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More support for Samsung’s “Flex Window,” after it was clear that it needed to be more flexible.
What you need to know
A discovery in the YouTube Music app’s code suggests the company is working on bringing “Flex Window” support to Samsung’s clamshell foldable, the Flip.
The widget will likely give users quick playback controls like play/pause and skip forward/back buttons.
When Samsung debuted “Flex Window” in 2023, it was clear that it needed some work as users were limited through this “curated, optimized experience.”
YouTube Music could be working on support for clamshell foldable phones to refine its user experience.
According to Android Authority, the YouTube Music mobile app’s latest version (v7.24.51) holds clues that point toward a “FlipWidgetProvider.” The publication conducted an APK teardown of the app and found a string that directly mentions a widget for a “flip” device, which is reportedly confirmed to be Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series.
The post states the app’s code shows that the “music player” widget can be enabled via Settings > Cover Screen > Widgets once YouTube rolls it out. Users may find this useful as such a widget isn’t supported on the Flip series. However, it is on your standard slab phone like the Galaxy S24 series for the home screen. The widget gives options like play/pause, skip forward/back, and thumbs up/down options. With its expected arrival on the Flip series’ cover display, users can have enhanced access to their music without opening the phone. Considering the size of the Galaxy Z Flip cover display, this widget will give users more mileage. Speaking of, it’s unclear which devices will grab YouTube Music’s widget support.
The widget will likely debut on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Flip 5; however, it’s unclear how far back Samsung is willing to go.
Samsung dubbed the larger screen of its Flip series the “Flex Window” when the Flip 5 launched in 2023. It was clear from the beginning that the “window” needed to be more flexible. Users couldn’t open any app they wanted on the cover display. Samsung implemented a “curated, optimized experience,” limiting your options. Originally, the Flip 5’s cover screen supported the following apps: Google Messages, Samsung Messages, WhatsApp, YouTube, Netflix, and Google Maps.
The ability to open more apps was tucked behind Samsung’s Good Lock app launcher. The launcher gave users control over almost every app they had. This YouTube Music widget with Flex Window support will likely give users a more refined music control experience. In other news, YouTube Music was busy rolling out a Gemini Extension for desktop and Android users. Users will find a series of suggested commands for the AI for music lookup, album discovery, or specific radio genre. After Gemini locates the song, users are thrown into YouTube Music for the playback or continuous radio stream.
Samsung is gearing up to expand its foldable lineup with a new tri-fold smartphone, potentially launching in 2025. The device, featuring a screen that folds twice, has already seen its components developed, indicating readiness for commercialization. However, the final decision rests with Samsung’s Mobile eXperience division led by TM Roh.
Samsung’s tri-fold could be the first tri-fold for global market
Currently, Huawei’s Mate XT is the only tri-fold on the market, currently limited to China. If Samsung releases this model globally, it could be the first tri-fold available worldwide. The new form factor would transform from a tablet-sized display to a compact phone, providing versatile usage for various scenarios.
There’s no word yet on specifications, but industry patents suggest innovative hinge mechanisms and sensor integration, hinting at a device designed for flexible use cases.
Recommended：EB-BF741ABE Battery for Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Based on Samsung’s track record of foldable phones, the premium tri-fold will also likely use the latest Qualcomm flagship, the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
For those curious about the multitasking capabilities, key advancements in the Snapdragon 8 Elite include a 40% boost in GPU performance and a 35% enhancement in ray tracing capabilities as compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 of the existing Galaxy Z Fold 6. These improvements, coupled with a 44% increase in power efficiency, make the chipset ideal for demanding tasks like gaming and multitasking, ensuring a reasonable performance upgrade for the upcoming Samsung tri-fold.
The chipset features an upgraded NPU (45% improvement in AI capabilities), ensuring more complex Galaxy AI features for the tri-fold phone.
However, the tri-fold will also likely need to be slimmer than the existing Galaxy Z Fold 6, so no larger camera sensors are expected inside as well. Readers should expect a camera setup similar to the company’s existing book-style foldable. For reference, the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s camera setup is noted below:
The rumor mill is beginning to grind the sheafs of Sony speculation into the flour of fact
If you’re think that the Sony WH-1000XM6 must be due soon, to replace the now-several-years-old current model, you might be right. The Sony WH-1000XM5 rank among the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy today – but this is an incredibly competitive market and there’s no shortage of contenders for the crown, and Sony’s own headphones are so good that the previous model, the Sony WH-1000XM4, are currently atop our best-buy guide.
That means Sony needs to keep improving its flagship over-ears if it wants to keep selling new pairs to people. And the rumour mill says that it’s going to do just that, and that the Sony WH-1000XM6 will be with us soon… but not too soon.
Given that the WH-1000XM5 got five out of five stars in our review, which also noted that the WH-1000XM4 were so good that the improvements were “more marginal than before”, what on earth could Sony be planning for the next generation? Here’s what we think we know so far.
Sony’s WH-1000XM6 release date rumors
Back in June, GSM Arena reported two key stories: one, the Sony LinkBuds and LinkBuds S would get a 2024 update at tge same time; and two, the WH-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM5 earbuds would not. Instead, Sony was most likely “targeting the first six months of next year” for its flagships.
Given that the first story proved to be exactly correct when Sony announced two new LinkBuds models, and that the second story was from the same source, we’re inclined to think that the prediction of a launch in the first half of 2025 is probably sound too. And another leak on Chinese social media site Weibo said that Sony wants to synchronize the update cycles for the two flagships, which again would mean a 2025 launch, since that’s when the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds will hit two years and be due an update, under Sony’s usual cadence.
We haven’t seen much leak evidence of this yet, until recently, perhaps. The Sony watchers at The Walkman Blog have spotted a new wireless Sony headset code in import documents. It has the product code YY2984, and according to the blog it “could be” one of the XM6 models. Then again, it’s simply listing some kind of wireless headset with a plastic shell, so it could be anything.
That said, when the current models were about three months from release they showed up in FCC regulatory filings; devices need a lot of paperwork before they go on sale, so it’s not impossible that YY2984 are indeed these future candidates for the best Sony headphones. It’s pretty weak sauce, I know, but that’s the exciting world of headphones for you. It’s the FCC filing you really want to be on tenterhooks for – that will start the countdown. Perhaps that’ll come in in December for March-ish launch.
Sony’s WH-1000XM6: what we’d like to see Bose-beating noise cancellation: Sony has gone from being a total leader here to being merely very good. Bose’s latest noise cancelling headphones have exceptional ANC that beats Sony, so let’s see if Sony can reclaim the crown.
Better battery life: Sony has basically dictated the average for this for years now, hitting 30 hours consistently. But when the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Cambridge Audio P100 can hit 60 hours, Sony should really offer us more. I’m not holding my breath for this, though.
Water resistance: This is something that’s increasingly common among rivals, and it would be nice to see some official IP ratings.
The return of the fold: The XM5’s revised design made the headphones less portable, which was a surprise – they could return to our list of the best travel headphones with this tweak. The headband could do with a bit more padding too, while I’m complaining.
Dolby Atmos spatial audio: No doubt Sony’s 360 Reality Audio will be here again, but with Dolby Atmos supported by several music services and – even more importantly, all the big movie services, we’d love to see support here. Especially if it comes with Dolby’s own head-tracking, which is excellent on the Sonos Ace and LG Tone Free T90S.
USB-C audio: Easy true hi-res audio from phones and laptops? Many of the best wireless headphones offer this, but Bose doesn’t, so Sony can get one up on its old rival.
Android fans have a lot to look forward to in 2025
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra (left) and Honor Magic 7 Pro (right) (Image credit: Future / Honor) Qualcomm debuted its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset at Snapdragon Summit 2024, and various phone makers have since come forward to confirm that their upcoming flagships will be powered by the all-new (and all-powerful) mobile platform. Qualcomm flew TechRadar to Hawaii and hosted us at the Snapdragon Summit to hear all of the latest news.
Both Xiaomi and Honor joined Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon on stage in Hawaii to announce that the Xiaomi 15 and Honor Magic 7 series, respectively, will launch this month (likely in China) with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.
