Latest from Android Central

Platform Stability reached: Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 is here for Pixels, quickly after Beta 5

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:08:02 +0000

What you need to know

Google announced Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 is rolling out for enrolled Pixel testers a week after Beta 5 dropped.
The patch is lighter, focused mostly on fixing issues Pixel testers have been reporting on the Issue Tracker.
Beta 5 carried a significant number of fixes for Pixel users, such as solutions for vanishing widgets, the Game Dashboard, and more.

The next beta for Android 17's first quarterly update has crossed a major developmental hurdle. Here's everything Pixel testers can expect to find.

Google announced that Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 is rolling out now for enrolled Pixel users. As vCP31.260618.005 rolls out to Pixel 6 and new phones, Google states Beta 6 means the quarterly update has reached Platform Stability. This is a key milestone, as Google looks to begin preparations for a wider (stable) launch for phones. This latest beta is a bit lighter. Google only appears to have a few bugs it's looking to squash ahead of more testing.

The company states it's rolling out a visual glitch when "rapidly swiping through the media carousel." Google says users experienced this in the Quick Settings layout and settings icons. Another fix rolling in is the result of several reports across three Issue Tracker threads following Beta 5. Pressing the volume buttons was reportedly producing an unintended result in the Clock app.

The remainder of the changelog is as follows:

Users were unable to select multiple spell checker languages
An issue in WindowManagerGlobal that resulted in app crashes
Enabling the Wi-Fi hotspot displayed a generic default SSID instead of the user's saved custom name

The work continues

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Android Central's Take

I wonder if Google is moving too fast. There are still so many pressing issues affecting users with Android 17, and other glaring problems for Pixels in general. Google has acknowledged some, but others have been happening for months now with no clear solution. I'd hate to see things get out of hand more than they are.

Beta 6 has stunned Pixel testers. It's only been a week since QPR1 Beta 5 rolled out, and that patch carried a significant number of bug fixes. The last beta rolled out a fix for an Android 17 problem stable Pixel users encountered: vanishing widgets. So, while Google has acknowledged and seemingly already solved this problem, Pixel users still have a while to wait before it hits their phones (unless they're in the beta). On the other hand, Google rolled out fixes for the Game Dashboard, a screen freeze with the Always-On Display, and more.

Android 17 QPR1 hitting Platform Stability early in July probably shouldn't surprise us. Google rolled out Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1 in August last year, shortly after the Pixel 10 launched. Google's been quickening its development process and trying to work through bugs at the same time. There's a chance we'll see something similar take place this year, too.

Your Galaxy Watch will lose Vascular Load, switches to blood pressure 'trends'

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:58:22 +0000

What you need to know

Samsung Health app has posted a notice, informing Galaxy Watch users in the U.S. that Vascular Load will disappear with v7.0 of the app and One UI 9 Watch in July.
The company says it will replace this with "Blood Pressure Trends," which "periodically" checks your blood pressure to show your (potentially) changing trends.
Vascular Load was a part of the Galaxy Watch 8's Preventative Care features and would measure your blood flow and vascular stiffness while you slept.

Samsung is reportedly informing Galaxy Watch users that they will lose a heart wellness feature in the next major update.

Samsung rolled out a notice in its Health app this week titled "Vascular Load labs feature to be discontinued." A user on Reddit brought awareness to this notification as it's likely to affect Galaxy Watch users soon (via 9to5Google). The company states that, starting with v7.0 of the Samsung Health app and One UI 9 Watch, Vascular Load will disappear for U.S. users.

Samsung states One UI 9 Watch is expected to debut this month (July). Users have started wondering when older devices (Watch 8, Watch 7, etc.) could see this patch. There hasn't been a beta for the watch software yet, despite Samsung's confirmed July release for One UI 9 Watch.

Replacing Vascular Load will be Samsung's "Blood Pressure Trends" feature. The notice says this feature will "check your blood pressure periodically to show you a trend over time. It will also give you tips to help support healthy habits." Samsung adds that these trends will be available on the next series, the Galaxy Watch 9. It stresses, as always, that Blood Pressure Trends is simply a "wellness-only" feature, and any concerns should be discussed with your doctor.

Preventative Care

(Image credit: Samsung)

Vascular Load was one of Samsung's Preventative Care features it highlighted for the Galaxy Watch 8. Many features under this umbrella focused mainly on the user's heart, and Vascular Load was no different. Its focus was to help highlight the strain on your heart. Samsung said the Galaxy Watch 8 used PPG waveforms to measure "your blood flow and vascular stiffness throughout the night."

A person's stress, diet, and sleep primarily affect this statistic. It states that, if left unchecked, consistent "high" Vascular Load could lead to more severe health problems. It's unfortunate to see this go; however, Blood Pressure Trends seems to piggyback off the main Blood Pressure monitoring feature. After months of talking about it and working to clear regulatory hurdles, Samsung rolled out Blood Pressure monitoring in March.

Users are required to use an upper arm cuff to calibrate their Galaxy Watch for the first time and then every 28 days after.

Android Central's Take

It's a shame this feature is leaving. Seeing a metric about the strain on your heart gives users another keyhole into their overall health. It's another piece of information to make you wonder if there's anything you should change, like your food or how much sleep you're getting. Understanding your blood pressure is as equally important. Who knows, maybe we won't miss this.

Samsung quietly brings back its BEST Galaxy S26 Ultra deal for the 4th of July weekend — with or without trade

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:57:01 +0000

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is one of the most powerful phones ever built, but with a starting price of $1,299.99, it's also quite expensive. Fortunately, Samsung is attempting to ease the burden by resurrecting one of its best deals for the 4th of July weekend.

For a limited time, you can score up to $720 off the unlocked S26 Ultra when you trade in an old or broken device, no carrier activation required. Don't have anything to trade in? Skip that part of the process altogether and Samsung will STILL hook you up with $350 off the phone, a surprising straight discount that totally clobbers the current offers from Amazon and Best Buy.

Sure, Samsung Galaxy S26 deals are hardly uncommon, but it's unusual to see a straight discount this good outside of major sale events like Prime Day. If you want to buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra but hate all of the fine print included with most phone deals, this is your time to shine.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB: ~~$1,299.99~~ From $579.99 with trade-in | $949.99 without at Samsung

Buy the unlocked Galaxy S26 Ultra directly from the source and you'll be eligible for up to $720 of instant trade-in credit. Skip the trade-in process and Samsung will still carve a straight $350 off your purchase, no strings attached. View Deal

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is Samsung's best phone yet, coming complete with a massive 6.9-inch 120Hz AMOLED display (with embedded stylus), unbelievable performance from the Snapdragon chipset, and some of the fastest battery charging we've ever seen in a smartphone. You also get to experience Samsung's handy new Privacy Display feature, plus all of the latest Galaxy AI tricks and seven years of software updates guaranteed.

In addition to the discount described above, Samsung is also offering some impressive savings when you bundle the phone with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro (~~$249~~ now $225) or Galaxy Watch Ultra (~~$649.99~~ now $435). Your purchase will also come with six months of SiriusXM streaming, two months of Adobe Lightroom, and a 30-day trial for Samsung Health.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra may not be a massive upgrade over its predecessor, but it's still one of the most powerful Android phones on the market today. If you missed the Samsung deals during last week's Prime Day sale, here's your chance to get a straight discount that's nearly just as good.

Xreal ROG R1 is crazy expensive, but it's easily the best wearable monitor I've ever used

Nicholas Sutrich — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:52:20 +0000

AC thVRsday

In his weekly column, Android Central Senior Content Producer Nick Sutrich delves into all things VR, from new hardware to new games, upcoming technologies, and so much more.

I've spent the past five weeks with Xreal ROG R1 glasses, a cutting-edge pair developed jointly by Xreal and Asus. As with all ROG-branded products, these glasses (also known as a wearable monitor) have a very specific design language, a near-ridiculous number of features, and a price tag that puts them squarely in "enthusiast" territory.

They also pose a rather interesting alternative to traditional monitors that I'm not sure smart glasses are quite ready to bridge yet: replacing a gaming monitor with a virtual one. That's not to say the picture quality, resolution, or even features aren't there — it's top-notch in these categories among any comparable pair, after all. Rather, I'm just not sure how many people are ready to make smart glasses a proper replacement for monitors.

But if you're seriously considering clearing off your desk or you just want a robust on-the-go virtual monitor solution, Xreal ROG R1 is the best pair of smart display glasses money can buy. It's the ideal combination of the Xreal One Pro's ease and the robust feature set of a ROG device. Here's everything you need to know before buying.

What is Xreal ROG R1?

Xreal ROG R1 is a pair of smart glasses jointly designed by Xreal and Asus, featuring industry-leading 240Hz micro-OLED displays and a unique desktop dock with multiple input options. ROG R1 also supports the Xreal Eye camera and prescription glasses inserts.

ROG R1 can be used independently of this dock, which is how I used them the vast majority of the time during my five weeks of use, including a week's vacation away from home and one particularly long travel day spent in airports and on planes with the glasses.

Xreal Rog R1 retails for $849.99 and can be purchased at Best Buy, Xreal's website, or Asus' website. The box includes the glasses, a USB-C cable for the glasses, a microfiber cleaning cloth, a manual, three total nosepiece shapes/sizes, a prescription glasses adapter, the desktop dock, plus two USB-A to USB-C cables for the dock.

Xreal ROG R1 specs
Display	Sony micro-OLED
Resolution	1920 x 1080
Refresh rate	120Hz standalone, 240Hz when docked
Brightness	700-nit peak
Color support	8-bit, 106% sRGB. Dock supports HDR10
FoV	57-degrees
IPD	Narrow size: 57-66mm Broad size: 66-75mm
Spatial tracking	3DoF native, 6DoF with optional Xreal Eye
Electrochromic dimming	Yes, 3 levels
3D support	Side-by-side, automatic AI-converted
Audio	Bose speakers
Temple adjustment	3 angles, spring hinge with flexible arms
Dimensions	153mm x 4.9m x 166mm
Weight	90g
Control dock	1x USB-C power, 1x USB-C data and power, 1x DisplayPort, 2x HDMI

Displays aren't the only headliner feature

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

The ROG R1's displays have a clear advantage, as they're the only pair of smart display glasses with a 240Hz display. That pair of micro-OLEDs runs at 120Hz when connected directly to any device, but connecting the glasses to the included ROG R1 dock unlocks 240Hz mode.

This is achieved through a special chip inside the R1 dock, which provides the extra horsepower needed to run at 240Hz. You'll need a device that can natively push 240Hz to take advantage, however, as the only interpolation mode supported on these glasses is upscaling 60Hz signals to 120Hz. There's no native way to scale 120Hz to 240Hz, which I was disappointed by, but I understand why it's a limitation.

Outside of 240Hz, the optics component of ROG R1 is essentially the same as in Xreal One Pro. When not plugged into the dock, it supports the same color and brightness output, plus the same 57-degree FoV via prism lenses. So, if you're not particularly interested in the 240Hz or dock functions, is there still a reason to choose these over Xreal One Pro? Yes, but only if you enjoy tweaking every last aspect of a device.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Xreal ROG R1 sports the most detailed OSD menu I've ever seen on a pair of smart glasses. There are very few glasses that offer a proper OSD menu — Xreal One was the first — and while I thought Xreal's previous efforts felt like a monitor, ROG R1 takes those options to the next level.

Honestly, the number of features available for both the glasses and the dock is borderline overwhelming. You'll easily spend 30 minutes just scrolling through everything to test them out and, undoubtedly, much longer figuring out your favorite settings.

ROG R1 supports several different presets, too, including custom ones you can save for later use. While I love all the additional (optional) settings, I really enjoyed the refreshed quick settings menu, which lets you instantly adjust brightness, lens tinting, speaker volume, screen size, and screen distance without having to dive through a bunch of annoying menus. Just click the minus button to open this menu.

Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central

The temples offer three angle adjustment options, and the left and right temples are independent, so you can find the display angle that best matches your face shape. The three different nose pads further enhance comfort, and the arms all use spring hinges, so they bend backward quite a bit to accommodate different head sizes.

Both Anchor and Smooth Follow modes use low-persistence black frame insertion to eliminate motion blur that can occur with spatially tracked virtual screens, and both 3DoF and 6DoF modes use PWM dimming at all levels. The 0DoF mode uses DC dimming at brightness levels 3-10, while levels 1 and 2 use PWM dimming.

These are 8-bit displays with no 10-bit support, so there should be no dithering at all. Despite the PWM dimming, I found these glasses quite comfortable with the prescription inserts. Normally, low-frequency PWM dimming (240-1000Hz) hurts my eyes and gives me a headache, but Xreal appears to be following the refresh rate here (120Hz), which typically doesn't bother me.

The dock changes everything

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

No other pair of smart display glasses to date ships with a dock like ROG R1. This dock sports two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, and two USB-C ports on the back (one is power), plus a USB-C port on the front for your glasses. This means you can easily connect multiple computers or consoles to the dock and switch between them using the buttons on top of the dock, similar to a KVM switch.

Better yet, each button and joystick direction can be customized to perform virtually any feature or function toggle supported by the dock, so you can truly nail down your ideal configs and have them ready with a single press.

Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central

While the dock is phenomenal for providing 240Hz support and expanding preset and monitor parameter adjustment options, it's also a weird downgrade for spatial tracking and quick settings.

While the glasses alone support five quick settings for adjustment, plugging them into the dock removes the audio adjustment option. There's also no way to use 0DoF mode when plugged into the dock, only the 3DoF or 6DoF modes. Note that 6DoF requires the Xreal Eye attachment for the glasses, which can't be used with prescription lenses.

I also find it irritating that all the buttons on the glasses are disabled when plugging them into the dock. I understand that Asus/Xreal wants the dock to be the primary option, but it's still annoying for someone who switches between using the dock and plugging the glasses directly into portable devices.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Xreal should be able to address those issues in a firmware update, though, so while this is certainly annoying in its current state, there's no reason it needs to stay that way. Overall, the ROG R1 is an incredible pair of glasses that offers higher-quality imagery and more options than any other pair of smart glasses on the market.

If you're looking for an ultra-clean desk setup with no monitors, this is truly an incredible solution, especially given how well Xreal's spatial tracking system works. I'd still recommend the $450 Xreal 1S for most people, but the ROG R1 is an impressive enthusiast option for gamers seeking the highest-end solution.

Does the Fitbit Air support automatic activity detection?

bradypsnyder@gmail.com (Brady Snyder) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:50:00 +0000

Does the Fitbit Air support automatic activity detection?

Best answer: Yes, the Google Fitbit Air automatically detects and saves activities in the background. These activities later appear in the Google Health app, where you can confirm, change, or delete them. The Fitbit Air's algorithm will adapt based on how you use the tracker, eventually giving preference to the activity types you track most.

Fitbit Air automatically detects activities in the Google Health app

The Google Fitbit Air is a screenless fitness tracker that monitors your health and activity data in the background. Without a screen onboard, there's no way to manually start tracking a workout directly on the Fitbit Air. Instead, users need to pull out their phone and open the Google Health app to manually track a workout with the Fitbit Air.

The alternative is to use the Fitbit Air's automatic activity detection feature. The fitness tracker monitors health metrics in the background, including your heart rate, steps, and cardio load. These metrics give your Fitbit Air an idea of when you're being physically active. After finishing, you can open the Google Health app to view automatically detected workouts or edit the details.

Google's automatic activity detection might not always get it right, and confirming or modifying the activity in the Google Health app helps improve the results. You can view activities recorded on the same day in the Today tab of the Health app, while older activities appear in the Fitness tab. From there, you can view workout recaps and tap a suggested activity type, or pick other options from the list to confirm.

Brady Snyder / Android Central

Google says that "activity detection gets smarter the more you use it," and adds that you can choose from 150 activity types. You can customize activity types and minimum durations for automatically recorded activities in the app. For example, you might not want your 15-minute walk to work to count as an activity, so you could set a 20-minute minimum duration for walks that your Fitbit Air automatically detects.

To improve the accuracy of your Fitbit Air's automatic activity detection, manually start a 10-minute outdoor walking workout using your phone and the Google Health app. Keep your phone on you as you complete the workout. This will calibrate your Fitbit Air, making automatically detected activity data more accurate.

In short, your Fitbit Air can automatically detect activities. However, you may want to confirm or edit activities later in the Google Health app for the best results.

Google

Fitbit Air

Automatic activity detection

The Google Fitbit Air is a passive fitness tracker that can automatically detect activities in the background. It lasts a week before needing a recharge, and users can view tracked activities in the Google Health companion app.

Gemini Omni is 'like Nano Banana for video' and I couldn't believe the results

bradypsnyder@gmail.com (Brady Snyder) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:29:32 +0000

I use Gemini for all sorts of things on my phone, from general assistant help and smart home control to generative AI creation. The app tries to be a jack-of-all-trades, capable of creating text, images, audio, and video from simple prompts. Gemini Omni is Google's latest video-generation tool, announced at Google I/O 2026 and bundled with the June Pixel Drop.

Gemini Omni's calling card is conversational prompts. Like how you can generate images with Nano Banana from simple inputs, Google wants you to be able to do the same with Gemini Omni. I tried it on my Pixel 10 Pro, and the experience felt way more polished than any Veo model. I don't generate AI videos very often, but when I do, I'll be using Gemini Omni going forward. Here's how you can, too.

Gemini Omni is a new model designed to create videos

(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

Open up the Gemini app and tap the model picker, and you won't see Gemini Omni. You'll find 3.1 Flash-Lite, 3.5 Flash, and 3.1 Pro (availability varies depending on your Google AI subscription), but not Gemini Omni. That's because Gemini Omni is specifically designed for video. In fact, Google's landing page for Gemini Omni says we should "think of it like Nano Banana for video."

The model you'll be using in the Gemini app is called Gemini Omni Flash, and it's also available in Google Flow and YouTube Shorts. While it's wholly focused on video for now, Gemini Omni will eventually support image and audio outputs as well. The idea is that Gemini Omni will one day be able to "create anything from any input," which is a lofty goal. This will happen "in time," according to Google, but you can start using Omni for videos today.

Another oddity about Gemini Omni is that it's highlighted as a June Pixel Drop feature, but it's available on any smartphone. Gemini Omni isn't a Google Pixel exclusive; it's limited by your Google AI subscription status. There is a free version with strict rate limits, but more availability is reserved for Google AI Plus, Google AI Pro, and Google AI Ultra subscribers.

That's good news for anyone without a Pixel — everyone can try it in the Gemini app or on the web.

How I create videos with AI using Gemini Omni

(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

Gemini Omni is designed to support multiple inputs and conversational prompts. In other words, anyone can use it. Here's how to get started:

1. Open the Gemini app.

2. Tap the + button and select Videos.

3. Now, you'll see the Gemini Omni prompting box. Tap the bottom-left button to upload a photo or video as part of your prompt, or press the bottom-right button to choose between a Landscape or Portrait aspect ratio.

(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

4. Next, come up with a text prompt. You can type your prompt or tap the microphone button to record an audio snippet as part of your prompt.

5. Tap the Send arrow to submit your prompt to Gemini Omni.

(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

6. Wait for your video to generate. You may see the following message: "I'm generating your video. This could take a few minutes, so check back to see when your video is ready.

(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

7. When your video is ready, you can hit the Share button to create a public link to it. Or you can tap the three-button menu and select Save video to download it to your device.

Now, you've created your first video with Gemini Omni. Remember, you can use any mix of text, images, audio, or video to inform your Gemini Omni prompt.

If you're not sure where to start, you can tap one of the suggestions on the Gemini Omni page. It'll tell you exactly what it needs to generate a video. For example, the Talking pets suggestion will ask you for a picture of your pet to customize the output.

Should you use Veo or Gemini Omni for videos?

(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

Gemini Omni is replacing Veo models in the Gemini app, although you'll still be able to find Veo models in other Google products. I've used both, and my vote goes to Gemini Omni. With its broad support for inputs and easy-to-follow suggestions, it doesn't take much skill to create a fun AI video with Omni.

I made a video of my seafood dinner coming to life and jumping off the plate, and well, Gemini Omni did its job. I'm not sure how often I'll turn to Omni to generate videos with AI, but I know it's up to the task.

Google

Pixel 10

Best for Gemini

Gemini Omni is here on Pixels like the Pixel 10 following the June Pixel Drop. You also get other exclusive features, like Screen Reactions and Bubbles, before anyone else.

Pixel users aren't receiving calls, but the issue might be Google's phone app

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:13:40 +0000

What you need to know

Pixel users have been raising an issue on Google's various subreddits and its Issue Tracker about a "missing incoming call" bug.
Users with a wide range of Pixel phones say their phones have been ignoring incoming calls, and rarely inform them that one has been attempted.
However, the problem could be with the Google Phone app, as this behavior has reportedly affected several phones for months.

Google Pixel users say they're suffering from a phone problem that no one (in this day and age) ever wants.

This Google Pixel problem reportedly concerns the phone's ability to receive calls, affecting a range of devices (via Android Authority). It's quickly become apparent through a Pixel subreddit report that this problem hasn't started in the past few days or weeks. Users state their Pixel has been missing calls for over a month. The original post (OP) says their Pixel 10 Pro XL "is not receiving calls after the last update." This was posted at the end of May.

They explain their situation, stating, "As mentioned since the last update people will call me and it won't go through. Just hangs on the calling screen and then hangs up. My wife said it happens routinely and she will have to call me 3 to 4 times and sometimes my phone will ring."

On their side, the user sees nothing. Their phone will remain idle with its display off. The user has run through a series of at-home troubleshooting steps (restarting, clearing cache, ensuring DND is off), but nothing has worked. Another user even further back reported this issue affecting their Pixel 7 Pro. Not only are users missing calls on Google's stable patch, but it's happening in Android 17 QPR1 Beta 5, too. This user says their Pixel 10 Pro XL only started missing calls after downloading the latest beta, adding that a thread has been opened on Google's Issue Tracker about it.

Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich brought this issue up earlier today after stating he's "had this behavior on several phones for months now." Sutrich adds that "it's a Google Phone app issue, not a Pixel issue." Android Central has reached out to Google about this missing incoming call issue and will update this post if we hear back.

This problem is dangerous

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

A Google Community member did respond to one of the Reddit threads. We can at least assume the company is aware of the issue. This is a troublesome problem, especially if it's affecting the Google Phone app. That means more than just Pixels have this problem. There was one report that mentioned the Galaxy S25, so users should remain cautious.

The last memorable Phone app problem we've reported was more of an inconvenience than anything else. Earlier this year, the app constantly flipped its orientation. You'd typically want your call to remain in portrait, but the app would switch to landscape, messing up the buttons. Google fixed this by rolling out a "keep portrait mode" in the app's display settings.

Curiously, Google's Call Screen for Pixels was cited as a potential culprit behind this missing-call issue. The user on Reddit said that, after turning it off, their device would alert them to incoming calls as expected.

Android Central's Take

I'm surprised there isn't more urgency. Missing phone calls is an incredibly serious issue. I saw one person on Reddit mention that they have kids and older parents. There's no telling what could be wrong if they happened to miss a call. Their child could be sick, or their parents could've had something happen, too. The problem seems to have been escalating lately. Hopefully, this kicks Google into higher gear.

T-Mobile caps off a month of freebies with a $60 jersey nobody asked for

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:29:23 +0000

What you need to know

T-Mobile's newest Member Month perk is a $60 limited-edition Umbro soccer jersey available through the T-Life app starting July 7.
The jersey is an original Umbro x T-Mobile design, not tied to any club or national team.
Existing T-Life perks aren't going anywhere, so the Umbro collaboration is an extra option rather than a replacement.

T-Mobile has been giving away everything from fuel discounts to entertainment perks for the past month, but its latest Member Month reward is taking a very different approach. Instead of another free giveaway, the carrier is joining in on soccer culture with an exclusive collaboration that customers can actually wear.

The company partnered with sportswear brand Umbro to introduce a limited-edition soccer jersey just for T-Mobile members. The catch? There is no free lunch. Starting July 7, eligible customers will be able to purchase the jersey for $60 through the T-Life app, while supplies last.

The jersey is not emblematic of any particular club or national team. Instead, it's an original Umbro and T-Mobile design that blends the sportswear company's football heritage with T-Mobile's signature magenta branding.

See my guide to the best T-Mobile deals of July 2026

(Image credit: T-Mobile)

The launch also is part of T-Mobile’s broader Member Month promotion, which celebrates 10 years of customer rewards. The company said the T-Life app had nearly 14 million members engaging with the app in the first week of the campaign, one of the busiest periods of engagement the platform has seen.

Customers were granted perks across the month, including discounted fuel, travel benefits, dining deals, and access to exclusive events like a members-only T-Pain show. T-Mobile also distributed more than 600,000 codes for fuel discounts and helped more than 1,500 drivers fill up at $1.99 a gallon.

Of course, the carrier’s existing benefits aren’t going away due to the Umbro collaboration. Customers on eligible plans still get access to ongoing extras such as streaming subscriptions, travel perks, DoorDash DashPass offers, and other T-Life promotions. The jersey is just the latest on that growing list.

Android Central's Take

As for me, I can't help but laugh at the sheer audacity of it all. A bold move, definitely, to end a month of real, tangible benefits like free food delivery and dirt cheap gas by asking us to pay a premium to become a walking billboard. Yes, the Umbro collab gives it a tiny shred of streetwear credibility, but at the end of the day, it’s still a $60 T-Mobile ad.

The best Verizon deals of July 2026 — so many free phones

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 13:49:03 +0000

The summer sale season is upon us, and the Verizon deals are really heating up. Whether you're in the market for a flagship phone, innovative foldable, or budget device, I've collected the best Verizon deals of July 2026 into this guide.

Verizon has been a major player in the wireless scene for over 20 years, offering users a variety of plan options for every type of user (and budget) imaginable. The Big Three carrier also offers a ton of awesome deals on Android phones, with extra rewards for those who trade in or add a line with an eligible data plan.

Keep reading for all of my favorite Verizon deals of July 2026, and don't forget to check back later to see what's new: I add new offers to this list on a regular basis.

See the full list of deals at Verizon today

Verizon deals

Motorola Razr (2026) 128GB: ~~$799.99~~ FREE with eligible unlimited plan at Verizon

The Motorola Razr 2026 has only been out since May 21st, but you can already get the innovative flip phone for FREE when you add a line with the Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plan at Verizon.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy S26 256GB: ~~$899.99~~ FREE with eligible unlimited plan at Verizon

The Galaxy S26 has only been out for a few months, but you can already get the new flagship for FREE by adding a line with the Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plan at Verizon. View Deal

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB: ~~$1,299.99~~ $5.55 per month with Unlimited Ultimate plan at Verizon

It's not hyperbolic to call the Galaxy S26 Ultra the most powerful Android phone of 2026, but this performance comes with a steep price tag to match. Fortunately, if you order the phone and add a line with the Unlimited Ultimate plan, Verizon will give you an S26 Ultra for only $5.55/month for 36 months.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus 256GB: ~~$1,099.99~~ FREE with eligible unlimited plan at Verizon

Similar to the S26 deals that I described above, if you're interested in the super-balanced Galaxy 26 Plus, you can get the phone FREE by adding a line with the Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plan at Verizon.View Deal

Google Pixel 10 Pro 128GB: ~~$999.99~~ FREE with eligible unlimited plan at Verizon

Add a line with Verizon's Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plan and the carrier will give you the powerful Google Pixel 10 Pro for FREE! View Deal

Google Pixel 10a 128GB: ~~$499.99~~ FREE with unlimited plan at Verizon

The long-awaited Google Pixel 10a finally hit store shelves on March 5th with a bunch of great deals in tow. Buy the midrange masterpiece from Verizon with a new line on the Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plan and you'll get enough promo credits to make the phone totally free. View Deal

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL 256GB: ~~$1,199.99~~ $8.33 per month with eligible unlimited plan at Verizon

Add a line with the Unlimited Ultimate plan and Verizon will give you the super-powered Pixel 10 Pro XL for only $8.33 per month for 36 months, no trade-in required. View Deal

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The Motorola Edge (2026) is a versatile midrange phone with great battery life, IP69 durability, and solid performance from a MediaTek chip. Add a line with the Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plan and Verizon will give you the device for 100% free. There's also some trade-in credit up for grabs if you're looking to ditch an old phone. View Deal

Back to the top^

Meta's AI Glasses golf integration is so in-depth that it has me looking for clubs

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:25:00 +0000

What you need to know

Meta AI glasses announce major golfing integrations coming to the U.S. and Canada as 18Birdies and Arccos enter with hands-free AI assistance.
Users will receive a "voice-first experience" while golfing, capable of telling the AI to "start a round of golf" and receive shooting tips, club recommendations, hazard alerts, and more.
Other Meta glasses, such as the Oakley Meta Vanguard, have been praised previously for enhancing the experience for athletes.

Golf isn't for the weak. It takes patience, skill, and understanding, and now Meta is looking to take advantage of its AI spectacles to help you strike like a pro.

Today (July 1), Meta announced that it's rolling out a "new era" of Athletic Intelligence for its AI glasses for golfers. The company's Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta, and Meta Glasses are receiving significant golf integration, thanks to 18Birdies and Arccos. Of course, such integration is nothing without the user's choice of preferred app, and that's exactly what Meta is providing.

After deciding, users will experience a "voice-first golf experience" that delivers information about their game as they play. Course data, wind conditions, your performance data, club recommendations, and more will be spoken to you by Meta AI. Bringing 18Birdies and Arccos into the mix unlocks a whole new level of golf. Meta states that, with 18Birdies, users can say, "Hey Meta, start a round of golf." Yardage details, hazard warnings, and more become clear, all without you needing to ruin your focus.

Arccos handles the master-level recommendations for which club might earn you better results. Oakley showed off a demo of how Meta AI's golf integration can help a user figure out their aim and which club to use. The AI is specific, detailing how the hole is on the land, so you understand why the recommendation was given. When a round concludes, Meta AI alongside Arccos can deliver "insights into your play by accessing strokes-gained analytics, connecting with coaches on Skillest, and tracking your improvement over time."

Always go for a hole-in-one

A post shared by Oakley | Meta (@oakleymeta)
A photo posted by on

Meta says its AI-integrated golfing experience is here to lend a hand in strategy while you're teeing off. What's more, users can capture POV photos and videos while they play to share with others. Integration with 18Birdies and Arccos is rolling out in the U.S. and Canada for Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta, and the Meta Glasses.

Meta highlighted an important pair of AI glasses in this announcement: the Oakley Meta Vanguard. The company's Oakley Meta HSTN was also mentioned as a pair of frames that enhance the experience for athletes. Regarding the Meta Vanguard, they're pretty handy to have for runners, hikers, and cyclists. The glasses feature strong integration with Garmin, letting users ask Meta about their "average/current pace" when on a run.

Android Central's Take

Golf has been recommended to me before on a couple of different occasions. What's gotten me interested in Meta's integrations, from an outsider's perspective, is how useful its AI seems. Those Instagram vids are a treat to watch, I'd encourage you to do so if you haven't. The user can ask about anything pertaining to their score, how their score is trending, and even how to strike the ball. All I'm missing is an arc to show up mid-strike it does in video games and we're set.

Discord on the Meta Quest brings your friends within an arm's reach in VR

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 17:34:31 +0000

What you need to know

Discord announced that it has a native app launcher available for the Meta Quest 2, Quest Pro, and Quest 3 series models on the Horizon App Store.
The app will function similarly to what users would receive on their phone or PC, with servers, texts, group DMs, and more available.
Meta Quest also features a Steam app, capable of streaming PCVR games directly to the headset.

Discord is a popular app among gamers and friends. The app gained even more popularity a few years back, and now it's rolling out on Meta's VR headsets.

Discord announced that its app is now available on Meta Quest, and users will find a familiar experience. Users with a Meta Quest 2, Quest Pro, or Quest 3 series model can download Discord via the Horizon App Store. The company says it's breaking free from the Quest's browser. Now, after downloading, users will find their Discord servers, DMs, Group DMs, and more, as they would on their phone or PC client.

