GoKawiil
Tech News
A company called Freckle has launched a phone designed for children that strips out internet browsing and app stores in favor of tactile buttons, a walkie-talkie feature, and outdoor 'quests' meant to encourage play away from screens. Co-founder Sam Terris said the device draws on his own childhood spent playing outdoors in Concord, Massachusetts, which he credits with shaping his development.
Google is bringing the Contacts tab back to the bottom navigation bar of its Phone by Google app, reversing a change made last year that moved it into a sidebar menu. The change is currently visible only to some beta users running version 240.0.98, and it did not appear consistently across all devices tested by Android Authority.
Telephone World is now hosting Evan Doorbell's Phone Tapes, a collection documenting the workings of the 1970s-era telephone network. The site includes a curated Group 1 Playlist of 95 narrated recordings, along with additional narrated 'production tapes' and newly released unnarrated 'raw tapes'. Doorbell holds copyright but permits free redistribution, provided the material is not sold.
Several Android features—including Clear Calling, Wi-Fi calling, VoLTE, Adapt Sound and Mic mode—can be adjusted to improve call audio clarity. These settings vary by device and manufacturer, since Android does not have a single unified interface across phones. Physical mic cleanliness also affects call quality.
Honor has launched its Magic 9 flagship line in China, led by the Magic 9 Pro Max, which features a redesigned camera island inspired by Arri's three-lens turret design. Arri contributed software features including LogC3 shooting, 14 preset Look LUTs, access to its LUT library, and 10-bit 4:2:2 codec support, while the phone's hardware includes a 200-megapixel main sensor, a 3.5x telephoto lens, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide. The device also packs an 8,800mAh silicon battery and runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip.
Foldable phone cases typically ship in two pieces covering the back, sides, camera island and front screen perimeter, guarding against drops, shock and scratches. Most basic cases skip full 360-degree coverage and leave the hinge exposed, while rugged options from brands like Casetify, Supcase and Otterbox add hinge protection and built-in screen protectors at the cost of extra bulk.
An analysis of foldable smartphones outlines persistent drawbacks including hinge durability, scratch-prone displays, added bulk and weight, weaker cameras, and apps that don't yet scale well across screens. It also notes that repairs are costly, with iFixit rating current foldables as effectively unrepairable, making insurance advisable given theft risk.
Android Authority writer Megan Ellis describes how her HONOR 600 Pro, like Motorola's Razr, Edge and the Nothing Phone 4a, ships with a dedicated physical AI button on its frame. After finding the button's default AI-launching behaviour unwanted, she discovered a settings option letting her reassign it to trigger other phone functions instead of an AI assistant.
A week after Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launched with new colors like Glacier, Burgundy and Deep Black, a 9to5Mac reviewer tested numerous third-party cases and shared personal favorites. Highlighted picks include Pitaka's ultra-thin Edge case, made of aramid fiber at 20g and 1mm thick with MagSafe magnets, priced at $59, and Nomad's Sport Case, which offers a soft-touch exterior, metal buttons and microfiber lining for everyday protection.
Samsung devices running Android 12 or later include a Phone Diagnostics tool under Settings > Device care > Diagnostics, letting users test individual hardware components or run all checks at once. The same diagnostics suite is also accessible through the Samsung Members app. A test run on a Galaxy S26 Ultra produced 22 separate checks covering the phone's hardware.
Android Authority polled over 2,200 readers on which phone they'd choose instead of the Pixel 11 Pro. The Galaxy S26 Plus won with 26.2% of votes, followed by the Pixel 10 Pro at 21.8%, the Nothing Phone 3 at 20.5%, and the Motorola Razr at 19.5%. The standard Pixel 11 finished last with just 12% of the vote.
Startup Meadow has built a small, simplified Android device meant to be used alongside a person's regular smartphone rather than replace it. The device supports select apps such as Uber, Apple Music, Spotify, Maps and Strava, plus native tools for calling, texting, notes, voice memos, camera and ticket scanning, and connects via Bluetooth. Founder Shreyas Narlanka demonstrated the phone handling a concert ticket scan, an Uber ride and music streaming without needing the user's iPhone.