Our own write-ups of the latest Android phone news and reviews, sourced from the best in the industry.
Android Pulse appeared as a Play Store update over the weekend. It is a first-party Google diagnostics service for anomaly detection in system resource use, already pre-installed on Pixels.
Meta has filed a patent for a hardware-only mute circuit for its AI glasses that would physically lock cameras and microphones, removing software control to prevent covert recording.
After years of resistance, Walmart will enable Apple Pay and Google Pay via Tap to Pay from 24 August. Rollout completes across US stores and Sam’s Club by end-2026, with fuel stations by mid-2027, alongside existing payment options.
Bluetooth headsets are convenient for calls and music but add latency that hurts gaming. 2.4GHz wireless and wired offer far lower delay and more stable audio for competitive play.
Amazon has quietly increased prices across Echo, Fire TV, Kindle and eero lines, with the Echo Dot up 60% to $80. The company blames rising memory and storage component costs as chip shortages persist.
YouTube on Android Auto has been audio-only for most drivers. Google promised native video playback while parked with HD 60fps support and auto audio switching later this year, but Premium restrictions and limited controls still hold it back.
Pixel Watch 5 adds a Customize actions menu for double pinch, letting owners switch alarm snooze to dismiss, change media controls to skip, and adjust watch face notification behaviour. A small At a Glance tweak also appears.
The 4G version of vivo's V70 Lite has surfaced in Eurasian listings. It keeps the large 8,100mAh battery, IP69 protection and 6.83-inch 120Hz AMOLED, but uses a Unisoc T7300 chipset with OriginOS 6 on Android 16.
Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station says iQOO is working on an 8.8-inch compact tablet with ultra-high refresh rate, metal frame and cooling fan, powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro to rival RedMagic Astra 2.
Google's Pixel 11 family is now purchasable on Amazon UK with trade-in bonuses, while Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 series and S26 flagships get up to £150 off, plus deals on Galaxy A57 and Oppo Reno16.
An official-looking image of the Sony Xperia 10 VIII has surfaced ahead of Sony's August 25 launch. The design mirrors the Xperia 10 VII with a dual-camera island, side fingerprint power button and a possible camera shutter change. Geekbench points to Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 and Android 16.
JerryRigEverything’s Zack Nelson puts Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold through his standard durability routine. The foldable survives scratches, flame and sand, but fails the bend test again with cracks along both antenna lines and the front glass coming loose.
vivo is teasing the T5 5G in India ahead of an August 25 reveal. The phone is promoted with a 3D curved display, GenAI-ready NPU and an ultra slim body, with a horizontal camera island teased on X.
