Google Wallet is gradually asking users to unlock their Android devices for every transaction. Previously, micropayments could be executed without needing a fingerprint scan or passcode entry for authorization.
Several users have realized that the tap-to-pay feature of Google Wallet doesn’t allow them to make a quick payment. Instead, it is now forcing users for a pattern or fingerprint to unlock their smartphones and authorize the payment.
Smaller payments are no longer convenient on Android smartphones with Google Wallet
Credit cards with a tap-to-pay feature allow users to merely place their cards on a PoS (Point of Sale) device to execute a payment. However, such transactions never exceed a particular threshold. Higher denomination transactions require users to authorize payments using a PIN.
Google Wallet has mimicked this behavior since its launch. The monetary value that is defined as “smaller payments” isn’t the same everywhere. It’s €25 in Belgium, €30 in France, 100 PLN in Poland, or €50 in Germany. Other countries, and even banks, have their limits. Moreover, buyers can make a limited number of purchases using a “locked” device or card before they are asked to authorize payments.
A few major banks in America allowed Google Wallet users to make payments below $50 without unlocking their smartphones. However, this is no longer the case. Late last month, Google updated a support page for the app.
“Coming soon, your credit and debit card won’t be charged for retail payments unless you’ve recently used a verification method, like your fingerprint or PIN. Some users may already need to verify to make a payment. If you’re asked to verify it’s you, complete verification steps on your device to make a payment.”
Device unlock is now mandatory for all payments with Google Wallet
Moving forward, every transaction, irrespective of the amount, will need users to unlock their Android smartphones. In other words, even a 1$ transaction for a can of Coke will demand a PIN or fingerprint before it allows the payment to go through.
Incidentally, Apple has always been way more cautious with tap-to-pay transactions. On an iPhone, users have to authenticate every payment session, irrespective of the amount.
Google appears to have adopted the same strategy. The company has essentially added a layer of security for every tap-to-pay transaction.
Several users have welcomed the change after realizing how it boosts security and protects them from fraud or theft. However, this has invariably caused some inconvenience. Needless to mention, credit cards with tap-to-pay are now faster than Google Wallet in some cases involving micro-payments. To address this, Google could have allowed users to set custom limits for micropayments without authorization.
Google Wallet users can speed up the transaction by keeping their Android smartphones unlocked. This is because the app does not ask users to re-authenticate at the time of payment. This also allows users to quickly scan a QR code if it is presented at checkout or billing.
Nothing will ruin your day more than getting a speeding ticket. And getting caught in a speed trap will make you feel even worse. According to MarketWatch (via Android Police), Google Maps is the navigation app most favored by those looking to avoid getting snared in a speed trap. Over 1,000 American drivers with an average age of 41 were surveyed by the financial news website (50% were male, 50% were female) and data from Speedtrap.org was added to the mix. The result? A whopping 70% of drivers surveyed favor Google Maps.
After Google Maps, Waze is the second most preferred navigation app used by drivers in the survey. Waze, also owned by Google, takes a crowdsourced approach to obtaining information. Not that far behind Waze is Apple Maps as the native iOS navigation app is the favorite of 25% of the drivers participating in the survey. Overall, 34% of drivers asked say that they have been warned about a speed trap by a navigation app.
Drivers surveyed prefer Google Maps by a huge margin over Waze and Apple Maps
What exactly defines a speedtrap? Good question. MarketWatch defines a speed trap as an area where a speed limit is set lower “than a road’s safest average rate of travel.” These roads are monitored and tracked by police looking to strictly enforce the speed limit in order to collect revenue. 30% of Americans have been caught in a speed trap. The three states with the most speed traps are Delaware, Maryland and Tennessee. North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska are the three states with the fewest speed traps.
Google Maps users are more likely to drive with a lead foot
While 70% use Google Maps to warn them of speed traps, it is Waze that is considered the best at handling this task with drivers saying that it is 30% more effective than Google Maps and 20% better than Apple Maps. Interestingly, Google Maps users are more likely to drive over the speed limit with 23% of them admitting to driving with a lead foot. Waze and Apple Maps users were next with 11% and 9% of their users respectively saying that they drive over the speed limit.
