To help you get more out of the upcoming holidays, Google is rolling out a few features that, while not entirely new, are making their first appearances on Android. The features cover a variety of categories, including new widgets to make an Android smartphone's home screen more useful, simplified reminders for the entire family, and even the ability to lock and unlock certain cars with a Pixel 6.
Google just announced the availability of new smart cameras under its Nest smart home brand, but those are hardly the only options available in a rather congested market. When it comes to security cameras and video doorbells, Arlo's name is right up there, especially when it comes to integrating with Google's own smart home platform. Once again demonstrating its close ties with Google, Arlo just updated its Motion Detection system to allow Nest Hub and other Google Assistant speakers or devices to audibly notify homeowners when people or a package have been detected.
If you're looking for a unique smartphone, the restaurant chain Wendy's might have what you seek. They've suggested they're releasing a total of 20 Wendy's Phone devices that they'll be sending to fans that take part in an event hosted by Wendy's Canada - and it would appear that it's all legit. Wendy's really, truly has it's own smartphone.
Google is no stranger to inquiries, investigations, and even lawsuits regarding its businesses and products, especially when it comes to anti-competitive behavior. From Search to shopping to news to even Chrome, Google has faced numerous legal challenges, especially within the European Union. Even while it faces the latest set of challenges over the Google Play Store, the European Commission is reportedly preparing to slap it another one, this time over how it may be forcing Google Assistant to be the default voice assistant on smart devices, particularly those running Android.
There was a time when Google planned on putting Android on feature phones, sometimes called dumb phones to contrast with the more predominant smartphone breed. Lacking touch screens, Android would have needed to be driven using physical D-Pads and buttons as well as using voice commands. Google eventually settled for integrating Google Assistant into another operating system designed specifically for those very low-end phones. That arrangement seemed to have worked well for quite a number of those phones, including Nokia-branded ones, but Google Assistant is reportedly missing a few features now without any explanation or warning.
Aside from smartphones and smartwatches, Android's other official incarnations have been less consistent, including on tablets. Android Auto and Android TV have undergone shifts that completely change the game, for better or for worse. Android Auto's history has been rather tumultuous, especially with the launch of a different but related Android Automotive. Now things are taking another turn with the removal of Android Auto for phone screens, forcing users to switch to Google Assistant's Driving Mode instead.
Sonos is exploring the potential of its own voice assistant, offering an alternative to Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant, with one big advantage over its existing voice control feature. Sonos speakers launched in the past few years have distinguished themselves by including support for either Google or Amazon's voice tech, user-selectable rather than preconfigured like most smart speakers.
Last year, Google announced a then-new feature called Family Bell that enabled users to set up bell reminders. The idea was that parents could set up these reminders to announce when tasks needed to be done, such as reminding their child to get ready for an online class. The company is back with an update to the feature that ties in its Nest Hub smart display.
There has been an explosion in smart home appliances in the past years but the most common kind has been smart lighting and smart locks. The latter has sometimes proven to be a bit controversial, considering their security implications. Wyze's smart lock, however, has been criticized for a different flaw, one that prevented it from connecting to Google's nearly ubiquitous smart home platform. That has finally changed, however, and the Wyze Lock now finally speaks Google Home's language so that you can lock or unlock your door with the power of your voice.
Google Assistant has always revolved around voice interactions but Google was able to give it a face in the form of smart displays. Now falling under the Nest smart home brand, Google has provided some visual feedback to augment Google Assistant's capabilities in your house. Not all smart Assistant features are available yet on those smart displays, however, and one upcoming addition will make booking tables at restaurants a breeze. At least when Google Duplex does finally arrive on the Nest Hub Max and its kin.
Google has revealed its new true wireless earbuds, the Pixel Buds A-Series, cutting the price to under $100 in the process. Following on from the 2020 Pixel Buds, the new Pixel Buds A look much the same as their predecessors but - like the Pixel 4a did in phones - brings the tech in at a lower cost.
There was a lot of attention given to Android Wear last month, mostly because it finally showed signs of life after a long period of stagnation. That said, when it comes to wearables, especially ones oriented towards fitness and health, the Apple Watch and Fitbit's wide selection still dominate the market and people's minds. Fitbit's future under Google and Android Wear is a bit uncertain, despite assurances, but this latest update to its two smartwatches puts it ahead of some Android Wear smartwatches that still lack one popular biometric.