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This week, Pixel VIPs became the latest (exclusive) app made for Google phones. It follows the big trio we got last year with Screenshots, Studio, and Weather, as well as Camera, Magnifier, Recorder, Thermometer, and Tips.

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This was just supposed to be about how Google has yet to launch UWB finding and that I’ve gone all-in with the Moto Tag as my tracker of choice, but then “Google’s Find Hub” happened.

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The flip phone foldable is a popular form factor, but Google has yet to make its own “Pixel Flip.” After a few weeks using the Motorola Razr Ultra, I’ve got a few ideas on where Google could do better.

Search Live feels like the spiritual, if not technological, successor to Google Lens. In fact, I think it should replace Google Lens entirely.

Even with both products eventually offering a “Live” feature, I think the difference between the Gemini app and AI in Google Search is now pretty clear. However, having two products that do similar things is inelegant, and might pose some confusion for most users.

My decade-long personal and professional interest in Google comes down to how I think the company will invent the future. I’ve always seen it as a laboratory with — let’s say — unconventional scientists pushing the boundaries of what’s feasible.

Google I/O’s big focus was, obviously, on AI, but Android 16 was also a big part of the event thanks to the release of the first QPR1 beta with the Material 3 Expressive redesign. What do you think of it so far?

The “Find My Device” network has suffered from bad branding long enough. That’s why I was glad to see the transition over to “Find Hub” this week, but I think Google still has one more pillar to take care of, and that’s offering better AirTag competitors for Android users.

Google is currently in the process of redesigning the Account switcher in the top-right corner of every first-party Android app to go fullscreen. It looks to be aligned with Material 3 Expressive, but I just think it’s a superfluous design. 

The launch of One UI 7 has been a mess. Samsung’s otherwise stellar update was overshadowed in part by the fact that it arrived several months late compared to other Android 15 updates, and then had additional delays on top of that. But I think Samsung made a much bigger mistake in One UI 7 that we’re only seeing now as it rolls out to the masses.

The AI hype train is in full swing, and it dominates the conversation around smartphones. I truly do think that AI can make smartphones better and more interesting, but there’s a right way to go about it… and a wrong way.

Ahead of Material Design’s next evolution, let’s review Material You through the lens of first-party Google apps on Android. Specifically, I want to look at the adoption of Material 3 components, color, and adaptive layouts.

It appears that turning Android into a desktop operating system is Google’s next big consumer initiative. To put it bluntly, I think this effort fails if all they’re doing is making a one-to-one Windows, Mac, or ChromeOS competitor. The path to success that I see is Google developing a next-generation OS that leverages AI and Gemini to make possible an entirely new user experience that is voice and agent-first.

The Google Pixel Tablet is an annoying little asterisk in the company’s ecosystem, falling short of greatness despite being overall pretty good. While there are questions around future Pixel Tablet sequel releases, I know what I want from the future – a throwback to the past.

Foldables have improved drastically since their full debut in 2019, but Samsung has been stagnating on progress for quite a while now. That’s why I can’t explain why I still enjoy the Galaxy Z Fold 6 so much, especially after having spent a lot of time with some of the best foldables the market has to offer.

App shortcuts were introduced with Android 7.1 in October 2016. They’ve seen some UI changes over the years, but they’ve mostly stayed the same.

The Nest brand has been built up for years as it was a pioneer of the smart home, but Google has slowly moved away from what so many people bought into as it has built up the Google Home ecosystem. Now, the Nest you knew is gone for good, and we know what the future looks like.

I can give a dozen examples of how I’m using AI, but I doubt another person will find any of them truly useful in their life. Instead, the most useful applications of AI are hyper-specific to the day-to-day things people do, and cannot be packaged in a flashy ad because it would be deemed “boring.” These are the mundane tasks that you accomplish manually and technology might have no insight into. 

The big development for Google Photos in the past year is the Gemini-powered “Ask Photos,” but that shouldn’t overshadow a series of redesigns that feels like it concluded with the simplified bottom bar that rolled out earlier this week.

Foldables already feel stagnant despite having hit the market a mere 6 years ago, but one new device this week showed that there are still new ideas to be had. So, what do you want next?

This was an insanely busy week in consumer-facing Google announcements. Approaching Google I/O levels, which is 72 days away, let’s alphabetically recap everything:

The going trend for smartphones in 2025 seems to be cutting down on thickness. But, the more I think about it, the more I’m curious – who actually wants this?

Some vehemently want the ability to remove At a Glance from the top of the Pixel homescreen. I personally find it useful as a space for high-priority notifications and think most users also get daily utility out of it. However, I do think At a Glance in 2025 is underutilized and Android should be doing much more with it.

I think Google may have shared the future of smart displays, or at least an evolution of the form factor, earlier this year at CES: Google TV.