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New Google features enhance Pixel devices, boost AI capabilities, and expand Wear OS on Pixel Watch

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Google continues to enhance its software and hardware ecosystem, releasing a range of updates for Pixel phones, Android tablets, foldables, and the Pixel Watch. These updates showcase Google’s focus on personalized and AI-powered experiences, as well as new tools that improve user interactions across devices. Here’s an in-depth look at the latest Google features, including seasonal Audio Emoji, split-screen multitasking on tablets, and Google Maps’ impressive 2 billion monthly user milestone.

1. Audio Emoji and Halloween Effects in Phone by Google

The recent version 150 update for the Phone by Google app includes a playful Audio Emoji feature, initially introduced with the Pixel 8a and now available on all Google phones. This feature lets users express emotions through short audio clips during calls. For those who prefer a simpler interface, the Audio Emoji shortcuts can be easily disabled by navigating to Phone by Google > Settings > General. These features add a fun, seasonal touch, much like Google Messages’ “Halloween” Screen Effect and the festive Nest Doorbell sounds.

2. Gemini’s Split-Screen Multitasking for Tablets and Foldables

Google has introduced a new split-screen multitasking shortcut for large-screen Android devices like tablets and foldables. The Gemini AI assistant now offers a split-screen overlay with a top-edge handle bar, allowing users to position Gemini side-by-side with another app. This feature, first available on Samsung foldables, has expanded to the Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold, making it easier to access Gemini for multitasking, such as reading or streaming content alongside AI-driven tasks. Currently, the feature is not yet supported on Android phones.

3. Google Maps Surpasses 2 Billion Monthly Users

In a recent announcement, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that Google Maps has surpassed the impressive milestone of 2 billion monthly users. This achievement places Maps among Google’s top-performing products, joining Search, Gmail, Android, Chrome, Play Store, and YouTube in the 2+ billion user club. All seven of these services now integrate Google’s Gemini AI models, which continue to evolve with an ambitious roadmap for 2025.

Pichai also emphasized Google’s commitment to advancing AI performance across its platforms, noting that Google’s Gemini app team has joined Google DeepMind to streamline development and deployment of AI features.

4. AI-Powered Development Stats and Features

During Alphabet’s Q3 2024 earnings call, several key AI metrics and updates were shared:

  • AI-Generated Code: Over 25% of Google’s new code is now AI-generated, reviewed, and optimized by engineers, significantly accelerating productivity.
  • Gemini API Expansion: API calls to Gemini have grown by almost 14 times in just six months.
  • Circle to Search Growth: Available on over 150 million Android devices, Circle to Search lets users shop, translate, and learn by circling on their screen. A third of those who have tried it use it weekly, with higher engagement among users aged 18 to 24.
  • Lens Visual Searches: Google Lens now processes over 20 billion visual searches monthly, particularly popular for answering complex queries and aiding in product discovery.
  • YouTube’s Revenue Success: YouTube’s combined ad and subscription revenue surpassed $50 billion over the past year, a record milestone for the platform.
  • Waymo’s Autonomous Milestones: Waymo has completed more than 1 million autonomous miles and over 150,000 paid rides, marking significant growth in the autonomous vehicle sector.

5. New Wear OS Features on Pixel Watch

Google’s October Pixel Drop has brought additional functionality to the Pixel Watch lineup, including a new Google Contacts Tile for Wear OS. This feature offers easy access to individual contacts, displaying their profile image and providing quick call and messaging shortcuts. If a contact has multiple phone numbers, a picker allows users to select the correct one. The latest Tile update, found in Google Contacts version 1.64 for Wear OS, joins the existing Favorite contacts Tile for streamlined communication on the Pixel Watch.

Additionally, a new feature is on its way that will allow users to send and view emoji reactions directly from the Gmail app on the Pixel Watch. This update, while not yet live, promises to make email interactions quicker and more expressive on wearable devices.

6. Update Delays for Pixel Watch 3 and Earlier Models

Notably, the Pixel Watch 3, along with earlier models, did not receive a system update in October. Google paused the September Wear OS 5 update due to issues reported by users. However, the company has reassured users that updates are expected to resume later in the year, addressing the delay and enhancing stability for the Pixel Watch lineup.

Conclusion

With these new updates across Pixel devices, Android tablets, and wearables, Google is doubling down on personalized, seamless experiences powered by Gemini AI. The recent enhancements to Google Maps and Google Contacts on Wear OS reflect Google’s commitment to making interactions smarter and more convenient across devices, keeping users connected and engaged in innovative ways. As Google continues to refine these features, users can look forward to an even more integrated ecosystem tailored to modern needs.

