Latest news with #Android12
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wild Lenovo Tab M9 deal slashes 42% off this solid Android tablet
If you're after a no-fuss tablet that covers the basics without a dizzying price tag, the Lenovo Tab M9 is a sweet deal. It's great for scrolling through socials, reading on the go, or just kicking back with some light browsing. Right now, Amazon is slashing 42% off the price, bringing it down to just $95 and saving you $70. What really makes the Lenovo Tab M9 shine right now is the price, as it's dirt cheap with this current deal. There's no need to overthink it; this is one of the best prices it's hit. If you've been eyeing a budget-friendly tablet for your café work kit or just to have around, this one is a no-brainer. The Tab M9 has been quietly killing it for the past two years as a budget-friendly go-to for streaming, reading, or even tagging in as a second screen. It's also a smart pick for older kids who don't need the training-wheel-style bumpers anymore. We even gave it a decent score for its compact design and handy Reading Mode feature, among others. While the tablet won't blow your mind with specs, it definitely delivers for the price. You're getting a 9-inch HD display (1340x800), enough power under the hood with an octa-core chip, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. Need more space? Just pop in a microSD card and expand up to 128GB. It runs Android 12 and even comes with perks like Google Lens, thanks to its 8MP rear camera. On top of that, the Tab M9's battery can keep the binge sessions going for up to 13 hours straight. Add in Dolby Atmos dual stereo speakers for better sound and a TÜV-certified display that's easy on the eyes, and you've got a travel-friendly tablet built for all-day streaming without the screen fatigue.
Android Authority
11-06-2025
- Android Authority
This small quick settings tweak is low-key my most anticipated Android 16 improvement
Joe Maring / Android Authority Android 16 is shaping up to be the biggest visual update to Google's mobile operating system since the introduction of Material You with Android 12. That release was all about making the experience feel more personal to each user, with dynamic theming that could extract your wallpaper colors and apply them to other parts of the system. There was also a much more playful approach to form and motion across the OS. With its latest design system update, Material 3 Expressive, Google is taking that philosophy one step further, with even bolder colors and shapes, springier animations, and some quirky new typography choices. While many of the upcoming changes in Android 16 feel somewhat superficial, with little practical significance, there are some small tweaks that I think will make a big difference to the way I interact with my Pixel phone. Chief among them is a seemingly minor update to the quick settings panel that sits atop the notification shade. And it's something I've been yearning for ever since the launch of Android 12 back in 2021. What's your most anticipated Android 16 feature? 0 votes Live Updates NaN % Upgraded quick settings NaN % Magic Portrait wallpapers NaN % New visuals and animations NaN % Expanded Find Hub app NaN % Fixing what Android 12 broke As far as I'm concerned, Google perfected the quick settings panel as far back as Android 7.1. Easily accessible toggles debuted with Nougat (7.0), where a single swipe down from the top would reveal five quick settings icons in a single row, with the sixth spot being reserved for a down arrow that revealed expanded settings with more information. Google moved the arrow and replaced it with another toggle in the next point release (7.1). We now had six customizable toggles in a single line, leaving plenty of space below for our all-important notifications. Swipe down again and you'd see nine expanded toggles with information about WiFi networks, connected devices, and so on. Aside from tweaks to the styling, this remained almost unchanged for the next four Android versions (see Android 9 Pie in the image above). Android 11 irked some users when it reduced the number of expanded quick settings from nine to six (to make room for new media controls). But Android 12 is when the biggest change to this feature arrived, and it's hard not to see it as a major misstep from Google. Instead of the 6 quick settings toggles in the notification shade that we'd all gotten used to, we were now greeted by just four extra-wide tiles with text labels. They also took up more vertical space since they were spread across two lines. It seems that Google wanted to make some information more glanceable, such as which Bluetooth device you were connected to. But this wasn't consistently applied, so you'd have tiles such as 'Internet' that only showed your connected network when the quick settings panel was expanded. Other toggles, such as 'Flashlight' and 'Hotspot', were given unnecessary labels even though their utility was obvious from the icon. The on/off status was still conveyed by the color of the tile, as it had been previously. Robert Triggs / Android Authority Like many others, I found this change to be incredibly frustrating. Having access to fewer toggles with a single swipe down was already less convenient, but Google also made changes to how some of these toggles functioned. You could no longer turn WiFi on or off with a single tap — instead, you'd have to open the now combined 'Internet' menu and tap again to enable or disable your connection. Android 12's large tiles was a misstep Android 16 will fix. This is how Android's quick settings have worked for the last four years, at least on a Google Pixel device. Mercifully, Android 16 is set to bring back smaller toggles and give us much more control over the layout of our quick settings. As shown by our own Mishaal Rahman in the video below (an earlier version), it's going to be possible to edit the size of each quick settings tile. If you don't mind the larger 1×2 tiles, you can leave them as they are. Those of us who want smaller 1×1 toggles can shrink them accordingly, on a per-toggle basis. The quick settings panel at the top of the notification shade will still take up two rows, which means we'll be able to have up to eight toggles within