Xperia is currently developing two devices, according to new leaks. Sony will be one of Qualcomm’s launch partners for its latest flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
It has been rumoured that Sony’s Xperia 1 VIII will succeed this year’s Xperia 1 VII. Earlier, there was evidence that Sony had registered multiple model numbers for the upcoming flagship. As a result, speculation has shifted away from a possible revival of the Xperia 5 series after The Walkman Blog uncovered another set of model IDs.
Sony’s mobile division has been in a state of uncertainty, but it expanded its lineup earlier this year with the Xperia 1 VII and Xperia 10 VII. In addition to the new model number PM-1525, the additional codes PM-1530, PM-1531, PM-1532, PM-1533, PM-1534, and PM-1555 are believed to represent regional variants of the Xperia 1 VIII.
Rather than a new Xperia 5, this is most likely the Xperia 10 VIII. Due to declining demand, Sony discontinued the Xperia 5 line after the fifth generation. Sony has instead opted for a simplified two-tier strategy: a high-end Xperia 1 and a mid-range Xperia 10.
The Xperia 1 VIII will be Sony’s only smartphone powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. According to Qualcomm, Sony will deploy the chip soon, cementing its position in Sony’s 2025 portfolio.
The Galaxy S26 series is generating a lot of excitement. It is expected to unveil its lineup in San Francisco in February, but consumer concerns over higher prices are causing early excitement to wane.
The Galaxy S26 series may see a price increase in the near future, according to a new report from South Korea. Over the past year, Samsung has managed to keep the base prices of all three Galaxy S25 models across most markets, but economic conditions surrounding smartphone component manufacturing have changed significantly.
Compared with last year’s average, chip prices are up 12%, while camera modules—another major contributor to flagship phone costs—are up 8%. A more notable spike is the 16% increase in mobile DRAM prices just since the first quarter.
Things are only going to get worse. As manufacturers divert production capacity to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI chips, a memory shortage is expected in the coming months. The financial pressure on smartphone makers is only intensifying as supply tightens and demand for advanced components rises.
It is not just Samsung that is feeling the strain. According to reports, Apple is planning to raise prices for its latest iPhone 17 series.
In an attempt to reduce reliance on Qualcomm’s increasingly expensive Snapdragon chips, Samsung prioritised the development of the Exynos 2600. Samsung could control costs by using its own silicon.
Based on past adjustments, the increase is likely to be between $50 and $100, in line with industry trends. Samsung will officially announce the S26 series soon, but fans will have to wait until then.
In addition to the Moto G67 Power, Motorola has also announced the Moto G57 and Moto G57 Power today. Motorola has unveiled its latest G series smartphone in India after several teasers. The Moto G67 Power comes with a 7,000 mAh Si/C battery that offers up to 2 days of battery life.
Moto G67 Power:
The new Moto G67 Power will feature a massive 6.7-inch FHD+ IPS LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. Again, the device is powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC, coupled with 8GB/12GB RAM and 128GB/256GB storage, with microSD card support.
The device features a 50MP Sony LYT-600 sensor coupled with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide sensor with LED flash. It also features a 32MP selfie shooter under the punch-hole display. The device has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and is IP64 and MIL-STD-810H certified, making it water-resistant.
Additionally, the device features a dual-stereo speaker that supports both Dolby Atmos and Moto Spatial Sound, offering improved bass, vocals and clarity. It will be 8.6mm thick, weigh 210 grams, and come in three Pantone-curated colours: Pantone Cilantro, Pantone Parachute Purple, and Pantone Blue Curacao.
The connectivity options include Dual-Band Wi-Fi, 5G, 4G LTE, FM Radio, Dual SIM support, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC, USB Type-C, and Bluetooth 5.4. The Moto G67 Power packs a 7000 mAh battery with 30W fast charging support, and runs Android 15 OS out of the box.
Pricing:
There are four colors available for the Moto G67 Power 5G, including PANTONE Lemon, PANTONE Chia Seed, and PANTONE Curacao Blue. For the single 8GB + 128GB model, the price is Rs. 15,999.
Starting November 12th, it will be available on Flipkart, Motorola.in, and in offline stores. SBI and Axis cards offer a Rs. 1,000 bank discount or a Rs. 1000 additional exchange discount.
Moto G57 and Moto G57 Power:
The new Moto G57 and Moto G57 Power will feature a massive 6.72-inch FHD+ IPS LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. Again, the device is powered by a Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 SoC, coupled with 8GB/12GB RAM and 128GB/256GB storage, with microSD card support.
