Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Galaxy Z Fold7 leaks, Magic V5 launch, folding phones for the future, Phone (3) arrives, OnePlus Nord CE5 chooses the camera, and Google increases Play Store limits.
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.
Galaxy Z Fold7 Accessories Leak
We’re still waiting for an official reveal, but we have a closer look at the official cases for Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold7 foldable, thanks to the team at Nieuwe Mobile. The South Korean company are offering colored and clear silicone cases, a grip case with a carry loop on the back, a stronger carbon shield case, and a clear magnet case that will add Qi2 support to the existing wireless charging:
“The Clear Magnet Case is a Clear Case with a set of magnets arranged in a circular shape on the back to make the Galaxy Z Fold 7 compatible with magnetic chargers and accessories, including the ones with the Qi2 standard. With the addition of magnets, the price of this case is €57, and we assume many people will buy this one.”
(via SamMobile)
The Magic V5 Brings The Thin
Honor is leading the summer charge on foldable smartphones with this week’s launch of the Magic V5 in China. While there’s no word yet on an international release, precedent suggests that Honor’s leading smartphones reach the global stage a few months after a Chinese launch. The Magic V5 leans heavily into technical mastery and design, with the external dimensions the standout feature:
“The Honor Magic V5 sets a new industry benchmark for portability in foldable smartphones, featuring an ultra-slim 8.8mm body and weighing as little as 217g …features IP58 and IP59 ratings4 for dust and water resistance… The Honor Super Steel Hinge also has an impressive tensile strength of 2300MPa, further strengthening the device while enabling smooth folding action.”
(Honor).
The Three Folds Of The Future
Honor’s foldable will be seen as one of the three key foldables arriving in July and August. Alongside Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7, the foldables market is evolving with each playing their part:
“…foldables started out as a flex. They felt like phones that had been manufactured not to sell, but to show off. Much like luxury sportscar racing, where winning on Sunday meant increased sales of the regular cars on Monday, the gee-whizz of the foldable helped sell the more staid and standard smartphones after they turned heads. That approach is still there, but as foldables grow in stature (and R&D departments work to get the price down), they are being more consumer-focused.”
(Forbes).
The Dots Are Here, Phone (3) Arrives
Pre-orders have opened today for Nothing Tech’s 2025 flagship with the Phone (3). The smartphone sports the SnapDragon 8S Gen 4, backed up by either 12 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage, or 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage. Yet the key feature remains the Glyph. Previously these were strips of LED light at the rear of the handset. Now fashioned into a matrix, the rear of the phone can offer far more information:
“The Glyph Matrix is more subtle than Nothing Phone 2’s Glyph Lights. It adds a new Glyph Button to control the interface, which lets you switch between different functionalities or switch on or off the Matrix without needing to go to Settings or tile in the Notification panel. The Glyph Button adds interactivity to the Glyph Matrix. You can tap to cycle through tools and widgets and hold to play,”
(Forbes).
OnePlus Nord CE5 Chooses Pictures For Performance
OnePlus has confirmed several details of the upcoming OnePlus Nord CE5. Following previous Nord CE models, this targets the budget-conscious buyer in the mid-range market. OnePlus looks to be prioritising the specs on the camera and the battery. The latter is expected to offer 7,100 mAh in some models, although this may be downgraded to 5,200 mAh in certain regions due to regulatory issues. As for the former:
“The OnePlus Nord CE5 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 with up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM, and a 50MP main camera with a Sony sensor and optical image stabilization. This main shooter is capable of recording 4K video at 60 fps. The affordable OnePlus phone is also expected to offer an AMOLED display and 80-watt fast charging, although buyers of the “Core Edition” will reportedly only get a 16MP selfie camera and an IP54-rated chassis. “
(GSM Arena).
And Finally…
Google is raising the API level that is required for new apps submitted to the Play Store. From the end of August, all apps will need to effectively target Android 15 and upwards (with some exceptions for “Wear OS, Android Automotive OS, and Android TV”):
“Existing apps must target Android 14 (API level 34) or higher to remain available to new users on devices running Android OS higher than your app’s target API level. Apps that target Android 13 (API level 33) or lower, including Android 12 (API level 31) or lower for Wear OS and Android TV, will only be available on devices running Android OS that are the same or lower than your app’s target API level.”
(Google Developers).
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!