easy reach if we make them all 1×1. The best part of this is the ability to mix and match. I can see myself keeping the wide Bluetooth tile so I can easily glance at my connected devices while making most of the other toggles smaller. The 'Flashlight' tile no longer needs to so brazenly announce its presence every time I pull down my quick settings, as if it were begging to be switched on. It can go back to subtly waiting in the wings for that once-in-a-blue-moon occasion when I quickly need to access it. Adding to my delight, Google is also arranging quick settings tiles in neatly organized categories in the editor view. This will make it easier and faster to find the ones you want to use — yet another user-friendly tweak that I can get behind. All in all, I think these quick settings improvements represent some of the most utilitarian quality-of-life changes I've seen in an Android update for quite some time. It's especially welcome since many of the Material 3 Expressive upgrades seem to be focused more on form than function. Quick settings improvements are the most utilitarian quality-of-life changes for some time. The Android platform has always been praised for its personality and customizability, but Google's Pixel software experience tends to be more rigid than what's offered by Samsung and other OEMs. Apple has also closed the gap when it comes to personalization in recent years, with the introduction of tinted app icons, lock screen customization, and a more editable Control Center. So what would otherwise be a fairly minor quick settings tweak represents a big win for the tinkerers out there. With exciting additions such as Live Updates, new motion physics, and bolder UI elements, Android 16 could be Google's most user-friendly OS yet. And thanks to innovative new wallpaper settings, an intriguing new Pixel themes feature, and the aforementioned quick settings changes, our Pixels are also going to be more customizable than ever before.
Daily Record
14-05-2025
- Daily Record
Google unveils huge Android 16 update with biggest redesign in years leaving tech users divided
Check out everything that has been announced for Android 16, the latest version due to be released to phones soon Google has unveiled Android 16, the next iteration set to hit smartphones later this year, surprising many with its extensive visual overhaul. Termed 'Material 3 Expressive', Android 16's aesthetic evolution is a continuation of the groundwork laid by Android 12 in 2021, which significantly revamped the interface. This is especially seen on Google's Pixel devices where the updates are implemented directly. The revamp promises to bring bold typefaces, enhanced customisation and colour scheme choices, fresh components and typography. Tweaks to animations and an abundance of widgets will also be part of the overhaul. Google claims the Material 3 Expressive - one of its biggest updates in years - "is all about making your device feel unique to you". "Material 3 Expressive gives you new ways to show your style and personality, delivers smooth interactions and surfaces glanceable, helpful information," Google went on. "As the world's most popular OS with more than three billion active devices in over 190 countries, it's an exciting time for Android. We're seeing a wave of flagship phones that are being recognised as the best globally. "This is thanks to ground-breaking hardware, smartest software and beautiful designs. "It's the platform where you see the future first." So, what's new in Android? According to Google, much of the update revolves around "more natural, springy animations" throughout the Android experience like notifications, complemented by new haptic feedback sensations under your fingertips. "You get similar moments like this across your device, like when you're dismissing an app in your recent apps screen, fidgeting with the volume slider or flinging down the shade," Google explained. "We even subtly blur the shade background to provide a sense of depth, so the motion feels lightweight and you're able to stay aware of the apps you're using in the background." Google has announced the introduction of Live Updates with Android 16, offering a feature comparable to Apple's where users can track live updates, such as the anticipated arrival time of their Uber or Deliveroo orders. This can be done directly from a widget on the lock screen. You'll also have the ability to customise and edit the quick settings panel on Android with greater precision, a feature also available on Apple's latest iOS 18, referred to as Control Centre. The new motion effects also jumped out at tech enthusiasts. When you swipe to dismiss a notification, the object you are swiping will be clear while other objects will blur slightly, making it easier to see. The other notifications nearby will move slightly as you swipe their neighbour. Security is a big priority, too. There are new safeguards against calling and text message scams. For example, if scammers call pretending to be from your bank, they might ask you to sideload an app. With Android 16, you won't be able to disable Google's Play Protect app-scanner or sideload any apps while you are on a phone call. You also won't be able to grant permission to the Accessibility features. This is a common way for scammers to sneak access to a phone in a roundabout way. Google's Messages app will also get sharper about text message scams - filtering out scam messages that ask you to pay overdue parking tickets or confirm if it is you trying to take £1,000 out your bank account. For simple peace of mind for the average phone user, Google is improving its old Find My Device feature. Android 16 will introduce the Find Hub to more efficiently track all your devices, similar to Apple AirTags. For the travellers among us, if your bag goes astray, Google is also working with airlines like British Airways to let you share your tag information so they can go look for the bag they lost. Tech users were left divided over the announcement and took to Twitter to share their views. "What is this gore?" one fumed. "Google successfully ruined Android 16". Another penned: "Android 16 Control panel looks good... until you expand it." A third scribed: " Android 16 looks so weird. The icon shapes, the clear all button placement. It all just looks so odd. "Of course the brightness slider isn't accessible in one swipe. I don't think I am ever going to get used to this design." Others were happy with the details that have been released thus far, though. "I really like like Material 3 Expressive and the new animations in Android 16," one enthused. A second agreed: "The new Control Centre of the Android 16 looks awesome." Google did not confirm timings for when these features will be introduced. The firm just said these concepts would appear in the months ahead. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
