00:00 – Mishaal Rahman: We might have lastly found out why the Pixel 10 has dangerous battery life, a minimum of for some customers.
00:04 – C. Scott Brown: And we lastly have an Android different 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 approach again in December of final yr and so they promised on the time that we might get some actual {hardware} from Samsung by the tip of this yr.
And eventually, after many months of ready, we lastly have the official launch of the Venture Moohan headset now referred to as Galaxy XR from Samsung. And now you can lastly purchase it. You possibly can 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’ve got seen some erratic stories of battery life so far as the Pixel 10 goes, however we lastly bought some knowledge from testing that we did right here at Android Authority and discovered that the battery points that persons are going through is likely to be {hardware} associated, which after all is just not nice as a result of which means you’re not going to see it get higher and higher as software program goes or software program updates are available in.
01:13 – C. Scott Brown: However to Google’s credit score, their {hardware} selections have confirmed advantageous in different areas. Apart from all of the distinctive AI options that you just solely discover on Pixel telephones, it seems that Pixels are literally the very best telephones for operating desktop Linux apps.
01:29 – Mishaal Rahman: That’s fairly thrilling, however we’re nonetheless years away from really realizing these efforts of operating desktop Linux apps on Android telephones in an really performant approach and really turning our Android telephones into correct PCs.
However in the present day proper now, we’re additionally seeing the promise of XR coming to Android gadgets change into a actuality.
Google lastly and Samsung and Qualcomm, all of them got here collectively, made this massive splash final yr, however now they’ve lastly unveiled the function, the {hardware} they’ve been teasing for a lot of months now, the Venture Moohan, Samsung Galaxy XR machine.
02:05 – Mishaal Rahman: And Scott, you bought to make use of it for a greater than prolonged time period two weeks in the past on the time of this recording, however it was per week earlier than the launch. I solely briefly bought it for about 5 minutes at Google IO, so I didn’t get the complete 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 side. How did it really feel to truly put on the Moohan?
02:31 – C. Scott Brown: It was very snug, rather more snug than different XR headsets that I’ve worn up to now. An enormous 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 connected to a cable, which is then you may simply maintain the battery pack.
Just like the Imaginative and prescient Professional from Apple, you may put the battery pack in your pocket, you may relaxation it on the chair subsequent to you whilst you’re utilizing the headset, however the battery pack being separate from the headset reduces the load significantly.
02:59 – C. Scott Brown: The burden on my head was rather 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 best 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 an appropriate trade-off?
03:23 – C. Scott Brown: I feel it’s an appropriate 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 huge boulder in your own home, however the battery pack is mainly the dimensions of a smartphone. It’s about that massive and perhaps that thick, however they may have made it that thick and that massive, after which made it so the battery lasted longer.
As of proper now, in line with 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 need to use to eat immersive content material which would come with function size movies. I don’t know in case you’ve been to the films not too long ago, however there are many motion pictures on the market which might be 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 may have made this any dimension you needed. And there’s no capability to purchase further battery packs, a minimum of nothing that we’ve seen but. That is likely to be one thing that comes down the highway, however you get the one battery pack within the headset field after which that’s it. So that you’re in the midst of your film, getting in the 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 motion pictures 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 could have been significantly better, however I don’t know.
05:01 – Mishaal Rahman: If they may push it to 3 hours, that may be good. However what is going to you really be doing for these three hours, in addition to watching motion pictures? Watching motion pictures is a good use case, however I don’t assume anybody needs to spend $1800 for the Galaxy XR or $3500 for an Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional simply to look at motion pictures on it. I feel they wish to do much more than that.
So what are a few of the killer options that you just’ve seen personally whilst you had been utilizing the headset?
05:21 – C. Scott Brown: The best function, the function that made me be, whoa, is Google Maps. Most individuals listening to this learn about Avenue View. You possibly can 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 telephone besides that it’s immersive. It’s throughout you.
So you actually really feel you might be in no matter location that you just’ve gone to.
On the similar time, you may 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 could be actually useful, I feel for people who find themselves touring to a spot and wish to see what does this metropolis format appear to be 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 areas.
