Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra specs, Honor Magic V6 launch, Pixel 11’s colorful change, Motorola’s new Edge revealed, the Googlebooks are coming, OnePlus 16 imminent, and Gemini Go arrives.
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.
Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra Battery Details
Samsung’s wide-bodied Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is expected to launch in late July, but more information on the foldable’s specs are coming out, including details on a larger battery compared to last year’s model. Samsung appears to be sticking with Lithium Polymer batteries, as in its previous foldables, rather than moving to silicon-carbon batteries like many of its competitors. The GSMArena team analyze the details:
“The tipster claims that the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra will maintain the same 215-gram weight as the Galaxy Z Fold7. However, the upcoming foldable is tipped to pack a larger 5,000mAh battery. Notably, Samsung offered a 4,400mAh battery on the Z Fold7. According to the tipster, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra will support faster 45W charging”
Honor Magic V6 Launches
As part of the release schedule for the Honor Magic V6, pre-orders opened this week in Malaysia and Singapore. The Chinese manufacturer has also confirmed that the global rollout will continue throughout June, including launches in Europe and the Middle East. The V6 is one of the thinnest foldables on the market, and will likely retain that title throughout 2026, as noted in my V6 preview here on Forbes:
“Unfolded, the Magic V6 feels well-balanced, even with the triple-lens main camera under the right-hand side. The all-important crease is shallower than the Magic V5; you can still feel it when dragging your finger across but there’s no valley to work through, it’s a comfortable blip in the road. In terms of the core functions of being a good foldable, the Magic V6 is an obvious pass.”
Pixel 11’s Visual Changes
While they do not confirm the colors that Google’s Pixel 11 family will launch with, the discovery of the wallpapers being prepared for Google’s flagship smartphones suggests a number of new colors are coming, including muted tones of green, pink, and purple. Ben Schoon breaks open the pallete and coordinates with previous cosmetic details:
“Google’s Pixel 11 series is expected to launch in August, and these leaks hint at what colors we’ll see brought to the table. In a previous leak, the base Pixel 11 was said to include black, green, pink, and purple color options, lining up with the wallpapers. From that, we can guess that Pixel 11 Pro/XL will include a lineup including black, green, perhaps another Moonstone-like color, and a new beige option, but we can only speculate for now based on these wallpapers.”
A Smaller Size For Motorola’s New Edge
Motorola has announced the Edge 2026, a thin-form-factor smartphone that follows the innovative Edge 2025. One difference in this year’s model is the move to a smaller display at 6.3 inches. Tushar Mehta looks over the design of Motorola’s new handset:
“While it shares a shape strikingly similar to that of the recent Motorola Edge phones, there is a fundamental distinction. Motorola is now going for a smaller form factor that resembles the Galaxy S26 more than the taller Galaxy S26 Plus. The Edge 2026’s smaller body accompanies a smaller 6.3-inch screen, and helps cut the weight down to just 160 grams.”
The Googlebooks Are Coming
Following the annoucnement of the Googlebook platform at I/O, several manufacturers are expected to launch these tightly focused laptops before the end of the year. How many? Chrome Unboxed’s Robby Payne reckons we could be looking at eight or more:
“But the official announcement buzz temporarily turned my attention away from the devices I’ve been tracking in the Chromium Gerrit for months at this point. When I went back to tally things up, it turns out that we are currently tracking at least eight distinct devices actively being prepped for the Googlebook launch this fall, and that’s a bold way to enter the market.”
OnePlus 16’s Estimated Time Of Arrival
While we await confirmation on the OnePlus 16 and its release dates, Justin Diaz picks out clues about the upcoming flagship’s launch window. OnePlus is typically one of the first manufacturers out of the gate with its holiday hardware, and can be seen as a starting gun outside of the Apple/Samsung steamrollers.
“Although OnePlus hasn’t officially announced a launch date for this phone, or the phone itself, the latest rumor from Digital Chat Station on Weibo claims that it could be launching in September of this year. That would be around a month before the launch date of last year’s phone. This move would be in line with OnePlus’s cadence of releasing flagship devices earlier than the previous year.”
And Finally….
Google’s ‘Android Go’ applications are lightweight versions of its core apps for lower-specced smartphones. The latest update not only enhances the AI offerings on these Android phones but is another moment when users will say goodbye to Assistant and say hello to Gemini. From Google’s support pages:
“Gemini Go is a streamlined version of Gemini designed to help you stay connected and get things done, even on devices with lower storage. It replaces Assistant Go, providing a new conversational experience right on your phone. On Android Go devices (with 2GB of RAM or more), Gemini is available through the Google Search app. You can start a conversation by touching and holding the Home button, or by pressing and holding the Power button on supported devices.”
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!
