FreshRSS

Zobrazení pro čtení

Jsou dostupné nové články, klikněte pro obnovení stránky.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 rumors: Everything we know and want to see

Update: May 31, 2024 (07:30 PM ET): We’ve updated our Galaxy Watch 7 rumor hub with a new leak about the Galaxy Watch FE and confirmed information about Galaxy AI features coming to the Galaxy Watch 7.

Original article: The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is easily one of the best smartwatches you can buy, though it’s not a dramatic improvement from its predecessor. We’re eagerly awaiting the release of the next iteration of Samsung’s smartwatches in the form of the Galaxy Watch 7 series, and we hope to see a lot more dramatic changes that catch it up to the competition, like the OnePlus Watch 2 and even the Apple Watch Series 9. But how is the Galaxy Watch 7 shaping up so far? Here’s what we know about the Galaxy Watch 7, what we can expect, and what we want it to be!

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 series: At a glance

When is Amazon Prime Day and what are our 5 best tips to save?

One of the biggest shopping events of the year is fast approaching, but when is Amazon Prime Day 2024, and how can you make the most of it? This short guide will answer your questions and have you fully prepared to save big in the sale.

You probably know this already, but Amazon Prime Day is an annual sales event that usually takes place over the course of 48 hours during the summer. Prime members will be treated to big discounts on a whole range of products, including a lot of the latest tech that features on our site. We’ll be throwing a spotlight on all of the best offers we see, but if you just want to know how best to be ready for the event, you can jump straight to our section on the five best tips for Prime Day.

An affordable Galaxy Watch is indeed coming, official support page goes live

A Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 rests among competitors from the wearables market.
Credit: Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
  • A support page for a Galaxy Watch model number SM-R861 has appeared on Samsung UK and Latin America websites.
  • The same model number was previously spotted on FCC and is very similar to the model numbers of the Galaxy Watch 4 series.
  • Samsung could be launching a rebranded Galaxy Watch 4 as the Galaxy Watch FE.

Samsung is getting ready for a wave of wearable releases this summer, with the highly awaited Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch 7 series on the horizon. However, rumors have been swirling about a more budget-friendly addition to the lineup, and a recent leak seems to confirm this speculation.

First spotted by MySmartPrice, a support page for a Galaxy Watch with the model number SM-R861 has gone live on Samsung’s UK and Latin America websites, all but confirming the presence of a new model joining the Galaxy Watch series.

Google quietly retires Google One branding from its VPN ahead of June shutdown

VPN by Google One on Pixel 7 Pro stock photo 3
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • Google One VPN is being discontinued on June 20, 2024, and will be replaced by a Pixel-exclusive VPN service.
  • The rebranding effort is already underway, with the app’s Play Store listing reflecting the new “Pixel VPN by Google” identity.

Earlier this year, Google announced the shutdown of its Google One VPN service, recently confirming that the service will cease to function on June 20, 2024. However, while “VPN by Google One” is going away, Google will continue to offer a virtual private network for Pixel owners. In preparation for that, the company has started rebranding its VPN service.

First spotted by 9to5Google, the app’s Play Store listing has been updated accordingly, reflecting the shift from “Pixel VPN by Google One” to “Pixel VPN by Google.” This change includes a fresh icon featuring a blue shield with a “G” at its center, replacing the previous Google One icon.

Chrome will begin phasing out old extensions with Manifest V3 next week

Google Chrome logo stock photo 2
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • Google plans to start phasing out Manifest V2 in Chrome Beta, Dev, and Canary channels on June 3.
  • The rollout is expected to hit the stable channel at the beginning of 2025.
  • Google says 85% of actively maintained extensions in the Chrome Web Store are already running Manifest V3.

Google is continuing the transition from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3 in Chrome. The rollout will begin next week and will first land on pre-stable channel builds.

Back in November 2023, Google revealed a timeline for its phase-out of Manifest V2. Now the company has announced that it is ready to begin the process.

iOS 18 rumored to bring new ways to jazz up your text conversations

Apple iMessages on iPhone stock photo 3
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • iMessage on iOS 18 will reportedly introduce a new text effects feature.
  • This would work separately from the bubble and full-screen effects that iMessage already has.

Apple’s much-anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 is just around the corner, ready to kick off on June 10. The real showstopper this year is expected to be iOS 18, which is predicted to be one of the most significant updates in iPhone history.

Apple has already teased new AI features that are coming to its platforms, generating considerable excitement. According to MacRumors, Apple also plans to enhance the iMessage experience in iOS 18 with a new text effects feature.

It’s not just you: Google Discover and Google News are down (Update: Working again)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 google discover
Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority
  • Google News and Google Discover faced a service outage today.
  • The content stream that serves new content to Google News and allied services like Google Discover and the Discover feed in Google Chrome was likely affected, which is why all of these services were impacted and couldn’t serve new content.
  • In a statement, Google confirmed the disruption has been solved.

Update, May 31, 2024 (12:50 PM ET): It looks like Google has fixed the issue described in the original article below. Here is a statement from the company:

There was an issue that was briefly affecting some results on Google News, Discover and other products. We’ve fixed the issue and things should be working normally now.

The TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro router system hits all-time low of $219.99

It’s hard to put a price on fast and widespread Wi-Fi across your entire home, but it’s fantastic to see a record 37% off whatever that price usually is. That’s what Amazon is delivering today, with the two-pack of the TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro Wi-Fi 6E mesh router system down from $350 to just $219.99 for the first time.

TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro Wi-Fi 6E Mesh System (2-Pack) for $219.99 ($130 off)

TikTok is reportedly preparing algorithm split for US, but company denies

TikTok featured image
Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority
  • Sources claim TikTok is working on creating a clone of its recommendation algorithm that would operate independently of its Chinese counterpart.
  • The work is part of a plan to show US lawmakers that the US business is independent of its Beijing-based parent company.
  • TikTok denies that it is splitting its source code.

A new report claims that TikTok is working to create an independent clone of its source code in an attempt to stay in the US. However, TikTok is denying the report, calling it “misleading” and “factually inaccurate.”

Back in April, a bill was passed and signed into law that requires Beijing-based parent company ByteDance to divest its ownership stake in TikTok to keep the short-form video platform in the US. The bill stems from bipartisan concerns about TikTok’s connection to China and the platform’s influence on its users. To stay in the US without having to sell its business, TikTok has been exploring ways to appease US lawmakers.

Nanoleaf’s Essentials Matter HD lightstrip is an RGB dream machine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcRq6SUsPDc

Nanoleaf is no stranger to RGB lighting in unique form factors. Its line of light panels basically defined the category, and it has since expanded to everything from traditional lightbulbs to ceiling-mounted skylights, making it a go-to brand for smart home goods. While Nanoleaf has made lightstrips in the past, its newest strip offers a slew of new features that Nanoleaf — and most of its competitors — has never offered before. I’ve been using it in my home for about a week and, I gotta say, I’m in love with it.

Unfortunately, this new lightstrip has a doozy of a name: the Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Smart Multicolor HD Lightstrip. For the sake of convenience, I’ll be trimming that down to just HD Lightstrip throughout most of this review!

End of an era: Samsung puts Tizen smartwatches on life support

samsung galaxy watch 3 review all apps
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
Credit: Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority
  • Samsung has posted a termination schedule for Galaxy Store services for Tizen smartwatches.
  • The Galaxy Store will soon stop allowing the purchase of paid apps, followed by stopping new downloads and, eventually, all downloads.
  • This does not affect Samsung’s newer Wear OS-based smartwatches.

Samsung is one of the biggest pioneers of smartwatches and one of the few manufacturers that has been around since the start and is still going strong. Samsung’s entry into the smartwatch space started a long time ago, and the Galaxy Watch lineup started with the original Galaxy Watch back in 2018. It ran Tizen, which many would strongly argue provided a better user experience than Wear OS at that time. Samsung jumped to Wear OS with the Galaxy Watch 4 (to help save Google’s wearable OS), but this jump came at the cost of Tizen. Samsung has now put Tizen on life support, and in the coming months, your Tizen watch’s functionality will become increasingly limited until its eventual demise.

Reddit user Seaweed_Maximum (via Techissuestoday) brought to light Samsung’s termination schedule for Galaxy Store access for Tizen smartwatches. According to screenshots of the notice posted purportedly by a member of the Galaxy Store Operations team, here is the timeline for various termination dates for Tizen watches:

Download these gradient wallpapers for your phone

The simplest way to customize the look of your phone is by changing the wallpaper. Changing your phone’s background takes very little effort; the hard part is finding the right image. Sometimes, it’s better not to complicate things, especially if an elaborate wallpaper will simply be covered by a bunch of icons and widgets. If you prefer to keep your background minimal, we have put together a collection of awesome gradient wallpapers for your phone.

Download these gradient wallpapers for your phone

Let’s start by explaining how our wallpaper posts work. While it might be your first instinct, you shouldn’t simply download the wallpapers below. These images are compressed and have been optimized for improved website performance, which means they won’t look as good. These are considered image previews, and are meant for you to look through the wallpapers and decide which ones you like. When ready, click on the download button below the previews to get the full-resolution files in all their glory.

The best new streaming movies this week: Atlas, Ferrari, and more

We’re back with another list this week, right on time for your weekend binge. There’s quite a bit of horror and sci-fi on this week’s list, so we’ve also included a refreshing anime release to keep things light and breezy. Let’s dive in.

The best new streaming movies this week

We have Jennifer Lopez’s entry into sci-fi this week, as well as the much-awaited prequel to the Omen franchise. Feel free to click the links if you see a movie you’ve been waiting for.

The best new streaming shows this week: Eric, Geek Girl, and more

The end of May is here — and it brings with it a line-up of great shows you’ll want to check out. We have a lot of comedy on our list this week, as well as a thriller starring Benedict Cumberbatch, so make sure you’re well-stocked on popcorn.

The best new streaming shows this week

Here’s what came out this week on major streaming platforms like Netflix or Hulu. We have two shows with Gordon Ramsay in them. It’s a good day to be a culinary enthusiast. Click on the jump links to get to what piques your interest first.

iOS makes it more difficult to control the volume when casting media

Apple Music Library stock photo
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • A recent iOS update stops users from relying on their iPhone’s physical buttons to control the volume of media they’re casting to other devices.
  • The change has sparked outrage on online forums, especially among users actively using the Spotify Connect feature.
  • Interestingly, the Apple Music and TV Remote apps still offer the aforementioned volume privilege that third-party apps had to drop.

It’s no secret that Apple sometimes disadvantages third-party developers by giving itself special privileges — or taking away some of their existing ones. Following a recent iOS update, likely iOS 17.4, users casting media to other devices can no longer control the volume using their iPhone’s physical buttons. This has sparked outrage on Reddit and the Spotify Community forums, as many users actively relied on the now-removed option.

According to a Spotify Community moderator, a recent iOS change has stopped the music streaming app from using the iPhone’s volume buttons to control Spotify Connect devices. They stated: “Due to updates on iOS, Spotify users no longer can use their iPhone’s volume controls to change the volume on connected speakers. Instead, please use the volume slider in the device menu.”

Google Calendar will soon make it even easier to never forget birthdays (APK teardown)

Google Calendar app on smartphone stock photo (2)
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • Google Calendar could soon get a dedicated Birthday chip when creating a new event.
  • The Birthday chip removes unnecessary fields from the standard event creation screen, tuning it better for adding birthdays.

Google Calendar is a rather underrated Google app that does most things right. Since it is part of GMS, most Android phones come with it out of the box, and users generally don’t need to install an alternative calendar app. Many people add birthdays to Google Calendar to get reminded of such important dates every year without manually creating a new event for every year. Google seemingly recognizes this use case, as an upcoming Google Calendar update would make it even easier to add birthdays.

In the latest Google Calendar v2024.21.0-637471596 app update, we managed to activate a dedicated “Birthday” chip that makes it super convenient to add recurring birthday events.

The best new Android apps for June 2024

Many new Android apps are out there, but keeping track of them is tough. But we’re happy to do that hard work for you. We’ve scoured the internet to find the best new Android apps available, focusing on apps that offer something different to the status quo. Be sure to visit our list of the best Android apps of all time and our selection of the best new Android apps released in 2023 for more.

The best new Android apps for June 2024

  1. Bitwarden Authenticator
  2. Wallpaper Changer
  3. Openreads
  4. Aurelian
  5. ReZ Launcher
  6. Zoom Earth

Bitwarden Authenticator

Bitwarden’s latest app extends beyond password management.

TIL that knockoff wired iPhone earbuds require Bluetooth to work :/

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Lightning Cable.jpg
Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
  • Certain companies are selling knockoff variants of Apple’s wired Lightning earbuds that require a Bluetooth connection to work.
  • These manufacturers save some money by avoiding Apple’s standards and not relying on the Lightning connection to transmit audio.
  • The wired connection draws power from the connected iPhone, while the Bluetooth chip handles audio transmission.

Today, I learned that on this planet, not in a parallel universe, a mythical creature roams among us. From afar (and even upon closer inspection), it looks just like any pair of wired Lightning earbuds for iPhones. However, concealed deeply within it is a dark secret that only remote villagers know of. It appears that some companies have been selling knockoff wired iPhone earbuds that need Bluetooth to function. You’ve read that right.

A crazy experience — I lost my earbuds in a remote town in Chile, so tried buying a new pair at the airport before flying out. But the new wired, iPhone, lightning-cable headphones didn’t work. Strange.

Windows wants Phone Link for Android to answer texts on your behalf with AI

HP Dragonfly Pro 14 Windows laptop at CES 2023 5
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26227 introduces AI-powered replies for texts in the Phone Link for Android app.
  • The feature is on by default and relies on the cloud to generate three relevant replies whenever a message is received.
  • The build also includes some other additions, such as Emoji 15.1 support and a new Copilot keyboard shortcut for older machines.

Microsoft has been embracing AI and deeply integrating it into its products. It recently unveiled the Copilot Plus PCs, and now it’s baking its artificial smarts further into the Windows software. The latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build on the Canary Channel adds AI-generated replies to the Phone Link for Android app and tweaks the Copilot shortcut on some machines.

Suggested Replies feature in the Phone Link for Android app.

The best new Android games for June 2024

Mobile gaming is ever-improving, and many new Android games are always available. Whether you’re a casual gamer, want something with a bit more meat on its bones, or want to challenge your new smartphone, there’s usually a game coming out to suit everyone’s taste. In particular, gaming over the holiday season is usually a great way to wind down after the year that passed or contemplate your plans for the year ahead. On that note, let’s look at the best new Android games.

Check out our picks for the best new Android games released in 2023.

Verizon just had an outage, did it affect you?

Verizon logo on smartphone, next to other devices (2)
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • Verizon experienced an outage in several parts of the US today, though services seem to have been restored for many users now.
  • A common thread between user reports indicates that affected users were using eSIMs, thus affecting iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users more because of their eSIM-only configurations. Android users with eSIMs are also affected.
  • Verizon support has confirmed the outage in response to user complaints.

We’re hearing reports on social media that Verizon had a noticeable outage in many parts of the US. Many users have been spotted complaining on X (formerly known as Twitter) and Reddit that their Verizon phones did not have service, while some who did had fallen down to LTE with no 5G.

From what I can see on DownDetector, there was a large spike in Verizon outage reports a few hours ago, though that spike has now died down. Verizon’s support handle has confirmed the outage in replies to customers, but has not put out a standalone post informing the public at large about the outage.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask can now natively run on Android thanks to an unofficial port

  • A developer has ported The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask to Android.
  • This port runs natively on Android devices rather than in a Nintendo 64 emulator.
  • There’s also a port for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as well as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and its direct sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, are two of the most iconic video games in history. Nintendo re-released both games on all of its home consoles released after the Nintendo 64, leaving many fans and newcomers alike wondering: What is the best way to play them today? Many would argue that the unofficial ports released by team Harbour Masters are the best way to play both games, but they don’t offer an Android release. Fortunately, one developer took it upon themselves to port the games to Android, letting you play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask natively on your Android device.

How was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask ported to Android?

If you’re wondering how this is even possible, let me try to explain. Back in 2020, a group of developers banded together to form the Zelda Reverse Engineering Team (ZeldaRET). Their stated goal was to “recreate a source code base” for select The Legend of Zelda titles (plus the original Animal Crossing) from scratch, “using information inside the game along with static and/or dynamic analysis.”

AI Overviews fiasco: Google responds to backlash, promises improvements

AI Overviews at Google I/O.
Credit: Google
  • Google has responded to the AI overviews fiasco, addressing concerns over bizarre and dangerous search results.
  • Google attributed many shared screenshots to being fake but acknowledged some genuine errors due to misinterpretations of queries and satirical content.
  • In response, Google is refining detection methods, limiting satire and humor content, and refining triggers for AI Overviews.

Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), launched last year to enhance search queries with AI-generated summaries and answers, recently culminated with the rollout of its new AI Overviews feature in the United States. The new search tool, designed to revolutionize search by providing concise AI-generated summaries to complex queries, found itself in hot water just a week after its US launch.

The Internet was flooded with AI Overview responses ranging from bizarre to concerning. Some of the most notable ones advised users to eat rocks for essential nutrients, use glue to secure cheese on pizza, and drink urine to address kidney stones. In one particularly alarming instance, the AI suggested jumping off a bridge as a solution for depression.

Google and Magic Leap strike up deal for AR partnership

Google Magic Leap
Credit: Magic Leap
  • Google and Magic Leap announced they are entering into a strategic partnership.
  • The partnership will combine Magic Leap’s expertise in AR and optics with Google’s technology platforms.
  • It’s unknown if the partnership will result in a new AR device.

Google has canceled and revived its AR glasses project (Project Iris) multiple times. Despite its tumultuous relationship with the XR space, it doesn’t look like Google is giving up on augmented reality any time soon as it has entered into a partnership with Magic Leap.

On Thursday, Magic Leap announced in a blog post that it has formed a strategic partnership with Google. According to the post, the partnership will combine Magic Leap’s AR expertise and optics leadership with Google’s technology platforms. We have reached out to Google for further comment and will update this article accordingly.

MediaTek’s latest chip could be good news for fans of flip-style foldables

samsung galaxy z flip 5 vs motorola razr plus cover screens
Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority
  • MediaTek announced two new chipsets, the Dimensity 7300 and 7300X.
  • The company claims that it has designed the 7300X specifically to support flip-style foldable phones.
  • The 7300X’s capabilities could pave the way for a new generation of more affordable flip phones.

MediaTek recently announced the launch of its latest chipsets, the Dimensity 7300 and 7300X. These new processors are built on a 4nm process, designed for high performance and energy efficiency. However, what truly caught our attention was MediaTek announcing that “…the Dimensity 7300X is designed with flip-style foldable devices in mind, providing support for dual displays.”

This could have significant implications for the smartphone market, as it hints at the possibility of more affordable flip-style foldable phones becoming available in the near future. While MediaTek hasn’t disclosed which specific phones will be powered by these new chips or provided a timeline for their launch, current rumors point towards the upcoming Motorola Moto Razr (2024) featuring the Dimensity 7300X.

AI-powered Siri will apparently let you interact with apps using just your voice

Siri on Apple iPhone 12 Mini stock photo 2
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • In iOS 18, Siri could have AI-based powers it hasn’t had before.
  • One of these new abilities could be manipulating apps using voice commands.
  • iOS 18 and this new Siri upgrade will almost certainly be announced at WWDC on June 10.

Google is all-in on AI, as evidenced by the Google I/O keynote this year. Microsoft is also all-in on AI, as evidenced by the recent launches of Surface machines and Copilot Plus. Meanwhile, Apple is…well, no one really knows what Apple’s doing with AI yet.

However, reliable leaker Mark Gurman (via Bloomberg) has shed a little light on what we can expect. Apparently, Apple has conducted a “revamp of Siri’s underlying software using large language models.” This restructuring of Apple’s digital assistant will give it a new AI-based power: the ability to manipulate apps using voice commands.

