Just yesterday, I was putting together a guide to the best Google Pixel 10 deals on the web, and I remember being disappointed that Mint Mobile wasn't running any kind of promotion on the flagship phones. Fortunately, my prayers were answered overnight, as the T-Mobile-owned wireless carrier is now running one of the best Pixel 10 promotions I've ever seen.
For a limited time, if you bundle the purchase of the Pixel 10 with one year of the Unlimited plan, Mint will give you $650 off the phone AND 50% off the wireless. That means you're getting a full 12 months of unlimited talk, text, and data alongside a powerful Android phone for a single payment of $329 (or $28/month if you use affirm). It's as simple as that.
There's a bit of urgency here, however. With the arrival of the Google Pixel 11 series slated for August 12th, Mint Mobile can't have that many Pixel 10 phones left in stock. In other words, once this deal sells out, it's gone for good. Don't wait too long if you're interested.
If you want a powerful Android phone with a bounty of useful features and years of guaranteed software support, look no further than the Google Pixel 10.
New Mint Mobile customers who purchase the phone alongside one year of the Unlimited plan will get a whopping $650 off the phone and 50% off the wireless, dropping the price of your total transaction down to only $329. That represents $830 of total savings, and all you have to do is hit that Add to Cart button. View Deal
The Google Pixel 10 is a sophisticated flagship phone with a lovely OLED 120Hz display, endlessly versatile and fun-to-use camera tech, and an upgraded battery with lightning-fast charging. The Google Tensor G5 chipset will handle just about any task you throw at it, while the seven guaranteed software updates ensure that your phone will feel cutting-edge for many years to come.
So what's the catch?
If you're looking for a new wireless carrier, there are honestly very few drawbacks with this deal. Unlike some carrier deals, which involve so many eligibility requirements that it hardly feels worth it, with Mint Mobile's deals, what you see is what you get.
Sure, you have to pay for some wireless to get the discounted phone, but it shakes out to only $15 per month for one of our favorite unlimited plans around. You get talk, text, and data on T-Mobile's vast network, in addition to a mobile hotspot and free calls to Mexico, Canada, and the UK.
And come on, think about how nice it would be to drop a single payment today and not think about your phone bill again until mid-2027.
I will note that this Google Pixel 10 deal is exclusive to new Mint Mobile customers, and the carrier only has the 128GB configuration of the phone left in stock. If you need lots of bells and whistles with your phone plan, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you simply want some reliable wireless and a great new phone for as cheap as possible, this Google Pixel 10 promotion is worth jumping on ASAP.
I attend a lot of product briefings and meetings, and that's particularly true now as we're once again heading into phone silly season. Normally, I just attend the briefing, take notes, and write up any salient points. If I'm conducting an interview — like the one about Arm's neural gaming tech — I usually record the audio and transcribe manually. That's what takes the most amount of time, and in the last six months, I used an AI-assisted solution: Viaim's RecDot earbuds.
Now, there's no shortage of AI-assisted audio-to-text transcribing services available, and you can do it on your phone as well; this is one of the things I use the most on my Pixel 10 Pro XL. Viaim is one of many brands that are positioning AI-based products to do this automatically. I used Plaud Note in the past to do something similar, but I like the idea of the Viaim RecDot better as it isn't another thing I have to carry.
The versatility of having earbuds that record calls and meetings and automatically transcribe audio is a big deal, and it made a noticeable difference in my daily use. My favorite feature is Instant Summaries, which provides insights and key takeaways from hours-long meetings; this saved me a decent chunk of time.
A pretty cool addition is FlashRecord, a feature that records conversations up to four hours locally on the buds without needing your phone. You can also record when you're not wearing the buds by pressing a button on the case. There's also an AI-assisted translation feature, and it provides real-time translations. The RecDot did a decent job with Hindi to English translations, but it didn't hold up anywhere as well with Telugu (my native language) to English. That said, the buds have the ability to translate between 78 languages, and that's a cool use case if you're traveling abroad.
The RecDot earbuds are available for $199, and while that's quite a lot of cash, you are getting decent earbuds even outside of the AI features. The buds have a standard design with a lengthy stalk, and they don't really stand out. They have a glossy coat and the shell nuzzles into the ear comfortably, and I didn't see any fatigue even with extended use. At 4.8g, each bud is light enough that you won't even notice it.
