One UI 7 introduced us to the Now Bar on Galaxy phones. The feature showed promise but seemingly fell short of providing an at-a-glance information and action panel for a majority of phone features. In One UI 8, it looks like the Now Bar might actually be capable of more.
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Today’s best deals are now ready to go starting off with straight up $100 price drops across the Galaxy Watch 7 lineup, including all colors and configurations starting from $200 shipped. Next we have some display deals including Alienware’s popular 32-inch 240Hz 4K UHD QD-OLED monitor at $300 off and some massive discounts on the 2024 The Frame smart TVs at up to $1,600 off joined by the first deals on the 2025 models. All of that and more awaits below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.
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The Google app on iOS, which has its own web browser, is adding a new “Simplify” feature when you come across complex text.
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To raise awareness about what the Play Store does, Google is launching a safety-focused advertising campaign about how you should “download apps not traps.”
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With Android 16, Pixel phones will get a Battery health capability, and Google has now revealed what devices will support it.
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Microsoft’s Surface lineup is getting a boost from its proprietary AI suite, along with some more affordable hardware. Surface PCs have long been good options for their size-to-power ratio, and a new set wants to take that a step further with NPUs built for more Copilot+ at a more reasonable price in the 2025 Microsoft Surface Laptop and Surface Pro.
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Google is updating Gemini 2.5 Pro with “significantly improved” coding capabilities. This updated model was originally going to be released at I/O 2025, but the company decided to move up the launch.
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Just under two months after the previous update, another new Google TV Streamer is now rolling out with a new security patch and seemingly not much else.
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According to new release notes, Google is rolling out the first 2025 software update for the Nest Wifi and Nest Wifi Pro. It’s not yet widely available.
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After the recent launch of the Xbox Edition controller, Backbone is, well, back with the Backbone Pro. This USB-C gamepad is designed for mobile use and includes a few more high-end additions.
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Samsung Wallet is adding a clever new “Tap to Transfer” feature that lets you quickly exchange money between friends, including using other mobile wallets or even a physical card.
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It’s pretty common for smartphones to have different versions of the same features, but it’s often ignored. In a new ad, though, Google is taking a chance to poke some fun at Apple’s iPhone 17 series reportedly copying the Pixel’s design by joking about how many Pixel features Apple has copied.
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Samsung’s Wear OS updates typically take on the naming scheme as the company’s Android updates, but the next Galaxy Watch update is apparently not going to be called “One UI 7 Watch.”
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A quality-of-life improvement to the Gemini app lets users upload up to 10 images per prompt on Android, iOS, and the web.
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Google is widely rolling out Chrome 136 for Android today with some visual tweaks, like toning down Dynamic Color in some parts of the browser.
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Google has been slowly building out a “desktop mode” for Android for quite some time now and it appears nearly ready to launch with Android 16, and Samsung seems to be building on it with a redesign of DeX.
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One UI 7 brings a lot of changes to Galaxy devices, and some, which are a matter of preference, seemed to have been changed without the user’s permission. One significant change in Samsung’s One UI 7 is the separation of Quick Settings and the notification panel. Here’s how to change it back.
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Google is working on a new design language for Android 16, and a new leak showcases how the updated battery icons in the update will work.
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Samsung is rolling out what will be one of the final updates for its Galaxy Note 20 series in the final footnotes of the Galaxy Note’s legacy.
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This afternoon’s roundup of the best Android game and app deals is now ready to roll. Just be sure to also scope out the discounts we spotted on Galaxy Buds 3 Pro at $60 off alongside 8Bitdo’s Ultimate Mobile gaming controller for Android, Google’s elevated 1TB unlocked Pixel 9 Pro at $300 off, and this deal on OnePlus Buds Pro 3. As for the apps, highlights include titles like Gunslugs 3, Neoteria, The Past Within, HideAndSeek, Skel and Defense, and more. Head below for a closer look.
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Ahead of this month’s announcement, Google accidentally published a blog post detailing the thinking and research behind Material 3 Expressive.
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Following last week’s announcement, the Gemini app update that introduces an Android homescreen widget is widely rolling out.
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Today’s deals are kicking off with a $300 price drop on the upgraded 1TB unlocked Pixel 9 Pro alongside the ongoing offers on the rest of the lineup from $599. From there we move over to a return of all-time low pricing on Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft at $225 as well as 8Bitdo’s Ultimate Mobile gaming controller for Android at $27, and a series of earbud deals – Galaxy Buds 3 Pro at $60 off, Powerbeats Pro 2 at $50 off, and the flagship OnePlus Buds Pro 3 with vegan leather case down at $140. All of that and more awaits below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.
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Waymo announced plans to more than double its fleet of self-driving I-PACE electric vehicles by the end of next year.
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