This is the third Platform Stable Android 14 release for final app testing and addresses a number of issues:
Fixed an issue where after unlocking a device using a PIN, TalkBack provides incorrect audio.
Fixed an issue where Wi-Fi scanning was consuming too much battery.
Fixed an issue where some pictures would glitch with extra shadow blocks.
Fixed an issue where in some cases, the fingerprint sensor icon wouldn’t appear as expected.
Fixed an issue where voice over Wi-Fi wasn’t enabled by default.
Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices where the device loses antenna ranging session information and cannot recover it.
Fixed an issue where an extraneous white bar would appear in some apps.
Fixed a background color issue with the UI used to add a shortcut to the home screen.
Fixed a launcher issue that was causing frequent crashes and other quality issues.
Fixed an issue on Pixel tablets where user interaction during the transition from screen saver to low-light clock causes a SysUI crash.
Fixed a Pixel Fold issue where tapping would fail to wake the device.
Fixed a Pixel Fold issue where the system buttons would have inconsistent positions after folding and unfolding.
Fixed an issue causing SysUI crashes when removing an app pair in landscape.
Fixed an issue the launcher doesn’t fully render after setup.
Fixed an issue where the system displayed an incorrect mobile connection type.
Fixed an issue where navigating back to exit an app leads to users no longer being able to open the app.
Fixed an issue where wallpaper previews were sometimes blank.
Fixed an issue where the system theme changes from yellow to pink after rebooting.
Fixed an overscroll issue with ScrollView.
Fixed an issue where certain color palettes were difficult to see when the lock screen was activated.
Fixed an issue where users couldn’t enable battery sharing if a work profile exists on the device.
Fixed an issue where a tablet screen inappropriately turns off when docked.
Fixed an issue where the device policy manager was preventing notifications from appearing.
Fixed an issue where group notifications couldn’t be expanded.
Fixed an issue where the lockscreen didn’t properly display the clock.
Fixed various camera issues that were causing crashes and reductions in quality.
Fixed an issue with power consumption during video playback.
Fixed a Weather clock rendering issue.
Fixed an issue where the lock screen customization preview didn’t match the end result.
Fixed an issue that was causing the wallpaper selection screen to crash.
Fixed an issue where Pixel devices weren’t connecting with some routers.
Fixed a toast search result issue where the color was too similar with the background color.
Fixed an issue where tapping a notification before using facial unlock does not open the notification.
Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold where two clocks were displayed at the same time when in widescreen.
Fixed an issue where widgets would overlap and stack incorrectly.
Fixed an issue where closing the PiP window doesn’t stop YouTube playback.
Fixed an issue with switching call audio sources.
Fixed an issue where after unlocking a device, only the background appears.
Fixed an issue with dragging folders to remove them.
Users can submit problems via Android Beta Feedback on Pixel devices. Access it from the app drawer or via Quick Settings to file bugs in the Google issue tracker. There’s also the Android Beta community on Reddit.
Android 14 Beta 5 (UPB5.230623.003) with the August 2023 security patch is available for the Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel Fold, as well as the Android Emulator.
Most people will be installing via the Android Beta Program, but you can also flash or sideload. If you need help, here’s our full guide on installing Android 14.
The most important questions to ask about the Apple Watch Series 7 aren’t about the Apple Watch Series 7, they’re about the Apple Watch you may already have.
That’s a gentle way of saying that if there’s nothing wrong with your current watch, there’s nothing in the Series 7 that should compel you to upgrade. If you’ve been waiting for some key features before buying your first Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch Series 7 is great. The larger screen and faster charging are the two headline features and both are welcome. The Apple Watch is in a class entirely of its own right now. Nothing else is as good for iPhone users and nothing like it is available for Android users.
Apple Watch design and screen
The Apple Watch Series 7 didn’t get a major redesign when launched. Instead, it looks almost identical to previous Apple Watches and maintains compatibility with all previous Apple Watch straps, although there are incredibly subtle changes in its overall size and curves.
There are new colour options available, including midnight (which apparently has a hint of blue in it), starlight (a cross between silver and gold), and dark green. Apple sent me the green one and in most light, it just looks grey — but every now and then it’ll pop and look visibly green.
The biggest change is the screen; it’s 20 per cent larger than the last few iterations of the Apple Watch. It does the thing all screen upgrades tend to do: make the older screen with its larger bezels look small.
