00:00 – Mishaal Rahman: We might have lastly discovered why the Pixel 10 has dangerous battery life, at the least for some customers.
00:04 – C. Scott Brown: And we lastly have an Android various to the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.
00:08 – Mishaal Rahman: I’m Mishaal Rahman.
00:10 – C. Scott Brown: And I’m C. Scott Brown and that is the Authority Insights Podcast the place we break down the newest information and leaks surrounding the Android working system.
00:18 – Mishaal Rahman: Google introduced Android XR, its XR centered working system means again in December of final yr and so they promised on the time that we’d get some actual {hardware} from Samsung by the tip of this yr.
And at last, after many months of ready, we lastly have the official launch of the Undertaking Moohan headset now often called Galaxy XR from Samsung. And now you can lastly purchase it. You may actually stroll right into a Samsung retailer or order it on-line from Samsung. However do you have to purchase it?
00:46 – C. Scott Brown: And do you have to purchase the Pixel 10 given the battery issues that some persons are having?
We now have seen some erratic studies of battery life so far as the Pixel 10 goes, however we lastly obtained some information from testing that we did right here at Android Authority and came upon that the battery points that persons are going through could be {hardware} associated, which after all isn’t nice as a result of meaning you’re not going to see it get higher and higher as software program goes or software program updates are available.
01:13 – C. Scott Brown: However to Google’s credit score, their {hardware} choices have confirmed advantageous in different areas. In addition to all of the distinctive AI options that you simply solely discover on Pixel telephones, it seems that Pixels are literally the most effective telephones for working desktop Linux apps.
01:29 – Mishaal Rahman: That’s fairly thrilling, however we’re nonetheless years away from really realizing these efforts of working desktop Linux apps on Android telephones in an really performant means and really turning our Android telephones into correct PCs.
However at the moment proper now, we’re additionally seeing the promise of XR coming to Android units grow to be a actuality.
Google lastly and Samsung and Qualcomm, all of them got here collectively, made this huge splash final yr, however now they’ve lastly unveiled the characteristic, the {hardware} they’ve been teasing for a lot of months now, the Undertaking Moohan, Samsung Galaxy XR system.
02:05 – Mishaal Rahman: And Scott, you bought to make use of it for a greater than prolonged time frame two weeks in the past on the time of this recording, but it surely was every week earlier than the launch. I solely briefly obtained it for about 5 minutes at Google IO, so I didn’t get the total expertise of what you are able to do with the Samsung Galaxy XR.
I wish to ask you, what are your preliminary ideas on it? Beginning with the consolation facet. How did it really feel to truly put on the Moohan?
02:31 – C. Scott Brown: It was very snug, way more snug than different XR headsets that I’ve worn prior to now. A giant a part of that’s due to in all probability one of many extra controversial elements of it, which is that the battery pack is hooked up to a cable, which is then you possibly can simply maintain the battery pack.
Just like the Imaginative and prescient Professional from Apple, you possibly can put the battery pack in your pocket, you possibly can relaxation it on the chair subsequent to you when you’re utilizing the headset, however the battery pack being separate from the headset reduces the load significantly.
02:59 – C. Scott Brown: The load on my head was way more snug than different headsets that I’ve used together with the Meta Quest, which the battery pack is constructed into the headset itself.
03:10 – Mishaal Rahman: Do you assume that’s nonetheless the precise trade-off? Trigger it’s 150 grams lighter than the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. Do you assume they may have gotten away with stuffing a battery onto the headset itself or do you assume that is a suitable trade-off?
03:23 – C. Scott Brown: I believe it’s a suitable trade-off. The one factor that’s bizarre to me is that because the battery pack is separate from the headset, the battery pack could possibly be actually any capability that they need. Inside limits, you wouldn’t need it to be this large boulder in your home, however the battery pack is mainly the dimensions of a smartphone. It’s about that huge and perhaps that thick, however they may have made it that thick and that huge, after which made it so the battery lasted longer.
As of proper now, based on what Samsung is telling us, you may get about two hours of use out of 1 single cost. And so they’re positioning this as being a tool that you should utilize to devour immersive content material which would come with characteristic size movies. I don’t know when you’ve been to the films not too long ago, however there are many films on the market which are for much longer than two hours.
It being separate from the headset doesn’t bizarre me out in any respect. The truth that the battery pack is as small as it’s, that’s what weirds me out since you might have made this any measurement you wished. And there’s no capability to purchase further battery packs, at the least nothing that we’ve seen but. That could be one thing that comes down the street, however you get the one battery pack within the headset field after which that’s it. So that you’re in the course of your film, getting in direction of the tip of the third act, battery runs out, you bought to pause and cost it up after which end your film and that simply is mindless to me. Even three hours, only a few films break the three-hour mark by this level. In the event that they pushed it just a bit bit to get you these three hours, I really feel it will have been a lot better, however I don’t know.
