Latest news with #LanhNguyen
Android Authority
22-07-2025
- Android Authority
Google wants Search Live to feel like a phone call (APK teardown)
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority TL;DR An Android Authority teardown has revealed some UI tweaks potentially coming to Google's Search Live feature. The Search Live notification could get interface changes to make your session feel more like a phone call. This change comes as Google brings visual tweaks to its other Android apps. Google announced a new Search Live feature at its I/O event earlier this year. This lets you have a natural conversation with Google Search, akin to Gemini Live. Now, it looks like this feature is getting some handy UI tweaks. Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release. We conducted a teardown of the Google app (version beta) and discovered that Search Live could get UI tweaks similar to a phone call interface. More specifically, the Search Live notification could have call-related chips. Check out this change in the second image below. Current New The change could result in a red Hang up button and a green Turn off microphone button in the Search Live notification. By contrast, Search Live currently offers simple text-based options for Turn off microphone and End session. This isn't a massive change, but it suggests that Google wants Search Live to feel like a phone call. The overhauled Search Live notification even describes your session as an 'ongoing call.' I'm guessing Google is leaning on these phone call trappings to make for a more familiar-feeling experience. These UI tweaks also come as Google brings Material 3 Expressive changes to more apps. These tweaks have come to Google TV on Android, Google Keep, Google Wallet, and plenty more apps. We expect even more Google apps to be overhauled ahead of Android 16's Expressive update. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
18-07-2025
- Business
- Android Authority
Pre-order deals: Get up to $300 in Samsung credit with your Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Flip 7
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority These offers are available directly from Samsung's official website. The deals are available for all color versions available. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 + free 512GB upgrade and $300 in Samsung credits Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 + free 512GB upgrade and $300 in Samsung credits Thin, light, high-powered, and it folds! The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers an 8-inch OLED screen, a 200MP camera, the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, and a 4,400mAh battery. The Galaxy AI experience is baked in, offering tools across the camera, Circle to Search, and much more. Best of all, Samsung continues to evolve their fold folding hinge assembly, promising reduced visibility of the crease. See price at Amazon Save $420.00 If you're looking to get the biggest, most exciting foldable phone available from Sasmung, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is no slouch. Amazon offers a free upgrade to 512GB of storage and throws in a $300 gift card. Essentially, you are getting the same as with Samsung. That said, if you were already considering getting another Samsung accessory or product, you can use the Samsung credit right away and get everything ordered in one go. On the other hand, you will have to wait for your Amazon gift card and get whatever you want through a separate purchase, which then you also have to wait for, as it will ship separately. Additionally, Samsung is offering some extra discounts on bundled accessories. For example, the Galaxy Watch 8 gets an added $50 discount when bundled with your Galaxy Z Fold 7. So, you're not just saving $300 on it; you're actually saving $350 (it would be free). Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 + free 512GB upgrade and $150 in Samsung credits Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 + free 512GB upgrade and $150 in Samsung credits Melds Galaxy AI with the new edge-to-edge FlexWindow With a 6.9-inch main display and a 4.1-inch FlexWindow outer display, the Samsung Galaxy Flip 7 focuses on putting AI smarts in your pocket. Measuring just 13.74mm thick when folded, it's the slimmest Z Flip phone yet. Packed with a 50MP camera and a suite of AI tools, Samsung calls the Z Flip 7 a "pocket-sized selfie studio." See price at Amazon Save $350.00 If you're looking to get the smaller Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, it may seem like the free $200 Amazon gift card is better than the $150 Samsung credit, but you are pretty much getting the same deal here, because you will also get that extra Samsung credit for bundling an accessory with it. As an example, if you add the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, you will only pay $79.99 for it, instead of the full $349.99. That's $270 in savings! And again, you won't have to wait for the gift card, make a separate purchase, then wait for the second purchase. By the way, you also get the free 512GB upgrade for free with this one, regardless of which retailer you pick. If you were already considering using your credit or gift card for something else from Samsung, it's better to just go directly to Samsung's website. Now, if all you want is the phone and would rather be able to buy anything with the free incentive, Amazon is definitely the better alternative.
