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At I/O 2023, Google proves it still doesn't understand hardware
Google’s new hardware lineup is so close to greatness
Following an hour of announcements on how generative AI will fundamentally change your Google experience at the 2023 I/O developer conference, the company finally turned its attention to hardware. While AI is decidedly the theme of I/O this time around, hardware has become increasingly important to the event over the time, and this right now is Google's biggest push to date, culminating in three hardware launches this year.
Android 14’s Beta 2 comes with more visual tweaks than any release before it
As expected, Google saved some bigger design changes for after Google I/O
Android 14 Beta 2 was released during Google I/O yesterday. As expected, Google saved a lot of the visual tweaks for this post-I/O release, and from our limited experience with it so far, it’s also a lot more stable than Beta 1. This almost makes Android 14's Beta 2 feel like it should have been the first public beta release, with the fun of testing and experimenting with the new release only starting now. Here are some of the visual tweaks we spotted.
Google Pixel Fold finally goes official, with preorders at a staggering $1,800
The long-rumored Google Fold is here
Google I/O is in full swing, and the company finally took the opportunity to make the Google Pixel Fold official after first publicly acknowledging its existence a few days ago. Google isn’t shy to go head-to-head with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, either, with preorders for the Fold starting today at an eye-watering $1,800. At least the company is throwing a free Google Pixel Watch to those who want to get first dibs at the Google Fold.
Google I/O 2023 is in full swing, and the company announced a ton of new AI tools and features. If you're anything like us, the amount of upcoming and running experiments is overwhelming, and Google appears to have thought the same. That's why it announced a new Google Labs platform that gives you a single entry point to all of Google's AI experiments. The best part is: The website is already live, as the Google I/O keynote is still ongoing. You can take a look yourself over at labs.withgoogle.com.
Google I/O 2023 was held on May 10. While many of the talks and presentations at I/O are developer focused, the event started, as always, with a flashy keynote address to let us all know what Google's been up to lately. This year, that includes both hardware and software — and, as you might imagine, lots and lots of talk about AI. Here's everything you need to know.
How Samsung became Android's biggest champion (and how One UI helped)
Samsung's great update track record and software collaboration with Google is thanks, in part, to Sally Yeong.
Samsung is known for offering some of the best Android phones, especially for fast and long-term update support. For most of its higher-end devices, the company promises up to four years of software updates and five years of security patches. With the timely delivery of those updates, Samsung is surpassing Google in many ways. But this hasn't always been the case.
Android 15 might decouple NFC from system updates
The NFC stack could soon be updated independently of Android system updates
A long time ago, Google started decoupling some key components from the Android system itself, making them so-called Mainline modules that can be updated independently of the system. This allows Google to provide security fixes and even feature updates to many more devices on a much faster scale than otherwise possible, even for older handsets that may not enjoy the same update policies as the best Android phones out there offer. The latest component in line to receive this makeover might be the NFC stack, which could become a Mainline module in Android 15.
Honor Magic 5 Pro review: Finding the right compromises
Honor is growing up, and the Magic 5 Pro is the best proof of that
Long after the split from Huawei, Honor built a reputation for its excellent hardware. The company routinely adds the latest and greatest to its flagship phones. It is one of only a few Android makers to offer true biometric face authentication — even for unlocking secure apps, something that can't be said for one of the best phones today, the Google Pixel 7 Pro. But where Google's phones are known for their impeccable software coupled with some hardware problems, the equation is the other way around for Honor. Its excellent hardware is often hamstrung by less-than-mediocre software. That makes the Honor Magic 5 Pro so exciting, the company's latest flagship phone. It packs some serious improvements in the software department.
ChromeOS Dev finally offers Google’s Material You color picker
We might just see a ChromeOS Material You announcement at Google I/O
Google introduced its dynamic color engine Material You alongside Android 12 back in 2021. In 2023, the wallpaper-based design language is finally moving to more places, with Google working to bring it to Chrome on desktops and ChromeOS. On the latest Dev version of Google's laptop OS, 114, it’s now finally possible to pick your preferred wallpaper-based colors yourself — if you turn on a flag or if you’re lucky enough to be in the a/b test, that is.
Chromebooks still aren't ready for me to switch to using full-time
ChromeOS and web apps have come a long way in the past two years, but it’s not enough to get me off my MacBook
I really like ChromeOS. As someone embedded in Google's ecosystem and covering the latest stories surrounding the company every day, any and all of the latest and greatest Chromebooks have long intrigued me. Lately, Google has been doing a lot to make me like its desktop operating system even more. The company is rolling out the option to mirror your phone’s screen to your laptop, a big Material You revamp is on the way, and web apps are getting more numerous and ever better — and that's on top of improved Android support on the platform.
