10 Android Stories That Stuck Out in 2024, Plus Some Blunders

To take us into 2025, it only seemed right to look back at 2024 in some way. While 2024 was mostly business as usual for the industry, with little to get super excited about, there were some highlights, almost all of which came from Google’s end. Sure, Samsung had its moments, but I’d call this an off year for the biggest in Android, and we sure hope they come up with something fresh for 2025 to find their flow again. There’s also a moment that brought us a handshake between Apple and Android that sure seems to be a winner so far.

All of that in mind, not everything was positive about the past year and that’s because almost every company that sells us a service decided to once again raise prices. Samsung fell off in updates too, a move that should not go unnoticed.

Let’s dive into 10 moments that stood out to me in 2024, with a handful of blunders to finish things off.

10 Android stories to remember from 2024

1. Pixel 9 Pro Launch: If we still did end of year awards, the Pixel 9 Pro is walking away with a phone of the year trophy. Google went hard this year with the Pixel 9 series, producing 4 devices that should all be on whatever short list of devices you are considering for your budget. We got a regular 9, two Pro models, and then a foldable, all of which are excellent and likely the best in their category. The designs have all been refreshed in the best possible ways and the specs upgrades are enough to take us into years and years of use. This finally looks like Google has found its stride in phone making, with even bigger changes around the corner.

We reviewed all of Google’s Pixel 9 series, so be sure to read up to know why we can’t put down the best in Android. (Reviews: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro Fold)

2. RCS comes to iOS: Technically, this is more of an iOS story than Android, but RCS coming to the iPhone is huge for both parties. RCS launched with iOS 18 and that has meant better conversations between Android and iPhone users. Sure, there are still blue bubbles and we still aren’t at a point where iMessage and RCS are close to the same, but we’re taking this as a win. Now that RCS works between iOS and Android, we get better media sharing, read receipts and typing indicators, and improved group chats that should be less broken. We may even get encryption between the two before long.

3. Pokemon TCG Pocket is here: Yeah, I’m putting a Pokemon game on the list of biggest moments from 2024. Pokemon TCG Pocket has already proven to be a massive success and has found its way into our daily lives as a key piece to our phone routines. It even made it onto my home screen setup, a task that almost no app has managed in about 5 years. If you aren’t playing Pocket yet and you like Pokemon, what are you doing? You get to collect Pokemon cards…for free. Who doesn’t love opening packs of Pokemon cards?

4. Google TV Streamer was so needed: I should probably put together some final words on the Google TV Streamer now that it is on this list (our first impressions tell the story mostly), but it lands here because it was so massively needed. The Chromecast with Google TV was not a great product, it was simply an entry point at a reasonable price. But that thing really struggled in my house no matter the screen I attached it to. It lacked severely in performance, had an obnoxious remote, and couldn’t go a week without me needing to unplug it from power to fully reboot it in order to get it to be recognized by an HDMI port. I hate that thing.

The Google TV Streamer is here as the replacement and it has proper upgrades. It’s speedy, quick to boot, and added an inch to a remote that now seems to be just about right. While the NVIDIA SHIELD TV is still mostly a better power user device, the Streamer at $99 is a pretty great product.

5. Galaxy Watch Ultra is both ugly and awesome: Samsung was probably rightfully mocked when they released the Galaxy Watch Ultra as an Apple Watch Ultra clone, but after testing and wearing the device for numerous weeks, I actually kind of like it. In fact, it’s still the Wear OS watch I’d tell most people to jump for if the price is right because it has incredible battery life, performance, and all the tech. This was Samsung allowing itself to be made fun of, but it might have been a necessary move to be able to further improve on the idea that Apple has made so popular. I think it’s only up from here for Samsung’s watches, assuming they don’t give up on the Ultra idea after a single release.

6. More Android updates are coming: We’ll never say “no” to more Android updates and Google is bringing us more than ever. 2024 didn’t finish and we started testing Android 16. How cool is that? Google announced that it will release two big updates in 2025, with Android 16 going stable in Q2, followed by another sizable update to finish off the year (Android 16.1?). We’re also still doing QPR builds in beta and seeing devices receive expanded support (Pixel 6, 7, and Fold get 2 more years). If you own a Pixel phone and love playing with new software, things are only getting better for you.

7. Android XR actually looks cool: Google and its partners are taking another stab at the headset game through their new Android XR platform. I’m not typically someone who gets excited about yet another new platform from Google that the company has tried a couple of times, but Android XR could be cool. There are two models to chase here, one that’s more of a VR/AR at-home headset (which Samsung should let us buy shortly) and another that could take shape as a pair of normal-looking glasses you wear into the real world. Google’s early demos of that second idea have so far impressed the hell out of anyone who has been able to experience it and I can’t wait. Both Tim and I dove into the world of Meta’s Ray-Ban collab this year and loved it. Android XR has found a fan in me.

8. Nest Thermostat (Gen 4) is so pretty: I’ve tried over the years to make my home as smart as can be, but in recent years, few devices have changed. The smart home is a pain in the ass to upgrade and I have found that mine is in a spot where it works good enough, probably to the point where swapping out a device and dealing with the headache isn’t worth it. But then the Nest Thermostat (4th Gen) launched and the design absolutely impressed. This new smart thermostat from Google is on my wall and I look at it every time I walk past because it is so damn pretty. Not often am I almost speechless at a product’s design, but this is on a whole new level that I hope bleeds into everything Google makes. Whoever designed this, put them in charge, Google.

It’s also smart as hell, works well within the Google Home app, and was worth the hassle of installing. Actually, it was easy to swap this one out and I’m so glad I did. Here’s our Nest Thermostat (4th Gen) review.

9. Google Weather app for Pixel: Google finally launching a stand-alone weather app for its Pixel devices should not be a major story, but it is because of the fact that it took until 2024 for them to do so. Instead of that awkward weather experience through Google Search, we now have an actual app that is called “Weather.” Like with Pokemon TCG Pocket, this is yet another app that has made it onto my home screen because I look at it so often.

Google also made the app pretty great. The details on current and upcoming weather are as good as any app, the design meets current trends and looks lovely, and this new immersive weather vibration thing, where the app softly vibrates to weather happenings (like rain), is so freaking cool.

10. Samsung switching to vertical app drawer: This is not really a story of the year, but I can’t help myself in acknowledging it again after so many years of begging Samsung to do it – yes, in Android 15, Samsung will finally bring a vertical app drawer to their phones. I almost can’t believe it is happening.

5 blunders in the tech / Android-related space you should remember

1. Samsung delaying Android 15 until 2025: I’m not sure what’s going on with Samsung, but the now-former “King of Android Updates” has lost a step. Rather than shipping Android 15 as quickly as possible, they delayed its launch and the next version of One UI (One UI 7) until early 2025 when the Galaxy S25 ships. One UI 7 is certainly a big refresh from the company, but there feels like something more going on here. This is without a doubt a major delay that we aren’t used to from Samsung.

When you combine the Android 15 delay with a struggle to keep their Wear OS watches up-to-date for all of 2024, you have to wonder how they’ll keep up with the newly announced Android 16 schedule and if they can keep up going forward. This all could be a one-time setback with One UI 7 bringing such big changes (full list of them), but we’ll certainly be watching closely. Please, Samsung, don’t bring us back to 2018.

2. Whatever is happening between Google Assistant and Gemini: Google might have made a bunch of great hardware this year, but they also spent every other moment behind a microphone talking about Gemini and AI. It’s exhausting and annoying, in part because their focus on Gemini has led to the most awkward position for Google Assistant. Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to use Assistant for anymore with Gemini being forced onto my devices without matching the assistant-related tasks from before. Google ripped a bunch of powers away from Assistant to kick off 2024, pushed hard for us to switch to Gemini on everything we could, and then failed to prove to us that it was a worthy change. Like, I’m a 42 year old who doesn’t need an AI assistant to do deep research on shit. I don’t need to make a bunch of fake AI-generated imagery for any reason. I don’t code, bro. Has anyone used the new AI search in Google Photos? Holy shit is it bad and slow. Who trusts AI to just plan an entire trip for them? What am I supposed to use this stuff for? I’m a normal human, yet also in this tech space, and I have no idea what AI stuff is for me.

Google Assistant was an assistant that did things. It did all of the smart home controls and daily stuff I needed it to do in the simplest of ways. But now it’s supposed to be Gemini, yet the pitch isn’t landing. It’s all being pushed by who I’m assuming are the smartest people in the room who can’t communicate the importance for shit. I’d love to dive into AI if it can make my life easier, but the people in charge of telling me how that’ll happen are failing.

3. T-Mobile raising prices on older plans: T-Mobile really needed to raise the price of your older plan because it needs to buy back billions in shares for shareholders. $50 billion to be exact. It’s a plan they’ve been carrying on for a couple of years, while blaming rising costs for the need to stick it to their customers. Corporate greed and shareholders, what a pair.

4. Verizon slashing autopay discounts on older plans, raising prices on older plans: Oh, speaking of corporate greed, Verizon wasn’t going to let T-Mobile have all the fun and decided to make a couple of nasty moves directed at long-time customers. They not only cut 50% off the autopay discount if you have an older plan, they also raised prices per line on older plans, all to get you on their newer, much shittier plans. Cool, guys!

5. YouTube TV and everyone else raises prices too: Remember when YouTube TV launched for $35 per month? Yeah, hah, it’s now $83 per month. Spotify raised prices. Disney raised prices, again. AT&T went crazy with older plan price increases. Even Twitch raised prices. Everyone raised prices this year and I’m guessing none of them were struggling to make money. They just want more money from you.

What did I miss? What will you remember from Android in 2024?