Android

The stable version of Android 17 finally dropped in June 2026 for Pixel phones, adding a bunch of great new features. However, in typical Google fashion, not every Android 17 feature announced during Google I/O is available yet. One of the big ones that’s yet to arrive is Pause Point, a new Digital Wellbeing tool designed to help you break the habit of autopilot app use or doomscrolling. What sets Pause Point apart from Android’s existing Digital Wellbeing tools is that, rather than locking you out of the app from the get-go, it takes a slightly different approach by giving you a 10-second breather to reflect on your intention for opening the app in the first place. Pause Point also lets you set a usage timer and even suggests alternative apps to better utilize your spare time. The coolest part, though, is that disabling it requires you to restart your phone, which means it’s not so easy to disable Pause Point and jump back to your old habit.

As I look at the Galaxy Watch 4 clasped to my wrist, I feel little desire to upgrade to a new Samsung model. There’s much excitement surrounding the incoming Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, and the recent rollout of the upgraded Health app teased a plethora of new features. Fitness index? Vitals? Hearing health!? They all read pretty exciting on paper. But after many years, Samsung and its contemporaries have yet to properly recreate a Garmin feature that wraps my entire day’s activity into a neat number. That feature? Body Battery.

Credit: Andy Walker / Android Authority As long as I can remember, I’ve been a champion of premium games. While I don’t mind a simple time-waster here or there, I prefer an Android game with a little more complexity and ideally no ads. I also believe that dropping anywhere from $1-20 for a premium game not only helps more ambitious developers who don’t want to go through the ad-festered freemium route, but ensures that a premium market continues to exist in a world where most people just go for the free versions. Of course, the fact that premium games are a niche thing also limits what kind of paid titles get produced. By and large, you have two main pools here in 2026: Ports of older games from PC or console history, or indie hits that are typically cross-platform in some way. There are truly unique premium games too, but they are less common these days. Some of these premium games are a better experience than others, but below are just six that I feel are absolutely worth it.

Credit: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority I’ve had Samsung’s Secure Folder set up on almost every Galaxy phone I’ve used over the years, but I only started using it properly about a year ago. As it turns out, locking away private photos is probably the least interesting thing it can do. Once I stopped seeing Secure Folder as a glorified photo locker and started treating it as a separate space, everything changed. I now use it to hide distracting apps, secure my financial applications, run two instances of the same app, and keep my work and personal lives from bleeding into each other. And I’m honestly surprised more Galaxy users aren’t doing the same.

Doomscrolling is a concept we are all very well-acquainted with. Netflix might have a seemingly endless list of movies to offer, but actually finding one that you want to watch always feels completely out of reach. All too often, I find myself sitting on the couch, remote in hand, trying to figure out what to watch while the evening wastes away. The paradox of modern streaming is that the more choices we have, the harder it becomes to settle on anything, turning what should be a relaxing evening into a tedious exercise in decision paralysis. Me? I usually end up on YouTube. But I digress. Recently, I was pitched an interesting solution to exactly this discovery problem by Indian hardware upstart, Lumio. Dubbed Project Neo, it is an experimental AI agent designed to bridge the gap between the devices we use to discover content and the screen we watch it on. And the best part is that it does this using apps you use every day.

Remember the early days of Android? It felt like the Wild West in the best way possible. You could hop onto the Play Store, type in a random app or game you wanted — like a flashlight, a simple unit converter, or a quirky indie puzzle game — and download a completely free app that did exactly what it promised. Sure, there might have been a tiny, unobtrusive banner ad at the bottom of the screen, but it was a fair trade. You got a great tool, the developer made a few pennies, and everyone went home happy. Fast forward to today, and that beautiful, open ecosystem is actively suffocating.

