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When Google launched the Pixel 6 Series of smartphones late last year, there was one obvious omission: the Pixel 6a. Since debuting in 2019, the A-Series has offered an excellent affordable alternative to Google’s flagships, retaining many of their core features. A mid-range price point makes them particularly appealing. The highly-anticipated Pixel 6a finally made its debut at Google’s I/O keynote, but you’ll still be waiting a while for the phone to be released. Here’s everything you need to know. RELEASE DATE As expected, Google announced the Pixel 6a at its I/O developer conference on 11 May 2022. However, the phone won’t be available to buy for a couple of months. Specifically, pre-orders begin on 21 July, ahead of the phone going on sale from 28 July. For context, here are the…

Android fans have been waiting an entire year to see more options for the new and improved Wear OS 3 watches, since the only one that came out last year was Samsung’s exclusive Galaxy Watch4. At Google I/O 2022, the company announced the much-anticipated (and much-leaked) Pixel Watch, technically Google’s first smartwatch developed entirely in-house. And thanks to the company’s acquisition of Fitbit last year, it’s also going to be the first major update of Fitbit hardware since the original Fitbit Versa. Details on the Pixel Watch are still scarce, as it’s planned to launch in the fall next to a new generation of Pixel phones. But we know it uses a big, circular, all-glass face, proprietary wrist bands, and ‘deep integration’ with Fitbit’s fitness tracking systems. That’s a huge…

At Google I/O, the company announced it’s adding new privacy protections to the information it stores about you online. Also on deck: virtual credit cards, the ability to choose the ads you see in Search, and features to manage how others see your personal information in search results. But storing a driver’s licence on your phone? That may be the most controversial. Google didn’t say anything about collecting less information about you, however, and the company’s new My Ad Centre can be seen as just another way to personalize ads to your tastes – which means they’re even more valuable to Google. Still, Google new policies offer at least the promise of more control over shaping your personal online narrative, although Danielle Romain, vice president of trust at Google, noted that you’ll…

There’s been much made of the ‘fractured’ nature of Android, with many phones not getting updates to the latest version of Google’s operating system until months after its release... or not at all. This is in stark contrast to Apple’s iPhones, which often stay on the newest version of iOS several years after they were first released. So, which brands are the best for keeping their Android devices up to date? WHY DON’T ALL ANDROID PHONES GET THE LATEST VERSION OF THE OS? There are several reasons why some Android handsets get updates, while others are left out in the cold. The first thing to consider is how many different models each manufacturer offers. Every year, Apple only adds a maximum of around four iPhones to its line-up, so cumulatively,…

Price: £199 from fave.co/39bcWQJ The Realme 9i is an Android smartphone which aims to deliver a high-end experience for a low-end price – just under £200. There’s plenty of competition at this price point, with the Redmi Note 11 offering a similar performance-per-pound promise and the Poco M4 Pro 5G boasting many of the same features, but with added 5G support, for a bit more at £239. While there’s a lot to weigh up, on its own merits, the Realme 9i already offers a lot – a 6.6in 90Hz display, all-day fast-charging battery, a triple lens camera – and all for just two tons. Can the Realme 9i challenge for the best budget phone. DESIGN Like a lot of budget Android phones, the Realme 9i is made from lightweight plastic, but…

The nice thing about Pixel phones is that you don’t have to have the latest and greatest model in order to find some fantastically useful new tricks. Google’s constantly updating its Pixels with features both big and small, and it’s all too easy for some of the more subtle touches to get lost in the shuffle. In this article, we’ll uncover a handful of splendid Pixel shortcuts that have been overlooked and/or forgotten. And while some of these shortcuts may seen subtle, don’t let yourself be fooled: all those saved seconds will absolutely add up when you use them throughout your day. 1. THE FAST SEARCH STARTER This first Pixel trick is tied to Android 12, which means it won’t be present on the oldest couple Pixel models from…

2021 was a big year for Google’s Pixel smartphones as it saw the chipsets switch from Qualcomm Snapdragon to Google’s own Tensor chips. So, what will 2022 bring to the world of Pixel? We gather together all the news and rumours surrounding the new devices, as well as a few things we’d like to see when the Pixel 7 arrives. RELEASE DATE Google formally confirmed the incoming Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro during the opening keynote of its 2022 I/O developer conference. Despite promising that both are “coming this fall” and showing off a few official images, however, we still don’t know anything more about what this duo are set to offer. Over the past few generations, Google has settled on an October release for the main Pixel devices,…

Although they were leaked a few days before Google I/O 2022, the Google Pixel Buds Pro are now official as the firm’s most premium pair of wireless earbuds yet. Unveiled at Google I/O alongside the likes of the Pixel Tablet, Pixel 6a, Pixel Watch and Pixel 7 phones, the Pixel Buds Pro join the portfolio and offer high-end features such as active noise cancelling, custom drivers and wireless charging. RELEASE DATE There’s a bit of a wait for the Pixel Buds Pro as Google has said you can pre-order them on 21 July. They will go on sale alongside the Pixel 6a on 28 July. PRICE Google has confirmed the Pixel Buds Pro are priced at £179 – double that of the Pixel Buds A-Series. This price puts them in competition…

