iPhone 17 ‘Air’ Leaks, Pixel 10 Launch Surprise & Galaxy S25 FE Unveiled – Smartphone Bombshells (Sept 5–6, 2025)

Key Facts

• Apple’s Big Event Teased: Apple’s September 9 “Awe Dropping” event invite hints at four new iPhone 17 models (including a new ultra-thin “iPhone 17 Air”) alongside Apple Watch Series 11, Watch Ultra 3, and AirPods Pro 3 techradar.com. Last-minute leaks claim the iPhone 17 Air will pack a 120 Hz display and eSIM-only design but sacrifice battery life due to its ultra-slim build macrumors.com macrumors.com.
• Samsung Unveils Galaxy S25 FE: At IFA 2025 in Berlin, Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 FE – a 6.7-inch “Fan Edition” of its S25 flagship – priced at $650 gizmodo.com gizmodo.com. It carries the same display as the $1,000 S25+ but uses a scaled-back Exynos 2400 chip instead of the latest Snapdragon, with less RAM (8 GB) and a lower-spec telephoto camera gizmodo.com. Samsung also rolled out Galaxy Tab S11 tablets and Buds 3 FE earbuds, expanding its premium features to more budget-friendly devices.
• Google’s Pixel 10 Debuts Early: Google surprised the market by launching the Pixel 10 series ahead of Apple’s event. The Pixel 10 and 10 Pro/Pro XL boast an upgraded Tensor G5 chip co-designed with DeepMind, enabling on-device generative AI blog.google blog.google. New AI-driven features like “Magic Cue” (a proactive assistant across apps) and Camera Coach aim to “save you time and effort” and even teach better photo composition blog.google blog.google. Google’s September Pixel Feature Drop also brought a Material 3 Expressive redesign (with dynamic theming and new animations) to older Pixel models blog.google blog.google.
• OnePlus Ends Hasselblad Partnership: OnePlus announced an end to its five-year Hasselblad camera partnership (dating back to the OnePlus 9 in 2021). Co-founder Pete Lau declared this “planned chapter” complete and introduced OnePlus’s own “DetailMax” imaging engine to deliver ultra-realistic photos androidauthority.com androidauthority.com. “Now, we are building our own imaging engine… designed not just to capture the world but to reveal it in entirely real and clear ways,” Lau said androidauthority.com, emphasizing user feedback that “the first thing they do is pinch to zoom” to judge clarity androidauthority.com. The upcoming OnePlus 15 is expected to debut the new in-house camera system (rumors suggest it will indeed drop Hasselblad branding androidauthority.com).
• New Flagships & Leaks from China: Smartphone makers in China are fast-tracking their next flagships. Xiaomi’s 16 series is tipped to launch as early as Sept 24 in China, right after Qualcomm’s upcoming chipset reveal notebookcheck.net notebookcheck.net. Industry leakers say virtually every major Chinese brand – Xiaomi, Oppo (Find X9), Vivo (X300), OnePlus (15), Honor, etc. – plans to unveil new flagship models by late September notebookcheck.net notebookcheck.net, positioning to be first with Qualcomm’s next-gen silicon. (In India, Oppo is also gearing up mid-range offerings like the F31 series this month.)
• Chipset Advances: Samsung is plotting an Exynos comeback – a leak via ETNews indicates Samsung overcame 2 nm production issues and will soon mass-produce a new Exynos 2600 chip for its 2026 Galaxy S26 flagships androidheadlines.com androidheadlines.com. This 2 nm chip uses a “Heat Pass Block” tech to curb the thermal throttling that plagued past Exynos models androidheadlines.com. MediaTek, not to be outdone, confirmed its first 2 nm Dimensity 9600 design will tape out in September 2025 notebookcheck.net notebookcheck.net – aiming for volume production in late 2026. On the Qualcomm front, all eyes are on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (aka “8 Elite Gen 5”) set to be unveiled Sept 23. Qualcomm’s teaser already confirmed the next Snapdragon will feature its powerful new Oryon CPU cores, ditching the old Kryo design for a big leap in performance tomsguide.com tomsguide.com.
• Privacy Verdict Hits Google: In a major legal development, a California jury ordered Google to pay $425.7 million in damages for allegedly violating user privacy on Android phones from 2016–2024 katu.com katu.com. The class-action case found Google continued collecting location data even after users opted out of tracking – “a violation of public trust,” according to the plaintiffs’ attorney katu.com. Google insists the verdict “misunderstands how its products work” and is appealing, with a spokesperson saying “Our privacy tools give people control over their data, and when they turn off personalization, we honor that choice” katu.com. (Notably, Google had just settled a similar privacy suit in Texas for $1.4 billion earlier this year katu.com.) The ruling comes as Google faces broader regulatory heat – though CEO Sundar Pichai noted antitrust battles are a “long process” and welcomed “constructive dialogue” with regulators katu.com.

