Tag: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Pixel 6 weather widget shows up in Google app beta teardown

Those paying close attention to Google’s Pixel 6 ads may have noticed a fancy new weather widget. However, that widget so far hasn’t been available to older Pixel phones — it seems that may change.

9to5Google uncovered two new weather widgets in a teardown of the Google app beta version 12.37 APK file. There are two versions of the widget: a pill shape on an angle and a boring old square with rounded corners.

Although more interesting, the weird angled pill widget doesn’t show nearly as much information. It offers up the temperature and an icon indicating the current weather condition. The square version, on the other hand, offers temperature, current weather, the day’s high and low and your location.

Both widgets look nice and adapt their colours to your wallpaper in Android 12. At the moment, it’s not clear if these widgets will be available on older versions of Android.

Also, for anyone desperately wanting to get their hands on the new weather widgets, they’re not officially available yet. You’ll have to wait for them to launch, presumably alongside Android 12 and the Pixel 6 later this year.

Screenshots credit: 9to5Google

Source: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Short hands-on clip shows off pre-production Pixel 6 Pro

Google’s upcoming Pixel 6 Pro has turned up in a hands-on video posted online, giving viewers a good look at the back of the device and what appears to be a refreshed set-up screen.

Spotted by a Discord user and uploaded to Twitter by Brandon Lee (@thisistechtoday), the video shows what appears to be a pre-production Pixel 6 Pro. In the brief clip, the person holding the device shows the screen, rotates the phone to show the back glass, then flips it back to the screen.

While showing the screen, you can make out the centred hole-punch camera at the top of the display. The screen is black with colourful shape outlines moving around on the panel. There’s a message towards the bottom that says “Welcome to your Pixel,” along with typical first-set-up options like picking your language.

As the phone flips over, viewers can briefly see how the display curves over the edge. Additionally, you can kind of see how large the camera bump is.

Once the Pixel 6 Pro is flipped over, you can see the two-tone grey back panel. Thanks to the lighting in the video, it’s very clear that the Pixel 6 Pro sports a glossy back panel (lame). You can also see what appears to be a messed-up Google ‘G’ logo — 9to5Google notes that pre-production Pixel devices often sport a similar logo.

Still, as much as I despise glossy glass back panels, the Pixel 6 Pro looks pretty great. This new hands-on leak is just further building on my excitement for the Pixel 6 line.

Source: @thisistechtoday Via: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Pixel 6 and 6 Pro surface on Canada’s Radio Equipment List

Google’s upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro recently turned up on Canada’s Radio Equipment List (REL).

The REL is an online database of devices and radio equipment certified for use in Canada — smartphones tend to pop up on the REL ahead of launching in Canada.

We’ve known the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro would come here for a while, but it’s nice to see actual confirmation courtesy of the government.

Unfortunately, the REL doesn’t offer much else beyond that. It confirms the names of the phones and their model number (GB7N6 for the Pixel 6 and GLU0G for the 6 Pro). The list also notes that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are phones, but we already knew that. Finally, the REL lists both devices as being approved on September 20th.

However, the REL date doesn’t have any bearing on when a device will launch in Canada. For example, Google’s Pixel 4a received approval on May 7th, 2020. However, Google didn’t announce the phone until August, and it didn’t go on sale in Canada until September 10th. Though Google says the devices are scheduled to launch this fall. 

If you want to check out the listing for yourself, head to the REL website. Due to how the website is set up, we can’t offer a direct link to the listing, but if you search ‘Pixel 6’ in the ‘Product Marketing Name’ section, the REL should surface both results.

Source: REL

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Mobile Syrup

Google Pixel Foldable concept video shows off cool design

Yesterday, a leak about a Google Pixel foldable with the codename ‘Jumbojack’ surfaced on the net. Now, Waqar Khan, a well-known designer, has released a design concept video of that phone based on the leaks.

The foldable concept looks like it was inspired by both the Pixel 6 Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3. 

