GoKawiil
Tech News
RedMagic has released its 12 Pro flagship phone outside China, marking an earlier global rollout than the company's usual practice. A ZDNET reviewer ran Geekbench 7 benchmarks comparing it to a Pixel 9 Pro and found the RedMagic device nearly doubled multi-core scores and edged out single-core performance, falling only slightly behind Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max in single-core tests.
Reddit users report that Google support replaced their malfunctioning Pixel 9 Pro Fold devices, which had issues like dead front cameras, with the newer 512GB Pixel 11 Pro Fold. One user said Google also offered a three-year extended warranty despite their device being out of standard coverage and uninsured. Multiple reports over the past year have flagged similar front-camera failures on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
A SIM Manager connector has surfaced in Gemini on a Pixel 9 running Android 17 QPR3 Beta 2, letting the assistant set up new eSIM profiles, convert physical SIMs to eSIMs, transfer or restore profiles, and delete them. Google has not announced the feature, and it does not appear on non-Pixel devices tested, suggesting an early or accidental rollout. Testing confirmed the connector actually triggers the eSIM setup process rather than just displaying placeholder prompts.
A ZDNET writer discovered that after Google's August Android update, Pixel phones no longer offer a straightforward way to set a third-party app like Waze as the default mapping tool. The workaround involves disabling Google Maps first through the phone's Apps settings before Waze can take over as default for links and other apps that open map locations.
Google's Pixel release date page lists exact support end dates for each device. Pixel 6 and 7 series phones get five years of updates, while Pixel 8 and later models get seven years, with a-series phones following their own release-based timelines. Phones up to the Pixel 5a are already out of support.
Google appears to be rolling out the newer Screen Saver styles, including the Charge, Clock, and Weather designs introduced with Pixel 10 and Pixel 11, to Pixel 9 series phones. A tipster's Pixel 9 Pro reportedly gained access to these options, and a separate Reddit report says Pixel 10 units are also now getting the Charge style that debuted on Pixel 11.
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.
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.
With the Pixel 11 lineup now priced from $899 to $1,900, Google is offering notably better trade-in credit for old phones than competing retailers. A 2024 Pixel 9 Pro XL that fetches only $255-$310 at Apple, Amazon or Best Buy can earn several hundred dollars more through Google's own trade-in program.
Developer TakaiSaisei has released a modified version of the Pixel IMS app, originally created by kyujin-cho in 2023, that lets Pixel owners enable VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling in markets Google doesn't officially support. Unlike the original tool, this version doesn't require the Shizuku system app and its settings persist after a device reboot, simplifying setup to sideloading the app and pairing it via wireless debugging.
Google's Pixel 11 series replaces the Samsung-made Exynos modem used in earlier Pixels with a new MediaTek modem, paired with the Tensor G6 chip, which remains a 3nm design rather than the rumored 2nm jump. Early testing shows the new modem delivers faster download speeds and holds 5G connections better in weak-signal areas compared to the Pixel 10 Pro and older Pixel 9 hardware.