First impressions of Samsung's forthcoming folding phones raise a question over the "Ultra" naming for one of the devices, while the new format device garners more excitement.

Samsung will launch two book-style folding phones soon. The first will be an update to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and one will be a new wider model. However, the Ultra label that's been added to the replacement for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 – retaining the old style – isn't justified based on the first impressions from one leaker.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra appears to have got its name because it’s a superior device based on the spec sheet. But a familiar leaker – Lanzuk on Naver – says that the crease and the "display pixels" are better on the wider device.

If the display is better on the wide device, then it's going to be harder for the Ultra phone to earn its name.

Elsewhere, Lanzuk says that first impressions of the wide folding phone is how light it is, calling it "unbelievable", before going on to say "the overall perceived weight is really light".

This has been a focus for Samsung, with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 weighing 239g and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 weighing 215g. It's suggested that the wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 will weigh 200g, which is about the weight of a regular candybar phone.

More impressively, the leaker says it "feels like a new beginning".

While talking about the Ultra name, we get the impression that the wide model presents the display better than the updated legacy phone.

What else do we learn about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra?

While the post gives us snippets of information, it's easy to get the sense that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is going to be exciting, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra isn't.

As a new format device, the wider phone has an advantage, especially if it tackles the two areas of weight (or bulk) as well as the quality of the display and the crease. Those things might overrule the rest of the package and help it appeal to buyers.

From leaks, we've seen that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will have two cameras, while the Ultra will have a third camera, likely the telephoto. That's probably the distinction that Samsung is drawing between these two phones, which are otherwise expected to have the same core power and offer the same overall experience.

What will really matter is pricing: the Ultra name might attract a higher price handing another advantage to the new device.

While specs and prices are important, Lanzuk nails a key point: first impressions will matter. Some will be drawn to Samsung's folding phones for the first time in 2026 – perhaps spurred on by Apple's forthcoming iPhone Ultra launch – and the lighter weight of the wider device could be what sells it.

Nothing will announce the Nothing Phone (4b) on 7 July, expanding its range of phones towards the more affordable. While the company has confirmed that we won't be getting a new CMF phone, it seems that this is going to be the affordable route to a Nothing Phone.

The reason that plans for a new CMF phone have been put on hold is the increasing price of components, so it might be that moving to Nothing Phone allows the brand to use some of its existing design to reduce manufacturing costs, while enabling a slightly higher price.

As teased on X, Nothing says it "kept sketching the Phone (4a) series and accidentally made a new phone".

The brand has now gone a little further, revealing the design of this new device, sporting two cameras on the back – and the Glyph Bar from the Nothing Phone (4a).

Through a series of social posts, we've been treated to a number of design teases and it looks like transparency will remain in the top section around the cameras, while the rest of the body looks like it's an aluminium unibody – although it could just as easily be plastic.

At the same time, the Nothing Phone (4b) is listed on Flipkart, giving us a good look at the design (above).

Nothing has also clarified that "b" doesn't stand for anything, it's just a new segment for the brand, designed to slot in under the existing "a" devices. That hardly needed explaining, but there it is, but it's clear that the Nothing Phone (4b) is an evolution of the devices already launched this year.

While official specs are yet to be confirmed, we also have a Geekbench listing (via GizmoChina) for the device, which tells us that it's powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, which is the sort of hardware expected at the affordable end of the spectrum. That also confirms 8GB RAM and Android 16.

Beyond that, a reliable leaker suggested that there will be 128 and 256GB options and the phone will come in three colours – including the blue that's being teased, black and white. The screen is said to be a 6.7-inch AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate.

While two cameras are clearly seen on the design, it's not clear what the make-up is: it's likely to be the 50-megapixel camera from the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite, along with the 8-megapixel ultrawide. That would be typical for a cheaper phone.

That's currently all the details we have, but new leaks and official teases seem to be appearing every day, so it's likely we'll have a complete breakdown of the specs before the phone is official announced in a couple of weeks.

CMF made a big impact in smartphones with the CMF Phone 1 and CMF Phone 2 Pro, but it seems like that's the end of the line for the darling of affordable phones – and it's all down to a familiar problem.

When CMF launched its phones, the general reaction was "how is this so cheap?". Therein lies the problem: the components that Nothing would need for the CMF Phone 3 Pro are no longer cheap.

Rather than remain silent on the issue, both Carl Pei (Nothing CEO) and Akis Evangelidis (Nothing co-founder and president) have both come forward to talk about the problem.

Posting on X, Akis Evangelidis said in a long post: "We've decided not to launch a new CMF phone this year."

The reason for that comes down to memory prices: "We were working on a successor but with memory prices where they are right now, we can't build a phone that feels like a genuine step forward at a price that makes sense for CMF," he added.

This builds on messaging that we'd previously seen from Carl Pei, who said: "For Phone (4a), memory costs doubled between when we decided to build the device and when it launched. They've doubled again since.

"If you've been waiting to upgrade a device, the best time was yesterday. The next best time is now. This year's sale season won't have the discounts people are used to."

The increase in prices – to sate the appetite of ever growing demands from AI – seems to have claimed its first victim in CMF, with the brand's devices also pulled from the Nothing online store.

But there's a glimmer of hope for affordable devices elsewhere: returning to Akis' message, he says: "Oh and the smartphone launch season at Nothing isn't over yet. More to come. Soon."

Cue a post on Nothing India teasing the Nothing Phone (4b).

As is typical of Nothing, we get to see a pencil sketch of what looks like a new device, with a couple of hints. First, the caption is "(b)usted", while at the end of the clip, the pencils are laid down and the one that's been used is the 4B.

It's hard to imagine it's anything other than the Nothing Phone 4(b). We saw the £349 Nothing Phone (4a) launched in March and it's not instantly clear how the Nothing Phone (4b) fits in.

One of the frames appears to show a round element that could be a single camera, so perhaps this is a way to bring the price down further. Will this undercut the Nothing Phone 3a Lite (which was £249) or will it replace that device's price point?

As the teasing has officially started, we should know soon.

KitKat has come up with one of the stranger packaging ideas of the year: a chocolate wrapper that doubles as a signal-blocking pouch for your smartphone. The limited-edition "Break Mode" pack is designed to help users disconnect by cutting off calls, mobile data, Bluetooth and GPS signals when a phone is placed inside.

Created by KitKat Panama and agency Ogilvy Colombia, the oversized wrapper works like a Faraday cage – a conductive enclosure that prevents electromagnetic signals from reaching a device. Once you've eaten the chocolate, the packaging can be reused as a portable digital detox tool.

The concept takes KitKat's long-running "Have a Break" slogan and turns it into something tangible. Rather than relying on self-control or airplane mode, people simply slide their phone into the pouch and seal it shut. The result is complete silence from notifications, messages and calls until the device is removed.

To achieve this, the wrapper combines multiple conductive layers including copper, nickel, polyester and polypropylene. According to the companies behind it, the design underwent testing for signal attenuation and electromagnetic isolation to make sure it actually blocks connectivity rather than simply storing the phone.

It's also intended to be reusable for up to a year, with the materials designed to be separated for recycling at the end of its life. The packaging has so far appeared at technology expos, concerts and university events in Panama as part of a campaign focused on digital wellbeing.

While it's currently more marketing experiment than retail product, it's a clever example of packaging doing more than protecting what's inside. And at a time when many of us struggle to put our phones down, a chocolate bar that helps you ignore notifications might be more useful than it initially appears.

The humble charging cable isn't the most exciting bit of tech. But this 8-in-1 version of that takes things in quite a few different directions.

The GoCable 8-in-1 is a 100W USB-C cable at it's most basic, but it's also trying to be the only cable you ever need to carry around. Designed to live on a keyring or clipped to a bag, it packs eight functions into an impressively compact package.

Alongside USB-C charging, it supports up to 100W power delivery, which means it can do far more than just charge your phone. Laptops, smartphones,tablets, smartwatches, cameras and other USB-C devices are all possibilities.

There's also a Lightning adapter for older Apple gear, an LED display that shows charging power in real time and a magnetic wrap that keeps everything neat when it's not in use.

That's already more than most charging cables can manage. But GoCable's creators weren't finished there.

Built into the body of the included carabiner clip is a bottle opener and a hidden package cutter. The result is a miniature multitool that happens to help charge your gadgets.

Whether you actually need all eight functions is another question. Most people probably aren't buying a charging cable because they desperately need a bottle opener in their pocket. But that's also part of the appeal.

This is one of those products that seems designed for travellers, commuters and gadget fans who appreciate clever solutions to problems they didn't know they had.

At a meagre 40g, it shouldn't weigh down your keys, while the compact design means it's always there when you need it. And if you've ever found yourself borrowing a charging cable in an airport lounge or digging through a backpack looking for the right connector, this could be just right for you.

Samsung's forthcoming folding phones – the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 – will come with a higher price than previous years, according to a fresh leak. However, Samsung plans to offset that with more incentives to encourage people to buy.

The details about the increase in price come from Lanzuk on the Naver blog, saying (translated) that "the price increase for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series models is confirmed", citing sources in European and Asian sales channels.

That news is going to come as a blow for those looking to upgrade or move to a folding phone, but shouldn't come as a surprise. The surging demand for hardware to fuel the AI boom has pushed up component prices.

Current estimates suggest that the Galaxy Z Flip 8 could be around $1,200 (the Z Flip 7 is $1,099) while the Z Fold 8 Ultra could be $2,100 (compared to $1,999). Direct exchange to UK prices don't work, because it's already more expensive in the UK, but it could be a 1:1 exchange, ie., £1,200 and £2,100.

To offset this price increase, Samsung will reportedly look at more pre-order perks and bundles, higher trade-in values and repeat the storage upgrades that it's offered before, according to Phone Arena.

The details of those offers aren't specified, but they do have real value: the pre-order offer for double storage on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 meant that a 512GB phone could be had for the price of a 256GB phone – in the UK that's worth about £200.

Trade-in is also a serious consideration, as your existing phone could be worth hundreds, especially if it's a recent model. When it comes to preorders, those things are definitely worth factoring in.

What is Samsung going to launch?

Samsung is expected to host Galaxy Unpacked on 22 July where the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (the new, wider model), Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will likely be launched.

The introduction of a wider folding phone with the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 name suggests that it's going to be cheaper than the replacement for the Z Fold 7, which will get the Ultra name.

There's the suggestion that the Ultra will have a higher capacity battery than the Z Fold 7, with faster charging, and support for the S Pen will return. Otherwise, we're not expecting huge design changes.

The launch of these new Samsung devices is rapidly approaching, and we'll soon have all the answers.

It seems that RAMageddon is about to claim another victim – and this one is going to hurt millions of us. Fresh rumours and reports over the price of the iPhone 18 Pro suggest it's going to hit consumers in the wallet like never before.

It comes after Tim Cook confirmed that price rises were "unavoidable" across the Apple portfolio. The reason seems clear – ongoing RAM and component shortages arising from the unprecedented needs of AI data centres.

Now, the folks over at the Wall Street Journal have taken an educated guess at the cost of the new handset. That could see a start price of US$1,399 (approx. £1,050 / €1,220 / AU$1,995) for the handset. It's worth noting that Apple often prices its devices to the same number irrespective of location, so the actual figure could be more bleak here in the UK and Europe.

Sticking with the US pricing for ease, that would represent a US$300 price hike over the current entry point for the iPhone 17 Pro. It's going to be a pretty gnarly pill to swallow for consumers, particularly after a few years of miniscule or no rises.

What's more concerning is that it's likely to shape a trend across the wider phone market. It's no secret that Apple's size and influence makes it a bit of a figurehead.

If the cost of an iPhone goes up to account for the RAM shortage, you can bet your bottom dollar that every other phone will also go up to match it. That makes the whole thing less appealing, and could have some really devastating consequences for the market at large.

It feels like an inevitability at this point – particularly as there seems to be no sign of the RAM shortage easing in the near future – but it's still a nuisance for cash-strapped tech lovers.

We've been writing about the iPhone Ultra for more than a year – previously as the "iPhone Fold" – but it's only now that we've realised what it really is. And you know what? It's not actually an iPhone at all.

Nope, while it might still be called iPhone Ultra on release (although that's not confirmed, either), at its heart it's actually a foldable iPad. A foldable iPad mini, to be precise.

Serial Apple leaker Jon Prosser has revealed a set of new renders on his FPT (FrontPageTech) YouTube channel, which show the concept more clearly.

He claims the animated renders are the "most accurate" and up-to-date yet, and they show an inner display that looks more like an iPadOS homescreen than iOS. So, is this an iPhone than opens, or actually an iPad that folds?

It's actually both, of course, but you'll only likely buy one to use that internal screen regularly – after all, why not just buy the iPhone 18 Pro Max if you want a big screen iPhone?

It's raison d'être is to be a bigger screen device that you can fold in half to more easily carry around. So, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I put it to you that it's actually an iPad mini Ultra. Ahem.

All that aside, Prosser's new renders certainly make the device look good – with that (almost) crease-less inner display and a relatively slim build. We're not sure exactly, but it would be good to see some of the more iPad-centric features found in iPadOS creep into the iOS 27 system it is likely to employ – such as Stage Manager and Apple Pencil support.

Prosser also states that it'll only be available in white or black, although it will also be interesting to see the cases Apple could release – how much extra girth could they add?

But, perhaps the biggest question mark that still lingers is on pricing. With Tim Cook saying this week that Apple products will get more expensive due to the RAM crisis, and the iPhone 18 Pro even thought to cost $200 extra this year, will the iPhone iPad mini Ultra break the $2,000 / £2,000 barrier?

Sadly, I think it's inevitable. We'll find out for sure come September.

If you've ever wanted an iPhone but didn't fancy buying one from Apple, there may well be a solution for you. That's because Honor has just shown off it's Android 17 update – and it looks very familiar.

Blink and you'd be forgiven for mistaking this for Apple's Liquid Glass operating system. In fact, even if you stared at it longingly, I'd give you a pass – this is practically a clone of Apple's design language.

It's not uncommon for brands – especially those based in China – to take some fairly blatant inspiration from Apple when designing their hardware and software. However, it's fair to say this one goes further than most.

Those glass-like halos surround apps and buttons, control panels and notification all in broadly the same manner that you'd find them on iOS. Even the large clock display shown looks identical to the standard iPhone one, though I suspect that's customisable to a degree.

Check out videos of the design here: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

The MagicOS 11 update is currently being tested on devices in the Honor Magic 8 series. It's expected to launch later in the year for other models, meaning a full launch should only be weeks away.

Personally, I'm not a fan of this. While I understand why brands follow the lead of Apple so closely, I can't help but feel it narrows the pool of what's available.

I've said it time and time again here at T3, but there's a lot less innovation and differentiation between handsets these days, and it's something I'd love to see changed. Who wants to effectively choose between the same offering from Apple, Google, Samsung, Honor, Oppo and more, when we could have something different designed with ingenuity from each brand?

I'm sure the new software will prove popular when it launches, and that's almost certainly enough to justify it. I just hope that brands spring forward from here with a bit more of their own personality.

Tim Cook will soon step down as Apple CEO, with engineer John Ternus set to take over in September, but it seems one of his last jobs before he goes is to confirm a price hike on Apple products.

"Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable," Cook told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. "We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable."

No other details were shared, including which products that are to be affected, but the move always seemed inevitable.

Component costs have risen to record highs in the last year or so, with the prices of RAM and storage in particular being three to four times more than they were previously.

And sadly, while the focus of the recent WWDC 26 was mainly dedicated to the upcoming launch of Siri AI, it and other AI systems are largely to blame.

Why is AI to blame for the RAM crisis?

The global RAM shortage – often referred to as "RAMageddon" – has been enacted by the rapid rise of AI data centres. They require vast amounts of RAM chips, and so AI companies have been snaffling them up faster than an anteater at a picnic.

It has had a knock-on affect with other components too, including SSD storage, and so many tech products have seen price increases or even cancellations this year. Analytics firm CCS Insights even believes we'll see the mobile phone market shrink by 15% by the end of 2026 as a result.

Apple was initially thought to have safe guarded itself by stockpiling chips prior to the crisis, but is clearly running out of available hardware. And as Cook has confirmed, it will now pass on its costs to consumers.

This could mean that the expected iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max models will be more expensive than their predecessors when they arrive in September. The much-rumoured foldable iPhone Ultra was already expected to be in the $2,000 - $2,500 category.

However, the price increases could start sooner, with existing devices seeing big hikes.

So, if you are after an Apple product and not waiting for its fall (autumn) releases, you should consider taking the plunge now. Or better still, wait until next week and see what the Amazon Prime Day sale has to offer.

Honor's forthcoming X80 Pro Max phone will have a screen brightness rated to 10,000 nits the company has confirmed, alongside messaging that suggests it will offer a "high-brightness sunlight screen" (translated).

Screen brightness has become the new metric that manufacturers measure themselves against, with recent launches turning the dial on peak brightness. That's seen phones like the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion boasting 5,200 nits.

In the case of the Honor X80 Pro Max, the 10,000 nits display will represent a 67% increase in brightness over the X70 Pro Max at 6,000 nits. It sounds great, but what does it actually mean?

In reality, it means very little. It's undeniable that a mobile display that can produce 10,000 nits is an engineering achievement, but it won't enhance the day-to-day use of the phone.

Peak brightness applies to a very small percentage of the screen and it's only used to display HDR content. That allows pinpoint brightness – like a star in the sky – rather than this being a way to combat reflections and increase daylight visibility.

That's where Honor's marketing – via GizmoChina – should be approached with caution: it won't be using 10,000 nits to increase daylight visibility.

Phones typically have a high brightness mode (HBM) which is what you see when you step out of the house on a sunny day. When HBM is used, the screen is ramped up to counter the effect of high ambient brightness and reflections. It means content remains visible.

Phones with a lower brightness suffer in such conditions, but in recent years pretty much every phone now offers a high brightness display.

Ramping up the brightness has other side effects: it consumes battery at a much higher rate and it produces a lot of heat. Sustaining 10,000 nits across the whole display would probably cause it to melt.

Indeed, the HBM on the X80 Pro Max is 2,000 nits, which is well within the reach of most other recent phones. So in that sense, the high peak brightness of the X80 Pro Max doesn't matter.

Then we come to HDR content. Phones use high brightness is to display HDR photos. This gives an image a lot more contrast, with highlights that really pop off the screen.

But I've seen images on a TV capable of 10,000 nits – the TCL X11L – and those high brightness images can be uncomfortable to watch. While the scale of a phone is different, it's unlikely that anything will ever be shown at 10,000 nits on the display.

Finally, it's worth a mention of HDR standards in the movies. Dolby Vision and HDR10 both allow up to 10,000 nits in their specification, but current HDR mastering is around 1,000 to 4,000 nits.

Professional mastering monitors sit at 4,000 nits and this is typically the brightest HDR peak that Hollywood will master to. Theoretically, through Dolby Vision or HDR10 support you could watch a movie containing those sorts of peak brightnesses on your phone – but there aren't any movies mastered to 10,000 nits.

So, for Honor this is a marketing move for its X series device that otherwise offers Snapdragon 6 Gen 5, a 50-megapixel rear camera and a plastic frame. There's also a huge 11,000mAh battery.

If the Honor X80 Pro Max is to launch outside China, it will likely be renamed before it arrives.

With the Steam Deck and other gaming handhelds soaring in price (the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is a staggering $1,800) you might want to turn to a device that's already in your pocket.

Android games are moving much closer to their console counterparts these days, while emulation apps – such as GameNative – allow you to play almost the entire Steam PC catalogue on an Android smartphone or tablet.

Google clearly recognises this and, as part of its forthcoming Android 17 update, has included a new mode that will turn a foldable phone into a clamshell gaming handheld.

Foldable Gaming Mode will work with devices such as the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. It effectively turns them into a full gaming phone by utilising the bottom half of the internal display as a controller, while running the game in the upper.

This makes the experience more like a clamshell handheld, such as the Android-powered Retroid Pocket Flip 2, although the controls are touchscreen rather than physical.

I'm not so keen on touchscreen controls, especially during fast-action games that require quick, responsive inputs. I'll often miss a button if I can't feel it, and that can be the difference between dodging or taking a rocket to the face in an FPS.

Be wary...

There's also a major caveat – foldable displays aren't always as sturdy as their single-screen counterparts. As they need to fold, they are normally covered with a softer material rather than glass, and so you could run the risk of damaging your screen if you get over enthusiastic.

Still, it's an interesting concept, especially as Google claims on its blog that the control pad will be dynamic. That means developers can give you the controls you need for their specific game, so the pad can change in style per title.

Android 17 will also improve the use of external controllers, it is said, with native controller remapping. And frame drops and stutters will be better managed though more efficient memory cleanup.

Foldable Gaming Mode will be available as part of Android 17 "in the coming months".

If you're using a Google Pixel handset, you could be in line for a decent suite of upgrades pretty soon. That's because a new set of adverts have been spotted, which seem to showcase the next edition of features coming as part of the Pixel Drop series.

That's expected to arrive pretty soon based on the historic schedule for such releases, meaning we could see it any day now. So, what exactly is coming?

As reported by DroidLife, there are a few different ads being shown at the moment, which each point towards a different feature. Those are Screen Reactions for Creators, Gemini Omni and Music Generation.

As noted in that report, the latter two features are already available as part of the Google Gemini offering. That does suggest that there's something more to this, though it's not something they were able to gleam from the videos. Sadly, they've since been removed.

The Screen Reactions feature essentially enables the user to react to what's on their screen with a cutout of their face from the selfie camera. That does appear to be a feature exclusive for Pixel devices, and will be handy for capturing reaction content.

The report does also note a small – but potentially significant – change in terminology. Previously, the new features for Google Pixel devices were unveiled as part of something called the Pixel Feature Drop, but now appears to only be dubbed the Pixel Drop.

Whether or not that's significant remains to be seen, but it's certainly worth keeping an eye on. Regardless, it's exciting to see some new features coming to these handsets after a few months without a new arrival.

With new devices anticipated towards the end of the year, there should be a lot to look forward to for fans of the Google Pixel range before 2026 draws to a close.

When YouTuber Christian "Perifractic" Simpson bought the Commodore brand and licences, it was widely assumed that we'd be getting revived versions of its famous computers and hardware.

Simpson has, after all, made his money talking about retro tech.

However, while his relaunched Commodore did indeed start off with a modern day reissue of the C64 – the Commodore 64 Ultimate – and followed it up with a soon to ship, more slimline C64C Ultimate, the next product is something altogether different.

After a spot of online intrigue, the brand revealed the Commodore Callback 8020 – a flip phone that's not as dumb as some of the reimagined Nokias we've seen over the last few years, but not as dull as a full smartphone either.

The Callback 8020 has serious retro vibes, matching the brand's existing products, but is 4G-enabled, includes GPS tracking, and runs on Sailfish OS so is compatible with "99% of Android apps".

But that doesn't mean it's a doomscroller in fancy clothing. In fact, all social media apps are blocked – which is somewhat prophetic considering the UK ban on social media for teenagers that's just been announced.

There's no browser either, which is similarly blocked at system level, so it should help you get some time away from the screen.

Where the 8020 differs from other digital detox devices though, is that it does still come with a healthy amount of communications services, including integration with WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram and WeChat. You also get iMessage and SMS support.

Spotify is available on the phone as well, along with podcasts apps and even Google Maps. And there's a 48-megapixel rear camera which includes a flash and autofocus, so you can still take your pictures – just not share them on social networks yourself.

The Commodore brand isn't just for show, you'll get a selection of C64 games preinstalled, ringtones and alarms based on the classic computer's SID chip, and a few other design touches that hark back to the company's heritage.

Even the EU has been considered, with a removable 1,550mAh abiding by the new DMA regulations coming in early next year.

Perhaps the only catch to all of this is that while this is no mere dumb phone, it's also not exactly budget – the Commodore Callback 8020 starts at $499 (£410.47). There are plenty of entry-level smartphones out there that cost less, but then that's not exactly the point.

Also, the Commodore website is currently accepting registrations for its wishlist, which will get you $50 off if you sign up

It'll be available in a number of different colours and finishes – ProtoPET White, SX Silver, BASIC Biege, Starlight Edition, and a gold Founders Edition.

Apple announced a new version of Siri during WWDC 26, which drags the voice assistant kicking and screaming into the AI era. And so, after a false start in 2024 following the announcement of Apple Intelligence, a more capable Siri AI will debut with the arrival of iOS 27.

It'll also spell the end of the current assistant, which has seemingly had its run.

We've already tried out Siri AI, which now has a dedicated app, and it promises much greater scope than Siri previously offered. Like Google's Gemini is to Google Assistant, Siri AI is to Siri and that experience is going to be universal across all Apple devices.

It helps Apple reset its position with AI, having struggled to deliver the experience that was originally promised – and when iOS 27 lands, phones from the iPhone 15 Pro and newer will get access to the new and improved Siri AI.

The reason that Apple has taken so long to reach this point is because it basically had to start again. The voice assistant – first announced in 2011 – has become the subject of much ridicule over the years, as rivals like Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant outstripped its functionality.

But that now changes, with Apple's agreement with Google to use Gemini technology a part of the puzzle.

In a recent interview (via 9to5Mac), Mike Rockwell – who now leads the team developing Siri – confirmed that Apple "rebuilt Siri from the ground up, literally, tore it to the ground".

Apple had previously "built a first version of this that was sort of incremental on top of the original Siri that added tool calling, and we had it working. But we didn’t feel it was really delivering on the vision and the experience that we wanted to do".

That means the new Siri is now a completely different beast to the previous version: this isn't the old Siri with bits bolted on: "It allowed us to build a profoundly more capable Siri. So it’s a Siri that has its own application, it’s natively multimodal, it’s privacy from the ground up," said Rockwell.

While Siri will be supported on iPhone models back to iPhone 15 Pro – the same as Apple Intelligence – the very best version of Siri AI, which allows "expressive voices and more advanced dictation" will only be available on iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Those are the models that have 12GB RAM – something that Apple typically doesn't talk about, and doesn't include in the specifications on its product pages. Now, in the AI era, RAM becomes much more important.

It'll also be available on any new iPhone models coming later this year, of course – such as the company's first foldable, the iPhone Ultra.

For those with an iPhone older than iPhone 15 Pro, we expect that "old" Siri will keep plodding on, but a bit like Google Assistant, it will likely stay in place but get no new functionality.

Giving a child a phone or tablet is never an easy decision – the internet is wonderful, but there are many parts of it that aren’t, and it’s difficult to stay on top of our own devices, let alone constantly monitoring our children’s too.

Indeed, the UK government has just announced a ban on social media platforms for under-16s, which comes into affect next year. So the subject is clearly a concern for many.

Apple is one of the brands looking to do something about its own devices.

It already offered a number of new child safety features for its iPhones, iPads and Macs, but those are expanding with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 later this year. From a new Ask to Browse feature to redesigned Screen Time controls, here’s what’s new and why they should make it easier to keep your child safe.

Set up is easier

The starting point for all of Apple's parental controls is a child account, which Apple is making easier to set up.

In my WWDC 26 demo, it took around five minutes to set up a box-fresh device for a child. You are walked through the account creation process step by step, with initial options allowing you to choose to set up a device for someone 12 or younger, a teen aged 13-17, or an adult over 18.

Once a child account is active, age-appropriate restrictions are automatically applied across the system, from blocking adult websites in Safari to filtering out age-inappropriate apps in the App Store.

You can also decide exactly which apps are available on the device from the outset, with the option to start with a minimal set, such as Phone, Messages and Photos, and add more over time as your child grows.

In addition to selecting ‘Allowed Apps’, you can determine ‘Allowed Websites’ and select the rating for what content is allowed, too, like '9+' or ‘Clean’.

Control in your hands

Building on the existing Ask to Buy feature, which requires your permission before a child downloads an app, Apple has introduced Ask to Browse for Safari.

It works in a very similar way: when a child tries to visit a website that hasn't been pre-approved, a request is sent to the parent's device via Apple’s Messages app. You, as the parent, can then approve or deny it from wherever you are. The feature works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Pre-approved websites are clever too. You can make sure something like Times Table Rock Stars (TTRS) is approved, while limiting YouTube by only approving certain channels and YouTubers, for example.

It means the pre-approved website list can be as granular as you want, giving you more control over what your child can and can’t access.

There’s control over contacts, too. It was previously possible to set Communication Limits, allowing parents to select the contacts a child could talk to during specific times. However, with the new software, this feature has been extended.

If a child wants to add a new contact, they first need parental approval with the request coming through in Messages, like Ask to Buy and Ask to Browse, where the parent can then accept or decline.

There’s also a feature called Communication Safety, which already automatically blurred nudity detected in Messages and FaceTime video calls, though sadly not apps like WhatsApp at the moment.

With the new software, this feature will now detect and block gore and violent content in shared images and videos as well, and it is turned on by default for all users under 18. Again, this will work in Apple’s native apps, though there are APIs that would allow third-party apps to adopt the feature.

In the future, I’d love to see Communication Safety expand to look out for bullying or specific words that might indicate bullying in messages, but for now, these features all contribute to making it easier to keep children safer on devices, and that’s great to see.

Easier monitoring

Parental controls on Apple devices have long had Screen Time, but it was somewhat limited. With iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 Golden Gate, there is a new Time Allowance feature that lets parents set separate limits by app category – like Entertainment, Games, and Social Media.

Apple provides age-based starting points drawn from expert research that you can adjust to suit your family.

The redesigned Screen Time dashboard, meanwhile, gives you a cleaner, at-a-glance view of daily usage and the apps your kids are using most.

You can pause device access instantly, in case someone isn’t doing what they are told and they need a time out. On the flip side, you can also extend a limit quickly if your kid needs a few more minutes to finish something or perhaps you are giving them a reward.

Other features coming with iOS 27 include a Screen Time Passcode Notifications alert for parents if the Screen Time passcode is entered on a child's device. This might give you a heads-up if a child is attempting to change their own restrictions.

User Reporting Tools are also being expanded globally, allowing harmful content to be flagged directly to Apple from more countries and regions. And the company has also launched a dedicated website for parents, covering setup guides, recommended settings, and answers to common questions.

Determined teenagers will always find workarounds, and no features replace actual conversations with your children about how to behave online and the dangers of online. But the new tools coming with iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 are considered, easier to set up and maintain than those that came before.

They're certainly a step in the right direction, which I am thrilled about.

Samsung could return to its split hardware strategy for the Galaxy Z Flip 8, expected to be announced on 22 July. That could see some versions of the phone equipped with Snapdragon, while others will get the latest Exynos chip.

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has been following Samsung's phones over the years, but in 2025, Samsung made a departure from the norm and equipped all versions of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 with the Exynos 2500.

That was out of character, especially for buyers in the US, where the phone is typically sitting on a Snapdragon platform. For those in the Europe and India, Exynos is much more typical.

Now it seems that this flip phone will be returning to a split hardware offering. That's said to see some devices using Snapdragon, while others take the Exynos 2600. The Exynos 2600 sits on a 2nm process, while Qualcomm is yet to move its Snapdragon from 3nm.

The report (via SamMobile) points to a leak from a Japanese carrier suggesting that it will get Snapdragon, while other regions – including Korea and Europe – will get Exynos.

While it's fairly predicable that Samsung will use the Exynos 2600 for the device, it's currently not clear what it will use from the Snapdragon range. Currently it's suggested that it will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, but there's more hardware for Samsung to choose from.

Samsung typically uses a "for Galaxy" version of Snapdragon hardware, clocked slightly higher to boost performance of phones like the Galaxy S26 Ultra. While performance in this flagship phone is paramount, for folding devices the same level of power might not be needed.

That, potentially, opens the door to the 7-core version of the hardware, or indeed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, both of which drop the performance for intensive tasks slightly, while offering better endurance. That might suit a folding phone better.

Meanwhile, Samsung's biggest rival, the Motorola Razr 70 Ultra, comes packed with the older Snapdragon 8 Elite from 2024, so there's some precedence here to avoid top-tier hardware.

The price of phones is also increasing, with component prices like RAM and storage soaring fuelled by demand from AI companies, and that could see Samsung making decisions to keep the price under control.

With the phones expected to launch at a Galaxy Unpacked event on 22 July, there's not long to go before the Galaxy Z Flip 8 will be revealed in all its glory.

It's been almost eight years since the very first folding phone came to market. That was the Royole FlexPai, if you remember that – which ultimately failed and the company went under.

Since then, however, we've seen plenty of big-name players enter the space, with Samsung at the forefront – and, if rumours are true, the South Korean brand is due to reveal its latest Galaxy Z Fold 8 range next month.

Amid rumours that Apple could also reveal a foldable iPhone, the folding phone market is arguably now more relevant than ever. But it's the release of a certain specification that makes that all the more true, thanks to a Samsung upgrade to battle the much-lauded "crease" so prevalent in folding devices.

As reported by Notebookcheck, referencing a ZDNet South Korea post, two Galaxy Z Fold 8 devices are in the works – the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra – with the wide model said to use a new ultra-thin (UTG) glass solution that's even thicker.

Samsung's UTG solution has been increasing in thickness – the Z Fold 7's UTG was 50% thicker than its predecessor, up from 30- to 45-microns – and the new Z Fold 8 Wide is said to match that increase again, moving to 60-microns.

While thinner is typically 'better' when it comes to tech products, with ultra-thin glass the opposite approach brings benefits. This new glass ought to be smoother, feel and perform better, and help negate the crease visibility. That'll help to make foldables even more relevant to a wider market, if it helps solve the biggest bugbear in this category.

Thicker folding glass is trickier to manufacture, however, due to increased risk of breakage. That could explain why only the Z Fold 8 Wide is expected to utilise this technology – as a kind of testbed, if you like – while the Z Fold 8 Ultra's more classic, tried-and-tested format will retain the 45-micron UTG of previous.

Many others have been tackling 'the crease problem', too. Oppo's Find N6 – which didn't launch in many markets – used a 3D-printing technique to fill dips in the hinge mechanism for a flatter, near "crease-free" solution. So there are multiple ways in which to tackle the problem.

Samsung's persistence in the folding phones market shows greater resilience than many other makers. But with new entries from Motorola, expected updates from Honor and more, plus Apple's will-it-won't-it-happen folding iPhone potentially on the horizon, 2026 looks like a tipping point for foldables – and all the better for it.

A new folding charging hub, called Tessan Power Elf I, wants to fix the many-charging-cables problem by combining everything into a single compact device.

Designed to charge multiple gadgets at once, the Power Elf can power a laptop, smartphone and smartwatch while taking up far less room than a collection of separate chargers. When not in use, the unit folds down into a travel-friendly package that's easy to slip into a backpack or laptop bag.

It's not just about portability though. High-power USB-C charging means the hub can handle power hungry gadgets like laptops, while also supporting wireless charging for compatible phones and accessories.

So now, rather than dedicating part of your workspace to a permanent charging station, the hub can disappear when the working day is done. Tidy.

Tech companies have spent years making devices thinner and more portable, but charging setups have remained pretty bulky until now. Or it's meant a whole host of cables to sort through when they inevitably get tangled over time.

This is a simple solution. One charger, one power outlet and one tidy setup. Ideal for anyone working from home, travelling regularly or trying to keep their desk looking presentable.

It's not the most glamorous gadget you'll see this year, but it might be one of the most useful. And if it means never crawling under your desk hunting for a spare charger again, that's a win in my book.

Oppo could be developing a wider format folding phone to compete with the iPhone Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8. The device – which might be called the Oppo Find N7 – could offer a creaseless display and be packed with power.

Samsung is expected announce its wider folding phone in July, before Apple makes its entry to the market with the iPhone Ultra in September. Oppo could follow a little later, with the new folding model said to use the as yet unannounced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6.

With that hardware not expected until September at the earliest, Oppo's new device might not get announced until Q1 2027.

The details come from Digital Chat Station on Weibo (via GSMArena), who outlines that there will be 7.6-inch folding display and a 5.5-inch screen on the cover.

The new Oppo phone is expected to use the creaseless technology seen on the Oppo Find N6, where the hinge is scanned and 3D liquid printing is used to make sure the surface is perfectly flat to better support the screen.

Moving to a wider format of folding phone seems to be the industry trend right now, with many brands looking to offer a rival device to Apple's folding phone when it's announced. It's thought that the wider display has been chosen because it's more useful, more like a small tablet than the square displays of current models.

So far only Huawei has a wide folding phone, but that's set to change with a flurry of devices expected over the coming months.

Samsung is expected to launch a wider model – called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 – alongside the traditional style of folding phone that will adopt the name Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Folding phone shipments are expected to grow by 20% in 2026 according to Counterpoint Research, although in 2025, folding phones only made up 1.6% of the global smartphone market.

Folding phones remain a premium option with a high price attached, with Samsung and Huawei dominating global shipments so far.

Given the existing launch time frames for the next generation of folding phone, Oppo's new device is set to have a later generation of hardware than Samsung, which could make it a tempting alternative.

The Samsung Galaxy S27 has just appeared in an official capacity for the first time. No, nothing has come from Samsung itself yet, but the model number for the new phone has appeared in the GSMA database.

GSMA is the organisation that manages the global mobile ecosystem. Getting listed on its database brings the Galaxy S27 into the real world and out of the realm of sheer speculation.

That means the phone is real, with the SM-S952U model number listed (via Smartprix). The U indicates that this is a model for the US, but for now, that's all we have. For reference, the Galaxy S26 is SM-S942U.

Of course, we knew that Samsung would be launching the Galaxy S27 without this confirmation: it's one of the world's biggest phone manufacturers and it's not just going to abandon that. And naturally, because we're talking about the internal model number, there's every chance it won't be called the Galaxy S27, but that would be a huge break with tradition.

We're expecting to see the Galaxy S27, Galaxy S27 Plus and Galaxy S27 Ultra as the next run of Samsung's flagship phones, although launch shouldn't be expected until January or February 2027.

What else do we know about the Samsung Galaxy S27?

While this is the first time the model number has appeared somewhere official, it's not the first we've heard about Samsung's plans, although most have focused on the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

There's been a rumour that it might use a LOFIC sensor for the main camera to boost the performance. That's on top of the 3x telephoto camera potentially being dropped from the selection.

But elsewhere we've heard that Samsung could have another model, the Galaxy S27 Pro. This is pitched as sitting above the Plus and below the Ultra, with a large display and premium camera, but without S Pen support – something that could be really popular.

In recent years, Samsung's phones have only seen minor changes from year to year, the biggest introduction in 2026 being Privacy Display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. And although the Galaxy S25 Edge was a major addition the year before, it didn't continue after that first model.

That might temper expectations for the next generation: will we see a dramatic change from Samsung? It's unlikely.

We’ve been waiting a while (since WWDC 24, if you’ve been counting), but the new, more personalised and contextualised Siri will finally arrive this year. It comes in the form of Siri AI, and was revealed at Apple’s WWDC26 alongside new Apple Intelligence features, which include new photo editing tools and Suggestions in messages.

