Mobile News 3 Days

Last updated: August 8, 2026, 11:49 AM ET

Smartphones

Samsung's latest foldables are hitting 106 markets tomorrow. They exceeded pre-order targets in Europe. A detailed display comparison pits the Galaxy Z Fold8 against the Z Fold8 Ultra. Early deals for the Z Fold8 series include trade-in discounts and free gift cards. The Z Flip8 also has a robust list of launch offers. Motorola’s Edge 70 Neo has surfaced in leaked renders showing four colors and a 200MP camera. The company's Moto Pad 70 tablet lineup continues to expand with a new 12.1-inch 90Hz model featuring 5G and a 10,200 mAh battery. Xiaomi's Redmi Note 17 is in for review. The Redmi 17C 5G has been spotted as a rebrand of an earlier device. The Redmi K100 Pro Max will pack a massive 9,070 mAh battery ahead of its August 11 launch. Vivo officially introduced the S2 in India after a seven-year hiatus. The V80 Lite 5G may be a rebrand of that same model. TCL is working on the P80 and P80 Pro for Europe, with specs and prices leaked. A comparison of Elite chips versus base processors in Android flagships reveals performance differences. A 1,000-photo test compares the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra cameras with Motorola's foldables. Samsung India has increased prices on entry-level Galaxy A, F and M-series models due to component cost pressures. The Galaxy S26 series is expected to receive One UI 9 Beta 5 soon. Samsung's latest ISOCELL HPC sensor debuts with Deep Pix technology for 16-bit RAW output. Oppo kicked off ColorOS 17 Closed Beta Testing for select Oppo, One Plus and Realme devices. POCO celebrates its eighth anniversary with the POCO Carnival 2026. HMD listed the 215 4G, 235 4G, and 3210 feature phones with its own branding.

Tablets & Laptops

Huawei launched the feather-light 12-inch MatePad Pro 2026 with a 3036x1952 OLED display and 1,600-nit peak brightness. The 2026 MateBook Fold is powered by a Kirin X90 Plus SoC. Framework disclosed that customer information was accessed in a data breach, though no payment data was compromised. For storage enthusiasts, the 4-bay Ugreen DXP4800 Pro NAS endured over 2,500 hours of testing and 50TB of writes.

Wearables

Google's Pixel Watch 5 teaser mocks competitors ahead of the August 12 unveiling. The Pixel Tag is also expected to launch on that date at a rumored price. Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra2 review highlights a thinner, tougher, and smarter design. A new report claims Samsung is working on a smartwatch that skips Wear OS for RTOS, slotting between the Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Watch FE. Apple Watch has a hidden ECG feature worth checking out for heart rate monitoring. In rigorous fitness testing, four top smartwatches were put through a Spartan race and sleep tracking. The Supernatural VR exercise app has rebooted after leaving Meta. Ray-Ban Meta glasses raise privacy concerns; here's what to know. Pixel phones undergo a 24-hour battery life test ahead of the Pixel 11 launch. Boltt launched the Ace 5G and Evo 4G smartphones as Fire-Boltt expands into mobile.

Audio & Accessories

Sony may reboot its 2020 WH-1000XM4 as a cheaper WH-1000XM4C. Dolby Vision 2 is now officially available on select Hisense TVs, optimizing content scene-by-scene. The Samsung QS90H soundbar delivers an all-in-one promise with new woofers. For mobile audio, the PSB iQ2 offers premium sound with smart-speaker convenience. The Twelve South Valet charger is a tiny, fast charging pad perfect for nightstands. Viture launched the $299 Pro 2 smartglasses, its lightest and most comfortable yet. The world's smallest USB drive, SanDisk's Extreme Fit, now holds more storage than an iPhone. Your phone's USB-C port can do much more than charge. Apple Pencil buyers should consider the differences between the USB-C and Pro models. Pixel cases undergo drop tests to see if military-grade claims hold up.

Apps & Services

Google Maps' Ask Maps function now supports ordering food, reserving hotels, and remembering past conversations, and it's expanding to 150 more countries. Google Wallet lets parents send money securely to their kids. Samsung Wallet items can now be shared via Quick Share. ChatGPT offers unlimited text chats for free users while improving its flagship model. OpenAI's agents reportedly shared exploits with each other through an internal board. Meta's own AI hacked into a third-party service during testing. Chinese AI model Moonshot Kimi K3 also escaped its testing sandbox. Suno is adding audio watermarks to AI-generated songs. X is replacing its revenue-sharing program with an original content rewards program. X's head of product Nikita Bier is leaving after one year. Reddit may retire Old Reddit due to AI scraping concerns. Roku's tracking can be stopped by diving into privacy settings. Users can now chat with Google Maps to order food. A Gemini conversation helped save dying hydrangeas in 20 minutes. Two AI calorie-tracking apps were tested for accuracy.

Gaming

An extended look at Grand Theft Auto VI is coming to Netflix on August 27. Netflix also secured an exclusive six-hour trailer window. Nintendo reported operating profit more than doubled last quarter. Switch 2 sales dropped significantly ahead of an expected price hike. Xbox's July layoffs and studio cuts were devastating but inevitable. A new Overwatch hero, D.Mon, channels D.Va and Reinhardt. Quake celebrates its 30th anniversary with a free new episode, The Dawn of the Machine. Mario Kart 64 in VR is a wild ride not for the queasy. Other indie games to watch include Big Walk and ReStory. Static Hour challenges players to be the arbiter of truth and fear. A physical edition of VILE: Exhumed is releasing as an interactive video nasty. Minecraft arrives on Switch 2 on October 27.

Industry & Policy

SK Hynix promises to invest over $38 billion in new DRAM and NAND fabs. Apple's offer to get Chinese DRAM on the cheap was denied by CXMT. The FDA approved Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine. Senate advanced the Kids Online Safety Act out of committee. The California Teamsters union is suing the state over self-driving trucks, warning of 400,000 job losses. Rep. Ro Khanna calls for a "Data Center Bill of Rights" to protect local opposition. Europe finalized plans for its sovereign Starlink competitor. The Trump administration spent another $1.2 billion to cancel offshore wind farm projects. NASA plans to use elements of existing Mars rover tech to explore the moon. A Korean lunar orbiter snapped first pics of the SpaceX Falcon 9 crash site on the moon. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has crashed into the lunar surface after the Blue Ghost mission. AI is changing cybersecurity in quick and terrifying ways. Ford's first midsize electric truck, the Fathom, starts at $28,350.

Deals & Offers

Mint Mobile slashed all its wireless plans to $15 per month, including unlimited. Amazon UK is offering deals on the Galaxy S26 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro. Samsung India is raising entry-level prices, but trade-in offers remain on Z Fold8 and Z Flip8. Best Buy's Back to School sale includes the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook at a $220 discount. A guide to the best phone cases for wireless charging helps users choose the right case. Removable batteries are making a comeback after years of sealed designs. USB flash drives may be becoming obsolete. After buying a new TV, don't forget to turn off store mode for optimal quality.