Android

TL;DR The Xperia 10 VIII is official with the exact same hardware as the Xperia 10 VII. It comes with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. The cameras are also exactly the same as the Xperia 10 VII, and the display is 50% brighter. After a couple of leaks, Sony has finally announced the new Xperia 10 VIII, and it’s basically the same phone as the Xperia 10 VII, bar one small upgrade and a new paint job. The Xperia 10 VIII looks almost exactly the same as the Xperia 10 VII. There’s the horizontal camera bar on the back, “Sony” branding on the camera island, and a front that looks remarkably out of date with thicker bezels on the top and bottom. It also retains the fingerprint scanner and the 3.5mm headphone jack, and Sony claims that the stereo speakers are now 30% louder.

TL;DR Gemini’s experimental Device Help feature is appearing in the Gemini app on Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro devices, letting you troubleshoot your phone using natural language. It can diagnose battery and Wi-Fi issues, open specific settings, change things like brightness and dark mode, and explain Pixel features without making you hunt through Settings. It’s still a Labs feature and can get things wrong. Our testing produced inconsistent instructions for Magic Capture, so it isn’t completely reliable yet. A few days ago, we spotted Google testing a clever new Gemini trick that could save Pixel users from digging through the Settings app every time something goes wrong. That feature, called Device Help, is now appearing directly inside the Gemini app on some of our Pixel 11 series devices. First spotted by 9to5Google, Device Help is currently showing up on Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro models we’ve checked, including our Pixel 11 Pro XL units. It still has a “Labs” badge attached, though, which is Google’s way of telling you things may not always work as expected. And after putting it through a few tests, that’s exactly what we found.

The Pixel 11 series has left Google with something of a dilemma. Based on our time with the phones so far, they remain among the most enjoyable Android handsets to use, thanks largely to Google’s software experience and a growing collection of genuinely useful features. But our testing of the Tensor G6 shows that Google’s custom silicon is falling further behind rival flagship chips; early gaming tests suggest a familiar litany of issues; and a week with the Pixel 11 Pro suggests that many of Google’s newest AI tricks aren’t yet strong enough to make up the difference. That’s not necessarily a problem for the Pixel 11, but it could become one for the Pixel 12.

Credit: Nick Fernandez / Android Authority TL;DR GameHub has received a new update, with the biggest addition being mod support. The update also promises controller customization with cloud sharing and improved Steam integration. This update comes months after several developers claimed that GameSir used their code without crediting them. GameHub made a splash in early 2025 as it joined Winlator as one of the few PC game “emulators” on Android. We’ve since seen rival apps like GameNative make massive strides and become the preferred solution, but the GameHub team is back with a new update. GameSir announced GameHub v6.2.0 on Discord today, and it brings several notable features. Perhaps the biggest addition is mod support, allowing users to mod Steam titles and locally imported games. This coincidentally comes a while after GameNative first implemented mod integration.

TL;DR OpenAI is restoring five-hour usage limits on ChatGPT Work and Codex for Plus subscribers. The limits will allow OpenAI to manage its resources and continue offering generous weekly usage. The five-hour limits are currently not applicable to ChatGPT Pro users. If you’ve been experimenting with ChatGPT Work and Codex and exploring the possibilities they unlock, you might need to slow down a bit. While OpenAI had removed the five-hour limits on ChatGPT Work and Codex following the release of GPT-5.6, the company is now bringing those limits back. In a post on X, Thibault Sottiaux, OpenAI’s head of Codex and ChatGPT, announced that users with a ChatGPT Plus subscription will once again have five-hour limits across ChatGPT Work and Codex starting August 25.

TL;DR Spotify experienced an outage that prevented listeners from playing or downloading audiobooks across multiple devices. The issue has officially been marked as resolved, though a few users report that playback glitches remain. Users still affected should update the app and report the issue on the Help board. Spotify has been steadily adding more reasons to spend time with audiobooks, from narrated magazine articles to TV-style recaps and Playlist Notes. But today, some listeners were unable to play those audiobooks at all, and Spotify now says the problem has been fixed. The issue surfaced earlier today, with Reddit reports coming from users across phones, desktops, and the web. Spotify acknowledged the problem through its Community forum, saying it had received reports that audiobook playback was not working properly and that the relevant teams were working on a fix.

Credit: AYN TL;DR AYN has announced another price increase for the Odin 3 handheld. The increase ranges from $20 to $30, meaning the Odin 3 now starts at $369. This is still the only Android handheld with what is effectively the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, though. The AYN Odin 3 is the most powerful Android handheld on the market right now, making it ideal for cutting-edge emulation and other demanding games. It’s already seen price hikes this year due to the RAM crisis, but we’ve now got more bad news. AYN announced on Discord that it’ll be raising the price of the Odin 3 once again. These price hikes vary from $20 to $30. Check out the new prices below.

TL;DR Google is gradually rolling out the new Motion Assist feature on Android 17 devices, starting with Pixel phones. The feature is designed to reduce motion sickness by displaying motion cues on the screen while you’re in a moving vehicle. Motion Assist is available through Google Play Settings and can automatically activate in a moving vehicle or be controlled manually through a Quick Settings tile. Google is gradually rolling out its new Motion Assist feature on Android 17, starting with Pixel phones. The feature helps users reduce motion sickness when using their phones in a moving vehicle. 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: Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority TL;DR An unofficial project brings Quick Share receiving to jailbroken Kindle devices. Kindshare lets you send files wirelessly from an Android phone, but the Kindle can’t send files back. The process is fairly technical, and compatibility may depend on your Kindle model and firmware version. Quick Share made an unexpected leap beyond Android last year when Google made it compatible with Apple’s AirDrop. Now it’s more or less reached another device you probably wouldn’t have expected, as an unofficial project lets you send files from an Android phone straight to a jailbroken Kindle. As spotted by Hackaday, developer unrealJune has created Kindshare, an open-source project that adds Quick Share receiving to compatible Kindles. Once everything is set up, the Kindle can appear as a destination in Quick Share, letting you send files over wirelessly.

TL;DR Gemini could soon get a new Notifications section, separate Pinned and Recents sections, and filters to make chats easier to find. Google is also working on a dedicated Customize section for Gemini Spark, where users can discover and manage Skills and Apps. A new setting could let users hide Gemini’s status bar icon, giving them more control over how the AI appears on their phone. Gemini been getting more capable by the day, and Google looks ready to make the app’s UI catch up. The tech giant has been working on some major UI changes for Gemini, and those changes are now finally starting to take shape. We’ve spotted the company working on a dedicated home for notifications, updated chat organization, filters for searching through recent chats, and a way to finally hide Gemini’s status bar icon.

Credit: Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR Android Auto users are reporting issues with Spotify. The app is displaying an error message that reads “Spotify isn’t responding.” It’s unclear what the cause of the problem is. Sometimes being an Android Auto user can feel like playing a game of whack-a-mole. A bug appears, a fix is rolled out, and another bug appears shortly after. For example, a fix for a glitch that caused connections to drop or freeze was recently released. Now, a new bug has shown up, and it’s preventing users from streaming their music and podcasts. According to several Android Auto users on Reddit (1, 2), the latest issue affects the Spotify app. When attempting to access the app, these users are running into an error message that reads “Spotify isn’t responding.” The screen includes options to exit the app or to wait for it to start working again.

TL;DR JerryRigEverything’s Zack Nelson has tested the Pixel 11 Pro XL’s durability and repairability. The phone didn’t bend in Nelson’s durability test, and key components are relatively simple to swap out. Nelson calls the Pixel 11 Pro XL “one of the easiest phones to repair of 2026.” It looks like it should be relatively easy to make the Pixel 11 Pro last. The XL version has now undergone the JerryRigEverything treatment, and the phone held up nicely to Zack Nelson’s usual battery of abuse. The teardown video also shows that common repairs should be relatively simple, with both the display and the battery removable with just a few minutes of work. The video shows that the 11 Pro XL barely bends or flexes at all as Nelson wrenches on it, so the phone should hold up fine in case you sit down with it in your back pocket. Despite Google’s claim that the 11 Pro’s display is “more than twice as scratch-resistant than previous models” thanks to a new coating, though, it still scratches at level six with deeper grooves at a level seven.