Asus, too, confirmed that the upcoming Asus ROG Phone 9 will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and Samsung mobile chief TM Roh also appeared at Snapdragon Summit to reaffirm his company’s ongoing partnership with Qualcomm. Roh didn’t mention the Samsung Galaxy S25 series by name, but you can bet your house that the best Samsung phones we see in 2025 will come packing the Snapdragon 8 Elite (disclaimer: that’s not serious financial advice).
Xiaomi SVP Adam Zeng announcing the Xiaomi 15 on stage at Snapdragon Summit(Image credit: Future)
Honor CMO Ray Guo announcing the Honor Magic 7 Pro on stage at Snapdragon Summit(Image credit: Honor)
In other words, it’s highly likely that many of next year’s best Android phones will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, with Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series being the first of that number to ship in the US, UK, and Australia (we’re anticipating a January release date). Those aforementioned models from Xiaomi, Honor, and OnePlus will presumably debut in China first, before launching internationally at a later date in 2025.
As for how the Snapdragon 8 Elite stacks up against its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it’s the first Snapdragon mobile chipset to feature Qualcomm’s second-generation Oryon CPU, and has been designed to “handle the complexities of multi-modal AI” much more efficiently.
Any phones equipped with Qualcomm’s latest chipset will deliver faster app launches, more seamless multitasking, and more powerful generative AI capabilities than their Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-equipped predecessors, and mobile gamers, too, will benefit from sharper images, smoother gameplay, and longer gameplay sessions thanks to the 8 Elite’s improved Adreno GPU.
iQOO 13 will launch on October 30 in China (Image source: iQOO)
Qualcomm has just made the Snapdragon 8 Elite official, and it seems that the iQOO 13 will be the first gaming-focused flagship smartphone to feature it. The company has announced that the phone will be released on October 30 in China. iQOO has announced the launch date of its new flagship gaming phone, the iQOO 13. Powered by the newly announced Snapdragon 8 Elite, the smartphone will be fully unveiled on October 30 in China. The company has also officially revealed the device’s color options.
This new gaming smartphone will launch in four color options: white, black, gray, and green. They all come with the RGB halo light that leaked a couple of days ago. This light surrounds the rear camera island of the iQOO 13, and it’s a unique design element of the device.
Previously, iQOO confirmed that the gaming phone will come with a 6.82-inch OLED display with 144 Hz refresh rate. It’s a BOE Q10 display, and it will feature an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, something that the OnePlus 13 is also expected to feature.
The company has also confirmed that the iQOO 13 will pair the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset with an in-house Q2 gaming chipset. This combination is said to offer PC-level super-resolution and allow the smartphone to deliver native-level 144 FPS gameplay.
While the official pictures confirm a triple-camera setup on the back, the company has yet to detail the sensors. However, past reports suggested that the iQOO 13 will feature the same primary camera as the other Vivo flagships. iQOO hasn’t shared the pricing details either. The good thing is that the launch is about a week away, so you don’t have to wait long to find out all about this gaming phone.
The first phone with Qualcomm’s new chip will be Xiaomi’s next flagship device.
On stage at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, the chipmaker introduced its newest silicon for premium phones, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Soon after, Xiaomi took the stage to declare that the first device to use this chip would be its own flagship Xiaomi 15, which is coming by the end of October.
Xiaomi senior vice president Adam Zeng made the announcement, detailing the first performance advantages the Snapdragon 8 Elite will bring to phones. The Xiaomi 15 series has a 29.7% decrease in power consumption and runs 3 degrees Celsius cooler at peak temperatures. Given Qualcomm’s emphasis on battery efficiency in the new Snapdragon 8 Elite, this is the first real-world example of how the chip improves phones.
Xiaomi did the same thing at last year’s Snapdragon Summit when it revealed the Xiaomi 14 would be the first phone to run last year’s leading Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. It was the Xiaomi 14 Ultra released back in April that impressed me with its fast speeds, great cameras and AI features.
Qualcomm says its Snapdragon 8 Elite offers many advancements thanks to its Oryon CPU, which debuted in the company’s PC chips last year. On mobile, this promises higher performance as well as greater efficiency, especially when performing intensive tasks. For example, phones using the chip can game for 2.5 hours longer, Qualcomm says. The new chip also offers more generative AI features.
