Let's face it, Gmail is showing its age, from lackluster search to delayed notifications. While I haven't fully moved away from Gmail yet, the day is coming as I test alternatives. For now, I'm pretty happy with Proton Mail, but there are certainly more options to check out. Some prefer Outlook, and Fastmail deserves a mention. So, if you had to replace Gmail with an alternative, what would you replace it with?

A subtle makeover for Google TV has been rolling out, bringing with it a handful of expressive Material 3 designs that ideally make the app easier to browse. Things like more prominent titles and dynamic color theming made the cut, though these aren't huge changes, admittedly. So, have you noticed this change? Have you received Google TV's latest makeover, or are you still waiting?

There are plenty of ways to score free e-books, from free rentals at libraries to services like Amazon's First Reads program to Stuff Your Kindle Day events. With so many discounted and free titles to choose from, it's challenging to run out of e-books to read. But this has me wondering what avenues our readers prefer to score their free e-books. So, shout it loud and proud, where do you procure your free e-books, and what makes the service stand out?

I can tell you what the favorite at AP is. It's the Motorola Edge 2025, a slick device that doesn't break the bank, all the while offering worthwhile performance, battery life, and build quality. It hits the right spot, a Goldilocks device. But what about you? What's your most underrated smartphone of the year? Is it the Moto Edge, or do you have another device in mind?

There are many different ways to use two-factor authentication, from SMS, to using a dedicated app, to e-mail, and while some are considered more secure than others, I know most people have a favorite. Using an app may not be the easiest solution, but it is pretty dang secure, which is why this is my go-to despite e-mail being infinitely easier to wrangle. So, what's your preferred style of two-factor authentication?

Thanks to a report at Android Headlines the supposed specs for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold have leaked. Just like in past years, there will be little left to the imagination when the phone launches. So, have you had a chance to see the leaked specs we reported on, and if so, what do you think of them?

There is no shortage of app options out there, though it can be hard to find the best that are privacy-focused. Of course, Proton offers a fleet of apps that fit the bill, but perhaps they are not designed to your tastes. So, are there apps you prefer over Proton's offering when it comes to privacy? If so, do share so everyone can give them a shot.

To me, it feels like most software keyboards have gotten worse over the years, constantly predicting the wrong text that I have to scrutinize closely before hitting the send button on my messages. In other words, I now type slower than ever, thanks to AI constantly second-guessing my intentions incorrectly. While I wouldn't call Gboard my favorite, it is what I use because there really isn't anything better, which is an incredibly low bar. Still, I'm sure plenty of people have their favorite. So, between Samsung Keyboard and Gboard, which do you prefer?

For me, it feels like all of the excitement for new Android devices is in the midrange, with affordable flips, gaming phones, and plenty of other options, not to mention unique designs like the Unihertz Titan 2. This leaves the high-end as well as budget devices feeling pretty stale in 2025, and I'm not the only one who has picked up on this. But this is why I wanted to put the question to our readers to see if I'm off base or not. So, are you willing to use a budget Android phone, or is the midrange more your speed these days?

If you're looking to roll your own self-hosted apps, there are plenty of options. But the question remains, how many are willing to go through the trouble? Of course, deGoogling is a big trend these days, so it's more people than you think who are looking to regain control over their content. So, have you considered hosting your own cloud apps to more control, or are you happy with the status quo and trusting big corporations with your data?

A cleaner layout for Google's Phone app has been rolling out to users, combining a few sections into a meatier home page. Of course, like many updates from Google, not everyone has received the change yet. So, have you received the Google Phone app's cleaner layout yet, or are you still waiting like me?

It seems clear tri-folding phones are going to hit the mainstream sooner rather than later, and this makes sense, the tech is finally mature enough that we are getting phones that can fold out to full tablets. Cause really, dual folding phones always felt like a stopgap with very little use case, but once tri-folds mature, I can see the market taking off. So, am I alone here in this thinking? Would you purchase a tri-folding phone if you were provided a reasonable option?

T-Mobile is currently holding a fantastic deal for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 that shaves a ton of money off their prices. And yet I can't remember the last time I went to a carrier to get a new phone. I buy my handsets outright, typically ordering directly from the manufacturer. And this has me wondering if I'm an edge case when it comes to AP readers, or more the norm. So, do you still wait for carrier deals to pick up a new phone, or do you buy them outright like me?

Thanks to a patent dispute, Japan has banned the Pixel 7, and the country may be going after more Pixels in the future. As we have all learned from Nintendo's example, Japan has some nutty copyright laws, and it takes them very seriously. While I'm mostly ambivalent about what Japan is up to when it comes to Pixels, I was wondering if anyone else had any thoughts. So, what do you think of Japan banning the Pixel 7?

Gemini has been around for a minute, and in classic Google fashion, it wasn't ready for every platform, like Wear OS. Thankfully, Google has finally graced us with Gemini support on Wear OS, bringing the convenience of the AI bot to our wrists. Now that Gemini is available on Wear OS, do you plan to use it?

Google has done every Pixel 9 Pro owner a solid by offering free Veo 3 access, its AI video generator that's all the rage these days. So now that you know you have free access thanks to the phone you purchased, will you use it? I can't say AI video generation is high on my list of features I want on my phones, but I'm a bit of a Luddite when it comes to AI. What about you?

Prime Day 2025 is now over, and it's likely that many bought something. I purchased a new floodlight cam, along with a few other odds and ends, saving myself a few hundred dollars. But what about you? What were your best purchases for Prime Day 2025? Was it a TV, a new phone, or maybe a new set of earbuds? Whatever it was, hit the comments to share so everyone can compare.

Pixel's July security patches are finally here, though if you happen to own a Pixel 6a, this patch will also throttle battery, so it's not all good news. While I've yet to receive the patch, it is very much rolling out, and so I was wondering just how many around here have already updated. Have you installed July's Pixel update already, or are you still waiting like me?

As a Pixel owner, I'm more than familiar with how buggy the phones can be; it's a long-running issue with Google's phones despite their premium prices, and it looks like an alarm bug that had been squashed in the past has returned for some users. These users are reporting that their alarms are getting ignored, a big problem if you rely on your phone's alarm to wake up for work in the morning. So, have you been experiencing the return of this bug, or are you cruising with no issues in sight?

Nothing has said that the Phone 3 is the last of its generation, which likely means new designs will be coming down the road. While it's hard to guess where Nothing will focus its efforts in the future, that doesn't mean we can't have some fun guessing. So, what do you want to see from Nothing Next? For me, I just hope they make it easier to buy their hardware in the US.