I’ve now had a few demos of the new Siri AI, but I have also been playing with it myself on my iPhone 16 Pro Max using the iOS 27 Developer Beta. I must admit, I have been pleasantly surprised so far.

Siri AI actually does what I want

There are a few things I have asked Siri AI to do. I started with asking it to find my Swedish auntie’s marinade recipe that my mum had sent me in Messages. The recipe is in Swedish and my mum sent it as a photo back in 2023.

My prompt to Siri AI was: “Can you find the BBQ marinade recipe I was sent by Mum”. Much to my surprise, Siri summarised the conversation my mum and I had had about the marinade and highlighted a couple of messages at the bottom of the results in the "sources". Tapping one of the two listed messages took me to the photo I needed.

I also asked Siri AI to tell me which dates in July I could do a lunch meeting (turns out I am pretty free in July except a few dates, which Siri listed for me), and I asked Siri AI to create an event every Friday in July from 6pm to 8pm, which it managed without a problem.

When my friend Aaron sent me a message in the Messages app asking if I was free for dinner on a specific date, I asked Siri to check my calendar and find alternatives when it noted a clash. It then constructed a message in a similar tone to the rest of our conversation to respond to him.

Other examples I tested Siri AI with included asking it to pull a packing list from an email I received with information about WWDC, and add it to a Reminder list with a note to pack when I got back to the hotel. I didn’t tell it which hotel but Siri knew.

When I asked it to show me photos from my holiday to Sweden last year, it pulled up all the photos I took, along with ones from this year. And asking it how much I spent on train station parking last month also returned the right result (based on me prompting it with the sender to look for in my email receipts).

There are a few things Siri AI didn’t quite manage, yet

Of course, Siri AI is still very much in beta, and with this come a few dropouts and errors.

While it found the messages with the photo of the marinade I was talking about earlier, it didn’t pull out the photo in its initial response. I had to click on the message from the source, then the photo and then I was able to ask Siri to translate it, which it then did brilliantly.

When I asked it how much I spend on my window cleaning every month, it told me I had a direct debit going out (which it knew from my emails), but despite the email saying the amount, Siri didn’t give me this.

I also asked it for my driving licence number, knowing that I had a photo of it in my Photos, but it didn’t retrieve this surprisingly.

What about the new Apple Intelligence features?

As for the Apple Intelligence features, these seem to work very well. The Reframe feature for photos is very impressive, allowing you to adjust the composition of a shot after you took it.

I got it to reframe a shot of me next to a WWDC sign, and it handled my patterned dress, as well as the translucent sign. Extend also works well, expanding a photo by up to 25% on each side and I had good results with Clean Up too, especially when selecting the "High Quality" option.

Suggestions also work well, with helpful buttons like "Add to Calendar" appearing when someone suggests a date in a message, and the ability to use natural language to describe a calendar invite is much more user-friendly than filling in all the fields separately.

I enjoyed playing around with creating Shortcuts using natural language, too – my test subject Aaron is going to enjoy receiving a message when I leave the Apple Visitor Centre after I finish this story.

A couple of things worth remembering

I use Apple’s native apps, including Mail, Messages and Apple Photos, so I am probably one of the best use cases for Siri AI at the moment.

In the Developer Beta of Siri AI, it wasn’t able to use context from an open WhatsApp chat screen with Aaron to search my calendar for the new lunch date that had been suggested, instead only pulling from the initial message in Messages about dinner.

There will also no doubt be a number of other hurdles Siri and third-party developers still need to overcome.

But from my interactions so far, Siri AI is head and shoulders above the current assistant, which, is quite frankly useless in comparison. It’s taken a couple of years more than I'd have liked, but so far, Siri AI actually seems to be pretty good.

During its WWDC 26 keynote, Apple revealed that iOS 27 will work on pretty much every iPhone released in the last seven years – from the iPhone 11 and up.

However, it has now also been confirmed that the vast majority of them won't be getting all the new features. In fact, only a small handful will support the most powerful on-device Apple Intelligence and Siri AI capabilities.

That's because, as 9to5Mac explains, the more advanced features will require at least 12GB of RAM to operate, while most older iPhone models have a maximum of 8GB. Of those currently available, only the iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air fit that particular bill. Even the iPhone 17 is not powerful enough.

The same is true with other Apple devices. You'll need an iPad running on at least M4 silicon and with 12GB of RAM, or a Mac on M3 with 12GB.

The better news is that most of the new features will work on other models too, although they will require data connections and are likely to return slower results, as they'll need to use Apple's remote Private Cloud Compute services to process commands.

We don't know yet which models those will be, and whether all iPhones will support the remote services. However, it is likely many of the more creative features, such as the enhanced Image Playground, will be included in that category.

When will the new Apple Intelligence and Siri AI launch?

Siri AI will arrive with the full release of iOS 27 – likely in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models and new, foldable iPhone Ultra.

It will be restricted to supported iPhones set to English language as default.

Unfortunately, that won't include any devices in the EU. Apple has decided to withhold Siri AI support from users in the European Union on privacy and security grounds, as it gets to grips with the ramifications of the EU's Digital Markets Act.

Many of the Apple Intelligence features unveiled during WWDC will be more widely available across multiple countries.

A developer beta of iOS 27 is available to download now, but it is highly inadvisable to do so unless you know what you're doing. The software can be bug-ridden and missing some other important phone features.

A public beta will follow in July.

Several new features are coming to iPhone when iOS 27 launches later this year, from performance improvements like faster AirDrop transfers (not that I find it particularly slow now) to new child safety features.

The new (and very long-awaited) Siri AI is unsurprisingly a highlight of the upcoming software, along with a few new Apple Intelligence features. So, here are the top five iOS 27 features that really caught my attention during my in-person demos at WWDC 26. They are the ones I'm looking forward to most.

1. A more helpful assistant in Siri AI

We’ve been waiting a long time for the new contextually aware Siri – two years in fact – but from what I was shown, it looks like it might finally be ready to be a helpful personal assistant.

Siri AI is a redesigned assistant powered by Apple Intelligence and unlike the old Siri, it handles open-ended questions, brainstorms ideas, and holds natural back-and-forth conversations.

It understands personal context, surfacing buried emails, old photos, or saved notes with a simple request. It can also take actions across apps like Messages, Music, and Reminders, and tap into the web for up-to-date answers on pretty much any topic.

A new, dedicated Siri app keeps all your conversations synced across iPhone, iPad and Mac, and it can also write drafts and match your personal tone for each recipient you reply to, as long as you have at least two messages with them for context.

2. Clever new photo editing skills

The enhanced photo-editing skills were rumoured before WWDC kicked off, but I’ve now seen them in action, and they are impressive.

A new ‘Tools’ icon appears alongside Adjust, Filters and Crop when you tap to edit a photo. From here, there’s a Reframe feature that allows you to change the composition of a photo – perhaps you got the angle slightly wrong or didn’t notice the sign in the background, for example.

Clean Up, which lets you remove unwanted objects from a photo, has also been upgraded. In the demo I saw, Clean Up was able to remove a chair and large cuddly toy from an image, place a child’s leg in its place and even match the stripy sock from the child’s other leg.

There’s also Extend, which lets you expand a photo by 25% in any direction.

3. Context-aware suggestions

Siri Suggestions bring intelligent, context-aware actions into Apple’s native apps and this is one feature I am really looking forward to see expand.

To start with, in Messages and Mail, quick actions might be suggested based on your conversation, such as adding a calendar event or opening the Photos app to send a photo.

It can also proactively surface relevant information during phone calls, such as pulling up a confirmation code from your inbox while you're on the line with an airline.

It’s taken further with the Shortcuts app, where you can simply describe a task in plain language, and Siri can build a multi-step automation that connects actions across multiple apps. I can see plenty of potential here.

4. Fixing passwords without my input

This is not one to be underestimated. If you have compromised passwords in the passwords app, you’ll have no excuse for not sorting those out with iOS 27.

The Passwords app in the new software takes the hassle out of keeping your accounts secure. It automatically alerts you to any weak or compromised passwords and can update them on your behalf with no manual effort from you required except one quick tap.

5. Personalising Liquid Glass

This one might not seem that exciting, but for those who found the Liquid Glass design of iOS 26 a little hard to read, there’s a new slider in iOS 27 that will help.

The slider can be found in the Appearance section of Settings, and will allow you to personalise how Liquid Glass looks across your iPhone.

It can be dialled anywhere from ultra clear to fully tinted, with the latter making it a little easier to see. The new software also improves the underlying Liquid Glass design itself, with more uniform refraction and better contrast.

Apple has said iOS 27 will be available from this fall (autumn), though there should be a public beta available from July if you want to try some of the new features out beforehand.

It will be compatible on iPhones from the iPhone 11 and newer, but Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features require an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 model or iPhone 17 model.

The iPhone Ultra is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro in September 2026. That will see Apple with its first foldable phone, but thanks to WWDC 2026 a number of references to the forthcoming device might have surfaced.

The first of these cropped up in the iOS 27 developer beta, which was released immediately after the keynote. That's given some users time to dive through the code and find new references.

Highlighted by 9to5Mac, X user @samhenrigold pointed out that within the code were references to "foldState" and "angleDegrees", as well as a new MobileGestalt key to highlight the number of displays on a device.

MobileGestalt is a system library in iOS that the device can refer to – and in the past, all iPhones have had one display, so there's been no need to find out how many displays there are. In a folding phone, you'd need that information, because there are two.

That perhaps hints that iOS 27 is ready to support a new format of device.

Elsewhere, some users have spotted that iPhone mirroring on macOS can be resized to look like an iPad, with many suggesting this is preparation to support the iPhone Ultra's unfolded display.

While there might not be a need to mirror the iPhone Ultra's main display, it perhaps gives an insight into how apps might shift from the external display to the main internal display.

That's not the only place where this happens: with the introduction of Xcode's Device Hub, apps can quickly be resized, again giving us a good look at how developers might adapt apps for a different display. Of course, this could just be about making apps work better across iPhone and iPad.

Although digging through the details of code and minor references for a hint of iPhone Ultra might seem a little desperate, there's another Easter egg that some are pointing to. I wouldn't go as far as saying this is a smoking gun, but definitely looks like it's designed to get people talking.

Part of the presentation by Stacey Ford takes place in mock workshop environment, with tables filled with tools and devices in pieces.

On a quick pan we pass some of the usual suspects, like an Apple Watch in bits, there's the latest iPhone and then a tray with some thicker devices on them. Some are pointing to these as folding device prototypes.

As I said, it's hardly a smoking gun. The tray in question has a blower brush (common in photography) and what looks like a pocket magnifying glass of some type, so there's sort of a photography theme happening there and very little that looks like an iPhone Ultra.

Still, if you're looking for it, you'll find it, even if it's not actually there.

If you've been around the tech space for a while, you'll know that the near-constant back-and-forth between Apple and the European Union is almost perpetual. The two often find themselves at loggerheads, which has caused some high-profile moments over the years.

Now, it seems to be rearing its head once again. Mentioned briefly at WWDC 2026 and noted in the footnotes of its press briefing, Apple confirmed that the new Siri AI feature would "not be available initially in the EU."

Well, that's a half truth, actually. It'll be available across MacBooks, Apple Watches and Apple Vision Pro, but will be held back for iPad and iPhone users.

Why? Well, it all comes down to the EU's Digital Markets Act. That's nothing new, and is designed to ensure fair competition in digital spaces, but forcing larger technology gatekeepers to follow rules around open app stores, data sharing and more.

Now, that's not too much of an issue for Android phones, where that kind of open functionality has been a feature for years. But Apple has made a big deal of its walled garden design, so it's more of a change there.

According to a press release from the brand, Apple offered a range of solutions to effectively find a middle ground, which were rejected by the EU. That release goes on to regale horror stories about some – notably unnamed – AI agents stealing data and altering files.

Personally, I'm slightly sceptical. While I have no doubts that Apple wants to keep its users walled into its own services, I can't help but feel that these claims are somewhat embellished – particularly with other brands seemingly able to comply.

Still, there's one ray of light for those of us in the UK – it's not set to affect us. The issue only arises for those in the 27 member states of the EU, leaving the UK unaffected.

After two years of waiting, Siri AI is now here. Announced (again) at WWDC 2026, the new AI-powered assistant looks set to be the big highlight of the event, complete with the promise of some killer features.

For starters, the system is built on the brand's next-gen Apple Intelligence platform. That's built in collaboration with Google's Gemini, which should offer a more stable base than Apple's previous attempt. It's pretty recognisable, too, so anyone who has spent a long time using Gemini in the past will feel right at home.

The new Siri can use personal context, as well as context from what's on your screen, in order to provide a more natural, conversational experience. In the presentation, we see the user ask where a location in an image is, with Siri able to recognise it and share a location.

It'll also be able to recognise the people and faces in your image library, making it easier than ever to find images. You can say things like "find the picture of John from our trip to the park in April" and it should be able to do just that.

The voice has also changed, with a lot more expressiveness in its delivery. It's quite cool, if a little cringey, especially when you hear it trying to use modern slang and language. It's a bit like hearing your Granny do the same.