Android 15 Beta 1 is now available for Nothing Phone 2

Nothing Phone 2 dual camera bump with glyph lighting enabled
Credit: Damien Wilde / Android Authority
  • Android 15 Beta 1 is now available for the Nothing Phone 2.
  • The beta introduces new Glyph SDK support, a new wallpaper, a new boot-up animation, and an Android 15 Beta 1 tag.
  • The has a few known issues like fingerprint registration problems, no face unlock, and no pre-installed Nothing X/Weather/Launcher/Recorder/Widgets.

Google released the first Android 15 beta back on April 11, with the second beta following it up on May 15. Only a day before the second beta went out, Nothing rolled out Beta 1 to the Phone 2a. Now the company is opening up the update to the Phone 2.

Nothing announced in a blog post that Phone 2 owners can now join in on the Android 15 Beta 1 party. If you want to take part in the beta, the London-based phone maker warns that this build is meant for developers and advanced users. It also warns users to back up their data as the storage device will be formatted, and all data will be erased.

Google rolls out a new Quick Reply feature in Gmail for Android

  • Google is officially rolling out Quick Reply in Gmail, a new UI that makes it easier to compose new replies to your emails.
  • The company started testing this new UI with a handful of users back in November 2023, but it wasn’t clear at the time if the UI would stick around.
  • With the latest Android feature drop, however, Google has made Quick Reply in Gmail official.

If you open the Gmail app on your Android phone today, you might notice a new UI when replying to emails. Today, Google announced that it is rolling out Quick Reply in Gmail, a new UI that makes it easier to respond to emails. Google has been testing this feature out with a handful of users since November of last year, but it’s only now made the change official with the latest Android Feature Drop.

Before this update, if you opened any email in the Gmail app for Android, you’d need to tap the reply button to start composing a message. Tapping the reply button opens up the full-screen email compose UI you’re all probably familiar with. The full-screen email compose UI is great for drafting longer responses, but if you need to just send a quick message, then it’s not really necessary.

💾

ACP ending, what are your alternatives?

As expected, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) did not secure funding by May 31, and the program is now officially over after today. This leaves over 20 million Americans facing significant choices. If you are among those affected, hopefully, you have already taken precautions by either switching to more affordable plans or finding alternative forms of assistance. Some of you may have been holding out hope that the FCC — or another entity — might once again intervene, as it did by partially covering costs for the month of May. Now that there is no hope left the program will continue, you may be wondering about the best alternatives to the ACP.

Sign up for Lifeline Assistance if you haven’t already

With ACP no longer available, Lifeline remains the only federally supported internet assistance service for low-income citizens. Although not as generous as ACP, Lifeline offers a monthly subsidy of $9.25 that can be applied towards broadband or phone services. There’s a possibility you are already enrolled in this program, as it was possible to have both ACP and Lifeline concurrently.

Android 15 update tracker: When will your phone get it?

Android 15 logo on pixel 8 pro (1)

Credit: Adamya Sharma / Android Authority

Google released the first Android 15 beta on April 11, 2024, with Android 15 beta 2 following on May 15, and the Android 15 Beta 2.1 coming in on May 20. This falls in line with the Android 15 release timeline Google published when the Developer Preview 1 rolled out. While all this is great, you might be wondering when your phone will get the Android 15 update.

Spotify confirms refunds for discontinued Car Thing amidst user backlash

The Spotify Car Thing.
Credit: Spotify
  • Spotify has confirmed it will refund owners of the Car Thing, its discontinued in-car streaming device.
  • The company’s decision to offer refunds follows a wave of backlash from disgruntled users.
  • Car Thing devices will still become unusable from December 9, 2024.

Spotify has confirmed it will issue refunds for its discontinued in-car streaming device, Car Thing. The company announced last week that the device will become non-functional starting December 9, 2024, a decision that will leave many users with bricked gadgets and considerable frustration.

Car Thing, Spotify’s dedicated music streaming device, gained popularity among a dedicated fanbase but was discontinued soon after its launch. Spotify assured users at the time that the device would remain operational, making the news of its impending deactivation in December 2024 even more of a bummer.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Which should you buy?

Samsung took the wraps off its latest flagships earlier this year, the Galaxy S24 series, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra setting the early benchmark for other Android smartphones this year. It’s another year of refinement as far as the design goes but with a significant focus on AI-driven software and features. If that sounds familiar, it’s the exact intro we could have used for Google’s 2023 flagship, the Pixel 8 Pro. Interesting design refinements, upgraded hardware, and a plethora of new software features make for an interesting comparison between the two flagships. Here’s a look at the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro!

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: At a glance

Don’t close, minimize: Chrome gets Minimized Custom Tabs feature for multitasking

chrome custom tab minimize
Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
  • The latest release of Chrome has introduced a feature called Minimized Custom Tabs.
  • The feature allows you to minimize a custom tab into a floating picture-in-picture window.
  • The focus of the feature is to enable multitasking across surfaces.

Back in March, we discussed a Chrome feature Google was testing that would allow you to minimize custom tabs into a picture-in-picture (PiP) window. Now it looks like the feature is ready for the main stage as it is rolling out in the latest update for Chrome.

In a blog post, Google announced it is rolling out a feature in the latest version of Chrome for Android. The feature in question is called Minimized Custom Tabs, and as its name suggests, it allows you to minimize a custom tab.

T-Mobile celebrates eight years of T-Mobile Tuesdays with major prizes and new perks

T Mobile logo on smartphone (2)
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • T-Mobile is celebrating eight years of T-Mobile Tuesdays with a week-long “Thankiversary” event.
  • Eight lucky customers could win grand prizes, including $80,000 in cash, a new VW car, and a dream vacation.
  • New perks for customers include free 7-Eleven Slurpees, $2 Little Caesars pizza, $5 movie tickets, and discounted MLB tickets.

T-Mobile is marking the eighth anniversary of its T-Mobile Tuesdays program with a weeklong “Thankiversary” event, offering substantial prizes and new perks to its customers. This year’s celebration, starting on Tuesday, June 4, will see T-Mobile giving away eight grand prizes to eight lucky customers.

These prizes include $80,000 in cash, $8,000 in Shell gas cards, eight years of movies with Atom Tickets, a new Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, a dream vacation for four valued at up to $117,000 (including flights, hotel, and $10,000 in spending money), a Samsung mega bundle featuring a Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, Galaxy Watch 6, and $20,000 in Samsung e-Certificates, “a year of coffee”, and a “year of concerts.”

Android’s new Instant Hotspot feature won’t be available on Samsung devices

  • Android’s new Instant Hotspot feature won’t be available on Samsung devices.
  • Instant Hotspot is a new feature that lets you easily connect your Android tablet or Chromebook to your phone’s hotspot with a single tap.
  • This capability already existed on Chrome OS in the form of instant tethering, but no such capability previously existed between Android phones and tablets from different brands.

Google just unveiled its latest Android Feature Drop earlier today, and it’s one of the most exciting feature drops I can remember. The two features I’m most excited about are part of Play Services’s new Cross-Device Services module, which brings some Apple Continuity-style magic to your Android devices. For example, the new Instant Hotspot feature lets you connect your Android tablet or Chromebook to your phone’s hotspot with a single tap. Instant Hotspot works with phones running Android 11 or newer, with one notable exception: Samsung devices. According to Google, Instant Hotspot will not be available on any Samsung devices.

Instant Hotspot availability

Record 25% drop on the Sonos Move 2 leads rare sale

Sonos has the prestige that it doesn’t often feel the need to discount its products, making Sonos sales few and far between. But we’re being treated to one today, with one of our favorite deals from the promotion being the first-ever 25% price drop on the Sonos Move 2. The $113 discount gives you the chance to catch the high-end speaker at just $336.

Sonos Move 2 for $336 ($113 off)

ASUS ROG Ally X specs may have leaked in full just ahead of reveal event

ASUS ROG Ally Hollow Knight
Credit: Nick Fernandez / Android Authority
  • An online retailer appears to have put up a listing for the ASUS ROG Ally X.
  • The listing seems to include pictures and specs of the upcoming handheld gaming PC.
  • The ROG Ally X is scheduled to be announced on June 2.

We’re only a few days away from the reveal event for the ROG Ally X. Unfortunately for ASUS, a recently discovered retail listing may have stolen some of the event’s thunder.

First spotted by the Korean YouTube channel Performance Department Connect, it appears a Korean online retailer may have published a listing for the ROG Ally X a little early. The listing in question labels the device as the ROG Ally 2, however, it’s far more likely this is the new, slightly improved X model.

WhatsApp is working on a handy AI image generator

WhatsApp logo on smartphone next to other devices Stock photo 5
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • WhatsApp for Android version 2.24.12.4 beta references a new feature called Imagine that could enable users to generate images using Meta AI.
  • The company is also rolling out a new option that allows users to favorite WhatsApp chats and filter out the rest.

Meta has been busy baking AI features into the world’s most popular messaging app. While users in select regions can already chat with the Meta AI chatbot inside WhatsApp, the company’s plans extend beyond that. Based on a recent WhatsApp for Android beta build, it seems the messaging service will soon allow users to generate images using text prompts.

After analyzing WhatsApp for Android version 2.24.12.4 beta, WABetaInfo found references to a new feature called Imagine. According to the leaker, this upcoming addition will allow users to enter text prompts inside WhatsApp and have Meta AI generate relevant images. The feature will seemingly reside in the attachment menu users rely on to send contacts, documents, media, and more.

ASUS ROG Ally X rumors: Everything we know and what we want to see

Update: May 30, 2024 (1:06 PM ET): We have updated our ASUS ROG Ally X rumor hub with specs and images leaked from an online retailer.

The ASUS ROG Ally transformed the way I played games, but now it’s time for a refresh. The ASUS ROG Ally X will be an iterative but important update to the Windows device, fixing a few minor issues and pushing the handheld experience even further.

It’s still at least a few days away, but here’s what we know so far about the ROG Ally X and what we want to see from the 2024 update.

Android’s latest feature drop is great news for die-hard smart home builders

  • As part of the latest Android Feature Drop, Google has announced a widget for Google Home that lets users toggle their smart home devices right from their home screen.
  • This widget is currently available in the Google Home Public Preview program, but we presume it will graduate to the stable branch in the future.
  • Wear OS is also getting a Google Home Favorites tile and complication, which will let you control your smart home quickly from your wrist.

As part of the May 2024 Android Feature Drop, Google is officially rolling out some much-awaited features for Google Home users. Those who have built their smart home centered around Google Home will now have more ways to control their favorite or most accessed smart home devices.

Android users can now add a Google Home widget to their home screen, featuring their favorite smart home device controls. This is incredibly useful, especially if you have devices that you constantly toggle or access throughout the day. The widget is also surprisingly flexible, letting you resize to your desired configuration to suit your home screen.

💾

💾

Google is bringing some Apple Continuity-style magic to your Android devices

  • Google has announced two new cross-device features as part of its latest Android Feature Drop.
  • You’ll be able to instantly share your phone’s hotspot with your Android tablet or Chromebook.
  • You can also transfer your Google Meet calls between your Android phone, Android tablet, and web browser.

Google has offered Android Feature Drops for quite some time now, dishing out a new set of features to Android phone users at large. The company has just revealed Feature Drop for May 2024, and it brings some Apple-style cross-device functionality to the table.

The new Android Feature Drop will offer two cool features via its cross-device services functionality. The first feature, dubbed Instant Hotspot, lets you quickly share your phone’s Wi-Fi hotspot with your Android tablet or Chromebook in a single tap. You don’t need to manually enter your hotspot password or share a QR code.

Android Feature Drop May 2024: Everything included in the latest drop!

  • Today, Google is launching the latest Android Feature Drop for May 2024.
  • The drop includes updates for Google Messages, Google Home, Wear OS, and more.
  • Some of these changes are rolling out today, while some are coming soon.

Quarterly, Google brings the Android world a Feature Drop. This allows the company to launch new features for phones, tablets, watches, and Chromebooks in one big push. Today, the latest Feature Drop is here, and it brings a slew of new tools.

Some of these will launch today, such as the Google Messages one. Others, like the hotspot sharing feature, will come “soon,” so that could be any time this year. There are also some that require you to be a part of an early testing program, such as the Google Home widget one. Be sure to make note of these limitations so you’re not looking for a feature that isn’t actually available to you!

Keep your phone in your pocket: Wear OS watches can now make PayPal payments

  • Google is giving Wear OS watch owners another way to pay with their wrists.
  • The latest Feature Drop now lets you pay with PayPal on Google Wallet from your smartwatch.
  • The feature is only available to users in the US and Germany.

Using PayPal to purchase things with Google Wallet is nothing new. The ability to use the service as a payment method has been around for a while. Something you haven’t been able to do, however, is use PayPal on your smartwatch. But the latest Android Feature Drop will change that.

Google has just announced a bevy of new features coming to Android in today’s Feature Drop. Among the many new functions coming our way, Google revealed that Wear OS watch owners are getting a way to pay from their wrist.

💾

Finally, the ability to edit messages is here for RCS users in Google Messages

  • In today’s Android Feature Drop, Google is rolling out support for editing messages in the Messages app.
  • After sending an RCS message, you’ll have 15 minutes to edit it.
  • An “Edited” note will appear next to any message someone has changed in a conversation.

Today, Google is pushing out the latest Android Feature Drop. This is a quarterly collection of new features for Android-based devices. While there are some cool things on the list this quarter, one stands head and shoulders above the others: the ability to edit messages in the Google Messages app!

This is a staple feature of many other messaging platforms, so the fact that Messages is finally getting it is a big deal. In fact, we’ve been hearing this was in the works since last year, so it’s been a long time coming. Check out how it works in the GIF below:

You’re dropping it wrong: Here’s how Apple tests iPhone durability

iPhone 14 Pro in hand
Credit: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
  • Marques Brownlee visited one of Apple’s durability testing facilities, where iPhones and other devices are subjected to drops, water pressure, and more.
  • Apple monitors the impact on its devices using dedicated slow-motion cameras and other advanced equipment.
  • The company claims that by making iPhones less repairable, it increases their overall durability.

Whenever Apple releases a new iPhone, a bunch of YouTubers rush to buy a few and then proceed with torturing them on camera. While they claim that these videos are meant to demonstrate the iPhones’ durability, their tests are often conducted unscientifically. A series of short videos now gives us a look inside Apple’s own durability testing facility, where the real studies occur.

I recently got to visit some Apple labs where they durability test new iPhones before they come out, and learned a few things (🧵THREAD)

For the first time, the top foldable phone maker globally wasn’t Samsung

Galaxy Z Fold 5 open upright resized
Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
  • HUAWEI has unseated Samsung as the top foldable phone manufacturer in Q1 2024, according to a report.
  • It’s believed that the company’s adoption of 5G in its foldables is a key reason for increased shipments.

Samsung has ruled the global foldable phone market since it launched the original Galaxy Fold back in 2019 and the Galaxy Z Flip back in 2020. Unfortunately for the Korean manufacturer, it’s just been knocked off its perch for the first time.

Counterpoint Research reports that HUAWEI has overtaken Samsung to be the top foldable phone manufacturer in Q1 2024. The Chinese brand’s foldables accounted for 35% of the global foldable market, compared to Samsung’s 23%. Just a year ago, HUAWEI had a 14% global share versus Samsung’s 58%.

iOS 18’s cloud AI features could use a nifty trick to keep your data as secure as on-device

AirPods Pro 2nd generation Siri iPhone
Credit: Lily Katz / Android Authority
  • Apple will reportedly rely on the Secure Enclave in its M2 Ultra and M4 chips to process cloud AI requests without compromising users’ privacy.
  • Beyond the short-term iOS 18 AI goals, the company could depend on its private data centers to power sleeker wearables.

WWDC24 kicks off in just ten days, and Apple is expected to reveal the AI features coming to iOS 18 during its opening keynote. While some of these additions may be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and work offline, the more advanced offerings may rely on Apple’s cloud solutions. According to a recent report, the Cupertino firm has managed to secure its cloud processing mechanism, and user data may always remain encrypted.

As per a report from The Information, Apple’s data centers may keep users’ data confidential even when processing it. Typically, servers have to decrypt user information to process it for AI functionality. By relying on the Secure Enclave in the M2 Ultra and M4 chips, Apple may have found a way to avoid decrypting the data altogether.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 rumors: Everything we know and what we want to see

Update: May 30, 2024 (07:55 AM ET): We’ve updated our Galaxy Z Fold 6 rumor hub with a report about the Fold 6 Slim/Ultra and the hands-on image of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 next to an image of the Galaxy Z Fold 5.


Original article: We’re deep into 2024, and it’s about time we learn more about Samsung’s next wave of foldables. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 are expected to be the highlights of Samsung’s foldable ambitions, refreshing its lineup a bit past the middle of the year. Leaks and rumors have begun flowing in, and we now have a fair idea of how the book-style foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, will shape up. Read on to learn more about this upcoming device!

Netflix’s upcoming HDR toggle might save your movie experience (APK teardown)

Netflix logo on smartphone stock photo (1)
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • Netflix for Android could gain an HDR toggle, according to an Android Authority teardown.
  • This would allow you to switch between HDR and SDR video playback on the service.
  • There are several potential benefits to disabling HDR video playback.

Netflix has long offered HDR support on Android phones, giving you a more immersive viewing experience for supported content. What if you don’t want HDR on your device, though? Well, you couldn’t disable this feature up until now. But that could change in a future version of Netflix for Android.

Android Authority and leaker AssembleDebug dug into a recent version of the Netflix app for Android (version 8.117.0 build 3 50695 beta), discovering evidence of an HDR toggle as an experimental setting. This would allow users to choose between an HDR and SDR stream when watching content on their Android devices.

This is what the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6 could look like, next to the Fold 5

Hands on image of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
  • Leaker Ice Universe has posted a purported hands-on image of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 next to a comparative picture of the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
  • The Fold 6 appears to have a wider cover display, sharper body corners, and sharper screen corners compared to the Fold 5.

We’re gearing up for the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which is rumored to launch at a Samsung Unpacked event on July 10, 2024. Samsung has yet to confirm or even tease anything about the upcoming top foldable, but we have plenty of leaks to paint us a fair picture of what to expect. We have seen renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 already, but now we have a really clean look at the front of what appears to be a live model of the Fold 6, positioned next to a Fold 5.

Leaker Ice Universe has posted a hands-on image of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (right), positioned next to an image of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (left).

iOS 18’s potential ChatGPT features reportedly worry Microsoft

Siri on Apple iPhone 12 Mini stock photo 3
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • Apple’s own large language models (LLMs) reportedly aren’t capable enough to replicate ChatGPT, which has pushed it toward third-party partnerships.
  • The company may have internally tested a ChatGPT-powered Siri, and iOS 18 users could get their hands on it later this year.
  • Microsoft could be worried about the Apple-OpenAI deal, as it would have to accommodate the increasing server demand and compete against Apple’s features.

In under two weeks, Apple will finally reveal iOS 18 and its rumored AI additions at WWDC24. Given that the iPhone maker’s own AI efforts may still be lacking, it has reportedly resorted to third-party partnerships to power some of these smart features. As a result, OpenAI’s ChatGPT could be fueling Siri and other AI functionalities on iOS 18, and Microsoft is worried about it.

According to a report by The Information, Apple has internally tested a version of Siri that relies on ChatGPT’s smarts. The Cupertino firm is reportedly not ready to offer its own chatbot yet, pushing it to seek third-party alternatives for the time being. Meanwhile, it will likely use its own LLMs to power the less demanding iOS 18 features, such as on-device summarization.

Amazon is taking care of your hunger needs with this Grubhub partnership

Amazon logo on phone next to boxes stock photo 11
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • Amazon is partnering with Grubhub to bring the Grubhub food ordering experience straight to Amazon, allowing users to order food without leaving the e-commerce website or app.
  • Prime users are also getting a continuous Grubhub Plus subscription as a benefit, extending from the fixed one-year subscription.