If you need to install these apps on your phones, here are the links:
The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra launched quite recently, and we’re here to compare it to one of the most popular Android smartphones on the planet. We’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra. Two ‘Ultra’ phones go at it, the most powerful smartphones from their respective companies. These two phones are both large, and powerful, but also quite different, so comparing them should be interesting.
As per usual, we’ll first list the specifications of both devices and will then get around to comparing them across a number of categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. There’s plenty to talk about here, so let’s get to it!
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra, respectively
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra: Design
The moment you look at these two phones, you’ll realize that there are quite a few visual differences. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has sharp corners, while the ZenFone 11 Ultra does not. The top and bottom sides of the Galaxy S24 Ultra are flat, while its sides are not. The ZenFone 11 Ultra has a flat frame all around, though. Both phones have flat displays, with a centered display camera hole.
The physical buttons sit on the right-hand side on both devices. When you flip the two phones around, you’ll notice even more differences. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has four cameras on the back and five circular cutouts. Each of those cutouts is a separate entity on the back. The ZenFone 11 Ultra has three cameras, but all are part of a camera island that sits in the top-left corner. The phone’s LED flash is also placed there.
Both smartphones are made out of metal and glass, by the way. The Galaxy S24 Ultra also includes an S Pen stylus, which is tucked away on the inside, and accessible from the bottom. The two phones are very similar in terms of height, while the ZenFone 11 Ultra is the narrower of the two, but both are quite wide. They’re also very similar in terms of thickness. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is slightly heavier at 232 grams compared to 224 grams of the ZenFone 11 Ultra.
You’ll be glad to hear that both smartphones do come with an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. They both feel very premium in the hand, and the build quality is good. You’ll quickly realize that both devices are very slippery, though. Using a case is always a good idea, and especially when phones are made out of metal and glass.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra: Display
The Galaxy S24 Ultra features a 6.8-inch QHD+ (3120 x 1440) Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display. This panel is flat, and it offers an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz (1-120Hz). The display supports HDR10+ content, and its peak brightness is 2,600 nits. The display aspect ratio here is 19.5:9, and the screen-to-body ratio is around 88%. The Gorilla Armor from Corning protects this display.
ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra
The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra, on the flip side, has a 6.78-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) LTPO AMOLED display. This panel is flat, and it also offers an adaptive refresh rate, and it goes up to 144Hz. That refresh rate is only accessible for some games, the ones that support it. The display will usually run at 120Hz. HDR10 content is supported, while the maximum brightness is 2,500 nits. The display aspect ratio is 20:9, while the screen-to-body ratio is around 88%. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects this panel.
Both of these displays are great. They’re vivid, sharp, and have great viewing angles. The blacks are deep, and the touch response is good. They’re similar in terms of brightness as well. The Galaxy S24 Ultra does have two advantages, though. It offers a higher resolution, which is not something many people will notice, but it’s there if you care. More importantly, however, it includes Gorilla Armor, which helps with reflections a lot. It’s the best protection of the display that also doubles as an anti-reflective layer. Don’t get me wrong, the ZenFone 11 Ultra’s display is not super reflective or anything like that, but once you try out Gorilla Armor, your perspective changes.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy fuels the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. In addition to that chip, Samsung also included 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, while it has up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and it also uses UFS 4.0 flash storage. Neither of the two devices supports storage expansion, by the way.
The performance on both ends is very, very good. The software on the ZenFone 11 Ultra is much closer to stock Android, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a ton of added software features that many of you could find useful. ASUS does add plenty of those too, on top of stock Android. Both devices offer great performance, and you can throw whatever you want on them, pretty much. They’re fast when it comes to multitasking, browsing, processing images, consuming multimedia, and basically everything else.
