Xbox PC Game Pass to get Death Stranding next week

Xbox PC Game Pass subscribers rejoice! Hideo Kojima’s popular open-world action-adventure game Death Stranding will arrive on PC Game Pass on August 23.

According to a recent Xbox Wire post, Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC gamers can expect features like an ultrawide mode, photo mode, high frame rate support, and cross-over content from other franchises in the release. In addition, the PC Game Pass edition of Death Stranding will include the following items, which will unlock as you progress through the story:

• Chiral Gold/Omnireflector “Ludens Mask” Sunglasses (Color variant)
• Gold and Silver Power Skeleton
• Gold and Silver All-Terrain Skeleton
• Gold and Silver Armor Plate

Sadly, while Death Stranding is making its way to the Xbox PC Game Pass library, there’s still no word on an Xbox release. As The Verge states, Sony still controls where Death Stranding lands on console, so it’s highly unlikely we’ll see an Xbox version.

While Death Stranding might not get an Xbox release anytime soon, the console supports a massive collection of games across various genres. If you’re not too keen on playing any Sony-exclusive titles and are looking to pick up a new console, you’d be glad to know that Best Buy is currently running a promotion on the Xbox Series S, and you can get a free game with your purchase. Simply follow the link provided below and order one right away!

Xbox Series S

Best Buy is offering a free game with each Xbox Series S purchase and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultmate for just $45.

View at Best Buy

While you’re at it, you might also want to pick up a 3-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership at an additional $45. The membership will give you access to over a hundred games and EA Play at no extra cost.

Are you looking forward to playing Death Stranding on your PC? Or would you rather enjoy it on a PlayStation 5? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Source: Xbox Wire
Via: The Verge

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Does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 have a microSD card slot?

Samsung has introduced the latest iteration of its flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and with it come a number of welcome improvements, including a more durable design and wider cover screen. However, not everything is different with this year’s model. If you were hoping to see the microSD card slot return with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, that’s not the case.

To be fair, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 comes with a solid amount of storage space out of the box. The base model comes with 256GB of storage, and you can also opt for the larger 512GB variant if you need more. And if that doesn’t suffice, you can go for the 1TB version, which is a number that very few smartphones offer. That’s a lot of space for apps, pictures, videos, and more. There are also cloud storage services like Google Drive or OneDrive that can store your photos if you want to save some space on your phone. USB Type-C flash drives also exist to offload files like photos and videos if you want to free up space.

As to why the microSD card slot is gone, there are a couple of reasons. First is the fact that microSD cards are slow in comparison to the built-in UFS 3.1 storage inside the phone. This could create a less-than-ideal experience in terms of performance, particularly for large apps that could take much longer to load. Of course, part of it is also so Samsung can push users towards more expensive storage tiers.

Another potential reason is free up space inside the phone for other components, such as the battery. This is a reason often given for other ports being removed, like the increasingly rare headphone jack. On that note, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 packs a 4,400mAh battery, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset and other top-tier specs.

If the lack of a microSD card slot doesn’t disturb you – and it probably shouldn’t considering this is very common among flagship phones – you can buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 using the link below, or check out the best deals you can get on it. You’ll also want to check out the best cases to protect your phone.. There’s no power adapter included with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, so it’s something you may have to invest in.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is Samsung's latest flagship foldable, packing high-end specs and up to 512GB of internal storage. You can't expand it with a microSD card, though.

See at Samsung

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Apple patches security flaw that gave hackers full device control

The operating systems we rely on to execute our everyday tasks are far from perfect. After all, they will always contain bugs, glitches, and flaws. As developers patch things up, major new updates introduce new batches of issues for the respective companies to deal with. It’s pretty much an endless cycle of fixing and breaking. Of course, Apple operating systems are no different. Apart from generic bugs and unexpected behaviors, the Cupertino firm patches major security flaws every now and then.

A new report highlights two significant security vulnerabilities that Apple has patched earlier this week. Hackers can target outdated, vulnerable Apple products and gain full device control. The first affects WebKit — the engine that powers Safari and all iOS and iPadOS web browsers. The second is a notably serious one that targets the kernel of these devices — the deepest OS layer. Consequently, hackers can gain admin privileges of the devices, giving them unrestrained access.

According to Apple, hackers have actively exploited both security flaws. So we certainly advise you to update your iPhones, iPads, and Macs to take advantage of the patch. If you aren’t really a known public figure, you likely won’t be targeted by anyone. Though, you should still update your devices nonetheless.

Apple has credited an anonymous researcher (or researchers) for their discovery. Though, the technical analysis of these vulnerabilities seemingly remain unavailable. For the unfamiliar, the company has a bounty program that pays white-hat hackers for their significant discoveries — as long as they abide by its terms. Ultimately, cyber-weapon brokers can pay hundreds of thousands of dollars — so Apple has to compete with that.

As a concerned user, all you have to do is make sure you’re running the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Have you updated your devices to the latest operating system versions? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Source: The Guardian

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MediaTek’s new Pentonic 700 SoC for smart TVs offers support for 4K 120Hz displays with optional VRR capabilities

In November last year, MediaTek announced the Pentonic 2000 SoC for flagship TVs offering support for up to 8K 120Hz displays. Built on TSMC’s 7nm manufacturing process, the Pentonic 2000 was the first all-in-one chip for TVs with support for 8K 120Hz displays and the first commercial 8K TV chip with Versatile Video Coding (VCC) H.266 media support. MediaTek claimed that the chip offered the TV industry’s fastest CPU and GPU, coupled with an ultra-wide 6-channel memory bus, UFS 3.1 storage, support for Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail, and support for MediaTek’s new Wi-Fi 6E or 5G cellular modems. MediaTek has now announced the Pentonic 700 chipset for premium smart TVs, which brings some of the new technologies introduced with the Pentonic 2000 SoC down to a more affordable price point.

The all-new MediaTek Pentonic 700 SoC for premium 4K 120Hz smart TVs features a powerful AI processing engine for AI-powered picture quality enhancements, Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail support, integrated 4K 120Hz MEMC, and gaming optimizations. Like the Pentonic 2000, the new chip features an AI processing unit (APU) with support for MediaTek’s AI-Super Resolution, AI-Picture Quality (PQ) Scene Recognition, and AI-PQ Object Recognition technologies for advanced edge smoothing and detail reconstruction. Furthermore, the Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail support on the Pentonic 700 helps enhance picture quality by improving the contrast in bright and dark spots.

Talking about the new chip, Alex Chen, General Manager of MediaTek’s TV Business Unit, said, “MediaTek’s Pentonic series brings more intelligence to smart TVs with a host of AI-powered picture quality enhancements. Smart TV brands can count on Pentonic 700 to deliver incredible experiences whether consumers are watching videos or sports, gaming, or using their TV as a control center for their other smart devices.”

Along with the AI-powered enhancements, the MediaTek Pentonic 700 also features Picture-by-Picture (PBP) and Picture-in-Picture (PIP) support with PQ enhancement, allowing TVs to display content from different sources simultaneously. This feature allows users to stream multiple sporting events at the same time and video chat with friends while watching content together. The PBP and PIP support can also come in handy for professionals by allowing them to display different content streams simultaneously and offering more video conferencing options.

Although the Pentonic 700 is designed for premium 4K 120Hz smart TVs, the SoC also offers Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support up to 144Hz. Thanks to this, OEMs can customize the chipset for gaming applications, allowing users to enjoy games without any screen tearing or stuttering. Other gaming optimizations include HDMI 2.1 support, an Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) to minimize display lag, and Dolby Atmos certification for immersive sound.

As mentioned earlier, the Pentonic 700 brings some of the flagship features introduced with the Pentonic 2000 down to a more affordable price point. These include a built-in hardware video decoding engine with support for HEVC, AV1, and AVS3 standards, along with the VVC H.266 standard. In addition, OEMs can pair the Pentonic 700 with MediaTek’s Filogic Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 wireless connectivity solutions to offer high-speed and ultra-low-latency connectivity to users.

MediaTek says that smart TVs featuring the new Pentonic 700 chip should hit the market by the end of this year. At the moment, the company has not shared the names of OEM partners who will offer next-gen smart TVs featuring the new chip.

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Oppo’s ColorOS 13 brings an Aquamorphic design and several new features

At the OnePlus 10T launch event earlier this month, OnePlus unveiled OxygenOS 13 — the latest version of its custom Android skin based on Android 13. Now, Oppo has lifted the covers off ColorOS 13, which is pretty much the same as OnePlus’ Android 13 skin.

New features in ColorOS 13

Like OxygenOS 13, ColorOS 13 adopts a new Aquamorphic Design, offering fluid, vibrant, and inclusive UI and animations inspired by the way water acts in nature. It consists of a new system theme palette based on the changing color of light between sunrise and sunset at sea level, an updated font with improved readability, and a card-style layout that displays information in a clear and visually-friendly order.

Oppo’s latest custom Android skin also brings new intuitive animations to the table that offer softer, more natural, and realistic interaction effects. It is powered by an updated Quantum Animation Engine that delivers precise feedback when interacting with the UI. Furthermore, ColorOS 13 includes a new Shadow-Reflective Clock widget that accurately shows the flow of time, new inclusive illustrations, a dedicated IoT device control module, and media playback controls in the updated Control Center.

ColorOS 13 also brings new features to enhance the multitasking experience, including Multi-Screen Connect support for the Oppo Pad Air, a new Meeting Assistant that ensures users get a stable network connection and fewer distractions during meetings, and support for a new sidebar shortcut to take meeting notes.

The multitasking improvements also include better Home Screen Management features that allow users to quickly access the information they need, including a Global Search banner, Large Folder support, and new Home Screen widgets.

Oppo has also updated the Smart Always-On Display (AOD) functionality in ColorOS 13. It now lets users control apps and check additional information without unlocking the screen, and it also offers native Spotify integration. ColorOS 13 further brings new wallpapers to help users easily track smartphone usage, Adaptive Layout support for large-screen devices, and Split Screen support.

ColorOS 13 also brings new privacy and security features to the table, including an Auto Pixelate option that can recognize and blur profile photos and names in chat screenshots. ColorOS’ Private Safe feature has also been improved with an updated UI, and it now encrypts your data using the widely-used Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

In addition to highlighting the new ColorOS 13 features, Oppo also shared some details about the software support commitment for its wide range of devices. The company now promises three major Android OS upgrades and four years of regular security patches for its flagship Find X series devices. On the other hand, the affordable Oppo Reno, F, and K series devices will receive two major Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates. Lastly, the budget-friendly Oppo A series will receive one major Android OS upgrade and three years of security updates.

ColorOS 13 Rollout Schedule

Oppo has shared a tentative ColorOS 13 rollout schedule for its portfolio of devices. If all goes to plan, the Find X5 and Find X5 Pro should receive stable ColorOS 13 before the end of this month. The Find X3 Pro and Reno 8 Pro 5G should receive the update next month, followed by the Reno 8, Reno 7 Pro, Reno 7 5G, Reno 7, Reno 6 5G, Oppo F21 Pro, Oppo F19 Pro Plus, Oppo K10, and Oppo A96 in October.

During the second round of the ColorOS 13 rollout in November and December, Oppo will release the update for 33 models. It will be followed by a third round in the first half of 2023, during which the update should reach 25 more devices.

To learn more about Oppo’s latest Android skin and everything it brings to the table, check out our hands-on preview of the ColorOS 13 beta running on the Find X5 Pro.

What do you think of all the new features that ColorOS 13 brings to the table? Did you spot any new features that might come in handy in your day-to-day use? Let us know in the comments section below.

