Android Circuit: Galaxy S24 specs leak details on the powerful Pixel 8 Pro, Surface Duos on the final day

Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines from the Android world, this week’s Android Roundup includes Galaxy S24 design, Pixel 8 spec leak, Pixel 8 Pro’s powerful camera, Google confirms Pixel Watch details 2, HMD Global’s first phone, Surface Duo’s last day, Nothing’s next event, and the updated Find My Device is almost ready.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of some of the many things that have happened around Android over the past week (and you can find the weekly roundup of Apple news here).

Samsung is titanium

According to the latest rumors, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S24 phones will have a new material. The South Korean company is preparing to add titanium to the mix for its flagship smartphones:

“It is expected that the Ultra will follow Apple’s lead in using a titanium chassis. This will not have a significant impact on weight, in fact, the new model is expected to be 1g lighter at 233g. Of course this is a shift from aluminum to titanium, while iPhone Pros will lose weight as they are switching from heavier stainless steel.”

(Arena GSM).

Keeping the Pixel 8 Pro trendy

As the launch of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro approaches, attention is turning to the benefits of Google’s newly developed Tensor G3 chipset. A new manufacturing technique is expected to address one of the main criticisms leveled at the Pixel 7 family:

“Part of the solution to solving the problem will likely come from using Samsung Foundry’s FO-WLP packaging process during fabrication. Multiple sources report the use of fan wafer-level processing for the Tensor G3. This should reduce heat generation when placed under load. and to run more efficiently at other times. In practice, this should make the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro run at lower temperatures for longer, exactly what you’d be looking for in the next smartphone by Google.

(Forbes).

Pixel 8 camera software

Google has updated its Camera app to version 9. Notably, this app is only intended for Pixel 9 devices (although enterprising programmers can see it running on other devices). Since this is an Android 14-only app, you have to risk being in the beta program or wait for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro to launch to see what’s planned:

“As always, Google limits its Camera app to Pixel devices. Additionally, Google Camera 9.0 will officially only work on Android 14. Therefore, the only way to try Google Camera 9.0 is to register your Pixel smartphone on the Android 14 Beta program, which It is currently on Android 14 Beta 5.3. However, Android 14 is expected to reach stable state this month for Pixel smartphones or at the latest in early October.

(Checking the notebook).

Pixel Watch 2 specifications confirmed

Google’s teaser video of the Pixel Watch 2, which launched alongside the Pixel 8 family, not only confirmed Mountain View’s next wearable, but some of the specs we can expect were also seen on the back of the watch:

“You’ll find the array of sensors on the back of the watch. Last year’s watch featured ECG electrodes on the outside and the standard optical sensor to detect heart rate and blood/oxygen levels. These can be seen in the Pixel Watch 2 , albeit in a smaller configuration. The Pixel Watch 2 is also expected to come with continuous electrodermal activity, and the redesigned sensors appear to support this technology. Finally, you can see that the Pixel Watch 2 has an IP68 rating.

(Forbes).

An early phone from HMD Global

HMD Global brought the Nokia name back to the smartphone market, but now the company is ready to launch its own HMD-branded devices alongside the Nokia-branded phones it built the company on:

“On Monday, HMD Global CEO Jean-Francois Baril announced on Linkedin that the company will expand its portfolio with a new HMD brand that will coexist alongside Nokia phones and collaborations with exciting new partners that are yet to be disclosed. No information has been given about new HMD products, nor any hint about a potential release date.

(The limit).

Surface duo at the end of the line

While Microsoft talked about additional search software that will appear on the Surface Duo, the announced window for Android updates and security patches ran out this week.

“Going forward, Microsoft will no longer provide new OS updates or security patches for the original Surface Duo, which means that Android 12L will be the last OS version it officially receives. The Surface Duo has only received two major updates operating system, one less than the average of the three that most high-end Android devices get these days.

(Windows Central).

Nothing on September 26th

Nothing Tech has announced an event for September 26th under the CMF By Nothing banner. This follows previous leaks that suggested a smartwatch, wireless earbuds, and a portable charger were in development and close to release:

“Nothing India Vice President & General Manager Manu Sharma announced on . The vice president of Nothing India is making the announcement suggests that the show will take place in India and that the products announced may be exclusive to that area.”

(Android Authority).

And finally…

The update to Google’s Find My Device hardware location service, unveiled at the I/O Developer event earlier this year, has reached beta status and is now available in the Google Play Store.

“Looking ahead, we are awaiting the launch of the Find My Device network, whose summer launch was delayed so Apple could add protections to iOS.”

(9to5Google).

Android Circuit rounds up news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any articles in the future and, of course, read the sister column in Apple Loop! You can find Android Circuit from the last few weeks here and if you have news and links you would like to see featured in Android Circuit, contact us!