Web browsers are our window to quite literally everything on the internet. That’s why all the top AI companies scrambled to launch their own web browsers — it allowed them to better see and understand exactly what you are looking at. However, web browsers are a tricky habit to break, and as a result, ChatGPT Atlas — OpenAI’s own AI-first web browser that perhaps not many knew existed — is sunsetting next month. ChatGPT has its own reason to kill its browser, but don’t let this decision make you believe that AI browsers are doomed. As a matter of fact, they’re only going to become a more ingrained part of our lives, just as web browsers themselves did back in the day. As ChatGPT Atlas shuts down, here are some of the best AI web browsers that you can try out instead.

Google recently shared new Pixel 11 teaser images, giving us our first look at Pixel Glow. I love that Pixel Glow is real, and it opens up some interesting integration possibilities. Google needed to do something with its hardware without a drastic design change, which has been a relative sales success for the company. While I’m glad that Google is pushing ahead with new features, it masks the troubles ahead for the Pixel 11.

We give Motorola a lot of criticism for its software. It’s justified — Motorola’s update practices are nothing short of terrible, and they deserve to be called out. Ignore updates, though, and Motorola’s Hello UI is one of my favorite Android skins. From gestures that debuted over a decade ago to new software tricks for folding phones, there are plenty of Motorola software features I wish all my phones had.

TL;DR Samsung’s July 22 Unpacked event will showcase brand-new foldables and smartwatches. The hotly anticipated Galaxy Z Fold 8 may be on the agenda, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Z Flip 8 will also be revealed. Samsung is expected to take the wraps off the Galaxy Watch 9 series and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 at Unpacked, with One UI 9 potentially getting detailed as well. Samsung’s second Galaxy Unpacked event of the year is scheduled for July 22 in London, UK, and the event will be livestreamed on YouTube. We’ve come across innumerable leaks and early teasers of the devices that will be showcased at Unpacked, revealing practically everything we need to know. However, given the number of devices Samsung is expected to launch next week, including that wide foldable we’ve all been looking forward to, things will look a bit different than the mid-year Galaxy Unpacked events of the past. With that in mind, here’s what we expect to see from Samsung’s hardware launch event on Wednesday.

Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Your smartphone probably knows more about you than most people in your life do. So when choosing between a Galaxy and a Pixel, privacy isn’t a bad place to start. Obviously, both Samsung and Google will tell you they take privacy seriously. But that doesn’t mean you should trust them blindly. I dug into their defaults, the fine prints, and the AI features to figure out which company actually backs it up.

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google is preparing a Gboard setting that will let you disable automatic spaces after suggestions. Gboard currently adds a space automatically after you tap a suggested autocorrect word. We activated the option during our APK teardown, and it worked as expected in testing. Earlier today, we revealed that Google is working on a potentially major Gboard accessibility feature that could translate sign language captured by your phone’s camera into written text. That has the potential to make a real difference for people who rely on sign language, but it wasn’t the only change we spotted. Google also appears to be preparing a typing option that, while smaller in terms of impact, could prove useful to a far wider group of Gboard users by giving them more control over when the keyboard adds a space. 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: Caviar TL;DR Luxury brand Caviar is offering a custom Lionel Messi-themed edition of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. It features a handcrafted portrait of the football icon using the cloisonné enamel technique. It will cost over $13,000 and only 19 are available. Football legend Lionel Messi has had one heck of a World Cup run, and now his team is positioned to take on Spain for the championship. The championship game is scheduled to be played on Sunday, and only a few days after that, Samsung will launch the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. If you’re a big Messi fan and you happen to be excited for the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the stars have aligned for a perfect mashup. However, it will leave a ginormous dent in your wallet. Luxury brand Caviar has taken the wraps off a custom Lionel Messi-themed edition of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. As part of the company’s “Legends” collection, the phone features a portrait of the Argentine football icon. If you’re interested in this special edition version of the Fold 8 Ultra, it will cost you over $13K. Specifically, it starts at $13,130 for 256GB of storage, $13,490 for the 512GB tier, and $13,840 for the 1TB model.

TL;DR Google Deep Mind researchers have been developing tools to use AI to interpret sign language. Now in Google’s latest Gboard update, we see the keyboard preparing to accept Sign-to-Text input. Privacy protections would keep your video on device, and only share raw gesture data with Google’s cloud AI. Google’s Gboard keyboard wants nothing more than to help you get the thoughts in your head turned into words on your screen, as easily as possible. We already have so many different ways to accomplish that, from good old-fashioned tapping away at letters, to the oh-so-slick “Glide” swipe input, to the modern convenience of voice typing. But now Google could be about to seriously level up its accessibility game, as Gboard gets ready to understand sign language. 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 Apple Music’s prices have increased. An Individual plan now costs $11.99 per month, and the service’s Family plan is now $19.99 These price adjustments are Apple Music’s first since 2022. Everything’s getting more expensive lately, and streaming services aren’t exempt. Case in point: Apple Music just queitly increased its prices. As reflected on its website, Apple Music subscribers will now pay between $1 and $3 more per month, depending on their plan. Apple Insider spotted the changes today. Apple hasn’t made a formal announcement about the price adjustments, but listed prices for the service’s Individual, Family, and Student plans have all increased.

Credit: Tushar Mehta / Android Authority TL;DR Our APK teardown of the Spotify app contains signs that passkey login support is in development. The app includes an internal setting for passkey authentication and code for registering one. Spotify currently supports several login methods, but passkeys are not yet available. Passkeys are becoming a common alternative to passwords, letting you sign in with your fingerprint, face scan, or device screen lock instead. Many consider them both easier and more secure than other login methods, which is why they are being adopted so widely. Given Spotify’s size, it’s a little surprising that the streaming service still doesn’t support them, but that may finally be about to change. 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: Ice Universe TL;DR A member of the popular boy band group BTS recently shared a video teasing one of Samsung’s upcoming foldables. The foldable in question appears to be the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 just showed up in a place you wouldn’t expect We’re only days away from Samsung’s much-anticipated Galaxy Unpacked event, where it will introduce the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series and Flip 8. As you would expect, advertising for the upcoming foldables has picked up. Recently, Samsung and Spider-Man teamed up for a teaser. Now, we’re getting another taste from one of the most popular bands in the world. If you’re a fan of BTS, then you probably know that the South Korean boy band is currently on tour around the world. Ahead of a show taking place in Paris, one of the members took some time out of their busy schedule to tease one of Samsung’s upcoming foldables. The band member in question is J-Hope, and the foldable he is holding appears to be the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Credit: Samsung TL;DR Samsung has launched a new projector called the Freestyle Plus. The device is able to project a viewing experience of up to 100 inches. The projector also uses AI to correct distortions on uneven surfaces, detect obstacles in the projection path, and detect the distance from the viewing surface to automatically focus the screen. It’s been a good year for portable, yet powerful projectors. Just this week, XGIMI opened up sales of the Elfin Flip 4K and Flip Laser, which are no larger than a textbook. On the heels of that announcement, Samsung is now launching its own compact entertainment system. Samsung has announced the launch of a new projector called the Freestyle Plus. Design-wise, the hardware is cylindrical and measures 4.2 x 7.0 x 3.9in. The company describes the device as “highly portable” and “lightweight,” which is supported by the fact that it only weighs 2.2 lbs.

TL;DR Purported specs for the unannounced Pixel 11a have leaked. The phone will feature a Tensor G6 chipset, 8GB of RAM, and a new front-facing camera, the leak claims. We’re expecting the Pixel 11a to launch next spring. We know the Google Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold are set to launch at an event taking place on August 12, but we’re not expecting to see the Pixel 11a on store shelves until sometime next year. Today, though, a new leak is giving us some insight into what we should expect out of the upcoming midranger. Some purported key specs for the Pixel 11a have been published on the Mystic Leaks Telegram channel. Per Mystic Leaks, the phone will come with 8GB of RAM, a 6.3″, 1080p display, and most importantly, a Tensor G6 chipset. That’d represent a considerable leap over this year’s Pixel 10a, which stuck with the same Tensor G4 as the 2024 Pixel 9 series.

