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Welcome to Pixelated episode 118. This week, Damien and Abner share their hands-on impressions of Google’s new laptop lineup with Will. What’s it like to use an Android-powered laptop? How different is the Googlebook platform from ChromeOS? And what steps does Google need to take post-launch to give it as strong of a chance at succeeding as possible? All those questions and more and more as the Android ecosystem grows even larger.

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Following yesterday’s announcement, Google Health 5.09 is rolling out with support for the new Health Guardian features on the Pixel Watch.

The Android Dev Summit is returning in 2026 after Google’s last focused developer conference in 2022. Additionally, the agenda comes with a mention of Android 18.

Following the long-press menu, Google Messages is widely rolling out new ways to access timestamps and direct replies.

After testing got underway in January, Google Messages is finally widely rolling out a new long-press menu in conversations.

Android 17 QPR2 Beta 6 is now available for Pixel devices, barely a week after Beta 5 launched.

Following the version 2.0 update rolling out earlier this week, Google is now beginning to launch the Pixel VIPs widget redesign announced in the September Feature Drop.

Like any sane capitalist, I love getting new stuff. But there’s something heartening about those new things settling into age, like a fecund garden becoming slightly unwieldy, or a pair of shoes getting more comfortable as you use them.

Similarly, I’ve always enjoyed the way a well-made leather case ages as it weathers the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Traditionally called a patina, it’s the lived-in quality that a piece of leather inherits as it absorbs skin oils, scratches, and the unpredictability of weather.

Create My Widget will debut in early October on Googlebooks. Ahead of that, a Play Store listing details what the interface will look like, including on Android phones.

Google Photos is rolling out a handful of new features, including a Redact Markup tool and “Moods” on Android.

As previewed during last month’s Pixel Watch 5 launch, Google is now starting to roll out blood pressure trends, insulin resistance trends, and sleep breathing quality metrics.

Google today announced a trio of new study-focused Chrome features, with the most notable being how the browser will now save scroll position when you send tabs between devices.

Once rumored to go by a different name, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds On open-ear designs have appeared with a little more detail in new images, suggesting these earbuds might become official sooner rather than later.

If you open Google Messages, you might see a prompt on the main screen to join the “official chat” that delivers a WhatsApp-like thread for official updates on new features.

After a slight delay, Samsung is rolling out its Android 17-based One UI 9 update to Galaxy S26 owners in the US, though not to everyone just yet.

Despite having effectively zero market share right now, there is an opportunity for Googlebook to do something that basically nobody else could do, but can they do it?

Following Direct My Call and Hold for Me, Google is introducing “Call for Me” on the Pixel 11 series.

Google appears to be pulling the plug on a Digital Wellbeing feature called “Heads up” which is designed to help you stay off of your phone for extended periods of time while walking.

It’s only been a month since the Pixel 11 series was announced and released, but Verizon already has the phone on sale without a trade-in or seemingly any other fine print caveat. The carrier requires users to sign up for the simplicity plan, but the Pixel 11 Pro can still be bought outright in this deal for just $479 – $620 off.