Niagara Launcher adds support for foldable phones like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3

Niagara Launcher is often regarded as one of the best Android launchers out there. Developed by XDA Member 8bitpit and XDA Recognized Developer Maxr1998, Niagara Launcher is a breath of fresh air from the usual Pixel Launcher lookalikes flooding the Google Play Store. Instead of keeping your apps behind an app drawer, it lays out everything on a vertically scrollable list on your homescreen that’s easily accessible with one hand. The app hit the stable channel earlier in February, and since then, it has picked up many useful additions like customizable app pop-ups, folder support, and more. Now, the developers have released a new update to the launcher that adds a host of new features and better support for foldable phones.

Better support for foldable displays

The latest Niagara Launcher beta update brings better support for wide displays. On devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the launcher moves the app list and the scrollbar further away from the edges so that content is more easily reachable without bending fingers.

Dynamic icon scaling

The launcher now also supports dynamic icon scaling and can automatically change the size of app icons based on the current screen height. Smaller icon sizes have also been added, which you can access from Niagara settings > Look > App icon size.

App Continuity

Next up, the new update adds App Continuity support, allowing users to pick up where they left off when switching from the cover display to the inner display or rotating the display.

Keyboard support and shortcuts

Niagara Launcher now also supports hardware keyboard, mouse, and stylus and adds two nifty keyboard shortcuts:

• Type any letter to start app search directly
• Type number n to launch the nᵗʰ app on the list

New wallpaper

Finally, the latest beta debuts a new wallpaper, “Threefold,” specifically designed for foldables. You can find it under Niagara Settings > Look > Wallpaper collection.

If you have a foldable smartphone like the Galaxy Z Fold 3, you can try out these new features in the latest Nigagra Launcher beta build. The stable version will be released on the Google Play Store in around two weeks.

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SmartThings Find now lets your friends and family help locate your lost devices

It’s never really fun when things go missing. Whether you’re a “where’s my keys?” type of person or “where’s my phone?” type, finding misplaced items can be irritating and time-consuming. It always feels like we’re fighting a losing battle. And yet, many of us keep misplacing important stuff over and over. This is where Bluetooth trackers like AirTags and Tile come in handy. Samsung has its own lineup of Bluetooth trackers called Galaxy SmartTag, which rely on the company’s SmartThings Find service to help locate devices that have SmartTag attached. Now, Samsung has announced a new ability for SmarThings Find that will soon allow users to receive a helping hand from their friends and family to locate lost and misplaced items.

This new feature, called SmarThings Find Members, will let you add friends and family members to your SmarThings account. You can add up to 19 members to your account, and together the whole group can locate up to 200 devices at once. You can also control which devices you want to share with trusted members and which devices they can track. The idea here is that if you don’t have your phone with you or can’t seem to find your device, you can ask your family member or friend to find and fetch it for you.

SmartThings Find leverages Bluetooth Low Energy and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to help you find and locate your Galaxy smartphones, smartwatches, accessories like S-Pen, as well as Galaxy SmartTag trackers.

Samsung is only paying a catch-up with Tile which has offered tracker sharing for years now. Google is also working on a similar feature for its Find My Device service that would allow users to add co-owners that can locate and track your device.

Samsung hasn’t given any specific timeline on when the SmartThings Find Member feature will arrive.

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Xiaomi is proactively blocking devices in certain regions to comply with export regulations

Xiaomi doesn’t have an official presence in several countries, including the US. But the company doesn’t stop you from importing its devices to unsupported regions. If you import a Xiaomi device to any such region, it should work without any issues, provided its supports your carrier’s bands. However, that won’t be the case if you reside in Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, or Crimea.

Although Xiaomi’s export policy prohibits the sale of its smartphones in the regions mentioned above, the company didn’t proactively block people’s devices if they imported them to these regions. But, of late, Xiaomi has been doing just that.

For the past few weeks, Xiaomi has been proactively blocking users from provisioning their phones if they live in Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, or Crimea, in order to comply with export regulations and stop resellers. https://t.co/51AdXIMgnW

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) September 9, 2021

We’ve seen several reports highlighting this change on our forums, Reddit (via XiaomiAdictos), and Facebook, going back a few months. But it seems to have affected many more users this last week.

(Image: u/yn4v4s)

The reports suggest that after a few days of use, users in these regions are locked out of their phones, and they see the following message on the lockscreen:

Xiaomi policy does not permit sale or provision of the product to the territory in which you have attempted to activate it. Please contact the retailers directly for additional information.

