Android

Credit: WHOOP TL;DR WHOOP is expanding its women’s health offerings with Natural Cycles app integration. The company’s health tracker can now share overnight skin temperature with the app. WHOOP is giving out a free 12-month subscription to eligible new Natural Cycles users. In addition to monitoring metrics like recovery, sleep, and strain, WHOOP’s tracker bands also offer insights into women’s health. For example, these devices can be used for menstrual cycle tracking and pregnancy insights. The company is now expanding its women’s health offerings with a new integration. In a press release, WHOOP announced a partnership with the FDA-cleared birth control app Natural Cycles. With this partnership, the firm is adding Natural Cycles integration. This means that you’ll now be able to automatically share overnight skin temperature with the app for personalized fertility insights.

Credit: Adamya Sharma / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung’s SmartThings app appears set for a major redesign with a more modern One UI look. The update includes dynamic backgrounds, a floating navigation bar, and new home-screen widgets. The revamped app also reorganizes routines and adds suggestions for features you might want to try. Samsung has spent the past couple of years refreshing its apps with the latest One UI design, but SmartThings has largely been left alone to look increasingly dated. That appears set to change, with a major redesign bringing a new navigation bar, dynamic backgrounds, and several other visual upgrades to the Android smart home app. SamMobile has shared an early look at the unreleased update. The most obvious change is a floating, pill-shaped navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, matching the design Samsung has introduced across other apps. It still provides access to the familiar Home, Devices, Life, Routines, and Menu tabs.

TL;DR Orders of many Galaxy Z Fold 8 configurations are scheduled to be delivered weeks or months from now. The T-Mobile version of the Fold 8 in Cream is apparently in shortest supply, with current delivery estimates in October. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is finally available for order, and it’s apparently very popular. Some orders were initially projected to arrive as early as today, August 3. But a lot of users are reporting their estimated delivery dates are much further out, with Samsung citing unexpectedly high demand for its new, squat foldable. We’ve seen a handful of reports on Reddit from Z Fold 8 buyers who say their orders are now estimated to arrive later than they initially believed. Some shoppers’ delays are slight, like Wonderful_Sorbet9502, whose Fold 8 is projected to arrive on August 9. Others, however, say that their delivery estimate has slipped much further into the future.

TL;DR Samsung Display is reportedly developing CTG, a new ultra-thin glass design for foldables. The technology makes the folding area thinner while keeping the rest of the glass stronger. CTG could arrive as early as the Galaxy Z Fold 9 series if development stays on track. Samsung’s latest foldables are off to a flying start. After the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 set new pre-order records, it appears Samsung is already laying the groundwork for what comes next. Samsung Display is reportedly developing a new glass technology that could make one of foldables’ biggest compromises far less noticeable. According to ZDNet, Samsung Display is developing what it calls CTG (Center Etched Thin Glass), a next-generation version of the ultra-thin glass used in today’s foldable OLED panels. Industry sources cited by the publication claim the technology could be ready for commercial devices as early as next year, although it’s still under development and no adoption has been confirmed.

TL;DR A leak has revealed marketing material for the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. The leak confirms a few details about the base model, such as a stated 30 hours of battery life, 55% charge in five minutes, and 30x Super Zoom. It also confirms that the Fold will have a stated 24-hours of battery life, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and more. As we inch closer to the Made by Google event on August 12, leaks are coming in hard and fast. Just earlier today, we were treated to a leak that dished the details on the Pixel Watch 5’s specs. On the heels of that leak, another has come for the Pixel 11 and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Reliable leaker evleaks has offered several leaks leading up to Google’s showcase next week. It looks like he isn’t stopping quite yet, as more images are emerging online. And these aren’t just any images, as these appear to be marketing material for the two phones.

Amazon just cut the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 down to $674.99, saving you $225 off the $899.99 recommended retail price. That is a 25% discount relative to the RRP, and it is a deal worth a look right now, especially since it is also lower than the $749.99 we saw over the last 30 days. See the deal at Amazon

TL;DR Samsung has posted a message on the Members app in South Korea, confirming the red tint issue on the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s screen can be fixed with a software patch. Alternatively, affected device owners can also walk into their nearby Samsung service center for a fix. Samsung didn’t say when it would roll out the software update that would save customers a visit to the service center. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is among the top flagships you can get right now. So it came as a bit of a shock to some owners when they discovered an irritating red tint around the middle of the screen. Samsung then offered some good news, saying this wasn’t a hardware issue at all and could be patched with a software update. The company is now delivering this message front and center to customers affected by screen discoloration on their Galaxy S26 Ultra. A notice has just gone up for South Korean users of the Samsung Members app, shared by SamMobile, confirming that the red screen problem can be patched via a software update or a “software calibration fix.” While the latter can be achieved by visiting a local Samsung service center, the company hasn’t provided a detailed timeline for the broader software update.

