Welcome to the 445th edition of Android Apps Weekly. Here are the big headlines from last week:
- There are some great new wallpapers to download this week. For starters, newer Pixel phones have access to some new Indigenous Day-inspired wallpapers. The James Webb Telescope took some amazing pictures, we have more for your background here. Finally, our latest Wallpaper Wednesday is out with even neater wallpapers to try out.
- Wear OS gets a better Google Maps experience. The smartwatch operating system is gaining the ability to use Google Maps without a companion phone. This feature was announced during Samsung’s Unpacked event earlier this week. We don’t know all the details yet, but it’s definitely something different.
- Google Photos has a new Camouflage tool, and it’s hitting Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro devices now. This is a smooth editing feature. This feature blends the brighter colors into the photo better so it’s less distracting. Hit the link to see an example of how it works.
- Google slammed Apple and its green bubble culture again this week. The company launched a site expressly calling on Apple to come together. It boasts the benefits of RCS while criticizing Apple for giving Android users the dreaded green bubble. Hit the link to learn more.
- Disney Plus is launching ad-based plans on December 8. Additionally, prices will increase on all other plans. The ad-supported plan costs $7.99 per month. Meanwhile, the regular plan is $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year. In addition, the price of the Disney Plus bundle with Hulu and ESPN Plus has also gone up. It will be a bit more expensive for Disney fans.
That’s Cow
Price: Free / $2.99
That’s a Cow is a cute little runner game. You play a cow and swipe the screen to spray milk in different directions. You use those mechanics to propel yourself forward, defeating enemies and platforms to avoid failure. Each level has coins, apples and a bad guy that you have to defeat to get your three stars. There are also other cows to unlock and more than 100 levels. It’s not a very deep game, but it’s good arcade fun suitable for both kids and adults.
Three free
Price: Free
Threema is a secure messenger on par with apps like Telegram and Signal. Threema Libre is the same app, but doesn’t rely on the Google Push service to work. In other words, you can run Threema Libre on any Android device, even if it doesn’t have the Play Store. This app allows you to send text and voice messages. You can also make voice and video calls. It’s fully featured and works pretty well.
The only downside is that it’s a bit more complicated to install than some of the others. You have to install the repository before getting the app on F-Droid. We’ve linked the installation instructions in the button below.
TerraGenesis: Landing
Price: Free to play
TerraGenesis: Landfall is the latest game in the TerraGenesis series. This is a city building simulator where you manage your own city but in outer space. The goal is to make life possible on Mars. It has many elements of a city builder, including resource management, challenges to support life, and more. You can even conquer new territories. The mechanics are solid, and it all makes a lot of sense. The game has only been out for a few days, so there are some bugs the developer is still working on, and it’s a bit more aggressive with microtransactions than we’d like. That said, it should still be a decent game.
Mother Plant
Price: Free / $5.99 per month / $29.99 per year
Plant Parent is a new gardening app, and it has some potential. It aims to help people take better care of plants by helping spot potential diseases or ignoring identifiers. Basically, you take a picture of your plant, and the app tells you what it is and if there’s something wrong with it. There’s also a smart care calendar and reminder to help you stay on top of your plant care.
This app is promising, but needs to shore up its subscription strategy. Some people have reported being charged before the free trial ended, and we think $2.99 per week is too much. The developers will definitely need to fix those issues before we can fully recommend it, but as a new gardening app it holds promise.
Fantasy Tower
Price: Free to play
Tower of Fantasy is a new MMORPG. It has many of the usual MMORPG elements, including a story to play through, an open world to explore, and a variety of classes so you can play however you want. It has an anime aesthetic along with a mix of futuristic and fantasy elements. You can also slide like in Genshin Impact to explore the world more easily. Combat is hack-and-slash with skill so it’s nothing we haven’t seen in an MMORPG before.
There are a few minor bugs here and there, but nothing too bad. This should prove to be quite a hit game in this genre as it has all the elements to succeed.
If we missed a major Android app or game release, let us know in the comments.
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