05:01 – Mishaal Rahman: If they may push it to 3 hours, that might be good. However what is going to you really be doing for these three hours, in addition to watching films? Watching films is a good use case, however I don’t assume anybody desires to spend $1800 for the Galaxy XR or $3500 for an Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional simply to look at films on it. I believe they wish to do much more than that.
So what are among the killer options that you simply’ve seen personally when you had been utilizing the headset?
05:21 – C. Scott Brown: The good characteristic, the characteristic that made me be, whoa, is Google Maps. Most individuals listening to this find out about Avenue View. You may navigate via a metropolis or just about any location from a road stage view. And you may stroll round, quote-unquote, stroll round with the headset on in Avenue View. It’s like utilizing Avenue View in your cellphone besides that it’s immersive. It’s throughout you.
So you actually really feel you might be in no matter location that you simply’ve gone to.
On the similar time, you possibly can pull again and you may see town or the city or wherever you might be from a fowl’s eye view and soar over it like a superhero, getting an actual lay of the land. It might be actually helpful, I believe for people who find themselves touring to a spot and wish to see what does this metropolis structure appear like and so they can simply see it. Throughout you, you simply flip your head and also you’re simply, oh yeah, there’s this and there’s that. However then you may get even additional in and you may really discover the interiors of places.
And the way in which Google does that is it makes use of AI to sew collectively varied bits of media that’s created by the general public after which uploaded to Google Maps. For instance, you possibly can take an image in a restaurant after which they’ll take that picture after which a whole bunch or presumably even 1000’s of different images for these places and sew collectively a 3D mannequin of what it will appear like to truly be in that restaurant. So there are literally thousands of locations around the globe that assist this already and a thousand of them are already in New York. You possibly can simply go and take a look at a restaurant. It could possibly be helpful in loads of methods. You possibly can go inside a restaurant, quote-unquote and see that there’s solely 10 tables on this restaurant. I higher make a reservation right here as a result of these 10 tables are in all probability going to refill quick. Or they’ve this actually lovely out of doors patio area. Once I make my reservation, I wish to ensure that I get a type of seats.
I’m going to ask for these particularly. A lot of cool issues that you possibly can do that might be you possibly can do in Google Maps on the internet or in your cellphone or no matter, but it surely’s simply going to be a lot simpler and extra immersive to do it on the headset.
That was the one characteristic that I walked away from being, that is actually cool. That is one thing that’s very completely different, one thing that I’ve by no means seen earlier than on a headset. All the pieces else although was just about stuff that I had already achieved on a headset.
07:50 – Mishaal Rahman: One factor that Google says differentiates Galaxy XR and the underlying XR platform from different platforms we’ve seen earlier than is that they are saying that Android XR is the primary model of Android that was constructed from the bottom up with generative AI within the fold. They included Gemini all through the working system.
So did you really get that feeling whenever you had been utilizing it? Did you are feeling that is actually they’re really making full use of Gemini. It’s not only a tacked on chatbot, but it surely’s really built-in all through and there’s really some distinctive issues you are able to do with it. What are among the issues you are able to do that you may’t do with out XR plus Gemini?
08:26 – C. Scott Brown: The one factor that they confirmed us that confirmed that Gemini was really built-in into the working system was organizing your home windows. If in case you have your Chrome browser and your Instagram feed or no matter, a bunch of home windows open in your digital atmosphere and it’s all messy, you possibly can simply ask Gemini to arrange them for you and swiftly it’ll simply flip all of the, it’ll grid all of it and make all of it look all organized. That is one thing that’s working system stage. This isn’t one thing that you are able to do in Android. You couldn’t ask Gemini to rearrange the icons on your property display screen. It received’t do this.
All the pieces else I noticed although had been issues that you may just about do along with your cellphone or pill resembling inform me about what I’m utilizing what could be Gemini Dwell. You’d be sharing your display screen with Gemini and also you’d be a YouTube video or no matter and Gemini would be capable of inform you, you’re such and such a factor. These had been all issues that I’ve achieved earlier than. But it surely did show, Google did show that it’s baked into the working system itself.
How way more you are able to do in addition to simply organizing home windows, I don’t know. I solely had 20 to half-hour with the system. I wasn’t capable of do all of the testing that I’d wish to do, however it’s baked into the working system deeper than it’s on a cellphone, however how far that goes, I received’t know till we really get a evaluation unit and I get to spend a number of hours with it.
09:55 – Mishaal Rahman: Hopefully Android Authority will probably be getting a evaluation unit. I don’t know if that’s been confirmed but, however in the mean time, would you take into account paying $1800 for this headset? Has it been one thing that has crossed your thoughts in the mean time?
