The rumors of direct iPhone contactless payments were true. Apple has revealed Tap to Pay on iPhone, an upcoming feature that will let businesses accept payments just by bumping handsets (and the Apple Watch). Stores won't need dongles, terminals or other hardware to take your money.
The technology requires an iPhone XS or later and unsurprisingly supports Apple Pay, but it will also work with other digital wallets, third-party payment platforms and contact-free credit and debit cards. Stripe is already planning to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to business customers, including Shopify's Point of Sale app, in the spring. Other platforms and apps are coming later in 2022, Apple said, with a future iOS beta giving developers their first chance to implement Tap to Pay.
The tech will initially be available in the US, but it will work with common payment cards from American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa. American Apple Stores will support Tap to Pay on iPhone later in the year.
Apple is promising the same levels of privacy and security you normally get with its tap-to-pay functionality, including encrypted transactions. The company doesn't know who's making a purchase or what you're buying.
This isn't a surprising move. Apple bought Mobeewave in 2020 with a not-so-subtle hint it would use the Canadian startup to turn iPhones into payment terminals. This also furthers Apple's ever-growing payments strategy which also includes Apple Pay, Apple Pay Cash and Apple Card. It's also a potential blow against Android — in theory, shops that embrace an iPhone-based payment system will be slightly less convenient for Android-toting customers.
It's safe to presume this will pose trouble for companies that have thrived on phone-based payment hardware, like Block's Square brand. While these firms frequently rely more on their services for income than devices, they may have to support Apple's new feature in their apps to remain competitive.
Along with the other Amazon devices we saw go on sale yesterday, the company's entire Fire tablet lineup has been discounted. Fire tablets are already pretty affordable, but if you're looking for a new tablet for your kid or an inexpensive couch device, it's best to wait for a sale like this one when they're up to 50 percent off. Of note are the Fire HD 8, which is half off and down to $45, the Fire HD 10, which is 27 percent off and down to $110, and the entire lineup of Kids Pro tablets.
If you're unsure which Fire tablet to get, we'd recommend the Fire HD 8 or the Fire HD 10 to most people. We gave the Fire HD 8 a score of 81 when it first came out for its refined design, decent performance, USB-C port for charging and its long battery life. It makes a good all-purpose device if you find that your phone screen is too small for your liking when you want to do things like shop online, check email and even watch a video. It could also make a solid, full-color e-reader for those that read manga and graphic novels digitally. The biggest caveat, which applies to all Fire tablets, is that while they are Android based, they do not have native access to Google's Play Store. That means you're stuck using Amazon's copycat apps for things like Gmail, Chrome and others.
The Fire HD 10 takes everything about the HD 8 up a notch. It has an octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, a 5MP rear camera and a 10.1-inch 1080p display. It'll be worth the upgrade if you want the best performance possible in a Fire tablet, or the HD 8's smaller screen just isn't big enough for you.
You could snag a standard Fire tablet for your kids to avoid giving them your most expensive slab to play with, but Amazon's Fire Kids Pro tablets offer some added benefits. In addition to all of the features you'll find on the regular slabs, the Kids Pro bundles come with a two-year warranty, a protective case, added parental controls and one year of Amazon Kids+. The latter is the company's subscription service that gives your kids access to age-appropriate books, shows, movies and more. The service will renew at $3 per month after your free year though, so just keep that in mind as you approach the end date. Both the 7- and 8-inch Fire Kids Pro tablets are half off right now and the 10-inch model is 30 percent off and down to $140.
Korg jump-started the craze for affordable, portable synths when it launched the Volca series in 2013. Major players like Roland got in on the action. As did more niche companies like Critter and Guitari and Modal Electronics. But 1010 Music might deserve credit for cramming the most raw power into the smallest possible package.
The company is launching a new line of candy-colored Nanobox instruments, starting with Fireball (a wavetable synthesizer) and Lemondrop (a granular synth). These are impossibly tiny, full-fledged synthesizers with a level of depth that dwarfs any Pocket Operator. But they’re not cheap, either. While they were never going to reach impulse-purchase territory, current supply chain issues mean the Fireball and Lemondrop are coming in at a somewhat pricey $399. For context, that’s more than twice what most Volcas cost. The thing is, though, after about 10 minutes with 1010 Music’s latest instruments, it becomes clear that they’re not competing with the Volcas, and might not have any direct competitors at all.
