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Weekend poll: What rear cameras do you need on a smartphone?
Ultra-wide, telephoto, or just a really good primary sensor?
These days, it's impossible to shop for a new phone without seeing more than one sensor on the back of any given device. The days of single rear-facing cameras are long gone, as are the days where two cameras could make someone do a double-take in public. Even budget offerings, devices well under $300 like the Galaxy A14, sport three lenses these days, though that doesn't mean they're always useful.
Google Pixel Tablet hands-on: What's up, dock?
A promising slate, but maybe don't stock up on extra bases just yet
This year, Google announced a trifecta of hardware at I/O. While we might not have gotten a tease for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro — breaking what could've become a tradition following last year's early Pixel 7 announcement — we did get our first look at the long-awaited Pixel Fold, as well as the surprise shadow drop of the Pixel 7a. The third device, the Pixel Tablet, was technically announced at last fall's Made By Google event, but I/O marked the first time we were actually able to get our hands on one. It's a promising slate, but you'll need to keep your expectations in check if you plan to pick one up next month.
Google Pixel Fold hands-on: The good, the bad, and the ugly
Google's $1,800 foldable is here, but that inner display leaves a lot to be desired
After years of rumors and leaks, Google is finally challenging Samsung for its foldable throne. The Pixel Fold is official, and while the price tag likely isn't what anyone wanted, it does line up with the costs we've come to expect from the Galaxy Z Fold series. With about a month and a half until Google's foldable starts arriving on people's doorsteps, I managed to spend some time with the device after the company's I/O keynote. What I found was promising, but not without some potential pitfalls that buyers will want to be aware of before dropping a cool two grand on their new phone.
Google is keeping the Pixel 6a around at a new lower price
Imagine what the discounts will be like now
It should come as no surprise that Google brought some heat to I/O this year. In addition to finally giving us some real details on the Pixel Tablet it announced last year, it also finally debuted the long-rumored Pixel Fold alongside its latest Pixel 7a smartphone. But even the cheapest of these devices will still cost you $500, and in today's economic climate, that could be just a bit too much for some consumers. Thankfully, Google is holding onto one of its best phones from last year, as the Pixel 6a gets a permanent price cut to $350 starting today.
Google's Pixel 7a is a cheaper, leaner Pixel 7, and it goes on sale today
Just prepare for a price hike alongside those impressive specs
It's Google I/O day, and while the company's annual developers conference is, in theory, all about software, it's also shaking up its Pixel lineup in some major ways. The Pixel 7a made its grand debut on stage today, promising a Pixel 7-esque experience for $100 less than last year's flagship. But with the highest price tag yet on an A-series device — not to mention the constant sales on those 2022 smartphones — will Google manage to strike that perfect balance between performance and value for the fourth year in a row?
Weekend poll: Are you planning to watch Google I/O this week?
Even with some of the surprises already spoiled, it'll be worth tuning in
After months of rumors and speculation surrounding Google's hardware plans for 2023, it's finally time for a grand debut. Google I/O is set for this Wednesday, where we'll get an in-depth look at Android 14, plenty of talk about AI, and of course, all sorts of new hardware to get excited about. It's also a truncated event, taking place over just one day rather than spread throughout a week. That should make it easier to watch, so we want to know if you'll be tuning in.
HTC is teasing its next phone on social media, no matter how much we beg it to stop
HTC, this is not the One
A couple of weeks ago, I found some time between massive, high-profile phone launches to take a trip down memory lane by revisiting the HTC One M7. The phone, which turned ten this year, is one of my favorite Android phones ever, and really helped cement the concept of what a flagship device could and should be. But, as we all know, the HTC we once loved is long gone, having sold off its phones division to Google years ago. And now, with another zombie HTC phone seemingly on the way, I'm here to beg for the company to please, please, quit while it's ahead behind. Please, leave well enough alone.
Motorola's new 2023 lineup has something for everyone — except foldable fans
You'll have to keep waiting for the Razr you really want
It's been just over two years since LG left the smartphone market behind, and as we learned in 2022, Motorola was the company that stepped up and managed to capture a majority of that space in the market. It's looking like 2023 is its busiest year yet, too. In addition to the recently-launched (and surprisingly good) ThinkPhone, the Moto Razr seems due for another turn in the ever-growing foldables war. Motorola isn't forgetting about its more familiar lineups though, and today, we're getting a brand-new Edge-branded flagship alongside two new G-series entries.
Weekend poll: When was the last time you upgraded your smartphone?
How long has it been since you unboxed some new hardware?
These days, smartphones last longer than ever. Thanks to a growing group of manufacturers dedicated to extending support for up to five years, holding onto your aging Galaxy S20 remains a surprisingly easy choice. That's not to say it can't be tempting to upgrade your phone — in fact, these days, it can be awfully difficult to avoid throwing down your credit card for some new hardware.
