Android Faithful

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.

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00:03:32 - NEWS

• Who 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 game
• Looks like a subscription plan is coming to Samsung users for AI features
• PATRON PICK: Rumors are Honor has developed a 14,000 mAh battery that can last a week on a single charge!

00:34:27 - HARDWARE

• Google 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 STUFF

• The 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 past

01:21:31 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

• Steve in the UK has a cautionary tale of customer service from Google

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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!

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00:03:51 - NEWS

• We'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 devices
• The 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 shame

00:39:00 - HARDWARE

• At 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 STUFF

• Huyen breaks down the important news and announcements from the Android Developers Summit, including app icon gradients
• Coming out of the Summit, looks like Google is finally getting serious about apps being good enough on Foldables
• WearOS 7.1 is getting serious with a status bar

01:17:58 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

• Alfred Borges is concerned about the future of Tablets and Android
• Gemini Flash 3.8 (AKA Tom Walker) has advice for Ron to stop Google Health's nagging

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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.

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00:07:41 - NEWS

• No 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 it
• Canada is making changes when it comes to Daylight Savings and Google is explaining how to handle it on Android
• PATRON PICK: Want to play XBox, and Steam PC games on your Android Handheld? This app lets you!

00:33:10 - HARDWARE

• Flo is hands on with the new Google Fitbit Edge
• More Fitness Trackers arrive with a budget one one from Xiaomi and rumors of the new Samsung Galaxy Fit 4
• The much rumored Samsung Galaxy Buds On get released and OnePlus Buds Clip get revealed for open ears

00:52:11 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFF

• Google Health version 5.11 rolls out expanding to over 100 auto-detected activities
• So many apps emerging thanks to the Apple iPhone Duo and Flo checks in on the iPhone Duo complaints
• Turn on the lights! Google has a fix for Face Unlock in the dark

01:07:24 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

• Wil in Tigard, OR has the solution to his fingerprint unlock required notifications plus more OneUI 9 tips

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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.

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00:04:53 - NEWS

• Someone got Googlebook OS running on a Chromebook, and it's surprisingly smooth
• People are using AI to make their smart TVs dumb again
• Developers Are Using AI to Strip Ads and Tracking From Smart TVs
• Google lets you make personal Android apps for free now – with just prompts
• PATRON PICK: Ledger’s new hardware wallet is an Android phone without the phone

00:42:48 - HARDWARE

• REDMAGIC 12 Pro+ Debuts With RGB Liquid Cooling and 185Hz Display
• Dizzying lineup of Galaxy Z Fold 9 devices leaks, including the Galaxy Z ‘Slide’
• Samsung reportedly hasn’t finalized Galaxy S27 details, considers February launch
• ANBERNIC is quietly removing a controversial extra from its Android handhelds

00:59:51 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFF

• Google upgrading Gemini for Android Auto with Personal Intelligence
• Google launches its ‘universal’ online shopping cart ahead of the holidays
• Google Messages adding ‘enhanced protection mode’ as Android works to combat phone scam

01:10:49 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

• Tom asks how the crew deals with Pixel video falling short of the iPhone and whether Video Boost is a practical solution
• Bryan sends in audio of Gemini on Android Auto reading “ETA” as a mysterious phrase in another language
• Wil asks why some Google app notifications require a fingerprint to open after updating to One UI 9

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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.

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00:07:19 - NEWS

• Sales 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 Pixels
• PATRON PICK: Hey, we DID discuss a phone! The Oppo Find X10 Pro Max!

00:29:26 - HARDWARE

• More people are spending more time with their Googlebooks and the criticisms are starting to come out
• Amazon 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 STUFF

• The Google Play Store is making moves around discovery of Games and making big changes to the Car experience
• Nothing OS 5.0 brings Android 17 in the Nothing flavor to Nothing phones.
• Wait no longer! Pixel 10s and Pixel 10As finally get LineageOS support

01:16:52 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

• Jared points out that Shannon was right last week about the big three mobile carriers motivations in bringing coverage to uncovered areas
• Robert from Alaska writes in to commiserate with Zip from last week about the Assistant to Gemini transition
• Tharanga from Melbourne, Australia sends in a detailed review of his Pixel 11 Pro Fold

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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!

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00:06:58 - NEWS

• The 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 layoffs
• PATRON PICK: Google Japan is at it again, this time with a wacky conveyor belt keyboard!

00:39:18 - HARDWARE

• Hands on with the HP Googlebook 14
• How 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 STUFF

• Guided 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 FEEDBACK

• Wil in Tigard, Oregon has got a couple of dead devices thanks to Google Assistant going away
• Mark Zip is has got a solution to Google Assistant going away in favor of Gemini and runing all his routines
• Jeff in Knoxville, Tennessee is not a fan of the recent changes to the news feed in Google Discover

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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!

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00:06:39 - NEWS

• It'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 2.0
• PATRON PICK: Beware! Your Android phone will no longer protect you from walking into a pole

00:33:00 - HARDWARE

• Jason 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 Foldable
• Bigger batteries are becoming the norm, like on the new Honor Magic 9 Pro Max

01:00:58 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFF

• Gemini 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 FEEDBACK

• Chris 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

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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!

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00:05:22 - HARDWARE

• The 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 - INTERVIEW

• Alexander 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 - NEWS

• Samsung's new position is MORE FOLDABLES! Plus OneUI 9 with Android 17 begins rolling out
• A tale of David vs Goliaths as a little company is trying to get Samsung, Apple and Google devices banned in the US
• Clicks 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 27
• PATRON PICK: Google's back to talking about Emoji design and this time getting a little cheeky and NSFW

01:39:30 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

• Kevin had a Surface Duo and looks back on it fondly
• Gary from Houston spotted a Pixel 11 in the wild on a soap opera

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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!

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00:05:31 - NEWS

• The 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 8
• The flagship chip game gets a new entrant with the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro
• One critique of Passkeys gets undone as Google is rolling out the ability to transfer passkeys between devices
• PATRON PICK: Rambler is so cool but it's a Pixel Exclusive, so SwiftKey went and copied Rambler and made it available to all Android devices

00:44:52 - HARDWARE

• Not to be left out, Motorola makes it official and unveils their passport style foldable
• Curious what's inside the Honor Robot Phone? Watch JerryRigEverything tear one apart
• Pour one out for the Pixel Tablet, looks like it's cooked and not coming back

00:54:49 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFF

• Weird stuff is going on with Google Maps as the Speedometer and Traffic Overlays are disappearing for users.
• It's the September 2026 Google Pixel...DROP
• And we've also got the Android 17 QPR1 release details

01:08:58 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

• Tom from Manhattan is a OnePlus loyalist looking for a new phone that isn't a Pixel
• Nik is having RCS cause havoc on his phone
• Jon in Minneapolis uses LineageOS and did some research behind his troubles with RCS and it's pretty fascinating

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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!

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00:05:29 - NEWS

• Want to try Nothing's new products early? Now's your chance!
• Gaming on Android is about to change forever thanks to AI Upscaling
• Alert! 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 OLED

00:41:35 - HARDWARE

• The Enough phone has got target specs and they look to be...just enough
• Now 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 STUFF

• MapQuest 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 FEEDBACK

• Chad writes in that it's been a while since he and his wife have upgraded and are looking for advice
• Harry from Florida had a pretty bad experience upgrading to the Pixel 11 via Google unfortunately

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