Droid Life: Opinionated Android news.

Android N: RIP, Slow as Hell “Optimizing Apps” Screen

Kellen March 10, 2016 44

What's our least favorite screen in Android? You don't need to answer that because I'm about to tell you. It's the "Optimizing apps..." screen that pops up just after you install a new update on your phone. You know you have seen this screen. It's the screen...

Sprint Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are Getting Marshmallow Today

Kellen March 10, 2016 30

As you all know, Verizon (somehow) became the first US carrier to introduce Marshmallow to a Samsung flagship from 2015. That phone was the Galaxy Note 5. We don't even want to know the politics behind Verizon being first, when they are almost always last, ...

Nest Intros Family Accounts, Home/Away Assist for Better Automation (Android Wear Support, Too)

Tim March 10, 2016 8

Nest is introducing two new features for owners this week - Family accounts and Home/Away Assist. For those who live in a household with others, and not just themselves, it makes sense that you would want others in your home to have the ability to control Nest...

Video: Android N’s App Switcher is Pretty Awesome Now

Kellen March 10, 2016 45

When Google first introduced the swipe-up gesture for Google Now, our minds start racing over the future and possibilities of navigation buttons. Before then, we all just sort of took those buttons to mean simple functions: back meant back, home meant home,...

SwiftKey Keyboard Intros Stats, Number Row in Password Fields

Tim March 10, 2016 30

SwiftKey's first update after being acquired by Microsoft is now available to the public through Google Play. Inside, SwiftKey has implemented SwiftKey Stats, which gives visualizations of how you, the user, type. This can be accessed by visiting the Settings...

Waze 4.0 Launches on Google Play, Fancy ETA Panel and Improved Power Consumption

Tim March 10, 2016 37

After much teasing, Waze 4.0 is officially available on Google Play, bringing a gang of changes to Android users. Inside, Waze has "significantly" reduced battery consumption, while also incorporating an entirely redesigned reporting menu for sharing road...

DEAL: Huawei Watch, One of the Best Android Wear Devices You can Buy, is Just $269 Today

Kellen March 10, 2016 35

The Huawei Watch, a smartwatch that is easily one of the two best available today, is discounted at Amazon for the day by as much as $130. You can read our Huawei Watch review for details on why we love this watch so much. Actually, here are 3 reasons you...

Nexus 6P Update to MHC19I Will Also Introduce a Number of Improvements

Kellen March 10, 2016 127

On Tuesday, a Nexus community manager showed up at reddit to inform Nexus 5X owners that they would finally be receiving their jank-fixing update. The update would rollout as special build MHC19J, with not only bug fixes and the latest security patches, but ...

Verizon Wastes No Time Switching Device Unlock Policy to 365 Days

Kellen January 20, 2026 127

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 127

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 127

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 127

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 127

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 127

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 127

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

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Galaxy S25 Sales Going Up When It Should Be Going Down

Tim January 12, 2026 127

There's something funky going on with Samsung's Galaxy S25 series sales numbers. As one might imagine, after the first few...

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

Kellen May 6, 2025 44

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 44

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 44

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 44

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 44

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 44

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 44

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 44

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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