Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Google’s Pixel phones weren’t the first to deploy AI smarts to push the envelope of smartphone capabilities, but they’ve consistently showcased some of the best examples of everyday enhancements that benefit day-to-day use. From better video capture using HDRNet to features like Photo Unblur and even audio message transcription, the Pixel series has pushed NPUs, and ML-infused cores on processors like the Tensor G2, to create subtle yet transformative user experiences.

Read more: Google Pixel 7 buyer’s guide

Welcome to the 461st edition of Android Apps Weekly. Here are the headlines from the last week:

• Google Messages received an update this week. It brought end-to-end encryption for group chats. This is a pretty big deal since end-to-end encryption is a big feature these days. The feature is currently in the app’s beta version, so we expect the full rollout to happen sooner rather than later.
• South Dakota banned the use of TikTok for all state workers. In addition, the state is urging other states to follow suit. TikTok is almost constantly embroiled in data-sharing controversies. The governor of South Dakota decided that it wasn’t collecting data on her employees. Hit the link to learn more.
• Google took another potshot at Apple for iMessage this week. Google once again touted the good things about RCS and is pressuring Apple to adopt the technology once again. We hope Apple listens, but it probably won’t. Google compared Apple’s approach to messaging to the 1990s, which is a pretty good burn. Since we’re on the topic, a new app is trying to let Android users actually use iMessage without an iPhone. We’ve been testing it out, but it still needs a lot of work.
• Spotify and YouTube Music released their end-of-the-year stuff this week. Spotify’s Wrapped launched on November 30th, and you can access it now if you have Spotify. Spotify also includes a music personality on top of its usual stats and insights. YouTube Music Recap launched on November 29th and, aside from some rollout drama, includes things like Google Photos integration. Anyone with either music service can check it out now. For anyone interested, here are the most popular YouTube videos from 2022 as well.
• Google announced the winners of the 2022 Google Play awards this week. The winners include Dream by Wombo, Apex Legends Mobile, and BeReal. George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood was the top-selling book and “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy was the most popular audiobook. Hit the link to see all the winners and runner-ups.

The Eminence in Shadow

Price: Free to play

Opinion post by

Ryan Haines

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Sure, it’s the holiday season, but more importantly, it’s the time of year when Spotify Wrapped lands in my inbox. I get to revisit the songs, artists, and genres that got me through another trip around the sun, and it’s good to see whether I’m getting my money’s worth from my Spotify Premium subscription.

It’s the time of year when my sentimental nature gets to go, “I listened to Bleachers for how many hours?” The answer is 28.5 hours — if you’re curious. The arrival of Spotify Wrapped also makes my inner data nerd wonder why more services don’t follow Spotify’s lead. After all, Spotify Wrapped is guaranteed to trend on Twitter for a few days, and what brand doesn’t love a little engagement? With that in mind, here are a few of our favorite year-end roundups and a few more that we sure wish would add them.

Google made the wise decision to return to its beloved Nexus roots and launch a cheaper Pixel phone back in 2019. The Pixel 3a and 3a XL boasted the same great camera performance as their more expensive siblings for a fraction of the price — they started at just $400. Since then, each Pixel A series phone has delivered a similarly impressive bang for buck, so we’re already eagerly awaiting the Pixel 7a. Let’s dive in and see what we can expect from Google’s next affordable phone.

Will there definitely be a Google Pixel 7a?

There’s no guarantee with Google (see the recent Pixelbook cancellation and the death of Stadia), but we’re pretty sure a Pixel 7a is on the way. We’ve been hearing about a phone codenamed Lynx for a while now, with plenty of speculation about what it could be. It’s looking more and more likely that this isn’t the mythical Pixel Ultra or the Pixel foldable (probably codenamed Felix). Instead, we expect this to be the mid-range Pixel 7a that will arrive sometime next year.

Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 223rd edition here, with a first peek at the Pixel 7a, why you shouldn’t go for a stroll in NYC with $95,000 in iPhones, free Steam Decks, and more…

I may have bought a Nintendo Switch in the Black Friday sales, and have spent more time adding games to my wishlist than actually playing it so far! Seeing all the cozy games aimed at younger gamers left me wondering just how safe our kids are online, which brings us nicely to our sponsor for this week:

Sony’s PlayStation Plus subscription service has a lot to offer with three different tiers, but perhaps you aren’t using it enough to justify the monthly cost. Here’s everything you need to know about canceling your PlayStation Plus subscription.

Read more: How to get a refund from the PlayStation Store

EU regulators are saying enough is enough with the slow-as-a-turtle Wi-Fi you get on flights. If a new measure goes into affect, airline passengers in the EU could be allowed to ditch Airplane Mode and use 5G to stream content, access apps, and even make phone calls.

