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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.
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.
Noise suppression on wireless earbuds is finally good enough to be a game-changer for autism
This Autism Awareness Month we look at how far ANC on tiny buds has come
We talk about noise-cancelling earbuds a lot here at Android Police, and that's not surprising, given how many options there are out there. For most people, good ANC (active noise cancellation) is important so that they can hear their music in loud environments. But for others, it's a vital coping mechanism necessary to navigate a world they experience differently. April is Autism Awareness Month, and in the spirit of raising awareness and understanding, let's talk about why these products are so important to those who are Neurodivergent, and how far the technology has come in recent years.
Android 14 Beta 1 hands-on: Wait for the next one
Android 14's first beta is here, but we're still looking for a cohesive vision
Whenever a new version of Android comes around, it's only natural to look for some kind of theme, a concept that Google seems to be working off of as it builds onto its mobile OS. Not every update fits this mold, but some of the most memorable changes — Android 5.0 Lollipop, Android 8 Oreo, Android 12 — all had a massive concept in mind, whether it was a visual overhaul or big adjustments to the backend that powers our favorite smartphones.
You probably don't need a flagship phone
It's easier than ever to score a premium experience at a fraction of the price
It's no secret that flagship smartphones are expensive. Walk into any carrier store, and unless you're willing to trade in a recent device, you'll be on the hook for a pretty penny, either upfront or spread out over three years of monthly payments. Of course, you get plenty of benefits for the price: premium camera systems with multiple lens options; gorgeous, expansive AMOLED displays; top-of-the-line processors capable of console-grade gaming; optional add-ons like styluses or folding displays; and of course, the longest-lasting update support around.
When it comes to in-car infotainment systems, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have changed the user experience for drivers, making it more consistent across makes and models. Both offer an innovative and connected approach that's modeled after the way we use our smartphones, which spares us the trouble of becoming familiar with another interface. Android Auto works with all the best Android phones, just like Apple CarPlay does with most iPhones. Most importantly, they allow drivers to access their personal data and preferences no matter the vehicle they're in, without having to set their preferences from scratch every time they switch cars, which is particularly convenient when using a rental.
Phone cases get a bad rap. They add bulk to your sleek, shiny phone. They cover up its natural beauty. They aren't a guarantee that your phone will survive whatever insanity life decides to throw at your phone. They're often ugly. I get it... but that isn't the case's fault! (Well, the ugly is.)
Why the Pixel 7 finally made me ditch my iPhone
The Pixel 7 Pro is the best phone from Google yet, and it's been good enough to make me switch away from my iPhone
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The Apple iPhone has been the singular iOS phone for the longest time, and many of us have wished for a worthy Android equivalent for years. Quite a few incredible Android phones have been offered and continue to offer solid competition to the iPhone on multiple fronts. But I'm talking about a different kind of iPhone competitor here. One from Google, a pure Android experience that is coherent, smooth, and has at least some of that ecosystem charm.
Here's why you should enable 2FA on all of your financial accounts
2FA is well worth the extra few seconds during login
The digital age has made handling your personal finances more convenient than ever before. You can do your personal banking from your couch when you have a laptop or phone nearby. One drawback of this change is that bank accounts are more vulnerable to cybercrime. You can easily boost the security of your online accounts by using two-factor authentication (also known as 2FA). Where the best smart home security systems are great for household safety, 2FA is what you need for online safety.
Google might have the perfect phone for everyone this year, and I’m all here for it
The Pixel 8 lineup is shaping up to be Google's best yet
We finally have an idea what the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will look like, thanks to the creation of renders based on hardware measurements, and we've also been able to check out quite a few leaks showing us what the Pixel 7a and the Pixel Fold might offer, too. It sure looks like this year, Google might have a smartphone for almost everyone in the market — and I’m all here for it.
Android Auto offers an intuitive and familiar interface to make any car smarter without spending a fortune. It's even compatible with most Android devices, including our favorite budget phones. It saves you the trouble of buying extra hardware to enjoy a modern and connected in-car experience.
