An awesome Android audio upgrade

And 2 new YouTube features worth finding  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Android Intelligence](#) [Android Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [Morning brew logo](=)​ Holy moly, have we got some spectacular treats to feast on today. Seriously: This issue is just oozing at the seams with incredible info — from the arrival of the most important Android phone of the year (no exaggeration!) to a trio of top-notch tips, including an awesome new Android audio discovery and a Circle to Search surprise I just happened to stumble onto the other day. I've been champing at the bit to share all of this with you, and the time has finally arrived. Whew! Let's not waste another second getting into it. 🗳️ First, a quick question: [What kind of phone are you using right now?](​ [JR Raphael, Author] JR Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 1 minute 30 seconds ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 45 seconds ⌚ Just for Funsies: 25 seconds ​ [] [3 Things to Know This Week] 1. Affordable Android phones are about to get interesting ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Google officially announced its Pixel 8a midranger this week — and even if you never set a finger on the phone, its presence will probably affect you. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The Pixel 8a is basically a lighter-weight version of last fall's Pixel 8 flagship, but what's most significant about is its cost and the commitment to support that comes with it. - The 8a will sell for the same $499 price as its predecessor, but it'll come with a guarantee of seven full years of operating system updates, security patches, and even quarterly feature drop updates. - That more than doubles the maximum advisable lifespan of the device, compared to previous midrange models, and it makes the per-year cost of owning the phone a mere $71 if you keep it for that full seven-year stretch. - That's significantly less per year than you'd pay for any other midrange or even low-end budget device on Android or iOS — and, most important, the Pixel 8a offering this level of value and longevity will almost certainly force other device-makers to follow suit in order to keep up and remain competitive. That's a huge win for us, as consumers, no matter what specific type of device you prefer. 📌 READ MORE: See just how far the significance of this could stretch in my in-depth analysis: ["Why the Pixel 8a may be the most important phone of 2024."](​ --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Your phone should soon sport some fresh bedtime tricks ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Android's thus-far-limited Bedtime Mode option is poised to see a pretty hefty upgrade that could make it much more versatile. 🔎 KNOW MORE: A new interface introduced with the latest Android 15 beta version opens up Bedtime Mode to third-party developers for the first time. And that could completely change the face of the feature. - Bedtime Mode is an oft-forgotten Android feature that lets you have your phone automatically silence itself and change a variety of screen-related behaviors during nighttime hours. - Thus far, third-party apps haven't been able to interact with that setting directly, which basically means we're limited only to the system-level options around it. - With that seemingly now set to change, we should start seeing much richer and more varied ways of making Bedtime Mode even more useful and customizable. Mark my words: This could get interesting. 📌 READ MORE: Get [the full scoop on what's in the works](=). --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Google's Gemini AI assistant could soon control music ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: In this week's "Wait — really?!" news, Google's just now getting around to giving its next-gen Gemini Android Assistant the ability to interact with audio playback and handle at least some music control commands on your phone. 🔎 KNOW MORE: It's wild to think that we're having this conversation a solid three months after Google started pushing Gemini as its next-generation Android assistant. But, well, here we are. - Some freshly spotted code in the Google Android app reveals work on a Gemini extension that'd allow the system to access your YouTube Music library and actually act on requests related to it. - That's great! But it's also crazy that such a core capability is just now coming into the picture a full quarter of a year after Google started trying to get us to use Gemini in place of the standard Android Assistant. - And, of course, it's but a teensy tootsie dipped into a deep ocean. If Gemini is gonna be even remotely viable for most people, it'll need much broader support for audio playback in apps beyond just YouTube Music. And that's a ground-level given the system should've supported from the start. 