Android Faithful

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163

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Android Faithful is your weekly source for Android news, hardware, apps and more. Join Huyen Tue Dao and Ron Richards, along with a host of Android friends and experts as they keep you up to date every week on everything important to the world of Android From phones and foldables, to tablets and TVs and more. We are the Android Faithful. We want to hear from you! Respond to our listener survey: http://bit.ly/androidfaithful-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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August 12, 20261 hr 39 min

Pixel 11 - Made By Google 2026

This episode is sponsored by TORRAS.It's the biggest day of the year! Well, one of the biggest days of the year for the world of Android - it's Made by Google day! With Made By Google 2026 happening later today in New York City, Jason Howell, Ron Richards and Huyen Tue Dao are here to give you all the details of the new line of Pixel phones and devices: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold plus the Pixel Watch 5, Pixel Buds Pro 2 and the all new Pixel Tag! All this plus all the Android news that has nothing to do with the Pixel 11 rollout. What a day!This episode of Android Faithful is brought to you by TORRAS. The Pixel 11 is coming, and you'll want it protected from day one. Buy the TORRAS Q3 Air for the Pixel 11 Pro XL on Amazon today at https://amzn.to/3TDn5gC and use promo code JASON2608 at checkout for 15% off. Thanks to TORRAS for supporting Android Faithful!Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:01:46 - PIXEL 11 / MADE BY GOOGLEThe Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold were formally announced today and are available for pre-order and will be in stores on August 20, 2026Now you can share you contact info, files and more just by tapping you Pixel to other Pixels and Android devicesThe Pixel Watch 5, Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Tag were also announced.00:54:52 - NEWS & HARDWARENothing dispels rumors of it's pivot by saying it's doubling it's phone production and expandingRIP Google Assistant. Google confirms Assistant is going away, for real this time and forever (unless it's in a car) on September 4, 2026Unboxing an hands on with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8PATRON PICK: The Minimal Phone 2 looks to be the real deal, it's small, got a physical keyboard and packs solid specs!01:23:03 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFIt's really happening! Third party app stores are in the Google Play store!Hey, you can now use Venmo in Google Play Store to pay for apps.Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Sunbird is back to give you access to iMessagesAnd Beeper now lets you message someone on every platform01:31:32 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKDaniel followed up on his saga of not having his volume turned down automaticallyDerek from Illinois has a handy tip for using your keyboard when accessing the app drawerHarry from Ft. Lauderdale realized you can finally remove that chain link fence from a photo with Gemini! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 5, 20261 hr 22 min

Google Trackers, Now in Physical Form

It's one week until the Pixel 11 rollout during the Made By Google event and Huyen Tue Dao, Jason Howell and Ron Richards are getting HYPED. Maybe it's the Android Summer heat or maybe it's the mix of weirdness and oddities in the news this week that we're parsing. Either way, it's a fun show this week!Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:03:30 - NEWSDepending on which report you read, Smartphone shipments dropped in Q2'26 OR Smartphone revenue was up in Q2'26Where there's smoke...reports coming out of Nothing that they're pivoting away from phones and focusing on AI and general devices, just as they announce new earbuds!Happy 5th Birthday Jetpack Compose, featuring a cameo from Huyen!PATRON PICK: These leaked renders of the new Samsung Galaxy Buds On are a new look for Samsung ear buds00:32:01 - HARDWAREWith Made By Google approaching, we get a teaser of the Pixel 11 with a focus on the Pixel Glow or perhaps it's called something else, like "HiLight"?In addition to the Pixel 11, will we get a a "Pixel Tag"?The first Googlebooks from Lenovo have leaked and so have the Googlebooks from Asus!Tecno is claiming to have to have the first truly bezel-less phoneOnePlus isn't dead yet! The OnePlus 16 is confirmed to be coming later this year (just not here in the US)00:55:52 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFGoogle merges a bunch of features under voice search that use....your voiceGoogle kills an app before it even launches and then kills Nano Banana 2 in Google Earth less than 24 hours after launching itThere's a major issue plaguing Spotify on Android right now, but Spotify is aware of it and working on itMissing TV Time? The original creator is back with Bingers01:08:11 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKDaniel wants to turn off the annoying automatic volume lowering feature. Here's how!Hilton from Virginia shares adventures in car repair with GeminiMike from Ohio confirms that his Nexus 5 is indeed running Marshmallow/Android 6.0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 29, 20261 hr 36 min

