Australian shares are set to falter as global markets ponder whether the worst rate hikes are over.
Wall Street had mixed results overnight, with the Dow Jones closing flat, the S&P500 down 0.1 per cent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq off 0.6 per cent.
Wall Street surged the previous day when US markets rose after the world’s biggest economy released its latest inflation data.
The data showed price hikes were starting to ease, which might soften concerns about another big rate hike of up to 0.75 per cent next month.
However, San Francisco Fed president Mary Daly said it was too early to “declare victory” on inflation despite the better figures.
Ms Daly also said a 0.5 per cent rate hike in September was currently her “baseline”, and jobs and worker data that would be out soon also needed to be taken into consideration.
With Wall Street now retracting its flush of optimism, ASX 200 futures were also down in early-morning indications.
They were down 1.5 per cent by 7am AEST.
Oil up as people switch from costly gas
US 10-year Treasury yields have risen slightly in an indication that markets too are still betting on rate hikes.
“Financial markets initially reacted positively to [US inflation] data that showed inflation in the US is moderating, but gains then whittled away on concerns the market may have overreacted,” ANZ noted.
“At close, the Euro Stoxx 50 had gained 0.2 per cent, the FTSE 100 dropped 0.5 per cent, while the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones were largely unchanged.
“The yield on the US 10y note jumped 11bp higher to 2.89 per cent.”
Meanwhile, oil is up again.
“Oil prices continue to increase (as) hopes of stronger demand strengthened,” ANZ noted.
“The International Energy Agency [IEA] lifted its consumption estimate by 380kb/d, saying soaring gas prices amid strong demand for electricity is driving utilities to switch to oil.”
The greenback dropped back to its post-CPI lows overnight, before paring some losses.
“AUD/USD briefly edged up towards 0.7150 thanks to a weaker USD and higher oil prices,” ANZ noted.
“Risks to AUD are still to the downside in our view.
“While market expectations for rate hikes (by the Reserve Bank of Australia) have come off in recent months, market pricing still shows a peak in the cash rate well above 3 per cent.”
Samsung has announced new additions to its SmartWatch portfolio, with the Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Watch5 Pro to be released in late August.
The company says the new devices are intended to help users reach their health goals and milestones, with a range of new features and technologies involved.
Monitoring and analysis is a key feature of the new products, says Samsung, with the Galaxy Watch5 being equipped with Samsung’s BioActive Sensor.
This technology was first introduced on the Galaxy Watch4 series, and uses a single chip that combines three health sensors – Optical Heart Rate, Electrical Heart Signal and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis – to deliver more readings for the body. This includes heart rate, blood oxygen level, and stress level analysis, and there is also a newly introduced temperature sensor.
The Body Composition measurement tool is also said to provide a complete snapshot of the user’s overall health, also giving them a tailored approach to set goals and track progress. There are also new customization options relating and smart features relating to rest and recovery as well.
Samsung has also said the products are designed with an increased surface area and have more direct contact with a user’s wrist. The Galaxy Watch5 Pro comes with a D-Buckle Sport Band that will offer more durability and comfort. The enhanced Sapphire Crystal and titanium casing will also protect the display with a protruded bezel design.
There is also extended battery life and time, which the company says will allow the device to last for longer than previous models. The Galaxy Watch5 comes with 13% larger battery and provides eight hours of sleep tracking with eight minutes of charging, which is 30% faster than the Galaxy Watch4.
New interactive features that have been announced include the utilization of Google Assistant and an upcoming feature with Google Maps where users can find their way without a smartphone connection. New apps like SoundCloud and Deezer are also featured, along with One UI Watch4.5, which offers a fuller typing and accessibility features.
Samsung Electronics president and head of mobile eXperience business Dr. TM Roh says the new products showcase the company’s commitment to promoting health and wellness, and the analytical features help provide better and more comprehensive insights.
“We’re dedicated to giving our Galaxy Watch community the tools, data and resources needed to not only understand their overall health and wellness better, but to coach them on their journey,” he says.
