Mobile News 24 Hours

Last updated: June 23, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

Mobile Devices & Wearables

Prime Day is fueling a surge in discounts across smartphones and wearables. Amazon is offering up to 25% off Google Pixel 10 phones and watches, while Garmin smartwatches see up to 50% price drops, including Epix and Venu models. Samsung's flagship smartwatch is available for $200 less, and deals on the Galaxy S26 Ultra and refurbished iPhone 17 Pro are also live. In a separate event, Walmart is countering with its own deals, including a Meta Quest 3S headset at 15% off.

The smartphone market continues to see new entrants and updates. Nothing's Phone (4b) will launch on July 7, while Realme has quietly introduced the P4x 4G with an 8,000mAh battery. Samsung announced its next-generation UFS 5.0 storage standard, promising double the performance of current UFS 4.1. Meanwhile, Samsung Display is reportedly beginning OLED panel production for Apple's foldable iPhone, expected to launch as the iPhone Ultra.

VR & AR Headsets

Meta is aggressively pushing its AI-powered eyewear while also offering significant discounts on its virtual reality headsets. The company launched three new AI glasses models at $299 each, now dropping the Ray-Ban branding for the "Meta Adventurer," "Meta Fury," and "Meta Glasses by Kylie" (Jenner) lines with Kylie Jenner involved. For VR, Amazon is offering the Meta Quest 3S at 15% off, bundled with extra content, and Walmart is also providing a similar discount as part of its own sale event. Additionally, Bobo VR's highly-rated Quest 3 and Quest 3S headstraps are discounted for Prime Day, aiming to improve comfort. Meta is also donating Ray-Ban AI smart glasses to legally blind veterans.

PC Gaming & Handhelds

The PC gaming hardware market is seeing new powerful entries and significant price adjustments. MSI and Intel have partnered on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, described as a potentially powerful handheld gaming PC. Valve's long-awaited Steam Machine is finally on sale, with the 512GB model priced at $1,049 and the 2TB version at $1,349, excluding controllers.

Smartphones & Software Updates

Apple's iOS 27 development continues with the release of beta, which adds Write with Siri and inline RCS support. The update also includes more Siri-related enhancements. Google is also refining its Pixel line, with reports of a new Audio Memory feature that could record important conversations and the addition of LHDC v5 audio codec support in the Android 17 update. Samsung's Galaxy A15 4G and Galaxy A24 4G are now receiving the stable One UI 8.5 update.

AI & Enterprise

OpenAI is expanding its cybersecurity initiatives with the launch of Patch the Planet, part of its Daybreak program, aimed at assisting open-source projects with bug fixes. The company has also secured one of its largest enterprise deals with Samsung Electronics, extending beyond their existing semiconductor supply relationship. In a concerning development, Oracle laid off 21,000 employees over the past year, citing AI as a contributing factor. Meta's Oversight Board has recommended that the company improve its processes for reporting sexualized AI deepfakes, following reports that Meta was "pausing" an employee tracking program after it exposed sensitive data due to a system flaw. Meanwhile, A24 is investing $75 million in Google's AI tools for film production.

Smart Home & Streaming

Amazon's AI-powered Alexa+ chatbot is expanding its reach, becoming available in India with Hindi language support. For home entertainment, the Wii M Pro Plus is positioned as a Chromecast Audio successor, offering comprehensive network streaming capabilities. The Instagram for TV app is expanding to a major US TV brand, building on its availability on Fire TV and Google TV devices. Consumers looking to build media libraries can find deals on Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, with UGREEN's DXP4800 Pro available at an all-time low price and the DH2300 and DH4300 Plus models highlighted as beginner-friendly options during Prime Day.

Other Notable Developments

China has regained the top spot in the supercomputer rankings, achieving this by utilizing CPUs instead of GPUs. Consumer Cellular has launched a new brand called SpeakEasy, specifically for individuals over the age of 75. In a separate legal development, Uber's board is facing a lawsuit from shareholders alleging poor oversight that contributed to passenger safety issues. The U.S. MVNO Consumer Cellular has launched Speak Easy, a new brand targeting seniors over.