Android Authority ran side-by-side tests comparing the Pixel 11 Pro's new MediaTek modem against the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, covering signal strength, cellular data speeds, and battery drain while streaming. Both phones used identical SIM cards, software, and starting battery levels, disconnected from Wi-Fi, to keep the comparison controlled. Google switched from Samsung's Exynos modem to MediaTek for the Pixel 11 series, following reported gains over last year's Pixel 10 Pro in speed, reception, and efficiency.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-23
Android Authority found evidence in My Pixel app version 8.9.1 that Google is developing color-matched app icons for Pixel 9 devices, a feature already launched with the Pixel 11 series. The update currently covers several Pixel 9 color variants like Hazel, Rose Quartz, and Obsidian, but excludes the Pixel 9a, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and all Pixel 10 models. Testers were also unable to trigger the new icon on a Porcelain-colored Pixel 9.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-23
Google has officially launched Googlebook, its Android-powered laptop platform built with Android, ChromeOS, Gemini, and partner hardware makers, starting at $899. Alongside the launch, Google is bringing Rambler, the smart dictation feature debuted on the Pixel 11, to every Googlebook, letting users clean up rambling speech into organized notes and action items.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-21
Android Authority traced worsening game performance on the Pixel 11 series—stuttering and freezing in titles like Genshin Impact—to Google quietly making ANGLE the default OpenGL ES implementation on the new phones. ANGLE translates OpenGL ES calls into Vulkan commands, and testing showed it activating in popular games on the Pixel 11 Pro XL where it wasn't used on the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-21
Reddit testing suggests certain routers, not the Pixel 11 itself, may be responsible for reports of excessive idle battery drain on Google's new phones. One user found their Pixel 11 Pro XL was being woken roughly 135 times per minute by Wi-Fi while connected to a Tenda mesh router on Wi-Fi 6, and that switching to Wi-Fi 5 or a different router brand cut both wakeups and battery loss dramatically. Other testers saw normal results on different Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 hardware, so the exact trigger remains unclear.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-21
OnePlus has officially revealed the OnePlus 16's design and opened pre-bookings in China, showing off three color options and confirming RAM configurations of 12GB or 16GB paired with up to 1TB of storage. The phone retains the OnePlus 15's design language, including its camera module and button placement, while adding a new 'Interstellar Lighting Effect' on its back panel.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-21
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro now starts at $1,200 for 256GB storage, with top configurations reaching $2,400, while Google's Pixel 11 Pro keeps its 256GB starting price at $1,099 after dropping the base 128GB tier. Android Authority argues the Pixel offers significantly better value across storage tiers, saving buyers as much as $200 compared to Apple's equivalent options.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-20
A hands-on test of the Pixel 11 Pro XL's advertised 25W wireless charging found the PixelSnap charger topping out at just 23W, well short of its rated speed and the 31W previously measured on the Pixel 10 Pro XL. The charger also took roughly six minutes to ramp up to peak power, cycling between voltage levels before settling, and could only sustain that peak for a similarly short window.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-19
An Android Authority columnist reports buying his 14th iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro, and argues that Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra and Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL have largely closed the technical gap with Apple's devices. Despite that parity, he says Apple still draws outsized attention and loyalty because of how it markets and narrates its products rather than through superior specs.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-18
Google appears to be trialing Proactive Assistance, an AI feature originally exclusive to the Pixel 11 series, on the older Pixel 10 Pro XL through the Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 update. YouTube channel In Depth Tech Reviews found the settings menu and permission toggles for the feature already present, closely mirroring what appears on Pixel 11 devices. The feature isn't fully working yet, with odd artifacts like a non-functional 'Android Easter Egg' entry in the assistant menu suggesting it's still in early testing.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-18
Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro launches at $1,199, a $100 increase over the iPhone 17 Pro, adding a variable aperture camera system for photographers. Google's Pixel 11 Pro also rose $100 to $1,099, gaining a larger 48-megapixel telephoto sensor with 30x optical-style zoom and a 120x AI-enhanced Pro Zoom mode. Beyond cameras, the two phones diverge sharply in design, colors and software, running iOS 27 and Android 17 respectively.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-17
Google has published details on how it designed its new Noto 3D emoji set, first unveiled at I/O in May, and confirmed which manufacturers will bring it to their phones. Partners include Nothing, Lenovo, Xiaomi, OPPO, OnePlus, realme, vivo, iQOO, HONOR, TECNO, Infinix, itel, and Motorola, alongside stock Android 17 devices like the Pixel 11. Samsung is notably absent, as it maintains its own emoji designs.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-17
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