“With Samsung’s groundbreaking BioActive Sensor, we’re empowering users with the most complete picture of their health-related insights yet.”
United States federal scrutiny of Google’s digital advertising operations can be traced back to the Trump administration.
By Leah Nylen and Gerry SmithBloomberg
Published On 9 Aug 2022Aug 9, 2022
The US Justice Department is preparing to sue Google as soon as next month, according to people familiar with the matter, capping years of work to build a case that the Alphabet Inc. unit illegally dominates the digital advertising market.
Lawyers with the DOJ’s antitrust division are questioning publishers in another round of interviews to refresh facts and glean additional details for the complaint, said three people familiar with the conversations who asked not to be named discussing an ongoing investigation.
Some of the interviews have already taken place and others are scheduled in the coming weeks, two of the people said. They build on previous interrogations conducted during an earlier stage of the long-running investigation, the people said.
An ad tech complaint, which Bloomberg had reported was in the works last year, would mark the DOJ’s second case against Google following the government’s 2020 lawsuit alleging the tech titan dominates the online search market in violation of antitrust laws.
Still undecided is whether prosecutors will file the case in federal court in Washington, where the search case is pending, or in New York, where state attorneys general have their own antitrust case related to Google’s ad tech business, the people said.
The Justice Department declined to comment.
“Our advertising technologies help websites and apps fund their content, and enable small businesses to reach customers around the world,” said Google spokesperson Peter Schottenfels. “The enormous competition in online advertising has made online ads more relevant, reduced ad tech fees, and expanded options for publishers and advertisers.”
The DOJ’s ad tech probe is an example of the federal government’s push to rein in the largest US technology platforms after nearly a decade during which regulators took little to no action. The Federal Trade Commission has sold Meta Platforms Inc. seeking to force it to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp and is investigating Amazon.com Inc. over its control of online retail.
Apple Inc. is also under investigation by the Justice Department related to its tight control over the App Store. These types of probes are difficult, taking years to prepare and resolve as they wend their way from investigation to litigation and appeals.
Federal scrutiny of Google’s digital advertising operations goes back to the Trump administration. Then-Attorney General William Barr sued the Mountain View, California-based company over its search business instead, alleging the company used exclusive distribution deals with wireless carriers and phone makers to lock out competition.
In December 2020, attorneys general for 16 states and Puerto Rico also sued Google for allegedly monopolizing the online digital advertising market. The suit alleges Google reached an illegal deal with Meta to manipulate the online auctions where advertisers and website publishers buy and sell ad space. Meta isn’t accused of wrongdoing in the states’ lawsuit, though regulators in the UK and Europe have opened a probe into both companies over the agreement, nicknamed Jedi Blue.
Google denies the allegations and has asked a federal judge to dismiss the states’ complaint. A hearing on that request is scheduled for later this month.
The search giant is the biggest player in the market for online display ads, which help fund news, sports and entertainment websites. The company owns tools that help websites sell ads, others that help advertisers buy space and the most widely used platform where online ad auctions take place.
Google controlled about 28.6% of the $211.2 billion in US digital ad spending last year, according to eMarketer, while Facebook made up 23.8% and Amazon 11.6%.
Norfolk police began investigating Celeste Burgess and her mother, Jessica Burgess, in late April following concerns Celeste had prematurely delivered a stillborn fetus, according to court documents. After the two were initially charged, law enforcement continued to investigate and obtained Facebook messages between Celeste and Jessica that appear to make reference to abortion pills and burning “the evidence,” according to a copy of the conversation — which is now being used in the case — contained in court filings. Police claim that after the body of the fetus was exhumed, it appeared to have “thermal injuries” indicating that it may have been burned after the pregnancy was terminated, court documents show.
