Android

TL;DR Pixel Watch 5 gets its first update with September security fixes and software improvements. Google highlights Gemini’s personalized, offline, and proactive capabilities on the watch. Expanded hand gestures make navigating the watch faster and more hands-free. Google recently gave Pixel Watch 5 owners something to tinker with by publishing the smartwatch’s factory images. Now, the company is rolling out the watch’s first software update with new security fixes, bumping the firmware from CD5A.260611.008 to CP3A.260905.002. The September update keeps the Pixel Watch 5 on Wear OS 7, based on Android 17, and Google says it will roll out in phases by carrier and device. But this first update has an odd twist. Despite the new firmware build, Google’s extensive changelog mostly reads like a recap of the software features that arrived with the Pixel Watch 5 at launch.

Credit: Tushar Mehta / Android Authority TL;DR Wear OS users are reporting that Gemini has lost the ability to control their smart home devices. When asking Gemini to perform a task, nothing happens, but the assistant will still say it carried out the action. It appears Gemini has no problems controlling devices when a phone or smart speaker is used. Google recently rolled out an update to Gemini for Home that expanded the range of voice commands across media and home device controls. This change also allows you to combine media commands with other types of commands. While that’s great and all, it appears that the assistant also lost a crucial ability for some users around the same time. According to dozens of Wear OS users on Reddit (1, 2), Gemini has lost the ability to control smart home devices. When using their smartwatch to ask Gemini to perform a task, nothing happens, but the assistant will still say it carried out the action. According to the original poster, this error occurred across all of their smart devices, including their lights, AC, vacuum, and more.

TL;DR While Quick Share has been limited to smartphones so far, the Google Pixel Tablet may have recently gained support. However, the Quick Share FAQs page doesn’t mention support for the 2023 tablet. Quick Share transfers to Apple devices are currently supported by a handful of Pixel and Galaxy phones, along with phones from OnePlus, OPPO, vivo, and HONOR. Google shook up the mobile industry last year by enabling Quick Share support for Apple iPhones via AirDrop. Although this feature still requires a select few smartphones to work, Google may have quietly added support for its nearly forgotten 2023 tablet. Thanks to a tip from Joe Lenington on X, we’re getting a good look at the Quick Share interface for file sharing with Apple devices on an Android 17-based Google Pixel Tablet. The onscreen prompt suggests support was added recently, though we can’t say exactly when.

Credit: Stephen Radochia / Android Authority TL;DR Leaked sketches suggest Motorola is working on a wide foldable to join its flip and tall-book-style lineup. The sketches reveal a wide horizontal camera bar similar to the Xiaomi 18 Fold, an easy-open profile, a creaseless display, 3D glass, and ultra-slim housing. Motorola’s wide foldable is said to launch in the “coming months,” though concrete details are not yet available. Wide foldables are all the rage this year. Apple’s imminent entry into the market with the iPhone Ultra foldable prompted Android brands to pivot to this wide foldable form factor. That’s been a good move so far, with the wide Galaxy Z Fold 8 actually selling better than even Samsung expected. Now, it seems Motorola is also gearing up to dip its toes into the wide foldable form factor. AndroidHeadlines reports, citing an anonymous source, that Motorola is working on a wide foldable that could sit alongside the company’s existing book-style and flip foldables.

TL;DR AT&T is offering the Galaxy S26 FE for as little as $2.43 per month. New and existing customers can get the deal when adding a line, with no trade-in required. Business customers can get the phone for $0 per month with a new line. If you missed the chance to grab the Galaxy S26 FE with a $200 Amazon gift card, there’s another deal worth checking out. AT&T is now offering Samsung’s latest Fan Edition phone for under $3 per month, and you don’t need a trade-in to get it. Starting today, new and existing AT&T customers can get the Galaxy S26 FE for $2.43 per month when they add a line and order online. That’s based on a 36-month installment plan with bill credits, with no trade-in required.

Credit: Adamya Sharma / Android Authority Most consumer power banks are designed to sit in a pocket or a bag until you need to plug something in. That’s great if you only need to charge your phone, but these don’t work as well when you’re trying to run a camera, a wireless mic, and a monitor off the same battery during a long shoot. There’s rarely a clean way to attach the power bank itself, so you often end up improvising with cable ties, tape, or Velcro straps. The Nano Power Bank series addresses this problem directly. The two models – the Nano 36 and the Nano 72 – in the lineup come with built-in 1/4″-20 threaded holes and dedicated V-mount plates, so they can be attached to camera cages, tripods, gimbals, and other accessories in SmallRig’s existing ecosystem. The power bank becomes part of the rig itself, giving you a tighter setup and making it easier to move between locations.