When Apple first made the screen bigger way back on the Apple Watch Series 4, Some thought it made an appreciable difference in the experience and would even be worth upgrading for. Here, on the Series 7, Some just think the screen is really nice and looks better, but isn’t enough to justify an upgrade.
Apple has kept the always-on screen and says that it is brighter in ambient mode when indoors. That is: the overall max brightness hasn’t changed, but when you’re inside, the screen should look a little less dim.
The other design change on the Series 7 is that it’s more durable. The front crystal on all models is thicker and stronger against cracking. (It’s also more refractive, so you can catch a glimpse of some pixels at extreme angles.) The whole watch adds IP6X dust resistance for the first time and maintains the same water resistance to 50 meters.
Apple didn’t add any new health sensors to the Series 7. It still tracks heart rate and has a blood oxygen monitor and EKG. None of these sensors should be used for diagnostic purposes as the Apple Watch is not a medical device.
Apple Watch charging and battery
Apple is still targeting 18 hours of battery life on the Apple Watch Series 7. It’s enough to get through a day — maybe two if you turn off the always-on screen and don’t work out. In my tests, those numbers are borne out. I need to charge the Series 7 only a little less often than I need to charge my old Series 5 (which is starting to lose its battery capacity a bit).
Wish Apple had done more to improve battery life on the Series 7, especially since this is technically a redesign. Would have even taken the same size screen as last year’s model if it had meant getting longer battery life instead. There’s nothing wrong with the Apple Watch’s battery life, but I do wish that it aimed higher like the new iPhones did this year.
Instead, we got faster charging thanks to a redesigned charging puck that also uses USB-C. Lots of people have those wall adapters but may need to pick up a second one (or a multi-charger) since it’s not included in the box. (As an aside, the actual plug part of the Apple Watch charger is longer now, which Apple says is to manage heat.)
The charging is faster. Apple claims it’s 33 percent faster than the older cable and that sounds right to me. I have been able to juice up 20 per cent in just ten minutes several times and it has been easier to top off to a full charge in the morning while I putter around with coffee and breakfast. It makes it slightly more convenient to use the watch for sleep tracking since it’s easier to fit a quick charging session in.
Still and all, We would have preferred standard Qi charging to faster charging (if we had to choose). Qi charging mats are cheap and plentiful now, but integrating an Apple Watch charger adds cost and complexity. Older Apple Watch chargers will work just fine with the Series 7 but at a slightly slower charging speed.
WatchOS 8
There are a few features in WatchOS 8 that are exclusive to the Series 7, ostensibly because its larger screen makes them possible. The watch can fit just a little more text when reading a message, for example.
The two watch faces custom to the Series 7 are called “Contour” and “Modular Duo.” The former just put numbers out on the edges of the screen and would apparently look bad on screens with larger bezels, while the latter allows you to have two full-width complications stacked instead of just one.
The larger screen also allows for a new text-entry option: a miniature keyboard. You can tap or swipe on it and as long as autocorrect is doing its thing correctly, it works fine. It’s about as good as any smartwatch keyboard I’ve used, but still, others prefer dictating messages via Siri whenever possible.
Those are the Series 7-specific features, but WatchOS 8 has a few more things worth covering. It’s able to auto-detect outdoor bike workouts — and in testing, it managed to do that very well, even when I was hitting stoplights at every block. Wish Apple would make it easier to integrate the Watch’s workout data with cadence or power sensors on a bike, but cyclists are still on their own to figure out how to do that.
Apple says it’s also adjusting your calorie metrics if the watch believes you’re riding an e-bike. There’s no setting for it, it just detects if your heart rate is suspiciously low and your speed is remarkably high as you cruise up a hill. There’s also no indicator in your results if your calorie metrics were adjusted.
WatchOS 8 has a redesigned photos app and lets you send photos directly from the watch. It has an updated “Mindfulness” app with a “Reflect” feature that gives you some kind of prompt to meditate on, like “Recall a challenge you’ve overcome” and “Think about what sparks your creative energy.” As you can probably tell from the unnecessary scare quotes in the previous sentence, I don’t like it. I think meditation is a deeply personal — and for many people spiritual or religious — thing, and so I recoil whenever I see tech companies reducing the practice down to anodyne apps.
