All articles tagged with #phones
Dominic Preston reports on The Verge’s hands-on with Trump Mobile’s T1 Phone: a gold, tacky device that arrives with a charger and Truth Social preinstalled; setup is smooth and the fingerprint sensor works, but in the UK it won’t yet connect to LTE/5G, and there’s a tiny pre-existing scratch and a cheap-feeling build, suggesting it’s more novelty than a serious handset—full review coming next week.
Leaks suggest Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide will use a wider 4:3 inner display (7.6 inches) and a 5.5-inch cover screen, both Dynamic AMOLED 2X with up to 120Hz, powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy with 12GB RAM and up to 1TB storage. The device is said to pack a 4,800mAh battery, with rear cameras including 50MP main and 50MP ultrawide and 10MP front cameras, a weight around 200 g, and a folded thickness of about 9.7 mm (unfolded 4.5 mm). Samsung is teasing Unpacked ahead of the launch, and there are rumors the Fold line could be renamed Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, with exact pricing still unknown.
Samsung announces the Galaxy A27 at $349.99—$50 more than the A26—even as it downgrades selfie and ultrawide cameras, waterproofing, and thickness; the sole upgrade is a move from Exynos 1380 to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3. With industry-wide price hikes, Samsung is charging more for a budget phone. It goes on sale in the US July 14 (black only), with blue and pink options in international markets and an earlier July 3 release overseas.
The Verge’s Allison Johnson describes holding the much‑anticipated Trump Phone, a lightweight midrange Android with a gaudy gold finish and oversized branding; iFixit confirms it’s essentially an HTC U24 Pro in disguise, with Truth Social preinstalled (removable), and with shipping already delayed to most customers, making the device rarer than a truly premium phone.
Early hands-on impressions of the Trump T1 Phone are lukewarm: a gaudy gold design described as 'dehydrated pee vibes,' average performance for a $499 device, middling camera quality, and unclear hardware and software support, with reports that it’s assembled in the USA but few details on specs and only about 30,000 units produced—hardly a credible challenger to the iPhone.
Android Central’s roundup of Pixel 11 leaks sketches a lineup with a Pixel 11 Pro XL at around 6.8 inches, 5,000 mAh, and 12–16GB RAM; the base Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro are also tipped to pack large batteries and a potential 50MP main sensor upgrade. The standout is “Pixel Glow”—an RGB LED array in the camera bar that may replace the temperature sensor, echoing Nothing’s Glyph Matrix. Other rumors touch Tensor G6 specs (1+4+2 core layout) and a PowerVR GPU, plus a possible modem switch to MediaTek’s M90. Overall, the Pixel Glow chatter dominates, even as other specs look broadly in line with expectations for a Pixel 11 family.
Honor unveiled the 600 and 600 Pro “accessible flagships” that resemble iPhones, especially the Pro with a triple camera layout. Both have IP69K water resistance, 6.57-inch OLED displays, and large batteries (6,400 mAh standard, up to 7,000 mAh in Asia). The Pro gets wireless charging and a Snapdragon 8 Elite; the 600 uses a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4. Europe pricing starts at €649.90 for the 600 and €999.90 for the 600 Pro, with the Pro priced similarly to a base iPhone 17 and well below the 17 Pro models. The launch underscores the design cues borrowed from Apple’s devices.
At Coachella, Madonna joined Sabrina Carpenter for Vogue/Like a Prayer, but fan videos show the audience mostly filming on phones rather than dancing, sparking criticism that the crowd wasn’t engaging with the performance.
Motorola confirms the Razr 2026 lineup will debut on April 29 and teases bold colors and fabric-like finishes (walnut, forest green, violet) with glimpses of a cover display. The piece also notes price‑hike rumors across the line (Razr 2026 around $799, Razr Plus about $1,099, Razr Ultra around $1,499, and Razr Fold reportedly near $1,899) attributed to AI/memory costs, plus leaks suggesting specs like a 7-inch inner display, a 4-inch cover display, and a 5,000 mAh battery for the Ultra/2026 family.
At Coachella, Madonna joined Sabrina Carpenter for a set, but clips show the crowd mostly filming with smartphones and hardly moving, prompting discussion that phones (or the Coachella vibe) are dampening energy, with some calling the audience a “deathly still” crowd and jokes about selfie flash interruptions at live shows.
Trump Mobile has redesigned its website, revealing a refreshed T1 Phone design (gold with an American flag motif) and updated specs (6.78-inch OLED display listed, with later notes of size fluctuation; 50MP triple rear cameras plus a 50MP selfie, 5,000mAh battery with 30W charging, 512GB storage, Snapdragon 7 series, Android 15). The site lists a promotional $499 price with a $100 deposit, but final price and release timing remain unclear. The relaunch also shifts branding to Don Jr. and Eric Trump, updates cellular plans, and notes earlier staging/deposit issues that have since been fixed.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 now can act as a USB-C webcam for PCs and laptops, letting you use its rear (primary or ultrawide) or front cameras for video calls with a High Quality Mode that offers higher bitrate but can heat the phone. The feature follows Google's native Android webcam support introduced with Android 14 QPR1 and improvements in Android 15, but Samsung has only just brought it to the S26 lineup (likely via One UI 8.5) and it’s not yet on older Galaxy devices. You can even charge the phone while plugged in during use.
Samsung confirms the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display can cause a small brightness variation when viewed from certain angles or at maximum brightness. It says the impact on everyday use is negligible, and tests including angle comparisons show the difference is minor and largely unnoticeable, especially at lower brightness levels.
Android Central’s Pixel 10a review argues it’s largely a Pixel 9a recycled but still a strong value: it sticks with the Tensor G4, 8GB RAM, and the same camera system, adds a flush, redesigned camera bump and Satellite SOS thanks to a new modem, and offers faster charging and a brighter 6.3-inch display with Android 16 and seven years of updates; at $499–$599 it remains the best $500 Android option, though it lacks Qi2, Pixelsnap, and on‑device AI improvements due to RAM constraints.
Android Central argues the Pixel 10a isn’t the only strong mid‑range option and highlights five phones that offer better value or features: the Pixel 9a as the top alternative, the OnePlus 15R with near‑flagship performance, the Galaxy S25 FE with a telephoto lens and fast charging, the Moto Razr+ (2024) folding form factor, and the Nothing Phone 3a Pro with distinctive design and a closer-to-stock software experience. It notes Pixel 9a can be found around $399, making it a compelling deal and suggesting the Pixel 10a isn’t the definitive choice for everyone.