Droid Life: Opinionated Android news.

You Can Now Tell When Instagram Friends Are Online in Latest Update

Tim July 19, 2018

Instagram announced an update for all users this week. Inside, Instagram app users can now see when friends are online via a new green dot you'll see next to their profile image. You'll see these dots through various parts of the app, such as your messages...

Android P Developer Preview 3 for OnePlus 6 is Worth Your Time

Tim July 19, 2018

OnePlus released the Developer Preview 3 build for Android P to the OnePlus 6 this week, and considering how problematic DP2 was, I was hesitant to flash this new build to my daily driver. I'm very glad I did, though! From what I can tell so far after about 24...

Google’s Fuchsia OS Could be on Smart Devices in 3 Years or Nothing at All

Kellen July 19, 2018

Google's Fuchsia OS is an odd creature. We've seen it evolve publicly for the past couple of years into a Google-built preview-able operating system that could replace Android some day. Or maybe it won't. It could also become an OS for smart devices, like...

Expect LG V40 to Launch in October, Feature Triple Rear Cameras

Tim July 19, 2018

According to a new report out of South Korea, we can expect LG's V40 ThinQ to launch around early October in Korea. Whether that means we will see it in the US that same time is unclear, but my money is on V40 ThinQ being available globally around mid-October....

Samsung Galaxy Watch Hits FCC With WiFi and LTE Connectivity (Updated)

Kellen July 18, 2018

This morning, a report suggested that Samsung's next watch was indeed called Galaxy Watch, but that it would run Tizen 4.0 instead of fulfilling the rumor of Samsung's switch back to Wear OS. Tonight, we can 100% confirm the name of Samsung Galaxy Watch,...

DEAL: Essential Selling Its 360 Camera for Just $19, Down From $199 (Updated)

Tim July 18, 2018 15

Don't ask us why, but Essential is currently selling its 360 Camera for only $19, down from its usual price of $199. With dual sensors and built-in microphones, the 360 camera is capable of shooting 4K video with 3D spatial audio, perfect for uploading from...

Latest Essential AMA: Android Q Support, Camera Features Roadmap, and More

Tim July 18, 2018 8

Essential is still doing its monthly Ask Me Anythings over on reddit, providing its community with an opportunity to ask actual Essential staff anything related to Essential and the Essential Phone. This time around, folks asked about Android P beta updates...

Corning Gorilla Glass 6 is Official, “Up to Two Times Better” Than Gorilla Glass 5

Kellen July 18, 2018 31

Corning announced its new Gorilla Glass material today, called Gorilla Glass 6. It has been two years since they first announced Gorilla Glass 5, a material that has been featured on almost every single flagship smartphone, so yeah, it was probably time for...

What’s Your Carrier’s Device Unlock Policy: T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T

Kellen January 21, 2026 31

One of the hottest topics of the moment for the US wireless industry is device unlock policies or SIM unlock policies. With...

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Verizon Wastes No Time Switching Device Unlock Policy to 365 Days

Kellen January 20, 2026 31

When the FCC cleared Verizon of its 60-day device unlock policy a week ago, we talked about how the government agency, which...

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Samsung Makes New Bixby Official in One UI 8.5 With Perplexity AI

Kellen January 20, 2026 31

The betas of One UI 8.5, as well as supposedly leaked screenshots, showed a potentially renewed investment in Bixby from...

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How to Claim the $20 Verizon Outage Credit

Kellen January 15, 2026 31

Verizon announced today that it would give all of its customers a $20 credit after experiencing a 10-hour outage yesterday....

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Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 Just Released for Pixel Phones

Kellen January 14, 2026 31

Google has released Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 for all of its still-supported Pixel phones, tablets, and foldables. After...

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Google Just Gave Gemini “Personal Intelligence”

Kellen January 14, 2026 31

Google's Gemini now has Personal Intelligence and can reason across your data, assuming you give it access. For AI as an...

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2026 January Pixel Update Available for Your Pixel Phone

Kellen January 12, 2026 31

We've entered 2026 and the first Google Pixel update of the year is here. For those with a still-supported Pixel phone or...

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Apple to Use Gemini to Power New Features on iPhone

Tim January 12, 2026 31

Google and Apple released a joint statement today, announcing a multi-year collab which will bring Gemini to Apple's...

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Google’s Latest Ad Pokes at iPhone for Copying Its Features, iPhone 17 Rumors

Kellen May 6, 2025

The iPhone 17 won't arrive for months, likely after Google releases its Pixel 10 series. For the most part, all talk around...

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Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro Unboxing and Tour!

Kellen October 11, 2023

Some of you have been lucky enough to receive your Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro pre-orders a day early, thanks to Google's wildly...

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Pixel Watch 2 Unboxing and Tour!

Kellen October 11, 2023

The Pixel Watch 2 has been on my wrist for a full week and my list of notes has only grown. I've tested sleep tracking, put...

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Video: Galaxy Z Flip 5, Z Fold 5 Unboxing!

Tim July 27, 2023

Samsung was gracious enough to send us its latest foldables devices, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5. Naturally,...

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Google Pixel 7a Unboxing and Tour!

Kellen May 10, 2023

Because the Google Pixel 7a is available today for you to run out and buy at $499, you may not want to wait around for our...

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VIDEO: Galaxy S23 Ultra Unboxing!

Tim February 3, 2023

Unboxing time, baby! We have the Galaxy S23 Ultra in-house, a bit before they're set to make their way to buyers later this...

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Pixel 7 Pro: First 10 Things to Do!

Tim October 13, 2022

Fancy new Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro just show up at your doorstep? Perfect, then this video is for you. As is tradition, we've...

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Pixel Watch: First 10 Things To Do!

Kellen October 13, 2022

The day that most of you will receive your Google Pixel Watch from pre-orders is here. It's time for you to slap Google's...

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