The device features a 50MP Sony LYT-600 sensor coupled with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide sensor with LED flash. It also features an 8MP selfie shooter under the punch-hole display. The device has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and is IP64 and MIL-STD-810H certified, making it water-resistant.
Additionally, the device features a dual-stereo speaker that supports both Dolby Atmos and Moto Spatial Sound, offering improved bass, vocals and clarity. It will be 8.6mm thick, weigh 210 grams, and come in three Pantone-curated colours: PANTONE Regatta, PANTONE Pink Lemonade, PANTONE-Corsair and PANTONE Fluidity.
The connectivity options include Dual-Band Wi-Fi, 5G, 4G LTE, FM Radio, Dual SIM support, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC, USB Type-C, and Bluetooth 5.4. The Moto G57 Power packs a 7000 mAh battery with 30W fast charging support, and runs Android 15 OS out of the box. The Moto G57 packs a 5200 mAh battery with 30W fast charge support.
Pricing:
In the Middle East, the G57 is available for €249, while in Europe, the G57 Power is available for €279.
As the first smartphone to feature Realme UI 7.0, based on Android 16.1, the Realme GT8 Pro is preparing for a global launch later this month.
The Realme UI 7.0 is a significant redesign that employs several types of transparency. Featuring transparency, depth, and fluidity inspired by glass, the overall look is called “Light Glass Design.” Other features include Ice Cube Icons, Misty Glass Control Centre, and Breathing Dock.
It is also becoming easier to customise the user interface. Prominent text themes are now available in Flux Theme 2.0. A panoramic view can be set for the Always On Display, and fingerprint unlock animations can be customised. With AI-generated depth of field effects, you can set a Live Photo or a video as a wallpaper. Besides resizable Flux Desktop Icons, there are new widgets and lockscreen styles.
This version includes iPhone and Apple Watch Connect. Realme phones can sync health data from Apple Watches. Realme watches will also display calls and messages from iPhones.
With the Multi-task sidebar, you can access select apps and key tools without leaving the current application. The Flux Engine has been optimised under the hood to improve overall system responsiveness by 15%, make app scrolling 29% smoother, and increase daily performance by 22%. The new Seamless Animations also create a fluid experience.
As part of Realme UI 7.0, AI Notify Brief will take non-urgent notifications and create morning and evening briefs for you. In addition to scheduling updates, the program can also create to-dos to help you manage your time more effectively.
AI Framing Master guides budding photographers to get the best framing of a scene while explaining the underlying composition principles so users can reproduce it themselves in the future. To help you out of a bind, the AI Gaming Coach provides insights for your game.
Roll-out Timeline:
The Realme GT 8 Pro will come with Realme UI 7.0 out of the box. Older models will start receiving the new OS version and UI this month, including the Realme GT 7 Pro. An updated roadmap will be announced soon. Select devices are already running the latest version as an Open Beta.
Vivo introduced the Vivo X300 and X300 Pro last month in China and globally. In December, these phones will be launched in India. The company is expected to begin teasing the X300 Ultra’s arrival next year after these devices receive a wider launch. Tipster Digital Chat Station has revealed the X300 Ultra’s display and camera details on Weibo.
The tipster claims the Vivo X300 Ultra’s rear camera setup will feature three cameras, each equipped with upgraded large sensors compared to the Vivo X200 Ultra. Furthermore, he said that the X300 Ultra might be the first phone to feature two 200-megapixel cameras. The primary camera will have a 35mm focal length, ideal for portraits, street photography, and everyday life.
Vivo X300 Ultra is also currently being tested with a 6.8-inch OLED display with a flat design and 2K resolution support, the leak reveals. According to reports, it will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.
Camera-wise, it is expected to feature a 50MP selfie camera and a triple camera with a 200MP Sony IMX90E, a 50MP Sony LYT-828, and a 200MP Samsung HPB periscope telephoto with OIS.
A detailed video from South Korea shows off Samsung’s upcoming tri-folding smartphone. SBS News and Omokgyo Electronics shared footage showing the device’s overall construction, folding design, and physical features. It is widely believed that Samsung will launch it as the Galaxy Z TriFold, despite not officially confirming its name.
Using two hinges on both sides of the device, the Galaxy Z TriFold can fold twice to form a compact shape. The screen expands to 10 inches when unfolded, while the external cover measures around 6.5 inches.
