News Weekly
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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, an immersive vibration feature was spotted on the Pixel Weather app, Google launches a Gemini app for iPhones, the Wear OS 5 update resumes on the Pixel Watch, YouTube Premium ditches grandfathered pricing for subscribers, and the RedMagic 10 Pro series is here.
Feel the rain with Pixel Weather
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
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Pixel Weather launched with the Pixel 9 series, and now users are discovering an Immersive Weather Vibrations feature for the app. It’s a fun little setting that brings your weather to life by adding subtle vibrations that correlate with the animations in the app. For instance, if it’s raining, the phone’s haptics will kick in and mimic the pitter-patter of rain falling onto the device, matching up with the animation within the app. Mishaal Rahman notes that it should also work with thunderstorms and snow, among other weather conditions.
The feature is available now on via a server side update and you can enable or disable it in the Pixel Weather settings menu. We’ve noticed it on our Pixel 9 models, and according to Android Authority, it’s available on version 1.0.20240910.678970266.release.
Wear OS 5: Return of the update
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
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After a bit of a delay, Wear OS 5 began rolling out again on the original Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2. The update, which initially started rolling out in September, includes a new app grid, the Pixel Recorder app, more camera controls, and more. However, users ran into issues with their smartwatches after installing the update, with devices stuck on a blank screen and effectively bricking their watches.
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Gemini gets the iPhone treatment
(Image credit: Google)
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Until now, Gemini Live has been an Android-only affair, with iPhone users left out of the generative AI fun. Now, Google is throwing them a bone by launching the conversational AI bot within a new standalone Gemini app.
No more early adopter pricing for YouTube Premium
(Image credit: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)
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Before YouTube Premium was a thing, there was the YouTube Music Key, which charged $7.99 for ad-free music streaming way back in 2014. Now, those early adopters who got to keep their pricing through the YouTube Premium launch are now being told they have to pay more.
A powerful new gaming phone
(Image credit: RedMagic)
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Following the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Elite in October, Nubia has revealed its latest flagship devices to compete with the best gaming phones: the RedMagic 10 Pro and 10 Pro Plus. The phones are largely identical and only differ in their internal specs.