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Google brings personal safety and battery updates to Pixels
The most timely of these is the rollout of the Pixel 4’s Personal Safety app to all Pixel devices. Google is also adding a Safety Check tool that lets you schedule a check-in from the app at a later time.
The Pixel 3a XL is down to $350 at B&H
B&H Photo Video is selling the Pixel 3a XL unlocked for $350 -- that’s a $130 savings.
Google has discontinued the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL
Google is no longer selling its landmark Pixel 3 and 3 XL phones, the company confirmed with Android Police. If you enter the old Pixel 3 listing you'll get the home page instead and it no longer appears in the product carousel. Meanwhile, the carrier/configuration section shows the devices as "out of stock."
Google updates its Discover Feed to let you flag misleading articles
If you're a frequent Pixel or Google app user, you're probably familiar with the Discover Feed. In its various iterations over the last few years, Google has consistently tried to make it a go-to for finding news related to your interests. However, it recently started updating the tool to make it easier for people to report articles they think are misleading or harmful.
Pixel 4a will reportedly feature faster UFS 2.1 storage
Earlier this week, we got to learn a lot about the Pixel 4a when Cuban YouTube channel TecnoLike Plus uploaded a hands-on with a pre-production model of the upcoming phone. XDA Developers has now shared a photo of the phone's bootloader that details additional information about the device.
Latest Pixel 'feature drop' lets you pause music with a touch-free gesture
Google is trotting out another "feature drop" for Pixel owners, and this latest one might be particularly helpful if you'd rather not fiddle with your phone. For a start, Pixel 4 owners can use a tap gesture to pause or resume music, not just swipes to skip back or forward. That could be extremely helpful if you're cooking and would rather not touch your phone just to stop playback. Most Pixel users can also set the Dark theme to kick in automatically with sunset, and automatically enable rules based on a WiFi network or physical location -- say, silencing your ringtone when you walk through the doors at work.
Pixel 4 will automatically screen robocalls and center your Duo videos
To keep its phones from steadily getting worse over time, Google plans to roll out bigger updates, called feature drops, to its Pixel devices. The first feature drop, rolling out this month, will bring the latest Call Screen features and improved Duo video calls to the Pixel 4. And even if you have a slightly older Pixel, the feature drop will let you add Portrait Blur to photos you've already taken.
Google's powerful Recorder app now works on older Pixel phones
Over its last few Pixel cycles, Google has made a point of bringing some features of its most recent phone to other devices. This week, for instance, Pixel 4's live audio captioning tool expanded to Pixel 3 and 3a devices. Now, owners of older Pixel handsets can check out one of Pixel 4's niftier aspects: the Recorder app that can capture and transcribe audio simultaneously.
Google Disability Support is more accessible with sign language specialists
Google is now ready to offer live help for accessibility features regardless of your hearing. The search firm now offers Disability Support through American Sign Language, letting you troubleshoot through video chat if you're deaf or hard-of-hearing. Google reps can walk you through setting up Live Caption on your Pixel, for example.
Stadia hits Google's Play Store ahead of its debut this month
Google is set to flip the switch on its Stadia game streaming service this month. While you can play through Chrome or your TV (with Chromecast Ultra), you'll also be able to run games like Destiny 2 and Assassin's Creed: Odyssey on some Pixel devices. To help you get ready for the big day on November 19th, Google has added the Stadia app to the Google Play Store.
Google's voice recorder app is heading to older Pixel phones
One of the niftiest features Google revealed for Pixel 4 at the device's launch event last month was a Recorder app, which captures and transcribes audio simultaneously. Owners of older Pixel devices won't necessarily miss out, however, as Google revealed in a Reddit thread it plans to bring Recorder to other phones.
Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL hands-on: More cameras, more ambition
Google's Pixel 4 and 4 XL have been leaked so often, and so thoroughly, that it's hard to imagine it contains any surprises at all. Thankfully, that's not completely true. Yes, early reports — including dispatches from Google itself — have exposed just about every component the folks in Mountain View used here. What most of them couldn't fully describe was how different it feels from any of Google's other phones. That's partially because of their tweaked designs, but also because Google is trying to define the Pixels by more than just clean software and great cameras.
