TECHNEWS

Samsung has started rolling out One UI 9 to the Galaxy XCover 7 Pro in the US. The build carries firmware version G766USQUADZJ7. If you own Samsung's rugged phone, that's a real change, because the update had only been available in South Korea until now. The update adds a few things you'll notice day to day, and it's easy to check whether it has reached your phone. Below, we go through what's new, how to look for it, who's likely to get it first, and what to do with your files before you install anything. What the One UI 9 update brings to the Galaxy XCover 7 Pro One UI 9 gives you more ways to customize the Quick Settings panel, the pull-down area where you flip toggles for things like Wi-Fi and brightness. It also adds a new location privacy indicator, which is a handy addition if you like to know when an app is using your location. On top of that, there are extra features for Samsung DeX and Samsung Notes. This isn't the first time the update ha...

Phone by Google has a new look on Android, at least for people in the beta. Version 246 is rolling out to the beta channel today (November 5, 2026) with a redesigned gradient app icon, following the Messages icon update earlier in the week. If you spend a lot of time looking at your home screen, this is the change you'll notice. It's a small update, and that's the point of this quick rundown. Below you'll find what the icon looks like now, what the update leaves alone, how to get the beta, and where the restored Contacts tab stands. What the new Phone by Google icon looks like The general shape hasn't changed. You still get the familiar handset, but it's a bit larger than in the previous version of the icon. The bigger change is in the details: the earpiece and mouthpiece now use gradients, which makes the whole design feel flatter and lighter than the old one. The other visible difference is color. The darker blue shade that used to sit in the icon ha...

Early One UI 9.5 test builds point to a cleaner Samsung Calendar and a new journaling feature in Samsung Health called Mindful note. All of it comes from prerelease software, including an early beta build for the Galaxy S26 Ultra that was spotted on a test server, so none of it is final. It matters because Samsung hasn't detailed what One UI 9.5 will bring, which makes leaks like this the only real clues for now. SamMobile highlighted the changes, and we'll go through each one below. You'll get what the builds appear to show, what that could mean for everyday use, and how much weight to put on it before Samsung says anything official. What the One UI 9.5 test builds show so far One UI 9.5 is described as Samsung's second Android 17-based update. That's a bit odd to think about, because the One UI 9 rollout is still underway while One UI 9.5 is already in development. Samsung hasn't said what's coming, so the early beta build on the test server is whe...

Samsung's rugged Galaxy XCover 7 Pro is next in line for One UI 9, the Android 17-based update that Samsung has been rolling out in the US. It has started reaching carrier-locked models, which matters if you carry this phone on a job site, in a warehouse or anywhere else a normal phone would struggle. The phone launched with One UI 7 on Android 15, so this is a big jump in software. Below you'll find who gets it first, how to check for it, what actually changes day to day, and how long Samsung says the phone will stay secure. Which Galaxy XCover 7 Pro models are getting the One UI 9 update The update has begun rolling out to carrier-locked versions of the Galaxy XCover 7 Pro in the US. That's the group to watch first. If your phone came through a carrier, your odds of seeing the update now are better than someone's with a different kind of unit. This isn't Samsung's first stop with One UI 9. The update was first rolled out in South Korea last month, an...

Google's Linux Terminal app for Android now runs on a phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, something that hadn't happened before. The phone is the REDMAGIC 12 Pro, which is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, and 9to5Google confirmed that the app works on it. Until now the Terminal had not been available on any hardware running Snapdragon chips, so if you've wanted Linux on a non-Pixel phone with a Qualcomm processor, this is the first real data point. The news also comes with a hint about what's next. Tipster Dylan H pointed Android Authority to a Google security announcement from the previous month that mentioned Snapdragon support. Below, we'll go through what the app is, what makes it possible, and which parts of the story are still unconfirmed. What the Android Linux Terminal app is and where it has worked so far Google first introduced the Linux Terminal app on Pixel phones, which run the company's own Tensor chips. Since then it has s...

Nothing CEO Carl Pei has teased the company's first AI-native product, and the launch is close. Pei says it arrives next month, and Android Authority reports he put it in December. It matters because Nothing is best known for phones with a distinctive look, so a move into AI hardware is a real change of direction. The catch is that there's very little to go on. There's a teaser image, a few lines about design philosophy, and a lot of room for guessing. This piece sticks to what Pei has actually said and flags the rest as speculation. What Carl Pei has confirmed about Nothing's AI-native product Pei shared the tease in an article posted on X. According to GSMArena, he said the product will not have a screen. Android Authority's wording is slightly different: it says the product has no new screen. Those aren't identical claims, and the "new" is the kind of word people will read a lot into, so treat the exact meaning as open for now. Both outlet...

