OnePlus 15R Boasts Huge 7,400 mAh Battery
OnePlus has revealed full details of the OnePlus 15R, the company's more-affordable cousin to the recently-launched OnePlus 15. Where the 15 led the market at launch with a huge 7,300 mAh battery, the new 15R one-ups that with a 7,400 mAh battery. It also can fast-charge at up to 55 watts, or even 80 watts with a special OnePlus "dual ports" charger. Compared to the 13R it replaces, the 15R also has upgraded waterproofing and durability with an IP69K rating and Gorilla Glass 7i. The front camera also sees a step up to 32 megapixel and auto-focus, the processor is the brand-new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, and the display is now capable of up to 165 Hz refresh (only in certain compatible games). Unfortunately, the 15R lacks the telephoto camera found on the 13R and 15. Other specs include 12 GB RAM, 50 megapixel main camera with OIS, Wi-Fi 7, infrared emitter, and good support for most 5G and 4G networks in the US. The OnePlus 15R will be available January 15 for $700 with 256 GB storage and a choice of black or mint green colors. A 512 GB version will also be available, in black only, for $800.
Motorola Refreshes moto g power for 2026
Motorola has revealed a new version of its moto g power, the company's $300 Android phone for the US. The new 2026 model is very similar to last year's model, with just a handful of changes. The battery size has increased from 5,000 to 5,200 mAh, at the expense of wireless charging. The display glass has been upgraded to Corning Gorilla Glass 7i for added protection. Finally, the front camera has been upgraded from 16 megapixel to a 32 megapixel sensor (pixel-binned to output 8 megapixel photos.) Other specs and features are unchanged, including a 6.8-inch FHD+ display with 120 Hz refresh, MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip, 8 / 128 GB memory, and a 50 megapixel main camera sensor (again, pixel-binned to output 12.5 megapixel images.) It also has as IP68/IP69 rating for water, military ratings for durability, expandable storage, headset jack, NFC, and a fingerprint reader. It will be offered in two Pantone colors: Pure Cashmere (beige) and Evening Blue. It will be available starting January 8, from Verizon and unlocked. Later, it will come to Cricket, Tracfone, Visible, Total, Straight Talk, Simple Mobile, and AT&T.
Google Brings Live Video Sharing to 911 Calls on Android
Google has launched a new feature of Android that makes it easy to share live video with an emergency dispatcher during an emergency phone call or text. Emergency Live Video on Android is a new feature that can be initiated by the dispatcher. "During an emergency call or text, a dispatcher can send a request to your phone to share live video. With a single tap, you can start securely streaming from your camera, allowing responders to quickly assess the situation and get you the right help in the moment." The feature requires no setup and works with a single tap. It is also optional (you can decline the request) and you can end video sharing at any time with a single tap. "The feature is rolling out today across the U.S., as well as select regions of Germany and Mexico, and is supported on Android phones running Android 8+ with Google Play services."
Mophie Debuts new Travel Charger Lineup
Mophie has introduced a new lineup of "Speedport" USB-C chargers that make use of compact, efficient GaN technology. The lineup sports a clean, minimalist design and folding power prongs. The range spans a variety of wattages and price points. The external plastics are made from 75% post-consumer recycled materials. The most affordable is the Speedport 20 (shown), offering a single USB-C port and 20W of power for $15. The Speedport 35 (not shown) steps up to 35W and sells for $25. The Speedport 45 (shown) offers two USB-C ports and 45W of shared power for $40. Also available are the Speedport 70, 100, and 140, with the 140W model offering three USB-C ports. All six of those models are available now. Coming "soon" will be the Speedport Plus 67 (shown, middle), which has two USB-C ports plus a built-in retractable USB-C cable on the bottom. It will offer 67W of shared power for $60.
Samsung One UI 8.5 Will Offer New Features
Samsung has launched a limited beta program for its next version of Android, One UI 8.5. It includes a few key new features: Audio Broadcast will let you broadcast audio — including your own voice — to multiple nearby devices using Bluetooth Auracast. Proactive Quick Share will automatically recognize your contacts' faces in the photos you take, and suggest that you share those photos with those contacts. Storage Share will unify file storage between Samsung devices, letting you access files on nearby TVs, tablets, and PCs from the My Files app on your phone. The One UI 8.5 beta program will initially be available to Galaxy S25 series users. Eligible users can apply to join the beta program via the Samsung Members app.
OnePlus 15 Ships December 22
After a delay due to the government shutdown, OnePlus has started taking pre-orders for its OnePlus 15 flagship phone. The company's web site currently shows that it "ships in 18 days", and only the pricier 16/512 GB version is available for now.
