The Galaxy Z Fold 8’s sales figures have gone up sharply in recent weeks, and the credit goes to the iPhone Duo. There are a growing number of complaints from Apple’s foldable users around spotty quality assurance and screen cracking, and that has likely shifted some of the buyers to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8.

According to a report from Korean publication Herald Business, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 sales increased by more than 20% in a week after the iPhone Duo started shipping last week. It is an even better increase for the Galaxy foldable than the one that happened last month — about a 10% uplift on a week-to-week basis when people finally saw Apple’s first foldable and its hefty pricing.

Samsung is looking to make the most of this moment as it extends the subscription for the New AI Subscription Club until the end of November. This upgrade program lets you trade in your old device and get a new one every 1, 2, or 3 years. As a part of this upgrade program, Galaxy foldable owners (Fold8, Fold8 Ultra and Flip8) are promised a 50% buy-back value for the 1-year plan, 40% for the 2-year plan (50% for a Flip upgrade), and 25% for the 3-year plan.

Additionally, Samsung is running a “Galaxy End of the Year Fiesta” campaign until December 31, which unlocks in-store shopping perks.

Despite multiple complaints, Apple continues to see strong demand for the iPhone Duo and is unable to fulfill that due ongoing memory and chip shortages. The has officially announced that Duo units affected by the inner screen cracking problems are eligible for a free replacement, even if that’s not covered under the AppleCare+ plan. However, early hardware defects have directed some potential buyers towards Samsung’s foldable. The South Korean giant will reportedly invest heavily in the new form factor in 2027.

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This week, Apple announced financial results for its fiscal Q4 2026 ended on September 26, 2026, and the results were surprising. The company reported a total revenue of $114.5 billion for a September quarter — up 12% year on year despite persistent supply constraints.

iPhone revenue accounted for $57.58 billion during the period — the best September quarter in iPhone sales ever. That figure becomes even more striking when you look at how few new devices were actually on sale compared to last year’s launch cycle.

During fiscal Q4 2025, four new iPhones went up for sale: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. However, 2026’s September quarter had just two new iPhones: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The iPhone Duo was also announced at the same time, but pre-order wasn’t live until October, so none of this revenue was included in the September 2026 quarter.

This year, Apple took a different approach by not launching the base iPhone 18. That will likely happen early next year. The company hasn’t stated why, but it doesn’t take a lot to guess the culprit: component shortages. Apple likely wanted to ensure that it had enough of the Pro units to fulfill the demand.

Even without the base model, the revenue from iPhones actually went up strongly. As 9to5Mac’s Ben Lovejoy pointed out, this unusual release timing likely steered buyer behavior in Apple’s favor.

Most iPhone buyers typically upgrade to a new model every one, two, or three years, and that phase begins with September. Without a base model on shelves, many prospective buyers may have simply upsold themselves to the Pro tier rather than waiting months for the base iPhone 18.

Of course, there were other factors at play in driving September 2026 quarterly revenue to an all-time-high. The incredibly popular iPhone 17 continued to move in volume, and the $100 price hike for the iPhone 18 Pro models has also played a key role.

Overall, the split launch strategy for the iPhone 18 lineup has proved to be successful so far. It may soften some demand for the base iPhone 18 when it arrives next year, but Apple won’t lose sleep over more customers switching to the Pro model.

Will Apple continue with the same split launch strategy for the iPhone 19 series next year? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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After weeks of testing, Vivo is finally rolling out the Android 17-based OriginOS 7 update to the Vivo X300 series phones, including the X300 FE. It’s a pretty significant upgrade with tons of upgrades, more powerful AI features, and stronger cross-ecosystem connectivity. We’ve a complete changelog later in this post.

Initially, the update for Vivo X300, X300 Pro, and X300 FE is rolling out in India to a limited set of users through the trial program (also known as release candidate build). The company should soon begin a wider rollout, provided the build doesn’t have any critical bugs.

As spotted by Ytechb, the OriginOS 7 update carries the following firmware version:

• Vivo X300: PD2527MF_EX_A_17.1.5.5.W30
• Vivo X300 Pro: PD2502BF_EX_A_17.1.12.0
• Vivo X300 FE: PD2509F_EX_A_17.1.15.1.W30

OriginOS 7 is a big upgrade, and therefore has a hefty download size of over 5GB. So, it’s best that you ensure the device has sufficient storage and is connected to a reliable Wi-Fi connection beforehand. Also, charge the device to at least 40% before hitting the install button.

Here’s the complete changelog for OriginOS 7:

[Origin workbench]
– Added Origin workbench for seamless multitasking, supporting up to five apps at once

[Origin animation]
– Added new Fluid motion
– Optimized Spring animation to adapt to gesture intensity and swipe speed for more natural motion
– Optimized One-shot animation
– Optimized Blur transition

[Origin smooth engine]
– Added interruptible interactions in select scenarios, allowing animations and interfaces to respond instantly during fast, continuous operations for a more responsive experience
– Upgraded Ultra-core computing. Our optimized proprietary scheduler algorithms and revamped computing resource management framework deliver faster app launches, smoother swiping, and more responsive app switching
– Optimized Snap-up engine for more scenarios

[Personalized intelligence]
(Super screenshot)
– Added Smart screenshot recognition. When a flight, train, bus, event, sports, or movie ticket is recognized, Origin island will suggest creating a reminder and adding it to Google Calendar
(Al Cross-App Drag)
– Added support for extracting editable text from images by dragging and dropping them into select apps
– Added support for translating foreign-language text or images by dragging and dropping them into select apps, allowing you to instantly insert the translated text
(Phone)
– Added Call overview to display brief summaries in call logs for reference. Go to Call settings > Smart call assistant > Call overview to enable it
– Added Al Call Answering, which lets Al answer incoming calls on your behalf. Go to Call settings > Smart call assistant > Al Call Answering to enable it
(Recorder)
– Added capabilities for visualizing recordings. Key points are highlighted on the timeline. Speaker insights and speaking proportions are shown by role. Topic transitions and the overall structure are displayed in the outline
– Optimized the Recorder with enhanced materials and design details, introducing spatial blur and optical design elements, along with an updated layout and typography for a more refined, layered look
– Added Al Insights to evaluate conversation tone, and provide meeting insights, conclusions, and risks, as well as analyze team communication and collaboration issues
– Added Multi-template summary. Some templates support filtering content by role to generate more focused, structured summaries
– Added Transcript outline to quickly find key paragraphs
– Added Transcript refinement to automatically clean up and organize transcripts, making them clearer and ready to use
(Al Creation)
– Optimized prompt recommendations in Al Creation to suggest relevant prompts based on the app or page, helping you write more efficiently
– Added One-tap writing. Simply tap the button in supported apps to recognize on-screen content and generate text. View supported apps in Al Creation > More > Settings > Smart recommendation bubbles
(vivo Docs)
– Added Reader mode to intelligently format long documents such as papers and professional literature, adjusting text and image sizes for a more comfortable reading experience
(Scan)
– Added Handwriting scan to accurately recognize whiteboard content and handwritten notes, preserve the structure of text, tables, and charts, and generate editable documents

[Light & shadow aesthetics]
(System)
– Added gradient and dynamic glow effects to some Symbols icons for a more refined visual experience
– Optimized Al System Glow to provide consistent, natural lighting feedback across new Al features
– Added a responsive light effect when tapping floating dynamic controls
(Premium textures)
– Added new material effects across additional system interfaces for a more translucent, refined visual experience. Go to Settings > Home screen, lock screen & wallpaper > Visual texture to switch between multiple material effects
– Added Responsive light, providing light feedback during certain touch interactions for clearer responses and more natural-looking materials

[Origin Sticklt]
– Added Sticklt, allowing you to identify subjects in images and save them as stickers. Tap and hold the Home screen, tap Add > Stickers to open Sticklt and add stickers

[Themes]
– Added multiple personalized combinations and tricks. Go to Settings > Home screen, lock screen & wallpaper > More themes to explore
– Added Pet pals theme, featuring multiple fun, interactive pet themes. Go to Themes > Pet pals theme to explore

[Lock screen]
– Added multiple personalized lock screen clock styles
– Added new fonts for select personalized clock styles, with adjustable font weight and size
– Optimized the material effects and layout of the lock screen shortcuts at the bottom, with swipe-up and tap-and-hold gestures for easier access
– Added a tap-and-hold gesture on the lock screen to enter “Edit lock screen” and easily manage “My combination”

[Home screen]
– Optimized system default icons with updated designs and colors for an enhanced visual experience on the home screen
– Optimized dynamic icons for a more engaging, refined user experience
– Added Dark icons for a more comfortable, cohesive visual experience in Dark mode. Go to Settings > Display, brightness & eye protection > Dark mode settings > Icon effects to set theme up
– Optimized the movement and repositioning of icons and folders for a more flexible home screen organization
– Optimized System and app Ul color to support applying colors to all app icons
– Added the Time-based lighting effect, which changes icon lighting with local sunrise and sunset times for a more immersive home screen experience. Go to Settings > Home screen, lock screen & wallpaper > Icons > Time-based lighting to enable it

[Control Center]
– Optimized customization for separate and combined Control centers, with flexible layout and content options

[Dark Mode]
– Added customization for Dark mode in select third-party apps. Go to Display & brightness > Dark mode to customize it

[Seamless connection across ecosystems]
(Office Kit)
– Added support for quickly accessing your phone’s camera from desktop apps for work, live streaming, and more
– Added Call handoff, allowing you to answer phone calls on your computer
(Connection center)
– Optimized device display in Connection center with support for 1×1, 1×2, 1×4, and 2×2 card sizes
(Notification center)
– Optimized lock screen notifications for more responsive swiping and smoother expansion and collapse
– Added Temporary notification muting, allowing you to swipe left on a notification to mute the app’s notifications for 1 hour or 1 day
– Added One-tap clearing for notification groups, making it easier to manage

[More]
(Albums)
– Optimized the Albums tab, allowing you to customize the sort order and hide album groups
– Optimized Albums layout, streamlining it and merging the “Recommended” tab into the “Albums” tab
(Global search)
– Optimized the global search box by moving it from the top of the page to above the keyboard for a more focused look
(Notes)
– Export as Markdown”>Added Markdown document import and export. To import, drag an MD document into Notes in Origin island, or select Notes from “Open with” in the share panel. To export, go to Note details > Export as Markdown
(Settings)
– Optimized the storage compression algorithm to improve compression ratios and free up storage space
(Simple Mode)
– Added a default-on option for call blocking to block advertising and telemarketing calls
– Optimized battery display and Lockscreen Poster interactions in Simple Mode, while reducing some system and app ads, extending the default auto-lock time, and enabling Haptic feedback by default
(Security & Privacy)
– Added Security shield to block installations of unknown apps, prevent automatic connections to malicious Wi-Fi networks, and perform daily security scans
– Added Device security scan to automatically check the protection status of Find Hub for easier security management
– Added Permission suggestions to detect unusual app permission access and help you revoke unnecessary permissions. Go to Settings > Security & privacy > More privacy activity logs > Permission suggestions to try it out
(BlueVolt system)
– Added heterogeneous computing space, adding support for heterogeneous computing in select system apps to improve battery life
– Added Adaptive battery management to automatically adjust system strategies when power consumption is higher than usual, improving battery life
(Display, brightness & eye protection)
– Optimized brightness adjustment for Nighttime eye protection in low-light environments, delivering softer light tones and clearer dark details
(Sound and vibration)
– Added music-synced vibrations for custom call, message, and notification ringtones
– Optimized Audio redirect, allowing your phone’s speaker and Bluetooth devices to play audio from different apps simultaneously. Go to Settings > Sounds & vibration > Sound quality & effects > Audio redirect to try it out

If you have a Vivo X300 series phone, you can now upgrade to OriginOS 7. If the update notification hasn’t arrived yet, go to Settings > About Phone > System updates > version Trial > Trial version and then install the new version.

If you own a different Vivo phone, check the complete rollout schedule here for Vivo devices and iQOO devices to find out when it’s your turn.

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Oppo Find X10 has recently been launched in India with some serious camera upgrades over the last year’s Find X9. However, the hefty price increase of up to 100% makes people wonder if buying the Find X10 is worth it?

The new Find X10 starts at INR 1,39,000 for the base model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The 512GB storage variant is priced at INR 1,69,999. The pricing structure puts the Oppo Find X10 in a fierce competitive segment dominated by Samsung and Apple.

Even the latest iPhone 18 Pro is currently cheaper than the standard Oppo Find X10, which puts a much bigger question mark on whether the Oppo’s latest flagship is actually worth it. Let’s find out.

Next-gen camera upgrades

Camera has always remained the strongest aspect of Oppo Find X series phones, and the Find X10 takes that to the next level. The primary camera is upgraded to a massive 200MP resolution, and so does the telephoto camera. Both cameras support up to 8K video recording. On the Find X9, both are limited to 50MP resolution and 4K recording.

The third sensor on the rear camera module is a 50MP ultrawide sensor, which is largely the same. There’s also a 3.2MP multi-spectral sensor on the rear side featuring a higher field of view, compared to a 2MP sensor on the Find X9.

The massive resolution boost to the primary camera offers extreme detail retention and hybrid cropping. The telephoto camera gets a bigger sensor (1/1.56″ vs 1/1.95″) besides a massive 200MP resolution, helping the device achieve much clearer shots in low-light conditions.

The selfie camera has also been upgraded from 32MP to 50MP, featuring a wider aperture and a broader field-of-view. Oppo has added autofocus support as well as 2x video zoom shooting to the selfie camera, making it a more creator-friendly option.

Modest design and display upgrades

The overall design is quite familiar to last year’s Find X9, except for the relocated LED flash — now to the right of the camera module.

The Oppo Find X10 features a 6.59-inch display, same as Find X9, but the upgraded panel offers LTPO to save some more power and a higher 144Hz refresh rate. The device features tougher Crystal Guard protection on both sides.

Basically the same chipset

While the Dimensity 9600M sounds like a next-generation chipset, it’s actually the same as Dimensity 9500 from the inside. The new chip still uses TSMC’s 3nm process, features the same CPU configuration, GPU capabilities, and connectivity features.

There are quite a few smaller upgrades, including an upgraded Dimensity Scheduling Engine and a new camera agent. The NPU now supports Gemini Nano 4 and Qwen 3.5 Omni 4B.

In short, don’t expect a major performance bost if you upgrade from a Dimensity 9500-powered device such as the Find X9. Gaming should be better on the Find X10, though, as it ships with a larger vapor chamber.

Larger battery capacity and modest connectivity upgrades

The Find X10 packs a 7150mAh battery in the EU, which is just higher than Find X9’s 7025mAh. However, other regions get a much bigger 8000mAh battery. It should translate to a few more hours of screen time.

The charging speeds remains the same, though — 80W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless.

Oppo Find X9 already has modern connectivity features, and so there’s a little room for upgrades. Still, the Find X10 brings a newer Bluetooth 6.2 standard and a newer USB technologies for faster data transfer.

Tight competition from Apple and Samsung

At a hefty starting price of INR 1,40,000, the Oppo Find X10 faces fierce competition from the two industry giants, Apple and Samsung. The iPhone 18 Pro and the Galaxy S26 Ultra falls in the same price segment. More importantly, they are Pro and Ultra models not standard models. So, where does the Oppo Find X10 stand?

Integrating two 200MP sensors into the rear camera setup definitely gives the Find X10 an edge, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra has a larger screen and a more powerful processor. The latter also has a 200MP main sensor, but the Oppo phone wins on the telephoto camera. The Oppo phone also wins on a bigger battery and faster charging, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra is more reliable with software updates.

The iPhone 18 Pro is another pick, provided you’re willing to switch to iOS. It offers a more powerful chipset and longer software support. However, the Find X10 has an edge in screen size, battery capacity, and charging speed. As for the camera, the Find X10 will likely produce comparable or better photos than the iPhone 18 Pro, but the latter is more likely to output better, smoother videos.

Should you buy the Oppo Find X10? Here’s my honest take

The Oppo Find X10 is a photographic powerhouse, featuring two massive 200MP sensors into a standard flagship form factor alongside a massive 8000mAh battery, making it a solid pick for mobile photographers and content creators.

However, the steep starting price of INR 1,39,000 is difficult to justify in the Indian market right now.

At this price point, you’re paying top-tier flagship money for what essentially remains a standard model carrying a marginally refreshed Dimensity 9600M processors. The hardware gains are largely concentrated in the camera system, leaving everyday performance, raw design, and display tech feeling iterative rather than revolutionary compared to the Find X9.

There’s Galaxy S26 Ultra available at the same starting price with stronger performance, a larger screen, and a long-term software support. The iPhone 18 Pro also falls into the same price segment, offering rock-solid video recording, performance consistency, and great ecosystem.

My final say would be to buy the Oppo Find X10 only if your priority is class-leading camera system in a compact form factor that still delivers much longer battery backup than other compact flagships out there. For anyone else, the latest Samsung and Apple flagships are also excellent options.

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Google has released Android 17 to all eligible Pixel devices, and recently, other Android brands have also begun rolling it out to their devices. Most of them have already announced the complete rollout schedule, which tells you when a particular device gets the update.

If you have an Android device but have yet to receive the Android 17 update, take a look at the rollout schedule below to find out when it’s your time to hit the update button.

Google Android 17 rollout plan

Google Pixels are usually the first phones to get a taste of the new OS, and all of them receive the update at the same time, unlike other brands which roll out updates in phases.

This year, Google released the Android 17 update on June 16. Here’s a list of Pixel devices that received the update:

• Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, 10 Pro Fold, 10a
• Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold, 9a
• Pixel 8, 8 Pro, 8a
• Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a
• Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a
• Pixel Tablet
• Pixel Fold

If your Pixel isn’t running Android 17, go to Settings > System and tap Software updates to get the latest update.

Samsung Android 17 (One UI 9) rollout plan

Samsung has not announced the rollout timeline for One UI 9, which is based on Android 17. However, the update has already reached dozens of Galaxy devices.

As of writing this post, nearly all high-end and mid-range Galaxy devices have started to receive the One UI 9 update. Some entry-level devices too have recently begun to receive the major upgrade.

The One UI 9 rollout may be already into the last few phases, but the brand has yet to release rollout timeline, and it now appears there won’t be any. You can visit this page to see which Galaxy devices have received Android 17.

OnePlus Android 17 (ColorOS 17) rollout plan

The Android 17 update for OnePlus devices will come with ColorOS 17 instead of OxygenOS 17 as a part of restructuring to its software strategy.

Here’s the official rollout schedule:

Xiaomi Android 17 (ColorOS 17) rollout schedule

Xiaomi hasn’t announced the global Android 17 rollout schedule for its devices. However, it has announced the timeline for Chinese users, which gives a rough idea about which global devices are eligible for the update and in what order they will likely receive the update.

Here’s the Android 17 rollout schedule for China:

We’ll update here when the brand announces a global rollout plan.

The global rollout should begin anytime soon as Xiaomi has been testing HyperOS 4 beta on multiple global models for a quite while now.

Oppo Android 17 (ColorOS 17) rollout plan

Oppo has announced the ColorOS 17 rollout plan for its devices. The Android 17-based update offers plenty of exciting features and useful upgrades. You can read more about them on this page.

Here’s the official ColorOS 17 rollout schedule for Oppo devices:

Vivo, iQOO Android 17 (OriginOS 7) rollout plan

Vivo has also announced its Android 17 rollout schedule for the eligible Vivo and iQOO devices. The update comes with a new OriginOS 7 skin at the top, bringing plenty of helpful AI features, new features, and enhancements through the system.

Here’s the official rollout timeline:

Realme Android 17 (ColorOS 17) rollout plan

OnePlus isn’t the only one leaving its legacy software and switching to Oppo’s ColorOS 17. Realme is following the same path. It means all Realme devices getting the Android 17 update will receive ColorOS 17 instead of Realme UI 8.

The change applies to upcoming phones as well. Meaning, all upcoming phones will come with Oppo’s software.

Here’s the Android 17 rollout timeline for Realme devices:

Nothing Android 17 (Nothing OS 5.0) rollout plan

Nothing has been pretty good with software rollouts, and has already announced a clear Android 17 update roadmap for its devices.

Motorola Android 17 rollout plan

While Motorola has improved its rollout pace this year, it still has not published a rollout schedule yet for Android 17. So, you know about it only when it reaches your device.

If you’re waiting for the Android 17 update on your device, it’s worth checking whether your Motorola device is eligible for it. You can check the official list of eligible devices on this page.

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OnePlus has begun rolling out Android 17 update to its devices earlier than it promised — but it doesn’t come with the legacy OxygenOS skin. Instead, the Android 17 update for OnePlus phones brings Oppo’s ColorOS 17 software skin as a part of major restructuring to its software strategy, which was announced a few months back.

The first phase of the rollout was scheduled to go live from October 29, but OnePlus began the rollout a week earlier on October 22. The OnePlus 15 and OnePlus Pad 4 are a part of this phase. Surprisingly, the update was released for more devices ahead of the schedule. So, we’ve prepared a list of OnePlus devices getting the Android 17-based ColorOS 17 update.

List of OnePlus devices getting the Android 17 update

• OnePlus 15
• OnePlus 15R
• OnePlus 13
• OnePlus 13s
• OnePlus 13R
• OnePlus Pad 4

OnePlus usually rolls out updates in batches, and so the availability depends on your region. You can navigate to Settings > System & Updates > Software update to manually check for the latest updates, if you haven’t received an update notification yet.

You can also try the Release Candidate Program to get updates early. For this, go to Settings > System & Updates > Software update > Beta Program and tap the “update now” button.

The Android 17 update with ColorOS 17 skin will gradually roll out to more OnePlus flagships in November, and a couple of mid-range phones. The company aims to release the update to all the devices by the first quarter of 2027. You can check the complete rollout schedule on this page.

We’ll update this page regularly to ensure the information are up-to-date. You can visit the page later for the latest updates. Or, join our Telegram channel to receive alerts as soon as we publish new stories.

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We keep hearing about cases where brands try to inflate benchmark numbers to hype the device’s performance. But what has happened with Samsung is completely different. The South Korean giant has found limiting game performance on several flagships against its claim of delivering the ultimate gaming performance, and has been ordered to pay 20.1 billion won (~$15.1 million) by the Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC).

The lawsuit revolves around the Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy S21 series, and Galaxy Tab S8 series. According to KFTC, Samsung has engaged in deceptive marketing practices for selling these devices. Precisely, the South Korean tech giant claimed that the devices deliver “the ultimate mobile gaming experience,” but in reality, the software had a Game Optimization Service (GOS) that throttles the performance.

The GOS service on Galaxy devices automatically throttles CPU and GPU performances on the aforementioned devices when playing demanding games. As a result, gamers didn’t get the “ultimate mobile gaming experience” promised by the brand.

Following widespread consumer backlash, Samsung quickly released an update in March 2022, allowing users to completely disable GOS.

According to Seoul Economic Daily, Samsung emphasizes that “no court has found that consumers suffered harm because of the advertising.” The company argued that GOS is a safety feature and that it ensures stable gameplay during long gaming sessions.

Of course, Samsung will fight back as it believes it has done nothing wrong, especially since the GOS update was pushed quickly after the device release. Considering the scale of operations, $15 million isn’t a hefty sum for Samsung, but it’s impressive to see a incorrect performance claim dragging a company to court. Other smartphone brands should also take important notes out of this case.

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source/via: South Korea’s FTC, GSMArena

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The iPhone Duo is witnessing overwhelming demand all over the world despite a premium $1999 starting price. The first batch sold out within minutes, and the shipments for the second batch will reportedly begin late January 2026, as per some reports citing industry sources.

Amidst all the excitement, there are a growing number of iPhone Duo owners reporting critical issues with the inner screen and foldable mechanism. Apple said it was aware of “an issue impacting the inner display on a small number” of the phones and urged affected users to reach out to the company for a replacement.

If you are willing to get your hands on a foldable phone, there are actually some really good options out there — but only if you’re open to go outside the Apple ecosystem. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is arguably the best foldable phone right now, featuring matured hardware and great software experience. And there are more from Google, Vivo, and Oppo that we’ll discuss in this post.

5 Excellent foldable phones you can buy right now

1. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Samsung has been dominating the foldable smartphone segment. The latest one, Galaxy Z Fold 8, is the 8th generation of Galaxy foldables with robust hardware and a much refined software experience to deliver a mature folding experience.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a passport-style foldable phone like the iPhone Duo. It has a 7.6-inch LTPO AMOLED inner screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 3000nits, while the cover screen measures 5.5 inches. Samsung has applied tough protection on both sides — Gorilla Glass Victus Ceramic 3 on the front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back.

The Galaxy foldable is powered by a flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which is fast enough for all your tasks, and efficient too. The chip delivers strong gaming performance as well, and the software is well optimized to deliver an excellent experience.

The rear camera module features two 50MP sensors — one is for regular shots and another one for ultrawide shots. The main (inner) screen and the cover screen have a 10MP sensor each. The Fold 8 is backed by a 4,800mAh battery and supports 45W wired and 20W wireless charging.

If you want a bigger foldable, definitely check out the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

2. Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold

Unlike the iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold has a traditional slab-phone aspect ratio. When folded, its 6.5-inch outer screen looks and feels very much like a regular flagship smartphone. When opened up, the inner display opens up into a large 8-inch canvas. Both are OLED panels that can reach a peak brightness of 3600nits and support 120Hz refresh rate.

The front side is protected using a ceramic glass and the rear side has Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The smartphone is IP68 rated, ensuring strong protection against water and dust, but it’s better to avoid them, especially on foldables. The phone has a triple camera setup on the back, which includes a 48MP primary camera, a 10.8MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 10.5MP ultrawide unit. The inner and cover screens have a 10MP sensor each.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is powered by the in-house Tensor G6 chipset, which isn’t quite powerful as the Apple A20 inside the iPhone Duo and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 inside the Galaxy Z Fold 8, but it gets the job done very smoothly. For high-end gaming, you may want to look at other devices with more powerful GPUs. Furthermore, the device has a 4,800mAh battery and supports 30W wired and 25W wireless charging.

3. Vivo X Fold 6

The Vivo X Fold 6 is one of the most well-rounded book-style foldable phones on the market right now. It eliminates major compromises that are typically associated with foldable phones — regarding battery capacity and camera capabilities.

The Vivo foldable phone packs a massive 6,900mAh battery (only China gets 7,000mAh) — one of the biggest in a foldable phone. It supports 80W wired and 40W wireless charging as well as reverse wired and reverse wireless charging capabilities.

The camera setup is one of the major highlights of the Vivo X Fold 5. The rear module has a massive 200MP primary sensor, paired with a 50MP 3x periscope telephoto lens and a 50MP ultrawide unit. The selfie cameras on the inner display and the cover display have a 20MP sensor, although you can use the rear setup to take far better shots.

The bigger screen measures 8.02-inch, which offers plenty of space for multitasking, and the cover display measures 6.51-inch. Both are LTPO AMOLED panels and support 120Hz smooth refresh rate. The device boasts Dimensity 9500 Super processor and features robust connectivity specs, such as Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 and USB-C 3.2 Gen 2.

4. Oppo Find N6

The Find N6 is another excellent book-style foldable phone with excellent camera capabilities. The rear setup features a powerful 200MP main sensor, joined by a 50MP periscope lens with 3x optical zoom and a 50MP ultrawide camera. The selfie cameras on the inner screen and the cover screen have a 20MP resolution.

The Oppo foldable phone is powered by a flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset — the same chip powers the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The cover screen measures 6.62-inch and the inner screen unfolds to a massive 8.12-inch canvas. Both are LTPO OLED panels and support 120Hz refresh rate. The cover screen is actually brighter: it can go up to 3600nits (vs. 2500nits on the inner screen).

The Find N6 is backed by a 6000mAh battery and supports 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. It also supports reverse wired and reverse wireless charging capabilities. The fingerprint sensor is integrated to the side button, just like other foldables on this page.

Read more

• Top 5 Alternatives to the Apple iPhone Duo
• Caviar launches ultra-luxury Black Edition iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo with no cameras
• Galaxy Z Fold 8 Sales Rise After iPhone Duo Launch

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The OnePlus 16 has already debuted in China in early October, and is expected to launch soon in other regions, including India. While the official confirmation has yet to arrive, Indian variants are reportedly under testing, hinting at an imminent launch.

The Indian version of OnePlus flagships usually carry the same spec sheet as their Chinese models, and so the OnePlus 16 coming to India should also bring the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset. The device should offer plenty more exciting upgrades that we’ll discuss later on this page.

OnePlus 16 expected launch date and price in India

OnePlus has yet to announce a launch date for OnePlus 16 for the Indian or global markets. However, some reports believe that it could follow a launch timeline similar to its predecessor. If that’s true, the next OnePlus flagship phone could launch in India in the second week of November, with sales likely to begin around the same time.

OnePlus 16 has already launched in China, and that gives us some hint about the pricing for the Indian market. The base variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage launched for 5,999 yuan (roughly Rs 85,500) and the 256GB storage variant costs 6,799 yuan (roughly Rs 100,000). The phone is also offered in 16GB RAM with 512GB and 1TB storage options for 7,499 yuan (roughly Rs 107,000) and 8,499 yuan (roughly Rs 121,000).

In India, the OnePlus flagship phones typically come at a higher price tag because of taxes and other stuff. So, expect an additional Rs 15k to 20k to the Chinese prices for the Indian market.

OnePlus 16 specs and upgrades

The OnePlus 16 retains the 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED screen from the OnePlus 15, but it boosts the refresh rate from 165Hz to 185Hz and features a higher peak brightness (2000nits vs 1800nits). The new model doesn’t use a Corning glass but a Crystal Shield Glass developed by Oppo. The OnePlus 15 features Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

The latest flagship uses a newer Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 processor. Qualcomm claims this 2nm chip delivers 13% faster CPU, 37% better power efficiency, 44% faster GPU, and a 40% jump in GPU power efficiency compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 present inside OnePlus 15.

The OnePlus 16 packs additional chips, including a P4 display chip, a G3 eSports chip, and a T3 touch chip, to enhance the gaming experience.

The latest OnePlus flagship offers a significant boost to the primary camera by featuring a 200MP sensor, while the OnePlus 15 has a 50MP camera. It’s joined by a 50MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and a 50MP ultrawide unit. The selfie camera now also has a 50MP resolution (up from 32MP).

The OnePlus 16 is 0.4mm thicker than the OnePlus 15 to accommodate a bigger battery (9000mAh vs 7300mAh). But the charging speed is downgraded to 100W (OnePlus 15 supports 120W). The device still offers 50W wireless charging and supports both reverse wired and wireless charging options.

The last year’s OnePlus 15 already had a robust set of connectivity features, which has been integrated into the OnePlus 16. So, on both phones, you get Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and USB Type-C 3.2.

We’ll let you know when OnePlus announces a launch date for the OnePlus 16 in India. Visit the News section or join our Telegram channel for the latest updates.

The post OnePlus 16 India launch: Expected price, release date, and upgrades appeared first on Gizmochina.

Two batches of MagicOS 11 closed beta rollout have been completed, and the company now moves to the third batch, which includes a total of 20 devices, including the popular Honor Robot Phone.

Third batch of MagicOS 11 closed beta rollout includes:

• Honor Magic V3
• Honor Magic 6 RSR | Porsche Design
• Honor Magic 6 Ultimate Edition
• Honor Magic 6 Pro
• Honor Magic 6
• Honor WIN Turbo
• Honor 500 Pro MOLLY 20th Anniversary Edition
• Honor 500 Pro
• Honor 500
• Honor 400 Pro
• Honor 400
• Honor Power 2
• Honor MagicPad 3 12.5
• Honor MagicPad 3
• Honor MagicPad 2
• Honor Tablet GT 2 Pro
• Honor Tablet GT Pro
• Honor Tablet GT
• Honor Tablet V9
• Honor Tablet 10 Pro

Honor will provide the closed beta update to 2000 users per device series. 500 seats belong to the log version, and 1500 is reserved for the no-log version.

Users who have already signed up for the MagicOS 11 closed beta will receive the OTA update soon. If you haven’t signed up yet, open the My Honor app, tap the beta banner, and follow on-screen steps to submit your application.

Please note that this is a closed beta update and so, you may have to deal with bugs and unfinished features. After installing the update, it’s difficult to revert back to the previous stable build. So, it’s always better to install beta builds on a secondary device.

Honor has already shared its stable rollout timeline for MagicOS 11. You can check it out here.

We’ll keep you updated as more Honor devices receive the latest updates. You can check the News section or join our Telegram channel to stay updated.

The post Honor rolls out MagicOS 11 closed beta to 20 new devices, including the Robot Phone appeared first on Gizmochina.

Vivo is preparing to launch Vivo X500 E as a more affordable option to the otherwise premium X500 lineup. The brand has not announced a launch date or teased anything about the device yet. However, the X500 E has already passed through multiple regulatory checks, thereby hinting at a potential launch soon.

Ahead of the launch, the Vivo X500 E has been through multiple leaks, revealing key capabilities of the device. Plus, the certification websites have revealed some important details about the device. So, we’ve curated this roundup to include everything we know about the Vivo X500 E.

Vivo X500 E specifications (expected)

The Vivo X500 E was recently spotted in Google Play Console listings with a model number ‘V2648’. It revealed that the device is powered by a Qualcomm SM7750 chipset, which refers to the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 SoC. Plus, the listing shows the device has an 8GB RAM (there’ll be more variants at the launch) and a display resolution of 1260 x 2750.

These specs match with that of Vivo V80, which debuted earlier this month. And so rumors are that the upcoming Vivo X500 E could be a rebranded version of the Vivo V80 — but there could actually be multiple versions of the X500 E.

The X500 E recently appeared on the Bluetooth SIG certification website, but with a different model number ‘V2656’. Rumors say the X500 E may carry a 7,500mAh battery, which doesn’t quite exactly match Vivo V80’s 7,200mAh. It’s possible that Vivo may launch the X500 E in multiple battery versions based on regions.

Recent Amazon listings of third-party cases for the device have put more weight to the rebranding rumor. The cases were spotted on Amazon Italy and claim to be compatible with both the Vivo X500 E and Vivo V80. The camera cutouts in those listings also match with Vivo V80.

While it’s too early to make a judgment, recent findings point to a much stronger rebranding case. If that’s true, the X500 E will come with a 6.59″ AMOLED screen with 144Hz refresh rate and 5000nits peak brightness. It could have a triple rear camera setup, featuring a 50MP main camera, a 50MP periscope telephoto camera, and an 8MP ultrawide camera, along with a 50MP selfie shooter.

The Vivo X500 E is expected to feature 90W wired charging support. It will likely boot Android 17 out of the box with OriginOS 7 skin and should receive OS updates up to four generations.

Vivo X500 E: Expected launch and price details

Vivo has not announced a launch date for the Vivo X500 E. And the fact that the brand hasn’t even teased about it yet suggests we are still a few months away from the launch, at least not in 2026. We’ll post when an official launch is announced.

The Vivo X500 E is expected to carry the same (or similar) set of specifications as the Vivo V80, and so the pricing should also be similar. Based on that, we expect the X500 E to have a starting price of around INR 63,000 for the base model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and could go up to INR 80,000 for the 512GB storage.

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Earlier this month, OnePlus and Oppo announced their ColorOS 17 rollout schedule, with the initial devices planned to receive the update on October 29th. However, users have already started to receive the Android 17-based major upgrade with tons of upgrades and new features.

OnePlus 15 gets stable ColorOS 17 update ahead of the schedule

OnePlus has officially confirmed the ColorOS 17 release for the OnePlus 15 via a post on the community forum. The rollout is currently limited to India, which comes with the firmware version CPH2745_17.0.0.102(EX01). For the beta users, the update package is a smaller one — about 540MB, while other users will receive a massive package with over 3.5GB in download size.

If you have a OnePlus 15, navigate to Settings > System & Updates > Software update to manually check for updates if you have yet to receive an update notification.

If you don’t see an update there, try the Release Candidate Program by going to Settings > System & Updates > Software update > Beta Program and tapping the “update now”.

Oppo Find X9 series is also early to the ColorOS 17 party

Alongside the OnePlus 15, Oppo Find X9 series and a couple of other Oppo phones have started to receive the ColorOS 17 update ahead of the scheduled rollout later this month.

Through multiple posts on the official community forum, Oppo has confirmed the ColorOS 17 rollout for these devices:

• Oppo Find X9
• Oppo Find X9 Pro
• Oppo Find X9 Ultra
• Oppo Find X9s
• Oppo Find N6

Initially, the update will be available in limited regions, and will gradually expand to other regions. As for the Oppo Find N6, the ColorOS 17 update is currently available in Thailand, and for the remaining devices, the update is rolling out in India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Oppo is sending updates to both beta and non-beta users. Those who have already installed ColorOS 17 beta should receive a smaller update with a download size just around 500MB, while other users will receive a hefty update, about 3.5GB.

Now, Realme is left to push the ColorOS 17 rollout, which could happen anytime now. We’ll continue to track rollouts and update you on this website.

You can visit the News section or join our Telegram channel for the latest updates.

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Samsung has been internally testing One UI 9.5 on multiple Galaxy devices for quite a while now. That’s a routine development process, but what just showed up strongly suggests the public One UI 9.5 beta program could launch much sooner than anyone was expecting.

Samsung Members app shows a new beta program banner at the bottom of the app’s homescreen that allows users to participate in One UI beta programs. The beta banner has got a new design with modern appeal.

The updated beta banner inside the Samsung Members app doesn’t reveal anything, but it strongly suggests the company may be preparing for a public One UI 9.5 beta anytime soon.

One UI 9.5 development has progressed quicker than last year

Samsung has been quicker with One UI 9.5 development compared to last year’s One UI 8.5. The first One UI 8.5 internal builds for the Galaxy S25 series were spotted in September 2025, while the One UI 9.5 firmware for the Galaxy S26 series first appeared in early August 2026.

The company has also been quick to expand the One UI 9.5 internal testing to more Galaxy devices, as the list now includes over a dozen phones. If the developments continue at the same pace, we wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung announces the One UI 9.5 beta program in early November — a month earlier than the One UI 8.5 beta. That would make sense if rumors of an early Galaxy S27 launch are true.

Everything is based on speculations for now until we hear an official confirmation from the brand. Stay tuned for more updates.

We’ll keep you updated as we receive more details. You can visit the News section regularly or join our Telegram channel for the latest information.

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Hardware failures are no longer a primary reason why most people discard their smartphones. It’s more often the lack of software support that forces users to buy a new one, and the cycle repeats.

After a few years, smartphone brands stop sending major OS upgrades that bring new features and upgrades across the system. Newly discovered security vulnerabilities remain unpatched, putting your data at risk. And modern apps are optimized to work best on newer versions of the operating system.

Even though the official software support ends, modern devices are still very much capable of delivering smooth everyday operations. That’s when custom ROMs play an important role. These are built by third-party developers to extend the lifespan of smartphones by providing regular security patches and new OS releases.

Which are the safest custom ROMs for your phone?

Since these alternative operating systems are built by third-party developers, you can’t just pick any that’s built for your phone. There are dozens of them on the internet, but the two we (and the entire custom ROM community) trust the most are GrapheneOS and LineageOS.

GrapheneOS is an open-source, safe, and highly hardened option available, but it’s exclusively available for Google Pixels due to their strict hardware security standards. LineageOS supports over 170 smartphones across various brands. It’s also a safe, open-source custom ROM with thousands of active developers and millions of users worldwide.

LineageOS 24: Android 17 with optional Google services

LineageOS 24 is the latest version of the popular custom skin built on top of Android 17. It is developed and maintained by an international community with a primary goal to keep smartphones up-to-date longer and give users more controls over their devices.

It’s a clean, lightweight custom ROM that comes without any additional apps, advertisements, and unnecessary services. It generally feels snappier and more responsive than most of the OEM custom skins. Older devices may also benefit from a positive impact on the energy efficiency — especially those who have become increasingly bloated over the years.

LineageOS is great for those who wish to share as little data as possible with Google by not opting to install Google apps and services. But those who need it can install a suitable package.

Not every smartphone is supported

LineageOS doesn’t support every phone and tablet that have stopped receiving official software support. However, it actively maintains builds for most of the popular devices.

The list of eligible devices is quite large, so there’s a chance yours may be included. You can find all supported devices on the LineageOS Wiki. Every device page includes download links, installation guides, and device-specific notes.

Take an extra minute to ensure that the device name and codename exactly match yours. For example, a Galaxy Tab S7 has multiple LineageOS builds based on which variant you carry. Brands often sell multiple versions of a device with different processors.

Important steps before installation

Unlike regular updates, installing a custom ROM requires a little extra care of your data and installation steps as it replaces the entire system software installed on your smartphone.

First things first: perform a complete data backup, including your photos, videos, documents, contacts, and other important data you don’t want to lose. You shouldn’t ignore this, as unlocking the bootloader completely wipes the internal storage.

You may also want to back up your data from apps you’re not signed into. Also back up your 2FA codes from authenticator apps or transfer your accounts to other devices.

Installing LineageOS or any other custom ROM requires an unlocked bootloader. There’s no universal guide on how to do this as the steps vary depending on the device model. Fortunately, the installation guide from LineageOS also includes the required bootloader unlocking steps for the specific device.

Unlocking the bootloader may void your phone’s warranty, and some security features and banking apps may not work. While the warranty issue shouldn’t be a concern on older devices, others are worth finding out in advance.

Installing LineageOS has become a lot easier

Installing a custom ROM used to be a bit complicated, but thanks to the new browser-based Lineage Flash Tools, the process has gotten significantly easier. The new tool handles the execution of commands, which can be intimidating.

Earlier, users had to set up environment paths and download individual platform-specific tools like ADB or Fastboot executables on the PC to run commands. Now, all of them are handled by the Lineage Flash Tools inside a Chromium-based browser like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

Lineage Flash Tools lowers the barrier for beginners. However, it doesn’t handle each and every step. Users still are required to manually download the correct operating system image and unlock the bootloader.

On a compatible browser, open the tool’s web interface and connect your phone over a USB cable. You can also upload the installation files directly to your phone via the browser window.

LineageOS supports a vast number of devices from dozens of manufacturers, and not all of them follow the same installation process. Some devices may require additional steps or packages. Therefore, it’s highly recommended to follow the official installation guide. It tells you about the required files for your device along with download links, unlocking the bootloader, using the correct recovery environment, and additional instructions (if required).

If you carefully follow all the steps, your device should boot LineageOS without any issues. If you ever run into problems during or after installation, ask the official support channels on Reddit, Discord, or the IRC channel (#LineageOS on Libera.Chat).

Need Google services? Follow these steps

LineageOS doesn’t include Google services by default. If you wish to use Google Play Store, Google Maps, or Gmail, you need to install additional Google packages.

One of the most popular and commonly used solutions is MindTheGapps, which has been specially adapted for LineageOS. Download the required package and flash it onto your device.

Alternatively, users can opt for MicroG as a more privacy-friendly option, but mind the tradeoffs.

GrapheneOS: Exclusively for Google Pixels

Another popular name in the Android custom ROM space is GrapheneOS. However, unlike LineageOS, it’s exclusively built for Google Pixel smartphones due to its unique set of hardware-level security features.

GrapheneOS is aimed at users with high data privacy requirements. In fact, it’s considered significantly more secure and private than the stock Pixel ROM.

What makes GrapheneOS different:

• It uses a custom memory allocator (hardened_malloc) that randomizes memory locations and isolating tasks.
• It activates MTE by default for the base OS and allows you to force it on for all user-installed apps.
• It modifies the underlying Linux kernel to block app access to dangerous system calls.
• It allows users to set an alternate PIN or password that, when entered, completely triggers a factory wipe of the phone.
• It allows users to completely disable the data pins on your USB-C port whenever the device is locked to stop physical hacking tools from stealing your data.
• It features a customizable Auto-Reboot timer (ranging down to 10 minutes). If the phone remains locked and untouched for that period, it automatically reboots, wiping the active encryption keys from memory and placing the device in its most secure “Before First Unlock” state.

On a stock Pixel phone, Google Play services run with deeply integrated privileges, which could be a big concern for users’ high privacy requirements. GrapheneOS solves that by making it optional, but still can be used via an isolated environment (sandboxed Google Play).

For installing GrapheneOS, you can either use the WebUSB-based installer (easiest) or the command-line method, which is a little technical. The official guide has all the details you need to know. Follow the steps as per the guide and you should be running GrapheneOS on your Pixel soon.

If you run into any problems, get help from official support channels on Reddit, Discord, or the community forum.

The conclusion is that the end of official software support for a smartphone doesn’t necessarily mean the end of its life. There are great communities on the internet that are actively developing custom ROMs to make such devices last longer with regular security patches and major OS upgrades.

GrapheneOS is the best alternate operating system for Google Pixels, while LineageOS is available for a wider range of smartphones. The new web installer makes the installation easier than ever before.

The post How to install Android 17 on unsupported smartphones appeared first on Gizmochina.

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 has quietly become a popular chipset in the lower mid-range segment because of skyrocketing chip prices. Built using a 4nm process, the chipset delivers reliable performance, modern connectivity stack, and strong power efficiency.

On the other hand, the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 is built using an older 6nm node, but it has its own set of capabilities that are better when compared to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4.

So, which one delivers the better value overall? Let’s dive into benchmark numbers and crucial hardware differences to find out.

Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 vs 6s Gen 3: Spec sheet

Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 vs 6s Gen 3: Benchmark score

Note: The benchmark tests were carried out on the POCO M8 Power 5G (powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4) and the POCO M7 Plus (powered by the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3).

Geekbench score (CPU)

The POCO M8 Power 5G, powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4, has scored 958 in the single-core test on Geekbench. It’s just 2.5% higher than 958 single-core points scored by the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3-powered Poco M7 Plus 5G.

Multi-core results don’t have a significant gap either. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 has scored 2208 points, while the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 is just behind with a total of 2208 points  —  a modest different of 5.75%.

AnTuTu score

On AnTuTu v11, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4-powered POCO M8 Power 5G has scored a total of 619,402 points. The POCO M7 Plus 5G, driven by the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3, gets a higher score — 622,580, though the different is very thin.

Things become a lot clearer when you look at the breakdown of the AnTuTu score.

The CPU scores are still pretty close as we saw on Geekbench, but the GPU scores bring a significant difference. The Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 delivers 67% better GPU score. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 pulls ahead in the memory performance with an 18% higher score, while the UX score is just 1% higher.

Benchmarks performance show the two Snapdragon chips have nearly similar CPU performance but the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 shines when it comes to GPU. That should also mean it will deliver better gaming performance.

Let’s now look at the other aspects of the chips, such as camera capability and connectivity, to get a better picture.

Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 vs 6s Gen 3: Differences that matter

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 is built using Samsung’s 4nm node, whereas the 6s Gen 3 uses an older TSMC’s 6nm node. This gives the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 an edge in power efficiency.

The CPU configurations are exactly the same. However, the GPU differences bring a rather bigger impact. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 has an entry-level Adreno 613 GPU, while the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 brings a more robust Adreno 619 GPU.

Even though the 4 Gen 4 is built using a newer process node and supports faster memory, its graphics capabilities are heavily stripped down. That’s why it scores much lower on the above benchmarks.

In terms of imaging performance, both chips have a 12-bit ISP but the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 supports data streams from three cameras simultaneously, which is limited to two on the 6s Gen 3. The 4 Gen 4 chip also benefits from zero shutter lag at higher resolution.

Both Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 and Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 have integrated 5G modems with up to 2.5Gbps of peak download speed. One key difference here is that the 4 Gen 4 lacks mmWave support, which enables faster speed over very short distances. It brings Bluetooth 5.1 standard, while the 6s Gen 3 has a newer Bluetooth 5.2.

The post Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 vs 6s Gen 3: Benchmark scores, spec sheet, and more appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi has begun rolling out the October 2026 security patch to 15 devices. The list includes flagships as well as mid-range phones from Xiaomi and its sub-brands Redmi and POCO. There’s also a Xiaomi tablet picking up the latest security update.

While the initial rollout majorly focused on HyperOS 4 devices, three phones running HyperOS 3 are also getting the October security patch. As mentioned on the security bulletin page, the latest security patch includes 25 fixes from Google. 7 of them are marked critical and the remaining 18 are high-level fixes.

Xiaomi devices getting the October 2026 security patch

For most devices, the rollout remains limited to China, though a handful of models have begun receiving the update across the EEA. The rollout should soon expand to other global markets, including India.

This update doesn’t bring new features, visual changes, or any performance gains. Instead, this release addresses dozens of security issues, including some critical-level bugs, which could have otherwise caused harm to your personal data stored on the device. So, it’s best to keep your device updated to the latest available security patch.

If you haven’t seen an update notification yet, head to Settings > About phone and tap the HyperOS logo to manually check for available updates for your Xiaomi device.

Looking ahead, Xiaomi is also prepping HyperOS 4 for markets outside China. The major release brings an overhauled interface, new features, and useful AI integrations. We’ll update on the website when the global rollout begins. Stay tuned.

source/via: Ximitime

The post Xiaomi rolls out October 2026 security update to over a dozen devices appeared first on Gizmochina.

This week, a report emerged from South Korean media, citing industry sources, that said the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 caused overheating issues on the Galaxy S27 Ultra during internal testing, and the processor speed also dropped while performing high-load tasks. A Qualcomm’s representative has declined these rumors entirely saying these are “100% NOT accurate.”

When asked to elaborate on his earlier response, Qualcomm’s CMO, Don McGuire, replied on X “There are no systemic thermal issues with the 8 elite gen 6. OEMs are consistently tuning their platforms as they launch their products. Always trying to balance performance and power to optimize their value props around different use cases. We work together to deliver the best for users.”

McGuire’s response isn’t 100% convincing as he mentioned the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 in his reply on X, not the higher-clocked Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 which is reportedly causing heating issues on the Galaxy S27 Ultra. The “Extreme” variant packs a much more powerful GPU with a boosted peak speed and faster memory.

One might think McGuire’s response applies to both chip variants, since they offer identical design and architecture. However, when the alleged problem is linked to a higher end variant of a SoC, explicitly mentioning the Extreme variant would have been a lot more convincing.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 facing troubles lately

Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 has run into rough waters lately. Users in China have reported unexpected crashes, black screens, and random reboots in their phones powered by the same chip. The exact problem isn’t unknown, but some reports suggest this may be due to low voltage tuning in the firmware, not because of the chip.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 wasn’t reportedly at fault, but since all affected devices are powered by the same chip, the brand’s reputation may be hurt indirectly. McGuire was again quick to respond to these reports saying “wonder who stands to gain from perpetuating negative narratives, unsubstantiated claims and sensationalized headlines. Basically, just plain lying….I wonder.”

Stay tuned for more updates. Visit the News section for regular updates or join our Telegram channel to receive instant alerts.

The post Qualcomm denies Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 overheating allegations on Galaxy S27 Ultra, but there’s a catch appeared first on Gizmochina.

Honor has announced its global rollout plans for MagicOS 11. The Android 17-based software is already available to some users via the Open Beta program, which is now confirmed to expand to more devices until November. The stable rollout will be carried out beginning this month, with a target rollout completion by March 2027.

Honor MagicOS 11 Open Beta rollout timeline

September to November 2026

• Honor Magic7
• Honor Magic V5
• Honor 600
• Honor 600 Pro
• Honor 200 Pro
• Honor 400 Pro
• Honor 400
• Honor Magic7 Lite
• Honor 600 Lite
• Honor X9d
• Honor X8d
• Honor X7d
• Honor X5c / X5c Plus
• Honor X5d / X5d Plus
• Honor X7c
• Honor 200 Smart
• Honor X7C 5G / X6b 5G
• Honor Magic Pad4
• Honor Magic Pad3

Honor MagicOS 11 stable rollout timeline

October 2026 to March 2027

Honor Magic series

• Honor Magic V6
• Honor Magic V5
• Honor Magic V2 RSR
• Honor Magic V2
• Honor Magic V3
• Honor Magic Pad4
• Honor Magic Pad3
• Honor Magic8 Pro
• Honor Magic8 Lite
• Honor Magic7 Pro
• Honor Magic7 RSR
• Honor Magic7
• Honor Magic7 Lite
• Honor Magic6 RSR
• Honor Magic6 Pro
• Honor Magic5 Pro
• Honor Magic5

Honor number series

• Honor 600 Pro
• Honor 600 Lite
• Honor 600 Lite s
• Honor 600
• Honor 600S
• Honor 600e
• Honor 600 Elite
• Honor 600 Smart
• Honor 600 Smart 5G
• Honor 200
• Honor 200 Pro
• Honor 200 Smart
• Honor 400 Pro
• Honor 400 Lite
• Honor 400

Honor Pad series

• Honor Pad 20 Pro
• Honor Pad 20 Pro Paperlike Edition
• Honor Pad 20
• Honor Pad 20 Paperlike Edition

Honor X series

• Honor X9d
• Honor X9c
• Honor X9e Pro
• Honor X9e s
• Honor X7e Plus 5G
• Honor X8d
• Honor X8c
• Honor X8c 5G
• Honor X7d
• Honor X7c
• Honor X7c 5G
• Honor X6b 5G
• Honor X5d
• Honor X5d Plus
• Honor X5c
• Honor X5c Plus

Other Honor devices

• Honor Turbo
• Honor Play9S
• Honor Play9T
• Honor Play10A

Unfortunately, the timeline doesn’t provide exact rollout dates. Even guessing the MagicOS 11’s rollout month for an Honor device is quite difficult unless you have a recent flagship phone such as the Magic V6, which should receive the update this month.

Based on previous rollouts, we expect to see a few more Honor Magic phones getting the update in October, while the remaining phones should get it next month. Soon, the Honor 600 Pro and other number series models will start to receive the update alongside Honor tablets, while the Honor X series models are likely to join the party towards the end of the year, or early 2027.

You can read about the changes in MagicOS 11 in our China’s launch coverage on this page.

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The post Honor MagicOS 11 global rollout schedule is now official appeared first on Gizmochina.

Sony is into news regarding its Android 17 rollout, but not for good reasons. The company has completely cancelled an Android 17 upgrade for one of its Xperia phones, despite a commitment at the launch. This happens rarely in the smartphone industry.

The unlucky device is the Sony Xperia 10 VI, which was originally promised “three Android OS upgrades.” It’s a mid-range phone launched in 2024 with Android 14, and was supposed to receive Android 17 as the phone’s last major upgrade, but the company has released an apology notice instead of a software update.

Sony says the Xperia 10 VI “does not support an Android 17 upgrade experience that we consider adequate” because of some “limitations related to the device’s storage configuration.” The reason isn’t entirely clear, but the company says other Xperia devices due to receive Android 17 are not affected and security updates will continue on as promised.

Here’s the official statement:

“We announced at launch that the Xperia 10 VI would receive three Android OS upgrades. However, after a detailed technical assessment, we determined that due to limitations related to the device’s storage configuration, the Xperia 10 VI does not support an Android 17 upgrade experience that we consider adequate. Accordingly, we have decided not to make this upgrade available. We recognise that this falls short of our original announcement, and we wish to apologise for this change.

On the other hand, our security update commitment remains unchanged. Sony will continue to provide security updates for four years from the product’s launch date, as previously communicated.

This issue is specific to Xperia 10 VI’s technical specifications and will not impact other Xperia models.”

The Xperia 10 VI was one of the six Sony smartphones that were previously guaranteed to get Android 17. The list has now shrunk to five devices, and all of them have started receiving the update.

We often see smartphone brands delaying update rollouts but cancelling a promised Android OS upgrade for a device is very rare.

We’ll keep you updated with new details in our News section. You can also join our Telegram channel to receive instant alerts.

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ByteDance, the company behind TikTok and Seedance, is close to an agreement with MediaTek to secure custom AI chips for its data centers operations, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. This agreement would help TikTok’s owner secure advanced AI chips, while MediaTek would see it as a major push towards expanding beyond mobile processors.

The chips would support ByteDance’s operations as the company expands its AI infrastructure. The Taiwanese firm will reportedly provide Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) or chips customized to work with a client’s platform, although the volume of the discussion has not been disclosed.

The agreement has yet to be finalized. If it goes through, which seems likely to be happening, ByteDance may become MediaTek’s second major customer for such ASICs after Google.

ByteDance, like any other big tech giant right now, is putting a lot of money into hardware spending as it bets AI as its next big growth engine. However, it’s barred from the most cutting-edge AI chips from Nvidia, and so are all other Chinese tech giants, including Alibaba and Tencent.

TikTok’s owner is thus exploring alternatives to keep up with the rising compute demand, including partnerships with chip designers, which is allowed under current US export restrictions, but for as long as the AI computing power of the company doesn’t exceed a certain threshold. The Chinese firm struck a similar deal with Qualcomm earlier this year to procure millions of AI chips, per Bloomberg.

