What you need to know

• Meta's latest smart glasses update stops video recording if someone covers the capture LED after filming begins.
• The update closes a loophole that previously allowed users to start recording first and then cover the LED afterward.
• Meta says several businesses offering capture LED tampering services have already shut down following its changes.

Meta has started rolling out another update for its AI glasses that closes yet another loophole that allowed users to record discreetly while keeping the capture LED covered.

Earlier this year, Meta took several major steps to address privacy concerns surrounding its smart glasses. The company rolled out a mandatory update for its Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta, and Meta AI glasses that prevented the camera from recording if the capture LED had been tampered with or covered.

Meta said the change was designed to make sure people around the wearer can clearly tell whenever the glasses are capturing photos or videos.

Now, the company is rolling out another update that closes a loophole in that system. Meta VP Alex Himel shared on Threads that the new update will stop video recording if someone covers the capture LED after recording has already started.

Until now, users could apparently get around Meta's protection by starting a recording while the LED was visible and then covering it afterward. With the latest update, doing that will automatically stop the recording.

Himel added that Meta will continue rolling out updates like this to make sure the capture LED can "reliably alert bystanders" whenever photos or videos are being captured and saved to someone's gallery.

Meta also claims that its efforts against LED tampering are already having a deterrent effect. According to the company, several businesses that previously offered services to disable or cover the capture LED on Meta's smart glasses have already shut down.

In fact, the company has also launched an awareness campaign explaining what the capture LED actually means. With AI glasses quickly becoming a much bigger product category, Meta says not everyone is familiar with the light or knows when someone is recording. The company now seems to be heavily marketing these new privacy protections in an effort to build back some of that trust.

In addition to these changes, Meta says it has removed accounts from its platforms that engaged in this behavior, alongside posts that provided instructions or advertised services for tampering with the capture LED.

Honestly, it's pretty sad that things have reached this point. In my opinion, protections against something as obvious as covering the recording light should have been built into these glasses from the beginning. But nonetheless, Meta is finally closing these loopholes, and hopefully, it makes discreet recording with its smart glasses much harder going forward.

What you need to know

• Viture has collaborated with S-Game, the developer studio behind Phantom Blade Zero, for the "Phantom Beast" XR glasses that combine Chinese wuxia with "kungfupunk" designs.
• The collector's edition offers a selection of collectibles for consumers, such as a map in the shape of a scroll.
• Consumers can pre-order the Phantom Beast XR glasses for $599 ahead of its October 29 launch.

Viture announced its collaboration with S-Game, the gaming studio behind Phantom Blade Zero. Together, the two have made a version of the Phantom Beast XR glasses that live up to the sharp edge the game breathes life into.

This collaboration marks the first time Viture has collaborated with a Chinese gaming studio; however, it's the second collab overall, following the Cyberpunk 2077 Luma Cyber. Consumers can pre-order the Viture x Phantom Blade Zero: Phantom Beast XR glasses for $599 at viture.com or the IGN Store. The glasses will launch on October 29. Consumers will find a pair of red and black XR lenses, embodying a traditional Chinese wuxia and punk fantasy aesthetic.

Viture says the XR glasses feature "exclusive artwork, engravings, and iconography pulled from the game’s blade-forward visual identity..." All of this is laid on top of Viture's regular Beast product. The lenses' temples are another talking point. Viture says they were modeled after the Soul's blade, frozen mid-draw. What's more, there's a neck lanyard with traditional wuxia patterning and martial arts-inspired pads.

If you're pre-ordering, the collector's package you'll receive is packed full of goodies. Viture says the packaging doubles as a shelf display. Not only is it covered in artwork, but the game's character, Soul, is present, as he readies his blade. Viture and S-Game are also including "a 12.5cm Mó Sanguine blade replica, a game-art card brick, a sticker sheet, and a lens cloth" in the collector's box.

If you pre-order (or purchase) your glasses before November 5, you will receive a collectible map in the form of a scroll.

The carrying case for the Phantom Beast is shaped like a scabbard. The press release states the "triangular metal drawer wrapped in textured black leather, it opens the way the game’s blades do — sliding, not flipping." The inside of the case is crimson, and its texture mirrors that of a blade in sunlight.

A screen that immerses you

As previously stated, the Phantom Beast is essentially a special version laid on top of Viture's natural Beast XR glasses. With that in mind, consumers will experience Sony Micro-OLED panels on a 174” (at 4m) virtual screen. Its refresh rate is rather smooth at 120Hz. The display is paired with VisionPair 3DoF spatial tracking and HARMAN AudioEFX spatial sound. Another key difference is the OSD menu. Viture says it's been reskinned to fit Phantom Blade Zero's in-game UI.

Once you unpack it, you can customize your viewing with five different modes, including a 32:9 panoramic aspect ratio designed for PC gaming, per Viture. Moreover, the Phantom Beast offers USB-C connectivity for "plug-and-play" support for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Steam Deck. If you're looking to play Phantom Blade Zero, Viture and S-Game had this to say:

"Phantom Blade Zero players on PlayStation need VITURE’s Pro Mobile Dock, which extends support to PS5, PS4, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, as well as other HDMI devices; players can also connect Phantom Beast to Switch and Switch 2 with the Mobile Dock Mini. VITURE is the only XR glasses manufacturer with Switch 2 support."

What you need to know

• Rakuten Kobo is bringing its e-readers to stores for the first time, and it's doing so with 500 Best Buy shops across the U.S.
• Consumers can shop the Kobo Clara Colour, Clara BW, Libra Colour, Kobo Stylus 2, and Kobo Remote.
• Online availability for these Rakuten Kobo products remains on kobo.com, Staples, Target, and more.

If you've ever wanted to physically shop Rakuten Kobo products, you're getting your wish. Today (Aug 27), Rakuten unveiled its newest partnership with a major retailer across the U.S.

A press release states Rakuten Kobo e-reader products are heading to 500 Best Buy stores across the U.S. This will be the first time that consumers can shop in stores for Rakuten Kobo products. Previously, as the company highlights in its post, consumers could only shop online for these e-readers.

To complement the retailer expansion, Rakuten Kobo's CEO, Michael Tamblyn, said, "Many readers want to be able to pick up a device, see the screen, and feel it in their hands before they commit. With Kobo eReaders now available at Best Buy, more American customers can do just that."

Coming to Best Buy stores will be the Rakuten Kobo Clara Colour and Kobo Clara BW. Both devices are "compact and waterproof." What's more, consumers can shop the expansive Kobo Libra Colour. Rounding out Rakuten Kobo's retail expansion are the Kobo Stylus 2 and the Kobo Remote accessories. While it's nice to actually see and envision how these tablets would look in your hands in a cozy chair, Rakuten Kobo says there's more to experience.

After purchasing, the post states each e-reader provides access to the Kobo Store and Kobo Plus. The former lets you shop for new books to read, while the latter is a subscription service. Kobo Plus offers a selection of packages with "support for a wide range of eBook formats, and an industry-leading experience for borrowing eBooks directly from local public libraries with Libby and OverDrive."

More e-readers hit Best Buy

We covered Rakuten Kobo's launch of the Libra Colour and Clara Colour. These tablets feature E Ink's Kaledio 3 module screens with stronger processing and improved battery capacities. The Libra Colour, which is what consumers can find in-store at Best Buy, features a 7-inch display, 32GB of storage, and full support for the Kobo Stylus 2. Another highlight of the Libra Colour is its ergonomic design.

Rakuten Kobo worked on its form factor with comfort in mind for longer reading sessions. If you enjoy reading a physical book, the Libra Colour might give you those same vibes—it's just digital.

For all consumers interested in Rakuten Kobo e-readers, or those curious if their store has any, you can check on Best Buy today. If you prefer the online route, Rakuten Kobo says you can still find its e-readers on kobo.com, Staples, Target, and more.

What you need to know

• Samsung launched the Galaxy S26 FE with a 6.7-inch display, and One UI 9 (Android 17), beating the rest of the Galaxy S26 series to the newest software.
• While the display remains the same to the S25 FE, the battery is also similar, arriving at 4,900mAh with 45W wired charging.
• The S26 FE features a 50MP main lens, and Samsung equipped it with the flagship series' Nightography and My FanCam from its latest foldables.
• Consumers can find the Galaxy S26 FE for $699 starting on September 3 at "select carriers" before a wider market debut on September 4.

This morning (Aug 27), Samsung fully unveiled the Galaxy S26 FE, and this slightly more affordable phone is bringing the latest software before its flagship siblings.

In a press release, Samsung states the Galaxy S26 FE runs One UI 9 (Android 17) out of the box before the flagship S26 series. According to Samsung, One UI 9 brings more "intuitive" Galaxy AI features. Consumers will recognize several features, such as Google's Circle to Search, Samsung's Now Nudge, and Now Brief. Now Nudge suggests actions you can take above your keyboard. Now Brief is more personalized, displaying quick weather insights or wellness insights daily.

Something you can immerse your eyeballs in is the S26 FE's 6.7-inch AMOLED display, like its predecessor. Samsung states the screen can reach a maximum 120Hz refresh rate. Internally, the phone is equipped with the company's Exynos 2500 SoC. This was Samsung's 2025 chip that debuted a month before its foldables. It said it upgraded the chip with "powerful" AI capabilities and CPU performance.

What's also remained the same between the S26 FE and the S25 FE is the battery. The latest model offers a 4,900mAh cell with 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging.

Samsung carved out space for the Galaxy S26 FE's camera features. The device offers the following rear cameras: a 50MP main lens, 12MP ultra-wide camera, and an 8MP telephoto. The selfie lens arrives at 12MP.

Consumers will find Super Steady and the flagship series' Nightography available for the S26 FE. The former helps capture fast-moving subjects so everything looks smooth in playback. Nightography is Samsung's night mode for capturing "clear shots in low light." One camera feature the S26 FE has received that Samsung's latest foldables have is "My FanCam."

Imagine going to a concert and wanting to capture your favorite member fully without any distraction. Samsung says My FanCam can focus on a singular subject, "intelligently reframing video as the scene moves, so users can turn dynamic moments into social-ready content with less manual editing." Photo Assist helps freshen up your images after the fact, while Gemini Omni lets users create quick photos based on content in their Gallery.

If you're considering the Galaxy S26 FE, Samsung says it has committed to seven years of software updates (security patches, too). What if you're switching from iOS to Android? Samsung highlights the upgrades to Smart Switch, which makes it easier for users to swap from an iPhone to a Galaxy S26 FE by scanning a QR code. Users can wirelessly transfer their files over Wi-Fi, including passwords, passkeys, call history, and more.

Samsung Care is an option for consumers when purchasing the device, as well as a 6-month free trial of Google AI Pro.

The Galaxy S26 FE will be available on September 3 for "select carriers." On September 4, consumers can find it at samsung.com, carriers, and retailers across the U.S. for $699. The S26 FE can be found in Pistachio, Blueberry, and Graphite with the following RAM/storage options: 8/126GB and 8/256GB.

TL;DR: Sign up for T-Mobile's Essentials 4 Line offer and you'll get four Galaxy S26 phones and four lines for only $25/month per line.

It's not unusual to find T-Mobile deals that could land you a free phone, but more often than not, these offers require a trade-in or expensive data plan before you see any real savings. Fortunately, that's not the case with T-Mo's latest offer.

For a limited time, if you add four lines with the Essentials 4 Line offer, you'll get four Samsung Galaxy S26 phones for FREE, while the wireless coverage will be dropped to only $25 per month for each line. That's four 2026 Samsung phones with unlimited coverage for the whole family, and it'll only set you back 100 bucks per month. Sounds pretty good, if you ask me.

The Galaxy S26 may not be the most eye-catching device on the planet, but don't judge the book by its cover. The Samsung flagship is all power under the hood, with a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and all of the latest AI-boosted software features. The phone also sports IP68 water-and-dust resistance, while the butter-smooth 6.3-inch FHD+ AMOLED display is simply a joy to behold.

T-Mobile's Essentials plan is no slouch, either. Although it lacks some of the premium perks included in the carrier's more expensive phone plans, you still get unlimited talk, text, and data on T-Mo's vast network, in addition to 50GB of premium data for each device every single month.

Sure, this T-Mobile deal isn't for everyone, but if you were searching for a good way to get your four-person family set up with some new devices in 2026, it's going to be pretty tough to beat.

What you need to know

• The Fitbit Air now comes in a Pokémon Sleep Special Edition with a Sleeping Pikachu strap.
• The special edition tracker keeps its lightweight design, week-long battery, 50-meter water resistance, optical heart-rate sensor, and skin-temperature monitoring.
• Overnight sleep and naps sync automatically with Pokémon Sleep through Health Connect on Android or Apple Health on iOS.
• Sleep Score boosts Snorlax’s Strength to create “Drowsy Power,” with higher scores unlocking rarer Pokémon sleep styles.

The Fitbit Air made its quiet debut earlier this year as Google's lightest wearable yet, but today it’s getting a colorful makeover that will make it much harder to ignore. Google has announced the Fitbit Air Special Edition Pokémon Sleep that turns your morning grogginess into in-game gains.

If you’ve been MIA since the Air landed in early 2026, here’s the TL;DR: It's the screen-free tracker that weighs just 12 grams total. As Derrek Lee put it in his review for Android Central, this thing is forgettable in the best way. You put it on and forget it’s there, which is the whole point if you’re trying to get some quality sleep. The week-long battery is a lovely touch as well.

The Pokémon Sleep edition retains all the things that make the Air so good — the 50-meter water resistance, the optical heart rate sensor, and the skin temperature monitoring — but swaps out the strap for one with a sleeping Pikachu.

What’s interesting about this slight makeover is what happens when you plug your Fitbit Air into the Pokémon Sleep app. Your overnight sleep and daytime naps are auto-synced through Health Connect on Android or Apple Health on iOS, importing your sleep duration stats straight into the game.

When you wake up, Pokémon with sleep types similar to yours gather around Snorlax, and your Sleep Score multiplies Snorlax's Strength to generate "Drowsy Power." The higher that number, the rarer the sleep styles you'll discover.

Under the hood is Google Health’s sleep tracking, which now uses machine learning algorithms that are 15% more accurate at picking up sleep stages, naps, and those pesky overnight interruptions. With every purchase, you get a three-month trial to Google Health Premium, which gives you access to the AI-powered Health Coach that analyzes your trends and offers personalized tips.

Preorders for the Fitbit Air Special Edition Pokémon Sleep start today at the Google Store and Target, with shipping beginning September 15. It's limited to the U.S. and Japan, so if you’ve been waiting for a reason to finally track your sleep, your Pikachu-themed excuse just arrived.

What you need to know

• The Galaxy S27 is expected to retain almost the same design and dimensions as the current Galaxy S26.
• The Galaxy S27 Pro could share the Galaxy S27 Ultra's new iPhone-like horizontal camera plateau design.
• Leaked renders suggest the smaller Galaxy S27 Pro won't feature an S Pen slot, unlike the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Following the Galaxy S27 Ultra renders leak, we're now finally starting to see the base Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Pro as well.

Over the past few days, we've seen several leaks surrounding the Galaxy S27 Ultra's new design. Samsung appears to be moving away from its familiar vertical camera layout in favor of an iPhone-like horizontal camera plateau, with two prominent camera lenses on the left and a vertical pill-shaped module next to them.

From everything we've seen so far, it's hard not to notice the inspiration from Apple's iPhone 17 Pro lineup.

And now, we're starting to get a look at the Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Pro as well.

Renders of the base Galaxy S27 were shared by OnLeaks in collaboration with Android Headlines, and unfortunately, it looks like Samsung isn't changing much from the Galaxy S26.

The phone still features three vertically arranged cameras inside a raised camera island in the top-left corner, with an overall design that looks extremely similar to its predecessor. Even the dimensions are reportedly more or less identical. This seemingly confirms that Samsung is keeping its new design exclusive to the more expensive models.

And that theory has gained even more weight thanks to a separate Galaxy S27 Pro leak from Ice Universe on X. The leaker shared outline renders comparing the Galaxy S27 Ultra and Galaxy S27 Pro, showing that the two phones will reportedly share a very similar design.

That isn't entirely surprising, since the Galaxy S27 Pro is expected to share several design elements and specifications with the Ultra. However, the renders also appear to confirm one major difference: the smaller Pro model won't come with an S Pen.

There's no S Pen slot visible on the Galaxy S27 Pro, and Samsung will also reportedly reposition the speaker grille and microphone on the smaller model.

In a separate post, Ice Universe also claimed that the Galaxy S27 Ultra will feature a more rounded frame than the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which should make the larger phone feel more natural and comfortable in the hand.

Overall, these Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Pro leaks seem to clear up one major question about Samsung's 2027 lineup. The new horizontal camera design will apparently remain exclusive to the Galaxy S27 Pro and Ultra, while the regular Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Plus will stick with Samsung's more familiar design.

What you need to know

• Samsung is reportedly rolling out its August 2026 security update late this month, including an important fix.
• Users on X highlight a Samsung official's notice online, stating a fix for the Galaxy S26 Ultra's red screen or "red stain" issue is in this update.
• Galaxy S26 Ultra users overseas noticed this problem when the device is at maximum brightness, often resulting in a red band or stain across their screen.

No, you didn't miss it. Samsung is just now rolling out its August security update for stable Galaxy S26 users, and with it comes a long-awaited bug fix.

Late this week, SamMobile spotted the August 2026 security update rolling out for Galaxy S26 users overseas. The update is reportedly rolling out for users in South Korea first, which is typical for Samsung. Users on its Korean community forum pointed this development out, posting a screenshot of the patch hitting their S26. The publication highlights a hefty number of fixes involved in this August patch, but we're putting that on hold.

SamMobile and Tarun Vats on X state this patch will likely hold the long-awaited fix for the red screen or red tint issue that's plagued the Galaxy S26 Ultra. A Samsung official has started informing Korean users that a fix is now rolling out.

As for what the security patch fixes, Samsung's changelog states it's rolling out seven "Critical" and 30 "High" level fixes. Among them, the notes state there's a fix that could let malicious attackers "cause device inoperability" on a Galaxy device. Several fixes for the Samsung Contacts app are rolling out, alongside a fix to stop hackers from accessing a Galaxy phone's SIM card. Once again, Google has not listed its extensive changelog for Framework fixes and more on the Android Security Bulletin.

Fixing some struggles

It was in July that reports about a red screen/red stain on the Galaxy S26 Ultra surfaced. Users in Korea noticed this issue when the phone produced bright colors or when at maximum brightness. The area of redness varied. Some users noticed it appeared vertically on their S26 Ultra, while others reported wide strips across the display. What was a bummer was Samsung's investigation.

According to its discovery, the S26 Ultra's "new technology" was to blame. The only "new tech" to hit the Ultra this year, especially its display, was the Privacy Display. This tech is purely software, which is why we needed a patch to fix it. The good thing is that it seems that this issue should be fixed as of this week (keep your eyes out for the patch).

But the Privacy Display, while useful and incredibly attractive, isn't all rainbows and sunshine. After the device launched, a report quickly surfaced, stating the Galaxy S26 Ultra's screen isn't as bright because of the Privacy Display. Compared to the S25 Ultra, the S26 Ultra is noticeably darker.

Google Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 9 Pro: Design and display

It wasn't until I dug out the Pixel 9 Pro that I realized just how little has changed with Google's phones in the last two years. The Pixel 9 Pro has nearly identical dimensions to the Pixel 11 Pro, and while the latter is 5g heavier, that isn't immediately noticeable.

In fact, other than the new design around the camera bar, there isn't an easy way to distinguish both phones — they're that similar. This is a good thing, as it solidifies Google's visual identity and ensures models are consistent between generations.

To give you a little bit of contrast, there aren't any design similarities between last year's Find X8 Ultra and the 2026 Find X9 Ultra; they could be made by different brands. While a constantly-changing design is interesting in its own way — I have no idea what the Find X10 will look like — that isn't an issue with Pixels; Google clearly has its design language dialed in, and it isn't going to change that anytime soon.

Anyway, the Pixel 11 Pro is a standout small flagship, and the Pixel 9 Pro is the same. I like the smaller design, and while I inevitably gravitate to larger phones, there's no denying that there's an audience that wants a smaller device with high-end internals, and other than the 6.3-inch panel size and smaller battery, the Pro devices are unchanged from their Pro XL siblings.

The 6.3-inch OLED panel is great in its own right; both phones have good color vibrancy and class-leading brightness figures. The only difference is that the 11 Pro gets brighter in outdoor use, but other than that, they're identical. Also, both devices get IP68 dust and water resistance, and they're built to last.

Google Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 9 Pro: Hardware and cameras

The Tensor G6 powering the Pixel 11 Pro is faster and does a better job overall, but it's still not set up for any intensive gaming, and at this point, it's clear that it just isn't a priority for Google. That said, it is reliable in everyday use, and the device itself has good fluidity. The same is true on the Pixel 9 Pro as well, and I still don't see any issues with the device in regular tasks.

Similarly, battery life is about the same, but the 11 Pro gets Qi 2.2 integration, going up to 25W — the 9 Pro is limited to standard 12W Qi charging. Connectivity is the same on both devices, and while the 11 Pro is using a new modem, I don't see much of a difference in daily use.

The Pixel 11 Pro has a new camera, and it takes slightly better photos and videos. But like previous years, the best features are software-related: Camera Looks lets you change the tonality of the photos to a significant degree, and I like the feature quite a bit. There's also Magic Capture, which automatically takes the best photo while shooting a video, and it makes a lot of sense if you have kids that are constantly moving.

Google Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 9 Pro: Which should you buy?

There is a lot to like in the Pixel 11 Pro, and the new software features go a long way in differentiating the phone. That said, Google is likely to bring most of these to older Pixels — including the Pixel 9 Pro — so you're not really missing out on much there.

Other than that, I don't see many differences to the Pixel 9 Pro. It's still a fabulous phone two years after its launch, and if you're using the device, there's no reason to get the Pixel 11 Pro.

What you need to know

• Motorola has detailed the new features coming to its phones with the upcoming Android 17 software update.
• Android 17 will bring stackable widgets, themed icons, Live Updates, and AI-powered notification summaries.
• More than 50 Motorola phones are confirmed to receive Android 17, including recent Razr and Edge models.

We finally know what features Motorola is bringing to its phones with the Android 17 update.

Now that Google has rolled out Android 17 for Pixel phones, more brands are starting to detail their own updates. We recently saw Nothing showcase Nothing OS 5.0 based on Android 17, and now Motorola has revealed some of the features coming to its devices.

As detailed on Motorola India's support page, the Android 17 update will bring changes to the home screen and notifications, alongside several new security features. One of the biggest additions is stackable widgets, which will let users combine multiple widgets into a single block on the home screen. Users will also be able to use themed icons and hide labels from Quick Settings tiles.

In terms of notifications, Motorola is finally adding support for Live Updates, alongside notification summaries that can condense longer notifications into a single sentence for quicker reading.

Motorola also says eligible devices will use machine learning models to identify low-priority notifications and bundle them into a separate quiet section under silent notifications.

You can check out Motorola's full Android 17 changelog below:

Home screen and quick settings improvements

Stackable widgets

You can now stack widgets, combining multiple widgets into a single block on your home screen. Instead of taking up several grids on your home screen for your weather, calendar, battery and music player, stack them and swipe the stack to switch between them.

Themed icons

You can now use an icon theme that coordinates with your overall theme. Touch & hold a blank space on your Home screen, then tap Home settings > Themed icons.

Hide quick setting labels when using Classic style

If you're using Classic style for quick settings, you can now hide labels on the settings tiles. Hiding them frees up screen space if you already recognise the icons.

Improved notifications

Live updates

Live updates let apps to display real-time, ongoing data. Instead of sending multiple notifications, an app can now continuously update a single live snippet in your status bar or notifications. You can turn these on or off.

Notification summaries

You can now peek at your notifications for a one-sentence summary of a lengthy group chat or a rapid-fire thread from messaging apps (like WhatsApp or Messages).

Organised notifications

Your phone now organises your notifications to separate your personal messages from clutter and automated alerts. It uses machine learning to screen lower-priority notifications and bundles them into separate, quiet folders under the Silent section of your notifications.

New settings

Enhanced HDR brightness control

When you view HDR content – like an Ultra HDR photo in Google Photos, a HDR video on YouTube or an HDR feed on Instagram – your phone's display automatically sets brightness to its highest limits to make the highlights pop.

You can now limit this brightness to a more comfortable level by adjusting the intensity of Enhanced HDR brightness or turning it off to force HDR photos and videos to play at a normal brightness level.

New sharing features in Connected devices

There are two new ways to share in Settings > Connected devices:

To share a photo or file with one other person, use Tap to Share by placing your phones together. To share with a reusable group, use Quick Drop to send photos or files to friends or a team simultaneously.

Other improvements

Android system upgrades add more than new features. Using the latest Android update provides other improvements such as:

Enhanced security and protection to defend against evolving threats like malware, phishing and data breaches.

App compatibility with newer apps, which often require the latest Android version to function correctly.

Performance improvements that optimise your phone's operating system for smoother performance, better stability and, in some cases, longer battery life.

Bug fixes and stability enhancements to resolve known issues and improve overall reliability and stability

There are a few other changes coming as well. As highlighted in a report by FoneArena, Motorola's Android 17 update will bring improvements to cross-platform Quick Share, although that still doesn't include AirDrop compatibility with iPhones. You can also expect features like Audio Sharing, a refreshed Quick Settings panel, and improved HDR brightness management.

Motorola has already confirmed that Android 17 will roll out to more than 50 devices, including several recent Razr and Edge models. You can check out the full list of Motorola phones getting Android 17 right here.

What you need to know

• Counterpoint Research published its report concerning the top 10 best-selling phones globally for Q2, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra surprised the results.
• The Galaxy S26 Ultra, a premium phone, topped the charts for Android, marking the first time such a device has done so.
• While Samsung and Apple dominated the top 10 in Q2 2026, Apple's iPhone 17 was number one.

Research data is taking a look back at individual phone performance for Q2 2026. The discovery? A premium phone topped Android's charts for the very first time.

This week, Counterpoint Research published its research into the global best-selling phones for Q2 2026, and one device was a surprise (via 9to5Google). The Galaxy S26 Ultra turned heads this past quarter, as the device claimed the top spot in the best-selling Android phone sector. Counterpoint cites its senior analyst, Harshit Rastogi, who said the S26 Ultra's performance "marks the first time an ultra-premium Android device has led Android sales in a June quarter."

Rastogi highlighted the Ultra phone's Q2 performance over Q1 2026. Considering Samsung's first Galaxy Unpacked this year, sales "shifted more into Q2." What's more, research shows that the S26 Ultra not only outperformed the S25 Ultra, but it also accounted for "more than half of the series' sales" this year. While this is a first for Android, Samsung isn't at the top of the global best-selling phone list in Q2.

That belongs to Apple's iPhone 17. The iPhone 17 Pro Max followed up in second, then it's the 17 Pro. The Galaxy S26 Ultra sits in fourth place, with the more expected Android leader, the Galaxy A07 (a mid-range phone), in fifth. Compared to this time last year, Apple and Samsung dominate the top 10 best-selling phones. In Q2 2025, Xiaomi snuck into the eighth spot, but not this time.

Counterpoint adds that Apple and Samsung total 26% of the global smartphone sales, a 2% increase YoY.

A downward trend

Samsung and Apple's positive Q2 2026 was highlighted in another research report published by Omdia in July. It noted a 2% and 4% increase, respectively, for the companies. Omdia reported that the global smartphone market dipped 4% in Q2, placing the blame on the memory crisis. The current outlook on the smartphone market isn't a pleasant one. According to Omdia's projections, the market may continue to drop into Q3, then Q4.

This would be significant, considering the holiday season is when the market tends to rise. In its report, Runar Bjorhovde, principal analyst at Omdia, said the "sharpest volume decline" is expected in the two upcoming quarters. "Contrained memory chip" supply and the issues that accompany it could sour a time when there are multiple device launches, festivities, and sales.

What you need to know

• Meta has reportedly reached a $16 billion settlement with 29 states involving claims that its social media platforms "harmed young users."
• Not only have Facebook and Instagram reportedly "fueled" a nationwide mental health crisis, but the addictive nature does not help.
• Following the settlement, Meta will need to roll out changes to its platforms to reduce the addictive nature for younger users with usage limits and more.

Lawsuits have been filed against Meta in several states over the past few months over how its social media platform addict children. Another has been settled, pushing Meta to shell out over $16 billion.

A major settlement such as this isn't the only thing Meta is forced to do. Following coverage by Reuters, Meta will also need to make sweeping changes to how younger audiences interact with its platforms. For context, this $16.68 billion settlement involved claims from 29 states. Each state claimed that Meta's social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) "harmed young users."

Specifically, these platforms reportedly "fueled a nationwide youth mental health crisis." Meta has continued to disagree with these allegations. Regardless, to reduce the "addictive nature" of its platforms for younger users, Meta will restrict nighttime use of Facebook and Instagram. Meta will also beef up its defenses to keep kids away from "age-restricted" content, while introducing a new daily usage limit.

The addictive or potentially mentally harmful sides of social media were the highlights behind these claims. However, Reuters mentions another side of these claims that also makes up this $16 billion settlement: child privacy. According to the post, the 29 states claim Meta "violated the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act" by collecting data from kids without consent.

What's more, Meta allegedly used this data to train its AI systems. It should only be a matter of time before we see the result of this settlement hit Facebook and Instagram for youth accounts.

A prevoius case

This has been a long-standing issue for Meta over the past few months. In March, we highlighted CNBC's coverage of a Los Angeles case involving YouTube and Meta's "negligence." The trial concerned Kaley (otherwise known as K.G.M.), a young woman who said she had become "addicted" to social media as a child. According to K.G.M., this addiction led to severe mental health issues as she got older. K.G.M. is now 20 years old.

In their argument, K.G.M. said the "infinite scrolling" aspect of social media is where the addiction begins. Additionally, the case in Los Angeles highlighted the influx of notifications one would receive from these platforms, which didn't help. Meta disagreed with the claims, as it's done in the recent settlement involving 29 states. The company also leaned on K.G.M.'s therapists to say that none of these claims were "the cause" of her mental health issues.

While Google provided a modicum of upgrades with the rest of the Pixel 11 models this year — the Pixel 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and 11 Pro Fold have new camera modules, brighter OLED panels, and faster charging — the standard Pixel 11 is basically unchanged to its predecessor.

So, I'll make this easy: don't buy the Pixel 11 if you're using a phone that's less than two years old. Most of the new features revolve around the software, and those will trickle down to older models anyway, so you're not getting a whole lot that's new with the Pixel 11.

Yes, the new Tensor G6 is a little faster, but it is still hobbled when it comes to gaming, and in my usage, I didn't see much of a difference between the Pixel 11 and Pixel 10. There is better fluidity on the Pixel 11, but that alone doesn't justify an upgrade. Annoyingly, you still don't get decent thermal management on the device — that is limited to the Pro models.

I like the Hibiscus color that Google introduced this year, and the Pistachio model is similarly vibrant. The overall design hasn't changed, but the camera bar looks a little cleaner this year, and it is a little better to hold. On that note, I like the size of the Pixel 11; the 6.3-inch OLED panel gives you enough real estate, but it's much better to use one-handed.

The base Pixel 11 now comes with 256GB of storage, but you're paying $899 — $100 more than last year — so it evens out. There isn't a whole lot new with the battery either. The Pixel 11 has a slightly bigger 4,985mAh battery, and it uses the same 30W USB PD charging tech. There's 25W Qi 2.2 integration this time, and this is a decent benefit to using modern Pixels — you don't need to use a case to charge the phone with a Qi 2.2 charger.

It has the same trio of cameras as last year, including a 48MP main camera, 13MP wide-angle, and 10.3MP tele lens with 5x optical zoom and OIS, and it takes slightly better photos thanks to a new ISP and tuning changes, it isn't a huge difference to the Pixel 10. Google's new Camera Looks feature gives you greater control in customizing the look and feel of the resultant photos, and I like it quite a lot.

The Pixel 11 only makes sense if you're using an older phone and want to upgrade this year, or if you have a carrier deal that gets you the phone without paying an additional fee. Outside of that, I don't see a need to buy the device.

If anything, the Pixel 10a is a better choice if you just need a phone that nails the basics, and you don't necessarily want a dedicated tele lens. There's a reason the Pixel A series sells a lot more than the numbered devices; you're getting a lot of the same features at roughly half the price, and there's no way to beat that kind of value.

Google's 2026 phone lineup is here, but if you were hoping to snag the best Pixel 11 deals, you better act fast. From now through August 27th at 11:59pm PST, Amazon will give you a free $100 gift card when you buy the base model Google Pixel 11 on its website. Go with the Pixel 11 Pro instead and your gift card balance will increase to $200. No trade-in required, no strings attached!

We've seen a lot of Pixel 11 deals since the phones were unveiled earlier this month, but few offers have been this straightforward. The only tricky part now is grabbing the deal before it expires. Once this free gift card promotion ends, it's gone for good. 

It's your last chance to get a free Amazon gift card with the purchase of a Google Pixel 11

• See the top deals available at Amazon today

Unlike some smartphone releases, the Google Pixel 11 is more about careful refinement than dramatic transformation. The device takes the stellar foundation of last year's Google Pixel 10 and adds a new Tensor G6 chipset for faster performance, twice the base storage, and an upgraded camera system. You also get faster charging and Android 17 straight out of the carton.

The 2026 flagship also keeps a lot of the specs that make Google Pixel phones so desirable, from the AI-boosted camera tech to the seven years of guaranteed OS and security upgrades. 

Indeed, this offer from Amazon may not be as flashy as the many carrier deals and trade-in opportunities that are floating around right now, but if you value simplicity, here is an easy way to get a powerful Pixel device and some free spending money without all of the pesky fine print. 

Once upon a time, Pixels pioneered fast charging standards, shipping with 18W chargers in the box, leaving most other smartphone companies in the dust. But over the years, as phone charging standards have evolved, Pixels have remained alongside Samsung and Apple phones as the slowest-charging smartphones on the market.

The Pixel 11 series charges noticeably more slowly out of the box than the Pixel 10, even with the same charger, but a hidden setting fixes the issue if you meet certain conditions. It's called Extreme Charging, and it's the first time we've seen Google directly address this problem with a unique, non-hardware-based solution.

All four Pixel 11 models support Extreme Charging, although not every model uses it as effectively. During our testing, only the Pixel 11 Pro XL truly benefits from the setting, while the other Pixel 11 Pro phones show a much smaller difference in charging time. Here's how to use it to help alleviate battery anxiety if your phone suddenly runs low on battery.

What is Extreme Charging?

Extreme Charging is a new Pixel 11 family feature that enables the fastest charging that Google's hardware supports. In addition to charging at the highest supported wattage, Extreme Charging pauses many apps while charging.

This ensures that your Pixel isn't getting extra hot while charging (since charging and running lots of apps at once can have that effect) and also means your phone can charge much faster.

Extreme Charging needs to be enabled every time you plug the phone in and when it's below 50%, but once enabled, it's a 1-tap action. To get the most out of Extreme Charging, ensure you're using one of the best fast chargers, preferably at least a 45W model with 21V PPS. You can also use Google's official charger to ensure full compatibility.

How fast is Extreme Charging?

For most Pixel 11 models, Extreme charging makes little to no difference. I have all three Pixel 11 Pro models in my possession and have drained each to 0%. I then plugged them into a supported 45W Anker charger (like this one) and tapped the Extreme Charging button to enable it (more on how to find it below).

I then set a 15-minute timer and recorded the charging percentage at the end of the timer. After a second 15-minute timer, I recorded that charging percentage. This test is identical to our in-house battery-charging test used for all smartphone reviews. Android Central's Derrek Lee also performed the same test with his Pixel 11 and the 67W Dual Port charger.

The results were fascinating, but it's clear that the Pixel 11 Pro XL is the only Pro model that genuinely benefits from Extreme Charging. The other models see a small boost after 15 minutes, and a larger difference is noticeable after 30 minutes, so there is some benefit to Extreme Charging for the rest of the Pixel 11 models, but nothing compared to the Pro XL.

How to enable Extreme Charging on a Pixel 11

Extreme Charging is only available on Pixel 11 phones when your phone's battery is under 50%. Once your battery is low enough, plug it into a compatible 30W, 45W, or even faster charger, then follow these steps:

1. When your phone's battery is under 50%, plug it into at least a 30W charger.

2. Open system settings by tapping the Settings icon in your app drawer, or swiping down on the status bar twice, then tapping the gear icon at the bottom of the screen.

3. Scroll down to and tap Battery & charging.

4. Scroll down and tap Extreme Charging Mode.

5. Tap the button to turn on Extreme Charging.

You must enable Extreme Charging every time you want to use the feature, but don't worry. You don't have to go through all that nonsense again. Once you enable the option in system settings, a handy shortcut appears on your lock screen whenever your phone is plugged into a charger and the battery is under 50%.

1. When your phone's battery is under 50%, plug it into at least a 30W charger.

2. On the lock screen, tap the Use Extreme Charging button at the bottom of the screen.

Additionally, you could enable the Extreme Charging tile in Quick Settings by following these steps:

1. Swipe down on the status bar twice. That's the area at the top of the screen with the clock and battery/connection icons.

2. Tap the pencil icon below the grid of quick toggle buttons to open the edit menu.

3. Scroll down to Extreme Charging and tap the plus button next to it to add it to the Quick Toggles collection.

4. Scroll back up and resize the Extreme Charging button to your liking.

This gives you multiple ways to enable Extreme Charging the next time you plug it in, making it easy to get the fastest charging possible on your Pixel 11 Pro XL.

It has been a year of iterative updates for book-style foldables (as my Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review points out), and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is no different. Google went with a slightly thinner design and shaved 19g from the weight, but it did so by decreasing the battery size. Then there's the price: the Pixel 11 Pro Fold starts at $1,899, a $100 increase over its predecessor.

There are some upgrades though. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is powered by the new Tensor G6, it is faster in daily use, and the foldable finally has a new main camera; in my limited testing, it took better photos in just about every scenario.

Ultimately, does the Pixel 11 Pro Fold do enough to justify an upgrade? I think so. I used the Pixel 10 Pro Fold extensively over the course of the last year, and the 11 Pro Fold addresses several pain points. It's easier to hold and use, takes better photos, has better durability, and while I was initially worried about the smaller battery, the phone managed to last just as long as the 10 Pro Fold, so this hasn't proven to be a problem.

I'm highlighting the things that stood out in my week-long usage of the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. This should give you a better indication as to what you're getting with Google's latest foldable, and whether it's worthy of an upgrade.

Intelligent software

While Google's claims of delivering an Intelligent OS are nebulous at best, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold comes with plenty of new software tricks that make a difference. Gemini Intelligence has a suite of decent features, and Rambler is my favorite — it takes your dictation and polishes it into structured text, and it made me want to actually use voice dictation.

Bubbles multitasking is great, and the floating windows mode provides greater flexibility when using the inner panel. The UI in general is clean and uncluttered, and I like the customizability of the quick tiles, ability to tweak colors throughout the interface, and all the unique software extras that come as standard on Pixels, like Now Playing. Another thing Google got right is the fluidity; the 11 Pro Fold feels better than its predecessor when using both next to one another.

Better durability

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is heavier than other foldables, but the upside is that it is built to last. With an IP68 rating, you're getting a device that's guaranteed to withstand dust and water ingress, and that is a big deal.

Notably, the 11 Pro Fold is the only foldable in the U.S. that delivers this guarantee — the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Moto Razr Fold get IP48, and while they do a good job against water, they don't prevent dust from getting into the hinge.

I know just how well IP68 resistance holds up in real-world use, and there's no doubt that the added durability absolutely makes a difference when using it at the beach or near the pool.

It's magnetic

Battery life is in line with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, even though the 11 Pro Fold has a smaller 4,800mAh battery. Annoyingly, you get the smallest battery of any book-style foldable, and I really want Google to do better in this area.

The 11 Pro Fold lasts an entire day with medium use, but I had to plug in the foldable by the evening on most days. Thankfully, this is where the built-in Qi 2.2 tech makes a big difference. The 11 Pro Fold has 25W Qi 2.2 charging, and as the magnets are integrated into the chassis, you don't need any accessories to use a Qi 2.2 charger or power bank — unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Bright spots

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold gets brighter than previous generations, and the inner and outer OLED panels are among the best you'll find in this category. There are no issues with either screen when it comes to brightness or color vibrancy, and the slightly wider 6.5-inch cover panel is a delight.

The only problem with the inner screen is that there's no anti-reflective coating, so you will notice glare while using it outdoors. This is something the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra does a lot better, and Google needs to go the same route next year.

Usable cameras

In my opinion, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold doesn't do much to justify the Pro moniker when it comes to the cameras. Vivo's X Fold 5 and the OPPO Find N6 are still my go-to choices if you need a foldable with great cameras, but these aren't available in the U.S.

The 10 Pro Fold measures favorably against the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Moto Razr Fold, but it's annoying that Google chose to limit its latest camera tech — like Instant Night Sight and 120x zoom — to the Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL. The way I see it, the 11 Pro Fold is the costliest device in Google's portfolio, so it should get the best cameras, but that's clearly not the case.

Ultimately, deciding to get the Pixel 11 Pro Fold comes down to preference. I like it better than the Z Fold 8 Ultra and Razr Fold because of the software and durability, but there's no doubting that they are faster, last longer, and lighter. The 11 Pro Fold may not be the best foldable if you go by the numbers, but it is the one that I enjoy using the most.

What you need to know

• Nothing OS 5.0 is here and combines a redesigned interface, deeper customization, smoother performance, and upgraded Essential AI tools.
• Transparent widgets, wallpaper-adaptive icon colors, the new Geist typeface, and refreshed system icons give Nothing OS a more cohesive look.
• Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta begins for the Phone (3), with a stable release expected in mid-October and more devices joining the beta later.

Nothing is giving its software a substantial refresh with Nothing OS 5.0, a major update built on Android 17. The latest software zeroes in on everyday interactions, blending a redesigned visual system with more customization, smoother performance, and more powerful Essential AI tools.

The update is all about giving you more control and a smoother experience. The home screen gets a brand new theme with transparent widgets and a search bar that adds some depth, while app icons can now pull subtle color tints from your wallpaper to match your vibe.

There’s a new system typeface, Geist, which is cleaner and easier to scan, and refreshed icons across the status bar, Settings, Camera, and Gallery. The Gallery also includes new options for sorting and filtering to help you organize photos.

You also get more ways to make the phone yours. The lock screen has two new clock faces: the whimsical “Gooey” and the hardware-inspired "Micrographics." Please note the Micrographics clockface and the new home screen theme are still in development and will not be available in the Open Beta yet — they will be part of the general release starting October.

The Glyph Interface now comes in an app, so all the features and sounds are in one place. There is also a new Glyph Timer widget and the Away Time widget that helps you monitor your digital habits by telling you how long you've been away from your phone.

Nothing is also doubling down on its Essential AI tools. Essential Voice is faster, real-time transcriptions are better, and with the Ear (3), you can record audio directly from the Super Mic on the case. Smart Collections can suggest and organize content for you automatically. And for a fun twist, you can now create Essential Apps right on your phone; just tell it what you want in plain language and it’ll build it for you.

Since it runs on Android 17, you get the latest features of the platform as well. That includes the capability to split out the notifications and Quick Settings panels and an enhanced Quick Share that works across iOS and Android via QR code. The update also brings new privacy indicators, expanded dark theme support, and a redesigned Recents menu.

The Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta program starts today for the Phone (3), with a stable release expected in mid-October. Other devices will be included in the beta program later.

Android 17 is still fresh, and Nothing is already rolling out its first major Android 17 update to Nothing Phone 3 customers who enroll in the open beta. I got to try out the beta update ahead of the public launch, so you know what to expect as your Nothing Phone 3 downloads it. Head to Nothing's official website to sign up.

Nothing OS 5 focuses on five pillars: design, personalization, performance, Essential AI tools, and, of course, Android 17. Both the lock screen and home screens get a visual refresh with (you guessed it) a new frosted glass look. This look is optional, and I had to enable it specifically after the update, but it adds yet another style to Nothing's repertoire of customizable styles in its OS.

This also includes a new system-wide font, more lock screen customization (including a better depth effect, new clock faces, widgets, etc.), wallpaper-adaptive colors, and finally a way to batch edit things on your home screen. I particularly enjoyed the new "Away Time" widget, which shows how much of the day you didn't spend on your phone via a fun visual timeline.

Quick Settings can now be split, if you prefer that sort of thing, giving you full-screen notifications or Quick Toggles, with a convenient left/right swipe to move between them. Speaking of convenience, Glyph Timers can be started right from the new home or lock screen widget, which I find pretty handy.

Bluetooth controls have also been simplified, with additional controls added to the pop-up in Quick Toggles, so you don't have to hop into settings just to perform basic Bluetooth tasks.

Essential Apps finally has a proper app that ships on Nothing OS 5, so you can vibe code your next favorite widget straight from your phone without having to use a computer. Likewise, the Glyph interface now has its own app that lets you quickly jump into Glyph customization (and Glyph Toys!).

One of my absolute favorite new additions is the new AI privacy indicator, which adds a new yellow icon in the top-right of the status bar any time AI is processing data. This should more readily help identify when your data is leaving your phone to be processed in a data center, and it works perfectly in conjunction with the AI usage graph.

Essential Voice got a nice speed boost in this release, with substantially faster voice processing once you're done (it's pretty close to instant now). Nothing says you're supposed to see results in real-time as you speak, but I didn't see that in my pre-beta release. This build was missing just a few things, so it's possible this one wasn't quite ready yet.

And I can't forget the new Essential Key customization, which lets you enable an accidental-press feature, switch the functions between translate and transcribe, or disable it altogether. That first one helps cut down the number of accidental button presses to zero, which is a godsend.

You'll also find a number of new options for Essential Space, including Smart Collections (to group together relevant content), plus a new Model Context Protocol that lets compatible AI platforms access data from your personal Essential Space.

All of this is in addition to the normal Android 17 upgrades like the updated 3D emoji, iOS-to-Android QuickShare upgrades, and more, plus performance and animation upgrades. The new homescreen design and Micrographics clock face won't be rolling out until the Nothing OS 5 general release in October, but you can test everything else out on your Nothing Phone 3 right now by enrolling in the beta.

There hasn't been much in the way of innovation when it comes to MicroSD cards, but the standard continues to be dominant in cameras, handheld consoles, and just about any accessory that needs external storage.

I have a dozen or so MicroSD cards in active use across security cameras, action cameras, digital music players, hobbyist SBCs like the Pi 4 and Pi 5, and two handheld consoles. Most of these are the usual A2 class cards ranging from 64GB to 512GB, but I wanted something with higher storage to use with my DJI Osmo Pocket 4P and Pocket 4.

That's where Lexar comes into the picture. The Silver Plus range of MicroSD cards debuted at the end of April 2026, and what immediately caught my attention was the storage sizes. Available from 128GB all the way to 2TB (the model I'm testing), this isn't your average MicroSD card. I used Lexar's SO-DIMM memory modules and internal SSDs in the past, so I was interested in taking a look at the 2TB MicroSD card.

After three months of usage involving dozens of hours of 4K footage shot via the Osmo Pocket 4P and hundreds of photos taken with the OM-D E-M1 Mark III, it's clear that the Silver Plus is a standout MicroSD card. The 2TB model I'm using retails for well over $500, but the 1TB model is available for $239, and I think it is the sweet spot if you're looking to extend storage of your camera or handheld console. There's also a much more modest 128GB variant that costs $49, and the 256GB model is $74.

The Silver Plus is a V30 card, which means you're guaranteed to get at least 30MB/s sustained writes when shooting videos. You also get U3, which is 30MB/s minimum writes, A2, and a UHS-I interface. This is all standard stuff these days, but where the Silver Plus goes above and beyond is the ruggedness: it is IPX7 water-resistant, shockproof, x-ray-proof, magnetic-proof, and resistant to vibrations. Basically, it is built to handle any scenario, and you get a limited lifetime warranty.

Where the 2TB Silver Plus truly shines is video footage. I used it to shoot 4K120 and 8K30 footage, and it didn't prove a bottleneck while storing footage to the device. It is great to use with a drone or handheld gimbal camera like the Osmo Pocket 4P, and I got close to the touted 255MB/s reads and 189MB/s writes while testing it on Windows.

It's great that MicroSD cards can now store up to 2TB of storage. I remember it wasn't too long ago that I was excited about the debut of 128GB MicroSD cards (I got my hands on a few of these at a Best Buy shortly after they launched), and to have 2TB of storage on MicroSD is pretty cool.

While SD cards don't get quite as fast as external SSDs, they're much more portable, and if you're a professional who shoots photos and videos outdoors or want the best MicroSD card to use with your camera or handheld console, the Silver Plus is an easy recommendation.

What you need to know

• Samsung is reportedly rolling out One UI 9 Beta 6 to enrolled Galaxy S26 users in South Korea, India, the U.K., Germany, and Poland.
• The update is just under 1GB, and features a small selection of fixes for display errors and Expert RAW.
• Funnily enough, One UI 9.5 rumors have surfaced online, despite One UI 9 still not available for stable users.

It's been almost two weeks since the last One UI 9 beta, and now a sixth edition is rolling out to enrolled Galaxy S26 users. All we're wondering about is a stable launch.

Earlier this morning (Aug 25), Samsung started rolling out One UI 9 Beta 6 to enrolled Galaxy S26 series users (via SamMobile). Samsung is only fixing a handful of problems its devices have experienced, but users will still have to download an 851MB file. According to its patch notes, Beta 6 is fixing a "display error" with the Now Brief widget. Similarly, the notes highlight another pair of display errors being fixed: one for the Home Screen and another for the camera widget.

What's more, the changelog details a fix for an issue where "images are saved differently at specific focal lengths when shooting with Expert RAW 24MP."

On X, tipster Tarun Vats states One UI 9 Beta 6 is rolling out in South Korea, India, the U.K., Germany, and Poland. Any enrolled testers in the U.S. should begin seeing it as the week progresses. Vats states Beta 6 lacks any new features for Galaxy S26 users. It seems like, once again, Galaxy S26 users are treated to a beta full of bug fixes and nothing new.

The one thing many are waiting on is a stable launch of One UI 9, and there's still no telling when that could be.

Still a One UI 9 waiting room

A couple of weeks ago, Samsung rolled out One UI 9 Beta 5 to Galaxy S26 users. This patch was larger, rolling in at 1.1GB. However, it consisted mostly of bug fixes (and there was a long list of them). Beta 5 also included the August 2026 security update, so that was a welcome addition to testers. While another beta was fine, what shone brighter earlier this month were One U 9.5 rumors. A tipster on social media claimed that a test build for One UI 9.5 for the Galaxy S26 was discovered.

Additional rumors quickly surfaced, as Samsung could chase a familiar UI redesign for its next major release. Samsung's One UI could take after Apple's Liquid Glass for "visual depth" across multiple elements. Taking after Apple seems to be the running trend for Samsung as of late. What's more, App Lock was reported for One UI 9.5, meaning users could lock apps behind biometrics, a password, and more.

What you need to know

• GrapheneOS announced in a Mastodon thread that it is planning to roll out its software on regular, next-gen Motorola phones in 2027.
• The company says a lot of work is being done on its end and Motorola's to ensure this happens next year.
• GrapheneOS states it also plans to support Moto's next-gen foldables (Razr Fold, Razr Ultra) after it hits slab phones.
• Motorola announced a partnership with GrapheneOS during MWC 2026 to bring a more secure, private OS to consumers.

GrapheneOS is an Android alternative that is much more security/privacy-focused. For this reason, many have awaited updates from GrapheneOS about Motorola phones, which it has now provided.

This week, GrapheneOS posted a lengthy thread on Mastodon about its partnership with Motorola and when those consumers can find its software (via GSMArena). According to its thread, GrapheneOS expects to have everything ready for Motorola's phone launches in 2027. A few moving parts need to align for this to work properly. GrapheneOS states that Motorola is "doing a large portion of the work" to port its software onto its phones.

It's been stated that this privacy-focused version of Android should arrive on "non-folding devices" first, per its partnership with Motorola. However, GrapheneOS says it's working to bring the experience to foldables, such as future Razr Folds and Razr Ultras. What's more, the thread highlights Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon chips. These SoCs have "more mature support for MTE" (memory tagging) and "secure element support."

This should help GrapheneOS arrive smoothly on Motorola's phones next year. The company responded to a comment, clarifying that future iterations of the Moto Signature, Razr Fold, and Razr Ultra should support GrapheneOS. The post says "current generation Motorola devices don't meet our requirements." So anyone looking forward to the software should keep their eye on 2027 reveals.

The thread quickly mentions that GrapheneOS support is headed to Google's Pixel 11 series, too.

A more secure phone

It's been a few months since we've had this conversation about Motorola and GrapheneOS. During MWC 2026, the House of Moto Indigo announcement was shored up by an exciting GrapheneOS partnership reveal. The partnership would involve Motorola's "security expertise, real‑world user insights, and Lenovo’s ThinkShield solutions." The prime focus here is user security/privacy, and Motorola stated that it was beginning a joint research project with GrapheneOS for this reason.

The company teased that more information would become available in the future, which we're seeing now via a Mastodon thread. This is a huge development from Motorola that will likely put a spotlight on it moving into 2027.

Android tablet deals are hardly uncommon, but a historic discount on one of the industry's best writing tablets? Now that's a cause for celebration. 

For a limited time, Amazon and Best Buy alike are slashing $100 off the reMarkable Paper Pro, a versatile (and pricey) e ink tablet with a full color display, ultra-thin build, and outstanding battery life straight out of the box.

This discount drops the price of the reMarkable Paper Pro down to $679, which is actually the lowest price ever recorded for the tablet. If you need something a little smaller, it's worth mentioning that the portable 7.3-inch reMarkable Paper Pro Move is also $100 off for a limited time. Which writing tablet is right for you? Let's take a closer look. 

reMarkable tablets are productivity machines specifically built to help you get work done with minimal distractions. There are no social media apps here, no ads, and no notifications — just peak performance in an elegant and efficient package. 

Deals on these writing tablets are notoriously rare, so if you've had your eye on the reMarkable Paper Pro or Paper Pro Move for a while, don't wait too long to make your move. 

What you need to know

• New Galaxy S27 Ultra renders show Samsung moving away from its familiar vertical camera design.
• The Galaxy S27 Ultra could feature a horizontal camera plateau that looks similar to the iPhone 17 Pro.
• Samsung is expected to finally add native Qi2 magnets, enabling MagSafe-compatible accessories without a case.
• The redesign could also make room for a larger battery, while Samsung may finally ditch the old 10MP 3x camera.

Newly leaked renders of the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra have now given us our best look yet at what the device could look like in real life.

It was recently reported that Samsung is cooking up a major redesign for the Galaxy S27 Ultra next year. The leak suggested Samsung is planning to move away from the vertical camera layout we've seen for years in favor of a horizontal camera plateau, similar to the iPhone 17 Pro series.

And now, new renders from OnLeaks in collaboration with Android Headlines give us a much better look at that design.

As you can see in the renders, Samsung is indeed moving away from its familiar vertical camera layout. Instead, the Galaxy S27 Ultra features a large horizontal camera plateau across the back, with two prominent camera lenses on the left and a vertical pill-shaped section next to them housing the remaining sensors and LED flash.

And honestly, it's pretty hard to look at these renders and not see the similarities with Apple's latest iPhones. The Galaxy S27 Ultra definitely seems to take some design inspiration from the iPhone 17 Pro lineup.

Alongside the renders, the publication has also shared the alleged dimensions of the device, which reportedly measure around 163.76 x 78.25 x 7.97mm. That's pretty close to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, so despite the major camera redesign, the overall size of the phone shouldn't change dramatically. The report also suggests Samsung may finally ditch the aging 10MP 3x telephoto camera.

One benefit of the new design could be native Qi2 support. The Galaxy S27 Ultra's new design should allow Samsung to finally integrate the Qi2 Magnetic Power Profile directly into the phone, meaning you'll be able to attach Qi2 and MagSafe accessories without needing a magnetic case.

That said, it remains to be seen whether Samsung actually takes advantage of the extra space and adds native Qi2 support this time around. The redesigned internals could also reportedly give Samsung more room for a larger battery, although we don't have concrete details about the capacity just yet.

What do you think of the Galaxy S27 Ultra's new look now that we've seen these renders? Do you like the redesign, or does it look a little too much like an iPhone? Let us know in the comments.

Mint Mobile has finally announced its Google Pixel 11 deals, and they're no joke. Whether you want the base model Pixel 11 or the gargantuan Pixel 11 XL, you can save a ton of cash when you sign up for Mint, especially if you bundle the phone with some wireless service in bulk.

Pair the purchase of the base model Pixel 11 with one year of the Unlimited plan, for instance, and you'll get $275 off the phone AND 50% off the wireless. In other words, you're getting a full 12 months of T-Mobile-powered mobile coverage and a brand new flagship phone for just $804 (or $67 per month when you use affirm). Considering that the retail cost of the Google Pixel 11 starts at $899, you're essentially getting a full year of unlimited talk, text, and data for free with the purchase of the phone.

I'd argue that the base model device offers the best value here, but there are similar deals available for the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL. Regardless of the Google phone you choose, if you were looking to get a new phone and a new wireless plan in one fell swoop, Mint Mobile's offers are unmatched.

Mint Mobile is an approachable MVNO carrier owned and operated by T-Mobile. It utilizes a unique buy-in-bulk plan system that lets you purchase wireless in 3, 6, and 12-month increments of time. The annual Unlimited plan, which is easily the best value, gives you 12 months of unlimited talk, text, and data on T-Mo's vast 5G network, plus you'll get a free mobile hotspot and calls to Mexico, Canada, and the UK at no additional cost.

Sure, you miss out on some of the premium perks offered by more-expensive unlimited plans, but if you just want cheap and straightforward wireless coverage, Mint Mobile is one of the best providers around.

The Pixel 11 deals described here are only available for new customers, but if you've been looking for a good time to switch phone plans, this might be it.

More Google Pixel 11 deals at Mint Mobile

Which Google Pixel 11 should I choose?

It depends on what you want in a smartphone. The base model Google Pixel 11 takes the stellar foundation of its predecessor, the Pixel 10, and adds a new processor, faster wireless charging, and an upgraded camera system. You also get Android 17 straight out of the box, in addition to the standard features you'd expect in a Pixel phone, such as a vibrant AMOLED display and seven years of OS/security upgrades guaranteed.

Going with the Google Pixel 11 Pro gets you all of the above alongside an upgraded camera system, brighter display, and the new HiLight LED light array around the camera bump. Do you prefer larger phones? The Pixel 11 Pro XL adds a 6.8-inch AMOLED display and a larger battery than the rest of the flagship lineup.

What you need to know

• The Garmin Fenix 9's AMOLED screen is twice as bright as the Fenix 8, with sapphire glass, leakproof buttons, and 40-meter dive resistance.
• The Fenix 9 Pro features Garmin’s first titanium Fenix case, which uses nano-molding to combine metal and plastic, reducing thickness while keeping the watch lightweight.
• Navigation is noticeably faster: 50% more RAM and a new map engine make map panning up to 30% faster, while 64GB storage doubles map capacity and holds up to 7,000 songs.

Garmin is giving its flagship adventure watch a serious refresh with the Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro, building on the Fenix 8 with brighter displays, faster maps, new training insights, and a more capable phone-free experience. The Fenix 9's AMOLED panel is twice as bright as its predecessor, and Garmin has included a scratch-resistant sapphire lens, leakproof buttons, and 40-meter dive resistance.

The bigger technical jump comes from what Garmin changed underneath. The Fenix 9 has 50% more RAM than the Fenix 8 and a new map engine that makes panning up to 30% faster. A new perspective view adds more map detail at different distances, and 64GB of storage gives you double the map capacity and room for up to 7,000 songs.

Garmin is also expanding its rucking tools, with support for changing pack weight mid-activity, GORUCK workouts, and targets based on up to 100kg of carried weight.

When it comes to training, the new stamina zones and a stamina curve allow you to track how endurance improves with fitness and training history, providing more information on pacing for athletes. With compatible equipment, indoor rowers also get VO2 Max and power-curve insights.

And then there’s the Fenix 9 Pro. The watch is the first to feature Garmin’s titanium Fenix case, made using nano-molding technology that combines metal and plastic at the molecular scale. Garmin says the approach keeps the watch lightweight while reducing its overall thickness.

On the software side, both watches introduce Garmin Epic to group multi-day workouts into single shareable stories.

The Pro’s AMOLED models go up to 3,000 nits, and the 51mm model uses a 1.5-inch display without a bigger case. Selected models also have solar charging like most fan-favorite Garmin watches, a green flashlight mode, and inReach connectivity for calls, messaging, LiveTrack, location sharing, weather updates, and SOS assistance.

The Fenix 9 starts at $1,000 and the Fenix 9 Pro at $1,100. Both are available in 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm sizes, with battery life up to 29 days for the Fenix 9 and 31 days for the largest AMOLED Pro. Solar versions can last 57 days.

What you need to know

• Qualcomm's next-generation Oryon CPU will reach clock speeds of up to a whopping 5GHz.
• The new Oryon CPU uses a fully custom design, giving Qualcomm greater control over performance and efficiency.
• Qualcomm's new FlexCache lets CPU cores dynamically share cache, helping improve gaming and multitasking performance.
• Qualcomm is expected to unveil two new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipsets at its Snapdragon Summit in September.

Ahead of the Snapdragon Summit next month, Qualcomm has shared more details about its next-generation Oryon CPU, sharing that it will be capable of reaching a whopping 5GHz clock speed.

Smartphone chipsets have become ridiculously powerful over the past few years. Apple continues to push its A-series chips forward, while Qualcomm's Snapdragon flagships have steadily brought desktop-level performance to Android phones.

Of course, we can't say the same about everyone (looking at you, Tensor G6). Now, Qualcomm looks ready to push things even further with its next-generation Oryon CPU.

Qualcomm hasn't revealed its full next-generation Snapdragon platform just yet, but says the new Oryon CPU uses a fully custom design, with the company controlling everything from the microarchitecture to the entire CPU subsystem. According to Qualcomm, that level of control is one of the reasons it can push clock speeds all the way up to 5GHz.

But Qualcomm says higher clock speeds aren't the only reason for the performance gains. The company is also focusing heavily on IPC (instructions per clock), which determines how much work the CPU can complete per clock cycle. Improvements here should translate into better performance across everyday tasks, from opening apps and browsing the web to more demanding workloads.

Qualcomm has also introduced Oryon FlexCache, a new cache architecture that allows different CPU cores to access the same dynamically allocated cache pool. Instead of assigning a fixed amount of cache to individual cores, FlexCache allows the Prime cores to access the entire available pool whenever a workload needs it.

The company says this should particularly help with workloads that constantly move between different CPU cores. In gaming, for example, better access to local cache could help stabilize frame rates and reduce stutters, while the same architecture should also help with heavier multitasking.

Qualcomm still hasn't revealed the complete details of its next Snapdragon flagship platform. The company has already teased that we'll see two Snapdragon 8 Elite chips at Snapdragon Summit 2026, though, so we should learn much more about both chipsets soon.

Snapdragon Summit 2026 is scheduled to take place from September 22 through September 24 in Hawaii.

It took me a while to like the Pixel 10 Pro Fold; I didn't like that Google basically retained the same feature-set as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and just added a bigger battery and IP68 ingress protection. At 258g, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is one of the heaviest foldables — only my Huawei Mate XT is heavier, and that's basically a tablet that folds down to a phone.

The heft notwithstanding, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has other issues: the cameras are underwhelming compared to the Vivo X Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, battery life is average, and cellular connectivity isn't quite as stable as I'd like. But having used the foldable on and off for the better part of a year now, I will say that it is much better to use than its specs would suggest, and the software continues to be among the best around.

Software matters

Google's software is why I used the Pixel 10 Pro Fold instead of other foldables. I like the bright colors and customizability that's available in Material You, and Google does a great job with the interface in general, delivering a clean UI without any clutter. And with the 10 Pro Fold, Google optimized the software a little better, and there's better fluidity than in previous generations, which makes a noticeable difference when navigating the interface.

Magic Cue is one of my favorite additions, and I like that it pulls up any contextual detail without me having to dig for it. Whether that's sharing waybill details when calling DHL about recent deliveries or surfacing reservation details, it is genuinely useful. Google does a good job bringing most Gemini features to other phones, but there are a few exclusive to Pixels, like Magic Cue.

The software has gotten better with Android 17, and Bubbles multitasking is easily my favorite feature. It's annoying that it won't be coming to other phones, but the floating windows mode makes it easy to maximize the real estate of the 8-inch inner panel, and I use it constantly. Other foldables do a great job with multitasking in general — ColorOS' Open Canvas is the gold standard — and while Google should have stolen the feature, it's good to see some progress in this area.

Shining bright

I also like the size of the cover screen; the 6.4-inch panel is slightly wider than its predecessor, and it's the ideal size. While Google had its share of screen-related issues in the past, I didn't see any problems with the outer or inner panels in the year I used the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Both panels are among the brightest in the category, and they have good color vibrancy.

After a year of unfolds, the crease hasn't deformed, and the hinge articulation is just as smooth as the day I set up the device. A lot of that has to do with IP68 dust and water resistance. While I didn't submerge the foldable in water, dust ingress is a constant problem on these devices, and thankfully, I didn't have to worry about that in the slightest.

Not quite point-and-click

With plenty of tuning updates over the course of the year, the cameras on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold still don't pass muster. It has been a regular source of frustration with the foldable, and in a year where other brands made huge strides in this area — the X Fold 5 and Find N6 have outstanding cameras — the 10 Pro Fold is distinctly second-best.

I carry two phones, and for most of the last 12 months, the secondary phone was the iPhone 17 Pro, so I had an alternative whenever I needed to take photos. That doesn't make it any less annoying that a $1,799 foldable can't take reliable photos or videos.

Rounding out

The 10 Pro Fold is heavy enough as it is, so I didn't bother with a case. The foldable took its share of tumbles, but it is unscathed. There are some scratches that have accumulated over the course of the year, but on the whole, the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection did its job. If anything, I don't put a case on any phone that has Victus 2, and it's proven to be reliable — at least in the way I use my devices.

While I didn't think much of the design, the rounded corners definitely make a difference. They make holding the 10 Pro Fold a little easier, and there's enough thickness at the sides to open the inner screen. This is an issue on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Z Fold 8 Ultra, and not just because they're thinner — the X Fold 5 and Find N6 are just as easy to unlock as the 10 Pro Fold. I'm chalking it up to the way Samsung designs its foldables.

I'll admit that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold doesn't have the best internals. It's continually annoying that Google prioritizes other areas like the TPU instead of CPU and GPU performance, and this means the Tensor G5 isn't suited for playing demanding games.

That said, it held up a lot better than I imagined. While I test visually-intensive games as part of a review, I don't play high-end games on my phone all that much, and the ones I actually play the most — Balatro, Ball x Pit, and CloverPit — run without any issues. There is some overheating with gaming sessions lasting over an hour, but that's the case with every foldable, and not unique to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

Another bugbear is connectivity. The Exynos modem that Google went with isn't as good at maintaining a signal, so I frequently saw cellular connectivity issues while at home.

The single biggest annoyance with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold proved to be the cameras. Other than that, the foldable was better than I imagined. Thankfully, I didn't run into many software bugs; outside of Magic Cue getting disabled by an update, I didn't notice any problems. I know that's an outlier considering the thousands of messages on Google's troubleshooting pages, but it hasn't been much of an issue in my usage.

While I enjoyed using the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, I wouldn't necessarily recommend the foldable. There isn't a single feature that truly stands out, and while that's not a bad thing, it doesn't make for an exciting phone.

Look, I generally prefer Google's software and don't mind some of the annoyances that come along the way, but it may not be what you're looking for in a device that costs over $1,700 — particularly when there are better all-round choices available.

If you're a Pixel fan and are considering a foldable, I'd suggest getting the 11 Pro Fold; I'm switching to it now, and it addresses a lot of the 10 Pro Fold's issues around imaging. And if you don't have a brand allegiance and just want to try out a book-style foldable, the Moto Razr Fold continues to be fabulous.

What you need to know

• Samsung and Corning are reportedly developing self-healing display glass for the upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra.
• The new Gorilla Armor could recover from everyday micro-scratches instead of focusing purely on scratch resistance.
• Self-healing tech isn't entirely new, but the Galaxy S27 Ultra could bring it to a flagship phone's front display.
• The Galaxy S27 Ultra is also rumored to feature a major redesign with an iPhone 17 Pro-like horizontal camera plateau.

Rumors and leaks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S27 series are starting to pick up, and the latest one claims Samsung could be working on a self-healing display for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Samsung already introduced a major display upgrade with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, adding its Privacy Display technology that prevents people around you from easily seeing what's on your screen. With the Galaxy S27 Ultra, though, Samsung could be preparing another major upgrade, this time allowing the display to recover from minor scratches on its own.

According to leaker Schrödinger on X, Samsung and Corning are reportedly working on a new self-healing surface for the next generation of Gorilla Armor. The goal, according to the post, is to create a display that can recover from a certain level of everyday micro-scratches over time.

Instead of simply making the glass harder and more scratch-resistant, Samsung and Corning could take a different approach. According to the leak, the surface itself may be slightly softer than the tempered glass we're used to, but would gain the ability to recover from smaller scratches on its own.

If the technology works as intended, Samsung could essentially move Gorilla Armor from focusing purely on scratch resistance to scratch recovery.

The leaker doesn't reveal much more about how the technology works or how far along Samsung and Corning are in its development. However, the feature is explicitly said to be intended for the Galaxy S27 Ultra, meaning we could potentially see it debut within the next six months.

This wouldn't be the first time we've seen self-healing technology on a smartphone. More than a decade ago, LG introduced the LG G Flex 2 with a self-healing back panel that could recover from smaller scratches. But we haven't really seen the idea make its way to the front display of a mainstream flagship, which could make Samsung's implementation particularly interesting.

There have been a few other Galaxy S27 Ultra leaks recently as well, including one suggesting a major redesign that looks eerily similar to Apple's iPhone 17 Pro lineup. Samsung could reportedly ditch its familiar vertical camera arrangement for a horizontal camera plateau stretching across the back, with two large camera lenses on the left and a pill-shaped module next to them.

Of course, nothing is set in stone just yet. The Galaxy S27 Ultra is still months away, and plenty could change before launch. But with leaks now starting to pick up, we're finally getting a better idea of what Samsung might have planned for its next flagship.

What you need to know

• PocketBook is ditching its classic wider designs for a tall, 5.84-inch e-reader that fits in your pocket.
• The PocketBook Q features a 5.84-inch E Ink Carta 1300 display with 788 × 1576 resolution and 300 DPI, packed into a 154 × 75.8 × 6.5mm body weighing just 130g.
• It has physical page-turn buttons that pair with a Linux-based OS that skips notifications, feeds, and scrolling-focused apps.

PocketBook is stepping away from the classic, wider reader designs that we typically see across its lineup. The Swiss brand is announcing the PocketBook Q, a small device that ditches traditional ebook proportions for a tall, phone-like shape.

The PocketBook Q is set to debut at IFA 2026 in Berlin, shrinking everything down to a 5.84-inch E Ink Carta 1300 screen — that's 788 × 1576 resolution at a crisp 300 DPI — packed into a body measuring 154mm x 75.8mm x 6.5mm and weighing just 130g. For reference, that's lighter than the 131g PocketBook Mini of 2013 and thinner than just about any e-reader the company ever made.

Inside is a RockChip RK3566 processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a 1550mAh battery that PocketBook says will see you through well over a month of reading. The storage, in particular, is double what is on offer in the PocketBook Era, giving the tiny reader plenty of space for e-books, comics, and audio without making the device any bigger.

So why the phone format? The company is actually pushing the one-handed use. There are actual page-turn buttons on the side, so it feels more like flipping a page than swiping a screen.

The Linux-based OS is simple: no notifications, no feeds, and no apps to keep you scrolling. There are only books, audiobooks, and a text-to-speech feature that reads any text file aloud using natural-sounding voices.

PocketBook says the e-reader’s adaptive SMARTlight adjusts brightness and color temperature throughout the day.

The Q supports 25 ebook formats natively — EPUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW, CBR, you name it — and Adobe DRM and LCP for library borrowing via the pre-installed PocketBook x Libby app. It features dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 for headphones, and USB-C with OTG support. It has an IPX4 water resistance, so it’ll survive a splash, though you probably shouldn't take it swimming.

Do people want an e-reader in the shape of a phone? PocketBook is betting the answer is yes — enough to price it at €175/$235 and release it this fall.

What you need to know

• Shokz debuted a pair of earbuds early this week: the OpenFit Air2 and the OpenRun Air 2.
• The OpenFit Air 2 is the brand's latest open-ear model, featuring a lighter weight, smaller charging case, improved patented drivers and algorithm for strong audio.
• The OpenRun Air 2 is lighter than previous models with comfortable ear hooks and a neckband for stability.
• Shokz says consumers can find these earbuds on August 27, starting at $129.

If you've been eager to get running or working out, but dreading the lack of appropriate earbuds, Shokz has a dual launch that could help. The company has unveiled two products: the OpenFit Air 2 and OpenRun Air 2.

This morning (Aug 24), Shokz published a press release detailing the launch of the OpenFit Air 2 and the OpenRun Air 2. Each pair focuses on the brand's open-ear and bone conduction-style devices. To make working out comfortable, the OpenFit Air 2 is the company's "lightest OpenFit" product at 7.2g. What's more, Shokz says it's redesigned the charging case to make it ~10.5% smaller, while also making it lighter.

If you're out, Shokz highlights the OpenFit Air 2's eight-hour battery life. If you have the case, it can provide up to 36 hours of charge. However, if you're short on time, a quick 10-minute charge is said to provide up to three hours of listening.

The OpenFit Air 2 features Shokz's Bassphere driver and OpenBass 2.0 algorithm, which offer "more dynamic sound in a compact design." Technically speaking, Shokz's new buds feature a 30-degree angled speaker. Since this is an open-ear product, the OpenFit Air 2 will direct sound into your ear for a "natural listening experience." This works in tandem with DirectPitch tech to make sure your audio remains private to you, and there's no leakage.

Grabbing your phone, Shokz says consumers can download its app (Shokz App) to personalize your earbuds' sound with custom EQ profiles and four preset EQ modes. Sweat and water resistance help make the OpenFit Air 2 hold its own while you're exercising.

The OpenFit Air 2 starts at $129; available in black, white, and Ice Blue on August 27.

OpenRun Air 2

The OpenRun Air 2 is the company's latest bone conduction entry this year. Similar to the OpenFit Air 2, this product is 9% smaller, with a weight of 26.4g. Shokz highlights the Run's lighter and lower-profile approach compared to past versions. Of course, being a pair of bone conduction earbuds, the OpenRun Air 2 features unibody ear hooks and a neckband. Shokz says these should help facilitate better stability.

On the other hand, we have PremiumPitch 3.0 to help the OpenRun Air 2's bone conduction driver. According to the post, this upgraded driver is an "all-metal, dual-coil, dual-reed structure engineered to deliver richer bass, greater vocal detail, and a more balanced listening experience than OpenRun."

Consumers will receive 10 hours of listening on a full charge with the OpenRun Air 2. A quick five-minute charge in its case is said to deliver up to two hours of listening. If you're missing physical buttons, the OpenRun Air 2 provides a few. Shokz says these buttons offer "precise" listening control, alongside a microphone with AI-powered noise reduction software for calls. Users can also download the Shokz App for the OpenRun Air 2 for similar custom EQ profiles and modes like the OpenFit Air 2.

On August 27, consumers can find the OpenRun Air 2 for $129 in black and Ice Blue. Additionally, Shokz has made this product available in Standard and Mini sizes.

What you need to know

• Samsung may revive its luxury foldable strategy with a Galaxy Z Fold 8 special edition planned for the second half of 2026.
• Thom Browne is reportedly a top contender, potentially bringing back a partnership that last appeared with the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
• Availability will likely be limited, with select-market launches and a substantial price premium over the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Samsung has never treated its foldables as just another smartphone. Over the years, the company has collaborated with fashion labels like Thom Browne and Maison Margiela to give its Galaxy Z lineup a more exclusive edge. That approach could be making a comeback with the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

According to reliable tipster Lanzuk on Naver Blog, Samsung is working on a luxury-brand collaboration for the Z Fold 8, with a special edition reportedly aimed at the second half of 2026. Samsung hasn’t confirmed any partnership, but Thom Browne is one of the leading candidates.

That would make sense, considering the companies’ history. Samsung has previously launched Thom Browne editions of the original Galaxy Z Flip, Z Fold 2, Z Fold 3, and Z Fold 5. These weren’t just simple reskins, either. They were available with custom hardware finishes (pebble gray, matte white, and even a sleek black suit-inspired design for the Z Fold 5), along with deep software customizations that extended even to the packaging and accessories like watches and S Pens. The last two generations of Folds missed this treatment, but it looks like the runways are clearing for a return.

Samsung’s last Thom Browne release is a good hint of how things might go. The Z Fold 5 edition wasn't simply a different paint job: Samsung included a matching Galaxy Watch 6 and exclusive accessories, hinting at how these collaborations can transform a phone launch into a broader lifestyle package.

Of course, Thom Browne is not the only option available. Samsung has previously partnered with Maison Margiela on the Z Flip 4 and Z Flip 5, so the tech giant could easily opt for another collaborator or someone entirely new. The gray-and-stripe look has become a collector's hallmark, and given how much previous bundles commanded eye-watering prices — the Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition retailed for $3,299 and still trades at a premium on secondary markets — it’s safe to say the Z Fold 8 luxury edition won’t be a budget-friendly affair.

Whoever it is, expect the usual limited quantities, rollout in select markets, and a price tag that's a significant jump from the standard model. The Fold 8 is on a roll, so a designer drop would be the perfect way to keep it in the limelight. We should hear more concrete details over the coming weeks.

What you need to know

• Recent rumors suggest Samsung's Exynos 2700 has posted positive scores that outperform Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips in "early benchmarks."
• These reports state the Exynos 2700 has beaten Qualcomm in the graphics department (GPU), as well as its CPU performance and AI capabilities.
• Earlier Exynos 2700 rumors claim the chip is progressing with better HPB tech for better heat dispersion and more.

Samsung's placed more focus on its in-house chip brand, Exynos, over the past couple of years. A rumor surfaced online this week, claiming the next chip could top Qualcomm's flagships.

These rumors about the Exynos 2700 started swirling after a post by Yonhap News (Korean), which highlighted "early benchmarks" (via SamMobile). What's incredibly interesting is what these tests have allegedly shown regarding GPU performance. The publication cites "industry sources" in saying the Exynos 2700 has surpassed Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip. In a test, Samsung's SoC outperformed Qualcomm by 5% in a peak performance scenario.

What's more, the Exynos 2700 also recorded "24% higher performance" over the 8 Elite Gen 6 and "22% higher" than the (rumored) 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. In a multi-core CPU performance test, the Exynos 2700's scores were roughly 9% better than the Gen 6 Pro. AI, especially Galaxy AI, has been a focal point for Samsung in developing its next-gen phones.

The company reportedly tested Qualcomm's chips and its in-house brand for AI performance and prompt understanding. In another test, Exynos 2700 generated responses and understood prompts faster than Qualcomm's chips. If this report is accurate, Samsung's chips could be in a better position compared to recent years.

A brighter future for Exynos?

In a bit of house cleaning, it's worth mentioning that Samsung created a "task force" to spearhead its Exynos chip creation. Samsung got serious about its in-house chip in 2025 in an "urgent" push for the Exynos 2600. What we received was an Exynos 2600 that was a major step in the right direction for Samsung. Exynos chips haven't always been the greatest, grappling with various performance and overheating issues. It's the latter point that Samsung is reportedly looking to solve with the Exynos 2700.

Rumors in March said Exynos 2700 development was progressing with upgraded HPB (Heat Path Block) tech. This upgrade would help phones disperse heat better. Elsewhere, we heard speculation about the chip's performance in April. It was alleged that the chip could sport a 10-core structure with its fastest cores clocking in at ~2.88GHz. A ~12% performance boost could make the difference for the 2700 over the 2600.

Android Central's Take

Now this is interesting. I want to reserve my thoughts for when the Exynos 2700 gets announced, and we see its performance for real. To think that Samsung's chip could outperform Qualcomm's in graphics is interesting, but I'm going to be skeptical. Would I like for this to be true? Absolutely. Imagine the competition there. Imagine both sides pushing to improve their gaming graphics, pushing to improve CPU performance. Exynos has always been behind the crowd. If it's trying to step up, let it.

Cheap earbuds can sacrifice audio quality, which is why it truly pays to find discounts on products that we already know and love. As one example, Amazon is cutting 27% off the price of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE, representing a $70 price drop and bringing them down to just $80.

The Galaxy Buds 3 FE earbuds launched last August, bringing with them Galaxy AI features, voice commands, live translation, and a larger speaker than the previous iteration. We also loved the upgraded blade design when it was first leaked, along with the sleek two-tone look.

These Samsung earbuds will also sport a better active noise cancellation profile than pretty much anything else you can find around the $100 mark, as well as a solid battery life and charging speeds.

Basically, if you don't want to spend the extra money on Samsung or other brands' premium-level buds, these are a good way to go—especially if you can find a price drop like this one.

✅ Recommended if: you're looking for earbuds for around $100 that will still include ANC and decent-sounding audio quality; you like a sleek pair of earbuds that include a portable charging case and a long-lasting battery with or without ANC engaged; you like having hands-free features for voice commands and playback control.

❌ Skip this deal if: you're in the market for the best wireless earbuds available and would rather upgrade to the Buds 3 Pros, or at least something offering true high-resolution listening; you prefer a pair of earbuds without the silicone ear tips; you need a pair of buds that also includes wireless charging capabilities.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds FEs (or Fan Editions) offer a more affordable entry point for pricing than the Buds 3 Pros, while still featuring modern conveniences like a charging case, ANC backed by three onboard mics, spatial audio, and IP54 water and dust resistance.

Samsung says they'll get up to 24 hours of battery life with intermittent case charges, up to 6 hours with ANC toggled on, or up to 8.5 with the mode turned off. The Galaxy Buds 3 FE don't feature the highest resolution audio available on the market, but they still sound pretty good, especially in this price range.

TL;DR: Amazon is slashing 34% off the Garmin Venu 3 (45mm), knocking the popular fitness watch down to its lowest price ever recorded. 

Garmin has been producing industry-leading fitness smartwatches for years, but major discounts on the wearables can be difficult to find outside of major sale events. This is particularly true if you're looking at the brand's popular Venu and Forerunner series of watches, which is why I was pleasantly surprised to see Amazon carve a record-smashing 34% off the price of the Garmin Venu 3 this week. 

This iconic fitness watch once topped our list of the best Garmin watches money can buy, but three years after launch, is the Venu 3 still worth it? It largely depends on what you're looking for in a wearable. Let's break it down. 

The Venu 3 is the predecessor to Garmin's Venu 4, which is currently sitting at the top spot in our guide to the best fitness watches of 2026. Shockingly, the last gen model actually surpasses the Venu 4 in a few areas, with better battery life (up to 14 days) and a lighter polymer casing. You also get the same accurate health sensors with both models, stainless steel bezels, and nearly-identical designs.

Furthermore, the Garmin Venu 3 boasts a ton of comprehensive health and fitness monitoring features (including ECG), NFC and GLONASS GPS tracking, and a built-in microphone for calls. All good stuff, so what's the catch? 

Well, if you're accustomed to a newer fitness watch, the Venu 3 can feel a bit lacking in the software department. You get all of the Garmin basics, such as Body Battery, VO2 Max, and 30 pre-installed sports modes, but you miss out on newer additions like Fitness Coach, Health Status, and Sleep Alignment. The Garmin Venu 3 also doesn't have the built-in flashlight or dual-band GPS. 

That being said, with the current Amazon discount, the Garmin Venu 3 is a whopping $205 cheaper than the Venu 4. If you're a self-guided athlete who doesn't need all of the latest software features, the Venu 3 is a reliable fitness watch at an exceptional price. It'd also make an excellent entry-level watch for someone who's just now getting into tracking their fitness.

For folks who want the latest and greatest in fitness-tracking technology, however, you may want to wait. After all, the Garmin Venu 4 is sure to get a hefty discount of its own one of these days, right?

When I heard that the Galaxy Watch 9 would be powered by the Snapdragon Wear Elite, I was excited about the prospect of a proper flagship Qualcomm chip on a smartwatch. That’s not to say recent chips have been bad, but it finally feels like Qualcomm is putting its best foot forward- enough that Samsung is finally willing to ditch its own Exynos chips.

However, after testing the Galaxy Watch 9, I've questioned whether a premium smartwatch chip of this caliber is really necessary. Sure, performance is great, but I haven’t exactly struggled to use smartwatches powered by Qualcomm’s last two chipsets. And in the pursuit of power, the Galaxy Watch 9 seems to suffer in one major area, which makes me think Google had the right idea after all with the Pixel Watch 5.

A smartwatch comfortable enough to sleep with

The Galaxy Watch 9 continues a trend it started with the Watch 8, with a thin, lightweight design that's pretty much identical to its predecessor. It has a circular display encased in a square-ish and feather-light aluminum chassis, making it probably the most comfortable smartwatch I've used.

At just over 34g, it's not quite as light as something like the Fitbit Air or Garmin Cirqa, but it's more than comfortable enough to wear while sleeping. That's important because many of the Galaxy Watch 9's health-tracking features count on the ability to monitor your sleep.

Beyond the watch case, the proprietary Galaxy Watch 9 sport band is light and flexible, allowing it to sit relatively flat on a surface and more flush with your wrist, which should help with health and fitness tracking.

More scores, more to keep track of

The Galaxy Watch 9 builds on Samsung's previous smartwatches and features pretty much all the major health-monitoring capabilities you could want in a smartwatch, including newer ones like Blood Pressure Trends.

In addition to a Sleep score and Energy score, the watch now provides a look at my Vitals, a new, easy-to-understand view of my major health metrics as I sleep, allowing me to check if anything is off-kilter and find ways to address it.

As I track my activities with the Galaxy Watch 9, I can also check my Fitness Index, a set of five scores that measure my physical fitness. It's an interesting concept, but this is probably one of the more confusing features, and it's hard to know exactly how to improve any given score, such as Flexibility or Endurance.

But this confusion is kind of a theme in the upgraded Samsung Health app and in Samsung's overall approach to health and fitness tracking. There is a ton of information to keep track of and a lot of different scores, but much of it feels disparate, with little way to make it useful. There are also features I just can't even take advantage of, like Heart Health, which requires Blood Pressure tracking (I don't have a cuff to calibrate with).

That's not to say more information is bad, but it's definitely a bit overwhelming.

The Samsung Health app does provide occasional notices, including a large banner on the Home tab. But it feels like it's leading towards an AI health assistant that just isn't there (yet). That said, I can always ask Gemini or Bixby to show me certain metrics, such as my Sleep or Energy scores, in addition to their usual functions.

I also like the new layout of the Samsung Health Android app, and the ability to log food makes me want to stop using MyFitnessPal, especially with Antioxidant Index providing more metabolic context. The Watch is also great at workout tracking, automatically detecting exercises like Pilates and providing pretty accurate GPS data for runs.

The price of thinness

Unfortunately, the Galaxy Watch 9's thin profile has one major downside: battery life. Samsung squeezed a 445mAh battery into the larger 44mm model, but unfortunately, the watch doesn't last more than a day. In fact, during my testing, the Galaxy Watch 9 barely lasts through the day, and I often have to charge it before bed.

This is with the AOD turned off and Raise Wrist to Wake turned on, while using the watch sparingly throughout the day to check notifications, update apps, and occasionally chat with Gemini. I also monitor my sleep each night, track at least one workout per day, and let the watch automatically track activities like walking, running, and more.

I had been using the Pixel Watch 4 for so long that I forgot what it's like to have a smartwatch that can't last a full day (let alone two).

And to make matters worse, charging is incredibly slow. Going from empty to 100% takes well over an hour, to the point where I get tired of waiting for it to fully charge because, frankly, I have places to be.

You can likely get more battery life out of it by disabling certain features, but I feel like this sort of defeats the purpose of having a "smart" watch.

Should you buy the Galaxy Watch 9?

The Galaxy Watch 9 has a lot going for it, including great performance, a comfortable design, and a UI that's easier to navigate with gestures. It also has a bevy of health and fitness features that can feel a bit overwhelming, but ultimately are there to give you all the information you need to lead a healthier lifestyle.

That said, I wonder whether the watch could have benefited from a larger battery or a less "Elite" chipset to improve battery life, as the frequent charging kind of ruins the entire experience. I also think Samsung's health and fitness tracking needs the kind of AI overhaul we saw with Google Health to make all its information feel useful.

Still, the Galaxy Watch 9 isn't a bad smartwatch if you need something to track your sleep, runs, or workouts, so long as you remember to charge it frequently.

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL vs Pixel 9 Pro XL: Design and display

Honestly, there isn't much of a difference between both phones. Google retained similar dimensions over the last two years, and the result is that the Pixel 9 Pro XL is nearly the same size and weight as the Pixel 11 Pro XL.

This is easily noticeable while holding the phones next to each other. If anything, I like the in-hand feel of the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Google sent me the all-matte Obsidian model of the 11 Pro XL, and it is dull. I like the matte texture, but the phone itself doesn't look exciting, and I would've preferred the vibrant Canyon model instead.

The one key difference is that the camera bar on the Pixel 11 Pro XL doesn't jut out as much, so it looks a little more elegant. Both phones have the same IP68 dust and water resistance, so they're equally good at weathering anything to do with daily use.

Interestingly, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is when we saw the Actua display tech, and Google is using a continuation of the same this year as well. The 11 Pro XL gets brighter, but the 9 Pro XL does a terrific job as well, and the panel has vibrant colors and has zero issues in outdoor use.

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL vs Pixel 9 Pro XL: Hardware and software

The Pixel 11 Pro XL runs Google's latest 3nm Tensor G6, and it is using new cores and is noticeably better in everyday use than the Tensor G4-powered 9 Pro XL. It has better efficiency as well, and even though both phones have similarly-sized batteries, my Pixel 11 Pro XL is lasting a few hours longer on average.

Where I see the biggest advantage is Qi 2.2 integration in the Pixel 11 Pro XL; having these magnets built into the phone means I can use any Qi 2.2 charger or power bank and get 25W charging, and it genuinely makes a big difference. Look, I didn't care about this at all in the past as wireless charging was limited to 12W — as is the case on the Pixel 9 Pro XL — but with 25W, it's close enough to the standard 45W USB PD charging standard that I use it all the time now.

Other than that, there honestly isn't much to differentiate both phones. While the Pixel 11 Pro XL has a little more power, it still isn't a gaming phone by any measure, so if that's what you're after, you should look at Pixel 11 Pro XL alternatives. It's a similar story with the software; both phones get seven years of software updates, and outside of a few extras that are exclusive on the Pixel 11 Pro XL, the software is identical.

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL vs Pixel 9 Pro XL: Cameras

Both phones have a similar set of cameras: a 50MP main camera, 48MP telephoto lens with OIS and 5x optical zoom, and 48MP wide-angle lens. While the auxiliary lenses are unchanged between both, the Pixel 11 Pro XL has a new 50MP camera with better light intake, and it does a better job in taking photos and videos in challenging scenarios.

However, the best part about using Pixels is the camera software; Google introduced Camera Looks this year, and it gives you much greater control in tailoring the look of the photos.

There's also Magic Capture, which automagically gives you the best shot each and every time. If you have little children that constantly move about, this mode is definitely handy.

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL vs Pixel 9 Pro XL: Which should you buy?

The Pixel 11 Pro XL is $100 costlier this year, and while it has some new features, the fundamentals are pretty much unchanged from the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Honestly, with the 256GB model coming with 12GB of RAM instead of the 16GB that was standard for the last two years, I'd argue that you're getting less for your money. If you're using the 9 Pro XL and are mulling an upgrade, I'd wait — I don't see enough of a change to make the move.

If you're on an older phone and are considering an upgrade, however, the Pixel 11 Pro XL could be a good choice — unless you can get a good deal on the 9 Pro XL. While Google launched the 9 Pro XL two years ago, the phone is built to last, and it will get regular updates and new features for at least another five years.

What you need to know

• Early Galaxy S27 Ultra leaks point to a major redesign with a horizontal camera plateau similar to the iPhone 17 Pro.
• Samsung could finally bring native Qi2 support to the Galaxy S27 Ultra, with magnets seemingly visible in leaked renders.
• The Galaxy S27 Ultra could reportedly launch in two sizes, potentially giving buyers a smaller Ultra option for the first time.

With the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series out of the way, attention is now turning toward Samsung's next flagship smartphone lineup. And if the latest round of leaks is anything to go by, the Galaxy S27 Ultra could be getting a major redesign that looks a lot like Apple's latest iPhones.

For the past few years, Samsung has stuck with a vertical camera layout across its Galaxy S lineup. In fact, the company has been criticized several times for shipping very similar-looking Galaxy S Ultra phones year after year. It now looks like Samsung is finally planning to move away from that design, but perhaps not in the direction everyone expected.

Leakers Sonny Dickson, Max Jambor, and Ice Universe have shared what is claimed to be the Galaxy S27 Ultra's new design on X, and it's hard not to see the resemblance to Apple's iPhone 17 Pro lineup.

The leaked design shows a horizontal camera plateau across the back, similar to the latest iPhones, with two large camera rings and an elongated section that will likely house the remaining cameras and LED flash.

It's pretty clear where Samsung may be taking some design inspiration from this time around. On the bright side, though, the leaked renders also appear to show a Qi2 magnetic ring on the back, suggesting Samsung could finally build native Qi2 support directly into the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

The leaks also suggest Samsung could offer the Galaxy S27 Ultra in two different sizes, something we've heard rumored previously. If true, that could mean we're finally getting a more compact version of Samsung's Ultra flagship alongside the larger model.

Of course, we're still months away from the Galaxy S27 series launch, and plenty could change before Samsung makes anything official. But these early leaks certainly suggest Samsung is preparing a pretty major design shake-up, even if the inspiration appears to be coming straight from Cupertino.

What do you think of the rumored design? Let us know in the comments below.

Motorola may have kickstarted the modern flip phone, but Samsung popularized it, and for years the Galaxy Z Flip series was the standard for a stylish, pocketable foldable. Now that the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is out, it arrives at a tumultuous time for both flip phones and smartphones in general.

On the plus side, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 undercuts and is, in some ways, the better buy than Motorola’s Razr Ultra 2026, something I never thought I would say. And despite rumors suggesting the Flip 8 may be the last of its kind from Samsung, it receives some notable changes that I think even Motorola can learn from.

However, with the price increase, few actual hardware upgrades, and the launch of the very compelling Galaxy Z Fold 8, it’s becoming harder to justify buying the Galaxy Z Flip 8.

If it ain't broke...

I didn't get to use the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but I was jealous of its thin profile, especially when compared to the Razr Ultra 2025. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 goes further with an even thinner chassis, and it's noticeably lighter than the Razr Ultra 2026. It's pretty impressive, especially since flip phones become quite thick when folded in half, so this goes a long way towards making it truly pocketable.

That said, that thinness comes at a bit of a price: the battery is much smaller than the Razr's, clocking in at just 4,300mAh. That's unchanged from its predecessor, and while it can get me through a day, I haven't been able to squeeze much more out of it. Also unchanged is the charging speed, which, at 25W, feels quite slow for a $1,200 smartphone.

Fortunately, performance is anything but slow, thanks to the beefed-up Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and 12GB of RAM, which is as snappy as you'd expect. I play Honkai: Star Rail on the highest available settings and the phone doesn't falter. The only thing I notice when doing any heavy gaming is the top half of the phone getting rather warm, but that's nothing new for flip phones, given their limited internal space for things like a copper vapor chamber.

Beyond the overall performance, a benefit of the newer chip is better AI capabilities and access to newer features. Galaxy AI and Gemini Intelligence are found throughout the experience, and features like Now Brief and Now Nudge keep me up to date on my day and make it easier to grab the information or content I need when I need it.

Gemini Screen Automation also supports more apps, though I rarely find much need for it, aside from ordering food when I'm too lazy to open an app myself (is this what we've come to?).

The main display hasn't changed much, and unfortunately Samsung's new Titanium Flex isn't available here, so the crease isn't as inconspicuous as on the Galaxy Z Fold 8. That said, the crease feels very shallow, and dare I say, it feels even better than my Razr Ultra 2026.

My only annoyance is that the hinge joint protrudes quite a bit on either end of the screen, which sort of ruins the seamless feel of the display.

That said, the hinge remains relatively stiff, so I can open the Flip 8 to as wide as 45 degrees before it falls back. It's also much easier to flip the phone open with one finger and slam it shut, thanks to the redesigned display bumpers and a more forgiving hinge mechanism.

The cover screen gets (mostly) fixed!

That said, how the main display feels doesn't matter much to me, because most of my time with the Galaxy Z Flip 8 has been spent with the cover screen. Previous versions of Samsung's cover screen that I used felt half-baked, but the company did something new this year by integrating Now Brief into the cover screen and making it the default home screen. It's honestly pretty smart, and it turns the cover screen into a hub for updates on your day and activities.

But that's just the start of Samsung's cover screen overhaul. The company revamped the experience so that it acts more like the main UI. That means swiping down enables the Quick Settings menu, while swiping up reveals the app drawer. This differs from previous versions, where apps were available on a separate panel.

What I like about this is that it defaults to Samsung's first-party apps while providing easy access to third-party apps, which are sectioned off underneath. Samsung also makes it easy to access third-party apps, with a button to download the MultiStar module from Good Lock when you first set it up.

I find this new UI quite effective, making the cover screen much more accessible and useful than previous versions. I think Motorola could even take a note from Samsung's revamped UI, as it still keeps its apps on a separate panel.

Plus, any additional panels you create can be filled with app widgets, and some, like Spotify, will take up an entire widget panel. Unfortunately, not every widget is available on the cover screen, but there's a good amount to make them useful.

As for using apps, the experience is largely the same, but with some interesting updates. Apps can now open in three different aspect ratios: full screen, cropped up (to avoid the cameras), or in portrait mode for a more full app experience with black bars on either side.

There's a button at the bottom that lets you easily change the app's aspect ratio, which comes in handy depending on the app you're using. The only downside is that, for some reason, the app doesn't stay that way if I switch apps or go back to the home screen and then back to the app, and I find myself constantly switching views.

Of course, you can still use the camera with the cover screen for selfies, and you get quick access to photos, videos, and portrait mode. There's also an interesting Flip Shot feature that I didn't understand at first, but I think it's meant to add a little razzle-dazzle to your mirror selfies by displaying various graphics on the cover screen. And since I take a lot of mirror selfies with the camera preview on, this could be a good way to show off the Z Flip 8.

But as for the actual cameras, they're largely the same, and image quality is good but not spectacular. In good lighting, photos look fine, and the cameras even do a good job of freezing time, so you can be sure your dog photos should come out well enough. The downside is that you can't get too close to your subjects, as there's no Macro Mode, unlike on the Razr Ultra.

I also love the My FanCam feature, which can take any video and reframe it to focus on one subject, such as your kid or a friend. It's easily one of the best editing features Samsung has released in recent years, and a great way to make social-media-ready clips.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8?

On the outside, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is a minor update from its predecessor. A new chipset and smaller chassis are welcome changes, although I wish the battery and cameras had been upgraded.

The software is the star of the show, and Samsung's One UI continues to be more useful, whether you're using the main display or cover screen. That said, for $100 more than the Galaxy Z Flip 7, I'm not sure it's worth spending this much on a phone that Samsung seems largely uninterested in these days.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is good, but it's not $1,200 good. If you can find a discount, however, I would say go for it, or grab the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 if you can find a good enough deal.

Samsung, Google, and Apple might be the biggest players in the North American market, but Motorola does pretty well for itself. In fact, Motorola has consistently had a larger market share than Google in the U.S. over the last five quarters.

And yet, when you head to a store or open an online shopping platform, Google Pixel cases, screen protectors, and accessories are much easier to find than Motorola accessories.

Mainstream brands like Spigen, OtterBox, and CASETiFY happily cater to Pixel phones, including the more niche ones like the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. But when it comes to Motorola flagships and foldables like the Razr Fold and Razr Ultra 2026, most of these name brands are MIA. It's a real head-scratcher.

I can't fault an accessory maker for skipping a phone brand because of profitability concerns. Companies exist to make money, and when they fear losses due to demand concerns, it's sensible to remain pragmatic.

What I can't make sense of is the apparent lack of confidence that these phone case and accessory brands seem to have in Motorola. Why are these companies still not catering to them, especially now that Motorola holds about 50% of the foldable smartphone market in the U.S.?

I reached out to dozens of the top, most popular case makers who regularly offer products for Samsung, Google, and Apple to get some answers. My question was simple: Why aren't name-brand case makers prioritizing Motorola's flagships and foldables?

Almost all of them replied, but Android Central has kept some of their names anonymous to protect the source's identity.

Demand is a major concern for most accessory makers

OtterBox was one of the few brands that went on the record, citing demand as the key reason. They weren't alone; at least five to six others echoed the same sentiment, including one of the most respectable case makers in the business.

"We evaluate our device case portfolio based on customer demand and overall device adoption. While OtterBox has supported Motorola devices in the past, our current focus is on delivering protection for the devices used most widely by our customers."

An up-and-coming high-end case maker also doubled down on demand holding them back, but mentioned that they might open up support for Motorola devices in the future:

"From a case maker's perspective, product coverage decisions are primarily driven by device demand, market scale, and the broader ecosystem adoption rather than any individual brand preference. For major launches, we typically prioritize devices that demonstrate the largest global user base and strongest accessory demand at scale, which currently tends to concentrate around a small number of flagship smartphone lines.

Motorola’s recent foldables and flagships have certainly generated interest within the industry, particularly around design and form factor innovation. However, compared to the leading platforms, the overall installed base and accessory demand for these devices is still relatively limited at this stage."

The brand went on to say that they might consider expanding their accessory range to support Motorola once there is "clear and sustained traction for specific models or form factors."

Adding support for new smartphones comes is a costly venture for accessory brands

Another affordable accessory brand that focuses more on chargers said it mainly comes down to resource prioritization. This brand offers cases and screen protectors, but charging tech for Apple and Samsung is their primary concern.

They stated that launching an entirely new phone case lineup "would require additional investment, such as product design, manufacturing, and human resources. Our company may not be able to fully support this at the present stage."

TORRAS, a brand that focuses on magnetic phone cases as much as it does on chargers and power banks, shared that focusing on a single foldable makes it easier to perfect their craft.

"TORRAS’ focus in the foldable category has been on building long-term engineering experience within the Samsung Fold ecosystem over multiple generations. Each generation brings different mechanical and structural challenges, which helps us continuously refine key areas such as hinge protection, ultra-thin structures, magnetic alignment, and overall durability performance.

By staying consistent within a single foldable architecture, TORRAS is able to deepen our R&D in a more systematic and iterative way, improving product reliability through continuous optimization over time."

One brand saw this lack of support as an opportunity and took a personal request from Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich to heart.

Texas-born case maker Thinborne had initially scrapped its plans to launch a Moto Razr Fold case, just weeks after announcing it. I was very disappointed, because there are very few premium-grade cases that match the thinness and lightness of something from Thinborne.

Sutrich reached out to Thinborne after hearing the news, concerned about the lack of decent cases for Motorola foldables. Thinborne admits that their entire $32,000 investment in making this happen could very well result in a loss.

"After hesitating twice, we decided to make it happen — not for profits, but to make sure there is still an option for people looking for a premium minimalist case for their Motorola Razr Fold."

It is truly admirable that while bigger name brands shied away from the task, a small company like Thinborne stepped up. It created perhaps the best Motorola Razr Fold case we could ask for: a thin, lightweight aramid fiber case with MagSafe support, so you can take advantage of MagSafe accessories. Plus, it comes in different colors like Crimson and Navy, so you can give your Razr Fold a bit of life.

Motorola's own lack of enthusiasm is also a contributing factor

Dbrand shed more light on this topic, noting that, beyond demand, Motorola's lack of support for third-party retailers is another limiting factor.

"Motorola doesn't engage 3rd party consumer accessory manufacturers the way other OEMs do. Google has Made for Google. Microsoft has Designed for Xbox. Samsung has SMAPP. These structured programs give established brands the lead time to be ready at launch (not to mention, B2B opportunities that amplify attach to the hardware TAM). With Motorola, our starting gun for development is when consumer hardware hits shelves. By that point, we're already too late."

The brand went on to acknowledge that scale and numbers aren't everything. Far smaller, more niche brands like Minimal have approached Dbrand to make accessories for their devices happen. It's the effort that the smartphone maker put into collaborating with Dbrand that materialized into Dbrand skins for Minimal phones.

"Motorola's lack of engagement with the 3rd party ecosystem makes it structurally challenging to show up at the 'peak of interest' launch moment that matters."

Motorola could easily do the same, but seemingly chooses not to.

What does Motorola have to say about this?

I went to Motorola to hear it straight from the horse's mouth and asked whether they were aware of how accessory brands felt about Motorola's devices, and whether they were planning to address these concerns about demand and collaborative efforts.

Motorola's response was very vague. They don't seem to recognize that they have an accessory problem. In fact, Motorola emphasized that they "actively [develop] a robust partnership program to expand the range of high-quality accessory options for [their] customers".

The rest of the response felt like standard boilerplate and did not even seem to address the concerns from top accessory brands:

"Today, we proudly collaborate with a number of partners to anchor our official licensed cases and accessories initiative. Through this established program, we co-develop and validate products with trusted third-party accessory makers. This collaborative approach ensures that every product adheres to Motorola’s strict standards for quality, safety, and seamless customer experience. We are continuously expanding this ecosystem and welcome deeper strategic partnerships with leading accessory brands to deliver the premium experience our customers expect."

It's a perception problem

At the end of the day, I learned that most brands still perceive Motorola as having low demand, even when the numbers suggest otherwise. Meanwhile, Motorola is wearing rose-colored glasses or has seemingly convinced itself that it is doing a fine job of it and that there is no accessory support problem.

This can be fixed, however. Perhaps if Motorola were to extend an olive branch, it might move things along. If they want third-party accessory support to improve, they will have to put in the effort and make it easier for accessory and case makers to cater to their devices.

Based on everything I have heard, I hope Motorola will follow through. It could also improve smartphone sales, as accessory support is a major concern for consumers when buying phones. Perhaps if official "Made for Moto" accessories were to appear in the wild, a lot more people would be interested in buying Motorola phones, especially if they came from top-tier brands like Dbrand, Spigen, and CASETiFY.

I recently ran my first and second 5Ks, and I tracked the most recent run using the latest wearables from Google, Samsung, and Garmin. The Pixel Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 9 just hit the market, while the Garmin Cirqa is still pretty new.

Two of these wearables are traditional smartwatches, while one is a screenless fitness tracker. However, fitness tracking is a primary function of these devices, so I wanted to compare how they perform one of my most-used functions, especially now that I'm running more often.

Running the 5K

Last weekend, I ran the Emerald City 5K, which was just over 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). Each device measured my heart rate, but you can see from the chart below that there were some interesting deviations from the Galaxy Watch 9.

The Samsung watch took nearly four minutes to catch up to the Cirqa and Pixel Watch, only to continue rising well above the other two wearables for more than 10 minutes. The race had just started, and I know my heart rate wasn't so elevated right off the bat.

After about four minutes, the Cirqa and Pixel Watch 5 also diverged, with the latter dropping to about 135 bpm while the former remained relatively steady. The Pixel Watch eventually catches up, and they remain pretty much in sync for much of the run. That is, until the end, when it fell just below the Galaxy Watch 9 and Garmin Cirqa. At this point, I was "sprinting" (and I use that term loosely) to the finish line, so I know my heart rate was elevated.

I intended to record GPS data during the run, but for some odd reason, the Pixel Watch 5 did not track the route while the Galaxy Watch 9 and Garmin Cirqa (via my phone) did. I can only chalk it up to the Pixel Watch not properly connecting to GPS before the run started.

Still, you can see how the Galaxy Watch and Garmin Cirqa compare with the actual 5K route, marked in brown in the images below. Even though the Cirqa (blue) was connected to my phone for GPS data, it deviated quite a bit from the actual route, showing that I ran on the grass toward the beginning even though I remained on the pathway. It was also quite a bit off at the midpoint when I made a U-turn to head back to run the second half of the race.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch 9 (orange) did surprisingly well throughout the run, pinpointing my position more accurately.

The Galaxy Watch 9 was also the closest to measuring the actual route distance, which was 3.146 miles, according to the official website. The Watch 9 logged 3.15 miles, the Pixel Watch 3.19 miles, and the Garmin Cirqa (via my phone) 3.29 miles. This tells me that, at least, there should be nothing wrong with the Pixel Watch 5's positioning, despite the lack of actual map data.

Also, perhaps the Galaxy Flip 8 isn't the best for connected GPS data, given the Garmin Cirqa's numbers and map data.

Getting in your steps

In addition to running a 5K, I figured I would also walk 5,000 steps and track it with each device to see which is more accurate. It's nearly 3 miles, so it's almost like walking a 5K. During the walk, I tracked my steps using a manual counter in an app, although there is a ~5-step error.

You can check out the results from that walk below. As you can see, the Pixel Watch 5 was pretty spot-on at the halfway point, whereas the Galaxy Watch 9 was a bit ahead by just under 40 steps. The Garmin Cirqa doesn't show steps while still tracking, so I couldn't get a midpoint figure.

Unsurprisingly, the Pixel Watch 5 did better at tracking the entire 5,000-step walk, as it was over by just 26 steps. The Galaxy Watch 9 didn't do too badly, still managing to be over by less than 100 steps, which is a win in my book. However, the Garmin Cirqa beat out both and was over by just 12 steps.

Another run?

In addition to running the 5K, I tracked a second, shorter run. I also monitored my heart rate during that 5,000-step walk.

During the run, the Pixel Watch 5 and Garmin Cirqa were largely in sync. However, the Galaxy Watch 9 started off strong for about one minute before logging much lower heart rate data throughout the 12-minute run.

Note: I ended the run on the Garmin Cirqa prematurely once I began my cooldown, which is why the data suddenly stops.

As for the walk, all three devices were within the same ballpark, which wasn't much of a surprise as it was a much lower intensity activity with less dynamic movement and fewer reasons for sudden jumps or dips in heart rate.

That said, the Galaxy Watch 9 was more consistently slightly lower than the other two devices. Toward the end, it was the Pixel Watch 5 that dropped below the other devices.

The data shows some interesting-looking straight-line jumps from the Garmin and later in the Galaxy Watch, although I think this was just an error in how the data is bring presented.

Verdict

If you want a low-key fitness tracker and don't necessarily need GPS (or can rely on your phone for it), then I think the Garmin Cirqa is a good option. It's lightweight, does surprisingly well with automatic workout tracking, tracks steps pretty accurately, and you can wear it on your arm, which is generally a preferred position for fitness wearables (second to a chest strap).

However, if you need a more fully functioning smartwatch experience, I am leaning towards the Pixel Watch 5. Both it and the Galaxy Watch log distance equally well, and despite not providing map data for my recent runs, the Pixel Watch 5 heart rate data feels more accurate and consistent, while the Galaxy Watch 9 tends to under- or overestimate your heart rate. It also tracks your steps more accurately and retains more of the heart rate data from automatically detected workouts.

That's not to say the Galaxy Watch 9 is a bad fitness watch; I enjoy how lightweight it is and its ability to map my running routes more consistently. But so far in my testing, I much prefer the Pixel Watch 5.

The Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL are two very full-featured smartphones. If you're a new Pixel user, you're going to spend days sifting through all the available options and features to find your favorites, but before you begin that long (but fun!) journey, you should focus on securing the freebies that come with every Pixel 11 phone.

I'm specifically talking about the 6-month Gemini Pro subscription that comes for free with your Pixel 11. In the past, I was always prompted to activate this trial during the first-time setup when I got a new Pixel, but this year was different. I had to hunt for the offer to make sure it still existed and, thankfully, it does!

With the Pixel 9 and 10 series, Google offered a full year of Gemini Advanced (now known as Google AI Pro), but the Pixel 11 series lowered that to 6 months. Still, it's hard to argue with 6 free months of Google's AI Pro service, which is roughly a $120 value you get just for owning a Pixel 11.

What is Google AI Pro?

Google renamed Gemini Advanced to Google AI Pro in 2025, and with it came a slew of new tools and benefits compared to the free Gemini model and the Google AI Plus subscription. Here's everything Google AI Pro gets you in 2026:

• 4x higher usage limits in the Gemini app
• 1,000 Google Flow credits (Google's creative studio)
• Gemini 3 Pro in Google Search
• Access to the Jules coding agent with higher limits
• Google Antigravity (Google's agentic development platform)
• 5x higher limits on Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
• Gemini in Gmail, Docs, and more
• Google Home Premium (30 days of event history for your Nest devices)
• Gemini in Chrome
• YouTube Premium Lite
• 5TB of cloud storage

There's a lot included with Google AI Pro, but I find only a few things particularly useful. Google Home Premium and YouTube Premium Lite are easily my favorite two features. Subscribing to those features by themselves would normally run you $18 a month, so you can already see how good of a value the Google AI Pro subscription is at the normal $19.99 a month rate.

I don't use the vast majority of the advanced Gemini features here, like Jules, Flow, Antigravity, or Notebook, but those would all be incredible values for anyone who might want to take advantage of everything Gemini offers.

How to activate your free Google AI Pro subscription

Now that you understand why Google AI Pro is worthwhile (and why a free 6-month trial is such a great deal), here's what you need to do to activate the trial:

1. Open the Gemini app. You can find it in your app drawer.

2. Click the menu button in the top-left corner, then tap the settings gear at the bottom next to your account name.

3. Tap the Start trial button underneath the "Manage subscription" button.

4. Make sure the screen says "With your Pixel 11, you get 6 months for $0," then tap the blue Start trial button.

Beginning a Google AI Pro trial starts a subscription through Google Play, so the next screen will ask you to select a payment method for when the trial ends. Don't worry, you're not going to pay anything right now; Google just wants to set up the subscription so that it cycles through the credits you get with your Pixel 11.

Remember, you can always cancel the subscription before the trial ends if you don't want to pay anything by the listed payment start date.

1. Verify that "6-month free trial" is listed under the "Starting today" section on the subscription screen.

2. Note the starting date for payments. I recommend asking Gemini to set a reminder for this date so you can cancel the subscription if you'd like.

3. Select the payment method you want to use when the trial ends, then hit Subscribe.

4. Congrats! Now you have Google AI Pro for the next 6 months for free!

Now, when you open the Gemini app, you can select from more advanced Gemini models (plus, use Gemini a lot more before you hit the daily limit), use new Gemini tools in Google apps like Gmail and Google Drive, watch YouTube videos ad-free, see 30 days of smart home history (and make advanced queries in the Google Home app), and lots more. Have fun!

CMF launched the Buds 2, 2 Plus, and 2a last year, and when I tested these earbuds, I said they're among the best budget buds around. Now, the Nothing sub-brand has an even more affordable option, the CMF Buds Neo.

The Buds Neo are now available in India, and they should make their way to other markets soon. They retail for just ₹1,999 ($20), and once again, CMF nailed the pricing. It's clear that the brand understands how the Indian market works, and by selling these at an aggressive price point, CMF will undoubtedly find plenty of takers.

As all other CMF products, the Buds Neo have a striking design, and they're sold in three colors: white, black, and dark blue. While the black is the most traditional model, the white and dark blue models have two-tone designs that look great; the white has orange accents, and the dark blue gets a teal highlight that contrasts the color really well. Having used all three colors, there's no question that the white model is the most distinctive.

The square case is on the smaller side, and it has a rotating dial, which I like to see in Nothing and CMF products. Build quality is great, and at no point did I get the feeling that I was using a pair of budget buds. More than anything else, it's this trait that makes the Buds Neo stand out; they don't look like budget earbuds at all.

What's particularly interesting is that these earbuds retain Active Noise Cancellation. They even get an adaptive option that changes the isolation based on your surroundings. In regular use, I found the Buds Neo to do a decent enough job tuning out the ambient sounds, including the sounds of my mechanical keyboard (MelGeek Centauri 80) and the hum of the air con. The buds did a decent job on a recent short-haul flight as well, but I'd suggest Buds Pro 2 if your main use case is traveling.

The Buds Neo have good ingress protection too; the buds have an IP54 rating, and the case itself is IPX2. They connect via Bluetooth 6.0, have Google Fast Pair, and I didn't see any issues with connectivity when using the buds with my Find X9 Ultra, Vivo X300 Ultra, and Pixel 11 Pro XL. You don't get any AptX codecs, with the buds limited to SBC and AAC — but that's understandable in this category.

There are no issues with battery life either. I got just over seven hours from a full charge, and the case holds enough power (465mAh) to charge the buds four times over, so you'll only realistically need to charge the case once a week even with heavy use. Oh, and fast charge gives you 5.5 hours of music playback with just a 10-minute charge, and this is definitely handy.

Let's talk about the sound. The Buds Neo have a 12.4mm dynamic driver, and the tonal signature is in line with the Buds 2. You get a warm sound with good detail and clean extension, with a rumbling low-end and natural vocals presentation. There's a mode to boost the bass if you're so inclined, and Nothing X has six EQ presets to tweak the sound profile.

Now, for a brand that says it doesn't like to do things the traditional way, CMF has three earbuds on sale at under ₹3,000 ($31). Why have three distinct products when one will do the job? I don't know, but it's clear that CMF wants to continually churn out budget earbuds.

Not that there's anything wrong with it — the Buds Neo are easily one of the best entry-level earbuds you can get at the moment. They have a stylish design, great sound, and build quality that's better than most products in this category. If you need budget earbuds that don't look or sound like they're built to cost, you should get the Buds Neo.

I knew Samsung hadn't changed the design with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but it was still surprising to see just how similar it is to last year's model — I had to double-check the box to confirm I wasn't sent the Z Fold 7 again.

That sums up the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra in a nutshell; at the surface-level, it is indistinguishable from the Z Fold 7. It is just as thin and light, weighs the same, and has the same in-hand feel. I was holding out on Samsung moving to a design with rounded edges — similar to what Google does with the Pixel 11 Pro Fold — but that isn't the case.

Thankfully, there are a few upgrades. Samsung finally moved to silicon-carbon battery tech, and was able to slot in a bigger 5,000mAh battery in a chassis that's the same size as last year. There's also 45W charging, a crease that isn't quite as noticeable as last year, a new rear camera, and Android 17 with One UI 9 out of the box. But is that enough to warrant a price hike to an eye-watering $2,099? Let's take a look.

It's the little things that matter

Samsung didn't make any outward changes to the design, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has a new hinge that feels better to use, and it allows the foldable to be fully flat. It's another thing that it took Samsung eight years to get to this point while Chinese brands have managed it in less than half that time, but at least there's some progress in this area.

The other side effect of the new hinge is the crease, which is barely noticeable now. It's still evident in daily use, and it isn't quite as creaseless as the Find N6, but there is a difference from the Z Fold 7. Samsung didn't change the panel sizes this year, so you get a 6.5-inch outer and 8.0-inch inner screen, and they're a little brighter this year.

What I like is that the inner panel has an anti-reflective coating, and it makes a difference when using it outdoors. It also gets a higher resolution (2504 x 2256), and as I prefer reading to watching media on my phone, I like these changes — that's one of the reasons I'm using the Z Fold 8 Ultra instead of the Z Fold 8.

There isn't anything missing when it comes to the internals as well. You get the latest Qualcomm silicon, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. I think a foldable that costs over $2,000 needs to have at least 512GB of storage, but with the RAM shortages, I'm glad Samsung didn't move the base model to 128GB and call the 256GB edition an upgrade.

While it has the same silicon as the S26 Ultra, the inherent foldable nature means the Z Fold 8 Ultra is thermally constrained, so it throttles sooner, and tends to get hot in extended gaming sessions. This is the case with all foldables and isn't something unique to Samsung. I didn't see any issues with connectivity (thankfully), but the only change in this area is that the foldable has a single SIM slot, with the secondary slot requiring an eSIM.

We need to talk about the wobble

The one thing Samsung should have changed with the design is the placement of the rear camera module. The Z Fold 8 Ultra has an oblong camera housing that sits to the left, and because the modules protrude quite a bit from the body, you get a constant wobble when using the foldable on a table.

It doesn't matter if you're using the phone folded or unfolded, the wobble is ever-present and a routine source of frustration. This is why all other brands have switched to center-mounted cameras; I didn't see this problem with my Find N6, Vivo X Fold 5, Moto Razr Fold, or the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

I just don't understand why Samsung continues to be obstinate about this; clearly, this is a major design flaw, yet the brand chooses to ignore it. On that note, the foldable once again misses out on IP68 dust and water resistance. You get IP48 instead, and while it's decent, it doesn't prevent dust ingress.

Samsung upgraded the wrong camera

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra uses the same 200MP main camera as last year, and it has a 10MP telephoto and a new 50MP wide-angle lens. Okay, great, but just one question: who uses the wide-angle camera? I take plenty of photos, and I predominantly use the 2x or 3x lenses while framing, and I think Samsung should've upgraded the ageing 10MP lens instead — this is the same module that's being used from the Galaxy S21 days.

Also, the tele lens is particularly useful as a portrait shooter, and I use it all the time because of this. To have a distinctly average tele lens on a foldable dubbed an Ultra is egregious to say the least, and the Z Fold 8 Ultra doesn't measure up to the Find N6 or the Vivo X Fold 5 in this regard. Shots at 3x don't have much in the way of definition, and anything shot at 10x and beyond is just a blotchy mess without any detail.

Thankfully, the other cameras are quite good, and you get decent shots with Samsung's traditional oversaturated look. It does a good enough job in low-light situations as well, and while the cameras aren't on the same level as regular phones — or current-gen Chinese foldables — they are pretty good for the most part.

The battery is better

Samsung finally started using silicon-carbon batteries, and the Z Fold 8 Ultra gets a 5,000mAh unit. The foldable manages to last a day as a result, and while I still had to plug in before the end of the day at times, it wasn't anywhere as frequently as previous years.

What I like even more is the 45W charging. It may not seem like a big deal, but the move means the battery gets to a full charge in just an hour, which is 30 minutes less than its predecessor. A 30-minute charge gives you a 40% charge, and it's just refreshing to be able to get decent charging speeds on a Samsung foldable. However, Samsung once again missed out on adding Qi 2 magnets, so if you want to use a Qi 2 or Qi 2.2 power bank or charger, you'll need to buy a case.

Double dose of AI

Just like the physical design, Samsung isn't changing things too much with One UI 9, its Android 17-based interface. The UI should be immediately familiar if you've used a Samsung phone, and while there are a few tweaks, the design as a whole is unchanged.

Galaxy AI (once again) is the key focus, with Samsung shoehorning on-device AI into just about every corner — and there's Gemini Intelligence as well if you wanted even more AI. The agentic model is designed to take actions on your behalf, but it isn't quite useful just yet.

You get good fluidity and an exhaustive feature-set, including intuitive multi-tasking modes to maximize the real estate. Just like previous years, the foldable will get seven years of software updates, similar to what Google offers on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

Should you buy it?

It irks me that Samsung calls this foldable an Ultra — the only thing fitting of that moniker on the Z Fold 8 Ultra is the pricing. At $2,099, this is the costliest phone around (at least until the iPhone Fold shows up), and I'm not sure you're getting anywhere close to a good value.

Of course, this is a moot point in the U.S.; generous trade-in deals and carrier subsidies make getting the foldable a lot easier. That isn't the case in other regions, and I think the Find N6, X Fold 5, and the Moto Razr Fold are a better all-round deal if you're ready to move to a foldable. There's no denying that Samsung has a strong foldable in the Z Fold 8 Ultra, but the pricing makes it hard to recommend, and I'd suggest looking at other choices before making a decision — you'll be surprised to see just how good the competition is these days.

What you need to know

• Walmart is finally embracing contactless payments, as Apple Pay and Google Pay are coming to Walmart and Sam’s Club after years of resistance.
• Tap to Pay will reach all U.S. Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs by the end of 2026, with fuel stations following by mid-2027.
• Cash, chip cards, Walmart Pay, and Sam’s Club Scan & Go will remain available alongside the new payment option.

Walmart is finally throwing in the towel on its notorious resistance to contactless payments. After years of pushing shoppers to its proprietary Walmart Pay app, the retail giant is rolling out standard Tap to Pay, meaning both Google Pay and Apple Pay are on their way to checkout lines near you.

Starting August 24, Walmart and Sam’s Club locations nationwide will begin to deploy Tap to Pay, the retailer announced today. The feature will be rolled out to all of its U.S. stores and clubs by the end of 2026 and to its fuel stations by the middle of 2027.

This allows shoppers to tap an eligible contactless card, phone or smartwatch at the payment terminal instead of having to pull out a physical card or open Walmart’s app. Android users can add an eligible card to Google Wallet and tap to pay when the feature is available at your store, Google says. Walmart will also allow customers to add eligible Walmart, Sam’s Club, and OnePay cards to compatible digital wallets.

That sounds like a basic checkout upgrade for 2026, but Walmart has resisted it for years. Instead, the retailer promoted Walmart Pay, which uses a QR code at the register, and Sam’s Club offered Scan & Go, which let shoppers skip checkout altogether. Walmart also supported CurrentC, a rival mobile-payment initiative that ultimately shuttered a few years ago.

