The Google Pixel 8a is here with Google’s on-device AI and 7 years of updates for just $500! This mid-range phone has a lot to offer for its price. Here are its key specs:
* Google Tensor G3 chipset
* 6.1” FHD+ OLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 2000 nits peak brightness
* 64 wide-angle + 13MP ultra wide-angle rear cameras; 13MP selfie camera
* 8GB LPDDR5x RAM
* 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
* 4500mAh battery, Qi wireless charging
* IP67 rating, Gorilla Glass 3, matte aluminum frame
* Optical UD fingerprint scanner, class 3 face unlock
* Stereo speakers
* Wi-Fi 6E, 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C 3.2
* Gemini Nano support (soon)
* AI features like Magic Editor, Audio Magic Eraser, Best Take, etc
The Pixel 8a costs $499 for the 8/128 model and $559 for the 8/256 model. It comes in four colors: Obsidian, Bay, Porcelain, and Aloe. Note that the 8/256 model only comes in Obsidian.
If you plan to buy the Google Pixel 8a, use my affiliate link to help support me so I can keep digging into new Android releases and uncover new features coming to the Pixel 8a (and other Pixel devices!)
Best Buy is offering a $100 gift card if you pre-order the phone before May 19!
Buy the Google Pixel 8a from Best Buy (affiliate link).
* Google Tensor G3 chipset
* 6.1” FHD+ OLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 2000 nits peak brightness
* 64 wide-angle + 13MP ultra wide-angle rear cameras; 13MP selfie camera
* 8GB LPDDR5x RAM
* 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
* 4500mAh battery, Qi wireless charging
* IP67 rating, Gorilla Glass 3, matte aluminum frame
* Optical UD fingerprint scanner, class 3 face unlock
* Stereo speakers
* Wi-Fi 6E, 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C 3.2
* Gemini Nano support (soon)
* AI features like Magic Editor, Audio Magic Eraser, Best Take, etc
The Pixel 8a costs $499 for the 8/128 model and $559 for the 8/256 model. It comes in four colors: Obsidian, Bay, Porcelain, and Aloe. Note that the 8/256 model only comes in Obsidian.
If you plan to buy the Google Pixel 8a, use my affiliate link to help support me so I can keep digging into new Android releases and uncover new features coming to the Pixel 8a (and other Pixel devices!)
Best Buy is offering a $100 gift card if you pre-order the phone before May 19!
Buy the Google Pixel 8a from Best Buy (affiliate link).
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Google is relaunching its Pixel Tablet today! You can now buy Google’s tablet without a dock for $399/£399/€499. That’s $100 off in the US, £200 off in the UK, and €180 off in Europe compared to the price with the dock. The specs are unchanged.
You can pre-order the standalone Pixel Tablet today. General sales start May 15 in the US, UK, EU, and other markets. It’ll also be available this time in Spain and Italy. Google hasn’t confirmed if an official stylus or keyboard accessory are coming.
By the way, if you plan to buy the Pixel Tablet, please use my affiliate link to help support me! It costs you nothing but helps compensate me so I can continue digging into Android releases to discover new features you’ll enjoy on your Pixel Tablet!
Buy the Pixel Tablet from Best Buy (affiliate link).
You can pre-order the standalone Pixel Tablet today. General sales start May 15 in the US, UK, EU, and other markets. It’ll also be available this time in Spain and Italy. Google hasn’t confirmed if an official stylus or keyboard accessory are coming.
By the way, if you plan to buy the Pixel Tablet, please use my affiliate link to help support me! It costs you nothing but helps compensate me so I can continue digging into Android releases to discover new features you’ll enjoy on your Pixel Tablet!
Buy the Pixel Tablet from Best Buy (affiliate link).
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Android 15's new ZenDeviceEffects API lets third-party apps offer functionality on par with Google's Digital Wellbeing app.
3P apps can now toggle screen options like grayscale mode, AOD, wallpaper dimming, and dark mode.
More details can be found in this article I wrote.
3P apps can now toggle screen options like grayscale mode, AOD, wallpaper dimming, and dark mode.
More details can be found in this article I wrote.
Android Authority
Android 15 may let you create an even more customized bedtime routine
Third-party apps can now change the same screen options controlled by Digital Wellbeing’s bedtime mode in Android 15.
