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Credit: NASA Johnson TL;DR NASA astronauts have captured Earth from deep space using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, something no Android phone has ever done. The images were taken casually with the front camera during the Artemis II mission, essentially making them “space selfies.” While Samsung previously sent the Galaxy S24 to the edge of space, Apple’s phone is the first to be a part of a crewed lunar mission. For years, smartphone camera rivalries have been about specs, processing power, and t

Credit: YouTube/Bulls Lab TL;DR YouTuber Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything obtained and fully disassembled LG’s unreleased Rollable phone. The teardown shows LG’s impressively engineered device with a motorized expanding display that still feels ahead of 2026 smartphones. The video highlights how close LG came to shipping a groundbreaking rollable handset before shutting down its mobile division. In a rare, detailed look at a device the public was never meant to see, YouTuber Zack Nelson o

Wearables have come a long way from just counting steps. These days, they’re feature-packed wellness companions, tracking us through everything from sweaty workouts to abbreviated REM cycles. For a lot of shoppers, the idea of a daily health hub is the whole point. It’s also exactly why Samsung’s approach feels increasingly self-defeating. It’s now 2026, and some of the brand’s headline smartwatch features still depend on what phone you’re using.

Fewer and fewer people are upgrading to new phones every year, and honestly, I get it. I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy S23 since October 2023, and it’s been a rock-solid experience. I’ve rarely felt it slow down, and while there are occasional hiccups, it’s not nearly enough to make me dislike the phone. Recently, though, I got a chance to try the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and with the Samsung store offering a solid trade-in for my Galaxy S23, I finally decided to upgrade after nearly 2.5 years. I’ve

I’ve used Samsung foldables for half a decade, spanning both Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold models. The hardware hasn’t always been on point — my Galaxy Z Flip 3 screen protector cracked along the crease in less than a year, and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 I replaced it with became outdated quickly. Only recently has Samsung flexed its hardware muscle with the impressive Galaxy Z Fold 7, and to a lesser degree, the Galaxy Z Flip 7. All the while, One UI software and its optimization for the foldable fo

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority As we head further into 2026, it’s time to take a closer look at the state of mobile wireless. A lot has changed over the last year or so. Verizon is working to turn around its current reputation with special promos, including new customer loyalty offers. T-Mobile changed up its plans last year and even added some speciality promotions.

Google’s Project Ara boldly tried to bring the customization and interoperability of PC assembling to our smartphones. The idea of upgrading only the parts of your smartphone that were outdated felt like a tech utopia. You’d never need to switch your entire phone, but instead turn it into a ship of Theseus of sorts with each upgrade. However, if you look at the smartphone market now, some ten years since Project Ara was conceived, you’ll see that we’ve gone in the opposite direction. Smartphone

When AYANEO dropped the Pocket S Mini earlier this year, it claimed that this was an “endgame handheld.” In other words, you wouldn’t have to buy another gaming handheld after this. That’s clearly a lofty claim, but the device seems to offer plenty of reasons to hop aboard at a glance. There’s a 4.2-inch 4:3 LCD screen that’s a great size for retro emulation, a Snapdragon G3X Gen 2 processor that should handle most tasks with ease, and a compact design with premium materials. The device isn’t ch

Smartphone innovation is dead, they said. It’s partly true — year-over-year changes are minimal in 2026, and it takes a few smartphone generations stacking up to form compelling value propositions. It’s easy to miss just how far we’ve come in a couple of short years between phone generations, especially with relatively new categories like foldables. I bought the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 on the release date in 2022, and after using the Galaxy Z Fold 7 intermittently for more than six months, it’s

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung Messages will be discontinued in July 2026, and users are being asked to switch to Google Messages. The company is positioning Google Messages as the default for a consistent Android messaging experience. Devices running Android 11 or older won’t be affected by the shutdown. Samsung has officially confirmed the end of the road for its long-running default texting app. In a notice posted on its website, the company says it will be discon

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Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority Samsung has used 200MP main cameras on its Ultra phones for several years now, dating back to 2023’s Galaxy S23 Ultra. This enables benefits like 200MP full-resolution snaps and higher-quality cropped zoom. The recently launched Galaxy S26 Ultra maintains the 200MP primary camera, albeit with a wider aperture. However, I can’t help but think Samsung is using the 200MP sensor on the wrong camera. Here’s why.

I recently wrote an article explaining why I prefer using a dedicated ad-blocking app on Android over the Private DNS feature. It seems many readers weren’t too happy with my conclusion. In fact, in a survey we ran alongside that piece, over 65% of respondents claimed that they use Private DNS to block ads on their phones. I argued that a standalone app like Blokada gives me more immediate control over ad blocking on my device. However, one alternative that frequently appeared in the comments wa

Whenever new Galaxy S phones are released, the conclusion for them is usually the same: Get the baseline model if you want a compact phone, get the Plus if you want a bigger screen without spending too much, and get the Ultra if you want Samsung’s absolute best. That thinking holds true for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but what about Samsung’s other two phones? Are the Galaxy S26 () and Galaxy S26 Plus () still safe recommendations for Samsung fans who need an upgrade this year?

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority When I realized that my brand new Pixel 10 Pro XL doesn’t work well with my existing Qi power banks, I went looking for new Qi2 options and assumed I would use them the same way I used my previous portable batteries, wireless or not. Plug in or magnetically attach when my phone’s battery is running low on a busy day, give it an hour or so, and manage to make it to the end of the day without the phone dying. But over the last few months, something slo

My first experience with a Nothing smartphone was the Nothing Phone 3. For what was intended to be the company’s first “true flagship,” it didn’t exactly blow me away, but I did fall in love with its design. It stood out; it was different. Now, the newly released Nothing Phone 4a Pro () is officially bringing Nothing’s unique style to the mid-range in the US for the first time. Can it deliver? Let’s find out.

Credit: Andy Walker / Android Authority Story time: The plan is to check my email, and all of a sudden, I’m on YouTube watching a Galaxy S26 review, jumping between various apps based on the plethora of notifications I received, and checking the results of the last F1 race — go Kimi. A task that should take me two minutes turns into an hour of mindless online activity, and the worst part is that I forgot to check my email in the process. A phone is a wonderful tool, but it can also be a distra

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR An Italian court has ruled that several of Netflix’s past price hikes were unlawful. Affected subscribers in Italy may be entitled to refunds and reduced subscription prices. The ruling comes just after Netflix raised prices again in the US, but Netflix is appealing. While Netflix subscribers in the US are still reeling from yet another round of price hikes, the streaming service has just been told to give some of its users the exact opposit

Credit: Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR After the Now Playing app rolled out, users began reporting issues such as “Tap to see what’s playing” missing from the lock screen. Users are now getting notified that the app has been updated. Google appears to have fixed the various issues plaguing users. The Pixel’s “Now Playing” feature was finally turned into a standalone app with the March Pixel Drop. Previously bundled into Android System Intelligence, the new song identification app bro

TL;DR Microsoft’s Copilot terms of use explicitly state, “Copilot is for entertainment purposes only.” While other AI companies warn users to double-check AI output, this Copilot disclaimer goes quite a bit further. Microsoft has been heavily promoting Copilot’s business uses despite the entertainment-only message. For all the complaints people make about AI replacing human skills, there’s another side to it: The rise of AI has also forced humans to develop new skills, specifically in terms