Alchemy by Leban Hyde | UX + Branding

It’s the Monday after the Daylight Savings time change and, as you can imagine, my internal clock is all jacked up (and if you live somewhere that this is not a thing, you’re not missing much). On the heels of MCW, last week’s news was a bit lighter, focusing primarily on platform updates. Let’s jump in!

Week 10 (03/03–03/09)

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Microsoft… killed support for Android apps on Windows. The service will be shuttered on March 5, 2025, after which installed apps and games will cease to work. Lack of user interest, opaque system requirements, and a convoluted submission process are most likely to blame.

Apple… released iOS 17.4 to the public this past week. With it, compatible devices received updates to emojis, CarPlay, and Siri. As a bilingual family, the multi-language support for message announcements was a nice enhancement.

Also, Apple… will make it easier to move from iOS to Android. In compliance with the EU’s Digital Marketing Act, the company will provide a solution for improved data portability by fall 2025. But don’t be surprised if it’s unavailable outside the EU.

Google… started rolling out the March Pixel Feature Drop. Hitting devices across the Pixel ecosystem, features include call screening improvements, fitness tracking updates for Pixel Watch, and selective screen sharing. Feature Drops are one of the advantages of owning a Pixel device.

Nothing… Phone (2a) reviews began rolling out as well. Positioned as a budget phone, it gets high marks for battery life, camera quality, and design personality. I always keep an eye out for test devices and this might be a fun one to own, even if a little impractical.


And I have no idea how I missed this year’s State of Mobile, but here ya go!

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