Android

I’ve been using LLM-based AI in some capacity for roughly half a decade, and in that time, the industry has changed significantly. Not only have newer competitors like Gemini and Claude arrived on the scene, but older tools like ChatGPT have also evolved dramatically. We’ve seen better third-party app integration, increased reasoning capabilities, and countless other advancements. However, I would argue that the ability to retain memories matters most. Retaining context from previous conversations helps the AI better anticipate your needs within a single session. It also allows the tool to learn more about you, ensuring that future conversations are tailored to your preferences. However, there is a real downside to memory accumulation that not everyone considers. I’ve found that starting with a new AI usually requires significant input to generate the responses I need and fully understand my user profile. Once it reaches this data “sweet spot,” the AI becomes much more pleasant to use. Yet, slowly over time, the experience often seems to degrade again.

TL;DR Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 is now available for Pixel testers to install. The new builds arrive two weeks after Google released QPR2 Beta 3. Like past QPR2 releases, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are no longer supported. With August nearly behind us, Google’s September Feature Drop could be nearly ready to arrive any day now. That’s the software the company’s been testing as Android 17 QPR1, which hit its Beta 9 release earlier this month. But that’s not all that Google’s been cooking up, and we’ve also been following work on what’s likely to be our big year-end update, in development now as QPR2. It’s been two weeks since QPR2 Beta 3 landed, and today Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 is arriving right on schedule. Google shares that Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 is arriving today for Pixel testers, either as build CP41.260814.003.A2, or CP41.260814.003.B1, depending on your hardware.

Credit: Taylor Kerns / Android Authority TL;DR Google Calendar is getting an update that allows meeting organizers or their delegates to choose whether or not to receive RSVP emails and automatic responses. The new setting is beneficial for organizers who don’t need to be informed about every individual attendee’s response. The gradual rollout starts today for all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. Have you ever set up a meeting in Google Calendar and gotten overwhelmed by all the RSVP emails and automatic responses? While it can be useful to know who is and isn’t attending your event, having your inbox get flooded by these messages is far from ideal. It’s just one of the app’s annoying quirks. But Google is finally solving this problem in Calendar’s latest update. In a blog post, the tech giant announced it is rolling out a new Calendar setting. The new setting will allow meeting organizers or their delegates to choose whether or not to receive RSVP emails and automatic responses (like out-of-office emails). This option is called “Get an email when guests respond,” and it will appear just above the option to write a description.

TL;DR Some people are using athletic tape to attach their Fitbit Air trackers directly to their skin. At least one user reports that they have been wearing their Fitbit Air on their ankle, held in place by their sock. These alternative ways of wearing the tracker aren’t officially supported, but apparently don’t interfere much with tracking. The Fitbit Air is a minimal take on the fitness wearable, being a relatively affordable, low-profile, screenless option that’s meant to passively track your activity. Some users are taking it even further, ditching bands altogether by sticking the tracker’s body directly to their own bodies. 9to5Google has rounded up a handful of posts from Reddit in which Fitbit Air users are showing off their unconventional tracker placement. Apparently a lot of folks independently had the idea to pop the tracker body out of its band and tape it right to their bicep.

TL;DR Spotify could soon let Free users host their own collaborative Jams, removing the current Premium-only requirement. Jams hosted by Free users may force shuffle, limit skips, and cap the queue for everyone, including Premium participants. App strings in Spotify 9.1.82.19 hint at the change, but there’s no guarantee the feature will actually roll out. Spotify released Jam, a fully collaborative real-time playlist that can be joined by up to 32 individuals, back in September of 2023. It’s one of Spotify’s best features, and it’s turning three next month. To celebrate the occasion, the music streaming giant might finally be ready to make hosting Jams a lot more accessible. For reference, joining and participating in Jams is available to all, but hosting one requires you to be a Spotify Premium subscriber. Essentially, joining someone’s party is a free affair, but if you want to host a party, you’ll have to open up your wallet. That caveat, however, could soon disappear.

Credit: Paul Jones / Android Authority TL;DR One UI 9 Beta 7 for the Galaxy S26 lets you add Netflix recommendations to Now Brief. Once enabled, Now Brief will show a “Top picks for you” card. The feature is also available on the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8. Samsung just recently started rolling out One UI 9 Beta 7 for the Galaxy S26 series. This update includes a few new additions we’re still discovering, such as new Bixby features. Adding to that list, Now Brief is getting a useful upgrade for movie lovers. Spotted by @Smasithick on X, there’s a new option you can select for Now Brief content. One UI 9 Beta 7 adds a toggle for Netflix. By going to Galaxy AI > Now Brief > Contents, you’ll be able to enable the option. Once enabled, it should appear among Now Brief’s content sources.

TL;DR Google Store trade-in values toward the Pixel 11 series have dropped. New trade value offered for recent Pixel models is up to $150 lower, but most differences are closer to $50. The new values are in effect through September. Google offered launch-window bonuses for trade-ins toward its new Pixel 11 series, with trades fetching as much as $1,000 (if you were trading a Pixel 10 Pro Fold, anyway). Those bonuses have unfortunately come to an end, and Google’s rolled out new, lower trade-in values. As noted by Droid Life, the Google Store is showing new trade values toward the Pixel 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and 11 Pro Fold today. The new amounts are up to $150 lower than yesterday, which isn’t great for anybody who missed the outgoing deals. But most of the new values aren’t quite so drastically different.

TL;DR Google Home users have been finding devices refusing to add items to their Google Keep lists. Google teased a possible fix earlier this week, but it wasn’t clear if it was for the same issue. The company now confirms that a fix is actually available. If you’re the sort of organized person who likes keeping all your to-dos neatly entered into lists, Google Home may have been causing you some headaches these past few days. Users have been complaining about their Home devices losing the ability to add items to Google Keep lists via convenient voice commands. The good news is that Google says those glitches should now all be finally worked out. We actually heard from Google a couple days ago about progress towards a fix, but its messaging at the time was a little confusing. The company told impacted users that it was “rolling out a fix for some UI issues,” which we suppose technically could describe the problems users reported, but felt like an odd way to put it. Later, Google clarified that we were actually dealing with two distinct issues here:

Credit: Garmin TL;DR The latest Garmin CIRQA update may have broken Bluetooth heart rate broadcasting. Users are reporting that Bluetooth connections are dropping out or failing completely. A Garmin representative says that the issue has been forwarded for investigation, and work on a resolution is underway. The Garmin CIRQA has had a bit of a rocky start since its launch back in July. Garmin stepped on a rake when it initially decided to paywall a basic fitness tracking feature. To the company’s credit, it quickly made the feature subscription-free after the backlash. However, the latest update may have now broken one of the fitness tracker’s more popular features. Spotted by the folks over at Gadgets and Wearables, a growing number of CIRQA owners are reporting that heart rate broadcasting isn’t working. While ANT+ appears to be fine, there are issues with Bluetooth connections. According to the thread, the problems began after updating to firmware version 2.50, which was released on August 20.

Backyard hangs, pool days, and park trips all call for a speaker that is easy to carry and tough enough to handle the mess. The good news is there’s a strong deal live right now on the AOC Portable Bluetooth Speaker at Amazon, making it a low-cost pick for casual listening away from home. See the deal at Amazon

The TCL NXTPAPER 14 Android Tablet stands out right away thanks to its huge 14.3-inch display and its paper-like screen design. TCL built this tablet for people who read, write, sketch, and watch videos on a bigger screen, and there’s a solid Amazon deal on it right now. See the deal at Amazon

Busy homes can get messy fast, especially when pet hair, crumbs, and daily dust keep building up on hard floors. The Roborock Q7 M5 Plus Robot Vacuum and Mop is built for that kind of routine cleanup, and there’s a solid deal on it at Amazon right now. See the deal at Amazon

TL;DR Google Health 5.07 improves manual workout logging, maps, and running-distance tracking, including trail and incline runs. Weight tracking gets a visual tweak, making major and long-term changes easier to spot on the graph. Health Connect gets a fix for Android users whose connection to Google Health was unexpectedly disappearing. Google’s ambitions with its new Google Health app are now starting to feel a lot less fragmented. For reference, the Fitbit app transformed into an all-new Google Health experience earlier in May, but it left a bad taste in longtime users’ mouths. We noted that the app leads with long paragraphs, launched without nutrition and cycle tracking, and was generally hard to navigate. The tech giant listened to user feedback and quickly implemented fixes, and its latest Google Health 5.07 update continues that trend with several meaningful changes. The new app build is rolling out now and is expected to be widely available over the next week. It introduces updates to activity and fitness, weight tracking, and Health Connect. It comes soon after version 5.06’s rollout, which finally gave us the option to remove the app’s Health Coach’s verbose guidance and insights from the app’s Today tab.

TL;DR Samsung has started rolling out the One UI 9 Watch beta for the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic in the US. One UI 9 Watch introduces improvements to Samsung Health, visual enhancements, and workout-related upgrades. The US expansion comes after Samsung kicked off the beta for the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic in South Korea earlier this week. The Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 come preloaded with Wear OS 7-based One UI 9 Watch. Samsung already started rolling out the beta for its older devices, beginning with the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic in South Korea earlier this week. Now the company is bringing the beta to users stateside. A Reddit post by a Galaxy Watch 8 owner confirms the expansion of the One UI 9 Watch beta program to the US. We also have access to the full changelog in English here, detailing every new feature introduced with the software. Much like the company’s other betas, users should be able to access it via the banner in the Samsung Members app.

Amazon has knocked $250 off Samsung’s new Freestyle Plus portable projector, bringing it down to $947.99 from its $1,197.99 RRP. That’s a 21% discount relative to the recommended retail price, and it’s a strong one to jump on because this is the first time we’ve seen it discounted on Amazon. See the deal at Amazon

Credit: Philips Hue TL;DR Philips Hue has posted a support page for Nanoleaf integration. The page states that Nanoleaf panels will behave similarly to a gradient striplight. Controlling the lights through the Hue app will come with a couple of limitations. Earlier this week, leaked images revealed an exciting possibility for many smart light setups. Through that leak, we learned that Nanoleaf panels could soon work with the Philips Hue app through an unannounced wall light module. Now Philips Hue has provided more details on this integration. There’s a new support page on Philips Hue’s website that’s dedicated to Nanoleaf integration. On the support page, the company confirms that its wall light module exists and that you can use it to control your Nanoleaf wall panels through the Hue app. It will work with Nanoleaf Hexagons, Triangles, and Mini Triangles.

Amazon just dropped the Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 44mm) to $199.99, down from its $279 recommended retail price. That saves you $79, which is a 28% discount off the RRP, and it’s a deal that smartwatch buyers won’t want to miss. See the deal at Amazon

TL;DR Apple TV prices are going up, with the monthly rate climbing from $12.99 to $14.99. Annual plans and Apple One bundles are similarly getting increases of their own. Apple’s last big price increase was this time last August. Can you imagine living in a world where you woke up one day and discovered that one of your favorite streaming services was lowering its prices? A little “thank you” to all those loyal subscribers? Executives tightening belts in order to make their service more attractive to customers? Alas, that is not the reality we live in, and it feels like these companies will not rest until they’ve taken every last cent from us. Right now, another is doing its duty to help speed that process along. A little over a month ago, Apple Music announced a price increase, albeit a modest one, with the base rate going up just $1 a month. If you saw that as just an opening move, congratulations on your prescience, as now Apple TV is following suit with its own higher prices.

Generative AI is everywhere, whether it’s used as a cornerstone of a service, used to build apps, or employed to boost functionality within them. But with so many new products appearing all the time, which ones are worth checking out? We’re here to help with a new regular series covering the best and freshest AI apps and services that you should know about.

TL;DR New leak offers a good first look at Xiaomi’s Smart privacy display, the company’s take on Samsung’s hardware feature with a similar name. When available, users will be able to hide their screen from shoulder surfers while viewing specific apps, notifications, or other sensitive pages. The feature is expected to roll out as part of the HyperOS 4 update later this year. Samsung changed the game with the introduction of Privacy Display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This tech effectively blacks out the screen when viewed from certain angles, specifically to avoid onlookers’ gaze. Since May, we’ve known that Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi is working on a similar feature for its own devices. A new leak now gives us a good look at the company’s implementation. In a post on X, leaker Kacper Skrzypek has revealed multiple elements of Xiaomi’s Smart privacy display, which appears fairly similar to Samsung’s iteration. However, since it is expected to be available as part of the Hyper OS 4 update this year, it is likely a software-based solution, unlike Samsung’s version.

TL;DR Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash gives Google Flow more precise control over AI-generated videos, including first- and last-frame interpolation. Creators can draft videos in 360p faster and with fewer credits before moving to higher-quality renders. The update adds 1080p and 4K output, while video references can help maintain visual context and character consistency. Google Flow started life as a filmmaking playground built around Veo, giving creators controls for camera movement and a way to extend existing shots. But Google has since turned it into a broader AI creative studio, bringing image generation and editing into the same workspace. Gemini Omni then pushed Flow further by letting users combine text, images, audio, and video to create and edit footage. Now, Google is giving that experience another significant upgrade with Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash. The new model introduces several controls to make AI-generated video easier to shape into something closer to a finished production. For Flow users, scene extension can continue an existing clip seamlessly. Google says Omni 1.1 can now analyze up to 10 seconds of an existing video when extending a scene, rather than just the final second. This gives it more context to maintain visual consistency and narrative continuity as the footage continues. Extensions can be generated in 10-second increments, up to 40 seconds cumulatively.

TL;DR Roborock’s new Qrevo 2 Pro packs 25,000Pa suction and a Dual Anti-Tangle System designed to keep hair from wrapping around its brushes. It can automatically remove its mop pads before cleaning carpets, while Carpet Boost+ and Deep Carpet Cleaning help tackle dirt buried deeper in rugs and carpets. The self-cleaning dock washes, dries, refills, and empties the robot automatically, with up to 65 days between dustbin emptying. The Qrevo 2 Pro launches at a promotional price of $ 550. Robot vacuums are great at saving you from actually vacuuming, but that doesn’t always mean they’re completely hands-off. Hair still gets tangled around the brushes, mop pads need cleaning, and if your home has a mix of hard floors and carpets, there’s always the possibility of a damp mop ending up somewhere it really shouldn’t. Roborock’s new Qrevo 2 Pro wants to make those annoyances much less common, and some of its upgrades sound genuinely useful. That starts with the actual cleaning. The Qrevo 2 Pro comes with 25,000Pa of suction, so it should have more than enough power to deal with the usual mess around the house. Crumbs scattered under the dining table, dust hiding beneath the sofa, pet hair on the floor, or dirt worked into a carpet are all exactly the sort of things it’s built to pick up.

Credit: Tushar Mehta / Android Authority TL;DR With the latest One UI 9 Beta 7 for the Galaxy S26, Samsung has added Gesture wake-up and home screen widgets, making Bixby easier to activate and use. Gesture wake-up allows users to trigger Bixby by holding the phone near their mouth and speaking into the mic. New Bixby widgets include 2×1, 2×2, and 4×2 options that make it easier to input voice or text. Samsung just released One UI 9 Beta 7 for the Galaxy S26 series earlier in the day. The official changelog was light on details, but we’ve found that the update comes with new features such as My FanCam, Call Brief, Custom Cards in Now Brief, and a split Finder-Google Search search bar. Digging deeper, we’ve found that this release also comes with new Bixby features for the Galaxy S26 series, namely widgets and Gesture wake-up. Gesture wake-up for Bixby was released alongside the Galaxy Z8 foldables, and it has now made its way to the Galaxy S26 series in this beta release. When enabled, this feature lets you start talking to Bixby by holding your phone close to your mouth and speaking directly into the mic.

Credit: Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR Pixel owners can more easily enable VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling, thanks to developer TakaiSaisei’s tweaked Pixel IMS app. The original method of enabling VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling required the original Pixel IMS app and the Shizuku system app. This new approach ditches the Shizuku requirement and also persists across device reboots. One of the biggest problems with using a Pixel phone in an unsupported market is that Google generally doesn’t offer VoLTE or Wi-Fi calling in these countries. Pixel owners have resorted to using workarounds, but a new solution makes life even easier. Korean developer kyujin-cho released the Pixel IMS app back in 2023, which lets you enable VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling on your Pixel in an unsupported market. However, this approach is somewhat complex for newbies, as it also requires you to install and use the Shizuku system tool. Furthermore, this solution requires you to repeat the process after restarting your phone.

TL;DR The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has been put through its paces by JerryRigEverything in a durability test. While the foldable performs as expected in the scratch test, the inner display appears to give up after a bend test. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra continues to exhibit decent dust resistance, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is finally here, though some variants are facing delayed shipments due to high demand. It’s not uncommon for a newly released flagship phone to be put through its paces in durability tests, and Samsung’s latest foldable has received the same treatment, with a rather surprising result. YouTuber Zack Nelson, a.k.a. JerryRigEverything, uploaded a durability test video of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, starting with the customary scratch test to gauge how the screens will manage under duress. The cover display fares on par with most phones available today, showing faint scratches at level 6 on the Mohs scale, with the scratches becoming more prominent at level 7.