Four years after launching the original Pixel Buds A-series, Google’s back with the Pixel Buds 2A. The new budget buds are $30 more expensive at $129.99, but add some notable updates like an upgraded chip, Gemini access, a replaceable battery, and most importantly, active noise cancellation.

The story of Google’s hardware going forward is almost never going to be about how good the actual hardware is. While Google continues to improve designs and materials used and the specs inside of its phones,

The Pixel Watch 4 debuts refined hardware and Wear OS 6, but also a Gemini-powered Personal AI Coach and redesigned Fitbit app.

To nobody’s surprise, there’s a new Tensor G5 chip, with a 35% faster CPU, powering everything. The Pixel 10 comes with 12GB of RAM standard and two storage options (128GB and 256GB). And for the first time on any Pixel phone, there’s built-in Satellite SOS, which works more or less the same as it does on newer iPhones.

Of course, Google’s latest Pixel lineup is far from an existential threat to Apple’s iPhone. According to research firm Canalys, Apple’s iPhone made up 49% of US smartphone shipments in Q2. Samsung accounted for 31%, while Motorola had 12%. Google devices made up just 3% of shipments.

Google didn’t just give the Fitbit app a makeover. It said that coaching and AI were at the core of the redesign, and that the “entire app was rebuilt so the health coach can understand your goals, build your plan, contextualize your metrics and bring insights at the right moments.”

As kids return to school, some teachers are embracing AI tools to assist them in the classroom. NBC News’ Jesse Kirsch explains how a school is utilizing Google’s Gemini AI tool to enhance learning for high school students.

Traders buy and sell contracts on Kalshi, a regulated US prediction market where people bet on real events. The “best AI model of 2025” bet will close on Dec. 31, 2025, and the result will come from the LM Arena Leaderboard, a public platform that ranks and compares top AI models.

Google is adding Gemini to smart displays and speakers in October to make controlling your smart home more natural.