Amazon Prime is a great subscription plan if you frequently order from the e-commerce giant, as you get plenty of delivery-related perks that make it worth it. If your shopping use isn’t that high, you also get streaming benefits with Prime Video, gaming benefits with Prime Gaming, and even cloud storage benefits with Amazon Photos. Amazon is sweetening the deal further, offering a Grubhub Plus subscription with Prime and even letting you order food without leaving the Amazon website.

Amazon has announced that Amazon customers in the US can now order from Grubhub’s directory of restaurants in all 50 states straight from the Amazon website. You won’t need to navigate to the Grubhub app for your food delivery needs now. The ordering experience is the same on Amazon as it is on Grubhub.com and the Grubhub app, and customers will also see the same restaurant prices that they do on Grubhub.

Is Google Photos about to turn into a social network of sorts? (APK teardown)

Gogole photos logo on smartphone next to other devices and picture frame Stock photo 6

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • A teardown of the Google Photos app has revealed that an overhauled sharing page could be in the works.
  • This new page is basically a notification feed, listing likes and comments for your albums along with other alerts.
  • The teardown also suggests that Google Photos could offer a UI improvement to storage management. 

Google Photos is still the king of photo backup services, and the company is constantly bringing new features and editing tools to the platform. Now, it looks like Google is planning a significant revamp of the sharing page.

YouTube and ad blockers: Who’s in the right?

The latest installment of the YouTube against ad blockers saga has brought a new twist. Some users have noticed that accessing YouTube with certain ad blockers enabled causes their videos to be skipped or muted, making the streaming service all but unusable. The natural response of some is to claim that this is another attempt by YouTube’s owner, Google, to punish the use of these third-party apps and force them to either watch ads or pay for YouTube Premium instead. What’s different this time is that Google isn’t accepting the blame, so who should you believe?

Following our reporting on this issue after it was flagged by Reddit users, YouTube responded to our request for a statement on the matter. The spokesperson made clear that ad blockers were against the YouTube Terms of Service but went on to reference “an unrelated push to improve YouTube’s performance and reliability” as a reason why users might be experiencing issues. On its face, this is a denial from Google and YouTube that the problem is related to the measures against ad blockers.

We wondered if this is a credible claim. The question isn’t whether Google is targeting ad blockers but whether it is being entirely open about the extent of its tactics. Let’s look at both sides of the argument.

What’s the evidence that Google is doing this?

Reddit user SDHD4K shared a demonstration of what they suspected to be Google’s most recent ad blocker punishment. The video depicts the user attempting to play a video, both by clicking on a fixed point in the progress bar and by refreshing the page to start it from scratch. On each occasion, the video quickly jumps to the end.

The user claims that this is because they are using an ad blocker, and corroborating accounts of the issue are outlined in the replies to the post. Other people in the thread claim that accessing YouTube with an ad blocker causes the video to be automatically muted. If they use the volume slider to bring back the sound, it immediately mutes again once they move the cursor off the slider.

Since this problem only seems to afflict those using ad blockers, the natural suspicion would be that it is one of Google’s latest tactics to prevent the practice. The company doesn’t hide the fact that it wants to do so in general. It began tests of a three-strike system against the use of ad blockers as far back as June 2023, with the crackdown appearing to become much more widespread by October. Many YouTube users with an ad blocker enabled started to see a message warning that playback would be blocked after three videos if the user didn’t disable their ad blocker.

A more recent escalation from April of this year saw mobile users with ad blockers also targeted. Google announced in an official blog post that, “When we find an app that violates these terms, we will take appropriate action to protect our platform, creators, and viewers.” While some users came across an error message stating that the content wasn’t available, others faced buffering issues. These were attributed to the action that Google had advised it would take and had already been experienced by ad blocker users prior to the statement.

What was interesting about this stage of the Google fightback was that, if it was deliberately causing buffering issues to people using ad blockers, that bears key similarities to this latest accusation. Rather than an explicit warning or denial of service, these measures seek to seriously hamper the YouTube experience until the ad blocker is disabled.

Did Google deny it was behind the latest issue?

While we’re going down this rabbit hole, it’s worth taking a closer look at Google’s statement to Android Authority when asked for comment about this skipping and muting problem.

Ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service, and we’ve been urging users for some time to support their favorite creators and allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience. An unrelated push to improve YouTube’s performance and reliability may be resulting in suboptimal viewing experiences for ad blocker users.

The statement begins by reasserting that YouTube doesn’t want you to use an ad blocker — this certainly isn’t in dispute. But the last part suggests that a performance update, “may be resulting in suboptimal viewing experiences for ad blocker users.” The inference here is that this ‘push’ might be responsible for this particular skipping and muting issue, but a skeptic might also conclude that this is deliberately vague. It could just as easily be a reference to the aforementioned buffering issues that have been occurring for months. That would certainly be more akin to a suboptimal viewing experience, which is something of an understatement if you’re talking about videos that skip to the end immediately.

Another striking thing is that whatever this performance and reliability push might be, it seems rather coincidental that it has only caused issues for people using ad blockers. Perhaps the update actually relates to the measures being taken against ad blockers. But in that case, why make it sound as if it’s a temporary inconvenience rather than confirming it was intended for that purpose?

In other words, there doesn’t appear to be an equivocal denial that these recent issues are a deliberate attempt to target ad blockers. Or perhaps we’re reading too much into it.

What’s the case for Google’s defense?

YouTube Ads Popup

Credit: Search Engine Land

Far be it from me to stick up for a mega-corporation, but it’s only fair to consider that Google might be genuine in its suggestion that this latest problem isn’t a deliberate ploy.

As we’ve already seen, Google doesn’t hide the fact that it both discourages the use of ad blockers and is taking steps to prevent their use. The policy has been made clear in various statements over the past year, and when YouTube prevents you from using an ad blocker, the company tends to own it. When there were reports in November that the performance of YouTube with an ad blocker enabled can suffer depending on which browser you were using, a YouTube spokesperson gave us a statement not dissimilar to the one above. But, on that occasion, the statement made clear that it was the use of the ad blocker that was the issue and it was because YouTube wanted to discourage it.

We’ve also seen a similar situation in which Google has been vindicated in the past. When some YouTube users with ad blockers enabled were slowed down in January, many people were suspicious of Google. The company denied it was responsible and suggested it was the ad blocker software at fault. That might have been taken with a pinch of salt, but a subsequent statement from the technology group that owned the two ad blockers in question confirmed Google’s assertions and issued fixes to the problems.

Google has been vindicated in the past.

That example could also shed light on the nature of this problem. Muting issues aside, the fact that the user gets skipped to the end of the video is a very specific ‘error’ to occur. You might wonder if this is the ad blocker confusing the video with one of the ads and trying to jump past it.

This debate is also based on a few anecdotal examples from Reddit. We don’t know if many other people are affected by this issue, but we do know how internet virality works — an accusation of corporate oppression is made, outrage is generated, and everyone starts dunking on the service that we all regularly use.

The allegation itself raises further questions. If this is a deliberate Google scheme, why aren’t we seeing widespread reports of it? Since this problem is only related to users of the Adblock Plus app, why wouldn’t it apply to other ad blockers? Google is rarely accused of not being at the cutting edge of tech, so wouldn’t YouTube be better at applying this to more ad-blocking apps?

On that point, you have to consider why Google would confuse your experience at all. It has no qualms about displaying the ad blocker warning message to some users. Why not just make that the default measure to encourage you to disable your ad blocker? Some users wouldn’t realize that a performance issue is down to the fact their ad blocker is enabled, and it would be in Google’s interests to tell you how you can remedy that situation.

Where does that leave us?

YouTube on smartphone stock photo 3

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

You may have your own ideas, but there isn’t enough here for us to draw a definitive conclusion one way or the other.

As much as we might be frustrated by the number or length of ads before or during YouTube videos, Google has every right to attempt to stop you from blocking them. Most of its revenue is derived from ads, so blocking them is bad for business. You might not be keen on helping Google out this way, but some of that money does trickle down to the creator of the video that you’re trying to watch for free. There is also an alternative in YouTube Premium if you’d rather pay for your entertainment with your money rather than your time.

You might begrudgingly agree with all that but suggest that Google is being deceptive by appearing to deny it is causing this most recent issue. It would obviously be preferable for the company to be more open about it in those circumstances. Users would grumble about it, but at least they’d know where they stand.

Except we can’t really conclude that is the case. As outlined above, people have been a little too quick to point the finger of blame in the past, including us. It’s up to you whether you want to give Google the benefit of the doubt on this one or not.

Google’s precious Search recipe exposed in huge leak (Update: Google’s statement)

Samsung Galaxy S24 Circle to Search lying on chair

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

  • Many of the ranking factors involved in Google Search’s super-secret algorithm have purportedly leaked.
  • This leak sheds light on how Google Search seemingly operates and which attributes it uses to rank content on the Search Engine Results Page.
  • However, the findings from the leaked document do not align with Google’s statements on these topics over the years.


Update: May 30, 2024 (12:22 AM ET): In a statement shared with The Verge, Google has confirmed in a roundabout way that the leaked documents are real, albeit they could be outdated or incomplete.

We would caution against making inaccurate assumptions about Search based on out-of-context, outdated, or incomplete information. We’ve shared extensive information about how Search works and the types of factors that our systems weigh, while also working to protect the integrity of our results from manipulation.


Original article: May 29, 2024 (04:12 AM ET): Before Google jumped in deep with AI Overviews and Search Generative Experience, it banked extremely heavily on serving users search queries through the conventional Google Search results we know. However, a lot goes on behind the scenes in answering such consumer search queries. Google has kept its search engine ranking secret sauce close to its heart and has always instead presented best practices to guide websites. Now, a leak claims to have unraveled the truth behind Google’s highly coveted Search algorithm, and in a lot of ways, it showcases how the company’s guidance doesn’t match what it seemingly checks for.

The news: Google’s Search algorithm has purportedly leaked

SparkToro claims to have accessed more than 2,500 pages of API documentation that originate from Google’s internal “Content API Warehouse.”

The report mentions that the documentation was inadvertently leaked on GitHub in March 2024 but then removed. However, you can spot copies of v0.4.0 and v0.5.0 of google_api_content_warehouse on Hexdocs (we at Android Authority are unable to verify the authenticity of these leaked documents, so reader discretion is advised).

The documentation appears to be part of Google Search’s secret sauce, aka the algorithm. It doesn’t directly show the weight that Search’s ranking system assigns to different characteristics of a website or its content, but it does show the details that Google collects from websites and web pages. The initial report then collaborates with iPullRank to analyze the purported APIs.

This leak is practically the most significant insight ever into how Google Search actually works. Surprisingly, it also contradicts much of what Google has publicly stated. To appreciate what’s wrong, we’ll have to look at Google Search’s behind-the-scenes workings.

The background: What happens behind the scenes when you Google Search?

Circle to Search on a Pixel 7 Pro

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

A Google Search query may seem like an innocent and inconsequential action to a consumer like you, but it is oiling the wheels of a multi-million dollar industry. So, to understand the gravity of the leak, it is crucial to understand what happens when you do a Google Search.

The basics: Search engines, web crawling, web indexing, and ranking search results

When users have questions that they want answered on the internet, they approach a website called a “search engine.” They input a query for the search engine to look up, and the search engine presents them with an answer that hopefully answers their question. Simple, right?

On the back of it, the search engine does a lot of work, but it can be broken down into three main tasks:

  • Crawling: A search engine needs to know the entirety of the internet’s data to find out who is answering what and what is answered where. For this, a search engine “crawls” the entire internet, i.e., it visits every single website and webpage.
  • Indexing: The pages the crawler has visited are analyzed for their data and content, and this information is stored in an easy-to-retrieve manner.
  • Ranking: Since hundreds and thousands of websites are trying to answer the same query, there needs to be a system that showcases who is presented first to the user. This is commonly referred to as a ranking system. The most visible form of it is the position on which a website appears on a search engine result page (SERP).

The ranking system decides who is placed in the first spot, who is placed on the first page, which combinations of search terms their specific articles land, and so on.

Why does ranking matter on Google Search or any search engine?

Google Search (or simply Google) is the largest search engine in the world, controlling the vast majority of the search traffic that routes through the internet. Just go ahead and count the number of search queries you run in an ordinary day or week and multiply that by billions of people worldwide. Suddenly, you can see why search engines are often called the traffic signals of the internet, as they have the power to route massive internet traffic down your internet road if you do things right.

There’s insane potential to make money for your business if and when you sit at the first position of a popular SERP. Most users only click on the first result, and traffic inflow dries down further down the list by many magnitudes.

Google Search results for Best Phone

Credit: Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority

Do you recall the last time you scrolled on Google Search and clicked on the second, third, fourth, or fifth result? You only do that when the first result doesn’t satisfy you, and more often than not, you’d be changing and refining your search query before you even go through all the results on the first page of Google Search.

Do you recall the last time you went to page two of a Google Search result? You actually won’t, as Google has removed pagination and opted for a continuous scroll for Search. But the truth is that most users don’t go beyond the first handful of answers. They are either satisfied or have changed their query.

Google’s secret sauce: The Google Search algorithm

Search Trip ideas with generative AI

Credit: Google

So, there’s a lot of pressure to do things right. But how do you do things right?

It would be nice to have a look at Google’s ranking system, aka the Google Search algorithm. That way, websites can do exactly what Google is looking for. They can then consistently rank at the top of search queries, get billions of views, and make millions of dollars.

But the problem is also the same: everyone would know what Google is looking for, and because millions of dollars of ad and affiliate revenue would be at stake, they would have a very strong incentive to game the results to the detriment of end-user experience.

Until recently, most of us would agree that as users, Google Search has been our primary means of finding new information online. Whatever Google has been doing with its secret sauce has been working.

Google’s public recipe: E-E-A-T guidelines for people-first content

Instead of directly publishing its secret sauce, Google publishes a public recipe in the form of content guidelines for websites like ours to follow when we publish our content.

There is a lot of depth to them built up over the years, but Google has always strongly advised creating “people-first content,” aka content for end users, instead of content for a search engine. Google wants you to leave the heavy lifting of ranking to the Search algorithm and just focus on creating content that demonstrates aspects of experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, or E-E-A-T.

Google preaches creating content for people and not for search engines. The industry operates otherwise for obvious reasons.

The idea is that if you follow EEAT, Google Search will have an easier time identifying your content as good content and ranking it accordingly. It’s not the actual, direct secret sauce, but it’s your best shot at it.

The problem: What Google says does not correctly match with what Google seemingly does

Over the years, website owners have complained that their traffic remains eroded despite following all the best practices for creating people-first content, as outlined in the Google EEAT content guidelines. People officially involved with Google Search have then made on-the-record comments on what they do and what website owners should or shouldn’t do.

The problem is that the purported leak of Google’s secret sauce Search algorithm does not accurately align with the guidelines and what Google itself has said over the years.

iPullRank says the following:

“Lied” is harsh, but it’s the only accurate word to use here. While I don’t necessarily fault Google’s public representatives for protecting their proprietary information, I do take issue with their efforts to actively discredit people in the marketing, tech, and journalism worlds who have presented reproducible discoveries.

As the initial analysis from iPullRank and SparkToro highlights, this purported algorithm leak contradicts Google’s own words:

  • Domain authority: Google has maintained that it does not use the concept of sitewide “overall domain authority” for ranking SERPs, but the leaked docs suggest that Google computes a characteristic called “siteAuthority.”
  • Using Chrome data for ranking: Google has said that it does not use Google Chrome data as part of organic search. The leaked docs include a few Chrome-related measurement attributes.
  • Clicks: Google Search officials have denied using clicks directly in SERP rankings, but there is plenty of evidence, even beyond the leak, that it does use them as a measure of success. The docs reveal more of the same: Google does have a “click and impression signal” system, which further includes factors like “date of last good click,” and measures results that had the “longest click during the session,” and more.
  • New website sandbox: Google has maintained that there is no sandbox in which websites are segregated based on age or lack of trust signals. The leaked docs include an attribute called “hostAge” that is used specifically to “sandbox fresh spam in serving time.”
  • Authors: Google has maintained that author bylines should be available for reader benefit, not for Google, as they do not impact SERP rankings. The leaked documents indicate that Google at least collected author data on pages, though they stopped short of confirming if it was a ranking metric.

There’s good reason for Google to keep its sauce secret. The problem comes from Google’s willingness to misdirect instead of simply refusing to comment.

Other significant findings from the leaked docs include:

  • Freshness matters: Google looks at dates in bylines, URLs, etc.
  • Links matter: Google looks at link anchors, relevance, and diversity.
  • Branding matters: Branding beyond Google’s ecosystem matters.
  • Change history matters: Google keeps a copy of every version of every page it has ever indexed. However, only the last 20 changes are used.
  • Demotion: Content can be demoted for factors such as links not matching the target site, porn, and more.

The leaked documents are enormous, and we’ll likely see the SEO and content industry pore over all of them in the coming weeks. Numerous theses will be written on how Google Search exactly works and how websites should evolve to succeed in SERP rankings. It’s great to learn more about the inner workings of Google Search, but I am fully aware that incomplete knowledge here will be a double-edged sword.

However, if these leaked documents reinforce one thing, it is that Google keeps its Search secret sauce close to heart, and one should remain skeptical of what company officials say about it on the record. Google has yet to deny the veracity of these leaked documents.

Samsung Messages app crashing over and over? Blame Google Meet. Here’s how to fix! (Updated)

samsung galaxy s22 messages app

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

  • In the past 12 hours, Samsung users have found the native Messages app is constantly crashing.
  • The problem appears to stem from a recent update to Google Meet, which somehow affects Samsung Messages.
  • Disabling or uninstalling Meet temporarily fixes the problem. Google has issued a Meet app update which fixes it permanently, so update your app.


Update: May 30, 2024 (12:13 AM ET): Samsung has informed its users through the official forums that Google has issued an update for the Google Meet app. This updated Google Meet app will stop your Samsung Messages app from crashing continuously. You can look for the update for Google Meet in the Google Play Store. Let us know if this fixes the crashing issues for you!


Original article: May 29, 2024 (10:08 AM ET): Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones come with a pre-installed messaging app called Messages. This is different from the Google Messages app that also comes installed on most Galaxy phones (confusing, we know). Although it’s likely the majority of Galaxy phone owners use Google’s app, there are still a lot of folks who prefer Samsung’s. Unfortunately, those folks have been facing a serious problem over the past 12 hours or so.

On Reddit and Samsung’s official forums, users are complaining about constant crashes for the Samsung Messages app. Folks are saying they can open the app and see their list of conversations, but as soon as they try and enter a conversation, the app crashes. Force-closing the app, clearing the cache, restarting the phone, and even entering the phone in Safe Mode doesn’t fix the issue.

Thankfully, the root of the problem has been deduced, and there is a workaround to stop the crash. Apparently, a recent update to the Google Meet app is somehow conflicting with Samsung’s Messages app. We’re not sure why, but uninstalling or disabling Meet will stop Messages from crashing.

A moderator in Samsung’s forums confirms this temporary workaround and also says, “Samsung is aware of the concern and is working towards resolving the matter.” We assume this means working with Google to fix the conflict within the Meet app, fixing Samsung Messages to not conflict with the new Meet update, or possibly both.

Either way, uninstalling Meet is the best way forward for now. Just set a reminder to re-install in a few days and it will hopefully be fixed by then.

AICore update that brings Gemini Nano to the Pixel 8 is now rolling out

Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 8a laying flat

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

  • Google had confirmed that Gemini Nano would be coming to the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a.
  • The Android AICore app update with the toggle responsible for enabling Gemini Nano is now rolling out for the Pixel 8, but it hasn’t been spotted on the Pixel 8a yet.
  • Enabling the setting doesn’t immediately begin downloading the Gemini Nano module just yet, though, so you’ll likely have to still wait for a server-side rollout.


Google’s Gemini Nano is an AI model that works on-device to execute AI tasks. It’s the smallest AI model in the Gemini family, but it is very important for all the internet-free, on-device AI capabilities it brings to a smartphone. Google’s Pixel 8 Pro is the only Pixel that can use Gemini Nano for Pixel AI capabilities, but the company caved in after an uproar to bring Gemini Nano to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a, too. Just yesterday, we spotted the toggle for enabling on-device generative AI features within the Android AICore app, and now we can confirm that the Android AICore app update is rolling to the Pixel 8 at least.

My colleague Adamya Sharma received the Android AICore app update on her Pixel 8, which includes the toggle. Curiously, the Pixel 8 Pro app was also updated, but there is no toggle in it. We couldn’t locate the Android AICore app for the Pixel 8a, though.

As you can see, the Android AICore app versions for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are different. The Pixel 8 Pro already has Gemini Nano features, and a toggle like this would allow users to disable AI features, which isn’t possible currently. On the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8a, this toggle will allow users to enable AI features, as the phones lack them out of the box. The toggle isn’t enabled by default on these two phones.

Google will likely bring Gemini Nano support to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a in a future Feature Drop, so toggling this setting right now on the Pixel 8 doesn’t immediately begin downloading the Gemini Nano module. When the feature is rolled out, users will need to activate Developer Options and then toggle this new “Enabled on-device GenAI features” setting, which is present at Settings > System > Developer options > AICore Settings.

Did you receive the Android AICore app update on your Pixel smartphone? Did the toggle begin downloading Gemini Nano on your Pixel 8 or Pixel 8a? Let us know in the comments below!

An Apple TV app could finally be coming to Android smartphones

Apple TV Plus On iPhone

Credit: Adamya Sharma / Android Authority

  • Apple is currently looking to hire an Android software engineer to join the Apple TV app team.
  • The job listing heavily suggests that the TV Plus service is coming to Android.
  • Apple likely wants to expand the audience for TV Plus.


It’s not often that Apple feels compelled to bring its services over to Android, which makes today’s discovery particularly interesting. It appears the Cupertino firm is planning to bring the TV Plus app to Android phones.

First spotted by Bloomberg, Apple posted a job listing on May 25 requesting the services of an Android software engineer. According to the post, this engineer would join the Apple TV app team to “design and architect a sophisticated application.”

The listing doesn’t outright say it, but it heavily suggests that the company plans to create an Android version of the streaming service phone app. At the same time, it also suggests that the tech giant is interested in growing the service’s user base.

While the iPhone may be the most popular smartphone in the US, it trails behind Android phones on the global stage. In fact, over 3 billion active devices around the world happen to run on Google’s OS. So opening up TV Plus to Android users could greatly increase its user numbers.

Apple has invested heavily in the TV Plus platform, spending money on original programming like Ted Lasso, Severance, and more. As such, the more eyes it can get for its service, the better for business.

Expanding the service shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as the company has a history of bringing the app to other third-party platforms. It can be found on devices like Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, Amazon Fire Stick, and more. This wouldn’t even be the first time Apple TV Plus has flirted with Android as the service is available on Google Chromecast devices and smart TVs that run on Android. So it’s nice to know that it appears Android phone owners could soon use the app as well.

We have reached out to Apple for comment. We will update this article if we get a response.

Nothing Phone 2a Special Edition launched, dividing the internet with its colorful design

Nothing Phone 2a Special Edition

Credit: Nothing

  • Nothing launched the Phone 2a Special Edition, a limited-edition variant featuring a unique design.
  • The Special Edition shares the same specifications as the standard Phone 2a.
  • The Phone 2a Special Edition is available in limited quantities starting today.


Nothing, the tech company known for its transparent gadget designs, has just unveiled its latest offering: the Phone 2a Special Edition. This new variant of Nothing’s affordable Android phone introduces a vibrant twist by combining red, yellow, and blue — colors that have previously been used individually in Nothing products — into a single, attention-grabbing device.

Adam, Design Director at Nothing, described the Phone 2a Special Edition as a celebration of primary colors within the brand’s identity. He emphasizes its unique aesthetic, which draws inspiration from design influences of the past while offering a fresh take on smartphone design.

The design has certainly sparked strong reactions online. Personally, I find the colored accents add a nice contrast to the phone’s transparent back, making it quite eye-catching. However, the internet seems divided on this opinion, with some loving the bold new look while others find it jarring or even downright ugly.

The pattern on the back has even been compared to a side view of someone on a toilet, showcasing the range of reactions this design is eliciting. Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) summed up the divided opinions perfectly in his tweet: “You’re only allowed to love or hate this Nothing Phone 2a special edition design, no in between.”

Availability and Pricing

Nothing Phone 2a blue option via Sudhanshu Ambhore

Aside from the new colorway, the Phone 2a Special Edition shares the same specifications as the standard model. It features a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset, a dual 50MP rear camera system (main and ultrawide), a 32MP front-facing camera, and a 5000mAh battery with 45W wired charging.

The Phone 2a Special Edition has 12GB RAM and 256GB storage and is priced at £349 / ₹27,999 INR / €379. Limited quantities are available now through nothing.tech, and a first-come, first-served in-person drop will take place at the Nothing Store in Soho, London, on June 1.

For US buyers, the standard Nothing Phone 2a is available for $350 through Nothing’s developer program. However, the Special Edition colorway is not yet available for direct purchase, but interested buyers can sign up to receive an alert when it becomes available in the US.

With opinions split, the Phone 2a Special Edition has certainly sparked curiosity and debate among the tech community. Whether it’s a hit or miss, one thing is clear — it’s got everyone talking.

Verizon and AST SpaceMobile team up in $100 million deal for satellite phone service

Verizon logo on smartphone, next to other devices (2)

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

  • Verizon and AST SpaceMobile have entered into a $100 million partnership.
  • The partnership will allow Verizon customers to access satellite connectivity when they need it.
  • The goal is to provide coverage even in areas where cellular signals are unreachable by terrestrial-based infrastructure.


T-Mobile isn’t the only carrier thinking about satellite connectivity; Verizon is also getting in on the game. Instead of following T-Mobile’s lead by partnering with SpaceX, however, Verizon is partnering with AST SpaceMobile.

Today, Verizon and AST SpaceMobile announced they are entering into a strategic partnership with a $100 million commitment from Verizon. The result of which will provide Verizon customers with direct-to-cellular satellite service from AST SpaceMobile when they need it.

If you’re unfamiliar with AST SpaceMobile, it is a Midland, TX-based company that offers satellite cellular broadband. The company currently partners with over 45 mobile network providers from around the world who “collectively serve 2.8 billion existing subscribers.”

AST’s network uses an 850MHz spectrum, which it claims on its website is designed to provide connectivity at 4G and 5G speeds. As Verizon also uses an 850MHz spectrum for some of its 4G LTE and 5G connectivity, you won’t likely have to upgrade your phone to take advantage of this benefit, if the phone is new enough.

AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan claims that the partnership will allow it to “target 100% coverage of the continental United States.” Meanwhile, Verizon SVP Srini Kalapala states:

By entering into this agreement with AST, we will now be able to use our spectrum in conjunction with AST’s satellite network to provide essential connectivity in remote corners of the U.S. where cellular signals are unreachable through traditional land-based infrastructure.

As Kalapala alludes to in his statement, the goal of this partnership is to eliminate dead zones. Verizon wants to have the ability to continue providing coverage for its customers even in remote areas where cellular service is traditionally difficult to obtain.

Shortly after the announcement was made, it appears that AST’s stock skyrocketed. According to CNBC, the firm’s stock went up by more than 57% compared to where it closed previously.

With Verizon and T-Mobile taking two different approaches to satellite connectivity, we want to know what you think. Who would you trust more with your satellite connectivity needs: T-Mobile and SpaceX or Verizon and AST SpaceMobile?

Android 15 improves accessibility with better hearing aid support

  • Google has announced that the Android 15 update will improve the platform’s support for hearing aids.
  • The latest release will work with hearing aids that support Bluetooth LE Audio.
  • The update will also offer better hearing aid management features like a Quick Settings tile, the ability to change presets, and the ability to view the battery level.


Because Android is used by billions of people worldwide, Google has to design the operating system with accessibility in mind. Hundreds of millions of people suffer from a degree of hearing loss, which is why Android offers assistive features like Live Captions. There’s only so much that Android itself can do to compensate for hearing loss, though, which is where dedicated assistive devices like hearing aids come in. Android has technically supported hearing aids since Android 10 was released in 2019, but with the upcoming update to Android 15 later this year, the operating system will significantly improve support for them.

Hearing aids, if you aren’t aware, are a type of electronic device that’s designed to help people with hearing loss. They’re inserted into your ears, similar to other types of hearables like wireless earbuds, but their main purpose is not to stream music but to amplify environmental sounds so you can hear better. Many sounds originate from your phone, though, which is why many hearing aids nowadays support Bluetooth connectivity. People with hearing loss want to be able to hear who they’re speaking to in voice calls, watch videos on YouTube, or even listen to music, all of which is possible thanks to Bluetooth.

However, hearing aids, unlike wireless earbuds, absolutely need to have all-day battery life. That’s challenging to achieve when using a standard Bluetooth Classic connection to stream audio from your phone to your hearing aids. Streaming audio between two devices connected via Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) is more battery efficient, but for the longest time, there wasn’t a standardized way to stream audio using Bluetooth LE.

That left things up to companies like Apple and Google to create their own proprietary, Bluetooth LE-based hearing aid protocols. Apple has its Made for iPhone (MFi) hearing aid protocol, while Google has its Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA) protocol. The former was introduced to iOS way back in 2013, while the latter was introduced more recently in 2019 with the release of Android 10. While there are now several hearing aids on the market compatible with both MFi and ASHA, the fragmentation problem remains. Any advancements in the protocol made by one company will only be enjoyed by users of that company’s ecosystem, and since we’re talking about an accessibility service that people rely on, that’s a problem.

Fortunately, there’s now a standardized way for devices to stream audio over Bluetooth Low Energy, and it’s aptly called Bluetooth LE Audio. LE Audio not only supports the development of standard Bluetooth hearing aids that work across platforms but also implements new features like Auracast. We’ve already shown you how Android 15 is baking in better support for LE Audio through a new audio-sharing feature, but that’s not the only LE Audio-related improvement the operating system update will bring.

At Google I/O earlier this month, Google announced that Android 15 will support hearing aids that use both Bluetooth LE Audio (LEA) as well as the company’s ASHA protocol. Furthermore, the update will introduce a new Quick Settings tile that makes connecting and disconnecting to hearing aids much easier. The hearing aid Quick Settings tile is already live in Android 15 Beta 2, in fact, but I don’t have any hearing aids myself to test this feature out.

Android 15 hearing aids with LEA and ASHA

Credit: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority

According to the images that Google showed, though, the Quick Setting pop-up will let users toggle various accessibility features like Live Caption, Live Transcribe, and Sound Notifications. It’ll also let users change the hearing aid preset, which “represents a configuration of the hearing aid signal processing parameters tailored to a specific listening situation,” according to the Bluetooth SIG. The exact presets that can be selected depends on what the hearing aid reports to Android. In the example image that Google shared, there were presets for “Restaurant,” “Music,” “TV,” “Outdoors,” and “All-Round.” Finally, Google says that users will also be able to view the battery level of their connected hearing aids directly within Android’s Settings and Quick Settings.

Improved hearing aid support isn’t the only accessibility-related improvement coming to Android. During Global Accessibility Awareness Day earlier this month, Google announced a number of accessibility updates to its Android apps, including Lookout, Look to Speak, Project Relate, and more. These changes, along with the upcoming improvements to Live Captions that we recently detailed, will make Android even more accessible to people with difficulty hearing or seeing.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 rumors: Everything we know and what we want to see

Update: May 29, 2024 (3:00 PM ET): We’ve updated our Galaxy Z Flip 6 rumor hub with the latest leaked details about the device’s battery capacity, processor and more.


Original article: The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 has been a very popular smartphone amongst consumers, more so than the larger, book-style foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The lower price and the accessible size are some of the reasons why users prefer this clamshell foldable. With 2024 now underway, we can look forward to Samsung refreshing this lineup with the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Here’s what we know about the Flip 6, what we can expect, and what we want it to be!

Will there be a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6?

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 tent folded

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

The Galaxy Flip lineup has been well appreciated by consumers. While glass slab smartphones are still more popular than foldables, clamshell foldables like the Galaxy Flip 5 have been instrumental in changing public perception. Samsung has an immense lead in this market despite the presence of good competition, thanks to its marketing, distribution, and headstart on foldables. It is unlikely that Samsung will give up this advantage in this space with such immense potential. So even though the company has not announced anything officially yet, we’re confident that it will release a Galaxy Z Flip 6, even if it is a minor refresh.

Tipster Max Jambor has spotted references to the codename “B6” that Samsung is using internally for the device. For reference, the codename for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 was B5.

Will there be a cheaper Galaxy Z Flip 6?

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 google maps layout

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

Leaks and rumors indicate that Samsung wants to reduce the entry point for its foldables. The Galaxy Flip lineup is the cheaper foldable compared to the Galaxy Fold lineup, so it would make sense to release an even cheaper version of the clamshell foldable.

However, most leaks suggest that Samsung could be launching a cheaper version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 instead. Reports have not yet refuted the possibility of a cheaper Galaxy Z Flip 6, but most of them so far are inclined towards a cheaper Fold 6 launching this year.

What is the most likely Galaxy Z Flip 6 release date?

  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 — August 27, 2021
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 — August 26, 2022
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 — August 11, 2023

Samsung has a fairly predictable release cycle for its foldables, but the company could be aiming for an earlier launch for the Galaxy Z Flip 6. According to Sammobile, Samsung could launch the Galaxy Z Flip 6 in early July 2024, possibly in the second week. Since Samsung usually launches its devices on a Wednesday, that would give us a date of July 10, 2024 as the possible launch date for the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

The Bell corroborates an early release rumor, suggesting that Samsung wants to take advantage of marketing around the 2024 Summer Olympics that are scheduled to be held in Paris, France from July 26, 2024. Consequently, the launch could be held in Paris, France.

ETNews suggests that the foldable will be launched alongside the Galaxy Ring in the second half of July 2024.

Samsung has consistently unveiled its next generation of foldables every year in early August, with the new phones typically becoming available for shipping in mid-to-late August. However, these rumors indicate that Samsung has a change in plans for 2024.

What will the Galaxy Z Flip 6 look like?

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Leaked renders 1

Credit: Smartprix

We don’t have officially confirmed information from Samsung yet, but early leaked renders paint a good picture of what we can expect from the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

According to leaked renders from OnLeaks and Smartprix, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 could look very similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 5. It could have a similar clamshell shape and boxy design, and the overall aesthetics also could be very similar.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Leaked renders 2

Credit: Smartprix

If you observe these leaked renders very closely, you will notice that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a shape that is boxier than the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The edges of the device end more sharply, while the Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a slight bevel along its edge.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Leaked renders 3

Credit: Smartprix

Another point to notice is that there are two microphone holes on the top of the device in these renders, albeit this is another minor change.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Leaked renders 4

Credit: Smartprix

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is said to have a 3.4-inch cover display, while the inner folding display is said to be 6.7-inch in size, though a different report from display analyst Ross Young suggests that the Flip 6’s cover display could be approaching 3.9-inch.

The render leak from OnLeaks suggests that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 will measure about 165.0 x 71.7 x 7.4mm, compared to the 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm measurements on the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The only noteworthy change is a very slightly thicker body, indicating that we could see a marginal increase in battery.

Young also claimed on March 7 that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 colors are Light Blue, Light Green, Silver, and Yellow. He later clarified that the Light Green option will be known as “Mint,” while the silver variant will likely be called “Silver Shadow.”

What rumored specs and features could the Galaxy Z Flip 6 have?

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 flex window weather widget

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

MySmartPrice recently spotted the Galaxy Z Flip 6 listed in the FCC database under the model number SM-F741U. The listing revealed that the device will feature dual-cell batteries with model numbers EB-BF741ABY and EB-BF742ABY. PSI certification further confirms that these batteries will have rated capacities of 1,000mAh and 2,790mAh, respectively, resulting in a total rated capacity of 3,790mAh. This suggests Samsung might market the device with a 3,900mAh or 4,000mAh typical capacity.

For context, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a battery with a total rated capacity of 3,591mAh, which Samsung advertises as a 3,700mAh battery. Combined with a processor upgrade, we hope to see better battery life on the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Unfortunately, a regulatory filing suggests that the phone will stick with 25W wired charging speeds once again. The Z Flip 5 took up to 80 minutes to fully charge its 3,700mAh battery, so we’re not optimistic about speed improvements with 25W charging and a slightly larger battery.

As for other changes, GalaxyClub has reported that Samsung is testing early versions of the Galaxy Z Flip 6, with prototypes sporting a 50MP main camera. This could be a major photography upgrade for the Flip series if it’s indeed confirmed. Samsung has stuck with a 12MP primary camera since the first Galaxy Z Flip model launched in 2020, though the Galaxy Z Flip 4 did sport a larger sensor.

According to Ross Young, the Flip 6 will offer 256GB and 512GB storage options.

The Elec reported on May 17 that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 could gain thicker ultra-thin glass (UTG) on the folding screen. This would enable improved surface hardness and a reduced display crease. The Korean outlet also asserted that the Z Flip 6 will use the Z Flip 5’s hinge.

The Elec also claimed on May 22 that the Flip 6 will be exclusively powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. This report comes after some sources asserted that Samsung’s new foldables could be powered by a Snapdragon chip or Exynos processor, depending on the region.

What might the Galaxy Z Flip 6 price be?

  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 8GB/256GB: $999.99
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 8GB/512GB: $1.119.99

We don’t have price leaks for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 yet. However, we can draw reasonable conclusions based on the predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s price.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 started at just about $1,000 in the US. Many consider $999 a magic number that consumers look upon favorably, and Samsung has aimed to price its clamshell foldable under $1,000 (ignoring the rounding up). Considering that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 does not appear to have too many changes over its predecessor, it remains to be seen if Samsung could keep the pricing of the Flip 6 competitive.

Should you wait for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6?

samsung galaxy z flip 5 flex window

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

If you have a Z Flip 3 or 4, you might be better off waiting and picking up the Galaxy Z Flip 6 when it launches. These older phones are still plenty fast, and the only major upgrade will be the Flex Window. What about those who have an even older Flip or are thinking about getting a foldable for the first time? Honestly, the Z Flip 5 is a great phone already, and I don’t see any reason to wait, especially if your non-folding phone is still doing the job well enough.

If you’re not impressed by the Z Flip 5 but want a smart flip phone you have other options aside from waiting to see what Samsung does with the Flip 6. The best alternative to the Flip will be the Motorola Razr Plus ( ), though there’s also a cheaper Razr ( ) if you’re on a tighter budget but still want a foldable device. For even more options check out our guide to the best foldable phones.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 wishlist

Right when the Galaxy Z Flip 5 launched, we had a fair idea of what we would want from a successor. For the Galaxy Z Flip 6, we want Samsung to fix all shortcomings and then some. Here is our wishlist for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Better use of the cover screen

samsung galaxy z flip 5 vs motorola razr plus tent fold

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

I love the Flex Window’s size, and it’s a big improvement over the display on my Galaxy Z Flip 4, but Samsung hasn’t done enough with it yet. While devices like the Motorola Razr Plus allow you to run full apps right on the smaller display, Samsung sticks mostly to widgets out of the box.

If you want to run actual apps on the smaller display, you’ll either have to pick from a limited selection of experimental apps via Samsung labs, or you’ll have to install the Good Lock launcher and the MultiStar plugin. Even if you find enough apps that work well, you’ll run into a few other limitations, such as there being no easy way to toggle between apps on the Cover Screen without jumping through hoops.

An upgrade to its camera package

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 camera flex mode

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

Although the Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a decent camera experience, it’s largely identical to the Z Flip 4’s hardware and nowhere near as good as the Galaxy S23. The Z Flip is very much a flagship device, so I don’t see why we have to settle for hardware that’s anything less than the base Galaxy S model. The good news is that one early rumor points to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 getting a new 50MP main camera, which hopefully will offer a similar experience to the Galaxy S24.

