9to5Google Weekender

Flip phones are making a comeback in the foldable era, and I can’t help but think that Google’s Pixel experience would be the perfect fit for the form factor.

The smart home, frankly, is still a bit of a mess, and new updates and developments this week serve as a good reminder that your setup is really only as good as what the brand behind it decides on.

Google is preparing for the next round of its Tensor chipset, with some leaks pointing to big changes but also performance on Tensor G3 that won’t really put the Pixel 8 series outshining other Android phones. But really, does it even need to?

On the eve of WWDC 2023 and Apple’s new headset, let’s take a look back at that time Google tried to jump on the VR bandwagon with Daydream, which is now just a distant memory.

Google’s Pixel phones are, unfortunately, a bit notorious for running on the warm side. As warmer temperatures start to settle in for many, how’s your Pixel holding up in the heat?

Google I/O 2023 dominated this past week, with big news from all of Google’s products with a special focus on AI efforts. Here’s everything we saw at Google I/O 2023, and why that focus on AI was so crucial.

Nest has been an incredibly popular brand in the smart home world over the past several years, but ever since Google took over, the pillars that customers loved about Nest have been slowly chipped away at. And while there’s still a lot to love about Nest in 2023, Google has failed its customers in some major ways.

As more and more foldables are hitting the market, expanding out of China and leaking constantly, I’ve lately been regularly reminded and blown away by the fact that Google Pixel is somehow going to be the first brand to truly give Samsung a challenge on the foldable market.

As Google I/O quickly approaches, this past week has seen an absolute flood of Pixel leaks for the Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, and the Pixel Tablet. Here’s everything you might have missed.

Ahead of its final release later this year, Google has just launched the first beta version of Android 14, giving us the best look yet at what the platform’s next big upgrade will be bringing to the table.

Google has an unfortunate reputation for killing products, and often it leads to an uproar from users. Sometimes, a dead Google product is just leading to a replacement, like the move from Google Play Music to YouTube Music. Other times, it’s a product that just doesn’t have all that many users. And other times, it’s just incredibly confusing and frustrating.

After years of waiting, Google and ADT finally unveiled this week a new do-it-yourself security system called “ADT Self Start.” The new system combines security gear and monitoring from ADT with Google’s Nest ecosystem of products. 

With ChatGPT and Microsoft’s AI push with the new Bing catching the attention of many, the arrival of Google’s Bard has been anticipated, and this week early access to Google Bard finally opened. For many, Bard is now just a URL away, and early impressions have been quite something.

Now that we know when Google I/O 2023 will take place, here’s what we’re expecting to see at Google’s annual conference, along with our biggest stories of the past week.

Stealing a smartphone isn’t particularly hard, and crafty criminals are taking advantage of an obvious exploit to get into stolen Android phones and iPhones to take over your digital life. Here’s how to lock down your Android phone, and other top stories from the past week on 9to5Google.

MWC 2023 kicks off this weekend, with new smartphones and more. Here’s what to expect, and a look back at the top stories of the past week.

This week Samsung launched the Galaxy S23 series and we published our full review. In other news, Android Auto continued its redesign rollout, YouTube’s Susan Wojcicki stepped down, and more.