Android

Google has finally launched the Googlebook platform today, which combines ChromeOS and Android into one desktop OS. This platform offers tighter integration with Android phones, Gemini support, and Create My Widget functionality. However, the Googlebook launch means nothing without devices that actually run the platform. Fortunately, there are five Googlebooks to choose from. Here are all the models available at launch.

It’s not every day we see a brand-new kind of laptop launch, let alone one with a new OS from a brand that’s never thought of as a rival to MacBooks or premium Windows machines. But Google’s giving it a shot anyway with its Googlebook family. This is both a new line of products and a fresh operating system, or, as Google would prefer you think of it, an “intelligence system,” in one. And the goals are noble ones — to offer a premium laptop that works with the devices of billions of Android users worldwide and delivers AI features in ways other PCs have yet to offer. I got to spend a couple of hours trying out the five different Googlebook models that Google is starting out with. These all offer the same software features, which we’ll look at first, but later we’ll check out the different form factors you’ll be able to buy come the start of October. There’s a lot to go over, but rest assured that everything Google and its partners have to show off adds up to some exciting productivity-focused machines with plenty of smarts and a number of fun touches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQuDo7Bvsj4 TL;DR After announcing the different Googlebook models today, Google has revealed details about their availability. While pre-orders start today, Googlebooks will be available to purchase starting October 4. Google is also offering a full year’s worth of Google AI Pro subscription, along with access to Gemini Spark. Google is re-entering the premium laptop space today with a new product category: the Googlebook. Unlike the earlier premium Chromebooks, new Googlebook models run an amalgamation of ChromeOS and Android, with the best features from both. Google is marketing the new Googlebooks as laptops that integrate well with Android, while also offering hardware powerful enough to run on-device AI. It says that since there’s no existing laptop that does that well, it created one itself. Both Gemini and Continuity between the laptop and Android device are core selling points for these new laptops, with a lot of Pixel-exclusive features making their way to the Googlebook. While Google provides the software experience, it has partnered with other reputable hardware makers, including HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo, and ASUS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQuDo7Bvsj4 TL;DR Rambler, the smart voice-typing feature introduced with the Pixel 11, is coming to every Googlebook. Rambler can clean up messy dictation, remove mistakes, and organize spoken thoughts into useful notes and action items. Googlebooks also bring deeper Gemini integration, custom widgets, and developer tools, with prices starting at $899. We’ve been hearing about Google entering a new chapter in the laptop market for a while, and now it’s finally official. The company has fully launched Googlebook, its new Android-powered laptop platform that brings together Android, ChromeOS, Gemini, and hardware from several laptop makers. We’ve already covered the Googlebook announcement, the laptops announced today, and when you can actually buy one. But what caught my attention is just how much of the Android experience Google is bringing to these laptops. That includes Rambler, one of the more interesting features Google introduced with the Pixel 11 earlier this year, and it’s now coming to every Googlebook.

TL;DR Vivo has launched the X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max, with the Pro models pushing hard into professional mobile video. The X500 Pro Max headlines the lineup with 17EV Log video, 4K/240fps recording, a 200MP ZEISS telephoto camera, and an optional 400mm-equivalent extender. Sales begin in China on September 24, but global pricing and availability details are still unconfirmed. Vivo has spent the past few generations turning its X-series phones into some of the most ambitious camera phones on the market. The X300 Pro impressed us with its photography chops, while the X300 Ultra pushed things even further with a huge 200MP main camera and an almost ridiculous 400mm lens attachment. With the new X500 series, vivo isn’t abandoning that formula. Instead, the company is stepping up its focus on video capture. The X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max are now official in China, headlined by 17EV dynamic range, 4K/240fps recording, serious Log video tools, and — on the Pro Max — that gigantic ZEISS telephoto extender.

