Mobile News 24 Hours

Last updated: August 26, 2026, 9:02 PM ET

Pixel & Android

Google's new Pixel 11 lineup has arrived at our doorstep for review, though the initial impression is somewhat negative given how little has changed. The standard Pixel 11 doesn't offer much in the way of new features, making it a tough sell if you're on a relatively recent phone. If you've already committed to the Pro XL, you'll want to enable the hidden Extreme Charging boost that promises faster charging—our testing shows it delivers. Before you buy, grab an unlocked unit from Amazon to score a free gift card worth up to $200. We also put the Pro XL through a torture test: it survived scratches, flames, and bending in our teardown video.

Samsung & Android Updates

CAD-based renders of the Galaxy S27 have surfaced online today, following yesterday's Ultra leak. Samsung is also rolling out One UI 9 beta 6 for the Galaxy S26 series—the 851MB update includes the August security patch as the company barrels toward release. For the first time ever, a flagship Samsung phone was the best-selling Android in Q2 2026, though Apple still leads overall. Samsung is hosting a Galaxy Event tomorrow at 12 PM UTC, where we expect the Galaxy S26 FE. Motorola has detailed its Android 17 rollout with a full feature list, and Nothing OS 5 went hands-on with the Nothing Phone 3.

AI, Chips & Benchmarks

Meta reportedly abandoned an AI restructuring plan that would have laid off thousands—the problem being the AI wasn't good enough. On the silicon front, Xiaomi skipped a generation for the Xring O3, which powers the Xiaomi 18 Fold and is said to be at least two generations ahead in power efficiency. Qualcomm's next flagship chip just popped up on Geekbench in an alleged iQOO 16 with impressive multi-core scores. A leaker has also detailed the Snapdragon and Dimensity chipsets, which are expected to outpace Xiaomi's 3nm chip. Lenovo's Legion Y700 AI tablet scored 4,585,844 on AnTuTu with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Meanwhile, the Realme P4s arrives with a 144Hz display, dual chip, and 8,000 mAh battery.

Handhelds & Mobile Accessories

Lenovo's first Android handheld gaming console is official: the Cloud Gaming Handheld G700 can stream PC games over the internet with a unique offline mode that lets you play from another PC on your local network. Meanwhile, Xbox disc-to-digital will soon let Xbox Insider players create digital versions of their physical games.

Tablets, Projectors, & Smart Home

Panic is actually refunding tariff fees that were paid by Playdate owners under the original tariff regime. For your next TV night, Soundcore's Nebula X1S projector pumps out 6,000 lumens—bright enough to use with the shades up. JBL's Pulse 6 speaker is a speaker/light hybrid that arrives next month for $330.

Gaming & Entertainment

Rockstar has called the GTA 6 leaks "heartbreaking for our team" in a statement, noting the game is nearly finished ahead of the Netflix extended look. You can watch the exclusive look on Netflix on Thursday for six hours. In a remarkable piece of counterprogramming, Devolver Digital is launching a mascot platformer the same day as GTA. IKEA and Xbox have also fully unveiled their new furniture collection at Gamescom, including a green stool modeled like a thumbstick.

Audio & Streaming, & Privacy

Sound Cloud will let you buy music directly from artists as they release it. WhatsApp is strengthening verification— the old six-digit PIN is now a full password with enhanced call information. Bluesky now supports 10-minute videos with larger file sizes and faster uploads. Roku will be streaming NWSL games for free through The Roku Channel this season. Australia's recording association has banned AI music from the charts, though AI-generated music with human effort is still allowed.

Smartphones, & Tablets

Huawei's still teasing the Pura X View — its wide-screen smartphone, which is officially available in China on August 28. The Xiaomi 18 Fold appears in new leaked images ahead of a September release with the Xring O3 chipset—it's sporting that trendy, short and wide design. Huawei's Pura X View teasers continue as the official launch approaches, and the vivo V80 Lite 5G has quietly debuted in Pakistan with a Dimensity 7360 chipset and 7,050 mAh battery.

Mac & Desktop

Why is the Mac mini M5 Pro more expensive than the M6? It's all about why the M5 Pro costs more — because the M6 might be newer but it isn't always better. If you're sizing up Apple desktops, our guide to Mac mini vs Mac Studio lays out which one fits your needs. And if you find the mini too expensive, we propose Apple make a Mac Neo to fill the mammoth void.

Smart Home & Surveillance

Ring is introducing better default encryption standards to address privacy concerns — data still goes to the cloud, but it'll be deleted after powering smart home controls. We'll have a full breakdown of the Lenovo Legion Y700 AI tablet with dual USB-C ports.