- Apple unveils the iPhone 17 lineup – including a new ultra-thin iPhone Air – plus Apple Watch Series 11 with advanced health features apple.com apple.com.
- Samsung teases a tri‑fold Galaxy phone – mobile chief TM Roh confirms a triple-folding device is in final development and due “by the end of the year” tomsguide.com.
- Huawei launches a $2,500 tri-fold – the Mate XTs triple-screen foldable debuts in China with over 4 million pre-orders and bold claims to “rewrite…the industry” reuters.com phonearena.com.
- Google’s Pixel 10 embraces AI – Google’s latest phones (launched days earlier) feature Material You 3 UI and heavy AI integration, plus a Pixel Watch 4 with two-way satellite SOS messaging techcrunch.com blog.google.
- Xiaomi sets new flagships – Xiaomi confirms a 15T series launch event for Sept. 25 (with Leica cameras and Dimensity chips) moneycontrol.com moneycontrol.com, and teases a budget Redmi 15C phone with a huge 6.9″ display and 6,000mAh battery technobaboy.com technobaboy.com.
- 5G & telecom breakthroughs – UK carrier EE becomes the first to deploy Ericsson’s ARC tech, boosting 5G speeds ~20% telecoms.com telecoms.com, and expands 5G standalone to more cities telecoms.com.
Apple’s “Awe Dropping” Event: iPhone 17, iPhone Air & Watch Series 11
Apple dominated headlines with its big fall event on September 9, 2025, introducing an entire slate of new devices. iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max made their debut with a striking design overhaul and the blazing-fast A19 Pro chip apple.com apple.com. Apple boasts that the A19 Pro enables “up to 40% better sustained performance” than last year’s chip and powers next-level mobile gaming and pro video features apple.com apple.com. Camera upgrades include three 48MP “Fusion” lenses (main, ultra-wide, telephoto) delivering up to 8× optical-quality zoom, plus an 18MP Center Stage front camera for advanced selfies apple.com apple.com. “iPhone 17 Pro is by far the most powerful iPhone we’ve ever made… a stunning new design…with three 48MP cameras…endless creative opportunities,” said Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak apple.com. The Pro models feature a robust Ceramic Shield 2 glass (now protecting front and back) for 3× better scratch resistance apple.com apple.com and come in new finishes (deep blue, cosmic orange, silver). Pre-orders start Sept. 12 with availability on Sept. 19 apple.com.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the iPhone Air, a completely new model in the lineup. Apple’s thinnest ever iPhone at just 5.6 mm thick, iPhone Air uses a lightweight titanium frame and an innovative internal architecture to pack pro-level performance into a razor-thin design apple.com apple.com. It sports a 6.5″ ProMotion OLED display and the same A19 Pro chip (augmented by dedicated N1 and C1X coprocessors) while achieving “fantastic all-day battery life” apple.com. Apple calls iPhone Air’s build “impossibly thin and light” yet more durable than any previous model thanks to a titanium + Ceramic Shield 2 chassis apple.com apple.com. “The all-new iPhone Air is so powerful, yet impossibly thin and light, that you really have to hold it to believe it’s real…a breakthrough design that feels like you’re holding the future,” said Apple hardware SVP John Ternus apple.com. The iPhone Air aims to deliver pro-tier features (like a 48MP main camera and that Center Stage selfie cam) in a sleek new form factor apple.com apple.com. It comes in four colors (space black, cloud white, light gold, sky blue) and launches alongside the standard iPhone 17 (which inherits many Pro features like a 48MP camera and Center Stage as well apple.com).
Apple’s ecosystem got upgrades beyond phones, too. Apple Watch Series 11 was unveiled with a focus on groundbreaking health insights apple.com. It introduces hypertension notifications (alerting wearers to possible high blood pressure) and a new sleep score metric, expanding the Watch’s health toolkit apple.com apple.com. Despite adding 5G connectivity for the first time, Series 11 still achieves 24-hour battery life, aided by a more efficient S9 chip and watchOS 26 optimizations apple.com apple.com. The device also features a tougher Ion‑X glass display (2× more scratch-resistant) and a thinner, lighter design for comfort apple.com apple.com. “Apple Watch is the world’s most popular watch…empowering millions to better understand their health… With powerful new features — hypertension notifications and sleep score — plus longer battery life…Apple Watch Series 11 is an indispensable companion,” said Stan Ng, Apple’s VP of Watch product marketing apple.com. Apple also rolled out a refreshed Watch SE 3 and a rugged Apple Watch Ultra 3, while highlighting new health features like sleep apnea alerts (via watchOS) and turning AirPods Pro into an OTC hearing aid with an all-in-one hearing health update apple.com apple.com. Finally, Apple announced its devices will ship with iOS 19 (and watchOS 11) by Sept. 19, bringing features like smarter “Apple Intelligence” on-device AI and compliance with Europe’s USB-C charging mandate – indeed, the new iPhones now use USB-C charging, with Apple even launching a 40W Dynamic Charger accessory to fast-charge 50% in 20 minutes apple.com.