Apple: iPhone 17 Rumors & iOS Updates

Apple’s fall device launch is imminent – slated for Tuesday, Sept 9 – and the rumor mill is in overdrive. The company’s event invite carries the tagline “Awe dropping”, and leaks suggest it will live up to the hype. Four iPhone 17 variants are expected (base 17, 17 Plus, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max), potentially joined by a surprise “iPhone 17 Air.” This new Air model is rumored to be an ultra-light, ultra-thin iPhone aiming to earn its name. According to a report by TrendForce, the iPhone 17 Air will feature a 6.X-inch 120 Hz OLED display (finally bringing high refresh rates to non-Pro iPhones) macrumors.com. To achieve an ultra-slim profile, it purportedly uses a cutting-edge “silicon anode” high-density battery, but at the cost of capacity – so much so that its battery life may be worse than other iPhone 17 models macrumors.com. Apple might even sell an optional battery case to appease power users macrumors.com. In another bold move to save internal space, the iPhone 17 Air is said to drop the physical SIM tray entirely in favor of eSIM only macrumors.com – indicating Apple’s confidence in eSIM adoption (and perhaps foreshadowing future iPhones).

Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are tipped to focus on camera refinements. TrendForce claims Apple developed “optimized software algorithms” to boost optical zoom on the Pro models macrumors.com – possibly raising the zoom from the current 5× to around 8× optical. There’s also chatter that the Pro models will sport a subtly tweaked design (some reports point to a slightly rounded titanium frame) and of course a new A18 Bionic chip, but Apple has kept final specs tightly under wraps.

Perhaps the most game-changing rumor is not about this year but next: Apple may radically shake up its iPhone release cycle starting in 2026. According to TrendForce, Apple is considering a two-phase launch strategy: budget models in spring and flagship models (including an Air, Pro/Max, and even a foldable iPhone) in autumn macrumors.com. If true, 2025’s iPhone 18 lineup could split into two launches, with an “iPhone 18 Fold” joining the fall 2026 range macrumors.com. This would be a seismic shift in how Apple refreshes the iPhone, likely aiming to better compete across price tiers and integrate new form factors.

On the software side, Apple’s next mobile OS is nearly ready. (In a twist of numbering, insiders report Apple will skip “iOS 19” and jump straight to iOS 26 to align naming across its platforms engadget.com engadget.com. The WWDC 2025 keynote unveiled “iOS 26” as the upcoming release for iPhones launching with the iPhone 17 series.) The new OS – whatever the number – brings its share of refinements. Developers have been testing features like an expanded Journal app for life-logging, smarter on-device Siri with AI language upgrades, interactive Home Screen widgets, and possibly support for third-party app stores in the EU to comply with the Digital Markets Act. By all accounts, iOS 26 (née 19) is on track to roll out in mid-September after the iPhone launch. Apple is also finalizing watchOS 11 and visionOS 2 for its Vision Pro headset, making this fall a particularly busy software season for the Cupertino company.