OnePlus Pad review: A new challenger enters the ring
A welcome addition to the Android tablet market, despite a few questionable choices
After a decade of lukewarm releases and outright bombs, I'm not sure anyone could've seen the coming Android tablet renaissance (tablet-aissance?). For years, consumers have had the choice between a dozen different Samsung variants, cheap-for-good-reason Amazon Fire Tablets, or… an iPad. Occasionally, you could find yourself a ChromeOS-powered slate, though even then, you were usually looking at hybrids or 2-in-1s, not full-blown tablets.
Android 14 Beta 1.1 is here to help save your phone from Google's most frustrating bugs
So, so many bugs
The first Android 14 open beta arrived right on schedule this month, making it easier than ever for anyone with a supported Pixel phone to test out the next version of Google's mobile OS. Unfortunately, as we — and thousands of other testers — found, Android 14 Beta 1 was pretty damn buggy. From unresponsive fingerprint sensors to system crashes, an incremental release was bound to drop ahead of next month's I/O conference, and lo and behold, Beta 1.1 is now available for download.
Check out how you'll customize the Moto Razr's massive cover screen
Alongside a sweet-looking cherry red variant
Motorola might've skipped a North American launch for last year's third-gen Razr, but based on the rumors we've seen lately, that hasn't stopped the company from working on a successor — or, potentially, two. Today, we're getting our best look yet at its next flagship flip phone, just a couple of days after teasing its massive front cover display on social media.
For a brand as ubiquitous in the business world as ThinkPad, it's truly astounding that Lenovo (and, I suppose, IBM before it) never attempted to move into the mobile world. It's all too easy to assume that there must've been a failed ThinkPhone in the early 2010s — it got stuck on Gingerbread, right? — or, even before that, a BlackBerry clone that a couple of Fortune 500 companies adopted and forgot about just as soon after.
OnePlus 11: Price, specs, news, and features
The newest flagship OnePlus phone left us pretty impressed
These days, if you aren't looking to buy a great new smartphone from Google or Samsung — and you aren't interested in Apple's walled garden — OnePlus is likely your best bet. The one-time startup has continued growing over the last decade, becoming a popular choice for Android enthusiasts and eventually finding its way into carrier stores like T-Mobile.
Weekend poll: Do you leave auto-rotate enabled on your phone?
And on an unrelated note, remember Go90?
Usually, I try to cater Android Police's weekend poll towards something newsy — sometimes, it even turns into a quasi-editorial. But as we continue to skyrocketing towards a barrage of new Google hardware, including its first folding phone and the first Pixel-branded tablet in nearly half a decade, I figured it's as good a time as any to take a breather with a simple question: do you leave auto-rotate enabled on your phone?
Google Pixel A-Series pricing looks headed for an 'F'
The Pixel 7a might not be the obvious Android budget pick this year
If recent rumors are to be believed — and when it comes to Google hardware, they usually are — we're less than three weeks away from the unveiling of (among other products) the Pixel 7a. The successor to one of our favorite budget phones of the past year is expected to launch live on stage at Google I/O, and might even be available for purchase later that same day. Unfortunately, as exciting as a day-and-date launch might sound, a corresponding rumor has us bummed out about the Pixel 7a before we've even seen its official spec sheet.
Massive Pixel Fold leak details everything you want to know about Google's first foldable
Come on, it's Google. What did you expect, no more leaks before I/O?
We've seen all sorts of Google leaks this week, as is par for the course before any big hardware launch. With I/O rapidly approaching, we're entering the usual period for a deluge of rumors, early hands-ons, and so much more. When it comes to the Pixel Fold, some of our earliest leaks came from Jon Prosser, who returned today with a new video digging deep into the company's first foldable.
HTC One M7 turns 10: A decade ago, one phone set the bar for Android
One of my favorite Android phones ever turns ten
These days, most of our Android attention goes towards companies like Samsung and Google — you know, the lumbering giants in the mobile industry not named "Apple." It's easy to forget a time when US consumers had more choice, with companies like LG and HTC offering unique devices built to tempt shoppers browsing carrier shelves.
Samsung adds Galaxy S22 phones to its certified refurbished lineup for Earth Day
And the S21 series is getting even cheaper
These days, picking up a high-end smartphone can cost you a pretty penny. While it's easy to get an excellent Android device without breaking the bank — and, we'd argue, plenty of shoppers don't need a flagship smartphone to begin with — some insist on picking up premium products. Thankfully, in our age of constant trade-in deals, getting a great deal on a refurbished, last-gen smartphone is surprisingly simple. Just in time for Earth Day, Samsung is making some big changes to its Certified Re-Newed program, beginning with the addition of its 2022 flagships.
Google might shadow drop a new smartphone at I/O, but it's not the one you want
Expect a lengthy preorder phase for Google's first foldable
With Google I/O fast approaching, leaks are all but a guarantee. The company has never been good about keeping its hardware a secret, and while its annual developer conference is often focused on updates to various services alongside a new version of Android, new devices have become a mainstay of the main keynote. This year, we're expecting to finally see the long-awaited Pixel Fold make a grand debut, alongside the usual A-series refresh with the Pixel 7a. Thanks to a new leak, we might know exactly when both phones are set to hit store shelves.