Samsung’s Galaxy M47 5G launches in India today (June 29), the first M4x phone to land in the country in three years. The mid-range device pairs a 6.7-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED panel with a long software support promise that’s more typical of the Galaxy S line.
This week also brought TECNO’s official unveiling of its Camon Slim, Realme’s quietly-launched P4x 4G, and Nothing scheduling a July 7 launch for the Phone (4b). Each maker is placing a different chip on the 2026 mid-range table. Cameras, batteries, and chips mostly look interchangeable across these launches. What is not interchangeable is the single feature each phone leads with. The result is a mid-range where specs are table stakes and the brand’s framing carries more weight than ever.
- 6.39mm: TECNO Camon Slim thickness
- 8,000mAh: Realme P4x 4G battery, up from 7,000mAh on the 5G variant
- 50MP: main cameras on the M47, Camon Slim, P4x 4G, and Phone (4b)
- 1.5K 144Hz AMOLED: Camon Slim display
- 11:00 BST, 7 July: Nothing Phone (4b) launch
Samsung’s Mid-Range Software Bet Opens the Week
Samsung confirmed the Galaxy M47 5G launch through an Amazon microsite, with sales opening in India on June 29. The device pairs a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display at 120Hz with a Snapdragon processor, LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 3.1 storage. Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ sits on top of the panel.
Samsung’s central pitch on this device is software support, not specs. The M47 5G’s six-year update promise sits at the top of the spec sheet on paper.
The Galaxy M47 5G will receive six generations of Android OS upgrades and six years of security updates, putting it ahead of many rivals in the segment when it comes to long-term support.
The 91mobiles report that broke out the Amazon microsite details called that support window the device’s biggest differentiator in a crowded mid-range. The Galaxy F70 Pro is also expected to launch soon, so Samsung’s mid-range push runs wider than just this one phone. Samsung positions the device as a capable option for gaming, multitasking, and long-term use.
The camera stack is familiar: a 50MP primary with OIS, joined by a 5MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro sensor, with a 12MP front shooter. Both front and rear cameras support 4K video recording. Charging tops out at 45W, with bypass routing sending power to the device during gaming sessions, in place of cycling it through the battery, to keep heat down. Pricing has not yet been announced. The phone ships in Rogue Red and Blaze Blue. The M-series has historically emphasized battery life and reliability, and the M47 5G looks to extend that lineage with a longer software timeline.
TECNO Stacks a 6,000mAh Battery Inside a 6.39mm Frame
TECNO’s full Camon Slim announcement with specs and pricing leans hard into the device’s slimmest claim.
With an artfully crafted, 6.39mm ultra-thin 3D-curved unibody design, it is a handheld work of art.
The phone joins the Spark Slim and Pova Slim in TECNO’s slim-line trio, with a 3D-curved unibody the two earlier models did not have. The trade-off with slim phones is usually battery, and TECNO pushes back: its release calls the Camon Slim ‘the slimmest smartphone with a 6,000mAh battery,’ with the caveat that capacity varies by market.
The official Tecno product page lists the cell at 5,600mAh, with a five-year durability claim of 80% battery health after 2,000 charges. The display is a 1.5K 144Hz AMOLED panel, and the phone carries IP69 and IP68 ratings for dust and water resistance. Camera duties sit with a 50MP Sony LYTIA 600 main sensor alongside a 32MP front camera. The back panel integrates 354 mini LEDs and 55 lighting scenes that fire for calls and notifications. Five finishes are on offer, including a Mondrian-inspired photochromic option that shifts color under UV light. Pricing and exact market availability will be set locally per the official release, with a 3-month Google AI Plus trial (2TB) on select purchases.
What Realme and Nothing Are Placing on the Mid-Range Table
Realme and Nothing are chasing similar buyers from opposite directions. One pitches a battery figure no other mid-range phone can match; the other pitches a design the brand already owns.
Realme’s P4x 4G launched quietly in select markets this week. The phone ships in Phantom Navy and Rally White. The 4GB/256GB configuration is priced at MYR 799 ($195).
