Google Play system gets March 2022 update with critical fixes, new features, and more

Every month, Google rolls out updates to its services, including Android, Wear OS, Android TV, and other platforms. This time, the tech giant has released the March 2022 update to the Play system.

Must see: Install Stable GCAM 8.3 APK on any Android smartphone

Concerning changes, the update does not carry any significant modifications. However, it does mention a plethora of improvements, including a “critical” fix for Android, Android Auto, Android TV, and Wear OS. Moreover, it addresses bugs related to “device connectivity, developer services, safety & emergency, and utilities related services.” Check out the official changelog below.

Changelog

Critical Fixes

• [Auto, Phone, Tablet, TV, Wear OS] Bug fixes for device connectivity, developer services, safety & emergency, and utilities related services. ^[1][2]

Games

• [Phone, TV] With the update to the Play Games Services profile, users will be able to better manage their privacy settings. ^[2]

Google Play Store

• Improvements to the Play-as-you-download feature to let gamers start playing mobile games while the app download continues to reduce waiting times. ^[3]


• New Features to help you discover the Apps & Games you love.^[3]


• Optimizations allow faster and more reliable download and installation.^[3]


• New features to the Play Pass and Play Points programs. ^[3]


• Enhancements to Google Play Billing. ^[3]


• Continuous improvements to Play Protect to keep your device safe. ^[3]


• Various performance optimizations, bug fixes, and improvements to security, stability, and accessibility. ^[3]

Wallet 

• [Phone] Improved user experience and feature education for NFC/HCE-enabled devices. ^[2]

System Management 

• Updates to system management services that improve device connectivity, network usage, stability, security, and updatability. ^[1][2]

Developer Services 

• New developer features for Google and third-party app developers to support ads, accessibility, analytics & diagnostics and machine learning & AI, and security & privacy-related developer services in their apps. ^[2]

[1] Available through Google Play system update for March.
[2] Available through Google Play services v22.09 updated on 03/01/2022.
[3] Available through Google Play Store v29.5 updated on 03/01/2022.

Read more: Chrome 99 arrives with a new download shortcut, date pickers, and more

Read more »

Chrome 99 arrives with a new download shortcut, date pickers, and more

Chrome 99 is here with nice-to-have changes, including a new download shortcut, date pickers, handwriting recognition, much more. Here's what you'll get after upgrading to the latest version.

Must see: Download new ChromeOS Wallpapers

Downloads shortcut

Your desktop has a new download shortcut at the top-right of the Chrome browser. That means, instead of the bottom bar of Chrome, the downloads will now appear right at the top, that too with a slick animation.

[video width="870" height="420" mp4="https://www.thegoandroid.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Download-Shortcut-Animation.mp4"][/video]

Date Pickers

The web application on Chrome 99 operates a favorably polished system date picker in forms. This will appear by default wherever you need to enter the date on a form. Also, there are differently styled pickers for you to choose from.

Handwriting Recognition

The feature is finally making its way from Android to the web. As the name suggests, it recognizes the text in the input fields and inserts it accordingly.

[video width="674" height="408" mp4="https://www.thegoandroid.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Handwriting-Recognition-Web.mp4"][/video]

Dark Mode support for web app splash screens

The web apps can now utilize a dark mode for files. This implies that the splash screen for web apps will no longer irritate your eyes. Although this may take time to get accustomed to, but will become standard after a while.

Besides the above-mentioned modifications, there are plenty of minor changes as well. To check out those, update your browser to the latest version. As always, this is a server-side update and will be installed automatically on your device. Alternatively, you can track the version by clicking on the three-dot menu icon > Help > About Google Chrome.

Read more: Google rolls out two new Android widgets for Chrome

Read more »

List of Oppo devices to get ColorOS 12 update in March (Official)

Just like ColorOS 11, Oppo has started preparing a roadmap for the rollout of ColorOS 12 as well. At the beginning of the month, the company has officially announced a list of smartphones that will get the ColorOS 12 update in March. In fact, the list includes the rollout of both stable and public beta versions.

Must see: Download Oppo/ Realme Quick Glance Latest Version [Old Versions Archive]

Besides the published list, Oppo also announced that ColorOS 12 public beta recruitment is now open for Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G. The stable rollout will commence from the first week of March, while the public beta will start rolling on the second week. Check out if your Oppo device is lucky enough to get the new software this month from the list below.

