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Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including updates to Gemini AI, Pixel satellite support in Europe, Samsung’s 2026 Galaxy plans, Exynos challenges Snapdragon, Honor teases robot phone, Google’s new image ribbon and Android’s AirDrop surprise.
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.
Gemini Three Is Coming…
While it might not specifically call out smartphones, the introduction of the third major version of Google’s AI platform, Gemini, will be reflected through several Android applications, both directly through Google’s own applications, but also indirectly, as the Gemini platform is open to developers:
“You can now build with Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio, Vertex AI, Gemini CLI and our new agentic development platform, Google Antigravity. It’s also available in third-party platforms like Cursor, GitHub, JetBrains, Manus, Replit and more.”
One of the Google apps where users will feel the difference will be when editing photos. Part of Gemini 3 is an improved image tool – Nano Banana Pro – which allows for text prompts to be used when editing photos. 9to5 Google’s Abner Li:
“Google is following Tuesday’s launch of Gemini 3 Pro with Nano Banana Pro. The image generation and editing model is officially Gemini 3 Pro Image, but the viral moniker is sticking around. The original model (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) was announced at the end of August. Nano Banana Pro is based on Gemini 3 Pro. It uses the base model’s “state-of-the-art reasoning and real-world knowledge to visualize information better than ever before.”
Pixel Satellite SMS in Europe
The ability to access SMS over satellite smartphone connectivity has opened up in Europe. French carrier Orange will offer the service on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 families starting from early December 2025. Ben Schoon notes the initial compatibility:
“The feature is powered by Skylo, one of the operators offering non-terrestrial network support. Google also leverages this same operator for Satellite SOS on Pixel phones and Pixel Watch 4. And, on that note, Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 series phones are the only devices able to use satellite SMS on Orange, at least for now. Orange says more devices will be added with time, explaining:”
Samsung Galaxy Plans for 2026
The team at Android Authority has published a list of Samsung model numbers expected to make up the Galaxy S and Galaxy Z smartphones in 2026. These are generally used in place of the marketing names throughout the South Korean company’s technical work. The list picks out six models: “SM-S942, SM-S947, SM-S948, SM-F971, SM-F776, and SM-F976.”
Notably in this mix is the SM-S947. Given historical patterns, this is the middle Galaxy S26 model. Whether that is the expected initially Galaxy S26 Edge, or the revived Galaxy S26+ remains to be seen.
Samsung’s Exynos Advantage
Also up for debate in the Galaxy space is what chipset will be used in the higher-specced Galaxy handsets next year. While the Galaxy S26 Ultra will no doubt be running a Qualcomm Snapdragon, there are signs that more Galaxy handsets could be run by Samsung’s home-grown Exynos chipset:
“Samsung recently offered an early glimpse at the capabilities of the world’s first 2nm GAA manufacturing process, claiming a 5% performance increase, an 8% efficiency gain, and a 5% reduction in chip size compared to the company’s second-generation 3nm technology. Whilst these improvements may seem modest at first glance, they were sufficient to secure around 25% of all Galaxy S26 orders “
The use of an Exynos chip should lead to a saving of $20-$30 for Galaxy S26 handsets using Samsung’s own chipset instead of Qualcomm’s 8 Elite Gen 5.
Honor’s Robot Phone
Honor’s concept robot phone, with a gimballed camera that can follow you around the room, is pencilled in for a launch at Mobile World Congress 2026. This week saw an early preview of the new phone at the Honor User Carnival in China. GSM Arena was there to catch its eye:
“The gimbal camera retracts from the recessed area in the camera island. The Robot Phone is expected to feature a plethora of AI features that allow the gimbal to move and interact with what it sees. Honor did not confirm if the Robot Phone will get a commercial launch or if it will remain as a prototype, but we’ll hopefully get more details in the months leading to MWC 2026.”
A New Image Tab For Searching And Browsing
Google is adding a new visual discovery tool to the Google App. Called up by a new tab in the app, users will be presented with a social media-style river of images, similar to Instagram and TikTok, to explore. Paul Monckton takes a closer look:
“Rolling out from November 12, 2025, Android and iOS users will find a new “Images” tab at the bottom of the Google app, right next to Search. As revealed in a November 2025 announcement, the tab features a daily feed of new pictures tailored to individual users’ interests. While browsing the feed, users can search for images and save them to Pinterest-like collections.”
And Finally…
Google has added support for Apple’s AirDrop to Android’s Quick Share, enabling easy file transfer across the OS divide. It’s currently a Pixel exclusive, but likely to show up in other Android smartphones throughout 2026.
“Sharing moments shouldn’t depend on the phone you have. Starting today with the Pixel 10 family, Quick Share now works with AirDrop, making secure file transfers between Android phones and iPhones more seamless. This builds on our commitment to cross-OS compatibility to bridge the gap between ecosystems.”
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!
