Technologies

What Google Needs to Do For Android to Overcome Apple and iPhone in 2023

Google’s Android has fallen to second place to Apple’s iPhone and iOS for the first time in over a decade. Here’s what the search giant needs to do to gain back the top spot.

Google has fallen second place to Apple in the Android vs. iPhone war for the first time in over a decade. The free and open-source operating system, which still powers the majority of the world’s phones, can be found on devices from Samsung, OnePlus and Motorola. Even when combined with budget brands such as Nokia, TCL and Blu, Android-loaded handsets can’t outsell the iPhone stateside.

From a global perspective, Apple’s dominance is an outlier. The US, Canada and Japan are the only countries where Apple has an edge over Android. Everywhere else Android leads, usually by a wide margin.

Android falling behind speaks to the cachet Apple has built up around the iPhone franchise. From celebrities photographed at cafes with iPhones to their ears to late-night hosts engaging in repartee with an Apple Watch cuffed to their wrist, Apple products are both function and fashion of America’s aristocratic class. And thanks to iMessage, Apple has created messaging partition, with the «haves» enjoying blue bubble gardens and the «have nots» being relegated to green squalor. Heck, even movie villains can’t be filmed using an iPhone.

But there’s reason to be optimistic about Android’s attempts to retake the crown in the US. Google is building out an ecosystem to surround the Pixel 7, including with the introduction of the Pixel Watch. A Pixel tablet is coming next year. And Android does have its own base of rabid fans — even if they’re not on a Hollywood set.

So what can Google do to make Android relevant in the US again? Here are a few ways.

Double down on ecosystem

Google took too long to release the Pixel Watch, letting the Apple Watch act as a Trojan Horse and keep people locked inside Apple’s garden.

«Apple has such a sticky ecosystem. Especially the Watch, once you buy that watch, you’re locked into an iPhone,» said Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart. Google hasn’t had that up until this year. «And even then, its first watch is really a 1.0 product.»

Google’s slow trudge bringing the Pixel Watch to market means that the Apple Watch remains far ahead. At least now there’s an option for Pixel owners to keep them from feeling left behind.

The US market differs from the rest of the world in that there’s far less competition in the Android space. Concerns about Chinese tech companies tracking American consumers have essentially made it impossible for brands like Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo to operate in the US. That leaves a handful of brands that can sell alternatives outside of Samsung and Google.

«Having more devices in the market also gives the carriers more choices on devices they can give away for free or do more promotions on,» said Anshel Sag, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

The lack of manufacturer diversity is only one problem Google is facing. The iPad line continues to remain a popular second-screen device, acting as an internet gateway for both toddlers and the elderly. Only one high-quality Android tablet comes to mind with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus, but its software is nowhere near as refined as iPad OS, with it often feeling like a big screen version of Android. Google has already announced a «premium» Pixel tablet for 2023, but it really will need to impress to draw in the throngs of consumers trained to look at iPads as the tablet.

Unfortunately, one area Google might not be able to offer a viable competitor to Apple is in laptop and home computing. Google’s Chromebooks are excellent affordable laptops for basic tasks, but lack the horsepower and flexibility to offer the functionality found with MacOS and Windows. It’s a market that’s already been carved up by Apple and Microsoft, making it difficult for Google to create a viable alternative. Even if it did, the installed base would be so small that it wouldn’t attract top developers. Here, Google’s best option is to continue integrating its products better with Mac and Windows machines to offer a comparable experience to iPhone and Mac.

Matter matters

One area that Google has dominance over Apple is in smart home. Cupertino is seldom quick to jump into new product categories, which is evidenced by years of rumors surrounding Apple’s supposed VR/AR headset and the Apple car. Apple did try to make an effort at home devices with HomeKit, but it’s largely been left forgotten. Google, on the other hand, has a heavy presence in the smart home with its voice assistant-backed displays, such as the Nest Hub, and its Nest WiFi, Doorbell and camera products.

Unfortunately, the smart home industry has stagnated with a dizzying array of competing products confusing consumers. A person who owns an Amazon Alexa smart speaker might be unsure if it will cooperate with their Google Nest doorbell.

