Mobile News 24 Hours

Last updated: May 23, 2026, 11:34 PM ET

Mobile & Deals

The phone market is awash in promos this week, with multiple manufacturers pairing handsets with free accessories to juice demand. The OnePlus 15R comes bundled with a free OnePlus Watch 3 43mm, while Motorola is launching both the Razr Fold and Razr 70 alongside deals across the lineup. Meanwhile, Memorial Day Weekend deals have slashed a 2024 Motorola handset with a stylus to under $200 at Best Buy, reflecting a broader push to move inventory before summer. On the premium side, GSMArena's weekly poll found that the Sony Xperia 1 VIII has strong consumer support despite its high asking price, suggesting buyers are still drawn to the rare combination of a 3.5mm headphone jack and micro SD slot in a flagship. Xiaomi previewed its 17T and 17T Pro, revealing the telephoto cameras' magnification specs ahead of a May 28 unveiling and a June 4 Indian launch. Honor also leaked specs for its Win 2 successor, with the range-topper reportedly packing upgraded internals aimed at the gaming phone segment.

Samsung Ecosystem

Samsung continued to expand its mid-range and tablet lineup this week. The Galaxy A57 vs. Galaxy A56 comparison pits the latest mid-range offering against its predecessor, giving buyers a clear upgrade path at a lower price point. In software, One UI 8.5 has now rolled out to the Galaxy Tab S10 FE and FE+, following the earlier launch on the Tab S11 series, while Galaxy Z Fold7, iPhone Air, and Galaxy S26 Ultra are all receiving price cuts across retailers. Separately, Samsung's Galaxy Z Rollable patent resurfaced, keeping alive the fantasy of a rollable display phone that would redefine the foldable category. On the tablet front, Amazon dropped the price on its best-selling Samsung tablet by $200, bundling the S Pen to push adoption among note-takers and digital artists.

AI & Privacy

AI pricing wars heated up significantly. DeepSeek permanently cut its flagship V4 model price by 75 percent, a move analysts read as a direct play to undercut competitors in the Chinese large-language-model market. The timing aligns with growing pressure on AI firms to demonstrate unit economics. In cybersecurity, Anthropic reported that its Mythos tool has already flagged more than 10,000 vulnerabilities, including high and critical severity bugs, as part of its Project Glasswing initiative. On the consumer side, Meta's smart glasses can be secured with three specific privacy settings, though the company's track record on data protection means users are right to be cautious. Google and Samsung are preparing Android XR smart eyewear for later this year, hoping to avoid the backlash that doomed Google Glass, but history looms large over the category.

Science & Space

NASA released photos from the Psyche spacecraft's Mars flyby, giving researchers a fresh look at the Red Planet's surface during the mission's gravity-assist maneuver. The images join a growing catalog from the Psyche probe, which is en route to the metallic asteroid it's named after. Meanwhile, a new mission aims to study Earth's magnetosphere, and researchers also successfully hatched chicks from artificial eggshells, advancing lab-grown avian development. In cultural news, Ansel Adams' trust sued over an AI-colorized version of Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico that was exhibited without permission at AIPAD's Photography show, raising fresh questions about the legal status of AI-generated art derived from copyrighted photography.

Gaming & Entertainment

The gaming space saw several notable developments. Dead by Daylight is adding Jason from Friday the 13th, ending a long fan-requested wait for the iconic slasher in the asymmetric horror title. Ayaneo unveiled the Konkr Pocket Block, a smaller Game Boy-inspired handheld that integrates AI features into its compact form factor. On the indie front, remakes of Myst and Riven are among new titles worth checking out, alongside a puzzle platformer inspired by mental health challenges. Image Comics launched its new miniseries Of the Earth, joining a crowded but vibrant week for sequential art. Lastly, Italian authorities shut down the Cinemagoal piracy app, which had been retransmitting content from Netflix, Disney+, and other major platforms without authorization.