6+ hour, 30+ min ago (346+ words) The OnePlus 13 is much better than your Galaxy phone, and it's down to $699 for Cyber Monday. Looking for an epic Android phone deal this Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend? It might be wise to look outside the box and ditch your usual OEMs. It's time to say hello to the OnePlus 13. Samsung has a stranglehold in North America, and that's largely down to the manufacturer cozying up with phone carriers a decade and a half ago. The result is that the brand utterly dominates sales, to the extent that it is seen as the default Android choice when mulling a new purchase. At $699, there really isn't any other device that gives you the same caliber of hardware. The OnePlus 13 is outstanding in this regard, and you also get a bold styling, amazing battery life thanks to a 6,000mAh battery, stellar cameras,…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (320+ words) Google Play will soon flag apps that chew through your battery. Google is stepping up its fight against battery-draining apps, and the latest changes are a win for Android users who've been frustrated by how quickly their phones run out of juice. The new system is meant to pinpoint apps that hold more than two cumulative hours of non-exempt wake locks in a 24-hour period as excessive. If 5% of an app's user sessions over the last 28 days fall into this category, the app is considered to have bad battery behavior. For users, this means apps that were quietly draining battery in the background could soon be flagged directly in their Google Play Store listing page. Starting March 1, 2026, apps that exceed this threshold may have reduced visibility on "prominent discovery surfaces," such as recommendations. More importantly for users, Google will place…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (344+ words) Google Play Store is apparently set to introduce a new way to search app reviews. Google might finally make browsing reviews of Play Store apps a whole lot easier, if a new report is any indication. As spotted by the folks at Android Authority, a new "Search reviews" string has appeared in the Play Store's latest version (48.7.17-31), suggesting that Google might soon introduce a long-overdue feature allowing users look up specific topics within app reviews. If this change makes it to a public rollout, you'll be able to search for exact terms to find user feedback relevant to what you're trying to figure out, instead of scrolling or relying on broad filters like "critical" or "positive." Code spotted in the Play Store app has also surfaced a new flag called AllReviewsPage__enable_search_bar. Although it's not live yet, this seems like a practical…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (285+ words) From flagships to foldables, here are the best Moto deals to search for this Black Friday. Get ready: Black Friday is just around the corner, but it turns out you don't need to wait until November 28th to score some stellar Motorola deals. Everything from budget phones to super-powered Moto foldables are currently seeing discounts all across the web, and I've gathered a selection of my favorite deals below. This collection includes offers like $100 off the already-affordable Moto G Stylus (2025), plus this T-Mobile deal that makes the Motorola Razr Plus (2025) totally FREE when you add an eligible line. Keep reading for more of my favorites, and don't forget to check back later if you don't find anything today: I'll keep adding deals to this list as we approach the big weekend. Still have a burning question about the upcoming Black Friday…...

4+ week, 3+ hour ago (365+ words) Motorola's Edge 70 declares war on the flagship elite. Motorola has quietly listed its new Edge 70 smartphone on its European websites, and it looks like a direct jab at the ultra-thin phone market dominated by the iPhone Air and Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge. But where its rivals famously compromised, the Edge 70 is showing up with a feature that thin phones almost never have: a massive battery. The main selling point of the Motorola Edge 70 is its body, which is ridiculously thin at just 5.99mm, and it weighs only 159 grams. The frame is aircraft-grade aluminum, the front is Gorilla Glass 7i, and the back has a unique nylon-textured finish. It also packs both an IP69 rating for water and dust resistance and MIL-STD 810H durability. It's available in three Pantone-certified colors: Lilly Pad, Gadget Grey, and Bronze Green. Inside the super-slim chassis, Motorola stuffed a 4,800mAh silicon-carbon battery....

2+ week, 1+ day ago (316+ words) The update makes it easier to see which services host a title directly from the Google Play search. Google Play Store is rolling out a handy feature where searching for a movie or TV show will directly point you to the app or service where that title is streaming. As detailed by Google in a blog post, you will just need to open the Search tab and look up the movie or TV show you want, and Google Play will show a list of apps where you can stream, rent, or buy it. Google will soon start showing a new "Where to watch" card in Play Store results that lists the apps and services offering that title. In the example Google shared, searching for "The Last of Us" displays a Where to watch card with the show's teaser image and…...

4+ day, 21+ hour ago (265+ words) Honor's newest mid-range line walks the line between price-conscious and flagship prowess. Honor's newest smartphone release sees two phones arriving for consumers in China, but with a design that looks incredibly familiar. Honor states that its base 500 model offers "a wide range of eye protection features, helping to alleviate discomfort from natural light fluctuation, flicker, brightness, and more." The company is also leaning into its artificial intelligence software for features like AI Defocus Display and AI Motion Sickness. The Honor 500 has launched in China this week for 2699 RMB (~$380). There's no word on whether we'll see this device arrive in other markets. Honor states this lens supports its in-house SOIS stabilization system for "crispy" and "steady" shots during fast-paced action. The 500 Pro (base 500, too) features 4K-to-Live conversion. Honor says this helps users turn their 4K-recorded videos into "4K Live clips" for social…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (248+ words) More animated, more vivid. Google is finally reimagining the way Android users can ask a query and look for a song that is stuck in their head. The tech giant is bringing its Gemini-like modern redesign to this feature after what seems like forever. What was once four multicolored dots is now going to look a lot like its Live Search UI, but with some changes to animation and the overall response from the Search bot (as reported by 9to5 Google). Additionally, Google has also changed the sound associated with the search feature. The sound for an active microphone, which used to be a "ping," has been changed to match the sound used for voice search on AI Mode. The tech giant seems to be aiming at keeping the UI more consistent and easier to understand. This update shows a focus on…...

4+ day, 3+ hour ago (315+ words) The Sturnus malware spreads through sideloaded APKs and uses fake update screens to trick Android users. A new type of malware that can enter your phone through sideloaded APKs and take control of your device, access your chats, and even steal your banking information has been spotted by security researchers. While Google has improved theft protection and spam detection on Android and Pixel phones, new malicious software still appears from time to time using different methods to infiltrate devices. Now, security researchers at MTI Security have identified a new malware called "Sturnus" (via Android Authority) that can bypass security measures and compromise your Android phone in a dangerous way. According to the report, the malware gains access to chats on platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp by reading the screen after chats have been decrypted and opened on your phone. It…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (248+ words) More animated, more vivid. Google is unveiling a sleek redesign of its song search feature for Android, integrating a Gemini-like UI that enhances user interaction. This update, gradually rolling out across devices, promises a more intuitive and cohesive search experience for music enthusiasts everywhere. What was once four multicolored dots is now going to look a lot like its Live Search UI, but with some changes to animation and the overall response from the Search bot (as reported by 9to5 Google). Additionally, Google has also changed the sound associated with the search feature. The sound for an active microphone, which used to be a "ping," has been changed to match the sound used for voice search on AI Mode. The tech giant seems to be aiming at keeping the UI more consistent and easier to understand. This update shows a focus on…...