The case began before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. But it highlights an issue digital privacy experts and some lawmakers have been raising alarms about in recent months: That law enforcement in some states could use people’s personal data to enforce laws prohibiting abortion, a practice which experts worry could increase following the Supreme Court’s ruling. Experts have warned that prosecutors could, for example, serve search warrants to tech companies requesting location data, search history or call logs to help corroborate whether someone had or aided in an abortion. The Burgess case shows how that has, in some cases, already been happening to enforce existing laws.
Celeste, who was 17 at the time of the alleged incident, initially told investigators that she had unexpectedly miscarried a stillborn fetus, and that she and her mother later buried the fetus, according to an affidavit in support of a search warrant. When interviewed by a police detective she “scrolled through her messages on her Facebook Messenger account” in an attempt to surface the date of her miscarriage, which police said led them to believe that there might be more messages with specifics about the case and to seek a search warrant, according to court documents.
The public defender’s office representing Celeste Burgess, who is being tried as an adult, declined to comment. CNN Business has also reached out to the attorney representing Jessica Burgess.
Investigators served Goal(fb), Facebook’s parent company, with a search warrant on June 7 for information pertaining to the accounts of Celeste and her mother. Facebook turned over the results of the search warrants within two days. The data provided by the company included over 250 MB of data related to Celeste’s Facebook account and more than 50 MB of data about Jessica’s account, such as account information, images, audio and visual recordings, messages and other data, court documents show. The data included direct message exchanges between Celeste and Jessica two days prior to the “miscarriage/stillbirth” that suggested they’d received pills, and made plans for how to use them and what to do with “the evidence,” according to a signed affidavit in support of an additional search warrant by Detective Ben McBride of the Norfolk Police Investigations Unit.
In a Tuesday night statement on Twitter responding to a story about the Burgesses’ case, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said “nothing in the valid warrants we received from local law enforcement in early June, prior to the Supreme Court decision, mentioned abortion.” In a post Tuesday on its website titled, “Correcting the Record on Meta’s Involvement in Nebraska Case,” Meta said “court documents indicate that police were at that time investigating the alleged illegal burning and burial of a stillborn infant. The warrants were accompanied by non-disclosure orders, which prevented us from sharing information about them.
The affidavit filed by McBride, the detective investigating the Burgesses, requesting approval of the search warrant to Facebook noted that he would be seeking evidence related to “prohibited acts with skeletal remains,” according to court documents obtained by CNN Business.
After the initial request to Facebook, prosecutors filed an additional search warrant on June 16 that requested evidence of internet searches or purchase of medications used for miscarriage, among other things. Thirteen technology devices belonging to the Burgesses were also seized in response to that warrant, according to the court documents
In June, Celeste and Jessica were each charged with one felony count of prohibited acts with human skeletal remains, one misdemeanor count of concealing the death of another person and one misdemeanor count of false information. Both have pleaded not guilty to all three, and trials have been set for later this year. After the police obtained data from the two search warrants Jessica was later also charged with two additional felonies, inducing an illegal abortion and performing an abortion as someone other than a licensed physician, to which she also pleaded not guilty. A 22-year-old man was issued a citation in relation to the case for allegedly concealing the death of another person, according to a May police press release. He pleaded no reply to a misdemeanor, according to a report from the Lincoln Journal Star.
The case was earlier reported by the Lincoln Journal Star, Forbes and Vice.
Nebraska currently prohibits abortions after 20 weeks, a law that has been in place since before Roe v Wade was overturned. Celeste Burgess was around 28 weeks pregnant when her pregnancy ended, court documents allege.
Although the Burgesses were charged before Roe v. Wade was rolled back — and the protection would not have applied to the women’s actions following the end of the pregnancy — the case demonstrates how private information such as direct messages on social media could be used to enforce laws prohibiting abortion. In 2018, a Mississippi woman was also indicted by a grand jury for second degree murder after an at-home pregnancy loss, after law enforcement pointed to her de ella internet search results such as “buy abortion pills,” although the charges were ultimately dropped .
Captain Michael Bauer of the Norfolk Police Division said in an email to CNN Business that officers and detectives may not comment on cases outside of court.
