#WeeklyRecap: Android 11, affordable Xbox Series S, and more
This week, a number of developments were reported in the world of technology, especially in the consumer tech department. Microsoft confirmed an affordable new Xbox, Google released Android 11 for a whole bunch of phones, while PUBG's developer broke ties with Tencent to get the imposed ban on the famous battle royale hit revoked. Let's take a look at everything.
PUBG Corp. took back India publishing rights from Tencent
In its first official statement responding to India's sweeping app ban, PUBG Corp., the maker of the famous but blocked battle royale title, said it was cutting ties with China's Tencent Games in India. The company said that instead of Tencent, it will take full publishing responsibility for the PUBG franchise and will work with the Indian government to get the ban revoked.
Google launched Android 11, drew flak for swollen Pixels
Google made major headlines this week by announcing the final version of Android 11, its latest mobile OS, for Pixel phones and a number of other flagships. The company also announced the platform's Go edition for low-power phones. Beyond that, it unveiled a new overhauled avatar of the Google Meet app but drew flak for swollen two-year-old Pixel 3 phones.
Huawei announced Harmony OS for mobile
As Google pushed Android 11, Huawei made its play as well. The company, which is blocked from using Google's services due to US trade restriction, announced its own rival for Android on phones - Harmony OS 2.0. It said that the platform already has over 96,000 apps, making it the third biggest mobile ecosystem, and will be launched with phones coming in 2021.
China could delay TikTok US deal
As the deadline for TikTok US sale nears, the situation is becoming more complicated for ByteDance. This week, one report suggested that the conglomerate could avoid a sale by restructuring TikTok to appease the US government. However, another one claimed that China is putting regulatory hurdles so that the sale deadline is missed and the video service gets banned instead of being sold forcefully.
Apple changed App Store rules, continued feud with Epic
Apple, on its part, announced new rules for the App Store, creating a loophole to bring cloud gaming services on iPhones, among other changes. The Cupertino giant also ordered Epic Games to remove its 'Sign in with Apple' button for logging into Epic accounts but then - following widespread user criticism - decided to give the company an 'indefinite extension'.
Finally, tempting new hardware to look forward to
In the hardware segment, Microsoft made major headlines after unveiling the $299 Xbox Series S - the smallest Xbox ever built. For smartphone lovers, a number of devices were unveiled, including Huawei Y9a, MatePad T8, T10, 10s, Honor 30i, OPPO A32, Moto G9 Plus, RAZR 5G, Samsung Galaxy M51, Vivo X50 Pro+ Alexander Wang Edition, POCO M2, and X3 NFC.
