The new OPPO Find N3 Flip, like other clamshell folding devices, comes with a cover display. From this display, users can perform some quick actions without having to flip the device open. Over the years, these clamshell folding devices, including the new Find N3 Flip, have been getting support for select apps for usage on the cover display.
As this new clamshell folding device from OPPO prepares for its global launch, it is getting support for more apps on its cover display. Because this cover display measures 3.26 inches, there is a need for apps to be optimized to fit the small display. New reports now point out that this cover display supports over 80 apps for usage.
Some of these apps are from OPPO, but the rest are everyday apps that prospective buyers might use. The report also goes further to say that the Google Messaging app will also be available for use on the cover display. This is very impressive and considering the size of the OPPO Find N3 Flip cover display, fans might wonder how this will work.
The integration of various apps on the OPPO Find N3 Flip cover display remains a mystery
Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Motorola RAZR Plus, the new Find N3 Flip is a bit different. These two devices have slightly larger screens and different aspect ratios, unlike that on OPPO’s clamshell folding device. For both devices, their cover display takes up more space on the rear top folding panel.
Not only does the OPPO Find N3 Flip cover display take up less space, but it also has a weird aspect ratio. The cover display is much taller than it is wider, meaning apps can fit vertically, but they’ll be cramped horizontally. This will present itself as a challenge when optimizing apps to fit the device’s cover display.
Already, certain apps are finding it hard to fit into the Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover display. However, this cover display has a more usable aspect ratio on its cover display. So if the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is having a hard time fitting some apps on its larger cover display, it’s easy to expect the Find N3 Flip to have a similar problem.
Users will be able to better see this issue with apps that require a keyboard to perform certain tasks. An example of such an app is Google Messages, and OPPO is currently working to bring it to their new foldable device’s cover display. How they will get this to work is a mystery, but netizens will love to see it happen.
With this integration along with that of other apps, the OPPO Find N3 Flip cover screen will become more useful. OPPO fans can also expect to see this device launched globally within the month. Once available, the new OPPO clamshell folding device will hit the shelves of major retailers around the world.
Amazon and Microsoft are facing a new antitrust investigation in the UK. The nation’s media regulator Ofcom, aka Office of Communications, has concerns that the two companies are dominating its cloud computing market. Their dominance is stifling competition, leading to fewer options for consumers.
The UK media regulator to probe Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud dominance
According to Ofcom, Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud computing solutions make up 70-80 percent of the UK’s total cloud market. The regulator last reported that figure at 60-70 percent in its preliminary findings in April. This suggests the two companies are growing their market share, while competitors struggle to survive. Their closest rival is Google with a market share of 5-10 percent.
Ofcom says that the lack of competition in the nation’s cloud market is affecting consumers. They have fewer options and can’t switch freely without facing severe issues. “High fees for transferring data out, committed spend discounts, and technical restrictions are making it difficult for business customers to switch cloud providers or use multiple providers,” the regulator said in a press release.
After a thorough study of the UK’s cloud market over the past year, where it evaluated the current market trend and future growth scope, Ofcom determined that the strength of the competition, or its lack thereof, could limit innovation and growth in the sector, estimated to be worth up to £7.5 billion in 2022. “If left unchecked, competition could deteriorate in a critical digital market for the UK economy,” it said.
The investigation is already underway
Ofcom submitted its findings to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), recommending further investigation into the matter. The CMA has also promptly begun an investigation following the referral. “The CMA is launching a market investigation into the supply of public cloud infrastructure services in the UK,” it said in a press release.
An independent investigation from the Authority will determine whether Ofcom’s competition concerns in the cloud market have a strong base. The CMA has established an inquiry group and appointed independent panel members for the investigation. If they determine competition issues, the CMA may come up with new rules to regulate the market. The Authority expects to complete its investigation by April 2025.
“We welcome Ofcom’s referral of public cloud infrastructure services to us for in-depth scrutiny. This is a £7.5bn market that underpins a whole host of online services – from social media to AI foundation models,” said CMA CEO Sarah Cardell. “The CMA’s independent inquiry group will now carry out an investigation to determine whether competition in this market is working well and if not, what action should be taken to address any issues it finds.”
With the launch of the Pixel Watch 2 Wear OS 4 is official and it should release on the original Pixel Watch before too long. At Google’s annual Fall event on October 4 where it revealed the rollout of Android 14 and two new Pixel phones, the company didn’t mention exactly when Wear OS 4 was coming to the older device.
But as 9To5Google points out the company has given users a general time frame to look forward to. Google briefly highlights availability over on the Android Developers Blog. Confirming that Wear OS 4 will release for the original Pixel Watch later this year. That’s all of the detail on timing that Google is forthcoming about. But there isn’t much time in the year left. So an official release can’t be too far out from now.
