Mobile News 3 Days

Last updated: July 10, 2026, 2:34 AM ET

Foldables and Flagships Take Center Stage

Samsung appears poised to launch its next generation of foldables with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip, with reservations opening soon for both devices opened reservations. A new teaser from Samsung, featuring Spider-Man, strongly suggests a wider form factor for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 confirms wider. This upcoming Fold 8 is also rumored to incorporate camera technology from the Galaxy S26 Ultra, potentially bringing flagship-level photography to Samsung's foldable line. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected to feature a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 might signal the end of Samsung's compact foldable series. Samsung's next major product announcement event, Galaxy Unpacked, is scheduled for July 22nd in London.

In other flagship news, the Xiaomi 18 Pro is anticipated to arrive in September with significant upgrades, likely powered by Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip expected to launch. Oppo's successor to the Find N6, the Find N7, is reportedly in development with a projected release in the first quarter of 2027. The HMD Skyline's successor is also in the works, though expectations are for modest upgrades rather than a complete overhaul.

AI, Chips, and Emerging Tech

Samsung is reportedly developing a 4nm AI accelerator chip for PCs, codenamed Gaia. Google's AI-generated ads may soon include automatic disclosures in its My Ad Center. Meta is working on a tool to detect AI-generated images and videos created with its own models. In a move to address privacy concerns, Meta will disable the cameras on its smart glasses if the privacy light is tampered with disable camera. Separately, Meta's latest smart glasses are noted for their budget-friendliness but come with a significant limitation. OpenAI has received approval to release its GPT-5.6 models, including Sol, Terra, and Luna, to the public on July 9th GPT-5.6 released. Amazon is also reportedly developing a more capable agentic Alexa assistant under the codename 'Moonraker' to handle multi-step tasks.

The US government is looking to restrict corporate use of Chinese AI models due to cost-cutting measures by US companies. Meanwhile, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified a pattern of driverless autonomous vehicles interfering with first responders and is demanding solutions from AV manufacturers AVs interfering. Waymo plans to expand its fully autonomous operations to four additional cities, removing human supervisors.

Handhelds, Audio, and Wearables

The Retroid Pocket 5 and Flip 2 handhelds are receiving spec bumps and will see a $10 price increase after July 14th spec bump. Sony has launched new IER-M500 in-ear monitors for professionals, focusing on fit and comfort for stage use, priced at $120. Nothing's new Ear 3a earbuds, priced at $99, can record calls and save audio content using on-device storage. Marshall has updated its vintage-inspired Acton and Stanmore speakers with customizable buttons.

The Wear OS 7 update has been released for eligible Pixel Watch models, bringing new features to smartwatches. However, the Pixel Watch 5 may come with a higher price tag than anticipated. Garmin watches are seeing discounts of up to 44% on models like the epix and Vivoactive.

Smartphones and Software Updates

The Redmi Note 17 Pro is slated for a July 14th launch in China, featuring Gorilla Glass Victus and a substantial 8,000 mAh battery with a five-year replacement guarantee. The vanilla Redmi Note 17 will also launch alongside the Pro model. Realme will launch the Narzo 100x on July 15th, boasting an 8,000 mAh battery. The iQOO Z11 Lite 5G is set to launch in India, with the company also teasing the iQOO 16 which may skip the Indian market. The Moto G77 Power has been unveiled in India, featuring a 7,000mAh battery and a 120Hz LCD. Motorola is also teasing the Edge 70 Max, which supports 25W wireless charging.

Google is rolling out a significant update for Android that includes cloud-free automatic backups to Windows PCs, though this feature will exclude Samsung devices. Google Health is also receiving a major update on Android, enhancing its main tab with health stats and a focus on sleep tracking health stats. Gemini's reliability has improved in Google Home, making the assistant a more capable listener and speaker Gemini improved. The first post-Android 17 update for Pixel phones is rolling out with security and bug fixes Pixel update.

Other Tech and Industry Notes

The Samsung Galaxy S26 series has achieved a sales milestone, selling 3 million units in South Korea in under four months. Huawei is teasing the Pura 90s series, Mate Pad Air, and Free Clip 2 S ahead of a global launch event next week. Sony has unveiled the RX10 V superzoom camera, featuring a 24-600mm lens and a 1-inch sensor capable of 4K 120p video. New York has become the first US state to ban smart glasses in all its courthouses. A new Lego Hubble Telescope set, priced at $140 and containing 1,252 pieces, goes on sale August 1st.

A bug in Discord's safety systems may have led to approximately 8,200 erroneous account bans since May erroneous bans. iRobot has introduced a new non-robot floor cleaner, diverging from its automated product line. A report indicates that budget phones may face challenges due to rising memory prices. The X app for iOS now includes a built-in video editor.