Droid Life: Opinionated Android news.

New Google Contacts Looks, Manages, and Gets Rid of Duplicates Better

Kellen March 3, 2015 52

Google gave us a big update to Google Contacts this afternoon, by introducing a "fresh look and feel" to an app inside of Gmail that has been painful to use over the years. The new web version of Google Contacts will now "conveniently" pool together contacts...

The New “Be Together. Not the Same.” Android Commercials Just Keep Getting Better

Kellen March 3, 2015 20

I can't count the number of times over the last few weeks that random emails popped into our inbox telling us that our new commercials, especially the one with the animals, are amazing. After the Super Bowl, we heard a dozen times, "This should have been...

Tuesday Poll: Missing SD Card Slot, Waterproofing, & Removable Battery – Dealbreaker on the Galaxy S6?

Kellen March 3, 2015 367

Few would argue that the new Samsung phones, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, are not massive upgrades over last year's Galaxy S5. You could also argue that Samsung made almost all of the right moves with these phones in order to help them re-establish their...

Pebble Time is Now the Most Funded Kickstarter of All Time With 24 Days to Go

Kellen March 3, 2015 26

The Pebble Time (and its Steel brother) are now a part of the most funded Kickstarter campaign in history (for now). Shortly after announcing the new Pebble Time Steel, this morning, the smartwatch maker's latest campaign jumped passed the Coolest Cooler, the...

Google Confirms That They Dropped Default Encryption on Lollipop Because of “Performance Issues”

Kellen March 3, 2015 107

As it turns out, Google did indeed drop the requirement for full-disk encryption on new devices running Android 5.0 "Lollipop" because of "performance issues." In a statement issued to Engadget, Google confirmed that a change was made to their final Lollipop...

Tinder Plus Now Live, Pay Per Month to Undo Swipes and Manually Adjust Your Location

Tim March 3, 2015 39

Tinder Plus, a premium version of the dating application Tinder, is now available for download on Google Play. With Plus, users who are willing to pay a monthly fee gain access to the ability to undo previous swipes, and also adjust their location at will,...

Google at GDC 2015: Native In-App Ads Introduced, Nearby Connections API for Second-Screen Controls Showcased

Tim March 3, 2015 11

While MWC is still alive and kicking with news, the GDC (Game Developers Conference) is also taking place down in San Francisco this week. Yesterday, Google took the stage to announce a few important things, specifically focused on in-app purchases, in-app...

Google Play Services 7.0 is Rolling Out With New Places, Google Fit APIs, and More

Kellen March 3, 2015 21

Yesterday afternoon, Google began pushing Google Play Services 7.0 to devices. The update introduces a new Places API, a handful of Google Fit APIs that replace the old single API, a new location settings dialog, automatic AdMob and Google Analytics...

Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1.1 Released for Pixel Phones!

Tim December 23, 2025 21

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 21

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 21

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 21

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 21

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 21

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 21

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 21

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 52

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 52

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 52

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 52

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 52

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 52

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 52

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 52

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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