Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes Samsung’s plans for the S11 and Note 11, a futuristic Galaxy S11 Plus, OnePlus confirming the OnePlus 7T, Google revealing more Pixel 4 details, Huawei launching the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro without Google Services, the Fairphone 3 teardown, and an update to the popular Pocket Casts app.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
Galaxy S11 And Note 11 Cancellation?
Will Samsung cancel the Galaxy S11 and the Galaxy Note 11 next year, in favour of a single new brand that will pick up both the S11 and Note 11 crowds and merging them into one smartphone brand to rule them all. Gordon Kelly takes a look at the rumors:
“Apparently what’s under discussion is more than just a branding realignment,” [noted analyst Evan Blass, @evleaks] Blass explains. “Since S and Note features overlap so closely, one possibility is to simply fuse them into a single first-half handset, essentially an S-series with an S-Pen.”
The resulting handset would be called the ‘Galaxy One’, with Samsung launching it in the first half of the year and using the second half to launch annual flexible successors to the Galaxy Fold. Blass does warn that discussions are “very fluid and tentative at this stage” but the quality of his source made it information worth sharing.
A Futuristic Galaxy S11 Plus Design
Tucked away inside Samsung’s latest published patents is what could, at first glance, be the Galaxy S11 Plus, with a new screen design and a ‘slider’ camera and extending screen. It’s a bit ambitious for a Feb 2020 launch, but if Samsung pushes for a ‘Galaxy One’ then some of the new styling ethos could be on show here. I looked at the radical redesign earlier this week:
This screen technology relies on a number of key features - there is the waterfall edge, there is the roller in the screen displace, and there is the kinetic movement in the frame required to achieve the goal. Given the frustrating launch and initial feedback of the Galaxy Fold with a single hinge around a fixed portion of a screen, to put in a rolling screen would be a courageous call for February 2020. Maybe it would have been possible with a perfectly smooth launch of the Fold, but for the moment I think this whole package is an aspiration for the Galaxy S series into 2021 and beyond.
Here Comes The Pixel 4 Launch
We’re expecting huge improvements in the camera. We’re expecting improved facial recognition. We know it’s going to have gesture recognition when you have your hand in the air above it. And now we know when Google is going to officially reveal (as opposed to leaking everything about) the Pixel 4 smartphone. Jeff Parsons reports:
Google has finally revealed the launch date of the next Pixel smartphone by announcing a hardware event taking place next month. The tech giant will formally unveil the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL in New York on October 15.
Which will probably be a relief as technology fans already feel they know everything there is to know about the new phone. Designed to go toe-to-toe with the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, the Pixel phones will come with a multi-lens rear camera that’s already been leaked by Google itself.
What Is Going On With The OnePlus 7T Leaks From OnePlus?
The official launch events of the OnePlus 7T and the presumptively named OnePlus 7T Pro are still to happen, so why is the CEO spoiling everything ahead of the big moment?I explored the question of ‘what is going on’ earlier this week:
In the case of OnePlus I think the answer is two-fold. Firstly, launch events are important for people who do not follow the day to day adventures of the smartphone world - they provide a focus point for mainstream media, they provide a clear date of transition, and it allows everyone to say, ‘the new thing we’ve been talking about is finally here.’
Secondly, it also launches something else. Every brand has its dedicated fans, and OnePlus has more than most thanks to its cultivation of a strong base when it was a young upstart entering the market with the OnePlus One.
There’s a reason OnePlus treats these events like a concert experience and sells tickets as well as inviting members of the press.
More on the OnePlus plans here.
Huawei Launch The Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro Without Google
The Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro are here, and the two handsets are packed with specifications you would expect from a late 2019 flagship family. We’re looking at the Kirin 990, 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of storage on the Mate 30 Pro. NIrave Gondhia looks at the new package:
Depending on your perspective, the first thing you'll notice about the Mate 30 Pro will be either its monstrously huge rear camera module or its unconventional screen shape. The former sees Huawei adopt the camera as a key element of its design language, with a large circular lens surrounded by a textured circular frame, which is reminiscent of old camera-centric smartphones such as the Nokia Lumia 1020
The latter reveals a significant style improvement for Huawei, as the Mate 30 Pro sports Huawei's first "waterfall" display. It's so named as the display curves 88° around the edge of the phone and ends at almost the midway point of the outer frame. The design is impressive; however, it comes at a cost, with Huawei reverting to its previous strategy of Full HD+ displays over higher-resolution Quad HD+ panels
Android Central covers the launch. But there is a sting in the tail. Thanks to Huawei being a listed entity, US companies are limited in their dealings. That includes Google, which means the Android on the Mate 30 and 30 Pro handsets is a different flavour to what has come before. Daniel Van Boom reports:
The Mate 30 phones are based on Android open source, meaning they will still function like Androids. What they won't have, though, is Google services or apps. No Google Maps, no Google Chrome and, most importantly, no Google Play Store.
Instead, you'll surf the web through the Huawei Browser and download apps through the Huawei AppGallery. The AppGallery has around 45,000 apps, according to Huawei, compared to the Google Play Store's estimated 2.7 million. Google typically licenses the latest version of Android, currently Android 10, for phone manufacturers to use. The Mate 30 phones will instead be powered by open-source Android and run EMUI 10, Huawei's user interface that approximates Google's Android 10.
This means Huawei will only be able to bring security updates to the Mate 30 phones when those updates hit open-source Android.
Inside The Fairphone 3
With all the talk of sealed phones, thin design, and ever rising prices, the launch earlier this month the eponymous Fairphone 3 will be of interest. The handset uses conflict-free materials as much as possible, encourages repair and reuse, and offers replacement parts for DIY fixes. iFixit’s Dorothea Kessler looks inside the unit with one of the easiest teardowns possible:
Would you rather get a phone that offers 5G support, or one that is durable and has an easily replaceable battery? …If you’re in line with that and prefer durability over fancy looks, like most smartphone owners actually do, the Fairphone 3 might be a device to check out—whether it’s because of the conflict-free resources used for its production or its recyclable packaging.
The Fairphone 3 is designed to be a long-lasting companion that’s easy to care for. It’s as modular as its predecessor—which was, in fact, the world’s first modular phone design concept that became reality, as well as the first smartphone we ever rated with a 10 out of 10 repairability score.
And Finally…
The popular podcast application Pocket Casts launched in 2010. Nine years later it’s time to change the business model. The application is moving towards a free model, albeit with a premium tier. THere’s al to of love for the app, and this should help it thrive in the market as podcasts pick up more mainstream attention, as the blog post on the changes notes.
We aren't locking any existing features behind a paywall. Even more importantly, we will continue to update the free tier with new features and functionality. We fully expect the free version will be the way the vast majority of our users access our app. Yes, some users may upgrade to Pocket Casts Plus if they want to support us or access some of our more niche features. But free will be our flagship.
Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!
