9to5Google Weekender

Earlier this week Apple released its latest app, Apple Invites, as a clever combination of iCloud services for digital event invitations. Apple Invites is a great idea, but one that I can’t help but feel like, with products like Calendar, Gmail, and Photos at the ready, Google could have done better.

Android tablets are finally, kind of, getting a little exciting again. But I’m tired of the same stupid asterisk on all of them. Android tablets need to stop “cheaping” out on biometrics and using insecure, effectively pointless face unlock.

This week, Samsung launched its new Galaxy S25 series and, in so many ways, it’s just a slightly newer version of the same thing. From the perspective of someone who’s job is to talk about these devices, it’s getting really boring, yet these devices still continue to sell. So, are you actually happy with these devices?

Fingerprint and face unlock are an expected, and crucial part of our modern devices, but after spending some time with the OnePlus 13, I’m reminded of a couple of annoying quirks that OnePlus still needs to address.

The Find My Device network was full of promise, but Android’s alternative to the tech behind Apple’s AirTag launched to a rough start in 2024. Over time, though, it seems to finally be getting better. Are you actually using it?

There were a lot of good smartphones released in 2024, and it’s actually not easy to settle on “the best.” But, for me at least, I struggle to put the Galaxy S24 Ultra at the top of that list.

YouTube TV has seen a number of price hikes over the years as the service has grown, and as it now serves millions of viewers, it was inevitable that another rise would be coming. That’s finally arrived this week, and it begs the question of whether or not YouTube TV will ever offer cheaper streaming packages.

Samsung’s One UI 7 update is huge and, for the most part, pretty good, but there’s some clear influence throughout as Samsung has seemingly been trying to replicate a bunch of features and design traits from iOS. Here’s a list of all of the ways Samsung’s Android 15 update tries to copy iOS.

Google’s Pixel Tablet is a product that’s a bit outside of the norm, probably to its detriment, but in crafting upcoming sequels, I hope Google doesn’t lose the charm of the first generation.

The improvements Google made in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold over what came before continue to astound me a couple of months into using the device, but there are two design quirks I want Google to address.

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.

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.

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?

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.

After two generations focused on a smaller size, the Pixel Watch 3 finally introduces a larger 45mm size into the picture, and I can’t quite decide how I feel about it.

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.

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.