Android Police

What's out there that's good to watch these days? More often than not, people are turning to YouTube than anywhere else. As if Apple TV+ wasn't already on a steep climb with Android users. We detail the streamer's big push into enemy territory and chat about Pixel 9a expectations as well as a final look at the Galaxy S25 series (for now) in this week's Android Police podcast.

01:09 | Old business

• Nothing is ready to join the big leagues with its first flagship phone
• Nothing wants $100 million in funding to fuel its growth
• Sonos continues to struggle, now cutting an additional 200 positions
• Apple TV+ app officially lands on Android phones, tablets, and foldables

17:24 | Obligatory I/O

• Google sets a date for I/O 2025 after puzzle game teaser
• 5 Pixel 9a rumors that'll get you excited about Google’s next midranger
• Leaked renders show the Pixel 9a in four colors from all angles
• Gemini Live is about to become even more fun to use
• Google makes Gemini's 2.0 Flash model the new default
• Google Gemini's free tier gets a feature ChatGPT has had for months

34:51 | Back End

• Motorola Razr+ (2025) smiles for the cameras in an extensive leak
• The OnePlus Watch 3 is coming sooner than you might think
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review: A straight-B student
• Gadgets & Gravel - YouTube

Excerpts from @Equality_7_2521 on X/Twitter and Gadgets & Gravel on YouTube.

Our regular hosts are Daniel Bader and Will Sattelberg. Our editor is Jules Wang.

Android Police lives here. Reach out to us at [email protected]

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

The zephyrs of news this week have completely displaced all of the good bits of Android news that could have popped up onto the surface for this Android Police podcast. So, for this week, we'll avoid talking about executive crimes, Diablo IV, and stretched hands. Instead, we look at Google's continued slow-motion deconstruction of its workforce potentially affecting the Pixel unit (and the Pixel 9a's development), the Galaxy S25's inability to even inspire the eye with its pallid colors, and DeepSeek's wade into the global waters of political economics. It's a lot for a little.

00:47 | DeepSeek/Galaxy S25?

• DeepSeek database was 'completely open,' leaving chat logs out there for all to see
• Microsoft wants to know if DeepSeek obtained data from ChatGPT
• DeepSeek: all the news about the startup that’s shaking up AI stocks | The Verge
• I'd like the Samsung Galaxy S25 just as much without the AI
• I review nearly every US Android flagship, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a letdown: Here's why
• Pre-order numbers reveal buyers are Ultra-impressed with Samsung's new top-of-the-line flagship

12:42 | Pebble and Google (and more TV and Sonos complaints)

• A new Pebble smartwatch is in the works as Google releases source code
• Google is giving US hardware and software staff the choice to bow out

37:13 | Bit more Google

• The redesigned Pixel 9a may come with a price you already know
• The latest Pixel 9a rumor reveals pre-order and shipping dates
• Google Maps will rename the Gulf of Mexico and Denali in the US

Our regular hosts are Daniel Bader and Will Sattelberg. Our editor is Jules Wang.

Android Police lives here. Reach out to us at [email protected]

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

It may have been the sharpest unit out of the entire Unpacked presentation, but did it really live up to all the hopes we had of at least a dash of excitement from Samsung in 2025? The Android Police podcast is on the ground in San Jose as we report and opine on what the Galaxy S25 family has to offer and what Android's biggest brand name is holding back.

00:27 | Sledging the Edge

• Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge teaser put a bow on an otherwise 'slim' Unpacked

06:38 | Everything else S25

• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on: The indifference is on display
• It's official: The Galaxy S25 Ultra's S Pen has fewer features than last year
• Samsung's Galaxy S25 series is 'Qi2 ready,' but only if you shell out extra on these cases
• 5 Samsung Galaxy S25 takeaways from my first hour with the phone
• 5 reasons the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra left me unimpressed
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with 16GB RAM exists — but you can't get it

19:37 | Servicing the S25

• Google's fingerprints are all over the new Galaxy S25 series
• Latest Circle to Search update brings more AI summaries, less Google Lens

29:31 | Android 16 beta

• Android 16's first beta is here with major tablet improvements and iOS-like Live Updates
• How to install Android 16 Beta 1 on your phone
• Android 16 Beta 1 brings Google's predictive back animation to button navigation
• Android 16 may tidy up your lock screen with a compact notification shelf

35:28 | Pour Me Another

• The Traitors (TV Series 2023– ) - IMDb
• ‎A Real Pain (2024) directed by Jesse Eisenberg • Letterboxd
• Google levels up its Android XR ambitions with another HTC acquisition
• TikTok's For You page has amnesia after the app's resuscitation

Our regular hosts are Daniel Bader and Will Sattelberg. Our editor is Jules Wang.

Android Police lives here. Reach out to us at [email protected]

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

Talk to a grounded, even-footed tech journalists and the first thing you'll find getting them down is the all-cylinders pulse of artificial intelligence everywhere. Sure, PC and gaming hardware is still extremely interesting, but when it comes to smartphones, it feels like we're entering this week's Unpacked event like it was 2024 — except, there's more of it.

