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Welcome to the 471st edition of Android Apps Weekly. Here are the big headlines from the last week:
- Microsoft had a big event this week where they announced that Bing was getting ChatGPT support. The addition of AI tools into the mix is kind of a big deal, so much so that competitors took note. The event went off pretty well and Microsoft has a decent product on its hands. We don’t know if this whole AI trend will continue, but it’s definitely started.
- Google also announced an AI system in response to Microsoft’s system. It’s Bard, an AI powered bot that lives in Google Search. The event wasn’t Google’s best, and it lost more than $100 billion in market value after the event showed Bard giving bad answers to questions. The AI wars have begun, and so far, Microsoft is doing better than Google.
- Google also announced a bunch of updates coming to various apps, including Maps, Search, Lens, and Translate. There’s too much information to write about here, so click the link to check it out. One of the changes is Google blurring out NSFW content in Google Search, though, to help users avoid accidentally coming into contact with explicit imagery.
- A new PlayStation Vita emulator is coming to Android soon. It’s Vita3K, and it launches this weekend. We’ll talk more about it in next week’s Android Apps Weekly when we get to play with it, but we do know some details. You’ll need to install it manually, as it won’t be in Google Play right away. It also supports 400 games at this time. We’ll keep you posted with more details.
- Android 14’s first developer preview launched this week. It includes several changes, including better accessibility features, new privacy features, and more. After some digging, it’s come to light that Android 14 may also let you clone apps and uninstall bloatware easier than ever before. Hit the links to learn more, and we’ll tell you more about it as Android 14’s development continues.
Match War
Price: Free to play
Match War is a match-three puzzle game with a competitive element. Players match symbols to send attacks at their opponents while their opponents do the same. It helps add a bit of action to the otherwise typical match three puzzle experience. The game includes a single player mode, online PvP, a tower mode, and some other stuff. There are also 50 weapons along with a castle that players can build and customize. It’s obviously not for everybody, but it has that short play charm to it where you can play it for five minutes and put it down and go back to your day. It’s not half bad, although it’ll be better once the developers fix some early bugs, like the occasional loading issues.
Infinity for Reddit+
Price: $4.99
Infinity for Reddit isn’t a new app, but this premium version is. The original Infinity for Reddit is one of the better third-party Reddit apps for Android, and we expect the premium version to be the same. The free version is actually the same as the premium version, with the premium version being entirely optional for folks who want to support the developer. Both versions of the app come with multi-account support, lazy scrolling, a clean UI, and plenty of other Reddit-focused features. You technically don’t need the premium version, but it does help development.
Tiny Auto Shop 2
Price: Free to play
Tiny Auto Shop is a business simulator where you open your own car shop. The goal is to fix up cars for your customers and earn as much money as you can while doing it. Players not only manage the garage and fix up cars, but also hire staff, manage their staff, upgrade the business to include more things, and more. The core gameplay mechanic has you selecting where cars go as they go from the mechanic shop to the car wash, and out the door. It’s a fun little puzzle sim, and it should get better over time.
Maya Icon Pack
Price: $1.99
Maya Icon Pack is, well, an icon pack. It offers over 2,700 icons and includes support for most popular launchers with icon pack support, like Nova Launcher. The icons feature a not-quite-iOS style with rounded squares, muted colors, colorful gradients, and clean lines. The app also comes with 51 wallpapers and alternate icons. The developer promises consistent updates and vows to add more and more icons as people request them. It’s not bad for its price, and although theming is a personal preference sort of thing, we think they look nice.
Shadow Slayer: The Dark Impact
Price: Free to play
Shadow Slayer: The Dark Impact is a hack-n-slash action RPG with a decent amount of action. The game uses 2D, side-scrolling combat as its main draw with lots of violence. Players complete levels, fight massive bosses, and try to get three stars in each level by completing various challenges. We quite like the aesthetic with this one. The black and red color palette with the smooth combat make for a decently satisfying experience. Of course, you get the usual stuff like character progression, upgrades, and all of that to keep up. It needs some optimizing, but it’s a good start.
If we missed any Android apps or games releases, tell us about them in the comments.
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