Call Screen is a feature on Pixel phones that allows the phone to manually, or automatically respond to spam calls using the Google Assistant. Now, Google is working to simplify the feature’s settings, for better or worse.
As first spotted by some Reddit users late last week, an update to the Google Phone app on Pixel phones is changing the settings for Call Screen.
The existing interface for tweaking Call Screen allows users granular controls over the automatic answering, with the ability to turn Call Screen on or off for spam, faked numbers, first-time callers, and private/hidden numbers. Users can opt to have Call Screen automatically answer the call on your behalf, weeding out spam by speaking to the caller on your behalf before handing the call over to you. Alternatively, the call can just come through as usual depending on the category. The granular controls give the feature quite a bit of flexibility.
The new settings for Call Screen on Pixel, though, change things up to be a bit simpler.
Instead of showing granular settings, there’s a “Protection Level” that users can select which includes three options as the folks at Android Police were able to show. “Basic” will decline only “known spam.” “Medium” will then decline spam and screen calls that are considered suspicious. Finally “Maximum” will decline spam and screen any call that is from an unknown number.
It’s noted that this change is appearing for some users on with Google Phone v106.0.534575879, but it doesn’t seem very widely available at this point.
This seems like a bad change on the whole.
Removing granular controls to this extent severely limits the usefulness of Call Screen on Pixel, and if anything ruins certain use cases. The “Maximum” setting seems far too aggressive, especially given that, at least in our experience, most real callers presented with Call Screen tend to just hang up after a few second. Beyond that, even “Medium” doesn’t seem to be a great middle ground.
Moving from a granular, customizable setup is just bad for everyone. It might be slightly easier to understand for the general user – having a single toggle for automatic call screening is the best change here – but it hurts the usefulness of Call Screen overall.
Android 14 Beta 2 is an “incremental Beta-quality release” following the initial Android Beta Program version that rolled out via over-the-air update last month.
With Beta 2, you’ll get a more complete and stable build for continuing your testing and development.
Fixed an issue where a device couldn’t be unlocked using a fingerprint after tapping a notification or choosing a notification action on the lock screen. (Issue #278174846)
Fixed an issue on some devices that caused sound to play through the speakers instead of headphones that were connected. (Issue #278043129)
Fixed an issue that caused icons on the home screen to appear almost invisible. (Issue #277970542)
Fixed issues with gesture navigation that occurred when using a custom launcher:
The Home screen content wouldn’t display and the animation would fail to render when swiping up to go Home. (Issue #277981298)
The list of recently used apps couldn’t be accessed using the normal gesture. (Issue #277983179)
Fixed issues that prevented users from interacting with notifications in the notification shade. (Issue #278339342, Issue #276534576)
Fixed an issue that could cause a device to crash after finishing audio or video calls. (Issue #279539689)
Other resolved issues
Fixed an issue where, after entering and exiting picture-in-picture mode, the screen flickered when any apps were launched.
Fixed an issue where user restrictions set by DPC admins were not being enforced in Settings.
Fixed an issue where, after taking pictures with the Google Camera app, opening the latest picture from the thumbnail in the app briefly displayed a green-colored shade over the image.
Fixed an issue that could cause the battery percentage to be displayed as 0% after a device reboot regardless of the actual charge level of the device.
Fixed an issue that could cause a device to crash, and then when the device rebooted any wallpapers that were selected before the reboot were reset.
Fixed issues that prevented the Better Bug app from uploading bug reports.
Fixed issues that caused the back-to-home gesture to stop working.
Fixed an issue that could cause the system Settings app to crash repeatedly.
Fixed an issue that prevented users from searching within the system Settings app.
Fixed issues that sometimes caused null pointer exceptions for input method editors (IMEs).
Fixed an issue that sometimes increased system-wide memory usage unnecessarily.
Fixed system issues that could sometimes cause deadlocks.
Leave feedback using the Android Beta Feedback app on Pixel devices. You can access it from the drawer or via Quick Settings to file bugs in the Google issue tracker. There’s also the Android Beta community on Reddit.
Android 14 Beta 2 (UPB2.230407.014) with the May 2023 security patch is available for the Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro, as well as the Android Emulator.
Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a devices that use Verizon as their carrier: April 2023 / UPB2.230407.014.A1
Most people will be installing via the Android Beta Program, but you can also flash or sideload.
If you need help, here’s our full guide on installing Android 14.
Following the Duet AI announcement yesterday, many more people who signed up for Google Workspace Labs are now seeing the generative AI features in Gmail and Docs that “Help you write.”
To tell if you have it in Gmail on the web, start composing an email, and you’ll see a new “Help me write (Labs)” button next to “Send” and formatting options in the bottom toolbar.
Afterward, a blue/purple-ish messaging field appears at the bottom of your screen for you to enter a prompt, with Google rotating through suggestions. It takes a few seconds for something to generate, and you then have the ability to:
Formalize: Makes the draft more formal
Elaborate: Adds details to build upon the text
Shorten: Shortens the draft
I’m Feeling Lucky: Updates draft with creative details
You can also ask Google to “Recreate,” while “Insert” will paste and let you make further edits. Google marks with brackets where you should delete and enter your name or other specifics.
In Google Docs, opening a new page shows a “Help me write” chip. It’s the same workflow as Gmail, but the “Help me write” button can be found to the left of your cursor on the edge of the page to access it again.
Before I/O, Google said it was expanding its Trusted Tester program by 10x. Generative AI features in Google Sheets and Slides (used to create images) are not yet live — and “sidekick” is further down the road — with today’s expansion continuing the public testing that started in March. We’re seeing it live on the web right now, but not on Android.
You can sign-up for Google Workspace Labs’s Gmail and Google featureshere.
Google branding generative AI in Gmail, Workspace as ‘Duet AI’
Google has been publicly testing features that help users write in Gmail and Docs over the past few weeks. Generative AI is now coming to Sheets, Slides, and Meet with a new name: Duet AI for Google Workspace.
“Duet” evokes a sense of contextual collaboration, which is how Google sees the relationship between users and generative AI. (If the name is familiar, Chrome used it for a redesign that never launched.)
In Gmail, Google Docs, and Slides, you’ll eventually get a Duet AI side panel, called “sidekick.” It can be launched next to your profile avatar in the top-right corner, and it analyze your email or document. In Google Slides, it can create speaker notes for each slide.
In Google Slides, generative AI will generate images from text prompts. You’ll get a “Help me visualize” side panel to enter what you want with the ability to choose a style: none, photography, illustration, flat lay, background, and clip art. You’ll get a grid of 6-8 designs with the ability to “View more.”
