Droid Life: Opinionated Android news.

Android M Feature: Be Gone Terrible Lollipop Volume Controls!

Kellen June 1, 2015 32

You know how the volume/do-not-disturb combination of things in Lollipop drove almost all of you nuts? Google heard you loud and clear and have attempted to fix the volume situation with Android M. We now have simplified volume controls that actually make...

ASUS Announces ZenWatch 2, Comes in Two Sizes With IP67 Rating

Tim June 1, 2015 39

At the annual Computex exhibition for manufacturers, taking place in Taipei, ASUS unveiled the ZenWatch 2. Running the latest Android Wear software, the ZenWatch 2 will come in a variety of finishes, along with a large collection of straps. To start it off,...

Android M Feature: Auto Backups of Apps to Google Drive, Plus Auto Restoring

Kellen June 1, 2015 51

If you happen to change phones a lot or wipe your device often enough, you probably know that the backup and setup process on Android has been pretty brutal for, well, ever. That should change a bit in Android M thanks to auto backups of all apps installed on...

Hey Look, a Nexus 5 With a Fingerprint Sensor!

Kellen June 1, 2015 112

At last week's Google I/O, Google made a big push in the world of fingerprint scanning for authentication purposes by introduces a fingerprint API in Android M. Going forward, manufacturers who choose to include fingerprint sensors in their phones will no...

OnePlus One Drops to $249 for the Next 7 Days During Limited Flash Sales

Kellen June 1, 2015 37

Last week, OnePlus told us that they were going to shake up the industry come June 1. Today is now June 1 and well, they have slashed the price on the OnePlus One for a limited time each day in a series of flash sales. That is apparently how you shake-up the...

Google Play Services 7.5 is Packed Full of Goodies

Kellen May 29, 2015 49

Not only did we get Android M (our tour!) yesterday, but Google also introduced Google Play Services 7.5, which includes all sorts of new goodness like "Smart Lock for Passwords, Instance ID, new APIs for Google Cloud Messaging and Google Cast, as well as...

Google Unveils Project Jacquard, a Movement to Bring Touch and Gesture Technology to Clothing

Tim May 29, 2015 32

Back in early May, the Google ATAP team teased that they would show off new wearables that would quite literally "knock our socks off" at Google I/O. Today, we have that announcement, and it's conductive yarn in the form of Project Jacquard. By weaving in...

Android M Feature: Notification Shade on Tablets Moves to Wherever You Swipe From

Kellen May 29, 2015 34

If you have used a tablet running stock Lollipop, then you probably know that the notification shade situation isn't exactly ideal. Before Lollipop, Google was using two separate pulldowns for the notification shade on tablets, one that would show...

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

Kellen December 18, 2025 34

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 34

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 34

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 34

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 34

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 34

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 34

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 34

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 32

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 32

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 32

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 32

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 32

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 32

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 32

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 32

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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