Android: Page 4

Samsung and Corning are reportedly developing a new self-healing surface coating for the next generation of Gorilla Armor, and industry watchers have connected it to the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

The Google Pixel 11 price increase lands the phone at $899 to start, essentially the same as Samsung's $899.99 Galaxy S26 and $100 above the iPhone 17's $799 starting price, according to Android Authority. For a phone line that built its reputation on undercutting Apple and Samsung, that's not a minor pricing update. It's the end of an era.

Galaxy owners across Reddit and Samsung's Community forums are hitting the same wall when they try to sign in: "Can't sign in. Account deactivated for security reasons." That message is behind a fresh wave of Samsung account randomly deactivated complaints, and neither the users posting about it nor Samsung itself has explained why it's happening.

Chrome for Android is testing a redesign that finally puts core browsing controls within thumb's reach on today's tall phones, and in the same stroke adds a second persistent toolbar that crowds the screen with more interface than the browser has carried in years. That's the tension at the center of the Chrome Android bottom navigation bar redesign: a legitimate ergonomic fix wrapped around a feature nobody asked to have permanently on screen.

Archival note: this article reflects reporting available through August 10, 2026, two days before Google's Made by Google keynote. It does not cover what was announced at that event. Readers looking for the outcome should consult post-event coverage.

Google released Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 on July 20, and the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro weren't included. The release notes were direct: "Pixel 6 and 6Pro users will not be getting this OTA since the device will reach End of Life and Android 17 QPR1 beta series will be the last for these devices," Android Police reported at the time.

A supply-chain report claims Google is working with Samsung Display on a Pixel 12 Pro Fold crease-less display upgrade: a dual-UTG (ultra-thin glass) panel structure reportedly aimed at making the inner-screen crease far less visible than it is on the current Pixel 11 Pro Fold, according to 9to5Google, citing The Elec on September 2.

Samsung showed off two separate Bespoke AI Washer models at IFA 2026 in Berlin this week: a 10kg machine carrying Samsung's A-70% efficiency claim and a 13kg washer designed to fit within a standard 600mm European depth. These are two distinct products built for different priorities, not two trims of the same machine.

The rumored Galaxy S27 Pro features read like a wishlist built by someone tired of hauling around an Ultra-sized phone: a smaller body, a 200MP main camera, a bigger battery, and flagship silicon.

Google's own product page for the Pixel 11 shows a short video of a color-shifting orb glowing on the side of the camera bar, The Verge reported last month. That single detail is confirmed, straight from Google's store, not a leak. The rest of the Google Pixel 11 Pro teaser story, including the feature's name, whether it's limited to the Pro model, and whether it replaces an existing sensor, comes from one outlet's reading of leaked information rather than any spec sheet Google has published,...

Samsung has stopped delivering Google Play System updates to devices running beta versions of One UI, including the Galaxy S26's One UI 9.0 (Android 17) beta. The company says the move happened "in coordination with Google."

Google's Made by Google 2026 event lands this Wednesday, August 12, in New York, where the company is expected to unveil a new Pixel lineup that ZDNET describes as four phones: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and a Pixel 11 Pro Fold. CNET's coverage of the same Google Pixel 11 launch event corroborates three of those four models and adds a Pixel Watch 5 to the guest list, though its reporting doesn't specifically name the Pro XL.

Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold hands-on landed this week, and Engadget's headline doesn't leave much room for interpretation: "Stagnating Instead of Innovating," delivered in a year when Samsung made two new flagship foldables of its own (Engadget). That contrast is the starting point for this Pixel 11 Pro Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 comparison, and it's worth being precise about which Samsung phone actually belongs in it.

Apple popularized the idea of bringing two phones together to share content. Google is now introducing a similar workflow for some Android devices. The Android Quick Share tap to share feature started rolling out this week, adding a new way for Pixel owners to start sharing files and contact info.

Google holds its Made by Google 2026 event today, expected to unveil the Pixel 11 series, Pixel Watch 5 and possibly a first-ever tracking tag. For anyone searching "Made by Google 2026 what to expect" this week, the honest answer is mostly leaks, with one confirmed detail from Google itself: pricing across the Pixel 11 lineup is going up (GSMArena, 4 days ago). Nearly everything else, from chip specs to camera zoom figures, traces back to a single detailed preview published four days before...