10:12 – C. Scott Brown: I don’t assume so. And the core purpose why is as a result of the controllers don’t include it. It’s $250 extra to get the controllers. So that you break the $2,000 mark by together with the controllers with it. And that’s simply some huge cash for that specific system. And the rationale why I might need the controllers is as a result of I might desire a do-it-all headset. I might need the headset that I take advantage of to play my VR video games that I already personal via Steam or wherever. And I wish to use it for the video games that might be higher suited to having controllers throughout the VR world, resembling if I resolve I wish to play a 2D recreation, a recreation that was designed for the 2D world, however in my VR headset blown as much as epic proportions, that 2D recreation goes to depend on a controller.
Sure, I might join my current controllers. I might seize an Xbox controller or a DualSense controller and hook it up that means, however the VR expertise, you need the VR controllers. The truth that it doesn’t include these signifies that this isn’t out of the field a do-it-all system. You need to purchase these controllers if you wish to play all of the video games that exist already. And there wasn’t sufficient proven to me that made me assume that $1800 for not taking part in all of the VR video games could be sufficient.
Now, granted, as soon as once more, I had let’s say half-hour with this system. Possibly there’s killer options in there. Possibly there’s actually cool issues coming down the pipeline which are going to make it in order that $1800 could be value it. However proper now, having used it as a lot as I’ve, having seen it and worn it, no, I might not spend $1800 on it.
11:55 – Mishaal Rahman: Me personally, there was a short second the evening it got here out the place I used to be tempted to truly pull the plug and purchase it as a result of one in all my buddies, he’s a giant VR man. He instantly purchased it. He buys all of the VR stuff. He nonetheless has the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. I don’t assume he makes use of it that usually, however he has it. He has the Meta Quest. He has the Ray-Bans, he has all the pieces. However I used to be contemplating shopping for it, however then I finished to assume, what made me pull the plug on that concept was initially after I went to go purchase prescription inserts, I stored getting an error with the checkout.
To start with, I couldn’t even discover the hyperlink to purchase the prescription inserts from Samsung’s web site. They only advised you to go to this third-party web site after which purchase from there, but it surely was nowhere on the web site.
However finally somebody discovered a direct hyperlink to the product itemizing. I attempted to test it out, but it surely stored telling me my prescription was invalid. To maintain re-entering it. So then I simply gave up from there.
After which, I later spent a while occupied with it some extra after which I assumed, what’s the factor I might use this probably the most for? And I might say in all probability working in a digital area, productiveness functions, working with an infinite canvas. However the factor is, I do most of my work on a Home windows PC. Android remains to be not the place I believe it needs to be in terms of really doing correct desktop-like computing.
You do have an even bigger canvas, after all with this XR system. You may run Chrome in a desktop-like interface, but it surely’s not the desktop model of Chrome with extensions and all of the desktop type of behaviors that you simply come to count on. I might wager our CMS, our content material administration system at Android Authority simply wouldn’t work very effectively simply it didn’t actually work very effectively the final time I attempted it on Android pill, so I wouldn’t count on it to work effectively on this blown up model of Chrome on an XR system. Once I was trying on the listing of apps which are out there for Android XR, the one I used to be most excited by was Digital Desktop.
And the reason is as a result of I can use my Home windows PC. I can lengthen my Home windows pc to my XR headset. And that made me cease to assume why am I getting this factor? If I’m simply going to make use of it as an extension for my Home windows PC, what’s the level of that?
14:03 – C. Scott Brown: And bear in mind, you solely have two hours since you obtained one battery pack, you might have two hours. That’s not a full work day. That’s 1 / 4 of a piece day. Or for you, that’s in all probability an eighth of a piece day. For everybody listening, Mishaal is a really onerous employee. He works rather a lot.
14:24 – Mishaal Rahman: I don’t recreation. I haven’t actually performed video games as usually as I used to. I principally play on the Change. So I don’t actually have any VR I don’t have a catalog of VR video games to attempt. I might like to attempt some VR video games. I do know there’s I’ve seen loads of good demos of Horizon for the PS5. Resident Evil 7 and eight. These appeared superb. I attempted them at my pal’s place. I might like to play Half-Life: Alyx, however what number of of those video games there’s already so few VR video games which are out there. There’s not that many VR video games that you may really play. What number of of them are even out there of that restricted set would work on the Android XR headset and that’s one other concern that I had.
15:05 – C. Scott Brown: You may join your Steam, you possibly can join Steam to the headset.