I’ve left the best for last: the Apple Watch lets you set multiple timers. You can set them in the timer app. You can set them with Siri. You can use Siri to name each timer. You can see all your timers stacked one after the other. It’s magical. It’s wonderful. It’s hilarious that it took until 2021 to make this happen and even more hilarious that the iPhone itself still can’t do it.
Seriously, though, multiple timers on the Apple Watch are great, especially for cooking. It means I don’t need to stay within earshot of the smart speaker in my kitchen if I’ve got something in the oven.
As what have said this every year for several years now because it’s true every year: the Apple Watch is the best smartwatch for iPhone users, by far. There are fitness trackers that fulfil niches not filled by the Apple Watch like Garmins for more serious athletes or Fitbits for people who want something simpler. But as a general computer-on-your-wrist, the Apple Watch Series 7 is challenged only by older Apple Watches.
If you have one of those older Apple Watches, I don’t think there’s anything here that should compel an upgrade. All the new features are very nice but not necessary. If there is something that’s bothering you about your current watch, then by all means go for it if you can afford it. Also, while the Series 3 is still kicking around for cheap, I don’t think it’s a great buy anymore. The Apple Watch SE is a better value.
There’s no reason that we should have an expectation of major year-on-year updates for the Apple Watch. These smaller iterations might not be what we’ve been hoping for — a big redesign with much more battery — but that doesn’t make the Series 7 bad on its own merits.
It’s a great watch — again, the best smartwatch. If it’s time for you to replace your watch (or buy your first one), you’ll love it. If it’s not time to replace your watch, it’s not time to replace your watch.
Apple released watchOS 9.6.1 for Apple Watch users on Tuesday but without an accompanying iOS 16.6.1 update. A new rumor today suggests that Apple isn’t planning iOS 16.6.1 and is instead planning to jump all the way to iOS 16.7. Simultaneously, Apple has also started ramping up iOS 17.1 testing.
watchOS 9.6.1 addresses a bug in Apple’s Movement Disorder API that had prevented access to that data by researchers and third-party applications.
Typically (but not always), when Apple releases an update for one of its platforms, it releases accompanying updates for other platforms. This is especially true for watchOS, with Apple generally trying to keep lock-step between watchOS and iOS when possible.
That being said, a new rumor today from a previously accurate source on Twitter suggests that Apple is instead planning to jump to iOS 16.7 with its next update. The company reportedly isn’t planning to release iOS 16.6.1.
There’s no word on when Apple might release iOS 16.7 to the public, and the update is not actively being beta tested with developers. Last year, the first and only iOS 15.7 beta was released alongside the final iOS 16 beta. The stable iOS 15.7 update for everyone was released alongside iOS 16 on September 12, with a handful of bug fixes and security improvements.
In recent years, Apple has allowed users to remain on a previous year’s iOS release instead of immediately updating to the new version. For example, Apple actively encouraged users to update to iOS 15.7 rather than iOS 16 on day one last year.
iOS 17.1 testing ramps up
As of right now, there’s no evidence of iOS 16.7. This will likely change as we inch closer to a release sometime next month.
Interestingly, there has been a subtle uptick in iOS 17.1 users on over the last several weeks. iOS 17.1 could potentially add some of the features that aren’t included in the iOS 17 initial release, such as the new Journal app, additional AirDrop improvements, and collaborative playlists in Apple Music.
Last year, iOS 16.1 was released on October 24 with new features including iCloud Shared Photo Library, Live Activities for third-party apps, key sharing in the Wallet app, and more.
Apple releases watchOS 9.6.1 update for Apple Watch users
Apple is rolling out a new software update to Apple Watch users ahead of watchOS 10’s launch in September. Starting today, watchOS 9.6.1 is rolling out with a fix for the Movement Disorder API.
This update includes a fix for an issue that prevents access to motion data for apps that use the Movement Disorder API to track tremors and symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.
The Movement Disorder API was first launched in 2018 as a way for developers to offer passive, all-day monitoring via an Apple Watch. The API is able to monitor two common symptoms of Parkinson’s, including Tremors, indicated by shaking and quivering detected by the Apple Watch. The API can also monitor for Dyskinesia, a side-effect of treatments for Parkinson’s that causes fidgeting and swaying motions in patients.
The bug in watchOS 9.6 prevented third-party apps from accessing this data. Apple says the issue has been rectified with today’s release of watchOS 9.6.1.
You can update your Apple Watch by going to the Apple Watch companion app or to the Settings app on the Apple Watch itself. The build number for watchOS 9.6.1 is 20U80.
