Welcome to the 426th edition of Android Apps Weekly. Here are last week’s big headlines:
- WhatsApp had some news this week. First, WhatsApp has improved its voice messaging. Playback is a bit different and you have new options like fast forward mode. Hit the link to learn more. Also, WhatsApp is experimenting with large file sizes for sharing. The service wants to upgrade up to 2GB. This is good news for users.
- Sony has announced a new PlayStation Plus this week and it competes even better with Xbox’s Game Pass. It basically adds a new dimension to the existing PlayStation Plus that lets you do things like download and play games for free, and includes Cloud Play. It won’t be available in all markets at launch, but it’s still coming.
- Microsoft has solved one of the most annoying problems with Windows 11 As of this week, the stable version now allows users to change their browsers with one click. Previously, it used to take a lot of clicks. There is nothing more to this news. It used to be extremely annoying and now it has been fixed.
- Xiaomi joins Samsung at Throttle Doghouse Geekbench co-founder John Poole discovered that Xiaomi throated Geekbench when it was in the guise of a game, but not when it was shown as a benchmark. This is exactly the style of governing the country that he has used in Russia. Here it is hoped that Xiaomi will solve the problem as Samsung did.
- Many services are removing their footprints from Russia in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war. The bans currently prevent Russian developers from paying, so they are working on their own version of the Play Store. The new App Store is apparently set to launch on May 9th of this year so work is moving fast.
Joke: The Rise of the Yokohama
Price: The game is free
Joke: Rise of Yokai is an MMOARPG with an anime theme. There are quite a few to make this one. There are normal storylines with different searches. There are also a few PvP modes so you can challenge yourself against other players. The graphics are good, the buttons are a bit small but the controls are decent, and it worked quite well. There are some complaints though. In-app purchases help you master PvP play with a pay-to-win component. Also, the game progresses so fast that the progress doesn’t feel very good. It certainly requires some tweaking, but it has some potential.
Area by Autodesk
Price: Free
Area by Autodesk is a social network for 3D artists. You download the app, create a profile and start sharing your work with other developers You can, of course, just create an account and browse side by side. It’s a decent place to store your 3D portfolio because it’s specifically designed for that purpose. It makes people proud of some learning materials to further enhance their craft. It won’t be anything more than a niche app, but it works well for what it does.
Gun up mobile
Price: The game is free
Guns Up Mobile is a PVP tower defense game. Players build their defenses and defend against enemy attacks. Players build their defenses as they build their forces at the same time. You’re probably familiar with the gameplay from there. Everything can be upgraded so that the gameplay loop is attacked, defended and upgraded. You can also join forces with other players to compete for the leaderboard. It’s a bit slow as you progress through the upgrade, but otherwise it creates a decent time killer.
Symphony
Price: Free / 3.99
Symphonyum is a lightweight music player with some really cool features. Not only does it play local music, it also works with various self-hosted services like Subsonic, Plex, MB and others. As such, it is actually an excellent all-in-one solution for those who want to use a particular service but the mobile app is not great for that service. Symphonyum is quite good as a music player. It’s one of those music players that gets you there without complaint and it’s easy to use. It has material UO so it is also good in the theme section.
Adventures of M&M
Price: The game is free
M&M’s Adventure is the latest simple arcade game with a famous brand attached to it. At its core, it is a match-three puzzle game. You tap on the matching candies to clear the board and once you clear a lot, the layer is finished. There is a three-star system based on how many rice you can finish and it creates replay values. There are periodic challenges to complete, items to collect and more. It’s kid-friendly, just make sure you have a password in your Google Play account because the game contains micro transactions.
If we miss a news or release of a great Android app or game, tell us about it in the comments.
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