The next version of Android ships this fall, but ahead of that launch, Google has released a series of Android 12 developer previews and betas. The latest is a “platform stability” release, meaning that while there are a few small changes since the previous release, this is a build that developers can safely use to test their apps for compatibility with Android 12, knowing that the app-facing features and APIs will not change.
Meanwhile, folks are starting to dig into the beta to find user-facing changes, as well as digging around under the hood for clues to upcoming Google hardware. For example, there are clues suggesting that the Pixel 6 and/or Pixel 6 Pro will have a wide-angle camera with a Samsung 50MP image sensor.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
Android 12 Beta 4 and Platform Stability [Android Developers Blog]
Android 12 Beta 4 is out for Google Pixel phones as well as select Asus, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Sharp, and ZTE devices. At this point, Android 12 has reached “Platform Stability,” which means most app-facing features are complete and developers can expect no major API changes. Android 12 Beta 4 has also been released for Android TV. A build is available for the ADT-3 developer kit.Â
12 Beta 4 hands-on: Top new features [9to5Google]
Some of the changes in Android 12 Beta 4 include small things like revamped Settings pages, improved cropping tool for resizing images, easier WiFi toggling, image sharing from the Recents menu, and an Android 12 Easter egg.
Android 12 Beta 4 hints the Pixel 6 has Samsung’s 50MP GN1 sensor and Exynos 5123 modem [xda-developers]
Google’s upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will have upgraded cameras and a Google Tensor processor with enhanced AI features. It’s expected to use a Samsung-designed CPU, and now Android 12 Beta 4 code point to a Samsung 50MP camera sensor and Exynos modem too.
MediaTek Announces Dimensity 920 and Dimensity 810 Chips for 5G Smartphones [MediaTek]
MediaTek Dimensity 920 and Dimensity 810 chips are for mid-range 5G smartphones. The 920 features Cortex-A78 CPU cores up to 2.5 GHz, LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage support, and up to 108MP cameras. The 810 supports up to 2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 and 64MP cameras.Â
S Pen Fold Edition vs S Pen Pro: What’s the difference? [Android Police]
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 supports two different stylus options: the $50 S Pen Fold Edition, which is a smaller, Fold 3-specific model and the $100 S pen pro which supports Bluetooth and works with other Samsung devices. Here’s a more detailed comparison.
Nestflix [Nestflix]
A directory of fictional movies and TV shows from within… movies and TV shows, arranged in a familiar format.
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