The Weekly Authority: ☕ T time for OnePlus

⚡ Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 206th edition here, with the OnePlus 10T launch, possible Pixel 7 launch and release dates, a new game from Witcher 3 developers, and much more…

📚 I’ve been taking a break from gaming this week and doing lots of reading after discovering a new, totally magical bookshop on a recent trip to Edinburgh.

Popular news this week

OnePlus:

• The OnePlus 10T launched Wednesday, the first proper T-series phone since 2020’s OnePlus 8T, with a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, 150W wired charging (but no wireless charging), and a $649 price tag — find out more in our review, below.
• The OnePlus 10T’s IP rating is also a bit confusing, depending on which region you’re in.
• And despite the lack of alert slider on the new OnePlus 10T, it seems OnePlus wants to bring this feature back on future devices.
• Also, it looks like OnePlus may have secretly launched another phone after the OnePlus 10T.
• This week OnePlus also announced Oxygen OS 13, and we’ve got all you need to know.

Google:

• A new leak may have given us Pixel 7 launch, release dates — if true, we could have to wait over two months.
• And it turns out the Google Pixel Fold might have a unique camera position, plus a more compact design than Samsung’s Fold series.
• Meanwhile, Pixel 6 phones get small bug patch for fixing GPS issue; all Pixels still waiting for August update.
• Also: Google’s plan to combine Meet and Duo is underway with Duo rebranding to Google Meet.

Samsung:

• Samsung announced its self-repair program for Galaxy phones and tablets, but only available for specific phones right now, more to be added later.
• The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 charging time’s been revealed and it’s good news! Plus, here’s everything we know about Samsung’s latest addition so far.
• More good news: The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro could last up to 80 hours on a single charge, a new report claims — we’ll find out more August 10.
• And a new rumor claims Samsung may ditch the “Z” from the Galaxy Fold 4 and Flip 4 names.
• Also: New Galaxy Buds 2 Pro leak claims they will have “intelligent” noise cancellation — and here’s everything we know about the Buds 2 Pro so far.
• Plus: The Galaxy S22 series is getting One UI 5 beta right now, rolling out in several markets, including the US.

Nothing:

• Renowned YouTubers tested the Nothing Phone 1’s durability and repairability — it holds up surprisingly well for a mid-ranger, but the teardown is another matter.

Motorola:

• Motorola canceled its Razr and X30 Pro launch (China) at the last minute — it was due to happen Tuesday, but no specific reason was given for the cancelation.

Apple:

• Apple Pay may finally work on Chrome, Edge, and Firefox in iOS 16, but not available for those browsers on the latest macOS beta, likely due to their underlying engines.
• And Apple’s App Store homepage will soon feature ads, and you’ll see them on individual app pages too.

Space:

• Space junk found on Australian farms suspected to be from SpaceX — the latest find’s almost 10 feet tall.
• James Webb Space Telescope depicts Cartwheel Galaxy in stunning detail.
• And NASA Is crowdsourcing cloud research on Mars, so you can help analyze data collected by the Mars Climate Sounder.

Elsewhere:

• Fitbit Inspire 3, Sense 2, and Versa 4 leak in official-looking renders.
• OPPO Watch Series 3 images leaked online: Looks a lot like a curved Apple Watch — will also get a big battery boost.
• Elsewhere, Amazon to clean up by buying Roomba maker iRobot for $1.7 billion.
• Uber will give drivers more information on destination and earnings before they accept a ride as it tries to improve its support for drivers, hopefully meaning fewer canceled trips for riders.
• And Uber receipts are crashing Microsoft Outlook: A formatting bug seems to be the culprit, freezing Outlook when emails with complex tables (and receipts, apparently) — Microsoft’s developed a fix to reach beta users “shortly” and everyone else in an update landing August 9.
• Meanwhile, e-bike sharing company Bolt Mobility appears to have shut down in six US cities, leaving equipment abandoned in the street.
• The latest Windows 11 Android update’s one for mobile gamers, with gamepad support and new keyboard mapping options, available now for beta testers.
• Halloween’s horrifying enough without the news that Hershey may not be able to meet demand for candy this year.
• Speaking of your sweet tooth, fancy a free donut? Canadian chain Tim Hortons may have been spying on you for a year, but now it’s offering free apology coffee and a baked good to those affected after its app tracked users’ location without permission.
• Elon Musk countersued Twitter last Friday, but the details aren’t public yet.
• In today’s science news: MIT engineers develop stamp-sized stickers that can see inside the body: the “ultrasound adhesives” stick to skin, providing “continuous ultrasound imaging of internal organs for 48 hours.”
• Even spookier science news: Zombie pigs might be a thing as scientists revived pig cells an hour after death, in what could be a potential breakthrough for organ transplants.
• And sodium-based batteries could solve the lithium crunch, but it may take several years.