What about gaming? Well, they can handle any game you can find in the Google Play Store, even Genshin Impact. Both of them did great with it. The ZenFone 11 Ultra did heat a lot in benchmarks (3D Mark’s extreme stress test), though, which was a bit odd, but it performed well when we actually tested it in-game. It also didn’t heat up all that much when you put pressure on it with general use, so… there’s seemingly nothing to worry about. Both devices did great in the performance department, at least for us.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra: Battery
Samsung’s flagship comes with a 5,000mAh battery. The ZenFone 11 Ultra includes a 5,500mAh battery on the inside. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is still one of the best-performing flagship smartphones that we’ve tested, in terms of battery life. The ZenFone 11 Ultra does have a larger battery pack, but in our experience, it does not offer better battery life. Don’t get me wrong, both devices are great in that regard, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra did last longer in our testing.
We were able to cross 8-9 hours of screen-on-time with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, while the ZenFone 11 Ultra was closer to 7-7.5 hours of screen-on-time. There were off days for both smartphones, and our usage was different on some days, which resulted in different numbers. Still, the Galaxy S24 Ultra had the upper hand, but both of these smartphones have great battery life, pretty much. They’re also quite consistent too. Your mileage could vary, though, of course.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra supports 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The ZenFone 11 Ultra supports 65W wired, 15W wireless, and 10W reverse wired charging. Neither smartphone includes a charger in the box, but the ZenFone 11 Ultra does charge faster with the compatible charger. Both support PD3.0 charging, by the way.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra: Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra features a 200-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (120-degree FoV), a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom), and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (5x optical zoom). The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra, on the other hand, has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 32-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom).
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The performance of these camera setups is different, of course. The thing is, both smartphones do tend to process images quite a bit, and both have a tendency to go a bit overboard with sharpening in some scenes. The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra is way worse in that regard, however, as Samsung toned down on the sharpening quite a bit. The Galaxy S24 Ultra leans more towards warmer tones than the ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra.
We preferred the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s output in low light, and that goes for pretty much all of its cameras. In good lighting, the results are a lot more similar in terms of quality, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra does win in low light, at least in our opinion. Still, the ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra has a capable camera setup, that’s hard to deny. It could use more optimization, though, plus the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a lot more camera features.
Audio
There is a set of stereo speakers on both of these smartphones. The ones on the Galaxy S24 Ultra are noticeably louder, though. Don’t get me wrong, the ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra has good speakers, but in direct comparison, the Galaxy S24 Ultra speakers pack more punch. Both sets are well-balanced, though.
There is no headphone jack on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra does include it. If you prefer wireless connectivity, the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers Bluetooth 5.3, while the ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra comes with Bluetooth 5.4.
Fitbit smartwatch users in Europe will lose access to third-party apps starting this summer. In an update to its support pages, Google-owned Fitbit has announced that it will remove support for installing third-party apps and watch faces starting in June 2024. This is due to new regulatory requirements in the European Economic Area (EEA).
Fitbit said that users will still have access to apps and watch faces developed by Fitbit and Google. However, the ability to discover and install new third-party offerings through the Fitbit App Gallery will be removed. It remains unclear whether existing downloads will continue to work after this date.
“You can download and install third-party apps until June 2024. After that date, you will continue to have access to a diverse gallery of apps and clocks developed by Fitbit and Google,” Google wrote on the updated support page.
Google will remove Fitbit’s third-party apps and watch faces in Europe
The removal of third-party app support will impact a wide range of Fitbit’s smartwatch portfolio, from older models like the Ionic and Versa lines to the current flagship Sense 2. However, basic models like the Charge 5 and Inspire 3 appear safe from this change for now. Similarly, Google’s own Pixel Watch is unlikely to be affected.
The move isn’t entirely surprising, as Fitbit users have seen a reduction in features and functionality over the past few years. Google has removed popular features like Fitbit Adventures, Open Groups, and Challenges. Support for using the Spotify and Deezer apps has also been removed.
