We can’t do anything about it ourselves. We’re always looking to the future, not just for phones but for all our technology products. But what happens after that? that?This week, leakers answered that very question for two of them. Android’s largest phone modelSo, believe it or not, there are some things to look forward to in 2026 and beyond.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen some interesting developments in the Android SoC race, but mobile week wasn’t all about hardware rumors. In fact, it’s all about software, and Android 15 came with new features. Causes a headache to the opponent. Android itself has a new nemesis. material design 3 It made headlines left and right as if 2021 had started all over again.
Last week’s summary
X is Bluesky’s biggest cheerleader in last week’s top Android stories
Plus, some shiny new phones are coming too
Rumor mill flips the calendar to 2026
and beyond
Earlier this week, a publication in Samsung’s home country of South Korea reported that the tech giant has already begun work on the Exynos 2700 chip. This SoC is expected to be included in the Galaxy S27 series, which will be released in 2027, in many markets. The chip, codenamed “Ulysses,” will be built on a second-generation 2nm process being developed by Samsung Foundry, according to the report. We previously saw an Exynos chip named ‘Thetis’ in development using this process, and now it looks like this will be Samsung’s flagship SoC in 2026, with Ulysses included as a 2027 model.
But believe it or not, this probably wasn’t the most insane future phone news story we heard this week.
Google’s Tensor G5 and G6 roadmap was revealed in a major leak on Wednesday, with detailed information about the chips that will power the next Pixel 10 and Pixel 11. Google’s long-rumored switch from Samsung Foundry to TSMC for SoC manufacturing appears to be underway. And Pixel 10 will be the first device to benefit. Unlike Samsung’s S25 and later chips, Google’s next phone will use a 3nm process, offering slightly better performance. What’s the result? These use the same node as Apple’s current and future A-series chips.
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Google Tensor leak suggests future Pixels are slated for iPhone-level SoC upgrades
TSMC’s Tensor G5 and G6 mirror Apple’s A18 and A19
SoC racing starts to get interesting again
New advances in technology and the courtroom
Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit was held in Hawaii this week, but one headline the chipmaker didn’t grab was that Arm was taking its licensing dispute with the San Diego-based company to the next level. I was concentrating on the news. Arm claims that Qualcomm used a modified version of its CPU core design in the Snapdragon chips. Now, Arm has given Qualcomm a 60-day notice to stop using these designs, and the legal battle is heating up.
The timing of this news couldn’t have been great for Qualcomm, as the company was busy announcing its new Snapdragon 8 Elite chips. The new SoC takes over from the existing Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and is expected to power the majority of Android flagships throughout next year. It’s actually a pretty major update thanks to the new core layout, and our own Will Sattelberg was on site to learn more.
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Believe it or not, Snapdragon 8 Elite could make smartphones exciting again
No need for an AI hype cycle
Android has its first legitimate competitor in years
Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT already supports 15,000 apps
Although the United States banned Huawei from the country in 2020, the China-based OEM is still alive and well. After the ban, Huawei released the equivalent of an Android fork called HarmonyOS, but the company had to withdraw from the Android ecosystem completely as the US further tightened regulations.
After years of development, HarmonyOS NEXT has been officially announced as a beta version and is already available for many devices as a software update. This OS uses a proprietary kernel and does not support Android apps, but the basic functionality is already covered by a repository of over 15,000 apps. The company has plans to expand its operating system outside of China, giving Android and iOS its first real competitor in years.
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Huawei’s new Android competitor officially launches with over 15,000 apps
HarmonyOS NEXT is currently limited to China
Material Design 3 is back in style
Who knew there were still Google apps that needed the Material You touch?
This week was a big one for UX fans. Google’s Material Design 3 made its way into more core apps just when we were starting to think the Material You craze had run its course. .
The first is Google Drive’s video player, which went from basic to impressive in one update. Next up is Google Chat’s floating tab bar, with a tweaked shape and added color. Google Calendar on the web finally has the dark mode we’ve all been waiting for, along with some new touches from Material 3.
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Google Calendar on the web finally goes dark mode
Renovation brings new UI
Android 15 brings a little fun and a lot of heartache
New features, same old problems
If you’ve heard this before, please stop. Recently, a new update from Google started rolling out to phones, adding some new features to the Pixel, but users with certain older models may find themselves with a dysfunctional phone after applying the update. I encountered it. No, I’m not talking about when Pixel 6 units started bricking with the Android 14 update after a factory reset in the summer of 2024. Android 15 Update starts bricking Pixel 6 units autumn 2024.
Indeed, other phone manufacturers like OnePlus are also joining in on the fun, with the update adding things like a new settings menu with your name on it and an improved Google Photo sharing menu. However, if you have a Pixel 6, you may want to wait for a hotfix. It has been reported that some units became unresponsive after last week’s big update, and Private Space may be the cause.
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Android 15 update bricks some Pixel 6 devices
This seems to be due to private space.