So something that’s on Steam will work. However you’re going to face different issues. You talked about the Horizon recreation. I’m an enormous Horizon fan. Horizon’s in all probability my favourite online game franchise. You can not play that with out the PS headset. That’s an unique to the PlayStation headset. After which, you talked about Resident Evil. There’s a Resident Evil 4 remake, the unique Resident Evil 4 that was remade for VR environments and that’s unique to Meta Quest. There’s loads of exclusives on the market that you simply’re nonetheless not going to have the ability to play with out proudly owning the particular headsets.
It’s similar to the console wars. Should you resolve you wish to go along with a PlayStation as an alternative of a PC, you’re going to overlook out on loads of stuff. And when you resolve to go to a PC with no PlayStation, you’re going to overlook out on loads of stuff there. The concept of getting to personal two headsets or technically three headsets to play all of the video games that you simply simply talked about is nuts.
I believe that the headset has a promising future. The true query is, and that is one thing that we’ve talked about fairly a number of instances already, is will Google follow this? The Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional indubitably is a gross sales dud. Apple couldn’t promote one million of them. And that is Apple we’re speaking about. Apple’s bread and butter is coming into current markets, disrupting it, and claiming that they invented it. It’s a meme at this level that’s what Apple does. Apple’s claiming, we invented VR.
That’s a joke that we’ve stated one million instances over the previous 20 years. And even Apple couldn’t do this with the VR or XR, let’s name it XR area. Google and Samsung are actually making an attempt coming in second fiddle to Apple. Is it going to work? And if it doesn’t work, what’s Google going to do? Is it going to tug a Stadia and simply say, see you guys, we’re achieved or is it going to keep it up? I don’t know.
17:15 – Mishaal Rahman: I believe there’s loads of disadvantages that Google is taking part in on the again foot as you talked about, Meta and Apple particularly have had a head begin in comparison with Google. However I believe one key distinction between Meta Horizon and Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional and Android XR is that Android is beginning out as a platform, not an ecosystem. Certain, it’s a platform and an ecosystem, however Meta’s Quest was simply an ecosystem, not a platform. It later developed to grow to be a platform with Meta opening up Horizon the Horizon working system to different producers, but it surely didn’t begin out that means.
And the identical factor with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. Apple isn’t freely giving Imaginative and prescient OS to different producers, proper? It’s simply the Apple ecosystem. However Google is popping out the gate providing Android XR as a platform that different corporations can construct off of, proper? It’s not simply Samsung that’s making XR merchandise. We’ve already heard Xreal, for instance, is one huge title that’s stated that they confirmed they’re engaged on units. Albeit they’re engaged on glasses, not precise full on VR headsets.
But it surely’s a platform, which implies doubtlessly think about sooner or later if Nintendo determined to make a devoted VR, simply think about. It’s not going to occur, however simply think about in the event that they did. And picture in the event that they put the quantity of manufacturing worth that the parents on the folks that the workforce behind that new Digimon recreation put into their new Pokemon recreation. And picture in the event that they launched that new VR Pokemon recreation for a Nintendo Android XR powered headset. Simply think about. That factor will fly off the cabinets. I might purchase one in a heartbeat. What about you?
18:49 – C. Scott Brown: So the headline of my hands-on is simply the opening act, a Galaxy XR simply the opening act. And the rationale that I stated that’s that they Samsung and Google and Qualcomm partnered collectively on this, however they didn’t wish to speak about this. The keynote made it clear that they don’t seem to be as excited in regards to the Galaxy XR as they’re about what comes after the Galaxy XR. They had been already hyping that they’ve partnerships with Warby Parker and Mild Monster to make good glasses. They had been already hyping the demos that they’ve achieved for good glasses basically based mostly on the Android XR working system. They know that the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional was a gross sales failure. They know that the Meta Ray-Bans are getting extra profitable yearly. Google can see the writing on the wall and know that the success of the Android XR platform isn’t going to be based mostly round headsets, but it surely’s going to be based mostly round good glasses.
The entire launch was simply so bizarre feeling as a result of it was the one launch I believe I’ve ever been to the place the businesses on stage had been, that is just the start. That is solely going to get higher with the subsequent merchandise that we’re coming down with. It’s simply so bizarre. It’s even they didn’t wish to say, you can purchase this. They had been mainly, it’s best to wait till the subsequent cool factor comes alongside. It was a really unusual, very unusual expertise, however I believe that we’re simply going to have to attend and see how this all performs out. I hope you’re proper and I hope that Google sticks with this as a result of this could possibly be the subsequent future. Everyone’s saying that wearables are going to be the subsequent huge smartphone, the most effective subsequent huge smartphone substitute. Possibly not substitute, however augmentation.
And if Google could make it in order that it’s on the forefront of that, that might be superior, however Google additionally has a very quick consideration span, if issues don’t instantly work, it simply strikes on to the subsequent factor. So, let’s see how this goes.