Duet AI in Google Meet can be used to create background images: “It’s a subtle, personal touch to show you care about the people you’re connecting with and what’s important to them. And you can change that visual with an equally stunning and original one — all in just a few clicks.”
Google Sheets is using gen AI for automatic table generation with a “Help me organize” field. An example prompt is “Client and pet roster for a dog walking business” with columns like dog, address, email, date, time, duration, and rate offered. You get a preview before inserting.
…simply describe what you’re trying to accomplish, and Sheets generates a plan that helps you get organized.
These three features are coming to Google Workspace Labs, with the Trusted Tester program expanding by 10x just last week. Since March, Google says it has had “hundreds of thousands” of such testers.
These features are hitting general availability later this year for business and consumer Workspace accounts. Check out labs.withgoogle.com in the meantime.
Ads already appear throughout the Play Store, and Google is now showing them when you start a search alongside other visual tweaks.
When you tap the Google Play search bar at the top of the app, you previously just saw your last four queries. Now, you might see up to three “limited-time events as well as sponsored suggestions,” with past searches appearing below that.
Limited-time events are an existing tool used to promote streaming apps that might have a particularly interesting sporting match later in the day or in-game events. They often appear as cards in the Play Store’s main feeds. They are now surfaced in search history with app name, icon, rating, and download count.
Additionally, Google Play is also showing “sponsored suggestions” that are explicitly labeled as an “Ad,” though some users would consider limited-timed events to be essentially the same thing. Both types disappear as you start typing your search.
Moving search history further down the list is unfortunate and telling in terms of company priorities. Meanwhile, a small tweak sees more prominent icons next to past queries for easier sorting.
This change was announced in the April Google System Updates changelog and has been rolling out in recent weeks. (first spotted a variant of it in November 2022.) Google this week also detailed other Play Store additions, including “key app and game highlights from what others are saying” in Play search results.
You can also get “apps and games to download over cellular data from the download notification while waiting for Wi-Fi.”
April Google System Updates: Play Store gets easier cell data downloads, more [U]
The Google System Updates for April 2023 bring improvements to the Play Store, including making it easier to download apps over cellular data.
There’s so much more to an Android smartphone than just the base operating system, as anyone who’s used a phone without Google apps can tell you. The “smarts” that Google brings to mobile devices primarily come from two crucial apps – Google Play Services and the Play Store – and Android’s monthly “Play system updates.”
Each month, the company rounds up the patch notes for these three components and collectively refers to them as “Google System Updates.” Over the course of the month, as new updates are released, the company will fill in the notes with more details. We do our best to monitor the additions and explain the most important aspects, so be sure to check back throughout the month.
The easiest way to check whether you need to update Google Play Services on your phone is to follow a direct link to the app’s Play Store listing and update from there, if available. To update the Play Store, tap your avatar in the corner, then “Settings.” Under the “About” section, you’ll see an option to “Update Play Store.” Meanwhile, Google Play system updates can be found through the Settings app, under About phone > Android version > Google Play system update.
g an option in the app. In the near future (sometime after the Play Store v35.0 update), the option to download over mobile data will also, conveniently, appear in the active download notification.
Meanwhile, another update to the Play Store (version 35.2) should offer “direct access” to Google’s “My Ad Center,” where you’re able to change your advertising privacy settings and/or adjust the kinds of ads that you see. The changelog doesn’t mention where this shortcut will appear, but the Google Account menu (opened by tapping your avatar in the top-right corner) is a likely bet.
While April may have ended, Google’s patch notes for the month have not. This afternoon, the company shared numerous new features and tidbits.
The biggest highlight is what the notes refer to as “support for Fido2 on the Android Platform.” In practice, this is support for the new “passkey” login for Google Accounts and other supported apps. It seems you’ll need to have Google Play Services version 23.14 to use these.
Nearby Share is getting a small tweak, adding some new instructions to help troubleshoot why your intended recipient may not be appearing.
In the Play Store, the search experience has gotten a revamp. When beginning a new search, your recent search history will also show suggested apps with “limited-time events” as well as “sponsored suggestions.” Meanwhile, the search results page will show useful highlights for some apps/games, including quotes from other people’s reviews.
It’ll also soon be a bit easier to search for apps from the Play Store. An update to Play Services should allow the “All apps” search bar in your app drawer to show results from the Play Store. If done right, this could make it easier to download an app you thought you already had installed.
Lastly, Wear OS watches should see a small boost in battery life after an update to Play Services that tweaks “system management services.”
Google Play System Updates for April 2023
Account Management
[Auto, Phone, TV, Wear] String improvements to Google sign-in screen shown on enterprise devices.
Device Connectivity
[Phone] Helpful instructions to discover Nearby receiving device.
Developer Services
[Phone] New developer features for Google and third party app developers to support Maps & Device Performance related developer services in their apps.
Google Play Store
New Features to help you discover the Apps & Games you love.
Optimizations allowing faster and more reliable download and installation.
Continuous improvements to Play Protect to keep your device safe.
Various performance optimizations, bug fixes and improvements to security, stability and accessibility.
[Auto, PC, Phone] Users can allow apps and games to download over cellular data from the download notification while waiting for Wi-Fi.
[Phone] With this update, you will have direct access to My Ad Center.
[Phone] When starting a search, you can now see suggestions for apps with limited-time events as well as sponsored suggestions next to your past searches.
[Phone] On your search results, you can now see key app and game highlights from what others are saying.
Security & Privacy
[Phone] Adding support for Fido2 on the Android Platform.
Utilities
[Phone] New developer features for Google and third party app developers to support Utilities related processes in their apps.
System Management
[Wear] Updates to system management services that improve Battery Life.
[Phone] New functionality allowing users to search for Play Store apps from the All Apps search box on Android devices.
[Auto, PC, Phone] Updates to system management services that improve Privacy and Stability.
[Phone] Bug fixes for System Management & Diagnostics related services.
Google has spent the past several years working to replace passwords because of frequent reuse, vulnerability to data breaches, and phishing. Passkeys are the industry solution, and the ability to log in to your Google Account with them is starting to roll out.
With passkeys, signing in to a service no longer requires a password. Instead, you just enter your existing phone or computer password (PIN code, fingerprint, face, etc.), and that’s used to authenticate your identity. In Google’s case, no 2-Step Verification (2SV) is required.
Google Account passkeys
You have to create a Google Account passkey for each device (phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, etc.). Behind the scenes, a cryptographic private key gets stored on that device, while a “corresponding public key is uploaded to Google.”
When you sign in we ask your device to sign a unique challenge with the private key. Your device only does so if you approve this by unlocking the device. We then verify the signature with your public key.
If you’re signing in with a new device (or doing so temporarily), you use the passkey on your phone with a QR code scanning process and a Bluetooth proximity check.
On the new device, you’d just select the option to “use a passkey from another device” and follow the prompts. This does not automatically transfer the passkey to the new device, it only uses your phone’s screen lock and proximity to approve a one-time sign-in. If the new device supports storing its own passkeys, we will ask separately if you want to create one there.
As of launch, passkeys serve as another Google Account sign-in option. There are no changes to existing methods, while passwords are the fallback method (used if a device doesn’t support passkeys). That should change in the future:
Passkeys are still new and it will take some time before they work everywhere, however creating a passkey today still comes with security benefits as it allows us to pay closer attention to the sign-ins that fall back to passwords. Over time we’ll scrutinize these more as passkeys gain broader support and familiarity.
If one device is lost, you can revoke Google Account passkeys in settings, while a device wipe is also recommended.
To add a passkey for your Google Account, start here: g.co/passkeys. This feature is actively rolling out, with the following operating system and browser versions required:
Google: Chrome 109+, Android 9+, ChromeOS 109+
Apple: Safari 16+, iOS 16, macOS Ventura
Microsoft: Edge 109+, Windows 10/11
Why passkeys are more secure
Google likes passkeys because, compared to passwords, they cannot be “written down or accidentally given to a bad actor,” phished, or exposed in a data breach. The company believes passkeys offer “stronger protection than most 2SV methods offer today, which is why we allow you to skip not only the password but also 2SV when you use a passkey.” To that end, Google is so confident that the Advanced Protection Program can just work with a passkey:
In fact, passkeys are strong enough that they can stand in for security keys for users enrolled in our Advanced Protection Program.
Google notes how Apple will sync passkeys created on your iPhone across logged-in iCloud devices:
This protects you from being locked out of your account in case you lose your devices, and makes it easier for you to upgrade from one device to another.
Passkey sync providers, like the Google Password Manager and iCloud Keychain, “use end-to-end encryption to keep your passkeys private.” In the case of Google’s Password Manager, it can sync and save other Google Accounts.
Passkeys place a great deal of emphasis on your device password. However, Google believes “most people will find it easier to control access to their devices rather than maintaining the security implications of passwords and the need to be on the lookout for phishing attempts that come with them.”
On May 02,2023, Apple and Google are partnering to address unwanted tracking through Bluetooth tracker devices and to alert users across platforms like iOS and Android when they are being tracked. The companies have proposed an industry specification to combat unwanted tracking, with support from manufacturers like Samsung, Chipolo, eufy Security, and Pebblebee. This demonstrates their commitment to ensuring user safety and privacy. Ron Huang, Apple’s vice president of Sensing and Connectivity, emphasized the importance of collaboration with Google, stating that it is a critical step forward in combatting unwanted tracking across both iOS and Android platforms.
Feedback from manufacturers and advocacy groups has been incorporated into the development of the specification. Erica Olsen, Senior Director of the Safety Net Project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, praised the collaboration and resulting standards as a significant step forward in protecting survivors and all people from the misuse of Bluetooth tracking devices.
The specification has been submitted as an Internet-Draft via the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), and the partnership is inviting other companies to join the initiative, provide comments or review the draft over the next three months. After this period, Apple and Google will release a production implementation of the specification to address unwanted tracking, which will arrive on both iOS and Android platforms by the end of 2023.
Introduction to the IETF
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), founded in 1986, is the premier standards development organization (SDO) for the Internet.
The IETF makes voluntary standards that are often adopted by Internet users, network operators, and equipment vendors, and it thus helps shape the trajectory of the development of the Internet. But in no way does the IETF control, or even patrol, the Internet.
the overall goal of the IETF is to make the Internet work better.
Its mission is to produce high quality, relevant technical and engineering documents that influence the way people design, use, and manage the Internet in such a way as to make the Internet work better. These documents include protocol standards, best current practices, and informational documents of various kinds.
The Mission Statement further states that the Internet isn’t value-neutral, and neither is the IETF. The IETF wants the Internet to be useful for communities that share our commitment to openness and fairness. The IETF embraces technical concepts such as decentralized control, edge-user empowerment and sharing of resources, because those concepts resonate with the core values of the IETF community. These concepts have little to do with the technology that’s possible, and much to do with the technology that the IETF chooses to create.
Participation
There is no membership in the IETF. Anyone can participate by signing up to a mailing list, or registering for an IETF meeting. All IETF participants are considered volunteers and expected to participate as individuals, including those paid to participate.
The IETF welcomes all interested individuals and participants come from all over the world and from many different parts of the Internet industry. In any one year, over 6000 people actively participate in the IETF either by authoring a document, engaging in a mailing list discussion, or attending a meeting.
The only fee the IETF charges is for registering for an IETF meeting, with options in place to prevent that fee from becoming a barrier to participation.
IETF participants are regularly shown the Note Well, a reminder of the policies and processes they are expected to comply with.
To ensure an environment in which people of many different backgrounds are treated with dignity, decency, and respect, these policies include a code of conduct, an anti-harassment policy, and the IETF has an Ombudsteam who are the point of escalation for any problems with conduct.
The IETF conducts its work solely in English.
Principles
The IETF pursues its mission in adherence to the following cardinal principles:
Open process Any interested person can participate in the work, know what is being decided, and make his or her voice heard on the issue. Part of this principle is our commitment to making our documents, our Working Group mailing lists, our attendance lists, and our meeting minutes publicly available on the Internet.
Technical competence The issues on which the IETF produces its documents are issues where the IETF has the competence needed to speak to them, and that the IETF is willing to listen to technically competent input from any source. Technical competence also means that we expect IETF output to be designed to sound network engineering principles – this is also often referred to as “engineering quality”.
Volunteer Core Our participants and our leadership are people who come to the IETF because they want to do work that furthers the IETF’s mission of “making the Internet work better.”
Rough consensus and running code We make standards based on the combined engineering judgement of our participants and our real-world experience in implementing and deploying our specifications.
Protocol ownership When the IETF takes ownership of a protocol or function, it accepts the responsibility for all aspects of the protocol, even though some aspects may rarely or never be seen on the Internet. Conversely, when the IETF is not responsible for a protocol or function, it does not attempt to exert control over it, even though it may at times touch or affect the Internet.