Motorola has announced the Signature 27, a $1,599 Android phone that Android Central describes as the company's true step toward a premium phone. It matters because Motorola is putting a flagship-level price on the table for the first time, backed by a new Qualcomm chip, a 200MP periscope camera and support for GrapheneOS, the privacy-focused operating system. If you're weighing a phone at this price, it helps to know which details are firm specs and which are Motorola's own promises. This guide walks through both, and ends with a practical look at what to do with your old phone's data once you've decided to upgrade. Motorola Signature 27 price, release date and colors Motorola announced the Signature 27 on November 5, and it launches officially on November 26 for $1,599. That's a big number for a brand better known for mid-range value, so the phone has a lot to prove. The source doesn't cover pricing or availability in other regions, so if you'r...

Meta has added real-time voice conversations to its Muse AI agent, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced it. It matters because you no longer have to type to Muse. You can just talk to it, and an animated avatar moves along with what it says. The Verge's Jay Peters says the feature rolled out to him and he tested it on the iOS app. According to Meta, voice mode and the expressive avatars are rolling out now in the US for the app, with Meta's AI glasses and the Muse Charm gadget to follow. What Muse voice mode does and how it works The idea is simple. Instead of typing a question and reading the answer, you hold a spoken, back-and-forth conversation with your Muse agent in real time. It's the same agent you'd chat with in text, now with a voice. That also means it behaves like the text version in some ways. In Peters' testing, Muse sometimes paused while it looked something up or checked a detail, just as it would when you ask a question in a text chat. We'...

The iOS 27.3 beta tweaks the keyboard on the iPhone Duo's outer display, giving it narrower keys and a smaller font. The goal is simple: make typing on that outer screen easier than before, especially when you're using just one hand. The change was highlighted by Beta Profiles on X, and it shows up while the phone has only been available for a couple of weeks. It's a beta change, so treat it with some caution. 9to5Mac describes the difference as subtle, which is worth keeping in mind before you get your hopes up. Below is what we know, how it fits with Reachability, and whether it's worth installing early. What changed in the iPhone Duo keyboard in iOS 27.3 beta The keyboard refresh in the iOS 27.3 beta applies to the iPhone Duo's outer display. Two things are different: the keys are narrower, and the font is smaller. That's the full extent of what has been described, so there's no word on exact key sizes, font sizes or any new layout, and it's b...

Apple has started emailing surveys to some iPhone Duo buyers, asking for feedback on the display size, the crease, the under-display camera and other features, according to MacRumors. It matters because the Duo is Apple's first foldable, and as of the November 5, 2026 report it had been on sale for only about two weeks. The questions give a rare peek at what Apple is checking first. What's just as interesting is what the survey leaves out. A few of the Duo's most talked-about complaints don't appear in it at all, and that's worth knowing if you own one or are thinking about buying. What Apple's iPhone Duo survey asks buyers The first question asks why you bought the iPhone Duo now. The answer options include "I wanted to try Apple's first foldable," "It was an impulse purchase," and "I expect smartphone prices to increase." So Apple wants to know whether buyers came for the novelty, acted on a whim or were thinking about...

WhatsApp has started rolling out an AI tool that expands a photo beyond its original borders, and it lives right inside the app's photo editor. According to WABetaInfo, the feature is powered by Meta AI and is currently limited to select users, mainly those in WhatsApp's TestFlight beta. It matters because it puts a generative editing trick into an app you already use to send pictures every day. There's no stated date for when everyone will get it, so treat this as an early look rather than a feature you can count on yet. How WhatsApp's AI photo expansion works in the photo editor Here's the flow, as WABetaInfo describes it. When you pick a photo in a chat, WhatsApp opens its drawing editor. From there you can choose to apply an AI effect, and a new option in that menu expands the photo. Once you tap it, Meta AI takes a few seconds to analyze the picture and generate the wider version. WhatsApp then shows the expanded photo in the drawing editor, and you c...

Apple is adding two more microphone-based features to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4: Live Rewind and Siri Recap. Both show up in the first watchOS 27.3 developer beta. They matter because they listen to the world around you, so it's worth knowing what they actually do, who can switch them on, and how you stay in control. Apple unveiled the two watches in September with a set of microphone features it calls Audio Intelligence. Sound Recognition and Music Recognition with Shazam were there from the start. The new pair goes further: one shows what was just said as text, and the other quietly takes notes on your conversations. Both are opt-in, so nothing happens until you choose it. What Live Rewind does and how to trigger it Live Rewind is the simpler of the two. Say someone talks and you miss a detail: double-press the Digital Crown and the watch shows what was said in the last 15 seconds as a text snippet. From there you can ask Siri about it or save it to the ...

Apple has released the first public betas of iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3. They were seeded on Thursday, November 5, 2026, two days after the developer betas. It matters because this round brings Safari changes, a more capable Siri AI and a redesigned Health app, and anyone willing to run pre-release software can try it for free. Apple also seeded first betas of tvOS 27.3 and watchOS 27.3. There's no confirmed release date yet. MacRumors expects the updates to arrive in December, but that's an expectation rather than something Apple has announced. For context, iOS 27.2 shipped on Monday, October 26, 2026, so this beta cycle is starting soon after. What's new in the iOS 27.3 public beta On the iPhone, Safari gets a Vertical Tabs layout option and Adaptive Dark Mode. The redesigned Health app is now available, with custom Insights and Longevity information. Apple Music picks up a new feature called Selfie Sing. The iPhone Duo now supports Reachabil...

Apple has put out the first betas of iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3 and macOS 27.3 to developers, and Safari is the star of the release. It gains a Vertical Tabs layout, an Adaptive Dark Mode for bright websites, and new Siri actions for tabs, windows and web history. If you spend most of your day in a browser, these are changes you'll notice quickly. The betas started rolling out on November 3, 2026, so for now this is developer territory. Still, it's a good preview of what Safari will look like on your iPhone, iPad and Mac once the update reaches everyone. What's new in Safari in the iOS 27.3 beta There are three headline additions. First, Vertical Tabs: a layout you can use instead of the usual horizontal tab bar, available on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Second, Adaptive Dark Mode, which tries to give a dark look to websites that don't offer one themselves. Third, Siri can now act on your tabs, windows and web history directly. The vertical layout puts your tabs on the le...

vivo's next fan-edition phone is getting closer. The X500 FE, the follow-up to the X300 FE, has now appeared in several certification databases, and the vivo V80 FE has picked up an approval of its own. The listings give us names and model numbers, which is useful if you're keeping an eye on vivo's mid-range lineup. What they don't give us is much detail. None of the X500 FE listings reveal any specs, so this is mostly a story about what's confirmed and what's still blank. Here's a plain rundown, so you know where things stand before vivo says anything officially. What the X500 FE certifications in Indonesia, Singapore and Türkiye confirm The first listing comes from Indonesia, where a vivo phone with the model number V2653 was certified. That listing reveals the full marketing name: vivo X500 FE. It's the detail that ties the model number to a product you can actually look for. The same V2653 number also turned up in Singapore, where the phone...

A leak claims Samsung's Galaxy A38 will get a larger battery than the Galaxy A37, which would break a run of fairly minor updates in the A-series. That matters if you're eyeing a mid-range Samsung phone and wondering whether to buy now or hold off a bit. The details come from a GSMArena report, and none of it is confirmed by Samsung. Treat the numbers below as a rumor, not a spec sheet. What the Galaxy A38 battery leak says According to GSMArena, the Galaxy A38 will allegedly have a battery with a rated capacity of 5,882 mAh. That should translate to a typical capacity of about 6,000 mAh, which is the figure phone makers usually advertise. GSMArena says the report comes from the same source that earlier claimed the A38 would keep the A37's camera setup. One more detail: the A38 battery is not expected to be a silicon-carbon one. So the gain, if it's real, would come from a bigger cell and not from newer battery chemistry. How the A38 battery compares with th...

Motorola is getting ready to launch the Signature 27, and a 9to5Google opinion column argues it may be the closest thing many US buyers will find to a OnePlus replacement. That matters because, in the author's words, OnePlus is dead, and shoppers who liked high-spec Android phones at fair prices now have fewer places to look. The column describes the launch as coming up fast, mere weeks away, and calls the Signature 27 the first truly exciting flagship Motorola has launched widely in quite some time. It isn't all good news, though. Pricing and software updates are flagged as the two weak points, and we'll get to both. Why the OnePlus gap matters for US Android buyers According to the column, Oppo, Honor and other Chinese brands have built all-out flagships for years, but phones like that are largely missing in the US. The author says OnePlus flagships were the best US equivalent to those devices. With OnePlus gone, that middle ground is empty. Part of the appeal w...