TL;DR 1Password now lets Claude sign into websites without exposing saved passwords or one-time codes to the AI. Users must approve each credential request biometrically, and access is limited to the current task. The integration is available now on Mac, alongside a new Agentic Mode for browser-based AI agents. Claude is becoming increasingly capable of handling multi-step tasks on your behalf, but even the smartest AI agents hit a fairly obvious wall when they reach a login screen. You could give the agent your passwords, but many of you will understandably recoil at the mere idea of that. 1Password has come up with an answer, launching an integration that lets Claude sign into websites without the AI ever seeing the credentials it uses. As detailed in a blog post (via Tech Radar), 1Password for Claude allows Anthropic’s assistant to request access to a saved login when it reaches a sign-in page. The user is shown which credential Claude wants and why, then has to approve the request biometrically before 1Password fills in the details.

TL;DR Sony’s Xperia 10 VIII has passed by the FCC. The listing reveals four supported LTE bands, Wi-Fi 6 support, and the 3.5mm headphone jack will return for another year. There appears to be no mention of 5G support. A week ago, we spotted the Pixel 11 Pro Fold sitting in the FCC’s database. While the listing didn’t reveal much about the foldable, it did hint that the Tensor G6 could use a MediaTek modem. Now, it seems that Sony has stopped by the FCC to get the Xperia 10 VIII approved. The Xperia 10 VIII’s FCC filing was spotted by the folks over at The Walkman Blog. Similar to the Pixel 11 Pro Fold entry, this listing doesn’t contain a ton of information about Sony’s next Xperia. However, there are a few details worth mentioning.

TL;DR Samsung’s latest foldables are set to debut next Wednesday at Galaxy Unpacked. Ahead of that date getting here, Evan Blass has leaked a gallery of official-looking Samsung imagery. While there’s not much to reveal at this point, the pictures offer an early look at the features Samsung’s highlighting. To say that the cat’s out of the bag when it comes to this summer’s Samsung foldable launches might be a bit of an understatement. The Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, and Flip 8 have been the subject of so many early leaks at this point, that it practically feels like they’re already here. As Samsung starts dropping some official teasers of its own in the leadup to next week’s Galaxy Unpacked event, we are checking out the latest image dump to detail exactly what Samsung’s cooking up for these models. This time, the pics arrive courtesy of renowned leaker Evan Blass, and they sure all look like official Samsung marketing materials.

Keeping an eye on pets, kids, or the main living room is a lot easier when one camera can see nearly everything. The Eufy Security Indoor Cam S350 is built for that kind of job, and there’s a solid Amazon deal on it right now. See the deal at Amazon

Credit: AYANEO TL;DR AYANEO has revealed the KONKR Pocket Advanced. The company’s latest horizontal Android handheld takes heavy inspiration from the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. At the beginning of July, AYANEO began teasing a new Android handheld that would “reimagine” an icon from the golden era of gaming handhelds. The company eventually revealed that the device would be called the KONKR Pocket Advance. Yesterday, AYANEO shared a teaser that only showed a blurry, shadowy outline of the product. Now the design has been fully revealed and it looks awfully familiar. Just as promised, AYANEO delivered the first official image of the Pocket Advance today. Unsurprisingly, given the name, the system bears a striking resemblance to the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. However, there are a few notable differences between the two, one being the addition of two extra face buttons. There is also a USB-C port and what appear to be cooling vents located at the bottom. Based on just the image, the screen seems to be larger and the bezels a little thinner.

Anker makes a lot of popular charging gear, and the Anker Nano 45W Max GaN Smart Display Charger stands out from the usual wall plug crowd. It is a compact single-port USB-C charger with up to 45W output, GaN internals, and a built-in smart display that shows live charging info while your device powers up. Right now, there’s also a solid Amazon deal on it. See the deal at Amazon