AT&T Sues T-Mobile Over "Easy Switch" Tool
AT&T has taken T-Mobile to court over its "Easy Switch" tool that uses AT&T or Verizon account data to recommend an equivalent T-Mobile plan and streamline the process of switching to T-Mobile. Originally, the tool asked users to log in to their AT&T or Verizon account from within the T-Life app, and a T-Mobile bot would then extract (or "scrape") account data on the user's behalf. AT&T claims that "more than 100 categories of private information" were extracted, and that this process violated its web site terms and conditions. T-Mobile has since modified the process, but AT&T is still pursuing temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction "to stop T-Mobile from taking customer data from secure, password-protected websites on AT&T's computer systems without AT&T's consent."
Play Store Customers to Receive Automatic Payments from $700 Million Google Settlement
New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced details of how consumers will receive payment as part of a $700 million settlement with Google over anticompetitive practices with its Play Store policies. In most cases, the payments will be calculated and paid automatically. Anyone who made a purchase via the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 should be eligible. Affected consumers started receiving notices this week. Google will try to make payments automatically by matching Play Store account email addresses and/or phone numbers with PayPal or Venmo accounts. Where an eligible Play Store account email address or phone number cannot be matched to a PayPal or Venmo account, "consumers have the option to create a new account or direct the payment to a PayPal or Venmo account at another email address or phone number." There will also be a supplemental claims process for consumers who don't receive an automatic payment. The settlement still needs to be formally approved by the court, which will happen no sooner than April 30, 2026. The lawsuit was led by the Attorneys General of New York, Utah, North Carolina, and Tennessee, and joined by Attorneys General of all 50 states.
Google's Second Release of Android 16 Brings Smart Notifications and More
Google today released an updated version of Android 16 (known as "Android 16 QPR2") with a range of new features. This is a new kind of update, the product of Google's new release schedule for Android. Now, major Android versions will come out every second quarter, and minor updates like this come each fourth quarter. (Unlike major version updates, these minor updates should require little work for app developers.) One key new feature is AI-powered notification summaries and prioritizing. Longer messages can be automatically summarized, and "Notification organizer automatically groups and silences your lower-priority notifications (such as promotions, news, and social alerts)". Another feature to help prioritize important communication is Call Reason in Google's Phone app, which will let you "mark call as urgent" when calling someone. This will display an "It's urgent" banner on the incoming call screen of the recipient. (This feature is "coming soon" and in beta.) Google is also updating Circle to Search so it can better determine whether a message is a scam or not. Google is also making key parental controls available in Settings (instead of having to open the Family Link app.) Google is also introducing a more aggressive "expanded" Dark theme option that will even dim apps not designed for dark mode. Finally, there are new options for customizing the look of app icons. As usual, Google Pixel devices will be first to receive the update, with other manufacturers following on their own schedule.
Samsung Announces its First Tri-Fold Foldable Phone
Samsung has announced the Galaxy Z TriFold, a foldable phone comprised of three ultra-thin (~4mm) panels and two sets of hinges, that unfolds into a 10-inch tablet. When closed, it resembles a standard smartphone with a 6.5-inch display that is 12.9mm thick. Because the main screen is so large, Samsung has created a "standalone" version of Samsung DeX, meaning it can switch to a PC-like desktop mode without attaching an external monitor. But users can still attach an external monitor to create a dual-monitor desktop setup. Standalone Samsung DeX works with or without a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. The three panels fold up in such a way that the larger display is fully protected. This means that there is a wrong way to fold the phone, but the phone has automatic vibrating and visual alerts to keep you from doing that. The Galaxy Z TriFold is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, triple-camera system with 200 megapixel main camera, and a 5,600 mAh battery system with 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. As with Samsung's Z Fold phones, it has "front" cameras on both the inner and outer displays. It's rated IP48 for dust and water. It ships this month in South Korea, and Q1 in the US. US pricing has yet to be announced.
Qualcomm Expands Flagship Phone Chip Series
Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip for high-end phones. Although intended for flagship-level phones, it sits just below the already-announced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the lineup. It keeps many high-end features from the 8 Elite Gen 5, including dual prime CPU cores, 20-bit triple ISP (for camera processing), and Bluetooth Channel Sounding. However the top CPU speed drops from 4.6 GHz to 3.8 GHz, the maximum RAM speed drops from 5,300 MHz to 4,800 MHz, and it lacks some high-end graphics features like Tile Memory Heap and Adreno High Performance Memory (HPM). Since the last non-Elite 8-series chip was the 8 Gen 3 from two years ago, Qualcomm compares performance to that chip: 46% improved NPU (AI) performance, 36% improved CPU (general compute) performance, and 11% improved GPU (graphics) performance. Read on for a table highlighting the differences between recent 8-series chips. Qualcomm says OnePlus and other manufacturers will announce phones using the new chip in the coming weeks. OnePlus is expected to announce specs of the OnePlus 15R soon, so that phone may use this chip.
Google Adding AirDrop to Android
Google is improving Android's Quick Share wireless file-sharing feature by adding compatibility with Apple's similar AirDrop feature on iPhones. This will make it easier to share photos, videos, and other files with nearby phones, between Android phones and iPhones. The feature will have a phased rollout, starting today with the Google Pixel 10 series. Google says it plans to expand the rollout to "more Android devices" over time.