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To improve accessibility, Android 15 is adding a new method to enable screen magnification: tapping the screen twice with two fingers.
More details plus a demo can be found in this article I wrote.
More details plus a demo can be found in this article I wrote.
Android Authority
Android 15's new screen magnification gesture makes it easier to zoom in
Android 15 is adding a new two-finger double-tap screen gesture that magnifies the screen. This will zoom in to make things easier to see.
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Samsung is offering a pretty great deal on its Galaxy Watch 6 for Mother's Day (U.S. only)!
If you buy one Galaxy Watch 6 and you'll get one free!
Just scroll down to "limited time bundle offers" and select "Get a Second Galaxy Watch 6 on us". For the free watch, you can pick either the LTE or WiFi-only model as well as choose your color, though you can't change the band.
Given its specs and many health features, it's hard to find fault in the Galaxy Watch 6. It's one of the best smartwatches for Android users, and it should be one of the first to get Google's upcoming Wear OS 5 update.
Here's my affiliate link to this buy one get one free deal.
If you buy one Galaxy Watch 6 and you'll get one free!
Just scroll down to "limited time bundle offers" and select "Get a Second Galaxy Watch 6 on us". For the free watch, you can pick either the LTE or WiFi-only model as well as choose your color, though you can't change the band.
Given its specs and many health features, it's hard to find fault in the Galaxy Watch 6. It's one of the best smartwatches for Android users, and it should be one of the first to get Google's upcoming Wear OS 5 update.
Here's my affiliate link to this buy one get one free deal.
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Android 15 adds support for a new "Eyes Free videography" camera extension. This extension, when implemented, will bring better video stabilization to third-party camera apps.
More details can be found in this article I wrote.
More details can be found in this article I wrote.
Android Authority
Android 15 could bring better video stabilization to third-party camera apps
Android 15 adds support for a new Eyes Free videography extension that locks and stabilizes a given region or object of interest.
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Google will bring its AI wallpaper generator to the Pixel 8a in the phone's first software update.
This app is currently exclusive to the Pixel 8 series (and a version of it is also available on the Galaxy S24), but good to see its availability expand.
This app is currently exclusive to the Pixel 8 series (and a version of it is also available on the Galaxy S24), but good to see its availability expand.
Android Authority
The Pixel 8a's first update will bring Google's AI wallpaper generator
The Pixel 8a will get access to Google’s AI wallpaper app, which is currently exclusive to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.
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Last month, Google confirmed to me that the Pixel 8 & 8 Pro can be located on the Find My Device network even if they're powered off or have run out of battery!
Today, I checked if the new Pixel 8a will also support this, and I found evidence it will! You can read more about this feature in my latest article for Android Authority.
Today, I checked if the new Pixel 8a will also support this, and I found evidence it will! You can read more about this feature in my latest article for Android Authority.
Android Authority
The Pixel 8a can also be located through Find My Device when it's out of battery
The Pixel 8a can be located on the Find My Device network even when it's powered off or has run out of battery.
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I'm starting a newsletter called Android Decoded!
On this week's Android Faithful podcast, we launched our new website alongside some new newsletters and other content. I've been told I should start a newsletter a few times, so I'm finally doing one!
What's it about?
Android Decoded is a weekly newsletter from yours truly that explains the significance of each week's news as it pertains to the Android ecosystem. I'll be picking the news that I think is important and analyze what I think it means for the Android ecosystem.
There'll be two versions of the newsletter. The free version will summarize the most important news of the week as it relates to Android, while the premium version will dive deeper into a particular subject each week. The premium version of the newsletter can be unlocked for $9.99/month, which also gets you other benefits as shown above.
Why should you subscribe?
I've been covering Android for nearly 9 years now, which might not be as long as some others, but I've made it my mission to be the best in the business when it comes to this topic. I haven't run numbers, but I'm pretty sure I've broken more news on new Android features than anyone else. (Just search Google for "Android 15" - 99% of the articles on some new feature reference my work.)
My posts usually focus on the WHAT but not the WHY, which is something I've wanted to do more of outside of the podcast. This newsletter gives me the opportunity to dive deeper into the news I talk about or discover. Thanks in advance for subscribing🫡
(1/2)
On this week's Android Faithful podcast, we launched our new website alongside some new newsletters and other content. I've been told I should start a newsletter a few times, so I'm finally doing one!
What's it about?
Android Decoded is a weekly newsletter from yours truly that explains the significance of each week's news as it pertains to the Android ecosystem. I'll be picking the news that I think is important and analyze what I think it means for the Android ecosystem.
There'll be two versions of the newsletter. The free version will summarize the most important news of the week as it relates to Android, while the premium version will dive deeper into a particular subject each week. The premium version of the newsletter can be unlocked for $9.99/month, which also gets you other benefits as shown above.
Why should you subscribe?
I've been covering Android for nearly 9 years now, which might not be as long as some others, but I've made it my mission to be the best in the business when it comes to this topic. I haven't run numbers, but I'm pretty sure I've broken more news on new Android features than anyone else. (Just search Google for "Android 15" - 99% of the articles on some new feature reference my work.)
My posts usually focus on the WHAT but not the WHY, which is something I've wanted to do more of outside of the podcast. This newsletter gives me the opportunity to dive deeper into the news I talk about or discover. Thanks in advance for subscribing🫡
(1/2)
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Mishaal's Android News Feed
I'm starting a newsletter called Android Decoded! On this week's Android Faithful podcast, we launched our new website alongside some new newsletters and other content. I've been told I should start a newsletter a few times, so I'm finally doing one! What's…
How do I subscribe?
Go to AndroidFaithful.com and click on the "Join" button in the top right. Once you sign up, you'll get automatic access to all the free newsletters. If you want my premium newsletter plus ALL the other premium content offered by the Android Faithful team, you'll need to subscribe to the $9.99/mo tier.
(If you already subscribe to me on Patreon or X, you don't have to subscribe again on Android Faithful. I'll send out the newsletter to y'all, either as subscriber-only posts or directly via email if you opt-in.)
When is it coming out?
The first edition is coming tomorrow, hopefully! I plan on releasing new editions of Android Decoded on Fridays. The first edition tomorrow will be a trial run of sorts as I work out the formatting. The "premium" edition of the first edition will talk about what I expect to see in Android 15 Beta 2 next week, based on some insider information.
(2/2)
Go to AndroidFaithful.com and click on the "Join" button in the top right. Once you sign up, you'll get automatic access to all the free newsletters. If you want my premium newsletter plus ALL the other premium content offered by the Android Faithful team, you'll need to subscribe to the $9.99/mo tier.
(If you already subscribe to me on Patreon or X, you don't have to subscribe again on Android Faithful. I'll send out the newsletter to y'all, either as subscriber-only posts or directly via email if you opt-in.)
When is it coming out?
The first edition is coming tomorrow, hopefully! I plan on releasing new editions of Android Decoded on Fridays. The first edition tomorrow will be a trial run of sorts as I work out the formatting. The "premium" edition of the first edition will talk about what I expect to see in Android 15 Beta 2 next week, based on some insider information.
(2/2)
Android Faithful
Android Faithful - Podcast, News, Reviews and Interviews
Your source for Android news, hardware, apps, interviews, podcasts and more.
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Good news: the Pixel 8a will soon support display output over USB-C! I've gotten this question a lot about the device, so I thought I'd look into it to confirm.
More details can be found in this article.
More details can be found in this article.
Android Authority
The Pixel 8a will soon support display output over USB-C
The Pixel 8a just launched but it doesn’t support mirroring its display when you connect it to an external monitor. That will change soon.
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Bad news: the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, and 6a appear to be missing Bluetooth LE Audio support right now.
As I previously reported, one of the biggest features of Android 15 could be audio sharing, which is built on Auracast, a feature of LE Audio.
More details on why this matters can be found in this article.
As I previously reported, one of the biggest features of Android 15 could be audio sharing, which is built on Auracast, a feature of LE Audio.
More details on why this matters can be found in this article.
Android Authority
Google's Pixel 6 series appears to miss out on Bluetooth LE Audio support
The Google Pixel 6 series doesn't seem to support Bluetooth LE Audio, which means they might miss out on Android 15's audio sharing feature.
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The Find My Device network is starting to roll out to some users outside North America!
