Android Faithful

Week two of big news from Android Faithful as we welcome a new member to the team (you know who it is, right?) Also, Material 3 is EXPRESSIVE, Android Desktop Mode is TOTALLY right around the corner, and the Chromecast is BACK! (sort of)

In case you missed it, Android Faithful has new perks and rewards for supporting the show on Patreon including a NEW SHOW called Android Faithful After Hours!

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00:09:24 - NEWS

• Google is working on a big UI overhaul for Android: Here's an early look
• Leak: How and why Google made Material 3 Expressive
• A Simple Google Search Is Now a Thing of the Past
• Google is finally building its own DeX: First look at Android's Desktop Mode
• PATRON PICK: iOS and Android juice jacking defenses have been trivial to bypass for years

00:43:26 - HARDWARE

• Exclusive: The Pixel 10 could be in for an unexpected display upgrade
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: This is the ultra-thin new top smartphone
• The Chromecast is back, but not as we know it

00:57:50 - APPS

• Google Wallet launches new age and identity verification features
• Android Auto's in-progress light theme is actually starting to look pretty good
• Opera for Android launches new tab management features

01:08:34 - COMMUNITY

• Tharanga wants a light Android tablet for reading music
• Craig has a DND solution for Jason
• Anonymous has a solution for Gemini news sources

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This episode is sponsored by Square's Mobile Payments SDK - Developers, now it’s easier than ever to integrate the market leader for payments into your mobile apps. Get more info here!

BIG News from Android Faithful as we've got new perks and rewards for supporting the show on Patreon!

Meanwhile, in the world of Android, Google I/O is getting closer and it already controversial and new phones hit the market and they're quite cool to look at!

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00:10:31 - NEWS

• The Google I/O schedule of events is out! But looks like Android is getting some advanced attention.
• It's been a while, but we've got updated Android distribution numbers!
• We're excited about Android's bubble bar and more Android 16 goodies
• Google does a little humblebrag that Find My Device network is 4x faster now.
• PATRON PICK: If you're a passenger, Android Auto isn't really all that great

00:47:36 - HARDWARE

• Hands On with the Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro and Buds
• A happy update from OnePlus on pricing for the OnePlus Watch 3
• An unhappy update from OnePlus on the availability of the OnePlus 13T
• Look at the awesome colors of the new lineup of Motorola Razrs! We approve!

01:12:24 - APPS

• Goodbye Assistant Driving Mode
• You can finally view PDFs in Chrome for Android. Finally!
• Google Photos will nudge you to make a Highlights video for Mother's Day and then let you share it with a QR Code

01:19:40 - COMMUNITY

• Brad has a POV on HealthConnect
• Mark Zip has had it with Gemini
• Fredrik Seglem shares his Samsung Dex setup

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This episode is sponsored by The Great Code Chase from Square Developers! Compete now on the Square Developer YouTube Channel, and you can win a limited-edition Square Developer LEGO Minifigure!

Another week in the tapestry of Android news rolls on as Jason Howell, Mishaal Rahman and Ron Richards deliver the highs and lows and the wonder of bizarre camera add-ons for phones and more.

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00:06:20 - NEWS

• Android 16 rolled out the 4th beta and Mishaal breaks it down
• Samsung and Motorola may go the AI Assistant route of Perplexity
• There's early leaks of Samsung One UI 8 and they're nothing to get excited about
• Could we see a new version of Material Design at Google I/O?
• PATRON PICK: Apparently Android's Health Connect is a bit of a mess

00:42:42 - HARDWARE

• A new rugged phone and tablet on the way from Samsung!
• The Vivo X200 Ultra and it's camera kit is shocking to see
• Could this be the patent for the Samsung rollable phone?

01:02:18 - APPS

• Some major updates from Gemini with Live Camera and free access for College students
• Google Discover continues to make weird design choices
• Now you can upgrade old photos to Ultra HDR in Google Photos

01:16:38 - COMMUNITY

• Jim discovered voice reporting does work in Waze!
• Michel Dumont is curious about anti-virus software in Android, is it needed?
• Sam from Cleveland has some ideas about car based smart glasses

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This episode is sponsored by Square's Mobile Payments SDK - Developers, now it’s easier than ever to integrate the market leader for payments into your mobile apps. Get more info here!

It was a week of wearable news as Jason, Huyen, and Mishaal talk about XR glasses at TED, in the news, and in Android Auto, and wonder what are the nubs on the Pixel Watch 4 in a leaky peaky.

