Just two weeks after dropping the first Android 17 beta, Google has released the second beta update with a limited-access contacts picker, EyeDropper API, enhanced connectivity, and better cross-device capabilities. The most exciting addition is the new Bubbles feature, which lets users turn any app into a floating bubble.

Android 17 Beta 2: What’s new and what’s changing?

Bubbles make multitasking easier

The new Bubbles feature turns any app into a floating bubble. This is an excellent multitasking feature, allowing users to run multiple floating apps without ever having to leave the full-screen app.

To use this feature, long-press an app icon, and you’ll see a “Bubble” option. That option quickly opens the app in a floating window. Tap it, and the app will shrink into a floating circle that stays at the top. On large-screen devices, there’s a dedicated bubble bar in the taskbar to organize and anchor bubbles.

The previous Pixel Launcher Search bar is back

The Android 17 Beta 1 removed the ring around the search bar and featured a dominant color from the user’s wallpaper. Well, that return in the Beta 2 for the Pixel Launcher, as spotted by Phone Arena. The AI Mode icon is now featured inside the circle towards the end of the search bar.

Redesigned privacy indicators

The Android 17 Beta 2 also brings minor design upgrades to privacy indicators. Earlier, when an app used your phone’s camera, location, and microphone, the icons were visible in the top-right corner, inside a pill-shaped green enclosure. In Beta 2, they are shown in separate circles. Also, the location is shown in blue instead of green.

Small but meaningful upgrades

• Satellite tile in Quick Settings: The Quick Settings in Android 17 Beta 2 features a new “Satellite” tile with the current status.

• System contacts picker: The new system-level contacts picker grants temporary, session-based read access to only the specific data fields selected by the user. It also allows users to choose between personal and work profiles, giving them more control over data sharing.

• System EyeDropper: Beta 2 introduces a new system-level EyeDropper API that allows apps to request a color from any pixel on the display without requiring sensitive screen-capture permissions.

• New “Accounts and backup” menu in Settings: It replaces “Back up or copy data” and “Passwords, passkeys & accounts.”

• SMS and OTP protection: For apps that are not intended as receipts, OTP messages are delayed for three hours. It doesn’t include the default SMS app, assistant apps, and companion apps for connected devices.

This change applies to:

• WebOTP messages
• SMS Retriever format messages
• Standard OTP SMS messages

In addition to these changes, Android 17 Beta 2 includes improvements to connectivity, cross-device connectivity, and more. Plus, it also fixes 16 issues. You can check the complete changelog here.

Devices eligible to receive Android 17 Beta 2

• Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Pixel 10 Pro Fold
• Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel 9a
• Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8a
• Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a
• Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a
• Pixel Fold
• Pixel Tablet

The second beta of Android 17 is currently rolling out to only Google Pixels.

How to install Android 17 Beta 2 update?

If your Google Pixel is already running Android 17 Beta 1, you can easily install Beta 2 by navigating to Settings > System > Software Updates > System Updates.

If you’re not already part of the beta program, visit google.com/android/beta and “Opt in” on your selected device. Make sure you’re logged into the website with the same Google account. After opting in, you should be able to install the latest beta update on your Google Pixel from the Software Updates section in the Settings app.

Keep in mind that there’s no going back once you install a beta update. If you try to leave the Beta early, you’ll need to perform a full data wipe.

According to the official release timeline, Android 17 will enter the platform stability phase next month, with the stable version expected to be released in Q3 2026. Stay tuned for more updates.

The post Android 17 Beta 2 rolling out with meaningful upgrades: Eligible devices, new features, and more appeared first on Gizmochina.

Motorola is clearly stepping up its software game. Just a day ago, it began the Android 17 beta program ahead of its competitors, and now, the beta program has just gone live for a new set of smartphones.

The Motorola Edge 2025, Moto G57, and Moto G57 Power were the first phones to join the Android 17 beta program. Now, it’s expanding to Moto G86, Moto G86 Power, Motorola Edge 60, Edge 60 Fusion, Edge 70, and Edge 70 Fusion in multiple regions.

• Motorola Edge 70 – India, LATAM, EMEA, Brazil
• Motorola Edge 70 Fusion – Brazil
• Motorola Edge 60 – EMEA, India, Brazil
• Motorola Edge 60 Fusion – EMEA, India, Brazil
• Motorola Moto G86 – EMEA, Brazil
• Motorola Moto G86 Power – EMEA, India

Here, EMEA refers to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and LATAM refers to Latin America.

If you have any of these Motorola smartphones and live in a supported region, you can sign up for the Android 17 beta program to get early access to the latest features and upgrades. However, that also means you’re ready to face bugs or broken features that may appear in beta builds.

