RedMagic reveals when its phones are getting RedMagic OS 12 based on Android 17

RedMagic OS 12 is based on Android 17, and it debuted on the RedMagic 12 Pro+ last week. Today, RedMagic has announced which of its existing phones and tablets will get the update, and when. The RedMagic 11 Pro and 11S Pro series go first, in December. The RedMagic Gaming Tablet 5 Pro follows in January. March is when the RedMagic 10 Pro and 10S Pro series, the RedMagic 11 Air, and the RedMagic Gaming Tablet 3 Pro get it, while the RedMagic 10 Air brings up the rear in April. RedMagic OS 12 brings a redesigned interface with a giant clock, plus several AI features, including an AI...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/redmagic_reveals_when_its_phones_are_getting_redmagic_os_12_based_on_android_17-news-75194.php

Upcoming Realme 17 Pro series phone's key specs leak

Realme launched the Realme 16 Pro+ and the 16 Pro back in January, and now the first details about their successors are starting to show up. Today, a tipster on X has shared the key specs of an upcoming Realme handset that's said to be either the Realme 17 Pro or the 17 Pro+. The device allegedly has a flat 1.5K OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate that goes up to 165Hz in some games, the Dimensity 7500 chipset, a 200MP main camera, a 50MP telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom, an ultrawide of unspecified resolution, and a 10,000 mAh battery. It's also said to have a plastic frame, while its...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/upcoming_realme_17_pro_series_phones_key_specs_leak-news-75192.php

Deal: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is $300 cheaper than the iPhone Duo

Today marks the official start of shipping for the iPhone Duo, but unless you pre-ordered one, you will have to wait a while for a unit to become available. While you wait, you can have a look at what Samsung has to offer. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is the only other wide foldable in the US market. Motorola allegedly has something in the works, but it will be months before we see it. Google has never been fast at launching new models, so we don’t expect a wide Pixel anytime soon. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Anyway, the iPhone Duo starts at $2,000 for a 256GB model. The Z Fold8,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/deal_the_samsung_galaxy_z_fold8_is_300_cheaper_than_the_iphone_duo-news-75190.php

Samsung extends its Certified Re-Newed program to Amazon US

Samsung has put a new twist on its Certified Re-Newed program – the refurbished phones are now also available on Amazon.com in the US. Previously, you could only get them from Samsung itself. This is the store page on Amazon where you can browse all models (well, not all – see below). We’ve also prepared a table where you will find the individual models and their prices. What makes these different from other refurbished units is that the phones are serviced by Samsung specialists using genuine Samsung parts. This includes replacing the battery. Units need to pass 147 quality checks before...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_extends_its_certified_renewed_program_to_amazon_us-news-75189.php

WhatsApp expands its testing of scheduled messages to iOS

Earlier this month, WhatsApp started testing scheduled messages with some beta testers on Android, after the feature had been in development since at least February. Now it's making its way to iOS too, rolling out to some users of the WhatsApp beta for iOS version 26.42.10.19 from TestFlight, with more people set to get it over the coming weeks. It works the same way as on Android. Once you've typed your message, tap and hold the send button to bring up a date and time picker, then confirm with the green button at the bottom, which shows the exact delivery time. The earliest you can...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_expands_its_testing_of_scheduled_messages_to_ios-news-75175.php

Apple reportedly orders 44% more iPhone Duo units from its suppliers

The iPhone Duo has been in very high demand since pre-orders started last week, with shipping dates slipping all the way to January within hours. Now, a new report claims Apple has responded by raising its iPhone Duo shipment target by 44%. [#InlinePriceWidget,13804,1#] According to supply chain sources, Foxconn and component makers have received instructions reflecting an increase from 9.7 million units to 14 million for the first 12 months of production. For context, back in July, Nikkei Asia reported that Apple had asked its suppliers to make around 10 million foldable iPhones...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_reportedly_orders_44_more_iphone_duo_units_from_its_suppliers-news-75174.php

Meta hit with $25B fine in New Mexico

The 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal was one of the largest user data breaches in history and its repercussions for Meta are still felt to this day. Following a two-week trial, a jury in the State District Court in Santa Fe ruled that Meta had committed 43 million violations of New Mexico’s consumer protection laws. Each violation was assessed to carry up to $5,000 in penalty charges, leading to the $25 billion fine that Meta is now ordered to pay the state of New Mexico. This is the largest fine against the company to date. To put that number into perspective, Meta made an estimated $42.6...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/meta_hit_with_25b_fine_in_new_mexico-news-75166.php

