All articles tagged with #smartphones
A PhoneArena poll shows most readers prefer minor or no changes to the iPhone 18 Pro, with about 70% backing subtle upgrades and roughly 30% wanting a major redesign; Apple is expected to keep prices steady and focus on incremental updates like a smaller Dynamic Island, a 2nm chipset, and iOS 27 AI enhancements.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra is selling well, but a reader poll shows most users are disappointed by the upgrades: aluminum frame instead of titanium, no Bluetooth for the S Pen, the 5000 mAh battery unchanged, and only minor camera changes. Positive notes include the privacy display, 60W wired charging, and new software features like 24 MP mode and AI tools. Overall, sentiment is mixed: consider upgrading only if you’re on older models, while S25 Ultra owners may want to skip this year’s jump.
A visual comparison of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Wide shows the Wide variant is shorter and wider, potentially easier to hold with one hand and offers a more tablet-like unfolded display due to its ~3:4 aspect ratio versus the Fold 8’s ~6:5. The Wide model reportedly uses two cameras while the standard Fold 8 has three. Both are expected to launch at the same time with a price around $1,999, and readers are invited to debate which to choose.
A Verge hands-on with Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold details a rocky journey from receiving a Chinese ROM unit to flashing a Singapore ROM to unlock the true experience. The phone delivers a large multitasking screen and laptop-like flexibility but is heavy, expensive, and hampered by weak speakers and practical flaws; with Samsung discontinuing it, the device reads more as a concept than a viable product, and the reviewer ultimately sticks with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for everyday use.
Over the winter I tested a string of Android flagships—the Razr Ultra, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Unihertz Titan 2, Fairphone Gen 6, and Pixel 10 Pro—finding Android’s OS and automation generally superior, but the App Store and app availability still pull me back to iOS; after another complicated eSIM switch, I bought an iPhone 17, concluding phones are 'app machines' and that the iPhone best serves my needs, despite nagging iOS quirks and robocalls.
The Guardian’s iPhone 17e review finds Apple’s cheapest new iPhone upgraded with the faster A19 chip and 256–512GB storage, MagSafe and USB‑C, a 6.1-inch OLED screen, and strong battery life (~52 hours), all in a familiar iPhone 14‑style body with a single 48MP rear camera; it lacks ultrawide/telephoto, wifi 7, Thread and UWB, making it a solid budget option for Apple basics at £599 but not ideal for photography enthusiasts.
Ookla data show the iPhone Air capturing 6.8% of US iPhone 17 samples in Q4 2025, roughly double the iPhone 16 Plus, with the iPhone 17 Pro still leading overall. The Air also gains share abroad (Korea, Japan, Singapore), and tests indicate its in-house C1X modem matches or beats the Pro Max in download speeds and often beats in latency, though uploads favor Qualcomm. The results suggest Apple’s thinner Air is successfully differentiating itself from the Pro line.
Samsung has announced the Galaxy S26 Ultra Enterprise Edition in the UK, a security-focused variant for business users that combines the AI-powered Personal Data Engine with KEEP and Knox Vault for encrypted data storage, plus Privacy Display and seven years of security updates, while sharing core specs with the standard S26 Ultra (6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 200MP main camera, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, 12GB RAM/256GB storage, 5000mAh).
Reuters reports Amazon’s Devices & Services unit is developing Transformer, a smartphone centered on Alexa+ AI and shopping, with unknown price, OS, and launch date; after the Fire Phone flop, experts doubt the device can break into a crowded market dominated by Apple and Samsung, and privacy concerns loom over data collection, though a generative UI and Panos Panay’s leadership could shape the project.
Amazon is reportedly developing a smartphone centered on its Alexa AI, code-named Transformer, with the ZeroOne team led by J Allard exploring both smartphone and “dumbphone” designs and drawing inspiration from the minimalist Light Phone; the device may rely on AI-powered mini apps instead of a full app store, but there’s no timeline or price yet.
Rumors about the iPhone 18 Pro lineup suggest eight main upgrades ahead of a September launch: a red finish; a smaller Dynamic Island due to partial under-screen Face ID; 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch LTPO+ displays; a variable-aperture 48‑MP main camera; a next-gen A20 Pro chip built on TSMC’s 2nm process; a third-gen C2 modem; and an N2 chip, plus additional possibilities like a simplified camera button, revised rear Ceramic Shield, satellite web browsing, and a potentially thicker Pro Max for a larger battery. A broader lineup including a foldable iPhone and other models is also anticipated.
Samsung will discontinue its $2,899 Galaxy Z TriFold after less than three months on the market, winding down sales first in Korea and then in the US as remaining inventory clears; just 6,000 units were stocked domestically since its December launch, and high production costs reportedly made profitability unlikely, with no immediate successor planned.
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.
Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra debuts a revamped night photography system with a 200MP main sensor, 50MP telephoto, wider apertures, and AI-powered processing, enabling brighter, clearer night photos and videos and addressing Brits' frustration with low-light capture.
Apple rolled out seven new products now available in stores and kicked off its 50th-anniversary celebrations with Tim Cook’s commemorative letter, Alicia Keys' surprise appearance at Grand Central, and a Hello Apple Instagram account; Bloomberg's Gurman says Apple may launch three Ultra-class devices this year—a foldable iPhone, infrared-camera AirPods Pro, and a premium OLED MacBook Pro—while iOS 26.4 beta adds emoji and support for the iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air. Leaks also describe a magnetic HomePad and an iPhone Fold offering iPad-like multitasking within iPhoneOS; availability varies by region.