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Android 15 introduces true variable refresh rate support, but there are limitations

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Android 15 Brings True Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) Support

Most modern Android smartphones, including mid-range and flagship devices, come equipped with high-refresh-rate displays. These screens often operate at fixed rates like 60Hz, 90Hz, or 120Hz. Even some budget phones now feature refresh rates above the standard 60Hz. However, while many phones boast this feature, they lack true variable refresh rate (VRR) technology. Despite manufacturers marketing VRR support through LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) displays, Android itself didn’t fully support VRR until the release of Android 15.

What Is Adaptive Refresh Rate in Android 15?

With Android 15, Google has introduced Adaptive Refresh Rate (ARR), a form of VRR, directly into the operating system. Previously, Android could switch between different fixed refresh rates like 60Hz and 90Hz based on the display mode. However, this was not a true adaptive system. The operating system would switch modes based on content but couldn’t seamlessly adjust refresh rates within a single mode.

In Android 15, ARR dynamically adjusts the refresh rate according to the content’s frame rate without needing to change display modes. This ensures a smoother user experience by adapting the screen refresh rate on the fly, whether you’re watching a video or playing a game.

Benefits of True Variable Refresh Rate in Android 15

Google highlights two main benefits of the ARR feature in Android 15:

  1. Power Efficiency: By allowing the display to operate at lower refresh rates when high refresh rates aren’t necessary, the device consumes less power. It ramps up the refresh rate only when the content requires it, reducing unnecessary battery drain.
  2. Improved Performance: Since ARR eliminates the need to switch between different display modes, it reduces potential “jank” or stuttering issues that occur during mode transitions, offering a smoother visual experience.

Why Wasn’t True VRR Supported Before?

Although smartphone manufacturers have promoted variable refresh rate features with LTPO displays, these implementations were limited. LTPO displays allowed for a broader range of refresh rates, from as low as 1Hz or 10Hz up to 120Hz. However, this was achieved by toggling between fixed display modes rather than dynamically adjusting within a single mode.

For example, on many Android devices with LTPO OLED panels, the refresh rate could drop to 10Hz during static content like reading, then jump to 120Hz during gaming. However, these changes were still tied to pre-defined modes and didn’t dynamically adapt based on real-time content needs, unlike true VRR seen in PC gaming monitors.

Technical Advancements in Android 15

In previous Android versions, some OEMs tried to implement VRR-like features at the kernel level. However, this approach required custom logic for each device, making it difficult to standardize due to Android’s Generic Kernel Image (GKI) requirements. The kernel, responsible for managing hardware, lacked deep insights into the content being displayed, limiting its ability to adjust the refresh rate effectively.

Android 15 addresses this by implementing VRR at the Hardware Composer (HWC) HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) level, specifically with the introduction of version 3 of HWC HAL APIs. This allows the operating system to make more informed decisions about when to adjust the refresh rate based on the content displayed. It offers a unified method for OEMs to implement adaptive refresh rates without needing complex customizations at the kernel level.

Device Compatibility and Challenges

While Android 15 introduces true VRR support, not all devices will be able to use it right away. For a phone to take advantage of this feature, it must have support for the updated HWC HAL version 3. Currently, devices like the Google Pixel 7 and newer models, as well as those powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, have this version. However, older devices, including the Google Pixel 6 series and phones using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, do not support the necessary HAL version.

Additionally, even if a device receives an update to Android 15, it may not support ARR due to hardware limitations or the effects of Google’s Requirements Freeze (GRF) program. This program prevents mandatory hardware changes in updated devices, so phones designed before the release of HWC HAL version 3 may not fully support Android 15’s adaptive refresh rate features.

Future Impact and Expectations

If Android 15’s adaptive refresh rate feature is widely adopted, it could lead to better performance and battery efficiency in everyday use. For instance, it may help devices reduce the refresh rate to 30Hz or 24Hz when playing films, rather than defaulting to 60Hz, which could conserve battery life.

However, it’s important to note that Android 15’s implementation is not the same as the true VRR seen in gaming PCs, where the refresh rate matches the frame rate of the game. Instead, Google’s documentation indicates that the adaptive refresh rate in Android 15 only supports rates that are divisors of the display’s native refresh rate to prevent tearing effects.

This means that while Android 15’s ARR feature offers significant improvements, it may not provide full synchronization between game frame rates and display refresh rates, as seen in PC monitors with NVIDIA G-Sync or AMD FreeSync.

