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Google unveils Android 16, rolling out first to Pixel devices

Google unveils Android 16, rolling out first to Pixel devices

Google announced Android 16, rolling out first to supported Pixel devices with more phone brands to come later this year. This is the earliest Android has launched a major release in the last few years, which ensures you get the latest updates as soon as possible on your devices, the company said. 'Android 16 lays the foundation for our new Material 3 Expressive design, with features that make Android more accessible and easy to use,' said Google. 'Waiting for your food delivery to get to your house? Instead of opening your delivery app every 5 minutes, live updates keep you informed in real-time. These live updates are starting with compatible ride-share and food delivery apps. We're working together with these app partners to bring this capability to the Android ecosystem, including in Samsung's Now Bar and OPPO and OnePlus' Live Alerts. We're also force-grouping notifications that come from a single app to help reduce information overload. Your notifications will automatically be grouped together to keep things looking tight and organized. Android 16 provides significant enhancements for people who use hearing aids . Current LE audio hearing devices use their built-in front-facing mics for audio input. Those mics are designed to pick up the sound of the person you're speaking to – not the sound of your voice. Now you can switch to using your phone's microphone for clearer calls in noisy environments. We're also releasing native control for hearing devices in Android 16 for easier access and a more consistent experience. This means you can now control things like volume on your hearing devices right from your Android phone.'

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Omdia: Flexible AMOLED Displays Power 57% of Global Smartphone Shipments
Omdia: Flexible AMOLED Displays Power 57% of Global Smartphone Shipments

Business Wire

time30 minutes ago

  • Business Wire

Omdia: Flexible AMOLED Displays Power 57% of Global Smartphone Shipments

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Flexible AMOLED displays are fast becoming the dominant display technology in smartphones, according to Omdia's latest Smartphone Model Market Tracker. In Q1 2025, AMOLED-equipped smartphones accounted for 63% of total global shipments in the first quarter, up from 57% in the same period last year. In contrast, LCD-based smartphones dropped to 37%, continuing their steady decline. The surge in AMOLED adoption is being driven primarily by flexible AMOLED panels with Chinese panel makers expanding production at pace. Omdia's Smartphone Display Supply Chain Database shows that AMOLED panel shipments from Chinese manufacturers reached 364 million units last year - an increase of more than 120 million units compared to 2023. Apple and Samsung continue to lead in AMOLED adoption, with Apple reaching 100% and Samsung 84% in Q1 2025. Apple phased out all LCD-based models by the end of 2024 with the iPhone SE (3rd generation) being the last one. While Chinese smartphone vendors are steadily increasing their AMOLED adoption, their overall AMOLED penetration rate remains below 50%, largely due to the continued focus on lower-priced models. Smartphone shipments featuring flexible AMOLED displays reached 151 million units in Q1 2025, representing a 15% year-on-year (YoY) growth. This category, which includes foldable display, has maintained consistent annual growth in the mid-20% range over the past three years. Full-year shipments rose to 566 million units in 2024, up from 442 million units in 2023. Meanwhile, rigid AMOLED displays are rapidly losing ground. Shipments fell by 1% YoY in Q1 2025 to just 36 million units, with Samsung accounting for most of this volume. Previously adopted by vendors such as Oppo, vivo, and Xiaomi for mid-range offerings, rigid AMOLEDs have largely been phased out as manufactures pivot toward flexible AMOLEDs, driven by expanding supply and more competitive pricing from Chinese panel suppliers. The growing availability of AMOLED panels has also enabled the technology to reach more affordable price tiers. The average selling price (ASP) of AMOLED smartphones dropped to $510 in Q1 2025. While LCD panels still dominate the ultra-low-end segment under $100 due to their lower cost, AMOLED adoption is accelerating in smartphones priced below $200. 'AMOLED is now firmly establishing itself as the mainstream display technology in smartphones,' said Jusy Hong, Senior Research Manager at Omdia. 'Omdia expects AMOLED's share of global smartphone shipments to exceed 60% this year, with total shipments projected to exceed 750 million units by the end of 2025.' ABOUT OMDIA Omdia, part of Informa TechTarget, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of tech markets combined with our actionable insights empower organizations to make smart growth decisions.