RFCs
The IETF publishes its technical documentation as RFCs, an acronym for their historical title *Requests for Comments*. RFCs are sequentially numbered, starting with RFC 1 published in 1969 (the RFC series predates the IETF). Each RFC has a status, generally one of ‘Internet Standard’, ‘Proposed Standard’, ‘Informational’, ‘Experimental’ or ‘Historic’. Some statuses may change over time. RFCs are freely available.
The RFC series has two sub-series, STDs and BCPs, with each numbered STD and BCP comprising one or more RFCs. STDs are ‘Internet Standard’ RFCs and BCPs are RFCs that describe Best Current Practices in the Internet, some of which are administrative processes for the IETF.
Once an RFC is published, it is never revised. If the specification it describes changes, the standard will be re-published in another RFC that “obsoletes” the first. If a technical or editorial error is found in an RFC, an errata may be linked to the RFC and/or held for the next document update.
The authoritative repository of RFCs is the RFC Editor website.
New work in the IETF begins with one or more participants producing a document called an Internet-Draft (I-D) and then working to get that I-D adopted for further work. Anyone can write an Internet-Draft on any topic they believe is relevant to the IETF. There are different routes that an I-D can follow to be adopted, worked on and eventually become an RFC.
The vast majority of the IETF’s work is done in its many Working Groups. A Working Group (WG) has its own mailing list with most of its interaction, and all of it official work, conducted via email. A WG also has a charter that states the scope of discussion for the WG and its goals. The WG’s mailing list and any WG meetings are expected to focus only on what is in the charter. A WG is headed by one or two (occasionally three) **WG chairs**.
Working Groups are organized into one of seven areas, Application and Real Time (art), General (gen), Internet (int), Operations and Management (ops), Routing (rtg), Security (sec), and Transport (tsv), with each area overseen by one to three **Area Directors** (AD).
The day to day work of WGs revolves around Internet-Drafts, those that have been proposed for adoption and those that have been adopted, and over time the WG shapes the latter into RFCs. Decisions within WGs, as with the broader IETF, are taken by ‘rough consensus’ and not by voting. It is the role of the WG chair(s) to determine when rough consensus has been reached. When a Working Group has finished with an I-D and is ready for it to become an RFC, the I-D goes through a process to ensure that it has approval from the appointed technical leadership and the consensus support of the IETF as a whole.
The other routes for an I-D to become an RFC are as the output of some of the leadership bodies, Area Directors can sponsor an I-D, and there is an independent submissions process.
For an RFC to become a Proposed Standard or Internet Standard there must be at least two independent and inter-operable implementations, and the RFC must have full IETF consensus.
The IETF has policies about Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) that are designed to ensure that Working Groups and participants have as much information as possible about any IPR constraints on a technical proposal as early as possible in the development process.
When an I-D has cleared all the hurdles to become an RFC it goes through a professional editorial process and is then assigned a number, published in a range of formats, both human- and machine-readable, and deposited in libraries and archives.
Meetings
The IETF holds three week-long meetings a year with the primary goal of helping Working Groups get their tasks done, and promoting mixing among the WGs. In-person participation at IETF meetings now averages between 1000 and 1500 participants. These meetings rotate through Asia, North America and Europe each year, though the IETF occasionally meets outside of these regions.
IETF meetings are very different from standard computer industry conferences as there is no exposition hall, no sales staff and the sessions are mostly meetings of existing or proposed working groups who meet to discuss their ongoing work. There are generally eight concurrent tracks of WG sessions which are scheduled so as to reduce the number of scheduling conflicts for related WGs.
WG sessions at IETF meetings are not decision making and any consensus reached during a session must be referred to the WG mailing list to see if it has consensus support across all WG participants, not just those that were at the session.
To assist newcomers there are tutorials and networking sessions, and often there is a social event open to all participants. Additionally there is a plenary session with no other concurrently scheduled sessions, for the IETF to meet as a whole and where the various leadership bodies report on their activities and take questions from the floor.
All sessions have remote participation support and recordings of the sessions are posted on YouTube soon after they are recorded. The full proceedings of all IETF meetings (agenda, sessions materials, recordings, chat logs, etc) are archived and permanently available online after the meeting.
IETF meetings are operated on a cost-recovery basis and participants are charged a fee to participate whether in-person or remote as sponsorship income does not cover the full cost. There is a “no questions asked” remote participation fee waiver available to anyone for whom the fee would be a barrier to participation.
Individual Working Groups can choose to hold interim meetings outside of the regular IETF meeting cycle. These are generally remote only and are always free to participate in.
As Google’s biggest show of the year, every I/O brings a ton of news. However, the stakes for I/O 2023 seem bigger, with announcements that could more thoroughly change how people use Google’s biggest products.
Google AI
Gmail, Docs, and Workspace
Artificial intelligence is, of course, responsible for this. Google has already shown generative AI features in Gmail and Google Docs, with testing already underway. Meanwhile, Google has briefly previewed bringing image generators into Google Slides and having Google Meet automatically create notes from a video call.
At I/O 2023, Google needs to provide a fuller picture of how AI will integrate into its Workspace apps beyond individual features. Equally important are details on a public launch and how they will be available to the (non-Workspace) public. The latter might be where Google One comes into play. For initial testing, it makes sense for features like those that have already been announced in Gmail and Google Docs to be free.
However, since generative AI is computationally expensive, it makes sense for Google to eventually put them behind a paid subscription. Today, 2TB or higher Google One tiers ($9.99+/month) provide premium Google Meet features like 1080p streaming and longer calls, and it would make sense for some (if not most) generative AI features to be locked behind that.
Search
As Google’s crown jewel, many stakeholders will want an update on how AI is coming to Search. There’s, of course, the Wall Street crowd, while end users have shown that chatbot-style queries and answers are something they’re at least interested in. The company has already previewed AI Insights in Search when it announced Bard, but we need a fuller look at the end-to-end experience.
Chrome
Having a chatbot in Chrome that lets you ask questions about the page you’re currently viewing has been rumored and does indeed sound useful. As a significant entry point for how people use Google, a generative AI presence needs to exist in Chrome.
Assistant
Generative AI and its conversational nature seem ripe for voice assistants. As we’ve talked about in the past, Google Assistant is at an impasse, with its feature set shrinking. The team behind it is currently tasked with Bard development, so it’s unclear whether Google is at a point where it’s ready to announce upgrades. If it did, Google could position Assistant as being more capable than Siri or Alexa, while Microsoft expressly does not currently have a voice assistant.