There’s a good chance in fact that Google may push the software out well before the end of what’s left of the year.
Wear OS 4 on the Pixel Watch 2 signals the software is now stable
Even though Google doesn’t mention an exact release date it would be surprising if it wasn’t rather soon. Confirming that the software update is coming later this year for Pixel Watch shows it’s coming sometime within the next few months. But Google also confirms that the software is now stable. That suggests Google doesn’t have much work left to do with it. And if there’s really no stability left to work on, Google is probably shoring up the rollout. Putting the finishing touches and polish on the update before it sends it out to users.
Outside of the Pixel Watch, Wear OS 4 is only available on Samsung’s Galaxy Watch smartwatches via the latest One UI Watch update. But that still leaves tons of watches from other manufacturers. And right now there’s no word from Google on what watches from those brands will get the bump.
It has barely been a month since Apple introduced the iPhone 15 series, but rumors regarding the iPhone 16 have already started surfacing. The Cupertino giant introduced four models in the series including iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max. Now, ahead of next year’s Apple event, some details regarding the screen sizes of the iPhone 16 Pro series have leaked.
iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will be the biggest iPhones to date
According to a report by Macrumors, the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will be the largest iPhones to date. The former will have a 6.27-inch (6.3-inch tentative) display, while the latter is said to offer a much bigger 6.85-inch (6.9-inch provisional) screen. In comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro has a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max flaunts a 6.7-inch screen.
If the report is correct, we are looking at a bump of 0.2-inches in the sizes of the upcoming iPhones. The source claims that the 16 Pro models will have the same 8.25mm thickness as the current Pro variants. However, they will be slightly heavier than their predecessors. The iPhone 16 Pro is said to weigh 194 grams as compared to 187 grams iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is reported to have a weight of 225 grams. This will make it slightly heavier than the 221 grams 15 Pro Max. Regardless of the taller size, the upcoming iPhones are said to offer a redesigned camera bump. They are expected to have a vertical camera module at the rear, just like the iPhone 12 series.
Furthermore, the source indicates that the 16 Pro series could offer the Grade 5 Titanium 5 found on the 15 Pro. They will likely get a matte back glass design at the rear. The new Pro series iPhones are also reported to feature a curved design and a slightly larger Action Button.
The 16 and 16 Plus will offer the same dimensions as the 15 & 15 Plus
As for the smaller iPhone 16 and 16 Plus variants, the report suggests they will maintain their dimensions. These models will still offer a 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen size, respectively. However, they could be 2 grams heavier than the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. The iPhone 16 could weigh around 173 grams, while the 16 Plus could tip the scale at 203 grams.
It’s worth mentioning that the launch of the iPhone 16 series is almost a whole year away. So, things could change because Apple may be far from finalizing the design of the new iPhones. The brand is currently fixing the speaker issue on the iPhone 15, apart from the heating problems on the 15 Pro series.
Google announced its new Pixel Android phones yesterday. We managed to get some hands-on time with the two phones, but a review will have to wait a bit. That being said, we do have some impressions of the two phones, enough to offer you some insight. In this article, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 8 vs Pixel 8 Pro. We’ll try to give you a good idea of what the advantages of each smartphone are, even though, as I said, you’ll have to wait a bit for full reviews, they’re coming, though.
We will first list the specs of the two smartphones, and will then move to compare them across a number of other categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Having said that, let’s get started.
Both the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are made out of metal and glass. They also look rather similar, in terms of the general design aesthetic, but there are differences, of course. The Pixel 8 is considerably smaller, not to mention that it has a smaller camera cutout on the back, due to one less camera. On top of that, its back glass is glossy, compared to a satin (aka matte) finish on the Pixel 8 Pro.
They both feature flat displays this time around, with a centered display camera hole, and thin uniform bezels. All of their physical buttons are placed on the right-hand side. The Pixel 8 Pro also has a temperature sensor on the back, for some reason. That camera visor on the back is difficult not to notice. It once again connects to the side frame on both smartphones, and it goes from one side of the phone to the other. It makes the phone sit flat on the table, so that’s a plus, and it’s covered by metal (aluminum).
The Pixel 8 is considerably shorter, and narrower than the Pixel 8 Pro. The two phones are almost equally thick, though. The smaller Pixel 8, of course, is also lighter, at 187 grams, compared to 217 grams of the Pixel 8 Pro. Both smartphones do feel great in the hand, due to more curves that Google introduced this time around. The Pixel 8 is a lot easier to use with one hand, though. It’s also worth pointing out that both smartphones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance.
Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Display
The Google Pixel 8 includes a 6.2-inch Actua display. That is a fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s an LTPS display, though, so its refresh rate doesn’t drop below 60Hz. This display is flat, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus. This panel goes up to 2,000 nits of brightness at its peak, and supports HDR content as well. This display offers a 20:9 aspect ratio.
The Pixel 8 Pro, on the other hand, comes with a 6.7-inch 2992 x 1344 Super Actua display. This is also a flat AMOLED display, though it’s an LTPO panel. It can go down to 1Hz in terms of refresh rate, and up to 120Hz. This display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and it goes up to 2,400 nits of brightness at its peak. It also supports HDR content, and has a 20:9 aspect ratio.
In actual usage, both displays look really nice, noticeably better than the Pixel 7’s. They seem to be a bit more color-accurate, though we’ll have to test that more. They’re very vivid, offer good viewing angles, and the blacks are deep, as you’d expect on OLED displays. The Pixel 8 Pro’s display does have the advantage of being an LTPO panel, and it’s also brighter. The Pixel 8’s panel is also immensely bright, though, so you’ll be good with either one in that regard.
Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Performance
Both phones feel really smooth based on our hands-on, but for actual performance info, you’ll have to wait for our reviews. The Tensor G3 is an improvement compared to the Tensor G2, on paper, a noticeable one. Let’s just hope it’ll remain to stay cool under load, as it seems to perform really well in general. Google’s AI will also come into play here, of course, as there’s tons of it in the software.
Aside from the Tensor G3, both phones also include LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. Google included 8GB of RAM inside the Pixel 8, and 12GB inside of the Pixel 8 Pro. The Pixel 8 comes in 128GB and 256GB storage flavors, while you can choose between 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB on the Pixel 8 Pro. That will be market-dependent, though.
Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Battery
The Pixel 8 includes a 4,575mAh battery, while the Pixel 8 Pro has a 5,050mAh battery. The Pixel 8 gets a noticeable battery boost compared to the Pixel 7, at least in terms of the battery size. It has over 200mAh more capacity, despite the fact we’re dealing with a slightly smaller display here. That’s great to see, needless to say. The Pixel 8 Pro has a slightly higher battery capacity compared to its predecessor.
We can’t really talk about battery life at this point, you’ll have to wait until our reviews for that. We are expecting better numbers from both phones, as the Pixel 7 series did not impress in that regard, not exactly. Let’s hope the new chip along with a slightly larger battery, plus Google’s AI prowess, will do the trick.
Now, in terms of charging, we’re also seeing a small boost compared to the Pixel 7 series. The Pixel 8 Pro does offer faster charging than its sibling, though. It supports 30W charging, compared to 27W charging on the Pixel 8. Once you cross the 50% mark, however, the charging slows down considerably. We believe that wireless charging is on this same level, or close to it. A charger is not included in the box, though, that goes for both phones.
Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Cameras
These two phones have the same main camera, and the selfie camera. There are differences when it comes to other shooters, though. A 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.68 aperture, 1.2um pixel size, 82-degree FOV, 1/31-inch sensor size, Super Res Zoom 8x) sits on both phones. Both devices also have an ultrawide unit on the back, but it’s different. The Pixel 8 includes a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (125.8-degree FoV), while the Pixel 8 Pro has a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (125.5-degree FoV).
The Pixel 8 does not include a telephoto camera, but the Pixel 8 Pro does. It has a 48-megapixel telephoto unit (5x optical zoom, Super Res Zoom 30x). A 10.5-megapixel selfie shooter can be found on both smartphones. Google has a ton of camera software features on offer with these devices, including Best Take, Magic Editor, Photo Unblur, and more. Only the Pixel 8 Pro gets Pro controls, and a new feature that essentially sends your video to Google for detailed editing, and then returns it back to you. That feature is coming later on, though.
We cannot really talk about the image quality, but based on some images and videos that leaked, it looks promising. We’ll share more information on that in our Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro reviews which are coming soon.
Audio
Both of these phones come with stereo speakers, and spatial audio support. We did fire them up during the hands-on, but quite frankly it wasn’t an environment for judging sound quality. We’ll have to test them out during our review, but chances are we’ll get similar sound quality as last year.
Neither phone includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, by the way, in case you were wondering. They do have a Type-C port at the bottom, in case you’d like to connect your headphones. Both phones also support Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity for wireless audio support.
