Mobile News 24 Hours

Last updated: August 28, 2026, 2:29 PM ET

Smartphones & Mobile Devices

The mobile world is buzzing with launch activity. Huawei is preparing for its September 2 event, teasing the slimmer Watch D3 smartwatch alongside the Free Buds Neo earbuds. The company is also bringing its nova 16 Pro to global markets with a debut in Munich next week. In India, Redmi 17 5G is confirmed for a September 3 launch, boasting a significant upgrade in battery capacity. Poco has officially confirmed the X8 and X8 Power are heading to India, with design teasers already out. Indian brand Lava will make its UK debut with the Agni 4N, going on sale through Amazon starting September 4.

The budget segment is heating up as Tecno announced the Spark Go 3 Pro, featuring IP69 ingress protection, a 6.78-inch 120Hz display, and a 5,200 mAh battery. Audio brand Mivi is the latest to enter the Indian smartphone market, following Fire-Boltt's recent move. vivo quietly revealed the Y31t's pricing and availability in India, while the company also shared display details for the upcoming X500 Pro Max, which will feature a 6.85-inch 2K AMOLED panel from BOE.

Xiaomi is apparently following Samsung's lead with a privacy display UI for its next flagship, leaked ahead of launch. Oppo is again tipped to feature three 200MP cameras on the Find X10 Pro Max, with tipster Ice Universe corroborating earlier claims. Samsung leaked CAD renders of the Galaxy S27 Pro reveal a new design for the upcoming model. The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra went through bend tests with two very different results, raising questions about its durability.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE

Samsung just announced the Galaxy S26 FE, and its main upgrade over the S25 FE is the Exynos 2500 chipset, which is better in every way than its predecessor. The new model is more expensive than the S25 FE, with a price hike of about $50. Interestingly, the S26 FE is beating the S26 Ultra to One UI 9 (Android 17), launching with a few flagship camera features and more that feel all too familiar.

Cameras & Audio

Panasonic reviewed the Lumix L10 compact camera, a stylish and capable successor to the LX100 II that offers good speed and image quality at a fairly high price. For audio enthusiasts, AirPods users can now adjust custom EQ settings in iOS, and we have everything you need to know about Apple's latest audio tool.

Tablets & E-Readers

Huawei brought the Mate Pad 11.5 (2025) and Mate Pad SE 11 to India, both offering 11-inch class displays with Huawei's advanced eye care system at budget-friendly prices. Rakuten Kobo scored a major win with a massive in-store expansion to 500 Best Buy locations, making it much easier to shop for e-readers and accessories.

Gaming

The gaming world is dominated by Grand Theft Auto VI news. The highly anticipated title could take players more than 80 hours to finish, so friends and family of GTA fans should expect to rarely see them from November 19 onwards. Car theft in GTA 6 will require different approaches depending on the make and model, so you won't be able to hot-wire every vehicle the same way. A GTA 6 "demo" is delivering malware directly to PCs, despite Rockstar not making any of the game available to play in advance. Netflix viewers got an extended look at the game ahead of the YouTube crowd, and we broke down the guns, cars, and chihuahuas in excruciating detail.

In other gaming news, Pokémon Champions is being hailed as peak monster battling, offering the ultimate arena for those who want to be the very best. Ubisoft apologized for accidentally selling Heroes of Might and Magic 3 without the actual game files on Steam, a release that was supposed to get fans excited for an upcoming remake. The creator of James Pond, Chris Sorrell, is not happy with the series' allegedly AI-generated legacy collection, saying the developers don't have "a scrap of respect" for the franchise.

AI & Tech Policy

Several significant developments are happening in AI and tech policy. A Microsoft-backed AI data center has been accused of violating federal law by allegedly running dozens of gigantic generators without a permit. A judge ruled that the Pentagon's Anthropic ban was "illegal and baseless," noting that "the empty invocation of national security is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics." OpenAI, Google, and dozens of other companies published an open letter titled "A call for collective action on cyber defense." A Stripe-led group is reportedly abandoning its PayPal acquisition with buyout firm Advent, as was reported earlier this month.

X claims it found a Chinese bot farm posting anti-AI data center sentiments. Out of 200,000 bots, 200 allegedly focused on posting against AI data centers.

Apps & Services

Google Search's AI Mode can now track flight prices and book hotels for you, bringing the existing Google Flights feature into AI Mode with price alerts. Google Keep is rolling out its "Find in note" search feature to all Android users, allowing you to search within notes. Bluesky added a new setting to help you avoid accidentally going viral by preventing your posts from being recommended in the algorithmic "discover" feed. YouTube creators can now include affiliate links to Amazon in their content, as the retailer finally joined YouTube Shopping's affiliate program.

Smart Glasses & Wearables

Meta is closing a loophole that allowed people to record with their smart glasses' light covered, the second update in less than two months to address privacy concerns. Android Central reports this closes another loophole for secret recording on its AI glasses. Viture collaborated with S-Game, the studio behind Phantom Blade Zero, for the Phantom Beast XR glasses with what might be the dopest "kungfupunk" design ever seen.

Apple & Pricing

Apple TV and Apple One prices have suddenly increased again, so you might have to pay a bit more to catch the end of the latest Ted Lasso season.

How-Tos & Tips

Several helpful guides are available. You can learn how to make your Android alarm ring at full volume even when your calls are muted, with settings to check if your phone isn't sounding the morning alarm in silent mode. You can also add a custom intro to Apple CarPlay using the Shortcuts app to have your car greet you every morning.

Storage & Market Analysis

Flash memory is popular for lots of good reasons, but it's not without its faults. We explore the pros and cons and whether the market will be moving on. For US consumers, there are popular Android brands rarely sold in the country, as choices beyond Apple, Google, and Samsung are limited compared to other regions.