TL;DR Leaked renders give us our first look at the OPPO Find X10 Pro Max’s redesigned rear. The flagship could become the first smartphone with three 200MP rear cameras. It could come with a huge camera island housing three lenses, along with separate flash and sensor cutouts. OPPO’s Find X10 Pro Max has gone from a wild camera rumor to a phone that’s starting to look very real. New leaked renders now give us our first look at the design reportedly built around those three 200MP rear cameras. The images, shared on Weibo by tipster Fixed Focus Digital, show a significant departure from the Find X9 series. A large rectangular camera plateau spans much of the phone’s upper rear, with a raised square module sitting inside it. That inner module houses three sizeable camera lenses, while an LED flash and another sensor sit separately beside it.

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority TL;DR September 2026 brings a busy “Techtember” flagship launch season featuring Apple, Xiaomi, HUAWEI, vivo, OPPO, and HONOR. Android brands appear to be shifting from the “Ultra” name to “Pro Max” to adjust specs and (slightly) lower prices to better compete with Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max. Key highlights for these “Pro Max” flagships include next-gen silicon from Qualcomm, MediaTek, HUAWEI, and Apple, as well as massive camera setups with up to triple 200MP sensors. September 2026 is shaping up to be one of the busiest Techtember seasons in many years. Not only are we expecting Apple to shake up the market with the iPhone Ultra foldable, but we’re also expecting new flagship silicon from both Qualcomm and MediaTek to power the next generation of flagships. With Android’s Ultras almost out of the picture, Android brands are also expected to release their own “Pro Max” flagships to compete with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, with some of them set to reach global markets. Here are the Pro Max phones we expect to launch in September, along with their highlight features! Leaker Digital Chat Station has summed up on Weibo all the Pro Max phones launching this month in the ultimate “Pro Max” showdown:

Credit: TECNO Co-branded phones sometimes mean a simple color swap and a partner logo on the back. But at their best, they highlight real collaboration: two brands sit down together, work out what matters to each, and build a device around that shared thinking. That’s exactly what TECNO sets out to do with Tonino Lamborghini on the TECNO POVA 8 Pro 5G Tonino Lamborghini Limited Edition. It starts with a question: what could connect the mobile phone brand and the Italian lifestyle brand with a new generation of users? The answer TECNO and Tonino Lamborghini arrived at is boldness. Once you see how consistently that idea shows up across the design, the phone’s software, and its performance, it’s clear how well the partnership works. Here’s what you need to know.

TL;DR The Google Gemini app is testing a couple of design updates, specifically for the camera interface and the @ menu. Interestingly, the under-development camera interface appears to be inspired by the ChatGPT mobile app. Meanwhile, the @ menu refresh could make it cleaner while also hiding disabled Connected Apps from view. The Google Gemini app’s overall UI has changed a fair bit over the past couple of years, and all signs point to more changes coming up. We recently spotted design tweaks to the Gemini Live interface, and can now report on a possible refresh of the app’s camera UI, along with a significant overhaul of the ‘@’ menu. 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.

Starting small goes a long way: 2D UV printing You may think full-color 3D printing is a must-have for HeyGears G1X Series, but the G1X Series also offers a pack for 2D UV and 3D Texture Printing, priced at just $2,799 after the limited-time cashback. The first and easiest way to get started with the G1X printer is printing in 2D on over 400 base materials, like plastic, metal, wood, glass, ceramic, leather, acrylic, and more. Have a tile you want with your design on? It’s really easy to do with HeyGears’ slicer, Blueprint Studio: Place your material in the center of the print bed, start a new Project, select your printer, start the Positioning sequence, and the Blueprint Studio software will automatically calibrate and find the edges of your materials on the print bed so you can import your image or design and rescale to your heart’s desire–then hit Print.

TL;DR Samsung has begun rolling out the One UI 9 Watch beta for the Galaxy Watch 7 and the first-gen Galaxy Watch Ultra. The update is currently live in South Korea, but could land in the US over the coming days. This comes as the company has already started rolling out the second One UI 9 Watch beta for the Galaxy Watch 8. The Galaxy Watch 9 and the Watch Ultra 2 are the only two smartwatches that currently run One UI 9 Watch out of the box. Samsung wasted no time rolling out the beta for some of its older wearables, starting with the Galaxy Watch 8 not too long ago. Now it’s the Galaxy Watch 7 and the first-generation Galaxy Watch Ultra’s turn to get the Wear OS 7-based beta. Samsung appears to be rolling out the update to the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra in South Korea. Screenshots shared in Samsung’s community forum highlight some of the changes, including an upgraded Samsung Health app with improved sleep insights, as well as improved UI elements and other additions (via SamMobile).