After its recent court case, X was ordered to pay up to $1.1 million in legal fees for some former Twitter execs. Part of these execs are the then CEO of Twitter, Parag Agrawal, as well as Vijaya Gadde. These individuals took X to court back in April for failing to pay for their appearance before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Gadde the individual in question, along with his lawyers, demanded $1.1 million from X for the previously stated reason. The amount in question was incurred while they were at Twitter before the Elon Musk takeover. It is a result of all their responses to the requests of the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission.
Despite acquiring this fee while working at Twitter, the responsibility to pay shifts over to Elon Musk. During their period working with Twitter, both Parag Agrawal and Vijaya Gadde have stood in as defendants for various court cases. The proceeds from these cases have long been due, and they took the issue to court demanding payment.
Former Twitter execs walk away with a whopping $1.1 million from X after a court case
After taking this case to court, the judge found X guilty as charged and requested that they pay the given price. However, the judge acknowledges the fact that the price is high. But agrees that the execs are deserving of this due to their service. Part of the $1.1 million, around $600,000 has already been paid off by X following this case.
While this amount is concerning to X, they still have to pay it up or face the court. The plaintiffs on their part are due to receive this payment. As it was in Twitter’s place to cover the expenses of the court cases. However, the demands for payments from Parag Agrawal and Vijaya Gadde during their time at Twitter were not successful.
Now after Elon Musk has taken over control of the social media platform, he and his team have to take up the bills as well. It is also good to note that once Elon Musk took over control of Twitter before changing it to X, he fired these executives. Now he gets to pay them all of what Twitter owed over the past few years.
How the former Twitter execs intend to split the $1.1 million is totally up to them. They are now waiting for the complete payment from X for the debts of its predecessor. This isn’t the first court case the X has been part of since its leadership and name change.
Over the past few months, X has been in the headlines for court cases just like this one. This court case tests the leadership at X and their ability to withstand external pressures. More information on the turn of events regarding this case and the payment of $1.1 million will be available in the coming days.
The Nintendo Switch will continue getting software support next year, and this will last for the next two years. Details on this information were shared by Shuntaro Furukawa, the Nintendo president, in a recent interview. He makes it clear to fans as well as the gaming community that the Switch console will live for another two years.
Already this gaming console is in its sixth year of existence and it’ll still get games and software updates for the next two years. Nintendo intends to keep the Switch as its main focus throughout the coming year. After this, the gaming console manufacturer might shift its attention to a new gaming console for its fans around the world.
Owners of the Switch can rest assured that their console will still get games for the next two years. Additionally, the Switch will still get software updates up until 2025. In the meantime, Nintendo has a lot in store for gamers. Here are some of the things to expect from Nintendo in the coming months.
Nintendo Switch still has a lot coming its way from software upgrades to new games
In addition to details about the Switch software support, Furukawa gave fans an expo of what to expect in the coming months. This expo involves the fate of the Switch, coming software improvements, and game releases. Already this article has touched on the fact that the Switch will keep getting games and software updates for the next two years.
Now, fans might be wondering what games they should be expecting to arrive. For this year, Nintendo plans to release two new titles for users around the world. These new games will be the Super Mario Bros Wonder and the Super Mario RPG Remake.
Both games will be available for playing on the Switch by the end of this year. As users step into 2024 they can start anticipating the release of the Princess Peach: Showtime game entry. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD will also grace the Switch towards the second half of next year.
Most Nintendo fans will already be aware that the expansion pass for the game Side Order, Wave Two of the Splatoon 3 will be coming next year. With over three games coming to the Switch next year, it’s safe to say that Nintendo isn’t done with it yet. There will also be a few entries for 2025 as well as some software improvements that will be coming to the Switch platform.
By the end of 2025, Nintendo might be ready to announce a Switch successor. Until then, Switch users can rest assured that the console is still a big focus for Nintendo. More information on what’s coming to the Switch platform will be available in the coming months.
Google has formally announced the Tensor G3, the chipset that powers the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. While the new chip brings notable improvements in all areas, it places more emphasis on AI performance than ever. The company describes it as the chip “that gives your Pixel an AI upgrade.”
Pixel 8’s Tensor G3 is heavily focused on AI performance
The Tensor G3 is a 4nm chipset manufactured by Samsung. It features a nine-core CPU with one ARM Cortex-X3 core clocked at 2.91GHz, four Cortex-A715 cores at 2.37GHz, and four Cortex-A510 cores at 1.70GHz. Google has paired the CPU with the Mali-G715 GPU. The chipset boasts support for the latest and greatest smartphone technologies the industry has to offer, including LPDDR5X RAM, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, high-resolution cameras, and more.
