The past week has brought us a new way to exchange files between Android – smartphones. Now we can send files to each other as owners iPhone via AirDrop. The only feature is called Nearby Sharing. And this week, Google accidentally revealed the date of the official release of the new Android 11. All this is very interesting, but do not forget about the release of the new processor, the frequency of which now exceeds 3 GHz. This is a real psychological frontier that opens up new horizons for smartphones of the future. Let's see what happens next, but for now, let's discuss this week's news.
We will heal with this function.
What's new in Android 12
I don’t know how it happened, but for some reason leaks about upcoming updates Apple have always attracted more interest than anything related to Android. Even the slightest innovation iOS 14 like the QR payment function invariably provoked a lively audience reaction. Apparently, the fan addictions of long-term fans Apple affected, while Android had such, if any, it was clearly in smaller numbers. Another thing is that we simply could not but tell about possible innovations Android 12, which were announced by the members of the development team.
Android 12 will only be released in a year, but we already know a thing or two about it
There were many rumors surrounding this feature. At first, one of the developers said that it was impossible to implement it in pure Android. After users raised a flurry of criticism, someone older came up with an official refutation of this statement, stressing that work on the function of creating scrolling screenshots is still underway, and it should be expected in one of the next updates. True, it did not appear in Android 10 or in Android 11.
Scrolling screenshots in stock Android will appear only after a year
Whether it is Android 12. Users of the Reddit portal, who introduced themselves as members of the development team Android, reported that next year the scrolling screenshots will definitely appear in the stock version of the operating system. What is the reason for this delay, they did not say. But, given the simplicity of the mechanism implementation, it can be assumed that the developers were not corny before this, since they were focused on the implementation of other, more significant innovations.
Android has always had a rather poorly implemented backup tool. This is probably why Google, unlike Apple, never specifically encouraged users to create backups. Not to say that users Android were somehow especially annoyed, since Google Play has always had a lot of applications for pulling data from an old smartphone and then saving a new one in memory. But how to get back the content that was lost during flashing or updating?
Finally, normal backups will appear on Android
In Android 12, Google developers planned to upgrade the backup tool and make it, firstly, more passive, that is, it works without user intervention, and, secondly, to expand the range of data that is stored in the cloud, as well as facilitate the recovery of copies. This will be a big event for users Android, who can be a little more relaxed about the data from the memory of their smartphones.
Just the other day, I wrote that the standard mechanisms of third-party firmware based on Android are too strict about applications that run in the background. Despite the fact that Android has long had a Doze tool that puts programs to sleep and thereby limits their resource consumption, manufacturers do not pay any attention to it and make their own mechanisms. As a result, this leads to the fact that applications are simply unloaded from memory, and users are unable to receive notifications.
Unloading applications? Android 12 will fix everything
In Android 12 it is planned to build a special mechanism to restrict the operation of third-party application control tools. That is, OxygenOS, One UI and other firmware will not be able to unload software from the multitasking menu at their discretion. This will avoid many problems, given that all applications that go to Google Play are initially adapted to work with the Doze mechanism, which does not unload them and does not interfere with their work.
Despite the fact that users Android seem to have always been fans of flashing, our research has shown that this practice is alien to most of them. The maximum that users decide on is the installation of third-party launchers. Another thing is that the uncracked Android somehow very much limited their capabilities and at every opportunity strove to disable and return the original shell. In Android 12 this will no longer be.
Android will be more loyal to third-party launchers
First, it is planned to rework the gesture system so that it does not conflict with gestures from third-party launchers and shells. One of the problems was and is the back gesture, which had to be performed in a special way so as not to accidentally provoke a call to the context menu. Secondly, system mechanisms will no longer block and disable third-party launchers, allowing them to work in state mode and perform all the tasks users need.