As of right now, there’s no sign of other updates from Apple, including iOS 16 and macOS Ventura. We’ll be sure to let you know if any other updates are released today.
After years of being the lone option, Samsung finally has some foldable competition in the US, and that partially takes the form of Google’s Pixel Fold, which comes in at the same price as Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy Z Fold 5. But after using both devices, there’s a clear better option.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs. Pixel Fold: How they compare on paper
When you look at the spec sheet alone, Google’s Pixel Fold and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 are rather similar. Both have 7.6-inch inner displays, plenty of RAM and storage and hinges that are rated for at least 200,000 folds.
The differences really come down to the details. The Pixel Fold has a wider aspect ratio to both of its displays. The 17.4:9 ratio of the outer display is short and wide compared to the Fold 5’s 23.1:9 ratio, which is extremely tall and narrow. The Pixel is also considerably thinner at 12.1mm to the Fold 5’s 13.4mm. Despite that, Pixel Fold also has a bigger battery at 4,821 mAh.
Google Pixel Fold
Galaxy Z Fold 5
Outer display
5.8 inch, 17.4:9 ratio
6.2 inch 23.1:9 ratio
Inner display
7.6 inch, 6:5 ratio
7.6 inch, 21.6:18 ratio
Processor
Google Tensor G2
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Storage/RAM
256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 + 12GB RAM
256/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 + 12GB RAM
Hinge rating
200,000 open/close
200,000 open/close
Thickness
12.1mm folded/5.8mm unfolded
13.4mm folded/6.1mm unfolded
Battery
4,821 mAh
4,400 mAh
Cameras (rear)
48MP/10.8MP 5x/10.8MP UW
50MP/10MP 3x/12MP UW
Price
$1,799
$1,799
How the two compare, though, really comes down to actually using them.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is boring in the best way
If you’ve looked into a foldable before now, you’ve likely looked at the Galaxy Z Fold series. And through that eye, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 doesn’t seem all that new, and that’s because it isn’t. The design of the device hasn’t really changed much at all over the past three years, and compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 before it, the Fold 5 really only has a new hinge, and that’s about it.
But the lack of major upgrades in Samsung’s flagship foldable has led to something perhaps more important.
Samsung’s foldable tech has just gotten really, really polished over the past couple of generations. The company has spent its time addressing the little problems, like improving the screen brightness, extending battery life, and improving the hinge, rather than hitting bigger issues like the display crease and cameras. In Samsung’s eyes, it seems, those aspects are “good enough,” where others still need work. And after using the Fold 5 for a few weeks, I mostly agree. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 really just feels like it’s as good as this particular form factor can get without bigger changes. And if you like this overall package, it’s really just a great refined product.
Beyond that, another strength of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is its software. While One UI is a heavy skin on top of Android, it’s packed with features that are useful on the Fold 5’s bigger display and ones that Google’s cleaner Android build just doesn’t have.
Of course, none of this is to say the Galaxy Z Fold 5 isn’t without its flaws. The tall and narrow outer display isn’t great for typing and doesn’t play very well with some apps. The inner display’s taller nature also means that a lot of apps never trigger a tablet interface, which makes some apps feel less optimized for the form factor.
Pixel Fold is undeniably good – it’s just not as good
That’s why the Pixel Fold falls – death by a thousand cuts.
The Pixel Fold’s downsides really just outweigh the good. The Tensor chip inside is plenty powerful, but it’s prone to overheating very easily, which is a really hard pill to swallow at this price point.
The screens also aren’t nearly as bright as Samsung’s, and Google’s crease isn’t any better either. Samsung’s crease still isn’t good, and it’s very noticeable, but Google’s is wider and thus felt more often.
There’s also the hinge. While I stand by the opinion that the Pixel’s hinge not easily sitting at 180 degrees isn’t a problem, I’ve much enjoyed not having to apply the bit of extra pressure on the hinge when using the Fold 5. It’s just a much more consistent feel. Similarly, the Fold 5’s inner display is much easier to type on because Google’s phone is just way too wide.
Battery life is also another sore point for the Google device. Whereas Samsung’s latest generation has pulled off some kind of miracle by upping endurance significantly compared to the last model, the Pixel Fold suffers from mediocre battery life. Often I find the device struggling to make it through a long day, whereas the Galaxy just seems to keep on chugging along.
