The Weekly Authority: 😲 Top Pixel Fold Model Sells Out in US

⚡ Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 246th edition here, with the top Pixel Fold model selling out in the US, a rather nasty trick to make your Pixel 7 fingerprint scanner more reliable, a OnePlus 12 leak, Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 rumors, everything you missed from Sony’s PlayStation Showcase, and that fake Pentagon explosion.

🍰 Happy Memorial Day weekend! I’ve spent the week desperately trying to consume all the cupcakes and brownies I baked last weekend before they go off, while also replaying Uncharted 4. It’s a hard life!

Popular news this week

Google:

• Uhoh: The top Pixel Fold model is sold out in the US.
• Google Pixel Watch factory images are available now, but there’s a big catch.
• The latest update to Bard brings images from Google Search.
• This nasty trick makes the Pixel 7 fingerprint scanner more reliable.
• Wear OS 4 prepares to color your smartwatches with an Android 12 feature.
• And Google is working on a new Gboard feature to make typing on the Pixel Fold so much better.
• Elsewhere, physical keyboards could become more useful on Android 14 tablets.
• Here’s what Android 14’s new partial screen recording for a single app looks like.
• Meanwhile, Google is testing Steam on cheap Chromebooks.
• Also: Google is killing a stolen YouTube feature.
• Plus: Android 14 beta 2 gets a point upgrade to squash some bugs, next full beta should land in June.

Samsung:

• Samsung just revealed the ultimate smartphone screen, plus announced a Rollable Flex screen that could come in handy as a portable monitor.
• And Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic renders leak: The rotating bezel is back.
• Samsung’s monopoly on the fastest Snapdragon chip might be over.

OPPO & OnePlus:

• OnePlus 12 leak spills specs, launch window details, and a camera upgrade is most definitely on the cards.
• This special edition OnePlus 11 is leaving China and getting a new name.

Motorola:

• Motorola Razr 40 Ultra might get different name in US, very fancy cover display.
• And Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is shown in full detail in leaked promo video.
• And the Motorola Razr Plus leaked on retailer site ahead of launch.
• Also: Fresh Motorola Razr 40 Ultra leak reveals everything, including price.

Nothing:

• The Nothing Phone 2 will have a bigger battery than the Phone 1.

Apple:

• Apple’s WWDC 2023 event set for June 5: Here’s what we expect.
• While we wait for iPhone 15, here’s the first iPhone 16 Ultra leak.
• A software update might be making Apple Watches green around the gills.
• Also: Apple rumored to adopt another Pixel feature on iPhones.

Microsoft:

• Microsoft beats Google by integrating an AI assistant straight into its OS, available for preview from next month.
• And Microsoft opens the door to allow more Android apps on Windows 11.
• Don’t pay for WinRAR! Windows 11 will soon support RAR files.

Social media:

• European watchdog fines Meta $1.3 billion over privacy violations.
• TikTok filed a lawsuit challenging Montana’s statewide ban, alleging it violates First Amendment and other laws.
• Twitter bug seems to be randomly restoring deleted tweets, though mostly affecting batch-deleted tweets.

Space:

• Future space food could be made from astronaut breath as NASA asks companies to develop the next generation of space food.
• How NASA plans to melt the Moon — and build on Mars: “Scientists are testing ways to construct buildings on Mars and the moon without hauling materials from Earth. One possible solution: 3D printed melted regolith.”
• Virgin Galactic completes its final VSS Unity flight test before space tourism debut.

AI:

• Is ChatGPT not working for you? Here’s how you can try to fix it.
• ChatGPT iOS app expands to over 40 countries.
• And ChatGPT upgraded with Bing search data to give chatbot real-time knowledge.
• “Verified” Twitter accounts spread AI-generated hoax of Pentagon explosion.
• And people could be ‘harmed or killed’ by AI without action, says former Google CEO.
• Meanwhile, Adobe adds generative AI editing to Photoshop: The new “generative fill” tool can be used to add or remove objects, change backgrounds, and more.
• This new AI tool will summarize YouTube videos for you in seconds.
• Also: Google will soon show you AI-generated ads.
• And this experimental AI app will let you turn your ideas into music.
• Finally: Opera takes on Edge by adding its own browser AI.