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OxygenOS 13 Open Beta 2 is now available for the OnePlus 10 Pro

Earlier this month, OnePlus rolled out the first OxygenOS 13 Open Beta build for the OnePlus 10 Pro, giving users a chance to experience the Android 13 release ahead of the stable rollout. The company is now rolling out a fresh OxygenOS 13 Open Beta build for its flagship, bringing several new features, optimizations, and bug fixes.

OxygenOS 13 Open Beta Hands On: This is what official Android 13 looks like on OnePlus smartphones

According to the announcement post on the OnePlus Community forums, OxygenOS Open Beta 2 for the OnePlus 10 Pro brings a new Aquamorphic Design to the device, featuring new theme colors for enhanced visual comfort, updated animations, optimized fonts, and new illustrations. It also includes a new Meeting Assistant, support for large folders on the homescreen, media playback controls in the Quick Settings, and new markup tools for screenshot editing.

Furthermore, the update optimizes earphone connectivity to deliver a more seamless experience, introduces an automatic pixelation feature for screenshots of chats, Private Safe optimizations, and a new Dynamic Computing Engine to improve the system speed, stability, battery life, and app experience. But that’s not all. OxygenOS 13 Open Beta 2 for the OnePlus 10 Pro also packs a host of bug fixes and other improvements. Check out the full changelog reproduced in the section below for more details.

OxygenOS 13 Open Beta 2 changelog:

• Aquamorphic Design
  • Adds Aquamorphic Design theme colors for enhanced visual comfort.
  • Applies the Aquamorphic Design philosophy to animations to make them natural and vivid.
  • Adds a Home screen world clock widget to show the time in different time zones.
  • Upgrades to Quantum Animation Engine 4.0, with a new behavior recognition feature, which recognizes complex gestures and provides optimized interactions.
  • Applies real-world physical motions to animations to make them look more natural and intuitive.
  • Optimizes fonts for better readability.
  • Enriches and optimizes illustrations for features by incorporating multicultural and inclusive elements.
• Efficiency
  • Adds Meeting Assistant to enhance the meeting connection and introduces an option to make notifications more subtle and less distracting.
  • Adds large folders to the Home screen. You can now open an app in an enlarged folder with just one tap and turn pages in the folder with a swipe.
  • Adds media playback control, and optimizes the Quick Settings experience.
  • Adds more markup tools for screenshot editing.
  • Optimizes Shelf. Swiping down on the Home screen will bring up the Shelf by default. You can search content online and on your device.
• Seamless interconnection
  • Optimizes earphone connectivity to deliver a more seamless experience.
• Personalization
  • Optimizes Bitmoji to offer more Always-On Display animations.
  • Optimizes Insight Always-On Display, with more personalized Always-On Display settings available.
  • Optimizes Canvas Always-On Display, with more drawing tools and line colors available.
• Security & privacy
  • Adds an automatic pixelation feature for screenshots of chats. The system can identify and automatically pixelate profile pictures and display names in a chat screenshot to protect your privacy.
  • Adds regular clearing of clipboard data for privacy protection.
  • Optimizes Private Safe. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is used to encrypt all files for enhanced security of private files.
• Health & Digital wellbeing
  • Adds Kid Space, providing screen time limit, ambient light reminders, and Eye-protecting display features.
• Performance optimization
  • Adds Dynamic Computing Engine to improve the system speed, stability, battery life, and app experience.
  • Optimizes Dolby Sound effects with enhanced spatial sound field perception and more accurate sound sourcing.
• Gaming experience
  • Upgrades to HyperBoost GPA 4.0 to stabilize the frame rate and balance the performance and power consumption in key scenarios.
• System
  • Improves system stability for some scenarios.
  • Fixes an issue where icons would sometimes overlap in Quick Settings.
  • Fixes an issue where a panel might be automatically pulled down from the status bar in some cases.
  • Fixes an issue that might cause auto brightness to respond slowly.
  • Fixes an occasional flicker issue that might occur when your device screen is turned off or on.
  • Fixes an issue where the Quick Settings background might appear transparent.
  • Fixes an issue where you might be unable to wake your screen by double-tapping it in Guest mode.
  • Fixes an issue where your screen might be slow to wake when the Power button is pressed.
  • Fixes an issue where the “Other” category might take up a huge portion of your device storage.
• Camera
  • Fixes an issue where the Camera would lag.

OnePlus has also highlighted a few known issues in the release, which you should be aware of if you plan on installing it on your device. The known issues in OxygenOS 13 Open Beta 2 include:

1. RCC cannot work normally in this build. (Re-logging may resolve the problem.)
2. The carrier version (Zain) in Kuwait is unable to send MMS.
3. The carrier version (Telecom) in North Macedonia is unable to send IMS.
4. There is no response when clicking Capture log after switching Multiple users/System cloner/Languages. (You need to switch Multiple users/System cloner/Languages first before capturing the log in the feedback tool).
5. A dot will display abnormally when pairing Bluetooth.
6. The photos might be blurred when taking multiple pictures of people with Ultra Dark mode and zoom out at the same time.
7. The screen will freeze when taking videos in specific scenarios.
8. The pictures might be black when taking photos in the dark with Night mode. (You may solve the issue by clearing camera’s data.)
9. A dot displays abnormally in the status bar.

If you wish to try out OxygenOS 13 Open Beta 2 on your OnePlus 10 Pro despite the aforementioned issues, you’ll have to update your device to the latest OxygenOS 12 release (A.15 or A.16). You can then download the firmware update package from the links provided below and flash it by following the instructions highlighted in the announcement post (linked below).

Those who have already installed OxygenOS 13 Open Beta 1 on their devices should receive an OTA update for the latest release in the coming days. OnePlus has also provided rollback packages to make it easy for users to downgrade to OxygenOS 12.

