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Android

Android is Google’s open-source mobile operating system; think of it like a public park compared to Apple’s walled garden. It dates back to 2007, and though its dessert-inspired version names were retired in 2019 for a straightforward numbering system, there will always be a special place in our hearts for an OS called “Oreo” and “Ice Cream Sandwich.

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External Link
Wes Davis
Google Photos now lets you edit shared album images and video on Android.

Only the albums’ owner can make changes, with the option to save the edits just to their own gallery as a copy or also to the shared album, Google writes in a help page. The feature is already live in Google Photos on the web and in iOS, and is now coming to the Android version of the app, as well, as Android Authority notes.

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Allison Johnson
Android’s quick settings might look a little iOS-y soon.

Android whisperer Mishaal Rahman has a thorough writeup for Android Authority detailing some of the potential UI changes he’s found under the hood in Android 16’s beta releases. One that caught my eye: the ability to resize quick settings tiles and a new tile editor organized by category, which is all very iOS 18. There are other visual changes afoot too, like more use of background blur on screens like the app drawer and the multitasking view. No doubt we’ll find out more soon.

Image: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
Image: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
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External Link
Emma Roth
Google could soon add a search bar to Android’s photo picker.

Nearly one year ago, Google said it would upgrade its photo picker with a way to search your local or cloud library to find specific photos to share with an app. Now, Android Authority contributor Kamila Wojciechowska has spotted the feature on her device, hopefully saving you from digging through countless photos.

It’s still not clear when Google plans to widely roll this out, though Android Authority notes that it’s “enabled in recent Google Play System Updates” but not yet on Google Photos.

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External Link
Richard Lawler
Google’s April Pixel Watch update is back after several buggy software rollouts.

After the September Pixel Watch update to Wear OS 5 ran into issues, Google released a fix in November and said its wearables would have to wait until March for another update.

However, that March update and Google’s first attempt at an April update introduced some bugs of their own, and now it’s rolling out the April update again (version BP1A.250305.019.W8) to hopefully get Pixel Watch owners on Wear OS 5.1 without all of those problems.

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Dominic Preston
No, Acer isn’t making phones again.

Apologies to the three people out there nostalgic for Acer phones — the new Super ZX and Super ZX Pro handsets announced in India today are made under license by Indkal Technologies, meaning Acer itself has almost nothing to do with them. The same is true for last month’s two budget Acerpure models.

The last true Acer phone was 2016’s Android 6-powered Liquid Z6 Plus, which boasted a 13-megapixel camera and 32GB of storage.

The Acer Super ZX
Acer didn’t make this phone.
Image: Indkal Technologies
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External Link
Dominic Preston
Google draws the line at 32GB.

That’s the new minimum storage for Android 15 devices to license Google Mobile Services, a requirement if you want to support the Play Store, according to Android Authority. In practice you’d have to work pretty hard to find any Android device with that little storage anyway, but it’s still good to see Android’s lowest storage bar raised a bit higher.

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Dominic Preston
OnePlus’ “small” phone is coming this month.

The OnePlus 13T will launch in China on April 24th, though we don’t know if or when it’ll launch elsewhere. The design is a little new for OnePlus, and we already know it will ditch the fan-favorite alert slider for a new shortcut button. It’s small, too, though only by modern standards — its 6.32-inch screen is still bigger than the iPhone 16’s.

The OnePlus 13T in three colors.
Image: OnePlus
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External Link
Dominic Preston
Samsung’s One UI 7 schedule is ‘being updated’.

That’s what the company told Ars Technica when asked about the current pause to the much-delayed update, which brings Android 15 to the Galaxy S24 series and other devices from 2024 and earlier. It was halted following reports of a bug that stopped people unlocking their phones. There’s no word on when the company will resume the rollout.

“The One UI 7 rollout schedule is being updated to ensure the best possible experience. The new timing and availability will be shared shortly.”

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External Link
Dominic Preston
Google lays off hundreds of Android and Pixel employees.

The Information reported the layoffs, which struck the Platforms and Devices team, responsible for Android software, Pixel hardware, and more. They follow a voluntary buyout in January, and in a statement Google blames the move to combine those teams in April 2024:

“Since combining the Platforms and Devices teams last year, we’ve focused on becoming more nimble and operating more effectively and this included making some job reductions in addition to the voluntary exit program that we offered in January.”

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The Verge
Dominic Preston
Pixel 9A hits stores, and it’s still $499.

Google’s new affordable phone has survived mysterious component issues and Trump’s tariffs to arrive in US stores today at its promised price of $499. Despite the tariff pause, that’s no longer a given.

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The Verge
Dominic Preston
One UI 7 is really, finally, actually here.

Samsung’s Android 15 update is landing on phones in the US today, a mere seven months after Google released the OS update to developers, though it’s been available on the S25 phones since they launched in February.

Only Galaxy S24 models, along with the Fold 6 and Flip 6 foldables, are due to get the update today, though it will roll out to more Galaxy phones and tablets in the future.

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Dominic Preston
Vivo is the first to copy Xiaomi’s smartphone camera grip.

For three years in a row Xiaomi has paired its Ultra phones with a Photography Kit, and now Vivo is following suit. The kit, which will be compatible with the upcoming X200 Ultra, was announced on Weibo by product manager Han Boxiao. Like Xiaomi’s it has a USB-C connection, built-in battery, and dedicated camera controls.

The X200 Ultra launches in China on April 21st, and will aim to outdo Xiaomi’s 15 Ultra on photography.

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Umar Shakir
Hyundai’s new Android-based infotainment software looks like Tesla’s.

Pleos Connect is the name of Hyundai Motor Group’s next-gen vehicle software interface based on Google’s Android Automotive OS, launching in Q2 2026. Today, the automaker kicked off a new annual conference to accelerate the development of Pleos and its “Cloud Mobility” software ecosystem, where “all forms of mobility are connected through software on the cloud,” including urban infrastructure.

Here’s a first look at the Pleos Connect interface:

hyundai pleos connect software
Pleos Connect has car controls and status on the left, maps on the right, and a toolbar with apps on the bottom.
Image: Hyundai