Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Googlebook launch, the new Call For Me AI feature, Clicks Communicator updated specs, Qualcomm’s Agentic AI advanced chipset, OnePlus 16 details, Honor X9e launch and a new F-Droid app store.

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 .

ChromeOS Questions Raised By The Googlebook Launch

This week, Google announced the Googlebook platform, a more refined take on mobile laptop computing. This new category is focusing on tighter integration with Android smartphones and Google’s suite of AI tools. Like ChromeOS, the Chrome browser is a key component, as are Android apps more commonly seen on phone screens. There will be a lot of discussion around ChromeOS and the Googlebook OS. Forbes contributor Barry Collins has more :

“However, Google insists that the Googlebook OS has been written from the ground up and is optimized for large screens and multitasking. What’s more, the Googlebook is built natively on Android technologies, it’s not offering Android app support in a virtualized layer on top of the operating system like ChromeOS does, which suggests that Android app performance should be better on the Googlebooks.”

Now Your Phone Can Make Your Calls For You

Google is extending Gemini’s AI capabilities on your smartphone with “Call For Me,” a new feature being piloted with a subset of users. Noting the launch on its support pages , Google states that those who receive the test code can only use it to call US numbers, and Gemini will fully disclose it is an AI at the start of every call. Abner Li reports on the limited public trial of the system :

“Your Pixel 11 will “call on your behalf using the Gemini app.” Users see a live transcript and can take over at any point. Gemini will “introduce itself” and “handle the conversation with the person on the other end.” As part of this, it can wait on hold and navigate any automated phone menus. Google is “starting small to get the experience right.” As of today, an early preview is rolling out to Gemini subscribers using the enrolled in the Phone by Google beta on the Pixel 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and 11 Pro Fold in the US.”

More Memory For Your Clicks

Following on from the Clicks keyboard, the same team revealed the Clicks Communicator early in 2026. A launch release has been announced, along with confirmation of higher specs than the initial announcement. Patrick Holland has more on CNet :

“The Clicks Communicator will ship with 12GB of RAM (up from the promised 8GB) and a 4,350-mAh battery (up from 4,000 mAh). Given this year’s trends, it is absolutely wild that the company is adding more RAM while keeping the previously announced preorder price of $499. Google, Motorola, Samsung and, most recently, Apple, have raised prices on most of their phones, including the new iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, citing higher RAM and component costs driven by the increased demand for memory by AI data centers.”

Agentic AI Has Two New Smartphone Chipsets From Qualcomm

Ahead of the next wave of flagships in 2027 that will make more use of artificial intelligence and agentic AI, Qualcomm has announced two new flagship chipsets to power the upcoming hardware. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 are specifically targeted for leading handsets, with Qualcomm calling out Honor, iQoo, OnePlus, Oppo, Redmi, Redmagic, Vivo and Xiaomi in the press release. Qualcomm SVP Christ Patrick also stated:

“As the agentic AI age evolves, our multi-flagship strategy allows us to push the boundaries of what’s possible for mobile while bringing our latest AI innovations to a broader range of premium devices. By designing two innovative platforms, we’re giving OEMs greater choice as we collectively shape the capabilities of the next generation of intelligent, personalized, mobile experiences.”

OnePlus Prepares New Model For China

Details on the upcoming launch of the OnePlus 16 in China have been leaked, reports NotebookCheck . The specs offer a familiar mix of 12 GB of RAM in the lower storage configurations, with the 16 GB option reserved for the more expensive devices. It’s also expected to sport a 9,000 mAh battery and be one of the first phones to ship with the aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6.

“The phone is listed in four memory configurations: 12GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB, 16GB/512GB, and 16GB/1TB. OnePlus has not yet shared an official release date for the phone. Availability outside China remains unlikely, as OnePlus has ended new product rollouts in Europe and North America, while a leak suggests that the OnePlus 16 may also skip India.”

Honor’s Bigger Battery For All

Honor’s latest mid-range handset, the Honor X9e, has made its debut in Malaysia with some big numbers in the specs sheet for the display and the battery. It also supports 80W wired charging. GSMArena has more :

The brand-new Honor X9e Pro is now official in Malaysia, and it brings two standout features. The first is a 10,000-nit bright display, which we’ll cover in a bit, and the second is an 11,000mAh battery. That’s the same typical capacity as the Honor X80 Pro Max, which launched earlier in June, and both phones share the similar core specs.

F-Droid, the open-source software catalogue, has released a new client for all Android devices . It’s a chance for the team to reiterate its mission ahead of the oncoming lockdown of Android OS to installing third-party apps:

“Apps on F-Droid are free and open source (FOSS), they respect your privacy and they are available for anyone to see the source code, build on and improve. We have shown that app distribution can be transparent, privacy-respecting, and accountable, setting a standard that challenges the mobile ecosystem to do better. Our impact is measured not just in apps published, but in the freedom, trust, and digital rights we’ve helped protect.”

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!