The Verge
13-05-2025
- The Verge
Android's youthful new design language just dropped
Google just announced a bold new look for Android, for real this time. After a false start last week when someone accidentally published a blog post too early (oh, Google!), the company is formally announcing the design language known as Material Three Expressive. It takes the colorful, customizable Material You introduced with Android 12 in an even more youthful direction, full of springy animations, bold fonts, and vibrant color absolutely everywhere. It'll be available in an update to the Android 16 beta later this month. Support for the Live Updates feature that Google introduced in an earlier Android 16 beta is nestled among the new design flourishes. It's Android's take on Apple's Live Activities, showing time-sensitive updates in a persistent notification bar. Unlike Apple, Android limits its use to food delivery, navigation, and rideshare apps. Today's announcement gives us a good look at how those notifications will appear on the lockscreen, always on display, in a status bar at the top of the screen, and on the notification shade. It looks pretty handy. Quick settings will get an update too, allowing users to resize and rearrange tiles in another echo of iOS. But the splashy new design language is the update's centerpiece. App designers have new icon shapes, type styles, and color palettes at their disposal. Animations are designed to feel more 'springy,' with haptics to underline your actions when you swipe a notification out of existence. Google's blog post and documentation for developers insist that this isn't just a fresh coat of paint; the new design elements help guide users' attention better. The bright purples and pinks featured throughout the company's concept images certainly do the trick, and help boost the new design's appeal with a younger demographic. Teenagers are particularly fond of their iPhones, especially in the US, and Google seems hopeful that a fresh design will attract a younger user base. In its previously leaked, now-public blog post, Google says that up to 87 percent of 18–24-year-olds prefer expressive design like the one the company is debuting today. And while it's definitely eye-catching, I have a feeling it'll take a little more than this to turn the teens onto Android.
Scottish Sun
12-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Millions of phone owners get anti-theft ‘secret weapon' to stop thieves breaking into your mobile after snatching it
A phone is stolen every seven-and-a-half minutes in London THAT'S PHONEY Millions of phone owners get anti-theft 'secret weapon' to stop thieves breaking into your mobile after snatching it MILLIONS of phone owners are to get a new anti-theft "secret weapon" on their mobile to stop thieves accessing the device after snatching it. The security feature means Android phones will start to reboot automatically if they haven't been used for three days. Advertisement 3 Phone-related crime is getting worse Credit: Getty 3 The new system means Android phones will reboot after three days Credit: Getty This means they will be more difficult to access if they haven't been used in a while as users have to enter the pin after a reboot. It comes after a recent survey from the Met Police revealed phones are stolen in London at a rate of one every 7 1⁄2 minutes. Figures show gangs and crooks took 70,137 mobiles last year — 192 a day. That is up a third from the 52,000 nicked in 2023, Met Police statistics show. Advertisement Another important reason for users and authorities to be aware of the update relates to the two lock states on mobiles – before first lock (BFU) and after first lock (AFU). In BFU, information and files on a phone are securely encrypted and completely inaccessible, even with complex extraction programmes. Therefore if cops seize a phone as evidence they will have less time to access the device. Phone thefts are now a £50million underworld industry, with most flogged or disassembled for parts in China. Advertisement People with phones still running Android 12 are advised to consider upgrading to a newer device. Security patches fix flaws that have been discovered in the software, which stops phones succumbing to hacking. Home Office figures show 90% of all 'theft from a person' crimes in London go unsolved, with a crook charged in only one per cent of cases. The unsolved figure is 86 per cent in England and Wales. Advertisement Due to the rise in phone thefts, the Met is using tracking tech and putting plain-clothed officers in the West End and Westminster, where 40% of all thefts occur. The City of London force is deploying bike-mounted police. Anna McEntee, at Compare the Market, said Londoners and those visiting the capital will be concerned by the substantial rise in phone thefts last year. She added that criminals are becoming "increasingly brazen, often using mopeds or e-bikes to make a quick getaway'. Advertisement The new security feature from Google is part of the April 2025 Google System release notes and is expected to apply to tablets but not wearables such as the Pixel Watch, televisions, or Android Auto Devices. Google hasn't said if users will be able to toggle this feature or change the time limit for rebooting. Since this feature is part of Google Play Services, those affected will see it without the phone going through a full system update. A BFU phone remains connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data, meaning that if you lose your phone and it reboots, you'll still be able to use location-finding services. Advertisement 3 It's designed to protect Android phones from hackers
