AC News Weekly
News Weekly is our column where we highlight and summarize some of the week’s highlights to keep you up to date with the latest tech news.
This is Android Central’s news weekly, your favorite source for a quick summary of the week’s top tech stories. Here we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
In this week’s edition, Samsung’s pre-summer Unpacked lineup leaks, Pixel 9 leaks in new color, Netflix loses ad-free tier, Pixel devices get July patch and why Google wants to use music to train AI models.
Samsung leaks
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Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6:
On Thursday (July 4), a set of marketing images leaked that gave us a glimpse of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. They suggested that the device is lighter (239 grams) and has sharper corners than the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The company could use an “improved aluminum frame” and have a larger 6.3-inch cover display and the same 7.6-inch foldable display. For the first time, the phone is said to come with IP48 dust and water resistance. The leak shows that the device will have a triple rear camera setup. Its primary lens will be 50MP, the ultra-wide camera will be 12MP and the telephoto lens will be 10MP with optical zoom. The cover screen is said to have a 10MP selfie camera and the folding screen will have a 4MP camera below the display.
Marketing images of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 have also ended up online in blue alongside its prominent specs. It is very similar in design to its predecessor. According to recently leaked images, the design of the phone includes a 3.4-inch cover display and a 6.7-inch foldable display. It could be powered by a larger 4000mAh battery.
We expect the phone to have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 camera, a 50MP primary lens, a 12MP secondary camera and a 10MP selfie lens. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is also said to have an IP48 rating and for the first time, a vapor chamber is expected to debut on this clamshell.
Galaxy Buds Pro 3:
If you thought it was just a foldable device, another Reddit user who claimed to have bought the new Buds 3 Pro has posted pictures of them on the platform. They have a new stem design and have a metallic gray finish and a charging case with a similar finish and a translucent design on top. They also have blue and orange indicators for the left and right earpieces. As for performance, a Reddit user who purchased the Buds 3 Pro: “Noise cancellation is on par with my 1st generation AirPods Pro. Sound is great, but a little higher on the bass, but I personally love the base. My Z Flip4 and The iPhone will pick them up too, it’s crazy how I could buy them.”
Galaxy Buds3 Pro by r/galaxybuds
Pink Pixel 9? Yes or no?
The Pixel 9 is already available in Algeria. Storage: 256 GB Color: Pink I will inform you tomorrow morning. pic.twitter.com/0mE1QlCbEgJuly 1, 2024
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Earlier this week, a new color of the alleged Pixel 9 series appeared on the web. Hani Mohamed Bioud reached out to X and claimed that Google had already launched the device in the Algerian market, sharing an image of the phone in a pink phone.
By posting a few images and videos, Bioud revealed that the device has 256GB of internal storage and looks similar to several renders we’ve seen before. It looks like the device has rounded corners, but it has a square design overall. The new camera lens houses the dual cameras with a matte finish, while the rest of the back has a glossy finish. The user just showed off the design of the phone without turning on the screen.
A few people in the comments section had mixed reactions to the color, while most asked about other color ways the user noticed and whether the Pixel has an optical or ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Bioud said he will release more details about the device in the coming days.
Netflix is ​​throttling its cheapest ad-free plan for some users
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It looks like Netflix is ​​dropping its cheapest ad-free plan, forcing users to pay more than usual to access the ad-free platform. Netflix’s $11.99 ad-free plan for customers will end on July 13, according to several posts on Reddit. They have to choose between a $6.99 plan that streams ads, or an ad-free plan for $15.49, or 4K without ads for $22.99.
A user’s streaming is interrupted by a page that says “his basic plan has been terminated” and that “you can change your plan at any time.” Based on Reddit complaints, it appears the streaming giant may be testing the updated offerings in the UK or Canada first before rolling out to other regions (including the US).
However, this move does not come out of the blue. Earlier this year, during its fourth-quarter earnings call, Netflix publicly announced that it had begun trying to push customers toward more expensive or ad-supported plans. “Scaling our advertising business presents an opportunity to tap into significant new sources of revenue and profit in the medium to long term,” Netflix said in a statement.
July brings new updates for Pixel devices
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Google announced on Monday (July 1) that a new update for the Pixel Watch is rolling out now and should be rolling out to the models within the next week. According to Google’s blog post, the update doesn’t bring new features, but it does strengthen the July security patch that helps keep your Pixel Watch safe. The update is available for both Pixel Watch 1 and Pixel Watch 2 and comes with the software version TWD9.240705.001.A1.
Just a day after introducing the aforementioned options for its watch, Google has dropped the monthly software update for Pixel phones running Android 14. The company says in a blog post that Pixel phones from the Pixel 5a (5G) to the Pixel 8a, along with the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet will receive bug fixes and carrier improvements. In addition, some devices may experience general improvements to camera stability under certain conditions. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will reportedly get stability and system performance improvements, along with an interface bug fix that addresses an issue with back gesture navigation not working in certain scenarios.
Google wants to use music to train its AI models
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The tech giant is waving the Gemini wand over all its products and is now looking to record labels to pay for access to music for “other experiments” using AI. To make it work, YouTube wants to work with record companies to move things forward.
YouTube has a Dream Track feature based on the work of nine artists. However, the Financial Times reports that YouTube is in talks with other record labels such as Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records about a possible deal that would involve paying “one-off cash sums” for the right to use the label’s songs for AI music training. YouTube told the Financial Times in a statement that it was “in talks with publishers about other experiments”.
And here’s why it’s a bad idea. According to our writer Brady Snyder, record companies should back off because “it’s impossible to put a price tag on creativity.”
Synder adds: “Music generation tools can do a few tricks and are a great way for non-musically inclined people to dabble in songwriting. But the current crop of tools have nothing to do with professional musicians.”
“Most of what’s available today either relies on the likeness of popular singers or creates something that pales in comparison to what a human could create.”
Those are some of the biggest stories this week. In the meantime, here are some other stories worth catching up on: