The Weekly Authority: Pick up a Pixel!

By Justin Jones Last updated Oct 17, 2022

Welcome to The Weekly Authority, a newsletter from Android Authority that summarises the most important Android and tech news from the past week. Here is the 215th edition, with news about the Google Pixel event, S23 battery leaks, CD Projekt Red’s new projects, and a robot-plant-machete hybrid (keep reading, and it will all make sense).

This weekend, my friends and I will watch scary movies together to get ready for Halloween. We’ll be watching Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, a new scary movie on The Weekly Authority Netflix based on the same-named Stephen King short story.

Table of Contents

Popular news this week

Google:

Thursday was the day of Google’s Pixel event: The Pixel 7 series is an incremental upgrade. The Pixel 7 has a 90Hz OLED screen and a 50MP+12MP camera system on the back, just like the Pixel 6, and the Pixel 7 Pro has a 120Hz QHD+ OLED screen and a triple camera system on the back, just like the Pixel 6 Pro. The charging speeds for both wired and wireless charging and the IP68 rating are the same as last year. The new Tensor G2 processor adds machine learning to features like Photo Unblur and faster Night Sight. The Pixel 7 Pro also adds Face Unlock, which uses the camera to recognize you.
In case you were wondering, these are the countries where you can buy the Pixel 7 series. Some new countries have been added to the list.
We also saw the Pixel Watch, which had Wear OS 3.5, Fitbit integration, a sleek The Weekly Authority, a circular design with an OLED display, and health-related features like a heart-rate sensor, sleep tracking, and ECG capabilities. But the Wi-Fi-only model costs $350, and its much older processor and smaller battery make it seem like a bad deal.
Also, the companion app for the Pixel Watch is now available on the Play Store.
Plus, we got a look at the Pixel Tablet. When docked, it works like a Google Nest Hub and is powered by the Google Tensor G2. But there isn’t a firm release date beyond 2023 yet, and we don’t know how much it will cost either.
More Pixel event news: Google has announced that Android 13 will have a new privacy and security hub.
And Google Nest Wifi Pro said the following: Some things were added and others were taken away.
Samsung sells more phones in a year than Google does in its entire history, it’s said that Google wants to double the number of Pixel phones it sells by 2023. It’s also said to be working on a cheaper Pixel phone that will come out “early” in 2023.
Google starts to send out its Lock Screen widgets for iOS 16.
Google also made a lot of changes to the Home app. You’ll be able to try it out soon.
Also, all Wear OS 3 smartwatches can now use Google Home.

Samsung:

Galaxy S23 Plus and S23 Ultra battery information get out: Here’s some good news from The Weekly Authority.
More Galaxy flagships will be able to use the Expert RAW app from Samsung. Is yours one of these?
Samsung explains how it plans to make 1.4nm chips in large quantities by 2027.

OnePlus:

This new smartwatch from OnePlus is cheap, but it doesn’t skimp on features. It can track your heart rate, SpO2, and sleep, among other things.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 leaks: What to expect from this competitor to the Galaxy Buds Pro? It looks like, for the most part, a change will come in small steps.

Xiaomi:

Xiaomi has announced the Xiaomi 12T Pro, which is its first 200MP phone.
The Xiaomi Mi Band with built-in GPS and a large screen is the most impressive one yet. It is being sold all over the world.

Nothing:

Nothing reveals the launch date of the Ear Stick.

Apple:

Apple no longer activates its own SIM cards for iPads with cellular data. If you want to get online without Wi-Fi, you’ll need to use an eSIM or a carrier card.
Apple could add an important new feature to the original AirPods Pro. It looks like Adaptive Transparency could be coming your way.
After the EU votes for USB-C, Apple will have to switch to a new charger.
Also, the man who made the iPod is now criticizing iPhones for not having USB-C.

Social media:

The Chinese social network Douyin plans to open a live shopping TikTok shop later this year. This will allow people in the US to do live shopping during the holiday season.
This time, Elon Musk is buying Twitter for real, for sure.
In Twitter v. Elon Musk, the judge has put off the trial until October 28 while the two sides try to reach a deal.

Space:

NASA said that the launch of Artemis will not happen until at least the middle of November.
With the orbital launch, Firefly is already ahead in the race to be the first 1-ton rocket.
And Crew Dragon takes off without a hitch, carrying the first Russian to leave the United States in 20 years.

Elsewhere:

USB-C cables and connectors will finally be easy to understand because their names will change to reflect how fast they transfer data.
In the meantime, the EU has made USB-C a requirement for smartphones, but here’s what comes next.
Every day, there is a new security breach: After someone broke into 2K’s help desk, users were told that their information had been stolen.
And hackers give out 500GB of data that was stolen in a ransomware attack on the LA school district.
Boston Dynamics says it won’t make robots that are used for war: In an open letter, the company and other big names in the industry promised not to use their platforms as weapons.
The first electric van made by UK startup Arrival was made in a unique “microfactory.” The company is reportedly in talks to raise money to build and sell EVs in the US.
Amazon Glow no longer exists: Amazon is getting rid of the interactive video-calling device, which has only been on the market for about six months.
Also, it looks like Amazon’s Scout robot has made its last delivery: Since 2019, the robot had been put through tests, but “parts of the program weren’t meeting customers’ needs.”
Shen the T.-Rex will be the first Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton to be sold at auction. It is expected to sell for up to $25 million.
In the world of science, a new trial has found the first drug that can slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients. However, more information is needed to know how helpful this treatment will be for patients.

Movies/TV:

The horror flick Smile made $22 million in its first weekend, which was good for Paramount. If you’re brave enough, you can watch the trailer.
While we’re talking about scary things, here are the best horror shows to stream for Halloween and the best new Halloween shows and movies to stream.
YouTube might think about making 4K videos only available to people who pay for its Premium service.
The price of Hulu is going up next week: On October 10, the streaming service will raise its prices by $1 per month for plans with ads and $2 per month for plans without ads.
Something a little less scary (or maybe not): The Super Mario Bros. movie trailer is now out, and fans don’t seem to like Chris Pratt’s voice for Mario.
We also have our picks for the best new streaming movies this week, like the mystery film Luckiest Girl Alive and Lena Dunham’s Catherine Called Birdy.
Last but not least, we saw another trailer for Slumberland, a fantasy adventure coming to Netflix on November 18. It features a colorful Jason Momoa with horns and a top hat.

Gaming:

Cozy management sim This month, Spiritfarer and Nailed It! Baking Bash is added to Netflix Games. You can play both games through the Netflix app on Android and iOS. If you want more games to play on your phone, check out our list of the best Android games.
Steam Next Fest started on Monday and will run until The Weekly Authority October 10 with free demos for hundreds of PC games.
And you can finally order a Steam Deck without making a reservation. You can also buy an official dock for $89.
PlayStation Stars, Sony’s new loyalty program, started in the US on Wednesday.
Here’s how to get your money back from Stadia before it’s too late.
A remaster of Horizon: Zero Dawn for PlayStation 5 is rumored to be in the works: It’s not clear yet if this will be a remake from scratch, but it will have new character models, “overhauled textures,” and better lighting and animations.
The increased production plan for PSVR2 is a big bet for Sony: The company plans to have two million PSVR2 headsets ready for sale by March 2023. The first PSVR to sell that many units in over a year.
There seems to be a jailbreak for the PS5, but it only works for old firmware. This could be the start of jailbreaking on the console, though.
CD Projekt Red showed off a lot of new projects it is working on, including the next Cyberpunk game, which is called “Orion” and has a code name.
The £70 ($70) console price for the Dead Space remake makes people look twice: If you buy the game on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, it will cost you $70 instead of £50 ($60), even though it is a remake and not a completely new game.

Reviews

Review of the Apple Watch Series 8: Fast and steady — “Apple’s top wearable doesn’t completely shut out its Android competitors, but it still has a big lead.”
Xiaomi 12T Pro impressions: Back in the megapixel race: “The Xiaomi 12T Pro is a powerful, affordable flagship with more than just a great sensor.”
Review of Chromecast with Google TV (HD): “The Chromecast with Google TV (HD) takes everything we liked about the 4K model: It’s quick and easy to use, and it works with a huge number of apps, games, and streaming services.
DJI Osmo Mobile 6 review: The best smartphone gimbal just got better. “There are many new features, a better design, and new software tweaks that will take your smartphone videos to a whole new level. Even though the device is still very expensive and Android users don’t get all the features or ease of use, it is still the best consumer gimbal you can get.

Features

Hands-on thoughts on the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro: Staying on track: “Google’s flagship phones for 2022 are here. Will they be enough to get you to switch from the Pixel 6 series?” (Android Official).
A look at the Google Pixel Watch: This would have been awful in 2019. — “This smartwatch would have been a huge hit three years ago, but the bar is higher in 2022.” (The Weekly Authority).
The FCC just tightened its rules on space junk: This could slow the problem of litter in space if people actually do what it says (Wired).
There’s always money to be made with the robot that peels bananas: “And that will make a difference in the restaurant business” (Morning Brew).
Should I get the Pixel 7 Pro or wait for the Galaxy S23 from Samsung? “Depending on what you want, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series might not be a huge step up from the Pixel 7 series” (The Weekly Authority).

Weekly Wonder

The popular British artist Mr. Doodle just finished his biggest project to date: he drew his signature black and white doodles on every inch of his 12-room, $1.54 million mansion in Tenterden, England, near Kent.

Mr. Doodle, whose real name is Sam Cox, bought the house in 2020. He has put his art on every surface, including the toilet and the oven.
This upsets the people who used to live there, who reportedly begged him not to draw in the house.
It took two years to finish the huge project.
Cox used 2,296 pen nibs, 900 liters of white paint, 401 cans of black spray paint for the outside, and 286 bottles of black paint for the inside walls The Weekly Authority.

Mr. Doodle’s success is due to his The Weekly Authority’s use of social media. He has more than 95,000 YouTube subscribers and 2.7 million Instagram followers.

Cox has worked with brands like MTV Europe and Puma.

And by March 2021, he had made almost $4.7 million in sales in just over nine months.

The artist made a two-minute stop-motion video of the process and shared it in a Tweet that has become very popular.

We don’t think you should try this at home, but if you want to change up your living space, you might want to set up a smart home. Check out some of The Weekly Authority of the best smart home devices or read up on the 5 things you should know before building an advanced smart home. If you don’t have much money, we can even help you build a smart home on a budget.

Tech Calendar

- The Meta Connect Conference will be held on October 11 at 1 p.m. ET (new VR headset? The Weekly Authority.
- The Samsung Developer Conference starts at 10 a.m. PT on October 12.
- Pixel 7 goes on sale on October 13.
- Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. The launch party for Nothing Ear Stick
- Skull and Bones come out on Xbox Series S/X, PS5, PC, Stadia, and Luna on November 8.
- God of War: Ragnarok comes out on PS4, PS5, and PC on November 9.
- The Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit is November 15–17.
- The Dark Pictures The Weekly Authority: The Devil in Me comes out on November 18 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox S/X, and PC.