TECHNEWS

Xiaomi has laid out the HyperOS 4 update schedule, and more than 80 Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices are on the list for the Android 17-based release. The global stable rollout starts in November 2026, according to Xiaomi's post on X, and eligible phones are split into three waves. If you own one of these phones, the wave you land in decides how long you wait. Below you'll find the devices wave by wave, a look at what the update changes, and a clear line between what Xiaomi has confirmed and what is simply Xiaomi's own claim. There's also a short section on getting your phone ready, since big updates are a good moment to back things up. HyperOS 4 rollout schedule: the three waves The rollout runs in three waves, starting with the newest hardware and finishing with older devices in December. The second wave kicks off in mid-November. Android Central's rundown doesn't give exact first-wave dates beyond November 2026, so don't expect a specific day to be ...

Google has confirmed that a software problem was draining the battery on some Pixel Watches, and a fix has started rolling out. If your watch has been dying much sooner than usual, the remedy is simple: update all the apps on the watch through the Play Store. Google says the problem touched only a small number of devices, so you may not have noticed anything at all. Below you'll find the exact steps, what owners were seeing, and what Google still hasn't explained. It's a short job, and it's worth doing even if your battery seems fine. What Google has confirmed about the Pixel Watch battery drain Google acknowledged a battery drain bug affecting a "small number of devices" and said a fix has begun rolling out. According to the statement 9to5Google received, the company gave it shortly after the issue surfaced, saying it was aware of the problem. Google also said the rollout will be complete over the next couple of days, which means not every watch will ...

Google Messages is getting a redesigned home for pinned chats. Your pinned conversations move into their own section above the regular list and show up as large circular contact photos. Android Police reports that Google has started rolling out the new interface, along with a change meant to make searching conversations easier. It matters because it changes the first thing you see when you open the app, and it trades some information for a cleaner look. There's a catch: not everyone has it. Android Police describes the rollout as underway, while Android Central says the redesign is only beginning to reach beta testers. Either way, availability is patchy, so you may be reading about a layout your own phone doesn't show yet. What the new Google Messages pinned chats layout looks like Right now, pinned chats sit at the top of the normal conversation list. The new layout pulls them out into a separate section at the very top, showing each contact as a large circular photo w...

The Galaxy S27 Pro may not get Qualcomm's fastest phone chip. Import-export listings point to the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 for the S27 Pro, while the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 looks reserved for the S27 Ultra. If you're weighing the Pro against the Ultra, that gap could shape which phone makes sense for you. All of this comes from leaked database entries, and Samsung hasn't confirmed any of it. The chip assignments could still change before launch, so treat the details below as a likely picture, not a final spec sheet. Which chip is the Galaxy S27 Pro reportedly getting? Notebookcheck spotted listings for all four Galaxy S27 models in the NBD import-export database: the Galaxy S27, S27 Plus, S27 Pro and S27 Ultra. The S27 Pro shows up with Qualcomm's SM8950 chip, which Qualcomm markets as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. In other words, it's the regular version, not the Extreme one. Qualcomm did introduce two versions of the Snap...

Apple is asking developers to tell it whether their apps include real-world location sharing or dating features. The point is to make sure each app gets an appropriate age rating. The requirement starts on November 16, and if your app touches either area, you'll need to act through App Store Connect. If you build or publish apps, the practical effect is a new set of disclosures with a hard deadline of January 12, 2027. If you're a parent or a regular user, it means age ratings on some apps may start to look different. Here's how it works. What the Shared Location and Dating and Relationships disclosures cover There are two disclosure categories, and they're named exactly that way: Shared Location and Dating and Relationships. Shared Location is about apps that share a person's real-world location. Dating and Relationships is about apps built around connecting people romantically or in relationships. Both feed into the age rating Apple assigns to an app. Ra...

Apple released iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2 on October 26, 2026, and the update fixes more than 160 security vulnerabilities. That's a big batch, and it includes bugs in privacy-sensitive areas like Apple Intelligence and Hide My Email, so it's worth knowing what's in there before you decide when to install it. There's some reassurance too. Apple did not say any of the flaws are known to be actively exploited. Still, a patch list this long is a good reason to update sooner rather than later, and Apple has a version for people who haven't moved to iOS 27 yet. What's new in iOS 27.2 and when it was released iOS 27.2 is the first major update in the iOS 27 line. It also brings the iPhone Duo and the other iPhone models onto the same version of iOS, so everyone is running matching software again. Apple seeded the release candidate to developers on October 19, 2026, a week after the fourth iOS 27.2 beta, and the public release followed a week later. Security is...

Apple Music is getting a karaoke video mode called Selfie Sing, which comes with iOS 27.3. It lets you record yourself singing along to on-screen lyrics, adjust how your voice sounds, and then save or share the clip. If you've ever wanted to turn a sing-along into a video without leaving the Music app, this is what it's for. MacRumors covered the feature on November 3, 2026. There's a catch on timing, though. The Selfie Sing playlist already shows up on iPhones running iOS 27.2, but the camera option needs the iOS 27.3 beta for now. Here's how it works, what you can add to your recording, and what to check before you try it. What is Selfie Sing in Apple Music? Selfie Sing is a way to record a video of yourself singing a song from inside Apple Music. There's a dedicated Selfie Sing playlist, plus a selfie camera view that puts the lyrics on screen while you record. So you get a karaoke setup and a camera in the same place. Apple's own description of the...