With classic Hangouts on the way out, Google today has two video calling apps. However, that is one too many for the company, and sources familiar with the matter tell us that Google Duo will eventually be replaced by Meet.
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As we try to make sense of Google’s 2020 Pixel lineup, an internal Android document reviewed by 9to5Google gives us our first glimpse of what to expect next year. According to the document, Google is developing Android builds for Pixel 5a, a foldable Pixel, and at least two other first-party devices.
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Google is planning to launch a new Nest-branded smart speaker, sources familiar with the matter tell 9to5Google. The device will look unassuming and familiar, we’re told, and will fit in nicely with the fabric-based design language of the Nest Mini, Nest Hub, and the still-not-renamed Google Home Max.
In November, Google framed its acquisition of Fitbit as a way to “help more people with wearables.” However, since the deal is still pending regulatory approval, the two companies have yet to integrate or announce any joint plans. That now appears to be changing as Fitbit works on bringing Google Assistant support to its devices.
According to one little birdie I know, Google is planning to rename Android TV to Google TV.
That’s it. That’s the story.
By now you’re well aware that Google is launching its latest mid-range smartphone, the Pixel 4a, in the coming months. Originally scheduled for Google I/O 2020, exactly a year after the Pixel 3a, the new phone now sits in waiting — and, as usual, leaking — before making its official debut. We’ve now confirmed all of the Pixel 4a’s specs with our sources, and all the details are below…
Google’s planned acquisition of Fitbit has not yet completed, and the latter company is continuing its existing product roadmap in the meantime. Yesterday, an FCC filings and retail listing revealed that Fitbit’s next device is a Charge 4, and we now have our first look.
The Android 11 Developer Preview, as the name implies, is primarily intended to be an early preview of Android 11’s changes so developers can make their apps compatible long before it launches. However, sometimes upcoming Pixel-exclusive features leak through, as is the case with “Columbus” which lets you do things like invoking the Google Assistant with a double-tap on the back.
According to a reliable source familiar with the company’s plans, Google is planning to launch a second-generation Chromecast Ultra this year based on Android TV. The device is a dongle, much like the current form-factor, but there is one major hardware addition: an external remote.
This week, Moment announced that it would be pulling the plug on its Android app, “Pro Camera.” Why? Because of Android’s fragmentation. In the time since, I’ve seen countless people complain that Moment just isn’t trying hard enough or that it can’t be that complicated.
Instead of just telling you that I think they’re justified in this decision, I think it’s easier to just show you how complicated the situation has become for Moment Pro Camera on Android.
Google is prepping to launch picture-in-picture video calls for Google Duo on the web, according to a source familiar with the matter. That means you’ll soon be able to make Duo calls and do other things on your computer at the same time.
According to two sources familiar with the matter, Google has internally rolled out a beta version of YouTube Music that adds support for the music library/cloud locker functionality you might be familiar with from Google Play Music. One source suggested that efforts to transition Google Play Music users to YouTube Music are right around the corner…
In September, Google Photos added large canvas prints, as well as individual prints. Google Photos is now trialing a “monthly photo prints” subscription program.
Google Keep is getting ready for integration with the Google Assistant on all platforms, as well as the ability to upload audio from web. We’ve managed to enable a few features on Keep which show us how they work.
Google’s Pixel 4 is coming on October 15th and tons of information about the device has already been leaked. However, pricing details have been both scarce and unreliable so far. Today, we’re getting some new details on the Pixel 4 XL and Nest Mini pricing.
Over the past month, we’ve been slowly learning more about what the Project Soli powered “Motion Sense” on Google Pixel 4 can and can’t do. Now, we’ve found evidence of how Google would open Motion Sense on the Pixel 4 to app and game developers, including a Unity game engine plugin.
For the past five years, Google has required that Android smartphones ship with a message on their boot screen that says “Powered by Android.” Now, we’re learning that the requirements around this message will including Google’s new Android branding starting in 2020.
Android 10’s new gesture navigation system is a bit of a mixed bag, but it’s what Google wants to be a standard across every Android device. Now, we’re learning that Google is going to force OEMs to hide their own gesture navigation systems in Android, even going so far as to not include them in the setup wizard.
Since exclusively showing the “new Google Assistant” in action on Wednesday, one common question we’ve been asked is about availability. Unsurprisingly, the next-generation Assistant will launch first on the Pixel 4 in the US, but it’s also “coming soon” to three other countries.
Earlier this week, we exclusively detailed the Pixel 4’s “new Google Assistant” that can seamlessly handle back-to-back commands and partially works offline. The Made by Google flagships could feature an interesting way to launch that next-generation Assistant: raise to talk.
According to strings found in a build of the Nest Hub’s frontend software, Google is actively developing (and is nearing launch of) a new speed test feature for the popular Nest Hub smart display. The feature could possibly allow for troubleshooting connection issues when devices are unresponsive, or perhaps just exist as a standalone feature.
We’ve learned so much over the past few months about updates to the camera on the Google Pixel 4, including a recent tidbit about the existence of a “Pixel Neural Core.” We’ve now learned that the Google Pixel 4 will offer “Dual Exposure Camera Controls” to help you take the perfect shot, regardless of lighting.
For the past two months, the hardware of the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL has felt “known,” with leakers even posting the full spec sheet to YouTube. Today, we’ve exclusively obtained the official spec sheet for the Google Pixel 4, which includes a previously unknown detail, the “Pixel Neural Core.”