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Netflix could soon let you access other rival streamers through its platform. The company is reportedly in talks with Peacock and Fox One. It’s unclear if Netflix would sell subscriptions to those streamers or just include their content directly in the app. From Peacock to ESPN, there’s been a rash of streaming-related price hikes lately. If you’re worried that this article will be about Netflix announcing a rate increase, you can rest easy. That’s not happening, at least not yet anyway. Rather, this has to do with Netflix reportedly opening up its service to its rivals. It appears that Netflix is interested in becoming a one-stop shop for streaming. The New York Times reports that Netflix is considering adding shows and movies from other streaming services. The company is said to be currently in talks with Peacock and Fox One to bring their content to the platform.

TL;DR A rumor claims glass used in the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra could come with a self-healing layer that fills in minor scratches on its own. The glass is purportedly being developed jointly by Corning and Samsung. The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra may introduce an interesting feature that sounds like it could be a real benefit to users. A rumor from this weekend claims that Samsung’s upcoming Ultra flagship will come with self-healing glass that’s able to recover from minor scratches on its own. Late last week, industry observer Schrödinger took to X to say that Corning and Samsung are jointly working on “a new self-healing surface coating” for the next iteration of the former’s Gorilla Armor glass. This coating would certainly be less scratch-resistant than conventional tempered glass, but if it’s able to fill in hairline scratches on its own, that trade-off could be worth it.

TL;DR Apple may be prepping radical design changes for the 20th anniversary iPhone, according to a new leak. The leaked renders show curved glass on the front and back with two horizontally placed cameras at the back. We’re also seeing what appears to be a hole-punch selfie camera on the screen, reminiscent of present-day Android phones. The iPhone is expected to see a radical shakeup this year, with Apple’s first-ever foldable likely to be revealed during the fall event next month. However, the company will reach a bigger milestone in 2027, marking 20 years since the first iPhone was revealed in 2007. A new leak is giving us our first potential look at the next-gen iPhone model Apple could introduce to celebrate. Leaker Yogesh Brar shares a couple of images on X that appear to show the 20th anniversary iPhone from multiple angles, including a clear view of its sides. It also appears to show a quad curved display on the front and a similarly curved glass on the rear panel. The images reveal dual rear cameras positioned horizontally, rather than vertically as on the iPhone 17. But for as interesting as all that is, it’s also hard to ignore some of the discrepancies in this particular leak.

TL;DR ESPN streaming plans and bundles are increasing in price. Plans are increasing by $1 to $3 per month. Adjustments also affect many streaming bundles that include ESPN. Last week, we learned that Verizon will soon increase the prices for its Disney Plus, ESPN, and Hulu perks, with plan add-ons increasing by a buck or two per month starting in September. Now, ESPN has announced that its streaming subscriptions and the bundles they’re included in will be going up in price for everyone, not just Verizon subscribers. As we’ve learned from 9to5Mac, ESPN has announced price hikes for its ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited streaming plans. Select is increasing from $13 to $14 per month (or $140 per year, up from $130), while Unlimited is jumping from $30 to $32 per month (or $320 per year, from $300). Bundles including ESPN along with Disney Plus and Hulu are going up, too.

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Amazon is raising prices across its hardware portfolio. Some Echo devices are going up by $30, some Kindle models by $40, and some Fire TV stick and eero products are getting price bumps as well. The company’s Ring products appear to be spared from the recent increases. From phones to gaming handhelds, multiple industries continue to be impacted by the RAM crisis. In some cases, the situation has led companies to cancel products, and in others, we’ve seen price hikes. The latest entry in this ongoing saga involves Amazon and most of its hardware portfolio. As reported by Fortune, Amazon has raised the prices for several of its first-party devices. The products affected by the price hike include Echo smart speakers, Kindle ereaders, Fire TV sticks, and eero wireless mesh routers. It appears that Ring products were spared from the recent increases.

TL;DR Microsoft is rolling out a referral program that gives Edge users 500 Microsoft Rewards points for every successful referral. You can earn up to 7,500 points per month, worth roughly $6.82 toward Microsoft or Xbox gift cards. Referrals only count when a new Edge Mobile user installs through your link and searches with Edge on two different days within 14 days. Microsoft really wants you to try out its Edge browser — and it’s willing to put its money where its mouth is. The tech giant has previously awarded Edge usage over competing browsers with monetary incentives, and it is now paying users for convincing others to make the switch.