For the sake of end users, I think Google needs to publicly recommit to Assistant at this I/O to assure them their devices still have a long future. It would be nice if the company provided an upgrade roadmap, but even assurances would be a start at this point after months of no real developments.
Developer tools
I/O’s roots are as a developer conference, and there will undoubtedly be AI stuff for that crowd. Of particular interest will be assistive tools in Android Studio to aid app development.
Android
Android 14
We will obviously be getting the major tentpoles for Google’s upcoming mobile release at I/O 2023, followed by Android 14 Beta 2 to hopefully test some of them out. So far, Android 14 feels like an iterative update that continues to build on Material You. For example, we spotted that bolder Dynamic Color theming is coming.
Android XR
Samsung teased an XR device (headset) running Android in February. We’ve yet to hear anything about the OS, and I/O would be the time to announce it (which also has the benefit of preempting Apple’s realityOS announcement this June). This starts the long road to third-party developer buy-in.
Google needs to share its vision for this form factor, both short and long-term. In the near term, bulkier headsets could allow for productivity and entertainment use cases. Glasses are the future, but until then, we need devices and an OS that will let developers start experimenting with these experiences. It was recently rumored that Apple’s upcoming headset will run iPad apps. Does Google have the same idea, thus providing another reason for Android pushing into large-screen development?
Wear OS
Wear OS 3 was announced in 2021, and we quietly got version 3.5 last year. The timing would be about right for Wear OS 4, which will in all likelihood coincide with an underlying upgrade to Android 13, which brings Material You.
Better Together: ChromeOS, Wear OS, Google TV
As of late, the Android team has been very big on cross-device experiences that emphasize the benefit of going all-in with the ecosystem. Earlier this month, Google released a Cross-Device Services app to power ChromeOS app streaming. We’ll presumably get a demo and launch date for that at I/O. We’re also waiting for the ability to unlock your Android phone with a paired Wear OS watch.
On the entertainment front, we’re waiting for more entertainment-focused Better Together initiatives. Previously, rumors have mentioned connecting Nest and third-party speakers to Google/Android TV devices, while easier-to-access smart home controls and other integrations are on the roadmap (for 2024). We’re also waiting for Fast Pair to arrive for Google TV and Android TV.
Find My Device
Somewhat related to Better Together and the Android ecosystem is Find My Device becoming a broader network that includes third-party accessories. Google has been laying the groundwork for this by saying it would be “encrypting and storing your device’s most recent location with Google.” Meanwhile, there have been persistent rumors of a Google-made tracker.
Made by Google
Pixel 7a, Tablet, and Fold
It seems like we’re back to immediate availability with the Pixel 7a. This was the case for Pixel 3a at I/O 2019 and seemed to be what Google was aiming for in subsequent years, but the world had other ideas.
We should finally get launch details about the Pixel Tablet a year after it was first teased, while Google will be entering a new hardware category with the Pixel Fold.
Last May 2022, Google gave an “early preview” of the Pixel 7 series and Watch, as well as a “sneak peek” of the Pixel Tablet, in what seemed to be a rather unprecedented teaser.
In the case of the phone, it allowed Google to really get ahead of leaks. Before I/O, there were only a pair of leaked renders that got some things about the design right. It was somewhat less successful for the Pixel Watch, which leaked in full (left at a restaurant) and even had an AMA, while the Pixel Tablet reveal dovetailed nicely with the large-screen Android app push.
Ahead of I/O 2023, the company could certainly replicate the strategy for the same reasons. These previews are meant to provide only a high-level overview. For the Pixel 7, it was the design and how the language introduced the year prior would continue but with a modified camera bar, as well as how a second-generation Tensor chip was coming.
The design of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro have more thoroughly leaked via renders at this point, so Google would be covering the same ground and would get a chance to reveal the colors itself. It would be nice if a “Tensor G3” mention touched upon what the improvements actually are, while the thing everyone really wants to known is what the camera improvements will be, especially given that new sensor on 8 Pro.
The case for a Pixel Watch 2 teaser is somewhat more mixed. As a first-generation product, we don’t know what the update cadence will be. An annual cycle would make a great deal of sense if we look at the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch, but the Fitbit Sense and Versa lines were refreshed every two years. The improvements for a Pixel Watch 2 would be obvious, with a newer chip, more activated sensors (SpO2 and skin temperature changes estimation), and a bigger battery.
I don’t expect the domed design to drastically change beyond maybe thinner bezels, with the band system at least staying for another generation to ensure accessory capability. A Pixel Watch 2 teaser would have to touch on some new hardware features, but I’m not sure Google would want to do that and break the high-level overview nature of these previews.
As always, another factor in doing teasers is possibly cannibalizing sales of the existing Pixel Watch and Pixel 7 series. Google doesn’t seem to mind or at least has different priorities, but it does seem wild to make the effective life span as the latest and greatest product be only 7-8 months.
I think a teaser would more significantly impact sales of the first-generation wearable. As a prospective buyer of the mid-cycle Pixel Watch, knowing that a second-gen was coming in the fall would give me pause if I wanted a more future-proofed purchase. Today’s version is fine and has a battery that can last you a full day, but it’s unknown how it will continue to perform, especially once major OS updates arrive.
Fitbit
After major removals with the promise of new capabilities on the horizon, Fitbit needs to start sharing the second part of its plan, from a redesigned app to new capabilities. I/O would be the time to do that. Meanwhile, Fitbit integration to show live exercise stats on Google TV has already been rumored to continue the Better Together tentpole.
Google Home
Besides the Google Home app currently being in Public Preview, the company teased a number of other features last year. This includes the web-based Script Editor and more grouping options with Custom Spaces. We’ll hopefully get more updates on that.
The Google System Updates for April 2023 bring improvements to the Play Store, including making it easier to download apps over cellular data.
There’s so much more to an Android smartphone than just the base operating system, as anyone who’s used a phone without Google apps can tell you. The “smarts” that Google brings to mobile devices primarily come from two crucial apps – Google Play Services and the Play Store – and Android’s monthly “Play system updates.”
Each month, the company rounds up the patch notes for these three components and collectively refers to them as “Google System Updates.” Over the course of the month, as new updates are released, the company will fill in the notes with more details. We do our best to monitor the additions and explain the most important aspects, so be sure to check back throughout the month.