Samsung’s Foldables Fight Back: Tri‑Fold Confirmation & More
While Apple grabbed global attention, Samsung signaled that the foldable phone wars are far from over. On Sept. 9, Samsung mobile chief TM Roh revealed in an interview that Samsung’s long-rumored tri-folding smartphone is in the “final stages” of development, reaffirming it will launch by the end of 2025 tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. This Galaxy tri-fold (unofficially dubbed the “Galaxy Z TriFold” in patents tomsguide.com) will feature two hinges and three display panels that unfold into a tablet-like screen around 10″ in size tomsguide.com. Industry leaks suggest the outer cover display is ~6.5″ and the device uses a flagship Snapdragon 8-series “Elite” chipset tomsguide.com. Samsung has even optimized its One UI software (version 8) to seamlessly span content across three screens tomsguide.com. “Development is in its final stages…we should see it launch by year-end,” Roh assured, quelling doubts after months of silence tomsguide.com.
Rumors point to a special Samsung Unpacked event on Sept. 29 dedicated to this tri-fold debut tomsguide.com. At that event, Samsung might also unveil its secretive “Project Moohan” XR (mixed reality) headset and perhaps AI-powered Galaxy Glasses tomsguide.com. However, Roh tempered expectations, noting such AR/VR devices will only launch “once their maturity reaches a high level,” suggesting the XR headset may slip to 2026 tomsguide.com. For now, Samsung’s confirmation puts the spotlight on foldables: after dominating today’s foldable market, the company is finally ready to leap to tri-fold designs to challenge Huawei’s head start. Tech observers are eager to see Samsung’s take, as it could “make [the tri-fold form factor] feel more mainstream” given Samsung’s global reach and software prowess phonearena.com.
Beyond the tri-fold news, Samsung had other developments. Earlier in September (Sept. 4), it quietly launched the Galaxy S25 FE – a value-priced “Fan Edition” flagship – and the Galaxy Tab S11 tablet series at a Galaxy event youtube.com. The S25 FE brings premium AI-enhanced features (like advanced image processing) to a mid-$600 range device, and the Tab S11 series integrates Samsung’s latest AI for productivity on large screens youtube.com. Samsung also updated its One UI software roadmap, with Android 15–based One UI 7 rolling out to recent Galaxy models in the coming weeks sammyfans.com. And in the realm of next-gen form factors, reports swirled that Samsung is developing a rollable-screen phone (a “Galaxy Z Roll”) with a 12.4″ expanding display, aiming to counter any future Apple foldable moves tomsguide.com. In short, Samsung used this week to message that while Apple iterates on slabs, Samsung is pushing new form-factor boundaries. As one tech editor quipped, “While Apple is busy with a thinner iPhone 17 Air, Samsung is readying [a tri-fold and even] the Galaxy Z Roll” – indicating a race to define the next big thing in smartphones tomsguide.com.
Huawei’s Tri‑Fold Strikes Back: Mate XTs Launch in China
Not to be outdone in the foldable arena, Huawei leveraged the week to showcase its latest innovation – and perhaps steal a bit of Apple’s thunder in China. On Sept. 4 (just ahead of Apple’s event), Huawei launched the Mate XTs, its second-generation tri-fold smartphone phonearena.com. The Mate XTs is notable as the only triple-folding phone available in 2025 – Huawei is effectively on version 2 of a form factor no other company has even shipped once phonearena.com phonearena.com. The device features a unique three-panel design with two hinges, unfolding like an accordion into a 10.2-inch tablet phonearena.com (or folded to 7.9″ and 6.4″ configurations). It brings incremental improvements over last year’s Mate XT: support for a stylus (M-Pen 3) to sketch or annotate on the expansive screen phonearena.com, an upgraded Kirin 9020 chipset powering the phone (Huawei’s first 7 nm chip since U.S. sanctions mobileworldlive.com), and camera upgrades including a new 40 MP ultra-wide sensor phonearena.com. Despite its complexity, the Mate XTs is actually cheaper than its predecessor – starting at ¥17,999 ($2,520) for 16GB RAM/256GB, vs. ¥19,999 before phonearena.com phonearena.com. Higher configurations run up to ¥21,999 ($3,090) for 1TB storage gizmochina.com. Huawei clearly wants to broaden the tri-fold beyond a tech demo: the price cut “shows Huawei wants to push the tri-fold beyond early adopters and into a wider market,” notes one tech analyst gizmochina.com gizmochina.com. Over 4 million Chinese customers have already registered interest via pre-orders (with no deposit) for the Mate XTs, indicating strong demand reuters.com.
