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Android Authority surveyed over 1,400 readers on what matters most when choosing an Android tablet, with options including Google Play Store access, hardware quality, software support and price. Google Play Store access came out on top with 28.1% of votes, while hardware and display quality tied for second place alongside another option.
Android Authority published a list of nine Chromium-based browsers for Android that strip out Google's integrations, including Bare Browser, Brave, Vivaldi and others. The piece highlights options chosen for regular updates, distinct features, longevity, and ease of use, noting most require manual installation outside typical app stores.
Google Wallet recently switched from a horizontal scrolling card layout to a new vertically stacked design, and reports suggest further features like receipt scanning and agentic capabilities may be coming. An Android Authority columnist argues the new stacked layout makes it harder to distinguish similar-looking cards from the same bank, since it removed the alias text shown under each card previously.
Google has removed the Gemini Pro model from its $5-per-month AI Plus subscription, limiting those users to the Flash and Flash-Lite models instead. A longtime subscriber says Google notified them by email last week, offering a choice to keep AI Plus, upgrade to the pricier AI Pro tier to regain Pro access, or cancel outright. The subscriber opted to cancel AI Plus but continues using Gemini's free tier.
An Android Authority columnist, who reviews gadgets professionally, lists seven products he continues to use despite regular access to newer alternatives. The first highlighted is the Sony WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones, which he says still meet his needs even after three newer Sony generations were released.
Android Authority's Joe Maring reflects on two years of using Google's TV Streamer, the 2024 device that replaced the Chromecast line with pricier, more premium hardware. He notes Google has added features like customized content recommendations, easier Bluetooth headphone pairing, and an 'apps only mode' resembling Roku's simpler interface, but says he remains uncertain whether the overall strategy shift has actually improved on Google's previous approach.
A reviewer used the Acer Googlebook 14 and Dell XPS Googlebook as primary computers for two weeks, starting at $899. The first week revealed frequent slowdowns, unreliable basic features, and extensive troubleshooting, though a batch of software fixes in week two resolved some early issues, including setup problems with Better Together cross-device features and initial lack of Samsung phone support.
A review piece from Android Authority outlines how the author disabled several default Google Photos features—including memory notifications, print promotion alerts, and auto-generated collages—to make the app less intrusive. The adjustments are made through the app's Notifications and Create tab settings.
Apple's new Apple TV 4K 2026 has launched priced at $299, more than double the $129 starting price of the previous generation, matching the recently hiked Nvidia Shield TV Pro. Android Authority highlights five alternative streaming boxes, including the Google TV Streamer 4K, which despite its own price rise from $99 to $149 still costs about half as much while offering 4GB of RAM and strong performance.
An Android Authority writer prompted ChatGPT's voice mode and Gemini Live to debate which smartphone deserves the title of best overall, without specifying a year, price range or operating system. The experiment followed a similar earlier test comparing iOS and Android, and the piece also included a reader poll where 44% picked the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and 30% picked a Pixel model.
Android Authority found code in a recent Phone by Google beta (version 244.0.1001930441-publicbeta-pixel2026) enabling an early, non-functional Compact photo menu for Calling Cards. The feature would sit alongside the existing full-screen photo option and shows four colored tile presets but no way yet to add images from Gallery, Google Photos, or Camera.
Android Authority identified an in-development update to Google Messages, found in version messages.android_20261020_00_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic, that reorganizes the app's single long settings list into separate categorized sections. Individual settings pages, such as those for RCS chats and SIM/country selection, are also being redesigned with new graphics and subdivided menus.