Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Google’s Pixel 9 Pro design, Galaxy S25’s new features, Samsung shares Galaxy AI software, OnePlus Pad 2 launch, RedMagic 9S Pro released, HMD’s Skyline arrives, and why microSD needs to come back.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Android in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Apple news here on Forbes.
The Next OnePlus Tablet
As part of its summer launch event, OnePlus has announced the global variant of its second premium tablet. The OnePlus Pad 2 builds on the success of last year’s tablet to deliver something memorable, according to Forbes’ Ben Sin:
“OnePlus’ latest tablet, the Pad 2, has a very strong claim to be the best Android tablet right now, with a long list of industry-leading flagship specs. The aluminum tablet is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the only tablet using this latest silicon right now. It’s got a 12.1-inch screen with refresh rate that gets up to 144Hz — although the panel is LCD and not OLED, so the contrast levels aren’t quite as strong.”
(Forbes).
Google Confirms Pixel 9 Design
Google has repeated a move from last year in a bid to take control of the Pixel 9 story. This week saw the company reveal a small part of the Pixel 9 handset through a video on social media. It’s enough to get everyone interested ahead of the launch next month:
“Google has revealed the Pixel 9 Pro following a series of leaks that revealed the phone in great detail, including hands-on videos and comparisons to other recent devices. The company plans to show off more about the Pixel 9 lineup as well as its other upcoming devices, with an event at Google HQ in California on August 13th.”
(The Verge).
Galaxy S25 Ultra Reaches For Space
It has been rumored since the Galaxy S23, but Samsung may be ready to (finally) bring satellite connectivity to the Galaxy smartphone platform when the Galaxy S25 Ultra is launched next year. Alongside Android’s increasing support, hooks in Samsung’s Android app point to the South Korean coming catching up with its rivals:
“Samsung has been working on satellite connectivity for a number of years, with hints of an appearance on the 2023’s Galaxy S23 and this year’s Galaxy S24 not coming to pass in the released product. Since then, Apple has successfully implemented a satellite emergency calling feature in iOS and has been using several case studies to reinforce the potential of the service.”
(Forbes).
New Galaxy AI Features For Older Samsung Phones
Samsung’s Galaxy AI service picked up several new features for those purchasing the Glaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. While they are currently exclusive to the folding phones, Samsung has confirmed via its community forums that these will be backported to several devices, including the S22, S23, and S24 families. These services include Auto Zoom, Instant Slo-Mo, and Expert RAW Support:
“After adding a raft of new AI tools to older phones in May, Samsung is preparing a new camera and AI feature boost for several Galaxy devices through its One UI 6.1.1 update. In a post (translated) on the company’s community forums, a Samsung representative explained that several new features, that are currently exclusive to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, will be rolled out to older phones.”
(Forbes).
RedMagic Picks Up Samsung’s Power
Nubia’s mid-cycle refresh was launched this week, and the Red Magic 9S Pro has kept an impressive feature set while adding in a number of iterative updates. It’s incredibly close to the RedMagic 9 Pro specs, but the race to have ever higher specs for high-end gaming does not wait for an annual cycle. The GSM Arena team have taken a closer look at the gamer’s latest choice:
“Well, you might notice that while both phones feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the new Red Magic 9S Pro has the ultimate SM8650-AC version of the chip, dubbed “Leading Version”, but also known as the “Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy” when used by Samsung. The Samsung exclusivity contract clearly ended, so the Red Magic team finally has access to the best version of the flagship Qualcomm chipset. The one that runs its prime Cortex-X4 CPU core at up to 3.4 GHz (instead of 3.3 GHz) and boosts GPU frequency up to 1 GHz.”
(GSM Arena).
The Skyline Is The Limit
HMD continues to focus on sustainability and healthy practices with its new Skyline smartphone. Revealed this week, two features stand out… three if you could the incredibly pink colorway. The first is the ability to partially or fully lock down the phone for a short period to support “digital detox” principles, while the second is about changing the battery and replacing parts at home
“Thanks to the Gen2’s repairability, HMD says owners can replace bent charging ports, displays, and depleted batteries. iFixit will provide the tools and spare parts for the Skyline, so consumers have an easy place to score it. While how-to guides are already present on iFixit’s website, the components are not yet available for purchase. “
(Tech Radar).
And Finally…
In the face of 8K video recording on smartphones, Robert Triggs has a simple plea to Google and other smartphone manufacturers. MicroSD needs to return because the storage requirements far outstrip what’s on offer today:
“The problem is that 8K video files are humongous. I recorded a few samples on my Xiaomi 14 Ultra; we’re looking at about 560MB per minute for 8K at 30fps, or roughly 33GB per hour of footage. Shooting in H264 or H265 didn’t make any difference to the file size, so it presumably only affects quality, at least on this phone.”
(Android Authority).
Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course, read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!