Google said last month the launch would be global but would start in the US and Canada. They didn't say when it'd rollout globally but some users in the UK and Japan got it.
More details on what this means for global users can be found in this article.
Google said last month the launch would be global but would start in the US and Canada. They didn't say when it'd rollout globally but some users in the UK and Japan got it.
More details on what this means for global users can be found in this article.
Android Authority
Google's Find My Device network quietly rolls out to some outside North America
Some users outside of North America are starting to get Google's Find My Device network, suggesting a global rollout might be happening.
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It's official, Apple has implemented an unwanted tracker alerts feature - based on the Detected Unwanted Location Trackers industry spec - in iOS 17.5!
This means Apple users will receive an "[Item] Found Moving With You" alert if an unknown Bluetooth tracking device is seen moving with them over time. Before this update, only AirTags/Find My accessories could be detected, but now any Bluetooth tracker compatible with the DULT spec can be detected!
iOS lacking DULT support was the main reason Google delayed the rollout of its Find My Device network. Google has already begun rolling out its Find My Device network to some users globally, but perhaps now the rollout will ramp up.
This means Apple users will receive an "[Item] Found Moving With You" alert if an unknown Bluetooth tracking device is seen moving with them over time. Before this update, only AirTags/Find My accessories could be detected, but now any Bluetooth tracker compatible with the DULT spec can be detected!
iOS lacking DULT support was the main reason Google delayed the rollout of its Find My Device network. Google has already begun rolling out its Find My Device network to some users globally, but perhaps now the rollout will ramp up.
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Exclusive: Google experiments with running Chrome OS on Android
What if you could run Chrome OS from your Android phone? And what if you could hook your phone up to an external monitor to project it?
That's exactly what Google is testing.
More details can be found in this article I wrote.
What if you could run Chrome OS from your Android phone? And what if you could hook your phone up to an external monitor to project it?
That's exactly what Google is testing.
More details can be found in this article I wrote.
Android Authority
Exclusive: Google is experimenting with running Chrome OS on Android
Google has developed a method to run Chrome OS on its Pixel devices, and it privately demoed this to other companies last month.
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Here's a FIRST look at Chrome OS running on an Android phone! I managed to get a special build of Chromium OS - code-named "ferrochrome" - up and running on my Pixel 7 Pro, complete with networking, mouse, and keyboard support.
You can watch my hands-on video demo in this article I wrote for Android Authority.
You can watch my hands-on video demo in this article I wrote for Android Authority.
Android Authority
Exclusive first look: Here's Chrome OS running on an Android phone
We got Google’s Chrome OS up and running alongside Android on a Pixel phone, thanks to a special project called "ferrochrome."
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By the way, you can catch my live coverage of Google I/O over on Twitter. I'll be making some posts on this channel soon, though!
X (formerly Twitter)
Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) on X
It's time for #GoogleIO 2024! Here's my thread covering everything Google is announcing 🧵
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Gemini Nano with Multimodality just got announced! This new, 3.8B parameter is designed to run on-device and can process not just text input but also audio and images. It’s coming later this year “starting with Pixel” and will be used for:
- Clearer descriptions with TalkBack. TalkBack will soon be able to automatically generate more useful image descriptions. This will help people with visual impairments who can’t see images, especially when those images don’t have alt text already.
- Scam detection. A new feature that processes voice calls to detect and warn you when the person on the other end is trying to scam you. The feature will look for conversation patterns commonly associated with scams, like when a “bank representative” asks you to urgently transfer funds. If so, your phone will buzz and show a warning. This feature will be opt-in and audio is processed on-device by Gemini Nano with Multimodality, meaning your voice calls don’t leave the device.
- Clearer descriptions with TalkBack. TalkBack will soon be able to automatically generate more useful image descriptions. This will help people with visual impairments who can’t see images, especially when those images don’t have alt text already.
- Scam detection. A new feature that processes voice calls to detect and warn you when the person on the other end is trying to scam you. The feature will look for conversation patterns commonly associated with scams, like when a “bank representative” asks you to urgently transfer funds. If so, your phone will buzz and show a warning. This feature will be opt-in and audio is processed on-device by Gemini Nano with Multimodality, meaning your voice calls don’t leave the device.
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