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Samsung's Thailand Newsroom page originally listed September 21 as the One UI 9 update date for its latest flagship line, but that listing has quietly been changed to September 28, aligning it with the Galaxy S25 series and Galaxy Z Fold 7. The shift comes even though Samsung already began rolling out the stable update in Korea days earlier. No official explanation has been given for the change.
Samsung's Good Lock support team has confirmed it is investigating a bug in the DIY Home feature of the Home Up module, which lets users freely arrange app icons and folders. Affected users say hidden folders show a noticeable delay before app icons appear, while regular folders open instantly, with the issue surfacing after updating from One UI 8.5 to One UI 9.0.
iFixit tore down Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max to examine the variable aperture camera, which uses six overlapping blades roughly as thin as a human hair. The team called the mechanism a precision engineering feat but warned it leaves almost no margin for error during repairs, likely requiring full module replacement if damaged.
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.
Samsung quietly merged its old Bixby button into the side power button starting with the Note 10 series, giving the single button several default functions: short press for screen on/off, long press for Bixby, double press for camera, and combinations with volume buttons for screenshots and the power menu. Samsung allows users to remap nearly all of these actions through phone settings, including on older devices that still have a separate Bixby button.
Google Wallet payment failures often stem from disabled NFC settings, incomplete card setup, or phone cases interfering with the NFC antenna. Users can troubleshoot by checking Payment Setup in the app, confirming NFC is enabled in phone settings, and testing whether removing a case resolves tap-to-pay problems. Unlike Apple Wallet, Google Wallet doesn't require opening the app since it defaults to a preset card.
A Play Store app called Gadesk lets Galaxy Z Fold 8 owners run Samsung DeX's desktop interface directly on the phone's 7.6-inch inner screen, without needing an external monitor. The setup requires no rooting or sideloading, just installing the app and adjusting a few settings before DeX becomes usable standalone.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch9 brings a new Snapdragon Wear Elite processor, Wear OS 7 with customizable widgets, and a raise-to-talk Gemini feature, alongside a modestly larger battery. Despite the bigger battery, real-world battery life stayed around 25 hours with always-on display enabled, similar to its predecessor. The reviewer calls it a solid but incremental update over last year's Watch8, better suited for those upgrading from older Galaxy Watches.
Android Authority's Paul Jones argues that despite the $350 Moto Watch Ultra's strong feature set—LTE eSIM, Wear OS 6, a 1.5-inch pOLED screen and Polar health tracking—its weaker processor and limited two-generation OS upgrade path make it a risky buy. Instead, he recommends five alternatives including the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025), Google Pixel Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, Garmin Venu 4 and Amazfit Balance 2. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025, now around $330 on Amazon, is highlighted as the top pick for Samsung phone owners thanks to its rugged sapphire-glass build, 64GB storage, multi-day battery and four years of promised software updates.
A detailed leak from Winfuture has disclosed complete specifications for Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Tab S12 Plus and Ultra tablets, both powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip. The Plus reportedly gets a 12.6-inch display and up to 12GB RAM with a 10,600mAh battery, while the Ultra features a larger 14.6-inch screen, up to 16GB RAM, and an 11,600mAh battery. Both tablets are said to launch on October 7 in silver and gray color options.
Reviewers testing the new Galaxy S26 FE describe it as a competent mid-tier handset with respectable performance and build quality, but say its price undercuts the value proposition that made earlier 'Fan Edition' phones popular. The consensus points to Samsung positioning the device closer to its flagship pricing than to the budget-friendly tier fans expected.
An Android Authority writer got hands-on time with Apple's newly unveiled iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone, arriving over seven years after Android rivals entered the category. Despite weighing 254g—heavier than the iPhone 18 Pro Max—the device felt dense but well-balanced in hand rather than unwieldy, standing in contrast to the lighter, 201g Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.