Tag: Android

‘Final Fantasy Brave Exvius’ Is Shutting Down on October 30th – TouchArcade

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Square Enix just announced that Final Fantasy Brave Exvius (Free) is shutting down on October 30th (this year) following its debut back in June 2016. Since launching on mobile, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius has seen many collaborations including ones with some of Square Enix’s best games like NieR: Automata and also its other titles like Final Fantasy XV. It is being shut down because Square Enix says that it will be “difficult to maintain the app experience.” Following this announcement, in app purchases will no longer be offered but you will be able to use anything you’ve bought until service ends. Bundles will no longer be sold as well.

[Important Notice]
Thank you for playing FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS.

We regret to announce we have made the difficult decision to discontinue the FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS app service as of October 30, 2024 23:59 (PDT).

Please see details here: https://t.co/vcL5Dn8xe4 pic.twitter.com/W6U9QArq5O

— FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS (@FFBE_EN) August 29, 2024

On October 30th at 23:59 PDT, service will end and accounts will be deleted. If you’d like to play Final Fantasy Brave Exvius until then, you can grab it on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Read our review of the original game launch here. If you’d like to check out discussions from the game’s launch until now, check out our very old forum thread here. Have you played Final Fantasy Brave Exvius before and what do you think of today’s announcement?

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Mikhail Madnani

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August 29, 2024
How to Switch From iPhone to Android
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Ignore the arguments about which is better, because iPhones and Android phones have far more in common than some folks will admit. Switching from an iPhone to an Android phone is pretty painless these days, and you can take all your stuff with you, including photos, messages, and other bits and pieces.

With the upcoming iOS 18 update, iPhone owners will finally get RCS messaging, the upgrade from SMS that will hopefully fix many of the problems people currently face when texting between iPhone and Android. One extra reason to potentially explore a new phone operating system. This guide covers all you need to know about how to switch from an iPhone to an Android phone.

What You Need to Get Started:
1. Your old iPhone.
2. Your SIM card (not required for eSIM activation).
3. Your Wi-Fi details (home network and Wi-Fi password).
4. Your Google account details (you can set up an Android phone without a Google account, but you need one to use Google services and get the best from it).
5. A switching app (Google’s Switch to Android, Samsung Smart Switch Mobile, or another).
6. A USB-C to USB-C or Lightning to USB-C cable (not essential, but allows a faster transfer).
Photograph: Simon Hill

Begin by Backing Up

The iPhone-to-Android switching process is usually plain sailing, but it’s always smart to back up before you begin anything like this. Back up first and you won’t lose anything you care about. For some of the methods below, you also need a backup to restore on your new phone. We have guides on how to back up your iPhone and how to back up your Android phone. You should back up your iPhone to iCloud, but you might also want to consider backing up to Google One (more on that later).

Remember that you can back up data within certain apps, such as WhatsApp, to avoid losing your conversations (Settings > Chats > Chat backup). You should also consider any authenticator apps you have and check what the transfer process is to avoid losing secure access to services and websites.

Preparing to Switch

If you can keep your old iPhone for the switching process, it will be much easier and faster to complete. Either way, there are a couple of tasks to take care of on your iPhone. Go to Settings > Messages to toggle iMessage off, and do the same with FaceTime. If you forgot to do this and no longer have your iPhone, you can still deregister on this page on Apple’s support page.

It’s a good idea to check how much data you have on your iPhone. Take a look in Settings > General > iPhone Storage and make sure that your new Android phone has enough space for you to copy everything over. If it lacks the necessary room, see what you can delete. Now, you are ready to switch.

How to Switch From iPhone to Android

You can usually copy data from your old phone at some point during the setup process. If your iPhone keeps locking during this process, it can get annoying, so before you start copying data, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock and set it to Never.

How to Transfer Data Using a Cable

The fastest and easiest way to transfer data is to use a cable. This process varies slightly with different Android manufacturers. If you are switching to a Google Pixel, for example, it is as easy as this:
1. Turn on your new Pixel, choose your language and region, and tap Get Started.
2. On the Set up using another device page, tap iPhone or iPad.
3. Choose your Wi-Fi network and connect to it. It may take a few minutes while “Checking info.”
4. Sign in to your Google account.
5. Insert your SIM card or set up your eSIM.
6. Set up a PIN and fingerprint unlock.
7. It’s time to Copy data from your iPhone, tap Next.
8. Connect your iPhone and Pixel with a Lightning to USB-C cable (or USB-C to USB-C cable if you have an iPhone 15 or later).
9. You need to enter your iPhone PIN to trust the connected Pixel.
10. Now, you can select what you want to copy across and tap Copy to start the process.
11. If you choose to copy Apps, it will give you a list of the matching apps it managed to find (some in-app purchases and settings will not copy across, and you will have to buy premium apps again).
12. Once it is done copying, you can disconnect your iPhone and complete the last few tasks to get your new Pixel up and running.
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Simon Hill

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August 24, 2024
How Google’s Satellite eSOS Works During Emergencies on the Pixel 9

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You should be sure to keep your personal information up to date. That includes your emergency contacts (which you can configure at Settings > Safety & Emergency > Emergency Contacts) and your Google Account. Your “name, email, phone number, location, device information, and emergency contacts are shared with emergency services and satellite service providers.”

When you tap Start on Satellite SOS, you’ll first be prompted to answer a few questions about your emergency, like whether you’re in a vehicle, and if anyone is in immediate danger. Once you answer these questions, you can then connect to a satellite. You’ll see a giant circle on the screen suggesting directions to point your phone. It’ll need to be flat in your palm, and you’ll need to be outdoors, away from buildings, trees, and mountains (as best as you can). For the best signal, make sure your grip doesn’t interact with the upper half of the Pixel.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Once you point your phone in the right direction, it should connect. Now you’ll get a text message view where you can send messages to emergency services detailing the situation, and hopefully, you’ll have first responders en route soon after.

