Tag: phones
Millions of Android phones come with pre-installed malware, and there’s no easy fix
Last month, we learned that malware had been discovered in 60 Android apps with over 100 million downloads – another black eye for the mobile operating system that has an estimated three billion active users worldwide. Malicious developers regularly exploit various loopholes in Google’s app vetting process to create apps…
Oppo gives up on building custom chips for its flagship phones
Chinese phone manufacturer Oppo is shuttering its Zeku chip development division and letting go of its internal System-on-Chip (SoC) design aspirations, according to the South China Morning Post. The news comes as worldwide smartphone sales continue to decline and the US carries on with chip export restrictions.
Bloomberg reports Oppo’s Zeku division was set up in 2019 and carried about 200 patents in its Shanghai division. Like Apple, Oppo started making its own co-processors for imaging and other smartphone components but had not successfully launched its own SoC to get away from relying on other companies for the most significant chip in the device.
Oppo’s most recent releases include the Oppo Find N2 Flip, which is powered by a…
The Pixel 7a has a unique feature you won’t find on other Pixel phones
How to Use Your WhatsApp Account Across Multiple Phones
Happily, that’s now changed, and WhatsApp has introduced the ability to use the same account on multiple phones. So now you can link another phone as one of up to four additional devices, the same as when you link with WhatsApp on web browsers, tablets, and desktops.
Whether it’s an iPhone or an Android phone you choose to add, each linked phone connects to WhatsApp independently, ensuring that your personal messages, media, and calls are end-to-end encrypted. Just be aware that if your primary phone is inactive for a long period of time, you will be automatically logged out of all your companion devices.
Follow the steps below to set up your additional phone with your WhatsApp account, after which you’ll be able to switch between phones without signing out and pick up your chats where you left off.
- Download and launch WhatsApp on the additional phone you want to use.
- Instead of entering the phone number associated with your WhatsApp account, tap the Link to existing account option to generate a QR code.
- On your primary phone, open WhatsApp and go to Settings -> Linked Devices.
- Tap the Link a device option and scan the QR code using your phone’s camera.
It’s as simple as that. Once the QR code is scanned and the sync is complete, you’ll be able to see all the conversations that you’ve had on your original phone. You’ll also have the ability to send and receive text and voice-based messages, get involved in group chats, and have access to all of the other things that you’re used to doing on your primary phone, just now on your companion phone as well.
This article, “How to Use Your WhatsApp Account Across Multiple Phones” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
The best Android phones for 2023
Unlike the iOS ecosystem, where Apple is the only game in town, one of the best things about the Android phone market is the wide range of different devices and manufacturers to choose from. That said, when it actually comes time to upgrade, that wealth of options can make it a bit more difficult to choose the right handset for you. If you’re looking for a new phone and don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered with a selection of the best Android phones for every budget.
What to look for in a new Android phone
Performance
When it comes to picking our favorite Android phones, the main things we look for are pretty straightforward: good performance (both compute and AI), a nice display, solid design, sharp cameras, long battery life and a significant commitment to ongoing software support. For performance, not only do we look at benchmarks and other metrics, but we also evaluate phones based on responsiveness. Regardless of whether you’re reading, browsing social media or playing a game, no one wants a device that feels sluggish.
Display
When it comes to displays, we generally prefer OLED panels that can produce rich, saturated colors with at least 600 nits of brightness, though many of our top mid-range and high-end phones can hit 1,000 nits or more. And more recently, most of our favorite devices also support screens with fast refresh rates of 90Hz or 120Hz, which adds an extra level of smoothness and fluidity.
Design
Now we will admit there is a bit of subjectivity when deciding which phones look the best, but there are other design aspects like dust and water resistance or screen durability that can make a big difference to long-term survival. It’s also important to consider things like support for wireless charging, power sharing (aka reverse wireless charging) and UWB connectivity, which can have an impact on how your phone interacts with your other devices.
Cameras
Obviously, for photos we’re looking for sharp, colorful shots in both bright and low-light conditions. And we want video clips with high dynamic range, rich audio and smooth image stabilization. Extra cameras for ultra-wide and zoom lenses are a plus. It’s also important to consider features like dedicated night modes, support for various video recording resolutions, and additional photo modes like timelapse, slow motion and more.
Battery and software
Finally, in terms of battery life, we’re looking for all-day longevity on devices that also delivered great results on our local video rundown test (at least 16 hours on a charge, but more is obviously better). Wireless charging capabilities have become almost ubiquitous over the past few years, and most of our top picks have this extra perk. Finally, with people holding onto their phones longer than ever, we like to see companies commit to at least three years of software support, upgrades and regular security updates.
The Best Android Phones
Best Android phone overall: Google Pixel 7 Pro
The Pixel 7 Pro and the standard Pixel 7 might not be the absolute fastest phones on the market, but what they lack in pure performance they make up for with thoughtful software. Thanks to Google’s Tensor G2 chip, the Pixel 7 series features powerful AI and machine learning capabilities that support things like on-device language recognition and real-time translation. You also get gorgeous OLED displays and the best overall camera quality of any smartphone available today. And with the standard Pixel 7 starting at just $600, Google’s latest flagship is an incredible value too. The main differences between the two are that the Pixel 7 Pro has a larger 6.7-inch screen and features a third rear camera with a 5x optical zoom. But regardless of whether you prefer a smaller or larger device, you can’t really go wrong with either the Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro.
