Mobile News 3 Days

Last updated: August 6, 2026, 5:30 AM ET

New Smartphone Launches and Rumors

The vivo V80 Lite 5G is reportedly on its way and might be a rebranded device. TCL is preparing to launch new smartphones in Europe, with renders and specifications for the TCL P80 and P80 Pro having leaked. The Boltt Ace 5G and Boltt Evo 4G are scheduled for release on August 25th. Flipkart has also revealed that Fire-Boltt's first smartphone will launch soon. Honor has adopted a new logo and the slogan "Dare to Be," announcing a 25% growth in the first quarter of 2026. The Oppo F35 Pro is rumored to be a rebranded phone with a large battery. The Oppo F35 family is expected to launch in India soon, potentially joined by the Find X9s Pro. Additionally, the Oppo A7 Pro Max has been officially unveiled, featuring Oppo's largest battery to date with a 10,000 mAh capacity. The Poco M8 Power has arrived with a 120Hz screen, a Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 SoC, and an 8,000 mAh battery. The Realme 16x is confirmed to launch in India on August 12th, boasting a 7,000 mAh battery. The Redmi Note 17 5G will have its India launch tomorrow, August 6th, at 12:00PM IST via an online-only event streamed on YouTube. The Redmi K100 Pro is set to feature a 200MP rear camera and has had its battery specifications revealed. The Xiaomi Redmi 17 is already on sale in Europe before its official announcement. The ZTE Blade A35e has been listed with confusing specifications. Motorola is teasing the launch of the Edge 70 neo in an unusual manner.

Foldable Phones and Premium Devices

Samsung's Galaxy Fold8 duo and Flip8 have surpassed pre-order targets in Europe. These foldables, including the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, will go on sale starting August 7th. Samsung is offering no-cost EMI financing for the Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra, and Z Flip8 in India. A preorder deal at T-Mobile offers a free Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 with an eligible trade-in and new line, but the deal ends this week. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 preorder deal could get you the foldable for as little as $699.99, but time is running out. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra offers nice upgrades but doesn't quite live up to its "ultra" designation.

Laptops, Tablets, and Accessories

Huawei has unveiled the 2026 Mate Book Fold with a Kirin X90 Plus SoC. The company also launched the feather-light 12-inch MatePad Pro 2026 tablet, featuring a 12-inch OLED screen with 3036x1952 resolution and 1,600-nit peak brightness. Viture's new smartglasses cost $299 and are the company's lightest and most comfortable yet, with a $99 Mobile Dock Mini also available. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition is a capable ultralight laptop, though it is considered too expensive. TCL's new budget tablet, the Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER, has landed in the United States with a $100 launch discount. The Anbernic RG SP, a modern remake of the Game Boy Advance SP, will be available on August 5th starting at $65 with early bird pricing. DJI's Mic Mini 2S is the first in its Mini lineup to offer internal audio recording capabilities. The world's smallest USB drive, San Disk's Extreme Fit, offers more storage than an iPhone.

Wearables and Audio Devices

Samsung is reportedly working on a new smartwatch that will not run Wear OS. The Viture Pro 2 smartglasses are priced at $299 and are the company's lightest and most comfortable models to date. Sony has added a new Olive Gray color to its flagship WH-1000XM6 noise-cancelling headphones. The Ray-Ban Meta glasses (Gen are available for free with an AT&T 5 GIG internet plan, along with a $200 reward card. Spotify has reached 300 million Premium subscribers, three times the number of Apple Music subscribers.

Gaming and Entertainment

Minecraft is scheduled to launch on the Switch 2 on October 27th. Xbox is reportedly working on emulators to bring old Xbox 360 games to PC. Xbox is offering free 25th-anniversary gifts, including a dynamic theme and avatars. Disney is partnering with TikTok to bring fan-made shorts to Disney+, granting creators access to a library of Disney assets. Amazon is developing a Warhammer 40,000 animated show, with Henry Cavill involved. Babylon 5 is now available to watch for free on YouTube, episode by episode. The Nintendo Direct for Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave will be livestreamed today at 10 AM ET/7 AM PT.

Software, AI, and Services

Google Assistant will be removed from Android phones and connected devices in September, with Gemini taking its place. Gemini Spark now has Chrome web-browsing capabilities, allowing it to handle web errands using logged-in accounts and saved passwords. YouTube has clarified its policy on AI-generated videos, stating that they must adhere to specific rules to be eligible for monetization. Google has killed an unreleased AI app, which is unusual even for the company's tendency to discontinue services. The EU has announced new rules on AI transparency, which are now enforceable across the bloc. Perplexity has successfully overturned Amazon's injunction on its AI shopping bot. Old Reddit may become the next casualty in Reddit's ongoing efforts against AI scraping, as the company also plans to retire its public API. Android 17 QPR 2 Beta 2 is now available. Windows 11 Home and Pro versions have differences, and for most users, the Pro version is not necessary.

Industry and Company News

OpenAI's agents reportedly shared exploits with each other through a messaging board. The DOJ has extracted $3.2 million from OpenAI over hiring discrimination allegations. Nikita Bier, the head of product at X, is leaving the company after one year. X's ad business appears to be significantly smaller than previously understood. OnePlus is sold out in the US and Canada, with no phones available on its official site. Xbox's July performance