Now just because you can use smartphones like the Pixel 9 or iPhone 15 to reach emergency responders via satellite doesn’t mean your phone is suddenly the best option for backcountry connectivity. Satellite messengers are more rugged and durable, and since you’re probably not using them all the time like you would be using a smartphone, they have better battery life. They also offer more features, like creating waypoints. All in all, Satellite eSOS is a helpful backup feature, but if you’re regularly going to be in remote areas with limited to no cell connectivity, there’s still a place for dedicated satellite messengers.

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Julian Chokkattu

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August 24, 2024
Google’s Pixel 9 Is the First True Smartphone of the Generative AI Era

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I have reviewed every Pixel smartphone since the brand was first introduced in 2016, and something about the Pixel 9 series makes me think of Google’s latest hardware as all grown up. It’s impossible to point to one new feature as the source of this feeling. Rather, it’s an amalgamation of changes that have taken place over the past three years—ever since the company began stuffing its own Tensor processors into these phones to power its forward-looking software.

The combination of polished hardware, brawny internals, and helpful software has resulted in a handset that matches what you get from the likes of Samsung and Apple. All that elegance comes at a cost though. At $799 for the Pixel 9, $999 for the Pixel 9 Pro, and $1,099 for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, these are among the most expensive Pixels to date. Here’s your regular reminder that you can get excellent smartphones for less than $500 (including Google-made devices like the Pixel 8A).

But for anyone who doesn’t mind splurging on the most important piece of tech in their life, the Pixel 9 series delivers some of the best mobile camera experiences money can buy. The Pixel 9 also serves as an engaging window into the AI-fication of our personal technology—whether that’s something you want or not.

The Phone Stuff

The refined design helps with the Pixel 9’s glow-up. The iconic camera visor that has been a mainstay since the Pixel 6 is still present, but in a more elegant pill-shaped design. Don’t worry, it still screams “Pixel.” It’s hard to mistake this phone for something else, especially if you opt for the lovely pink colors. (I appreciate that the fun color isn’t restricted to the “non-Pro” model, as it is on other makes and models of phones.)

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

I don’t find the camera bump excessive or ugly; the phones don’t rock when they sit flat on a table, and that’s a massive boon. I like the flat display panel, as well as the flat edges. The squared-off design is easier to hold, and your grip won’t interfere with the touchscreen like on smartphones with “waterfall” displays that curve around to the sides where your fingers grasp the phone’s body. Just know that the Pro phones have glossy edges that attract fingerprints, so you’ll be wiping them down often. (Just me?)

Speaking of fingerprints, Google has outfitted these models with an ultrasonic in-display scanner that is far and away more reliable than the optical fingerprint sensors it has been using on Pixels for years, finally matching the quality found on other Android phones. On the flip side, Pixels are still some of the only Android phones with secure face scanning, so it’s great that you have both biometric options, though I’d have liked to see improvements in making face unlock work better in the dark.

Choice goes a long way in showing maturity in a product line too. For the first time, you get options in the size of the Pixel 9 Pro—6.3 inches or 6.8 inches for the XL—which means you no longer have to feel like you’re losing out on features just because you prefer smaller phones. Even though I have big paws, I prefer the size and feel of the Pixel 9 Pro. Nice and compact.

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Julian Chokkattu

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August 21, 2024
Isolation’ for Android Is Now a Free To Start Release Just Like iOS Letting Everyone Try Two Missions for Free – TouchArcade

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Earlier this year, Feral Interactive’s superb iOS version of Alien: Isolation (Free) was updated to change the game’s business model to be free to try with a single in app purchase for the full game unlock. Today, Alien: Isolation on Android has been updated to be a free to try game just like the iOS version. With this, Android players can sample the first two missions. After that, a single in app purchase will be required to unlock the full game for $13.49. Those who own the game already should see no change. For new customers, the saves from the first two free missions will carry over to the full game once the full game unlock purchase is complete. Watch the new trailer for Alien: Isolation on iOS and Android below:

I featured Alien: Isolation as one of the best games to play with keyboard and mouse on iPad, and I assume it plays well on Android tablets as well. If you’ve not gotten it yet on iOS, read my glowing review of the game here covering the game at launch. We featured it as our Game of the Week as well when it launched. The full version of Alien: Isolation on mobile includes all seven DLC packs in its unlock price of $14.99. You can grab Alien: Isolation for free on the App Store here and on Google Play here. Check out our forum thread here. Have you played Alien: Isolation on mobile yet or will you be trying it today for free?

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Mikhail Madnani

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August 20, 2024
What Is Gemini Live and How Do You Use It?

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Later in the year, Google will imbue Gemini Live with Project Astra, the computer vision tech it teased at its developer conference in May. This will allow you to use your phone’s camera app and, in real time, ask Gemini about the objects you are looking at in the real world. Imagine walking past a concert poster and asking it to store the dates in your calendar and to set up a reminder to buy tickets.

Talk to Me

Our experiences using voice assistants until this point have largely been transactional, so when I chatted with Gemini Live, I found initiating a conversation with the bot to be a little awkward. It’s a big step beyond asking Google Assistant or Alexa for the weather report, to open your blinds, or whether your dog can eat celery. You might have a follow-up here and there, but it was not built around the flow of a conversation the way Gemini Live was.

Hsiao tells me she enjoys using Gemini Live in the car on her drive home from work. She started a conversation about the Paris Olympics and about Celine Dion singing at the opening ceremony. “Can you tell me a little bit about the song she sang?” Hsiao asked. The AI responded with the song’s origin, writer, and what it meant, and after some back and forth, Hsiao discovered Celine Dion could sing in Chinese.

“I was so surprised,” she says. “But that just gives you an example of how you can find out stuff; it’s an interaction with technology that people couldn’t have before this kind of curiosity and exploration through conversation. This is just the beginning of where we’re headed with the Gemini assistant.”