Before digging into the software side of things, let’s talk hardware. The Fireball and Lemondrop are just palette-swapped versions of each other: one a rich red, the other a yellow that might be visible from space. (I’m sure you can figure out which is which.) They’re fun looking in a way that few other synths are, regardless of size.
On the front there’s a two-inch touch screen, two knobs and four physical keys. Mastering the buttons, and how exactly they interact with the UI, takes a little practice. But once you figure out the logic behind the menu system it’s not too difficult to get around. Each section (oscillators, home, etcetera) has layers, and each layer has pages, which you navigate with the arrow buttons.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
Around back is a USB-C jack for power (sadly, no MIDI over USB); ⅛-inch audio ins and outs; as well as TRS MIDI in and out anda microSD card slot. The synths come with a 32GB card installed, with over 100 sound sources and presets. If you want to load your own wavetables or sound files for processing with Lemondrop’s granulator, this is where you’ll need to copy them. But remember, since the Nanoboxes only use USB for power, you’ll have to actually take the card out, put it in a computer and copy the files over, before putting it back in the instrument.
The most distinctive thing about them physically, however, is their size. At 3.75 inches wide, 3 inches tall, and 1.5 inches thick, you can easily toss one (or both) of these in a bag or a large pocket. Even though I knew the dimensions beforehand, I was still shocked by just how tiny they were when I took them out of their boxes. And you’d be forgiven for immediately feeling skeptical of them. How can you possibly make music on something this small? And why would you want to? The answer to the first question is actually surprisingly straightforward. The second is a bit more complicated.
Let’s start with the easy bit. Despite the tiny size of the screens, both Lemondrop and Fireball are more than usable. Would it have been nice if they were a bit bigger? Sure. But they’re big enough to give you most of the important information at a quick glance: the movement of LFOs, envelopes, grains and changing waveshapes. The two knobs to the right of the screen are assignable macros when used from the main display screens. Twisting these can give you quick control over complex sets of parameters, or just change the filter cutoff. It’s up to you.
Those macros can also be controlled using the touchscreen when it's in X/Y mode. Frankly, for something of this size, it’s basically the ideal way to interact with it. It’s immensely satisfying and easy to dramatically alter the sound of a patch simply by sliding your finger around the screen. When you’re in this mode the two knobs change the default point of the macros on the X/Y axis, so you can push it all the way to the bottom left of the screen, then tap the top right to create intense rhythmic pulses.
Pairing X/Y mode with an external MIDI controller gives you a surprisingly hands-on instrument. But, if you want to just play the devices themselves, you can. There’s a grid mode where you can tap out notes, and you can lock it to a scale to avoid making too many mistakes. Now, this isn’t exactly the easiest or most enjoyable way to play a synth, but it gets the job done. I’ve found it particularly useful for sampling notes and chords from the Fireball to my PO-33, or playing a drone on the Lemondrop (using the hold function) and using the X/Y to create evolving soundscapes.
The biggest knock against the Nanoboxes on the hardware front is the lack of battery power. Yes, USB batteries are nearly ubiquitous at this point, but it would be great to have the option of powering them with a couple of AAs. Between audio, MIDI and power, there’s an awful lot of cables coming out of the back of what is ostensibly something portable.
Software
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
The two instruments share a lot in common under the hood as well. The UI is largely the same. They both have a pair of primary sound sources (two wavetable oscillators or two granulators), plus a third simple oscillator that can help thicken up a sound using saw, square, triangle or sine waves. They both have two envelopes, two LFOs and a modulation sequencer, plus two morphable filters (low pass, high pass, bandpass and notch) that can be routed in series or parallel. Lastly, they both have two effects slots, one for modulation (chorus, flanger / distortion, or phaser) and one for time (delay or reverb).
This means basically that every pro for the Lemondrop also applies to the Fireball (with one notable exception we’ll get to later), and every con for the Fireball also applies to the Lemondrop. For example, while the effects are solid, and having pingpong delay on board is a welcome touch, they’re not going to win any awards. I will say that the reverb is truly excellent, though. Cranking it to full gets you some lovely, slightly unnatural ambience. And, when combined with the distortion, it results in some gorgeous digital howls that are perfect for scoring the surrealist ending of an arthouse horror film.