Samsung: Galaxy S25 FE at IFA 2025

Samsung seized the spotlight at IFA 2025 (Europe’s biggest tech trade show) by launching a more affordable spin on its flagship phone. The new Galaxy S25 FE (“Fan Edition”) delivers core Galaxy S25 features at a lower price, anchoring Samsung’s strategy to broaden its premium lineup’s appeal ground.news. Priced at $650, the S25 FE significantly undercuts the standard $800 Galaxy S25 and $1,000 S25+ gizmodo.com gizmodo.com. Samsung achieved this by selectively trimming specs while keeping the overall experience high-end. The FE model retains the S25/S25+’s 6.7-inch 120 Hz AMOLED display gizmodo.com gizmodo.com (so it looks and feels like its pricier siblings) and the same 50 MP main camera and 12 MP ultrawide. However, it swaps out the internals: instead of the latest Snapdragon 8 series, the S25 FE is powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 2400 SoC – a 4 nm, 10-core chip that delivers solid performance but not quite Qualcomm’s bleeding edge gizmodo.com. Memory is dialed back to 8 GB RAM (versus 12 GB on the S25/S25+), and its telephoto camera is a modest 8 MP sensor (still 3× optical zoom, but lower resolution) compared to the 10 MP 3× lens on the higher models gizmodo.com. In practice, that means slightly less detail on zoom shots, but casual users may not mind. The battery remains a hefty 4,900 mAh cell – unchanged from the S25 – so endurance is still a strong point gizmodo.com.

Importantly, Samsung didn’t skimp on charging and extras. The S25 FE supports 45 W fast wired charging (same as the flagships) and wireless charging as well, though notably it omits the newer Qi2 standard for wireless – sticking with older Qi speeds gizmodo.com. It comes with IP68 water resistance, stereo speakers, and a choice of four colors (Icy Blue, Jet Black, Navy, and White) gizmodo.com. In essence, the Fan Edition lives up to its name by bundling fan-favorite features and a large, vibrant display at a more palatable price point. “FE devices are a Frankenstein of components packaged together and sold for less,” Gizmodo’s Raymond Wong quipped, noting that Samsung mixed and matched parts to hit the $650 sweet spot gizmodo.com.

Samsung didn’t stop at the phone. It also introduced two new tablets – the Galaxy Tab S11 and S11 Ultra – and Galaxy Buds 3 FE earbuds during IFA. The Tab S11 series replaces the outgoing Tab S9/S10 line: the base S11 (around $800) and the larger S11 Ultra (~$1,200) boast high-refresh displays and updated internals. Notably, these tablets run on MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400+ chipset with up to 12–16 GB RAM forbes.com forbes.com – a win for MediaTek in a Samsung device. The Galaxy Buds 3 FE are a lower-cost edition of Samsung’s earbuds, bringing premium sound and active noise canceling at a budget price. By expanding “FE” to tablets and audio, Samsung is clearly doubling down on its Fan Edition concept to attract cost-conscious buyers into its ecosystem ground.news.

On the horizon, Samsung is also teasing what comes after slabs and slabs-plus. Industry chatter at IFA and in Korean media suggests Samsung is preparing to unveil entirely new form factors in 2025, including its first tri-fold folding phone and a mixed-reality Android XR headset (Project Moohan) engadget.com. While those weren’t shown on Sept 5–6, Samsung did hint that another Galaxy Unpacked event is scheduled for early 2026 to debut these futuristic devices engadget.com. If true, Samsung could leap ahead in the foldables race with a triple-screen device. For now, though, the spotlight belongs to the S25 FE – bringing flagship DNA to a broader audience – and to Samsung’s quietly ambitious silicon moves to reclaim its chip independence.

Google: Pixel 10 Launches & Android Updates

Google took an aggressive step this year by launching its Pixel 10 series in early September, positioning its flagship Android phones directly against Apple’s fall lineup. The Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL were unveiled with relatively little fanfare – no large stage event, just a press release and immediate pre-orders blog.google – but they represent Google’s most substantial smartphone upgrade in years. At the heart of these devices is Tensor G5, Google’s new in-house chip. Google touts the G5 as “our most significant upgrade since Tensor’s debut,” delivering snappier performance and co-designed with Google DeepMind’s AI experts blog.google blog.google. In fact, the Tensor G5 is optimized to run Google’s latest AI models on-device – notably the new Gemini Nano LLM – enabling a host of generative AI features without cloud help blog.google blog.google.

