Google Pixel

To celebrate another summer of football courtesy of the European Championships, Google has launched the “Kick with Pixel” interactive web-based mobile game.

Android 14 QPR3 is rolling out and brings a number of fixes for the Pixel 8 series and other current Google devices.

In addition to the Feature Drop, Google is rolling out QPR3 to Android 14 with the June 2024 security patch for the latest Pixel devices: 5a, 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a, Tablet, Fold, 8, 8 Pro, and 8a.

Google is rolling out the June 2024 Pixel Feature Drop alongside Android 14 QPR3 today. This should be the last major update before Android 15 later this year.

Last month, Google removed its list of countries where “5G on your Pixel” is supported. While a replacement is still not available, Google now provides a little bit more information in an updated support page.

After being called out for a controversial repair policy recently, Google has updated its policy around Pixel devices sent in with unauthorized parts.

Google made a big commitment with the Pixel 8 last year with the promise of 7 years of software updates and, now, Apple has confirmed that that’s more than an iPhone will be guaranteed.

Google’s repair policy for Pixel devices was briefly under fire when it was noticed that the company would not return a device to the owner if it used “unauthorized parts.” Now, the company is striking that from its policy.

With VPN by Google One shutting down starting June 20, Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a, and Fold owners are starting to see their intended replacement go live. 

Pixie first came to light in December. The Information revealed the existence of an AI assistant that will be exclusive to Google’s Pixel devices.

While VPN by Google One is going away next month, the company will continue to offer a virtual private network for Pixel owners. Ahead of that, the service is now called “Pixel VPN by Google.”

In July of 2023, Google’s switch from Samsung to TSMC for the Tensor G5 was definitively reported, and additional confirmation today shows that work towards the Pixel 10 is continuing. 

For those not on Android 15, Google has released Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.2 for Pixel today. It comes nearly two months after the last release on this track. A stable 14 QPR3 release is expected at the start of June.

Last month, Google Photos announced that it would be making Magic Editor and other AI-powered tools free for all Android and iOS users. There are some constraints, but this is now starting to roll out for Pixel owners. 

Audio Emoji was officially announced with the Pixel 8a, and it’s now seeing wide availability in the Phone app on Google devices.

Google Pixel users will be getting a future update that brings control over smart home devices from the Google Home app to their phone’s Bedtime mode.

Over the weekend the Northern Lights – aurora borealis – were visible from huge portions of the globe, including my own home in North Carolina. I never imagined I’d be able to capture photos of the Northern Lights from my own backyard, but an even better surprise were the time-lapses my Google Pixel 8 Pro captured.