You can even adjust the pace and expressivity of the voice, as well as change the accent, to really tailor the assistant to exactly how you'd like them to respond.

There are lots of dedicated changes for the system on Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro and MacBooks, too. Most notably, that includes the ability to speak to Siri from the Spotlight window on Mac, and to simply look at the Siri window and start speaking on Vision Pro.

Apple has announced that iPhones released as long as seven years ago will continue to support the latest iOS software. All handsets that can run iOS 26 will essentially run iOS 27 too.

Speaking during the WWDC 26 keynote address, the company revealed that the iPhone 11 and above will work with the next big upgrade.

The iPhone 11 was released in 2019 and so was never expected to meet the cut this time around, but it'll get many of the new features and tweaked Liquid Glass design – much like the latest devices, too.

The list also includes a couple of iPhone SE models as well.

iOS 27 iPhone compatibility list

• iPhone SE (2nd generation)
• iPhone SE (3rd generation)
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 17e

Of course, not all of the new features will make their way onto the older devices. The current Apple Intelligence is only available on the iPhone 15 Pro and above, for example.

It would be hugely surprising for the new Siri AI and Apple Intelligence capabilities to appear on anything less.

However, there will be plenty of other new tools and features that will be available, such as the tweaked Liquid Glass design where you can adjust the translucency of the background. Or the new parental controls to limit content for youngsters.

That makes sense considering many parents hand their older iPhones down to their children.

We'll undoubtedly find out more about iOS 27, Siri AI and Apple Intelligence over the coming days, as WWDC progresses. Make sure you come back to T3 to find out exactly what's happening out in Cupertino.

Samsung's Galaxy S FE range is something of an oddity, offering a mid-year alternative to Samsung's flagship phones. And for 2026, it looks like we'll be getting the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE.

The FE phone – standing for Fan Edition – isn't expected until after the launch of the new Galaxy Z devices, so it's likely that it will appear in August or September. It'll offer a discount on the flagship phones, while still delivering much of the experience of those devices.

Our first look at this phone reveals a design that's pretty much as we expect. It looks just like the Galaxy S26, with the raised camera presentation on the back. The images come from a listing at the Wireless Power Consortium (via 9to5Google), so we know it will have wireless charging at least.

We don't know much else about the Galaxy S26 FE, aside from a previous rumour that suggested that Samsung might be switching from using Samsung Display sourced panels, to CSOT, a change you probably won't even notice.

As Samsung generally continues much of a device's specifications from one year to the next, I'd expect that to be a 6.7-inch screen with 120Hz, with an Exynos 2500 sitting at its core. That's the hardware that powers the Galaxy Z Flip 7.

Elsewhere, the Galaxy S26 FE is expected to have a triple camera as shown in the image, comprised of a 50-megapixel main, 12-megapixel ultrawide and 8-megapixel telephoto with 3x optical zoom.

Samsung is in a bit of a bind with this phone: having kept the same camera hardware on the Galaxy S26 models, it can't really make changes to the Galaxy S26 FE without cannibalising those devices. The weakest camera is that 8-megapixel telephoto, but moving to a 10-megapixel sensor would present the same camera as the more expensive Galaxy S26.

The battery is expected to stick to 4,900mAh with 45W charging, while it would be reasonable to expect it to run Android 17 with One UI 9 out of the box – with seven years of updates.

The Galaxy S25 FE launched at £649.00 / $649.99 and we'd expect the Galaxy S26 FE to arrive with the same price. The Galaxy S26 is priced at £879.00 / $899.99.

The changes, then, apart from the design, are likely to come in the software features that it offers and increased power from the new hardware.

Samsung hasn't made huge hardware changes to recent devices, so it would be entirely typical for the Galaxy S26 FE to be much the same as before, just to offer a slightly cheaper sub-flagship option.

While today's WWDC event is likely to showcase a lot of software from Apple, there's another event expected later this year with more significance. That's because the brand is slated to drop a bevy of hardware this Autumn, including its first attempt at a foldable phone.

That's expected to debut as the iPhone Ultra, and has been leaked once again. Notable and respected tech industry insider, Sonny Dickson, has shared a new suite of images of a dummy unit of the handset.

The images themselves show off a fairly similar design to others we've seen before, though this unit definitely looks a lot more finalised. The unit features a shorter, fatter design than other units currently on the market, which more closely resemble the aspect ratio of standard phones when folded.

Personally, I'm not such a fan of this stubbier appearance, but it does make it a better alternative to something like the iPad Mini. See, where most standard foldable phones open out to something almost square, this device will open out to a more traditional tablet aspect ratio.

That's likely to be the big sell for Apple, with a product which could feasibly replace both an iPhone and an iPad for most users. It's a marked departure from Apple sales of old, where the goal was to embed users in a multi-device ecosystem.

Elsewhere, Dickson suggests that the device will only be available in one colour – white. That's another shocking suggestion, with other devices at least offering a darker hue.

We also see the previously suggested top-mounted volume buttons, which sit atop the back panel. That also houses the power button on the side, which should ensure the placement of those buttons doesn't change when the device is folded or unfolded.

Regardless of what you think of it, this device is certain to shake up the market when it launches.

Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference for 2026 – WWDC 2026 for short, or 'Dub Dub' as it's lovingly known – is now over. And it was a pivotal moment for Apple.

The current CEO, Tim Cook, presented for his final time – as John Ternus will take over in September, just in time for the iPhone 18 launch. WWDC 2026 gave us a preview of the software that'll bring, though.

The show was all about iOS 27, plus Apple's other platforms – macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS – because the next-generation of Siri, called Siri AI, will be key for the whole ecosystem. And it's powered by Google, just delivered in a very 'Apple way'.

With the 8 June keynote now behind us, you can catch the biggest headlines below, or read our musings from throughout the day, post by post. There's a lot more to come, too, as this WWDC was a major one – and the iOS 27 opinions (with the beta software imminent), backwards compatibility, and Siri AI region limits are all talking points.

WWDC 2026 biggest news headlines:

• The 5 best new features coming to iOS 27
• Apple's Siri AI is finally here – and will look familiar
• We tried out the new Siri – here are our honest thoughts
• Your older iPhone will support iOS 27 – here's what's compatible
• While iPhone owners in the EU won't get Siri AI yet, those in the UK will

What's Cookin'?

While the big news is inevitably going to be about new iOS 27 and MacOS software innovations, it's impossible to ignore that Tim Cook will be passing the baton to John Ternus – officially from this coming September.

That gives WWDC 2026 more of a 'people story' aspect than others in its recent past, with both Cook and Ternus expected to present – along with many other Apple executives in their respective roles.

It's the end of one era and the beginning of another – which means significant software announcements are a must to kick-off Ternus' leadership with a bang.

Return of the Mac

While the expectation is for lots of iOS 27 updates for the incoming iPhone 18 Ultra launch in September, don't expect any hardware reveals today.

However, 2026 has been a massive year for Apple's MacBook line-up, with the MacBook Neo shaking up the proposition entirely this year.

That's a good reason for the foundations of MacOS to get a further shake-up, therefore, with WWDC 2026 the obvious platform for such reveals.

What exactly could we expect? Rumours suggest that the Mac could get a Liquid Glass-style overhaul, for starters, tying it in with the Apple ecosystem even closer.

Apple TV surprise?

As reported last month, following Apple's update of its tvOS, there are ongoing rumours that a new Apple TV 4K box could be coming.

Could this mark a rare hardware reveal of sorts at WWDC 2026? Chances are that'll get too distracting for the core audience, when the key push will be for iOS 27 developments.

Nonetheless, the expected Siri enhancements – that true Agentic AI agency is incoming for Apple – will also affect the way you can control Apple TV.

Quiz time!

Tim's late-night post

A 3am Twitter post from Apple's CEO! Well, what's that all about? Don't worry, it's nothing untoward. Just WWDC 2026 student winners hanging out at Apple Park in the lovely sunshine.

"Coming bright up"

With just over four hours to go until WWDC kicks off proper, let's take a look back at the official event reveal – and its "Coming bright up" tag line.

It's widely thought that this play on words – 'coming right up' – will refer to second-generation Siri. An "All systems glow" alternative is what's used on Apple's Developer Portal instead, both using brightness and glowing in their language. Quite the tease!

How will this apply to Siri? It's thought that the AI Agent will live always-on in your iPhone's Dynamic Island, ready on your command, revealing in a new bright/glowing interface for interactions.

As voice will be a large part of 'Siri 2.0' – perhaps it'll be called something even grander, we'll have to wait and see – this glowing visual reference will be an ideal cue that Siri is active, ready for interaction.

Just a touch

Much as Siri 2.0's voice interaction will be the big sell of WWDC 2026, we're all used to using our iPhones with our hands. Touch-based control is a staple for iOS 27.

But it hasn't been for Mac. Ever. There's long been rumours about that changing, but at this Dub Dub there's wider expectation than ever that macOS will actually bring an update to cater for touch-screen MacBooks.

That's centred around speculation of a MacBook Ultra, rumoured to be launching towards the end of this year, with an OLED panel for the first time. And, supposedly, a touchscreen too.

That would be a huge step-change for Apple's laptop line. It's not a 100% confirmation yet, of course, and there are plenty who wouldn't want touch to be added – given the iPad's position as that go-between product.

iDroid?

So where is the Siri 2.0 intelligence coming from? Well, after Apple Intelligence didn't quite hit the mark after its iOS 18 beginnings (that being the old naming format – it was released in 2024), Google has stepped in to assist.

Google Cloud's CEO, Thomas Kurian, said earlier this year: "We’re collaborating with Apple as their preferred cloud provider to develop the next generation of Apple Foundation Models based on Gemini technology."

But this isn't 'Google Gemini for iPhone'. It's Apple utilising Google's AI expertise to apply to its own models and systems, in order to make for "a more personalised Siri". It's long been known that Apple had turned to Google to develop new Foundation Models, which are the backbone behind Apple Intelligence.

What these AI advances could mean

So we've got Google providing some expertise to make Apple Intelligence truly, y'know, intelligent – with Siri 2.0 being at the forefront of that upgrade.

But what else could this actually mean? Expect to be able to do much more! Apple's Image Playground is one aspect likely to take benefit. This AI-image-generation tool is fun, but it's fixed to a given Genmoji style.

Google's Gemini Omni (formerly Veo 3) can already create much more realistic AI results, or produce a wide variety. So you can expect Genmoji and Image Playground to deliver far more options.

Siri, meet Claude. Claude, be nice to ChatGPT.

Rumour has it that Siri 2.0 won't be a closed book either. While Apple already permits you to pass queries through ChatGPT, if Siri is going to be truly agentic – i.e. acting like an agent, so pooling from multiple sources to create actions – that's expected to expand to also include Claude.

This isn't a major surprise. Other phone-makers already do similar – Samsung's Galaxy AI utilises Google Gemini as its core model, but you can also use Perplexity (in addition to Samsung's own Bixby – not that anyone really does).

While this will enable Siri 2.0 to be more intelligent, due to its potential pool of resources, Apple does run the risk of isolating some users if there are simply too many pay-for additional options. Claude is free to use at its most basic, but there is a ceiling to volume of queries – bypassed by paying for a Pro membership.

The waiting game...

But, here's a thought: while Siri 2.0 is likely to roll out with iOS 27 beta ahead of the full software launch – anticipated to be in September, along with the new iPhone 18 models – it might not be available in every region from day one.

The UK, for example, is typically at least six months behind Google's and Apple's software rollouts. It's because US English is signed off – often alongside Korean – for launch date, with other languages/regions having extended waits for approval.

So all the fancy new tricks that Siri 2.0 will be shown to offer during WWDC might not be immediately available everywhere. At least you'll get a taste of what's to come, though, and just how much better your next iPhone might behave.

Do you need to upgrade?

There's a big question. Will Siri 2.0 be coming to all iPhone models? Short answer: no.

That's because there's not endless software support and some older hardware doesn't have the goods to deliver at the level required – despite some AI being performed off device, in the cloud.

The iPhone X series, for example, didn't get iOS 26. Granted, that device is approaching nine years old. But even more recent handsets, such as the iPhone 15, wasn't compatible with Apple Intelligence – only the Pro and Pro Max models were for that generation.

Chances are, however, that those with an iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 model – and any model in those ranges – will get full iOS 27 support with Apple Intelligence and Siri 2.0, no features missing.

Hello and Good Morning Apple

Good afternoon, it's Mat Gallagher here, taking over the live blog, ahead of the big event. It's just gone 3:30pm here in the UK which means it's 7:30am in Cupertino, where WWDC will be taking place. We've already had early posts from Tim Cook, including this Good Morning post featuring a number of Apple TV stars.

Clues in the code

While it's highly likely we won't hear any details of new hardware in today's WWDC keynote, there could be clues in some of the new features of what's to come. Could we see more touchscreen friendly operation for Mac OS, suggesting a touchscreen Mac is around the corner? Could we see bigger screen dynamics for iOS that could be the groundwork for the iPhone Fold?

Seeing is believing

One interesting area will be Apple's Vision OS and smart glasses development. The Vision Pro is believed to have now been retired but it is likely to still gain updates in this round. Could those updates also make way for a smaller screen smart glasses display, like the Android XR system?

