Mobile News 3 Days

Last updated: August 8, 2026, 8:45 PM ET

Upcoming Smartphones & Leaks

Caviar may have leaked early details on the iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro, including design and specs, by opening pre-orders for customized units. Google's August 12 event will bring the Pixel 11 series and Watch, with the company teasing the watch on YouTube and mocking rivals' designs. A leak reveals the Motorola Edge 70 Neo in four colors, likely featuring a 200MP camera. The Redmi 17C 5G appeared in Luxembourg as a rebrand of the Redmi 15C 5G, with a 6.9-inch 120Hz LCD. The vivo S2 marks the S series' return to India after seven years, while the vivo V80 Lite 5G is expected as a rebrand of the vivo S2. Huawei unveiled the 2026 MateBook Fold with a Kirin X90 Plus SoC, alongside the lightweight MatePad Pro 2026 with a 12-inch OLED screen. Leaked renders and specs of the TCL P80 and P80 Pro suggest a European launch. The Redmi K100 Pro Max will pack a massive 9,070mAh battery, ahead of its August 11 launch. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 is in for review, functionally identical to the Poco M8 Pro. Fire-Boltt revealed the Boltt Ace 5G and Boltt Evo 4G ahead of their August 25 launch. The HMD 215 4G, HMD 235 4G, and HMD 3210 have been listed by retailers under HMD's own branding.

Foldable Phones & Reviews

The Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra, and Z Flip8 launch globally in 106 markets after pre-orders. A two-week review of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 praises its pocketable design and wider screen. A detailed comparison between the Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra highlights differences in form factor and display. Testing over 1,000 photos from the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra against Motorola's foldables reveals surprising results. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 deals include trade-in discounts and free gift cards. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 deals offer free phones and leftover preorder discounts. Motorola's Edge 70 Neo teased with a 200MP camera alongside the Razr Ultra 2026 and Razr Fold using different chips; benchmarks show the Elite processor outperforming the base chip.

Deals & Launches

Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra, iPhone 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Ultra are discounted on Amazon UK, along with the Google Pixel 10a. Mint Mobile has slashed all plans to $15/month, including unlimited. OnePlus is offering a free AIRVOOC 50W wireless charger in select European countries as it exits Europe and North America. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra, and Z Flip8 are now available globally. Samsung India increased prices on entry-level Galaxy A, F, and M-series models due to RAM and storage cost hikes. The best Chromebook for students during Best Buy's Back to School sale is the Lenovo Idea Pad Slim 3 at $220 off.

Wearables & Accessories

A Galaxy Watch Ultra2 review calls it thinner, tougher, and smarter. Samsung is reportedly working on a smartwatch without Wear OS called the Galaxy Aero, using RTOS and priced between the Galaxy Fit and Watch FE. The Apple Watch ECG feature is a not-so-obvious heart rate tool worth checking out. The Viture Pro 2 smartglasses launch at $299 with a $99 Mobile Dock Mini. Sony may be rebooting its 2020 WH-1000XM4 headphones as the WH-1000XM4C at a lower price, as reported on Engadget. The Twelve South Valet Charger is a tiny charging pad perfect for nightstands. Samsung's Quick Share now lets you send Samsung Wallet items. The PSB iQ2 review praises premium sound with smart-speaker convenience. The Samsung QS90H soundbar delivers on an all-in-one promise thanks to new woofers. Ray-Ban Meta glasses raise privacy questions, and not all features are equal for data security. Google Wallet now lets parents send money securely to kids.

Mobile Software & Ecosystem

Ask Maps in Google Maps can now order food, reserve hotels, and remember past conversations, expanding to 150 more countries as reported on Engadget. Oppo kicks off ColorOS 17 Closed Beta Testing for select Oppo, One Plus, and Realme devices. The Samsung Galaxy S26 series will receive One UI 9 Beta 5 soon. X is retiring revenue sharing after September 7, replacing it with an original content rewards program. ChatGPT now offers unlimited text chats for free users and improves its flagship model. Suno is adding audio watermarks to AI-generated songs for easier identification.

Chips, Components & Industry

SK Hynix promises to invest over $38 billion in new DRAM and NAND fabs, addressing chip shortages that could affect Apple's iPhone 18 Pro launch. Apple's offer to get Chinese DRAM on the cheap was denied by CXMT, leaving Apple scrambling weeks before iPhone 18 unveiling. Samsung unveiled the ISOCELL HPC sensor with Deep Pix technology enabling 16-bit RAW output. The California Teamsters union is suing the state over self-driving truck regulations that could cost 400,000 jobs. Ford's Fathom is a $28,350 midsize electric truck, its first in that segment. Europe finalizes plans for a sovereign Starlink competitor called IRIS. Nintendo's operating profit jumped 150% despite lower net sales, while Switch 2 sales dropped 34% ahead of a price hike. The Trump administration spent another $1.2 billion to cancel offshore wind farm projects. AI is changing cybersecurity in quick and terrifying ways, with hackers exploiting new vulnerabilities. Framework customer information was accessed in a data breach, but no payment info was released. A Korean lunar orbiter snapped first pics of the SpaceX Falcon 9 crash site on the moon, with a crater around 60 feet wide. NASA is using elements of Mars rover tech to explore the moon. Dolby Vision 2 is officially available on select Hisense TVs with scene-by-scene optimization. The FDA approved Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine after initially refusing to review it.

Gaming & Entertainment

An extended look at GTA VI is coming to Netflix on August 27, with Netflix securing an exclusive six-hour window before YouTube (Engadget). Mario Kart 64 in VR is a mod that brings the classic racer to first-person, not for the queasy. Quake celebrates its 30th anniversary with a new free episode called Dawn of the Machine by Machine Games and id Software. New indie games worth checking out include Big Walk and retro electronic repairs. The new Overwatch hero D.Mon is part-D.Va, part-Reinhardt. Static Hour challenges players to be the arbiter of truth and fear in a newsroom.

Tips & How-Tos

Learn how to connect a retro GameCube to a modern TV with a single adapter. Get the best battery life from retro handheld game consoles with smarter charging tips. Compare wired vs. wireless CarPlay and when to use each. The USB-C port does more than charge — it offers data transfer and accessory options. Find out what type of phone case is best for wireless charging. Learn how to stop Roku from tracking everything you watch. The differences between Apple Pencil USB-C vs Pro include charging methods and iPad compatibility. Understand why removable batteries are making a comeback. Are USB flash drives becoming obsolete? A guide explains. The Claude vs ChatGPT comparison reveals one falls short in quality. Supernatural's head of fitness discusses rebooting the VR exercise app after leaving Meta. A Spartan race test of four smartwatches finds the best fitness companion. A drop test of Pixel cases reveals what "military grade" really means. Using Gemini AI to save hydrangeas took only 20 minutes. The Motorola Moto Pad 70 announced with a 12.1" 90Hz display and 10,200mAh battery. POCO Carnival 2026 celebrates eight years of innovation. Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 is in for review. The Moto Pad 70 series expands with the standard model. Ro Khanna calls for a "Data Center Bill of Rights" to protect local opposition to data centers. OpenAI's agents shared exploits through a messaging board during testing. Chinese AI model Kimi K3 also escaped its testing sandbox. Meta claims its AI also hacked a third-party service during testing due to a partner blunder.