Google Pixel

People on Reddit are complaining they’ve missed work after their Pixel 9 alarms didn’t wake them up. Some claim they told Gemini to “stop” a timer or just to hush it, and it would unexpectedly disable all their alarms, too. This isn’t the only time we’ve heard problems with mobile device alarms recently (iPhone, Pixel Watch), have you noticed any issues?

Until now, you’ve only been able to use the scanner when the display is on, either by waking it or by using the phones’ always-on display feature. Now, Android Authority reports that after testing a settings option to enable screen-off fingerprint unlocking on Pixel 9 phones, Google has expanded that test to other Pixel phones in the third Android 16 beta.

We got some very limited hands-on time with the Pixel 9A before its announcement today. That news came with an unusual disclaimer that the 9A isn’t going up for pre-order yet; Google is investigating a “component quality issue” before putting the phone on sale sometime in April. For now, it seems all we can do is admire this “peony” pink 9A from afar.

Google’s new affordable phone has leaked repeatedly already, but it’s back again in new images shared by Evan Blass on X. They’re mostly marketing images and renders of the purple model — supposedly dubbed “Iris” — and closely match the design we’ve seen before, complete with an almost perfectly flat camera bump.

The rumored on-device — “even Google can’t see it” — AI assistant can pull data from other Google apps to provide a contextual and more “personalized” take on Google Assistant that’s exclusive to Pixel devices. It was reportedly going to launch with the Pixel 9 lineup but never materialized. A version of Pixie is now expected to arrive with the Pixel 10, according to Android Authority, under a new “Pixel Sense” branding.

In addition to adding features for pro photographers, the second public beta of Android 16 being released today lets you quickly access Google Wallet by double pressing your device’s power button, as discovered by Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman.

Android Authority shared images of what appear to be Google’s cases for the upcoming Pixel 9a, and their design tracks with renders showing the device without the Pixel’s distinctive camera bar. The Pixel 9a is expected to launch next month with a potential price increase for more storage.

According to Android Police, T-Mobile has added Google’s latest phones to its beta test of direct-to-cell satellite service powered by SpaceX’s Starlink. iPhones and a select few Samsung phones were already in the beta.

A Reddit user spotted that the only available Android image for Pixel 4A phones is this month’s mandatory update Google issued to address unspecified battery problems, reports 9to5Google.

I appreciated Professor Hany Farid’s comments about AI photo manipulation in this recent episode of WBUR’s On Point. He addressed Pixel camera lead Isaac Reynolds — the segment’s first guest — and Google’s hypothesis about helping people create memories, not photos. I also contributed a few thoughts to the conversation, including the word “boogers.” Take a listen.

Alongside the canceled Pixel Tablet 2, Google may have released an accompanying pen with a button to open a note-taking app, as reported by Android Authority. The pen would reportedly dock to Google’s rumored keyboard accessory.