A few users on our forums suggest that the issue is limited to devices activated in the regions mentioned above. They claim that it shouldn’t affect devices that were activated in their intended country of sale. But we can’t verify this claim at the moment. Interestingly, the issue doesn’t seem to affect users who have installed a custom ROM on their Xiaomi device.

It’s worth noting that Xiaomi’s Terms and Conditions clearly state that it prohibits buyers from exporting phones to select regions. However, it doesn’t specify that it will block phones exported to those regions.

14.2 The Contract and all Products sold are subject to applicable export control laws, including but not limited to the export control laws of. the US and Buyer’s own jurisdiction. The Buyer will not export any product purchased from the Seller to any country or territory or anywhere if the export control laws forbid it . Prohibited countries and territories include Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, and the Crimea region. If the Buyer plans to export any Products purchased from the Seller to another country, the Buyer you must obtain the required export licenses (or other government approvals) before doing so.

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Apple Watch Series 7 Rumor Roundup: Release Date, Price, Features, and more!

Apple announced that it’s holding a special event on 14 September and the rumor mills indicate towards the annual launch of the new iPhone. While the launch of the iPhone 12 was delayed last year due to the coronavirus outbreak, it looks like Apple is back on track with the iPhone 13 launch this year. The rumors and speculations don’t end there though. Reports also suggest that the iPhone 13 will be accompanied by the AirPods 3 and the Apple Watch 7. As with every new Apple product, we’ve seen tons of leaks already giving us a rough idea about what to expect from the Apple Watch Series 7 and that’s exactly what we’ll go over in this article.

Apple Watch 7: Release Date

The Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE were launched with the iPad Air last year during Apple’s September event. Since it’s been exactly a year, it’s safe to assume that the Apple Watch Series 7 would be launching sometime soon. Given that Apple has announced a special event on 14 September, it only makes sense for them to launch the Apple Watch on that day itself along with the iPhone instead of holding a separate event.

However, back in August this year, Nikkei Asia reported that the Apple Watch 7’s production has been delayed due to some quality issues and more recently, due to the global chip shortage. It’s also rumored that the new Apple Watch has complex design elements that might be contributing to the delayed production. While there were rumors that the production of the Apple Watch had begun last month, it did not enter large-scale manufacturing due to some errors in the design.

Mark Gurman, a renowned Apple analyst mentioned in his newsletter (via 9to5Mac) that Apple might as well announce the Apple Watch Series 7 on stage alongside the iPhone 13 but may delay the date from which it will be made available to purchase. There’s also a possibility that the wearable will be available to purchase in limited quantities or in select configurations at the time of launch with more stocks coming in later.

Just before sending this article for editing, Ming-Chi Kuo reports that Apple has sorted all the issues with the mass production of the Apple Watch Series 7 and it is expected to start shipping at the end of September. However, still expect smaller quantities or some delay in shipment, just because the chip shortage is acute and could throw a wrench in plans.

Apple Watch 7: Price and Variants

It’s safe to assume that the Apple Watch Series 7 will cost similar to what the Series 6 costed as launch. Apple has stuck to its pricing strategy for the past few generations now and it’s unlikely that it’s going to change this year. The Series 6 Apple Watch was launched at a starting price of $399 for the 40mm variant and we’re expecting the price to remain the same for the base configuration of the Apple Watch 7.

As for the variants, the Apple Watch 6 came in two size configurations — 40mm and 44mm — in either Wi-FI or cellular. This year’s watch is expected to be slightly larger at 41mm and 45mm. While we’re unsure of the size, the connectivity features are expected to remain the same even on this year’s models.

Design and Display

The Apple Watch has remained largely similar in terms of looks over the years. To the untrained eye, differentiating between a Series 4 Apple Watch and a Series 6 Apple Watch is surely going to be a difficult task. However, that’s expected to change with the Apple Watch 7, at least going by Ming-Chi Kuo’s report and Jon Prosser’s renders. The iPhone 4 had squared-off edges that Apple reintroduced with the iPad Pro refresh in 2018. The same design language has now carried over to the iPhone with the iPhone 12 and going by Jon’s renders, it seems like the Apple Watch 7 is also going to have a square-ish chassis.

