Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Galaxy Z Fold6 offers, Galaxy Ring subscriptions, Samsung’s design secrets, Pixel 9 Pro’s satellite option, Google One’s new tier, YouTube Music UI changes, and Deadpool’s new smartphone.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Android in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Apple news here on Forbes.
Poco F6
When Folding A Phone Saves You Money
Following the launch of the Galaxy S24 family in January, Samsung pushed a number of special offers and discounts out to consumers as it established both the flagship handset and the first Galaxy AI software. The same approach is under way with the Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 picking up their own offers ahead of general availability:
“To mark the start of the Oympics, from July 26th to August 13th, Samsung will give £150 ($192.94) cashback on purchases of select phones in the U.K. That cashback offer can rise to £300 ($385.88) for one in three shoppers via a scratch card competition. However, anyone who buys one of the phones listed [the Z Fold6, Z Flip6, S24, S24+, or S24 Ultra] from Samsung’s U.K. website will get a guaranteed £150 discount.
(Forbes).
A Ring For The Future
During the launch of the Galaxy Ring, Samsung leaned heavily into the lack of subscriptions to use the wearable’s feature set, but the team at Android Authority have taken a closer look at the terms and conditions… Samsung’s pitch applies to the current feature set, but that may not always be the case.
“At Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung promised that none of the Galaxy Ring’s features require an additional subscription fee to access. However, buried in the footnote of one of the slides shown during the presentation is text that suggests this promise only applies to “currently available Samsung Galaxy features.” For “future Samsung Health features,” Samsung warns that “different terms may apply.””
How We Designed The Galaxy
Following the launch of the new Galaxy foldables and peripherals, David Phelan sat down with Felix Heck, Head of Samsung Design Europe, and Deborah Honig, Chief Customer Officer for Samsung UK and Ireland, to talk about Samsung’s design process. He started out by asking Heck about the many areas of design that need to be considered in Samsung’s products:
“We are not only designers, we also have experts majoring in sociology, engineering and psychology, which encourages a different perspective and promotes creative collaboration. In recent years there’s been a big shift to user experience which is why these disciplines are so important for the product aesthetic. Samsung has a global network of studios and each studio is tasked with developing innovative design, identifying regional specific needs and staying abreast of global trends.”
(Forbes).
Pulling Your Pixel Into Space
Ahead of the launch of the Pixel 9 family of devices, details on the software features that will accompany the new hardware are coming to light. one of them is satellite connectivity, which is expected to be bolstered by new hooks in Android 15 to tie it into the user interface:
“The details in the settings menu explained that when a user makes a call or text through satellite communication, a Google Maps location will be shared with emergency services. Alongside some details from the caller’s Google account such as their name, IMEI number, battery level, email address, emergency contact details and phone number.”
(Forbes).
Google One Could Go Small To Grow
Google’s subscription-based Google One service could be getting a budget tier. A closer examination of the Google Photos codebase reveals checks for Google One Lite. There’s no indication yet on pricing or scope, but offering a cheaper way into its cloud-based services makes financial sense for Google.
“…code within the latest version of the Google Photos Android app contains references to an all-new, unannounced “Google One Lite” subscription plan. This addition suggests that Google Photos users, in particular, may be about to see changes in how Google charges them for some premium services.”
(Forbes).
More Music Looks
Google is reworking the default music player for Android. YouTube Music is getting a redesign of its Artist pages on both the Android and iOS versions of the app, bringing it in line with the album and playlist pages:
“This redesign starts with the artist name being left-aligned alongside subscriber count and a proper pill-shaped button for following. Across from it is the ability to start radio and shuffle, with YouTube Music testing “play” earlier this month. Circular buttons are leveraged for smaller touch targets. The Latest Release card remains available before you get to Top songs and the rest of the feed. “
(9to5Google).
And Finally…
It’s the tie-in product that breaks the fourth wall (probably, I’ve not seen the film yet). Poco’s latest special edition is the Poco F6 Deadpool and Wolverine
“The trademark red Deadpool hue adorns the entirety of this F6’s back, while the LED flash array has the Deadpool ‘face’ on it… The innards are expected to be identical to those of the vanilla Poco F6, so the only new things here are the rear design and, probably, the box contents – that looks like a much beefier box than the one the normal F6 comes in, so we expect it to pack some Deadpool (and Wolverine) branded goodies.”
(GSM Arena).
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!