Download OxygenOS 13 Open Beta 2 for the OnePlus 10 Pro

• OxygenOS 13 Open Beta 2 for the OnePlus 10 Pro
  • North America
  • Europe
  • India
• Rollback packages
  • North America
  • Europe
  • India

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Source: OnePlus Community forums

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Xiaomi rolls out MIUI 13 based on Android 13 for the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro

Google recently rolled out the first stable build of Android 13 to Pixel devices. Following in its footsteps, Xiaomi has now released the first stable build of MIUI 13 based on Android 13 for its flagship Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro. The update brings all the new features Google introduced with Android 13 to the devices.

For the unaware, Xiaomi offers users two kinds of stable MIUI releases: “beta stable” and “stable.” There’s a thin distinction between the two builds, with the “beta stable” releases intended for a small fraction of users enrolled in the Mi Pilot beta testing program. This group tests the early release, after which it rolls out to a wider audience.

The MIUI 13 build based on Android 13 currently rolling out to the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro is a “beta stable” release. This means that users who are not enrolled in the Mi Pilot beta testing program will not be able to install it on their devices. If you are a part of the Mi Pilot beta testing program, however, you can install the build on your Xiaomi 12 or Xiaomi 12 Pro by following the links provided below.

Screenshots via feds64 on the Xiaomi Community forums

According to screenshots shared by a user on Xiaomi’s community forums, the Android 13 release for the Xiaomi 12 has the firmware version 13.0.4.0.TLCMIXM and it measures 4.2GB. The release for the Xiaomi 12 Pro, on the other hand, has the firmware version 13.0.4.0.TLBMIXM and it measures 4.3GB. Along with all the new Android 13 features, it packs the Android security patches for August 2022. As shown in the screenshots, the update is meant for the global variants of the devices.

Note that this is not the final stable Android 13 release for the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro, and it has some known issues. Xiaomi states that users might face performance issues and overheating after installing the update, and some third-party apps might not work as intended.

Download MIUI 13 based on Android 13 for the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro

You can download the Android 13 stable release for the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro from the links provided below. If you get an error message during installation stating that the build is for closed beta testers only, you can sideload it using the TWRP custom recovery.

Download MIUI 13 based on Android 13: Xiaomi 12 || Xiaomi 12 Pro

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Source: Xiaomi Community forums (1,2)

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Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022) vs OnePlus Nord N200: Which one should you buy?

The Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022) and OnePlus Nord N200 are two of the most affordable smartphones from their respective companies. But this is where the similarities end. They’re not in the same tier, and there’s a substantial price gap between them. Although the iPhone SE 3 is the most affordable offering from Apple, its pricing puts it squarely in the premium mid-range territory. The OnePlus Nord N200, on the other hand, is a budget-friendly smartphone that costs $200. Can the OnePlus Nord N200 put up a solid fight against the device that costs twice its price? We find out in this iPhone SE 3 (2022) Vs OnePlus Nord N200 face-off.

Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022) vs OnePlus Nord N200: Specifications

	Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022)	OnePlus Nord N200
Build	Aluminum frame Glass back IP67 water/dust resistance	Plastic body No IP rating
Dimensions and Weight	138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm 144g	163.1 x 74.9 x 8.3mm 189g
Display	4.7-inch Retina HD LCD 1334 x 750p True Tone technology Haptic Touch support 625 nits max brightness	6.49-inch LCD Full HD+ 90Hz screen refresh rate Hole-punch display
SoC	Apple A15 Bionic Hexa core 2x Avalanche cores @ 3.22GHz 4x Blizzard cores @ 1.82GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G: 2x ARM Cortex-A76 performance cores @ 2.0GHz 6x ARM Cortex-A55 efficiency cores @ 1.8GHz 8nm Adreno 619 GPU
RAM and Storage	4GB RAM 64GB/128GB/256GB internal storage No microSD card slot	4GB RAM 64GB internal storage MicroSD card slot
Battery and Charging	2,018mAh 20W wired fast charging Nor charger inside the box 7.5W Qi wireless charging	5,000 mAh battery 18W fast charger (inside the box) No wireless charging
Security	Touch ID	Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 12MP, f/1.8	Primary: 13MP primary shooter Secondary: 2MP macro Tertiary: 2MP bokeh
Front Camera(s)	7MP, f/2.2	16MP
Ports	Lightning port No headphone jack	USB-C 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity	Sub6/mmWave 5G 4G LTE Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0	5G Bluetooth 5.1 Type-C port WiFi 802.11.b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz)
Software	iOS 15	OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11
Price	Starting at $429	$199.99

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Design & Display

Both phones are worlds apart when it comes to design. The iPhone SE 3, although more expensive, looks dated in comparison to the OnePlus Nord N200. The iPhone has the same design as the iPhone 6, which came out in 2014. There are thick bezels above and below the display and even a physical home button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner.

The OnePlus Nord N200 dons a more modern and eye-catching design borrowed from the OnePlus 9 family. It’s taller and wider than Apple’s offering and has very slim bezels all around with an impressive 83.7% screen-to-body ratio to the iPhone SE’s 65.4% screen-to-body ratio.

However, in terms of in-hand feel, we’ll have to give it to the iPhone SE 2022. It’s made out of premium material, featuring Gorilla Glass on the front and back and an aluminum frame (don’t forget to grab a case). The OnePlus Nord N200 is an all-plastic build, which is what you would expect from any sub $200 phone.

Another win for the iPhone SE 2022 is the IP67 rating, making it water and dust-proof. It can withstand water splashes, raindrops, and even immersion in fresh water with a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. The OnePlus Nord N200 doesn’t offer this peace of mind as it has no IP rating.

The iPhone packs a 4.7-inch display with HD resolution, a ridiculously small panel in a world where 6.5 to 6.8-inch displays have become the new normal and anything below 6.1-inches is considered
small. While it’s not the best panel for streaming media and scrolling through Instagram or TikTok feeds, it’s perfect for one-handed usage.

The panel also supports DCI-P3 wide color gamut, meaning it can display a greater range of colors with better saturation and vibrancy. It also supports True Tone enhancement, which allows the display to change the white balance based on ambient lighting for a more comfortable viewing experience.