Huawei’s executives struck a triumphant tone at the launch event in Shenzhen. “Today we bring you a product that everyone can think of but could not make,” Huawei consumer chief Richard Yu declared on stage, alluding to the engineering challenge of tri-folds reuters.com. “Our team worked hard for five years…Today we will once again rewrite the history of the industry, turn science fiction into reality,” Yu proclaimed as the Mate XTs was revealed reuters.com. The device’s specs back up Huawei’s confidence: when fully unfolded it measures just 3.6 mm thin (making it the slimmest tablet-sized device) mobileworldlive.com mobileworldlive.com, yet it packs a 5,600 mAh battery and advanced camera system (50 MP main + 12 MP telephoto + 40 MP ultra-wide) with Huawei’s XMage imaging and AI features gizmochina.com gizmochina.com. The Mate XTs runs HarmonyOS 5.1 with a suite of PC-grade productivity apps and multi-window multitasking, aiming to replace a tablet or laptop for some users gizmochina.com gizmochina.com. It also integrates satellite messaging and other high-end features (UWB, IR blaster, etc.), showing Huawei’s intent to make it a no-compromise flagship.
While the Mate XTs is China-only for now, its launch underscores Huawei’s resurgence. A year ago, Huawei stunned the industry by releasing a 5G phone with an in-house chip despite U.S. sanctions mobileworldlive.com. Now, it leads the nascent tri-fold segment and has captured 70% of China’s foldable market gizmochina.com gizmochina.com. Analysts note that Huawei has climbed back to #2 in China’s overall smartphone share (18% in Q2 2025) as domestic consumers rally behind the brand mobileworldlive.com. That said, global impact remains limited – without Google services or 5G support outside China, the Mate XTs is “a tough sell” abroad despite its tech marvel status phonearena.com. Samsung’s upcoming tri-fold and other rivals will soon challenge Huawei. But for this week, Huawei can claim it’s ahead of the curve in foldables – a point of national pride evident in Chinese social media buzz around the Mate XTs launch reuters.com.
Huawei also made news in wearables: a new Watch GT 6 series and other devices are set for a global launch event on Sept. 19 in Paris prnewswire.com. And significantly, Huawei announced it topped the global wearable market in Q2 2025 with 20.2% share, marking two consecutive quarters as #1 (edging out Apple) prnewswire.com. The company attributes this to popular products like its Watch 5 and Watch Ultimate series with advanced health features prnewswire.com. In short, Huawei’s comeback extends beyond phones – it is leveraging innovation in wearables and foldables to mount a broader challenge to industry incumbents, even as geopolitical constraints keep its international footprint restrained.
Google’s AI-Powered Ecosystem: Pixel 10, Wearables & Android Updates
While Google didn’t hold a major event during Sept. 9–10, its recent moves in the mobile space loomed large. Just weeks earlier, Google launched the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro – smartphones that double down on AI as the differentiator. The Pixel 10 series debuted with Android 16 (and Google’s Tensor G5 chip), showcasing features like on-device Generative AI for photos and messaging, enhanced Assistant capabilities, and new smart tools that Google says make the Pixel its “most helpful phone yet” blog.google. Google even staged a celebrity-filled launch show (hosted by Jimmy Fallon and NBA star Steph Curry) to hype the Pixel 10’s AI skills – though the over-the-top presentation drew mixed reviews techcrunch.com techcrunch.com. “Whether people like it or not, Google is rushing ahead of Apple to put AI into consumers’ hands through its smartphones,” one tech columnist noted techcrunch.com. Indeed, Pixel 10’s camera can do “Magic Editor” AI photo edits, the Call Assist can mimic your voice for hold music, and the new “Daily Hub” feature uses AI to organize your day at a glance. (Ironically, Google had to pause the Daily Hub feature this week via software update, admitting it wasn’t ready for prime time techradar.com currently.att.yahoo.com.) Still, early reviews praise the Pixel 10 Pro’s refined design and Google’s rapid software updates. In fact, on Sept. 3 Google pushed its latest Pixel Feature Drop bringing the flashy Material You 3 “Expressive” UI to Pixel devices blog.google. This makeover adds playful lock-screen animations, customizable call screens, and a sleeker Quick Settings panel – part of Google’s effort to make Pixels feel more “personal and premium” blog.google. The same update improved Pixel Buds Pro 2 (adding adaptive audio that auto-adjusts to noise) and better phone-watch integration for navigation blog.google blog.google.
Google’s ecosystem story now extends to wearables as well. Alongside Pixel 10, the new Pixel Watch 4 was introduced (successor to 2024’s Watch 3). The Pixel Watch 4 quietly made headlines on Sept. 9 when Google detailed its satellite SOS capability – a world-first for a smartwatch. By tapping into Globalstar satellites, Pixel Watch 4 users can send emergency texts directly from their watch, even with no phone or cell signal blog.google. Google’s engineers described how they miniaturized satellite messaging for a watch form-factor, allowing someone who’s off-grid to get help via predefined SOS messages – a timely feature in an era of adventure-ready wearables. Combined with Fitbit health tracking and Wear OS 4, the Pixel Watch 4 aims to challenge the Apple Watch’s dominance, especially for Android users. Google also teased new Pixel earbuds and smart home integrations in the pipeline, all knitted together by its AI-powered Google Assistant. The message is clear: Google is fully invested in an AI-centric, tightly integrated hardware lineup – phones, watch, buds – to compete with Apple’s ecosystem. As Google’s hardware chief Rick Osterloh put it (at the August launch), “Pixel isn’t just a phone, it’s a personal AI companion that gets smarter and more helpful every day”. Time will tell if these AI-centric features truly win over consumers, but in these two days, Google managed to keep itself in the news cycle – whether through new updates or pausing new features – even as rivals stole the hardware spotlight.
Xiaomi, OnePlus & More: Upcoming Launches and Leaks
Other major players made sure to stake their claims during this jam-packed news period. Xiaomi, the world’s #3 smartphone maker, announced it will globally launch its new flagship Xiaomi 15T series on September 25 moneycontrol.com. The 15T and 15T Pro will succeed last year’s 14T line and continue Xiaomi’s partnership with Leica for camera tuning moneycontrol.com. In a social media post this week, Xiaomi teased the phones’ rear camera module co-designed with Leica – expected to house a 50 MP main sensor (OmniVision OVX9100), a 50 MP telephoto with 5× zoom, and a 13 MP ultra-wide moneycontrol.com. Under the hood, leaks suggest the 15T Pro will run MediaTek’s top-tier Dimensity 9400+ chip, while the base 15T uses a Dimensity 8400 SoC moneycontrol.com. Xiaomi is also reportedly bringing its new HyperOS 3.0 (the replacement for MIUI) to global devices with this launch huaweicentral.com. The Xiaomi 15T Pro is tipped to pack a 5,000 mAh battery with blazing 90W fast charging, so even as Apple and Samsung focus on iterative updates, Xiaomi continues its spec wars in the value flagship segment moneycontrol.com. We’ll learn full details at month’s end, but Xiaomi wanted the world to know this week that its next “T” series is imminent.
On the more affordable side, Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi made news on Sept. 10 as Redmi 15C teasers surfaced in Southeast Asia. Xiaomi Philippines posted a sneak peek of a new Redmi device, strongly believed to be the Redmi 15C 4G launching on Sept. 12 technobaboy.com technobaboy.com. The Redmi 15C (already launched in some markets) features a massive 6.9-inch HD+ display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate – unusually large and fast for an entry-level phone technobaboy.com. It’s powered by a budget-friendly MediaTek Helio G81 Ultra chip, up to 8 GB RAM, and packs a huge 6,000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging (plus even reverse charging to power other gadgets) technobaboy.com. The phone runs Xiaomi’s HyperOS (Android 15) and includes niceties like a 50 MP main camera, side fingerprint sensor, and an IP64-rated splash-resistant build technobaboy.com. The teaser highlighted the device’s “four vibrant shades” and taglines about big battery life. In short, Xiaomi is addressing both ends of the market – pushing ultra-premium features in the 15T Pro, while delivering bang-for-buck with Redmi in developing regions.
Other Chinese brands were also active: OnePlus (owned by Oppo) confirmed an October launch event for its OnePlus 12 flagship and Open foldable phone (the company’s first foldable, aiming to compete with Samsung’s Fold). Meanwhile, Oppo and vivo used the IFA Berlin stage (early September) to showcase concept devices and new camera tech, though nothing launched on Sept. 9–10 specifically. Google’s Android partners like Nothing and Motorola seized on Apple’s event timing to drop hints about upcoming devices (e.g. Nothing teased Phone (3) features, and Motorola leaked a 2024 Razr foldable concept).
