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Tech News
Samsung is broadening its One UI 9 beta program beyond the Galaxy S25 series to include the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, and S25 FE. The beta will roll out in India, Korea, the UK, and the US through the Samsung Members app, though the Galaxy S25 Edge appears excluded from this wave.
Google is trialing a new Quick Settings panel inside Android Auto's beta version 17.6.663424, accessible from the notification shade at the top of the screen. So far only a single Do Not Disturb tile has appeared, letting drivers silence phone notifications without opening the full settings menu. The feature arrives alongside a new app icon and a raccoon-themed weather animation spotted in the same beta build.
A hidden feature in Android Auto beta version 17.6.66 shows a small animated raccoon, internally named 'Jimothy' after the viral social media character, hopping across the music player interface to display weather information. The widget also shows rain, clouds, or sun icons depending on local conditions, and currently only appears after manually switching the device theme in settings. Google has not confirmed a timeline or plans for a wider public rollout.
A teardown of Google app version 17.54.10 reveals two new buttons being developed for the Gemini home screen: "Chat," for standard conversations with Gemini, and "Assign," which routes messages directly to Gemini Spark. This follows an earlier discovery of a similar "Assign Task" feature that has yet to launch for users.
Google has begun automatically inserting a Gemini AI shortcut into Google Messages, even though there is no dedicated toggle for it in the Connected Apps settings within Gemini itself. Users who don't want the floating AI icon hovering near their chat button can still remove it through an in-app setting, according to Android Authority.
Android Authority discovered a hidden feature in Google app version 17.54.10 that lets the Gemini overlay automatically shrink into a floating button while it processes a request. This would let users keep using their phone instead of waiting with the overlay locked on screen. The feature isn't live yet and appears to still be in internal testing.
Samsung has launched the Galaxy S26 FE with only minor spec upgrades over its predecessor, yet raised the price by $50/£50 for equivalent storage tiers, reportedly due to rising component costs. This narrows the price gap to the flagship Galaxy S26 to roughly $100, while that model offers a stronger chipset and better cameras.
A new leak from tipster @phonefuturist suggests Samsung's standard Galaxy S27 and S27 Plus could adopt the same 3x telephoto camera system found in the upcoming Galaxy S27 Pro. An earlier ETNews report had pegged that Pro model's zoom lens at 12MP, though the new leak doesn't confirm sensor details for the base models. Samsung is separately said to be testing a 50MP 4x telephoto for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
Google's latest Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 introduces an 'Agents' section under Security & Privacy settings that lists AI agents with access to apps or device actions. The feature isn't limited to Gemini's Spark-created agents and appears designed to track third-party agentic apps as well, though it currently shows no agents until one is installed.
A year after buying the Galaxy S25 Edge outright, a reviewer traded it in for a Galaxy Z Fold 8, citing persistent battery and screen shortcomings that undercut its ultra-thin, lightweight design. Despite flagship specs like the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and a 200MP camera packed into a 5.8mm body, Samsung has shown no sign of releasing a follow-up model.
A review piece examines Google's preinstalled Clock app and argues it lags behind specialized alternatives like Alarmy, Chrono and NFC Alarm Clock despite its wide reach on Android phones. The author's top request is adding task-based alarm challenges—math problems, CAPTCHAs, QR or NFC scans, or sliding puzzles—that force users to physically engage before an alarm can be dismissed.
Android Authority's Joe Maring initially planned to skip the Pixel 11 Pro, criticizing Google for making only incremental updates like Samsung and Apple. He instead upgraded after Google introduced a new modem in the Pixel 11 series and he secured the phone for under £200 through combined trade-in and pre-order discounts.