After a tough October for Google, things are looking up for the company this week. android 15 It brings a small but welcome improvement to the Android experience. The Pixel 9 series is outselling the previous generation. And a federal judge paused changes to the Play Store mandated in the wake of the Epic v. Google lawsuit. Google is also revamping its voice assistant team, which I think could be for the better.
Hello, I’m Taylor. As the AP’s Google editor, I read and write about Google and Android every week. In this column, we round up the week’s biggest Google developments and talk about what they mean and why they matter. Here’s the Google news you need to understand this week.
Android 15 brings some modest improvements to Pixel
Android 15’s latency was longer than we expected, and felt even longer than it actually was. The Pixel 9 series launched with Android 14 last year, but this is an unusual development and we were especially keen to get this update.
It has finally appeared. Android 15 began rolling out to Pixel devices on October 15th. For example, there are no major new features at the level of Material You Dynamic Themes in Android 12. The feature in Android 15 that will have the most impact on users is something called Private Spaces. This is a semi-hidden space to hide apps and data that you want to ensure privacy in case your device falls into the wrong hands. With other small tweaks, such as the option to archive apps directly from the home screen and the ability to save pairs of apps on larger-screen devices, Android 15 could help make the Android experience more complete, but not necessarily. does not necessarily mean feel It is different from Android14.
Google noted that since Android adopted a quarterly update frequency, it has been adding new features more frequently than before. In short, Android 15 QPR1 is shaping up to be at least as important as Android 15 itself, with new features like tablet charging optimization and lock screen widgets.
please read my review
Review: My favorite Android 15 features aren’t flashy
Minor updates including welcome quality of life adjustments
Google hits big with Pixel 9 series
Pixel smartphones have gotten a lot of attention in the tech media, but they’re not really selling particularly well. Pixel smartphones accounted for about 3% of North American smartphone sales in the fourth quarter of last year, compared to 23% for Apple and 16% for Samsung.
Things clearly seem to be looking up for Google following the launch of the Pixel 9 series. According to a report by Counterpoint Research, the third quarter of 2024 (July, August, and September) was the best ever for Google in terms of smartphone sales. We don’t know how many units were actually moved, as Counterpoint doesn’t provide details, but setting a record isn’t a bad sign.
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Pixel 9 gives Google record mobile phone sales in three months
Google has never sold more phones in a quarter
Epic vs. Google remedies suspended
Epic sued Google in 2020 over Play Store policies. Earlier this month, a ruling in the case included much of what Epic had sought. Among other concessions, Judge James Donato said Google would also force developers to use third-party app stores and Google’s Play Billing infrastructure, which gives Google a hefty cut of in-app sales. You can’t. At the time, Google said it planned to appeal and asked the court to put the changes on hold until the appeal process is complete.
In response to the ruling, Xbox President Sarah Bond said on X that users will be able to purchase Xbox games on the Xbox Android app starting in November, as digital purchases on the Android app will no longer necessarily incur fees to Google. announced that it would do so. (Currently, you can download games to your Xbox console from the Xbox mobile app, but you must complete the purchase on the console itself.)
But later that week, Judge Donato granted Google an injunction on the most important parts of the ruling, finding that the three-week period it had originally given Google to make major changes to its Play Store policies was insufficient. I admitted it. The changes you ordered have been successfully completed. The announcement of Bond’s Xbox app appears to have been premature, as no new firm deadline has been set.
latest developments
Google wins reprieve in Epic app store battle
Judge extends Google’s deadline
Google reorganizes voice assistant team
Google is making changes to its Assistant and Gemini teams. On Thursday, CEO Sunday Pichai announced an internal reorganization. The Gemini apps team will join DeepMind, Google’s artificial intelligence research division, and the Assistant team will be integrated into Google’s Platforms & Devices division.
This change has some interesting implications. We don’t think we’ll see the old Google Assistant being phased out any time soon in favor of the new Gemini. Rather, Google’s integration of Assistant employees into its platforms and devices will allow those employees to “sit closer to the surface of the products they’re building.” Pichai also wrote that the move will “unify our AI-powered home efforts into one team and focus on improving the user experience.”
To me, that seems like good news. Google’s smart speakers and displays have felt neglected for years, and bringing the talent that shapes Assistant experiences into the teams that develop and manage products like Nest Audio could help revitalize these devices. It feels like a good step towards that.
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The gap between Google’s Gemini and Assistant teams has grown even larger.
Assistant joins Devices, Gemini moves to DeepMind