Devices to get the stable version

March 7

• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G


• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G 2020 Summer Custom Edition


• Reno4 Pro 5G Artist Custom Edition


• Oppo Reno4 5G

March 17

• OnePlus 8


• OnePlus 8 Pro


• OnePlus-8T

March 24

• Oppo Reno4 SE 5G


• Oppo K9 Pro 5G

March 29

• Oppo Find X3 Pro Photographer Edition


• Oppo K7


• Reno3 Pro 5G


• Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G Classic Blue Custom Edition


• Oppo Reno3 Vitality Edition.

Devices to get Public Beta

March 15

• Oppo A55 5G

March 16

• Oppo A92s 5G

March 22

• Oppo A93s 5G


• Oppo A56 5G

March 29

• Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G


• Oppo Reno7 SE 5G


• Reno7 Pro 5G League of Legends edition

Important: Keep in mind that this timeline is subject to change depending on various factors.

Related: OnePlus Android 12 ColorOS 12 update schedule: List of supported devices [Official]

Read more »

Samsung Galaxy A33 5G spotted on Geekbench ahead of imminent launch

Samsung is working to unveil a set of Galaxy A-series smartphones, one of which recently made an appearance online. The Galaxy A33 5G was spotted on the benchmarking site, Geekbench, revealing some of its key specifications.

Make sure to visit: Comparing Galaxy Tabs: Galaxy Tab A8 (2021) vs Galaxy Tab A7

The Galaxy A33 5G has scored 727 points in the single-core test and 1,852 points in a multi-core test on Geekbench. Prior to this, the device was also spotted on Google Play Console, Bluetooth SIG, and BIS websites as well.

The listing of Galaxy A33 5G on Geekbench confirms the model number SM-A3360. Also, it divulges some details, including processor, operating system, and storage capacity. As per the listing, the device will power an Exynos 1200 chipset under the hood. In addition, it will boot Android 12 out of the box paired with 6GB RAM.

Samsung Galaxy A33 5G specifications (expected)

The Galaxy A33 5G is likely to feature a hole-punch cutout inside a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display. A 5,000 mAh battery can keep the screen lightened up as per reports. For optics, the device is suggested to carry a quad rear camera setup led by a 48 MP primary lens. On the other side, you may get a 13 MP front-facing unit for selfies and video calls.

So far, this is all we can get from the Galaxy A33 5G. However, keep in mind that the company is yet to officially reveal any details regarding the specifications of the Galaxy A33 5G smartphones.

Read more: Galaxy A73 5G arrives on FCC with 25W fast charging support

Read more »

Vivo Y33s 5G with Dimensity 700 SoC goes official in China for ¥1,299

Last year, Vivo unveiled the Vivo Y33s 4G smartphone. Now, the company has silently launched the 5G variant of the device in China. Here's a detailed look at the smartphone, including specifications, features, and price.

Must see: List of Vivo and iQOO devices to get FuntouchOS 12 based on Android 12

Vivo Y33s 5G specifications

The Vivo Y33s 5G features a waterdrop notch design around a 6.58-inch LCD with a 60Hz refresh rate. The panel offers an HD+ resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels, a 20.07:9 aspect ratio, and a 269ppi pixel density. In addition, it packs a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging.

On the software front, the Vivo Y33s 5G runs the Android 12 OS pre-installed with Origin OceanOS UI on top. Also, the phone powers the Dimensity 700 chipset under the hood paired with up to 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage.

In the picture department, the Vivo Y33s 5G houses an 8 MP front camera. The back panel carries a dual camera unit alongside an LED flash. The module consists of a 13 MP primary lens and a 2 MP macro lens.



For security, there's a face unlock feature and a side-facing fingerprint scanner. The connectivity options include dual SIM support, 5G, 5.8GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, a microSD card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB-C port.

Availability and Price

The Vivo Y33s 5G arrives in three color variants of Snow Dawn, Nebula Blue, and Fluorite Black. The device cost ¥1,299 and ¥1,399 respectively for its 4 GB RAM + 128 GB and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage options.

Related: Vivo V23e 5G with Dimensity 810 SoC launched in India for ₹25,990

Read more »

Realme GT Neo 3 teased to support 150W of UltraDart charging

Realme touted the GT 2 and GT 2 Pro as their top offering flagship smartphones. The company has now teased the successor at the MWC event with upgraded performance. The Realme GT Neo 3 is officially confirmed to offer 150W UltraDart Charging support.

Make sure to visit: List of Realme smartphones to receive Android 13 update (unofficial)

The Realme GT Neo 3 will be the first smartphone by the company to support 150W of fast charging technology. Moreover, the launch event witnessed the charging speed of the smartphone. As per Realme, the phone will charge from 0 to 50% in only 5 minutes. Although the battery capacity is still a secret but is expected to stand at 4,500 mAh.