Sony's Bravia 8 II OLED Is a Stunner, But Can It Beat the LG G5?
Sony's Bravia 8 II OLED Is a Stunner, But Can It Beat the LG G5?

WIRED

time33 minutes ago

  • WIRED

Sony's Bravia 8 II OLED Is a Stunner, But Can It Beat the LG G5?

If you're looking for a premium 2025 TV, the latest round of the best OLEDs has you spoiled for choice. With LG and Panasonic using LG's new breakthrough four-stack panel, and Samsung and Sony sharing Samsung's most advanced QD-OLED panel yet, there are four tantalizing top-tier OLED TVs hitting stores this year, each one offering a notable brightness boost to go along with OLED's many other talents. What Sony has done with Samsung's new display is, in a word, beautiful. The awkwardly named Bravia 8 II, which replaces 2023's gorgeous A95L (9/10, WIRED Recommends), is brilliantly balanced with punchy brightness, expressive and natural colors, and Sony's sweet image processing for a picture so clear that some images seem almost three-dimensional. For all its talents, the Bravia 8 II has some downsides compared to the phenomenal LG G5 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) it replaced on my console, including lower peak brightness and a backdrop that's more deep charcoal than pitch black, leading to less impactful contrast and perceived image depth. For gaming, Sony continues to skimp on connectivity with just two HDMI 2.1 ports. Persnickety as these complaints sound, they're elevated by pricing: the 65-inch Bravia 8 II model I reviewed lists as high as $700 more than the G5 stateside at launch (though discounts already exist). Make no mistake: This is still a fabulous TV for the right buyer, offering sights (and sounds) worthy of a front-row spot on 2025's stunning mantle of premium screens. As usual, if you want the best processing that money can buy, this Sony is a clear winner. On the Wall Photograph: Ryan Waniata Unlike most TVs in its class, Sony's top OLED again opts for legs at the panel's far sides instead of a pedestal stand. This can be helpful for soundbar placement where big pedestals cause trouble, but unless your console is 60 inches wide, you'll need to wall-mount the TV as I did. The 8 II's mount screws are placed rather low, meaning the TV sat higher than I wanted, which is something to note if your mount is already in place. The TV is subtly stylish, with familiar plastic checkers at the back panel, and paper-thin bezels out front. There's some recency bias here, but I couldn't help noticing how much milkier the panel looks compared to the LG G5's black void, which I kept noticing throughout my evaluation. On the bright (or rather dark) side, the TV's reflection handling is among the best I've seen, diffusing nearly everything but direct lighting, without the full matte look of Samsung's latest models. Software setup is a relative cinch with Google TV's plug-and-go layout, letting you adjust most parameters with your phone and G Suite credentials. I'm a fan of Google TV's overall ride, especially the ability to use Google Photos as screen savers, about the only time I take to reminisce on past adventures. Sony's implementation has improved with each iteration, and apart from Google's overly zealous ads, I had virtually no complaints over weeks of smooth streaming and navigation. That includes zoomy channel surfing through 50-odd channels via my HD antenna with the Bravia 8 II's compact remote. The remote is simple but intuitive, especially compared to the oddly oriented G5 remote, though it would be nice if it were backlit, considering that the 8 II—like all OLEDs—does its best work in lower lighting.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Might Finally Break The Iterative Upgrade Cycle
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Might Finally Break The Iterative Upgrade Cycle

Forbes

time40 minutes ago

  • Forbes

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Might Finally Break The Iterative Upgrade Cycle