There are other niceties; the RecDot gets IP55 dust and water resistance, and sound quality from the 11mm dynamic driver is much better than I imagined; it's not going to overthrow Bose or Sony, but it's clear that Viaim paid attention to the audio tuning. You get a boosted low-end that makes listening to most modern music that much more enjoyable, and while there isn't much extension to the treble, the overall tonal characteristics are decent. You get Qi charging, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and the buds connect to two devices at once.
There's pretty good noise isolation too, and the RecDot did a reasonable job tuning out ambient sounds in my immediate vicinity. Again, while they weren't as effective as my Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 earbuds, they're good enough that I wouldn't mind using the buds while working at a cafe. You don't get AptX codecs, but there's LHDC, which made a difference while using with my Find X9 Ultra and X9 Pro.
The Viaim app is what you'll be using to generate summaries and transcribe audio, and it's decent enough. I had issues where it crashed while using it on the Find X9 Ultra, but I didn't run into problems on the iPhone 17 Pro, so that's what I used predominantly with the buds. The UI itself is easy to navigate, and you get all the notes and transcribed text easily accessible.
On the whole, Viaim did a good job with the RecDot, and if you attend a lot of meetings and need an easy way to transcribe and summarize key takeaways, these earbuds are a great option.
Viaim RecDot
The RecDot uses AI to good effect, delivering actionable insights from meetings and lectures. The earbuds are pretty good in their own right, and you get decent audio quality and a lot of the extras that are standard in this category.
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
In Hardwired, AC Senior Editor Harish Jonnalagadda delves into all things hardware, including phones, audio products, storage servers, and networking gear.
WiiM has consistently delivered great products over the last two years, and while it started out with amps, it is branching out into home audio, and that's exciting. The WiiM Amp Ultra sits at the center of my home theater system, and it does a great job paired to my Wharfedale Linton. I use the WiiM Pro Plus daily, and it continues to be the ideal way to connect older stereo gear to the internet. Similarly, the WiiM Sub Pro is an interesting addition that ties in really well with existing stereo systems if you need to add a subwoofer.
Then there's the WiiM Sound. I've been using it for the last six months, and it has proven to be the perfect smart speaker. It sounds much better than the Nest Audio, the stereo sound is much more detailed than the Sonos Era 100, and its connectivity is unmatched. There are plenty of other features that I'll get into below, but if you need a great-sounding stereo speaker with Google Assistant and Alexa integration, this is the one I'd get in 2026. And coming in at $299, it doesn't cost much more than the equivalent Sonos while giving you so much more.
While convenience is always high up on the list when considering a smart speaker, I care about sound quality above all else, and the WiiM Sound does well in this area. The speaker has a 4-inch woofer alongside two 1-inch silk-dome tweeters, and it delivers 100W of sound with plenty of detail. I would've liked a bit more rumble to the bass, but it is tightly controlled, and the mids are clean, with vocals shining through. Audio quality is better than what you get with Amazon, Google, and Sonos in this category.
Where the Sound truly stands out is the connectivity. It has Google Cast, Spotify Connect, DLNA, Tidal Connect, and Roon Ready integration. Additionally, you can easily connect it existing multi-room audio systems if you use Google Cast or Alexa.
You can get two units and create a true stereo pair, and if you need a 2.1 system that has much better bass, you can connect it to the $449 WiiM Sub Pro like I did. Rounding out the connectivity, you get Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm aux in, and Ethernet, so there isn't much missing anything in this area.
This flexibility is a key selling point of WiiM products in general, and with the brand rolling out a soundbar — dubbed the WiiM Bar — soon, you can use the Sound as a rear surround or center channel in a home theater configuration. The Sound has 24-bit/192 kHz playback, and combined with Roon integration, you get the easiest way to stream your local music library — that's how I've been using it in the last six months.
The WiiM Sound connects via the WiiM Home app, and it has a modern interface with an exhaustive amount of customizability. It does a great job bringing together all of your media streaming platforms, and it's just a joy to use. Setting it up takes just a matter of minutes, and if you don't like the way it sounds, you can easily tweak the EQ.
Design is another area where WiiM is doing the right things; the Sound has a modern aesthetic that resembles the HomePod 2, but it includes a 1.8-inch panel up front that lets you control the speaker without pulling out your phone. I use it as a clock, but you can customize it to show album art, and you can change the settings. There's also a top portion with playback controls.
There's a $229 WiiM Sound Lite as well, and the only difference is that it doesn't have the front panel, and you don't get the Bluetooth WiiM Voice Remote 2 Lite. If you're looking to maximize value, the Sound Lite is the one I'd buy.
I have a half-dozen WiiM products at this point, and a big reason why I use the brand's audio gear is because of the connectivity and easy configurability. Value also plays a big part, and while the Sound costs $299, you're getting a feature-set that far exceeds what other products deliver in this category. If anything, the only feature omission is AirPlay; this was an issue on the Amp Ultra as well.
Outside of that, the WiiM Sound does everything I want in a smart speaker. It looks great, connects to every music platform and digital assistant I use, has decent sound, and is highly configurable. If you're looking to get a new Cast-enabled speaker or want something to extend your multi-room audio setup, the WiiM Sound should be your go-to choice.
WiiM
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The WiiM Sound is the ideal smart speaker in 2026; it has Google Cast and Alexa, you get good built-in sound, and you can extend it with a subwoofer.
The Google Pixel 10 series includes three flagship phones — the base model Pixel 10, the Pixel 10 Pro, and the large Pixel 10 Pro XL. Regardless of which device you choose, there are plenty of deals that could make these AI-boosted Android phones dirt cheap (or even free) if you play your cards right, and I've dropped a selection of this month's best offers below.
The deals on display for July 2026 range from simple no-strings discounts to incredible trade-in opportunities and carrier promotions. Didn't find anything today? Check back later to see what's new: with the launch of the Pixel 11 lineup just around the corner, deals on last year's model are certain to get even more impressive in the coming weeks. So what are we waiting for? Let's jump right in.
Add a line with "most plans" at T-Mobile and you'll get enough promo credits to make the base model Google Pixel 10 completely free! Eligible data plans range from T-Mo's budget Better Value plan to the comprehensive Experience Beyond plan. View Deal
Buy the 128GB Pixel 10 unlocked from Amazon and you'll score a straight $200 off your purchase, no strings attached. You can also score up to $590 of additional credit (in the form of an Amazon gift card) when you trade in an old or broken phone. View Deal
Add a line with any unlimited plan at AT&T and the carrier will drop the price of the Google Pixel 10 down to just $10.99 per month, no trade-in required!View Deal
Add a line with Boost Mobile's Unlimited Premium plan and the popular MVNO carrier will give you $500 off the Google Pixel 10, no trade-in requiredView Deal
Add a line with the Experience Beyond plan and T-Mobile will give you $999 in promo credits over 24 months, making the powerful Google Pixel 10 Pro completely free. If you don't need all of the bells and whistles included in the Experience Beyond plan, you can also add a line with most plans to score $800 off the phone. View Deal
Add a line with Verizon's Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plan and you'll get enough promo credits to make the excellent Pixel 10 Pro completely free. There's also some trade-in credit up for grabs if you'd rather go that route. View Deal
Buy the Google Pixel 10 Pro (128GB) from Amazon today and you'll receive a straight 30% off your purchase. Just keep in mind that this discount is only available for the Obsidian variant of the phone. View Deal
Add a line with an eligible unlimited plan and AT&T will give you a free Pixel 10 Pro when you trade in ANY Google phone, regardless of age or condition. View Deal
Add a line with the Unlimited Plan and Boost Mobile will carve $600 off the price of the Google Pixel 10 Pro, knocking the phone down to just $399.99 (plus the price of the wireless).View Deal
Similar to the other deals on this list, you can score $1,000 off the Pixel 10 Pro XL when you add a line with the Experience Beyond plan on T-Mobile's site. Alternatively, you can save $800 with most plans through the carrier.View Deal
Add a line with Verizon's comprehensive Unlimited Ultimate plan and you'll get $1,019.99 in promo credits over 36 months, knocking the price of the Pixel 10 Pro XL down to just $5 per month. View Deal
Buy the super-sized Pixel 10 Pro XL from Amazon and you'll score a straight $250 off your purchase, depending on the color and storage configuration. According to the retailer, stock appears to be low, so don't wait too long if you're interested.View Deal
Add a line with an eligible unlimited plan and AT&T will give you up to $1,249.99 in promo credits when you send in an old or broken device on the carrier's website. View Deal
Just like Amazon, Best Buy is shaving a nice $250 off the unlocked Google Pixel 10 Pro XL for a limited time, knocking the price of the 256GB phone down to $949. View Deal
New and existing Boost Mobile customers who add line with the Unlimited Premium plan will get $700 off the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, no trade-in required. View Deal
FAQ
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
When does the Google Pixel 11 come out?
Although we don't know much for certain, recent leaks and rumors about the Google Pixel 11 series have left very little to the imagination. That said, Google has officially announced that the next Made by Google event will be held on August 12th at 6pm EST, which means we're likely to get our first look at the Pixel 11 lineup on that date.
How much does the Google Pixel 10 cost?
The Google Pixel 10 starts at $799 for the 128GB version, while the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL start at $999 (128GB) and $1,199 (256GB), respectively. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the base model Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro both kept the same starting price as their Pixel 9 counterparts, which feels somewhat unusual in a time of widespread price increases on tech. The Pixel 10 Pro XL, on the other hand, did receive a $100 price hike while removing the 128GB storage option.
If you want something affordable, it's also worth mentioning that the Google Pixel 10a is an option for budget-minded consumers, retailing for just $499. There's also the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which is a premium foldable phone that starts at a hefty $1,799.
Which Google Pixel 10 should I buy?
It depends on what you're looking for in a smartphone. All three devices in the flagship lineup will give you ultra-efficient performance with powerful cameras and a bunch of fun AI features, but that doesn't mean that all three of the devices are made equal.
Starting at $799, the Google Pixel 10 will give you the perfect entry-level experience, with a 6.3-inch OLED display, 12GB of RAM, and a long-lasting 4,970mAh battery. If you need a bit more power, you can upgrade to the Pixel 10 Pro and receive 16GB of RAM, better camera tech, and up to 1TB of storage. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is very similar to the standard Pixel 10 Pro, you just get a larger 6.8-inch Super Actua OLED display with a considerable boost in battery size.
No matter which Google Pixel 10 model you choose, all three devices boast the Tensor G5 chipset with a ton of AI-boosted software features and seven years of software support guaranteed. Check the table below for some more granular info on the flagship series.
Google Images celebrates 25 years, and it's rolling out a new "immersive, browseable gallery" in July.
Users will find a gallery in Images that updates in real-time based on their interests, with an added option to save content into "Collections."
AI Overviews receives Nano Banana, meaning users can ask the AI to generate images based on their prompt.
This week marks 25 years of Google Images, a part of the company's search experience that's often overlooked. That's changing with a complete redesign that updates in real-time.
Today (July 14), Google is celebrating 25 years of its image search experience with an update that's going to change the game. The company is starting to roll out a complete redesign of Images, calling it a "brand new browseable home." In a way, Google Images looks inspired by Keep or the Photos app. Users will find images spread out, almost like a collage. Google says this "dynamic, immersive gallery" will still display results from across the web.
However, it will also "update in real-time, intelligently tailored to your unique interests." Google Images features a series of tabs right above its results. These tabs go beyond hopping between other Google-related results. Users will find "Saves and For You" tabs. The first influences the rest: users can save photos they find on Google Images to a "Collection" and name it.
Your Collections will appear beside the For You, so you can "jump back in and continue exploring based on what inspires you." This redesign for Google Images will roll out over the next few weeks for English desktop users in the U.S. Users are encouraged to sign in to their Google Account once it arrives.
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The second update brings AI Overviews into the mix. Google says this update is for users who "have a highly specific vision where an image doesn’t yet exist." Google's Nano Banana brings its image generation capabilities directly into AI Overviews. Text prompts telling the AI to "create a visual" or "help me visualize" will produce "high-quality, custom visuals." The top of your AI Overview will show the generated photo, along with a few ways to tell the bot to tweak it.
Moreover, Google Images will appear beneath it with a few real-world examples that fit your prompt to help.
25 years of Image Search
(Image credit: Google)
Since this is a birthday bash, Google is walking back 25 years, back to where its image search started. The company recalled an update in 2001 after Jennifer Lopez's captivating green Versace dress stunned the world a year prior. Google said, "People didn’t just want to read about the dress — they wanted to see it. So in July 2001, we launched Google Images, making it possible for the first time to search and instantly explore visual content from across the web."
Eight years later, in 2009, Similar Images debuted. Web searches can often turn up results that you're not interested in. With "find similar images," users could ensure they got the results they wanted (i.e., bow and arrows, not a hair bow). Circle to Search in 2024 was a major milestone for Google after Lens took over in 2018 (then multi-search for Lens in 2022). Now, in 2026, Google has relied on its "intelligent search box" to help carry user queries for text-based and image searches.
