Shocked reading the headline? Well anyone would be, as due to the onion scams and threat to privacy due to smartphones, users try to be more careful and aware before giving access to permissions like location being tracked, or some files being shared with an app or website.

A report by Cybernews today has alarmed the people online. In their latest research, the publication has found out that Google tracks your location every 15 minutes even with GPS disabled. Cybernews researchers took the latest Pixel 9 Pro XL smartphone with a new Google account and default settings to focus on what all a new smartphone sends to the company. Researchers used a man-in-the-middle approach to intercept the traffic between the smartphone and Google’s servers.

As per Aras Nazarovas, a security researcher at Cybernews, “Every 15 minutes, Google Pixel 9 Pro XL sends a data packet to Google. The device shares location, email address, phone number, network status, and other telemetry. Even more concerning, the phone periodically attempts to download and run new code, potentially opening up security risks.”

It was also revealed that the phone constantly requests experiments and configurations tries accessing the stain environment, and connects to device management and policy enforcement endpoints, suggesting Google’s remote control capabilities. Pixel devices also connected to services that were not used, nor explicit consent was given, such as Face grouping endpoints, causing privacy and ownership concerns while the calculator app, in some conditions, also leaked calculation history to unauthenticated users with physical access.

The device sent potentially excessive and sensitive data that includes the number of times the device was restarted, time elapsed since powering on, and a list of apps installed on the device, including sideloaded ones.

All these points raised concerns about eroding user privacy and control. However other than the company’s servers, the data was not shared to any other third-party app.

Cybernews reached out to Google with these findings to which the company explained that core Play services enable key functionality on every certified Android device. Everyone can check what data is collected. It is revealed that data transmissions are needed for legitimate services regardless of the device model, manufacturer, or even OS.

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Google just recently launched the Google Pixel 9 series in the global and Indian markets. One of the smartphones of the series that is  Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has topped the global display ranking on DXOMARK.

Scores at 158! The newly released @Google #Pixel9ProXL takes over the No.1 place in the global display ranking and leads the ranking with a very strong and balanced performance in nearly all attributes. Moreover, it earned the Eye Comfort Label in the testing results.… pic.twitter.com/HcqZMoFdu4

— DXOMARK (@DXOMARK) August 26, 2024

It has left behind the Honor Magic 6 Pro smartphone on the second rank, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra on third, and the Google Pixel 8 Pro on fourth position. It has received 156 out of 164 in readability, 164 out of 165 in color, 156 out of 163 in video and 154 out of 164 in touch. The most important that it has met the threshold for flicker, brightness, blue-light filtering, and color consistency on DXOMARK which is a testimony of its comfortable viewing experience.

On one side where it has topped in global display ranking on DXOMARK, it has received the second rank in camera evaluation on DXOMARK. It got the second position while the first was retained by the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra smartphone. As far as scores are concerned it got  161 points for photo, 75 for bokeh, 86 for preview, 155 points for zoom, and 152 for video shooting. There are a few cons that DXOMARK has mentioned about its camera that are as follows

Cons

• Dynamic range instabilities across consecutive shots, slight exposure stepping in video
• Underexposure, slightly inaccurate color rendering, and chroma noise in very low light
• Occasional fusion artifacts at medium-range tele settings
• Depth estimation artifacts in bokeh mode
• Sharpness differences between video frames when walking while recording, especially indoors or in low light.

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Google has recently launched its latest Pixel 8a smartphone in the Indian market. This smartphone has been part of the rumor mill for a long time and has finally made its debut. Along with this smartphone, other Pixel devices that have also been a part of the rumor mill are the Pixel 9 series and Pixel Fold 2 smartphone. It is said that this device may make its debut in the month of October this year.

Well if reports are to be believed, the Google Pixel 9 series may include three smartphones- Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and the third device is assumed to be Pixel 9 Pro XL. Recently the prototype images of Pixel 9 Pro were leaked online and today the same source has shared the live hands-on images of Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL.

Pixel 9 Series: Hands-On Images & Key Specs

The above image reveals that the Pixel 9 series will be arriving with a new design for the rear camera module and will not feature the edge-to-edge visor look that was earlier seen on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 7. The upcoming Pixel 9 and 9 Pro are similar in terms of size but Pixel 9 sports much larger bezels.

Now if we talk about the specs, the Pixel 9 is said to sport a 6.24-inch screen, Pixel 9 Pro to sport a 6.34-inch display, and Pixel 9 Pro XL is said to have a 6.73-inch display. All three devices are said to arrive with Tensor G4 SoC while the Pro models are also believed to support UWB. Pixel 9 is revealed to offer 12GB RAM while the other two will offer 16GB RAM. All three devices may arrive with 128 storage. Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL smartphones are said to feature three 50MP rear cameras.

Pixel 9 smartphone is revealed to arrive with a main camera and ultra-wide camera but the Pro models are said to include a periscope telephoto lens too for 5x optical zoom.

Via.

The post Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro And Pixel 9 Pro XL Live Hands On Images Leaked Online; Key Specs Revealed appeared first on The Tech Outlook.