About Jules Wang
Jules joined the Android Police team in 2019. He currently contributes art for our stories and edits our podcast. Before that, he managed weekend news and wrote AP's newsletter.
Jules also contributes to our sister sites XDA-Developers and Pocket-lint. He also was editor at our now-sister site, Pocketnow.
Latest Articles
This week's Android Police podcast is about Apple, Google, and/or Andor
A failure to innovate leads to profit?
Between a bottle of Robitussin and disappointments all around from Apple and Google, I think you'll enjoy our "Oops, All Tangents" edition of the Android Police podcast this week. From MagSafe to money woes, it's all downhill from here. Grab a potato sack and join us on the slide!
This new app that dynamically changes your wallpaper is free to download and use
Even better, there's no ads
We're generally fans of apps around here at Android Police, but when it comes to the ones that are simple, beautiful, and free, well, we like those ones more. Take, for instance, Dynamic Wallpaper — the newest app from designer Rushikesh Kamewar.
New Google Phone logo starts appearing on home screens
Messages on the web also gets a fresh splash screen
Much ado has been made about Google's new visual branding for its Contacts, Messages, and Phone apps which the company introduced in the past couple weeks.They're not the best works of art, but they do convey just enough to stand for something. Up until now, though, you've probably seen the new Messages logo and maybe even the Contacts logo appear on your home screen. What's up with Phone? And what's this about how the Messages logo animates?
Google explains the Pixel 7 is 64-bit only, says 32-bit apps still have roles to play
The tide of 64-bit-only Android devices is coming
When it comes to phones and tablets, Google is making Android all about 64-bit apps. It's taken years of transition policy to whip app makers into shape and achieve this end. A couple weeks ago, we found out that the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro weren't installing 32-bit apps, perhaps signaling that the company was ready to end Android's 32-bit era. But there hasn't been official word on the matter until now.
Google Maps drops its COVID-19 case tracking layer
And that's how Google ended the pandemic
During the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, Google Maps introduced a new layer which let users track the number of current COVID-19 cases as well as the trend in a given area. Since then, it's added special checkboxes for businesses that have taken precautions against the spread of disease. Nowadays, the visibility of the virus has faded thanks to a variety of reasons. Chalk up one more reason: Google Maps has dropped the COVID-19 filter.
Silicon Valley quake shows off Android Earthquake Alert System in action
Google tracks its own rings of fire
Several countries prone to earthquakes have an effective national early warning system that lets their citizens take action seconds, perhaps even minutes before ground-level shaking begins. That's great for those countries, but most of the world — including most of the United States — does not have the systems in place to facilitate such advanced warnings. Google, though, has been working on spreading its Android Earthquake Alert System, which provides a literal surface-level warning to device owners in quake zones, across the world. Yesterday, the United States got to see it in action.
Google Home is getting a web portal for all your Nest Cam and Doorbell video feeds
The building blocks of Google Home on the web
One important aspect about modern consumer technology is the ability to do what you want from where you want whenever you want. But when it came to controlling your smart home appliances through Google Home, users have had to rely on the mobile app for the longest time. Not anymore with the latest announcement from the company.
Here's when your Samsung Galaxy phone will get One UI 5
Samsung lays out a timetable for Android 13 updates
We all know the 5 'W's' (and 1 'H') of questionhood, but when it comes to getting Android 13 on our Samsung Galaxy devices, the word we've been missing out on was "when?" Many European Galaxy S22, Flip, and Fold 4 devices began getting One UI 5 this week, but, as you might've noticed, the whole world isn't Europe. We're getting a slightly better idea now as the company's just dropped a detailed device schedule. Just don't get too excited yet.
Gmail is getting some powerful merge fields with the help of simple tags
Say 'Dear @firstname' like you mean it
As Android Police's newsletter editor (go subscribe if you haven't already!), I've come to know the power of merge fields first-hand. If you don't know what they are, they're extremely useful in sending mass emails where, if you've collected the data from people, you can slot them into specific places as needed. It's how organizational senders are about to personalize their greetings to each recipient. Well, Google is giving its Workspace customers the power of something it's called merge tags in Gmail.
The super-affordable Wyze Cam goes higher-res than ever with new $50 Pro model
Subject detection gets faster with on-board processing
Scrappy smart home startup Wyze is out with a big update to 2020's Wyze Cam v3, a $20 camera with pretty decent imaging, cloud-powered subject detection, great audio pickup, a siren and spotlight, and did we mention it was $20? It's been one of the best security cameras out there. So, what does the Wyze Cam v3 Pro do for $50? Quite a bit more and faster.
