Google last month took the unprecedented step of confirming the Pixel 4 and releasing an official image. The device has already been spotted in the wild, and 9to5Google today received another set of pictures showing off the Pixel 4 and its very notable camera bump.
Since early this year, we’ve been tracking the development of what appears to be a KaiOS competitor being built within Google using Android and Chrome. We were able to get hands-on with an early build of this “touchless” Chrome to explore Google’s vision for Android-powered feature phones.
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Google appears to be working on a new and simple way to share files between a variety of devices, including Android and Chromebooks. We’ve managed to fully enable “Fast Share” on Android today, and here’s how it works.
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Pixel leak season was just getting off to a strong start this week, and then Google shockingly posted an official image of the device. Now that that cat is out of the bag, a tipster for 9to5Google has spotted what definitely looks like a Google Pixel 4 in the wild, and it lines up directly with Google’s design.
First announced at Google I/O 2015, Project Soli is a Google ATAP endeavor based on radar hardware, most notably for device control via subtle hand movements. Whether you’re using a watch, phone, or tablet, this miniature radar sensor can, among many other things, differentiate between very fine motions to perform various platform-specific functions. Now, we’re told that 2019 might be the year that Soli finally shows up in Google’s hardware products…
Since the first model’s launch in 2016, the Google Pixel has been exclusively available — at least in the United States — either unlocked via the Google Store or purchased through Verizon. Now we’ve seen evidence that another US carrier, T-Mobile, could begin carrying last year’s Google Pixel 3, and possibly the soon-to-launch Pixel 3a and Pixel 4 as well.
Earlier this year, we uncovered screenshots of a “touchless” version of Chrome which appears to be designed for feature-phone-like devices. New screenshots we were able to obtain have confirmed that this “touchless” Chrome is being built for a version of Android Oreo.
The latest version of the Google Home app for Android is rolling out this morning and it reveals two new codenames. Google Home 2.10 describes “Zion” — a “border router” with “built-in smart plug” — in-depth and “Speaker V,” as well as a “ultrasound proximity detection” feature.
Several days ago, Google itself accidentally leaked the names of both the Pixel 3a and the forthcoming Nest Hub Max. At the same time, the company accidentally revealed a potential rebrand for the smaller Home Hub to “Nest Hub”. We can now confirm that is indeed what’s happening when these products launch in the coming weeks.
In the last few weeks, Google developers have become less tight-lipped about the upcoming Pixel 4 phone, mentioning it twice in the Android Open Source Project. Today, another layer of the mystery has been unraveled to reveal the codenames of the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, and a third, unknown Google device.
Notable Material Theme redesigns in recent weeks have included Gmail for Android and Google Drive. The next major one could be for the Play Store, with 9to5Google this evening successfully enabling a significant revamp for the app store with version 14.5.52.
According to a source familiar with the phones, the forthcoming mid-range Google Pixels are indeed called the “Google Pixel 3a” and the “Google Pixel 3a XL”, as was first rumored last week. We can also independently confirm some previously-rumored specifications and offer some more details about the devices…
Google Chrome is available on almost every possible platform, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Fuchsia, and (to a lesser extent) iOS, which has lead to the browser being available on devices of all kinds.
Yet, one place Chrome hasn’t touched that its competitors has is the feature phones market. KaiOS is essentially based on Firefox, and Opera Mini is available for older Java and Series 30 based feature phones, leaving Chrome distinctly out of the market. A new “touchless” mode being created for Google Chrome is poised to push the browser into feature phone territory.
Earlier this month, Google provided the first demo of AR navigation in Maps for Android and announced that Local Guides will be the first users to gain access. Google this week is now reaching out to Local Guides on both Android and iOS.
On Tuesday, Google announced a mysterious keynote at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco on March 19th. The event comes as the Project Stream beta of a AAA console title ended in January, and amid the year-long rumors of Project Yeti. We can now confirm that Google plans to announce gaming hardware next month.
Android Q leaked earlier this month and confirmed a number of features like the system-wide dark mode and a renewed focus on privacy. We’ve since been able to get our own hands-on with Google’s next major operating system, and can reveal some upcoming functionality.
Google will launch a web client for its Duo video calling app in the coming weeks, according to a source familiar with the plans. This development ultimately means a much wider reach of devices that can access the growing service. Google Duo has, up to now, only been available in the form of an app from the Google Play Store or the iOS App Store, and on its Smart Display platform.
In recent weeks, the latest version of Google Discover has widely rolled out, while the Google app is testing more Material Theme and redesigned Assistant controls. The Google app now jumps from version 8.x to 9.x, with work underway in Google app 9.0 on the new Assistant for the car form factor, Interpreter mode on Smart Displays, and Podcasts.
Google will announce that it’s shutting down the shortlived Google Allo chat app “soon,” according to a reliable source familiar with the plan, although the timeline of the announcement may have been delayed by the backlash stemming from our report about ‘Hangouts classic’ being shuttered.
According to source familiar with the product’s internal roadmap, Google Hangouts for consumers will be shutting down sometime in 2020. That’s not surprising at all since Google essentially ceased development on the app more than a year ago. But just know, going into 2019, this is indeed your last year to keep using the beloved (?) legacy chat app.
Google is working on a rebrand of its Nest line of smart home products, according to a source. The discussions are still early, our source warned, and it’s still unclear when such a change would actually see the light of day.
While the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have thoroughly leaked, Made by Google has repeatedly teased that there is more to “know.” Since the hardware has been fully detailed in “first looks” and even “reviews,” that leaves software features that are often under development until the very last second before the announcement.
Now, with less than 24 hours before the October 9th event, we can exclusively detail several upcoming AI-powered features for the Google Pixel 3 camera, including “Top Shot,” “Photobooth,” “Super res zoom,” and more.
If there’s one thing that the Google Pixel has been known for since its inception, it’s the camera. With the forthcoming Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, the Mountain View company is tripling down with improvements across the board and some new ideas. Sources tell us there are upgrades to the rear shooter, a new Visual Core chip, a front-facing dual-camera setup w/ new ‘Super Selfies’, and more.
Details about the forthcoming Google Pixel 3 XL have been leaking out for several months now, and in recent weeks, that steady stream of information has kicked into full gear. Today alone, camera samples, a video of the phone charging wirelessly, and some high-res photographs surfaced, proving that there are several people that already have near-production units in hand.
9to5Google has learned that many of the leaks in recent weeks have come thanks to one Ukrainian seller, offering a large number of possibly stolen Pixel 3 XL units for $2,000 each.