Samsung's Galaxy S26 series arrived with higher prices and only incremental hardware upgrades, keeping the same 5,000mAh battery used since 2020 even as Chinese rivals like HONOR ship phones with far larger silicon-carbon batteries. New sales figures show Samsung's flagship and foldable lines are still selling well despite these limited improvements, suggesting the company has little financial incentive to push harder on hardware.
Pokémon Champions, the battle simulator, launched on Switch in April and got a mobile version in June with nearly identical gameplay. Despite cross-platform parity, mobile devices were excluded from this year's World Championships, and new rules starting September 1st only allow phones at local tournaments, leaving Switch hardware required for regional events and above.
Fairphone has released the 6 Plus, a modest upgrade to last year's Fairphone 6 featuring a newer midrange Snapdragon chipset and a new cobalt color option, and it's now officially for sale in the US. The device costs $649, includes 12GB of RAM, a five-year warranty, and up to six OS upgrades, while maintaining Fairphone's signature repairability with 12 user-replaceable parts.
Security guidance highlights that leaving Bluetooth constantly active exposes phones to attacks like bluebugging and bluesnarfing, where nearby hackers exploit open connections. Recommended precautions include turning Bluetooth off when not needed, setting it to hidden rather than discoverable mode, unpairing phones from rental or sold cars, and disabling features like Android Auto's automatic activation or the iPhone's Live Listen tool.
Apple has revealed more details about iPhone Handoff, a feature coming with iOS 27 that lets a user pair two iPhones so both can use the same phone number, with one device set as primary and the other as a companion. A demo showing setup through Xcode 27's Device Hub surfaced after the feature was first teased at WWDC in June without specifics.
A CNET reviewer says the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has become their favorite phone to use daily, citing its slim 4.5mm unfolded profile, 9.7mm folded thickness, and light 201-gram weight. The device lacks a telephoto camera and has an average 4,800-mAh battery, but its compact form factor and versatile display have made it stand out compared to past innovative designs like the Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone Air.
Android Authority's three-week review of the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL finds the phones fall short on paper, with less RAM than last year, a modest Tensor G6 upgrade, higher prices, and a disappointing HiLight feature. Despite these shortcomings, the reviewer says daily use of the devices remains compelling thanks to strong hardware, cameras, and software.
An Android Authority writer who regularly switches between Galaxy and Pixel devices explains why he keeps returning to Samsung phones, citing superior built-in apps and features. He points to Secure Folder outperforming Private Space, Samsung DeX beating Pixel's barebones Desktop Mode, and Modes and Routines, Samsung Notes, and Samsung Gallery each surpassing their Google counterparts.
Code found in Google's Cross-Device Services app reveals an in-development 'Cast trackpad' tool that would let Android phones act as a remote touchpad for other devices. Given the timing, this feature appears aimed at Google's forthcoming Googlebook laptops, an Android-based alternative to Chromebooks. The tool reportedly supports gesture-based inputs similar to a standard trackpad.
Nothing has revealed early plans for Nothing OS 5.1, a minor update that will let users remap the Essential Key found on some of its phones, currently tied to the Essential Space app. The company also confirmed it's beginning work on a larger Nothing OS 6.0 release planned for 2027, while Nothing OS 5.0 remains in beta on the Phone 3 ahead of a stable rollout expected in mid-October.
Google is broadening its cross-platform file-sharing feature that lets Quick Share work with Apple's AirDrop, with reports now surfacing from Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 owners seeing enabling notifications. This follows an earlier sighting of the feature reaching the Pixel Tablet, suggesting Google is rolling the capability out beyond the Pixel 8a-and-newer devices that first got it last fall.
A developer released an open-source bike computer that uses an eInk display and can record rides and navigate preloaded routes entirely on its own, without needing a paired phone. The companion app is used only to prepare routes or transfer data before a ride, not for ongoing operation.
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