Google hardware deals bring Pixel 6a to record low, Nest Audio & Pixel Buds half price
These are some of the best Made by Google discounts we've seen
Whether you're picking up one of the best budget Android phones out there or are looking to improve how you hear what you like to hear, Google's got it and it's got it cheap: the Pixel 6a, Pixel Buds Pro, and Nest Audio are all on sale this weekend with one of our most wanted smartphones of 2022 touching a record low price.
Processor hint lends credence to Chromecast Audio revival rumors
There's some Amlogic and reasoning to this
2023 is shaping up to be another interesting year in Google hardware already and it's not just because we've been covering boatloads of rumors about the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet. The amount of investment the company is supposedly tilting into its hardware division is expected to bring about a gradual, but major expansion in the Pixel ecosystem. Still, there's always an opening to present an upgrade opportunity for repeat customers (which can reinforce purchase decisions for new buyers) and that's where great smart speakers come into play: specifically, we're hearing about at least one new Nest speaker in development.
The Android Police podcast will not stand for the YouTube Premium price hike
Now available to own on 4K Blu-Ray...
Google has a large ship to turn around from the M.O. it's been on. Stadia's dead and we're now supposed to game on Chromebooks. YouTube Premium's getting a good ol' price hike like the rest of the streaming crowd. Oh, and it sounds like Google's doubling down on Pixel hardware (even though it decided to kill off its own Chromebook efforts). It sounds like an alternate-universe Master and Command: The Far Side of the World, but it's the Android Police podcast instead. Sorry.
Samsung drip feeds stable One UI 5 update to at least one lucky user
But it won't be long until the masses get it
It's been two months and one week since Android 13 went stable and all this time, we've been wondering when our phones — that is, not the Pixels, thank you very much — would get the update. Well, if you own a late model Samsung device, the one-word answer at this point is "days."
The Pixel Watch bootloader is unlockable, but you'll need to sacrifice a good USB cable
We're well on our way to getting custom ROMs for this watch
If you've been looking for a way to load custom ROMs to your $350 Pixel Watch for some god-forsaken reason, by all means, go ahead. Someone else has paved the way for you to do so and, trust us, it's pretty ugly.
Google Assistant gets a lesson in what your 'yard lights' are
It's all about contextual language comprehension
Google Assistant makes a lot of stuff happen in a lot of smart home devices at the whim of one's voice. But just because you've said to turn on the lights doesn't mean the lights you want will get turned on. That's where Assistant's latest upgrade comes into play.
Pixel 6 series receives some shiny Topaz from Paranoid Android
OnePlus 9 series also getting an OxygenOS 13 alternative
Paranoid Android is kicking into high gear its Android 13 push with heaps of devices getting into pre-release builds of what it calls Topaz. The dev team fired the starting pistol over the weekend with an alpha for the Nothing Phone 1. But since then, it's been betas all the way for several OnePlus and Pixel phones.
New Pixel Ultra intelligence suggests rumored phone could live up to 'Ultra' name
Lynx could be leaner and meaner than the Pixel 7 phones
There's been plenty of hay to go around when it comes to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, but what we've mostly forgotten about in the lead-up to and since their announcement is that there was also a third device in the mix. No, we're not talking about the Pixel Fold, but a device based on a board which Google dubbed "Lynx." Today, we're learning more about what it actually holds.
The Android Police podcast goes beyond our Pixel 7 Pro review
And dishes out some hot DVDs at Netflix
After barely a week to review the phones and watch, we're all Pixel-pooped out. But hey, we're still more than ready to deliver you what we're thinking about the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7 Pro, and the Pixel Watch — the stuff that actually didn't make it into our articles. All that plus some "breaking news" from Netflix (it was fresh on a Thursday) on this episode of the Android Police podcast!
Pixel Fold spec leak narrows down size and shape of folding display
Keywords being 'narrow' and 'shape'
Never mind Samsung or Motorola or the Chinese crowd; Google is running its own race when it comes to foldable phones. Intelligence has been pointing to a long autumn and winter of waiting with the company targeting a late Q1 2023 launch window for a prospective Pixel Fold. We're now learning more about exactly what we're waiting for with details of the displays the phone will use.