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Xiaomi launches flagship phones as memory prices climb
Xiaomi launched its flagship smartphones globally on Saturday amid an unprecedented surge in memory chip prices, which could dampen sales. The Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra have broken out onto the market and are attempting to challenge the likes of Samsung and Apple. Xiaomi is the third-largest smartphone player globally and has maintained the prices of the devices versus last year’s flagship, even amid the huge jump in memory prices that are critical for smartphones. The Xiaomi 17 starts at 999 euros, and the 17 Ultra starts at 1,499 euros. According to Counterpoint Research, memory prices have soared between 80% and 90% in the first quarter of the year so far. This surge has been driven by a shortage of memory chips as supply is being directed towards data centres for AI. Memory is an expensive component of a smartphone, and a Gartner forecast from February estimates that smartphone prices could grow 13% in 2026. IDC forecasts the smartphone market to decline 12.9% in 2026 as a result of the chip crunch. Analysts believe that companies selling more expensive phones will be more insulated and able to absorb the cost. The majority of Xiaomi’s volume comes from mid-range devices, a category that could take a hi
Mobile
Chinese phone company Honor showcases Robot Phone
China-based electronics company Honor has showcased its new Robot Phone and announced its first humanoid robot as its global shipments grow. The company also unveiled its new Magic V6 foldable smartphone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Robot Phone includes a camera on a small retractable robotic arm and was first announced in October. “Robot Phone is a new species of smartphone, combining embodied AI interaction with robot-grade motion and cinematic imaging capabilities,” wrote Honor. The robotic arm allows the camera to track objects as they move. It can also nod in response when its user asks the phone’s artificial intelligence assistant a question, according to the company, and dance to music. Honor also said today that it would partner with German film camera manufacturer Arri to integrate Arri’s cinematic imaging techniques into its phone cameras. The Robot Phone will be Honor’s first product to include this technology. The Robot Phone will be available in China in the second half of 2026, but Honor has not indicated potential pricing or an international release date. Its new foldable Magic V6 phone will feature the company’s next-generation silicon-carbon battery, and is just 8.75 millimetres
Mobile
AppLovin shareholder criminal claims withdrawn
Short seller CapitalWatch has retracted allegations that a major shareholder in app marketing company AppLovin was linked to money laundering, sending AppLovin’s shares up more than 13%. CapitalWatch had claimed last month that Hao Tang, one of AppLovin’s largest shareholders, had laundered illicit funds from China and Southeast Asia using AppLovin’s technology platforms. The short seller apologised today, saying it had erroneously connected Tang to sanctioned Cambodian conglomerate Prince Group. “In light of these factual discrepancies—and to prevent the spread of misinformation and protect the legal rights of the parties involved—we have decided to remove and retract the passages relevant to Mr. Tang personally,” wrote CapitalWatch. “Regarding the report’s references to ‘money laundering’ and ‘improper transfer of interests’, it is imperative to distinguish between individual liability and corporate financial phenomena”, it said. “Our review concluded that while the macro data and transaction structures highlighted in the original report warrant market scrutiny, the information currently available is legally insufficient to attribute these complex capital operations directly and exclusively to Mr. Tang.” CapitalWa
Mobile
Samsung unveils first TriFold phone
Samsung announced the launch of its first multi-folding phone to keep up with the fast pace of innovations from rivals. The Galaxy Z Trifold is expected to be available in Korea on 12 December, followed by China, Singapore, the UAE and the U.S. in the first quarter of 2026. Details on when the phone will be available in Australia are yet to be revealed. The new phone will ship as a single black model with 16GB of memory, 512 GB of storage and will cost around 3,594,000 South Korean won (US$2,449). Unlike already existing foldable phones, the new phone will fold twice and have three discrete parts. “Through years of innovation in foldable form factors, Galaxy Z TriFold solves one of the mobile industry’s longest-standing challenges — delivering the perfect balance between portability, premium performance and productivity all in one device,” TM Roh, Chief Executive Officer, President and Head of Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics said. “Galaxy Z TriFold now expands the boundaries of what’s possible for mobile work, creativity and connection.” In a statement shared with CNBC, an associate director at Counterpoint Research said the tri-fold phone is set to shake up competition with big player
Mobile
Xiaomi unveils new smartphone, appliance lines
Xiaomi has unveiled new lines of smartphones, wearables, and home devices at an event in Germany, as it seeks to court the international market and challenge companies like Samsung. The company’s 15T Series phones will include direct offline voice communication and three rear cameras. Xiaomi also revealed new robot vacuums, televisions, and smart watches, and said it will launch its Mijia appliances worldwide. “This launch marks a bold evolution of Xiaomi T Series from flagship photography and cutting-edge technology built for modern trendsetters to advanced mobile technology, elevated imagery and a refined design,” the company said of its 15T smartphones. “These new devices are designed to transform everyday life, spanning smart home cleaning, personal health monitoring, immersive audio, home security, and next-generation entertainment,” wrote Xiaomi. The company’s 15T phones succeed the Xiaomi 15 line, which was launched internationally earlier in 2025. A Xiaomi 17 smartphone series will be unveiled for the Chinese market later today. Redmi, Xiaomi’s entry-level device subsidiary, also unveiled a new line of tablets with a 12.1-inch display at the event. Xiaomi held a 14.4% share of the global smartphone market

Mobile
Apple unveils thinnest iPhone yet at awe-dropping event
Apple debuted its thinnest iPhone design yet, but failed to deliver on artificial intelligence (AI) advancements investors were seeking at its ‘awe-dropping’ event. Alongside the new iPhone 17, which is set to come with much greater battery function, Apple also unveiled the iPhone Air. Apple CEO Tim Cook called the iPhone Air the “biggest leap ever” for the iPhone as it sports a width of 5.6mm. The thinner iPhone is made of “spacecraft titanium”, has a 6.5-inch display and comes in a variety of colours that the company said “evokes lightness”. The iPhone Air will have a US$999 price tag, with pre-orders starting Friday and general availability on 19 September. Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3 will also be released on 19 September with a US$249 price tag, with an update to bring it in line with Google’s Pixel Buds. The new Apple Watch Series 11 was also announced with updated versions of the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch SE. Despite this, the company glossed over what many investors wanted to hear about: Apple Intelligence, which was introduced at its annual WWDC developers conference last year. This places them behind competitors like Google, Samsung and Microsoft who have been quick to integrate AI into their
Mobile
Google Pixel 10 challenges rivals with AI features
Google launched its Pixel 10 smartphone family on Wednesday, betting heavily on artificial intelligence features as Apple struggles with delayed Siri improvements until 2026. The Mountain View company's latest lineup starts at US$799 for the base Pixel 10, matching Samsung's Galaxy S25 and Apple's iPhone 16 pricing exactly. The Pixel 10 Pro costs US$999, whilst the larger Pro XL reaches US$1,199. Google's innovative AI standout addition is Magic Cue, which proactively surfaces relevant information during phone calls and messages. When dialling an airline, the feature automatically displays flight details from your email. The new Camera Coach uses Gemini models to suggest better framing and composition, targeting photography beginners. Pro models feature Pro Res Zoom reaching 100x magnification through generative AI, though such extreme zoom claims often produce heavily processed results rather than genuine optical quality.Hardware specs lagDespite AI advances, the Pixel 10's hardware specifications trail competitors. Samsung's Galaxy S25 includes 12GB of RAM compared to the Pixel's likely 8GB, whilst the S25's Snapdragon 8 Elite processor outperforms older chips in benchmarks. Battery performance remains question
Mobile
Samsung gains US market share as Apple declines
Samsung's market share is surging, creating more competition between the tech giant and its biggest rival, Apple. In the second quarter of the fiscal year, Samsung’s market share rose from 23% in the prior period to 31%, according to Canalys, while Apple’s market share declined from 56% to 49%. During the second quarter of 2025, iPhone shipments declined by 2% to 44.8 million, while Samsung phone shipments rose 7% to 57.5 million. This came as Samsung launched its new foldable Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, with the devices receiving 60% higher pre-orders than their predecessors, becoming the most successful foldable launch in the United States. Apple still reported a 13% increase year-over-year in iPhone sales in its July earnings; however, consumers aren’t always rushing to purchase the newest model. According to Telemetry, 16.3% of all iPhone users are currently using iPhone 13s, despite the tech giant releasing a new model every year due to similarities between models. Another reason why Samsung is making headway is due to the wide range of products at various price points. “Samsung has refocused its strategy on ‘smart volume,’ aiming to profitably scale its mass market Galaxy A series while continui
Mobile
Oppo launches ultra-thin foldable phone Find N5
Oppo has launched its Find N5 smartphone, an ultra-thin foldable phone aiming to compete with Samsung, Google, and Huawei. The Find N5 is 4.21 millimetres thick when unfolded, and 8.93 mm when closed. It succeeds 2023’s foldable Oppo Find N3, also sold as the OnePlus Open under its OnePlus subsidiary. “Find N5 unlocks the potential of folding phones, putting tablet and laptop experiences in our hands. It's impossibly thin and light, and ColorOS 15 is precision-tuned to do more across two immersive displays, with AI-powered tools, and advanced integration with Macs,” said Oppo chief product officer Pete Lau. The smartphone includes a number of artificial intelligence features, such as a personal AI assistant that can summarise content and enhance images, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy AI and Google Gemini. According to Oppo, the Find N5 boasts “the best battery life of any folding phone”, with a 5600mAh dual-cell battery. It will also allow users to remotely control Mac computers. The Find N5 is available in Europe and Asia, but it is not scheduled to be released in the United States or Australia. It is priced from SG$2,499 (A$2,925), compared with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 from A$2,749 and the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold