Clues spotted in a recent version of the Samsung Find app suggest satellite-based location sharing is on the way.
Location updates would send every 15 minutes, with one-time sharing as a fallback.
The feature would mirror the satellite location sharing on Google’s Find Hub.
Google’s Find Hub already supports satellite-based location sharing on newer Pixel phones, and now Samsung Find may be gearing up to follow suit. The feature would let you share the position of your Samsung device even when you don’t have mobile coverage.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority?
If you’re looking to add a smart speaker to your house (or multiple), nothing quite beats the value that Amazon’s Echo speakers offer. Especially if you can get them on sale! Right now, the most affordable ones are even cheaper than usual. You can get the Amazon Echo Dot and Echo Pop for just $34.99 or $24.99, respectively.
A Galaxy Ring user says the battery swelled while the device was on their finger, leaving it stuck and painful.
The user was denied boarding a flight and had the ring removed in the hospital using ice and medical lubricant.
Photos of the ring after it was removed show a visibly distorted battery.
Update: September 30, 2025 (12:05 AM ET): Tech creator Daniel has shared his theory on what may have caused his Galaxy Ring to fail. He suspects the battery could have been damaged by Hawaii’s intense heat (where he attended the Snapdragon Summit), exposure to salt water, multiple flights, or an already faulty battery.
Of these possibilities, salt water exposure seems the most likely culprit. The Galaxy Ring is not designed to withstand it. Its 10ATM water resistance and IP68 rating don’t protect against the corrosive effects of salt water.
OnePlus may have quietly revealed the launch date for the OnePlus 15.
The company has shared images of a new Sand Dune colorway alongside details about the phone’s build.
The design reveal includes an image of the phone’s display with a date, which could very well be when the company plans to officially launch the phone.
The OnePlus 15 is no longer a mystery. Last week, the company showed off the device at the Snapdragon Summit in China, which was followed by an early review of the phone by YouTuber Geekerwan. Now, OnePlus is showing off its upcoming flagship from all angles in a fresh set of images released on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The teasers not only give us a glimpse at a brand new colorway for the OnePlus 15, but also strongly hint at the phone’s launch date.
F-Droid has warned that Google’s new developer verification rules could effectively kill alternative Android app stores.
The platform says that Google’s rules are monopolistic and harmful to competition as well as user freedom.
F-Droid says the new rules would make Google the gatekeeper of all Android apps, but Google maintains that developers will still be able to distribute their apps directly to users through sideloading or use any app store.
Robot vacuums are becoming incredibly capable, but there’s something satisfying about the extra reach and deeper clean you can manage when using a handheld device. This doesn’t mean you have to pull out your broom, mop, and bucket, though, with the current generation of wet-dry handheld vacuums packed with as much tech and more power than their robot counterparts.
And now, with the Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex, the company’s first dual brush wet-dry vacuum system, you don’t have to worry about needing multiple devices to manage carpets and hard floors. And it cleans itself too! Here’s everything you need to know.
I was showing my dad a couple of Android features on his phone recently, and not for the first time. You might have had this revelation already, but I realized there’s so much we do unthinkingly on our devices that might still be alien to the generations above us. I’m not exactly young myself as a millennial, but I’ve grown up in the digital age, which means I’ve picked up new tricks as they’ve come on the scene. Writing about them for a living helps quite a lot, too.
But for my parents, these little Android features look like magic at times, and some of them can actually be game-changers. I’ve had to guide them through a couple of the tips more than once, but they’ve adopted many of them since. They’ve even impressed their friends with their newfound modern wizardry on occasion.
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Pulse, a proactive daily feed of personalized updates.
Pulse works overnight using your chats and optional app connections.
It’s previewing for Pro subscribers on mobile, with wider rollout to follow.
Instead of waiting for your next question, your chatbot now wants to get proactive. OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Pulse feature works overnight and lets you wake up to a fresh set of personalized updates without you asking.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority?
Are you thinking of getting a foldable phone? The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is still the hottest one, but it is mighty expensive. The good news is that deals just keep getting better! It is at its record-low price right now, dropping the cost to $1,599.99. Not only is that the best price we’ve seen it go for, but you’ll even get a 512GB storage upgrade for free!
Qualcomm unveiled a second premium-tier processor alongside its main Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
Called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, the chipset marks a new split within Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 family.
The company says the split mirrors Apple’s two-chip iPhone strategy.
Update: September 26, 2025 (1:15 AM ET): Qualcomm has now confirmed some details about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. The company revealed to journalists, including Android Authority, that the chip has a 3nm TSMC design with custom Oryon CPU cores (3.8GHz Prime core and 3.32GHz Performance cores). The language suggests we’re looking at a 1+7 CPU layout as opposed to the 8 Elite family’s 2+6 setup.
Otherwise, the company said this chip has a “next-gen” Adreno GPU, a “powerful” NPU, and a “superior AI-ISP powered camera.” That doesn’t tell us much, so we’re still keen to see exactly what this chipset is capable of compared to its Elite stablemates.
A leaked One UI 8.5 build on the Galaxy S25 Ultra shows Samsung’s big design refresh, which includes rounded corners, pill-shaped icons, and bottom bars.
Sammobile has showcased the update in a hands-on video, giving us a better look at features like the fully customizable quick settings panel, Direct Voicemail in the Phone app, and new tweaks in Gallery, My Files, and Camera.
More features are expected before launch, with a stable rollout most likely coming alongside the Galaxy S26 series.
Samsung’s next major software update — One UI 8.5 — is starting to take shape, and we can now see how it’s coming together thanks to a new hands-on video posted by folks over at Sammobile. While we’ve also leaked several upcoming One UI 8.5 features exclusively, like the new Privacy Display, NFC-based Quick Share, Automatic Call Screening, and more, and this hands-on doesn’t show any of them, it gives us our clearest look yet at some big UI changes Galaxy users can expect from the update when it arrives.
Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max.
These are the first Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phones, while also offering gigantic batteries.
The Pro phones also have secondary rear screens for camera previews, gaming, and more.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor was announced yesterday, and Xiaomi has now launched the first Android phones with this chipset. Say hello to the Xiaomi 17 series, which consists of the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max.
All three phones are indeed powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, while also offering IP69 ratings and the Hyper OS 3 Android skin. However, the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max phones are the more premium offerings here.
Google may be working on bringing Nano Banana, Gemini’s popular image editing tool, to Google Photos.
We’ve uncovered a GIF for a new “Create” feature in the Google Photos app, suggesting it’ll use Nano Banana inside the app.
It’s unclear when the feature will roll out, but it’ll certainly make editing images in Google Photos more fun.
Last month, Google rolled out Nano Banana, its newest AI-powered image editing tool, inside the Gemini app. Since then, it’s sparked viral trends online, from turning selfies into 3D figurines to erasing fences from photos, generating images from scratch, adding scenic backdrops, and even experimenting with new looks. The best thing about Nano Banana is that it isn’t locked behind a paywall. It’s available in every country, across personal, work, and paid versions of Gemini, so just about anyone can try it out. Now, it seems Google is preparing to bring the magic of Nano Banana to an even wider audience by building it directly into Google Photos.
In Google Photos version 7.47.0.810631069, we discovered a new option labeled “Create” within the app’s existing Create tab in the bottom navigation bar. Yes, the feature and the tab share the same name, which is a little confusing, but the GIF shown in the video above makes it easier to understand.
On September 22, Samsung rolled out the stable One UI 8 update for the Galaxy S24 series in South Korea.
The update is now arriving in Germany, indicating that a wider global rollout has begun.
The update should reach other regions, including the US, over the next few days.
Update: September 25, 2025 (12:43 AM ET): According to tipster Tarun Vats, Samsung has started rolling out the stable One UI 8 update to users in Germany. We’re expecting a wider rollout in other regions, including the US, starting today.
Update: September 24, 2025 (12:09 AM ET): A new One UI 8.5 leak revealed another cool feature coming to Galaxy phones with One UI 8.5. We’ve added it to the list right at the end. Think freedom to customize the control panel any way you want! Counds exciting? Read on to find out more.
-- Get the right stuff from a partner you trust. --