The two envelopes and LFOs are extremely useful for shaping your sound. They can create motion or manipulate the oscillators to constantly shift the tone. And many parameters can have up to three modulation sources for serious unpredictability. But not everything can be a modulation destination. Oddly, too, some destinations can only use a specific set of modulation sources. So if you wanted to use the LFO 2 to modulate the rate of the flanger – tough.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
Similarly, the modulation sequencer is great for creating complex patterns, but it can only be used with a few different destinations. Thankfully, one of those destinations is oscillator pitch, and it can be quantized. That gives you access to a rudimentary sequencer, or makeshift arpeggiator without the need for additional gear. You can even use the sequencer to control just a single oscillator, giving you a note pattern played against a bass note.
I also can’t help but wish there was a centralized UI for controlling the modulation routing. Right now, if you want to see what macro X is controlling you have to dig through all the parameters one by one and go into the modulation submenu for it, and just kinda keep track as you go.
In general, designing patches requires a decent amount of menu diving. That’s not surprising given the size of the instruments. And credit to 1010music for designing an interface that never feels too cumbersome. That said, I do occasionally find myself forgetting where particular options are located.
Sound
Ultimately, the only real difference between the two is the sound engine. But it is a big difference.
The Fireball is very much a bread-and-butter wavetable synth. It comes with 103 wavetables and 123 presets covering everything from growly ‘90s bass tones to crystalline pads. But you can easily load your own wavetables if you have them. (The Fireball uses the same format as Serum – 2048 samples per cycle and 256 cycles – so finding wavetables should be pretty simple.)
The Fireball has eight note polyphony, which should be more than enough for most people. And the unison mode, with detune, is great for bulking up monophonic patches.
You can try to get something vaguely analog sounding out of it by using the right wavetables, and adding some drift with the modulation sources. But the 96kHz oscillators really are best at bright, clear digital tones. Which is fine, since the ‘90s are back in style, apparently. (See: the resurgence of Doc Martins and JNCOs.)
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
The Lemondrop, on the other hand, is something different. It, too, is obviously digital sounding. But it uses granular synthesis instead of wavetables. That means that it can take any sound file (up to 30 seconds in this instance), chop it up into tiny bits (or grains) and spit it back out. Those files can be literally anything you want: drum loops, synth pads, bird chips or the clanking of industrial machinery. There is only four-note polyphony here, but considering the complexity of the sound source, that’s more than enough. There are 16 grains per oscillator, and playing eight notes of jungle ambience simultaneously will only result in chaos.
What exactly each patch will sound like will depend largely on the audio source, but granular synth is pretty distinctive. Unsurprisingly, Lemondrop is exceptionally good at otherworldly soundscapes, atonal drones and oddball pads. While you find plenty of those among the 311 WAV files and 153 presets preloaded on the SD card, there are more traditional synth tones as well. By the way, you can, with the right settings and source material, create percussive loops that knock pretty hard when the granulators are beat-synced.
Granular synthesis isn’t new. But, dedicated hardware granular synths are few and far between. And often quite expensive. It’s far more common to find granular engines in Eurorack gear or as software. So that puts the Lemondrop in a fairly unique position as one of the only dedicated, standalone granular synths for under $500. Bastl’s microGranny is only $200, but its version of granular is far more limited, and it’s more of a lofi sampler than a proper synth. (That said, it is an awesome lofi sampler.
Both the Lemondrop and the Fireball also have external audio in jacks. You can feed other instruments through their built-in effects and use the X/Y pad to manipulate them in real time, just like with a Korg Kaoss Pad. This gives them both performance value beyond simply synthesizers. But, here again, the Lemondrop really differentiates itself from its sibling.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
The granulators can use live incoming audio as their source material. That means you could process live vocals, or a guitar, or another synth in real time, breaking it up into little grains and mutating it with the X/Y pad. A particularly neat trick here is feeding a monophonic synth into the Lemondrop, and instantly turning it into a four-note polyphonic one.
Wrap-up
The Fireball and Lemondrop are undeniably fascinating devices based entirely on their form factor. If space is the most important thing to you – whether that’s because your synth dungeon is the size of an airplane bathroom or because you’re trying to cram as much synth power as possible into a briefcase – there is obvious appeal here. These are among the smallest full-fledged synths you can get. And they offer a lot more power and flexibility than your average Volca.