Here’s how to sign up for Motorola’s Android 17 beta program

1. Create an account on Motorola’s community website (if you haven’t already).
2. Visit the profile page and update your IMEI or serial number (SN) details.
3. Opt in for MFN on your Motorola community profile.
4. Always ensure that your phone is running the latest software.
5. Go to the MFN Beta Testing Opportunities page to see a testing opportunity for your Motorola device.
6. Tap on the registration link for your Motorola phone.
7. Fill in the required details and submit your application.

Please keep in mind that Motorola may send emails regarding your beta application. So, remember to check your inbox regularly, including the spam folder.

Once your beta application is approved, you’ll receive an OTA update. It’s best to manually check for updates once in a while by navigating to Settings > System updates > Check for updates.

While the Android 17 beta program has gone live for several Motorola phones, the update rollout is yet to begin. Once that happens, we’ll learn about the new features and changes. For now, users can expect to see Material 3 Expressive enhancements, Live Notification updates, and a redesigned desktop mode, among many changes.

We’ll keep posting the latest updates in the Motorola section. Remember to visit that regularly to get fresh updates. Alternatively, you can join our Telegram channel to get instant notifications about the latest in tech.

The post Motorola expands Android 17 beta program to more devices appeared first on Gizmochina.

February 2026 didn’t bring a lot of new phones, but it did feature a couple of super exciting launches, including the Galaxy S26 series and the Pixel 10a. The Xiaomi 17 series is also launching on the last day of February. However, March 2026 is turning out to be an exciting month, packed with smartphone launches from multiple brands, including Honor, Nothing, Apple, Motorola, and POCO.

We’ll see some mid-range phones, such as the Edge 70 Fusion, POCO X8 Pro, and Nothing Phone (4a), as well as some high-end phones, including the Honor Magic V6 and iPhone 17e. The Honor Robot Phone is also launching in March to catch our attention.

Upcoming smartphone launches in March 2026

1. Honor Magic V6 and Robot Phone

Launch date: March 1, 2026

Honor Magic V6

Honor Magic V6 is the company’s next-generation foldable smartphone, focusing on enhanced durability, higher battery capacity, and an even slimmer design profile.

The Magic V6 is expected to feature a 200MP primary camera and a 7,150mAh battery with 120W fast charging. The brand claims full-level waterproofing and support for Beidou satellite communication. Recent leaks say the Magic V6 could feature Honor’s self-developed C1+ radio frequency enhancement chip and the E2 energy efficiency enhancement chip.

Honor Robot Phone

Alongside the Magic V6 foldable phone, Honor will also unveil the Honor Robot Phone at the MWC event on March 1. The company offered a sneak peek of the device at CES 2026 in January 2026, and we’ll soon have the complete picture.

Honor calls it the industry’s first “robot phone,” featuring a hidden robotic-arm gimbal that deploys with a single tap. This allows the phone to physically move for automatic composition, subject tracking, and enhanced stabilization, claimed by the brand.

The Honor Robot Phone integrates a powerful AI system that can see and respond in real time. The company says it can proactively suggest content, coordinate with other devices across its ecosystem, and function as a digital assistant that feels more personal and context-aware.

2. Nothing Phone (4a)

Launch date: March 5, 2026

It’s one of the most anticipated smartphone launches of March 2026, featuring a redesigned Glyph Bar lighting system. There’s a dedicated red LED in the new Glyph Bar that signals recording activity. The Glyph Bar works with numerous system-level features, including Android 16’s live updates.

According to previous leaks and rumors, we can expect the Nothing Phone (4a) to feature a 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED panel, Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor, a 50MP primary rear camera, and a 32MP selfie camera. The device could be offered with 8GB or 12GB of RAM, paired with 128GB of storage.

3. Apple iPhone 17e

Launch date: March 4, 2026 (unconfirmed)

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17e, along with a bunch of Other products, at the upcoming event on March 4. The device is expected to feature the A19 chip, the same chip powering the iPhone 17, but could have a downclocked CPU and GPU. It’s also said to bring an upgraded display engine, ISP, and Neural Engine to improve the on-device AI performance.

iPhone 17e could get a MagSafe upgrade, boosting charging speed to at least 15W. Furthermore, we might also see an upgraded Apple’s C1X modem. The iPhone 17e will likely retain the same display, camera, and design as the 16e.

4. Motorola Edge 70 Fusion

Launch date: March 2026

The Edge 70 Fusion is confirmed to launch in March, but the exact date is still under wraps. However, given the number of teasers Motorola has posted recently, we can expect the device to go official in the first half of the month.

Motorola has already teased pretty much everything about the Edge 70 Fusion, except for the pricing. So, we already know that the phone will sport a curved 1.5K display with a 144Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, and 5,200 nits of peak brightness. It will have a Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset at its core and a long-lasting 7,000mAh battery with 68W fast charging support.