How Nearby Sharing works
Despite the clear differences iOS and Android, in terms of features, they are quite similar. Especially clearly, this similarity has begun to manifest itself recently, when then Apple, then Google began to spy on each other's certain functions and implement them at home. I think if you randomly take a dozen innovations that appeared in iOS and Android, with a high degree of probability they will be copied – or, so be it, spied – from a competitor. Therefore, when Google decided to implement an analogue of AirDrop, no one was particularly surprised at this.
Nearby Sharing started to appear gradually among users Android
Google has begun to officially roll out Nearby Sharing to users Android. Unlike Samsung, which made Quick Share (another AirDrop analog for Android) available only on new devices, Google decided not to impose such strict restrictions, releasing the innovation as part of the Google Play Services update. Thus, owners of smartphones and tablets based on earlier versions Android will be able to access Nearby Sharing, and not only Android 10 and Android 11, which is already under beta test.
Users Android will now have their own AirDrop. Finally
Nearby Sharing works exactly the same way as AirDrop. The technology uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth protocols, combining them and thereby achieving high data transfer rates, provided that the transmitter and receiver devices are close to each other. Thus, photos are transferred almost instantly, and videos weighing up to one gigabyte – in less than a minute. At the same time, an Internet connection is not required for Nearby Sharing to work.
The Nearby Sharing update comes with Google Play Services with build number v20.24.13. It spreads gradually, and therefore may not be available to you. To check if an update has arrived or not, go to Google Play – 'My Apps & Games' and check for updates. If there is nothing and you are eager to try the new feature, you can install the Google Play Services APK file by downloading it from this link. However, remember that it may be unsafe and you perform all actions at your own peril and risk.
The easiest way to enable Nearby Sharing is via the Share menu:
- Go to Google Chrome – context menu – downloaded files;
- Select any file from the downloaded list and click on the three vertical dots next to it;
Nearby Sharing works in much the same way as AirDrop, just a little more convenient
- In the window that opens, find a new icon named Nearby Sharing and click on it;
- Select a compatible device from the list of available and confirm the transfer.
It is logical that at the initial stage there will not be many Nearby Sharing devices. Not only does it need to have the appropriate build of Google Play Services, but it also has to support the included modules Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Therefore, do not be surprised if you cannot immediately exchange files with someone over a wireless connection. Moreover, we cannot yet know whether the launch of Nearby Sharing is a mass phenomenon or is it still a point one, aimed at testing and debugging the technology.
How SberPay works
Contactless payment services have long surprised no one, and NFC has ceased to be a hallmark of exceptionally expensive flagships. Now it is even somehow strange to see that a person pays at the cash register with cash or a card, and does not use a smartphone for this purpose. After all, his phone or smart watch worn on his wrist must have support for Apple Pay or Google Pay. So why, in this case, bother with fiddling in your wallet, if you can quickly and safely pay for the purchase with a gadget? Sberbank is of the same opinion.
Sberbank has its own contactless service
Today Sberbank launched its contactless payment service in Russia called SberPay. In essence, it is a direct competitor to Samsung Pay and Google Pay, because due to technical restrictions iOS it will only be available on Android, where NFC modules are at the full disposal of third-party developers. That is, users will be able to pay for purchases in their usual way: they took out a smartphone, activated a payment instrument and attached it to a terminal with contactless payment support.
SberPay is far from ideal. At least early on
True, one must immediately say about the limitations that will be characteristic of SberPay at an early stage:
- SberPay only supports Visa, MasterCard and Mir promise to tie up later;
- Only Sberbank's own cards can be used for payment through SberPay;
- Settlements via SberPay will be possible only in stores serviced by Sberbank;
- After payment, the screen will display the amount of the balance on the card, which can be seen by others.
The main interface for transferring payment information that SberPay uses is, of course, NFC. However, in addition to contactless offline payment, the service supports online payment, for example, in applications and on websites, and also allows you to pay invoices. Sberbank suggests that this function will work as follows: the client calls the call center and names the product he wants to purchase, the operator sends a push notification to his number with a link to the payment, after which the client checks the data and confirms the payment.
