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Android 10 goes live for Google's Pixel phones today
Android 10 might not have a delicious, dessert-themed name (and for good reason), but some of you can take solace in the fact that it's available to install today. As usual, Google Pixel owners are getting first crack at the update, and we wouldn't be surprised if other phone makers announce their own Android 10 upgrade plans throughout the day. That's no guarantee of news, though: OEMs like Samsung, Sony, Lenovo and others often handle these announcements at their own pace, and all Google will say on the matter is that it's "working with a number of partners to launch or upgrade devices to Android 10 this year."
Android 10 may reach Pixel phones on September 3rd
It's been months since Google started testing Android Q (now Android 10), so where's the finished version? If you believe Canadian carriers, it's right around the corner. Both Rogers (since pulled) and Telus have posted support documents indicating that all Pixel phones will receive Android 10 starting on September 3rd, ranging from the originals through to the Pixel 3a line. We'd treat these dates with skepticism, but they line up with Google's recent history of releasing finished Android versions in late summer for the Pixel line and other devices with virtually stock software.
The Fairphone 3 packs in features while keeping its green credentials
Fairphone, the company that wants to get ethically-responsible smartphones into the hands of consumers worldwide, has unveiled the third iteration of its modular device. Fairphone 3, launched under the tagline, "The phone that dares to be fair," is available for pre-order now, and boasts some pretty decent specs that put it on par with more well-established devices.
Google Pixel owners can claim up to $500 in class action settlement
Google's settlement over faulty Pixel microphones has largely cleared the gauntlet, and it's now time to make a claim -- though how much you'll get depends on how well you qualify. The tech giant is offering up to $20 to any US resident who bought a Pixel or Pixel XL made before January 4th, 2017 and didn't receive a replacement made after January 3rd of that year (or refurbished after June 5th). That's true whether or not you suffered from the mic flaw. To get any more, though, you'll have to put in more effort.
Google pledges to 'maximize' recycled material in own products
Google has been making consumer hardware under its "Made by Google" brand -- like its Pixel phones and Google Home Minis -- for three years, and dabbled in other hardware for a few years before that. Now, it's ready to make its products more sustainable. Starting in 2022, 100 percent of its Made by Google products will include recycled materials and will maximize recycled content whenever possible. By 2020, 100 percent of all shipments going to or from customers will be carbon neutral.
Google Pixel phones can use text-to-speech to talk to 911 for you
In the event of an emergency, your first instinct might be to call 911. But in certain situations, you may not be able to speak with an operator. Whether that's because you're injured, in a dangerous situation or have a speech impairment, Google wants to make sure its users can request the help they need. Today, it introduced a new feature that lets you send automated voice messages with a single tap.
RPG ‘Hyper Light Drifter’ brings its pixelated dreamscapes to iOS
Hyper Light Drifter has arrived on iOS. The retro 2D RPG -- which is set to become an animated series -- has seen major acclaim since its release in 2016 thanks to its beautiful pixel art, dreamy soundscapes and fun combat. The release supports 120 fps on the iPad Pro (and 60 fps on other Apple devices), which is double the framerate of the Switch version, and it comes with the extra weapons, enemies and areas previously only available on the Switch special edition, so even more people get to enjoy this atmospheric adventure to its fullest. Get it from the App Store now, or on Linux, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
Google's Pixel 4 could track hand gestures
Project Soli is one of Google's many hardware experiments, one in which a tiny radar is used to track hand gestures. The rumor mill is churning, suggesting that Soli may find itself a home inside the search giant's next phone.
Google quietly shelves custom Pixel phone cases
Google's Pixel 3a might have been good news for fans of mid-range phones, but it marked the death knell for one of the company's signature phone features: its customizable cases. The 9to5Google crew has discovered that Google axed the personalized My Cases it introduced alongside the Pixel 3, leaving you with just the ordinary fabric cases if you insist on getting official protection. The company's support page now says that the accessories are "no longer sold by Google."
Google will pay owners of faulty original Pixel phones up to $500
A group of OG Pixel and Pixel XL owners filed a lawsuit against Google back in 2018 accusing the company of knowingly selling devices with faulty microphones. Now, the tech giant has agreed to settle the class-action complaint and will pay those customers up to $500. Some early adopters of the first Google-branded smartphones started reporting that one or more of their devices' three mics stopped working shortly after the devices were released. The company admitted in early 2017 that users were experiencing problems due to a "hairline crack in the solder connection on the audio codec."
Our readers tell us what’s wrong with the Google Pixel Slate
Though he's well-known around the Engadget office for being a Chromebook enthusiast, deputy managing editor Nathan Ingraham found little to recommend about Google's Pixel Slate. It would appear, given the responses from our user reviews page, that many real-world owners feel the same. Despite having a lovely 12.3-inch display, a comfortable keyboard folio and solid battery life, the Pixel Slate floundered on the software side: Its poor implementation of Android apps ultimately earned it an embarrassing score of 69. However, the Pixel Slate owners in our user reviews section were a bit more forgiving, giving it an average of 77.
iFixit peeks inside the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL to see what's missing
Now that Google has come back to the midrange phone market, the folks at iFixit have peered inside the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL to see what you do (or don't) get for your money. Just like their more expensive Pixel 3 counterparts, both of these pack Samsung OLED displays, as well as the same rear facing camera. However, expensive hardware items like the Pixel Visual Core chip, wireless charging coils and waterproofing bits aren't in there. If DIY work interests you, some of the changes seem to make these more modular and potentially easier to repair, but for the most part they are what they appear to be, with components and well-established designs that aren't on the bleeding edge of tech, but will work just fine. Whether you're a big fan of headphone jacks, hate smartphone prices that approach or surpass $1,000 or just want to replace a USB-C port without sending your device in for repair, there's something to appreciate about Google's newest phone family.
