Following news that some 2016 Pixel XL owners are experiencing issues with fast charging following the Android Pie update, Google has confirmed that it is working on a fix for the problem. According to impacted device owners, their Pixel XL smartphones no longer fast charge after installing the latest Android update, forcing them to charge at normal or slow speeds.
Android 9 Pie isn't the only launch from Google today: it's also opening up its beta preview of Digital Wellbeing for Pixel users. Intended to help identify how you use your smartphone, and potentially flag up any addiction issues that might affect the device overall or specific apps, it's part of an industry-wide push to make gadget use more healthy.
This week the folks behind the app Moment Pro Camera adopted the powers of the Pixel Visual Core. This means that the app finally makes use of the hardware-accelerated processing power of the Google Pixel 2. This upgrade can be utilized by all camera apps on Android, but only a few have specifically targeted Google Pixel 2 devices right out the gate.
When Google launched its first “made by Google” Pixel phones nearly two years ago, it was pretty bold. Not just in the new way it would conduct its business but even in the design of the smartphones themselves. For two generations, the Pixel phones have carried very visible and distinct two-tone colors on their backs. For the Pixel 3 XL, however, Google will be changing things and those changes might not completely sit well with Pixel fans, especially in this leak of the very white model
This morning the folks at Google revealed - officially - the last Developer Preview Android update for Android P before release. This will be the last time - before the public beta release - that Google will deliver a software update for Android P preview before it's available completely to the public at large. This update is called Android P DP4, and all downloads are ready to roll now.
This week the developer known as Amir Ziadi released version 3.6 of his Rootless Pixel Launcher for Android. Those users that've never used this launcher before - it's good stuff. It's ready to roll with just about everything you could possibly want that's possible inside Oreo. All SORTS of features are jammed into this launcher, and it's entirely free to download and use.
![This $315 Google Pixel deal is too good to last [Update 2]](https://c.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/google-pixel-980x620.jpg){kind=tracking}
We may be waiting for Google to unveil the Pixel 3, but if you're looking for a new phone on a budget - or need a test device for the upcoming Android P public beta - there are some impressive deals today on the first-gen Pixel. The original Google Pixel may have launched in 2016, but it still has plenty to recommend it, not least the camera.
A tip this morning suggested that the Pixel 3 XL would feature just a single camera at its back. This was instantly decried as a mis-step for Google, a company that's had just one camera at the back of the past several Pixel phones its released. Despite the fact that the Pixel and Pixel 2 were rated best or near-best camera phones in the world at release, there's a rumbling out there that says Google is falling behind in the hardware business.
The original Google Pixel has a great camera and a Google Photos deal that lasts forever. When you set the phone up, you can choose to automatically upload photos to Google Photos at original quality without taking any sort of hit on your overall Google account data storage - forever. Those of you out there in the Priceless Pixel club might want to take a close look at what's possible in a new case and a couple of attachable lenses. That's what Moment has ready to roll. ALSO NOTE: This system works just as well for Pixel 2 and other devices, provided Moment has the proper case available.
Let me tell you about this next Google Pixel device, because I've learned a little bit you'll wanna know. This is the next Google Pixel XL, also known as the Google Pixel 3 ... XL. It's the larger of the two devices, and it's pretty similar to what we saw last year. Except that it is TOTALLY DIFFERENT! If you consider a different display to be different - and maybe a slightly different camera experience, too.
I feel like it's inevitable that Google will acquire Essential, and all of its assets. They've got the cash, Essential is in a position where being acquired wouldn't be the end of the world, and they're two companies that'd benefit from one another. Plus, it would seem that Essential is already getting in Google's good graces with early inclusion in the Android P Beta - hitting Build 1 starting today.
The Google Pixel 3 XL and Pixel 3 (non-XL) leaked today in what appear to be some legit next-gen screen protectors. Here on Memorial Day we've bore witness to a pair of new screen protectors that look a whole lot like a new pair of phones. Much like past sets of phones on a regular and XL tip, the larger device looks like it'll be a lot more impressive than the smaller model. Both devices look like they're going to take front-facing photos to a whole new galaxy.