Mobile Devices - Page 2

Space is no longer limited to trained astronauts and shuttles, as over the years, everyday products have also made the journey beyond Earth. In fact, initiatives like YouTuber Mark Rober's Space Selfie project have made it possible to send your selfies to space, and there's something genuinely charming about seeing yourself, or something you use every day, floating in the vast unknown.

Now we can add Apple's iPhone 17 Pro to that list of everyday products making it to space, thanks to NASA's Artemis Moon mission.

For those unfamiliar, Artemis marks NASA's first crewed return to deep space around the Moon, taking astronauts farther from Earth than anyone has been in over 50 years. Alongside missions like Crew-12 to the International Space Station, it's also one of the first times NASA astronauts have been allowed to bring personal smartphones along for the ride. And we're already seeing some of the fun that comes with that.

In a new article from Bloomberg reporter and Apple insider Mark Gurman, Apple's upcoming iPhone Fold is set to be the biggest shift in iPhone design since the smartphone's inception, marking the "first actual form-factor change".

Gurman points out in the recent newsletter that Apple is known for making "big" changes to the iPhone design every few generations, citing the iPhone 4, iPhone 6, and iPhone X as examples of such overhauls.

However, when it comes to the long-rumored Fold, Apple will be doing the biggest overhaul yet to the iPhone design as it will be a completely new form factor. Apple's iPhone Fold has been rumored for quite some time, and as leaks continue to surface about its design, a fairly clear picture of its physical appearance is emerging.

Apple has released its latest updates to iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. The new iOS 26.4 version brings several quality-of-life improvements, an exciting new Apple Music feature, and numerous bug fixes.

Perhaps the most interesting addition in this update is Playlist Playground, an AI-powered song list generator for Apple Music. The feature creates playlists for you based on text prompts. Users can request playlists based on feelings, moods, occasions, and other themes, resulting in an AI-generated song list that matches their request. The Apple Music app will now also notify you of upcoming concert dates in your area, thanks to the Bandsintown integration.

Apple has also added support for Unicode's latest emoji characters. You can now dabble in the realm of conspiracy by using the Bigfoot emoji, labeled "Hairy Creature" in this update. Or, if you are feeling particularly old-school, the update also brings the "Fight Cloud" emoji, which has been permanently etched into our brains thanks to old cartoons. More new emojis include a landslide, ballet dancers, a treasure chest, a trombone, an apple core, and an orca.

A new open-source inference engine, flash-moe, by Daniel Woods, has successfully run a 400B-parameter Large Language Model on an iPhone 17 Pro, a device with just 12GB of RAM. The project leverages Apple's "LLM in a Flash" research, in which model weights are streamed on demand directly from the device's NVMe storage rather than preloading the entire 400B parameter set into system RAM. That said, at 0.6 tokens per second and a TTFT (Time To First Token) of almost 50 seconds, the demonstration serves only as a proof of concept for the time being.

Typically, dense models require all their weights to be preloaded into memory to ensure low-latency access. However, Mixture of Experts (MoE) models, such as Qwen's 3.5 series, use a small subset of 'experts' rather than activating all 400B parameters for each request. The specific model in question is Qwen3.5-397B-A17B (2-bit quantized), which is a 397B model with 17B active parameters. Per Daniel's published paper, only 5.5 GB of weights are resident in memory at any time, even for a massive 400B model.

After a series of optimizations and a custom metal GPU pipeline written in Objective-C, the project demonstrates that streaming MoE models from consumer-grade SSDs is possible and yields acceptable results. The paper used an M3 Max MacBook with 48GB of system RAM, achieving 5.74 tokens per second when running Qwen3.5-397B-A17B. This speed was achieved after 90+ experiments, with a baseline of 0.28 tokens per second, yielding a 20.5x improvement.

Qualcomm has announced that the global rollout of 6G networks will begin sometime in 2029, and that it's locking down 6G standards and specifications by 2028. There is also a new Wi-Fi 8-ready chip available, and it doubles peak Wi-Fi speeds compared to Wi-Fi 7.

