Top Stories

This week’s top stories: One UI 3.0 un-hides camera notch, January 2021 update for Pixels, more

Kyle Bradshaw | Jan 9 2021 - 6:00 am PT

In this week’s top stories: One UI 3.0 loses the option to hide the camera notch, the January 2021 security update arrives for Google Pixel phones, a likely Nest Hub successor passes through the FCC, and more.

Ahead of the launch of the Galaxy S21, the Android 11 based One UI 3.0 update has been arriving to quite a few Samsung phones. Unfortunately, owners of those phones are discovering that one popular feature, the ability to turn off part of the display to hide the front-facing camera notch, is missing from One UI 3.0.

It begs the question, is Samsung set to introduce some impressive under-display camera tech in the not-too-distant future? Well, given the Galaxy S21 renders that have already leaked showcase a prominent display notch, we’d wager not for a while just yet.

On Monday, Google released their first Android software update of the year, bringing their Pixel phones up to the January 2021 security patch. The biggest changes were for the most recent generation of Pixel phones, fixing issues with system sound volume and auto-brightness levels.

All other phones (Pixel 3/XL, 3a/XL, 4/XL, 4a, 4a 5G, and 5) get the follow enhancements:

Fix for issue causing intermittent restarts in certain apps

Further improvements for auto-rotation response in certain device orientations

Fix for issue prevent calls on certain MVNO networks

This week, a new Google device passed through the FCC, putting it one step closer to release. From the filing, we were able to determine that it’s most likely a Nest Hub style smart display with Soli radar technology built-in. Meanwhile, our sources told us that this new Nest Hub will be able to use Soli to track your sleeping habits.

In terms of launch, the new Nest Hub with Soli is coming this year. We’re told it will arrive sooner than later, which is inline with FCC confidentiality on the filing (and related images) ending in July. Meanwhile, the company revealed to us on Tuesday that it plans to release a new line of Nest security cameras in 2021.

Elsewhere in Made by Google news, the company has confirmed that the Clearly White colorway of Pixel 4a 5G will soon be available from more retailers. Up to this point, the Clearly White Pixel 4a 5G has only been available through Verizon, meaning it was only available on the $599 model with support for mmWave 5G.

Holiday and trade-in shoppers might feel slightly miffed that Google launched a new color after the gift-giving season, but it’s not arriving until closer to February. It comes as Google is aggressively encouraging people to get the Pixel 4a 5G.

Another week, another streaming service. This week, Discovery+ became the latest network-specific streaming service, offering content from the likes of The Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, and more.

If Discovery+ sounds like a good addition to your streaming library, the platform is available widely across Google platforms. You can download Discovery+ on both Android TV and the new Chromecast with Google TV. The service also works through a native app on Android as well as through the web on Chromebooks. Discovery+ also works with Chromecast devices and TVs with Chromecast built-in.