Brady Snyder
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Articles by Brady Snyder
I ignored this Google Pixel feature until it caught the app eating my battery
Smartphones have advertised battery life estimates, but it's impossible for a single number to reflect real-world runtime. The biggest variable isn't the size of your phone's battery or the efficiency of its operating system, it's your usage habits. Phone manufacturers can optimize an OS for a device's battery capacity, but they can't predict how each and every buyer will use their phone.
I thought the Pixel 11's Magic Capture would be perfect for concerts. I was wrong
Brady Snyder / Android Authority I’ve been using the Google Pixel 11 series for well over a month now, but Magic Capture was the one feature that caught my eye before I even held the new phones. Google’s reputation for delivering incredible Pixel camera experiences through software features is proven — Add Me, Auto Best Take, and Camera Coach are recent examples. Many of these camera modes, however, become something you try once or twice and then proceed to forget about.
Google has officially turned these Nest thermostats back into dumb thermostats
A basic thermostat can manage your home's heating, ventilation, and cooling system for decades without requiring replacement. By comparison, smart home accessories have a finite lifespan. Accessories that rely on battery power will be in trouble when their batteries degrade. Similarly, gadgets that rely on the cloud for internet-connected features have an expiration date that'll come when those cloud servers inevitably shut down.
I deleted these 29 apps from One UI 9 on my Samsung phone and freed up 13.15GB of storage
As a reviewer, my three eSIMs fly in and out of review units throughout the year. That said, I always buy an iPhone and Android phone for personal use. For the foreseeable future, that Android phone is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8. I took advantage of a fantastic carrier deal that locks me into keeping the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for the next three years, and I'm completely fine with that. But before this Samsung foldable becomes my daily driver, I need to clean up One UI 9.
I deleted these 29 apps from One UI 9 on my Samsung phone and freed up 13.15GB of storage
As a reviewer, my three eSIMs fly in and out of review units throughout the year. That said, I always buy an iPhone and Android phone for personal use. For the foreseeable future, that Android phone is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8. I took advantage of a fantastic carrier deal that locks me into keeping the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for the next three years, and I'm completely fine with that. But before this Samsung foldable becomes my daily driver, I need to clean up One UI 9.
I deleted these 29 apps from One UI 9 on my Samsung phone and freed up 13.15GB of storage
14 hours ago Cell service isn’t rocket ships or flying cars, but it could be a booming business for SpaceX. Today, I’m talking with Walter Piecyk, a partner and analyst at LightShed Partners who covers tech, media, and telecom, about SpaceX’s recently announced plan to become a major wireless carrier. Last week, …
I didn't realize the thing protecting my speakers was also ruining their sound
Both consumer- and audiophile-grade speakers often ship with speaker grilles that can be kept on or removed, but which is best for sound quality? Truthfully, it depends. Some speakers are designed to be used with their included grilles, and have been tuned to compensate for their impact on frequency response. Other speakers, like subwoofers, only produce low-frequency sound waves that aren't affected by speaker grilles at all.
The one missing feature that stopped me from buying a Fitbit Edge
As a reluctant smartwatch user that only puts a screen on my wrist for fitness and health tracking, minimalist trackers like the Google Fitbit Air and the new Fitbit Edge always grab my attention. Often, basic trackers skip the advanced sensors I value on premium smartwatches. In this regard, the Fitbit Edge is a breath of fresh air — it’s loaded with features, including ECG readings, skin temperature measurements, and blood-oxygen sensing.
This lightweight Lenovo laptop is made for business, but it's making my MacBook Pro jealous
I've been testing Lenovo's premier ThinkPad, the X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition, for many weeks now, both alongside and in place of my workhorse M5 MacBook Pro. You might think that Lenovo's ThinkPads are only issued by corporate IT departments, but laptops like the X1 Carbon Gen 14 offer a surprising blend of classic business characteristics and premium consumer features. It's clear that the X1 Carbon Gen 14's biggest hurdle is its price.
5 things Google’s rumored Home Display should steal from the Apple HomeView
Apple just put the ball in Google's court. • Oct 16, 2026 — 5:30 AM ET • • I tested Google’s first smart home controller designed for the Gemini era, the Google Home Speaker, more than three months ago. I hoped the Home Speaker would usher in a new wave of Google smart home products, but the opposite has happened in the time since. The Nest Audio and Nest Mini were discontinued, and the second-generation Nest Hub and the Nest Hub Max are both out of stock on the Google Store.
