Every year in September there's a flurry of smartphone launches. It's a relatively recent phenomenon, with the impetus coming from Apple's iPhone launch, which has taken place each September since 2012.

Brands that once launched in February are now launching in September, as if to say that anything Apple can do, we can do better. That competitive drive has also pulled supply chain launches forward. For example, Snapdragon Summit - which sees the launch of new Snapdragon hardware to power new devices - now takes place in September, rather than its slot 5 years ago, which was in November.

The emerging trend is clear, however: smartphones are now packing in huge batteries and ultra-tier cameras, looking to push these devices into a whole new experience.

Battery life remains top of consumer wants

Battery life has long been at the top of smartphone buyers' wish lists. That was verified in a YouGov survey (albeit from 2023), ratified in a CNET survey in 2026, and it's playing out in real time thanks to the evolution of silicon-carbon tech.

The move from lithium-ion to silicon-carbon batteries comes with a downside, but it's led to battery capacities that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. We recently reported on Honor's phone that is launching with an 11,000mAh battery - that's double what you'll find in the iPhone 18 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

That's not an isolated case. Following the announcement of Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 hardware (which for the first time also comes in an Extreme version), we saw the announcement of the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, with an 8500mAh battery, while the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max has an 8000mAh battery.

These phones are not only expanding the physical capacity of their batteries (in many cases paired with fast charging too), but with the core hardware moving to 2nm and driving new efficiencies, multi-day use should become commonplace.

The camera is still a key battleground

If you watched the launch of the new iPhone 18 Pro, you'll have noticed that the very first frame of the intro video was dedicated to the camera. While Siri AI and performance were the first topics discussed, the camera section took up nearly 30% of Apple's presentation of the new iPhone. That highlights just how important the camera still is for smartphone users.

While Apple settled on variable aperture (a feature that I've tried and is really impressive) the big spec battle rages elsewhere. It's no longer about flagship phones, it's about ultra phones with ultra cameras. The "ultra" naming trend, started by Samsung, is wearing thin with multiple brands choosing the Pro Max name instead, but the trend remains.

Big cameras are in, and the best-dressed smartphones for 2027 will have one, two, or maybe three 200-megapixel sensors. Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra with its solitary 200-megapixel main camera looks a little under-specced, while the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max is set to come with two 200-megapixel cameras, developed with ARRI. (It also has an 8800mAh battery.)

The Xiaomi 18 Pro has a dual 200-megapixel camera developed with Leica, while the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max has no less than three 200-megapixel cameras developed with Hasselblad. The Motorola Signature 27 also gets a 200-megapixel telephoto camera, not to be left out.

Gargantuan housings and snap-on telephoto lenses offering 200x zoom are now common, leaving the humble 48-megapixel sensor feeling a little pedestrian.

We've been through this megapixel race before, however, and we know that more megapixels don't make for better photos. Large sensors, precise image processing and quality lenses do make a difference, which is why we see names like Hasselblad and Leica lending their weight to proceedings.

Hardware matters, but software gets highlighted

These hardware trends for 2027 point to smartphone makers addressing things that real customers want, but that often seems at odds with the message that brands push.

Samsung's recent Galaxy Z launch was dominated by new Galaxy AI features, much of the talk at Snapdragon Summit was about the power for AI that the expanded NPU (neural processing unit) can supply, while Apple's iPhone launch focused on Siri AI for a large part.

AI is in its ascendency, the so-called tech bros whipping the industry into a frenzy over the potential that AI brings, but so often landing in a frivolous feature, like cartoony image generation, or something that wants to make decisions for you that you could easily make yourself.

According to Pew Research, only 10% of Americans reported being excited about AI, while 50% say they are more concerned than excited. Equally, research from Stanford University suggests that anxiety around AI is rising globally.

While the AI message that tech brands want to push might not land as they expect, the promise of longer battery life and a camera that's even more capable should give smartphone buyers the features that they actually want in 2027's best smartphones.

Mobile gaming changed completely for me when Apple finally opened up and allowed emulators onto the App Store a few years ago. Delta became part of my staple of apps and has never left it, with retro games acting as a superb fallback when train delays hit or my book isn't quite holding my attention.

That reliance on flexibility means that I'm not really the sort of gamer to cart around a gaming controller just on the off chance I want to use it with me phone, and that includes even quite sleek gaming grips like the Backbone One.

So, I was super interested to try out 8BitDo's FlipPad when it unveiled it: a gamepad that married a tiny design to the convenience of it clipping onto your phone, meaning you need only the tiniest amount of space in a bag to upgrade your gaming experience handily.

After a week with the FlipPad, I'm even more enamoured by the design choices that brought it into being, and I think it might just be the perfect addition to a travel bag or EDC backpack.

A tiny slice of clever gaming design

The FlipPad is basically a flat controller with a hinged USB-C plug to pop into your phone's port. Once that's secure, the controller rests on the bottom of your screen, making the phone basically have the orientation of an old GameBoy.

It's an ergonomic arrangement that has been improved since those days, of course but it's also really quite proven, and it works a treat in my experience. Plus, the buttons 8BitDo has used are really nice and clicky, making the FlipPad extremely tactile and satisfying.

It's worth paying attention to the button layout here, though, to make sure it'll work for what you need. There's no analogue stick here, so this is very much a gamepad that aims at the NES, SNES, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance catalogue principally, along with the many other consoles that predate analogue sticks.

It does have four function buttons at the top, two of which are the standard shoulder buttons and two of which are extra, giving you some nice customisation options. I found that Delta detected the layout perfectly, giving me the easy option to tweak my controls.

What Delta didn't do, though, was move the on-screen display of my game up to account for the controller taking up the bottom of the screen. It treated the FlipPad like a normal wired controller and centred my game screen, which actually made the FlipPad cut off the bottom of it. I fixed this by tweaking the app's settings to force the appearance of the touch button layout, which is slightly clumsy but still extremely effective.

That tiny teething problem aside, I've had nothing but positive experiences with the FlipPad, whether in how massively it upgrades the experience of playing GBA titles that involve quick button presses, or how tiny it is when stored in my tech pouch.

For retro gamers on the go, I think it's a no-brainer so long as it fits your phone, and it'll probably be a mainstay in my day pack for quite a while to come.

Xiaomi revealed its latest flagship, the Xiaomi 18 Pro, at a major launch event in Beijing – but, as the first brand to launch a handset with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, also showed it off in the USA at Snapdragon Summit.

I was invited to a behind-closed-doors meeting during Summit to take a look at the new handset, which will be launching outside of China – and imminently, within the year, according to Xiaomi spokespeople – and aims to rival Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra with some familiar features, such as Privacy Display.

Not only that, the 18 Pro features a second display on the rear. That echoes what the previous Xiaomi 17 Pro also featured, but as that was a China-only handset – the base Xiaomi 17 model was the only one to come to Europe – its presence also feels like a significant point of distinction.

HyperRGB Privacy Display

A quick explainer about what Privacy Display actually does first, though: when activated, it limits the angle of view by deactivating portions of pixels, preventing potential snoopers from seeing what's on the screen.

While I didn't have long to explore the Xiaomi 18 Pro, I quickly dove into its Privacy Display settings to see what it was all about. Xiaomi has deployed its own technology here, in what it calls a HyperRGB panel.

Why does this matter? HyperRGB offers a full red, green and blue composition in every 'pixel' – unlike the sub-pixel structure in a typical pentile array, where green has to be 'shared', causing a notable resolution loss with Privacy Display activated.

I must admit, with Xiaomi's feature activated, the perceived resolution does appear very clear – more so than Samsung's equivalent feature in the S26 Ultra. So that's one tick in the box.

However, my other immediate observation was that Xiaomi's method is less effective than the Samsung equivalent. It doesn't hide what's on the display nearly as well, in my view, with even acute angles not fully hiding the display's content.

From a software perspective, though, Xiaomi has really opened up more customisation options than Samsung is able to offer. While both offer per-app selection, even the ability to dynamically block out notifications, the Xiaomi can also handle split-screen and floating window situations – which is a very neat take indeed.

I pulled up two apps in a split-screen view, 50/50 down the middle of the display, one of which had Privacy Display enabled, the other not, and the device can differentiate. It's a dynamic take that shows off the brand's HyperOS very well. That said, I still don't think the effect is strong enough in this solution.

Rear display

It's impossible to not talk about the rear display on the Xiaomi 18 Pro, too, as while it's been featured in some devices previously, it's a very uncommon addition.

I can see why it makes sense, though, as you can forego the need for a lower-quality selfie camera within the display and use the top-tier cameras on the back of the device instead.

Beyond that, Xiaomi's point of view is that this display is an opportunity to cut down on phone use. Think of, say, Motorola's Razr flip phone, where the small window in its closed format offers a pared-back glance rather than full-on experience. This can do much the same.

It's also a place to add customised wallpapers, clocks and such like – to make the phone feel more uniquely yours. I was able to swipe between some camera settings and the calendar, finding it a very responsive experience – far better than I'd anticipated.

With many other brands deploying their own equivalent features – think Nothing's Glyph or Google's HiLight on the Pixel 11 Pro – it seems that 2026 has been a bigger year for more expansive ways to interact with your phone. And while Xiaomi's is arguably the most in-your-face solution, it's also the most sophisticated of the lot.

Serious spec

• Battery: 7000mAh silicon-carbon / 100W HyperCharge / 50W wireless
• Cameras: 200MP f/1.67 main, 200MP f/2.4 75mm zoom, 50MP wide-angle
• Display: 6.4-inch, 2436 x 1120 HyperRGB 2.0, 4000 nits max brightness, 1-120Hz
• Power: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, LPDDR5X RAM, UFS 4.1

The full spec of the Xiaomi 18 Pro is now out in the wild, with some headline features that I've highlighted in the bullet points above. This is one seriously powerful phone – and the first that will ship with Qualcomm's latest and most powerful hardware.

There are a lot of other eye-grabbing features, though, from the huge battery capacity – no word on whether that can be delivered to an international market, though, as EU regulation caps 20Wh (around 5,000mAh) in single cells – to the incredibly fast charging times.

The cameras, too, are top of the line. Xiaomi continues its collaboration with Leica, adding another standout reason to consider the brand beyond its competitors. In the Xiaomi 18 Pro the triple sensor arrangement comprises two 200-megapixels and one 50MP – with the main and telephoto getting the big resolution.

There is also the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, which is even larger and more considerable – with yet more display and battery packed into its larger shell – and I do wonder if both models will make their way to international markets. Right now, Xiaomi isn't saying – just "stay tuned", as the global launch will be "within the quarter" for an official on-the-shelf release before the year is out.

That will likely mean that Samsung's rumoured incoming Galaxy S27 Ultra then won't be far away from its own early 2027 launch. It's expected that the Korean brand will deliver a product that considerably differs from its current design – and, given the current advanced nature of its competition, I think that can only be a good thing.

In the course of a recent press trip for its X500 series phone launch, Vivo put a whole heap of different photography accessories in my hands, with all of them coming together into a seriously persuasive camera kit for those who want to capture shots that are all but impossible on most phones.

Weirdly, though, I don't think Vivo realised how impressive one little bit of the kit would be – the Camera Screen. This is basically a little wireless AMOLED display that plays really nice with the Vivo X500 (or X500 Pro, or X500 Pro Max) camera app, making it a mirrored viewfinder display.

With a Qi2-style magnetic ring to secure it to compatible cases, this can become the ultimate selfie display, but it's also a full touch-screen, which really makes it way more powerful than you might expect from looking at it.

Place your phone on a tripod, for instance, and you now have a remote that can not only simply trigger shots, but one that can swap between modes, zoom levels, focus points and way more, since you basically have the whole camera app in your hand.

It's a brilliant little idea that's executed almost unbelievably smoothly, and while I haven't had that many chances to use it yet, my early experimentation confirmed that it works pretty beautifully. All this over just a Bluetooth connection, too!

It's the sort of fun little extra that I'd love to see Apple experiment with, since I'm an iPhone user when I'm not testing a device, and my MagSafe case is generally only used for night-time charging. It'd be really fun to be able to add this sort of wireless display to my phone photography, if it could work on iOS.

Frankly, it's also the sort of thing that I think would thrive on Kickstarter if a third party managed to make it work at a reasonable price, which is quite a big "if". Vivo's launching the display at CNY699, or about $105, which already means it's probably a bit too pricy to be a novelty addition.

I've also already discovered that the AMOLED panel it uses is extremely easy to scratch, compared to the far harder glass used on phone screens nowadays, so there are compromises to be found.

The core idea, though, remains a really fun one, and the implementation is impressive for a first outing. This is arguably the sort of experimentation that really marks out Chinese phone brands from the likes of Apple and Google right now, and I'm excited to see what more we could get down the line.

The battle for dominance in next-gen phones has started, with recent announcements from Motorola, Xiaomi and now Oppo, showcasing the flagship phones for 2027.

Oppo has officially announced the Oppo Find X10 family, topped by the Find X10 Pro Max. The phone was previously teased ahead of the launch in China, and has now seen its official release.

The reason we're seeing the flurry of announcements at the moment is the launch of new core hardware from Qualcomm with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, as well as MediaTek with the Dimensity 9600 Pro.

It's the 9600 Pro that sits at the heart of the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max, leading a trio of new phones in the family. The Find X10 and Find X10E offer lower-tier options, but it's going to be the Pro Max that takes all the headlines.

Much of the focus will be on the three 200-megapixel cameras on the back of the phone, again developed with Hasselblad. That will see the main camera with an f/1.5 aperture, sitting on a 1/1.3in sensor, taking 24mm shots.

That will be joined by a 200-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 1/1.56in sensor with f/2.2 aperture and a 13mm focal length, while the 200-megapixel telephoto uses a 1/1.56in sensor with f/2.1 and offers 70mm focal distance, as well as supporting macro functions.

To expand the photography options, a 200x zoom telephoto kit will also be offered.

There's a 6.78-inch display with 2772 x 1272 pixel resolution, with a peak brightness of 2000 nits. But it's the narrow bezels that enhance the design that will draw the most attention.

There's a huge 8000mAh battery with 80W charging in a phone that's 8.4mm thick and weights 233g, although the final weight will depend on the colour you choose. The Warm Orange and Light Titanium models are slightly heavier than the Moon White.

The overall design is rather conservative for an "ultra" phone, with the rear of the design splitting the camera housing, expanding on the design of the Oppo Find X9 Ultra.

