9to5Google

This week saw the debut of the Google Pixel 10a which, frankly, feels like a mostly recycled Pixel 9a. As we approach the launch of another barely-changed release, the Galaxy S26, it’s a good time to take a step back and remember that, while these phones aren’t all that new, that’s in part because they’re not for you.

The “phone look” for smartphone photography is a well-known thing and, while it’s not always bad, it’s not always what you want. Zerocam launched on Android in 2024 as a way to do away with AI overprocessing, and it’s now getting a major 2.0 update that includes new photographic color profiles.

Samsung has confirmed that the upcoming Galaxy S26 series will support a new Perplexity hotword – “Hey Plex” – as part of an “open and inclusive integrated AI ecosystem” that also includes Google and Bixby, which have their own hotwords.

In the lead-up to Samsung’s Unpacked event next week, a major leak of promo materials confirms a few key details such as faster charging, while also showing the Privacy Display in better detail than we’ve seen.

Following last month’s big Gemini in Chrome update, AI Mode in Google’s desktop browser is getting its own upgrade in the address bar.

At I/O 2025, Google One AI Premium (and Gemini Advanced) became “Google AI Pro,” while a higher, more expensive tier was introduced with “Google AI Ultra.”

Google is getting rid of Android’s de facto Weather app in favor of Search results. This deprecation slowly started a few months ago, but is now picking up steam.

Motorola’s track record for Android updates is… bad, but there’s at least one thing improving. For the third year in a row, Motorola’s Razr phones have been updated earlier than their predecessors, with Android 16 now headed to Razr (2025) and Razr Ultra.

Welcome to episode 88 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Will, and Ben talk all about the Pixel 10a, a device where the ‘a’ seems to stand for ‘again.’ Without much in the way of new features, the trio dive into all of the nuances that make the Pixel 10a stand out from its predecessor, before asking the obvious: is it time for smartphone makers to take longer generational breaks? Plus: We know when Google I/O is happening, and we talk all through how we’ll be controlling our Android-powered glasses.

Subscribe

• YouTube Podcasts
• Pocket Casts
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Overcast

NotebookLM has received a slew of updates in the past few days, headlined by Gemini 3.1 Pro and slide customizations.

One of the most annoying things about the Pixel Watch 4 is that, again, Google changed the charger. But it comes with the arrival of a handy new USB-C charger that’s not only more compact than the official Pixel Watch 4 charger, but a whole lot cheaper too.

OpenAI is apparently working on a new smart speaker due to launch in 2027, according to a new report.

The onslaught of vertical video continues, with Instagram now going all-in on Reels with an upcoming redesign that throws you straight into Reels when you open the app. The caveat, though, is a new customizable “Your feeds” that can even include a following-only feed.

The Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro look different on the surface, but the detail sheet shows at least some carryover. The most recent leaks, appearing days before launch, detail that the Galaxy Buds 4 price structure likely isn’t going to change.

Take a peek in Android’s settings menu, and no matter what smartphone you have, you’ll probably find Google’s Digital Wellbeing suite hanging around. At first glance, Digital Wellbeing is perfectly modern, sporting an updated Material 3-friendly design and a whole slate of features like app timers, Bedtime mode, and more. It even has its own space within the settings menu on Pixel, rather than being buried within sub-menus like other useful tools.

For all we know about the upcoming Nothing Phone (4a) series, the look remains a complete mystery. That’s continuing with the latest teaser, where we learn that Nothing Phone (4a) will have a “Glyph Bar” instead of a rear display.

After a false start back in January, Samsung has re-announced its Bixby reboot, which delivers more AI and will go live in One UI 8.5.

In November, Call Recording for the Pixel Phone app began rolling out broadly, and it’s now getting international availability. 

There exists a group of users who don’t need smart glasses to record video or play media for them – they just want a simple device that blends seamlessly into their everyday with important notifications and assistance at their fingertips, and Even Realities almost got it right with the G2 smart glasses.

Google initially debuted its Titan M security chip back in 2018 with the Pixel 3 before following it up with Titan M2 in its first-gen Tensor launch. Now, as we approach the tenth anniversary of Pixel and the five-year anniversary of that step into custom silicon, Google is rumored to be working on yet another step forward for its security coprocessor.