Will Sattelberg

There are few elements more essential within Android than the humble media player, and every few years, Google sees it fit to deliver a new coat of paint. This year, Android 17 QPR1’s media controls aren’t getting an all-new coat of paint, but the ability to switch between multiple media apps has been completely reworked — for better or for worse.

Google is no stranger to bundling services together to deliver a more attractive package, especially in its Gemini era. Today, the company is building YouTube Premium into more of its various paid AI plans, meaning most subscribers will get a much better video streaming experience at no additional cost.

Google’s entire ethos is built around Gemini these days, and now, that experience is coming to how you search, discover, and use apps on the Play Store.

Thanks in part to tools like Nano Banana, AI-generated content is more unavoidable than ever. As announced at I/O, Google is doing its part to help curtail the situation it’s played a part in, building on top of SynthID with some new AI verification checks.

YouTube is no stranger to redesigns, but the next one could throw your muscle memory for a loop. The mobile app might be getting an all-new layout that removes the Subscriptions tab from the navigation bar, and I can’t say I’m a fan.

Welcome to episode 34 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by 9to5‘s own Ben Schoon as he breaking his usual release schedule to bring you a guide on what to expect next week at Google I/O 2026.

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Welcome to episode 100 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will celebrate the milestone by diving into Google’s latest Android Show announcements, including Android Intelligence, user-generated widgets, and, of course, Googlebook.

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What should a modern fitness tracker be in 2026? With smartwatches readily available — and for not much more than your run-of-the-mill Fitbit — it’s a tricky proposition, especially for brands like Google that live in both spaces. The Fitbit Air feels like an admission from Google that Whoop, the obvious competitor for something like this, is on the right path, offering a minimalist band that exists to gather data, not to serve as a miniature wrist-based computer. So far, I’m liking what I’m seeing from my time with the device, but not without some unsurprising concerns surrounding its AI coach.

Google might have its own Pixel ecosystem to continue building out, but it’s also working on knocking down barriers between platforms. Building on top of a relatively-successful push to establish RCS as an accepted messaging standard, the company has slowly been adding AirDrop support to Quick Share, beginning with its own devices and recent releases from Samsung. Today, we’re learning that’s just the start of Google’s plans.

It’s been nearly a decade since Google launched its suite of Digital Wellbeing tools on Android, but despite the occasional upgrade, I’m not sure how much its app timers and dashboard displays ever caught on with the general public. This year, Google is giving Digital Wellbeing a much-needed boost with Pause Point, which goes well beyond an app timer to deliver an experience that feels much more in line with modern times.

Welcome to episode 33 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes Phandroid‘s Editor-in-Chief Nick Gray to the show to discuss his time spent with Oppo’s Find X9 Ultra and Vivo’s X300 Ultra. They might not be on your wishlist for your next Android phone, but Nick discusses what makes their cameras so exceptional, what it’s like using an imported phone as your daily driver, and whether we’ll ever see some of the best aspects on display here come to North American devices.

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Welcome to episode 99 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will tackle the latest rumors surrounding Google’s Pixel 11, which could arrive later this summer with new camera sensors, whatever Pixel Glow is, and a whole lot of downgrades. Then they turn to the long-awaited Fitbit Air and try to predict how the fitness tracker audience will react to a significantly cheaper Whoop competitor.

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I/O might still be a couple of weeks away, but it’s a big day for new Google announcements anyway. The company announced a rebranding of its Fitbit app to Google Health today, as 9to5Google initially leaked last month, but that still left the fate of the company’s other fitness tracking app up in the air.

Google’s display-less Fitbit Air is finally official, and today’s announcement comes with some great news for exercise-minded users who already own a Pixel Watch: you can use both wearables at the same time.

EVE Online has offered gamers a space-centric alternative to MMOs like World of Warcraft for over 20 years. Now, the studio behind the game is looking towards the future of game development, beginning with a new AI-centric partnership with Google’s DeepMind.

Welcome to episode 32 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes YouTuber and podcaster Steve Radochia back to the show to take a deep dive on Motorola’s latest Razrs. What does it mean for the industry — and for your next phone — when price hikes start being accompanied by tangible downgrades? They also talk about Steve’s new podcast Old’s Cool and spend five minutes debating the merits of each Ocean’s film.

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The consequences of RAMageddon have moved beyond the impossibility of building a gaming PC. Price hikes are hitting practically every gadget you could reasonably expect to find in your local Best Buy. Laptops, tablets, gaming consoles — if it’s got memory and a storage drive, it’s probably going up in price, and unfortunately, that’s true for smartphones too.

Welcome to episode 98 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will dig into all sorts of recent exclusive reporting. From Google’s upcoming app icon redesigns for Workspace — and, if Pixel is any indication, far beyond — to the upcoming Fitbit Air fitness band and its Google-ified partner app, there’s plenty to talk about. Plus, we look at Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Glasses and wonder just whether they’re the right pair for us.

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Motorola finally unveiled its latest Razr lineup today, but to call Moto’s trio of clamshells an upgrade wouldn’t quite be accurate. While the 2026 Razr, Razr+, and Razr Ultra all contain minor changes compared to their direct predecessors, it’s not enough to justify their more expensive prices — especially considering some of those changes actually aren’t for the better. If you act fast, you might be able to score last year’s Razr Ultra for half off, bringing the price below what Moto wants for its latest base model.

Motorola is refreshing all three of its Razr models for 2026, but outside of some new — and, as you’d expect, more expensive — prices, there actually isn’t much here that’s been properly upgraded. Considering the strength of last year’s lineup, that’s not necessarily a bad thing on its face, especially if you’re looking to jump head-first into the world of clamshell foldables. But if you’re wondering whether it’s worth skipping these new models in favor of deal-hunting on Motorola’s 2025 series, here’s what’s actually new with the 2026 Razr series.

Follow this week’s (seemingly finalized) leaked product images for the upcoming Galaxy Glasses, Samsung is finding itself responsible for yet another leak — this time, thanks to an otherwise routine app update.