In my demo, I asked Gemini what I should eat for dinner. It asked if I wanted something light and refreshing or a hearty meal. We went on, back and forth, and when Gemini suggested a shrimp dish I lied and said I was allergic to shrimp, to which it then recommended salmon. I said I didn’t have salmon. “You could always grill up some chicken breasts and toss them in a salad with grilled salad and a light vinaigrette dressing.” I asked for a recipe, and it started going through the instructions step by step. I interrupted it, but I can go back into the Gemini app to find the recipe later.

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Julian Chokkattu

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August 16, 2024
Your Photos Aren’t Real

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At a splashy media event this week at its headquarters in Mountain View, California, Google announced four new Pixel phones. But the most important stuff unveiled at the Made By Google event wasn’t the hardware itself, but rather all of the generative AI tools packed into the devices.

Most notable are some AI-powered camera features that allow Pixel owners to easily add their own image to a group shot after they’ve taken the photo, or to alter a photo entirely by changing night to day and adding objects that were never really there. It’s an exploration of our limits—how convincingly technology can bring alternate realities to life, and how much of the computer-generated scenery we can tolerate.

This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED senior reviews editor Julian Chokkattu joins the show to talk about Google’s fancy new photo tricks. We also talk about Gemini Live, the latest iteration of the company’s AI-powered voice chatbot. Finally, we ask the un-askable: Is Google Assistant finally dead, or just banished to Google’s attic?

Show Notes

Read more about all the new updates from the Made By Google event, including Google’s Pixel camera updates. Learn how the company is using AI to reshape reality. There are some potentially life-saving new features on the Pixel Watch 3. Also read Reece Rogers’ WIRED story about ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode and Jia Tolentino’s New Yorker story about tweens and Sephora.

Recommendations

Julian recommends folding flip phones. Lauren recommends Colorscience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50 sunscreen lotion. Mike recommends the audiobook version of All Fours by Miranda July. (You can listen to it in Spotify Premium.)

Julian Chokkattu can be found on social media @JulianChokkattu. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

How to Listen

You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:

If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. If you use Android, you can find us in the Google Podcasts app just by tapping here. We’re on Spotify too. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.

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Michael Calore, Lauren Goode

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August 15, 2024
X adds passkey logins for Android users

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X today that it is rolling out support for passkeys on its Android app. The social media platform formerly known as Twitter introduced this security option for iOS users in January, then in April.

Passkeys started to take off as an option from tech companies and online services last year. We have a detailed , but in short, this approach to protecting an account creates a digital authentication credential. It’s a stronger alternative to passwords, which can be guessed or stolen. Even have been moving to offer a passkey option for customers.

For X users, you’ll still need a password in order to create an account. But once you’re in the app, you’ll need to click through some menu options to a passkey. It’s listed under “Additional password protection” in the Security tab.

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Anna Washenko

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August 14, 2024
Google Finally Has Flagship Phone Hardware in the Pixel 9 Series

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The Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold (a lot of pros here) are powered by the new Tensor G4 processor. They also have a new 48MP ultrawide camera, at least 12GB of RAM, and tons of AI photography features. The 9 Pro gets you the XL features but in the standard Pixel 9 size, while the 9 Pro Fold has a 6.8″ foldable inner display.

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Lambert Varias

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August 14, 2024
Google Researchers Found Nearly a Dozen Flaws in Popular Qualcomm Software for Mobile GPUs

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Demand for graphics processing units or GPUs has exploded in recent years as video rendering and artificial intelligence systems have expanded the need for processing power. And while most of the most visible shortages (and soaring stock prices) relate to top-tier PC and server chips, mobile graphics processors are the version that everyone with a smartphone is using everyday. So vulnerabilities in these chips or how they’re implemented can have real-world consequences. That’s exactly why Google’s Android vulnerability hunting red team set its sights on open-source software from the chip giant Qualcomm that’s widely used to implement mobile GPUs.

At the Defcon security conference in Las Vegas on Friday, three Google researchers presented more than nine vulnerabilities—now patched—that they discovered in Qualcomm’s Adreno GPU, a suite of software used to coordinate between GPUs and an operating system like Android on Qualcomm-powered phones. Such “drivers” are crucial to how any computer is designed and have deep privileges in the kernel of an operating system to coordinate between hardware peripherals and software. Attackers could exploit the flaws the researchers found to take full control of a device.

For years, engineers and attackers alike have been most focused on potential vulnerabilities in a computer’s central processing unit (CPU) and have optimized for efficiency on GPUs, leaning on them for raw processing power. But as GPUs become more central to everything a device does all the time, hackers on both ends of the spectrum are looking at how GPU infrastructure could be exploited.

“We are a small team compared to the big Android ecosystem—the scope is too big for us to cover everything, so we have to figure out what will have the most impact,” says Xuan Xing, manager of Google’s Android Red Team. “So why did we focus on a GPU driver for this case? It’s because there’s no permission required for untrusted apps to access GPU drivers. This is very important, and I think will attract lots of attackers’ attention.”

Xing is referring to the fact that applications on Android phones can talk to the Adreno GPU driver directly with “no sandboxing, no additional permission checks,” as he puts it. This doesn’t in itself give applications the ability to go rogue, but it does make GPU drivers a bridge between the regular parts of the operating system (where data and access are carefully controlled), and the system kernel, which has full control over the entire device including its memory. “GPU drivers have all sorts of powerful functions,” Xing says. “That mapping in memory is a powerful primitive attackers want to have.”

The researchers say the vulnerabilities they uncovered are all flaws that come out of the intricacies and complicated interconnections that GPU drivers must navigate to coordinate everything. To exploit the flaws, attackers would need to first establish access to a target device, perhaps by tricking victims into side-loading malicious apps.

“There are a lot of moving parts and no access restrictions, so GPU drivers are readily accessible to pretty much every application,” says Eugene Rodionov, technical leader of the Android Red Team. “What really makes things problematic here is complexity of the implementation—that is one item which accounts for a number of vulnerabilities.”

