Android

TL;DR Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Pro has surfaced in detailed renders for the first time, revealing an iPhone 17 Pro-inspired camera design. The Pro is expected to share much of the S27 Ultra’s hardware, but with a smaller 6.6-inch display and no built-in S Pen. A 5,200mAh battery could make the S27 Pro a smaller, easier-to-handle alternative to Samsung’s giant Ultra. The release of Samsung’s Galaxy S27 series reveal is roughly five months away at this point, but that’s not stopping early leaks and rumors from shedding light on what the upcoming devices might look like. The latest in the series of leaks gives us our first clear look at the Galaxy S27 Pro. We got our first-ever look at renders of the S27 Ultra earlier this week, which were followed by the base Galaxy S27 breaking cover. And now, thanks to the folks over at Android Headlines, we have finally have clear S27 Pro renders.

The Garmin Fenix 8 is back down to $849.99 at Amazon, which knocks $250 off the $1,099.99 recommended retail price. That is a 23% discount off the RRP, bringing this titanium model back to its Prime Day price that matches the all-time low. See the deal at Amazon

Credit: Google TL;DR Google is launching a new special edition Fitbit Air in collaboration with Pokémon Sleep. The screenless fitness band comes in a Sleepy Blue colorway with a silk print label that features a sleeping Pikachu. Pre-orders start today online and in-store at the Google Store and Target. When the Google Fitbit Air launched, it came in two options: the standard model and the Stephen Curry special edition. Google has now expanded the line to three options by adding a new special edition band. In what feels like a no-brainer collaboration, Google is launching the Fitbit Air Special Edition Pokémon Sleep. If you’re unfamiliar with Pokémon Sleep, it’s a gamified sleep tracking app where players can earn rewards for sleeping longer. As the name of this special edition band suggests, the design of this version of the Fitbit Air draws inspiration from said app. The strap comes in what Google calls a Sleepy Blue colorway, and it includes a silk print label that features a sleeping Pikachu and the Pokémon Sleep logo.

Amazon just knocked $80 off the newest Echo Show 15, dropping it to $269.99 from its $349.99 retail price. That is a 23% discount relative to the RRP, and it is a strong chance to grab Amazon’s big smart display for less than usual. It’s the best offer we’ve tracked on the device since June’s Prime Day sale, so it’s a good time to grab one if it’s been on your wishlist. See the deal at Amazon

TL;DR We’ve uncovered evidence in the latest version of the Google Tasks app suggesting that a dedicated search bar is finally in the works. We also spotted an early look at the search icon, though the feature is not yet available. This would be a major addition to the Tasks app, given that some of its rival to-do apps already offer a fully functioning search feature. Google Tasks has seen a range of upgrades over the past year or so, including support for deadlines as well as the migration of Keep reminders. However, unlike some other to-do apps on the market, Tasks doesn’t offer a built-in search function to look through your to-dos or reminders. It now looks like that could change in a forthcoming update of Google’s task manager app. 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.

TL;DR Google’s implementing a number of new network security upgrades for Android 17. Encrypted Client Hello attempts to solve DNS privacy problems by encrypting server lookups. SMS Blaster protection empowers carriers to block low-security 2G connections by default. Keeping mobile devices secure is one of those jobs that never end, and when it comes to security in Android, Google finds itself constantly working to lock our phones down against external threats. With Android 17, the company’s already highlighted some of the big ways it’s been improving security, and today Google has a few more updates to share on how your phone is becoming more secure and private that ever. Android 17 makes a number of changes to how devices work with network traffic. One big privacy-protecting one there impacts how apps are able to see your home’s local network, preventing them from probing it for fingerprinting or even spotting vulnerable network hardware. Another we knew about implements Certificate Transparency by default, helping ensure that your phone uses the proper SSL certificates for the server it’s trying to communicate with.

TL;DR Plaud is taking its AI note-taking expertise into earbuds with the $249.99 Plaud One Explorer Edition, which can capture and summarize conversations without needing a phone. The bigger pitch is AI that remembers and acts on conversations, using persistent context and Plaud Agent to help with tasks across Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion and Slack. The earbuds are available to pre-order now and ship in late September, with no required subscription and $200 in Plaud credits included. Plaud, the AI startup behind note-taking devices like the Note and NotePin, is taking its ambitions beyond simple recording hardware. Just ahead of IFA getting started next week, the company is already showing off its latest expansion: earbuds. Plaud just announced a pair of AI earbuds called the Plaud One Explorer Edition, and it’s designed for users who want more from a note-taking device than basic recording and summarization.

