Week 42

MacBook Monday. Starting with the nearest date, Apple announced a special "Unleashed" event. In typical Apple fashion, not much is revealed on their website other than the date and time. But It's probably safe to assume that it will be about the new MacBook Pro (as well as the new AirPods that were predicted for the September event). Technically, this isn't mobile news, but it is Apple. So, whatta ya gonna do?

Pixel Tuesday. As reported the previous week, Google has also announced their Pixel 6 Launch. And, like Apple, their info about the event is sparse (other than the obvious, of course). As more details about possible tech specs find their way into the public view, we'll have to see what all holds true. Start that bingo card!

Galaxy Wednesday. Flying in just behind the Apple announcement, Samsung has also also announced Galaxy Unpacked Part 2. Just like Apple and Google, the invitation leaves a lot to the imagination. And again, we can only speculate that the Galaxy S21 FE (Fan Edition) will be the main topic of discussion, with One UI 4 (a la Android 12's Material You) coming in for an honorable mention. We'll just have to wait and see.

Material iOS. Google's iOS design chief announced they will phase out Material Design components in favor of Apple's UIKit. This is a pretty big deal considering Google's size and resources, but it sounds like a strategically sound decision. And from what I know about custom components and iOS from having worked with mobile development teams, maintaining them is a pain as there is a potential for them to break with every iOS release.

Fuchsia OS. In other Google news, it appears that there are plans to continue expanding Fuchsia OS. In case you're not familiar, this is the system that Nest Hub, Google's smart display, runs on. Admittedly, I thought they were… well, stupid until we bought one (looks like a tablet stuck to a speaker). But after spending over a year using one, I can say it's very functional, intended for use cases separate from those of tablets and speakers. So the above news has me enthused.

From the desk of…

I'll continue my current obsession with Android fragmentation in the next issue (in favor of publishing ahead of today's Apple Event). I'll likely be diving into ColorOS 12 or following up on Fuchsia OS by which I'm equally intrigued.

Articles

• 'Unleashed' Apple Event Focusing on New Macs to Take Place on October 18 via MacRumors
• Google Pixel 6 release date, price, Tensor chip, specs and news via Tom's Guide
• Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Event could be for the Galaxy S21 FE via SlashGear
• Google will stop trying to make its iOS apps look like Android apps via Engadget
• Google’s plans for Fuchsia OS teased in job listings via The Verge

Events

• [Oct 18 @ 12:00pm CDT] Apple Event via Apple
• [Oct 19 @ 12:00pm CDT] Pixel 6 Launch via Google
• [Oct 20 @ 9:00am CDT] Galaxy Unpacked Part 2 via Samsung
• [Nov 10 @ 11:30am CDT] Firebase Summit 2021 via Google

Resources

• [Video] Material Components: Tabs - Material Moment via Material Design (YouTube)
• [Guidelines] Fuchsia.dev via Google