The Galaxy S26 series as a whole isn’t anything all that groundbreaking, but if there’s one feature that should have your attention, it’s the Privacy Display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This feature is rightfully the standout addition to this year’s lineup and, after spending a busy couple of days in exactly the situation where Privacy Display is the most useful, there are a few things I think you should probably know.

This week saw the debut of the Google Pixel 10a which, frankly, feels like a mostly recycled Pixel 9a. As we approach the launch of another barely-changed release, the Galaxy S26, it’s a good time to take a step back and remember that, while these phones aren’t all that new, that’s in part because they’re not for you.

One of the key marketing points of the Apple AirTag is “Precision Finding,” which shows you the precise location of your tracker beyond what Bluetooth is capable of. That’s accomplished using UWB, but that feature is also missing from the vast majority of Android Find Hub trackers, and there are a few key reasons why.

The Google Home experience brings a lot to the table, but it’s also infamously overlooked some features that have taken years to address. As more updates continue to improve on what Google Home can do, what do you want to see next?

Google has set out three tentpoles for Gemini: personal, proactive, and powerful. The company made big strides on the first pillar with Personal Intelligence, but there’s a very obvious blind spot with messaging.

Smartphones have gotten really boring over the past few years, with most year-over-year “upgrades” just acting as a rehash of the prior year’s device with a new chipset and maybe some new colors. And yet, we just keep getting these boring upgrades. It’s been true for years now that phones simply do not need a yearly refresh anymore, but 2026 would be the year to make the switch – not that anyone is actually going to.

There was a genericness to the first wave of AI features in Google products. Absolutely everyone was doing straightforward text and image generation, and that contributed to the tacked-on nature. Fortunately, we’ve moved past that and Gemini integrations are starting to feel highly unique and play to Google’s strengths.

The Google Pixel 10a is expected to launch pretty soon and, as that approaches, there’s something super weird about the leaked images we’ve seen.

I wasn’t an early adopter of chatbots. The messaging metaphor didn’t appeal to me as someone who saw chatting as something you only do with other people.

Smart glasses have been the tech dream we’ve been chasing for years now, and the technology is finally getting there. Better displays, improved hardware, and an ever-growing list of platforms for smart glasses were on full showcase at CES 2026, but I can’t help but look at them with a mind to what’s coming next.

We asked what Google products you wanted the other day and there were some clear demands. I’ll repeat at the top that I think the Pixel brand is currently in a more cautious phase.  

Compared to the year prior, 2025 saw a lot of updates for Google Keep. It’s easily one of my most used apps on Android. While I don’t necessarily have any complaints about the service today, I wonder what a modern note-taking app from Google would look like.

Remember Google Clips? The not-quite-a-GoPro that used AI to automatically capture key moments was released at the second Made by Google event, and felt like the company’s penchant for experimental software was going to extend into hardware. 

During my hands-on with Android XR glasses last month, I kept returning to the digital clock that was displayed over the real world. Professionally, I have been waiting over a decade for Google to re-enter the smart glasses space, and everything is lining up for this to happen in 2026.

One thing that I thought we’d see more of in 2025 was how Gemini could control your Android phone. There was the May demo and other underlying work, but we don’t have Google’s complete vision yet.

As 2025 comes to a close, I’ve been looking back on some of my favorite products of the year, with two standouts in particular. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Pixel Watch 4 are far and away my favorite products of the year. What were yours?

Google rolled out a major Pixel Watch update this week that, for Pixel Watch 4 owners, delivers support for new one-handed gestures. They’re super useful already, but do they measure up to the gestures Google introduced a decade ago?

Over the past few months, especially, Gemini has taken over everything Google, with Assistant having largely vanished. Yet, in most cases, the biggest upgrade I’ve felt from Gemini is just the lack of Assistant being so awful. But there is one big exception, and that’s with Gemini on Android Auto.

I think Android laptops are happening in part because Google does not see a future where Chromebooks rival Mac and Windows for market share. All the success Google has in various consumer form factors comes down to Android. To that end, one of my biggest questions about this reboot of Google’s desktop strategy is how much will Android laptops try to copy the success of smartphones.

Since Google introduced Pixel VIPs in June, the widget has become the primary way I message and call people. I use it multiple times throughout the day and it’s close to entering my first homescreen.

The most important thing Google announced last week is generative UIs. Fully embraced by Gemini 3, I think generative AI and interfaces will lead to a new generation of apps, but not in the way you think.

If Samsung or Apple can’t sustain a market for ultra-thin phones, Google is certainly not entering the space. I find that a real shame, but if the Pixel needs an aspirational design direction, might I suggest the flat Pixel 9a.

Apple has had iPhone owners trapped within its walled garden for years, with many genuinely not knowing what lies beyond that ecosystem. But Google has been working over the past few years to poke some holes in that wall, and its latest move in bringing AirDrop compatibility to Android Quick Share is just another reminder of how things are getting better. But… is anyone actually switching?

I’m not really a huge fan of modern AI. For the past couple of years, it’s just been shoved into everything online, and usually not for the better. Google, though, has really hit its stride lately in finding incredible, out-of-the-box ways to use AI to just make things better, and there are a couple of key examples of this.