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 had quite a few big announcements with the launch of Android XR, Gemini 2.0, and a price hike for YouTube TV. Plus, Sundar Pichai had some choice words about Microsoft and a new rumor claims the Galaxy S25 series might actually get Qi2 support, but with a catch.
Android XR is how Google competes with Meta and Apple
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It's been long teased that Google was working on an XR platform based on Android, with hardware coming from Samsung in partnership with Qualcomm. Now the cat's out of the bag with the announcement of Android XR, a new platform that's set to power smart glasses and XR headsets not unlike the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3S.
According to Google, the platform will launch first on headsets, with Samsung's Project Moohan set to release in 2025. This will enable users to "switch between being fully immersed in a virtual environment and staying present in the real world," not unlike how some of the best VR headsets work. Smartphone and tablet apps will also work, and Google is optimizing its own apps for the platform.
Google is also testing smart glasses, as we saw with Project Astra. This will use Gemini to provide information about what you're looking at, and it's suggested that visual cues may also be available.
There seems to be a lot of potential with Android XR, which makes it one of the most exciting things to look forward to in 2025.
Gemini gets the upgrade we've been waiting for
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Gemini has been all over the place in 2024, but 2025 looks to be an exciting year for Google's AI efforts after it revealed a major update for its model. Gemini 2.0 is taking things to the next level by making it more capable than before, allowing it to better understand the world around you and complete tasks on behalf of the user.
What does this mean, exactly? This means that Gemini 2.0 is equipped to power experiences like Project Astra, which was shown on Google I/O earlier this year. It can visualize the world around you and even remember what it saw so you can recall something later. And with Project Mariner, Gemini 2.0 can complete complex, multi-step tasks for you by understanding what's on your screen, just as a virtual assistant should. We've seen companies like Motorola show off concepts similar to this, so it'll be interesting to see how this evolves in 2025.
Qi2 could finally be a thing in 2025
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Qi2 has been out for a little while, but it's been mostly absent on Android, save for some HMD phones. However, with the Galaxy S25, this could change, as the latest rumors suggest the company might finally adopt the wireless charging spec in its upcoming devices.
If true, then the Galaxy S25 series will support the Qi2 and MagSafe accessories available for iPhones, allowing them to charge wirelessly at the full 15W instead of being subjected to slower speeds.
That said, a separate rumor suggests that the phones may not have Qi2 integrated into the phones themselves. Instead, the newer standard may only be accessible via compatible cases. This would be similar to what we've seen with recent OPPO phones and the OnePlus 13.
If true, it's unclear why companies are opting for this method, but given that many users will likely purchase cases for their phones, it may not be a huge deal. Still, it would be nice to have it integrated for those who may not want a case, but we'll have to wait and see what we get when the Galaxy S25 launches in early 2025.
YouTube TV continues to rise, in the worst way possible
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Price hikes for streaming services are nothing new, so the new base price for YouTube TV shouldn't shock anyone, but it will sting. The company announced this week that new users will immediately see the base price of $82.99, a $10 increase from the previous $72.99 that was introduced in early 2023.
The company explained that the updated price is due to the rising costs of content but that users can expect to retain their current features and benefits.
For new users, the price won't update until January 13, 2025, so there's some buffer time in case you want to consider your options or pause your membership. Otherwise, prepare to pay more in the coming month as streaming services continue to reach cable prices.
Google vs. Microsoft: The AI wars
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Google CEO Sundar Pichai threw a bit of shade at Microsoft during The New York Times' DealBook Summit. Journalist and author Andrew Ross Sorkin asked Pichai about his thoughts on where Google is compared to its competitors in the AI race, prefacing it with a quote from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who said that Google should have been the default winner.
Pichai quickly responded by saying he would love to compare Microsoft's own models with Google's, noting that Microsoft is using someone else's.
It's no secret that Microsoft got a bit of a headstart in the AI space after partnering with OpenAI to integrate its models into the company's services like Bing. Meanwhile, Google was seen by many as having to play catch-up after losing some mindshare to the likes of ChatGPT.
That said, Google saw plenty of progress in 2024 with Gemini across various devices and services. However, Pichai noted during his talk that while he expects to see more advancements in 2025, we shouldn't expect it at the same pace we've seen.
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 Wallet adds digital ID support in yet another US state
- Android and iPhone users told to pause texting each other amid major security threat
- Samsung's new One UI 7 beta killed a handy lock screen feature
- Launcher 10 lets you turn an Android phone into a Windows Phone
- YouTube Music gains a crucial feature for podcast listening and sharing
- Galaxy S24 series' latest security patch is just a One UI 7 waiting room
- Leaked Pixel 9a images reaffirm a curious design change
- The Galaxy S25 series will allegedly see sporadic price increases, per reports
- The Galaxy S25 Ultra could bump up RAM in its higher-end models
- Google Docs adds 40 new pageless templates, with more coming soon
