Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Pixel 10 hardware changes, powerful Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung’s Tab S10 FE Specs, Poco’s F7 Ultra launch, minimalist Light Phone 3 arrives, a new path for open-source Android, and goodbye Google Assistant.
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.
Poco F7 Ultra
Poco Press
Pixel 10’s Invisible Hardware Changes
As part of the Tensor Mobile chipset’s move from Samsung Foundry to TSMC, Google is switching out several smaller components in the design. One of the most interesting is a return to using its own design for the Image Signal Processor, a project that was paused before the Pixel 6’s move to the Tensor Mobile design:
“The Pixel team will be hoping that consumers will not see a weakening of the camera due to this. Perhaps the opportunity to have a closer tie between the ISP, the CPU, the GPU and the AI routines inside the Tensor G5 will improve the resulting photos and videos.”
(Forbes).
Fashionable Galaxy S25 Edge Chases Power
With the upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung is chasing the new market for ultra-thin smartphones. It’s also choosing not to skimp on the quality of the hardware. The latest benchmarks show specs that should match that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, all things being equal:
“The chipset specifications suggest that the S25 Edge will use an 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite. It has been overclocked compared to the standard Snapdragon found in the Galaxy S25. That would fit with Samsung’s continued use of the customised Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite For Galaxy Processor… which suggests that Samsung has leaned towards more complex trade-offs in the S25 Edge design to unlock that performance.”
(Forbes).
Samsung’s Practical Tablet
Samsung will be launching the Galaxy Tab S10 FE tablets in the near future, as the flurry of leaks suggests. As expected, the Fan Edition isn’t about powerful performance; it’s about delivering a practical tablet experience:
“The specs leak notes that the Galaxy Tab S10 FE tablets will each bring an Exynos 1580 SoC with 8,000 Mah and 10,090 mAh capacities. Models consist of 128/256GB memory configurations, though a microSD slot is available for expansion up to 2TB. The tablets will be IP68 dust and water-resistant with 45W wired charging, as expected.”
(9to5 Google).
Poco Turns Up The Graphics As It Goes Ultra
Poco is launching its first “Ultra” handset, joining the flagship race alongside its parent company Xiaomi and competition from the likes of Honor, OnePlus, and Samsung. It will be using the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite, backed up by Poco’s first graphics chip:
“The VisionBoost D7 chipset, built on an advanced 12nm process – takes visual effects to a whole new level. Gameplay feels incredibly immersive with Smart Frame Rate for ultra-smooth 120FPS3, 2K Super Resolution3 for exceptional clarity, and Game HDR3 for richer contrast. On the video front, Dual-core Visuals4 technology enhances resolution, frame rates, and HDR quality across YouTube and Netflix, bringing every scene to life with stunning detail.”
(Poco).
Light Phone 3 Arrives
Promoting a minimalist approach to smartphones, stripping back the apps, and offering a monochromatic interface, the Light Phone 3 launched this week. The e-Ink screen from the second iteration has been upgraded to an OLED display, along with the addition of a camera and NFC chip. Kyle Kucharski has taken a closer look at the package and its goals
“So, what can the Light Phone 3 do? You can call and text, obviously. Sound quality is good on both ends, although when it comes to texting, the learning curve associated with the small QWERTY keyboard (without predictive text) is as much a challenge as you’d expect. There are also some emojis, but they’re limited. There are notes, a calendar, a timer, and an alarm, but there is no email, and this is a line that the design team at Light says it will not cross.”
(ZDNet).
Google’s New Path For Open-Source Android
Google is streamlining its approach to maintaining the Android Open Source Project. It currently manages both an internal private build chain but also manages the public AOSP build. Unsurprisingly, this leads to some headaches when it comes to merging the two chains. Google’s answer is to keep the private chain private, only publishing when a new version of Android is released:
“This change will have minimal impact on regular users. While it streamlines Android OS development for Google, potentially affecting the speed of new version development and bug reduction, the overall effect will likely be imperceptible. Therefore, don’t expect this change to accelerate OS updates for your phone…
“Platform developers, including those who build custom ROMs, will largely also see little change, since they typically base their work on specific tags or release branches, not the main AOSP branch. Similarly, companies that release forked AOSP products rarely use the main AOSP branch due to its inherent instability.”
And Finally…
As Google prepares to move the Android user base to Gemini, those still relying on Google Assistant features are in for a short, sharp shock when the changes arrive. Forbes contributor Paul Monckton has advice on how to navigate the upheaval
“Google Assistant is evolving into Gemini, bringing powerful new AI capabilities but also discontinuing some favorite features. If you use Google Assistant to set timers, play music or control your smart home, get ready for some significant disruptions as the company begins replacing the nine-year-old assistant with its newer, more powerful, AI-powered Gemini chatbot. “
(Forbes).
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!