21:03 – Mishaal Rahman: One factor I wish to level out is you really wrote an article titled “Samsung’s new XR headset is secretly a Pixel” as a result of as you identified, it doesn’t even say Samsung wherever on the headset itself. Once I learn this I assumed –
21:18 – C. Scott Brown: It says it on the battery pack. That’s the one place you possibly can see Samsung.
21:21 – Mishaal Rahman: It says it on the battery pack. So there’s Samsung someplace on it. However after I was studying this text that you simply wrote, I used to be considering the Galaxy XR sounds prefer it’s a Nexus system. It has Google all the pieces, Google software program, Google functions, mainly the inventory model of Android XR, but it surely’s made by Samsung, manufactured by Samsung, designed by them.
That was precisely mainly what the Nexus program was. You had a complete bunch of Nexus units. None of them had been designed or manufactured by Google, however Google made the software program for them. And it appears like what this system is to me. If this specific system doesn’t succeed, perhaps another producer down the road will launch a $500 Meta Quest killer that runs Android XR, perhaps that one will succeed.
Hopefully Google hasn’t invested an excessive amount of on the success of this specific system and if a future Android XR system occurs to kick off, then that’ll really kick begin the joy round Android XR.
22:16 – C. Scott Brown: That may be thrilling to me. I might be very into that, however I don’t even know… however Google, however historical past. I simply don’t know what’s going to occur. I don’t see this being successful. I don’t see the Galaxy XR as being profitable. I see it as being one thing just like the Imaginative and prescient Professional. Individuals are going to purchase it, they’re going to be tremendous enthusiastic about it for every week or two, after which they’re going to return it in droves or it’s going to enter a drawer and accumulate mud. That’s what I see taking place right here. And I simply hope that that sudden drop in pleasure and curiosity doesn’t kill Google’s momentum. Hopefully the good glasses are going to be sufficient to maintain Google using that wave, however I simply don’t know. I don’t know.
23:12 – Mishaal Rahman: Hopefully they follow it lengthy sufficient to see the long-term advantages of it as a result of the identical factor, rather a lot was stated, loads of related issues to when Google switched to its personal customized Tensor chipsets in its Pixel cellphone. For a very long time they had been utilizing Qualcomm Snapdragon chips after which with the Pixel 6, they switched to its personal customized silicon, the Tensor G1 chipset. And on the time, there was rather a lot stated about it, long-term, that is going to be good for Google. It’s going to be good for Google Pixel smartphones.
However within the quick time period, folks had been complaining in regards to the modem not being superb, efficiency not being superb. And we nonetheless have these complaints, however I believe have died down not too long ago. They’re not as dangerous, issues are usually not as dangerous as they was by way of efficiency and connectivity.
23:52 – C. Scott Brown: Not on my channel.
23:56 – Mishaal Rahman: There are nonetheless folks complaining about these points on Pixel smartphones and with the Pixel 10 particularly, we’ve heard loads of complaints about battery life on the Pixel 10 collection.
24:06 – Mishaal Rahman: Our Rob Triggs, he’s one in all our smartest analysts. He did a deep dive into making an attempt to know why the Pixel 10 appears to have dangerous battery life particularly. And also you really not too long ago printed a video that mainly recapped it. So why don’t I simply ask you what precisely did Rob discover in his analysis?
24:26 – C. Scott Brown: Rob discovered that he in contrast the Pixel 9 Professional XL, the Pixel 10 Professional XL, and the Galaxy S25 Extremely and he did it throughout a wide range of testing, together with low efficiency duties, mid-performance duties, and heavy duties.
And for the low duties, he observed that the three telephones had been just about the identical. Should you simply have your cellphone idling with the display screen on or display screen off and you’ve got it linked to Wi-Fi or linked to mobile, all of them just about carried out the identical so far as the facility consumption of the telephones in that state.
When he upped it to mid-level duties resembling internet shopping or being on a zoom name, he did discover that the Pixels each consumed extra energy than the Galaxy, however the distinction between how a lot they consumed on Wi-Fi and the way a lot they consumed on mobile had been fairly comparable. Though the Pixels had been greater, the distinction between these two eventualities was the identical throughout all three telephones.
However when he did excessive stage duties resembling downloading an enormous file or buffering a 1080p YouTube video, that’s when he observed that Tensor did actually poorly. Not solely did Tensor do actually poorly, however there have been enormous variations when on Wi-Fi and when on mobile.
Essentially the most complicated factor was that the Pixel 10 did worse than the Pixel 9 in these eventualities. It’s a multi-front downside. You’ve gotten an enormous disparity between the quantity of energy draw a Pixel makes use of when it’s on Wi-Fi in comparison with when it’s on mobile. The heavier the duty, the more serious it will get and the Pixel 10 is definitely worse than the Pixel 9. Google has an actual downside right here so far as ensuring battery life actually doesn’t grow to be an enormous downside on the Pixel 10 collection.