And the best way 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 may take an image in a restaurant after which they’ll take that photograph after which a whole bunch or presumably even 1000’s of different pictures for these areas and sew collectively a 3D mannequin of what it could appear to be to truly be in that restaurant. So there are literally thousands of locations world wide that assist this already and a thousand of them are already in New York. You might simply go and take a look at a restaurant. It could possibly be useful in plenty of methods. You might 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 replenish quick. Or they’ve this actually stunning outside patio house. Once I make my reservation, I wish to ensure that I get a kind of seats.
I’m going to ask for these particularly. Numerous cool issues that you possibly can do that may be you possibly can do in Google Maps on the net or in your telephone or no matter, however it’s simply going to be a lot simpler and extra immersive to do it on the headset.
That was the one function 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. Every part else although was just about stuff that I had already carried out 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 if 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, however it’s really built-in all through and there’s really some distinctive issues you are able to do with it. What are a few of the issues you are able to do which you can’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. In case you have your Chrome browser and your Instagram feed or no matter, a bunch of home windows open in your digital surroundings and it’s all messy, you may simply ask Gemini to arrange them for you and impulsively 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 private home display screen. It gained’t try this.
Every part else I noticed although had been issues which you can just about do along with your telephone or pill equivalent to inform me about what I’m taking a look at utilizing what could be Gemini Stay. You’d be sharing your display screen with Gemini and also you’d be taking a look at a YouTube video or no matter and Gemini would be capable to let you know, you’re taking a look at such and such a factor. These had been all issues that I’ve carried out earlier than. Nevertheless it did show, Google did show that it’s baked into the working system itself.
How rather 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 machine. I wasn’t in a position to 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 telephone, however how far that goes, I gained’t know till we really get a evaluate unit and I get to spend a number of hours with it.
09:55 – Mishaal Rahman: Hopefully Android Authority shall be getting a evaluate unit. I don’t know if that’s been confirmed but, however for the time being, would you contemplate paying $1800 for this headset? Has it been one thing that has crossed your thoughts for the time being?
10:12 – C. Scott Brown: I don’t assume so. And the core cause 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 machine. And the rationale why I might need the controllers is as a result of I might need a do-it-all headset. I might need the headset that I exploit 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 may be higher suited to having controllers inside the VR world, equivalent to if I determine 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 may join my present controllers. I may seize an Xbox controller or a DualSense controller and hook it up that approach, however the VR expertise, you need the VR controllers. The truth that it doesn’t include these implies that this isn’t out of the field a do-it-all machine. You must 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 enjoying 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 machine. Perhaps there’s killer options in there. Perhaps there’s actually cool issues coming down the pipeline which might be going to make it in order that $1800 could be price 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 among 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 saved 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 simply instructed you to go to this third-party web site after which purchase from there, however it was nowhere on the web site.
However ultimately somebody discovered a direct hyperlink to the product itemizing. I attempted to test it out, however it saved 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 house, 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 feel it needs to be with regards to really doing correct desktop-like computing.
You do have an even bigger canvas, after all with this XR machine. You possibly can run Chrome in a desktop-like interface, however it’s not the desktop model of Chrome with extensions and all of the desktop type of behaviors that you just come to count on. I might guess our CMS, our content material administration system at Android Authority simply wouldn’t work very properly simply it didn’t actually work very properly the final time I attempted it on Android pill, so I wouldn’t count on it to work properly on this blown up model of Chrome on an XR machine. Once I was trying on the listing of apps which might be accessible 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 keep in mind, you solely have two hours since you bought one battery pack, you’ve 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 exhausting employee. He works so much.
14:24 – Mishaal Rahman: I don’t recreation. I haven’t actually performed video games as typically as I used to. I principally play on the Swap. 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 plenty of good demos of Horizon for the PS5. Resident Evil 7 and eight. These regarded superb. I attempted them at my buddy’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 might be accessible. There’s not that many VR video games which you can really play. What number of of them are even accessible 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 possibly can join your Steam, you may 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’t 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 plenty of exclusives on the market that you just’re nonetheless not going to have the ability to play with out proudly owning the particular headsets.