The easiest way to check whether you need to update Google Play Services on your phone is to follow a direct link to the app’s Play Store listing and update from there, if available. To update the Play Store, tap your avatar in the corner, then “Settings.” Under the “About” section, you’ll see an option to “Update Play Store.” Meanwhile, Google Play system updates can be found through the Settings app, under About phone > Android version > Google Play system update.
Updating Google Play Services
Despite the month of April being nearly over, Google has only just now shared the first details of this month’s updates. In fact, the company continued to update the March patch notes for weeks after that month had ended.
The first tidbits shared are all focused on the Google Play Store. For starters, if you attempt to install a new app while disconnected from Wi-Fi, depending on your Play Store settings, the download may not begin until you connect to Wi-Fi. In that instance, you can manually choose to begin the download via cellular data, using an option in the app. In the near future (sometime after the Play Store v35.0 update), the option to download over mobile data will also, conveniently, appear in the active download notification.
Meanwhile, another update to the Play Store (version 35.2) should offer “direct access” to Google’s “My Ad Center,” where you’re able to change your advertising privacy settings and/or adjust the kinds of ads that you see. The changelog doesn’t mention where this shortcut will appear, but the Google Account menu (opened by tapping your avatar in the top-right corner) is a likely bet.
Google Play System Updates for April 2023
Google Play Store
New Features to help you discover the Apps & Games you love.
Optimizations allowing faster and more reliable download and installation.
Continuous improvements to Play Protect to keep your device safe.
Various performance optimizations, bug fixes and improvements to security, stability and accessibility.
[Auto, PC, Phone] Users can allow apps and games to download over cellular data from the download notification while waiting for Wi-Fi.
[Phone] With this update, you will have direct access to My Ad Center.
Almost four years ago, Google deviated from the well-worn flagship path and released the Pixel 3a and 3a XL. The mid-rangers provided all of the best bits of the Pixel 3 but without the asking price to match.
As the Pixel 3a and 3a XL are no longer officially supported by Google, it’s time to reassess just how this duo has changed the trajectory of Google in the smartphone space. Has it helped, or has it hindered the growth of the Pixel series? This is Pixel 3a postmortem.
What has aged well
Design
Camera
Display
What hasn’t aged well
Performance
Lifespan
Hardware and design
Familiar but ever so slightly different
We often see Android OEMs cut corners to inhibit the experience, but Google took a scalpel to only the areas that kept the price high. The result was impressive in all the right ways and even the negatives can quickly get overlooked.
One of the biggest compliments that you can give the Pixel 3a is that at least visually, it’s almost indistinguishable from the Pixel 3 at first glance. That’s undoubtedly a testament to Google’s efforts to provide at least the perception of a “premium” Pixel experience without the price tag. There’s also the benefit of shared hardware traits that do not diminish or cheapen the design principles introduced with the flagship line. Apple’s continued repackaging of old designs with the iPhone SE puts this into perspective.
A very brief divergence occurred a year later but the two-tone frosted look works surprisingly well when cheaper polycarbonate was utilized. Plastic doesn’t age quite as gracefully without a case but it’s more durable than metal and glass. You can tell that cheaper materials have been used but it’s not to the detriment of the look and feel – which actually belies the original lower entry point. The only unique trait is the new Purple-ish color and slightly tuned power button hues.
Even forehead and chin display bezels are home to front-facing speakers. There’s no bathtub notch to contend with, which in many ways felt like a huge selling point upon release. Google nailed the screens here too. Both are rated at FHD+ and capped at 60Hz, but to add such a good and well-tuned OLED screen means that the Pixel’s Always-on display features bled down to the first affordable devices. Hardware feature parity was not expected but it builds the all-important buyer trust.
Although the Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor is a fairly sizable downgrade over the Snapdragon 845 used in the Pixel 3, there is parity in the 4GB memory allocation. This helped to keep things running smoothly – shockingly so. The rear fingerprint scanner is also fast and fluid, something that certain recent Pixel flagships haven’t always been able to say.
There’s also the 3.5mm headphone port. A relic of a time before ports were removed with excuses about IP ratings or even the admittedly excellent Pixel Buds A-Series. Little did we know that even affordable phones would soon ditch the port entirely.
Software and performance
Fine at the time
Without delving into the performance levels today — which are impressive given the aging internals — Google’s efforts in tuning modest internals meant a flagship-level software experience without the associated price tag. The added bonus is day-one software updates and monthly security patches.
The landscape has changed since the release of the Pixel 3a, but at a time when Samsung continued to fumble software updates and device support, the idea of a sub-$500 smartphone with such a support window was almost unheard of. Android 12 is the final “official” OS update made available in September 2022 after launching with Android 9 Pie pre-installed. As of January 2023, updates ceased with the release of the May 2022 security patch. All in all, this isn’t a bad run for the duo.
Without delving into the performance levels today — which are impressive given the aging internals — Google’s efforts in tuning modest internals meant a flagship-level software experience without the associated price tag. The added bonus is day-one software updates and monthly security patches.
The landscape has changed since the release of the Pixel 3a, but at a time when Samsung continued to fumble software updates and device support, the idea of a sub-$500 smartphone with such a support window was almost unheard of. Android 12 is the final “official” OS update made available in September 2022 after launching with Android 9 Pie pre-installed. As of January 2023, updates ceased with the release of the May 2022 security patch. All in all, this isn’t a bad run for the duo.
This includes no great issues with the camera UI unresponsiveness or even apps constantly being flushed from memory. Sure, the experience when running Android 12 isn’t top-tier. In perspective, it still runs well given the hardware constraints. Many other mid-rangers released back in 2019 can’t claim the same.
A bigger frustration that has been exacerbated over time is the lacklustre 64GB storage capacity. With app sizes slowly ballooning, it would have been better to have a 128GB base model. This was corrected with the launch of the Pixel 4a series over a year later.
If you are insistent on grabbing a taste of Android 13, then you might have to head into the world of unofficial third-party ROMs. LineageOS 20 was recently announced sans Pixel 3a or 3a XL support. There is a way to flash this via unofficial means if you want to hold on to Google’s first budget phone for a little while longer.
Camera
Flagship-level solo shooter
When it was officially confirmed that the camera setup on the Pixel 3a was going to be identical to the Pixel 3 series, it certainly raised a few eyebrows. For some, it probably felt like a kick in the teeth but it was an absolute masterstroke. The Sony IMX363 is certainly a little long in the tooth.
While we’ve seen the Pixel 6 and 6a ditch the camera sensor consistency, this was a true flagship system in a mid-range phone.
