Tag: Google

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Google is setting up the Pixel ecosystem, and Apple better watch out

The ethos of connected products that work well together is starting to shape nearly all tech companies.

Google came out strong at I/O 2022 with a perspective lineup of products and updates designed to spread the Google experience further than ever before. Even Samsung and Windows are starting to play nice as the companies realize that a phone and computer are more helpful when connected. Not to be left out, Carl Pei’s startup Nothing is touting its goal of making its products work cohesively in an Apple-like way, and the company hasn’t even released its first smartphone yet.

Google’s strategy is the most exciting since the company has the backing, talent and, most importantly, its own chip. Tensor might not be a true Apple M1 or iPhone chip series competitor yet, but the possibility of Google being a full-stack hardware and software giant moves it closer to Apple than ever before. And if there is a company that can match Apple’s chips, I’d bet on the big G.

If Google can keep its software polished and its prices low, it’s setting up its devices to look very desirable.

Google Tensor chip

There’s no denying that Samsung has the power to do this too, but the company’s approach feels too disparate and niche. In reality, Samsung is primarily a hardware maker that runs Windows and Android on its devices. Even its product lineup is too diverse.

Since Google steers the Android ship and has Chrome OS (as lacklustre as it is currently), it’s better positioned to create a cohesive ecosystem. The company isn’t distracted by making TVs, Microwaves, fridges, laptops, Chromebooks, smartphones and more. Sure, Google has more software endeavours than Samsung, and the Nest line offers a lot of products, but its consumer-facing hardware is starting to share a consistent look and feel that’s very Apple-like.

Look no further than all of the products Google unveiled at I/O 2022 to see how clearly the company is trying to meld its products together this year.

Google still has a long way to go, but it finally seems to recognize that it’s not competing with only the iPhone — it’s competing with the entire Apple ecosystem.

Read more about Google I/O 2022

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Mobile Syrup

Google Nest Wifi is now discounted by $70, dropping its price to $129

Google is placing its Nest Wifi point on sale. Currently, those looking to pick up their first Nest Wifi Point for their mesh system can purchase one for $129. The company has dropped its standard $199 price for the time being.

As first discovered by RedFlagDeals, the Google Nest Wifi Point is offering $70 worth of savings for those purchasing a device.

In addition, the Nest Wifi Router and Access Point combo are discounted by $100. This may be a great option for anyone who is considering investing in a Google mesh system for their Wi-Fi.

When paired with a Nest Wifi Router, the Google Nest Wifi point is said to provide a strong enough wireless connection for up to 200 connected devices. The Nest Wifi point is also fast enough to stream multiple 4K videos at a time. One Nest Wifi point can sufficiently cover up to 2,200 square feet of space.

As with other Google-made products, the Google Nest Wifi point integrates into the Google ecosystem. It features Google Assistant features and can be controlled through the Google Home app on iOS and Android.

There’s currently no word on how long the Nest Wifi point is on sale.

Image credit: Google

Source: RedFladDeals

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Mobile Syrup

How does Google’s Pixel 6a compare to the iPhone SE and iPhone 11?

Google finally revealed its new mid-range handset, the $600 Pixel 6a, which puts it in striking distance of Apple’s new iPhone SE (2022) and the aging iPhone 11.

The new Pixel 6a is an impressive phone packing a lot of exciting flagship components, like the Tensor chipset, with lower-cost hardware materials and older cameras. Overall it seems like a competent phone, but there are some drawbacks. For instance, if you’re used to a high refresh rate display, dropping down to the 60Hz panel on the 6a could be jarring.

Luckily enough, the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE make similar compromises, so finding the best bang for your buck phone will likely depend on your preferences.

Specs

Pixel 6a

iPhone SE (2022)

iPhone 11

Display

6.1-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2400) OLED display, 429ppi, 60Hz refresh rate

4.7-inch, Retina HD, LCD display, 1334 x 750 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

6.1-inch, LCD Liquid Retina display, 1792 x 828 pixels

Processor

Tensor

Apple A15 Bionic

A13 Bionic chip

RAM

6GB of RAM

4GB

4GB

Storage

128GB

64GB, 128GB, 256GB

64GB, 128GB, 256GB

Dimensions (in.)

152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9 mm

138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm

150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm

Weight

178 grams

148g

194g

Rear Facing Camera

12.2-megapixel (primary) + 12-megapixel (ultrawide)

12-megapixel (f/1.8, OIS, wide angle)

12-megapixel (f/1.8, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra wide), quad-LED ‘True Tone’ flash

Front Facing Camera

8-megapixel

7-megapixel (f/2.2)

12-megapixel (f/2.2)

OS

Android 12

iOS 15

iOS 13

Battery

4410mAh

3046mAh

Network Connectivity

GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G

LTE/ 5G

GSM/HSPA/LTE

Sensors

Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometor, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

Touch ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

TrueDepth Camera Sensor, Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

SIM Type

Nano SIM, eSIM

Nano SIM, eSIM

Nano SIM, eSIM

Launch Date

July 28, 2022

March 18, 2022

September 20, 2019

Misc

No headphone jack / colours: Chalk, Charcoal, Sage

Colours: Starlight, Midnight, Product Red

Colours: Black, Green, Yellow, Product Red, Purple, White |

Display

Pixel 6a

6.1-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2400) OLED display, 429ppi, 60Hz refresh rate

iPhone SE (2022)

4.7-inch, Retina HD, LCD display, 1334 x 750 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

iPhone 11

6.1-inch, LCD Liquid Retina display, 1792 x 828 pixels

Processor

Pixel 6a

Tensor

iPhone SE (2022)

Apple A15 Bionic

iPhone 11

A13 Bionic chip

RAM

Pixel 6a

6GB of RAM

iPhone SE (2022)

4GB

iPhone 11

4GB

Storage

Pixel 6a

128GB

iPhone SE (2022)

64GB, 128GB, 256GB

iPhone 11

64GB, 128GB, 256GB

Dimensions (in.)

Pixel 6a

152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9 mm

iPhone SE (2022)

138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm

iPhone 11

150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm

Weight

Pixel 6a

178 grams

iPhone SE (2022)

148g

iPhone 11

194g

Rear Facing Camera

Pixel 6a

12.2-megapixel (primary) + 12-megapixel (ultrawide)

iPhone SE (2022)

12-megapixel (f/1.8, OIS, wide angle)

iPhone 11

12-megapixel (f/1.8, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra wide), quad-LED ‘True Tone’ flash

Front Facing Camera

Pixel 6a

8-megapixel

iPhone SE (2022)

7-megapixel (f/2.2)

iPhone 11

12-megapixel (f/2.2)

OS

Pixel 6a

Android 12

iPhone SE (2022)

iOS 15

iPhone 11

iOS 13

Battery

Pixel 6a

4410mAh

iPhone SE (2022)

iPhone 11

3046mAh

Network Connectivity

Pixel 6a

GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G

iPhone SE (2022)

LTE/ 5G

iPhone 11

GSM/HSPA/LTE

Sensors

Pixel 6a

Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometor, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

iPhone SE (2022)

Touch ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

iPhone 11

TrueDepth Camera Sensor, Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

SIM Type

Pixel 6a

Nano SIM, eSIM

iPhone SE (2022)

Nano SIM, eSIM

iPhone 11

Nano SIM, eSIM

Launch Date

Pixel 6a

July 28, 2022

iPhone SE (2022)

March 18, 2022

iPhone 11

September 20, 2019

Misc

Pixel 6a

No headphone jack / colours: Chalk, Charcoal, Sage

iPhone SE (2022)

Colours: Starlight, Midnight, Product Red

iPhone 11

Colours: Black, Green, Yellow, Product Red, Purple, White |

It should be noted that Apple only sells the iPhone 11 with 64GB of storage, and by the fall, it will be replaced by the iPhone 12.

Design and size

Phone size is pretty subjective, but we’ve trended towards larger devices over the last few years. The new 6.1-inch screen sizes of the iPhone 11 and the Pixel 6a seems like the most appealing of all the screens. However, it’s expected that the 6a’s OLED panel will look a lot nicer than the older LCD panels Apple uses in low-cost phones.

Since both the iPhone 11 and 6a are very similarly sized, we expect both to feel decent in hand, but the glass back of the iPhone 11 is likely more premium than the Pixel’s polycarbonate.

One notable thing that all three phones share is that they use metal sides which is nice to see.

If you desperately crave a smaller phone, the iPhone SE is for you, but most people will likely enjoy the screen and phone size of the Pixel 6a the most.

Battery life

Battery life is a little more up in the air. Personally, I’ve found the Pixel 6 to be about average in my limited testing, and the iPhone 11 is surprisingly good. That said, the smaller screen and lower refresh rate combined with less RAM could make the Pixel 6a last a few hours longer than the 6.

