What is BeReal? The app that offers ‘uncontrollable’ social media explained
BeReal is gaining popularity, although it has been around since 2020
BeReal provides a more authentic version of social media than what you're used to on your favorite social apps. It helps you share moments in your life instantly from your iOS and Android phones. Every day, you get a notification to take a photo of what you're doing and share it with friends while trying to beat a countdown. There's no pressure to build follower counts or increase the likes on your posts. But there's a catch.
Nothing may only have one smartphone on sale right now, but the company is aiming to be a go-to choice for Android fans that don't want to have a Pixel phone. Android 14 Beta 1 landed on Pixel phones earlier this month, and Nothing has now confirmed the first beta version of the software will come to its smartphone soon.
Google Meet now asks you to uninstall the old Meet before a video call
Is this the beginning of the end for Meet (original)?
The Google Meet naming confusion has been perhaps the most confusing branding ever for a Google product. The video call service Duo was renamed Meet last year, but the problem was there was already an older app with that name that was soon renamed Google Meet (original). A new notification on the video calling apps seems to suggest the original Google Meet is coming to an end.
Amazon Prime Day 2023: Everything we know so far
Expect tens of thousands of deals when Prime Day rolls around
Amazon’s shopping holiday has become one of the biggest events of the summer, especially now that Prime Day has gone back to July as the unofficial kickoff of Back To School sale season. If you’re not familiar, Amazon Prime Day is a two-day online shopping bonanza where the online giant unleashes millions of deals for Amazon Prime subscribers. Everything from cases to clothes to computers to cars, there's usually a deal on it during Prime Day.
New Google Pixel Tablet leak shows what may be a privacy switch
There's a new button we haven't seen before
The Google Pixel Tablet was first confirmed to be in development during Google I/O 2022, and we’ve seen photos directly from the company at that launch event as well as during the Pixel 7 launch. We thought we had a pretty clear idea of what the device will look like, but two new leaked images of the product appear to show an addition to the hardware that we haven’t seen before.
Lenovo won’t make any new Legion gaming phones
After rumors of cancelation, Lenovo has confirmed an end to its Legion gaming phones
Lenovo’s Legion gaming phones are over. The company has confirmed it has closed the part of the business that developed the handsets in order to focus on other areas of the gaming market. The news was rumored last week with an employee claiming to know the news, and now Lenovo has confirmed to Android Authority that the Legion brand will no longer be used on new smartphones.
Best fitness trackers in 2023
The top tech to track both your fitness and health in one handy device
Fitness trackers allow you to monitor your health, exercise regimen, how well you sleep, your overall step count, and so much more. These are no longer basic step counters, and most of the best fitness trackers come with powerful heart rate monitors and a plethora of other health tracking tech that can ensure you’re at peak physical fitness.
YouTube’s annoying overlay ads will end next month
The overlay ads that appeared on desktop will disappear on April 6
If you often watch YouTube videos on your desktop computer, and you don’t have a YouTube Premium subscription, you may soon find the viewing experience is set to get a bit better. YouTube’s overlay ads are being retired, and it’ll happen in just under a month. Overlay ads are the pop-ups that appear along the bottom of a video while you're watching it, and they're exclusive to the desktop experience for YouTube. Overlay ads have never appeared on YouTube's other viewing platforms such as the mobile apps or how you watch the service on your TV.
Google’s Magic Eraser is now here for iPhone and non-Pixel Android devices
Expect to find it in the Google Photos app soon
Last week, Google announced it would be bringing its previously Pixel-exclusive Magic Eraser tool to more phones including iPhones and other Android handsets. That rollout has now begun, and it means you should soon see the update soon on within the Google Photos app if it's available on your phone.
Motorola Razr 2023 confirmed by Lenovo's CEO, apparently coming soon
Speaking at MWC 2023, Lenovo’s CEO confirmed it’ll launch “very soon”
Motorola was one of the first companies to include a foldable phone in its portfolio, and we’ve seen a few iterations of its Razr-branded foldable devices over the last few years. Now, the company has confirmed a new version is in the works, and we’ll be seeing it “very soon”. The Moto Razr 2023 has leaked previously, but this is the first time the company has confirmed it’s in development.
