News & Reviews:   Android

It seems that someone at Google had a trigger finger on the post button today. Keen eyes spotted the developer preview page updated from Android 10 to Android 11 earlier, suggesting that Google may already be on the verge of releasing a beta for the next Android version to developers.

Google really has been hard at work on the translation front lately. Just last month, the company added Google Assistant Interpreter Mode to Android and iOS. Now, Google wants to add a live transcription feature for Google Translate to Android, one that uses the power of artificial intelligence (AI).

AirDrop is undeniably one of the strongest features from Apple's ecosystem. When it comes to file sharing, the feature works seamlessly without all the hassles that we encounter on Android smartphones. For that, Google has launched the Android Beam earlier to provide local sharing functionality, but then it has been renamed as Fast Share on Android 10. Now, a source is telling us that the feature is getting its name changed again, this time it will be called Nearby Sharing.

There are some people who may have felt that smartphones in 2019 lacked innovation but it's not as if there isn't any at all. The Ultra Wideband technology from Apple for its iPhone 11 is arguably one of the more useful ones, and now there's a possibility it might be included in some Android devices this year.

Since its release back in 2010, Xiaomi’s MIUI has been one of the reliable operating systems offered in the market until now. The MIUI is also deemed as fast when it comes to adopting the latest features from Android into its system. Recently, Xiaomi unveiled they are in the process of developing MIUI 12, and it will be released in Q3 2020 to celebrate its 10 year anniversary.

Thanks to Christmas followed by the new year eve soon, it's been an exciting week for many but a quiet week on the news front. Regardless, there's always something going on and we've added some of those to our final TechNave NewsByte for 2019. If you're looking to send eCards, hit up Fave for sure, while last-minute shoppers looking for a smartphone might want to consider getting two OPPO Reno2 devices. There's also some news from Kaspersky, a guide from Snapchat, and vivo Malaysia teasing some upcoming stuff.

Other than building a social media empire, Facebook has also been acquiring technology companies like Oculus, which works on virtual reality (VR). Now, the company has announced that they will be working on a new Operating System (OS) to be used for Oculus and Portal devices.

If you store a lot of images on your phone, chances are you're familiar with the use of Google Photos to manage them. The app is also great for quick edits like cropping or adding filters. Now, Google thinks it's a good idea to add a chat feature into it as well.

The time has come! Microsoft finally released a beta testing app for you to use all the Microsoft tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) in just one platform on your Android devices.

Based on a tweet by @WABetainfo, WhatsApp could possibly come with a feature that allows it to be used on multiple devices simultaneously. While they have not given us an ETA of when this feature will be available, the new update gives users greater flexibility when it comes to communicating via WhatsApp.