Android Central's Take
I don't use Google Images that often. It's been like that for years. I use it occasionally for looking up cities in different countries, or for snapshots of movies. Google's trying to change that. This update makes Google Images a better assistant for inspiration or ideas if you're going to travel. The real-time updating aspect is another important aspect of this new sentiment that looks pretty good. Here's to another 25, Google Images.
Opera says its monthly active users on Android grew 66% in the UK and 40% in the US year over year in Q2.
Opera credits its growth to features Chrome lacks out of the box, like a free VPN, ad blocker, and built-in AI tools.
The company says its European momentum has continued following the EU's Digital Markets Act, boosting both new users and retention.
Chrome may come preinstalled on almost every Android phone, but Opera says more users are actively choosing its browser instead.
Google has been working hard to add more and more features to Chrome on Android. We recently saw Chrome rolling out Gemini features to more countries, but it seems that still isn't enough to keep everyone on board. As it turns out, more and more users are switching to, or at least trying, third-party browsers, including Opera.
In its latest report, Opera says a growing number of users are making the move to its browser. According to the company, monthly active users of Opera on Android grew 66% in the U.K. and 40% in the U.S. year over year in the second quarter this year, suggesting that plenty of people are looking beyond the default browser on their phones.
More people are ditching Chrome than you'd think
(Image credit: Opera)
The company says this isn't limited to the U.S. and U.K. either. Opera reports that its momentum across Europe has continued following the European Union's Digital Markets Act. It also notes that this isn't just about acquiring new users, but retaining them too, thanks to the kind of features Opera offers on Android.
The company credits its growth to features Chrome doesn't offer out of the box, including a free unlimited VPN, a built-in ad blocker, AI tools, and more.
Opera also says recent additions, like a dedicated football hub on its Android browser, have made it easier for users to check World Cup stats and details, which is bringing even more people to its browser.
Android Central's Take
I'm still firmly a Chrome-first user on my Pixel 10 Pro, but I've been giving Opera a shot over the past few months, and it's become my go-to second browser, if you will. Do you use different browsers for different tasks on your Android phone? Let us know in the comments below.
Google is rolling out AI labels for ads across Search, YouTube, and Discover to make AI-generated or AI-edited advertising more transparent.
The new "Created or edited with AI" disclosure appears in My Ad Center under the new "How this ad was made" section, with the rollout happening globally.
Ads made with Google's AI tools are labeled automatically, while advertisers using third-party AI tools must disclose AI use themselves.
Google is finally adding another layer of transparency to AI-generated advertising, giving people a better idea of when the ads they're seeing were created or edited with artificial intelligence.
The company announced in a blog post that ads across Google Search, YouTube, and Discover will now feature a new disclosure in My Ad Center that says “Created or edited with AI.”
To see it, tap the three-dot menu or info icon on an ad and go to the new “How this ad was made” section, which explains whether AI was used to create the ad. Google says the rollout is happening worldwide.
The labels work differently depending on how the ad was created. If advertisers use Google’s own generative AI tools, the disclosure will be automatically added by the company.
(Image credit: Google)
However, if they use third-party AI tools, they are expected to self-report by manually applying the label. In some markets those disclosures might even show up directly on the ad, rather than tucked away in the information panel.
Android Central's Take
Personally I’m glad Google is pushing for more transparency because AI-generated ads aren’t going away anytime soon, and users deserve to know when they’re looking at machine-made content. This additional context can help people make better-informed decisions, rather than taking polished marketing at face value. But I can't stop rolling my eyes at the fact that these labels are buried behind yet another menu and that third-party AI disclosures are mostly contingent on advertisers telling the truth. That sounds good in theory, but the internet hasn't exactly made a reputation for itself on the honor system. If Google wants to really build trust with users, it should make AI labels unmissable, not optional detective work.
Google says the update aims to help users better understand the content they’re seeing and give advertisers clear tools to meet evolving transparency standards.
The company has already made disclosures mandatory for digitally altered political ads and has broadened technologies such as SynthID and C2PA to help improve AI content identification. The broader rollout takes these transparency efforts beyond election ads and into everyday commercial campaigns.
That said, the system isn't foolproof. Only content created with Google’s AI products is automatically labeled; everything else is up to advertisers being honest about their use of AI. That leaves room for bad actors to slip through unless Google develops stronger detection methods down the road.