The Edge 70 Fusion will feature a triple-rear-camera setup, including a 50MP Sony LYT-710 primary sensor, a 13MP ultrawide sensor, and an unspecified macro camera. On the other side, it will have a 32MP selfie snapper.

5. POCO X8 Pro series

Launch date: Early March 2026 (unconfirmed)

The POCO X8 Pro series is expected to launch in India in early March 2026. According to recent leaks, the brand could announce two models in the lineup, the POCO X8 Pro and the POCO X8 Pro Max, targeting the premium mid-range segment.

POCO X8 Pro

The POCO X8 Pro is said to feature a 6.59-inch 1.5K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2000 nits of peak brightness. It’s expected to be powered by the Dimensity 8350 Ultra processor, paired with LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.1 storage.

The smartphone could feature a dual camera setup on the back: a 50MP Sony IMX882 primary sensor with OIS and an 8MP ultrawide lens, along with a 20MP front-facing camera. It’s expected to offer a 6,500mAh battery with 100W fast charging support and IP68, IP69, and IP69K certifications.

POCO X8 Pro Max

The “Max” variant could feature a slightly bigger 6.83-inch OLED display and a more powerful Dimensity 9500s processor. It’s expected to feature a 50MP Light Hunter 600 as the primary sensor, supported by an 8MP ultra-wide unit. For selfies, the device may use a 20MP OV20B sensor.

The POCO X8 Pro Max is said to have an 8,500mAh battery with support for 100W wired charging and 27W reverse charging. Additionally, it could feature dual stereo speakers, LHDC 5.0 audio support, a 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, and IP68/IP69/IP69K certification.

We’ll keep bringing you the latest stories in our News section. Make sure to visit it regularly to stay up-to-date. Or, you can join our Telegram channel to get instant notification.

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The “s” chips inside the Snapdragon 8-series have been popular for offering great performance at an affordable price, and the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is no different. It delivers a strong CPU performance with an all-big-core CPU design, a reliable Adreno GPU for smooth gaming, and a mature ISP.

The Dimensity 9300 Plus was announced a year before the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, featuring an even more powerful CPU with more large cores, a capable GPU, and competitive camera and connectivity capabilities. The real question is whether the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 truly outperforms the Dimensity 9300 Plus, or if the Dimensity 9300 Plus is too compelling to ignore? Let’s find out.

Let’s begin with the spec sheet:

	Snapdragon 8s Gen 4	Dimensity 9300 Plus
Announced	April 2025	May 2025
Process node	TSMC’s 4nm (N4P)	TSMC’s 4nm (N4P)
CPU cores	8-core	8-core
CPU cores	1 x 3.21GHz — Cortex-X4 3 x 3.0GHz — Cortex-A720 2 x 2.8GHz — Cortex-A720 2 x 2.02GHz — Cortex-A720	1 x 3.4GHz — Cortex-X4 3 x 2.85GHz — Cortex-X4 4 x 2.0GHz — Cortex-A720
GPU	Adreno 825 ray tracing support Snapdragon Elite Gaming features	Mali-G720 Immortalis MP12 ray tracing support MediaTek Adaptive Gaming Technology (MAGT)
NPU	Qualcomm Hexagon NPU	MediaTek NPU 790
Memory	LPDDR5X up to 4.8GHz speed	LPDDR5X, LPDDR5T up to 4.8GHz speed
Storage	UFS 4.0	UFS 4 + MCQ
Camera	Quacomm Spectra ISP (Triple AI-ISPs, 18-bit) up to 320MP single camera up to 108MP single camera with zero shutter lag up to 36MP triple cameras with zero shutter lag real-time semantic segmentation (up to 250 layers) 4K/60fps video recording	Imagiq 990 ISP (18-bit) up to 320MP single camera AI Semantic Analysis Video Engine (up to 16 categories) up to 8K/30fps video recording
Connectivity	Snapdragon X75 5G modem (sub-6GHz) up to 4.2Gbps download speed Wi-Fi 7 (peak speed: 5.8Gbps) Bluetooth 6.0	MediaTek 5G R16 modem (mmWave, sub-6GHz) up to 7Gbps download speed Wi-Fi 7 (peak speed: 6.5Gbps) Bluetooth 5.4

Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 vs Dimensity 9300 Plus: Benchmark score

Note: The benchmark tests were performed on the POCO F7 (powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4) and the Vivo X200 FE (powered by the Dimensity 9300 Plus) 

Geekbench performance

Thanks to a more performance-focused CPU configuration, the Dimensity 9300 Plus pulls higher Geekbench scores. In the single-core test, it gets about a 5.6% higher score, while the multi-core score is up by 7.3%.