The iPhone SE’s battery, on the other hand, is fine. It’s a small phone, but it also has a tiny screen and runs iOS, so the battery life is pretty solid.

All three phones support moderately slow fast-charging at around 20-watts, so there are no notable differences here. It’s likely that the smaller battery on the iPhone SE will charge the fastest, though.

Camera

All three phones are using older camera systems, but I’d be hesitant to call them outdated. The 6a and the iPhone 11 both have a standard camera and an ultrawide lens. The iPhone SE only has the standard camera.

The Pixel 6a uses the essentially same 12-megapixel sensor primary camera that Google used from the Pixel 3 to the Pixel 5a. It’s a solid lens/sensor combo, but it’s not the 50-megapixel powerhouse on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. This stings because usually, the Pixel a-series of phones is known for sharing the same camera hardware as the flagships. That flipped this time when Google sacrificed the camera in the name of performance and brought over the Tensor chip instead.

The iPhone 11 and SE also use 12-megapixel cameras. Both are very comparable and stand up fine in day-to-day use. Overall, Google’s camera system might be a little more fun with things like ‘Magic Eraser’ and ‘Real Tone.’

Performance

There’s not a lot to say here. All the phones should hold up decently well over the years, but the iPhone 11 is the most outdated of the three.

The iPhone SE is likely the model I’d trust to last the longest since it’s got an A15 Bionic inside. The Google Tensor chipset inside the Pixel 6a is also a flagship chip, but in benchmarks, it actually trades blows very closely with the iPhone 11, according to a benchmarking website called Nanoreview.net. Tensor is likely better, but by less than you’d think.

Overall I expect the Pixel 6a to perform similarly to the Pixel 6 in most cases, which is to say that it will be enough for most people. Still, mobile photo editors might notice an increase in photo export and editing times.

Pricing

  • iPhone 11 — $679
  • iPhone SE (2022) — $579
  • Pixel 6a — $599′

It’s worth noting that both of the iPhones start with 64GB of storage. The Pixel 6a instead is packed with 128GB. The SE with that much is $649 and the iPhone 11 goes up to $749.

There’s a mid-range phone for everyone

I’m tempted by the Pixel 6a. I think the modern look combined with the dual-camera system and likely vibrant screen would sway me if I was looking at this from a hardware standpoint.

Obviously, most people will likely be swayed by their operating system of choice, and to that, I will say that sometimes the most fun part of switching to a new device is learning some of the fun tricks of the OS.

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Pixel 6a expected to use different fingerprint scanner than Pixel 6 and 6 Pro

It looks like the Pixel 6a’s fingerprint scanner might be better than the other 6-series Pixel handsets. Google’s Rick Osterloh confirmed to Android Central that this phone is set to use a different in-display fingerprint scanner than the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.

Many have issues with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro’s fingerprint scanner, so we’re hoping to see a better fingerprint sensor this time around. However, the Pixel 6a’s scanner could actually end up being the worst, if the company was only changing the fingerprint scanner just to keep costs lower.

It’d be great, however, if the Pixel 6a fingerprint scanner is faster and more accurate than the 6 and 6 Pro’s. Unfortunately, it’s likely that we’re going to see another optical reader instead of ultrasonic fingerprint readers like on Samsung’s flagship, but even Samsung uses the optical scanner on its A series smartphones.

We’re expecting to learn more about Pixel 6a’s fingerprint sensor in the coming months.

Google’s Pixel 6a will launch on July 28th in Canada for $599.99. 

Source: Android Central

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Google ditches the headphone jack from the Pixel 6a

Google unveiled the Pixel 6a at its I/O event on Wednesday. In Canada, the phone costs $599 and comes with the company’s top-of-the-line Tensor chipset. However, Google neglected to mention one important missing feature: the Pixel 6 ditches the 3.5mm headphone jack.

This is a first for Google’s entry-level a-series smartphone line.

Though I don’t use wired headphones anymore, the 3.5mm headphone jack in the Pixel a-series has been a staple for years now and makes sense given the device’s entry-level position.

Apple started the industry shift to ditch the headphone jack back in 2016 with the iPhone 7. Then Samsung followed suit pretty much right after making fun of Apple for doing the exact same thing. Even Google made jokes at Apple’s expense at one point.

While Google’s Pixel 6a won’t feature a headphone jack, it does sport 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a Tensor chip and more.

Image credit: Google 

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Mobile Syrup

What are you most excited about from Google I/O 2022?