However, as you might have noticed, the peak speed of the Google chip is significantly lower than competing solutions. Qualcomm’s previous-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 operates at a maximum frequency of 3.2GHz. Google defends this by saying that its plan with Tensor processors has “never been about speeds and feeds, or traditional performance metrics.” Instead, it wants to push the “mobile computing experience” forward.
This year, it has upgraded every major subsystem with the Tensor G3. Along with the latest ARM CPUs, GPU, new ISP, and Imaging DSP, the chip also features Google’s next-gen TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) that is custom-designed to run its AI models. The company says these enhancements pave the way for more efficient and powerful on-device generative AI.
Compared to the first-gen Tensor that shipped with the Pixel 6, the Tensor G3-powered Pixel 8 can run more than twice as many on-device machine learning models. Moreover, the models are now more sophisticated than ever. They help enhance various aspects of the Pixel user experience. Google says on-device generative AI is now “150 times more complex than the most complex model on the Pixel 7,” but the new chip is up for the task.
The new Google processor brings advancements in speech and language
Speech and natural language understanding is one of the areas where Tensor G3’s advanced AI capabilities come to the fore. Google Assistant can now understand you better than ever. It can read the pace of your speech and even detect pauses and “um”s. On top of this, the new chip brings more advanced photo and video capabilities to the Pixel 8. Paired with the Titan M2 security chip, it also makes the new Pixel more resilient to sophisticated attacks.
Today was a big day for the Call of Duty franchise with CODNext with the reveal of Modern Warfare III multiplayer, but part of the event also included more information about the global launch of Warzone Mobile on Android and iOS devices. First announced at last year’s CODNext event with the reveal of Modern Warfare II multiplayer, Warzone Mobile crept into limited release in Australia not long after. And there it stayed until three more regions were opened up in March of 2023. This included Chile, Norway, and Sweden. Since then, it was believed Warzone Mobile would expand to players worldwide by November of this year. Right around the same time Modern Warfare III launches on November 10.
That will no longer be the case unfortunately with the full launch having been delayed.
Warzone Mobile global launch delayed to Spring 2024
Those hoping to play next month will have to wait a little longer. As Warzone Mobile has now been delayed until Spring of next year. The news comes from Senior Vice-President and Co-Head of mobile at Activision Chris Plummer. Who spoke at CODNext about a ton of changes coming to the game.
Among those changes was a new release date and that the game was being pushed out to next year. When asked when players everywhere could expect to play, Plummer said that the beauty of the game’s limited release is that it allowed the development team to “see the true strength and opportunities for improvement in the game.” Plummer continues by saying that in recent months they “discovered huge opportunities to make the game even better and they decided to take full advantage of that.”
According to Plummer, there are still some more things the team wants to polish before they release the game globally. The good news is that once the game does launch, there’s a lot more content that will be available. This includes new maps for Warzone including Rebirth Island, and a full-on multiplayer experience with familiar maps from Modern Warfare II. The multiplayer will also include 6v6 gameplay with match types like Search and Destroy, Team Deathmatch, and much more.
And don’t forget that the game will have full cross-progression. With both the PC and console versions of Call of Duty Warzone and multiplayer. Basically, it should be worth the wait.
Some of you may recall that Apple actually considered replacing Google Search with Bing. Well, at least it seemed like it back in 2020. Well, it seems like Apple considered replacing Google Search with yet another option, DuckDuckGo.
Apple considered replacing Google Search with DuckDuckGo too
Much like the Bing info, this was also revealed during Google’s antitrust trial. Both The Washington Post and Bloomberg reported on this. Apple met with DuckDuckGo dozens of times.
To be more exact, it seems like the two companies had around 20 meetings and phone calls. They discussed the option to use DuckDuckGo instead of Google for Safari’s private browsing mode.
Apple’s senior vice president, John Giannandrea, is not aware of this, it seems. He apparently had no idea that Apple considered a switch to DuckDuckGo. He even called DuckDuckGo’s privacy claims into question.
Giannandrea said that DuckDuckGo’s reliance on Bing for search information risks sharing user information with Microsoft. He added: “I would probably insist on doing a lot more due diligence with DuckDuckGo”, if Apple actually considered switching.
Apple’s senior VP was not aware of the talks
That being said, it seems like some talks took place, but they never led anywhere. We also don’t know when exactly this happened, but if Giannandrea wasn’t aware of it, it couldn’t have gone far.
Google pays a hefty sum to Apple to remain the search default on Safari, and chances are it will stay that way. Apple clearly said that the company considers Google the best in the business for search, as do many users.
This antitrust trial has been ongoing for around three weeks at this point, and all sorts of interesting details surfaced. The trial is expected to last for about two months, though. So, it should be over mid-November. If you’d like to know more about it, check out our Google vs DoJ article.