Movies/TV:

• First, some sad news. Nichelle Nichols, who we all know and love as Lieutenant Uhura from Star Trek: The Original Series, has died aged 89: According to the BBC, the trailblazing actor was one of the first Black women to play an authority figure, and was later employed by NASA to encourage more woman and African-Americans to become astronauts.
• The Sandman hit Netflix Friday, and The Guardian’s got an interview with author Neil Gaiman on comics, diversity, and casting Death.
• And we saw the first full trailer for Netflix’s animated Cyberpunk 2077 series, arriving sometime in September.
• We also got a trailer for Andor, the new Star Wars prequel series coming to Disney Plus September 21.
• Prey landed on Disney Plus and Hulu on Friday, and some viewers say the Predator prequel we’ve all been waiting for is better than the original movie — TechRadar‘s spoiler-free review calls the fifth film in the Predator series, “the entertaining sci-fi flick that Predator fans have spent the past 30-plus years hunting for.”
• Meanwhile, we’ve got the best new TV shows to stream this week, including Paper Girls, Uncoupled, and more.
• Bronze statues of Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul were unveiled in Albuquerque’s Convention Center.
• The folks over at Mashable watched Taiwanese movie Incantation, the horror movie that’s freaking out TikTok (I haven’t been brave enough to watch it yet!)
• Batgirl is no more: Warner Bros shelved the movie on Tuesday, just a few months before release, reportedly following its poor performance in test screenings.
• Political drama series The First Lady is canned by Showtime after its first season.
• And this is your last chance to catch these movies leaving Netflix and other streamers in August.
• Finally: Mashable‘s Bullet Train review calls Brad Pitt’s latest a “daffy, ultra-violent action romp,” opening in theaters this weekend.

Gaming:

• A group of Witcher 3 developers are working on a new online action game set in feudal Japan.
• Sony’s discontinuing the PS5’s Accolades feature — to be honest, we didn’t even know of its existence until now.
• And Sega Genesis Mini 2 stock will be extremely limited in the US due to the global semiconductor shortage.
• Meanwhile, Indonesia blocks access to Steam, Epic Games, Nintendo Online after companies missed the cut-off date to comply with new law.
• Japanese indie game festival BitSummit runs this weekend, August 6-7.
• Logitech will launch a handheld cloud gaming device in 2022, with support for Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA’s GeForce Now services.
• Here’s what’s coming to Game Pass (and leaving) in August: bye-bye Boyfriend Dungeon.
• And Microsoft starts testing an Xbox Game Pass family plan that lets you add up to four people to your subscription, first previewing in Ireland and Colombia.
• GTA Online’s latest mission is unexpectedly terrifying, according to Kotaku (spoiler warning!).
• Games Hub’s got a roundup of all the major video game releases for August, including Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and the Saints Row reboot.
• Finally: Nintendo, like other game companies, reports sales decline — Nintendo sold 3.4 million Switch systems during the spring, a million fewer than a year ago.

