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Nothing just made iMessage for Android

Starting with the Phone (2)

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One of Google’s biggest points of contention against Apple is the lack of support between RCS and iMessage. Amid the constant bickering between the two companies, Nothing has gone further and created its own version of iMessage on its Android-based platform.

Starting with the Phone (2), Nothing users can start communicating with iOS users without freaking out over a green bubble. In partnership with messaging platform Sunbird, the new feature, dubbed “Nothing Chats,” bridges the gap between the two platforms.

First of all, users will show up as blue bubbles on an iPhone, essentially camouflaging their Android-based phone from iOS users. It goes beyond just a skin, though. The feature also includes full-resolution media sharing and live typing indicators. For the future, Nothing is working on read receipts and message reactions.

Unfortunately, especially for Android users looking for a breakthrough system for their own phones, Nothing’s solution isn’t exactly new. The feature is essentially using your iCloud account to connect with other iPhones via a Mac Mini associated with Nothing. Rather than creating an all-new platform, it just bridges the two platforms using your iCloud account.

For security, Nothing says that user data is encrypted. No one else will see your iCloud data. Further, the server automatically deletes information after two weeks of inactivity. It is, of course, dependent on how much you trust the servers with your information.

Currently, the feature isn’t live yet. Nothing will start rolling out its new chat feature on Friday. Now, if you want a more convenient option, do not, contrary to what Tim Cook wants, just buy an iPhone. Use whatever phone works best for you.

SEE ALSO: Apple on adopting Android’s features: Just ‘buy your mom an iPhone’

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Honor, Xiaomi are working on their own Privacy Displays

Samsung’s Privacy Display is apparently very popular.

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Normally, a smartphone brand’s blatant copying of another brand’s feature is not a good practice. Today, however, there is a new feature that we wish other brands would copy: Samsung’s Privacy Display. Thankfully, some brands, like Honor, have finally gotten the message and are working on version of the feature.

As reported by Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Honor is reportedly working on a privacy screen for its smartphones. Likewise, Xiaomi is working on the same thing, potentially launching the feature for the Xiaomi 18 Pro.

For the uninitiated, the Samsung Privacy Display is a built-in feature that blocks visibility of the screen at certain angles. If you’re not looking at the screen from the front, all you’ll see is a black void. It’s a built-in version of those protective screens that you can buy separately. Besides adding a nice layer of protection against scratches, it’s also meant to prevent snooping from your shoulder.

Samsung’s take was widely acclaimed for being insanely useful. When it arrives, this feature will be a godsend to more brands. Even better, users will no longer need to rely on third-party screen just to enjoy the privacy.

That said, there’s still no indication as to when these features will arrive on either Honor or Xiaomi.

SEE ALSO: LE SSERAFIM Chaewon flexes Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display

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Nothing will launch the Phone (4b) next month

It will feature an all-new design.

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Earlier this week, Nothing confirmed that CMF will no longer get a new smartphone later this year. However, the company also teased that a new model is still coming to Nothing itself. The initial tease did not include a model name or an image, thereby shrouding the new phone in mystery. Now, the mystery is gone as Nothing has definitively confirmed what’s coming: the Nothing (4b).

Nope, that’s not a typo. Nothing is following up the Phone (4a) series with the Phone (4b).

On X, Nothing teased the upcoming smartphone with a rough sketch of the model. Surrounded by designs from the Phone (4a) series, the Phone (4b)’s design shakes things up by introducing the usual wide camera island but affixing only a small vertical camera setup on the left side.

Meanwhile, a smaller pill-shaped cutout likely houses the phone’s LED flashes. Finally, a light strip on the lower right of the island will probably feature the model’s lighting element.

The Nothing (4b)’s launch is just over the horizon. The company has confirmed that the model will launch on July 7.

This is likely Nothing’s last ace up its sleeve this year. Earlier this year, Carl Pei already confirmed that the flagship-level Phone (4) will not arrive until next year.

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Meta is reportedly experimenting on a gambling app

Users can spend virtual points on Arena.

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Meta does not have the most stellar of reputations. Despite offering the world’s most popular social media platforms, the company, through its various experiments throughout the years, continuously proves that it has other priorities than just providing the best for its users. Today, another reported experiment wants to take Meta to a new market that its users might fall into: the prediction market.

If you haven’t heard of the prediction market, consider yourself lucky. These apps, such as Kalshi, are basically just gambling platforms without the glitz of playing cards or the rigor of the stock market. Users gamble on mundane circumstances like the weather and more serious ones like war.

Today, as reported by The New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly asking Meta to develop a prediction app of its own. Interestingly, the experimental app, supposedly called Arena, will use virtual points, rather than real money. However, Meta has not ruled out real money — and hence, real gambling — in the future.

Meta is entering the industry at an extremely volatile time. The world is starting to crack down on prediction markets. Some users, for example, have been accused of using insider information to get easy wins on these platforms. Some markets have also accused these platforms of subverting anti-gambling laws.

SEE ALSO: Meta adds subscriptions for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp

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