Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes the latest details about the Google Pixel, Samsung’s Note 8 screen and fingerprint sensor issues, a review of the OnePlus 5, a look at the latest Galaxy S8 variants, why the Xperia XZ Premium could be a winner, Cortana invading Android’s 'defaults’ section, and the sweet treat hiding in Android O’s source code.
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)
Looking At The Note 8 Display Leaks
Samsung’s return to the phablet market will be with the Galaxy Note 8. The design of the device is expected to follow that of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus - just as previous Note handsets - so it’s good to see that the current batch of leaks confirm the assumption.
Following this pair of photos comes a video leak, again picked up by Slashleaks, which claims be of the Galaxy Note 8 front panel. The panel ties in exactly with the Weibo image and builds on what we’ve already seen with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus as Samsung continues its mission to fill the front of its phones with nothing but display.
Needless to say, nothing is official about the Galaxy Note 8 until it is formally unveiled. But there is a clear pattern emerging which shows Samsung is radically overhauling the Galaxy Note 7 to match the design language of the new Galaxy S range while also seemingly addressing their shortcomings.
More on the display from Kelly here.
Where Shall I Put This Finger?
The bigger question on the Galaxy Note 8 design might be the location of the fingerprint sensor. It’s required by Google for Android certification, and if Samsung cannot integrate it under the screen then it has a tricky choice to make as the proposed mid-August launch date approaches.
Where does that leave the fingerprint sensor on the Samsung Note 8? …With no cutouts for the sensor on the back of the leaked panels and the inability to mount one under the screen assembly, I can see two choices. The first is to rework the rear of the handset to come to a similar accommodation as the S8 smartphones. The second is to forget about a button-free front panel to the device and go with the more acceptable fingerprint sensor and home button combined.
More on the location here on Forbes.
OnePlus 5 Reviewed
This week saw the launch of the latest handset from Shenzhen-based OnePlus. The OnePlus 5 continues to bring high-end specifications to the market at a cheaper price point than the flagships (although the price is creeping up). I reviewed the handset as it was launched to find out what’s changed, including the advances made by OnePlus with the camera:
…the inclusion of a dual camera system on the rear of the OnePlus 5 is another ‘that’s a bit like the iPhone’ moment (even if Apple wasn’t first to the market, perception is everything and Apple is perceived to be first to market with dual cameras). The sixteen megapixel main camera has a twenty megapixel telephoto in support, and they work together to offer improved digital stabilisation and faster shutter speed in regular use. And yes, they can operate to create a portrait-style depth of field effect.
Read my full review here on Forbes.
More Confirmation Of HTC’s Work On The Pixel 2
What happens when you dig into the code of the HTC U11? You find code that not only matches up with the codenamed of HTC’s current and expected line-up of Android devices, but you also find two references to ‘S2’ and ‘M2”. Rik Henderson reports:
For example, we've understood for a while that HTC signed a multi-device agreement with Google, when it was tasked to make the current generation of Pixel phones. Now though we have confirmation that the HTC-made Pixel 2 and even the Pixel XL 2 are on their way.
Japanese blog HTC Soku claims that a system file found on the Taiwanese version of the HTC U11 lists several handset codenames:
OCEAN_WHL, OCEAN_UL, OCEAN_DUGL, OCEAN_DTWL, OCEAN_UHL, OCEAN_UHL_JAPAN, OCEAN_A, S2, M2.
Ocean was the original codename of the HTC U11, but it's the last two that are of most interest. The S1 and M1 were the codenames given, by HTC, to the Google Pixel and Pixel XL respectively.
Henderson expands on the story at Pocket Lint. It’s also worth considering that this device family is likely going to share specifications and hardware between the HTC and Pixel 2 devices, which implies that the current Android favourite Snapdragon 835 system on chip is Pixel-bound.
Galaxy S8 Variants Appearing
Samsung has a number of variants of the S8 breaking cover this week, both officially and unofficially. The latter consists of reports of a dual camera equipped S8 model (although this was rumored early in the year as a prototype/testbed so could be that handset resurfacing). On the official side of things, UK operator EE is debuting an Arctic Silver model of the machine and Samsung is making a dual-sim version of the S8 Plus available:
Samsung has started selling the unlocked dual-SIM Galaxy S8+ in the United Kingdom. Customers in the country can head over the company’s online store right now and order one that’s unlocked and capable of supporting two active SIMs simultaneously.
The company isn’t offering the Galaxy S8 in unlocked and dual-SIM flavor, only the Galaxy S8+. It can be ordered right now from Samsung UK’s online store for £779 in both Midnight Black and Orchid Gray colors.
Why The Xperia XZ Premium Could Be A Winner
Can the Sony Xperia XZ Premium not only challenge the Galaxy S8 Plus and other leading Android handsets, but can it offer enough to have consumers switching to the Japanese company? David Phelan looks at ten of the advantages of the latest handset from Tokyo, starting with the screen resolution:
In terms of pixels per inch, Sony blows every other phone out of the water. This is a 4K display, with 3840 x 2160 pixels, that’s a phenomenal 802 pixels per inch (ppi). Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus has exactly half that because it’s a Full HD screen with 401ppi (1920 x 1080 pixels). Actually, there’s one other phone with the same resolution as this new handset, the previous 4K screener from Sony, the Xperia Z5 Premium from 2015. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is pretty high-resolution but nowhere near this. It's 1440 x 2960 pixels, which is 570ppi.
OK… Cortana?
More progress for Microsoft as it sneaks into Android’s every corner with news that its digital assistant, Cortana, can now be set up as the default assistant on Google’s platform. Of course getting the best out of Cortna requires signing in to a Microsoft account, at which point Redmond has another cloud-based user on Android. Kareem Anderson reports:
Over the past couple of couple of days, Microsoft has been rolling out an update for Cortana that when installed will prompt the user on their next use of the assistant feature to choose between the Google digital assistant or Cortana.
For those who are not readily seeing the option, it may be hidden within the Cortana app settings and require a few more hoops to jump through. However, a few more button presses to get a unified experience across a Windows 10 device and Android will be a small price to pay for some.
And Finally…
What sweet treat will Google choose to codename Android ‘O’? Jan Willem Aldershoff looks into the source code of the eighth major version of Android to find the ingredients:
…we found numerous references to ‘oc-dev’ and also one time ‘OC-MR1’. While it’s not entirely sure ‘oc’ is an abbreviation of oatmeal cookie, it’s the most likely candidate.
Google has a history of giving Android releases confectionery-themed names. Former names are e.g Kitkat, Lollipop, Nougat and Marshmallow.
Assuming OC isn’t a tribute to the classic Fox series, there’s growing evidence that Oatmeal Cookie will be the winner. James Rogerson has the recipe:
Back at Google I/O 2017 several Twitter users noticed the words Oatmeal Cookie on a slide.
Taken on its own, that could have just been Google trolling eagle-eyed viewers, but with references in the source code now emerging too it seems pretty convincing.
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!
