Android

TL;DR Google released Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 today, and the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro aren’t supported. The phones first launched in October 2021, and Google later extended their software support to five years. It’s been almost three years since the last time we had a Pixel left behind like this, with the Pixel 5 on Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1. Moments ago, Google released its latest testing-track build for Android’s enthusiast community, with Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1. And as we look forward to this software ultimately arriving as Google’s 2026 Q4 Android release, not every phone will be coming along for the journey: This is the end of the line for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Google launched the Pixel 6 phones back on October 19, 2021, ahead of sales beginning on October 28. Originally, Google only committed to three years of OS updates, and that would have stranded these phones on Android 15. But after the Pixel 8 series introduced Google’s modern seven-year update commitment, Google went back and gave the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 a support extension, bringing them both up to five years.

Credit: X.com/MANGMI_Official TL;DR MANGMI has released the specs for the Air Y series. The Air Y will come with 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 5,000mAh battery, and 15W charging. The Pro model offers 4GB/8GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 5,000mAh battery, and 18W charging. In case you’re in the market for a Game Boy-like clone, MANGMI has two devices on the way. This weekend, the company revealed which chips their handhelds will run on. After revealing the processors, MANGMI has now shared the full specs for both devices. MANGMI’s upcoming Android handhelds are called the Air Y and Air Y Pro. As we learned earlier, the Air Y will feature a Snapdragon 662 SoC, while the Air Y Pro is getting a Snapdragon 865. The company also previously said both systems would have a 4.2-inch IPS screen (4:3). However, the brand’s latest social post gives us all of the remaining details.

TL;DR Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 is now available for Pixel testers to install. The software offers our first look at changes set to arrive with Google’s 2026 Q4 Android release. Support is available for Pixel 6a and later devices, but not the original Pixel 6 series. Lots of Android users are still waiting to get their first taste of Android 17, but for Pixel owners who have joined Google’s testing community, we are already looking far out into the future. QPR1 builds like Android 17 QPR1 Beta 7 from last week have been giving us an early peek at the upcoming September Feature Drop, and now Google is already getting started on what’s next, with the release of Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1. As Google’s Mishaal Rahman confirms over on X, this Beta represents the software we’ll ultimately see arrive as Google’s 2026 Q4 Android release. But while QPR1 supported devices from the Pixel 6 on up, QPR2 moves the needle forward and begins its support with the Pixel 6a — the original Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are no longer included. Considering both these phones hit their 5-year birthdays this October, that’s not unexpected, but still sad to see.

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google is testing Gemini integration in Chrome’s tab groups. The feature would give Gemini access to every tab in the group, allowing it to summarize the contents of each individual tab. In addition to being able to ask the AI questions about the tabs, it will be able to pin or unpin tabs within the group. Google continues to try to find new places in Chrome to stuff Gemini into. The next place you may spot the AI is in your tab group. An “Ask Gemini about this group” feature is currently being tested for the company’s browser. The folks over at Windows Report have spotted a new “Ask Gemini about this group” option in Chrome Canary. This option becomes visible after you right-click on a tab group. Selecting the menu item will give Gemini access to every tab in the collection.

TL;DR Google Fi briefly posted an image of the upcoming Pixel 11 Pro XL on its website before removing it. However, the listing itself remains on the Google Fi website, but without the Pixel 11 Pro XL’s image. The Google Fi promo claimed to offer the Pixel 11 Pro XL for $100, provided users sign up. Google’s Pixel 11 series is expected to go live at the Made by Google event on August 12. There’s practically no detail that we don’t know about the smartphone lineup, with prematurely posted Amazon listings last week even revealing the lineup’s expected pricing. Today, we’re coming across official imagery of the Pixel 11 Pro XL on the Google Fi website, while also confirming an upcoming promo. The folks at Droid Life have discovered a promotion on the Google Fi page, promising users the Pixel 11 Pro XL for just $100, provided they sign up for the list. The image of the smartphone has since been removed from the page, while the promo continues to be up on the Fi website.

TL;DR A previously rumored green variant of the Sony WH-1000XM6 has been listed by a Chilean retailer. The new colorway hasn’t been officially announced and is not yet available for purchase. This would be the third additional XM6 colorway Sony has introduced since the headphones launched last year. It looks like the best headphones for most people are getting another snazzy new finish soon: Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones have been listed by a Chilean department store in a previously unseen colorway. As spotted by The Walkman Blog, retailer Falabella now has a listing for the WH-1000XM6 in green. Like most of the other XM6 colorways, the new green version is a very subdued shade — think more mossy greenish gray than forest green.

