Taking a look at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including a critical Google Pixel security update, Galaxy S25+ benchmarks, Pixel market share gains, Magic7 Pro launch, Snapdragon performance issues 8 Elite, the best-selling smartphone in China and HarmonyOS stops supporting Android.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of some of the many discussions about Android in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly roundup of Apple news here on Forbes.
Pixel 9 Pro XL
Critical Google Issues Update
Google’s November Android security update includes patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities in the Pixel family of devices. One exploit uses Qualcomm hardware; the other is a problem within the framework of the Google Play system. Forbes contributor Zak Doffman explains the problems in more detail, along with a clear recommendation:
“That aside, all Pixel users are encouraged to install the new update as soon as it’s available on their phones. Pixel sales are on the rise, and despite the issues with Android 15, the speed with which that upgrade was available compared to Samsung, and the advantage that Google has in the operation of hardware and software is now clear.”
(Forbes).
A surprising benchmark of the Galaxy S25+
Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S25+ smartphone (expected to launch in mid-January 2025) has been spotted on Geekbench and there’s a twist in the tail for the Samsung community. Earlier reports that Samsung would port the entire Galaxy S25 family to the latest Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm are now being questioned:
“The European variant of the Galaxy S25+ with model number SM-S936B has been spotted on the Geekbench database. It uses the S5E9955 chipset, which is the model number for the unannounced Exynos 2500 processor. The phone also appears to use 12GB of RAM and works. Android 15 (One UI 7.x).
“CPU performance of Exynos 2500 seems to be lower than that of MediaTek Dimensity 9400 and Snapdragon 8 Elite. However, you should remember that this is an internal test based on early software.”
(Geekbench via SamMobile).
Gaining Pixel market share
Following the launch of the Pixel 9 family, the team behind Google’s latest smartphone will welcome the latest measure of success from StatCounter. It shows a significant increase in market share for the Pixel brand. While the methodology implies that there is a larger margin of error than expected, the new Pixel smartphones are certainly registering in the market:
“Data for October 2024 published by StatCounter shows that the Google Pixel now accounts for a whopping 12.9% of the North American market, up from 4.76% in September. This surpasses Motorola and also accounts for over half of Samsung’s share. Much of the growth appears to come from the iPhone, as Apple’s share fell by about 4%.
(StatCounter via 9to5Google).
Seven is the magic number (with an elite 8 line)
Honor has introduced Magic7 and Magic7 Pro. While these are Chinese handsets, previous Magic phones have seen a global release months after debut (and the annual Mobile World Congress in February is a few months away). Honor is once again leaning heavily on the camera hardware along with using the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip from Qualcomm:
“The device has a 6.8-inch FHD+ display with HDR brightness that peaks at 5,000 nits. It has 12GB of RAM minimum, up to 1TB of storage, and a large 5,850mAh battery with 100W wired charging and 80W wireless charging W.
“The camera setup on the Magic 7 Pro consists of 50MP sensors used for the main and ultra-wide movies, and a 200MP camera (upgraded from 180MP) for the telephoto lens. The optical zoom is only 3x, but the increased resolution can extend digital zoom to 100x.”
(9to5Google).
8 Elite thermal adventure
First off the block with a Snapdragon 8 Elite powered smartphone was Realme. The self-titled Realme GT7 Pro suffered from heating issues as reviewers put the chip through the graphics benchmark. After a minor update, the team at Android Authority has put the silicon through its paces. Whether the excessive heat production is up to Realme or Qualcomm will be something many will investigate as the chip becomes more widespread.
“The bad news is that this stability comes at the expense of seriously high peak temperatures. That’s obviously not enough to shut down the app, but you’re looking at a peak temperature of around 47 degrees Celsius for each stress test. These temperatures are significantly higher than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (42 to 43 degrees Celsius) and the OnePlus 12 (34.7 to 39.3 degrees Celsius) Realme’s phone was also extremely hot after these tests – it won’t wanting to make a phone call when it’s so hot.”
(Android Authority).
China’s smartphone podium
The latest report from Canalys examines the smartphone market in China. Apple’s iPhone didn’t make the top three (unlike the top US charts), with Vivo, Huawei and Honor making up the top three:
“Vivo maintained its lead with 19% of the market, thanks to the launch of new mid-range products that boosted offline sales and expanded its online presence. Overall, vivo’s shipments grew 25% year-on-year to 13.0 million units.
“Huawei ranked second with 10.8 million units shipped, capturing a 16% market share and growing 24%, driven by an active channel strategy to support its flagship products.
“Honor came in third with 10.3 million units shipped, though its overall shipments fell 13% year-over-year as it faced challenges despite the popularity of new foldable phones.”
(Sewage).
And at the end…
Huawei has released a major update to its smartphone operating system. While HarmonyOS has been around for some time (and became more important to the company when it was added to the US Entity List), the new version is the first not built around the Open Source Android Project and as such will not run none Android Apps. An App Store is ready, but it is somewhat less than the popular Android stores:
“Huawei also claimed that at the time of its announcement, over 15,000 native HarmonyOS apps and meta-services were also launched. That’s a good number, but far less than the millions of apps available on the Google Play Store and App Store of Apple.
(Registry).
Android Circuit collects the news from the world of Android every weekend here at Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any future coverage, and of course, read the sister column on Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured on Android Circuit, get in touch!