Mobile News 24 Hours

Last updated: August 11, 2026, 8:57 AM ET

Google’s Pixel 11 Event

Google has scheduled its Made by Google 2026 event for August 12, and you can watch the announcement live to see the Pixel 11 series and Pixel Watch. Ahead of that, the company released a teaser video for the Pixel 11 Pro, gently poking fun at the development process. A carrier leak also revealed the Pixel 11 Pro XL in a matte black finish with a larger camera housing and a new “HiLight” LED flash. Meanwhile, the Pixel Watch 5 will get a Stephen Curry edition, launching alongside the phones. If you’re torn about upgrading, here’s a guide on whether to wait for the Pixel 11 or buy a Pixel 10 now.

Samsung’s Foldables and Mid-Range

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 has proven more successful than expected, prompting a production boost of 1 million units for the year. A durability test from Jerry Rig Everything put that device through sand, blades, and more — see how the Z Fold8 fared against Zack’s brutal stress tests. On the mid-range front, full specs of the Galaxy S26 FE have leaked, revealing key changes and holdovers from the previous model. Finally, if you missed the preorder window, T-Mobile will still give you a free Galaxy Watch 9 with a qualifying watch plan and $20 monthly credit.

Xiaomi and Other New Smartphones

Xiaomi’s next flagships are testing in a wide range of colors: black, white, pink, blue, and red, according to a leak that also mentions a fiberglass back for the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. A separate tipster has revealed the India launch roadmap for Xiaomi and Redmi devices for the rest of the year, including the Redmi 17 series. Meanwhile, the Minimal Phone 2 trades its clunky E Ink screen for a 90Hz AMOLED display while keeping its tactile QWERTY keyboard and adding 5G. Leaked images of the Fairphone 6+ show a Cobalt Blue finish and 12GB of RAM with 256GB storage. On the budget end, Lava has announced the Smart 4 with specs that feel straight out of 2016.

Industry Trends and Costs

Global smartphone shipments declined by 7% in Q2 compared to the same period last year, with a further 3% drop from Q1, as rising memory prices hurt the market. Meanwhile, a Trend Force report estimates that the iPhone 18 Pro bill of materials could be up to 40% higher due to the memory chip shortage, potentially impacting availability. For those on a tight budget, here’s what a $100 smartphone gets you in 2026 — creativity is required.

Carriers & Connectivity

Verizon suffered a major outage in Southern California after vandals cut fiber cables, disrupting mobile and internet services for many customers — the carrier confirmed the cause was deliberate sabotage. In New York, Mayor Mamdani announced support for the Delivery Protection Act, which Amazon is fighting to prevent restrictions on using contractors for last-mile delivery — see the NYC mayor’s backing. Confused about wireless charging standards? Here’s the difference between MagSafe and Qi2. And if you’re deciding between Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or 2.4GHz for peripherals, a guide explains the key differences.

Apps & Security

OpenAI expanded its Daybreak cybersecurity program with a higher tier that gives partners access to a more powerful cybersecurity model. On the platform side, YouTube is making it harder for creators to start earning ad revenue — new partners now need twice the watch hours or Shorts views to qualify. Meanwhile, Valve warned that data of European Steam hardware customers may have been compromised in a security incident.

Accessories & How-To

Which earbuds cancel more noise? A head-to-head test pitted Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) against Sony WF-1000XM6 across three noisy environments. Before tossing old USB drives, learn how to securely wipe or destroy them — deleting files isn’t enough. If your Roku remote is unpaired, here’s how to pair your Roku remote manually or via the mobile app. And for Air Tag owners, understand the water resistance — the IP67 rating means submersion up to a meter for 30 minutes, but don’t count on it surviving a swim.