Nothing’s Phone (4b), by contrast, leans on the brand’s transparent-back and Glyph-lighting identity. The official Phone 4b launch confirmation from the Nothing community forum sets the date for 7 July at 11:00 BST. The specs detailed in leaks haven’t come from Nothing directly. Multiple leaks point to a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chip, 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 50MP main camera.
Nothing is offering a recognizable design and a mid-range Qualcomm stack, not a record-spec phone. Realme bets on a battery figure no other mid-range phone in this set can match. The two pitches sit in a longer mid-range pattern of design and battery-led bets, including earlier models covered in five mid-range phones that built identity around design. Where Realme and Nothing really split is what each calls progress on the box. Realme’s marketing leads with the battery figure; Nothing’s leads with the design language. The launch schedules differ too, with Realme already shipping and Nothing still a week out. Each phone outlines a distinct philosophy about what mid-range buyers care about most at this price point.
| Attribute | Realme P4x 4G | Nothing Phone (4b) |
|---|---|---|
| Headline pitch | 8,000mAh battery | Transparent back, Glyph lighting |
| Display | 6.8-inch LCD, 120Hz | 6.7-inch AMOLED, 120Hz (leaked) |
| Chipset | Unisoc T7250 | Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 (leaked) |
| Main camera | 50MP with autofocus | 50MP main, dual-lens setup (leaked) |
| Charging | 45W wired | Not yet specified |
| Price | MYR 799 ($195) | Not yet disclosed |
Apple Reopens Variable Aperture, Google Adds LHDC v5, Samsung Reportedly Expands Privacy Display
Three other phone stories sat underneath the launches this week. Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will adopt a variable-aperture main camera, with the component costing roughly 50% more than the seven-element plastic lens Apple uses today and Sunny Optical supplying 40% to 50% of the modules. A variable aperture physically adjusts the size of the lens opening to control how much light reaches the sensor, offering better exposure control and depth-of-field flexibility. Apple hasn’t confirmed the upgrade on the record. Every iPhone Pro from the 14 Pro through to the 17 Pro used a fixed f/1.78 aperture, and the move to a variable aperture would mark the first such implementation on an Apple flagship.
Google, on the Android side, quietly added LHDC v5 support to Pixel phones through Android 17, without flagging it in release notes. The codec enables higher-bitrate Bluetooth audio on compatible earbuds, including Nothing’s latest Ear earphones and several OnePlus models. Users have to switch it on manually, and the path lives in Developer Options. Once enabled, the codec opens the door to higher-bitrate audio on compatible phones and earbuds running Android 17. Earlier Pixel phones had been limited to LDAC or AAC for higher-end wireless audio. Savitech, the company behind LHDC, had previously said Android 17 would include native support for the codec. The change also brings Auracast support, which lets multiple audio receivers tune in to a single source.
- Open Settings
- Tap System
- Choose Developer Options
- Tap Bluetooth Audio Codec
- Select LHDCv5
A second Samsung leak covered the Galaxy S27 Pro. Tipster Digital Chat Station claims Samsung is testing its Privacy Display technology on the device, which would slot between the base S26 and the Plus model at 6.47 inches. The S26 Ultra was the first Samsung phone to ship with Privacy Display earlier this year, and the S27 Pro would be the second if the leak holds. The S26 Ultra Privacy Display hands-on review offers a closer look at how the current implementation performs in use. Samsung hasn’t confirmed the S27 Pro Privacy Display plan. Privacy Display shipments are projected to grow from roughly 1 million units in 2025 to about 21 million in 2026, per Sigmaintell Consulting data.
Five phone makers each picked a different feature as the headline this week. Each brought a different feature forward: Samsung on software support, TECNO on a 6.39mm body, Realme on an 8,000mAh battery, Nothing on its transparent back. The week produced no spec-sheet winner among the four launches. The quiet Apple and Google updates added two more independent bets to the field. The next data point arrives on July 7, when Nothing tells buyers what the bet costs.
