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Android 15 has some big changes in store for the volume panel
Pill-shaped sliders are enabled by default in Android 15 DP2
Google has already rolled out two Android 15 developer previews so far, providing a glimpse into what's coming with this fall's stable release. Based on what we've found so far, most of the changes appear to be minimal in nature, such as fixing quality issues with the Pixel's webcam mode or a privacy-related change allowing the system to block location requests from mobile carriers in some scenarios. It looks like some visual changes are also on the cards with Android 15.
Don't miss out on this Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE discount
Save $100 on one of the top midrange tablets going around
The Samsung Galaxy ecosystem is filled with excellent smartphones and equally great tablets catering to multiple price segments. While we've absolutely loved the Galaxy Tab S9 series, particularly the Ultra model, Samsung also has the Galaxy Tab S9 FE on offer for people considering a Galaxy tablet without spending an exorbitant amount of money.
Google just removed this beloved phone from its store
The Pixel 6a has disappeared from the Google Store
The Google Pixel 6a was among our favorite Pixels when it launched in mid-2022 and is comfortably one of the top midrange phones of its time. However, all good things must come to an end, and it appears that the Pixel 6a's time to ride off into the sunset has arrived. Google has taken down the online listing for the Pixel 6a on its store, an unsurprising turn of events given that the Pixel 8a is right around the corner.
WhatsApp could make it easier to post text-based status updates
Text, Video, and Photo options could live together
The world of WhatsApp betas is filled with surprises, with testers getting a preview of under-development features that may or may not make it to the stable version of the app. Similarly, the Meta-owned chat app was recently working on letting users share lengthier videos through status updates. WhatsApp is now working on another status-related improvement, with a redesign of the preview/editor page appearing in the app's latest beta for Android.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 could also join the titanium bandwagon
Following in the footsteps of the Galaxy S24 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S24 series packs a bundle of upgrades, such as Galaxy AI, with a key marketing highlight being the use of a Grade 2 titanium frame in the Ultra model's construction. It's now being rumored that the same treatment could be offered to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which will likely break cover in early July.
With Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2, Google added a couple of useful accessibility features for physical keyboards, such as bounce and sticky keys. Android's support for physical keyboards has improved gradually, with Google looking to enhance the platform's desktop credentials regardless of the device's size (smartphone, tablet, foldable, etc). Achieving this requires decent physical keyboard support, and Google continues to work toward this goal by adding a new slow keys option in the second Android 15 developer preview.
WhatsApp could soon get Instagram's AI photo editing tools
Backdrop, Restyle, and Expand options have appeared
WhatsApp developers are always busy improving existing functionality or, as we saw recently, bringing back features that we thought were gone for good. We've known about Meta's plans to bring AI-generated stickers to the app since August last year, while a dedicated AI chatbot for the app has also appeared in beta releases so far. The latest WhatsApp beta for Android now contains a couple of AI-powered image editing tools that were first teased by Meta in September.
Android 15 DP2 is officially out, giving us an early glimpse into Android 15 ahead of its stable release this fall. On top of the minor changes bundled with the new update, such as satellite connectivity improvements, Google could also provide a better user experience for tablet and foldable smartphone users by improving the Taskbar experience.
WhatsApp brings back the long-lost swipeable navigation bar
Hopefully, it sticks around for longer this time
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WhatsApp introduced a bottom navigation bar to its Android app roughly a year ago to align with the Material Design guidelines. However, this meant that the previous swipeable tabs experience had to go away, although WhatsApp appeared to have a change of heart in June, with swipeable tabs making an appearance in a beta. It didn't take long for the feature to disappear, however, only to make a comeback again in September. WhatsApp then removed support for swipe gestures in subsequent updates, but it looks like the Meta-owned chat app hasn't fully given up on it yet, with the latest beta version marking the reappearance of the swipeable navigation bar.
Google Pixel 8a looks close to launch as four variants spotted
The Pixel 8a could be revealed during I/O 2024 in May
The Google Pixel 8a is expected to be unveiled this spring, potentially during I/O 2024, which we know will take place on May 14. Phone manufacturers typically send their devices to the FCC for certification months ahead of launch. However, these FCC listings also give us a good idea of what to expect from a yet-to-be-launched device, and that's exactly what's happening with Google's upcoming mid-tier phone.
YouTube Music will soon let you identify songs by humming
The YouTube app for Android has supported this feature since October
A YouTube experiment last August saw select users being able to identify a song by humming. The feature was widely rolled out to the YouTube app for Android phones in October, and it now looks like the YouTube Music app is also on the verge of getting this handy song identification feature.
