Google

Join us on the live stream as soon as Google’s keynote wraps up. Hayden Field and I will be in the studio to talk over the biggest announcements, which I’m going to make the bold prediction right now probably involves a lot of AI. Tune in and post your thoughts in the live chat.

We’re here at the Shoreline Amphitheater for the keynote, liveblogging fingers at the ready. We also caught Phil and Vjeran in line. Not pictured is one Dieter Bohn, who approved of us upholding the Verge tradition of being first in the press line.

MediaTek shared in a blog post that it will have chips in Google’s upcoming Googlebooks, joining Intel and Qualcomm. Interestingly, it mentions bringing Dimensity smartphone chips, not the Kompanio chips it already had in Chromebooks (and were quite good).

Sony’s trying to show off the AI Camera Assistant on the new Xperia 1 VIII, but I’m not sure a bunch of blown-out photos with weird ideas about highlights and shadows will convince anyone this is worth it. Our own Dominic Preston says he saw better results in his briefing, but this is looking pretty grim. (h/t Manideep!)

Samsung is working on a new type of digital wellbeing feature for One UI 9 that lets you restrict internet access for certain apps. It seems to be pitched at boosting concentration, but could apply to parental controls too — though right now it’s a Labs feature that may not ever launch.

Apple says draft measures proposed by the EU — which would force Google to give competing AI services more access to Android — would “create profound risks” for user privacy, security, device integrity, and performance. Given Apple has long protested its own interoperability obligations, its interest in Google’s case isn’t surprising.

A new “Google Home Display” has been spotted in the code for the iOS Google Home app. We already knew that Google is launching a Gemini-powered Home Speaker this spring, but this suggests that a Nest Hub-like device is also in the works — Google’s first since 2021.

Intel chips won’t be the only CPUs powering Google’s new Android-based laptops. Qualcomm also confirmed on Wednesday that it’s working on Googlebooks, but, like Intel, hasn’t given any details about the specific chips the laptops will feature:

We already know what this hearing is about: three weeks ago, Judge Donato told Epic and Google they’d answer six specific pointed questions. The big one: would Google’s “Registered App Stores” really be better at curbing Google’s monopoly? Or should he keep forcing Google to carry rival stores inside its own?

Turn it off by going to Gemini > Bottom Bar Preferences > Turn off.

Google is sure to tell us that the web is healthier than ever next week at IO, but out here on the streets everyone knows search traffic is collapsing — a phenomenon we’ve been calling Google Zero for years now. Well, here’s Conde Nast CEO Roger Lynch on TBPN saying they are assuming all search traffic will be zero from now on. I’m just saying — give us credit for naming the concept, bro.

When it announced the new Googlebook laptops yesterday, a few commenters noticed the name seemed familiar, but only one realized just how familiar.

In case you missed it, yesterday’s Android Show stream included a brief list of every phone with current and confirmed plans for AirDrop support in Quick Share. Google also told The Verge that Xiaomi is planning support this year, though we don’t yet know to which phones.

It seems that x86 hardware will be part of Google’s new laptop platform, although Intel doesn’t specify what processors it’ll be using:

Amidst the biggest update to Android Auto in 10 years, here’s one more feature we spotted on the Android Show: it uses your car’s front camera to predict when to move over. (What would it look for?) Only for select Google Built-in cars, not vanilla Android Auto.

The Wall Street Journal has the story.

Google just introduced new 3D emoji which are causing quite a stir in our newsroom. (Early reviews from our staff aren’t great.)

Adobe’s updated Premiere video editing app, which launched on iOS last September, will finally arrive on Android “this summer.” It’ll include some Android-exclusive templates and effects designed for YouTube Shorts.

The next version of Samsung’s OS, based on Android 17, features improved Quick Panel customization, with each widget independently adjustable and new size options for each, along with a couple new accessibility features.

Google says it has “optimized backend processing” for smart home device controls, alarms, and timers to make Gemini for Home better at the basics. Improved age-gating and content controls mean it should now be able to give you the recipe for a margarita too.