Google's new Fitbit Edge has me questioning what a smartwatch should be
I have a love-hate relationship with smartwatches. I love the fitness and health data they provide, but hate the extra screen and bulk they add to my wrist. If you're questioning whether you truly need a smartwatch to monitor your everyday health and track your workouts, you're not alone. That's why minimalist fitness bands are surging in popularity, from brands like Whoop, Google, and Garmin.
I can’t use a Galaxy phone without swapping this Samsung app for a Google one
Duplicate apps in One UI are a problem on Samsung Galaxy phones. Often, you'll get both the Google and Samsung versions of an app pre-installed on your device. As soon as I set up a new Galaxy phone, I immediately start trimming the fat. I keep the Samsung apps I use, remove the unnecessary junk, and disable the ones Galaxy phones won't let you uninstall easily. However, as much as I despise the duplicate app situation, there's one Google app I wish came pre-installed on Galaxy phones: Gboard.
I can’t use a Galaxy phone without swapping this Samsung app for a Google one
Google Japan puts 116 keys on conveyor belts because typing was too easy Google Japan seems to have found a solution to a problem none of us knew we had: the fact that keyboards expect our fingers to come to them. Its …
I gave my phone back its headphone jack without the annoying dongle
With the headphone jack absent from modern flagship phones, users need a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter to connect their favorite wired headphones. Initially, that solution sounds like a hassle, but it can provide better audio quality than you've ever heard out of a phone's built-in headphone jack. That is, with the right USB-C digital-to-analog converter (DAC).
Google's Dreambeans finds stories on its own, and it's the first AI app I want to keep
I've spent years testing new apps, websites, and experiments powered by AI. Many of them are the result of solid ideas and middling execution, and it's tricky to figure out how they fit into your daily life or productivity workflows. Take Gemini Omni or Nano Banana, for example — I don't need AI to create photo and video slop. I'm admittedly biased, but I also don't need Google AI Overviews to summarize the news.
I gave my old tablet one permanent job, and now I use it every day
I bought an iPad Pro in 2019, and it was the device I relied on most in college. The tablet housed my textbooks, stored my handwritten notes, and could edit video in a pinch. The edge-to-edge display, Face ID support, and USB-C port all combine to help the 2018 iPad Pro lineup age extremely well — this model doesn't look too different from the latest iPad Pro M5. The A12X Bionic chip inside is another story. It's simply not powerful enough to keep up with the "Pro" workloads it once could.
I’ve had a bad 48 hours using Googlebooks, but there’s one saving grace
I expected growing pains when I fully switched to the Acer Googlebook 14 as my only work machine. Even still, nothing could’ve prepared me for the state of Googlebook OS on the laptop that showed up at my door last week. Between the downgrades compared to ChromeOS, the disappointing Chrome browser, and the “Better Together” feature bugs, I’ve spent as much time troubleshooting this Googlebook as I’ve spent using it to get work done.
The best wide foldable isn’t the Galaxy Z Fold 8 or iPhone Duo when this $500 phone exists
Wide foldables are surging in popularity thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the iPhone Duo. While folding phones with a squarish form factor have never garnered wide appeal, casual users are starting to see the benefit of carrying a short and stout foldable in their pocket. When shut, they're short devices that are easy to maneuver. Open them up, and they're multipurpose devices superb for video playback in landscape mode or productivity in portrait mode.
The best wide foldable isn’t the Galaxy Z Fold 8 or iPhone Duo when this $500 phone exists
Mobile 2 hours ago What is the oldest Samsung device that still gets software updates in 2026? Engadget - Antony Terence • 2h Knowing how long your phone will get updates is important for deciding when to upgrade. Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover Android 17 brought several productivity-focused improvements to smartphones this year.
Your new Pixel's battery has a 200-cycle countdown you can’t turn off
When you unbox a newer Google Pixel phone and start using it, a secret clock starts. Every time you charge and discharge your phone's battery, it's counted as a charge cycle. As your phone racks up charge cycles, its usable lifespan shortens. This isn't exclusive to Pixel phones — it applies to every device with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
Apple TV’s extra storage can’t do the one thing I expected from it
The Apple TV 4K is one of the best streaming boxes you can buy, even if your other products are outside the Apple ecosystem. The hardware is fantastic compared to the competition, featuring the same A-series chips powering older iPhones. Amazon, Google, and Roku offer compelling alternatives to the Apple TV 4K, but it's hard to accept the additional bloat and ads that come with them.
