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Reddit users report that Pixel Watch 2, 3, 4 and 5 devices are suffering sudden, severe battery drain, with runtimes dropping from 24-48 hours to under 12 hours. Some users report losing up to 20% charge every four hours even with Always-on Display disabled and background activity minimized. Google has not yet publicly acknowledged the problem.
A Pixel 11 Pro XL owner on Reddit says roughly 4 in 10 incoming calls fail to ring, instead showing up only as missed-call text notifications. The user, on Germany's Congstar network, says resetting network settings, swapping the SIM, and factory resetting the phone haven't fixed it, nor has disabling Do Not Disturb or Call Screen features. Google's Issue Tracker shows similar complaints dating back to June, including another Pixel 11 Pro report from last month, and Google has acknowledged the issue without giving a fix timeline.
Android Authority published a roundup recommending five wearables as alternatives to the Fitbit Edge, which launches soon after its earlier announcement this month. The list includes the Google Pixel Watch 5, Fitbit Air, Samsung Galaxy Fit 3, Oura Ring 5, and Fitbit Charge 6, with the Pixel Watch 5 highlighted for its full Android Wear app support, larger display, and Google Gemini integration versus the Edge's simpler feature set.
Samsung's One UI 9, running Android 17, delivers a smooth experience and timely security patches on the Galaxy S26 Plus, according to an Android Authority reviewer. However, the reviewer says Galaxy AI features like Now Brief and Now Nudge continue to underdeliver, with Now Brief failing to surface news matching the user's stated interests even after customization.
A hands-on comparison tests the OPPO Find X10 Pro Max, which uses a triple 200-megapixel camera system, against Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL, which gained upgraded main and ultrawide sensors plus a larger 5x telephoto lens this year. The reviewer finds the two phones' main cameras produce very similar color, detail, and low-light results despite OPPO's much higher on-paper resolution and sensor size.
Amazon is selling the LTE version of Google's Pixel Watch 5 for $399.99, a $100 reduction from its standard price. The cellular model allows calls, texts, and streaming without a paired phone nearby, and Google rates the watch's battery life at up to 30 hours.
Google's upcoming Pixel 11 Pro includes a camera zoom feature reaching 120x magnification, relying on AI processing to sharpen distant shots. Early testing finds the extreme zoom genuinely useful in practice, though the AI-enhanced results carry notable drawbacks.
A tech writer reports choosing the Google Pixel Tablet over Apple's still-unreleased HomeView smart home hub for daily household use. The comparison centers on the Pixel Tablet's versatility as both a tablet and a docked smart display, which the writer says already covers the role Apple's hub is expected to fill.
Google is rolling out an opt-in Scam Detection feature in Messages that uses Gemini AI models to analyze sender intent and flag deceptive texts, processing data through its encrypted Private AI Compute system. The feature, launching first on Pixel 10+, Galaxy S26, Z Flip and Fold 8 devices, will be joined by on-device link scanning via Gemini Nano and redesigned scam warnings for unknown senders. Google also plans to expand notification-level scam warnings to devices from Honor, Motorola, OPPO, OnePlus, realme, vivo and Xiaomi, and will add automatic screen-sharing privacy protections to Android 15+ devices later this month.
A tech explainer details how modern smartphones rely on multiple proximity sensors to handle tasks like dimming the screen during calls, detecting when a phone is in a pocket, and supporting other automated behaviors. The piece traces how sensor-heavy design became standard after the original 2007 iPhone, noting that manufacturers have since competed to add more sensors, including some novelties like external temperature readers once found on certain Google Pixel phones.
Google announced the Fitbit Edge on Monday, a screen-equipped fitness tracker priced at $180 that succeeds the three-year-old Charge 6. It features a 1.34-inch display, a user-replaceable battery, an altimeter, and a far-field skin temperature sensor, and works with both Android and iPhone via the Google Health app. Preorders are open now, with sales starting October 27.
Google officially launched the Fitbit Edge, a fitness tracker positioned between the Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 5, effectively replacing the Charge 6. It features a 46 percent larger OLED display, a physical side button, a replaceable week-long battery, EKG and SpO2 sensors, and IP68/5ATM water resistance, but drops NFC payment support and lacks a mic or speaker.