Unless you’ve been living under a rock and stubbornly refused to admit that the holiday shopping season is for all intents and purposes already underway, you’ve probably noticed that most major US retailers are selling all the best Samsung tablets at massive discounts.
That’s not an exaggeration, mind you, as each and every single member of the Galaxy Tab family appears to be significantly cheaper than usual at the likes of Amazon, including the jumbo-sized S10 FE+ mid-ranger.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+
$150 off (23%)
Wi-Fi Only, 128GB Storage, 8GB RAM, 13.1-Inch IPS LCD Screen with 2880 x 1800 Pixel Resolution and 90Hz Refresh Rate Technology, Samsung Exynos 1580 Processor, Android 15 with One UI 7, Galaxy AI, IP68 Water and Dust Resistance, 10,090mAh Battery, 45W Charging, 13MP Rear-Facing Camera, 12MP Front-Facing Camera, microSD Card Slot, Dual Speakers with AKG Technology, Three Color Options, US Version, S Pen Included
Buy at Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+
$150 off (20%)
Wi-Fi Only, 256GB Storage, 12GB RAM, 13.1-Inch IPS LCD Screen with 2880 x 1800 Pixel Resolution and 90Hz Refresh Rate Technology, Samsung Exynos 1580 Processor, Android 15 with One UI 7, Galaxy AI, IP68 Water and Dust Resistance, 10,090mAh Battery, 45W Charging, 13MP Rear-Facing Camera, 12MP Front-Facing Camera, microSD Card Slot, Dual Speakers with AKG Technology, Three Color Options, US Version, S Pen Included
Buy at Amazon
This is obviously the big brother of the “regular” Galaxy Tab S10 FE I already told you about earlier this week, and its somewhat extravagant price (for a mid-range device) explains why the 13.1-incher flew under my radar these past couple of days at $150 off.
That’s one thin slab of silicon… with a built-in S Pen. | Image Credit — PhoneArena
So, yes, you might as well save some time (in addition to a lot of money) and pull the trigger on your favorite of those two configurations in your preferred color option right now. That is, of course, if you can’t afford the higher-end Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, Tab S10 Ultra, Tab S11, or Tab S11 Ultra at their own outstanding (and outstandingly early) Black Friday 2025 discounts.
Naturally, this thing is also considerably humbler than Apple’s new M5-powered iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 13 in multiple key departments, but that always handy bundled S Pen, reasonably smooth 90Hz refresh rate-capable IPS LCD screen, razor-thin 6mm profile, ultra-premium build quality, and massive 10,090mAh battery equipped with blazing fast 45W charging technology make the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ value proposition pretty much unbeatable today.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian’s passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for ‘adequate’ over ‘overpriced’.
It seems that Samsung has finally settled on its Galaxy S26 lineup. Early rumors that it is dropping the Plus model in favor of a new super-slim Edge phone turned out to be false, or perhaps Samsung made a last-minute pivot after seeing the sales numbers for the Edge.
Either way, the Galaxy S26 Plus is the model that’s coming and we have now seen it leak out in all of its glory.
Yet, despite all that, it is Samsung’s big boy Galaxy S26 Ultra that is getting all the hype. But honestly? I don’t really care about the S26 Ultra.
Leaked image shows the design of the upcoming S26 Plus (Image by OnLeaks and AndroidHeadlines)
Every year, the Ultra model disappoints me with its slow pace of innovation and a stubborn decision to keep the S Pen, an accessory I never use. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 Plus sits in this weird middle child position, so close to a true flagship, but always missing one or two important upgrades.
This year, that needs to change. I need Samsung to get the Galaxy S26 Plus right this time.
The Anti-Reflective screen should come to the S26 Plus
The S25 Ultra is incredible at fighting off reflections
You probably already know that Samsung is the world leader in display tech, shipping the panels for most of the best flagships out there.
Yet it has kept one particular development to itself, and to one model in particular. I’m talking about the superb anti-reflective coating, only available on the Ultra models (the S24 Ultra was first to get it).
