This week’s news and headlines from the Android world, including Pixel’s Tensor Mobile upgrade, disappointing Galaxy Fold news, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, Asus ROG Phone 9 announcement, ARM and Qualcomm feud, OxygenOS release, MagicOS 9.0 launch, and more Let’s look back. Android’s success in China.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of some of the many discussions surrounding Android over the past seven days. You can also read my weekly Apple news digest here on Forbes.
pixel 9 pro XL
The new power of Pixel
Google’s Pixel 10 and Pixel 11 families (scheduled for release in 2025 and 2026) will continue to use Tensor Mobile chipsets. Samsung manufactured the previous Tensor, but Google is moving to TSMC for the next generation. Thanks to a recent leak, we now know more details about what’s at the heart of the new Pixel smartphones. ”
“The Google Tensor G5 (codenamed ‘laguna’), which is likely to be the chip for next year’s Pixel 10 series, will be manufactured on TSMC’s 3nm class N3E. This is the exact same process node that Apple uses for the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro and its products. This is great news because the M4 chip is probably the best process node currently available, and is a significant upgrade in both efficiency and performance over Samsung’s 4nm class 4LPE node used in Tensor G4. is. ”
(Android Authority).
No cheaper Crease is planned from Samsung
After the launch of the Galaxy Fold Special Edition (an update to the Z Fold6 that reduced the volume and thickness of the flagship foldable), Samsung confirmed that there will be no Fan Edition of the Z Fold6. Fan Editions are usually cheaper versions of major models.
A Samsung Electronics official said, “(Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition) is not a premium product, but rather a product released to expand your options. You can choose according to your preference. There are no plans to release it at the moment.” did. Another product with a lower price. ”
(Sam Mobile).
Introducing Qualcomm’s powerhouse
Qualcomm this week announced a high-end Snapdragon 8 chipset for smartphones that uses the company’s custom Qualcomm Oryon CPU for the first time. While the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s raw performance numbers look promising, manufacturers will likely look to the potential of faster NPUs to help generate AI in smartphones in 2025.
“Similar to Snapdragon laptop chips, the 8 Elite is powered by an Oryon CPU with a custom 8-core architecture consisting of two prime cores running at 4.32 GHz and six performance units running up to 3.53 GHz. This is combined with industry-leading 24MB L2 cache and support for 5,300MHz LPDDR5X RAM.
“New Hexagon Neural Processing Units (NPUs) deliver increased performance per watt and help AI tasks run 45% faster. Qualcomm offers AI Engine with multimodal Gen AI support. Up to Large and small multimodal model SLM capable of running 70 tokens.”
(GSM Arena).
ASUS Announcement ROG Phone 9
One of the first phones to feature the new chipset is Asus’ latest gaming phone. Under the Republic Of Gamers brand, ROG Phone 9 will be one of the first smartphones to use Snapdragon 8 Elite. Naturally, in this case, onboard AI features are used to improve the game’s abilities. Specifically, you’ll have to wait for reviews on:
“Asus’ announcement also featured one of the ROG Phone 9 models, which features an LED light on the back that is usually found in the gaming phone line. The announcement also included the tagline ‘AI on, game on.’ , and this likely refers to the continuation of artificial intelligence features used to enhance the game. ”
(Cnet).
ARM plans to revoke Qualcomm’s license
The intensity of litigation and negotiations between ARM and Qualcomm increased this week as ARM notified Qualcomm that it is terminating the architecture license between the two companies. This goes back to Qualcomm’s acquisition of Nuvia in 2021. This included the aforementioned license.
“According to documents obtained by Bloomberg, U.K.-based Arm required Qualcomm to provide 60 days’ notice of termination of its so-called architecture licensing agreement, which allows Qualcomm to create its own software based on standards it owns. The showdown threatens to disrupt not only the smartphone and computer markets, but also the finances and operations of two of the semiconductor industry’s most influential companies. ”
(Bloomberg).
OnePlus releases OxygenOS 15
Following the official update to Android 15, OnePlus has released a new version of OxygenOS. As per the previous number adjustment, it is OxygenOS 15. Built on the latest version of Android, it includes features like GeminiAI, Circle to Search, Pass Scan, and more. There are also some apps exclusive to OnePlus, including anti-theft features.
“The device automatically locks when movement typical of theft is detected, such as someone suddenly snatching the device and trying to run away. Additional protection features include the ability for users to use just their phone number. It includes a remote lock feature that allows you to log in to your Google account, and if your phone remains offline for an extended period of time, a thief attempts to take your device offline and extract your data. An offline lock is enabled to protect you.
(One Plus)
Honor releases MagicOS 9.0
It also joins the operating system with Android15. Honor has also updated MagicOS to the latest core. It will initially be available in China (and will be shipped worldwide in the near future). The focus is on AI, in this case pushing personal assistant style options.
”[YOYO features] The upgraded AI agent YOYO now has enhanced functionality. With new features, YOYO can seamlessly handle complex tasks like ordering coffee or managing your schedule with just a few simple commands. This allows users to operate Honor devices more intuitively and efficiently. ”
(honor).
And finally…
According to Canalys’ latest research, Android devices accounted for the top four of the top five smartphone sales in China in the third quarter. Apple’s iPhone is back in fifth place, likely due to the delayed launch of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. But the growing market is one of Android’s strongest areas.
“[Shoppers] is focused on the mid-range and affordable 5G segment, leveraging features such as durability, battery life, and various promotions to stimulate mass-market upgrades. These offer more choice for students, the workforce, and average-income consumers. ”
(Canaris).
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