The Oppo Watch S will be released worldwide. It’s unclear if the smartwatch will live up to the expectations despite being advertised with extremely high brightness, an incredibly thin stainless steel shell, cross-OS dual-phone connection, and sensors meant to offer real-time data for health aficionados and aspiring athletes.
Since the wearable is now mentioned on the company’s worldwide website, a launch in additional markets is probably just around the corner. Oppo hasn’t yet disclosed any details on costs or precise release dates, though.
In essence, the Oppo Watch S is a feature-rich smartwatch that strives to dazzle with its display. Oppo specifies a maximum peak brightness of 3,000 cd/m². The AMOLED panel is 1.46 inches in diameter and has a resolution of 464 x 464. The gadget can be used while swimming without worrying about damage because it is waterproof up to a test pressure of 5 ATM. The inbuilt dual-band GNSS module should be advantageous to athletes as well.
Heart rate and oxygen saturation can be measured using optical sensors on board. Additionally, extensive and potent sleep monitoring features are promoted. Athletic activities can be recorded using more than 100 different sports profiles. The battery lasts four days when the display is always on, with an average lifespan of one week. For further information, prospective customers can visit the product site.
A beta program is released prior to the official release of every significant new One UI update for Galaxy devices that comes with an updated version of Android. Although Samsung has primarily restricted them to their foldable phones, we have also seen beta programs for minor One UI improvements where the Android version stays the same.
For One UI 8.5, Samsung is making some changes this year. It is hosting a conventional beta program in six nations (the US, the UK, Korea, Germany, Poland, and India) that is not limited to Galaxy Z handsets. Which gadgets will be supported? To discover out, you’ve come to the correct spot.
Yes, the initial list is rather short. At first, only the initial three models of the Galaxy S25 series are qualified. As usual, neither the Galaxy S25 Edge nor the FE model are receiving the beta.
We’ll make sure to update this list when Samsung expands the beta program to new devices, so be sure to bookmark this site and return at a later time.
Watch the video below to learn what One UI 8.5 has to offer. For more One UI 8.5 material, visit our YouTube channel.
Many affordable Xiaomi phones, such the Redmi 15, Redmi 14C, and Redmi 13X, continue to use the conventional Android-style control panel rather than the contemporary iOS-inspired Control Center found on high-end phones running HyperOS. The main cause of this limitation is hardware and performance issues, which make it difficult to execute sophisticated animations and transitions smoothly.
Users of Xiaomi do not have to give up the new features and design in spite of this. It can be set up to mimic the new Control Center appearance on the majority of Redmi and POCO phones with the aid of third-party modification applications like Control Center 18.
Announced alongside HyperOS 1.0, Xiaomi’s new Control Center features an iOS 18-like interface, smoother animations, and adjustable brightness adjustments. But not every gadget satisfies the necessary performance requirements. Xiaomi limits the new UI to mid-range and flagship smartphones since entry-level handsets with low GPU and memory capacity can encounter lag or frame drops.
Xiaomi’s software framework is still adaptable, though. You may still improve the visual experience using third-party solutions like Control Center 18, which essentially replicates the look and functionality of the HyperOS Control Center, even if your phone doesn’t support the most recent control center natively.
Get the New Control Center with Control Center 18
You can simply duplicate the new Control Center with Control Center 18 app if your Redmi or Xiaomi phone does not have it natively loaded. With smooth animations, toggleable toggles, and quick access to your most commonly used options, this layout is almost exact.
According to reports, Samsung has been experiencing internal conflict because it does not want to raise the starting price of its upcoming Galaxy S26 series, especially after Apple maintained the price of the iPhone 17. That objective was challenging because to tariffs, growing component costs, and the persistent DRM shortage. It appears that the business has finally made a decision, and for the time being, it intends to refrain from raising prices.
According to a Korean report (via @jukan05), Samsung will maintain the Galaxy S26’s beginning pricing at the same level as the Galaxy S25. Accordingly, the S26+ and S26 Ultra will retail for $999 and $1,299, respectively, while the entry-level S26 will start at $799.
It appears that this decision will reduce the company’s profit margins by 10% to 15%, although the strong margins in DRAM and NAND would help counteract the effect.
Most likely, only the US market will be subject to the price freeze. Due to the weakening value of the Korean won, Samsung will mostly raise prices in its home country of South Korea. European and other Asian markets may possibly see a comparable rise.
It would be the fourth year in a row that Samsung has avoided raising the price of its flagship phones if it is able to maintain pricing.
According to the source, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8, which are scheduled to come later in 2026, will also be subject to the price freeze.
Although not stated, Samsung’s decision to maintain the price of its flagship phones and foldables for 2026 was probably influenced by Apple’s choice to maintain the pricing of the iPhone 17.
