⚡ Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 254th edition here with possible cross-platform end-to-end encryption for Google Messages, what’s coming at Galaxy Unpacked 2023, a sooner-than-expected arrival for the OnePlus 12, and the speedy demise of the Meta Quest Pro. Plus, it’s time to worry about WormGPT…

📺 This week I started watching Then You Run. It’s a pretty good British thriller/crime drama, if you like screaming at the screen every time somebody does something stupid — i.e., a lot… Fun times!

Popular news this week

Google:

• Google Messages could be getting cross platform end-to-end encryption.
• Apps crashing on your Pixel? Here’s what you can try to fix the issue.
• Here’s how Android 14 will warn you when you try to sideload some Google apps.
• And Android 14’s work profile change is bad for your battery and work-life balance.
• Google launches Nearby Share for Windows, will pre-install on some systems.
• Supercharge your Google Nest Mini with AI by swapping out its brains.
• Also: Google is starting to roll out its tools to replace cookies in Chrome 115.

Samsung:

• Samsung exec makes it obvious what’s coming to Galaxy Unpacked 2023.
• Speaking of, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro drops by $100 ahead of Unpacked event.
• Galaxy Z Flip 5 leak shows full cover display keyboard and other widgets.
• And another Galaxy Z Fold 5 leak surprises us with phone case that holds an S Pen.
• Samsung’s new foldables could borrow a useful accessory from the Galaxy S23.
• Spanking new Galaxy Watch 6 images clock in all the design details.
• And Galaxy Watch 6 specs leak paints a complete picture of what to expect.
• Speaking of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, it’ll be able to tell if your food is hot or not.
• Samsung’s ViewFinity 5K monitor gets pricing, can change settings with phone.
• Plus: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra could come with these leaked accessories.
• And Samsung has started ‘advanced development’ of Galaxy Ring. Speaking of, here’s the release date, rumors, specs, price, and what we want to see.

OPPO & OnePlus:

• OnePlus 12 will hit global markets even earlier than expected.
• And OnePlus 12 specs leak reveals massive battery and impressive display.
• Meanwhile, OnePlus 12R leak pictures a possible flagship killer.
• OnePlus 11 getting limited edition Genshin Impact collector’s box.
• OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro coming to the US and Canada this month.

Motorola:

• Motorola Razr Plus breaks in the strangest way during durability test.
• The new Moto G Play (2023) just hit a record-low price of $109.99.

Nothing:

• First Nothing Phone 2 update brings camera improvements and new features galore.
• Nothing’s Carl Pei thinks foldables won’t help Android beat iOS.

Apple:

• Good luck getting a iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, there may be a shortage at launch.
• Speaking of, iPhone 15 could feature stacked battery technology.
• Plus, here’s the iPhone 15 release date, rumors, specs, and all we know so far.
• Apple gives metaphorical finger to surveillance bill, says it will not comply.
• iPhone 16 Pro Max could get ‘super’ periscope telephoto.
• This rare iPhone just got sold for 238 iPhone 14s.
• The next MacBook Air could be dynamite in a small package.
• Plus: Apple’s latest headphones play nice with Android and cost a pretty penny.

Social media:

• Instagram head says Android is now better than iOS, ignites furious debate.
• Norway has had it with Meta, threatens $100K fines for data violations.

Space:

• ‘Meteorite’ that struck French woman was just a regular Earth rock, experts say.
• NASA plans for lunar fission power systems face fiscal challenges.
• Let’s not try this: Could we put out the sun with a sun-sized orb of water?

AI:

• Worrying: WormGPT is a ChatGPT alternative with ‘no ethical boundaries or limitations’ — it can help hackers create phishing attacks or malware, basically, everything blackhat related that you can think of, at a cost of 60 Euros a month or 550 Euros a year.
• Google wants AI to write the news articles you read.
• First look: Bard ‘Extensions’ will add Google and third-party services.
• And details emerge on ‘Apple GPT,’ the company’s AI chatbot it’s testing internally.

Elsewhere: 

• This upcoming transparent phone is giving us all sorts of Nothing Phone 2 vibes.
• Qualcomm and Meta will bring on-device AI to flagship phones in 2024.
• Meta’s upcoming AR glasses are getting a few major downgrades.
• And this laser machine magically fixes green lines on OLED phone displays.
• WhatsApp finally lets you open chats with an unknown number without any tricks.
• Don’t pay your T-Mobile bill like this or you’ll be losing money.
• And WhatsApp is now available on Wear OS smartwatches.
• Meanwhile, Tesla’s in discussion to license Full Self-Driving software to another automaker.
• Oopsie: An email typo has reportedly sent millions of US military messages to Mali.
• eGenesis plans to transplant gene-edited pig hearts into babies next year and has already started transplanting gene-edited pigs’ hearts into infant baboons.