On this Android Police podcast, a prelude to the Galaxy S25 series, the prelude to the prelude of the best phone of the Galaxy S25 series (that may not actually be that great after all), an assessment of where the industry is, a newsflash about TikTok from Friday with some prescient calls on what happened through today, and just a lot of hype over what little Nintendo told us about the Switch 2. It's a good listen or a good watch if you look us up on YouTube. You know how.

01:04 | Galaxy S25

• Here's our first real look at Samsung's Galaxy S25 Slim
• New images give us our best look yet at the Galaxy S25 and One UI 7
• No need to wait until January 22, all the Galaxy S25 specs just leaked today
• 7 announcements to expect at the Samsung Galaxy S25 Unpacked event (and 2 not to)

31:56 | Brief Flashes

• TikTok is coming back online in the US
• RedNote: What to know about the Chinese TikTok replacement
• If TikTok's US ban goes through on Sunday, even sideloading might not work

40:06 | Switch 2

• The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally official - and arriving later this year (XDA-Developers)

Our regular hosts are Daniel Bader and Will Sattelberg. Our editor is Jules Wang.

Android Police lives here. Reach out to us at [email protected]

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

After a well-deserved holiday break and a taxing-as-usual CES, we're back with a fresh new episode of the Android Police podcast. Daniel and Will are here to chat about their favorite power bank from Anker at the show! Also, a phone that neither of them can really buy, but it still looks cool to us anyway! And we take a crack at defining how the OnePlus 13 might play the market this year as a solid Android device that isn't from Samsung or Google, doesn't have as much retail reach as the two of them, but delivers great value for money.

01:26 | CES 2025

• Best of CES 2025: Android Police's awards for the world's biggest tech show
• Lenovo just announced three new Android tablets and two new gaming handhelds
• The Lenovo Legion Go S could finally get me into handheld gaming PCs
• TCL's latest smartphone might be the Boox Palma 2 rival you've been looking for
• The next generation of Google TVs will let you talk to Gemini without a remote
• The people behind NFC and Qi charging are cooking up a new standard for kitchens
• A major wireless charging pain point in cars will be fixed by Qi2 extension
• Android’s MagSafe moment has finally arrived

26:10 | OP13

• Review: The OnePlus 13 is good enough to make you say goodbye to Samsung
• Review: The OnePlus 13R will make you forget you’re using a sub-$600 phone
• I think I like the OnePlus 13R better... | YouTube
• The OnePlus 13 Paradox | YouTube

46:42 | Scatterings

• This Iron Man phone looks awesome, but there's one giant catch
• Sonos CEO resigns as 'courageous' app redesign fell flat
• CES 2025 predictions, most improved phone, OnePlus Open 2 leak, Poco X7 series details, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra cameras, and Apple iPhone 17 rumors with Will Sattelberg of Android Police – Mobile Tech Podcast 408 | World Podcasts

Our regular hosts are Daniel Bader and Will Sattelberg. Our editor is Jules Wang.

Android Police lives here. Reach out to us at [email protected]

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

Welcome back to this Android Police podcast already in progress: this episode, Daniel and Will go over all their favorite (or, at least, the most impactful to them) non-tech stuff of 2024 from books to movies to games. It's a subdued outing this time around, but you might take home a couple of decent recommendations for your new year. We're back in two weeks with all the action from CES 2025!

Excerpts from Sony Pictures and Mom + Pop Records.

• ‎Challengers (2024) directed by Luca Guadagnino
• ‎Trap (2024) directed by M. Night Shyamalan
• ‎Madame Web (2024) directed by S.J. Clarkson
• ‎Twisters (2024) directed by Lee Isaac Chung
• ‎Interstellar (2014) directed by Christopher Nolan
• ‎The Outrun (2024) directed by Nora Fingscheidt
• ‎Dune: Part Two (2024) directed by Denis Villeneuve
• ‎The Hitman (2023) directed by Xavier G
• English Teacher (TV Series 2024– ) - IMDb
• Dark Matter (TV Series 2024– ) - IMDb
• Silo (TV Series 2023– ) - IMDb
• Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar | Goodreads
• The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates | Goodreads
• Playground by Richard Powers | Goodreads
• Vampire Weekend: Only God Was Above Us Album Review | Pitchfork
• Charli XCX: BRAT Album Review | Pitchfork
• Magdalena Bay: Imaginal Disk Album Review | Pitchfork
• Nilüfer Yanya: My Method Actor Album Review | Pitchfork
• Balatro - Apps on Google Play

• 3 reasons why the RTX 5090 will steal the spotlight at CES
• This might be our first glimpse at the OnePlus Open 2's new design

Our regular hosts are Daniel Bader and Will Sattelberg. Our editor is Jules Wang.

Android Police lives here. Reach out to us at [email protected]

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

Welcome to this year-end cope session of an Android Police podcast. So, what did we deal with in 2024? A year of manufacturer mediocrity for the sake of revenue-treading agentic AI, that's what. Amid the storylines of fiery crash-and-burns on the hardware side and the lack of a money tree on the software side, there was little of substance to adore when it came to the average commodity smartphone. But we'll share some thoughts (and a whole lot of feelings) on the big stories in our field and the biggest products of our day on this very episode.