Following the Supreme Court’s June ruling, tech giants largely avoided saying how they would respond to law enforcement requests for data that could lead to the prosecution of abortion seekers or providers — even as some of those same companies pledged to help cover travel costs for their own employees who need to travel to obtain legal abortion services. Asked in June, companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, Lyft, Facebook-parent Meta, Microsoft, Uber, Snap, TikTok and Twitter either didn’t respond, declined to comment or didn’t directly answer questions about how they would handle data requests targeting abortion-seekers.
In many cases, tech platforms may have little choice but to respond to legal requests for information. Tech companies have broadly said they comply with government data requests so long as they are consistent with existing laws. Now, the rollback of federal abortion protections, combined with the passage of new legislation in numerous states restricting abortion, could make it difficult for platforms to fight certain data demands related to abortion investigations.
In June, Meta responded to questions about law enforcement requests for data by directing CNN Business to its transparency center and said the company requires government requests to be consistent with the law and with the company’s own data policies. “If we determine that a government request is not consistent with applicable law or our policies, we push back and engage the governmental agency to address any apparent deficiencies. If the request is unlawful (for example, overly broad, or legally deficient in any way ), we will challenge or reject the request,” the company states.
The federal government’s COVIDSafe app has been scrapped just over two years after its launch.
But the $21 million platform, designed to trace close contacts of people who tested positive for COVID, had problems from the start.
What was COVIDSafe?
When COVIDSafe launched in late April 2020, it was touted as a critical part of the government’s plan to reopen the economy.
The app relied on a bluetooth signal which transmitted at regular intervals to make contact with other users nearby.
If a person tested positive for COVID-19, state and territory authorities could request access to the phone log to work out who else may have been infected.
But the lower the number of people actively using it, the less effective it was – and it wasn’t guaranteed to work for those who did.
So, did COVIDSafe work?
When it was launched, Australians were told they didn’t have to do anything special to get COVIDSafe to work.
But the then-government’s own testing showed that when it went live, COVIDSafe only worked effectively about a quarter of the time or less on locked iPhones.
Communications between locked Androids and iPhones was also poor – although this later improved.
The app’s effectiveness was hampered by bugs which had the potential to limit its core function – particularly at big events, according to experts.
loading
It also took until late 2021 for COVIDSafe to be updated to track the more infectious Delta variant.
Months before, experts had warned the app’s 15-minute exposure window – the time frame used to define a close contact – was “very useless” in tracking the more transmissible variant.
In December 2021 Mark Butler — who was then the shadow health minister — called for it to be scrapped after it was revealed to have identified just two close contacts nationally in six months.
Mr Butler is now the Health Minister, and figures released by his office on Wednesday show just 17 close contacts that had not already been picked up by manual contact tracers were identified in more than two years.
In its lifetime, the app clocked just two unique COVID cases.
Did anybody use COVIDSafe?
At its launch, the government said it would need 40 per cent of Australians – 10 million people – to use COVIDSafe for it to be a success.
But that number has rarely been mentioned since.
By the time of its decommissioning, there were 7.9 million registrations, according to Mr Butler, who called it a “failed app”.
The vast majority of sign-ups – more than 6 million – were in the first few weeks.
But the app relied on active users, and people consenting to their positive test results being used, to work.
The app cost $21 million but detected only two unique COVID cases.(ABC News: Emma Machan)
Fewer than 800 users consented to their data to be collected, according to Mr Butler’s office.
In September 2021, as COVID cases spiked in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT, the ABC revealed the app hadnot uncovered any close contacts in those outbreaks.
In fact, the ACT never used data from the app at all, instead opting to rely on its own contact tracers.
How much did taxpayers pay for COVIDSafe?
The previous federal government entered into contracts worth nearly $10 million for work on the app until the end of 2021.
It refused to join Apple and Google’s joint contract tracing system, which was adopted by more than 50 jurisdictions around the world.