The designer added the look of the Pixel 6 Pro on the back with the same type of camera design. There’s also a hole-punch camera on the cover screen in the top left corner, and on the larger inner display, there’s a hole punch shooter on the right side.

The hinge looks similar to Samsung’s Z Fold 3, and the device has quite a large bottom bezel and a thick top bezel on the main screen.

Previous rumours indicate that Samsung provided the foldable display tech to Google for this Pixel handset. The rumoured phone will reportedly sport a 7.57-inch panel with a 120Hz panel.

Rumour has it that Google will launch this device before the launch of Android 12.1, so hopefully, that’s before the end of the year. It’s worth mentioning that this is only a concept, and the foldable Pixel smartphone might look very different from what’s seen here.

Source: Waqar Khan, Via: Android Headlines

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Mobile Syrup

Google updates its iOS apps with support for Focus mode

With iOS 15 rolling out to Apple devices, apps are starting to get updates and support new features from the upgrade. That includes Google’s apps — the search giant detailed some of the changes heading to its software for iOS 15.

First up, Google updated its apps to work with the new ‘Focus mode’ in iOS 15. The company shared a few examples of how this works in practice. For one, Google Maps will still push through important notifications, such as navigation. Similarly, Google’s Home app will still send essential notifications, such as if someone’s at the door. Google Tasks will also ignore Focus mode for notifications tied to a specific time.

However, notifications that aren’t urgent will head to the iOS Notification Center when users are in Focus mode.

Another significant (and welcome) change is better Spotlight support for YouTube Music. Users can now search for songs or artists in Spotlight and jump straight into the YouTube Music app to listen to the music. Google says that Drive will also get better with Spotlight but didn’t detail any specific improvement.

And for iPadOS 15, Google confirmed that it’s bringing larger versions of its widgets for Apple tablets that should play nice on big screens.

That’s all Google outlined in its blog post. Overall, no massive changes, but definitely some welcome quality of life improvements for those who use the iPhone or iPad but rely on Google’s services.

Source: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Google changes AOSP default wallpaper after almost five years

Android 12 isn’t even out yet (and won’t officially release until maybe October, according to rumours) and Google is already working on Android 12.1.

9to5Google has reported on this upcoming mid-cycle Android update, noting that it’s still not entirely clear why Google’s working on it or when it will release. However, one change that has been spotted with Android 12.1 is it finally updates the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) default wallpaper.

AOSP is a significant part of the overall Android experience. It represents the open-source foundation for Google’s mobile operating system. The other significant portion comes from Google’s apps, which increasingly offer extra features and functionality (Google Assistant, for example).

Most people will never see an AOSP default wallpaper unless something goes terribly wrong with their phone or they install an Android ROM without any customizations.

Currently, AOSP still uses the ‘pink sky’ wallpaper introduced in 2016 with Android 7.0 Nougat for its default wallpaper. Although few people will likely see this change themselves, it still arguably marks the end of an era.

The new wallpaper, spotted by XDA’s Mishaal Rahman, is… well, I’m not totally sure what it is. But it looks cool and likely highlights Google’s fancy new Material You dynamic colours.

Image credit: Mishaal Rahman

Source: Mishaal Rahman (Twitter) Via: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Here are all the apps with ‘Material You’ design so far

Google seems to be on the verge of releasing Android 12 with its new colour-shifting design.

To help prepare for the launch, we rounded up all of the apps with Material You updates or widgets so far. We should note that these updates are predominantly on Pixel phones, but I’ve noticed a few updates on my OnePlus 9 Pro.

I’ll make sure to mention which apps have rolled out to us so far, and will update the list as more apps roll out to myself and other MobileSyrup staffers. The last time Google did a significant design change, it took a while for all apps to update to support it. Leading into Android 12, it looks like the tech giant is better prepared, but I’d still expect a bit of a delay for all of the apps to catch up with the colour-changing look once the full release of Android 12 drops this fall.

I used a Pixel 4a 5G for most of my testing — it’s running the latest Android 12 beta.

