android

google-makes-android-development-private,-will-continue-open-source-releases

Google makes Android development private, will continue open source releases

android, AOSP, Development, Google, Tech / /

Google is planning a major change to the way it develops new versions of the Android operating system. Since the beginning, large swaths of the software have been developed in public-facing channels, but that will no longer be the case. This does not mean Android is shedding its open source roots, but the process won’t be as transparent.

Google has confirmed to Android Authority that all Android development work going forward will take place in Google’s internal branch. This is a shift from the way Google has worked on Android in the past, which featured frequent updates to the public AOSP branch. Anyone can access AOSP, but the internal branches are only available to Google and companies with a Google Mobile Services (GMS) license, like Samsung, Motorola, and others.

According to the company, it is making this change to simplify things, building on a recent change to trunk-based development. As Google works on both public and private branches of Android, the two fall out of sync with respect to features and API support. This forces Google to tediously merge the branches for every release. By focusing on the internal branch, Google claims it can streamline releases and make life easier for everyone.

When new versions of Android are done, Google says it will continue to publish the source code in AOSP as always. Supposedly, this will allow developers to focus on supporting their apps without keeping track of pending changes to the platform in AOSP. Licensed OEMs, meanwhile, can just focus on the lively internal branch as they work on devices that can take a year or more to launch.

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RCS texting updates will bring end-to-end encryption to green bubble chats

android, Apple, Google, iMessage, IPhone, rcs, Tech / /

One of the best mostly invisible updates in iOS 18 was Apple’s decision to finally implement the Rich Communications Services (RCS) communication protocol, something that is slowly helping to fix the generally miserable experience of texting non-iPhone users with an iPhone. The initial iOS 18 update brought RCS support to most major carriers in the US, and the upcoming iOS 18.4 update is turning it on for a bunch of smaller prepaid carriers like Google Fi and Mint Mobile.

Now that Apple is on board, iPhones and their users can also benefit from continued improvements to the RCS standard. And one major update was announced today: RCS will now support end-to-end encryption using the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol, a standard finalized by the Internet Engineering Task Force in 2023.

“RCS will be the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers,” writes GSMA Technical Director Tom Van Pelt in the post announcing the updates. “Together with other unique security features such as SIM-based authentication, E2EE will provide RCS users with the highest level of privacy and security for stronger protection from scams, fraud and other security and privacy threats. ”

RCS texting updates will bring end-to-end encryption to green bubble chats Read More »

android-apps-laced-with-north-korean-spyware-found-in-google-play

Android apps laced with North Korean spyware found in Google Play

android, Biz & IT, Google, google play, malware, North Korea, Security, spyware / /

Researchers have discovered multiple Android apps, some that were available in Google Play after passing the company’s security vetting, that surreptitiously uploaded sensitive user information to spies working for the North Korean government.

Samples of the malware—named KoSpy by Lookout, the security firm that discovered it—masquerade as utility apps for managing files, app or OS updates, and device security. Behind the interfaces, the apps can collect a variety of information including SMS messages, call logs, location, files, nearby audio, and screenshots and send them to servers controlled by North Korean intelligence personnel. The apps target English language and Korean language speakers and have been available in at least two Android app marketplaces, including Google Play.

Think twice before installing

The surveillanceware masquerades as the following five different apps:

  • 휴대폰 관리자 (Phone Manager)
  • File Manager
  • 스마트 관리자 (Smart Manager)
  • 카카오 보안 (Kakao Security) and
  • Software Update Utility

Besides Play, the apps have also been available in the third-party Apkpure market. The following image shows how one such app appeared in Play.

Credit: Lookout

The image shows that the developer email address was mlyqwl@gmail[.]com and the privacy policy page for the app was located at https://goldensnakeblog.blogspot[.]com/2023/02/privacy-policy.html.

“I value your trust in providing us your Personal Information, thus we are striving to use commercially acceptable means of protecting it,” the page states. “But remember that no method of transmission over the internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure and reliable, and I cannot guarantee its absolute security.”

The page, which remained available at the time this post went live on Ars, has no reports of malice on Virus Total. By contrast, IP addresses hosting the command-and-control servers have previously hosted at least three domains that have been known since at least 2019 to host infrastructure used in North Korean spy operations.

Android apps laced with North Korean spyware found in Google Play Read More »

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No one asked for this: Google is testing round keys in Gboard

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Most Android phones ship with Google’s Gboard as the default input option. It’s a reliable, feature-rich on-screen keyboard, so most folks just keep using it instead of installing a third-party option. Depending on how you feel about circles, it might be time to check out some of those alternatives. Google has quietly released an update that changes the shape and position of the keys, and users are not pleased.

In the latest build of Gboard (v15.1.05.726012951-beta-arm64-v8a), Google has changed the key shape from the long-running squares to circle shapes. If you’re using the four-row layout, the keys are like little pills. In five-row mode with the exposed number row, the keys are collapsed further into circles. The reactions seem split between those annoyed by this change and those annoyed that everyone else is so annoyed.

Change can be hard sometimes, so certainly some of the discontent is just a function of having the phone interface changed without warning. If you find it particularly distasteful, you can head into the Gboard settings and open the Themes menu. From there, you can tap on a theme and then turn off the key borders. Thus, you won’t be distracted by the horror of rounded edges. That’s not the only problem with the silent update, though.

The wave of objections isn’t just about aesthetics—this update also moves the keys around a bit. After years of tapping away on keys with a particular layout, people develop muscle memory. Big texters can sometimes type messages on their phone without even looking at it, but moving the keys around even slightly, as Google has done here, can cause you to miss more keys than you did before the update.

No one asked for this: Google is testing round keys in Gboard Read More »

serbian-student’s-android-phone-compromised-by-exploit-from-cellebrite

Serbian student’s Android phone compromised by exploit from Cellebrite

Amnesty International, android, Biz & IT, Cellebrite, nso group, Security, zero days / /

Amnesty International on Friday said it determined that a zero-day exploit sold by controversial exploit vendor Cellebrite was used to compromise the phone of a Serbian student who had been critical of that country’s government.

The human rights organization first called out Serbian authorities in December for what it said was its “pervasive and routine use of spyware” as part of a campaign of “wider state control and repression directed against civil society.” That report said the authorities were deploying exploits sold by Cellebrite and NSO, a separate exploit seller whose practices have also been sharply criticized over the past decade. In response to the December report, Cellebrite said it had suspended sales to “relevant customers” in Serbia.

Campaign of surveillance

On Friday, Amnesty International said that it uncovered evidence of a new incident. It involves the sale by Cellebrite of an attack chain that could defeat the lock screen of fully patched Android devices. The exploits were used against a Serbian student who had been critical of Serbian officials. The chain exploited a series of vulnerabilities in device drivers the Linux kernel uses to support USB hardware.

“This new case provides further evidence that the authorities in Serbia have continued their campaign of surveillance of civil society in the aftermath of our report, despite widespread calls for reform, from both inside Serbia and beyond, as well as an investigation into the misuse of its product, announced by Cellebrite,” authors of the report wrote.

Amnesty International first discovered evidence of the attack chain last year while investigating a separate incident outside of Serbia involving the same Android lockscreen bypass. Authors of Friday’s report wrote:

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google-will-finally-fix-awesome-(but-broken)-song-detection-feature-for-pixels

Google will finally fix awesome (but broken) song detection feature for Pixels

android, Google, pixels, Tech / /

Google’s Pixel phones include numerous thoughtful features you don’t get on other phones, like Now Playing. This feature can identify background music from the lock screen, but unlike some similar song identifiers, it works even without an Internet connection. Sadly, it has been broken for months. There is some hope, though. Google has indicated that a fix is ready for deployment, and Pixel users can expect to see it in a future OS update.