Since it is widely anticipated that Apple will release its first foldable iPhone this year, the Korean company cannot afford to run the risk of alienating consumers with a price increase.
Expect higher prices for upcoming mid-range Galaxy A phones
However, it appears that Samsung will raise prices of its mid-range Galaxy A phones. These models’ lower profit margins provide company little to no leeway to absorb the sharp increase in component costs.
Unfortunately, there won’t be any significant hardware enhancements to go along with the price hike. Therefore, the majority of buyers will ultimately pay more for no discernible improvement. Unfortunately, the majority of phones released in 2026 may just follow this pattern.
The battery life of the recently released Xiaomi Watch 5 is one of its problematic features compared to Huawei and other high-end smartwatches. Even if you use its cutting-edge capabilities all day, the smartphone can last longer than two weeks.
We can rely on Huawei when it comes to wearable battery life because the company’s most current product, the Watch GT 6 series, has a battery life of about 21 days.
In the meantime, it can run for 7 days when features like AOD are activated and 12 days when used normally. Xiaomi appears to have figured such a solution, while Apple and Samsung are still working to remove the hourly battery backup for their wearables.
Xiaomi Watch 5 battery life
The Xiaomi Watch 5’s battery life is one of the intriguing features that the business has included to keep it ahead of a number of excellent wearables.
The Watch 5 has a 930mAh battery that contains 10% silicon. It can run for six days if it is used every day in the online network scenario with all functionality.
However, the Xiaomi Watch 5 will last for eighteen days if you activate its power-saving mode. That is only three days less than the Huawei Watch GT 6!
In terms of battery life, this makes the Xiaomi Watch 5 a serious rival to Huawei timepieces and its upcoming models. This time, the business has significantly improved the wearables’ batteries, making them far more dependable than competitors.
In addition to the battery, Xiaomi’s Watch 5 is the first wearable that supports EMG technology, revolutionizing the smartwatch’s health market.
It would be worthwhile to investigate the further improvements that upcoming smartwatches will include in order to attract attention and grow their market share.
Thanks to some of its most cutting-edge features, the Huawei Mate 80 Pro Max is one of the greatest flagship smartphones of 2025. No, we’re talking about the unique features that are worth your consideration rather than the ultimate specs!
With the Mate 80 Pro Max and its state-of-the-art features, Huawei has addressed every issue, including performance and photography. Let’s examine each of these attributes of the new flagship in greater detail.
Design: the best look!
Are you tired of the same old circle camera design on the back? The Mate 80 Pro Max has an infinite appearance because the manufacturer recognizes your feelings.
This specific design strategy alludes to the new smartphone’s limitless, remarkable features. In order to highlight the device’s name and make it seem more auspicious, it also reflects the number “8.” It’s amazing how MATE is integrated into the lens architecture.
In the meantime, your smartphone’s all-metal body guarantees that it will be safe and secure throughout its life, regardless of any drops, water falls, or scratches.
Screen: Brightness like never before
The screen of the Mate 80 Pro Max is the result of some unique work by Huawei. In contrast to previous Mate phones, the 2025 model has a dual-layer OLED panel that lowers battery usage while also increasing brightness.
What’s unique, though? This time, it’s the maximum brightness, which is 8000 nits. The Mate 80 Pro Max is the first phone with this level of brightness, outperforming the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra and establishing a new standard for premium models in 2026.
When watching videos or playing games, the screen eventually stays clear even in direct sunshine, and the content’s colors are crisp and vibrant.
Celia AI – the AI assistant
Huawei joined the smartphone market with its Celia AI assistant, competing with Gemini and Siri. It is now a human friend with certain dynamic capabilities rather than an artificial intelligence model.
With just a single utterance, you can now use Celia’s AI assistant to order new products, place restaurant orders, book flights, and perform a number of other tasks.
Tell Celia, for example, if you want to order an outfit or something to eat while playing your favorite game. Additionally, it will take you straight to the payment stage. You can complete the transaction without exiting the game, so don’t worry. Additionally, the app will use your voice to verify the payment.
Connectivity: weak signals become a thing of the past
With antenna breaks on all four sides of the frame (the phone’s rear panel), this would likely be the first gadget. What does that signify? The device will provide seamless communication regardless of how you handle it.
Apps like Beijing Metro Line 10, which gained popularity because to its poor signal, now offer lag-free, uninterrupted video playback. Users may even monitor the weather without internet access thanks to dual-satellite connectivity.
Three barriers can be penetrated and 13 kilometers can be covered via 700MHz wireless communication. As a result, you can communicate with other users even in places where there is absolutely no service.
With its outdoor mode, the Huawei Mate 80 Pro Max’s battery lasts for 14 days. Hiking tracks for some well-known routes can be recorded, imported, or even downloaded with its assistance. Additionally, you identify the rising trend and indicate risk appropriately.
Camera – top tier
Mate phones are not so much imaging devices as they are performance-based ones. However, Huawei has perverted this theory this time. With five potent sensors, including the second-generation multispectral lens, the Mate 80 Pro Max boasts an amazing camera package.
The gadget features a 50MP ultra-high dynamic primary camera, a 40MP ultrawide angle camera, a 50MP super-focus macro telephoto lens, a 50MP super telephoto sensor, and an improved multispectral lens for legendary image and video capture.
The new multispectral camera increases color reproduction accuracy by 43% when paired with the 9th-generation ISP. They are more colorful than ever, regardless of whether the photo needs to be taken underwater, in strong light, or in a gloomy environment.
Thus, these are the incredible qualities of the Huawei Mate 80 Pro Max that truly need your consideration. To improve the overall user experience, additional features include 5A Speed and smart grip.
Xiaomi has quietly stopped supporting software updates for the Redmi 12C and its international counterpart, the POCO C55. No new firmware, including HyperOS 2, has been released in the last two months, and the devices were last updated with the October 2025 security patch. These devices are anticipated to become officially EOL in February 2026, according to Xiaomi’s internal software roadmap.
Why these devices eeached EOL
For its entry-level series, Xiaomi has clear updating policies. The POCO C55 and Redmi 12C were marketed as reasonably priced smartphones designed for everyday use, typically with shorter support cycles.
Each device finished its usual update window with HyperOS maintenance releases and Android fixes prior to hitting EOL. This change is intended to allow Xiaomi to focus attention on more recent models and maintain system stability throughout the ecosystem.
Users can still improve device stability by updating compatible system apps even after system firmware updates have ceased. Xiaomi smartphone owners have two reliable options:
Recommended Update Channels
HyperOSUpdates.com: provides direct links to Xiaomi system app packages.
MemeOS Enhancer app on Google Play – allows users to update system apps, enable hidden features of Xiaomi, and manage interface components smoothly.
EOL does not automatically affect device functionality, and users may still experience adequate performance for daily tasks.
With smartphones that offer increasingly better performance and longer support cycles, Xiaomi continues to broaden its selection of reasonably priced products. As part of the broader shift to the enhanced environment offered by HyperOS and more efficient update delivery, devices like the Redmi 12C and POCO C55 are being retired organically. A more explicit software policy is anticipated in upcoming budget releases.
Xiaomi seems to be advancing its long-standing collaboration with German optics behemoth Leica as the battle for flagship smartphones with cameras gets more intense every day. A fresh item found in the IMEI database indicates that the company is working on a far more ambitious project, despite the fact that leaks on the basic version of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra have recently dominated tech news. Known as the “Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi,” this new model distinguishes out as a limited edition designed to combine performance and luxury in mobile photography.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra comes in 2 variants
Recently, the first specific details about the Xiaomi 17 Ultra series surfaced. The first variation was identified as having the product number “2512BPNDAG,” and it was found that this device’s internal codename is “P1.” It is anticipated that this model will be made available as the series’ standard “Ultra” model. The really intriguing change, though, was the addition of a second variation with a whole new naming structure to the IMEI database.
The model number of the recently discovered record is “25128PNA1G,” and the device’s internal codename is “P1S.” Here, the “S” suffix is believed to stand for terms like “Special.” The marketing name for this model is specifically stated as “Leica Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi” in the GSMA records. This suggests that Xiaomi may use the more prestigious “Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Leitzphone Edition” or “Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition” to launch this device.
This naming has a long history. Ernst Leitz, the man who founded the Leica brand, is the source of the name “Leitz.” Perfectionism in optical engineering is exemplified by the Leitz family, a legend in the field of photography. A global “Leitzphone” initiative with Xiaomi might be Leica’s largest step in the mainstream flagship market, even though the company already produces a “Leitz Phone” series (the most recent being the Leitz Phone 3) carrying its own brand in the Japanese market through a partnership with Sharp. Combining Leica’s optical history with Xiaomi’s manufacturing prowess could produce a gadget that revolutionizes smartphone photography.
New camera setup
The back camera arrangement of the device is clearly visible in leaked photos of the “Photography Kit,” dispelling earlier reports of a “quad-camera” configuration. The pictures show that the Xiaomi 17 Ultra will have three cameras rather than four. It is noted that where the fourth lens would normally be, a unique sensor region or space has been left in the module design.
This suggests that Xiaomi is concentrating on improving the quality and sensor sizes of the current lenses rather than producing more lenses. The following is a list of the sensor setups evaluated under the codename “Nezha”:
Main Camera: 50MP OVX10500U (also known as OV50X) sensor.
