Mobile Devices - Page 2

Instagram's CEO Adam Mosseri has posted a video allegedly "debunking" the myth that Instagram uses smartphone microphones to listen to user conversations, and then serve advertisements based on what it hears.

Many people, including myself, have experienced having a conversation with someone, say about blue drink bottles, and then the next time they open up their Instagram timeline they see an advertisement for a blue drink bottle. While many tech companies have rigorously denied they use smartphone microphones to collect data that is then used to curate advertisements that appear on social media timelines, this phenomenon still appears to be happening. But is it a phenomenon? Or is it just coincidence?

Apple's upcoming iPad Pro with an M5 chip has been unboxed before the company has even announced it, and if you expected any significant changes, you will be disappointed, as it looks exactly the same as the current iPad Pro model.

The unboxing and hands-on comes from Russian tech YouTuber Wylascom, who unboxed the M4 MacBook Pro in October 2024, weeks before Apple officially announced the device. That hands-on video proved to be legitimate following the official announcement from Apple, leading us to suspect that Wylascom's recent video on the M5 iPad Pro is also legitimate.

One of the first things Wylascom mentions after opening the M5 iPad Pro is how it looks exactly the same as the M4 generation, meaning it uses the exact same chassis, and simply has a processor that's approximately 15% faster than its predecessor. Notably, Apple is yet to even announce the M5 processor, meaning this is the first look at the upcoming next-generation silicon, and it's within a completed product, which also hasn't even been announced. A double exclusive for Wylascom.

Apple is set to launch its new cheaper iPhone 17e smartphone in the first half of 2026, but it won't make the same mistake it did with the iPhone 16e, but why? Let's dive in.

The launch of the iPhone 16e was an important step for Apple as it was the first use of its new in-house C1 5G modem at the time, with its new ultra-thin iPhone Air sporting its new second-gen C1X 5G modem. The iPhone 16e was meant to be a cheaper, cut-down version of the iPhone 16 base model, but it was a little too powerful and specced well against the more expensive base iPhone 16.

Apple's iPhone 16e was an iPhone 14-inspired handset with thin bezels, a 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display, a smaller notch that featured the front-facing camera and Face ID technology, which was a departure from Touch ID that was in previous iPhones.

Apple's new iPhone Air is finally here, shipping in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants but if you purchased a 256GB model and wanted to mod it to 512GB or 1TB... well, it's not going to work, and here's why:

The company is severely limiting storage upgrades to the iPhone Air with modder DirectorFong trying to upgrade his new ultra-thin iPhone Air 256GB smartphone to a larger 1TB of storage using intricate soldering methods. Once he disassembled the iPhone Air and got to the logic board, the modder found the storage chip features a serial number beginning with "2NB", noting he's not noticed this configuration on previous iPhones.

The modder says that the NAND flash modules weren't sourced from the usual suspects in Samsung, SK hynix, Toshiba, or Sandisk, noting that Apple could be using leftover inventory from YMTC since that company isn't a supplier anymore because of US trade restrictions.

Now that Qualcomm's officially unveiled its new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile processor, we will see next-gen Android smartphones hit the market powered by the new flagship chip, one of which is the new OnePlus 15 smartphone.

The new OnePlus 15 smartphone will feature the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and an ultra-smooth 165Hz display, capable of playing games at 165FPS thanks to Qualcomm's new chip. Geekerwan has deep-dived into the new OnePlus 15 and its gaming performance in a bunch of titles, with some rather interesting results.

Geekerwan tested the new OnePlus 15 smartphone against Apple's just-released iPhone 17 Pro Max in games like Honkai Impact 3rd, Wuthering Waves, Honor of Kings, and Delta Force.

You'd think with all of the hype and marketing for Samsung and its growing range of foldable smartphones that they'd be the dominant force in the foldable world of phones, but it's actually Huawei... by a long shot, too.

Overall, foldable smartphones account for between 1% and 1.5% of the global smartphone market, with Chinese manufacturer Huawei out on top with its range of foldable smartphones. Huawei controls a rather dominant 48% of the foldable phone market, with Samsung in second place with 20% in H1 2025, according to analyst firm Canalys.

This is a new dominance by Huawei because in 2024 it was Samsung who enjoyed 45% of the global foldable smartphone market, in 2023 the company had 57%, and in 2022 it enjoyed most of the foldable market with 78% leaving Huawei at the time with just 14%.

Google has announced in a new blog post that Android users will now be able to edit their images in Google Photos by simply using their words.

The company explains the feature was first introduced on the Pixel 10, but has now been rolled out to all Android users in the US. The idea is that users will now be able to make the edits they want without having to change between editing tools within Google Photos. Instead, users can simply describe the edits they want to make either through text via the chat box or with their voice, which will write out what they say in the chat box.

Here's how it works. Users can tap "Help me edit" and describe the change they want to make to their image, and after some processing time, Photos will attempt to make the requested changes through the power of Google's Gemini. Notably, users don't have to be super specific with their image-altering requests, as Google writes that a user can simply say, "Make it better," and the AI will do the rest.

