PSA: Samsung Messages app on your Galaxy phone will stop working this month

What you need to know

• Samsung Messages is shutting down this month, though the company hasn't confirmed an exact date yet.
• Users on Android 11 and earlier are unaffected, and emergency calls still work after the shutdown.
• Google Messages is the official replacement, and Samsung has made the transition fairly easy to do.

It's July, which means the month has finally arrived for the Samsung Messages app on Galaxy phones to shut down.

Back in April 2026, Samsung announced it would be shutting down its Messages app later this year. The company published an official notice on its U.S. website confirming the change and specifying July 2026 as the cutoff. That month is now here, which means the app could stop working at any point.

Samsung still hasn't confirmed the exact date, but the shutdown is expected to happen fairly soon. The company has already stopped preloading the Messages app on flagship Galaxy devices since 2024, and while users could still install it from the Galaxy Store, even that option was pulled with the Galaxy S26 Ultra earlier this year. A full shutdown now looks imminent.

It's over for Samsung Messages on Galaxy phones

(Image credit: Sanuj Bhatia / Android Central)

Users on Android 11 and earlier won't be affected and will still be able to use Samsung Messages on their devices. It's also worth noting that even after the shutdown, you'll still be able to use Samsung Messages on a Galaxy device to contact emergency services. However, you won't be able to send or receive messages from regular contacts.

Samsung has already confirmed it's transitioning Galaxy phones to Google Messages, and the company has made the switch fairly straightforward. We've written a detailed guide on how to move your messages from Samsung Messages to Google Messages that you can follow to transfer all your messages from the old app to the new one.

If you'd rather not use Google Messages, there are a few Samsung Messages alternatives worth exploring. That said, none of them are a true one-to-one replacement, so there's a good chance you'll end up going with Google Messages anyway.

Android Central's Take

I get why some people are upset about this. Nobody likes being forced off an app they've used for years. That said, Google Messages is in a much better place than it used to be, so the switch isn't as painful as it sounds.

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Samsung's wide foldable just got its first detailed specs leak

What you need to know

• The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is rumored to adopt a wider 4:3 design to compete more directly with Apple's foldable iPhone.
• Leaked specs point to a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, 12GB RAM, up to 1TB storage, and a 4,800mAh battery.
• Samsung could make the Fold 8 one of its lightest foldables yet, measuring just 4.5mm thick when unfolded.

It's officially July, which means we're finally in Samsung foldable season. And ahead of the company's rumored launch later this month, a new leak has revealed the full specs of the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup is shaping up to be particularly interesting this year. Samsung is reportedly renaming what used to be the standard Galaxy Z Fold into the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, while the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected to become a wider, shorter foldable designed to compete more directly with Apple's rumored foldable iPhone.

Tarun Vats, who frequently shares One UI-related leaks on X, now claims the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will feature a 7.6-inch Quad HD+ internal display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The cover display is said to be a 5.5-inch Quad HD+ panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Both displays will reportedly use Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels with support for up to a 120Hz refresh rate.

(Image credit: X/@UniverseIce)

In terms of design, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is rumored to measure just 9.7mm thick when folded and only 4.5mm when unfolded. Its full dimensions are said to be 123.9 × 81.9 × 9.7mm folded and 123.9 × 161.4 × 4.5mm unfolded. The phone is also expected to weigh around 200 grams, which would make it impressively light for a foldable.

Like Samsung's other 2026 flagships, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the same chip found in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. It will reportedly come with 12GB of RAM and storage options of up to 1TB.

Coming to the cameras, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is reportedly set to feature a 50MP primary camera alongside a 50MP ultra-wide sensor on the back. Both the cover and inner selfie cameras are also expected to use 10MP sensors.

Android Central's take

On paper, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is looking like a very compelling package. It seems to check almost every flagship box although the biggest differentiator this year could end up being the price. I'm actually more interested in seeing how the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8 performs than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra this time around.

One welcome upgrade is the battery. The leak suggests Samsung is increasing capacity to 4,800mAh, which is larger than previous Galaxy Z Fold models. The phone is also expected to support Super Fast Charging 2.0, although the exact charging speed hasn't been revealed yet.

Samsung still hasn't officially announced its summer Galaxy Unpacked event, but the company has started teasing its next launch on Instagram, suggesting an official announcement may not be too far away.

