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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.

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.

TL;DR

• Samsung has acknowledged the recent bootloop issue faced by users of older Galaxy devices.

• The cause of the bootloop is an update to the Samsung SmartThings app.

• Affected customers should contact Samsung Support to help fix the issue. Alternatively, experienced users can try a data wipe.

According to prolific Chinese leakster Digital Chat Station, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is substantially more expensive than its MediaTek counterpart.

DCS says the Dimensity 9400 can be had for about $155, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 costs a whopping $190. These are orientative prices, by the way, some smartphone makers may be able to negotiate significantly better amounts based on how many they order.

The Snapdragon is over 20% more expensive, and for a lot of devices that could make a difference in their very pricing. The two upcoming SoCs are both rumored to be absolute beasts in terms of performance, easily surpassing any other chipset that's ever been made for Android devices.