Opening thoughts. Microsoft Xbox CEO Asha Sharma The company’s gaming unit is being overhauled. It also needs to use the wrecking ball, because Microsoft has let things go like this for too long. Gaming revenues have seen declines in four of the last six quarters. There have been regular conversations, including an attempt by Satya Nadella to win back Xbox fans and gamers, but little has been discussed beyond the overwhelming passion for AI. Sharma has ended the Copilot journey on Xbox, and made a serious price restructuring for Xbox Game Pass subscriptions.
editor’s corner
new direction of android
Millions of Android phones have to go through how to work major overhaul In the coming months, it will start with flagship phones. Ahead of its annual I/O developer conference, Google has laid out a detailed vision for deeper integration of Gemini into Android. At its core is a new Gemini Intelligence layer, which will add context and personalization with the intention of automating tasks where possible – it’s going to be a significant change in how you use your Android phone. Gemini Intelligence brings references to auto-fill when filling out forms on websites and apps, a Rambler feature in the Keyboard app that can now turn commonly spoken sentences into concrete messages or lists, and automate certain tasks like booking tickets to an event you search for.
Three things, I would like to note:
- Google has essentially laid the groundwork for millions of Android phones to become “AI devices,” with there even being whispers of that becoming a device category in the coming months. You won’t really need a separate AI device anymore.
- With Gemini at the fingertips of millions of Android phone users, with all the apps they use on their phones (with context), is there really a need left for a separate AI subscription? Where does that leave things like OpenAI? Perhaps the place to compete now will be with enterprise AI functionality, but Anthropic sets the benchmark there.
- By announcing Gemini Intelligence next month before Apple announces anything about its AI functions, Google will forever maintain the first-mover advantage. Keep in mind, Apple and Google have an agreement to use Gemini models in the next Apple Intelligence redo, which will also include a smarter Siri expected this year. Maybe with iOS 27?
To HT’s question about a potential subscription layer that defines the use and usefulness of Gemini Intelligence as the core of the Android experience on phones, Ben Greenwood, who is the director and product manager of Android Core Experience, confirms that the base features will remain widely available to all devices, but with a caveat. “There are some usage limits for higher usage, and in those cases, you can upgrade to the AI subscription plan,” he says. It remains to be seen what the limitations of the free tier are and how they stack up when these features are accessible at the OS level rather than as a separate Gemini app or in specific instances where Gemini is implemented in other apps. In India, Google has three paid AI plans – AI Plus which costs ₹399 per month, for AI Pro ₹1,950 per month and price of AI Ultra ₹24,500 per month.
Gemini Intelligence brings references to auto-fill when filling out forms on websites and apps, a Rambler feature in the Keyboard app that can now turn commonly spoken sentences into concrete messages or lists, and automate certain tasks like booking tickets to an event you search for. Debuting with Chrome Auto Browse in late June, Gemini inside Chrome will be able to help you with everything from making appointments, planning a party, or searching for out-of-stock items from your Android phone. These new features will roll out to flagship Android devices over the next few months.
And it’s not just the Android overhaul on phones. Google is also betting on a refurbished computing device Premium Googlebook Laptop The range, and the Gemini Intelligence layer will also extend to Android Auto in your car through your smartphone. This is, to put it mildly, Google at its most aggressive, unwilling to waste momentum. And this is exactly the key Google we don’t want to lose.
Tech Spotlight
desktop charging station
Desktop charging stations have an undeniable utility, which will be realized by those of us who have a laptop and more than one other device to charge rapidly at the same time. Many of you may remember that I regularly talked about some of the better options you could buy over time, and I remember my analysis clearly. UltraProLink’s Boost Unity 100 And Acefast’s Z4 PD218W. That era is now moving forward with Indian tech companies UltraproLink’s Boost Unity 105 and Stuffcool’s Zeno 100 charging stations. Same form factor, very different approach to usability, yet undeniable success.
The UltraProLink Boost Unity 105, as the name suggests, is a 105-watt charging station that essentially has 6 USB ports – two USB-A ports, each capped at 18-watt charging speeds, and four USB-C ports. Of these four USB-C ports, the ports marked C1 and C2 will top out at 100-watt speeds when used individually, while the C3 and C4 ports each peak at 65-watts. Although this is a theoretical six device charging hub, like any other device of its kind, the charging speed will be distributed in a specific ratio (for example, C1 gets a higher share if C3 is also being used). This is more than enough bandwidth for most laptops to charge as well as fast-charging phones or tablets in the same time.
It’s impressive how cool this charging station stays, even when drawing the full 100-watts to power a 15-inch MacBook Pro through C1, or if two fast-charging phones are plugged into C3 and C4. The Boost Unity 105 will seamlessly charge a smartwatch or true wireless earbuds with a USB-SA port, even amidst fast charging activity elsewhere. you pay a fair premium ₹6,999 but it is long lasting. And be very relevant.
StuffCool also has an interesting take on desktop charging stations. The Zeno 100 has four ways to charge devices simultaneously. Tops out at 100-watts combined, and yet it’s a fairly simple proposition. Both Type-C ports can do a maximum of 100-Watt charging speeds, while the USB-A port is rated at a maximum of 18-Watts. Uniqueness in StuffCool’s view comes from the retractable USB-C cable, which, at 65-watts, is ideal for quickly plugging the phone in to charge at your desk, without having to search for a cable or plug it in. This flat design cable measures 1.5 meters in length, meaning the sides of your work desk aren’t completely out of reach.
The idea of a retractable cable was first seen Stuffcool Zeno 65W And as I noted then, the key is to be gentle with this extension and retraction. Still, when one has a charger, one should not carry a separate charging cable with it. price of zeno 100 ₹3,999 and this will definitely be one of my shortlisted recommendations for desktop charging hubs. And it will work great while traveling too.
second thought
intelligence and espionage
There is a new fraud targeting Android phone users, researchers at security firm ESET have discovered. It’s called CallPhantom, and it’s basically a set of malicious apps that claim to provide access to call logs, messages, and WhatsApp call history of any number in exchange for payment made with real money. ESET says they’ve detected 28 different CallPhantom apps on Google Play, which have been collectively downloaded 7.3 million times. How he passed the play filters remains a matter of concern. As noted, ESET reported these apps to Google, and they have since been removed.
“In November 2025, we found a Reddit post discussing an app called Call History of Any Number on Google Play. Unexpectedly, our analysis revealed that the ‘call history’ data provided by this app is completely fabricated – the app generates random phone numbers and matches them with fixed names, call times, and call durations, which were embedded directly into the code,” says ESET researcher Lucas Stefanko.
While demand for real money for simulated data varied across apps, researchers noted realistic-looking subscription options offered weekly, monthly, and yearly payment options, which cost up to $80. Many apps came pre-selected with India’s +91 country code, and supported UPI payments in the region. ESET says 53.7% of all CallPhantom detections worldwide were found in India – just something to be said for a mix of willingness to spy and low intelligence levels.
A question remains how many apps (and users) have chosen the Google Play billing option over direct or third-party payment gateways. In the case of the former, Google will automatically cancel recurring subscriptions for these apps once they are delisted from the Play Store. For the latter, if there is any recourse (or refund), it is entirely a matter of luck.
Wired Wisdom strips away the glamor to take a closer look at technology and AI, with the hope of critically analyzing how it impacts you, the human. Would you like this newsletter sent to your inbox? Subscribe here.
