A new study from Boston College's Center for Retirement Research found that 83% of retired households face unplanned expenses in any given year.

Personal finance expert Suze Orman flagged these findings in a February 12, 2026, blog post, warning that too many retirees are exposed to financial shocks they cannot absorb. 

Here’s what the data reveals about hidden retirement costs and what Suze Orman says you can do about them.

Unplanned expenses consume 10% of retirement income each year

The Center for Retirement Research study, authored by Manita Rao and Anqi Chen, analyzed data from 3,427 retired households tracked through the University of Michigan's Health and Retirement Study from 2000 to 2020.

For a household bringing in $4,000 per month, that translates to roughly $4,800 in bills that were never part of the annual budget. 

The study revealed that 40% of retired households lack enough cash to cover even one year of these surprise expenses, leaving them vulnerable to credit card debt, forced asset sales, or premature withdrawals from tax-deferred retirement accounts.

That helps you plan for liquidity versus your income needs

While some households may struggle to set aside money, “even small amounts of savings will help provide some sort of buffer for when these events occur,” Chen told CNBC.

Three categories of surprise costs catch retirees off guard

The Boston College researchers identified three primary categories in which unexpected spending clusters among retired households across two decades of federal survey data. 

Each category alone may seem manageable, but the cumulative annual burden of all three creates financial pressure that drains savings accounts faster than most retirees anticipate.

Key categories of unplanned retirement expenses

• Rainy day expenses: Car and home maintenance average about $3,300 per year across all retired households when smoothed over the full retirement period.
• Out-of-pocket healthcare: Medical costs Medicare does not cover, including dental, vision, and hearing care, average roughly $4,100 annually across all retired households when smoothed over the full retirement period.
• Family financial assistance: When smoothed over the full retirement period, retired households spend approximately $5,700 per year helping family members with financial needs across all retired households.
  Source: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College

These figures represent smoothed averages across all years of retirement, meaning the actual bill in any single year could run significantly higher depending on individual circumstances. 

Healthcare expenses, in particular, can spike without warning when retirees face dental procedures, hearing aids, or nursing support that falls outside standard Medicare coverage. 

The Medicare Part B premium alone reached $202.90 per month for 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services confirmed, eating further into the already thin margin between Social Security income and monthly expenses.

A large unplanned withdrawal can push a retiree into a higher federal income tax bracket and trigger the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount that raises Medicare Part B premiums for higher-income beneficiaries, the Social Security Administration explained.

Orman's two-layer cash strategy goes beyond standard retirement advice

Most financial professionals recommend three to six months of emergency savings, but Orman has long argued that this standard falls dangerously short of what retirees truly need. 

In her blog post, Orman urged every household to build an emergency savings account covering at least eight months of living expenses, calling a full year of coverage an even stronger goal for those who can reach it.

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What separates Orman's approach from conventional advice is a second layer of cash reserves that sits entirely outside the emergency fund. 

Orman recommended that retirees also keep two to three years of living expenses not covered by Social Security in a separate cash position, designed as a buffer against stock market declines. 

The purpose of this reserve is to prevent retirees from selling investments during a downturn, giving their portfolios time to recover before they need to draw from them.

Certified financial planner Kristen Beckstead, vice president at First Horizon Advisors, echoed the need for a larger safety net than working adults typically maintain. 

Retirees should target 18 to 24 months of essential expenses in accessible savings rather than the standard three to six months, Beckstead told AARP.

Retirement cash reserves deserve the same urgency as portfolio growth

The Boston College findings reinforce a point Orman has made consistently throughout her career, that retirees who treat emergency savings as an afterthought are taking a risk they cannot afford. 

If your monthly expenses total $5,000, eight months of emergency savings alone would require $40,000 set aside in a liquid, federally insured account. 

Orman's additional two- to three-year cash reserve would add significantly more to that total, depending on how much of your monthly spending Social Security covers.

Orman has urged readers, whether five years from retirement or already collecting benefits, to treat accessible cash reserves with the same level of attention as portfolio growth, citing the Boston College findings as evidence of how easily a fixed income can be derailed by a single year of surprise expenses.

The question is no longer whether surprise costs will arise during retirement, because research confirms they will almost certainly affect the vast majority of households.

Related: Suze Orman, AARP flag a retirement trap

The actual Russell reconstitution occurs on Monday, June 29, but Russell has been and will continue to announce its preliminary lists of stocks that it plans to add to its respective indices every Friday in June. In other words, many small-to-mid capitalization stocks will benefit from the anticipation of the institutional accumulation that occurs at the end of June when the Russell indices are rebalanced.

Due to this Russell index realignment, June has historically been a strong month for small-to-mid capitalization stocks. In fact, a couple of decades ago, my Breakthrough Stocks, on average, surged by over 6% on the day of the actual index reconstitution.

Even though Russell strives to dilute its impact on stocks by releasing the stocks it tentatively wants to add to its indices in a weekly report for several weeks, during the actual day of the index realignment, June 29, I expect that many of my small-to-mid capitalization stocks will benefit from persistent institutional buying pressure.

Looking forward, I expect that my fundamentally superior stocks will appreciate another 30% to 40% between now and the end of the year, despite the fact that we are already up over 30% year to date thanks to Argan Inc. (AGX), Bloom Energy (BE), Carpenter Technology (CRS), Celestica (CLS), Constellium (CSTM), Kaiser Aluminum (KALU), Micron Technology (MU), Seagate Technology (STX), Sezzle (SEZL), Super Micro Computer (SMCI), TTM Technologies (TTMI) and other powerful stocks. 

The U.S. is an oasis

In the wake of the military action in Iran, many small-to-mid capitalization stocks are benefiting from a bias to more domestic stocks, since the U.S. has emerged as an economic oasis compared to the rest of the world, which is suffering from a demographic decline and sputtering gross domestic product (GDP) growth. 

As an example of a demographic decline, it was recently reported that Japan’s population declined by over 3 million people from 126.1 million in 2020 to only 123 million in 2025.

This is the largest Japanese population decline since records started over 105 years ago. As an example of sputtering GDP growth, Statistics Canada reported that its GDP has contracted for two consecutive quarters, so Canada is officially in a recession after the fourth and first quarter GDP declined at a 1% and 0.1% annual pace, respectively. In the meantime, economic growth is booming in the U.S., and the S&P 500’s earnings are now forecasted to rise 21.5% in 2026.

For the U.S., I am anticipating a 5% to 6% annual GDP growth that should arrive no later than the third quarter. As evidence of accelerating GDP growth, the Commerce Department recently announced that durable goods orders surged 7.9% in April, up from a 1.3% increase in March. Economists were expecting a 3.5% annual surge, so the April durable goods report was much stronger than anticipated.

Related: Bank of America resets Nvidia stock forecast after key event

Deep customization remains one of the best perks of owning a Samsung smartphone. Through the Good Lock ecosystem, tech enthusiasts can tweak almost every corner of the interface to stand out from the crowd. Ahead of its next massive software release, Samsung just dropped a fresh update for Good Lock‘s popular Theme Park module to make sure your personal designs look sharp and run flawlessly on the upcoming system.

Giving your fingers a fresh style

The new app build is officially labeled as version 1.1.02.01. It brings a handful of targeted upgrades explicitly designed with One UI 9 in mind. Right now, Samsung’s next major skin is undergoing public testing via the One UI 9 Beta Program, giving Galaxy S26 owners in select regions an early look at what is coming. If you happen to run this beta software, the biggest immediate visual change hits your default typing setup.

Theme Park now unlocks a completely new batch of keycap designs for the Samsung Keyboard. Instead of settling for plain, uniform layouts, you can mix and match custom button styles and outlines to fit the exact aesthetic of your home screen (via SamMobile).

Fixing the frozen clock problem

Beyond typing, the developers finally killed a lingering visual headache that used to plague custom layouts. Previously, applying a third-party theme pack over your application shortcuts could accidentally break system background tasks. Many users noticed that their stock Calendar and Clock icons would suddenly freeze, failing to show the actual date or current time dynamically.

The updated Theme Park completely rewires how the system handles these live previews. When you construct a new look inside the app, the interface renders a highly realistic preview so you can spot errors before hitting apply. More importantly, it keeps the dynamic hands of the clock ticking and the calendar dates moving accurately under the new One UI 9 architecture.

Smoother colors for older phones, too

Fortunately, you do not need to be a beta tester to notice a difference. Samsung included a massive round of general color tuning into this release to balance out menu shades. Overall, this creates a much cleaner and more polished interface. Lastly, the build also packs standard usability tweaks and bug fixes to ensure smoother performance across the board.

To try out the new options, you can grab the update directly by opening the Galaxy Store, jumping into your menu, and hitting updates, or simply pull the patch straight through the hub of your Good Lock app.

The post Samsung’s 'Theme Park' Good Lock Gets One UI 9 Facelift: Better Keyboards and Smarter Clocks appeared first on Android Headlines.

Shortly after Schulman became Verizon's CEO in October 2025, he said during an earnings call that he plans to “aggressively transform” the company, further stating that recent price hikes and friction in the customer experience have been pushing customers away. 

The company has lost 2.25 million postpaid phone customers over the past three years.

Schulman went on to lay off 13,000 employees in November to “simplify” the company’s operations, create “new value” for customers, and “build a faster, stronger and more proactive Verizon,” according to an internal memo sent to workers. 

By May, Verizon conducted another round of layoffs, this time impacting hundreds of employees at its headquarters in New Jersey, according to a Business Insider report. 

Verizon policy sparks tension in stores

Amid this transformation, Verizon employees are taking to social media platform Reddit to claim that the company is doubling down on a strict store policy to boost sales; however, it is allegedly causing friction.

In a recent Reddit post, a Verizon employee claimed that all workers are required to offer every new product to customers they help in stores “with no regard for circumstances or customer needs.” 

They state this is why “waits are so long” at store locations, sometimes taking more than two hours for a customer to speak with an employee.

“We are made to slam every item on every quote or get written up,” wrote the Verizon employee in the post. “If a customer came to cancel service in store we would have to offer each of the following: a new line, a tablet or watch, home internet, 4 perks, insurance on everything, all High priority upgrades on the account offered, and home device protection with every customer.” 

Related: Verizon CEO doubles down on removing free offers for customers

The employee also said they are “required to check in with managers between quotes for approval to ensure every item is offered.” A manager will get involved if employees aren’t closing most sales items. 

Employees are also required to push customers to purchase new products for their businesses or employers. 

“We have to ask you 3 different ways if you own a business or if we might be able to convince your employers to move their phone account,” wrote the employee. “And every customer gets submitted for a lead as a call back whether they buy or not. Managers have to upload forms for every employee transaction to ensure they are micromanaging their sales floor.”

In addition, the employee alleged that Verizon has recently raised sales expectations and cut commissions. 

“My sales goal for November and December (the busiest time of year) was the same as my goal in February, plus they ruined our commission plan so now we make half the money for twice the work,” wrote the employee. 

The employee said that Schulman “has made a good run at ruining the company and killing morale all at the cost of appeasing shareholders.”

Verizon employees and customers weigh in on store experiences

In response to the post, some Verizon employees said they are having the same workplace experience at their stores.

“I’m currently an employee and leaving,” wrote one employee in the comment section. “This main comment is 100% accurate representation of what’s going in the stores … They micromanage every little thing to the point that every few days you’re in an office getting questioned.” 

More Verizon News:

• Verizon CEO shifts gears after 2.25 million customers depart
• Verizon plans to walk back controversial policy after backlash
• Verizon gets approval to make it harder for customers to leave

Some Verizon customers even took to the comment section to report experiencing these pushy sales tactics from representatives when visiting stores for service. 

“I recently went to a store to upgrade my phone. I got pitched on all that, said no. They came back with a quote that added a new line and 2 phones, an upgrade for me and the same one for the new line I didn't ask for. It added $136.00 per month,” commented a Verizon customer. 

“I’ve had all of those things offered to me when I simply went in to pick up an iPhone,” wrote another customer. 

Verizon struggles to beat rivals in consumer satisfaction

The move from Verizon comes after Schulman said during an internal meeting with employees in December that the company’s customer satisfaction scores “are worse than our competitors,” partly because employees lack the “financial flexibility” to get things done.

A J.D. Power survey in January found that Verizon’s consumer satisfaction scores for postpaid phone plans lag behind those of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), as more consumers prioritize seamless interactions with their carrier over network quality. 

“Attracting customers with network quality and pricing is just the first step,” said Carl Lepper, senior director of technology, media and telecom at J.D. Power, in a statement. “True loyalty comes from how easy it is for customers to work with a carrier once they’re in the system, especially when it comes to resolving issues, managing bills and getting answers quickly.”

How Verizon ranks in postpaid phone plan consumer satisfaction:

• Postpaid phone customers gave traditional U.S. wireless carriers an average rating of 603 on a 1,000-point scale.
• Among the Big 3 national carriers, T-Mobile ranked highest with a 631 score, while Verizon earned a score of 593 and AT&T received 587.
• MVNOs performed better overall, averaging 630 points in consumer satisfaction for postpaid phone plans.
• Consumer Cellular topped the MVNO category with a score of 721, followed by Google Fi Wireless at 685. Spectrum Mobile rounded out the group at 614.
  Source: J.D. Power 

Despite falling behind top competitors in consumer satisfaction, Verizon’s recent turnaround efforts appear to be yielding positive results. 

In the first quarter of 2026, Verizon welcomed 55,000 new postpaid phone customers, according to its latest earnings report.

Despite this growth, Verizon continues to see increased customer losses. Its wireless retail postpaid phone churn, the amount of smartphone customers who canceled service, reached 0.97% during the quarter, up 2 basis points year over year. 

“Wireless customer churn remains elevated, reflecting the tough competitive environment, but Verizon is doing a much better job attracting new customers than a year ago,” wrote Morningstar analyst Michael Hodel in an analyst note in April. 

Related: Verizon adds generous offers for customers after price increase

Artificial intelligence (AI) has spent the past few years stuck inside that same uncomfortable truth, and nowhere is the edge sharper than in biology. The software that helps a scientist design a vaccine could, in theory, help someone with bad intentions design something far worse.

For two years, the biggest AI companies have admitted this out loud. They have published warnings about their own systems, promised safeguards most of us will never see, and asked the public to trust that the good uses will outrun the bad ones.

Now one of them has made a bet that the best way to win that race is to arm the defenders first.

On May 29, OpenAI launched Rosalind Biodefense, a program that hands its most powerful biology model to vetted researchers and government agencies for free, according to a company release. 

The dual-use problem AI created in biology

Here is the uncomfortable part. The same company now offering biosecurity tools is the one that told us the danger was real in the first place.

In June 2025, OpenAI warned that its next generation of models could raise the risk of biological weapon development, even for people with little or no scientific training, as covered by Fortune.

OpenAI Safety Chief Johannes Heidecke said he expected "some of the successors of our o3" reasoning model to reach that high-risk level, according to Fortune.

More AI:

• Micron sits at the center of a red-hot chip rally
• IBM CEO sends blunt message on AI and quantum computing
• Anthropic CEO makes shocking admission about AI

That is the bad edge of the blade. A model that can reason across molecules, proteins, and genes can speed up a cure. It can also lower the bar for a catastrophe.

OpenAI built a whole rulebook around this. Under its preparedness framework, a "high capability" model is one that could "amplify existing pathways to severe harm," according to TechCrunch.

In July 2025, the company said its ChatGPT agent became the first model it treated as high capability in biology, according to OpenAI.

In my reading of those disclosures, OpenAI was not being modest. It was telling regulators and rivals that the technology had crossed a line the company had drawn itself.

OpenAI hands its biodefense model to the government

OpenAI's new program is best understood as the company's answer to its own warning.

Rosalind Biodefense gives vetted developers and government partners free access to GPT-Rosalind, OpenAI's frontier model for the life sciences. The company calls the strategy "defensive acceleration," the idea that frontier AI should reach the people guarding against outbreaks faster than it reaches anyone else.

The launch group is small but telling. It includes Fourth Eon Biosecurity, which screens DNA synthesis orders for dangerous sequences, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which pairs the model with supercomputers to design medical countermeasures, according to OpenAI.

OpenAI also briefed the White House and several federal agencies before the rollout. AI carries "massive implications for biosecurity, including the creation of biological weapons," Axios reported in its exclusive on the launch.

OpenAI's road into biodefense

• OpenAI introduced GPT-Rosalind in April 2026 as its frontier life sciences model, according to OpenAI.
• It put $30 million into threat-detection startup Valthos in October 2025, Crypto Briefing reported.
• It backed biorisk startup Red Queen Bio with $15 million in November 2025, Axios indicated.
• Its ChatGPT agent became the first high-capability biology model in July 2025, according to OpenAI.
• Rosalind Biodefense launched on May 29, 2026, Axios noted.

What OpenAI's bet means for your portfolio

Here is where it gets personal, even if you have never typed a word into ChatGPT.

You cannot buy OpenAI stock. It is private. But you very likely own a slice of it anyway.

Related: Nvidia CEO makes surprising admission on OpenAI and Anthropic

Microsoft (MSFT) holds about a 27% stake in OpenAI, a position worth roughly $228 billion after the startup's funding round valued it at $852 billion in March, according to Sacra. Nvidia (NVDA) has put in around $30 billion, and Amazon (AMZN) has pledged up to $50 billion, according to TECHi.

If you hold an S&P 500index fund in a 401(k), you own all three. That means OpenAI's decision to plant its most powerful model at the center of national biodefense is now sitting quietly inside millions of retirement accounts, regardless of whether anyone signed up for it.

When I run my analysis on this, the trade is not really about one program. It is about a private company writing the rules for who gets the most dangerous and most useful AI in the world, then selling exposure to that bet through some of the most widely held stocks on the market.

What to watch next

The next test is whether "trusted developer" means anything firm. OpenAI has not published its vetting standards or the full list of approved partners, and it is setting those terms before any regulator writes rules for privileged AI access.

Watch two things.

• Whether rivals such as Anthropic and Google answer with biodefense programs of their own, which would turn pandemic preparedness into the next government contract race.
• Whether OpenAI's safeguards actually hold, because the company itself has said its detection systems would need to be close to perfect, not merely good.

For a technology its own makers admit cuts both ways, that is a high bar. The defenders are now armed.

The open question is whether everyone reaching for the same blade can be kept on the right side of it.

Related: Anthropic drops new Claude model as OpenAI IPO race heats up

For years, online publishers have felt a growing resentment toward how tech giants treat the open web. Google’s AI Overviews—which serve up quick AI-generated summaries at the top of search queries—draw from web content but often leave publishers with a noticeable drop in user click-throughs. Now, Google is finally giving website owners the power to decide whether their articles should fuel these generative AI features with an opt-out option.

The regulatory spark in the UK

This change didn’t just happen by accident. The push came directly from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Using its digital enforcement powers, the watchdog labeled Google a “strategic market status” player and issued a world-first ruling. The mandate forces the search giant to provide effective tools so news organizations and independent webmasters can block their content from powering features like AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Furthermore, the CMA is requiring Google to allow publishers to opt out of having their text used to “fine-tune” internal artificial intelligence models. The goal is to level the playing field, giving creators a much stronger hand when negotiating future content licensing deals with tech companies.

How the new opt-out works

Google’s response comes in the form of a brand-new toggle inside the Google Search Console platform. Mrinalini Loew, Google’s general manager of search ecosystem, confirmed that testing has begun with a small subset of domain owners in the UK before a wider global rollout takes place.

The mechanics are pretty straightforward. If you flip the switch to opt out, your web pages will completely disappear from AI-powered results. This includes AI Overviews, AI Mode, and AI summaries inside the Google Discover feed. You won’t gain any traffic or impressions from those specific generative modules anymore. However, the company explicitly noted that pulling your site out of the AI ecosystem will not act as a negative ranking signal. Your placement in traditional organic search results and standard Discover feeds will remain completely untouched (via 9to5Google).

Fresh data for webmasters

Alongside this defensive switch, Google is launching a new suite of analytics tools within Search Console. Creators who choose to stay in the AI ecosystem can now track detailed statistics, including impression metrics, which exact pages the AI uses to ground its answers, and the countries where those summaries appear.

This update arrives at a tense moment for the digital economy. Google notes that AI Overviews has ballooned to over 2.5 billion monthly active users. Meanwhile, publishers have grown increasingly anxious. Major media executives have even advised their teams to operate under the assumption that search referrals could drastically shrink. This regulatory intervention aims to restore a bit of balance to the relationship between the engineers building AI and the creators writing the web.

The post Google is Finally Letting Websites Opt Out of AI Search Summaries appeared first on Android Headlines.

Read: Social Security cuts: How likely are they to happen

For these reasons, these would be some smart moves when you are 1-5 years away from retirement. As always, best to check with your own financial adviser before making any moves.

A diversified portfolio

Adjusting a portfolio as you near retirement doesn’t mean you should sell everything and stay in cash. Your retirement may last 25 to 30 years or even longer, so you’ll have to protect your portfolio against inflation and diminishing purchase power. For these reasons, you’ll still need exposure to growth investments, like stocks. The key is striking the right balance between growth and safety, and the calculus is much different than it was when you were 30 years old.

As you near retirement, sequence-of-returns risk becomes more important. While that may sound like a technical term, it’s easy to break down.

Sequence-of-returns risk simply refers to the additional risk older investors face due to their shorter investment time horizons, when there is less time to recover from losses. When investors are 30 years old, they can usually afford to ride out a 30% decline in the stock market, as over time markets have historically recovered and gone on to reach new highs. But if you’re 65 years old, a 30% market decline could significantly reduce your income and quality-of-life in retirement.

For this reason, it’s usually prudent to draw down your percentage of equity investments in retirement – but not to the point that your portfolio can’t at least keep up with the rate of inflation.

High-quality bonds

The best way to earn more than a savings account while reducing the volatility of an equity portfolio is to own high-quality bonds. Bonds serve as the ballast in a retirement portfolio. They often go up in value when stock markets decline, helping to smooth out the ups and downs. Even when bonds and stocks move in the same direction, bonds typically fluctuate less dramatically, helping to reduce overall volatility.

Bonds also pay interest. This makes them appealing to many retirees living off fixed incomes. But the main purpose of bonds for those 1-5 years from retirement is to provide stability and reliability.

A larger-than-usual emergency fund

To help counter sequence-of-returns risk, it’s a good idea for pre-retirees to keep a larger-than-usual emergency fund as well.

It may feel counterintuitive to increase the lowest-returning portion of your asset portfolio, but a big emergency fund plays an essential role in protecting retirement plans.

Cash serves three primary purposes in a pre-retirement portfolio:

• It allows investors to take advantage of market declines
• It reduces the risk and volatility of a portfolio
• It protects investors from selling investments when they are down

For these reasons, many financial planners suggest maintaining approximately one to two years of expected withdrawals in highly liquid assets such as high-yield savings accounts, money market funds, CDs or short-term Treasury bills.

This cash reserve can reduce anxiety during market volatility and help investors stick to their long-term strategy.

Income-producing investments

Retirees generally draw more income from their portfolios than younger investors do. But picking the right income-producing investments requires an analysis of risk and reward. Dividend-paying stocks and funds can be good options if you’re looking for both growth and income. But they fluctuate in value more than most bonds, and you’ll usually earn less income as well. That’s the price you pay for a hybrid investment.

Annuities can be a good choice if you’re looking for guaranteed, defined payouts. But they may carry higher fees and have reduced liquidity.

The important thing to remember is that no single investment needs to meet all income needs. The typical retiree draws income from a variety of sources, such as Social Security and retirement accounts, in addition to ordinary dividends and interest.

A few things to note

When it comes to investing, especially right before retirement, simple strategies often work well.

Approaching retirement, portfolios generally need to change. However, the typical shift towards asset protection should not come at the cost of long-term capital appreciation. A balance between both of these needs is often the most appropriate option. 

This can come in the form of a diversified portfolio of stock funds, high-quality bonds, and adequate cash reserves. While not appropriate for every single investor, this type of portfolio can provide structure while still allowing for growth.

This article produced for TheStreet by Nifty 50+

The numbers behind the warning are more specific than most investors expect.

Wells Fargo Investment Institute cautions against emotional investing

Jaden Frazier, analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, published a market commentary warning indicating that investors who react emotionally during periods of volatility risk missing the stock market's strongest rebounds, according to the Institute.

"Markets are forward-looking, so rebounds can happen far quicker and more suddenly than anticipated," Frazier wrote in the report. That single sentence is the core of the entire argument, and the data he published alongside it makes it harder to dismiss than most boilerplate stay-invested commentary.

S&P 500 data reveal surprising trend of best days for gains

The headline figure is striking. Sixty percent of the S&P 500's best trading days between May 1996 and April 2026 occurred during bear markets. An additional 18% took place in the early stages of new bull markets, according to GuruFocus.

That means roughly 78% of the market's best single days happened at moments when investor sentiment was either deeply negative or just beginning to recover. An investor sitting in cash during those periods would have missed the gains entirely while bearing the cost of being wrong on timing.

Frazier's report also showed the S&P 500 repeatedly recovering from major shocks over the past decade, including the Covid pandemic, recession fears, tariff announcements, and the current Iran conflict.

Despite repeated drawdowns tied to each of those events, the index continued trending higher over time, according to Wells Fargo.

Why the Iran conflict makes this investor advice especially timely

The Wells Fargo commentary lands at a moment when investors are navigating one of the most complex macro environments in recent memory. Oil prices have surged more than 50% since the Iran war began.

Inflation is running at 3.8%. The Federal Reserve has held rates steady, and markets have priced out cuts through at least 2027.

Those are exactly the kinds of conditions that historically push investors toward cash. The Wells Fargo data is a direct counter to that instinct, however.

The Iran conflict is already on Frazier's list of market shocks from which the S&P 500 recovered. This suggests the firm views the current disruption as another episode in a long pattern, rather than a permanent structural break.

Why timing the stock market is harder than it looks

The appeal of market timing is easy to understand. Avoiding the worst days while capturing the best ones sounds straightforward.

The problem is that the worst and best days tend to cluster. Missing the 10 best days in a given decade can reduce returns by more than half, a reality that makes the risk of stepping aside much higher than most investors calculate.

Frazier's argument is not simply that volatility is temporary. It is that the recovery from volatility happens faster than most investors can react, and that the price of waiting for certainty is paid in missed returns rather than protected capital.

By the time conditions feel safe enough to reinvest, the sharpest part of the rebound has frequently already occurred, according to Wells Fargo's Investment Institute commentary.

Key data points from Wells Fargo's volatility and rebounds report:

• Best days concentration: 60% of the S&P 500's best trading days from May 1996 to April 2026 occurred during bear markets; 18% occurred in the early stages of new bull markets, GuruFocus reported.
• Frazier's quote: "Markets are forward-looking, so rebounds can happen far quicker and more suddenly than anticipated," according to Wells Fargo.
• Recovery track record: S&P 500 recovered from COVID-19 selloff, recession fears, tariff announcements, and the Iran conflict despite repeated drawdowns tied to each event, Wells Fargo confirmed.
• Wells Fargo's broader view: The firm continues to favor U.S. large-cap equities over fixed income; a large market pullback would likely require either cooling in the AI growth story or 10-year Treasury yields approaching 5%, according to Wells Fargo.
• Current conditions: Inflation at 3.8%; oil up more than 50% since the Iran war began; Fed holding rates steady with no cuts priced through 2027; S&P 500 up approximately 9% year to date despite those headwinds, Investing.com noted.

