Latest from Phone Arena
Phone Arena
an hour ago
- Phone Arena
Google's Pixel phones may soon borrow a trick from Samsung's Now Bar
Referential image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with the Now Bar. | Image credit — Phonearena Google might be working on its own version of Samsung's Now Bar, according to new details spotted in the latest Android 16 beta. The feature, called "Gemini Space," could be a major step forward for Google's At a Glance widget, offering more real-time information on the lock screen. As reported based on findings through a deep dive of the underlying code, traces of this new experience first appeared in last month's Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 release. A new system configuration file named "Ambient Data" was added, which appears to be the internal codename for Gemini Space. That file was found in firmware for both the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro, suggesting the feature won't be limited to the upcoming Pixel 10. Other clues point to an "Ambience Hub," though it's not clear how it will work. The name suggests a new interface for showing useful data on the lock screen or always-on display. This would align with other Google features that use 'ambient' in their name, such as ambient display or ambient AOD. More interestingly, the Android System Intelligence app — which powers the current At a Glance widget — now includes hints about sports scores and finance updates. A toggle for finance recaps was even found in the At a Glance settings, further supporting the idea that these updates could appear as part of Gemini Space. OneUI's Now Bar and Now Brief was a welcome addition when it launched with the Galaxy S25 series. | Image credit — PhoneArena All signs point to Google preparing a rebranded and upgraded version of At a Glance. If true, Gemini Space would serve a similar purpose to Samsung's Now Bar and Now Brief — the former being a live info chip on the lock screen, and the latter offering a full-page summary of your day. While some may say that At a Glance already covers this, Pixel phones don't have anything quite like the Now Brief: a dedicated, rich feed of contextual updates accessible right from the lock screen. That could change if Gemini Space and the rumored Ambience Hub roll out as expected. Whether this will be a Pixel 10 exclusive or come to older models remains to be seen, but the feature looks like a natural evolution of At a Glance — and perhaps a strategic way to keep Gemini AI front and center. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase This offer is not available in your area.
Phone Arena
2 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Update to Google Maps in selected markets adds interesting AI feature
Google Maps has pushed out an update that is meant for users of the app in Europe. When you type in your destination, Google Maps typically searches for multiple routes for the navigation option you've selected (car, walking, public transportation, etc.). However, with the addition of AI, Google Maps will check the estimated time of arrival (ETA) of other modes to your destination. If you can reach your destination faster using public transportation or by walking, you'll see those directions on the display instead of directions for driving. If a different mode of transportation is faster than driving, Google Maps will show you directions using that mode. | Image credit-PhoneArena For example, let's say that you have Google Maps set up for driving directions and the app determines that you'll reach your destination faster by taking public transportation. Google Maps will then show you those suggested routes. Not only will you arrive earlier, by taking the bus you are reducing pollution, conserving gas, and doing your part to protect and preserve natural resources. This new feature is available in 60 European cities including Stockholm, Warsaw. and Copenhagen. In Europe, cycling is huge and Google Maps is adding cycling navigation to 17 new cities with nine of them located in Europe. The app now shows 125,000 kilometers (equal to 77,671 miles) of bike lanes in cities such as Hamburg, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Zurich, Budapest, Vienna, and Brussels. Google is using data obtained from local governments and public authorities. Since Google Maps is looking to get travelers to be more judicious in their consumption of natural resources, it now offers fuel-efficient routes worldwide. Previously, this feature was available only in certain regions. When you type a destination on the app, the fuel-efficient route is listed as an alternative. Each route also shows its ETA so that you'll know how much later you'll arrive at your destination by taking the more fuel-efficient option. Fuel-efficient directions show you how much gas you'll save when using this route. | Image credit-PhoneArena Google Maps is also adding support for low-emission zones which will impact drivers in Italy, Sweden, Austria, and other locations. Google Maps will send alerts that will "check if your vehicle is allowed in these zones." You can ask the app to create an alternate route that bypasses the low-emission zones. Google Maps will support over 1,000 low-emission zones. Google Maps now supports low-emission zones and will let you know if your car can drive into this zone. | Image credit-PhoneArena Project Green Light uses AI and Google Maps driving trends to help recommend to cities how they can improve their existing traffic light cycles. Project Green Light is available in 20 cities across four continents. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase This offer is not available in your area.
Phone Arena
2 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Samsung's 2025 Galaxy Watch lineup is... interesting, but there's something missing
I absolutely hate that I even need to say this, but while color options are not particularly important (for me, at least) when it comes to new smartphones, smartwatches are an entirely different story. These are fashion items just as much as they are tech gadgets, which means that every design element can greatly matter for a prospective buyer. That includes the product's shape (which I'm actually not going to comment on today, as I'm not too bothered by the "squircle" Samsung will apparently expand to its entire Galaxy Watch family this year), key details like weight and thickness, and yes, paint jobs. The Galaxy Watch 8 is by no means what you'd call an eye-catching product. | Image Credit -- Evan Blass And while we're on the subject, why do "mainstream" rugged smartwatches have to come in a single size? That was the case for the first-gen Galaxy Watch Ultra, as well as the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2, and there's apparently a very good chance the next-gen Galaxy Watch Ultra will offer no case size diversity whatsoever. I know, I know, a smaller-than-47mm Watch Ultra might need to cut some serious battery life corners, but who says there's no market for a compact rugged timepiece with no more than a day of running times between charges, a sleeker and thinner body, and ideally, a lower price point? Besides, if Garmin can pull off multiple sizes for so many of its popular robust smartwatches, why wouldn't Samsung be able to do the same thing? Of course, the single-size Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is a big problem too, and because it follows in the footsteps of a Galaxy Watch 6 Classic available with both 43 and 47mm cases, this problem is also hard to wrap my head around. Did anyone complain about too much variety on any of Samsung's previous wearable devices? If not, what is the company thinking?! Most of you will probably not agree with me on this, but I consider the Galaxy Watch FE to be the best Samsung smartwatch available right now. The reasons are fairly simple, and it obviously helps that I'm not exactly what you'd call a smartwatch power user. But even those of you who'd never think about buying anything but the latest and greatest high-end devices have to admit that the bang for buck is mighty strong with the first-ever Galaxy Watch Fan Edition, which is why Samsung should probably strike while the iron is hot and think about releasing a new generation as soon as possible. The first-gen Galaxy Watch FE is a great product, but a sequel could obviously be even better. | Image Credit -- Samsung Now, I'm fully aware that it's against the company's traditions to unveil budget-friendly Fan Editions alongside new flagships, but traditions are made to be changed, and if the Galaxy Watch 8 can look radically different from its predecessor, why couldn't a Galaxy Watch FE (2025) see daylight in an "uncharacteristic" timeline? Just think about it - a new $200 and up intelligent timepiece based on the Galaxy Watch 6 (or even the Watch 7) instead of the Watch 4 with pretty much all the health monitoring tools you need, a reasonably powerful processor, and stellar software support. Why would you ever consider the undoubtedly pricier Galaxy Watch 8 ? Oh, yeah, I get the problem now. I admit that this is just a pipe dream of mine right now, and I'm not entirely sure that it would work, but if there's one segment where tech companies should try to slim down their products and gauge demand, that's the wearable industry and not the smartphone market. Am I the only one who feels a Galaxy Watch Edge makes more sense than the Galaxy S25 Edge? | Image Credit -- PhoneArena Can you even picture a Galaxy Watch Edge or Galaxy Watch 8 Edge with a sub-9mm waist, sub-40-gram weight, premium build materials, a big and beautiful AMOLED touchscreen, and all the latest and greatest health and fitness tracking features around? That's more or less the description of the new Garmin Venu X1, so it can (probably) be done if we put enough pressure on Samsung... and understand that battery life could be a disaster if something like this ever materializes. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase This offer is not available in your area.
Phone Arena
4 hours ago
- Phone Arena
A subtle UI tweak in Android 16 hints at Google's next big AI push
Google is quietly rolling out two notable design changes as part of Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2: a redesigned Pixel Launcher search bar and a new Gemini launch animation. Both features appear to be part of Google's ongoing effort to better integrate AI and streamline the visual experience across Android. The new Pixel Launcher search bar now looks more like the Search widget found in the Google app and Circle to Search. The previous layout, which featured a gradient "G" logo, a voice search mic, and a Google Lens shortcut, has been rearranged. These elements have been shifted to the left side of the bar, making space for a new circular AI Mode button on the right. This updated layout is housed within a pill-shaped container, giving the bar a more modern look. The new Pixel Launcher search bar. | Image credit — PhoneArena Users with Themed icons enabled will see the search bar adapt to Material You's Dynamic Color system, replacing the traditional four Google colors. However, the search bar itself remains static in functionality. In this beta, there is currently no way to remove or customize the color or transparency of the new design. It's important to note that this updated design is currently limited to users in the United States who have access to Google's Search AI Mode. Users outside the U.S. will still see the older, fuller version of the search bar, at least for now. Google is expected to bring the redesign to more regions as AI Mode becomes more widely available. In addition to the search bar changes, Google is also rolling out a new animation when launching Gemini via the power button. When users long-press the power button, the screen shrinks slightly with black borders appearing around the edges, before the Gemini overlay slides up and returns the screen to full size. This animation also brings back vibration feedback, which had been missing in some recent builds. Both the Pixel Launcher redesign and the Gemini animation are being released as server-side updates, meaning availability may vary depending on region, device, and user settings. Google has not yet shared when these changes will reach stable versions of Android. These small but noticeable updates continue to shape how Pixel users interact with AI features on their devices, suggesting more user-facing tweaks could be on the way as Android 16 continues to evolve. It's unclear if these will also show up on non-Pixel Android devices with the Google Search widget and Gemini installed, but it will interesting to see how these play with other Android skins such as OneUI. We will have to wait and see as Android 16 and Material 3 Expressive gets refined further. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase This offer is not available in your area.
Phone Arena
4 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 apparently doesn't have an under-display camera
UDC Fold 7 Galaxy Z Fold 6 Does this news hamper your excitement for the Fold 7? Yeah... Not at all! I'm still not sold on foldables Yeah... 0% Not at all! 0% I'm still not sold on foldables 0% Fold 7 Receive the latest Samsung news Subscribe By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy It's almost certain that, once under-display cameras improve, Samsung will move back to using them in its foldables. However, if you were hoping for a main display free of any spots, then the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will not be for you. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor also found in the Fold 7 will be a worthy competitor to the likes of the Oppo Find N5 and Interestingly enough, numerous reports claim that this is the year that Samsung will release its long-rumored budget foldable as well: the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. I do find it funny that Samsung is moving away from under-display cameras when Apple — its main competitor in the States — is doing the opposite. The iPhone 20 in 2027 is expected to feature a screen without any punch holes or notches. In preparation for that, the iPhone 18 will have a punch hole , and the Face ID will be housed under the almost certain that, once under-display cameras improve, Samsung will move back to using them in its foldables. However, if you were hoping for a main display free of any spots, then thewill not be for by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor also found in the Galaxy S25 series, thewill be a worthy competitor to the likes of the Oppo Find N5 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold . The Galaxy Z Flip 7 , on the other hand, will likely be powered by Samsung's own Exynos 2500 in certain enough, numerous reports claim that this is the year that Samsung will release its long-rumored budget foldable as well: theFE. While the Fold 6 had a punch hole camera on the external display for better photos, Samsung apparently wasn't satisfied. So now, in addition to the crease, there will be another distraction on the main display. Nevertheless, this should at least make for a better camera feed when using the phone unfolded for a video call or something also larger than its predecessor, so you're ultimately gaining more screen real estate than the amount lost to the punch hole camera.
