Welcome back InboxI hope you had a great weekend, especially if you’re a fan of a certain European soccer team. Given Argentina’s late-game heroics throughout the World Cup, I was surprised there weren’t any last-minute goals to tie things up, but I’ll admit Spain were the better team throughout the match.
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⭐️ Starry
Google has had a very busy year so far. By my count, the company has announced 40 different software or platform products since January, and they keep coming. As a keen follower of the company’s chaotic product adventures, I knew that only a small number were actually widely released, but that wasn’t until I saw just one product. comment on this article About Google’s new Noto 3D emoji, I thought I’d put a number on the madness.
Google often announces products months before they are widely available, especially outside of North America. But in the age of Gemini, that reality is heightened by Google’s own AI lineup.
In fact, of the 40 products Google announced this year, only 13 are widely available, and many of them are still limited to US users. big ticket features like Gmail’s AI InboxAnnounced at CES in January, it’s still only available to Google AI subscribers in the US.
When you jump forward, things really fall behind Android Show and Google I/O. In the two months since Google’s developer showcase, we’ve heard very little about what’s new from the company Googlebook notebooks or Universal Basketan AI-powered shopping experience built on UCP (He himself was suspiciously quiet since April) and we’re no closer to knowing when Adobe Premiere will premiere on Android.
Locally produced by Google Speaker of the House was released a few weeks ago, however Gemini’s expected expansion for third-party speakers still not in operation. Similarly, Google announced the Gemini 3.5 Pro in May alongside its cheaper and lighter 3.5 Flash counterpart, but “Report” reports with reference to “Bloomberg”.it was delayed because internal benchmarking did not meet expectations.
Not everything Google announced in 2026 was a no-show: users love AirDrop support on Android phones more and Spark, an agent built into Gemini Launched to AI Ultra users in the USwith expansion to the cheaper Pro level “soon”. And Android 17 was released a few weeks ago Complete with support for multi-tasking Bubbles, Screen Reactions and Query Images in more countries.
In the past, Google’s “trollouts” were limited to certain devices or countries. Now, high-demand (and high-computing) AI features are also limited to the expensive Gemini Ultra plans, further fragmenting the company’s product lineup. Everything it announces will be released eventually, and there’s plenty of time for Google to hit most of them. many “Coming this summer” milestones, but the wait continues for many Google users hoping for the promise of artificial intelligence to pay off.
✉️ Inbox
- The first beta version of the December Android release is now available for some reason. Google’s Android beta releases are notoriously difficult to keep track of — Android 17 stable has just been released, and we’ve rolled out seven betas into the September quarterly update — but the company is off to a great start with QPR2. Take it (while heating your phone).
- Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is still big, but it’s getting a big battery boost in the bargain.. I’m not a big fan of Samsung’s Ultra smartwatch design, which I think leans a bit too much on its oversized ruggedness to make it a practical daily driver, but this year’s improvements are mostly under the hood.
- BTS shows the goods to Samsung fans. The not-so-subtle marketing tie-in between K-pop royalty and BTS member J-Hope has us looking at the wider, frankly, first real-world photos. attractive Galaxy Z Fold 8. We’ll know more soon: the phone will be announced tomorrow.
- Face unlocking the Pixel 11 will somehow add to the perfection. Despite the iPhone’s lack of 3D face unlock technology, the Pixel’s face unlock is fast, reliable and secure. According to a leak, it gets even better on the Pixel 11, especially in low light. Bring him.
- The Pixel 11 Pro is still Dune for me. Google’s own Google Fi portal accidentally posted a photo of the upcoming Pixel 11 Pro in Dune Orange, which makes me even more excited for the product’s launch next month — even if it’s more expensive.
- The end of the road for the Pixel 6. According to Google’s own documentation, the 5-year-old Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will stop receiving updates after the Android 17 QPR2 update in December.
