Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority Companies like Xiaomi have changed the game in India, with budget-friendly smartphones offering impressive performance and features. Many have followed suit, and even major players like Samsung have jumped into this budget-friendly category in India. If you’re looking for a lot of bang for your buck, here are some of the best phones under 15,000 rupees! The best phones under 15,000 rupees in India: Editor’s note: We will continue to update this list of the best phones under 15,000 rupees as more become available.

David Imel / Android Authority Our quick picks for the best thin Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra cases: The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a 6.8-inch beast that’s sure to dominate your pocket space. However, you’ll still have to find a way to keep your new $1,200 device safe from harm. Luckily for you, there are plenty of thin and light ways to do just that. Here are our picks for the best Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra thin cases you can buy.

Lily Katz / Android Authority This year was supposed to end our long struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the continued spread of the virus and its numerous variants, we were left to hold out on getting things back to normal. That said, the continued pandemic meant many people had time on their hands to both create and listen to podcasts, and on that front, 2021 did not disappoint. This is Android Authority’s list of the best podcasts of 2021.

Apple was late to the smart speaker game, and when it finally made it, it botched its initial play. Don’t get us wrong — the 2018 HomePod still sounds amazing, but it launched at $349. That made it costly next to other high-end products, never mind a $100 Echo speaker. And its features were so sharply limited that you couldn’t even set multiple timers, much less use Siri voice commands for non-Apple music.

Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority The Fitbit Luxe, the company’s first fashion-first fitness tracker, filled a niche between the Charge and Inspire lineups. It wasn’t a landmark device, but it provided an option for users who value aesthetics above pure functionality. We expect Fitbit to announce the Luxe’s successor later in 2022, but will it be the Fitbit Luxe 2 or another device? We answer these questions and outline our wishlist below.

TL;DR Facebook will no longer make Portal devices for consumers. The company will continue selling existing Portals till inventory lasts and provide long-term software support to existing users. Facebook’s Alexa-powered Portal devices are dying a timely death. That’s because they aren’t as popular with consumers as Amazon and Google’s offerings. The company confirmed to Variety that it is killing off the consumer versions of Portal and will only focus on its business applications.

Facial recognition technology is now a staple of smartphone security, along with the trust old PIN and increasingly elaborate fingerprint scanners. While not necessarily more secure than a fingerprint scanner, biometric ideas like facial recognition tend to be faster and more convenient to use. So let’s explore what options are out there, how they work, and what they mean for security. Android’s basic facial recognition While specific OEMs may be talking up their own fancy security technologies, did you know that Android has been able to unlock your phone with your face since Ice Cream Sandwich?

Google has finally released the Pixel Buds app on the Play Store indicating that the Pixel Buds 2 aren’t far behind. The new app is only meant for Google’s second generation true wireless earbuds and can be downloaded on any Android device upwards of Android Marshmallow. The Pixel Buds app lets you set up the new Pixel Buds and control features like Adaptive Sound, in-ear detection, find device, Google Assistant, and spoken notifications.

TL;DR Google has previewed the Pixel Watch and it looks like the device won’t work with iPhones. The company’s first smartwatch will be compatible with phones running Android 8.0 or newer versions. Google gave us a sneak peek at the Pixel Watch during yesterday’s I/O 2022 developer conference. While it did not announce many details about the wearable, we now know that it’s coming this fall alongside the Pixel 7 series.

Plan Picks is back with the newest edition of a Sprint Flex Lease. You probably have the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S20 to thank for this one because you can grab the Samsung Galaxy S10 now for free. Great, isn’t it? The shiny new phone gets announced and now you can save big on the powerful Galaxy S10. The Flex Lease details make this whole deal even better too.