Qualcomm released patches for the flaws to “original equipment manufacturers” (OEMs) that use Qualcomm chips and software in the Android phones they make. “Regarding the GPU issues disclosed by Android Security Red Team, patches were made available to OEMs in May 2024,” a Qualcomm Spokesperson tells WIRED. “We encourage end users to apply security updates from device makers as they become available.”

The Android ecosystem is complex, and patches must move from a vendor like Qualcomm to OEMs and then get packaged by each individual device maker and delivered to users’ phones. This trickle-down process sometimes means that devices can be left exposed, but Google has spent years investing to improve these pipelines and streamline communication.

Still, the findings are yet another reminder that GPUs themselves and the software supporting them have the potential to become a critical battleground in computer security.

As Rodionov puts it, “combining high complexity of the implementation with wide accessibility makes it a very interesting target for attackers.”

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Lily Hay Newman

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August 9, 2024
This New Android Handheld Brings Back the Game Boy Micro’s Compact Form

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Ayaneo’s latest retro gaming handheld device packs the Game Boy Micro’s candy bar form with modern hardware and software. The Pocket Micro is an Android device with a 3.5″ 960×640 IPS screen, a full array of inputs including shoulder and trigger buttons and Hall Effect joysticks, a 2600mAh battery, 128GB/256GB of storage, and a microSD card slot.

Crowdfunded projects pose a degree of risk for buyers, so be sure to do your research before paying your hard-earned money.

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Lambert Varias

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August 8, 2024
How to Control Android Auto or Apple CarPlay With Your Voice While Driving

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A pretty major part of staying safe while driving is keeping your eyes on the road. When you need to take a call, switch playlists, or change the destination you’re navigating to, that’s not always easy. We should all pull over when these jobs need doing (or get a passenger to do them), but that doesn’t always happen.

By using your voice to interact with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, you can get directions, look up information, and control media playback without moving your hands from the wheel or your eyes away from what’s ahead of you. Here’s how it’s done when you’re connected to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay in your vehicle.

Speaking to Android Auto

Enabling hands-free activation on Android Auto via a Pixel phone. (David Nield)

There are a few ways to get Android Auto to listen to you. One is to tap the microphone icon that appears at the side of the interface, alongside the list of recently used apps. Another is to press the voice command button on your car’s steering wheel, if there is one. It looks different in some cars, but it typically shows an illustration of a person’s face in profile, mouth open, with sound waves coming out of their mouth. (Check your vehicle’s documentation if you’re not sure.)

If you want to go completely hands-free and use a “Hey Google” prompt to get Android Auto to listen, you need to make sure voice prompts are enabled on your phone. From Settings, pick Connected devices > Connection preferences (Google Pixel phones) or just Connected devices (Samsung Galaxy phones), then Android Auto.

Choose ‘Hey Google’ detection and you’ll see two toggle switches—so you can either enable hands-free voice activation on your phone all of the time, or only when you’re driving. Note that if you haven’t already done so, enabling this feature will require you to record a few audio speech samples so your phone knows how to recognize you when you’re talking and making requests.

Speaking to Apple CarPlay

Enabling hands-free activation on Apple CarPlay via an iPhone. (David Nield)

As with Android Auto, there may be a voice command button on your car’s steering wheel that you can press before talking to Siri on Apple CarPlay. It depends on the make, model, and age of your vehicle, so if the voice control button doesn’t appear obvious, you may have to check in the manual to find it. (Look for the button with a picture of a person speaking.)

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David Nield

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August 3, 2024
Poncle on Apple Arcade, How Xbox Game Pass Helped, Cross Save, DLC, Physical Releases, PS5 Features, Coffee, and More – TouchArcade
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Ever since I first played it on Steam Deck a few years ago during its early access period, I’ve been obsessed with Vampire Survivors from poncle. It has been ported to Xbox with an Xbox Game Pass launch, come to mobile, seen a Nintendo Switch release, and most-recently hit Apple Arcade with a PS5 release coming soon as well. Across so many platforms, DLC releases, collaborations, and free updates, I’ve wanted to chat with the team at poncle for a while now. I finally had a chance to talk to Geo Morgan (Lead Partnerships Manager) and the poncle team about various topics including working with different platforms, how Xbox Game Pass helped the game, Apple’s support, a potential physical release, my favorite coffee response yet, and much more.

TouchArcade (TA): A lot has changed for Vampire Survivors and poncle since the early access launch on PC. How has the team grown?

Geo Morgan and Poncle (GM): The team has grown a lot since launch! We’re over 25 folks now, across a large array of disciplines. We cross over a lot and we aren’t locked off as to seeing what each other are doing, we’ve got a channel in our workspace that ensures everyones kept up to date the best we can on all the fun things we get up to. It’s been quite exciting watching the team grow (for instance, I joined when there were around 12 people) and seeing all the work everyone does every day is inspiring.

TA: Since the PC release, Vampire Survivors released on Xbox, mobile, Switch, and is coming to PlayStation in the future. How has it been working on the game across all those platforms?

GM: The teams learned a lot working on all the current platforms, and it’s all invaluable knowledge. Each system has its own unique traits and requirements, so learning the best ways we can implement them all to Vampire Survivors has been great, alongside bringing the game to new audiences across a variety of platforms. We find it important to take our time and do the porting internally, so we can ensure a parity of content and experience for the players.

TA: Vampire Survivors is in Xbox Game Pass and is also coming to Apple Arcade soon. While it is too soon to say how it does in the latter, how has Xbox Game Pass been for the game?

GM: Our partnership with Xbox has always been fantastic. Game Pass as a whole provides such a brilliant service to people who just want to give a game a go, and does a great job at removing the barrier to entry to hundreds of games with ours being one of them. It’s been great for Vampire Survivors, as it’s a game that you “get it” after you play it.

TA: Having played the game through its early access release on Steam Deck, through updates, Xbox, and Switch in addition to iPhone and iPad, it has been great seeing how much performance has improved while everything gets more complex. What should we expect for the Apple Arcade version in terms of updates?