Samsung Fold 8, Squatty Short King

We welcome Adam Doud back to the show to provide the firsthand experience from Samsung Galaxy Unpacked plus hands-on with the new devices as Jason Howell and Ron Richards are amazed at how thin the new foldables actually are!Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:07:49 - NEWSAndroid is in the center of a legal battle as GrapheneOS and Duress PIN are at the center of a criminal caseMore bad news on prices of phones as Qualcomm confirms chip prices are going up and reports of the Pixel 11 prices are increasingIf you're using Android 6.0, AKA Marshmallow, it's time to upgrade as Google cuts support making Android 7.0 the earliest supported versionPATRON PICK: Looking for an alternative to Google Photos? Look no further!00:40:15 - HARDWARESamsungs Galaxy Unpacked gets unpacked by Adam with a breakdown of the phones: The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the Z Fold 8, the Z Flip 8,And of course the watches: The Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2We were surprised to see the move to silicon carbon batteriesGoogle showed up to Galaxy Unpacked with some announcements01:09:34 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFNow you can log into your Google Account with your face.Looks like you'll soon be able to tune your Daily Briefing to your personal tastes01:18:23 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKBayou Byte Studio shared their new app, Journal Spaces - give it a download and check it out!Bob from Pennsylvania is curious what we think about the new Commodore Callback phoneBecky B. from New Jersey found a better TV Tracking app that works with Simkl called Cinopsys and it has widgets!Shane C. suggests Refract to replace TV Time Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 22, 20261 hr 22 min

Goodbye OnePlus

We didn't realize how much we loved OnePlus until they were gone...join Huyen Tue Dao, Jason Howell and Ron Richards process their grief on this week's episode along with our special preview of Samsung Galaxy Unpacked!Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:06:09 - NEWSThe inevitable has happened as OnePlus pulls out of North America and EuropeWeird week in Google and legal drama as the EU demands Google open Android and Search to rivals and Google and Epic drop the appeals and end the battle as third party appstores come to Google Play next weekMore bad news from smartphone sales as globally sales are down 4%. Thanks RAM shortage. Thanks a lot.PATRON PICK: HiSense has a phone with an E-Ink Display and a snap-on LCD Display on the back. What?00:37:48 - HARDWARESamsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026 is upon us tomorrow! We preview the event with what to expect and what we'll be surprised by.Not to be forgotten, Google gives us our first tease of the PIxel 11 with a glimpse of Pixel GlowStop the presses! The Honor AI Robot Phone is available for Pre-Order AND was spotted at the World Cup Final!!01:00:51 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFGoogle rolls out the Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 for Pixels as well as a batch of new Gemini 3.6 and 3.5 Flash AI ModelsTo celebrate World Emoji Day, Google goes in-depth on the design of the new 3D EmojisX rolled out their new, built from the ground up (without AI) Android app01:10:14 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKPartha shares their app LyricGlow and everyone should download and install itKevin weighs in on the demise of TV Time and recommends the combo of Trakt and ShowlyBryan from NJ checks in on the TV Time-pocalypse and joins the Simkl bandwagon but wishes it had a widgetRon shares the news of the TV Time creator's new app Bingers and another upstart called Episodeo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 17, 202644 min

Qualcomm's Phone Chief Talks RAMageddon and AI

This week Jason Howell and Ron Richards sit down with Chris Patrick, Qualcomm's SVP and GM of Handsets and a 30-year company veteran, for a deep dive into the state of mobile. Patrick opens up about RAMageddon, how surging memory prices are squeezing phone costs at every level, and what Qualcomm is doing to innovate through it with techniques like model compression.Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor0:00 Intro1:36 Introducing Chris Patrick from Qualcomm3:42 Interview Begins5:13 What Phone Does Qualcomm's Boss Carry?6:55 What Would've Been Impossible 30 Years Ago9:36 AI Becoming the New Phone UI13:00 On-Device AI: Perception, Reasoning, Action17:05 Engineering Chips for Foldables19:57 Inside the Qualcomm-Samsung Partnership23:18 Galaxy Unpacked Preview24:10 Are Wearables Replacing Smartphones?27:51 RAMageddon: Why Phone Prices Are Surging32:39 What Happens to Budget Android Phones36:19 Competing With Your Own Customers39:11 Snapdragon Summit 202641:02 Wrapping Up With Chris Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 15, 20261 hr 17 min

