This Week in Mobile: Galaxy S25, Android 16, and More

This past week was packed with big news in mobile tech! From Samsung unveiling the Galaxy S25 series to Google rolling out the first public beta of Android 16, there’s plenty to catch up on. Let’s dive into the highlights.

Galaxy S25 Series: Finally Official

After months of rumors, Samsung officially unveiled its Galaxy S25 lineup at this week’s Unpacked event. The series includes three models, with “more AI” being the big selling point, thanks in part to Google’s contributions.

Key updates include:

• S25 Ultra: The S Pen loses Bluetooth support, dropping some features, but the phone still shines as Samsung’s premium flagship.
• Base S25 Model: It now includes more RAM, giving users better performance at a lower price point.
• Seamless Updates: Samsung finally adopts seamless updates for the entire S25 lineup.

But the hardware buzz didn’t stop there. Samsung teased two upcoming devices during the event: the Galaxy S25 Edge, a thinner flagship with a flat screen, and the long-rumored tri-fold Galaxy, which made a brief appearance in the form of a line-art sketch.

Android 16 Beta 1 Drops

Google released the first public beta of Android 16, giving us our first real look at the next big Android update. Some standout features include:

• Freely Scalable Tablet Apps: A major step toward improving the Android tablet experience.
• Live Updates Notifications: A new iOS-like feature, similar to Samsung’s Now Bar but with third-party app support.
• Predictive Back Gesture for Three-Button Navigation: Google’s continuing efforts to improve back navigation across apps.

This beta follows months of developer previews, but now it’s easier for users to try out the new features without needing to unlock their devices or use advanced tools.

Android XR Makes a Splash

AR and VR are heating up, and Google’s new Android XR platform is stepping into the spotlight. At Samsung’s Unpacked event, we got a sneak peek at the first Android XR headset, code-named Project Moohan, developed in partnership with Samsung and Qualcomm. While the headset wasn’t available for hands-on testing, it uses passthrough video technology similar to Apple’s Vision Pro.

Behind the scenes, Google is pushing to accelerate Android XR’s growth. The company invested $250 million to leverage HTC’s experience from its Vive VR project, signaling big plans for AR and VR development.

Google Gemini Gets a Fresh Look

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series showcased a redesigned UI for Google’s Gemini assistant, which is now rolling out to other Android devices. The new interface is minimalist, taking up less screen space while keeping most features intact. However, there’s currently no quick way to access the full Gemini UI without waiting for a response from the assistant.

YouTube Premium Joins Google One

In a long-awaited move, Google has bundled YouTube Premium with Google One plans. The new add-on offers discounted rates for individual YouTube Premium subscriptions. To celebrate, Google introduced new features for Premium users, including:

• Tools to skip straight to the best parts of videos on desktop.
• High-bitrate audio for music videos.

This marks a step toward unifying Google’s premium services under the Google One umbrella.

This week was full of exciting updates for mobile enthusiasts, and it feels like we’re just getting started with what’s to come in 2024. Stay tuned for more!