Google’s last few Android releases haven’t exactly been groundbreaking, but with Android 9 Pie, there are a few really notable additions. We’ve covered a lot of our favorite new additions to Android throughout Google’s beta releases, but now that the final version is out, let’s take a closer look at some of the most important changes.
Mid-range smartphones aren’t what they used to be — the gap between middling performance and affordable price-tag is now closer than it ever has been.
Unless you plan on keeping a phone for a seriously extended period of time, or want the highest end specifications or camera, then you seriously might be better off towards the true middle market of the smartphone arena.
HTC’s recent releases, the Desire 12 and 12+, hit that ‘budget’ price point. Personally, I’m unsure if they can stake a claim for the crown of best budget smartphone with the HTC Desire 12.
Five years after it was first released, the Chromecast is one of the finest pieces of hardware that has come out of Google. There, I’ve said it and you bet I stand by it.
Let’s examine just how Google made the Chromecast such a runaway success and better understand what this means for devices such as the Home and Home Mini.
The transition from music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and even Google Play Music to YouTube Music might seem confusing and daunting, but it’s actually pretty straightforward once you understand just how the system works.
We just spent a month with YouTube Music — comparing it directly with rivals Spotify and Pandora — and here are the five things we did to get the most out of Google’s latest streaming offering. For the love of lyric videos, make sure you do these things once you’ve signed up.
(Red) hot on the heels of the standard OnePlus 6 comes the limited ‘Red’ edition. Beyond this new colorway, the internals and performance remain the same, but that color is just something special. We’ve already given our verdict of the outstanding original, so this is just a few quick thoughts on the updated lick of paint.
Google is late to the podcast party having only released their first official Podcast app just under 3 weeks ago. But despite its tardiness, Google hopes to win over the audio listening crowd with a sleek interface, a massive indexed library, and core integration with your smart home devices…
Looking back at Samsung’s return to form with the Note 8 last year, it’s clear that cost was a significant reason it was unable to receive our unhindered recommendation in our initial review.
In this week’s Friday 5, we’re going to take a look at why the Note 8 is now a more compelling option for the budget-conscious tech enthusiast even with the flagship field being a packed one.
There are obviously lots of phones on the market, but finding the one that suits your needs can be tough. Now that we’ve reviewed the OnePlus 6, let’s take a look at 5 reasons you should consider buying it.
Ahead of I/O we caught wind that there was a revamp of Google News incoming, and on stage at the event, the company officially revealed one of the biggest redesigns of the service we’ve seen in its 15-year history. Not only does it deliver a ton of new functionality, but it’s also an excellent example of the company’s new “Material Theme.” Let’s take a closer look…
After a developer preview earlier this year gave us a peek, Google officially gave us the first look at what it has planned for Android’s next release at I/O 2018. We’ve spent the past day digging through the release to find out what’s new, and we’ve discovered quite a few new things. So, let’s take a closer look.
Samsung’s yearly “S” flagship is the biggest phone of the year in the Android world. Last year, the company completely overhauled basically everything with the debut of the Galaxy S8. For 2018, however, we’re getting a very iterative update, to the point where it feels like the same phone all over again.
The easiest way to sum up the Galaxy S9 is that it takes the years of refinement we saw in the Galaxy S8, and fixes all of its problems. That said, is it worth paying the price for a flagship that isn’t all that different from the one before? Let’s take a closer look.
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Android P is full of lots and lots of small tweaks and redesigns that we’ve covered in-depth this week, but as the week closes out, let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest changes…
Google Home and various Assistant speakers are incredibly handy devices, and they offer a lot of incredibly cool features. Everyone has a favorite, so this week, I sat down with the rest of the team at 9to5Google to find out what their favorite features are…
We all get a ton of notifications every day, and a vast majority of them come from messaging apps. In the past year or so, Google has made strides in making it easier to reply to emails with “Smart Replies,” and made that same tech available to the likes of Android Messages. Now, after being announced a couple of weeks ago, “Reply” is bringing that same functionality to your notifications.
There are two phones that really stick out in my mind from last year. The Google Pixel because of its superb performance, excellent software, and incredible camera. The other is the Huawei Mate 9, a phone that caught me by surprise and easily became one of my favorite phones ever. Now, there are a lot more phones on the market that are worth your attention, so Huawei’s latest, the Mate 10 Pro, has some stiffer competition. Is it worth your hard-earned dollar, though? Let’s take a look.
There are dozens of truly wireless earbuds on the market, and some of them work great on Android. However, there aren’t many that truly rival Apple’s AirPods. To that end, a lot of people have ended up using AirPods with Android devices, albeit with limited functionality.
Third-party launchers are an awesome part of Android, especially because you can customize them in a lot of ways. However, it’s often the case that official launchers still work better in some ways.
The Pixel Launcher Google installs on its Pixel devices is easily one of the best in terms of usability, but it lacks a lot of features people want. Now, a developer has added quite a few features to Google’s launcher…
CES usually isn’t the biggest of deals for the Google world, but for 2018, Google had a bigger presence than almost anyone else at the show. Left and right there were Google Assistant representatives, and the highlight of CES was the company’s outdoor booth. Once it was cleaned up from the rain, we got a chance to check it out in person, and it was basically the most Googley thing ever.
Biometric security has been a core part of our smartphones for the past several years, and fingerprint sensors have only been getting better over the years. Now, though, as a war mounts up against smartphone bezels, fingerprint sensors are losing out. That is, until they end up under the display, as Synaptics is doing with its new Clear ID sensor.
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We’ve seen a lot of Google Assistant powered speakers hit the market in the past few months, and even more made their debut at CES 2018. However, a new Assistant form factor entirely also made its debut this week: smart displays.
Virtual Reality has never really impressed me all that much, but that’s mainly because my experiences have primarily been restricted to smartphone powered headsets. I think Google’s Daydream VR platform is solid, but rarely end up using it because of what’s required. Now, Daydream is finally coming to standalone hardware, and I’m finally excited…
Sony’s Xperia devices are easily forgotten in the US market, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re excellent smartphones. However, in the States, they’ve often had one major flaw, and that’s been the disabled fingerprint sensor.
Google has been trying to get Assistant in just about every part of your digital life, and its latest expansion has been to headphones. Following the Bose Qc35 II’s intro to Assistant Built-in headphones, Google debuted the Pixel Buds at its October 4th event. Now we’ve got a pair on hand, so let’s see what’s in the box and how to set them up.
Back in 2014, the original Moto X quickly became my favorite phone on the market for its uniquely customizable design and clean, yet intuitive software. The Moto Maker service allowed buyers to choose the phone’s colors (and build materials on later models), add a printed signature to the back, and even include a message on the bootscreen.
The new Moto X4 does none of that, and while ditching Moto Maker is definitely a bummer for longtime fans like myself, that doesn’t stop the X4 from being one of the best values around.