Weekly Tech Wrap: Apple iPhone 20 Tipped For 2027, Samsung Galaxy XR, Realme GT 8 Pro Launched, More

This week’s highlight was the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset, which runs on the Android XR platform and is driven by multimodal AI. OpenAI launched ChatGPT Atlas, an AI-powered web browser that integrates ChatGPT, even as Microsoft introduced major upgrades to its Copilot assistant. The Realme GT 8 Pro and Realme GT 8 were launched in China, with the former featuring a unique swappable camera housing.

Here's your weekly tech wrap:

Samsung unveiled its Galaxy XR headset (previously codenamed Project Moohan). Built on the Android XR platform, co-developed with Google and Qualcomm, Galaxy XR operates on an open, scalable system with AI deeply integrated. Samsung describes Galaxy XR as blending daily practicality with immersive experiences, redefining XR standards through “context-aware” interactions driven by multimodal AI. 

OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Atlas, an AI-enhanced web browser that embeds its widely used chatbot, positioning it as a competitor to Google’s dominant browser market. Atlas integrates ChatGPT into the browsing experience, enabling users to engage with the AI assistant directly without switching tabs or copying content across apps.

Realme launched the Realme GT 8 Pro and Realme GT 8 in China, equipped with a triple rear camera system, 7,000mAh battery, and an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. The Realme GT 8 Pro stands out for its swappable camera housing, allowing users to personalise the phone’s appearance with modular camera islands. It also introduces Ricoh imaging technology to Realme devices for the first time.

As per analyst Heo Moo-yeol, as cited by Korea’s ETNews, Apple plans to launch the base iPhone 20 alongside the iPhone 18e in early 2027 (instead of introducing the base iPhone 18) to commemorate the iPhone’s 20th anniversary. The Cupertino major is expected to bypass the iPhone 19 lineup entirely, jumping directly to iPhone 20. 

YouTube is rolling out a new timer feature for “Shorts” to help users manage their viewing time and curb “doomscrolling.” Users can set a daily time limit for watching Shorts. Once the limit is reached, a reminder pops up to pause the feed, though users can choose to dismiss it and continue scrolling.

Microsoft unveiled a significant upgrade to its Copilot assistant during the Fall Update event, enhancing its interactivity, intuitiveness, and human-like qualities with new features. The update introduces a visual persona for Copilot through an animated character named Mico. Copilot now offers a “real talk” mode, and the Groups feature enables up to 32 users to join a shared chat session.

Set to launch in November, the BGMI 4.1 update will reportedly introduce the Frosty Funland mode. The mode will turn Erangel into a snowy paradise, featuring icy locales like Penguinville and Penguin Towns. An A16 Royale Pass is expected to showcase icy weapons with distinctive kill effects.