Those AI smarts manifest in user-facing features that are unique to Pixel. One headline feature is “Magic Cue,” an AI assistant that lives throughout the phone. Rather than a single app, “Magic Cue is proactive support, tightly woven across your phone to offer relevant info and helpful actions,” explains Google blog.google blog.google. In practice, Magic Cue might automatically surface your flight info from Gmail when you call an airline, or suggest sharing a photo when a friend asks a question in chat – all done privately on-device. Another new trick is Camera Coach, which uses AI vision models to teach you photography. As Google describes it, Camera Coach will gently suggest better framing or composition tips “for those of us early in our photography journey,” effectively turning every shot into a mini-lesson blog.google. And if you prefer the AI to do the work itself, the Pixel 10 Pro introduces “Pro Res Zoom” – an AI-powered 100× zoom mode. It uses a generative AI imaging model (the largest ever deployed in a Pixel camera) to intelligently restore fine details at extreme zoom levels, far beyond optical range blog.google blog.google. Google claims the Pixel 10 Pro/XL can capture readable distant signs or crisp moon shots that were previously impossible without a telescope-like lens.

On the hardware side, all three Pixel 10 models get notable improvements. The Pixel 10 (base) now features a 6.3-inch Actua OLED display that hits a blazing 3000 nits peak brightness – one of the brightest smartphone screens, ensuring easy outdoor visibility blog.google. It also gains a 5× telephoto lens (first time the smaller Pixel gets optical zoom) capable of 10× “optical quality” and up to 20× with Super Res digital zoom blog.google. The Pixel 10’s design is refined with a satin metal frame and polished glass back, coming in four colors (Obsidian, Frost, Indigo, Lemongrass) to add some style blog.google blog.google.

The Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL take it further. Google now offers the Pro in two sizes – 6.3″ and a big 6.8″ XL – catering to those who want a smaller flagship without compromising features blog.google. Both Pro variants share the same top-end specs: a triple camera system with a upgraded main sensor and ultrawide, and that 5×-to-100× zoom capability (the 100× is exclusive to Pro models) blog.google. They pack Google’s largest batteries to date, bump up to 16 GB RAM, and even support the new Qi 2.2 wireless charging at 25 W (on the Pro XL) for faster wireless top-ups blog.google blog.google. Notably, Google is including one year of “Google AI Pro” (a subscription presumably for premium AI-powered services or cloud storage) with every Pixel 10 Pro/XL purchase blog.google blog.google, underscoring how central AI is to the Pixel’s value proposition.

Google’s timing with Pixel 10 appears strategic. By starting sales on August 28 and shipping in early September blog.google blog.google, Google ensured the Pixel 10 is in consumers’ hands before the new iPhones are even revealed. Early reviews praised the Pixel’s AI features and camera prowess, though it remains to be seen if this will dent Apple’s halo. Google also used the moment to roll out a platform update: on Sept 3, it released the Android 16 September Feature Drop (coinciding with Pixel 10’s launch). This update brought the Pixel 10’s shiny new Material You “Expressive” design to older Pixels (Pixel 6 and up) blog.google blog.google. The Material 3 Expressive UI refresh includes playful Live Wallpaper effects (with shapes or weather animations on your lock screen) and a sleek redesign of Quick Settings toggles blog.google blog.google, making phones feel fresh and more personal. Another treat: Google announced that later in September, Adaptive Audio would come to the new Pixel Buds Pro 2, allowing the earbuds to intelligently adjust volume based on your surroundings blog.google blog.google – and even support head gestures like nodding to accept calls blog.google blog.google. For Pixel phone + watch users, Google added a nifty trick: start a walking or cycling navigation on your phone, and Maps will automatically pop up on your Pixel Watch for at-a-glance directions, no taps needed blog.google.

All told, Google’s ecosystem is flexing its AI muscles. As one commentator noted, Pixel 10 isn’t just about specs – it’s Google “[bringing] deeply helpful experiences to Pixel users first” by tightly integrating AI hardware and software blog.google blog.google. With Apple reportedly readying its own AI features in iOS and silicon, the race for the “smartest” smartphone is officially on.

OnePlus, Xiaomi & Other OEM News

In a significant shift in the Android imaging world, OnePlus announced it’s ending its camera collaboration with Hasselblad. This partnership, which began with fanfare in 2021 (OnePlus 9 Pro launch), saw Hasselblad’s color tuning and branding on OnePlus flagships up through this year’s OnePlus 13 androidauthority.com. It yielded innovations like the Hasselblad XPAN panoramic mode and improved pro modes. But OnePlus says it’s time to move on. “Our planned chapter with Hasselblad is now complete after five years,” wrote OnePlus founder Pete Lau in an official blog post androidauthority.com. Instead, OnePlus has been developing its own “OnePlus DetailMax Engine” – an in-house imaging pipeline meant to deliver hyper-realistic detail. Lau emphasized that users want “images that are clear and real” rather than over-processed shots androidauthority.com. “Computational photography [is] no longer about creating artificial enhancements or showing you a ‘fake’ moon… Today’s advancements enable images with unmatched depth and realism,” he explained androidauthority.com. The new DetailMax Engine aims to leverage that, producing photos that hold up even when you zoom in closely (hence the name) androidauthority.com. Lau even hinted he’s testing a prototype believed to be the OnePlus 15, which “won’t have Hasselblad branding” as rumored androidauthority.com. Ending the Hasselblad deal on a high note, OnePlus touted that its final co-branded phone – the OnePlus 13 – was rated one of the best camera phones of 2025 androidauthority.com. Going forward, OnePlus will stand on its own imaging prowess. (It’s worth noting that sister company Oppo, which also uses Hasselblad tuning on Find X series, may follow suit – OnePlus and Oppo typically share R&D, so Oppo’s future flagships might also pivot to the DetailMax tech.)

Looking at the broader Chinese smartphone industry, multiple brands are gearing up for major launches and innovations as the year progresses. Xiaomi, China’s #3 vendor, is poised to leap ahead with its Xiaomi 16 series. Traditionally Xiaomi reveals its flagships in late Q4, but this year could be earlier. Reports from supply chain analysts and a reputable leaker (Digital Chat Station) indicate Xiaomi plans to unveil the 16 and 16 Pro (and possibly a 16 Pro Max) in late September – possibly September 24 right after Qualcomm’s new chip announcement notebookcheck.net. In fact, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit is set for Sept 23 (with what’s likely the “Snapdragon 8 Gen 5” or “8 Elite Gen 1” launch), and MediaTek has an event around Sept 22 for its Dimensity 9500 notebookcheck.net. Once those next-gen chips are announced, Xiaomi and others are expected to pounce with device launches. If the leaks pan out, Xiaomi 16 could be the first phone sporting the Snapdragon 8 Gen5 chip globally notebookcheck.net notebookcheck.net. The Xiaomi 16 Pro Max is even rumored to include a periscope 5× zoom and Leica-tuned cameras, and an Ultra model with a 1-inch sensor may follow in 2026.

Xiaomi isn’t alone. The same sources say “every company” in the Chinese Android space is lining up flagship reveals in that window notebookcheck.net. We might see the debut of OnePlus 15 (with its new camera system) around October, and possibly teasers as early as late September notebookcheck.net. Vivo’s X300 series and Oppo’s Find X9 are also on deck to use the new Qualcomm silicon, and Honor (the Huawei spin-off) will have its Magic 6 or V-series ready. Even Motorola (Lenovo) often piggybacks on Qualcomm’s chip cycle for its Edge series in China. So expect a flurry of announcements in the weeks following Sept 5–6. It’s essentially an arms race to claim “first 2026 flagship out” status, though globally Samsung’s Galaxy S26 (likely January 2026) will mark the new generation in Western markets notebookcheck.net.

In other noteworthy tidbits: Sony quietly announced a special Xperia event for late September as well, sparking speculation of an Xperia 1 VI with an upgraded zoom lens – but nothing official yet during Sept 5–6. Huawei, which made waves with its sanctioned-defying Mate 60 Pro last year, is rumored to be working on a second-gen tri-fold phone of its own (a successor to the Mate X2 Tri-Fold concept) potentially for late 2025 huaweicentral.com huaweicentral.com. Huawei’s focus lately has been on its HarmonyOS NEXT – a fully Android-independent OS. At a launch in China earlier (Sep 4), Huawei introduced the Mate XTs foldable and hinted all its new devices next year will run HarmonyOS NEXT (dropping Android compatibility) to cement technological independence reuters.com reuters.com. While Huawei didn’t have a global event on Sept 5–6, its maneuvers in China’s market – leveraging national pride and a growing app ecosystem – continue to pressure the likes of Apple (which saw iPhone sales dip in China as Huawei surged to #2 vendor reuters.com reuters.com).

