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Following the US depreciation in April, Google Podcasts is shutting down for international users this June.

According to the updated support article, Google Podcasts will be available for “users outside of the United States” until “mid-to-late June 2024.” The YouTube Music migration and OPML file export will be available until July 29, 2024 for a month-long grace period.

Google has announced a major internal reorganization which forms the “Platform and Devices” team that, under Rick Osterloh, will oversee Pixel, Nest, Android, Chrome, and more.

Announced via The Verge, Google will reorganize its Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Photos, and other teams to be under the same roof as Pixel, Nest, and other hardware efforts. Rick Osterloh will lead the new “Platform and Devices” team.

• After suing Google years ago for its alleged monopolistic practices regarding Android and the Google Play Store, Epic won in a surprise jury verdict last year.
• As part of the decision, Epic has been tasked with submitting a proposed injunction to the court for consideration. In simpler terms, the court wants to know what changes Epic wants to see on the Google Play Store and Android.
• The court filing comes a few weeks after Epic announced that it will bring the Epic Games Store to iOS and Android as an alternative app marketplace "later this year."

• WhatsApp is apparently enhancing its search functionality with Meta AI, initially rolling out to English-speaking users worldwide.
• Despite the AI upgrade, users can still navigate WhatsApp traditionally, ensuring continuity and ease of use for finding messages, groups, and contacts.
• Meta is also extending Meta AI testing beyond WhatsApp to Instagram and Messenger users in specific regions.

According to the IDC, though, Android is set to grow considerably faster than iOS over the course of 2024.

Speaking to CNN, IDC’s research director Nabila Popal says that Android will grow at “twice the pace of iOS” this year. Apple’s sales already dropped down 10% in Q1 2024, giving Samsung back the top slot, largely due to shrinking sales in China.

In 2023, for the first time, Apple managed to ship more smartphones than Samsung had on a global scale. It wasn’t exactly a crushing defect, with Apple taking the edge by just 4%, but it was certainly notable. It also came on the back of Q4 performance where Apple had much better sales compared to Samsung.

According to data from Counterpoint Research shared by The Korea Times, Samsung beat out Apple by a narrow margin to kick off 2024. The company shipped 19.69 million smartphones in the first quarter of the year (presumably only looking at certain regions), beating Apple’s 17.41 million. Samsung, according to the report, currently holds 20% of the global smartphone market, while Apple has dropped down to 18%.

• Spotify is testing video-based learning courses in the UK.
• The courses cover four main topics: music, creativity, business, and healthy living.
• The streamer has partnered with BBC Maestro, PLAYvirtuoso, Skillshare, and Thinkific.
• Free and Premium subscribers in the UK can trial at least two lessons per course for free before purchasing additional lessons.

• The European Commission is investigating Alphabet, Apple and Meta for potential non-compliance with the Digital Markets Act.
• The DMA requires gatekeepers to allow developers to alert consumers to offers outside their app stores, for free.
• Meta is being investigated over its “pay or consent” model, which may breach rules on personal data gathering.

• Android 15 is expected to introduce a Powered Off Finder API.
• This API will enable compatible devices to be tracked even when switched off.
• The feature is expected to be available on the Google Pixel 9 series, and the Pixel 8 series.

• Google made Gemini in Google Messages official this week, announcing the feature amidst a slew of other MWC Barcelona news.
• Gemini in Google Messages is rolling out to beta testers gradually starting this week.
• You can use Gemini in Google Messages just like the standalone Gemini app, except without image generation.

• Oppo was forced to pull out of key European markets, such as Germany, due to patent disputes with Nokia.
• Oppo and Nokia managed to reach a deal last month after Oppo's years-long haitus in Europe, opening the door to a return to the region.
• Now, in the backdrop of MWC Barcelona, Oppo has announced plans to return to Europe with the next generation of releases.
• Current and past-gen devices will not be made available, so buyers in Europe will have to wait for the Find X8 series.

The percentage of Android users that switched to iOS decreased in 2023, but the five-year trend is steady.

• A report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) found that 13% of iPhone buyers switched from Android to iOS in 2023.
• The number is a decrease from the prior year's figure, which saw 15% of iPhone buyers come from an Android phone.
• However, over a five-year period, iPhone buyers are coming from Android phones at a steady 11-15% clip.