First introduced in 2017, Now Playing uses a cache of thousands of audio fingerprints to identify songs you might encounter in your daily grind. Since it works offline, it’s highly efficient and preserves your privacy. Now Playing isn’t a life-changing addition to the mobile experience, but it’s damn cool.

That makes it all the stranger that Google appears to have broken Now Playing with the release of Android 15 (or possibly a Play Services update around the same time) and has left it that way for months. Before that update, Now Playing would regularly list songs on the lock screen and offer enhanced search for songs it couldn’t ID offline. It was obvious to Pixel fans when Now Playing stopped listening last year, and despite a large volume of online complaints, Google has seemingly dragged its feet.

Google will finally fix awesome (but broken) song detection feature for Pixels Read More »

qualcomm-and-google-team-up-to-offer-8-years-of-android-updates

Qualcomm and Google team up to offer 8 years of Android updates

android, Google, qualcomm, Tech / /

How long should your phone last?

This is just the latest attempt from Google and its partners to address Android’s original sin. Google’s open approach to Android roped in numerous OEMs to create and sell hardware, all of which were managing their update schemes individually and relying on hardware vendors to provide updated drivers and other components—which they usually didn’t. As a result, even expensive flagship phones could quickly fall behind and miss out on features and security fixes.

Google undertook successive projects over the last decade to improve Android software support. For example, Project Mainline in Android 10 introduced system-level modules that Google can update via Play Services without a full OS update. This complemented Project Treble, which was originally released in Android 8.0 Oreo. Treble separated the Android OS from the vendor implementation, giving OEMs the ability to update Android without changing the low-level code.

The legacy of Treble is still improving outcomes, too. Qualcomm cites Project Treble as a key piece of its update-extending initiative. The combination of consistent vendor layer support and fresh kernels will, according to Qualcomm, make it faster and easier for OEMs to deploy updates. However, they don’t have to.

Credit: Ron Amadeo

Update development is still the responsibility of device makers, with Google implementing only a loose framework of requirements. That means companies can build with Qualcomm’s most powerful chips and say “no thank you” to the extended support window. OnePlus has refused to match Samsung and Google’s current seven-year update guarantee, noting that pushing new versions of Android to older phones can cause performance and battery life issues—something we saw in action when Google’s Pixel 4a suffered a major battery life hit with the latest update.

Samsung has long pushed the update envelope, and it has a tight relationship with Qualcomm to produce Galaxy-optimized versions of its processors. So it won’t be surprising if Samsung tacks on another year to its update commitment in its next phone release. Google, too, emphasizes updates on its Pixel phones. Google doesn’t use Qualcomm chips, but it will probably match any move Samsung makes. The rest of the industry is anyone’s guess—eight years of updates is a big commitment, even with Qualcomm’s help.

Qualcomm and Google team up to offer 8 years of Android updates Read More »

nothing-on-phone-3a-pro-design:-“some-people-will-hate-it”

Nothing on Phone 3a Pro design: “Some people will hate it”

android, Nothing, smartphones, Tech / /

Nothing, the smartphone venture from OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, is on its third generation of Android smartphones. The Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro will be officially announced on March 4, but there won’t be much left to reveal. Not only has Nothing teased the phones a few times, there’s also a new video highlighting the Nothing Phone 3a Pro’s design. In it, Nothing’s design team speaks at length about how they tried to incorporate the chunky camera module, but what they came up with is going to be divisive.

As we approach 20 years since the iPhone made touchscreen smartphones the default, the form factor is very fleshed out. Some of today’s most popular smartphones have almost reached the point of anti-design—flat, unremarkable bodies that are intended to be covered up with a case. There’s something to be said for that when most people slap a sheet of plastic on their phone and only remove it once in a blue moon. Nothing, however, designs phones with transparent panels and glowing “Glyphs” that are intended to be seen. In the case of the 3a Pro, there’s also a camera module so big it’s sure to stand out.

