This week in Android: Government spying, Galaxy S20 Plus giveaway

The government is coming for you!

We were trying to be funny there, but the sad truth is that our governments are already snooping in on our business. Prep your tinfoil hats, some researchers have reported that over 500 popular mobile apps have hidden tracking tools that the U.S. Government can use to track people. It’s not entirely as bad as it sounds, but you’ve opted in by simply installing the apps. If that bothers you, well, there may not be much you can do except to uninstall some apps.

Fears of government invasion of personal info is a core concern of the battle between the U.S. and China right now as well. A trade war is heating up and the losers are going to be the phone manufacturers and us, the consumers. You’ve already heard of the struggles HUAWEI is facing, (or maybe they are not having any issues?) but they are not alone.

• Can HUAWEI survive without Kirin chips?
• Why every Chinese phone maker should prepare for the worst

Here are the top 10 Android stories of the week

• New phone? — Google Pixel 4a vs older Google phones: Should you upgrade?
• Not even close! — Speed Test G: Google Pixel 4a vs Google Pixel 4
• You said it — The $1,000 plastic Galaxy Note 20 is a no-go
• Good and bad — The underpowered Galaxy Note 20 Exynos model risks splitting the series in two
• Done with that — Should the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra be the last Galaxy Note?
• Strike a balance — Motorola Edge review: Numbers don’t mean everything
• That’s a camera? — Xiaomi user turns fingerprint sensor into a terrible camera
• What’s next? — The Google Pixel 4a is amazing, but what does it mean for the Pixel 5?
• Moo — Is Yellowstone on Netflix or Hulu? No, but here’s where you can watch it
• Space, another frontier — Download this gorgeous MIUI 12 Saturn Super Wallpaper now
• Actually useful — Some Galaxy A-series phones may get three years of updates from Samsung
• New apps in our Android Apps Weekly — Fortnite goes to war with Apple and Google, and more

From around the network

• Drone disrupts baseball game, please don’t be inspired by this illegal flight – from Drone Rush
• How to fix problems with Bose QuietComfort headphones – from SoundGuys
• Best Bluetooth speakers – from SoundGuys

Deals of the week:

• Our pick for device deal of the week: $390 off Samsung Galaxy S20
• Our AA TechDeals deal of the week: $1 cooking lessons

Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus international giveaway

This week, we’re giving away a brand new Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus smartphone. Proof that Google can listen to user feedback. Enter this week’s Sunday giveaway for your chance to win!

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That’s it, folks! We’ll have another giveaway and more top Android stories for you next week. To stay up to date on all things Android Authority in the meantime, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters at the link below.