Ring’s newest Battery Doorbell is built to give you a better view of what’s happening at your front door, and there’s a solid Amazon deal on it right now. This latest model, also known as the Battery Doorbell (2nd Gen), focuses on seeing more of your porch area while keeping the handy smart doorbell features Ring is known for. See the deal at Amazon

TL;DR Google’s been developing a new rear RGB LED notification matrix for Pixel 11 Pro phones. Early evidence pointed to a Pixel Glow name, but that’s recently been challenged by “HiLight.” Now the latest leak adds further support towards Google calling this the HiLight. Every so often, Google tries something new with Pixel hardware, giving us something unusual like Active Edge squeeze input, or an infrared thermometer. With the upcoming Pixel 11 series, we’ve been tracking work on a new LED notification system for months now, seemingly under development with the name Pixel Glow. But as we started to close in on Google’s August 12 launch event, a new name suddenly entered the running: Could this launch as “HiLight,” instead? Today that alternate name picks up some strong new support. Remember: While we’ve found references to Pixel Glow throughout in-development Google software, we’ve yet to actually see those words pop up in any Pixel marketing material. But now as leaks increasingly include apparent Google promotional imagery, we’re finally seeing a name applied to this feature — and it’s not Pixel Glow.

Credit: Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR Users can contact T-Mobile’s support team to request that a bill credit be applied to their account for the outage last week. The amount the carrier is offering varies by customer. One customer was able to get as much as $80 in credits. Last week, a massive outage affected hundreds of thousands of T-Mobile customers. If that unexpected downtime left your phone inactive, you may be eligible for compensation. However, it will require a small bit of work on your end, as this compensation won’t be applied automatically. T-Mobile is currently offering bill credits to members who were affected by the July 27 outage. To get your bill credit, you’ll need to contact the carrier’s support team and make a request that a credit be applied to your account. The best way to go about it will probably be to get in touch through the T-Life app.

Amazon has cut the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to $977, down from its $1,299.99 recommended retail price. That saves you $322.99, which is a 25% discount relative to the RRP, and it is a strong price for Samsung’s top Galaxy phone. See the deal at Amazon

TL;DR Purported marketing materials and specs for the Pixel Watch 5 have leaked. The materials show minimal changes from Pixel Watch 4, including more storage and nominally larger batteries. The Pixel Watch 5 will be officially unveiled next week in New York. Leakers are doing their level best to reveal everything about Google’s latest phones and wearables ahead of the company’s hardware event in New York next week. We’ve already seen plenty of info about the yet-unannounced Pixel Watch 5, and today, a new leak is leaving very little to the imagination. Working with OnLeaks, MyMobiles has published a large tranche of marketing materials for the Pixel Watch 5. The leak includes full specs for the new wearable and also reaffirms some previously leaked info — including, unfortunately, the fact that the new watch will cost more than the last model.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook is built for the kind of daily laptop use most people actually need, and Best Buy has it on sale right now. This Lenovo model packs a 14-inch 2K touchscreen into a slim, lightweight design that is easy to carry for school, web browsing, streaming, and everyday tasks. See the deal at Best Buy

Credit: Calvin Wankhede / Android Authority TL;DR Security researchers at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 discovered three malware attack paths targeting Google Password Manager’s synced passkeys on Windows PCs. The attacks exploit device trust, onboarding, and recovery mechanisms rather than breaking passkey cryptography itself. The most severe technique, Golden Pass-ta-key, allows attackers to recover the master secret and decrypt all synced passkeys tied to an account. Every attack requires malware to be running on the victim’s Windows PC, making endpoint security the biggest takeaway. While most people may have heard of passkeys, many still don’t fully understand how they work. But according to new research, understanding what passkeys don’t protect you from may be just as important as understanding what they do. Researchers from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 (via Bleeping Computer) uncovered three ways malware on a compromised Windows PC could abuse Google Password Manager’s synced passkeys by exploiting weaknesses in device trust and recovery, rather than breaking passkey cryptography itself.

