Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
This week, Mishaal Rahman and C. Scott Brown discuss the sweeping changes coming to Android and the Google Play Store thanks to the Epic Games lawsuit settlement, the beginning of the end for Google Assistant on Android, and whether the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip is powerful enough to warrant an upgrade.
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The Authority Insights Podcast is a new weekly show from the Android Authority team hosted by Mishaal Rahman and C. Scott Brown. In each episode, we’ll break down the latest exclusive reports, app teardowns, and leaks from the Android Authority team.
We don’t just spend time recapping stories; we also dive deeper into them, providing our own original analysis and sometimes new information not contained in our original articles — though you can find those too on our website right here: andauth.co/AuthorityInsights
* YouTube: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-YT
* YouTube Music: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-YTMusic
* Spotify: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-Spotify
* Pocket Casts: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-PocketCasts
* Apple Podcasts: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-Apple
* Amazon Music/Audible: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-Amazon
* iHeartRadio: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-iHeart
* Deezer: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-Deezer
* RSS: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-RSS
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Want even more?
We’re also launching the Authority Insights Newsletter, where we’ll highlight all our top discoveries and industry-first stories of the week, so you don’t have to refresh our feed every day! It’s a weekly newsletter written by Mishaal, and even better: each edition will exclusively reveal some new facet of Android that hasn’t been reported on anywhere else yet!
Subscribe here: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsNewsletter
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Timecodes:
* 00:00 - Intro
* 01:35 - Google's proposed Android changes won't save sideloading
* 20:58 - Goodbye, Assistant: Google prepares to make Gemini your only option
* 32:26 - I benchmarked my first Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phone and it (almost) lives up to the hype
* 48:59 - Outro
Hosts:
* Mishaal Rahman, Editor-at-large
* C. Scott Brown, Senior Editor
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Visit our website: androidauthority.com
Check out our favorite stuff on Amazon: andauth.co/Amazon
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Follow us on social:
- facebook.com/androidauthority
- https://x.com/androidauth/
- instagram.com/androidauthority
- https://bsky.app/profile/androidauthority.com
- snapchat.com/add/androidauth
[Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases]
Affiliate Disclosure:
This post may contain affiliate links, when you buy through links in the description we may earn an affiliate commission. See our affiliate link policy for more details: androidauthority.com/external-links
This week, Mishaal Rahman and C. Scott Brown discuss the sweeping changes coming to Android and the Google Play Store thanks to the Epic Games lawsuit settlement, the beginning of the end for Google Assistant on Android, and whether the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip is powerful enough to warrant an upgrade.
----------------------------------------------------
The Authority Insights Podcast is a new weekly show from the Android Authority team hosted by Mishaal Rahman and C. Scott Brown. In each episode, we’ll break down the latest exclusive reports, app teardowns, and leaks from the Android Authority team.
We don’t just spend time recapping stories; we also dive deeper into them, providing our own original analysis and sometimes new information not contained in our original articles — though you can find those too on our website right here: andauth.co/AuthorityInsights
* YouTube: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-YT
* YouTube Music: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-YTMusic
* Spotify: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-Spotify
* Pocket Casts: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-PocketCasts
* Apple Podcasts: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-Apple
* Amazon Music/Audible: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-Amazon
* iHeartRadio: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-iHeart
* Deezer: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-Deezer
* RSS: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsPod-RSS
----------------------------------------------------
Want even more?
We’re also launching the Authority Insights Newsletter, where we’ll highlight all our top discoveries and industry-first stories of the week, so you don’t have to refresh our feed every day! It’s a weekly newsletter written by Mishaal, and even better: each edition will exclusively reveal some new facet of Android that hasn’t been reported on anywhere else yet!
Subscribe here: andauth.co/AuthorityInsightsNewsletter
----------------------------------------------------
Timecodes:
* 00:00 - Intro
* 01:35 - Google's proposed Android changes won't save sideloading
* 20:58 - Goodbye, Assistant: Google prepares to make Gemini your only option
* 32:26 - I benchmarked my first Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phone and it (almost) lives up to the hype
* 48:59 - Outro
Hosts:
* Mishaal Rahman, Editor-at-large
* C. Scott Brown, Senior Editor
----------------------------------------------------
Visit our website: androidauthority.com
Check out our favorite stuff on Amazon: andauth.co/Amazon
----------------------------------------------------
Follow us on social:
- facebook.com/androidauthority
- https://x.com/androidauth/
- instagram.com/androidauthority
- https://bsky.app/profile/androidauthority.com
- snapchat.com/add/androidauth
[Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases]
Affiliate Disclosure:
This post may contain affiliate links, when you buy through links in the description we may earn an affiliate commission. See our affiliate link policy for more details: androidauthority.com/external-links
