Tech News Wrap: Google's XR glasses, One UI 8.5 beta drops, Motorola's Fold could be real, and more

A round-up of the biggest tech-related news that stood out this week.

Google brings a useful Pixel 10 Pro Fold camera feature to Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Google finally brings its half-screen camera preview tool to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Google just made uninstalling system app updates more complicated

The change forces people to take extra steps to roll back updates that were once easy to remove.

The TOP 5 best Chromebook deals from Walmart's holiday sale - epic savings from ASUS, Lenovo, HP, and more

Walmart's Holiday sale has a bunch of great Chromebook deals right now, and these are the best of the bunch.

Does the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold support wireless charging?

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold has been confirmed by Samsung, but what about its wireless charging capability?

Spotify’s ‘Prompted Playlists’ lets you take more control of its algorithm

Spotify announced "Prompted Playlists," a feature in beta that places the user in control of its musical algorithm.

I went hands-on with the Galaxy Z TriFold at Dubai Mall — Samsung's tri-fold has a distinct advantage over the Huawei Mate XT, and the design is much better than I expected

Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold is ready to go on sale in select global markets, and I got to use it at the Dubai Mall of all places.

More Pixel 10a leaks suggest specs close to Google's last mid-range

Google's Pixel 10a reportedly leaked after cell service certification, suggesting specifications similar to its past-gen mid-range.

Instagram hands you the keys to control 'Your Algorithm' in Reels, plans to expand

Instagram announced "Your Algorithm" for U.S.-based users, helping them control the content the platform's AI thinks they want to see.

Android's Emergency Live Video shares crucial visual info with first responders

Android is launching an Emergency Live Video feature that lets users securely stream their camera feed to first responders with a single tap.

Samsung looks ready to commit to Qi2 with a full magnetic accessory lineup for the S26 series

The leak shows carbon fiber, silicone, and clear magnetic cases, plus an unusual dual-magnet holder ring.

New details about Android's NameDrop alternative surface with bright animations

Google is rumored to have an alternative to Apple's NameDrop in the works, and the latest leaks showcased its animations.

Infinix made an ultra-thin entry-level phone, and it has a 5,160mAh battery: The Hot 60 Pro+ is just 6mm, gets the basics right, and it costs just $200

The Hot 60 Pro+ is the thinnest entry-level phone around.

Pixel 10's unofficial Pixel Stand support vanishes after the December update

Pixel 10 users are seeing alignment and compatibility errors on the Pixel Stand following the Android 16 QPR2 update.

The Wear OS ecosystem shrinks even further as TicWatches vanish from stores and Mobvoi pivots to AI

First, Fossil gave up smartwatches for basic watches; now, this well-known Android smartwatch brand has stopped selling them, pivoting to AI tech.

When is the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold release date?

Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold is launching very soon in one market, but release dates for other markets are less clear. Here's what you need to know.

I tested the iQOO 15: It is the ideal POCO F8 Ultra rival, and it has a major advantage

The iQOO 15 has huge upgrades this year, but it also comes with a huge price tag.

Gemini's refresh: Unveiling the new 'My Stuff' folder for seamless user navigation

Google transformed its Gemini web interface, introducing a sleek dark theme and a user-friendly "My Stuff" folder.

If you want your 2026 fitness goals to succeed, you'll start them now

I finished most of my New Year's resolutions in 2025, and I have five simple suggestions for how you can pull off yours in 2026.

Gemini 3 Deep Think is Google's 'most advanced reasoning feature' — and it's available now

Gemini 3 Deep Think is Google's smartest AI model yet, and it's now available in the Gemini app for Google AI Ultra subscribers.

Google Antigravity's rate limits are changing amid 'incredible' demand

Google is giving priority access for subscribers to Antigravity, the agent-based IDE built on Gemini 3. Free users are getting higher rate limits, too.

Leak claims Honor's next mid-range could have a mammoth-sized battery

A report highlighted an upcoming Honor mid-range that could rock an incredible upgrade for its battery capacity.

Tech News Wrap: Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is officially coming, Google unlocked new Android features, Netflix plans Warner Bros. takeover, and more

This week, Samsung finally shows off its Galaxy Z TriFold, Google Pixel and Android users get useful features, Netflix acquires Warner Bros. in a massive $83 billion deal, intel on Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and One UI 8.5 update leaked in full.

Xiaomi's trifold might've just shown up the same week Samsung had the spotlight

Xiaomi's trifold is still—allegedly—in the cards after it supposedly appeared in a database.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 finally gets its big One UI 8 upgrade in the US

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 finally catches up with Wear OS 6.

Pixel 10 users say the December update is messing with the always-on display

Pixel 10's latest update is making the always-on display… not so always-on.

I compared the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 to the Snapdragon 8 Elite, Tensor G5, and Dimensity 9500

I used all flagships this year, and I put Qualcomm and MediaTek's latest to the test to see which comes out ahead.

Meta just stole two of Apple's biggest lead designers, and the implications for VR, smart glasses, and AI are absolutely enormous

Two legendary designers at Apple are jumping ship and heading to lead Meta's Reality Labs design team, marking the beginning of a new chapter for Meta.

Samsung's next major One UI 8.5 update just leaked in full

Samsung's next update adds new Galaxy AI tools, a customizable Quick Settings panel, faster Quick Share, and smarter lock screen layouts.

Here's why the POCO F8 Ultra isn't coming to India

The F8 Ultra is POCO's best phone yet, but there's a problem: the brand isn't bringing the device to India, its biggest overseas market. I dug around, and this is why the F8 Ultra isn't launching in India.

OnePlus 15 finally has a US pre-order date, and the freebies are pretty wild

OnePlus has confirmed that US pre-orders for the OnePlus 15 will start on December 4, accompanied by some surprisingly big freebies.

Nothing dips into the weird and wonderful with its Phone 3a Community Edition

Nothing has announced when consumers can expect its Phone 3a Community Edition phone to launch.

Garmin's 'Year in Review' report shows whether you're better than other athletes for steps, Body Battery, and more

Garmin's 2025 report reveals the fastest-growing sports, most stress-free countries, and how your stats compare to others.

Google's December update boosts Pixel security and fixes 33 bugs

Google launched a critical security patch for Pixel users, addressing 33 vulnerabilities and enhancing UI performance.

This feature phone for kids has one rule — no social media

This new kid-friendly “feature phone” skips TikTok and Instagram entirely, and that’s the point.

What we know about Motorola's upcoming Swarovski Crystal Edge 70

Motorola was rumored to collaborate on a crystal edition for its recent Edge 70.

The best Galaxy S25 Ultra Black Friday deal IS LIVE AGAIN for Cyber Monday! Get $560 off and a free 512GB storage upgrade

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is one of the best phones this year, and now back at its all-time lowest price for Cyber Monday!

Netflix is killing Chromecast support, with casting removed on many devices

Casting from Netflix's mobile apps will now work only on older Chromecasts without remotes.

This security camera has local storage AND a solar panel — you'll never have to plug it in, and it gets a huge discount during Cyber Monday

Baseus has a security camera that's actually good, and you can now get it at just $89.