The total cost of the Australian app, which had a monthly operating price tag of $100,000, now sits at $21 million.
Of that, $10 million went to develop the app, a further $7 million on advertising and marketing, $2.1 million on upkeep and more than $2 million on staff.
What happens now?
Users are now being asked to uninstall COVIDSafe.
Doing so will delete all their data, according to a message on the app.
The Health Department will no longer gather personal data, and the data gathered via the app so far will be deleted as soon as possible, Mr Butler said.
The app will be formally decommissioned on August 16.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.V., on Capitol Hill on Sept. 30, 2021.
Jabin Botsford | Washington Post | Getty Images
Senate Democrats passed a historic package of climate, healthcare and tax provisions on Sunday.
But one proposed tweak to the tax code — a modification of so-called carried interest rules — didn’t survive due to objections from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., whose support was essential to pass the Inflation Reduction Act in an evenly divided Senate. The bill now heads to the House, which is expected to pass it this week.
Many Democrats and opponents refer to the lower tax rate on carried interest as a loophole that allows wealthy private equity, hedge fund and other investment managers to pay a lower tax rate than some of their employees and other American workers.
“It’s a real rich benefit for the wealthiest of Americans,” said Steve Rosenthal, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. “Why should a private-equity manager be able to structure his or her compensation for her with low-taxed gains? That seems wrong.”
Here’s what carried interest is, and why many Democrats want to change how it’s taxed.
Carried interest is a form of compensation paid to investment executives like private equity, hedge fund and venture capital managers.
The managers receive a share of the fund’s profits — typically 20% of the total — which is divided among them proportionally. The profit is called carried interest, and is also known as “carry” or “profits interest.”
Here’s where the tax controversy lies: That money is considered a return on investment. As such, managers pay a top 20% federal tax rate on those profits, rather than regular federal tax rates of up to 37% that apply to compensation paid as a wage or salary.
That preferential 20% tax rate is the same as “long-term capital gains,” which applies to investments like stocks, bonds, mutual funds and real estate held for more than a year.
Bulk of fund managers’ compensation is carried interest
Carried interest accounts for the “vast majority” of compensation paid to managing partners of private equity funds, according to Jonathan Goldstein, who leads the Americas private equity practice at Heidrick & Struggles, an executive search firm.
More from Personal Finance: How the Inflation Reduction Act preserves expanded health subsidies These 30 companies will help employees pay off their student loans Reconciliation bill includes nearly $80 billion for IRS funding
In dollar terms, managing partners’ carried interest ranged from $10 million to $102 million, on average, according to the survey, again depending on overall assets under management.
Additionally, while capital gains for wealthy investors are generally subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare surtax, not all carried interest is subject to this “net investment income tax,” according to tax experts. When it is factored in, managers that are subject to the tax would owe a 23.8% total top tax rate at the federal level, when added to the 20% top rate for capital gains.
Some say it’s a ‘stain’; others, a ‘successful policy’
Wealthy investors, including Warren Buffett and Bill Ackman, have lambasted the tax treatment of carried interest.
“The carried interest loophole is a stain on the tax code,” Ackman, the chief executive of Pershing Square, wrote July 28 on Twitter.
However, other tax experts and proponents of the current tax structure think a lower rate on carried interest is appropriate, benefiting investors and the economy. Raising taxes on fund profits would be a disincentive for managers to take risk and would reduce investment capital, they said.
“Carried interest is appropriately taxed as a capital gain and a successful policy that incentivizes investment in the US economy,” according to Noah Theran, the executive vice president and managing director of the Managed Funds Association, a trade group.
Higher tax rates could also have “spillover effects” by reducing the rate of return for investors like pension funds and other institutions, said Jennifer Acuna, a partner at KPMG and former tax counsel for the Senate Finance Committee.
“The policies have been going back and forth for many years, on what is the right policy to tax carried interest,” Acuna said. “I don’t think it’s a slam dunk.”