Enter Matter, a universal smart home standard that will allow new home devices, regardless of brand, to communicate with one another. Even Apple, the company that enjoys creating walled gardens, has joined the Connected Standards Alliance, along with Amazon, Google, Samsung, Ikea, Lutron, Signify and others.

«That is an area where Google could take some advantage, building more of those controls or just exposing them more in Android,» Greengart said. This includes building out a person’s homepage, widgets and making connections between multiple devices. Greengart said it’ll be up to Google to let people know that smart home interoperability can be done best on Android.

Beat Apple to innovation

Google’s product events continue to get better, bringing greater production value and fanfare, but still can’t capture the same magic as Apple. The Cupertino, California-based company still has that ability to drum up excitement over its family of products and services. Enthusiastic rhetoric from executives mixed with high production value can make a person believe that Apple is bringing the latest in tech and innovation, even if that isn’t always the case.

High refresh screens to optical image stabilization and laser autofocus, all features Apple breathlessly crows about, came to Android first.

There are, however, consumers who see past the fancy macro shots and do want to be the first to new tech. This is an area Google should double-down on to entice enthusiasts.

Already, rumors are surfacing of a Pixel foldable device, one that could compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.

«I think [Samsung’s] really starting to gain momentum there. And I think it’s showing, but the problem is the price, right?,» Sag said. If Samsung can continue pushing the price of foldables down, it’ll help increase the category’s popularity, bringing more competition. «As a result, competition will probably equal more sales and more competitive pricing.»

Google has also been heavily advertising Pixel features, such as live translate in its 2022 World Cup commercial. The Pixel 7 is also the official «fan phone» of the NBA this season, with a commercial featuring player Giannis Antetokounmpo and actor Simu Liu. Google has also reportedly placed the largest order of Pixel 7 devices, more than any prior iteration. Regardless of sales and celebrity endorsement, Google needs to make Pixel feel premium and exclusive, almost anathema to Android’s core vision as a free and open-source operating system. Because, if Apple’s success is any indication, people like feeling as if they’re in the «in crowd.»

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for July 12 #496

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for July 12 No. 496.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

If you love attending baseball games in summer, you’ll hit a home run with today’s NYT Strands puzzle. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: In the ballpark.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Play ball!

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

TEER, MEER, MEET, TEEM, ROAD, STALL, TALL, BEST, PEAT, LUNH, CULT, BUMP, BILE, PEAL, METE, BULL, STUN, NUTS

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

GLOVE, HELMET, BULLPEN, PEANUTS, PITCHER, JUMBOTRON

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is STADIUM. To find it, look for the S that’s five letters down on the far left row, and wind up and over.

Technologies

This TracFone Settlement Will Pay Over $53K to Some People, but You’ll Have to Apply Soon

TracFone is paying out a sizable settlement to those affected by a data breach. Time is running out to opt in if you’re eligible.

This deep into the age of smartphones, I’d bet that a lot of you out there haven’t thought about TracFone in a while. But a good number of folks still get wireless service through it, and they ought to know about the impending settlement payments coming from the company.

TracFone is currently accepting applications for a class action lawsuit settlement after it was accused of failing to prevent a major data breach several years ago. While the total amount the company is set to pay out isn’t known, the potential payout to impacted customers could be huge, depending on the damages they suffered.

Founded nearly 30 years ago, TracFone is a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO. It’s best known for offering cheaper, prepaid and no-contract mobile phone service — catering to folks who don’t need or want contract service and who prefer to pay as they go. TracFone piggybacks off the network operated by Verizon, TracFone’s parent company since 2021. In addition to services under its own name, you might also be familiar with TracFone’s offerings under a few other popular brand names: Straight Talk Wireless, Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, SafeLink Wireless, Net10 Wireless and Walmart Family Mobile.

At the time it was acquired by Verizon, the company boasted 21 million users and a presence in 90,000 retail stores, though those numbers have dwindled since then.

For everything you need to know about the TracFone settlement, keep reading. And for more settlement news, here’s everything you need to know about AT&T’s $177 million settlement.

Why was TracFone sued?

This settlement from TracFone came in response to a class action lawsuit filed against the company after a December 2021 data breach exposed the personal data of its customers. The plaintiffs in the case argued that the company failed to provide cybersecurity measures that would’ve prevented the breach

While TracFone has agreed to pay a settlement, it has not admitted to any wrongdoing in this case.

Who qualifies for the TracFone settlement?

The settlement is open to any customer of TracFone, or one of its above-mentioned brands, who resides in the US and can verify damages suffered as a result of the breach. In order to do that and get paid, you’ll need to provide materials proving the authenticity of your claims, such as receipts, bank statements, invoices, phone bills, credit reports, police reports or identity theft reports.

If you think you’re eligible for the TracFone settlement and can back it up with documentation, you can submit your claim on the official settlement website.

How long do I have to join the TracFone settlement?

Settlement applications are open through Aug. 7, so you have little less than a month to join the settlement.

How much can I get paid from the TracFone settlement?

That’s going to be dependent on the damages you suffered and can verify, but the upper limits are pretty generous.

For simpler out-of-pocket expenses, you can get up $3,250. These include costs like bank fees, mail costs, gasoline purchases, credit reports fees and insurance taken out between Nov. 15, 2021, and Aug. 7, 2025. You can also claim up to 15 hours of lost time due to the fallout of the data breach, at $30 an hour.

For «extraordinary» expenses resulting from the breach, you can claim up to $50,000 in damages. This can include things like verifiable losses caused by identity theft or loss of business opportunities. TracFone will also provide class members with identity theft insurance worth up to $1 million.

When will I get paid from the TracFone settlement?

That’s still up in the air, but you can expect it to be sometime in the fall at the earliest. In order for payments to go out, the final approval hearing, set for Sept. 16, still needs to be held. A clearer picture of the payment schedule should be available by then.

For more settlement news, find out if you’re eligible for GameStop’s Facebook privacy settlement payments.

Technologies

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Season 4’s Third Double XP Weekend Is Live Now

With Season 4 ending in three weeks, now is the perfect time to take advantage of double battle pass XP to clinch out some of the final tiers.

With less than 30 days left in Black Ops 6 Season 4, players are hustling to finish up the latest Call of Duty battle pass. Never fear — developer Treyarch has your back with another double XP weekend and three boosts for players to take advantage of. You’ll be able to speed through battle pass tiers, account levels and weapon attachment unlocks to kickstart your advancement of the newest seasonal content. This double XP weekend runs from Friday to Monday.

Anyone playing Black Ops 6 during the event period has a universal double battle pass XP, account XP and weapon XP earn rate applied to their account. If you log in now, you can hop into battle and reap the rewards of this double XP weekend right away, including the LC10 submachine gun and the FFAR 1 assault rifle.

This isn’t a Quad Feed double XP weekend, which means zombies mode players won’t be able to benefit from double GobbleGum drop rates. But the three biggest double XP boosts are active, which means your double XP tokens will be locked for the duration of the event.

Here’s everything you need to know about this double XP weekend. If you’re looking for something else to play, see our recommendations for the best game subscription services.

When does the double XP weekend start in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6?

It’s live. This double XP weekend kicked off on Friday at 1 p.m. ET.

Not sure when the double XP weekend went live for you? Here’s when the event started in your time zone:

ET: July 11 at 1 p.m.
CT: July 11 at noon.
MT: July 11 at 11 a.m.
PT: July 11 at 10 a.m.

It’s always worth starting your game ahead of your gaming session if possible. As with every Black Ops 6 patch, the update is going to require you to download new content and restart the application.

When does the Double XP Weekend end in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6?

Some double XP «weekends» are much longer events, lasting five to seven days. That isn’t the case this time around. This double XP weekend will end on Monday. Your double XP tokens will once again unlock after this time.

Here’s when the double XP weekend will end in your time zone:

ET: July 14 at 1 p.m.
CT: July 14 at noon.
MT: July 14 at 11 a.m.
PT: July 14 at 10 a.m.

Does Call of Duty Warzone have double XP this weekend?

Call of Duty Warzone has a double XP weekend running in tandem with Black Ops 6. That means Warzone players will also be able to benefit from this boost by leveling up their account, weapons and battle passes at twice the normal speed.

New players have a chance to level up the weapons they unlock from the new and improved Warzone Armory, and returning players can continue unlocking new attachments for the suite of Black Ops 6 weaponry added to Warzone.