Finally, HMD Global (Nokia) and TCL also made minor headlines at IFA. HMD is set to launch new mid-range Nokia phones with a promise of longer support and repairability, aligning with Europe’s right-to-repair push. TCL showcased a smartphone with an improved NXTPaper display (eye-comfort focused screen tech) that mimics paper for reading, launching in Europe at €499 engadget.com. While these aren’t flagship-level news, they reflect an industry increasingly catering to niche demands like eye health and sustainability.

Chipset & Tech: Next-Gen Silicon in Sight

Early September brought a flurry of news on the mobile chipset front, as chipmakers and phone OEMs strategize for the next generation.

Qualcomm – whose SoCs power the majority of Android flagships – is on the verge of releasing its Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 platform (though some leaks say it will be branded “Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 1/Gen 5”, breaking the naming convention 9to5google.com). The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 from last year proved a strong rival to Apple’s A16/A17 in many tests tomsguide.com, and Qualcomm is keen to extend that lead. A teaser video confirmed that the upcoming Snapdragon will use Qualcomm’s custom Oryon CPU cores tomsguide.com. This is a big deal: Oryon cores come from the Nuvia team that Qualcomm acquired, marking the first departure from ARM’s off-the-shelf cores in a Snapdragon mobile chip. The Oryon CPU debuted in Qualcomm’s laptop chips (Snapdragon X Elite) and showed impressive performance per watt. Bringing it to phones could yield a substantial jump in speed – potentially closing the gap with Apple’s CPUs. Qualcomm also hinted at an upgraded NPU (AI engine) on the chip, since AI features were a major focus of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and will be even more so now tomsguide.com. Leaked benchmarks of a test chip believed to be Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 put up Geekbench 6 scores around 3,236 single-core and 10,000+ multi-core, roughly a 45% uplift over current Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phones and nearly matching Apple’s A18 in single-core tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. Graphics are also rumored to get a boost with a new Adreno GPU supporting higher resolutions and refresh rates tomsguide.com. We’ll know the official details at Qualcomm’s summit on Sept 23, but already Xiaomi announced it will have the first phone with the new Snapdragon 8 “Elite” chip tomsguide.com – likely the Xiaomi 16, as noted above.

MediaTek is not standing still either. At Computex 2025, MediaTek’s CEO Rick Tsai confirmed the company will tape-out its first 2 nm smartphone chip by September 2025 techinasia.com notebookcheck.net. “Tape-out” means the chip’s design is finished and sent for initial manufacturing – in this case at TSMC’s cutting-edge N2 (2 nm) node. The chip is expected to be the Dimensity 9600, succeeding the upcoming Dimensity 9500 (which itself uses an enhanced 3 nm process) notebookcheck.net notebookcheck.net. MediaTek’s move is bold: it could even beat Apple to 2 nm, depending on Apple’s choices for its A19 chip (industry insiders say Apple might stick with a refined 3 nm (N3P) in 2025 due to cost/yield concerns, which “opens the door” for MediaTek to claim the 2 nm first notebookcheck.net). Of course, MediaTek’s 2 nm chip wouldn’t ship in devices until late 2026 when TSMC’s mass production is ready notebookcheck.net. But it signals that MediaTek is aggressively pursuing parity with Qualcomm and Apple on tech. The Dimensity 9600 is likely aimed at Android flagships (MediaTek has already scored design wins in some Vivo/OPPO flagships). One consideration is cost: TSMC’s 2 nm wafers will be extremely expensive, and there’s talk of another 10% price hike notebookcheck.net. MediaTek might have to price the 9600 higher than any of its past chips, potentially eroding the price advantage it often had versus Qualcomm notebookcheck.net.