But how to enable SberPay or what needs to be done to start using it, I did not understand. Despite the fact that an advertising story has appeared in Sberbank Online promoting the new service, there are still no buttons to enable it either in the application or in the system settings Android, although I have a Visa, which is logic can already start to pay. Even in the section with information about a bank card it says that it is available for contactless payment, but Google Pay is offered to me as the only service.
QR payments are also available to Sberbank customers, although not within SberPay
Generally speaking, it is strange that Sberbank woke up only now and launched SberPay in 2020, and not at least in 2017. Then he had a good opportunity to gain a foothold in the payment services market and compete with foreign products. But Sberbank believes that they are not late and SberPay will be popular. The target audience of the service includes, oddly enough, smartphone users Huawei and Honor, who were left without access to Google Pay due to US sanctions. Well, it might work. True, for this it is not enough just to launch SberPay and wait for users to become interested in it.
To attract an audience to the new service, Sberbank will obviously have to try. I would start by organizing promotions, for example, by offering newcomers discounts, increased cashback, although Sberbank has it just awful, or some gifts. In general, I would try to somehow buy a user, explaining to him that paying through SberPay is not only convenient, because it is already built into the bank's application, but also profitable. Otherwise, I would not expect the service to 'fly'.
Which smartphones will get the Snapdragon 865 Plus
Don't you have a feeling that modern mobile processors are already too powerful? Okay, a rhetorical question, but still…. Modern processors have one problem – they need to constantly somehow increase their performance, but this is becoming more and more difficult. Nevertheless, Qualcomm presented a processor that was the first to step over the psychological threshold of 3 GHz, which is a lot for mobile technology. Despite the fact that the processor has just been shown, there are already at least two smartphones that will definitely receive it. There is one more, the chances of which for a novelty are slightly lower, but they are. So what is so remarkable about this processor and which smartphones will get it?
The new Snapdragon processor will break everyone. At least for now.
Snapdragon is undoubtedly the most demanded, most massive and coolest processor in terms of overall performance for Android – smartphones. It doesn't even depend on the specific model. In almost every niche, it is Qualcomm's chipsets that command more respect than others. Some other manufacturers may offer something that will be better in one of the operating modes, but in general, it is Snapdragon processors that provide a comprehensive operation of devices under their control, and this is very good.
Thanks to its versatility, built-in (in some models) modem 5G and wide multimedia capabilities, Snapdragon attracts a lot of interest with the release of each new model. As usual, in the second half of the year, the company offers an improvement to its flagship processor and releases a plus version.
It happened this time too, when Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 865 Plus. That being said, last year the release of the Snapdragon 855 Plus after the Snapdragon 855 was only a minor improvement, for which many criticized the company. This year everything is different and the new processor is not only very productive, but it was also the first to cross the psychological performance line, to which others are only approaching.
The Snapdragon 865 Plus provides improved speeds for the main processor and Adreno 650 GPU. The main core frequency has now been increased from 2.84 GHz to 3.1 GHz. This is the very psychological line that had to be overcome. It is noteworthy that they did this in the intermediate version of the processor, and not in the main one. That is, the company did not wait for the Snapdragon 875.
Snapdragon chips have always been something special.
It is worth noting that the changes affected only the main core and did not affect the rest. They both worked and will continue to work. That is, the performance has improved greatly in single-core mode. In multi-core, the improvement will be slightly less significant than it might initially seem.
Meanwhile, Qualcomm says the Adreno 650 GPU is now capable of 10% faster graphics rendering compared to the regular Snapdragon 865 GPU. However, the chipmaker did not disclose the actual clock speed of the Snapdragon 865 Plus GPU.
Even such an increase in the performance of the graphics chip will improve the smoothness of work in complex graphics calculations and when working with a smartphone in general. This is especially true due to the fact that more brands and developers are using high refresh rates.