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR A leak appears to have revealed the pricing for the CIRQA Smart Band. Garmin’s own pricing system lists the device at $199.99 USD, $279.99 CAD, and $4,099 MXN. Garmin is currently working on a screenless fitness tracker called the CIRQA Smart Band. Although the company has yet to announce the device, it accidentally revealed the tracker’s existence on its website earlier this year. Since then, numerous leaks have revealed various capabilities and features. Now, we may know how much it will cost when the CIRQA Smart Band launches. Garmin’s own pricing system may have spilled the beans on the pricing for the CIRQA tracker. Spotted by a Redditor, the company’s backend appears to recognize the CIRQA part number 010-04675-00, which was revealed in that first leak back in January. By entering the part number into a publicly accessible Garmin endpoint, the system returns a US price point of $199.99.

TL;DR Leaked AT&T employee training documents have revealed a $5/month price hike across two home internet plans. Customers on the Access from AT&T program, along with those on AT&T Internet fiber and copper plans set up within a specific timeframe, are affected. This comes on the heels of a recent $1 price hike for wireless customers as part of an administrative fee. AT&T recently gave its home internet plans a bit of a shakeup, while also expanding Build-A-Plan’s scope to cover home internet service. Amid these changes, it has now come to light that the carrier intends to raise the prices of its home internet plans. According to internal employee documents obtained through an anonymous source by PhoneArena, the carrier will charge an extra $5/month for the following two plans starting August 16:

Credit: Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR T Google Maps is starting to roll out a live speedometer for Android Auto users, bridging a long-standing feature gap, as the feature already existed on iOS, Android phones, and CarPlay. The floating icon displays the current speed next to the posted speed limit, turning yellow or red if a driver exceeds it. The feature currently appears to be in a limited rollout through the Google Maps beta and a server-side switch. Google Maps is finally starting to roll out a live speedometer for Android Auto users. Co-existing alongside the speed limit indicator, the highly requested feature has begun appearing for select users, bridging a massive, confusing omission in Google’s car dashboard experience. Live speedometer has been part of Google Maps’ Android, iOS, and even CarPlay experience, but has not been available on Android Auto. The platform was curiously left behind when the feature was released on Android phones many years ago, and even when it rolled out to iOS and CarPlay in 2024.

There are swathes of free apps available for your Android phone, many of which are built to the standard and capabilities of premium apps. But what single feature matters most when picking one of these free apps? We wanted to know from our readers, so we ran a poll. The results can be viewed below.

TL;DR The latest version of Samsung’s Browser app on Wear OS lets users download images and GIFs directly on their smartwatches. Users can download images in PNG, JPG, JPEG, and GIF formats up to 10MB in size. Users need a third-party file manager or gallery app to view their downloaded images. Samsung’s smartwatch browser app on Wear OS is pretty great; you can even use it to watch YouTube videos on your smartwatch. The company is now making the app even better with yet another nifty little feature. 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: Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority TL;DR Users are noticing a new “Android Developer Verifier” app (com.google.android.verifier) silently installed on their Android phones to prepare for upcoming sideloading restrictions. The app checks if sideloaded apps belong to legally verified developer profiles. It is part of Google’s upcoming sideloading restrictions that include a 24-hour wait and a phone reboot to disrupt high-pressure social engineering scams. The app is currently dormant for most users, as the rollout begins in select regions on September 30. Power users can still bypass the 24-hour wait period entirely by installing apps via ADB. If you’ve checked the installed apps on your Android phone recently, you might have freaked out after spotting a new “Android Developer Verifier” app silently installed on your phone. You won’t be alone either, as we’ve seen numerous reports from users over the past week, many of whom have rushed to uninstall the app. While you can uninstall the app without throwing your phone into a bootloop, you should take a step back and assess what the app is, what it is trying to do with respect to sideloading on Android, and what your options are to deal with it. What is “Android Developer Verifier,” and why is it on my phone? As the name suggests, Android Developer Verifier (package name: com.google.android.verifier) is a Google system service that verifies whether an app being sideloaded/installed is associated with a “verified developer account.” This app forms one of the central pillars of Google’s upcoming sideloading restrictions on Android.

