Weekly Tech Wrap: Expedition 33’s Game Awards Dominance, ChatGPT 5.2, Under-Display Face ID In iPhone 18

This week saw limited device releases: Poco’s budget smartphone C85 was launched, and Nothing debuted the Phone 3a Community Edition in India. There were other big ones on the tech front, however, with Samsung rolling out One UI 8.5 Beta for Galaxy S25 series, OpenAI releasing its latest ChatGPT 5.2 update, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 crushing it at the Game Awards 2025, and Apple tipped to include under-display Face ID in the iPhone 18.

Here’s the tech wrap for the week.

Truecaller introduced a Family Protection feature this week. Compatible with Android and iOS, the tool lets up to five people create a secure circle to shield against scams and nuisance calls. It’s designed to safeguard households — particularly those less comfortable with tech — from spotting fraudulent calls.

A reliable Chinese leak suggests Apple might bring under-display Face ID to the iPhone 18 lineup next year. Weibo tipster “Smart Pikachu” says Apple is prototyping an in-screen system via a unique “spliced micro-transparent glass” layer embedded in the display.

Poco’s budget-friendly C-series grew with the India launch of the Poco C85. It packs a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip, 50MP main camera, 8MP front shooter, 6.9-inch screen, 6,000mAh battery, and IP64 rating for dust and splash resistance.

Samsung launched the public beta for One UI 8.5, starting with the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra. Highlights include refreshed Galaxy AI tools like Photo Assist and Quick Share enhancements, a dedicated Auracast menu, plus various UI tweaks.

Instagram’s latest Stories update lets users repost content from public profiles directly to their own feeds — no tag required. Rolling out worldwide on iOS and Android, it frees up sharing. Before, resharing meant waiting for a tag or manually reuploading if the creator forgot the tag.

The Nothing Phone 3a Community Edition, a special spin on the Phone 3a that dropped earlier this year, was unveiled. It refreshes the aesthetic with new wallpapers that sync with the OS, plus a custom lock screen clock, while keeping specs and features identical to the standard version.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 crushed it at the Game Awards 2025, snagging Game of the Year after winning eight of its ten nominations. Mario Kart World clinched Best Sports/Racing Game, Baldur’s Gate 3 earned Best Community Support, Midnight Walk claimed Best VR/AR Game, and Wuthering Waves took the fan-voted Community Choice award.

OpenAI unveiled GPT-5.2, promising deeper value for everyday users. The update enhances existing strengths in spreadsheet creation, presentation building, coding, image analysis, long-context handling, tool integration, and multi-step project execution.