The switch to a triple camera arrangement is thought to have been an engineering decision made especially to accommodate the larger primary sensor and the enormous 200MP telephoto sensor. A special grip and filter adaptor that converts the device’s ergonomics to that of a DSLR camera also seems to be included in the leaked photography package.
Other expected specs
Hardware-wise, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile platform is anticipated to power the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and its exclusive Leitzphone variant. Leica-only image processing techniques and sophisticated AI features will be included in the gadget, which will come pre-installed with the HyperOS 3 operating system. Information also indicates that satellite communication will be supported by the worldwide version.
The goal of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra series is to be a pocket-sized professional camera in addition to a smartphone. Based on the model number “2512,” these two gadgets, codenamed “P1” and “P1S,” are anticipated to be released in the final quarter of 2025 (December 2025), and they are projected to completely change the landscape of mobile photography.
We recently reported about another type of banking Android malware that operates in the background and leverages accessibility settings to steal data, including passwords and bank credentials. More malware that allows remote attacks on Android devices and is freely disseminated among hackers as part of a subscription service has just been disclosed.
More banking malware on the loose
A new Android trojanware known as Albiriox has been found by researchers at the online fraud protection company Cleafy. Albiriox is disseminated through what are referred to as “dummy” or infected APKs to deceive users into downloading real apps, much as Sturnus, the malware that was discovered last week.
Hackers have tricked people by making phony copies of Google Play Store app listings, as Android Authority noted. As a result, potential victims may think they are downloading an app from a secure site when, in fact, they are not. Additionally, hackers have enticed victims by posting fictitious offers and promotions, requesting contact information, and then distributing the malicious APKs via well-known messaging services like Telegram and WhatsApp.
The research group claims that hackers in Russia and other nearby regions have been the primary users of these approaches. After being disseminated as a Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) on dark web forums, it is reported to have lately acquired popularity.
The “install unknown apps” permission on users’ devices is mostly enabled via the APK files that hackers disseminate. The current (and destructive) program containing Albiriox is installed by the dropper app after that is activated.
According to Android Authority, the research organization has already caught over 400 fraudulent apps that target consumers in categories including banking, fintech, digital payments, and cryptocurrencies. Instead than obtaining users’ login credentials, these software versions enable hackers to conduct transactions directly on users’ banking apps.
You should be wary of any strange programs you install, especially if they appear to be connected to banking or any other financial service, as the malware works more covertly and silently. Make sure you have the most recent Play Protect update installed and that you only download apps from the official Google Play Store app.
In terms of updates, make sure your device has the most recent firmware that is supported, as this contains patches for vulnerabilities that have just been discovered. Similarly, Google has published the December Android Security Bulletin.
The Security V12 generation of Xiaomi’s standard Security app has finally been released with a significant update. The most recent build, V12.0.3-251114.1.1, is mostly concerned with modifications to the system infrastructure. However, as the new build offers a whole redesign of the Game Turbo interface and sophisticated system optimization logic, this would be quite intriguing for those waiting for the release of the next HyperOS stage. With this upgrade, Xiaomi is at last getting ready for a significant change in the management of background operations and the optimization of gaming performance on devices throughout the world.
Increased optimization in new Security V12
The Security V12 branch has been made available to the public for the first time with this build. The Security V12 series is a package deal of significant architectural improvements that align with next system versions, in contrast to the incremental updates that preceded it. The improved optimization engine, which promises to clear caches and free up memory without disrupting user activity, is especially noteworthy in the changelog. Thus, the move to version 12.0.3 would suggest that Xiaomi is preparing for more demanding software applications, maintaining devices’ responsiveness and fluidity during more taxing operations.
Enhanced gaming capabilities
However, the improved Game Turbo module is the most notable feature of this version. Performance modes and floating windows can now be accessed more quickly thanks to Xiaomi’s UI optimization. In order to prioritize frame rates and network stability during gameplay, new optimization algorithms operate in the background in silent mode. With much lower latency and input lag, enthusiasts who use their devices for competitive gaming will notice how much more seamless the transition from the game to system notific
How to update
To update the Security app on Xiaomi devices, open the Security app and scroll to the bottom until you see the Settings or About section. Tap Update (or Check for updates) if available. You can also update it through the GetApps store by searching for Security and installing the latest version. If the update doesn’t appear, make sure your phone is connected to the internet and running the latest MIUI/HyperOS system version, as some Security app updates are bundled with system updates.
Keeping system applications updated is very crucial for maintaining the security and performance stability of any device. Among such capabilities are unlocking hidden Xiaomi settings, updating other system applications seamlessly, and managing screen refresh rates, among the common updater features.