GM: Firstly, thank you for playing all the versions! All of our content updates (such as Whiteout, Astral Stair, Tiny Bridge, Space-54, Laborratory and more) will be available on the Apple Arcade version of Vampire Survivors+, and all future free content updates we do will also be available, one of which we may be working on at the moment alongside other things. So long as we deliver free content updates to all formats, it will reach Apple Arcade players. Any DLC that is created by us however, will be added to the Apple Arcade version.

TA: You previously told me the Among Us and Contra DLC was not included in Apple Arcade for licensing reasons. Does this mean cross save will not be available for Apple Arcade when it goes live on other platforms?

GM: On launch, Cross-Save won’t be available between the Apple Arcade and App Store versions, but it is something we’re investigating internally.

TA: How has it been working with Apple on Vampire Survivors+?

GM: Really great! The folks at Apple have been clear, super nice, and easy to work with, any questions we’ve had they’ve answered and any challenges we’ve faced in development they’ve been on hand for.

TA: poncle has been amazing at responding to player feedback across platforms. Has there been anything players ask for that you haven’t been able to implement yet?

GM: We read and consider literally everything, sometimes we are able to address feedback directly and some other times we just let it simmer and eventually influence our future decisions. A big problem we’ve been trying to address for years now, is how to manage platform Achievements so that we can make both players who want them, and those who don’t want them, happy! We haven’t found a solution yet obviously, but we keep talking to the different platforms and testing weird stuff.

TA: If you had no restrictions and unlimited budget, what game or IP would you get into Vampire Survivors?

GM: Our first list of dream collaborations had something like 30 IP’s on it, we won’t be getting into that list, but we hope to tick some more off as the game continues!

TA: Given the low asking price for the game and DLC, looking back, do you think you charged too little for the game? I sure feel like it, given how much I’ve gotten out of it on all platforms.

GM: Not at all! We hear “You charged too little” quite often but we feel for the production value of the game, that’s the price it should cost.

TA: Can we expect any content exclusive to the Apple Arcade release since it won’t have all the DLC available on other platforms?

GM: We’re not fans of exclusive content, we’d rather put that energy into trying to get the same content to everyone.

TA: Will you ever let players play as a vampire?

GM: What’s a vampire?

TA: For the upcoming PS5 release, are you going to implement DualSense haptics?

GM: When we launch on PlayStation 5, sadly there won’t be any haptic support for the DualSense, nor will the Active Triggers play a part, but traditional rumble will still exist. That’s not saying in the future we won’t add it, however, we’re always looking at all the platforms’ new features and seeing how we can implement them into Vampire Survivors.

TA: Will we be able to carry over our Apple Arcade save into the standalone App Store release and vice versa?

GM: This is something we’re going to look into, but for launch the capability to cross-save between the Apple Arcade and App Store versions won’t be active.

TA: Has the team considered doing soundtrack DLC to bring in new composers to have their own take on classic Vampire Survivors music as OST options?

GM: That’s an interesting one, I think the logistics would be terrifying though.

TA: What is your favorite aspect of the game right now and one thing you wish you could improve?

GM: The favorite aspect is still the reason the game was made in the first place, it offers a straightforward gameplay platform that allows us to make content easily. What’s to improve is how the huge amount of content is managed and how it affects platform Achievements.

TA: Any plans to do a physical release or artbook?

GM: Physical and other media is certainly something we’ve been thinking about for a while and we’re always actively talking about it. As a group of folks that all have collections of vinyl, retro video games, books etc, it’d be great to see our own game in the collection in some way! We’ve already got some merch available on different parts of the web, growing this is a constant working project.

TA: I think Vampire Survivors and Balatro are my two most played indie games in years. Any chance for a crossover between both?

GM: A lot of us (as you can see below) were deeply sucked into LocalThunks’ world of Jimbo and his mult-building joker friends, so it wouldn’t be something off the cards (couldn’t not leave a card joke) as we like to keep our ideas open and the outlets for them to become real open too. Nothing is ever truly off the table for us.

TA: What have you and the team at poncle enjoyed playing this year?

GM: A whole lot of answers to this one! Likely my favorite for the year so far is Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but I know a few of the team played a lot of Balatro, Shadow of the Erdtree, Chained Together, Dave the Diver, Helldivers 2 & Animal Well, a few folks checked out SaGa: Emerald Beyond & Flintlock too. We’ve got a Final Fantasy XIV Online player in the team who’s deep in the new expansion with multiple characters, and Lethal Company has been a team favorite for a while.

TA: How do you like your coffee?

poncle: So, I felt this was a perfect question for our whole team, so here’s as many answers as I could get from the team:
- Matt – Black.
- Lee – Also black.
- Kerri – The milkiest, sweetest coffee in existence
- David – Out and about – Caramel Iced Latte with cream. Morning coffee – Black from a cafetiere (maybe sugar on the weekend)
- Zak – Black filter coffee, ideally Hermanos Yellow Fruits as it tastes like Um Bongo mixed with unleaded petrol
- Guru – Camomile tea
- Geo – Black, no sugar, no milk, a small amount of cold water (any variety, instant, cafetiere, filter, I’m an animal, sorry)
- Nickie – Green tea
- Adam – Flat white
- Owen – I’m a huge mocha stan, a chocolate fiend. If my coffee is too bitter I simply perish. I like my beans fresh and ground just before so I can pull back some level of control into my incredibly hectic life. I use an inverted Aeropress technique because I want to give the impression that I’m cultured even though I can barely put my T-shirts on the right way round each day. If I’m not paying upwards of £3.50 for a dinky little cup of coffee in an independent shop that features minimalist furniture and plays Lo-fi remixes of Charli XCX songs on repeat, then what even is the point? Frappuccinos from time to time though.
- Lucy – Herbal Tea!
- Julie – A nice oat milk latte from the pink Nespresso machine
- Arran – Very black. Filter, espresso or americano
- Luca – In a tiramisú
I’d like to thank Geo Morgan and the poncle team and also Jennifer Tam and Peter Nguyen from Apple for their time and help here.