The square design makes the watch look quite different from the current-gen Apple Watches. Due to this design change, there were some reports indicating that the Apple Watch bands shipping with the Series 7 may not be universally compatible/backward compatible with other Apple Watches. Right from the first-gen Apple Watch, the bands used by Apple were interchangeable and compatible with all versions of the Apple Watch. This may, however, change this time due to the way the watch is designed.

Just like the display on the iPhone 12 series, the Apple Watch 7 is also expected to get a flat display panel instead of a curved one on previous Apple Watches. Renders from 91mobiles also support this particular claim. The bezels are also reportedly going to be slimmer on the Apple Watch 7 giving users a larger surface area to view the different elements on the watch while retaining a similar footprint as its predecessors. MacRumors also reported that the new Apple Watch will have a slight size bump to 41mm and 45mm.

Specifications and Features

Image: 91mobiles

Inferring from previous-gen Apple Watches, the Series 7 Apple Watch might come with the S7 chip from Apple to handle CPU duties. While the CPU may bring about an improvement in performance, battery life is where the gains are expected to be larger. The Apple Watch has generally lasted about a day or a day and a half at most on a single charge. The Apple Watch 7 might finally have a better battery life if we go by the rumors.

The Watch will run WatchOS 8 and is also expected to receive improvements in the form of better health monitoring. It was initially rumored that the Apple Watch Series 7 will have blood glucose monitoring but it seems like that plan is delayed and it won’t happen this year. There were also rumors about the Apple Watch 7 having a blood pressure monitor which was later dismissed by Mark Gurman.

SpO2 monitoring was introduced last year with the Series 6 Apple Watch and it was an important feature especially with the onset of the pandemic. This time though, it seems like there’s no ground-breaking health feature that’s going to be introduced with the Apple Watch. Samsung implemented a BIA sensor to measure body composition right from the watch on the Galaxy Watch 4 so it would be interesting to see if Apple responds with a similar feature on the Series 7.

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That’s pretty much everything we know about the Apple Watch Series 7 that’s expected to launch soon. The major changes seem to be in the form of a radical redesign as well as better battery life, something that most smartwatches have lacked. It seems like Apple is trying to create a unique identity with the boxy design since most of its major products now follow a similar design language.

What do you think about the Apple Watch 7 based on the available information? Let us know in the comments below!

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Apple AirPods 3 Rumor Roundup: Expected Release Date, Price, Features, and more!

Apple is all set to launch the new iPhone 13 series at its special event slated to take place on 14 September. While there’s no confirmation yet as to what products are launching at this event, there are several rumors pointing towards multiple devices. Of course, the iPhone 13 series would be the highlight with 4 new phones. But according to some reports, the Apple Watch Series 7 and the AirPods 3 might also be unveiled at the same event. Leading up to the launch, as usual, we have several leaks and rumors surrounding the AirPods 3 which we’ll cover in this article. Right from the expected price to all the new features, here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming AirPods 3.

Image: 52Audio

Apple AirPods 3: Release Date

The AirPods 2 were launched back in early 2019 so it’s been more than two years since the baseline AirPods have seen a refresh. Of course, Apple also launched the AirPods Pro later that year but they cater to a different audience. Given that two years is generally the timeframe Apple follows for the AirPods refresh, it’s safe to say that the AirPods 3 is set to launch sometime soon.

As mentioned already, Apple is holding an event on 14 September and it makes sense for them to launch the AirPods 3 alongside the new iPhone. DigiTimes reports that there’s a good chance Apple’s 3rd generation of earbuds will launch at this event. A previous report had suggested that the AirPods 3 will ship in Q3 2021 which falls in line perfectly with the event scheduled for 14 September. It’s also possible that the earbuds are announced at the event but may ship at a later date due to the worldwide chip shortage.

More recently, @PineLeaks on Twitter posted a series of tweets about the new iPhone 13 series and also mentioned some key pointers about the AirPods 3 which indicates that it may launch alongside the iPhone itself.

AirPods 3: Price and Availability

Several reports have claimed that the AirPods 3 will be cheaper than the AirPods Pro which makes sense given that the Pro series will remain to be Apple’s flagship TWS line-up. They will, however, cost more than the second-gen AirPods according to some leaks which isn’t too surprising given the advancement and the addition of new features. The AirPods 2 cost $159 at launch and the AirPods Pro cost $249.

A sweet spot in the middle would indicate a price of about $199, but this is just mere speculation. Given that the AirPods Pro has been out for two years now, they’re available for much lower than their launch price and around or even lower than $200 as of writing. If the AirPods 3 launch for $199, the Pro variant might cannibalize its sales. As for availability, the AirPods 3 are expected to launch all over the world in all countries where Apple sells its products. It may not be available across the globe on the day of launch, but it will slowly make its way everywhere.

