Welcome to another edition of AndroidBeat Daily Brief. Today we talk about Google launching a new mobile payments app in India, Samsung offering the option to disable Bixby button on Galaxy S8 and Note 8, and more.
Google Tez Launched in India
Google today jumped on the mobile payments app bandwagon in India with the launch of Google Tez a.k.a fast. Powered by the government-backed United Payment Interface, Tez allows one to easily send and receive money from their friends and families. Google has also partnered with various retailers like Domino’s Pizza and Jet Airways at launch along with all UPI-enabled banks in the country like HDFC, ICICI, Axis, and others.
You can finally disable Bixby Button on Galaxy S8 and Note 8
Almost six months after it first launched the Galaxy S8, Samsung has rolled out an update to Bixby Home — its virtual voice assistant — and added the option of disabling the Bixby button entirely on the device. Samsung has been heavily criticised since the launch of the Galaxy S8, and much more recently the Galaxy Note 8, for not allowing users to disable the Bixby button or remap it to other apps. The company also actively rolled out updates to prevent third-party apps from working which offered similar functionality.
To get the option to disable Bixby button on your Galaxy S8, simply update the Bixby app from the Galaxy App Store.
Huawei Takes a Dig at the iPhone X
Ahead of the launch of the Mate 10, its next flagship handset on October 16, Huawei has mocked Apple’s failed Face ID attempt during the iPhone X unveiling and promises to unveil “the real AI phone.”
Huawei’s next-generation Kirin 970 chipset does feature a dedicated AI processor similar to Apple’s A11 Bionic chip. While the company is making bold claims right now, it remains to be seen just how impressive the Mate 10 turns out to be when it is unveiled on October 16.
What do you think about Huawei taking a jab at the iPhone X? Have you tried Google Tez yet? If yes, how has your experience been so far?