Pixel 4 vs. the competition: The camera battle intensifies
It's been yet another Pixel phone launch preceded by a ton of leaks, but we're still glad to see the official unveiling of Google's latest flagship. This 5.7-inch device may only have two rear cameras, but the software's been refined even further to include better Night Sight and HDR+. That's to be expected in the wake of more intense competition on the camera front from Samsung and Apple. To see exactly how this specs battle is shaking out, check out the table below, and stay tuned for our full review of the Pixel 4 later this month.
Google will offer whole-home Nest Aware subscription plans
Google's Nest Aware subscription plans let users record what's happening and get alerts from their Nest Cams and Nest Hello doorbells. Until now, you've had to add a subscription for each additional camera. Today, Google announced that it's simplifying things a bit. Beginning early next year, it will introduce whole-home subscriptions.
Google shows Motion Sense gestures in action on the Pixel 4
Yep, Google's new Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL phones will have radar built-in. At a glitzy launch event in New York City, the company reiterated that both handsets will be the first to ship with its new motion-sensing Soli chip. These will enable the "fastest secure face unlock" in the industry, the company claimed, and a number of aptly-named Motion Sense gestures. The phone will, for instance, power down when you walk away and switch on as you saunter back over. You'll also be able to change music tracks, silence calls and greet Pokémon on your home screen with a quick wave.
The new true wireless Pixel Buds are always listening
To say that Google's Pixel Buds were "maligned" is putting it lightly. We even said that, compared to the competition (most notably Apple's AirPods), they felt unfinished. But Google is giving it another go, with a truly wireless pair. The new Pixel Buds (no number differentiator here) don't look terribly different from the originals, but this time there's no cable connecting the two. And they have a nice two tone finish that matches the colors of the new Pixel phones. Google claims it's also improved the fit. A number of reviewers complained that the originals weren't terribly comfortable to wear over long periods of time. But the fit here has supposedly been reengineered and they sit flush with your ear, instead of sticking out like some sort of high-tech costume jewelry (or a Q-Tip broken in half).
The Engadget Podcast: Is macOS Catalina Apple's Vista?
MacOS Catalina is here, and it's... kind of a mess. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn are joined by Engadget Editor-in-Chief Dana Wollman to discuss Apple's latest desktop OS. The big question: Is Catalina Apple's Vista? (Pro-tip: Don't rush to upgrade.) We also ponder what Google will show off at next week's Pixel event; chat about PG&E's widespread power outages in California; and dive into the weirdness of Andy's Rubin's latest Essential phone, Project Gem. Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News! Subscribe! iTunes Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Play Music Links A rundown of MacOS Catalina issues Our MacOS Catalina preview What to expect at the Made by Google event Our California power outage explainer Andy Rubin shows off Project Gem Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Terrence O'Brien
What to expect at the Made By Google event next week
We're less than a week away from Google's hardware event in New York, and Team Engadget will be there to report live from the ground. The leaks and even official reports on Google's next smartphones have been relentless, so much so that we've learned even more about the company's upcoming devices since we wrote about them last month. Here's an update on what we expect from Google, based on the latest tidbits.
Deluge of Pixel 4 photos confirms a few of the phone's key specs
If you thought the torrent of detailed Pixel 4 leaks was over, you have another thing coming. Vietnamese phone shop D Store Mobile has sent nearly two dozen photos of a pre-release Pixel 4 XL to The Verge that appear to confirm some of its previously rumored specs. Notably, the main rear camera will snap shots with a brighter f/1.73 aperture (versus f/1.8 on the Pixel 3). The telephoto camera's specs aren't available, but you can safely presume there will be improvements to low-light photos and some close-ups.
Android 10 review: Good today, better tomorrow
To celebrate the next big version of Android, Google did the unthinkable: It killed its fanciful dessert-themed release names and gave its smartphone OS more conventional branding. Say hello to Android 10. Not everyone loves the change — it means I couldn't devour an entire dessert for our review video — but it speaks to a pretty dramatic shift in Google's priorities all the same. It's no surprise, then, that I could say the same about Android 10 itself. On the surface, it's a grab bag of interface tweaks, usability enhancements, privacy changes and more. In some ways, Google is even using this release to play catch-up with the competition. More broadly, though, Android 10 feels very much like a transitional state — an attempt by Google to lay the groundwork for a smartphone future that's coming at all of us fast.
