Good news, Samsung fans: Amazon just dropped some Galaxy S26 deals that are giving me serious Prime Day flashbacks. For a limited time, you can save up to $270 on these super-powered flagships when you buy unlocked, no trade-in required and no strings attached.
The Galaxy S26 lineup includes the base model S26, the balanced Galaxy S26 Plus, and the über-powerful Galaxy S26 Ultra. All three phones are powered by the efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and come with at least 12GB of RAM, a bunch of useful AI features, and seven years of software updates guaranteed. They're also pretty expensive, which is why the following S26 deals are so crucial.
The smallest of the three flagship phones, the Galaxy S26 boasts a stunning 6.3-inch AMOLED display with 256GB of storage and powerful performance that could compete with any Android phone on the market.
Right now, you can grab the Samsung flagship unlocked from Amazon and score a straight $100 off your purchase, totally offsetting that pesky price hike. The 512GB version of the phone is also $200 off as part of the sale (if you don't mind the White variant).
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus takes the foundation of the base model S26 and adds a larger 6.7-inch QHD+ display, a long-lasting 4,900mAh battery, and a small increase in charging speeds.
Amazon is currently selling the 256GB phone for $899.99, which is $200 off the retail price AND what you'd usually pay if you were buying the standard Galaxy S26. If you want a phone that offers bang for the buck, the Galaxy S26 Plus is it.
Easily one of the most powerful Android phones ever built, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra sports a generous 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display with an embedded S Pen stylus, a fast-charging 5,000mAh battery, and innovative features such as Privacy Display.
It's also quite expensive, which is why I'm excited to see Amazon carve a straight $270 off the 256GB configuration for a limited time. According to the retailer, this deal is selling out fast, so I wouldn't wait too long if you're interested.
Meta is rolling out a mandatory update that disables the camera entirely if the glasses' privacy light is tampered with or covered.
Earlier glasses only showed a prompt when the LED was covered, but users bypassed it by drilling holes or using mods.
Meta will also remove ads and posts promoting tampering services and take action against any accounts linked to them.
The change follows growing misuse of Meta's AI glasses and public backlash over the company ignoring the issue for so long.
Something that should've been here from day one has finally happened. Meta is rolling out an update that blocks users from recording with its smart glasses if they tamper with the privacy light.
Smart glasses are inherently a privacy nightmare. To this day, plenty of people don't realize that the glowing LED on Meta's AI glasses means they're being recorded, and Meta has finally taken a step to curb this creepy behavior.
The company has started rolling out a mandatory update for all Ray-Ban Meta and Meta's new glasses that will now disable the camera entirely if the privacy light is destroyed or tampered with.
Starting with its second-generation glasses, Meta tried to stop users from covering the LED with tape or other objects by showing a prompt asking them to uncover the recording light before continuing.
Tampering with the privacy light now kills the camera
(Image credit: Meta)
Even then, users found workarounds like drilling into the holes, and modders came up with more sophisticated methods, but that shouldn't be possible anymore.
In its latest FAQ, Meta explains that the camera will now be physically disabled if the glasses detect that the privacy light has been tampered with or covered.
The company also says it's working across its platforms to remove ads and posts advertising these kinds of tampering services, and that it will take action against any accounts tied to them.
There's been growing misuse of Meta's AI glasses, along with plenty of public backlash over the company failing to address this creepy behavior sooner. It seems Meta has finally listened, and this is an important privacy change.
It's also worth noting that the update will be mandatory for all Meta and Ray-Ban Meta users.
Android Central's Take
About time, honestly. Meta let this creepy behavior slide for far too long, and it took public backlash to force a fix. I'm glad it's here, but I can't help wondering why it wasn't baked in from the start.
from Latest from Android Central https://ift.tt/cdbh4fq
via IFTTT
Rumors claim that Samsung's previously rumored open-ear or "clip-on" earbuds, the Galaxy Buds Able, have changed names to "Galaxy Buds On."
However, a leak from another source claims "Galaxy Able" might remain, as the title was discovered in the Wearable app's code with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.
Earlier this year, Galaxy Buds Able were rumored to be earbuds that rely on bone conduction for producing sound with
Rumors have surfaced again about a set of "bone conduction" earbuds that Samsung is developing.
Tipster evowizz on X posted a short claim about a unique pair of earbuds Samsung allegedly has in the works (via SamMobile). Their post claims that the previously rumored "Galaxy Buds Able" title has been replaced with "Galaxy Buds On." The publication adds that they bear the model number SM-U600 internally for Samsung.
The number reportedly swaps "R" for "U," the latter of which is typically used to identify new earbuds from the brand.
The situation progresses with another round of leaks from SammyGuru. According to its post, the publication discovered "Galaxy Able" listed in Samsung's Wearables app code beneath the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. What's more, the post highlights a "samsung.accessory" string that may suggest full integration for the buds across Samsung's software. This has speculation leaning to one side, but nothing's confirmed yet.
Now and then, rumors will conflict like this. It's best to take what's been said here with a grain of salt for the time being.
Audio shifts
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
To make sense of this, we'll have to walk things back to April when rumors of "bone conduction" earbuds surfaced. At the time, the name "Galaxy Buds Able" led the way with an open-ear or "clip-on" design. It was said that these earbuds would clip onto a person's ear, sending vibrations through their bones to produce sound. Clearly, this is a departure from earbuds we're used to seeing and using that sit in-ear (or even traditional open-earbuds.
The model number that SamMobile mentioned in this recent leak was cited before. Prior reports added that the "U" is typically reserved for U.S. product releases, but this model number changes things. The vibrancy or richness of audio has also been called into question. If these buds rely on bone conduction and not more traditional methods, their bass could suffer as a result.
Android Central's Take
These buds already sounded interesting before, but the idea isn't that wild or unique to Samsung. Other brands have gone this route before, and could be seen as another earbud alternative, like anything else on the market. I'm still holding back, since there's nothing else about these buds. No hardware specifications, no charging case, nothing. For now, I'll wait.
from Latest from Android Central https://ift.tt/eMQzbAy
via IFTTT
Samsung confirmed this evening that Galaxy Unpacked will take place on July 22 at 9 am ET/6 am PT in London, U.K.
The company brings its next foldables into the spotlight, stating a new era is coming for their intelligent capabilities and more, to make them feel personal.
Samsung's marketing campaign took over its Instagram, wiping all of its posts, as clues went up that users needed to decode.
The time has come. Samsung reveals the date for its summer Unpacked event and everything the keynote will discuss.
Samsung announced this evening that its 2026 summer Unpacked event will take place on July 22 in London, U.K. Interested parties can watch the event, which begins at 9 am ET/6 am PT, from Samsung's YouTube, Samsung.com, or its Newsroom. Of course, consumers are expecting to see what's next from the Korean OEM's many hardware series. Samsung states it will highlight the next era of its foldables.
It states these devices "combine intelligent capabilities and new form factors to deliver more personal, adaptive experiences and set a new standard for the AI era."
What's more, Samsung has kicked off its reserve program ahead of Unpacked, as usual. Consumers can "reserve to receive a $30 Samsung credit during pre-order for up to $1,230 in total savings. Customers can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win one of ten $500 Samsung.com gift cards."
Set a reminder (and get up early)
(Image credit: Samsung)
It goes without saying that Samsung is keeping things a little hush-hush. Its announcement places its foldables front and center, and that's not something we're surprised about. These are its phones, and we're expecting them every (mid) year. Teases started late June when Samsung kicked off a viral marketing campaign that wiped every Instagram post it had.
The company is looking forward to revealing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 to consumers, but it wants to tell a story along the way. On Instagram, Samsung's been posting images, which serve as clues that we must decode. There's nothing like a bit of hype, and that's what Samsung's trying to cultivate. There's more to Galaxy Unpacked than its foldables.
We're also looking forward to the Galaxy Watch 9. We know there are some new health features, but what else? All will be revealed in two weeks.
Android Central's Take
This is the Galaxy Unpacked waiting room, please take a seat. We're two weeks out, and Samsung building up to something interesting (we hope, right?). What else other than foldables could we see? Also, what about these foldables are going to keep me interested and make me think about laying down some cash? I've got a lot of questions, but I'm curious by nature.
from Latest from Android Central https://ift.tt/2T3Dp9K
via IFTTT
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra focuses heavily on AI, but not in a way that feels abstract or overly technical. Instead, it’s designed to handle small, everyday tasks more efficiently, so there’s less time spent on routine digital admin and more on what actually matters. Here are a few ways the AI tools on Samsung’s latest flagship can help streamline your day.
TL;DR: The Galaxy S26 Ultra uses AI tools like Writing Assist1, Note Assist2, Now Brief, Browsing Assist3, and Photo Assist4 to simplify everyday tasks. From refining emails to summarising webpages and organising notes, the Galaxy S26 Ultra removes manual input to help streamline how it’s used throughout the day.
How does Writing Assist improve messages and emails?
Writing Assist refines text in real time, adjusting tone, grammar, and clarity directly within supported apps. It can rewrite a message to sound more formal, more concise, or more relaxed, depending on the situation.
We’ve all been there: a work email comes in after a long day, and you feel exhausted and unsure how to respond. Writing Assist unearths the perfect tone to deliver your message without sounding too short, impersonal or unprofessional.
A quick response written between meetings can also be adjusted to sound more professional without having to rewrite it from scratch. Plus, Writing Assist never misses; it helps you strike the right balance in messages, such as when following up with a colleague or responding to someone you don’t know well.
It removes the need to pause and rethink wording, helping messages come across clearly the first time.
Can the Galaxy S26 Ultra organise chaotic notes?
Note Assist organises and summarises notes automatically, turning unstructured text into something easier to read and act on. It can break down longer notes, highlight key points, and reshape rough ideas into a clearer format.
Phones have helped take notes on the go for years, but they aren’t so hot on helping you retrieve a note when you need it, especially if it’s been a while since you recorded it. The Galaxy S26 Ultra can summarise and present your thoughts in a more organised way, so you don't have to go back through everything later.
Note Assist is also useful for planning trips, saving ideas for get-togethers, or jotting down ideas. Plus, it reduces the need to manually tidy up notes afterwards, making them more useful straight away.
What does Now Brief show you during the day?
Now Brief gathers information from across the phone and presents it in a single, glanceable summary that includes calendar events, reminders, weather, and messages. Thanks to Galaxy AI5, it can not only pull information from across multiple apps but also help make sense of it all.
(Image credit: Future)
If you have a holiday or a theatre performance coming up in a different location, Now Brief will show you how to get there, what the weather is like, any tickets you might have booked and are available in your emails, etc. The feature will also suggest mindfulness sessions if you have a longer trip coming up to manage stress levels.
Better still, Now Brief also helps surface updates that might otherwise be missed, presenting them clearly, so it’s easier to stay on top of the day without constantly switching between apps.
Can the Galaxy S26 Ultra summarise webpages for you?
Browsing Assist summarises webpages into shorter, more digestible sections, highlighting key points without needing to read everything in full – perfect for avoiding the information overload we all face these days, especially on our smartphones.
It works directly in the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s browser and can be useful when checking reviews before buying something, scanning long articles, or checking what the critics are saying about the movie you’re watching or that actor that you know from that movie but can’t remember their name.
Instead of reading through entire pages of content, Browsing Assist presents the main points upfront, pulling out the most relevant information and helping you return to your original task. In short, it reduces the time spent skimming and scrolling, helping information feel more manageable.
How does Photo Assist improve photos after they’re taken?
Photo Assist applies AI-powered edits directly within the Gallery app, allowing adjustments such as removing distractions, improving composition, and refining lighting without using separate editing tools.
The only limit of Photo Assist really is your imagination. Using text prompts, it can add details or complete photos, or completely redo images to match their purpose. Want to add a flying pig in the background of your hen do snapshots? No problem. How about removing the flame from the last candle on the cake to make it look like the birthday girl blew them all out in one try? Photo Assist can sort that.
Cluttered backgrounds are cleaned up, photobombers are removed, and off-centre shots are quickly reframed. It also helps when preparing images to share, where a cleaner, more balanced photo makes a difference. Photo Assist turns editing into a quick step rather than a separate task, helping more photos feel worth keeping.
From writing messages to organising information and refining photos, the Galaxy S26 Ultra uses AI to handle small tasks more efficiently throughout the day. To see how these features work together and explore the device's full capabilities, visit the official Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra page.
1Samsung account login is required. Requires a network connection. Must meet length requirements to activate feature. Service availability may vary by language. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.
2Samsung account login is required. Requires network connection.
3Available to use on Samsung Internet. Requires network connection and Samsung account login. Summarise feature may be limited or unavailable on certain paid websites. Character limit applies. Language pack download may be required. Accuracy of results not guaranteed.
4Requires network connection and Samsung account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the saved image to indicate it was generated by Galaxy AI. Accuracy of output not guaranteed.
5Samsung account login is required for certain AI features. Galaxy AI features are provided for free. Future releases may include additional advanced features that are offered as part of a paid subscription plan. Different terms may apply for AI features provided by third parties.
from Latest from Android Central https://ift.tt/ay2iFUx
via IFTTT
Google and Android are pretty much synonymous, given that the former owns and develops the latter. However, over the years, Android has more or less grown into its own entity, spanning not just your phone but wearables, vehicles, and more. Meanwhile, Google as a company continues to expand its reach beyond just Android and Search, and lately it's been all about AI.
But we want to know how you feel about both. In 2026, are you a fan of Google and/or Android? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Google and Android in 2026
Google and Android have grown a lot since their early days. Google (and its parent company, Alphabet) grew from a simple search engine to a huge conglomerate with a hand in many aspects of our lives, including internet browsers, self-driving cars, internet service, and the very smartphones in our hands. And while Google has pushed the boundaries of AI for many years, things have only recently begun to ramp up exponentially with the advent of generative AI.
Google now sees itself as an AI company, and these days its focus has been on incorporating AI across its many products.
Still, despite bringing tons of fun and useful products over the years, Google has had its fair share of problems. The company is constantly in litigation over its practices and has, on several occasions, been found to be anticompetitive or maintain a monopoly in certain markets. It has also aligned itself with government contracts that consumers find morally questionable.
Google has also introduced a ton of products only to kill them shortly after, which has sullied consumer trust in the brand.
(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)
Fortunately, Android is one of the products that Google has not managed to kill. After buying Android in 2005, Google turned it into the world's most widely used operating system, spanning many different device types and price points.
Android has many faces, even just on smartphones, thanks to its open-source nature, and companies like Samsung have helped expand its reach and feature set. In fact, Android phones often adopt new features before iOS on iPhones.
That said, Android isn't perfect, and while it has certainly become more capable with Android 17, it's still seen by many as a second-class citizen when compared to Apple. Even in 2026, there are still plenty of popular apps that are launched on iOS before making it to Android. And when apps do come to Android, there are often quality issues that aren't present on iOS.
Additionally, unlike iOS, Android is not very consistent, especially when you move across brands. Samsung and Google's own Pixel smartphones tend to get new Android platform features before anyone else, leaving others like Motorola waiting on the sidelines, which some find frustrating.
But let us know in the comments how you feel about Android and Google and if you're a fan of one or the other (or both)!
from Latest from Android Central https://ift.tt/T8rYHPR
via IFTTT
Rumors claim Samsung is working on reworking its Wearables app with a redesign that's much cleaner and fits its current One UI aesthetic.
The app reportedly revamps the home screen with a large rendering of the user's connected Galaxy Watch, minimizing the tab's options into containers.
The Wearables app leak also highlighted new Health features, which Samsung discussed previously before rolling out to Galaxy devices in June.
There's a lot of buzz surrounding Samsung's upcoming products since we entered June (and now July). A new rumor now claims there's a Wearable app rework on the way for your Galaxy Watch.
Over the weekend, SammyGuru reportedly discovered an "early look" at what Samsung is working on for the Wearable app. Supposedly, the company is preparing to give the app a face-lift with a new design that matches its current One UI design. The publication states the Home tab could feature a much larger rendering of your Galaxy Watch.
Your watch image will take up most of your display, while other options are scaled down and placed in containers. Watch Face previews are said to benefit from this more immersive Galaxy Watch rendering. While the app's settings get a visual refresher that will likely adhere to One UI 9's upcoming themes, SammyGuru says it found some hidden features, too.
Samsung is reportedly working on a way for users to "raise their wrist" to talk to Gemini, instead of long-pressing their side button. What's more, Galaxy AI could generate "custom tiles" for the user's watch "based on their interests." The post adds that the app's early code suggests tiles for sports, headlines, and more. For the outdoor, rugged users (Galaxy Watch Ultra), rumors claim it could pick up real-time elevation info for Trail Run, companion controls for the Depth app, and more.
There's a lot on the way
SammyGuruSammyGuru
The rumors mention new health features on the way to Samsung's next Galaxy Watches. The company already gave us a rundown of what we should expect from its Health app ahead of its next reveal. Aside from a major redesign (which has already rolled out to users), Samsung introduced new wellness features, such as Vitals. It states this will combine five crucial health metrics its watches capture about users. Vitals focuses on your heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature, and blood oxygen.
Vitals will enhance the app's pre-existing Energy Score by comparing these metrics to the user's "resting baseline" to highlight any important changes. Heart Rate Score is another new feature that will be available with One UI 9 Watch and its next watches. Your sleep, stress, activity, and body composition data all matter, as Heart Rate Score highlights changes that could negatively impact your heart.
We don't have a beta yet for Samsung's One UI 9 Watch software, but rumors claim it could have health reports waiting when we get it.
Android Central's Take
I know these are just rumors, but the Gemini change is a little strange. I'm sure this will be an option we'll be able to toggle. But to automatically have Gemini called forth by simply raising my wrist, an action taken when I want to see the time, sounds weird. I'm fine with long-pressing the side button (if I were to ever use Gemini on my watch). The redesign looks nice, too, I suppose. It brings the app closer to the way Samsung's OS has been moving recently. In that regard, it's not bad.
from Latest from Android Central https://ift.tt/7c12ZET
via IFTTT
