Android

Credit: Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority The iPhone Duo is finally here as Apple’s first foldable phone. It also ships with the company’s first under-display selfie camera, located under the inner screen. This isn’t the first foldable phone with an under-display selfie camera, as Samsung had this on its Folds for a few generations before skipping the feature on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Fold 8 series. Under-display cameras have historically delivered lower-quality images than even budget Android phones. So is Apple making a huge mistake by adopting it, even if the company claims it’s ideal for video calls?

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR We’ve spotted Spotify working on a dedicated “Cache Limit” feature in its Android app that will let users cap how much storage the app cache uses. The feature will warn users that smaller limits increase data usage and affect playback, and will recommend a default cache size to balance performance. Setting a cache limit will only affect temporary files without affecting user-downloaded music or podcasts. Spotify has been slowly but steadily addressing some of the pain points of its overall music streaming experience. Last week, the company announced that users will be able to separate kids’ and family music from recommendations, which is a welcome change for everyone’s yearly recap. We’ve now spotted Spotify working on a dedicated “Cache Limit” feature for its Android app that will let users cap the amount of local storage used by temporary files. 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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15Cf2FKTivo Qualcomm’s next-gen chipset announcement is rather different this year, not least because we have not one but two high-end processors launching simultaneously. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 aren’t just word salads; there are meaningful differences between the regular and Extreme versions. So, let’s get into the key similarities and what’s missing.

TL;DR New Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra renders give us our clearest look yet at Samsung’s next flagship tablet. The design remains largely unchanged from last year, including the small display notch and dual rear cameras. The Ultra is rated for nearly 89 hours of battery endurance, while the Plus gets just over 80 hours, and both offer IP68 protection. Samsung’s flagship tablet season is here. The Galaxy Tab S11 arrived in early September, while Samsung announced the Tab S10 family in late September, with sales starting in early October. Now, with leaks pointing to an October 7 debut for the Galaxy Tab S12 series, the clearest Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra renders yet have surfaced. And anyone hoping for a dramatic redesign may want to temper expectations. The new renders, shared on X by prolific leaker Evan Blass, show the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra from several angles, including the front, rear, and sides. We also see an S Pen in these images.

I’ve tested a handful of sleep earbuds over the years, and no matter how small they get, I haven’t found a pair that doesn’t create pressure in my ears while sleeping on my side, which can be uncomfortable. The Sleenova SoundMask avoids that problem with speakers built into the sides of a sleep mask that sits next to your ears. After a few nights with it, it became a pretty reliable tool for getting a good night’s rest, with its own tradeoffs to sleep earbuds. No more sore ears The SoundMask is very comfortable. Rather than pressing flat against your eyelids, there’s a contoured cavity that lifts the fabric off your eyes entirely, so you can blink and move your eyes freely without anything rubbing against them. There is ample padding around the eyes and nose, so that I could sleep face-down into a pillow without discomfort. It also blocks out light surprisingly well. I couldn’t see anything while wearing it, even in a fully lit room.

TL;DR Garmin’s latest software update adds all-day fall detection to the Venu 4. It also brings voice control and running features to several Garmin smartwatches. The update is rolling out now to eligible devices. If you’re looking for the best fitness trackers and smartwatches, you probably have a few Garmin watches on your list. The company offers several smartwatches and screenless fitness trackers, and it regularly improves them with software updates. Now, it is adding useful new features to several of its smartwatches, including the Fenix 8 series, the Venu 4 and X1, the Forerunner 70 and 170, and more. The Venu 4 now supports fall detection, which will automatically send a message with the user’s live location to selected contacts for assistance. You can keep the feature active all day or enable it for specific activities. It’s worth noting that Garmin watches have supported fall detection, but it could only be enabled during specific outdoor activities. This update finally lets Venu 4 users enable fall detection all the time if needed.

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR Qualcomm reportedly plans to improve support for PC game emulation on Android devices via its official GPU drivers. The company is also apparently thinking about bringing DirectX12 support to its GPU drivers on Android. This could potentially result in better performance and improved compatibility for PC games running on Android. There’s no shortage of PC gaming emulators on Android, allowing you to run a variety of games on your phone, tablet, or handheld. However, you often need to install unofficial GPU drivers for the best performance and compatibility. Fortunately, it sounds like Qualcomm could bring improvements in this regard. Tech YouTuber Geekerwan reports that Qualcomm plans to improve support for PC game emulation on Android via its official GPU drivers. The YouTuber noted that they tried Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong on a phone with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series chip. They reported that both games ran properly in DirectX12 mode using a translation layer.

TL;DR Google’s representative posted a video highlighting trackpad and windowing gestures in Googlebook OS. These gestures are strikingly similar to what macOS offers, such as the three-finger-up gesture for an overview of open tasks. Googlebook OS also supports multiple desktops similar to macOS, with a full-screen mode hiding the taskbar. The Googlebook arrived earlier this week, with an interface that draws visual inspiration from ChromeOS but uses Android as its foundation. Google has already spoken much about the highlight features of the Googlebook OS, including the Magic Pointer, Rambler for efficient typing, and a Gemini-first approach that lets users customize the software package to their utility. We spent some limited time with the Googlebook — and hope to spend some more when the laptops become more widely available next month. In the meantime, we’re leaning on Google to share more details about the interface. Journalist-turned-Googler Dieter Bohn recently detailed how Googlebook OS handles app windowing in a video posted to X (as well as LinkedIn). Bohn’s video also touches upon the various gestures, and many of them seem to draw from both macOS and Windows. One of those gestures is using three or four fingers and flicking them upwards to bring up an overview of active apps. You can also hit the square-shaped key (identical to Android’s multitasking navigation button) to bring up this interface. In addition to apps optimized for Android, Googlebook OS also runs web-based interfaces as web apps.

TL;DR Home Up users may be unable to back up their settings if they have set custom folder label colors. Samsung is working on a fix and will roll it out in a future software update. For now, users can revert folder label colors to their default settings and create backups. As feature-packed as Samsung’s One UI already is, you can use Good Lock modules to get even more customization options for your phone. Modules like Home Up offer deep home screen customization, and you can even back up your settings and restore them later. However, there appears to be an issue with Home Up’s backup option that prevents users from restoring their settings. If you’re facing a similar issue on your Galaxy phone, you can rest easy knowing Samsung is already working on a fix. According to a post on the Samsung Community forums, the Home Up module’s backup feature doesn’t work properly if you’ve selected custom colors for folder labels. A Samsung Community moderator shared this information after a user reported that Home Up keeps deleting their backup file and telling them it’s “broken.”

TL;DR Motorola has confirmed the new Signature 27 will officially launch in the US. The phone is coming this November, though Motorola hasn’t announced the price yet. Early pre-order access registration is already open in the US. Motorola’s first Signature phone felt like the kind of flagship the US Android market could really use. It had premium hardware, long software support, and a serious camera setup, except Motorola never actually sold it here. That omission made the Signature 27 teasers on Motorola’s US channels especially interesting. Now that the phone has officially been unveiled, there’s no more guessing. The Motorola Signature 27 is coming to the US, and Motorola has even told us when to expect it. Motorola’s US website confirms the Signature 27 is coming this November, although the company hasn’t revealed an exact release date or pricing yet. A registration page is live, where interested buyers can already sign up for updates, offers, and the chance to be among the first to pre-order.

TL;DR Google Sheets now lets users drag and drop rows or columns in pivot tables. It also maintains data hierarchy when moving rows or columns with nested child items. It now also preserves custom-sorted pivot tables when importing Excel spreadsheets. The last few months have been really great for Google Sheets users. Google has steadily rolled out new updates and features, introduced useful add-ons, and improved support for pivot tables. Now, it’s making it easier for users to manipulate pivot tables directly in Sheets. Google announced today that Sheets can now preserve custom sorting in pivot tables imported from Excel spreadsheets. Previously, Sheets reverted pivot tables to a standard alphanumeric sort order. However, it will now maintain any custom sort you’ve applied within Excel so you can easily move between the two apps. Exporting a Sheets file to an Excel spreadsheet also maintains the exact sorting order of your pivot tables.

Credit: Paul Jones / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung has reportedly started rolling out the stable One UI 9 update in the US. The update is apparently available on the T-Mobile Galaxy S26 Ultra, but it’s unclear if this is coming to other S26 series variants. The Samsung Galaxy S26 phones have already started receiving the stable One UI 9 update in Korea, but global availability was another question altogether. Thankfully, Galaxy S26 series owners in the US no longer have to wait, as the Android 17-based update is rolling out now. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra owners in the US report via the r/S26Ultra subreddit that they are now receiving the stable One UI 9 update. Users report that the update is landing on T-Mobile devices, although there are conflicting claims about availability on AT&T variants. Check out Redditor Strong-Size-700’s screenshot below.

TL;DR OpenAI has launched two new cost-effective AI models: GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna. GPT-6 Sol reportedly outperforms Claude Opus 5 at just 9% of its cost. Both models are available today in ChatGPT Work and Codex for ChatGPT subscribers. It’s been a few weeks since OpenAI introduced GPT-6 Astra and took the internet by storm. Now, the company is introducing new, more cost-effective GPT-6 models for users who need a powerful AI model at a considerably lower price. OpenAI announced the launch of GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna today, and the company is focused on showing how affordable and capable both models are. API pricing for both GPT-6 Sol and Luna has been reduced significantly compared to GPT-5.6 Sol and Luna. Both are now 50% cheaper to use.

Credit: Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority TL;DR Apple is reportedly developing a screenless health and fitness tracker aimed at rivals such as WHOOP and the Fitbit Air. The device is still in an early prototype stage and may not launch before 2028, if at all. The prototypes reportedly use a thin fabric band with a sensor-equipped module and no display. Screenless fitness trackers are having a moment this year, and Apple reportedly doesn’t want to sit this one out. The company is said to be developing a new health and fitness tracker without a display, which would almost certainly rival WHOOP and the Google Fitbit Air. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been exploring the idea for several months and is now developing prototypes. The project is said to be still in its very early stages, with Apple not yet deciding whether to release the device. Bloomberg’s sources say it probably wouldn’t arrive before 2028, if at all.

TL;DR Anthropic’s new Claude Opus 5.5 promises improved performance, accuracy, communication, and stronger safety safeguards. The model generates responses over 30% faster and costs roughly 40% less to run than Opus 5. Anthropic is increasing usage limits for Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise subscribers. When it comes to AI, performance, accuracy, and pricing are the biggest considerations for power users. With Claude Opus 5, Anthropic achieved impressive results on the performance and accuracy fronts, but access to the model came at a premium. With the company’s latest model released today, that’s less of a concern. Anthropic announced Claude Opus 5.5 today, and the new model promises not only better performance and accuracy, but also a roughly 40% reduction in running costs compared to Opus 5.

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR Google Home users are reporting an issue with their smart speaker’s LED lights. The lights reportedly stay on and pulsate until the user asks something, but return shortly after. It’s unclear what the exact cause of the issue is. All Google Home smart speakers come with embedded LED lights. As most owners are aware, these lights indicate the device’s current status or activity. But a new unwanted behavior is leaving users scratching their heads. Normally, the LED lights on Google’s smart speakers turn on when the speakers are in use. However, owners on Reddit are reporting that the lights are now staying on at all times and pulsating. The lights reportedly turn off after a question is asked, but they return to the previous behavior shortly after.

Credit: Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung has confirmed a Good Lock ClockFace bug that can move lock screen clocks from their chosen position. The issue was reported by a Galaxy S26 Ultra owner after updating to One UI 9. Samsung is investigating and recommends using a default clock style as a temporary workaround. Good Lock is supposed to give Galaxy owners more control over how One UI looks, but one Galaxy S26 Ultra user has found their carefully arranged lock screen doing its own thing after updating to One UI 9. They weren’t imagining it, with Samsung now confirming that there’s an issue affecting clock positioning when using Good Lock’s ClockFace options. The problem was raised on Samsung’s Korean Community forum by a Galaxy S26 Ultra owner. They showed how the time and date were positioned close together in LockStar, but the actual lock screen and Always-On Display put them much farther apart. The clock itself had moved rather awkwardly to almost the very top of the display.

TL;DR Nest Doorbells are encountering an odd bug that makes them speak in a US accent, regardless of settings. Users have suggested a few solutions, like temporarily adding US English as a second language. Google now confirms its awareness of the bug, and shares that a fix is in progress. Ding-dong! Language confusion calling! Earlier this week, we learned about a weird new glitch that was reportedly impacting Nest Doorbell owners. Owners who have been using the Nest Doorbell abroad, and all configured to converse in their local accent, suddenly found their Doorbells switching back to an American tone. While that still doesn’t seem to be fixed, we’ve got a fresh update to share. Users had already offered a few potential fixes, suggesting temporarily assigning US English as a secondary language, but we hadn’t heard anything from Google. Today a representative has finally popped up in one of the original Reddit threads, confirming the problem and the company’s awareness of it:

TL;DR Motorola has unveiled the Signature 27, its first smartphone with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset. The phone offers a 50MP main camera, a 200MP periscope telephoto, upgraded cooling, B&O audio, and a bold multi-camera rear design. Motorola is also promising seven years of OS and security updates, with the Signature 27 expected to launch globally in 2026. Motorola just gave us the first proper look at its upcoming Signature device. For reference, the original Motorola Signature didn’t make it to the US when it launched earlier this year. Its successor, however, has just been confirmed, and Motorola is clearly aiming high. At the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, the tech giant unveiled the Motorola Signature 27. This is the first smartphone announced with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15Cf2FKTivo TL;DR Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, the first mobile chips with 5GHz CPUs. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 also brings huge video upgrades, such as 8K/60fps capture and 4K/240fps slow-mo video. The Extreme chipset also brings a more impressive GPU with Adreno Neural Fusion, as well as more powerful AI hardware. Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 roughly a year ago, and it was arguably the most powerful smartphone processor for most of 2026. The company has recently been teasing not one but two Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips, and it’s now made them official. Say hello to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. Yes, we’ve got another confusing name. I’m looking forward to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 for Galaxy next year.

Credit: Adamya Sharma / Android Authority TL;DR Google is expanding study notebooks to users of all ages who are signed into a school or work-issued Google account. The Gemini app and Gemini Notebook will need to be enabled by the user’s admin. The gradual rollout has started and can take up to 15 days for visibility. If you’re studying and don’t know where to start or what to focus on next, Google recently released something to solve this dilemma. Known as Gemini study notebooks, it can create a personalized study plan based on the notes, syllabus, and course materials you upload. Being such a helpful learning tool, it only makes sense to bring it to more students. In a new blog post, Google announced that it is expanding access to study notebooks. Now, users of all ages who are signed into a school or work-issued Google account can take advantage of the tool. However, the user’s admin will need to enable the Gemini app and Gemini Notebook first.

TL;DR Google lets you vibe code apps in its AI Studio, and later sideload them on your devices or submit them though the Play Console for public access. Now the Play Store is working on a new “Your creations” where users may be able to find their AI Studio creations. It’s not yet clear what this shift could mean for broader access to AI Studio apps from other people. For all the pushback you might hear about vibe coding, we can’t deny that it actually has the potential to work pretty well, and really does manage to impressively lower the bar of entry for what’s needed to build your first app. Google’s hard at working bringing its AI Studio experience to Gemini, hoping to make it easier than ever for Android users to get started coding their own apps, and now we’re learning about a new home where those apps might ultimately end up. 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 A new study finds that popular smartwatches from Apple, Samsung, Garmin, and Fitbit substantially miscalculate calories burned during exercise. The higher your body fat percentage, the less accurate your smartwatch’s calorie estimates may be, with errors reaching 100% or more. Researchers recommend treating smartwatch calorie counts as rough estimates, especially if you rely on them to manage your weight. If you own a smartwatch, you know the satisfaction that comes after finishing a strenuous workout, glancing at your wrist, and seeing just how many calories you’ve burned. If your aim is to be in a calorie deficit and lose weight, that figure on the watch holds a lot of importance. However, a new study suggests that your smartwatch might not be giving you accurate readings, especially if you have a higher body fat percentage. Smartwatches have become increasingly common, not just because of their health and fitness tracking prowess, but also because of their convenience. I use mine during every workout, and while previous reports about inaccuracies have made me err on the side of caution when interpreting the numbers my watch throws out, I still find myself looking at them after every workout regardless. Considering The Conversation’s new report on smartwatch inaccuracies, I might have to change that habit.

Credit: Coros TL;DR COROS has launched its latest athlete-focused smartwatch, the Pace 4 Pro. The Pace 4 Pro features the company’s largest display ever at 1.47 inches. It’s available today in Black and White for $449. When it comes to the world of training, there aren’t many smartwatches that can compare to what Garmin brings to the table. However, COROS is among the few brands that can keep up and compete. Almost a year after launching the Pace 4, the company is back with a Pro model. COROS has announced the release of its latest offering, the Pace 4 Pro. Just like before, the Pace 4 Pro is targeted at athletes across all endurance sports. However, there are a few big improvements that could make it worth your while. The most notable of which is the display.

The TCL TAB A1 Android Tablet is back down to a strong Amazon deal right now. You can grab it for $179.99, down from its $219.99 recommended retail price, saving you $40 and representing an 18% discount. This deal is worth a look because it matches the all-time low price. For anyone shopping for a big-screen Android tablet without spending a lot, now is a good time to buy. See the deal at Amazon