While the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max has been launched in China, it's been confirmed that it's getting a global launch soon, rather than waiting until 2027. While Oppo hasn't officially confirmed the dates, it's already listed on Oppo's UK website, with the ability to register interest.

There's also the option to pay a deposit to get a voucher off the price, with the terms and conditions saying that the voucher is valid from 21 October to 28 October, which is likely the pre-order period for the device in the UK. That would suggest global announcement on 21 October and availability on 28 October.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have been announced, once again causing a flurry of pre-orders. With its new burgundy and black colour options, it's a great-looking phone, but if you want to keep it that way, you will probably be considering a case.

The Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and the Ceramic Shield on the back will give you drop and scratch resistance; a case gives you that extra layer of protection.

While it seems a shame to hide away the phone, the right case can complement the design and give you a level of individual style. That colour pairing and case design say more about you than one of four iPhone 18 Pro colours.

So, to help you make your choice, we've rounded up some of the best iPhone 18 Pro cases on the market right now. Ones that will do your phone justice, not cheapen it.

All of these cases are available for both the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max models. It's worth noting that the exterior of the phone remains unchanged from last year, so iPhone 17 Pro cases will also fit.

We will also be covering cases for the iPhone Duo in a separate piece soon.

Best cases for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

Apple cases

Leather cases

Non-leather cases

Everything's new until you try it, and before using the Vivo X500 Pro Max this week, over the course of a few days of consistent camera testing, I was more than a little sceptical of the idea of mounting a large external lens on a smartphone.

It's not that I thought it was a gimmick in its own right, but seeing Oppo's Hasselblad system, for instance, I couldn't help but think I'd rather have an actual camera in one hand and my phone in my pocket.

I think there's still room for measured approaches on that front, but the fact is that the zoom lenses I've been trying on the X500 Pro Max have made a super interesting argument for this kind of system.

How things click into place

First, let's talk details. Vivo's Pro series of X500 phones can work with one of two different Zeiss lenses that you can get your hands on. The more approachable option is the Vivo Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2, a 200mm equivalent zoom lens; the even wilder upgrade is the Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra, which is a 400mm equivalent.

These haven't changed since the X300 Ultra, which they work with too, but the slightly upgraded photo capabilities of the X500 phones should, in theory, make for boosted results (although I didn't have an X300 to compare with).

Installing either of the lenses means getting one of Vivo's phone cases with a mounting ring, then attaching a lens adapter that includes a twist-lock connector. The lenses can then be locked into place, immediately and wildly altering the centre of gravity of your phone.

To account for that, Vivo has a grip attachment that you can also pick up, and a phone case variant with secure slots for both the mounting ring and this grip. It adds physical controls for shooting, including a zoom dial, exposure compensation dial, customisable function button and more.

While they're not quite as responsive as they would be on a great digital camera, they're nonetheless hugely satisfying to use compared to just touch-screen interactions. Of course, grabbing all these extras (collated together into the chunky X500 Pro Max Creator Kit) makes the phone significantly pricier.

A zoom for all occasions

Once you have your choice of lens attached, the world is your oyster, so long as you remember to activate the setting that accounts for those lenses. Otherwise, you'll be dealing with a flipped, upside-down, deeply confusing image.

The lenses really do exactly what they say on the tin, too, letting you zoom in on details so distant that they'll have your jaw dropping at times. My first experiment was a classic one, looking out of my Shanghai hotel's window at an already fairly distant skyline of apartment and office blocks. You can see in the progression of these shots just how wildly I was able to zoom in.

You'll also see that, just like with regular phone zoom, if you push way past the optical range of the lens, which is doable even if it takes you to crazy distances, you can end up with a smeared, AI-heavy reconstruction of what you're looking at. Play within the limits, though, and your photography arsenal really is hugely expanded.

Taken out into the natural world, the shots that are unlocked by the added lenses are striking. I've been on a safari without much of a zoom lens, and while I still love many of the photos I took, I'm certain I'd have used one of these Zeiss optics really happily if they'd been available to me.

That raises one of the questions I had at the front of my mind going into this press trip – would I not rather have a good camera and a phone than one device trying to be both? Well, it's complicated. In my own case, my camera is the Fujifilm X100V, set up for point-and-shoot street photography with no messing around, and while I love it, the main limitation is its fixed lens – no zoom.

I enjoy working around that limitation (in fact, it's kind of the point), but it's undeniably true that there are times when I wish I could get closer to a subject or shot. Now, I'm not sure I'd want to pair the fully kitted-out X500 Pro Max with a camera, because that's basically just carrying two cameras.

However, I can clearly see how someone with photography on the mind might be persuaded by the option to take a phone that shoots terrific stuff even without any accessories, and buy one of these Zeiss lenses to simply extend its range. It's like getting two for a little more than one.

Zoom in past your extender's range, and you'll once again encounter the AI guesswork that can happen without them, but if you can find a subject in the sweet spot (a distance you'll learn fairly quickly), you can produce pretty stunning results.

Taking a step back

Vivo's clearly proud of the camera system it's built for the X500 series, and while it puts the Zeiss telephoto lenses front and centre as an added extra that few other phones can match, it's worth remembering that you wouldn't be using them for all your photography.

They're really situational lenses, and that means the X500 Pro Max's normal shooting is possibly even more interesting to me than its enhanced capabilities. Over the course of a few days of testing, I used the lenses and extenders in a variety of combinations, underlining the versatility that the whole kit gets you.

Use the extenders, and you can get some pretty unreal portrait shots if you have the time and space to set them up.

Stick to just the phone's raw capabilities, though, and you can still produce some brilliant results. Some of my favourite shots from testing were without any extender attached, and especially at low zoom levels – including some night shots that underline how Vivo's processing can do wondrous things.

At times, I'd actually like less of the processing; I'm extremely habituated to Apple's more subtle approach, with three years' familiarity with my iPhone 15 Pro and its more naturalistic approach. Still, for sheer vividness, it's hard to argue with the X500 Pro Max in some of these shots.

So, given how stellar the X300 Ultra already was, it looks like Vivo has managed to quickly raise the game, while also bringing some super powerful internal specs to bear. That leaves us with one big question – where, beyond China, will the phone be available?

The UK seems like it's still a distant prospect for the brand, and while imports to the US have been doable, they're hardly the same as an official release. Time will tell whether the likes of the X500 Pro Max become more readily available on closer shores to home, but my time with its photographic kit so far has left me way more enticed than I expected to be. I might still stick to my X100V for street photography, but I can see a one-device future becoming more and more possible.

Xiaomi has confirmed one of the features that's going to appear on its next flagship phone, the Xiaomi 18 Pro.

Looking to Samsung for inspiration, Xiaomi has announced that the Xiaomi 18 Pro will feature a privacy screen, meaning you'll be able to stop people peeping at your content.

Samsung introduced the tech on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, with the privacy feature built into the display. By controlling which pixels illuminate, it's possible to produce a narrower visible area, so those viewing at an angle can't see what's on the display.

While Xiaomi hasn't confirmed the underlying technology that the display uses, it's likely to be the same approach and potentially uses a panel from Samsung Display.

The Xiaomi 18 Pro launch is expected at any moment, with the official tease coming from Weibo (via 9to5Google). It's worth noting that Xiaomi says that it's coming to the Xiaomi 18 Pro series, so there's a chance that it could be on more than one model, not just Xiaomi's top model.

The key to privacy display is that it's not just a universal solution - it can be customised to only work on particular apps or notifications, so you're only keeping the parts of your screen private that actually matter.

At first glance, the implementation by Xiaomi appears to be slightly more enhanced that Samsung's offering, although that's probably something that Samsung will address with the launch of the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Samsung's privacy display isn't perfect: while it will restrict viewing from oblique angles, so that someone next to you on the train can't see what's on your screen for example, it does make the display dimmer overall, so it's not quite as punchy.

Having it only work with particular apps, like banking or messaging apps, makes for a better experience because the rest of your phone can remain bright and brilliant, while your privacy is still protected.

The Xiaomi 18 Pro will be announced on 23 September in China, with a global launch later in the year, making it the first device with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon hardware.

On stage at Snapdragon Summit Adam Zeng, SVP and president of international business at Xiaomi confirmed that the Xiaomi 18 Pro will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max will be powered by the Snapdragon Elite Extreme Gen 6.

It will also have a back display and use a dual 200-megapixel camera powered by Leica.

Previous leaks have suggested that it will have a huge 8500mAh battery.

The Xiaomi 18 Pro will join the Xiaomi 18 Fold that was recently demoed at IFA 2026.

It's getting harder and harder to stand out in the flagship phone market. With Apple dominating and Samsung holding a significant portion of Android users, what's a brand got to do?

Motorola's take is to go ultra-premium, with its latest Signature 27 flagship revealed in tandem with Qualcomm's latest chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 – which comes in two versions for this new generation, adding an 'Extreme' variant for added AI power.

Not only does the Signature 27 embody this top-tier chipset, it's got a variety of other collaborations that maintain its premier status. Sound is courtesy of Bang & Olufsen, the renowned Danish audio-maker. The finish, meanwhile, continues with Motorola's long-standing Pantone partnership to deliver unique colourways.

The Signature 27 is also named differently to Motorola's previous flagship models. It's a much simpler take: the two-digit number represents its year (that being 2027 – despite a 2026 on-sale date forthcoming), with assumed '28', '29', and so forth, to take their place in coming years.

I'm stunned by various aspects of the feature set beyond the addition of the Qualcomm hardware inside though. Visually, Motorola has really gone all-in here, with a large camera unit to the rear that contains four lenses, plus a flash unit. It's got Samsung-threatening vibes about it, so Galaxy fans ought to take note.

This camera setup features a 50-megapixel Sony Lytia 910 sensor, known for its large scale, as the main camera. There's also a 200-megapixel periscope zoom, ensuring that the Signature 27 will cater for a wide range of photographic needs – from wide-angle through to zoom shooting.

Qualcomm's hardware will boost these camera capabilities yet further, as the latest chip is able to shoot at super-high 8K resolution at 60 frames per second. There's also the "integration of Qualcomm's Image Stabilization" technology, so Motorola's 3.5-degree optical image stabilisation (OIS) hardware can offset judder when panning, walking or taking shots handheld.

The Signature 27 is also the first handset from Motorola to feature Audio by B&O. It's the debut product from a recently announced multi-year partnership with Bang & Olufsen, so expect more in the future. It'll be interesting to see how the sound design here utilises the brand's expertise to advance beyond its peers.

The overall aesthetic of the Signature 27 is just different, too, offered in Coal Smoke, Tactical Weave or Capulet Olive – all of which are distinct Pantone colours. Like Motorola's recent Razr 70 Ultra, the addition of texture brings another premium element that stands apart from the typical Android phone norms.

The Motorola Signature 27 is expected to go on sale later this year, with more information to follow in coming weeks and months. With Samsung-beating levels of power, but also cameras and finish that could see fans of the rumoured Galaxy S27 Ultra distracted, this is one stunning surprise flagship reveal – and I can't wait to see more.

Each year, major chip-maker Qualcomm, hosts its Snapdragon Summit event, to reveal the latest mobile hardware that will power the best Android phones of tomorrow.

For 2026 it's a little different, because the reveal of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is joined by another and even more powerful 'Extreme' version – taking a leaf out of Qualcomm's X Elite laptop processors playbook.

That spells a big jump for the top-tier Android phones from the end of this year and through into 2027, especially where artificial intelligence (AI) models are even more demanding – as this is what the Extreme chip is particularly adept at delivering.

8 Elite Gen 6 vs. Extreme: What's Different?

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 are the official names – despite there never being a 'Gen 5' or earlier of the Extreme variant.

Both chips are built on the same architecture, with a custom-built processor (CPU) capable of up to 5GHz for the first time in mobile phone devices.

The key advances in the Extreme chip are largely aimed at Agentic AI workloads, with 50% larger shared memory in its Hexagon NPU.

The graphics (GPU), meanwhile, has dedicated cores for AI operations, with additional high performance memory, plus what Qualcomm calls Adreno Neural Fusion for AI-assisted resolution and frame-rate generation.

The image signal processor (ISP) also steps things up a notch in the Extreme model, able to offer 8K capture at up to 60fps, or even 4K at 240fps. There's APV and VVC codec support for cinema-grade video, too.

Which devices will feature Gen 6 and when?

At this early stage there's only been a trickle of information about which devices will adopt Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipsets – with Xiaomi and Motorola the first two major brands to confirm.

There'll no doubt be plenty more – as Samsung retains its ongoing partnership with Qualcomm, so the Galaxy S27 series is likely a future candidate – and other partners throughout the globe.

Let's not forget, however, that MediaTek was earlier in its announcement of its Dimensity 9600 chip, which is already confirmed to appear in Oppo's next flagship, as one example.

T3 is on the ground at Snapdragon Summit 2026, where we'll be keeping eyes peeled for further announcements – and will update this article about any other future handset reveals.

The RedMagic 11 Pro redefined the term "gaming phone" last year by being one of the most powerful and capable Android handsets on the market, full stop. And all at a budget-friendly, mid-range price.

Now the Nubia-owned brand is teasing its replacement and, according to images it has released already, we're in for something set to rock the flagship boat further.

The RedMagic 12 Pro+ is being described by the manufacturer as its "best-feeling flagship to date". It is lighter, thinner, narrower and "more rounded" – according to a selection of teaser posts on its Weibo account.

The images show a device that is clearly more curvy than its predecessor, with rounded edges that seem more iPhone-like than before. We can also see that the bezel around the screen has shrunk to under 1mm for the first time (0.96mm rather than 1.25mm on the 11 Pro).

And the phone is clearly thinner, although we're not sure by how much at present.

We won't have too long to wait to find out though. The RedMagic 12 Pro+ is expected to launch sometime in October – most likely in China first and then globally soon after.

We also don't yet know any of the other specifications. However, considering the RedMagic 11 Pro arrived with the latest Snapdragon hardware at the time (the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) and that Qualcomm is currently hosting its Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii where it is said to be unveiling the SD 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, it would be safe to guess that the new model will run on that enhanced chipset.

It will also likely have liquid cooling and all the other bells and whistles a modern gaming phone should carry. Oh, and with the current model starting at just £629, it shouldn't break the bank either.

We'll update you as soon as we find out more.

OnePlus has officially shown off the OnePlus 16 as it prepares to launch the device in China, with an interesting detail on the back of the phone.

The phone has been shared in three colours, which translate to Tomorrow's Starlight, The Dark Forest and A Martian Masterpiece. On the back of the Tomorrow's Starlight model there's something called Interstellar Lighting Effect.