No feature was missing. This included the impressive Night Sight long exposure mode, Top Shot, plus the excellent Portrait mode. Although image processing took a little longer than on the Pixel 3, the end result and overall quality are identical. Despite a lack of lens variety, the solo shooter is still impressive and you’re able to take photos in just about every scenario.
It wouldn’t say that Google’s older handsets have aged badly in the photographic department. you can certainly see that the processing has altered slightly with each iteration. Video hasn’t held up quite as well but being able to record solid 4K UHD 30fps video is a big bonus. Most 2019 mid-range smartphones would cap at 1080p and given the same flagship-level camera system was utilized across the Pixel 3 and 3a series, it was an impressive inclusion.
As mentioned, the paltry 64GB internal storage with no option to expand or upgrade has always been a sore point. Offloading images to Google Photos, other cloud storage services, or locally on a PC or drive was something we deemed necessary back at launch.
Battery
Exceptional in its day
Although it’s unfair to look at an almost four-year-old smartphone’s lifespan, upon release of the Pixel 3a and 3a XL the battery longevity surpassed even the flagship Pixel 3. The low-power processor and power management helped to push the Pixel 3a XL into the upper echelons of Android lifespan back in 2019.
Seven hours of screen time over multiple days was possible back at launch. You’ll be lucky to attain half of that today given natural battery degradation. The 18W maximum charge speeds seem slow by today’s standards but seemed solid during the initial launch window.
A lack of wireless charging feels like a missed opportunity, alas it is another relic of the time. It also feels unfair to complain about this when the Pixel A-series still lacks the ability to charge via Qi wireless pad or even the Pixel Stand. Maybe future iterations will finally allow for wire-free charging. We can only hope.
In many ways, the Pixel 3a and 3a XL absolutely stole some of the limelight from the Pixel 3. It’s not often that any manufacturer absolutely nails the first attempt at a new segment but Google most certainly did probably in ways that the Pixel series could never really manage.
The price point and feature set mean this duo felt fully fleshed out in ways that the Pixel series hadn’t quite managed at the time. While Google of old struggled with trying to break into the high-end smartphone space, the firm’s first mid-range effort absolutely nailed every single fundamental — and then some.
In a previous revisit, the Pixel 3a XL specifically the “everyman Android”. Mid-range phones were nothing new in 2019, but by repackaging everything that we expected from Google’s flagship experience without overly watering things down. It led to the birth of what is arguably the more enticing Made by Google smartphone series to most prospective buyers. All the flavour but less of the fluff. Just a pure Pixel experience sans a price tag.
With the Pixel 6a being more or less the culmination of the A-series at this stage and the Pixel 7a likely bringing yet more upgrades, those handsets will have the Pixel 3a and 3a XL to thank for truly paving the way.
Almost four full years after its launch, the Pixel 4 is no longer part of Google’s plans. It was the last true flagship until the launch of the Pixel 6 series in 2021. What worked and where does it stand today? Let’s find out.
There are people that will point to the Pixel 4 and 4 XL as the start of a mini-decline for the Made by Google smartphone series. It’s true that sales were not as good as the Pixel 3, but according to research data, the 2019 flagships outsold the Pixel 5 and Pixel 6 series meaning that the reports of the Pixel’s demise may have been exaggerated.
After going back to the drawing board in recent years, the future looks brighter for Google’s smartphone efforts. It’s hard not to look at the Pixel 4 and 4 XL and wonder what could have been if things had been a little bit better across the board.
What has aged well
Design
Performance
Face Unlock
What hasn’t aged well
Lifespan
Update timeline
Hardware and design
The Pixel 4 doesn’t look like any device before it. I should clarify that this is visually my favourite Google design. Matte black side rails and the frosted finish have aged exceptionally in my opinion. However, it’s not a particularly durable design and a number of hardware problems have tainted the legacy of a striking smartphone.
Battery bloat has killed off a number of devices, but I’m lucky enough to have my own unit survive this particularly frustrating flaw. The glass backplate can literally pop off due to the internal cell expanding and pushing the frame apart. It’s not clear how many devices have been affected by this issue, but the Pixel 4 was one of the only Google phones to suffer from such a problem.
Frustrations aside, little touches like the colourful power button and two-tone rear panel finish of the “Oh So Orange” and “Clearly White” stand apart from devices released around the same time. This feels like the height of the playful era of Google design. Since then, only the Pixel 6 in Coral and Seafoam have offered anything remotely similar – and to greater effect. The removal of the rear fingerprint scanner also cleans up the aesthetic.
I have always felt that the design kept one foot in the past with one in the future. It’s softened, approachable, and a world apart from the recent Pixel 7 and 7 Pro – for better or worse. There’s a toy-like quality that has been slowly chipped off the Pixel lineup to appeal to a wider audience.
At the front, things are all changed over the Pixel 3 XLspecifically. One of the most unique screen layouts of the era awaits. To make way for the Soli radar and 3D face scanning tech the notch is leveled out. A big forehead shifts the 5.7 and 6.2-inch screens down to create a strange bottom-aligned face. Rated at FHD+ and QHD+, the 90Hz refresh rates elevate good screens into the excellent category. The completely flat panels were the perfect home for the introduction of full gesture navigation.
Flat screens are having something of a renaissance today, and we applauded the inclusion at the time when we saw more and more phones shipping with curved edges. Google hasn’t been able to resist the lure of rounded screen corners in recent years, but flat screens are just easier to use with gesture-based controls.
Calibration and display tuning are actually one of the strengths of Google’s Pixel series. The maximum brightness is not exactly great here at a low 444 nits. It means that outdoor legibility is way below par. This diminished the experience of using the phone on a day-to-day basis and when colours look crisp clear and accurate, it’s a big disappointment not to be able to see things clearly in all lighting conditions.
Software and performance
From a pure benchmark perspective, it’s hard to believe that the company no longer supports the third most potent Google smartphone. Only the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 have more under-the-hood grunts available at your fingertips. The increasing cost of 5G connectivity was cited for the Pixel 5 through to the Pixel 5a shipping with a mid-range Qualcomm chipset. This processor enabled superfast wireless connections but came at the cost of performance.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 is by no means a powerful chip by 2023 standards. It is, however, a chip that will stand alongside many current low-to-midrange phones. This is reflected in how well the Pixel 4 can do the basics today. Heck, as the third-placed performing Pixel, it can run rings around the Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 5a. The latter handset launched in 2021 and stands to be supported until 2024 but likely won’t age as well as the Pixel 4.