What Wells Fargo's reminder to ride out volatility means for investors in 2026

The Wells Fargo commentary is not a prediction that markets will rally from here. It is a warning against letting short-term fear override long-term strategy.

The data Frazier published are backward-looking by design. They do not tell investors where the market goes next. They tell them what the cost of exiting has historically been.

That distinction matters because the instinct to protect capital during uncertainty is rational at the individual level and destructive at the portfolio level when it leads to poorly timed exits.

The current environment, with elevated inflation, high rates, and ongoing geopolitical disruption, is precisely the kind of period when Wells Fargo's data suggests investors are most vulnerable to making that mistake.

The S&P 500 has already recovered from the April tariff shock and sits approximately 9% higher year to date, despite everything.

For investors who moved to cash in April and have not yet returned, Frazier's report is a direct message. The cost of waiting is not theoretical. It is already visible in the returns they did not capture.

Related: JPMorgan doubles down on stock market message for 2026

So you’re shopping for the new Motorola Edge 2026, which was just announced on June 2 and goes on sale June 11 for $599. Naturally, you want to know what colors it comes in. Here’s the deal: Motorola is keeping it simple this year. The Edge 2026 launches in just one color, PANTONE Martini Olive, and that’s it.

I know a single-color launch can feel disappointing when other brands are out here pushing five and six colorways. But honestly? Martini Olive is a really good pick. It’s a warm, earthy green-gold tone that genuinely looks premium, and the woven-style textured back gives it a finish you don’t see on a lot of phones in this price range. The texture also helps with grip, which is a nice bonus if you’re a butterfinger like me.

Why just one color this year?

This is a bit of a shift from past Motorola Edge launches, where we typically got two or three colors at launch. Motorola is leaning hard into the PANTONE partnership and picking one standout color rather than offering a safe black or white option that nobody actually buys. Motorola itself has said most of its phone sales aren’t black, white, or neutral colors. People want something interesting, and Martini Olive definitely qualifies.

It’s also worth noting that Martini Olive isn’t new to Motorola’s lineup. The same color showed up on the Motorola Signature flagship that launched back in January, alongside a Pantone Carbon option. So Motorola clearly likes this shade enough to keep using it across multiple devices. The Signature was a Europe-only release, though, so the Edge 2026 is your only shot at getting this color in the US.

If you were hoping for something different, the rest of the 2026 Edge family includes seven total devices, and some of those models do come in more color options. The upcoming Motorola Edge 70 Pro, for example, is expected to launch in Pantone Titan, Pantone Zinfandel, a wooden-textured variant, and possibly a green satin-luxe finish. So if you want more variety, those phones are worth waiting for. But most of them are international releases, so North American buyers are kind of stuck with the Edge 2026 as their main Motorola pick this year.

The good news is that the Martini Olive finish on the Motorola Edge 2026 really does look great in person. The texture, the warm tone, the way it catches light. It’s the kind of color that actually makes you not want to slap a case on the phone, which is rare these days. One color isn’t a lot, but when it looks this good, I’ll take it.

The post Motorola Edge 2026 Colors appeared first on Android Headlines.

Motorola finally made it official. The Motorola Edge 2026 was announced on June 2, and it’s going on sale June 11 for $599. That’s a $50 bump over last year’s model, but honestly, given the current memory pricing chaos hitting the entire industry, that’s not surprising at all. And a smaller price bump over the Moto G models that were announced earlier this year.

If you’ve been waiting for Motorola’s North American mid-range pick of the year, mark your calendar. June 11 is the day. You’ll be able to grab it unlocked from Best Buy and Motorola.com, and Verizon is also getting it on launch day. AT&T, Cricket Wireless, Spectrum Wireless, and Xfinity Mobile are all picking it up afterward, so coverage isn’t going to be an issue here.

What you’re actually getting for $599

This $599 price point is pretty competitive right now, especially when you look at what Motorola is packing into this thing. You’re getting a 6.3-inch Extreme AMOLED display that hits 5,200 nits peak brightness, which is genuinely wild for a phone at this tier. It’s also 120Hz, Pantone Validated, and runs at Super HD (2640 x 1216) resolution.

The processor is where things get a little less exciting. Motorola went with the MediaTek Dimensity 7450, which is the same chip used in the Razr 2025 and the original Razr 2024. It’s paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Not flagship-tier, but it’ll get the job done.

The camera setup is the headline here. You get a 50MP main shooter with a Sony LYTIA 710 sensor and OIS, a 50MP ultrawide that doubles for macro shots, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. That telephoto is the real story. Most phones in this price range straight up skip the telephoto lens, so having one here is a big deal. The selfie camera is also 50MP.

Battery life looks solid, too. The 5,000mAh cell is rated for up to 50 hours, and you get 60W TurboPower wired charging plus 15W wireless. Toss in IP68/IP69 water resistance, MIL-STD-810H durability, Gorilla Glass 7i, and Android 16 out of the box, and there’s a lot to like.

The Edge 2026 only comes in one color, PANTONE Martini Olive, and it weighs just 160.5g. That woven-style back we saw in the leaked renders from a couple weeks back is officially here, and it looks great in person.

This is just one piece of Motorola’s massive 2026 push. The company’s full Edge family for 2026 includes seven devices, with the Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ also launching this month. But for North American buyers who just want a solid, affordable Android phone, the Edge 2026 is the one to watch. June 11 can’t get here fast enough.

The post Motorola Edge 2026 Release Date appeared first on Android Headlines.

The systemic oppression of another people always deforms the oppressors in turn, and although slavery ended and civil rights were won, America has continued to pioneer new varieties of oppressor degradation: Little Boy and Fat Man, destroying to save in Vietnam, CIA-backed military coups, Abu Ghraib, ICE warehouses, Gaza. Hegseth is a repository of the cold war, the end of history, and the so-called war on terror. Anyone his age understands the particular environment in which his ideology took shape. A tour through his life and his actions in the last few years reveals forms of degradation that are fundamental to the Trump administration but not unique to it. If we are to have a renunciation of who or what is terrorizing the world, it will not only be a renunciation of these men.

The systemic oppression of another people always deforms the oppressors in turn, and although slavery ended and civil rights were won, America has continued to pioneer new varieties of oppressor degradation: Little Boy and Fat Man, destroying to save in Vietnam, CIA-backed military coups, Abu Ghraib, ICE warehouses, Gaza. Hegseth is a repository of the cold war, the end of history, and the so-called war on terror. Anyone his age understands the particular environment in which his ideology took shape. A tour through his life and his actions in the last few years reveals forms of degradation that are fundamental to the Trump administration but not unique to it. If we are to have a renunciation of who or what is terrorizing the world, it will not only be a renunciation of these men.