TL;DR YouTube has confirmed it fixed the bug that was hiding videos from Watch Later and other playlists. Affected users reported missing videos, ‘playlist does not exist’ errors, and broken playlists across mobile and desktop. YouTube hasn’t said what caused the issue or whether an app update is needed, but affected users should now see their full playlists again. Watch Later is one of those YouTube features you don’t appreciate until it stops working. It is the easiest way to stash a video you don’t have time for, build a queue for later, or simply keep track of something you don’t want to lose. So, having videos mysteriously disappear from the playlist over the past few weeks has understandably been frustrating for some users. The good news is that YouTube says the problem is now fixed. YouTube confirmed the fix in a forum post earlier today, telling affected users that all their videos should now display correctly in their playlists, including Watch Later on the YouTube app.

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR The US government is considering new tariffs not only on foreign chips but also on consumer electronics like laptops, gaming consoles, and, presumably, smartphones with those chips. Relief may be offered to foreign companies investing in US manufacturing, but constructing facilities takes years, so there may not be room for immediate price relief. Combined with rising costs from AI-driven demand for RAM and storage, these tariffs could soon drive retail prices even higher than current levels. The US government is weighing a sweeping new round of tariffs on semiconductors and finished consumer electronics, a move that could significantly drive up the cost of smartphones, smartwatches, earbuds, and practically everything else with a chip in it. While previous trade disputes and import duties have created headaches for retailers, prompting fallout such as Amazon issuing US tariff refunds to affected shoppers, this new potential move goes much deeper, targeting the core component that powers practically all modern hardware. According to a report from Politico, the proposed tariff structure under consideration by the Trump administration would dramatically widen the scope of previous duties. Instead of targeting only standalone chips, the administration is exploring duties that apply directly to consumer devices manufactured with those chips. The report names laptops and gaming consoles as potentially affected, but depending on how the rules are framed, this could also affect phones and accessories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8WONFvo4e0 TL;DR The Galaxy S26 FE has launched with nearly the same hardware as last year’s model but a more capable Exynos chip. The biggest upgrades involve new camera features, such as Horizon Lock and My FanCam, borrowed from more expensive devices. The phone also comes with One UI 9 preinstalled and will get seven years of updates. The Galaxy S25 FE was one of the most fascinating Samsung devices to launch last year. It wasn’t a true flagship, and it didn’t have the best screen, cameras, or chipset; a comparison with the more capable Galaxy S25 — or the newer Galaxy S26 — series phones would easily dwarf it in a tabular comparison. Yet its allure holds up because of the strong value it offers, especially with its battery and charging advantages over the base S series models. Now, Samsung is announcing a follow-up in the form of the new Galaxy S26 FE, which comes with subtle design changes, a new processor, and a host of software upgrades.

You can try to run from it or hide from it, but daily mentions of AI from companies or people in your life are inevitable. If you own a Google Pixel, you’ll certainly be well aware of this. Google is continuously rolling out new AI features that require peppier TPUs and chipsets designed for crunching all that data offline. This leaves older Pixel phones, those that are still well supported through software updates or remain quick on their feet in the hardware sense, out in the cold when it comes to new AI smarts.

TL;DR Some Galaxy Watch owners are facing a bug where the smartwatch refuses to boot after being prompted to restart. The restart is triggered as part of a harmless time zone update, but the watch seemingly refuses to turn on after that. Thankfully, the smartwatch can reportedly be brought back to life by placing it on the charging puck. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch variants consistently rank among the best smartwatches in the business. However, like with any hardware, bugs and glitches can pop up from time to time, and we can now report on one such case involving Samsung’s premium smartwatch model. According to SamMobile, a Galaxy Watch Ultra at their disposal was prompted to restart after a time zone update. It’s not uncommon for this message to appear, particularly if you’ve switched time zones recently. However, the site found that the smartwatch refused to boot after pressing restart.

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max in global markets. The phone stands out thanks to a 10,000mAh battery, although Europeans get a 9,210mAh battery. The Redmi Note 17 Pro Max starts at $499. We’ve seen phones with huge batteries in the last 12 months, culminating in devices with ~10,000mAh batteries. This includes the HONOR Win series, HONOR Power 2, and realme P4 Power. Getting your hands on some of these phones might be a problem due to limited availability, but the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max has now arrived in global markets with a 10,000mAh battery. The Redmi Note 17 Pro Max indeed stands out thanks to its absolutely enormous 10,000mAh silicon-carbon battery (16% silicon content). This means it’s quite possibly the most widely available 10,000mAh phone on the market. In saying so, European users get downgraded to a still-impressive 9,210mAh battery. Either way, the company promises 1,600 charging cycles before the battery reaches 80% capacity. It also says you can expect up to three days of usage.

If there’s one thing we all want from our next smartphone, it’s more battery life. Thankfully, battery cells are bigger than ever, while processors are increasingly frugal. This means that many, but certainly not all, flagship and mid-range handsets can take us through a day without leaving us suffering from battery anxiety. However, some phones are definitely better than others at lasting through more demanding work/life balances or taking lighter users through a second day. Not to mention, there’s a massive variation in how quickly phones charge back up when they eventually run out of power.

TL;DR Google Photos version 7.90 includes an unreleased feature that could let you pin custom shortcuts to the Collections tab. In testing, long-pressing folders, albums, or people allowed pinning them to a horizontal scrolling bar at the top of the app. A dedicated Edit menu could let you reorder pinned items or browse organized library categories to customize your view. When Google replaced the classic Library view with the updated Collections tab, it promised a cleaner way to organize media. However, the top of the screen has remained largely rigid, with Google automatically and unilaterally deciding which shortcuts to highlight while burying your most-used folders. While Google has been testing a cleaner layout for the Collections tab with collapsible sections, the latest app update reveals an unreleased “Pinned” feature in the works that could potentially let you anchor your favorite albums, faces, and folders to the top of the tab. 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.

Google finally built its own Bluetooth tracker called the Pixel Tag, priced at $29. It has nearly everything we hoped for from Google’s debut tracker, including a minimalist/waterproof design, a replaceable battery, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) support for precision tracking, a built-in speaker, and unique ecosystem integration with non-smartphone Pixel devices. There’s just one problem: you’ll have to wait until November to buy one. Thankfully, there are plenty of solid alternatives to the Pixel Tag already on sale today. Most of them already work with Google’s Find Hub network and offer features similar to the Pixel Tag. In fact, a few of them even support USB-C or wireless charging, and can be as slim as a credit card.

Credit: Paul Jones / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung appears to be testing another One UI 9 beta for Galaxy S26 internally. It has already released six beta updates, and the last one came out just a couple of days ago. The upcoming release is expected to be the final beta before the stable One UI 9 rollout for the Galaxy S26. Stable One UI 9 arrived last month with the launch of Samsung’s latest foldables: the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8, and the Z Flip 8. Despite the stable release, older phones still lack the update. Samsung continues to run a beta and recently released the sixth One UI 9 beta for the Galaxy S26 series only this week. The fact that the latest One UI beta release consisted mostly of bug fixes and usability-related enhancements — and that a stable version is already available for certain devices — led to hopes that a stable release would come soon. But before the rollout, it may release another beta.

Credit: Damien Wilde / Android Authority IFA is one of the big tech events of the year, frequently attracting everyone from ASUS and HONOR to Samsung and Lenovo. It’s also a curiosity on the calendar as the event is open to the public. What will be announced at IFA 2026, though? And who will be there? Here’s what we’re expecting from the major consumer tech companies next month.

I recently asked ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to pick the best smartphone for most people to buy, and I was thrilled with the results. I didn’t expect the different AI models to produce such practical answers. Even though it wasn’t perfect (Gemini needed some coaching), the reasoning was sound, and all of the models produced decent picks that were well-justified. The Pixel 11’s release feels like an excellent opportunity to try again, and it’s a much more challenging task. The new Pixel 11 flagships aren’t a slam dunk for buyers, and while Google undoubtedly made improvements, the phones may still not be the best choice for most in 2026.

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Leaked renders suggest both the Galaxy S27 Ultra and S27 Pro will adopt a new iPhone 17 Pro-style camera plateau instead of Samsung’s signature vertical camera island. The Galaxy S27 Pro could share the Ultra’s design language but skip the S Pen slot and swap the positions of the speaker grille and microphone hole. Design leaks also suggest a rounder frame edges on the Galaxy S27 Ultra/Pro for an easier grip, alongside slightly narrower screen bezels on the S27 Plus. The latest Galaxy S27 Ultra render leaks have shown off a polarizing design that doesn’t seem unique at all. The biggest visible change is the camera island, with the leak suggesting that Samsung could be going for an iPhone 17 Pro-esque camera plateau instead of its hallmark vertical camera setup. Render leaks for the base S27 suggest that the design change isn’t trickling across the lineup. If you’re wondering where the Galaxy S27 Pro would place in this situation, a new render gives us our answer and highlights the biggest possible difference between the Pro and Ultra. Leaker Ice Universe has shared outline renders of the Galaxy S27 Ultra and Galaxy S27 Pro on X:

Credit: Soundcore by Anker TL;DR Anker’s sub-brand Souncore has launched an upgraded version of its existing Nebula X1 laser projector. The new X1S delivers 6,000 ANSI lumens for easy outdoor and daytime use, with Dolby Vision support. The Google TV projector also comes with dual-channel 40W speakers and the option to add wireless satellite speakers for a 4.1.2 setup. Compared to TVs, projectors offer greater flexibility for taking your entertainment device wherever you go. Despite that independence, the usual understanding is that you must restrict yourself to an indoor, preferably dark setting to watch any content with sufficient visibility and without the colors dulling out. While scores of outdoor projectors aim to counter that belief, most are best suited for post-sunset viewing. Soundcore, an Anker sub-brand, now wants to offer the flexibility to keep your binge sessions going even during the day with an upgraded version of its Nebula X1 projector, with a super-bright laser setup under the hood. Anker’s Soundcore has announced the Nebula X1S, a laser projector with up to 6,000 ANSI lumens of brightness. This marks a substantial upgrade over the existing X1’s claimed 3,500 brightness at source. The higher brightness is achieved through a fourth stack of RGB lasers, up from three on the X1. Meanwhile, it covers 106% of the Rec.2020 color gamut in vivid mode, nearing the color accuracy of the more premium Nebula X1 Pro.

The reception to the Google Pixel 11 series may have been slightly muted, thanks to relatively minor upgrades and a higher price tag, but there’s one fundamental change this year that a lot of us Pixel fans have been waiting for: a new modem. As rumored before launch, the Pixel 11 series ships with a MediaTek modem for the first time. Google has completely ditched Samsung’s Exynos modem on its latest Pixel phones in favor of a MediaTek modem, with Google claiming the new modem is more reliable, faster, and more power-efficient.

A smartphone’s design can genuinely make or break whether I want to use it. I know, I know, you should never judge a book by its cover, but a phone is different. It’s something I’m going to look at every single day, probably hundreds of times, so yes, looks matter to me. But there’s another side to that. I also don’t want to keep buying and using what feels like the same phone over and over again, and that’s increasingly how I’ve felt about Samsung. I’ve been using its phones, especially the Ultra models, for the past four or five years, and while Samsung has refined the formula with each generation, the overall design has barely advanced.

TL;DR IDC projects a record 16.7% drop in global smartphone shipments for 2026 due to severe memory shortages. Sub-$100 Android devices are disappearing as average selling prices jump 27.6% to $581. Buyers are shifting toward premium devices and foldables, with Apple’s September 9 event expected to accelerate growth in the category. Walking into a retail shop with $250 used to mean leaving with a stellar budget handset that punched well above its weight class. That reality started slipping away earlier this year when Android sales tanked 14% in the US, giving us an early hint of broader supply troubles ahead. Fast forward to today, and store displays look completely different. Cheap options are quietly vanishing, mid-range price tags are creeping upward, and IDC’s latest quarterly forecast confirms what we have all been sensing: the era of the budget smartphone is officially over. According to IDC’s August 2026 report, worldwide smartphone shipments are expected to plummet by a record 16.7% this year. That marks a sharp downward revision from the 13.9% decline projected back in May.

Credit: Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR Google Keep’s ‘find in note’ feature seems to be rolling out widely to Android users. We can confirm seeing the feature on various devices, but it looks like a server-side update. The ‘find in note’ option allows you to quickly search your note for a specific term, akin to pressing Ctrl+F on your PC. We uncovered Google Keep‘s ‘find in note’ feature over a year ago, allowing you to quickly search a given note. The feature first rolled out early this month, but this appeared to be a limited release. Fortunately, there’s good news if you were waiting for the option to arrive on your phone. Google Keep’s ‘find in note’ feature is now rolling out widely to many users (h/t: 9to5Google). I can confirm seeing the feature on several devices. Several Android Authority colleagues have also confirmed the feature’s availability on their devices, although one team member still isn’t seeing it.