Android 13, therefore, runs just as well here as it does on the Pixel 5 and in some areas the Pixel 6 series. Sure, the 6GB RAM might throw a few apps or two out of memory when you do a ton of multitasking. RAM management is pretty solid after the disaster of the 3’s memory leaks and lack of ability to hold more than a few apps in stasis. It was one of the first major indications that Google was aware that not all problems can be fixed with software updates. Hardware needs upgrades too.
Many of the performance boosts were provided via Google Assistant and ML-powered functions. Call Screening, Live Caption, the “new” Google Assistant, and more were baked into Android 10. Many more similar capabilities have joined the fold and helped complete the software stack.
A larger issue long-term has been the 64GB base storage. This has been remedied with subsequent releases but has been a problem since day one. 4K video and large apps/games can quickly clutter up your phone. The usable space is decreased as the Android system now requires at least 13GB. That leaves just 51GB.
One thing that is striking when returning to use the Pixel 4 is the speed of unlocking when your facial data is registered. Sure, a software-based version of Face Unlock has been added to help reduce the woes of an in-display fingerprint scanner but true 3D face scanning is a breath of fresh air whenever I return to the Pixel 4 XL. Annoyingly not every app supports the feature, but we would love to see it be re-added to a future flagship Pixel. It’s just so fluid that you’re using your phone before you’re even thinking about tapping a fingerprint scanner or entering a PIN.
There are a number of reasons that Soli is more of a gimmick than a truly useful addition to your smartphone. A miniature radar is capable of tracking the motion of your hands – and face for unlocking. The inclusion is still interesting almost four years after it was announced.
Soli is capable of understanding human motion but has never truly been utilized to its greatest potential. The most we have is the ability to wave your hand to skip, pause playing audio, alarms and silence phone calls. This was packaged as Motion Sense, but it has detrimental effects on phone battery life. It could be considered innovative if it was used in more areas such as a hands-free camera shutter or increasing device volume without touching the screen. As it stands, it feels like a lost relic of a time when Google struggled to remain in touch with the biggest Android players.
A long time has passed since the Pixel 4 series launched with Android 10 pre-installed. Since then the operating system has had a rebirth to accompany the soft relaunch of the Pixel series. Material You is right at home on the high-refresh-rate display. It feels in lockstep with the performance you can expect from the Pixel 5 and at no point do I feel like the system overpowers the internals.
Alas, Android 13 is the third and final version the Pixel 4 will ever see – at least officially – and the last update was sent out in October 2022. It feels more painful here than any other Pixel handset as the hardware is more than capable of running Android 14 with aplomb. At least this is still the final Pixel to launch with the ability to squeeze in to activate the Google Assistant.
Camera
The Pixel 4 and 4 XL were the first devices to ship with a dual rear camera system. Interestingly, the camera system compromises of a main wide and 2x telephoto, which is a unique combination in the Made by Google lineup. Every follow-up handset is compromised of a wide and ultrawide – provided there is at least a dual camera system.
Because of the lack of ultrawide, the camera capabilities have been shaped by the more rigid focal lengths available. I’m of the opinion that the telephoto lens is vastly superior to an ultrawide. Super Res Zoom helps improve the fairly limited 2x zoom capabilities of the Pixel 4 telephoto lens. Post-processing helps produce sharp, clear images up to around 4-5x zoom. Beyond that, you’ll get poor-quality photos when compared to the latest and greatest.
Even back in 2019, this limited dual setup fell behind the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S10, iPhone 11 Pro, Huawei P30 Pro, and many more. Even with this in mind, sticking with the familiar 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 main sensor was a great move at the time as Google could be at the forefront of computational photography rather than compete with pure hardware capabilities. Improvements such as dual exposure controls, astrophotography, and white balance mean that images from the Pixel 4 series still hold up well despite how modest things seem today.
It’s nowhere near the standard of the Pixel 6 or Pixel 7 series, as you would expect of a four-year-old system. The core sensor remains identical to a number of handsets, which is a blessing as years of extra tuning has helped elevate a one-time exceptional point-and-shoot smartphone camera system each passing year. Despite using the same main sensor as the Pixel 6a, you won’t have exactly the same end results. There are a number of photos I have taken with the Pixel 4 XL that I count among the best I have captured on a smartphone. I’d wager many longtime owners would have similar sentiments about their own stills.
Battery and charging
We’re not going to delve too deeply into the battery longevity of an almost four-year-old smartphone. It would be unfair to gloss over the major problems that faced the Pixel 4 series back at launch. One of the biggest complaints about the devices was the inadequate lifespan. Of course, this wasn’t the experience that everyone had, but it was a problem for many people nonetheless.
To Google’s credit, the Pixel 4 XL lifespan was improved steadily with updates and tuning. It wasn’t completely terrible from day one thanks to a 3,700mAh maximum capacity. The paltry 2,800mAh internal cell on the smaller Pixel 4 was no match for a 90Hz FHD+ screen and Soli radar sensor. It’s certainly not clear what the reasoning was to use such a small internal cell with a power-hungry panel, plus added sensors were to be included. Even trying to tune down the display to 60Hz isn’t enough to prevent running flat long before the day is done.
It’s hard to be too harsh on a device with the lens of time. That said, even back in 2019 it’s hard to understand Google’s thought processes and why smaller-than-average internal cells were adopted rather than upping capacities and ensuring that you can use your phone uninhibited all day.
Looking back at the Pixel 4 and 4 XL, they are prime examples of the duality of Google. A bigger, bolder, and arguably better product was hampered by problems that could have been fixed with a little oversight. By the time Android 11 was released, the Pixel 4 XL was a better device than it ever was at launch and felt like the poster child for the “fix it in the post” school of product launches.
It’s tough to suggest that the Pixel 4 was underrated. If anything, it was hamstrung and held back from being a truly brilliant addition to the Made by Google smartphone lineup. Soli offered little and was sold as a key feature and didn’t even work in some regions due to legal restrictions on radar technology.
The core tenets of the Pixel 4 XL specifically is a very capable smartphone for the era. It has aged better than it ought to in many regards but one that fumbled the fundamentals. This doesn’t stop it from leaving a sour taste in the mouth the missed potential. In the cold light of 2023, it piles on more annoyance. As there are very few real reasons that the Pixel 4 and 4 XL should be left on Android 13, given that “newer” devices come with diminished internals and will be supported for longer.
Despite just falling short of our expectations, the Pixel 4 feels like the most Google-ly of all of the Pixel lineup to date – which has proven to be a blessing and a curse. It may not go down as the best Pixel ever, but it was easily the most experimental.
