🥶 Good morning! This is one of those days where you question why you live in a place that hurts your face when you go outside…

Android apps on Windows 11 almost here

• Finally one of the big features of Windows 11 is actually coming to Windows 11: native Android apps support, seemingly as part of the first big update to the new OS.

The rollout continues:

• You’ll recall last year, Microsoft announced that Windows 11 users would be able to natively access Android apps on PCs.
• The oddity was that this would happen through a PC-based version of the Amazon Appstore, but so be it. This would be interesting.
• Anyway, Windows 11 dropped in October last year, and there’s been only limited beta-testing of the native Android app feature since then.
• And many people, including me, were critical of that wait.
• But now all is forgotten: Microsoft is saying it will start with a “public preview” of the Android apps feature, which means it’s still in testing and you can expect limitations and bugs.
• In theory, though, we’re closer than ever.
• Panos Panay, Chief Product Officer, Windows + Devices, said: “Next month we’re bringing new experiences to Windows that include a public preview of how you can use Android apps on Windows 11 through the Microsoft Store and our partnerships with Amazon and Intel, taskbar improvements with call mute and unmute, easier window sharing and bringing weather to the taskbar, plus the introduction of two new redesigned apps, Notepad and Media Player.”

Which apps?

• There are reportedly 50 or so “curated apps” that beta testers can officially run via the Amazon Appstore at the moment.
• That said, sideloading Android APKs is also possible and working well, from reports.
• It’s definitely a hassle, though.

Roundup

• 👉 This could be our first look at Lenovo’s new Legion gaming phone: The Legion Phone 3 might have a laughable 18GB of RAM (Android Authority).
• 🏆 Ranked: The worst phone processor fails of all time (Android Authority).
• 💵 iPhones will soon accept contactless payments directly, says report. No Square reader required! (The Verge).
• 💵 Samsung sets revenue records with stronger product sales (The Verge).
• 🎮 Valve confirms Steam Deck shipment, review dates: By the end of February, though not exactly widely available if you missed pre-ordering (Android Authority).
• 💰 Tesla hails its second profitable year as a ‘breakthrough’, becoming a real cash positive company without needing the sales of regulatory credits, too. Musk said: “We will not be introducing new vehicle models this year. It wouldn’t make sense.” and “I would be shocked if we do not achieve Full Self-Driving safer than a human this year. I would be shocked.” That’s really interesting phrasing. (The Verge).
• 📈 iPhones out-sell all other smartphones in China in the final quarter of 2021 (Notebookcheck).
• 😂 Amazon has disbanded the Twitter army it paid to tweet about how great Amazon is (The Verge).
• 📺 LG’s latest announcement with a new offering to advertisers solidifies everything wrong with smart TVs: guarantees on outcomes with connected TV ad buys meaning a lot of metrics and datapoints via your TV (Gizmodo).
• 💉 Spotify says it will remove Neil Young’s music instead of dropping Joe Rogan (Ars Technica).
• 🎮 Pokémon Legends: Arceus reviews are calling it the franchise’s best (and messiest) entry in years (Kotaku).
• 📦 Boston Dynamics’ most boring robot is getting a sensible job unloading trucks at DHL warehouses (The Verge).
• 👉 Crytek confirms a new Crysis game is in development (Engadget).
• ⚖ Intel won an EU case dating back to 2009, which seems like it’ll save the company $1.43 billion (Reuters).
• 🐠 Scientists are tinkering with clouds to save the Great Barrier Reef (Wired).
• 😬 Oh boy, there’s a trainwreck unfolding on Reddit in the r/antiwork subreddit, which was seemingly going well in exposing both exploitation and a bunch of unfair work practices and helping people better understand fair workplaces, after one of the moderators unwisely went on Fox News. Catch up here (r/OutOfTheLoop). Seems people are migrating to r/workreform.
• 🤔 “ELI5: What are those little black dots that surround my windshield?” (r/explainlikeimfive).

Throwback Thursday

On Jan 29 back in 2014, Google announced it would sell Motorola to Lenovo for $2.91 billion, less than three years after it bought the company for $12.5 billion. Sounds tough right? Well, maybe not.

• Google sold off Motorola’s cable modem and set-top box business for $2.35 billion.
• Motorola at the time of acquisition had $3 billion in cash and $1 billion in tax credits, as well.
• And the patent portfolio it acquired seems like it had riches: Even when Google sold to Lenovo, it did retain the “Advanced Technologies & Projects unit” as part of Android, and retained IP.
• The official press release at the time said “Google will maintain ownership of the vast majority of the Motorola Mobility patent portfolio, including current patent applications and invention disclosures.”
• And even though Motorola lost hundreds of millions every quarter it was part of Google, the tax benefits were substantial: reported at $700M a year in deductions.
• It still doesn’t strike me as one of Google’s best moves, and it took Google years to get back to releasing ultra-competitive devices like the Pixel 6 series.

Have a good one! Tristan Rayner, Senior Editor.