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Samsung Electronics and several affiliates, including Samsung C&T, SDS, SDI, Life Insurance and Fire & Marine Insurance, will together invest $1 billion in Helix Digital Infrastructure. Helix, launched in June by KKR and backed by Nvidia, the Kuwait Investment Authority and Vistra, focuses on data centers, power generation and fiber networks, and has already secured more than $10 billion in commitments.
Samsung has committed $1.0 billion to Helix Digital Infrastructure, a platform backed by KKR and Nvidia. The investment brings Helix's total secured capital to more than $11 billion.
Leaker Steve 'OnLeaks' Hemmerstoffer posted a new render of the Galaxy S27 Ultra's rear camera island, showing a pill-shaped module with a telephoto lens, microphone cutout, auxiliary sensors including laser autofocus, and an LED flash stacked top to bottom. This followed reports from leaker Ice Universe, who examined early Chinese third-party cases that lacked cutouts for some sensors, prompting speculation Samsung had dropped laser autofocus; Ice Universe has since pushed back on OnLeaks' arrangement, saying the flash sits above the camera rather than below.
Samsung outlines several built-in options for Galaxy users to extend battery life, including keeping software updated, placing rarely used apps into deep sleep via Settings > Battery > Background usage limits, and enabling Power savings to restrict background data use. The guidance also highlights Battery protection, which lets users cap charging between 80 and 95 percent instead of always charging to full.
Android Authority polled nearly 5,000 readers on their preferred alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE, which costs $50 more than its predecessor with few added features. The Motorola Edge (2026) narrowly won with 25.6% of votes, edging out the Samsung Galaxy S26 at 25.4%, while the Pixel 11 placed third with 20.3%.
Android Authority found code in Google Messages beta version 20260921 suggesting Google is building support for Samsung's Finder search tool to search text messages. The feature is not yet functional and Google Messages currently doesn't appear in Finder's list of supported apps.
Samsung's support pages now list stable One UI 9 builds for the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra on T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, and US Cellular, carrying build S94xUSQU4BZID with a September 5, 2026 security patch. Unlocked Galaxy S26 Ultra units are also beginning to receive the update via a smaller download, and Samsung has published a full changelog covering Galaxy AI, Samsung Health, privacy, Bixby, accessibility, and DeX features.
Reports indicate that sales of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 have increased following Apple's announcement of the iPhone Duo, its rumored foldable device. Samsung has responded by lowering prices on some of its foldable phones in certain markets. Foldables remain a small slice of the overall smartphone market, with IDC estimating 20.6 million foldable shipments last year against 1.25 billion total smartphone shipments.
Google's March Pixel Drop update for Android 16 introduces Desktop Mode, a feature that lets Pixel 8 and newer phones connect to an external monitor to run a PC-like interface. The feature had been in beta testing for several months before this official release.
Samsung devices running Android 12 or later include a Phone Diagnostics tool under Settings > Device care > Diagnostics, letting users test individual hardware components or run all checks at once. The same diagnostics suite is also accessible through the Samsung Members app. A test run on a Galaxy S26 Ultra produced 22 separate checks covering the phone's hardware.
Motorola is bringing its Signature 27 flagship phone to the US market, reportedly powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset with an upgraded camera system and audio. Unlike some rivals, the phone will be sold through AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile stores along with several MVNOs, alongside trade-in and financing offers.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 8 alongside two other foldables at its July Unpacked event, introducing a shorter, wider form factor distinct from prior Z Fold models. The device measures 123.9mm tall, 9.7mm thick folded and 4.5mm unfolded, weighing 201 grams, making it lighter than the Z Fold 8 Ultra. A hands-on review after two weeks of use found it a strong but not flawless entry into the wide-foldable category.