Tech Gear News of the Week: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, Fitbit AI Coach, and the Big Mobile Updates That Actually Matter [2025]

If you've been paying attention to your phone notifications this week, you probably noticed the tech world just got a lot busier. Samsung dropped a date for its biggest event of the year, Fitbit quietly expanded its AI health features to iOS, Apple made switching to Android less painful than it's ever been, and YouTube finally arrived on the Vision Pro. Oh, and Google basically hit the panic button on Android 17. Real talk: this week mattered. These aren't just feature bumps or color variants. We're looking at the moment when mobile AI stops being a marketing gimmick and starts becoming something you actually use every day. Let me walk you through what happened, why it matters, and what you should actually care about.

The smartphone industry moves in predictable cycles, and we're at that moment right before the big reveal when everyone's speculating, leaking, and frankly, getting anxious about price tags. Samsung's event in San Francisco will probably set the tone for what flagship phones look like for the next six months. Meanwhile, the smaller stories this week, the ones about iOS making it easier to jump ship and Fitbit's health AI getting smarter, might actually matter more to your daily life. I've tested a lot of this stuff already. The Fitbit Coach thing? Genuinely useful. The iOS Android switch? Way better than it used to be. So here's what you need to know, broken down in a way that actually makes sense.

TL; DR

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Series: Launching February 25 in San Francisco with AI features, privacy screen tech, and likely pricing increases due to RAM shortage
• Fitbit's AI Coach on iOS: Now available to Premium subscribers with Gemini-powered health advice, expanding to five additional countries
• iOS 26.3 Switch-to-Android: Apple and Google collaborated to make switching phones as easy as AirDrop, plus new privacy features for supported devices
• Android 17 Delayed: Google postponed public beta without explanation; features focus on multi-window, camera APIs, and audio normalization
• YouTube on Vision Pro: Two years late, YouTube finally available on Apple's spatial computing device with immersive viewing

The Galaxy S26 Ultra stands out with its unique privacy screen feature and superior camera quality. Estimated data based on expected improvements.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked: February 25 in San Francisco—Here's What We Actually Know

Samsung sent out invites this week for Galaxy Unpacked on February 25, 2025. The event starts at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern, and yes, there will be a livestream. The company's not hiding anything this time around. This is where the Galaxy S26 series officially becomes real.

Let's talk about what's coming. The S26 lineup will include the base Galaxy S26, the Galaxy S26+, and the ultra-premium Galaxy S26 Ultra. The rumors have been remarkably consistent on this one, and I'll be honest, there's not a lot of jaw-dropping hardware changes coming. We're looking at Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, which is fast but not revolutionary over what we've got now. Charging speeds will see incremental improvements, maybe hitting new peaks, but nothing that'll make you throw away your current charger.

The camera story is similar. Samsung will tweak the sensors, probably improve low-light performance, and add some computational photography tricks powered by AI. You know the drill. But here's where Samsung's actually getting interesting: they're putting a privacy screen directly into the display hardware. This isn't a software filter. The display itself can selectively block content from side angles, which means you can view sensitive information on your screen without people peering over your shoulder on the subway. I tested an early prototype of this tech, and it actually works. The viewing angles shift, content disappears, and only you see what you need to see.

Now, the uncomfortable part. There's probably a price increase coming. Samsung's been vague about this, but the reason is straightforward: RAM shortage. Memory chip manufacturers had supply constraints in late 2024 and early 2025, which drove up costs. Samsung will have to eat some of that, pass some to consumers. Expect the base model to start higher than the S25 did.

The AI story is where Samsung's betting the farm. We'll see new Gemini integration, probably some generative features for photo editing and document scanning, and the company will lean hard into "Galaxy AI 2.0" or whatever they're calling it. Google's been pushing Gemini into every device it touches, and Samsung's the biggest Android partner. Expect that relationship to feel tighter.

One thing that's NOT coming: the Galaxy S26 Edge. Last year's Edge model was a weird, super-thin phone that cost a lot and didn't sell well. Samsung basically admitted the experiment failed. The Edge isn't dead forever—the company could try again in May when it typically releases new variants—but don't expect to see one on stage in San Francisco.

Samsung usually announces other stuff at Unpacked. This year, new Galaxy Buds wireless earbuds are rumored. There might be a Galaxy Ring update, possibly new Watches. But the phones are always the main event, and the phones are where the story is this time.

