We can’t help ourselves. With phones, and really any tech product, we’re constantly looking ahead to what’s next. But what about what’s after that? This week, leakers answered that exact question for two of the biggest phone models on Android, so now we have a few things to look forward to in 2026 — and beyond, believe it or not.
Things also got interesting in the Android SoC race for the first time in a while, but the week in mobile wasn’t just full of hardware rumors — in fact, software was front and center, with Android 15 carrying new features in one hand while causing headaches with the other. Android itself even got a new nemesis, and Material Design 3 grabbed headlines right and left like it was 2021 all over again.
Last week’s roundup
X is Bluesky’s biggest cheerleader in last week’s top Android news
Plus a few shiny new phones on the horizon
The rumor mill turns its calendar over to 2026
And beyond
Early in the week, a publication from Samsung’s home country of Korea reported that the tech giant had already begun working on its Exynos 2700 chip — the SoC that is expected to power the Galaxy S27 series in many markets once it debuts in the year 2027. Per the report, the chip is codenamed “Ulysses,” and it will be built on the second generation of Samsung Foundry’s still-in-development 2nm process. We had previously seen an Exynos chip named “Thetis” in development using this process, and it now appears this will be Samsung’s 2026 flagship SoC, while Ulysses slots in as its 2027 model.
But, believe it or not, that probably wasn’t the most out-of-left-field future phone news we heard this week.
Google’s Tensor G5 and G6 roadmap was laid out in a massive leak on Wednesday, detailing information about the chips in the upcoming Pixel 10 and Pixel 11. It appears that Google’s long-rumored switch from Samsung Foundry to TSMC for manufacturing its SoC is underway, and that the Pixel 10 will be the first device to reap the benefits. Unlike Samsung’s post-S25 chips, Google’s next phones will use a 3nm process with modest performance improvements. The upshot? They’re using the same nodes as Apple’s current and future A-series chips.
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Google Tensor leak suggests future Pixels are in for an iPhone-level SoC upgrade
TSMC-made Tensor G5 and G6 mirror Apple’s A18 and A19
The SoC race starts to get interesting again
New breakthroughs in tech and in court
Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit happened this week in Hawaii, but one headline the chipmaker wasn’t trying to grab centered on news that Arm is taking its licensing dispute with the San Diego-based company to the next level. Per Arm’s claims, Qualcomm had been using a modified version of its CPU core design in Snapdragon chips. Now, Arm has served Qualcomm with a 60-day notice to stop using these designs, escalating the legal battle.
The timing of this news wasn’t great for Qualcomm, as the company was busy announcing the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip when it came through. The new SoC takes over for the existing Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and is expected to power the majority of Android flagships throughout the next year. It’s actually a pretty major update thanks to a new core layout, and our own Will Sattelberg was on scene to get the lowdown.
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Believe it or not, the Snapdragon 8 Elite might make smartphones exciting again
No AI hype cycle required
Android gets its first legit competitor in years
Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT already supports 15,000 apps
The United States banned Huawei from its shores back in 2020, but the China-based OEM is still very much alive and kicking. After the ban, Huawei released what amounted to an Android fork called HarmonyOS, but the US tightened its restrictions further, and the company had to completely divest itself from the Android ecosystem.
After years of development, HarmonyOS NEXT has now been formally announced in beta and is already available on numerous devices as a software update. The OS uses a proprietary kernel and does not support Android apps, though it already has the basics covered with a repository of over 15,000 apps. The company has plans to expand the OS’s availability outside of China, so Android and iOS have their first true competitor in years.
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Huawei’s new Android competitor officially launches with over 15,000 apps
HarmonyOS NEXT is currently limited to China
Material Design 3 is back in style
Who knew there were Google apps that still needed a touch of Material You?
It was a big week for UX fans — Google’s Material Design 3 made its way into even more core apps, just when we were starting to think the Material You craze had run its course (not that we were rooting for its demise, by any means).
The first was Google Drive’s video player, which went from basic to glam in one update. Next was Google Chat’s floating tab bar, which got a tweaked shape and a splash of color. Finally, Google Calendar on the web got the dark mode we’ve been waiting for, and it came with a few new Material 3 touches.
Android 15 brings a little fun and a whole lot of heartache
New features and the same old problems
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Google’s new update started hitting phones recently, bringing a smattering of new features to Pixels, but users on certain older models were met with bricked phones upon applying the update. No, I’m not talking about the time when an Android 14 update started bricking Pixel 6 units after a factory reset in summer 2024 — I’m talking about the time when an Android 15 update started bricking Pixel 6 units in fall 2024.
Sure, the update brings things like a new Settings menu with your name on it and an improved Google Photos share menu, and sure, other phone makers like OnePlus are joining in on the fun. But if you have a Pixel 6, you might want to wait for a hotfix, because some units are reportedly becoming unresponsive after last week’s big update, and Private Space appears to be the culprit.
