Googlebook: Taste the Rainbow

The quiet days of Android fall come to an end as Google shows up big this week with the November Pixel Drop and brings some surprises that shock even Jason Howell, Ron Richards and Huyen Tue Dao.BIG NEWS: Subscribe to our NEW YouTube Channel at youtube.com/@androidfaithfulpodcastNote: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:03:32 - NEWSWho needs a mobile network when Google's bringing a super network. Yep, Google Fi is back!Google taps Henry Cavill to grab a Googlebook and his moustache to make a video gameLooks like a subscription plan is coming to Samsung users for AI featuresPATRON PICK: Rumors are Honor has developed a 14,000 mAh battery that can last a week on a single charge!00:34:27 - HARDWAREGoogle rolls out the Pixel Tag and Jason's got one!Motorola is back in the flagship game with the Signature 27 and it's a pricey phone!The Enough phone hits Kickstarter and hopes you'll want a tiny phone with a removable/replaceable battery. Is it enough?Jason also got his hands on the ASUS Googlebook!01:03:10 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFThe November Pixel Drop is here and it's a big one filled with Gemini features and they're not just for the Pixel 11! Even phones going back to the Pixel 6 line get some of the new features.Samsung is developing a "Memory" app for screenshots and one of their divisons released a music sharing app that feels like a blast from the past01:21:31 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKSteve in the UK has a cautionary tale of customer service from Google Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The future of Android is now as Huyen Tue Dao returns from the Android Developers Summit and fills Jason Howell and Ron Richards in on what was announced at the keynotes and what the overall vibe amongst the developers community was at the Google hosted event. That plus some more numbers and even more wacky Android news for you for our big 175th episode!BIG NEWS: Subscribe to our NEW YouTube Channel at youtube.com/@androidfaithfulpodcastNote: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:03:51 - NEWSWe've got Android distribution numbers and it looks like we've got a new rollercoaster-esque pattern as Android 17 is on 1% of devices and Android 16 is on 25% of devicesThe Q3 2026 smartphone sales numbers are in and they're pretty grim but hey, Galaxy Z Fold 8 sales are up 20% thanks to the Apple iPhone Duo!A nasty SMS malware attack was discovered on Android and a Google TV OEM was operating a botnet on over 10 Million devices!PATRON PICK: IQOO’s new mid-range phone puts last year’s flagships to shame00:39:00 - HARDWAREAt the Android Developers Summit, Google confirmed Googlebook Detachables are coming. Tablets!Want an AI phone? Cyclon wants to sell you one!The first physical glimpse of the Samsung Galaxy S27 has emerged.00:55:05 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFHuyen breaks down the important news and announcements from the Android Developers Summit, including app icon gradientsComing out of the Summit, looks like Google is finally getting serious about apps being good enough on FoldablesWearOS 7.1 is getting serious with a status bar01:17:58 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKAlfred Borges is concerned about the future of Tablets and AndroidGemini Flash 3.8 (AKA Tom Walker) has advice for Ron to stop Google Health's nagging Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Things are weird in the world in Android these days. How do we know? Well, count how many times we talk about Apple this week on the podcast. Even Florence Ion, Jason Howell and Ron Richards are just as confused as you are. But hey, such is the confusing ways of the world today.BIG NEWS: Subscribe to our NEW YouTube Channel at youtube.com/@androidfaithfulpodcastNote: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:07:41 - NEWSNo one thought we'd be able to install iOS on an Android device, and yet, here we are.Google continues to lag behind Claude and ChatGPT in the world of Developers, but hey at least they're transparent about itCanada is making changes when it comes to Daylight Savings and Google is explaining how to handle it on AndroidPATRON PICK: Want to play XBox, and Steam PC games on your Android Handheld? This app lets you!00:33:10 - HARDWAREFlo is hands on with the new Google Fitbit EdgeMore Fitness Trackers arrive with a budget one one from Xiaomi and rumors of the new Samsung Galaxy Fit 4The much rumored Samsung Galaxy Buds On get released and OnePlus