More phones will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite, including the Asus ROG Phone 9 which is set to launch in November, but the Xiaomi 15 will be the first across the finish line to show what the chip is capable of. We’ll have to wait and see how (and if) it harnesses the additional generative AI and camera capabilities debuting in the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is built to lengthen battery life and boost performance on upcoming premium Android phones.
The new chip will enable even more generative AI capabilities, which became the showcase feature that tech companies scrambled to integrate into their products this year. The smartphone industry had its own competitive race toward generative AI starting with the Galaxy AI-equipped Samsung Galaxy S24 in January, while the iPhone 16 series is set to get parts of Apple Intelligence in a future update. While nascent with only a few standout features thus far, Qualcomm’s next chip aims to support more features that will give users even more reason to buy Snapdragon 8 Elite-equipped phones.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite builds on the foundation laid by Qualcomm’s previous chip, last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which was the company’s first chip capable of generative AI capabilities. The new chip includes even more AI expertise, such as support for an AI assistant to use the camera to recognize objects in real time, and a new trick that generates lighting so that your artificially well-lit face shows up in videos with bright backgrounds. That’s in addition to features that were available on the previous-generation chip, like image generation through Stable Diffusion and expanding photos beyond their original boundaries.
The chip has an improved neural processing unit, with more cores resulting, in what Qualcomm claims, is up to 45% faster AI performance and better power efficiency. The NPU now integrates multimodal generative AI applications on the device, meaning it can handle inputs from multiple sensors and data sources (audio, video, personal info and more) to answer queries.
The 8 Elite can support more than 70 tokens per second, a metric for how many inputs (text, photos and so on) can be considered when answering queries.
While the previous three years of Qualcomm top-tier chips were Snapdragon Gen 1, Gen 2 and Gen 3, the Snapdragon 8 Elite breaks from its naming convention to signify it’s the best of the best, Qualcomm says. That’s because the 8 Elite is the first of the company’s mobile chips to use the new Qualcomm-designed Oryon CPU. To wit, the company introduced its Snapdragon X Elite PC chips a year ago, which were the first to pack Oryon CPUs.
The 8 Elite uses a second-generation Oryon CPU with a 3-nanometer process (smaller than the 4nm of last year’s Kryo CPU), which helps enable the chip’s 45% greater efficiency. Upgrades in chip architecture have led to 45% better overall performance, but the more interesting benefit is a 62% improvement in web browsing performance — meaning consumers should see websites and web-based apps load faster.
“I think we’ve all experienced one time or another that a website, even though your phone is great, slows down and is labored. So [the Oryon CPU] is going to provide a [browsing] experience that rivals any kind of desktop,” Chris Patrick, a Qualcomm senior vice president and general manager of the mobile handset division, said in a briefing.
This won’t just make it faster to load websites. Many modern apps and software rely on web browsing, so having a CPU designed to speed that up will have knock-on improvements to services consumers use every day.
That improved efficiency applies to high-intensity activities like gaming, and Qualcomm says its new chip enables up to 2.5 hours of additional playtime.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite also improves camera performance, mainly through a new ISP with better AI touches on autofocus, white balance and exposure, all of which happens behind the scenes and should result in better photos. The NPU can also now directly access the camera sensors themselves for real-time enhancements, including for video. Phonemakers can plug their camera algorithms directly into this pipeline.
The 8 Elite also has a round of connectivity improvements mainly due to — you guessed it — AI. The X80 5G Modem uses AI on multiantenna management to better juggle signals for clearer connections, while the FastConnect 7900 integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to reduce latency. This makes it possible for calls leaving Bluetooth range to hand off the connection to Wi-Fi to keep the call going.
We’ll have to wait until new phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite actually launch to see how much of a difference the new chip makes. But based on Qualcomm’s claims, it sounds like the chip should bring a mix of general and AI-fueled upgrades to the next generation of Android phones.
Vivo launched their flagship product Vivo X200 series in China at Beijing’s famous Water Cube, also known as the National Aquatics Center. We got our hands on the device a few days in advance, so our team had some time to play and test it before going into in-depth review.
In case you were wondering how the phone feels in real life, here’s a quick first impression of the Vivo X200 Pro.