0:49 | In Our World

• exposing the hawk tuah scam | Coffeezilla (YouTube)
• Haliey Welch on X: "I take this situation extremely seriously and want to address my fans, the investors who have been affected, and the broader community [...]"
• I'm convinced AI won't be replacing our smartphones anytime soon
• Gemini 2.0: Five major changes you need to know
• Google proposes multiple changes to its strategy following antitrust ruling
• Does AR or VR interest you at all?
• Google's market share stays surprisingly high after hot Pixel 9 sales start
• Arm's licensing battle with Qualcomm just got a lot more serious

40:08 | No spoilers, but check out our Android Police Awards for 2024 for a holistic take from the entire AP team!

Other media excerpts from Google, Headgum, WBZ-TV (CBS News Boston), and KXTV (ABC10).

Our regular hosts are Daniel Bader and Will Sattelberg. Our editor is Jules Wang.

Android Police lives here. Reach out to us at [email protected]

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

We've been asking what good AI is for a while now. In its search for answers, Google has stood up and said "headsets." This week on the Android Police podcast, we're talking about the launch of Gemini 2.0, Android XR, and what both could mean for hardware partners, app developers, and the competition involved from Meta to Apple. We also take a sidelong look into iOS 18.2 and the slow crawl of progress that is Apple Intelligence. AP staff writer and resident New Jerseyan Stephen Radochia joins us for the first time!

06:57 | Gemini in Virtual Space

• Google unleashes Gemini 2.0 with new image and audio powers for the AI agent era
• Hey Gemini: Google's hotword gets a refresh in official teaser video
• Google wants Android XR to power your next VR headset and smart glasses
• Android XR software: Here are the VR games and AR apps coming to the new OS
• Google Gemini steals the show in live demo of Android XR and Project Moohan
• I'm amazed Samsung's XR glasses shifted to such a different focus than originally implied
• This is our first look at Samsung's VR headset running Android XR

52:45 | iOS 18.2

• 5 ways Android 15 is better than iOS 18
• Vision Models: How AI understands and interprets visual media

Our regular hosts are Daniel Bader and Will Sattelberg. Our editor is Jules Wang.

Android Police lives here. Reach out to us at [email protected]

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

Another Pixel-packed update to Android makes a bigger splash than we would've thought this time of year and the Android Police podcast is all over it. Also on this program, we see Samsung fall firmly into Apple's line when it comes to many of the design choices it made for the big One UI 7 update. And who would've thought that the PlayStation Portal would've been an item to celebrate? Funny how it goes sometimes when the PS5 Pro is, truly, such a punching bag. That and more this week.

01:04 | QPR does not stand for Quarter Pounder

• Google's December Pixel Feature Drop is all about Pixel 9
• All the features Google didn't tell you about in Android 15's first quarterly release
• Pixel Screenshots escapes its app in massive new Pixel Drop update
• Android's new feature bundle brings captions that actually show emotions
• Google breathes new life into old Pixels with two more years of OS upgrades
• The canceled Pixel Tablet 2 suggests Google learned all the wrong lessons

43:52 | Samsung Bashing

• Samsung's long-awaited One UI 7 beta is here to end 2024 on a high note
• Samsung's One UI 7 finally embraces the vertical app drawer
• Samsung's new app drawer has one big, ugly thing wrong with it

Our regular hosts are Daniel Bader and Will Sattelberg. Our editor is Jules Wang.

Android Police lives here. Reach out to us at [email protected]

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

Global phone nerds find it frustrating when they have to act thankful for all the choice they have when, in fact, market segmentation and fragmentation makes it nigh on impossible to enjoy all the bounty we've got. It's why an Oppo Find X8 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max comparison is impractical for us to produce — the audience cannot exist for such a thing. But we here at the Android Police podcast are thankful you're with us as Americans wrap up a holiday of gathering, feasting, and buying.

This time around, we'll be chatting about how Google just can't get an Android tablet right, how the company might screw up its path forward on tablets, and, hey, why not throw an Android-based laptop in there? We'll also dive into some quick reviews of the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Oppo Find X8 Pro.

04:33 | How the Tablet Turns

• The Google Pixel Tablet 2 isn't out yet, and it looks like the Pixel Tablet 3 might never be
• The Pixel Tablet 2 may be cancelled, but we'll somehow still get a Pixel Tablet 3
• The Pixel Tablet 2's reported cancelation proves Google's lack of commitment
• ChromeOS may eventually be replaced by Android

26:31 | Dueling Reviews

• I love the iPhone 16 Pro, but Apple's cameras are aging next to Android
• Apple iPhone 16 Pro review: Apple's best, but no better than Android
• iPhone 16 Pro Max review: More Android than ever, for better and for worse
• Android already has its first Camera Control clone
• Oppo's Find X8 Pro packs dual periscopes, a haptic shutter button, and oodles of AI
• This is my favorite photo snapped with the Oppo Find X8 Pro

Our regular hosts are Daniel Bader and Will Sattelberg. Our editor is Jules Wang.

Android Police lives here. Reach out to us at [email protected]

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