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Pixelated 080: A tale of two Android 16s

Welcome to episode 80 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will talk through all of the new changes in Android 16 QPR2 and beyond. After digging through everything Google’s been working on these past few months, their attention turns to the newly-confirmed Galaxy Z TriFold. Can they make sense of what’s bound to be yet another ultra-premium device from Samsung, or does this feel like an experiment without a clear path to success?

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The Sideload 014: Stuck on you like Qi2

Welcome to The Sideload episode 13, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes Ara Wagoner, his former co-host on The Android Police Podcast, to the show to talk all things accessories. Ara has a wide-ranging knowledge of cases, magnetic add-ons, and so much more, and over the course of a whirlwind hour, both hosts manage to squeeze in thoughts on Pixelsnap, the best way to shop for accessories, and show off some of their favorite recent mobile buys.

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Pixelated 079: AirDrop me from your Pixel 10

Welcome to episode 79 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner and Will talk through the launch of Gemini 3, breaking down all of the changes Google has made behind the scenes to its LLM. The duo also talks through the (breaking) arrival of AirDrop support on the Pixel 10, a change Google seemingly made all by itself. Finally, with Black Friday around the corner, we take a look at what deals you can score on your next piece of Google hardware.

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The Sideload 013: A treasure trove of tech flops

Welcome to The Sideload episode 13, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes Android Authority‘s News Editor Stephen Schenck to the show to discuss some of their collective favorite tech failures of all time. From relitigating whether Stadia could’ve been a success to fawning over the sheer simplicity of the Chromecast Audio, it’s a walk through some of tech’s roughest moments — moments that we might’ve loved even if the rest of the world did not.

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Pixelated 078: They don’t have Pixels in Oz

Welcome to episode 78 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will tackle Google’s surprise Pixel Drop, a jam-packed update filled with new features like low-power maps, notification summaries, and a Wicked-inspired theme pack. Then Will walks through his thoughts on the OnePlus 15, a device that crushes in the battery life department but falls a bit short when it comes to, well, everything else.

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The Sideload 012: Gemini’s your roommate now

Welcome to The Sideload episode 12, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes Ben Schoon back to the show to discuss his experience using Gemini for Home, Google’s AI-optimized suite of tools now available in early access. It’s a surprisingly positive experience in Ben’s eyes, but does that just make its letdowns sting that much more? Plus, Ben and Will talk through how Gemini can shine on Google TV, whether it’s improving the right parts of Android Auto, and Ben’s favorite smartphone of 2025.

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Pixelated 077: Putting Google Maps back in the driver’s seat

Welcome to episode 77 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will discuss the latest AI improvements making their way to Google Maps in the coming months, including improved conversational guidance along routes and landmark navigation. From there, we cover Google’s ongoing feud with Disney following the expiration of their shared YouTube TV contract, before finishing up with a dive into some extremely impressive Pixel 10 sales numbers.

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The Sideload 011: (Virtual) reality bites

Welcome to The Sideload episode 11, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by Nick Sutrich, Senior Content Producer at Android Central, to discuss everything VR, AR, and whatever lies in between. This isn’t just a conversation surrounding the launch of Galaxy XR and the Android XR platform — together, Nick and Will walk through the entire XR landscape, ranging from the ongoing dominance of Meta Quest to the failure of PSVR2, and, of course, a look at the smart glasses that could shape our future.

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Pixelated 076: Wait, do I want a Galaxy XR?

Welcome to episode 76 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. It’s another round of Galaxy XR talk — this time, with a full week’s worth of use under Abner’s belt (or face, rather). From tablet comparisons to finding the true use case for this sort of headset, all three of your trusted hosts have found themselves pleasantly surprised and intrigued by the device Samsung and Google has managed to build, even if it’s tough to see this as anything more than an expensive stepping stone towards the lighter, more comfortable gadgets of your sci-fi dreams.

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The Sideload 010: The highs and lows of 2025 smartphones

Welcome to The Sideload episode 10, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by Steve Radochia, mobile author at Android Police and the creator behind his YouTube channel, StevealiciousTech. Together, Steve and Will break down the trends that defined 2025’s smartphones, from ultra-thin hardware to the state of foldables and, of course, the big debate surrounding Tensor G5. It’s an incredibly nerdy conversation, and one die-hard smartphone fans won’t want to miss.

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Pixelated 075: Is Android XR a vision into the future?

Welcome to episode 75 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, we dive into the long-awaited launch of Galaxy XR, the realized name for Project Moohan and our first glimpse at a real Android XR product. But what spot can Google and Samsung claim in a market that hasn’t shown much demand yet for premium hardware? And is the future of Android XR other third-party headsets, or is this a stopgap on the way to glasses? Abner, Damien, and Will try to make sense for this vision of wearable computing.

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The Sideload 009: The smart home gadgets you don’t think about

Welcome to The Sideload episode 9, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by Chris Wedel, the creator behind the YouTube channel Gadgets & Gravel and a writer at sites like CNET, Android Central, and XDA. Chris has dived deep into the type of smart home gadgets you might not think about all too often — robot lawn mowers, wall-illuminating specialized bulbs, electric scooters, and much more — and the result is an exceptionally fun chat on all sorts of gadgets and the state of creation in 2025.

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Pixelated 074: Is the ultra-slim smartphone race already over?

Welcome to episode 74 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will turn their attention to the rumored cancellation of next year’s Galaxy S26 Edge. The trio discuss what this means for the S25 Edge’s poor sales, and how it relates to Samsung’s ongoing strategy of trying to compete with Apple product by product. Plus, Abner takes the opportunity to share his thoughts on the iPhone Air a month after launch, and a look into what Google can learn from all of this.

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The Sideload 008: Closing the book on Pixel 10

Welcome to The Sideload episode 8, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by Damien Wilde, 9to5Google‘s resident video producer, to discuss Google’s final lineup of Pixel products for 2025. Alongside some (brief) impressions of the Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Buds 2a, Will and Damien zoom out to look at the state of Pixel as we head towards its official ten-year anniversary, including the growing frustration around Tensor G5 and the magic of Material 3 Expressive.

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Pixelated 073: Watches and earbuds and foldables, oh my

Welcome to episode 73 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. Abner, Damien, and Will jump on their respective mics to talk over their experience with Google’s second round of 2025 Pixel hardware, including the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, the Pixel Buds 2a, and the Pixel Watch 4. Is one of these Google’s standout products of the year? Can we be wowed by a minimal upgrade over last year’s foldable?

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The Sideload 007: Your guide to smarter running

Welcome to The Sideload episode 7, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by Ryan Haines, Senior Writer at Android Authority and an avid running enthusiast to talk through every aspect of how modern technology collides with fitness. Even if you aren’t into running — or, perhaps, even if you deeply despise it — Ryan’s experience with apps like Strava, wearables from brands like Garmin, and open-ear earbuds designed with exercise in mind makes this a must-listen episode for anyone curious what fitness tech is like outside of the Google ecosystem.

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Pixelated 72: Welcome home, Gemini

Welcome to episode 72 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. Abner, Damien, and Will reconvene to talk all about Google’s recent smart home announcements. From Gemini for Home and Google’s revised subscription service to the new Home Speaker and that very, very red Nest 2K smart cam, it’s feeling like a fully revitalized smart home platform, and we’re here to talk you through every announcement.

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The Sideload 006: Schrödinger’s smart speaker

Welcome to The Sideload episode 6, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by Daniel Bader, his previous co-host on the Android Police podcast, to talk about smart speakers ahead of new hardware from Google. Daniel also dives into his thoughts on recent audio hardware from Apple, Bose, and the newly-updated Pixel Buds Pro 2, and the AI-powered necklace getting mocked across the internet.

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Pixelated 71: A convergence of ChromeOS questions

Welcome to episode 71 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. Damien and Will dive deep into the world of ChromeOS, reacting to the news out of Snapdragon Summit that Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon has seen Google’s Android for PCs replacement and that it’s, in his own words, “incredible.” What should we expect out of Google’s latest laptop venture? Could this be enough to get us to switch from Windows or MacOS? Our thoughts on all of those questions, plus a quick peek at the early unveiling of the OnePlus 15.

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The Sideload 005: Finding friction in an always-online world

Welcome to episode 5 of The Sideload, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Will is joined by Michael Fisher, better known online as Mr. Mobile. Although perhaps best known for his love of foldables, Michael published several reviews this year focusing on minimalist gadgets, ranging from the Minimal Phone (MP01) to the Light Phone 3. Together, Will and Michael discuss the ups and downs of an always-connected society, whether these devices actually improve your mindset, and what they miss about the internet’s good old days.

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Pixelated 70: Do smart speakers still make sense in 2025?

Welcome to episode 70 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will talk through their feeling surrounding the upcoming smart speaker Google appears to be readying for launch next month. From whether a Gemini-powered smart speaker fits with what people ask for in their homes to debating if a display is absolutely necessary to make the device worth it, all three hosts work through their feelings on the looming reboot of a once-booming market, and where Google might intend to take the lineup moving forward.

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The Sideload 004: The fantastical world of foldables

Welcome to episode 4 of The Sideload, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Will is joined by 9to5’s own Andrew Romero, hot off a recent review of Honor’s new Magic V5 foldable. Together, Andrew walks Will through what makes Honor’s latest device so enticing, where the software falls short, and what draws him to foldables in the first place. The two also explore the future of folding phones following Samsung’s excellent Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the ever-evolving rumor of a folding iPhone.

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Pixelated 069: A Pixel-Apple-Pixel sandwich

Welcome to episode 69 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will kick off by talking about Pixel sales growth, with a recent Counterpoint report suggest 105% YoY growth for Google’s smartphone lineup. After analyzing just what it means for the future of both Pixel and Android, the crew hops over to the other side of the fence to share their thoughts on Apple’s latest iPhone lineup. Don’t worry, loyal listener — they also make sure to wrap-up with some extended thoughts on the Pixel 10’s battery and camera performance, with a promise of much more to come.

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The Sideload 003: A Pixel perfect vacation

Welcome to episode 3 of The Sideload, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Will is joined by Joe Maring, Trending Editor at Android Authority, to discuss their respective experiences with the Pixel 10 series. With Joe back from a recent trip to visit Will in Buffalo, the two discuss how Google’s latest smartphones hold up under the stress of traveling, including whether the battery life is good enough to survive the airport, how the camera performed at Niagara Falls, and the utter mess that is Daily Hub.

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