News Weekly is our column where we highlight and summarize some of the week's top stories so you can catch up on the latest tech news.
This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
This week, Google gave us our first taste of Android 16 with the developer preview for Pixel phones, the DOJ is proposing that Google sells Chrome to break up its monopoly, OPPO launched the Find X8 series running the latest MediaTek chip, Google may be looking to develop a Pixel Laptop with a twist, and a new Garmin smartwatch just leaked.
Android 16 is here... sorta
Read more here.
In preparation for an earlier rollout schedule, Google dropped the first Android 16 developer preview, which is available now for eligible Pixel smartphones. The update, which is expected to hit stable in Q2 2025, doesn't brings a handful of notable changes and features, including notification cooldown, audio sharing (which first appeared in the Android 15 beta), an improved desktop mode, and more.
Newer Pixel phones are eligible for the update, which surprisingly includes the Pixel 6 series, which ended support for OS upgrades in October. It's a good sign that suggest there's a possibility that they will get the official Android 16 update, but Google could always change its mind. That also goes for any potential features found in the update.
Since it's the first developer preview, things are bound to be very glitchy, so we don't recommend installing it unless you're a developer and/or know what you're doing.
Google is on the defensive with Chrome
Read more here.
After a judge ruled earlier this year that Google holds a monopoly on search, the Justice Department has filed a proposal to break up the company, which includes selling off Chrome. As a significant part of Google's suite of apps and services, Google has understandably taken issue with this proposal, publishing a blog post about how the "staggering" proposal would "harm consumers."
"DOJ’s proposal would literally require us to install not one but two separate choice screens before you could access Google Search on a Pixel phone you bought," says Kent Walker, Google's president of Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer, explaining that a proposed Technical Committee would hold hold "enormous power" over the online experience.
The blog post outlines a number of ways the proposal would "break" a range of Google's products, stating that it would create a worse experience for consumers. Android Central senior editor Jerry Hildenbrand also explains how selling Chrome may not work as well as the DOJ hopes. In response, Walker says Google will offer its own proposals next month.
OPPO gets a head start with the Find X8 series
Read more here.
It's still 2024, but the 2025 flagships are already here, and OPPO is getting ahead of the game with the Find X8 series. The OPPO Find X8 and Find X8 Pro are nearly identical, although the standard model has a smaller 6.6-inch OLED display and a 5630mAh battery. The Pro model sports a 6.78-inch OLED display and a 5910mAh battery.
Furthermore, the Find X8 has three 50MP cameras while the Find X8 Pro has four, with an additional periscope telephoto lens for 6x optical zoom.
Both phones are powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9400, which competes directly with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite and offers a new NPU with 80% faster LLM prompts and 100% more performant diffusion generation. You get a choice of 12 or 16GB of RAM with the X8, while the X8 Pro is only offered with 16GB. There's also support for magnetic charging, but you'll need a separate case for that.
For our impressions on OPPO's latest flagship, check out our OPPO Find X8 Pro review.
The Pixel Tablet 2 might not come, but a Pixel Laptop...
Read more here.
There are a few rumors going around about Google's plans in the near future, which may no longer include the Pixel Tablet 2. However, one rumor points to what could be a Pixel Laptop, and it may not run ChromeOS as we would expect. According to Mishaal Rahman, Google is working on a "multi-year project to fully turn Chrome OS into Android."
Google already seems to be laying down the groundwork to make this happen, as it recently started merging "portions of the Android stack, like the Android Linux kernel and Android frameworks, as part of the foundation of ChromeOS." This is apparently being done to accelerate development, particularly with AI features. Still, that won't be ready for "quite some time."
As for the Pixel Laptop, it seems it may be a high-end Android device that is meant to compete more with the likes of the iPad. Only time will tell if the rumors of a laptop are true and whether it will indeed be able to adequately compete.
A new Instinct could be on the way
Read more here.
It's been a minute since Garmin launched the last Instinct model, but we may not be waiting long for a new one. A Reddit post seems to show what's allegedly the Garmin Instinct 3, with what looks like an MIP two-window display. There's also an indicator under the display noting that it's a solar watch, which can help extend the battery life thanks to the built-in solar panel overlay.
The design resembles a somewhat sleeker Instinct Crossover, but the image clearly shows "Garmin Instinct 3" on the bottom. For now, it's unclear if the image is really the Garmin Instinct 3, but it wouldn't be the first time the watch has been spotted, so we'll see. It may not appeal to many athletes like other Garmin watches do, but the rugged design and solar capability may appeal to the more outdoorsy types.
More stories this week
Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:
- Google Play unveils its top apps and games of 2024
- Android Auto beta teases the long-awaited radio station support again
- Every OnePlus 13 color might go global for the first time
- This smart ring is basically an April Fool's joke, but is it ahead of the curve?
- Samsung's One UI 6 Watch (Wear OS 5) starts rolling out to Galaxy Watch users
- Galaxy S25 Ultra dummy unit gives us a better view of its fresh design
- More Motorola phones are getting the Android 15 upgrade
- Lucky few get a head start on their YouTube Music 2024 Recap
- VPN by Google could finally come to the Pixel Tablet in Android 15 QPR2
- Galaxy A26 leak reveals Samsung's 2025 budget phone
