As with Steam Deck Verified, the goal is to help customers understand the out-of-box experience for a given title on these new devices, and how smoothly a game will run with no user work or configuration required.

With that in mind, games that are already verified for the Steam Deck will automatically run on the Steam Machine without additional developer intervention. For titles that previously failed Steam Deck verification solely due to hardware performance limitations, Valve is already independently re-testing them on the more powerful Steam Machine hardware.

As the Steam Machine essentially runs on the same software architecture—including Proton and the standard Steam interface—the verification criteria matches those of the Steam Deck. Evaluation focuses on default controller configurations and out-of-box graphics performance.

Meanwhile, Valve says that the Steam Frame Standalone Verified program evaluates how games perform when running locally on the headset without a PC connection. The evaluation criteria will apply to both VR and standard non-VR titles; games must maintain stable performance on the default graphics configuration, feature legible text and UI elements on the built-in display, and map seamlessly to the native Steam Frame Controllers.

The post Valve’s “Verified” Program Now Includes the Steam Machine and Steam Frame appeared first on Phandroid.

Compelling entry-level cars, affordable for many, offering space and top technology customers know from higher segments: with the Electric Urban Car Family, Volkswagen Group is stepping up the pace of electrification in Europe. We are investing several billions to make Spain a central hub of electromobility. And we are proving a clear point: even as global competition intensifies, we believe in our home market Europe – our Electric Urban Car Family will be from Europe, for Europe. It is now crucial to build on this momentum with a clear Made-in-Europe strategy that ensures a level playing field and strengthens Europe’s industrial base.

Photo courtesy of Volkswagen

The “Electric Urban Car Family” project will eventually produce four distinct, fully electric models across three group brands, and will use a shared MEB21 platform to minimize production complexity and lower manufacturing costs. Volkswagen adds that the launch comes during a period of record growth for CUPRA—ahead of the Raval’s market launch in summer 2026, the brand crossed the 1-million sales milestone towards its best-ever financial quarter in early 2026.

To mark the manufacturing milestone, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez joined Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume, VW Brand CEO Thomas Schäfer, and SEAT & CUPRA CEO Markus Haupt at an institutional event at the plant.

The post Volkswagen’s CUPRA Raval and Volkswagen ID. Polo Begin Manufacturing in Spain appeared first on Phandroid.

Motorola has offered an IP68/IP69 rating for dust and water resistance. This helps keep the phone protected to some extent. However, you will need a protective case for complete protection and improved durability. Check out these best Motorola Edge (2026) cases.

FNTCASE Clear Bumper Case with Screen Protector

This is a clear bumper case that lets you flaunt your new phone's design and color. It has a nano antioxidant layer that resists stains and sweat. It offers military-grade drop protection and corner airbags for shock absorption. You also get a screen protector with the package.

See on Amazon

FNTCASE Translucent Matte Case with Screen Protector

This is another FNTCASE that offers complete protection as you would expect. The only major difference is that it is available in translucent matte finish. It adds that frosted look to the phone's appearance. You get a comfortable grip and soft touch on the back.

See on Amazon

Anoowkoa Anti-Slip Case

This is a multilayer case made with soft rubber and hard polycarbonate. It has an anti-slip texture on the back that offers a sturdy grip. It offers military-grade drop protection. The raised edges around camera and display offer added protection.

See on Amazon

Poetic Revolution Case with Camera Slider

This is a military-grade drop tested rugged case. It is shockproof, drop-proof, impact-resistant, and scratch-proof. It comes with raised edges and a built-in screen protector to keep the display protected. There is also a camera slider to keep the camera lens protected.

See on Amazon

FNTCASE Rugged Case with Screen Protector and Kickstand

This rugged smartphone case offers full 360-degree protection. It has a hard polycarbonate frame with a built-in screen protector. You get a rugged back cover with an upgraded kickstand. You get raised edges for display and camera protection.

See on Amazon

Note: This article may contain affiliate links that help support our authors and keep the Phandroid servers running.

The post Best Motorola Edge (2026) cases appeared first on Phandroid.

Waymo just announced a partnership with B2U Storage Solutions to repurpose retired batteries from its robotaxi fleet as grid-connected energy storage in California and Texas. The deal covers hundreds of megawatts of storage capacity. Batteries get pulled from service once they’re no longer fit to power a car, installed into stationary energy storage systems, and used to supply electricity to the grid during peak demand. B2U says the packs can keep running safely for several more years in that role before they’re eventually recycled.

Why Fleet EVs Make This Problem More Urgent

A personal EV sits parked for most of the day. A Waymo robotaxi doesn’t. The company runs over 500,000 trips a week, and Waymo’s own head of sustainability put it plainly: sometimes their vehicles outlast their batteries.

But this isn’t just a Waymo problem. Electric buses, delivery vans, courier fleets, and ride-hailing cars all share the same high-utilization pattern. The more commercial transportation shifts to EVs, the faster spent batteries pile up.

Repurposing before recycling is a smart move. It extracts more value from materials already produced and gives a battery a useful second act. It won’t solve the problem at scale on its own. But it’s a start.

The post Waymo Battery Second Life Deal Highlights the EV Problem Nobody Talks About appeared first on Phandroid.

Instagram Plus costs $3.99 a month. It rolled out globally starting June 4, confirmed on the Instagram blog. Facebook Plus launched at the same price, and WhatsApp Plus came in slightly cheaper at $2.99 a month.

What You Actually Get for $3.99 a Month

The features are heavily story-focused. Story Spotlight pushes your story to the top of your friends’ feeds, while Story Extend bumps the usual 24-hour window up to 48 hours. You also get the ability to create multiple audience lists beyond the standard Close Friends. You can also see rewatch stats on your own stories, a story viewer search tool, and the option to post directly to your profile without it showing up in anyone’s feed.

On top of that, subscribers get custom app icons, unique bio fonts, and the ability to pin up to six posts on their profile. It’s a decent set of extras, aimed squarely at people who use Instagram professionally. That said, there’s one thing noticeably absent from the list.

Instagram Plus does not remove ads. You’re still getting them either way. And honestly, that’s probably the one thing that would push a lot more people to subscribe. YouTube Premium works because the value prop is obvious: pay, and the ads go away. Instagram Plus doesn’t offer that. Meta has experimented with ad-free tiers before, so it’s not like the idea is off the table. But for now, $3.99 just gets you more features.

Instagram has been pushing harder on ads for years, and it’s clearly hit a ceiling. Subscriptions are the next step in its evolution. Whether enough users are willing to pull it remains to be seen.

The post Instagram Plus Subscription Launches Globally, But There’s One Thing Missing appeared first on Phandroid.

Leaker Lanzuk on Naver claims the Galaxy Z Flip 8 will ship with two chipset options depending on your region. Buyers in the US, Canada, China, and Japan are expected to get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. If you’re in India, Europe, or South Korea, you’re likely getting the Exynos 2600. Samsung hasn’t confirmed any of this yet, so take it with a grain of salt.

Which Version Will You Get?

To understand why this is notable, a little history helps. The Galaxy Z Flip lineup ran on Snapdragon only from its launch in 2020 all the way through the Flip 6. Samsung went all-in on its own Exynos 2500 globally with the Flip 7 last year, cutting Qualcomm out entirely. One generation later, Samsung seems to have changed its mind

The reason apparently comes down to cost. The Exynos 2600 is expensive to manufacture, and Qualcomm reportedly came in with favorable pricing. For what it’s worth, the Exynos 2600 is no slouch. Benchmarks put it close to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in most tasks, so the performance gap between the two versions shouldn’t be dramatic.

That being said, we heard that the Flip 8 may not have a successor at all. There are rumors pointing to this being the last Galaxy Z Flip Samsung ships. If that turns out to be true, it’s a strange note to go out on. We’ll find out more when Samsung takes the stage at Galaxy Unpacked, currently rumored for July 22.

The post Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 8 Chipset Decision Proves Exynos Still Can’t Win on Price appeared first on Phandroid.

OpenAI wants to fix that. The company just announced Dreaming V3, the latest version of its background memory system for ChatGPT, rolling out now to Plus and Pro users in the US. Free and Go users are next, in the coming weeks.

For those unfamiliar, ChatGPT’s original memory system, launched in April 2024, was basically a digital sticky note. You’d tell it to remember something specific, and it would jot it down. It was useful for its time, but on hindsight was quite limited. If you didn’t directly tell it to save something, you lost it.

What Dreaming V3 Actually Does

The first version of dreaming arrived in April 2025, giving ChatGPT the ability to reference past chat history in the background, not just saved notes. Dreaming V3 pushes that further. According to OpenAI, the system now automatically pulls together context from your conversation history, keeps it current over time, and applies it when it’s actually useful.

Basically, if you’ve told ChatGPT your dietary restrictions, your work setup, or your writing style, it should actually carry that forward. That’s a huge quality of life upgrade there. But there’s a bigger idea underneath it. We’re slowly reaching a point where AI stops feeling like software you have to configure every time and starts feeling like something that actually knows you. Whether that’s exciting or a little unsettling probably depends on who you ask.

And if you’re in the “unsettling” camp, you can review exactly what ChatGPT knows about you, make corrections, or wipe it entirely from the new memory summary page. That’s worth knowing, especially as OpenAI has already floated plans to use ChatGPT memory for personalized ads.

It’s also worth noting that Google has been building its own memory import tool for Gemini, which tells you where the AI landscape is heading towards.

The post ChatGPT Dreaming Memory Means You’ll Never Have to Re-Explain Yourself Again appeared first on Phandroid.

The announcement does mark a shift of sorts for the brand, which previously focused its folding bikes to feature ultra-lightweight, short-distance commuting with models like the ENGWE ZIP. By contrast, the O Series directly targets riders who need higher levels of comfort, power, and range for medium- to long-distance travel across both urban and suburban landscapes.

According to ENGWE, the O Series was developed to resolve the usual compromises of the folding e-bike market. While large-wheel city and all-terrain e-bikes offer high stability but poor portability, smaller folding options often sacrifice long-distance comfort and sturdiness. As per the company:

The O Series represents the next step in ENGWE’s folding e-bike development… Our goal is to reduce the trade-off between portability and performance and deliver a more complete riding experience.

ENGWE adds that the new series will include an enhanced suspension system, a high-torque motor system designed for urban inclines, and long-range battery support. The e-bikes will also come equipped with integrated smart security and anti-theft tracking features.

The global launch of the O Series is scheduled in late June 2026, with regional pricing, availability, and detailed specifications to follow.

The post ENGWE’s New O-Series E-bikes are Designed for City Commutes appeared first on Phandroid.

With that in mind, the more premium Amazfit Balance Ultra features a Grade 5 titanium build for better durability and more extreme user scenarios, while the Balance 3 is aimed at everyday workouts with a choice between stainless steel and titanium finishes.

Both the Balance 3 and Balance Ultra feature 1.5-inch AMOLED displays with sapphire glass, and bet pretty bright at up to 3,000 nits of brightness. The watches include dual-band GPS, six-satellite positioning, offline map support, and advanced health monitoring for heart rate, HRV, sleep, and blood oxygen. They also feature automatic recognition for 25 strength exercises, Bluetooth calling, and Zepp Flow voice control.

Similar to last year’s Balance 2, the new watches come with pretty impressive battery specs, at least on paper—users can expect up to 21 days for the Balance 3 and up to 30 days for the Balance Ultra.

As mentioned earlier, the new watches are designed to work with the Zepp App’s new features, which introduces “HybridCharge Energy Intelligence.” This feature combines three metrics including BioCharge (recovery state), LifeLoad (daily lifestyle stress), and Training Load (exercise strain) to provide a single view of a user’s physical capacity. Users also get access to Weekly Focus and Training Balance metrics, alongside structured Hybrid Training Plans.

As part of Amazfit’s ongoing partnership with HYROX, both watches also include tools such as HYROX-specific training plans, race simulations, a Virtual Pace feature, and post-race performance analysis that breaks down pacing, station times, and rankings.

In terms of pricing and availability, the Amazfit Balance 3 Stainless Steel and the flagship Amazfit Balance Ultra are on offer now, priced at £369.90 and £599.90 respectively. The Amazfit Balance 3 Titanium will launch in the near future with a retail price of £449.90.

The post Amazfit’s Latest Watches Come with Impressive Battery Life and a Ton of Health and Fitness Features appeared first on Phandroid.

As such, Google says that the update focuses on privacy-first identification. Following recent digital ID rollouts for users in India, Brazil, Singapore, and Taiwan a while back, Google says that it will launch official digital ID support in select European Union member states this summer.

Alongside government IDs, Google will work with private financial institutions to issue digital age credentials. Starting with Germany’s Sparkasse Bank (with more to follow in the future), users can verify their age via Google Wallet without disclosing sensitive personal data like their full name, birth date, or home address.

For e-commerce, Google is launching a new direct checkout feature that embeds a user’s saved Google Wallet payment methods directly onto a retailer’s checkout page. The feature is currently live for select merchants using the financial platform Airwallex, with support for Adyen users set to roll out soon.

Finally, Google says that it’s working on addressing checkout friction caused by strict European security regulations, like mandatory one-time passcodes and multi-site redirects for example. That said, Google is working on an upgraded Secure Payment Authentication feature to bypass these steps, which will debut in the United Kingdom and Poland over the coming months through partnerships with Visa, Checkout.com, Autopay, and Adyen.

The post Google’s Rolling Out Several New Updates for Wallet Users appeared first on Phandroid.

With that in mind, the update rolls out globally on June 8, and essentially changes how the Samsung Health app reads biometric data. For example, one new feature called Vitals can track different bio-signals including heart rate variability, skin temperature, and respiratory rate against a user’s personal baseline. The app will then use a notification system which alerts users only when a significant deviation suggests oncoming illness or physical exhaustion.

Samsung is also replacing its Vascular Load feature with a unified Heart Health Score, which combines sleep, stress, and activity data with body composition metrics to give users an idea of their vascular wellness. The app also introduces Daily Cardio Load which measures cardiovascular strain against maximum training capacity during workouts. Meanwhile, the new Fitness Index compares a user’s VO2 max and activity levels against similar demographic data.

The update also changes Samsung Health’s UI, which will now feature Sleep, Activity, Nutrition, Mindfulness, and Vitals. The new layout will display AI-based Energy Scores and wellness tips on the home screen.

As for deep-health tracking, the Antioxidant Index now includes trend charts linking dietary habits to physical responses, while the AGEs index will record metabolic data overnight to track long-term lifestyle impacts. Samsung adds that it’s expanding its ecosystem safety features with a new Hearing Health tool, which works via the Galaxy Watch to monitor ambient noise and protect users from hearing damage.

The post Samsung Brings Over New AI-Powered Health Features for Galaxy Watch Users appeared first on Phandroid.

For anyone who missed the MWC announcement back in March, the HONOR Magic V6 is Honor’s thinnest foldable yet at 8.75mm folded. Under the hood, it is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. It also packs a 6,660mAh battery, IP68 and IP69 ratings, and a hinge rated for 500,000 folds. According to Honor, the inner display crease is also 44% shallower than the Magic V5. Global pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, but the Magic V5 launched at £1,699.99 in the UK and €1,999 in Europe, so that’s probably a reasonable ballpark.

The Timing Is No Accident

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 isn’t expected until July. That gives HONOR a clean entry into new markets with no direct competition from the device it’s most likely to be compared against. Honor pulled the same move at MWC, unveiling the V6 on a global stage before Samsung had even announced its next foldable. Now it’s doing it again at the retail level.

We’ve covered the Magic V6’s specs in detail since the MWC launch, and the hardware case is strong. But timing is its own kind of advantage. Buyers considering a new foldable this summer will have the HONOR Magic V6 in hand weeks before the Fold 8 is even available to compare it against.

The foldable market is getting crowded fast. Honor knows exactly what it’s doing.

The post HONOR Magic V6 Goes Global Just as Samsung Gears Up for the Z Fold 8 appeared first on Phandroid.