Beyond this, I’d love to see a telephoto camera as well. Even if it’s not quite as good as the one in the Galaxy S24, it would better suit the more premium nature of the Z Flip series and get it closer to the very best camera phones.

Better battery life and faster charging

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 bottom edge

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

The Galaxy Z Flip series has never had great battery life, and while it’s gotten a bit better, you’ll still find it hard to make it much more than just a day with moderate use. In my experience, heavy use will drain it even faster. There have been times when I’ve seen my Z Flip 4 drop down to as little as 10% hours before bedtime, requiring me to plug it in early for the night. It’s time for this to change with the Z Flip 6.

To be fair, there’s a reason the Z Flip 5 only has a 3,700mAh battery: space is a premium here. Thankfully, it looks like Samsung is indeed going to squeeze a bigger battery into the Z Flip 6, even if marginally so.

On a related note, I’d like to see quicker charging. The Z Flip 5 currently has 25W charging, which isn’t horrible but not nearly as good as the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 45W charging speed. Unfortunately, evidence suggests Samsung might stick with 25W yet again.

Dust protection

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 buttons and flex window

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 finally folds flat, which helps protect it a little, but there’s still no dust resistance. My brother-in-law is a farmer, and his Flip 3 died after only a year or so. This is a guy who takes great care of everything, which makes me wonder if the dusty conditions of farmwork might have played a role.

The good news is that Samsung has previously indicated it wants to eventually bring dust resistance to its foldable phones. The Motorola Razr Plus beat them to the job in 2023, which may further motivate Samsung to catch up here.

A bigger design shakeup

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 sim slot and mmwave window

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

I have to say it, I think the Razr Plus is a more attractive phone, even if I prefer Samsung’s take overall. Although Samsung has refined its design and increased its coverscreen each generation, it’s also gotten more and more boxy.

I would like to see a design that’s a bit more rounded next time around. A slightly bigger display wouldn’t be bad either. I’d love to see anything that sets it apart beyond just increasing the screen and narrowing the hinge gap.

Google Gemini ‘Ask This Video’ hands-on: The power of YouTube in a snap

Yesterday, we shared with you a preview of what you can do with Google’s new Gemini-powered “Ask This Page” feature, which was announced at I/O 2024. Today we’re getting our hands on another upcoming “Ask This…” feature, the one that works on YouTube videos.

Just like yesterday, this is an early hands-on preview with Ask This Video. The feature is not live yet, but Android Authority managed to activate it in the Google app. So, while we tried to push it a bit and see what it can do and where it might fail, there could still be room for improvement before Google launches it to the public.

Gemini Ask This Video: What it is and how it works

google gemini ask this video

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Ask This Video is an upcoming Gemini-powered generative AI feature that helps you ask questions about any YouTube video you’re currently watching. Instead of scrubbing and skipping through different parts of that video to find a specific bit of information, you’ll be able to query Gemini and it’ll try to find the answer in that video, without coloring outside the lines. In theory, this should be a big time-saver if you’re looking for a specific information in a YouTube video and you don’t want to waste time trying to find it.

To activate Ask This Video, you just tap and hold the power button to pull up Gemini on your Android phone while watching a YouTube video. Gemini is context-aware now, so it’ll know you triggered it in YouTube and surface an “Ask this video” chip on top of the pop-up menu. See the image above for reference.

Tap that and you’ll notice that Gemini has now attached the video to the pop-up, so you can start typing questions in your natural language and Google’s AI will try to find answers. It takes about 6-8 seconds for Gemini to process the request and come back with an answer.

Ask This Page understands nuance sometimes

In the example above, you can see we asked Gemini about Android Authority‘s “Pixel 8a is here, but why” video where my colleague C. Scott Brown argued that the Pixel 8a is a good phone, but its value and competitiveness is diminished by the better and frequently-discounted Pixel 8. But suppose you haven’t watched that video and you need to know what’s wrong about the phone in a few words to see if this is worth watching (spoiler: it is good content). You could do what we did and check with Gemini to see what’s wrong or bad about the Pixel 8a. And I think it pretty much nailed the nuance of C. Scott’s argument.

google gemini ask this video answer 5

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

In the next example above, I asked it for the differences between the Nothing Ear and Ear (a) in my video. It didn’t list every single difference, but focused on the biggest ones and synthesized the most important bits. In in the video, I mention these features and differentiating factors in several places, but not in succession, so once again, it understood that and didn’t make any mistakes in its summary. The answer is incomplete, though, in my opinion, as there are other factors to consider between the two earbud models. But for an early AI version, I’ll consider this a win. (Such is the state of AI summaries now that an accurate answer is counted as a win, even if it’s incomplete).

Ask This Page can find an answer faster than you can say skip

 

I think the most impressive part of Ask This Video is how easily it can answer a pressing question, without you having to watch the whole video to unearth it. It’s not perfect yet, but in the case of my hands-on with Chipolo’s new Find My Device trackers, it correctly answered that you don’t need a separate app to use the trackers, and in Carlos Ribeiro’s fast-charging myths and truths video, it nailed his recommendation of sticking with 100W cables to keep your gear future-proof.

Ask This Video has the potential to become a genuinely useful feature when skimming videos and looking for answers. Speaking from personal experience, YouTube has become my go-to resource now for specific tutorials and how-tos (I find that the quality there is better than the random hundreds of SEO-targeted written articles), but it’s usually tough to find the exact piece of information I’m looking for in a lengthy video. I used to turn to YouTube’s video transcripts and search for specific keywords in them to quickly find my answer. Gemini should be much faster and more practical than that trick.

Google still has to fine-tune Ask This Page

As with everything AI, and specifically Google AI, things aren’t 100% perfect just yet. We didn’t try to “red team” Ask This Video, we just went for regular tech videos and questions. I’m sure when this feature goes live and people start pushing it to its limits, they could make it give bad, weird, and potentially unacceptable answers.

Going back to our tests, we ran across a couple of instances where Ask This Page wasn’t 100% spot on. In the first example above, we asked it whether the Pixel 8a was powerful and whether there was a better phone, based on my Pixel 8a tests video. The first time it answered, it only used the first half of the video where I compared the 8a against the Pixel 7a and 8, which resulted in a glowing answer in favor of the new phone.

None of that was technically wrong, but it wasn’t the full picture. Since we know that the second half of the video looks at the competition, we tried to rephrase the question to nudge it in the right direction, and that’s where it told us that the OnePlus 12R is a more powerful phone in the same price range.

The problem is that random viewers won’t have this kind of context, so they might take the first answer at face value and not realize that the video went into a different set of comparisons later and that there’s a more capable phone for the same price. This is the kind of context that I’m afraid AI summaries will miss again and again, until they get better at it. As someone who’s only recently become a YouTuber, I’ve seen so many depressing comments from people who didn’t watch my videos and jumped on a word in the title or the intro without seeing the nuance, and I fear these kinds of incomplete or wrong AI answers will create more situations like that where we’ll be blamed for the AI’s failure to summarize or synthesize something correctly.

google gemini ask this video answer 6

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

The final example is the one where Gemini veered off-track. We asked it about the best analog options among my 10 favorite watch faces for the Pixel and Galaxy Watch and it returned three options. Only one — Nothing Fancy — is correct. Sport XR is a digital watch face and I even say that in the video when I introduce it. Material Stack is also a digital design, though I don’t mention it explicitly. Meanwhile, Gemini failed to find the option that is simply and obviously called “Analogue watch face.” It also missed “Typograph,” another watch face that I explicitly mention as having an analog design.

Let’s face it, though, this is not as dire as those terrible AI results in Google search, but if this kind of simple error can occur with watch faces, then who’s to say what can happen with more nuanced and complicated videos?

We kept our focus on tech in these early tests, but there’s a bit of everything on YouTube, from politics to social issues, cooking tutorials, sports highlights, and more. Even though Google has this ever-present “Gemini may display inaccurate info, including about people, so double-check its responses” notice at the bottom of the pop-up, we all know that most people will eventually just rely on the answer they’re getting. Errors in answers can be very detrimental, both to the viewer and the video creator, as more and more people start relying on Gemini and trusting it with their everyday queries.

Personally, I’m not a fan of this “move fast, break things, and ask for forgiveness later” approach with AI. I would have preferred if Google tested it more and waited for it to mature before throwing it out in the world. But investors and money speak, not users like you and me, so once again, this is another discussion for another day.

Google Pixel 8a review: Should you buy it?

Should you buy the Google Pixel 8a?

Google Pixel 8a screen on table with screen on stock photo

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Google’s mid-range Pixel A series exists in a confusing space. On the one hand, it offers much of the flagship Pixel experience with the same powerful image processing, sleek, colorful design, and smooth Android skin with a long-term update commitment — all good things. However, the Pixel A series exists at a price that, year after year, falls just a bit too close to Google’s base Pixel flagship when you account for the hefty discounts that tend to drop at the same time as the Pixel A series’ typical mid-year launch window. It started with the Pixel 6 series and continued with the Pixel 7 series, and now Google is back for another bite at the apple with the $500 Pixel 8a. On paper, it’s the most capable budget Pixel device yet, but can it survive in a world where the Google Pixel 8 is almost always on sale for just $100 more?

Obviously, stepping on its own toes doesn’t always work out for Google (or anyone else), but when it comes to the Pixel 8a’s design, it really, really does. I’ve always been partial to the Pixel’s camera bar and bright color options, and this mid-ranger takes them to new heights — just don’t expect top-shelf materials. At a glance, the Pixel 8a looks like a scaled-down cross between the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, pulling the size of the former and combining it with the soft matte finish of the latter. But having held and tested all of them extensively at this point, I can tell you that the mid-ranger has rounder corners than either flagship, making it feel like a pebble you just fished out of a stream.

Maybe you’re anti-pebble, but the change makes the Pixel 8a fit perfectly in the hand. It doesn’t dig in nearly as much as its flagship counterparts, and its fingerprint-resistant finish is much appreciated when most budget phones opt for high-gloss finishes to look more premium. Although cutting corners works out well for the overall design, it’s not quite as welcome when it comes to the Pixel 8a’s materials. For a cool $499, you get a phone with a Gorilla Glass 3 display, aluminum frame, and colorful (see all the colors in hands-on images at the link) composite back — which is just a nice word for plastic. Low-grade Gorilla Glass and plastic are what we expect on actual budget phones, not mid-rangers that cost more than Samsung’s Galaxy A35 5G, a phone with Gorilla Glass Victus Plus protecting the display. On the brighter side, the Pixel 8a offers an IP67 rating against water and dust.

Another bright side (pun intended) is that the Pixel 8a features almost the same display as the Pixel 8 — just smaller and slightly less durable. It boasts the same 1,080 x 2,400 resolution and 60 to 120Hz refresh rate in a slightly smaller 6.1-inch panel. The Pixel 8a’s OLED panel also tops out at up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness. However, you should know that you need to opt into the semi-variable refresh rate, as the Pixel 8a is locked at 60Hz by default. Both settings feel smooth while using the Pixel 8a from day to day, though I appreciate the extra speed while scrolling through X or checking on Google Discover. The Pixel 8a’s display also houses its fingerprint reader, identical to the one on the Pixel 8 series. I haven’t had any issues with accuracy or speed, and the position is just high enough on the display to be comfortable.

Google might have skimped on the Pixel 8a's materials, but it nailed the overall design.

Moving on, perhaps the best reason to reach for the Pixel 8a over an older Pixel device is the software experience. You get the light, smooth, Google-ified Android experience you’d find on a flagship Pixel, and it’s combined with the same class-leading update commitment as the Pixel 8 series. That means the Pixel 8a will get seven years of Pixel updates, including Android versions, security patches, and regular feature drops, which not only beats other Android devices in its price range but tops flagship-level promises from OnePlus and Motorola, and also betters Samsung’s mid-to-budget phone update policies.

In addition to the long-term support, Google’s Pixel 8a is chock-full of AI-powered features, many of which we saw for the first time on the Pixel 8 series. I’ve become a true believer in AI-generated wallpapers, using just a few prompts to switch up the look of my Pixel 8a every few days. On a more practical front, Google’s Circle to Search feels like the next step in Google Lens and a far more practical application of what AI-centric upstarts like Rabbit want their “vision modes” to be.

Google Pixel 8a generative wallpaper

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

You can also tap into more advanced AI-powered features through Google’s Gemini platform, including summarizing emails and documents and brainstorming ideas for your next DIY project. Interestingly, the Gemini app isn’t installed on the Pixel 8a by default, so you’ll have to grab it from the Play Store. You’ll also have to switch your active assistant from Google Assistant to Gemini, removing some of the features you’re used to. Google has also confirmed that the Pixel 8a will get Gemini Nano on-device AI support in a future feature drop, which should enable more advanced features in the future (though you’ll need to dig into the phone’s developer settings to enable it).

Of course, one of the keys to Google’s AI-powered goals is its Tensor G3 chipset. Although we’ve mentioned more than once that the Tensor G3 doesn’t quite match rivals like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 regarding flagship performance on the best Android phones, it feels right at home in the $500 segment. It still doesn’t set the world on fire with class-leading benchmark scores across the board, but it does put up a pretty good fight against the more expensive Nothing Phone 2 and Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. Samsung and Nothing have a very slight edge in the CPU-focused Geekbench 6 test with a bit of a wider margin in the overall PCMark Work test, but the three phones are almost indistinguishable in our 20-minute 3DMark graphics stress test — not bad, Google.

In a more practical, day-to-day sense, the Pixel 8a has no problem keeping up with its mid-range rivals. The Pixel 8a accompanied me on several days’ worth of travel, flying to Boston to visit my brother and then heading to New York for a work event, and I never felt stressed over how it would handle a long day. It hopped comfortably from social media scrolling to light gaming, all with downloaded Spotify podcasts streaming in the background. Google has also mostly addressed the Tensor G3’s thermal issues — the Pixel 8a never really warmed under basic usage — though I noticed a little extra warmth when searching for a connection after pulling the phone out of airplane mode. Check out our Pixel 8a performance deep dive (or watch the video above) for more details on what to expect.

Google Pixel 8a cameras close

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

Moving on, what Google Pixel device is complete without a capable set of cameras? We all know that Google isn’t the fastest to change or upgrade its camera sensors when it’s already among the best on a budget phone, so it’s hardly surprising to see the Pixel 8a land with the same dynamic duo as its predecessor. That means you’ll use the 64MP primary sensor — which bins to 16MP images by default — for the bulk of your shooting. It’s again paired with a 13MP ultrawide camera, complete with a 120-degree field of view. Even the selfie camera offers the same 13MP resolution, though it has a slightly wider 96.5-degree field of view — up from an even 95 degrees.

The main differences, however, come when you look at the Pixel 8a’s software features. It has a few new Tensor G3-powered extras, like Best Take and Audio Magic Eraser, which let you swap faces in your group photos and clean up background noise from your videos, respectively. The Pixel 8a also adds Magic Editor to the mix, which is the next step in the evolution of Magic Eraser, enabling you to move and resize subjects in your shots and use AI to fill in the space. I’ll admit that they all sound like cool features and are fun to play around with, but the artifacts that AI sometimes leaves behind make it tough to use Magic Editor results for much more than social media throwaways.

As mentioned, you’ll probably use the 64MP primary sensor to capture most of your images. Not because it’s an excellent sensor (though it is pretty good), but because there’s no telephoto option to zoom with. So, I’d wager you’ll spend most of your time split between the 1x and 2x zoom lengths, as that’s where the sensor feels most at home. The Pixel 8a nailed both the colors and the fine details in the collection of samples below, bringing the bright green of New York’s High Line to life in the top left but also pulling out the bright colors in the rack of kayaks without oversaturating them on an overcast day.

I’m also pleased with the Pixel 8a’s low-light performance, as seen in the image in the second row. It accurately captured the colors of the sunset and the architecture of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, even if it couldn’t help me get a better view of the concert itself. True Night Sight is a little tougher for the Pixel 8a due to its slightly smaller megapixels, but it still captured accurate colors with a two-second exposure, as seen below. There’s also decent detail throughout the grass, and you can easily see both the sky and clouds between the trees. It’s just about identical to the performance we’ve seen from the Pixel 8 in low light, though the flagship’s larger individual megapixels might let it capture more light just a bit faster.

Although the Pixel 8a is perfectly comfortable at 1x and 2x zoom, it’s a little less confident once you pinch in further. Both the 4x and 8x zoom samples below show the limitations of digital zoom, holding onto the correct colors pretty effectively but losing the details in the boards of the dock and the rocks behind the boat. The boat’s name also comes out a bit fuzzy at the 8x zoom length, despite not being all that far away.

Thankfully, Google’s 13MP ultrawide camera makes the Pixel 8a much more reliable at 0.5x zoom. It’s the same field of view as we saw on the Pixel 7a, but it just seems to work well, especially in the heights of New York City. I particularly like the shot of the apartment building to the left, as the wider perspective helps to emphasize the funky architecture. There’s a little bit of lens flare, which is less appreciated, but the colors are again spot-on.

I don’t have many complaints about the punch hole selfie camera either — it doesn’t need to bin by default, and it hands in results with good colors and details. Best of all, Google doesn’t worry about the beauty filters we sometimes see on other budget phones. However, I can’t make heads or tails of the Pixel 8a’s default selfie portrait options. Your options are 1.7x and 2x zoom, and they’re almost impossible to tell apart.

On the video side, adding Audio Magic Eraser is the Pixel 8a’s only major upgrade. Otherwise, it’s still capable of 4K or 1080p recording at 60fps from either rear camera and up to 30fps from the selfie camera, just like the previous Pixel 7a. That said, Google seems to have improved its video stabilization — clips from the Pixel 8a have noticeably less bounce while walking than clips from the Pixel 7a. You can also check out full-size versions of the samples above and several more at this Google Drive link.

The last piece of Google’s Pixel 8a puzzle is its battery and charging setup. Although the phone is almost the same size as its predecessor, it has a battery about 100mAh larger, and the switch to the Tensor G3 chip means it can push that battery a bit further. Our controlled battery drain test showed that the newer mid-ranger easily beats the older Pixel 7a in simulated zoom calls, camera longevity in both video and stills, and 4K video playback, and comes up just a bit short in basic web browsing and gaming. The differences aren’t that big, though, and you might not notice them across a mixed day of usage since they’ll likely balance each other out.

Unfortunately, the similarities continue when you eventually run the Pixel 8a out of juice. It still offers the same speeds as the Pixel 7a, topping out at 18W wired and 7.5W wireless charging, neither of which is great in 2024. Motorola’s much cheaper Moto G Power (2024), for example, outpaces both charging standards — even if it can’t keep up in any other regard. In our experience, the Pixel 8a took a full 100 minutes to charge, which is, as my colleague Rob Triggs pointed out, slower than the Galapagos Tortoise runs the 400-meter dash. Oh, and you don’t get a charger in the box, so you might want to check out a few of our favorite Pixel 8a chargers if you think you’ll need to upgrade.

So, is the Pixel 8a Google’s most complete mid-range Android phone ever? Yes, certainly. It has the best update commitment for the money, solid performance, an ever-growing list of AI-powered features, and a design almost as good as the Pixel 5 (a phone I still miss). And, if you’re lucky, your carrier might offer you one for free.

However, the Pixel 8a also has so much in common with its predecessor and its flagship Pixel 8 counterpart that if you find the vanilla flagship on sale for around the $600 mark (something we’ve already seen multiple times in the past month or so), you should 100% ignore that the Pixel 8a exists and grab the better phone. You can save money and get the same cameras and charging experience from the Pixel 7a or splash some cash for better materials, faster charging, slightly better camera flexibility, and a larger display.

In a vacuum, Google has nailed the Pixel 8a; it’s a phone that no one would ever be unhappy with, but one that’s also been dropped into a no-win situation of Google’s own creation.