At Mobile World Congress, Qualcomm unveiled the FastConnect 8800, a new Wi-Fi-ready chip that's described as being "AI-native". The new chip doubles the peak Wi-Fi speeds when compared to the previous Wi-Fi 7 chip, and according to Qualcomm, it was able to achieve this upgrade by using a redesigned 4x4 radio configuration.

The chip also enables a 3x longer gigabit range compared to previous generations, and comes with Bluetooth advancements, specifically Bluetooth 7.0 and Bluetooth HDT, or High Data Throughput, which bumps the Bluetooth data transmission speeds up to 7.5Mbps from Bluetooth LE's 2Mbps. The FastConnect 8800 is one of many Wi-Fi 8-ready products Qualcomm is launching, which are all expected to come to market sometime in 2026.

Apple is about to unleash its new products for the quarter, led by the new iPhone 17e which is said to launch "imminently" as well as new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro laptops.

In his latest PowerOn! newsletter, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg reports that the new iPhone 17e will replace the iPhone 16e from last year, with the new A19 processor and its in-house 5G and Wi-Fi chips, all at the same $599 starting price. Apple will provide more features, all at the same cost.

Gurman explains: "Apple will market the 17e heavily to users in emerging economies and enterprises - two areas the company plans to target aggressively this year with both devices and software. Apple also could benefit from weaker competition. Though Alphabet Inc.'s Google is set to release a new version of its low-end model, the Pixel 10a, that upgrade isn't expected to add much. And Samsung Electronics Co. is focusing more on the high end".

It's like every day is a "here we go again" day... and today we're reporting on the fact that out-of-control DRAM prices are forcing smartphone makers to re-think their 2026 plans, as the bill of materials (BOM) could increase by 25% according to the latest reports.

It was barely 24 hours ago that I reported that the return of 4GB of RAM in smartphones will be upon us in 2026, as well as the return of microSD expansion in upcoming smartphones, but with the BoM (Bill of Materials) rising 25%, then it just underscores that fact.

In a new report from Counterpoint Research, low-end, mid-range, and high-end smartphone BoM costs will be increasing 25%, 15% and 10%, respectively. It looks like Chinese OEMs will be hurt the most, with Apple and Samsung faring a little better.

Apple is reportedly using a new bezel-less display for its 20th anniversary iPhone, with both LG Display and Samsung Display spending hundreds of millions of dollars preparing for the iPhone 20 in 2027.

In a new report from Korean media outlet Dealsite, we're hearing that Apple would be using a "4-sided bending design" and "monolithic full-screen design" and that in order to achieve this, Apple aims to adopt 4-sided bending technology that won't only cover the front, but all four edges of the display on the iPhone 20.

LG Display's current 4-sided bending display is known to be a different concept from the edge display that Samsung has previously used on its Galaxy smartphones. Samsung used its edge display in previous smartphones, applying curvature to the display concerns, but the Galaxy Note Edge was released over 10 years ago, back in 2014. Curvature was used to the left and right sides to be utilized for edge panels and notification displays.

The future of smartphones is being heavily impacted by the ongoing DRAM shortages, with smartphone makers reportedly set to reintroduce 4GB smartphones in the future... as well as the return of the microSD card slot for (hopefully slightly cheaper) storage expansion.

In a new report from TrendForce, memory prices are projected to rise "sharply again" in Q1 2026, exerting "significant cost pressure on global end-device manufacturers". Smartphone and notebook makers are compelled to increase their product prices and reduce, yes, reduce specifications.

TrendForce notes that memory is increasingly accounting for a larger share of the BOM (bill of material) costs in consumer devices like smartphones and PCs, where we've seen giants like Dell tell its staff that huge price increases on their laptops and desktop PCs are coming... and they aren't, and won't be, the only ones.

Samsung Display will reportedly mass produce 11 million OLED panels for Apple, ready for its new foldable iPhone in 2026.

In a new report from Korean outlet ETnews picked up by analyst @Jukan on X, we're hearing that Samsung Display has plans to make over 10 million OLED panels for the foldable iPhone next year, with the 10M units exceeding initial expectations, and that the foldable smartphone market is growing, and Apple is going to tackle it head-on.

