The Sideload: A 9to5Google Podcast

Welcome to episode 36 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by Android Authority's Joe Maring to discuss Health Coach, Google's latest fitness-focused chatbot launched alongside the Fitbit Air.

Sponsored (for real) by NordVPN: Listeners to The Sideload can save up to 76% on a two-year subscription alongside four extra months for absolutely free by signing up for NordVPN using this link. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Drop us a line at [email protected], leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer. And for even more Android discussion, dive into the official 9to5Google forums!

Welcome to episode 35 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by 9to5‘s Daniel Bader to discuss looking for positivity in gadgets, unplugging from the internet, the joys of Niagara Launcher, and much more.

Sponsored by NordVPN: Listeners to The Sideload can save up to 76% on a two-year subscription alongside four extra months for absolutely free by signing up for NordVPN using this link. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Drop us a line at [email protected], leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer. And for even more Android discussion, dive into the official 9to5Google forums!

Welcome to episode 34 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by 9to5's own Ben Schoon as he breaking his usual release schedule to bring you a guide on what to expect next week at Google I/O 2026.

Sponsored by NordVPN: Listeners to The Sideload can save up to 76% on a two-year subscription alongside four extra months for absolutely free by signing up for NordVPN using this link. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Drop us a line at [email protected], leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer. And for even more Android discussion, dive into the official 9to5Google forums!

Welcome to episode 33 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes Phandroid's Editor-in-Chief Nick Gray to the show to discuss his time spent with Oppo's Find X9 Ultra and Vivo's X300 Ultra. They might not be on your wishlist for your next Android phone, but Nick discusses what makes their cameras so exceptional, what it's like using an imported phone as your daily driver, and whether we'll ever see some of the best aspects on display here come to North American devices.

Sponsored by NordVPN: Listeners to The Sideload can save up to 76% on a two-year subscription alongside four extra months for absolutely free by signing up for NordVPN using this link. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Drop us a line at [email protected], leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer. And for even more Android discussion, dive into the official 9to5Google forums!

Welcome to episode 32 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes YouTuber and podcaster Steve Radochia back to the show to take a deep dive on Motorola's latest Razrs. What does it mean for the industry — and for your next phone — when price hikes start being accompanied by tangible downgrades? They also talk about Steve's new podcast Old's Cool and spend five minutes debating the merits of each Ocean's film.

Sponsored by NordVPN: Listeners to The Sideload can save up to 76% on a two-year subscription alongside four extra months for absolutely free by signing up for NordVPN using this link. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Drop us a line at [email protected], leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer. And for even more Android discussion, dive into the official 9to5Google forums!

Welcome to episode 31 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes Android Central's Nick Sutrich back to the show to discuss the swirling rumors surrounding OnePlus. From its fate in Europe looking questionable to quiet demand in North America, things aren't looking great for the "Never Settle" brand. Will and Nick look back at their own histories with OnePlus, what set the brand apart from its contemporaries, and how this situation became a problem to begin with.

Sponsored by NordVPN: Listeners to The Sideload can save up to 76% on a two-year subscription alongside four extra months for absolutely free by signing up for NordVPN using this link. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Drop us a line at [email protected], leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer. And for even more Android discussion, dive into the official 9to5Google forums!

Welcome to episode 30 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes Damien Wilde back to the show to discuss everyone's favorite topic: price hikes. With gadgets across the board getting more expensive — sometimes to the tune of more than $500 for a single laptop — Will and Damien break down the current state of play in the industry, alongside what you can do to help ease the pain of upgrading in 2026.

Sponsored by NordVPN: Listeners to The Sideload can save up to 76% on a two-year subscription alongside four extra months for absolutely free by signing up for NordVPN using this link. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Drop us a line at [email protected], leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer. And for even more Android discussion, dive into the official 9to5Google forums!

Welcome to episode 29 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes 9to5's own Andrew Romero back to the show as the pair attempt their best impression at consulting. From Samsung's messy Galaxy S-series lineup to a crucial piece of advice Google should adopt for the Pixel 11, Will and Andrew are fixing every flagship Android series sold in the US — for absolutely free, no less.

Sponsored by NordVPN: Listeners to The Sideload can save up to 77% on a two-year subscription by signing up for NordVPN using this link. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Drop us a line at [email protected], leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer. And for even more Android discussion, dive into the official 9to5Google forums!

Welcome to episode 28 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes Allison Johnson, senior reviewer at The Verge, to discuss her attempts at purchasing and reviewing Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold in the run-up to its eventual demise. They also discuss Allison's hands-on with Google's new agentic tools for Android and wonder whether this is a lead-up to some more impressive demos to come at this year's I/O.

Sponsored by NordVPN: Listeners to The Sideload can save up to 77% on a two-year subscription and score a free Amazon gift card by signing up for NordVPN using this link. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Drop us a line at [email protected], leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer. And for even more Android discussion, dive into the official 9to5Google forums!

Welcome to The Sideload episode 27, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes Rich Woods, content director at XDA Developers, MakeUseOf, and HowToGeek, to discuss the MacBook Neo, Windows 11's public opinion problems, and whether Google's upcoming Android-for-desktops OS can actually make a meaningful splash in the market.

Sponsored by NordVPN: Listeners to The Sideload can save up to 77% on a two-year subscription and score a free Amazon gift card by signing up for NordVPN using this link. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Drop us a line at [email protected], leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer. And for even more Android discussion, dive into the official 9to5Google forums!