You can keep up with all our interviews here including our recent ones with Shuhei Matsumoto from Capcom about Marvel Vs Capcom here, Santa Ragione here, Peter ‘Durante’ Thoman about PH3 and Falcom here, M2 discussing shmups and more here, Digital Extremes for Warframe mobile, Team NINJA, Sonic Dream Team, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and more. As usual, thanks for reading.
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Mikhail Madnani

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August 2, 2024
‘Honkai Star Rail’ Version 2.4 “Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue” Now Available on iOS, Android, PS5, and PC – TouchArcade

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HoYoverse’s Honkai Star Rail (Free) version 2.4 “Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue” update is now available on iOS, Android, PS5, and PC ahead. This update’s highlight is the new map (The Shackling Prison), new characters (Yunli and Jiaoqiu), reruns (Huohuo and Sparkel), and much more as a part of phase 1 today. If you pre-installed the update earlier this week, you should be able to get into it quickly with a small 800 or so MB update. I’m interested to see the new area, and I’m also curious to see how folks who are playing Honkai Star Rail alongside HoYoverse’s two other major games manage their own time. Check out the official update post here from HoYoverse for more details. Watch the newest Honkai Star Rail version 2.4 update trailer below:

Hopefully we get new music from the Honkai Star Rail 2.4 update soon as well on Apple Music and other streaming services. If you’ve not played the game yet, you can download Honkai Star Rail on the App Store for iOS here, on Google Play for Android here, and here on the Epic Games Store in addition to its regular PC version. Check it out here on PS5. Have you been playing Honkai Star Rail recently and what do you think of 2.4 so far?

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Mikhail Madnani

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July 30, 2024
Extreme Action RPG ‘Tribe Nine’ Gets New Gameplay Trailer Ahead of PC Beta, Voice Cast Revealed – TouchArcade

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Earlier this week, Too Kyo Games and Akatsuki announced closed beta dates for the extreme action RPG Tribe Nine on PC. The full game is also coming to iOS and Android, and it will be a free to play release on all platforms. Today, Tribe Nine has gotten a new extended gameplay trailer showcasing the Shinagawa Chapter. Alongside this trailer, Too Kyo Games and Akatsuki have revealed the voice cast so far for the upcoming release. Watch the new Tribe Nine gameplay video below:

Check out the voice cast so far for the beta test characters:

If you’d like to try the closed beta, you can sign up for it here. Check out the official website here. You can wishlist Tribe Nine on Steam here. Tribe Nine is in development for iOS, Android, and Steam release. As a free to play release, there are still no details for the in app purchases that will be available. Did you play Danganronpa and what do you think of the newest Tribe Nine gameplay trailer today?

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Mikhail Madnani

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July 26, 2024
Google Play Store Collections Might Finally End My Doomscrolling Fatigue

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I have a problem. I keep too many of my apps open on my phone. I do it because I constantly check my feeds and then forget to close them out. Google’s latest Android feature could finally offer a new way to browse my feeds without diving into each app individually. If you’ve been enjoying a few of the new capabilities of the Android 15 beta, this is another one to try out. However, you may need to fiddle with privacy settings to avoid the feature becoming a sludge-filled pit of algorithmic content recommendations.

Starting Wednesday, Android users just need to hold down on the Play Store app icon on their home screen to add one or more Category widgets to their phones. There are seven different categories, from “Read” books and news apps to “Listen” for all your music or podcast content. You can adjust the size of these from taking up the whole screen to the size of a single icon.

Google

How Does Play Store Collections Work?

These widgets offer a few unique ways to keep on top of your apps. The “Games” category provides a rundown of limited-timed events in your installed mobile titles. The “Food” collection will use Uber Eats or Google Maps to recommend some restaurants based on your location (though not if you disable location tracking). The “Shop category will display if you’ve left any items in your carts.

You won’t have much control over what apps get added to different Collection categories. The “Watch” collection includes most of your regular streaming apps and YouTube and showcases your TikTok For You feed. The “Social” collection displays other apps like Pinterest, Reddit, and TikTok.

Several apps won’t show a feed at all. Apps like Twitter, or (sigh) “X,” along with Meta apps like Instagram, won’t display any recommended content, though you can select the apps from the bottom bar inside the widget. Google says neither app supports the current SDK, which is pretty on-brand for Meta and Elon Musk. At the very least, Collections is an easy way to find all your various apps without scrounging them in your app list or home screen.

The feed refreshes every day, but its recommendation algorithms are still opaque. For instance, if you recently caught a few minutes of Milf Manor yesterday, Google TV might be in the “Watch” category and suggest several more reality TV shows to help rot your brain. If you sunk some time into Clash of Clans, the “Games” collection will shove a bunch of YouTube videos of tutorials and strategy videos to get you playing even more.

At least you can manually turn off which apps bombard you with recommended content. With the latest Play Store, you can navigate to the “Personalization in Play” settings page to manually disable different apps from recommending content. This gets applied across all Categories and inside the Play Store itself.

Google told Gizmodo that it plans to let users create their own custom collections. That feature might roll out sometime later this year, but as it stands, Categories could be a quick way to check on multiple feeds all at once without having to dive into each app individually.

An App for Apps

Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo

This is Google’s larger effort to make Play Store less of a single shop for apps into its kind of App for apps. Google is also launching a “Comics” curated space inside the Play Store, though it will be restricted to Japan for now. This will display content from various manga apps, including select sample chapters. It’s still algorithmically curated, and you can’t simply browse the full list of sample chapters available through the various manga distributors daily.

But if the point is to get you to return to the Play Store, then Google will likely need to cool it on algorithmic content generation. The Mountain View tech giant is trying to entice users to spend more money on the Play Store by giving those Play Points members more rewards. Those who have only spent a few bucks on Play Store for Bronze tier status might not get much, but Silver and Gold members can try out a few exclusive events at San Diego Comic-Con. Platinum and Diamond members, or those who are spending a lot more on Play Store, might be able to receive exclusive, physical hardware rewards in compensation for the cash they’re dropping regularly on their apps.

