News Weekly: One UI 8 Beta lands on Galaxy S25, Galaxy Watch 8 leaks again, Nothing gives up its ‘spark,’ and more
News Weekly
News Weekly is our column where we highlight and summarize some of the week’s top stories so you can catch up on the latest tech news.
This is Android Central’s News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week’s most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
This week, Samsung dropped an unexpected surprise for Galaxy S25 users, Galaxy Watch 8 series allegedly clears another certification, Nothing kills its Glyph lights on its next flagship, OnePlus sneaks in two new phone on the Ace 5 series, and Pixel 10 Pro leak details a familiar design. Let’s dive in!
Galaxy S25 users get the first taste of One UI 8
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Galaxy S25 users were in for a surprise drop this week, as Samsung decided to give its latest flagship phones an unexpected update.
In a lengthy blog post, Samsung announced that it’s kicking off One UI 8’s first beta this week for Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, which shipped with One UI 7 out of the box early this year. One UI 8 brings all of Android 16’s perks to the Galaxy S25 for the first time, and beta-enrolled users try out new features before they’re publicly released.
To start, Samsung’s AI Select tool is now faster than ever. According to Android Central’s Nick Sutrich in his One UI 8 beta hands-on, it takes approximately 2.2 seconds to look something up. One UI 8 also takes multitasking to the next level, with this 90:10 feature, which lets you resize a split window down to 10% of its normal size, helping users switch between two apps with a single tap without feeling like the app is crammed when the screen is split.
Samsung’s Weather app, Reminder, Health, and Auracast also get major glow-ups with this new update. Furthermore, Samsung also confirmed that its next-gen foldables phones will launch later this year with a stable version of One UI 8.
For more news and information on Samsung’s upcoming foldables, check out our Ultimate Guide.
Galaxy Watch 8 series allegedly clears another certification
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We might be just mere weeks away from the next Unpacked event, and it has been raining leaks.
The most recent one comes from folks at Xpert Pick who claim to have spotted both watches from the Galaxy Watch 8 series pass through the CMIIT certification (Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology).
As we can see in the screenshot, both certificates mention model numbers attached to the alleged upcoming wearables, SM-L3350 and SM-L5050, respectively. Previous leaks have indicated that these model numbers seem to be associated with the Galaxy Watch 8 (LTE) and the Watch 8 Classic (LTE).
The certification notes within the screenshot describe both these devices to have eSIM technology with an independent eUICC chip, which will allow users to connect to cellular networks without the phone, which is what the previous leaks have been indicating as well.
Nothing is giving up its Glyph lights
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Nothing has been dropping several hints on X about its upcoming flagship Nothing Phone 3. In its most recent post, it suggested that its next flagship will not have the signature Glyph Light interface on the rear panel, which has been featured on previous models.
In an almost straightforward post, the company announced the end of the Glyph Interface in an X video, captioned “we killed the Glyph Interface,” where the Phone 1’s lights dramatically blink out to black.
This could potentially mean that its next flagship device, Nothing Phone 3 may not show up with those rear light, a feature that drew several people to buy the Nothing phones in the first place.
That said, if the company takes away the one thing that sets it apart, what would its rear panel actually look like? Some speculate that the phone could come with a dot-matrix display on the back. The teasers of Phone 3 had videos with the same dot-matrix pattern, showing a pixelated “3” or Pac-Man-style animations with dots, majorly hinting at a change in visual design.
OnePlus snuck in two new phones on the Ace 5 series
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OnePlus has just launched two new phones: the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra Edition and the Ace 5 Racing Edition.
Designed with gaming enthusiasts in mind, these phones combine sleek design, powerful hardware, and impressive battery life for an “ultimate gaming experience.” The phones are designed to balance equally in both hands, reducing hand fatigue during intense gaming sessions.
At the core, both devices are powered an “Esports triple chip,” comprising the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Plus chipset, the Lingxi touch-control chip, and the gaming-focused G1 Wi-Fi chip. Both devices sport the same 50MP primary lens and a 16MP front camera, with other aspects setting them apart.
The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra and Racing Edition come packed with Android 15 and Color OS out of the box. Both devices come in three colorways, starting at roughly $346.88 and $249.71, respectively.
Pixel 10 series colorways may have leaked
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Leaks are pouring in about Google’s upcoming Pixel series, and the most recent one speculates on the potential colorways of the device.
MysticLeaks on Telegram claims there might be four options available during the Pixel 10 series launch. The tipster states that the standard Pixel 10 could arrive in four colors: Obsidian, blue, Iris (purple), and Limoncello (yellow). This color array is slightly different than the Pixel 9’s Peony (pink), Wintergreen (minty green), Porcelain (white), and Obsidian. The Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL could show up in Obsidian, Green, Sterling (grey), and Porcelain (white).
Furthermore, we may have gotten a glimpse of the Pixel 10 Pro while it was being filmed for a commercial.
The leak comes from a photographer, Mark Teasdale, on X (via DroidLife), who spotted the phone being filmed with a man holding the alleged Pixel 10 Pro, going by the images. The post on X, however, has now been taken down, for unknown reasons.
More stories this week
Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:
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