Top Android Stories of the Week: Android 13 Simplifies QR Scanning, OnePlus 10 Pro Sold out in a Second, More

Android 13 Could Pack ‘Tap to Transfer’ Media Controls, Simpler QR Code Scanning

Android 12 is gradually rolling out to users around the world but this week leaked previews of an in-development Android 13 build showed that the update could make QR code scanning a breeze. The build had a lock-screen shortcut and a trigger in the notification shade to launch a dedicated scanner interface or redirect to Google Lens. The approach is way more convenient than opening the Google Lens app, using Assistant, or the native code scanner built into Android skins.

Another feature spotted in the Android 13 build was tap to transfer (TTT) media controls. The feature allows you to seamlessly control media playback from any compatible device connected to the same wireless network. The implementation resembles Apple’s playback control on HomePod speakers and iPhones. The implementation reportedly hasn’t been developed yet but is on the cards.

Android 13 QR Code scanning

OnePlus 10 Pro Sold out in One Second at First Sale in China

Following its launch, OnePlus’ first sale of the 10 Pro flagship smartphone was a resounding success in China. The company sold around 18,000 to 21,000 units of the device in just one second of the first-ever online sale, earning a net profit of CNY 100 million (around $15.7 million). The Chinese company’s latest flagship is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor mated to up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS3.1 storage.

The OnePlus 10 Pro features a triple-camera setup on the rear, tuned by camera maker Hasselblad. Two of the lenses have OIS. The flagship-grade AMOLED display is capable of a 120Hz refresh rate, 1300 nits peak brightness, and a 5000000:1 contrast ratio. The 10 Pro supports 80W wired fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging. The OnePlus 10 Pro starts at CNY 4,699 (around $737), and global availability is expected soon.

OnePlus 10 Pro

Google’s Pixel Fold Design Could Differ from Galaxy Fold’s Approach

The latest Android 12L beta build includes animations that show the SIM insertion and network setup process on the rumored Pixel Fold. The animations show the foldable phone in its folded and unfolded state, giving us an idea of its possible dimensions and form. 9to5Google first spotted the animation and reported that the phone could have a squarish 7:8 aspect ratio when unfolded, similar to the Oppo Find N’s 8.4:9 display.

The squarish aspect ratio could also help make the phone’s cover display more usable than taller devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3. It could also prevent apps from glitching out or breaking when used on the foldable main display. Rumor has it that Google’s Pixel Fold will be powered by the same GS101 Tensor chip found on the current-generation Pixel 6 models. However, Android 12L and the Pixel Fold remain in development, and the design could change before Google’s first foldable is commercially available.