Amazon has dropped the Dreame D20 Air Plus Robot Vacuum and Mop to $227.99 as an early sale deal, down from its $349.99 RRP. That saves you $122, which is a 35% discount relative to the recommended retail price, and this deal is especially worth a look because it drops to an all-time low price. See the deal at Amazon

Credit: Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR We’ve spotted Google working on a Gemini-powered “Call for me” feature, also codenamed “Hedwig.” The feature appears to allow Google’s Phone app to use Gemini to autonomously call customer support, potentially handling automated voice trees, and hold your place on the line. Users will likely be able to monitor live audio, view real-time transcripts, or take over the call whenever they choose. The feature isn’t earmarked as a Pixel-exclusive just yet, but Google continues to gatekeep a lot of handy calling-related features to Pixels, and this could follow the same trend. Google Pixel phones come with features like Hold for Me and Direct My Call that rank among the best Pixel features, taking a lot of the friction out of phone calls. We’ve now spotted Google working on a new Gemini-powered feature called “Call for me” that could potentially autonomously dial and navigate customer support hotlines on your behalf, further helping make devices like the Pixel 11 series some of the best phones for actual calls. You’re reading an Authority Insights story. Authority Insights brings you all the latest exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage from the Android Authority team that you won’t find anywhere else.

I’ve been straddling the line between Google Health and Apple Health since I bought my first wearable. I went with the Fitbit Charge HR for a few weeks before returning it for an Apple Watch Sport in 2015, and went on to wear an Apple Watch for a decade. A lot has changed, with Google acquiring Fitbit and overhauling the platform since then, culminating in the recent Google Health rebrand. I initially fell for the hype, bought a Fitbit Air, and completely switched to Google Health. Now, Apple is planning an AI overhaul of its own Health app for later this year — and it’s about to win me back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EojVPJtRadE The Pixel 11 series hasn’t gotten off to a great start for gamers. Gameplay performance is about as hit-and-miss as everyone expected, and the phone has struggled with graphical glitches and reported microstuttering issues in popular games like Genshin Impact.

There’s no shortage of excellent to-do list apps for Android. Whether you want something easy to use like TickTick or something seriously robust like Notion, there are endless options to choose from. Years ago, I would bounce back and forth between various to-do apps, always hunting for my next favorite one. For the last couple of years, though, I’ve been using Google Tasks for all of my to-do needs. Google’s to-do list app has all the basics, but compared to virtually every other alternative, it’s missing a lot of key functionality, some of which I find really frustrating.

TL;DR Some Pixel 11 owners are reporting excessive idle battery drain, with Wi-Fi showing unusually high battery usage. A detailed test found that certain routers repeatedly woke the phone, preventing it from sleeping properly. Switching to Wi-Fi 5 or another router dramatically improved battery life, but the exact cause remains unconfirmed. Pixel owners are no strangers to battery-life complaints, and Google’s Tensor era has had its share of heat, modem, and efficiency problems. The Pixel 11 series looked like a step forward, especially with its new MediaTek modem, but some owners are now chasing a different kind of drain. A detailed Reddit investigation suggests certain Wi-Fi routers may be keeping Pixel 11 phones awake far more often than they should. Reddit user Albamen13 noticed their Pixel 11 Pro XL losing roughly 2.5% to 3% battery per hour while sitting idle on Wi-Fi. Using BetterBatteryStats, they found that Wi-Fi activity was waking the phone about 135 times per minute, preventing it from properly going to sleep for 59% to 67% of the test.

Credit: Xiaomi / Weibo TL;DR Xiaomi has announced that the Xiaomi 18 Pro series features a Smart Privacy Display that uses 1:1 alternating standard and baffled privacy pixels, cutting side brightness to roughly 1% beyond 60 degrees. Unlike competitor panels that use Diamond or Pentile setups, Xiaomi uses a full RGB subpixel arrangement with ~9.5 million subpixels to maintain clarity without display quality degradation. Privacy mode can be triggered via Quick Settings, the AI key, voice commands, app/page rules, location triggers, or front-camera shoulder-surfer detection. Xiaomi is gearing up to launch the Xiaomi 18 Pro series this week, and ahead of the September 23 launch, the company has confirmed a few key details about the phones. We know that the Xiaomi 18 Pro series will come with a secondary rear display with plenty of unique features. Today, Xiaomi is lifting the curtain on the primary display features of the Xiaomi 18 Pro series, focusing on the previously leaked Smart Privacy Display aspects. In a comprehensive Q&A and several announcement posts shared on Weibo, Xiaomi outlined the mechanics behind the new display panel on the Xiaomi 18 Pro series. Rather than applying a software overlay or relying on third-party privacy screen protectors that degrade display clarity and viewing angles almost permanently, Xiaomi’s solution operates at the pixel level (much like the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display).