Gboard

Android 11 (Pixel 3 XL) on left – Android 12 (Pixel 4a 5G) on right

Of course, the first app that got updated was the Google keyboard app, Gboard. The app is functionally the same as it was in Android 11, but the buttons are a little more rounded, and it adopts an accent colour based on your wallpaper. I have this app on my Pixel 4a 5G.

Phone

Android 11 (Pixel 3 XL) on left – Android 12 (Pixel 4a 5G) on right

The Phone app has been updated, and the floating action buttons (FAB) are square this time around. They also adopt an accent colour from your phone. This update is live on my OnePlus 9 Pro, but the colours don’t change. Even some of the animations, like the empty voicemail screen, take on your accent colour, and it looks really great on the Pixel 4a 5G.

Calculator

Android 11 (Pixel 3 XL) on left – Android 12 (Pixel 4a 5G) on right

The calculator is also updated, and it looks awesome with a new round button design and bright ever-changing colours. This app is on my Pixel 4a 5G.

Camera

Android 11 (Pixel 3 XL) on left – Android 12 (Pixel 4a 5G) on right

The camera app has been updated slightly to take on the accent colours from your wallpaper. I have this update on my Pixel 4a 5G.

Gmail

Android 11 (Pixel 3 XL) on left – Android 12 (Pixel 4a 5G) on right

The Gmail update, like a lot of these redesigns, is quite subtle. The background colour doesn’t change, but the accent colours do, and the FAB is square this time around to match the other apps. This update is already live on my Pixel 4a 5G and my OnePlus 9 Pro. On the OnePlus (Android 11), the accent colour is locked to blue.

Google

This app gets a little more colour, and the background changes slightly to match your colour scheme, but it’s not overly noticeable. This update hasn’t rolled out to me yet.

Keep Notes

The Keep update is similar to the Google one, with a subtle background colour and brighter accent colours. The one change worth mentioning is that the colourful notes look a little muted compared to how saturated they were before. I think it’s an improvement, as it matches the muted accent colours better. This update hasn’t rolled out to us yet.

Google Meet

Google Meet doesn’t have a lot going on, other than some subtle changes to accent colours. I don’t have this update yet.

Drive

Google Drive has gotten a little more of an update with a slightly reworked bottom bar that now hosts a square action button. All the accent colours also match your wallpaper. This app hasn’t rolled out to us yet.

Docs

Within Docs, the accent colours and toolbars are also taken over by the prominent background colour. Don’t worry though, the workspace areas still have white or black backgrounds. This update is the same across the Google Work suite, so mobile Sheets and Slide users can expect the same changes. I don’t have this update yet.

Calendar

Google Cal users will get an update too, but it won’t look that different since all the existing calendar accent colours will still be there.

Clock

The Clock app has been updated, and it looks pretty sharp. That being said, it’s got a huge ‘Plus’ button at the bottom of the screen. At first I found it a little weird, but it’s since grown on me and makes a lot of sense in the ‘Stopwatch’ section of the app. This update has rolled out to me.

Files

Android 11 (Pixel 3 XL) on left – Android 12 (Pixel 4a 5G) on right

The Files app takes on some colour across the bottom bar and in other accent places. However, it has this strange design feature where the top bar is white until you scroll down, and then it takes on an accent colour. This colour doesn’t extend to the notification bar at the top of the screen, so for me, it looks like a weird red bar. This update has rolled out to me.

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Mobile Syrup

Some users are starting to get Google Photos’ ‘Material You’ update

Google’s Material You design language is hitting a bunch of apps this month, including the Google Chrome beta, Google Keep, Gmail, Google Meet, Google Calendar and more.

Now, some users are saying they’re seeing the update on the Google Photos app.

Spotted by Android Police, the updated Photos app will offer subdued pastels, sort of like the Keep app. Mostly, Android 12 devices are getting this update, but reports indicate older devices are seeing it, too.

The app will feature an oval Search bar, oval highlights on the navigation panel on the bottom, and a rounded-off ‘shared’ album button.

It seems to lack the ‘Dynamic Color’ feature and is only matching basic light or dark themes but not adjusting to your wallpaper.

