9to5Google Weekender

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.

Google is quickly approaching the launch of its new Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and continued leaks just cement that this upcoming device looks almost exactly like last year’s OnePlus Open.

The Find My Device network had huge promise, but it’s quickly become an absolute mess. Google, though, is defending the Find My Device network for its approach to privacy, the same approach that appears to be completely ruining its functionality.

Samsung will launch its new foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, alongside a plethora of other new devices at an event next week. Here’s everything you need to know.

Earlier this week Google made a big, unexpected announcement. The Pixel 9 series is launching in August, almost two months ahead of the usual schedule. Why?

Android foldables continue to grow and, for the second year in a row, we’re entering a Summer full of new releases. Here’s what’s around the corner for 2024’s ‘Foldable Summer’ and beyond.

Not all that long ago, cameras on a phone were still a crazy idea and the ones that did exist were bad. But, nowadays, nearly every phone has a camera, and nearly every single one is at least pretty decent. So what does it take to make one that’s great?

Item trackers for your smartphone are not a new concept, but Apple changed the game with its AirTag by making all of its devices work as a network for finding the tracker. Android finally has that same functionality and the hardware to use with it, but I can’t help but feel that the Find My Device network is being held back.

As Google pivots to a heavier and heavier focus on Gemini, the experience of using Google Assistant just continues to degrade.

AI Overviews have barely been out for a week and things are already going off the rails. And, the painful part of it all is that Google has already shown that it knows how to make AI in Search truly helpful, it’s just not doing that with AI Overviews.

Google Search is effectively a bridge between users and content on the web nowadays, but volatility in Search has led to many smaller websites seeing steep dropoffs. As Google I/O approaches, will anything at the event provide a ray of hope?

AI hardware is finally shipping and with big promises, but given how the experience seems to be with the first high-profile launches, it really seems like even the worst smartphone would probably be better.

A new Chromecast is coming. If you look around at what folks want from it, it’s all about performance and speed. Basically, a lot of folks want a high-end Chromecast, but it doesn’t seem like Google is planning for that, and it seems unlikely they ever will.

7 years of updates. It’s something that’s still borderline unbelievable, but Google set as the new standard for software updates with its latest Pixel releases. But months later, some still seem to not understand what this update promise means…

The past year has seen an explosion of AI tools and software, but over the next couple of months, we’re also going to be seeing a lot more AI hardware. Personally, though, I’m just wondering if any of it will become anything more than novelty.

I feel like a broken record at this point, but amid new leaks of the Pixel 9 this week, there are many still asking Google for a “Mini” device, forgetting that small phones are dead.

This week the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company has built and maintains an illegal monopoly. Whether or not Apple actually has a monopoly over Android in the smartphone market is up for the courts to decide, but what’s clear is that Apple really wants one.