Google Pixel Hub

Alphabet hits $4 trillion market cap
- Google's parent company reached the $4T market cap milestone, becoming the fourth company in the world to do so.
- At the time of writing, Google ranked number two in valuation, right behind NVIDIA and ahead of Apple.
- Gemini 3 sees promising futures, with Apple announcing a partnership to bring the model into their devices via Apple Intelligence later this year.

#News #Alphabet @PixelHubUpdates

Gmail with more Gemini integration
- Powered by the latest Gemini 3, below features are first coming to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, as well as users in the U.S. with English, with more regions and languages support to come in the near future:

- AI Overview: Get a quick answer by asking questions in natural language about your cluttered inbox, available to AI Pto and Ultra subscribers; free for everyone in individual email thread.

- Help Me Write: Draft from scratch or polish your written content in the email; better personalisation based on data from other Google apps will be coming next month.

- Suggested Replies: An improved version of Smart Replies, offers better one-click response based on your writing style and the context of the conversation.

- Proofread: Perform advanced grammar, tone, and style checks, available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.

- AI Inbox: An individual section that gives you a brief on the things that matter to you based on the content of your inbox; first available to trusted testers and wide availability in the coming months.

- (P.S.) POP deprecation: Starting January 2026, POP support is dropped for Gmail accounts (Learn more).

More info: Google Blog
#Apps #Gmail @PixelHubUpdates

Android Canary 2601
- Build ID: ZP11.251212.007

Download: Android Flash Tool | Pixel Factory Images Tracker
More info: Android Developers | BetaWiki
#Updates #A16 #Canary #Pixel @PixelHubUpdates

BREAKING: Google will release the source code to AOSP only 2 times a year

After previously delaying the September QPR 1 AOSP source code release by almost 2 months, Google has now announced that it will release the source code to AOSP every 6 months only i.e in Q2 and Q4.

"Effective in 2026, to align with our trunk-stable development model and ensure platform stability for the ecosystem, we will publish source code to AOSP in Q2 and Q4. For building and contributing to AOSP, we recommend utilizing android-latest-release instead of aosp-main. The aosp-latest-release manifest branch will always reference the most recent release pushed to AOSP. For more information, see Changes to AOSP.”

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LineageOS 23.0 supports Pixel 4 series
- LineageOS now provides official builds based on Android 16 for Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, and Pixel 4a.
- Out of the 34 Pixel devices (including Pixel Tablet) released since 2016, 8 of the oldest devices are still receiving LineageOS 22.2 builds (Pixel 1~3a series).
- P.S. With Google releasing both Android 16 QPR1 and QPR2 source code recently, LineageOS 23.1 and 23.2 is currently under development.

Source: LineageOS Gerrit
#News #LineageOS @PixelHubUpdates

Google to allow changing email address for your account
Eligibility
- Soon users will be able to "change" your email address (username) on the same Google account.
- This is available for account with email address that ends in @gmail.com, and the new email address will need to end in @gmail.com.
- You can check whether the change has rolled out to your account by going to Google Account > Personal Info > Email (gradually rolling out).
- Note: The support page in English has not updated to reflect this change at the time of writing.

What happens after the change
- The old email address will be used as a recovery email.
- Email will continue to be received via the old and new email addresses.
- All the data stored in the particular account will be intact.
- Users won't be able to create another new email address for the next 12 months, but will have the option to revert back to the old email address.
- Users can continue to sign in to Google with old and new email addresses.

Limitations
- One Google account will allow up to three new creations of email addresses, and this action is not reversible.
- ChromeOS users are advised to make a complete backup first before doing so. After changing, remove and re-add the account with the new email address. Otherwise, the home directory might be empty when you sign in.
- Some of your application settings might be reset after the change.
- Old email address will still be displayed on calendar events and other content created before the email address change.

More info: Google Account Help | Check eligibility
#News #Account @PixelHubUpdates

Google One 2026 50% discount offer
- Google is offering hefty limited time discount for Google One annual plans worldwide, only for new subscribers.
- Basic (100 GB): $9.99
- Premium (2 TB): $49.99
- Google AI Pro (2 TB): $99.99

#One @PixelHubUpdates

Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1.1
- Build ID: CP11.251114.007, CP11.251114.004.A2 (Pixel 7a)
- December 2025 Security Patch
- Play Services: 25.41.31
- Fixed a change that caused some apps to crash on startup.

Download: Factory Images | OTA Images | GSI
Changes: Android Developers
#Updates #A16 #Beta #Pixel @PixelHubUpdates

NotebookLM: Gemini 3, Export & Data Tables
- Gemini 3 is integrated into NotebookLM for everyone
- Export Study Guides, Briefing Docs, or saved Notes to Google Docs or Sheets (if they contain tables)
- Data Table helps you to categorise scattered data and insights into structured tables, first available for AI Pro and Ultra users, coming soon to everyone in a few weeks

#Apps #NotebookLM @PixelHubUpdates

Gemini: Draw to edit image and detect AI video on the go
- After uploading an image, you can tap on it to make quick edits by sketching or adding texts (Image credit)
- SynthID can now also identify video content generated using Google AI (up to 100 MB and 90 seconds long)

#Apps #Gemini @PixelHubUpdates

Choice screen and alternative billing system for Japan
- Japan Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA) comes into effect today, with Google making several changes to the Android platform in the country
- Users will be prompted to select a search engine and browser of their choice while setting up a device
- App developers can opt for alternative billing system for in-app purchases