26:32 – Mishaal Rahman: It appears like we’ve been listening to many times about a wide range of battery issues on Pixel telephones. We’ve had the unlucky battery swelling points on the 6A, the 7A and I believe the 4A additionally it appears an A collection particular downside the place you might have these batteries having points conserving their well being long-term. They begin to swell up and grow to be spicy pillows.
And now we have now these battery draining issues on Tensor Pixels. And principally not as a result of batteries themselves, however simply due to the inefficiency of the chipset itself. I’m shocked to see that the Pixel 10 is performing worse than the Pixel 9 from what I can inform, the modem didn’t actually change, proper? Doesn’t it have the identical modem?
27:14 – C. Scott Brown: It has the very same modem. So, it comes right down to the effectivity of the chipset or presumably software program, however the software program needs to be just about the identical throughout the units, so I actually don’t perceive why the Pixel 10 could be worse than the Pixel 9 in terms of the battery life effectivity of the modem.
27:33 – C. Scott Brown: And to be clear, we reached out to Google with this information. Rob reached out and stated, right here’s all this information. He emailed them, he confirmed them the information and stated, what do it’s a must to say about this? And we waited a number of days, we obtained zero response. So we don’t actually know. We now have no actual concept why that is taking place. We all know what is going on and we all know instantly when it occurs poorly and when it doesn’t.
The low-level duties are just about tremendous, but it surely’s solely whenever you begin doing that high-level stuff that issues begin being problematic. However it’s good to know as a result of when you do personal a Pixel system, whether or not that’s a Pixel 9 or a Pixel 10, when you’re involved about conserving your battery life, attempt to forestall doing high-level duties on a mobile connection when you’re on battery. If in case you have a giant file to obtain, try to wait till you get to Wi-Fi to do it and also you’re going to make your battery last more than it will when you obtain that over mobile.
28:42 – C. Scott Brown: I do know that’s not best. Most individuals would simply ask, why do I’ve to do this?
And likewise to be clear, this downside occurs on the Galaxy S25 Extremely as effectively. It’s simply not as dangerous. So in case you have a Galaxy S25 Extremely and also you begin watching YouTube or begin downloading a giant file, you’re going to see a a lot larger battery drain than you’d when you did it on Wi-Fi. This isn’t one thing that’s only a Pixel downside. It’s simply that it’s worse on Pixels and it’s worse on the Pixel 10 than it was on the Pixel 9. So I simply wish to ensure that’s clear for anyone listening.
29:12 – Mishaal Rahman: If it’s true that it’s worse on Tensor-powered Pixel telephones, why ought to Pixel followers put up with it? Why ought to Pixel followers proceed to make use of Pixel units once they have worse processors? And that is the frustration we’re seeing from Pixel followers who’re asking, is it value getting Google’s software program and in change having to take care of the inefficiencies and the poor efficiency and poor emulation efficiency, poor Home windows gaming efficiency, simply poor gaming efficiency basically in comparison with Snapdragon-powered units, is it value having these trade-offs?
And we see lots of people very vocal about it saying, no, it’s not value a tradeoff. I believe Google ought to change again to Snapdragon merchandise for the long run units. However you argue that truly Google shouldn’t, they need to proceed to make use of their very own customized Tensor chipsets and wish to ask you, you wrote this text final month and it obtained loads of engagement, lots of people had been upset along with your tackle this. So I would like you to defend why you assume Google ought to proceed going the trail they’re going proper now with the Tensor chipset?
30:20 – C. Scott Brown: I’ll deal with that query, however I wish to level one thing out, which is that the article on Android Authority obtained 130 feedback or one thing like that. And nearly all of them had been profoundly unfavourable. A few of them had been really assaults. They had been, you’re an fool.
On my channel, on my YouTube channel, I printed the video which makes the identical argument and in the identical means and provides the identical defenses, and I obtained loads of constructive feedback. Lots of people saying benchmarks don’t matter. I’ve no want for a Snapdragon processor in my Pixel. I’m completely pleased with my Pixel as it’s, and so forth. So at all times keep in mind that the Android Authority viewers may be very, very obsessed with these particular issues. And the final person isn’t.
And that’s the core concept of why I believe Tensor ought to stick round. Why I believe Google ought to follow Tensor is as a result of it presents a unique alternative that most individuals will probably be tremendous with. Even going again to the information we had been simply speaking about with the Pixel 10 collection, most individuals are usually not downloading a gigabyte file on mobile. My dad has by no means achieved that earlier than in his life as a result of there’s no purpose for him to do this. That’s simply not one thing he does.
