Droid Life: Opinionated Android news.

Unlocked Essential Phone Now Available at Best Buy With In-Store Availability

Kellen September 22, 2017 43

The unlocked Essential Phone is now available for purchase at Best Buy. The pre-order period is done and you can order one with quick shipping or head into your local Best Buy to pick it up. In fact, I'm seeing several stores in the Portland area have them in-...

Oh Yeah, Google Leak Recap

Kellen September 22, 2017 10

On this episode of the Droid Life Show, boy do we have a ton of Android stuff to cover. As you know, we revealed what may be all of Google's new products that are scheduled to be announced on October 4. From the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, to the new Google Home...

RIP, Slow Android Update Rollouts: Mashing “Check for Update” Button Now Worth Doing Again

Kellen September 22, 2017 86

Back in 2013, now-former Android engineer Dan Morrill explained to us that mashing the "check for update" button in Android was a waste of your time. Fast forward to today and things have changed for the better, according to Googler Elliott Hughes, as long as...

bose quietcomfort 35 II google assistant

Googler Gives Actual Explanation Why Bose’s Google Assistant Headphones are Super Useful

Kellen September 22, 2017 59

Yesterday's response to Google and Bose's announcement about the new QuietComfort 35 II headphones with Google Assistant on board was lukewarm at best. Most couldn't figure out (including us) how these were that different from any other Bluetooth headphones....

DxOMark Ranks iPhone 8 and 8 Plus Cameras Highest for Smartphones

Kellen September 22, 2017 117

DxOMark scores are a thing. I'm not sure how much they mean to most of us around here, but there is no doubt that select Android manufacturers and super fans of them like to trot out their favorite phone's DxO score as it sits close to or at the top of DxO's...

Report: HTC ‘Ocean Master’ Coming This Year, Features 6″ Edge-to-Edge Display

Tim September 21, 2017 90

Exactly one year and one day ago today, a slip up by a designer at HTC essentially gave us a hardware roadmap for the company. In that and subsequent leaks, we learned about the "Ocean" line of devices, consisting of the Ocean, Ocean Note, Ocean Smart, and...

Moto G5S Plus Arrives in US for $230 on September 29

Kellen September 21, 2017 52

Motorola's special edition Moto G5, also known as the Moto G5S Plus, arrives in the US on September 29 for $229.99. The Moto G5S line was first introduced at the beginning of August as upgraded or "special" versions of the Moto G5 line. The upgrades are subtle...

Instagram Intros Face Filters for Live Videos

Tim September 21, 2017 10

Globally rolling out over the next few weeks, you can now utilize Face Filters when streaming via Instagram Live. That's right! With this, you can change yourself into a kitten or rainbow unicorn for all of your followers to see in real-time. To get in on this...

Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1.1 Released for Pixel Phones!

Tim December 23, 2025 10

A small fixer update is rolling out to Google Pixel devices, labeled as Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1.1. It doesn't appear to be...

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Pixel 10 Pro XL at $400 Off is Crazy Stuff

Kellen December 22, 2025 10

Last minute shoppers, the greatest Pixel 10 Pro deal in history is here at the perfect time. You can take up to $400 off the...

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Google Decides That Google Assistant Can Stick Around a Bit Longer, Pushes Gemini Switch to 2026

Kellen December 19, 2025 10

You may have forgotten the timeline, but Google was pushing to force all off of Google Assistant and onto Gemini by the end...

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

Kellen December 18, 2025 10

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 10

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 10

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 10

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 10

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

Kellen May 6, 2025 43

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 43

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 43

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 43

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 43

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 43

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 43

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 43

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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