These changes come after Google’s recent decision to update the brand from Fitbit by Google to something shorter. Its new name, Google Fitbit, is much more on brand with how Google usually names its products and services.
The exact regulations were not specified. However, this is the latest blow to the smartwatch experience on Fitbit devices in Europe. Fitbit users in the EU will have a limited window to use third-party apps and watch faces. You can check out this Google page for affected Fitbit smartwatches.
After three years of receiving continuous updates, the OnePlus 9 series has reached its last stop. As Android Authority reports, the company has released an Oxygen OS 14 update to the T-Mobile variants of the OnePlus 9, 9 Pro, and 8T. The unlocked versions of the phones have received their last Android update before.
OnePlus has pledged to release three major Android updates and four years of security updates to its devices. Launched in October 2020 and March 2021, the OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 9 series are now at the end of their Android update cycle. But they’ll still receive security patches for a few more months.
The OnePlus 9 series and OnePlus 8T were launched with Android 11. The Oxygen OS 14 update is the last major platform update for the devices. The carrier models of OnePlus devices were supported only by T-Mobile in the United States market. Meanwhile, users could also opt for unlocked versions.
OnePlus 9 series and OnePlus 8T no longer receive any Android update from the manufacturer
OnePlus customers can now enjoy the Android 14 experience on their devices. However, the company’s short Android lifespan support might make customers hesitant to opt for a newer device like the OnePlus 12.
The OnePlus 9, 9 Pro, and 8T received only three years of Android support. But the brand’s latest flagships are pleased to offer four years of platform updates and five years of security patches. While this might seem like a good leap, it still falls short compared to rival brands, including Google and Samsung. The OnePlus 12R is also set to receive the same three years of Android updates despite being launched in February 2024.
Google and Samsung’s latest flagships, like the Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24 series, claim to guarantee seven years of Android updates besides regular security patches. Extending Android lifespan support helps customers enjoy their devices for more years. It also ensures a cutting-edge experience in the long run.
Alongside releasing a fix for the recent bugs in Edge and implementing control panel features inside Settings, Microsoft has officially acknowledged and accepted responsibility for its recent server crash issues and informed that the reason was a critical memory leak in the system. The issue was introduced with the March 2024 Windows Server Security Update. It has been causing widespread crashes in Windows domain controllers.
Microsoft confirmed that the issue occurred due to the update released on March 12
The reason behind the recent Microsoft server issues was a memory leak in the LSASS process. It affected servers running Windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016, and 2012 R2. Following widespread reports and complaints from system administrators,
Microsoft confirmed that the issue was caused by the update released on March 12. It was the OS Build 20348.2340 or KB5035857. Affected servers experience unexpected freezes and restarts, with LSASS memory usage continuously increasing until system failure occurs.
Microsoft has assured users that they are actively working on developing a fix for the issue. And they will release it in the coming days. The company acknowledges the severity of the problem and emphasizes its commitment to resolving it promptly.
While Microsoft has made progress in identifying the root cause, they stated that uninstalling the problematic update appears to be the only temporary solution at this time. It is worth noting that this issue specifically impacts environments within organizations that utilize certain Windows Server platforms, with home devices remaining unaffected by the update.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has faced issues related to LSASS
The recent memory leak problem is not the first time Microsoft has encountered issues related to LSASS. Similar incidents occurred in December 2022 and March 2022, where memory leaks in LSASS resulted in unexpected domain controller reboots after installing Windows Server updates. Microsoft has previously addressed such issues with patches and updates.
While Microsoft works to develop and deploy a fix for the memory leak problem, affected organizations are advised to monitor official communications from Microsoft for updates and instructions on how to proceed. In the meantime, system administrators can take necessary precautions to mitigate the impact of the issue on their environments. Additionally, administrators may consider implementing backup and recovery strategies to safeguard critical data and minimize disruptions caused by this kind of incident.
