Dec. 1β5 recap: This week showed the global scramble to outβbuild, outβtrain, and outβship AI, from datacenter deals to AI-powered smart glasses.
Dec. 1β5 recap: This week showed the global scramble to outβbuild, outβtrain, and outβship AI, from datacenter deals to AI-powered smart glasses.
Googleβs Android 16 QPR2 update introduces AI-powered notifications, improved dark mode, scam detection, and new safety tools, making everyday phone use smoother, safer, and more intuitive.
Whatβs happened? The Korean tech giant Samsung is working on a successor to the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which could arrive as soon as 2026. Why is this important? While information about the purported Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 remains scarce, the smartwatch should build upon the strong foundation laid by the original Watch Ultra. Why should [β¦]
Android phones are getting major upgrades: emotion-aware captions, scam-checking AI, urgent call labels, safer group chats, and improved browsing tools, enhancing daily communication and security.
The rollout of the new Android 16 features, which are first coming to Pixel devices, marks a new chapter in how Android updates work, as the company is shifting from a single yearly update to more frequent releases.
Google is following through on its pledge to split Android versions into more frequent updates. We already had one Android 16 release this year, and now itβs time for the second. The new version is rolling out first on Googleβs Pixel phones, featuring more icon customization, easier parental controls, and AI-powered notifications. Donβt be bummed if you arenβt first in line for the new Android 16βGoogle also has a raft of general improvements coming to the wider Android ecosystem.
Android 16, part 2
Since rolling out the first version of Android in 2008, Google has largely stuck to one major release per year. Android 16 changes things, moving from one monolithic release to two. Todayβs OS update is the second part of the Android 16 era, but donβt expect major changes. As expected, the first release in June made more changes. Most of what weβll see in the second update is geared toward Googleβs Pixel phones, plus some less notable changes for developers.
Googleβs new AI features for notifications are probably the most important change. Android 16 will use AI for two notification tasks: summarizing and organizing. The OS will take long chat conversations and summarize the notifications with AI. Notification data is processed locally on the device and wonβt be uploaded anywhere. In the notification shade, the collapsed notification line will feature a summary of the conversation rather than a snippet of one message. Expanding the notification will display the full text.
Nothing has begun rolling out Android 16-based Nothing OS 4.0 to the Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro, bringing a redesigned interface, faster performance, and a feature-packed camera revamp.