Google's Gemini for Home rollout is easier to understand once you separate what is free from what requires a subscription. The basic Gemini for Home voice assistant costs nothing extra on compatible speakers and displays, while Google Home Premium adds more advanced conversation, automation, and camera features.

Google officially unveiled the Pixel 11 series yesterday, calling the new Tensor G6 chip its "fastest, most powerful" yet. The announcement detailed a long list of performance claims but left out any mention of a manufacturing process node or foundry partner, leaving the pre-launch Pixel 11 2nm chip rumor unresolved on launch day (Google, yesterday).

A guide posted on XDA Forums last year describes a way to run Samsung DeX on a Galaxy Z Fold's internal screen, with no monitor, dock, or book cover attached.

Google's support documentation appears to extend Pixel 11 FeliCa support, the contactless standard behind Japan's transit gates, e-money terminals, and digital door keys, to some Pixel 11 models sold outside Japan. That's the claim in Android Headlines' reading of that documentation, published yesterday. No other outlet has independently confirmed it, and Google hasn't issued a statement.

Google introduced the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL on Wednesday, and the camera specs are doing most of the talking. The base Pixel 11 now carries a 30x Super Zoom, while the Pro models jump to a claimed 120x Pro Zoom, Google says. All three phones run on the company's new Tensor G6 chip, which Google links to several of the camera upgrades. The Pixel 11 camera vs iPhone camera comparison isn't a single matchup, though: the base and Pro tiers need to be judged on their own terms.

Anyone searching for Google Pixel football club wallpapers this month will find one club with a named feature and two with vaguer promises. Within eight days in early August, Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain each signed sponsorship deals making Google Gemini their AI partner and Google Pixel their smartphone partner. Only one of the three announcements names an actual device feature: personalized wallpapers.

Galaxy phones running One UI 9.0 can now fully uninstall Microsoft SwiftKey rather than just disabling it, according to SamMobile's hands-on test on a Galaxy S26 Ultra running Beta 5. Anyone who has wanted to uninstall Microsoft SwiftKey on a Samsung Galaxy One UI 9 phone now has a straightforward path, at least on the device SamMobile checked directly.

OnePlus has already answered the question everyone keeps asking. The company confirmed it will "conclude new product rollouts" in North America and Europe, according to an AndroidPure report from last month, corporate phrasing for a decision that's already made, not a rumor waiting to be denied.

Google's August 2026 System Release Notes list updates for Play services, the Play Store, and several Android components, covering categories the company labels Phone, Tablet, Wear, Auto, and PC, according to 9to5Google, which published the changelog on August 10. They do not identify a Samsung Galaxy model, a One UI build, or a Samsung rollout date.

Gboard Rambler, the keyboard's newest speech-to-text tool, changes what happens the moment you dictate a message on the Pixel 11. By default, it cleans up spoken words into polished text, stripping out the "umms" and false starts. On request, it goes further, adjusting tone, expanding a thought, or tacking on emoji, according to 9to5Google and Android Authority reports published last week.

Between the start of August and today, Android Authority ran three separate reader polls about the Pixel 11. Together, they paint a picture of weak upgrade enthusiasm, and two of the three raise concerns about Pixel 11 overheating and battery life specifically, rather than cameras or design. Google's own pitch for the phone, at least as covered by outside reporting, points somewhere else entirely: toward computational photography tools and creative software, not the hardware fundamentals its...

Samsung opened public applications for the Samsung Galaxy Card on July 22, timed to coincide with Galaxy Unpacked, where the company unveiled new foldables and watches. The card is issued by Barclays U.S. Consumer Bank on the Visa network, carries no annual fee, and comes in both virtual and physical form. New cardholders who spend $2,000 within the first 90 days earn a $200 cash bonus.

The European Commission today fined Google roughly $1 billion for manipulating search results to disadvantage rivals and blocking app developers from steering users toward cheaper deals outside its Play Store, then ordered the company to overhaul both products within 60 days, according to Axios.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the world's lightest book-style foldable, at 201g, and among the thinnest, measuring 4.5mm unfolded, which Android Authority confirmed is slimmer than the Galaxy S25 Edge at 5.8mm. Those numbers reflect genuine engineering progress. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 thinner and wider design trade-offs, though, deserve closer examination than the spec sheet provides: the redesign that produced a lighter, more pocketable phone also created an opening for Samsung to move key features up...

When Samsung brought back the flip phone in 2020, the product practically marketed itself. The clamshell form factor carried decades of cultural memory, and Samsung packaged that nostalgia into a premium device that felt genuinely different. For a few years, the Flip was the clear winner in Samsung's foldable lineup, according to SamMobile, a remarkable result for what was, structurally speaking, a phone that folded the wrong way for productivity.

Samsung smart glasses arrived last week at Galaxy Unpacked in London with a notably smaller promise than most of this category has tried to make. No liberation from your phone. No ambient computing revolution. The phone stays essential; the glasses reduce the friction of reaching for it.

Leaked specifications circulating this week indicate Samsung is splitting its Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup into two distinct display tiers. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen size is reported at 8 inches for the main panel and 6.5 inches for the cover screen, matching the current Fold 7's dimensions. The standard Fold 8, by contrast, drops to a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover screen. Android Authority, Notebookcheck, SamMobile, The Verge, and Trusted Reviews have all reported on the...

Samsung Austria has dropped the free storage upgrade from its Galaxy Z8 preorder promotion, requiring buyers to cover part of the cost of moving to a higher-capacity model.

Samsung launched the Samsung Health Assistant beta Tuesday, opening its first fully integrated AI-powered health tool inside Samsung Health to eligible U.S. users. Rather than presenting biometric data as graphs to decode, the assistant lets users ask questions about their health, check their daily Energy Score, and receive personalized health guidance across five wellness pillars: sleep, activity, nutrition, mindfulness, and vitals. The shift Samsung is positioning here is from a dashboard you...

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 last Samsung foldable rumor is unconfirmed. Samsung hasn't said a word about ending the line. What it has done is allocate 2.8 million display panels to its new Wide Fold, 2 million to the Fold 8 Ultra, and 1.5 million to the Flip 8, dead last in its own lineup, according to industry sources cited by TrendForce this week. Reports from Android Police and SamMobile from earlier this month suggest the Flip 8 could be Samsung's final clamshell. Neither has confirmed it.

Google released Android 17 QPR 2 Beta 1 on July 20, 2026, build CP41.260701.005, and the entire release is structured around repairs. The three headline fixes address Bluetooth accessories silently failing to reconnect after a disconnect, Pixel devices rebooting when invoking Gemini, and notifications randomly going invisible, per Google's official release notes. One notable gap: the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are absent from the supported device list, despite both receiving the stable July...

A new Google Pixel 11a leak claims the budget Pixel will run Tensor G6, the same chip debuting in the flagship Pixel 11 on August 12. That's a meaningful claim: the Pixel 10a shipped with a recycled Tensor G4 because the G5 was reportedly too expensive for the A-series price point. Leaker Mystic Leaks now says the Pixel 11a, codenamed "Formosan," would run that same G6 platform from launch.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Motorola Razr Fold matchup is the most competitive the book-style foldable category has seen. For seven years, Samsung refined this segment largely without a serious large-format rival. The Motorola Razr Fold is Motorola's first attempt at that space, and it comes in swinging on hardware: a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery against the Z Fold line's 4,400mAh, and charging speeds of 80W wired and 50W wireless against Samsung's 25W and 15W (PCMag UK reported in...

Samsung confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 8 all ship with silicon-carbon batteries, making them the first Galaxy phones to use the chemistry, per Android Authority. The disclosure didn't come from a keynote slide or a press release. It came out in Q&A at a media briefing.

Chrome on Android has added a new layer between websites and your notification tray: an on-device machine learning model that screens incoming notifications for spam and deception after you've already granted permission. When the model flags something, Chrome holds the notification back and presents a choice. This isn't a redesigned permission dialog. It's a content filter operating inside a channel you voluntarily opened, and it represents a meaningful shift in how Chrome thinks about...