Credit: IGameShit / Reddit TL;DR MapQuest has launched experimental Android Auto support, bringing its mapping service directly to vehicle dashboards. The expansion follows a surge in viral popularity that propelled the nearly 30-year-old navigation service into the top 10 free app store charts after it took a stand against renaming “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America.” The update adds crowdsourced incident reporting, though early testers report unpolished performance and leftover iOS code. MapQuest is testing experimental support for Android Auto, finally bringing the navigation service directly to vehicle dashboards on Google’s platform. While Google continues to refine its in-car Android Auto experience, MapQuest’s sudden arrival introduces a surprising alternative for drivers looking beyond the default navigation apps. MapQuest announced the app’s arrival on Android Auto via an X post, showcasing the changelog for its September 1 update.

TL;DR Google is working on a new animation for Search Live. It will feature blurry, colorful blobs at the bottom of the screen while Search Live is active. Google is also working on a tweaked UI for Search Live. If there’s one thing Google loves more than integrating AI into every app it has, it’s tweaking the UI and animations across the plethora of apps and services it offers. So it’s not entirely surprising that the company is working on a new Search Live animation in the Google app, as well as a subtle UI tweak. 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: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority TL;DR A leaked Exynos 2700 die shot has revealed plenty of details about the new flagship Android chipset. The processor could have a deca-core CPU consisting of two C2 Ultra big cores and eight C2 Pro medium cores. We’ve also got an Xclipse 970 GPU and what looks like a huge NPU, with the latter hinting at improved AI performance. Samsung is expected to use both the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and the in-house Exynos 2700 chipset in the Galaxy S27 phones. We’ve already heard a few rumors about the Exynos 2700, but a massive new leak may have revealed all the major specs. SemiAnalysis on X (thanks, Dylan H!) posted a die shot of the Exynos 2700, giving us a look at what could be the actual chipset. The outlet also labeled the processor, revealing major details in the process. Check out the image below.

TL;DR Google Photos can now be connected to Gemini Spark. Spark can run multi-stage workflows in Google Photos, including photo editing and sharing. It can also perform recurring tasks on your Photos library. Gemini Spark has been getting all the love from Google over the past couple of months. The company has been trying to make Spark easier to access on mobile and is adding new features and capabilities to the AI assistant. Now, it has added yet another integration to Gemini Spark that could make it even more useful. Google announced today that Google Photos can now be integrated with Gemini Spark (spotted via PetaPixel). This means you can finally get Spark to do all the busywork on your backed-up photos that you’ve been meaning to get to but just haven’t found the time for.

I’ve tried smartwatches from every major brand, and have run nearly 2,000 miles with a smartwatch on my wrist. There are plenty of excellent options on the market — I usually switch between wearing a Garmin, an Apple Watch, or a Galaxy Watch on my wrist. I enjoyed my time trying out OnePlus and Withings watches, too. Google’s Pixel Watch is the one smartwatch model that never felt right, and after playing around with the Pixel Watch 5 in a hands-on session, I’m still not ready to buy one. Google is really starting to tempt me. The domed Actua 360 display looks absolutely gorgeous, especially when paired with a polished silver aluminum case and metal band. The accuracy of the Pixel Watch’s dual-frequency GPS can hang with the best fitness watches on the market. Plus, Google’s fitness and health suite is finally fit to compete with Apple and Samsung’s offerings. Despite all the improvements, I can’t replace my smartwatches with a Pixel Watch until Google makes these five changes.

The Tensor G6 is Google’s current flagship chipset, powering its flagship smartphone line, the Pixel 11. The silicon series’ long-running focus on bolstering AI workloads continues with this release, with Google claiming significant gains over the Tensor G5 in daily tasks like web browsing and app launches, as well as machine learning-adjacent tasks. However, this also means that the Tensor G6 loses ground to the competition in other areas, namely gaming and raw performance metrics. After my colleague Rob Triggs put the G6 through its paces, he came to the following conclusion:

TL;DR One UI 9 Watch Beta 2 arrives in Korea with fixes for Health, watch face, and AOD issues. The Galaxy Watch 8 series gets improved stability with the September security patch. Samsung is still refining the Wear OS 7-based software ahead of wider availability. Samsung is giving its latest smartwatch software a little more polish after kicking off the One UI 9 Watch beta program for the Galaxy Watch 8 series last month. The first beta brought a substantial visual overhaul, new watch face customization, safety tools, and deeper Samsung Health insights. But as with any early software release, it still had a few rough edges. Samsung is now addressing some of those with the second One UI 9 Watch beta. The update is rolling out to Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic users in South Korea who are enrolled in the beta program, with firmware version ZZI1, according to SammyGuru. It also includes the September 2026 security patch, giving testers a newer security baseline as Samsung continues working on the Wear OS 7-based software.

