HeyWhatsNew: Meta’s New Age Restrictions & the World’s First AI-Powered Hotel
Hey there, HeyUppers! It’s been another incredible week for tech. Let’s dive into the stories making headlines this week, starting 04/07/2025.
Android 16 Now Available on OnePlus
OnePlus announced on Thursday, April 3rd, that an Android 16-based beta update is available on the OnePlus 13. OnePlus has rolled out an operating system (OS) upgrade based on Google’s latest Android 16 Beta 2 release, with the official Android 16 expected to be unveiled in May. The OnePlus 13 is now the only phone outside of Google’s Pixel to have an Android 16-based upgrade.
OnePlus has addressed some issues, such as random device restarts, system-wide crashes, and lagging, that the OS is experiencing and has encouraged users to back up their data before upgrading. For now, the upgrade has been rolled out for developers and advanced users, but it is available for all users at the links available on the OnePlus community. While it is possible to roll back to Android 15, doing so will result in the loss of all locally stored data on the device.
iPhone 17 Set to Revive Users’ Love for Apple
The iPhone is Apple’s biggest money-maker, and the company is set to release a new iPhone to revive its customers' interest. Apple has been generating good revenue, but Apple hopes the new, slimmer design “will reinvigorate the interest” that drew iPhone lovers to it in the first place. Since the launch of the iPhone X, the design of the iPhone has followed suit, with only the camera seeing a redesign as new generations were announced. The iPhone 17 could arrive sometime later this year. It will see the most notable redesign since the iPhone X had the home button removed. The iPhone 17 series will possibly feature a smaller dynamic island, larger display sizes, and a thicker camera bump.
A Fully Autonomous Hotel?
A new venture in Las Vegas called Otonomous claims to be the world’s first hotel fully run by AI. While many hotels are using AI in their operations, Otonomous says AI is wholly integrated into every aspect of their hotel. Visitors will make their reservations, and the AI system will gather as much information about the guests to truly personalize their stay, which is what the founders say is the purpose of using AI: to help guests feel understood. Check-ins are done with no human interaction. ID verification and facial recognition ensure that the correct guest is checking in, and a QR code lets guests into their rooms.
The team behind Otonomous says that guests are completely in control of their data and can delete it at any point. The hotel is due to open later this year.
Google Shows Off New Tools
At Google’s 2025 Cloud Next conference, they unveiled some innovations in cloud technology. These include enhanced AI compute and cloud services, which the company plans to spend $75 million to strengthen.
CEO Sundar Pichai revealed Google’s most advanced AI model, the Gemini 2.5 Pro. This model features improved multimodality and native and audio image generation capabilities. Ironwood, Google’s seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit, was also revealed. It offers 3600 times more performance than the first-generation processing unit and is 29% more energy efficient. Additionally, Google’s private cloud network, which is said to be optimized for application performance, will soon be available to enterprises worldwide.
Meta’s New Restrictions For Young Teens
Meta’s age-appropriate system, Teen Accounts, is being extended to Facebook and Messenger. This system puts younger teens into more restricted settings by default. The system was first introduced on Instagram last year, and Meta says it has changed the experience for teens. With this feature in place, parental permission is required to live stream or turn off image protections for messages.
16-18 year olds will be able to toggle off the default settings, while 13-15 year olds need parental permission to turn the settings off. In 2024, Meta said they would use AI to detect whether teens were being truthful about their age. The roll out of Teen Accounts began in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia this week.
That wraps up this week’s biggest tech news. Stay tuned as we dive into more headlines next week!