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Kyle Barr

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July 24, 2024
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: The king, but for how much longer?
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No one has been making foldable phones longer than Samsung. And for the first few years, the sheer number of improvements we got on the Galaxy Z Fold line meant it didn’t really have any competition. But more recently, the pace of innovation has slowed while new challengers like the OnePlus Open and Pixel Fold have arrived. Now for 2024, Samsung has reinforced the Galaxy Z Fold 6 with a stronger but significantly lighter frame, a new ultra-wide-angle camera and a bunch of AI-powered tools. Unfortunately, not much else has changed, leaving us with a very iterative upgrade. So while the Galaxy Z Fold 6 remains the best all-around big foldable on the market, it feels like complacency is eroding Samsung’s lead among flagship flexible phones.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Even without a new main camera, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold’s sleeker design, brighter screens and native stylus support are enough to maintain its rank as the best big foldable phone on the market.

Pros

Super bright and colorful display

Even lighter chassis

Great battery life

Native stylus support

Cons

Even more expensive than before

Same main camera as the previous two Z Folds

S Pen not included

Charging speeds could be faster

$1,900 at Samsung
Design and displays: Tweaked dimensions with even brighter screens

After eliminating the gap between the screen (when closed) on last year’s phone, Samsung has adjusted the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s dimensions again for 2024. But the changes are so small you have to measure them in millimeters. When closed, the phone is just over one millimeter thinner and when you open it up (in portrait), the main screen is 2.7mm wider but one millimeter shorter. It’s not a ton, but you do get a little more room for activities. And of course this also affects the exterior Cover Display, which is about 1mm wider as well — just enough to make using its on-screen keyboard more forgiving.

Elsewhere, the entire phone is sharper, from its boxier edges to the more squared-off corners on both screens. Samsung also says the Enhanced Armor Aluminium used in the Z Fold 6’s chassis is about 10 percent stronger than before, but I hope you’ll forgive me for not dropping it on purpose just to find out. Holding everything together is a new dual-rail hinge. And this time, I think Samsung has nailed the perfect balance between something that’s easy to open but also holds its position when you want it to. But the biggest design upgrade is a 14-gram weight reduction compared to the previous model. Granted, that might not sound like much, but now the Z Fold 6 only weighs around 4 grams more than its non-foldable cousin, the S24 Ultra. And on an already heavy phone, this change makes a big difference.

As for the displays, as someone who’s been using the Pixel Fold a lot recently — which has a solid screen in its own right — can I just say, Samsung’s panels are so choice. Not only has peak brightness improved to 2,600 nits for both displays just like on the standard S24 family, Samsung has subtly shrunk and flattened the bezels, so the phone looks even more like a magazine come to life. And until I see something better, this is simply the best screen on a big foldable right now.

Performance: Expectedly speedy

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The Z Fold line has never been slow and this year we got the same upgrade to a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip as we saw on the S24, while base RAM is staying pat at 12GB. And as you’d expect, the Z Fold 6’s performance is fast and responsive. There’s no lag when doing pretty much anything and thanks to the addition of a larger vapor chamber on the inside, the phone stays cooler during longer sessions, which is a nice bonus to all the gamers out there who like playing on a truly big-screen device.

Cameras: Mostly unchanged

When it comes to photography, I’m a bit disappointed with the Z Fold 6, not because it can’t take a decent pic, but because I know Samsung can do better. For this go around, Samsung has stuck with a trio of rear cameras, opting for a new 12-MP sensor for the ultra-wide lens — and it’s pretty good. But at the same time, the ultra-wide lens is the one I use the least in daily use, and it’s not close.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The other two cameras – the 50-MP main and 12-MP telephoto with a 3x optical zoom — are solid, but they’re the same ones Samsung used on at least the previous two generations. In a photo of some strawberries, the Z Fold 6 produced a delicious pic with deep saturated hues and great details. At the same time, though, you can also see the slightly exaggerated warm tones you often get from Samsung cameras. And at night, the Z Fold produced a beautiful pic of a flower in a very tricky backlit environment.

The issue is that after Google released the Pixel Fold, Samsung doesn’t really have an excuse for saddling the Z Fold 6 with downgraded photography when compared to the S24 Ultra. The Pixel Fold has a longer 5x optical zoom and an edge in overall photo quality. Just take a look at two zoom shots taken by the Z Fold 6 and the Pixel Fold. In a vacuum, Samsung’s photo doesn’t look bad. But then take a look at the Pixel’s image. It’s noticeably sharper and more detailed.

1 / 12

And it’s the same thing in really low-light situations, like the one I took of some Bluey figurines, where the Pixel Fold captured a less grainy, sharper and more well-exposed pic. And after being pleasantly surprised with the cameras on the S24 Ultra, it’s a shame Samsung’s most expensive phone sits in second place when it comes to photography.

AI features: Fun and occasionally handy, but not essential

As we saw back at the beginning of the year, Samsung has brought the Galaxy AI suite it launched on the S24 to the Z Fold 6. And by and large, a lot of the features are the same including things like Chat Assist which you can use to generate social posts or emails while selecting a variety of tones. There’s also support for Google’s Circle to Search along with translation and summarization tools. A couple new tweaks for the Fold is that now the phone can translate text in place instead of spitting it out into a big unformatted blob, which is nice but kind of situational. And I should mention, Google Lens already offers similar functionality. Perhaps the more important one is the ability to do dual-screen translations, so each person can see text in their language in real-time, depending on what side of the phone they’re looking at.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Some new additions are the Portrait Studio tool that can create an AI-generated drawing of someone based on a photo and a range of styles like comic or watercolor. It’s fun and it’s good for a laugh or two, but I’m not sure how useful it will be on a regular basis. There’s also the Sketch to Image feature that allows you to add a simple drawing to an existing photo and then have the phone generate a more realistic rendition of it in your final image. I still think Samsung’s basic AI photo editing tools are the most useful of the bunch, as they make it easy to delete distracting objects or do simple touch ups. But once again, all of this feels more like bonus content rather than core essentials.

