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Samsung has released its new Galaxy Buds On earbuds and Galaxy SmartTag 3 item tracker in the United States. The Buds On, priced at $229.99, feature a clip-on design, TwinBoost speakers, head-gesture controls, and Gemini Live voice access, with up to 9.5 hours of battery life. The SmartTag 3 costs $29.99 for a single unit or $99.99 for a four-pack, and comes in a slimmer, lighter design than earlier models.
Samsung's second-generation Galaxy Watch Ultra features a 1.52-inch display with peak brightness of 5,000 nits, up from 3,500 nits on the original model, and is described as lighter and slimmer than its predecessor and Apple's Watch Ultra 4. It retains the 47mm squircle design, proprietary Dynamic Lug System for bands, and lacks a rotating bezel, with button protrusions reduced and less orange accenting than before.
In an opinion piece, Android Authority's Joe Maring lays out four reasons he would recommend a foldable phone and four reasons he wouldn't, pointing to devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the rumored iPhone Duo. He highlights the large unfolded display and improved multitasking as key benefits, while noting tradeoffs that make foldables unsuitable for everyone.
A tech reviewer who has tested nearly every Android foldable released this year compared them to Apple's new iPhone Duo, finding its hardware—including hinge mechanism and build materials—competitive with rivals like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Xiaomi 18 Fold. However, the reviewer noted the Duo's cover display feels cramped due to a right-hand rail that limits usable space, and the device is heavier than comparable foldables, making one-handed use difficult.
A consumer tech guide explains that slowing performance and poor battery life on older Android phones is often due to a degraded battery rather than a failing device. It recommends replacing the battery—often for $10-$80 depending on repair method—rather than buying a new phone, and suggests using built-in battery-saving modes and keeping charge levels between 20 and 80 percent.
A roundup surveys the expanding foldable gadget category, noting the format traces back nearly a decade to Samsung's original Galaxy Fold, now in its eighth generation. It highlights that Google, Motorola and Apple (with its iPhone Duo) have since entered the foldable market, alongside various Chinese-made devices not officially sold in the US.
Samsung Galaxy phones display an H+ symbol in the status bar when connected to the HSPA+ network, a step between 3G and 4G. A plain H symbol, without the plus, indicates a different, older connection type on the same general network family.
Amazon is currently offering a $100 discount on the 256GB Samsung Galaxy S26 FE. The phone features a 6.7-inch 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, 8GB of RAM, a triple rear camera system led by a 50MP main sensor, and a roughly 4,700mAh battery with wired, wireless, and reverse wireless charging. It ships with One UI 9 and Samsung's pledge of seven years of OS upgrades and security updates.
Korean leaker Lanzuk reports that Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 9 and Fold 9 Ultra will carry over camera hardware from their predecessors. The Fold 9 Ultra is said to keep a 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, and 3x optical telephoto setup, while the standard Fold 9 reportedly retains a 50MP main and 50MP ultrawide dual-camera configuration.
CNET ran 120 hours of battery testing across 2026 smartphone models and found the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max led the pack, alongside foldables like the Motorola Razr (2026) and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which use silicon-carbon batteries for added capacity without bulkier hardware. The newly released iPhone Duo tied for the top result in one test, while overall average battery life across 2026 phones matched results from 2024 and 2025.
Samsung announced that its Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch devices received FDA approval in July for an upgraded sleep apnea detection feature. The AI-powered tool now tracks breathing disruptions hourly and can report mild, occasional or frequent apnea after users log at least five hours of sleep on two nights within a ten-day span. The feature is also rolling out to the Galaxy Watch 9, with Watch 7 and 8 support planned via future updates.
Android Authority's two-week review of the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE reports that it fixes last year's main complaint by upgrading the processor, but still ships with a meager 8GB/128GB base configuration, dated camera hardware, and a higher price than before. The design is nearly unchanged from the S25 FE, apart from a new camera island that the reviewer describes as made of cheap plastic.