Google is finally rolling out a straightforward Material You redesign of Play Books for Android. It follows the new icon introduced last year, with the app rarely seeing updates.
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Send tips/talk to abner@9to5mac.com or @technacity (open DMs).
Abner Li has worked at 9to5Google since 2015 and in late 2020 took on the role of editor-in-chief. He is keenly focused on tracking what happens at Google, and is often the first to spot new features in Google’s ever-growing family of applications that are updated on a daily basis, including Search, Assistant, Maps, Workspace, Android, Chrome/OS, Wear OS, and YouTube Music.
To him, what Google does greatly impacts the technology space and modern life. Inside the company, he is particularly interested in the key products mentioned above, as well as services like Google Podcasts and Google Lens. Each are massive platforms that can be unwieldy to grasp, with Abner keenly bent on understanding their philosophy and future direction. He is most excited about Google’s plans for augmented reality glasses.
Abner spearheads the APK Insight program at 9to5Google to chronicle all changes in the company’s Android apps, often finding new features before they are officially announced. This includes redesigns and revamps, launches, and new products.
A big area of interest is Google’s hardware division, including Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest. He detailed all of the Pixel 3’s camera features before launch and scooped the 2nd-generation Nest Hub’s Soli-powered Sleep Sensing capability, including how it would integrate with Google Fit.
Recently, Abner detailed the Pixel Watch’s specs in full before launch, including bands and pricing. He also got wind of the Pixel Tablet’s ultimate form factor.
At a Glance widget drops Google Assistant branding
In a rather interesting development, the At a Glance homescreen widget found on all Android devices is no longer branded as an extension of Google Assistant.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Messages adds Material 3 slider for voice recordings
While we’re waiting for the audio recorder redesign with noise cancellation and Voice Moods to become available, Google Messages has updated the playback UI to make use of the new Material 3 slider.
Expand Expanding CloseUnreleased Fitbit app sleep page redesign shown off
When the Material You revamp of the Fitbit app rolled out in September, most but not all pages were modernized. We now have a look at a redesign of Fitbit’s Sleep stats page.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Calendar replacing appointment slots with appointment schedules
Google Calendar “appointment slots” have long allowed education and enterprise users to create and reserve specified time slots. Google is now removing that capability and replacing it with “appointment schedules.”
Expand Expanding CloseApple might use Google Gemini to power some AI features on the iPhone
Besides using Gemini to power features in its apps and services, Google offers its LLM to third-party developers. Apple is reportedly in talks with Google to license Gemini for the iPhone.
Expand Expanding CloseQualcomm announces Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 with on-device AI
Qualcomm today revealed the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 as a smartphone chip with some flagship-level features that comes in below the 8 Gen 3.
Expand Expanding Close‘Fitbit by Google’ is dead, long live ‘Google Fitbit’
With the Sense 2 and Versa 4 announcement in August of 2022, the “Fitbit by Google” branding emerged. That’s now going away in favor of just “Google Fitbit.”
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid 14 QPR2 update breaks Pixel Launcher Search settings
A bug introduced with this month’s Android 14 QPR2 update breaks Pixel Launcher Search settings so that you cannot disable people/contact or Play Store results.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Drive website is getting a dark theme
On the web, only a few Google apps and services offer a night mode. Google Drive is now the latest to introduce a dark theme.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Store boosts Pixel 8 Pro discount, Pixel Fold down to $1,299
Following the last sale in February, the US Google Store is once again discounting the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro this spring.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Phone app removes Nearby places search
As previewed in early February, the Google Phone dialer app has removed the Nearby places search feature on Android.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube Music rolling out song search, like Google Play Music
Back in October, the main YouTube rolled out a slew of mobile updates like stable volume and a hum to search capability. Song search is now rolling out to YouTube Music.
Expand Expanding ClosePixelated 002: Where OS
Welcome to the second episode of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. We talk all about Wear OS this week — its recent past, pretty good present, and promising future.
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Expand Expanding CloseWhere do you want Wear OS to go?
As a platform and ecosystem, Wear OS is in a good place right now. That wasn’t the case three years ago before the Samsung partnership. Wear OS 3 reinvigorated the operating system with the Galaxy Watch 4 serving as the flagship device until the Pixel Watch over a year later. The next hardware milestone was the Snapdragon W5 in mid-2022 giving manufacturers a more capable chip to work with. Also, keep in mind how Google and Qualcomm are working on a RISC-V chip for Wear OS.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Photos adds screenshot & document labels with manual categorization
Back in November, Google Photos introduced better document sorting and another update to the capability adds labels to screenshots, notes, etc., as well as a manual categorization option.
Expand Expanding CloseNew Google Messages features that we’re still waiting for [U]
Like most Google apps, Messages A/B tests many features. However, it takes the RCS/SMS client a rather long time to actually launch these capabilities in stable even after they are announced.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid 14 QPR2 on Pixel redesigns App battery usage settings
The battery-adjacent tweaks in Android 14 QPR2 continues with Pixel devices redesigning App battery usage in Settings.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid 14 QPR2 rolls out to US Pixel phones [U]
When Google announced Android 14 QPR2 with the March Feature Drop last week, the US rollout was set to begin on March 11. This started happening for some users today.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Area 120 shutting down Pinterest-esque ‘Keen’ that used ML recommendations
In mid-2020, Google introduced an Area 120 project called Keen that was a take on Pinterest but with ML recommendations. It’s now shutting down this month.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle I/O 2024 set for May 14
Following the “Break the loop” puzzle this morning, Google has announced that I/O 2024 is taking place Tuesday, May 14 at 10 a.m. PT.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Messages rolling out new custom camera
Google Messages is rolling out its own camera UI that replaces your phone’s default viewfinder.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle teases I/O 2024 with ‘Break the loop’ puzzle
The road to Google I/O 2024 is underway this morning with a puzzle to figure out the date for the developer conference.
Expand Expanding CloseChrome upgrading standard Safe Browsing to work in real-time
For those that want the most secure tier of Google Safe Browsing, Chrome offers “Enhanced protection.” The “Standard protection” in place for all other Chrome Safe Browsing users is now getting a real-time upgrade.
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