Alphabet Scoop

Welcome to episode 95 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Damien, Abner, and Will take a deep dive into the world of Gemini, breaking down Google's frequent UI changes, the different ways all three hosts use the service, and how it needs to evolve moving forward. Damien also walks Abner and Will through his experience using Gemini with Android Auto, and how it's more of a mixed bag than you might think. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Sponsored by Proton Unlimited: Pixelated listeners can save 30% on an annual subscription to the company's suite of privacy-friendly services by signing up using our link. Thanks to Proton Unlimited for sponsoring the podcast. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro and Gemini's UI redesigns 07:40 - How we use Gemini (and how we don't) 26:19 - Gemini for Android Auto 41:47 - Final Gemini thoughts and wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Gemini overl

Welcome to episode 94 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Damien, Abner, and Will talk all about this week's Pixel 11 leaks, granting everyone an early look at what appears to be a strikingly familiar smartphone launch on deck for later this year. After a brief dip into some Android 17 Beta 3 thoughts, the crew discusses Google's upcoming display-less Fitbit band, clearly designed to take Whoop head-on with the help of Steph Curry. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Sponsored by Proton Unlimited: Pixelated listeners can save 30% on an annual subscription to the company's suite of privacy-friendly services by signing up using our link. Thanks to Proton Unlimited for sponsoring the podcast. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro and Pixel 11 leaks 20:11 - Android 17 Beta 3 29:54 - Fitbit's upcoming Whoop competitor Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Google Pixel 11 looks like another minor ev

Welcome to episode 93 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Damien, Abner, and Will discuss Google's new "advanced flow" for enabling sideloading on Android, set to launch on all Play-supported devices later this year. It's a change built with security and safety in mind, and your hosts are pretty impressed with how the company has designed this shift. Then they dig into the potential news that OnePlus could be preparing to exit the global market, leaving an enthusiast-shaped hole in its place. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Sponsored by Proton Unlimited: Pixelated listeners can save 30% on an annual subscription by signing up for Proton Unlimited using this link. Thanks to Proton Unlimited for sponsoring this week's episode. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro and Google's sideloading changes 21:16 - OnePlus rumors 41:22 - Wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more This is Android’s n

Welcome to episode 92 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Damien and Will break down all of the changes coming to Google Maps, including a fresh 3D look and a Gemini-powered Ask Maps tool. They also break down recent reports that Motorola dominates 50% of the North American foldables market, asking what the brand can do to stay on top, before wrapping up with some kernel changes coming to Android that should make your current phone just a little more efficient. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Sponsored by Proton Unlimited: Pixelated listeners can save 30% on an annual subscription by signing up for Proton Unlimited using this link. Thanks to Proton Unlimited for sponsoring this week's episode. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro and Google Maps changes 23:35 - Motorola foldable marketshare 43:09 - Android's efficiency improvements 48:41 - Wrap-up Hosts Will Sattelberg Damien Wilde Read more ‘Immersive N

Welcome to episode 91 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, with Abner and Damien out at MWC, Will invites Andrew Romero to join him on a whirlwind tour of two new OS upgrades from Google: Android 16 QPR3, and Android 17 Beta 2. The two discuss AI-generated wallpapers, that new Now Playing app, and Android's new bubbles — not to be confused with its own bubbles — while Andrew introduces his SPI: Sandwich Price Index. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Sponsored by Proton Unlimited: Pixelated listeners can save 30% on an annual subscription by signing up for Proton Unlimited using this link. Thanks to Proton Unlimited for sponsoring this week's episode. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro and Android 16 QPR3 03:53 - AI-generated icons 13:15 - Now Playing app and flashlight toggle 22:05 - Pixel Desktop experience, At a Glance, and Gemini Automation 34:18 - Pixel Watch Drop, briefly 36:09 - Android 17 Beta 2 and Bubbles

Welcome to episode 90 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will talk through the launch of the Galaxy S26 series, all of its various Pixel-inspired AI tools, and ask whether it's too boring of an upgrade for Samsung. They also discuss Google's newly-announced agentic features for Android, with support for ordering groceries, deliveries, and more, ahead of next month's release. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Sponsored by Proton Unlimited: Pixelated listeners can save 30% on an annual subscription by signing up for Proton Unlimited using this link. Thanks to Proton Unlimited for sponsoring this week's episode. Timecodes 00:00 – Intro 01:57 - Galaxy S26 launch 18:03 - Samsung's AI features 28:40 - Agentic Android 40:10 - Final Privacy Display thoughts and wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Samsung launches Galaxy S26 series, and higher prices

Welcome to episode 88 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Will, and Ben talk all about the Pixel 10a, a device where the 'a' seems to stand for 'again.' Without much in the way of new features, the trio dive into all of the nuances that make the Pixel 10a stand out from its predecessor, before asking the obvious: is it time for smartphone makers to take longer generational breaks? Plus: We know when Google I/O is happening, and we talk all through how we'll be controlling our Android-powered glasses. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Sponsored by Proton Unlimited: Pixelated listeners can save 30% on an annual subscription by signing up for Proton Unlimited using this link. Thanks to Proton Unlimited for sponsoring this week's episode. Timecodes 00:00 – Intro 01:35 - Pixel 10a announced 17:30 - Should smartphones start seeing longer release cycles? 26:50 - How you'll control Android XR glasses 39:55 - G