According to AP, the update doesn’t seem to be linked to any version of the app. It’s also likely that the ‘Dynamic Color’ update will hit when Android 12 officially launches. Rumour has it that Android 12 will officially launch on October 4th. 

Image credit: Android Police

Source: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Pixel 6 now at Google’s New York store in ultimate ‘look, don’t touch’ display

Google’s been on a whacky marketing kick for the upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The company has updated its U.S. Store site with a render of the phone, released a teaser trailer and launched a line of potato chips in Japan.

The company’s latest stunt? Putting the phones in its New York City retail store. That may sound normal at first, but the phones are inside giant glass cases.

It’s the epitome of “look, don’t touch.”

According to details shared by Reddit users and reported by Android Police, the glass boxes are placed in front of the store’s windows, so even passersby on the street can marvel at the new Pixel phones. The Pixel 6 Pro is on display in its gold colour, while the regular Pixel 6 sports its peach/orange colour.

Under each phone is a QR code that people can scan to see the Google Store page for the phones.

While the display is, in my opinion, kinda neat in the way it makes the phones look like they’re floating in midair, I also agree with the general sentiment that all this is rather weird. Most tech companies keep their products tightly under wraps in the lead-up to the reveal event — not so with Google this time around. The search giant has steadily dropped Pixel 6 teasers over the last few months.

Granted, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the phones, but also, there’s a lot Google has outright told us. Plus, it’s just strange to see a company working hard to hype a product that isn’t available yet. Google hasn’t even shared a release date, beyond that the Pixel 6 series will arrive in Fall 2021 (rumours point to an October release).

Ultimately, I suspect that at least some of Google’s early marketing is an effort to battle leaks. The search giant has struggled with leaks in the past. Most notably, the Pixel 3 series leaked extensively before the launch. After that, Google started doing weird pre-announcements with the Pixel line to get ahead of leaks. I suspect the Pixel 6 reveals are at least partially trying to achieve the same goal — I mean, it’s hard to leak a product that’s already been revealed.

Image credits: Reddit users ‘ThisGuyRightHer3‘ and ‘rami1190.’

Source: Reddit Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Some Canadian Pixel owners are getting access to the ‘Hold for Me’ preview

Last October, Google rolled out ‘Hold for Me’ on the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G as a preview in the U.S. Now, it looks like the feature is rolling out to some Canadian Pixel owners.

Several members of the MobileSyrup team saw the Hold for Me feature pop-up on their Pixel phones, and according to a Reddit thread, other Canadian Pixel owners have seen the feature pop-up over the last week. Judging by what both Redditors and MobileSyrup team members have said, it appears that you need to be running both the Android 12 beta and the latest Google Phone app beta to get Hold for Me.

However, having both of those isn’t a guarantee you’ll get the feature. For example, across MobileSyrup’s Pixel 4, 4a, 4a 5G and 3 all running the Android 12 beta and all with Phone app version ‘70.0.394259711-publicbeta.’ However, only the Pixel 3 and 4a 5G have the Hold for Me feature. Additionally, another team member with a Pixel 4a on Android 11 doesn’t have the feature, while Redditors who reported having it said they had the Pixel 4 XL.

MobileSyrup has reached out to Google Canada about the apparent Hold for Me rollout.

If you meet the conditions and are also blessed by Google, you should see a pop-up detailing Hold for Me next time you open the Google Phone app. It looks like the screenshot above and features the following description:

“Hold for Me can wait for you when some of the places you call put you on hold. Your phone will ring when someone’s ready to talk to you. Hold for Me temporarily records your call and is available for only English-language calls. Go to Settings to learn more or turn off this experimental feature.”

If you don’t see the pop-up, you can tap the three-dot menu button in the top-right corner > Settings > look for ‘Hold for Me’ under the ‘Assistive’ heading at the top of the menu. You can turn the feature on or off from there.

Those interested can learn more about how Hold for Me works by checking out MobileSyrup’s previous coverage.