Credit: Narwal Building a smarter home used to mean a lot of DIY, continuously checking compatibility, and simply hoping that everything works together. Things are a lot more plug-and-play nowadays, and the technology and gadgets have become a lot more advanced, too. No smart home conversation is complete without robot vacuums getting most of the attention, with the category getting more capable and more affordable every year. But a great home setup is about more than clean floors. The right speaker, TV, security kit, and even a pet feeder can take the load off your daily routine and make everything a lot easier.

Credit: Evan Blass / Google The Pixel 11 series’ arrival has been confirmed for next week. The leaks we’ve seen so far — and we’ve seen plenty — paint a banal picture of the upgrades Google’s new phones could bring. That isn’t stopping Pixel fans from wishing for silent, or invisible, upgrades to the Pixel 11 — and there’s one that shines brighter than others. My colleague Robert Triggs recently argued why the Pixel 11 series has him seriously worried. In the article, he highlighted what he sees as possibly the most lackluster upgrades Google could bring — or potential upgrades it could overlook — with the upcoming phones, with a dissatisfying battery life topping his list of reasons. A survey conducted as part of the article received more than 6,300 votes from Android Authority readers, confirming that’s exactly what fans want Google to prioritize fixing.

TL;DR Nothing has launched the new CMF Clip Pro under its CMF sub-brand for just £79. The CMF Clip Pro open-ear earbuds weigh 6.5g each and use a three-point clip structure with a flexible 0.5mm titanium wire C-bridge to eliminate wearing fatigue. Other notable features include a rotatable and customizable Smart Dial on the case, LDAC support, and an app-controlled Sound Seal system to minimize audio leakage. Nothing was reportedly said to be shifting to an AI-first strategy, with wearables and audio products taking priority over smartphones in a phased rollout. While the company didn’t comment on the report, Nothing’s CMF sub-brand has now officially announced the CMF Clip Pro, an open-ear earbud that marks the company’s entry into the increasingly crowded open-ear audio race. With the CMF Clip Pro, Nothing is tackling the real-world problems of wearing fatigue and sound quality that plague open-ear earbuds. The Clip Pro utilizes a distinctive three-point clip design that distributes clamping pressure across three contact points on the ear rather than focusing it on a single spot. The structure features a flexible titanium wire C-bridge wrapped in skin-friendly TPU, which Nothing says contours to virtually any ear shape.

TL;DR A prominent leaker has revealed key details about the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5V chipset that will debut on the Redmi K100 Pro in China next week. The cost-effective chipset will reportedly offer CPU performance on par with other 8 Elite Gen 5 versions, but with a slightly underpowered GPU. Given the rising component costs, this cost-effective Qualcomm chip may be the preferred choice for phone makers. The global RAM crisis has already forced smartphone manufacturers to bump up prices, and there are no signs of the trend abating anytime soon. In the meantime, we’ve learned that chipmaker Qualcomm is developing a cost-effective version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Well, the first phone featuring this SoC is about to launch in China next week, and we’re gaining some early insight into its performance. Popular leaker Digital Chat Station shared some insights about the unreleased phone and its chipset on Weibo. For starters, this chip, known as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5V (SM8850-1-AB), appears to be built using the same TSMC N3P manufacturing process as other 8 Elite Gen 5 models. It also retains high-performance 4.6GHz Oryon CPU cores.

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Outdoor TVs have gained popularity in recent years, but your options still aren’t as wide as with regular TVs. The main brands are still Sylvox, Samsung, and Sunbrite. Of course, only one of these brands is widely known, so it’s hard to decide which best fits your needs. How do you pick? After all, getting one of these represents a solid investment in your outdoor entertainment. Don’t you worry! You don’t have to go through trial and error or spend your hard-earned money without knowing which is the right match. These are very expensive, after all (especially Samsung ones). I am doing all the hard work for you and comparing three of the main brands and models. My yard seriously looks like a multi-screen outdoor theater! I have the 65-inch models of the Sylvox Cinema Series, Samsung’s The Terrace, and a Sunbrite Solis.