ByteDance is betting big on AI and is therefore considering boosting its spending up to $70 billion on data centers and AI infrastructure, which is more than double last year’s total. The spending may reach $100 billion in 2027. The company had secured a $30 billion loan in September to fund its AI growth.

This deal would also mean a huge win for the Taiwanese chip giant and a big push to its efforts to diversify away from mobile processors and compete with Qualcomm and Broadcom in data centers. The company expects its AI chip sales to reach about $2 billion this year, and is targeting 15% of the $80 billion market next year.

ByteDance and MediaTek have yet to officially confirm anything on this matter. With talks nearing the final stages, we expect an official confirmation soon, if everything remains favourable.

We’ll keep you updated with new details in our News section. You can also join our Telegram channel to receive instant alerts.

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After a delayed start to the Android 17 rollout, Samsung has done a pretty good job expanding it to other Galaxy devices at a faster pace. The update is now available for the oldest eligible Galaxy flagships, along with a couple of mid-range and cheaper Galaxy phones.

Currently, these Galaxy devices are getting the Android 17 update:

Galaxy S series

• Galaxy S26, S26+, S26 Ultra, S26 FE
• Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, S25 FE, S25 Edge
• Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra, S24 FE
• Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra

Galaxy Z series

• Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7
• Galaxy Z TriFold
• Galaxy Z Fold 6, Z Flip 6
• Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5

Galaxy A series

• Galaxy A57, A56, A55
• Galaxy A37, A36, A35
• Galaxy A27, A26
• Galaxy A17 5G, A16 5G, A16
• Galaxy A07

Galaxy M series

• Galaxy M47
• Galaxy M36
• Galaxy M16

We’ll update the list as Samsung rolls out the update to more Galaxy devices.

The rollout already covers all eligible high-end smartphones, and so the focus is now shifting towards bringing the update to mid-range and budget devices. Interestingly, Samsung hasn’t yet begun the rollout to any Galaxy tablets, which usually doesn’t take that long. Hopefully, users won’t have to wait much longer.

Remember that the rollout happens in batches, and so the update may take some time to reach all the users. If you haven’t received it but the model is on the above list, you should be enjoying the new software soon. To check for updates manually, go to Settings > Software updates and tap Download and install.

If you’re unsure whether your Samsung Galaxy device is eligible for Android 17, check the list of eligible devices on this page. And keep visiting the News section for fresh information. For real-time updates, you can join our Telegram channel.

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The upcoming Oppo Find X10 series will be the first phones to run ColorOS 17 globally. The global launch is scheduled for October 21, and a week later, Oppo will begin rolling out the newest ColorOS skin to its eligible devices. Because of a recent restructuring, OnePlus and Realme devices will also receive the ColorOS 17 update instead of OxygenOS 17 and Realme UI 8.

The global rollout begins October 29 with the Oppo Find X9 series and Oppo Find N6 phones. OnePlus and Realme will also begin the rollout the same day starting with their latest flagships, such as the OnePlus 15 and Realme GT 8 Pro.

We now have the complete ColorOS 17 rollout schedules from Oppo, OnePlus, and Realme. Check them out below to find out when your device is getting the Android 17 update.

Oppo ColorOS 17 rollout schedule

OnePlus ColorOS 17 rollout schedule

Realme ColorOS 17 rollout schedule

It’s worth noting that the update usually rolls out in batches, and so it may not land on the exact rollout date. The delay can occur because of a variety of reasons, such as critical bug and instability. Just be patient and wait for your turn. You can manually check for updates from the software update section inside the Settings app.

ColorOS 17 is a pretty significant upgrade, and the update package weighs a couple of gigabytes in size. So, it’s best to keep at least 10GB of free space on your device. Also, ensure that your device has no pending updates to receive updates timely.

We’ll keep you updated with the ColorOS 17 rollout in our News section. You can also join our Telegram channel to receive instant alerts.

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On Thursday, a Delaware federal jury ruled that Arm breached its licensing agreement with Qualcomm and unlawfully interfered with Qualcomm’s business relationship with Meta Platforms. However, the jury awarded Qualcomm just $2 in damages ($1 for each of the two proven claims).

The jury found that Arm breached its Architectural License Agreement (ALA) by withholding critical software patches and chip-testing tools required to verify Qualcomm’s custom Oryon CPU cores.

Qualcomm claimed that it had been on the cusp of a deal with Meta in 2024 when Arm allegedly leaked to Bloomberg News that Qualcomm had breached a licensing agreement, delaying the agreement with Meta. The jury concluded this in Qualcomm’s favor after a five-day trial.

Arm’s shares fell about 1% following the decision, while shares of Qualcomm rose by 2%.

“We are gratified that the jury found Arm breached its long-standing Architectural License Agreement (ALA) with Qualcomm, failed to honor its commitments, and intentionally acted to disrupt Qualcomm’s businesses,” said Qualcomm in a statement.

Qualcomm added that “Together with Qualcomm’s prior court victory, this outcome further exposes Arm’s broader intentions to harm Qualcomm and its ecosystem.” The company said it remains “focused on developing and delivering industry-leading semiconductor products including our Oryon CPUs to customers and consumers worldwide.”

Arm is also pleased with the jury’s decision. The company is happy about the fact that the jury ruled in its favor on four claims, while awarding Qualcomm just $2 in total damages. That, according to Arm, confirms the merit of the company’s arguments in the case.

“Despite Qualcomm’s pursuit of this case in an attempt to deprive Arm of billions of dollars under our license agreements, the jury’s verdict confirms that Arm operated in good faith under its technology license agreement and its award of only two dollars confirms the merit of Arm’s arguments in the case. ” said Arm in a statement.

The relationship between these two semiconductor giants has deteriorated since SoftBank acquired control of Arm in 2016 and Arm expanded into developing its own chips.

Though the immediate financial payout is negligible in this case, this jury verdict gives Qualcomm a great leverage heading into the next phase of litigation overseen by US District Judge Maryellen Noreika.

Qualcomm is pursuing a contract provision arguing that because Arm breached the agreement, Qualcomm should be legally permitted to stop paying to Arm for five years, which could be worth billions of dollars. Arm has argued that the five-year royalty penalty is unenforceable.

Stay tuned for more updates. You can check our News section for latest stories or join our Telegram channel to get instant alerts.

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Nothing OS 5.0 is a pretty significant upgrade for Nothing smartphones in recent years. Besides Android 17’s core features, this major upgrade packs a bunch of really useful features, new widgets, and a redesigned Control Center. It brings a more capable AI experience that also allows users to build custom apps and a dedicated Glyph app for easier customization.

The brand has already announced which devices will be upgraded to Nothing OS 5.0, and when. However, that’s a vague timeline without exact rollout dates. So, we’ve created a dedicated section on this page that tracks the rollout progress. If you have yet to receive the update on your Nothing phone, this tracker is only what you need.

Nothing OS 5.0 eligible devices and rollout schedule

Three phones are not eligible for the update: Nothing Phone (1), Nothing Phone (2), and CMF Phone 1. They have already received the number of OS upgrades promised by the brand, and so won’t receive Android 17 and future upgrades.

As planned, the Nothing Phone (3) received the Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta in August, followed by other eligible devices. As of writing this post, most devices have received the open beta builds.

The brand has also started rolling out the stable update, with the Nothing Phone (3) being the first recipient. It should gradually expand to the rest of the eligible devices as per the schedule. Review the progress tracker below to learn more about the rollout.

Nothing OS 5.0 update progress tracker

[Note: This section is being regularly updated with the latest information.]

[update as on Oct 12, 2026] The first stable release is here, and it’s rolling out to Nothing Phone (3) users.

[update as on Sep 22, 2026] Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta is now expanding Phone (4a), Phone (3a), and Phone (3a) Pro.

[update as on Sep 11, 2026] The open beta is now available for Nothing Phone (4a) Pro.

[update as on Aug 26, 2026] Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta goes live for the high-end Nothing Phone (3).

[update as on Aug 25, 2026] Nothing announces which devices will receive the Nothing OS 5.0 update, along with a rollout timeline for Open Beta and general release.

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The surge in AI demand is only pushing the CPU prices through the roof, as another price hike has been implemented. Major chips brands including Intel and Qualcomm have raised prices across multiple CPU families, and AMD will reportedly follow soon with a 10% price hike.

Intel, Qualcomm CPU prices touch new heights

Intel was expected to raise its CPU prices by up to 10% in October, but the latest report from Commercial Times suggests the latest price hike has already taken place in September. Citing supply chain sources, the report claims Intel has raised prices for multiple CPU lineups, with the high-end Panther Lake CPUs getting affected the most.

Panther Lake processors have reportedly become a lot costlier with a price hike of 15-20%. Not all of them may be affected, as the report suggests only those with a high-end iGPU have been hit with a price hike.

Alder Lake and Twin Lake CPUs have also been affected with a 10-20% price hike, while the entry-level low-power chips like Twin Lake and Alder Lake have been slapped with a 5-10% price hike.

It’s not just Intel with another price hike. Qualcomm has also reportedly raised prices of its PC processor platforms including Snapdragon X and X2 Elite by approximately 10%. The price hike has been implemented starting October 1st.

AMD CPUs are also getting a price hike very soon

AMD is also reportedly preparing for a price hike across some Ryzen and EPYC CPU families. The report suggests they could get costlier by approximately 10%.

We don’t know exactly when the new pricing for AMD CPUs will come into effect. However, given that Intel and Qualcomm have already done it and that the demand is still soaring, the announcement could be made anytime soon.

At the center of the price hike is TSMC, which handles the manufacturing for Intel, Qualcomm, and AMD. The Taiwanese giant is reportedly increasing its manufacturing prices further in 2027. According to Central News Agency, industry analysts forecast a price hike of 5-10% for advanced nodes, 10-15% for advanced packaging, and 3-5% for mature nodes. Plus, the rising cost of high-performance memory and storage adds more fuel to the fire.

Stay tuned with us for more updates. Remember to visit the News section regularly or join our Telegram channel to receive instant alerts.

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Xiaomi has published a post on the community website confirming that the stable rollout begins next week in China. It says the internal testing recruitment will end on October 14th, and the very next day, stable builds will start rolling out in batches.

Starting October 15, the first phase of HyperOS 4 rollout will hit devices in China, targeting flagship lineups like the Xiaomi 17, Redmi K90, and Xiaomi Pad 8 series.

First phase of HyperOS 4 rollout includes these devices:

• Xiaomi 17 Ultra
• Xiaomi 17 Ultra Satellite Edition
• Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
• Xiaomi 17 Pro
• Xiaomi 17
• Xiaomi Mix Flip 2
• Redmi K90 Pro Max
• Redmi K90 Pro
• Redmi K90 Pro Lamborghini Edition
• Redmi K90
• Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro
• Xiaomi Pad 8

According to the official timeline published recently, these devices should receive the HyperOS 4 update before month’s end, as the second batch rollout is scheduled to begin later this month.

Xiaomi has already published the complete rollout schedule for China. For global users, the company is running the beta program for several devices. However, there’s no official announcement on when the stable rollout will take place.

Given Xiaomi’s typical launch cadence, a global schedule should drop soon. The actual rollout is likely to begin in late October.

We’ll keep you posted as new details emerge. Check back in our News section or join our Telegram channel for real-time updates.

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ColorOS 17 is set for a global launch next week. Ahead of that, Oppo has announced the ColorOS 17 Open Beta programme for some of its devices. Since the same software will also be rolled out to OnePlus and Realme devices, the beta programme also includes devices from these two brands.

Oppo launches ColorOS 17 Open Beta for eight phones

Oppo has launched the ColorOS 17 Open Beta program for eight of its high-end smartphones from the Find X9 series, Find X8 series, and the Reno 15 series.

• Oppo Find X9 Ultra
• Oppo Find X9 Pro
• Oppo Find X9
• Oppo Find X9s
• Oppo Find X8 Pro
• Oppo Find X8
• Oppo Reno 15 Pro
• Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini

ColorOS 17 Open Beta for the aforementioned devices is available in India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, except for Oppo Reno 15 Pro and Reno 15 Pro Mini, which are getting the beta in India and Malaysia.

Open beta builds are generally close to stable builds, and usually do not have critical issues. However, you may still encounter some issues.

If you’re willing to test ColorOS 17 Open Beta, go to Settings > About device > Tap the top of the page > Click the top right button > Beta Program. Then fill in the required details and tap Apply Now. Make sure your device is updated to the latest available software version.

Once your application gets approved, you will be able to upgrade to ColorOS 17 beta via an OTA update. Keep in mind that the applications are open until October 12, and while Oppo hasn’t mentioned if there are limited seats, it’s best to be early.

OnePlus launches ColorOS 17 Open Beta for five phones

OnePlus has also announced the ColorOS 17 Open Beta launch for select high-end phones through a series of posts on the community forum. For now, only Indian users can apply for the Open Beta program and get early access.

• OnePlus 15
• OnePlus 15R
• OnePlus 13
• OnePlus 13R
• OnePlus 13s

OnePlus warns that some of the features may not be fully available or functional in this beta version and will be introduced in subsequent updates. You may also encounter some issues.

Before applying for the ColorOS 17 Open Beta program, ensure that you’ve already updated the device to the latest available build. Then, go to Settings > About device > tap the three dots icon in the top-right corner > Beta program. Follow on-screen instructions to submit your application.

The applications are already live and will be available until October 12. Once your application gets approved, go to Settings > About device and tap Download now to get the update.

Realme launches ColorOS 17 Open Beta for four phones

Realme users can now participate in the ColorOS 17 Open Beta program and get an early taste of the latest software. The applications are live for the last two generations of the GT flagship series, which includes:

• Realme GT 8 Pro / GT 8 Pro Dream Edition
• Realme GT 7 Pro
• Realme GT 7T
• Realme GT 7 / GT 7 Dream Edition

Currently, only Indian users can sign up for the Open Beta and get early access. The applications will be live until October 12.

Before you sign up, ensure that your phone has no pending updates. Then, go to Settings > About Device > tap Up to date > tap icon at top right corner > select Beta Program and follow on-screen instructions to submit your application.

Once approved, you’ll receive ColorOS 17 beta via an OTA update. You can go to Settings > About Device and tap Download now to get the update.

If your Oppo, OnePlus, or Realme phone isn’t getting ColorOS 17 Open Beta, the wait will be a little longer before you get to experience the latest features. The ColorOS 17 global launch is scheduled for October 13. That’s when we should know more about the rollout timeline.