Buds Clip get revealed for open ears00:52:11 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFGoogle Health version 5.11 rolls out expanding to over 100 auto-detected activitiesSo many apps emerging thanks to the Apple iPhone Duo and Flo checks in on the iPhone Duo complaintsTurn on the lights! Google has a fix for Face Unlock in the dark01:07:24 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKWil in Tigard, OR has the solution to his fingerprint unlock required notifications plus more OneUI 9 tips Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People have finally had enough of their smart TVs, and so they’re using those vibe coding skills they read about in the news and directing chatbots to de-cruft the experience! This week, Jason Howell, Huyen Tue Dao, and Florence Ion compare it against old-school rootin’-n-ROMin’ that made underpowered devices more capable back in the day. Plus, Googlebooking ChromeOS, a smartphone-sized crypto wallet, and a mega-array of potential foldables coming next year from Samsung.BIG NEWS: Subscribe to our NEW YouTube Channel at youtube.com/@androidfaithfulpodcastNote: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:04:53 - NEWSSomeone got Googlebook OS running on a Chromebook, and it's surprisingly smoothPeople are using AI to make their smart TVs dumb againDevelopers Are Using AI to Strip Ads and Tracking From Smart TVsGoogle lets you make personal Android apps for free now – with just promptsPATRON PICK: Ledger’s new hardware wallet is an Android phone without the phone00:42:48 - HARDWAREREDMAGIC 12 Pro+ Debuts With RGB Liquid Cooling and 185Hz DisplayDizzying lineup of Galaxy Z Fold 9 devices leaks, including the Galaxy Z ‘Slide’Samsung reportedly hasn’t finalized Galaxy S27 details, considers February launchANBERNIC is quietly removing a controversial extra from its Android handhelds00:59:51 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFGoogle upgrading Gemini for Android Auto with Personal IntelligenceGoogle launches its ‘universal’ online shopping cart ahead of the holidaysGoogle Messages adding ‘enhanced protection mode’ as Android works to combat phone scam01:10:49 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKTom asks how the crew deals with Pixel video falling short of the iPhone and whether Video Boost is a practical solutionBryan sends in audio of Gemini on Android Auto reading “ETA” as a mysterious phrase in another languageWil asks why some Google app notifications require a fingerprint to open after updating to One UI 9 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a rare week in the world of Android where we don't talk THAT much about phones and yet still have a ton of new hardware devices to discuss. Instead this week Jason Howell, Huyen Tue Dao and Ron Richards wrestle with the newness of the Googlebook still and ponder Amazon's Android decisions and celebrate potential new Google TV Streaming devices and yet another fitness tracker.BIG NEWS: Subscribe to our NEW YouTube Channel at youtube.com/@androidfaithfulpodcastNote: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:07:19 - NEWSSales keep dropping and yet we haven't hit bottom yet as Smartphone shipments drop another 20%Indie developer teams Smart Launcher and Kustom Industries have joined forces to create Wild PixelsPATRON PICK: Hey, we DID discuss a phone! The Oppo Find X10 Pro Max!00:29:26 - HARDWAREMore people are spending more time with their Googlebooks and the criticisms are starting to come outAmazon unveils a new line of tablets called Alexa Tablets! And they're not called Fire Tablets and they run Android!Details are beginning to emerge on the next gen Google TV Streamer and they're pretty interesting!The Google Fitbit Edge is finally formally announced by Google and well, it's a fitness tracker.01:05:44 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFThe Google Play Store is making moves around discovery of Games and making big changes to the Car experienceNothing OS 5.0 brings Android 17 in the Nothing flavor to Nothing phones.Wait no longer! Pixel 10s and Pixel 10As finally get LineageOS support01:16:52 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKJared points out that Shannon was right last week about the big three mobile carriers motivations in bringing coverage to uncovered areasRobert from Alaska writes in to commiserate with Zip from last week about the Assistant to Gemini transitionTharanga from Melbourne, Australia sends in a detailed review of his Pixel 11 Pro Fold Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're very excited to welcome back Shannon Morse back to the show and just in time as Ron Richards got his hands on a Googlebook and he's ready to show it off to Huyen Tue Dao and Jason Howell and the rest of the Android Faithful!Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:06:58 - NEWSThe Android Developer Verification program has begun, how will the world change?Has hell frozen over? The big three mobile carriers are working together to bring service to dead zones...but why?Sad news in Android media as Android Central is faced with massive layoffsPATRON PICK: Google Japan is at it again, this time with a wacky conveyor belt keyboard!00:39:18 - HARDWAREHands on with the HP Googlebook 14How much do you miss the BlackBerry? Well if you open your wallet, you could relive the magic.The Google Pixel phone is 10 years old - can you believe it's been 10 years? We can't.01:11:17 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFGuided Vision mode in Gemini is pretty amazing and great for low vision and blind people.Want to make 3D Models in Android? Now with Blender, you can! And you can't on iOS (for a little bit at least!)01:17:57 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKWil in Tigard, Oregon has got a couple of dead devices thanks to Google Assistant going awayMark Zip is has got a solution to Google Assistant going away in favor of Gemini and runing all his routinesJeff in Knoxville, Tennessee is not a fan of the recent changes to the news feed in Google Discover Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Howell returns from the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii and Ron Richards and Huyen Tue Dao are not jealous at all, in fact they want to hear all about the exciting new technologies and new phones he saw there. That plus more Gemini insanity gets dealt with as we wind down Bugdroids in Bucket Hats month here on Android Faithful!Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:06:39 - NEWSIt's time to start talking Android 18 as Google just dropped the first hint about it...And we have the first official non-Pixel phone running GrapheneOS...from Motorola!It's a bold new future for F-Droid as they announce F-Droid 2.0PATRON PICK: Beware! Your Android phone will no longer protect you from walking into a pole00:33:00 - HARDWAREJason reports on the cool phones he saw at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit from Xiaomi, Oppo, Motorola and more!Thanks to our interview last week, people went hunting for the Googlebook easter egg. Oh and it looks like Chromebooks will be moving to Googlebooks after all!Details and specs have emerged for the Motorola Wide FoldableBigger batteries are becoming the norm, like on the new Honor Magic 9 Pro Max01:00:58 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFGemini can now make phone calls. Yes, phone calls. Can't make this stuff up.And now Google Messages wants to chat with you. And there's a bug in Google Messages that might be ruining your photos!Adobe brings Premiere to Android!01:17:17 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKChris Barrett wants to know if the iPhone Duo will have an impact on foldable apps?Zip is dealing with the finality of Assistant going away in favor of Gemini on Android Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The wait is over as Google finally unveils and rolls out the Googlebook line of premium laptops! We've got all the details plus an exclusive interview with Alexander Kuscher, Sr. Director of Product for Laptops & Tablets at Google to in-depth on the new line of devices and what it means for Android users. Ron Richards breaks it all down for Huyen Tue Dao and Florence Ion, along with the rest of this week's Android news PLUS Jason Howell checks in from Hawaii direct from the Snapdragon Summit with the latest news from the event!September Special - get 10% off supporting Android Faithful on Patreon with code AFSEPT and enter to win a Google Swag giveaway at the end of the month!Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:05:22 - HARDWAREThe full details on the Googlebook and the line of laptops from all the OEMs like HP, Asus, Lenovo, Acer and Dell and what it means for Android users.And what is the critical reaction to the new Android-focused laptop?00:26:20 - INTERVIEWAlexander Kuscher, Sr. Director of Product for Laptops & Tablets at Google gives us the inside look on what went into the development of the Googlebook and who this laptop is made for and what you can do with it.01:06:03 - NEWSSamsung's new position is MORE FOLDABLES! Plus OneUI 9 with Android 17 begins rolling outA tale of David vs Goliaths as a little company is trying to get Samsung, Apple and Google devices banned in the USClicks Communicators pre-orders begin and they get a bump up in specs at no extra cost?Jason Howell visits us from Hawaii to report on the news from the Snapdragon Summit and a give a peek at the new Motorola Signature 27PATRON PICK: Google's back to talking about Emoji design and this time getting a little cheeky and NSFW01:39:30 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKKevin had a Surface Duo and looks back on it fondlyGary from Houston spotted a Pixel 11 in the wild on a soap opera Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The unthinkable has happened! We're talking about a new Apple iPhone on the show this week with a very special guest! None other than Tom Merritt of the Daily Tech News Show joins the show to chat about the new iPhone Duo and what it means for the world of Android with Jason Howell and Ron Richards. Will we ever be the same?!?September Special - get 10% off supporting Android Faithful on Patreon with code AFSEPT and enter to win a Google Swag giveaway at the end of the month!Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:05:31 - NEWSThe iPhone Duo is here, how does it stack up against other Foldables? Also that cool iPhone Duo transition? Yeah someone replicated it on a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8The flagship chip game gets a new entrant with the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 ProOne critique of Passkeys gets undone as Google is rolling out the ability to transfer passkeys between devicesPATRON PICK: Rambler is so cool but it's a Pixel Exclusive, so SwiftKey went and copied Rambler and made it available to all Android devices00:44:52 - HARDWARENot to be left out, Motorola makes it official and unveils their passport style foldableCurious what's inside the Honor Robot Phone? Watch JerryRigEverything tear one apartPour one out for the Pixel Tablet, looks like it's cooked and not coming back00:54:49 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFWeird stuff is going on with Google Maps as the Speedometer and Traffic Overlays are disappearing for users.It's the September 2026 Google Pixel...DROPAnd we've also got the Android 17 QPR1 release details01:08:58 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKTom from Manhattan is a OnePlus loyalist looking for a new phone that isn't a PixelNik is having RCS cause havoc on his phoneJon in Minneapolis uses LineageOS and did some research behind his troubles with RCS and it's pretty fascinating Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Huyen Tue Dao returns from Japan just in time to join Jason Howell and Ron Richards as something happens on the podcast that's NEVER happened before! Thankfully IFA brings about some wacky news in the world of Android for us to delight in along the way!September Special - get 10% off supporting Android Faithful on Patreon with code AFSEPT and enter to win a Google Swag giveaway at the end of the month!Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:05:29 - NEWSWant to try Nothing's new products early? Now's your chance!Gaming on Android is about to change forever thanks to AI UpscalingAlert! Do you use WhatsApp? Well, turns out it can access your photos without unlocking your device...what?PATRON PICK #1: This crazy Android phone features a detachable action camera for $999 AND is available in the US!PATRON PICK #2: TCL’s new Nxtpaper phone offers both e-reader and OLED00:41:35 - HARDWAREThe Enough phone has got target specs and they look to be...just enoughNow Motorola's got a wide foldable and we've got a first look at it AND they're back with a Moto WearOS watch too!Is your Galaxy Z Fold 8 soft? Not emotionally, but in the corners? Then you're not alone.01:01:41 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFMapQuest is BACK BABY!Google says let's do it LIVE and rolls out GMail Live, Docs Live, and Keep Live. Everyone is going LIVE!Thankfully Google is rolling out a fix for that pesky bug in Google Messages that was sending old texts to other people. Good cause that was hella awkward.01:09:33 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKChad writes in that it's been a while since he and his wife have upgraded and are looking for adviceHarry from Florida had a pretty bad experience upgrading to the Pixel 11 via Google unfortunately Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.