About Ryne Hager
Ryne was ostensibly a senior editor at Android Police, working at the site from 2017-2022. But really, he is just some verbose dude who digs on tech, loves Android, and hates anticompetitive practices. His only regret is that he didn't buy a Nokia N9 in 2012.
Latest Articles
Google Pixel 6a vs. Pixel 5a: Which phone is the better value?
Google's mid-range smartphones keep getting better
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro may be Google's latest powerful new flagships, but you don't need to splurge on the latest and greatest to get the best mobile experience. Even with the recent release of the Pixel 7a, last year's Pixel 6a is still a surprisingly strong contender that remains at the top of our list of the best budget smartphones, thanks to the incredible value it offers for its lower price tag.
How to scan documents on your Android phone or tablet
Your phone is more than capable, and we've got the best app for the job
Scanning a document is an easy way to share and edit documents digitally. You don't need anything more than your Android phone and its camera. Even if you're rocking one of our favorite budget Android phones, you can scan clear images of documents for professional or private use.
Download these super high-res Webb telescope images for an out-of-this-world wallpaper
They make a stellar background. Get it? Stellar? DO YOU GET IT?!
In July 2022, all of space nerddom released a collective squeal of excitement when the James Webb Space Telescope released its first images. The images are stunning, and offer a clarity of the universe we've never before experienced in such exquisite sharpness and detail. And since these images were released, the telescope has continued to explore and discover early galaxies.
A folding phone might just be what you need to enjoy photography with a bad back
Foldables let you bend the phone to get that low wide-angle shot, instead of your body
Photographers can be pretty tech-obsessed. Once you're intimately familiar with the effects that different hardware and changes have, you can visualize how minor improvements could manifest in photos. But even the most seasoned shutterbugs will tell you that, beyond all the specs and gadgets, the most important thing is to have a camera with you and to use it well. And that's why, even though Pixels are my favorite cameras, I really like using folding phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 for photos.
Almost no one takes their security seriously. I know there are certain people that think storing passwords written down in an actual book is a good idea — that these timeless invocations whispered in taps to Amazon, Bank of America, or Google by their very presence save them from the glasses-and-trenchcoat-dressed “hackers.” These are the same people that ignore piles of pending security updates and whole inches of screen space lost to browser toolbars. You just can’t make people storing their banking credentials in plain text notes saved to iCloud or Drive care about their security because any loss of convenience for them is a non-starter. But almost every adult carries around a set of keys for their car or home, and there’s a solution they can use which is every bit as convenient as that.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: The phone of the future
Big screen, big price tag, big multitasking energy
There's no such thing as one-size-fits-all — It's true in clothing, it's true in cars, and it's true in phones. What you need isn't going to be the same as what the next person needs, and that's half the reason Android has all the extra customization options that other platforms like iOS don't offer. The Galaxy Fold 4 isn't for everyone and might not be for you. But, even with its sky-high price tag, magnitudinous chonk, and still mediocre camera, carrying around a screen this big is absolutely worth the cost for lots of people, including me.
Android 13 delivers over 100 bug fixes for Google Pixels
I count around 150 fixes, improvements, and tweaks in the Android 13 update for Pixels
Most monthly updates for Pixels deliver at least a couple of fixes for specific issues, but the recent Android 13 update has pulled out all of the stops, delivering somewhere around 150 bug fixes, according to my hasty counting. These tweaks cover a range from exceedingly minor corner-case app-level adjustments ("Fix for issue in Phone app causing some text to appear invisible while managing blocked numbers in dark mode"), to more potentially noticeable improvements in fingerprint sensor and networking performance on the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, and 6a.
Google confirms Android 13 betas will continue in September with more Quarterly Platform Release tests
You only have a short window to opt out of the Android Beta Program now without data loss
Android 13 was just released to stable, and in the long-ago, that would have meant the end of the Android Beta Program for a few months ahead of the following year's Developer Previews. But now that Google is testing its Quarterly Platform Releases with the Beta Program, today's news means two things: 1) Google will start testing Android 13 QPR1 betas for future Feature Drop fun next month in September. 2) You have a narrow window right now to leave the Android Beta program without having to wipe your phone, so be sure to opt out now if you're tired of beta testing.
Ongoing Pixel 6a 90Hz display testing shows better success
The Pixel 6a 90Hz mod still isn't public, but you've got more reasons to be optimistic about it now
Read update
Good news: At least some Pixel 6a phones have a display that supports a 90Hz refresh rate, addressing one of the more pointless complaints against the $450 mid-range phone. Bad news: Getting the phone flipped over to a high refresh rate mode right now requires using an undocumented hack, there are currently a few issues with it when it does work, and the solution seemingly doesn't function on all Pixel 6a hardware. In short, while at least one Pixel 6a was forced into working at 90Hz, it's not clear if you'll be able to do it on your own unit.
Probable Nest Wifi refresh hits FCC with Wi-Fi 6E support
Support for the new 6GHz technology and identical hardware between router and points sounds great to me
Another Google-associated device just hit the FCC. At a glance, this looks like it could be the upcoming refresh of the 2019 Nest Wifi, and details included in the report indicate that it will support Wi-Fi 6E.