Onyx Boox Tab X review: I wish I had this in college
This is the dream come true for serial note takers and document readers, but it costs a pretty penny
Onyx has made a name for itself with its high-end E Ink readers and tablets, offering the full Android and Google experience on E Ink screens. Most recently, the company released the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra, a 10-inch note-taking powerhouse. However, tablets are growing bigger and bigger these days, and that 10-inch screen still doesn’t give you the full letter-sized paper experience. That’s where Onyx’s new tablet comes in, the Boox Tab X.
Your Google Account is getting rid of its password
The company is rolling out passkey support for Google Accounts, which will eventually replace your password completely
Google and other key players in the industry have long been pushing for a passwordless future, and today, Google has announced that it’s rolling out passkey support for Google Accounts. This means that you will be able to sign in to your Google Account without a password and without confirming your login with a second factor. Passkeys replace both of these methods and are supposed to be inherently more secure than passwords and multi-factor authentication, on top of being immune to phishing.
Google is trying to get rid of Chrome’s HTTPS lock icon again
The company first tried to remove the lock icon years ago
Google is preparing a big redesign for Chrome on desktop that brings it more in line with its Material You-themed counterpart on Android. The other big change that Google has announced this week is a fundamental tweak to how browsers work since the 90s, as the company is planning to get rid of the lock icon that has been used to depict secure HTTPS connections since before Chrome even existed, replacing it with a new tune-inspired settings icon.
YouTube tests desktop redesign that litters your screen with suggestions
The video description and comments are less prominent in this new look
Google is constantly optimizing its services, showing its users ever-so-slightly different versions of its apps and websites to see what works and what doesn’t. It looks like YouTube for web is currently testing a bigger redesign that may or may not ever make it to a broader number of people. A Twitter user spotted a new video view that flips the usual layout, moving the description, title, and comments to the right of the video and content suggestions to the bottom.
Google confirms new Pixel phone launch for May 11
Google India shared an image of something that has got to be the Google Pixel 7a
Thanks to leaks and rumors, the Google Pixel 7a is all but confirmed to launch at Google I/O 2023 on May 10, and now, Google has added some fuel of its own to its open secret. Google India has confirmed on Twitter that "the latest phone engineered by Google'' is launching on May 11. It's coming to Indian Amazon competitor Flipkart on that same date, and the tweet shows a blurred out phone that sure looks 100% in line with the Google Pixel 7a renders we’ve seen so far.
Android’s May 2023 security patch prevents downgrades to infinitely old system app versions
You can no longer downgrade system apps beyond the pre-installed version
You may not rely on it often, but downgrading to an older version of an Android app pre-installed on your phone is a vital capability. It can help you get an app up and running again when it breaks due to corrupted data, and provide a clean slate for you to upgrade back to the latest available version on the Play Store. With Android’s latest security patch for May 2023, a small change now makes that process more secure. It is no longer possible to downgrade to an app version older than the one your device originally shipped with.
My favorite public transit app is finally great again
Citymapper 11 drops the paywall and gives you access to all features for free
If you’re someone like me living in a big city where a personal vehicle isn’t a must-have, a reliable and intelligent public transit app is vital. Over the years of searching for my preferred service, I’ve landed on Citymapper for most of my routes. The app isn’t perfect by all means, but it’s the closest to no-frills I can get here in Berlin.
The Google Play Store blocked over a million bad apps last year
Google’s new policies and improved machine learning algorithms seem to help
The Google Play Store is often criticized for unjustly booting innocent developers and their apps from the platform. At the same time, the Play Store has to keep bad actors from entering the app market in the first place, and if you put this into perspective, it gets clear that falsely blocked accounts are a communication problem more than anything else. To show how successful its methods are, Google has released its annual overview of how it fought bad apps and actors in 2022.
Tecno Phantom V Fold review: The most affordable foldable yet
If you want to call any phone more expensive than $1,000 affordable, that is
Foldables are on their way to becoming mainstream and are among the best phones you can get today. Not too long ago, Samsung had to recall its first-generation Fold due to debris getting under the display, and today, we're at a stage where multiple companies are competing to create both the best and the most affordable folding phones out there. Tecno has also entered this race with the Phantom V Fold, and it tries to differentiate itself from Samsung and others in two key ways: pricing and processor choice.
How to make your Android phone and MacBook work well together
Apple’s ecosystem might be the best solution, but Android users aren’t left in the cold
The Apple ecosystem is the perfect solution for anyone who wants a seamlessly integrated environment where their phone, laptop, and wearable play together without a hitch. This might tempt many people to switch from Android to iOS. But if you prefer to use one of many great Android phones, there are things you can do to make it play better with your MacBook. You might never reach the same level of integration as an iPhone owner, but you can make your life easier, and things might be better than you imagined.