Proposal would have curtailed carried interest
A deal brokered by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and Sen. Joe Manchin, DW. Va., initially proposed curtailing the tax break for carried interest. However, the proposal was removed from the final legislation that passed the Senate.
Most significantly, the proposal would have required fund managers to hold portfolio assets for five years — an increase from three years — in order to receive the preferential 20% tax rate.
Managers with a holding period of less than five years would incur “short-term” capital gains tax rates on carried interest — a 37% top rate, the same that applies to wage and salary income for the highest-income taxpayers.
Another proposed tweak would have effectively lengthened that holding period beyond five years, according to Rosenthal.
That’s because the initial proposal would have started counting the five-year clock only after a private-equity fund made “substantially all” of its investments — a term that isn’t specifically defined but which tax experts would generally consider as 70% to 80 % of a fund’s investment capital being committed, Rosenthal said.
In practice, that would likely have extended the effective holding period to roughly seven to nine years, a policy that “had some bite,” he added.
Democrats estimated that the proposed changes to the carried interest rules would have raised $14 billion over 10 years.
WhatsApp announced several new privacy updates on Tuesday, including the ability for users to check their messages without other people knowing.
The platform will soon allow people to control who can see when they’re online, prevent others from taking screenshots of certain messages, and leave groups without notifying entire channels.
WhatsApp has more than two billion users globally, and is owned by Facebook parent Meta.
Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >>
Announcing the changes on Facebook and Instagram, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company would “keep building new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations.”
WhatsApp has long touted its use of end-to-end encryption, which means only the sender and recipient of a message can see its contents.
And like other private messaging platforms, it already allows users to send messages that disappear after set periods of time.
However, last year WhatsApp was heavily scrutinized after an update to its terms of service.
WhatsApp announced several new privacy updates on Tuesday. Credit: SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett
At the time, many users expressed concerns about a section of WhatsApp’s privacy policy that detailed what is shared with parent company Facebook, which has a troubled reputation when it comes to protecting user data.
The update sent some people flocking to Signal, another popular encrypted messaging platform.
Facebook tried to dispel confusion over the policy, saying that its data-sharing practices were not new and did not “impact how people communicate privately with friends or family”.
Now, two of the new features being introduced on WhatsApp — which will let you choose who can see when you’re active, and to leave groups silently — will start rolling out to all WhatsApp users this month.
The screenshot blocking tool, which will be made available on messages intended to be viewed just once, is still being tested and will be made available later, according to WhatsApp.
Google’s cloud gaming service, Stadia, has been receiving consistent updates, but even then, there are rumors of it shutting down due to the low number of total users. All the rumors were slashed when the official Twitter account of Stadia tweeted that it’s not shutting down but rather been worked on to bring more games and updates.
@BlueFireDemon44 Stadia is not shutting down. Rest assured we’re always working on bringing more great games to the platform and Stadia Pro. Let us know if you have other questions.
@BlueFireDemon44 Stadia is not shutting down. Rest assured we’re always working on bringing more great games to the platform and Stadia Pro. Let us know if you have other questions.
A new update will soon be rolled out to improve the quality of life and the YouTube streaming feature. Currently, to stream through this platform on YouTube, users can only stream one game, and if they wish to switch to another game, they will have to end the stream entirely and start a new one, which is a nuisance. But that has changed.
The latest update to Google Stadia is a godsend to streamers
YouTube streaming on Google Stadia will be much easier and better once the update is rolled out to everyone. It will allow users to pause their live stream, switch games, and click on “Resume livestream” to continue streaming. This will help streamers retain their viewers as they switch games, which would not have been possible without this update.
Moreover, users can also change the device on which the gameplay is being streamed. For example, users can switch from their desktop to mobile devices on the same stream without ending it.
Another great feature coming out with the update is called Party Stream, which allows players to stream their gameplay to others in the Stadia party. The party can support up to 10 players where there is no limit on how many members of the party can stream their gameplay while others can be viewers.