More info: Google Blog
#News #Android @PixelHubUpdates

Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1
- Build ID: CP11.251114.006, CP11.251114.004.A1 (Pixel 7a)
- December 2025 Security Patch
- Play Services: 25.41.31
- Pixel 10 series receive the long-requested GPU update with Vulkan 1.4 support

What's New
- Adjust flashlight brightness from QS tile
- New button order for 3-button navigation (Recents, Home, Back)
- Blue indicator when location is used, with options to close the app and manage access
- Slight tweak for "Edit tiles" page
- Slight tweak for long pressing widget should give you popup options to remove or go to widget settings
- New folder animation, with background dimming upon expanding
- At A Glance is now removable from home screen for Pixel devices

Download: Factory Images | OTA Images | GSI
Changes: Android Developers
#Updates #A16 #Beta #Pixel @PixelHubUpdates

Mid December 2025 Android 16 Pixel Update
- Build ID: BP4A.251205.006.E1
- This update is only available for Pixel 8 to Pixel 10 series, including Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
- Google has not made any announcement regarding the update, with no released factory and OTA images yet. (As of December 19, Google has posted the new builds on their website.)

Fixes (list of changes provided by Verizon)
- Battery drain: Faster than normal battery depletion.
- Touch unresponsive: Intermittent touch failures observed specifically on Pixel 10.
- Cached content access: Inaccessibility of locally stored content (e.g., offline media, maps) after upgrading from Android 14 or earlier directly to Android 16.

Download: Factory Images | OTA Images
#Updates #A16 #Pixel @PixelHubUpdates

Gemini 3 Flash
Gemini App
- The base Gemini 3 model is rolling out globally in the Gemini app, including signed out users
- "Thinking" is also powered by Gemini 3 Flash, but is meant to answer complex questions faster (rate limit applies)
- Uses 30% fewer tokens on average and 3x faster performance than 2.5 Pro
- Gemini can also now build mini-apps with Opal, this can be found over at Gems

AI Mode in Search
- Gemini 3 Flash is also available in AI Mode for everyone to use
- Gemini 3 Pro is made available for everyone in the U.S. by selecting "Thinking with 3 Pro," with expanded access to Nano Banana Pro

Miscellaneous
- Gemini API: $0.50/1M input tokens and $3/1M output tokens (audio input: $1/1M input tokens)
- The model is now generally available in Gemini API in Google AI Studio, Google Antigravity, Vertex AI, Gemini Enterprise, Gemini CLI and Android Studio

More info: Google Blog (2)
#Apps #Gemini #Search @PixelHubUpdates

CC: An experimental AI agent focuses on daily productivity
- Get a morning briefing with "Your days ahead," information retrieved from Gmail, Drive, and Calendar, as well as the Internet
- The briefing outlines the things you need to do throughout the day like getting ready for an appointment or paying your bill
- The service, powered by Gemini, can also help to write email drafts and add calendar links with custom requests
- Waitlist is open for users over 18 in the U.S. and Canada, prioritises Google AI Ultra and paid subscribers

More info: Google Labs
#Labs #Gemini @PixelHubUpdates

NotebookLM December 2025 Update
- Add images by using camera directly on the mobile app
- Chat History is available for everyone, all of your conversations in every notebook should now be preserved in the cloud
- Gemini will let you attach notebook from NotebookLM, then answer based on the provided sources
- AI Ultra gets you up to 600 notebooks and 5k chats every day, alongside 10x the usage limits of AI Pro in various features, plus watermark removal and earlier access to key feature (More info)

#Apps #NotebookLM @PixelHubUpdates

Google Search Trivia
- A new "+" button appears on the left side of the search bar, with options to upload image or file, which will later redirect you to AI Mode
- Currently dragging files will lead you to Google Lens

Easter Egg
- 67: No meaning but people just follow; the page will move around with a bouncy effect
- John Cena: You can’t see me; tapping on the button will show a waving hand, with the content slowly fading away

#Apps #Google #EasterEgg @PixelHubUpdates

Gemini 2.5 Flash Native Audio
Search Live
- The responses are more fluid and expressive with the upgraded Gemini audio model
- Accessible via Live icon under the search bar
- Rolling out gradually starting next week in the U.S.

Custom usage
- Third-party developers can build upon it for better voice agents and speech translation purposes
- Preview with Gemini API, available in Vertex AI

More info: Google Blog
#Apps #Google #Gemini @PixelHubUpdates

Google Translate with Gemini integration
- Powered by Gemini behind the scene, now capable of translating sentences with nuanced meanings better (first available in the U.S. and India with around 20 languages)
- Live Translate will let you hear real-time translation if you have headphones (beta in the U.S., Mexico, and India; 70+ languages supported)

Language learning tool (on Android and iOS)
- Added speaking practice, with a streak counter you can keep track of
- Now made available in Germany, India, Sweden, and Taiwan
- Newly added courses: English to German and Portuguese; Bengali, Mandarin Chinese (Simplified), Dutch, German, Hindi, Italian, Romanian, and Swedish to English

More info: Google Blog
#Apps #Translate @PixelHubUpdates

BREAKING: After Google Sans Flex ... "Google Sans" itself is now available to use directly from Google Fonts (variable font too) 🤯

Link: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Google+Sans

Note: For those of you who knew static Google Sans Text, this is now part of this one single variable font by toggling the optical size!

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