There are obvious trade-offs, though. The lack of hands-on controls might deter some people. Sure, you can map an external MIDI controller to all the parameters, but that negates some of the portability. The lack of battery power also feels like a missed opportunity. Being able to throw one of the Nanoboxes in my bag with a couple of AAs and my PO-33 feels like it would be an almost unbeatable on-the-go setup.
Lastly, there’s price. $399 isn’t absurd considering the quality of the engines and the decent sound design tools. But, there is a lot of competition in the sub-$500 market. Modal’s Craft and Skulpt synths are tiny, dirt-cheap digital behemoths. To be fair, though, their interfaces are infuriating. And if portability isn’t a concern, there’s always the $349 MicroFreak, which requires almost no menu diving and is far more flexible than either Nanobox.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
But, what none of those synths offer, is granular processing. So, while the Fireball is a good synth that faces some steep competition, the Lemondrop is ultimately peerless. The GR-1 is one of the few dedicated granular synths out there. It’s a large, reasonably high-end unit that costs €849.00. An arguably better option, at that point would be an Organelle, which has a number of granular patches available for it and is a few hundred dollars cheaper.
Both the Fireball and Lemondrop are impressive feats in engineering and sound great. But of the two, it’s the Lemondrop that makes an obvious case for space in your backpack or studio.
On February 9th, the day of its next Unpacked event, Samsung is also rolling out an update that enhances some of the Galaxy Watch 4's and Watch 4 Classic's health and wellness features. While the watches have long been able to perform body composition scans, the update adds insights about those results powered by Chris Hemsworth's app Centr. Their partnership gives Watch 4 owners access to a 30-day free trial to the app, which typically only lasts for seven days.
Samsung is launching a new interval target feature for runners and cyclists that gives them a way to pre-set the duration and distance they want to cover or the number of sets for their workout, as well. After they input those details, Watch 4 will be able to create a custom training session for them that alternates high-intensity with low-intensity workouts.
Finally, Samsung is rolling out a new sleep coaching program with the update that will assign users with one of the eight sleep symbol animals representing their sleep type. The program determines their sleep animal by tracking their sleep pattern over seven days and asking them to complete two surveys. It will then guide them through a four-to-five week coaching program with missions, checklists and regular reports to help them improve their sleep quality. To help users get better sleep, going forward, Samsung will also automatically switch off SmartThings-enabled lights once Watch 4 determines that the user is asleep.
In addition to these health and wellness upgrades, the company is releasing new watch face colors, digital watch faces and band colors, including burgundy and cream. Samsung has also revealed that a future update will allow users to stream YouTube Music over WiFi or LTE on their Watch 4 and that Google Assistant will be available on the devices in the coming months.
I love it when fashion houses and technology collide. It’s often a complete disaster. I’ve played, reviewed and stared incredulously at a few of them, but, oh boy, Louis Vuitton loves to test the limits.
Its new Tambour smartwatch has a lot of what you’d expect: a $3,500 price tag for the most well-heeled smartwatch shoppers, LV livery everywhere, leather strap options and a divisive design that seems intentionally not for everyone.
Engadget
However, the watch, running on its own OS, is surprisingly competent. There are different power-saving modes, you can send notifications to your iOS or Android phone, with apps for weather and calendar functions all built-in. There are even Louis Vuitton travel guides, which are accessible for any trips you register on the watch.
It’s not for everyone, sure, but for the ‘someone’ that wants a glowing LV-emblazoned wrist, according to Reviews Editor Cherlynn Low, it’s functional as well as fashion.
Google might be on the 12th generation of its mobile OS, but it felt like Android left tablets behind years ago. (Google gave up making its own tablets.) But with Android 12L, Google is trying to address some of the OS’ shortcomings while paving the way for emerging types of gadgets, like foldables. The major upgrades focus on a new taskbar and multitask interface, which makes sense. Sam Rutherford tests it out.
Tobii says it's in talks to provide its eye-tracking technology for the next-gen VR headset. It noted the discussions were "ongoing" and that it couldn't share the potential financial impact of the deal. Sony previously confirmed the PlayStation VR2 would use eye tracking, but it didn't name a tech supplier or explain in detail how the feature would work. It suggests the VR hardware might be a ways off.
Hulu has dropped the first trailer for The Dropout, a miniseries about the failed blood-testing startup Theranos. The best part of the two-and-a-half-minute preview might be Holmes developing her (iconic? infamous?) deep voice.
