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Next-gen Google Pixel to have 2:1 display, Snapdragon 835?

Google’s next smartphone may follow in the footsteps of the LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8 by shipping with a display featuring an aspect ratio of roughly 2:1 rather than the 16:9 ratio that’s been more common in the past. While Google hasn’t made any announcements about its 2nd-gen Pixel smartphones, an unannounced device called […]

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Google’s next-gen Pixel phones to feature Snapdragon 835 chips (leaks)

Google is expected to launch several new Pixel-branded smartphones this year, and over the past month or so we’ve seen signs in the Android Open Source code suggesting that there may be three models on the way, code-named Walleye, Muskie, and Taimen. Now WinFuture has spotted indications in AOSP code suggesting that all three phones […]

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Now you can buy a Pixel phone with CopperheadOS hardened security (for $1049 and up)

CopperheadOS is a security-hardened operating system that’s based on Google Android. The developers behind the operating system promise protection from zero-day exploits, enhanced browser security, stronger sandboxing and isolation of apps and services, and other enhancements. You can download the CopperheadOS ROM and install it on a number of Google Nexus phones and tablets. But […]

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TWRP alpha released for Google Pixel phones (but you might not want to use it yet)

It’s been nearly a month since Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL phones have hit the streets. They’re the first phones to ship with Android 7.1 Nougat software with support for file-based encryption and seamless updates, thanks to a new partitioning scheme. But hackers who have been rooting smartphones and flashing custom ROMs for years have […]

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Google DayDream View VR headset review (with Google Pixel XL)

It’s been more than two years since Google showed that you could transform a smartphone into a virtual reality device by placing it in a headset made of nothing more than cardboard and lenses. Sure, Google Cardboard isn’t as powerful or versatile as an expensive VR device like Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. But it’s […]

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Now you can root a Google Pixel or Pixel XL smartphone

Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL are the first smartphones to ship with Android 7.1, but they’re also the first to feature a new disk partition scheme and file-based encryption (instead of full-disk encryption) which makes updating the operating system faster and safer… but which means hackers have had to find new ways to unlock the […]

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dePixel8 can unlock bootloaders for Verizon Pixel phones

Just a few days after revealing that it’s possible to unlock the bootloader on Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones purchased from Verizon, hacker beaups has released a utility called dePixel8 that anyone can use to unlock a Verizon Pixel phone. Beaups notes that it should also work with phones sold by European wireless carrier […]

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Google Pixel phones can be rooted

Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are the first to ship with a new set of disk partitions designed to make it possible to download and install system updates in the background (and safely roll back an update if there are problems installing it). But the new partition layout, along with some other changes in […]