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Android Authority found hidden strings in the Google app (v17.71.17) referencing an 'Offline mode' for Gemini Live, with subtitle text reading 'Use Gemini Live without an internet connection.' The feature appears tied to the account switcher menu based on its naming, but it is not yet live for users.
YouTuber JerryRigEverything subjected the Trump Mobile T1 to scratch, bend, and teardown tests, finding the device survives physical abuse but contains internals nearly identical to the 2024 HTC U24 Pro. The teardown showed matching screws, motherboard layout, battery placement, and even the same model number on the daughterboard, and swapping motherboards between the two phones left both fully functional.
Multiple iPhone Duo owners say bright white lines are appearing across the inner display, often within hours of unboxing, with damage consistently located near the hinge area. Teardown analysis from iFixit and a separate YouTuber disassembly both point to possible hinge design flaws, though Apple has not confirmed a cause.
iFixit tore down Apple's iPhone Duo and built a 3D model of its hinge using teardown footage, patents and CT scans to investigate reported screen cracking. The group found that the center support bar sometimes fails to drop far enough when folding, creating a stress point, and that fine dust particles can enter the hinge mechanism despite the phone's IP68 rating, potentially causing the 'green line' display damage some users have reported.
iFixit has published its teardown of Apple's iPhone Duo, awarding it a provisional repairability score of 5 out of 10—the highest the site has given any foldable phone. The analysis focused heavily on the device's hinge mechanism, which combines gears, springs and interconnected metal joints with a waterdrop-shaped bend to protect the display, and the device carries an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.
iFixit's teardown of Valve's Steam Frame VR headset found that most components are repairable, but the internal cooling fan is buried deep within the device. Reaching it requires removing the optical assemblies and navigating past thermal hardware and cables, even though the fan and heat pipe are separate parts.
iFixit completed its teardown of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, finding the Ultra 4 unchanged in repairability at 4/10 while the Series 12 showed slight gains thanks to new stretch-release adhesive and a pull tab for battery removal. Both models still require prying off a glued display to access internals, with iFixit's Shahram Mokhtari noting the Series 12's tighter display tolerances raised concern about screen damage during disassembly.
Google appears to be extending its Gemini AI feature to enable users to send pre-recorded voice messages to friends and family, as indicated by an APK teardown revealing a 'Gemini Calling' interface. Examples include instructing the AI to tell a parent the user will be late or to ask a friend about dinner plans. The feature seems focused on simple, quick voice messages rather than full conversations, with customizable permissions for app access.
iFixit's teardown of the AirPods 5 found that the batteries in each earbud can be removed and replaced without destroying the device, provided the repair is done carefully by a skilled technician. This earned the earbuds a repairability score of 2 out of 10, the first time any AirPods model has scored above zero since the original launched in 2016. iFixit noted the left and right batteries aren't interchangeable due to reversed polarity and different contact placement, and that everything else inside the earbuds and case remains sealed and unrepairable.
Google is testing a redesigned search experience in Google Messages that shows preview rows of shared photos, videos, links, and places directly on the search homepage, rather than requiring users to tap into separate filter categories. The beta also adds the ability to search within a specific conversation from the main search page and see every matching text message without switching between chats. These changes were found in Google Messages beta version 20260917 through an APK teardown.
An APK teardown of a recent Google Messages beta build reveals an unreleased interface change that relocates the Gemini shortcut to the top header, replacing the current search icon there. The Start Chat button shifts from the bottom-right corner to the bottom-center of the screen, and a new Search button joins it at the bottom, both expanding and collapsing based on user scrolling behavior.
iFixit tore down Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro and awarded it a 7/10 repairability rating, matching the iPhone 17 Pro's score. The teardown found the camera and battery assemblies relatively easy to remove, though the phone's new variable aperture lens—its first in an iPhone—uses tiny rotating blades that iFixit says are nearly impossible to repair individually.