The decision comes hours after mounting political pressure.
The Internal Revenue Service has told Senator Ron Wyden it plans to back away from using facial recognition for verification purposes. Wyden said the transition would "take time.” Under the plan, the IRS would have used ID.me’s technology to authenticate users hoping to file taxes online or otherwise use the IRS' internet services.
The approach was intended as a fraud prevention tool, but it encountered opposition from Republican senators, House Democrats and civil liberties groups. Worries included security concerns, the degree of privacy of uploading sensitive data, historical biases in facial recognition, the inaccessibility to people without broadband and a general lack of accountability.
Just ahead of Samsung's Unpacked event set for tomorrow, a press release for Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 lineup has been revealed by leakmeister Evan Blass, The Verge has reported. It confirms many key specs from earlier leaks, including the existence of an "Ultra model," the screen sizes, charging capacity and more.
Samsung will have three models in the lineup, including the 11-inch Galaxy Tab S8, 12.4-inch S8 Plus and big 14.6-inch S8 Ultra. The latter will feature 2,960 x 1,848 resolution with a notch to accommodate the front-facing camera. The other two models will come with 2,560 x 1,600 and 2,800 x 1,752 screens, respectively.
Other features include support for fast WiFi 6E (with optional 5G), 45-watt fast charging, and a new S Pen Stylus. All models offer a 13-megapixel + 6-megapixel ultrawide rear camera setup, with a 12-megapixel ultra front camera. The Ultra model, however, has a second front-facing 12-megapixel wide camera, hence the aforementioned notch. Samsung may also offer an optional keyboard cover.
The Galaxy Tab S8 lineup will arrive on February 25th in select markets including the US, Europe and Korea, according to the press release. Pre-orders will open in those markets on February 9th at 10AM ET.
Tinder says it will no longer charge older users more to use Tinder+, following a new report questioning the dating app’s practice of charging older users “substantially more.”
The report, from Mozilla and Consumers International, detailed just how much Tinder+ pricing can vary based on users’ age. The report relied on “mystery shoppers” in six countries — the United States, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Korea, India and Brazil — who signed up for Tinder+ and reported back how much the app charged for the subscription. According to the report, Tinder users between the ages of 30 and 49 were charged an average of 65.3 percent more than their younger counterparts in every country except Brazil.
Tinder’s age-based pricing for Tinder, which gives users access to premium features like unlimited likes, has long been a source of controversy for the dating app. When it launched, the company said it charged older users more because younger people were more “budget constrained.” Since then, the dating app has been hit with at least one class action lawsuit over the practice.
But though Tinder had pledged to end the practice in some areas, like California where the class action suit originated, the company continued to offer different rates in many countries. The latest report from Consumers International highlights just how much the dating app’s subscription pricing could vary. In New Zealand, where the mystery shoppers were quoted a total of25 different prices, the lowest quoted price was $4.95, while the highest was $24.54, according to the report. In the Netherlands, there were 31 different prices, with the lowest at $4.45 and the highest at $25.95.
Now, Tinder says it plans to abandon its age-based pricing altogether. In a blog post published Sunday, Tinder said younger users were offered subscriptions at different rates in order to “make Tinder affordable for those in school or early in their careers.” The company said it ended the practice in the US, Australia and UK, and that it plans on “eliminating age based pricing for all of our members in all markets by the end of Q2 this year.” The company says it never used other personal or demographic info to determine rates.
In a statement, a Tinder spokesperson said the report from Consumers International was “deeply flawed and contains completely false and outrageous allegations,” but didn’t specify what those were. The spokesperson added that the company’s internal pricing tests could have “impacted the findings,” and noted that prices are “typically” lower on Tinder’s website than in App Stores due to Apple and Google’s commission structure.
Going forward, Tinder says it plans to offer more “a la carte” features, rather than pricier subscriptions that bundle multiple capabilities. The app also recently introduced “coins” to allow users to make one-off in-app purchases.
Don't expect to receive more updates for your Pixel 3. Esper's Mishaal Rahman has learned Google is delivering one last security update to the Pixel 3 and 3 XL. The company previously said the Pixel 3 would get one last update in the first quarter of 2022, and confirmed to Engadget this represents the device's last hurrah.
It's not certain what the patch fixes. However, DarkPlayer noted the build ID matches that for an October patch that targeted newer Pixel models on Verizon. This is a catch-up release rather than an up-to-the-moment patch.