Meta Quest users will also benefit from their previously created "Meta Avatars." Discord says users can join video calls as their avatar. What's more, streaming content from your PC is a common occurrence on Discord. With the Meta Quest, users can stream the VR game they're playing while wearing their headset.

Discord worked on a refined experience that's true to the Meta Quest as its app hits the store. Users can open Discord and pin its contents to their viewing space. This gives you an easy route to join/exit a server, send a quick text, or start streaming. Users getting started can check the FAQ if there are any issues.

Also, Meta informed Android Central that from June 30 to September 30, "users who download and sign into Discord on Meta Quest can claim one month of Discord Nitro." Nitro is its subscription service, and claiming this would unlock HD streaming, 500MB file uploads, profile/avatar customization, custom emojis, and more.

Hey, join VC

(Image credit: Discord)

Gamers got a wondrous app on the Meta Quest via Valve's Steam library. Steam is a massive entry point for PC gaming. Thousands of new and old titles are available there, and now Meta's VR headsets are in on it. The "Meta-approved" Steam Link app lets users (Quest 2 and Quest 3) play PCVR games. Basically, what you're doing is streaming these titles to your VR headset. Users need Steam installed and a Wi-Fi 5 router (at least) to begin.

Then, from your PC, you'll need to enable remote play for this connection to work. We've essentially got the full PC gamer package now: Steam and Discord. VR gamers are eating good, and it's only getting better. Earlier this year, Meta's CTO, Andrew Bosworth, discussed what's going to change the Quest space for games. Bosworth stated that Meta was shifting its focus from first-party developed games to third-party.

Bosworth also stressed that "the narrative that Meta is abandoning VR is obviously false."

Android Central's Take

This sounds like the right call to me. If I had to choose between using Discord in my web browser or a native, well-built client, I'd pick the latter. There's no way I'm fumbling with tabs. Just imagine doing that on a VR headset. I'm sure the UI is fine, but that's not seamless. That's not easy to pick up and ago. That sounds like work, and I'm glad Discord's fixed that.

Reach the Summit: Qualcomm's Snapdragon event is set for September

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:59:03 +0000

What you need to know

Qualcomm reveals that its Snapdragon Summit is set for September 22-24 in Maui, Hawaii.
The company's teaser was light, only stating "the future starts here," but we are expecting the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 to debut here.
Recent rumors claim that this chip might not be the only we're expecting, as an "8 Elite Gen 6 Pro" could join the fray.

We were all expecting it. Though it's happened a little later this year, Qualcomm is finally setting the date for when its next flagship chip will launch.

This week, Qualcomm started teasing its next annual event for the next generation of Snapdragon. The company claims "the future starts here" ahead of its Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii. Qualcomm says the event will take place from September 22-24, a three-day set that we've become accustomed to.

The teaser is minimal (per usual), but what it does is set us up for what's coming from Qualcomm. The company's next-gen flagship SoC will most likely advance the same power, power efficiency, and AI solutions it introduced with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. This chip is currently powering a multitude of flagship phones today, and its early benchmark tests highlighted Qualcomm's continued dominance.

Qualcomm put a bright spotlight on its chip's 20% increase in CPU performance, as well as a 35% increase in efficiency. A few multi-core tests from Geekbench scored the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 ~15% higher than other chips on the market. There's no hiding that Qualcomm's looking to continue this trend, but how it'll do it (and what chips we'll see) is another talking point.

Plant the flag

(Image credit: Qualcomm / X)

While we're expecting a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, rumors claim Qualcomm wants to add a "Pro" to the mix. Considering what we know about the 8 Elite Gen 5's performance, an alleged "8 Elite Gen Pro" could get aggressive with its performance. Qualcomm might boost totals even higher than what we're used to; however, only phones labeled as "Ultra" would see it.

This is a claim tipsters laid down early, and it gets us thinking about the Galaxy S27 Ultra and so on. It's also been suspected that Qualcomm will build this next on TSMC's 2nm process. Another round of Pro rumors talked about its potential core architecture. The 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro might deploy a 2+3+3 CPU structure. What's more, the Adreno 850 GPU was thrown into the discussion, with claims that the "normal" 8 Elite Gen 6 could reach for the Adreno 845.

Mint Mobile is calling this new deal its 'best offer ever' — so what's the catch?

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:58:55 +0000

In my line of work, there is a lot of hyperbole. But sometimes when a retailer or wireless carrier claims that a new offer is its "best deal ever", it's worth taking a closer look. Case in point: Mint Mobile just launched a promotion that drops ALL of its wireless plans down to $15 per month, whether you're signing up for three months or a full year. It's that simple: switch to Mint and the savings are yours.

Switch to Mint Mobile and get 3, 6, or 12 months of wireless for only $15 per month

Join Mint Mobile with ANY 3, 6, or 12-month data plan and you'll only pay $15 per month. Wireless must be purchased in bulk, but considering that the minimum is $45 for three months, it's still cheaper than much of the competition.

Mint's Unlimited plan is easily the best value here, offering unlimited talk, text, and data, plus a free mobile hotspot and calls to Mexico, Canada, and the UK.View Deal

Mint Mobile has discounted its wireless before, but usually it requires the purchase of a smartphone to enjoy the savings. This is the first time that the T-Mobile-owned carrier has dropped all of its offerings to the same price, regardless of plan or commitment.

The only catch is that you'll need to pay for a minimum of three months of service to receive the savings, but that means it'll only cost you $45 out the door. Three full months of Unlimited wireless powered by T-Mobile for less than 50 bucks? Look at your last phone bill and tell me that doesn't sound good.

Need a new phone too?

Samsung Galaxy S26 256GB: ~~$900~~ $400, plus 50% off one year of Unlimited

Need a new phone to pair with your new wireless plan? Purchase the Samsung Galaxy S26 with one year of the Unlimited plan and Mint Mobile will give you $500 OFF the phone and 50% off the wireless. In other words, you're getting a top-rated 2026 phone AND a full 12 months of T-Mobile-powered wireless for only $580 (or $49/month using Affirm).View Deal

What is Mint Mobile?

Now owned and operated by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile is a prepaid mobile provider that specializes in selling its wireless in bulk. It's a perfect choice for users who want straightforward coverage for cheap, even if it means they lose the bells and whistles offered by more-expensive unlimited plans.

You purchase your coverage in 3, 6, or 12-month increments of time, and then you get talk, text, and data on T-Mobile's vast 5G network with no caps or confusing contract to worry about. Once your time allotment is over, you're free to switch to another carrier or upgrade/downgrade to a different plan with no penalty whatsoever.

Meta paywalls an offline smart glasses feature you’ve already paid for

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:57:46 +0000

What you need to know

Meta is putting a paywall on Conversation Focus, limiting free users to just three hours per month unless they subscribe to Meta One Premium for $20/month.
The feature runs entirely on the smart glasses, meaning it works offline and doesn't rely on Meta's cloud servers.
Premium subscribers get up to 15 hours per month, but unused hours don't roll over.

Meta is officially ushering in the subscription era to the hardware sitting right on your face. The company is limiting its Conversation Focus feature on Meta smart glasses to three hours of use per month.

That means if you need more time to listen to the person sitting across from you, you’ll have to cough up $20 a month for a Meta One Premium plan, according to Meta’s updated help page (via The Verge). Conversation Focus, which launched in December 2025, allows you to reduce background noise while making the voice of the person you’re talking to sound a bit more vibrant. It's useful in crowded environments, whether you're in a busier cafe or waiting at a loud airport gate. All you need to do is tell Meta AI to turn it on, and the glasses do the rest.

Here’s the catch, and the reason this change feels so aggressive. Conversation Focus is not a cloud-based, computationally heavy AI tool. It runs entirely on-device. It doesn’t ping Meta’s servers and doesn’t even need an active internet connection. When you purchase the frames outright, you’ve already paid for the chipset that processes the audio.

Meta says the core AI smart glasses experience is free, but once you hit the three-hour limit, the only option is the $20-a-month tier, which bumps your allowance up to 15 hours. Unused hours will not carry over to the next billing period.

When asked about the change, Meta said that three hours is more than enough for the average person and that the subscription is an add-on for “power users,” who also want premium device support. But making it through 180 minutes is surprisingly simple. A few noisy dinner dates, some hours in transit, and a long work meeting will eat up your monthly allowance fast.

Charging users to offset the expensive server costs of cloud AI is one thing, but paywalling local, offline hardware capabilities crosses a new line in the wearables space. That’s a frustrating precedent to set for the tech industry at large.

Android Central's Take

The reason Meta’s Conversation Focus is one of the smartest features the company has put into its glasses; it solves a real-world problem. Which is why putting a timer on a feature that runs locally on hardware you already own feels like an unnecessary cash grab. If that’s the direction Meta is going, I’d much rather see subscriptions limited to cloud-powered AI features that actually cost money to operate — not for things your own smart glasses can already do for themselves.

PSA: Samsung Messages app on your Galaxy phone will stop working this month

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:37:49 +0000

What you need to know

Samsung Messages is shutting down this month, though the company hasn't confirmed an exact date yet.
Users on Android 11 and earlier are unaffected, and emergency calls still work after the shutdown.
Google Messages is the official replacement, and Samsung has made the transition fairly easy to do.

It's July, which means the month has finally arrived for the Samsung Messages app on Galaxy phones to shut down.

Back in April 2026, Samsung announced it would be shutting down its Messages app later this year. The company published an official notice on its U.S. website confirming the change and specifying July 2026 as the cutoff. That month is now here, which means the app could stop working at any point.

Samsung still hasn't confirmed the exact date, but the shutdown is expected to happen fairly soon. The company has already stopped preloading the Messages app on flagship Galaxy devices since 2024, and while users could still install it from the Galaxy Store, even that option was pulled with the Galaxy S26 Ultra earlier this year. A full shutdown now looks imminent.

It's over for Samsung Messages on Galaxy phones

(Image credit: Sanuj Bhatia / Android Central)

Users on Android 11 and earlier won't be affected and will still be able to use Samsung Messages on their devices. It's also worth noting that even after the shutdown, you'll still be able to use Samsung Messages on a Galaxy device to contact emergency services. However, you won't be able to send or receive messages from regular contacts.

Samsung has already confirmed it's transitioning Galaxy phones to Google Messages, and the company has made the switch fairly straightforward. We've written a detailed guide on how to move your messages from Samsung Messages to Google Messages that you can follow to transfer all your messages from the old app to the new one.

If you'd rather not use Google Messages, there are a few Samsung Messages alternatives worth exploring. That said, none of them are a true one-to-one replacement, so there's a good chance you'll end up going with Google Messages anyway.

Android Central's Take

I get why some people are upset about this. Nobody likes being forced off an app they've used for years. That said, Google Messages is in a much better place than it used to be, so the switch isn't as painful as it sounds.

Clicks just showed its BlackBerry-inspired Communicator in action — and it looks worth the wait

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:45:27 +0000

What you need to know

Clicks has shared a hands-on video of a working Communicator prototype, giving us our first real look at the device.
The Communicator runs a customized Niagara Launcher and lets you navigate apps by typing directly on the physical keyboard.
Hardware highlights include a fingerprint sensor in the space bar, front-firing speakers, a headphone jack, and a micro SD card slot.
Clicks is positioning it as a secondary communication-focused device running Android 16, with a Q4 2026 ship date.

We all remember the BlackBerry-inspired Clicks Communicator that turned heads at CES 2026, and the company has now shared a hands-on video showing off a real working prototype.

When Clicks announced the Communicator earlier this year, the BlackBerry-esque design paired with a modern Android experience immediately caught everyone's attention. But until now, we hadn't seen an actual working prototype. Clicks is changing that with a new hands-on video uploaded to its YouTube channel, giving us a proper preview of what's coming.

The video opens with Clicks VP Jeff Gadway walking through the Communicator's custom interface. He showcases the modified Niagara Launcher that'll come pre-installed on the device, demonstrating how you can customize it, reorganize apps, and quickly search and jump into apps by typing directly on the physical keyboard. The demo also covers how calls and other basic tasks work on the device.

Gadway also walks through some of the other hardware highlights, including a space bar that doubles as a fingerprint sensor for secure authentication. He talks about the front-firing speakers and an advanced microphone system built for better voice quality, and also shows off the 3.5mm headphone jack.

On top of that, he showcases the removable back cover and gives a peek at the internals, including both an SD card slot and a microSD card slot.

Clicks/YouTube

Beyond what's shown in the video, we already know the Clicks Communicator will run Android 16 and feature a 4-inch OLED display. Gadway also confirmed that more hardware features will be covered in upcoming videos, including a signal light LED, a prompt key, a touch-sensitive keyboard, and more.

This is still just our first real look at the Clicks Communicator. Clicks is positioning it as a secondary device built specifically for communication, while your primary phone handles everything else. It's set to ship in Q4 this year, and we'll be taking a much deeper look once we're closer to launch.

Android Central's Take

Okay, this is pretty exciting. After covering Android smartphones all year, most of which are great in their own right, the Clicks Communicator feels like something we haven't seen in a long time. The BlackBerry nostalgia is real, and I can't wait to get my hands on one.

Samsung's wide foldable just got its first detailed specs leak

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:20:00 +0000

What you need to know

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is rumored to adopt a wider 4:3 design to compete more directly with Apple's foldable iPhone.
Leaked specs point to a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, 12GB RAM, up to 1TB storage, and a 4,800mAh battery.
Samsung could make the Fold 8 one of its lightest foldables yet, measuring just 4.5mm thick when unfolded.

It's officially July, which means we're finally in Samsung foldable season. And ahead of the company's rumored launch later this month, a new leak has revealed the full specs of the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup is shaping up to be particularly interesting this year. Samsung is reportedly renaming what used to be the standard Galaxy Z Fold into the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, while the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected to become a wider, shorter foldable designed to compete more directly with Apple's rumored foldable iPhone.

Tarun Vats, who frequently shares One UI-related leaks on X, now claims the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will feature a 7.6-inch Quad HD+ internal display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The cover display is said to be a 5.5-inch Quad HD+ panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Both displays will reportedly use Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels with support for up to a 120Hz refresh rate.

(Image credit: X/@UniverseIce)

In terms of design, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is rumored to measure just 9.7mm thick when folded and only 4.5mm when unfolded. Its full dimensions are said to be 123.9 × 81.9 × 9.7mm folded and 123.9 × 161.4 × 4.5mm unfolded. The phone is also expected to weigh around 200 grams, which would make it impressively light for a foldable.

Like Samsung's other 2026 flagships, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the same chip found in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. It will reportedly come with 12GB of RAM and storage options of up to 1TB.

Coming to the cameras, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is reportedly set to feature a 50MP primary camera alongside a 50MP ultra-wide sensor on the back. Both the cover and inner selfie cameras are also expected to use 10MP sensors.

Android Central's take

On paper, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is looking like a very compelling package. It seems to check almost every flagship box although the biggest differentiator this year could end up being the price. I'm actually more interested in seeing how the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8 performs than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra this time around.

One welcome upgrade is the battery. The leak suggests Samsung is increasing capacity to 4,800mAh, which is larger than previous Galaxy Z Fold models. The phone is also expected to support Super Fast Charging 2.0, although the exact charging speed hasn't been revealed yet.

Samsung still hasn't officially announced its summer Galaxy Unpacked event, but the company has started teasing its next launch on Instagram, suggesting an official announcement may not be too far away.

Samsung hits restart with a viral marketing campaign ahead of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Flip 8

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 23:30:00 +0000

What you need to know

The company has kicked off a new social media campaign on its Samsung Mobile and Samsung Mobile USA Instagram accounts after hitting reset and wiping every post.
Samsung says it's looking to tell a new story ahead of its Galaxy Z Flip 8, Fold 8 launch with a series of cryptic posts that users will be required to unravel and "decode."
It states that "when we're ready" it will reveal everything we're used to seeing about phones ahead of a major debut.

We've been anticipating the launch of Samsung's next foldables for months. Tonight (June 30), the company's kicked off a new social media campaign, and it's completely wiped its Instagram.

Samsung says it's "hitting reset" leading up to its Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Fold 8 launch. The company's new social media campaign focuses on Instagram, as it states its account feed will be wiped completely. This will take place before Samsung's wave of "cryptic teaser videos." While this might seem a bit odd, Samsung says there's a purpose behind this campaign.

The company is interested in telling a different kind of story. One that's inspired by "familiar cultural touchpoints." Instead of dropping various details about its next foldables, Samsung says it's going to invite theories and speculation. This campaign will involve a series of mysterious "simple and highly visual" posts that seem mundane. However, there's a deeper meaning to these clues and posts, which Samsung says will require users to "decode."

Certain aspects of these cryptic posts will unearth patterns that users will have to be sharp to spot. Samsung says it won't explain anything until it's ready. When that time comes, it will dive into features for its next foldables. Until then, you might want to try to emulate the great Sherlock Holmes.

The campaign begins on Samsung Mobile and Samsung Mobile USA.

What does it all mean?

A post shared by Samsung Mobile USA (@samsungmobileusa)
A photo posted by on

There's quite a bit that we'd like to see from the next wave of Samsung foldables. However, there's a particularly strong focus on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (and all the rumors surrounding the extra stuff). In terms of design, we're not expecting the Fold 8 to stray too far from what the Fold 7 offered. The Fold 7 was incredibly popular when it debuted, for more reasons than one.

The device integrated a thinner form factor, a refined hinge, and display upgrades, which captivated consumers. It would seem strange for Samsung to teeter away from this, but we'll have to see what this social campaign has in store. On the other hand, a Samsung exec, shortly after the Flip 7 and Fold 7 debuted, said the company was "thinking about" bringing the S Pen back. Such a return would require the device to thicken again after becoming so slim.

Android Central's Take

At the time of me writing this post, Samsung's social media accounts are completely wiped. There's not a thing there. And it's funny to see, considering they have nearly 2 million followers on one of them. Samsung is looking to generate a buzz. It wants the attention, it wants the hype, the eyes, the press. It's encouraged us to "follow along." So I shall.

Motorola's next phone could beat Samsung to a charging feature only Apple and Google have

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:33:51 +0000

What you need to know

Motorola Edge 70 Max has appeared in the WPC database, suggesting the phone could launch with native Qi2 support.
The certification points to Qi2.2.1 support, giving the phone up to 25W wireless charging under the latest Qi2 standard.
The listing also mentions a Magnetic Power Profile, hinting that built-in Qi2 magnets may be included instead of requiring a case.

It looks like Motorola could beat Samsung to bringing native Qi2 wireless charging to its smartphones.

For years, iPhones were the only phones with built-in MagSafe-style magnets. Android users could get a similar experience, but only by using third-party magnetic cases. That finally changed with the Pixel 10 series last year, which became the first Android phones to ship with native Qi2 support and built-in magnets, allowing Qi2 and MagSafe-compatible accessories to attach directly to the phone.

Even when Samsung launched the Galaxy S26 series this year, it stopped short of adding full Qi2 support. The phones are only Qi2 Ready, meaning they support the underlying wireless charging standard but don't include the built-in magnets required for the full Qi2 experience. It now looks like Motorola could be next to take that step.

As spotted by Fwned (via Android Authority), Motorola is preparing to launch a new phone called the Motorola Edge 70 Max. The device has reportedly appeared in the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) certification database, confirming its name, model number, and Qi wireless charging support.

Motorola might beat Samsung to native Qi2

(Image credit: Wireless Power Consortium)

According to the listing, the Edge 70 Max supports Qi2.2.1, which effectively means support for the latest 25W Qi2 wireless charging standard.

The more interesting detail, though, is that the certification also references a Magnetic Power Profile, which typically indicates the presence of built-in alignment magnets. If that's accurate, the Motorola Edge 70 Max would support the complete Qi2 experience, including both the charging standard and native magnetic attachment.

We don't know much else about the phone just yet, but if this leak proves accurate, Motorola could beat Samsung to offering full native Qi2 support on its smartphones. That would be a significant step forward for Android, especially since most devices today still rely on third-party magnetic cases to achieve the same functionality.

There's still very little information available about the Edge 70 Max beyond this certification and model number confirmation, but we expect to learn more in the coming weeks.

Android Central's Take

Native Qi2 is one of those features I've wanted on every Android flagship for years. If Motorola really gets there before Samsung, that's a surprisingly big win and another way for it to stand out as it continues eating into Samsung's Android market share.

Commodore's day-one discount is live, and so are Callback 8020 pre-orders

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:07:04 +0000

What you need to know

Commodore announces that pre-orders for its Callback 8020 are live, and users can take advantage of a day-one code for an extra discount.
Consumers adding CHICKENLIPS to their Callback 8020 pre-order at checkout will receive an additional $50 off its new $399 price.
The Callback 8020 in BASIC Beige, ProtoPET White, SX Silver, and Starlight Edition can be pre-ordered for $399, while additional bundles start at $640.

Commodore's got a blast from the past that's here—now. The company shared details regarding pre-orders and a discount that consumers can use today only.

Commodore's press release today (June 30) highlights the launch of pre-orders for the Callback 8020. This phone takes us back to Y2K (in a way). Pre-orders are live for the phone for $399. The company says this is a "smart flip phone designed for modern life, not modern distractions." However, while pre-orders are live (and cheaper than before), consumers can cash in on another $50 off.

Android Central's Take

The Callback 8020 is interesting purely because of how different it is. It breaks the "norm" that Commodore's CEO and president realizes consumers have become accustomed to. I like the wildcard. The one that does things its own way without fear. The Callback 8020 is an interesting phone, and the hype is clearly real.

Interested parties pre-ordering the Callback 8020 on June 30 can add the CHICKENLIPS discount code at checkout. Consumers can use this code anytime between now and 11:59 pm PDT on June 30.

Leading up to today's pre-orders, Commodore states it amassed 100,000 waitlisted users in two weeks. The company's CEO and president, Peri Fractric, said, "The modern world is defined by distractions, and nowhere is this more debilitating than in social media." Fractric adds, "Most phones are built to keep you looking down. Callback is built to help you look up again."

What's more, Peri Fractric touches on one of the major hallmarks of the Callback 8020: its strong privacy. Fractric says that the strong interest the phone has garnered over the past couple of weeks indicates users are tired of the "data-stealing" phones and devices that have come to "define modern life" over the past 20 years.

Consumers can find the Callback 8020 in BASIC Beige, ProtoPET White, SX Silver, and Starlight Edition for $399. However, the Founders edition and other accessory options can be purchased for $640.

Peace of Mind

(Image credit: Commodore)

Commodore had to return to the spotlight a bit earlier than it wanted recently. After the Callback 8020's debut, consumers weren't too pleased about its price point. Commodore stated in a follow-up announcement that it worked to address that major consumer issue with its partners. The result is what we've seen again as pre-orders open: the Callback 8020 is now available for $399. The company was able to drop its original price by $ 100 to meet consumers' desires.

Commodore stressed that this wasn't an easy task, simply due to how smartphones are made. Privacy, the current worldwide RAM issue, and accessories were named as the chief issues it needed to address before handling the price concerns. As such, Commodore has split many of these additional options into bundles consumers can pick from during checkout.

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are among the most versatile earbuds I've ever tested — and now they're 50% OFF at Best Buy

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:39:58 +0000

Deals on wireless earbuds are hardly uncommon, but finding a discount that drops 50% off one of my favorite models? That's when I really start paying attention. This week only, Best Buy's 4th of July sale is carving half off the Momentum 4 True Wireless earbuds by Sennheiser, knocking the price of the top-rated buds down to only $149.99.

These are some of the best wireless earbuds we've ever tested, with Sennheiser's famously versatile sound profile, some powerful active noise cancellation (ANC), and a comprehensive suite of handy customization features. The Momentum 4 earbuds may be a few years old at this point, but slap on a 50% discount and they become an absolute steal.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4: ~~$299.99~~ $149.99 at Best Buy

If you listen to all kinds of music, you need some versatile earbuds that always sound great, regardless of genre. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are those earbuds, coming complete with loads of customization features, ANC, and more. Grab a pair of these buds during Best Buy's 4th of July sale and you'll get a straight 50% slashed off your purchase. View Deal

Best Buy's 4th of July sale is LIVE: see the full list of deals

We gave the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 a near-perfect review back in 2024, and it isn't hard to see why. The earbuds sound great right out of the box, with support for plenty of hi-res audio codecs (including SBC, aptX Adaptive/Lossless, and AAC), plus you get ANC, wireless charging support, and up to 30 hours of battery life when you use the included charging case.

Speaking of the charging case, that's one of the best parts of the package here, sporting a high-quality tweed finish that feels like pure luxury next to the plastic stuff we usually have to deal with. The Sennheiser Smart Control app also lets you fine-tune the sound from your earbuds directly from your smartphone, letting you experiment with a variety of EQ settings, ANC transparency modes, and more.

Now, let's be real: given their age, I would no longer buy these earbuds at full price. There are plenty of newer noise-cancelling earbuds by companies like Bose or Sony that will do the job better in 2026. But now that the Momentum True Wireless 4 are sitting with a 50% discount at Best Buy, the prospect of buying some last-gen buds is more appealing than ever before. These Sennheiser buds have stood the test of time, and for $150, they're an incredible bargain.

RedMagic's compact, eSports-ready gaming tablet is here, and global users should prepare

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:06:14 +0000

What you need to know

RedMagic debuts the Gaming Tablet 5 Pro in China, which will debut as the Astra 2 in global markets (announcement later in July).
The tablet features a 9-inch 2.4K display with a maximum 185Hz refresh rate, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and more RedMagic AI for optimized gameplay.
The Gaming Tablet 5 Pro features a large 8,300mAh battery with 80W wired charging in China.
Consumers will find the tablet in black and silver colorways, starting at 5,299 RMB (~$780).

After earlier teasers, RedMagic is finally ready to debut its latest compact gaming tablet. This tablet boasts powerful specs, ready to take on the world of eSports.

Early this morning (June 30), RedMagic shared details about the launch of the Gaming Tablet 5 Pro in China. However, it adds that global users will see this debut as the Astra 2, the successor to the original Astra, in 2025. Driving the Gaming Tablet 5 Pro forward is its compact design. RedMagic states it's equipped with a 9.06-inch display with "narrow" 4.9mm bezels. The tablet's screen-to-body ratio is reportedly 90%, meaning RedMagic's attempts to immerse you in games might shine even brighter.

The 2.4K OLED display features a 185Hz refresh rate; however, users will have multiple refresh rate options. The tablet can switch between 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz, alongside the highest choice.

Your reactions and the device's response time can be the deciding factor in many multiplayer games. If you're on it but your hardware isn't, that could spell defeat. RedMagic states its Gaming Tablet 5 Pro improves on its response times with Synaptics S3930 touch solution. Precision, sensitivity, and lower input lag are the hallmarks of this solution.

On the other hand, devices get hot—every mobile gamer knows this. To help, the Gaming Tablet 5 Pro offers liquid cooling. RedMagic reports this is the first tablet in the industry to deploy such a cooling tactic. Internally, the tablet features an ultra-thin micro pump that continuously "circulates coolant through nano-sealed tubing with minimal power consumption..." What's more, several internals, such as the tablet's vapor chambers and heat dissipation hardware, help keep the device cool.

(Image credit: RedMagic)

What brings RedMagic's newest tablet together is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC. Not only does the company highlight this tablet's strengths in "portable gaming," but it places its own RedCore R4 gaming chip and Energy Cube 3.0 engine right beside it. Elsewhere, a mobile gaming device is nothing without a capable battery, and that's where its 8,300mAh cell comes into play.

While the Gaming Tablet 5 Pro is RedMagic's China model, its battery differs from that of the global Astra 2.

RedMagic says the Chinese version will feature 80W fast charging. Once the Astra 2 debuts, we'll know for sure what charging wattage it will provide. The company's 1227 stereo speaker system enhances the tablet's audio for "richer bass response, greater spatial depth, and immersive audio for gaming, movies, and music." AI is another aspect RedMagic has worked on to assist gamers.

Its OS 11.5 software introduces MORA AI Agent 2.0 to optimize gameplay and assist with everyday tasks.

eSports and more

(Image credit: RedMagic)

RedMagic's efforts in building a capable gaming tablet have resulted in validation for use in eSports environments. The press release states, "The device has received official certification across multiple top-tier mobile esports competitions spanning FPS, MOBA, racing, and tactical shooter genres, demonstrating its ability to meet the demanding standards of professional gaming."

With the official launch underway in China, the RedMagic Gaming Tablet 5 Pro is offered in black and silver colorways. Additionally, users in China will find it available in the following RAM/storage options: 12/256GB, 12/512GB, and 16/1TB. The Gaming Tablet 5 Pro starts at 5,299 RMB (~$780).

It's worth remembering that this device will launch as the RedMagic Astra 2 in global markets. More details are set to be revealed on July 17. RedMagic warns that certain features, specs, and configurations may differ between global and Chinese markets, so its upcoming announcement will be important.

Android Central's Take

I'm always for devices that can run games well. By that, I mean there's very little input lag, little FPS drop, and the like. It's a struggle, obviously. Mobile devices are a bit more limited in what they can do due to size and internals. But RedMagic's continued to hammer away at solving that, and the upcoming Astra 2 is no different. Receiving strong eSport validation is a sign that this tablet can hold it's own, and for some pretty big tournament names, like Call of Duty: Mobile Masters and Arena Breakout Vanguard Cup.

Best Buy launches huge 4th of July sale event — see the 25+ deals that Android users should actually care about

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:28:03 +0000

The 4th of July is swiftly approaching, and Best Buy is marking the occasion by dropping hundreds of outstanding deals across its site. Whether you want a kitchen appliance, smart TV, or top-rated smartphone, there is no shortage of discounts to check out this week.

That said, if you don't feel like scrolling through page after page of products to find the right deal for you, you're in luck: I've picked out all of the best discounts for Android users and dropped them below.

These offers range from deals like 52% off the Samsung S90F OLED TV, no strings attached, to this Prime Day-level $600 discount on the Motorola Razr Ultra (2025). Needless to say, there are plenty more offers where those came from, so keep reading for all of my favorites.

Best Buy's 4th of July sale is LIVE: see the full list of deals

Phones

Motorola

Razr Ultra (2025) 512GB

Samsung

Galaxy A57 5G 128GB

Samsung

Galaxy Z Flip 7 512GB

Motorola

Moto G Stylus 5G (2024) 256GB

Motorola

Razr (2025) 256GB

Motorola

Razr Plus (2025) 256GB

Samsung

Galaxy S25 Ultra 256GB

Motorola

Edge (2025) 256GB

Samsung

Galaxy A37 5G 128GB

Wearables

Samsung

Galaxy Watch 8

Samsung

Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

Samsung

Galaxy Watch Ultra

Oura

Ring 4

Amazfit

Balance 2XT

Garmin

Instinct 3

Tablets and Chromebooks

14 2-in-1 Chromebook

Lenovo

Idea Tab w/ Pen, Folio Case

Acer

Chromebook 315

Headphones and earbuds

Bose

QuietComfort Headphones

Beats

Studio Pro

Sennheiser

Momentum 4

JBL

Tune 245NC

Sennheiser

Momentum 4 Earbuds

Samsung

Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

Smart TVs

Samsung

65" Class S90F Series OLED

Insignia

55" Class F50 Series Fire TV

Samsung

75" Class U7900 Series 4K TV

65" Class C5 Series OLED TV

Toshiba

43" Class M450 QLED Series Fire TV

Insignia

55" Class F70 Series 4K Fire TV

When does Best Buy's 4th of July sale end?

Best Buy's 4th of July sale ends Sunday, July 5th, which gives you a little less than a week to explore the retailer's discounts.

Google thinks you’re too lazy to read your own notes, launches AI video summaries instead

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:17:37 +0000

What you need to know

Google's NotebookLM now condenses massive documents and notes into 60-second, TikTok-style vertical videos.
The feature is fueled by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Image, Google’s fastest and most cost-efficient image generation model, boasting four-second render times.
Google is also previewing a robust full-video generation model that supports natural language editing, multimodal inputs, and native audio syncing.

Nobody really enjoys reading through a massive stack of notes or a 50-page research document when they're cramped for time. Google knows this, and so it’s rolling out a huge upgrade to NotebookLM that takes your uploaded documents and turns them into bite-sized, 60-second AI-generated videos.

For the uninitiated, NotebookLM started out as a simple AI research assistant, but it’s now a powerful learning tool. The latest feature, Short Video Overviews, expands on the Cinematic Video Overviews we saw earlier. But the real star of the show is the engine that powers it: Google's new Nano Banana 2 Lite.

Officially dubbed Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Image, Nano Banana 2 Lite is Google’s fastest and most cost-efficient image generation model to date. You get a whopping four-second image generation time and a big jump in visual quality over the original Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (the first Nano Banana). This engine combines world knowledge with rock-solid consistency of character. It lets you quickly sketch accurate scenes, develop storyboarding tools and render legible typography for localized ads without compromising object fidelity.

Using Short Video Overviews in NotebookLM activates this model, which condenses your sources into a vertical video packed with narrative explanations and educational animations. It's purpose-built for people revising notes, presentations, or lengthy PDFs who just want the key takeaways. Before generating, you simply select "Short" from the output formats (alongside Explainer and Cinematic), pick your specific sources, and set the video's focus using a custom prompt or a suggested topic.

(Image credit: Google)

Alongside this, Google also pushed Gemini Omni Flash into public preview. This model is aimed at full video generation, with conversational editing (relighting scenes and swapping characters with natural language) and multimodal inputs. It has native audio pairing for each video output and syncs on-screen text with kinetic movements.

Short Video Overviews aren't available to everyone just yet. The feature begins rolling out over the coming weeks to English-speaking users aged 18 and older. When it goes live, you’ll be able to access it on the web, Android and iOS, whether you’re signed into a regular consumer account or Google Workspace.

Android Central's Take

If you’re a student cramming for finals or someone who hates reading dense reports, turning a 50-page PDF into a digestible, TikTok-style recap is a massive win. But are we really so allergic to actual reading that we need an AI to hallucinate a 60-second clip from our notes? Google wants to sell the service as the ultimate productivity hack, but it feels disturbingly like a crutch for our fast-shrinking attention spans.

Motorola gives its earbuds a luxury twist, but the Moto Tag 2 might be the bigger upgrade

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

What you need to know

Motorola's new Moto Tag 2 arrives in North America with Bluetooth 6.0, UWB support, Google Find Hub integration, and over 500 days of battery life.
It adds Find My Phone, remote camera controls, location sharing, IP68 durability, privacy protections, and support for third-party accessories.
The Moto Buds 2 Plus are getting new looks with Swarovski-studded Brilliant Collection and new Pantone color options while keeping the same hardware.

Motorola’s connected ecosystem is getting a little boost, but only one of its latest accessories is actually new. The company is bringing the all-new Moto Tag 2, an upgraded Bluetooth tracker that includes newer wireless technology, longer battery life, and tighter integration with Google's Find Hub network, to North America along with fresh color options for the Moto Buds 2 Plus.

In North America, the Moto Buds 2 Plus are available in the eye-catching Brilliant Collection, which pairs a PANTONE Violet Indigo finish with Swarovski crystals, or a more understated PANTONE Cool White. There is also a Canadian PANTONE Silhouette option available.

The Brilliant Collection includes 12 Swarovski crystals embedded in each earbud, plus another 41 hand-placed crystals around the Motorola logo on the charging case.

Motorola

The styling is new, but the hardware is the same. The Moto Buds 2 Plus still have Sound by Bose tuning, dual 11mm dynamic drivers with Knowles balanced armature drivers, Hi-Res Audio support, Spatial Audio on compatible Motorola phones, and Dynamic Active Noise Cancellation. Transparency Mode and six microphones with CrystalTalk AI also return to enhance calls and keep users aware of their surroundings when necessary.

Motorola hasn't skimped on features, either. Bluetooth 6.0, dual-device connectivity with auto-switching, wear detection, customizable EQ, Bass Boost, low-latency Gaming Mode, Audio Share, Fit Test, and Motorola AI integrations are still present on compatible devices.

Battery life is rated at up to nine hours on the earbuds alone, or up to 40 hours with the charging case, with a quick 10-minute top-up delivering up to two hours of listening. The earbuds also boast an IP54 rating, while the charging case comes with an IPX2 splash resistance rating.

Pricing hasn’t changed much either. The Swarovski Brilliant Collection edition is priced at $200 in the US, while the PANTONE Cool White version is $150. Availability begins June 30 through Motorola’s online stores.

Android Central's Take

The Moto Buds 2 Plus has a lot of meaningful upgrades beyond the flashy Swarovski crystals, and the Moto Tag 2 finally catches up to newer Android tracking features. That said, I can't help but feel Motorola is trying a bit too hard to convince us that crystals belong on earbuds. I’d prefer companies to spend more time on pushing battery life, smarter software, and better ecosystem features than dressing up gadgets like fashion accessories.

The bigger announcement is the Moto Tag 2. Motorola's new Bluetooth tracker includes Bluetooth 6.0 with Channel Sounding and supports Ultra Wideband (UWB) on compatible Android phones, helping you locate lost items more accurately.

It also works with Google’s Find Hub network, so Android users can find tagged items through the crowdsourced network of devices.

Motorola is also emphasizing practicality. The Moto Tag 2 runs for more than 500 days on a user-replaceable CR2032 battery, carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and works with Android 9 and newer devices.

(Image credit: Motorola)

In addition to basic item tracking, it has Find My Phone, remote camera controls, location sharing, unwanted tracking alerts, and end-to-end encryption and works with third-party accessories. Those additions make it more versatile and address growing privacy concerns around Bluetooth trackers.

After 25W, Qi2 chases 50W wireless charging with the WPC at Xiaomi HQ

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:17:00 +0000

What you need to know

Recently, the World Power Consortium held a Qi Off-Cycle meeting at Xiaomi's HQ in Beijing, China.
Xiaomi and several more companies were there to discuss a new Qi2 charging standard: 50W.
The major talks have concluded, but there's more work to be done, and it's been reported that Qi2 50W might not debut until 2028.

Times are changing, and it looks like the World Power Consortium (WPC) wants to upgrade Qi2 to match what consumers are looking for.

It was reported by ITHome (Chinese) that the WPC's Qi Off-Cycle meeting at Xiaomi's HQ in Beijing, China, was to discuss the future of the wireless charging standard (via 9to5Google). Specifically, Xiaomi is spearheading the future of Qi2 by chasing a 50W charging standard. The publication reports that Xiaomi is focused primarily on "small inductance, low voltage, high power solutions" (machine-translated). Each of these is said to directly influence safety/charging efficiency, coil module loss, and more.

In short, what this new 50W direction wants to solve is "high-powered wireless charging."

The publication states that the meeting featured Xiaomi, as well as "over 20 companies" that have been working alongside it and the WPC to advance the Qi2 wireless standard. The companies met in Beijing to talk about Qi2's 50W "interoperability verification" and to highlight the prototype testing stage. These companies have been encouraged to continue working together to push 50W through, so the market (and consumers) can see it in their future phones.

However, there's nothing official just yet. Right now, what Xiaomi and its partners have been working on is just the groundwork. It's been reported that following Xiaomi's partnerships with domestic companies, Qi2 50W could be a reality by 2028.

25W was almost a year ago

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Android Central's Take

It's all about giving users options, right? But if you see that wired charging is still the best route, why would you even look or think about a wireless charger? Xiaomi and its partners and other companies involved with the WPC and Qi2 see this issue and are actively working to solve it. It's pretty clear that this will take some time, but it's probably worth it.

Let's not forget that in July 2025, the WPC announced Qi2 v2.2.1. The version numbers equates to the wireless charging we have today: 25W. The WPC highlighted this new version as being "more powerful" than the original Qi2. A primary critique from consumers about wireless charging is its speeds. They're slow. The latest 25W version aimed to solve that, but it hasn't quite nailed that yet.

Charging speeds were previously stuck at 15W, and now they're 25W. However, if Xiaomi has anything to say about it, things won't stay there for long. It's not satisfied with 25W charging, and consumers aren't either. At the time, iPhones were among the first to bring this to its consumers, with Android makers adopting it soon after. There's a chance we'll see a similar occurrence whenever Qi2 50W arrives.

The WPC was also confident that even more Android phones would see Qi2, and that's thanks to Google and Samsung.

Walmart just doubled the price of its cheapest Google TV stick, and you already know why

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:12:00 +0000

What you need to know

Walmart has doubled the price of its cheapest Onn FHD Streaming Stick with Google TV, from $15 to $30.
Logged-in Walmart users still see the old price, but anyone not signed in is already seeing the higher tag.
Rising AI infrastructure demand is pushing up memory component costs, which is trickling down to budget devices.

Walmart makes some of the most affordable Google TV sticks under its Onn brand. But if you were planning to grab the company's cheapest streaming stick, you'll now have to pay double what it originally cost.

Walmart introduced the Onn FHD Streaming Stick with Google TV back in 2023 for just $15. The smart stick then pushed the price up to $20, but now, as spotted by 9to5Google, Walmart has bumped the Onn FHD Streaming Stick all the way up to $30.

As spotted by the publication, logged-in users are still seeing the original $15 price tag, but anyone not signed into a Walmart account is now seeing the $30 price. A similar thing happened with the mid-tier 4K Plus model first, so it's likely only a matter of time before the base variant sees a permanent increase as well.

(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

The move comes shortly after Apple raised prices on several of its devices, including the Apple TV. Walmart hasn't made any official statement, but the likely reason is the same one driving price increases across the industry: AI.

The push to build out AI data centers is driving up demand for memory components, which are also used in consumer tech hardware, and that's pushing component costs higher across the board. Since budget products already carry thin margins, it's natural for companies to pass those increased costs on to customers, and that appears to be exactly what's happening with Onn.

It's not the first time Walmart has raised prices on its streaming sticks, either. The Onn 4K Pro already costs $60, which is $10 more than the previous generation, while the Onn 4K Plus went from $30 to $40. Now the company's most affordable option is taking the same hit.

T-Mobile is killing off old plans and forcing loyal customers onto pricier ones

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:37:05 +0000

What you need to know

T-Mobile is forcibly migrating customers on older plans like Simple Choice, ONE, Magenta, and Sprint to newer ones.
The price increase can be as much as $6 per line per month, though some customers may see no change at all.
T-Mobile is sweetening the deal with extra benefits and a 5-year price guarantee on all the new plans.

T-Mobile has hit its older customers with a sudden price increase, with original plans being phased out and subscription costs going up by as much as $6 per line per month.

According to early reports, now confirmed by T-Mobile, the company has begun migrating a large number of customers from older plans to newer ones. Most of those affected are on the Simple Choice, ONE/ONE Plus, Magenta, and grandfathered Sprint plans.

T-Mobile has already started sending emails and messages to affected customers. In the notification, the company says users will keep their current benefits, while also gaining additional perks and improved service experiences. T-Mobile is also offering a 5-year price guarantee on the new plans.

In a statement, T-Mobile said it's retiring its oldest plans, some of which were built over 15 years ago during the 3G and 4G era. The company noted that "customers will move to modern plans with access to better wireless technology, enhanced features, and a 5-year price guarantee."

(Image credit: Future)

It added that some customers will see no change to their monthly bill, while others will see a modest adjustment, and that every customer moved to a new plan will keep their existing benefits while gaining improvements in network and service experience.

Unsurprisingly, customers aren't happy. Many have taken to social media and Reddit to voice their frustration, some have filed complaints with official state courts over the price lock guarantee, and a number of users are reportedly planning to switch to Verizon's new Simplicity plan.

A Reddit post has also shed some light on what the new plans will look like. They'll fall under a new category called Experience Signatures/Select/More/Beyond plans, and will include benefits like unlimited premium data with hotspot sharing and ad-free Netflix on most tiers.

A lot of users haven't seen any changes yet, but given that T-Mobile has now officially confirmed the transition, it's likely only a matter of time before you get a notification from the carrier as well. In the meantime, if you're sticking with T-Mobile regardless, here are the best T-Mobile phones you can get right now.

This Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 leak could be the upgrade we've been waiting for

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:51:39 +0000

What you need to know

A new leak claims the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 could pack a blazing 5,000-nit display.
Samsung is also rumored to boost battery capacity from 590mAh to 800mAh.
The next Ultra may get an IP69K durability rating, offering stronger protection against high-pressure, high-temperature water than the current IP68 certification.

Samsung is gearing up for the release of the next generation of its flagship smartwatch, and if a new leak is to be believed, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is coming in hot. Or, more exactly, bright.

Tipster Ice Universe, who has a good track record with Samsung leaks, revealed on Weibo that the company is working on a significant hardware upgrade for its next-gen wearable. The leak suggests the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 could be up to 5,000 nits bright at its peak. That's a massive jump from the current Galaxy Watch Ultra, which maxes out at 3,000 nits.

If it's true, it could make a real difference. More brightness means less squinting and fewer moments hiding the screen with your hand.

Battery life also looks to receive an upgrade. The leak says Samsung will pack the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 with an 800mAh battery, up from the 590mAh cell in the current model. This corroborates an earlier report, and it's a big jump in capacity and could translate into longer time between charges if Samsung backs it up with efficient software and hardware optimizations.

Samsung might be making the watch even more rugged as well. The Galaxy Watch Ultra already aims at those with active lifestyles, but the new leak suggests the sequel will get an IP69K rating. It is a more robust standard than the existing IP68 certification that covers high-pressure, high-temperature jets of water.

Samsung hasn’t confirmed any of these details, so take the leak with the usual dose of skepticism. But with the company’s next Galaxy Unpacked event looming on the horizon, we probably won’t have to wait long to find out how much of this report rings true.

Android Central's Take

Personally, I’d take these types of upgrades over another AI-powered smartwatch gimmick any day. I want to see a screen that’s actually readable in bright midday sun, battery life that makes me stress less about charging, and tougher protection long after launch day. My only worry is that Samsung can't count on incremental hardware improvements forever. There comes a point where brighter screens and bigger batteries aren’t enough, and the company will need to show why upgrading from the first Galaxy Watch Ultra is worth the investment.

Android 17 'sneak peek' at a foldable gaming mode has my attention—and then some

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:17:00 +0000

What you need to know

Mishaal Rahman, an employee of Google's Community engagement for Android, teased Android 17's upcoming foldable gaming mode.
This gaming mode would split a foldable's screen during gameplay, featuring the game at the top half and a virtual gamepad below that.
It's a full gamepad, featuring all the buttons you'd expect from a PlayStation or Nintendo controller, and users will be able to customize it.
Rahman says this gaming mode is targeting a "platform release in the coming months."

A Google member has posted a generous early look at what's coming up for Android 17 and gaming for foldables.

On the Android Gaming subreddit, Mishaal Rahman, working for the community engagement side of Android at Google, posted a glimpse at Android 17's "foldable gaming mode." Rahman leads off by stating, "While touch controls work incredibly well for many titles, certain games are better enjoyed with physical gamepads." To solve this, Google is working on a gaming mode for these unique phones that splits their screen.

The top half would host your game, leaving the bottom half with a true (touch-based) gamepad experience. Rahman says the gaming portion of the screen will remain "unobstructed." To enable this, Google says users need only unfold their phone before or after launching a compatible game.

Another issue that Google sought to solve was users needing to carry a controller. While Android works well with physical controllers, traveling can be a burden. This foldable gaming mode is focused on games that support physical controllers. Rahman adds that devs don't have to change much for this virtual gamepad to appear; however, split-screen support is where their focus should be.

Mishaal Rahman / Reddit

The gamepads look familiar. If you were to compare it to Xbox or Nintendo controls, you'd feel right at home. Google worked in X, Y, A, and B buttons, alongside L1, L2, R1, and R2. Of course, users will find analog sticks for movement and a D-pad for their arrows. Android 17 will let foldable users customize their virtual gamepad's layout. You can have the sticks together in the middle, more like a PlayStation 5 controller, or staggered, similar to a Nintendo Switch 2 or Xbox controller.

What's more, users will be able to increase or decrease the size of their gamepad. Haptic feedback is another addition, teased as a toggleable option. Some Android games already have haptics. This might be an obscure or off-the-wall reference, but if you've played Pokémon TCG Pocket, you'd know.