The Vivo X200 Pro is Sleek but Chunky The X200 Pro feels premium right out of the box. With its flat edges and metal frame, it gives us some serious flagship vibes. We’ve got the Blue Sapphire model, which mimics the ocean waves under light. I’m not sure if everyone would love this, but it definitely stands out.
The almost-flat display is a refreshing change from the curved screens we’ve been seeing everywhere. It’s got a nice heft to it, striking a balance between solid and comfortable—that is, until you get to the camera bump.
So let’s address the elephant in the room: that camera island is huge if we still take it as a Pro model. It’s big enough to be called an “ultra,” dominating the back of the phone, especially when we learned that the camera also inherited quite a lot from the X100 Ultra. While it houses a triple-lens setup, there’s an extra ‘lens-like’ circle up top that’s more for show than function. It balances out the look, but don’t be fooled — it’s not a fourth camera.
Camera App goes all in on AI The camera app on the X200 Pro has gotten a serious glow-up. Vivo has added a bunch of AI features that make shooting a breeze. But note that almost all the fantastic custom features were developed for domestic users with various Chinese applications. For overseas markets, the brand has to work with Google’s Gemini. But there’s no doubt that OriginOS 5 intrigues me significantly more.
What if add some AI features to portrait mode? The X200 series gives you the answer. There’re four-season styles plus a Chinese style for auto post-modification. It makes the camera look fun, but only if you wait a minute or two.
Auto mode & AI visual ON in Portrait mode The portrait mode is smarter than ever, and the landscape mode? It’s like they took the best bits of all the modes related to non-figure photography such as super night mode, pano mode, and star trails mode, and mashed them together. The software manager’s logic I guess is that they want to differentiate the custom modes into two categories, one for portrait and one for landscape. They’re like two folders, with the benefit of being easy to tell apart. The downside is that you have to ‘open’ them first (switch to them) – a step that may already be difficult for average users. One of my favorite features among the upgrades is the Zeiss Perspective Correction. When you look up a bit to shoot certain scenes, especially like architecture, you’ll always be annoyed by the perspective. On the X200 series, it would automatically crop and generate a horizontal perspective for users in real-time. It can instantly enhance the look and composition of your photos.
Further, video capabilities have taken a giant leap forward, especially in dark environments. We’re talking 4K at 120fps and even 8K at 30fps, which are all working well for dark scenarios. And for all you vloggers out there, there’s a new portrait video mode that’s bound to up your game. Initial quality of the videos was quite impressive but we want to test out the camera in detail for our final verdict. More importantly, it has a lot of fun that we couldn’t experience all in a moment.
The main camera is shifted to a brand-new sensor, SONY LTY818, sized at 1/1.28″. It’s claimed to have even better video-shooting capabilities. The 3.7x (85mm focus length & F/2.67) telephoto lens comes with the same setup as the vivo X100 Ultra’s – the impressive Zeiss 200MP APO telephoto lens.
Under the Hood: Dimensity 9400 Powerhouse Powering all this goodness is the latest MTK Dimensity 9400 chip. We’re still running some benchmarks (Antutu Benchmark: the first mobile chipset exceeds 3,000,000), so stay tuned for the nitty-gritty performance details. But so far, the phone has been very smooth, we can expect the chip to deliver.
One of the coolest features we’ve played with on the phone is the BlueLM AI large model. You can actually download the local algorithm package for offline use, such as Image Stylization and Document Summarization, which is pretty neat. We’ve been having a fun time with image generation, text recognition, and instant translation. Another new software feature that caught my interest is ‘Circle to Search’. Just circle any objects or items on the display to search for their information. It can be triggered in any app while just holding two fingers on the screen for a few seconds. The results? Surprisingly accurate most of the time.
If you missed our X200 launch article, let me remind you that there’s a Pro Mini model as well. It has a very unique placement (compact in size), which is a refreshing change from all the Ultras and the Pro Maxes we’ve been seeing. We also have a detailed article explaining the entire Vivo X200 series, which will be out very soon.