Qualcomm is fixing one of the biggest reasons to avoid Snapdragon laptops
Windows on Arm wasn't a serious alternative to the x86 version until very recently, but the script has completely flipped. The latest laptops powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series and Nvidia's RTX Spark series aren't just rivaling Intel-based systems — they're better for the average user. Laptops running on Arm chipsets aren't perfect, though. App and game support are still iffy, and mainstream Linux support has been all but nonexistent on Snapdragon laptops since their 2024 breakthrough.
I save hundreds on Wi-Fi each year with this Android hotspot trick
I long for the day 5G cellular connectivity becomes a mainstream feature on laptops, but until then, I'm stuck using my phone as a mobile hotspot. By now, I'd bet most smartphone users have tried using their device as a personal hotspot for something else, like a tablet, laptop, or gaming handheld. However, mobile data isn't the only thing your Android phone can share over a Wi-Fi hotspot.
I made my mesh Wi-Fi less wireless, and it finally got faster
When the speed and range of your wireless router isn't cutting it, the easy answer is to replace it with a budget or midrange mesh networking system. The main router in a mesh system connects to your modem over Ethernet, and extends the network to additional satellite router nodes. In theory, the result is better coverage and more reliable wireless connections. The limitations of Wi-Fi make that ideal situation difficult to replicate in the real world.
I tried Googlebooks, and these 5 features might finally get me to leave my Mac
Googlebooks are here, and in a sentence, they're premium laptops that run Googlebook OS — something of a hybrid between Android and ChromeOS. I was incredibly skeptical when I first heard Googlebooks would start at $899, because at that price point, they're competing with full-fledged macOS and Windows laptops.
Samsung's Galaxy S26 FE is a decent phone, but it makes too many compromises to be worth your money
To get the cheapest Samsung or Google flagship in 2026, you'll need to choose a smaller phone. The Samsung Galaxy S26 , for instance, is a 6.3-inch smartphone. If you want to splurge for a 6.7-inch display, you'll need to pay $1,200 for the Galaxy S26 Plus . That's $200 more than than the Galaxy S25 Plus went for, and $100 more than the Galaxy S26 Plus originally cost when it launched in March. Phones with large screens are expensive, in other words — but the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is an outlier.
Samsung's Galaxy S26 FE is a decent phone, but it makes too many compromises to be worth your money
T-Mobile 10 hours ago T-Mobile is giving away the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 for free — how to qualify Mashable - Joseph Green • 10h Take a break from all the Prime Day deals. TL;DR: The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 is available for free with T-Mobile when you activate a new line or trade in an eligible device on Experience More or Experience Beyond.
I finally found wireless ANC headphones comfortable enough to keep on for an entire flight
I travel a few times each month, and wireless headphones are the difference between a flight or train ride being peaceful or miserable. It's not hard to find wireless headphones with excellent active noise-canceling (ANC) power. The AirPods Max are my top pick for those who need to block out unwanted sounds. It's also pretty easy to find comfortable, lightweight headphones. But it's tricky to find all these qualities in the same pair of headphones.
The Pixel 11's HiLight feature is too limited, but I fixed it with this free app
One of the truly new features onboard the Google Pixel 11 series is HiLight — a collection of eight multicolor LEDs on the back of the Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. It's quite limited at launch, however. HiLight serves two main purposes out of the box: It glows one of five colors when a favorite contact calls, and it glows when the Gemini voice assistant is active. In other words, HiLight doesn't do a lot.
Apple’s rumored smart display is a serious threat to Google Home — if it gets these things right Original
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Apple, Amazon, and Google are the big three companies in the smart home space. If we’re being honest, though, Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Nest ecosystems have dominated the smart home market for years — Apple’s HomeKit is only loosely relevant because of its first-party integration with iOS. Google’s smart home ecosystem in particular is the complete package, as the brand sells smart speakers, displays, cameras, thermostats, and more.
My Android phone has a 3.5mm jack, and I'll never use it when USB-C audio exists
I've written about how using your phone's USB-C port for audio is better than using a 3.5mm headphone jack, even if your phone actually has one. The reason comes down to an important Android quirk — all system audio goes through the AudioFlinger system audio server for resampling. Even if you're playing high-quality audio files, these will be downsampled to 48kHz by the system audio server before the sound ever reaches your ears.
My TV's USB port wasn't delivering enough power until I tried this one fix
Your smart TV ships with a versatile assortment of ports, headlined by HDMI. A trusty USB-A port is commonly found on smart TVs of all ages, but they're rarely used. The reason? Data ports on TVs typically feature old USB versions and comically slow charging speeds, limiting their utility. In fact, some smart TVs lack the software required to make the most of a USB-A port's connectivity, reducing it to a diagnostic and firmware update tool. It doesn't have to be this way.
There's only one smartphone battery spec that matters, and it's the one nobody checks
Battery life is one of the top considerations for buyers considering a new smartphone, and there's no shortage of specs that tell you how a phone's battery will perform. The capacity of a phone battery is measured in milliampere-hours (mAh), and a phone's charging speed is described in watts (W). You might also see manufacturers quantify their phones' runtime by their maximum hours of video playback on a single charge.
There's only one smartphone battery spec that matters, and it's the one nobody checks
5 hours ago iOS 27 is packed with new features for Apple’s Photos app, including two that have long been on many users’ wish lists: full-featured slideshow creation and upgraded iCloud Shared Albums. #1: Slideshow creation and customization The Photos app has long supported a very rudimentary version of a …
Streaming audio is about to catch up to Blu-ray — here's how Dolby AC-4 does it
There's a reason physical media enthusiasts prefer 4K UHD Blu-ray discs over streaming, and it's not nostalgia. 4K UHD Blu-ray content will look better than the same 4K content delivered via a streaming service. But picture quality isn't the only part of a movie or TV show that suffers from streaming's bitrate limitations. The audio is also compressed, whereas Blu-ray discs can include lossless surround sound audio encoded in the Dolby TrueHD format.
My Apple TV was the one streaming box I never worried about, until now
There's no shortage of excellent streaming boxes on the market today, but the Apple TV has two key advantages that put it ahead of the competition: performance and software. Apple uses the same A-series processors you'll find in its smartphones and tablets inside Apple TV boxes, and it shows. On the software side, tvOS feels familiar to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS users. But more importantly, it's lighter on bloat and advertisements than, say, Google's Android TV or Samsung's Tizen OS.
My Google Messages group chats were unreadable until I enabled this view
Group chats are fun, but they can also be overwhelming. The bigger the conversation, the more quickly things can get out of hand. The natural response to a rowdy group chat is to snooze it, or flip on Do Not Disturb for your entire phone. But this solution introduces a problem of its own — how long will it take you to catch up on everything you missed? Luckily, there's a hidden feature in Google Messages that could be the best of both worlds.
Samsung gives you two of every app, and these are the ones I delete on day one
Samsung's custom Android skin is packed full of extra features you won't find on Google Pixel phones, but One UI is bloated for the same reason. Buy a Galaxy phone, and you'll notice duplicate apps. You get the Google apps that are pre-installed as part of the Android Open Source Project release, plus any first-party Samsung apps — even if they both have the same functionality.
I tried the Galaxy Z Fold 8 naked, and it clicked the moment I added magnets and a stand
Everyone's raving about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it's not hard to see why. The wider 4:3 aspect ratio of the folding display makes the Galaxy Z Fold 8 a joy to use unfolded, in both portrait and landscape mode. Samsung's One UI software is magnificent on foldables, and this phone can run up to eight apps at once. But the foldable is not without its flaws. Specifically, it's difficult to live without Qi2 magnets.
When my Dyson battery wore out, a $20 adapter solved the problem Dyson's $130 replacement couldn't
When you buy into a power tool ecosystem, you're not just buying the tools — the batteries are the real investment. Once you own a few batteries and chargers, you can quickly swap battery packs between tools to keep them running after one dies. Better yet, you can save money by purchasing tools separately from battery kits, leveraging the battery collection you already own. But what about the tools and household appliances in your home that don't run on Ryobi, DeWalt, or Milwaukee batteries?