Rahman says, "Foldable gaming mode is part of the Android 17 platform release and will be available in the coming months."

Onward, Android 17

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Android 17 launched in mid-June after some rapid testing by Google over the past few months. This year's OS upgrade isn't quite as flashy as we've seen before, but it's effective for detecting threats and scams. What's more, the OS brings a few key features, such as Bubbles. This is a new way for users to multitask between apps on their device in a floating menu. While many users with slab phones (think Galaxy S25, Pixel 10) might not see much of a use for it, Bubbles truly targets large-screen devices (foldables).

Rahman teases this foldable gaming mode for a future platform release "in the coming months," and we can't help but look at Android 17's first drop. Right now, Google is engaged in QPR1 Beta 5 after rolling it out to Pixel users last week. The latest beta was pretty large, bringing fixes for vanishing widgets, Game Dashboard, and Pixel cameras.

Android Central's Take

Do I have to say much here? I think we all know that I really like what Google's teased for foldables. I might have to get myself one (pray for my wallet). Gaming on foldables hasn't been bad, but this change would make it better. I can see this useful for games that would truly benefit from a virtual gamepad. Think Wuthering Waves or Zenless Zone Zero. Quick button inputs, rapid movements. A lot of people game on their phones, and making foldables better at that would make them a little more appealing (at least for me).

Xiaomi 18 sees a battery upgrade rumor that's passable at best

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:07:12 +0000

What you need to know

Rumors suggest the Xiaomi 18 could receive a modest ~200mAh battery boost over the previous model.
If true, that would place its Chinese version at ~7,200mAh, but it's unclear if this same boost or more could hit the global version.
Xiaomi's president, Lu Weibing, stated in a livestream last year that the Dynamic Back Display was popular, pushing the series to shatter records, and that the company would seek to do it again.

Xiaomi's next flagships (at least the top two versions) have been rumored for a while now. However, what's entering the fray is a rumor about an upgrade that its base version could bring to extend your usage.

Late this weekend, tipster Digital Chat Station (DCS) posted on Weibo about an upgrade Xiaomi is supposedly bringing to the base Xiaomi 18 (via GSMArena). The tipster suggests the Xiaomi 18 could receive a 7,200mAh battery when it debuts. Nothing's certain yet, but the 18 series could appear in the second half of 2026 if we're looking back to the 17 series' September 2025 arrival.

DCS adds that the device in question is a "prototype," so perhaps this battery total will change. As it stands, the Xiaomi 18 is only preparing for a modest 200mAh upgrade over the 7,000mAh cell in the 17. However, the publication notes an important fact: this 7,000mAh total was only present for the Chinese version of the Xiaomi 17. When it hit global audiences, that total dropped to ~6,330mAh. Maybe Xiaomi will increase totals a little more than 200mAh, or perhaps they'll keep it the same.

What's more, in the comments, Chinese users were discussing the phone's alleged specifications, to which DCS claims, "if you want both good image quality and a large battery, just buy a large-screen phone" (machine-translated). GSMArena expands on this, adding that the Xiaomi 18 is rumored to feature a 6.4-inch display and a 200MP telephoto lens. Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is rumored, which isn't so surprising.

The Pro, Pro Max are cooking

(Image credit: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi's next flagship Pro and Pro Max have been talked about, but that's because the company's "magic" display, or "Dynamic Back Display," was so popular with consumers. Xiaomi's president, Lu Weibing, held a livestream shortly after the series debuted, stating the devices shattered pre-order records "minutes after" going live. While the 17 Pro performed well, it was the 17 Pro Max that was the shining star. Both devices offer a 2.1-inch Dynamic Back Display with unique interactions.

The company states it has already increased the budget for its R&D department to continue this design on future phones. More recently, rumors about the phones followed what Xiaomi's president said late last year. However, these rumors say the back display could increase to 4 inches with "higher brightness" and "privacy protection."

Android Central's Take

I'm hoping Xiaomi boosts its global version's battery a little more than 200mAh. Sure, it's already a good cell. 6,330mAh is great for keeping you engaged, playing, and scrolling all day long. But there's a pretty wide gap in battery capacity between the global and Chinese versions. Do the numbers have to match one-to-one? Not really. I wouldn't say I'm that picky. But boosting it by maybe 400, 500mAh would be nice.

You can reserve your WhatsApp username this week to keep your number private

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0000

What you need to know

WhatsApp announced the beginning of its global username reservation period for the platform.
Users can begin reserving their desired username this week on WhatsApp, which lets them share this instead of their phone number for added privacy.
Small business owners and content creators can "claim" their usernames from Facebook or Instagram and port it into WhatsApp.

In the name of privacy, WhatsApp is rolling out username reservations, and this is how you can get started.

Today (June 29), WhatsApp announced that its "introducing usernames" to the platform this week. Users can keep their phone numbers to themselves and instead put their chosen username front and center. What's more, WhatsApp is adding a "key" to help users "control who contacts you by your username." To avoid overlap, the messaging platform is kicking things off with a reservation period before the username feature launches officially "later this year."

What's rolling out is a new Username option in your WhatsApp account settings (Settings > Account > Username). Tapping that will give an initial splash screen and a button to create one. The system will check to make sure your username hasn't already been taken. If it has, you'll need to create a new one. Additionally, the secondary level of security is the "key."

If you specify that only people with your key can contact you, WhatsApp will generate a unique string of numbers for you. However, you must share your username and this generated key before someone can start texting or calling you.

WhatsApp states that there is no "registry" or suggestions for usernames. People must know your name (and key, if you've chosen that) before they can contact you. For content creators and businesses on Facebook or Instagram, users can "claim" their username and transfer it to WhatsApp.

Reserved under...?

(Image credit: WhatsApp)

WhatsApp states usernames are rolling out "gradually over the coming months." The app will inform you when you can begin doing so in your country.

We've been hearing about usernames on WhatsApp for a while now. The messaging platform rolled out a few contact-focused features a while ago. The main goal was to give users the option to save contacts from WhatsApp web and Windows devices. It gave more flexibility when interacting with contacts, as the only way you could do so prior was on your primary phone.

However, the platform said this was done to begin setting the framework for usernames in the future. This would be that future. Global reservations for usernames are beginning this week, so users should start thinking ahead of time and get to it ASAP.

Android Central's Take

Usernames are simple. If you grew up playing multiplayer games, you'd know the feeling. They represent who you are (in a way), and are like fun codenames when you're playing games. The thing about phone numbers is that they're so personal. They literally connect you with someone else. If someone has it, they knew exactly how to reach you. Not everyone's ready for that kind of commitment, and I think usernames can solve that.

YouTube Shorts just borrowed more of TikTok's best tricks

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:45:00 +0000

What you need to know

YouTube Shorts is getting a major usability upgrade with 2x playback, a clutter-free viewing mode, improved recommendation controls, and a redesigned Like button.
You can now speed through Shorts at 2x by holding either side of the screen, making it easier to skip slower content without leaving the video.
A new Clear screen mode hides on-screen clutter with a single tap, giving videos a cleaner, more immersive viewing experience.

YouTube is giving Shorts one of its biggest viewer-focused updates yet, making the experience cleaner, faster, and a lot more familiar for anyone who’s spent time on TikTok.

The rollout brings four major improvements to the Shorts player interface, including a faster playback experience, a clean viewing experience, improved feedback controls, and a new Like button, as per YouTube's announcement. The headline addition is 2x playback speed.

Shorts had previously been limited to normal playback speeds, while standard YouTube videos offered various playback controls.

(Image credit: Google)

With the new change, you can now hold either side of the screen to temporarily double the speed of playback. Then, release your finger to return to normal. If you want to keep it at 2x, just swipe down with the screen held.

Another welcome change is the addition of a new "clear screen” mode. Watching Shorts often means an overlay full of buttons, captions, usernames, and other interface elements. Now you can hide almost everything on the screen with just one tap, leaving only the video itself. Tap again if you want the controls restored. The feature is a close copy of TikTok’s Clear Mode, but it’s an improvement many Shorts viewers have been asking for.

YouTube is also altering the way viewers engage with Shorts. The familiar thumbs-up icon is being replaced with a heart, aligning the visual language of Shorts with other short-video platforms. It looks different, but it functions the same: tap it and you’re still giving the video a thumbs up.

The dislike button is dead

The bigger switch is dislike. YouTube is removing the dislike button from the Shorts player entirely and will provide users with more direct controls over recommendations. Viewers are asked to select “Not interested” or “Don’t recommend this channel” from the three-dot menu instead of just disliking a video. These tools, YouTube says, provide more accurate signals about what kind of content people actually want to stop seeing, which helps improve future recommendations rather than just relying on a simple thumbs-down.

But creators don’t need to worry about losing their historic data. The current dislike counts for Shorts will still be available in YouTube Studio. At the end of June, however, Google will stop collecting new dislike counts for Shorts, while long-form videos and live streams will continue to show dislikes like they do today.

Another quality-of-life improvement that comes with these changes: viewers can mute Shorts right from the player, making it easier to browse silently without having to use the device’s volume controls.

Android Central's Take

I think this is the kind of updates shorts has been needing for a while. Scrolling should be less frustrating and more purposeful if you could zoom through slower videos, hide the clutter on the screen, and fine-tune recommendations without resorting to a vague dislike button. That said, it’s hard to look past how many of these additions feel like they were lifted from TikTok, rather than truly original thoughts. By now, YouTube appears more interested in closing feature gaps than blazing its own trail.

Prime Day is over, but Samsung's best cheap phone is STILL selling for a record low price at Amazon

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:11:32 +0000

Prime Day 2026 has come and gone, but you may be surprised at the number of Android phone deals that are still hanging around. One notable example of this would be the 256GB configuration of the Samsung Galaxy A57 5G, a midrange masterpiece that is still chilling with a 16% discount, days after the sale's end. That price decrease drops Samsung's 'budget king' to the lowest price ever recorded, no trade-in or Prime membership required!

The Galaxy A57 5G is the 'budget king', and now it's cheaper than ever before

Samsung Galaxy A57 5G 256GB: ~~$609.99~~ $509.99 at Amazon

Samsung's latest midrange masterpiece, the Galaxy A57 5G is an approachable Android phone that doesn't skimp on flagship-level specs. Grab the 256GB version from Amazon today and you'll score a historic 16% off your purchase.

Want to save even more? The 128GB version of the phone is also receiving an 18% discount, knocking the price down to $449.99 for a limited time.

💲Price comparison: Samsung - $509.99 | Best Buy - $449.99 (128GB version)View Deal

Although it often gets overlooked next to similarly-priced options like the Google Pixel 10a, the Galaxy A57 5G is an incredible phone in its own right, boasting a lovely 6.7-inch OLED display, versatile triple camera system, and IP68 water-and-dust protection, which is a rarity at this price point.

The A Series Samsung phone also comes with a durable aluminum-and-glass construction while still weighing less than Google's phone. Under the hood you get an efficient Exynos processor with 8GB of RAM and a 5,000mAh battery that should easily surpass a full day on a single charge.

On the other hand, the Galaxy A57 doesn't offer wireless charging support, the AI features are a bit lacking compared to some Samsung phones, and you only get six years of OS/security updates compared to Google's guaranteed seven. Still, the Galaxy A57 is a sophisticated smartphone that feels way more premium than its price would suggest.

Would I recommend buying the phone at full price? No. But slap on a historic discount and the midrange masterpiece becomes a seriously good value.

The portable Samsung T9 SSD is STILL selling for a record-low price after Prime Day — but how much longer can it last?

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:42:31 +0000

It's no secret that SSDs and other storage devices are absurdly expensive right now, and it doesn't seem like that's changing any time soon. Fortunately, Prime Day gave us a few solid deals on portable SSDs and other storage devices, and even though that sale has officially come to a close, there are still a few leftover discounts hanging about.

One of my favorite leftover deals is this offer that slashes 38% off the 1TB T9 SSD by Samsung, knocking the price of the storage device down to $179.99 for a limited time. Up until Prime Day, the 1TB SSD was floating around $250, so this is no small discount — it essentially amounts to $0.18 per gigabyte. And the best part is that, unlike many of the official Prime Day deals we saw last week, you don't need to be a Prime member to enjoy the savings.

Samsung 1TB T9 Portable SSD: ~~$287.99~~ $179.99 at Amazon

Finding a good deal on a storage device can seem like an impossible task in 2026, but Amazon is making things a bit easier by slashing 38% off the portable 1TB T9 SSD by Samsung. This compact solid state device boasts shockingly fast transfer speeds with high-end encryption and a durable build that you can take anywhere.

Need more than 1TB of storage? It's worth mentioning that the 2TB and 4TB configurations of the device are also receiving 39% and 30% discounts, respectively.View Deal

Whether you're a photographer, musician, or business professional, if you're dealing with large files on the go, the Samsung T9 is the ideal companion. This compact device boasts read-and-write transfer speeds of up to 2,000MB per second, plus you get regular firmware updates with AES 256-bit password protection and a high-end thermal cooling system that keeps your SSD running smoothly, no matter how heavy the usage.

The SSD is also built from durable materials and has been drop-tested from up to 9.8 feet in height, so you can take it with you anywhere without worrying about the safety of your most important files. If something does go wrong, Samsung also offers a five-year warranty.

Indeed, the Samsung T9 is a powerful storage device for on-the-go file management, and this is a good price. If you're planning to upgrade your storage setup this year, I'd recommend jumping on this deal before Amazon's leftover Prime Day deals expire. After all, the current RAM crisis isn't going away any time soon, and if you miss this discount, you'll likely have to wait until Black Friday to save this much cash on a portable SSD by Samsung.

Ticketmaster's 'customizable pass' collab with Google Wallet sounds great for gameday

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:24:00 +0000

What you need to know

Ticketmaster announced its partnership with Google Wallet, which brings "customizable passes" to Android.
Clients of events can customize their digital passes with flashy designs and up to 12 links for important venue details.
Users benefit from this last note, as they can find info on parking, food, drinks, merch, and VIP access directly from their pass.

This summer is going to be packed with events of all kinds. To try and help, Ticketmaster announced a partnership with Google Wallet for more unique digital passes on Android.

Ticketmaster says that what it's worked on with Google Wallet are "customizable passes" that are designed for "branded experiences" on Android. Passes are mobile tickets saved in Google Wallet, but Ticketmaster says this new direction offers a new sense of "brand presence." Brands can offer customized hero images, tour artwork, and more.

If you're attending a group's stop on their nationwide tour, you might see unique album artwork or sports game visuals if you're going to an NFL game.

Aside from flashy visuals, these customizable passes are getting more useful for you, the user. Ticketmaster says clients can add "up to 12 action links to each pass." These links will direct visitors to crucial event areas. Links for parking, transportation, gate details, VIP upgrades, and food/drinks can be found in these passes. This removes the need for users to conduct extra research before heading out or leading up to the event/gameday.

The post states that tapping a parking link will open a map of the venue, so you can plan where you might go. Additionally, users can download that event's affiliate app on their Android device through these links if desired.

Digital passes continue to evolve

(Image credit: Ticketmaster)

Passes and digital tickets have been a big aspect of Google Wallet for years now. The company rolled out a useful update to Wallet, one that would automatically surface a pass you might need. "Context-aware" is what drives this feature. Google states that as the user approaches a location, like a train station, the Wallet app would produce their train ticket on their lock screen.

This removes the need for users to open their phones, navigate to the Wallet app, and select their appropriate pass. Google says this capability extends to airport gates, concert venues, and stores. Considering this new partnership with Ticketmaster, perhaps something like this would occur for these customizable passes.

Android Central's Take

I like this partnership, and this is coming from a sports guy. Getting my tickets ready for gameday is an exciting feeling. I can just imagine a White Sox or a Bears ticket through Ticketmaster's new approach for passes. The hype would be unreal. What's more, these links would help with stadium navigation for parking in case anything changes.

It took a while, but Google's finally fixing a SiriusXM radio issue on its smart speakers

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 11:17:00 +0000

What you need to know

Google states a fix is rolling out late in June for a bug that impacted several of its smart speakers and SiriusXM radio.
Users given multiple errors a month ago, when reports surfaced, and were unable to get their content to stream via a speaker.
While this issue gets resolved, Google's also debuted its new Home Speaker and expanded Gemini for Home to more partners.

Google has been busy with new launches and bug fixes since May. This week, it's been reported that a major fix is on the way for a satellite radio problem.

About a month ago, users on the Google Home subreddit reported a sudden problem attempting to listen to SiriusXM radio on their smart speakers (via Android Authority). Getting down to brass tacks, Google responded to this month-old thread this week, stating "We've resolved an issue impacting the ability to stream SiriusXM on some Google Home devices." These "issues" Google refers to were highlighted by the thread's OP (original poster), who states their smart speakers were unable to stream any content.

Specifically, the user states their device would consistently give them the following error: "I looked for that, but it either isn't available or can't be played right now." They checked their Google Home settings and ensured their SiriusXM subscription was properly linked. Spoiler alert: everything was fine. Further investigations showed that they could listen to the radio via the app, just not through their speakers.

Many more reports on the subreddit stated similar issues. After contacting Google Support, users were told to run through normal troubleshooting procedures. Many users already said they did this on their own, to be fair. However, through these reports, Google acknowledged it was an issue, at least that's what users said after contacting support.

Now, over a month later, a fix for the radio issue is coming through for Google Home smart speakers.

New speaker on the block

(Image credit: Google)

In the time that these issues were reported, Google launched the Home Speaker, its future of smart speakers and AI assistance at home. For $99, the Home Speaker is the brand's first device built completely around its AI, Gemini. The AI is capable of understanding normal speech, meaning users don't have to constantly remember and throw buzzwords around. The AI can act on multi-step commands, and users can engage in follow-up questions to keep their conversations going.

Since Gemini is so tightly integrated, we all know what that means: Gemini for Home is at its core. When Google expanded its availability to more countries, the company improved Gemini's response times by 40%. What's more, it improved the AI's ability to understand what device users are talking to about to (hopefully) avoid mistaken commands. On a related note, Google opened Gemini for Home to hardware makers and carriers.

This means consumers will likely see more devices hitting the market that support Google's AI natively.

Hurry! There's still time to grab one of Samsung's best smartphones of 2026 at an all-time low

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 01:40:45 +0000

We're in the final stretch of Prime Day, so there's a bit of pressure to make sure you get everything in your cart before the deals end. Well, if you're still trying to figure out which new phone to buy, consider the search over, because this Galaxy S26 Plus deal just dropped the phone to its lowest price since launch.

When the Galaxy S26 Plus was released earlier this year, it retailed for $1,099, or $100 more than its predecessor. However, despite the price increase, Prime Day is slashing more than $300 off this rather excellent phone, meaning you pay less than the base model Galaxy S26.

Prime Day returns June 23-26: see the full list of deals

An expensive phone deserves a deep discount, and right now it doesn't get any deeper than this 31% deal on the Galaxy S26 Plus, which brings it down under $800. For a 2026 flagship smartphone, that's an incredible steal!

Price comparison: Best Buy - $799 | Samsung - $799 View Deal

✅Recommended if: You're in the market for a new flagship smartphone with good cameras, great battery life, and tons of AI features.

❌Skip this deal if: You prefer smaller phones like the base Galaxy S26 or you want Samsung's cool new Privacy Display feature, which is only available on the Ultra.

I've used the Galaxy S26 Plus on and off since it launched earlier this year, and there's no doubt it's a fantastic phone. It plays a delicate balance between the cheaper S26 and pricier Galaxy S26 Ultra by offering a large display, a big battery, and fast 45W charging.

It misses out on some Ultra features, like a secondary telephoto lens, 60W charging, and the very cool Privacy Display that can keep onlookers from seeing the contents of your display.

That said, you still get the excellent One UI experience with smooth animations, the latest features like AirDrop support, and tons of Galaxy AI capabilities like advanced photo editing and a revamped Bixby. And with Gemini Screen automation, you can let the AI handle your Uber Eats orders while you sit back and relax.

The Galaxy S26 Plus may be the awkward middle child of the S series, but you shouldn't sleep on it when it's this cheap.

The Pixel Buds 2a have become my go-to workout earbuds, and you can love them as much as I do now that they've dropped below $100!

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:36:41 +0000

A good pair of earbuds is fairly easy to find, but finding a good pair of affordable earbuds can be a challenge. The Pixel Buds 2a are surprisingly good for their price point, which makes this Prime Day deal even better, bringing the earbuds down to their lowest price since launch.

The Pixel Buds 2a are less than a year old, launching in August 2025 and hitting stores in October for a retail price of $129. There have been a few price dips since then, but now you can get them for just under $100.

Prime Day returns June 23-26: see the full list of deals

These affordable earbuds finally dipped under the $100 mark thanks to this Prime Day deal, making it a good time to snag them before time runs out!

Price comparison: Best Buy - $109 | Google - $109 View Deal

✅Recommended if: You own a Pixel smartphone and/or want an affordable pair of earbuds with good sound, great ANC, and a sweat-resistant design.

❌Skip this deal if: You don't own a Pixel smartphone or you want earbuds with support for higher-quality audio codecs.

I've been using the Pixel Buds 2a for some time, and despite them being the epitome of everything I don't like about many earbuds today, I can't seem to put them down. I even own the Powerbeats Pro 2, which I bought specifically for the gym, but before I go out, I grab the Pixel Buds 2a.

A big reason is that, despite their low price point, the audio quality is surprisingly good, and ANC does a great job of blocking out most noise, especially at the gym. They're also incredibly light, fit well in my ears, and are sufficiently sweat-resistant, so I don't have to worry about them during runs.

They may not support high-quality audio codecs like higher-end earbuds, but I'm no audiophile, so I'm content with how they sound. And if you're willing to spend just $99 on a pair of great earbuds, these are the ones.

This 4K Google TV deal is exactly what Optimus Prime gave his life for. We should honor him (and then binge 'Transformers')

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 22:56:02 +0000

Excuse me if I have "Transformers" on my mind; I just finished binge-watching all the films on my TCL QM6K. It's a fantastic TV, especially for the price, but if you want something even better, the TCL QM7K is currently on sale for ~~Optimus~~ Prime Day, and it's a deal you shouldn't miss out on!

The TCL 55QM7K wasn't exactly cheap when it launched, retailing for $1,299 back in 2025. It has since had a few discounts, but this current Prime Day deal is about as low as it gets, bringing it down to just $498, which is still much cheaper than the $649 it was recently priced at. That's less than $500 for an incredible 4K Google TV set! Optimus Prime would be proud!

Prime Day returns June 23-26: see the full list of deals

A $152 discount from its $650 price isn't bad, but it's even better when you realize this TV originally cost $1300 just a year ago. That makes the $498 price even better, because this is still a fantastic TV, especially for the price.View Deal

✅Recommended if: You're in the market for a Google TV set with great color, a high refresh rate, the latest Gemini AI features, and must-have gaming capabilities like VRR.

❌Skip this deal if: You want the deeper contrast and inky black of an OLED.

Prime Day"

Since I have the TCL QM6K, I guess you can say I have a big of experience with the QM7K model. I love my TV set, but the 7K model is a step up from what I have. With this model, you get a slimmer design, a brighter QD-Mini LED display, and higher-quality Bang & Olufsen speakers. The display is also anti-reflective, which is a must-have, especially if you plan to put it in a relatively bright space.

And of course, it runs Google TV out of the box. This gives you access to tons of streaming apps, which you can control directly from your phone using Google Cast. It also gives you access to Gemini features and better content recommendations based on your apps and the content you've watched. And with the press of a button, you can use natural language to ask Gemini to find a movie or show instead of scrolling through a ton of apps yourself.

I can't believe the Beats Solo 4 are half off - score 50-hour battery life for under $100

bradypsnyder@gmail.com (Brady Snyder) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 21:48:18 +0000

Over-ear headphones can get expensive quick — I routinely test models between the $400 and $600 price points. If you're on a budget, going with an on-ear pair of headphones can be an excellent way to save without sacrificing quality. On-ear headphones come with perks of their own, like lightweight designs and secure fits.

Beats Solo headphones have been the default for on-ear headphones for years, and the Solo 4 model is $100 off for Prime Day. For a limited time, these headphones are just $99.95 on Amazon, meaning you're technically saving more than you're spending (by five cents). I've tested the Beats Solo 4 personally, and found a handful of ways they beat more expensive headphones.

Prime Day 2026 ends TONIGHT: see the full list of deals

The Beats Solo 4 are a pair of basic, lightweight headphones with up to 50 hours of battery life. They support features like spatial audio and dynamic head tracking. You can use the Solo 4 with iOS or Android without losing features.View Deal

✅ Recommended if: you need a secure pair of on-ear headphones; you want headphones with week-long battery life; you value a USB-C port and 3.5mm jack for lossless audio.

❌ Skip this deal if: you prefer over-ear headphones; you have more to spend and would rather upgrade to the Beats Studio Pro (only $50 more for Prime Day).

The difference between on-ear and over-ear headphones is simple. On-ear headphones, like the Beats Solo 4, have ear cushions that rest directly on your ears. They're typically smaller and lighter, with a higher clamping force, as a result. This makes headphones like the Solo 4 ideal for working out, where you don't want to have over-ears slipping off your head during a lifting session.

By comparison, over-ear headphones like the Beats Studio Pro fit your ear inside the cushions, which some find to be more comfortable. I tend to like over-ear headphones, but the tradeoffs are size, weight, and price.

The Beats Solo 4 stand out among the competition with numerous connection methods. You can use them wirelessly with iOS and Android, and there are physical power, play/pause, next/previous, and volume up/down buttons. Better yet, there's both a USB-C port and a 3.5mm jack for wired connections.

The USB-C port can be used for charging, and when fully charged, the Solo 4 last for up to 50 hours. If they die, the 3.5mm jack supports fully analog mode — you can use them with an aux cable without power. The USB-C port can also be used for wired audio. You have a ton of options, and the two wired modes support lossless audio.

It's worth noting that the Beats Solo 4 lack active noise-canceling, and this cost-cutting measure helps them cost so little. If you can look past that, these are a surprisingly great pair of headphones for slightly under $100.

All Prime Day 2026 - quick links

Phones: major savings on Pixel, Samsung, and beyond
Wearables: up to 50% off Garmin, Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit
Headphones/earbuds: huge discounts on Beats, Sony, and more
Smart Home: up to 60% off Alexa devices
Tablets: Galaxy Tab, Kindle, and Amazon tablets from $50
Smart TVs: cheap smart TVs from $69.99
Chromebooks: discounts on ASUS, HP, and Lenovo

My favorite Garmin watch is on sale right now, but there's an even better deal if you're trying to stay active this summer

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 21:38:17 +0000

Prime Day is almost over, but there are still plenty of deals available right now. While scouring the web for products I like, I came across a Garmin Venu 4 deal that I was tempted to highlight. However, I found an even better deal on the Garmin Forerunner 570, which I think is more worth your time (and money).

The Garmin Forerunner 570 launched last year for $550, but this 18% discount shaves $100 off, bringing the price to $450. That's around $50 cheaper than the Garmin Venu 4 with its current discount, which is why I think the Forerunner 570 deserves your attention.

The Forerunner 570 already feels like a bargain compared to its more expensive 970 sibling, but a $100 disocunt is a pretty good deal if you ask me, especially since it makes it cheaper than the also-excellent Venu 4.View Deal

✅Recommended if: You're someone who enjoys running and wants a watch that can coach them as well as track their activities.

❌Skip this deal if: You're not a big runner and watch a more all-purpose smartwatch with access to your favorite apps.

Garmin makes watches for all kinds of fitness enthusiasts, and the Forerunner 570 is an ideal watch for runners. It's similar to the Forerunner 970, which is also on sale right now, but it's more affordable at the expense of some features. That said, after testing the Forerunner 570 myself, I must say that it's an incredible fitness watch if you're into running or even if you want to get into it (like me).

The watch is great at fitness tracking, and the OLED display is vibrant and highly visible outdoors. The Garmin UI is also much easier to navigate, with quick access to your most important metrics and activities. There are also plenty of external buttons for shortcuts and navigation, making it easy to use the watch even while on a run.

The Garmin Venu 4 is still a great watch, and the $50 discount may be tempting for someone who just wants an all-around fitness watch with a streamlined design and experience. You can also check out deals on the tech devices I used to lose weight in time for the summer.

I run 5Ks with these sporty earbuds that always stay in place, and they're currently $70 cheaper than what I paid

bradypsnyder@gmail.com (Brady Snyder) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:29:56 +0000

I became a Powerbeats user with the Powerbeats2 Wireless — they came out 12 years ago — and I've used every model released since. The Powerbeats Pro 2 are the most well-rounded workout earbuds yet, and I bought two pairs of the Nike collab for $250 each for me and my sister.

I don't regret spending that much on them, but I'm happy to report that you can get them for $70 off during Amazon Prime Day. At only $180, these sporty earbuds pack a ton of features. They share internals with the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods Pro 3, but work just as good on iOS as on Android.

I've run thousands of miles with Powerbeats earbuds in my ears, and they're the only ones I'd recommend for fitness buffs as we kick off summer.

Prime Day 2026 ends TONIGHT: see the full list of deals

The Powerbeats Pro 2 are the sportiest earbuds you'll find, complete with an ear hook for stability and an integrated heart-rate monitor. They also have classic Beats sound, the Apple H2 chip, and support for Android features like battery widgets.View Deal

✅ Recommended if: you need a pair of workout earbuds with a secure fit and ear hooks for stability; you want earbuds that can move between iOS and Android easily; you value on-earbud controls, like playback and volume buttons.

❌ Skip this deal if: you don't like the Powerbeats Pro 2's large design; you want earbuds with a smaller charging case.

The feature that always sold me on Powerbeats is their included ear hooks. These wrap around your ear, ensuring that even if the ear tips slip out, the Powerbeats Pro 2 won't fall out of your ear. Another great perk is the physical volume rocker and play/pause button. No one wants to fight with gesture controls in the gym or on the track with sweaty hands.

With the Powerbeats Pro 2, I don't have to. And both the left and right earbuds have the physical buttons, so I can wear just one without missing out on features. This is great for safety, as I stay aware of my surroundings while I run. Since the earbuds have ANC and transparency mode support, I can also use the latter to maintain awareness while working out.

(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

Beats is owned by Apple, but it's worth emphasizing that the Powerbeats Pro 2 work just as good on Android as iOS. They get a companion app on Android, and every feature is available across both platforms. In fact, if you've always wanted AirPods but needed better Android support, these are the earbuds to get. The Powerbeats Pro 2 share the same Apple H2 chip as the AirPods Pro 2.

And, the Powerbeats Pro 2 have the same optical heart-rate monitor as the AirPods Pro 3. That's right — you can use these earbuds to track your heart rate during workouts without needing a smartwatch or chest strap, pairing them to your Android phone.

It's clear that they were built from the ground up with fitness buffs in mind, and that's why I love them as a runner. At $180, they're a no-brainer if you love to work out.

All Prime Day 2026 - quick links

Phones: major savings on Pixel, Samsung, and beyond
Wearables: up to 50% off Garmin, Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit
Headphones/earbuds: huge discounts on Beats, Sony, and more
Smart Home: up to 60% off Alexa devices
Tablets: Galaxy Tab, Kindle, and Amazon tablets from $50
Smart TVs: cheap smart TVs from $69.99
Chromebooks: discounts on ASUS, HP, and Lenovo

Don't miss out on this insane Oura Ring 4 deal that practically comes with up to 3 years of its membership FOR FREE

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:06:35 +0000

We clearly love Oura here at Android Central, and even with the new Oura Ring 5 available now, we would still recommend buying the Oura Ring 4, especially if you can find a good discount. Right now, the Oura Ring 4 just hit its lowest price for Prime Day, but you'll have to act fast because color options are falling out of stock.

The cheapest Oura Ring 4 starts at $349, but you're saving roughly $135 by opting for the Silver colorway, bringing it down to just $214. Plus, you can save even more at Best Buy when you buy pricier color options. As great as this ring is, that's more than worth it. And the great thing about this Prime Day deal is that with the money you're saving, you can basically cover the cost of the Oura Membership (which I'll break down further below), so it works out!

Prime Day returns June 23-26: see the full list of deals

This incredible Oura Ring 4 deal from Amazon saves you over $130, which is an incredible value if you don't mind sticking with Silver.

Alternative deal: If you want more expensive colors, this Best Buy deal on Gold and even Ceramic finishes saves you up to $220, so instead of $499, you only pay $279.View Deal

✅Recommended if: You want a low-key health and fitness wearable to help you track sleep, activities, and give you a comprehensive view of your health.

❌Skip this deal if: You prefer the newer and smaller Oura Ring 5 or you're really against paying for a monthly or yearly membership to access it's most useful features.

Oura is interesting because it's probably the only smart ring on the market that uses a subscription model. However, that membership gives you full access to the Oura Ring 4's features and helps Oura build on and improve its products, including the Oura Ring 4.

On the plus side, the subscription is only $6 a month (or $70 annually), which actually feels pretty reasonable. And you can pay for both the Oura Ring and the membership using your FSA or HSA, which is also a plus.

But as I mentioned before, you're saving a ton of money on the Oura Ring 4. For the Silver variant above, you're saving about $135, and when you divide that by the membership cost, it comes out to roughly two years' worth.

And when you factor in the $220 savings from the Best Buy deal, that's about three years of Oura Membership that you can use that extra money for. I don't know about you, but the math is mathing here.

There's only one pair of earbuds I'd buy for my Pixel phone, and they're somehow $68 OFF until midnight

bradypsnyder@gmail.com (Brady Snyder) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:22:33 +0000

I test every mainstream pair of wireless earbuds that come out, and my buying advice is simple: grab the pair that matches your phone. More often than not, it really is that easy. If you have an iPhone, get AirPods. If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, get Galaxy Buds. Google Pixel users are lucky enough to get the Pixel Buds Pro 2 — they're not just the best for Pixel, they're one of the best wireless earbuds overall.

While most premium earbuds start at $250 and up, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are just $229 at full price. That makes this Amazon Prime Day deal feel too good to be true. You can snag the Pixel Buds Pro 2 for only $160, and every Pixel user should consider it.

Prime Day 2026 ends TONIGHT: see the full list of deals

The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are excellent ANC headphones that use a custom Tensor A1 chip to process sound and cancel out unwanted noise. They have 11mm drivers, and more importantly, sport a tiny design and a truly comfortable fit.View Deal

✅ Recommended if: you want small and comfortable earbuds without a stem; you have a Google Pixel phone and want companion earbuds; you want incredible wireless audio under $200.

❌ Skip this deal if: you need physical on-earbud buttons (the Pixel Buds Pro 2 use swipe gestures); you're on a budget and would rather get the Pixel Buds 2a (also on-sale for Prime Day)

Most wireless earbuds on the market today offer great sound, and many bundle exclusive software features you only get with a matching phone. That's why the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 go great with, say, a Pixel 10 Pro. I've used the Pixel Buds Pro 2, and there's one thing that makes them stand out among the competition.

It's their comfort. While many earbuds are chunky or feature long stems, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are minuscule by comparison. They are 27% smaller than the original Pixel Buds Pro, and they're also 24% lighter. Better yet, they have an included stabilizer that keeps the Pixel Buds Pro 2 locked in place.

Google did something clever to let you know when you've found the perfect fit: the "G" logo on the Pixel Buds Pro 2 will be upright when they're twisted in place. I have AirPods and Galaxy Buds slip out of my ears all the time, and that's never happened with the Pixel Buds Pro 2.

At their $160 sale price, these earbuds are priced like a base-model pair, with the specs of a flagship. They have a custom Tensor A1 audio processor to handle sound and active noise-cancelation. They can also do spatial audio and multi-device switching, connecting with Google Find Hub for tracking.

I don't think you'll find a better pair of wireless earbuds at this price point — but this deal won't last forever. Prime Day ends today, so move fast.

All Prime Day 2026 - quick links

Phones: major savings on Pixel, Samsung, and beyond
Wearables: up to 50% off Garmin, Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit
Headphones/earbuds: huge discounts on Beats, Sony, and more
Smart Home: up to 60% off Alexa devices
Tablets: Galaxy Tab, Kindle, and Amazon tablets from $50
Smart TVs: cheap smart TVs from $69.99
Chromebooks: discounts on ASUS, HP, and Lenovo

Netflix wants everyone in your house to have their own email login now

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:21:56 +0000

What you need to know

Some Netflix users are now being asked to add a unique email address to each Netflix profile instead of relying on the account owner's email.
Individual emails enable separate sign-in verification, account recovery, and profile management while preserving personalized recommendations.
While the feature adds convenience, some believe it's laying the groundwork for even tighter control over shared accounts in the future.

Netflix is still tinkering with the streaming guidelines. If you thought the 2023 password-sharing crackdown was the ultimate challenge, prepare for a new twist: the company is now apparently testing a mandatory change that turns your shared household account into a bundle of individual logins.

According to several Reddit posts, Netflix is starting to push some users to add a unique email address to each Netflix profile, instead of just using the primary account’s email (via Android Authority). Typically, one email address and one password control the account, while up to five profiles let different family members keep separate watchlists, recommendations, and viewing histories. If a person needs a verification code or wants to recover access, it all goes through the account owner’s inbox.

That seems to be changing now, as some subscribers are being prompted to add an email address directly to their profile. The message says doing so will give you “easier sign-in access,” account recovery options, personalized recommendations, and other features to come.

Each profile gets more independence

When an email is linked, each profile can receive its sign-in verification codes and access recovery information without needing to depend on the primary account holder. The change also provides each profile a little more freedom. You can control some profile settings for individual users but still get personalized recommendations based on viewing history. However, not everyone believes that the change is solely for convenience.

The update comes just a few years after Netflix launched its password-sharing crackdown and the idea of a Netflix Household, which restricts account access to people living under the same roof but provides paid Extra Member slots in supported markets. Netflix has since rolled out several tools designed to simplify user splitting, such as Profile Transfer, which lets subscribers move their viewing history, recommendations, saved games, and watchlists to a separate account when they leave a shared subscription.

Android Central's Take

I can see why Netflix would do that. It should be much easier to log in and get back in if every profile has its own email, particularly in families where one person has always been the unofficial tech support. But I still feel like this is another small step towards Netflix having even more control over how we use accounts. Sure, it’s framed as a convenience feature today, but having watched the company’s steady march against password sharing, I’m keeping an eyebrow raised.

That history has some users thinking that profile-specific email addresses could eventually make it easier for Netflix to distinguish between individual users or move them into separate accounts down the road.

Currently, the update appears to be slowly rolling out, rather than being deployed to everyone at once. If it ever gets to your account, adding an email to your profile may make it easier to sign in, especially in larger households. But considering Netflix’s recent history of tightening account controls, it’s worth monitoring if this is just another convenience feature or the beginning of the next evolution of account management for the company.

Toy Story 5 has a point. Buy your kids this $90-off color Kindle e-reader instead of a brainrot tablet

Nicholas Sutrich — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:41:47 +0000

If you've seen Toy Story 5 (or just the trailer), you know the basic synopsis. All the toys have been binned in favor of a nasty brainrot tablet, and it's all up to the toys to fix the parents' mistake. This Prime Day, I'd love to encourage all the parents out there to opt for a Kindle Colorsoft Kids edition e-reader instead of a tablet, and you'll save nearly $100 in the process.

Tablets certainly have their place, and there's nothing wrong with owning one, but it's pretty clear that too many kids spend way too much time vegging out on their devices. Lots of people have made the switch to less stimulating, less addictive devices, or have started scheduling time to unplug from their devices for the good of everyone in the room, and grabbing an e-reader instead of a tablet will help your kids do the same.

This one even includes 12 months of Amazon Kids+, Amazon's excellent books subscription service that includes thousands of curated, age-appropriate books for kids 3-12 years old. Once that year is up, it's just $5.99 per month to continue the service, which is cheaper than buying even one book a month!

Prime Day 2026 is LIVE June 23-26: see the full list of deals

The Kindle Colorsoft Kids edition is the perfect e-reader for kids of all ages. There are no games, no apps, and no videos to melt your kids' brains. Just a beautiful color E Ink display and the world's biggest library of digital books, comics, manga, and more at their fingertips.View Deal

✅Recommended if: You're looking to get your kids into reading, making it more convenient to find great books, or want a good alternative to overstimulating tablets.

❌Skip this deal if: You've got an older kid. Buy this $85 Kindle, instead.

A Colorsoft Kindle is a particularly excellent choice for kids because it allows them to read more than just novels and text-heavy books, as an adult might read. You can grab books from Amazon's immense library, or stick with the Amazon Kids+ service I mentioned above, and that covers everything from comics to more picture-heavy books (that still include plenty of text to read).

Since this is a kids' edition Kindle, it's built to withstand the careless nature kids have with devices. It's waterproof, so they can take it in the bath or on the beach, and the warm backlight is totally flicker-free, so you don't have to worry about nasty tablet displays that use PWM dimming and are probably ruining your kids' eyes.

Plus, Amazon has a whole parental controls dashboard, so you can be sure your kids aren't straying off into uncharted waters and reading books they shouldn't be. Grab this deal, and feel good about a wholesome parenting win!

It's your last chance to snag the 9 most popular Android deals that are almost sold out

shruti.shekar@futurenet.com (Shruti Shekar) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:29:07 +0000

You've got only 12 hours left to shop some of the best Prime Day deals, and I was curious to know what the top-most clicked items Android users have been buying were. So I found them and compiled a list for you. These products range from chargers to storage devices to phones, wearables, and even a huge TV.

They are clearly popular because they have been flying off the shelves, and you guys have been buying them. So if you're having a bit of FOMO and need to know what to buy, check out one of these nine products that are highly recommended... by YOU!

Prime Day ends TONIGHT: see the full list of deals

UGREEN

Ugreen Nas Dh4300 Plus 4-Bay Desktop Nasync

Google

Google Pixel 10 Pro

Anker

Anker Nano Magsafe Portable Charger

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

BOBOVR

Bobovr M3 Pro Head Strap

Google

Google Pixel Watch 4

TCL

Tcl Nxtpaper 11 Gen 2 Android Tablet

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ 6gb Ram, 128gb Storage, Optimized Performance, Long Lasting Battery, Expandable Storage, Large Display, Dolby Atmos Speakers, Ai Assist, Slim, Light, 2 Year Warranty, Gray

Sony

Sony 55 Inch Oled 4k Ultra Hd TV

Amazon has officially confirmed that Prime Day 2026 will be begin on June 23rd and run through June 26th. This means that you have four full days to take advantage of the members-only sale event.

Do I need to be a Prime member to shop during Amazon Prime Day?

Although select discounts may be available to the general public, the vast majority of deals during Prime Day are exclusive to Amazon Prime members. Haven't joined yet? Sign up for Amazon's 30-day free trial to enjoy all of the benefits of a Prime membership without paying a cent. The cost of a membership is $14.99 per month once the trial period is up, but you can cancel at any time with zero hassle.

Sick of giant screens? I picked out the best SMALL phones that are getting big discounts this week

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:23:44 +0000

Prime Day is nearing an end, but there are still plenty of great Android phone deals hanging around if you know where to look. That said, there's one product category that hasn't received enough attention during the sale: small phones.

As you probably noticed, Android phones have been getting bigger and bigger in recent years. That's cool if you're into that kind of thing, but there is a growing population of users who would prefer something compact and powerful over a giant display that you can barely use with one hand. Fortunately, there are plenty of options available if you prefer small phones, and many of them are on sale today.

Since it's ending tonight at midnight PST, I'll start by showcasing Prime Day deals — but if you missed Amazon's sale, don't forget that Best Buy and Walmart are also running their own rival sale events. The picks below range from no-frills budget phones to clamshell devices, so without further ado, let's dive right in.

Google Pixel 10a 128GB: ~~$499~~ $399 at Amazon

The Google Pixel 10a has a compact 6.3-inch pOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, plus you get an efficient Tensor chipset and loads of useful AI features under the hood. Grab the already-affordable phone before Prime Day ends and you'll get a straight $100 knocked off your purchase.

💲Did you miss Prime Day? Best Buy - $424 View Deal

Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) 512GB: ~~$799.99~~ $684.99 at Amazon

Although it's technically a last-gen device now that the 2026 Razr lineup has come along, the Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) is still one of the best flip phones around, with a super pocketable form factor, two vibrant displays, and lightning-fast performance from a Snapdragon chip. Grab the clamshell foldable from Amazon today and you'll score a smooth 14% off your purchase.

💲Did you miss Prime Day? Best Buy - $699.99 View Deal

Samsung Galaxy S26 128GB: ~~$899.99~~ $699.99 at Best Buy

Although it's not quite as compact as its predecessor, the Galaxy S26's 6.3-inch AMOLED display is still small by modern standards. You also get big specs under the hood, like a Snapdragon chipset, 4,300mAh battery, and 12GB of RAM as standard. Amazon is all sold out of the 256GB configuration (512GB is still available), but you can grab the phone during Best Buy's TechFest and save $200 through Sunday. View Deal

Motorola Razr (2025) FIFA World Cup Edition 256GB: ~~$699.99~~ $549.99 at Amazon

If you want to show the world how much you've enjoyed the World Cup this year, look no further than this limited edition of the Motorola Razr (2025). This flip phone has a bunch of hidden easter eggs for sports fans, plus its 3.6-inch form factor means it's incredibly easy to throw into a pocket or use with one hand. View Deal

What is considered a small phone?

Nowadays, small phones are considered any device with a screen that's less than 6.4 inches. Considering how many modern Android phones are 6.7-inch or larger, the category is smaller than you might think.

What time does Prime Day end?

Prime Day 2026 is set to formally end at 11:59pm PST. That means you only have a few more hours to take advantage of the best Prime Day deals until they're gone for good (or until Amazon decides to launch another sale event later this year).

Apple just jacked up its iPad prices, but this Samsung tablet deal is the perfect remedy and there's not much time left to get it at this price!

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:01:41 +0000

Prices are going up all over the place, and even Apple isn't immune to the RAM crisis. The company just raised prices of products like the latest 11-inch iPad Air, which now starts at $749 (a $150 price increase). However, you can still get a good tablet deal if you know where to look, like this Prime Day discount on the Galaxy Tab S10 FE.

When the Galaxy Tab S10 FE launched last year, it had a retail price starting at $499. That recently went up due to the RAM crisis, but the starting price only increased by $50 to $549, which is much smaller than the iPad Air's $150 price jump. Now, you can get the Galaxy Tab S10 FE for just $334, saving you $215 or more than the price increases of both tablets combined! That's also cheaper than last year's 11-inch iPad Air, which has been discounted to $479.

Samsung's FE tablets are already great options if you're trying to save money, but it's even better when they go on sale. A massive $215 discount is almost half off, and $335 is a little to pay for a lot of tablet!

Price comparison: Best Buy - $349.99 | Samsung - $349.99 View Deal

✅Recommended if: You need a functional Android tablet with stylus support that you can use for school, work, or for entertainment purposes.

❌Skip this deal if: You want flagship performance on a tablet or rely on full desktop applications that you can't get on Android.

The iPad Air 11-inch may be tempting, but the Galaxy Tab S10 FE is not only cheaper, but it's roughly the same size, maybe just a little bigger, and slightly heavier. Still, you get the full Android experience, which looks and works great on a tablet, and you still get built-in AI features like Circle to Search and Gemini.

You also get a sharp and smooth 10.9-inch 90Hz display and a large 8,000mAh battery that should last you through the day. And with 45W charging, you won't have to wait too long to get going.

The best part is that, unlike the iPad Air, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE comes with a stylus pen that attaches magnetically to the back of the device. It's incredibly handy, and the tablet can clean up your handwritten notes with ease, which is great if you're a student. And if you need extra utility, you can get a separate keyboard case, which Samsung is currently selling at a discount as well, turning this tablet into basically a full-blown laptop.

You can turn your tablet into a laptop with this keyboard cover, which also serves as a protective case. At more than $50 off, that's a small price to pay for protection, especially when it's this useful!View Deal