AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from Ars Technica, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

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Googlebooks are Google’s new laptops designed to work closely with Android phones, but they currently only function properly with Pixel devices. Although the company initially stated that these laptops would integrate seamlessly with any Android phone right out of the box, users have discovered that specific features require Android 17 on a compatible phone. These features allow for seamless app streaming, file access, notification mirroring, and continuity between devices.

Despite some early Samsung phones shipping with Android 17, such as the Z Fold 8, they do not currently support these integrations. Google representatives confirmed that "Better Together" features are not yet supported on Samsung devices, though an update bringing this support is expected in the coming weeks. Even after that update, only Samsung phones running Android 17 will be compatible, meaning older or cheaper models may face delays receiving the necessary software updates.

Consequently, Pixel phones remain the only option for immediate mobile integration with Googlebooks today. While Samsung is generally better at providing OS updates than many other manufacturers, competitors like Motorola and OnePlus are still testing Android 17 on their new devices. This situation highlights that Googlebook support relies on features exclusive to Android 17, which is an exception rather than the norm in the current modular Android ecosystem where most features are now available across versions.