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, Disney rolls out Hulu content, Pixel 9 could get three variants for the first time, S24 gets a surprise update, Vivo launches new foldables, and Pixel 8 finally gets Gemini Nano.
Disney Plus made some big moves
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Earlier this week (Mar.27), Disney Plus announced that Bundle subscribers in the U.S. will now get access to Hulu's content on the platform. This merger makes it seamless for users to watch all their content in one app rather than switching back and forth. If users aren't subscribed to the bundle, they can find Hulu's content available via "upsell options" across multiple devices at an added $2 monthly.
Disney Plus also wanted to make the merger visually evident, so it's launching a new campaign, starting off with a new logo. The company states the rollout will include a new Disney Plus intro color palette that mixes Hulu's green with the legacy blue.
Joe Earley, president of direct-to-consumer at Disney Entertainment, said, "[the] official launch of Hulu on Disney+ gives viewers even more opportunities to easily discover and enjoy thousands of titles all in one place, underscoring the extraordinary value of the Disney Bundle."
Three Pixel 9 models?
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Google could launch the Pixel 9 series with three variants—Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL—a first for Google.
A recent leak revealed renderings of the alleged true base Pixel 9 device. The leaks suggest that the Pixel 9 will sport a smaller 6.03-inch display, with 152.8 x 71.9 x 8.5mm dimensions and a potential 12mm bump due to its camera placement.
The upcoming series could showcase a horizontal camera array for a pill-shaped look, similar to the Pixel Fold, and will arrive with two cameras like its previous model. The post adds the Pixel 9 may offer a completely flat display with four rounded corners around its frame.
There's more: in January, a batch of images leaked and were touted as the base Pixel 9, but information now suggests that it was the Pixel 9 Pro with a 6.1-inch flat display. At the same time, some more images of the device leaked, but OnLeaks claims that those were of a third model: the "Pixel 9 Pro XL," and not the Pro model.
Surprise, surprise! Some S24 users get a new update
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The April update rolled out earlier than usual on March 27 for Galaxy S24 users. It brings security patches and bug fixes, including fixes for some of the Galaxy S24 series' persistent camera issues.
Android Central confirmed that the U.S. version of the April 2024 update brings Instant Slow-Mo support to videos with a 480x480 resolution, as noted in international versions of the update. That said, confirmation of other camera improvements was not specifically mentioned in the changelog.
The 818MB update vaguely mentions improved stability, reliability, and security with the April patch.
To check if your Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphone has received the over-the-air April 2024 security patch, open the settings app and navigate to the software update page. If it appears, start downloading the update — which can range from about 600MB to 900MB, depending on your region. After the update downloads, follow the on-screen prompts to install it on your device.
Vivo's latest foldables are here
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Vivo launched its latest foldables in China this week, the X Fold 3 and X Fold 3 Pro. Both foldables have the same 6.53-inch outer panel and 8.03-inch inner panel. The devices have 120Hz AMOLED screens on the inside and out. The X Fold 3 is the thinnest foldable around, thanks to its 4.65mm profile when unfolded and weighing only 219g—making it the thinnest foldable in the market. The X Fold 3 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and it has a trio of 50MP cameras at the back, with 80W charging tech.
The X Fold 3 Pro is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and features Vivo's custom V3 imaging module. It has an OmniVision 50MP main camera, a 50MP wide-angle lens, and a 64MP telephoto lens with OIS.
It still remains unclear when these phones will make a global debut. Vivo hasn't detailed an international rollout just yet, but we should have more details over the next few weeks.
Pixel 8 users can breathe A(I) sigh of relief
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Google announced that Gemini Nano will be available to Pixel 8 users as a developer preview in the next Pixel Feature Drop. This new update brings two handy features: Summarize in Recorder and Smart Reply in Gboard. Google initially stated that Gemini Nano won't be available for the regular Pixel 8; however, they've had a change of heart.
Following numerous requests from users and developers ever since the Pixel 8 Pro became the pioneer smartphone to receive Gemini Nano last year, they wanted to give users and developers a chance to experiment with Gemini Nano in hopes of gathering feedback.
If you own a Pixel 8 or 8 Pro, the next update will include two new features: the auto-summarization feature in the Recorder app and the Smart Reply feature in Gboard.
Those were some of the biggest stories this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:
- Google explains the Pixel 8's seven years of software updates
- Chromebooks are about to change in a massive way
- The Meta Quest 3 is more powerful than we originally thought
- I'm never wearing a smartwatch to sleep again
- Samsung brings back a battery feature it previously removed
- The 3-2-1 backup rule is broken — here's how I safeguard my data
- Three Google Map updates to help you prep for your next vacation
- Shopping gets seamless as Google rolls out new tools
- Humane's new AI Pin to work with Google Photos and Contacts
- YouTube's latest experiment lets you jump to the best part of a video
