Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Pixel 10a details leak, Samsung’s S-Pen plans, OnePlus 15’s new photography approach, Oppo’s powerful battery and charger, open letter protests Google’s developer plans, Galaxy Trifold release details, Murena’s Fairphone 6 comes to the US, and Retroid Pocket 6 surprise.
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.
Is Samsung’s S-Pen Returning To The Fold?
While Samsung’s push towards a thin form factor with the Galaxy S25 Edge appears to have not met with success in the market, the opposite is true for its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7, which have found commercial success and reinforced Samsung’s market share in the foldable space.
Next year’s Galaxy Z Fold8 is currently in development, and the South Korean company is set to bring back a fan favourite; the S-Pen stylus is going to come back, according to 9to5Google’s Ben Schoon:
“Samsung’s popular stylus was removed from last year’s model for the sake of making the device thinner, but not without customer backlash. There are no further details on how Samsung intends to revive this feature, but hopefully this turns out to be true.”
The Pixel 10a’s Familiar Design Leaks
Google’s Pixel 10 family will not be complete until the arrival of the Pixel 10a. The “A-series” Pixel phones offer close to flagship specs with the same Google Tensor chipset in a more budget-friendly package. They typically launch a few months after the main line of phones, so the community has been waiting on details of the 10a.
Some of these arrived this week, with Android Headlines’ Alexander Maxham revealing CAD design files that show off the Pixel 10a’s (lack of) curves and a design that rightly echoes the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL:
“Google is sticking with what looks to be a plastic back that is completely flat and flush with the camera module. Google is also sticking with a dual-camera setup on the rear and some rather thick bezels on the front. The volume rocker continues to be below the power button – the opposite of almost every Android phone on the market.”
The OnePlus 15’s New Approach To Photography
OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus 15 flagship smartphone will be available worldwide on November 13. It will ship with the recently updated OxygenOS 16 software, which promises increased speed and the use of AI to create a “personal intelligence” experience. The real advance looks to be in the camera. This model drops the long associated with Hasselblad, and OnePlus is introducing is own ‘DetailMax’ imaging engine.
Nicholas Sutrich has spent time with the OnePlus 15 and put the new imaging software and hardware through its paces, first checking if OnePlus has addressed long-standing disquiet over aggressive contrast and washing out vibrant colors:
“So far, the new DetailMax Engine looks to fix both of these issues, giving me a more realistic picture that looked like what my eyes saw, not what the camera software thought might look better. The weather has been fairly abysmal in my part of the world this weekend, but I was able to head up to the mountains at the end of last week while it was a clear, calm morning and capture Fall in a way that felt authentic.”
Oppo Finds A Win In Power And Charging
Oppo’s latest Find X9 Pro has been released globally, and its specs are attractive. The big wins in the Find X9 Pro, according to the team at GSM Arena, are the camera and the battery. At 7,500 mAh, this is a beast of a battery. While there have been worries that the international release would have the same size given regulations, that concern looks unfounded.
“We’re not used to getting such capacities on high-end handsets and even when we hear of huge batteries in some markets, they usually don’t make it to where we are. Well, Oppo has cleared whatever regulatory hurdles have gotten in the way before, and the Find X9 Pro comes with a promise for chart-topping endurance.”
Pushing Back On Google’s Developer Registraton Plans
The community pushback against Google’s forced registration of developers who want their apps to be installable on Android devices with Google Play Support has stepped up a gear this week with the launch of the campaign website keepandroidopen.org. This succinctly lays out the arguments from the Open Source community (and others) on the dangers presented by Google’s actions.
The Register’s Thomas Claburn spoke to organiser Marc Prud’hommeaux:
Among Android developers, opposition to Google’s plan has been nearly universal, Prud’hommeaux told The Register in a phone interview. “I am sort of overwhelmed with the amount of support,” he said. “I would ballpark estimate that over 90-95 percent of people are somewhere between concerned and outraged, but pretty much everyone is against it.”
Google did not immediately respond to The Register’s request for comment.
Samsung’s Triple Play May Not Be Near You
This week saw the launch of Samsung’s twin-hinged Galaxy Z Trifold during the APEC CEO Summit. Very much a technological flex, the transforming handset will move from a 6.5” display candybar, through an 8” mini-tablet, to a 10” full tablet.
The question of availability hangs in the air. Previously, with new concepts and “out there” phones, Samsung has limited the release ot a few territories. This is likely to be the case here, with the Galaxy Tri-Fold distribution limited to South Korea, China, Singapore and Taiwan.
No Google Here In The US
One phone that is making its way to the US, and one that steps away from Google’s dominance, is the partnership between Murena and Fairphone, with the titular Murena Fairphone (Gen 6). It goes on sale today for $899 for the 256 GB model.
On the hardware side, you have the modular Fairphone 6, which allows for easy repairs at home. On the software side, you have Murena’s e/OS/ which focuses on privacy and security – in part by dropping the Google Play Suite and replacing the Google apps with alternative clients for services such as email, browsing, and calendar appointments.
And Finally…
This week saw retro handheld specialists Retroid announce the Retroid Pocket 6 and open up pre-orders for delivery in January 2026. Except two days later, it called a halt to the pre-orders. The backlash from the community on the design changes – including a new control strip under the screen and intense emotions on the location of the D-Pad, saw Retroid launch a very public request for feedback.
Time Extension’s Jack Yarwood looks at the potentially positive feedback loop between the gaming public and the Retroid Pocket 6 team:
“In order to find out how widespread these opinions truly are, the company is, therefore, asking potential customers on social media if they should move the panel to the back and which layout they would prefer once pre-orders resume.
“As some have noted, it’s a little bit weird to be willing to change the device so late into the handheld’s development, but at the very least, it shows Retroid is ready to listen to feedback and address potential issues raised by members of its community.”
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!