Android Police

We've got the sauce on OSOM, the Android startup founded by a collective of former employees who worked for Essential before Andy Rubin, facing public pressure for salacious work behavior at Google, dissolved the firm. OSOM tried to mix focuses on iconic industrial design as well as privacy and performance, but had to delay and reshape its launch product as it announced that the Solana blockchain would be backing what would be its first phone.

We dig into why with two people who are on the inside track through long chats with the company's executives: Android Police's Ryne Hager and Esper's Mishaal Rahman.

• Former Essential staff have started a new company called OSOM Products
• OSOM plans to release its first privacy-focused product next year
• OSOM OV1 is the new phone from the team behind the Essential Phone
• The OSOM OV1, an Essential Phone 'sequel', will be made of stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic
• OSOM's hotly-anticipated OV1 smartphone succumbs to crypto gimmick as Solana Saga
• How to build an Android phone (with GMS) - Android Bytes (powered by Esper)
• Why OSOM went web3 | TechCrunch

Find the team on Twitter - @PointJules @RyneHager @MishaalRahman

Reach out to us - [email protected]

Music - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

Every week is a big week outside of the Android space and while we can talk about those things, we at the Android Police podcast feel more equipped to be your nerdy escape. That said, please scream into the ether (or your pillow) as you need to. Also, drop a review if you can — we need some fresh feedback on our performance and it tends to matter more on the podcatchers. Thanks.

1:56 | Will, what are you angry about this week?

• T-Mobile has started selling your app data to advertisers — here's how to opt out
• U.S. carriers under fire for continuing to sell phone location data to third parties
• Ditching your iPhone just got way easier with Google’s latest Switch to Android app

13:37 | Old stomping grounds for Ara: accessories and Chromebooks.

• Samsung has teamed up with Starbucks for limited-edition Galaxy S22 cases
• The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook comes with a haptic trackpad and optional 5G connectivity

25:28 | Daniel is in the Android nerd corner this week.

• Google is finally helping developers fight back against smartphone manufacturers breaking how Android apps work
• Car crash detection may soon shed its Google Pixel exclusivity
• Google I/O 2012 set a high-water mark for innovative hardware that has yet to be approached again

Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJules

Reach out to us - [email protected]

Music - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

We had a whole bunch of one-liners in this episode that I could've used for the title, but most of them were R-rated and even though our show seems to be designed with the 'E,' I'm trying to help the Android Police podcast go up in the rankings. Just a bit.

3:35 | Ara dishes on Chrome and Google Assistant reminders

• ChromeOS 103 is all about bringing Chromebooks and Android phones closer together
• Google might be shaking up its approach to reminders on Android, starting with Calendar

18:54 | Will drives home his hatred of the Google Assistant driving experience

• Google kicks off the summer driving season by killing Android Auto for phone screens

31:46 | Daniel figures someone has to be talking about new phones this week... might as well be him.

• Dive deep with new Tensor and display details from yet another Pixel 7 Pro prototype
• The most interesting Android phone of 2022 won't be sold in the US

Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJules

Reach out to us - [email protected]

Music - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

On this week's show, a meditation on what one Google engineer saw in the artificial intelligence he was working on. Oh, and phones. Phones worth talking about, maybe phones worth talking down.

2:52 | It's the LaMDA segment and Dan is vibing.

• Google suspends engineer who claimed that the company’s LaMDA chatbot has become sentient

23:32 | Samsung says "Fan Edition." Ara says "What fans?"

• Samsung may fix the Galaxy S21 FE's biggest problem with some new hardware
• Samsung may be giving up on Fan Edition phones

32:15 | Will talks about Nothing.

• Nothing Phone 1: News, rumors, leaks, and everything else you need to know

Plus, our news appendix:

• John Oliver attacks Google for its anti-competitive grip on search on Last Week Tonight
• DISH's Smart 5G™ Wireless Network is Now Available to Over 20 Percent of the U.S. Population
• Samsung will fix your Galaxy phone’s broken display for just $50
• Adobe Photoshop will soon be free to use on the web

Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJules

Reach out to us - [email protected]

Music - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

Well, those are some words I didn't expect to put together in that order. Curveballs all the which way as we cover WWDC 2022 on the Android Police podcast. Also, Daniel is back (yay)!