This, it seems, is a custom lighting arrangement, a bit like the Glyph Matrix from a Nothing phone, allowing an additional notification panel on the rear of the device.

This goes a little further than Google's Hi-Light feature, offering notifications about incoming calls, text, game highlights and more. In the images, it says Area 16 and includes some coordinates.

It appears that the lighting will be in two places on the back of the phone, down towards the bottom and up at the top next to the camera array. The Tomorrow's Starlight model isn't a flat colour, it appears to be more like a map, with contour lines.

The new device was officially shared on Weibo (via Android Authority), but the sad news is that you won't actually be able to buy it: OnePlus has officially withdrawn from Europe and the US, so it's likely only to see the light of day in China.

The lighting effect is an interesting addition to the phone, which from the rest of the design looks like the OnePlus 15. Exactly how much customisation it will offer and what the gaming features will be, we just don't know.

It's thought that the OnePlus 16 will run on the Snapdragon Elite Extreme Gen 6, soon to be announced, and there could be a 9000mAh battery with 100W charging.

A 200-megapxiel camera could lead the charge, with a 50-megapixel ultrawide and 50-megapixel telephoto in support. It will run on ColorOS.

The phone will come in 12 and 16GB options, with storage up to 1TB. Reservations are open in China, although the phone hasn't officially been launched yet. It's likely that it's one of the devices that we'll see announced more formally after Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon announcement expected on 22 September.

Samsung could make a change to the battery capacities of its upcoming flagship phones, following the switch to silicon-carbon battery tech in the recent Galaxy Z devices.

Over the past couple of years Samsung's approach to batteries has been conservative, meaning that these changes represent a fairly big change for the company.

According to a new leak, the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra will have a 5700mAh battery, while the Galaxy S27 Pro will have a 5200mAh battery.

While those values might not sound huge compared to the battery you find in an Oppo or Honor phone, it's a hefty increase compared to the 5000mAh Galaxy S26 Ultra.

As for the Galaxy S27 Pro, there currently isn't a Pro, but this is thought to be a more compact device than the Ultra and without S Pen support.

These details come from a regulatory listing at 3C (via GSMArena), so there's a good chance that this early leak is legitimate, with Samsung's new devices expected to be announced in early 2027.

So far we've seen renders of Samsung's next-gen devices leak, suggesting a fairly radical change in design, leaning towards the iPhone's looks. The big change here appears to be the introduction of the Pro, with Samsung adding a second premium device which will presumably carry a higher price than the Plus model that it supplants.

We've heard that Samsung will increase the charging speed to 60W, which is surely a given considering that iPhone 18 Pro made the move to 60W, while it's also said that Samsung's next flagship phone will drop a camera - removing one of the zoom lenses.

The increase in battery life still falls short of recent rival devices, like the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max, said to have an 8000mAh battery. Samsung's slightly more reserved position on both battery capacity and charging is matched by brands like Apple and Google and most likely aimed at battery endurance.

The move to silicon-carbon has been praised by some, but the most interesting change this has brought with it is a reduction in the supported charging cycles. Many Samsung phones of the past were rated to 2000 charging cycles, but the recent Galaxy Z models using silicon-carbon dropped that to 1200 charging cycles.

That could represent a decline in real world endurance. Of course, we won't know how that plays out for a couple of years.

It has often been said that Apple plans something special next year, for the 20th anniversary of the iPhone. And that could be a major refresh for the design of the Pro models.

Much like the iPhone X, which was released on its 10th birthday, the next flagship iPhone could be named after the forthcoming anniversary rather than the current nomenclature, and recent reports suggest it'll sport at least one major upgrade.

It is being said that the screen will be very different to the one used on this year's iPhone 18 Pro, with curved edges giving the illusion of being completely bezel-free. This is something Samsung has used on its Galaxy S series in the past, although not quite so thoroughly.

More recently though, a post on Weibo from well-known industry leaker Digital Chat Station adds prospective screen sizes and a hint that the Face ID camera might change.

According to their details, the iPhone 20 Pro will feature a 6.41-inch display with a resolution of 2686 x 1236, while the iPhone 20 Pro Max will sport a 6.96-inch equivalent with a resolution of 2912 x 1340.

More intriguingly though, Digital Chat Station claims each device will come with a punch-hole camera rather than full Dynamic Island. This is also in preference to the under-display camera embedded into the inner screen of the iPhone Duo.

That is disputed by others, though. Ice Universe, for example, suggests that there will still be a Dynamic Island on the iPhone 20 Pro Max – as shown in a concept image posted on their X feed.

Of course, it might be that the front camera is a solo affair this time around, but the Dynamic Island software remains to offer the multiple features introduced with iOS 27.

Then again, as reported by Gizmochina, this is all thought to have been gleaned from a test (prototype) model and could therefore change anyway. Apple might have already decided to ditch the iPhone 20 concept altogether.

We won't find out either way anytime soon. The next batch of iPhones that are planned are likely to arrive in spring next year and include the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2. We have around 12 months to wait to see anything else.

Apple took a decent chunk of time out of its most recent iPhone presentation to detail the new variable aperture it's added to the iPhone 18 Pro, and it therefore got plenty of attention. It was trumpeted in a way that might make you think this is the first time one's appeared in a smartphone, even before you consider whether it's the photography revolution it might be presented as.

I'm in Shanghai right now, with Vivo, at its launch event for the X500 series, and it's a pretty succinct confirmation of just how big other smartphone makers are going on the photography (and videography) side of things.

Once again, like on the X300 before it (Vivo's skipping the 400 nomenclature), a big part of the attraction here is the option of photography accessories that are almost hard to believe (unless you're an Oppo fan, of course). It helps that there's an impressive-sounding phone underneath that, too.

The phones will all run Vivo's new Origin OS 7, which rolls out starting today on the X300 Pro, layered on top of Android. While there's always a question about whether this sort of lineup will come to shores beyond China, Vivo says it does indeed plan international versions of the new phones.

For now, the specs being shown off are for the Chinese models, and they're impressive. There are three models, going from the X500 to the X500 Pro and then the X500 Pro Max. They each run MediaTek processors (the new 2nm Dimensity 9600 Pro in the two Pro phones), but all three models come with 12GB of RAM as standard, which is welcome.

The real stars here are the cameras, though, which continue Vivo's collaboration with Zeiss, along with Sony – resulting in some theoretically stunning sensors. The Pro Max has a 200MP telephoto lens, for instance, and even the selfie camera is a new 50MP wide-angle one. The Pro phones will be graced with 4K 240fps slow-motion recording and 4K 120fps HDR video with direct HDR output, to make it clear that video is a focus this year, too.

That's underlined by a new sensor in the Pro Max in partnership with Sony, offering 17 EV UltraHDR video – basically making its exposure potential huge, and its colour capture hopefully super impressive.

That's before you add on the many optional extras that can turn the phones from standard smartphones into basically modular cameras. This includes attachable zoom lenses, a grip for physical camera controls, and more than one type of modular case for securing these add-ons.

Unsurprisingly, the X500 Pro Max also once again underlines the way Chinese brands have moved first on battery capacities – it boasts a 7800mAh battery. That's one of the biggest we've seen on a phone this year, and it'll doubtless be fairly huge for battery life, which remains surely the biggest concern for many people looking to replace older phones.

When you see spec lists like these, of course, the other big question that crops up is pricing – and Vivo's only talking in Chinese currency for now. The lineup starts from ¥5499, though, going up to ¥6499 and ¥6999 for the Pro and Pro Max respectively, which comes out pretty similar to the X300 series, which could be had in the US for around $800 or less, so expect a conversion that lines up roughly with that mark again.

Clicks' quest to bring a BlackBerry-style Android phone back to market is finally reaching its end. The company has announced that pre-orders of the Clicks Communicator will start to ship this December.

In addition, customers will be getting a couple of surprise upgrades, with more RAM and a bigger battery promised for the production model.

First revealed in January, the Communicator is the first phone from Clicks – a company that has previously made QWERTY keyboards for iPhone and Pixel devices. Its cases have been critically acclaimed by those looking for a BlackBerry-like experience on their existing handsets. The Communicator takes that to another level.

Running Android 17, it's a reasonably priced device with a full keyboard, 4.03-inch AMOLED display and everything you'd need from a modern smartphone. It even comes with Qi2 wireless charging, including MagSafe compatibility.

There are two cameras – 50-megapixel on the rear, 24-megapixel on the front. And you get 256GB of on-board storage, with a microSD card slot capable of expanding that by a further 2TB.

What upgrades are coming with the Clicks Communicator?

What's changed since it was first offered for pre-order is that the RAM has been expanded to 12GB (over an original 8GB). You also get a battery bump from 4,000mAh to 4,350mAh, which could help you eke out a bit more use during the day.

However, Clicks has kept the early bird pre-order price the same... for now. You can still secure your Clicks Communicator in Smoke, Onyx or Clover colourways for $499 / £371.21. That'll rise to $649 / £493 from 1 October though, so you'll have to be quick.

The company has also announced that it is partnering with Dbrand for official accessories. There's an MNML (minimalist) case in the same colours as the phone, plus a Prism Screen Protector that clips on the front when not in use.

The cases cost $39 each, which the screen protector is $34.95.

There are plenty of Harry Potter phones, but realme has clearly decided that simply putting a Hogwarts logo on the back isn't enough.

The realme 16 Pro Harry Potter Edition has been redesigned with a brown leather-style finish, an Argyle pattern inspired by the Wizard's Chess scene and a Hogwarts crest on the back. Even the camera module gets in on the act, with its design inspired by Hedwig's eyes.

The metallic frame is engraved with "Welcome to Hogwarts", while the Harry Potter branding is worked into the design rather than simply slapped onto the existing phone.

It's what's inside the trunk that counts

The phone itself is fun, but the packaging is the bit that's really caught my attention.

realme is making a limited-edition Hogwarts gifting box that's a 1:1 replica of Harry's school trunk. Only 5,000 of these boxes are being produced worldwide, making the packaging as much of a collector's item as the phone itself.

Open it up and there's a Hogwarts Welcome Pack containing a replica acceptance letter and train ticket, bookmarks featuring the four house crests, postcards featuring Harry, Ron and Hermione, plus a Hogwarts-branded phone case and phone pin.

It's a more elaborate approach than the usual special-edition phone box, and means you've got something you can actually keep on a shelf after you've taken the phone out.

It's still a serious Android phone

Underneath all that Hogwarts theming, the realme 16 Pro hardware remains largely unchanged.

There's a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Max processor and a huge 7,000mAh battery with 80W wired charging. The camera setup includes a 200MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide and 50MP selfie camera. The display is also rated at up to 6,500 nits peak brightness and supports HDR10+.

The realme 16 Pro Harry Potter Edition is due to launch in India on 21 September, but realme hasn't yet announced pricing or confirmed wider availability.

While plenty of phones have had Harry Potter branding, not many arrive looking like you've just received your Hogwarts letter.

The announcement of the iPhone Duo has bought folding phones into the public consciousness in a way that's escaped the segment previously. That's the Apple effect, because people now care that folding phones exist, whereas previously, they didn't.

Apple's launch hasn't happened in a vacuum, with the impact of the announcement reaching wider than anyone expected, leading to a surprising reaction. That's right, Samsung has sold more folding phones as a result.

According to ETNews, Samsung saw an immediate uplift of 10% in domestic sales (that's in Korea), an unexpected boon for the company.

It's believed that some had been holding off to see what Apple offered before making a buying decision. Factors like price and availability surely factor, while there's the suggestion that weight and thickness could also play a part.

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 is 201g and 4.5mm thick (when open), while Apple's device is 254g and 5.2mm thick. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at £1699, while the Apple device is £1999, so it's easy to call out those differences.

Samsung has been enjoying bumper sales thanks to the introduction of the new format of device, with the wider folding phone seen as a better option than the taller format found in the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

While the Ultra remains the more powerful device, the decision isn't about power - it's about novelty and the fact that the interior display appears to be more useful, better suited to watching movies or reading books.

Apple isn't short of interesting features on the iPhone Duo, with the screen finish being the most talked about. Apple didn't follow the pack here, instead using a matte finish, avoiding the plastic film that sits on the surface of most rival devices.

Reducing the reflectivity of the screen helps to damp down on the telltale reflections that sit either side of the crease, so even though the crease is still there, it's visibly less obvious. The overall reduction in reflections is also great on a larger display and although the Duo hasn't yet been reviewed, there are high hopes for its performance.

It looks like folding phones are having their moment: there are more options than ever, with more to come. Exactly how that will affect the sales of traditional devices - like the iPhone 18 Pro Max - and if there will be significant drift from Android to Apple, remains to be seen.

Honor will soon unleash its latest flagship phone, with the rear camera being the main focus for the refresh. However, before the Magic 9 Pro Max and its Arri-developed cam arrive during a launch event in China on 28 September, another device is coming from the brand with an alternative headline feature.

The Honor X9e Pro will launch next week, prior to its even more capable stablemate. And while it too will have an impressive camera (on paper at least), it's the 11,000mAh battery that's garnering the most attention.

According to Wiser.My, it will be officially announced on 24 September 2026 and it'll see a generational bump in battery size. The last model came with an 8,300mAh cell, but the replacement will offer one of the largest batteries Honor has ever crammed into a handset.

For context, the 11,000mAh battery has at least twice the capacity of the one in the new iPhone 18 Pro Max. And Apple claims that can last up to 29 hours. If the Honor phone's optimisation is spot on, you can therefore expect the X9e Pro to last three days between charges (with reasonable use).

In addition, Honor is including 80W SuperCharge wired fast charging, as well as 27W reverse charging, so you can use the phone as a remote charger for a different device.

There is a catch, however. As things stand, it looks like the Honor X9e Pro is destined for the Malaysian market exclusively – it will launch there next Thursday. There's currently no indication that it will arrive in the UK, US or Europe as well.

Still, Honor tends to test its technologies in some devices before rolling them out to others, so maybe we'll see much bigger battery sizes in more universally available models soon.

We can but hope.

Samsung has flicked the switch on the One UI 9 update, pushing out a full range of new features for those with older Galaxy devices.

One UI 9 made its debut on the Galaxy Z devices in the summer, but as from 16 September, the update is rolling out to older phones. The Galaxy S26 family is the first in line, with other eligible devices to follow.

The update means that there's feature parity between Samsung's latest phones, with new features including My FanCam, new Now Brief cards and additional privacy controls.