Now that phones have hit sufficient peak brightness, it’s time to talk about visibility and the big role reflections play in that.
While Samsung obviously gets that, yet it refuses to give this feature to the S26 Plus. The unspoken logic here is that this exclusive feature draws people towards the most expensive Ultra model, but it’s not like the S26 Plus is a cheap phone — it’s still a $1,000 flagship. Adding this one improvement could genuinely pull iPhone and Pixel users over to Galaxy phones. It would have me considering it, that’s for sure.
A proper telephoto camera
I have one more issue with the spec-stuffing on the Ultra series. The Ultra’s two zoom cameras look good on a spec sheet, but in real-life, I think they are a bit of an overkill.
Yes, it’s fun to brag about being the best zoom camera, but let’s be real: many people would be fine with just one telephoto camera with sensor cropping. Take the most of the latest camera super phones from China. They have reached an almost uniform agreement, which is that a 3X to 4X telephoto camera with a big sensor can give you 90% of what you get with а dual camera setup.
The S26 Plus already comes with a single 3X camera, but Samsung has not upgraded the sensor in years, and it’s a tiny one that produces compromised quality in low light.
We desperately need an upgrade here. Keep the 3X lens, but improve the sensor. Maybe add in the ability for telephoto macro photography. A few little improvements like that would help truly elevate the S26 Plus to that next level. One reliable telephoto camera instead of the Ultra’s redundancy might make more sense after all.
It’s time for a bigger battery
The S26 Ultra sacrifices battery space to house the S Pen, and you can see that in the specs sheet. If Samsung insists on keeping the stylus inside the Ultra, then fine, but give the S26 Plus the monster battery instead.
And no, let’s not pretend that some AI “optimizations” will do.
We just need a bigger, denser battery that will last no matter which particular way you use your phone.
And yes, silicon-carbon technology seems like the answer here.
Qi2 magnetic charging
Magnets are just incredibly useful for wireless charging
Qi2 adoption has been so slow that it’s maddening. But now with the Pixel 10 finally adopting the new technology, hope is that Samsung will follow suit and the Galaxy S26 series will have it too.
Having magnets on the back of your phone so that it always aligns perfectly with a wireless charger is not just a gimmick or a fad. It’s a convenience that has become the new standard.
The magnets make wireless charging practical not just on a desk, but when you are on the move too, and in your car.
This will also help with the depressingly slow wireless charging speeds on Samsung phones currently. Samsung fluctuates between 15 watt and 10 watt wireless charging, while most others have now adopted at least 25W charging speeds. With the tight magnetic alignment, it would be easier for Samsung to hit those speeds.
A better selfie camera
Okay, let’s please stop pretending that it’s somehow wrong or shameful to use your front camera to take pictures.
A big chunk of social media is built all around the selfie camera, so it’s kind of wild how many flagship phones still treat the selfie camera as an after-thought.
You use it for more than just social media, though. Working from home? You probably use it for video calls. Want a quick snap at the store? You use the front camera. Group of friends and nobody around? You need the front camera.
Yet, Samsung has stubbornly stuck with a selfie camera that is way too narrow to comfortable fit a larger frame or group of people. And the iPhone 17 only showed how more innovation is possible in that area, with things like a square sensor that allows you to rotate your selfies without rotating your phone. Samsung needs to catch up.
And yes, give me a dedicated camera button
I know how this might be a controversial one, but I find it absurd that most people use the camera multiple times per day without a dedicated button. Yet something as niche as a stylus has a dedicated space in the S25 Ultra.
I think that every phone that claims to be a “camera phone” should have a camera button. After using iPhones in the past couple of years, reaching for the camera button has become second nature for me to capture those impromptu moments. I miss not having that on most Android phones.
Listen, I’m not saying we need Apple’s camera button, but we do need a button. Not a touch-sensitive one — that seems to do more wrong than good, but a button that you can program your own way is a good thing.And for the camera heads, it’s just a faster way to take pictures, making the process feel a bit more intentional rather than just tapping the screen.
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On a bright afternoon in August, the shore of Utah’s Great Salt Lake looks like something out of a science fiction film set in a scorching alien world.
This otherworldly scene is the test site for a company called Lilac Solutions, which is developing a technology it says will shake up the United States’ efforts to pry control over the global supply of lithium, the so-called “white gold” needed for electric vehicles and batteries, away from China.
The startup is in a race to commercialize a new, less environmentally-damaging way to extract lithium from rocks. If everything pans out, it could significantly increase domestic supply at a crucial moment for the nation’s lithium extraction industry. Read the full story.
—Alexander C. Kaufman
The three big unanswered questions about Sora
Last week OpenAI released Sora, a TikTok-style app that presents an endless feed of exclusively AI-generated videos, each up to 10 seconds long. The app allows you to create a “cameo” of yourself—a hyperrealistic avatar that mimics your appearance and voice—and insert other peoples’ cameos into your own videos (depending on what permissions they set).
In the days since, it soared to the top spot on Apple’s US App Store. But its explosive growth raises a bunch of questions: can its popularity last? Can OpenAI afford it? And how soon until we start seeing lawsuits over its use of copyrighted content? Here’s what we’ve learned so far.
This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter about the latest in AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here.
Samsung has been making big design choices for its Galaxy phones, as of late, and some of these changes aren’t too popular. We held a poll, and most of you are not in favor the of the direction that Samsung is taking its phones, including the upcoming Galaxy S26.
Most of you disagree with Samsung
According to the poll, almost 44 percent of you are not okay with the changes that Samsung is making. Almost 38 percent of you are fine with the company’s new designs, marking a major rift between large subsets of the consumer base. The rest of the voters said that they were indifferent on the entire matter.
In case you’re unaware, the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the base model are adding a camera bump on the rear, and the Ultra is rounding out the edges even more than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Furthermore, the Galaxy S26 Edge is adopting a large rear camera module, which looks very similar to the iPhone 17 Pro.
A series of contentious designs?
Galaxy S26 Edge has a large camera module. | Image credit — Android Headlines
People weren’t exactly thrilled with the iPhone 17 Pro redesign, though they seem to be coming around to it now that the new phones are out. Like with the iPhone 17 Pro, some users have expressed dislike for the Galaxy S26 Edge redesign as well.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra design is a lot more divisive. Some are happy about the rounder edges, and even like the return of the rear camera bump. Others are not as thrilled, and lament the loss of the iconic boxy look of the Galaxy S24 Ultra and its predecessors.It doesn’t help, of course, that many users have said that the Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone Air don’t need to exist, as no one asked for slimmer phones with smaller batteries.
Samsung shouldn’t give up its identity
Personally, I’m not a fan of the Galaxy S26 redesign. In fact, I think that the Galaxy S26 Edge looks much better. And, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra still looks like a very sleek and modern phone, I do wish that Samsung had kept the sharp look of the Ultra models that came before.
Apple gave up its identity, and made its phones somewhat resemble the Google Pixel 10. The iPhone Air, in particular, looks like a Pixel phone from afar if you’re not paying attention. I wish Samsung hadn’t done this too, as I don’t want the Galaxy phones to start looking like an iPhone.
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The most surprising news of the last few months in the mobile industry dropped out of nowhere yesterday, as it appears there’s a chance after all that Samsung will release both Galaxy S26 Plus and S26 Edge models early next year in addition to Galaxy S26 Pro and S26 Ultra variants.
If you missed all those (very convincing) rumors calling for a three-member Galaxy S26 family with only one Edge-branded sequel for both the Galaxy S25 Plus and S26 Edge, that may not have come as a big surprise to you. But I for one was left scratching my head in confusion at the latest Korean media report suggesting a potential last-minute change of plans for Samsung’s next big ultra-high-end handsets.