Qualcomm has always done what was expected of it.
These are not the only changes made to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus as the processor also supports the upgraded wireless connection via the FastConnect 6900 package. This update means you get Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 instead of Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.
Everything that users and smartphone manufacturers love the Snapdragon 865 for will remain in the plus version. These will include a 144Hz refresh rate, 8K video recording capability, support for cameras up to 200MP, all-round support 5G (mmWave and sub-6GHz), and Quick Charge 4 Plus.
Already, we can name at least two smartphones that will receive the new chipset. Since it is most relevant for games, these models suggest themselves. They will be ASUS ROG Phone 3 and Lenovo Legion Gaming Phone. That is, two gaming smartphones that make no sense to release if they do not receive the most top-end hardware. Without it, they will be ordinary flagships without the usual halo of advanced technologies. It is not surprising that their release is adjusted precisely to the release of the new processor.
The iconic ROG Phone will be one of the first to feature the Snapdragon 865 Plus.
So far, only these two smartphones will definitely receive a new processor. Over time, they will most likely be joined by a couple more smartphones, but there is no need to expect widespread use. Moreover, it is very expensive, and this will lead to an increase in the price of a smartphone, which now (especially now) no one wants.
Among these “pair of smartphones” will certainly be OnePlus, which traditionally releases the T-version of its devices. There were also rumors that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Ultra will receive this chipset, but so far there are some doubts about this. However, this scenario is not entirely excluded.
When will Android 11 come out
This year Android 11 had to face several difficulties at once. First, Google was forced to postpone the launch of the test version for a whole month due to the fact that the final stage of development was carried out remotely, and then postponed it again, but this time due to protests in the United States. As a result, the first beta Android 11 came out with a delay of almost a month and a half. And if so, it was logical to assume that the update will arrive in the release with about the same delay. After all, Google cannot catch up with the deadline by reducing the beta testing program. Or can it still be?
Android 11 will be released without delay. Likely
Yesterday, Google posted a video on Android 11 on its channel, which clearly stated that the official launch of the update will take place without delay, despite the previous problems. The company announced that the beta test will last a total of 11 weeks, and the update will be released on September 8th. That is, at about the same time as all previous OS updates were released. This means that Google decided to shorten the beta testing program by more than a month in order to meet the deadlines set by itself.
Beta testing Android 11 will last 11 weeks. Very symbolic
If Google really intends to shorten the beta test and release Android 11 in early September, it could be a frustrating problem for users. After all, the essence of the program of preliminary tests of the update is, firstly, to identify all the existing shortcomings, and, secondly, to give developers time to fix them. In the case of Android 11, Google users and developers are actually deprived of a whole month, during which system bugs and vulnerabilities could have been identified and fixed.
Obviously, Google is in a hurry, because postponing the release of Android 11 can be fraught with a decrease in market share, violation of contracts with partners who are waiting for the update release, and other related problems. Another thing is that the publication of the video could well have happened by accident. Indeed, just a few hours ago, even before the release of this material, Google removed the video from its channel. Most likely, its publication was to take place a little later. But there is another version, which is that this video contains misinformation.
It is possible that Android 11 will not be released on September 8, and the video was published by accident
See for yourself. Obviously, all videos on Android 11 were prepared in advance. Perhaps even before Google decided to postpone the launch of the test version of the update. Therefore, it is possible that the company simply did not have time to make changes to the video about the actual timing of the release of the new OS version. And in order not to instill false hopes in users and partners from among the manufacturers who are waiting for Android 11, Google decided to simply delete the video and publish it later, but with changes.
However, most users should not care exactly when Android 11 will be released, because on the day of release, only the owners of Google Pixel smartphones will receive the update, and even then not all. Even the flagships Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei will be able to update only much later – approximately in October-November, because manufacturers will have to optimize updates, adjusting them to the characteristics of their devices running on the basis of proprietary firmware. other than pure Android.