Samsung's One UI 9 sits on Android 17, so those updating will move to the latest version of Google's software too, but with a range of additions that Samsung layers in.

Highlights include Now Nudge to help you find relevant information from messages, Creative Studio that now suggests image generation ideas, Interpreter with a new threaded view to make it even easier to follow translated conversations and a better structure to Voice Recorder.

The headline feature here is really My FanCam, which will probably be the thing that people notice the most. This allows you to select a person in a video and the focus tracks that person, keeping them centred.

It's really a social content factory, meaning you can record something like a show or performance, and then use AI to just follow one person in that video. It means you can basically create a highlight reel that's all about that one person, rather than everything else that was going on.

It's perfect for the school performance where you're only interested in your own child, but it's likely to result in plenty of videos from bands where someone is just sharing one person in that band.

Samsung has a 7-year update policy on a lot of its devices, so many will be in line for an update - but the roll-out is expected to take place across the rest of 2026. Normally the update is just about done when Samsung's next phone - with One UI 9.5 - launches.

However, there aren’t a lot of new features in this update, with most of the focus on AI features. That's drawn the ire of commentators on Reddit, with some comparing it to the fairly substantial update that came with iOS 27.

Samsung's 'Fan Edition' model for 2026 is a phone that I've been using on the side whilst travelling for work for this short-form review.

It's a solid flagship alternative, replete with eye-catching colours and solid build quality – but it's almost identical to the previous S25 FE, yet is even pricier.

Where does the S26 FE fit in Samsung's Galaxy range?

Samsung's range goes as so: Galaxy S26 Ultra at the top of the stack, then the step-down S26 Plus and smaller base S26 to address format and smaller-size demands.

The Galaxy S26 FE, while it sits below that trio of handsets, is more akin to the Plus in terms of scale, with a 6.7-inch display size. It's a typical tall-and-narrow design.

How much does the FE cost?

The S26 FE went on sale on 18 September, completing Samsung's core Galaxy range line-up for 2026.

It's available in Blueberry, Pistachio or Graphite finishes, starting at £699 / $699 / €799 for the 128GB storage model. That's a £50/$100 rise over the previous S25 FE model.

What's actually different from the S25 FE?

In summary: not much. There's a new processor to justify that price rise, while the ultra-wide camera sensor changes to a new type for marginally better performance.

So who's the S26 FE aimed at?

What's always been key to the S26 FE is that its asking price undercuts the flagship range – making it a potentially great outright purchase rather than necessarily an on-contract buy.

That's especially true if you're looking for a flagship quality product, as this glass-sandwich design doesn't compromise, from the finish to the display's clarity, and all the important factors in between.

That target customer has a lot of choice in looking for an affordable Android handset, however, so for the Fan Edition model to push this price ceiling is going to challenge its appeal somewhat.

How does the S26 FE perform?

As an everyday Galaxy Z Fold 8 user myself – that's Samsung's new foldable, if you're unfamiliar – the S26 FE's similar software delivers a solid experience.

What I've found better in the S26 FE, however, is the addition of the zoom camera – which is one of the three on the rear. That's been super-handy when shooting during my travels, despite its moderate resolution.

The move to Samsung's own Exynos chip is a key hardware aspect of this Fan Edition phone, but I've found it can run games and multi-task no problems. Battery life is decent, too, getting beyond a typical day of use with no drama.

Should you buy the S26 FE?

If I had to keep using the Galaxy S26 FE as my daily phone then I'd be more than happy. From the way it looks, to the way it performs, in isolation it's a great Android option – and, from that point of view, recommendable.

That said, the year-on-year improvements are so minor that last year's S25 FE is a no-brainer purchase for even less cash. And with increasing competition, I've got to wonder if the Fan Edition has run its course in among Samsung's broader line-up.

Also Consider

At risk of repeating myself: the Galaxy S25 FE is almost the same device, but even cheaper. Even the Galaxy S25 Plus would be a viable option, if priced right.

Otherwise, should cutting the cost be your core goal, then looking to Nothing's Phone (4a) Pro delivers a distinctive metal-finished alternative with some cash savings.

With all the fanfare around the iPhone Duo, you could be forgiven for thinking that's the only new iPhone to have launched this month. However, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will be available from tomorrow, and while neither handset sports a sexy second screen, there's now a way to add one.

Ugreen has introduced what it calls the Magic E Ink Screen Case for both of the Pro models, and as well as provide traditional protection it adds an additional display to the rear of the phone.

You get a full colour E Ink display, as the name suggests, which can be used to show photos stored on your iPhone. You sync the case to the device and can then send digital images to the extra screen.

That's about it, to be honest. It's more a way of customising the case with your own artwork or pictures, so hardly a replacement for the additional display on a Duo, but it's a bit of fun and looks decent enough.

It was announced on Ugreen's Weibo feed alongside several other iPhone accessories, so we're not entirely sure how much it costs or even it'll make its way to other regions outside China. But there do seem to be different colour options to match the new iPhones, including a burgundy version.

The other add-ons and accessories include a super tough screen protector, which is claimed to survive a drop of up to three metres, and a 45W fast charger designed specifically to work with iPhone.

Again, we don't yet know if they'll make it to the UK, US or Europe. Here's hoping.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 / £1,199 and will be available to buy from tomorrow, Friday 18 November. The iPhone Duo will be available to pre-order from 16 October, with sales starting on 23 October 2026.

Apple announced the iPhone Duo - its first folding phone - alongside the iPhone 18 Pro. But for those wanting the new folding iPhone, there's a wait until October for it to go on sale. According to a recent report, customers may have to wait even longer to get one.

The iPhone Duo isn't expected to ship until 23 October, but a report from analyst Jeff Pu (via 9to5Mac) suggests that Apple might not have the stock to fulfil orders. The reason is "hinge constraints".

According to the report, only 6 million iPhone Duo models will be shipped in 2026 rather than the original 7 million estimate, because the hinge is slowing production.

There are no details on exactly what the problem is and there's no verification, just an adjustment to the levels of stock that are expected for the rest of 2026.

Further, Jeff Pu says that early feedback is positive, with a smooth folding action, great display and great multitasking in iOS 27. The reported downsides are that it's thicker, only has a dual camera and that the crease is visible.

That last element is interesting, because many of the early voices said that the crease wasn't visible. But as we noted in our first impressions of the iPhone Duo, the crease is still there, it's just that the matte finish to the display reduces the reflections that typically highlight the crease on folding phones.

It's likely that short supply will do no reputational damage to the iPhone Duo: I'm expecting it to sell out and carry cult status for the next 6 months until it becomes more commonplace.

Even so, given the high price, it's likely that many will stick to the iPhone 18 Pro, or even wait for a cheaper iPhone 18 to launch in 2027. With all that said, short supply might see the iPhone Duo selling above its original retail price through online marketplaces, as fans rush to get their hands on the latest bit of Apple kit.

While the iPhone Duo has dragged folding phones into the wider consciousness, there are plenty of other options. Samsung is well established with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Xiaomi will be launching the Xiaomi 18 Fold, there's a folding Pixel and rumour has it that Honor will soon launch a new folding model, with Motorola also looking at adding another Razr to its lineup.

Pretty soon, we'll be awash with folding phones.

Samsung is reported to be considering releasing the Galaxy Z TriFold 2 "early", with launch of this next-gen foldable stepping up a gear.

We'd previously reported that Samsung was working on a new version of its three-panel folding phone with a potential launch in 2027. While the 2027 date remains, it could appear earlier in the year than predicted.

The move comes following the launch of the iPhone Duo, with many seeing the Apple announcement as bringing more energy and excitement to the folding phone segment.

While Apple is launching its first folding phone some 7 years after they first made their debut, attention on folding phones moves from the niche to the mainstream. That's likely behind Samsung's decision to push on with development of the new TriFold model.

Samsung introduced its first Galaxy Z TriFold in 2025, but it was a limited run, really expensive and soon discontinued. But it also sold out quickly, thanks to the limited numbers that went into production.

According to the source - Lanzuk on Naver (via 9to5Google), the new device will be thinner, lighter and more durable with a new hinge, while the price is expected to stay the same.

The price - $2899 at launch in the US - is said to be remaining the same. On one hand, it's great that Samsung isn't going to bump the price up, but on the other, it's still the most expensive phone around.

That's all we know about the Galaxy Z TriFold 2 at the moment: we don't know anything about what will power the device or what the specification might be, but it's unlikely to change that much compared to the original version.

But Samsung will have to really prove that a three-panel device has something to offer and isn't just an expensive compromise when a phone and tablet would be cheaper.

So when might Samsung launch the new device? Samsung's first Z TriFold was shown off at APEC Summit in Korea, before the official announcement and showcase in the Gangnam store. This saw the announcements made from October through to December.

Samsung's next focus will be the Galaxy S27, with the introduction of a new Pro tier of device, and a launch likely in February 2027. Galaxy Unpacked might be a time to showcase the new model, but it could equally be a distraction.

There's every chance that the TriFold 2 would get its own announcement, perhaps in Korea first, as the target market would likely be Korea, China and USA in that order. We will have to wait and see, but expect plenty of leaks before launch day.

Oppo has confirmed that the Find X10 series - its next flagship phones - will be announced on 22 September in China, before a global launch in October 2026.

We'd previously heard that the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max, the top device, will feature three 200-megapixel cameras, while the partnership with Hasselblad continues, but we now know the other devices that will make up the series.

Sharing the details on Weibo (via 9to5Google), Oppo has confirmed that alongside the Find X10 Pro Max will be the Find X10 and the Find X10 E. It's interesting that Oppo seems to be leaning into similar naming as the iPhone, with the Pro Max as the "ultra" device, and the E has the more affordable model.

Oppo has been kind enough to provide a description of each device (translated), saying that the Pro Max is "a flagship imaging device with full-featured photos and videos", while the Find X10 is "a flagship imaging device that delivers all-in-one performance".

That leaves the Find X10 E, which Oppo calls "an entry-level flagship imaging device". It's clear that Oppo's focus is on photography, with the Find X10 Pro Max design revealed thanks to the pre-order imagery that Oppo attached to its post.

Currently, it's not clear if all the devices will get a global launch.

The Find X10 Pro Max is going to feature a dual island arrangement for the camera, a large square unit to the left, a feature that all the cameras have, but with a second island over to the right with the flash and a fourth sensor or lens.

It looks like the Find X10 will have a slightly wider island covering the width of the phone - seen here on the left of the image, while the Find X10 E is to the right and appears to lack a periscope telephoto lens, but looks a little more like the old Find X9.

The Find X10 Pro Max will come in Moon White, Light Titanium and Warm Orange colours, while the Find X10 will offer Ice Blue, Light Titanium and Clear Orange.

It has also been confirmed that the Find X10 Pro Max will be powered by the new MediaTek 9600 Pro, a new 2nm chip that's just been announced. The new chip promises a 61% improvment in CPU efficiency, while featuring a dual NPU arrangment to support more enhanced AI features on device.

Full details of the device will be revealed on 22 September, with a further global launch in October.

Apple has released the full version of iOS 27 for the iPhone. While the public beta of iOS 27 has been available since July, this is now the final finished version, which means it's freely available for everyone to upgrade – as long as you have a compatible handset.

As long as you have an iPhone 11 or newer, including the iPhone SE 2nd generation, then iOS 27 will work on your handset. That means phones up to seven years old can benefit from a range of new features.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will ship with iOS 27 when they go on sale on Friday 18 September. For older phones, however, you will need to go into your settings to accept the upgrade for the time being.

How to upgrade to iOS 27

To try it for yourself, simply go to Settings > General > Software Update. You may see two options, the first to upgrade to iOS 26.7, and then lower down, an option to upgrade to iOS 27. You don't need to upgrade to iOS 26.7 first, you can just select the iOS 27 option.

Even though this is a full release, it's still recommended to do a backup of your phone before you start the update. This can be done using your iCloud Backup, or by connecting your phone to your computer.

You'll ideally want to have your phone plugged in to a power source and using WiFi before starting the update too. The iOS 27 download is just under 23GB in size, so will take a long time over a data connection.

What are the big changes on iOS 27?

The big change with iOS 27 is the introduction of the new Siri AI, the next generation of Apple's voice assistant, which now goes way beyond just voice control. Siri AI is integrated into every part of iOS 27, providing contextual responses and suggestions to make tasks quicker and easier.

The voice responses have a more conversational tone and allow follow-up questions or it to take the context of what you're doing at the time. Siri AI is now also available in its own app, which means you can review past conversations and pick them up again at any time.

Siri AI will also provide quick actions for you to help speed up tasks. for instance, in messaging it may offer to set a reminder or a calendar event for something you're planning. Meanwhile, the call context can bring up booking references from emails while you're calling your hotel or enquiring about a flight.

Other big changes include improvements to the photo editing features, with new extend and reframe features, as well as an improved image cleanup, to help you remove unwanted elements of a picture. Image Playground has also been expanded to offer more features.

Liquid Glass has an a refresh and there are stronger child safety features, so you can control exactly what your kids access on their phones.

Full list of compatible models

• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17e
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11
• iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)

The focus of Google's phones is normally directed at the top with the Pixel 11 Pro, or at the bottom, with the great value Pixel 10a. Rarely does interest veer into the middle of the pack where the standard Pixel 11 lies.

That might have something to do with the reason that people choose the Pixel. With this series' camera famous for its easy and reliable performance, the drop in specification for the standard Pixel 11 might make it less desirable.

But with prices increasing, 2026 might be the year when people decide to forego the Pro, safe in the knowledge that they get just as much power in this phone. Does that make the Pixel 11 a surprise winner?

Price & Availability

The Pixel 11 is widely available, launching with 256GB storage for £879 in the UK.

That feels like a big jump over the £699 starting price for the Pixel 10. In reality, however, the Pixel 11 is 'cheaper', as the Pixel 10 was £899 for the 256GB version.

Those prices come in at $899 in the US, €979 in Europe and AU$1499 in Australia. Again, the entry-point has shifted upwards, but the prices are the same generation on generation for this amount of storage. So, effectively, there's no increase in price.

The Pixel 11 comes in four colours: Frost (per my review model and the pictures you see here), Hibiscus, Pistachio and Obsidian.

Pixel 11 vs Pixel 10: What's new?

The Pixel 11 slims down the camera bump compared to the Pixel 10 for a flatter finish, although the phone body itself has the same dimensions. It's a few grammes lighter, for a design that's basically the same.

