Are you curious which Android news was the most popular in 2024? From new features on the Chromecast to a smartphone with an invisible selfie camera: these are the best-read news of the year.
Read more after the ad.
Support Android Planet
You are using an ad blocker. We think that’s a shame, because we need advertisements to offer our articles for free. Support Android Planet by adding us to your whitelist. Thank you in advance!
The most popular Android Planet news of 2024
At the end of the year we look backAndroid Planetalways like to look back on the past twelve months. Which Android news did you want to read en masse in 2024? We dug into the statistics and these six articles topped the list.
1. WhatsApp will no longer work on these phones in 2025
Almost everyone uses WhatsApp. It is not surprising that the most read news was about that app. The app will no longer be supported on smartphones with Android KitKat from January 1, 2025. There is a small chance that your phone still runs on that software, unless you use a 10 year old phone, such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 below.
To find out which version of Android your phone is running, go to the Settings app and search for “Android version.” Is the version number 4.4 or lower? Then check whether your phone can still be updated. If not? Then WhatsApp will no longer support your phone.
– Learn more about WhatsApp on older Android-smartphones.
2. Google discontinues the Chromecast: end of an era
It’s over for the most famous media player in history: Google stopped producing the Chromecast this year. Eleven years ago, the tech giant introduced the first Chromecast. Once the current stock runs out, we will never see the device in stores again.
It is of course no coincidence that it is happening now. The same month, the search giant announced its TV Streamer, which offers additional features in addition to faster hardware. The TV Streamer is a lot larger than the Chromecast and, with a suggested retail price of 119 euros, also considerably more expensive.
→ Read more about the end of the Chromecast
3. Google goes all out: these features are coming to the Chromecast
In early 2024 – when we didn’t yet know that the Chromecast would end – Google excitedly shared the upcoming features for its television software: Google TV.
It mainly involves casting your smartphone or tablet screen to your Chromecast or smart television with Google TV. It is made easier for you to share vertical content – such as on TikTok – and with better support for Matter, you can control your smart home with your media player.
→ Read more about the latest Google Chromecast features
4. These Samsung devices (almost) no longer receive updates
Are you still using a Samsung Galaxy A51, which was released at the end of 2019? Then we have bad news, because the smartphone has not received any updates since this year. This means that the device will remain stuck on Android 14 and will no longer have to count on new features and security patches.
Samsung is also ending support for the Galaxy Tab S6 (5G), a tablet that is now more than four years old. Another tablet, the Galaxy Tab A8, only receives a software upgrade twice a year, which used to be every quarter.
→ Read more about the updates to the Samsung Galaxy A51
5. ING customers will soon only be able to pay contactless with Google Pay
ING was one of the last banks to embrace Google Pay earlier this year. Previously, you could only pay contactless via the bank’s own app. Apparently you liked Google’s service so much, because from September ING will oblige you to use Google Pay.
The full switch to Google Pay means that ING customers can also pay contactless with their smartwatch. That wasn’t possible before, but now you simply download the Google Wallet app for your smartwatch from the Play Store.
→ Read more about contactless payments with Google Pay as an ING customer
6. ‘This unknown brand knocks Samsung’s screens off the throne’
Smartphone manufacturer Nubia took on Samsung this year and gave its Z70 Ultra a screen that you will be proud of. With a 6.85-inch OLED display, the Z70 Ultra is a big boy. It has the thinnest screen bezels, a refresh rate of 144Hz and a peak brightness of 2000 nits.
The eye-catching reader also sees that the selfie camera seems to be missing. Nubia has been incorporating the front camera under the screen for some time now and is now making improvements in that area as well. The part of the screen that covers the selfie camera will have a higher pixel density of 430 ppi, which should make the camera better hidden.
→ Read more about the ZTE Nubia Z70 Ultra
Support Android Planet
You are using an ad blocker. We think that’s a shame, because we need advertisements to offer our articles for free. Support Android Planet by adding us to your whitelist. Thank you in advance!
What will be the most important news in 2025?
We will of course keep you informed of all developments in 2025. We also give tips, we continue to write backgrounds and you can read what we think of the latest Android smartphones in our reviews. Enjoy the oliebollen!
You can read the latest Android news here
- Flashback: This was the biggest Android news of last year (1 jan)
- Android Planet wishes you a happy 2025! (1 jan)
- These are the 15 best series of 2024 (31 dec 2024)
- You can stream these series and films next week: Missing You, Avicii (31 dec 2024)
- ‘Samsung Galaxy Watch Classic will make a comeback in 2025’ (31 dec 2024)
Support Android Planet
You are using an ad blocker. We think that’s a shame, because we need advertisements to offer our articles for free. Support Android Planet by adding us to your whitelist. Thank you in advance!