This was a big week in the Android ecosystem, with Google confirming the shutdown of Assistant, more news about Samsung’s One UI 7 rollout, and a surprise new HTC phone. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.
The Big News
RIP: Google Assistant Will Be Fully Replaced by Gemini Later This Year
Google Assistant’s days are numbered. Later in 2025, Google officially plans to replace Assistant with Gemini on Android phones. This comes after the company has spent the last year releasing feature updates aimed at bringing Gemini up to par with the much older Google Assistant. Continue reading…
Samsung Improves Its Now Bar Ahead of One UI 7 Rollout
Samsung’s new One UI 7 update based on Android 15 has a lot to offer, and one of my favorite features (even if it’s a bit half-baked) is the new “Now Bar” on the Galaxy S25. This week, Samsung started pushing out a much-needed update to improve the Now Bar, likely ahead of the broader One UI 7 release next month. Continue reading…
Microsoft Edge on Android Has Extensions Now (Before Chrome)
There are a handful of Android browsers with support for extensions–including Firefox–and now Microsoft Edge is officially joining the club. The most recent version of the app brings an Extension Store with 22 extensions at launch. Continue reading…
Android 16 Is Nearly Ready for Prime Time With the Release of Beta 3
The latest Android 16 beta has arrived, and it marks Platform Stability. That means the APIs and app-facing behaviors are finalized. We’re very close to the final version that will be released in just a few months. Continue reading…
The Chromecast with Google TV Is Finally Getting Android 14
If you’re still using a Chromecast with Google TV dongle we have some good news. Even though Google discontinued these popular little gadgets, your old Chromecast is about to get an update to Android 14 with a few changes and new features. Continue reading…
Samsung Rolls Out the Android 15 Beta to More Galaxy Phones and Tablets
After a much longer wait than anyone expected, Samsung is finally ready to send its highly anticipated Galaxy Android 15 (One UI 7) beta to more users. Today, Samsung expanded its One UI 7 beta to the older Galaxy S23 series and Galaxy Tab S10. Continue reading…
HTC Came Down from Android Heaven to Sell Boring Phones
Legendary smartphone brand HTC officially reentered the Android market last year. Unfortunately, the company’s U24 Pro wasn’t a stunner, and it seems that HTC is continuing down a less-than-innovative path with the launch of its new Wildfire E5 Plus handset. Continue reading…
Google Messages Is Finally Fixing Images and Videos
Have you noticed that images and videos seem a bit broken on Google Messages? It’s not just you; others are experiencing similar issues. I’m talking about app slowdowns, images failing to load, blurry videos, and other complaints. Google is aware of these problems and is actively fixing them. Continue reading…
Google Pixel March Update Causing Screen and Haptic Issues
Pixel phone owners love it when Google releases one of its feature-drop updates, enabling new features and fixing bugs on their phones. But if you haven’t updated to the latest one yet, it might be a good idea to wait a few days. Continue reading…
Future OnePlus Phones Will Steal This Controversial iPhone Feature
Future OnePlus phones will use a multi-function Action button instead of an Alert Slider. This marks a major change in OnePlus’ brand identity, as the Alert Slider is fairly unique in the world of Android. Continue reading…
A 3D Printed Keyboard Case Turns an Old Samsung Phone Into a Mini Laptop
Phones with physical keyboards are mostly a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean everyone is happy about it. An industrious hardware modder took matters into their own hands and added a sliding keyboard to a Samsung Galaxy Note 10+. Continue reading…
Samsung’s Android 16 Update Should Have a Faster Rollout
Samsung has been panned for the fact it’s taking a long time to bring Android 15 to its smartphones. The company seems to be hard at work ensuring that doesn’t happen again for the next major Android update, though. Continue reading…
Android Is Officially Getting Lock Screen Widgets (Again)
We’re in the middle of finding out what exactly will be coming with the release of Android 16 this Summer. The latest addition is a feature that hasn’t been officially available on Android devices for over a decade: lock screen widgets. Continue reading…
Google’s Gboard Keyboard Update Isn’t Popular with Everyone
If you have an Android phone, you likely use Google’s default software keyboard, Gboard. And if you recently noticed things looking wildly different, it’s not just you. Google is apparently testing a few big design changes for Gboard, and not everyone is happy about how things look. Continue reading…
The Other Stuff
Apple confirmed it plans to support end-to-end encryption in RCS messaging, which should make text conversations between Android and iPhone owners more secure, once everything is up and running. Signal is still the way to go for truly secure and safe texts and group chats, but with RCS increasingly replacing SMS as the default texting infastructure, it’s great to see that become more secure as well.
Sonos also officially cancelled its TV streaming device this week, which was rumored to be a media center hub with Sonos speaker integration and passthrough HDMI inputs. It was reportedly based on Android, but probably wouldn’t have used official builds of Android TV or Google TV with the Google Play Store.
