OnePlus and Chromecast Updates Are Faster (Android News #38 2023)

OnePlus announces its update plans and Chromecast could become much faster. These are the top Android news of the week.

The new Chromecast with Google TV may be much faster

There have been rumors for a while about a new Chromecast with Google TV. It could easily get a lot faster thanks to the new chip. The new chip, called the Amlogic S905X5, is much faster than current hardware in streaming devices and is also more efficient. For example, this means that devices heat up less quickly and consume less energy.

Most importantly, Google TV and Android TV devices will become more powerful thanks to the new chip. It’s still not entirely clear whether Chromecast with Google TV will actually receive the improved chip in the future. However, it is clear that the new Chromecast will be faster.

→ Chromecast with Google TV is more powerful thanks to the new chip

OnePlus smartphones will receive the Android 14 update

Android 14 has not been officially released yet, but it won’t take long for the update to be released. In the meantime, OnePlus will announce which smartphones will receive the beta version of OxygenOS 14. This is the beta version of the update based on Android 14.

As beta versions are released for devices, we can also count on them eventually receiving the final update. It is not yet known when Android 14 upgrades will be released for OnePlus smartphones. We also don’t know which devices will be updated first.

→ Will your OnePlus smartphone get Android 14?

“Wonderful: The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra can zoom even less”

Samsung’s Galaxy S Ultra smartphones are known for their great cameras. This is not only due to the main camera, but the periscope zoom lens also plays a role. With this camera, the current S21 Ultra, S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra can optically zoom up to 10x. In other words: zoom in on the image without losing too much quality.

However, it appears that this zoom camera on the Galaxy S24 Ultra will be replaced with a telephoto lens that offers “only” 5x optical zoom. The 10MP periscope zoom lens will disappear and Samsung will opt for a 50MP telephoto lens. It is unclear why the company is doing this discount Implement.

→ The telephoto lens of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra zooms in less

Amazon reveals Chromecast competitor: here’s what you need to know

Chromecast with Google TV is probably the most popular streaming device in the Netherlands, but did you know that Amazon makes such a device too? The company has been launching an alternative for some time in the form of the Fire TV Stick. You can connect it to your TV – just like Chromecast.

The main improvement is that Amazon’s dongles are much faster. The Fire TV Stick 4K has a better quad-core processor, making the device 30 percent more powerful, according to Amazon. With a faster chip, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is Amazon’s most powerful media player yet.

→ Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (maximum) introduced.

You can no longer add these Nest speakers to multiple groups

With the Google Home app, you can group smart devices like speakers together. For example, you can easily listen to music on multiple speakers at the same time in your living room or office.

Previously, you could add all of your Google Nest speakers and Chromecast devices in multiple groups, but the search giant has put a stop to that. From now on, a number of devices can only be added to one group.

→ Read more about Nest speakers