Android Authority Podcast

Josh's cold after much traveling kept last week from being podcast-full, but we're back now with a look back at the announcements made at Google I/O! After about a week, Joe gives his thoughts on Android M, Grushie and Nirave talk potential Huawei Nexus devices, and Feisty ponders on Google Cardboard/Expeditions and their effect on our children's manners. It's a full panel this week as we're heading into the summer, which should bring with it plenty of great new releases after the developments from I/O.

The FDP by Android Authority - discussing topics in Android every week.

Darcy and Josh found themselves in China for the launch of a couple new Oppo smartphones, the R7 and R7 Plus. After seeing the phones and getting their content out, the guys also got to see the Oppo factory! But in a quiet, outdoor setting with smooth jazz in the background, Josh got Darcy and special guests Jaime Rivera (@jaime_rivera) of Pocketnow (@pocketnow) and James Pickham (@jamesrwp) of TechRadar (@techradar) together to talk about the very event past couple of days. Reactions to the new Oppo phones and the factory are accompanied by thoughts on camera software and drinks!

Enjoy this special China-live episode of the FDP!

The team gets together to respond to your burning questions for us! Instead of the usual poll that we put up on the Google+ page, we simply requested any and all of your questions that you wanted us to answer. And in this episode, we go through a number of different topics, not the least of which include Cyanogen and what we think the future of Android looks like.

It is the first of hopefully many Ask us Anything episodes that we want to make available on the FDP!

The FDP by Android Authority - discussing topics in Android every week.

The gang gets together for another episode of the FDP! Yes, we changed the name of the podcast and in the beginning of this spirited conversation the team talks about why it happened. Jonathan Feist, Joseph Hindy, Andrew Grush, and Nirave Gondhia join Joshua Vergara for a longer talk this week as they go through a number of different topics. They think of what the new Android M iteration might be called (and, true to form, Joe comes up with a left-field answer) and then get into what features they would want from the next iteration of Google's mobile operating system. A talk about the newly reviewed LG G4 rounds out the conversation, including a much needed discussion about how we view good battery life.

The FDP by Android Authority - discussing topics in Android every week.

That's right, we've changed the name of our podcast to just FDP. We saw that you guys like the hashtag #FDP and we wanted to keep it, too! And among other reasons, "Friday Debate" just didn't make as much sense anymore. So, we are now the FDP - where P stands for Podcast.

This week, we have a really special episode with some very special friends. Josh was in NYC for the LG G4 launch event and the couple days were eventual, to say the least - the event itself was at the top of One World Trade Center with stunning views of Manhattan and this podcast was recorded ON A BOAT. A trek to a ship floating off the shores of the Hudson River eventually brought Josh and his guests to what would be the backdrop for this week's FDP.

Josh is joined by Michael Fisher (@captain2phones) of Pocketnow, Florence Ion (@ohthatflo) of Greenbot, and Dom Esposito (@macmixing) of 9to5Google and YouTube.com/dom! They talk about Project Fi to warm up and then get into the LG G4 itself, with plenty of fun tangents along the way. And be forewarned, the environment does mean a lot of background noise including helicopters and a creaking boat. But it's still a really fun listen so fire up your podcast app or head to YouTube to enjoy some bonus behind the scenes footage!

The Android Authority FDP - where P stands for Podcast!

The gang gets together, catches up on the week's personal happenings, and then gets talking about Project Fi. For those who don't know, Project Fi is a new wireless service (basically a MVNO) by Google that focuses on the ability to move from mobile networks and Wi-Fi hotspots on the fly, as well as some simpler pricing for talk, text, and data. The functionality to switch among networks is only found on the Nexus 6, currently, however, but the gang talks about future possibilities. Project Fi is certainly an anticipated move from Google, but are we really happy with the details that have thus far come to light? Find out on the FDP!

The Friday Debate Podcast by Android Authority - discussing topics in Android every week.

This week we welcome another guest to the podcast, writer Nirave Gondhia as we take on a topic that was picked by you, our fans. A poll posted on Google+ yielded our topic for this week - the question of whether flagship devices still make sense with a growing midrange market. Phones coming in a lower price point are gradually bringing high-end experiences, with perhaps just a few holes left in their evolution. So, we ponder the question of how midrange devices fare against the current crop of flagships from the likes of Samsung, HTC, and future phones from the likes of LG and Sony. We run the gamut and veer off course a few times, but that's just how it goes on the FDP.

Follow our poll on Google+ once again this week and let us know which topic you want us to talk about next! Thank you for your participation and we look forward to seeing your responses!

The Friday Debate Podcast by Android Authority - discussing topics in Android every week.

This week, the team gets together to talk about upcoming devices - in particular, the new phones from Samsung and HTC. Our main question centered on which phone our hosts would buy with their hard-earned money. But before that talk, they speak about the Apple Watch and what it might mean for the future of smartwatches. They soon realize that the Apple Watch isn't even out yet, even after talking about it at length in different perspectives. Oops.

We're making changes to the podcast very soon - nothing too big, but it will involve all of you listeners and fans! Stay tuned for all of that and check our poll for what we might talk about next week!

The Friday Debate Podcast by Android Authority - discussing topics in Android every week.

And to round out our double feature for today, we have the team back again for a round of Chrome OS talk. This past week (on April Fool's Day, no less) we got a number of announcements regarding the Chrome ecosystem. Chromebit is a new platform that will put a fully functioning Chrome OS onto any HDMI-capable television, Chrome OS itself is getting some good Android testing capabilities, and Chromebooks continue to grow. And with all of that in mind, the team ponders: do Chrome and cloud based solutions make sense for the kind of users we are? With Jonathan Feist as the only one in the group sporting a Chromebook; Josh, Joe, and Andrew get a crash course on what could be the future of computing.

As always, keep it tuned to Android Authority and visit the FDP page on AndroidAuthority.com for all of the links to relevant stories and social media!

The Friday Debate Podcast by Android Authority - discussing topics in Android every week.

Technical difficulties kept the Friday Debate Podcast from releasing last week, but after a lot of fiddling around with the audio, we're bringing you a DOUBLE FEATURE this week for the FDP.

Today, Josh is joined by the usual group of hosts to talk science fiction - well, not necessarily sci-fi but instead the kinds of technology we wanted while growing up that we might be seeing today. We bounce around the ideas of jet-packs, virtual reality, smart homes, and all of their implications - while getting caught in a lot of tangents that make for one of the longest editions of the podcast we've had yet.

Come join us and don't forget to listen to the podcast on all of the podcasting networks, as well has following us all on social media - the links for everything are in the full post for the podcast below! Soon we will be taking your own questions and topics, so give us all a shoutout all over the place with the hashtag #FDP!

The Friday Debate Podcast - discussing topics in Android every week.