The OnePlus Nord N200 packs a larger 6.5-inch LCD with Full HD+ resolution compared to the iPhone SE’s measly HD (750 x 1,334) resolution. Higher resolution means the Nord 200’s display packs more pixels per inch (405 PPI) than the iPhone SE 3 (326 PPI). The OnePlus Nord N200 also offers a 90Hz refresh rate which translates to a smoother and more fluid scrolling experience in the real world. Meanwhile, the iPhone SE 3 panel maxes out at 60Hz.

So while the iPhone SE 3 has a more refined display in terms of color reproduction and accuracy, it loses out to the OnePlus Nord N200 panel in terms of size, resolution, and refresh rate. Simply put, the OnePlus Nord N200 has a superior display that’s sharper than the iPhone SE 3 and delivers much more real screen estate.

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Cameras

This is an easy win for the iPhone SE (2022). Although it only has a single rear camera, it completely blows the OnePlus Nord N200’s triple rear camera system out of the water, be it daylight performance or challenging nighttime photography.

The iPhone packs a 12MP f/1.8 sensor with optical image stabilization and PDAF. The OnePlus Nord N200, on the other hand, packs a triple camera array featuring a 13MP primary shooter, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor.

The 12MP shooter is the same one that Apple used in the iPhone 8 and the iPhone SE 2022. However, thanks to improved image processing and new computational photography tech enabled by the A15 Bionic chip, the iPhone SE 3 outputs really impressive photos. The iPhone SE 3 also delivers great video performance and can shoot at 4K/60fps. Meanwhile, the Nord N200 tops out at 1080p.

iPhone SE 3 (2022) photo samples

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Performance, Battery Life & Software

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the iPhone SE 3 is leagues ahead of the OnePlus Nord N200 in the performance department. The iPhone SE packs the same A15 Bionic chip that powers the flagship iPhone 13 lineup, making it one of the fastest phones under $500.

The OnePlus Nord N200 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 chipset, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Thanks to the 90Hz display and OxygenOS’s software optimizations, the Nord N200 should perform just fine in day-to-day tasks, but obviously, it can’t hold a candle to the sheer raw power of the iPhone SE 3.

Both phones pack 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The iPhone SE 3 has more storage options and can be configured with 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB storage. The Nord N200 only comes in a single 64GB variant but supports microSD card expansion.

Poor battery life has always remained a big pain point for the iPhone SE lineup, and the new 2022 model is no different. Due to the small size, Apple could only fit a tiny battery inside the iPhone SE 3. If you’re a heavy user, you’ll struggle to get through the day on a full charge. And not to mention, the charging speed is also quite slow compared to what Android competition has to offer, topping out at just 18W.

The OnePlus Nord N200 is miles better in this regard. It packs a large 5,000mAh cell that will easily last you a full day, even with heavy usage. However, its charging speed is nothing to write home about and is on par with the iPhone SE. But at least OnePlus gives you a charger inside the box — you’ll have to buy a charger for the iPhone SE 3 separately.

The iPhone SE 3 ships with iOS 15 and is guaranteed to receive iOS 16 on day 1 of the public release. And if Apple’s track record is anything to go by, it will probably receive software updates for several years.

The OnePlus Nord N200 runs OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 out of the box. While it will probably receive OxygenOS 12 with Android 12, there will likely be no more OS updates beyond that, as entry-level Android phones usually only get one major OS update.

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Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022) Vs OnePlus Nord N200: Which one should you buy?

The iPhone SE 3 and OnePlus Nord N200 are two very different smartphones targeted at wildly different audiences. It’s not really an apple-to-apple comparison (pun intended). The iPhone SE 3 (2022) is one of the few smartphones we can truly call compact. If you want the power of a true flagship in size this small, the iPhone SE 2022 is the best in the business (offers and discounts make the deal even sweeter).

Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022)

The iPhone SE 3 offers a flagship level performance in a compact package.

Buy from Best Buy

However, beyond the fast processor, the iPhone SE doesn’t have much going for it. Its tiny display isn’t great for Netflix binging, and its battery struggles to last a full day. And while there are some neat camera features such as Smart HDR 4 and Deep Fusion, the iPhone 8-era camera sensor is starting to show its age and will struggle to compete against something like the Google Pixel 6a.

OnePlus Nord N200 5G

The OnePlus Nord N200 is one of the best cheap Android phones in the market, packing a 90Hz display and a large 5,000mAh battery.

Buy from OnePlus

The OnePlus Nord N200 is a no-brainer if you’re tight on budget. It offers solid specs for $200 and it’s one of the best value-for-money smartphones in the US.

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Source indicates that Sony might be working on its own PC launcher

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered was recently released on PC and digging through the files, references to a “PlayStation PC Launcher” were found. While nothing is confirmed at this point, it could indicate that Sony is planning to release a standalone launcher on PC sometime in the future.

Video Game Chronicle, who has verified the PC files and references to the PlayStation PC Launcher, previously reported that there could also be the possibility that Sony will introduce and integrate PlayStation Network support into its PC games. The source was able to confirm that there are references to “PSNAccountLinked” and “PSNLinkingEntitlements” in Spider-Man Remastered. Furthermore, it states that this could eventually allow users to cross-buy games for the PS5 and PC.

Currently, a PlayStation Network account is not required when playing on a PC. Also save data from a console can’t be transferred to PC. While the PC versions of PlayStation games do offer achievements, they do not sync with trophies on the PlayStation Network. This could all change in the future, making things more convenient for PlayStation and PC owners.

Sony has been more open in recent years, publishing some of its console exclusive titles on PC. Competition from the likes of Microsoft has forced the company into adopting a different kind of business model. The company has offered up some of its most coveted PlayStation titles to PC gamers like God of War, Days Gone, and Horizon Zero Dawn. Currently, Sony makes these games available through digital retailers, most notably, Steam and Epic Games.