You can expect more if you have a recent Pixel, at least. Google has posted a February 2022 update for the Pixel 3a and newer phones. The revision tackles several significant problems, including reboots during camera use, Bluetooth audio disconnection and quality problems, carrier-specific connection woes and keyboards that override input text in some cases.
This won't thrill you if you're fond of the Pixel 3 — you'll have to upgrade if you want up-to-the-minute security fixes. Don't fret if you have a Pixel 6, though. Google has promised five years of security updates for its latest phone line, so you might not have to worry about patches until 2026.
The Pixel 3 and 3 XL are getting what's presumably their final updatehttps://t.co/YkzqbwvrTE
Not sure what's included in the update. Has anyone gotten the update on their Pixel 3 or 3 XL yet?
Despite Google being on the twelfth generation of its ubiquitous mobile OS, recently it’s felt like Android has left tablets behind. Hell, even Google gave up making its own tablets years ago, while some other device makers began favoring Chrome OS over Android on larger gaadgets. But with Android 12L, Google is trying to address some of the OS’s shortcomings while also paving the way for emerging types of gadgets like foldables.
Why Android 12L?
In contrast to Google’s typical once-a-year release cadence, Android 12L is a timely callback to older versions of Android that got one (or more) mid-cycle updates. One big advantage of Android 12L is that because Google doesn’t have to worry about including larger overarching changes as it does with its big yearly update, the company can be more targeted about what kind of features should (or should not) be included.
Who is it for?
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Google says Android 12L is a special update primarily meant to support larger-screen devices, though all the new features will still make their way into Android as a whole. Currently, Android 12L can be installed on a range of Pixel phones (the Pixel 3 and up, but not the Pixel 6 or 6 Pro yet), Google’s Android Emulator, and critically, Lenovo’s P12 Pro tablet–which is the only tablet and third-party device that’s been officially approved to run Android 12L so far. (It’s also the main device I’ve been using to test 12L.)
When will Android 12L be ready for release?
Google
Right now, Google is mid-way through its testing and development cycle. Android 12L has already gotten two beta releases to date (depending on the device), with a third beta planned for sometime later this month prior to an eventual release sometime by the end of Q1 2022 (which ends in March).
The big changes in Android 12L
A new taskbar and improved multitasking
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
The most important addition in Android 12L is the new taskbar. Similar to taskbars on desktop OSes, Android 12L’s taskbar sits at the bottom of the screen and holds a selection of apps for easy access (though I should note that on smaller devices like phones, the taskbar may not be there by default).
Unlike many Android launchers, the taskbar is pinned in place, so it’ll always be there unless you’re playing a fullscreen video or game. That said, you can make it disappear when you want by pressing and holding. But where things get really interesting is that you can also open up apps directly into split-screen mode simply by dragging the app icon up from the taskbar into the middle of your screen. From there, you can easily adjust the size of the app’s window however you want.
Google
This far into Android’s development cycle, the addition of a taskbar and the ability to drag and drop apps into split-screen mode is as close to a “game-changer” as we’re going to get. It makes the process of multitasking so much faster and easier—particularly for larger devices like tablets and smartphones which often feel like they have more screen real estate than they can actually utilize.
That said, there are some important limitations because unlike Samsung’s One UI, there isn’t an easy way to open up three apps in split-screen at the same time or create permanent app pairs. But even more than that, the taskbar maxes out at five apps, which feels a bit limited. I mean just look at all the extra room on the left and right where more apps could go. I’m really hoping that for the final build, Google increases the number of apps that can live down there, especially when existing foldables like the Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold3 have a similar taskbar that supports up to eight icons (plus a launcher) with ease.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
For people who like to watch videos, Google recently added a new split-screen icon to the second Android 12L beta’s picture-in-picture mode, so you can more easily go from the mini player to multitasking with just a couple taps.