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR Google Magnifier is getting a redesigned icon with a blue-to-purple gradient. The refreshed icon follows the newer visual style Google has been bringing to its apps. The update appears to break Magnifier’s themed icon, leaving a blank colored circle instead. Google has been steadily refreshing the icons of its first-party apps, and Magnifier is the latest Pixel app to get the treatment. A new update gives Google Magnifier a more colorful gradient icon, although it also appears to have broken the app’s themed icon in the process. Version 2.0.0.965719431 of Magnifier is now rolling out with the redesigned icon. The old predominantly blue design has been replaced by a lighter background, while the magnifying glass is thicker and uses a blue-to-purple gradient. The square behind it is now filled in as well. You can see the difference between the old icon on the left and the new one on the right, below.

TL;DR Leaked renders of the Galaxy S27 Ultra show the phone could come with an iPhone 17 Pro-style rear camera island. Additional renders imply other aspects of the phone’s external hardware will be largely unchanged from Galaxy S26 Ultra. The S27 Pro, S27+, and standard S27 will apparently see other, minor design tweaks. With Samsung’s new foldables and Google’s Pixel 11 series here, the next major release to look forward to in the US Android market is the Galaxy S27 series, which should debut in early 2027. This morning, we got a look at early leaked renders of the Galaxy S27 Ultra, which show us that Samsung seems to be taking pretty direct design inspiration from Apple’s latest Pro iPhones. Now, we’re taking a look at yet more renders that show the phone from more angles. Superleaker Ice Universe has posted a handful of renders on X, showing that “Aside from the redesigned camera layout,” the upcoming S27 Ultra “will look nearly identical” to this year’s Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, with the same display size, left-hand S Pen placement, and more. The other S27 phones will apparently see some other minor layout changes, however.

TL;DR YouTube introduced Stations earlier this year, featuring 24/7 content streams from musical artists. Now Google is expanding Stations to also include podcasts, creator content, and more. Access is only getting started with a small number of creators initially. Like any good streaming service, YouTube is always working to find the next big hook that will keep viewers glued to their screens, video after video. Earlier this year, we spotted a fresh addition to YouTube’s offerings in the form of Stations, 24/7 streams that appeared designed to connect you with an endless feed of content from your favorite musical artists. And now, Stations are getting a bit of an expansion. YouTube is constantly trying out new experiments, and this month, the service shares that its latest involves building Stations around even more diverse content than just music. While you’ll still see Stations from musical performers, they’re also starting to expand to cover podcasts, media channels, and just regular creator content.

Big-screen movie nights can feel a little flat when your TV speakers can’t keep up. The Sonos Arc Ultra is built for that exact setup, and there’s a solid Amazon deal on it right now that makes the upgrade easier to justify. See the deal at Amazon

TL;DR Google has confirmed that YouTube’s full-screen bug that made video details and comments disappear has been fixed. The fix is rolling out with the latest YouTube update, which affected users can now download. The update should also eliminate the need for the portrait-to-landscape workaround used to restore the missing interface. YouTube’s latest updates are giving its video player another small UI makeover, but there’s more happening than just changing more how you scrub through videos. According to Google support, we’re also getting a fix for an annoying iPad bug that was making comments, titles, descriptions, and other video details disappear after exiting full screen. As we had previously reported, the issue left a blank void beneath the video player whenever affected users returned from full-screen playback. The missing interface elements wouldn’t come back even after switching videos, restarting the iPad, or reinstalling the app.

Amazon has cut the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 down to $99.99, which is 33% off the $149.99 recommended retail price. That kind of drop makes this a strong time to grab a compact dash cam from a well-known brand, especially since the price has also fallen well below the $117.95 low we saw in the last 30 days. See the deal at Amazon

The Anker Prime Charging Station just dropped to $94.99 at Amazon, down from its $149.99 RRP. That saves you $55, a 37% discount off the recommended retail price, and brings this charger back to its all-time low, which we also saw during Prime Day. See the deal at Amazon