Marvel’s Spider-Man was originally released on the PlayStation 4 in 2018. The game would be released two years later on PlayStation 5  as Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered. Since its inception, the title has sold over 30 million units, and although Sony is making quite a bit, it currently shares some of that profit with PC distribution services like Steam, which takes 30 percent, and Epic Games which takes 12 percent. It will be interesting to see how Sony proceeds, as there is no denying that there is huge monetary potential by releasing its games on PC.

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Source: Video Game Chronicle 

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Does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 have a headphone jack?

Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the latest iteration of its flagship foldable phone with numerous improvements, including a more durable screen, a more compact hinge, and slimmer bezels all around. If you want a foldable smartphone, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series has been the only valid choice for many. But there’s one thing many will probably wonder about, and that’s whether the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a headphone jack.

The answer, unsurprisingly, is no, there is no headphone jack on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. We’re in 2022, and this is the expectation you should have for the majority of flagship smartphones. Companies are trying to save space inside their smartphones, and removing the headphone jack has become increasingly common since Apple did it with the iPhone 7.

Instead, you can try to use USB Type-C headphones, or buy a USB Type-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter for the Galaxy Z Fold 4, if you really want to use wired headphones. Of course, what Samsung probably wants you to do instead is buy wireless headphones or earbuds, such as the new Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which were introduced alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Bluetooth headphones will work with any modern phone, and you’ll probably need them for most phones, seeing as the headphone jack is rarely seen on any flagship phone these days.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is flagship foldable, now with a wider display, a more compact hinge, and a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1. There's no headphone jack, though.

See at Samsung

If you choose to go that route, there are a couple of options for you below. There, you can also find a link to buy Samsung’s latest foldable, but you can check out the best deals you can get on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 as well. You may also want to protect such an expensive phone, so we have a round-up of the best cases you can buy for it. And if you don’t have a charger, you should know that the phone doesn’t include one, so you may want to check out the best chargers for it, too.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer high-quality sound with Hi-Fi 24-bit Audio and the new Samsung seamless codec (SSC). They also have a smaller design and support ANC.

See at Samsung

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Alienware announces new gaming monitors with up to 360Hz refresh rate

Dell’s Alienware brand has announced a pair of new gaming monitors, the Alienware 25 and Alienware 27. Of the two, the Alienware 27 is more aimed toward higher-end gaming, while the Alienware 25 is a bit more mainstream while focusing on competitive e-sports gaming. Neither of these is extremely high-end, though, like the 480Hz display Alienware is using on some laptops now.

In addition to the sharp Quad HD resolution, the Alienware 27 comes with a 240Hz refresh rate by default, though it can be overclocked to 280Hz. It supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and it’s Nvidia G-Sync compatible, in addition to also officially supporting VESA Adaptive Sync. It’s a Nano IPS panel with a 1ms response time, and it also comes with 95% coverage of DCI-P3, making it suitable for content creation as well as gaming. There’s even a Creator Mode in the monitor’s OSD, which you can enable to get better color accuracy and uniformity for content creation. Beyond that, the display supports DisplayHDR 600 as well.

Aside from the panel itself, the monitor comes with Alienware’s Legend 2.0 design language, featuring 360-degree ventilation, improved cable management, and RGB lighting. The stand support tilt, swivel, height, and pivot adjustments, too.

As for the Alienware 25, it’s more of a mid-range offering, with Full HD resolution and a 360Hz refresh rate. It comes with AMD FreeSync Premium support and VESA Adaptive Sync certification, plus it has a response time as low as 0.5ms, so it’s ideal for competitive fast-paced titles. The monitor covers 99% of the sRGB color gamut as well.

Design-wise, the Alienware 25 has a different, hexagonal stand that takes up less desk space, and while it lacks RGB lighting, it still has a similar design language to the Alienware 27. It also supports tilt, height, swivel, and pivot adjustment, so you’re not missing out on those. There’s a retractable headphone stand, too, which the Alienware 27 also has.

Of the two monitors, the Alienware 25 will launch first in the US, with a release date set for September 7th for $449.99 USD (or $569.99 CAD in Canada). The Alienware 27 is set to launch on October 6th for $649.99 USD ($829.99 CAD).

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Do you need to buy Ring Protect for your doorbells and cameras?

If you’re looking to beef up your home security, Amazon’s Ring brand offers a solid range of smart security cameras, video doorbells, and security systems. However, to get the most out of your Ring products, you’ll need to get Ring Protect, a subscription plan that unlocks extra features and capabilities for your security cameras and video doorbells.

Buying a Ring Protect plan isn’t a requirement for using your Ring products. Rather it’s an optional upgrade that provides extra protection and perks for a fixed monthly or yearly fee. If you’re wondering whether you really need to buy a Ring Protect plan, here’s everything you need to know.

What benefits do you get with Ring Protect?

As mentioned above, you can use your Ring security camera or video doorbell without any subscription. Without Ring Protect, you can still view video footage with Live View, motion-activated notifications, two-way talk, and Theft Protection. However, you won’t be able to record videos or access old history. For that, you’ll need a Ring Protect plan.

There are three plans you can choose from:

• Ring Protect Basic: This is the cheapest plan and unlocks all essential features, including a video recording history of the last 180 days, the ability to download and share recorded videos, custom motion notifications, and Snapshot Capture. The Basic plan only covers one device and costs $3.99 monthly or $39.99 yearly. You can buy an individual subscription for two devices and still pay less than the Plus plan.
• Ring Protect Plus: You should consider the Plus plan if you have more than three Ring devices. It covers all Ring devices in your household, and there’s no upper cap on how many devices you can enroll. You can pay $10 monthly or $100 for the annual subscription. The benefits are the same as the Basic plan. You get access to video recordings, Person Alert, Snapshot Capture, etc. The only extra perk the Plus plan adds that’s missing on the Basic tier is extended warranties for your devices. But it’s still much better value if you have a lot of Ring devices.
• Ring Protect Pro: This is the most comprehensive plan for those who are deeply invested in the Ring ecosystem and want the best protection. In addition to all benefits that the Plus plan provides, Ring Protect Pro adds features like 24/7 professional monitoring for your Ring Alarm security system, backup cellular internet to keep your devices online in the event of a Wi-Fi outage, Alexa Guard Plus, and the ability to locally process videos and Smart Alerts and store them on a microSD card. The Pro plan is a bit more expensive at $20 a month or $200 a year.

