Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes Galaxy S23’s SnapDragon surprise, Samsung’s massive results, Google Pixel 6a reviewed, Asus ZenFone 9 launches, OnePlus’ shock decision, Pixel 7 camera leaks, and ten years of the Google Play Store.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).

The Dragon Awaits The S23

According to Qualcomm's earnings call, Samsung is set to increase its reliance on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon system on chip. CEO Cristiano Amon suggested that Qualcomm’s share of the product would be increasing. While there’s no suggestion that it will be 100 per cent of the Galaxy S line and the upcoming S23 family, it’s undoubtedly heavily suggested:

"In response to an analysts questions about further details on this deal with Samsung, Amon added that “The way you should think about it is Snapdragon will power their Galaxy product line, their Galaxy flagship products. And what I can say at this point is we were 75% on Galaxy S22 before the agreement. You should be thinking about we’re going to be much better than that on Galaxy S23 and beyond.”"

Samsung has reported a strong quarter, with revenue up 21 per cent year-on-year and a twelve per cent increase year on year for operating profit. The star of the show? The premium smartphone market is essentially the Galaxy S22 family.:

"Looking at sales in different segments, half of the increased sales came from the Mobile eXperience (MX) division where premium products (namely the Galaxy S22 series) were a lot more desired, compared with the predecessors in 2021.

RIGA, LATVIA, FEBRUARY 9 2022 - New Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Android smartphone with stylus is ... [+] displayed for editorial purposes.

Announced at Google I/O earlier this year, the Google Pixel 6a is now on sale and comes with five years of security updates. That’s a long time for a mid-range handset, achievable no doubt because it's running Google’s own Tensor Mobile chip, and the company has far more control over that chip across its design life than any other potential supplier. Nathan Spendelow reviews the handset, starting at the big ticket items and what they say about the phone:

"Google has taken a leaf out of the Apple iPhone SE handbook by matching the processing power of its flagship and making cuts elsewhere. The Pixel 6a uses Google’s own Tensor chip, giving it the same processing and graphical grunt as the full-fat Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. This is backed by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage."

The Compact Asus ZenFone 9 Reviewed

This week saw Asus announce its latest smartphone, the ZenFone 9. Running the SnapDragon 8+Gen 1, with up to 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, this is a smartphone following the high specs path. But it follows a different route in terms of size, with a relatively diminutive 5.9 inch screen the key feature of a small package.

"There is a certain inevitability of the specs (so last year’s Snapdragon 888 is renovated with the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 system on chip); memory and storage options are again an expected 8/128, 8/256, or 16/256 for memory and storage, and there’s more stability in the camera housing.

“...Compared to the current pack of smartphones, the ZenFone 9 is a small smartphone. The 5.9 inch display is designed so the handset can sit comfortably in one hand and fit in any reasonably sized pocket. The phone is thicker than the current fashion, accentuated by the two huge camera lens rims."

OnePlus Drops Mute Switch For 10T

Ahead of next week’s launch on August 3rd, OnePlus has confirmed some more details on the OnePlus 10T, and for long-term OnePlus fans, this is going to raise some eyebrows. One of the key points of differentiation, the physical three-way alert slider, is being removed from the upcoming OxygenOS powered handset:

"The alert slider has been a staple of OnePlus’ flagship phones for years, offering a quick and easy way to put its phones into silent and vibrate modes without having to tap through any onscreen menus. In an email interview with The Verge, OnePlus chief designer Hope Liu said that ditching the slider was necessary for the 10T to have enough internal space for other components needed for “high wattage charging, a large battery capacity, and better antenna signal.”

Sensor Secrets And Selfie Cameras From Google

Tucked away in various bits of code are details on the sensors that Google will be bringing to its new Pixel hardware.; they’ve been picked out and highlighted by Kuba Wojciechowski. And once you have an idea of the components and the capabilities, you can think about how they will be used.

“...the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will both use the Samsung 3J1 as a front-facing sensor, making them capable of 11MP selfie photos…. The more interesting tidbit for the front camera is that the Samsung 3J1 sensor, like the IMX663 before it, features dual-pixel autofocus (DPAF) capabilities. While DPAF is often used for creating spectacular portrait/bokeh photos, we’ve also learned that the camera’s depth data should also play a role in the face unlock system Google is still actively developing for the Pixel series.

It’s been ten years since the Google Play store opened up to offer a one-stop shop for Android app needs. To celebrate the decade, the team has taken a look back at its big moments:

"A decade later, more than 2.5 billion people in over 190 countries use Google Play every month to discover apps, games and digital content. And more than 2 million developers work with us to build their businesses and reach people around the globe. As we celebrate 10 years of Google Play, here are 10 of our favorite milestones and features from the last decade"

You can explore the ten moments on the Google Blog.

Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!