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Google has replaced the Exynos modem used in previous Pixel phones with a MediaTek modem in the Pixel 11 series, promising better reliability, speed, and power efficiency. Android Authority ran side-by-side signal and performance tests comparing the Pixel 11 Pro against last year's Pixel 10 Pro using identical SIM cards and network conditions to verify these claims.
New leaked renders from Android Headlines and OnLeaks reveal Samsung's Galaxy S27 Ultra sporting a camera layout that departs from the three-ring design used across recent Ultra models. An Android Authority writer who has used Samsung's flagship phones for years says this marks the first real design shift he's noticed in a while, though he remains uncertain about the final look.
IDC's August 2026 forecast predicts worldwide smartphone shipments will drop 16.7% this year, a steeper decline than the 13.9% estimate from May. The cause is a severe shortage of NAND and DRAM chips, with component costs up over 300% year-over-year as manufacturers redirect capacity to AI data centers. As a result, average smartphone selling prices have jumped 27.6% to $581, effectively pushing sub-$100 Android phones out of the market.
Google is broadening the rollout of its 'find in note' feature in Keep, which lets users search within a single note or list for specific text, similar to Ctrl+F. The feature had appeared in a limited release earlier this month but is now showing up more widely across devices, though not universally yet.
After users reported that Gemini on Google Home devices couldn't properly add items to Google Keep lists, a Google spokesperson confirmed the company is rolling out a fix. Google described the issue as a set of 'UI issues' rather than a change to Keep support, and said the patch should reach all affected users within a few days.
An APK teardown of Microsoft's Link to Windows Android app has uncovered hidden code for remotely shutting down, restarting, updating, or putting a paired Windows PC to sleep. The app currently only supports remotely locking a PC, and these new commands would extend that functionality with built-in warnings about lost work or disconnection.
Google has clarified that the newly spotted 'Android Pulse' app is an official Google system service designed to monitor device health, rather than an unknown or suspicious background process. The company said a recent update caused Pulse to become visible in Google system service settings, explaining why users only just started noticing it despite it existing internally beforehand.
Google has released Gemini Audio, a set of three new speech-focused AI models: Gemini 3.5 Live, 3.5 Live Experimental, and 3.5 Transcribe. These models are meant to handle real-time conversation and speech-to-text tasks and are rolling out across Search Live, Gemini Live, Docs, Keep, Gmail, the Gemini app, and Gboard. Notably, Gemini 3.5 Transcribe replaces Google's older Chirp 3 model and adds features like filler-word removal, auto-formatting, and voice editing.
Android Auto users had been hit by a bug that showed a 'Spotify isn't responding' error message when trying to launch the app, with only exiting or waiting offered as options. Some drivers found workarounds like leaving the Android Auto beta or clearing the app's cache, but the issue kept recurring for others. Google confirmed to Android Authority that a fix started rolling out today.
Android Authority released its weekly Wallpaper Wednesday collection, featuring nine free wallpapers—six submitted by readers and three created by the site's team. The images are available in JPG and PNG formats, optimized for both landscape and portrait screens, and can be downloaded without watermarks via a shared Drive link.
Google removed support for 32-bit apps from Android several years ago, breaking many older games. Developers behind an app called VPhoneOS have built a workaround using a virtual machine that runs Android 7 for free, letting users install and play old 32-bit titles like Wayward Souls and Bloons TD 5. Higher Android versions, 64-bit support, and ad removal are locked behind a paid VIP subscription.
Google is developing a Google Keep feature that lets users add to-do list items within a regular text note, rather than forcing the whole note into checkbox format. Spotted in app version 5.26.341.03.90, the update also changes checkbox behavior so tapping the icon only converts the current line into a checklist item, not the entire note.