Android Circuit: Honor’s MWC Robot, Galaxy Unpacked Recap, and OnePlus 15T Confirmed

Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines in the Android world, including all of the Galaxy Unpacked news, including the Galaxy S26 Ultra, S26+, and S26, hiding Galaxy AI, the power of Now Nudge and the stunning privacy display, Honor’s new Robot, Nothing Phone (4a)’s colourful change, OnePlus 15T confirmed, and Android Developer Verification controversy.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many Android-related talks from the last seven days. You can also read my weekly Apple news roundup here on Forbes.

Honour Brings Humanoid Robot to Barcelona.

Next week is the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which brings together the bulk of the smartphone industry to share news, new devices, strategy, and more. Cutting through the noise to be seen and reach customers is an important aspect of the process. Honour has numerous portfolio changes coming soon, and a different kind of Android could be the company’s trump card.

“The robot, aimed at consumer services such as shopping assistance, will make its debut at the MWC Barcelona tech conference this weekend,” the Shenzhen-based smartphone manufacturer announced on Monday. Honour claims to be the first among its peers to join the humanoid category, although Huawei is also creating AI models for similar duties. Honour will also showcase its latest artificial intelligence developments, dubbed the Honour Robot Phone.”

Galaxy Unpacked: The Galaxy S26 Family.

Continuing with this week’s news, Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event featured the unveiling of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, S26+, and S26 smartphones. According to Samsung’s Annika Bizon…

“…The Galaxy S26 Series, which has our most intuitive Galaxy AI ever, is meant to reduce the mental burden individuals carry on a daily basis, with hardware and AI working together to do activities in the background while privacy is maintained at all levels. When technology reduces friction, you begin to realise what it enables: more time, less effort, and the assurance that your life is yours.”

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s AI Mission

Galaxy AI has also incorporated new features, including Now Nudge’s Agentic AI software. Despite its AI expertise, Samsung is attempting to hide as much of the AI furniture as possible, as I discovered when speaking with Samsung’s Richard Chang before the launch:

“Chang laid out Samsung’s overall goal with Galaxy AI: “The time AI will truly triumph is when it becomes so functional that it is undetectable. It will be like the energy that runs your home, something you rely on without ever realising it. “You just expect it.”

Samsung’s Privacy Display

One of the primary hardware characteristics of the Galaxy 26 Ultra is its privacy display, which is simple to explain and exhibit to the public. This employs display technology to classify pixels as ‘broad’ at a standard viewing angle or ‘narrow’, limiting what may be seen from the sides or over-the-shoulder views. Forbes contributor David Phelan has a closer look:

“You may keep it switched on all the time, like a stick-on protection, but by going to the fast controls, you can turn it on or off instantly. Furthermore, you may configure it to only work with specific apps. All of the apps on your phone are displayed, and by adding them to the list, the privacy feature activates automatically when they are launched. That’s useful when checking your account balance in a banking app, for example.”

Disappointed with the US Galaxy S26 offers.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 Ultra began at the conclusion of the Galaxy Unpacked event. While they are not as generous as past years, most likely because of rising component costs, particularly memory and storage, there are still some appealing options at Samsung’s shop. However, for US users, the popular “double your storage” free upgrade to higher-tier products will not be available:

“In the United States, that is no longer available for pre-order. Customers in the United States who purchase a 256GB Samsung Galaxy S26 will not be eligible for a free upgrade to 512GB of storage. To compensate, Samsung has increased trade-in values and provided an additional $50 off with the code PAYPAL50 at checkout. There is also a $150 store credit offer (not $150 off the final price) if no phone is traded in.”

Nothing Phone (4a)’s New Design

The Nothing Phone (4a) will be one of many phones released next week during the MWC timeframe, and Nothing Tech has revealed that it will introduce a new colourway to its mid-range smartphone. Here comes the pink!

“To Nothing, pink is more than just another colourway. It is a gesture to expressive and hopeful technology, as opposed to neutrality. It acknowledges the significance that art, music, fashion, and pop culture play in shaping our design language.

The OnePlus 15T Will Go Small.

The OnePlus 15T is also set to arrive shortly in the competitive mid-range segment. Shuai Lan, the company’s Community Manager, revealed on Weibo that a Chinese launch is coming soon, and it would be in a tiny form factor.

“We’re not sure exactly what that means, but according to recent rumours, the forthcoming OnePlus phone will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. It is touted to have the largest battery ever found in a gadget of this size and will feature wireless charging.

And finally…
Google’s impending changes to app distribution and Android Developer Verification will introduce an administrative layer between developers and smartphone consumers, including those who use the Android Open Source Project. Open Source repository F-Droid has underlined the hazards in an open letter from itself, the EFF, ORG, the Free Software Foundation, Digital Rights Foundation, and others:

“Android has long been seen as an open platform that allows users and developers to operate independently of Google’s services. The proposed developer registration policy fundamentally alters that relationship by requiring developers who wish to distribute apps through alternative channels — their own websites, third-party app stores, enterprise distribution systems, or direct transfers — to first seek permission from Google through a mandatory verification process, which includes the agreement to Google’s terms and conditions, the payment of a fee, and the uploading of government-issued identification.

Every weekend, Android Circuit brings you the latest Android news on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss out on future coverage, and be sure to read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news or links you’d like to have featured in Android Circuit, please contact us!

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