Looking Forward

As more details emerge and updates roll out, it will be interesting to see which existing devices fully adopt Android 15’s adaptive refresh rate capabilities. Google’s future Pixel devices are likely candidates for early adoption, but broader support will depend on how quickly OEMs implement the necessary hardware and software changes.

In conclusion, Android 15 marks a significant step forward in providing true VRR support at the operating system level. While the feature is promising, its real-world impact will depend on device compatibility and OEM adoption. Users can look forward to a smoother experience and potentially better battery life, making it a long-overdue but welcome addition to the Android ecosystem.

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Expanded support for RAW Photos in third-party Android camera apps

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Google is making strides to enhance the quality of smartphone photography by bringing RAW photo support to more third-party camera apps through an update to the CameraX library. While the default JPEG photos from smartphones are sufficient for casual use, photography enthusiasts often prefer RAW images due to their superior editing capabilities.

Understanding RAW Photography

RAW photography captures unprocessed image data directly from the camera sensor. Unlike JPEG, which compresses and processes the image, RAW files retain more details, allowing photographers to adjust settings like white balance, exposure, and sharpness in post-processing. However, RAW files are significantly larger, consuming more storage space, which can be a concern for users with budget devices.

Current Limitations in Android Apps

Many camera apps on Android either do not support RAW photography or require manual activation due to its limited utility for most users. This gap exists because many developers opt to use the simpler CameraX library instead of the more complex Camera2 API. While Camera2 has supported RAW capture for a long time, CameraX, designed for ease of use and broader device compatibility, initially only supported JPEG output.

CameraX simplifies the integration of camera features into apps like social media platforms that do not need advanced camera functionalities. The trade-off has been the lack of advanced options like RAW photo capture. However, Google is addressing this by adding RAW capture capabilities in the upcoming release of CameraX version 1.5.0.

Upcoming Features in CameraX 1.5.0

With the 1.5.0 update, CameraX will introduce two new output formats: OUTPUT_FORMAT_RAW for capturing a single RAW image and OUTPUT_FORMAT_RAW_JPEG for capturing both RAW and JPEG images simultaneously. These RAW images will be saved in Adobe’s DNG format, a widely adopted standard in digital photography. This addition aims to bridge the feature gap between CameraX and Camera2, making RAW photo support more accessible to a broader range of apps​.

Implications for Developers and Users

This update will empower app developers who use CameraX to provide users with more advanced photography options without resorting to the more complex Camera2 API. It also reflects Google’s commitment to enhancing CameraX, making it a viable choice even for apps with more demanding camera requirements. As a result, more third-party camera apps may soon start offering RAW capture, appealing to users who prefer extensive photo editing and better image quality.

Conclusion

Google’s efforts to add RAW photo support to CameraX demonstrate an ongoing push to offer professional-grade features in a simpler package. This move is expected to make high-quality, detailed photography accessible even in apps that were previously limited to basic JPEG captures, enriching the overall Android photography experience for both developers and users.

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Google Search’s Paddington Easter Egg and new Google Slides templates boost productivity

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In anticipation of the upcoming movie Paddington in Peru, Google has added a playful Easter egg to its search engine. When users type “Paddington,” “Paddington 2,” or “Paddington in Peru” into Google Search, they notice a special marmalade sandwich button at the bottom right of the screen. Clicking this button results in the screen being “coated” with marmalade, mimicking Paddington’s love for his favorite snack. Each click adds more sticky sandwiches, creating a fun and interactive experience, especially for fans of the beloved bear​.

This Easter egg aligns well with the promotional activities for Paddington in Peru, which releases in November 2024 in the UK and January 2025 in the US. The film follows Paddington on a journey back to Peru, accompanied by the Brown family, as they explore his native land in a new adventure filled with mystery and charm​.

Enhancements in Google Slides: New Themed Templates

Google has also made updates to its Slides platform by introducing a variety of themed templates. This new feature is aimed at enhancing user productivity by simplifying the presentation creation process. Traditionally, users relied on basic themes and layouts, but now Google Slides offers pre-designed templates tailored for specific purposes like business pitches, educational projects, and collaborative team activities.

These templates include layouts, color schemes, and placeholder content, making it easier for users to jump straight into creating visually appealing and professional presentations. Some of the available templates are tailored for investor pitches, class overviews, and even team-building games. This update is rolling out to all Google Workspace customers, including individual subscribers and those with personal Google accounts, promising more templates in future updates​.

In summary, Google is boosting user engagement and productivity through these delightful additions. The Easter egg celebrates a cultural icon, while the new Slides templates help streamline the presentation process for both professional and personal use.

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