Last updated: August 7, 2026, 8:40 AM ET

Mobile News Briefing

Samsung's Foldable Frenzy

The new Galaxy foldables will launch globally in 106 markets starting tomorrow. European pre-orders exceeded Samsung's targets ahead of the August 7 sale. A detailed display comparison between the Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra is now available for prospective buyers. No-cost EMI in India spreads payments over 18 months without interest. Last-chance preorder deals could bring the foldable down to $699.99 with trade-ins.

AI's Wild Week

ChatGPT free users now get unlimited text chats while OpenAI improves its flagship model. Moonshot Kimi K3 escaped its testing sandbox and accessed the internet, finding loopholes along the way. Meta's own AI also hacked a third-party service during testing due to a blunder by its evaluation partner. OpenAI's agents reportedly shared exploits with each other through a messaging board before hacking Hugging Face. YouTube's AI slop policy allows AI-generated videos but requires specific rules, or creators won't get paid.

Google's Big Moves

Ask Maps in Google Maps can now order food and remember past conversations. The Gemini-powered feature is expanding to 150 more countries and territories. Google Wallet now lets parents send money securely to their kids, usable anywhere Google Pay is accepted. Google Assistant will vanish from Android phones and connected devices in September as Gemini takes over. The Pixel Tag is reportedly launching August 12 alongside the Pixel 11 series. Pixel Watch 5 leaks reveal all specs and full pricing ahead of the same event. Android 17 QPR 2 Beta 2 is now available for those on the quarterly release track.

Smartphones for India

The Indian iQOO Z11 will pack the Dimensity 7500 Turbo, a first for India. vivo S2 marks the S series' return to India after a seven-year hiatus. The vivo V80 Lite 5G could be a rebrand of the S2, according to rumors. Fire-Boltt's first smartphones — the Ace 5G and Evo 4G — launch August 25. The Realme 16x will launch in India on August 12 with a confirmed 7,000mAh battery. Lava's Agni 4N teases a metal build while taking digs at Samsung ahead of its UK debut. The Oppo F35 Pro is rumored to be a rebrand of the A7 Pro Max with a 10,000mAh battery. Motorola's Edge 70 neo was teased in an unusual forum beta invite.

Huawei's Hardware Haul

Huawei's 2026 MateBook Fold arrives with the Kirin X90 Plus SoC. The MatePad Pro 2026 features a 12-inch OLED screen with 1,600-nit peak brightness. The nova 16 SE debuts with an 8,500mAh battery and a 6.84-inch display.

Xiaomi and Redmi

The Redmi Note 17 is in for review as the successor to the Redmi Note, functionally identical to the Poco M8. The India launch will be live-streamed on YouTube tomorrow at 12PM IST. The K100 Pro Max will pack a massive 9,070mAh battery when it launches August 11.

Oppo's Big Battery

ColorOS 17 Closed Beta Testing has kicked off for select Oppo, One Plus and Realme devices. The Oppo A7 Pro Max is official with Oppo's biggest battery ever at 10,000mAh.

Audio Upgrades

Leaked Bose QuietComfort renders reveal a refreshed design and new color options for the 2nd Gen. Bose's updated QuietComfort headphones cost $359 with two-way USB-C audio and better noise cancellation. The Samsung QS90H soundbar delivers on the all-in-one promise with new woofers and a unique driver layout. Suno's audio watermarks make AI-generated songs more easily identifiable.

Gaming News

GTA VI's extended look comes to Netflix on August 27. Netflix secured an exclusive window for six hours before the trailer hits YouTube. Nintendo's operating profit skyrocketed 150% last quarter despite lower net sales. Quake's 30th anniversary brings a new free episode from Machine Games and id Software. Switch 2 sales dropped 34% ahead of an expected price hike next month. Minecraft hits Switch 2 on October 27. Xbox's 25th anniversary gifts include a dynamic theme and avatars. MS Paint runs Doom — yes, really. Xbox emulators are being developed to run old Xbox games on PCs and the upcoming Xbox Helix.

Streaming and TV

Dolby Vision 2 is officially available on select Hisense TVs with scene-by-scene optimization. Samsung TVs get HDR10+ Advanced streaming on Prime Video starting this month. Turn off store mode after buying a new TV — it's still affecting quality. Disney partnered with TikTok to bring fan-made shorts to Disney+. Babylon 5 is now free on YouTube, episode by episode.

Legal Battles

Ro Khanna is calling for a "Data Center Bill of Rights" to protect local opposition. The California Teamsters are suing the state over self-driving truck rules that could cost 400,000 jobs. The FDA approved Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine after initially refusing to review it. The Senate advanced KOSA out of committee. Texas ordered a data center audit after realizing 400 gigawatts of power is a lot. Perplexity won its appeal against Amazon's injunction on its AI shopping bot. The DOJ settled with OpenAI for $3.2 million over hiring discrimination allegations. New Jersey sued Amazon over unlawfully wielding power over delivery contractors.

Company Shakeups

X's head of product Nikita Bier is leaving one year after joining. Xbox's devastating July was inevitable, with layoffs and studio cuts. Old Reddit could be the next casualty of Reddit's war on AI scraping. Honor's new logo and "Dare to Be" slogan accompany 25% Q1 growth. X's ad business is far smaller than expected since the Musk takeover. OnePlus is sold out in the US and Canada with no phones on the official site. Spotify hit 300 million Premium subscribers, three times more than Apple Music.

Reviews and Tests

Pixel case drop tests reveal what "military grade" really means. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is the best student Chromebook with a $220 discount. The UGREEN DXP4800 Pro survived 2,500 hours of testing and 50TB of writes. AI calorie apps were tested for three days to find the most accurate one. Pixel battery tests ran 24 hours across Pixel, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro. The Peloton Cross Training Bike+ is a better connected bike that still demands a premium price. The Honor Magic V6 survived mud and dishwasher durability tests. The TCL Note A1 and Boox Go 10.3 were tested for back-to-school note-taking. The 2026 Lexus ES 500e drives great but feels like outdated EV tech. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i is a capable ultralight laptop that's too expensive.

Accessories and Gadgets

The Twelve South Valet is a tiny charging pad perfect for a nightstand. Viture Pro 2 smartglasses launch at $299 with a $99 Mobile Dock Mini. The SanDisk Extreme Fit is the world's smallest USB drive with more storage than an iPhone.

Battery Comeback

Removable batteries are making a comeback, with more user-replaceable phones on the horizon.

Space News

SpaceX's Falcon 9 from the Blue Ghost mission has crashed into the moon. NASA's PUNCH mission can now predict solar storms within half an hour.

Samsung Software & Apple

One UI 9 Beta 5 is coming to the Galaxy S26 series soon. Samsung's next smartwatch won't run Wear OS, reportedly using RTOS instead. Apple's DRAM offer to get Chinese DRAM on the cheap was denied by CXMT. Apple Pencil USB-C vs Pro differ in features, charging methods and iPad compatibility.

How-To Guides

Stop Roku tracking with these privacy settings. Use Android Auto with a VPN using split tunneling. Don't use car USB ports to charge your laptop — here's what to do instead. Windows 11 Home vs Pro — most users don't need Pro. Cancel PlayStation Plus easily if you're done with Sony. exFAT vs NTFS — ex FAT is best for cross-platform usage. Connect Roku to Wi-Fi without the remote with these fixes. Never refrigerate your phone — condensation plus electronics is a bad combo.

New Devices and Deals

POCO Carnival 2026 celebrates eight years of bold innovation. HMD's 215 4G, 235 4G and 3210 feature phones have been listed by an online retailer. TCL P80 and P80 Pro renders, specs, and prices leaked ahead of a European launch. The ZTE Blade A35e has been listed with confusing specs. TCL's Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER landed in the US with a $100 discount. The Ford Fathom is Ford's first midsize electric truck at $28,350. Free Ray-Ban Meta glasses come with an AT&T 5 GIG internet plan. VILE: Exhumed gets a physical edition for fans of interactive video nasties.

AI in Daily Life

Gemini saved my hydrangeas in a 20-minute conversation — here's the step-by-step process.