UI improvements
The other big area of improvement in Android 12L are changes to the OS’s UI for larger screens. So instead of the single-column notification tray we’re used to seeing on phones, Android 12L features a two-column layout that puts notifications on the right alongside your usual quick settings icons on the left. It’s a straightforward change, but it really does make the extra display area on bigger devices feel more worthwhile. And it’s a similar situation for the Settings menu, though once again I should point out that Samsung’s OneUI has had this for some time on larger foldables. Sadly on the P12 Pro, I noticed that the two-column notification layout only works in landscape mode, which hopefully Google can address in a future update.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Another clever quality-of-life update is the ability for Android 12L to move the PIN or pattern-entry menu on a device’s lock screen to left or right, based on where you most recently touched the screen. It makes getting into your device just a bit faster and easier. Though once again, Google still needs to tweak things a bit. On the P12 Pro, the field showing your pin appears at the top of the screen, which looks a bit awkward (and also quite hilarious) in portrait mode. Google also updated the Recent Apps screen with a new layout that retains the existing card-based system while better utilizing the space on the sides of your display.
Finally, while it’s not available on the P12 Pro just yet, Google also added a new “double line” clock option to the lock screen. So instead of getting a giant clock smack dab in the middle of your display, you can choose a more compact timepiece that’s tucked up in the top left corner.
Even more under-the-hood big screen optimizations
Elsewhere, Android 12L has even more subtle enhancements designed to make apps look better on bigger screens, even if those apps haven’t been updated in a while. For apps that haven’t been already optimized by their developers, Google upgraded Android 12L’s compatibility mode to make apps automatically look and respond better across various screen resolutions and orientations. And for apps that don’t take up the entire screen, Google added new letterboxing options including new overlays and background settings. There’s even a new tool to apply rounded corners to app windows, though as you can see by the squared-off apps from our Android 12L test device, it’s up to device makers to implement them as they see fit.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
In the future, Google will also add ratings to Play Store to help point out which apps have been optimized for large screen devices and support things like adaptive layouts and scaling options, which is especially important for foldables that can switch between various screen resolutions and aspect ratios on the fly.
Then there are more niche changes like updated M3 buttons (the ones that look like little pills) that should help call attention to important permissions, some new animations (like the one for power in quick settings) and more intuitive labels for important multitasking functions (like renaming “pin to top” to “split top”).
What Android 12L means for future devices
Google has been very clear thus far saying Android 12L is intended to support “the next wave of Android 12 tablets, Chromebooks and foldables.” So while you may see some improvements on phones, Android 12L is really setting the table for the next batch of big-screen mobile devices. However, if we’re reading between the lines, perhaps the bigger takeaway is that Android 12L could herald the arrival of the long-rumored Pixel Fold or possibly the return of a first-party Google tablet. Google hasn’t done a mid-cycle Android update since Android 8.1 in late 2017, which suggests Google might have some upcoming hardware designed to really showcase all the new features in Android 12L.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
But has it worked? Compared to vanilla Android 12, the new taskbar in Android 12L makes an immediate impact on how you use and multitask on a tablet or other big screen device. With so many people working and learning from home, the days when a tablet could be a simple video watching or social media machine are over, and with Android 12L is Google acknowledging that shift.
However, it isn’t a clear win, because when compared to Chrome OS which already has a dedicated taskbar and the ability to run Android apps, Chrome OS-based devices often feel like they’re better suited to handle everyday productivity or education needs, particularly on gadgets with built-in or optional keyboards. But for mobile-first hybrid devices like foldables, Android 12L makes a lot of sense, even if many of these new features are already available in other variations of Android like One UI.
Sony might not have locked down PlayStation VR2 specifications despite providing some details at CES 2022. Tobii says it's in talks to provide eye tracking technology for the next-gen VR headset. It noted the discussions were "ongoing" and that it couldn't share the potential financial impact of the deal. The firm is required to divulge the negotiations to honor EU market regulations.
We've asked Sony for comment. The company previously confirmed the PlayStation VR2 would use eye tracking, but didn't name a tech supplier or explain in detail how the feature would work. The headset will also use camera-based "inside-out" tracking to detect head and controller movement.
The revelation suggests PlayStation VR2 might not arrive for a while. Game console makers typically need to solidify hardware specs well in advance, both for the sake of manufacturing and to give developers time to produce games optimized for new devices. If Sony still hasn't chosen a provider for a key feature like eye tracking, a launch is still a long ways off.
Not that this would be a complete surprise. Sony first teased PlayStation VR2 in early 2021, and warned there was "a lot" of work left on the project. The electronics firm ruled out any release that year, and still hasn't given a general timeframe for the wearable's debut. Tobii's claim might just temper expectations for PlayStation 5 owners eager to try Sony's latest take on VR.
