GoKawiil
Tech News
Google has quietly updated its developer documentation to reveal that just seven Android phones currently support Gemini Nano 4: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 8, Z Fold 8, and Z Fold 8 Ultra. These are the only devices officially equipped to run Google's latest on-device Gemini Intelligence features.
Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL nearly hits its advertised 45W wired charging speed, peaking at 40.7W, but only when paired with a specific USB-C charger supporting 21V at 2A under the USB PD PPS protocol. Common PPS chargers limited to 11V, including some rated up to 67W, only delivered around 25W in testing, and even with the ideal charger the phone still takes about 21 minutes to reach 50% charge.
According to leaker Digital Chat Station, OPPO's upcoming Find X10 Pro Max will use 200MP sensors for its main, telephoto, and ultrawide cameras, making it the first phone with three such sensors. The same source has previously indicated a September or October launch window for the device.
Despite ranking among the world's top five smartphone makers by shipments, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo have essentially no official retail presence in the United States. US buyers largely see only Apple, Samsung, Google and Motorola on carrier shelves, even as these Chinese brands dominate sales across Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Google Pixel 11 owners are reporting that Immersive Navigation, Google Maps' 3D route-view feature, disappears after upgrading from older Pixel or Android devices, both on the phone and through Android Auto. Because the feature was rolled out server-side rather than through an app update, affected users cannot restore it themselves through settings or reinstalling the app.
Multiple Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro XL users say their videos contain repeated bursts of static noise, appearing roughly every five seconds when Video Boost is active. The glitch seems tied to the Audio Zoom feature, and some affected users say clearing the camera app's cache and turning off Audio Zoom stops the noise. Google has not yet issued an official response to the reports.
Pixel 10 owners attempting to trade in their phones for the new Pixel 11 on the Google Store are reporting broken trade-in workflows, according to complaints on Reddit's Pixel community. Users describe receiving conflicting confirmations about whether their trade-in was accepted, only to have their cards charged the full price anyway, with Google reportedly unable to retroactively apply the promised credit.
Google published a memo detailing enforcement of new per-app memory limits introduced with Android 17, first rolling out on Pixel devices. Apps that exceed the thresholds will be slowed down or terminated, and starting in February 2027, non-compliant apps could face reduced visibility and publishing restrictions on the Play Store.
Android System Intelligence (ASI) is a system component baked into Android that powers on-device smart features like Now Playing and Live Caption, and it cannot be uninstalled like a regular app, though many manufacturers let users disable it in Settings. Android Authority found in January 2026 that turning ASI off does not break core phone functions, but it does disable the AI-driven contextual features that rely on it. Google has not published a full list of what stops working per device, leaving some uncertainty for users who disable it entirely.
Android Authority surveyed over 2,000 readers asking whether they would pay to unlock newer AI features on their older Pixel phones. More than 82% called such a purchase a waste of money, while roughly 10% said they'd rather buy a new phone outright, and just 6.8% would pay a subscription to extend their current device's life.
Google's newly announced Pixel Tag Bluetooth tracker won't ship until November, leaving buyers without an option for months. Android Authority points to five trackers already available, with Motorola's Moto Tag 2 standing out at $20 (or $99 for four), offering UWB support, a replaceable CR2032 battery, IP68 water resistance, and roughly 600 days of battery life, all while working with Google's Find Hub network.
London startup Relay, founded by former Nothing staffers Cookie Xu and Raymond Zhu, has released voice dictation software for macOS ahead of a companion hardware device called the Relay Q, due in early 2027. The founders say existing software tools like Wispr Flow struggled with inconsistent microphone pickup in office settings, prompting them to build purpose-made hardware for accurate speech capture.