In addition, Vivo and MediaTek have jointly developed and globally premiered the kilometer-level network-less communication technology, which realizes point-to-point and long-distance communication through Bluetooth connection in a network-less and signal-less environment. Supports SOS text broadcasting, one-to-one voice/text intercom, map location display, etc. Within a certain distance, you can form a local network of communication with other Vivo users by turning your phone into a walkie-talkie.
To sum up, the Vivo X200 Pro is shaping up to be a serious contender in the high-end smartphone market. With its focus on photography, powerful chip, and AI capabilities, it’s clear Vivo is gunning for the top spot. Sure, that camera bump is huge and might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re all about that photo and video life, this is definitely a phone to check out.
As for the battery, I would draw my conclusion first here – it feels like the premium phone with the longest battery life I’ve ever used. More details will be revealed in our in-depth review.
Please stay tuned for our full review, where we’ll dive deeper into the benchmarks, battery life, and how it holds up in day-to-day use.
In the meantime, what feature of the X200 Pro are you most excited about?
Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition for South Korea today. It’s the company’s more premium version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the thinnest fully foldable Galaxy device yet, featuring wider displays and a bigger 200 MP primary camera.
The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition has the same boxy shape in an armor aluminum chassis as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (review) but is significantly thinner and only measures 4.9 mm on its side when unfolded or 10.6 mm when closed. That’s a few hairlines thinner than the new Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold but is still thicker than the new Honor Magic V3.
It’s also slightly taller and wider to accommodate the wider displays of a 6.5-inch OLED at the front surrounded by a nearly non-existent bezel and an 8-inch main OLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 2,600 nits peak brightness. However, the foldable Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition ditches S Pen support, which is a tradeoff by going for a thinner build and new displays.
Thinnest dust and waterproof Samsung foldable Despite sporting larger displays, Samsung shaved the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition’s weight down to 236 grams from 239 grams. The device is still IP48 certified for dust and water resistance, which makes it more impressive given the foldable devices from the competition from other brands that lack complete ingress protection.
Powering the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Edition is a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset, offering a few extra horsepower on the CPU and GPU compared to the vanilla version of the flagship SoC. The single memory configuration consists of 512 GB storage and 16 GB RAM. A 4,400 mAh battery supports 25 watts of wired charging, but we’ve yet to confirm if wireless charging is included.
The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition boots on Android 14 with a One UI 6 skin. As with current Samsung foldable phones, you will get a suite of AI features through Galaxy AI such as Live Interpreter, Photo Assist, and Circle to Search, among others.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition price and availability Samsung’s South Korean website currently lists the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition to be available for preorder for KRW 2,789,600 (Nz $3,341), but it didn’t specifiy when shipping will begin. There’s no word on whether the company will release it to global markets, though we’ve recently seen leaks tof the same device certified in China.
OnePlus 13 will launch on October 31 in China (Image source: OnePlus)
The OnePlus 13 now has an official launch date. This new flagship phone will launch in China on October 31, after the Snapdragon 8 Elite is announced. Besides this, the company has also confirmed three color options for the phone.
After weeks of teasers and leaks, the OnePlus 13 finally has an official launch date. The company will be fully unveiling its new flagship phone on October 31 in China. It’s still unclear when the phone may make its global debut, but it’s likely set for early 2025.
Besides the Chinese launch date, OnePlus has showcased its new flagship phone in three different colorways: White Dawn, Blue Moment, and Obsidian Secret. They are the same as the ones that were spotted in the hands of the gamers at the Peacekeeper Elite event.
Among these three colors of the OnePlus 13, the White Dawn looks similar to the Glacier White variant of its predecessor. The Blue Moment, on the other hand, is said to be the first in the industry to feature “baby skin” texture. It offers a skin-like feel to the touch, and it also has a dual-tone design, with the camera island being white and the rest of the body being blue.
As for the Obsidian Secret, OnePlus says that it comes with an “ebony wood grain” textured finish. This finish gives the black colorway a sleek outlook. Unlike previously speculated, the company didn’t showcase any other colorways than these three. There isn’t a green color variant yet as well, which is something that the last few predecessors came with.
