⚡ Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 239th edition here with Pixel Tablet connectivity specs, a look at that huge Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover screen, ASUS Rog Phone 7 leaks, ASUS’ Steam Deck competitor, and a Furby world takeover.

🐰 Happy Easter to you if you’re celebrating this weekend. I’m planning on enjoying the long weekend with Easter Sunday lunch and lots of chocolate eggs, of course.

Popular news this week

Google:

• Google Pixel Tablet passes through FCC showing off key connectivity spec.
• Google could pull an Apple, let you take phone calls on your Android tablet.
• Google Search adds new travel features to save on flights and hotels.
• Google Drive rolls back new file limit that was locking some users out: turns out it was rolled out to preserve system stability and optimize performance.
• Also: Google is finally pulling the plug on the Google Now Launcher.
• Plus: Google Play improves data safety by requiring apps to let users delete data.
• And Android’s ‘Find My Device’ could soon work even if your phone is off.
• In other news: Personal loan apps will get less predatory with this Google Play policy change.

Samsung:

• Samsung could unveil its next-gen Galaxy SmartTag and Galaxy Buds 3 this year.
• The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is getting a huge cover screen, and here’s what it looks like.
• The Galaxy S23 series is a sales hit, and the S23 Ultra is leading the charge.
• Meanwhile, a crazy rumor points to Galaxy S24 series regaining Exynos power, though Samsung has a multi-year deal to use Snapdragon chips.
• Speaking of, Samsung is all-in on Snapdragon for now, but it just signed a new AMD deal.
• And Galaxy Tab S9 Plus leak gives us our first look at Samsung’s next tablet, with a similar design philosophy to the Galaxy S23 series.
• And here’s everything we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9.
• We also saw Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra specs leak with a chipset upgrade and an IP68 rating.
• Also: Samsung ends update support for the Galaxy S10 series and more.
• Plus: New Peloton app finally brings missing convenience features to the Galaxy Watch.
• And Galaxy Watch 6 tipped to bring bigger displays and smaller bezels.

Oppo & OnePlus:

• Last week we reported on OPPO’s and OnePlus’ UK and Europe exit: OPPO has denied exiting the UK and Europe, later noting it’s only temporarily halting business in Germany due to legal action by Nokia.
• New OnePlus Nord brings 108MP camera and a juicy battery under $400.
• And the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite could release in the US as the OnePlus Nord N30.

Apple:

• Your cheap Android phone might be better than the iPhone 16 in this area: We might need to wait until the iPhone 17 in 2025 for Apple’s base iPhones to get 120Hz screens.
• Apple reportedly ordering fewer M2 chips as MacBook demand falters.
• And iOS 17 rumored to feature ‘major’ changes to iPhone’s Control Center.

Motorola:

• And it looked like the next Motorola Razr might have a laughably small battery of just 2,850mAh, but FCC listing confirms dual-cell battery with a total capacity of 2,640mAh and 33W fast charging.
• Mighty Motorola Edge 40 Pro is here, and Motorola hints it might come to the US.
• And Motorola Edge 40 leak reveals four different colorways.
• Plus: Motorola Moto G Power 5G (2023) has 5G support for the first time.

Social media:

• Blue badge, who cares? The New York Times says it won’t pay for the Twitter verified check mark.
• Twitter posts the code it claims determines which tweets people see, and why.
• More Twitter drama: Twitter puts “US state-affiliated media” tag on NPR‘s account, suggests it’s accessory to US government.
• And Australia becomes latest country to ban TikTok on federal government devices.

Space:

• Mathematicians find an infinity of possible black hole shapes.
• Speaking of, there’s a black hole pointed at Earth, but you’re not in danger.
• Meet the first four Artemis 2 astronauts who’ll fly around the Moon and back.
• Also: Virgin Orbit files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US after it’s unable to secure funding.
• Plus: Hype grows for SpaceX’s Starship orbital flight test, but barriers remain, with April 10 as tentative launch date.

AI:

• Finally: Google finally confirms that an AI chatbot is coming to Search. But when?
• ChatGPT is already banned in one country as Italy cites privacy and data collection concerns.
• Chinese creators use Midjourney’s AI to generate retro urban “photography,” and the results are convincing.
• And Meta shares AI model that can detect objects it hasn’t seen before.
• Also: Samsung execs find employees intentionally giving company secrets to ChatGPT.
• Plus: Here are the takeaways from Stanford’s 386-page report on the state of AI.

Elsewhere: 

• Finally! Nearby Share is now available for sharing files between Android and Windows, though not available in Europe yet.
• Vivo X Flip real-world image appears online: A Galaxy-beating cover display? Plus, we also saw plenty of specs.
• The Xiaomi 13 Ultra could be the next camera king with this camera setup, and it’s launching soon, will come to global markets.
• And ASUS ROG Phone 7 leak reveals a very familiar design, and we’ve got everything you need to know before its launch next week.
• Microsoft put Bing Chat in your keyboard, so you can Chat while you chat.
• The big sound-off continues: Should you still buy a phone with a headphone jack in 2023?
• Wear OS 3 could be coming to these Mobvoi TicWatch smartwatches soon.
• Paris votes to ban e-scooters, thanks to a mounting number of injuries involving the mode of transport.
• Jury reduces Tesla’s $137 million racism lawsuit penalty to $3.2 million.
• You should recycle your old electronics, and now Best Buy is making it easy with new mail-in system.
• And sparkly rock in museum turns out to be 60-million-year-old dinosaur egg.
• Finally: Peanut allergies may be treatable with mRNA-based medicine.