When you shell out big bucks for a top-tier flagship smartphone, you naturally expect a long software life cycle. Samsung now promises an impressive seven years of system support for their newest premium lineups. However, things looked a bit different just a few years ago. If you are currently rocking a Samsung Galaxy device from the 2022 generation—like the popular Galaxy S22—a recent official roadmap leak suggests that it might be time to lower your expectations for the latest One UI 8.5 update features.

One UI 8.5 update roadmap: Galaxy S22 and other missing names on the list

The situation unfolded when Samsung Hong Kong published an official update schedule. Tipster @Alfaturk16 spotted the chart, which outlines exactly which devices are scheduled to receive the Android 16-based One UI 8.5 feature drop during June 2026 (via SammyFans).

The company is moving at an incredibly brisk pace to bring the software to mid-range Galaxy A, M, and F-series phones. Still, a few major names are conspicuously missing from the table.

The Galaxy S22 series, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 are nowhere to be found on the eligibility sheet. The roadmap indicates that the update plan jumps from the completed premium rollouts like the S25, S24, and S23 series, directly to the lower-tier brackets, skipping the 2022 flagships. Samsung generally maintains a unified distribution strategy across the globe. So, a missing spot on a major regional roadmap usually spells the same fate worldwide.

Blame the old update policy

As disappointing as this news feels, it shouldn’t come as a massive shock. When Samsung launched the Galaxy S22 and its folding siblings back in 2022, the company committed to a policy of four major operating system upgrades and five years of security patches. These phones already crossed that finish line by receiving the Android 16-based One UI 8 build. Therefore, they have officially hit their pre-scheduled software ceiling.

Reports from early April suggested that developers had briefly initiated internal software testing for the S22 family before pausing the project. The team likely hit complex technical roadblocks that didn’t justify the development costs for an aging hardware architecture. Consequently, eligibility for this mid-cycle upgrade seems firmly tied to whether a phone can run next year’s Android 17. If your phone isn’t on that list, One UI 8 stands as your definitive final major stop.

Don’t panic just yet

Missing out on the latest user interface bells and whistles is definitely a bummer. However, it doesn’t mean your reliable daily driver is suddenly obsolete. Samsung plans to keep supporting these specific 2022 devices with regular security updates until 2027. Your banking apps, private data and daily usage will remain completely safe for another whole year. So, you don’t need to run out and buy a brand new device just yet.

The post Left Out in the Cold: Your 2022 Galaxy Flagship Might Miss One UI 8.5 Entirely appeared first on Android Headlines.

Why we love this deal

For many home gardeners, the biggest challenge isn't deciding what to grow or how to maintain their plants, but creating the right environment with enough space for plants to thrive. Weather can be unpredictable, especially during early spring and late fall, while intense summer sun, strong winds, and curious animals can also take a toll on a garden. That's why finding a solution that extends the growing season and provides added protection can make a noticeable difference. Whether you're growing flowers to place around the house, vegetables for the family, or trying your hand at herbs to freshen up dinners, having a dedicated growing space can make the process so much easier.

The Quictent Raised Covered Garden Bed offers ease of use, space for planting, and a cover to keep your plants safe, all in one package. It's convenient, easy to use, and is only $38 right now at Walmart. Shoppers can save $33 on this versatile garden bed, allowing you to buy two for just over the amount of the original price. 

Quictent Raised Covered Garden Bed, $38 (was $71) at Walmart

Why do shoppers love it?

This dual-planter functions both as a raised planting bed and a protective greenhouse rather than requiring separate purchases. The design allows gardeners to grow directly in the raised bed while also taking advantage of the protection when the plants are still seedlings, or during rainy or cold seasons. The greenhouse can also be used separately for other small plants, giving flexibility depending on the season and goals. 

Related: Amazon has an elevated garden bed with a self-watering system for just $81

Space is another important consideration for many gardeners, and this unit offers a generous growing area with a compact footprint. Measuring 47 inches wide, 29.5 inches deep, and 39.4 inch-tall cover, this planter provides room for larger plants while still remaining small enough to fit in most backyard areas. The galvanized steel box is reinforced with galvanized steel corners and creates a stable growing area designed for long-term use, and it's paired with eco-friendly paint that helps resist rust and discoloration. The greenhouse portion has a powder-coated steel frame and polyurethane material designed to shield plants from harsh, direct sunlight. It features two zippered windows to help ventilate the plants and allow easy access for watering. For gardeners looking for a lower-maintenance and convenient alternative, the durability and versatility of this planter may be particularly appealing. 

Details to know

• Size: This planter measures 47 inches wide and 29.5 inches deep with a 39.4-inch-tall cover.
• Material: The galvanized steel is durable and rust-resistant. 
• Greenhouse cover: The polyurethane cover keeps direct sunlight off the plants while also staying durable and easy to use. 

Lots of reviewers have love this garden bed set, with one shopper saying. "It's just a little miniature greenhouse that keeps your little seedlings fairly warm and out of the rain while they're growing and out of the wind, so they don't break until they're strong enough to be on their own.I really like it a lot. I recommend it."

Another shopper said, "This is an awesome planter, well constructed, and I love the design of the cover. We have chickens, and this is a lifesaver to protect our garden from them and other critters, as well as frost. We bought two so far."

Shop more deals

• Quictent Raised Garden Bed with Cover, $53 (was $84) at Walmart
• Funcid Galvanized Planter with Cover, $60 (was $110) at Walmart
• Aoodor Raised Garden Bed and Cover Kit, $40 (was $45) at Walmart

The Quictent Raised Covered Garden Bed provides an easy way to keep your plants safe and out of the harsh weather while also providing ample space to allow them to grow. The side flaps are super convenient for watering, pruning, and picking, and the cover can be used together or separately from the planter. At just $38, this is a great deal for any gardener.

Dashlane, a password manager company, has confirmed a major breach of security. The company says that hackers managed to steal some customers’ password vaults. That’s one thing you don’t want to happen when you trust someone with your login credentials.

Dashlane got hacked, and 20 password vaults were stolen in the process

So, what exactly happened? Dashlane says that hackers managed to get at least a dozen encrypted vaults used for storing customer passwords during a weekend cyberattack.

Dashlane said that hackers brute-forced the company’s two-factor authentication system. That granted them access to about 20 customer accounts. They were able to download a copy of certain customers’ encrypted vaults, which store passwords and other sensitive credentials.

The company added that there is no evidence of compromise of its own systems. “The goal of the attack was to brute-force two-factor authentication (2FA) protections to allow the attacker to register new devices on existing user accounts,” said the company. Dashlane added that attackers can use automated software to “rapidly submit every possible numeric combination to the system, hoping to guess the exact sequence before the short-lived [two-factor] security code expires.”

Dashlane also confirmed that it has “taken steps to mitigate the risk of future incidents,” but it did not share any details regarding that. So we don’t know exactly what those steps are.

The company also confirmed that it notified the customers whose encrypted vaults were stolen. It is still unclear whether those customers were targeted by hackers, or was that pure coincidence.

The company does says that the stolen vaults are scrambled, as a master password is needed

Dashlane did note that the stolen vaults are scrambled and cannot be read without the customer’s master password. That password is only known by the customer and is not uploaded to Dashlane in plain text.

This is not the first time something like this has happened for password manager companies. Back in 2022, LastPass confirmed that its customer password vault backups were stolen.

The post Dashlane Hacked: Customers' Password Vaults Stolen in Weekend Cyberattack appeared first on Android Headlines.

Google is apparently offering developers money to buy access to the code written for their Android apps on the Play Store. This is being done so that Google can use the code to train its AI. This comes from a report out of 404 Media, which says that some developers are getting an email with the subject “join a confidential content offer pilot”.

The email says that developers will be able to “generate additional revenue from your apps.” Apparently, this email is really only being sent out to developers of Android apps that have millions of downloads.

In this email, Google also says that they want to buy access to developers’ codebases “to improve Google’s developer tools and products.” However, according to this report, the email does not mention artificial intelligence at all. But a link in the email goes to a page about “partnerships to improve our AI products.”

Basically, Google wants to give you money to feed your code to its AI. Depending on the amount of money Google is paying, some developers might jump on board. Remember, it wasn’t that long ago that Google paid Reddit $60 million for access to Reddit to train its AI.

This shouldn’t be a huge surprise

Unfortunately, Google looking to use developers’ codebase to train its AI, really shouldn’t be a surprise. The surprise here is that they’re actually going to pay developers money to do this.

Google has been using the web for years to train its AI, including news sites like yours truly. It’s a big reason why publishers are so against AI, as it is taking away traffic from websites, which also means its taking money away.

Though Google is being a bit shady about this, in the email. They definitely need to be more upfront about what this “opportunity” is really about.

The post Google is quietly paying Android devs for their code to train AI appeared first on Android Headlines.

German national airline Lufthansa axed up to 2,000 flights it was initially planning to run between May and October while, over in North America, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Air Canada have all made similar cuts.

The total number of cuts amounts, for most airlines, somewhere between 3% and 8% of the total flying schedule. Some of Delta's recent summer suspensions include flights from New York's JFK to St. Louis, Memphis and Houston as well as a nonstop route between Raleigh-Durham and Las Vegas.

American Airlines cuts multiple summer flights to California

The latest carrier to confirm six routes that will be suspended this summer is Dallas-based American Airlines. The axed flights, as first spotted by watchdog Ishrion Aviation, include routes to Washington Dulles, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Columbus from LAX and Charlotte from Sacramento International (SMF) and Ontario International Airport (ONT) in California.

The six flights will be suspended for the period between Aug. 5 to Oct. 5, with American intending to restart them in the fall.

Related: Another low-cost airline cancels all flights for two weeks

"American has seasonally adjusted service on select routes in August and September as the airline refines its capacity growth for 2026," the airline said in a statement. "American is not suspending any routes indefinitely as part of this adjustment and will continue to proudly offer an industry-leading network with more flights than any other U.S. airline."

How to get a refund on a canceled American flight

As per the airline's regular policy on cancelations, any travelers who booked travel before the route was called off will be contacted with the option to either rebook or receive a refund to the original method of payment.

Travelers could also initiate this process independently through American's website and their flight booking. Travelers whose fare class would otherwise not allow for refund are entitled to one in cases where the route is suspended by the carrier.

More Travel News:

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While recent ebbs show some potential for improvement, jet fuel prices currently sit as $4 per gallon which is a spike of 80% from a year ago. American CEO Robert Isom had previously said that it expects nearly $4 billion more in additional expenses related to the price of jet fuel.

Along with cancelations to optimize the use of jet fuel, airlines are also forced to keep flights that run to the Middle East suspended indefinitely due to the volatile security situation. At the end of May, American also once again pushed back the restart of its flights between Philadelphia International (PHL) and Hamad Internatinoal (DOH) in Doha and JFK and Tel Aviv International (TLV) until at least 2027.

The Doha route was suspended in March 2026 after the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran while resumption of service has been pushed back multiple times as the war with Iran continued to expand into a regional crisis.

Related: 118-year-old transportation company files for bankruptcy

Now some, myself included, are receiving what appear to be legitimate replacement Medicare cards in the mail. Given the long history of Medicare-related scams, many recipients are understandably wondering whether the mailing is genuine.

The answer appears to be yes.

Approximately 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries are being issued new Medicare cards with new Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers, or MBIs, following a data security incident and fraud concerns, according to Medicare advocacy organizations, state aging agencies and industry groups tracking the reissuance effort.

The new Medicare numbers became effective April 14, 2026, and replacement cards have been arriving in mailboxes nationwide.

"I am not aware of any current mass mailing of this nature, but this is consistent with the letter and instructions that were sent in April to people whose Medicare numbers were compromised during a CMS hack," said Casey Schwarz, counsel for education and federal policy at the Medicare Rights Center.

Why Medicare is replacing the cards

The reissuance effort follows a Medicare.gov security incident disclosed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

According to CMS, unauthorized individuals used legitimate beneficiary information between 2023 and 2025 to create Medicare.gov accounts. The information included MBIs, dates of birth, ZIP codes, last names and Medicare coverage start dates.

Once those accounts were created, attackers may have been able to access additional information, including mailing addresses, provider information, dates of service, diagnosis codes, services received and Medicare plan premium details.

CMS said it responded by deactivating fraudulently created accounts, blocking the creation of new Medicare.gov accounts from foreign IP addresses, monitoring claims activity for suspicious activity and replacing Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers for affected beneficiaries.

The agency said it is not aware of any reports of identity theft or fraud resulting directly from the incident.

CMS did not respond to requests for comment prior to publication.

How to tell whether the mailing is legitimate

The arrival of replacement cards has created confusion because Medicare scams often involve claims that beneficiaries need a new card or Medicare number.

Diane Omdahl, president and founder of 65 Incorporated, said recipients should remain cautious but look for key signs that distinguish a legitimate mailing from a scam.

"People should always be skeptical of mailings that ask them to 'confirm' or 'activate' their new Medicare number. This mailing does not do that," Omdahl said.

Related: How does Medicare IRMAA work?

She noted that CMS has issued replacement Medicare cards in the past when fraud concerns or security issues have been identified. Beneficiaries who question whether a mailing is legitimate can verify it by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or checking their Medicare.gov account.

Omdahl also recommends monitoring Medicare claims activity for signs of unauthorized use.

Marcia Mantell, founder of Mantell Retirement Consulting, said reports of beneficiaries receiving replacement Medicare cards have surfaced in multiple parts of the country.

"It seems to be causing many folks a lot of confusion," Mantell said.

Mantell said beneficiaries receiving a legitimate replacement card will not be asked to activate it or take additional steps before using it. She also noted that the replacement card arrives as a paper card rather than a plastic one.

Beneficiaries with concerns should contact Medicare directly, seek assistance from their local State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or review their MyMedicare account for any communications related to their situation.

"The letter looks official and it did come in snail mail," Mantell said. "It does seem legit."

What affected beneficiaries should do

CMS recommends that beneficiaries:

• Review Medicare Summary Notices and Explanation of Benefits statements for unfamiliar services or charges.
• Report suspicious activity to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
• Check annual credit reports for signs of identity theft.
• Contact the Federal Trade Commission or local law enforcement if identity theft is suspected.

CMS said Medicare coverage and benefits are not affected by the issuance of a new Medicare number. The agency's primary goal is to protect beneficiary information and reduce the risk of future fraud involving compromised Medicare identifiers.

Related: Fidelity sends strong message on major Medicare worry

Xiaomi will be unveiling its next flagship lineup, presumably the Xiaomi 18, later this year. Like every time, there will be multiple models, including the Ultra variant, which will arrive at a later date. Our focus for today will be the vanilla Xiaomi 18, whose key specs, including display and battery, have surfaced on Weibo.

Xiaomi 18 will reportedly arrive with a larger 6.4-inch 2K display and 7,000mAh+ battery

Tipster Digital Chat Station, who has a reliable track record with leaks, is the source yet again. Though he doesn’t explicitly mention any names, fingers on the web point towards the Xiaomi 18. Considering it’s indeed the Xiaomi 18, here’s what the leak says. The phone will reportedly sport around a 6.4-inch flat display, which, according to him, is close to a mid-sized display that many users were hoping for. In comparison, the Xiaomi 17 (review) has a slightly smaller 6.3-inch screen.

Furthermore, he adds that it’ll feature a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, large-radius corners, and ultra-narrow and symmetrical bezels. The flagship will apparently offer an effective 2K resolution panel for some crisp visuals. It seems Xiaomi will be giving some notable upgrades to the standard Xiaomi 18 later this year.

The lineup may also get a dual 200MP camera upgrade

The leak also talks about the Xiaomi 18 Pro. It’ll reportedly debut with an exclusive new display technology. But he hasn’t explained it in detail. The lineup is said to bring notable improvements to photography with dual 200MP cameras. This will take the Xiaomi 18 series close to current flagships from OPPO and Vivo.

As for the battery department, Digital Chat Station notes the battery capacity would begin in the 7,000mAh range. Although we don’t know the exact capacity, this is a notable jump from the 6,330mAh cell on the predecessor (Xiaomi 17 Pro). The battery is likely to power both the Xiaomi 18 and 18 Pro.

That’s about it for the latest leak from Digital Chat Station. In a related development, tipster Smart Pikachu on Weibo recently claimed that Xiaomi is exploring AI-powered desktop features for secondary screens, including on the Xiaomi 18 Pro and the cover screen of the upcoming Xiaomi foldable. For context, the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are expected to keep the rear display, first seen on the Xiaomi 17 Pro.

The post Xiaomi 18 Leak Reveals Display and Battery Upgrades appeared first on Android Headlines.

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Aside from the major carriers in the US like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, there are a bunch of smaller regional carriers and MVNOs, catering to the local population who might not need all the bells and whistles and prices associated with the major carriers. But it looks like we have one less player in the field. In a press release, Noble Mobile is announcing that it is acquiring by Helium Mobile.

Noble Mobile acquires Helium Mobile

For those unfamiliar, Noble Mobile launched in 2025. It was founded by Andrew Yang, a former US presidential candidate. Yang’s pitch for his carrier has always been simple: wireless service costs too much. The carrier charges $50 per month for an unlimited plan, and one of its selling points was that it pays customers back for data they don’t use.

As for Helium Mobile, it launched in 2023 with a similar philosophy. It combined T-Mobile’s 5G network with the Helium Network, a decentralized infrastructure of roughly 137,000 consumer-operated hotspots across the US. Individuals running those hotspots earn crypto token rewards when their hardware offloads mobile data traffic. As part of this deal, Noble has also agreed to use the Helium Network going forward, which expands its coverage footprint.

Speaking to Fierce, Helium COO Frank Mong said, “Noble Mobile was the right fit because of our alignment in values, and the people leading the organization.” He adds, “It was important for us to select a partner that would continue to prioritize our subscribers and, together, push for wireless affordability and accessibility.”

What is acquisition means for customers

So, what does this acquisition of Helium Mobile by Noble Mobile mean for existing customers? Well, the good news is that for now, things should remain more or less as it is. Both companies say service continuity is the priority.

On the Noble Mobile Helium side, existing Noble customers also stand to benefit. They’ll gain access to the Helium Network, which reportedly serves millions of users daily. For a carrier barely a year old, that’s quite an expansion. And they did all this without building a single tower.

That being said, things haven’t exactly been smooth sailing for Helium. The carrier recently ended its free plan for subscribers. This led to quite a bit of user backlash, and only time will tell whether Yang’s Noble Mobile can win that audience back.

The post Andrew Yang's Noble Mobile Snaps Up Helium Mobile in Affordable Wireless Bet appeared first on Android Headlines.

Google could launch with eight Googlebook models later this year. The company teased the new laptop at The Android Show | I/O Edition last month, saying that the first hardware would be available this Fall, and even name-dropped a number of its partners. Now, according to a new report, we know that Google could release at least eight Googlebooks this year.

According to Chrome Unboxed, which has spotted these Googlebooks through various repositories, these are expected to be powered by Intel chips based on Panther Lake architecture. That’s the codename for Intel’s Core Ultra 300 series chips. However, the code does not reflect which OEMs are using these devices, only the chipsets being used to power them.

Intel isn’t the only chipset powering these new Chromebooks either. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips are also set to be used in a few devices. This could be Qualcomm’s older Snapdragon X Plus rather than the newer X2 Plus and Elite. Which would make sense, as it’ll help keep the price down, and because Googlebooks don’t need as much power as a Windows laptop.

MediaTek had also announced that they were on board with Googlebooks and working with Google and their partners. But their processors haven’t been seen in these repositories just yet.

What is the Googlebook?

For many people, the Googlebook is a bit confusing. As we already have Chromebooks, which Google says they are committed to supporting and keeping around. And as far as we know, from what Google has told us, Google Books is essentially built on Android with a Chrome OS skin on top. Which explains the name a little bit.

Google has already named virtually every PC maker as a partner for Googlebooks. This includes Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. We’ve seen leaks of a Samsung Googlebook, but they were not explicitly named by Google.

The post Google's About to Drop a Whole Library of Googlebooks This Fall appeared first on Android Headlines.