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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 the week’s top tech stories at a glance. This is where we delve into the leading titles that deliver the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
This week saw Microsoft’s global services outage due to an outage, the first look at the Pixel Pro 9 and Pro 9 Fold, OnePlus releasing several devices, Amazon making record Prime Days sales, and One UI 7 could radically change Galaxy devices.
Microsoft’s outage brings the world to a standstill
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Several services including financial institutions, flights, media, retail, rail services and emergency response networks were disrupted by a major outage on Friday (July 19) morning.
An update from CrowdStrike (an American cyber security company) caused Windows PCs and servers to get stuck in a reboot loop, showing the blue screen of death for many businesses around the world. Microsoft recognized the ongoing disruption and expected a quick fix; however, it is up to CrowdStrike to fully resolve the issue.
CrowdStrike President and CEO George Kurtz posted on X saying that CrowdStrike is working with customers affected by the outage and apologized for the outage.
“We understand the seriousness of the situation and deeply regret the inconvenience and disruption. We are working with all affected customers to ensure that systems are up and running and they can deliver the services their customers rely on,” Kurtz said.
For now, the update has been pulled and the company has published a workaround for this outage that will boot Windows into Safe Mode or Windows Recovery Environment.
Pixel 9 teasers urge you to part with your old phone
A phone made for the age of Gemini. It can do a lot – even leave your old phone behind easily. Learn more and sign up for #MadeByGoogle updates: https://t.co/PUmAUi4YBe pic.twitter.com/I3EEXOkq3IJuly 18, 2024
Read more here and here.
Google turned heads on Thursday (July 18) as it teased not one, but two of its upcoming flagship phones. First, Google posted a quick teaser of the X, giving us a glimpse of the Pixel 9 Pro in champagne gold. The device looks sleek, with rounded edges and a matte finish on the rear panel. The tweet states that the phone is “built for the age of Gemini—”, highlighting the fact that its new device will be powered by AI.
Within hours of showing us what the Pro looks like, Google released a new video of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, putting an end to all the rumors and confirming the design and name of its upcoming foldable Android smartphone. The company showed the phone’s external display and its hinge mechanism when the phone is opened, and the rear camera module is placed in a unique, rounded rectangular housing.
The teaser does not show the rumored front-facing camera with a hole in the top right corner, which has everyone speculating where the phone’s selfie camera will be placed. The Pixel Pro Fold comes in a sleek porcelain finish that can be had in a variety of colors.
Hopefully we’ll only see surprise drops leading up to the Made by Google event on August 13th at 1pm ET.
OnePlus summer launch
Read more about Substrate 2, Watch 2Rand Nord Buds 3 Pro.
OnePlus unveiled three new products earlier this week – introducing the OnePlus Pad 2, Watch 2R and Nord Buds 3 Pro to the US and Canadian markets.
The OnePlus Pad 2 features a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 platform, an outstanding 12.1-inch large 3K display and six stereo speakers. The device is loaded with AI Toolbox that helps users speed up their workflows. The device comes with a large 9510 mAh battery and flash charging technology that recharges the device within 81 minutes. The sleek 6.49mm, 584g pad has a Nimbus Gray all-metal body. It comes with additional accessories like OnePlus Stylo 2 and OnePlus Pad 2 Smart Keyboard.
Now we come to the Watch 2R – it features an “ergonomic” design with two physical buttons on the side of the face, just like the Watch 2. One button will quickly navigate to the user’s stored watch apps, while the other is an “action” button for fitness tracking .The two-tone design theme gives the device the appeal of a classic wristwatch.With a 500mAh battery, the wearable provides up to 100 hours of charge with regular use and comes with a 7.5W VOOC charger that fully charges the device in 60 The watch is priced at $229 and is available in Forest Green and Gunmetal Grey.
Finally, the company has also launched the Nord Buds 3 Pro, which comes with studio-grade sound with powerful bass tones and BassWave 2.0 technology. OnePlus said the headphones “come with scenario-based intelligent noise cancellation that intelligently detects ambient sounds and selects the most appropriate noise reduction mode in real-time to balance noise-cancelling performance and comfort.” These affordable headphones have triple microphones that promise clear and stable sound while taking voice/video calls. The new buds come in a pebble-shaped vertical box that has a matte finish with some metallic accents. Available in two colors: star black and soft jade.
Amazon boasts record sales on Prime Day
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Amazon’s big Prime Day sale is officially over, and the company says it’s had a “record-breaking event.” Although Amazon has not yet shared exact numbers, its official blog said it sold more items during this two-day event than any previous Prime Day event.
Amazon said in its Prime Day summary that members took advantage of deals from brands like Sol de Janeiro, Apple, Dyson and Ring, as well as small businesses like TruSkin, ALOHA, Blueland and Native Pet.
We really got a peek at the sales numbers, as Reuters reported that shoppers in the US alone spent $14.2 billion online during Amazon’s two-day Prime Day event. The data comes from Adobe Analytics, which says total online sales are up 11.7% this year compared to $12.7 billion in 2023 in two days.
The outlet adds that major retailers, including Walmart and Target, appear to have launched their own deals leading up to Prime Day, which may have contributed to this year’s sales. People looking to upgrade devices and new technology in their homes helped boost online sales for the electronics category by 61%, Adobe Analytics added.
A UI 7 could change Galaxy devices
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While Samsung’s One UI 7 update is a few months away, tipsters have started predicting what it could mean for the devices.
X’s Ice Universe said that One UI 7 (based on Android 15) will be the “most changed” version of the software for Samsung Galaxy devices. The tipster went on to say that the company wants to “re-draw” the app icons that users experience while swiping the screen.
It also looks like the company is planning to change the style of the icon and the dropdown menu, which will potentially give a new look to the user interface. On the other hand, TheOneCID suggests that Samsung could take a few design cues from iOS 18, some of which seem to relate to a completely revamped Control Center, similar to what Ice Universe claims on Weibo.
Back in May, reports suggested that Samsung might have started internal testing of its Android 15 skin on the Galaxy S24. However, it looked like there might be a delay in the launch of One UI 7 as the company was still tinkering with the One UI 6.1.1 update.
These are some of the biggest stories from this week. In the meantime, here are some other stories worth catching up on:
