This was the most popular news

From malware like Toddler and FluBot to Samsung’s Android 12 plans, this was the most important Android news of 2021.

The most famous Android news of 2021

It’s time for end of year lists and that’s how we come Android Planet Find out which articles have been read the most in the past year. In this edition we focus specifically on the news. Of course, this only pertains to articles already published in 2021. Here are the top five.

1. New banking malware targets Android phones

Last summer panic: a new form of Android malware appeared. The alleged Toddler virus attempted to steal banking information from Android users. The Toddler malware is very similar to its FluBot “mate”, more on that later.

The virus spread via text messages containing a link to a malicious file. Once users installed this file, Toddler got a chance to settle on the phone.

At the time of publication (in July), the Toddler malware has already been found on nearly 8,000 phones and scammed 1,000 Android users. It is not clear how the virus has spread since then, as it has not been reported for months.

→ Read more about Toddler Malware

2. Update schedule leaked: This is when Samsung will get Android 12

Samsung is by far the largest phone maker in the world, so it’s strange that this name appears in the top five. Android PlanetReaders were especially curious about Android 12Update schedule for South Koreans.

This was released by a Twitter user last November. This means that the update schedule has not been officially confirmed by Samsung. However, the timeline seems to be quite correct, because last November, the Android 12 update was rolled out in the version Samsung Galaxy S21 series.

In December, the latest update to the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 rolled out, as expected. Unfortunately, the Android 12 version was found to contain bugs, which caused Samsung to stop rolling out.

→ Read more about it So-called Android 12 from Android

3. FluBot Android malware spreads like the flu: What you need to know

There is the first Android malware this year. In mid-May, FluBot infected tens of thousands of Dutch smartphones by pretending to be a parcel delivery business. You have received a text message from a person called Delivery telling you that a package is on its way to you.

To monitor your order, you are asked to download the DHL or UPS app. Obviously, these are not legitimate apps, but rogue versions.

Once the fake app is on your Android device, the FluBot malware tries to extort money by changing the amount and recipient at the last minute during online banking.

→ Read more about FluBot – Malware

4. Samsung will give all Galaxy A phones this functionality by 2022

For the second time, we got a rumor Samsung phones versus the top five. According to a Korean website, all Galaxy A smartphones coming out in 2022 will receive optical image stabilization. This is great, because you usually only encounter this functionality on more expensive high-end devices.

However, the news was not entirely a coincidence. the Samsung Galaxy A52 in a Galaxy A72For example, two A-series phones are very popular with optical image stabilization. This function ensures that the images look less shaky by correcting small shakes.

→ Read more about it Samsung Galaxy A series camera rumor.

5. This Chromecast competitor is now on sale in the Netherlands for €40

competition for Chromecast (with Google TV). Last year, Amazon released two HDMI dongles in the Netherlands: the Fire TV Stick and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. The base model is priced very competitively at €39.99 and streams images in Full HD. As the name suggests, the Max version boosts the quality to 4K.

Little by little Amazon is expanding its influence in the Netherlands. Although you can order products from the online store for a longer time, more and more Amazon originals are now also coming to our cool little country. An important difference from Android devices is that Amazon uses its own voice assistant: Alexa.

→ Read more about Amazon Fire TV Stick (4K Max) in the Netherlands