Plex has dropped support for its virtual reality (VR) apps on older VR platforms. Plex announced that it will no longer support the apps on Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR, and Oculus Go. While these VR platforms were groundbreaking when they were first released, they have since been outdated by newer VR headsets.
Google released Daydream in 2016, but support ended in 2019 as Google changed its focus. Samsung’s Gear VR was first released in 2014, but development ceased in 2019 as well. Oculus released its Go headset in 2018, but it was replaced by the Oculus Quest after two years.
“As part of our efforts to make sure we’re focusing our resources in ways that best serve our Plex community, we’ve decided to officially end support for our Google Daydream, Gear VR, and Oculus Go apps,” Plex wrote in an email to users.
Plex waves goodbye to VR platforms as a whole
If you’re not familiar with Plex, it’s a media streaming platform for organizing and watching personal collections of movies, TV shows, and music. You can also rent TV shows and movies through the app.
Plex said that low usage of the apps on these legacy VR platforms as a major factor for the decision. With better VR headsets now available, the user base for the older Daydream, Gear VR, and Oculus Go decreased over time. Additionally, as the manufacturers move on to newer products, continuing support for the aging platforms is no longer feasible long term.
The apps will continue to work for now. However, Plex warns they may stop working eventually without ongoing support and updates. Any future changes to the Plex media server could potentially cause compatibility issues or prevent the apps from launching altogether on outdated VR systems.
The move suggests that Plex does not consider legacy VR a development priority going forward. The company has also yet to create apps for the Quest and Quest 2 headsets.
In February 2024 the Canadian government announced plans to ban the sale of the Flipper Zero, mainly because of its reported use to steal cars.
The Flipper Zero is a portable device that can be used in penetration testing with a focus on wireless devices and access control systems.
If that doesn’t help you understand what it can do, a few examples from the news might help.
Flipper Zero made headlines in October because versions running third-party firmware could be used to crash iPhones running iOS 17 (since resolved in iOS 17.2).
Later, reporters found information that car thieves could use the Flipper Zero to intercept, record, and sometimes mimic the signal of a vehicle’s key fob, and if the car was in a garage, the signal of the garage door opener too.
Importantly, this only works on older car models that use fixed numeric codes for their fobs. Not on cars that use rolling codes, which change the numeric code transmitted from a key fob with each use. As a result, car thieves continued to ignore the Flipper Zero in favour of key fob signal boosters and keyless repeaters which are a lot more powerful.
Oddly enough, the car thieving option was mentioned as the main reason for putting a ban on the Flipper Zero in Canada. Although Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne said:
“We are banning the importation, sale and use of consumer hacking devices, like flippers, used to commit these crimes.”
Very recently, a group of security researchers presented a series of vulnerabilities in the widely used Dormakaba Saflok electronic RFID locks. This vulnerability impacts over 3 million doors on over 13,000 properties in 131 countries, mostly in hotels.
Reportedly, an attacker only needs to read one keycard from the property to perform the attack against any of its doors. This keycard can be from their own room, or even an expired keycard taken from the express checkout collection box.
Any device capable of reading and writing or emulating MIFARE Classic cards is suitable for this attack. MIFARE is a contactless card technology introduced in 1994. It’s primarly used for transport passes, but its technological capabilities quickly made it one of the most popular smart cards for storing data and providing access control.
One device that can be used for this attack is the Flipper Zero, but an attacker could just as easily use a Proxmark 3 or any NFC capable Android phone.
After an appeal by the security community, Canada now looks like it’s going to move forward with measures to restrict the use of devices like Flipper Zero to legitimate actors only. The specifics will be revealed after deliberation with Canadian companies, online retailers, and the automotive industry.
Conclusions
None of the technology housed within the Flipper Zero is very new, all it does is combine multiple functions into one handheld device. We have never seen any officially confirmed cases of theft using a Flipper Zero. If you want to ban something that helps against car theft, look at keyless repeaters, on the market for a host of car brands and which have no other purpose.