Welcome to episode 88 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Ben Schoon joins Damien and Will to talk through the announcement — and subsequent unannouncement — of Android 17. The group talks through how and why this launch fell apart before discussing exactly what expectations we all should have for Android updates in 2026. Then they turn to Samsung, which just confirmed an Unpacked announcement for late February for a series of phones that has us scratching our heads when it comes to big year-over-year improvements. This episode was recorded prior to Android 17's eventual release on Friday afternoon. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Timecodes 00:00 – Intro 01:05 - Android 17 Beta 1 delay 14:14 - What we hope for in Android updates 22:52 - Galaxy Unpacked announcement and the S26 trio 46:13 - Wrap-up Hosts Ben Schoon Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Google cancels today’s Android 17

Welcome to episode 87 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Damien, Abner, and Will talk through Google's surprise Pixel 10a announcement, what we might expect from that phone, and whether it's worth picking up a Pixel 9a in its place. Their attention briefly turns to Google's February patch for Android — a patch without any much in the way of actual fixes, it seems — before finally debated Google's oddly-sad Gemini ad ahead of this weekend's Super Bowl. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Timecodes 00:00 – Intro and Pixel 10a announcement 17:27 - Google's February patch 25:25 - Gemini's Super Bowl ad 38:28 - Wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Google announces Pixel 10a with completely flat camera, pre-order Feb 18 The Pixel 10a is officially coming – here’s why you should get a Pixel 9a instead Google’s full lineup of Pixel 10a colors leak, including vibrant ‘Berr

Welcome to episode 86 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will dig into an early Android 17 build that includes one big visual change: blurred backdrops. Is this a sign of things to come for Google's vision of its OS, or a more minor system-level tweak? The crew also checks out a leaked look at Android's new — albeit really familiar — desktop mode, Google's more affordable AI Plus plan for Gemini, and Chrome's agentic AI tools. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Timecodes 00:00 – Intro and Android 17 first look 18:30 - Android's new desktop UI leaks 31:02 - Google's new AI Plus plan 39:21 - Chrome's "auto browse" agentic AI tools 54:56 - Forums announcement and wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more This is Android 17’s blur, new screen recorder, & more in leaked screenshots [Gallery] Google adding blur to Android 17’s system UI on Pixel An

Welcome to episode 85 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will talk through the end of Asus as a smartphone brand, as the company takes an indefinite hiatus from Android to focus on AI. After trying to figure out what's next after the smartphone, we're diving into some thoughts on the Clicks Communicator, Google's Digital Wellbeing tools, and the whole thinking behind minimalist devices. Plus, we send Stadia off with one final goodbye. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Timecodes 00:00 – Intro and Asus leaving the market 07:35 - What comes after smartphones? 22:59 - Clicks Communicator and digital detoxing 45:34 - Stadia's last goodbye Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Asus won’t make any new Android phones in 2026, but it might not be done yet The Clicks Communicator might not be for everyone, but it’s definitely for me Google just killed the last o

Welcome to episode 84 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will talk through Google's big changes to Gmail, including a new AI Inbox and improved search. They also turn their attention to Gemini's Personal Intelligence feature that aims to make it the best virtual assistant we've seen yet, but not before digging into the latest Pixel 10a leaks that have us scratching our collective heads at just how familiar this phone feels. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Timecodes 00:00 – Intro 00:50 - Pixel 10a leaks 14:25 - Personal Intelligence 26:35 - Gmail AI tools 35:45 - Pixel manufacturing 39:35 - Google updates 41:18 - Wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Google Pixel 10a releasing in ‘mid February’ with ‘Berry’ color, leak claims Leaked Pixel 10a prices could somehow go down from last year Google Pixel grew by 25% in 2025’s global smartph

Welcome to episode 83 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will welcome their fellow 9to5 staff members Andrew Romero, Ben Schoon, and Jordan Floyd to the show to assemble a full tier list for 2025's Android-adjacent launches. From phones and wearables to software upgrades and Gemini's improvements, we manage to rank more than 20 launches from throughout the year from the best to the rest. Check out the complete tier list at the bottom of these show notes (spoilers!). Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Andrew Romero Ben Schoon Jordan Floyd Listen to more 9to5 Podcasts The Sideload 9to5Mac Happy Hour Electrek Space Explored Feedback? Drop us a line at gtips@9to5g.com, leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer.

Welcome to episode 82 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will break down their reactions to Google's surprise release of Gemini 3 Flash. After talking through their preferred models and Gemini launchers, the crew discusses Android 16 QPR3's arrival and the long-awaited option to remove the At a Glance widget on Pixel. Finally, all three offer their visions for where Google is headed in 2026. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 00:47 - Gemini 3 Flash 15:12 - Android QPR3 and At a Glance 34:59 - Pixel patch 37:43 - Google's 2026 vision 43:26 - Wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Google announces Gemini 3 Flash with Pro-level performance, rolling out now Gemini app adds 3 Flash ‘Fast’ and ‘Thinking’ models, with 3 ‘Pro’ Here’s everything new in Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1 [Gallery] Android 16 QPR3 lets you remove At a G

Welcome to episode 81 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner shares his experience with trying out some early samples of glasses running on Google's Android XR platform with Will and Damien. After a surprisingly impressive demo, is it time to start getting excited for the return of Google Glass-esque technology? The trio also dips into some new changes coming to Wear OS and take a quick look at the first One UI 8.5 beta, if only to ask: what's up with the iOS-ification of Android? Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - Google's AI glasses demo 33:43 - Wear OS updates 38:12 - One UI 8.5 and Android's design language 46:09 - Wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Hands-on: Google Glass is now real with ‘monocular’ Android XR glasses coming in 2026 Samsung and Apple split best-selling phones in Q3 2025, iPhone leads premium market Pixe

Welcome to episode 80 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will talk through all of the new changes in Android 16 QPR2 and beyond. After digging through everything Google's been working on these past few months, their attention turns to the newly-confirmed Galaxy Z TriFold. Can they make sense of what's bound to be yet another ultra-premium device from Samsung, or does this feel like an experiment without a clear path to success? Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 00:54 - The state of early Android builds 12:06 - Android 16 QPR2 features and changes 24:06 - Galaxy Z TriFold announcement 41:41 - Wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Android 16 QPR2 rolling out with December 2025 security update The top new features in Android 16 QPR2 [Video] Samsung reveals Galaxy Z TriFold, confirms US launch in early 2026 Galaxy Z Tr

Welcome to episode 79 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner and Will talk through the launch of Gemini 3, breaking down all of the changes Google has made behind the scenes to its LLM. The duo also talks through the (breaking) arrival of AirDrop support on the Pixel 10, a change Google seemingly made all by itself. Finally, with Black Friday around the corner, we take a look at what deals you can score on your next piece of Google hardware. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 00:53 - Gemini 3 21:42 - Surprise Pixel 10 AirDrop support 32:22 - Google's Black Friday Deals 40:08 - Wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Will Sattelberg Read more Google launches Gemini 3 with state-of-the-art reasoning, ‘generative UI’ for responses, more Gemini 3 Pro rolling out to Android as iPhone app gets redesign Gemini app rolling out Gemini 3 Pro as ‘Gemini Agent’ comes to AI Ultra Google r

Welcome to episode 78 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will tackle Google's surprise Pixel Drop, a jam-packed update filled with new features like low-power maps, notification summaries, and a Wicked-inspired theme pack. Then Will walks through his thoughts on the OnePlus 15, a device that crushes in the battery life department but falls a bit short when it comes to, well, everything else. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 01:25 - Pixel Theme Packs 09:35 - Notification Summaries 18:46 - Nano Banana Remixes 23:15 - Low Power Maps and Other Pixel Drop Thoughts 31:17 - OnePlus 15 Review 43:45 - Wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more November 2025 Feature Drop: Pixel notification summaries, Maps Power Saving mode, more Journal app and Device health & support dashboard drop Pixel 10 exclusivity, more Pixel AI No

Welcome to episode 77 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Abner, Damien, and Will discuss the latest AI improvements making their way to Google Maps in the coming months, including improved conversational guidance along routes and landmark navigation. From there, we cover Google's ongoing feud with Disney following the expiration of their shared YouTube TV contract, before finishing up with a dive into some extremely impressive Pixel 10 sales numbers. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Timecodes 00:00 - Intro and Google Maps improvements 18:49 - New Google icons 22:22 - Google's feud with Disney 37:49 - Pixel 10 sales numbers 54:35 - Wrap-up Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Google Maps gets Gemini for conversational navigation & traffic reporting on Android, iOS Google Maps rolling out landmark-based navigation, Gemini-powered Lens New Google Maps live lane gui

Welcome to episode 76 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. It's another round of Galaxy XR talk — this time, with a full week's worth of use under Abner's belt (or face, rather). From tablet comparisons to finding the true use case for this sort of headset, all three of your trusted hosts have found themselves pleasantly surprised and intrigued by the device Samsung and Google has managed to build, even if it's tough to see this as anything more than an expensive stepping stone towards the lighter, more comfortable gadgets of your sci-fi dreams. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Overcast Hosts Abner Li Damien Wilde Will Sattelberg Read more Samsung Galaxy XR review: For those who have been waiting Gemini app hits 650+ million monthly users as Google/YouTube reports 300M subscribers Listen to more 9to5 Podcasts The Sideload 9to5Mac Happy Hour Electrek Space Explored Feedback? Drop us a line at gtips@9to5g