News Weekly: The new 2024 Motorola Razr, early Pixel 9 event confirmed, and more

AC News Weekly

(Image credit: Android Central)

News Weekly is our column where we highlight and summarize some of the week’s top stories so you can catch up on the latest tech news.

This is Android Central’s News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week’s most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.

This week, we got up close with the new Moto Razr series, Google announced that its Made by Google is arriving a month early, Samsung finally put all the rumors to rest and officially announced the Unpacked date, the Galaxy Watch shows up on Amazon, and Google released new AI tools specifically for educators.

Flipping the script and how

Motorola Razr 2024 series colors — (Image credit: Motorola)

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Earlier this week, Motorola launched its foldables, the Razr 2024 and Razr Plus 2024, featuring massive screens with the touch of AI.

As anticipated and according to the most recent leaks, the Razr Plus 2024 comes with a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a 50MP main camera, and a 50MP telephoto shooter with 2x optical zoom. The biggest win, however, is its 4-inch pOLED display cover screen, which Motorola says is the biggest cover screen on a flip phone yet.

The inner pOLED screen unfolds to a 6.9-inch 1080p panel with a 165Hz refresh rate and 3000 nits peak brightness. Users can find all apps compatible with the device’s cover screen, including Google’s Gemini app. The Razr Plus 2024 comes in four colorways: Midnight Blue, Spring Green, Peach Fuzz, and Hot Pink.

There’s also the standard Razr 2024, which is roughly the same size as the premium model but with a smaller cover screen. Its outer display is a 3.6-inch 90Hz OLED. At first glance, it looks like a refreshed version of last year’s Motorola Razr Plus 2023, but with some spec changes, like a MediaTek Dimensity 7300X chipset, a larger 4,200mAh battery, and a 50MP main camera with OIS. The inner screen is similar at 6.9 inches but with a lower 120Hz refresh rate. The Razr comes in Beach Sand, Koala Grey, and Spritz Orange in vegan leather colorways.

The Razr Plus 2024 and Razr 2024 will be available for preorder on July 10 and will go on sale on July 24, retailing for $999 and $699, respectively.

Pixel 9 series could be arriving sooner this year

Découvrez celui qui vous fera apprécier le latin.XIII.VIII.MMXXIV. pic.twitter.com/WJqL6g9ahOJune 25, 2024

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Several folks from Android Central and other tech enthusiasts within the industry were in for a surprise this week. Google sent out personalized invites to its upcoming “Made by Google” event, which is set to take place way ahead of fall this time.

The event will happen on August 13 (Tuesday) at Google headquarters in Mountain View, with the Keynote starting at 10 a.m. PT, followed by a hands-on product experience.

While we have a fair idea of what to expect at this event, including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, we anticipate that the Pixel Watch 3, a new generation of Pixel Buds, Pixel Fold, and a new Pixel Tablet will also make their debut this August. On the software front, Android 15, which is currently in beta, might also have an early rollout, as it is said to show up on the Pixel 9 series out of the box.

The invite sent out by the search giant also indicates that Made by Google will showcase “the best of Google AI, ” which could mean the Gemini advancements coming our way. While it may seem strange that Google opted to launch its flagship products earlier this year, we feel that Google could be trying to streamline its product announcements and beat competitors with the early event.

Registrations for the event will begin July 31.

Samsung gave in and officially announced the next Unpacked event

(Image credit: Samsung)

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“The next frontier of Galaxy AI is coming,” said Samsung in its presser to Android Central. The company is set to host its next Galaxy Unpacked event on July 10 in Paris, France. The company states it is preparing to reveal its rollout of “cutting-edge innovations.”

We expect an event loaded with new devices this summer as Samsung prepares to debut the Galaxy Ring. The company showed off the device during MWC 2024 and confirmed some key specifications. Dr Hon Pak, head of the Samsung digital health team, informed the press that the Galaxy Ring’s battery is estimated to last between “five and nine days.”

Other than the ring, the company’s next foldables might also be launching, several recent leaks showed renders of the the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Fold 6. We would likely see several other wearables, like the Galaxy Watch 7 and 7 Ultra also make an appearance at the event.

EVP and Head of R&D Mobile Experience, Won-Joon Choi, teased in June that an “optimized” Galaxy AI experience would arrive on its clamshell and book-style devices. Samsung sees both devices as “versatile” and “flexible.”

While not much was mentioned about what we could expect, we’d have to wait and tune into the event on July 10 at 9 a.m. EDT, 6 a.m. PDT, and 3 p.m. CEST (Central Europe).

Whoops, the Galaxy Watch 7 showed up on Amazon

(Image credit: PassionateGeekz)

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On Tuesday (June 25), Canada’s Amazon listing ended up showcasing the rumored and upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and its specs.

Spotted by PassionateGeekz, the listing showcases the regular Galaxy Watch 7 Bluetooth variant featuring 40mm size and a price tag of CAD 358 (~$268). It further confirms that the smartwatch will feature a round-shaped display and sport at least 128GB of storage. It will be powered by a 3nm SoC that promises to boost power efficiency and carry out smoother all-round operations.

The leak alleges that the watch will have a BioActiveSensor that tracks health features like heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen levels — during workouts, sleep with sleep quality analysis, and more.

The Galaxy Watch 7 will likely sport Galaxy AI, and as the description points out, “Personalized Daily AI Companion for AI-Powered Sleep, Exercises, and communication.” This isn’t too surprising, given the current One UI 6 Watch beta brings said features to the Galaxy Watch 6 and other compatible watches. Another thing to note about this listing is that the Galaxy Watch 7 could come in a Cream colorway, along with multiple color options.

The Amazon listing also shows that the watch could be delivered to users as early as July 16.

Gemini safe to be used in classrooms?

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There’s a debate around students using AI: “Is it safe to give them access and help them learn, or is AI basically making them lazy?” This week, Google wanted to add another leaf to that existing debate.

The company announced that it’s preparing to bring Gemini to teen students using school accounts in “over 100 countries.” According to a Keyword post, the company detailed that “in the coming months,” teens at the minimum age requirement (13) can chat with Gemini through their school account.

Google states that Gemini’s capabilities will be disabled by default, but school admins can enable it through the “Admin console.” A subsequent post states that students using Gemini through a school account will have checks in place to block inappropriate content.

Gemini will filter out “illegal or age-gated substances” from appearing in its results. Additionally, the AI will run a fact-check on a response when asked for the first time. Looks like Google is trying to meet educators and students in the middle by allowing “teen students to learn responsibly and confidently in an AI-first future.” It remains to be seen how these schools will incorporate the power of artificial intelligence into their curriculum.

Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:

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