People generally want big screens and big batteries that don’t make phones too thick or heavy. Some components have shrunk or been dropped entirely to free up space (a moment of silence for the dearly departed headphone jack). Camera modules, however, can’t shrink infinitely. Smaller lenses and sensors have an impact on image quality, so expensive phones often have gargantuan camera arrays that can make phones top-heavy. For example, look at the Google Pixel 9 series, which features a camera bump that towers above the rest of the back.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro isn’t a flagship device, but it’ll have more cameras than the Nothing Phone 3a that will release at the same time. The new design video shows off the phone’s three rear-facing sensors: a 50MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 50MP periscope telephoto (focal length unknown). The Nothing Phone 3a Pro has three of those glowing Glyphs on the back, framing the enormous camera module. The phone’s PCB also needed some tweaks to make room for the folded periscope assembly, which is much thicker than the other sensors.

Nothing on Phone 3a Pro design: “Some people will hate it” Read More »

google-pixel-4a’s-ruinous-“battery-performance”-update-is-a-bewildering-mess

Google Pixel 4a’s ruinous “Battery Performance” update is a bewildering mess

android, Battery capacity, battery replacement, Google, Google Pixel, google pixel 4a, louis rossman, payoneer, pixel 4a, Tech / /

Two hours on a charge or less

Pixel 4a phone, face down, with headphone jack at the top facing viewer at 45 degrees.

Credit: Ron Amadeo

One Ars staffer who had a Pixel 4a still in use received the update. They saw their battery life drop from “Still working” to “Two hours on a charge,” in their estimation. They had chosen the Google Store credit option before the update arrived and before the battery life drop became apparent. Once chosen, a different appeasement option could not be selected.

Others have noted all but unusable battery life on their phones, as seen on subreddit threads and blog summaries.

Even technically savvy Pixel owners will have a hard time avoiding the update. Google last week removed all of the Pixel 4a’s factory images from its website, preventing owners from rolling back their firmware without having to go hunting for an image (or convert to a third-party offering, like LineageOS). With no source and debug code posted for the tweaked kernel, third-party firmware providers cannot easily incorporate the battery fixes.

Some Pixel 4a owners have reported that, even after a battery swap, their devices have the same limited battery capacity. This would affirm Martin’s suggestion of a faulty battery cell type and that batteries with those same cells are still being used in replacements. (Martin’s post provides serial numbers one can look for on the battery part to indicate the cell manufacturer.)

$30 per year to receive $50

As seen on a wiki page on the Pixel 4a battery program hosted by repair advocate and YouTube creator Louis Rossman, and noted by Pixel 4a owners on Reddit (and the Ars staffer), the $50 credit offered by Google is paid out through vendor Payoneer.

Signing up to be paid through Payoneer requires providing a Social Security number or other identification, birth date, and checking account details to a financial services firm most non-business owners would not recognize. Payoneer notes on its site that it charges a $30 annual account fee for accounts that receive less than $2,000 in 12 months. It is seemingly left up to Pixel 4a owners to close out their Payoneer accounts after receiving their credits.

Google Pixel 4a’s ruinous “Battery Performance” update is a bewildering mess Read More »

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Samsung’s Galaxy S25 event was an AI presentation with occasional phone hardware

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Samsung announced the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra at its Unpacked event today. What is different from last year’s models? With the phones themselves, not much, other than a new chipset and a wide camera. But pure AI optimism? Samsung managed to pack a whole lot more of that into its launch event and promotional materials.

The corners on the S25 Ultra are a bit more rounded, the edges are flatter, and the bezels seem to be slightly thinner. The S25 and S25+ models have the same screen size as the S24 models, at 6.2 and 6.7 inches, respectively, while the Ultra notches up slightly from 6.8 to 6.9 inches.

Samsung’s S25 Ultra, in titanium builds colored silver blue, black, gray, and white silver.