RAMageddon Comes For Budget Phones

Jason and Huyen hold down the fort and this is one of those episodes that is filled to the brim with rumory goodness (if you like that sort of thing.) From the price of memory in cheap phones, to battery promises by big players, to basically every Pixel 11 device leaked to Amazon by Google itself, this episode is full of the future!Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:04:08 - NEWSOnePlus is reportedly bailing on the USOnePlus will reportedly officially shut down in the US and Europe later this weekGlobal smartphones priced below $400 will decline by 22% as memory costs soarGoogle updates Android Bench with new LLMs, but Gemini still lags behindPATRON PICK: Google and Samsung beware: This Android brand just raised the bar for free battery replacements00:32:04 - HARDWAREOfficial renders for Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 8, Watch 9, Watch 2 Ultra and Z Fold 8 leakIt was nice while it lasted: Samsung reportedly ending free storage upgradesSamsung officially confirms everything new on Galaxy Watch 9 in teaserMassive Pixel 11 leak just revealed almost everything about Google's next phonesThe Pixel colors might rule this yearPixel Watch 5 leaks in official-looking renders with new colors, bands, watch faceNvidia appears to have discontinued the Shield TV tube streaming media playerNVIDIA clarifies why you can't find a Shield TV anywhere00:54:49 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFSamsung Health will delete your data unless you hand it over for AI training‘Magic Pointer’ app for Googlebooks released to Play StoreGoogle Just Made Snapseed a Serious RAW Photo Editor With This New Update01:07:07 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKDave got a OnePlus Open just in time for OnePlus to exit the market!Mike restored his old Nexus 5 and offered it to the Hall of Fame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 8, 20261 hr 26 min

3 Cheers to 3 Years!

For the past 3 years there has been one constant in our lives: Android. And this week is no different as Jason Howell, Huyen Tue Dao, Florence Ion and Ron Richards celebrate three years of Android Faithful with a barrage of news from all the manufacturers along with a fair share of drama and disappointment. You know, the typical Android roller coaster of emotions.PATREON SPECIAL: We're celebrating our 3rd Anniversary this week and you can get 20% off a membership at Patreon with code 3AF at https://www.patreon.com/c/AndroidFaithfulNote: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:07:25 - NEWSBreaking news as Google announces Made By Google 2026 is happening in New York City on August 12!Google gets slapped with a hefty 4.1 Billion Euros fine for blocking competition with AndroidMore signs of OnePlus' demise as OxygenOS gets discontinued and Oppo encourages OnePlus customers to buy Oppo phonesPATRON PICK: Protect your phone's battery from the summer heat!00:40:48 - HARDWARESamsung officially announces Galaxy Unpacked happening in London on July 22 just as they drop many teasers for the Galaxy Fold and the various shapes and sizesThe Nothing 4(b) phone looks to be the real deal and Nothing keeps it going with the Nothing Ear 3(a) releaseLooking for a small phone? Keep an eye out for the Enough Phone coming soon.01:03:21 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFTV Time abruptly shuts down and Ron is pissedAndroid 17 QPR1 hits platform stability with beta 6 releaseAnd the Android 17 July Update for Pixels just rolled out!Get ready to touch phones as Google Contacts is getting Tap to ShareAnd the new Signatures app from Google starts rolling out as well01:15:15 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKMatt M. checks in with his Android 17 experience so farScott Moore shares his experience after getting hit with the T-Mobile price hike Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 1, 20261 hr 23 min

