The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is now receiving its final major OS upgrade in East Africa, with the stable One UI 8 update, based on Android 16, rolling out to users in Kenya and surrounding countries.

• The update features firmware version G990EXXUIHYJ2.
• Notable new features include Improved Quick Share, sticky notes in Samsung Notes, and an enhanced DeX experience.
• The update includes the September security patch, while other regions have already received the October update.

The prices of budget and mid-range smartphones, particularly Xiaomi Redmi and Samsung Galaxy A-series phones, are set to increase due to a global shortage and escalating cost of general-purpose DRAM, driven by the booming demand for AI servers.

• Memory component prices have surged; Xiaomi has already raised the price of a budget phone in China by 7.5%, equivalent to KES 8,000.
• The shortage is fueled by manufacturers like Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and Micron redirecting production to more profitable high-bandwidth memory (HBM), used in AI servers.
• This "memory inflation" is expected to persist until 2027 or 2028, affecting not only smartphones but also PCs and other electronics, with DDR5 32GB modules seeing a 128% price spike in South Korea.

OPPO officially unveiled ColorOS 16 for global devices yesterday, October 28, built on Android 16, with an initial rollout schedule planned from late 2025 to early 2026.

• The first phase targets premium OPPO Find and Reno lineups, beginning in November 2025 and continuing into Q1 2026.
• Key devices included in November 2025 are the OPPO Find N5, OPPO Find X8 Pro, and OPPO Reno14 Pro 5G.
• Several mid-range and budget OPPO A-series devices, such as the OPPO A5 and OPPO A6 families, are notably missing from this initial rollout, with a Phase Two announcement expected in early 2026.