Hosts Huyen, Mishaal, and Ron are joined by Jason Howell of TWiT to discuss the delayed release of Android 14, Nokia's new smartphone brand, rumored features of the Pixel Watch, AI integration in messaging platforms, environmental impact of AI models, loss of Meet and Zoom support on smart displays, Sonos disappointment, emoji kitchen on the web, and a new app archiving feature on the Play Store. They also talk about Beeper messaging app and a phone case designed as a purse.
Users can now create emoji mashups on the web using Emoji Kitchen.
Xiaomi will be launching the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro running Wear OS.
SwiftKey beta allows users to create AI images within the keyboard.
Deep dives
Google expands Emoji Kitchen to the web
Google has introduced Emoji Kitchen to the web, allowing users to create mashups of emojis. The feature is now accessible by typing 'emoji kitchen' into Google search. While the options available on the web are not as extensive as on the Gboard app for Android, it offers more accessibility for non-Android users and PC users.
Xiaomi announces upcoming launch of the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro
Xiaomi has announced the upcoming launch of the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro on September 22. Not many details are available yet, but the smartwatch will be running Wear OS, making it a new addition to Xiaomi's wearable lineup.
Microsoft's SwiftKey beta now allows users to generate AI images directly from the keyboard. The AI image creator, powered by Dali, enables users to create images seamlessly within the SwiftKey keyboard. The integration of AI into keyboard functionalities is becoming a trend among major tech companies, as seen with Google's AI-driven grammar checks in Gboard.
The Pixel 9's chip may not offer significant performance improvement
According to a roadmap for the Tensor chip sets, the Pixel 9's chip may not deliver a significant boost in performance. The article explains that the Pixel 9's chip is not expected to be as fast as the Pixel 10 or the 2025 TensorG5 series. Google collaborated with Samsung to co-design the Tensor chip set, covering various components such as the CPU, GPU, NPU, and DSP. While details about the chip's technical aspects are provided in the article, the main takeaway is that the Pixel 9's chip may not offer a significant performance improvement.
Motorola introduces new mid-range phones in the fall lineup
Motorola has unveiled several new mid-range phones, including the Motorola Edge 40 Neo, the Moto G84 5G, and the Moto G54 5G. These phones, priced between high $200 and high $300 range, offer an affordable alternative to flagship devices. The phones feature good specifications, and Motorola's Moto G line has matured well. With appealing aesthetics and a close-to-stock Android experience, these phones provide a solid option in the mid-range market.
Does it get any better than having our brother in Android join us for this week's show? Jason Howell of TWiT comes on the show and joins Huyen Tue Dao, Mishaal Rahman and Ron Richards to wonder where Android 14 is and much more!
Featured in this episode:
NEWS: Inside the September Pixel Update, Smartphone sales are falling in North America, Nokia phone maker HMD is getting into the game and the Patron Pick: Inside the teardown of the Pixel Tablet! It's quite roomy!
HARDWARE: The Tensor 9 chip from Google is going to disappoint, Motorola is back with phones in the midrange, more Pixel Watch 2 leaks/rumors and Xiaomi is getting into WearOS with their new smartwatch
APPS: Swiftkey Beta enables AI Image generation, Google's Nest Hub Max is dropping Meet and Zoom support and Huyen is disappointed, but Mishaal is excited by the possibilities of Emoji Kitchen
COMMUNITY: Branden got Beeper! And Derek makes Huyen talk about the Honor V Purse...again!
Thanks to Jason Howell for joining us, go to https://twit.tv/tnw to check out Tech News Weekly!