Mophie Launches New Fast Wireless Charging Stands
Mophie is launching a new, complete range of wireless charging stands with 3-in-1 and 2-in-1 variants to charge an iPhone plus one or two other wearables (AirPods and/or Apple Watch). All four models have a Qi2-certified 15W magnetic charging stand for an iPhone, with tilt adjustment. Also available is an elevated pad for fast charging an Apple Watch, and/or a 5W wireless charger built into the base for AirPods. All come in white, while the 3-in-1 model is also available in black. The iPhone-only and 3-in-1 models are available now, for $45 and $100, respectively. The 2-in-1 models will ship in early December, with the iPhone+AirPods model going for $60 and the iPhone+Watch model selling for $80. The multi-device models come with a 40W wall adapter with an integrated USB-C cable.
AT&T Rolls Out New Spectrum for Faster 5G
AT&T has quickly deployed 30 MHz of nearly-nationwide radio spectrum that it agreed to buy from EchoStar in August. This significantly adds to the mid-band capacity (3.45 GHz, part of band 77) that is already key to AT&T's 5G network. AT&T says mobile users should see download speeds boosted by "up to 80 percent, coast to coast" (meaning Hawaii and Alaska are not included). AT&T's deal with EchoStar is not expected to officially close until mid-2026, but the companies agreed to an interim lease deal that allows AT&T to use the spectrum now. The $23 billion deal includes another 20 MHz of lower-frequency spectrum, but that will take longer to deploy as AT&T does not currently use that band.
T-Mobile Rolls Out REVVL 8 Pro
T-Mobile has launched sales of its own-brand REVVL 8 Pro phone. Compared to both the standard REVVL 8 (that launched in August), and last year's REVVL 7 Pro that it replaces, the new model upgrades the cameras and adds IP67 water resistance. The new 8 Pro has a 13 megapixel wide-angle camera, whereas the last year's model was 5 megapixel and the standard 8 has none. The 8 Pro also upgrades to a 32 megapixel front camera and faster wired charging at 33W. As usual, the Pro model has wireless charging (15W). Other specs include a 6.8-inch AMOLED FHD+ display with 120 Hz refresh, 5,000 mAh battery, Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB storage (expandable), and a 50 megapixel main camera. Both T-Mobile and Metro have started selling the phone for $250.
Google Loosens Stance on Side-loading Unverified Apps in Android
Google has announced new details of its plan to restrict side-loaded apps in Android to ones that come from "verified" developers. ("Side-loaded" meaning apps installed via means other than Google's Play app store, or soon, registered third-party app stores.) To address concerns that have been raised in response to the plans, Google has now announced two specific exceptions: First, Google will make an exception for apps that are only made available to a small group and not the general public. Developers of such apps will not have to go through "the full verification requirements". Second, Google will create "a new advanced flow that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn't verified." This process will be designed specifically to thwart scammers that try to convince victims to install malware, the main issue the whole developer-verification system is intended to address. Google says it is still working out the details of these policies and systems, and is still inviting feedback on them.
OnePlus 15 Will Come to US but Date Uncertain
OnePlus has fully revealed its new flagship — the OnePlus 15 — for western markets. Although the company does plan to sell it in the US, its sale date is dependent on FCC approval, which is currently delayed due to the government shutdown. The OnePlus 15 boasts the largest battery on the market at a whopping 7,300 mAh. It also has extremely fast charging at up to 80W wired / 50W wireless. The phone adopts a new design language for OnePlus that is closer to what the leading competition has designed in recent years. Other features are similar to the OnePlus 13, such as triple 50-megapixel rear cameras, IP69 water rating, ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader, Wi-Fi 7, and an infrared emitter. The 15 has a simple shortcut button instead of the slider switch that was a signature feature of many past OnePlus phones. The 15 is powered by the top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip from Qualcomm. The phone has good support for the 5G and 4G networks of all top three US carriers. It will come in black with 12 GB RAM / 256 storage for $900. For an extra $100, it will come with 16 GB RAM / 512 GB storage, as well as sand and violet color options.
Apple Joins Google in Offering Passport-Based Digital ID
Apple is launching a new type of digital identification for iPhone (and Apple Watch) that it calls simply "Digital ID". It is based on the user's existing passport and can be used in place of a Real ID at TSA checkpoints for domestic travel. (It does not replace a passport for international travel.) "At launch, Digital ID acceptance will roll out first in beta at TSA checkpoints at more than 250 airports in the U.S. ... with additional Digital ID acceptance use cases to come in the future." Not all TSA checkpoints can accept this type of ID yet. Google's Android already supports this unique type of ID — which they call "ID pass" — having announced it over a year ago. On both Android and iOS, the system works the same way: To set it up, you scan your passport with your phone's camera, scan the NFC chip in the passport, and take a moving selfie to verify identity. To use it, just tap the NFC reader at the checkpoint and confirm the requested info to share with TSA. (Your phone stays in your hand.)
