The Google Pixel 9 series is due to launch next week, and while we've already seen leaks around its design and specs, it's also apparently going to come with a newly upgraded weather app – an app which you can try out right now, if you want to.
As reported by Android Authority, the new and improved Weather app can now be sideloaded from APKMirror. It should work on devices running Android 14 or later, but as this isn't yet the finished version of the app, expect some bugs and crashes – and when it is launched properly, it may end up being exclusive to Pixel phones.
If you're new to the idea of sideloading, it simply means installing apps from outside the Google Play Store. You should always do it with caution, and only using apps and sources you can trust – and you always do it at your own risk.
To install the app, open the APKMirror link in Chrome on your Android device, go to the download link (ignoring the adverts with "download" on them), then tap through the security warnings to confirm you're happy sideloading the app. You may also be prompted to change Chrome's settings to allow installs from unknown sources.
Take the weather with you
So called AI weather summaries strings from the Google Weather app. These seems like just instructions for the whatever AI (gemini?) they are using. Seasoned meteorologist. ☔Full text - https://t.co/YMzgLGopV5Thanks to @Nail_Sadykov for finding this. https://t.co/rHvkJBKHiS pic.twitter.com/2AXVVpYmdSAugust 8, 2024
As we've seen from earlier screenshots, the new Weather app manages to stuff plenty of information into a simple interface, designed around Android's Material You guidelines. You get all the basics here, including temperatures and precipitation levels, plus details of wind speed, UV levels, sunset and sunrise times, and visibility.
It also looks as though the Weather app will be able to deliver forecasts and warnings about rain straight to your phone, ahead of time – something that will appeal to those of us missing the Dark Sky app after Apple acquired it.
As for what's coming, seasoned tipsters AssembleDebug and Dylan Roussel have hinted that AI-powered weather summaries and detailed weather maps are on the way, too. We'd actually be surprised at this point if Google launched something that didn't have artificial intelligence features included.
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We should see this new Weather app, and all four Pixel 9 models, officially revealed next Tuesday, August 13. There's also a good chance that a full release for Android 15 will be announced, and it's likely that the Google Pixel Watch 3 is going to be unveiled too.
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David Nield
Freelance Contributor
Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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