Android Circuit: Galaxy S23 Reviewed, Huge Pixel Fold Leaks, Angry Birds Goes Missing.

Forbes Innovation Consumer Tech Android Circuit: Galaxy S23 Reviewed, Huge Pixel Fold Leaks, Angry Birds Goes Missing. Ewan Spence Senior Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Storyteller exploring digital worlds, mobile, music and podcasting Following Feb 24, 2023, 05:01pm EST | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes the Galaxy S23 review, leaked details on the Galaxy Tab S9, Google patches Pixel problems, Magic Eraser availability widens, cover display competition, Google’s oversized Pixel Fold, and Angry Birds goes missing.

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 ). Reviewing Samsung’s Galaxy S23 The Galaxy S23 Ultra may have captured all the attention, but it’s the Galaxy S23 that will be the workhorse in Samsung’s Galaxy S space this year. How does the base model handle? Abhijeet Mishra finds out in his review, including the all-important camera: “Even at 12MP, the Galaxy S23 captures more than enough detail and has good dynamic range.

Samsung has tuned up the contrast this time around so things look more vivid but color reproduction is not always accurate as a result. For me that’s not an issue as I’m not one from the “I want realistic photos” camp, but I can see why it might tick some users off. The last couple of years it looked like Samsung is moving towards more realism for pictures you take with the camera, but Samsung clearly changed its mind for the S23 series.

” ( SamMobile ). SAN FRANCISCO, CA – FEBRUARY 1: Samsung Electronics unveils its latest flagship Galaxy S23 series . .

. [+] smartphones on February 1, 2023 in San Francisco, California, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Anadolu Agency via Getty Images MORE FOR YOU The ‘Backsies’ Billionaire: Texan Builds Second Fortune From Wreckage Of Real Estate Empire He’d Sold Apple Loop: Massive iPhone 15 Pro Leak, Mac Pro Hints, Linux Cracks Open MacBook Trae Young Runs The Atlanta Hawks.

For Verification, $43 Million Is Greater Than $5 Million (Nate McMillan’s Salary) Leaks Won’t Damage The Next Galaxy Tab MAn important detail on Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy tablet. The South Korean company is expected to make 2023’s flagship tablets waterproof for the first time. “If something as complex as a foldable smartphone could be made water resistant, surely the same could be done for tablets.

Whatever the case may have been, at least it’s good to know that Samsung is seriously considering IP67 water resistance for the Galaxy Tab S9 series. ” ( SamMobile ). Incoming Pixel Display Fix In Android The next beta of Android 14, specifically the snappily titled QPR2 Beta 3.

2, addresses another Pixel smartphone issue. While not immediately available to the average consumer, its presence in the beta rollout suggests it won’t be long till the benefits are felt by everyone: “Now, just two weeks after QPR2 Beta 3. 1 arrived with some much-needed bug fixes, we’re getting another go-around.

If you’re rocking Google’s current beta software on your Pixel, Beta 3. 2 is rolling out with two additional fixes for your device…. As you’d probably expect for such a late release, the changelog here is pretty minimal.

Google cites a fix for visual artifacts on Pixel phones, including flashing green screens. ” Pixel Features For Everyone Also, on the Pixel front, one of the key software features exclusive to Google’s revamped flagships is being made available to other Android users. As part of the Google One subscription service, the advanced editing software tools from the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7handsets will be available to all: “Beginning today—and as soon as it rolls out to your device—Google One members will have access to Magic Eraser within Google Photos, which allows you to remove people, animals, and random objects from the background of photos.

In addition, those users will have access to a new HDR video effect, which Google says will “enhance the brightness and contrast” of your videos, plus new collage styles, which the company helps curate for you as you upload images to your account. ( Gizmodo ). And You Thought The Inside Was Important With MWC just around the corner and some ‘Pre-MWC’ lunches already taking place, the battleground of folding phones has been set.

Additionally, the front line could be the front of the phones, with the external screens becoming a key part of the marketing struggles. Jon Porter has some thoughts: “As we saw with the Oppo Find N2 Flip, as well as larger foldables like Samsung’s Z Fold handsets, a bigger cover display opens the door for the phone to be able to do more without having to unfold it… But it’s also wild to remember that the iPhone’s original display was 3. 5 inches in size, meaning foldables could soon have secondary cover displays that rival the size of the primary screens on early smartphones — albeit in a different aspect ratio.

” ( The Verge ). A Larger Fold From Google Speaking of folding phones, a few more details on the upcoming Google Pixel Fold have leaked. It won’t be a svelte transformable – the screen will be wider than most, offering a more rectangular aspect ratio than similar handsets like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Oppo’s Find N2.

That bulk does help in one area; the battery capacity can be increased: “The main upside of going wide is an internal display that easily allows apps to use a large-screen optimized UI in a landscape rectangle instead of Samsung’s near-square. Google’s existing work on large-screen optimization is primarily for tablets, and that naturally translates to the Pixel Fold’s expected aspect ratio. It will also comfortably fit two apps side-by-side when multitasking, and the larger size ensures that tablet interfaces won’t feel cramped, as is relatively common on Oppo’s Find N2.

” ( 9to5Google ). And Finally. .

. Rovio has pulled the original version of Angry Birds from the Google ePlay Store. It’s still playable if you already have the game, but if you’re looking for the Finnish Flinging game, you’ll have to pick up one of the newer versions.

Why? It could be down to in-app purchasing: “The reason behind this radical overhaul is that the original Angry Birds is apparently adversely impacting Rovio’s “wider games portfolio”. Why this is the case isn’t clarified, but we have to assume that it has something to do with the game’s old school up-front payment. Many an average casual player looking to play Angry Birds will simply (and understandably) download the game called Angry Birds, bypassing the more monetisable sequels.

” ( Twitter via Trusted Reviews ). 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! Check out my website .

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