Movies/TV

• Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves booted John Wick from the top box office spot with a $38.5 million opening weekend across the US and Canada.
• The Super Mario Bros’ Movie debuted on Wednesday and reviews are in: Eurogamer says, “If you’ve played any Mario game (especially Mario Kart) in the past 30 years, you’ll feel the warm glow of familiarity from the film’s never-ending nods, references and Easter eggs to Nintendo lore,” while Nintendo Life calls it, “A fun ride that substitutes story for spectacle.”
• Mashable rounds up the best movies out of SXSW 2023 and where to watch them.
• Check out our roundup of this week’s best new streaming movies, including sports comedy 80 for Brady and Netflix original Chupa.
• Enjoying The Night Agent? Here are eight similar shows to check out.
• Want to sideload apps on your Android TV? We show you several ways to do it.
• And Warner Bros. nears deal for seven-season Harry Potter online series.
• Plus: It turns out only 37% of Americans who started streaming The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power finished the series.
• Eek: Five Nights at Freddy’s to debut simultaneously in theaters and on Peacock on October 27.
• Also: Canceled HBO Originals re-emerge on Roku, including Westworld and The Nevers.

Gaming: 

• Turns out ASUS’s Steam Deck competitor is real and preorders are going live soon, though price and availability have not yet been revealed.
• Speaking of handhelds, a new PlayStation handheld has leaked, but you might be disappointed.
• And Sony files patent for a controller that can change temperature and deform.
• In case you missed it: The best (and worst) April Fools’ jokes in gaming for 2023.
• What went wrong with E3? And can it come back?
• Vampire Survivors won best game at the 2023 BAFTA Game Awards, beating out God of War: Ragnarök, Elden Ring, and others.
• Meanwhile, Naughty Dog acknowledged glitches in the PC release of The Last of Us, with major patches in the works.
• Suffering from insomnia? Take a look inside the cozy but creepy world of VR sleep rooms.
• Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster brings 1 through 6 to PS4 on April 19.
• And God of War Ragnarok’s huge New Game Plus update out now on PS5, PS4, lets you carry over certain progress and items from completed playthrough into new one.
• Also: Google Stadia head Phil Harrison has left the company.

Reviews

• Google Pixel Buds Pro vs Pixel Buds A-Series: Which buds are best? (Android Authority).
• Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Galaxy Buds 2 vs Galaxy Buds Live: In-depth comparison (Android Authority).
• Acer Aspire 5 (2022) Review: “A solid laptop let down by the battery life and lacklustre screen” (Trusted Reviews).
• Netgear Nighthawk M6 Mobile Hotspot review: “The Netgear Nighthawk M6 Mobile Hotspot is a breeze to set up and you can even add an external antenna for greater range” (Tom’s Guide).
• AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D review: faster than 13900K and 7950X3D for gaming? “The 5800X3D follow-up takes on the Intel and AMD flagships in a three-way shootout for the gaming crown” (Eurogamer).

Features

• AI is taking over the world, but I’m not ready for it: “A quintessentially millennial rave and rant about AI, large language models, and the feeling of being overwhelmed” (Android Authority).
• OnePlus won me back with the 11R; too bad most of you can’t buy it: “It’s been a hot minute since OnePlus struck the perfect balance of design, performance, imaging and most importantly, value” (Android Authority).
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra camera shootout: Which phone claims #1? (Android Authority).
• How a Victorian prince’s lawsuit shaped today’s TikTok debate: “An 1849 case in England set a precedent for how policymakers frame data privacy. It can also help us see the hollowness of US lawmakers’ appeals” (Wired).
• How the youngest female inventor changed the glow-in-the-dark market (The Hustle).
• A tiny blog took on big surveillance in China — and won: “Digging through manuals for security cameras, a group of gearheads found sinister details and ignited a new battle in the US-China tech war” (Wired).

Weekly Wonder

This week we’re loving Microsoft’s new, more sustainable Xbox Wireless Controller — it’s better for the planet, and it looks pretty good too.

• With Earth Day right around the corner on Saturday, April 22, it’s a great time to grab a more eco-friendly controller for your Xbox.
• One-third of the Remix Special Edition Controller is made from “regrind and reclaimed material.”
• Regrind is raw material created by mechanically recycling Xbox One controller parts. This material can then be used in the creation of new controllers.
• The controllers are also made with post-consumer recycled resins from things like CDs, plastic water jugs, and even car headlight covers. Pretty neat.
• Each controller has its own unique look and feel. As Microsoft explains, the combination of recycled resins and regrind provides “custom, earth-tone colors with subtle variations, swirling, markings, and texturing.”
• This Special Edition controller was inspired by natural landscapes, with the bright green taking inspiration from the lichen found in the Pacific Northwest Forest.
• An eco-friendly controller needs planet-friendly power, so wave bye-bye to landfill-clogging disposable batteries and hello to an included rechargeable battery pack that lets you recharge while playing or once you’re done.
• Each full charge takes around four hours, giving you up to 30 hours of gaming time.
• Pre-orders for the controller open April 18, and it’ll set you back $84.99.
• The only question is, which of the best Xbox Series X/S games are you going to play first? Why not check out some of the best Xbox indie games, like Hollow Knight or Firewatch?

Tech Calendar

• April 13 @ 8 AM EDT: ROG Phone 7 launches
• May 5: Hogwarts Legacy lands on PS4 and Xbox
• May 9: HUAWEI Mate X3 and P60 series Europe launch
• May 10: Google I/O 2023
• June 5: Apple WWDC (Reality One or Reality Pro mixed-reality headset?)
• June 8: Summer Game Fest
• June 11: Xbox Games Showcase
• June 12: Ubisoft event

Tech Tweet of the Week

Something extra: April Fools’ came and went, but here’s a wonderful poem about screens.

Have an egg-cellent Easter break!

Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.