What are the best Google Pixel 8a alternatives?

You may have come this far only to realize that the Google Pixel 8a is not, in fact, the phone for you. If that’s the case, several others with similar specs and price tags are worth considering. Here are just a few Pixel 8a alternatives:

  • Google Pixel 8 ( ): You knew this was coming first — the Pixel 8 is essentially a more complete Pixel 8a, offering better materials, faster charging speeds, and more capable cameras on the front and back. Check out our full written comparison, or watch the video above for more.
  • Samsung Galaxy A35 5G ( ): If you’re not sold on Google’s Pixel ecosystem, the Galaxy A35 5G offers a great experience at a lower price. It combines Gorilla Glass Victus Plus with a flexible three-camera setup and Samsung’s unusual Key Island design for the power button and volume rocker. With no Galaxy A5X series phone in the US in 2024, it’s the closest Samsung has to a Pixel 8a competitor without you making the jump to the pricier Galaxy S23 FE.
  • Google Pixel 7a ( ): The outgoing Pixel 7a has plenty in common with the updated Pixel 8a, but you can grab it at a better price on sale. It has identical rear cameras and charging specs, though it misses the seven years of software support.
  • OnePlus 12R ( ): OnePlus is back to offering multiple flagships per year, or at least a flagship and a premium mid-range option. The OnePlus 12R offers the fastest wired charging on this list, as well as a durable Gorilla Glass Victus 2 display and a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.
  • Nothing Phone 2a ( ): Although it’s only available in the US via a developer scheme and doesn’t have broad US carrier support, the Nothing Phone 2a is one of the best and quirkiest mid-range Android phones you can buy. It looks like a rejected (but cute) design from the movie Wall-E and comes with a pair of 50MP cameras on the back and a massive display.

Google Pixel 8a specs

Google Pixel 8a
Display6.1-inch OLED
120Hz refresh rate
2400 x 1080 resolution
20:9 aspect ratio
ProcessorGoogle Tensor G3
RAM8GB
Storage128/256GB
Battery4.492mAh
18W wired charging
7.5W wireless charging
No charger included
CamerasRear:
64MP wide camera
ƒ/1.89 aperture
OIS + EIS

13MP ultra-wide camera, 120deg FoV
ƒ/2.2 aperture

Front:
13MP (f/2.2)
Connectivity5G
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 6e
Bluetooth 5.3
NFC
Operating SystemPixel UI
Android 14
Water resistanceIP67
ColorsAloe, Bay, Obsidian, Porcelain
Dimension and weight152.4 x 73.7 x 10.1mm
192.8 grams

Google Pixel 8a review: FAQ

What's the difference between the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a?

Google’s flagship Pixel 8 uses Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back and offers faster charging speeds, a better IP rating, and slightly more flexible cameras than the partly plastic Pixel 8a.

Does the Google Pixel 8a have wireless charging?

Yes, the Pixel 8a charges wirelessly at up to 7.5W.

Does the Google Pixel 8a have a headphone jack?

No, the Pixel 8a does not have a headphone jack. Google removed the headphone jack from its Pixel A series after the Pixel 5a.

Is the Google Pixel 8a waterproof?

The Google Pixel 8a has an IP67 rating against water and dust, which means it can withstand submersion in water for up to 30 minutes.

Is the Google Pixel 8a dual-SIM with eSIM support?

Yes. The Pixel 8a has a single nano-SIM tray but supports dual-SIM with downloadable eSIM profiles.

Does the Pixel 8a support NFC?

Yes, the Google Pixel 8a supports NFC.

Does the Google Pixel 8a support 5G?

Yes, the Pixel 8a supports 5G.

Google Home app restores convenient multi-speaker volume control

google home app 3

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

  • Google Home app has reinstated multi-speaker volume control, previously removed due to a lawsuit with Sonos.
  • Users can now adjust the volume across multiple speakers using the app or voice commands.
  • Future updates promise further enhancements to group volume control, including integration with smart displays.


Google has reinstated a popular feature in the Google Home app: the ability to adjust the volume of multiple speakers simultaneously. This functionality, which Google had to remove in the wake of a legal dispute with Sonos, is now back, surely to the relief of many users.

The original removal stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Sonos, accusing Google of infringing on various technological patents. Sonos claimed that Google’s entire Nest and Chromecast product lines were utilizing proprietary Sonos technology, including features like phone-based music streaming control, speaker group management, and automatic equalization.

For the past few years, users had to adjust the volume for each speaker individually. However, with the reinstatement of multi-speaker volume control, it seems Google has found a way to address Sonos’s concerns while restoring a much-loved feature for its users.

Group volume UI screen 2

Credit: Google

To use the restored feature on an Android device, users should follow these steps:

  • Open the Google Home app.
  • Start a playback session.
  • Tap on the mini-player.
  • Access the output selector to add or remove speakers or choose from preset speaker groups.
  • Adjust the volume for the selected devices collectively.

Additionally, users can now use Google Assistant voice commands to manage group volumes. Commands such as “Hey Google, turn it up” (which increases the volume by 10%) or “Hey Google, set volume to X%” will seamlessly adjust the audio output across all connected devices.

Google has also hinted at further enhancements to group volume control, with plans to integrate it directly into Android smartphone lock screens and smart displays like the Nest Hub.

Google will soon let you resize Android’s Live Captions feature

  • Android’s Live Captions feature will soon add a grab bar that users can drag to change the number of lines shown for captions.
  • This upcoming feature was announced at Google I/O and was said to be rolling out this month.
  • We also recently discovered that Live Caption will soon add new customization options around emojis as well as other features.


Live Caption is one of Android’s best accessibility features. The feature automatically generates captions, in real-time, for any speech detected in audio playing from your phone. This is a really useful feature for people who have difficulty hearing, but it can also come in handy for anyone who can’t raise their phone’s volume enough to make out what’s being said. The generated captions are shown in a floating box that currently can’t be resized but that’s set to change in an upcoming update.

At Google I/O earlier this month, the company talked about the major new accessibility features it’s bringing to Android. It started off by talking about how the Android 15 release improves the platform’s support for hearing aids, how the Sound Notifications feature has been updated to be more accessible, how the Project Relate app’s onboarding process has been improved, and so on. The company highlighted most of these changes in a blog post published during Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), but one change it didn’t highlight on GAAD was the rollout of a new grab bar for Live Caption.

The new grab bar will let users “easily change the number of lines shown for captions.” This feature is supposedly rolling out “this month,” i.e., May 2024. However, we’re near the end of May but have yet to hear any reports of this feature rolling out. Regardless, Google shared an image of what it’ll look like during their presentation, so we’ll know what to look out for when it does roll out.

Live Caption grab bar resize

Credit: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority

Although Google says Live Caption’s new grab bar will let users tailor the number of caption lines shown, it didn’t specify exactly how many lines can be shown. The image it shared shows four lines, but it’s likely that more can be shown, given that currently, two or three lines can already be shown depending on text size. Speaking of which, it’s already somewhat possible to fit more text in the Live Caption window simply by enabling “caption preferences” in settings and overriding the text size to a smaller value.

Note that this is a system-wide setting, which means that media apps that already have built-in captions might also be affected. Once the grab bar feature rolls out, though, this won’t be a problem since you won’t need to change the system-wide caption text size in order to show more lines in the Live Caption window.

We don’t know exactly when this feature will roll out, but its rollout is likely imminent, given that Google said it’s coming this month. Google didn’t specify whether this feature will be rolling out to its own Pixel devices first or if it’ll come to other Android devices that have Live Caption. Live Caption is part of the Android System Intelligence app, which Google provides to OEMs in two flavors. The “Private Features” version of the app includes support for Live Caption, and it’s found on devices from many different Android brands like OnePlus, ASUS, and others.

As we spotted earlier this month, alongside the grab bar, Live Caption is also expected to gain several customization features. These features include toggles to show emoji icons, emphasize emotional intensity, include emotional tags, and show the word duration effect.

New leak hints at improved design for the Galaxy Z Fold 6

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 folded in hand

Credit: Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority

  • Leaked images suggest the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will have a boxier design with sharper corners.
  • Subtle refinements like a thinner hinge and wider outer display are also visible.


Samsung could announce the Galaxy Z Fold 6 launch event anytime now. Adding to the excitement, renowned tipster Ice Universe on X/Twitter has leaked a new partial image of the upcoming foldable device. This follows a previous leak where Ice Universe revealed another partial image, which appears to be a cropped section of the same photo.

While the images don’t offer a complete view of the outer display, they do confirm the presence of a familiar centered camera cutout and a metal frame. We can also see that the Z Fold 6 will move to sharper and more squared-off corners, echoing the boxier design language of the recent Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The hinge also seems to have undergone a slimming treatment, not protruding out of the sides as much as it does on the Z Fold 5. But perhaps the most welcome leak is the hint of a wider outer display. The change in width seems to be minimal from this previously leaked photo below, but it’s still a step in the right direction to address a common gripe about the Z Fold 5’s cramped outer screen.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 screen protector

The Z Fold 6 has been a subject of much speculation, with early rumors suggesting the possibility of multiple models, including a high-end “Ultra” variant or a budget-friendly “FE” foldable. However, as the launch date draws near, it appears more likely that the Z Fold 6 will be a single model representing an incremental upgrade over its predecessor.

Yet, Samsung may still have a few surprises up its sleeve. Recent reports suggest the company could be working on a brand-new foldable form factor that could debut alongside the Galaxy S25 series next year instead.

The Z Fold 6 is rumored to launch on July 10, alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and other new products.

Samsung Galaxy Ring is coming: What we know so far and what we want to see

samsung galaxy ring silver 1

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Update: May 29, 2024 (1:15 PM ET): We’ve updated our Galaxy Ring hub with information on a potential loss prevention feature.


Original article: Samsung’s watches are among the best smartwatches in today’s market. Despite the line’s success, Samsung doesn’t appear ready to rest on its laurels. Instead, the company is pivoting to a much smaller form factor (and a different body part). Possibly sliding soon onto fingers near you, here’s everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Ring.

Will there be a Samsung Galaxy Ring?

It is now safe to say that Samsung is officially making a smart ring. On January 17, the company teased the ring at its Galaxy Unpacked event. Though details were limited at the time, Samsung displayed the first images we’ve seen of the device and dubbed it the Galaxy Ring. The company then showed off the ring at MWC 2024 while revealing more details about it, and you can check out our Galaxy Ring hands-on for these details.

Patents for the device were reported in 2022, and the Korean Intellectual Property Right Information Service (KIPRIS) granted a trademark for the Samsung Galaxy Ring. So Samsung has been eyeing this form factor for a while.

We’ve been ignoring Apple Watch ring rumors for years now, but the fact is that smart rings are gaining traction. The screen-free experience appeals to many users who just want to track their basics without distractions. Either way, Samsung’s ring is definitely coming.

What is the most likely Samsung Galaxy Ring release date?

samsung galaxy ring gold 5 zoomed

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Estimating a release date for Samsung’s first attempt is nearly impossible. Branching into new territory, Samsung won’t want to swing and miss. To compete with existing smart rings, the company must have the device well buttoned up before launch.

In the wake of the January 17 Unpacked event, analyst Avi Greengart went hands-on with Galaxy Ring prototypes and confirmed on Threads that it would launch in 2024. However, he didn’t give an exact timeline for the launch.

A Samsung executive on LinkedIn stated in early February that the Galaxy Ring would launch in the second half of the year. This was echoed by another Samsung executive at MWC 2024.

What about a specific launch date? Korean outlet ET News reported on February 20 that the Galaxy Ring would launch at an Unpacked event in the second half of July. SamMobile would later claim in April 2024 that the company’s Unpacked event would take place on July 10. The outlet also spotted the Galaxy Ring in Samsung’s battery widget back in March 2024, hinting that it was inching towards a launch. So there’s a good chance that Samsung could launch the Galaxy Ring at the rumored Samsung Unpacked on July 10, 2024, alongside other products like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Samsung’s Galaxy Ring made an appearance on the Bluetooth SIG website on May 17 (via 91mobiles). Products usually get listed a few weeks to a couple of months ahead of launch, suggesting that we aren’t far away from a full launch.

What specs and features could the Samsung Galaxy Ring have?

samsung galaxy ring gold 4

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Samsung confirmed a variety of Galaxy Ring features at MWC 2024. The company says the smart ring tracks several sleep-related metrics (heart rate, sleep latency, night movement), will offer fertility tracking, and give you a readiness score for the day.

Samsung told journalists (ourselves included) at MWC that the Galaxy Ring has a battery life of more than a couple of days. However, the brand reportedly told Korean outlets to expect five to nine days of juice. Mobile chief TM Roh also apparently noted that you can’t take calls via the ring.

Speaking of the battery, Samsung told CNET that the smallest prototype present at MWC had a 14.5mAh battery. Meanwhile, the largest model was said to have a capacity of 21.5mAh. However, the company is still reportedly hammering out the details.

These prototypes that appeared at the event were notably lighter than the competing Oura Ring. Samsung told CNET that the smallest prototype model weighed 2.3g, while the largest model came in at 2.9g. For comparison, the Oura Ring weighs between 4 and 6 grams, depending on the size.

Analyst Avi Greengart, who saw a prototype of the ring in January 2024, noted that it will be available in sizes up to 13. The analyst also noted that Samsung planned to offer the smart ring in three finishes. Samsung would go on to confirm three finishes at MWC 2024, namely gold, silver, and black. The company also confirmed nine sizes.

Samsung has revealed a fair amount of Galaxy Ring details to date, but there are still loads of unknowns.

An early patent points to potential smart home integration. Samsung may offer Galaxy Ring users the ability to control connected devices such as a smart TV. Meanwhile, a July 2023 report by The Elec points to another patent by Samsung, which shows that a pair of XR glasses can use a smart ring to get positional information for your fingers and hands. That theoretically means accurate hand and finger tracking in XR applications, allowing for fine control over the UI and in apps. This is just a patent, though, so there’s no guarantee of this feature coming to the Galaxy Ring or any other Samsung ring.

The February 20 ET News report also points to the Galaxy Ring offering ECG functionality and blood flow measurement. The outlet also claimed that the smart ring would support wireless payments and let you control other devices. None of these details have been confirmed yet.

In the CNET report mentioned earlier, Samsung vice-president Dr. Hon Pak said they are working on making the Galaxy Ring compatible with other Android phones. While the smart ring will work with non-Galaxy handsets, it won’t support iPhone. “We recognize the iOS/Android challenge, and we ultimately hope that our devices are of such caliber that people will be willing to switch,” Pak told the outlet.

Korean outlet Chosun Biz claimed in March 2024 that the Galaxy Ring could recommend custom diet plans for users based on tracked health info. This functionality will apparently be available via integration with Samsung Food and Samsung e-Food Center. It’s worth noting that the latter service, which allows you to order grocery items, is restricted to Korea.

The aforementioned Bluetooth SIG listing also confirmed a variety of model numbers, namely SM-Q500, SM-Q501, SM-Q502, SM-Q503, SM-Q505, SM-Q506, SM-Q507, SM-Q508, and SM-Q509. This largely lines up with a Galaxy Club report from April 2024, with the exception of an extra model number (SM-Q503) in the new filing. This database listing also mentions that the smart ring has Bluetooth 5.4 support.

In an interview with CNBC in February, Samsung Electronics Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team Dr. Hon Pak mentioned that users will be able to get different health insights when they wear a Galaxy Watch and a Galaxy Ring together, indicating that Samsung is pushing for a wider ecosystem (and not a product alternative) with the Galaxy Ring.

An APK teardown we conducted in May revealed that the Galaxy Ring could have a feature called “Lost mode.” This feature would work with the Samsung Find app and use the smart ring’s embedded light to flash, making the ring easier to locate. In addition, Lost mode would allow the user to lock their Samsung account and prevent the ring from pairing to other devices.

What might the Samsung Galaxy Ring price be?

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is highlighted at hte sompany's January Unpacked event.

Credit: Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority

In a word: expensive. The advanced tech required to turn a tiny ring into a viable fitness tracker costs a pretty penny. Samsung has not detailed or confirmed any pricing or subscription details for the Galaxy Ring, but we have some leaks to give us a fair idea.

Leaker Yogesh Brar claims that the Galaxy Ring could cost between $300-$350 in the US. This will put it in competition against the Oura Ring 3, which starts at $299 for its Heritage variant and goes up to $549 for its Rose Gold Horizon variant.

In a conversation with us, Yogesh Brar also mentions that the Samsung Galaxy Ring could come with a monthly subscription that is “under $10” in the US market, according to his sources. For comparison, the Oura Ring 3 also requires a $71.88/year subscription to access its full range of features.

It’s not immediately clear what could be included in Samsung’s subscription. Dr. Hon Pak mentioned in the CNBC interview that the company is “considering” a subscription service for its Samsung Health app, but the capabilities and insights it offers need to be improved before that can happen. Samsung is also working on the Galaxy Watch 7 series, which is expected to launch at the same rumored Galaxy Unpacked event as the Galaxy Ring, so a broader Health subscription across both products sounds plausible, especially if it comes with some AI features for personalized health insights and coaching.

Should you wait for the Samsung Galaxy Ring?

samsung galaxy ring silver 4

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

There is a very good chance the Samsung Galaxy Ring will be worth the wait. On the other hand, with so many unknowns before we see the ring on shelves, I don’t recommend holding your breath. The best wearable is always the one that helps you pursue your fitness goals right now.

If a finger-based wearable is on your shopping list, there are a few other options. The Oura Ring 3 ( ) is our top pick with fantastic sleep tracking and a holistic approach to wellness. Meanwhile, the Circular Ring ( ) is the best Oura Ring 3 alternative. It tracks heart rate, sleep, and blood oxygen and doesn’t require a monthly subscription.

If you prefer to stay within Samsung’s ecosystem, it may be worth sticking with the company’s smartwatch line for now. The Galaxy Watch 6 ( ) offers a well-rounded smartwatch experience with all the basics in terms of tracking health and fitness. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic ( ) is slightly pricier but features a useful rotating bezel and an elevated aesthetic.

Galaxy Ring could have a ‘Lost mode’ to make sure you can find it (APK teardown)

Samsung Galaxy Ring at MWC 1

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

  • The Samsung Find app was recently updated and includes a feature for the Galaxy Ring.
  • The feature is called “Lost mode.”
  • The user will be able to use Lost mode to make the smart ring blink or lock your Samsung account.


While you wait for the launch of Samsung’s highly anticipated Galaxy Ring, we have some news to help tide you over. It appears the smart ring could have some loss prevention and security features you won’t find on its biggest competitor.

The Samsung Find app — the app that helps users find misplaced Galaxy smartphones, tablets, watches, earbuds, S Pens, and other devices — recently got an update after more than a month. While investigating the update, we discovered strings of code referencing a feature called “Lost mode” for the Galaxy Ring.

<string name="lost_mode_guide_description_ring">Lost mode helps protect your ring while it's missing.</string>
<string name="message_default_ring">I lost my ring. Please help me find it.</string>
<string name="ring_dialog_error_ring">Couldn't connect to Ring to start blinking.</string>
<string name="ring_dialog_ready_ring">Tap start to make the light on your ring blink.</string>
<string name="ring_dialog_ringing_ring">Ring light is blinking.</string>
<string name="pairing_lock_description_ring">This ring will be locked to your Samsung account. No one else will be able to use it.</string>

According to the strings, it appears a user will be able to turn Lost mode on via the app. If you can’t find the ring without help, the app will give you the option to turn on a light that’s embedded in the ring and have it start blinking. The app will also tell the user if the light is blinking or if it is unable to connect with the ring to trigger the blinking. Additionally, it seems Lost mode will allow users to lock their Samsung accounts from the app so no one else can use the ring or access your information.

This feature would be pretty handy if you were ever in the unfortunate position of misplacing your smart ring. It’s also something that would set it apart from what Oura offers with its competitor hardware.

