Mobile News 8 Hours

Last updated: September 1, 2026, 2:28 PM ET

Mobile Launches

Poco had a busy day, officially unveiling the F9 Pro and F9 Ultra. The Ultra model stands out with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and a 185Hz display, offering flagship specs at a midrange price, though it won't be sold in the US. Our review of the F9 Ultra is now live, detailing its performance and battery life. The company also made the vanilla Poco X8 official, which packs a massive 8,340 mAh battery and the Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 SoC, a solid option for users prioritizing endurance over raw power.

Xiaomi's upcoming foldable has surfaced in a benchmark, confirming it will use the company's self-developed Xring O3 chipset with 16GB of RAM. The Xiaomi 18 Fold is slated to launch this month, and the benchmark results suggest the silicon is quite capable. Over at iQOO, a new leak reveals that the iQOO 16's rear camera module will feature a unique square design, a departure from the circular modules we've seen recently. The phone could launch as early as this month.

Samsung is expanding its One UI 9 Beta program to more devices, including the Galaxy S25 series and foldables in India and South Korea. The Android 17-based beta first arrived for the Galaxy S26 series in May, and now more users can test the new software. The company also introduced a new Galaxy Book6 laptop with a 14-inch display and Intel Core 3/5 processors, starting at $800.

Tecno is bringing a bezelless concept phone to IFA 2026, featuring literally 0mm bezels, along with a laptop with a 360° hinge and other devices. The Next-Gen Bezelless Concept is a bold design statement that could preview future affordable phones.

Audio & Home Theater

Sonos held its Open House event with a slew of new products. The company unveiled the Beam Ultra soundbar at $699, promising "true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos" with improved surround sound. The Ace Ultra headphones are also new, featuring enhanced active noise cancellation, longer battery life, and the ability to swap audio with any Sonos speaker. Software-wise, the "Sonos 27" update brings a refreshed UI and enables AI agents to control your system. Our live coverage of the Sonos Open House has all the details.

Sony also introduced its ULT Tower party speakers, which can chain together using Auracast for synchronized audio across multiple units. We also reviewed the Bravia Theater Trio, a three-piece soundbar alternative for larger TVs, though you'll need additional gear for truly immersive sound and adequate bass.

Streaming & TV

Roku is expanding its premium TV lineup with its first OLED models, available this fall exclusively on Amazon starting at $999. The company is also making it easier to control your TV: you can use your phone as a free Roku remote via the mobile app. For those who've lost their physical remote, it's a simple solution.

Computing & Software

Google is bringing its Pics image editor to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, expanding access to the tool. Perplexity launched Hybrid Compute, which lets you split tasks between cloud and local AI models, keeping sensitive data on-device. NVIDIA's DLSS 5 launches with NBA 2K27 on September 3, but our analysis suggests there's little reason for excitement given the controversial implementation.

For mac OS users, Apple's latest desktop OS offers better tab management. Our guide explains how to organize and group Safari tabs in mac OS. Windows users, meanwhile, should consider managing startup apps — leaving too many running can weigh your system down.

Wearables & Accessories

Atlas is launching a brain-monitoring wearable that uses EEG to tell you how much you're in the moment throughout the day, tracking focus and presence. Razer released a cute and teensy mobile game controller called Prio, which folds up when not in use for pocket portability.

Gaming & Audio Tech

For gamers, Dolby Atmos for Headphones offers a free trial on PC and Xbox. Our breakdown examines whether it's worth it for gamers and whether spatial audio works on a normal pair of stereo headphones.

Display Tech

Understanding display resolutions can be confusing. Our guide breaks down QHD, WQHD, 4K, and 5K to help you choose what makes sense for your needs. We also weigh the pros and cons of using a TV as your computer monitor, highlighting differences in design and performance.

Transportation & Travel

Waymo is expanding its robotaxi service, opening rides to the public in Denver, San Diego and Tampa. United Airlines is also upgrading its app, letting you join standby lists for earlier flights without speaking to an agent.

Industry Moves

GoPro announced a $285 million merger with Starman Optical, signaling a move into AI data centers. The deal diversifies the action camera maker into high-performance optical infrastructure.

Retrospective

Looking back at the evolution of mobile, our piece compares Android in 2008 vs. today, from the G1 to global dominance. Early Androids were the tech equivalent of alternative rock, while iPhones felt too mainstream for some.

Subscriptions & Services

If you're considering ending your Whoop membership, our guide covers how to cancel and why you may want to, along with alternatives.