June 14 Tech news roundup: Android 16 is here, Apple unveils iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, ROG Xbox Ally handhelds announced

Android 16 has been released

Google has officially released Android 16. The latest iteration of the operating system is available for Pixel devices. Android 16 ships with various improvements for hearing aids, the Recents panel, new settings for Battery Health. The update brings Live Updates from food delivery, ride, navigation apps, on the lock screen. Android 16 comes with major security features such as Advanced Protection, and Identity Check to protect user data from theft and attacks. Android Tablets have a new windowing system that lets users open, move and resize multiple app windows on a single screen like on a desktop computer.

Material 3 Expressive redesign is not included in the current release of Android 16. Google will bring it later this year.

iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26 announced

Apple has officially unveiled new versions of its operating systems, along with name changes to reflect the upcoming calendar year.  The Cupertino company has focused on a transparent look for app icons, widgets, Control Center, Lock Screen etc., which it calls Liquid Glass design.

Wallpapers on the iOS 26 Lock Screen and images in the Photos app have a spatial scene effect, which makes them appear in 3D when you move your iPhone. Apple has streamlined the Camera app by removing all options from the screen save the Photo and Video buttons, the other options can be accessed by swiping left, right, or up. Photos now has 2 tabs: Collections and Library, and a search button to quickly find images. The Phone app in iOS 26 has a unified layout with quick access to favorites, recents and voice mails. Apple has introduced a new feature called Call Screening that answers calls from unknown numbers silently in the background, when the caller shares their name and reason for the call, your iPhone will ring, and you can view the response on the screen and decide whether to pick up. Safari renders in a near-full screen experience with a floating transparent address bar that shrinks as you scroll.

iPadOS 26 brings a new windowing system that lets you resize apps into windows that can be rearranged. There are options to auto arrange windows on the screen, or you can do that manually by flicking them towards the edge. The Files app has been redesigned, the list view not has resizable columns. iPadOS finally lets you add folders to the dock. And macOS’ Preview app is now available for iPads.

macOS Tahoe 26 makes the menu bar transparent. Spotlight has been reworked and lets you search for files, folders, events, apps, messages, etc. Spotlight ranks search results based on your usage, and offers suggestions, filters to help you find what you want. It also has new shortcuts to access apps, files, clipboard history. You can use quick keys to launch apps, or perform actions quickly.

The developer betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26 are now available for testing, and Public Betas will be released next month. Apple’s Liquid Glass design has drawn comparisons to Windows Vista’s Aero Glass, and fans seem to have mixed reactions about the new design.

Amazon Prime Video ads are twice as longer now

Recently, Google announced it would increase the number of ads that YouTube Premium Lite subscribers would see on its platform. Now, it appears Amazon has irked Prime subscribers by doing something similar. It has increased the duration of video advertisements that are displayed on Prime Video. In late 2024, Amazon had previously hinted that it would increase the volume of ads to investors. Users will now have to sit through ads that run from 4 to 6 minutes, for every hour they watch videos on Prime. Amazon has reportedly confirmed the news to ad buyers via email.

Amazon Prime has 150 million subscribers, but can it hold on to them after these changes?

Google’s Pixel 6a batteries have an overheating problem

Google has confirmed that Pixel 6a batteries are prone to an overheating issue. This happens to be the third model in the Pixel A-series that suffers from the problem. Users have shared images of their devices melted due to overheating. According to a report, Android 16’s Battery Health screen warns users that the battery capacity and charging performance will be reduced once it hits 400 cycles. Throttling the device would allow it to remain at optimal thermal levels, but at the cost of performance. Google is advising users to replace the battery via its replacement program.

Prior to this, the Pixel 4a and 7a were found to have defective batteries, which resulted in Google offering a free battery replacement.

Microsoft and ASUS announce ROG Xbox Ally handhelds

Microsoft and ASUS have launched 2 ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. The ROG Xbox Ally is powered by an AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, while the ROG Xbox Ally X has an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor. Though the devices run on Windows 11 Home, the consoles can boot directly to an Xbox full screen experience. This feature has drawn praise from reviewers, as it not only improves the battery life, but also delivers superior performance. That’s because it doesn’t load the Windows desktop fully, which also saves up to 2GB of RAM.

Microsoft had delayed its own Xbox handheld “Project Kennan” so that the Windows and Xbox teams could optimize the gaming performance, and clearly the results have been impressive. The ROG Xbox Ally handheld consoles will be available in select markets in a few months.

However, it appears that “Project Kennan” has been canceled, as Microsoft has decided to let the Xbox and Windows teams continue to focus on improving the software experience. Rumors suggest that Microsoft has a new strategy for the next-gen Xbox, which involves Xbox consoles made by third-party manufacturers like ASUS.

The Outer Worlds 2 will cost $80, ushering an era of overpriced games

Microsoft has announced The Outer Worlds 2, but the game could burn a hole in your pocket. The space-based RPG, developed by Obisidian will cost $80. Gamers were not amused by the price, pointing out that this was a result of Nintendo Switch 2 games being priced higher than normal.

Microsoft had previously announced that Xbox games would become more expensive, but it looks like many people weren’t ready for it. Even the fans of the franchise mocked Microsoft for pricing it at $80, saying that the company chose the wrong game for its strategy, and would rather wait for a sale to buy the game.