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
According to The Elec, Samsung plans to embed a security chip inside batteries for upcoming mid-range devices, including the Galaxy A series. The chip would let the phone verify whether an installed battery is genuine, mirroring a system Apple has used for years with iPhones.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-22
A hands-on roundup highlights Good Lock modules that let Samsung Galaxy owners customize their phones beyond what One UI offers by default. Key examples include Display Assistant, which sets screen timeout and refresh rate per app, and Sound Assistant, which allows individual volume levels for each app.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-22
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.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-22
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.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-20
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.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-19
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.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-19
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.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-18
Following Apple's unveiling of its $1,999 foldable iPhone Duo, Samsung's social media team launched a mocking campaign, calling the device 'so far, so same' and joking about 'reheated leftovers.' Samsung, which released the first mainstream foldable phone in 2019 and has since shipped around 20 models, is leaning on its years of foldable experience to needle Apple's late entry. Duolingo's owl mascot also joined in, joking about the 'Duo' name, while Apple executive John Ternus defended the device as an 'entirely new design' rather than 'two phones awkwardly stuck together.'
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-18
WIRED's roundup of the best Android phones for 2026 includes guidance for shoppers considering models outside the main recommendations, covering display type, screen size, processor, RAM, cooling and refresh rate. It notes that OLED screens are now common even in budget phones, that Qualcomm Snapdragon 7-series or MediaTek Dimensity 7000-series chips or better offer reliable performance, and that 8GB of RAM (ideally 12GB) suits multitasking and AI features.
wired.com
· 2026-09-16
According to a blogger tracking Chinese social media chatter, Samsung is moving up the release of its Galaxy Z Trifold 2, seemingly in reaction to Apple's incoming iPhone Duo. The move comes despite the original trifold device's lackluster commercial performance, and the new model is expected to carry a similar price tag.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-16