3:27 | Dub dub.

• 6 things Apple announced at WWDC 2022 that Google did first
• Apple pulls an Android with iOS 16's new lock screen customization
• Apple is following Google's lead on cleaning up iMessage reaction texts
• A decade after launch, Apple Maps will support trips with multiple stops
• Apple's next-gen CarPlay teaser is making me anxious about Android Automotive
• Apple's drag-and-drop-the-dog Visual Look Up tool is the coolest iOS 16 feature you never knew Android needed
• Dark Sky API gets reborn as Apple WeatherKit, with plans to support Android

35:29 | Newsflash: EU officially on track to adopt USB-C for phones in two years.

• USB-C will be mandatory on all phones sold in the EU by end of 2024

45:19 | Android 13 still in beta, but it's mostly baked through.

• Android 12 QPR beta program ends, Pixels in it will be unenrolled automatically

Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJules

Reach out to us - [email protected]

Music - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

Happy Prime Pride Month! On this week's Android Police podcast, we stay on the Pixel beat with the upcoming phones and watch, beat down on carriers for not putting themselves to a higher standard and appreciate the heck out of newly-released Chromebooks. And Jules is back in the hot seat for one more week, but Daniel should be back and in control of things next week.

3:01 | Will is concentrated on Pixel news.

• Someone listed a prototype Pixel 7 on eBay months before sales officially begin
• Pixel 7 might end up reusing more than just the Pixel 6's camera
• Don't expect the Pixel Watch to blow your mind when it comes to battery life

16:24 | Jules wants more accountability from carriers about software updates.

• US wireless carriers should get real with customers about software updates

27:54 | Ara's latest toys of the week...

• IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 3 (lenovo.com)
• 2022 Acer Chromebook Spin 513 available for $614.99 (aboutchromebooks.com)

Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJules

Reach out to us - [email protected]

Music - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

We've got an Android TV review of a panel that has gone through its growing pains much like the Pixel 6 has. But we've got more Wear OS news to get through first. Plus, news about news on the Android Police podcast.

1:52 | I think this is Ara's third week in a row (barring I/O) where she's been on about watches and apps. I mean, she's excited for them, thank god.

• Google Assistant is rolling out for the Samsung Galaxy Watch4, at long last
• Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is getting a One UI Watch beta next month
• Here's one reason why the Pixel Watch might remind you so much of the Apple Watch
• Google Pixel 6 cases are aging just about as well as a glass of milk

19:39 | Will is giving Android TV some love this week. It's also overdue.

• Google TV multi-user profiles are just now finally starting to arrive
• TCL 6-series TV review: The perfect TV for that PS5 you still can't buy

36:58 | Jules talks about how Google is forced to pay news publishers under a new law in Australia and what's to come as the U.K. prepares to consider similar leverage.

• Google seems to be panicking as its free news empire starts to crumble around it
• Google letting News Showcase readers break through paywall at partner publishers
• Facebook showdown with Australian government and local media (ABC Media Watch, YouTube)
• Follow up coverage (ABC Media Watch, YouTube)
• Former Australian competition bureau chief on the future of bargaining law he spearheaded (The Guardian)

Daniel should be back next week (whee!)

Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJules

Reach out to us - [email protected]

Music - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

...well, sometimes it'll get. We have a medley of topics on this show from a Play Store app falling victim to the roboreview to YouTube Music's latest attempt to find relevance with YouTube users. Dose in a dash of LG remembrance and we've got another Android Police podcast — this week featuring editor Jules in for Daniel, who's on paternity leave.

3:09 | Ara is all about the Google apps this week.