Bottom line

Ring Video Doorbell

The Ring Video Doorbell offers 1080p video streaming, motion-detected real-time notifications, night vision, and a built-in rechargable battery.

Buy from Amazon

To summarize, you don’t need Ring Protect to use your Ring devices. But considering Ring’s affordable pricing and the extra protection you get, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get a Ring Protect plan. Even if you don’t care for features like Snapshot Capture and Person Alert, the protection plan is worth it alone for video recording. In case of a break-in or burglary, you can hand the video recording as hard evidence to police and authorities and help them with the investigation. Ring has no option for local storage, so it’s almost an essential feature to have.

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What satellite navigation systems does the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 support?

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 represents the best of what Samsung has to offer in the clamshell-style foldable space. For $1,000, you essentially get a phone that’s more refined than last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 in more ways than one. Not only do you get better internals, but Samsung has also made some improvements when it comes to durability. There’s a lot to like about this particular phone and we definitely think it deserves a spot in our collection of the best foldable phones. If you plan on getting your hands on the Galaxy Z Flip 4, you must be wondering — what GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) does it support? Well, you’ve come to the right place, and here’s everything you need to know about the Galaxy Z Flip 4 GPS support.

GPS support on the Galaxy Z Flip 4

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 supports the following GNSS technologies:  A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, and BeiDou. GPS, for the uninitiated, stands for Global Positioning System which locates your phone’s coordinates on the map. And we all know how important digital maps these days are thanks to the advent of popular apps and services. As you may or may not know, a lot of the popular apps and services that you use on a day-to-day basis use GPS to locate one’s device on the map. We’re talking about apps like Google Maps, Uber, Lyft, delivery apps, and others. A lot of them would seize to exist without GPS.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 supports almost all the major GNSS technologies just like a lot of other popular flagships on the market do. It can take advantage of all those technologies to help you navigate and share your precise location with apps and services provided you’ve granted the necessary permissions.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 supports A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, and BeiDou GNSS technologies.

See at Samsung

The Galaxy Z Flip 4, as we mentioned earlier, is a great clamshell foldable phone, and there’s a lot to like about it. If you’re interested in buying it then be sure to select the link mentioned inside the box above to get the best price for it online. Alternatively, you also check out our round-up of the best Galaxy Z Flip 4 deals to see if you can save some money on your purchase to buy the best chargers or other accessories for it.

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YouTube could offer video streaming subscriptions by the end of the year

YouTube has been working on a new streaming strategy codenamed the “channel store.” According to sources, the “channel store” will be an online store for streaming services. The firm has been working on the project for at least 18 months and has contacted entertainment companies to gauge interest in participation. If everything goes to plan, the new store could launch sometime this fall.

Currently, YouTube has its Premium service and also YouTube TV. The latter offers users access to live TV channels and the ability to record shows. It also offers the ability to add on services like HBO Max, Starz, Epix, and more. How the new service would differ from YouTube TV’s current offering is that YouTube users would be able to purchase and watch services directly through the YouTube app. Naturally, this would involve revenue sharing amongst companies, but it could be a good move to gain more subscribers even though it means giving a small percentage to YouTube. While this might be a weird option for larger established services, it makes sense considering that YouTube has a massive user base, with over two billion monthly logged-in users.

Another added benefit is that YouTube could push ads, trailers, and free movies to users, and if they want to subscribe, they can pay for the service through YouTube. This strategy is nothing new, with many companies offering their services on other platforms. But the partnership can be hit or miss. For example, HBO Max made its service available on Amazon Prime. HBO Max decided to pull its service, even if it meant losing nearly five million subscribers. Despite disagreements, partnerships can be powerful.

While bundling through a competing service is one way, some companies have also started to bundle their own services. Disney is a prime example, offering Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu as a bundle. The company recently announced plans to raise prices starting in August. Disney will also release a new ad-supported tier later this year. HBO Max and Discovery Plus announced plans to combine and form a new streaming service, which will debut next year. These kinds of joint services help to keep customers longer and make it less likely that they will leave. If YouTube can pull this off, it will become the ultimate hub for entertainment.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal 

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Google starts uploading Android 13 source code to AOSP

After some anticipation, Google has released the source code for Android 13. Although the release came a bit later than expected, the company has started uploading the source code to Android Open Source Project (AOSP) Git repositories. This can often take some time, often requiring hours for the update to be fully populated. As a result, be patient if you don’t see it. This source code release also comes alongside the full release of Android 13.

Before the release, Google updated its Android 13 Security Release Notes which contained details about security vulnerabilities that were present in Android. The update showed security vulnerabilities that have been fixed in Android 13. Devices running Android 13 with a security patch level of 2022-09-01 or later will be protected from these issues. If you’d like to check what version of Android you’re running and the security patch level, most manufacturers have it listed under the About Phone section under Settings.

The release of Android 13’s source code is important, not only for those that want to tinker with the OS but also for communities that build custom ROMs and aftermarket distributions of Android like LineageOS. Major manufacturers must also rely on this repository for their own Android releases. You can have a look at the Android 13 source code by heading over to Google Git.

For developers, this is an important time as it is time to release compatible versions of their apps and build out more features with APIs. Google is releasing the Android 13 source code under the Apache License version 2.0. Apache 2.0 is a permissive rather than copyleft license, meaning developers can modify and distribute the code freely without being required to open-source their modifications. This licensing system is what allows smartphone makers to develop their own closed-source forks of Android.