Reviews

• OnePlus 10T review: Unpolished Power — “It takes more than a fast chipset and even faster charging to create an all-rounder” (Android Authority).
• HUAWEI Freebuds Pro 2 review: A compelling package — “The Freebuds Pro 2 sound great and have plenty of features, but they’re not without flaws” (Android Authority).
• Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (2H) review: Reworking the basics — “The slow flash memory and middling processor mean it’s not the best for heavier workloads, but for students and casual users, the Spin 513 (2H) is a good choice” (Android Authority).
• Lenovo Tab M10 HD Review — “It certainly looks and feels good for its price, and it really doesn’t cost very much at all. However, its positioning as a budget media player is undermined by a lowly display, terrible performance, and mediocre battery life” (Trusted Reviews).

Features

• My worst tech decision: A G Suite account for personal use — “A small step towards email convenience led to a decade of ecosystem struggles” (Android Authority).
• Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and IMAX Enhanced: What’s the difference? Which home theater standard should you pick? (Android Authority).
• EV makers think they’ve figured out what women want: “Men are more likely to buy electric vehicles, and carmakers are eager to diversify their base. But what will it take to close the gender gap?” (Wired).
• What should a nine-thousand-pound electric vehicle sound like? “EVs are virtually silent, so acoustic designers are creating alerts for them. A symphony — or a cacophony — of car noise could be coming to city streets” (The New Yorker).
• For Gen Z, TikTok is more than entertainment. It’s a search engine — “Young people explain why they’re searching social media instead of Google” (Mashable).

Weekly Wonder

Following on from Wired‘s feature about EV makers figuring out what women want, a study by Pew Research has revealed that women are more skeptical of self-driving cars than men. And it’s not just driverless cars — overall, women are more skeptical than men about the uses of artificial intelligence.

• The study showed 37% of men think driverless cars are a good idea, while only 17% of women agree.
• Over 50% of women said they wouldn’t feel comfortable driving on a road alongside self-driving cars, compared to just 35% of men.
• And only 27% of women would actually be willing to ride in a driverless car, compared to 46% of men.
• Women are also more likely than men (33% vs 20%) to think that self-driving cars could lead to an increase in auto crashes.

This applies to driverless public transport too, with over 50% of women opposing the use of self-driving technology for buses compared to just 35% of men.

What about other uses of artificial intelligence?

The study also showed:

• Only 42% of women in the US said tech has had a positive impact on society, compared to 54% of men.
• Women are also less likely than men (13% compared to 22%) to express excitement rather than concern about the increased use of AI in daily life.
• And over 30% of women surveyed said they’re unsure if police using face recognition technology is a good idea, compared to 22% of men.

The design of AI technologies

Women also showed more concern for who’s involved in the design and implementation of AI technologies.

• More women than men (67% vs 58%) said they felt it was important for social media companies to include people of different genders and races when designing their algorithms.
• Women are also more doubtful than men that AI computer programs are able to consistently make fair decisions when faced with complex situations. Only 22% of women surveyed said they thought it was possible to design AI programs that could consistently make fair decisions, compared to 38% of men.

Personally, I think driverless cars are a good idea, but I’m not sure how I feel about anything larger like an autonomous bus or truck. And I wonder whether there’s such gender disparity over uses of AI in the home, like robot vacuum cleaners or robot lawn mowers?

Tech Calendar

• August 10: Samsung Unpacked (Galaxy Z Flip 4, Fold 4, Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro?)
• September 1: OnePlus 10T pre-orders open (US)
• September 2-6: IFA Berlin
• September 10 @ 9 PM CEST: Ubisoft Forward showcase
• September 29: OnePlus 10T on sale
• October 6: Pixel 7 launch? (TBC)
• October 13: Pixel 7 on sale? (TBC)
• November 8: Skull and Bones release date on Xbox Series S/X, PS5, PC, Stadia, and Luna
• November 9: God of War: Ragnarok launches on PS4, PS5

Tech Tweet of the Week

Who’d have thought the lottery was a good way to catch time travelers?

Something extra: From The Hustle, this week in 2017, Luis Fonsi’s Despacito became the most-watched YouTube video of all time, with 3 billion-plus views. What’s the most-watched video today? Baby Shark Dance (sorry in advance!)

Have a great week!

Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.