Kyle Bradshaw joined 9to5Google in 2018 with a special interest in Google’s Fuchsia OS, rooted in his experience of being the first to offer a visual preview of the revolutionary design of the in-development operating system. Since then, his attention has broadened to include the secrets hidden within other areas of Google’s public codebases.
By reading the public Fuchsia code, Kyle was able to prove the existence of the Nest Mini and the Nest Hub Max months ahead of their respective announcements. With evidence from Chromium, he reported on Google’s since-canceled efforts to create an offshoot of Android designed for “touchless” feature phones.
In 2018, Kyle reported on three distinct Made by Google Chromebooks in development, the Pixel Slate, the Pixelbook Go — a full year before its release — and “Meowth,” the original version of the Pixel Slate that was canceled due to Intel’s delays that year. For ChromeOS itself, Kyle was the first to demonstrate the upcoming light theme redesign in action.
Looking at the early evidence of the Pixel 5’s specs, Kyle accurately predicted in February 2020 that the Pixel 5 might not be a traditional “flagship” phone. In 2021, he reported that Google’s next headset would be the “Pixel Buds A.”
Kyle was the first to report that the Pixel 6 would mark the debut of Google’s in-house processors, later revealed to be the Tensor chips.
Kyle contributes to the APK Insight column at 9to5Google, discovering the hidden changes in Google’s apps. These efforts have revealed hotly anticipated features, details about upcoming devices, and unexpected connections between companies.
He can be reached for tips or just friendly chat by Threads, Mastodon, Bluesky, or email. If you’re looking for his other works or side projects, head over to Kyle’s personal portfolio.
Android’s Google System Updates for July are set to bring “valuables” sharing to Wallet and more.
Update: The latest updates include improvements to the Google Play Store, a new UI for family groups, and newly “prioritized” updates for Android’s WebView browser.
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Samsung is preparing to launch a second generation of its Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) item tracker, and an FCC filing has revealed the latest details, including the new design.
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Samsung’s latest flagship tablets, the Galaxy Tab S9 series, are the first to feature IP68 water resistance, in addition to many iterative upgrades to the display and performance.
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Less than a year after the work was first discovered, it seems Google has abandoned its plans to upgrade its line of Assistant smart speakers to the Fuchsia operating system.
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The Google Discover feed has begun testing a new design for suggested search terms, leaning heavily on the appearance of a search bar.
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One of the most straightforward features of generative AI tools is the ability to take long pieces of text and summarize them into a few short bullet points. Soon, you’ll be able to use Google Assistant to summarize almost any webpage.
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Samsung has filed trademarks for “Galaxy Pulse” and three other names, while new reporting reveals the company is developing a wearable smart ring.
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The next step for Google’s Bard AI will see it directly integrate with some of the company’s own services along with a collection of third-party options, and we have your first look.
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In recent weeks, the Android 14 Beta has steadily tweaked the share sheet to look cleaner and show more options.
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As part of the launch of the Pixel Fold, Google has created a limited-edition version of the foldable commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip hop, but you can’t buy one.
Update: While you still can’t buy this limited edition Pixel Fold, there is a way you can win one.
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Android 14’s easter egg has finally arrived, bringing an in-depth rocket-launching space exploration minigame.
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One of the unique aspects of Instagram’s new Threads app is its upcoming ability to participate in the “fediverse,” and now the app is preparing a helpful explainer of how the fediverse and apps like Mastodon work.
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A recent beta update to the Google Messages app changes emoji-only messages into expressive and delightful animations.
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In less than a week, Threads – the new microblogging platform from Instagram – has reached 100 million users, and the Google Play Store reveals how many of those are from Android.
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Ahead of the app’s launch later this week, Meta has launched a landing page for its Twitter competitor, “Threads,” counting down to the service’s launch.
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The Google System Updates for June 2023 are set to include Google Wallet improvements for foldables and more.
Update: The Play Store is set to gain a new tab, while Google Password Manager is getting some improvements.
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Google’s first foldable is reaching early adopters this week, and accordingly, the company has released the first factory images for the Pixel Fold (felix).
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As part of an ongoing effort to switch customers to its new network, Visible is disabling auto-pay for those on the older plan.
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The Pixel Tablet is set to arrive later this month, but ahead of that launch, a new Google “Dreams” app briefly appeared in the Play Store, carrying the tablet’s collection of screen savers – including the Weather Frog.
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While the app is set to shut down in the coming days due to upcoming Reddit policy changes, the developer of Boost for Reddit has released a much-anticipated update with Material You colors.
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Rumors currently point to Google releasing its second Pixel-branded Wear OS smartwatch this fall, bringing significant internal upgrades. Now, a Google app update reveals an “Eos” code name for Pixel Watch 2 and suggests the design may not change much from last year’s model.
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Google Meet is working on a new “On-the-Go” mode that’s designed to make it safer and easier to stay in a video call while walking.
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Coinciding with the release of Android 14 Beta 3 for Pixel devices, Google has also launched a preview of what to expect from Android 14 on your TV, ditching Android 13 in the process.
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According to the latest data from Google, Android 13 is now installed on approximately 15% of active devices around the world, but Android 11 is still the most common version.
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