Galaxy S26 Pro Leaks, Pixel Finds Success, Honor’s AI Button
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Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Pro, Pixel’s growth, Honor’s AI button, Qualcomm’s new fast charging option, Nothing’s next OS, Android Open Source left waiting, and AI Edge’s wider reach.
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.
A New Name For The First Galaxy S26
This week saw CAD plans for the next Galaxy S26 model leaked. One of the curiosities is the name – rather than a vanilla Galaxy S26 succeeding the Galaxy S25, this is the Galaxy S26 Pro — which will presumably sit between the FE and the Edge (which itself looks to be replacing the Plus), with Ultra remaining at the top:
“The Galaxy S26 Pro includes all of its physical buttons on the right-hand side, just like its predecessor. A power/lock key sits below the volume up and down buttons. The frame is flat all around, for the most part. It does curve a bit towards the edges, for comfort’s sake. The corners of the device are rounded, while the backplate is flat, just like the phone’s display. The Galaxy S26 Pro will be made out of aluminum and glass, just like the Galaxy S25.”
(Android Headlines).
Premium Pixel’s Golden Growth
Google has another feather in its Pixel Cap this week as it claims the fastest-growing premium smartphone brand. Of course, it does matter where you start measuring from…
“According to new data from Counterpoint Research, the premium smartphone market is growing as of late, and Google Pixel is the fastest-growing segment. In the first half of 2025, compared to the first half of 2024, the premium smartphone market grew by roughly 8%. Keep in mind, this is the half of the year where fewer premum smartphones are launched, as the latest iPhone and other major launches tend to take place in the second half of the year.”
(9to5Google).
Press Here For AI
With the expected Magic8 smartphone arriving at some point in the next few weeks, Honor is already revealing some details of the handset. Still, other leaks are bringing one idea to the fore… a physical interface to Honor’s AI suite:
“The rumored October launch puts Honor squarely in competition season, and this dedicated AI button approach feels like a smart move. Instead of burying AI features in menus, Honor’s making them front and center with physical hardware. It’s the kind of bold decision that could set them apart in a crowded market.”
(Phandroid).
Qualcomm’s Latest Fast Charging Technology
Faster charging, less wasteful heat, and a better experience, no matter the device and the charger, is a goal sought by many in the smartphone ecosystem. Qualcomm’s latest update to Quick Charge is expected to deliver all that and more. Expect to see numbers matching the specs showing up in phones debuting early in 2026:
“Quick Charge has been around for over a decade, juicing up everything from smartphones and laptops to VR headsets and wireless speakers. Back in 2020, Quick Charge 5 set the pace with over 100W of power, which was enough to take a device from zero to 50% in about five minutes. Now, Qualcomm says Quick Charge 5+ maintains the same fast performance while directly addressing the heat issues common with high-voltage charging.”
(Android Central).
Nothing OS 4.0 Coming Soon
With Google making its Android 16 QPR1 available to manufacturers, expect a lot of updates and new versions of the individual OS builds to start moving out of beta and into production units. That includes Nothing Tech’s Nothing OS, which will see the fourth major version arrive shortly:
“In a brief video, Nothing says that Nothing OS 4.0 is “coming soon” with a “refined” and “redefined” experience. That seems to largely consist of updated design elements, with the video showing a new font as well as various icon updates. It’s unclear if Material 3 Expressive will play any role, but it does seem like we’re getting a fresh coat of paint.”
(9to5Google).
The Android Open Source Project Is Waiting
Following any major release of Android, Google has typically uploaded the changes into the Android Open Source Project, which allows Android to be built for free, albeit without any of Google’s own services. Yet the release of Android 16 QPR1 has not followed a similar pattern, with the open source team informed that Google’s code upload would “be in the coming weeks.” With countless custom ROM sets and projects depending on AOSP, Google’s lack of urgency is worrying many:
“Google typically publishes the source code for new Android versions within 1-2 days of release, allowing independent developers to quickly start porting the new changes to their custom ROMs. That hasn’t happened this time, though, leaving many developers to wonder if Google’s history of timely open source releases is over.”
(Android Authority).
And Finally…
Google’s AI Edge gallery app, announced at I/O in the summer, allows developers and consumers ot epxlore Google’s on-device AI models in a safe ‘playground. The app remains on Github, but it’s being opened up to a broader audience with the addition of availability in the Google Play store this week:
“To make these powerful demonstrations more accessible than ever, the Google AI Edge Gallery is now available in open beta on the Google Play Store. The code will continue to be open-sourced on Github, giving you the best of both worlds: the easiest way to experience the demos via the Play Store, and the complete source code to explore on GitHub.
(Google Developers Blog).
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!