News Weekly: Android 16 inches closer, a potential Motorola ban in the US, Meta’s smart glasses steal Google’s thunder, and more Hallie Frederick | usagoldmines.com

That is Android Central’s Information Weekly, your go-to supply for a concise roundup of the week’s most vital tech tales. That is the place we delve into the highest headlines that present the newest developments and improvements contributing to the digital panorama.

This week, Google dropped a second Android 16 developer preview, Motorola is vulnerable to being banned within the U.S., OnePlus teased the 13R with an enormous battery, Samsung’s Android 15 beta continues, and the Ray-Ban Meta Good Glasses simply received an enormous replace.

Android 16 is one step nearer to beta

Learn extra here.

Android 16 is ready for an early launch in 2025, so it is no shock Google has already pushed the second developer preview to eligible Pixel smartphones. With this new replace, we’re beginning to get a greater thought of what to anticipate from the following main replace.

There are many under-the-hood modifications to assist enhance app startup, help for adaptive refresh price, and haptics. There are additionally updates to Health Connect with help for extra information varieties and APIs for sharing well being information. The cloud picture picker is getting a search operate, and there are new APIs for predictive again animations and behaviors.

In fact, as is common with developer previews, there are tons of options beneath the hood that Google is engaged on, nevertheless it’s doubtless not all will make it to beta or secure. Fortuitously, we do not have to attend lengthy to get an excellent take a look at the user-facing options, because the Android 16 beta is predicted to reach in January.

Motorola might be banned within the U.S.

Learn extra here.

If Ericsson will get its approach, Motorola’s greatest telephones might be banned from america and different areas. This is because of a patent dispute between the businesses that discovered Lenovo infringing on Ericsson’s 5G patents.

The telephones in query? The Moto G, Edge, and Razr lineups, in line with Reuters. These are the corporate’s main smartphone households, with the Moto G lineup performing strongly amongst cheap Android phones, whereas the Edge and Razr lineups have been in style sufficient within the U.S. and globally that the corporate is set to double its business by 2026. As such, the prospects of a ban within the U.S. could be fairly catastrophic for the corporate and the market, particularly after the loss of LG years ago.

Ericsson has received preliminary rulings towards Motorola earlier than and can be concerned in patent disputes in different areas, however Lenovo has to date managed to stave off a ban in South America. Hopefully, Lenovo can do the identical for the U.S., and the 2 corporations can come to some form of settlement.

The second One UI 7 beta is already right here

Learn extra here.

Samsung is lastly giving us a style of its Android 15 software program, and the second beta is now obtainable for Galaxy S24 fashions in numerous nations.

So, what’s new on this beta? It is principally bug fixes geared toward addressing points that cropped up from the first One UI 7 beta launched simply a few weeks in the past. This consists of sooner transitions, improved GPS, Fast Panel fixes, and way more. Nevertheless, per the changelog, one identified difficulty that is been identified is that the Software panel typically doesn’t seem within the Edge Panels.

For those who’re new to the One UI 7 beta, the replace might are available at round 4GB, whereas these updating from the primary beta might have solely a 1GB obtain. For now, the beta stays unique to the Galaxy S24 collection in choose nations.

We not too long ago revealed our first impressions of the One UI 7 beta, highlighting the brand new UI components (a vertical app drawer!), new options, and extra. The secure replace is predicted to reach with the Galaxy S25 collection in early 2025.

The OnePlus 13 collection features a mighty mid-ranger

Learn extra here.

OnePlus not too long ago revealed the launch date for the OnePlus 13 series, which made us marvel if there was additionally a OnePlus 13R coming alongside. It seems there’s, as the corporate confirmed shortly after that we’re getting an R-series midranger alongside the flagship.

The cellphone will seemingly function a virtually an identical design to the common OnePlus 13, which launched in China in October. In accordance with OnePlus, the 13R will function a large 6,000mAh battery, which is bigger than the 5,500mAh battery on the OnePlus 12R. It’ll additionally apparently function a brand new Gorilla Glass 7i, a thickness of 8mm, and a flat show.

There’s nonetheless lots we do not know concerning the 13R, such because the chipset, charging pace, and value. It’ll doubtless sport a lesser chip than the Snapdragon 8 Elite that shall be featured within the OnePlus 13 and sure much less RAM than its flagship sibling’s 24GB max.

Each telephones will launch globally on January 7, 2025.

Learn extra here.

For those who’ve been holding off on shopping for the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (like I’ve), this newest replace might make you need to lastly hit the “Purchase” button. Meta simply up to date its spectacular sensible glasses with extra options that might make even Google jealous.

The brand new v11 update brings Reside AI, which makes use of video that lets the sensible glasses repeatedly see what you see, permitting it to realize extra context and converse extra naturally with customers with out the “Hey Meta” wake phrase. It sounds lots like what Google is promising with Project Astra, which goals to make use of AI to see and keep in mind issues for the consumer that may be introduced up later.

Moreover, dwell translate will robotically translate speech to English, supporting Spanish, French, or Italian, and it’ll both be performed by means of the built-in audio system or seem as transcripts in your cellphone.

These new dwell options can be found through Meta’s Early Access Program, which is accessible within the U.S. and Canada.

Lastly, the Ray-Ban Meta Good Glasses are gaining help for Shazam within the U.S. and Canada, that means you may ask it a few track that is enjoying, and it’ll use Shazam to determine it for you. One much less purpose to drag out your cellphone.

Extra tales this week

These are a few of the largest tales from this week. In the meantime, listed here are another tales which are price catching up on: