Honor Magic 9 Pro Max goes official with 8,800 mAh battery, ARRI cameras, Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
https://9to5google.com/2026/09/28/honor-magic-9-pro-max-battery-arri-cameras-official-specs/

https://redd.it/1wsj174
@reddit_android

Brilliant battery life, incredible camera: Redmi Note 17 Pro 5G smartphone review
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Brilliant-battery-life-incredible-camera-Redmi-Note-17-Pro-5G-smartphone-review.1415600.0.html

https://redd.it/1wyui83
@reddit_android

Samsung raises prices of cheaper Galaxy phones in the US
https://www.sammobile.com/news/cheaper-galaxy-phones-price-hiked-usa/

https://redd.it/1wyjm7p
@reddit_android

Xiaomi Pad 8 is awesome

I am really, really enjoying this thing. I have an S25 Plus, but I wanted something bigger and the Samsung S11 was way too expensive, so I ended up settling on the Xiaomi Pad 8 and it really does tick all the boxes.

While it would be great if it would sync with Samsung Reminders and if I could get my calls on my tablet, but text messages and video calls are plenty. It's able to sync Samsung Browser and Google Chrome. It's able to download all my mod patched apps.

I always doubted whether I would use a tablet or not, but I use it so much more than my computer now. If you're on the fence about getting a tablet, I highly recommend it. Even though the screen isn't as nice as my S25 Plus, having a big screen outweighs those differences.

https://redd.it/1wyg4os
@reddit_android

Oppo F35 and F35 Pro debut with 8,000mAh batteries and 50MP selfie cameras
https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_f35_and_f35_pro_debut_with_8000mah_batteries_and_50mp_selfie_cameras-news-74898.php

https://redd.it/1wyyetl
@reddit_android

Any chance that Googlebook OS becomes one with pixel desktop mode or integrates into Dex?

Sorry if this has been mentioned before but I did not see anything. When I saw googlebook first announced my mind instantly went to the OS being built on top of android and not the concept of a google laptop. If phones running android can run the entire googlebook interface I feel like this would be a game changer. I use Dex all the time but its still not perfect and lacks some basic things that make it truly feel like a desktop OS. The other thing holding dex back is lack of apps with a true desktop interface which googlebook may actually help push. I dont care about the laptops yet personally but if it can be integrated into pixel phones or any android phones I just think this would be such a win. Do you see anything like this happening or has google stated this will remain a totally separate branch of android development never to mix?

https://redd.it/1wy17dx
@reddit_android

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max Review: Great Phone, but at what cost?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqVmljwp6Ec&feature=youtu.be

https://redd.it/1wz0mxx
@reddit_android

I built SkyCount, a free offline Skyjo score tracker for Android

Hi everyone, I’m the developer of SkyCount, a small Android app for keeping score while playing the physical card game Skyjo

The idea is simple: between rounds, everyone wants to get back to playing, but there are still scores to write down and totals to calculate. SkyCount handles that part so you can keep the game moving

You create a game with 2–8 players, enter everyone’s scores after each round, and the app updates the totals and standings automatically. Negative scores are supported, and the lowest total leads

A few things it includes:

Custom player names, player order, and target score
A built-in number pad for quick score entry
Live rankings and a cumulative score chart
Editing or undoing the latest round
Saved game history and rematches with the same players
Light and dark themes

It’s free, works offline, and has no ads, analytics, or account requirement. Game data stays on your device. It supports English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian

SkyCount on Google Play

If you play Skyjo, I’d appreciate hearing how it fits into your game nights, especially whether entering scores feels quick enough between rounds. Happy to answer questions here

https://redd.it/1wybsyn
@reddit_android

Vivo V80 debuts with a 6.59-inch display, a 7,200mAh battery
https://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_v80_debuts_with_a_659inch_display_a_7200mah_battery-news-74919.php

https://redd.it/1wz3fd3
@reddit_android

Crippling the background apps is a danger to human life and must be stopped

In short,


I use an app to remind me when to take my medication. It worked fine on my mid-range Samsung phone, but I decided to get a Vivo, and the app notifications never arrive.


Yesterday, I forgot to take my daily dose because of the killing of background activities and while I am at work I became very dizzy and fell on my head, not to mention the production stoppage for a period of time, and the way my colleagues looked.


That thing must be stopped now
Also, Is it possible to file a lawsuit in the 1st world regarding this since It's impossible in the 3rd world?

https://redd.it/1wxajub
@reddit_android

Googlebook's Android-integrated features won't work with Samsung phones at launch
https://9to5google.com/2026/10/06/googlebook-android-sync-features-samsung-delay/

https://redd.it/1wz6bm8
@reddit_android

Googlebooks don't have the same web app or Linux app support as Chromebooks
https://9to5google.com/2026/10/06/googlebook-linux-web-app-support-chromebook/

https://redd.it/1wz75ie
@reddit_android

Google Pixel Update - October 2026
https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/471669543/google-pixel-update-october-2026?hl=en&sjid=14934044389570124299-NC

https://redd.it/1wza3xh
@reddit_android

Google Messages could soon lose the ability to force SMS/MMS instead of RCS for each contact
https://www.androidauthority.com/messages-rcs-disable-3719799/

https://redd.it/1wzcum3
@reddit_android

Our first five impressions of Googlebooks - exciting but underbaked
https://www.theverge.com/tech/1005745/google-googlebook-android-laptops-dell-acer-asus-lenovo-hp-impressions

https://redd.it/1wzapax
@reddit_android

Android 17 QPR3 beta code hints that Google could soon solve Pixel's biggest face unlock flaw in low light with Face Active Illumination
https://www.androidauthority.com/google-pixel-face-active-illumination-apk-teardown-3719647

https://redd.it/1wz788i
@reddit_android

Samsung is deliberately crippling Linux/AVF support on its phones, and I’m honestly tired of it

I’m genuinely frustrated with Samsung’s approach to Android’s Android Virtualization Framework (AVF) and the new Linux Terminal. I recently bought a Galaxy F56 (Exynos 1480, One UI 8.5 / Android 16) specifically expecting that Android 16’s Linux/virtualization capabilities would be something I could actually use. Instead, after checking the device through ADB, it appears that Samsung simply hasn’t included the necessary components on this phone. I checked:
```
adb shell pm list packages | grep -E 'virtualization|microdroid|avf'
```

Nothing.
```
adb shell pm list features | grep -i virt
```

Nothing.
```
adb shell ls -l /dev/kvm
```

Result:
```
/dev/kvm: No such file or directory
```

And:
```
adb shell cmd virtualizationservice help
```

returns: Can't find service: virtualizationservice

The Samsung Linux Terminal package itself is also completely absent: Unknown package: com.android.virtualization.terminal So this isn't simply a case of Samsung hiding an app or forgetting to add a launcher shortcut. The underlying virtualization infrastructure doesn't appear to be present on my phone's stock firmware either. And that's what annoys me. Android itself has been moving toward proper virtualization with AVF, Microdroid, protected VMs, etc. Android 16 makes the Linux Terminal increasingly useful. Some Galaxy devices get the functionality, while other Samsung phones running essentially the same Android generation and One UI version don't. Why? If the hardware and Android platform are capable of supporting virtualization, why should Samsung decide that a particular phone simply doesn't get it?

I'm not asking Samsung to give a ₹20,000 phone every feature of a flagship. I'm asking for software capabilities that are already part of the Android platform to not be arbitrarily crippled or omitted. Samsung already has a huge history of limiting software features by device and region, but virtualization is particularly frustrating because it has enormous potential for:

* Linux development

* Running isolated

* Linux environments

* Developer/testing workloads

* Security research

* Container/VM experimentation

* Android development

* Education

* General power-user use

And Android's Linux Terminal could have turned a modern Samsung phone into a genuinely useful portable Linux development machine. Instead, on my F56, I'm apparently back to Termux + proot if I want Linux userspace. That's useful, but it isn't equivalent to having a proper VM backed by hardware virtualization. What makes this even more frustrating is that Samsung's own ecosystem is increasingly marketed toward developers and power users, while capabilities like this are being selectively withheld. Samsung: if AVF isn't supported because of a genuine hardware limitation, explain it. If there is a technical limitation, explain it. But if the hardware is capable and you're simply choosing not to ship the necessary components, please stop pretending that One UI's Android 16 features are universally available. At minimum, Samsung should publish a clear list of which Galaxy devices support AVF/Linux Terminal and why others don't. I bought an Android phone, not a phone where Samsung decides which parts of Android I'm allowed to use. Has anyone else checked their Galaxy device with ADB to see whether /dev/kvm, virtualizationservice, and the AVF packages are actually present?

https://redd.it/1wxb4tf
@reddit_android