I don't suspect we will hear anything specifically about Apple's smart glasses plans today, but Vision OS developments could be telling.

What about the iPhone Fold?

Hardware's a no-no at this WWDC right? That's likely to be the case. But there's still a question mark over the iPhone Fold.

Not it actually being revealed – perhaps that'll happen as an 'and another thing' moment in September – but any alluding to its presence through iOS 27 feature updates.

If we start seeing new ways to share between apps, any notion of split-screen, and so forth, then could provide some early clues.

There is, of course, a chance that we're still way away from a folding iPhone launch actually happening – it might all be a pipe dream.

After all, the Apple Car was shelved. Well, kinda. That Ferrari Luce sure does look kinda suspect...

1 hour to go

Tick tock, it's almost Dub Dub o'clock. One hour until the show officially kicks off. Apple hasn't started to play tunes on repeat on its official WWDC 2026 live stream YouTube video just yet, mind – but it can only be a matter of time!

How will 'Super Siri' work?

For all the talk of an upgraded Siri, however, how is that functionality going to be integrated?

The likelihood is that, just like with Google Gemini and other AI systems, it will have a dedicated Siri app as part of iOS 27.

In here you'll be able to view your history of queries and responses, while accessing settings to enable or disable various features.

Siri is likely to be an always-on option, if you provide permissions, living in the Dynamic Island and ready to roll upon your request. Outside of iPhone, however, cross-device handover will surely be a significant aspect of the delivery.

Siri 2.0 ought to have cross-app accessibility with other Apple apps and, if Apple has done the necessary groundwork – and it's had over two years to do so – then third-party tie-ins could be the big upsell that Google's Android system hasn't quite nailed yet.

With Siri semi-contained through an app, you'll be able to monitor your history – but also disable the system as and when you please, hopefully with an app-by-app based control.

Looking back to look forward...

It's worth harking back to 12 months ago and WWDC 2025 for a moment, though. How will that affect what WWDC 2026 will deliver?

There's a typical theme at Dub Dub. Without a doubt it's software focused. And last year the keynote was used to talk about the following topics:

• Apple confirms iOS 26 with huge updates and major new features
• Your iPhone will look very different after Apple's Liquid Glass update
• Apple's new Mac software brings iOS 26 benefits – and adds one thing
• Apple's AirPods to get a useful new upgrade – although not all models
• Apple just gave your workouts a personal AI coach on the Apple Watch
• Apple takes gaming seriously at last – separate Games app coming to iOS 26

Liquid Glass was the major design change and biggest takeaway from last year's event. With that now well-established, however, it gives room for more Siri at WWDC 2026.

But history does repeat – and WWDC is a time to reflect on all of Apple's platforms. So let's not forget about watchOS, as new features are likely be appear there too – likely with a Siri angle.

We'll be back

Well, well, well, Apple's beta.apple.com page has been taken offline ahead of WWDC kicking off.

"We'll be back. We're busy updating the Apple Beta Software Program website and will be back soon" reads the page.

That'll be where iOS 27 beta with Siri show their faces, then, you can bet your bottom dollar.

What's in a name?

There's a lot of chat about what macOS 27 might be called. Long-running rumours that it would be 'Big Bear' aren't convincing everyone – including Apple insider, Mark Gurman, of Bloomberg.

So what'll it be? Here are some of the most likely options, with Emerald [Lake] becoming a late front-runner.

And we're off!

Strap in everyone, as it is time. WWDC 2026 is go – sorry, "glow time".

Golden Gate

Tim opens that the "latest advancements in Apple Intelligence and Siri," are key for WWDC 2026. Setting the stage for Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering.

And now everything's got really kinda trippy. But here's the answer to that earlier query – the next macOS will be Golden Gate. Not Emerald. Not Big Bear. Quite the unexpected result, that!

Liquid Glass personalisation

Liquid Glass was the big development for 2025, so what's next? It's all about refinement.

"Now, we're making some additional refinements. Starting with the foundations of how Liquid Glass is built."

A new slider in settings allows you to adjust how translucent Liquid Glass windows are – from completely clear to fully clouded.

App icons now have "additional layer of Liquid Glass" to add more character to apps – whether in your Dock, on your iPad or iPhone.

System animations are also smoother. A lot of things are now faster, too. iPhone and iPad apps can launch up to 30% faster – as the team found a way to pre-load data so they're ready to go. Photos appear much quicker in your camera roll, too.

iOS 27 backwards compatibility

An updated CPU scheduler "ensures the right work is executed at precisely the right time". But it's also been possible to bring enhancements to older iPhone models – all the way back to iPhone 11.

That means iOS 27 will come to iPhone models that launched in 2019 onwards. That's seven years of previous launches, which is impressive.

Search gets a much-needed update

Search across iPhone, iPad and Mac also gets improved across Spotlight, Photos and Mail.

Apple has re-architected the search index, so it knows you have and where to find it. This new infrastructure "has a complete picture of what's already there".

Child Accounts

Powerful parental controls are the next step of Apple's focus. With a Child Account, controls are there to handle what content kids can see.

"Start focused and add more over time" is the message – with the ability to take control over which apps they wish to add.

Screen Time evolves into Time Allowances – with Entertainment, Games and Social Media divided so that parents can allocate time per category. It's also possible to limit when such categories are available – being blocked during school time, for example.

Apple Intelligence – "big step forward"

"More personal and more useful" is the message for the updated Apple Intelligence.

This uses a new architecture, unlocks an entirely new Siri, and makes your apps smarter and more useful.

That's thanks to the relationship with Google Gemini, bringing many familiar features to Apple that have lacked.

From powerful image understanding and generation – so you can edit photos like never before – to even more powerful on-device speech.

Siri just got serious

"A profoundly more capable assistant."

Siri finally gets the update it has needed – and that was promised years ago.

The latest Apple Intelligence integration means Siri can do far more.

It possesses on-screen awareness – so can tailor its effectiveness depending on what you're doing in which app.

With broad world knowledge, Apple Intelligence can go to the web to then use private cloud compute to research an answer – all delivered via Siri.

Greater contextual understanding thanks to system-wide cross-over also means Siri can use your Photos, Contacts, Maps and more to thread together more personalised responses.

Siri also has a new voice – sounding a little more human – with customisation of pace and expressivity to match your preferences.

iPhone users can swipe down from Dynamic Island to activate, or you can use the side button to activate instead of voice – if you prefer.

Mac users, meanwhile, can Ctrl+click to ask Siri within an app. It's also possible to ask Siri directly in Spotlight, to create a conversation there.

Siri app

As expected: there's a new Siri app. It allows cross-device sync, too, so you can dig into your history of queries.

That means from macOS to iOS, iPadOS to watchOS, even visionOS, Siri sits across the full range of platforms.

There's also a Siri mode for the Camera app, which can prompt Visual Intelligence suggestions.

'Write with Siri' can create generative drafts, too. Be that full pieces from a prompt, or Mail suggestions based on your history.

Let's go on a Safari

Apple's browser gets updates too.

It can use Apple Intelligence to organise your tabs into topics, bringing related tabs together automatically.

Stay on top of updates you care about, without the need to constantly refresh. That's thanks to the addition of Notify Me, which automatically monitors your important pages for changes – be that concert tickets, re-stocking or similar.

Home gets a boost too

The Home app banishes multiple notifications – instead opting to update a notification as to not barrage you with excesses.

There's an update to cameras integrated into Home, too, with the ability to voice search for specific moments – such as when your kid arrives home or that parcel was delivered.

Shortcuts helps people get more done faster by automating all manner of things. By using Apple Intelligence, you can now simply describe a custom shortcut – no need to manually build one.

Image Playground

This gets an overhaul, too, as expected. No longer is image generation "cartoon only", with more powerful options at your fingertips – including photo-realistic options.

Brand new ways to modify your images are available too. Apple Intelligence can deal with multiple prompts, one step at a time, to adjust a generated image until your result is fitting to what you wanted to achieve.

Photos adds AI upgrades

Clean Up gets a big upgrade. Remove distractions with more realistic in-fills.

Extend can expand images – be that a new aspect ratio or adding extra space around a subject.

Spatial Reframing adds a suite of adjustments – available after a picture has been taken. At its core it's about reframing, but to an advanced degree – so much that you can even move a camera position to recompose a shot.

Siri AI is not for the UK... yet

While Siri AI will be available in iOS 27, that doesn't apply to Europe or China just yet. There's regulatory processes to get through – and that'll take time.

It's also worth noting that some of the more advanced iOS 27 features will only function on the most powerful current hardware.

When can you get it?

Developer beta is available today, with the public beta coming "next month". The public full release will be "this fall" – in sync with the expected iPhone 18 launch.

Tim Cook, signing off

No John Ternus to be seen anywhere for this presentation, then, as was largely expected. However, he was posing with many WWDC attendees yesterday, so is very involved.

But Tim Cook signed off in heartfelt fashion, quipping it had been the "honour of a lifetime" to work with his teams.

And that, each and everyone, is WWDC 2026 over and out.

Splitting a restaurant bill could finally become painless if a new Apple Wallet feature arrives as expected in iOS 27.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is working on a tool that can scan a receipt, work out who owes what and send payment requests automatically using Apple Cash. It could end up being one of the most useful iPhone upgrades yet.

The feature is expected to live inside Apple Wallet. You would simply take a photo of a receipt, the software then identifies items and assigns them to different people before calculating exactly what everyone owes.

If it works as claimed, it could put an end to the post-meal maths session that seems to follow every group dinner.

Plenty of apps have tried to solve this problem already. Most still require us to manually enter costs or convince everyone involved to download the same app. Apple's advantage, Wallet is already on millions of iPhones.

The feature is also reportedly tied to Apple Cash, allowing payment requests to be sent automatically once the bill has been divided up. No more trying to remember who ordered the extra round of drinks then.

Apple Watch could be getting this upgrade too. The report claims payment approvals may be handled directly from the smartwatch, while Messages integration could make it easier to send and manage requests between friends.

There is one potential catch. Apple Cash is currently only available in the US, so it's not yet clear how the feature might work in other areas including the UK. Apple could expand Apple Cash, adapt the feature for other payment systems or limit some functionality outside the US.

With WWDC just around the corner, we may not have long to wait to find out if this rumoured feature makes the final cut. And if it does, splitting the bill could finally stop being the worst part of eating out with friends.

Samsung will launch the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra at a forthcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, with the name confirmed after a listing appeared on a certification site.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has been listed on Bluetooth SIG, where all Bluetooth devices are registered, with the listing revealing a range of model numbers. It was uncovered by Sumahodigest in Japan.

The various model numbers listed align with different carriers in Japan, confirming that's it will be available from all the major national networks.

While that's great news for readers in Japan, what's more interesting is confirmation of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra name.

We've previously heard this name, but it's thought that Samsung is going to shuffle the naming of its devices, with the Ultra name getting appended to devices with the exsiting format - i.e., the replacement for the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

That leaves the old name - Galaxy Z Fold 8 - to the new shorter format "wide" model which is where most of the excitement is focused right now.

So, while confirmation of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra name leads us towards Samsung's plans for its next-gen folding phones, while also confirming that launch is imminent, it's the Galaxy Z Fold 8 that we're more interested in, even if that sounds counterintuitive.

The reason for the switch in naming is because the Ultra will be the higher spec device, offering three cameras on the back rather than two. There may be more to set these devices apart, but so far we don't have a full breakdown of other differences.

Samsung is thought to be launching the Galaxy Z Fold series at Galaxy Unpacked on 22 July, with the shorter format of phone pitched to fend off the anticipated iPhone Ultra.

The thing that's likely to differentiate Apple's folding phone from Samsung's is the price: the iPhone Ultra is thought to cost around $2,500.

With Samsung's folding phone previously costing around $2,000, it might be that Samsung's wide model is cheaper than the "Ultra" – making it look like good value compared to Apple.

Apple could be looking at using liquid metal in the construction of the new iPhone Ultra folding phone. It's thought that it could be used for the hinge.

The details come from a leak on Weibo, but let's just clear something up before imaginations run wild: this isn't liquid metal like the T1000 in Terminator films, able to keep its form while transfiguring into different shapes a normal temperatures.

Instead, liquid metal is an amorphous alloy where the atoms form a disorganised structure rather than a crystalline grid like traditional metals. That allows it to be formed into complex shapes and it allows greater flexibility in manufacturing.

It's called liquid metal because it behaves more like a liquid and it's something that Apple has been interested in for a long time. Indeed, rumours that Apple would use liquid metal for its folding phone appeared in 2025 and was even discussed in 2010 by the likes of Cult of Mac.

The tech has also been referred to as metal glass.

The aim would be to make the hinge lighter and stronger, while being able to form the complex shapes needed and to ensure durability. Liquid metal is a good application for this and Apple won't be the first to use it: it's already used by Oppo.

While the hinge is often highlighted as a point of failure for folding phones, there are two parts to consider. There's the mechanical hinge itself and then there's the display that sits over it. In the folding phones I've owned (or rather my wife has owned) the screen has failed through delamination of the screen at the point of bending.

