Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE launch, Galaxy S25 Ultra details, the best Pixel phone, Google Photos’ update, Xiaomi’s AI signpost, Snapdragon’s future flagship, and Balatro’s official Android release.
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.
Samsung exhibiting the Galaxy S24+ camera (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Fourth And Final Galaxy S24 Arrives
Samsung has launched the long-expected fourth model in the Galaxy S24 range. The S24 Fan Edition follow the classic pattern of bringing the majority of features from the S24 family, but takes some care to trim back and bring the price down where possible. Samsung is putting a lot of stock in the prowess of the camera and its associated software:
“Galaxy S24 FE makes it easy for anyone to shoot stunning photos and videos. Its premium camera setup features a 50MP wide lens and 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom — both supported by optical image stabilisation (OIS) — plus a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP selfie camera. The camera system’s capabilities are further elevated by Samsung’s dynamic ProVisual Engine, an AI-driven camera engine that takes visual quality to incredible heights.”
One critical feature of the S24 FE is the seven year window of software support. Compared to other mid-range phones, this length of support is significant, and makes the S24 FE an attractive option for those who need a solid handset and don’t plan on buying a new phone every year:
“Samsung is bringing the same level of firmware support as the original three Galaxy S24 models to the Galaxy S24 FE. The Fan Edition model, which starts at $649.99 in the US, is the least expensive Samsung phone at the time of writing that’s eligible for seven years of software updates. The Galaxy S24 FE comes with Android 14 and One UI 6.1.1 out of the box, so Android 21 will be its final Android update.”
(SamMobile).
Galaxy S25 Ultra Camera Details
Meanwhile, next year’s Galaxy S25 has been picking up attention with the leak of its internal project name. “Paradigm” suggests big changes are expected. If there are, it won’t be in the camera system which looks set to stay on the same design as the current model:
“The paradigm shift looks unlikely to change the design around the four primary lenses; the case keeps the same rough dimensions for the camera lenses. Alongside these cutouts are gaps for the laser rangefinder used for autofocus and the LED flash (which doubles as the built-in torch).”
(IceUniverse via Forbes).
The Other Choice If You Want A Pixel
While the Pixel 9 family has found critical success, there are other options available. Forbes contributor Janhoi McGregor highlights last year’s Pixel 8 pro as one of the best if you are looking at value for money alongside a high-specced (former) flagship:
“Only hardware separates these handsets as Google passes more features down to the Pixel 8 series. Are the improved speeds and efficiency of the Tensor G4, the new design, brighter display and marginal camera upgrades worth spending potentially hundreds of extra dollars on? If you’re on a tight budget then, no. Also, these differences may only be obvious if you’re testing both handsets.”
(Forbes).
Google Photos Update
A suite of new editing tools has been added to Google Photos. The three tools coming out include a trimming tool, a playback speed adjusters and an auto-enhance option. Forbes contributor Paul Monckton takes a closer look:
“Auto Enhance has been available for some time now for photos, but now Google’s one-tap image enhancements have come to video, too. Tapping the Auto Enhance icon will immediately apply enhancements, from improved colors to image stabilization. You’ll then be prompted to save your enhanced video as a copy, preserving the original version.
“This is a good thing because, in my experience, the “enhanced” version doesn’t always look better. It can sometimes overcorrect colors, for example, by removing some of the warm glow of an open fire and making it appear too white.”
(Google Support via Forbes).
Xiaomi Lights Up The Expanding World Of AI
Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi launched the 14T series of smartphones this week. The flagship devices highlight the new AI features. While their use in photography is the headline item, there’s something a little bit more interesting for the Android ecosystem further down the specs list—the inclusion of several AI features from Google, including Circle to Search Gemini Nano. Following a perceived exclusivity period with Samsung alongside the Pixel devices, Google’s AI platform is expanding.
“Google has been pushing Circle to Search as one of its key AI experiences on Android, but the feature has so far been only available on devices from Samsung as well as Google’s own Pixel devices. Today, we’re seeing the first expansion as Circle to Search will be available on the global versions of the new Xiaomi 14T, 14T Pro, and Xiaomi Mix Flip.”
(9to5Google).
Snapdragon’s Gen 5 Future
Next month should see the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 launch, and the next twelve months will see the AI-focused chipset feature in many premium devices. Yet Qualcomm is hard at work on 2026’s design—no doubt alongside manufacturers’ early plans for the next plus one revolution:
“The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 will keep its predecessor’s 2+6 configuration. However, its P-cores (codenamed Pegasus) will be clocked at 5.0 GHz, while the E-cores will operate at 4.0 GHz. This is remarkably higher than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4’s P and E-cores, which are clocked at 4.32 GHz and 3.53 GHz, respectively.”
And Finally…
The heavily-lauded mix of Poker and deck building that is Balatro has finally arrived for your smartphone. For long-time players on Switch or the PC, the cloud saves are limited to Android devices; from the Dev Team:
“At this time, it’s not possible to transfer your profile from another platform to mobile. However, the feature is on the roadmap for future updates.”
(Google Play Store via Reddit).
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!