Google is quietly rolling out Motion Assist, a feature that overlays moving dots on the screen edges to counter motion sickness while using a phone in a vehicle. The dots shift direction based on data from the accelerometer and gyroscope, mimicking how the outside world would appear to move if you looked up. It's appearing on Pixel devices running Android 17 through a staged Play Services rollout, with no separate app or update required.
Google is gradually enabling a new Motion Assist feature on Android phones, starting with some Pixel 10 and Pixel 11 devices, ahead of the official September Pixel Drop. The feature displays moving shapes on screen that shift in sync with a vehicle's movement, using the phone's accelerometer and gyroscope, mirroring a similar tool Apple already offers on iPhone. Users can check for it under Settings > profile picture > All services > Personal & device safety.
Garmin unveiled its fēnix 9 series, including a base model and a Pro variant, each available in three case sizes with new ComfortFit bands. The watches gain a brighter AMOLED display, 50% more RAM, a faster map engine, and features like Perspective view and Garmin Epic for grouping activities. The base fēnix 9 starts at $999.99, while the titanium fēnix 9 Pro, which adds 3,000 nits of brightness and a green light mode, starts at $1,099.99.
Google's Android Developers account posted data claiming foldable phone owners spend roughly 14 times as much on in-app purchases as owners of regular smartphones. The company did not disclose specific dollar amounts or which categories of purchases—subscriptions, game currency, or otherwise—drove the gap. The post was framed as a pitch urging app developers to optimize their software for foldable screens, timed around the Pixel 11 Pro Fold launch.
An Android Authority reader poll of nearly 1,600 Pixel 10 Pro owners found that 58% intend to keep their current phone rather than buy the newly released Pixel 11 Pro. Only 29.2% said they're upgrading to the Pixel 11 Pro, while smaller shares are switching to another Pixel 11 model or a rival Android device.
A CNET poll of 2,605 US adults found that three-quarters have no interest in purchasing a foldable Apple device, even as rumors point to Apple unveiling its first foldable iPhone, dubbed the iPhone Ultra, at a September event. Analysts expect the device to cost between $2,000 and $2,500, but survey respondents said they'd only be willing to spend an average of $781 on such a phone.
An Android Authority reviewer says his Pixel 11 Pro became unusable just five days after purchase, after a factory reset triggered a shutdown loop during the setup process. The device reportedly went blank mid-reset and later kept powering off every few seconds whenever the user tried to complete initial setup, leaving the phone effectively dead.
Reddit users and Android Authority's own lux measurements indicate the Pixel 11 Pro's camera flash and flashlight are noticeably dimmer than the Pixel 10 Pro's, with one test showing 89 lux versus 123 lux. The likely culprit is a physical diffuser added around the camera visor to accommodate Google's new HiLight ambient LED array, which appears to soften the main flash's beam.
Google is rolling out an experimental Gemini feature called Device Help on Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro phones, letting users troubleshoot issues like battery drain or Wi-Fi problems, adjust settings such as brightness or dark mode, and get explanations of Pixel features using plain language instead of navigating menus. The feature carries a 'Labs' tag, signaling it's still experimental, and Android Authority's hands-on testing found it worked well for some tasks but gave inconsistent guidance for others, such as Magic Capture instructions.
Google's Pixel 11 series still impresses with software and AI features, but the Tensor G6 chip continues to lag well behind rival flagship processors in CPU, GPU and efficiency benchmarks. That leaves the upcoming Tensor G7 as a critical opportunity for Google to close the performance gap before it becomes a bigger problem for the Pixel 12.
Google has started rolling out Motion Assist, a new Android 17 feature that displays motion cues on screen to help reduce motion sickness while using a phone in a moving vehicle. The feature, previously tested internally as Motion Cues, is appearing gradually on Pixel devices, with some units already showing it while others on the same Android version do not yet have it.
Google is rolling out a new Android feature called Motion Assist that displays moving dots around a phone's screen edges to counter motion sickness while riding in a vehicle. The feature, similar to Apple's Motion Cues introduced in 2024, uses the accelerometer and gyroscope to sync the dots' movement with the car's turns, braking, and acceleration. It's arriving in phases starting with some Pixel devices, and can be found under Settings, Your Profile, and All Services.
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