Android Police

This week on the Android Police Podcast, a case of artificial intelligence-induced Seasonal Affective Disorder and yet another cold have stricken at least one member of the team. It'll make talking about the latest Pixel Feature Drop, some Pixel Fold rumors, and those crazy Lensa profile pics a lot more interesting. Best enjoyed with a recommended dose of DayQuil or NyQuil.03:01 | Drop the FeatsDecember Pixel Feature Drop has Clear Calling, a free VPN, and new Recorder tools for Google's latest phonesGoogle Pixel Fold animations offer best look at the foldable yet37:00 | Machine Lightning RoundHow To Turn Your Selfies Into ‘Magic Avatars’ With Viral App Lensa AI (screenrant.com)OpenAI's New Conversational Chatbot Is Free To Use (For Now) (screenrant.com)Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJulesReach out to us - podcast@androidpolice.comMusic - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

December has come and we're on a merry-go-round here in Androidland with plenty to keep us busy. Whether we're bringing out our spectrometers for color critiques, needlessly bashing OnePlus (more than we have to) for its software updates, and rightfully bashing Elon Musk for using his favorite hammer to bash all his Twitter problems into shape, we invite you to come along with the Android Police podcast as we head into the last month of 2022 together!01:16 | Radio ViolenceSpotify Wrapped 2022 is finally here for you to show off how cool your listening tastes were this yearYouTube Music is back with your 2022 Recap, highlighting all the songs that kept you going this year05:31 | Under the (Table) InfluenceThe FTC wants to fine Google nearly $10m over deceptive Pixel 4 ads aired three years ago15:36 | Pixel PixHere's your first look at the Google Pixel 7a23:08 | Upping the UpdatesOnePlus trumps Google with its new Android update schedule, but it's not perfect31:28 | Oh, Elon...Elon Musk should not make the Twitter Phone — for his own sake41:23 | Color TheorySamsung Galaxy S23's official cases and color options detailedFind the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJulesReach out to us - podcast@androidpolice.comMusic - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

Yes, we're dropping this episode early this week — happy Turkey Day from the Android Police podcast. Don't mess with the bad birds.In this episode, Will gets back from Hawaii safely and has more Snapdragon stuff to share. Also, we catch a ride on the struggle bus through Silicon Valley as the world tells Elon Musk to "soak their deck" and Amazon tries to whisper about Alexa being a failure without them hearing.01:59 | Mahalo for the trip, QualcommQualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has got what 2023 flagships craveQualcomm's plans for persistent machine vision feel very Google — in the best way possibleThe Razer Edge is a powerful Android tablet designed for cloud gamingQualcomm has a name for its custom Windows on Arm silicon: Oryon (xda-developers.com)25:00 | What now, Alexa?Amazon's Alexa is in troubleFind the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJulesReach out to us - podcast@androidpolice.comMusic - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

But will it be Dragon-ier? Maybe. Our own Will Sattelberg was at Qualcomm's Tech Summit in Hawaii this week for the debut of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. We're taking a quick run-through with SVP of Engineering Chris Patrick of all the things you need to know about it on this week's episode of the Android Police podcast.Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has got what 2023 flagships craveOppo is first to announce a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phone, with a whole lot of collaborative swaggerOnePlus 11 is coming, featuring the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2Samsung Galaxy S23 could go all-in with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2Qualcomm's plans for persistent machine vision feel very Google — in the best way possibleFind the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJulesReach out to us - podcast@androidpolice.comMusic - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

Surprising SFX from the start! This was the title that the team played around with during the recording of this episode and it turned by the end of the session that this was not even true. You'll learn more about it from Android Police coverage later on. In the meantime, we've got old Google business, new Google business, and also our dip on the new MediaTek chip. Welcome to the Android Police podcast.03:09 | Political birdballTwitter ruined blue verified checks so Dbrand's like: screw it, stickers08:09 | Pixel AteGoogle Pixel 8 leak tells us codenames, new Tensor chip, and more RAM15:47 | Why Is All the Stadia Gone?Google has started refunding your Stadia purchases23:49 | YouTube MoneyYouTube Music and Premium now have over 80 million paid subscribers34:17 | Immense DimensityMediaTek’s new Dimensity 9200 chip is the flagship Snapdragon competitor we’ve been waiting forFind the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJulesReach out to us - podcast@androidpolice.comMusic - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

