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Google is making Pixel HiLight slightly more useful

10 November 2026 at 20:00
The back of a Pixel smartphone with the HiLight light illuminated.

Google is adding a new feature to its underwhelming HiLight light on the back of Pixel 11 Pro phones: As part of the November 2026 Pixel Drop, the light can light up when you get Google Messages texts from your favorite contacts. Sure, it's a small addition to the disappointing ways you could use HiLight at the Pixel 11 Pro's August launch, which included glowing when you used Gemini and lighting up for calls from your favorite contacts. But it's something!

Fortunately, that's not everything included in the Pixel Drop, as a bunch of other new features are coming to a wider range of Pixel devices. The "Create My Widget" feature to build a cu …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Google Fi is bringing back multiple cell network support for better coverage

10 November 2026 at 18:32
The Google Fi logo on a blue background

Google Fi is launching a new "super network" that can automatically switch users between two different 5G networks depending on which one has better connectivity. The feature is rolling out starting today on Pixel 9 and newer phones that have Google Fi active on eSIM and have any non-Fi SIMs disabled.

When Google Fi first launched in 2015, users were originally able to switch between T-Mobile and Sprint's networks. But those two networks eventually became one when T-Mobile acquired Sprint in 2020, and so the network switching stopped there. Jane Harnett, Google Fi Wireless senior product manager, told The Verge that Fi stopped offering the …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Received β€” 6 November 2026 ⏭ The Verge - All Posts

I’ve reviewed almost every Android foldable this year β€” here’s how the iPhone Duo compares

6 November 2026 at 13:30
Photo showing a folded iPhone Duo alongside five other Android foldables on a wooden table.
These aren’t even all the foldables in my house right now.

When I first read Allison and Nilay's Verge review of the iPhone Duo, I was immediately struck by one of their complaints: that the cover display is too small. That's not how the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels, I thought. Had they got it wrong?

After a week and a half using the Duo, I know exactly what they mean - and it's not the screen's fault at all. Apps that feel comfortable on Samsung's short foldable and the similarly sized Xiaomi 18 Fold are often cramped and compact on the Duo's cover screen, robbed of screen space by a right-hand rail that most apps don't make use of anyway.

That's just one of the ways that Apple's first foldable …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Received β€” 4 November 2026 ⏭ The Verge - All Posts

Google’s Pixel 11 phones are up to 27 percent off

4 November 2026 at 20:00

You can save a heck of lot of money on Google’s Pixel 11 phones through November 8th, whether you want the best-for-the-least Pixel 11, or the slightly pricier Pixel 11 Pro that takes better photos. Even the big Pixel 11 Pro XL with a longer-lasting battery is hundreds off its original price.

The Pixel 11 Pro deal is the most attractive of the bunch, as the $1,099.99 phone with 256GB storage and 12GB of RAM is down to just $799.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and at the Google Store, beating its October Prime Day price by $50. It’s $100 less than the base Pixel 11 model sold for at launch, and it’s the phone to get if you want great camera performance, plus extra features like HiLight that, while cool, weren’t really worth paying a premium to access. I’d be very surprised if the price dropped more for Black Friday.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with opting for the Pixel 11 instead, especially at its attractive $699.99 ($200 off) price that now matches the cost of the iPhone 17E, following Apple’s September price bump. The Pixel 11 is the most affordable phone that supports Google’s software features that are exclusive to this year’s phones, including Magic Capture, Camera Looks, and Proactive Assistance. It has fast 25W wireless charging (up from 15W with the Pixel 10), and has 12GB of RAM, like the Pixel 11 Pro.

I’m still happily rocking my Pixel 9 Pro, but if I were going to upgrade right now, I’d get the Pixel 11 Pro. Yes, I want the better cameras and HiLight. But really, the main reason I’m lured to the Pro is because the trade-in offers are really generous right now. It’s just $10 more to opt for the Pro over the base Pixel 11. My base Pixel 9 Pro with 128GB of storage can fetch $530 in trade-in credit at the Google Store and $525 at Best Buy, which seems great.

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