This means that nine players can stream in the party with one viewer, or one with nine viewers, although only one stream can be watched at a time.
Also Read Story Continues below
The Party Stream feature also has party chat elements like voice chat so that while spectating or streaming, users can continue to chat with everyone at the party, send messages and react with emojis while the streamer will see on-screen notifications of friends entering or leaving the stream, new messages, and the latest reactions.
Google’s cloud streaming service has been receiving important updates, and since its launch, its integrated YouTube streaming feature has added support for 4K and HDR. The new update will be rolled out to all users on all platforms within the week.
Google has released the latest Pixel phone, but it’s not the one you’re probably thinking of.
While the tech giant will unveil their latest flagship devices later this year, a new affordable Pixel has made its way to our shores.
The Pixel 6a costs less than it’s two bigger siblings, yet retains a lot of what makes a Pixel a great alternative to Apple’s smartphone lineup.
Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >>
How do I get it and what will it cost?
Pixel 6a is available in chalk, charcoal and sage for $749.
You can buy from the Google Store, JB HI-FI, Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, Officeworks and Harvey Norman.
Who is it good for?
Google’s Pixel series has always been a popular choice for those who want a phone that is guaranteed to see fast updates to both the operating system (Android) and the security of the device.
Pixel 6a continues on this, and has the advantage of having a few of the bugs ironed out that plagued the older Pixel 6 smartphones since last year.
If you want a great little performing mobile, that comes with Google’s great cameras and smarts – then you’ll be quite happy with your choice.
How does it work?
The Pixel 6a differs a little bit to the $999 Pixel 6.
You won’t get the same high quality, high refresh rate screen that can be found in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. While the 6.1-inch flat display is totally acceptable in daily use, if you’re used to the 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rates that are popping up on other phones, you might miss it.
There’s no zoom camera, and the main camera lens is very old hardware (in terms of technology). In saying that, the photos that you can take using the Pixel 6a put some other phones with newer lenses to shame. Google’s software is unmatched when it comes to computational photography.
While the camera isn’t as versatile as what you’d get out of the Pixel 6 or Pro models, the shots I was able to achieve from this little pocket rocket were nothing short of impressive. Night photos, or when there isn’t much light, were a bit more hit and miss though.
But to keep that price down, some corners needed to be cut. Because that’s basically all you’re going to lose between the next Pixel up.
The Pixel 6a has the same Google Tensor processing chip as the other two more expensive phones in the series, comes with the same software experience, haptic feedback is fantastic, the stereo speakers are loud and clear, and after the last update – connectivity has been greatly improved while using the three major Aussie telcos.
The software is also the same as you’d see in the flagship phones with all the photography features like ‘real tone’ to ensure skin tone in photos is correct, night sight and magic eraser – which removes unwanted objects and people from your shots.
Outside of Google’s photography voodoo, you also get some really helpful features such as Hold For Me and Call Screening. There is also live captioning while you watch video content, and live translate to help with any language barrier that comes your way.
During my two weeks with the Pixel 6a, the battery life was what impressed me – and that’s probably down to a lower refresh rate on the display compared to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. From waking at 5am in the morning with full charge, to end the day at 10pm with 30 per cent left – it’s very reliable.
There has been a lot of noise around the fingerprint sensor allowing non-enrolled fingers to unlock the device. I wasn’t able to replicate this between over 10 people, so I feel this is a non-issue if you’ve seen that reported elsewhere.
What we think
Pixel 6a is a very compelling device for the masses. There will be quite a lot of people out there who don’t care about the highest megapixels on the cameras, or the biggest refresh rate on the display.
While there are a few things that have been downgraded or left out from the latest in Google’s A-series, what has been left in is what’s important here.
It’s at a hugely competitive price for what you are getting – and it ticks all those boxes that most people are looking for in a smartphone. Good display, dependable battery, great cameras, and reliable performance and software experience. Big ticks all round.