	Snapdragon 8s Gen 4	Dimensity 9300 Plus
Single core	2,047	2,162
Multi core	6,620	7,104

The difference isn’t significant. However, the Dimensity 9300 Plus would still benefit from peak performance. In regular everyday tasks like browsing the internet and scrolling through your social feeds, there shouldn’t be any performance difference, though.

AnTuTu performance

In the AnTuTu benchmark, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 outperforms the Dimensity 9300+ by 6% in total score. The latter still gets a slightly higher CPU score, but the Snapdragon chip makes a strong comeback in the GPU score, scoring 465K (vs. 455K on the Dimensity 9300+).

	Snapdragon 8s Gen 4	Dimensity 9300 Plus
AnTuTu score	2,087,410	1,968,353
CPU	455,444	465,444
GPU	877,203	803,677
Memory	428,872	338,353
UX	325,891	360,879

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 also benefits from better memory performance, while the Dimensity 9300+ achieves a higher score in the user experience (UX) test.

3DMark performance

3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test

The 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test further solidifies the point that the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 offers better gaming performance. It gets about a 10% better high score, which represents the peak performance.

	Snapdragon 8s Gen 4	Dimensity 9300 Plus
High score	4,470	4,046
Low score	3,542	2,405
Stability	79.24%	59.44%

The gap widens significantly to 47% in the low-score test, indicating that the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip doesn’t throttle as much as the Dimensity 9300+ during long gaming sessions. This results in much better stability on Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 devices.

Now that we know the benchmark scores, let’s examine the key differences to get a clearer picture.

Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 vs Dimensity 9300 Plus: Key differences

CPU, GPU & NPU

The CPUs of Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 and Dimensity 9300 Plus comprise Cortex-X4 and Cortex-A720 cores. The Cortex-X4 offers higher performance, while the Cortex-A720 balances power and efficiency. Since the Dimensity 9300 Plus features more Cortex-X4 cores, it is able to achieve higher peak performance in CPU tests across benchmarks. The chip also benefits from a higher CPU clock speed.

Gaming performance has always been a major strength of Qualcomm chips, thanks to highly optimized Adreno GPUs, improved driver support, and excellent sustained performance. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 with Adreno 825 GPU achieves a much better score and stability on gaming benchmarks than the Dimensity 9300 Plus with Mali-G720 GPU.

For on-device AI intelligence, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 relies on Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU architecture. It brings generative AI capabilities and support for multimodal and multilingual AI assistants.

Qualcomm also uses AI to improve the camera output and deliver stronger connectivity. MediaTek also leverages its NPU 790 in these areas and supports a variety of popular LLMs, including Alibaba Qwen, Google Gemini nano, and Meta Llama 3.

Camera and imaging

Equipped with an 18-bit triple ISP, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 supports up to 320MP single camera and real-time semantic segmentation for photos and videos with up to 250 layers. Furthermore, the chip supports intelligent, real-time skin and sky tone correction and up to 4K video recording at 60fps.

The Dimensity 9300 Plus, on the other hand, features an 18-bit Imagiq 990 ISP with up to 320MP single camera, AI Semantic Analysis Video Engine with 16 categories of scene segmentation, and 8K video recording at 30fps. MediaTek highlights AI-videography and zero-latency video preview as key features.

Connectivity

The Snapdragon X75 5G modem on the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is a sub-6GHz-only modem with a peak download speed of 4.2Gbps. Over a Wi-Fi 7 connection, the peak speed jumps to 5.8Gbps. The modem supports Bluetooth 6.0, Bluetooth Low Energy, and XPAN, enabling earbuds/headphones to stay connected via Wi-Fi for wider-range coverage.

The Dimensity 9300+ features an integrated 5G modem supporting both mmWave and sub-6 GHz. Furthermore, it offers higher download speeds over 5G and Wi-Fi connections, but doesn’t bring support for the latest Bluetooth standard.

Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 vs Dimensity 9300 Plus: Which is a better choice?

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 features a more powerful Adreno 825 GPU, delivering a smooth gaming experience, even during longer sessions, with much less throttling. The positive aspects also include a high memory performance, an advanced Hexagon NPU, a mature 18-bit AI ISP, and Bluetooth 6.0 support.

The Dimensity 9300 Plus excels in peak CPU performance and supports 8K video recording. The integrated 5G modem supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz bands with faster download speeds. And the Imagiq 990 ISP features AI video enhancements and zero-latency preview.

In short, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is a better choice for gaming, while the Dimensity 9300 Plus delivers higher peak CPU performance. For everyday usage, both chipsets offer a similar performance with no significant difference.

The post Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 vs Dimensity 9300 Plus: Benchmark scores, spec sheet, and key differences appeared first on Gizmochina.