If you’re interested in analyzing the Android 13 source code, you can head over to the Android Git repositories and look for the new Android 13 branches and tags. Specifically, look for the “android-13.0.0_r#” tags. It takes a while for the entirety of Google’s internal codebase to be pushed to the public AOSP repositories, so expect to wait a few hours before you can sync everything. Google also uploads the commit history for each release, which provides a lot of insight into the Android team’s thought process when adding or removing features.

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Android 13 releases today for Google Pixel smartphones

Today, Google is releasing Android 13 for Google Pixel smartphones, following months of developer previews and beta releases. It’s an update that polishes a lot of the changes that Android 12 brought to the table, while also introducing a ton of small, helpful features across the board that aims to improve privacy, security, and usability. Alongside the update, the company has also announced that Android 13’s source code is now available in AOSP.

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What’s new in Android 13?

Android 13 has a ton of new stuff, though a lot of them are smaller, incremental improvements. There are a lot of smaller improvements across the board that pertain to different elements of the Android system, so here are some of our favorites!

App notification requests

Apps can no longer just send you notifications without asking, and they’ll need to request the notification permission. You can then deny access to an app if you don’t want it to give you notifications, reducing the chance of unwanted spam. Be careful what apps you deny notification permissions to though!

App language preferences

For those who may be multilingual, app language preferences might just be the best addition in Android 13 for your uses. You can choose a specific language just for some particular apps. For example, let’s say your native language is German, and your phone is in German. However, maybe an application’s translations into German are weird or are incorrect, it might just be easier to set the language of the app to another language that you understand, and may be more likely to have correct translations.

Copy and paste images, text, videos, and URLs and paste on your tablet

You can now copy content including images, text, video, and URLs, and paste it onto your tablet. This can be used for photo creation purposes, or even just transferring a URL quickly and easily from one device to another.

New media controls

Android 13 has a few key updates for your media controls. These media controls are still located between the quick settings menu and the notification panel, but the widget itself is a lot bigger now. It also has a squiggly progress bar now. Cool!

More granular permissions for media file access

Currently, all the applications on your Android device can access the files on your phone’s storage with the READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission. This permission, however, will allow the apps to access all kinds of media files on the storage. For instance, an audio-playing app will have access to your photos with this permission, which is quite unnecessary. But Google is changing this by introducing three new permissions with Android 13:

• READ_MEDIA_IMAGES (for images and photos)
• READ_MEDIA_VIDEO (for videos)
• READ_MEDIA_AUDIO (for audio files)

If a particular application requests access to more than one media file type, then you’ll see a single dialog for granting both permissions like this:

More Material You color options

Android 13 adds several new colors and theming options to the Wallpaper & style app on Pixel devices. You can now choose from four pages of wallpaper colors and basic colors, taking the total number of both wallpaper colors and basic colors to 16. In contrast, the Wallpaper & style app previously only offered four colors each.

Photo Picker API

The new Photo Picker API is an extension of Google’s already-existing document picker. It works by leveraging the Android system to select documents on the device that are then selectively shared with the app in use, rather than the app having wider storage access to the files on the device itself. This way, an app can access photos or videos on your phone while also not having wider access to the rest of your phone. Photo Picker is also rolling out to older Android devices through a Google Play services update.

What else is new?

What we’ve shown above isn’t all that’s new, but they’re some of our favorite features so far. We’ve documented everything you can expect to find in Android 13 already, and it covers everything that we found in each beta and developer preview.

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Which Google Pixel phones are getting upgraded to Android 13?

• Google Pixel 4/4 XL
• Google Pixel 4a/4a 5G
• Google Pixel 5/5a 5G
• Google Pixel 6/6 Pro/6a

If, for whatever reason, you don’t receive the update once it starts rolling out, or you don’t want to wait for Google’s rollout of the update, then you can manually install it. If you’ve unlocked the bootloader of your device, you can manually install the device OTA image or factory image, or use Google’s web-based Android Flash Tool to automate the process. In any case, download the Android 13 image for your device, and then you can install it too.

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When will other phones get the Android 13 update?

Since Google’s major OEM partners have already had pre-release access to the source code, their engineers have already begun the process of forking the OS to add custom features and UI tweaks. Smaller OEMs, independent developers, and other entities without pre-release access can today take a look at the Android 13 source code to analyze or rebase their work on top of the new release. Unfortunately, we can’t offer a definitive timeline for when every OEM will release an Android 13 update for their devices, but we can list some of the devices we suspect will get the update soon based on whether or not a beta update has already been made available.

Here are the devices that have received an Android 13 developer preview or public beta release and thus are expected to get the stable update soon:

• Samsung Galaxy S22/S22 Plus/S22 Ultra
• OnePlus 10 Pro
• Asus Zenfone 8
• Lenovo Tab P12 Pro
• Nokia X20
• OPPO Find X5/Find X5 Pro/Find N
• Realme GT 2 Pro
• Sharp Aquos Sense6
• Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G
• Vivo X80 series
• Xiaomi 12/12 Pro/Pad 5
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra

Of course, we don’t know exactly how close each OEM is to releasing a stable update for these devices, but we know some are very close.

Samsung, as always, is doing its own thing. The company announced its One UI 5 beta a while back, but then randomly dropped the beta in select countries without any warning. The first One UI 5 beta has a ton of cool changes that we outlined in our hands-on.

In Google’s announcement post, the company confirms that devices from “Samsung Galaxy, Asus, HMD (Nokia phones), iQOO, Motorola, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Sharp, Sony, Tecno, Vivo, Xiaomi and more” will be receiving the update “later this year”, though it’s unclear if that refers to a stable update or a beta release.

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Looking to Android 14 and beyond

With this release, Google will now set sights on Android 14 — and beyond. We don’t know what to expect really, aside from the fact that its codename appears to be “Upside Down Cake“. It’s not clear yet if the company will be working on an interim release à la Android 12L, but we’ll have to wait and see.

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