The Pixel 9 falls two versions behind the latest Android beta in this week's news (2024)

If Google really wants its Pixel line to be the iPhone of Android, it has some work to do when it comes to maintaining hype from announcement to release. When Apple announces a new phone, demo units are available in stores the same day and shipments hit doorsteps the next week. The Pixel 9 series has made strides in this area, finding its way to customers only days after announcement and even before the review embargo lifted in some cases, so now it stars in our news roundup for a third straight week.

Pixel 9 reviewers seem to be bullish on Google's new phone, but this week, the brand-new phone actually fell two major versions behind Android's beta channel, as the December Feature Drop made its first appearance. We also learned Google Play is losing support for one of its last carrier billing holdouts, and leaks about new hardware and software from Samsung spilled into the public eye in this week's top Android headlines.

Pixel 9 reviews are in

The Pixel 9 review embargo lifted Wednesday afternoon, and that meant reviewers were finally free to give their thoughts on all those features Google showed off at its event last week. While Google had already provided the press a quick glimpse at the devices in content capture sessions weeks ago and showed almost everything off in its keynote, we were still in a holding pattern to see how those flashy AI features perform in real life.

So far, the general sentiment around Google's new phones is overwhelmingly positive, even if some of the new features are proving to have missed the mark. As Android Police Phones Editor Will Sattelberg said of the new camera bar and flat sides in his Pixel 9 Pro review, "You may not like it, but this is what peak phone design looks like." And AP's Editor-in-Chief, James Peckham, thoroughly enjoyed his time reviewing the Pixel 9, proclaiming that he would "recommend the Pixel 9 to almost anyone who’s after a top-tier Android experience in 2024."

Among our reviews, perhaps the most resounding vote of confidence came from Content Director Daniel Bader — who has as much experience on the tech scene as you'll find anywhere — when he said the Pixel 9 Pro XL "may be the best Android phone [he's] ever used." Certainly not words to be taken lightly.

The Android Beta Program pulls even further ahead

If you look through those Pixel 9 reviews, there's at least one negative sentiment that stands out: Google's new phones ship with the company's old operating system, not Android 15 like we were all hoping for based on past releases. You might think that the beta was perhaps running behind, but that doesn't appear to be the case with this week's Android 15 Beta 4.2 only sporting minor bug fixes.

In fact, Android 15's beta program is in such a good place that Google is already moving on to its next beta. Android 15 QPR1 Beta 1 made its debut this week, marking the first iteration of what will eventually become the inaugural quarterly release for Android 15, AKA, the December 2024 Pixel Feature Drop. We're not sure about all the goodies it will bring, but we've already seen that it makes Do Not Disturb a lot more customizable. Sadly, the QPR1 beta program isn't available for the Pixel 9 series just yet, nor is the regular Android 15 beta program before it, leaving Google's new flagships a full two versions behind the beta channel.

T-Mobile Google Play billing is going away

When smartphones were still a new concept, a lot of people outright refused to pay for apps, fearing it would become another recurring expense to add to an ever-growing list. To make it as easy as possible to come off your money, the Android Market, as it was called then, made deals with major US mobile carriers that allowed you to buy apps and games and have the purchases billed to your phone number.

It was a handy system, but has largely fallen to the wayside with the proliferation of mobile payments. In years past, we have seen the Play Store drop support for of this as well as Verizon's. Now, the Google Play Store is in the process of killing T-Mobile billing support, and the first part of the phaseout begins next week.

RIP Fitbit watches

When Google purchased Fitbit, many took it as a signal that the Wear OS maker was finally ready to build a smartwatch of its own. These predictions came to fruition in late 2022 when Google announced the first Pixel Watch. It was speculated at the time that Fitbit's days as a smartwatch maker might be numbered, and now these suspicions are also proving true.

With the release of the Pixel Watch 3, Google casually mentioned that Fitbit might be done making smartwatches, saying simply that the "Pixel Watch is our smartwatch part of the portfolio." When pressed for comment, Google wouldn't outright confirm that Fitbit is done making smartwatches, but neither did it deny the report. From the looks of things, models like the Sense 2 and Versa 4 might be the company's last in the smartwatch form-factor as it transitions to only making fitness trackers.

Samsung's latest software and hardware forms an orderly queue

Samsung had a busy week, for better or worse. The first beta release of One UI 7 has reportedly been pushed back again — this time to September. Meanwhile, One UI 6 Watch, Samsung's version of Wear OS 5 that is currently only available on the Galaxy Watch Ultra, Watch 7, and Pixel Watch 3, got a fifth beta release on Samsung's older Galaxy Watch models, indicating that it's getting ready to ship to the stable channel.

A limited Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim release could be just around the corner in Korea, as new rumors rolled in this week, including one that tipped an improved camera. We also learned this model may feature a titanium frame to help cut down on weight and thickness. The Galaxy S24 FE appeared on the BIS certification site ahead of a potentially imminent launch. But if you'd prefer a new flagship over a midranger, you can whet your appetite with a rumor that said the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be smaller while somehow still featuring a larger screen.