Elsewhere: 

• ASUS accidentally leaks ZenFone 10’s pricing.
• What cap? Xiaomi is reporting huge profit numbers.
• China hits back, bans chips from US company.
• Speaking of chips, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 isn’t out but we’ve already got Snapdragon Gen 4 rumors.
• NVIDIA GPUs are coming to Chromebooks for the first time ever.
• Amazon launches the Fire Max 11, its biggest and most powerful tablet ever.
• And we saw the first price drop of 2023 on the top-rated Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones.
• Uhoh: Android phones can be unlocked in minutes using $15 equipment and new attack.
• DoorDash lawsuit alleges iPhone users are being charged more than Android users.
• You can finally edit WhatsApp messages, with one major limitation.
• And Whatsapp may soon introduce usernames, so you can message people without their phone number.
• Elon Musk’s Neuralink finally gets FDA approval for human testing.
• Hypersensitive robot hand is eerily human in how it can feel things.
• Speaking of: Apptronik readies its humanoid robot for a summer unveil.

Movies/TV

• Which of this week’s best streaming shows will you be watching? American Born Chinese on Disney Plus looks worth checking out!
• We’ve also got this week’s best streaming movies, including Shazam! Fury of the Gods and feature-length documentary Victim/Suspect.
• HBO Max became Max on Tuesday, adding tons of fresh 4K content, but the rebrand seems to have broken logins through YouTube TV.
• Paramount Plus joins the trend of rising subscription prices.
• And if you said you’d cancel Netflix before paying for account sharing, time is up.
• Meanwhile, Amazon Prime Video mocks Netflix for new password sharing restrictions.
• Elsewhere, MoviePass relaunches nationwide with a new pricing model in time for Memorial Day weekend: Plans start at $10/month for three movies per month and go up to $40 for up to 30 movies.
• If you’d rather listen than watch, we’ve rounded up the best podcasts for women, from comedy to health and more.
• Also: The new Barbie trailer is here and it’s stranger than you expected.
• Finally: Mashable‘s got 50 films you absolutely must see this summer, from Hypnotic to The Boogeyman.

Gaming: 

• PlayStation confirms it’s working on a handheld, but not the one you hoped for, with a planned mid to late-November launch.
• Play Games for PC Beta opens up to Europe and New Zealand.
• Backbone One PlayStation Edition adds support for Android phones.
• Speaking of Sony, Wednesday’s PlayStation Showcase was a packed one featuring over 30 games — more on that in our Weekly Wonder, below.
• Here’s everything we know about the Meta Quest 3 — and what we want to see.
• And the stunning new Alienware X16 R1 gaming laptop just got $400 cheaper.
• Elsewhere, why not level up your mobile gaming with the biggest Razer Kishi V2 deal yet.
• Final Fantasy 16 to get a two-hour PS5 demo prior to launch, though no date confirmed yet.
• Sci-fi strategy game ‘Homeworld 3’ has been delayed to February 2024.
• And Lego’s newest set is a rad Pac-Man arcade machine made up of 2,600+ pieces.
• Finally: A young gamer is suing Nintendo over “immoral” microtransactions in Mario Kart Tour mobile.

Reviews

• HUAWEI’s new flagship camera phone makes me want to drop my mirrorless camera — “Excellent camera aside, the P60 Pro is HUAWEI’s best smartphone in years.”
• TCL 40 XE 5G review: All bang, few bucks — “Who says frugal can’t be flashy?”
• Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus review: A powerhouse with potholes — “Redmi makes improvements over last years model, but not enough to compete with the best.”
• Beats Studio Buds Plus vs Apple AirPods Pro 2: Which of Apple’s earbuds to buy? “Time to decide if you want a diversified feature set or to go all in on Apple’s ecosystem.”
• Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 review: The sum of great parts — “It’s hard to complain about updates to software, hardware, and user experience.”
• Govee LED Strip Light M1 review: Should you buy it? “You’ll have to ask yourself how important is to have a hubless Matter lightstrip.”