The Google Pixel 7 is still more exciting than the Samsung Galaxy S23
Samsung is just perfecting great devices while Google had a lot of issues to fix
It's been a little over a month now since the Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup was finally unpacked, and a few weeks since the first customers got their hands on early Galaxy S23 orders. Samsung's flashy event was videographed on Galaxy S23 hardware and saw Alien creator Ridley Scott endorsing the Galaxy S23 Ultra's new 200MP camera. While the whole thing was sure entertaining to watch, what struck me the most, and a feeling I haven't been able to shake off in the weeks since, is the sense that we've seen it all before (apart from that 200MP camera, anyway). The S23 lineup represents a purely iterative upgrade over its predecessors, with minor design changes and the usual hardware improvements being the only real highlights for what could still be some of the best phones of 2023.
Android 14 makes me excited for the future of gesture navigation
The new Android release makes back gestures more predictable and beautiful, and I’m all in for it
Google first introduced gesture navigation with Android 9 Pie back in 2018, as we already detailed in our brief history of Android gestures. This initial solution was decidedly half-baked, with Google retaining both the back and home buttons, and only adding gestures for multitasking. One year later, the company did the right thing and made the full switch to gesture navigation on Android 10, turning the home and back buttons into gestures, too.
The best smart home apps for your Android phone
For those times when you don't want to say "Hey Google"
When setting up your smart home ecosystem, you may not buy the same brand for everything, and that's fine. If you plan to interact with these devices using a smart speaker or display, you may forget the bulbs in the living room are a different brand compared to the ones in the kitchen. That's because you interact with them through a speaker, which sends the command to the proper server that controls the lights.
Updates on Google's Pixel phones are too slow. Before you get your pitchforks, let us explain what we mean. One of the benefits of buying a phone like the the Google Pixel 7 is that you'll get updates quicker than other flagships. Still, installing them takes too long. Seamless updates are heralded as the best thing to happen to software upgrades, and phones that lack the feature are often mocked for the omission. But we're glad Samsung has refused to implement the feature on the newly released Samsung Galaxy S23 trio.
If you're buying a Galaxy S23 before Black Friday, you better buy it today
Don't think your phone will last until Thanksgiving? Trade it in right now!
Samsung's preorder window for the Galaxy S23 series comes to an end February 17 at 12:00 AM Pacific Time, so you have mere hours left to take advantage. Even playing it safe, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is without a doubt one of the best Android phones you can buy today, and you should get the lowest price you can on one, which means getting it today before offers expire.
Apple Maps is good now, and that's a big problem for Google
Apple may have been off to a bad start, but it has surpassed Google in some areas
Apple is pushing hard to become less dependent on Google. According to a report from the Financial Times, the company still holds a grudge against Google for releasing Android, which former CEO Steve Jobs went as far as calling "a stolen product." With that in mind, Apple has started moving into areas that Google historically dominates. The best example here is Apple Maps, which is the company's direct answer to industry-leading Google Maps.
Even if the Galaxy S23 Ultra is uninspired, you should reserve one right now
Such wow, much pixels! (So snooze)
If you've been listening to the Android Police podcast for the last month — or reading our Galaxy S23 coverage — you've seen our normal annual excitement for Samsung's next flagship turn out a bit muffled by what's shaping up to be the most iterative of iterative upgrades. And if you're only looking at the S23 series in relation to last year's Galaxy S22, it's hard not to feel like this is just reheated smartphone leftovers with some pale colors slathered on top.
Will the Galaxy S23 series mark an end to Exynos? Samsung's Texas-sized answer is 'no'
An all-Snapdragon Galaxy S23 series is only part of the turbulence
Discerning Galaxy and Pixel phone owners haven't been pleased with the performance of Samsung's Exynos SoC. So hasn't Samsung. Every generation, some achievement gap gets benchmarked onto the public record and the people who care (including those who notice above-average degradation over the long term) might steer their savings towards another phone brand, perhaps one with silicon fabricated by rival TSMC — basically the source for mobile APs at the moment. But despite regular failures and a number of recent strategic retreats on this front, Samsung remains committed to a $17 billion multi-year bet it can do better with a new factory in the United States.
120 days with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has been about 99 too many
After four months with a folding phone, I'm eager to go back
As generational improvements in traditional smartphones have slowed, folding phones have seemed to me like a more and more interesting avenue. Outside a Galaxy Z Fold 3 I had access to for about a week, though, I'd never spent much time with one. That is, until last year, when a confluence of deals meant I could get a Galaxy Z Flip 4 at a very appealing price point. But having used the Flip full-time for four straight months now, I'm surprised to find just how eager I am to get back to the world of boring, non-folding phones again.