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 duo beats Fold7 sales by 45% in Europe, with a catch

Back in September, Samsung said that combined sales of the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra in Europe were 50% higher than those of the Galaxy Z Fold7 last year. Today, the company is back with an update that covers the first nine weeks of availability. [#InlinePriceWidget,14673,1#] [#InlinePriceWidget,14802,1#] According to Samsung, the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Fold8 Ultra together have seen a 45% increase in sales across Europe in the nine weeks since they went on sale on August 7, compared to Z Fold7 sales in the equivalent weeks of 2025. The company's own headline rounds that...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsungs_galaxy_z_fold8_duo_beats_fold7_sales_by_45_in_europe_with_a_catch-news-75167.php

OnePlus Turbo Pro to borrow a lot from the OnePlus 16, key specs leak

OnePlus launched the Turbo 6 in China back in January, and that phone later served as the basis for the Nord 6, which launched in April. Now, Digital Chat Station on Weibo says a Turbo Pro is on the way too, and it should arrive around the end of the year. The tipster's post has since been edited to just say "good morning", which tends to happen when a brand isn't happy with what he reveals. The Turbo Pro will allegedly come with a 6.78-inch flat 1.5K screen with a 185Hz refresh rate, the 3nm Qualcomm SM8845 Pro chipset, a 200MP main camera with a large sensor, and a battery of at least...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_turbo_pro_to_borrow_a_lot_from_the_oneplus_16_key_specs_leak-news-75150.php

Apple warns of limited iPhone Duo stock for walk-in buyers on launch day

The iPhone Duo goes on sale this Friday, October 23, but if you were hoping to just walk into an Apple Store and pick one up, you may want to rethink that plan. In a statement, Apple says there will be "limited" availability for walk-in customers, and given the "extraordinary" demand since pre-orders began last week, it expects that supply to sell out quickly. [#InlinePriceWidget,13804,1#] Limited walk-in stock will be available in the US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, and the UK. Certain Apple...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_warns_of_limited_iphone_duo_stock_for_walkin_buyers_on_launch_day-news-75157.php

Spotify launches podcast Memberships, creators keep 90% of the revenue

Spotify first previewed Memberships at its Investor Day back in May, and today the feature is rolling out in 34 markets. It lets eligible podcast creators charge their biggest fans a monthly fee for exclusive content and perks, and it replaces the podcast subscriptions Spotify introduced in 2021. Creators get to decide what their Membership includes: exclusive audio or video, bonus episodes, fewer ads, early access, access to a show's archive, or all of the above. They can also split their benefits into up to three tiers, each with its own price. Spotify isn't setting prices itself, though...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/spotify_launches_podcast_memberships_creators_keep_90_of_the_revenue-news-75156.php

Oppo sets its sights on Europe with faster launches and carrier partnerships

Until recently, smartphone makers focused on developing markets to grow their market share as the markets for premium phones were close to saturated. However, the massive increases in memory prices have caused makers to do a 180° turn and focus their attention on the premium market. Memory prices are so high that RAM and storage dominate the bill of materials on entry-level phones, making them unsustainable at their old prices. Meanwhile, premium devices have the margins to better absorb the price increases and they are aimed at a less price-sensitive audience. Oppo has set its...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_sets_its_sights_on_europe_with_faster_launches_and_carrier_partnerships-news-75151.php

Apple expands partnerships with American suppliers for the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro

Today Apple has announced new and expanded partnerships under its American Manufacturing Program (AMP), for critical materials and components used in the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro, since nearly 100 components in those phones, from wireless chips to the silicon that powers key functions, are produced by American companies, with suppliers spread across more than a dozen states. [#InlinePriceWidget,13804,1#] [#InlinePriceWidget,14934,1#] Perryman Company supplies the grade 5 titanium enclosure of the iPhone Duo. Apple is committing up to $100 million over the next three years for...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_expands_partnerships_with_american_suppliers_for_the_iphone_duo_and_iphone_18_pro-news-75136.php

Apple caps iPhone Duo purchases at two per person in an attempt to tackle scalpers

Apple opened the iPhone Duo pre-orders about four days ago and seconds after the shipping dates slipped into January next year. With every product in extremely high demand and low on stock, scalpers gather and try to buy the item in large quantities and then sell it at an inflated price. That's why Apple now imposes a limit of two iPhone Duos per customer. The limit has so far been confirmed in the US, UK, Japan and Spain, but it's likely worldwide. There are already some eBay listings selling the iPhone Duo at an eye-watering $5,000. This is not the first time Apple is trying...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_caps_iphone_duo_purchases_at_two_per_person_in_an_attempt_to_tackle_scalpers-news-75135.php

UK wants Apple to open up iPhone contactless tech and charge lower fees

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has outlined proposals that would force Apple to open up the NFC tech in the iPhone to more third parties, on more favorable terms. According to the regulator, "Apple's fees and rules are blocking UK fintechs and other businesses from innovating and growing." The CMA says it has heard from UK businesses that Apple's current NFC access arrangements may not be commercially viable, that its fees and other terms may be onerous, and that the different technical approaches across countries and platforms make it harder to scale and compete. The...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/uk_wants_apple_to_open_up_iphone_contactless_tech_and_charge_lower_fees-news-75134.php

Samsung improves the power efficiency of the Exynos modems for the Galaxy S27 phones

Samsung’s Exynos-powered phones haven’t had the best reputation when it comes to standby power consumption – their modems tend to use more battery than the modems inside Snapdragon-powered Galaxy phones. But Samsung LSI may have finally cracked the problem. The M2700 modem, which will be used alongside the Exynos 2700 chipset in some Galaxy S27 models, promises better power efficiency, according to insiders who spoke to The Elec. “I understand that the M2700 achieved performance equivalent to or better than competitors' products through voltage adjustment and other measures,” said one...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_improves_the_power_efficiency_of_the_exynos_modems_for_the_galaxy_s27_phones-news-75130.php

This is the upcoming Moto G47 Power

Last week we came across an EPREL listing for the upcoming Motorola Moto G47 Power, revealing its battery capacity, and we now have official-looking renders of the device alongside more of its key specs. Unsurprisingly, the Moto G47 Power looks a lot like the regular Moto G47, though at least one of its colorways is new, with a turquoise green color. The second one is the same black shade as before. Moto G47 Power renders According to the leaked specs, Moto G47 will feature the same 6.67" LCD with 1604 x 720px resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. We also get confirmation that...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/this_is_the_upcoming_moto_g47_power-news-75115.php

Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max European prices and battery capacities leak

If you thought the leaked European prices for vivo's X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max, or Oppo's Find X10 and Find X10 Pro Max were high, then you probably won't be ready for this. Today a new report claims to bring us the European prices for the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, and they are positively eye-watering. The Xiaomi 18 Pro with 256GB of storage is said to go for €1,449, while the 512GB version will set you back a whopping €1,649. It will allegedly be available in black, Cosmic Blue, Velvet Red, and white. The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, on the other hand, will apparently only be sold...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_18_pro_and_xiaomi_18_pro_max_european_prices_and_battery_capacities_leak-news-75114.php

Motorola's wide Razr Flex hits Geekbench with a surprising chipset

Last month, Motorola's upcoming wide foldable smartphone finally got a leaked name - it will allegedly be called the Razr Flex. This has now been confirmed through a Geekbench listing. Apparently, someone in possession of a prototype Razr Flex decided to run Geekbench 6.7.1 on it, thus confirming the name (as much as such a run can, of course - things like this can be faked). The benchmark run also revealed that the Razr Flex is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC, which is notable because past rumors have claimed it would have the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 instead. Anyway, the chipset is...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/motorolas_wide_razr_flex_hits_geekbench_with_a_surprising_chipset-news-75116.php

Leaked Galaxy S27 series cases reiterate new designs

The Galaxy S27 series is shaping up to be a turning point for Samsung’s flagship line. Previous rumors suggest Samsung will usher in a new design for its Galaxy S27 Pro and Ultra models while still offering the Galaxy S27 and larger-screen Galaxy S27+ as its more affordable entries. A new leak from IceUniverse gives us a fresh new look at cases for all four S27 models, and it seems the Pro and Ultra design is here to stay. Galaxy S27, Galaxy S27+, Galaxy S27 Pro, and Galaxy S27 Ultra cases (IceUniverse) We can see that the S27 Pro and Ultra models will feature sizeable rectangular...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/leaked_galaxy_s27_series_cases_reiterate_new_designs_-news-75107.php

Honor Watch 6 review

Welcome to our Honor Watch 6 review. I know, I know, we're a little late with this one. Okay, maybe a lot late, but in our defense, some of that tardiness comes from battery testing a watch with more than a month's worth of endurance .(or so Honor promised). That may be the Honor Watch 6's key selling point, and for good reason: charging your smartwatch once a month is about as close to having a regular watch as you can get. But I'm here to tell you that there's more to the Honor Watch 6 than simply its huge battery. It's what a watch needs to be. Note that I didn't say smartwatch...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/honor_watch_6_review-news-74910.php

Apple AirPods 5 review

How do you update the most popular audio product in the world? That's a question that would keep many companies awake at night. But almost a decade after the original launched, Apple has kept the classic AirPods model relevant while turning it into one of the most profitable businesses ever. The 2026 AirPods 5 keep what people love while improving everything across the board. Better noise cancellation, better audio quality, better battery life, and even better gestures. But there's a catch. Only the more expensive $149 model gets all the new features, whereas the cheaper $129...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_airpods_5_review-news-75101.php

What is variable aperture and why should you care?

The iPhone 18 Pro is the first iPhone model to feature a variable aperture, a headlining feature for this year's Pro models. An adjustable aperture has been an invaluable tool for photographers on professional and prosumer camera systems, and its absence from mobile cameras has become increasingly conspicuous as everything else on these devices has leveled up. There have been a handful of phones over the years that featured a variable aperture system for their main camera. However, the feature never stuck around long enough to enter the lexicon of the average smartphone user, as most...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/what_is_variable_aperture_and_why_should_you_care-news-75076.php

OnePlus 16 is official with 9,000mAh battery, Week 42 in review

The OnePlus 16 is official, with a mammoth 9,000mAh battery. The power plant supports 100W wired and 50W wireless charging. Elsewhere on the phone, there's the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 (still can't cope with this name), a 6.78-inch LTPO OLED display that can go up to 185Hz in select games, and a triple camera, consisting of a 200MP wide-angle, a 50MP 3x telephoto, and a 50MP ultrawide. The OnePlus 16 is available in China, and it's exclusive to China. Sadly, it isn't getting a global version. Still, that doesn't matter as much when you sell 70 thousand units in the first...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_16_is_official_with_9000mah_battery_week_42_in_review-news-75092.php

Weekly poll results: the Galaxy Tab S12+ and Tab S12 Ultra make laptops look reasonably priced

One commenter under last week’s poll made an interesting point – the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra starts at $1,400 for a 12/256GB model and this is without the keyboard, which is an extra $380. Why not get a MacBook instead? A 13” MacBook Air with an M5 chipset, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage costs $1,300. The 15” version is $1,500. So, you get a faster chipset, more RAM, more storage and a keyboard for around the same price as the Tab S12 Ultra – less, actually, if you need a keyboard. 13” MacBook Air for $1,300 or a 16” Galaxy Book6 for $1,450 Don’t want to deal with macOS? Why...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/weekly_poll_results_the_galaxy_tab_s12_and_tab_s12_ultra_make_laptops_look_reasonably_priced-news-75069.php

vivo V80 in for review

This is the vivo V80, yes, the same V80 we handled earlier this month. Well, different unit; this one is Green (or is it Blue?). We're torn whether it's a green shade of blue or a blue shade of green. Either way, it's much nicer (and original) than the iPhone shade of orange we handled last time. This global model ships in a box with a transparent soft case, a 90W charger, and a USB-A to USB-C cable. Unboxing the vivo V80 Design-wise, the vivo V80 sits in the middle between its predecessor, the V70, and a recent iPhone Pro. It's built like the V70 with a matte metal frame...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_v80_in_for_review-news-75087.php

Deals: latest Galaxy foldables and Galaxy S26 series are on sale

Last week, we covered Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days and then the aftermath – some phones kept their promotional prices from the Prime sale even during the weekend, while others went back up. Checking back again on them this week, we see that all phones now cost more. That is on Amazon, anyway, so we went over to see what Walmart has to offer. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is currently $1,700 on Amazon, while it was $1,650 last week (this is for a 12/256GB unit). Walmart has it at $1,640, though, so it’s not too late to pick one up. One recurring issue that we ran into with Walmart, however, is...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/deals_the_galaxy_z8_and_galaxy_s26_models_are_on_sale-news-75085.php

Qualcomm denies rumors about Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 overheating

Yesterday, a Korean news outlet shared some concerning news about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra. According to the report, Samsung is thinking about going all Exynos next year, as internal testing has shown that the newly released Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset is running too hot, resulting in thermal throttling. In contrast, the Exynos 2700 is doing just fine. But after the rumor did its rounds on the internet, Qualcomm's CMO responded to a thread on X saying that these rumors were inaccurate. Here's what he had to say: Recent reporting about thermal issues related...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/qualcomm_denies_rumors_about_snapdragon_8_elite_extreme_gen_6_overheating-news-75100.php