The Galaxy S26 Edge is in no man’s land all of a sudden
Look, I am and have always been the biggest hater of Samsung’s razor-thin Galaxy S25 Edge for the same simple reason why I don’t watch beauty pageants. As corny as it might sound, I believe that true beauty lies within a person or a phone, and unfortunately, the undeniably eye-catching 6.7-inch flagship is rather empty on the inside.
And I don’t just mean that figuratively, as the device literally leaves too much unoccupied space under its hood next to a disappointing (both on paper and in real-world use) 3,900mAh battery.
I never hated the S25 Edge design, but boy, do I hate that tiny battery under its hood! | Image Credit — PhoneArena
From the first Galaxy S25 Edge Slim rumor, I had this sneaking suspicion that the only reason the product existed was to try (and fail) to steal Apple’s iPhone Air thunder. For a few weeks there, Samsung almost had me convinced that I was wrong and the S25 Edge and S26 Edge were a key part of this grand plan to reimagine the Galaxy S family, but now… I’m back to my original guess.
Don’t expect me to congratulate Samsung for essentially realizing that the Galaxy S25 Edge was a mistake that should have never happened, though.
That’s because I still remember very well how the handset was initially teased, then fully unveiled, then marketed, and I’ve actually started to believe that the S26 Edge can become a global hit if it retains its predecessor’s maverick vibe, backing that up with some truly unusual or groundbreaking specs. Like a massive battery squeezed into a super-slim body using cutting-edge (no pun intended) silicon-carbon technology.
What if the Galaxy S26 Plus is a different beast altogether?
I have a dream, and I believe many of you already know where this is going. I dream of a compact 6.2-inch or so screen, a triple rear-facing camera system with a 200MP primary snapper, and a state-of-the-art Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.
That’s not my dream for the “base” Galaxy S26 (Pro), mind you, but rather the resurrected Galaxy S26 Plus. Is that doable? Of course. Is it likely to happen? Of course not, and that’s the biggest problem Samsung needs to solve ASAP. My solution to the company’s Galaxy S26 series pickle would very simply and neatly separate the S26 and S26 Plus from the S26 Edge and S26 Ultra, maximizing the chances of all four devices to find an audience and sell in decent (at the very least) global numbers.
It’s almost like Samsung is trying to sabotage the Galaxy S26 Edge with this horrible design choice.
Otherwise, I’m afraid that the S26 Plus will too closely resemble the not-very-popular S25 Plus, and worse yet, the S26 Edge and S26 Plus will cannibalize each other and end up equally unsuccessful. Granted, the Galaxy S26 Edge is currently expected to sport a… unique and unorthodox design, which sounds like a good idea but looks… pretty awful.
At the end of the day, I believe Samsung’s biggest problem is the lack of a clear long-term vision for the Galaxy S series, and perhaps even the fear of making a mistake and betting on the wrong horse. Yes, I think what I’m trying to say is that I’ve started to care more about the Galaxy S26 Edge than the S26 Plus, which is… not good news for Samsung if you look a few paragraphs up.
“Iconic Phones” is coming this Fall!
Rediscover some of the most unique and memorable phones of the last two decades! “Iconic Phones” is a beautifully illustrated book that we’ve been working on for over a year – and it’s coming out in just a couple short month!
“Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips” is a must-have coffee table book for every phone lover out there. Covering the stories of more than 20 fan-favorite phones, it takes you on a memorable journey through the technological revolution that shaped our lives. Sign up now to secure an early discount price!
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian’s passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for ‘adequate’ over ‘overpriced’.
After almost ten years of acting like a digital time capsule for your life moments, Snapchat is finally putting a price tag on its Memories feature.
