Month: August 2025

Prices at fast food chains, restaurants, and even grocery stores have spiraled out of control over the past couple of years. Luckily, not all hope is lost — if you’re a savvy shopper, you might know that the best way to save real money is to check for loyalty program discounts and limited-time offers. The only problem? Most of these offers require you to download each company’s app and check into them from time to time.

If installing a dozen different apps sounds like a privacy nightmare, I wholeheartedly agree. But luckily, I’ve found a way to use these apps without the downsides — and it’s all thanks to a Pixel feature that has existed since last October.

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The funny thing about Samsung Messages is that the texting app was going to be sunset. Or at least that’s what Samsung said at the beginning of the year when it decided to instead promote Google Messages. Yet, the tech giant has continued to support the app with new updates. The most recent update makes text bubbles a little more expressive.

Spotted by the folks over at SamMobile, Samsung has pushed out a new update for its Messages app. Before you get too excited, it appears this update has only been released in South Korea. The new feature in question is called Bubble Emoji, which you can see in the image shared by @herjy6372 on X (formerly Twitter).

Those who want a good foldable phone that is also affordable have very few options. Right now, this is one of the best ones. The new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is $200 off, bringing the cost down to a pretty reasonable $699.99!

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE for just $699.99 ($200 off)

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If you’ve just picked up a new Pixel 10 or any other Android phone, you’ll know the chaos of transferring everything from your old handset. Restoring dozens or hundreds of apps through the Play Store can mean they end up jumbled together with app updates, making it hard to see what’s what as you set up your new device. But it seems that might be getting easier.

As spotted by Artem Russakovskii on X, the Play Store’s Downloads list is now split into two sections: “From previous device” and “Updates.” He noticed the change while restoring nearly 400 apps on his new Pixel 10 Pro XL, but it appears to be a Play Store tweak rather than a Pixel-specific feature.

If you constantly need internet on the go, your best bet is to stop using your smartphone’s hotspot feature and get a mobile hotspot device. Here’s a good deal for you. The SIMO Solis Lite is 28% off right now, but that isn’t the only exciting news. The value is in the fact that it comes with a free GB of monthly data… for life!

Buy the SIMO Solis Lite for just $115.19 ($44.80 off)

Have you stopped and considered the fact that we can now fold smartphones? It’s truly impressive, and I still marvel over foldable phones. I am also impressed by their prices, though. These things are expensive! Finding a good deal is the best strategy for getting one of these, and today, we have a couple of awesome ones for you, whether you like regular foldables or flip phones.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 for $1,699.99 ($300 off)

Have you pre-ordered your Google Pixel 10 series device yet? If you’re set on the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, or Pixel 10 Pro XL, you might want to act quickly. The current pre-order offers get you a free gift card or account credit. These will be released in just a couple of days, so these offers may not be available after the official launch!

Buy the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL with a free $200 gift card for $1,199 ($200 off)

The Amazon Kindle Colorsoft officially launched in late 2024, but the retailer just launched a cheaper version in July 2025. It’s still a bit pricey, but the price has gotten a bit more accessible, especially if you get it right now. The 16GB version of the Amazon Kindle Colorosft just got its first discount, bringing the cost down by $30.

Buy the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft for $219.99 ($30 off)

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

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Google is adding a small but handy feature to the Play Store on Wear OS watches. With the latest Play Store version 47.7 update, users will now see warning messages on the detail pages of watch face apps that could negatively impact battery life.

Not all watch faces are created equal. Some are lightweight and efficient, while others, especially those with complex animations, live data, or heavy phone interactions, can seriously hog the battery life of your smartwatch. Until now, most users had no easy way to know which was which, often leading to short battery life after installing a flashy new watch face.

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Samsung and Google have been tag-teaming lately, poking fun at iPhones for being less “smart” than Galaxy phones and Pixels. Google has its snarky BestPhonesForever campaign, while Samsung has made a sport out of mocking Apple whenever it rolls out new devices. Riding high on the buzz around its latest foldables, Samsung has now dropped a new ad on social media to troll Apple for still lacking both an intelligent AI assistant and a foldable iPhone.

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Update: August 25, 2025 (1:07 AM ET): OPPO has now issued an official statement addressing Apple’s legal filing against it and a former Apple employee.

The company posted the following in an email to Android Authority:

Notion is one of my favorite tools. From databases to to-do lists, tracking restaurants I wanted to check out, and so much more, I’ve dabbled in it for years until I finally made the switch to Obsidian. That’s mostly because of Notion’s one fatal flaw. The moment you lose internet, the app effectively becomes useless.

The moment you lose internet, the app effectively becomes useless.

I’ve learned that the hard way on flights, cafes with rocky Wi-Fi, even when wanting to check a washing machine’s maintenance schedule in my basement laundry without a cellular signal. It’s what pushed me towards Obsidian, a local-first markdown-based app that has never failed me when I just needed access to my notes. For a very long time now, Obsidian has been my safety net. But now that Notion has finally fixed that fatal flaw by rolling out offline mode, it might be time for a rethink. Perhaps it’s time to ditch Obsidian and go back to Notion. Here’s why.

Why offline mode makes such a big difference