Realme GT Neo 3 Specifications (Expected)

The leaks suggest that Realme GT Neo 3 will feature a hole-punch cutout at the top center of the screen. In addition, the handset was also spotted on TENAA benchmarking website. It is likely to flaunt a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an FHD+ resolution.

Under the hood, the phone could power the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset paired with up to 12 GB RAM and 512 GB onboard storage. Also, the Realme GT Neo 3 is suggested to run Android 12 with Realme UI 3.0 custom skin on top.



For optics, the smartphone will probably carry a 50 MP primary camera alongside an 8MP unit, and a 2MP sensor. The connectivity options can include a USB Type-C port, GPS, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi, and 5G.

Read more: Realme GT 2 Global Variant makes it to FCC with model number RMX3311

Read more »

Redmi Note 11E Pro with Snapdragon 695 SoC launched in China for ¥1,699

Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi has extended its Note 11 series by adding one more smartphone. The Redmi Note 11E Pro is official in China. Considering the device's design and specs, it seems to be rebranded Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G global variant. Take a detailed look at the new smartphone here.

Make sure to visit: Specs Comparison: Redmi Note 11T vs Redmi Note 10T

Redmi Note 11E Pro Specifications

The Redmi Note 11E Pro smartphone is built around a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display. The panel offers a 120Hz refresh rate, a screen resolution of 2400 x 1600 pixels, and a DCI-P3 color gamut. It ships with a 5,000mAh battery that keeps the screen alive with 67W fast charging support.

Under the helm, an octa-core processor based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset powers the Redmi Note 11E Pro paired with up to 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. For software, the device boosts Android 12 OS out of the box along with MIUI 13 on top.

For shooting purposes, the Redmi Note 11E Pro houses a 16 MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls. On the other side, there's a triple-camera module led by a 108 MP primary sensor. Accompanying this is an 8 MP super-wide-angle lens, and a 2 MP macro unit.

Availability and Price

The Redmi Note 11E Pro will go on sale from March 4th in White, Black, and Blue color options. The base 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant is priced at ¥1,699 (~$270) in China.

Read more: Redmi K30 Pro & K30S Ultra get MIUI 13 update based on Android 12

Read more »

Realme GT 2 Global Variant makes it to FCC with model number RMX3311

Realme GT 2 series went official in China at the beginning of the year. A month after, the global variants of the lineup have constantly been popping up on the various certification sites, hinting at an imminent launch. This time, the Realme GT 2 has arrived on FCC with model number RMX3311.

Must see: Download Realme Music Party App Latest Version [Old Versions Archived]

The FCC listing does not reveal much about the device besides the design, software version, and battery capacity. The Realme GT 2 will boost Realme UI 3.0 out of the box based on Android 12. The smartphone will offer a glass back cover and plastic back cover measuring 162.9mm x 75.8mm x 8.6mm in dimensions. In addition, the Realme GT 2 will ship with a 5,000mAh battery.

[gallery size="full" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" link="none" ids="123582,123581,123580"]

This is all we could gather from the FCC listing. Fortunately, we do have more details from the Geekbench certification. The site confirmed the presence of an octa-core Qualcomm processor, which is likely to be Snapdragon 888 with a 1 + 3 + 4 core configuration. Moreover, the website discloses that the Realme GT 2 will arrive in a 12 GB RAM variant. Though we do expect an 8 GB RAM model as well.



The Chinese variant of the Realme GT 2 features a 6.62-inch FullHD+ AMOLED panel with a 16 MP front camera. On the other side, there's an 8 MP ultrawide and a 2 MP macro sensor alongside the 50 MP primary camera.

Madhav Sheth, Realme's Vice President has been teasing the Pro model for the global launch. Hopefully, the company will draw the curtains from the series at the upcoming MWC event.

Read more: Realme GT Neo joins the Android 12 based Realme UI 3.0 update party!

Read more »

Realme GT Neo joins the Android 12 based Realme UI 3.0 update party!

Realme GT Neo becomes the next device by the company to get the stable Android 12 based Realme UI 3.0 update. The package is available in China bundled with the firmware version C.07. Here is everything about the new software.

Must see: Download Realme Music Party App Latest Version [Old Versions Archived]

Concerning changes, the package brings a ton of new additions and improvements. Here is the official change by the company.

