We’re now halfway through December, and just a few weeks away from 2026 which means that a whole new wave of tech launches are on their way. But before the year ends however, we’ve still gotten some pretty big tech news this week—for one, we now have more info on the upcoming Pixel 10a (courtesy of new leaks), Pebble also unveiled its new, non-rechargeable smart ring, and Spotify also revealed that it’s working on a way to give users more control over their music algorithm. Let’s take a look!
The Pixel 10a is Almost Here, and Boy does it Look Really Familiar
It only seems like yesterday when Google first unveiled the Pixel 9a, although there have been reports that company is preparing to launch its follow-up—the Pixel 10a—much earlier this coming 2026. Just recently, tech leaker Evan Blass shared key specifications of the Pixel 10a via his Twitter/X page, which if true might mean that the Pixel 10a won’t be that much different from the 9a. This includes the same 5100mAh battery capacity, the same dual-camera setup, and it’s even rumoured that Google might reuse the Tensor G4 chip for the 10a.
Pebble Wants to Sell You its New Smart Ring, but There’s a Catch
Smartwatch brand Pebble recently announced the newest addition to its product lineup in the form of the Index 01. Currently available for pre-order, the Index 01 keeps things basic and affordable, with a starting price of just $99 ($75 if you order earlier on). The Index 01 DOES NOT feature a rechargeable battery inside, as Pebble has equipped the device with a single-use battery that can last for up to a couple of years with average use. It’s also designed to support both Android and iOS, as well as AI-based smart features such as speech-to-text and model processing to name a couple.
One UI 8.5 is Now in Beta Mode, and Arrives First for the Galaxy S25 Series
Samsung recently announced that it’s begun to roll-out its One UI 8.5 beta program, which comes with new improvements and features. The update comes with enhanced Photo Assist which allows creators to edit and generate new images continuously without the interruption of saving every single iteration. One UI 8.5 also taps into Auracast via its Audio Broadcast feature which can communicate with nearby LE Audio-supported devices to stream media, and file management gets a boost with Storage Share, which lets users view and access files across phones, tablets, PCs, and Samsung TVs directly through the My Files app.
OnePlus Teases its Upcoming Budget Tablet with More Spec Details
OnePlus has had a pretty busy December this year, and the brand is also working on bringing more products to market, such as the upcoming OnePlus Pad Go 2. It’s not a small tablet by any means in fact, and features a large 12.1-inch display, and OnePlus will offer a stylus with the Pad Go 2, making it the company’s first midrange tablet with support for stylus input. Powering the device is a Dimensity 7300-Ultra SoC, accompanied by 8GB of RAM, with 256GB of internal storage, and you also get a rather large 10,050mAh battery, which can charge at up to 33W speeds with 6.5W reverse charging as well.
Spotify Users Get More Control of their Playlists Thanks to Manual Prompts
Spotify recently announced that it was launching its new “Prompted Playlists” tool, a beta feature which helps users better customize suggested content through the use of text descriptions. Available initially for New Zealand, Spotify will now let users type specific requests, which will in turn generate custom playlists based on their input and listening history. Spotify adds that it’ll continue to work on the feature (it is in beta, after all) with more input from user feedback.
AYANEO’s First-ever Smartphone Takes Notes from Sony’s Early Handheld Efforts
And finally, we have AYANEO—one of the biggest names in retro gaming hardware, the company recently announced its latest device, the AYANEO Pocket Play, which based on its design alone looks very familiar. AYANEO has based the Pocket Play’s design on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, which uses a sliding mechanism, to hide its controls underneath a screen. Like the Xperia Play, the Pocket Play is also a smartphone which runs Android, although no other specs and features have been confirmed at the moment.