You talked about emulation. 90% of people that personal smartphones have by no means emulated a recreation ever. We are likely to assume that the Android Authority viewers is the world, but it surely’s not, it’s the area of interest. And I believe that’s the core argument that I attempted to make within the video and within the article is that for most individuals and after I say most, I imply 90% of smartphone customers, Tensor is nice. It does all the pieces they want it to do. The battery life is sweet, the quantity of cool options that you are able to do on Tensor that you may’t do on different telephones makes it a worthwhile expenditure for most individuals.
It’s the Android Authority viewers that forgets that they’re the area of interest. And I believe that that’s primary, the flexibility to do this stuff and that makes it good for simply your common common smartphone person. And the second factor that I actually assume is necessary for Google to stay with Tensor is as a result of it presents a alternative, it presents competitors. Give it some thought proper now, of all of the telephones that come out in the USA, what number of of them are working a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor of some variety. I don’t know what the quantity is, but it surely wouldn’t shock me if it’s 95% of Android smartphones. That’s not good.
That provides Qualcomm tons of energy over the market. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, I don’t know how a lot it prices for an organization to make use of it, however I do know for a truth that it’s the most costly cell processor that you may purchase to place into your cellphone.
That’s a ton of energy in Qualcomm’s arms over the smartphone costs that you’re going to pay to your cellphone. Not having competitors, not having Tensor, not having MediaTek, not having telephones that don’t use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, makes that worse.
I believe Tensor ought to stick round. Sure, it’s not so good as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. You’ll hear no argument from me saying that it’s higher. By all metrics, it’s worse, by all, battery life, energy, all the pieces.
33:59 – Mishaal Rahman: Not all metrics as a result of it is a excellent segue to our subsequent story as a result of there’s one specific space proper now the place Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets fully fail at and that’s Linux emulation as a result of as I’ve talked about earlier than on the present, Google’s been engaged on this new Linux Terminal characteristic that permits you to mainly run full desktop Linux apps in your Android cellphone.
And we’ve proven you possibly can run apps GIMP, LibreOffice and different and even the desktop model of Chromium in a digital machine in your Android cellphone.
However I say Android cellphone, however in actuality, I imply particularly Android telephones that assist the Android Virtualization Framework for one and assist unprotected digital machines, which is a requirement to make use of the Linux Terminal characteristic.
And sadly, there’s not a single Qualcomm Snapdragon chip that helps this characteristic. Each Snapdragon chip together with the brand new 8 Elite Gen 5 doesn’t assist the Linux Terminal as a result of they don’t assist the unprotected or the non-protected digital machine characteristic, which is a requirement.
And after I verified this and I reached out to Qualcomm, they stated their “precedence is to ship know-how that meets the evolving wants of our OEM companions and their finish shoppers, and because the Android ecosystem continues to develop its virtualization use instances we stay poised to assist rising necessities together with non-secure use instances just like the Linux Terminal, ought to market demand come up.”
35:18 – Mishaal Rahman: Principally they’re saying that they assume this characteristic isn’t necessary sufficient proper now to assist when each different chipset producer helps it. You’ve gotten Tensor helps it, MediaTek helps it, Samsung Exynos helps it. It’s solely Qualcomm that doesn’t assist it. And it’s a area of interest characteristic proper now. It’s true that there’s actually not a lot you are able to do with the Linux Terminal proper now. However will that be the case 5, six years from now when Android on PCs has hopefully lengthy been launched by then and you’ve got highly effective Android PCs with next-generation chipsets able to working full-fledged Linux apps in a digital machine.
I’m guessing the Linux virtualization will probably be considerably extra superior by then and also you’ll be capable of run apps with close to native if not solely native ranges of efficiency. And at that time, there’ll be loads of issues you are able to do with a non-Snapdragon chipset that you may’t do with a Snapdragon chipset and it’s due to this choice to not assist the Linux terminal characteristic.
And I see that is disappointing as a result of positive, one thing is area of interest proper now. It’s not superb proper now, however many producers are promoting telephones with guarantees of supporting units for seven years now, proper?
Should you don’t assist show output, for instance, on a smartphone, it’s not a giant deal proper now as a result of Android desktop mode sucks proper now. It’s nonetheless a piece in progress. However six years from now, will it nonetheless be as dangerous as it’s proper now? I don’t assume so, particularly as a result of Google’s placing a lot effort into increase its desktop expertise.
I believe it is a disappointment and I believe this is among the uncommon instances the place the Tensor chipset really has a dub over Snapdragon chipsets and take that in stride Pixel followers. You’ve obtained a W proper there.
37:01 – C. Scott Brown: I’ve a query for you. Is that this one thing that could possibly be mounted? Is that this one thing that Qualcomm might simply give a software program patch to OEMs and people OEMs can push out that software program patch that might allow this characteristic or is that this {hardware} locked?