Snapchat introduces storage plans
Snapchat recently announced that free Memories storage is getting capped at 5 GB. Go over that limit and you’ll have to pick one of its new paid Memories Storage Plans.The new Memories Storage Plans come in three tiers: 100 GB, 250 GB with Snapchat+, or a massive 5 TB with Snapchat Platinum. If you’ve already blown past the 5 GB free cap, Snapchat will give you a 12-month grace period to keep your extra Memories. After that, you’ll have to upgrade or risk losing them.
Upgrading is available anytime, and you’ll still have the option to download your Memories straight to your device if you’d rather not pay.
So what’s the damage? A recent report breaks it down: 100 GB will cost $1.99/month, Snapchat+ users get 250 GB included in their $3.99 subscription, and Platinum subscribers get a whopping 5 TB for $15.99/month.Of course, not everyone’s happy about this. But Snapchat says it never expected Memories to grow this huge when it first launched – and with users now saving over 1 trillion Memories, the company had little choice but to rethink how it handles all that storage.
It’s never easy to transition from receiving a service for free to paying for it, but we hope the value we provide with Memories is worth the cost.
– Team Snapchat, September 2025
Why Snapchat is really doing this
People shared more than 1 trillion selfies on the app. | Image credit – Snap
Let’s be real – this isn’t just about storage caps. Snapchat may have hundreds of millions of users, but it’s still way behind giants like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok that rack up billions.
So, probably, this way, it can tackle its growing infrastructure costs, squeeze some revenue out of the folks saving thousands of snaps, and still let most casual users keep their Memories without paying a cent.
Another subscription to add to the pile
I get it – nobody’s thrilled about paying for yet another subscription. They stack up fast, like autumn leaves you can’t rake away. But at the same time, hosting more than 5 GB of content per user isn’t exactly cheap when you’re talking about nearly 900 million people.If you’re not interested in giving Snapchat more of your money, there’s still an easy out: download your Memories and keep them backed up elsewhere. That way, you don’t lose your digital scrapbook – and you don’t end up stuck with one more monthly bill.
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When was the last time you saw a product’s name, decided it sounded like your next purchase, and pulled the trigger? I can bet it happened all of zero times.
For some reason, chip producers, phone makers, and software developers all decided at once that this was the perfect year to rename their offerings.
Apple, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Qualcomm: What if we just ruin naming conventions this year?
Apple jumped from iOS 18 to iOS 26. Xiaomi announced the 17 series instead of the 16. OnePlus is skipping 14. And don’t even get me started on Qualcomm.Keeping up with tech news is complicated as it is, even for a journalist. Companies are making it harder to keep track of new launches through capricious naming changes.
I get it, all companies need to reinvent certain aspects every few years, and naming changes are an integral part of rebranding efforts.
What doesn’t make sense is whimsical strategies. Xiaomi’s strategy, if you can even call it one, is to follow Apple. It blatantly admitted that the sole reason it strayed from its usual naming convention is that it wanted its new phones to be viewed as direct iPhone 17 Pro rivals. Didn’t we all learn in high school that sitting next to the cool kid doesn’t make you one?
Five years ago, we launched a high-end strategy to learn from our greatest opponents and firmly benchmark against the iPhone. So far, Apple is still excellent. Everyone has seen the success of the iPhone 17 series, but we are still very confident that we will face the iPhone in the same generation and level.
Lu Weibing, Xiaomi’s partner and president, September 2025
Xiaomi jumped from 16 to 17 because it wants to pitch its latest phones as iPhone 17 rivals. | Image Credit – Xiaomi
OnePlus is supposedly moving from 13 to 15 because the number 4 is considered bad luck in Chinese culture. Okay… but 13 was fine?
Qualcomm is perhaps the worst offender. Remember the Snapdragon 888 5G? Its follow-up was 2021’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Then came last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite. This year? Say hello to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
And if you think Qualcomm skipped a generation, that’s so not true, according to the company.
Qualcomm put up a whole blog post to explain its confusing decision.
The chip maker says that it adopted single-digit naming in 2021, and swears the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is the fifth chip in the series. Silly of you to even imply that it’s not continuing with the same naming convention.