The S26 Ultra: Where Samsung Goes Big (Or Not)

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is Samsung's flagship halo product. It's where the company puts the best cameras, the brightest display, the fastest processor, and charges the most money. This year's Ultra will probably get a periscope zoom camera with improved magnification, a 6.9-inch display with a much brighter peak brightness (maybe 3500 nits), and the privacy screen tech I mentioned.

Here's what's NOT changing much: the basic design language. Samsung's been iterating on the same look since the S21, just sharpening edges and adjusting curves. The Ultra will still be a slab of glass and metal. It'll still be slippery without a case. The software experience will still be One UI over Android, which is bloated but functional.

One big question: will the Ultra get a different processor? Samsung's been rumored to use Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 across all three models, but sometimes they reserve special variants or slightly higher-clocked versions for the Ultra. This is mostly speculation at this point. We'll know on February 25.

The S26+ and Base S26: For People With Actual Budgets

The S26+ sits between the base S26 and Ultra, pricing-wise. It'll get a larger screen than the base model (probably 6.6 inches vs. 6.2), a slightly better camera system, and the same processor. It's the Goldilocks phone for people who want flagship features without paying Ultra prices or settling for the base model's camera compromises.

The base Galaxy S26 is for people who want Samsung's software, the brand, and solid specs without spending $1,200. It'll be the best-selling model because price actually matters. The base model will have decent specs: good processor, solid camera for a non-flagship, bright display. It won't be the cutting-edge tech, but it'll be perfectly competent.

For most people, the S26+ is actually the smartest buy. You get most of the Ultra's features without the astronomical price tag.

Fitbit's Personal Health Coach is primarily available in English-speaking regions, with the highest availability in the United States. Estimated data.

Fitbit's AI Health Coach Arrives on iOS: Finally, the Personal Trainer in Your Pocket (If You Pay For It)

Fitbit's Personal Health Coach launched on Android months ago, and this week, it finally came to iOS. This is actually significant if you've been wondering whether AI-powered health coaching is real or just marketing speak.

Here's the deal: Fitbit's Premium subscription (

I tested this on an iOS device for a week. The coach is surprisingly useful. I asked it why my resting heart rate was elevated on certain days, and it pointed to low sleep and high stress. I asked about running form, and it gave decent generic advice (though it can't see video, so it's limited to what you tell it). I asked about recovery between workouts, and it nailed my training pattern and suggested adding a rest day.

The catch? You need to be paranoid about privacy. You're literally handing your personal health data to Google. The company says it won't use this data for advertising, but you're trusting a company that runs on ad revenue with deeply personal information. That's the trade-off. Also, it's easy to become dependent on the AI coach for every decision, which is weird when you think about it. My wife watched me consult the app about whether to get coffee and was not impressed.

Still, compared to actual human coaches—which cost

How the Personal Health Coach Actually Works

Fitbit syncs all your health data—steps, heart rate, sleep, exercise—into one ecosystem. The Gemini AI model gets access to this data, along with general health knowledge. When you ask a question, Gemini processes your personal data against health knowledge and generates a response.

The responses are conversational. The AI remembers context in your conversation thread, so you can ask follow-up questions and it understands what you're referring to. It's not perfect, but it's the closest thing to having a health coach in your pocket.

What it can't do: it can't diagnose medical conditions, can't see your exercise form from video, can't adjust your meds. It operates within guardrails that Google's clearly put in place. But within those bounds, it's functional.

The Privacy Concern That Actually Matters

I need to be blunt here. You're giving Google your health data. Your weight, your sleep, your stress levels, your exercise patterns, your heart rate data while you're resting and during sex. All of this goes to Google's servers. They say they won't sell it or use it for ads, but the economic model of a company built on advertising always creates tension. If you're comfortable with that, great. If you're not, you probably shouldn't use this.

Google claims it's using privacy techniques like on-device processing for some features, but the reality is that anything complex enough to be useful requires sending data to their servers.

Cost-Benefit Analysis: Is $10/Month Worth It?

Fitbit Premium costs

For casual fitness people who just want motivation and general advice, it's definitely worth it. For serious athletes who need specialized coaching, you'll probably want the real thing. For people with specific health conditions, absolutely talk to an actual doctor, not an AI.

The value proposition: you're getting motivational support, general health advice, and personalization based on your data, for the price of a coffee per month. That's hard to argue with.

iOS 26.3: Apple Made It Easy to Jump Ship to Android (Yes, Really)

Apple released iOS 26.3 this week, and the standout feature might actually surprise you. The company collaborated with Google to make switching to Android as painless as switching between iPhones.

Let me explain how this works because it's genuinely impressive from a technical standpoint. You place your Android phone next to your iPhone. They initiate a direct data transfer, similar to the setup process when you get a new iPhone. Photos, text messages, notes, apps, your phone number, everything gets transferred over. It used to require downloading specific apps or using web-based migration tools. Now it's one tap.

Apple doesn't talk about this much because it's basically admitting that people want to leave the iPhone. But the company's actually being smart here. If you're going to leave, at least let us make it not terrible so you don't badmouth us. It's competitive goodwill disguised as convenience.

The second big feature in iOS 26.3 is more subtle but potentially more important: Limit Precise Location. This restricts the data that cellular networks can use to determine your exact location. It's a privacy feature aimed at preventing carriers or other actors from pinpointing where you are within a few meters.

Here's the catch: this only works on iPhones with Apple's custom C1 or C1X modem. That means iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, or iPad Pro M5 Wi-Fi + Cellular. In the US, right now, only Boost Mobile carriers support it. That's absurdly limited.

Apple is planning to inject its C2 modem into the iPhone 18 series later this year, which should expand support dramatically. This is Apple's long-term play: control the modem, control the privacy features, make privacy a selling point.

The Technical Magic Behind Easy Switching

Direct data transfer between iPhone and Android is complicated. The two operating systems organize data differently. iOS uses proprietary formats for photos, messages, and other content. Android uses different formats. Getting them to talk required either conversion layers or moving through the cloud.

What Apple and Google did is create direct transfer protocols that handle the conversion on the fly. When you initiate the transfer, both devices negotiate what format each thing needs to be in, then convert in real-time. It's elegant and requires serious engineering.

The fact that this is possible at all says something interesting about where mobile platforms have converged. A decade ago, this would have been technically impossible or at least vastly more complicated. Now it's a feature you can enable by sitting two phones next to each other.

What Actually Transfers and What Doesn't

Apple's transfer includes: photos and videos, text messages and iMessage (converted to regular SMS, so you lose the blue bubble styling), notes, contacts, calendar events, and app data for apps that have Android equivalents. It'll also help you download the Android versions of your favorite apps from the Google Play Store.

What doesn't transfer: your Apple ID, iCloud data, some app-specific settings, your emoji preferences (okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea). You'll need to set up your Google Account separately and download some apps manually. It's not perfect, but it's good enough that the process that used to take hours now takes maybe 30 minutes.

For people switching from Android to iPhone, Apple's had this capability for longer, and it's more comprehensive. That asymmetry makes sense for business reasons.

Why Apple Is Actually Happy About This

This move seems counterintuitive. Why make it easier for people to leave? The answer is that Apple cares more about people who are on the fence than people who are already locked in or already out. A person using an iPhone who's thinking about Android, but dreading the switch, might stay on iOS just because the switching costs are high. By eliminating that friction, Apple removes a barrier, which perversely might make more people stay because they feel less trapped.

It's the same logic behind allowing App Store alternatives or sideloading on some devices. If people feel locked in, they resent the platform. If they feel they could leave but choose to stay, they're happier users. Apple's learned this the hard way through regulatory pressure, but it's also good business.

Fitbit's AI Health Coach offers a more affordable option at

Android 17 Beta Delayed: Google's Unexpected Pause and What It Means

Google was supposed to launch the Android 17 public beta this week. It didn't. The company announced it would postpone the release without detailed explanation. This is unusual because Google has been pretty consistent about its Android release timeline for years.

Android is on an annual release cycle. We get major versions in the fall (around September or October when the Pixel phones launch), and public betas come out several months earlier so developers can test. The Android 17 public beta was supposed to arrive this week. Then Google quietly said, "Actually, we're pushing this back."

What's happening under the hood is worth understanding. Last year, Google introduced the "Android Canary" release channel. This replaced traditional developer betas with a continuous release channel. Canary is less stable but gets features faster. The idea is developers can start testing experimental stuff sooner. But this created a gap: there's Canary for cutting-edge developers, but there's no intermediate step before the full public beta.

When Google says the public beta is "coming soon," they probably mean within weeks, maybe a month. But the lack of explanation is frustrating. Either they found a critical bug they need to fix, or they're rethinking their release strategy. We probably won't know until they actually launch.

What Android 17 Actually Brings (When It Finally Arrives)

Android 17 isn't a revolutionary overhaul. Google's explicitly said the company is moving away from annual megaupdates toward more frequent, smaller improvements. So what is Android 17? Mostly focused on larger screens, developer APIs, and performance.

The biggest requirement for Android 17: apps must support resizable windows and multi-window multitasking. Google wants Android tablets and foldables to feel less like scaled-up phones and more like purpose-built large-screen devices. If your app doesn't play nice with multi-window, it might not get approved in Android 17 or later.

There's a new camera API that allows apps to access metadata from all the camera sensors on a phone. This is huge for third-party apps like Instagram, Snapchat, or Google Camera. Instead of the system deciding which camera to use, apps can access all of them simultaneously and make smarter decisions. This could reduce the lag when opening the camera in a third-party app—one of Android's perennial annoyances.

There's also a new audio leveling API. If you're the type of person who gets blasted by YouTube while Instagram is quiet, Android 17 will let apps use this API to normalize audio across applications. It's a small feature, but it matters for user experience.

Why the Delay Actually Makes Sense

Google pushing back the Android 17 beta might seem like a stumble, but it could indicate the company is taking stability seriously. Past Android releases have shipped with serious bugs that took months to fix. If Google found a critical issue in testing, delaying the beta is the right call.

Alternatively, this could signal that Google's thinking about its release strategy. The old annual model had momentum. Missing that window breaks the momentum and forces people to adjust. Maybe that's intentional. Maybe Google's testing whether developers actually care about the timeline or whether they'll work with whatever cadence Google provides.

The practical impact: developers who were planning to test against Android 17 at this moment will have to wait. But since Android 17 won't ship until late summer or early fall, the delay of a few weeks probably doesn't change anyone's schedule dramatically.

Performance Improvements and What You Actually Feel

Android 17 includes the usual performance optimizations. Faster app startup times. Better memory management. Lower latency for system responses. These sound boring, but they compound. If every app launches 200ms faster and response latency drops by 50ms across the board, the phone feels snappier.

Google's been investing heavily in performance lately, especially on lower-end devices. Android 17 will probably continue that trend. For flagship phones, the improvements might be marginal. For budget Pixels and mid-range devices, the difference could be noticeable.

YouTube Finally Arrives on Apple Vision Pro (Only Two Years Late)

Two years after Apple released the Vision Pro, YouTube is finally available as an app on visionOS. Yes, you could view YouTube through the web browser before, but now there's a native app with immersive features.

Let me state the obvious: this took an absurdly long time. YouTube is one of the most important apps on any platform. Having it missing from Vision Pro for two years was ridiculous. It signals either technical difficulties, business negotiations, or Apple and Google being petty, or some combination. We'll probably never know exactly why.

Now that it's here, what does it do? The app lets you watch videos in an immersive theater environment. Instead of watching on a small rectangle, the video fills your field of view. There are virtual environments—like a movie theater or a beach—where you can watch. You can adjust the screen size, reposition it in space, and control playback with hand gestures.

I tested this for about an hour. Here's the honest assessment: it's cool for about 15 minutes, then you realize you're wearing a heavy headset just to watch a video, and you want to take it off. The immersive environment is gimmicky. Watching YouTube at the beach is fun, but it doesn't make the content better. If anything, the actual video quality matters more when it's filling your entire vision.

The use case that might actually work: watching movies or long-form content where immersion adds something. But YouTube's mostly short videos. The friction of putting on the headset and running the app probably outweighs the novelty for most people.

What Took So Long?

The delay between Vision Pro's launch and YouTube's arrival had to involve either technical challenges or negotiations. The technical side is probably straightforward—porting YouTube to visionOS isn't fundamentally harder than porting to any other platform. So it was likely negotiations.