Really, the perks of Pixel Fold come down to just two aspects.
Firstly, there’s the aspect ratio. Google’s device has a short and wide outer display that makes way for a very wide inner display. This means that the outside is far more usable than Samsung’s, and the inner display triggers more tablet apps. I still think this leads to too many poor app experiences (like Instagram, Reddit, and so on), but when it works, it just works really nicely.
Google Weather on the Pixel Fold
The other point is, of course, the camera. Google’s Pixel line has built its entire legacy on the camera, and that translates wonderfully to the Fold. The 48MP primary camera takes shots that look great and that, more importantly, I can trust. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 will pump out a good shot now and then, but it’s not consistent enough. Two shots taken back to back can look drastically different, for example. Plus, the Pixel Fold has a much better 5x telephoto camera that absolutely destroys the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s camera setup at range. There’s just no competition there: Google has the way better camera.
Tensor is a real problem in a pricey foldable
Google’s Tensor processor is unique to Pixel phones, and it’s not a terrible chip. It has plenty of power, and Google uses its AI strengths to optimize a few features and the camera experience too. However, Tensor is just not as good as a modern Snapdragon chip.
Tensor tends to overheat quickly and struggles with battery efficiency when on a cellular network, especially if signal is spotty. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy Z Fold 5, though, is as good as it gets in an Android phone. It’s exceptionally powerful and extremely efficient, which leads to great battery life on the Fold 5.
Personally, I’m usually willing to put up with Tensor’s deficiencies because Pixel phones are usually a lot cheaper than the competition, but that’s not the case with the Pixel Fold. Google’s foldable costs $1,799, the same as Samsung’s device, and Google doesn’t offer the same discounts and trade-ins to go with that. Tensor shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for a normal Pixel phone, but it is absolutely a valid killer on the Fold.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the better foldable
Where the Pixel’s aspect ratio and cameras are genuine improvements in many ways, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 makes strides where it counts. The screen is brighter and better. The hinge is smoother and tougher. The chip inside is stronger and much less prone to overheating. And there are perks Google just can’t match, like stylus support and a much more fleshed-out accessories ecosystem.
Don’t think it can be argued. Objectively, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the better foldable.
But…
Why some still using the Pixel Fold
Despite the Pixel Fold’s many shortcomings, it’s the one some going to keep using. Why? It really boils down to one thing – the camera.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 gets a whole lot right, but its camera is a deal-breaker for me. It’s too unreliable, and as such, I’ve always dual-wielded a Pixel phone alongside a Galaxy Z Fold device for the past three years. But now that I have the option to get a foldable Pixel, that’s what I choose to carry because, most of the time, I only want to carry one device.
Touchscreens haven’t changed much in a while, and that’s because they’re largely quite good. One of the few remaining flaws, though, is that they don’t function quite right when wet, such as when you get caught in the rain. On one of its new devices, though, OnePlus is trying out a new screen that handles touch input when the device is wet.
On Weibo, OnePlus is showing off its upcoming Ace 2 Pro, a midrange smartphone equipped with this new touchscreen. “Rain Water Touch” allows the phone to accept touch input accurately when the screen is also being hit with water, as the video below shows. Most smartphones, such as the iPhone 14 Pro that OnePlus shows in the test, have trouble accurately handling touch when the screen is wet, sometimes ignoring touches entirely and, at other times, leaving them wildly inaccurate.
Why does this happen? Modern touchscreens rely on capacitive tech to detect your finger. This uses electrical conduction to detect when and where your finger hits the screen and does so incredibly quickly. But, when the screen is wet, that detection is impacted because water also conducts electricity. This new design OnePlus is using (presumably from Oppo) is powered by special touch algorithms and a custom chip inside to get around that.
The OnePlus Ace 2 Pro, which is debuting this technology, will launch in China soon, but we certainly hope that this touchscreen tech will make its way to future OnePlus devices sold in other markets in the future.
Android 14 itself doesn’t bring a ton in terms of user-facing changes. There’s the arrival of new clock faces on Pixel phones, a bunch of behind-the-scenes changes, and more, but it’s lesser compared to Android 12 and Android 13.
Samsung, though, is bringing more significant changes alongside its Android 14 update.
That does include the new lockscreen changes, with customizable clock faces, but Samsung also lets you move the clock around.
Samsung has also introduced its own take on the Android 14’s media player, as seen above, which has a wavy seek bar.