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 'The newest Galaxy Z series is the thinnest, lightest and most advanced foldable yet,' says a Samsung Newsroom release teasing the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It's paired with a video that showcases a silhouette of the upcoming foldable. This is followed by, 'The Ultra experience is ready to unfold.' But what does an Ultra experience mean for you? Will there be a new Galaxy Z Fold Ultra? Or will the Galaxy Z Fold 7 borrow features from its S-series Ultra sibling? It could be a mix of both. Here's what you should expect from Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera module For the last couple of years, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold lineup hasn't reinvented the wheel and nor has it challenged the thinner and lighter Chinese competitors. While the South Korean company has focused on refining the foldable experience, it hasn't introduced any notable hardware advancements. Meanwhile, the likes of Oppo Find N5 and Honor Magic V3 have pushed the limits of book-style folding phone design, while Huawei has developed a tri-fold. But things could finally change with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Going by the new teasers, it's safe to say the upcoming folding phone will be Samsung's thinnest and lightest foldable yet. Looking at the silhouette video, it appears that Samsung is gunning for Oppo's thinnest and lightest foldable phone crown. For context, Oppo's Find N5 is currently the thinnest book-style foldable in the world. At 8.9mm folded and 4.21mm when unfolded, it is considerably thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which measures 12.2mm when folded and 6.1mm when unfolded. According to past reports, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could finally challenge its Chinese competitors in cutting-edge foldable hardware design. It is rumored to measure just 4.54mm in the unfolded state, which doesn't beat the Oppo foldable but gets very close. Even if it misses, the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 will most likely be the thinnest and lightest foldable available in the US, beating the likes of the OnePlus Open and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Samsung has a lot of things going in its favor. As I wrote in my Galaxy Z Fold 6 review, the South Korean tech giant has the most polished Android software and a solid hinge design that feels more reliable than the competition. If Samsung manages to retain those two factors and pair them with its new 'thinnest and lightest' design, it could offer the most complete folding phone experience yet. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra in the background The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is said to offer an Ultra experience, which, in my understanding, could mean borrowing the Galaxy S25 Ultra's 200MP primary camera and offering a more robust AI phone experience. The latest teaser shows a chip, three camera lenses, and states, 'Galaxy camera is now part of the intuitive interface that turns what users see into understanding and action.' The upcoming Samsung folding phone is said to offer a 'unified vision' to allow 'Galaxy devices to continuously redefine mobile photography, empowering users to capture, create and communicate more meaningfully.' It hints at a smarter camera experience as well as better optics. As for the smarts, I speculate that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could integrate Gemini Live capabilities right into the Samsung Camera app. For the unaware, Gemini Live allows a conversational AI chatbot to answer questions about what you're looking at in real time. You can point your phone's camera at your surroundings and ask Gemini for help. Like, asking how to fix a broken bicycle or clean your messy room. 'When paired with the flexible, expansive screen of a foldable, this experience becomes even more powerful, dynamic, and immersive,' says the Newsroom post. The Galaxy camera is also claimed to be a 'part of the intuitive interface that turns what users see into understanding and action.' So, the 'Ultra experience' is likely meant to convey a smarter device instead of an additional Galaxy Z Fold Ultra smartphone. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 cover screen The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is rumored to stick with the same 4,400mAh battery as its predecessor. That might not be enough, especially when Samsung is rumored to increase the folding display size from 7.6 inches to 8 inches. While I'm not holding my breath for all-day battery life, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite is an efficient processor, and the new Galaxy S25 Edge lasted me longer than expected. Samsung is also tipped to use AI to extract more runtime from its battery. All of this could combine to offer a satisfactory experience. I hoped Samsung would use a silicon-carbon battery, but it's likely not going to happen this year. A recent Bloomberg report claimed that Samsung and Apple battery supplier TDK is all set to begin shipping its third iteration of silicon-anode batteries by the end of June, earlier than its original schedule of September. As a result, we might see the new-gen battery debut on the iPhone 17 Air, but it will likely only make its way to Samsung phones starting with the Galaxy S26 series next year. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 also arrives at a time when Samsung's foldable shipments are dropping. According to a report from The Elec, Samsung now plans to manufacture 1.18 million Galaxy Z series folding phone units—down from last month's estimate of 1.34 million units for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7. Last year's Galaxy Z lineup also fell a few million units short of expectations. However, this decline could've been a wakeup call and paved the way for Samsung to start innovating with its hardware again. And if we are to go by the latest teasers, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could be the generational upgrade we've been waiting for.

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