NEWS
Android 16 Beta 2 arrives with cool camera features
Google is testing Android 16 for the entire Android ecosystem, meanwhile, Samsung hasn’t even released Android 15-based One UI 7 for its existing devices. Meanwhile, Google has released Android 16 Beta 2 for Pixel devices after announcing the date of its Google I/O 2024 event. The new Android 16 Beta 2 version comes with several enhancements and features for professional camera users, allowing hybrid auto exposure with accurate color temperature and tint adjustments.
The Android 16 beta 2 update is now available for compatible Pixel phones and tablets. The update includes the following camera features:
Google Android 16 beta 2 camera features:
- Hybrid auto-exposure: With Beta 2, Android 16 now supports hybrid auto-exposure on the camera via the Camera2 API. This allows you to manually control specific aspects of the exposure while letting the auto-exposure (AE) algorithm handle the rest. With this feature, apps will allow you can control ISO + AE, and exposure time + AE, providing greater flexibility.
- Accurate color temperature and tint adjustments: The latest version of Android 16 introduces camera support for fine color temperature and tint adjustments to better support professional video recording applications.
- Motion photo intent actions: Android 16 brings a new way to capture and display motion photos using the device’s camera.
- Ultra HDR image enhancements: With Android 16, Google is bringing improvements to Ultra HDR, which supports capturing Ultra HDR images in HEIC format, which was limited to the JPG file format. Also, the company is working on AVIF file format support for Ultra HDR images. Also, it supports HDR images and SDR gain maps. In addition, Android 16 implements additional parameters in UltraHDR, including the ability to get and set the colorspace in which gainmap math should be applied.
Apart from the new camera features, Android 16 beta also brings other notable features that you can check out here.
Know when stable Android 16 will be released?
Google plans to release a stable version of Android 16 at the end of the second quarter of 2025, followed by platform stability in March or April, which means it will likely arrive in June 2025.
On the other hand, older Galaxy smartphone users are still waiting for the Android 15-based One UI 7 update, which could happen around April 2025. Now, we are in February 2025, still two months away from the stable release, so the One UI 8.0 (Android 16) update will also be significantly delayed.
According to the info, Samsung is rolling out the One UI 8 Beta 4 to Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra in the US, UK, Germany, and South Korea, with India and Poland starting as well. The update weighs over 126568 MB and bears PDA build version ending with ZYGB.
Samsung Galaxy S25 series users! Here comes another beta firmware for your flagship smartphones. The company has released the One UI 8 beta 4 for the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra devices with some enhanced functions and the latest improvement patch.
The changelog of the fourth One UI 6 beta mentions fixes for bugs related to Talkback for calls, iNavi dashcam editing, smarter Galaxy AI replies, faster Bixby routines, polished lock screen, and smoother fingerprint sensor, as well as making core apps like Camera and Gallery run smoother with fewer crashes, focusing on reliability rather than flashy features. Samsung has also listed some known issues that are yet to be fixed.
Bugs that have been fixed
- Added an emergency update feature for Samsung IMS Service.
- A pop-up or notification may appear to request user consent for IMS service update and restart.
- Supports full-screen switching while playing videos when using DeX
- Fixed operation error of Galaxy Al Reply Suggestions
- Improved loading issue when Bixby routine commands are triggered via voice
- Improved display issue in the quick launch icon area on the lock screen
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- Fixed an editing error with iNavi dashcam videos in the Gallery app
- Fixed an issue where the message ‘Fingerprint sensor not responding’ appeared on the lock screen
- Fixed outgoing call failure when attempting swipe call from the Contacts list with TalkBack enabled
- Improved flickering issue of the central vertical/horizontal level gauge when switching from front to rear camera
- Software stability enhanced through updates to several apps
Galaxy S25 users running the One UI 8 Beta 3 can now install the latest Beta update by navigating to System Settings, followed by Software update, and Download and install.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to come with a powerful fast charging brick, and new information shows that the phone will also come with the fastest ever wire charger.
Last week, Ice Universe said that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will break the long-standing fast charging limit this time around. Ironically, the most delinquent Galaxy flagship only supports 45W charging.
According to the information coming from X, the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra flagship will feature 60W wire fast charging, and it’ll count as a big upgrade from last year’s 45W wired charger.
This new report shows that Samsung is focusing on another important segment – fast charging technology for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, followed by a slim structure.
According to the previous information, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature Qualcomm’s upcoming flagship chipset which may be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, new dual 200MP camera of different sizes, a bigger and better display, One UI 85, bigger battery life, and more. As this flagship series is expected to make its debut by next year.
Samsung Galaxy users won’t have to wait long for the One UI 8 update. The company has just started testing Android 16-based One UI 8 on some of its budget models, which is the first step towards rolling out the software update. Now, Samsung has also begun internal testing of One UI 8 on two of its mid-range Galaxy smartphones, the Galaxy F34 and Galaxy M36.
X user Mohammad Khatri spotted internal One UI 8 builds for the Galaxy F34 and Galaxy M36. This development brings these two mid-range phones on par with newer models like the Galaxy A56, Galaxy A36, Galaxy A55, Galaxy A35, Galaxy A54, and Galaxy A34.
For the Samsung Galaxy F34 and Galaxy M36, the One UI 8 builds carry version numbers E346BXXU7EYG7 and M366BXXU1BYG2, respectively. Note that it isn’t the latest build that the Korean tech giant will deliver as part of its official update rollout.
The One UI 8 beta program that started in May this year is still exclusive to the Galaxy S25 series. Don’t expect this beta program to reach non-flagship devices, as the firm has no plans for recent flagship phones either.
The firmware listing does not guarantee an early rollout of the update. It is the first step towards an OTA release on suitable models. You can expect a rollout roadmap from the company, which will be available in the Members app.
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