📌 READ MORE: Catch up on [the latest Gemini improvements]( and look back to [my earlier analysis](=) about the sheer silliness of this situation. SPONSORED MESSAGE Your inbox just got a major ~glow up~ [Lego figure going from caveman to man in a suit](=)​ Like that kid from high school who grew a foot and got his braces off post-graduation, your inbox is looking mighty fine these days. The reason for this sudden face-lift? You subscribed to Morning Brew! Remember: Your inbox used to be full of boring, dusty ol' business news. But [Morning Brew](=) is a free daily email that whips up the latest info on all sorts of need-to-know stuff in an informative, witty way. TL;DR: Morning Brew is actually interesting to read. So congrats, you intellect. You joined 4 million others who go beyond clickbait for actual news on Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and everything in between. …wait, you haven’t subscribed yet? ➜ [Upgrade your daily news slate and stay informed in just 5 minutes a day with Morning Brew](=). [​BOOST YOUR INBOX WITH THE BREW​ ➜](=) ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Give yourself an awesome Android audio upgrade Whether it's listening to music, podcasts, or even just notification noises on our phones, interacting with audio is one of the most important ways we deal with our devices. ➜ And being that this is Android — and not (cough, cough) that other mobile platform — you can take total control of that part of your phone-using experience and enhance it in all sorts of interesting ways. ⌚ I came across a really cool Android audio upgrade that'll take you less than a minute to get going. It'll replace your standard system volume controls with a far more intelligent, powerful, and customizable alternative. And unlike most of the stuff we’re bound to hear about at Google’s grand I/O gala on Tuesday, it’s something you can start using this very second — and something with an impact that’ll be immediately obvious all throughout your day. 📌 [Check out my brand new step-by-step guide](=) and get ready for a major improvement to your Android audio experience. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Uncover two new AI-powered YouTube step-savers You'd never know it, but the YouTube Android app is in the midst of gaining a couple o' interesting upgrades powered by AI. ➜ One is a feature that predicts exactly how far you want to skip ahead in a video and takes you to the (hopefully!) just-right spot — while the other is an in-app chat interface that allows you to ask questions about any video you're watching and get extra info along with on-demand transcriptions. ⌚ Each will take you all of 20 seconds to dig up and activate — though, take note: These are currently considered "experimental" features, and they're available only for paying YouTube Premium subscribers in the U.S. (sorry, international pals!). 📌 [I put together a quick 'n' simple roadmap]( to help you get started. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Start using Circle to Search on your computer I’ve been a huge fan of Google’s Circle to Search system on Android ever since it showed up on the platform earlier this year. If you aren't familiar, it's a super-handy way to [interact with anything on your screen at any moment]( — text, images, you name it — and get all sorts of helpful contextual info in seconds flat. ➜ Well, I randomly discovered that the same exact sort of system is also available within Chrome on a computer. You just have to know where to look for it. ⌚ But don't fret: It's easy. You'll only need about 10 seconds, in fact. 📌 [Here's everything you need to know](. ​ SPONSORED MESSAGE [Drawing of man on a video call](=) Stuck in a rut? Invest in you with [BetterHelp](=), which makes therapy affordable and accessible — talk anywhere, anytime, via phone, video, or text! It's therapy on your terms. [GET 25% OFF](=) [] [And Just for Funsies...] As we're gearing up for a week of grand Google announcements, what better time to think back to the past and revisit one of the weirdest pairings from Android's past? 'Twas just over 13 years ago that HTC, the one-time darling of Android device-makers, put out the splashy news that it had (mostly) bought Beats by Dre — the audio company most of us now know as being part of Apple. Believe it or not, this isn't a drug-fueled daydream. It [actually happened](=). I swear. The best part of the news was the hilarious juxtaposition of hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre posing with his Beats co-founder and fellow music industry vet Jimmy Iovine — and then-HTC-CEO Peter Chou. It may just be the most awkward Android photo op of all time. In a perfectly timed twist, I just came across a stupid little meme I made at the time around their official press photo — an image so painfully forced, it still brings me endless joy to see: [An image of Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre posing with HTC's CEO] ​ The HTC-Beats deal ended as strangely as it began, with HTC curiously [selling back its stake in the company](=) a mere year later. The partnership may be ancient history at this point, but we'll always have the delightfully amusing memories of that awkward photo and the handful of months when Beats was part of the Android family. Word up Goodness gracious, we've got a busy week ahead. By the time we meet back here next Friday, we'll have Google I/O behind us and tons of juicy new nuggets to chew over. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to think it all through together. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ Real quick, before we call it a day: In last week's Android Intelligence reader poll, I asked which core app you use the most on your Android device. Most of you — nearly 38% — said your messaging app took that top spot. Email apps came in next, at roughly 30% of the total, followed by web browsers at 24% and then the lowly phone app at a mere 8%. Don't forget to [vote in this week's reader poll]( — and I'll see ya back here for even more Googley goodness in no time. 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up](=) [Thumbs Down]( Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. Want less email? [Update your reading preferences](=) to opt out of any individual publications or unsubscribe entirely. New here and not yet subscribed? 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