I love the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It’s a fantastic experience, with a wider cover screen and landscape-dominant inner display that’s ideal for content and multitasking. However, I understand it’s not for everyone. It’s not an inexpensive phone, and people who are paying $1,900 are going to be more demanding. The cameras aren’t flagship-level, and the form factor isn’t for everyone. Thankfully, Motorola has the ideal alternative. Unlike the Z Fold 8 Ultra, it won’t cost you more than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it has many of the features buyers love if you’re sold on a more traditional book-style form factor.

TL;DR The new Reolink OMVI 2i Ultra uses two cameras, allowing one to capture a wide view while the other tracks and zooms in on a subject. Reolink’s upgraded ReoNeura AI can learn custom scenarios around your home, while the $199.99 Home Hub 2 adds local storage and natural-language video search without a subscription. Reolink is also expanding smart home support and launching the $199.99 TrackFlex WiFi with 4K dual-lens video, auto-tracking, and AI-powered detection. Home security cameras become a lot more important when you have kids or pets running around. Whether you’re checking if your dog is getting into trouble, making sure the kids got home safely, or keeping an eye on a package outside your door, being able to quickly see what’s happening can offer some much-needed peace of mind. That’s where the new Reolink OMVI 2i Ultra could come in handy. Unveiled at IFA 2026, the wire-free security camera gives you two sets of eyes on the same area — one to capture the bigger picture and another to follow whatever deserves a closer look.

TL;DR Philips Hue has announced the Hue Play Screen Sync camera and Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 4K. The Screen Sync camera can sync lights with native smart TV apps and broadcast content and is priced at $119.99. The HDMI Sync Box comes with a slimmer profile and a single HDMI input for $149.99. We’ve seen several leaks of upcoming Philips Hue devices over the last couple of months, and the company has finally made almost all of them official. This includes a bunch of new hardware, smart lights, and software updates coming to Philips Hue devices. The Philips Hue Play Screen Sync camera, which leaked a few months ago, is now official. It uses a fisheye lens to capture the full content playing on a TV in real time and uses that information to sync compatible smart lights in the room. The Hue Play Screen Sync is a plug-and-play device with automatic calibration, so you only need to place it above your TV.

It was somewhere around this time last year that we began seeing leaked renders of a purported Galaxy S26 Pro model, but this obviously didn’t pan out. Once again, we’re seeing fresh rumors that Samsung might introduce a new Pro model with the Galaxy S27 series in early 2027, and the leaks look more plausible this time around. Along with the rumored redesign of the Galaxy S27 Ultra, the new Galaxy S27 Pro is expected to feature the same design, but in a smaller form factor. I’m really excited about this change because Samsung’s non-Ultra phones have suffered from an identity crisis ever since the Galaxy S23 series. The Plus model in the Galaxy S trio has always had an awkward positioning in the lineup, as it was a bit too pricey and lacked the premium features of the Ultra. I don’t see any wiggle room for a fourth model between the current Plus and Ultra phones, which means the S27 Plus will have to give way for the S27 Pro — and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Credit: Adamya Sharma / Android Authority Going bezel-free has been an obsession in the smartphone industry for years. Every generation, phone makers find another millimeter to shave off, whether through clever display packaging, curved glass, or squeezing more hardware into less space. Apple, too, is reportedly on track to launch a zero-bezel device next year. But here at IFA 2026, TECNO wants to take that race to the very end with its new 0mm bezelless Android smartphone.

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR The HONOR Magic 9 series will apparently gain a 500mm external camera lens, equivalent to ~20.8x zoom. This would beat the vivo X300 Ultra’s 400mm teleconverter, which is equivalent to ~16.6x zoom. We do have concerns about the size and weight of the 500mm lens, though. The vivo X200 Ultra debuted a 200mm teleconverter lens last year, allowing users to take high-quality ~8x zoom photos. We’ve since seen an escalation of the external lens war, with the vivo X300 Ultra now offering a 400mm teleconverter. However, a new leak suggests that HONOR could up the ante. Long-time leaker Digital Chat Station reports on Weibo that the HONOR Magic 9 series could have a 500mm teleconverter lens. This equates to a ridiculous ~20.8x tele zoom. Check out the machine-translated screenshot below.