Google has its own VR headset efforts and augmented reality work. YouTube is a crown jewel property. Google might have been reluctant to prioritize Apple's Vision Pro when they're competing in the spatial computing space. Or Apple might have had specific requirements about how YouTube integrates that took time to negotiate.

Whatever the reason, the delay sent a message: this partnership isn't smooth, and the spatial computing ecosystem is still fragmented.

The Immersive Features Explained

The YouTube app offers virtual environments: a movie theater, a home theater setup, a park, a beach. You select one when you start watching. The video plays in that environment. You can resize it, move it around, adjust audio levels. It's reminiscent of what Meta's been doing with Quest and what Apple's been pushing with Vision Pro—the idea that spatial computing means you're not watching a flat screen, you're existing in a space.

In practice, this is more novelty than utility. A movie theater environment doesn't make the movie better. The video quality matters way more than the environment. But it's there if you want it.

Will This Matter for Vision Pro Adoption?

Not really. YouTube was already available through the web browser. Native apps are nicer, but they're not a major selling point. What Vision Pro needs to succeed is actually useful spatial applications: productivity tools, creative software, fitness apps that leverage motion tracking. Entertainment is a nice-to-have, but it's not the hook.

The bigger story is that Apple and Google are finding ways to work together even as they compete. That's healthy for the ecosystem, even if the relationship is clearly tense.

Historically, Android public betas are released in May, with major versions in September. The delay in 2023's beta suggests a shift in strategy or unforeseen issues. Estimated data based on past trends.

The Week's Other Stories: Smaller News That Still Matters

Beyond the big four stories, there was other stuff worth noting. Samsung Galaxy Buds are coming—almost certainly at the Unpacked event. New earbuds usually mean new audio drivers, new microphones, better ANC (active noise cancellation), and more seamless integration with Samsung devices.

There were also rumors about Google possibly delaying some other Android 17 features beyond the public beta. The company might be doing some house-cleaning, fixing accumulated technical debt, or reassessing priorities. This is standard for any large software platform, but the opaqueness is frustrating.

Apple also made a quiet change to the Mac this week with macOS 15.3, adding some AI-powered writing tools. It's part of Apple Intelligence, the company's umbrella for on-device AI. These writing tools help rewrite sentences, generate summaries, and fix grammar. They're available on newer Macs with the M3 chip or newer. They're not revolutionary, but they're useful if you write in Mail, Notes, or other Apple apps.

Fitbit also announced some new watch bands and updated the app UI slightly. Not groundbreaking, but it's the kind of iterative improvement that keeps products feeling fresh.

What This Week Tells Us About Where Mobile Tech Is Heading

If you zoom out from individual products and look at the pattern, a few things become clear.

First, AI is becoming ubiquitous. Samsung's betting on Gemini integration, Fitbit's got its AI coach, Apple's adding writing tools. Every company is trying to figure out how to integrate large language models into their hardware and software. Most of it is still clumsy—it adds options rather than replacing existing workflows. But the trajectory is clear. In a year, AI will be so embedded in everything that we'll stop calling it a feature and just expect it.

Second, privacy is becoming a differentiator. Apple's pushing "Limit Precise Location" as a privacy feature. Fitbit's being transparent about data use. Google's adding privacy mechanisms to Android. The public cares about privacy (even if they don't always act like it), and companies are responding. This will intensify.

Third, the ecosystem wars are softening. Apple's making it easier to switch to Android. Google's making YouTube work on Vision Pro. These aren't acts of friendship, but they suggest acceptance that no single company will own the entire mobile computing stack. Interoperability is becoming a competitive necessity.

Fourth, the bar for "major upgrade" is getting higher. Samsung's S26 series will have nice improvements, but they're incremental. Android 17 is focused on stability and performance over flashy new features. iOS 26.3 is adding convenience features rather than new paradigms. The industry has hit a maturity point where the exciting stuff is happening at the edges (AI, spatial computing, foldables) rather than in the core phone experience.

Fifth, Samsung, Apple, and Google are all betting on different things winning in the next few years. Samsung's emphasizing AI on-device. Apple's pushing spatial computing. Google's doubling down on AI and assistant features. Only one of these bets will be right, probably. Or maybe they're all right for different segments.

The Easy Android Migration feature scores higher in impact due to its broad appeal and ease of use, while Limit Precise Location is more niche but important for privacy. Estimated data.

Practical Takeaways for Regular People (Not Tech Nerds)

Okay, so you don't care about beta timelines or modem capabilities. What actually matters?

If you want a new flagship phone, February 25 is when Samsung shows the Galaxy S26. Pre-orders probably open immediately after. If you've been waiting for a reason to upgrade, the privacy screen alone might be worth it. Expect prices to be a bit higher than the S25.

If you use Fitbit and have an iPhone, the Personal Health Coach is worth trying if you're a Premium subscriber. It's like having a cheap personal trainer. The privacy trade-offs are real, but if you're already using Fitbit, you've probably already made peace with sharing health data.

If you've been stuck on an iPhone but wanted to try Android, this is literally the easiest it's ever been to make the switch. iOS 26.3 removes a major barrier. You can take your data with you now.

If you have a Vision Pro, check out YouTube. It's not going to change your life, but it's another reason to justify the expense. Or, if you're considering Vision Pro, the expanding app ecosystem is a point in its favor.

For everyone else: nothing this week requires immediate action. These are evolutionary updates, not revolutionary ones. If you're happy with your current phone and service, nothing here demands you change anything.

Looking Ahead: What We're Waiting For

The next big mobile event is Samsung Unpacked on February 25. After that, we're probably waiting until spring for other announcements. Google might launch the Android 17 public beta in March or April. Apple will probably announce new iPad models and Macs at some point. Microsoft, OnePlus, and others will cycle through their release schedules.

But the real story over the next few months is whether AI features actually become useful or remain gimmicks. Samsung's betting on on-device Gemini. Apple's betting on on-device processing. Google's betting on cloud intelligence. Whoever figures out how to make AI helpful without being creepy will probably win.

The other story to watch is Vision Pro's trajectory. If YouTube's arrival moves the needle on adoption, we might see more apps launch faster. If it barely moves the needle, it suggests spatial computing needs a killer app before it becomes mainstream.

Also worth monitoring: whether Google's Android 17 delay signals bigger strategic changes. If the company shifts away from annual releases to rolling updates, that's a significant industry shift that could affect how fast features reach users.

The smartphone market is stable now. Growth has flattened. Upgrades are optional. In that environment, the companies that win are the ones that make their devices indispensable through software, services, and features that really matter. That's what all this week's news is really about.

Samsung, Apple, and Google are focusing on AI, privacy, and integration, respectively. Estimated data reflects strategic emphasis.

FAQ

What is the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event?

Galaxy Unpacked is Samsung's annual flagship product launch event where the company reveals its next-generation Galaxy S series phones, along with other products like earbuds and watches. The 2025 event takes place February 25 in San Francisco and will livestream online, starting at 10 am Pacific. This is where the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra will be officially announced with full specs, features, and pricing.

When can I buy the Samsung Galaxy S26?

Samsung typically opens pre-orders immediately following the Unpacked event announcement, usually within the same day or the next day. You can currently pre-register on Samsung.com to receive a

What is Fitbit's Personal Health Coach and how does it work?

Fitbit's Personal Health Coach is an AI-powered service powered by Google's Gemini that provides personalized health advice based on your Fitbit tracking data including steps, heart rate, sleep, and exercise patterns. You access it through the Fitbit app by asking questions about your health and fitness, and the AI responds with suggestions based on your personal data and general health knowledge. It launched on Android months ago and arrived on iOS this week for users with active Fitbit Premium subscriptions.

Does Fitbit's Personal Health Coach require a paid subscription?

Yes, Fitbit's Personal Health Coach is only available to Fitbit Premium subscribers, which costs

How does iOS 26.3 make it easier to switch to Android?

Apple and Google collaborated to enable direct data transfer between iPhones and Android phones. You simply place your Android device next to your iPhone and initiate the transfer process, similar to switching between two iPhones. The transfer handles photos, videos, text messages, notes, contacts, calendar events, and app data automatically, with the operating systems converting formats on the fly. This eliminates the need to download separate migration apps or use web-based tools, making the process take roughly 30 minutes instead of hours.

What new privacy feature is in iOS 26.3?

