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Google Photos could soon be built much deeper into Samsung Gallery

What you need to know

  • Samsung's OneDrive Gallery integration is ending soon, but Google Photos appears ready to take its place.
  • A new Gallery Cloud Sync service has appeared on the Galaxy Store with support for backing up to Google Photos.
  • Samsung hasn't announced the Google Photos integration yet, but it could start rolling out within weeks.

Samsung has started laying the groundwork for what appears to be the replacement for its outgoing OneDrive integration, and unsurprisingly, it's Google Photos.

Earlier this year, Samsung announced that users would no longer be able to use OneDrive to back up photos and videos directly through the Samsung Gallery app. Until now, Galaxy users have been able to automatically sync their Gallery photos and videos with OneDrive without needing to use another app or service.

However, that partnership is coming to an end later this month. And now, Samsung appears to be preparing its replacement with none other than Google Photos.

X user Sandeep Adap has spotted a new Samsung service called "Gallery Cloud Sync" on the Galaxy Store, which appears to be designed to take over from the existing Gallery OneDrive Sync integration. The app listing says Gallery Cloud Sync will safely back up your memories, including photos and videos, to "Google Cloud" so you can access them across your devices.

The mention of Google Cloud might sound slightly confusing, but it appears Samsung is actually referring to Google Photos here.

Upcoming Google Photos integration in the Samsung Gallery app

(Image credit: X / That Josh Guy)

User That Josh Guy on X was able to preview the upcoming functionality, which isn't live just yet, and found that Samsung Gallery will offer an option to sync directly with Google. The Gallery settings will reportedly show your available Google storage, let you choose which albums to sync, and offer controls to sync over Wi-Fi or while roaming.

This could be a big change if you currently rely on OneDrive for Samsung Gallery backups, since you'll likely need to switch to Google Photos. That said, the overall experience should remain pretty similar, with the sync controls still built directly into the Gallery app.

The OneDrive sync option has already started disappearing from Samsung Gallery for some users and is expected to be discontinued completely later this month. Thankfully, Samsung's upcoming Google Photos integration looks like it could be an even more natural replacement.

Samsung hasn't officially announced Galaxy Cloud Sync or started rolling out the Google Photos integration just yet. But with OneDrive support ending soon, we expect the new option to become available sometime later this month or in early October.

A mysterious Google Wear OS fitness tracker just appeared at the FCC

What you need to know

  • A mysterious Google-made wearable has appeared at the FCC with clues suggesting it could run Wear OS.
  • The device reportedly skips Wi-Fi and relies on Bluetooth LE, suggesting it may be a fitness tracker.
  • GPS support and a metal frame are also listed, while ADB testing suggests some form of Wear OS software.
  • The device could sit between the Fitbit Air and Pixel Watch, potentially filling the gap left by Fitbit Charge.

A mysterious new Wear OS fitness tracker has been spotted at the FCC, and there are a few clues suggesting it could be an upcoming Google Pixel or Fitbit-branded device.

Google has been enjoying success with both the Pixel Watch lineup and the recently launched Fitbit Air, and it looks like the company could be preparing to expand its fitness tracking lineup even further. As spotted by 9to5Google, a mysterious new Google-made device has now appeared in an FCC listing.

The device, described as a "Wireless Device," carries the model number G8BL6 and is manufactured by Goertek, a company that has previously manufactured several generations of Pixel Buds.

Interestingly, the FCC listing suggests there's no Wi-Fi connectivity onboard. Instead, the device appears to rely entirely on Bluetooth LE. There are also clues suggesting the device could run some form of Wear OS, as the EUT operation test setup specifically mentions ADB testing.

Google's unknown fitness tracker

(Image credit: Reddit / 9to5Google)

In terms of other connectivity, the mysterious device reportedly supports GPS or GNSS and features a metal frame that will also act as its antenna.

The lack of Wi-Fi is particularly interesting, since most traditional Wear OS smartwatches have supported Wi-Fi. That could suggest we're looking at a different type of wearable altogether, potentially a more traditional fitness tracker rather than another Pixel Watch.

And there might already be another clue. During the Pixel 11 launch, Google briefly showed an unannounced fitness tracker with a small display in one of its teasers, and there's a chance this FCC listing could be related to that device.

If so, the new wearable could potentially sit somewhere between the Fitbit Air and Google's more expensive Pixel Watch lineup. It's also worth remembering that Fitbit hasn't updated its Charge lineup since 2023, so this device could fit quite nicely into that missing middle ground.

MediaTek's first 2nm flagship chip is here β€” meet the new Dimensity 9600 Pro

What you need to know

  • MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 Pro is the company's first 2nm flagship chipset, promising better performance and efficiency.
  • The new 2+3+3 All Big Core CPU delivers up to 17% faster single-core performance while using significantly less power.
  • MediaTek's upgraded NPU supports on-device AI models with up to 30 billion parameters while improving AI power efficiency.

MediaTek has officially taken the wraps off its latest flagship smartphone chipset, called the Dimensity 9600 Pro. And it's the company's first flagship chip built on a 2nm process.

The new flagship smartphone season is almost upon us, and chipset makers have started unveiling their next generation of processors. Qualcomm is set to announce its next flagship Snapdragon chipsets later this month, but MediaTek has beaten it to the punch by unveiling its first 2nm chipset.

Called the Dimensity 9600 Pro, MediaTek says its new chipset combines flagship performance and power efficiency with advanced agentic AI experiences. The chip features a 2+3+3 All Big Core CPU design, which MediaTek says delivers an impressive 61% reduction in multi-core power consumption.

The architecture consists of two C2 Ultra cores clocked at up to 4.55GHz, three C2 Pro cores running at up to 4.35GHz, and another three C2 Pro cores clocked at up to 3.1GHz. MediaTek says single-core performance has improved by up to 17%, while multi-core performance is up to 15% higher than the previous generation, all while consuming less power.

MediaTek's new Dimensity 9600 Pro chipset

(Image credit: MediaTek)

Of course, there's also a big focus on agentic AI experiences. MediaTek says the chipset's new dual-NPU architecture and Agentic AI Engine are designed to power the next generation of on-device AI. Its second-generation Super Efficient NPU reportedly reduces AI power consumption by up to 40%, while delivering 51% higher LLM prefill performance and 55% higher token generation per watt.

The Dimensity 9600 Pro can also support AI models with up to 30 billion parameters directly on the device, which should allow more complex AI tasks to run without constantly relying on the cloud.

There's also a larger 34.5MB cache, alongside support for LPDDR6 memory and UFS 5.0 storage for the first time. MediaTek says its new Scheduling Engine can intelligently allocate computing power and memory resources between hardware and software, allowing multiple apps to continue running smoothly in the background while using fewer resources.

MediaTek chip

(Image credit: Source: MediaTek)

Gaming is getting a significant upgrade as well. The new G2-Ultra NX GPU delivers up to 27% higher peak performance while consuming 24% less power. MediaTek says the GPU can deliver what it calls console-grade gaming on-device at up to 185fps.

For cameras, there's a new Imagiq 1290 ISP, which MediaTek says will enable more advanced computational photography and content creation features on upcoming smartphones.

There aren't any smartphones powered by the Dimensity 9600 Pro just yet, but we shouldn't have to wait long before the first devices arrive. Apple's 2nm A20 Pro has already launched inside the iPhone 18 Pro series, while Qualcomm is expected to reveal its answer at Snapdragon Summit later this month.

Googlebook pre-orders finally have a date: Here's when you can buy one

What you need to know

  • Googlebook pre-orders will officially open on September 21 at 9 a.m. ET, Google has confirmed.
  • The first Googlebooks are expected from brands including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo.
  • Googlebooks will focus heavily on Gemini, with features like Magic Pointer and AI-generated custom widgets.

Google has revealed that you'll finally be able to pre-order the first Googlebooks starting next week.