Android Authority
16-07-2025
- Android Authority
After 6 months, I'm still not over Samsung's lazy Galaxy S25 launch
Back in January, when Samsung launched the three main phones in the Galaxy S25 series, I wasn't shy with my criticism. I openly wondered why the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus even exist, and pointed out how the Galaxy S25 Ultra is such a nominal upgrade over the Galaxy S24 Ultra that it's a wonder Samsung didn't drop the price. Surprisingly, at the time, Samsung teased that a significant part of the Galaxy S25 family was yet to come: an ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight phone called the Galaxy S25 Edge. This piqued my interest, as I thought it might be the one upgrade that really elevates the series from ho-hum to amazing. However, it's no secret that the Galaxy S25 Edge has landed with a thud. The company has reportedly seen sales nosedive much earlier than expected. Even die-hard Samsung fans have seemingly already forgotten about it, judging by online discourse and Android Authority's traffic stats on the topic, both here and on YouTube. People just don't care about a thin and light phone if it lacks the necessary features to make it tangibly good at being, well…a phone. This leaves me back where I started. It's been six months since the original Galaxy S25 launch event, and I still think that this is one of the laziest and most uninteresting flagship families Samsung has ever released. How did Samsung do this year with the Galaxy S25 series? 0 votes Samsung killed it in 2025! NaN % Eh, the phones are fine. NaN % The Galaxy S25 series is bad. NaN % I don't know/don't care. NaN % Samsung, you can't just repackage things forever Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority There has been plenty of backlash against my comments on how the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus seem completely trivial and inessential. The first, and most prominent one, comes from Americans, and it centers on the idea that carrier subsidies, trade-in values, and other discount opportunities make the two phones more attractive over other Galaxy S phones, chiefly because of the processor upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Elite. The second rebuttal, which comes from mostly non-Americans, is that the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus having an Exynos processor in most areas of the world makes the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus worthy of existing, thanks to the superiority of Qualcomm silicon. While these are sound and accurate arguments, they both hinge on the idea that slapping a new chipset into a carbon copy of last year's phone is a fine strategy for Samsung to adopt. I'm sorry, but I just can't handle that. From a smartphone fan's perspective, rehashing the same phone with a slightly better processor is so lazy that it borders on insulting. From an environmentalist perspective, it reeks of irresponsibility towards our e-waste crisis. And from a brand loyalty perspective, it must make at least some Samsung fans feel like jumping ship to any number of more innovative competitors. The three main Galaxy S25 phones are good, but they are barely advancements over the last three years of Galaxy S devices. Even the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which does feature at least a few upgrades over the Galaxy S24 Ultra, left me extremely underwhelmed. The fact that Samsung nerfed the S-Pen by removing Bluetooth connectivity and kept the ludicrous $1,300 price tag for an iterative upgrade over last year's model just left a bad taste in my mouth, too. The worst part about this, though, is that this is not a one-off issue. It's not like Samsung has been killing it over the past few years, and these 2025 smartphones are just the anomaly. The Galaxy S25 series is so close to even the Galaxy S22 series that the only real reason to choose one over the other is the processor. One year of iteration is totally fine, and even two years is acceptable. But three years of repackaging the same thing? Samsung can't get away with that forever. The Galaxy S25 Edge is a masterclass in missing an opportunity Ryan Haines / Android Authority In 2024, I wrote an article about a hypothetical Samsung Galaxy S25 Pro (I made a video about it, too). The Galaxy S25 Pro, in my imagination, was a direct competitor to the Pixel 9 Pro, in that it was more compact than a Galaxy S25 Ultra but carried over most of the important specs and features. Obviously, Samsung didn't get around to actually launching a Galaxy S25 Pro, but when I first heard about the Galaxy S25 Edge, I thought it might scratch that itch. Unfortunately, the Galaxy S25 Edge dropped the ball on so many levels. It's thinner and lighter than any other Galaxy phone, but it's not smaller. It's still difficult to use one-handed, and it still takes up plenty of pocket real estate. Likewise, the specs Samsung decided to leave behind from other Galaxy S phones were confusing. Who really wants an $1,100 phone with a small battery, slow charging, and no telephoto lens? Samsung seemed to bank big on the Galaxy S25 Edge wowing the crowd — but almost everyone just shrugged in response. Even from a design language perspective, the Galaxy S25 Edge makes no sense. Why did Samsung redesign the camera lenses on the Galaxy S25 series to make them more uniform across the Galaxy S and Galaxy Z lines and then, just months later, abandon those design elements for the Galaxy S25 Edge? It's a minor thing, but it just adds to the pile of confounding decisions made with this phone. As mentioned earlier, the Edge has fallen flat with most Samsung fans. Yes, there are some folks out there who absolutely love it — just check out the comments on my YouTube video going over its announcement. But the overwhelming response to Samsung's creation appears to be, 'No thanks.' What was supposed to be something that injected some much-needed originality into the Galaxy S25 family just ended up dragging it down even further. The Galaxy S26 series better be a banger Joe Maring / Android Authority As I'm writing this, I can already see the comments section filling up with people saying that I clearly hate Samsung phones. They'll say that I don't have an objective viewpoint on this year's launch because I came in with my mind already made up. Although me saying this likely won't prevent it, please understand that this is not true. I really like Samsung. In fact, for well over a year, my daily driver was a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, which is still, to this day, my favorite Samsung phone ever. One of the reasons I left Samsung behind is because of this trajectory it's been on. The company just seems wholly dispassionate about its products, and it's failing to deliver anything innovative anymore. I'm not expecting a reinvention of the wheel every year — there's a lot to be said about brand consistency and stability — but I am expecting something to get excited about. For me to get passionate about a phone, it takes much more than knowing in my logical brain that it has better performance than last year. It needs to have something that no other phones have, and it needs to look and feel unique. The Galaxy S25 series simply doesn't do any of these things. C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Of course, Samsung phoning it in (forgive the pun) hasn't seemed to hurt its bottom line. According to the company itself, Galaxy S25 series sales have been 'strong,' and Hana Securities posits that Samsung has sold over 9 million units — and that was at the beginning of May. If this number is accurate, adjusting for differences in launch dates, the Galaxy S25 series is likely selling as well as the Galaxy S24 series. I am not a Samsung hater, even if it seems like it. I say these things because I want Samsung to succeed — and this is not the way to do that. Regardless, I really hope Samsung ups its game in 2026 with the inevitable Galaxy S26 series. The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus need better cameras and a fresh design update. The Galaxy S26 Ultra needs a design refresh as well, and it needs to offer something new to justify its exorbitant price tag (which could be even higher in 2026 thanks to the tariff situation). Samsung needs to do this not just to impress nitpickers like me, but to stay relevant in the market. Here in the United States, Samsung commands the Android market. You're either an iPhone person or a Samsung person, and there are still people here who call any non-iPhone they see a 'Galaxy.' That's a great position for Samsung to be in, but it can't rest on its laurels. Apple is only gobbling up more market share, and Android enthusiasts — the backbone of Samsung's standing worldwide — are starting to notice that Google, Motorola, OnePlus, OPPO, HONOR, and other brands are delivering innovative, beautiful, and useful products that far outshine anything Samsung is doing. Samsung has a grace period in which it can coast on its reputation alone — but that window is closing fast, and 2026 might be the deadline.
Android Authority
11-07-2025
- Business
- Android Authority
Last chance to get the Samsung Galaxy S25 for just $585!
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority It's the last day of Amazon's Prime Day sale, and if you're looking for a great deal on a high-end smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is still available at a stunning $225 discount. After today, we're unlikely to see a deal like this until the holidays. Three colorways of the Samsung phone are priced at just $584.99 in the sales event, down from its regular price of $799.99. That's more than $100 lower than the previous best price. Samsung Galaxy S25 for $599.99 (25% off) The Samsung Galaxy S25 is a feature-rich premium smartphone. It sports a vibrant 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a smooth 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and an impressive brightness of up to 2,600 nits. Under the hood, it runs on the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, coupled with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, ensuring top-notch performance for all your multitasking needs. Photography enthusiasts will appreciate its versatile camera system, which includes a 50MP wide lens, a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens, as well as a 12MP front-facing camera. Samsung Galaxy S25 Samsung Galaxy S25 Refined software, AI smarts, and next-gen hardware With an emphasis on AI features, and a move to Gemini, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is an exciting update to the Galaxy S line. Equipped with a 6.2-inch FHD+ display, Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, 12GB of RAM, a powerful 50MP camera, and updated hardware materials, we expect big things from the base model of Samsung's 2025 flagship phone. See price at Amazon Save $215.00 Prime Deal The device is built on Android 15 with One UI 7 and incorporates advanced AI features, such as Cross-App Actions and AI-generated call transcripts. With an all-day intelligent battery and support for super-fast charging, it's designed to keep up with your busy lifestyle. You can choose from several color options, including Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, and Silver Shadow. Keep in mind that these Prime Day deals are exclusive to Prime members. If you're not already a member, you might want to consider signing up for the 30-day free trial to take advantage of these deals.
Android Authority
11-07-2025
- Android Authority
Samsung may be rethinking the Galaxy S26 lineup, and the clues are hiding in model numbers
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority TL;DR A new leak shows the base Galaxy S26 with a notable jump in its model number (SM-S942), suggesting potentially significant hardware changes. The expected model number for the Galaxy S26 Plus has not yet surfaced, leading to speculation that Samsung might skip that variant. Leaks hint that all upcoming models — Galaxy S26, S26 Edge, and S26 Ultra — may focus on being thinner than their predecessors. Samsung just wrapped up the launch of the new Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. The new foldables are pretty exciting, but leaks have also started emerging for Samsung's next generation of flagships, the Galaxy S26 series. We've already had model numbers leak for the Galaxy S26 Edge and the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and now, the model number for the Galaxy S26 has also leaked, but this one is full of surprises. SammyPolice has spotted listings for the Galaxy S26 with the model number SM-S942. The model number might look ordinary, but you need to recall previous generation model numbers to realize that Samsung might be doing something different for 2026: Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Galaxy S23: SM-S911 Galaxy S23 Plus: SM-S916 No Edge Galaxy S23 Ultra: SM-S918 Samsung Galaxy S24 series: Galaxy S24: SM-S921 Galaxy S24 Plus: SM-S926 No Edge Galaxy S24 Ultra: SM-S928 Samsung Galaxy S25 series: Galaxy S25: SM-S931 Galaxy S25 Plus: SM-S936 Galaxy S25 Edge: SM-S937 Galaxy S25 Ultra: SM-S938 Samsung Galaxy S26 series (leaked so far): Galaxy S26: SM-S942 No Plus Galaxy S26 Edge: SM-S947 Galaxy S26 Ultra: SM-S948 You'll notice that Samsung has increased the model number for the 'base' Galaxy S26, going from SM-S931 for S25 to SM-S942 for the S26. The last time this happened, we got an Edge variant for the S25 series that sat above the Plus variant. While this base S26 phone still shows up in databases as just 'Galaxy S26,' the number increment could denote a move towards a thinner, Edge-like design or some other hardware upgrade that is big enough to justify a jump in model numbers. Further, the SM-S946, which would have been the Galaxy S26 Plus, has not been spotted so far. It could show up later, though, and there's also a chance it doesn't. The Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Edge have fairly overlapping target audiences, so there's a chance that Samsung could be sticking to one model in the coming year. Leaks have also suggested that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be thinner. Overall, it seems Samsung could be doubling down on a thinner Galaxy S26 series, with thinner phones for the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Ultra complementing the presumably already-thin Galaxy S26 Edge. Note that the situation can change until the phones are launched, so we must treat all leaks with a pinch of salt. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