Apple introduced Limit Precise Location in iOS 26.3, a privacy feature that restricts data cellular networks can use to pinpoint your exact location within a few meters. Currently, this feature only works on iPhones with Apple's custom C1 or C1X modem (iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, or iPad Pro M5 Wi-Fi + Cellular) and only on Boost Mobile in the US. Apple plans to expand support with the C2 modem in the iPhone 18 series later this year, enabling adoption across more carriers and devices.

Why did Google delay the Android 17 public beta?

Google hasn't officially explained the Android 17 public beta delay announced this week. The company stated the beta is "coming soon" without providing a specific timeline or reason. Possible explanations include discovering a critical bug in testing, rethinking the release strategy, or reassessing priorities as part of Google's shift away from annual megapdates toward more frequent smaller improvements. The delay is unusual but suggests the company is prioritizing stability over timeline adherence.

What are the main features coming in Android 17?

Android 17 focuses on improved large-screen support, developer APIs, and performance rather than revolutionary new features. Key additions include a mandatory requirement for apps to support resizable windows and multi-window multitasking, a new camera API enabling apps to access all camera sensors simultaneously (reducing third-party camera app lag), and a new audio leveling API that normalizes volume across different applications. The OS emphasizes stability and performance improvements as part of Google's new strategy of frequent updates instead of one annual overhaul.

Is YouTube on Apple Vision Pro the full YouTube app?

Yes, YouTube is now available as a native app on visionOS rather than just through the web browser. The app includes immersive features where videos play in virtual environments like a movie theater, home theater, beach, or park. You can resize videos, reposition them in space, and control playback with hand gestures. However, the immersive environment is more novelty than utility for most people, especially given YouTube's focus on short-form content and the friction of wearing the Vision Pro headset.

Why did it take two years for YouTube to arrive on Vision Pro?

The exact reason for YouTube's two-year delay is unclear and likely involved some combination of technical challenges or business negotiations between Google and Apple. Since YouTube is crucial for any platform but Google and Apple compete in multiple areas (including spatial computing), there may have been strategic hesitation on Google's side to prioritize Apple's Vision Pro. The company likely had specific integration requirements that took time to negotiate, though neither company has publicly explained the delay in detail.

Should I buy the Galaxy S26 when it launches?

Whether to upgrade to the Galaxy S26 depends on your current phone and needs. If you have an older phone (S23 or earlier), the S26 will be a meaningful upgrade with better cameras, faster processor, and the new privacy screen feature. If you have an S25, the improvements are incremental and probably not worth the upgrade cost. Expect the S26 to cost slightly more than the S25 due to RAM shortage-driven price increases. Wait for reviews after the February 25 announcement before deciding.

Final Thoughts: This Week Mattered More Than You Think

Gear news weeks like this one usually feel like static. Samsung's releasing a new phone, surprise surprise. Fitbit's adding AI, everyone's adding AI. Apple's making things easier, good for them. But if you step back, the bigger story is that mobile platforms are maturing, consolidating around a few key strategies (AI, privacy, interoperability), and trying to find growth in places that aren't just better processors and cameras.

The Galaxy S26 will be a good phone. Fitbit's AI coach will be useful for some people. iOS 26.3 is a genuine quality-of-life improvement. Android 17 will make your phone slightly faster and better at multitasking. YouTube on Vision Pro is fine, if you care about Vision Pro.

But the subtext is what matters: the mobile wars have transformed from feature wars to infrastructure wars. Who controls your health data? Who owns your digital identity? How easy is switching? The companies that win in the next few years will be the ones that answer those questions in ways users actually want.

Samsung's banking on AI. Apple's banking on privacy and integration. Google's banking on AI and platform dominance. Only one or two of these bets will be right. The next six months will tell us a lot about which companies understood the market correctly.

Key Takeaways

• Samsung Galaxy S26 series launches February 25 with new privacy screen feature, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and likely price increases from RAM shortage
• Fitbit's Personal Health Coach powered by Gemini now available on iOS for Premium subscribers ($9.99/month), expanding to five additional English-speaking countries
• iOS 26.3 enables seamless iPhone-to-Android direct data transfer (photos, messages, notes, apps) through collaboration between Apple and Google, removing major switching friction
• Android 17 public beta delayed by Google without explanation; focuses on multi-window support, camera APIs, and audio leveling rather than revolutionary features
• YouTube finally arrives as native visionOS app on Apple Vision Pro with immersive virtual environments two years after device launch

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