GoKawiil
Tech News
Motorola and Google are investigating a bug that prevents Android Auto from placing outgoing calls when clamshell foldables like the Razr or Galaxy Z Flip are closed. Incoming calls still work fine, and the issue only affects calls initiated while the phone is folded shut. Users say the problem began after Gemini replaced Google Assistant, with reports spanning several months into September.
Google is bringing the Contacts tab back to the bottom navigation bar of its Phone by Google app, reversing a change made last year that moved it into a sidebar menu. The change is currently visible only to some beta users running version 240.0.98, and it did not appear consistently across all devices tested by Android Authority.
The Google Pixel 8, launched in 2023 at $700, is now available refurbished on Amazon for under $300. Google promised the phone seven years of OS and security updates, meaning it remains eligible for Android updates until roughly 2030. It features a 6.2-inch 120Hz OLED display, a dual rear camera system with 50MP wide and 12MP ultrawide sensors, and AI photo tools like Magic Editor and Best Take.
According to a Bloomberg report, incoming Apple CEO John Ternus wants the company to release products on a more frequent schedule than its traditional fall and spring events, and to move faster and experiment more to keep pace in AI. Bloomberg also reports Ternus is weighing flatter management layers, and that Apple's hardware engineering unit recently cut several engineering program manager roles, following earlier layoffs on the Siri and Vision Pro teams.
Android Authority's C. Scott Brown compiled a list of five current Motorola phones he says buyers should skip, starting with the $1,500 Razr Ultra (2026). He argues the device offers only minor upgrades over last year's model, such as a bigger battery and brighter display, while carrying the same software support commitment of three OS updates and four years of bug fixes.
Android Authority's Jerry Hildenbrand bought a Pixel 11 for $300 via Google Fi loyalty discounts but hit a boot loop during initial setup, taking nearly an hour to reach the home screen. He says the device then struggled to maintain a stable network connection, and a colleague reported similar boot loop problems on a Pixel 11 Pro roughly a month earlier.
A study published in JAMA Network Open found that children who owned a smartphone by age 12 were more likely to report eating disorder symptoms by age 14 than those without one. Researchers analyzed a large US cognitive development survey covering over 6,200 adolescents, finding that 24% of early phone owners reported at least one eating disorder symptom by 14, compared with 16% of non-owners.
Telephone World is now hosting Evan Doorbell's Phone Tapes, a collection documenting the workings of the 1970s-era telephone network. The site includes a curated Group 1 Playlist of 95 narrated recordings, along with additional narrated 'production tapes' and newly released unnarrated 'raw tapes'. Doorbell holds copyright but permits free redistribution, provided the material is not sold.
Google has begun phasing out Google Assistant on mobile devices, replacing it with Gemini. Users report that the 'Switch to Google Assistant' option has disappeared from the Gemini app's account menu, following a company email last month announcing the rollout would begin September 4.
Boox has begun taking pre-orders for the Picco, a 3.97-inch monochrome e-ink reader with a front light and physical page buttons that magnetically attaches to the back of a smartphone. The $100 device weighs 58g, ships with a 16GB microSD card expandable to 2TB, and runs a stripped-down OS rather than Android. Boox says US shipping starts in October, positioning the Picco as the first entry in a new 'Tiles' product tier below its existing 6- to 7-inch lineup.
A new guide addresses common causes of Android phones losing charge quickly, pointing to factors like overly bright displays, apps refreshing in the background, poor charging habits, and power-hungry apps running unchecked. It suggests targeted adjustments—rather than drastic measures like airplane mode or dimming screens unusably low—can meaningfully extend battery life without disrupting daily use.
Multiple Pixel users have reported that their status bar, Quick Settings tiles, and notification shade are becoming unresponsive or failing to display new notifications following the Android 17 QPR1 update. Some users say notifications appear but can't be tapped, while others report notifications not showing up at all. Google's official PixelCommunity Reddit account has acknowledged the reports and suggested resetting app presets or restarting in safe mode as temporary workarounds.