While Android 12 is still only just making its way onto supported phones that don’t have ‘Pixel’ in their name, we’re already able to try out the next major release of Google’s mobile OS: Android 13. Expected to launch in autumn 2022, Android 13 builds on features established in Android 12 (such as Material You), while also introducing new additions that cover everything from privacy and security to gaming and battery performance. And now that two versions of the public beta have been released, you don’t have to take our word for it. AVAILABILITY Android 13 is likely to launch some time in autumn 2022 – most likely alongside the Pixel 7 phones, which will be among the first to run the software officially. Early versions of the software are…

Price: £179 from fave.co/3FxZp22 For 2022, Samsung has updated its ‘A’ range with several new models. Alongside the A33 and A53 is the entry-level A13. While it’s just an opinion, I think it’s a good-looking phone with its neat triple-camera stack on the rear (which doesn’t stick out) and a glossy plastic finish that’s available in black, white and blue. It might be too plain for some tastes, but the minimalist design will appeal to others. It has a large, good quality screen, a big-capacity battery and expandable storage – all for a tempting price. But is it worth buying? Let’s dig in and find out. One quick note: in the US and some other markets Samsung also sells the A13 5G. Note that this phone varies by more than…

Price: £219 from fave.co/3Fk3zua Sony’s headphones need no introduction. Their over-the-ear headphones rank among our favourites, and they are perennial contenders as our top pick in noise-cancelling headphones. Translating regular headphone success into a true wireless earbud is no simple task. Yet that’s what Sony is trying to do with its flagship, the £219 WF-1000XM4. Do these true wireless headphones live up to Sony’s legacy? You bet. They are a winner by any measure. Sony’s WF-1000XM4 come in your choice of silver or black. My review set came in the latter. The earbuds and companion charging case have a matte finish, which I found to be a nice change to the slippery, gloss finish on so many earbuds. The finish on the earbuds and case gave me confidence holding them. These earbuds…

At Google’s I/O developer conference, we saw a number of announcements that were expected, but a surprise unveiling was Google’s upcoming Pixel Tablet. Just when we all thought we’d never see another Android tablet from Google ever again, a new Pixel Tablet is now officially on the way. However, we’re in for a long wait as, like the Pixel Watch and Pixel 7, this is just an early look with Google saying it will share more details in 2023. What we know so far is that the Pixel Tablet is powered by Google Tensor, the firm’s first ever system on a chip (SoC) which you can find inside the Pixel 6a smartphone, for example. And, of course, Android. The news comes many years after the popular Google Nexus tablets built…

For years, users of Google Maps have had numerous tools to navigate the planet: Street View, 3D representations, and more. Now Google is adding Immersive View, combining real-world imagery and artificial intelligence to make 3D maps even more lifelike. Google made the announcement at Google I/O, its annual developer conference, held for the first time in three years at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. MAPPING THE WORLD “Around the world, we’ve mapped around 1.6 billion buildings, and over 60 million kilometres of roads today,” Pichai said. “Some remote and rural areas have previously been difficult to map due to scarcity of high-quality imagery, and distinct building types and terrain. To address this, we’re using computer vision to detect buildings at scale from satellite images. As a result, we’ve increased…

Although Google hasn’t officially announced Android 13, you can try it out with the release of the public beta. Those with a compatible Pixel phone can download it now and take it for a spin Now Google I/O has taken place, Android 13 is available on third-party phones and tablets as well as Pixel handsets, although some are getting Beta 1. Below we’ve got all the information you need on installing Beta 2 on your handset if it’s compatible. The final release is to be confirmed but typically happens around October – likely with the Pixel 7 launch. Warning: As is always the case with beta software, it’s not advisable to load it onto your main phone as the software could be buggy or even brick your device. Always back up…

Price: £679 from fave.co/3w4ln9u Razer might have released the very first gaming phone, but three other companies have dominated the market since then. Asus’s ROG Phones have long been considered the devices to beat, with Xiaomi’s Black Sharks more affordable alternative. But Nubia is the most prolific, with a total of 14 Red Magic phones in just four years. The Red Magic 7 Series sees both regular and Pro models released globally for the first time. A price increase means the 7 Pro is the most expensive gaming phone Nubia has ever made, but depending on what’s important to you, it’s not necessarily an upgrade over the regular Red Magic 7. Here are my thoughts after spending a few weeks with the phone. DESIGN Unlike some Pro phones, you can…

Google’s incredibly serious about making Android appealing to the enterprise and the broader universe of business users. That’s the official line, at least – and the narrative its been pushing hard since launching its Android Enterprise Recommended programme in February 2018. Android Enterprise Recommended, the company told our colleagues at Computerworld, would be a “Google-led global initiative that raises the bar of excellence for enterprise devices and services”. It’d establish “best practices and common requirements” for business-ready Android devices, and it’d ensure any phone with the stamp of approval provided a professional and properly supported experience without all of the common ecosystem asterisks. It certainly sounds smart and sensible. The enterprise realm in particular is closely tuned into security and data protection, and having workers carry devices that don’t receive…