- Keepers must lower the bridge. The EU is forcing Google to share search and inference data about Gemini with rivals such as Microsoft and OpenAI starting in January 2027. The new decision, included in the extended DMA rules, also gives Android access to system resources such as Gemini, AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT.
- Notebook LM gets a shine and a rebrand. Google’s research tool, beloved by students and teachers alike, is being renamed Gemini Notebook. Its big Gemini 3.5+Antigravity update is also now available for AI Pro users, lowering the price bar for entry significantly.
- Nothing and Google can’t counter the RAMageddon crisis in India. According to Counterpoint’s figures, Nothing was the fastest growing brand in India last quarter; Google’s Pixel lineup bucked the trend of price hikes, rising 68% in the ultra-premium space. Go with the figure.
- Now you can order your groceries or design a poster through Google Search. Google Search’s AI mode can now connect directly to Instacart and Canva, as well as YouTube Music, through expanded Connected Apps support.
- As OnePlus dies, its devices will magically become OPPO. With OnePlus shutting down in the US and Europe, parent company OPPO plans to switch devices from OxygenOS to ColorOS. Those who choose not to update will still receive occasional “technical support,” but new Android versions will require a leap starting next year.
🤑 Action items
For most of the country, it’s still too warm to think about buying a holiday gift, but Best Buy Black Friday sale in July reminds us that it’s never too early to pretend you’re actually saving money.
While you’ll have to wait until November to get some really good deals, there are a few that caught my eye. I will advocate the virtues of spending good money on a Dyson vacuum because they last and V15 Detect for $500 matching the lowest price of several years ago. I’ve had mine for two years now and it’s in perfect condition despite being used for hours every week. If this is too rich for your blood, mine other stick vacuum, Shark’s Pet, is Reduced to $180only $10 off the all-time low price.
I’m a huge LG OLED guy, and this is the lowest price you’ll ever see for a 2026 55-inch model. The B6E is a slightly pared-down version of the B6, missing the two AI enhancements of its more expensive counterpart, but they share the same panel and core processor, and you can’t go wrong. that $800 price point. Unfortunately, the 65-inch model isn’t discounted as much For $1,400but you can find many decent tv sales if you look hard enough.
Finally, under no circumstances should you buy this almost three-year-old baby Moto G Play for $100however Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) for $700 It’s a pretty fantastic deal on one of my favorite devices from last year.
🙃 FWD:
This section contains our favorite things from the internet. Great videos, weird memories, fun reads, recommended apps, whatever. Send us your recommendations!
As of this writing, the Avengers: Doomsday trailer has racked up more than 30 million views in less than 14 hours, but for good reason: the thing is packed with just about every living (and some non-living) Marvel superhero.
Narrated in suitably dramatic fashion by the son of Odin himself, we see appearances by the X-Men, including Channing Tatum as Gambit; fantastic four; Ant-Man; Shangchi; the new Black Panther, as well as Namor; and many others.
AMC reported on this Highest quarterly revenue in Q2 (PDF) with more people returning to theaters, Avengers: Endgame may actually be the movie that gets people rooting for Marvel’s return. We will know in five short months.
🗑️ Garbage
Speaking of movies, I’ve always been a fan of Neill Blomkamp’s guts, even the actual movies he’s made. District 9 is a solid film wrapped inside a great VFX demo reel, and there was a lot to admire about Elysium and Chappie.
Now, the former filmmaker has debuted Nightborne, a 13-minute short film shot without any cameras. Created entirely using Bytedance’s acclaimed Seedance 2.0 generative AI tool, Blomkamp claims the short film used “the faces and voices of 32 real people”, heralding “a full feature in this format”.
While clearly impressive technically, there’s an unsettling quirk throughout the runtime that’s hard to ignore. Also, it is very poorly written.
It’s no surprise that mainstream directors like Blomkamp, along with bigger names like Darren Aronofsky and Gareth Edwards, are embracing the technology at a time when big-budget films are becoming increasingly difficult to make.
But will someone ever make an AI movie worth watching? That’s what I want to know.
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