In a somewhat unexpected move, Google has stopped selling a lot of color options for the Active Band that’s available for the Pixel Watch series.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle stops selling more Active Band colors ahead of Pixel Watch 3 launch
Author
Ben Schoon is a Senior Editor at 9to5Google, working for the publication as one of its primary news writers since 2016.
In 2013, Ben helped start an independent tech publication where he learned the skills used at 9to5Google including writing, product photography, and videography. He is located in the city of Winston-Salem in North Carolina where he lives with his wife Melissa. Ben is an avid disc golf player.
He primarily covers Android products, including Google Pixel devices, Samsung Galaxy smartphones, as well as devices from OnePlus, Oppo, Motorola, and more. Beyond just covering news about these products, Ben also spends time using these products himself, speaking from experience with the articles he writes. Some of Ben’s most recent hands-on reviews include; Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Watch 2, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Motorola Razr+, HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, and more.
Ben is also a leading source for information about Google’s Android TV, diving deeply into important parts of the platform including its powerful Operator Tier, explaining future changes to the platform, and reviewing its products such as Chromecast with Google TV, Nvidia Shield TV, and more.
In 2019, Ben leaked one of the first in-person photos of the Pixel 4 before later revealing the Recorder and Pixel Themes apps months ahead of launch. In 2020, Ben also reported on multiple upcoming Pixel devices including Pixel 5a and the first report of Google working on a foldable Pixel smartphone. That same month, he was also the first to correctly report the $49 price point of what became the Chromecast with Google TV.
Ben Schoon is active on Twitter, @nexusben, but can also be found on Instagram and LinkedIn. For questions or tips, you can email him directly, and his portfolio is also available online.
Email: schoon@9to5mac.com | Encrypted Email: benschoon@protonmail.com
Google TV homescreen ‘loading error’ plagues Chromecast and more, fix rolling out
Over the past few weeks, some Google TV owners have noted a homescreen “loading error” which has lately been appearing for many more users, but there is one potentially simple fix.
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GeForce Now adding automatic sign-in for Xbox games
After starting to roll out account linking for the Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass last year, GeForce Now is adding support for automatic sign-in for Xbox games.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel Watch 3 still can’t be repaired, only replaced
Google’s Pixel Watch series has pretty good hardware, but one issue that’s plagued the series is repairability. That won’t be changing with Pixel Watch 3, unfortunately, as repairs continue to not be an option.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle won’t make more Fitbit smartwatches, Pixel Watch is the ‘next iteration’ [U]
Google has confirmed that Fitbit as a brand will no longer be making new smartwatches, with the Pixel Watch series taking over that form factor going forward.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid Find My Device trackers are finally on Amazon as Pebblebee Clip gets its first discount
If you’ve been wanting a tracker for Android’s Find My Device network, Pebblebee is offering one of the first discounts we’ve seen with a few dollars off of the Pebblebee Clip.
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Honor will launch its impossibly-thin Magic V3 globally on September 5
Following its launch in China last month, Honor has officially confirmed plans to launch the Magic V3 globally on September 5.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle focused on real improvements and AI for Pixel 9’s Tensor G4 chip, not benchmarks
Google’s switch to Tensor chips in the Pixel lineup has been overall pretty good, despite plenty of hiccups, but one of the loudest complaints has been how Google’s chips simply don’t compare when put through a benchmark. That’s not changing with Tensor G4 because Google said it developed the Pixel 9 chip with real-world improvements in mind.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle’s Pixel lineup is turning into a confusing mess of prices
This week’s debut of the Pixel 9 series brought some big upgrades to the lineup, but have also taken another step into making Google’s Pixel lineup incredibly confusing when looking at what’s available and the different prices.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid Auto adds a new Google Assistant UI during voice interactions, looks like Siri
Google has added a new UI for Assistant on Android Auto that appears during voice interactions, and it looks suspiciously similar to Apple’s Siri.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 9 Pro Fold already fully out of stock at the Google Store, still available at Amazon
Just a few days after its release, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is fully out of stock at the Google Store, but still available, for now, at some other retailers.
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Google will apparently start selling the original Pixel Fold again
Google stopped selling the original Pixel Fold earlier this week alongside the debut of its sequel, but the company apparently isn’t done with its first foldable just yet.
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Chipolo trackers for Android’s Find My Device network are now shipping immediately
After a rocky launch for Android’s Find My Device network, Chipolo is finally shipping its trackers for the network as you order them, eliminating any added wait time.
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Rocket League Sideswipe is being removed from the Play Store next week
With the launch of the Epic Games Store on Android, it’s been announced that Rocket League Sideswipe will be removed from the Play Store globally and will be exclusively available via sideloading.
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Google opens access to Imagen 3, its latest model for AI image generation
After it was announced earlier this year, Google has opened access to Imagen 3, its new latent diffusion model used for generating images from text prompts.
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Google Search AI Overviews now show up when you’re not signed in
Following an expansion to other regions, Google is now testing the ability for AI Overviews to show up for users who aren’t signed into a Google account while using Search.
Expand Expanding CloseFall Guys is now available on Android through the new Epic Games Store
The hit game Fall Guys is making its way to mobile, with the game arriving on Android today through the all-new Epic Games Store.
Expand Expanding CloseYes, Google is still bringing Android 14 to Chromecast with Google TV
Despite killing the lineup off follow the launch of the Google TV Streamer, Google has confirmed it still has plans to bring Android 14 to the Chromecast.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle’s Satellite SOS is available at launch on Pixel 9 series, how it will work
One of the big new features of the Google Pixel 9 series is Satellite SOS, a feature that will be available at launch, but might not work exactly how you think.
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Verizon is basically giving away Pixel 9 Pro XL for free to some customers
For some Verizon customers, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is available completely for free thanks to an offer.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle will remove a carrier app from Pixel phones that left a ‘troubling’ security hole
A new report reveals that many Google Pixel phones sold over the past few years have a “Showcase” app installed that leaves open a worrying security hole, but it will be fixed soon.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Home app redesigns Nest Thermostat controls, rolling out now [U]
For the new Nest Learning Thermostat, the Google Home app is launching a revamped page to control the temperature and other settings. And, as it turns out, that’s coming to older models as well.
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Bellroy’s Pixel 9 cases have awesome colors and support MagSafe accessories
Bellroy is one of the longest-running Made for Google brands, and the company is gearing up for the launch of the Pixel 9 series with a new set of cases that includes a built-in magnet ring.
Expand Expanding CloseYou can get over $1,000 off of Pixel 9 Pro XL with these Samsung and iPhone trades
Pre-orders are open now for Google’s new Pixel phones, and trade-in values are better than ever. If you’re looking to upgrade to Pixel 9 Pro XL, you can possibly get it for free with trade-ins of select Samsung Galaxy and iPhone models at Best Buy.
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