Android Authority ran side-by-side tests comparing the Pixel 11 Pro's new MediaTek modem against the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, covering signal strength, cellular data speeds, and battery drain while streaming. Both phones used identical SIM cards, software, and starting battery levels, disconnected from Wi-Fi, to keep the comparison controlled. Google switched from Samsung's Exynos modem to MediaTek for the Pixel 11 series, following reported gains over last year's Pixel 10 Pro in speed, reception, and efficiency.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-23
Xiaomi launched the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in China, adding a hardware-based privacy display that can be set to trigger by app, location or via selfie-camera detection of onlookers. Both phones keep the rear secondary screen from last year's models, pack two 200-megapixel cameras, and use Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips, with the Pro Max getting the higher-end Extreme variant and a larger 8,500mAh battery. Xiaomi says a global release will follow later this year.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-23
A Galaxy S26 Ultra owner reported on Samsung's Korean Community forum that a clock positioned in LockStar via Good Lock's ClockFace feature appeared in a completely different spot on the actual lock screen and Always-On Display. Samsung's Good Lock support team confirmed it has reproduced the bug and said its development team is investigating, while advising affected users to switch to a default clock style in the meantime.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-22
Motorola unveiled the Signature 27 at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit, marking the first time this Signature phone line will launch in US markets. The device features Qualcomm's newly announced Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip, a 50-megapixel main camera with a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens, four rear cameras total, a new ArcticMesh cooling system, seven years of software support, and a Bang & Olufsen audio system.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-22
Leaker Ice Universe reports that Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra uses four-way baffles to block screen visibility from top, bottom and both sides, while Huawei's Mate XT 2 and Xiaomi's 18 Pro series only block side views. This makes Samsung's privacy screen more thorough, but the tighter light control brings side effects like dimmer off-axis brightness, blurrier images, and reported eye strain or nausea for some users.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-22
Xiaomi has detailed the Smart Privacy Display on its upcoming Xiaomi 18 Pro series, which alternates standard wide-angle pixels with narrow-angle pixels fitted with microscopic baffles in a 1:1 ratio. When privacy mode is switched on, the standard pixels turn off so only the baffled pixels emit light, cutting visible brightness to about 1% for viewers beyond 60 degrees. The feature can be activated through Quick Settings, the AI key, voice commands, app or page rules, location triggers, or automatic detection of someone looking over your shoulder via the front camera.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-21
An Android Authority columnist reports buying his 14th iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro, and argues that Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra and Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL have largely closed the technical gap with Apple's devices. Despite that parity, he says Apple still draws outsized attention and loyalty because of how it markets and narrates its products rather than through superior specs.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-18
Samsung has begun pushing One UI 9 to the Galaxy S26, S26+, S26 Ultra and the newly released S26 FE, roughly a month after the update first appeared on its Z Fold 8 Ultra, Fold 8 and Flip 8 foldables. The rollout brings AI tools like My FanCam, which automatically crops video to track a chosen person, along with upgrades to Now Brief, Now Nudge, Interpreter, Voice Recorder and Document Scan.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-16
A comparison of the flagship-sized iPhone 18 Pro Max and Galaxy S26 Ultra shows both share a 6.9-inch screen but differ in build: Apple mixes aluminum and glass while Samsung uses an all-glass back. Samsung's phone is lighter and thinner, has a marginally higher-resolution AMOLED display, and retains the S Pen stylus, while Apple's OLED screen edges ahead on peak brightness at 3,000 nits versus 2,600 nits.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-10
Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro Max debuted at $1,299, a $100 jump from last year's model, putting its 256GB version near the price of Samsung's $1,300 Galaxy S26 Ultra. The two flagships now compete closely on battery life and cameras, despite differing designs: the 18 Pro Max uses an aluminum unibody with a 6.8-inch OLED screen, while the lighter S26 Ultra features a 6.9-inch AMOLED display with a unique Privacy Display mode.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-10
Amazon has cut the price of Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra (Sky Blue, 256GB) to $953, a $347 reduction from its $1,299.99 list price, in a deal set to expire tonight. The discount is only slightly better than the Prime Day price and matches close to the lowest price recorded for the device, which currently holds a 4.6-star rating from buyers.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-07
Samsung's Galaxy S26 series arrived with higher prices and only incremental hardware upgrades, keeping the same 5,000mAh battery used since 2020 even as Chinese rivals like HONOR ship phones with far larger silicon-carbon batteries. New sales figures show Samsung's flagship and foldable lines are still selling well despite these limited improvements, suggesting the company has little financial incentive to push harder on hardware.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-06
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