Galaxy S25 Ultra leak, Retroid Pocket 5 launch, OnePlus 13 confirmed

A look back at this week's news and headlines from the Android world, including leaked Galaxy S25 Ultra specs, S24 Fan Edition pricing, Pixel 9 Pro Fold design interview, OnePlus 13 confirmation, Retroid Pocket 5 launch, Google One Lite preview, and Android launcher complaints.

Android Circuit reminds you of some of the many discussions surrounding Android over the past seven days. You can also read my weekly roundup of Apple news here on Forbes.

Samsung Galaxy 25 Ultra – Camera Specifications

There are still four months to go until the next Galaxy S phones are launched, but details about the big changes are already emerging. As always, the camera will be one area where the South Korean company will want to beat the competition, and the S25 Ultra will be no exception:

“According to well-known informant Ice Universe, the Galaxy S25 Ultra will get a brand new 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with a brighter F/1.9 aperture lens. This upgrade is a significant improvement over the 12-megapixel version of the Galaxy S24 Ultra and should significantly increase the level of detail in ultra-wide-angle photos, especially close-up macro shots.”

(Forbes).

The Fan Edition becomes even more tempting

Before the Galaxy S25 series is launched, one final S24 handset is expected. The Fan Edition models have always aimed for a lower price while maintaining high specs. The latest leaks surrounding the Galaxy S24 FE price have got the community excited:

“On X/Twitter, a new post by @MysteryLupin claims that Samsung will launch the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant of the Galaxy S24 FE for €749. That's €50 less than the previous report suggested. In addition, the source says the company will offer the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant of the device for €809.”

(SamMobile).

The design decisions for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold

I had the chance to sit down with two members of the product team behind Google's second Fold to talk about the design, hardware, and why it absolutely had to be a 9 Pro Fold and not a Fold 2:

“It's really important to us that this is a Pixel 9 Pro device. This device is for the consumer who wants to get the most out of their phone and take it to the next level of performance. The Nine Pro Fold is for that type of person: who wants the biggest screen on a phone, the thinnest foldable, and all the great things? We built this phone and it matches the Pixel 9 Pro.”

(Forbes).

The OnePlus 13 is coming

On Weibo, OnePlus President Li Jie Louis confirmed that the next OnePlus flagship – presumably the OnePlus 13 – will launch in October. Whether it will be a China-only variant or a global model remains to be seen. In previous years, OnePlus has released the former a few months before the latter:

“The latest generation of flagship chips launching next month will be powered by a star team that once designed groundbreaking PC chips. For the first time, a fully self-developed dual-core architecture will be used to achieve a comprehensive lead and leadership in mobile platform performance and deliver a breakthrough performance experience.”

(Android Authority).

Retroid's latest gaming handheld

Orders are being taken for Retroid's latest Android gaming handheld. The Android device, which runs in landscape mode similar to the Nintendo Switch, is one of the first to feature a Snapdragon chipset and offers several features that gamers are looking for:

“Additionally, Retroid has integrated an active cooling solution to keep the Pocket 5's chipset cool under heavy load. Additionally, the Snapdragon 865 offers Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity; however, Retroid appears to have disabled the chipset's modem. Additionally, the Pocket 5 features 3D Hall effect joysticks, analog triggers, and interchangeable button layouts.”

(Notebook Check).

Google One Lite in review

A new subscription offer for what many consider to be a core Android service is now available. Google One Lite sits below the first “Google One Basic” that many consumers use, and offers twice as much free storage. It's not available everywhere yet; it appears to be testing in India:

“The new Lite tier, currently offered with a one-month free trial, offers up to 30GB of cloud storage for Google Photos, Google Drive and Gmail, doubling the initial 15GB users get for free just for signing up.

Unlike Google One's existing paid plans, the new Lite subscription cannot be shared with other users – although 30GB of storage would not be enough to share the subscription with friends and family anyway.”

(Forbes).

And finally …

Third-party app launchers are popular apps across the Android ecosystem, but Google hasn't released some of the key tools developers need to deliver a smooth experience. Now, the developers behind Smart Launcher, Niagara, Nova Launcher, and Lawnchair are working together to challenge Google to open up the gesture-based APIs

“Custom launchers regularly fall back on the outdated three-button navigation because key aspects of gesture navigation falter, stutter, or even randomly hang. This is because the default system launcher insists on managing the app open and close animations and the Recents screen. Google does not give third-party launchers access to the QuickStep APIs for customizing app Recents screens.”

(Android Headlines).

Android Circuit rounds up the latest news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don't forget to follow me so you don't miss any future coverage, and of course, check out the sister column in Apple Loop! You can find last week's Android Circuit here. If you have news and links you'd like to see in Android Circuit, get in touch!