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Google today rolled out Android 17 QPR3 Beta 1 in quick succession to start a new preview cycle ahead of an expected March 2027 stable launch.

Following a QPR2 release earlier this week, Google today is rolling out Android 17 QPR3 Beta 1. This should see a stable release in March 2027.

Welcome to Pixelated episode 119. This week, Ben Schoon fills in for Damien as we discuss our first Pixel 11a leak and the first 50 days of the flagship Pixel 11 series. We also dive into our thoughts on Amazon’s new $80 button-equipped Kindle case, and Abner’s love of remotes.

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The promise of Gemini for Android Auto is huge, as the AI assistant is theoretically more capable than Assistant was. But, as it’s now becoming the only option, a weird issue is leaving Gemini for Android Auto perhaps less than useless, as it just gives up on answers from drivers.

Google Pixel has evolved tremendously over the years, with some radically different designs showing up between generations. As the lineup turns 10, the Pixel 4 remains the one that stands out as my favorite smartphone hardware Google has made yet, and it’s not just about the looks.

New Android Auto updates tend to be a bit strange, with changes often showing up for some users but not others, but Google has just recapped a handful of Android Auto updates for media apps from the past few months, including confirmation that the squiggly line design is here to stay.

Google has introduced a “Map” tool to aid your location-based Gemini app prompts on Android and iOS. Meanwhile, the Gemini app is already getting ready to replace the forward slash for skills.

YouTube says it wants to ‘focus on originality’ in a push to surface better Shorts recommendations for users.

Google has quietly raised the price of its mid-range Pixel 10a by $100, giving the device a starting price of $599.

Alongside a price hike on the Galaxy S26 series, Samsung has rolled out quiet price hikes on a number of its other Galaxy phones in the US as RAMageddon rages on.

Google Pixel was designed to be a premium smartphone effort, but that all changed in 2019 with the debut of the Pixel 3a. The budget-conscious launch went on to be a turning point for the Pixel’s history and, looking back, it might just be the single most important Google smartphone ever.

The Nvidia Shield TV is an iconic piece of Android hardware but it also hasn’t seen a refresh in the better part of a decade. But, because of the increasingly depressing state of the entire tech industry, Nvidia Shield TV Pro is getting a $100 price hike to $299, seven years after it first launched.

After testing got underway in January, Google Messages is finally widely rolling out a new long-press menu in conversations.

Google Pixel’s 10-year anniversary has me taking a look back at a bunch of the milestones throughout this lineup’s history and, when picking up the Pixel 2 XL, hindsight really kicked in as to how this phone was very much a sign of the tumultuous roller coaster that would become Google Pixel.

Samsung has officially announced its first truly open-ear Galaxy Buds with the Galaxy Buds On set for a debut in late October.

Last year’s Material 3 Expressive redesign of the Phone by Google app removed the Contacts tab, but it’s now coming back.

There’s a new phone in town, and like the Pixel 11 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro looks eerily similar to what we saw last year. What can we glean from this duo? Here’s what you need to know.

The PC market was caught flat-footed by Apple’s MacBook Neo launch earlier this year, and while that laptop’s aggressive pricing strategy has already been forced to adapt to market conditions, it’s only months later we’re seeing Windows-based rivals announce their own respective competitors. Today, it’s HP’s turn, with a brand-new OLED-equipped laptop set to start at that same $699 price point, but not without plenty of strings attached.

Samsung is officially rolling out a price hike for the Galaxy S26 series, raising prices by $100 across the lineup.