The big change is the move to the Tensor G6 over the G5, while the battery is a little higher capacity, but claims longer life thanks to greater efficiency. Charging remains the same, except for wireless charging, which jumps with 25W thanks to full Qi2.2 support.

There's a new main sensor, slightly larger than on the Pixel 10, which should boost quality. Most new photography features otherwise come in on the software side – and are likely to appear on the older phone, but include Magic Capture and Camera Looks, and the new Creator suite.

Design & Display

• Colours: Frost, Hibiscus, Pistachio, Obsidian
• Glass rear (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminium frame
• 6.3-inch OLED display
  • 1080 x 2424 resolution
  • 60-120Hz variable refresh
  • 2000-3000 nits brightness
  • Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2

Google is leaning into the classic Pixel design, sticking to the camera bar that it established with the Pixel 6 and has evolved ever since. On the Pixel 11 this is slightly shallower than the Pixel 10 and the Pixel 11 Pro, for a more refined look. The best thing about the camera bar is that the phone doesn't wobble when you put it on a table – which almost every other phone does.

There's also a change to the covering of the camera compared to the Pixel 10 models, covering the whole thing in one sheet of glass, rather than the partially metal effect Google used previously. The LED flash is a distinct white blob that looks strange and lacks the (somewhat) pointless HiLight feature found on the Pro – which will use colours to basically show when you're talking to Gemini.

In the back of my head I'm wondering if Google's aim is to sink the camera into the body as it did with the Pixel 10a, drawing out a larger distinction between the Pro and non-Pro models. As it is, slipping it into a case means there's no bump, but visually, it's instantly recognisable as a Pixel.

The display hasn't changed from the Pixel 10, sticking to the Full HD+ arrangement, with brightness up to a 3000 nits peak. That's reasonable by modern standards, albeit far from the brightest, but I noticed a welcome kick to highlights in Google Photos.

This comes from Ultra HDR, a format Google uses on its camera, and I like the effect as it just adds a bit more bite to photos. There's still a bit of a wide bezel on this phone and that makes it look a little cheap, while the curvature of the corners means that sometimes content can be obscured, although the Pixel isn't unique in this.

I have found it to be plenty capable in bright conditions, although in lower light I've found myself tweaking the brightness up a little to make the content a little more impactful.

There's protection from Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and back on this phone, with IP68 to keep water and dust out. It feels like a solid phone, although the glossy rear is a fingerprint magnet, constantly needing wiping clean.

Performance & Battery

• 4985mAh battery, 30W wired / 25W wireless charging (magnetic)
• Google Tensor G6 processor, 12GB RAM
• Android 17 software

Starting from the top, the Pixel 11 gets the same core hardware as the Pixel 11 Pro – and to its credit. Sitting on the new Tensor G6 with 12GB RAM, it's the same loadout as the entry-level Pro. This new chip changes to more recent cores and there's a new Titan security chip, while the TPU – which handles AI functions – sees a big boost.

Sadly, the vapour chamber used for cooling is only in the Pro model, so this regular device is less efficient at cooling itself down. Google also decided to use an older PowerVR GPU, which can't really compete with existing hardware graphically. It's clear where Google's intent lies: it's building an AI phone, not a gaming phone.

So how much does all this matter? Well, you're being asked to compromise on the experience that you get. Google wants to push Gemini and all the associated tasks and services. That's where Google is heading across all its platforms, so that's what defines the experience. While the day-to-day performance in the Pixel 11 is good, it can't compete when it comes to gaming.

On release day some support was lacking – Genshin Impact didn't render properly, for example – but those teething problems have been updated away. The Pixel 11 gets a little warm under load – including for big downloads – but it's a device for a job, and that job is delivering Google's AI experience.

With Gemini at the heart, it's no surprise that many of the updates focus on this AI tool. Gemini Intelligence isn't available in the UK, so I wasn't able to test that, while Pixel Cue primary only works in Google Messages, which no one uses, because we all have friends with iPhones, so use WhatsApp instead.

We do have Rambler though, which will let you dictate and have AI clean it up to get rid of some of the stutters along the way. It works, but I struggle to find it especially useful, taking longer than just swiping in the message you want to send.

All this plays out within Android 17 and, mercifully, Google keeps its phone software clean, while putting its devices at the front of the update queue. With 7-years of updates, I maintain that this is the most cohesive experience on Android. It's doesn’t have the same level of customisation as some rival brands, but if you mostly use Google apps, this is the best way to experience them.

Then we come to battery life. The Pixel 11 has a 4985mAh battery which is small by modern standards; it offers 30W charging which is slow, while wireless charging – via Pixel Snap – at least comes in at 25W with magnetic connection in the phone.

My first couple of weeks using this phone saw average battery life. That's not unusual for the first week while a phone finds its feet, but I arrived at week three when writing this review and the battery hadn't raised itself any further than average. It's fine, but lacks both the capacity and the charging speeds to compete with rivals.

That's likely because Google is looking towards longevity for its batteries. While I can't speak to the long-term performance of the Pixel 11's battery, previous Pixel devices suggest that by the end of the first year, the performance will have dipped considerably. That’s certainly the case for my Pixel 10 Pro.

Cameras

• Triple rear:
  • Main (24mm): 48-megapixel, f/1.7 aperture, OIS, macro focus
  • Tele (112mm): 10.8MP, f/3.1, OIS
  • Wide (13mm): 13MP, f/2.2
• Selfie:
  • 10.5MP, f/2.2, autofocus

The Pixel 11 sits below the Pixel 11 Pro in terms of the camera hardware that's offered, with each sensor and lens less capable. That means the results from the wide angle and telephoto especially aren't as good as the Pixel 11 Pro.

However, Google positions the Pixel as a master of computational photography rather than a substitute for a proper camera, which is how many rivals are pitched. The Pixel wants you to point and shoot – and that's what it's good at. On the Pixel 11 there are no Pro options and even things like managing white balance in video is tricky.

Part of that point-and-shoot ethos brings with it the desire to keep faces in focus, which is both a pro and a con. When taking pictures of people it works a treat, but taking pictures of things become problematic, because it always defaults focus to any faces it sees. In a crowded space, it means constantly tapping to focus – when I just wish I could disable the face priority.

With all that said, for the target market that Google wants to appeal to, the Pixel 11 acquits itself well. Across all three cameras the daylight results are generally good, but photos can feel a little flat compared to the best camera phones out there.

Low-light images are typically processed to be brighter, which can make things look a little unrealistic, with contrast lost for the sake of balancing out the highs and lows across a scene. Corners can be a little dark and noisy and the ultrawide and telephoto aren't great in low light.

Some of this feels a little unfair: what was a £699 phone is now judged as a £879 phone and that highlights some of the challenges we face at the moment. Where the 5x telephoto was good on that £699 phone, it's more common on a £879 phone, so it feels less special now, even though the performance remains good.

I've found the Pixel 11 to be a good camera overall, but with the last-generation Pixel 10 Pro available for even less right now, if you want a better camera experience, there's a cheaper way to get it. And that's what will make more sense for more people.

The big addition in the Pixel camera from the software side is Magic Capture. This basically works by capturing video and identifying interesting moments and saving them as photos. The idea is you don't have to worry about tapping the button, you just stream a whole scene into your phone and let it sort out the great photos from it.

It's fun, it's clever – and it means you don't miss the moment. You also don't have to save frames from video, as it's all done for you. That's the 'Magic' of it.

Pixel also nods to Gen Z with a suite of creator tools, throwing a frame around video camera so you can avoid the social icons at the side, while also offering a teleprompter so you can write a script and get your vlogging on point.

Google Pixel 11 review: verdict

Google's Pixel 11 family feel like a sub-step along a pathway to Pixel perfection. Google's mission to streamline its Gemini AI into a useful experience is obvious here, but that software push is incomplete outside the US thanks to the lack of Gemini Intelligence at the time of review.

With the low entry price now gone – and discounts on older devices – the Pixel 11 feels expensive. It's a good phone, but it doesn't really break new ground from a hardware point of view, so I wouldn't blame anyone for picking up the Pixel 10 Pro instead – and saving money in the process.

But there's a full range of positives here. The Pixel 11's design is quality and the power matches the Pixel 11 Pro. The support for MagSafe-style charging at 25W is welcomed. And the camera is dependable for point-and-shooters. All wrapped up in the best Android software experience and support in the business.

Also consider

The Samsung Galaxy S26 is the obvious competitor to the Pixel 11. It's an older device now which brings pricing advantages, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy is more powerful, especially for gaming. The Samsung battery is smaller, while there's no magnets for the 15W wireless charging. Both offer a good camera experience, but the Pixel is better out of the box.

As I've suggested a few times, the Pixel 10 Pro is the most viable (and cheaper) alternative to the Pixel 11. It doesn't have the latest Tensor chip, but it offers a slightly better display, more storage options, better cameras across the board, and still delivers 6 years of software support. About the only downside is the wireless charging is limited to 15W.

Apple has finally joined the foldable phone party with the iPhone Duo. The passport-sized device will arrive in mid-October, with a headline-grabbing starting price of $1,999 (or £1,999 for those on this side of the pond).

While that’s punchy (putting it politely, given Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is £400 cheaper and equally cute in its format), here are a few reasons why the iPhone Duo might justify its cost, having seen it in the flesh at Apple’s September event last week.

The screen solves a big foldable phones problem

Every folding phone before the Apple iPhone Duo has suffered from the same problem: shiny, plasticky inner displays that feel far cheaper than their prices suggest, show every fingerprint, and reflect at every opportunity.

But the iPhone Duo borrows the nano-texture matte coating from the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro for the internal panel, and the difference is night and day.

Reflections are dramatically reduced, smudges are far less visible, and the crease down the middle all but disappears under normal lighting – something even excellent rivals such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 still haven't managed.

The software doesn't feel like an afterthought

Many folding phones treat the external screen and the internal display as two separate experiences bolted together. Apple's approach with the iPhone Duo is considerably smoother and more fluid, resulting in a much more polished interface.

Whoever designed the animation that flows between the inner and outer displays deserves a pay rise. But more than that, content moves seamlessly between the 5.4-inch outer display and the 7.6-inch inner screen.

The keyboard adapts to whatever orientation you hold the Duo in (even when half-folded), and there are plenty of tricks for propping the phone up too, from playback controls to intentional reflections when watching Netflix.

Multitasking works properly too, with side-by-side apps you can pin together as a pair to reopen later, making for a great trick.

The build quality feels like a premium device

At just 5.2mm thick when unfolded, the iPhone Duo could easily have felt flimsy. Instead, my early impressions were of a reassuringly solid titanium frame and great weight distribution. It’s also a lovely, pocketable format that is a pleasure to use both folded and unfolded.

There is an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, too, a feature previously offered only by Google's Pixel Pro Fold in this category. It means you won't need to wrap cotton wool around the Duo when drinks are around or when you head to the beach.

There are some clever camera tricks

The Duo’s camera department has some compromises: it drops to two rear cameras instead of three, as on the iPhone 18 Pro models, and it has no dedicated telephoto lens or variable aperture. However, like many folding phones, Apple has also leaned into features unique to having two screens.

The first is a live preview on the cover display, so your subject can see the shot you’re taking and pose accordingly – similar to what you’ll find on other folding phones, such as Samsung’s. But the second is my favourite.

Kid Cue pops Snoopy on the cover display to win over anyone reluctant to smile when you’re taking their picture. There’s also an AI-driven Smart Take mode that fires off a burst of shots and automatically selects the best-timed frame.

There’s not one, but two, Dynamic Islands

Along with the camera, there are a couple of other compromises in the iPhone Duo. One is Touch ID instead of Face ID, and the other is the absence of an Action Button.

Despite the lack of Face ID, though, Apple has carried Dynamic Island – the feature that originally launched on the iPhone 14 Pro back in 2022 – over to both the external and internal displays, offering quick access to music, timers and live activities no matter which screen you're using.

On its own, Dynamic Island might not justify the $2,000 / £2,000 price tag, but pair it with the great software, premium design, and matte internal display, and you have a foldable well worth your attention.

Apple doesn't rush into new form factors lightly. Take the Apple Watch – it might have seen some design tweaks over the last decade, but it has retained the same squircle shape since the original arrived in 2015. Even the straps remaining compatible across the last 12 generations.

Meanwhile, for the iPhone, it took 10 years for Apple to move the home button from below the screen, with 2017’s iPhone X marking a new era for the series.

Well, the iPhone Duo is another era-defining moment for the iPhone. It might have taken Apple several years longer than others to join the foldable phone party, but after spending time with the iPhone Duo at Apple’s September event, it seems the company learned some valuable lessons while waiting. Here’s what I loved about the iPhone Duo and what I thought was missing.

A premium, pocketable design

When closed, the iPhone Duo behaves exactly like a shorter, slightly stockier version of a normal iPhone, with a 5.4-inch cover screen that's compact enough for one-handed use.

It offers a similar format to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Xiaomi 18 Fold, with an asymmetrical design that rounds the right-hand corners while keeping the left corners square. This might split opinion, depending on whether you’re a fan of symmetry, but I was pleased not to see a carbon copy of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 even though I love that phone, too.

Unfold the iPhone Duo, and you're greeted by a 7.6-inch panel that approaches iPad mini proportions, all packed into a chassis that measures just 5.2mm at its thinnest point and has IP68 water and dust resistance.

It’s the thinnest iPhone Apple has made, even thinner than the iPhone Air, which was the talk of the town last year for its slim profile.

That slimness could easily have made it feel fragile, but that wasn’t the impression I got when I played with it during Apple’s event. The titanium build felt solid and well-balanced in the hand, whether open or closed, and in whatever orientation I used it.

Functionally, the placement of the Touch ID button worked well during my time with the iPhone Duo, though I wasn’t convinced by the position of the volume controls, which sit along the top edge. No doubt you’d get used to them, but I’d rather they had been on the right edge, alongside the Touch ID power button and the Camera Control. And as you’ll read in a second, I’m disappointed by the lack of an Action Button.

A distinguishable display finish

What I was far from disappointed by, however, was the texture of the internal screen. Rather than the plasticky, reflective coating typical of most folding phones (something I really dislike about them), Apple has applied nano-texture – the matte, glare-resistant finish that’s been an option on its MacBook Pro and iPad Pro ranges since 2024.

It results in far less glare, a crease that's tricky to spot unless you really look for it, and a surface that is nowhere near as fingerprint-prone as rival folding phones. It immediately separates the Duo from its competitors, and I won’t be surprised if future generations of folding phones go the same route, if only to help hide the fold line.