Samsung’s Exynos revival is another storyline gaining steam. After the Exynos 2200 in 2022 underperformed (and Samsung defaulted to Qualcomm for Galaxy S23/S24 globally), many thought Exynos was on the ropes. But new reports suggest Samsung’s 2 nm Exynos 2600 is almost ready for prime time androidheadlines.com androidheadlines.com. A leak reported by ET News claims Samsung’s foundry has solved earlier yield and thermal problems at 2 nm, allowing mass production of Exynos 2600 to start soon androidheadlines.com. The Exynos 2600 is slated to power some variants of the Galaxy S26 in early 2026 androidheadlines.com. Samsung appears to be pursuing a dual-sourcing strategy again: the S26 might come in two versions, one with Exynos 2600 and one with the equivalent Snapdragon (likely the Snapdragon 8 “Elite” Gen 5) depending on region androidheadlines.com. Notably, the report says the Exynos 2600 incorporates new heat dissipation technology called “Heat Pass Block” (HPB) to tackle the overheating issues that plagued previous Exynos chips androidheadlines.com. If this works, it could finally close the efficiency gap. Samsung is essentially racing to prove it can make competitive chips on its in-house process; success would reduce its reliance on rival TSMC and Qualcomm, while failure could cement Qualcomm’s monopoly in Galaxy phones. Interestingly, the competition might actually benefit Qualcomm too – as Android Headlines points out, if Samsung can supply some chips, Qualcomm gets bargaining power to diversify its own manufacturing beyond TSMC (and avoid TSMC’s price leverage) androidheadlines.com.

In summary, the next-gen mobile silicon wars are heating up: 3 nm is so last year; 2 nm is the new battleground. By Sept 6, we’re seeing each player make its opening move – Qualcomm with custom CPUs, MediaTek with an early 2 nm push, and Samsung doubling down on in-house chips. All of this bodes well for 2026’s smartphones, which should be faster and smarter than ever.

Regulatory & Industry Movements

Beyond product launches, the smartphone industry had significant legal and regulatory tremors during this period:

• Google’s $425 million Privacy Penalty: The aforementioned verdict against Google is one of the largest privacy lawsuit damages ever awarded. The case revolved around Google’s alleged collection of user location data via Android phones even after users opted out in settings katu.com. According to court documents, Google was found to have still gathered data through third-party apps on roughly 98 million devices where users thought they had disabled tracking katu.com. “Even though I’ve shut off all the different apparatuses that would keep Google from monitoring me, they’re still doing it,” the plaintiff’s attorney explained of Google’s behavior katu.com. The jury’s decision, delivered on Sept 5, cited violations of California privacy laws. Google vehemently disagrees – a spokesperson said the company will appeal and that its services do honor user privacy choices katu.com. This case, along with the DOJ antitrust trial Google is concurrently fighting, underscores growing scrutiny on Big Tech. Industry analysts note that such fines (Google also paid hefty settlements to states recently katu.com) are part of a wider push to enforce data protection. For consumers, it’s a reminder to review what data your phone and apps share. For Google, it’s a costly reputational hit that may prompt clearer privacy controls in Android 14/15 updates.
• EU’s Tech Regulations are also beginning to bite. As of 2025, the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) is in effect, compelling Apple and Google to open up their ecosystems. While not an event of Sept 5–6 per se, September is when Apple started detailing how it will comply. Reports emerged that Apple will enable sideloading and third-party app stores in Europe when iOS 19/26 launches reddit.com. Apple’s developer site posted guidance for European developers, outlining how alternative app distribution will work under new EU rules developer.apple.com. Additionally, USB-C became mandatory for small electronics in the EU this year, which is why the iPhone 17 series is expected (finally) to switch from Lightning to USB-C – a quiet but significant change spurred by regulation. The EU’s eco-design directive on batteries (requiring easier user replaceability by 2027) is also pressuring phone makers to rethink designs. We’re already seeing more companies tout longer software support and easier repairs (e.g., Fairphone’s newest model and HMD’s repairable Nokia). Right-to-repair advocates scored a win when California passed a law (on Sept 6) extending phone repair parts availability – though that’s in the US, it reflects a global trend that could influence designs worldwide.
• Patent Peace (and Wars): A notable piece of industry news from earlier in the year but with impacts now: Huawei and Xiaomi reached a global patent cross-licensing deal covering 5G and other communications techgechengip.com. This May 2025 agreement ended a brewing legal battle between the two Chinese giants and allows them to use each other’s standardized tech without fear of litigation. It’s significant because Huawei has been monetizing its patent portfolio (earning ~$560 million annually sisvel.com) and isn’t shy about suing over 5G patents. Peace with Xiaomi means one less conflict in the Chinese market, and possibly stronger competition collectively against foreign rivals. On the other hand, Apple got hit with a new lawsuit as authors (including some well-known novelists) sued Apple on Sept 5 for allegedly using their books to train AI without permission reuters.com. This lawsuit, while targeting Apple’s AI efforts (possibly related to Siri or an e-books AI), adds to the chorus of legal challenges Big Tech faces over AI training data – echoing suits against OpenAI and Meta. For the mobile space, it signals that as AI features become standard (on-device AI like Apple’s forthcoming personal voice cloning, etc.), companies will need to navigate the intellectual property of training data carefully.
• Smartphone Market Health: Lastly, industry analysts provided some insights into smartphone sales trends around this time. Global shipments in 2025 have been gradually rebounding after a slump in 2022–2023. Canalys and IDC reports for Q2 2025 (released late August) showed mid-single-digit growth year-over-year, driven by demand for premium phones in the US/Europe and a surge by Chinese brands at home. Huawei’s resurgence in China is a big story – by Q3 2024 it was #2 in China reuters.com, and it’s expected to maintain momentum in 2025 with new models and patriotic consumer support. Apple is coming off a slower year in China (due to Huawei and economic factors) but globally remains extremely strong in the high-end segment (iPhone revenues hit record highs). Samsung saw solid uptake of its foldables (Galaxy Z Flip5/Fold5 launched earlier in the summer), helping it defend its #1 volume position. However, Samsung’s profits are still heavily hit by the downturn in its semiconductor business – the company’s mobile division profit was stable, but the memory chip division saw a steep fall (as noted in a Sept 5 Bloomberg report). This is partly why Samsung is pushing Exynos and new devices; it needs new growth engines. Emerging markets like India and Southeast Asia remained fiercely competitive, with Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, Transsion (Tecno/Infinix) all launching budget 5G phones around this time to capture festive season sales. For example, Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi launched the Redmi Note 15 series in China in August and was prepping its global launch – these mid-rangers often rank among the best-selling models annually.