Finally, Sony quietly rolled out its Xperia 5 VI compact flagship at IFA 2025. While not grabbing mass-market attention, the Xperia 5 VI gives Sony fans a potent camera phone in a small form factor, with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and the same variable telephoto lens as its larger Xperia 1 VI techradar.com techradar.com. Sony continues to court the niche crowd that values 4K displays and pro-camera controls on a phone, even as the broader market’s eyes were on Apple and Huawei.
In summary, the early-September news torrent showed all corners of the mobile industry gearing up for a competitive holiday season. From Xiaomi’s value champs to OnePlus’s foldable debut, the battle for consumers’ attention – and wallets – will be fierce.
Network & Telecom Breakthroughs: 5G, Satellite & Beyond
Amid the device deluge, there were also significant advancements in the networks that power these gadgets. In the UK, carrier EE (Everything Everywhere) announced a world-first deployment of Ericsson’s new Advanced RAN Coordination (ARC) software to boost 5G performance telecoms.com. ARC allows far-flung 5G cell sites (up to 50 km apart) to share capacity in real time, dynamically balancing network load across low and mid-band frequencies telecoms.com. In trials, this clever coordination delivers around 20% faster download speeds on average for users in high-congestion areas telecoms.com telecoms.com. EE has switched on ARC in its 5G networks in Edinburgh and Manchester first, with more cities to follow telecoms.com. “EE customers are the first in the world to benefit…with millions getting a huge boost to the 5G connectivity they rely on every day,” said Greg McCall, BT Group’s Chief Networks Officer telecoms.com. “By increasing capacity in this way, our customers get faster speeds and an even more reliable experience instantly…without disruptive infrastructure changes,” he explained telecoms.com. Ericsson’s Luca Orsini noted this software-based upgrade is “a standout example of how innovative solutions can make a real difference…helping EE deliver enhanced connectivity…while setting a new benchmark for network optimization” telecoms.com. Alongside ARC, EE also expanded its next-gen 5G Standalone (SA) network to 17 additional UK cities, aiming to cover 41 million people by spring 2026 telecoms.com. 5G SA enables lower latency and new features (like network slicing) that older 5G Non-SA mode can’t fully support, so EE’s accelerated rollout is a key step toward true 5G experiences for consumers. Taken together, these moves keep Europe’s 5G race moving forward, even as North America and Asia also push toward wider 5G-Advanced adoption ainvest.com.
In the realm of satellite communications, this week saw progress on integrating satellite connectivity directly into consumer devices. We already discussed Apple and Google enabling emergency satellite SOS messaging on phones and watches. Additionally, a consortium led by Qualcomm and Iridium announced successful tests of two-way satellite SMS on standard smartphones, using the Snapdragon Satellite service that will debut in Android phones in late 2025 (beyond just emergency use). Regulatory developments also made news: in India, the 5G spectrum auction’s success and the government’s push for 6G research were highlighted at a telecom summit on Sept. 9 rcrwireless.com. And in Africa, a partnership between Huawei and Kuwait’s Knetco was reported to deploy one of the first 5G-Advanced networks in the Middle East, showcasing peak speeds and low-latency applications beyond current 5G techafricanews.com. These may be early steps, but they hint at the 6G horizon where terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks converge.
Lastly, one cannot ignore the telecom business shifts in the backdrop of product launches. Industry reports show that even as 5G rolls out, a significant “usage gap” persists – billions of people still lack meaningful mobile internet access due to cost or coverage lightreading.com. Organizations like the GSMA used the timing around Mobile World Congress Las Vegas (Sept. 2025) to call for more affordable devices and lower data costs to narrow this gap lightreading.com. The flurry of premium phones this week – $1000+ iPhones, $2500 foldables – contrasts with that reality. It’s a reminder that while technology races ahead (with AI, foldables, 5G and beyond), industry leaders are also grappling with making these advancements inclusive and widely available.
Sources: Official press releases and blogs from Apple apple.com apple.com, Samsung tomsguide.com, Google blog.google, Xiaomi moneycontrol.com, and Huawei reuters.com; reputable tech news outlets including Tom’s Guide tomsguide.com, Reuters reuters.com, PhoneArena phonearena.com, and Moneycontrol moneycontrol.com; and telecom industry reporting from Telecoms.com telecoms.com telecoms.com. Each development is linked to its original source for further reading.
