NINTENDO

A Nintendo Switch 2 Lite with a better repairability score is what I want

The Nintendo Switch Lite is a nice little handheld gaming device but replacing the screen is a herculean task. If there's a successor such as a Switch 2 Lite, then Nintendo has to make repairing it much easier.

My Nintendo Switch Lite is one of the most cherished gifts I own. It has been a nice companion on trips and nights when I just want to enjoy a few hours of gaming but don’t want to get out of bed to fire up my PlayStation 4. Sadly, while slaying demons in Doom Eternal a few weeks ago, a bunch of lines suddenly appeared on the screen. This came as a surprise as I didn’t accidentally drop it that day nor had it had a fall in several months. The first thought I had was that there was an issue with the game, but a restart confirmed the display was bad.

A search on Google also revealed that I wasn’t the only one with such an experience as this was a fairly common issue with the Nintendo Switch Lite (curr. $196 on Amazon), and the solution was to replace the screen. After confirming the display was damaged, I ordered a replacement screen, hoping it would be an easy fix like that of my Pixel 7. Boy, was I wrong!

According to iFixit, the Nintendo Switch Lite has a 6 out of 10 repairability score, and there is no further proof of this than when you need to replace a damaged screen. Unlike the Pixel 7 which allows you to replace the screen from the front, you can only replace the screen of the Nintendo Switch Lite via the back panel, and to get to the screen, you are required to disassemble several components such as the speaker, triggers, heat sink, card reader, etc. According to the iFixit guide, there are 65 steps to get to the screen and the process takes between 45 minutes to 2 hours! You also need thermal paste when reinstalling the shield plate and heat sink.

To replace the screen of the Nintendo Switch Lite, you need to remove the back plate. (Image source: iFixit)

This brings me to my appeal to Nintendo. There isn’t any info about a Nintendo Switch Lite 2/Nintendo Switch 2 Lite coming, which isn’t surprising since the Nintendo Switch 2 is yet to get a launch date. Notwithstanding, if there is one, making it easier to repair and disassemble should be something I want it to have. Owners shouldn’t have to completely tear down their console and risk damaging other components just for a screen replacement.

Right now, I have only succeeded in removing the back panel on my Nintendo Switch Lite as I don’t have the right screwdriver to remove the screws holding down the plate. While getting a screwdriver isn’t a problem, the fear of damaging a component and my anger at Nintendo for making a screen replacement so complicated keeps me from proceeding.

Author: Habeeb Onawole

 

TECH

Google’s ‘AI-Mazing’ Pixel 8a Leaked In Full Reveal

Google's latest fan-favorite A-series device -- the Pixel 8a -- is only a month away from launch, but the rumor mill continues to drop new details on this highly-anticipated smartphone. A few supposed renders and promotional images of the device have leaked touting an "AI-mazing" Pixel camera, among other features. it appers Google is equipping the 8a with many of the AI-powered goodies from the flagship Pixel 8 lineup, and that's a good thing.

Powered by a (possibly detuned) Tensor G3 processor, the Pixel 8a will reportedly bring plenty of AI-enabled features, not just to the camera and Google Photos editing experience, but also to everyday QOL areas like phone calls and search. While three of the "AI-mazing" camera headliners are already found on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, it's fantastic to see these making their way down to this mid-budget model. Night Sight, and arguably our favorite Google Photos feature Best Take (where users can replace human faces in a photo with another option taken within seconds of each other), should be on board. 

Most phone cameras apply some kind of noise cancelling for captured videos, but the Pixel 8a will have an amped up version called Audio Magic Eraser (which was available when the Pixel 8 siblings were released). In this case, the phone AI analyzes audio from the video, separates each sound pattern into layers, then users can adjust the gain of each level or completely mute some patterns altogether.

For day-to-day use, the Pixel 8a will have Call Assist screen-calling, hands-down one of the most under-appreciated features of any smartphone today. Circle to Search is also joining the ever-growing ways for users to perform a search.

In terms of protection, the phone will have IP67 dust and water resistance, Google One VPN (which ironically is being dropped starting in June), plus seven years of security updates.

As mentioned, the Pixel 8a is expected to be announced in May at Google I/O. When it goes on sale, there will be four colorways to choose from, namely Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, and Mint. Pricing is expected to hover around $500. Specs-wise, nothing is official yet, but leaks have so far mentioned a 6.1" OLED screen with a 90 Hz refresh rate, 8GB RAM/128GB storage, a 64MP primary camera, a 13MP ultrawide, and a 4,500mAh battery.

