The Pixel 9 series seems to be a massive hit for Google, and it comes at least in part from Google fixing the biggest problems with from its past smartphones.

Earlier this week, Google Keep for Android replaced its bottom bar with a FAB (floating action button). It’s objectively a small design change, but I’m certainly feeling it every time I open the app to create a new note. 

Google’s new remote for the Google TV Streamer has some clear upgrades, but when it comes to the volume buttons, I strongly feel the Chromecast got it right the first time around.

According to the latest rumors, Google is not making consumer XR hardware, including headsets or glasses, and instead opting for an OEM model where it just develops the Android OS and services, presumably partnering with Samsung. That should be fine for the first few generations until the underlying display technology is miniaturized and perfected. However, I do hope that Google is making its own display-less glasses that feature a camera and headphones for Gemini. 

Animations are a part of basically any modern software, but there are only certain times when you actually notice them. On Android, one of the times it’s unfortunately common to notice animations is when they aren’t as smooth as they should be, and while I’m glad that’s getting better, it’s getting way too much emphasis on one specific area.

This week’s release of Android 15 has been a weird one, but it’s also raised a question – are Android updates getting pretty confusing?

With the Pixel 9 series, Google released three new Pixel apps: Screenshots, Studio, and Weather. They join a family of other applications exclusive to Pixel: Camera, Recorder, Thermometer, and Tips. It’s also worth noting the Pixel Buds and Watch companion apps, while Personal Safety has since expanded to other devices. Another honorable mention is the Magnifier app exclusive to Pixel but not pre-installed. 

I happen to like how Chrome for Android looks and works, but the introduction of Arc Search earlier this month piqued my interest in a way that no other mobile browser has. 

Ads are a huge part of, well, everything online in 2024. That includes Google TV, but the company’s living room experience also splits hairs on what could be considered an “ad.” So, what makes something an ad?

Password managers are time-saving, security-enhancing tool that everyone should be using, but every time Android refuses to play nicely with a password manager, I’m reminded why so many people don’t bother.

There are a lot of Android features that go unused because they’re difficult to access, but there are often handy shortcuts that you simply don’t know about. One of those on Google Pixel devices is a shortcut for notification history that’s quickly become my favorite trick.

For the past 4.5 years, I’ve reached for the same case everyday to use my Pixel Buds. Handling the same shape so frequently means I rarely have to think about how to use it, especially one-handed. Figuring out which side is the front without looking to lift the lid is second nature as is moving to a bud as I put down the case on a surface and extract.  

The Pixel Watch 3 is barely two weeks old, but I’m already thinking about what comes next. That’s in large part due to this year’s update — outside of the larger screen and smaller bezels — being driven by software. 

There are three new faces with the Pixel Watch 3. Two of them are completely new, while the third is a thorough revamp of an existing design.

Foldables are no longer a “new” technology, but as they mature, one thing is still very clear. No foldable does it “right” yet as the market continues to only serve niche users, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a really good encapsulation of that.

With the Pixel 9 series, Google finally offers a standalone Weather app. All-in-all, it’s pretty good, and I hope there’s more on the way.

Besides Private space, Android 15 lacks marquee user-facing additions, but there are a handful of tweaks and changes that I’m still eager to have.

The Nest app has a long history, but it’s slowly on its way out. As the next major product moves fully to the Google Home app, the Nest app is nearly done for good.

I’ve still not found myself using generative AI regularly, even as Gemini takes over any and every Google product as of late. With the Pixel 9 series, AI is more important than ever, but I find myself frustrated by the same fundamental flaw in generative AI that even the Pixel 9 can’t escape.

This week’s debut of the Pixel 9 series brought some big upgrades to the lineup, but have also taken another step into making Google’s Pixel lineup incredibly confusing when looking at what’s available and the different prices.

With the launch of the Google TV Streamer earlier this week, the wildly successful Chromecast was put to rest, with the company confirming the device won’t be made anymore. Google’s reason for doing so makes sense, but does it really align with reality?

Thanks to a treasure trove’s worth of leaks, we know pretty much everything there is to know about the Pixel 9 series, including that it will see some price hikes, making the main three phones more expensive. Why is that?

We’re still about two weeks out from Google’s next Pixel launch event, but a ton of big leaks this week told us basically every detail about the Pixel 9 series.

From what has leaked, Google is positioning Pixel Screenshots alongside Gemini and Circle to Search as the Pixel 9’s biggest assistive features.