Battery life: Great longevity but could use some faster charging tech

While Samsung didn’t increase the size of the 4,400 mAh cell in the Z Fold 6, the phone does have slightly better battery life due to improved energy efficiency from its new chip. On our video rundown test, it lasted 20 hours and seven minutes when using its large main screen and 25 hours and 19 minutes when using its exterior cover display. That first number is even better than we saw from the Pixel Fold (15:22) and OnePlus Open (19:19), so if you need a big-screen phone with ample longevity, the Z Fold 6 is the easy pick.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Unfortunately, its charging hasn’t changed much. You still get 25-watt wired charging and 15-watt wireless charging, which are both pretty mediocre figures in 2024. And while I wasn’t expecting to see support for Qi2 magnetic charging on the Z Fold 6 after Samsung opted not to add it to the main S24 line, I’m still a bit miffed that a phone this expensive is cutting important features off the spec sheet.

Wrap-up

It wasn’t long ago when practically every component on the Z Fold line was unmatched by its competitors. But now phones like the Pixel Fold exist, which offers better overall photography. Then there’s the OnePlus Open, which weighs the same as the Z Fold 6 even after its recent diet. And let’s not forget, both of those rivals are 2023 models. Plus there are Chinese competitors like the Honor Magic V3 and the upcoming Xiaomi Mix Fold 4, which are both thinner and lighter than Samsung’s champion.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Don’t get me wrong, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is still a good foldable, a great one even. It’s got excellent performance, strong battery life and handy features like native stylus support. But it feels like after all this time sitting fat and happy on its throne, Samsung has a diminished hunger for total domination. Instead of long-awaited features like a built-in S Pen or an improved under-display camera, we got a bunch of AI-powered tools and tricks, which are fun but not true highlight attractions. And at $1,900 — which is $100 more than last year — the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the most expensive it’s been since the Z Fold 3. But I guess that’s the price you pay Samsung for having such a long reign on top.
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Sam Rutherford

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July 19, 2024
The Z Fold6 is Samsung’s Lightest, Thinnest, and Squarest Foldable Phone

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The Galaxy Z Fold6 has a wider aspect ratio than its predecessors, inching ever closer to a true 2-in-1 form factor. It weighs just 239 g and is only 5.6 mm thick, making it the most portable Z Fold yet. Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, it has a barrage of trendy AI features, but the live translation and note summaries are practical and impressive.

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Lambert Varias

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July 12, 2024
Everything Samsung Announced at Galaxy Unpacked in Paris

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It’s IP68 and 10 ATM water resistant, so you can use it while in the shower or doing the dishes. It pairs with any Android phone through the Samsung Health app, but it won’t work with iPhones. You do not need a subscription to access the full suite of features; all of the available features are included with the purchase. It also works with Samsung Find, so you can easily locate it if it’s misplaced. It has a charging case that works exactly like the case for your wireless earbuds. Samsung claims the Galaxy Ring can last seven days on a single charge, matching the battery life of the Oura Ring.

The ring covers many health-tracking features you’d expect from a smartwatch, including sleep tracking, cycle tracking, high or low heart rate alerts, and auto-workout detection. Samsung has talked up its use of artificial intelligence on the Ring, using smart algorithms to monitor sleep patterns, snoring, and heart and respiratory rate to help you get more robust information about your sleep.

More important is a feature called Energy Score, also available in the new Galaxy Watches. Much like Fitbit’s Daily Readiness or Garmin’s Body Battery, it looks at your data and then recommends how ready you are to take on the day based on factors like sleep quality and your recent activity levels. You’ll also get “wellness tips” throughout the day to keep you on your health goals. If you use both the Galaxy Ring and the new Galaxy Watch series simultaneously, some sensors may turn off in the watch to conserve its battery life, which is something I haven’t seen before.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

The Ring does not provide haptic feedback, but you can perform some rudimentary gesture controls with your fingers for a few tasks, like dismissing an alarm or starting a video recording on your phone. These “Double Pinch Gestures” are also available on the Galaxy Watch7 series.

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Julian Chokkattu

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July 10, 2024
Nothing’s CMF Devices Prove Yet Again Cheap Doesn’t Have to Mean Boring

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This does not run Google’s Wear OS platform, so you won’t be able to access a wealth of apps as on other smartwatches. CMF hasn’t provided details on the operating system, but it works similarly to Wear OS smartwatches and is very snappy. It supports iPhone and Android, so anyone can use it. You pair it with your phone via the CMF Watch app. Battery life is impressive—CMF claims 11 days with typical use, and that seems likely. After a day, I was left with 90 percent.

You can swap the bands and bezel of the CMF Watch Pro 2.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

You can get notifications, and swipe through tiles to see details like the weather and step count. The watch can track sleep, heart rate, cycle tracking, blood oxygen saturation, and more than 100 workouts (with auto-workout detection), plus there’s built-in GPS. From my very limited time with the device, its results seem to be fairly accurate, though I’ll need to do more testing. All of this can sync with Google’s Health Connect, Apple Health, or Strava.

CMF Buds Pro 2

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Finally, there’s the CMF Buds Pro 2, a pair of AirPods-esque wireless earbuds with a fun case design. The round part on the exterior of the case is called the Smart Dial, which you can brilliantly rotate to adjust the volume without having to fiddle with the earbuds or pull out your phone. You can even push this button to control the noise cancellation, activate a voice assistant, or mute the microphone (all of this is customizable in the Nothing X app. There are still touch controls on the earbuds if you prefer to use them instead).

The earbuds have dual drivers and support active noise cancellation and transparency mode, and there are three mics to power all of this. CMF claims 6 hours of battery life and 25 hours if you juice them back up with the 460-mAh battery in the case. There’s no wireless charging for the case, but you can recharge it via USB-C.

All of these devices are available for purchase now.

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Julian Chokkattu

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July 8, 2024