For all the vulnerabilities we described, updates came out that fixed the issues and made the world a safer place, although the patches haven’t been applied everywhere—it’s a lot of work to update all the locks in a hotel, and it’s not feasible to update the fob systems of older cars. Nevertheless, the research by pen testers has led to security improvements, so why would we want to take away their tools?
If we have peaked your interest to buy a Flipper Zero, we urge you to be careful. Due to limited availability there are scammers active that will take your money and send nothing in return.
You can learn more about Flipper Zero by listening to our Lock and Code podcast below. In December 2023, host David Ruiz had a long conversation in with Cooper Quintin, senior public interest technologist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation—and Flipper Zero owner—about what the Flipper Zero can do, what it can’t do, and whether governments should get involved in the regulation of the device.
Google has been working on what was formerly called “Android Automotive” for quite a few years. It’s essentially an operating system that powers the entire infotainment system in your vehicle. However, in 2023, Google decided to rename it “Google Built-in” or “Cars with Google Built-in”. This was a good change since we already had Android Auto, and that was very different from Android Automotive.
In this article, we’re going to go over everything there is to know about Cars with Google Built-In, including vehicles that have the software.
What is Google Built-In?
Google Built-In is essentially the operating system that will run your car’s infotainment system. It runs directly on the in-vehicle hardware. It is a full-stack, open-source, and highly customizable platform that powers the infotainment system. And it supports apps built for Android, and those built for Android Auto.
Google is allowing car makers to customize the skin of Google Built-In that runs on their cars as well, as we’ve seen with GM and Ford recently.
Which means we could see some heavy skins with Google Built-In like we have seen on Android. It’s a way for car makers to differentiate their vehicles from the competitors and also make it blend in better with the car’s interior.
Android Auto vs Android Automotive
Android Auto has been around since 2015. This makes Android Automotive even more confusing; thankfully, it has been renamed to Google Built-In. Here’s a quick explainer between the two.
Android Auto is a platform running on the user’s phone, projecting the Android Auto user experience to a compatible in-vehicle infotainment system over a USB connection. Android Auto supports apps designed for in-vehicle use.
Android Automotive is an operating system and platform running directly on the in-vehicle hardware. It is a full-stack, open-source, highly customizable platform powering the infotainment experience. Android Automotive supports apps built for Android as well as those built for Android Auto.
Essentially, Android Auto is an experience that is powered by your smartphone, while Android Automotive runs natively on the hardware within your car – no smartphone required.
Android Automotive gives users a better experience. As they can just get in the car and start using their streaming service of choice, Google Maps, and even make phone calls, without having to plug in their phone. That might sound like a minor thing, but it can make a big difference. Of course, you can do this with Wireless Android Auto, but Android Automotive will not use up your phone’s battery life, which is really nice.
What is Google Automotive Services?
Even though Google doesn’t talk about it, you’ve likely heard about Google Mobile Services. This is basically the license that smartphone OEMs can apply for, to be able to run Google services on their phone. You’ve probably heard a lot more about GMS since the whole Huawei fiasco, and it losing access to GMS since President Trump banned them from working with US companies.
Well, Google Automotive Services or GAS, is essentially the same thing. As Google puts it “is a collection of applications and services that automotive OEMs can choose to license and integrate into their in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems.
Basically, if a car is using Google Built-In, it is in their best interest to license GAS, which will make their user experience even better. As GAS does include every Google service out there. That includes Google Assistant, YouTube Music, Google Maps, and much more, including the underlying Google Play Services.
Are apps available in the Google Play Store?
As mentioned before, Goole Built-In works with Android and Android Auto apps, which means that apps for Goole Built-In are available within the Google Play Store, including apps to control the temperature of your car. In fact, Polestar’s app for climate control is available in the Play Store (though you’ll only see it if you have a Polestar 2 on your Google account). But, not all Android Auto apps are available for Goole Built-In. Currently, the list of Goole Built-In apps is pretty short.
