Mobile News 24 Hours

Last updated: September 1, 2026, 2:15 PM ET

Sonos Open House: New Hardware and AI Ambitions

Sonos held its September 2026 product launch with a range of new hardware and AI initiatives. The company unveiled the Beam Ultra soundbar, which promises "true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos" and will retail for $699, marking a significant upgrade with better surround sound performance. Additionally, Sonos revealed its new Ace Ultra headphones, which feature improved active noise cancellation, longer battery life, and a unique capability to swap audio with any Sonos speaker in your home.

Beyond hardware, the company announced "Sonos," a major software update that brings a refreshed UI to the app and introduces the ability for AI agents to control your system. This represents Sonos' significant embrace of AI in its ecosystem.

Poco's Global Lineup and Flagship Specs

Poco made several product announcements in the past 24 hours, starting with the official unveiling of the F9 Pro and F9 Ultra through an online event. The F9 Ultra brings the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, while the Pro model offers a slightly toned-down variant. The lineup also includes the Poco X8, which is now official with what's promised to be an impressive 8,340 mAh battery and the Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 system-on-a-chip.

However, the standout in the lineup is the F9 Ultra's flagship specs at a midrange price, including a 185Hz display. The review shows how the handset punches above its weight, though it is not headed to US markets. For those wondering if the Poco F9 Ultra is worth it, our full review covers the Snapdragon 8 Elite debut in this segment, including the 2.9% improvement in sustained performance benchmarks.

Smartphone Leaks and Rumors

In the rumor mill, the Xiaomi 18 Fold has surfaced in benchmarks, which confirms the self-developed Xring O3 chipset and 16GB of RAM for the foldable. The One Plus 16's finalized camera specs have also leaked, claiming a 200MP main sensor and 50MP periscope zoom. Additionally, the iQOO 16's rear camera module has been properly photographed, revealing a square design as rumors swell of a launch later this year.

Oppo's Find X10 specs have leaked, with a rumored 8,000 mAh battery and 200MP cameras, impressive for its class. Honor's Magic9 Pro is also said to be the first Android phone with a square selfie sensor, which according to tipsters, would be a portable camera feature. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra's telephoto camera details have surfaced via a new rumor.

Samsung, Lava, Tecno and Other Budget Phones

Samsung expanded its One UI 9 Beta program to more devices, including the Galaxy S25 series, foldables, and India markets. Meanwhile, Lava made its UK debut with the launch of Agni 4N, a new smartphone designed to deliver a premium experience at an accessible price.

Tecno will bring a bezel – absolutely -less concept phone to IFA 2026, along with a laptop with a 360° hinge. The HMD Asha 305 Pro marketing images and specs have leaked, showing a slightly better version of the Asha. And the Redmi K100 is on the way with its first specs leaked, including a 10,000 mAh battery.

GoPro, Apple, and Legal BattlesGoPro is making a strategic pivot as part of a** $185 million merger into the AI data center space. This marks a significant departure from its action camera roots.**

In Apple's news, Tim Cook steps down as CEO after 14 years at the helm, with John Ternus taking over. That has coincided with Phil Schiller reportedly stepping down as the App Store chief and product event lead, though he will remain an Apple Fellow. Apple is also adding more allegations to its trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming a laptop proves that a former employee accessed and used various proprietary files.

Streaming and Display Technology

Roku is expanding its premium TV lineup with its first OLED displays, available this fall from Amazon starting at $999. for more coverage on home theater news.

Over on the computing side, NVIDIA's DLSS 5 launches with NBA 2K27 on September 3, but there's little reason for excitement given the controversial implementation. Meanwhile, the Google TV Streamer now costs $150 after a 50% price hike, and Google today raised the price on the TV Streamer and Nest cameras, with some older hardware going up to $50 more expensive.

For display clarity, understanding QHD, WQHD, 4K, and 5K resolution can be a huge help as you consider monitors. TV still can't be used as a monitor—here are the pros and cons—including issues like input latency and text clarity. And if you're on a computer, you should work on controlling apps at startup on Windows, because too many background apps can slow your system down.

Audio Accessories, Home Gear, and Wearables

JBL just introduced a trio of Wi-Fi speakers, dubbed the Cove series, for whole-home audio. Sony's ULT Tower party speakers chain together via Auracast for large gatherings.

Roland's new digital piano with built-in Wi-Fi integrates with a teaching app. The Atlas brain-monitoring wearable that uses EEG will tell you where your attention is throughout the day.

For memory, you can now use your phone as a Roku remote, which is completely free through the Roku mobile app.

Gaming and Development

For gaming, Razer released a cute and techy mobile game controller called Prio that folds up when not in use, making it pocket-friendly.

Dolby Atmos for Headphones is worth it for gamers? We explore part the audio upgrade versus the trial on PC and Xbox, and whether spatial audio unlocks.

Android looked very different when in 2008 vs today, from the G1 to the dominance we see now — you can check out how it's evolved.

Other news: Waymo is open to the public in more cities, with robotaxi rides available in Denver, San Diego and Tampa. United Airlines app now available at standby lists for earlier flights.

PC, Gadgets and Wearable

Samsung's new Galaxy Book6 model is the budget-friendly $799 laptop — a 14-inch Windows machine, which also has a $800 edition. For dads and *.

The** slate truck is affordable because you have to bring your own tech. The Starlink Mini X comes with an extra router, but is it worth it.*

The Google Pics image editor for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers – AI-powered image editing.

Netbooks and the App Economy

If you're a regular Whoop user, you might want to know how to cancel. In sales news, Amazon is being sued local by the FTC and 22 states for confidently overcharging advertisers since 2019.

Security and Privacy

On the security front, you can make sure your Android phone is secure against malicious apps, scam calls, and more. Someone's of course explored how to cancel your Whoop membership.

Graphics and Cross-platform

Nintendo Game Cube is one that didn't go so well with its own hardware. Why it's missed the mark with the GameCube. Old tech isn't dead, with modders even managed to install Windows NT 4.0 on Nintendo GameCube. Continuing on the desktop: here's how double with the change the downsides of switching from Windows to Mac.

Operating Systems, Extensions, Tools

On the Microsoft side, be it changing what apps open on startup on Windows. If you're interested, there's also how to organize and group your Safari tabs in macOS 27.

Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 is Google’s best beta yet, which fixes plenty of bugs and boosts scam protection. On the AI front, Perplexity’s Hybrid Compute splits sensitive tasks, which can be split between cloud and local AI models. It might also be worth enabling proper use – via Google’s new Al Pro and Fast preview, which you can for stunning editing.

Innovation and Weirdness

Even at the ** Dyson’s CameraJet toothbrush is a three-in one-y looking at a dollar price tag. On the Web, look there's also cool stuff like Philips players – like the Sonor three-piece sound lounge is expensive, but you'll need additional gear for the bass and an edge.**

And for old-school nostalgia, Rinry Chrome Audio’s alternative rock nostalgia in full.

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