You really can’t go wrong with the Pixel 6a if your budget won’t stretch past $800, and there’s nothing that comes close to it in the same price range. But if you can afford the extra money, the Pixel 6 will offer you some additional benefits over the Pixel 6a that you might enjoy – including that flat display.
Our reviews always remain independent of the manufacturer, and the first time they will see the review is at the same time you’re reading it.
This article contains affiliate links, whereby 7NEWS.com.au may earn a commission if you click on a link – at no extra cost to you.
Montblanc’s Summit 3 features a lightweight titanium case with hand finishes and other design tweaks.
Montblanc
Textsize
Montblanc’s Summit smartwatch collection has graduated to the next technological level with the Summit 3, featuring a lightweight titanium case with hand finishes and other design tweaks, plus the latest Wear OS by Google operating system.
“It’s really a big step forward not only in technology, but also in terms of design,” said Felix Obschonka, Montblanc’s director of new technology, during a video-conference presentation of the new model. “The biggest thing happened on the software side when we moved from second generation to third generation of Wear OS, which makes the watch more responsive, faster, and puts the focus on experiences like tiles, which allow you to quickly access different apps,” he says.
He also noted new health and fitness features like blood oxygen measurement, as well as enhanced battery life and GPS.
Since it entered the smartwatch fray in 2017, Montblanc has modeled its smartwatches on its traditional watch collection. “When we started, it was never about shrinking the phone to the wrist, but our ambition is bringing the voice of watchmakers to the smartwatch market. We call it a smartwatch for watch enthusiasts,” Obschonka says.
Summit 3’s 42mm case is available in Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, and Titanium Bicolor.
Montblanc
Summit 3’s 42mm case—available in Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, and Titanium Bicolor—was inspired by the 1858 collection, and it has the same hand-polished and hand-brushed finishes one expects to see on a handcrafted mechanical watch. Designers refined the case lugs and the pusher buttons, resembling chronograph pushers, that control the functions. A full metal case back is another update.
The dial options also draw directly from Montblanc’s traditional watch range. Wearers can opt for the 1858, Bohème, Geosphere, or other familiar designs, in addition to contemporary dials that are function focused for fitness tracking.
Select the 1858 Geosphere dial, and the smartwatch closely resembles its mechanical cousin, which features twin turning global hemispheres for a novel twist on a world-time function. The Summit 3, however, has another trick up its sleeve. When you tap one of the hemispheres, it activates an animation that transitions into a world-time function that tells the time as well as sunrise and sunset times all over the world.
“When we talk about smartwatches, we talk about fine watchmaking meets the latest in technology,” Obschonka says. “It is key for us, as watchmakers, that Montblanc offers something that fits the brand heritage and DNA, something that really elevates the perception of watchmaking to the smartwatch segment, and that we stayed true to ourselves.”
Summit 3’s Boheme watch face.
Montblanc
When it comes to popular fitness and health tracking functions, users can download apps such as Fitbit or Strava, or use Montblanc’s health suite with seven different applications including step tracking, sleep monitoring with the different sleep phases, and blood oxygen measurement. The fitness app has also evolved with a variety of workouts that can be tracked to maximize and improve performance over time with guidance.
In addition, Wear OS by Google delivers turn-by-turn navigation to your wrist with Google Maps and quick and easy payments on the go with Google Pay, plus a world of content available through Google Play.
Each Summit 3 comes with a calfskin strap for a more polished look and a rubber strap for a sporty option. A user-friendly interchangeable system lets you switch them back and forth on a whim, plus you can purchase additional strap options. By combining different dials and straps, you can personalize the design to suit your style on any given day.
“Compared to Apple, it’s a niche,” Obschonka says, noting that the Summit 3’s price of US$1,290 is not that much higher than a titanium Apple Watch with a leather strap. “We are not differentiating on the technology side, it’s differentiating on the materials, the finishing. We are targeting someone who wants to wear something beautiful, something that looks like a real watch with the same refinement, rather than someone who only cares about technology and doesn’t care how it looks.”