Google just rolled out Gemini Go, bringing its AI assistant to Android Go devices with as little as 2GB of RAM. For those unfamiliar, Android Go is Google’s lightweight version of Android built for budget and entry-level smartphones. Gemini Go replaces Assistant Go and is baked into the Google app, so there’s no separate download. A long press of the Home button or Power key launches it. According to Google, it handles the usual assistant tasks like calls, texts, alarms, and calendar events. But it also supports more conversational queries, file and photo uploads, and even mood-based music playback.

The rollout is gradual, so not everyone will see it right away. Updating the Google app in the Play Store is the best way to check.

Google Is Done Leaving Budget Phones Behind

And here’s where it gets interesting. Every other major AI player is racing upmarket. Apple Intelligence requires 8GB of RAM. Samsung’s Galaxy AI starts with the S24 series. ChatGPT on Android needs a reliable internet connection and has no lightweight mode to speak of. Even Google’s own Gemini Intelligence tier now requires 12GB of RAM and a Nano v3 chipset, which excludes the Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25.

Google is the only company going in both directions at once. That matters because Android Go devices represent a massive slice of the global phone market, particularly in developing regions where budget hardware is the norm, not the exception. We’ve already seen Google push Gemini into Android Auto and kill off Assistant on Android Auto entirely. This seems like the next logical step.

The post Google Just Brought Gemini Go to Android Phones With as Little as 2GB of RAM appeared first on Phandroid.

For Malaysia, HONOR says that the Magic V6 will come priced at RM 7,699, with pre-orders scheduled to run from June 4 through June 11, 2026; early buyers will also receive exclusive gifts valued at up to RM 3,797. The device will include a protection package consisting of a “2-Year Worry-Free Quality Assurance” plan alongside a “1-Year Worry-Free Crack Protection” warranty.

In terms of specs, the Magic V6 features a 6.52-inch outer display with a peak brightness of 6,000 nits, which is accompanied by a larger 7.95-inch inner display that gets bright albeit at a lower 5,000 nits. Both screens support adaptive 120Hz refresh rates. Inside, the Magic V6 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, and this entire setup runs on a massive 6,660mAh silicon-carbon battery which supports 80W wired and 66W wireless charging speeds.

The HONOR Magic V6 first made its debut in China back in March, and comes packed with a ton of AI features from both HONOR and Google. The phone will be available in Red, Gold, White, and Black variants.

The post The HONOR Magic V6 Finally Starts its Global Roll-out appeared first on Phandroid.

A year ago, Kuo had seven head-mounted products on Apple’s radar. Now only two remain: a display-free smart glasses product targeting a late 2027 launch, and a more advanced AR model with optical waveguide displays slipping to 2029. The Vision Pro successors and Vision Air are both cut. Kuo says Ternus signed off on this a while back. Apple just didn’t tell anyone.

Kuo’s own read: “I think removing the Vision Pro line was the right call, as Apple shifts resources toward smart glasses with greater mass-market potential.” That’s a pretty direct endorsement from an analyst who usually sticks to the facts. Gurman at Bloomberg does say a Vision Pro successor is still “in testing,” but he describes the category as “on ice” with no launch before 2028 or 2029.

The Race Apple Can’t Afford to Lose

The Apple smart glasses pivot makes more sense when you look at what’s happening outside Apple. Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses tripled sales in 2025. Google is back in the space. Samsung is working on its own pair. Apple has gone from observer to latecomer fast.

Apple’s entry, the N50, skips a display entirely. It puts cameras, microphones, and speakers into a normal-looking frame, with Siri doing the heavy lifting. Analysts expect pricing between $200 and $500, putting it directly against Meta’s lineup. Apple is targeting a late 2027 launch.

And honestly, the Vision Pro was never a mainstream play. At $3,499 with an external battery pack and 45,000 units sold in the 2025 holiday quarter, it was always more platform test than consumer product. Apple got what it needed from it.

The post Apple Smart Glasses Just Became Apple’s Biggest Bet Under Its Next CEO appeared first on Phandroid.