At least Apple’s intention to align the software version numbers with the calendar year seems logical.
With my doomscrolling, my Kindle, and the giant screen in the living room already competing for my attention, it’s not easy to keep track of multiple, and in most cases, unnecessary name changes every year.
And maybe I am supposed to have all those names at my fingertips at all times, and this blog post is another self-sabotaging move. Classic me.
However, with a barrage of new launches every year across different devices and software categories, I really don’t appreciate these erratic changes.
The only case where it would make sense to deviate from a naming strategy is when a device is completely different from its predecessor. In those instances, it would be more prudent to discontinue the last-gen device, as Samsung did with the Note.
The smartphone market is fiercely competitive. While a giant like Apple can afford to confuse its customers with erratic naming, others might want to consider treading a little more carefully.
“Iconic Phones” is coming this Fall!
Rediscover some of the most unique and memorable phones of the last two decades! “Iconic Phones” is a beautifully illustrated book that we’ve been working on for over a year – and it’s coming out in just a couple short month!
“Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips” is a must-have coffee table book for every phone lover out there. Covering the stories of more than 20 fan-favorite phones, it takes you on a memorable journey through the technological revolution that shaped our lives. Sign up now to secure an early discount price!
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A pair of data breaches against AT&T and its subscribers in 2019 and 2024 led to a class action settlement of $177 million. If you were an AT&T subscriber during the attacks, you are entitled to file a claim for as much as $5,000 for the first episode and up to $2,500 for the second one. The actual amount you will receive will depend on the amount of money in the two accounts and the number of claims for each account approved by the court. If you were an AT&T subscriber during both breaches, you could, in theory, receive a big fat AT&T check for $7,500. However, most will receive checks for a much lower amount.
You know how those ads for the lottery say that you can’t win if you don’t play (i.e., buy a ticket), you can’t receive your share of AT&T‘s settlements if you don’t file a claim. If you were an AT&T subscriber or still use the wireless provider, you can file a claim online or by mail. Either way, it must arrive or be postmarked by November 18, 2025. That might seem like you have plenty of time left, but with seasonal mail soon to be working though the USPS system, your best bet is to file online and to do it now before you forget!
AT&T created two separate accounts, one for each data breach
The two data breaches stole AT&T subscribers’ personal data including call and text records, Social Security numbers, names, addresses, and date of birth data. In other words, this was not a “turn away, nothing to see here” moment.
Options for former and current AT&T subscribers involved in the settlement, | Image credit-Kroll
AT&T created two separate settlement accounts. The first, named AT&T 1 Settlement Class, was announced in March 2024 and has been funded with $149 million to pay those subscribers whose personal data was involved in the first breach. Those AT&T subscribers whose personal data were exposed in the second breach have a second settlement account called AT&T 2 Settlement Class which was funded with $28 million from the carrier.
As we previously pointed out, if the court determines that you are eligible to receive a check, the actual amount will depend on things like the number of claims received for each account. You have a better chance of receiving a bigger check if you can prove that you incurred some out-of-pocket expenses due to the data breaches. If you can’t prove these losses, you still might be able to share some of the funds remaining after claimants with documented losses are paid.
How to file a claim either online or via the mail
To file a claim online, go to www.telecomdatasettlement.com or tap on this link. You’ll need the Class Member ID from the notice that you should have received as an AT&T subscriber, your AT&T account number (or full name), and a valid email address. If you did not receive any notice and you believe that you should have, call the settlement administrator at 833-890-4930.
AT&T Data Incident Settlement c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC P.O. Box 5324 New York, NY 10150-5324
Your letter must be postmarked by Nov. 18, 2025.
Time is ticking!
As noted, settlement claims must be received by Nov. 18, 2025. If you think that you could get more by suing AT&T yourself, you’ll have to opt out of the settlement which can be done no later than Oct. 17, 2025. The final approval hearing for the proposed settlement will be held on Dec. 3, 2025.
“Iconic Phones” is coming this Fall!
Good news everyone! Over the past year we’ve been working on an exciting passion project of ours and we’re thrilled to announce it will be ready to release in just a few short months.
“Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips” is a must-have coffee table book for every tech-head that will bring you on a journey to relive the greatest technological revolution of the 21st century. For more details, simply follow the link below!
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Qualcomm just announced the highly anticipated Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 at the Snapdragon Summit, but that wasn’t the only chip the company showed us. Right at the end of its keynote, and after announcing the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme chips, Qualcomm said it had one more chip in store.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is coming later this year
At the end of its keynote at the Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. While different from the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, it is still part of the company’s premium lineup of mobile processors. The new chip will likely sit below the flagship processor, while offering some of its features.The chip was announced by Alex Katouzian, General Manager for Mobile, Compute, and XR at Qualcomm, who did a version of Apple’s “One More Thing” moments. At the end of the keynote, he said, “We have one more addition to our premium lineup,” which made some audience members cheer and applaud. However, he didn’t share much beyond the name of the new chip.
We developed this chipset to give you more choices and flexibility, while still delivering flagship features. We’ll have a lot more to share about this platform later this year, so please stay tuned.
Alex Katouzian, General Manager for Mobile, Compute, and XR at Qualcomm, September 2025
This is utterly confusing, Qualcomm!
Earlier this month, Qualcomm announced its new naming scheme and tried to explain why the Snapdragon 8 Elite was followed by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The company said it was making things easier to understand by properly signaling that this year’s chips are the fifth generation of its top-tier 8-series platform.However, it is still confusing how the top-tier chips went from Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to Snapdragon 8 Elite and 8 Elite Gen 5. Adding to the mix a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, which isn’t the company’s best chip, makes things even more confusing.
Meanwhile, MediaTek just announced the Dimensity 9500, part of the company’s top-tier Dimensity 9000 series, and better than the Dimensity 8000, 7000, and 6000 series. Apple’s latest processors are the A19 and A19 Pro, which are better than the A18 and A18 Pro.
Make it make sense, please
I know the vast majority of smartphone users don’t care about the name of the processor inside their device. For the sake of everyone who does, I’d love to see Qualcomm adopt a better naming scheme, which makes sense to people outside the company.
“Iconic Phones” is coming this Fall!
Rediscover some of the most unique and memorable phones of the last two decades! “Iconic Phones” is a beautifully illustrated book that we’ve been working on for over a year – and it’s coming out in just a couple short month!
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
And yet, the money pours in. Commonwealth raised over $800 million in funding earlier this year. And now it’s got two big customers signed on to buy electricity from this future power plant.
Why buy electricity from a reactor that’s currently little more than ideas on paper? From the perspective of these particular potential buyers, such agreements can be something of a win-win, says Adam Stein, director of nuclear energy innovation at the Breakthrough Institute.
By putting a vote of confidence behind Commonwealth, Eni could help the fusion startup get the capital it needs to actually build its plant. The company also directly invests in Commonwealth, so it stands to benefit from success. Getting a good rate on the capital needed to build the plant could also mean the electricity is ultimately cheaper for Eni, Stein says.
Ultimately, fusion needs a lot of money. If fossil-fuel companies and tech giants want to provide it, all the better. One concern I have, though, is how outside observers are interpreting these big commitments.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been loud about his support for fusion and his expectations of the technology. Earlier this month, he told the BBC that it will soon power the world.
He’s certainly not the first to have big dreams for fusion, and it is an exciting technology. But despite the jaw-dropping financial milestones, this industry is still very much in development.
And while Wright praises fusion, the Trump administration is slashing support for other energy technologies, including wind and solar power, and spreading disinformation about their safety, cost, and effectiveness.
To meet the growing electricity demand and cut emissions from the power sector, we’ll need a whole range of technologies. It’s a risk and a distraction to put all our hopes on an unproven energy tech when there are plenty of options that actually exist.
This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here.