Android 13 hits AOSP — get ready for the custom ROMs to drop
Fresh code for our fresh Android 13 release
Today is Android 13 day, and in addition to Pixels picking up their first stable release, Google is also pushing out Android 13 today to AOSP (the Android Open Source Project, or Android's source code). That means all the code that constitutes Android 13 is now available for other people and companies to play with, and we'll likely see ROMs announce their plans to release Android 13-based versions very soon.
Nothing drops brightness rating for the Phone 1 by 40%
The phone can't actually hit the 1,200 nits originally advertised, though an update might enable that in the future
Nothing has dropped the advertised brightness of its Phone (1) in some markets from 1,200 nits to a little over half that at 700 nits. Ostensibly, the hardware actually supports the former rating, but all testing since the launch indicates closer to a real-world 700 nit maximum. In details provided to German tech site Computer Base (via XDA), Nothing explained that it was considering unlocking that extra brightness range in a future update, though it could affect both heat and battery life.
Samsung just Unpacked the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4, the two coolest phones of the summer
Plus the new Watch 5 series and Buds 2 Pro
Samsung's new lineup of folding phones, smartwatches, and earbuds are now official here at the company's unpacked event. (Metaphorically "here," anyway, as this is an online event.) The new $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold 4 and $1,000 Flip 4 retain their end-of-the-alphabet branding in at least some markets, contrary to prior rumors, with an updated TSMC-made Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and other modernizations. The $280 Galaxy Watch 5 and $450 Watch 5 Pro are also getting new premium materials, like a sapphire crystal. And the new $230 Buds 2 Pro have active noise cancellation and support for the upcoming Bluetooth LE Audio standard.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 & Flip 4 hands-on: A little progress, lots of polish
Samsung's foldables for 2022 focus on smaller "tick" instead of bigger "tock" improvements
Samsung only just announced the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 at its online event, but I had the opportunity last week to play with the two foldables as part of a hands-on Samsung will soon open to the public in New York City. Our full reviews for the two phones will be coming soon, but in the meantime, I have a short taste of what you can expect from the upcoming phones. Here's the gist: It might be more accurate to call these the Fold and Flip 3.5, as the pace of hardware change this year has begun to slow.
Google calls on Apple to 'fix texting' and adopt RCS messaging
It's not a green bubble problem, it's a privacy problem and an iPhone problem
The "green bubble" problem regarding communication between Android devices and iPhones has been a problem for years, but the subject is getting more attention recently with accusations that Apple's messaging strategy isn't just arguably classist, it's also infringing on its customer's security and violating the company's own accessibility guidelines. Even more frustrating, Apple could fix this if it adopted the industry and carrier standard for RCS messaging to replace SMS on its devices. Now Google is stepping up the pressure on Apple with a new "Get The Message" website and marketing campaign meant to highlight the issue.
How Google keeps you safe in Chrome without violating your privacy
The Safe Browsing feature was built to make sure Google itself doesn't know which site's you're visiting
Most of us should be familiar with Chrome's Safe Browsing feature, which warns if you're visiting a page that might be dangerous. It's not like most of us are actively seeking out malware or phishing sites, but once in a while, some link on Reddit, an email, or some deep Search rabbit hole takes you to an unsavory place, and Chrome lets you know it might not be a good idea to proceed. I never really thought about it very deeply it, but I always assumed that the system worked because Google knew through Chrome which pages I was visiting and kept an eye out based on a list. That's partly true, but it escapes one critical and interesting fact: The Safe Browsing system actually doesn't tell Google which pages you're on, preserving your privacy just a little more.
Wear OS 3 hands-on: Google’s free-market wearable future
Impressions from Montblanc's new Summit 3 smartwatch
Montblanc invited me to check out its new (and very expensive) Wear OS 3-powered smartwatch. I didn’t get a lot of time with it, and you can anticipate a more extensive review of both the software and this watch coming later, but the abridged version is that Wear OS 3 isn’t a silver bullet for Android’s wearable problems. If anything, it seems like Google is offloading more of its responsibility onto manufacturers to fix the situation, and I’m not sure that’s wise.
Google Pixel 6a picks up its first Android 13 beta
Though you won't have long to wait for the full version
Pixel 6a early adopters will be excited to hear they can double down on their bleeding-edge fun. Google has just added the Pixel 6a to the list of phones you can register in the Android Beta Program, and both OTA and factory images for the new beta have been published. This gives the phone its very first (and potentially last) beta before Android 13 is released.
Magic Eraser's newest trick has spread from the Pixel 6a to the rest of the Pixel 6 series
The new Camouflage feature is live on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro for us
Google gave the Pixel 6a a snazzy new Camouflage feature for Magic Eraser, which gives the Google Photos-integrated editing tool the ability to select objects in a scene and tint them a different color that stands out less. It's a subtle way to tweak a photo by drawing the eye to more important parts of the image. Google told us during our review that it would be coming to the rest of the Pixel 6 series after the 6a's launch, and as of today, we can confirm that it's showing on phones around the various remote Android Police offices.
Twitter test lets you mix and match photos, videos, and GIFs in a single tweet
Moving pictures next to still ones?! What WILL they think of next?
Twitter currently limits how you can use media in a Tweet, restricting you to either a still photo, a video, or a GIF. In the last two cases, you can only embed a single piece of animated media in a Tweet, but you can have up to four still images in one, and you can't cross between the categories. The company has been working on expanding how this works so that you can use multiple types of media together in one Tweet, and it has confirmed that it's recently started testing the feature and may be available for some customers.