The new Android Q beta is a mostly cosmetic update
The Android Q beta 3 is here, and like the first public beta of this OS, there's not much to get excited about. This beta doesn't offer the meatiest update, but it is our first look at some of the user-facing features coming to Android Q. Things like Dark Mode and full gesture navigation are here, but more exciting highlights like Live Caption and Focus Mode are both missing. You can try the beta yourself if you're not afraid of potentially buggy software, and if you own one of the 21 handsets that will work with it. That's double the number of devices that supported the beta last year.
Google will roll out ambiguously gendered emoji to Android Q
The variety of emoji has skyrocketed from 176 since the initial release of the symbols back in 1999, to more than 3,000 today. During that time they've steadily become more inclusive, expanding to feature same sex couples, redheads, female scientists and people of every skin tone. Now, Google is adding 53 gender ambiguous characters, according to Fast Company.
Yes, Google is working on foldable phone prototypes too
In interviews leading up to this week's Google I/O event, the head of Google's Pixel division faced questions about foldable devices. Talking to CNET, Mario Quieroz acknowledged "We're definitely prototyping the technology. We've been doing it for a long time." Google's announcement last fall that Android would natively support foldable phones should've shown that it's at least considering the technology, however the question of when, or if, it should offer a product is hard to answer. Talking to Business Insider, the exec said that the technology will be important, but Google doesn't have anything to announce right now. For Samsung, jumping out of the gate with its Galaxy Fold has a number of potential benefits, since if the segment becomes popular it can license the underlying hardware technology to others. For Google, it makes more sense to wait and see if anyone can actually build a working device before investing heavily in something it's not sure people will want at the current price. That's why it's unveiling the midrange Pixel 3a this week instead of a $2,000 device that might not last an entire week.
Google shows Apple and Samsung how ‘lite’ flagships are done
In recent years, the price of flagship phones has skyrocketed. What used to cost about $700 now goes for $1,000, albeit with more advanced features packed in. At the time of this writing, the iPhone XS starts at $999, the Galaxy S10 is $900, and the Note 9 costs $1,000. The existing Pixel 3 might be a bit cheaper at $799, but the larger 3 XL starts at $899.
Here's all the important stuff Google announced at I/O 2019
A better, faster, stronger Google is in store for 2019. During its I/O developer conference on Tuesday, the company unveiled dozens of updates to every corner of the Google ecosystem; from search and Google Assistant to the next generation of Android. In the keynote, Google CEO Sundar Pinchai said the company's mission is shifting from a company that "helps you find answers" to one that "helps you get things done." Whether it's hailing a Lyft, translating foreign languages or transcribing video in real-time, the theme today was how Google can help users perform more tasks than ever before.
Google is adding time-lapse mode to every Pixel camera
Pixel phones are getting a new camera mode. Google announced today during its I/O developer conference that a time-lapse option will be coming to all Pixel smartphones. The feature is available out of the box on the new Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL, and will be made available in the camera app on Pixel, Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 devices following an upcoming update.
Google unveils the lower-cost Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL
Google's worst-kept secret in a long time is now official: meet the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. As expected, both phones are mid-tier devices aimed at people who want the Pixel line's photographic chops (not to mention a 'pure' take on Android) without the flashier hardware of the high-end Pixel 3. You still get the single 12.2-megapixel rear-facing camera along with Google's AI photography tricks (such as HDR+ and portraits), but they're now attached to more modest phones. There's 'just' one 8MP front-facing camera, no Pixel Visual Core, slightly lower-resolution displays, plastic bodies (without wireless charging or water resistance) and a Snapdragon 670 instead of the Snapdragon 845 from the flagships.
Pixel 3a XL review: Google's triumphant return to affordable phones
From the moment Google's Pixel 3 and 3 XL went on sale, us reviewers were largely in agreement: The phones' software was far more impressive than the hardware. Fair enough; Google is still pretty new at this "making its own devices" thing. But somewhere along the way, things took a turn. Shortly after launch, we started hearing about a litany of issues plaguing those Pixels, from increasingly sluggish performance to worrying battery life to camera-stability problems. It's not clear whether any of these failings specifically led to the disappointing sales Alphabet spelled out in the company's most recent earnings call, but they surely didn't help. So, what does a company like Google do when its flashy, premium smartphones aren't doing so well? In this case, the answer wasn't "launch some new flagships so everyone forgets about the last ones." Instead, Google decided to take the fundamentals of the Pixel experience and squeeze them into two new, affordable spinoffs: the $400 Pixel 3a and $480 3a XL. I know what some of you are thinking: Taking a phone with a shaky track record like the Pixel 3 has and stripping it down to its bare bones could be problematic. And on paper at least, it doesn't seem like the Pixel 3as should be all that interesting; they're cheaper versions of devices we've already seen, designed to appeal to people who don't want to drop $750 on a smartphone. After testing the Pixel 3a XL for a week, though, I'm starting to think Google might be onto something here. Yes, it's more limited in some ways, but those limitations never, ever felt like dealbreakers. If nothing else, the 3a XL is a surprisingly capable take on the Pixel formula that, in some ways, proves to be more valuable than either of the models that came before it.
