Mobile News 3 Days

Last updated: July 11, 2026, 2:30 PM ET

Smartphone and Tablet Updates

Samsung's Galaxy XR headset is now available in the UK after launching in Korea and the US. The company is also reportedly working on an AI accelerator chip for PCs, codenamed Gaia, using a 4nm process that's in development. Leaked images of the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus, with the tablet expected to launch alongside the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Galaxy S26 FE, possibly in early September according to reports. Samsung's Galaxy S26 series in South Korea, potentially due to concerns over the pricier upcoming Galaxy S27. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 might be the last in Samsung's small foldable line as the company prepares for the wider Galaxy Z Fold, which is rumored to borrow camera features from the S26 Ultra and receive a significant silicon upgrade with a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip according to leaks.

Lava has announced its partnership with Flipkart for its new Virat smartphone series, with the first model set to launch soon as revealed. The Tecno Camon 50 Ultra, unveiled in March, will debut in India on July 17, marketed as a device for creators and storytellers as announced. The vivo T5 Lite, featuring a 6,500mAh battery, is slated for an India launch next week, following recent teasers. The iQOO Z11 Lite 5G will also launch in India soon, with the date confirmed on X by the company.

Motorola's Edge 70 Pro is under review. The HMD Skyline 2 has had its images and specs leaked, suggesting a successor to the two-year-old HMD Skyline is still in development according to leaks. HMD has also quietly announced the Arc, a successor to its HMD Arc, which boots Android 14 Go and features a 6.5-inch display as detailed. The nubia is preparing to unveil what it claims is the world's first AI agent smartphone, a successor to its M153 with Doubao AI according to a company.

Xiaomi is preparing to launch the Xiaomi 18 series in September, which will likely be the first devices to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip as expected. The Redmi Note 17 is rumored to feature a 7-inch OLED display and a large battery, with details emerging ahead of its China launch. A new Redmi Note 17 Pro is coming with a 9,000mAh battery and a five-year replacement guarantee as reported. A Geekbench listing for a Xiaomi device, possibly the Redmi Note, has revealed its chipset and RAM according to a listing.

Wearables and Audio

The Honor Watch 6 Plus has a new Motorcycle Edition aimed at bike and racing enthusiasts, following its May unveiling as announced. Sony has launched new IER-M500 in-ear monitors for professionals, designed for comfort during stage wear according to the company. Meta's smart glasses are facing backlash, influencing how people use them as reported. However, the X by Xreal smart glasses are presented as an affordable option without compromise, featuring a modular design and micro-OLED panels according to a review. Xreal's $299 a01+ AR glasses are now available for purchase, targeting gamers and movie watchers as announced. The Memo Mind One camera-free smart glasses are now available and praised for their notification display, sound, and AI features according to a user.

Samsung's Gallery app will soon stop syncing with Microsoft One Drive, requiring users to find alternative photo storage solutions as announced. The Moto Buds 2 Plus, featuring Sound by Bose audio and ANC, can be improved by adjusting five settings as demonstrated.

AI, Software, and Services

OpenAI's head of safety is reportedly leaving as part of a company reorganization, with the role now integrated into an executive overseeing both research and safety teams according to reports. OpenAI's browser functionality is not dead but has been integrated into the Chat GPT app, signaling a strategic shift as observed. Meta has deactivated its Muse Image capability, which allowed for the creation of AI deepfakes of public Instagram accounts, following user backlash and privacy concerns as reported. Google Health is rolling out a significant update on Android, bringing more health stats to its main tab and increased focus on sleep tracking as detailed. Google Home is also receiving a July update that improves Gemini's reliability and conversational abilities as noted. Google is working on a cloud-free automatic backup feature for Android to Windows PCs via Wi-Fi, though it will exclude Samsung devices according to a report.

Microsoft's AI initiatives have led to a 25 percent increase in carbon emissions in 2025, potentially hindering its goal of being carbon negative by 2030 as reported. Microsoft Teams' new "Workspace Check-in" feature, which rolled out last month, has raised questions about employee location tracking as noted. Microsoft reportedly canceled the sequel to Obsidian's Avowed to focus on a Fallout game, following recent Xbox layoffs.

Netflix is once again offering free trials, with durations varying from 7 to 30 days depending on the user and location as confirmed. Disney is reportedly considering a free tier for Disney+, which would be an unusual move in the streaming market as rumored.

Gaming and Hardware

The Valve Steam Machine review suggests it would have been a better product five years ago and is not worth the current asking price as concluded. Players can now easily check game compatibility for the Steam Machine on its Steam page as noted. Palworld 1.0 and Tiny Bookshop are among the new indie games available on mobile worth checking out as listed. Lenovo has showcased the Legion Y700 Ultimate gaming tablet, with a full announcement expected in August as detailed. Retroid Pocket 5 and Flip 2 handhelds are receiving spec bumps and will cost $10 more after July 14 as announced. NVIDIA has launched "GeForce Trading Cards" featuring moments from PC gaming history as revealed.

The Alienware 34 QD-OLED ultrawide gaming monitor is brighter than previous models and handles text better as reviewed. HP's Omni Book Ultra 14 is considered HP's best ultraportable in years, though fully loaded models are expensive as reviewed.

Miscellaneous Tech and Industry News

Toni Schneider is now the official CEO of Bluesky, taking over from Jay Graber as announced. Verizon will provide 5G connectivity services for new BMW vehicles in the US through a partnership with KDDI as reported. New York has banned smart glasses in all its courthouses, affecting 1,240 state, county, city, town, and village courts as enacted. A proposed FTC protection, the "Click-to-Cancel" rule, has been revived in New York City as announced. The FCC has granted approval for a sun-reflecting space mirror project despite criticism from astronomers as approved. Metal balls of unknown origin have been found on Australian beaches, with aliens not suspected as the cause as reported.

Volkswagen is reportedly planning to significantly reduce its model lineup and factory footprint as indicated. The automaker is also employing 100 sheep at a solar farm in Poland as part of a unique arrangement as noted. Elon Musk has stated that X will send direct messages about posts that receive a Community Note, aiming to increase the visibility of crowd-sourced corrections as announced.

The Guardian reports that the NHTSA has identified a pattern of autonomous vehicles interfering with first responders and is demanding solutions from AV makers as reported. Game Stop is reportedly marking up Pokémon cards by over 300 percent, raising questions about pricing as observed. Stubhub CEO Eric Baker is reportedly investing millions in the ticket-scalping market through his own platform as reported.