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Tech News
In an opinion piece, Android Authority's Aamir Siddiqui writes that after being a longtime advocate for book-style foldable phones, he has grown disillusioned with the category. He argues that the multitasking benefits of a combined phone-tablet device rarely justify the added complexity, fragility, and cost of folding mechanisms, saying he only uses split-screen multitasking a few times a month.
Android Authority highlights lesser-known Google Lens features, including identifying items for purchase by pointing a camera at them and returning direct shopping links, and decoding laundry care symbols on clothing tags. The tool also works for interpreting car dashboard icons, nutrition labels, and troubleshooting device issues, aided by its integration with Gemini for follow-up questions.
Google shared new details on its Chromebook Plus laptop lineup, emphasizing tight integration with Android phones and a commitment to 10 years of software updates. The first devices come from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo.
A third-party app called Merge Watch lets users pair an Apple Watch with an Android device after initial setup with an iPhone. Users install the app on both the Apple Watch and an Android phone, grant Bluetooth, health, notification and battery permissions, then pair via a six-digit code. Health data syncs to Google Fit, though it can take time to appear after setup.
Conversations, the federated Android messaging app launched in 2014 by its solo developer, is ending its paid Google Play Store distribution model. The developer says Play Store sales had served as a steady, dependable income stream for over a decade, supplementing project-based development contracts, consulting work and grants.
An Android Authority reviewer highlights Face Unlock on the Pixel 11 Pro, noting it can authenticate not just the lock screen but also sensitive apps and mobile payments, thanks to security processing on Google's Tensor chip. This capability has existed since the Pixel 8 series in 2023 and remains largely unchanged, while competitors like Samsung and Motorola limit face unlock to lock-screen access only.
A tech enthusiast tested whether an eight-year-old Google Pixel 3 XL could be reused as a home security camera and as an Android TV replacement instead of being discarded. Using the AlfredCamera app paired with a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 as viewer, the Pixel served as a low-latency camera node with motion detection and two-way audio. The author found the security camera use case worked well, while the Android TV box conversion was less successful, though specific limitations of that experiment weren't detailed.
Dolphin, the GameCube and Wii emulator, has extended its networked multiplayer feature to its Android version, matching functionality already available on PC. The emulator continues to support Windows, Linux, macOS and Android 5.0+, running GameCube and Wii titles in HD with enhancements like controller support and turbo speed.
Google Health version 5.09 is rolling out on Android and iOS, bringing the newly announced Pixel Watch Health Guardian features—blood pressure tracking, insulin resistance trend charts, and sleep breathing quality data—to Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 owners. The update also lets Garmin and Apple Watch users sync workouts into Cardio Load calculations, adds new activity-logging options, fixes a step streak display bug, and improves how custom food items handle serving units and meal times.
Google began taking pre-orders this week for Googlebooks, a new laptop line running a combined ChromeOS-Android operating system, and the devices reportedly sold out quickly on its US store. However, searching "Googlebooks" on Google Search returns results dominated by Google Books, the company's existing digital library of scanned books and magazines, including in the AI Overview.
Developer Mr. Rubik is preparing an update for the Nintendo DS-themed Nitrodeck Launcher that lets it run across two screens on Android handhelds like the Anbernic RG DS. A demo video shows the launcher working smoothly, including a recreation of the DS startup screen, with the update expected on the Play Store within a week or two.
Amazon is currently selling Samsung's Galaxy A57 5G for $449.99, down from its $549.99 list price, an 18% discount. The phone features a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, a triple-camera system, and a 5,000mAh battery, and carries a 4.4-star customer rating.