GoKawiil
Tech News
Samsung includes a built-in feature called Edge Panel on all Galaxy devices, offering a customizable shortcut bar accessible by swiping from the screen's edge. It provides seven panel types—Apps, People, Tasks, Weather, Tools, Clipboard, and Reminder—that users can enable and arrange from the Display settings menu. Despite being standard on every Galaxy phone, many owners are unaware of it or have stopped using it.
Startup Voicebox, led by CEO Karan Gupta, lets customers give feedback by speaking into their phones after scanning a QR code or tapping an NFC chip, with voice automatically transcribed and analyzed for sentiment on a company dashboard. The company has partnered with airport terminals and was used at a Lena Dunham book event, where attendees left spoken reactions instead of typed reviews.
A long-time foldable phone user argues that Apple's upcoming iPhone Ultra, expected to launch September 9, will likely carry over many of the same compromises seen in Android foldables. These include a soft plastic folding display prone to scratches, a factory-applied screen protector users typically cannot remove, and other durability and design tradeoffs common to the foldable category.
Phone manufacturers including Apple and Samsung recommend a simple two-minute cleaning routine using a lint-free microfiber cloth, slightly dampened for a deeper clean, to remove both visible smudges and invisible bacteria from device screens. Users should power off and unplug phones before cleaning, remove cases, and avoid letting moisture or soap enter any openings even on water-resistant models.
In a Reddit AMA, Nothing CEO Carl Pei addressed criticism over the Phone 2's software support and monetization practices. He confirmed the Phone 2 will stop receiving major Android updates after Android 16, saying its aging chipset and kernel can't support Android 17, but insisted the company met its original promise of three major OS updates. Pei also conceded that pre-installed apps and games on Nothing devices have gone too far and need rebalancing.
OPPO's Find series product manager confirmed via Weibo that the upcoming Find X10 Pro Max will pack three 200MP rear cameras, co-developed with Hasselblad, likely including an ultrawide sensor alongside the main and telephoto lenses. The standard Find X10 will ship with two 200MP cameras, and both models are expected to include a new color sensor and imaging engine. OPPO says the phones will launch later this month.
A reader survey of 3,649 respondents found that 51.9% had a flawless experience with their Google Pixel phones, despite recent high-profile reports of battery drain, overheating, and bricking issues. About 23.1% reported problems with previous Pixel models, while 8% specifically cited issues with the new Pixel 11 Pro, and 17% of respondents don't own a Pixel at all.
The developer of the Android Auto app Xtream Player (formerly Fermata Xtream) released version 1.6.0, adding an experimental feature that lets users send videos from their phone directly to their car screen. The update also introduces a Winamp-inspired music visualizer with nine styles, available to both free and premium users.
As foldable phones get thinner, their camera modules still need bulky sensors, forcing a protruding camera bump that unbalances the device when placed on a flat surface. Users of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 have complained on Reddit about the wobble caused by its vertically placed rear camera module, with some reportedly removing the cameras entirely out of frustration.
AlfredCamera lets users repurpose an unused phone as a live security camera by pairing it with their main device through the same account login or a QR code scan. The free version offers live video, a siren alarm, night mode, two-way talk and remote camera controls, while paid tiers add more cameras, HD streaming, longer cloud storage and object detection.
A free Android utility called Action Notch converts a phone's front camera notch into an interactive shortcut, letting users tap, double-tap, or long-press it to trigger actions like screenshots, flashlight toggles, or automation scripts from Tasker and MacroDroid. The app supports more than 50 actions, and a paid pro tier adds extra gestures plus rule-based actions that let a single gesture behave differently depending on context.
Xiaomi's new $500 Redmi Note 17 Pro Max includes full-resolution 50MP photo capture and a manual/pro camera mode, features absent from Google's $900 Pixel 11. Google reserves these tools for its pricier Pixel 11 Pro lineup, even though the base Pixel has hardware capable of supporting them.