TL;DR A North Korean Pixel 8 Pro clone mimics Google’s flagship while packing 16GB RAM, 256GB storage, a 120Hz display, and an unlocked bootloader. The phone uses a weaker MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chip, but runs noticeably cooler than the Pixel 8 Pro under sustained workloads. The clone even outperforms the real Pixel in a few niche areas, including telephoto macro shots. Clone phones are usually good for one thing: looking like the real deal until you switch them on. However, this North Korean Pixel 8 Pro copy is quite unusual. It borrows Google’s design, but it also packs 16GB of RAM and a few unexpected tricks that even the real Pixel 8 Pro can’t match. The phone recently appeared in a hands-on video from YouTuber fenibook (via NotebookCheck), who nicknamed it the “People’s Pixel.” The reviewer also notes that the handset originally bore a North Korean logo on the back, which was covered in the video.

Credit: Evan Blass Phone launches no longer feel as special, exhilarating, or enthralling as they once did. The slab phone has long been boring, and to make matters worse, heavyweight brands such as Apple, Google, and Samsung often limit “new” product launches to minimal hardware or software changes. Samsung’s last Unpacked was a prime example of this, where our interest hung by a loose thread on the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display. Sure, there were useful improvements to the other two S26 phones, but they weren’t anything close to spellbinding. This Unpacked feels different because, in addition to route upgrades for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7, Samsung is bringing an entirely new product — one that could, hopefully, expand into a product line. The star of the show is Samsung’s new wider Fold 8. Adding to its glory are a few tiny but meaningful enhancements that make this one of the most exciting Samsung Unpacked events in many years.

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR LG has come under fire for installing what is effectively adware when you connect a monitor to your Windows PC. The company installs an app that serves pop-up ads for McAfee antivirus protection. This is particularly egregious as one of the affected monitors has a recommended price of over $1,000. One of the most enduring issues with Windows is the bloatware, as Microsoft and partners install a ton of software on PCs. Unfortunately, it looks like LG is doing the same thing when you plug some of its monitors into a Windows machine. Gamers Nexus (H/T: Videocardz) posted a video claiming that LG is automatically and silently installing software that displays McAfee antivirus subscriptions in pop-ups on Windows PCs. This software, dubbed LG Monitor App Installer, is downloaded and installed upon plugging in an LG UltraGear 34GX900A-B monitor. However, the software and associated pop-ups also apparently appeared after plugging in a three-year-old LG UltraFine 32UN880-B monitor.

Last week, we got our first real look at one of the Pixel 11 Pro’s new features: Pixel Glow. We’ve been following behind-the-scenes developments around Pixel Glow, an array of color-changing lights embedded in Pixel 11 Pro’s camera bar, for months now. Until Google shared an animation showing it off last Wednesday, we didn’t know what it’d actually look like. Thankfully, it seems like a thoughtful addition that’s tastefully executed. But it also feels distinctly like a modernization of an Android throwback: the humble notification LED.

I’ve gone back to the Galaxy Z Flip 7 several times over the last year, and I’ve never fallen in love with the phone. It’s mind-numbing, as Samsung should be able to run laps around Motorola on paper. The company has excellent hardware, fantastic software support, and an aggressive presence in carrier stores — everything it needs to beat Moto’s Razr lineup. Still, the results paint a different picture, and the Motorola Razr series remains a sales hit — and the phone I want more often in my pocket.

As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, OnePlus is ceasing all of its business operations in the US, Canada, and Europe. After over 12 years of being one of the most interesting and disruptive brands in the Android space, these three major markets will no longer see new OnePlus phones — or any OnePlus products — released. I’ve been using Android phones since I was in middle school. I’ve been a OnePlus fan since getting my hands on an invite to buy the OnePlus One in 2014. I’ve been professionally writing about Android and OnePlus for over 10 years. As someone who’s deeply familiar with OnePlus as a brand and its impact on Android as a whole, it brings me no pleasure to say that OnePlus leaving these markets — specifically the US — is a nightmare scenario.