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Samsung hits restart with a viral marketing campaign ahead of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Flip 8

What you need to know

• The company has kicked off a new social media campaign on its Samsung Mobile and Samsung Mobile USA Instagram accounts after hitting reset and wiping every post.
• Samsung says it's looking to tell a new story ahead of its Galaxy Z Flip 8, Fold 8 launch with a series of cryptic posts that users will be required to unravel and "decode."
• It states that "when we're ready" it will reveal everything we're used to seeing about phones ahead of a major debut.

We've been anticipating the launch of Samsung's next foldables for months. Tonight (June 30), the company's kicked off a new social media campaign, and it's completely wiped its Instagram.

Samsung says it's "hitting reset" leading up to its Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Fold 8 launch. The company's new social media campaign focuses on Instagram, as it states its account feed will be wiped completely. This will take place before Samsung's wave of "cryptic teaser videos." While this might seem a bit odd, Samsung says there's a purpose behind this campaign.

The company is interested in telling a different kind of story. One that's inspired by "familiar cultural touchpoints." Instead of dropping various details about its next foldables, Samsung says it's going to invite theories and speculation. This campaign will involve a series of mysterious "simple and highly visual" posts that seem mundane. However, there's a deeper meaning to these clues and posts, which Samsung says will require users to "decode."

Certain aspects of these cryptic posts will unearth patterns that users will have to be sharp to spot. Samsung says it won't explain anything until it's ready. When that time comes, it will dive into features for its next foldables. Until then, you might want to try to emulate the great Sherlock Holmes.

The campaign begins on Samsung Mobile and Samsung Mobile USA.

What does it all mean?

A post shared by Samsung Mobile USA (@samsungmobileusa)

A photo posted by on

There's quite a bit that we'd like to see from the next wave of Samsung foldables. However, there's a particularly strong focus on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (and all the rumors surrounding the extra stuff). In terms of design, we're not expecting the Fold 8 to stray too far from what the Fold 7 offered. The Fold 7 was incredibly popular when it debuted, for more reasons than one.

The device integrated a thinner form factor, a refined hinge, and display upgrades, which captivated consumers. It would seem strange for Samsung to teeter away from this, but we'll have to see what this social campaign has in store. On the other hand, a Samsung exec, shortly after the Flip 7 and Fold 7 debuted, said the company was "thinking about" bringing the S Pen back. Such a return would require the device to thicken again after becoming so slim.

Android Central's Take

At the time of me writing this post, Samsung's social media accounts are completely wiped. There's not a thing there. And it's funny to see, considering they have nearly 2 million followers on one of them. Samsung is looking to generate a buzz. It wants the attention, it wants the hype, the eyes, the press. It's encouraged us to "follow along." So I shall.

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Google thinks you’re too lazy to read your own notes, launches AI video summaries instead

What you need to know

• Google's NotebookLM now condenses massive documents and notes into 60-second, TikTok-style vertical videos.
• The feature is fueled by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Image, Google’s fastest and most cost-efficient image generation model, boasting four-second render times.
• Google is also previewing a robust full-video generation model that supports natural language editing, multimodal inputs, and native audio syncing.

Nobody really enjoys reading through a massive stack of notes or a 50-page research document when they're cramped for time. Google knows this, and so it’s rolling out a huge upgrade to NotebookLM that takes your uploaded documents and turns them into bite-sized, 60-second AI-generated videos.

For the uninitiated, NotebookLM started out as a simple AI research assistant, but it’s now a powerful learning tool. The latest feature, Short Video Overviews, expands on the Cinematic Video Overviews we saw earlier. But the real star of the show is the engine that powers it: Google's new Nano Banana 2 Lite.

Officially dubbed Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Image, Nano Banana 2 Lite is Google’s fastest and most cost-efficient image generation model to date. You get a whopping four-second image generation time and a big jump in visual quality over the original Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (the first Nano Banana). This engine combines world knowledge with rock-solid consistency of character. It lets you quickly sketch accurate scenes, develop storyboarding tools and render legible typography for localized ads without compromising object fidelity.

Using Short Video Overviews in NotebookLM activates this model, which condenses your sources into a vertical video packed with narrative explanations and educational animations. It's purpose-built for people revising notes, presentations, or lengthy PDFs who just want the key takeaways. Before generating, you simply select "Short" from the output formats (alongside Explainer and Cinematic), pick your specific sources, and set the video's focus using a custom prompt or a suggested topic.

(Image credit: Google)

Alongside this, Google also pushed Gemini Omni Flash into public preview. This model is aimed at full video generation, with conversational editing (relighting scenes and swapping characters with natural language) and multimodal inputs. It has native audio pairing for each video output and syncs on-screen text with kinetic movements.

Short Video Overviews aren't available to everyone just yet. The feature begins rolling out over the coming weeks to English-speaking users aged 18 and older. When it goes live, you’ll be able to access it on the web, Android and iOS, whether you’re signed into a regular consumer account or Google Workspace.

Android Central's Take

If you’re a student cramming for finals or someone who hates reading dense reports, turning a 50-page PDF into a digestible, TikTok-style recap is a massive win. But are we really so allergic to actual reading that we need an AI to hallucinate a 60-second clip from our notes? Google wants to sell the service as the ultimate productivity hack, but it feels disturbingly like a crutch for our fast-shrinking attention spans.

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Motorola gives its earbuds a luxury twist, but the Moto Tag 2 might be the bigger upgrade

What you need to know

• Motorola's new Moto Tag 2 arrives in North America with Bluetooth 6.0, UWB support, Google Find Hub integration, and over 500 days of battery life.
• It adds Find My Phone, remote camera controls, location sharing, IP68 durability, privacy protections, and support for third-party accessories.
• The Moto Buds 2 Plus are getting new looks with Swarovski-studded Brilliant Collection and new Pantone color options while keeping the same hardware.

Motorola’s connected ecosystem is getting a little boost, but only one of its latest accessories is actually new. The company is bringing the all-new Moto Tag 2, an upgraded Bluetooth tracker that includes newer wireless technology, longer battery life, and tighter integration with Google's Find Hub network, to North America along with fresh color options for the Moto Buds 2 Plus.

In North America, the Moto Buds 2 Plus are available in the eye-catching Brilliant Collection, which pairs a PANTONE Violet Indigo finish with Swarovski crystals, or a more understated PANTONE Cool White. There is also a Canadian PANTONE Silhouette option available.

The Brilliant Collection includes 12 Swarovski crystals embedded in each earbud, plus another 41 hand-placed crystals around the Motorola logo on the charging case.

Motorola

Motorola

Motorola

The styling is new, but the hardware is the same. The Moto Buds 2 Plus still have Sound by Bose tuning, dual 11mm dynamic drivers with Knowles balanced armature drivers, Hi-Res Audio support, Spatial Audio on compatible Motorola phones, and Dynamic Active Noise Cancellation. Transparency Mode and six microphones with CrystalTalk AI also return to enhance calls and keep users aware of their surroundings when necessary.

Motorola hasn't skimped on features, either. Bluetooth 6.0, dual-device connectivity with auto-switching, wear detection, customizable EQ, Bass Boost, low-latency Gaming Mode, Audio Share, Fit Test, and Motorola AI integrations are still present on compatible devices.

Battery life is rated at up to nine hours on the earbuds alone, or up to 40 hours with the charging case, with a quick 10-minute top-up delivering up to two hours of listening. The earbuds also boast an IP54 rating, while the charging case comes with an IPX2 splash resistance rating.

Pricing hasn’t changed much either. The Swarovski Brilliant Collection edition is priced at $200 in the US, while the PANTONE Cool White version is $150. Availability begins June 30 through Motorola’s online stores.

Android Central's Take

The Moto Buds 2 Plus has a lot of meaningful upgrades beyond the flashy Swarovski crystals, and the Moto Tag 2 finally catches up to newer Android tracking features. That said, I can't help but feel Motorola is trying a bit too hard to convince us that crystals belong on earbuds. I’d prefer companies to spend more time on pushing battery life, smarter software, and better ecosystem features than dressing up gadgets like fashion accessories.

The bigger announcement is the Moto Tag 2. Motorola's new Bluetooth tracker includes Bluetooth 6.0 with Channel Sounding and supports Ultra Wideband (UWB) on compatible Android phones, helping you locate lost items more accurately.

It also works with Google’s Find Hub network, so Android users can find tagged items through the crowdsourced network of devices.

Motorola is also emphasizing practicality. The Moto Tag 2 runs for more than 500 days on a user-replaceable CR2032 battery, carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and works with Android 9 and newer devices.

(Image credit: Motorola)

In addition to basic item tracking, it has Find My Phone, remote camera controls, location sharing, unwanted tracking alerts, and end-to-end encryption and works with third-party accessories. Those additions make it more versatile and address growing privacy concerns around Bluetooth trackers.

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After 25W, Qi2 chases 50W wireless charging with the WPC at Xiaomi HQ

What you need to know

• Recently, the World Power Consortium held a Qi Off-Cycle meeting at Xiaomi's HQ in Beijing, China.
• Xiaomi and several more companies were there to discuss a new Qi2 charging standard: 50W.
• The major talks have concluded, but there's more work to be done, and it's been reported that Qi2 50W might not debut until 2028.

Times are changing, and it looks like the World Power Consortium (WPC) wants to upgrade Qi2 to match what consumers are looking for.

It was reported by ITHome (Chinese) that the WPC's Qi Off-Cycle meeting at Xiaomi's HQ in Beijing, China, was to discuss the future of the wireless charging standard (via 9to5Google). Specifically, Xiaomi is spearheading the future of Qi2 by chasing a 50W charging standard. The publication reports that Xiaomi is focused primarily on "small inductance, low voltage, high power solutions" (machine-translated). Each of these is said to directly influence safety/charging efficiency, coil module loss, and more.

In short, what this new 50W direction wants to solve is "high-powered wireless charging."

The publication states that the meeting featured Xiaomi, as well as "over 20 companies" that have been working alongside it and the WPC to advance the Qi2 wireless standard. The companies met in Beijing to talk about Qi2's 50W "interoperability verification" and to highlight the prototype testing stage. These companies have been encouraged to continue working together to push 50W through, so the market (and consumers) can see it in their future phones.

However, there's nothing official just yet. Right now, what Xiaomi and its partners have been working on is just the groundwork. It's been reported that following Xiaomi's partnerships with domestic companies, Qi2 50W could be a reality by 2028.

25W was almost a year ago

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Android Central's Take

It's all about giving users options, right? But if you see that wired charging is still the best route, why would you even look or think about a wireless charger? Xiaomi and its partners and other companies involved with the WPC and Qi2 see this issue and are actively working to solve it. It's pretty clear that this will take some time, but it's probably worth it.

Let's not forget that in July 2025, the WPC announced Qi2 v2.2.1. The version numbers equates to the wireless charging we have today: 25W. The WPC highlighted this new version as being "more powerful" than the original Qi2. A primary critique from consumers about wireless charging is its speeds. They're slow. The latest 25W version aimed to solve that, but it hasn't quite nailed that yet.

Charging speeds were previously stuck at 15W, and now they're 25W. However, if Xiaomi has anything to say about it, things won't stay there for long. It's not satisfied with 25W charging, and consumers aren't either. At the time, iPhones were among the first to bring this to its consumers, with Android makers adopting it soon after. There's a chance we'll see a similar occurrence whenever Qi2 50W arrives.

The WPC was also confident that even more Android phones would see Qi2, and that's thanks to Google and Samsung.

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Walmart just doubled the price of its cheapest Google TV stick, and you already know why

What you need to know

• Walmart has doubled the price of its cheapest Onn FHD Streaming Stick with Google TV, from $15 to $30.
• Logged-in Walmart users still see the old price, but anyone not signed in is already seeing the higher tag.
• Rising AI infrastructure demand is pushing up memory component costs, which is trickling down to budget devices.

Walmart makes some of the most affordable Google TV sticks under its Onn brand. But if you were planning to grab the company's cheapest streaming stick, you'll now have to pay double what it originally cost.

Walmart introduced the Onn FHD Streaming Stick with Google TV back in 2023 for just $15. The smart stick then pushed the price up to $20, but now, as spotted by 9to5Google, Walmart has bumped the Onn FHD Streaming Stick all the way up to $30.

As spotted by the publication, logged-in users are still seeing the original $15 price tag, but anyone not signed into a Walmart account is now seeing the $30 price. A similar thing happened with the mid-tier 4K Plus model first, so it's likely only a matter of time before the base variant sees a permanent increase as well.

(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

The move comes shortly after Apple raised prices on several of its devices, including the Apple TV. Walmart hasn't made any official statement, but the likely reason is the same one driving price increases across the industry: AI.

The push to build out AI data centers is driving up demand for memory components, which are also used in consumer tech hardware, and that's pushing component costs higher across the board. Since budget products already carry thin margins, it's natural for companies to pass those increased costs on to customers, and that appears to be exactly what's happening with Onn.

It's not the first time Walmart has raised prices on its streaming sticks, either. The Onn 4K Pro already costs $60, which is $10 more than the previous generation, while the Onn 4K Plus went from $30 to $40. Now the company's most affordable option is taking the same hit.

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