The accelerated death of the headphone port (or jack) on many flagship smartphones increased usage and prevalence of Bluetooth earbuds such as the Pixel Buds, which means that finding accessories and extras is becoming a minefield. We’re going to simplify that process with our dedicated gift guide for wireless audio.
Because earbuds are now effectively an “everyday accessory” akin to a…
Pixel 5 and 4a 5G first to get Android’s ‘spectacularly’ improved GPS accuracy in cities
December 8, 2020
The flaws and constraints of GPS in dense urban environments are well-known by anybody that has used Google Maps in cities, especially downtown. Google is now improving GPS, starting on the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G, with the help of 3D mapping.
December Pixel Feature Drop…
Google’s excellent Recorder app for Pixel can capture audio from Bluetooth headphones
December 8, 2020
The best part of Pixel smartphones is the clever and useful software. Now, one of Google’s best Pixel-exclusive apps, Recorder, is adding support for external mics and Bluetooth headphones for more flexible recording.
Rolling out now through the Play Store, Google…
The last Pixel software update for 2020 is rolling out today with the December security patch. It’s rolling out for the Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), and Pixel 5..
December marks the last release for 2017’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. The phones were not updated last month, but November’s patches are included today. The factory and OTA images are not yet available.
This…
Spotify for Android is working on local music playback
December 8, 2020
Streaming music is what most people do nowadays, but local files can help fill in the gaps and pull from a library you spent years curating. Now, Spotify for Android is preparing to finally add support for listening to local music on your phone.
Jane Wong discovered a new…
Google has improved the screenshot experience on Android quite a bit in recent years, and now the company is delivering another tweak. With the latest Feature Drop, Google has quietly made Pixel phones take a screenshot instantly.
After installing the December security…
More Google Photos filters coming to Pixel phones, including sunrise/sunset suggestions
December 8, 2020
At the tail end of September, Photos got a revamped editing experience on Android with new features. Notably, there’s a new tab that surfaces machine learning-derived “Suggestions.” Google Photos is now rolling out a slew of new sunset filters that are first coming to the Pixel.
The Suggestions tab is part of Google wanting “Photos [to do] most of the heavy lifting” when editing…
Earlier this year, at Google Search On, the Google Assistant gained “Hum to Search,” the ability to match songs based solely on your humming. In collaboration with Google, Billboard has released the top 100 songs that people have hummed to the Google…
Nokia 5.4 specs leak: Snapdragon 662 chipset, 4,000 mAh battery
December 7, 2020
The Nokia 5.4 is on its way, as the phone has already been certified by FCC. While the existence of the phone is yet to be officially confirmed by HMD Global, we now get the full specs sheet of the device.
Apparently, the new Nokia phone will be a pretty affordable midranger…
Realme introduced a trio of 5G phones back in October, and now the mightiest of them – the Realme Q2 Pro – is getting two new color options. The phone, initially launched in a Leather Gray and Rainbow gradient, will now also be available with simpler Sea Blue and Fantasy White paint jobs.
While the new versions might be different on the outside, on the inside it is the very same…