Design

The original and second-gen AirPods have a half in-ear design which means they don’t have silicone ear tips that rest deep inside the ear cavity. Instead, they lightly rest on your ear and don’t create a vacuum seal. This is something a lot of people prefer given that it’s more comfortable in some scenarios and does not isolate you completely from environmental sounds. The AirPods 3 is also expected to carry forward the same design philosophy, but with a slight mix of the AirPods Pro’s aesthetics.

Unlike the AirPods Pro, the AirPods 3 may not have in-ear silicone tips but will adopt a similar form factor for the shape of the earbuds. What this means is that the earbuds may be slightly chunkier and have a more rounded shape with a smaller stem. Think of it as the AirPods Pro but without the silicone tips. Of course, it will be made to fit comfortably in your ears, so the opening at the speaker would probably be slightly smaller.

Image: LeaksApplePro

These are inferences that we’ve made based on the leaked images of the AirPods Pro by 52Audio. LeaksApplePro also posted an image that shows a similar open design with no ear tips. According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, the AirPods 3 will get the shorter stem from the AirPods Pro which is also in line with the leaked images that we’re seeing. The AirPods second-gen did not have any sort of water resistance or IP rating so we’re hoping that the AirPods 3 will have it so that you can wear them to the gym.

Features

The biggest new feature expected on the AirPods 3 is Active Noise Cancellation or ANC. One of the biggest selling points of the AirPods Pro is that the ANC on board is one of the best that you can get on a pair of TWS earbuds, and it would be great to see it on the AirPods 3 as well. However, with an open design, we’re not sure how effectively Apple will be able to implement ANC. The passive isolation provided by silicone ear tips also plays a big role in cutting out environmental sounds.

It’s also worth considering that the AirPods 3 will be priced lower than the launch price of the AirPods Pro so there’s a good chance Apple might decide to skimp out on ANC for the cheaper earbuds. Spatial audio was a feature that was introduced on the AirPods Pro and it might make its way to the AirPods 3 as well. But again, we’re not sure how immersive the experience would be given the open design.

Apple recently introduced lossless audio on Apple Music but no existing pair of AirPods supports transmission of lossless audio. The AirPods 3 might be the first one to do so, but considering that the most premium headphones that Apple has to offer — the AirPods Max — don’t support streaming higher bitrates, the chances of the AirPods 3 getting it seems bleak. Of course, the AirPods 3 will come with Apple’s own in-house chip that would let you pair them quickly with your iPhone and sync across all your Apple devices.

Given that the design is similar to that of the AirPods Pro, we’re assuming that the pinch controls will also make their way to the AirPods 3, replacing the touch controls on the AirPods 2. There were also some rumors about AirTags-like finding functionality coming to the AirPods but we’re not sure it’s going to happen with the AirPods 3. The case of the earbuds is said to be slightly larger to accommodate a 20% larger battery compared to the second-gen AirPods as per PineLeaks. The tweet also mentions that the sound quality will remain more or less similar to the AirPods 2 but with better bass and low-ends.

Wireless charging is rumored to be a standard feature now on the AirPods 3. If you want to charge via the wired method, you will get a lightning port on the bottom.

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These are all the new features and improvements that are expected to come with the new AirPods 3. Apple’s event isn’t too far off so hopefully, we can see the new pair of earbuds launch alongside the iPhone 13. Are you looking forward to getting the AirPods 3? What features would you want Apple to include that are currently not present on the AirPods? Let us know below!

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EU is reportedly investigating if Google Assistant is being forced on Android phones

The European Commission is reportedly investigating whether or not Google is forcing Android device makers to ship Google Assistant on smartphones.

According to a report from MLex (via Reuters), EU regulators have asked multiple unnamed device makers to provide evidence that they have been forced by Google to make Google Assistant the default voice assistant service on Android devices. In a statement to Reuters, Google said that “manufacturers can choose which voice assistants to install on their devices and users can also choose which assistants to use and install.”

The European Commission, on the other hand, declined to comment to Reuters and instead referred to EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager’s news conference in June during which the Commission said it received complaints about alleged exclusivity and tying practices related to voice assistants. These practices preclude producers of smart devices from simultaneously operating multiple, competing voice assistants on a device, an act that Sonos has previously drawn attention to.

