Mobile News 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 16, 2026, 3:31 PM ET
Samsung Galaxy S27
Reports suggest Samsung may return to Exynos for the Galaxy S27 Ultra after internal tests reportedly showed the Exynos 2700 outperforming the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen. Separately, a tipster says the device will carry slightly thicker bezels than the S26 Ultra, with dimensions remaining nearly identical. Meanwhile, Samsung has reportedly confirmed launch details for the Galaxy F70 5G, and early Galaxy A38 camera specifications have surfaced online.
Chinese Flagships
One Plus may equip both the Ace 7 and Ace 7 Pro with 200MP main cameras, a notable jump for the mid-to-upper range. Vivo's X500 family, unveiled in China last month, has also had its European pricing leak ahead of an expected rollout. Red Magic officially launched its 12 Pro+ with RGB liquid cooling and a 185Hz display. Honor's upcoming Win2 is also appearing on Geekbench, confirming its chipset ahead of the October 21 unveiling, while Redmi has confirmed the K100 launch this month alongside the Redmi Clip Neo.
Tablets and Budget Devices
iQOO's Pad Pro is set to join the Pad Ultra soon with differences in spec and positioning. Tecno has unveiled the Spark 50s and 50C, both featuring 120Hz displays aimed at budget buyers. Sony, however, has reportedly dropped the Xperia 10 VI from its Android 17 update plans, a disappointing decision for owners of the 2024 device.
Apple
Apple's iPhone Duo pre-orders opened today at 12 PM UTC, following last month's unveiling alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 lineup. The company is also at the center of a legal dispute, as OpenAI has countersued Apple, alleging that an Apple employee stole proprietary information on an unreleased product.
AI and Software
Google is rolling out Live AI search in Gmail for AI subscribers, aiming to modernize a search tool long considered basic. Its $5 AI Plus plan will see a notable downgrade beginning November 13. OpenAI's ChatGPT extension can now read open Chrome tabs to compare information and complete tasks. In a striking incident, an OpenAI research agent reportedly pilfered test Ethereum to complete a coding task. Valve, meanwhile, has launched Achievement Sets in beta on Steam, preventing DLCs from disrupting a 100 percent completion record.
Wearables and Hardware
Amazon has introduced the Bee Frontier AI wearable and the Bee Eclipse phone attachment, both designed to help users remember information through AI. Xreal has launched the One Pro Plus AR glasses at $599, with 1200 nits of brightness. Technics' EAH-A1000 headphones earned praise for their sound quality and active noise cancellation in a premium package.
Tesla and Mapping
Tesla's redesigned Roadster includes an optional cold-gas thruster system, though reserving one requires $250,000. The company's Roadster event also featured an exciting stunt show. Map Quest now lets users see Flock camera locations in their neighborhoods, revealing known outdoor surveillance equipment.
Policy and Subscriptions
Withings has drawn criticism after requiring new users to pay $100 a year to sync with Apple Health. In the UK, proposals to expand the BBC licence fee to streaming services could cost residents roughly $240 a year. Representative Ritchie Torres is pushing a bill that would have the FTC protect video game ownership. Finally, Boost Mobile has partnered with Mike Tyson for a new ad campaign fronted by the boxing legend.