⚡ Welcome back to another edition of The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that keeps an eye out for the top Android and tech news from the week.

🏀 Tristan Rayner excited because among many other things, the NBA Playoffs have started. Who ya got?

One of the busiest weeks in a while! Here’s what you need to know.

Google I/O:

• The Google I/O keynote delivered two hours of updates, new features, ideas, and more.
• It wasn’t the most thrilling Google I/O presentation ever. But, those who’ve been wanting more out of Android and Wear OS should be happy.
• Here our wrap of everything we did see at Google I/O. And here’s our wrap of everything we didn’t see. The latter list includes Google Stadia, Chrome, Chrome OS, and of course, the lack of Pixel 5a and the Pixel Buds A. No sign of custom silicon, either.
• Android 12 emerged with a raft of changes, especially on the design front. As an owner of a Pixel with the latest Android 12 beta, I have to say you’re not missing much yet. The big Material You design change and new privacy features are still to come!
• The Wear OS x Tizen collaboration between Google and Samsung represents new hope for wearables for Android users. Can we trust Google to do more if Samsung is pushing it along?
• Do check out Project Starline if you missed it, too.
• Also: Google’s first-ever permanent retail store will open this summer in NYC.

Pixel 6 series:

• Even though Google didn’t announce a new Pixel, fresh leaks gave us plenty of detail to mull over.
• Last week, Jon Prosser delivered some surprising new renders. This week, OnLeaks delivered a second round that confirmed much of what we saw on the outside.
• The Pixel 6 Pro renders showed off a 6.67-inch curved OLED display with a two-tone back panel. In terms of specs, not much about the internals is known, but we can see a triple-camera and under-display fingerprint sensor, along with wireless charging.
• Pixel 6 renders showed a smaller base model: a 6.4-inch flat panel, and dual cameras.
• There’s plenty more to dig into. My colleague C. Scott Brown called it when he said the spec jump in the Pro makes it seem like “the Pixel 6 Pro could be a love letter to Pixel fans.”

Apple:

• No coincidence that Apple played some big cards this week to prevent Google from taking all the headlines.
• That included announcing lossless quality music and spatial audio in Apple Music at no extra charge, putting pressure on Spotify.
• Reviews of the new iPad Pro range (The Verge) and the new M1 iMacs (The Verge) also dropped during the week, as Apple timed its embargoes well.
• Also: a very detailed report on Apple in China came out this week. The alleged compromises Apple is making on data and privacy don’t make for good reading (New York Times).

Elsewhere:

• Ford unveiled its all-electric F-150 Lightning, which is a big moment for EVs given the popularity of the F-150 as is. Ford beat expectations on pricing, starting it at under $40k, and without all the engine, has a giant frunk to play with. The Lightning’s dual-motor powertrain produces 563 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque (Jalopnik). Look, even those that hate the Cybertruck and the EV Hummer say this F-150 thing is actually good (Earther).
• Intel 11th-generation core Tiger Lake-H performance review: Fast, power-hungry (AnandTech).

• ZTE Axon 30 Ultra review: A step in the right direction, with a compelling flagship that won’t break the bank, though availability is limited to China until June.
• Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra review second opinion: Dhruv Bhutani examines this with a view to the world, and to India.
• Yale Smart Delivery Box review: Too many caveats for this porch piracy fighter.

Features

• Why the haptics in your smartphone matter. (I have, for a long long time, just turned off haptics, but they are better than ever in some phones.)
• From its myriad tips: how fungi make our worlds, change our minds and shape our futures (London Review of Books).
• The full story of the stunning RSA hack can finally be told: “In 2011, Chinese spies stole the crown jewels of cybersecurity—stripping protections from firms and government agencies worldwide. Here’s how it happened.” (Wired).

Alert: you can strike IFA 2021 from your calendars. The late August/early September event set in Berlin, Germany, was called off this week. Will CES 2022 take place? How many will turn up for MWC 2021?

• June 7-11: WWDC 2021
• June 28- July 1: MWC 2021 

Tech Tweet of the Week

This is quite something:

All the best,

Tristan Rayner, Senior Editor.