Phones
Google teases Pixel 9 Pro with Gemini, launch set for August 13
Google teased the Pixel 9 Pro smartphone launching on August 13. This year’s Made by Google event is taking place two months before its usual schedule. With early launch, the company aims to better compete with its rivals including Apple and Samsung.
The Pixel 9 Pro teaser has been published on Google Store. It’s a 12-second video clip, which begins with the animation of “Google Pixel” text featuring a Gemini color palette. The text disappears save for “ix” — or the Roman Numeral for 9.
The entire animation screens the appearance of the phone’s camera bar. The phone seems to have three lenses, indicating the Pixel 9 Pro. Interestingly, the teaser video published by Google ends on August 13, 2024, in Roman Numerals.
Get ready for magic at #MadeByGoogle
Learn more and sign up for updates: https://t.co/ZnBcg6S6vK pic.twitter.com/C6Of1L9g4a
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) June 25, 2024
The event will be held on Tuesday, August 13 from 10 to 11 a.m. PT. You will be able to join the unveiling live through the Google Store and the Made by Google channel on YouTube. In announcing the event, Google has repeatedly mentioned Android, Gemini, and Pixel.
Meanwhile, Samsung is set to introduce the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 in July. The phones will bring new Galaxy AI features and enhancements to the table. However, upgrades to Google AI would be worth seeing as the Galaxy S25 series might be inspired by it.
Made by Google is coming August 13 — and we’ll be showcasing the latest #Pixel devices, the best of Google AI and @Android software updates. Sign up for updates → https://t.co/W5MELxS9fK pic.twitter.com/AHvF2iIXXV
— Google (@Google) June 25, 2024
Phones
A rumor suggests Samsung Galaxy S25 launch in late January
Samsung could launch the Galaxy S25 series in late January next year. The company is working on new flagship smartphones. A report from a Korean media outlet allegedly reveals the possible launch date of the upcoming flagships.
According to FNNews (via Jukanlosreve), Samsung may hold an Unpacked event on January 23, 2025, where it could introduce the Galaxy S25 series. The report also suggests that the company may share a sneak peek at the S25 Slim at Unpacked.
In particular, the Galaxy S25’s Unpacked could be held in San Francisco. Samsung seems to be continuing its flagship debut in January to seize the Android smartphone market, somehow hindered by the Apple iPhone 16 launch.
A look at Galaxy S launches and venues:
Galaxy S24 Series
- Launch Date: January 17, 2024
- Venue: San Francisco, USA
Galaxy S23 Series
- Launch Date: February 1, 2023
- Venue: San Francisco, USA
Galaxy S22 Series
- Launch Date: February 9, 2022
- Venue: Online (Virtual Event)
Galaxy S21 Series
- Launch Date: January 14, 2021
- Venue: Online (Virtual Event)
Galaxy S20 Series
- Launch Date: February 11, 2020
- Venue: San Francisco, USA
Galaxy S10 Series
- Launch Date: February 20, 2019
- Venue: San Francisco, USA
As you can see, January or February have been the usual launch month for the new Galaxy S lineup. Samsung may announce the Galaxy S25 series in late January in San Francisco, with global release could take place in the first week of February.
The S25 lineup will have three models; Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra. The devices will have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and upgraded AI and GenAI capabilities to make your everyday experiences epic.
Korean media often manage to reveal credible info about product launch dates. However, there’s still room for strategic shifts and unexpected delays. We will keep you updated if there’s any new development happening in the story.
Phones
Leak: Samsung Galaxy S25 family to only feature Snapdragon 8 Elite
Exynos era is seemingly over as Samsung Galaxy S25 family is all set to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. The company’s Foundry division is facing 3nm yield issues, which is still less than 20% as compared to above 80% of TSMC.
Samsung insider IceUniverse repeated that the Galaxy S25 series will use Snapdragon 8 Elite globally. Local Samsung units in Asia, Europe, and Africa will also ship the next flagships featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
China, Canada, and the US always get Snapdragon-powered Galaxy flagships. Snapdragon exclusivity is pleasing news for consumers, but not for Samsung. Due to a lack of Exynos, the company may face issues with cost management.
Samsung faced massive criticism over the heat concerns in Exynos 2200 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. That led the company to go all Snapdragon in the Galaxy S23 series, canceling the debut of the follow-up processor – Exynos 2300.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra adopted Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 internationally. However, there is chip variation in the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus variants. Meanwhile, the next-gen Galaxy S is almost confirmed to use the Snapdragon processor in all markets.
Snapdragon 8 Elite
Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon chip comes with the second generation custom-built Oryon CPU, Adreno GPU, and enhanced Qualcomm Hexagon NPU. These cutting-edge innovations deliver game-changing performance improvements.
Key features:
- Fastest mobile CPU in the world with 4.32 GHz peak CPU speeds.
- Experience an astounding 45% boost in CPU performance and 44% improved power efficiency.
- The mobile industry’s largest shared cache delivers insanely fast data retrieval.
- Delivers up to 27% in overall power savings, extending your gaming time by up to 2.5 hours.
The chipset adopts a 64-bit architecture, featuring two prime cores clocked at up to 4.32 GHz and performance cores up to 3.53 GHz. It’s made using TSMC’s 3nm process node, offering size reduction, performance improvements, and enhanced efficiency.
Phones
Samsung Galaxy A36 to feature a stunning 12MP selfie camera
Samsung Galaxy A36 is set to launch in early 2025, likely alongside the Galaxy A56. Ahead of the official release, several leaks and rumors have started to surface, revealing some of the phone’s key features and specs. While many details are still unknown, camera specifications for the Samsung Galaxy A36 have already been leaked, with a promising 12MP selfie camera.
According to the information via GalaxyClub, the Samsung Galaxy A36 will feature a 12MP sensor for the selfie camera, which is an upgrade from the 13MP sensor found in previous Galaxy A3x models.
This new front camera should provide better selfies and clearer video calls. It is expected to offer a noticeable improvement over older models. Notably, this front camera sensor is the same as expected in the higher-end Galaxy A56 smartphone.
Moreover, the company is reportedly going to continue the 50MP main camera setup from the current Galaxy A35 phone for the Galaxy A36.
However, the macro and ultrawide camera details for Galaxy A36 are still unclear. It’s possible these will remain the same as the A35, with a 5MP macro and an 8MP ultrawide camera, but we’ll have to wait for confirmation.
Aside from the camera, the Galaxy A36 is expected to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, likely either the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 or 7s Gen 2. It will also come with 6 GB of RAM and run on Android 15.
The Galaxy A36 will be a good choice in the budget smartphone market. Stay tuned for more details.