Overall, the first week of September 2025 proved to be a microcosm of the mobile industry at large: big product reveals, transformative tech upgrades (especially in AI and chips), and mounting legal/regulatory challenges. As smartphone makers push the envelope with ultra-thin designs, AI-driven experiences, and even new form factors, they do so under the watchful eyes of regulators and a public that expects more transparency and support. The news of Sept 5–6 shows an industry in flux – racing ahead in innovation while also facing a moment of accountability on issues like privacy, partnerships, and platform openness. In the coming weeks, eyes will turn to Apple’s launch and Qualcomm’s summit to see how these trends continue to unfold in late 2025 and beyond.

Sources:

• TechRadar – Apple event 2025: what to expect (Sept 5, 2025) techradar.com
• MacRumors – “iPhone 17 Next Week: 5 Last-Minute Rumors” (TrendForce report) macrumors.com macrumors.com macrumors.com
• Gizmodo – “Samsung’s Galaxy S25 FE Is a Cut-Down S25+ for $350 Less” gizmodo.com gizmodo.com
• Engadget via TechMeme – Samsung launches Galaxy S25 FE at IFA 2025techmeme.com; Bloomberg – “Samsung Launches Cheaper S25 Phone and Upgraded Tablets” bloomberg.com
• Android Authority – OnePlus ends Hasselblad partnership, new DetailMax Engine androidauthority.com androidauthority.com androidauthority.com
• Android Headlines – Exynos 2600 2 nm mass production leak androidheadlines.com androidheadlines.com
• Notebookcheck – MediaTek 2 nm chip tape-out in Sept 2025 (Computex announcement) notebookcheck.net notebookcheck.net
• Notebookcheck – Chinese flagships launching after Snapdragon Summit (Sept 4 2025) notebookcheck.net notebookcheck.net
• Google Blog – “Material 3 Expressive updates in latest Pixel Drop” (Sept 3 2025) blog.google blog.google
• Google Blog – “Pixel 10 phones are here” (Specs, Tensor G5, Magic Cue, etc.) blog.google blog.google blog.google
• KATU/The National Desk – Jury verdict: Google to pay $425.7 M for smartphone privacy violations katu.com katu.com.