At I/O 2022,  Google revealed several new features for Assistant, new Multisearch functionality, a new Maps feature called ‘Immersive View,’ Android 13 Beta 2, the Pixel Buds Pro, the Pixel 6a, the Pixel 7 series, the Pixel Watch and even the Pixel Tablet.

I’m personally the most excited to see the Pixel 7 Pro. That said, we only got to see the device’s rear, but that’s already got me pretty pumped about the device. The Pixel 7 Pro will sport Android 13 and the new Tensor chip. It also features a more elegant design and comes in a new Hazel colour that’s almost green, almost grey and offers a golden visor.

The Pixel 7 Pro series won’t release until sometime this fall.

W

What did you find the most exciting out of all of these announcements?  Let us know in the comments below.

Check out all of the news from Google I/O 2022, here. 

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Mobile Syrup

Here’s how the Pixel 6a squares up against the Pixel 4a and Pixel 6

After months of leaks and rumours, Google finally announced its latest mid-range smartphone, the Pixel 6a, at the Mountain View, California-based company’s I/O event.

The new mid-range smartphone costs $599, and will be available for pre-order on July 21st.

So before you make plans to get your hands on the new Pixel device, you might want to compare how it holds its own against the 2020-released Pixel 4a 5G and the 2021-released Pixel 6 5G.

Note: The Pixel 5a never made it to Canada, so we’ve decided to exclude it from the comparison. Also, we decided to include the Pixel 4a, even though it is no longer available to purchase since several Canadians who own the phone might be looking to upgrade.

Display

We sure have come a long way with Pixel smartphones. The 2020-release Pixel 4a featured a 6.2-inch Full HD+ (FHD+) OLED display with 413 ppi max brightness, whereas last year’s flagship, the Pixel 6 boasted a 6.4-inch FHD+ OLED display with 411 ppi peak brightness. While the 4a was capped at a 60Hz refresh rate, the Pixel 6 could go up to 90 Hz.

In comparison, the new Pixel 6a sports a 60Hz 6.1-inch FHD+ OLE display with max 429 ppi brightness along with HDR support. HDR is also present in the Pixel 6, however, it was missing in the Pixel 4a.

All three devices feature Always-on display and Corning Gorilla Glass.

Battery

The new Pixel 6a features a decent 4410 mAh, which is slightly smaller than the Pixel 6’s 4614 mAh battery, but considerably bigger than the Pixel 4a’s 3885 mAh battery. All three phones can last beyond 24 hours, though life may vary depending on usage.

Additionally, all three phones also feature fast charging, though the 4a can only go up to 18w, whereas the Pixel 6 can achieve a 21W top charging speed. The 6a, on the other hand, just like the 4a, is capable of max 18w charging speed.

The Pixel 6 also supports fast wireless charging, along with battery sharing, two features that are absent on the Pixel 4a and 6a.

Internals

The new Pixel 6a and the 4a both feature 6GB of RAM, whereas the 2021 flagship Pixel 6 features a higher 8GB RAM. All three devices offer 128GB of storage, along with a fingerprint sensor for authentication.

The 2021-release 4a was powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G Octa-Core processor, whereas the Pixel 6 and 6a both run on the company’s in-house Tensor chipset.

The Pixel 6 launched with Android 12, and so will the Pixel 6a. In contrast, the Pixel 4a launched with Android 11, though owners of the device can update to Android 12.

All three devices feature stereo speakers, though only the Pixel 4a sports a 3.5mm audio jack.

Camera

The Pixel 6a features two 12-megapixel rear cameras (wide and ultra-wide angle), whereas the 2021-released Pixel 4a featured a 12.2-megapixel wide and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide setup. The Pixel 6 leaves both of the other devices in the dust with its 50-megapixel wide and 12-megapixel ultrawide setup.

All three devices offer optical image stabilization, though the Pixel 4a and the Pixel 6a also offer electronic image stabilization.

On the front, all three devices offer an eight-megapixel selfie shooter with ƒ/2.0 aperture and fixed focus.

Below is a list of all the camera features that the three devices have in common:

  • Night Sight
  • Top Shot
  • Portrait mode
  • Super Res Zoom
  • Motion Auto-Focus
  • Live HDR+
  • Frequent Faces
  • Dual exposure controls
  • Cinematic Pan
  • Ultrawide lens
  • Portrait Light

Then there are camera features like Magic Eraser, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Panorama and Manual white balancing that are exclusive to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a.

Price

The Pixel 4a 5G was released for $679 back in 2021, whereas last year’s flagship — the Pixel 6 is available for $799.

