Mobile News 3 Days

Last updated: August 13, 2026, 8:55 AM ET

Google Pixel 11 Launch

Google officially unveiled the Pixel 11 series at its Made by Google event, introducing four new smartphones, the Pixel Watch, and the Pixel Tag. The base Pixel 11 features the Tensor G6 chipset and faster charging, while the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL get two new camera sensors, a modern twist on indicator lights, and a price increase. However, the Pro and Pro XL ship with less RAM (16GB vs 18GB last year) despite costing $100 more. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is priced at $1,900 and retains the same battery life claim as its predecessor but adds faster Qi2 wireless charging. A hands-on noted the Fold is great, but its design is largely unchanged from last year. Camera upgrades include Instant Night Sight and bigger sensors, and major AI features like Gemini integration steal the show. A new Tap to Share feature makes file sharing between Android phones simpler, similar to Apple’s Name Drop. Google is also sending email discount codes for the Pixel. T-Mobile is already offering free Pixel 11 or Pro with no trade-in required. A live blog and live stream covered the event. A comparison between Pixel 11 Pro Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra found the decision not straightforward.

Wearables & Audio

Google launched the Pixel Watch 5 with upgraded health, GPS, and AI features, and a special Stephen Curry edition is coming. A new Health Guardian feature can monitor blood pressure and insulin resistance. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 got a new Olive color, Dynamic ANC, and improved Live Translate. Samsung’s Galaxy Buds received FDA clearance for a hearing aid feature. Huawei introduced the Watch GT 7 and GT 7 Pro with up to 21-day battery life. A comparison between Garmin Cirqa vs Fitbit Air showed Garmin’s option costs $100 more. The Moto Watch (2026) review said looks are deceiving due to limited software. Spotify is now labeling AI artists as "AI Persona" and removing them from recommendations.

Other Smartphones & Tablets

Honor teased the Magic9 series for September and launched the Robot Phone in China with a 200MP titanium gimbal camera. A rumor claims the Magic9 Pro will have dual 200MP cameras. Honor’s 12,000 mAh battery is now in trial production. Sony reported strong Xperia 1 VIII sales, calling the micro SD slot and 3.5mm jack integral. The iPhone 18 may get 12GB of RAM according to a new analyst note. The iPhone 18 Pro BOM cost is estimated to be up by 40%. Apple may raise all iPhone prices by $100. Samsung’s Galaxy S27 series reportedly will not copy the upcoming iPhone’s variable aperture. The Galaxy S26 FE specs leaked in full. Samsung increased the Galaxy Z Fold8 production target by 1 million units. The Galaxy Z Fold8 survived Jerry Rig Everything’s durability test. Its waterproof rating is IP48. Samsung’s One UI 9 Beta 5 is out for testers, and a new ringtone based on Chopin’s Nocturne was released. The Galaxy Tab S12+ and Tab S12 Ultra received Bluetooth certification. Poco’s F9 Pro and F9 Ultra battery details leaked. Realme unveiled the Realme 16x with a 7,000 mAh battery and 144Hz screen. The Realme P4s Lite was certified for India. The iQOO Z11 Indian variant features a Dimensity 7500 Turbo SoC. The iQOO 16T is tipped to sport a 200MP camera and liquid-air cooling. vivo’s X500 series design and screen sizes leaked. Xiaomi launched the Redmi K100 Pro and Pro Max in China. The Redmi Note 17 5G hands-on review notes trimmed battery and specs. Leaked Redmi Note 17 Pro Max details promise a 9,210 mAh battery and 100W charging. The Minimal Phone 2 trades E Ink for OLED but keeps its QWERTY keyboard. The Fairphone 6+ will have a Snapdragon 7s Gen. Leaked images show the Fairphone 6+ in Cobalt Blue. Motorola started rolling out Android 17 for the Signature, and 50+ Motorola phones will get the update. Lenovo teased its Y700 gaming tablet with an AnTuTu score of 4,585,844. The Lava Smart 4 was announced with specs from 2016.

Apps & Software

Chat GPT’s free tier in 2026 offers unlimited texts. Claude now watermarks AI-generated text for EU compliance. YouTube doubled monetization requirements for new partners. Valve warned European Steam hardware customers of a data breach. Bumble now lets either person message first. TikTok was allowed back on government devices in the US. Twitch users can opt out of AI training on streams. Meta is rolling out neural handwriting for Ray-Ban Display in Early Access. Spotify started labeling AI-generated content as "AI Persona".

Gaming & Entertainment

Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition arrives on October 1 with a new story arc. An unreleased Xbox Elite Controller 3 may have been sold early. A rare two-player Computer Space arcade machine is up for auction. Amazon is handing off MMOs Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty to other publishers. A leaked Zelda Switch 2 could be Nintendo’s next collector hit. Apple TV added classic movies like The Martian, E.T., and Zodiac.

Industry & Deals

The global smartphone market dropped 7% in Q2 due to rising memory prices. A Verizon outage in Southern California was caused by cut fiber cables. NYC Mayor Mamdani supports the Delivery Protection Act against Amazon. Abbott partnered with Google Health for AI-powered glucose monitoring. OpenAI expanded Daybreak cybersecurity access to a more powerful model. A flight tracking service is suing Kalshi over unauthorized data use. England and Wales banned Meta Glasses from courtrooms. Meta is donating 15,000 AI glasses to blind people in Ireland. A German nonprofit filed a criminal complaint over Meta smart glasses privacy. Authors face backlash for participation in a 2022 Google AI study. Amazon’s Back to School sale has top Android deals. The XGIMI Horizon Ultra projector has a $300 discount with a code. T-Mobile offers a free Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 with a watch plan. A Xiaomi and Redmi India launch roadmap leaked.

Miscellaneous

An HDMI splitter vs. switch explainer details the differences. Learn how to clear cache on iPhone. How the iPhone has changed in the last five years is reviewed. Pros and cons of using a digital wallet. Can you wear headphones while driving? It depends on the state. How to connect Bluetooth headphones to PS5. How to fix stick drift on PS5 and Xbox controllers. How to pair a Roku remote. Can a MacBook run multiple external monitors? It depends. The difference between MagSafe and Qi2. How to securely wipe USB drives. What a $100 smartphone gets you in 2026. How waterproof are AirTags? The best Google Pixel 11 cases and Pixel 11 Pro XL cases. A guide to choosing Pixel 11 Pro Fold colors, and another for Pixel 11 colors. Should you wait for the Pixel 11 or buy now? The Insta360 X6 review calls it a 360 camera for everyone. A comparison of Bose vs Sony earbuds for noise cancellation. The Fitbit Air launches in India this October. The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic One UI 9 Watch beta appears on test servers. Xiaomi 18 Pro colors and back material leaked. An opinion piece says smartphone colors are more exciting than features in 2026. Virgin Galactic postponed its new spaceship’s first commercial flight to 2027. The Pixel Tag takes Find Hub to the next level. Does the Pixel 11 Pro Fold support Qi2? Yes. What is the Pixel 11 Pro Fold charging speed? Faster wireless at 25W. Does the Pixel 11 support Qi2? Yes, across the board. Differences between Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 2.4G.