Beats 360 are the Beats over-ear headphones I've always wanted, but they're no Studio Pro Original
7.3 Beats 360 Over‑Ear Headphones The bottom line The Beats 360 are the pair I'd grab for the gym, a commute, or a long flight. They're comfortable, sweatproof, and fun to customize. They just can't play music over a cable, and the sound gets bass-heavy with ANC on. If sound quality matters most to you, the Studio Pro is still the smarter buy. If you want one pair of headphones for (almost) everything, don't be afraid to grab the Beats 360.
I've used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for weeks, and it still beats the iPhone Duo in 5 ways
Apple is trying to steal Samsung's thunder with the iPhone Duo, and it has a real shot. The iPhone Duo has MagSafe and IP68 durability, two rare features on Android foldables. It's also due to get Apple Pencil support on both of its screens later this year, and the move comes following Samsung's choice to ditch S Pen support on Galaxy Z Fold devices. At $1,999, the iPhone Duo isn't a bad deal — but will it become the best widescreen foldable when it launches next month?
The smart home sensor you should buy before any smart bulb, plug, or speaker
Smart bulbs, plugs, and speakers are the usual starting point for a smart home ecosystem. Plugs and bulbs connect things usually controlled by a switch to the internet, allowing for convenient remote control and automation. Smart speakers let you control the smart plugs and bulbs with your voice, allowing you to manage your home from the comfort of your couch.
Turning off Google's priciest smart home tier saved me $120 a year with zero regrets
Google's new smart home subscription, called Home Premium, rolled out nearly a year ago to replace Nest Aware. It's 25% more expensive than those old Nest Aware plans, and although Google Home Premium is packed with new Gemini for Home features, subscribers were skeptical the upgrades were worth the higher cost. Currently, Home Premium costs $10 per month for the Standard plan or $20 per month for the Advanced plan.
I don’t want the headphone jack back, give me this port instead
It's a familiar story. You go to pull out your wireless earbuds or wired headphones, and realize you can't connect them to your smartphone. The earbuds are out of battery, or you forgot to bring the adapter required to connect your favorite wired headphones over USB-C. While wireless and USB-C audio are generally more convenient, these frustrating moments make us yearn for a simpler time — when the 3.5mm headphone jack was standard on smartphones.
5 smart home automations you should build this weekend
Building a smart home is easy, but creating an ecosystem where all your gadgets work together without manual control is trickier. Although being able to turn off your home's lights or adjust the thermostat remotely from another country is neat, smart home gadgets truly become smart when they complete actions on their own. I've got a strong collection of accessories in my smart home, from speakers, displays, and cameras to thermostats and lights.
I saw the Motorola Signature 27, and it's everything Android fans have been asking for
The market for smartphones in the U.S. seems to be consistently thinning. In recent years, brands like LG and Asus have shut down their smartphone businesses entirely. OnePlus just pulled out of the country, leaving Apple, Google, and Samsung phones for stateside buyers wanting a flagship device — and not much else. It's a completely different story for foldables, because Motorola is in the mix.
I saw the Motorola Signature 27, and it's everything Android fans have been asking for
Technology 23 hours ago The Pixel 11 is a bigger upgrade than I expected, but it still left me wanting more Android Authority - Brady Snyder • 23h The software is better than ever, but the Pixel 11's hardware still disappoints me. Google Pixel 11 The Pixel 11 delivers Android 17 at its best while offering double the base storage of its predecessor.
After hands-on time with Googlebooks, I understand why Google is excited — and why buyers might hesitate
We're right in the middle of a computing shift. Tasks are completed on phones and tablets instead of laptops, laptops are increasingly featuring Arm-based processors for better efficiency, and desktops, as we know them, are shrinking. It's all evolving, and Google has a new vision for what the laptop of the future should be. Crucially, it's not trying to reinvent the wheel or change the laptop form factor.
The Pixel 11 is a bigger upgrade than I expected, but it still left me wanting more
The Pixel 11 delivers Android 17 at its best while offering double the base storage of its predecessor. The Google Tensor G6 lags behind the competition, but the camera system produces incredible photos for the price, highlighted by a larger 48MP primary shooter. The Pixel 11 is the best value model in the entire series, but with a higher price than ever and some familiar drawbacks, Google's base Pixel is starting to lose its magic touch.
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