YouTube Music gains another vital feature ahead of Google Podcasts shutdown
The app is getting the trim silence functionality for podcasts
YouTube Music officially started supporting podcasts in its apps almost a year ago. Although Google said at the time that its standalone Podcasts app wasn't going anywhere, we now know that it didn't pan out. Ahead of the service's expected closure in April, the YouTube Music team is busy giving the final touches to the podcast experience in the app. With this in mind, developers are working on adding a feature that's pretty common among the best podcast apps, including the soon-to-be-dead Google Podcasts.
OneDrive could get some of that Google Photos magic
The app's beta points to an upcoming Magic Erase feature
Generative AI is no longer the buzzword it was in late 2022, as tech companies, both big and small, continue to build their products with some form of generative AI in mind. Unsurprisingly, giant corporations like Google and Microsoft also want to have a significant chunk of the AI pie and have already integrated the tech into their productivity suites — Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. We've known since last year that Microsoft is readying generative AI chops for OneDrive, but its wider implementation has now been pushed to April. In a sign of things to come, a recent beta of the OneDrive app for Android contains strings mentioning a Google Photos-esque "Magic Erase" feature.
Google Wallet will soon support passes from Apple devices
Sharing passes between iOS and Android devices could get simpler
Google Wallet has come a long way since its early days, including going through a couple of rebrands. The consolidated app for passes, tickets, credit/debit cards, boarding passes, etc., on your Android phone is routinely getting better with new features while also ensuring more countries and banks start supporting the app. However, Google's offering doesn't support the .pkpass file format, which is used by Apple for passes stored in its own Wallet app. That appears to be changing now, at least for a few people around the world, who are reporting the ability to import .pkpass files onto the Google Wallet app.
Chrome Canary 124 now supports live translated captions by default
Live Translate was first spotted in April last year
Google Chrome is one of our favorite web browsers, even though competitors like Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, etc., continue to get better with each iteration. Last year, Google was working on bundling the Pixel's Live Translate feature in Chrome, intended to work in tandem with Live Caption, added almost three years ago. However, this Live Translate functionality was not available by default, even in Canary, requiring a command line flag to activate. It now looks like we're getting closer to the feature's imminent arrival, with the latest Chrome Canary 124 release enabling Live Translate by default.
Google Contacts is getting rid of the Fix & manage tab in favor of organization
The Edit contact page is also getting a revamp
Google Contacts is not an app that you would associate with frequent changes or updates. But that hasn't been the case over the past few weeks. We learned last month that an upcoming redesign for the app would make some sweeping changes, like removing the hamburger menu, while another update sought to unclutter individual contact pages. It now looks like some other changes are on the horizon, with a new leak giving us a glimpse of what's to come.
Google Calendar update makes it easy to switch between events and tasks
Want to turn your new event into a task or the other way around? Now you can
Google Calendar is a handy tool for staying in sync with future events, appointments, important dates, tasks, and more. However, the Android app's user interface leaves a lot to be desired. Back in December, we came across a quick and easy way of switching between Tasks or Events after selecting either option from the FAB. However, it required some flags to work at the time. That's changing now, as Google is bringing this new event/task-switching page to all Calendar users as part of a server-side rollout.
WhatsApp is gearing up to resurrect chat filters this year
The feature was first spotted in development last summer
As one of our favorite messaging apps today, we keep a close eye on the changes coming to WhatsApp. Beta versions often give us a good idea about what's to come from future releases. However, not every beta feature makes it to the stable version. We figured the same fate would befall chat filters, which first surfaced in July last year, offering onscreen buttons above the chat list to sort conversations. We haven't heard much about it since then, apart from a follow-up beta release in September, leading us to believe that it's gone for good. But that doesn't appear to be the case with WhatsApp developers rolling out these filters again in the app's latest beta for Android.
Samsung expects to ship nearly half a million Galaxy Ring units
The smart ring could debut alongside Samsung's foldables in July
Although smart rings aren't exactly a new concept, they are expected to make up for a significant chunk of the wearable market segment this year. While established names like Oura already have a big lead in this market, Samsung has thrown its hat in the ring (no pun intended) with the Galaxy Ring, which was shown off during the MWC last month. A new report now details the company's plans for this smart ring, with Samsung apparently readying to produce up to 400,000 units of the Galaxy Ring ahead of its release.
Google Sheets is arguably one of the best spreadsheet apps you can find today, with Google leaving no stone unturned in maintaining that standing in the industry. Earlier this month, the Workspace blog announced a "highly-requested" feature for sheets — smooth scrolling on the web. This feature is now making its wider appearance across multiple continents, although it's not yet available on all accounts.