The nano-texture finish is lovely to use too, being smooth under the finger. While blacks might not be quite as deep as you’ll see on the glossy plastic displays, this wasn’t something I noticed when navigating the interface. There’s also a Dynamic Island on both the external and internal displays, which I was thrilled to see, and Apple Pencil support is coming, allowing you to use Apple’s stylus for notes or drawing.

Software built for the format

The interface is where the iPhone Duo really stands out, though. Some foldables feel like they just stretch to fill a bigger canvas when open, without much thought (usually just adding another column and being down with it). Apple's software transitions between the two Duo displays with real polish, helped by the animation that appears when moving from open to closed and back again.

Content picks up exactly where you left it when moving between the outer screen and the larger one (or vice versa). The on-screen keyboard adjusts intelligently around the hinge, and propping the device up in a tent-like position triggers a couple of tricks.

When locked, it goes into standby, showing the time, date or your photos, as standard iPhones do when locked and charging. When watching content, playback controls appear in the bottom half of the display. For Netflix, when these disappear, software-generated reflections of what you are watching appear until you tap again to bring back the controls.

Running two apps side by side felt intuitive too, with a handy option to bookmark that pairing for quick access later by tapping once in the centre to lock the two apps together, and tapping again to unlock them.

Not without compromises

It's worth noting though that the iPhone Duo isn't a clean sweep. Face ID has been replaced by Touch ID. It's a change Apple says keeps screen unlocking consistent across both displays, but longtime iPhone users may miss it.

You can unlock the Duo with an Apple Watch, but that requires you to have Apple’s smartwatch, and it’s still not the same as simply glancing at your phone for authentication, whether unlocking, paying with Apple Pay or opening Passwords.

There’s also no Action Button, as I mentioned, which will likely irk anyone (like me) who’s built it into their daily routine. On the camera front, the Duo skips a dedicated telephoto lens entirely, relying instead on a cropped zoom from its main sensor, similar to the iPhone Air.

You do at least get the ultra-wide camera here, unlike the iPhone Air, but despite its price being nearly double that of the iPhone 18 Pro, you aren’t getting the same advanced camera system (which now includes variable aperture on the Pro).

Early verdict

Based on what I have seen so far, the iPhone Duo feels like a considered first attempt at a foldable phone rather than a rushed response to market pressure. The screen finish alone addresses a problem the entire foldable category has struggled with for years; the software feels tailored rather than adapted; and the design is premium and dust-resistant.

Whether that's enough to justify a starting price north of £2,000 / $2,000 will depend on how badly you want a folding iPhone. However, my first impressions strongly suggest Apple arrived late yet has largely delivered with the iPhone Duo.

Motorola recently teased that something new is coming, revealing a silhouetted device that that appears to be a wide folding phone. That's on the official side of the equation, but over in leak land, sketches that appear to show a third folding phone have been revealed.

These images have fallen into the hands of 9to5Google, showing the Razr, Razr Fold and the mysterious third device.

From these sketches, which have a Motorola watermark in the background that provides some authenticity, we get an idea of how Motorola is going to tie together the design of the Razr devices with a familial feel.

This is something that goes beyond Pantone colours and unique finishes, although it's highly likely that any new folding phone from Motorola will lean on those aesthetics to differentiate itself from the rest of the wide folding phone options.

Those options now run to Apple, Samsung and now Xiaomi and it seems that Motorola is going for a slightly softer look - more like Apple - and less like Samsung's slim and flat industrial design.

That fits with Motorola's existing designs: it's still curving frame edges (such as in the Razr 70 Ultra), it's still using 3D glass where the sides curve into the frame and that's what we see in these sketches.

One of these images contains some useful wording too, saying that there's a "creaseless display", "diamond cut" bevel, a "polished/hairline brush" on the frame, while also saying "easy open profile", "ultra slim housing" and "3D glass".

These annotations don't really tell us much, because they're exactly what we expect from a Motorola device.

That also suggests that being the absolute slimmest device won't be top priority, because Motorola is often more focused on delivering a lifestyle product rather an something that's aggressively chasing the top specs.

It appears from these sketches that the intention is for a dual camera device and it's likely that those cameras will be similar to the Razr flip phone.

The sketches that these images are drawn from appear to have been sent to a couple of outlets - Android Headlines is also running them as an "exclusive" - and it's difficult to know if someone on the inside wanted to leak, or if this is Motorola looking to be part of the folding phone conversation around the launch of the iPhone Duo.

What's likely, however, is that Motorola will have something attractive to offer. The lifestyle approach with a unique Pantone colour and finish, combined with a lower price, could land well.

The Razr Fold - Motorola's flagship - is £1799 (512GB) compared to Samsung's £1899 Z Fold 8 Ultra (256GB). There's every chance that it will land with more storage, at a lower price, than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 - and that would definitely be attractive.

Apple's mega-keynote this week – the first for the company's new CEO, John Ternus – saw the Cupertino company reveal its first-ever foldable, the iPhone Duo.

As someone who's seen and tested the majority of the bbest folding phones ever made over the past seven-or-so years, I must say I was even more impressed with Apple's first foray than I'd expected.

I use the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 every day, by choice, as I really love the passport-sized foldable and everything it offers – even the wider-than-average format has made other phones feel too tall and narrow for me now.

That "passport" scale is exactly what the iPhone Duo opts for, too, as both it and the Samsung house a 5.4-inch external and 7.6-inch internal foldable display. They're very similar, therefore, yet by no means the same.

Apple's first attempt in this space, however, highlighted some particularly stand-out features for me – and left some lingering questions, too – that are key points I wish the wider Android market would note down to further improve in generations to come.

1. Titanium and ceramic

One of the big problems that foldables have faced is inherent in their very designs: that folding part of the display has to sit over a hinge, which 'dips' by a marginal amount and, further emphasised by it being the bending point, leaves a visible 'crease' to the centre of the display.

Now, no folding phone has countered this issue entirely, but there have been various positive steps towards mitigating it. The current best is the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which uses a titanium plate for rigidity – except Samsung's 'Flex Titanium' solution is etched so it can fold, benefitting the full display.

Outside of the UK and USA there's the Oppo Find N6, which arguably has an even better solution – microscopic 3D-printed relief, delivered per phone, to offset the dip between hinge and display for the flattest solution going.

Now, Apple has gone with a multitude of solutions. It, too, uses AI to map the hinge per product, while applying support ribs for added stiffness – and ceramic fibres that can bend are used to ensure strong antenna connectivity.

It, too, uses a titanium base plate for rigidity. But all of these layers have been applied in a way that unfold similar to a spine-bound book, giving flexibility yet simultaneous rigidity. All of which suggests Apple's very first folding phone attempt will be up there among the best.

2. Stylus support incoming

Controversially, Samsung sacked off any stylus compatibility with its folding devices a couple of generations ago. It meant no need for the additional layer required in the screen for such functionality.

Apple, however, declared its intent for the absolute opposite: its Pencil (with USB-C) stylus will be compatible with the iPhone Duo – on both its external and internal displays.

While that's not a feature that I'd rush to use personally, I suspect there are plenty who will revel in the opportunity – especially when using the internal display. That's one feature that bridges the gap between iPhone and iPad in this Duo design.

Other Android makers do offer stylus compatibility in their foldables, mind, with Honor's Magic V6 one prime example. Buy the brand's Magic Pen and you'll have the feature available right now – no time to wait, per Apple's "later this year" feature.

3. Software continuity

This could be the biggest one of the lot, though. Much as I love my Galaxy Z Fold 8's dual-screen formats, switching between those can cause some hiccups with loaded apps.

Now, I'm not saying iOS will solve that for third-party apps. I suspect you'll still have to reload your game app if you wish to switch between displays mid-session, for example, unless a specific version is made for the iPhone Duo.

That has already begun, though, with Apple showing off examples in Zoom, Slack, Netflix and more to benefit from the larger display. I suspect that's only the beginning, given Apple's considerable market share, so watch this space.

That said, Samsung's One UI 9 setup on the Z Fold 8 is solid. The split-screen and multi-window functionality works well, it's just greater fluidity with all apps and scaling that would be top of my wishlist.

4. There's an under-display camera

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a selfie camera on the external display and another on the internal folding display. So does the iPhone Duo – just that its latter one you can't see clearly all of the time, as it's an under-display solution.

I suspect this will divide the crowds when they get to see it in person, mind, as under-display options have been used in various Android devices for many years. If anything, they've largely ceased to be used – because the mottled 'half resolution' pattern over the camera area can look a little distracting.

In the iPhone Duo, however, I can see the benefit in having that full and uninterrupted display. You really won't notice it much when watching media, for example, and given the size of the punch-hole one on the front of the device, avoiding a second one seems like a savvy solution.

5. But it's not all perfect

For all those positives, however, there are some undeniable downsides and lingering questions around Apple's first foldable.

Heavily rounded corners

As you can see from the device's front-on silhouette, the top and bottom right corners are heavily rounded. That may cause issues in some apps – similar to with Google's Pixel phones – in blocking visibility.

Camera position

While I've highlighted the potential positives of the under-display camera, it's not all golden – the off-centre position and lack of resolution information (I'd wager 'low', therefore) are points against this solution.

The rear cameras may also fall into a classic 'problem' that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 experiences: 'desk wobble'. Placed flat on a surface and the rear protrusion means the phone will rock about when you use it not in hand – and the Duo seems to present a similar potential trouble.

eSIM won't suit all

When Apple announced it was eSIM worldwide – a first for any smartphone device that I can recall – I let out a little gasp. It's futuristic, sure, and it allows for more battery and component space within.

But eSIM just won't suit everyone at this stage. Progressing from physical to virtual is happening at pace, but this bold move will be an irksome switch-over for others.

Asking price is huge

This one is fairly obvious: but the iPhone Duo is horribly expensive. It looks amazing, it looks 'worth it' – however you wish to gauge that – but it's a lot of money.

The £/$1,999 starting price for the 256GB model is considerably more than the Galaxy Z Fold 8's £/$1,699 price. Both are a lot of money, no doubt, but Apple wants almost 18% more cash for its Duo to be in your pocket.

Oppo is preparing to launch one of the most ambitious smartphone cameras to date, packing in three 200-megapixel sensors.

It will announce the Find X10 fully later in September as flagship phones move into their next chapter, but some details are starting to be revealed – for both the Find X10 and Find X10 Pro Max – with many coming from Oppo itself.

For example, thanks to a series of posts from Oppo's Zhuo Shijie on Weibo, we now know a lot more about what to expect from the cameras.

The big takeaway is that the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max will use three 200-megapixel cameras, developed with Hasselblad. The primary camera will have an f/1.5 aperture, the ultrawide will have an f/2.2 aperture and the telephoto camera – also packing a 200-megapixel sensor – will have an f/2.1 aperture, with CIPA 7.5 stabilisation.

There's also talk of a new colour sensor, offering improved dynamic range. All-in, it should be a photography powerhouse.

Supporting OpenGate capture, videographers will be able use the entire sensor for 4:3 video, and it will be compatible with the Blackmagic Camera app and offer O-Log2 and Dolby Vision capture. While these features will be beyond most normal users, it takes the video options to a new professional level.

All three cameras will support 8K and there's going to be a full range of accessories available, with a real focus on photo and video capture.

The regular Find X10 will have two 200-megapixel cameras with different lenses, the main with f/1.6 and the telephoto with f/2.6, while the rest of the phone will likely be similar.

It's been confirmed that there will be an 8,000mAh battery in both models, while the bezel around the display has shrunk to 0.99mm.

Also, thanks to a leak from Digital Chat Station, we can add the expectation for the Dimensity 9600 Pro – the new 2nm chip from MediaTek – plus 80W wired and 50W wireless charging added to the picture.

In China, the Find X10 is already available for pre-order, and the timing of the launch is likely to coincide with the reveal of that new core hardware. The MediaTek 9600 is expected to be revealed on 15 September, while next-gen Snapdragon hardware is expected on 22 September.

We've previously reported that a new Honor phone will be revealed within the same timeframe, and we'd expect Xiaomi to unveil the Xiaomi 18 Pro as the first device available with the new Snapdragon hardware.

Most of these phones will be launched in China first, but availability for the rest of the world is likely to come from February 2027 onwards.

Apple has extended access to its satellite features, meaning those with an iPhone can continue to enjoy the peace of mind that there will be an emergency connection when you're off the grid.

Apple designed the suite of satellite features for emergency connectivity, originally allowing users an SOS function, but evolving the service to include roadside assistance and messaging.

The service launched in 2022, initially with a two-year trial period, but Apple keeps extending it – including a new extension that was quietly added with the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro.

Sitting at the bottom of the press release for the new phone is a footnote that says: "Apple is extending free access to satellite features for an additional year for existing iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and iPhone 16 users."

So that trial seems to be turning into a standard feature, although the fact that Apple is referring to it as an extension leaves it with the option for a paid-for service in the future.

How does Apple's satellite service work?

Apple's iPhone communicates with Globalstar satellites and was one of the first consumer satellite offerings in a smartphone. Of course, satellite calling already existed, and devices like Garmin's InReach were offering satellite communications back in 2011, but Apple generally helped start a new era of satellite connectivity.

That's not quite the end of the story: while satellite connectivity offers limited features right now, there's a bigger push for non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) to expand coverage to areas that don't have traditional masts to provide greater connectivity.

With the adoption of NTNs by traditional mobile carriers, it might be that blanket coverage is more widely available, reducing the need for bespoke SOS functions. Simply put, once satellites are offering 5G themselves, you might never find yourself without mobile signal.

T-Mobile in the US has already partnered with Starlink, while the O2 Satellite service in the UK is available as a Bolt On for £3 a month. It's not a perfect solution: you need line of sight to the sky and there's limited bandwidth, but we're at the start of the move into space connectivity with a lot of development coming over the next five years.

For now, those with an older iPhone can rest assured that the emergency SOS functions are still available and you still don't have to pay for them.

Apple introduced variable aperture as the highlight feature of the new iPhone 18 Pro, underlining that the camera is still a hugely important part of a smartphone. You don't need to tell Honor that though, as it has started teasing its next flagship phone with some new camera features of its own.

Introducing the Magic 9 Pro Max, which is due to be officially launched on 28 September in China, Honor is leaning into its partnership with Arri – a veteran of the cinema industry. Its camera systems were used for films like The Revenant, 1917, Gravity, and more.

The pairing first came to light with the development of Honor's Robot Phone, but it seems that Arri's experience will also benefit the 2027 flagship phone too.

The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max was shown off at the Venice International Film Festival, with Arri branding on the back of the device in the camera array, while it has also been teased on Weibo.

Although the phone physically has adopted the rear segmentation that was ushered in for the iPhone 17 Pro, using a separate rear panel and huge camera island, the layout of the camera's lenses seems to have drawn inspiration from an old Arriflex camera.

The result is a massive round blob of camera sitting next to two other lenses. It's bold, but I have to say I kind of like it. Looking closer, it seems that much of that larger surround is just there to decorate the telephoto.

From the video on Weibo we learn a little more about Honor's accessories for this camera, with what looks like a clip on cover to support a larger telephoto extension – the sort of thing we've seen from Vivo with the X300 Ultra or the Oppo Find X9 Pro.

We know that the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max will have three cameras developed with Arri, and what it looks like. And we also know there will be a fetching green colour. That's about the end of the official information that we currently have.

So let's move onto speculation: the timing of the launch suggests that it will be equipped with Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon hardware, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 – or the rumoured "pro" version of the chip that might also appear.

That hardware is expected later in September and typically Chinese brands immediately announce new phones using it straight after launch.

A wider global launch is likely to follow, probably around February 2027.

An additional leak from Digital Chat Station suggests that the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max has an 8,800mAh battery, which is absolutely huge.

Elsewhere, a video of the new phone has also been shared, which appears to be official, showing the design a little more, while there seem to be plenty sharing the design online already, likely part of Honor's teaser campaign.

Included around the lenses of the camera, it's revealed that there's a 200-megapixel cam, with a 1/1.28in type sensor and 3 degrees of OIS, while it also says there will be a 200-megapixel, 1/1.4in sensor with 4 degrees OIS – it's not clear which cameras the details apply to, but it's likely to be the main and the telephoto.

All will be revealed on 28 September, but it looks like the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max is going to be a serious phone. Especially for fans of photography.

Motorola could be the next brand to release a wider folding phone, looking to quickly shift its strategy from flip to fold.

It launched its first book-type folding phone in 2026, the Motorola Razr Fold, having first re-entered the folding phone phone market in 2019 with the rebirth of its iconic Razr line.

While Samsung has led the charge in larger format devices, Motorola has been reluctant to move from flip to fold – and has seen success with its Razr models in some markets, particularly the US.

But as Apple has just announced the iPhone Duo, its £2,000 folding phone, Motorola hasn't missed the chance to point out that it's been in the folding phone game for a long time, and highlight its "next move".

Posting on social channels, the brand has run with the tagline "New in their hands. Iconic in ours", leading with the V3 Razr from 2004, before jumping to the 2019 version and then through iterations of the flip phone until the 2026 Razr Fold.

At that point something interesting happens, because a silhouette of a device appears which is a fold style, but shorter, looking like an obvious tease for Motorola's next folding phone.

With Apple joining the folding phone market, it's likely that everyone in the folding phone segment will adopt the format.

Samsung launched its wider folding phone in July 2026 – the Galaxy Z Fold 8 – while Huawei was there slightly earlier with the Pura X, and Xiaomi is also entering the fray with the Xiaomi 18 Fold.

Motorola, having just made the transition to a larger folding device, doesn't want to be left behind.

Samsung currently dominates the global market for folding phones with a 40% share, according to recent Counterpoint research. Huawei – thanks to its profile in China – took 30% of the share in 2025, Motorola, Honor and Google all had a slice of the pie.

It's expected that Apple's entry into the folding phone market will not only drive a lot of attention to folding phones, but reinforce the advantages of a wider device, rather than the larger-format devices that open with an almost square display.

With expansion expected across the segment, brands will want to make sure they have an iPhone Duo alternative to benefit from the wave of enthusiasm that's likely to come.

It's not clear when Motorola might launch this new phone. Typical launch windows – like Lenovo Innovation World that just took place in Berlin – have passed. It's likely then that Motorola will cast its eye on CES 2027.

In 2026, Motorola showcased the new Signature and Fold models in Las Vegas, before releasing them a few months later.

Although Apple didn't mention it during its iPhone Duo launch presentation, the release date for iOS 27 has been officially revealed.

It appears in the footnotes under the press release for the iPhone 18 Pro, but will be made available for all supported iPhones before that device is made available. It'll be downloadable from next Monday 14 September, in fact.

This includes the new Apple Intelligence features, which will be available for "users with an Apple Intelligence-enabled device set to a supported language". That includes devices in English-speaking countries, plus multiple other regions and languages across Europe and the rest of the world.

The new Siri AI is slightly different. While also available from 14 September, it will launch in beta form for English-language devices only. Apple will then roll out the AI-powered assistant in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish from October.

Is iPadOS 27 coming too?

It hasn't yet been confirmed, but it is more than likely that iPadOS 27 will also roll out on Monday for iPads, with Apple's other operating systems potentially joining it. Some of them have been known to be staggered in the past though, such as macOS.

As for the new iPhones, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models will be available to pre-order from Saturday 12 September, with an on-sale date of 18 September.

Apple's first foldable iPhone – the iPhone Duo – will follow, with pre-orders opening on 16 October for a 23 October release date.

All of the new iPhones will come with iOS 27, Siri AI and Apple Intelligence pre-installed.

Apple has announced the iPhone Duo at last. Previously dubbed the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra in speculation over the last year, it is the company's first foldable smartphone and it's everything we expected and more.

A similar shape and size to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, the iPhone Duo is small and squat but has a 7.6-inch 4:3 OLED display when unfolded. This allows for better viewing of video content and is more like an iPad mini than a traditional book-style folding device.

There are some caveats to the new form factor. It only has two camera units on the rear, without the telephoto lens you'll find on the new iPhone 18 Pro, and it doesn't support Face ID. However, you do get Touch ID on the power button and when open, this is the slimmest iPhone ever made (even thinner than last year's iPhone Air).

Also, you do still get a FaceTime camera behind the inner display, with a small lens in the top right of the front screen too.

The software has been tweaked especially for the device, to seamlessly work across the front display and its unfolded equivalent. There are multitasking capabilities, app swiping to swap between screens and dedicated features that work when the device is partially folded or when set down on a desktop.

The outer screen is 5.4-inches and has the same aspect ratio as the inner version. While the build quality is typically Apple – grade 5 titanium has been used for the frame, with ceramic on the back and front.

We're yet to see the display ourselves, but Apple claims that it has one of the strongest bendable displays in the industry. And it suggests that the crease is almost eliminated.

In terms of the other specs, the Duo runs on the A20 Pro chip, much like the iPhone 18 Pro also just announced. It also includes a vapour chamber to keep the chip cool, as well as a C2 5G modem for cellular reliability.

Battery life is claimed to be up to 22 hours when using both screens simultaneously, while fast charging (through USB-C) allows for 50% charge in just 15 minutes.

There are two cameras on the rear, with the main camera capable of up to 4K 120fps video recording, and the 48-megapixel Fusion ultrawide is the same as on the Pro models. As mentioned though, there is no telephoto here.

It will also run Siri AI and the latest Apple Intelligence, of course. And one extra surprise is that the foldable will be compatible with Apple Pencil post launch. That's a big win for those with the stylus already.

The iPhone Duo will be priced from $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,499 for the 256GB model (as previously rumoured) with larger storage options up to 2TB becoming available too. Pre-orders open on 16 October for a 23 October release date.

This is a developing story, and we'll be updating with further details as they emerge.

Apple opened its 9 September event by dropping straight into its unveiling of the iPhone 18 Pro, confirming a few weeks of leaks by showing off two striking new colours for the new phone.

It'll come in burgundy and glacier, the latter being an icy blue, along with the more traditional silver and black options that have been around for years.

In wider design terms, the phone's a clear case of continuity – it looks extremely similar to last year's 17 Pro, with a shelf on the rear again housing that triple camera unit. Those cameras have been given a nice upgrade, though, while the Dynamic Island has also shrunk down to be smaller than ever.

Unsurprisingly, the showcase of the phone was dominated by explanations of how Siri is evolving in its new "Siri AI" iteration. Apple showed how it can interact with apps and services to give you more voice control than before. It also showed a far more expressive and customisable voice model, something that Siri's been crying out for for years.

Of course, that AI upgrade goes hand in hand with a new chipset powering the phone, the A20 Pro. Seeing Apple talk in terms of "compute" requirements does underline how AI lingo is going mainstream, but the details are important here. The chip is built on a 2-nanometer infrastructure, a big step, and has upgraded CPU and GPU performance.

In practice, that'll mean more power in graphically demanding situations like gaming, but also improvements in AI performance in image generation. Hopefully that means Apple's AI editing tools get a little quicker.

Under the hood, we got a look at a new thermal management system that should help the 18 Pro keep cooler and therefore more performant – a whacking great vapour chamber, something that's becoming increasingly popular as a solution in flagship phones.

For the first time, Apple also talked about its battery tech changing, with the "largest increase ever" between two generations of iPhones. It didn't explicitly say this was down to silicon carbon technology, but it might expand on that at some point.

The new 48MP main shooting lens on the iPhone 18 Pro has a new variable aperture control system that should make it a little more customisable and controllable. This is the closest we've seen Apple get to just sticking a traditional camera lens in its phone, and we'll be fascinated to see how it performs. It'll be a great addition for photography nerds, as will newly expanded controls in the Camera app (which might kill some third-party apps overnight).

Of course, we knew that the phones would also get a price hike – and that was confirmed by a new price for the 18 Pro at $1,199 in the US, and the 18 Pro Max at $1,299. In the UK, as was predictable, we're getting a worse deal – the 18 Pro is £1,199, and the Pro Max is £1,299. Those are chunky £100/$100 hikes. Still, pre-orders start on 12 September, with an on-sale date of 18 September.

Today, Wednesday 9 September, marks the date of newly appointed Apple CEO, John Ternus, in delivering the tech giant's Surprise and Shine event.

We've been live-blogging about that all day long ahead of its 18:00 (BST) kick-off time. But Ternus' second-ever 'Tweet' – on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter – was a biggie.

The new CEO only joined X on 1 September, to coincide with his new role, with a simple 'hello' message and nothing more – until now. His second post is far more telling, as it's in animated video form:

I think what we're looking at here is the much-rumoured variable aperture of the incoming iPhone 18 Pro Max – a feature said to be exclusive to this phone alone in this year's line-up.

That's because, look closely, and you'll see the opening to that light source has six sides. In a lens formation that's precisely what a six-blade aperture looks like.

And a six-blade aperture is ideally designed to physically adjust, pushing and pulling the aperture petals to adjust the opening size – and the amount of light let in to expose the sensor.

If you re-watch the animated video's closing moments, you'll see what appears to be that aperture shrinking in size. One of the key reasons for a smaller or wider opening is to control the light and how that will affect an image – a wider opening will deliver more background blur, for example, further exaggerated in a longer focal length.

That's why it's been long rumoured that Apple's Portrait mode was likely to get an upgrade from a variable aperture lens. And this could be the first glimpse we have of just that.

It's not the first time this kind of technology has been deployed in a smartphone. Xiaomi did it with its 14 Ultra handset a couple of years ago – which we described as "a photographers' dream".

Others have already taken to the web to cast other theories, though. "Vision Pro 2?" queries someone in the X thread, among a swathe of memes and AI-generated videos for your amusement.

One thing is clear, though: Apple hasn't – or, moreover, didn't – tease product releases in this way. But this is 'The New Apple', with Ternus at the helm, so could be a hint of more changes in its practice to come.

I've not even mentioned the folding iPhone – whether named as Ultra or Duo is now up for debate – up to this point, so the tease-and-distract method certainly has its own value...

The internet got itself into a tizzy over the past few days, when users started sharing stories about how the screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 flexes at the corners.

This all started with fairly innocent questions about whether others found that the corners could be pushed inwards slightly. As is often the case, some pile-in with confused information (one referring it to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which was a completely different design), while others provided useful information – such as confirming how the glue was applied from the JerryRigEverything teardown.

Reddit went down the same rabbit hole, before Samsung came forward to detail that it's a design feature, not a flaw. That hasn’t stopped the sensationalist reactions on X, with people claiming it's a quality control issue and highlighting that Apple will do better. But that's the internet folks.

According to Samsung, talking to Business Post (via 9to5Google), it's an intentional flexibility designed to protect your device from damage if something does get caught in the corner.

Samsung said in a reply to one user: "When you press the outer corners of the foldable main display on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra, there is a slight indentation. This means that the main display of the foldable product features a cushioning structure applied to the outer corner areas for durability and protection."

The reply goes on: "This is a normal design feature applied to protect the display and enhance durability, and it does not affect the product performance, so please use it with confidence."

That, it seems, is much to the disappointment of many online who thought they had found Samsung's fatal flaw with its popular new device.

While many were suggesting that Apple wouldn't have the same "flaw", we're now only hours away from the launch of the "iPhone Duo", which is the expected name of the folding iPhone.

We're just hoping it's more successful than the Surface Duo that seems to be the inspiration for its name.

We have been writing and discussing Apple's first foldable iPhone for many months – years, even – and it's mainly been called the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra in that time. However, it seems that the internet speculation was wrong.

While Apple is almost certainly going to reveal the device later today, the names we've been using have seemingly been incorrect.

According to Bloomberg's resident Apple expert, Mark Gurman – who is generally right about these things – the foldable will be called the iPhone Duo, instead.

This is backed up by fellow trusted leaker, Ice Universe, who posted an "iPhone Duo" teaser on his X feed.

To be honest, the name allegedly chosen doesn't sound like an Apple product. It's more Microsoft, which used a similar name for its own, ill-fated foldables in the early 2020s. But there was also some who suggested that calling the new iPhone "Ultra" would also be misleading.

It's believed that it'll have a lower spec camera unit than the iPhone 18 Pro, with the telephoto lens missing. And it's also thought that it'll cut Face ID from the equation, being that it'll be so slim when unfolded.

Those omissions mean that while you gain a fold-out screen, the new iPhone can hardly be called the best of the best. It'll be different rather than superior.

Someone might want to tell the accounts department that though, as Gurman also suggests that the starting price will be $2,000 (£2,000, if Apple's pricing convention continues as normal).

That's actually less than some reports and leaks have claimed, although it is also said that the 2TB model could rise to as much as $3,000.

