News Weekly is our column where we highlight and summarize some of the week's top stories so you can catch up on the latest tech news.
This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
This week, Apple is on Google's side against the DOJ's "extreme" proposal, we interview a OnePlus design executive about the OnePlus 13, Samsung is reportedly cutting down its foldable shipments in 2025, the next Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses may get some interesting upgrades, and One UI 7 may copy a handy feature from Apple.
Apple comes to Google's rescue
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Google is under threat from a DOJ proposal to break up its business by potentially selling Chrome and halting Search distribution deals with companies like Apple. However, not if Apple has anything to say about it.
The company stepped in this week with a declaration to defend its right to seek distribution deals with Google and others, ultimately supporting Google after the search giant was ruled to be an illegal monopoly. Apple argued that the deal not only proves lucrative for Apple through revenue sharing but it also ensures its customers get the best experience on Safari by making Google Search the default.
Apple also argues that the DOJ wrongly assumes it will develop a search engine, which it has stated it's not interested in doing. Apple says it isn't worth its time to try to compete with Google in search, and it ultimately has no interest in spending the money, time, and resources on doing so.
This could prove to be a pivotal move after Google presented a proposal of its own to counter the DOJ's "extreme" remedies.
The OnePlus 13 design, explained
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The OnePlus 13 global launch is right around the corner, and Android Central's Harish Jonnalagadda had a chance to speak with Ryan Ruan, OnePlus's head of industrial design, about the upcoming flagship.
Ruan explained the company's choice to move to a flatter design after sticking to curvy panels for so long. The decision ultimately came down to durability, as the dual-curved edges made phones more susceptible to damage if the device was ever dropped. Even so, that shouldn't result in a less comfortable phone, as OnePlus went through many different iterations, with the goal being "for the transition surfaces to better conform to the natural curve of the user's palm while also providing a secure grip," Ruan said.
OnePlus also worked for over a year on the microfiber leather to ensure it was comfortable and durable. And speaking of durability, you won't find Gorilla Glass on the OnePlus 13, but a custom Ceramic Guard solution, which Ruan says delivers "superior drop protection and scratch resistance."
Be sure to check out the interview for more on the OnePlus 13 design. The phone is set to launch on January 7 alongside the OnePlus 13R.
Samsung may not be that confident in its 2025 foldables
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Samsung's hold on the foldable market may be weakening. A report from ETNews reveals that Samsung may have adjusted its shipments for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 to a total of 5 million units in 2025, down a few million compared to 2024. The reason?
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 were great phones, but they were also fairly iterative upgrades, and lower-than-expected sales may have caused the company to reevaluate its foldable strategy in 2025.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S25 series will apparently see an increase in shipments, with more than 37 million units expected to ship. This figure includes the rumored Galaxy S25 Slim, which the report notes is expected to ship roughly 3 million units.
Curiously, this report doesn't mention anything about additional foldable models, with Samsung expected to reveal a sequel to the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition. According to Android Authority, the latest One UI 7 beta has revealed model numbers for Samsung's 2025 foldable lineup, which apparently includes the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition 2 (or whatever it's called).
Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses may get a huge upgrade for 2025
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Meta seems determined to make smart glasses a thing, something even Google couldn't do. After the success of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, the company may be planning some notable upgrades for the next model.
Per Financial Times, Meta is expected to drop the new glasses during the second half of 2025, and it seems quite possible that the glasses may sport a display. This would be used to show text, like notifications, as well as images and possibly responses from the Meta AI assistant.
The new glasses will be designed by Meta's partner, EssilorLuxottica, although there's not much information on the wearables.
Meta has been working on AR glasses, as evidenced by the Project Orion prototype it showed us earlier this year. Putting a display on the next-generation Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses would bring the company closer to fully realizing its goal, although the Orion glasses are likely still years away.
One UI 7 may borrow a fun feature from Apple
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The One UI 7 beta is well underway, and we continue to discover more features. Android Authority spotted a Camera Continuity feature in the beta, which seems similar to the Apple feature of the same name.
In the Continue on other devices setting, Camera Continuity is described as allowing users to "Take pictures and scan documents or handwriting on your phone or tablet, then continue working on them on another device such as a tablet or computer."
This sounds almost exactly like Apple's description for the Camera Continuity feature on iPhones, minus the webcam capability. Still, even if it's a blatant copy of the feature, it's sure to be a useful addition to One UI 7, which is expected to appear with the Galaxy S25 series and roll out to other phones/tablets later on.
More stories this week
Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:
- Google TV sneaks in dozens of new free channels for you to skip over
- Android Auto rolls out fixes for stuttering audio and error messages
- Gemini's Deep Research feature is available across more languages and regions
- Leak purports the specs for Nothing's next trio of rumored phones
- Here's another glimpse at what the Galaxy S25 probably looks like
- The OnePlus Open 2 might launch much later than we hoped
- New Gemini feature will help you sift through long PDFs
- The Dimensity 8400 is MediaTek's first mid-range chip to go all-in on big CPU cores
- Google Drive now lets you play videos right after uploading them
- Samsung could show off Galaxy Ring 2 and AR Smart Glasses at Unpacked 2025
