Smartphone cases are something we all use, but I don’t get why Samsung and Google keep making the same annoying mistake when it comes to their first-party Galaxy and Pixel cases.

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First-party smartphone cases are often overpriced, but they’re also often one of the better options, especially when your smartphone is brand new. Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices are ever-growing in popularity, but the depth of the case market compared to the iPhone remains pretty shallow.

That said, I’ve been pretty annoyed about one aspect of both Google and Samsung’s first-party cases in recent years, and that’s with the silicone material these brands are choosing.

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It’s way too grippy, to the point where it’s basically unusable.

Over the past week I’ve been using Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra in the brand’s official silicone case and, frankly, it’s been infuriating. The silicone material feels good in the hand where its grippy qualities are actually helpful, but sliding this phone in and out of a pocket is a constant irritation. It’s basically impossible to get the device out of my jeans without taking the whole pocket with it, and trying to slide it in is all the more frustrating.

The same has been true of Google’s official Pixel cases for the past couple of generations, which is a shame seeing as Google so perfectly color-matches its cases to the phones. When my wife upgraded to Pixel 10 Pro she was excited to get the official color-matching “Jade” case, but later asked to swap the case out because she was frustrated with the same problem as me.

My question to both of these brands is simply, why? Why are we still doing this? I understood it when Google made this mistake on the Pixel 8 series a few years ago and figured it would be a one-off problem. It’s improved slightly, but it certainly hasn’t gone away. And I’d argue that Samsung’s silicone case is somehow even worse.

What do you think? Have you run into this problem?

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Following right up on MWC 2026, Nothing launched the Phone (4a) series in London (yes, this author is exhausted), and it’s looking like a really nice update to the series.

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When NASA crashed a spacecraft into the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in 2022, it altered both Dimorphos’ orbit around its parent asteroid, Didymos, and the two objects’ orbit around the sun, according to new research. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said in a press release that this “marks the first time a human-made object has measurably altered the path of a celestial body around the Sun.” It’s a promising result as scientists work to find a feasible method of defending Earth from hazardous space objects.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission was designed to demonstrate one possible way of deflecting such an object, targeting the non-threatening moonlet Dimorphos, which is about 560 feet wide. NASA quickly declared it a success after its initial analysis showed the planned collision shortened Dimorphos’ orbit around Didymos, the larger of the two objects in the binary asteroid system. In a follow-up study published in 2024, a team at NASA’s JPL reported that Dimorphos’ orbital period had been trimmed by about 33 minutes, as its path was nudged roughly 120 feet closer to Didymos than before. The latest study now indicates that the whole binary system was affected, not just Dimorphos.

Didymos and Dimorphos have a 770-day orbital period around the sun, which lead author Rahil Makadia said has been changed by “about 11.7 microns per second, or 1.7 inches per hour.” That might not sound like much, but according to Makadia, “Over time, such a small change in an asteroid’s motion can make the difference between a hazardous object hitting or missing our planet.”

Here comes another disappointment for ChatGPT users. As first reported by Sources‘ Alex Heath, OpenAI is yet again delaying its “adult mode” for ChatGPT. A company spokesperson told Heath that “we’re pushing out the launch of adult mode so we can focus on work that is a higher priority for more users right now.”

More specifically, OpenAI’s spokesperson said that things like “gains in intelligence, personality improvements, personalization, and making the experience more proactive” were being prioritized instead. However, the company still wants to release an adult mode, but it would “take more time,” according to the company spokesperson.

The reveal of ChatGPT’s adult mode dates back to October, when OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, posted on X that the company would roll out more age-gating as part of its “treat adults like adults” principle, adding that this would include “erotica for verified adults.” Altman originally said this adult mode would be available in December, but an OpenAI exec later said during a December briefing that it would instead debut in the first quarter of 2026.

With Q1 almost coming to a close, we no longer have a timeframe for when ChatGPT’s adult mode will release. However, OpenAI began rolling out its age prediction tool in January, which may go hand-in-hand with the upcoming adult mode.

As Samsung doubles down on AI for its Galaxy smartphones, the company says it is “looking into” ways to bring vibe coding into the experience.

Speaking to TechRadar, Samsung said that it is looking into future ways for Galaxy phones to offer ways for users to vibe code certain parts of the experience. This includes apps, apparently, but also the entire software experience.

Samsung’s Woo-Joon Choi said that the company is looking at the “possibility of customising your smartphone experience in new ways, not just your apps but your UX,” envisioning a future where Galaxy users can “adjust their favorite apps or make something customized to their needs” with the help of AI.

The specifics of this are very uncertain, of course, but the possibilities are also endless.

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Vibe coding has become a popular trend for many, as it gives users with little to no knowledge of coding the ability to create things for themselves, at least in certain cases. One great example of that recently is Nothing’s “Essential Apps” project, which lets users generate homescreen widgets with app-like functionality using AI models.

Meanwhile, on the full development side of things, AI tools have become very useful for developers, with Google even now recommending the best models for assistance in Android app development.

More on Samsung:

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It’s a busy time for the reviews team and Engadget, and with Apple announcing new devices this week, we aren’t letting up any time soon. New products from Samsung, Dell, Google and ASUS headline the roundup this time, and we’ve got a few unique items to discuss as well. Read on to catch up on anything you might’ve missed, including the latest installment of Pokémon.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Samsung / Engadget

While the S26 Ultra might not wow you with a ton of major improvements, it brings subtle upgrades across the board along with a new standout display for anyone who cares about privacy.