Setting the entry point at $2K (rather than the tipped $2.5K) does allow Apple to better compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, however. Samsung's similarly-sized starts at $1,899 – just $100 less – so the difference could be forgiven by many.

It'll be more stark in the UK, of course, as Samsung doesn't match prices like-for-like over here – the Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at £1,699 – and there are discounts at networks already. But it could have been much worse.

We'll find out for sure in just a few hours, when the Apple event kicks off. T3 will be covering all the news live and throughout the day, so stay with us.

Apple's annual iPhone launch event is taking place today, Wednesday 9 September 2026, and you can watch it live right here on T3.

Dubbed "Surprise and Shine", the event will be the first hosted by new CEO John Ternus and should debut the much-talked about iPhone Duo – Apple's first foldable phone. You can watch it live below.

In addition, we should see the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5. There'll be a whole lot about Siri AI too, as it'll arrive with iOS 27 in the coming days.

So, expect a jam-packed show with maybe a surprise or two along the way.

Here are all the details.

When will the Apple iPhone Ultra event start?

Apple will stream its iPhone launch event today, Wednesday 9 September 2026.

As is tradition, it will kick off at 10:00am PDT, local time for Apple's HQ in Cupertino.

Here are the start times for your location:

• US West Coast: 10:00 PDT
• US East Coast: 13:00 EDT
• UK: 18:00 BST
• Central Europe: 19:00 CEST
• India (New Delhi): 22:30 IST
• China (Beijing): 01:00 CST (10 September)
• Japan (Tokyo): 02:00 JST (10 September)
• South Korea (Seoul): 02:00 KST (10 September)
• Australia (Sydney): 03:00 AEDT (10 September)

How to watch the new Apple iPhone launch event

You can watch the event stream live right here (via the video further up this page).

Alternatively, you will be able to watch it on Apple's own website, or through Apple TV devices.

What to expect

The main focus this year will undoubtedly be on Apple's first foldable phone – commonly referred to as the iPhone Ultra, but seemingly arriving as the "iPhone Duo". So much has been written and said about it that it would be a major shock if it didn't appear.

There will also be an iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max announced, although we expect to have to wait until early next year for a new standard iPhone 18 model.

In terms of smartwatches, we understand the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 will be unveiled, along with new AirPods – the AirPods 5, at the very least.

Oh. and there will be plenty about iOS 27 and Siri AI, which will soon be available for existing devices as well as the new ones.

We'll be watching along like everyone else, of course, and covering the whole shebang live. Why don't you join us?

Nothing has put out a call for its Community Review Program, which is where fans of the brand can play their part in testing and reviewing its products.

There's a whole range of stipulations about what you'll have to do, but it's basically a reviews programme where you'll have to share those impressions through your own channels as part of the Nothing community.

It's made perfectly clear that you'll have to agree to an NDA – non disclosure agreement – and you'll be given dates when you can share your thoughts and findings.

For those dreaming of being an influencer, this could be the opportunity: you'll be sent a Nothing device, you get to test it and then you can create the content. For you it's a bit of fun – you'll have to return the phone as it's only a loan – while for Nothing it's a bit of community engagement and free marketing.

Nothing has outlined some specific types of people it's interested in, saying that those interested in 3D animation, graphic design, music and sound products, or product reviews are encouraged to apply.

The announcement is topped by Lanturn, originally appearing on a teaser a few days ago. It's not clear if Lanturn refers to a product or just to the Review Program itself, but the appearance has set speculation running.

Some community members think that it refers to a premium Nothing watch, while others pick up on the symbology and think that it refers to the Glyph interface because of the light. Others see the electric type Pokémon as some sort of battery or charging device.

Nothing has already had a busy year and the company has publicly said that it will have a wider selection of phones in 2027, which could include a new flagship phone, the Nothing Phone (4).

We've had the Nothing Phone (4a) and (4a) Pro, as well as the Nothing Phone (4b) this year – alongside new earbuds.

Rumours persist that there's a Nothing Watch in the making, with previous watches limited to the CMF brand.

While the upcoming launches aren't clear, those selected for the Review Program will get access to devices in advance, for a chance to have a say and directly impact on the direction that Nothing is moving.

With Apple due to host its annual iPhone launch event tomorrow, it comes as no surprise that the rumour mill has gone into overload – especially where the company's first foldable is concerned.

We've seen an official case manufacturer reveal its new, related products early, and now there are reports on iPhone Ultra pricing. But before I continue, I suggest you sit down. And maybe call your bank manager.

An online leaker, EVDownunder, claims to have discovered the pricing details for the iPhone Ultra from a source within Vodafone Australia. As expected, it's a lot higher than many would have hoped.

According to his X post, the 256GB model will cost AU$3,699 at launch, the 512GB version will be AU$4,199, and the 1TB AU$4,699.

In comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at AU$2,199 in the country – so the difference is profound.

Using today's exchange rate, the 256GB iPhone Ultra will cost the equivalent of £1,970 / $2,663 if the leaked prices are correct. However, Apple doesn't really work that way. I'd expect it to be around $2,500 in fact, and considering the firm translates its prices like-for-like in the US and UK, you can expect to pay around £2,500.

Step up the storage sizes and it could run anywhere over £3K.

And sadly, for those hoping the leak turns out to be wrong, this matches previous estimations from seasoned analysts and Apple experts. Being an early adopter in Apple world has never come cheap.

It'll really come down to pre-order deals and network price plans, I feel. Or maybe the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is looking more attractive by the day.

We can't be sure until new CEO John Ternus takes to the stage tomorrow. T3 will bring you all the news (and confirmed pricing details) as they're revealed.

We have one more sleep before Father Apple brings some lovely new iPhones and Watches down the chimney, but that hasn't stopped case and accessory manufacturer ESR Tech from revealing its own new lineup early.

It has posted a video clip on its X feed that shows the iPhone Ultra, along with a selection of new cases that it claims will be essential for your new £2K+ foldable.

It has provoked one X user, Pedder, to repost it with the tag: "ESR: What NDA?"

In all honesty, considering just how many leaks, images and videos there are out there now, this is a small drop in the ocean. But considering ESR makes a vast selection of Apple (and Samsung) add-ons, it's a good indication of what to expect from a source that should be in the know.

In all likelihood, the iPhone Ultra in the post is a dummy unit. Indeed, the camera depth on the rear looks wrong in one of the shots – the lenses protrude too much, in my opinion.

However, considering everything else that's been released about Apple's new foldable to date, we can pretty much take it as read that this is near to the real deal.

If you also take a scroll through ESR Tech's other recent X posts, you'll also get a glimpse at the Dark Cherry iPhone 18 Pro Max and a black variant of the iPhone Ultra. The brand will no doubt also have Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 bands and cases available too.

And while Apple might be none too pleased about it, there's no doubt that this helps ramp up the hype even more. Tomorrow's event will be significant enough, being as it'll mark the debut of John Ternus as CEO, but throw the company's first foldable into the mix and it's turning into an unmissable keynote for tech lovers.

Folding phones are big news right now, with one expected to be announced in Cupertino on 9th September. But it’s not the only folding phone being announced. Today Xiaomi has unveiled its new flagship folding device, the Xiaomi 18 Fold, and it might just give Samsung and Apple a run for their money.

I got an exclusive hands-on with the device at the IFA show in Berlin and was seriously impressed. Finished in a bright red (also available in black, white and ceramic), the 18 Fold is passport-sized with a 2:1 ratio and unfolds to reveal a 7.58-inch tablet-like screen, much like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and, as the Apple device is rumoured to.

Measuring 117.8 x 83.6mm folded, it’s slightly shorter and wider than the Samsung and a little thicker, but the differences are negligible. I really liked the roundness of the corners and the fact that you can open it with one hand (at a stretch).

Both the internal and external screens on the Fold 18 are Xiaomi Hyper RGB panels with 4,000 nits peak brightness and an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. There’s Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0 on the outer screen and back panel to add strength and drop resistance, while the frame is an aluminium alloy.

The 18 Fold also boasts a Leica triple-camera system with a 200MP main camera and a 50MP periscope camera for a 3x zoom (80mm equivalent) or a sensor crop to allow a 6x (160mm equivalent). The cameras are lined up horizontally across the back of the phone in a chunky bump, similar to rumoured iPhone Fold designs.

Xiaomi’s new folding phone and its tablet, the Xiaomi Pad 9 Pro Max, are both powered by the latest XRING 03 system-on-a-chip (SoC), the company’s second in-house developed chip. This combines a 10-core CPU with a 16-core GPU and supports the latest LPDDR6 RAM. It promises 60% higher performance and 25% lower power consumption than the previous version.

For power, it uses a 6000mAh silicon-carbon battery, though the precise usage time was not revealed. It does support 50W wireless changing though, along with 67W wired.

The HyperOS allows multi-window operation, with both a two-way split on each side of the fold and a three-way split if you really need to see more apps. From my quick play with the phone, not every app allowed this but there are some useful hand gestures to pull the apps into the split-screen view.

What I really like about this phone – as I do the Samsung – is that it offers something in between the larger devices and the smaller flip models. It feels more compact in the hand, yet still offers that giant screen when unfolded, and in a more useful ratio. I also like that the outer screen is fully functional, so for day-to-day tasks you can use the phone folded.

The downside is that while the Xiaomi 18 Fold looks to be hugely appealing, it’s currently only available in China. There’s no word on whether this will come to the UK and Europe in the future, but at this stage I would guess not.

Prices in China for the 18 Fold start from 10999 Yuan, which is around £1200, €1400 or $1650. If this did make it to Europe, I would expect it to be closer to €2000 or £1700, but that would still be competitive.

The iPhone 18 Pro should be announced on 9 September with a design that's expected to be the same as the iPhone 17 Pro. But a new video gives us a closer look at this year's unique colours, even though these aren't real retail units.

The video shows the phone in Dark Cherry and Sky Blue, two new colours that are generally agreed upon for the next-gen iPhone. That's what raises some doubt about this leak – why isn't the third colour shown?

It might be that no one can decide if it's going to be black or silver, so rather than get it wrong, sticking to the most strongly-rumoured colours might seem like a safer bet.

With the iPhone 18 Pro expected to be the same overall design as the iPhone 17 Pro, much of the focus of these devices has been on the colour. We're sure it will have the A20 Pro chip and there could be a variable aperture on the Pro Max model, but from a design point of view it's expected to be much the same.

The phones are said to be dummy units, with the video originally appearing from Lanzuk on Naver, but shared on X.

This isn't an isolated appearance: it appears that some Russian retailers are showing off these dummy units in advance of the announcement. The second video shows them on a table with a sign that translates to "touch the future now".

If nothing else, this gives us a good sense of the general look and feel of the new phones, but as we outlined above, they're basically the same as the previous iPhone model.

Apple is expected to have a bumper launch over in Cupertino, with the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Ultra, Watch Series 12, Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 all expected to be announced this Wednesday.

If you thought that smartphones were getting a bit samey, you're right. But the Ikko MindOne Pro wants to offer something different with its square body and flip camera.

Rather than packing cameras into the back and front of the phone, it just has one rotating camera that will act as both. It's designed to give you a better selfie experience from the 50-megapixel camera.

Ikko, the company behind the MindOne Pro, pushes this as a card-sized "AI smartphone", looking to shake up the status quo with something a little different.

It's currently on pre-order (for £324) but it found its way onto the test bench of JerryRigEverything, which probably seemed like a good way to promote the new device, seeing as one of the highlights is a sapphire display cover.

There's a 4-inch AMOLED display, the camera has a 50-megapixel Sony sensor and it's all powered by a MediaTek 8781 chip. It runs Android, but a big part of this phone's identity is based around the AI OS that it also offers.

There's the boast of free AI internet, which appears to be just for using the AI functions, while it will support a regular nano SIM or vSIM for regular connectivity. It's an odd arrangement – with testing by Zack Nelson revealing that the AI was so slow it was barely worth using.

It appears that the display cover is indeed sapphire so provides good protection, but that doesn't extend to any other part of the phone. It has an IP54 rating and the camera itself doesn't get the sapphire protection.

The result is a strange little square phone, a bit like using the external screen of a flip phone without the advantage of being able to open it up.

Somewhere, this probably seemed like a good idea, but as many entrepreneurs will discover, the norm usually exists for a reason – because it's the best compromise of all factors.

The MindOne Pro looks interesting – especially as there's a plug-in keyboard which some might enjoy – but it's full of compromise compared to a normal phone. Still, at least someone is innovating in this space – even if the promise of an AI operating system seems to have fallen flat, as it has on so many recent attempts.

The Samsung Galaxy S27 could come with 60W charging, taking speeds higher than anything it has offered before. For many years, Samsung has been conservative with charging speeds.

Fast charging has been championed by the likes of Xiaomi and Oppo, while brands like Apple, Samsung and Google have stuck to slower charging rates over the years.

That's seen recent Samsung phones offering 45W, but that could see a bump to 60W in the Samsung Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 Ultra.

The details come from UniverseIce, a reliable source, but this bump in charging speed also matches changes that Samsung has recently made. The move from lithium-ion to silicon-carbon battery tech happened in the latest Galaxy Z devices and looks like it will continue into its flagship 2027 phones too.

Silicon-carbon isn't needed for faster charging: for many years, brands have offered charging up to 120W with lithium-ion, but the advantage that silicon-carbon offers is that the cells are more compact for the same capacity, meaning there's more room for cooling.

Fast charging generates a lot of heat, so dispersal of heat is needed to use higher powers, while heat build-up also leads to faster battery decay. That's likely to have been the reason that Samsung avoided it, so that the battery lasted longer and matched customer expectation.

Indeed, that's something we noted with the launch of the Galaxy Z 8 devices – they’re now rated to 1,200 charging cycles, rather than the 2,000 charging cycles previously supported. That's the cost of moving to silicon-carbon: batteries don't last as long.

However, slower charging speeds give rivals a competitive advantage and as we enter a tough time for smartphone sales, it looks like Samsung is looking for a better balance.

Apple might be better insulated against such competition, as it's much easier for a Samsung user to decide to jump over to a Motorola or Honor phone because the biggest part of the ecosystem is supplied by Google.

So while Apple only supports 40W charging on the iPhone 17 Pro – and rumoured to be 45W on the iPhone 18 Pro – the company may decide that keeping a slower charging speed to preserve battery longevity is more important to retain customers.

Faster charging will be welcomed on Samsung's 2027 phones: it will help close the gap with the competition. The side effects of that change might only be felt in a few years' time when the battery needs replacing because it no longer lasts as long as expected.