Read our Full Review of the Google Pixel 7 Pro
Best mid-range Android phone: OnePlus 11
For those who want a phone with a big screen, excellent cameras and great performance, but for less than a traditional flagship, the OnePlus 11 strikes a good balance between budget phones and more premium devices. In a lot of ways, the OnePlus 11 is like a more affordable Galaxy S23+. Not only do you get a similar 6.7-inch 120Hz display, it also features a speedy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and a big 5,000 mAh battery. Meanwhile, thanks to OnePlus’ blazing 100-watt wired charging, it juices up faster than any phone from Google or Samsung. And on the camera side, the company’s ongoing partnership with Hasselblad has resulted in notable improvements in image quality.
The main shortcomings of the OP11 are that its IP64 rating for dust and water resistance falls short of what you get from competing devices, and the camera’s 2x optical zoom lens feels a bit on the short side. But with OnePlus adding wider carrier compatibility and committing four years of OS upgrades and five years of security patches, the OP11 is a well-equipped option that costs significantly less than its rivals.
Read our Full Review of OnePlus11
Best budget Android phone: Google Pixel 7a
The $500 Pixel 7a delivers everything we look for in a great, affordable Android phone. New features include a faster Tensor G2 chip, a smoother 90Hz display and for the first time on one of Google’s A-series phones: support for wireless charging. And with a refreshed design with IP67 water resistance, it looks and feels like the standard Pixel 7 but for $100 less. You also get great support thanks to five years of security updates and at least three OS upgrades. The phone’s only shortcomings are rather small and include a lack of a dedicated zoom lens and no support for mmWave 5G (unless you purchase a slightly more expensive $550 model from Verizon).
Read our Full Review of the Google Pixel 7a
Best premium Android phone: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Starting at $1,200, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is very expensive, but it has practically everything you could ever want or need in a smartphone. It has a huge 6.8-inch OLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, a total of five cameras (main, ultra-wide, 3x zoom, 10x zoom and a selfie shooter) and a built-in S Pen for drawing and note-taking. It also features a huge 5,000 mAh battery that delivers some of the longest runtime we’ve seen on any phone. And with Samsung’s renewed commitment to software support, you can expect a minimum of four major OS upgrades and five years of regular security patches.
Read our Full Review of Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Best foldable Android phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
While the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is arguably the most stylish and compact phone on the market, the bigger and more expensive Z Fold 4 is like three devices in one, which makes it a unicorn among mobile devices. When you just need to respond to a text or look up an address quickly, its 6.2-inch exterior cover screen makes that a cinch. But when you want to sit down to watch a movie or play a game, you can open up the Fold to reveal a stunning 7.8-inch flexible display. As a foldable phone, it’s compact when you need it to be, while providing an immersive viewing experience when you don’t. And thanks to support for stylus input, you even can use one of Samsung’s S Pens designed specifically for the Fold to quickly draw or jot down a note. On top of all that, its OLED display makes the Z Fold 4 great for reading books and comics. And unlike practically any other non-Samsung foldable, the Fold also has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. In a lot of ways, this thing is the Swiss Army knife of phones. Sure, it’s a bit bulky, and at $1,800 it’s not what anyone would call affordable. But its ability to serve as a phone, a tablet, an e-reader and more depending on the situation puts the Z Fold 4 in a category of its own.
Read our Full Review of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-android-phone-130030805.html?src=rss
Android 14 Beta 2 Arrives With Support For More Phones
It wouldn’t be a Google I/O event without a new version of Android. The Android 14 developer preview and first beta arrived earlier this year, but now it’s getting an update. Google just unleashed the beta two release, and it’s available on more than just Pixel phones.
Read This Article on Review Geek ›
WhatsApp bug is making some Android phones falsely report microphone access
Google and WhatsApp have confirmed they are aware of a bug that makes it appear as if WhatsApp is accessing phones’ microphones unnecessarily on some Android devices. The issue first cropped up a month ago, but gained new attention after a Twitter engineer tweeted about it in a post that was boosted by Elon Musk.
An image shared by Twitter engineer Foad Dabiri appeared to show that the microphone had been repeatedly running in the background while he wasn’t using the app. He tweeted a screenshot from Android’s Privacy Dashboard, which tracks how often apps access a device’s microphone and camera.
WhatsApp has been using the microphone in the background, while I was asleep and since I woke up at 6AM (and that’s just a part of the timeline!) What’s going on? pic.twitter.com/pNIfe4VlHV
— Foad Dabiri (@foaddabiri) May 6, 2023
Musk retweeted Dabiri’s post, saying “WhatsApp cannot be trusted.” Incidentally, Musk is known to be a fan of Signal, and has said encrypted direct messages on Twitter could roll out as soon as this month. The company didn’t respond to a request for comment.
In a statement shared on Twitter, WhatsApp suggested it was an Android-related issue, and not a result of inappropriate microphone access by the messaging app “We believe this is a bug on Android that mis-attributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate,” the company said.
Dabiri is not the first to notice the issue. WhatsApp blogwabetainfohighlighted the bug a month ago, describing it at the time as “a false positive” affecting owners of some Pixel and Samsung devices. They added that restarting the phone may be a possible fix. Meanwhile, Google has said little about what could be causing the discrepancy, but confirmed it’s looking into the matter. “We are aware of the issue and are working closely with WhatsApp to investigate,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/whatsapp-bug-is-making-some-android-phones-falsely-report-microphone-access-220213592.html?src=rss