Google Makes Using YouTube Music Compulsory On Android Phones

Posted on 30/09/2019 by Jude Cavale

In what might seem like a minor annoyance to most users, Google has announced that Google Play Music will now be replaced as the default music player on its Android devices. Instead, Google has made YouTube Music compulsory. This change will occur only on Android 9 and Android 10 devices. This means, if you are planning to purchase a new Android cellphone, you can expect the familiar Google Play Music nowhere to be seen on your new device. However, worry not, as Google Play Music can still be downloaded separately via Play Store.

Users may not want to use YouTube Music the way Google intends them to

Most readers have noted that they usually use Spotify to listen to music, and they hardly ever use Google Play Music anyway. YouTube Music has not caught up in popularity and most people simply use it only when they want to watch videos. WIth this being the case, Google seems to be trying to compete with its arch-rival Apple, whose Music application did undergo a revamping exercise lately. Apple Music can now be accessed via browsers, much like Spotify. This has probably put Google in a tight spot, and is trying to divert all its users to Youtube Music, and hopefully urge them to subscribe to a paid membership.

What is wrong with Making YouTube Music Compulsory?

Unfortunately for Google, YouTube Music may never pick up in popularity like its more glamorous rivals. Firstly, it does not allow users to stream files stored on their local disks. Google Play Music does but expecting users to download two music applications to do the same things that Spotify or Apple Music does is a bit of a stretch. One must remember that most people on Android already use either Spotify or Apple Music, much to Google’s dismay.

YouTube Music lags behind in terms of its library, quality of music and also user interface. YouTube Music’s user interface is known to be difficult to use, and not as intuitive as its competitors. In fact, Google Play Music fares much better than YouTube Music in terms of intuitive UX/UI and size of library. As YouTube Music does not have much to brag about, and comes with many limitations, this move is likely not going to help Google in the near future.

Google should have planned carefully

With practically millions of users potentially subscribing to one of the music applications, Google should have considered this move carefully. In the future, we may expect YouTube Music to let users play their local files and stream videos on the Internet. However, at the moment, Google has not given any indications that it plans to allow its users do both on YouTube Music. For that to happen, users will have to download both YouTube Music and Google Play Music.

Do you plan to use YouTube Music?

Google is probably not being very smart in forcing its new customers to opt for YouTube Music, as this is only going to drive people away from both YouTube Music and Google Play Music. Most new users might simply continue to use Spotify or Apple Music, leading to loss of revenue for Google. However, in the coming months, Google will most probably make changes to YouTube Music. It may also. add more features to make it as attractive as its competing applications. If you are an ardent listener of music and use one of these applications, which one is your favorite? Do let us know in the comments section below.

The post Google Makes Using YouTube Music Compulsory On Android Phones appeared first on Walyou.

Opera Mini 7.5 update for Android adds Smart Page for social and news updates

Posted on 24/09/2012 by Sarah Silbert

Opera Mini for Android has been upgraded to version 7.5, bringing with it a new "Smart Page'" feature that aggregates social media updates and news from your most frequently visited websites. Smart Page works by creating feeds for your favorite web destinations and suggesting other sources based on your surfing habits. So far, Opera Mini 7.5 with the Smart Page is only available on Android -- you can download it via the browser's site or through Google Play. Check out a demo of the new feature in action below.

Continue reading Opera Mini 7.5 update for Android adds Smart Page for social and news updates

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile

Opera Mini 7.5 update for Android adds Smart Page for social and news updates originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Galaxy Nexus review

Posted on 10/05/2012 by Terrence O'Brien

Third time's a charm...
Three's a crowd...
She's once, twice, three times a ~~lady~~ Nexus...
Three's a magic number...
Good things come in threes... or is that sneezes?
Okay, so maybe there isn't anything clever we can say to get you hooked, but do we really need to lure you in at this point? The Galaxy Nexus is, arguably, not only one of the best Android phones on the market, but one of the best phones, period. So, there's no reason to expect the Sprint variant ($199 on contract) would be anything short of incredible. Still, there's only one way to find out. Follow along after the break as we put the newest member of the Nexus family through its paces and see how it stacks up against its Verizon and unlocked siblings.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Sprint review

