Taking a look back at seven days of news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit includes hints at the Samsung Galaxy Note 6's new security features, details on the Galaxy S7 Active, Google's new approach to Android updates, the verdict in Oracle vs Google, OnePlus's new handset prices, a concept car built around Android OS, Pebble's return to Kickstarter, and more details on Project Ara.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
The Eyes Have It
Two trademark applications last week could point to a new security feature in Samsung's upcoming mobile devices, including the enterprise-focussed Galaxy Note 6. The trademarks 'Samsung Iris' and 'Samsung Eyeprint' could point to a new biometric feature that should be quicker and easier to use than the current generation of fingerprint readers. How could this help Samsung sell the Galaxy Note 6?
Biometric authentication needs to be as fast and painless as possible. Looking at your smartphone is a natural model of interaction, but picking up an iris, reading in the information, and then comparing it to the stored data needs to happen quickly or a user will simply turn the feature off.
...Assuming Samsung has achieved a suitably high level of accuracy at a speed that is measured in a few tenths of a second, I could easily see iris recognition being the South Korean equivalent of ‘one more thing’ when the Galaxy Note 6 is revealed to the public. If not on the Note 6, expect it for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Edge in early 2017.
More thoughts on why identity is the new battleground can be found here on Forbes.
New Galaxy Details Leak Ahead Of Launch
Samsung's latest addition to the Galaxy S7 family will be the S7 Active, which adds layers of protection to the mainstream S7 design for a more mobile lifestyle. The device is thicker, weighs more, but packs in the features. Evan Blass takes up the story on VentureBeat:
That increase is likely due to the S7 Active’s significantly larger battery, whose 4000mAh capacity is almost 15 percent greater than the prior model’s 3500mAh pack. However, the bigger dimensions do not house a larger screen, as has been rumored previously about this device; instead, its 5.1-inch, 1440 x 2560-pixel Super AMOLED display is the same as both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S6 Active.
Besides the addition of a microSD slot, most of the S7 Active’s changes occur under the hood. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 820 system-on-chip from Qualcomm, and features 4GB of RAM (1GB more than last year) and 32GB of internal storage. Out of the box, the new Active will run Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
The S7 Active is expected to debut on AT&T in the US in the very near future - with Friday June 10th being a good guess, since this is the date shown on the leaked screens.
Google's Stern Words On Android Updates
Bloomberg's Jack Clark and Scott Moritz are reporting on the pressure that Google is exerting on Android's manufacturing partners and carriers to speed up the roll-out of security patches and updates to the operating system. As I have noted before here on Forbes, Android lags significantly behind Apple's iOS:
84 percent of Apple’s mobile devices run the latest iOS software, compared with 7.5 percent of Android devices that run Marshmallow, the newest Android OS. "It’s not an ideal situation," said Android chief Hiroshi Lockheimer at Google’s I/O developer conference last week, while describing the lack of updates as "the weakest link on security on Android."
Consumers and regulators are unsatisfied too. A Dutch consumer group sued Samsung Electronics Co., the largest Android phone maker, in January for neglecting to update many devices. In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission sent a letter to carriers, manufacturers, Apple and Google asking how they can ensure faster updates.
Part of me hoped that Android N would have 'something' that would help push updates from Google, alas there was nothing on show at its recent I/O developer conference. Google is left using soft pressure and stern words in public for another year. At this rate it's going to be easier to change a camera lens on your Android device than changing the operating system.
Android's Fair Use Victory
The jury in the Oracle versus Google trial has returned a verdict in favour of Google. Ars Technica's Joe Mullin reports on the outcome, which confirms that Google was employing 'fair use' when it used the Java API in Android:
There was only one question on the special verdict form, asking if Google's use of the Java APIs was a "fair use" under copyright law. The jury unanimously answered "yes," in Google's favor. The verdict ends the trial, which began earlier this month. If Oracle had won, the same jury would have gone into a "damages phase" to determine how much Google should pay. Because Google won, the trial is over.
...Google said in a statement that its victory was good for everybody. "Today's verdict that Android makes fair use of Java APIs represents a win for the Android ecosystem, for the Java programming community, and for software developers who rely on open and free programming languages to build innovative consumer products," a Google spokesperson said via e-mail.
Full details on the impact of the verdict and the use of copyright to protect APIs can be read on Ars Technica.
OnePlus Price Cut Ahead Of New Handset
Shenzhen-based OnePlus has announced a series of price cuts for its three handsets, reports Android Authority. The OnePlus One, OnePlus 2, and OnePlus X pick up immediate discounts (with refund options if you have recently purchased a handset):
In a blog post, OnePlus said it’s lowering the price of its smartphones in order to provide the best possible experience to its customers. It looks like the price drops are varying from country to country, but in the USA, the deal is quite appealing: a $50 cut on the OnePlus 2, OnePlus X, and OnePlus One.
The OnePlus 2 64GB went from $349 to $299; the petite OnePlus X went from $249 to a $199, while the original OnePlus One keeps on trucking at a lowered $249 price tag. If you bought an OnePlus smartphone over the past 14 days, you’re entitled to a refund that covers today’s discount. Make sure to contact OnePlus support in order to receive your money back.
And the reason for the price cut? The expected launch of the OnePlus 3 in June will depress the demand for the older handsets, so why not do everything now to reduce the inventory?
Android's Concept Car
One interesting area of development that came out of Google's I/O developer conference was the concept version of Android's in-car OS. David Ruddock takes it for a test drive over on Android Police and while it is still at an early stage, he likes what is on offer:
The concept is built on a Maserati Ghibli, but neither Maserati nor Fiat are at all involved with this project - it's 100% Google and Qualcomm. Qualcomm purchased the car and had the entire dashboard gutted and replaced with a big 4K touchscreen and a fully digital gauge cluster. It looks exceptionally clean, though when you get inside and poke at things it's clear this just an engineering concept, not a production quality vehicle (nor should one expect it to be). It's what happens on the screens that really should get you excited.
More details on how Android could improve your in-car experience can be found on Android Police.
Pebble Returns Once More To Kickstarter
Smartwatch manufacturer and Kickstarter favorite Pebble launched a new crowdfunding project this week with three distinct products. The Pebble 2 and Pebble Time 2 extend the smartwatch form factor with heart-rate tracking on the wrist, but it's the Pebble Core that is going to prove interesting. With no screen, two buttons, QI charging, and Android at its heart, the little keyring-sized device offers developers and users countless possibilities"
It’s a Pebble, of course you can hack it! In its essence, Core is a tiny, hackable Android computer that fits on your keychain to become your magic button for anything.
Call an Uber with a click. Track your pet from across the world. Stream data from your car’s ODB port. Pilot a drone from the web. Or, … you get the picture...
Pebble's blog has all the details.
And Finally...
More details are available about Google's Project Ara, thanks to David Pierce's profile of the team behind the modular phone. Writing in Wired, not only does Pierce get his hands on with the handset where different modules can be swapped out as required, he also speaks to the project's technical lead, Rafa Camargo.
Press a button on the right side of the phone to bring up a map of all your modules, tap on the picture of the one you want to release, then flip over your phone, A moment later, it releases. Or do it like Camargo and say, “OK Google, eject the camera.” Doing everything in software prevents mechanical accidents or failures, and even lets users do things like password-protect sensitive modules. And, of course, there’s nothing to adding a new one: just pop it in.
Developer units of the 5.3 inch high-end smartphone will ship later this year. Grab a coffee and read on to find out why Ara reaches beyond the smartphone.
Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!
