News & Reviews:   Flagship

A new report from Counterpoint Research highlights a major shift in the smartphone landscape, with “accessible flagship” devices emerging as the sweet spot for consumers in 2026. These devices, typically priced below ultra-premium flagships but packed with high-end features, are gaining traction globally and increasingly influencing buying trends in markets like Malaysia.

Today, HONOR has officially announced a major shift in its product strategy, repositioning its N Series from a mid-range lineup into the flagship category. The move signals a stronger focus on premium hardware and advanced imaging, as the brand looks to compete more directly in the high-end smartphone segment.

HONOR has hyping up its MWC 2026 showcase for a few days now. But today, the company teased the arrival of a new smartphone in Malaysia, positioning it as a device that blends high-end industrial design with accessible innovation. It is aiming to deliver a flagship-inspired experience while remaining competitively priced for the local market.

London-based consumer tech company Nothing has released a new video featuring CEO Carl Pei, detailing the brand’s roadmap for 2026. The update signals a shift toward what the company describes as its second phase, focused on maturity, product refinement, and long-term brand development rather than rapid iteration.

For 2026, MediaTek has expanded its Dimensity lineup with the introduction of two new mobile platforms, the Dimensity 9500s and Dimensity 8500. Aimed at flagship and premium smartphones, the new chipsets focus on boosting performance, power efficiency, AI computing, imaging, gaming, and wireless connectivity.

Qualcomm Technologies has officially unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Mobile Platform, positioning it as the company’s latest premium-tier chipset for next-generation flagship smartphones. The new platform expands Qualcomm’s high-end lineup by offering another top-tier option for manufacturers and a broader range of premium choices for consumers.

Finally, Qualcomm has unveiled its latest flagship-tier chipset. Instead of being called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, the company renamed it to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform. Taking on the Elite name, Qualcomm said it represents the "remarkable" progress of the industry as the world's fastest mobile SoC ever.

Xiaomi might be skipping 13 and going straight to 14 for its upcoming flagship, according to the leaked box packaging and a screenshot of 'About Phone'. As the Xiaomi 13 still hasn't even gotten announced, it's impossible for leaked images of the Xiaomi 14 to appear. Therefore, it's suspected that the upcoming Xiaomi device gets named differently than we thought.

HONOR has announced a major event for 23 November 2022. The brand will have a flagship launch in China that day, and the devices in question could be the HONOR 80 series and Magic V2.

Previously, rumour has come saying that Samsung will use a MediaTek Dimensity chip for the upcoming Galaxy S22 FE and some Galaxy S23 devices. However, the latest information claims that the Korean tech giant has no plan for the change.