Android Circuit: Repairing The Galaxy S25 Ultra, Pixel 9a Specs, Oppo Find N5 Preview

Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Pixel 9a leaks, Exynos for the Galaxy S26, repairing the Galaxy S25, Oppo Find N5 preview, Southeast Asia sales figures, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 announced, and sideloading TikTok…

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Android in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Apple news here on Forbes.

Pixel 9a Design Images Leak

Google’s mid-range smartphone from the Pixel 9 family is expected to launch at the same time as the Google I/O developer conference. The Pixel 9a will follow on from previous ‘A’ handsets, offering much of the functionality of the larger and more expensive phones currently on sale. Now we have a closer look at the design:

"The corners are similar to the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro as does the larger — to my eye — front-facing camera. You can make out the antenna lines on the rails. It’s hard to tell from the low-resolution nature of this render, but the left/right and bottom bezels look to be uniform, while the top one is just a tiny bit taller. The Pixel 9a could be following in the footsteps of the 2024 lineup."

(EVleaks via 9to5Google).

Samsung Exynos To Return ToThe Galaxy In 2026?

Samsung delighted its communtiy this year, as the Galaxy S25 family launched exclusively using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite family. In previous years the lower performing Exynos chips were used in some territories. That joy may not be there in 2026, as Exynos may be returning:

"If Samsung manages to get its SF2 yields to around ~60% by the time it enters mass production in late 2025, there's a good chance of next year's Galaxy S26 phones launching with an Exynos 2600. Plus, it might ditch an AMD Radeon iGPU for an in-house solution. That said, the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8 might still stick to Qualcomm. We'll have a rough idea about how the Exynos 2600 fares once the Exynos 2500 debuts alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 7 later this year.

(Notebook Check).

Winning With The Galaxy S25 Battery

Following its customary takedown, the team at iFixit has found the batteries on the Galaxy S25 are some of the most straightforward Samsung batteries to replace. While you still need to work through an excessive amount of glue to replace the consumable. iFixit highlights new legislation in Europe that may have contributed to this new and more straightforward solution, but it is a start:

" With the S25, Samsung has installed four neat sticky tabs that “hug” the battery cell. Those tabs peel up easily, releasing the battery in a few seconds without an ounce of extra glue. You can pop it right out with no fuss, no mess, and no special solvents. For consumers and repair pros alike, this is a breath of fresh air."

(iFixit).

Welcome The Thin

Oppo’s Find N5 is being promoted as the thinnet foldable yet, along with one of the hallowest creases on the display. The team at GSM Arena have an early hands-on with the device ahead of a launch next week:

"The Find N5 isn't fragile, though. Oppo used titanium for the impressive hinge and aluminum for the frame. To put their money where their mouth is, Oppo showed us the Find N5 holding its own under a 20kg kettlebell. The phone will also have IPX6, IPX8, and IPX9 water resistance!"

(GSM Arena).

Oppo Wins Southeast Asia In 2024

Oppo’s impact in the Southeast Asia smartphone market has been rewarded with a market-leading share of 18 percent, ahead of Samsung, Transsion, and Xiaomi.

"Canalys’ latest research reveals that Southeast Asia’s smartphone market rebounded in 2024, with vendors shipping 96.7 million units – up 11% year on year after two years of decline. OPPO led the market for the first time, capturing an 18% share with 16.9 million shipments, marking a 14% annual increase."

(Canalys).

Qualcomm Rolls A Six

Following on the ubiquitous Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset (which is the fourth generation of the Series 8 family), Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 for low- to mid- range handsets. Key in the new specs is support for AI software outside of a flagship handset:

"On-device Gen AI support handles routine tasks with ease, while AI-based activity tracking suggests ideal apps and settings based on user habits thanks to the Qualcomm Sensing Hub. Plus, first-in-series support for INT4 precision makes AI-powered experiences faster while preserving battery life."

(Qualcomm).

And Finally...

While the distribution of TikTok remains banned in the United States it is not available in the Google Play store. Yet the ability download and install your own choice of apps on your phone allows parent company ByteDance to offer the client on its own (Chinese) website for users to sideload themselves

"The company announced in a Friday X post that its Android app would be available for direct download on the website TikTok.com/download. This allows it to take advantage of an Android feature that lets users download apps from outside the Google Play Store. A similar option is not yet available on iPhones outside the EU."

(TechCrunch).

Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course, read the sister column in 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 in Android Circuit, get in touch!