We’ll keep bringing you the latest updates in our News section. Also, Join our Telegram channel to receive instant alerts.

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Samsung has posted strong smartphone sales numbers in the last few quarters, even beating Apple in the Q2 2026 to regain the top position, per data from Counterpoint research. That should mean strong profits, right? Well, not in this case, as it turns out the South Korean giant is reportedly making no profits from its smartphone business.

Even worse is that the current scenario is reportedly forcing Samsung to cut smartphone production by as much as 30%, and what’s to blame here: soaring prices of RAM and storage. The entire smartphone industry is feeling the pain because of the increasingly rising cost of components, and finding it difficult to maintain profitability.

According to a Money Today report, citing industry sources, the South Korean giant has asked its suppliers to reduce smartphone production by as much as 20–30% in Q4 of this year. According to the latest estimates, Samsung has had to pay around $145 per 12GB LPDDR5X RAM chip this year, which is nearly a 175% increase for that specific component compared to a year ago.

Prior to the cut in production, Samsung was planning to manufacture around 270 million smartphones this year, but now that figure could drop to somewhere around 200 million.

Samsung launched the Galaxy S26 series and Galaxy Z8 foldables with a higher price tag. Even after that, it increased the price of its latest flagships by up to $100. Older flagships and mid-range phones didn’t remain protected either. They have also faced sharp price rises in the recent past. Despite such price hikes, Samsung’s mobile division is struggling to make any profit.

Unfortunately, the struggle won’t end pretty soon, as DRAM prices for the third quarter are expected to rise another 20 percent and reach $180. This sharp rise in the component cost may be actually hurting the brand more to make more devices.

Samsung’s memory chip business is making record profits

Samsung’s mobile division reported the first-ever quarterly loss in its history in Q2 2026. The Device eXperience (DX) division reported a loss of around $544 million, with the mobile division alone accounting for about $476 million of that. Current market conditions suggest the mobile division will report even bigger losses in Q3 and Q4.

On the bright side, Samsung is generating record profits from its memory chip business. The DS Division, which is responsible for memory chips and semiconductors, delivered its biggest quarterly operating profit of KRW 53.7 trillion in Q1 2026.

In Q2 2026, the operating profit from the DS division rose sharply to a staggering KRW 89.2 trillion, surpassing NVIDIA to become the most profitable technology company in that quarter. For the third quarter, Samsung’s DS division is estimated to have exceeded an operating profit of over KRW 100 trillion.

We will keep you updated as new details emerge through our News section. Check back regularly for updates, or subscribe to our Telegram channel to get real-time alerts.

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There was very little HyperOS activity last week as the core team in China was on leave to celebrate the annual National Day holiday, commonly known as Golden Week. Although time off was limited to the domestic team, it temporarily stalled the global rollout pipeline as well. Now that Xiaomi has resumed HyperOS update activity, dozens of new HyperOS builds have started to appear online.

The team at Ximitime have spotted 32 new HyperOS builds rolling out to Xiaomi devices, with 26 of them targeting the September 2026 security patch, while the remaining six builds carry an older August security patch.

These new builds are based on HyperOS 3, which is rolling out to a range of devices, including the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, POCO F6 Pro, Xiaomi 12T Pro, Redmi K60 Ultra, and more.

New HyperOS builds with the September 2026 security patch:

• Redmi K50 Ultra / Xiaomi 12T Pro (EEA) — OS3.0.6.0.VLFEUXM
• Redmi K50 Ultra / Xiaomi 12T Pro (Global) — OS3.0.7.0.VLFMIXM
• Redmi Note 14 Pro 4G (Russia) — OS3.0.303.0.WOFRUXM
• Redmi Note 14 Pro 4G (Turkey) — OS3.0.303.0.WOFTRXM
• Redmi Note 14 Pro 4G (Global) — OS3.0.305.0.WOFMIXM
• POCO M7 4G / REDMI 15 4G — OS3.0.303.0.WBORUXM
• REDMI Note 15 Pro 4G — OS3.0.304.0.WPFMIXM
• POCO C65 / REDMI 13C — OS2.0.212.0.VGPEUXM
• Redmi Pad Pro 5G — OS3.0.303.0.WFSEUXM
• POCO C81 / REDMI A7 Pro — OS3.0.13.0.WBVMIXM
• POCO Pad / Redmi Pad Pro — OS3.0.304.0.WNSTRXM
• POCO F7 Ultra / REDMI K80 Pro — OS3.0.305.0.WOMCNXM
• Redmi Note 12 NFC 4G — OS2.0.215.0.VMGEUXM
• POCO F6 Pro / Redmi K70 — OS3.0.303.0.WNKEUXM
• POCO F7 Pro / REDMI K80 — OS3.0.303.0.WOKIDXM
• POCO F7 Pro / REDMI K80 — OS3.0.303.0.WOKRUXM
• POCO F7 Pro / REDMI K80 — OS3.0.303.0.WOKTWXM
• POCO F7 Pro / REDMI K80 — OS3.0.303.0.WOKEUXM
• POCO C85 4G / REDMI 15C 4G — OS3.0.302.0.WBNIDXM
• Redmi K60 Ultra / Xiaomi 13T Pro — OS3.0.302.0.WMLMIXM
• Redmi Pad SE 8.7 Wi-Fi — OS3.0.303.0.WHXEUXM
• POCO X7 / Redmi Note 14 Pro — OS3.0.303.0.WOOEUXM
• POCO M8 5G / REDMI Note 15 5G — OS3.0.304.0.WPQMIXM
• Redmi Pad SE 8.7 Wi-Fi — OS3.0.303.0.WHXMIXM
• Redmi K60 Ultra / Xiaomi 13T Pro — OS3.0.305.0.WMLCNXM
• Redmi Note 14 4G — OS3.0.305.0.WOGMIXM

Several devices are getting the older August 2026 security patch, including the POCO X7, Redmi 14R 5G, Xiaomi 13 Ultra, and more. Here’s a list of such devices along with the new build version:

• POCO X7 / Redmi Note 14 Pro — OS3.0.308.0.WOOCNXM
• POCO M7 5G / Redmi 14R 5G — OS3.0.303.0.WGUCNXM
• POCO C95 Pro / REDMI 17 4G — OS3.0.303.0.WDTTWXM
• POCO C95 Pro / REDMI 17 4G — OS3.0.305.0.WDTRUXM
• Xiaomi 14 Ultra — OS3.0.308.0.WNACNXM
• Xiaomi 13 Ultra — OS3.0.308.0.WMACNXM

Unfortunately, we don’t have a changelog for any of these devices, but users shouldn’t expect much beyond standard security patches, minor bug fixes, and general stability improvements.

While it’s a small security update, it addresses dozens of security vulnerabilities that could otherwise be harmful for your data saved on the device. Check manually for the latest updates by going to Settings > About phone and tap the HyperOS logo if you haven’t received an update notification yet.

On the more brighter side, Xiaomi has already begun rolling out a major HyperOS 4 update, based on Android 17. The software introduces plenty of visual upgrades, new features, and a more powerful AI experience. The stable rollout is currently limited to China, but expect to see it expanding to global markets pretty soon.

We’ll continue tracking all upcoming HyperOS builds right here in our News section. Be sure to check back regularly, or join our Telegram channel for instant alerts.

The post 32 new HyperOS builds rolls out to Xiaomi devices after a week of pause appeared first on Gizmochina.

While Samsung may have initially struggled to push One UI 9.0, the rollout is now in full swing. Over a dozen Galaxy devices are now running the latest software, but still, there are many yet to be upgraded. However, the brand has already started testing One UI 9.5 extensively.

Samsung has been doing the One UI 9.5 internal testing for quite a while now, but that was mostly restricted to top-tier flagships, including the Galaxy S26 series and Galaxy Z8 series. But it has recently been spotted for the mid-range Galaxy A57 with the firmware version A576BXXU6CZJ1.

An even cheaper Galaxy A17 5G has just showed up on the company’s servers running One UI 9.5, identified by the firmware version A176BOXM8EZJ1.

Obviously, these are internal builds, which are not available for public testing. It also doesn’t mean that the update will be rolled out to these devices anytime soon, but it shows that Samsung is laying the groundwork well in advance.

What’s unusual though is that the brand usually starts testing the upcoming software on high-end devices before trickling down to mid-range and cheaper models. But the latter models have already gotten into the mix.

The Galaxy S26 series was the first to enter the One UI 9.5 internal testing a few months ago, then the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 followed last month, and now more affordable phones, such as the Galaxy A57 and Galaxy A17 5G, have started to show up with early builds. Expect more to follow in the coming week as we gear up for the stable release around February 2026 with the Galaxy S27 series.

We’ll keep you posted on the latest One UI developments right here in our News section. Be sure to check back regularly or join our Telegram channel for real-time updates!

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Motorola’s Android 17 rollout has started to look more promising. The company has brought the update to four devices in the US in just a couple of days, including the Razr Ultra (2026).

The Android 17 update for the Razr Ultra (2026) arrives over-the-air with a hefty download size of 4.17GB, so make sure you’re connected to a high-speed Wi-Fi before hitting download. Once updated, your device will run the firmware version A171WLH.38–19–5. The security patch level is stuck at September 2026.

The original Motorola Signature is also among the initial recipients of the Android 17 in the US. The device is receiving the update in India, too.

Some mid-range phones got lucky, too

Some mid-range phones, including the Edge 60 Pro and Edge 60 Fusion, have got lucky to receive the update alongside premium models. In fact, they started picking up the update a few days earlier.

The update is rolling out in batches, and so, it may take a while to reach all the users. If you own any of these Motorola phones, you’ll soon be enjoying Android 17. To check for updates manually, go to Settings and tap System update.

The changelog for all the aforementioned devices are unfortunately very thin, as you saw in the screenshot above. However, there’s an official page that breaks down all the changes to Motorola’s Android 17 update. We’ve covered them in detail on this page.

Motorola looks more promising with the Android 17 rollout, but still, there’s no rollout schedule published yet. So, there’s hardly a way to predict when the update will reach your phone. There’s an official eligible devices list though you can have a look in case you aren’t sure about your device.

We’ll keep updating you when Motorola pushes the update to more devices. You can check the News section from time to time to get regular updates. Or, simply join our Telegram channel for instant alerts.

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The OriginOS 7 skin, based on Android 17, has finally gone official in India, detailing which Vivo phones will receive the update and when. Unlike custom interfaces from other Android brands, this one brings substantial upgrades across key areas and essential AI features. So, if you own a Vivo phone, you should really care about this upgrade.

Vivo has confirmed that it will start rolling out OriginOS 7 in India towards the end of October. And like most of the time, newer premium models will get priority access, which includes the Vivo X300 series and Vivo X Fold 5. The Vivo X200 series will follow in November, while V-series handsets are slated to receive the update in mid-December. The rollout will subsequently expand to other lineups, such as the Vivo T and Y series.

Take a look at the complete rollout timeline below to find out when it’s your turn.

Vivo OriginOS 7 update rollout timeline

Vivo hasn’t provided exact rollout dates, so you’ll want to watch for the update to arrive on your device. You should receive an update notification on your phone once it’s available. However, it’s best to check for updates manually from time to time to ensure you’re not missing out if notification arrives with some delay, which usually is the case.

OriginOS 7 is a fairly substantial upgrade clocking in at several gigabytes, depending on the model. So, it’s best that you keep at least 10GB of free storage space for a smoother upgrade. Also, ensure that there are no older pending updates left for installation.

We will provide further updates as the OriginOS 7 rollout commences in India. In the meantime, visit our News section or, join our Telegram channel for instant alerts on new stories.

The post Here’s when your Vivo phone gets Android 17 update with OriginOS 7 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Vivo has announced its latest custom skin, OriginOS 7, in India. The Android 17-based software brings upgrades across the user interface, animations, productivity, connectivity, and security. Alongside that, the company has revealed the OriginOS 7 rollout plan in India, which kicks off later this month.

OriginOS 7 eligible devices and rollout timeline

Vivo will begin rolling out OriginOS 7 in India towards the end of October, starting with high-end flagships like the Vivo X Fold 5 and Vivo X300 series.

More Vivo X series phones will receive the update in November, while the V series phones will join the party in mid December. Vivo is aiming to conclude the rollout by February 2026.

End of October 2026

• Vivo X Fold 5
• Vivo X300 Ultra
• Vivo X300 Pro
• Vivo X300
• Vivo X300 FE

Mid November 2026

• Vivo X200 Pro
• Vivo X200
• Vivo X200 FE
• Vivo X200T

Mid December 2026

• Vivo X Fold 3 Pro
• Vivo X100 Pro
• Vivo X100
• Vivo V70 Elite
• Vivo V70
• Vivo V70 FE
• Vivo V60
• Vivo V60e

End of December 2026

• Vivo V50
• Vivo V50e

End of January 2027

• Vivo V40 Pro
• Vivo V40
• Vivo S2
• Vivo S2 FE
• Vivo T5 Pro 5G
• Vivo T5 5G
• Vivo T5x 5G
• Vivo T4 Ultra
• Vivo T4 Pro
• Vivo T4 5G
• Vivo T4R 5G
• Vivo T3 Ultra
• Vivo Y51 Pro 5G

End of February 2027

• Vivo V40e
• Vivo V30 Pro
• Vivo V30
• Vivo V30e
• Vivo Y400 Pro 5G
• Vivo Y400 5G
• Vivo Y31 Pro 5G
• Vivo T4x 5G

Surprisingly, there are no iQOO models on the list. Vivo usually includes them alongside Vivo devices in the timeline, but not this time. So, we can expect a separate timeline for iQOO devices pretty soon.

This rollout timeline is applicable to the Indian market, but other markets are likely to receive the update around the same time.

OriginOS 7: All the new features and major upgrades

Design and personalisation

OriginOS 7 introduces Fluid Motion to make interface interactions feel elastic, tactile, and natural. The UI elements stretch, deform, and spring back with gestures across more than 200 scenarios, while Spring Animation dictates how the interface reacts dynamically to physical touch gestures. The update also brings Seamless Interaction that improves transitions between horizontal scrolling and vertical scrolling.

In terms of personalisation, OriginOS 7 adds Dynamic Glow that responds to interactions with lighting effects, promising to deliver an interface that feels alive. Dynamic Translucent Material adapts to the background in three styles: Realistic, Natural, and Soft. Immersive Home makes changes to icons and widgets between daytime and nighttime.