At The Android Show earlier this year, Google had its "one more thing" moment when it teased its next category of premium laptops called Googlebooks. Google says these are a new category of laptops built for the "intelligence system" era, but at the time, the company didn't reveal much about the devices or when you'd actually be able to buy one.

Now, Google has started emailing users confirming that Googlebook pre-orders will open on September 21 at 9 a.m. ET. The company hasn't revealed exactly which models will be available to pre-order next week, but we're expecting devices from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and other partners. It's also unclear when the first Googlebooks will actually start shipping.

Google has also set up a new website that currently shows the Googlebook branding, a few teasers, and the September 21 pre-order date.

Screenshot of the Googlebooks pre-order website

(Image credit: Future)

The company is highlighting some of the key Googlebook features on the page as well, with a heavy focus on Gemini. One of those is Magic Pointer, which lets you access Gemini directly through the pointer on your Googlebook. You'll also be able to create your own widgets simply by describing what you want.

Google is also positioning Googlebooks as the perfect companion for Android phones. Users will be able to open apps from their Android phone directly on a Googlebook, as well as access files stored on their phone from the laptop.

Googlebooks will be the first laptops built on Google's new Android-based technology stack rather than ChromeOS. Interestingly, Google still hasn't revealed the official marketing name for the operating system that will power Googlebooks, but we expect to learn much more as pre-orders open.

It'll also be interesting to see how Googlebooks fare in an increasingly crowded laptop market, especially with new RTX Spark-powered laptops on the way and RAM prices continuing to rise.

This keyboard app brings Pixel 11's best feature to all Android phones

What you need to know

  • SwiftKey beta is rolling out a new AI voice typing mode similar to Google's Rambler feature on the Pixel 11 series.
  • The feature cleans up and formats your speech automatically, although it doesn't show a live transcription while you speak.
  • SwiftKey's AI voice typing works completely offline after downloading an AI model that's around 163MB on Android.
  • Unlike Google's Rambler, SwiftKey's AI voice typing isn't Pixel-exclusive and can work across other Android smartphones.

SwiftKey, the popular keyboard app acquired by Microsoft more than a decade ago, has started rolling out a new AI-powered voice typing feature in beta.

With the launch of the Pixel 11 series, Google introduced a feature that improved on the Pixel's already excellent voice typing. Called Rambler, the feature lets you speak more naturally while automatically removing filler words like "um" and "ah," cleaning up corrections, and properly formatting the final text.

Now, SwiftKey is bringing a similar feature to its keyboard app, and unlike Rambler, it can work on pretty much any Android phone.

The latest SwiftKey beta for Android, version 9.13.16.4, introduces a new "AI voice" typing mode. When you tap the microphone icon, SwiftKey now shows the new AI voice option alongside a quick explanation of how it works.

Similar to Rambler on the Pixel 11 series, you can simply start speaking naturally while SwiftKey listens to you and displays a waveform on the screen. Once you're done, the AI processes what you've said and turns it into properly formatted text.

Swiftkey AI voice typing feature in action

(Image credit: Future)

Before you can use the feature, though, SwiftKey asks you to download an AI voice model. On my Galaxy Z Fold 8, the download was around 163MB. Similar to Rambler, you also don't get a live preview of the transcription while you're speaking. Instead, the finished text appears once the AI has processed everything. The best part, however, is that the feature works completely offline.

I tested AI voice typing on my Galaxy Z Fold 8 with both Wi-Fi and mobile data switched off, and SwiftKey was still able to process and transcribe my speech without any issues. This isn't possible right now with Gboard's Rambler, which does require an internet connection to work.

There are some limitations compared to Google's Rambler, though. SwiftKey's implementation currently doesn't let you do things like change the tone, format the text further, or automatically insert emojis through voice commands.

That said, the SwiftKey Beta app can be installed on any Android phone, unlike the Rambler feature, which is exclusive to the Pixel 11 series, for now. So if you've been wanting to try Pixel 11-like AI voice typing without buying Google's latest phone, this might be one of the easiest ways to get something similar.

If you want to try it yourself, you can download the latest SwiftKey beta from the Google Play Store.

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