Google is bringing a great combination of features to Android Auto and cars with Google built-in, particularly for those who drive an EV.
Google Maps is adding more EV-centric features for those who use Android Auto from their connected phone. Starting with the Ford F-150 Lightning and Mach-E, you’ll now see information on expected state of charge on arrival to your destination, as well as charging station locations and expected charging times for longer trips. This is a feature that’s been available for EVs running Google built-in (aka Android Automotive), and in my experience, it’s extremely helpful and helps alleviate charging anxiety. It’s wonderful to see this brought to the much wider-reaching Android Auto version of Maps, and I hope it expands to more cars soon.
If you have a car with a Google built-in infotainment system, there’s even more in store for your in-car experience. Google is bringing a full-blown Chrome browser to cars, which will roll out in beta starting with Polestar and Volvo, so you can browse while you’re parked (or more likely, charging) — something that’s been available for a long time and very popular in Teslas. Google’s also expanding its media offerings with PBS Kids and Crunchyroll, and there’s also a new weather experience from The Weather Channel that includes forecasts, alerts, and radar.
Google is also adding a new “send to car” button to the Google Maps app on phones, making it easy to plan out a trip before you leave and have it waiting for you when you get in your car. It’s just yet another feature that makes the Google built-in experience appealing. Google built-in is coming to even more cars soon, with Nissan, Ford and Lincoln launching more models with the software suite in 2024.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.