The new mid-range Pixel 6a smartphone costs $599 CAD, and will be available for pre-order on July 21st. 

On paper, the Pixel 6a is definitely a big upgrade from the 2020-released Pixel 4a, though the Pixel 6 still remains the king. Stay tuned to MobileSyrup for a full in-depth review in the coming weeks to see how the 6a puts up in real-world use.

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Google unveils Pixel Watch, Pixel 7 series, Pixel 6a and Buds Pro at I/O 2022

While Google’s I/O conference often places a significant emphasis on software updates and launches, this year’s keynote offered a look at more hardware than we’d typically expect.

In order of most to least exciting, let’s get into it:

Pixel Watch

After years of waiting, Google has finally unveiled the Pixel Watch.

While we expected to see the watch, it’s pretty exciting to finally get more details about the wearable. First and foremost, this device won’t launch until later this fall, alongside the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. This means we should expect an October launch for the Pixel Watch.

The watch will run WearOS and features “deep integration” with Fitbit and its heart rate, sleep and fitness tracking tech. While Google didn’t reveal much about the wearable, it did mention that the watch will feature a voice assistant, wallet integration, and support for the Google Home app.

You can learn more about Google’s new wearable, here.

Pixel 7 and 7 Pro

While we expected to see the Pixel Watch, catching a glimpse of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro was a surprise.

Google revealed the back of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro devices. We don’t know much about these two smartphones, but they both will offer the next generation of the Google Tensor chip, Android 13 and more.

You can learn more about the Pixel 7 series, here. 

Pixel 6a

Google has unveiled its Pixel 6a, and while that might not be the most exciting announcement from the keynote, it’s been a full two years since we saw an a-series Pixel smartphone in Canada. The phone will retail at $599 and will be available for pre-order on July 21st and available July 28th.

The Pixel 6a features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a centred hole-punch selfie camera and 60Hz refresh rate, and two 12-megapixel sensors (wide and ultra-wide angle) on the Pixel 6-like visor. Additionally, it sports 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, an 8-megapixel shooter in the front and a 4,410mAh battery.

Check out more details about the Pixel 6a, here. 

Pixel Buds Pro

We expected to see the Pixel 6a at Google I/O 2022, but the Pixel Buds Pro are more of a surprise. While the earbuds leaked a month ago, we assumed it would be at least a few more months before we learned more about Google’s high-end wireless earbuds.

The Pixel Buds Pro will cost $259 in Canada. It’s currently only possible to subscribe for updates on the Buds Pro on Google’s Canadian website. We haven’t verified Canadian availability, but in the U.S., the Pixel buds will launch alongside the Pixel 6a on July 21st.

Like Apple’s AirPods, Google says the Pixel Buds Pro are designed to automatically switch between Android devices via “intelligent” audio switching. The Buds Pro are also IPX4 water-resistant.

For more on the Pixel Buds Pro, click here. 

Pixel Tablet

Google is working on tablets again. This tablet won’t launch until 2023, but we know it will run on the Google Tensor chip.

The front of the tablet in an image that flashed on-screen looks like the display of a Nest Hub. The front-facing camera is also set to be on top when you hold the tablet in landscape, which should be great when video-calling loved ones.

It also seems like the Pixel Tablet is launching in white and green colour variants, but these are probably subject to change.

You can learn more about the Pixel Tablet, here.

For all of our content from I/O 2022, follow this link.

Image Credit: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Google is making a Pixel tablet in 2023

Next year Google is going full force into the digital ecosystem mode by launching a new tablet called the Pixel Tablet.

This new tablet will be running on a Google Tensor chip, just like the Pixel 6 series. This makes sense since Google made such a big deal at I/O about making tablets a bigger focus of Android (again)…

It’s unclear why Google showed off this tablet so early, but the model that flashed on-screen looks like someone just ripped the display off of a Nest Hub. Even the front-facing camera is on the top of the tablet when you hold it in landscape mode. Hopefully, Apple will learn a thing or two from this with its next iPad.

It’s also hard to tell how large this upcoming tablet will be, but it looks more like the size of a standard iPad, not an iPad mini which is likely to disappoint anyone hoping Google would go back to the Nexus 7-sized devices.

At the end of the tablet tease, Google showed a close-up of a Google logo with four dots underneath it. These dots look a little bit like the iPad smart connector that Apple uses on the iPad Air and Pro models, suggesting that the Pixel Tablet will be sold alongside some sort of keyboard, possibly like the Pixel Slate that ran Chrome OS a few years ago.