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Sprint Galaxy Nexus review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is that a 3D prototype in HTC’s EVO 4G LTE making of video? (update: nope)

Posted on 05/04/2012 by Zach Honig

An HTC Evo 4G LTE with dual cameras could only mean one thing, right? It's unclear whether the 3D rig in the company's intro video is simply a design mock-up, or a functional prototype of a model to come, but there's definitely something of the sort floating around HTC's labs. The device in question looks identical to the Evo we saw at yesterday's Sprint launch event -- kickstand and all -- save for that unique dual-lens design. And if such a smartphone did come to fruition, what could we expect for a name? Sprint HTC EVO 4G 3D LTE? We sure hope not. We've reached out to HTC to get a better idea of what we're looking at, but for now, this clip will have to do. You'll find the video in its entirety just past the break, but you'll want to skip to the 25 second mark for the 3D proto.

Update: Well, we just heard back from HTC and the company confirmed that it's not a prototype of any future device. Apparently, it's just an early design when HTC and Sprint were considering carrying over the 3D feature, but it didn't make the cut. Mystery solved!

Continue reading Is that a 3D prototype in HTC's EVO 4G LTE making of video? (update: nope)

Is that a 3D prototype in HTC's EVO 4G LTE making of video? (update: nope) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ears-on with HD Voice on the Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE

Posted on 04/04/2012 by Zach Honig

So this definitely isn't your ordinary hands-on -- there's really no way to accurately capture audio coming through the earpiece in a mobile phone -- so, well, we'll just have to use our words. Sprint's just-announced HTC EVO 4G LTE is the first device to feature what the carrier has coined "HD Voice." The smartphone uses dual microphones, along with encoders and decoders to capture and transmit your voice from one equipped device to another -- that's right, for now, you and another caller will both need to be using this specific handset, paired with compatible network access points, which Sprint will begin rolling out shortly as part of its "Network Vision." We know what you're thinking: I don't use my phone as a phone. Sprint claims otherwise, however, saying that the network will handle 500 billion voice minutes this year alone. If you happen to account for any of those calls, there's certainly no harm in sharing your spoken word in 'HD.'

We hopped into a steamy sound booth at Sprint's NYC launch event today, speaking to an employee using HD Voice on the LTE EVO. The difference was clear, especially once he turned up the "background noise" on a demo music track, which we couldn't hear at all until the handset was moved within an inch or two of the speaker -- we can only imagine how this will play out on the audibly cluttered streets of New York City, which are definitely suited more for text than voice. The HD Voice experience was the same without any background noise at all, and just as impressive. You'll of course still be susceptible to ambient noise on the listening end -- after all, we needed to be in a near-silent booth to block out the sound around. Stay tuned for more detailed impressions in our full review closer to the device's May 7th pre-order date -- we patiently await an opportunity to listen more closely.

Ears-on with HD Voice on the Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE preview (video)

Posted on 04/04/2012 by Brian Heater

What was the exciting new collaboration that HTC and Sprint's bigwigs just couldn't wait to tell us about? Anyone who's been following the smartphone scene at all as of late surely won't be surprised to find out that the one-time Nextel bedfellow is getting a member of the One family to call its own. It's just the precise name of the device that wasn't too predictable.

When the handset goes on sale sometime in Q2 for $199 it'll be saddled with the decidedly unwieldy moniker HTC EVO 4G LTE -- a rather clunky title for such a svelte device. What the name does offer, however, is a direct connection to the original EVO 4G. That phone, which arrived in consumer hands way back in June 2010, was branded as Sprint's first "4G" handset, courtesy of the carrier's WiMAX network. It's understandable, then, that its spiritual successor would carry that redundant 4G LTE moniker. The companies also clearly wanted to retain some of those happy memories, while setting the phone apart from those other One handsets on the market. How'd they do such a thing? Meet us after the break where we lay it all out.

Gallery: Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE hands-on