T-Mo-Bull

Android Summer continues as we prepare for the Fourth of July here in the U.S. and Jason Howell, Huyen Tue Dao and Ron Richards are pondering their T-Mobile bill and impossibly thin phones with huge batteries while trying to stay coolNote: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:05:14 - NEWSHot off the heels of last week's news of T-Mobile being the best carrier in the U.S., the news breaks that T-Mobile is forcing millions of customers on legacy plans to current, more expensive plans. Not cool.Android phones alerted millions of people ahead of the earthquake in Venezuela - exactly how did it all work?Massive upgrade to 50W wireless charging may be in Qi2's future for Googe Pixel phonesPATRON PICK: How can the Tecno Camon Slim be 6.39mm thick and have a 5,600mAh Battery??00:39:21 - HARDWARENothing officially revealed the Nothing 4(b) design and it's pretty good!Samsung unveils the Samsung Galaxy A27 5G and they really want you to think it's awesomeCould the Samsung Rollable be coming sooner than we think?The Clicks Communicator is real and it's fantastic! A First Look video shows off the device.00:57:41 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFAndroid 17 making foldables fun for gaming is no joke!Hey! Google made an app for Finance!And Google is giving you more controls over backups!But Google is taking away a loophole for FitBit users to avoid Google HealthYou can now watch Instagram Reels on TVs with Google Cast.01:09:42 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKBecky B. from New Jersey has a use for an old Razr plus tales of selling Meta Ray BansJordan "Sassquatch" from Montana has a throwback use for an old phoneAndrew LeRoy reports from flyover country about why T-Mobile isn't so hot and why AT&T is still king Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 24, 20261 hr 25 min

Android Summer

We're kicking off summer...no, we're kicking off ANDROID Summer as Jason Howell, Huyen Tue Dao and Ron Richards get ready for a wild, green summer of new phones and operating systems with bumpy rollouts!PATREON SPECIAL: We're celebrating our 3rd Anniversary all month and you can get 20% off a membership at Patreon with code AF3 at https://www.patreon.com/c/AndroidFaithfulNote: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:05:43 - NEWSThis just in! T-Mobile is the best mobile carrier in the U.S. Can you believe it?Drama update for the timeline on the Google Developer verification processLooking for something to do with your old smartphone? Have you thought about turning it into a data center?PATRON PICK: If not a data center, here's 5 other things you can do with your old Android phone00:38:48 - HARDWAREJason reviews the Motorola Edge 2026Lots of Nothing news as the CMF Phone is dead due to RAM Prices, the 4(B) Phone gets teased, and they're back dreaming up phones that will never get builtFinally, the Google Home Speaker gets an on-sale date and a price! June 25th and $99!The OnePlus 16 might go bezel-less - where have we heard this before?01:04:49 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFAndroid 17's rollout has been...not so smooth as some users have lost 5G support, and other users lost touch input, and some other users lost their widgets.But hey, it's not all bad news with Android 17. They quietly added support for LHDC Audio!Looks like Google is also working on something called "Audio Memory" which likely will improve music recognition but could also listen to your conversations...but you know, in a good way. Maybe? We hopeSo you like to sideload apps, but how do you handle updates. Well, here's a solution! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 17, 20261 hr 18 min

PolyAndroidorous

The show starts with a bang as Jason, Huyen, and Flo consider what you might call Android smartphone reviewers obsession with carrying around multiple smartphones at any given time. Plus, the crew tries really REALLY hard to catch the attention of Coca-Cola. Oh, and there's plenty of chat about actual Android news as well.PATREON SPECIAL: We're celebrating our 3rd Anniversary all month and you can get 20% off a membership at Patreon with code AF3 at https://www.patreon.com/c/AndroidFaithfulNote: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:09:35 - NEWSBig Day for Android: Android 17 Released! WearOS 7 Released! June Pixel Drop!Android 17 Is Now Live for Anyone With a Pixel SmartphoneCheck out what's new in Android 17Wear OS 7 helps your smartwatch keep up with youJune Pixel Drop: New features for creators, Gemini upgrades and moreVerizon sent man a refurbished phone with MDM, then deleted his data remotelyQualcomm Announces Snapdragon Reality Elite, Its New Flagship XR ChipsetXREAL’s Android XR glasses will cost under $1,500, which isn’t as expensive as it soundsRelated: Snap is finally about to ship AR glasses — and they cost a fortunePATRON PICK: /e/OS 4.0 is here: Murena's Android fork makes it even easier to escape Google's clutches00:44:12 - HARDWAREExclusive: Nothing headphones and smartphones are now available at Best Buy in the USThis budget phone has a dot-matrix camera lens.Lenovo’s new rugged Android tablet has a removable battery, now on sale for $49900:56:43 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFWaze now shows traffic lights on your route, but it’s rolling out slowlyTelegram brings back its Wear OS app after five years with chats, voice messages, more01:05:04 - COMMUNITYTharanga from Australia agrees with Huyen from last week's AI tirade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.