Best of MWC 2023: Android Police’s awards for the big mobile show
The best tech we've seen during MWC 2023
The world's biggest mobile phone show is drawing to a close, and while Mobile World Congress 2023 hasn't been as chock-full of announcements as pre-pandemic iterations of the show, we've seen some reveals of exciting smartphones, interesting concept devices, and other oddities.
Nothing Phone 2 will be powered by a top-end Qualcomm chipset
Expect the Nothing Phone 2 sometime later in 2023
The Nothing Phone 2 will sport a flagship chipset from Qualcomm. The company confirmed the news at a reveal during MWC 2023 where Android Police was present. We didn't yet hear the exact name or specs of the Snapdragon chipset from Qualcomm, but we'd expect it to be the rumored Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 2. We likely won't know for sure until it's fully revealed later in the year.
OnePlus's folding phone is official, and it launches this year
2023 is shaping up to be the year of the folding phones
OnePlus is the latest brand to enter the foldable phone space. The brand used the second official day of MWC 2023 to confirm it is working on a foldable phone, and we know it’ll be here by the end of 2023. Apart from a couple of teasers since August last year, this has been the first time the brand has confirmed a foldable OnePlus handset is coming.
OnePlus 11 Concept hands-on: This mobile cooling tech isn’t for sale
Maybe it’ll come along to something you can buy later
The OnePlus 11 is mostly a return to form for the Chinese smartphone maker. Our review noted how OnePlus had made the right compromises to make a worthy smartphone of the company’s original Never Settle motto after a few years of underwhelming flagship phones. The latest phone scored an eight in our review, but one of the drawbacks is the fact the design is just... fine. It isn’t particularly remarkable.
MWC 2023: Here's what to expect at this year’s Mobile World Congress
The world’s biggest mobile phone show is back
Mobile World Congress is the biggest mobile phone show on the planet, where many of the big Android smartphone makers come together to unveil and show off new technologies. MWC has had a few odd years thanks to a two-year hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the 2022 edition of the show was a much smaller affair than previous years. With MWC 2023 just around the corner, we now have a clearer idea of what to expect at the big show.
OnePlus 11 Concept teaser shows a light-up rear and a massive camera
Here’s what OnePlus will reveal at MWC 2023
The OnePlus 11 is official and available to buy now, but the company is now moving on to its next product with a new teaser for a concept device it’ll be introducing next week. The first teaser image for the upcoming OnePlus 11 Concept is here, and it shows us what appears to be a light-up rear on a phone with an even bigger camera than the standard OnePlus 11.
This Anker power bank is a fire risk, here’s what you should do if you own one
Anker's 535 Power Bank has been recalled
Power banks are among the most helpful mobile phone accessories you can own. They allow you to keep your phone battery topped up wherever you travel. Anker is one of the most popular brands for power banks, but if you own a particular model the company is asking you to return the product. The Anker 535 Power Bank has been recalled by the company, and you should follow its instructions.
Oppo Find N2 Flip goes global, the first true Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 rival
Oppo’s Find N2 Flip is launching outside China, but not in the US
After a couple of forays into the world of foldables, Chinese smartphone maker Oppo is proving itself one of the most exciting manufacturers of bendy phones with its latest addition to the Find N series. The new Oppo Find N2 Flip was first revealed for the Chinese market in December last year, but during an event in London, the company revealed it’s coming to other markets around the globe.
Watch Google’s Pixel 7 Super Bowl ad days ahead of the big game
Featuring a pop star, an NBA All-Star, and Amy Schumer
It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday, so expect a deluge of new ads and trailers to hit the internet in the coming days as well as during the game itself. Google revealed its Pixel 7 TV spot early, and you can see it already ahead of the big game on Sunday, February 11th. The new ad focuses on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, and it’s all tailored around the camera capabilities.
Read update
Google’s next big reveal won’t be saved for Google I/O. The company is hosting a short-notice event in Paris to reveal some new changes to its services later today, and it's expected we may hear more details about the company's newly announced Bard AI tech. We know there will be changes to Google Search, Google Maps, and “beyond”, so it's likely to be related to the company's newly revealed chatbot.