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Google realizes smart displays aren't very intuitive, starts experimenting with usability improvements
The company is testing 1,000 tweaked smart displays in retirement communities in Washington
Google is giving 1,000 Nest Hub Max smart displays to residents in seven Merrill Gardens retirement communities in Washington state as part of a new test. The company is using it as an opportunity to provide a "new experience" that changes the smart display's interface a bit to help with ease of use and feature discovery.
Pixel 4a will drop squeeze-for-Assistant Active Edge feature from previous Pixels
You'll have to find another way to accidentally trigger the Assistant all the time
Google's Pixel 4a looks set to skip one feature that previous phones have included. The so-called Active Edge functionality, which allowed you to squeeze the phone to activate the Google Assistant, won't be present on the Pixel 4a — a detail that's been confirmed in the pre-release hardware Julio Lusson managed to get his hands on.
Bootloader unlock process for OnePlus 8 5G on T-Mobile not working for many
'please enter a valid IMEI' error happening for many even with carrier approval for the unlock
For some, the biggest advantage of OnePlus phones isn't the price or the software, it's the fact that they're one of the last manufacturers offering easy bootloader unlocks, which makes rooting and ROMing the company's phones pretty easy. Unfortunately, the unlock process that's been put in place for the T-Mobile version of the OnePlus 8 5G doesn't seem to be working for many device owners.
Almost two weeks ago, OnePlus released Open Beta 3 for the 7T. Though the changelog at the time was pretty light, it turns out there was a hidden feature in the release that didn't get mentioned. The beta update also delivered 720p 960 FPS slow-motion video recording,
Customers in 27 European countries interested in OnePlus 8-series phones can now pick up Protection Plans for both screen damage and more general accidental protection. The new insurance, which first rolled out in Europe starting on April 30th, has now arrived in 15 more countries including Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden.
One of Android's greatest strengths is the platform's diversity, allowing manufacturers to customize as they see fit with their own tweaks and changes. Samsung fans, for example, often point at features that the company implemented first, which later trickled down into stock Android. While we're all probably familiar with most of the big headlining features from each company's software, what are your favorite lesser-known or underappreciated Android features?
OnePlus 8 Pro Oxygen OS 10.5.8 update rolling out with screen fixes in tow
OnePlus tells us this update is meant to address the crushed/clipped blacks
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A new update for the OnePlus 8 Pro is now rolling out, with a rather extensive changelog. But nestled unstated among the various improvements is a rather big one: OnePlus confirms to us that this new 10.5.8 update includes fixes for the crushed/clipped black issue.
Following last year's promises, Google is getting ready to block ads that hit a certain resource limit in Chrome, to prevent things like crypto miners or poorly-made ads from making a dent in your battery life or network use. An "experiment" for this heavy ad blocking has already started in Chrome 84, with it expected to land in Stable by the end of August.
The Google Home app has become this awkward monolithic thing over the years, expanding with more options, settings, and duties as Google's smart home ecosystem has grown. It can be pretty hard to find what you need without some sort of degree in Googleology — or at least some extensive searching. But an update that's now widely rolling out makes navigating through your home's settings a little easier.
The Pixel 4a still isn't out yet, but already the wallpapers it is expected to ship with have been pulled from the phone obtained by Cuban YouTube channel TechnoLike Plus. Published just earlier today by XDA Developers, they're all pretty wild, embracing the hole-punch camera with Google's usual bright colors and some fanciful designs.
It's not often we get a new name in the Android ecosystem, but following its freshman Plex, TCL is putting its best foot forward with three new phones this year. So far as I'm concerned, it's the budget-oriented TCL 10L that's the star of the lineup. With flagship prices skyrocketing to well over a thousand dollars, this $250 phone better serves a bigger audience. But software is a question — in more ways than one.
Google expands test for iMessage-like reactions for RCS chats in its Messages app
Update: The feature has gone official
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- The feature has been spotted rolling out more widely, with reports of chat message reactions appearing in more RCS-enabled conversations today. We've tested it as appearing in both the recent beta versions of the Messages app (6.1.088 beta and 6.1.087 beta) so we don't think this wider rollout is tied specifically to today's beta update. Some reports claim seeing the feature on stable releases, but it hasn't appeared there in our own testing. Our coverage has been updated with this information.
RCS messaging may not be the iMessage killer for Android that some folks hoped it would be, but it is finally giving us a decent replacement to aging SMS standards. Thanks to Google, we didn't have to worry about the carriers botching it, either. But, one iMessage-like feature has just been spotted rolling out in the wild for RCS "Chats" in Google Messages: Get ready to send emoji reactions.
Motorola has expanded the software promise for its latest Edge+ flagship phone. In a statement provided to Droid Life, the company has committed to providing "at least two Android OS upgrades" for the $1,000 phone. (You might have expected that to be a given when you drop a grand, but welcome to Motorola.) Given that it ships with Android 10, that means Motorola has now committed to updating the Edge+ to Android 12 someday.
Google Earth has a new search interface that shows featured content, search history, and more
Available now on Android, iOS, and the web
Google has just announced that a new search "experience" for Google Earth has rolled out. In addition to simply being more attractive, the new layout shows your search history, offers featured content and must-see views, and lets you search for data layers as well as places.
YouTube Music song info over Bluetooth to cars has been broken for months for many
Not all phones are affected
Google seems to think that YouTube Music is ready for prime time, as the company has just announced that the long-awaited migration from Play Music will happen later this year. But there is at least one annoying bug to fix before all its customers can consider it a true replacement: Track information from YouTube Music over Bluetooth to in-car entertainment systems is broken for many, a pain for those using their phone for music in the car without Android Auto.
Google is currently testing an expansion of its existing Play Store filters to help find better-rated apps. First spotted by 9to5Google, the change brings a handful of new filtering options that will appear when searching, including a pair of star rating limits and an Editors' Choice-only flag that can help separate the app wheat from the chaff.
Google Maps spruces up location sharing interface with modern new look
It works about the same, but it looks nicer
Google Maps has picked up a new location-sharing interface in the last week or so. Precipitated (we think) by an app update, the new interface updates the menu's Material aesthetic to be a bit more modern, with a snazzy new floating action button and more detailed information at a glance.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet review: The first Chrome OS tablet that (mostly) makes sense
You get a lot here for $280, and Chrome OS is much better on a tablet now — though it still feels incomplete
Lenovo's Chromebook Duet sounded like a winner the moment we first heard about it. It's a 2-in-1 detachable tablet running Chrome OS, and though it might not pack the fastest chipset, the rest of its hardware impresses — especially given that it starts at just $280 and comes with a keyboard cover. While the Surface-style form factor has its issues when it comes to usability, this the first Chrome OS-powered tablet that's actually made sense.
Grillscape Navigator: Weber's barbecue thermometer app really wants to be your default browser
Supports hot links
It might be overkill, but Weber's latest barbecue grill actually have their own app. The Weber iGrill app isn't satisfied simply remotely controlling the precise doneness of that $25 ribeye, though. It would also like to be your default browser on Android — though it won't turn your phone into a barbecue.
Widgets were once triumphed as one of Android's small victories over other platforms, offering extra utility that almost everyone saw as a clear benefit — or, at least, a fun avenue for customization. They've been around now for over a decade, and though third party support has waxed and waned, we're curious to know: Do you use a widget on your home screen/launcher? If so, how many have you got?