The Commission will issue a final report on its sector inquiry in the first half of 2022, which is when it may open formal investigations into Google if it believes that the company has engaged in anti-competitive behavior.

Mishaal’s take: It’s no secret that Google mandates the inclusion of many of its applications on Android devices. In order to ship an Android device with the Google Play Store (Android’s largest app market) and Google Play Services (an application that provides key APIs and services to millions of other applications), device makers must sign certain agreements, have their devices pass certain tests, and agree to preinstall a handful of other Google apps. The bundle of applications that OEMs must agree to ship on their devices is called Google Mobile Services (GMS), though there are multiple GMS bundles with more or fewer Google apps. In Europe, OEMs are not required to ship Chrome and Search — contained within the Google App — with the rest of the GMS bundle following an earlier ruling by the European Commission. However, there are clear financial benefits for most OEMs to license these apps anyway, as it lets Google do the heavy lifting in developing a web browser and search engine and lets users access the most ubiquitous browser and search engine right from their home screen.

The choice screen for general search providers shown on all Android devices shipped within the EEA.

If an OEM signs a Search license on top of signing an EMADA — or European Mobile Application Distribution Agreement — then they can preload the Google App on devices sold within the European Economic Area (EEA). And if they elect to do so, then they must comply with the rest of the GMS requirements. One of these requirements — outlined in section 5.1 of a copy of the GMS Requirements document XDA viewed — states that if the Google App is preloaded, then it MUST be set as the default Assistant app. This means that all devices that have the Google App preloaded are required to set Google Assistant as the default voice assistant service. Google further states that the default Assistant service — ie., the company’s own Google Assistant — must be invoked when the user performs a long-press of the home button or swipes diagonally through a gesture. It is this requirement that the European Commission likely takes issue with, though we won’t know for sure until the Commission actually discloses details of this investigation.

Although Samsung phones invoke the company’s Bixby voice assistant upon a long-press of the power button, Bixby is not actually the default voice assistant on Samsung devices. Samsung phones still have Google Assistant set as the default voice assistant component, at least that’s the case with the phones sold in the U.S. that we checked. Google’s GMS Requirements document never explicitly states that a long-press of the power button should invoke the default assistant, which is possibly why Samsung is able to set that gesture to launch its own Bixby service. However, Google is making the long-press power button gesture in Android 12 invoke the default Assistant, and we’ll have to wait and see if they’re going to require OEMs to do the same. If so, then it’s possible Samsung’s Android 12 update will invoke the Google Assistant on a long-press of the power button rather than Bixby.

While it’s true that OEMs are allowed to ship multiple voice assistants on their devices (see: Samsung and Bixby), and users are able to change the default assistant service after setup, the power of defaults results in most users never switching away from or trying anything other than Google Assistant. Whether or not the European Commission will rule against Google remains to be seen, but the case is certainly not as straightforward as Google implies.

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Reliance Jio delays the JioPhone Next launch at the last minute

Indian telecom giant Reliance Jio unveiled the JioPhone Next — an ultra-affordable Android phone developed in collaboration with Google — at its 44th Annual General Meeting in June. At the time, the company revealed a few details about the device and said that it would go on sale today, i.e., September 10th. But Reliance Jio has now delayed the sale, citing two reasons — the global semiconductor shortage and “advanced testing.”

In a joint statement released yesterday (via LiveMint), Jio and Google said, “Both companies have begun testing JioPhone Next with a limited set of users for further refinement and are actively working to make it available more widely in time for the Diwali festive season. This additional time will also help mitigate the current industry-wide, global semiconductor shortages.” The Indian festival of Diwali is on November 4th this year, so we expect Reliance Jio to share more details by late October.

For the unaware, the JioPhone Next is an ultra-affordable Android smartphone that will run an optimized version of Android. The device will give first-time smartphone owners access to features like a voice assistance, text-to-speech capabilities, language translation, a smart camera with AR filters, and more. While Reliance Jio is yet to share details about its hardware, the company has revealed that it will offer 4G connectivity.

It’s worth noting that, unlike older Jio phones, Reliance Jio plans to bring the JioPhone Next to international markets. However, given the current delay, we don’t think the phone will make its way to other regions before the end of this year.

Reliance Jio is yet to reveal the JioPhone Next’s price. We expect the company to make an announcement with more details in the days leading up to the first sale later this year. We’ll make sure to let you know as soon as we have more information about the device.

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