• YouTube Music on Wear OS now lets you stream music from your smartwatch
• The YouTube app gains more shortcuts to jump from a music video to YouTube Music
• Latest Android Auto update fixes S22 woes for some, while Pixel owners are left hanging

17:45 | Newsflash: Amazon finally kills Micro-USB on its Fire tablets

• Amazon finally gets with the times, brings USB-C to the Fire 7 tablet

21:36 | Will brings us back to the Google arc, this time on the services side

• Google unveils its free personal tier for legacy G Suite users ahead of a new June deadline
• Total Commander forced to stop letting you install APKs

31:18 | Jules previews an upcoming feature he's writing on our favorite LG phones

• LG V10 Review: LG Got Me Falling In Love (Android Police)
• LG V10 review: upping the ante (Pocketnow)

Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJules

Reach out to us - [email protected]

Music - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

Google I/O is always brimming full of nerdy tidbits, but the closest the general enthusiast class gets to learning all about the best of what's going on at the company is with the main keynote. We'll be getting to some of the grittier stuff next week, but this week, the Android Police podcast is covering just some of the shiny objects from the show.

3:59 | Let's talk about the non-Android, non-hardware stuff first. I know, I know. This is why we have timecodes.

• Google Search's recently introduced multisearch feature is about to get way more useful
• Google will give you more choice over the ads you see with My Ad Center
• You can now Look and Talk to Google Assistant on your Nest Hub Max
• Google announces AI-powered document summaries in Google Docs

17:13 | A few developments in and around Android...

• Android 13 Beta 2 launches today for Pixels and select third-party devices
• Google activated over one billion new Android devices last year
• More than 20 Google apps are getting tablet-centric updates
• Android Auto is almost ready for split screen mode as streaming video apps come to Automotive

26:00 | Alright, here's what you've been waiting for.

• Google Pixel 6a lands in July with Tensor in tow and a $449 price tag
• Google teases Pixel 7 & 7 Pro with redesigned cameras, new colors, and fall release date
• The Google Pixel Watch is official, and it’s coming ‘this fall’ alongside the Pixel 7
• Google's Pixel Buds Pro are arriving in July for $199 with ANC, multipoint, and Silent Seal for a perfect fit
• Google is making a Tensor-powered Android tablet, coming in 2023
• Google teases standalone AR glasses with an unknown release date

Some family notes: we want to thank Taylor Kerns for helping us launch the pod revival. He's still with Android Police, but has decided to step away from the mic. We're happy, though, to introduce Will Sattelberg as our new, permanent co-host. Meanwhile, Daniel will be off on paternity leave for the next couple of weeks, but we'll keep the seat hot — stay tuned and thanks for subscribing and rating the show, we appreciate it.

Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJules

Reach out to us - [email protected]

Music - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

We're in a gap week between the Android 13 beta drop and Google I/O and we're talking about what we would do if we dropped a highlighter-yellow Pixel Bud in snow that someone peed on. It's the Android Police podcast.

1:12 | Daniel draws on new leaks (and last week's chat about spatial audio in Android 13) for some major ANC audio gear from Google and Sony.

• Rumored Pixel Buds Pro could take advantage of Android 13's new audio tech
• Google Pixel Buds A-Series review: Drop beats, not bucks
• Android 13 Beta 1 hints at the Pixel 6 picking up this audio feature from iPhones
• Sony XM5 headphones may not offer better battery life than their predecessor, after all

16:35 | On the Chromebook beat, Ara brings up her experiences with Acer's Chromebook 514 and we wonder exactly who it fits.

• Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (3H) first look: Return of the Ryzen
• The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook comes with a haptic trackpad and optional 5G connectivity
• Asus reveals three new Chromebooks, including one for gamers
• Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2021) review: The best Chromebook of 2021

29:24 | In other news, Google finally begins abandoning passwords for account logins and the Galaxy Watch5 may get a Pro tier.

• Google is bringing passwordless authentication support to Android and Chrome
• Leaked Samsung Galaxy Watch5 codenames cement the existence of a pro model

Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @PointJules

Reach out to us - [email protected]

Music - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0