Android

Apparently Epic conducted an experiment with Digital Turbine as a partner, where users could click just once to install the Epic Games Store on their Android phone instead of going through the lengthy “unknown sources” flow. Bernheim claimed half of users failed to get through unknown sources, but 90 percent made it through one-click. Not surprising, but Epic is using it to suggest that a settlement where Google offers one-click to registered app stores would be better.

Some choice Donato quotes towards Epic’s lead attorney:

Judge Donato says he just doesn’t get it.

Judge Donato says that with three years to set up competing app stores on Android, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and more will surely pile on. “The problem we have now is the box has already been rigged terribly with anticompetitive conduct so that Google is way ahead.”

“By taking away one part of what I’ve proposed, the effectiveness of the other part declines,” says Bernheim, answering the judge’s question about why he didn’t bring all these proposals before.

“Why did you press so hard for catalog access if you’re willing to throw it out the window today?” asks Judge Donato.

That’s Judge James Donato, continuing to be skeptical, addressing Doug Bernheim, the Epic economist.

Bernheim says he “would love to have all” of the anti-Google monopoly recommendations he originally argued for, but that he’s just analyzing what’s in front of him, and that Judge Donato’s existing injunction simply doesn’t last long enough at just three years rather than six.

“You called catalog access THE critical remedy to counter the network effects and the pattern of dominance,” says Donato, suggesting that Bernheim is attempting to mislead by suggesting the settlement would be viable without forcing Google to offer up its catalog of apps to rival app stores.

He appears to have been commissioned by Epic to analyze the settlement’s modified injunction vs. Judge Donato’s original injunction. “There are some very important pluses, there are some very important minuses,” says Bernheim.

He’s just been sworn in, and he’s prepared slides; Unfortunately, the screen on my side of the room is dead, so I’ve migrated to the other side, apologizing to several people who graciously moved for me. Bernheim featured prominently during the trial portion of this case.

We’re about to hear the bitter foes-turned-BFFs explain why Judge James Donato should accept their settlement after five-plus years of legal battle. Judge Donato has just entered; Sweeney was on his phone but has put it away. Samat was waiting patiently; he’s got an eye-catching thin beaded bracelet on his wrist.

That’s how Google Play’s “chief product explainer” Matthew Forsythe describes the in-development Android sideloading workflow designed to allow “experienced users” to install apps from unverified developers, with multiple warnings to explain the risks.

Rahman has reported on a dizzying number of new features coming to Android over the past 10 years — we’ve covered many of his findings! — but he’s leaving Android Authority for something new, he announced today. Wishing him all the best!

Google is adding Meet’s automatic conference room detection feature to the Meet and Gmail mobile apps. First launched on laptops last year, it uses silent ultrasound signals that are picked up by your phone’s mic to automatically check you into your conference room and prompt you to join Meet calls with your device in Companion mode, avoiding annoying feedback or other problems.

Samsung’s three-panel foldable phone won’t be officially available in the US until next year, but it’s already hit the YouTuber’s durability test table. Its thin frame (that’s different sizes across all three sections) doesn’t deal well with being bent the wrong way, even if Samsung’s hinge technology is pretty resilient, but... it didn’t explode.

The name Lepton appeared on Steam and SteamDB just a few weeks after Valve unveiled the Steam Frame headset, which will be able to run Android apps.

The feature was first piloted in the UK earlier this year, and works by automatically warning users when they launch eligible financial apps while screen sharing during calls with numbers that aren’t in the device’s contact list. The warning forces a 30-second pause period that aims to “break the spell of the scammers’ social engineering,” according to Google.

One of Google’s new Android updates is the beta for Call Reason, which allows callers to flag that it’s urgent. Sounds smart, but if you’re below the age of 40, “urgent” might be the only type of call you ever make.

For everything from the Pixel 6 on up, there are a lot of bug fixes and improvements on the list for this month’s update, as well as two “Critical” severity security bugs patched.

After being added to the desktop version of the browser almost a decade ago, the mobile version of Chrome will soon let you pin tabs as part of Android 16’s new updates. Pinned tabs will be easily accessible at the front of your browser so they’re easier to find and can’t be accidentally closed.

Android Police spotted that just opening the file send menu is enough to disconnect your phone from Wi-Fi following the new Quick Share update that lets Pixel 10 users send files to iPhones over AirDrop. Switching focus to another app is enough to reconnect though, so this bug feels harmless enough.

I admit, I have a British bias here, but like this commenter I was unreasonably pleased to see Google spell its upcoming Aluminium OS the right way.

The company shared new details about its Pocket Vert this week. Its minimal controls mimic the Game Boy with a D-pad and action buttons, but the Android-based handheld also features a hidden multipurpose touchpad beneath its front glass panel that can be used as a thumbstick for playing 3D games.