GoKawiil
Tech News
Apple will hold its 'Surprise and shine' launch event on September 9th at Apple Park, streamed live via its website, Apple TV, and YouTube. Reports suggest the standard iPhone 18 will be delayed until next year alongside an iPhone 18E and refreshed iPhone Air, while the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to debut with larger batteries, a smaller Dynamic Island, and possibly a variable aperture camera.
A hands-on comparison from Android Authority weighs Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 against Motorola's book-style Razr Fold, noting the Fold 8's wider 5.5-inch cover screen and 7.6-inch inner display make multitasking and everyday use smoother than past Samsung foldables. The reviewer says Motorola's alternative undercuts the $1,900 Fold 8 Ultra on price while still offering a traditional foldable experience for buyers who don't need flagship cameras.
Xiaomi showed off its Fold 18 Pro foldable at IFA 2026 in a striking red color, letting attendees view but not handle the device. The company revealed the phone will use its own in-house XRING 03 chip, described as a 'Flagship AI SoC' combining CPU, GPU and NPU functions, potentially skipping Qualcomm or MediaTek chips altogether. Full specs and pricing are expected when the phone officially launches in China on September 7.
Amazon has issued its first discount on the newly launched Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, lowering the price from $2,099.99 to $1,799.99, a 14% reduction. The Ultra is Samsung's premium foldable variant, featuring a larger 6.5-inch cover display, 8-inch main screen, Snapdragon flagship chip, roughly 5,000mAh battery, and a 200MP main camera.
Samsung has widened its Android 17-based One UI 9 beta rollout beyond its latest flagships to include the older Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, plus the mid-range Galaxy A57, marking the first A-series device to get the test build. The update carries the August 5, 2026 security patch and is currently live in South Korea and India, with plans to expand to Germany, Poland, the UK and the US.
Xiaomi's mobile division president Lu Weibing posted official renders confirming the Xiaomi 18 Fold will debut in China on September 7, 2026, two days before Apple's expected iPhone Ultra foldable reveal. The device features a 5.38-inch cover display, a 7.58-inch inner screen, a triple rear camera system, and Xiaomi's new XRing O3 chipset, with leaks pointing to a 3.5x optical zoom telephoto lens.
Samsung is broadening its One UI 9 beta program beyond the Galaxy S25 series to include the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, and S25 FE. The beta will roll out in India, Korea, the UK, and the US through the Samsung Members app, though the Galaxy S25 Edge appears excluded from this wave.
Best Buy is offering the 256GB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for $1,799.99, a $300 discount that marks the lowest price since the phone debuted last month. The foldable brings brighter screens, sharper cameras, faster charging, and a larger 5,000mAh battery compared to its predecessor, though its hinge durability and IP48 rating trail some rival foldables.
A ZDNET tester took Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold to Germany to compare their camera systems side by side. The Z Fold 8 relies on two 50-megapixel wide and ultrawide sensors, while the Pixel 11 Pro Fold pairs a 48-megapixel main camera with a 5x telephoto lens and a 10.5-megapixel ultrawide, giving it a zoom advantage the Samsung device lacks.
Samsung is reportedly diverting Display Driver IC components originally set aside for future foldable production to sustain current Galaxy Z Fold 8 manufacturing, according to ZDNet Korea. The move comes as demand for the foldable has exceeded Samsung's forecasts, while supplier UMC's 22nm production line is already running at capacity and unable to expedite output.
A year after buying the Galaxy S25 Edge outright, a reviewer traded it in for a Galaxy Z Fold 8, citing persistent battery and screen shortcomings that undercut its ultra-thin, lightweight design. Despite flagship specs like the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and a 200MP camera packed into a 5.8mm body, Samsung has shown no sign of releasing a follow-up model.
Android Authority outlines five foldable phones that could serve as alternatives to Google's new $1,899 Pixel 11 Pro Fold, including Motorola's Razr Fold and Razr Ultra, plus Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra. The comparison highlights that despite the Pixel 11 Pro Fold being thinner and lighter than its predecessor, it has a smaller battery than last year's model and faces stiff competition on price, charging speed, and battery capacity.