TL;DR The OnePlus 16 could come with a 9,000mAh dual-cell battery and 100W flash charge support, per a new leak. It could also come with a 200MP main camera, ultra-narrow bezels, and a new generation of stereo speakers. The OnePlus 16 could start at ~$740, and go up to ~$1,110 for the top variant with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. OnePlus may have pulled out of North America and Europe, but the company recently confirmed that it’s working on its next flagship phone: the OnePlus 16. Now, a couple of new leaks are shedding light on the battery specs, configurations, and expected pricing of the upcoming phone. According to a Weibo post by leaker Digital Chat Station (DCS), the OnePlus 16 has entered trial production. DCS also mentions that the phone will use two 4,390mAh battery packs for a total battery capacity of 8,780mAh. That’s in line with previous reports that suggested a 9,000mAh typical battery capacity for the OnePlus 16. The leak also states that the phone will support 100W flash charging.

TL;DR Security researchers discovered that popular Samsung TV apps (like Pac-Man) secretly contained residential proxy SDKs from data brokers like Bright Data. Samsung is officially banning proxy SDKs, halting new app submissions, and purging existing offending apps from its store. The enforcement follows LG’s similar crackdown after research revealed over 42% of webOS apps secretly shared home bandwidth. Samsung is cracking down on Smart TV apps that bundle residential proxy software after security researchers found the technology embedded in several popular gaming titles, including one the company had previously promoted as an Editor’s Choice recommendation. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that it has already blocked new Smart TV app submissions that include residential proxy functionality. It is now rolling out stricter developer policies while working to remove existing apps containing the software.

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR The lock screen on Pixel devices may soon allow users to add app shortcuts. While other Android brands let you add widgets to the lock screen, Pixels limit users to basic shortcuts such as flashlight and camera. Among Android OEMs, Samsung already lets users add app shortcuts to the lock screen. The lock screen on Pixel devices may currently seem limited compared to rival Android devices. Google currently lacks the option to add lock screen widgets that a host of others, seemingly inspired by iOS, have, and currently limits users to basic shortcuts placed at the bottom of the screen — unless you use an unofficial app to tap into hidden lock screen features. That could change soon, as Google seems to be testing an option that not only outpaces other Android rivals but also iOS. 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.

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR The team behind the polished ARMSX2 emulator has released ARMSX1 for Android. This is a PS1 emulator with plenty of features and configuration options. The app is quite unpolished at this early juncture, so you should stick with emulators like DuckStation for now. ARMSX2 is our new favorite PS2 emulator on Android, owing to its breakneck update pace, continuous performance improvements, and growing array of options. The team behind the app isn’t resting here, as it’s just released a PS1 emulator. Say hello to ARMSX1. ARMSX1 for Android brings a number of noteworthy features and options. For starters, you should expect a UI in line with ARMSX2. That means library and shelf views, custom backgrounds, a variety of themes (including Material You), tabbed settings, and in-depth touch control customization.

Credit: Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority TL;DR We’ve spotted documentation and a rear render that confirms Samsung is working on the Galaxy Fit 4 with model number SM-R391. The device likely features a Goodix GH3036 optical sensor module for low-power heart rate and sleep tracking, along with Bluetooth Low Energy support. The rear render shows a device that is near-identical to the Galaxy Fit 3. Samsung appears ready to refresh its entry-level fitness-tracking lineup with the Galaxy Fit 4, a direct successor to the Galaxy Fit 3. We’ve spotted documentation and a render of the Galaxy Fit 4 that confirm the upcoming wearable is well into development, picking up where the Galaxy Fit 3 left off, and lending weight to earlier reports that a Galaxy Fit 4 would arrive this year. According to information we’ve reviewed, Samsung is working on a new fitness wearable with model number SM-R391, explicitly designated as “FIT4” in some documents. Here’s what the back of the device looks like:

I’ve carried both the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro as my daily drivers since they launched. In fact, I’ve used every single Pixel phone ever made, and I still think Google offers the best Android experience you can buy today. So when Google confirmed its annual Made by Google event for August 12, I was genuinely excited. On paper, the Pixel 11 Pro looks like a pretty significant overhaul. In fact, between the process switch and the new modem, it could be Google’s biggest under-the-hood hardware overhaul in years. The problem is that it arrives at a point where upgrading from a recent Pixel flagship simply doesn’t make much sense for me.