Explore the latest Android 16 features, including enhanced notifications and customizable settings. Discover the revealing details of OxygenOS 15 for OnePlus and the ongoing legal battles between ARM and Qualcomm. Learn about satellite smartphone connectivity with Skylo, particularly for the Google Pixel 9. The hosts dive into leaks about the Tensor G5 chip, discuss the OnePlus 13’s impressive specs, and tease new AI features from Notion’s upcoming mail app. It’s a tech-filled adventure that navigates innovation and rivalry in the smartphone world!
The podcast highlights upcoming features in Android 16, focusing on improved notification handling with a new Rich Ongoing Notifications API.
Listeners learn about an innovative overhaul in Android 16's Quick Settings panel, enhancing user accessibility through separate pages and resizable tiles.
The discussion covers Google's reimagining of the Do Not Disturb feature into customizable Modes, allowing users to manage notifications more effectively.
Community engagement is showcased through user-submitted art and playful commentary, emphasizing the creative connections within the Android ecosystem.
Deep dives
Ryan Reynolds Promotion for Mint Mobile
Ryan Reynolds humorously reflects on his lengthy involvement with Mint Mobile commercials, underlining that the service offers premium wireless at an incredibly low rate of $15 per month. He expresses surprise at the number of people still paying much higher prices for their mobile services. His light-hearted promotion emphasizes the value Mint Mobile provides and encourages listeners to consider switching to a more affordable option, highlighting the upfront costs involved for new customers.
Pre-Halloween Festivities
The hosts engage in playful banter about Halloween and the possibility of dressing up as Android's bug droid mascot. They discuss the lack of cute Apple characters for costumes compared to the Android mascot's charm. Special mention is made of a new droid figurine released in holiday attire, reinforcing the community's enjoyment around the Android brand's fun and cute themes as they tease potential costume ideas.
Halloween User Submission
A user-submitted Halloween-themed bug droid artwork receives a shout-out from the hosts, showcasing a creative ghost with a bug droid head in a spooky graveyard scene. The conversation speculates on whether the piece was AI-generated or crafted using Photoshop, sparking discussions about the evolving role of AI in art creation. This community involvement highlights the listener's contributions and engagement with the show's themes and activities.
Upcoming Show Adjustments
The hosts share their plans for the following week's show, which will be pre-recorded due to Election Day in the U.S. The episode will feature interviews with prominent figures from a major company related to Android coverage. Listeners are given details about how to access the show via YouTube premiere, ensuring they can stay updated despite changes to the regular schedule due to the electoral events.
Android 16 Features Reveal
Upcoming changes in Android 16 are teasingly discussed, particularly improvements in notification handling with a new API for Rich Ongoing Notifications. This innovation suggests an expansion of the status bar chips, allowing applications to implement their own notifications directly within the interface, enhancing user interaction. The potential applications for this feature, such as ride-sharing updates or screen recording indicators, indicate a more integrated approach to app notifications.
Quick Settings Panel Improvements
The hosts talk about an overhaul of the Quick Settings panel in Android 16, which will split notifications and settings into separate pages and offer resizing options for quick settings tiles. This change promises to enhance user accessibility by allowing more toggles on a single page. The introduction of resizable tiles exemplifies Android's responsiveness to user feedback and other manufacturers' features, showcasing a more tailored operating experience.
Do Not Disturb Modes Enhancement
Google is working on redefining the Do Not Disturb feature into a more customizable system called Modes, allowing users to create multiple profiles rather than a singular Do Not Disturb setting. Each mode can have its name, icon, and triggers for easier management through the quick settings panel. This update addresses user needs for personalized settings that adapt to different scenarios, making it easier to manage notifications based on user activities.
We've got leaks, we've got reveals, we've got an interview about satellite smartphone connectivity - this episode has it all as Mishaal Rahman, Jason Howell, and Ron Richards break down all the ins and outs in the world of Android this week.
01:09:56 - Inside the world of satellite connectivity and it's deployment on the Pixel 9 phones with Dr. Andrew Nuttall, the co-founder and CTO of Skylo
COMMUNITY
01:32:50 - Tony writes in to pit Android vs iOS when it comes to dictation for accessibility