37:15 – Mishaal Rahman: They might repair it as a result of Qualcomm chips do assist the Android Virtualization Framework and so they do assist protected digital machines.
They only don’t assist the non-protected model of it, which when you assist virtualization basically, you assist all the necessities to assist AVF and also you assist protected VMs, I don’t see any purpose why Qualcomm couldn’t push out a firmware replace so as to add assist for the non-protected model of it.
It might simply be one thing that they must work with OEMs to truly get the replace out to customers.
I don’t understand how lengthy it will take for them to push out an replace and the way lengthy it will take for that replace to truly arrive on shopper units, but it surely needs to be potential for them to do.
37:56 – C. Scott Brown: I agree that it’s bizarre that they didn’t simply embrace this since you stated, all their rivals do. I’m assuming it’s a safety factor. Qualcomm in all probability is, effectively, there’s no want for this to be out there and it might doubtlessly current a safety threat in some unspecified time in the future. So we’re simply going to close it down.
After which, you stated, if a necessity arises and so they resolve there’s a superb purpose now and there’s a public demand for this characteristic, we’ll work out a method to subject it afterward. I might see the place Qualcomm’s coming from there, however I additionally see that it looks as if an extreme quantity of restrictiveness for no actual purpose.
38:42 – Mishaal Rahman: I believe it’s a little quick sighted contemplating Google is putting such significance on this characteristic. They assume this is among the options, this is among the most necessary options for the Android on PC transition as a result of proper now, in case you have a Chromebook, if you wish to, for instance, run Android Studio on it, you wish to develop Android apps on it as a developer, you wish to entry loads of improvement instruments.
They’re not natively out there for Chrome OS, however they’re out there for a wide range of Linux distributions.
So on Chrome OS, you possibly can simply boot up a Linux digital machine after which set up no matter software you need from there, together with Android Studio, which is how Google formally affords its improvement atmosphere to Chromebook customers.
And Steam, for instance, that’s additionally one other huge characteristic that’s enabled via the Linux virtualization atmosphere on Chromebooks. If you wish to play Steam video games, it’s a must to set up Linux and that’s solely made potential as a result of Chrome OS has this Linux atmosphere. However proper now there’s no such functionality on the Android facet of issues to run Steam video games, however who’s to say that received’t be a risk down the road?
Google even did trace that they wish to work with companions to allow gaming via the Linux VM on Android units. And that might be I believe a giant deal, in the event that they’re capable of carry, for instance, work with Valve on bringing Proton, which is a compatibility layer that the Steam Deck makes use of as a result of the Steam deck can also be Linux based mostly. It doesn’t run Home windows. But it surely does have the benefit that it has an x86 processor, not an ARM processor. So there’s much less work concerned in getting loads of these video games to run.
But when Valve, for instance, desires to modify to a future Steam Deck with an arm chip, then perhaps they may enhance compatibility for that translation layer with ARM processors, which in flip would theoretically profit Android units sooner or later as a result of Google is engaged on bettering Linux compatibility. After which if you’ll be able to port that Proton to the Linux VM, then Android video games, Android telephones sooner or later might theoretically run Steam video games, which I believe could be a giant deal.
And that’s why I see Qualcomm’s choice is disappointing as a result of this characteristic is mainly simply future proofing units. Proper now, there’s not many telephones you possibly can take, hook as much as a PC and really use it as a correct PC. However 5 years down the road with Android on PCs changing into a way more mature platform and the Linux characteristic changing into way more highly effective, I might see that occuring.
41:01 – C. Scott Brown: And it’s additionally somewhat incongruous as a result of at Snapdragon Summit this yr, Rick Osterloh got here out on stage with with Cristiano Amon and so they talked instantly about the way forward for Android on PCs and Cristiano stated one thing alongside the strains of, I’ve seen it and it’s superb, get excited or one thing like that.
And for the corporate then to launch their chip with out the flexibility to do this stuff, it does appear somewhat incongruous, however I don’t know. Qualcomm additionally named its processor the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. So, generally they only make foolish choices.
41:42 – Mishaal Rahman: And that’s all the pieces we’ve obtained for you this week. You will discover hyperlinks to all of the tales talked about on this episode down within the present notes and you will discover extra superb tales to learn over on androidauthority.com.
41:52 – C. Scott Brown: Thanks for listening to the Authority Insights Podcast. We publish each week on YouTube, Spotify, and different podcast platforms. You may comply with us in every single place on social media @AndroidAuthority and you may comply with me personally on Instagram, Bluesky and at my very own YouTube channel @CScottBrown.
42:08 – Mishaal Rahman: As for me, I’m on most social media platforms posting day in and day trip about Android. If you wish to sustain with the newest information on Android, comply with me on X, Threads, Mastodon or Telegram @MishaalRahman.
