Mobile News 3 Days

Last updated: July 25, 2026, 2:30 AM ET

Smartphone Launches and Rumors

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S27 series, including the S27, S27 Plus, and S27 Ultra, is rumored to feature significant upgrades to its cameras and batteries. More detailed leaks suggest Samsung is testing a new main camera sensor for the S27 and S27 Plus, while the S27 Pro and S27 Ultra will also see notable improvements. The company is also reportedly incorporating silicon-carbon batteries for the first time in its new foldables, the Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra, and Z Flip, though EU listings indicate a potentially shorter battery lifespan for these models. Samsung's new foldables are also doubling down on Snapdragon-powered AI, with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8 seeing substantial battery upgrades. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is set to compete with Motorola's first book-style foldable, the Razr Fold, while the Galaxy Z Flip 8 faces off against the Motorola Razr Ultra. T-Mobile is offering the Galaxy Z Flip 8 for $100 with a preorder deal, and the Z Fold8 for free, with the Z Fold8 Ultra priced at $200.

Honor is preparing for an "Imaging Technology Launch Event" on July 28th, where it will showcase the Honor Robot Phone with partner Arri, and also unveil a new logo. The company has also opened its Magic OS 11 early access program for the Magic V6 in China. Meanwhile, a new rumor suggests the Xiaomi 18 Pro will receive a global launch, a departure from previous Pro models that were China-exclusive. The iQOO Z11 Lite has officially launched in India, boasting a 6,500mAh battery and a Dimensity 6300 SoC. Lava has also launched its new Virat smartphone series, the Virat V1 and Virat V1 5G, in partnership with Flipkart, targeting youth and online buyers with sub-Rs.15,000 ($155) price tags. The Oppo K15 has been quietly unveiled in China, featuring an active-cooling fan and an 8,000mAh battery Oppo K15. The Boox Picco, an incredibly tiny ereader with a 3.97-inch monochrome e-paper display, has been teased.

Other smartphone news includes the Samsung Galaxy F70 Pro appearing on Geekbench with its key specifications. Honor's Power3 may have aimed too high with its battery capacity, as rumors suggested a 11,000 to 12,000 mAh battery. The nubia Navi X Ultra's key specifications have been tipped after its China unveiling. The vivo S2 India launch could take place on August 6th, with design and key specs already leaking. The One Plus N6x's launch date and design have been announced, following teasers for the new N-series member. Chinese smartwatches like the Oppo Watch X3 are rarely sold in the US due to business reasons rather than technical readiness.

AI, Cloud Gaming, and Software Updates

Meta is pulling out of a renewable energy initiative, relying more on natural gas for its data centers and committing to 10 natural gas plants since last year. Anthropic's latest model, Opus, is reported to nearly match its top-performing model at half the price. Google is expanding access to its Gemini Spark agentic AI assistant, making it available to more users. Uber is laying off 10 percent of its customer service team in favor of using AI. Google has also quietly been rebuilding Chrome on Android for years, resulting in nearly 50% smoother performance due to behind-the-scenes engineering improvements that have reduced scroll stutters by 48% since 2023. Google Play announced "The Auction" event at SDCC, allowing comic book fans to redeem rewards on-site or online. Google's "Selfie Video" feature is being introduced as an alternate sign-in method for accounts if users get locked out.

Amazon Luna is integrating into the Prime Video app on Fire TV devices in the US and UK, allowing users to stream games directly. Xbox is testing free, ad-supported cloud gaming, a move similar to GeForce Now's model. PlayStation Network experienced a massive outage, preventing players from logging in, playing online, or purchasing games from the PlayStation Store.

Fitbit Air's newest update focuses on bug fixes and reliability, though its vague changelog leaves users guessing about the specific improvements. Google Photos is now powering a Video Remix feature, an evolution of Gemini Omni replacing Veo in the Gemini app. Ultrahuman announced its Emerald update, which the company describes as its most significant total health and fitness improvement to date, featuring the "decision engine" UltraSphere. Qobuz has overhauled its music player and added real-time lyrics, aiming to be a superior alternative to Spotify.

Tech Industry News and Analysis

Meta is cracking down on users who create creepy content with its smart glasses, banning those who harass or record people. The European Commission found Google's search ranking and anti-steering practices violated the Digital Markets Act, prompting threats of new tariffs from Trump in response to a Google fine. Midjourney is acquiring horoscope app Co-Star, with Co-Star CEO Banu Guler joining as Chief Design Officer.

The US government is outlining its $5 billion Genesis Mission to boost science with AI, involving contributions from several federal agencies. More than 200 companies have signed onto Trump's non-binding Ratepayer Protection Pledge to protect consumers from data center price increases. LG has agreed to stop showing McAfee pop-up spam ads following user outcry and pressure from Microsoft. Bethesda is accused of breaking Canadian labor laws with its Montreal layoffs, continuing the fallout from recent Xbox layoffs. The EU has given antitrust approval to the Saudi-led $55 billion takeover of EA, though the deal is not yet finalized EU gives. The EU has also given Paramount's Warner Bros. acquisition the go-ahead, provided Paramount ends its distribution business with Universal in Europe.

EV batteries are showing potential for much longer lifespans than initially predicted, with modern EV batteries outperforming expectations. Colorado is exploring new approaches to tackle the challenge of EV battery recycling. There isn't a single consumer Wi-Fi router that is 100% American-made. The European Commission found Google's search ranking and anti-steering practices violated the Digital Markets Act, leading to threats of new tariffs from Trump in response to a Google fine.

Gaming, Media, and Entertainment

Prime Video's "Blade Runner 2099" series, starring Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer, now has a trailer and a release date of November 25th. "Avatar: Seven Havens" also has a trailer and an October 9th release date, set in a post-apocalyptic world after "The Legend of Korra". "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is heading into its fourth season with ambitious, though sometimes uneven, storytelling. "Nirvanna the Band the Show and Movie" will finally be available to stream on Hulu on July 24th. Universal has secured the rights for film adaptations of 10 Atari games, signaling a potential Atari Cinematic Universe.

Lego's latest Nintendo collaboration is a playable Donkey Kong arcade machine. "Poinpy," a popular mobile game, is now completely free on Android and iPhone after its disappearance from Netflix games Poinpy, a. Xbox is bringing games from its original console to PC, complete with achievement support.

Hardware and Accessories

SpaceX's 13th Starship flight test launched carrying 20 V3 Starlink satellites. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is expected to crash into the moon in August after drifting in space for over a year A SpaceX.

The Anbernic RG SP is presented as an awesome update to the Game Boy Advance SP, incorporating modern features. The new Lola x Miffy digital camera is noted for its extreme cuteness and includes a themed wrist charm. GoPro's Wireless Mic System is reviewed as an audio upgrade with fixable flaws, excelling at the basics but having some frustrating issues. Sony's FX5 cinema camera now offers open gate and RAW 5K recording, potentially foreshadowing features for its consumer mirrorless lineup Sony's FX5.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 10 is anticipated to bring improvements over the Galaxy Watch, which itself saw a slightly larger battery and minor speed enhancements. Samsung reportedly forgot to mention a significant upgrade for the Galaxy Watch 9: expanded software support for five major Wear OS upgrades, up from four on previous models. Amazon is offering a $50 gift card for preordering the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9. The Galaxy Watch 9 is a modest update over the Watch, with minor battery and speed improvements.

Qualcomm is allegedly launching a new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC this year to be released later in the year Qualcomm is allegedly