Welcome to the 363rd edition of Android Apps Weekly! Here are the big headlines from the last week:
- Parler had a pretty bad week. Google and Apple remove the app from each company’s app store. Then, Amazon took the site down entirely. The reason for lack of moderation for egregious content and its role in recent political events. You can click the link to read more.
- WhatsApp updated its privacy policy this week and it was a pretty bad move. The new policies state that WhatsApp shares some information with Facebook. Users were obviously not pleased with it. WhatsApp is in damage control right now and a lot of people are recommending Signal as a replacement for it. Hit all the links to learn all the details.
- Samsung removed MST technology from its Samsung Galaxy S21 series phones. That means Samsung Pay’s best feature is no long available on its devices from this point forward. One of the best parts of Samsung Pay was the ability to use it on terminals without NFC technology. Unfortunately, Samsung removed that tech from its devices. There is no longer a reason to use Samsung Pay over Google Pay.
- Quibi was one of the biggest failures in 2020. However, it rises again in 2021 as a new channel on Roku. The platform specialized in short content. You were supposed to watch it while waiting in line, during commutes, and stuff like that. Unfortunately, the pandemic wiped out that use case and Quibi went under because of it. Hit the link to learn more.
- League of Legends: Wild Rift has a North American release date of March 2021. The game launched in beta in many countries around the world in 2020, but it wasn’t a full launch. The game is likely to be white hot upon release because League of Legends is one of the most popular games in the world. We’ll be sure to let you know when it launches.
Newsletter link –
Astracraft
Price: Free to play
Astracraft is a combat game with a heavy crafting mechanic. Players build their little implements of destruction and then fight them with other players. It has a variety of pieces as well as a bunch of attacks. You can employ things like holograms, smoke bombs, EMPs, and other things like that. The build mode is super satisfying and you can view your creations in 360-degrees. There are also a bunch of game modes that range from competitive to goofy for various levels of entertainment. The servers aren’t fully online yet, but it was pretty fun from what we saw.
Slopes
Price: Free / $4.99 per month / $39.99 per year
Slopes is a tracking app for snowboarders. You can track various stats, including top speed, tallest run, highest altitude, longest run, and some other stats. It also has a map feature where you can see where you went, how far, and how quickly. The app includes a crowd sourcing element as well. Other skiers can report slope conditions so you know if you’re dealing with packed snow, fresh snow, ice, or other potential obstacles or issues. The app requires a subscription for many of its features, but it may be worth it for snowboarders.
Gordon Ramsay: Chef Blast
Price: Free to play
Gordon Ramsay: Chef Blast is a block breaking puzzle game. We were hoping for at least a restaurant simulator, but unfortunately it’s a little more basic than that. It works like most block breakers. You line up blocks to remove them from the board. Players win after they remove so many. Gordon Ramsay is there with some voice overs and such as well. There are recipes you can unlock as you play and digital Gordon cooks them for you if you want. It’s a fun block breaker if you’re into that genre.
Discovery+
Price: Free trial / $4.99-$6.99 per month
This is the official app for the new Discovery+ streaming service. It includes TV shows from a bunch of channels, including Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, TLC, Animal Planet, and a few others. The app is decent and fits in well with other streaming apps. It won’t give you any fuss or confusion if you have used a streaming app before. Shows are organized by genre and by channel. You can also have up to five profiles to share with members of your household. Finally, there are also things like Chromecast support as well. Some users report bugs here and there, but it is new and bugs should be worked out in future updates. The $4.99 per month price gives you access with ads and $6.99 removes ads. Honestly, if you decide to go with it, we recommend the $6.99 per month variant because the ads are super annoying.
Onmyoji: The Card Game
Price: Free to play
Onmyoji: The Card Game is a new card dueling game based on the universe of the Onymoji MOBA game. Most of its mechanics are fairly self evident. Players collect cards, use them in duels, and try to beat the other player’s deck. The learning curve isn’t too steep and it’s not too difficult to learn the game’s various mechanics. It just takes a bit of practice. The game also features a hero system, a story line to play through, a decent number of free things for newer players, and, of course, online PvP. This one might end up being a pretty popular game.
Thank you for reading! Try these out too:
- 10 best match-three games like Candy Crush
- 10 best video streaming apps and services
- 15 best fighting games for Android
- 10 best sports news apps
- 15 best card games for Android
If we missed any big releases from the last week, tell us about it in the comments!
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