Apple's standard iPhone 17 starts at $799, while the Google Pixel 11 and Samsung Galaxy S26 both launch at $899, a $100 gap that has flipped the usual value equation in the flagship smartphone market. Rising RAM and storage costs, plus heavier investment in on-device AI, are cited as reasons behind the higher pricing from Google and Samsung, and rumors suggest Apple may delay the iPhone 18 launch, potentially extending this pricing advantage.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple's Surprise and Shine event is set to reveal its first foldable phone, reportedly named iPhone Duo rather than the earlier rumored iPhone Ultra, alongside the expected iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports the device will start around $2,000 for 256GB and reach $3,000 for 2TB, launching around October with Apple Pencil support at launch.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-09
Samsung reports that combined US purchases of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra are running 30% ahead of last year's Z Fold 7, which itself was the most pre-ordered Fold model ever. The two Fold devices now make up about 80% of total Galaxy Z8 series purchases, with the Z Flip 8 accounting for the rest. Samsung also says roughly 30% of Flip 8 buyers switched from rival brands, most of them first-time foldable owners.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-08
Samsung outlines two ways to reboot a Galaxy tablet: a standard restart via the power menu or quick settings panel for general slowness or app glitches, and a force restart for a frozen, unresponsive screen. The force restart requires holding the Volume Down and Power buttons together for at least seven seconds until the device vibrates and the Samsung logo appears.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-08
Xiaomi released the Xiaomi 18 Fold and Huawei unveiled the Mate XT2 trifold this week, both timed just ahead of Apple's Wednesday event where the company is expected to reveal its first foldable iPhone under CEO John Ternus. Analysts say the Chinese manufacturers are trying to lock in buyers before Apple enters the foldable market.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-08
Samsung has pushed four AI features first introduced for the Galaxy S26 lineup—Call Brief, Custom Cards in Now Brief, Now Nudge, and My FanCam—to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 via a second One UI 9 beta build. These tools were already extended to the Galaxy S25 series and now bring smarter calling context, personalized daily briefings, proactive on-screen suggestions, and automatic video reframing to last year's foldables. The update also patches bugs affecting Wi-Fi, display, camera, and app stability.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-08
Samsung has responded to user complaints about soft, sinking corners on the Galaxy Z Fold 8's inner display, stating the flex is a deliberate design feature rather than a hardware flaw. A company representative told Korean outlet BusinessPost that the cushioning effect helps protect the display from impacts and trapped debris like sand.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-08
Android Authority argues that Samsung's new Galaxy S26 FE, now priced at $700 after a $50 increase, faces stiff competition despite carrying flagship-level performance with some cost-cutting on materials. The outlet points to alternatives including the Google Pixel 11, Pixel 10a, Samsung's own Galaxy S26, the Motorola Edge (2026), and the Nothing Phone 4a Pro as options worth weighing first. A reader poll cited in the piece shows the Galaxy S26 and Motorola Edge drawing the most votes as preferred alternatives.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-08
Samsung has released One UI 9 Beta 2 for the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra in South Korea, a 643MB update expected to expand to other beta markets soon. Beyond bug fixes for Wi-Fi drops, Contacts crashes, and translation errors, the build adds four AI features first seen on newer Samsung flagships: Call Brief, Custom Cards in Now Brief, Now Nudge, and My FanCam.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-08
Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone alongside its iPhone 18 Pro models, arriving seven years after Samsung's original Galaxy Fold. Reports suggest the device will use a short, wide, passport-like design, a shape that Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi have all released in recent months despite Apple not having launched or even officially teased its version yet.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-08
Xiaomi unveiled the 18 Fold, its first book-style foldable since the 2024 Mix Fold 4, adopting the short, wide form factor now favored by Huawei and Samsung. Its inner and outer screens share a roughly 1.4:1 aspect ratio, making it both shorter and wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, with hardware specs that reportedly surpass Samsung's device. However, it lacks any announced IP water/dust resistance rating and is slightly heavier and thicker than its rival.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-08
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
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