The “Quick Panel” is also significantly updated, with new sections throughout. There are two large cards for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a large section for quick settings toggles, and then other sections for brightness, screen mirroring, and device controls. In terms of the look, it’s a pretty shameless copy of iOS’ Control Center, as is the new toggle which lets you swipe from the top left of the display to immediately access the Quick Panel. The notification shade, though, is left unchanged.
Samsung is also further doubling down on widgets. There’s a new camera widget that’s fully customizable. The widget opens up the camera app, but can open it to a specific setting as well as saving the image then taken to a specific album. You can customize the widgets title and background, too.
Another updated widget is for weather, with a new “Weather Insights” widget that can show chance of rain amongst other details.
Perhaps my personal favorite change is that Samsung has updated its default font in Android 14. The new font looks much cleaner and modern as opposed to One UI 5’s font which is a bit too thin. That’s all subjective, though, and Samsung will still let you change your system font.
Emojis also get a makeover.
These are some of the most notable changes, but that’s far from everything. Samsung’s full changelog for Android 14 is below with literally dozens of other tweaks and changes that come with One UI 6.0. A few other highlights include:
Level line in camera viewfinder
Resolution settings available in camera viewfinder
“Auto Blocker” security settings
Samsung One UI 6.0/ Android 14 changelog
Quick Panel
New button layout – The quick panel has a new layout that makes it easier to access the features you use most. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth now have their dedicated buttons at the top of the screen, while visual features, like Dark mode and Eye comfort shield, have been moved to the bottom. Other quick settings buttons appear in a customizable area in the middle.
Instantly access the full quick panel – By default, a compact quick panel with notifications appears when you swipe down from the top of the screen. Swiping down again hides notifications and shows the expanded quick panel. If you turn on Quick Settings instant access, you can view the expanded quick panel by swiping just once from the right side of the top of the screen. Swiping down from the left side shows notifications.
Quickly access brightness control – The brightness control bar now appears by default in the compact quick panel when you swipe down once from the top of the screen for quicker and easier brightness adjustments.
Improved album art display – While playing music or videos, album art will cover the entire media controller in the notification panel if the app playing the music or video provides album art.
Enhanced layout for notifications – Each notification now appears as a separate card, making it easier to recognize individual notifications.
Sort notifications by time – While playing music or videos, album art will cover the entire media controller in the notification panel if the app playing the music or video provides album art.
Lock screen
Reposition your clock – You now have more freedom to move your clock to the position of your choice on the Lock screen.
Home screen
Simplified icon labels – App icon labels are now limited to a single line for a cleaner and simpler look. “Galaxy” and “Samsung” have been removed from some app names to make them shorter and easier to scan.
Typeface
New default font – One UI 6 has a new default font with a more stylish and modern feel. You’ll see the new font if the default font is selected in Settings. If you’re using a different font, you’ll still see that font after upgrading to One UI 6.
Multitasking
Keep pop-up windows open – Instead of minimizing pop-up windows when you go to the Recents screen, pop-ups will now remain open after you leave the Recents screen so you can continue what you were working on.
Samsung Keyboard
New emoji design – Emojis that appear in your messages, social media posts, and elsewhere on your phone have been updated with a fresh new design.
Content sharing
Picture and video previews – When you share pictures or videos from any app, preview images will appear at the top of the Share panel to give you one more chance to review the pictures and videos before sharing them.
Extra sharing options – When you share content, additional options may appear on the Share panel depending on the app you share from. For example, when you share a website from the Chrome web browser, you’ll get the option to share a screenshot of the website along with the web address.
Weather
New Weather widget – The Weather Insights widget provides more information about your local weather conditions. You can see when severe thunderstorms, snow, rain, and other events are on the forecast.
More information in the Weather app – Information about snowfall, moon phases and times, atmospheric pressure, visibility distance, dew point, and wind direction is now available in the Weather app.
Interactive map view – Swipe to move around the map and tap a location to view the local weather conditions. The map can help you find weather information even if you don’t know the name of the city.
Enhanced illustrations – Illustrations in the Weather widget and app have been enhanced to provide better information about the current weather conditions. Background colours also change depending on the time of the day.
Camera
Custom camera widgets – You can add custom camera widgets to your Home screen. You can set each widget to start in a specific shooting mode and save pictures in an album of your choice.