Vivo has added several new features to make the lock screen more fun and engaging. The Wiggle Theme feature enables wallpapers to wobble, spring, or ripple when the phone is shaken, and the AOD screen now displays information such as deliveries and flights.

Pat Pals Theme adds interactive companions, and Glint Theme changes iridescence, glitter, patterns, and light effects according to the viewing angle. OriginOS 7 also adds system-level stickers across supported experiences.

Essential AI upgrades

OriginOS 7 brings a powerful AI assistant, Jovi, for compatible Vivo phones and PCs. It can help you find information, read files, and distill key points. You can give commands on your phone to perform a task on your PC. It can also gather relevant news, compile reports on schedule, and save them to Notes.

Jovi has skills for document handling, content creation, and office assistance, which you can enable or disable anytime. You can also add custom skills and use the API of your preferred provider such as OpenAI or Anthropic.

Here’s a list of other AI upgrades to OriginOS 7:

• AI Recorder: Separates each speaker,  generates highlights, provides AI insights, and multi-template summaries.
• Snap Note: Converts photos of whiteboard, paper notes, slides, and mind maps into editable notes. It can also help you arrange multiple captured pages in the correct sequence.
• Smart Call Assistant: It includes AI Call Answering that can answer calls and convert conversations into text, while Call Overview provides an AI-generated summary in the call log.
• AI Reader Mode: Makes text auto-fit your screen with more comfortable sizing and page transitions.
• AI Search: Searches across File Manager and Origin Notes using natural text description instead of exact file names.
• Snap & Go: Screenshot a flight, train, or bus details to add them to Google Calendar through Origin Island.

Performance, multitasking, and battery

OriginOS 7 adds a Snap-Up Engine that detects ticket-grabbing scenarios and tunes network and performance resources, so critical actions like tapping and paying run smoother to help you grab the ticket faster.

Vivo has adopted a new memory allocation and reclamation strategy, targeted optimisation for high-frequency scenarios in daily use, system-wide aging management, and reduced fragmentation. The company has validated sustained smoothness through a 72-month anti-aging test.

Key performance upgrades include:

• 10% shorter app cold start time
• 11% faster app page switching
• 60% faster memory reclamation
• 14.4% improved rendering efficiency

Origin Workbench enables seamless multi-tasking, allowing you to open multiple windows at once, with the ability to switch between tasks in a tap. The feature will be available on specific models with 12GB RAM or more, while compatibility depends on the app.

OriginOs 7 adds Battery Life Estimate that shows remaining usage time and estimated charging time. BlueVolt Smart Engine reduces power consumption by up to 25% during high-resolution Microsoft Teams video calls, while AI-based usage learning can extend battery life by up to 4% in the same scenarios.

When the device is standby and connected to a network, the device automatically switches to a more power-efficient mode to offer up to 26% longer connected standby. For gamers, Heterogeneous Computing reduces the graphics rendering power consumption by up to 20%.

Cross-ecosystem connectivity

OriginOS 7 integrates deeper support for select Apple products. For instance, select Apple Watch can display notifications and messages, with fitness and health data available through Origin Health. AirPods can now use Vivo’s Spatial Audio, while battery and connection status now appear on Origin Island. iCloud for web can now be accessed through Vivo File Manager.

Shake & Share supports one-to-many and cross-brand transfers of high-resolution, lossless photos without mobile data. And the Office Kit now supports Camera Sharing, Task Handoff, notes, file transfer, and cross-system file access.

The post OriginOS 7 launches in India, check new features, eligible devices, and rollout timeline appeared first on Gizmochina.

Qualcomm and MediaTek have unveiled their most powerful smartphone chipsets, and they actually bring major upgrades. The switch to a 2nm node is itself a big deal, as the last three years have been on 3nm. This should deliver huge gains across the board, and the hardware-level upgrades make them a lot more promising.

What we weren’t ready for was another name change from Qualcomm, as the new chip is called Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 5. Perhaps Qualcomm thought adding “Extreme” would make it sound a lot more premium. MediaTek didn’t go as far as Qualcomm with the name scheme, but it also introduced a Pro moniker, the Dimensity 9600 Pro.

Let’s look at what the latest Qualcomm and MediaTek chips have to offer, and how they stack up against each other.

Here’s the spec sheet to begin with:

Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 Extreme vs Dimensity 9600 Pro: Benchmark numbers

Note: The benchmark tests were carried out using the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max (powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6) and Vivo X500 Pro Max (powered by the Dimensity 9600 Pro).

Geekbench score

In the CPU testing on Geekbench 7, the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 SoC, pulled off 3,163 single-core points, while the Dimensity 9600 Pro-powered Vivo X500 Pro could only reach 2600. That’s a solid 21% gain for the Snapdragon chipset.

The Dimensity chip bounces back in multi-core performance, posting a total score of 10,634. This is about 4% higher than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6’s 10,172 points.

The multi-core difference isn’t huge, but what little advantage exists favors the Dimensity chip. However, the Snapdragon chip delivers a solid advantage in multi-core performance, which should deliver a much bigger impact.

AnTuTu score

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is still ahead of the Dimensity 9600 Pro on AnTuTu, but the lead is just 6%. The Snapdragon chip pulls off nearly 4.6 million AnTuTu scores, while the Dimensity chip has scored about 4.32 million.

The breakdown of the AnTuTu score reveals a rather clearer picture.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 posts a 7% lead in the CPU score, but the GPU test leans more towards the Dimensity 9600 Pro with a 5% higher score. The memory and UX performance, though, strongly backs the Snapdragon chip.

The real upgrades these 2nm flagships have to offer

The CPU deliver massive efficiency gains

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600 Pro are the first 2nm chips from their respective brands, and that’s a massive upgrade. It brings huge power efficiency gains, allowing Qualcomm to push the peak clock speed to 5 GHz for the first time on a mobile chipset.

Qualcomm uses the same 2+6 core configuration, with six performance cores now running at up to 4.0 GHz. The chipmaker claims a massive 37% gain in power efficiency, along with a 13% better CPU performance.

MediaTek continues to use ARM’s latest cores, but it’s making a major shift in the CPU configuration to reach higher peak performance. The latest chip trades one low-performance core with a prime core, now featuring a 2+3+3 setup. The two C2-Ultra prime cores clock at up to 4.55 GHz. The remaining six C2-Pro performance cores are split into two groups, with three of them running at up to 4.35 GHz and the other three at up to 3.1 GHz.

MediaTek touts a 17% faster single-core and a 15% faster multi-core performance, alongside a 37% more efficient single-core and a massive 61% uplift in multi-core power usage.

The GPU gets dedicated neural cores

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 introduces a fundamental shift by moving AI processing directly onto the GPU silicon. Previous generation chips must move the data out of the Adreno GPU and travel through high-speed interconnect to the Hexagon NPU for data processing and return to the graphics pipeline.

The latest Snapdragon flagship has dedicated AI blocks directly inside the GPU slices. So, the AI workloads no longer need to be routed to the NPU. Real-time neural rendering is executed completely on the Adreno 850 GPU, dramatically lowering the visual processing latency. Qualcomm claims a 44% improvement in GPU performance and a 40% increase in GPU power efficiency.

MediaTek’s approach is different. The Dimensity 9600 Pro retains ARM’s standard graphics pipeline and instead upgrades the interconnected bus and cache coherence across the whole SoC. It treats the NPU 1090 as a centralized hub that feeds real-time AI assistance to the GPU, CPU, and ISP simultaneously.

MediaTek says the new flagship SoC delivers 27% higher peak performance and 24% improved power efficiency at peak performance. Plus, it offers 18% faster raytracing performance and natively supports 185+ fps gaming.

Imaging capabilities get a major boost

Both 2nm flagships introduce major generational upgrades to their image signal processors (ISPs). The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 features a new 20-bit ISP that, for the first time, supports triple 64MP cameras with zero shutter simultaneously.

The chip pushes mobile videography to the next level by adding support for 8K/60fps recording and ultra slow-motion 4K/240 fps recording. It adds native hardware acceleration for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec.

MediaTek has also been making consistent upgrades to the imaging capability of Dimensity chips. The latest flagship enables 8K/60fps recording and 4K/240fps slow-motion recording just like the Qualcomm chip. Plus, it boasts a massive 17EV (exposure value) imaging range.

Smartphones like the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max and Vivo X500 Pro Max are already flaunting the 2nm flagships from Qualcomm and MediaTek, but those are currently limited to China. In the coming days, some of them will go global, and the next year should bring dozens of phones powered by these chipsets.

The post Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 vs Dimensity 9600 Pro: Benchmarks, spec sheet, and more appeared first on Gizmochina.

September was a pretty exciting month, but it was mostly geared towards premium phones. We saw Apple’s first foldable phones, the iPhone 18 series, and top-end smartphones from Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo. For October, more than half a dozen phones are already lined up for launch, with more to be announced in the coming days.

October is set to bring some excellent phones across price segments. For mid-range lookers, there will be Vivo V80, Oppo F35, Vivo S2 FE, and more. We’re also expecting to see some premium phones, such as the OnePlus 16, the global launch of the Find X10 series, and the Vivo X Fold 6. Here are our top 5 picks to watch out for in October.

5 Best upcoming smartphones in October 2026

1. Vivo V80

Launch date: October 6, 2026 (confirmed)

The Vivo V80 is confirmed to launch in India in the first week of October. The focus will continue to be on design and camera, similar to its predecessors, while bringing upgraded hardware.

Vivo has revealed that the V80 will have a 6.59-inch 1.5K OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 5000nits peak brightness. It will bring a Zeiss co-engineered triple-camera setup with a 50MP Sony LYTIA 700V main sensor, a 50MP Sony IMX882 telephoto camera, and an ultrawide lens, along with a 50MP selfie camera.

The Vivo V80 will pack a 7200mAh battery with 90W charging support. On the software side, it will boot the latest OriginOS 7 skin, based on Android 17, out of the box.

According to a recent leak, the Vivo V80 could be priced at INR 63,000 for the 8GB + 128GB model, while the top-end 8GB + 512GB variant may cost up to INR 80,000.

2. Oppo Find X10 series

Launch date: Around October 28, 2026 (expected)

Oppo Find X10 flagship series debuted in China in September, and might launch globally in late October with the same set of specs.

The Oppo Find X10 and Find X10 Pro Max offer a powerful rear camera setup developed in collaboration with Hasselblad. Both phones offer a 200MP main sensor and a 200MP periscope telephoto lens, but their ultrawide sensors differ. The Find X10 Pro Max model has a 200MP ultrawide sensor, while the standard Find X10 has a 50MP snapper. Both phones have the same 50MP selfie cameras.

The Find X10 gets the Dimensity 9600M chipset, while the Find X10 Pro Max uses a much more powerful Dimensity 9600 Pro chip. Both handsets offer 144Hz LTPO AMOLED screens, 8000mAh batteries with 80W wired and 50W wired charging support, and robust connectivity features, such as Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.2, and USB Type-C 3.2.

3. Oppo F35 series

Launch date: October 5, 2026 (confirmed)

The Oppo F35 series is set for an India launch next week. The lineup is confirmed to include two models: Oppo F35 and F35 Pro. The standard F35 is said to offer a Dimensity 6360 chipset, while the Pro model will likely get a Dimensity 7360 Max.

Both F35 series phones will feature a dual rear camera setup, led by the same 50MP sensor. It will be joined by an 8MP ultrawide camera on the Pro model, while the standard model will sport a 2MP depth camera. The selfie camera also gets a 50MP resolution on both phones. The phones are expected to carry an 8000mAh battery with 80W fast charging support.

As for pricing, the standard Oppo F35 with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage is expected to cost around INR 37,999, while the Oppo F35 Pro may cost 44-50K for the 8GB + 128GB variant.

4. Vivo X Fold 6

Launch date: October 6, 2026 (expected)

Vivo is expected to introduce the Vivo X Fold 6 in the global markets in the first week of October. The global launch might be carried out on October 1, followed by an India launch on October 6. The foldable phone was launched in China back in June, and is likely to carry the same set of specs to other markets.

In China, the Vivo X Fold 6 comes with an 8.02″ LTPO AMOLED primary display and a 6.51″ LTPO AMOLED cover display. It’s powered by a 3nm Dimensity 9500 Super chipset, paired with up to 16GB RAM and up to 1TB storage. However, the Indian model is tipped to be offered in two configurations: 12GB + 256GB and 12GB + 512GB.

The Vivo foldable phone features a Zeiss co-developed triple-camera setup with a 200MP primary camera, a 50MP periscope telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultrawide camera, along with a single 20MP camera on the main and cover screens. The device houses a 7000mAh battery and supports 80W wired and 40W wireless charging.

5. OnePlus 16

Launch date: October 12, 2026 (China)

The OnePlus 16 is also coming in October, but it will take some time before it launches in the international markets. The phone is positioned around gaming performance while also targeting users looking for a well-rounded premium smartphone experience.

The OnePlus 16 is confirmed to support a 185Hz refresh rate. It will introduce a next-generation Fengchi Gaming Kernel, enabling a broad range of games to run natively at 185fps. The device is said to be powered by a 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, paired with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage.

OnePlus has also revealed that the triple rear camera setup has a 200MP primary camera, a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide camera. The selfie camera will also have a 50MP sensor. Leaks suggest the OnePlus 16 may offer a BOE X4 flat OLED panel and a 9,000mAh battery with 100W wired and 90W wireless charging support.

Remember to visit the News section regularly to get the latest updates. Alternatively, you can join our Telegram channel to get instant alerts as soon as we publish new stories.

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Samsung’s One UI 9 rollout has finally picked up some good pace after a series of unfortunate events. The stable update initially landed on the Galaxy S26 series, but it remained limited to Korea for longer than expected. The update is now available in more regions, and Samsung has also begun rolling out the update to more Galaxy devices – at a better pace.

Quickly after the Galaxy S26 picked up One UI 9 globally, the rollout also went live for the Galaxy S25 series and recent foldable phones. Here’s a list of Galaxy devices that have received the One UI 9 update.

Samsung devices getting the stable One UI 9 update

Galaxy S series

• Galaxy S26, S26+, S26 Ultra
• Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, S25 Edge, S25 FE

Galaxy Z series

• Galaxy Z TriFold
• Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7

The list should grow as more Galaxy devices receive the One UI 9 update in the coming days and weeks. We’ll update it regularly to keep it fresh and up-to-date.