This opens up a lot of possibilities, as Polestar (and other car makers) could also opt to really change up the interface of the car. Or add additional modes. As all it takes is a simple app update. It’s pretty similar to what Motorola was doing almost a decade ago, where it pushed a lot of its system apps to the Play Store and updated them that way, instead of through a system update.
It’s a pretty interesting way to improve your infotainment experience, but this means that you could choose between different navigation apps like Google Maps or Waze, for example. Of course, this is just the early days of Goole Built-In, so this could change vastly in the coming years.
What apps are available, and what do they look like?
Like with Android Auto, apps on Google Built-In are forced to stick within strict design guidelines. And the point in this is so that you don’t spend a ton of time looking at the screen while you are driving. So the apps look similar to how they would in Android Auto, but perhaps in a different aspect ratio. That means bigger touch targets, which makes it easier to use while driving.
However, with Goole Built-In, app developers do get a bit more leeway in how they can design their apps. Spotify, for example, looks sort of like how it does on the desktop. But with a larger DPI, of course.
There are still design guidelines for Goole Built-In, but they aren’t as strict. As we’ve seen with Polestar and Hummer so far, companies don’t need to stick with material design for Goole Built-In. Though when it comes to media apps, the touch targets will mostly be in the same area, across different apps. So you can use muscle memory to change songs and such without having to look at the display for long.
Then there are sign-ins. That’s still something that Google, developers and car makers need to address. Signing in on the screen in your car isn’t particularly user-friendly. Though, a screen like the Polestar 2 has, is a lot easier. As it is a larger portrait orientation screen.
Car makers are also releasing their own apps to find chargers, particularly for electric and hybrid vehicles, which is going to be a lot easier to use, then to pull out your phone and open the PlugShare app to find where you can charge your Polestar 2. These are apps that are needed for newer cars, which are also electric.
Video apps & Chromecast
Google announced at Google I/O 2022 that it was bringing video apps over to Goole Built-In. This is after it had already announced that YouTube was coming. Some other names it threw out included EPIX NOW and Tubi TV. So you can watch videos while you’re stopped and charging.
Additionally, Chromecast is coming, which will allow you to Cast basically any video to your screen in your vehicle. But only while you are parked, for obvious safety reasons.
Do I need to login to use my car?
Google is going to want you to sign in, and of course that will make it easier to download and use apps. But it is not required. But we would highly suggest you do, as the Goole Built-In software can bring in cloud preferences and user customization from your account.
Notably, offline Goole Built-In should work pretty much the same as it does when you are logged in. All of the vehicle apps will work. Meaning you don’t need to sign into your Google account to change the temperature on your AC.
So why is Google making Goole Built-In usable without an account? China. Countries like China where Google services are not available, need to be able to use these cars too. And in China, it would be pretty much impossible to use. But they can still use apps like WeChat, QQ Music and Baidu Maps. Though it will be interesting to see how the Polestar 2 would look in China.
What vehicles support Goole Built-In?
Currently, there are a number of cars that have Google Built-In available. From brands including Polestar, Volvo, Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, Renault, Honda and Nissan. With more coming on board later this year. Google has already announced that Ford Lincoln and Buick will have vehicles with Google Built-in coming soon.