Credit: Samsung

Samsung’s S25 Ultra, in titanium builds colored silver blue, black, gray, and white silver. Credit: Samsung

The S25 Ultra, starting at $1,300, touts a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a new 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and what Samsung claims is improved detail in software-derived zoom images. It comes with the S Pen, a vestige of the departed Note line, but as The Verge notes, there is no Bluetooth included, so you can’t pull off hand gestures with the pen off the screen or use it as a quirky remote camera trigger.

Samsung’s S25 Plus phones, in silver blue, navy, and icy blue.

Credit: Samsung

Samsung’s S25 Plus phones, in silver blue, navy, and icy blue. Credit: Samsung

It’s much the same with the S25 and S25 Plus, starting at $800. The base models got an upgrade to a default of 12GB of RAM. The displays, cameras, and general shape and build are the same. All the Galaxy devices released in 2025 have Qi2 wireless charging support—but not by default. You’ll need a “Qi2 Ready” magnetic case to get a sturdy attachment and the 15 W top charging speed.

One thing that hasn’t changed, for the better, is Samsung’s recent bump up in longevity. Each Galaxy S25 model gets seven years of security updates and seven of OS upgrades, which matches Google’s Pixel line in number of years.

Side view of the Galaxy S25 Edge, which is looking rather thin. Samsung

At the very end of Samsung’s event, for less than 30 seconds, a “Galaxy S25 Edge” was teased. In a mostly black field with some shiny metal components, Samsung seemed to be teasing the notably slimmer variant of the S25 that had been rumored. The same kinds of leaks about an “iPhone Air” have been circulating. No details were provided beyond its name, and a brief video suggesting its svelte nature.

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 event was an AI presentation with occasional phone hardware Read More »

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Google steps into “extended reality” once again with Android XR

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Citing “years of investment in AI, AR, and VR,” Google is stepping into the augmented reality market once more with Android XR. It’s an operating system that Google says will power future headsets and glasses that “transform how you watch, work, and explore.”

The first version you’ll see is Project Moohan, a mixed-reality headset built by Samsung. It will be available for purchase next year, and not much more is known about it. Developers have access to the new XR version of Android now.

“We’ve been in this space since Google Glass, and we have not stopped,” said Juston Payne, director of product at Google for XR in Android XR’s launch video. Citing established projects like Google Lens, Live View for Maps, instant camera translation, and, of course, Google’s general-purpose Gemini AI, XR promises to offer such overlays in both dedicated headsets and casual glasses.

Android XR announcement video.

There are few additional details right now beyond a headset rendering, examples in Google’s video labeled as “visualization for concept purposes.” Google’s list of things that will likely be on board includes Gemini, Maps, Photos, Translate, Chrome, Circle to Search, and Messages. And existing Android apps, or at least those updated to do so, should make the jump, too.

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google-seems-to-have-called-it-quits-on-making-its-own-android-tablets—again

Google seems to have called it quits on making its own Android tablets—again

android, android tablets, Google, ipad, pixel slate, pixel tablet, pixel tablet 2, pixel tablet 3, Tech / /

Depending on which Android-focused site you believe, either a third Pixel Tablet was apparently in the works at Google and canceled, as Android Headlines reported, or the second one, as Android Authority has it. Either way, there was reportedly a team at Google working on the next flagship Pixel-branded tablet, and now, seemingly due to profitability concerns, that work is over. At least until, maybe, a third Pixel Tablet in the future.

The Pixel Tablet, released last fall, was generally regarded as Google’s second re-entry into the tablet market that the iPad all but owns, at least at the consumer level. As such, it sought to distinguish itself from Apple’s slab by launching with a home-friendly dock and speaker cradle, taking on the appearance of a big smart home display when docked to it.

While there are no public sales figures, the device has not kick-started a resurgence of interest in Android tablets beyond the baseline sales of Amazon’s Kindle Fire devices (based on a Google-less fork of Android). Google will likely continue to support and promote Android tablets for other manufacturers and now has its own Pixel Fold devices occupying that middle space between phone and tablet forms.

Ars has contacted Google for comment and confirmation and will update this post with its response.

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