9to5Google

The year in updates is getting underway with the January 2026 security patch for Android 16 QPR2 on the Pixel 7a, Tablet, Fold, 8, 8 Pro, 8a, 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold, 9a, Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

Google’s Pixel smartphones will probably never compete with the likes of Apple or Samsung on the global smartphone stage, but the growth remains, as Google Pixel reportedly grew by 25% in 2025.

The Google Home app is expanding what you can do with automations, with a new update adding support for more automation triggers and actions including robot vacuums.

Shopping appears to be one of the big pushes for AI in 2026, and Google is giving Gemini about as large as a boost as it could in this arena thanks to a new partnership with Walmart.

According to a new report, Samsung’s delayed Galaxy S26 launch will result in a release date for the whole series in mid-March.

Samsung is rolling out new wallpapers and themes for Stranger Things fans, though the additions seem to be locked behind a Netflix download.

Apple is officially adopting Google Gemini as the backbone of its AI-powered Siri upgrade, with the switch landing for customers “later this year.”

The foldable crease case has been cracked, apparently. One reputable leaker reports that Samsung is using a less rigid OLED support panel to change how the foldable series reacts to stress. Samsung’s result: a Galaxy Z Fold screen without the distracting crease.

The OnePlus Open is perhaps one of the best foldables ever released, which is why it’s been so confusing that a sequel never hit the market. Apparently, a “OnePlus Open 2” was on the table again for release in late 2026, but the device is said to be getting canceled.

CES 2026 was big for smart glasses, but you’re probably not picturing the type I’m referring to. Even Realities’ G2 smart glasses made an appearance at the show, and it appears that others are joining in on the fun.

The YouTube TV Live Guide redesign is now widely rolling out to the Android and iOS apps.

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.

Google is embracing “agentic shopping” wherein users can easily make purchases through the Gemini app and AI Mode.

The Pebble smartwatch reboot is in full swing, with the Pebble Time 2 shipping soon and the newly-unveiled Pebble Round 2 not far behind it. After checking them out in person at CES 2026, I’m pretty stoked by the hardware, but it’s still the Index ring that makes me the most excited.

Of all the first-party apps, Google Maps probably offered the worst settings experience, but a redesign is finally cleaning things up.

After the 2022 removal and restoration for some users last year, Pixel Launcher search is once again letting you open apps using the keyboard.

Privacy often feels like an impossibility in the modern age of the internet, as your data is constantly tracked and shared by just about everything you do. That’s why privacy smartphones and privacy-focused forks of Android keep popping up. With the new Punkt MC03, though, I just found the first privacy Android phone I might be willing to try out.