According to Gizmodo, the European Commission is currently debating a decision that could make Airplane Mode a relic of the past. The proposal would reportedly allow airlines to provide 5G technology instead of requiring passengers to pay for Wi-Fi or data. This means flyers would be free to use their devices how they want.

Yesterday, a company called Sunbird announced its app of the same name. The company makes a bold claim with its product, which is that it can allow iPhone users and Android users to securely chat together using iMessage without any of the hoops other companies put you through. It aims to be a one-stop solution to the Android vs iPhone messaging problem.

Sunbird was kind enough to give me early access to an alpha version of the app yesterday. Although I was able to connect my Apple ID to the app, messaging did not work. However, today, I was able to use a variety of iMessage features using a temporary “dummy” account loaned to me by Sunbird.

Samsung is looking for a way to make fingerprint logins more secure. According to a recent interview, it looks like the company’s solution is to make it possible for a device to read multiple fingerprints at the same time.

Dieter May, the CEO of Isorg — a French company that focuses on smartphone fingerprint sensing and other technology — recently said in an interview that Samsung is working on multi-fingerprint sensing displays. He also said that Samsung appears to be interested in making the entire screen capable of fingerprint reading.

Google is equipping its Messages app with end-to-end encryption for group chats. This means that no one except for you and the recipients can intercept group conversations — not even Google or any third party.

Today, Google published a blog post that read as a love letter to RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging. While announcing end-to-end encryption for group chats on Google Messages and marking 30 years since the world’s first SMS was sent, the company explicitly called Apple out for not getting behind RCS.

Motorola is bringing a new special edition phone to the US, the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion. Along with its North American debut, the special edition phone will come in a new unique color.

The Pantone Color Institute recently named Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta as its color of the year. In partnership with the Institute, Motorola announced it has created a special edition Viva Magenta version of the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion that it plans to launch in the US.

Looking for a new laptop can be time-consuming, not to mention mind-boggling. You have to make so many hardware and software decisions, and it can feel like you’re comparing apples and oranges. That wasn’t meant as a Mac pun, but it does bring up the fact that you have to choose everything, including your operating system. Even after narrowing your choices, it can be even tougher to narrow down the best laptop deals.

See also: Chromebook vs. laptop: Which one should you get?

Wednesday is the latest Netflix original series to become a huge breakout hit. Indeed, the debut week of the horror comedy, starring Jenna Ortega in the title role, has become the most-watched English language show in Netflix’s history, beating out the fourth season of Stranger Things, which also debuted this year. Many fans of the series may wonder what shows like Wednesday they could watch next. Thankfully we have picked some shows like Wednesday, along with a couple of movies, that you could watch and enjoy before, hopefully, season two of the series debuts. You can sign up for Netflix to watch Wednesday at the link below:

Shows and movies like Wednesday

The Addams Family (TV series)

Happy Friday! My whole family seems to have come down with the Flu this week. ‘Tis the season!

YouTube announces its top videos of 2022

The iPhone 14 series is equipped with satellite communication functionality, allowing users to send emergency SOS messages via satellites in case there’s no Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity. Now, it turns out that the feature has already saved one person’s life.

Android and iOS are effectively the only two major smartphone platforms on the market today, accounting for 99.4% of the global market according to StatCounter.

Does the world need a third smartphone platform though? That’s the topic of our featured poll today, so make your choice below and leave a comment if you’d like to elaborate.

Xiaomi was supposed to take the covers off the Xiaomi 13 series and MIUI 14 yesterday, but the company opted to delay the event. Fortunately, it looks like MIUI 14 info has nevertheless dropped via an unofficial source.

MIUI Polska writer Kacper Skrzypek uncovered a changelog for the Chinese version of MIUI 14, revealing a slew of additions and tweaks in the process. Check out his tweet and screenshot of the changelog below.

The Mandalorian is now nearly two years old and in that time it’s become a massive hit for Disney Plus. It has even been nominated twice for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. We have followed the adventures of the title character, a bounty hunter with a distinctive suit of armor who suddenly becomes the protector of Grogu, a Force-enabled creature better known by fans as “Baby Yoda”. With two seasons now complete, you might be wondering when is Mandalorian season 3 going to drop. Good question. Here’s everything we know about The Mandalorian season 3 so far.

Haven’t seen the show yet? You can sign up for Disney Plus and catch up on the first two seasons at the link below:

Google’s Recorder app for Pixel phones is already one of the best transcription apps you can use, with features like on-device processing, transcript search, and more. It looks like Google is supercharging the app further with speaker labels.