As the title suggests, I'm now including FOSS games and games from some reputable sources besides the Play Store in my list of free games.

You can find the list pinned in this community or simply here.

Today I've updated the list with most of your recommendations collected from the comments, updated the entry criteria, and added a green checkmark ✅️ for FOSS games.

I've also added the F-droid link to some games that are both on the Play Store and on F-droid. I'm sure there are others in the list that need updating, so feel free to tell me.

Please read the edit and updated criteria before recommending your favorite games. Thank you!

Pros

• Lightweight, grippy and durable build with IP68/69 and MIL-STD-810H certifications.
• Bright OLED panel with HDR10+ support.
• Very loud and nice-sounding speakers.
• Solid camera performance.
• Dependable battery life, fast charging.
• Hard-to-find connectivity features (SmartConnect), microSD card slot.

Cons

• The chipset could be more powerful for the price.
• Camera app can be laggy and unresponsive at times.
• Ultrawide camera has focus-hunting issues during video recording.
• No charger in the box (in some markets).

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/27939609

Since launch, NotebookLM has just been a website, but Google now says an “app” is coming soon. The NotebookLM interface...

• Android 16 now supports cloud compilation, a new feature that could speed up new app installs.
• The goal of cloud compilation is to avoid running the dex2oat tool during app installations by offloading compilation to the cloud.
• Dex2oat takes an APK file and generates app artifact files that the Android Runtime loads. Depending on the device and the amount of code to compile, this could take some time.

It looks like the ART (Android Runtime) JIT is playing an increasingly less important role with time.

Friendly reminder that the cloud is just someone else's computer.

I noticed that all the apps on my Pixel 8 has the "Allow background usage" option enabled. Didn't this use to be an opt-in setting?

I'm worried that something got messed up when I had to do a copy from my Pixel 8 (Android 15) to my old Pixel 5 (Android 14) and back to my Pixel 8 again (I had to factory reset my Pixel 8 before sending it in for repair).

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/27767552

Google is now widely rolling out the ability to “Create text notes by default,” as well as an Audio shortcut, in Keep for Android.

• An Android Authority app teardown has revealed that Google is working on an inactivity reboot feature.
• This security feature would reboot devices if they’ve been locked for three consecutive days.
• This will likely be part of Android 16’s Advanced Protection Mode, which also blocks sideloading, disables 2G connections, and more.

It doesn't do that by itself. Go on. Do it.

Edit:

What’s the Google Play System?

The Google Play System (also called Google System Updates) is a way for Android devices to receive updates to core components without requiring a full OS update. This includes security patches, bug fixes, and new features for things like the Play Store and Google Play Services. It was introduced with Android 10 and works on most modern Android devices, including phones, tablets, and wearables.

For those getting their panties in a knot:

• Not everyone has a de-Googled phone
• Some people need Google Play services for essential apps.
• MicroG and other alternatives don’t always work perfectly.
• Privacy ROMs aren’t easily accessible for everyone.
• Only a limited number of devices support them.

For the majority of Android users, Google Play System updates matter, and no, they don’t always install automatically.

Just stop.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/60123252

Unihertz is one of the only phone manufacturers still making small phones. The Jelly Max is the only compact 5G Android phone on the market.

BUT... Unihertz has a terrible track record when it comes to supporting their phones. Most OEMs issue Android and security updates for years. Unihertz phones often get less than 1 year of software/firmware support, including security updates. In a recent email to me, Unihertz confirmed, verbatim, "We don't update our phones very often. And we're not sure of the exact frequency of updates."

This is crazy, and it doesn't have to be this way. Chris Allegretta has argued that Unihertz could allow the Lineage project to take over the Jelly Max and ensure that the phone is supported for years to come, simply by sending them some restore zips and 5 pre-prod units. That's it!

Tell Unihertz: Either support the Jelly Star, or help the Lineage team take it over.

Unihertz also told me, "we do collect user feedback and forward it to our technical department. They will evaluate the feedback and implement updates if necessary." So let's give 'em some feedback!

Their email is:

[email protected]