Gear News of the Week: Google’s Next-Gen Nest Cams Are Coming, and Sony Debuts a New Xperia Phone

Google has accidentally leaked its caller Nest information cameras and video doorbell line. Setup options appeared successful nan Google Home app for wired versions of nan Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen), and Nest Doorbell (3rd gen), arsenic reported by Android Authority. The options now look to person been removed, but an eagle-eyed Redditor besides recovered nan caller products locked up astatine Home Depot, fresh to spell connected sale.

Google has already confirmed that it plans to unveil caller accusation astir nan infusion of its Gemini sound adjunct into Google Home connected October 1, replacing Google Assistant. That's apt erstwhile we'll spot nan caller hardware, too. These overdue updates are rumored to include a solution bump to 2K, a caller zoom and harvest feature, caller colors, and a move to Gemini for Home. There’s besides talk of a caller subscription action arsenic Nest Aware turns into Google Home Premium, and a caller Google Home Premium Advanced plan. Details haven't been confirmed, truthful return each of this pinch a pinch of salt.

As for nan creation of nan caller lineup, they look almost identical to nan existing range, speech from nan colors, which see an eye-catching red. Perhaps successful mentation for nan caller releases, nan Nest squad precocious updated nan Home app to supply preview images from nan past arena earlier nan unrecorded position loads, swiping betwixt timeline and events, and amended notifications pinch a fixed thumbnail expandable to a ample animated preview. There was besides a raft of capacity improvements and immoderate much-needed polish. —Simon Hill

Sony’s Xperia 10 VII Won’t Launch successful nan US

Sony stopped trading its flagship Xperia phones successful nan US past year, and that seems to beryllium continuing pinch nan latest midrange Xperia 10 VII, announced connected Friday. It'll motorboat successful Asia, Europe, and nan UK, and it debuts a caller creation connection pinch a horizontal camera bar, overmuch for illustration Google's Pixel phones (and moreover nan iPhone Air).

It has a 6.1-inch screen, which whitethorn sound bully and compact, but it's somewhat bigger than nan 6.1-inch iPhone 16. That's astir apt because nan bezels astatine nan apical and bottommost of nan surface are a small chunky for a modern phone. Still, you get a 120-Hz refresh rate, and immoderate folks will beryllium excited to spot nan 3.5-mm headphone jack and microSD paper slot. It's powered by nan Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 spot pinch a 5,000-mAh artillery successful tow, and nary wireless charging.

As for nan cameras, Sony has a 50-megapixel main camera paired pinch a 13-MP ultrawide, and you tin usage nan dedicated shutter fastener connected nan broadside to threat pics. It'll cost £399 aliases €449 successful nan UK and Europe and goes connected waste September 19, nan aforesaid time arsenic nan latest iPhone 17 lineup.

Qualcomm Debuts Quick Charge 5+

This week, Qualcomm announced nan adjacent improvement of its fast-charging technology, known arsenic Quick Charge 5+. Qualcomm calls it its “fastest and astir versatile charging solution,” which tin recharge phones from 0 to 50 percent successful 5 minutes. That was existent of nan original type of Quick Charge 5, though, which is now much than 5 years old. The advances successful Quick Charge 5+ revolve astir “advanced thermal control” and “intelligent powerfulness delivery” to nan standard. It's little astir expanding charging velocity and much astir maintaining that velocity sustainably.

For example, Quick Charge 5+ doesn't conscionable travel each that juice to nan instrumentality uninhibited; instead, it “dynamically” regulates that powerfulness utilizing a “reduced-voltage approach.” This intends it tin little nan voltage connected nan alert to forestall overheating while charging, without impacting capacity aliases artillery health.

Qualcomm says its fast-charging exertion powers complete 1 cardinal devices, but we'll person to spot if Quick Charge 5+ picks up much mainstream take successful phones and accessories successful nan US. Qualcomm's yearly Snapdragon Summit is coming up connected September 23, and nan institution says devices announced astatine nan convention will support Quick Charge 5+. —Luke Larsen

Ultraloq Enables NFC Unlock for Android Phones

Smart-lock marque Ultraloq is adept astatine adding support for nan latest smart-home standards into its devices, from Matter to HomeKit. Now, Android users tin stock a akin acquisition to Apple Home Key users pinch an update to its Bolt NFC smart fastener ($200), allowing it to activity pinch NFC-enabled Android devices for a tap-to-unlock feature, overmuch for illustration really you pat to pay. It’s a characteristic often touted for iPhones, and usually, you can’t move betwixt ecosystems erstwhile a instrumentality is compatible pinch both. The Bolt NFC fastener will let for some Apple and Android devices to wirelessly unlock this smart fastener pinch a tap.