It’s similar to the console wars. For those who determine you wish to go along with a PlayStation as a substitute of a PC, you’re going to overlook out on plenty of stuff. And in case you determine to go to a PC with no PlayStation, you’re going to overlook out on plenty of stuff there. The thought of getting to personal two headsets or technically three headsets to play all of the video games that you just simply talked about is nuts.
I feel that the headset has a promising future. The true query is, and that is one thing that we’ve talked about fairly just a few occasions already, is will Google stick to this? The Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional definitely 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 present 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 occasions over the previous 20 years. And even Apple couldn’t try this with the VR or XR, let’s name it XR house. Google and Samsung at the moment are 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 drag a Stadia and simply say, see you guys, we’re carried out or is it going to keep it up? I don’t know.
17:15 – Mishaal Rahman: I feel there’s plenty of disadvantages that Google is enjoying on the again foot as you talked about, Meta and Apple particularly have had a head begin in comparison with Google. However I feel 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 change into a platform with Meta opening up Horizon the Horizon working system to different producers, however it didn’t begin out that approach.
And the identical factor with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. Apple is just not 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 massive identify that’s stated that they confirmed they’re engaged on gadgets. Albeit they’re engaged on glasses, not precise full on VR headsets.
Nevertheless it’s a platform, which suggests 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 oldsters on the folks that the crew 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 Light Monster to make good glasses. They had been already hyping the demos that they’ve carried out for good glasses generally primarily based 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 is just not going to be primarily based round headsets, however it’s going to be primarily based round good glasses.
The entire launch was simply so bizarre feeling as a result of it was the one launch I feel I’ve ever been to the place the businesses on stage had been, that is only the start. That is solely going to get higher with the following merchandise that we’re coming down with. It’s simply so bizarre. It’s even they didn’t wish to say, you should purchase this. They had been mainly, you must wait till the following cool factor comes alongside. It was a really unusual, very unusual expertise, however I feel 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 following future. All people’s saying that wearables are going to be the following massive smartphone, the very best subsequent massive smartphone alternative. Perhaps not alternative, however augmentation.
And if Google could make it in order that it’s on the forefront of that, that may be superior, however Google additionally has a extremely quick consideration span, if issues don’t instantly work, it simply strikes on to the following 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 may see Samsung.
21:21 – Mishaal Rahman: It says it on the battery pack. So there may be Samsung someplace on it. However after I was studying this text that you just wrote, I used to be considering the Galaxy XR sounds prefer it’s a Nexus machine. It has Google all the pieces, Google software program, Google purposes, mainly the inventory model of Android XR, however it’s made by Samsung, manufactured by Samsung, designed by them.
That was precisely mainly what the Nexus program was. You had an entire bunch of Nexus gadgets. None of them had been designed or manufactured by Google, however Google made the software program for them. And it feels like what this machine is to me. If this specific machine 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 machine and if a future Android XR machine occurs to kick off, then that’ll really kick begin the thrill round Android XR.
22:16 – C. Scott Brown: That might 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 per week or two, after which they’re going to return it in droves or it’s going to enter a drawer and acquire mud. That’s what I see occurring 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 keep on with it lengthy sufficient to see the long-term advantages of it as a result of the identical factor, so much was stated, plenty of related issues to when Google switched to its personal customized Tensor chipsets in its Pixel telephone. 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 so much 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, individuals had been complaining in regards to the modem not being excellent, efficiency not being excellent. And we nonetheless have these complaints, however I feel have died down not too long ago. They’re not as dangerous, issues are usually not as dangerous as they was once when it comes to efficiency and connectivity.
23:52 – C. Scott Brown: Not on my channel.
23:56 – Mishaal Rahman: There are nonetheless individuals complaining about these points on Pixel smartphones and with the Pixel 10 particularly, we’ve heard plenty of complaints about battery life on the Pixel 10 sequence.
24:06 – Mishaal Rahman: Our Rob Triggs, he’s one among 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 revealed 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 seen that the three telephones had been just about the identical. For those who simply have your telephone 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 equivalent to net searching 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. Despite the fact that the Pixels had been increased, the distinction between these two situations was the identical throughout all three telephones.
However when he did excessive stage duties equivalent to downloading an enormous file or buffering a 1080p YouTube video, that’s when he seen that Tensor did actually poorly. Not solely did Tensor do actually poorly, however there have been large 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 situations. It’s a multi-front drawback. 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 severe it will get and the Pixel 10 is definitely worse than the Pixel 9. Google has an actual drawback right here so far as ensuring battery life actually doesn’t change into an enormous drawback on the Pixel 10 sequence.
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 feel the 4A additionally it appears an A sequence particular drawback the place you’ve these batteries having points retaining their well being long-term. They begin to swell up and change into spicy pillows.
And now we’ve 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 gadgets, so I actually don’t perceive why the Pixel 10 could be worse than the Pixel 9 with regards to the battery life effectivity of the modem.
27:33 – C. Scott Brown: And to be clear, we reached out to Google with this knowledge. Rob reached out and stated, right here’s all this knowledge. He emailed them, he confirmed them the information and stated, what do it’s important to say about this? And we waited just a few days, we bought zero response. So we don’t actually know. We’ve got no actual concept why that is occurring. We all know what is going on and we all know immediately when it occurs poorly and when it doesn’t.
The low-level duties are just about tremendous, however it’s solely if you begin doing that high-level stuff that issues begin being problematic. However it’s good to know as a result of in case you do personal a Pixel machine, whether or not that’s a Pixel 9 or a Pixel 10, in case you’re involved about conserving your battery life, attempt to stop doing high-level duties on a mobile connection whilst you’re on battery. 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 could in case you obtain that over mobile.
28:42 – C. Scott Brown: I do know that’s not supreme. Most individuals would simply ask, why do I’ve to do this?
And likewise to be clear, this drawback occurs on the Galaxy S25 Extremely as properly. It’s simply not as dangerous. So if 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 in case you did it on Wi-Fi. This isn’t one thing that’s only a Pixel drawback. 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 make it possible for’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 gadgets once they have worse processors? And that is the frustration we’re seeing from Pixel followers who’re asking, is it price getting Google’s software program and in trade having to take care of the inefficiencies and the poor efficiency and poor emulation efficiency, poor Home windows gaming efficiency, simply poor gaming efficiency generally in comparison with Snapdragon-powered gadgets, is it price having these trade-offs?
And we see lots of people very vocal about it saying, no, it’s not price a tradeoff. I feel Google ought to change again to Snapdragon merchandise for the longer term gadgets. 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 bought plenty of engagement, lots of people had been upset along with your tackle this. So I need 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 tackle that query, however I wish to level one thing out, which is that the article on Android Authority bought 130 feedback or one thing like that. And virtually 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 revealed the video which makes the identical argument and in the identical approach and provides the identical defenses, and I bought plenty 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 on. So all the time do not forget that the Android Authority viewers could be very, very keen about these particular issues. And the overall consumer isn’t.
And that’s the core concept of why I feel Tensor ought to stick round. Why I feel Google ought to stick to Tensor is as a result of it presents a distinct selection that most individuals shall be tremendous with. Even going again to the information we had been simply speaking about with the Pixel 10 sequence, most individuals are usually not downloading a gigabyte file on mobile. My dad has by no means carried out that earlier than in his life as a result of there’s no cause 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 inclined to assume that the Android Authority viewers is the world, however it’s not, it’s the area of interest. And I feel 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 which you can’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 feel that that’s primary, the power to do these items and that makes it good for simply your common common smartphone consumer. And the second factor that I actually assume is essential for Google to stay with Tensor is as a result of it presents a selection, 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 operating a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor of some form. I do not know what the quantity is, however it wouldn’t shock me if it’s 95% of Android smartphones. That’s not good.
That offers Qualcomm tons of energy over the market. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, I do not know how a lot it prices for a corporation to make use of it, however I do know for a truth that it’s the most costly cell processor which you can purchase to place into your telephone.
That’s a ton of energy in Qualcomm’s palms over the smartphone costs that you’re going to pay in your telephone. 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 feel Tensor ought to stick round. Sure, it’s inferior to 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 may be 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 function that means that you can mainly run full desktop Linux apps in your Android telephone.