As Oura explains on its support page, if you lose your Oura Ring, it will enter into Restricted Mode when attempting to pair with a new device. Restricted Mode causes the Oura App to prompt you to factory reset the smart ring. Factory resetting erases the data since your last sync, but historical data before your last sync is still available.

As this is an APK teardown, it’s unclear if/when the feature could roll out. But we would imagine it would likely be ready around the time the Galaxy Ring launches. That launch date is still a mystery, but rumors point to a significant Samsung launch on July 10, so it might be then.

Pixel 8 and 8a could get this Gemini Nano toggle very soon (APK teardown)

Google Gemini logo on smartphone stock photo (1)

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

  • An APK teardown of Google’s AICore app shows the expected toggle for activating Gemini Nano features on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a.
  • Google said Nano would come to these phones through Developer Options, so this suggests that the launch is imminent.
  • However, it’s also possible this would allow users to opt out of Nano on the Pixel 8 Pro, too.


There are many versions of Google’s Gemini. Only one of them actually works using the hardware built into smartphones, though, which is Gemini Nano. So far, Nano support only exists on a handful of phones. Notably, this includes just one Pixel: the Google Pixel 8 Pro. When Google confirmed that Nano support wouldn’t come to the Pixel 8, there was a slight uproar — so much so that Google backtracked and agreed to bring Nano support to the Pixel 8 and, even better, the Pixel 8a, too.

The caveat, though, is that Google is going to force users to manually enable Nano support on the Pixel 8 and 8a through a toggle in developer options, while Pixel 8 Pro users already have the features automatically enabled. This means that the vast majority of Pixel 8/8a users won’t use Gemini Nano features because so few of them will know it’s even an option. Now, thanks to an APK teardown of the recent AICore app from Google, we can see the supposed toggle for this feature, suggesting an imminent launch. Interestingly, it might also mean more control of the feature for Pixel 8 Pro users, too.

First, let’s show you what we found. In the screenshot below, you can see the two toggles we expect to appear in Settings > Developer Options > AICore Settings on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a. The first toggle gives permission for AICore to use as many resources as possible (which you will almost certainly want to leave activated), and the second actually turns on Nano.

Gemini AICore Toggle Leak

Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

We can’t say anything for certain until Google actually announces this, but we assume both of these toggles will be “off” by default. That’s how Google described it, so that’s what we’re going with for now.

In other words, this is the order things should go:

  • Google announces a Feature Drop that brings Nano support to the Pixel 8 and 8a
  • Pixel 8 and 8a users will need to activate Developer Options
  • In Developer Options, you’ll need to activate the second toggle in the screenshot above and, optionally, the first one

Theoretically, once you do those steps, you should be able to use Gemini Nano features on your Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a.

The very fact that the AICore app has this means we should expect Google to announce Nano support for the Pixel 8/8a very soon, possibly in just weeks or even days.

What about the Pixel 8 Pro?

One of the interesting side-effects of this toggle’s upcoming existence on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a is that it might also come to the Pixel 8 Pro. This would, in theory, allow Pixel 8 Pro users to disable Gemini Nano — something that’s currently not possible. As mentioned earlier, Nano support is enabled by default on the Pixel 8 Pro already, and without a toggle like this, there’s no way to turn it off.

Obviously, most people wouldn’t feel the need to disable Nano support, but it is possible that this toggle could give those folks the option. Just like with Pixel 8 and 8a users turning the feature on, Pixel 8 Pro users could follow the same steps to turn it off.

Samsung already allows users to disable/enable specific AI features through its Galaxy AI interface, which is built right into Android settings. Unfortunately, this toggle buried in Developer Options on Pixels wouldn’t be nearly as convenient, but at least it would give users more control, which is almost always a good thing.

Deep dive into Arm’s new Cortex-X925 and Immortalis-G925 for mobile

Arm Cortex A925

Mobile chipset development continues to advance at a brisk pace, bringing us superior gaming performance, accelerating the latest AI features, and more power-efficient PCs. Arm, one of the companies charting the course, has announced its 2024 selection of CPU and GPU cores to power these growing use cases.

Some (but not all) of 2025’s next-generation top-tier smartphones will be powered by Arm’s newly announced cores. Arm has been giving out fewer details on its CPU and GPU technologies in recent years, but let’s examine the announcements in closer detail to see what we can expect.

The big one: Arm Cortex-X925 core

The flagship CPU in Arm’s 2024 portfolio is the powerhouse Arm Cortex-X925. Despite the name change, this is the direct successor to last generation’s Armv9.2 Cortex-X4 found in processors like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. We had anticipated this core to be called the Cortex-X5, but Arm has changed the moniker to match other products in this year’s portfolio.

Headline figures for the Arm Cortex-X925 include a 15% higher performance IPC improvement over the Cortex-X4. This extends to 36% once the gains from moving to 3nm manufacturing, higher clock speeds in excess of 3.6GHz, and larger caches are factored in.  AI performance sees even bigger potential gains, running some models 46% faster on the CPU than the X4. The bottom line is that single-core CPU capabilities will see a significant uplift next-gen.

Cortex-X925Arm Cortex-X4Arm Cortex-X3Arm Cortex-X2
Peak clock speed~3.6GHz~3.4GHz~3.25GHz~3.0GHz
Decode Width10 instructions10 instructions6 instructions
(8 mop)
5 instructions
Dispatch Pipeline Depth10 cycles10 cycles11 cycles for instructions
(9 cycles for mop)
10 cycles
OoO Execution Window1,500
(2x 750)
768
(2x 384)
640
(2x 320)
448
(2x 288)
Execution Units(assumed)
6x ALU (some 2-cycle)
2x ALU/MAC
2x ALU/MAC/DIV

3x Branch
6x ALU
1x ALU/MAC
1x ALU/MAC/DIV

3x Branch
4x ALU
1x ALU/MUL
1x ALU/MAC/DIV

2x Branch
2x ALU
1x ALU/MAC
1x ALU/MAC/DIV

2x Branch
ArchitectureARMv9.2ARMv9.2ARMv9ARMv9

The gains from 3nm are an important part of the performance uplift expected for this generation. Arm has worked extensively to optimize its design for its partners on both FinFET and GAA processes (aka TSMC and Samsung). That leaves the 15% like-for-like improvement over the previous model, which comes down to several key changes in the X925’s microarchitecture.

In the processing core, for example, the X925 now has six SIMD units (the powerful number crunchers that batch compute floating point math and AI workloads) up from four, allowing them to do more heavy math in parallel.  This likely accounts for most of the core’s AI/ML performance boost. There’s also an additional integer multiply unit and extra floating point compare unit, which again increases the core’s sheer number-crunching capabilities when fully fed. Arm is reluctant to discuss die area size these days, but the X925 must be getting pretty big.

Arm Client 2024 CPU Reference Cluster

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Another interesting change is that some of the ALUs have been switched to dedicated 2-cycle instruction versions. This helps avoid stalls in the regular 1-cycle units but presumably means that these ALUs can’t perform some of the simpler arithmetic. This seems like the sort of design change that only intricate use-case data would allude to.

Instruction dispatch remains 10-wide, but Arm has doubled the X925’s maximum number of instructions in flight, now a colossal 1,500. Likewise, there’s twice the L1 instruction cache bandwidth and double the L1 instruction lookup table size to speed up instruction fetching. Meanwhile, the backend consists of an extra load pipeline to bring more data in from memory. In other words, there are plenty of out-of-order instructions floating around to keep those number-crunching cores busy.

That’s a lot of jargon, but the themes are very familiar from previous years— an ever-wider front end feeding an increasingly insatiable execution engine. In that sense, the X925 is an update to the X4 rather than a wholesale redesign. Even so, performance will take a solid leap forward again in 2025, though a fair chunk of the benefits also come from the move to 3nm.

Power-efficient Arm Cortex-A725 and A520

Sadly, Arm hasn’t provided as many details about the equally important Cortex-A725 — the new middle core that’ll form the backbone of upcoming mobile SoCs.

Arm claims that the A725 is 25% more efficient than the A720 and offers the option for higher peak performance if required. Again, though, this implies the move to 3nm, and Arm hasn’t given us a standard metric for IPC performance gains. However, it claims a 20% boost to L3 traffic, which helps realize some extra performance.

On the microarchitecture level, Arm increased the re-order buffer and instruction issue queue sizes, improving throughput. A new 1MB L2 cache configuration also allows the core to reach a higher performance level. But if that’s it, the A725 is a minor revision of the A720, which was already an optimization of 2022’s A710 core.

Arm Cortex A725 efficiency graph

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

This leads us to the refreshed Cortex-A520, certainly the least exciting model in this year’s CPU trio. The core architecture remains unchanged. Instead, Arm has optimized the A520 footprint for upcoming 3nm processes, resulting in 15% energy-efficient gains.

Looking at Arm’s power efficiency curves, this generation has an even greater crossover between the Cortex-A725 and A520. While the A520 can still reach the very lowest power levels for standby and low-clock tasks, the A725 can deliver vastly more performance for the same power as a maxed-out A520. In other words, many tasks run much faster and just as efficiently on the A725. It’s little wonder that Arm’s 2024 reference design suggests just two A520s, further reducing the number of small cores from what we see in current-generation chipsets.

Vastly improved gaming with the Immortalis G925

Arm continues to upgrade its GPU line-up too, with the Immortalis G925, Mali G725, and Mali G625. As with last year’s range, silicon partners need to use a larger core count to ensure robust ray tracing performance and leverage the Immortalis branding. Ten to 24 cores, up from 16 last gen, is classed as Immortalis, six to nine for a G725 implementation, and one to five cores for a budget G625 setup.

Regardless of the configuration, each G925 core promises a 30% reduction in power consumption when built on 3nm, up to 37% improved performance, and a whopping 52% gain in ray racing over last-gen’s Immortalis G720. That last metric has a big caveat: it requires developers to leverage new APIs to designate targets as “intricate objects,” which the G925 then traces with reduced fidelity. Think leaves or grass that is very expensive to compute individually but that players won’t notice if ray traced at lower accuracy. It’s a neat idea, but entirely dependent on developers knowing about and then coding for.

Arm Immortalis G925 Performance

In real-world games, Arm is claiming even more significant gains with 14 Immortalis G925 cores versus 12 older G720. Of course, that’s not a like-for-like comparison, so take it with a pinch of salt. But giving Arm the benefit of the doubt, I’d guess that you can fit 14 G925 cores in the space of 12 of the previous G720s, but that’s entirely my speculation.

Still, for just two more cores, Arm touts a 72% performance improvement in Call of Duty, 49% in Genshin Impact, 46% in Diablo Immortal, and a 29% gain in Fortnite. The key likes in the core’s new Fragment Prepass technique. The TLDR is that this vastly improves hidden object culling (think a player or object hidden behind a wall), reducing CPU load for these big performance gains. Games with complex geometry benefit most, hence the performance differences between CoD and Fortnite.

If you want a more in-depth explanation, Arm has replaced the traditional Z-buffer Hidden Surface Removal (HSR) technique, like forward pixel kill or primitive re-ordering, with its fragment prepass technology. The key difference is that it removes the need to re-order the Z-buffer (depth buffer) to make culling decisions, reducing driver CPU cycles by up to 43% per thread. This is all done in hardware, meaning there is no overhead for developers, but it doesn’t benefit all games equally.

What about AI?

Arm Immortalis G925 Machine Learning

No 2024 announcement is complete without AI, and Arm had a fair bit to say here despite not having a dedicated AI accelerator to augment its more traditional CPU and GPU parts. Instead, Arm is banking on the more developer-friendly and universal appeal of the CPU and, to a lesser extent, the GPU to tout its AI capabilities.

For instance, Arm points out that most third-party AI Android apps run on the CPU rather than an accelerator, as few have invested the development resources to support the numerous SoC API platforms. In lieu of a more universal API, Arm is banking on the CPU to remain an essential component for AI. That said, this is much easier to say when you don’t have skin in the mobile AI accelerator market.

Still, Arm has some performance numbers to trot out here. The Arm Cortex-X925 boasts a 42% faster time to first token with an 8-billion LLaMA 3 model and 46% faster for a 3.8 billion Phi 3 model. AI CPU inference is also up 59% compared to the Cortex-X4, with GPU inference capabilities receiving a 36% boost over last year’s reference platform. Similarly, the new GPU (in a 14-core versus 12-core configuration) is up to 50% faster in natural language processing, 41% faster in image segmentation, and 32% faster for speech-to-text.

Those are all very welcome improvements to help make AI apps more responsive, but it’s worth remembering that neither a CPU nor a GPU is as fast and efficient as a dedicated AI accelerator.

What to expect from next-gen products

Samsung Galaxy S24 homescreen in hand

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Arm’s next-gen cores are destined for 2025 flagship smartphones, with Samsung and MediaTek likely to be the biggest mobile silicon vendors to leverage these cutting-edge technologies. Qualcomm is moving to a new custom CPU core for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, which means that the majority of flagship Android phones in 2025 probably won’t use Arm Cortex-X925 or Immortalis-G925.

Likewise, the upcoming major wave of Windows on Arm laptops are all powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite platform. Again, this platform uses custom CPU cores rather than Arm’s Cortex. Arm didn’t have much to say about specific plans for Arm-based PCs, likely given Qualcomm’s exclusivity deal with Microsoft, which is rumored to end in 2024. Still, it’s entirely possible that we might see other silicon vendors use Arm Cortex-X cores, quite possibly the new X925, for rival chipsets at some point in 2025. For instance, Arm envisions a PC chip with up to 12 Cortex-X925 CPU cores to push performance well beyond mobile.

Although Arm announced its latest client technologies in the first half of the year, partner chipsets will be announced near the end of 2024,  at the earliest. Smartphones powered by the Cortex-X925 and/or Immortalis-G925 are expected to land in consumer hands in early 2025.

Arm’s new CPUs and GPUs will power 2025 phones, and here’s what to know

It’s that time of year again. Arm has revealed a new line of CPUs and GPUs that could power your flagship Android phone in 2025. What does this mean for your next phone, though? Join us as we dive into these new announcements and demystify them.

Want a deeper dive into Arm’s latest technologies? Then we’ve got a dedicated CPU and GPU article for you as well. But here are the key points worth knowing.

The biggest upgrade to a big core yet?

Arm Cortex A925

Arm traditionally offers a Cortex-X core as its most powerful CPU core, and rumors pointed to the Cortex-X5 being the biggest year-on-year performance leap in Cortex-X history. Only, this new core isn’t called the Cortex-X5 but rather the Cortex-X925.

The new core brings a notable clock speed boost, reaching 3.6GHz compared to the Cortex X4’s maximum touted speed of 3.4GHz. The new CPU core also has a few other tweaks (e.g. four load pipelines, two-cycle ALUs) to ensure it stays fed with instructions.

X925 offers big performance gains for next-gen phones, but 3mn is a key component.

In any event, Arm is touting a significant 36% boost to single-core performance using the Geekbench 6 single-core score as a reference. This is compared to an unnamed “premium Android” device with the Cortex-X4 CPU. That uplift will definitely make for even more responsive flagship phones next year. However, this comparison has a couple of caveats, such as the X925’s aforementioned clock speed boost over the Cortex-X4 and the smaller 3nm manufacturing process.

Arm says you can expect a 15% boost to IPC (instructions per clock) performance when the same clock speed and manufacturing process is taken into account. That’s generally in line with the leap from Cortex-X3 to Cortex-X4.

What about the medium and little cores?

The Arm Cortex-A520 at 3nm.

Credit: Supplied by Arm

In addition to the Cortex-X925, Arm has also announced the Cortex-A725 as a successor to the Cortex-A720 medium core. This will likely be the workhorse for most tasks on your high-end smartphone, so we’re glad to see a 25% efficiency boost over the previous CPU core. This is particularly good news for companies like MediaTek that intend to ditch power-sipping little CPU cores in their flagship chips.

The UK chip designer also touted a somewhat nebulous 35% “performance efficiency” gain over the Cortex-A720, describing this as the improvement in performance divided by the improvement in power at that performance. It didn’t dish out a traditional performance gain figure.

So what about the little core? Arm is still offering the Cortex-A520, and it’s basically unchanged from previous generations. Arm mentioned a 15% efficiency gain, but this comes from optimizations for the 3nm manufacturing process. The key takeaway is that next-gen smartphones will be more frugal with power, but that’s mostly down to the move to 3nm.

A few small but key GPU upgrades

Arm’s Mali graphics parts are the backbone of many affordable phones today and a few high-end devices. Those expecting a giant step forward might be a little disappointed at first glance.

A big reason why the Immortalis-G925 GPU appears much more powerful than the current G720 is because Arm is increasing the GPU’s maximum shader core count for its comparisons. The current-generation Immortalis-G720 offers 10 to 16 shader cores, while the brand-new G925 sports options for 10 to 24 shader cores.

The Immortalis-G925 GPU seemingly takes a brute-force approach to boost performance, but also packs new features for in-game performance and efficiency.

Arm says you can expect 37% better performance in “graphics apps” or 30% less power consumption in leading games versus the G720. However, these figures compare a 14-core Immortalis-G925 to a 12-core Immortalis-G720, suggesting smaller gains in most of these areas when making an apples-to-apples comparison. Still, that performance boost is undoubtedly good for gamers.

The Arm-Immortalis G925 GPU.

Credit: Supplied by Arm

The company is serving up some real-world performance improvements thanks to a fragment prepass feature. This handles functionality related to object occlusion. This means up to 43% fewer CPU cycles are spent on the render thread. In English, this improvement significantly frees up the CPU, improving performance and efficiency in the process. This improvement is a big reason why you can apparently expect up to 72% better performance in Call of Duty Mobile, a 46% performance boost to Diablo Immortal, a 49% boost to Genshin Impact, and a 46% boost to Roblox.

Arm will also offer this GPU core as the mid-range Mali-G725, scaling from six to nine shader cores. Meanwhile, the Mali-G625 is available for low-end devices and scales from one to five shader cores. But we typically see chips for budget phones and Android TV boxes sticking with older Arm GPUs.

Who will actually use Arm’s new CPUs and GPUs?

A slide confirming that Qualcomm's mobile platform will get the Oryon CPU in 2024.

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

Perhaps the biggest takeaway for Arm’s newest CPUs and GPUs is that they won’t appear in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor that’s tipped to power loads of high-end Android phones. This isn’t a surprise for the GPU, as Qualcomm has long used its own Adreno GPU for its Snapdragon processors. However, this is a major turn-of-events for the CPU side, as Snapdragon processors have used Arm Cortex CPU cores since 2017’s Snapdragon 835. Instead, Qualcomm will use its custom Oryon CPU in the 8 Gen 4.

That’s not to say we won’t see Arm’s Cortex CPU cores in Snapdragon silicon in 2025. However, Qualcomm typically uses older Cortex CPUs rather than the latest Arm cores in its mid-tier chipsets.

For the first time since 2016, top-end Snapdragon chips will use custom CPUs instead of Arm hardware.

So who will be using these newest CPU and GPU parts? MediaTek has long used the latest and greatest Arm CPUs and GPUs in its flagship Dimensity 9000 series of smartphone processors. That means the Taiwanese brand is a good bet to use these new parts in the upcoming Dimensity 9400. MediaTek went aggressive with the current Dimensity 9300, featuring four Cortex-X4 CPU cores and four Cortex-A720 CPU cores, with no little cores at all. It also adopted the Arm Immortalis-G720 GPU.

We’re also expecting Samsung to use Arm’s latest CPUs in the rumored Exynos 2500 processor. This chipset will likely power Galaxy S25 models in some regions. The S24’s Exynos 2400 processor opted for a rather exotic CPU arrangement, featuring one Cortex-X4, five Cortex-A720s, and four Cortex-A520 little cores. So it’s a safe bet that the Exynos 2500 could offer an eclectic CPU layout too. Samsung uses AMD-based GPUs instead of Arm’s graphics parts, and we expect this to be the case in 2025 as well.

Google uses Arm CPUs and GPUs for its Tensor smartphone processors, but the company tends to use older parts. Don’t be surprised if the Tensor G4, expected in the Pixel 9 series, continues this trend.

Laying the foundation for future Windows laptops

Arm Cortex-X925 PC performance

Credit: Supplied by Arm

Qualcomm has had an exclusivity deal with Microsoft since 2017, with Snapdragon chipsets exclusively powering Windows on Arm laptops. This deal is reportedly set to expire at the end of 2024, and AMD, NVIDIA, and MediaTek are apparently readying Arm-based Windows processors.

Therefore, it’s no surprise to see that Arm is touting the Cortex-X925 big core as delivering “ultimate performance for PCs.” Arm envisions a PC chip with up to 12 Cortex-X925 CPU cores for high-end performance. The company also claimed up to 25% more single-threaded performance compared to “shipping PC laptops” like the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and Razer Blade 15.

If companies like MediaTek are indeed preparing to launch Windows on Arm chips using Arm CPUs in 2025, then there’s a good chance that the Cortex-X925 (or a successor) could form the basis for these processors. So we hope Arm’s claims bear out here.

No NPU acceleration? No problem!

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra on device AI toggle 1

Credit: Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority

Arm also insists that the CPU and GPU have a major role to play in AI processing, and it’s hard to disagree. Many AI models still run on the CPU and GPU because they might not be optimized for specific NPUs from the various chipmakers. In fact, Arm claims that 70% of AI apps on the Play Store default to the CPU. It also points to the fact that many of the apps that default to the NPU are actually first-party apps (e.g. Google, Samsung).

We’ve also seen some chipmakers like Qualcomm attempt to make life easier for app developers. The company has an AI Hub for app developers, offering AI models that are optimized for Qualcomm NPUs. These models can still run on MediaTek, Tensor, or Exynos processors but default to the CPU or GPU.

Arm is also offering AI-specific improvements for its CPU and GPU. This is handy because many AI apps still default to the CPU.

Fortunately, Arm says it’s bringing plenty of CPU and GPU improvements for AI. For starters, it says the Cortex-X925 CPU core offers a 46% performance boost over the Cortex-X4 when measuring time-to-first-token in the Phi 3 small language model (3.8 billion parameters). For less demanding AI tasks, Arm envisions the Cortex-A725 as the reliable workhorse.

The chip designer also says that its Immortalis-G925 GPU can bring 36% faster AI inference than the previous GPU. It adds that the new GPU is up to 50% faster in natural language processing, up to 41% faster in image segmentation, and up to 32% faster for speech-to-text. But again, these comparisons are for an Immortalis-G925 14-core GPU versus a 12-core Immortalis-G720 part. So we’re curious about a like-for-like comparison.


US telecom subscribers are running out of carriers to choose from, and that’s really bad

5G Preferred Network Setting 2

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Yesterday, T-Mobile announced its plans to acquire most of US Cellular’s wireless operations and select spectrum assets for $4.4 billion. T-Mobile’s move is the latest business transaction that further consolidates the US market, leaving consumers with no option but to majorly bank on the big three carriers for their telephony needs. This consolidation may be good for the carrier and will also be marketed as good for the consumer. However, as consumers, we will get the short end of the stick sooner or later.

Consumers in the US have largely stuck to four carriers: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Some outliers have flocked to smaller carriers like Dish Wireless and US Cellular, and a few consumers also prefer MVNOs based on the top carriers.

However, with T-Mobile’s acquisition of Sprint in 2018, the top four carriers consolidated into the top three. With T-Mobile’s acquisition of US Cellular, the original top six carriers in the US are down to just the top four. The carriers are also on a spree to acquire MVNOs, like T-Mobile’s acquisition of Mint Mobile in 2023 and Verizon’s acquisition of TracFone Wireless in 2020, which have shrunk the available options to American consumers.

If you are in the market for a new phone line right now, chances are that your choices are limited to AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile only or on MVNOs based on them.

The carriers are aware of this oligopoly and have also begun resorting to price increases, even on legacy plans. We’re also seeing changes to price lock promises, watering them down from an actual price lock to a less effective walk-out clause with waivers. If you have a grandfathered plan, you should be mentally prepared to be no longer honored for it.

Needless to say, this is terrible news for consumers. A competitive telecom market is necessary for spurring innovation and keeping prices affordable and realistic. The recent wave of consolidation is moving the telecom market in the opposite direction.

An oligopoly, where only a couple of providers exist to serve millions of customers, is detrimental to consumer interest, especially if the carriers reach an unwritten understanding of keeping prices high for the perpetual benefit of their bottom line. When more consolidation goes through, the dominant carriers can make absurd promises and not follow through, and they wouldn’t have competitors left in the market that would react to such absurdity. Carriers in an oligopoly can raise prices of plans citing higher operational costs, and then two weeks later, announce another acquisition (yes, that does sound familiar).

So, are you happy with the state of the US telecom market right now? Are you pleased with the current choices of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon? What do you like, or what do you dislike the most? Are you satisfied with your carrier’s coverage, speed, and plans? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

The amazing, groundbreaking, and fantastic LG G3 is 10 years old now

lg g3 phone case match shoes 4'

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Someone, please tell me to stop going this quickly! It’s been a whole decade since LG announced one of its best-ever smartphones, the G3. A perfect follow-up and a big leap from the excellent G2, a better phone than the later G4, the LG G3 was my favorite Android phone in the quirky 2010s. It was also the phone that completely changed my mind about Android photography, custom ROMs, stock Android, and Android skins. Grab your tissues; we’re about to dig into a slice of smartphone nostalgia.

The LG G3 was absolutely perfect for me

Before getting the LG G3, I had been using its predecessor for nearly a whole year. The G2 was my first LG smartphone, and it absolutely blew me away. The display, camera, Android experience, and buttons on the back; I liked everything about it. The G3 reinforced all those features and all those feelings.

At the time, I had a silly obsession with matching my phone’s case with my shoes, so here’s a collection of “shoes match phone” pics with my LG G3. Ah, how I miss those Cruzerlite Bugdroid Circuit cases! Phone cases peaked with that design and have never recovered since.

By the time I got the G3 in my hands, I was a buttons-on-the-back convert. I loved the placement of the volume and power keys, my index rested on them naturally, and it just made sense to have such a hand-agnostic location. Left-handed? Right-handed? Both? It didn’t matter. Just grab the phone and the controls are easily accessible, regardless.

The G3 also solidified my resolution in not rooting or installing a custom ROM on my phone. Before it, I had gone to extra lengths to make sure my HTC Desire Z and Samsung Galaxy S3 were rooted and running some enthusiast-made stock Android ROM, but LG’s approach to Android was actually usable compared to the slow-to-update HTC and heavy Samsung TouchWiz implementations, respectively.

Additionally, the display-to-bezel ratio and that beautiful Quad HD display really enhanced my experience with the phone. For the first time, it felt like I was carrying a display, not a phone, and I still recall the surprise on the faces of nearly everyone that saw that me using that phone. I never heard as many “wow” exclamations as much as when I was using the G3.

Rear buttons, Quad HD display, powerful processor, decent Android skin, the G3 had everything going for it.

And then there was the Snapdragon 801, a world-class processor. Chip improvements were incredibly frenetic and drastic in the early 2010s — you could buy a flagship phone one day and a month later another chip would be released with double the processing power. Things were getting more stable and incremental around 2014, and the Snapdragon 801 was an example of that. A very solid, very performant chip, that handled complex tasks without a hiccup.

To me, though, the difference was stratospheric: I went from a single-core 800MHz processor on the Desire Z (early 2011) to a quad-core 1.4GHz on the Galaxy S3 (2012), then quad-core 2.26GHz on the LG G2 (2013), and finally 2.5GHz on the G3 (2014). I don’t recall ever complaining about anything with that chip, even though some people said the G3’s Quad HD display was so demanding it caused some lag and battery drain.

The first Android camera I truly trusted

It was with its camera, though, that the LG G3 really won me over. Before switching to Android, I was invested in the magnificent world of Nokia smartphones and mobile cameras. After using the Nokia N95, N82, N8, and 808 Pureview, my mobile photography expectations were sky-high, and I had yet to find an equivalent or even just a “fine enough” alternative on Android. The Desire Z and Galaxy S3 I sported before LG’s phones were capital-B Bad cameras. With the G2, I had better results, then the G3 really strengthened that. It was one of the best camera phones of its era.

Coming from Nokia smartphones, Android's cameras were a great disappointment... until the LG G3.

With optical image stabilization (OIS), a feature not so customary of that era’s phones, and laser autofocus, the G3 could focus quickly and snap sharp images in many situations. It was the only camera I took on hikes across Lebanon, as I rediscovered the beauty of my country by visiting areas I’d never been to. I mean — look at the glory of that first shot and try to understand how terrified we all were for the photographer on the precipice!

And then there are the panoramas. We didn’t have ultrawide-angle lenses back in 2014, and boy, did I like a good panorama to snap the real glory of a landscape!

The LG G3 was also my travel camera to London, Istanbul, and Las Vegas. The sun’s reflection on the Mandala Bay hotel and the New York New York hotel shot are so good they still pass the eye test today (until you start to pixel-peep).

The G3 immortalized my first quad-driving experience, that silly late-night Winnie the Pooh playground moment, and my best spiky hair selfie. I dream of the day my hair would look like this again.

And although night modes weren’t a thing just yet, and mobile photography was pretty terrible in low-light and dark conditions, I still managed to eke out some exceptional shots from the G3. My three favorite snaps below, from Zaitouna Bay in Beirut, are simply phenomenal for a mid-2010 smartphone.

And then there are the other random food, nature, cat, and sassy cow shots, because, of course, has those in their photo gallery. This was truly a versatile, reliable camera, that paved the way for more important mobile photography leaps.

The G3 was peak LG, it all went downhill from there

I didn’t want to admit it at the time, but the LG G3 was really peak LG. Even though I switched to the G4 and G5 after it and tried to recapture that same magic, and even though I was intrigued by many of LG’s quirky smartphones after those (Velvet, Wing, to name a couple), none of them really caught the near-perfection of the G3 in my eyes. That was as good as it was ever going to get for LG, and the company’s decline after that and its eventual exit from the smartphone market is proof. I just wish things had gone in another direction for the Korean giant.

The new Fitbit Ace LTE is like a Sense or Versa, but for kids

A child wearing a Fitbit Ace LTE hangs from a piece of playground equipment.

Credit: Fitbit

  • Fitbit announced the Fitbit Ace LTE, a connected smartwatch designed for kids seven and older.
  • The device features 3D games, virtual friends, and collectible bands to help motivate young users to stay active, plus connectivity for parents, including location tracking.
  • The Fitbit Ace LTE is listed at $229.99 and is available for preorder starting May 29, with general availability starting June 5.


 

Today, Fitbit announced its newest smartwatch for kids, the Fitbit Ace LTE, offering little ones motivation and independence while also providing parents the comfort of connectivity. As expected, the device features a handful of useful tracking tools and a gamified experience to help kids stay active. However, it also boasts LTE support for phone calls, messaging, and location tracking.

First and foremost, the new Fitbit device is designed to get kids moving. With a variety of sensors, including an accelerometer, heart rate sensor, and built-in GPS, the device tracks basic activity, steps, and floors. Rather than delivering detailed fitness tracking stats, Fitbit focuses on “activity as play,” rewarding users for their efforts with gameplay and other kid-friendly goals.

 

The first motivational feature is Noodle, an animated activity ring kids (and parents) will see on the Fitbit Ace home screen. The second method is via interval-based gaming, which unlocks in response to real-life movement. According to Fitbit, about 60 to 90 minutes of real-life movement will earn users up to 15 minutes of virtual gameplay.

Finally, the device also features a virtual best friend, called an eejie, for users to take care of (similar to your favorite 90s Tamagotchi keychain). Kids can “purchase” items for their virtual pal in a virtual store with currency earned via movement throughout the day. Kids can also connect with real friends also wearing a Fitbit Ace LTE and see their eejies meet in virtual rooms. At this time, the app does not allow communication or messaging between friends in the virtual rooms.

To stand up to the wear and tear of the playground, the device is made from plastic and stainless steel with woven bands of recycled polyester yarn. The display is protected by scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and the watch is water-resistant to 50m. It offers a reported 16 hours of battery life between charges and takes about 70 minutes to charge from 0 to 100% when needed. Since the device does not offer sleep tracking, the expectation is that each user will charge their watch overnight.

A series of smartphones display data screens within the Fibit Ace App.

Credit: Fitbit

As mentioned, the device isn’t just for kids; it also offers parents useful safety features thanks to LTE connectivity. The Ace LTE allows parents to view their child’s real-time location and features a microphone and speaker for on-wrist phone calls with trusted contacts. The device can also send and receive text and voice messages, and Tap to Pay will be added in the coming months. It is also compatible with both iOS and Android phones for easy setup from a parent’s smartphone.

Though the Ace LTE is listed at $229.99, its cost does not stop there. To utilize the device’s connectivity, users are required to sign up for Ace Pass, a subscription service that will run shoppers $9.99 per month or $119.99 annually. Though pricey, the pass covers all data needed for phone calls, messaging, games, and updates, meaning no additional cell phone plan is needed. For a limited time, the purchase of the annual pass comes with a free band and is currently on sale for 50% off. The device is available in Spicy Pebble or Mild Pebble, with interchangeable collectible bands available for $34.99. Each of the six bands unlocks unique features and items within the user gaming experience.

Get a free 50-inch smart TV with your Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge pre-order

You might think the chance to be an early adopter of the stunning new Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge is reason enough to pre-order the Snapdragon-powered laptop, but there are some tasty extra incentives to sweeten the deal right now. The most eye-catching of these is that you’ll get a free Samsung 50-inch Class Crystal UHD TV, worth $380, with your purchase.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge with free 50-inch Class Crystal UHD TV for $1,349.99 ($380 off)

Wallpaper Wednesday: More great phone wallpapers for all to share (May 29)

Welcome to Wallpaper Wednesday! In this weekly roundup, we’ll give you a handful of Android wallpapers you can download and use on your phone, tablet, or even your laptop/PC. The images will come from folks here at Android Authority as well as our readers. All are free to use and come without watermarks. File formats are JPG and PNG, and we’ll provide images in both landscape and portrait modes, so they’ll be optimized for various screens.

For the newest walls as well as all the ones from previous weeks, check out this Drive link. Want to submit your own? Head to the bottom of this article.


Wallpaper Wednesday: May 29, 2024

Another week, another set of awesome Android wallpapers for you to share! Remember that we are always looking for submissions from our readers. Head to the bottom of this article to find out how you could have one of your images featured in an upcoming Wallpaper Wednesday!

We’ve got three awesome images from our readers that would look great on your phone, tablet, or PC. As usual, we also have some images from the Android Authority team.

First, we have a super fun pic of a child in enormous sunglasses covered in Holi colors. That shot comes from Antaryami Das, who captured it with a Poco X4 Pro! Next, we have a great shot of Calangute Beach in Goa from reader Krishnadas, who shot it with a Redmi K20 Pro! Finally, we have an amazing photo of a lightbulb in front of a mirror from reader Jay Arnol. Jay shot that with a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and made some light edits using OLEDBuddy to get pure blacks. Thanks so much for your submissions, all!

From the Android Authority team, we have a shot of the Velasca Tower in Italy from Dhruv Bhutani. Next, we have some green plant stems from Rita El Khoury. Finally, we have a nice perspective shot of some building patios from Hadlee Simons.

Be sure to download these photos in their high resolutions from this Drive link!

How to submit your own Android wallpapers

We are very excited to see your own contributions to our Wallpaper Wednesdays project. Before submitting, here are the rules:

  • Your submissions should be your own creation. That means photos you took, digital art you created, etc. Please don’t submit other people’s work — that’s just not cool. Also, please avoid sending images purely created with AI. Images you created and then augmented with AI tools are OK.
  • You must agree to let Android Authority share your Android wallpapers for free with anyone who wants them.
  • We will not accept watermarked images. You will, however, get a credit and a link in the article itself. We can link to your social media account only.

Ready to submit? Fill out the form below. You’ll need to include the highest-resolution version of the image you can provide, your name, and a brief description of what the image is. If you want us to link to a social media page you own in your credit, please provide that, too, but that’s optional.

Bored of videos? Now more of you can play free games on YouTube instead

YouTube logo close

Credit: Damien Wilde / Android Authority

  • YouTube has been testing Playables with select users for months, allowing them to play free games on the platform.
  • YouTube Playables are now rolling out to even more users in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
  • Eligible users can access Playables through the official YouTube website, in addition to the iOS and Android apps.


We’ve entered an era of digital existential crises, where Instagram is trying to be TikTok, and Twitter wants to replace LinkedIn. In the midst of this chaos, YouTube has been experimenting with hosting free games on its platform. Following months of limited trials, the company is expanding this Playables feature to even more users in select countries.

As per an updated support document, YouTube Playables are now rolling out to more users in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. The new addition is available on the official website and mobile apps, allowing desktop, iOS, and Android users to enjoy over 75 games for free.

According to the document, Playables won’t strictly be limited to their respective tab in the Explore menu. Instead, users may come across these games in the Home feed, search results, and other (ir)relevant locations on YouTube.

Unlike Netflix games, you don’t need to pay YouTube to access its expanding catalog of Playables. Both free and YouTube Premium users can access the same titles and gameplay. The platform also supports tracking personal high scores, saving game progress, and sharing with friends — which can make it more social.

If you reside in one of the eligible countries and are interested in Playables, ensure your YouTube app is up to date. If the feature still doesn’t surface on your end, you may have to wait until it rolls out to your account. It’s currently unclear when YouTube Playables will expand to other regions or whether the company will honor its legacy and eventually kill it.

The Galaxy Ring could bless bigger hands with better battery life

samsung galaxy ring gold 1

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

  • The Galaxy Ring has passed through FCC, with different battery sizes spotted for different ring sizes.
  • Ring sizes 5, 6, and 7 get a 17mAh battery; sizes 8, 9, 10, and 11 get a bigger 18.5mAh battery, while size 12 gets a 22.5mAh battery.
  • The physical difference in capacity will impact battery life across the range, but even on the smallest ring, you can still expect multi-day battery life.


The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Ring has the potential to be a solid fitness tracker. It could be a practical option for users who prefer something more discreet than a big smartwatch. But smartwatches come with an adjustable strap that allows a wider range of wrist sizes to live with a particular-sized smartwatch. You are significantly more constrained for smart rings as you need to get a perfect fit for your fingers. As it turns out, if you have bigger hands and thicker fingers, you could get more battery life with the Galaxy Ring.

The Galaxy Ring has been spotted on its way to FCC certification, by MySmartPrice. As per the FCC listing, the Galaxy Ring will debut with the model number SM-Q503 (though I presume we could see a model number for each size). The listing reveals that Samsung will equip the Galaxy Ring with a 17mAh battery for sizes 5, 6, and 7. Sizes 8, 9, 10, and 11 will get a bigger 18.5mAh battery, while the size 12 Galaxy Ring will have a 22.5mAh battery. Information for size 13 is missing, but we can expect it to share the 22.5mAh battery from the size 12 ring.

Since the Galaxy Ring has no display, and the rest of the base hardware is expected to remain the same across sizes, it is easy and fair to conclude that your Galaxy Ring’s battery life will depend on its size. The biggest ring will have the most battery life thanks to the bigger battery.

The FCC listing also mentions that the Galaxy Ring will come with support for Bluetooth 5.4 and Bluetooth LE.

Competitors like the Oura Ring also follow a similar approach. The smaller-sized rings have a smaller battery, as the ring has less physical space to pack a bigger battery. Consequently, the total battery life on the larger rings will be better than that of the smaller rings, simply by virtue of more battery capacity. But you needn’t fret that much, as even the smallest-sized ring offers multi-day battery life, which is difficult to say for the smallest-sized smartwatches. So, you should still aim to get the best fit for your smart ring and not worry that much about battery size.

❌