There’s a lot of power in the notion of the default: The obvious, sensible choice you won’t get picked on for making. Until now, the default choice for an Android flagship is whatever model of Galaxy Samsung is stamping out this year. Sam Rutherford has been using Google’s new Pixel 9 as his daily driver, and he feels the winds of change are blowing. This may be the first time a Google handset has well and truly taken the lead as the default choice.
What has pulled the Pixel 9 out from under Samsung’s shadow is the better industrial design, with its utterly gorgeous look and feel. That, combined with class-leading cameras, a great display and all of Google’s newfangled AI smarts, makes it a winning handset. You’ll have to read the full review to find out just why it’s worth your cash, but the list of downsides is so short you’ll have to make an effort not to buy one right now.
— Dan Cooper
The biggest stories you might have missed
The first 22 seasons of Pokémon will return to streaming
Cruise’s self-driving cabs are coming to Uber next year
You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!
Snap is reportedly working on a new pair of augmented reality Spectacles
We may see them launch on September 17
Snap is reportedly gearing up to launch its fifth-generation pair of Spectacles with some more augmented reality features. The last pair released, in 2021, had limited availability and only lasted 30 minutes on a charge. It’s thought the latest pair has addressed many of the hardware issues inherent in the last model, but it still may not be ready for wide sale.
Peloton to ruin the secondhand market by charging a $95 ‘used equipment activation fee’
In the battle between common sense and money, the latter wins.
Peloton’s financial doldrums mean the company is looking for any and every way to get more cash in the door. Even if that means further alienating users it could otherwise rely upon for some of that sweet, sweet subscription revenue. Like insisting on charging a $95 activation fee for users who buy a used Peloton before they can get riding. Don’t you just love the smell of being nickeled-and-dimed even when you’re buying second-hand?
Neuralink says it may have fixed its brain implant problem
The second patient saw less thread retraction.
Neuralink says the second patient in its human trials has had a more successful implant experience than the first. The company claims it observed no thread retraction — connective threads pulling away from the brain — in its latest test. It’s hoped this will, if successful over the long term, offer more communication and connectivity for patients with accessibility needs.
British tech billionaire Mike Lynch confirmed dead after yacht sank
The founder of Autonomy and Darktrace was 59.
Mike Lynch, founder of Autonomy and Darktrace, was confirmed dead after a days-long search and rescue operation. Lynch was with his family on a yacht that capsized on Monday in a violent storm.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-is-googles-pixel-9-worth-buying-111528828.html?src=rss