This week, we're settling down in our smart homes with the announcement of a bunch of gear supporting Matter, the new protocol that's supposed to unify the disparate Amazon, Apple, and Google ecosystems. Plus, a heaping side helping of Steam talk from the ChromeOS tests to our favorite games. It's the Android Police podcast.06:18 | It's Matter TimeNew smart home standard Matter is finally officially official with 190 certified devicesUsing Matter across multiple smart home ecosystems is a little complicated, but it will get betterLong-awaited Matter support is coming to 17 Amazon smart speakers and displays next monthNanoleaf announces its first Matter-enabled lighting products, launching 2023What is Matter: The new smart home standard explained27:24 | Steamy ChromeChromeOS gets serious about gaming as Steam support enters betaThe redesigned Steam app is live, complete with a new login flow42:11 | Shower thoughtsValve's Steam Deck is the latest attempt to make portable PC gaming a thingNiagara Launcher Pro decouples from Google Play, now on all Android phonesFind the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJulesReach out to us - podcast@androidpolice.comMusic - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

In that it's kinda bad. That's it.Daniel may have a cold (or something), but that won't stop him from taking down the Pixel Watch, the $449 iPad, and the massive financial wreck that is the tech sector these days. Also, Ara and Will are in there, too. And we get to talk about Android. I mean, Andor. This is what we're calling the jazz hands version of the Android Police podcast.07:37 | GoogleGoogle’s latest earnings confirm new hardware focus, fewer moonshots, and economic downturnGoogle needs to release a budget Pixel Watch a to be competitiveThe Google Store's got a big problem with trade-insThe Pixel Watch has a calorie problem33:29 | AppleApple confirms it will create a USB-C iPhone, but the Lightning port may not completely disappearApple flexes its control over the App Store - The VergeI am stuck on MagSafe, because MagSafe isn't stuck on my phoneAndor (2022) | ScreenRantThe Leftovers' Season 2 Overhaul Made It Must-See TV (screenrant.com)Prometheus (2012) | ScreenRantThe Last Duel (2021) | ScreenRantKingdom of Heaven Director's Cut Changes: Why It's Better (screenrant.com)Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJulesReach out to us - podcast@androidpolice.comMusic - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

The Android Police podcast is now available to own on DVD.Sound the "pivot" klaxon as we cover Google's turning on the entire ship from YouTube to Pixel to cloud gaming and more. We might not survive the first 20 minutes of the episode.03:16 | Down the YouTubesYouTube Premium subscribers just got a massive surprise price hikeYouTube Music’s redesigned playlist view is rolling out widely28:20 | Message Me ThisGoogle is making Messages even more like iMessage, but still won't get you that blue bubbleNew Google Messages and Contacts app icons rolling out in betaSignal is dropping SMS support — and that's a good thing38:38 | Post-Stadia Blues?Gaming Chromebooks are real and going on sale from Acer, Asus, and Lenovo soon47:43 | The Ultimate PivotGoogle is going all-in on Pixel hardware to fight Apple, de-emphasizing AssistantThe wild, wonderful world of North Korean smartphonesFind the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJulesReach out to us - podcast@androidpolice.comMusic - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

After barely a week to review the phones and watch, we're all Pixel-pooped out. But hey, we're still more than ready to deliver you what we're thinking about the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7 Pro, and the Pixel Watch — the stuff that actually didn't make it into our articles. All that plus some "breaking news" from Netflix (it was fresh on a Thursday) on this episode of the Android Police podcast!03:47 | Pros talking ProGoogle Pixel 7 Review: The Most Refined Pixel YetGoogle Pixel 7 Pro review: A showcase for GoogleThe Google Pixel 7 Pro’s display draws an obscene amount of power33:39 | Netflix goes AD hocNetflix's ad-supported tier is here, and it's got some major restrictions48:19 | A Palatable Watch?Google Pixel Watch review: Fashion over fitnessThe Google Pixel Watch's health and fitness features spell trouble for Apple WatchGoogle makes solid hardware, so why aren't more people buying its products?Find the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJulesReach out to us - podcast@androidpolice.comMusic - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0

What's been made by Google can be unmade by Google, too. Yes, there was a big event last week that focused on refining what can be considered to be a successful hardware line. We also had a bunch of sticky notes reminding us to come back to other bits later. And then there's the juxtaposition of demise as we examine how Google continues to fail consumers with an emboldened policy of attrition toward programs like Stadia. We're riding the pendulum on this episode of the Android Police podcast.05:11 | Pixel PhonesGoogle Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro hands-on: Refined eleganceThe Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are here: Google nails the balancing act29:03 | Pixel WatchGoogle Pixel Watch hands-on: Trying to live up to the hypeThe Google Pixel Watch is finally here with a premium $350 price tag39:51 | MiscellanyGoogle teases Pixel Tablet once again, reveals magnetic speaker dockGoogle Pixel Tablet may have two different dock optionsGoogle's new wired Nest Doorbell is here a whole year after being teased47:24 | The endIt's game over for Stadia, will shut down in early 2023How to receive a Google Stadia refundFind the team on Twitter - @journeydan @AraWagco @Will_Sattelberg @PointJulesReach out to us - podcast@androidpolice.comMusic - "18" and "34" by HOME licensed under CC BY 3.0