For some time now, Apple smartphones have been able to use them as a webcam paired with laptops or PCs. And now it is reported that the same feature will appear in Android 14. Mishaal Rahman, a journalist and developer, claims that DeviceAsWebcam will be added to the new system, which will turn an Android smartphone or tablet into a webcam.

Image generated by Midjourney neural network

Android devices that support the standard UVC (USB video class) mode will be able to stream the video stream, while all software processing will be done at the system level, that is, external applications such as Camo or DroidCam will not be required.

It is not yet clear whether this feature will be available to all smartphones with Android 14 or only the branded Pixel. If, nevertheless, the company decides not to make the feature exclusive, then all smartphones and tablets will receive support for this feature.

For some time now, Apple smartphones have been able to use them as a webcam paired with laptops or PCs. And now it is reported that the same feature will appear in Android 14. Mishaal Rahman, a journalist and developer, claims that DeviceAsWebcam will be added to the new system, which will turn an Android smartphone or tablet into a webcam.

Android devices that support the standard UVC (USB video class) mode will be able to stream the video stream, while all software processing will be done at the system level, that is, external applications such as Camo or DroidCam will not be required.

It is not yet clear whether this feature will be available to all smartphones with Android 14 or only the branded Pixel. If, nevertheless, the company decides not to make the feature exclusive, then all smartphones and tablets will receive support for this feature. Among other features, Android 14 promises satellite communications that will be better than the iPhone, as well as the recognition of illegible handwriting of doctors.

Earlier, Mishaal Rahman reported that Xiaomi offered to block the installation of APK files from third-party sources.

As it became known, the versions of the Samsung Galaxy S23 smartphone equipped with 128 and 256 GB of flash memory differ in the type of this very memory.

The 128GB version uses slower UFS 3.1 memory. The 256GB version of the Galaxy S23 uses the new UFS 4.0 memory. In both cases, new LPDDR5X RAM is installed.

Allegedly, the base version may be slower in various scenarios than the 256GB version of the Galaxy S23. UFS 3.1 has a sequential read speed of 2100 Mbps and a sequential write speed of 1200 Mbps, while UFS 4.0 has a sequential read speed of 4200 Mbps and a sequential write speed of 2800 Mbps.

There is evidence that Samsung does not produce 128 GB UFS 4.0 memory chips. Only Kioxia makes 128GB UFS 4.0 memory, but even those don’t reach the required speeds. Therefore, Samsung decided to use UFS 3.1 flash memory for the lower version.

Samsung is offering a free upgrade for those who pre-order the Galaxy S23 series in many countries. For example, if you order the 128 GB version, you can get the 256 GB version.

The AnTuTu benchmark team has published the latest rankings of the best Android smartphones in terms of price and performance in different price categories –– as of January 2023.

According to experts, in the beginning of the year, Vivo and Iqoo firmly “entrenched” in the market of expensive models. At the same time, in the cheapest category at a price of up to 1999 yuan (up to $ 296), the first three places went to Redmi Note 11T Pro, Oppo K10 5G and OnePlus Ace Racing Edition.

The next price category from 2000 to 2999 yuan (from 297 to 444 dollars) gave the first three places to Lenovo Legion Y70, Redmi K50 Pro and Iqoo Neo7.

The 3,000 to 3,999 yuan ($445 to $592) category is dominated by the Redmi K60 Pro, Honor 80 GT, and Xiaomi 12S.

The Iqoo 11, Iqoo 11 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Pro smartphones topped the category from 4,000 yuan to 4,999 yuan ($593 to $741).

Among the most expensive flagships at over $742, the Red Magic 8 Pro+ leads the way, followed by the Vivo X90 Pro and Vivo X90 Pro+.