Customers, meanwhile, kept asking. And they weren't the only ones. With most U.S. retailers already accepting contactless payments, Walmart’s holdout was becoming more conspicuous. The company has effectively admitted defeat now, realizing that forcing shoppers into its own system was putting its own customers at a disadvantage.

Existing checkout options like cash, physical chip cards, Walmart Pay, and Sam’s Club Scan & Go aren't going anywhere – this just gives shoppers the frictionless checkout flexibility they’ve been asking for for years.

And there's a practical privacy benefit: when you pay with a digital wallet, the retailer generally doesn't get the physical card number that's stored on your account.

What you need to know

• A report discovered a Meta patent for new "hardware-level" locking for AI glasses microphones and cameras.
• It's been stated that this method removes software completely, meaning no nefarious actors could reactivate your mic or camera without your knowledge.
• The idea is to return privacy to the people, as Meta's AI glasses have come under severe backlash due to others recording people against their will or knowledge.

Having a pair of smart glasses is one thing. But to many, it's an entirely different topic when you factor in cameras and microphones that can record you. A report claims Meta's filed a patent that could help bring our privacy back.

The team at Patentlyze highlighted a patent from Meta that could help alleviate privacy concerns surrounding smart glasses. The publication states Meta has filed a patent for a "privacy shield" that's operated in full by hardware components. Software plays no role in muting/unmuting the microphone or cutting off the camera. As Patentlyze notes, this would be a notable shift from how these functions are operated on a device like a phone, which relies on software.

According to its discovery, this "hardware mute circuit" would lock the camera/micrpohone at "atomically." This reportedly leaves no room for hackers or other nefarious attackers to activate these sensitive areas without you knowing. More importantly, Patentlyze says, "no app, no operating system update, and no remote hack can flip it back on." Other details in the patent mention that the "trigger," the act of muting or cutting off the camera, would need to come from a "verified hardware source."

Right now, we can think of this as a button that you can press or perhaps a switch you can slide into a locked state.

This is a patent, and, as always, there's no telling if or when we could see this on the market. At present, we have something to hold us over.

Meta has a real problem

This patent discovery follows the same line as a recent mandatory patch Meta pushed to its AI glasses last month. This patch deserves context. It was reported that users with Meta's AI glasses were covering the LED indicator that illuminates when the camera is active. It would let people record others without their knowledge. It was creepy and unsettling. These same malicious users found other means of getting around the LED indicator, such as drilling holes and other modifications.

Meta's patch solves this. The company states that any tampering with the LED recording light will disable the camera completely. If the privacy light is tampered with or covered, this safeguard will activate. There's been no shortage of backlash from people about Meta's "pervert glasses," or however you may describe them. This update was a step in bringing back user privacy. Now, with this recent patent, it seems Meta isn't done.

Android Central's Take

People, right? It's like the one bad student in class that gets the teacher made, so now we all have extra homework for the weekend. Painful. Something like this gives a company's product a bad rep. But it's more than that. Put Meta aside and just think on a street level. No one wants to feel like they're being watched. No one wants to be recorded. For what? Why are you recording them? A person's privacy is nothing to scoff at, and it's definitely nothing to defile.

What you need to know

• RayNeo unveiled three new AR glasses: the iO smart glasses and the GT and GT Max.
• The RayNeo iO puts its focus on productivity with a transparent HUD for information, four microphones for transcription, and Android/iOS compatibility.
• The RayNeo GT series is more about entertainment, with three viewing modes and Dolby Vision support.
• These AR glasses see retail availability begin on September 4; pricing will likely be revealed closer to that date.

RayNeo unveiled a handful of new AR smart glasses for consumers early this morning (Aug 21) that aim to lead productivity and entertainment.

The company had a lot to discuss this morning, and what kicked things off was the reveal of the RayNeo iO smart glasses. In its press release, RayNeo says the iO is "designed for professionals, executives, and multi-screen operators." For this product, consumers should think of productivity with glanceable "ambient intelligence." To achieve this, the RayNeo iO features a HUD (heads-up display) with 97% optical transparency that will consistently feed the user information.

RayNeo says that at 1,300nits of peak brightness, the transparent HUD remains invisible to others, but clear to you. Since the iO is meant to be worn comfortably, RayNeo says the glasses weigh 33 grams.

Ambient Intelligence is assisted by RayNeo's Ambient AI Productivity Suite. The RayNeo iO features the Ambient AI Life Log, which "operates in a low-power background tier to capture schedules and conversation contexts." If you were in an important meeting, the iO smart glasses can pick out dates and other details for you. The user can confirm what the glasses have picked out with a head nod to save them.

Live Translation and the Auto-Teleprompter might also aid users in meetings and presentations. While the former is self-explanatory, the latter can provide the user with their script and scroll at their speaking pace. Multiple LLMs, such as Google's Gemini, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Claude, and DeepSeek, are available.

The RayNeo iO smart glasses take a different approach: they have no speakers. Everything you'd need for the day will appear on that transparent HUD. However, it does include a four-microphone array for transcription. RayNeo adds that this device features a 240mAh battery that can last up to two days with "typical use."

Hardware-wise, the iO features a Smart Crown rotary dial above the right temple. These glasses will launch with Android and iOS compatibility. Additionally, as we've come to appreciate, the iO will debut with a "hardwired LED status light" that shines when you're recording or transcribing. RayNeo reveals that the iO will debut on September 4 in Polar Night and Dune.

Pricing will likely be revealed closer to this date.

RayNeo GT series is pure cinema

If we were to flip the script on AR smart glasses, what would we get? RayNeo says we'd get the GT and GT Max smart glasses with a strong focus on entertainment. As a duo, the GT series shares a few important features. According to its press release, the GT series features full Dolby Vision support. With this, and alongside the RayNeo Pocket TV Pro, the GT glasses natively support Dolby Vision with "real-time" AI SDR-to-HDR conversion.

The other side of this is the GT series' quad-speaker setup, head-tracked spatial audio, and Whisper Mode directional transmission. Users can watch their favorite shows and movies with the RayNeo GT series, but your sofa might not always be available. To solve this, RayNeo includes three viewing modes: Steady (traveling bumps), Pinned (anchors screen, works with 3D experience), and Follow.

The RayNeo GT Max takes its experience a little further. These lenses come with the Peacock Optical Engine 3.0 Max and a 5.5th-gen Tandem MicroOLED display. As a result, RayNeo states the GT Max delivers a 59-degree FOV and gives users the ability to scale their virtual screen between three sizes: 227 inches, 267 inches, and 307 inches.

The GT series will join the iO smart glasses on September 4 for a retail release. RayNeo states consumers can find "official custom prescription lens inserts" for the GT and GT Max once they are available.

TL;DR: Amazon has launched a bunch of deals on TCL's eye-friendly smartphones and tablets, just in time for Back to School 2026.

Considering how much time we spend staring at screens throughout the day, it's no wonder that many folks are concerned about their eye health. Some brands would pack the latest eye-friendly display technology into their most expensive devices, but not TCL.

The company's NXTPAPER lineup is full of fast and feature-packed smartphones and tablets that are built with your vision in mind, and they're often way cheaper than the competition. These devices boast cutting-edge 120Hz displays with customizable settings, anti-reflective finishes, and up to 61% less blue light than traditional screens.

Whether you're shopping for an eye-friendly Android phone or a versatile tablet to take with you to class, Amazon's Back to School sale is slashing prices on a bunch of our favorite TCL NXTPAPER devices. Keep reading for all of my top picks today.

Editor's pick - best smartphone

Editor's pick - best tablet

More TCL NXTPAPER deals today

Google got a lot right with the Pixel 11 Pro XL; it has better cameras, a cleaner design, brighter OLED panel, and is faster in just about every scenario. And with Google focusing on Gemini Intelligence, there's a lot of great AI-assisted software features that make the phone stand out.

That said, there are plenty of annoyances as well — if anything, the decrease in RAM and battery size along with the underwhelming GPU make the Pixel 11 Pro XL a downgrade in many ways. So if you're a Pixel user and are looking to switch, there are plenty of great choices available. I used all phones launched in the last 12 months, so all the options listed here are devices I used extensively.

Annoyingly, the two phones I consider to be the best choices — the Find X9 Pro and Vivo X300 Pro — aren't available in the U.S., but they are sold in plenty of western countries, including the U.K. The U.S. phone market is distinctly lackluster compared to most regions, and that's down to the chokehold carriers have in the country. That makes getting a hold of the best phones harder, and in some cases, it's just not worth the hassle. Having accounted for all of that, these are the six phones I suggest buying instead of the Pixel 11 Pro XL.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

I don't like using Samsung phones, but there's no doubting that they're immensely popular. The Galaxy S26 Ultra isn't too different to the Pixel 11 Pro XL in that it is also mostly unchanged to its predecessor, but you get faster internals powered by Qualcomm.

Outside of the silicon, the S26 Ultra is very similar to the Pixel 11 Pro XL; both phones have cameras that are at the same level, battery life is largely identical, and you get the same IP68 ingress protection. The biggest difference is with the software: Samsung's One UI 9 doesn't look anything like what you get on Pixels, and it has a lot of extras that are tied into Samsung's ecosystem.

Look, if you like Samsung's software and want all the unique extras that you get — and Galaxy AI — then the S26 Ultra continues to be a solid choice. It'll get the same seven years of software updates, and has a strong ecosystem of wearables and connected devices.

Redmagic 11S Pro

If you intend to play games on your phone or need a device that's just about the fastest available today, you should get the Redmagic 11S Pro. The 16GB/512GB model of the phone costs $899 in the U.S., which is $520 less than what you'd pay to get an equivalent Pixel 11 Pro XL. Now, the Redmagic 11S Pro's cameras are decidedly average, and they don't measure up to what Google is offering. But given the price difference, you may as well just get a dedicated camera if you're interested in taking a lot of photos and videos (I'm partial to the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV).

Other than that, the Redmagic 11S Pro is a beast. It doesn't have a cutout, so you get an all-screen design that I like quite a bit — it's one of the main reasons why I like using these phones. And I get that the design may be a little ostentatious (it is a gaming phone, after all), but the cameras sit flush with the body, and I like the in-hand feel. Oh, and there's legitimate liquid cooling on the device, and it holds up to marathon gaming or Netflix binge sessions without breaking a sweat.

You also get a huge 7,500mAh battery that lasts up to two days, better connectivity than the Pixel 11 Pro XL in any situation, the best Qualcomm silicon available today, a vibrant OLED, and an IPX8 ingress protection.

The software is pretty good too! Redmagic cleaned up its act two years ago, and you get a plain interface that doesn't have any overt styling, but with great optimization and a good range of customizability. The only issue is that the phone will get just two Android OS updates, which is pitiful next to Google and Samsung. But if you're okay with that limitation, the Redmagic 11S Pro is a great choice.

POCO F8 Ultra

Okay, POCO doesn't sell the F8 Ultra in the U.S., but you can easily get it via resellers on Amazon for $889. That's the 12GB/256GB edition, and it is close to what the phone costs in the U.K. (£599 ($818)). The F8 Ultra has a trio of 50MP cameras, and they're great; you get good photos in any lighting condition, and the versatility of the lenses means you get usable shots from 0.6x to 10x without any issues.

Then there's the design. POCO went with a unique denim finish, and it makes holding the F8 Ultra decidedly different (but in a good way). The texture feels great, and the phone is lighter than the Pixel 11 Pro XL in spite of having a bigger 6,500mAh battery. There's 100W fast charging as well, and as it uses a standard USB PD profile, you can use any 100W GaN charger with the phone.

Oh, and the F8 Ultra has the best onboard sound of any phone I tested in the last two years. It is tuned by Bose, and there's a dedicated woofer unit that adds a lot of character to the sound. The software is decent as well, and you don't get much in the way of AI. The UI is relatively modern, and while there is a lot of bloatware out of the box, it can be easily uninstalled. The phone will get four Android OS updates, which is decent in this category.

iPhone 17 Pro

If you're looking to switch away from Android altogether, the iPhone 17 Pro is the way to go. I use it as my secondary phone, and while battery life isn't as good as a Pixel, you get good software features, guaranteed stability, and a strong ecosystem of accessories.

Switching to an iPhone is easier than ever, but it isn't just about buying another device — you'll also need to think about your digital purchases. If you're like me and bought hundreds of apps and pay for subscriptions via the Play Store, you will need to set up all of that again on the App Store, and that's daunting. That's one of the reasons why moving to a different mobile OS is difficult; you're basically starting from scratch if you haven't used iOS in the past.

The upside is that the iPhone 17 Pro isn't usually plagued by software issues, and as a daily driver, it's one of the most stable phones around.

OPPO Find X9 Pro

The Find X9 Pro is my second-favorite phone of 2026 — only bettered by its even costlier sibling, the Find X9 Ultra — and it is a fantastic phone. The cameras are on another level entirely, the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 platform is noticeably faster than the Tensor G6, and you get a massive battery.

Now, a big limitation with Chinese phones in the past was the software, but that isn't an issue in 2026. ColorOS 16 has a modern design, plenty of great features, and it's just as good to use as the Pixel Launcher. In fact, it is the Android skin I used the most in 2026, and features like AI Bill Manager are genuinely useful.

The Find X9 Pro costs £1,099 ($1,500) in the U.K., and that's the 16GB/512GB model — the equivalent Pixel 11 Pro XL is £1,419 ($1,936!). Additionally, you get the Watch X3 bundled with every phone, which is pretty great in its own right.

Vivo X300 Pro

The X300 Pro is the only phone that has the same caliber of cameras as the Find X9 Pro. Vivo did a great job with the phone in general, and I really like the design — even though the camera housing is gigantic. The phone costs €1,089 ($1,274) for the 16GB/512GB edition, so you're not paying as much as the Pixel 11 Pro XL (€1,329 ($1,553)).

What I like the most about the X300 Pro is that Vivo brought its excellent OriginOS software to global regions. The UI is clean and highly customizable, and it makes using the X300 Pro a delight. It doesn't quite get as many updates as the Pixel 11 Pro XL, but Vivo guarantees five Android OS updates.

Which should you buy?

If you just need one recommendation and don't mind going the reseller route, I'd suggest getting the POCO F8 Ultra — it is a pretty good all-rounder. The Find X9 Pro and Vivo X300 Pro are costlier and harder to get in the U.S., and while they have better cameras, you're ultimately paying too much.

The Redmagic 11S Pro is also a solid choice if you need something with plenty of raw power. And if you want the closest feel to a Pixel and are interested in buying a broader ecosystem of devices, then the Galaxy S26 Ultra or the iPhone 17 Pro are your go-to choices in the U.S.

What you need to know

• Google just posted the official factory and OTA images for the Pixel Watch 5, introducing a unified build strategy.
• The Pixel Watch 5 now uses a single software build (CD5A.260611.00) for both Wi-Fi and LTE models.
• Flashing factory images still requires Google’s invite-only debug adapter.

Google has released factory and OTA images for the Pixel Watch 5, and it seems the new smartwatch uses a single software build for both Bluetooth/Wi-Fi and LTE models, which could make future updates easier.

The Pixel Watch 5 is listed with the codename “goteria” and build CD5A.260611.00. Interestingly, it’s not split between Bluetooth/Wi-Fi and LTE models like previous generations (via 9to5Google).

That sounds like a small developer-facing change, but it could simplify Google’s internal software process by consolidating the builds and may reduce the complexity of future updates. The Pixel Watch 5 runs on Wear OS 7, which is based on Android 17.

There’s one more catch for anyone who thinks about tinkering with the software. As with the Pixel Watch 4, flashing the factory image still requires a debug adapter that Google only ships by invite. Google also notes that unlocking the bootloader will make the watch less secure and that installing a factory image will wipe it.

The Pixel Watch 5 is already receiving new software features like Gemini Intelligence and At a Glance along with hardware upgrades such as 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

With the software foundation now in place, the September update should give us a better idea of how quickly Google can extend that experience to older Pixel Watches.

What you need to know

• Overseas reports claim TSMC has developed a new 1.6nm process intended for a new A16 chip.
• At present, this chip isn't designed for phones, but rather for AI and "high-performance computing" devices.
• TSMC could begin mass production of this chip in Q4 2026, which could help bring the 1.4nm process into reality for mobile devices.

There are reports from overseas sources that claim TSMC is taking significant steps toward a 1.6nm chip.

This report, highlighted by Chosun Biz, claims the Liberty Times' sources suggest TSMC has "completed" its development for a 1.6nm chip (via Android Headlines). Apparently, this 1.6nm process is intended to work with the company's new A16 chips. It's been stated that TSMC increased the A16's chip density by ~8% (or higher). Moreover, its performance could be ~10% better than its 2nm process and ~15% more power-efficient.

While this new A16 chip running on the 1.6nm process switches how it manages its power (for efficiency and performance), the report claims TSMC isn't targeting the usual crowd. The publication purports that TSMC's A16 chips are designed for AI and "high-performance computing" devices as its "main market." With that, it looks like we shouldn't expect this 1.6nm process in a phone chip anytime soon. Which, if you consider the timing, would put us in 2027.

Mass production of these A16 chips could begin in Q4 2026.

However, TSMC is supposedly using what it's done with its A16 chips and the 1.6nm process to develop a 1.4nm process. This version is suspected to make its way into phones.

Chips are getting better, stronger, faster

It's almost that time of the year when Qualcomm's next chip comes out. Hearing about 1.6nm is funny (even 1.4nm) since we're just on the edge of 2nm with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. Expectations say this chip should feature TSMC's 2nm process. What's more, the SD 8 Elite Gen 6 could feature a 2+3+3 CPU structure. Another 2nm process chip we're expecting is MediaTek's Dimensity 9600. That should also debut soon, as we push into the final four months.

Rumors aside, Qualcomm started teasing its next Snapdragon chips for its Summit 2026 event in Maui, Hawaii. We've heard rumors about Qualcomm making two flagship chips, and the company says we can expect "Dual 8 Elites" this year. It hasn't said what the other chip will be called; however, earlier reports said it would be the "Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro."