😁 Good day, and welcome back to the Daily Authority! I performed some minor office furniture shuffling over the weekend and truly forgot how painful cable management is. Literally. I bumped my head under the desk a few times.

Why is it so difficult, Google?

Speaking of headaches, my colleague C. Scott Brown tried signing up for Google’s Pixel Pass program over the weekend, a service that dishes out a Pixel phone and a host of Google services for a reasonable monthly fee.

• As an Apple One competitor, Pixel Pass sounds great on paper. But he found the signup process a chore, especially for those already embedded in the Google ecosystem.

Why Pixel Pass is attractive

• Pixel Pass offers a host of attractive services, from Preferred Care phone repairs to YouTube Music and YouTube Premium subscriptions, Google One storage, and Play Pass.
• It’s affordable, too.
• Even if you consider getting the cheapest Pixel 6 on offer, the service would still save you cash.
• “If you were to buy a 128GB Pixel 6 Pro outright and subscribe to each service individually with annual payments, it would cost you $1,457.94 over two years. With Pixel Pass, the same package would cost you $1,320, a saving of just under $138,” according to C. Scott.
• That’s a huge saving, especially in these tough economic times.

So what’s the problem?

• Well, signing up for the service is needlessly convoluted.
• To get a Pixel Pass subscription, you’ll need to cancel your existing YouTube Premium or YouTube Music plans, or subscribe to another service through a different company.
• Family plans are also not offered through Pixel Pass, a massive blow for those who currently share their Google services with others.
• Further muddying the water, there’s no need to cancel a Google One subscription if it’s under 200GB. Google okays Play Pass, too.

The hope for improvements

• Google’s current Pixel Pass signup system favors those not yet knee-deep in the company’s service ecosystem.
• But arguably, those who already own a Pixel device or use Google services are likely to sign up for Pixel Pass, especially ahead of the Pixel 7 Pro’s debut.
• Google has the power to fix these relatively minor issues, but it remains to be seen if the company has more in store for potential subscribers.

Roundup

⬆️ Here are the phone update policies from every major Android manufacturer. Where does your device fit? (Android Authority).

⚠️ The Pixel 6 Pro has the worst connectivity and reception of any phone I’ve used (Android Authority).

🚢 Nothing’s first phone isn’t a flagship and that’s a good thing (Android Authority).

📸 HUAWEI announces Xmage, its new photography technology platform for its post-Leica era (Android Authority).

🗳️ Poll: Here’s how many of you actually like the OnePlus 10T’s leaked design (Android Authority).

🤔 “Wrong number” text spam is the latest fraud craze hitting US mobiles. It’s equal parts creepy and fantastic (The Verge).

📍 Google will reportedly delete location data linking users’ visits to abortion clinics and fertility centers (The Guardian).

🚗 US fuel prices hit record levels in June, but here’s much gas $40 will get you in France, India, South Africa, and other countries around the world (Washington Post).

🚨 A look at how smart sensor-laden cars could be a bane for national security in the near future, as China temporarily bans Teslas from one of its resort cities hosting a political conclave (Wired).

😶 Minions helped me revive an old friendship. A look at how Minion memes can act as “universal connectors” for those willing to accept them (Polygon).

🚀 NASA plans to launch its Artemis 1 Moon mission between late August and early September. The mission will bring the Orion module along for the ride, allowing scientists to study the effects of space flight on the human body (Engadget).

🌎 In other astronomical news, today the Earth will be 94.51 million miles from the Sun, marking its farthest distance from our glowing partner all year. For some perspective, we’re usually around 92.96 million miles from the Sun (Space).

🧠 Medical professionals are slowly uncovering the reasons behind and mechanics that cause brain fog, a condition that many Covid-19 sufferers, in particular, have experienced (Wired).

🌿 Horticulturalists “discovered” a new giant water lily species in London’s Kew Botanical Gardens that remained misidentified for nearly two centuries. Known as Victoria boliviana, it’s the world’s largest water lily with pads growing in excess of 10 feet in diameter (BBC).

🤯 Which actor playing an American character were you most surprised to learn is actually from England? (r/askreddit).

Monday Meme

Well, it’s that time of the year again. Happy 4th to all who celebrate 🥳!

Have a great start to your week!

Andy Walker, Editor.