Following the latest twist in Google's legal battles with Epic, US Android users are now able to open Google's Play Store and download a third-party digital store with its own selection of apps. Aptoide, a store specializing in mobile games, is the first to become available.

Third-party app stores have always been available on Android, which is a more open platform than iOS in that respect. However, until now they've only been available if pre-installed on a device - as with the Amazon Appstore on Fire tablets or Samsung's Galaxy Store - or installed via sideloading. Listing rival storefronts within the Play Store makes them much easier for …

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What makes the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra so Ultra? Samsung's first foldable with the Ultra name isn't a souped-up version of the regular Fold 8, as you might expect. Where the Z Fold 8 is squat and wide, the Fold 8 Ultra retains the thin outer screen and square inner panel of the previous Folds. It does have a substantially better triple rear camera system and a slightly larger battery. But with no support for the S Pen stylus and no Privacy Display, it's not Ultra in the same way as the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

But compare it to last year's Z Fold 7 and the upgrades look more substantial. Samsung has improved the displays, battery, charging, …

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Google Assistant's days have been numbered ever since Gemini arrived on the scene, and its time is now up. Google has announced that it will be removing access to Assistant on Android phones and tablets, along with paired devices like smartwatches or headphones, from September 4th.

The announcement came in an email apparently sent to some users, as reported by 9to5Google and shared in full on Reddit. The Verge has asked Google for confirmation that the email is accurate, and will update this story once we have it.

"We will begin removing access to Google Assistant starting on 4 September," Google states in the email, "and expect that this …

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