Movies/TV

• Netflix terminates its cheapest plan without ads: What you need to know.
• Speaking of, Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown is going worldwide.
• Peacock will now charge you more for its Premium and Premium Plus plans.
• Also, your YouTube Premium subscription just went up, with older accounts also affected.
• Speaking of, YouTube quietly rolls out new ‘Stable Volume’ feature and is also testing gesture that lets you quickly 2x playback speed.
• On a cheerier note, why not check out this week’s best new streaming movies, including The Flash and dark comedy Babylon.
• Or dive into the best new streaming shows this week — we like the look of post-apocalyptic action comedy series Twisted Metal, based on the video game franchise.
• Also: The Boys spin-off Gen V confirms September launch date: check out the first three episodes on Prime Video September 29, with one episode every Friday after that until November 3.
• And Dune 2 eyes push to 2024; Warner Bros. considers new dates for Color Purple, Aquaman 2.

Gaming:

• Meta gives up on the Quest Pro and shuts down development of the sequel.
• Microsoft confirms it’s killing Microsoft Live Gold.
• And Microsoft extends deadline of $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition to October.
• Tired of hunting Pokemon? Google’s new AR game will let you take down aliens.
• The Witcher 3’s latest patch adds more content inspired by Netflix’s series, plus quality of life improvements on all platforms.
• FBI used Nintendo Switch to locate abducted child — the fifteen-year-old girl was found and rescued after she logged onto her Switch.
• Steam chat window keeps closing? Here’s how to fix it.
• Also — King Kong game Skull Island: Rise of Kong announced for PS5, PS4.

Reviews

• Nothing Phone 2 vs Google Pixel 7a — Two great phones with a similar pricing philosophy, but very different approaches.
• Apple MacBook Air M2 (15-inch) review: Should you buy it? “It’s bigger and it’s brilliant.”
• Twitter vs Threads by Meta: Which social media platform is better? “Meta’s newest platform, Threads, gives tough competition to Twitter, but it still has a long way to go to win.”
• Gotrax GXL V2 review: A budget-friendly beginner e-scooter — “Looking for your first electric scooter? The GXL V2 is an easy introduction.

Features

• Google Translate helped me navigate a hospital emergency: “Keep that offline language pack ready the next time you’re traveling” (Android Authority).
• Anker’s magnetic wireless battery saved me during a busy vacation: “A hectic rhythm and unpredictable power require a versatile power bank. The Anker 633 is it for me” (Android Authority).
• These are my favorite headphones for rock climbing: “If you’re going to climb with earbuds, they need to be dust resistant” (Android Authority).
• The $1 billion gamble to ensure AI doesn’t destroy humanity: “The founders of Anthropic quit OpenAI to make a safe AI company. It’s easier said than done” (Vox).
• Why some celebrities are embracing Artificial Intelligence deepfakes (BBC).

Weekly Wonder

This week’s been quite heavy on the news front, and with a heatwave here in Scotland, my brain hasn’t been wondering quite as much as usual! On that note, here are a few other stories I enjoyed reading this week that you might want to dive into…

• Smithsonian Magazine published this piece on the real history behind Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. It’s a lengthy read, but really interesting, so grab a cuppa and dive in.
• Meanwhile, the folks over at Wired are waxing lyrical about what’s happening with Fukushima’s radioactive water (it’s being pumped into the ocean, which totally seems like a safe idea, right? Right?!)
• I watched this cool video about Detroit’s Millionaire’s Row. Then I spotted this: According to The Hustle, this week in 2013, Detroit filed for the largest municipal bankruptcy ever, both in terms of a city’s population, then 700k, and debt, estimated at $18B-$20B. How times change.
• And how’s this for weird? You can get frozen Norwegian salmon fillets from this vending machine in Singapore — apparently, “There have been many cases where customers buy salmon after midnight.” Umm.
• Finally, if you love retro games, you can now get Anstream Arcade on Xbox. The cloud-based subscription service has over 1,400 games from the Commodore 64, Atari systems, and more.

Tech Calendar

• July 26: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked @ 7 AM ET(Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5)
• August: Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 launch
• September 6: Starfield launches on PC, Xbox Series X
• October 24-26: Snapdragon Summit 2023 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3?)
• January 2024: OnePlus 12 global launch

Tech Tweet of the Week

Something extra: Bored? Why not play Scrabble against a dad? (h/t: The Hustle).

See you next week!

Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.