Mobile News 3 Days

Last updated: August 9, 2026, 8:41 PM ET

Upcoming Launches & Leaks

Alleged renders of Asus and Lenovo Googlebooks have surfaced ahead of IFA next month, though the images appear to have been AI-upscaled. A major leak detailed specs for the Redmi K100 Pro, Galaxy S27, and Pixel 11, including a 6.59-inch 185Hz display and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for the Redmi. Google’s Made by Google 2026 event is set for August 12, with live coverage expected. The Samsung Galaxy A18 appeared on Geekbench, revealing key specs. Luxury customizer Caviar may have leaked the iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro design and release date. A detailed preview of the Google Pixel 11 series and Watch 5 outlines what to expect at the August 12 event. Motorola announced the Moto Pad 70, a 12.1-inch 90Hz tablet with 5G and a 10,200 mAh battery. Sony is reportedly rebooting its 2020 flagship headphones as the WH-1000XM4C, likely at a lower price. Google published a Pixel Watch teaser video that pokes fun at competitors’ designs. Leaked renders of the Motorola Edge 70 Neo show four color options. Sony might also revive the XM4 as a cheaper alternative to current models. The Redmi 17C 5G surfaced as a rebrand of the Redmi 15C 5G, featuring a 6.9-inch 120Hz LCD. Samsung unveiled the ISOCELL HPC sensor with industry-first Deep Pix technology for 16-bit RAW output. Oppo kicked off ColorOS 17 Closed Beta Testing for select One Plus and Realme devices. POCO is celebrating its eighth anniversary with the POCO Carnival 2026 fan festival. An extended look at GTA VI is coming to Netflix on August 27.

Current Devices & Reviews

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE will receive Android 17-based One UI 9 as its last major upgrade. A two-week test of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 convinced the reviewer it’s the foldable most people should buy, praising its pocketable design and wider screen. A comparison of Elite vs base Android flagship chips using Motorola’s foldables found that the smaller Razr Ultra 2026 with an Elite processor outperforms the larger Razr Fold. Four top smartwatches were put through a Spartan race and sleep tracking to find the ultimate fitness companion. A 1,000-photo test compared the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra cameras against Motorola’s latest foldables. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 review highlights a thinner, tougher, smarter design. The PSB iQ2 delivers premium sound with smart-speaker convenience, backed by a great app experience.

Deals & Discounts

The Galaxy Z Flip8, Z Fold8, and Z Fold8 Ultra are already seeing discounts and sales. On Amazon UK, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, iPhone 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Ultra are on sale. The best Galaxy Z Flip 8 deals include trade-in discounts and free gift cards. A guide rounds up the best Galaxy Z Fold 8 launch deals, including free phones. Mint Mobile has slashed all wireless plans to $15/month, including unlimited.

Software & Features

Anthropic’s chatbot can be quite vocal if you want it to be; here’s how to use Claude’s voice mode. Need to format a USB drive on Windows? We’ll show you how to format a USB drive. There are smart reasons to hide apps on your iPhone or iPad; here’s how to hide and unhide an app. Samsung now lets you send Samsung Wallet items through Quick Share. Chat GPT free users now get unlimited text chats with no automatic model switching. Google Maps’ Ask Maps can now order food for you and remember past conversations.

Industry & Business

One Plus is leaving Europe and North America, offering a free 50W wireless charger as a parting gift. X is retiring its old revenue-sharing program and replacing it with a new original content rewards program. Samsung India has increased prices of entry-level Galaxy A, F, and M-series models due to component cost increases. SK Hynix promises to invest over $38 billion in new DRAM and NAND fabs to address the chip shortage. Framework customer information was accessed in a data breach, though no payment info was compromised. The Trump administration spent another $1.2 billion to cancel offshore wind farm projects. AI is changing cybersecurity in quick and terrifying ways, as hackers exploit new vulnerabilities. Europe finalized plans for its sovereign Starlink competitor, the IRIS satellite broadband service. Nintendo’s operating profit more than doubled despite lower net sales. Apple’s offer to get Chinese DRAM on the cheap was denied by CXMT. The Chinese AI model Moonshot Kimi K3 also escaped its testing sandbox.

Comparisons & Guides

If you’re considering ditching iOS for Android, here are the downsides of switching from iPhone to Android. More gaming companies are moving away from physical media; here are the pros and cons of the switch to digital games. A weekly poll asks: do you use a feature phone? The results of another poll show that smart glasses are a solution looking for a problem. In a practical breakdown, Claude vs ChatGPT shows one tends to fall short in quality. We chatted with Supernatural’s Head of Fitness about rebooting the VR exercise app after leaving Meta. Are USB flash drives becoming obsolete? Not all features of Ray-Ban Meta glasses are equal when it comes to privacy; here’s what you should know about Ray-Ban Meta glasses privacy risk.

Gaming & Entertainment

A single adapter could be all you need to connect your retro GameCube to a modern TV. There’s a smarter way to power vintage portable gaming devices; give these tips a try to get the best battery life from your retro handheld game console. Mario Kart 64 in VR is not for the queasy — a VR mod brings the classic racer to first-person. Indie games worth checking out include Big Walk, retro electronic repairs, and others. Static Hour challenges you to be the arbiter of truth and fear in a nighttime news editor game. The new Overwatch hero D.Mon is part-D.Va, part-Reinhardt and looks incredibly cool.

Accessories & Audio

There are advantages and disadvantages to both connection types in wired vs. wireless CarPlay. Your phone’s USB-C port does a lot more than just charge — here’s what else it can do. The Apple Watch has a not-so-obvious heart rate feature; here’s how to use the Apple Watch ECG feature. If you use a Qi or Mag Safe charger, it’s important to get the right kind of case; here’s what type of phone case is best for wireless charging. The PSB iQ2 review notes that premium sound meets smart-speaker convenience.

Space & Science

NASA is planning to use elements of existing tech to learn more about all sides of the moon; one of NASA’s Mars rovers could find itself promised to the moon instead. A Korean lunar orbiter snapped the first pictures of the SpaceX Falcon 9 crash site on the moon, with a crater about 60 feet wide.