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00:02:02 - NEWS

• Google lays off hundreds of employees in the Platform and Devices division.
• Mishaal talks about a couple of features that will make Android devices more secure, including one borrowed from iOS.
• Google gives a first look at their XR glasses being made in collaboration with Samsung
• PATRON PICK: Gboard is working on a meme studio and it’s “mediocre at best”

00:42:46 - HARDWARE

• The newly announced Honor “Power” lives up to its name
• The OnePlus Watch now has a higher price for unsurprising reasons
• A leaky peaky of the Pixel Watch 4 shows that it might be a little bit thicker than the Pixel Watch 3
• The Pixel 10 Pro Fold price leaks
• Jason and Shannon Morse reviewed the Pixel 9a

01:05:02 - APPS

• Mishaal shares his experiences with Google’s advanced video generation model, Veo2
• Google may be adding Circle-to-Search-like functionality to Gemini live
• Gemini is coming to Wear OS and a Google Photos extension is coming to Gemini
• 
  

01:17:25 - COMMUNITY

• Michael O. writes in to ask about Android trackers that do not require Samsung device lock-in.

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This episode is sponsored by Square's Mobile Payments SDK - Developers, now it’s easier than ever to integrate the market leader for payments into your mobile apps. Get more info here!

This week Huyen, Jason and Ron ponder the world of of AR glasses, infinite folding smartphones, song parodies and more!

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00:04:53 - NEWS

• Higher prices for Samsung phones seem inevitable
• Mishaal explains how Android 16 may borrowing from iOS and more from the upcoming OS release
• Google adds Lens and Photos support to AI Search and it's pretty impressive
• Looks like the Samsung Galaxy S25 was a hit after all
• PATRON PICK: Meta is going to one-up Google Glass with the next Ray-Bans Smart Glasses

00:58:24 - HARDWARE

• Could Samsung be developing a Quad Fold device? We hope so!
• The new Wal-Mart Onn TV Device is coming and it's the harbinger of the "Free TV" button on Google TV remotes
• Rumors swirling around the OnePlus 13T are too amazing to be true. Small phone with a huge battery that weighs less?
• The camera specs for the Google Pixel 10 line are confirmed and confounding.

01:20:33 - APPS

• Android Automotive has a DashCam App, but you can't download it
• More AI on Android, this time from Microsoft with Copilot Vision, now available on mobile
• Did you know Intel Unison enabled Android to connect to Windows? We didn't either but it doesn't matter since they're shutting it down

01:25:22 - COMMUNITY

• TJ writes in about something fishy going on with games on Google Play
• Larry from Metamora, Michigan writes in asking if his bluetooth earbuds can connect to two phones at once?

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We're not foolin' around this week as some earth shaking news in the development world of Android along gets weighed by our hosts, Jason Howell, Huyen Tue Dao, Mishaal Rahman and Ron Richards.

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00:02:35 - NEWS

• It's April Fool's Day and the jokes are really losing steam...
• BIG NEWS in the world of open source as Google takes Android private and Mishaal is here to explain
• More information on what could have been with "Pixie"
• Looks like the Samsung Galaxy S25 was a hit after all
• PATRON PICK: Why are phone makers ditching Gorilla Glass?

00:47:31 - HARDWARE

• Nothing OS get an update for (3a) Series and Jason's review of the phone is positive along with an appreciation of the Essential Space button
• Google re-sets the Pixel 9A launch date for April 10
• We get some leaked renders of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and they're more of the same

01:02:10 - APPS

• Google's got a bunch of new features and tips on how to plan your summer travel with Search, Maps, Gemini and Lens
• Looks like Chrome for Android supporting extensions may becoming real
• Hey! Circle to Search is coming to...Perplexity on Android?
• Now you can play video games in your car on Android Auto

01:17:16 - COMMUNITY

• Jordan in Montana wants us to normalize plastic phones again
• Javier from Louisville, KY shares his Samsung DEX Setup

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It's an episode of some deep analysis and discussion of Google's AI progress with Gemini along with a lively Stock Android hot-take talk along with the latest phones, apps and your emails with Huyen Tue Dao, Mishaal Rahman and Ron Richards.

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00:03:17 - NEWS

• The EU has got Apple backed into a corner over iOS only features
• A fascinating look at Google playing catch-up to OpenAI with the development of Gemini
• PATRON PICK: A hot-take on the fact that Stock Android really is a thing of the past

00:36:06 - HARDWARE

• The Pixel 9A is here! Even though it's delayed and missing some features
• Huawei changes the game on foldables WITHOUT Android!
• The new lineup of Moto Razr foldables have leaked
• Now you can have Atari 2600 games on your new Atari smartwatch

00:54:21 - APPS

• G-Mail upgrades your inbox with AI (of course) and now parents can add credit cards to kids' Google Wallet
• Google Messages might be bringing YouTube back
• Get your free stuff. Free video games on the Epic Games store and free MLB.TV on T-Mobile

01:01:56 - COMMUNITY

• Clayton from Valencia, CA followed up with photos of his DEX Setup
• Jordan also sent in photos of his former DEX Setup
• Andy in Melbourne, Australia has a huge gripe about smartwatches and their lack of actual watch like functions

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March is a huge month for Android with Google's barrage of announcements. Adam Doud joins the team to parse through as much as we can in this extra long episode.

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00:10:40 - NEWS

• RCS is back as Apple adds encryption with Android users
• Google Play announced interoperability between PCs and Mobile games along with Vulkan as the official graphics API
• Pokemon Go! got sold to Scopely
• Android 16 Beta 3 is here and we've got platform stability!
• We finally get a date for Samsung's OneUI 7 rollout and more device info
• PATRON PICK: This crazy new handheld device is powered by the new Snapdragon chip for gaming

00:44:50 - HARDWARE

• Leaks of the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion and a NEW kind of foldable from Huawei
• Get minimalist as the Light Phone III is shipping this month
• Pebble is back with the Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 watches

01:22:32 - APPS

• Gemini is getting personalization along with a ton of tools for developers and collaboration
• Gemini begins the takeover of Assistant
• Microsoft integrated Android into Copilot AI app for Windows
• Joining groups on Google Messages is getting easier

01:38:11 - COMMUNITY

• Clayton from Valencia, CA is a proud Samsung Dex user!

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Mobile World Congress is over and Jason and Mishaal are back on the show to join Huyen and Ron to go through a TON of Android News. Plus we're delighted to welcome Nirave Gondhia of House of Technology to the show to help us break it all down

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00:06:50 - NEWS

• Google announces an experimental AI Mode for Search
• Samsung expands One UI 7 beta access to more devices, revealing new features
• Lock screen widgets are coming (back) to Android along with one step closer to desktop access
• More details on the Pixel 4A debacle emerge
• The March Feature Drop has caused many problems for Google Pixels
• The DOJ vs Google saga continues targeting Chrome
• PATRON PICK: GBoard goes rounded keys and people freaked out

00:59:11 - HARDWARE

• Mobile World Congress Recap with tons of phones! Like the RealMe Photo Concept phone, the Techno Spark Slim phone and much more!
• Leaky Peeky at the Pixel 10 and "Pixie" makes a comeback!
• We get updated leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
• REVIEW: Jason took the OnePlus Watch 3 Snowboarding!
• Goodbye slider button! OnePlus confirms it's dead

01:38:16 - APPS

• Google Gemini on Android Auto? Yes it's for real
• Google Photos rolls back feature change due to user demand

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While Jason Howell and Mishaal Rahman are enjoying Jamon in Barcelona at Mobile World Congress, Huyen Tue Dao and Ron Richards are at AFHQ to bring you the latest in Android news and the continuing parade of new phones!

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00:02:50 - NEWS

• Google times the March 2025 Android Feature and Google Pixel Drops with MWC
• If you've got a Samsung device, here's when you'll get One UI 7
• Google Pixels in the wild as NYC uses them to help monitor the subway for defects
• PATRON PICK: Google Translate gets an unbelievably helpful AI boost

00:31:20 - HARDWARE

• Jason is hands on with the brand new Nothing Phone 3(A) and Pro
• Mishaal provides a n in-depth review of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra
• Samsung busts into the mid-range with some great specs for the Galaxy A26 5G, A36 5G & A56 5G
• From Barcelona at MWX, Jason is hands on with the TCL 60 XE NextPaper 5G
• Foldable leaky peakys! First the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and then the crazy cool Infinix tri-folding concept phone
• More concepts with the TECNO Spark Slim boasting the thinnest smartphone ever!

01:19:50 - APPS

• Some cars will get a very cool heads-up display integration with the Waze 5.4 update

01:23:54 - COMMUNITY

• Derek from Illinois sheds some light on the OnePus Watch 3 typo debacle
• Michael from Tulsa, OK is so very disappointed in Samsung

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