Samsung Display is the exclusive supplier of OLED panels for Apple's foldable iPhone, with the figure of 11 million foldable OLED panels being 30% higher than the volume previously expected by the industry. Initial display industry expectations on shipments were between 6-8 million units, as this was Apple's first foray into foldable smartphones, but with 11M+ units, Apple seems confident in its upcoming foldable iPhone.

Apple will (finally) release its foldable iPhone next year, and in order to save as much space inside of the foldable smartphone, the company is reportedly removing as many non-essential items as it can... and this includes a dedicated SIM card tray.

Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will reportedly be an eSIM-only handset, with Chinese tipster Instant Digital echoing previous comments by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and insider Ming-Chi Kuo, predicting an eSIM-only design for Apple's foldable iPhone.

Instant Digital has said that Apple's new foldable iPhone would be an eSIM-only affair, with Kuo previously stating that the ultra-thin design of the foldable iPhone doesn't leave much room for things like a dedicated SIM tray. The leaker said: "there is a high probability that the iPhone folding screen does not have a SIM card slot version and only supports eSIM. It's hard to say a word. I hope mainland China can improve the user experience as soon as possible!"

Apple's new iPhone Air has the highest level of depreciation of an iPhone in the last three years, with almost no demand for the iPhone 17 and production lowered, with the latest depreciation seeing 47.7% of its value wiped in the 10 weeks since the iPhone Air launched.

In some new data from SellCell, the entire family of iPhone 17 smartphones from Apple is averaging 34.6% depreciation in 10 weeks, beating out the iPhone 16 and iPhone 14 series, which dropped 39% and 36.6%, respectively, in their first 10 weeks from launch.

The iPhone 15 series has the best resale value of the last few years of iPhones, losing 31.9% value in the same 10 week period.

Samsung has officially introduced its new Galaxy Z TriFold, with numerous advancements and upgrades over the Z Fold 7, with the new Galaxy Z Tri-Fold unfolding out into a gigantic 10-inch display.

Inside, Samsung is using its most advanced hinge system yet with a refined Armor FlexHinge, made of titanium with two differently sized hinges using a dual-rail structure that provide a smoother, more stable folding experience, with varying weight and components across the Galaxy Z TriFold. The upgraded hinge structure also allows the screen panels to meet securely with a minimal gap, making for a thinner, portable -- even though it's a triple-fold smartphone -- experience.

Samsung's new Galaxy Z TriFold features a huge 10-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED screen with a native 2160 x 1584 resolution, with up to 1600 nits of peak brightness, and a dynamic refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz to conserve battery life. The cover display is a 6.5-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED panel with 2560 x 1080 and up to a higher 2600 nits of peak brightness. The smallest 6.5-inch uses the same panel tech, with an adaptive refresh also between 1-120Hz.

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z TriFold smartphone is expected to retail for around $2447, which will take the foldable smartphone battle directly to Apple's front door when it finally releases its foldable iPhone in 2026, which is expected to retail for $2399.

In a new post from South Korea rumor aggregating website, Naver, more information about Samsung's new Galaxy Z TriFold has been released in regards to pricing. The new triple-fold smartphone was expected to cost 4 million won (around $2719 USD) but it will reportedly be cheaper, at 3.6 million won ($2447 USD or so) in South Korea.

Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to retail for $2399, meaning that Samsung is wanting to double-down (or is that triple-down) with the retail pricing on its Galaxy Z TriFold at $2447, meaning Samsung's absolute flagship foldable smartphone only costs $50 more than Apple's not-yet-released and still-ages-away foldable iPhone. In that time, I'm sure we'll find the Galaxy Z TriFold discounted when the foldable iPhone launches, to steal all of Apple's thunder.

Apple launched its new M5 iPad Pro last month, with a Russian YouTuber uploading an unboxing video ahead of the release, and now Apple has bricked the new iPad Pro, turning it into an expensive paperweight.

The new M5-powered iPad Pro was released in October, with the 13-inch iPad Pro spotted being used by YouTuber "Wylsacom" who ran benchmarks of the new M5-powered tablet to see the performance improvements over the M4 iPad Pro. The YouTuber noted around a 30% improvement overall, but we all know Apple doesn't like leaks... so they bricked the M5 iPad Pro once they found out who leaked the unboxing.

The new Apple M5 iPad Pro was sold in Russia ahead of its October release, but a post on Reddit from two days ago says that Apple bricked the unit, and it is pretty much an expensive cutting board now.

Apple won't be launching its new base iPhone 18 or budget-friendly iPhone 18e next year, where instead they will reportedly launch alongside a potential refreshed iPhone Air 2 smartphone in 2027.

In a new report from insider Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple will be unveiling three new high-end smartphones in 2026 -- the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, alongside the first foldable iPhone -- in fall 2026. But 6 months later, Apple will reportedly unleash the base iPhone 18, budget iPhone 18e, and refreshed iPhone Air 2, with this pattern of staged releases to continue for "years to come" says Gurman.

Apple's second iPhone Air was reportedly delayed until fall 2027 to give the company time to add an additional rear camera, as well as a possible vapor chamber cooler and increased battery, reported The Information. The outlet also said that poor sales of the iPhone Air have also been another large reason why the new iPhone Air 2 is delayed.

Samsung is expected to officially unleash its new Galaxy Z TriFold smartphone on December 5, and we've got some delicious new leaks to share with you.

The company teased its new Galaxy Z TriFold tri-fold smartphone in a limited unveiling at the "K-Tech Showcase" on October 28 in South Korea, but showgoers had to look at the triple-folding smartphone behind glass. Inside, we didn't know which specs Samsung would go with, and now we do thanks to some fresh leaks.

Mobile leaker Evan Blass shared some leaked specs on Samsung's new Galaxy Z TriFold smartphone on X, where we're hearing the tri-fold handset will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip -- probably the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen5 -- and up to 2600 nits of brightness from the outer display.

Apple only recently launched the iPhone 17 generation and we are already hearing about what the company will be changing with the iPhone 18 generation.

The rumor comes from Weibo user, Setsuna Digital, that Apple will be picking either brown, purple, or burgundy for the iPhone 18 Pro. Notably, Setsuna Digital correctly predicted the release of a yellow finish for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, along with the Titanium Milanese loop for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Despite those being correct predictions, we should still take this information with a healthy amount of skepticism considering it's a leak.

Notably, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max came with a Deep Purple color option, but Apple has never released a brown or burgundy. For reference, the iPhone 17 Pro, and Pro Max came in Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue. Apple is expected to launch the next generation iPhone in September 2026, which means there is still plenty of time for the company to finalize a color.

Samsung will unveil its next-generation Galaxy S26 series smartphones at an "AI-focused" Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25, 2026, in San Francisco.

In a new report from Korean media outlet MT picked up by @Jukanlosreve on X, industry sources said that Samsung has confirmed the event, and will unveil its next-gen Galaxy S26 series smartphones, including the new Galaxy S26 Ultra, powered by its new in-house Exynos 2600 processor.

There were previous rumors that we'll see Samsung release the new Galaxy S26 Edge, but after lackluster sales of the S25 Edge, the company is reportedly narrowing the choices down to the three-model lineup with the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra.

Samsung has just unfolded some new details on its upcoming tri-fold Galaxy Z TriFold smartphone, which will be between 12mm and 15mm thick when folded, and could be using new silicon-carbon (Si/C) batteries.

The new tri-fold smartphone only has a single competitor on the market, the China-exclusive Huawei Mate XT, but now Samsung has had its new Galaxy Z TriFold smartphone on display and in the flesh at the K-Tech Showcase event on October 28 in South Korea.

The folks over at the Korea Economic Daily were at the event, reporting that the dimensions of Samsung's new Galaxy Z TriFold were between 12mm and 15mm thick when folded. Huawei's tri-fold competitor, the Mate XT, is just 12.8mm when folded, so it's good to hear that Samsung will be in that vicinity when its upcoming Galaxy Z TriFold is folded.