Apple has released its latest generation of iPhone, and with the new devices making their way into the hands of users around the world, one has found a considerable issue worth pointing out.

YouTuber JerryRigEverything, known for his teardown videos and durability tests of the latest smartphone generations, has discovered a flaw in the design of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Apple has made many improvements to the 17th generation of iPhone, which includes scratch-resistant glass and a totally redesigned chassis. However, the redesigned chassis has a fatal flaw that will lead to scratching, which users won't be able to prevent unless they buy a case.

The flaw is located on the new camera plateau, specifically with the colorful exterior aluminum oxide layer, which is present on the majority of the iPhone 17 Pro chassis. JerryRigEverything explains that this aluminum oxide layer is a level nine on the hardness scale, second only to diamonds, which are a level ten.

Apple's new iPhone Air is finally in the wild and early users are reporting that they're seeing condensation forming inside of the camera lens, with fogged-up lenses within just a few hours of use.

YouTuber Luke Miana shared a photo of his brand-new iPhone Air with condensation inside of the camera on day one, with another X user "Dongle" sharing a number of images of his iPhone Air, saying: "my iPhone Air has condensation in the camera... maybe this is widespread". Meanwhile, another person posted on Reddit but deleted the image shortly after, with the same condensation issue on his new iPhone Air.

We don't know how widespread this issue is, but multiple people are reporting back on their new iPhone Air having condensation in the camera, which isn't some easy fix... and it shows that Apple could have some long-term issues with the iPhone Air in the weeks and months (and years) ahead.

Apple will celebrate its 20th anniversary of the iPhone in 2027, with the iPhone 20 breaking out of its usual mold acting similar to the iPhone X from 2017, with next-gen technologies, a new design, and more.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg contributor Mark Gurman explains that the 20th anniversary iPhone would use a design that sports curved glass edges "all around" that would command a higher price when it launches in 2027. We heard in previous rumors from a few months ago that the iPhone 20 would feature an all-screen design, zero bezels, and an under-display camera.

Gurman writes: "the iPhone 20 in 2027 is expected to bring more advancements - and they may not be cheap. It will be similar to the iPhone X in 2017, when next-generation technologies caused that device to shatter the $1,000 barrier for the first time. The 20th anniversary iPhone is expected to move to a design with curved glass edges all around, potentially commanding a higher price".

Samsung is reportedly preparing to expand its foldable smartphone family with a "wide fold" handset in 2026, putting additional pressure on Apple's foldable iPhone before it's even released.

The new "wide fold" should be shorter vertically when folded compared to existing foldables from Samsung, as well as being longer horizontally. Based on industry coverage, the goal for Samsung is to make a "wide-type" foldable smartphone with two 18:9 ratio screens that are joined, making the internal display almost square at an 18:18 ratio.

Korean outlet ETnews spoke with an industry insider familiar with Samsung's plans for its wide-fold smartphone, where they said: "Samsung has shared this development plan. Considering the timing of discussions, it is expected to debut alongside next year's foldable phone series in the second half (of 2026). Although the specific specifications have not yet been finalized, the details are expected to be determined by the end of this month or early next month".

Apple has made its new ultra-thin iPhone Air official, unveiled during its recent iPhone 17 unveiling. The new iPhone Air features the company's new in-house A19 Pro processor, but also its new in-house C1X 5G modem, new N1 wireless chip, and more. Check it out:

First off, Apple's new iPhone Air is using Grade 5 titanium for the chassis, with Apple stating that the iPhone Air sports the most durable design even though it's just 5.6mm thick. The iPhone Air features a 6.5-inch display with ProMotion technology that drives 120Hz on the screen.

There's also the new "Always On" display, up to 3000 nits of peak outdoor brightness, and Ceramic Shield 2 technology on the front. This is the first time that Apple has used Ceramic Shield 2 on the back, which makes it up to 4x more scratch-resistant.

Lithium-ion portable battery banks are prone to being quite dangerous, and in the worst-case scenarios, they can burst into flames or even explode.

For example, there was a Delta Air Lines flight that had to make an emergency landing in Fort Myers, Florida, in July 2025, after a portable battery caught fire mid-flight. Lithium-ion batteries are cheap to manufacture, have quite a high energy density, meaning they can contain quite a lot of charge, and can charge quite quickly. But the cons are that the liquid electrolytes are flammable, and if the battery is damaged, overcharged, or shorted, the battery can overheat, swell, and, as we saw with the Delta Air Lines flight, catch fire.

The solution? A new battery technology. Introducing solid-state power banks. KUXIU has sent out its S2, a solid-state power bank that is designed to be much safer than its lithium-ion counterparts, and to demonstrate its safety, I used a hammer to puncture a hole directly in the center of the power bank. Solid-state power banks replace the flammable liquid within lithium-ion battery banks with a solid or gel substance, significantly improving thermal stability, reducing heat buildup, and increasing charging stability.

Apple's biggest form of revenue is the iPhone, and this year the company will be unveiling its new range, which will have the biggest redesign the iPhone has seen in half a decade.

On September 9, Apple will showcase its latest iPhone generation. As the company lags behind in AI-powered software, it's focusing on hardware changes in its latest devices as a major draw. The iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and Pro Max are all pegged to be redesigned devices, with the backs of each being overhauled with a new design that moves the cameras into a pill-shaped bar.

In addition to the redesigned traditional iPhone line-up, Apple will also be introducing what Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has been calling for quite some time, the iPhone 17 Air, an ultra-thin device that will replace the iPhone Plus. The iPhone 17 generation is just the first of Apple's three-year plan to redesign the iPhone, as there is currently a foldable iPhone in the works, along with a 20th anniversary iPhone pegged for 2027. The foldable iPhone is meant to be announced next year.

Samsung has just unveiled two new tablets, the Galaxy Tab S11 and the new flagship Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which will compete against the Apple M4 iPad Pro.

The new Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra measures in just as thin as the 13-inch OLED iPad Pro powered by Apple's new in-house M4 processor, at just 5.1mm thick. Samsung packs in a bigger 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, with a smoother 120Hz refresh rate, an anti-reflective coating, and peak brightness of 1600 nits.

Inside, Samsung is powering its new Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra with a competitor's processor, not using an in-house Exynos processor. The new Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is powered by the Dimensity 9400+ chip joined by 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage, which is also upgradeable through a microSD card slot up to a bigger 2TB of storage.

Samsung will be testing the market with a limited quantity launch of its upcoming tri-fold smartphone with just 50,000 units, so that it doesn't take too much of the foldable success away from its Galaxy Z Fold 7, and that it keeps a confident glare at Apple which is preparing a foldable iPhone for 2026.

In a new report we're hearing that Samsung Electronics has decided on making over 50,000 of its new double-folding (tri-fold) smartphone, with mass production preparations using the related materials with component supplies. Samsung will unveil its new tri-fold smartphone -- rumored as the Galaxy G Fold -- as early as next month, with a launch in November.

50,000 isn't many at all, and if we rewind the clock back to Samsung's first foldable, the Galaxy Fold which released in 2019, the company made 500,000 units. It has been popular enough over the years leading up to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, selling millions and millions of foldable smartphones in that time.

Apple will reportedly not be using an under-display fingerprint sensor for its new foldable iPhone, and in its place the foldable iPhone will use a side-mounted Touch ID button.

In a new post by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has posted on X explaining: "Six months ago, I predicted the foldable iPhone would use side-button Touch ID. There are now market rumors that it will adopt an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, but I think that's unlikely. It's expected that Luxshare ICT will supply the side-button Touch ID module for the foldable iPhone".

This makes sense given that Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will be exactly like Samsung's successful and multiple generations of foldable Galaxy smartphones -- the most recent being the Galaxy Z Fold 7 -- where the book-style foldable has not one, but two displays. This means that Apple would need under-display fingerprint sensors on both the outer display, and another under-display fingerprint sensor when the foldable iPhone is unfolded.

Google has made what's proving to be a controversial move with the imminent Pixel 10 range, confirming that the latest iterations of its smartphones will have the Battery Health Assistance feature enabled by default - with no way to turn it off.

In short, this feature - first introduced with the Google Pixel 6a - is going to be policing your battery whether you like it or not. And the news has certainly revealed how many would-be buyers of a Pixel 10 handset fall into the latter camp, after Google confirmed the feature will be compulsory to Android Authority.

The idea with Battery Health Assistance is to manage the power pack's long-term health and degradation rate.

Apple is scheduled to hold a new special event for its upcoming iPhone 17, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a known Apple insider, sharing an image to his personal X account stating the event is set for September 9.

The iPhone 17 line-up of devices has long been rumored to be a dramatic shift for Apple and how future iPhone generations will be, as the company is pegged to showcase a redesigned iPhone, a new ultra-thin model purportedly called the iPhone 17 Air, and all-around visual design changes. Additionally, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the most powerful of the generation, is slated to have the biggest battery within an iPhone yet, and the Air is meant to be just 5.5mm in thickness, making it the thinnest iPhone ever made.

Gurman writes in a follow-up X post that the aesthetics of the September 9 event invitation aren't random, but hold some hints toward what we can expect to see during the event. The reporter adds that the orange in the Apple logo is a hint toward a new color for the Pro model devices, the light blue is for the iPhone Air, and the "Awe-dropping" slogan is a play on jaw-dropping for the "thin/light of the phone".

Samsung has lifted the lid on two new affordable products in its Galaxy range of devices and gear, the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite and Galaxy Buds3 FE. The Galaxy Tab S10 Lite is an affordable tablet with a 10.9-inch display with a 600-nit peak brightness. It also features an upgraded processor, a large 8000mAh battery with Super-Fast Charging, and comes with an S-Pen.

The inclusion of the S Pen alongside creative tools and AI features makes the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite a device that can support creators, students, and designers, and also serves as a portable entertainment hub. On the productivity side, users will be able to mark up and edit PDFs without the need to switch apps.

One of the tablet's Intelligent Features highlighted by Samsung is called Circle to Search, which lets you use the S-Pen to circle objects on the screen and then leverage Google to discover more or even translate text. Naturally, as a new Samsung Android tablet, it also comes equipped with a wide range of Galaxy apps and tools.