More to come…

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Android 13 public beta is live now with lots of new features

After months of betas, Google finally dropped the full version of Android 13 for Pixel devices.

The update is rolling out today and includes tons of subtle new features like a new Now Playing notification, better-theming options, Google Wallet and more.

This year’s update is less focused on reimagining Android and instead seems like it’s full of refinements that will ideally make Android 13 a little more user-friendly than Android 12, at least visually. Behind the scenes, some changes hopefully set the stage for significant Android updates to come.

Beta rolling out today!

Google mentioned that the beta is rolling out today. Usually, at past I/O events, it rolls out the beta for Pixel phones and then supported devices from other manufacturers will also start rolling out a little more sporadically.

On stage, Google showed off that OnePlus, Nokia, Oppo, Lenovo, Asus, ZTE and more will all be getting the beta updates.

Pushing RCS Chat

Onstage at Google I/O, the company made a big show about going that all manufacturers would switch over to RCS chat to help provide users with encrypted private chats, unlike traditional SMS messages.

Google has been pushing RCS for years as the Android alternative to Android, but I’m not sure if this latest bit of showmanship will make a difference. Hopefully, it can, though, as Android and RCS chats get even closer to Chromebooks. We’ve been waiting for Android and Chrome OS to get closer for years, and this year, that is finally happening.

New Now playing notification

One of the more visual flairs to be stuck in Android 13 is a new Now Playing interface on your lock screen and in the notification shade. It looks really nice and uses the album art in the card which seems pretty unique.

Google has also added a more squiggly line to this system which looks incredible. It was a bit weird that Google showed off this squiggle so much around the release of Android 12 and then never really used it in the OS; therefore, I’m excited that it’s finally here.

Better Smart home control

An update is coming to the smart home control toggles, so now users no longer need to unlock their phone to use the shortcuts that appear on your lock screen when you hold down the power button.

This is pretty sweet, but it’s not on by default, so you need to enable it within your phone’s settings.

Google Wallet

The new Google Wallet is vastly improved over the old version and at a baseline, it functions more like the Apple Wallet. This means you can store boarding passes, car keys, vaccine cards and more.

Google is even loading up Google wallet with the ability to take driver’s licenses, but that likely will need government approval where ever you are.

According to Google, the new Google Wallet app is rolling out to Android and Wear OS devices in the coming weeks.

Better foldable device and tablet integrations

Now on foldable devices, the notification shade is more significant to take advantage of the larger interior screen on foldable.

There’s also a new consistent menu bar that stays along the bottom of the screen like the Chrome OS taskbar. It’s pretty cool and seems very handy.

To continue down this path google has updated 20 of its apps to be optimized for larger screens. This includes Maps, YouTube Music and Messages. Even some third-party apps like Tiktok and FaceBook are revamping their apps for tablet-sized Android devices.

Better theme controls

One of the most exciting updates in Android 12 (at least on Pixels) was the new device theme options. However, some users found that the colour palette that Google offered them was a little lacklustre.

That all changes in Android 13 now that Google presents users with 16 colour combos instead of just four.

Another pain point in Google’s heavy-handed customization efforts last year was that third-party apps don’t play nice with the new universal colour icons. This might change with the new update since Google has now published the code so other developers can take advantage of the colour theming.

This likely won’t spur all Android developers to adopt this new icon style, but, it will get most of them.

Google Cast controls are spreading

Google glazed over this announcement at I/O 2022, but Casting technology is coming to cars running Android Automotive like the Polestar 2 and from Chromebooks.

Improved QR scanner

Better late than never, Google has added a quick access QR scanner to Android. Now you can place a quick toggle above your notifications that opens up a new scanning interface.

This new interface is a simple camera, but instead of the QR code’s link popping up in the middle of the screen, it appears along the bottom to make it easy to open with one hand. Hopefully, other manufacturers will notice this and bring it to more QR code interfaces.

Silent night

Google has tweaked how the silent mode works on Pixel phones in Android 13 by removing a lot of the vibrations from the phone as well as the sounds.

This is likely to be more controversial, so we’ll need to go test it more in the full release to see how it really feels.

A new clipboard

Now in Android 13 copy/paste looks a bit different. Whenever you copy/cut something, it will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen as a bubble, similar to the screenshot interface.

Also like when you take a screenshot, you can tap on the copied text and edit it easily if you want to change it slightly before you paste it.

To take this to the next level, you can even cloud copy/paste between Android and Chrome OS just like you can with an iPhone and a MacBook.

More to come…