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ADOBE

Adobe researchers demonstrate progress of VideoGigaGAN AI to upscale low-quality videos while maintaining high detail level

Adobe researchers have demonstrated the progress of their VideoGigaGAN AI that upscales low-quality videos. The visual quality of the generated videos is better than other AI tested, but more research is needed to overcome notable limitations.

Adobe researchers have demonstrated the current progress of their VideoGigaGAN AI to upscale low-quality videos. Once fully developed, the AI can generate high-quality videos without resorting to expensive reshoots. Adobe improves upon prior works by reducing artifacts and flicker while retaining fine details in processed videos.

Image upscaling and super-resolution technology has been used for many years to improve the quality and resolution of low-quality pictures. Some Sony Cybershot cameras use its By Pixel Super Resolution technology to upscale low-resolution images by using a database of reference picture data, but is limited by discrete pixel information to upscaling images by two to three times the original size. More recently, Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) trained on billions of images can upscale images 8x and beyond.

Adobe Researchers work on upscaling low-quality videos using VideoGigaGAN AI. (Source: Adobe Research)

Applying such techniques to videos is challenging due to the introduction of aliasing and stutter. Smoothing image details can eliminate these issues with the tradeoff of poorer quality. VideoGigaGAN uses several techniques to work around these limitations, including object motion tracking, image blurring, and detail learning and repainting. Still, the AI does not upscale small text or long video clips well, so more research is required. In the meantime, readers can capture high-quality videos with a top-notch DSLR (like this at Amazon) to avoid needless upscaling.

                        VideoGigaGAN - general system diagram. (Source: Adobe Research)

Technical details...To maintain smooth video flow between frames over time, a flow-guided propagation AI module is added before the main GAN. It ‘learns’ the movement of objects across time in the original input so that the same smooth movement is applied in the upscaled video. Also, upsampling layers in the GAN incorporate temporal attention layers that help keep frame transitions smooth.

To tackle aliasing, frames are pushed through an anti-aliasing block in the middle of the GAN which unfortunately reduces image quality due to detail blurring. This results in an upscaled video with smooth motion, no aliasing, but soft image detail. VideoGigaGAN works around this by introducing a high-frequency shuttle that pulls fine detail from the initial GAN downsampling layers and applies them later to the upsampled layers. The result of multiple layers of image processing is an super-resolution video that contains high-detail level without aliasing or flicker.

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SONY

Xperia 1 VI: New accessories indicate camera changes within smaller body than rumoured Xperia 10 VI

Sony is one of the last Android OEMs to update its flagship product stack to the Snapdragon Gen 3 platform. New accessory releases suggest that the Xperia 1 VI is on the horizon with the Xperia 10 VI though, and potentially with more design changes than previous rumours suggested.

It seems that Sony is preparing to announce new Xperia smartphones soon. To recap, the company outlined that it will be hosting a new Xperia 'special event' early next month. With that and the fact that we are nearing the first anniversary of the Xperia 1 V (curr. $1,198 on Amazon), it should come as no surprise to see information about a possible successor appearing online, including its putative pricing.

Prior to Sony's confirmation of an upcoming Xperia event, third-party retailers were selling Xperia 1 VI cases of varying descriptions. Subsequently, clear silicone cases have been found online, too, which appear to show that the Xperia 1 VI will be noticeably smaller than the Xperia 10 VI. For context, this aligns with recent renders shared by OnLeaks, which point towards the Xperia 1 VI being shorter and wider than its predecessor.

With that being said, new third-party accessory releases suggest that the Xperia 1 VI will sport a significantly larger camera cover than the Xperia 1 V. However, the former will retain the latter's triple camera set-up. The same goes for the Xperia 10 VI, albeit with two rear-facing cameras in this case. Theoretically, larger camera lenses would imply the inclusion of improved camera hardware, too. Unfortunately, previous rumours indicate that the Xperia 1 VI could contain the same underlying camera hardware as the Xperia 1 V. 

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TECH

Glance introduces customized lock screen content to US phones through Motorola and Verizon

Google-backed India-based company Glance's lock screen platform has been finding success in its home country as well as Japan and Southeast Asia for a while now, writes TechCrunch. It reaches more than 450 million smartphones and is active on about 300 million of them, offering users a customized feed that includes personalized recommendations for news, sports, games, events, and more. It also shows ads, of course.

There were reports a couple of years ago claiming Glance wanted to partner with US carriers, thereby bringing lock screen content to the United States. Nothing came of that, but it seems the time is now right for the company to break into the American market.