These are the current cars that have Android Automotive built-in:
Acura ZDX (2024+)
Cadillac Celestiq
Cadillac CT5 (2025+)
Cadillac Escalade IQ
Cadillac Lyriq[25]
Cadillac XT4 (2024+)
Chevrolet Colorado (2023+)
Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
Chevrolet Equinox (2025+)
Chevrolet Equinox EV
Chevrolet Silverado (2022+)
Chevrolet Silverado EV
Chevrolet Suburban (2022+)
Chevrolet Tahoe (2022+)
Chevrolet Traverse (2024+)
Ford Explorer (2025+)
GMC Canyon (2023+)
GMC Hummer EV
GMC Sierra (2022+)
GMC Yukon (2022+)
Honda Accord (2023+)
Honda Prologue (2024+)
Lincoln Aviator (2025+)
Lincoln Nautilus (2024+)
Nissan Interstar (2024+)
Nissan Rogue (2024+)
Polestar 2
Polestar 3
Polestar 4
Polestar 5
Renault 5 E-Tech
Renault Austral
Renault Espace (2024+)
Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric[27]
Renault Master (2024+)
Renault Rafale
Renault Scénic E-Tech (2025+)
Volvo C40
Volvo EX30
Volvo EX90
Volvo S60 (2023+)
Volvo S90 (2022+)
Volvo V60, V60 Cross Country (2023+)
Volvo V90, V90 Cross Country (2022+)
Volvo XC40 (excluding T2 engine model) (2023+)
Volvo XC40 Recharge (only BEV version)
Volvo XC60 (2022+)
Volvo XC90 (2023+)
Why would a car maker use Goole Built-In over their own system?
A big question with Goole Built-In is, why would a car maker like Toyota want to use it over its own system? As you might have noticed, Toyota has not jumped on board yet. However, they were pretty slow in adopting Android Auto too.
And that’s what Google has been trying to talk car makers into doing. Allowing them, a software company, to build the software for their vehicles. Which also means that they will get tighter integration into Google services like Google Maps, Google Assistant, and others. Which is much better than, say, Ford’s built-in navigation and voice commands. Which is why vehicle makers are starting to jump on board with Google pretty quickly.
How does Goole Built-In benefit the user?
The biggest benefit is, this is going to be software you are already familiar with. Mainly if you use Android. Instead of some cumbersome software that the manufacturer threw together, which is typically pretty terrible.
It’s also going to bring all of your favorite apps to your vehicle, without having to plug in your phone to use them like Spotify, Google Maps, Waze, Google Assistant, and much more. Imagine being able to ask the Google Assistant to turn down the AC in your Hummer EV. That will be possible thanks to Goole Built-In, which is huge.
But the biggest benefit is definitely the usable software. We’ve all used the software from companies like Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota and others, and know just how bad it really is. And Google will change that with Goole Built-In here.
Will my next vehicle have Goole Built-In?
Most likely. Even though the automotive space does move pretty slowly, your next car will most likely have Goole Built-In unless you are buying a new car this month.
Where Google has Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Volvo all on-board already for Goole Built-In. It’s very likely that your next vehicle is going to sport it. And as an Android user, that’s going to make for an exciting drive.
MediaTek’s next flagship chip, the Dimensity 9400, is coming in October, it seems. This information has been revealed by Digital Chat Station, one of the best-known tipsters from China.
That’s not all he revealed, however. The tipster also shared some details for that chip, and talked about the Dimensity 9300+ as well. Let’s focus on the Dimensity 9400 first, though, shall we?
The MediaTek Dimensity 9400 is coming in October, here are some details
The tipster says that the chip won’t include any efficiency cores, not at all. It will utilize Cortex-X5, Cortex-X4, and Cortex-A7xx cores. We’re not sure about the setup, though. A single Cortex X5 core could be included, along with three Cortex-X4 cores, and four Cortex-A7xx cores.
Needless to say, this will be one of the most powerful processors in the market once it arrives. Let’s just hope that MediaTek has thermals in mind and that the chip will keep that under control. The MediaTek Dimensity 9400 will be a 3nm chip, by the way, made by TSMC.
The MediaTek Dimensity 9300+, on the other hand, is said to arrive at some point in May. That chip will have a Cortex-X4 core clocked at 3.4GHz, and the Immortalis-G720 MC12 GPU that will run at 1,300MHz.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will launch in October too
As many of you know by now, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will launch in October as well. So both Qualcomm and MediaTek will show off their flagship chipsets in the same month. Those will be some of the most powerful mobile chips on the market, alongside Apple’s next offering.
It will be interesting to see how will they compare, as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is also rumored to ship without efficiency cores. Qualcomm does intend to use its custom Oryon cores for the first time, though. The competition will be fiercer than ever this time around, that’s for sure.
