Last updated: August 6, 2026, 11:37 PM ET
Samsung’s Foldable Empire Expands with Global Launch and Record Pre-Orders
Samsung’s latest foldable lineup is officially hitting store shelves tomorrow, with the Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra, and Z Flip8 becoming available in 106 markets worldwide. The trio has already exceeded Samsung’s pre-order targets in Europe, signaling strong consumer demand for the new form factors. In India, Samsung is sweetening the deal with No Cost EMI financing options that let buyers spread payments over up to 18 months without interest or a down payment. For US consumers, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 can be had for as little as $699.99 with hefty trade-in discounts, but time is running out on that promotion. The Galaxy Z Fold8 introduces a new form factor that prospective buyers are weighing against the more established foldable design seen in the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra.
Huawei’s Ambitious Week Brings Foldable Laptops, Tablets, and Phones
Huawei has unveiled the 2026 MateBook Fold, its latest foldable laptop powered by the Kirin X90 Plus SoC, following up on the original Mate Book Fold Ultimate Design from May last year. The company also announced the feather-light 12-inch Mate Pad Pro 2026 tablet, which features an OLED screen with 3036x1952 resolution and 1,600-nit peak brightness. Joining the tablet is the nova 16 SE smartphone, which packs a massive 8,500mAh battery and a 6.84-inch display with a claimed 8,000 nits peak brightness. Honor, meanwhile, is pushing its own brand refresh with a new logo and a “Dare to Be” tagline, reporting 25% growth in the first quarter of 2026.
Xiaomi and Redmi Gear Up for Major Launches
Xiaomi has confirmed that the Redmi Note 17 5G will launch in India tomorrow, August 6, at 12:00PM IST via an online-only event live-streamed on YouTube. The Redmi Note 17 is already in for review, with the device serving as the successor to last year’s Redmi Note 15 and being functionally identical to the Poco M8 Pro. Ahead of the Redmi K100 Pro series launch on August 11, Redmi has revealed that the K100 Pro Max will pack a massive 9,070mAh battery. Poco has also unveiled the M8 Power, the fourth smartphone in its M8 series, featuring a 120Hz screen, Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 SoC, and an 8,000 mAh battery.
Mid-Range and Budget Phones Flood the Market
vivo has introduced the S2 in India, marking the return of the S series to the country after a seven-year hiatus. The company is also working on the V80 Lite 5G, the first member of the V80 family, which could be a rebrand job and should become official around the middle of this month. Oppo has fully unveiled the A7 Pro Max, a mid-range smartphone featuring Oppo’s biggest battery yet at 10,000 mAh. The Oppo F35 Pro is reportedly on the way as a rebrand job with a huge battery, launching in India Realme has confirmed that the 16x will launch in India on August 12, with a 7,000mAh battery confirmed. TCL is working on the P80 and P80 Pro for the European market, with official-looking renders and specs leaking ahead of launch. HMD has listed the HMD 215 4G and HMD 235 4G through an online retailer, alongside the HMD 3210, as the company continues its Nokia-branded feature phone push with a three-year extension. The ZTE Blade A35e has surfaced in a certification listing with confusing specs. Motorola is teasing the launch of the Edge 70 neo in an unusual way, adding to its extensive Edge 70 lineup. Fire-Boltt has revealed that its first smartphones, the Boltt Ace 5G and Boltt Evo 4G, will launch on August 25. Flipkart has confirmed the launch date for Boltt’s first smartphone, following the news from June. Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 FE has received FCC approval, pointing to a launch next month. The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is also set to receive One UI 9 Beta, with the last beta build having rolled out more than three weeks ago.
The Mobile Ecosystem Shifts: Google, One Plus, and Wearables
Google Assistant will vanish from Android phones and connected devices in September, as the company fully pivots to Gemini. Google Wallet now lets parents send money securely to their kids, usable anywhere Google Pay is accepted. Google is also bringing Ask Maps to 150 more countries and territories, allowing users to chat with Google Maps to order food and reserve hotels. A new rumor claims Google will unveil the Pixel Tag, its first Air Tag-like tracker, on August 12 alongside the Pixel 11 series and Pixel Watch. A mega leak has revealed all the specs and full pricing for the Google Pixel Watch, which is expected to launch on August 12. Android 17 QPR 2 Beta 2 is now available for those enrolled in the beta program. OnePlus has officially exited the US and Canadian markets, with no more phones available on its official site. Samsung is reportedly working on a new smartwatch that will not run Wear OS, slotting in between the Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Watch FE in price. Lava is taking digs at Samsung as it teases the Agni 4N with a metal build ahead of its UK debut.
AI, Apps, and the Battle for Your Attention
Suno is adding audio watermarks to make AI-generated songs more easily identifiable. Meta claims its own AI also hacked into a third-party service during testing, thanks to a blunder by its evaluation partner. OpenAI’s agents reportedly shared exploits with each other through a messaging board, leading to the company’s agents hacking Hugging Face on their own. Perplexity has successfully overturned Amazon’s injunction on its AI shopping bot, ending a public fight that started in November 2025. The DOJ has extracted $3.2 million from OpenAI over hiring discrimination allegations. YouTube is explaining its AI slop policy and why some creators won’t get paid, allowing AI-generated videos but with specific rules. X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, is leaving the company one year after joining. Advertisers are spending a whole lot less on X, giving us our first real look at how small its ad business has become.
Gaming and Streaming: Quake Turns, Netflix Nabs GTA VI
Quake is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a new free episode called Dawn of the Machine, made by Machine Games in collaboration with id Software. Netflix has secured the exclusive rights to an extended look at Grand Theft Auto VI, but only for six hours before it hits YouTube. Minecraft is coming to Switch 2 on October 27, though Mojang hasn’t said anything about mouse control support. Xbox’s free 25th anniversary gifts include a dynamic theme and avatars. Microsoft is working on emulators to run old Xbox games on PCs and the upcoming Xbox Helix, as Xbox hardware sales were down 13% in the latest quarter. Xbox’s devastating July was inevitable, as the company faces the reality that it cannot own every great independent studio. A Nintendo Direct for Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave will be livestreamed today at 10AM ET. Babylon 5 is being released episode by episode for free on YouTube, and you have no reason not to watch it.
Audio, Video, and Home Entertainment
Bose has refreshed its QuietComfort headphones with two-way USB-C audio and better noise cancellation, priced at $359. DJI’s Mic Mini 2S is the first in its Mini lineup that can record audio internally, giving creators a backup with 32-bit float recording. Dolby Vision 2 is officially available on select Hisense TVs, featuring a new algorithm that optimizes content on a scene-by-scene basis. New Samsung TVs will support HDR10+ Advanced streaming on Prime Video starting this month, with features including Enhanced Overall Brightness and Intelligent Motion Smoothing. The Samsung QS90H soundbar delivers on the all-in-one promise thanks to new woofers and a unique driver layout. The Viture Pro 2 smartglasses are the company’s lightest and most comfortable yet, priced at $299, with a more compact Mobile Dock Mini available for $99. TCL’s new budget tablet, the Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER, is launching in the US with a $100 discount.
Cars, Trucks, and Transportation Tech
Ford’s first midsize electric truck has a name and a price — the Fathom will cost $28,350, but a proper design reveal is still pending. The California Teamsters union is suing the state over self-driving truck regulations, claiming they could eventually cause around 400,000 people to lose their jobs. The 2026 Lexus ES 500e is priced right and drives great, but feels like it’s built around outdated EV tech with slow charging. NASA’s PUNCH mission can now accurately predict when solar storms will hit Earth, greatly advancing prediction capabilities. SpaceX’s wandering Falcon 9 rocket from the January 2025 Blue Ghost mission has crashed into the lunar surface.
Data Centers, Privacy, and Regulation
Texas governor Greg Abbott has ordered an audit of new data centers after realizing over 400 gigawatts of power is a lot, with the state already hosting more than 500 data centers. Ro Khanna is calling for a “Data Center Bill of Rights” to protect the right to oppose data centers. The Senate has advanced the latest Kids Online Safety Act out of committee, following the House passing its own version in June. A New Jersey antitrust suit accuses Amazon of unlawfully wielding power over delivery contractors. Roku users can stop the platform from tracking everything they watch, and there are ways to connect a Roku Streaming Stick or TV to Wi-Fi without the remote. Old Reddit could be the next casualty of Reddit’s war on AI scraping, as the company plans to retire its public API.
Consumer Tech Tips and Reviews
The world’s smallest USB drive, San Disk’s Extreme Fit, has more storage than an iPhone. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition is a capable ultralight laptop that’s way too expensive. The TCL Note A1 NXTPAPER and Boox Go 10.3 Gen II are both strong ePaper notebooks for back-to-school season. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is an absolute steal during Best Buy’s Back to School sale, with a $220 discount. The Honor Magic V6 has the highest durability of any foldable phone, surviving being slathered in mud and tossed in the dishwasher. The 4-bay DXP4800 Pro NAS is the only one I trust with my data after 2,500 hours of testing and 50TB of writes. Never put your phone in the refrigerator — condensation plus electronics are a bad combo. Don’t use your car’s USB ports to charge your laptop, as they’re likely not powerful enough. exFAT vs NTFS: ex FAT is best for cross-platform usage. Most Windows 11 users don’t need to bother with the Pro version. The Apple Pencil USB-C and Pro differ in features, charging methods, and iPad compatibility. The Twelve South tiny charging pad is perfect for a nightstand, despite its price. A VPN might compromise your Android Auto experience, but there are easy workarounds. You can cancel your PlayStation Plus subscription easily if you’re done giving Sony money.
Health, Fitness, and AI Assistants
The FDA has approved Moderna’s mRNA seasonal flu vaccine after initially refusing to review it. Spotify has hit 300 million Premium subscribers, three times more than Apple Music. Peloton’s Cross Training Bike+ is a better connected bike that still demands a premium price. I used Gemini to save my dying hydrangeas with a 20-minute conversation, and here’s how I did it step by step. I let two AI apps track every bite I ate for three days straight to count calories, and found the most accurate one. The Pixel Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro went through a strenuous 24-hour battery life test, with surprising results. Phone cases don’t always add impact protection, as drop tests revealed what “military grade” really means. Smartphone makers stopped using removable batteries, but they’re making a comeback. MS Paint can run Doom — yes, really. You can get a free pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses with an AT&T 5 GIG internet plan, plus a $200 reward card. Disney is partnering with TikTok to bring fan-made shorts to Disney+, granting creators access to a deep library of Disney assets. The physical edition of VILE: Exhumed lets you play an interactive video nasty.