Glance has reportedly started a pilot program in the US thanks to a partnership with Motorola and Verizon ahead of a full launch later this year. Its app already comes pre-installed on the 2024 Moto G Power, and is expected to expand to more Motorola and Verizon devices if the pilot proves successful.

9To5Google tested the Glance platform and reports that it isn't overly invasive. Users are asked to enable Glance on the lock screen during the setup process, so you can just keep the feature turned off at this early point.

Those who do enable Glance, be it by choice or by accident, will see content in widgets when they light up their lock screens. It's mostly news items, which users can tailor to show specific categories, such as politics, tech, entertainment, etc. If you do want to turn it off, this can be easily done in the lock screen settings, though you'll reportedly see occasional prompts to turn it back on, which sounds annoying.

Glance doesn't collect user data; it uses usage patterns for its personal recommendations. The company is said to be working with Qualcomm to build an AI-powered lock screen experience that will allow much of the processing to be done on-device rather than through cloud services.

Unlike in other locations, Glance doesn't plan to show ads on lock screens in the US, according to a source. That could always change, of course.

Ads on phone lock screens have been causing controversy for years. Amazon offered discounts on Android phones, including the Moto G, in 2016 if users opted for the devices to ship with personalized ads on the lock screen and notifications tray. A few years later, there were reports of ads appearing on Huawei phone lock screens, though this was unintentional and the ads were quickly removed.

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SONY

Random Xperia Ace IV render resurrects hopes for an affordable compact smartphone from Sony

A supposed render of an unknown Sony smartphone has been shared on social media, with a couple of commenters already labelling it as the Xperia Ace IV. Sony released the Xperia Ace III as an affordable compact smartphone for the Japanese market in 2022, and there has been no official sign of a Sony Xperia Ace IV yet.

Talk about a Sony Xperia Ace IV compact smartphone has died down since a flurry of rumors in late 2022 and early 2023 suggested such a phone was being prepped for the global market. It’s not clear whether the phone even existed at that point, although a purported render of what could be the Xperia Ace IV has now turned up on X. However, there is a very telling detail about the image that could secure its status as likely fake.

Despite commenters on the social media platform talking about the Sony Xperia Ace IV as an upcoming device, it appears there have been more substantial rumors that Sony is being very cautious with its smartphone releases considering the cutthroat nature of the market. There is undoubtedly a market for an affordable compact Xperia smartphone in global terms, but it is likely a very small one. Currently, Sony classes its Xperia 5 V as a "compact" phone (available on Amazon), but it is far from cheap. The render posted reveals just how basic the Xperia Ace IV could be, should this turn out to be a genuine leak.

The white phone features the “Sony” and “Xperia” names and is gifted a single camera lens above a pill-shaped flash. But the so-called Xperia Ace IV here appears to sport a 21:9 ratio, with its tall and narrow design seemingly conflicting with current rumors about Sony’s plans in this area. For instance, the 2024 Xperia 1 VI is reportedly going to feature a 19.5:1 aspect ratio while the Ace III has a ratio of 18.7:9. It would be odd for Sony to drop 21:9 for the flagship Xperia 1 model and then select it for the usually compact Ace series.

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SAMSUNG

Galaxy S24 FE spotted on UK carrier listing, model number also revealed for various markets

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S24 FE as a more affordable version of the Galaxy S24 line. Although S

amsung hasn’t officially confirmed the phone yet, its existence has now been verified through a listing on a UK carrier’s database (via SamInsider).

The smartphone was spotted on the carrier’s listing under the model number SM-721U. Additionally, it has been sighted by Android Headlines under various model numbers like SM-S721B, SM-S721W, SM-S721N, and SM-721U — the latter of which is the same as the carrier listing.

The SM-S721B is said to be the global variant, while the SM-S721W, SM-S721N, and SM-721U are variants for America, Korea, and Canada.

However, aside from these tidbits, no further details about the Galaxy S24 FE have been shared by any sources.

Nonetheless, previous leaks suggest the smartphone might feature a 6.1-inch AMOLED display, a generous 12GB of RAM, and storage options ranging from 128GB to 256 GB. Rumors also point to a 4,500mAh battery, promising solid battery life

These specifications fall in line with expectations for the FE line, which Samsung typically positions as a more affordable alternative to their flagship S series. 

While specifics are unknown, the S24 FE is likely to borrow some features from the recently released Galaxy S24, but at a lower cost.

As for the launch date, it remains under wraps for now. However, based on past FE releases, it’s reasonable to expect a late 2024 launch at a Samsung event for the S24 FE. Rest assured, we’ll keep you updated on any new developments regarding the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.

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