Samsung’s design folds both panels inward to protect the display when closed, unlike Huawei’s outward folding model. On the phone’s sides, one hinge has a smaller radius, while the other has a longer curve to accommodate the inner folding section.
When fully opened, the TriFold appears slim despite its dual-hinge design. Additionally, Samsung has maintained a balanced weight distribution across its panels for better grip and handling.
As with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Galaxy Z TriFold is reportedly equipped with a triple-camera setup at the back, including a 200-megapixel primary sensor, a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 10-megapixel telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. There is a punch-hole front camera on both the inner and outer displays.
In addition to dual speakers, multiple microphones, and side-mounted power and volume buttons, there is also a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power key. Due to the complex hinge mechanism, the bezels appear thicker than those on the Fold 7.
Reports indicate an official launch later this year with a limited release in select markets, but Samsung has not revealed specifications or pricing
We all expected Samsung to revamp its flagship smartphone lineup next year, but rumours suggested the company changed its mind at some point, and now we expect the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra to arrive in early 2026.
You can see purported screen protectors for the trio below, which were leaked in China today. Two things stand out here, along with confirmation that these are the three models launching early next year.
On all devices, the bezels are tiny and symmetrical on all sides. The curvature radii of their screens appear identical, so from the front, they look like they belong to the same family. Until now, the Ultra has always had less rounded corners, but if this image is accurate, in 2026, all three models will have the same curvature radius.
In some markets, the S26 family will be powered by Samsung’s Exynos 2600 SoC, while in others, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will power the devices. According to reports, the trio will debut on February 25.
Even though the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC has only been official for a little over a month, we heard rumours about its successor last week.
Even more details have been released in China today. Next year, it appears that both the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will be available.
There will be a difference in the GPUs between the two SoCs, with only the Pro version supporting LPDDR6. A 2+3+3 configuration will be used on both, utilising TSMC’s 2nm process and third-generation self-developed CPU cores.
The Pro version will reportedly cost around $70 more than this year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. It will be interesting to see which phone makers choose the 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro next year, and which opt for the non-Pro version to save money.
Oppo is gearing up to introduce the Reno15 series across multiple markets soon. While there’s buzz about a China launch this month, new information suggests the Reno15 series will arrive in India as early as late December, ahead of the initial expectation of an early January debut.
Reports suggest the lineup will include three models—the Reno15, Reno15 Pro, and a new addition called the Reno15 Mini. The Reno 15 Mini is said to feature a 6.31-inch screen, making it the first compact Reno device. The standard Reno15 might offer a 6.59-inch display, and the Pro model could step up to a 6.78-inch panel.
Under the hood, both the Mini and Pro versions are rumoured to come with the Dimensity 8450 chipset. Details about the standard Reno15’s processor remain unconfirmed, though. Camera-wise, the Mini and Pro are likely to boast Samsung’s 200MP HP5 primary camera, paired with two 50MP sensors for ultra-wide and periscope capabilities. Selfie fans can expect a 50MP front camera on these models.
All three variants should ship with ColorOS 16 based on Android 16. While battery information is scarce, it’s understood that the Pro version will include wireless charging. If the timeline holds, customers in India can look forward to purchasing the Reno 15 series in the first or second week of January 2026.
New rumours suggest that iQOO is expanding its latest series to include a compact iQOO 15 Mini alongside the already unveiled iQOO 15 and the upcoming 15 Ultra.
The standard variant is now available in China and is preparing for an international launch; however, both the Ultra and Mini are expected to be released domestically in the first half of 2026.
If leaks are to be believed, iQOO has already begun internally testing the Mini edition. Information from a reliable source indicates that the Mini will feature a 6.31-inch screen and run on the yet-to-be-announced Dimensity 9500 Plus chipset, which is expected to be a performance-oriented improvement over the previous D9500 chip released last year.
While there haven’t been many details about how the Mini will look, it is likely to maintain a similar design language as the rest of the series. An earlier leak hinted at a substantial 7,000 mAh battery in this compact model, promising impressive battery life.
Judging by MediaTek’s release dates for previous chips, the new Dimensity 9500 Plus may debut around April 2026, suggesting the iQOO 15 Mini could officially launch in the second quarter of the year.
Most of these, apart from the OnePlus device anticipated to run on a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, are also rumoured to use the new D9500 Plus chip.
