Droid Life: Opinionated Android news.

HTC Lays Off ‘Large Portion’ of US Employees, Merges Smartphone and VR Divisions

Tim February 23, 2018 6

Following the resignation of HTC's smartphone boss, the company has quietly confirmed the letting go of a portion of its US employees. According to a source of Digital Trends, the company laid off a few dozen to maybe 100 people, leaving only employees for HTC...

Google’s ARCore Brings Advanced AR Apps to 13 Phones, Google Lens to All

Kellen February 23, 2018 8

Man, we're not even to MWC 2018 yet and Google is dropping news bomb after news bomb. After telling us about all of their Google Assistant plans, we now know what's coming with their ARCore platform and Google Lens. To put it simply, a big ol' group of people...

Whoa: AT&T Rolling Out First Oreo Update to Moto Z2 Force

Tim February 23, 2018 4

Just as we got done reporting on the software update report cards for major OEMs, a wild Oreo update appears. For the Moto Z2 Force on AT&T, owners can now download Android 8.0 Oreo, labeled as version OCX27.109-47. AT&T doesn't go into detail with...

Here’s All the Big Google Assistant News That was Announced This Morning

Kellen February 23, 2018 13

More languages. OEM and carrier support. Routines. Location based reminders. All of that stuff is on the way, Google announced through a blog post this morning, just before MWC 2018 kicks off in Barcelona. Throughout 2018, we're going to see Google Assistant...

DEAL: Up to $500 Off Verizon Galaxy S8, S8+ or T-Mobile Note 8, Plus Free Gear IconX Too

Kellen February 22, 2018 30

Even with the Galaxy S9 right around the corner, there is nothing wrong with still looking for the best deal on the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8. Often when new phones are on the horizon, companies will discount their current best-sellers to try and move product...

Android Manufacturers are Getting Sh*ttier at Updating Phones

Kellen February 22, 2018 133

Dating back to last August, we've released a monthly visualization to show the adoption (or lack thereof) of new versions of Android. We post an updated chart with each month's refreshed Android distribution numbers and they show that since Jelly Bean topped...

Report: Google to Soon Launch ARCore Framework for 3rd-Party Development

Tim February 22, 2018 3

According to a report from Variety, Google will launch the ARCore framework at this year's MWC, allowing 3rd-party developers to more easily bring augmented reality (AR) apps to the Android platform. As of right now, if you want to experience any sort of AR on...

Opinion: Android One Becomes the New Google Play Edition Now That Android Go is Here

Kellen February 22, 2018 52

If I look back through all of the years we have covered Android, it's hard to argue that the introduction of Google Play Edition phones wasn't one of the biggest moments. In those early years, the Android skin situation was bad. Those early versions of...

What’s New in Android 16 QPR3 Beta: At a Glance, Flashlight, Navigation Buttons, More

Kellen December 18, 2025 52

Google may have released Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1 at the worst possible time of the day, but we're still going to dive into it...

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Android 16 QPR3 Beta Program Goes Live for Pixel Devices

Kellen December 17, 2025 52

Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1 released. Google shipped Android 16 QPR2 to stable channels this month as the December Pixel update,...

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Verizon Pixel 8, Pixel 9, and Pixel 10 Devices Get New December Update (Updated)

Kellen December 17, 2025 52

All of Google's still-supported Pixel devices received a huge QPR2 update in early December with new features and tons of bug...

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Google Makes Controversial Pixel Search Bar Change

Kellen December 17, 2025 52

Within the past several days, a group of Pixel owners noticed a change to the way the Search bar at the bottom of their Pixel...

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Samsung December Updates Continue Roll Out to All These Devices

Kellen December 17, 2025 52

Samsung started sending December updates to a batch of devices earlier in the week, but they weren't quite done with 2025....

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Galaxy Z TriFold Sells Out Quick in South Korea, Even With High Price Tag

Tim December 12, 2025 52

We shouldn't be surprised, folks. Samsung launched the Galaxy Z TriFold this week in its home country of South Korea, with in...

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YouTube TV Will Offer 10 Genre-Specific Plans in 2026

Tim December 10, 2025 52

More choice and more flexibility. That's what everyone has been clamoring for lately. If you'll recall, YouTube TV used to be...

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December Pixel Watch Update Rolls Out to Pixel Watch 2 and Above

Kellen December 9, 2025 52

Google announced new features for the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Watch 4 this morning, but didn't tell us exactly how those...

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

Kellen May 6, 2025 6

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 6

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 6

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 6

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 6

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 6

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 6

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 6

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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