GoKawiil
Tech News
Amazon has reduced the Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi) to $334.99, marking its first discount since launch and saving buyers $65 from the original $399.99 retail price. The smartwatch features a compact design, Wear OS, enhanced GPS, health tools, and Fitbit integration, with a 30-hour battery life and a 4.6-star rating. The deal requires Amazon Prime membership, available with a free trial.
During Amazon’s October sale, the Google Pixel Watch 5 is discounted by $60, bringing the 41mm model to $334.99 and the 45mm to $364.99. The smartwatch, launched in August alongside the Pixel 11 phones, features improvements like enhanced GPS and gesture controls, though initial reviews noted mixed AI assistant notifications. The discount helps mitigate its $50 price increase over the previous Pixel Watch 4, with Google continuing to add new health features post-launch.
Amazon has reduced the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL to $999, marking a $300 discount from its original $1,299 price. The device features a 6.8-inch display, a triple camera setup with 50MP, 48MP, and 48MP sensors, and runs on the Tensor G6 chip with Android 17. The deal requires an Amazon Prime membership to access the discount.
Amazon has announced significant discounts on a range of products for Prime Day 2026, including budget Bluetooth speakers, Android earbuds, workout headphones, and upgraded smart displays. The deals feature notable price drops on popular items like the JBL Go 5, Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, and the Echo Show 11, among others. Many of these discounts are the lowest prices seen since their respective launches.
Android Authority's Aamir Siddiqui argues that for the price of Apple's base 256GB iPhone 18 Pro Max, buyers have strong Android alternatives. His picks include the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL, Motorola Razr Ultra (2026), Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 8. A reader poll accompanying the piece shows the Galaxy S26 Ultra as the most popular alternative at 42% of votes.
Android Authority found a new lock screen customization page hidden in the Wallpaper & Style app on the first Android 17 QPR3 beta. The page is mostly empty but shows buttons for wallpaper, colors, clock, widgets, and a new 'media' option not seen in the current menu. Currently, Pixel owners customize lock screens through a swipe-based menu with separate settings for clock, shortcuts, and notifications.
Battery capacity refers to the maximum energy a battery can store, measured in mAh for phones and power banks or Wh for laptops, while battery life describes how long a device runs on a charge, usually in hours. Battery health is a separate percentage figure showing how much of the original capacity remains after repeated charge cycles. Google's Pixel 8a and later models are rated to retain 80 percent capacity after 1,000 full charge cycles.
Security researcher David Buchanan demonstrated a technique to forge the Time Stamp Authority signature used in C2PA content provenance metadata, producing an image that appears cryptographically verified as existing hours before it actually was created. He used the trick to generate a fake photo showing winning lottery numbers displayed before the official draw, verifiable via Adobe's Content Authenticity tool. Buchanan says the stunt builds on an earlier finding that the underlying 'claim' signatures in C2PA, including those from flagship camera apps, can already be forged.
Android Authority ran a reader poll pitting the Motorola Signature 27 against the Google Pixel 11 Pro, drawing over 1,700 votes. The Motorola device won decisively, taking 73.9% of the vote compared to 26.1% for the Pixel, with the publication's own writer citing the phone's faster Snapdragon chip, distinctive design, and quicker charging as draws.
Google has relaunched its Pixel Referral Program for the US Google Store, giving buyers a 10% discount when they check out with a referral code. Referrers earn $50 in store credit per successful referral, capped at $500 for 10 referrals, with codes valid until November 4. Participation as a referrer requires an invitation from Google and prior opt-in to Pixel marketing emails.
Multiple Pixel owners, including users of the Pixel 10 Pro XL, Pixel 8a and Pixel 8 Pro, say the September 2026 software update has broken their lock screens, preventing correct PINs or patterns from registering. Affected users describe patterns resetting mid-gesture and PIN entries being rejected after only the first digit, leaving them unable to access their phones. Troubleshooting steps like Safe Mode, cleaning the screen or reinstalling the build have not fixed the issue for at least one user, who resorted to a factory reset.
CAD renders posted by Android Headlines and OnLeaks show Google's upcoming Pixel 11A budget phone in a new purple finish, keeping the flat, camera-bump-free design of the Pixel 10A. The leak also suggests the device will use the Tensor G6 chip, the same processor found in the pricier Pixel 11, rather than repeating the older chip used in last year's A-series model.