News Weekly: Motorola launches new phones, TikTok under fire, and more

AC News Weekly(Image credit score: Android Central)News Weekly is our column, the place we spotlight and summarize among the week’s high tales so you’ll be able to compensate for the most recent tech information.This is Android Central’s News Weekly, your go-to supply for a concise roundup of the week’s most vital tech tales. This is the place we delve into the highest headlines that present the most recent developments and improvements contributing to the digital panorama. This week, Motorola launched two inexpensive telephones, TikTok will get a final shot at staying within the U.S., Chrome ups its safety on phishing emails, the Galaxy S24 Plus is a shock hit, and Google Messages will get custom-colored chats.Hello Moto(Image credit score: Motorola)Read extra right here.Earlier this week, Motorola launched its budget-friendly telephones, the Moto G 5G 2024 and the Moto G Power 5G 2024. Both these telephones provide upgraded specs and run Android 14 out of the field with improved shows, cameras, and processors in comparison with its earlier fashions. The Moto G 5G is smaller in dimension and has a 6.6-inch HD LCD show and a 5,000mAh battery that helps an 18W charger. It makes use of a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chip with a 2GHz octa-core CPU paired with 4GB RAM that may also be doubled to 8GB utilizing RAM Boost. The system has a 50MP major digital camera, a secondary 2MP macro unit with no ultrawide angle, and an 8MP entrance digital camera. This 12 months’s system is cheaper at $199, a major drop from final 12 months’s $249 mannequin.The Moto G Power 5G, the marginally costlier mannequin, has a 6.7-inch FHD+ LCD show and a 5,000mAh battery that helps 30W wired charging and 15W wi-fi charging. The telephone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor, which contains a 2.2 GHz octa-core CPU. It has 128GB of inside storage and helps a microSD enlargement of as much as 1TB. There are two rear cameras—a 50MP major digital camera with optical picture stabilization and an 8MP ultrawide lens with a 118-degree angle and macro assist. On the entrance is a 16MP selfie digital camera. This 12 months’s system prices $299. These telephones might be obtainable beginning March 21. Time is ticking… Tik…Tok(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)Read extra right here.On Wednesday (Mar.13), the U.S. Congress handed a invoice that might have main implications for TikTok, an app utilized by at the least 170 million Americans.The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Although the invoice mentions TikTok, it’s relevant to any app managed by international advisories within the U.S.TikTok has been given 180 days to make sure that its China-based guardian firm ByteDance must promote TikTok throughout the U.S., or it will likely be banned within the nation. This means it’ll turn into unlawful for any app shops or net servers that host TikTok.”We have given TikTok a clear choice,” mentioned Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. This transfer was taken after the U.S. authorities raised considerations about dangers to nationwide safety and the information of customers on the platform. A spokesperson from TikTok is asking this invoice a “ban” and hopes that the Senate will contemplate information earlier than taking any motion.The invoice is at the moment being thought of by the Senate, and its destiny stays unsure till then. Samsung’s S24 Plus successful(Image credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)Read extra right here.The recognition of the most recent Galaxy S24 Plus mannequin has turn into the speak of the city, and we aren’t stunned.Samsung’s gross sales of the Galaxy S24 collection are up when in comparison with the Galaxy S23 collection, and the most recent numbers present us why. According to the most recent information from Counterpoint Research, gross sales of the Galaxy S24 collection rose by 8% within the first three weeks when in comparison with final 12 months’s early gross sales numbers, and the S24 Plus is driving up these numbers”And in Samsung’s biggest market – the US – we’re seeing YoY growth in the mid-teens – solid numbers, especially considering the tough February. And considering we’re still really at the beginning stages of the coming GenAI smartphone boom, there is plenty of runway for more growth,” mentioned Jeff Fieldhack, Counterpoint Research’s analysis director for North America.Over the years, Samsung’s Plus mannequin has been seen as nothing greater than a bigger model of the bottom mannequin, full with a bigger battery and sooner charging. The system didn’t provide a lot distinction. However, this 12 months’s model has QHD+ decision, affords higher image high quality, bumps in RAM to 12GB, and, let’s not neglect the magic of Galaxy AI.You cannot get Phished on Google Chrome (Image credit score: Google)Read extra right here.Google introduced on March 15 that it’ll improve the Standard safety mode in Chrome’s Safe Browsing characteristic so that everybody will get real-time safety towards phishing and malware assaults.Google upgraded Chrome’s safety system, Safe Browsing, final 12 months, including real-time safety to the combo.This characteristic, which was beforehand solely obtainable in Safe Browsing’s Enhanced Protection mode, retains a lookout for the URLs you are looking and immediately warns you in case you wander right into a sketchy a part of the web.The replace is now up and operating for anybody utilizing Chrome on desktop or iOS. And Google additionally plans to deliver it to Android customers later this month.Google rolls out {custom} chat colours for RCS(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)Read extra right here.Google Messages is letting beta testers set {custom} colours for RCS chats.Back in November, Google launched coloration choices for chat bubbles, letting customers personalize their chat colours. Now, it looks like the replace is regularly rolling out to beta testers.To discover the contemporary coloration decisions, simply faucet the three-dot menu button in any Google Messages thread and choose “Change colors” from the overflow menu. Another approach to do it’s to go to the overflow menu, faucet on Details or Group particulars, and search for the “Change colors” choice slightly below the photographs and movies part. A full-screen preview UI will pop up, providing 9 decisions that embody the default coloration, blue, purple, inexperienced, orange, and pink, amongst different choices.Once you select a brand new coloration for a thread, a message pops up on the backside of the display screen saying, “You changed the theme.”Those are among the largest tales from this week. Meanwhile, listed here are another tales which can be price catching up on: