An Android Authority roundup argues that buyers considering the newly US-available Fairphone Gen 6 Plus ($650) might get more for their money elsewhere. It highlights the HMD Skyline as a nearly as repairable but cheaper (~$400) alternative with a better camera, bigger battery and faster display, alongside four other Android phones recommended for shoppers willing to trade some repairability for extra performance and features.
Oukitel is debuting two rugged smartphones ahead of IFA 2026: the WP600, a gaming-focused device with a Dimensity 8300 chip, dual-fan cooling, RGB lighting and a 10,000mAh battery, and the WP70 Ultra, which the company calls the slimmest rugged phone with a 16,000mAh silicon-carbon battery despite still measuring 16.4mm thick. Both phones carry heavy-duty durability certifications like IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810H, continuing Oukitel's focus on tough builds and oversized batteries.
Google has begun rolling out a Battery Usage Summary feature to Pixel 10 and later devices, which flags unusual battery drain and points to the apps consuming the most power. The summaries appear at the top of the Battery usage page and are generated on-device using Gemini Nano, requiring the latest AI Core update to function.
A developer designed a credit-card-sized PCB business card featuring an NFC chip that opens his website when tapped and a red LED that lights up on a printed Charizard's tail, powered entirely by the phone's own NFC radio field rather than any onboard battery. He had to write a custom Core NFC app for iPhone because standard NFC apps couldn't write to the blank NTAG I2C Plus chip he used, so his app sends the chip's native write commands directly.
Google has rolled out its September 2026 Android Drop, a bundle of feature updates spanning several Android apps. Highlights include a new Gemini capability that lets users verbally ask the assistant to remember where they placed objects, saving that location in Find Hub, plus a Gemini Live Guided Vision mode that describes surroundings aloud and suggests reframing for dim or small text. Google Messages also gains built-in Google Keep list sharing and officially launches customizable Chat Themes with matching text bubble colors.
Roku offers a free companion app for iOS and Android that lets users control their Roku devices directly from a smartphone, connecting over the same home Wi-Fi network. It replicates the core functions of the physical remote, including navigation, playback and volume controls, without requiring any purchase or subscription.
POCO has launched the F9 Ultra and F9 Pro globally, rebadged versions of China's Redmi K100 Pro Max and Redmi K100 Pro. Both share a 6.9-inch 185Hz OLED display, 200MP main camera, 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, and an IP68 rating, while the Ultra adds a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, an 8,050mAh battery, and a Bose-branded rear speaker. Pricing is expected to start around $858.
Xiaomi's Poco brand has introduced the F9 Ultra, a midrange phone packing a 6.9-inch AMOLED screen with a 185Hz refresh rate, an 8,050mAh battery, and last year's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. The device also includes a 200MP main camera, 5x periscope telephoto, 100W wired charging, Bose-tuned sound, and a company spokesperson says pricing will land under $800 when it launches globally, though it won't be sold in the US.
Samsung's $2,100 Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra pairs an 8-inch inner display with a 200-megapixel camera system, while the $1,200 Z Flip8 becomes the world's lightest and thinnest flip phone with a 4.1-inch cover screen. Motorola's first book-style foldable, the $1,900 Razr Fold, offers an 8.1-inch inner display and a 6,000-mAh battery lasting nearly three days, though it lacks a flagship chipset.
Android Authority discovered a hidden feature in Google app version 17.54.10 that lets the Gemini overlay automatically shrink into a floating button while it processes a request. This would let users keep using their phone instead of waiting with the overlay locked on screen. The feature isn't live yet and appears to still be in internal testing.
Over his 15 years as Apple CEO, Tim Cook navigated increasingly tense relations between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, helping Apple avoid the worst fallout from a US-China trade war while keeping manufacturing operations in China intact. His approach included storing some Chinese user data on mainland servers starting in 2014, complying with Chinese app removal demands, and staging high-profile displays of goodwill with Trump, such as touring a Mac Pro plant together.
Samsung has launched the Galaxy S26 FE with only minor spec upgrades over its predecessor, yet raised the price by $50/£50 for equivalent storage tiers, reportedly due to rising component costs. This narrows the price gap to the flagship Galaxy S26 to roughly $100, while that model offers a stronger chipset and better cameras.
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