This new $999 de-Googled phone with a physical kill switch wants to take on Android’s best

Posted on October 16, 2025 by admin

Credit: HIROH

TL;DR

The HIROH Phone is a privacy-focused device that runs e/OS and has a physical kill switch to restrict access to the camera, mics, and connectivity options.
The smartphone is now available for pre-order in the US and will cost $999 when it launches early next year.
It packs a 5,000mAh battery, a triple-rear camera setup, 16GB of RAM, and a MediaTek chipset.

There’s a lot of talk about de-Googling these days. The movement essentially advocates cutting Google’s access to private information on people’s devices. That’s why many privacy-focused operating systems, like GrapheneOS, are gaining traction among users who want to avoid Google’s tracking and data collection and protect their information from reaching the wrong hands. Now, a new smartphone called the HIROH Phone is promising all those things, and it even adds a hardware kill switch for extra peace of mind.

YouTube goes down for users worldwide in massive outage (Updated: Fixed)

Posted on October 16, 2025 by admin

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Update: October 16, 2025 (10:56 PM ET): YouTube is back up and running for most people now, with Google also confirming the issue has been resolved.

The gorgeous Marshall Emberton II speaker is $85 off!

Posted on October 15, 2025 by admin

Credit: Marshall

Are you looking for a portable speaker? I am a big fan of Marshall ones, mainly because of their gorgeous classic designs. They can be pretty pricey, but right now, you can get an incredible $85 discount on the Marshall Emberton II, bringing the cost down to just $94.99.

Buy the Marshall Emberton II for just $94.99 ($85 off)

Samsung’s challenger to the Apple Vision Pro has an official launch date

Posted on October 15, 2025 by admin

Google IO 2025 Project Moohan headset on man's head as he adjusts fit

Credit: Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority

TL;DR

Samsung will unveil Project Moohan, its long-awaited XR headset, on October 21 at 10 PM ET.
The device will run on Android XR, a new platform co-developed with Google and Qualcomm.
The Samsung Galaxy “Worlds Wide Open” event is promising a new era of multimodal AI.

After months of leaks and shifting timelines, Samsung has confirmed when it’ll finally unveil Project Moohan, its long-rumored XR headset and direct rival to Apple’s Vision Pro. The device, which is expected to launch commercially as the Galaxy XR, will headline Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy event, “Worlds Wide Open,” which the company says will mark a new era of multimodal AI.

As detailed in a press release on the Samsung Newsroom, the showcase will stream on October 21 at 10:00 PM ET via Samsung.com/us and YouTube. Samsung will introduce Android XR at the event, which is a new platform co-developed with Google and Qualcomm. Samsung makes clear that Android XR is optimized for AI from the start, describing it as an open and scalable system designed to bring intelligent, immersive experiences across devices.

GrapheneOS is finally ready to break free from Pixels, and it may never look back

Posted on October 14, 2025 by admin

Credit: Calvin Wankhede / Android Authority

TL;DR

The makers of GrapheneOS have confirmed they are partnering with a major Android OEM to bring the privacy-focused Android fork to Snapdragon-powered smartphones.
The project has confirmed it’s bringing support for Pixel 10, but is unsure whether support will continue for Pixel 11.
GrapheneOS didn’t reveal the name of its new partner, but said that those devices will be priced in the same range as Pixels.

GrapheneOS, the popular privacy-focused Android fork known for its exclusive support of Google Pixel phones, is about to cast a much wider net. The project has confirmed it’s working with a major Android smartphone manufacturer to bring its secure operating system to future flagship phones, as first spotted by PiunikaWeb.

Google Meet adds a new trick for when you’re not camera-ready

Posted on October 14, 2025 by admin

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

TL;DR

Google Meet is rolling out AI-powered makeup effects for web and mobile.
You can pick from 12 looks, from natural styles to bold, creative ones.
The feature expands on the Touch-up tool with more realistic AI styling.

Working remotely has a bunch of perks, until you have a video call to make on short notice and realize you’re not presentable. Google Meet just added a new time-saver for just such an occasion: AI-powered makeup.

Google announced the update today, expanding on last year’s “Touch-up” feature that let you smooth skin or tweak lighting before hopping on camera. The new makeup option takes things a step further, letting you apply touches like virtual foundation and lipstick that stay in place even as you move around or sip your coffee.

People think Google Home’s latest feature might be in need of an exorcism

Posted on October 13, 2025 by admin

TL;DR

Google recently launched a new Home Brief feature for Google Home that summarizes daily home activity using camera footage.
Some early users say the feature isn’t functioning accurately, reporting ghost sightings and misidentifying animals and objects.
The feature is still in early access and costs $10/month as part of Google’s Home Premium plan.

Google recently rolled out a major update to Google Home. Home Brief is one of the new Gemini-powered features that arrived with that update. It’s designed to give users a quick overview of their day by automatically identifying key household events and summarizing hours of footage into a short, easy-to-digest recap. The idea sounds promising, but it appears the feature isn’t working the way it should for everyone.

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Samsung just released an even better foldable than the Galaxy Z Fold 7

Posted on October 13, 2025 by admin

Credit: Samsung

TL;DR

Samsung has launched the W26, a luxurious, China-exclusive version of the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
It adds satellite calling, a gold-accented design, more RAM, and exclusive Galaxy AI tools.
Samsung limits the W series to China due to its partnership with China Telecom and localized features.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 is not only one of the best foldable phones you can buy right now but also one of the best Android phones of 2025. Now, the company has released another version of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 that takes everything from design to features to the next level.

LineageOS releases Android 16 update despite challenges with Android source code

Posted on October 12, 2025 by admin

TL;DR

The LineageOS team has released LineageOS 23.0, bringing Android 16 to over 100 different devices.
This release is based on the initial Android 16 release due to Google’s delay in releasing QPR1’s source code.
LineageOS 23.0 includes updated versions of Aperture and Twelve, a new TV launcher, and major foundational improvements for future device support.

The golden era of custom Android ROMs may be long over, but plenty of people still install them in 2025. The reasons for doing so vary: some want a more stock-like Android experience, others want to hold on to their existing device a little longer, and many want to repurpose an old device or move away from Google’s services.

The most popular option is by far LineageOS, a project that provides a close-to-stock experience with additional features and its own set of apps. Today, the team behind the project released LineageOS 23.0 for over 100 devices, bringing its own flavor of Android 16 to a variety of older models.

Google blocks Android hack that let Pixel users enable VoLTE anywhere

Posted on October 12, 2025 by admin

TL;DR

Google’s October 2025 update has broken the Pixel IMS app, a tool many used to enable VoLTE and VoWiFi on imported Pixel phones in unsupported regions.
The app exploited a loophole that allowed it to override carrier settings, which Google has now patched and designated as a high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2025-48617).
Fortunately, a new workaround has been discovered to enable VoLTE in unsupported regions, but users who want VoWiFi must now either root their devices or wait for Google to officially expand carrier support.

Pixel phones are beloved for their many unique software features, but their limited availability prevents many people from buying them. While Google has made strides in expanding access, Pixels still aren’t sold in nearly as many countries as iPhones or Samsung Galaxy devices. This leads many fans to import Pixel phones from other markets, a move that can unfortunately break crucial calling features like VoLTE and VoWiFi.

VoLTE (Voice over LTE) is the feature that routes voice calls over a 4G LTE connection, a crucial function now that carriers worldwide are phasing out their 2G and 3G networks. Without it, you might not be able to make phone calls at all on many modern networks. Similarly, VoWiFi (Voice over WiFi) handles Wi-Fi calling, routing calls over a Wi-Fi network instead of cellular — a handy feature when you’re in a building with poor signal.

Save $300 on the fun LG Smart Monitor Swing

Posted on October 11, 2025 by admin

Credit: LG

Recent offerings have proved that monitors don’t need to be simple screens fixed to a desk. For example, the LG Smart Monitor Swing can be moved around the home or office, adapting to your needs regardless of what you’re doing. Come learn all about it and see if today’s $300.67 discount pushes you to get yourself one.

Buy the LG Smart Monitor Swing for just $999.32 ($300.67 off)

This new gaming phone has water cooling and Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon chip

Posted on October 11, 2025 by admin

Credit: Weibo

TL;DR

The RedMagic 11 Pro will launch in China on October 17 at 2:30 PM (local time).
The teaser highlights a water-cooled design with visible tubing on a transparent variant.
The device will to run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

Nubia has officially confirmed the launch date for its next gaming flagship, the RedMagic 11 Pro, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most ambitious designs yet. The company shared new teaser images showing the phone wrapped in glowing blue tubes, accompanied by a hashtag that translates as #RedMagic11ProWaterCooledMobile. The series will be unveiled in China on October 17 at 2:30 PM local time.

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Google and Mercedes just showed us what Gemini can do in a car

Posted on October 10, 2025 by admin

TL;DR

Google and Mercedes just gave us a glimpse at what Gemini will be able to do inside cars, and it’s pretty impressive.
The demo video shows Mercedes’ Chief Software Officer, Magnus Östberg, and Google Cloud’s Head of Automotive, Steve Basra, take the Gemini-powered Mercedes CLA out for a drive.
The duo interacts with Gemini in the car like one would with Gemini Live on their phones.
The tech will arrive in the US before the end of the year, and the new Mercedes CLA will be the first production car to feature it.

Just yesterday, we got an early look at Gemini inside Google Maps, and now, Google and Mercedes-Benz are giving us a first glimpse at how Gemini will soon be built directly into cars.

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You can now grab the Pixel 10 Pro Fold for just $799 with this massive T-Mobile deal

Posted on October 10, 2025 by admin

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority

TL;DR

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is now $1,000 off when you add a new line on T-Mobile’s Experience plans.
You can also get a discount of up to $1,000 when you trade in your old device on Experience Beyond and More or Go5G Next and Plus plans.
Most other T-Mobile plans bring a full $600 discount on the Google foldable when adding a new line or up to $500 with trade-in.

T-Mobile is offering a tempting $1,000 discount on the $1,799 Pixel 10 Pro Fold. This would bring the price of Google’s latest foldable flagship down to just $799, which is an absolute steal!

Google details October update for Pixel Watch lineup

Posted on October 9, 2025 by admin

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

TL;DR

Google has detailed the October Pixel Watch update.
Software version BP3A.250905.014.W3 brings Wear OS 6 to the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3, alongside the October security patch.
The update also includes Google Maps auto launch, Safety Check timer extension, and more.

Google has officially detailed the October 2025 update for its Pixel Watch lineup. Some users began receiving the Wear OS 6 update on their Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3 even before Google published its official community announcement. Now that the changelog is live, we have a full look at what’s new for the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3.