Features

• What do you think of the Pixel 8 Pro’s rumored thermometer? “Do you need to have a thermometer with you at all times? Or is Google hiding extra features?” (Android Authority).
• Google Tensor G3: What to expect from the Pixel 8 processor — “More raw processing power isn’t everything, but it would certainly help Google keep pace with the competition” (Android Authority).
• Hands-on with Magic Compose, the AI-generating Messages tool — “Be sure to check the message before you hit “Send” (Android Authority).
• Layoffs push down scores on Glassdoor: this is how companies respond (Pragmatic Engineer).
• Humanoid robots are coming of age: “A few years ago, humanoid robots were clumsy and awkward. Now several startups claim to have models almost ready to go to work in warehouses and factories” (Wired).

Weekly Wonder

Wednesday’s PlayStation Showcase was packed with over 30 games, but it completely divided fan opinion, with many seeing it as a missed opportunity for PlayStation Studios. If you missed it, you can watch it here, or just dive into our recap below.

• We saw a first trailer for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on PS5.
• Bungie announced Marathon, a sci-fi PvP extraction shooter and we saw the game’s first CGI teaser trailer.
• Speaking of, we got a first glimpse at the next Destiny 2 expansion, Destiny 2: The Final Shape, with a brief teaser — and you can find out more about the expansion at Bungie’s Destiny 2 Showcase on August 22.
• We also got a new trailer from Capcom for the upcoming Street Fighter 6, launching next week on June 2.
• A gameplay trailer from Spider-Man 2 dropped.
• Yay! We finally got a launch date for Alan Wake 2, a digital-only release coming to PS5 October 17 — and we saw a gameplay reveal trailer.
• We saw a first trailer for Dragon’s Dogma 2, the upcoming action-RPG from Capcom.

There was loads more but far too much to cover here…

Indies

On the indie front, here’s what stood out to us:

• We got a first look at Ghostrunner 2, landing on PS5 this year.
• The Plucky Squire’s storybook world and characters look adorable, and we can’t wait for this to launch.
• Giant Squid’s new game Sword of the Sea also looks pretty cool in announce trailer.
• And the developers behind Gris introduced their new game, Neva — and yes, it’s every bit as beautiful as Gris.
• Revenant Hill from writers and narrative designers Bethany Hockenberry and Scott Benson, who co-created Night in the Woods, shares its art style with the Nintendo Switch smash hit, only this time you’re Twigs the cat, a witch’s familiar — now in development for PS5 and PS4.

PS VR 2

• We saw the first PS VR2 footage for Resident Evil 4 VR mode.
• Cat Quest: Pirates of the Purribean is coming to PS5 and PS4 later this year and we saw a reveal trailer.
• Eek: Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 is coming to PS VR2 (I wouldn’t be brave enough to play this!)
• And we got a first peek at Arizona Sunshine 2, coming later this year.

There was also a look at some new accessories, including Sony’s first official wireless earbuds offering lossless audio on PS5 and PC, and the Project Q handheld.

Need some PS5 games to play this weekend? Check out our pick of the best PS5 games or dive into the best PS5 indie games.

Tech Calendar

• June 1: Motorola Razr 40 and Razr 40 Ultra launch
• June 1: Meta Quest VR gaming showcase
• 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
• June 13: ASUS Rog Ally Z1 Extreme model on sale
• June 20: Pixel Tablet goes on sale in stores
• July 26: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked (Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5)

Tech Tweet of the Week

Something extra: Some amazing video editing right here (h/t: The Hustle)

Enjoy your week!

Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.