Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Galaxy S26’s very black option, Honor 500’s new design, OnePlus 15R announced, Foco F8 Ultra turns it up to 11, Android 16 goes vibrant, and Gemini finds another foothold.
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.
Samsung’s None So Black Galaxy
Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 family will not only update the specifications of the South Korean flagship but also introduce a new material to the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s design. It’s expected that the Ultra will lean heavily into its “black” phase with a twit to the frame for a deeper share of black:
[Noted leaker] @UniverseIce says that the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s black color variant will have a black frame, and not the silver one that the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s Titanium Black version offers. According to them, this change will make the bezels around the display look thicker.”
Honor 500’s New Design And High Specs
The Chinese launch of the Honor 500 took place this week. The mid-range handset can be seen as a direct challenger to the Pixel 9a, iPhone 17e, and Galaxy A smartphones. It’s a space where design can be critical when finding success. With a new flat frame, punch-hole camera and a pill-shaped main camera island, the Honor 500 meets that challenge. As for power, both the Honor 500 and the Honor 500 Pro, as NotebookCheck discovered, are aiming high.
“The Honor 500 and 500 Pro differ mainly in two areas. First, the standard model is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 rather than the faster Snapdragon 8 Elite found in the Pro model. Second, a 50 MP f/2.4 telephoto lens is reserved for the higher-end model. Beyond that, both phones share the same camera setup: a 200 MP f/1.9 main shooter with OIS, a 12 MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera, and a 50 MP f/2.0 front-facing camera.”
OnePlus 15R Announced
Also heading for the mid-range is the new OnePlus 15R. Launched this week, it sits alongside the recent OnePlus 15 and features new styling and AI-focused software. It’s also looking to be just as well protected as the more expensive brethren, as Forbes contributor David Phelan explains:
“It’s going to arrive in two colors, Shadow Black, which OnePlus says is perfect for gamers who love to fly stealthily under the radar. The second, Mint Breeze, is a light and punchy color. Initial images show the back of the phone as flat, not curved, with a raised camera panel in the top left corner. The company also says the phone is “adventure-proof,” by which it means its ingress protection ratings, specifically IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K.”
Poco F8 Ultra’s Loud Ambitions
Putting aside the courageous choice to outfit its new smartphone in denim, Poco’s F8 Ultra is leaning into the loud to promote it. Poco’s partnership with Bose puts the focus onto music and media rather than the photography angle many will highlight:
“In terms of sheer loudness, The F8 Ultra just barely made it into the ‘Very Good’ category, with an integrated loudness value of -26.0 LUFS in our seven-track music test (-26.1 and it would have been just ‘Good’).
“It’s easily excellent when it comes to sound quality, though. The three speakers work together nicely, the ‘subwoofer’ bringing in plenty of low-end impact as phones go, while the other two deliver clean and lively vocals and treble.”
Turn Up The Colors For Sixteen
Google is bringing more color to Android in the QPR2, the next software update for Android. Abner Li picks ou the new colors and dynamic range that will be pushed to consumers in the near future:
“Google starts by updating the larger background container. When the system dark theme is enabled, a much lighter Dynamic Color shade is now leveraged. It helps visually distinguish the actual search bar from the broader pill. Meanwhile, the microphone, Google Lens, and AI Mode icons now have a lighter background for increased contrast.”
And Finally…
Google is continuing to bring Gemini deeper into Android, and as a result, Google Assistant is being sidelined. Aamir Siddiqui and the team at Android Authority dive into the latest beta release of Android to find the latest apps to see the switch to Gemini:
“The latest change has been spotted in the new Hey Google setup flow, which now focuses on Gemini instead of Google Assistant. The Hey Google & Voice Match feature in Gemini used to sport the Google Assistant branding, but Google is finally preparing to switch over to Gemini. We’ll see a similar transition within Gemini settings as well.”
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!