TL;DR Samsung has reportedly increased the production volume for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to 2.8 million units. Production volume for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is set at two million units. Industry analysts expect the 4:3 aspect ratio to become the new industry standard for foldables. As we approach Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, we are getting more leaks, rumors, and reports about the company’s plans for its upcoming devices. Now, we’re also getting information about Samsung’s production estimates for its upcoming foldables, and it seems the company expects the Galaxy Z Fold 8 with its wide aspect ratio to be more popular than the other two phones. According to a report from ET News citing industry sources, Samsung has set the production volume of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (the “Wide” fold) at 2.8 million units. Meanwhile, the Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Z Flip 8 production volumes are set at two million and 1.5 million units, respectively.

Credit: Shimul Sood / Android Authority TL;DR Google has started emailing Android users about its upcoming backup storage policy change that takes effect in 45 days. All Android backup data, including SMS, call history, device settings, and app settings, will soon count toward your Google Account storage limit. The email also confirms new granular backup controls that let users choose exactly which apps and data types are backed up. Google has started emailing Android users about an upcoming change to its backup storage policy, giving users a 45-day heads-up before the new rules take effect.

Credit: X.com/MANGMI_Official TL;DR Upstart brand MANGMI has revealed chipset info for its upcoming Air Y series of Android handhelds. The standard Air Y is equipped with the Snapdragon 662 chip, while the Air Y Pro has the Snapdragon 865. This means the former device should handle everything up to PSP emulation, while the latter should handle PS2 and GameCube games. Upstart brand MANGMI has been teasing two Game Boy-style Android handhelds for a while now. The company has already shown off the designs for the so-called Air Y series, and we’ve now got processor info. MANGMI confirmed on X that the Air Y will be powered by the Snapdragon 662 chipset. Meanwhile, the Air Y Pro will be equipped with the Snapdragon 865 processor.

TL;DR Claude’s Fable 5 is now included with Max and Team Premium plans, offering around 50% of the model’s standard usage limits. Pro and Team Standard users will continue to use Fable 5 using usage credits and will receive a one-time $100 credit. The rollout has been stabilized after days of changing availability, with the company saying the phased launch was due to unexpectedly high demand. Over the past few days, Claude’s rollout of Fable 5 has been anything but smooth. Access to the model was temporarily pulled, restored shortly afterward, and then followed by multiple extensions of free access as more people rushed to try it. If you’ve been following along, chances are you’ve had a hard time keeping up with all the changes. Thankfully, things are starting to settle down. Fable 5 is now officially included with Max and Team Premium subscriptions, although those users will get about 50% of the model’s normal usage limits. The upside is that subscribers no longer have to wonder whether they’ll be able to use the model on a given day — they’ll know exactly what their plan includes.

TL;DR Marketing materials for the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 have leaked with a bunch of details about both smartwatches. The Galaxy Watch 9 will feature a Snapdragon Wear Elite processor and will be available in three colors: Cream, Silver, and Graphite. The Watch Ultra 2 will feature an 800mAh battery, an IP69K rating, and a display with 5,000-nit peak brightness. With just two days to go before Samsung officially announces its new Galaxy Watch lineup at Unpacked, a new leak has given us a great look at what’s in store for the Galaxy Watch 9 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Leaker Evan Blass has shared new marketing images and specs of both smartwatches in his newsletter. First, the leaked marketing images confirm that the Galaxy Watch 9 will use the Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset, corroborating a leak from a few days ago stating that both the Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 will come with the Qualcomm SoC.

Gemini is the Swiss Army knife of the AI world. Backed by Google, it is available across platforms and deeply integrated into Android, letting it do things no other chatbot can do right now. And the pace at which Google has brought Gemini up to speed with its rivals is just remarkable. Having said that, it often feels like ChatGPT made the best of its first-mover advantage, maintaining its lead in overall usability and response quality even today. I jump between Gemini and ChatGPT throughout the day for different tasks, using each quite extensively. Despite having access to Gemini’s full capabilities through my Google AI Pro plan, I continue to separately subscribe to ChatGPT because Google’s AI chatbot still doesn’t feel like it’s there yet, and these are my reasons.

It took a while, but more users are turning to AI for advice in their daily lives. That also extends to buying advice (for better or worse). As someone who makes a living reviewing and comparing smartphones, I was curious how well the top large language models would do at my job. I wanted to see if they could take in all the reviews and information to come up with a coherent recommendation that would benefit most users. It took a bit of effort, and the process wasn’t as clean as I’d hoped — especially with people’s money on the line. However, once the smoke cleared, I was surprised by the results. I asked ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to pick the best smartphone for most people, and here’s what they came up with.