I don’t know about you, but I’ve long had an album in Google Photos titled “Fit Checks.” Anytime I put together a new outfit, I take a picture and add it here for future reference. So, when I learned that Google Photos was about to add a similar feature using an AI-based digital wardrobe, I was excited. The idea is simple. Google Photos scans your photos, identifies the clothes you own, and builds a digital closet from your existing photo library. You can then mix and match those clothes to create outfits, with generative AI showing you what the combinations could look like.

Credit: Retroid TL;DR Retroid has announced the Pocket Duo Lite Plus dual-screen handheld. This model is similar to the Pocket Duo Lite but offers the Pocket Duo’s chipset and base RAM/storage. The Pocket Duo Lite Plus has a discounted launch price of $199. Retroid announced the Retroid Pocket Duo and Pocket Duo Lite last week, the latest entry in the increasingly crowded dual-screen handheld space. The standard Pocket Duo is the more upmarket option, while the Lite version makes a few compromises for the price. Does neither option work for you? Then Retroid has now revealed the Pocket Duo Lite Plus. The Retroid Pocket Duo Lite Plus is effectively a middle ground between the Pocket Duo and Pocket Duo Lite. Perhaps the most notable change is the switch from the Lite’s QCS6125 chipset to the standard model’s Q-7790 processor. In other words, you’re effectively going from a low-end Snapdragon 665 chip to a more modern Snapdragon 7 Gen 4.

TL;DR Apple’s long-rumored smart home display could launch as early as next month. It will reportedly have its own home screen, widgets, clock faces, and will rely extensively on Siri AI. It’s also expected to support facial recognition using tech we’ve seen on Pixel phones since the Pixel 8. Rumors about Apple’s smart display have been circulating for years. A couple of months ago, we got evidence that Apple is developing two smart displays codenamed J490 and J491. Well, we’re now getting more details about these devices, and it seems Apple might borrow a security feature from the Pixel for its smart displays. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is testing the upcoming smart home screen in several employees’ homes. It will reportedly feature Wi-Fi support, an advanced display, a camera, and microphones. The report also says the smart home display will have an easy-to-use UI that looks like a mashup of iOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

TL;DR Apple is reportedly testing 6.41-inch and 6.96-inch displays for the iPhone 20 Pro and Pro Max. The prototypes could feature a bezel-less, quad-curved display alongside a new punch-hole cutout. The rumored design shares its all-screen ambition with TECNO’s recent bezel less Concept Phone. The iPhone 18 Pro series has barely made it out the door, but we’re already getting our first clues about what Apple could be planning for next year’s iPhone. And if this leak is accurate, Apple might be preparing a much bigger visual change. According to leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Apple is testing new displays for what could eventually become the iPhone 20 Pro and iPhone 20 Pro Max. The smaller model reportedly has a 6.41-inch panel with a 2,686 x 1,236 resolution, while the Pro Max could stretch to 6.96 inches at 2,912 x 1,340.

Credit: Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority TL;DR Apple has revealed the Prepare to Ship feature for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and we hope Android OEMs copy this option. This feature caps the iPhone’s battery capacity during transport, allowing the iPhone 18 Pro Max to meet transport requirements in many countries. The cap is removed once the phone is activated, allowing for higher battery capacities in Europe, the US, and other markets. Smartphone batteries have grown exponentially in the last few years, with 6,000mAh, 7,000mAh, and even 10,000mAh batteries on the market. Unfortunately, transport regulations in many markets place a cap on the size of an individual battery cell. This forces smartphone makers to adopt dual-cell battery designs or use smaller batteries, but Apple has revealed a nifty solution with the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Europe, the US, and international transport networks have a 20Wh cap on a small single-cell battery. That’s roughly equivalent to a maximum capacity of 5,300mAh. However, the iPhone 18 Pro Max has a 5,391mAh battery in global models. So how did Apple get around this restriction?

TL;DR Gmail is rolling out a “Copy code” button for two-factor authentication emails on Android and iOS. The shortcut lets you copy a verification code directly from your inbox without opening the email. The feature is appearing in Gmail for Android version 2026.09.07.x and iOS version 6.0.260907, but not on the web yet. Gmail has already made email easier to navigate this month with Live voice features and Gemini-powered inbox answers, and now Google is shaving another few seconds off a common task. Gmail is rolling out a new “Copy code” shortcut that lets you grab a 2FA code straight from the inbox without opening the message first. While two-factor authentication is supposed to keep your accounts safer, the last step can still feel unnecessarily clumsy when the code lands in your inbox. This shortcut is here to address that, and it appears as a pill-shaped “Copy code: 000000” button beneath the email’s subject line, in the same area Gmail uses for attachment previews and other contextual actions.