And we’ve proven you may run apps GIMP, LibreOffice and different and even the desktop model of Chromium in a digital machine in your Android telephone.
However I say Android telephone, 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 function.
And sadly, there’s not a single Qualcomm Snapdragon chip that helps this function. 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 function, which is a requirement.
And after I verified this and I reached out to Qualcomm, they stated their “precedence is to ship expertise 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 function is just not essential 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 function 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 operating full-fledged Linux apps in a digital machine.
I’m guessing the Linux virtualization shall be considerably extra superior by then and also you’ll be capable to run apps with close to native if not fully native ranges of efficiency. And at that time, there’ll be plenty of issues you are able to do with a non-Snapdragon chipset which you can’t do with a Snapdragon chipset and it’s due to this choice to not assist the Linux terminal function.
And I see that is disappointing as a result of positive, one thing is area of interest proper now. It’s not excellent proper now, however many producers are promoting telephones with guarantees of supporting gadgets for seven years now, proper?
For those who 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 build up its desktop expertise.
I feel it is a disappointment and I feel this is likely one of the uncommon instances the place the Tensor chipset really has a dub over Snapdragon chipsets and take that in stride Pixel followers. You’ve bought 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 may simply give a software program patch to OEMs and people OEMs can push out that software program patch that may allow this function 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 simply don’t assist the non-protected model of it, which in case you assist virtualization generally, you assist all the necessities to assist AVF and also you assist protected VMs, I don’t see any cause why Qualcomm couldn’t push out a firmware replace so as to add assist for the non-protected model of it.
It could simply be one thing that they must work with OEMs to truly get the replace out to customers.
I don’t know the way lengthy it could take for them to push out an replace and the way lengthy it could take for that replace to truly arrive on client gadgets, however it needs to be attainable 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, properly, there’s no want for this to be accessible and it may doubtlessly current a safety threat sooner or later. So we’re simply going to close it down.
After which, you stated, if a necessity arises and so they determine there’s a excellent cause now and there’s a public demand for this function, we’ll work out a method to problem it in a while. I may 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 cause.
38:42 – Mishaal Rahman: I feel it’s a little quick sighted contemplating Google is inserting such significance on this function. They assume this is likely one of the options, this is likely one of the most essential options for the Android on PC transition as a result of proper now, if 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 plenty of improvement instruments.
They’re not natively accessible for Chrome OS, however they’re accessible for a wide range of Linux distributions.
So on Chrome OS, you may simply boot up a Linux digital machine after which set up no matter utility you need from there, together with Android Studio, which is how Google formally gives its improvement surroundings to Chromebook customers.
And Steam, for instance, that’s additionally one other massive function that’s enabled via the Linux virtualization surroundings on Chromebooks. If you wish to play Steam video games, it’s important to set up Linux and that’s solely made attainable as a result of Chrome OS has this Linux surroundings. However proper now there’s no such functionality on the Android aspect of issues to run Steam video games, however who’s to say that gained’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 gadgets. And that may be I feel a giant deal, in the event that they’re in a position to convey, 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 be Linux primarily based. It doesn’t run Home windows. Nevertheless it does have the benefit that it has an x86 processor, not an ARM processor. So there’s much less work concerned in getting plenty of these video games to run.
But when Valve, for instance, needs to modify to a future Steam Deck with an arm chip, then perhaps they could enhance compatibility for that translation layer with ARM processors, which in flip would theoretically profit Android gadgets 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 may theoretically run Steam video games, which I feel could be a giant deal.
And that’s why I see Qualcomm’s choice is disappointing as a result of this function is mainly simply future proofing gadgets. 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 turning into a way more mature platform and the Linux function turning into rather more highly effective, I may see that occuring.
41:01 – C. Scott Brown: And it’s additionally just a little 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 immediately 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 power to do these items, it does appear just a little incongruous, however I don’t know. Qualcomm additionally named its processor the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. So, generally they simply make foolish selections.
41:42 – Mishaal Rahman: And that’s all the pieces we’ve bought for you this week. You’ll find hyperlinks to all of the tales talked about on this episode down within the present notes and you’ll find 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 possibly can 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.