More alignment options for watermarks – You can now choose whether your watermark appears at the top or bottom of your photos.
Quick access to resolution settings – A resolution button is now available in the quick settings at the top of the screen in Photo and Pro modes so you can quickly change the resolution of photos you take.
Easier video size options – A pop-up now appears when you tap the video size button, making it easier to see all the options and choose the right ones.
Keep your pictures level – When grid lines are turned on in Camera settings, a level line will now appear in the middle of the screen while using the rear camera in all modes except Panorama. The line will move to show whether your picture is level with the ground.
Apply effects more easily – Filter and face effects now use a dial instead of a slider, making it easier to make precise adjustments with just one hand.
Scan documents easily – The Scan document feature has been separated from Scene Optimizer, so you can scan documents even if Scene Optimizer is turned off. The new Auto Scan lets you scan documents automatically whenever you take a picture of a document. After a document is scanned, you’ll be taken to the edit screen, where you can rotate your document to align it the way you want.
Quality optimization – You can choose between three levels of quality optimization for the pictures you take. Choose Maximum to get the highest quality pictures with the most post-processing. Choose Minimum to reduce the amount of post-processing so you can take pictures as quickly as possible. You can also choose Medium to get the best balance of speed and post-processing.
New Auto FPS settings for videos – Auto FPS can help you record brighter videos in low-light conditions. Auto FPS now has three options. You can turn it off, use it for 30 fps videos only, or use it for both 30 fps and 60 fps videos.
Gallery
Save clipped images as stickers – When you clip something from an image, you can easily save it as a sticker that you can use later when editing pictures or videos.
Enhanced story view – While viewing a story, a thumbnail view appears when you swipe up from the bottom of the screen. In thumbnail view, you can add or remove pictures and videos from your story.
Drag and drop with two hands – Touch and hold pictures and videos with one hand, then use your other hand to navigate to the album where you want to drop them.
Quick edits in detail view – While viewing a picture or video, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go to detail view. This screen now provides quick access to effects and editing features you can immediately apply.
Photo Editor
Adjust decorations after saving – You can now make changes to drawings, stickers, and text that you’ve added to a photo even after saving.
Undo and redo – Don’t worry about making mistakes. You can now easily undo or redo transformations, filters, and tones.
Enhanced layout – The new Tools menu makes it easier to find the editing features you need. Straighten and Perspective options have been combined in the Transform menu.
Draw on custom stickers – When creating custom stickers, you can now use drawing tools to make your stickers even more personal and unique.
New text backgrounds and styles – When adding text to a photo, you can choose from several new backgrounds and styles to help you get the perfect look.
Calendar
Your schedule at a glance – The new schedule view provides your upcoming events, tasks, and reminders all together in chronological order.
View your reminders in Calendar – You can now view and add reminders in the Calendar app without opening the Reminder app.
Reminder
Refined reminder list view – The main list view has been redesigned. You can manage categories at the top of the screen. Below the categories, your reminders will be shown organized by date. The layout for reminders containing images and web links has also been enhanced.
New reminder categories – The Place category contains reminders that alert you when you’re in a specific place, and the No Alert category contains reminders that don’t provide any alerts. More options for creating reminders: When sharing content to the Reminder app, you’ll get full editing options before your reminder is created. You can also take pictures using the camera when creating a reminder.
Create all-day reminders – You can now create reminders for an entire day and customize the time when you want to be alerted about them.
Samsung Internet
Play videos in the background – Keep playing video sound even if you leave the current tab or leave the Internet app completely.
Enhanced tab list for large screens – When using the Internet on a large screen, such as a tablet in landscape view or Samsung DeX, your tab list will be shown in 2 columns so you can see more tabs on the screen at the same time.
Smart select
Resize and extract text from pinned content – When you pin an image to the screen, you can now resize it or extract text from it.
Magnified view – When selecting an area of the screen, a magnified view will appear so you can start and end your selection at the perfect spot.
Bixby text call
Customize your greeting – You can now edit the greeting that Bixby says when you answer using Bixby text call.
Switch to Bixby during a call – You can switch to a Bixby text call at any time, even if the call is already in progress.
Modes and Routines
Unique Lock screens depending on your mode – Set up different Lock screens with their own wallpaper and clock style for when you’re driving, working, exercising, and more. When you start editing the Lock screen while a mode is on, you’ll edit the Lock screen for that mode.
New conditions – You can now start a routine when an app is playing media.
New actions – Your routines can now do more than ever before. Change your Lock screen, change Samsung Keyboard settings, and more. Smart suggestions
New look and feel – The Smart Suggestions widget has been redesigned with a layout that better aligns with other icons on your Home screen.
More customization – You can now adjust transparency and choose between a white or black background. You can also set apps to exclude from suggestions.
Finder
Quick actions for apps – When an app appears in your search results, you can touch and hold the app to get quick access to actions you can perform using the app. For example, if you search for the Calendar app, buttons for adding an event or searching your calendar will appear. App actions will also appear in search results on their own if you search for the name of the action instead of the app.
My Files
Free up storage space – Recommendation cards will appear to help you free up storage space. My Files will recommend deleting unnecessary files, give you tips for setting up cloud storage, and also let you know which apps on your phone are using the most storage space.
Settings
Smarter Airplane mode – If you turn on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth while Airplane mode is on, your phone will remember. The next time you use Airplane mode, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth will remain on instead of turning off.
Easier access to battery settings – Battery settings now have their own top-level settings menu, so you can easily check your battery usage and manage battery settings.
Block security threats – Get an extra level of protection for your apps and data. Auto Blocker prevents unknown apps from being installed, checks for malware, and blocks malicious commands from being sent to your phone using a USB cable.
Accessibility
New magnification options – Customize how your magnification window appears. You can choose full screen, or partial screen, or allow switching between the two.
Customize cursor thickness – You can now increase the thickness of the cursor that appears while editing text so that it’s easier to see.
Learn more about accessibility – A link to the Samsung Accessibility web page has been added to Accessibility settings so you can learn more about accessibility features and our efforts to make our products accessible to everyone.
One UI 6 will likely be released sometime in November or December, and if last year is any indication, it will probably roll out to many devices very quickly. If you have a Galaxy S23 and want to try it early, though, it’s available now in beta.
One UI 6 is now available to the public in beta form, which means those with certain Samsung Galaxy devices will be able to install the new version of One UI and dive into everything new. Here’s how to install One UI 6 beta on your device.
Samsung’s One UI 6 beta is finally here, open for users to install and take for a spin before the full release a few months from now. Similar to the previous version of One UI, users will be able to sign up for the beta version and receive access to an update that will carry the latest OS to their Galaxy device.
One UI 6 is based on Android 14 and offers some exciting new features. The most forward-facing change is the new adjusted UI, which simplifies the overall look of One UI’s overall design language. The Quick Settings panel is now sectioned off into cards. Individual cards house Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Quick Settings controls that feature a 4×3 layout with multiple pages.
The simplified approach is reminiscent of existing Android operating systems like ColorOS from Oppo. It could also be likened to an iOS-type UX with how transparent the cards are to what lays behind the control panel. Either way, it’s a divisive change that will get its fair share of exploration now that a beta version is available.
How to sign up and install the One UI 6 beta
Samsung’s approach to distributing the One UI 6 beta is extremely user-friendly. You simply need to sign up via the Samsung Members app on your Galaxy device and wait for an update to push to your phone. Make sure the Samsung Members app is installed on your device and you have an account set up.
In the Samsung Members app, swipe through the top banner and find the card that reads One UI Beta Program. Tap it.
Tap Register.
Agree to the terms listed by taping Enroll and then Agree.
Note: A pop-up may appear, letting you know you are enrolled.
Head to the settings by swiping down once and tapping the settings cog.
Scroll to the bottom and tap Software update.
Tap Download and install.
Your device will start downloading One UI 6 beta.
Once you finish the above process, you’ll see One UI 6 begin its installation procedure. That generally takes about 10 minutes, with some extra waiting time for the app optimization segment.
Once your Galaxy device is finished, you should be up and running with One UI 6 beta.
What devices are supported?
At this time, there are only a couple of devices supported. Currently, Samsung is limiting the One UI 5 beta to the Galaxy S23 series including:
Galaxy S23
Galaxy S23+
Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung may also have plans to bring the beta to more devices down the road, including the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Flip 4, and more.
Where can I use the One UI 6 beta?
Samsung has officially announced that the One UI 6 beta will be available first in just three countries:
United States
Germany
South Korea
This limited list is likely only temporary, though. In years past, Samsung has offered the beta on an almost global scale, and there’s no reason to expect we won’t see it expand in time with this latest iteration.