TL;DR OnePlus has officially revealed the design and colors of the OnePlus 16. It’s also confirmed that the phone will come with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. The phone will also feature an “Interstellar Lighting Effect” that sounds similar to the Pixel 11’s HiLight LED. Another day, another piece of the OnePlus 16 puzzle. After months of leaks and rumors, OnePlus has finally shared some official details about its upcoming flagship and opened pre-bookings in China. In a new Weibo post, OnePlus shared images of the OnePlus 16 in three colors: Tomorrow’s Starlight, The Dark Forest, and A Martian Masterpiece. The phone will feature a design similar to the OnePlus 15, with a square camera module housing a triple-camera setup. It will also carry forward its predecessor’s button layout, including the placement of the power and volume buttons and the Plus key.

Credit: Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR Google is testing a new feature called “Dive deeper” in Google Discover. The button will give you an AI-generated overview of a topic instead of sending you to a webpage. The new experience can also surface links to related stories, community reactions, and original reporting if you want to explore further. For users, it could make Discover more convenient, but it may also mean fewer people actually open the publisher articles that appear in their feeds. Google Discover is testing a new way to make you learn more about the stories appearing in your feed, and it could mean you spend less time actually reading what your favorite websites are reporting and watching videos from the creators you like.

I really like the idea of a “dumbphone”, or a minimalist phone. It’s just the essentials. The phone, maps, calendar — only the useful bits. None of the time-sucky, doom-scrolly distractions. But I don’t like the idea of spending $500 on a Light Phone or a Wisephone. Instead, I’ve been on a quest to turn my Pixel 9a into a calmer device. And the good news is, it works.

I’ve tested dozens of wireless chargers and desk setups over the years, and most of them suffer from the same problem. They all try to shoehorn everything into a single hub. There’s little, if any, flexibility in placement, choice of charging options, or future upgradeability. Moreover, as a design enthusiast, I care a lot about how a particular piece of tech looks in my space, and most chargers just aren’t very pretty to look at. But looks are subjective. Anyway, the fact is that most charging stations expect you to conform to a fixed layout for your phone, earbuds, and smartwatch. That’s fine for a functional product, but for one, the fixed layout has never really suited how I use my phone. Want to rearrange things? Tough luck.

Credit: Matt Horne / Android Authority Even as one of the last remaining Duolingo holdouts on the team, I can see how much worse Duolingo has become in recent years. The once-motivating gamification certainly appears to have been kicked up a few notches, and it’s the free users who’ve had it much worse. On the free plan, you’re bombarded with adverts for Super Duolingo and third-party games that you can’t skip for several seconds. Even worse, the heart system that allowed you to keep practicing until you made five mistakes was replaced by an energy bar that runs down even if you’re nailing the answers. That’s why I was excited to learn about a very simple trick that returns you to a simpler version of Duolingo — one with the hearts system, no ads at all, fewer clicks between lessons, and less gamification.

While the new iPhone Duo has received a lot of fanfare, the standard iPhone 18 Pro is going to be the one driving most of Apple’s sales. It doesn’t look much different from the iPhone 17 Pro on the outside, but Apple’s presentation was full of internal changes, from better battery performance to a new physically adjustable camera aperture. All those features do seem tempting at first glance, but I’d still go with the Pixel 11 Pro any day — just because it’s a much better overall purchase than its Apple counterpart.

Be it a daily morning commute or a long road trip, most of us spend a surprising amount of time looking at Google Maps even without realizing it. Beyond the usual in-car navigation, it is my go-to when I’m looking for a new coffee shop or just checking transit schedules in a new country. And yet, lately, I find myself popping open Apple Maps more often than I expected. Apple has spent the last decade rebuilding Maps into a surprisingly capable navigation app. It might not beat Google Maps just yet, as Google still has the edge when it comes to local search and the sheer amount of information available. However, Apple has a few areas where its approach is simply better. Here are the things I prefer about Apple Maps and want Google Maps to copy.