The company has also yet to share the full specs of the OnePlus 13. However, according to previous reports, it will feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite, up to 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage, a 6,000 mAh battery, 100W wired charging, and IP68 and IP69 ratings. Other than that, OnePlus recently confirmed 50W magnetic wireless charging support and BOE X2 display.
Oppo is set to unveil its next flagship, the Find X8 series, on October 24. While we’ve already gotten a glimpse of the device in some live photos, new leaked renders now reveal the different color options that will be available.
Oppo Find X8 specifications (rumored) As per the leak, the Oppo Find X8 features a 6.59-inch Tiama OLED flat display with a 120Hz refresh rate, reaching a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits and is equipped with 2160Hz PWM dimming for eye comfort. It is powered by the Dimensity 9400 chipset, complemented by LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.0 storage options. The device houses a substantial 5,630mAh battery that supports 80W wired and 50W wireless (magnetic) charging.
The front camera is a 32-megapixel Sony MX615. The rear panel has a Hasselblad triple camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel LYT-700 sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 50-megapixel Samsung JN5 ultra-wide sensor, and a 50-megapixel LYT-600 sensor featuring a 3x periscope telephoto lens with OIS.
The phone measures 7.85mm in thickness and weighs 193 grams, with both front and rear panels made of Corning Gorilla Glass and an IP68/69 rating. It is available in multiple variants, including 12GB+256GB, 12GB+512GB, 16GB+256GB, 16GB+512GB, and 16GB+1TB, with color options of Starry Black, Breeze Blue, Light White, and Bubble Pink.
According to a new report, well-known and trusted leaker Evan Blass has shared official renders of the Oppo Find X8 and Find X8 Pro, giving us a closer look at the design and color options. According to the images, the Oppo Find X8 will come in four shades:
Black
White
Blue
Pink
Meanwhile, the leaked images of the Find X8 Pro confirm it will come in classic color options like:
Black
White
Blue
Reports suggest that the Find X8 is slightly more compact, featuring a 6.6-inch display, while the Pro version boasts a larger 6.78-inch screen. Though the displays may look flat, they actually sport a subtle micro-quad-curved design. Both models also showcase ultra-thin bezels that are evenly sized, giving them a sleek and modern look.
The leaked renders give us a clearer view of the alert slider, along with the power and volume buttons. The Pro version has an extra Quick Capture button, reportedly featuring a capacitive design with a linear motor. This new button is expected to work much like the Camera Control button introduced with the iPhone 16 series, offering a quick and seamless way to snap photos.
Shifting the focus to the back, both the Find X8 and Find X8 Pro sport a huge circular camera module with the iconic Hasselblad logo centered within it. The LED flash sits just outside the module, positioned in the upper-left corner on both models.
Wondering what’s under the hood? Well, the Oppo Find X8 series is expected to pack MediaTek’s freshly released Dimensity 9400 chip, coupled with up to 16GB of RAM. As for battery life, Oppo is going all out with a hefty 5,700 mAh battery. It might support 80W wired charging and 50W magnetic wireless fast charging, ensuring you’re powered up in no time.
Oppo is set to launch the Find X8 series exclusively in China at first, with a global release likely following later. Given all the rumored specs and the detailed renders we’ve seen from every angle, I think this new flagship is shaping up to be a significant upgrade over its predecessor, and it’s definitely poised to be a fierce contender in this month’s lineup of Chinese flagship smartphones.
Oppo Find X8 will have an iPhone 16 Camera Control-like shutter button
Oppo has revealed that its soon-to-be-unveiled Find X8 flaship phone will arrive with a multifunctional camera shutter button that will sound awfully familiar to iPhone fans.
In a post on Weibo, the Chinese manufacturer detailed the button, which mimics the physical positioning and the functionality of the iPhone 16’s Camera Control almost exactly.
Oppo has a button that you press to launch the camera app, press again to take a picture, and swipe to zoom in and out on your subject.
Oppo says it can also work underwater, eliminating the need to use the touchscreen to turn on the camera when taking underwater photos and videos.
Apple hasn’t talked about the possibility of using the camera control button underwater, and I haven’t tested it on my iPhone 16 Pro Max!
The Oppo Find X8 series is likely to be released before the end of the year, and if the precedent set by the Find X7 series last year is repeated, it could be available early next year.