Changelog

【brand new design】

• The new three-dimensional space design makes the experience simple, easy and burden-free


• [New] Smart assistant card, providing smart and efficient application cards, key information is clear at a glance, and key functions can be reached at a touch


• [New] Reconstructed page layout, noise reduction and white space, and differentiated primary and secondary information by color, and the core information is more focused


• [New] Three-dimensional icon design, introducing new materials, unifying light and shadow and layers, and experiencing the joy of color


• [Optimization] Quantum animation engine 3.0, centered on "quality", simulates real physical motion, optimizes 300+ animation details, and brings a more natural interactive experience


• [Optimization] Richer screen styles, support for real strange cats, and portrait painting AOD make self-expression more unique

【Convenient and efficient】

• [New] Sticky note graffiti tool, a personalized record of life


• [Optimization] Smart sidebar


• Support intelligent recommendation related functions in the video, shopping, and other scenarios


• Add a small window shorthand, click to enter the sticky note floating window, and quickly complete the record


• Added smart subtitles, supports recognition of conference and call voices, generates subtitles in real-time, and supports Chinese-English translation


• Added drama listening mode, which supports switching to other APP scenarios or the screen lock state to continue listening to video and sound


• Added recognition of background music, quickly identify background music in short videos and find music without asking for help


• Added article reading, support one-click reading of WeChat public account, Toutiao, and other information content


• Added product price comparison, when using shopping software, one-click display of the same good products with good quality and low price


• [Optimization] Upgrade the Flash window to a free-floating window


• Added quick switching of floating window status for more convenient interaction


• Added file management and album support to long-press and drag files or photos to the floating window application


• [Optimization] Xiaobu's suggestion, new schedule assistant, intelligent integration of schedule information, one-stop viewing, and management


• [Optimization] Recording, improving the speed and accuracy of voice-to-text, and reducing waiting time


• [Optimization] The text bubbles on the SMS conversation page can be double-clicked to enlarge and display, making it easier to extract SMS content

【Seamless Interconnection】

• [Optimized] Screen sharing


• One-click switching between the calling party and the receiving party to share screen and control permissions


• Sensitive notifications such as WeChat, phone calls, text messages can be hidden when sharing the screen

【Security and Privacy】

• [New] Sharing photos or videos supports erasing location information and shooting data


• [Optimization] After the phone is lost, it will not be able to be shut down or used through the cloud lock, reducing the risk of data loss


• [Optimization] Mobile Manager integrates more security and privacy functions such as privacy doubles, password book, emergency call, etc.


• [Optimization] When the app calls sensitive permissions such as camera, recording, positioning, etc., the status bar icon prompt is more conspicuous


• [Optimization] Medical emergency card, support to automatically encrypt and transmit the preset medical emergency card information to the emergency center when dialing 120


• [Optimization] Earthquake warning, new function preview page, new earthquake banner notification reminder with an estimated intensity of 2.0 and below, always warning earthquake information


• [Optimization] harassment interception, add MMS interception capability, reduce the interruption of spam

【Performance optimization】

• [New] Intelligently predict frequently used applications and load them in advance, the application opens faster


• [New] Display the power consumption record in the form of graphs to quickly understand the details of battery consumption


• [Optimization] When switching WLAN, Bluetooth, airplane mode, NFC, the response speed is faster


• [Optimization] The loading speed of high-frequency scenes of third-party applications is improved, and browsing Weibo and watching videos is more enjoyable

【game】

• [New] When the game resource pack is updated, the game can be switched to the background for updating (only some games are supported)


• [New] During the game, game skills and game replays will pop up to help you quickly master the gameplay (only some games are supported)


• [Optimization] In high-load scenarios such as team battles, the game frame rate is more stable


• [Optimization] Heterogeneous computing reduces the average load of the processor and lowers the game power consumption

【camera】

• [New] Customize the order of camera modes to facilitate quick switching to commonly used camera modes


• [Optimized] Inertial zoom, rear video shooting mode, drag the slider to zoom at a constant speed

【system】

• [Optimized] Automatic brightness adjustment algorithm, optimized intelligent scene detection, more comfortable to browse the screen

【Accessibility】

• [Optimization] Accessibility mode


• Added a visual introduction, and added an image introduction to the function page


• Optimized function classification, displayed according to visual/auditory/interaction/general classification


• TalkBack adapts to more system applications such as photo albums, calls, emails, calendars, etc.

The update is rolling out in batches and will reach out to the users in a short while. Alternatively, head to Settings > Software update to track the build manually.

Read more: Realme Narzo 50 With Helio G96 SoC launched in India for ₹12,999

Read more »