If your Galaxy device is on the list, navigate to Settings > Software updates, then tap Download and install to check for the latest update, if you have not yet received an update notification. Keep in mind that the update rolls out in batches and may take a while to reach your device.

We’ll keep tracking the latest developments around One UI and post them in our Samsung section. You can visit the page regularly for the latest details.

Also, don’t forget to join our Telegram channel to receive instant alerts as soon as we post new stories.

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The Dimensity 9600 Pro is a powerful 2nm processor from MediaTek that delivers elite performance, a major boost in power efficiency, and neural graphics rendering architecture. It’s the first smartphone chip to support LPDDR6 memory and UFS 5.0 storage, alongside major upgrades to on-device AI capabilities.

With so many useful major upgrades packed into the Dimensity 9600 Pro, it’s surely going to be among the top choices for premium flagship devices in 2027. The Vivo X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max are already out with this chip, quickly followed by Oppo with its Find X10 Pro Max. We’ve prepared a list of devices that are powered by the Dimensity 9600 Pro chipset.

All the phones featuring the MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 Pro SoC

1. Vivo X500 Pro

Launch date: October 28, 2026

The Vivo X500 Pro was launched on September 21 in China as the first phone with the Dimensity 9600 Pro chip, with a global debut set for October 28.

Besides a powerful chipset, the phone offers a powerful set of cameras, built in collaboration with Zeiss. The triple rear camera setup gets a 50MP primary camera, a 64MP periscope telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. The selfie camera also gets a 50MP sensor.

The Vivo X500 Pro packs a 6510mAh battery and supports 90W wired charging and 40W reverse wireless charging. Other specs include a 144Hz 6.36-inch LTPO AMOLED screen, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v6.0, and 5 major OS updates.

2. Vivo X500 Pro Max

Launch date: October 28, 2026

The Vivo X500 Pro was launched alongside the X500 Pro as the more powerful sibling with slightly higher pricing. It’s also scheduled to debut globally on October 28.

As for the specs, the X500 Pro Max features a larger 6.85-inch LTPO AMOLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate. The triple-camera setup on the back includes the same 50MP primary camera and 50MP ultrawide camera as the X500 Pro, but replaces the 64MP periscope telephoto lens with a 200MP one, which should offer more detail in zoom shots. There’s a 50MP selfie camera.

The Vivo X500 Pro Max packs a larger 8000mAh battery with support for 90W wired and 40W wireless charging. The rest of the spec sheet is pretty much the same.

3. Oppo Find X10 Pro Max

Launch date: September 22, 2026 (China)

A day after the Vivo X500 series launch, Oppo unveiled the Find X10 Pro in China, powered by the same Dimensity 9600 Pro chipset. The company has teased its global release, although a specific launch date has yet to be announced.

The Oppo Find X10 Pro Max has a powerful rear camera setup, featuring three cameras, each with a massive 200MP resolution. It includes a primary camera, a periscope telephoto lens with a 3x optical zoom, and an ultrawide unit. The selfie camera is a 50MP snapper.

The Chinese variant packs a 7150mAh battery, while the international model is confirmed to have an 8000mAh capacity. The smartphone supports 80W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. Other specs include a 144Hz 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED screen, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.2, USB Type-C 3.2, and an ultrasonic fingerprint reader.

It’s been hardly a few days since the Dimensity 9600 Pro’s announcement, and three phones are already out powered by this chip. I’m sure there will be a few more launches before the year wraps up, with 2027 gearing up to bring a flurry of devices rocking MediaTek’s most capable mobile chipset. We’ll update the page regularly as more devices launch with the Dimensity 9600 Pro.

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HyperOS 4 is a pretty significant upgrade for Xiaomi devices that’s built on top of Android 17. It brings numerous upgrades across the system, along with a couple of new features, but there are 5 upgrades that make big differences, and that you should really care about.

1. Soft Light Glass effect brings a major UI refresh

It’s one of the biggest visual upgrades to HyperOS 4, which brings the liquid glass design to Xiaomi phones. The company calls it the Soft Light Glass effect. It introduces dynamic glass refraction, layered cards, and translucent blur materials across the interface.

The new UI effect also extends to the lock screen, home screen, app icons, Control Centre, folders, and widgets — to offer a unified experience.

Most Xiaomi devices eligible for HyperOS 4 should receive the new Soft Light Glass effect, but the full experience with deeper integration will be offered only to select devices due to hardware limitations. That includes Xiaomi powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, Dimensity 9500, Xring O1, or newer flagship chipsets.

2. Super XiaoAi 2.0 brings deeper AI integration

The new Super XiaoAi 2.0 system assistant is built on Xiaomi’s in-house MiMo large language model (specifically MiMo V2.5). It gains enhanced long-term memory, cross-app execution capabilities, and context-aware screen recognition.

The new Expert Mode is capable of managing multi-step commands. For example, it can dive into your personal preferences and plan your next trip based on your availability by checking your calendar. It can also generate deep research reports, PowerPoint presentations, websites, and videos from a single prompt.

HyperOS 4 also introduces the Inspiration Ball, which analyzes on-screen content and suggests relevant actions such as map navigation, calendar entries, or shopping links.

First-party apps also receive useful AI upgrades to offer more helpful experiences. For instance, the Recorder app can now identify meeting scenarios, extract key points and generate summaries. AI Voice Notes can pull conclusions and to-do items from attached images, and the Super XiaoAi keyboard adds voice input polishing.

3. Performance gains

The new memory preloading system in HyperOS 4 leverages AI to preload frequently accessed assets. Xiaomi claims this results in 27.2% higher available memory and 17% faster app launches after extended usage.

Xiaomi has also improved the underlying HyperCore engine, reducing redundant CPU instructions by approximately 14.4% compared to HyperOS 3.

The Gallery app now delivers up to 90% smoother scrolling, while the Camera app’s cold startup time has reduced by 200ms. The HDR Photo processing time has been reduced to 240ms (from 310ms in HyperOS 3).

4. Redesigned lock screen

In addition to the new Soft Light Glass effect, the lock screen now offers flexible clock styles, allowing users to stretch, rescale, or reposition text or numeric clock layouts across the screen. This is similar to what you can do on iPhones running iOS 26 or newer.

Instead of individual cards that clutter the lock screen, HyperOS 4 introduces vertically stacked notifications to Xiaomi phones. The lock screen features advanced spatial depth effects, allowing the system to isolate subjects, text, date, or clock layouts seamlessly behind the foreground object.

5. Dual-Phone Syncing

The newly introduced Dual-Phone Syncing feature allows two Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO phones to seamlessly share incoming phone calls and SMS verification codes (OTPs) in real time.

What’s the best part? Unlike older casting tools, this feature doesn’t require two devices to be connected via Bluetooth or share the same Wi-Fi connection. Dual-Phone Syncing communicates over the internet, and so the phones will sync calls and texts even if they are connected to entirely different cellular networks.

To use this feature, both phones must be logged into the same Xiaomi account. The phone intended to receive mirrored notifications must be updated to HyperOS 4, while the sending device can function on HyperOS 3.

Xiaomi’s Dual-Phone Syncing feature is currently limited to China, but it could soon expand to other regions.

If you haven’t received the HyperOS 4 update, check our Xiaomi section to get the latest rollout details. You can also join our Telegram channel for instant alerts.

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The post Here are the 5 biggest upgrades to HyperOS 4 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung has been struggling with software rollouts lately. The company missed its timeline for the Galaxy S26 series One UI 9 global rollout, and that may have also affected the regular security maintenance release. The latest September security patch began rolling out in the second week, but the rollout has picked up pace only recently.

Samsung’s September 2026 security patch details

The September 2026 security releases address a total of 90 vulnerabilities. Of those, 58 come from Google, which includes 18 critical fixes and 40 high-level fixes. The rest includes one patch from Samsung Semiconductor, and 31 from Samsung Mobile.

31 patches provided by Samsung Mobile include two critical-level fixes, three high-level fixes, and 15 moderate-level fixes, while the severity of the remaining 11 patches hasn’t been disclosed.

Samsung says 40 fixes from Google included in the latest security patch are not applicable to Galaxy devices, and one issue was already resolved in a previous update.

These Galaxy devices are receiving the September 2026 security update

• Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, Flip 8
• Galaxy Fold 5, Flip 5
• Galaxy S26 FE
• Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra
• Galaxy A57, A56, A55
• Galaxy A17 (LTE)
• Galaxy A07 5G
• Galaxy M56
• Galaxy M17, M17e
• Galaxy F70e
• Galaxy Tab S11, S11 Ultra
• Galaxy Tab S10+, Tab S10 Ultra, S10 Lite
• Galaxy Tab S10 FE, Tab S10 FE+
• Galaxy Tab S9, S9+, S9 Ultra
• Galaxy Tab S9 FE, S9 FE+
• Galaxy Tab Active 5, Active 5 Pro
• Galaxy Tab A11+

There are dozens of Galaxy devices that are waiting for the September 2026 security update. Samsung will gradually roll out the update to those devices. We’ll update the list periodically to ensure it’s updated.

The availability of an update depends on your region. So, it may take a few days to reach all the devices. Go to Settings > Software updates and tap Download and install to check for available updates, if you haven’t received the update notification yet.

Samsung has also begun rolling out the major One UI 9 update, which brings exciting new features, visual upgrades, and a more powerful Galaxy AI experience. You can check the list here to find out if your Galaxy device is eligible for this major upgrade.

We’ll keep you updated on the latest One UI announcements and rollout details in our Samsung section. Or, you can simply join our Telegram channel to receive instant alerts when we post new stories.

The post These Galaxy devices have received the September 2026 security update appeared first on Gizmochina.

Moments after Qualcomm unveiled the powerful 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, major smartphone brands rushed to announce their upcoming flagships rocking the same chipset. Xiaomi didn’t waste any time launching the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max in China just a few hours after the chip was announced.

If you’re planning to get your hands on a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6-powered phone, we’ve compiled a list of devices confirmed to ship with this chipset.

Every phone confirmed to launch with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 SoC

1. Xiaomi 18 Pro Max

Launch date: September 23, 2026

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is the first phone to get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset. It’s built around a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED screen with 4000nits of peak brightness. The smaller 2.9-inch AMOLED screen on the rear side also offers the same peak brightness and LTPO support.

As for the optics, the Xiaomi phone offers a triple camera setup, featuring a 200MP primary shooter, a 200MP periscope telephoto lens with 3.2x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide unit. It has a 50MP selfie camera, though you can also use the rear camera and secondary display to capture much better selfies. The device packs an 8,500mAh battery with support for 100W wired, 50W wireless, and 27W reverse wireless charging.

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max has been launched in China, and the brand has confirmed it will be available globally, including in India. Xiaomi India’s X account also confirms this, with a global launch teased to be “coming soon”.

2. HONOR Magic9 Pro Max

Launch date: September 28, 2026 (confirmed)

That’s when the Magic9 Pro Max will launch in China, but the global launch has not been announced yet. That might happen soon after it’s launched in China.

The smartphone will feature a brand-new triple rear camera layout that includes two 200MP sensors: a 1/1.28-inch primary sensor with an f/1.57 aperture and a 1/1.4-inch super-night telephoto sensor with an f/2.6 aperture. The camera has been developed in partnership with ARRI (the legendary German cinema camera maker) to bring professional film-style color science and video tools to the device. Details about the third sensor haven’t been announced yet.

The smartphone could carry a 55MP selfie camera, a 6.8-inch OLED screen, and an 8800mAh battery. Honor has confirmed that the phone will be offered in four memory/storage combinations: 12GB+256GB, 12GB+512GB, 16GB+512GB, and 16GB+1TB. The color options will be: Moss Green, Silver, and Shadow Black.

3. iQOO 16

Launch date: September 29, 2026 (confirmed)

The upcoming iQOO 16 will launch in China next week, featuring Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 mobile chipset. The brand has revealed some of its specs through teasers, and leaks have spilled the rest of the details.

The iQOO 16 will feature a reworked camera island design, featuring three sensors. According to recent leaks, the camera island will have three 50MP sensors. The company says iQOO 16 will be the first phone to offer a 2K resolution panel with a 165Hz refresh rate, developed jointly with Samsung. The screen size is tipped to be 6.85 inches.

The smartphone is said to have a Q4 gaming chip, with upgraded vibration motors and speakers for a better gaming experience. It could come with an 8,400mAh battery and support for 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.

4. OnePlus 16

Launch: September 2026 (expected)

OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus 16 will launch soon with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 SoC, but it hasn’t announced a launch date yet. Rumors suggest the phone could be unveiled in China later this month, with a global launch likely to happen next month.

The OnePlus 16 is confirmed to feature a triple-camera setup with a 200MP primary camera, a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide camera. The selfie camera will also have a 50MP resolution. The phone will also get new shooting modes for better control over the final output.

Leaked specs include a 6.78-inch flat AMOLED display with a 185Hz refresh rate, up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, up to 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage, and a 9,000mAh battery.

5. RedMagic 12 Pro+

Launch: October 2026 (confirmed)

The phone will launch in China in October. We’ll have the exact launch date soon, but the global launch hasn’t been announced yet.

RedMagic has teased several details of the RedMagic 12 Pro+, such as ultra-narrow 0.96mm bezels and RedMagic’s ninth-generation Under-Display Camera (UDC) system. The phone will shift to softer, rounded corners for improved handheld ergonomics during extended gaming sessions.

The smartphone is said to house an 8,400mAh battery with 120W wired and 80W wireless charging. It could feature a triple-camera setup on the rear, led by a 50MP main sensor. The device is expected to be available with up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage.

6. Motorola Signature 27

Launch: Later this year

Motorola unveiled the Signature 27 at the Snapdragon Summit, marking a big shift in the company’s approach. The brand has largely avoided bringing top-tier chips to its phones, but that has now changed. The Signature 27 is just the start. We believe future Signature phones will continue in this direction.

Motorola has revealed key details about the device, but the exact global release date and pricing details are due to be announced later this year. The Signature 27 features an unusual rear camera design, with a 50MP main camera and a 200MP periscope telephoto lens. Details about the other two sensors and the selfie camera haven’t been announced yet.

The phone will have an ArcticMesh cooling system featuring a vapor chamber that is 40 percent larger than the previous generation. Audio gets a premium boost through a partnership with Bang & Olufsen.

Next year will bring a lot more smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, including the Galaxy S26 Ultra. We’ll continue to track the latest developments on the topic and post them on this website.

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