Pros

• Superb Privacy Display
• Great performance
• Strong battery life
• Wider aperture for main and 5x telephoto lenses

Cons

• Expensive
• S-Pen is unchanged
• No built-in magnetic ring for Qi2 accessories

This year’s Samsung flagship phone may not impress you with a load of new features, but there’s one in particular that senior reporter Sam Rutherford was wowed by. “This goes double for the S26 Ultra, whose biggest upgrade — the Privacy Display — is something meant to stop other people from snooping at what you’re doing.,” he said. “When it’s on, you probably won’t even be able to tell, which is kind of the point.”

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro

Samsung/Engadget

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are the best earbuds for Samsung’s phones, due to device-specific features and the combination of great sound quality and capable ANC.

Pros

• Refined design
• Excellent audio
• Lots of features

Cons

• Design is still unoriginal
• ANC performance is good, not great
• Many features require a Samsung phone

Samsung went all-in with with AirPods mimicry last year, and that continues on the Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro. However, despite big improvements to sound quality and the continued addition of new features, Samsung could certainly do more. “The company is really only lagging behind Apple in two areas: hearing health and heart-rate tracking,” I wrote. “Samsung currently offers the option to amplify voices on its earbuds, but it hasn’t built a hearing test or the hearing protection tools Apple has. The biggest update on the AirPods Pro 3 was the addition of heart-rate tracking last year, which would be a great foundation for a fitness-focused version of the Galaxy Buds.”

Dell XPS 14 (2026)

Dell

Dell’s revamped XPS 14 is lighter and more powerful than ever, but it’s hampered by an annoying keyboard.

Pros

• Gorgeous and light design
• Powerful Intel chips
• Lovely OLED screen
• Fixes previous design mistakes

Cons

• Baffling keyboard issues
• Expensive for beefy configs
• Mediocre battery life

We review a lot of devices that are almost excellent, except for one big flaw. That’s the case with the new XPS 14, where senior reporter Devindra Hardawar had a hard time with very basic functionality. “If I were to judge the XPS 14 based purely on its specs and design alone, it would be my favorite Windows laptop available today,” he wrote. “Dell is so close to making a PC that’s a true MacBook Pro competitor, it’s a shame a simple keyboard issue holds the XPS 14 back from true greatness.”

Google Pixel 10a

Google / Engadget

Despite few upgrades, the Pixel 10a remains an excellent option for those looking for an affordable smartphone.

Pros

• Bright, vivid 120Hz display
• Great camera software
• Satellite SOS included
• Available in a handful of lovely colors

Cons

• Slow wired and wireless charging
• No Pixelsnap support

Google’s A-series devices have consistently been a great option if you’re looking to spend less on phone but still want a capable handset. Despite minimal upgrades on the Pixel 10a, that sentiment still holds true. “On the one hand, part of me wants to dock points because Google has added so few updates,” senior reporter Igor Bonifacic said. “On the other, the 10a is still a great phone for $500, and at a time when consumer electronics are becoming more expensive by the day, the fact it hasn’t gone up in price is a small miracle.”

ASUS ProArt GoPro Edition PX13

ASUS/Engadget

The ASUS ProArt GoPro Edition is the best Windows creator laptop on the market, thanks to the excellent blend of performance and battery life. However, it’s quite expensive at $3,000.

Pros

• Excellent performance
• Good battery life
• OLED touchscreen with accurate colors and rich blacks
• Good keyboard and trackpad

Cons

• Display lacks brightness
• High price
• Fans are loud under load

Creators often need a combination of power and display quality in a laptop that would be overkill for most of us. For those who do need it, contributing reporter Steven Dent found the ASUS ProArt GoPro Edition PX13 nearly checked all the boxes. “ASUS is one of the few PC manufacturers trying to compete with Apple in the creator market, and with the ProArt GoPro Edition laptop, it has largely succeeded,” he said. “This model offers excellent performance and battery life, a huge amount of memory, a very nice OLED HDR display, a nice range of ports and an excellent keyboard and trackpad.”

Ambient Dreamie, Seattle Ultrasonics and more

We also recently reviewed a couple of off-beat gadgets, both of which earned high marks from our team. The Ambient Dreamie is a “bedside companion” that functions as an alarm clock with both bedtime and morning routines. Weekend editor Cheyenne MacDonald was so impressed by how it improved her sleep that she bought one for herself. And the Seattle Ultrasonics C-200 was dubbed “the future of kitchen knives” by Sam.

Sam also played a few hours of Pokémon Pokopia and he was charmed by the new take on gameplay for the series. Lastly, Devindra put the Falcon Northwest FragBox through its paces, discovering a powerful gaming rig in machine that looks a bit like a box of fried chicken

As we previously spotted, Google Messages is adding a new “Tap to Draft” behavior that saves you from accidental Smart Replies.

Going to Messages Settings > Suggestions reveals a new preference beneath Smart Reply. The description to the left of the toggle is the current behavior. (It would benefit from a clearer settings interface.)

• Tap to Send: Tap Smart Replies to instantly send a message
• Tap to Draft: Tap Smart Replies to update your message draft

The default setting is still “Tap to Send” with this initial rollout. The new “Tap to Draft” places the suggestion in the text field for you to further edit before sending. It adds a good second step to avoid accidental sends. 

We’re seeing Tap to Draft with beta version 20260303_00_RC00 of Google Messages. It’s not yet in the stable channel.

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