TechCapsules

Harish Jonnalagadda, Android Central’s Senior Editor, has spent over a decade covering Android devices, beginning his tech career with Windows XP tweaks and PC hardware reviews. He transitioned to mobile journalism after adopting the Nexus 4, and has since led coverage of Chinese phone brands, audio gear, networking hardware, and storage servers. His engineering background and extensive hands‑on experience give him a unique perspective on the evolution of Google’s platform and the rise of Chinese manufacturers. [...]

A leaked slide from Vivo’s China launch on September 21 shows the new X500 series starting at 6,499 yuan ($970), a nearly 50% increase over the X300’s 4,399 yuan ($605) entry price. The slide lists five tiers, with the highest variant priced at 7,999 yuan ($1,193). The X500 lineup includes the base model, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max. The price jump is larger than recent hikes by competitors like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Honor, reflecting a shift in Vivo’s pricing strategy.

OnePlus unveiled the design of its upcoming OnePlus 16, confirming that the handset will launch exclusively in China as the brand withdraws from most overseas markets. The teaser campaign features a new landing page and visual cues reminiscent of the OnePlus 15, but introduces three fresh colorways—Dark Forest, Tomorrow Starlight and Mars Masterpiece—each with distinct finishes, including an orange topographic pattern and a blue‑silver variant with illuminated rear accents of uncertain purpose. Oppo’s Chinese online store lists [...]

Over the past week, Southeast Asian hardware makers emphasized endurance and practicality. In Malaysia, Oppo launched the A7 Pro 5G and A7 Pro Max 5G, the latter featuring an ultra‑thin 10,000 mAh battery, 80 W fast charging that reaches full capacity in 91 minutes and a 5‑minute 11 % boost, plus reverse wired charging and a 50‑megapixel front camera. Honor responded with the X9e Pro, equipped with an 11,000 mAh cell, IP68/69/69K protection and a 108‑megapixel primary sensor, targeting travelers and remote [...]

Apple tested a shorter, magnetic Apple Pencil designed for its iPhone Duo, intending to attach to the device’s hinge. The prototype faced technical issues and was abandoned, prompting a shift to support existing iPad Pencil models on the Duo’s dual screens. At the September event, Apple announced that the Duo will accept the USB‑C Apple Pencil later this year, marking the first iPhone with official stylus support. Only the USB‑C model will work; the Pencil Pro is [...]

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra were compared in seven evaluation rounds. The iPhone won in design, camera, performance, and battery, while Samsung edged out in display resolution and software/AI features. Both 256 GB models launch at $1,299 in the U.S. The iPhone weighs 249 g with an 8.75 mm thickness; the Galaxy is lighter at 214 g and 7.9 mm thick. Samsung offers a higher‑resolution screen, 200 MP primary sensor, and S Pen, whereas the iPhone delivers a 48 MP camera system, 120 Hz ProMotion display, [...]

Honor announced the X9e Pro, slated for a September 24 launch in Malaysia before expanding across Southeast Asia. The device features an 11,000 mAh silicon‑carbon battery—the largest offered in any mainstream smartphone in 2026—and is priced at roughly $295 in China, undercutting rivals in its capacity class. It carries an IP69K rating, tolerating high‑pressure water, 3‑meter drops, and extreme temperatures from –30 °C to 85 °C. Powered by a mid‑range Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 chipset, the phone sacrifices processing speed to preserve endurance. [...]

iFixit released a detailed teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro, revealing the new variable‑aperture camera system, a larger vapor‑chamber cooling architecture, and an under‑display Face ID infrared camera. The review noted a fragile aperture blade that can detach, indicating that a stuck aperture would require replacing the entire camera module. It also documented damage to the plastic frame surrounding the display on three of four units, raising concerns about water resistance and repairability. The device earned a provisional 7‑out‑of‑10 repair [...]