That could perhaps be aided by producing a stronger hinge that better supports the display from the rear. Oppo's approach here is interesting for exactly that, because it uses a 3D scanning and liquid printing technique to flatten out the hinge and produce a "no crease" hinge.

Apple's first use of liquid metal was to produce a SIM tray tool for the iPad, but since then, the company's interest in the material hasn't resulted in anything substantial – it hasn't been used in a product (that we know of).

The iPhone Ultra could change that, with a much more substantial use of the material that Apple has been interested in for more than 15 years. The iPhone Ultra is expected to be announced in September 2026.

We've reached that point in the rumour cycle where things step into the real world, with the new format Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 spotted out in a restaurant. The excursion helps build confidence that we're going to see this model introduced by Samsung soon.

Following the likes of dummy units appearing online (such as the new shots shared by UniverseIce on X), it's not uncommon for new smartphone models to be spotted in the wild. Now Samsung is doing a turn here. In this case, the source of the images says they were taken at 20x zoom and apologises for the quality.

The Samsung phone appears to be in a protective (or camouflage) case so it looks quite bulky on the table, but we also get a good look at how it might sit in the hand.

From the photos, we can see two cameras on the rear, but that's about all. There are other phones on the table and it's not uncommon for those working on developing devices to use them out in public.

Indeed, this sort of leak is so common, that if you were cynically minded, you might say that it's deliberate to keep the hype rolling, safe in the knowledge that the photos taken don't really reveal anything at all – it certainly wouldn't be the first time that's happened.

For those who haven't kept up with the leaks, it's thought that Samsung is shifting device names around, so the new wider model of phone will be called the Galaxy Z Fold 8, while the conventional aspect model will be called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra – likely to compete with the iPhone Ultra that's expected later in the year.

Samsung is thought to be announcing its new devices on 22 July at Galaxy Unpacked, with the new compact model shifting the aspect of the folding display, resulting in a shorter but wider device.

Until now, Samsung has focused on a slightly taller type of folding phone that evolved from its original device in 2019. Over the years, this type of device has moved to offer larger displays and got significantly thinner with the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

It's thought that the change in naming will reflect that Samsung's taller format device will remain the flagship with a triple camera, although Samsung fans will be quick to point out that it doesn't compare to the Galaxy S Ultra that also carries the name.

The iPhone Ultra could feature a vapour chamber to help keep the phone cool and sustain performance over longer periods of time. That suggests Apple is positioning it with Pro level performance.

When Apple switched to aluminium in the iPhone 17 Pro models, controversially moving away from titanium, it also introduced a vapour chamber. Together, Apple said that they "efficiently move heat away from the A19 Pro chip, allowing for even higher sustained performance".

That Apple didn't use vapour chambers before might come as a surprise, as they have been common in high-end Android phones for some time.

"This breakthrough in thermal management is key to the most powerful iPhone ever created," said Apple and it looks like that's going to be repeated in the iPhone Ultra.

According to a leaker on Weibo (via 9to5Mac) Apple is going to use a vapour chamber in the iPhone Ultra, which should aid chip cooling.

This will allow the first foldable iPhone to run more intensive tasks for longer, reducing the chance of performance issues under load. It's thought that Apple will use a blend of titanium and aluminium in the device.

We've seen a flurry of leaks for the forthcoming folding phone from Apple, with dummy units starting to surface and giving us a look at the short and wide design that Apple is expected to announce.

Apple's folding phone is expected to be announced in September 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

Before we get to that point though, Samsung is expected to release a similar format device, with two book-style folding phones expected on 22 July – the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Apple's first foray into the folding phone market comes some seven years after Samsung made its debut. Samsung has subsequently dominated discussion of folding phones and is expected to supply the screen that Apple will use.

The question mark that hangs over folding phones is durability, as well as the high price they attract and questionable advantages over regular phones, often being thicker, heavier and harder to use one-handed.

Exactly how Apple tackles the durability and usability of the iPhone Ultra will be the most interesting aspect over the coming year.

Apple is expected to launch its first folding phone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September 2026. While Apple's plans remain closely guarded, we've seen a number of recent leaks now joined by this video of a dummy model.

It's not the first dummy that we've seen of the iPhone Ultra, but this model looks a lot more advanced than the device shown off by Unbox Therapy.

The latest video was shared on X (via NotebookCheck) and shows the anticipated device, with a short but wide format. It generally matches previously leaks, but there's no telling what the source of the device is – it could easily be based on existing leaks.

That makes verification slightly tricky: all we can really tell is that this seems to have come from the factory that produced it.

Unlike the previous dummy we saw, which just appeared to be a machined shell, this latest model appears to have sections that look like screens.

The video shows a bit of a struggle to open the phone one-handed, but once opened it appears to be very floppy, suggesting the hinge in far from the hinge that Apple will actually use.

The crease in the screen also appears comical, but I suspect it's just a black plastic sheet that's in place to look like a display.

Otherwise we can see the locations of the USB-C charging port, the buttons and speakers, as well as a large camera bump on the rear of the phone. It's only a dual lens, but it's expected to make the phone thicker than any iPhone previously.

With dummy devices doing the rounds, it's no surprise that we're starting to see case manufacturers starting to flog their wares as the excitement continues to build.

While we're sure that Apple will produce a great quality device, Apple's biggest challenge will be to justify this device's use case. Flip phones are popular because get more compact and have that retro feel to them, but larger folding phones are very expensive and lack a definitive purpose – often it's just a larger display that's easier to view spreadsheets on, but that's about it.

We're expecting a lot more leaks – and speculation – before Apple actually launches its folding phone.

An image has appeared online showing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. It comes from a reliable source, but it's said that these phones are dummy versions of the devices expected at Samsung's next launch event.

Samsung is thought to be announcing a new format of folding phone on 22 July at its Galaxy Unpacked event, which is shorter and wider, taking on the name Galaxy Z Fold 8. The Ultra name will be applied to the larger device, the one with the traditional format.

The change in names is thought to reflect the different positioning of these devices and as this image shows, the Ultra model has an additional camera and is expected to be slightly higher spec.

The image has been shared by UniverseIce and it's not the first time that we've seen these devices side-by-side – although previously it was in graphic from within unreleased Samsung software.

As these are dummy devices, the source is unknown: they could very well have been manufactured to match that previous image and based on leaked measurements, so don't take this as official in any way.

Samsung is thought to be releasing the wider format of folding phone to fend off Apple's arrival in the folding phone space with the iPhone Ultra, which is thought to offer a similar design, more like a folding iPad mini.

While we don't have many details about the design of the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 devices, it's expected that they will continue the thin and light theme from the Galaxy Z Fold 7. This dummy phone certainly looks like the previous device.

It's also thought that the telephoto camera will be dropped on the wide model, part of the motivation behind the switching of the names.

At the same time, the Galaxy Z Fold has never quite had parity with the hardware offered on the Samsung Galaxy S Ultra model, so some might question why the renaming is taking place.

Samsung it thought to be hosting Galaxy Unpacked on 22 July, with a rumour suggesting that the launch will take place in London.

It's expected that there will be a new Galaxy Z Flip model and a Galaxy Watch, as well as more information on Android XR devices developed with Samsung.

It’s been suggested a few times recently, but the more it is said, the more likely it seems.

Yet another report has claimed Apple is planning to split its iPhone launch this year with the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max still launching as usual, while the regular iPhone 18 is delayed until “early 2027”.

The report comes from Techlusive, though it also mentions the iPhone 18e being delayed until early 2027, and given the launch of the previous iPhone 16e and iPhone 17e, the iPhone 18e wouldn’t be due until early 2027 anyway.

It has never launched alongside the standard iPhone. I’m therefore going to ignore the chat about the iPhone 18e based on this report.

Why it makes total sense to have no iPhone 18

Delaying the iPhone 18 would be a big deal, however, and one that although surprising, makes a lot of sense.

It would allow Apple to focus on the premium models during its next major launch event – not just the iPhone Pro but likely the heavily rumoured folding iPhone Ultra too, which is thought to finally be arriving this year.

The Techlusive report also talks about the iPhone Air 2 not launching until early 2027, which again would be a sensible decision. It had its limelight around the September 2025 launch so it’s only fair to give the folding phone its time to shine should it arrive.

The report says analysts believe the wider launch window is “designed to ease the manufacturing pressures and to optimise supply chain logistics”.

“By splitting the launch, Apple can dedicate its 100 per cent time to its initial launch and production capacity for its most expensive iPhones. Simultaneously, the company will be able to extend the sales life of its existing catalogue during the crucial winter holiday shopping window,” it added.

None of this is confirmed by Apple, of course, so we will need to wait until September to know for sure, but in my opinion, it’s a strategy that makes complete sense and the iPhone 17 remains superb.

We thought iOS 26 and Liquid Glass were big steps forward for iPhone last year, but iOS 27 is looking like it will be even bigger, with the new Siri set to take centre stage.

It’s expected to be fully revealed at WWDC26 in June, and we’ve already seen a number of rumours and reports surrounding the new software. However, a major new leak has given us our clearest look yet at what could be coming – and it's a lot.

What is coming in iOS 27?

Via 9to5Mac, Bloomberg has published illustrated mockups of iOS 27, giving us an excellent first glimpse at the redesigned Siri experience, Siri chatbot, and more features coming to your iPhone this year.

The Bloomberg report claims the images are based on information from sources with knowledge of Apple's internal plans, though it notes the final version revealed at WWDC in June could still differ.

The big change is a completely overhauled Siri.

Rather than the familiar colourful border around your iPhone screen, Siri will now live inside the Dynamic Island. You’ll be able to trigger it in the usual way by saying "Siri" or holding the power button, but you'll see a redesigned animation appear at the top of your screen, Bloomberg says.

There's said to be a new trick too: swiping down from the top centre of the screen anywhere in iOS 27 launches a new "Search or Ask" interface for typing or speaking queries.

"From there users can launch apps, start text messages, ask about the weather, add calendar appointments, search through notes, trigger shortcuts within apps, or search the web using Apple’s new AI-powered search system, which competes with tools like Perplexity," the Bloomberg report says.

"Results are displayed in a rich text card that pops out of the Dynamic Island. Users can swipe down further to open a chatbot-style conversation inside the Siri app."

Apple will also reportedly open iOS 27 to third-party AI agents. This will go beyond its partnership with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, with the likes of Google’s Gemini and Anthropic PBC’s Claude being offered as alternatives. There will be a choice on which one you want to use, are the claims.

Elsewhere, the iPhone’s native Camera app is getting a customisable widget panel, while Photos gains new AI editing tools including Extend and Reframe that have been rumoured previously. AI grammar checking is also said to be on the way.

Nothing is official yet, of course, but WWDC kicks off on 8 June so it’s not too much longer to wait until we should see iOS 27 in all its glory

If you want to see all the leaked pictures, you can head to the Bloomberg report.

If you're frustrated that your iPhone won't play high-quality music over Bluetooth, then there's a simple solution in the form of the Acoustune ATX001. It's a USB-C accessory that can boost the Bluetooth performance of your Apple device.

Apple's problem – despite offering lossless tracks through Apple Music – is that the iPhone is limited in its support for higher quality streaming formats. It turns to AAC for its Bluetooth music and lacks support for formats and standards, such as aptX Lossless and LDAC.

These allow for higher quality streaming over a Bluetooth connections (as long as your headphones or speakers support it), which can mean that you get closer to the quality of the original track.

While many Android phones have offered Qualcomm's aptX and/or LDAC support for years, iPhone users who want more from their audio can plug the Acoustune ATX001 into their device's USB-C port and enjoy the upgrade, according to TechRadar.

The Acoustune ATX001 contains Qualcomm's QCC5181 audio chipset which can bypass and boost the audio processing powers that your phone will offer. That will allow the use of more advanced audio codecs, as long as the headphones you're using are compatible.

It's worth noting that the AirPods Max don't support aptX or LDAC either, so you're better off using something like the Sony WH-1000X series, which have long offered LDAC for a superior listening experience.

While Acoustune ATX001 will use the USB-C on your iPhone, it contains an additional USB-C of its own, so you can plug it in for charging – or indeed use it to connect to wired headphones for a better experience, with support for 24-bit/96kHz audio, a boost over the 24-bit/48kHz native support the iPhone offers.

If you are considering using wired headphones, that's not your only option as there are a number of compact DACs that could be used as an alternative, such as the iFi Go Link Max.

If you're a typical iPhone user using a pair of AirPods on your daily commute, then the upgrade probably isn't worth the bother. But, if you've invested in a good quality pair of earbuds like the Technics AZ100 and want to make use of the higher quality that they support, then the Acoustune ATX001 could be the solution.

You'll have to use the device's app to control the quality, but beyond that, it should all be plain sailing.

The Acoustune ATX001 is listed for £57 / $75 and when I tested a UK address it came up with free delivery, so it sounds like good value too.

The crease in the display has long been a point of contention in folding phones, but it could be much improved on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series according to an established leaker.

In a recent post on X, UniverseIce claims that the "crease control on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 series is just as impressive as that of the Oppo Find N6".

When we previewed the Oppo Find N6, we said that it has "an unfolded display that feels flat across its entire surface", thanks to an innovative 3D liquid printing solution. That's a great starting point for Samsung's next folding phone.

The solution, it seems, is about supporting the area behind the display. While hinge designs are often talked about, we currently don't know what changes Samsung is going to make for its next folding phones.

As the source refers to the "series", it's expected that the crease control will be impressive in both the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (that's the wide model) as well as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (that's the normal/old format). If you didn't get the memo, it's believed that Samsung is shuffling the names around.

So, how will this change the experience? Users of folding phones usually report that they don't notice the crease in the display. Yes, you can feel it when you run your finger over it, but typically, when there's content on the display, you can't really see it.

When the screen is off, the darkness then shows the crease much more prominently, but regardless, it's been a focal point for discussions around folding phones and it's certainly an area that has been progressively improved.

It might be that with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series, Samsung hits peak crease flatness and we can move on to something else, like usability.

Samsung is expected to launch two Z Fold models in 2026, with a wider version thought to be designed to counter the arrival of Apple with its first folding phone, thought to be called the iPhone Ultra.

Currently, it's believed that Samsung will position the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra as the top model, while the wide model is more affordable, with slightly pared back specs.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 – the wide model that's expected to launch alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra – feels more real than ever after appearing in a quick video.

The video is described as using a "low-quality dummy" of the wide folding phone from Samsung, but it has been shared by a reputable source, UniverseIce.

It gives us a much better idea of how the phone will sit in the hand and what it's actually going to be like to grasp, which previous renders have not.

Samsung is thought to be launching a wider format folding phone in response to Apple's entrance to the folding phone market with the iPhone Ultra. Up 'til now, we've mostly been calling this phone the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, but recent information suggests it's just going to be called the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The existence of the phone feels pretty certain at this point, with Samsung including it in the One UI 9 beta.

The design of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 appears to use the same language as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with squared sides that should almost seamlessly meet when the phone is closed.

There are two cameras on the rear, so it's a step down from the three cameras of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, with the expectation that the telephoto camera is the one that's dropped. It looks a little like the Galaxy S25 Edge as a result.

We don't get to see the folding display on the interior, but then this is a dummy model and it's probably just a blank panel.

What's most striking about it is the width: the current candybar design of phone has evolved over the years so that even with larger screens, it's manageable. That was thanks mainly to adopting a 20:9 format, so that it fits comfortably in the hand, even with a larger screen.

The width of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is 77.6mm, while this folding phone could be 82.2mm wide, not to mention that it could be 9.8mm thick. While these are only small increases over a traditional phone, it could be a little harder to use and feel bulky.

Samsung is thought to be hosting Galaxy Unpacked on 22 July which is where we should see both formats of folding phones released.

A phone case is a funny old thing. Most are of course designed to protect your device if you drop it, but if they add too much bulk or their designs aren’t decent, it always feels like a bit of a shame to put them on.

Benks is hoping to make sure that’s not the case, having launched three new cases designed for iPhone that opt for Kevlar as the material of choice.

What's so special about these new Benks cases?

Kevlar, also known as aramid fibre, is lightweight, tactile and structurally sound, and Benks has been using it for some time. It’s the same material used in bulletproof vests in case you were wondering, so if it can handle a bullet, we’d hope it can handle a phone tumble.

As featured on Yanko Design, the Benks ArmorEdge cases offer structural confidence, staying slim while backing up their slim profile with 360-degree airbag corners designed specifically for the corner-first drops.

The standard ArmorEdge case is available in two colours of Savvy Red and Peri Purple and designed for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Both colours are MagSafe compatible, have those 360-degree airbag corners I mentioned and sport a 1.8mm frame edge.

The third case is the Benks ArmorEdge Air Navigator, which as you may have guessed from its name, is a lighter option, weighing just 27g.

It has a frame edge of 0.9mm, while the entire 600D woven back sits directly in your hand with no polymer overlay softening the experience. It also has an engraving of Magellan's circumnavigation route on the rear, complete with the Latin inscription "Primus circumdesti me".

For a phone case, that's a pretty bold design gesture.

All three Benks phone cases are available on the Benks website. They are all designed for the iPhone 17 Pro or 17 Pro Max, with the ArmorEdge options costing $64.99 and the ArmorEdge Air Navigator priced at $61.99.

Ever wished travel could be just that little bit easier? Well, if you're a Samsung Galaxy user, your wish may have just been granted.

As reported by T3's sister publication, Android Central, Samsung phones can now act as a TSA-approved digital passport. The brand has partnered with CLEAR to offer verified Digital IDs in the Samsung Wallet.

The service will be available at over 250 TSA checkpoints and selected sporting venues in the USA, though it's currently only available in that country. To make use of the feature, you'll need a US passport and a Galaxy handset capable of running Android 9.0 or higher.

From there, simply head to the Quick Access section within the Samsung Wallet and click the plus button to add a new option. Under the Digital IDs section, you should now see an option called Samsung ID with CLEAR.

In theory, that then makes travel at any of the approved locations as easy as tapping your phone or scanning a QR code. And there's no need to worry about the safety or security of the system, with the brand's Knox hardware security ensuring everything is kept safe.

Personally, I think this is a really neat addition to the Samsung suite of features. While it's definitely not a catch all solution – you'll only be able to use it for domestic travel, for example – it's a good sign of what's possible with modern technology.

I certainly hope that such a feature could become more commonplace around the world. It would allow us to streamline the process and, potentially, do away with outdated physical documents.

There's still a way to go before we get to that point, though. For now, at least, a large swathe of Android users in the USA can reap the benefits – with the rest of us watching on jealously!

The iPhone Ultra might have been exposed thanks to case makers, with images leaking showing the rumoured Apple folding phone from many angles – including the screen.

This type of leak isn't rare, but it should be approached with caution. Before a device is launched, the measurements are supplied to accessory manufacturers so they can make cases and avoid the delay of not being able to support the device as soon as it launches.

Those measurements often feed into the rumour cycle to produce renders of the device before it is released – and sometimes that comes in the form of a device in a case, which is what we have here, shared by Phone Arena.

What's not always clear is whether the phone that we see is based on Apple's details, or if it comes from the same leaks that have been widely reported, with the case manufacturer – in this case iFunSmart – coming up with a few designs in advance.

With all that considered, we're left looking at a case for Apple's iPhone Ultra, the latest name associated with the folding phone.

As this phone folds, this case clips to the front and the back, providing all-round protection, but we get a good look at the two cameras on the rear and the wide aspect cover and main display.

Unlike Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold models, Apple is thought to be looking at a device that's more like a folding iPad than most folding phones that have come before.

There's no notch shown on the screen, as it's expected that Apple will use a fingerprint scanner in the power button, like the iPad. There are two buttons on the "top" of the phone, which are likely volume controls.

The case boasts that it has powerful magnets integrated, there to support the MagSafe functions that the phone is expected to offer. That's about all there is to extract from these images.

In recent leaks, it has been claimed that the device will be 9.23mm thick when folded, suggesting it will be less than 5mm thick when unfolded.

While Apple is working on this wider phone, we've already seen a similar format device announced by Huawei, while Samsung is expected to announce a wider Galaxy Z Fold model on 22 July.

Apple's entry into the folding phone segment will certainly shake things up and provide iPhone owners with a folding option to get to grips with – but what we're really excited to see is what unique functions it offers, something that's been lacking from other folding phones.

Apple’s Image Playground has been around since Apple Intelligence was first introduced in December 2024, when iOS 18.2 was released.

It’s Apple’s answer to the multiple AI-image generation apps that exist, offering users the ability to create images on-device, though the quality of the results is a little underwhelming compared to competing image-generating tools.

What improvements can we expect for Image Playground?

But, that could be about to change. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter, Apple has significantly improved the underlying models powering both Genmoji and Image Playground. He claims quality set to receive a "big boost" when iOS 27 arrives later this year.

It will be welcome news for anyone who has created a Genmoji or played around with Image Playground over the past 18 months and thought the results could be better.

Genmoji has generally been considered passable, but Image Playground could certainly improve. In their defence, both tools run on-device models, which naturally come with limitations, though it remains to be seen whether that will still be the case after iOS 27's improvements.

Gurman also said the quality upgrade isn't the only improvement coming. It’s previously been rumoured that iOS 27 will introduce suggested Genmoji based on your photo library, which should make the feature feel a lot more personal and useful day-to-day.

And Image Playground is set to expand its support for third-party AI models. It already works with ChatGPT for image creation, so perhaps it could soon support Google's Nano Banana models and other competitors, too.

Nothing is officially confirmed as yet, of course, but with WWDC 2026 just around the corner on 8 June, we at least don’t have long to wait to see exactly what Apple has in store, not just for Image Playground but Apple Intelligence in general.

Apple could equip future iPhone models with Google Cast to meet demands from the European Union's DMA. That will mean that other beaming protocols will be supported alongside Apple AirPlay.

The EU's Digital Markets Act includes a section about interoperability, designed to force "gatekeepers" (in this case Apple) to allow other providers access to hardware and software features on devices.

It's designed to ensure that choices remain open and that brands can't effectively monopolise their device by denying service parity. That clause is comically article 6(7).

While Apple has offered its own AirPlay service for many years, support for other protocols has been contained to within apps, rather than across the device as a whole. The change – coming in iOS 27 could give the option to change the default sharing option to something other than AirPlay.

That's according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who refers to the move as "extreme requirements from the European Union's Digital Markets Act".

Apple AirPlay allows iPhone owners to mirror the device or device content (like music or video) on another screen or speaker. Google Cast basically does the same thing, the difference being that some receiver devices don't support AirPlay (just as some don't support Google Cast).

However, Google Cast is widely offered – especially on more affordable devices – so the addition of the option for iPhone users could be a great benefit. That might only come to devices in the EU, however, rather than being a global change.

Whether it's actually a useful feature will depend on how you use your device. While Google Cast was a great option for streaming media over the last decade, it's now fairly easy to access content directly on the device you're using, without needing a phone.

Exceptions include photos and self-made videos, with Google Cast and Apple AirPlay great options for sharing holiday photos and home videos with friends and family.

The biggest change expected with iOS 27 is the relaunch of Apple Intelligence and Siri, but this time powered by Google's Gemini, with Google's technology seeping into Apple's flagship device.

The gap between Android and iOS certainly seems to be narrowing.

The naming of Samsung's forthcoming folding phones have been leaked from a reliable source, with the claim that we'll be getting the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. That leads to some irregular naming for Samsung's wide folding phone.

Samsung has long been rumoured to be working on a wider format of folding phone, thought to counter the arrival of Apple into the segment. Apple's folding phone could be called the iPhone Ultra – and Samsung might have an "ultra" foldable of its own.

However, rather than calling the new wider model Ultra, Samsung is said to be renaming its existing format device to be the Ultra model.

The details come from UniverseIce on Weibo and we'd normally dismiss them as nonsense. But given this source's long history of accurate leaks, we have to seriously consider that this is Samsung's next move.

What's more confusing though is that while the Galaxy Z Fold 7's successor could be called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the new wider model will reportedly just be called the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

You'll have to be paying attention to what you're ordering, as the shift in naming will mean that many assumptions will go out of the window – while many existing stories about the forthcoming phones will potentially point to the other device.

Why would Samsung change its folding phone names?

Currently, it's thought that the wider folding model will be lower spec than the traditional format of device, which comes with a triple camera and should have a higher capacity battery. It would seem strange to give the Ultra name to the new device, given what Samsung already offers.

However, giving the existing name to a new device will just lead to confusion, especially for those who don't keep up with the latest tech news.

The Ultra name might also be controversial, because of the existing Galaxy S Ultra series. The flagship candybar phone is a higher performer than the Galaxy Z, with a better overall hardware loadout, so the two aren't comparable.

It might just be that Samsung wants an Ultra folding phone to compete directly with Apple's naming, so picking the top folding phone makes sense.

Again, there will be some confusion, because Apple's Ultra and Samsung's Ultra will be totally different formats, with Apple's device more like a folding iPad mini.

It's unlikely that we'll hear anything about Apple's folding phone plans until launch (unless they tease it at WWDC in June), while Samsung is expected to launch its new phones on 22 July.

It's no secret that the camera quality of phones has gotten better and better over the years. It's a big part of the reason why many have ditched owning a 'proper' camera, with the ease of having it in your pocket worth more than the increased resolution.

But just how good are they really? Well, we're about to find out, as Apple TV is putting the iPhone 17 Pro to the test in a big way.

This weekend, the MLS fixture between LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo will be filmed entirely using those devices, for the first time ever. That's not a typo – there won't be a professional broadcast camera hidden just out of sight, just a stack of the same iPhone you could go out and buy.

The brand has been incorporating the devices into its workflow for a few month now, kicking off with some of its baseball coverage in September 2025. However, those are normally part of a larger slew of more professional kit.

So, will it work? Well, there's only one way to find out – tune in and watch the game on Saturday at 7:30pm PT (3:30am BST).

The game is available to watch for Apple TV subscribers in over 100 countries, and I suspect this one might see higher viewing figures than most, given the interest in the technology. Anyone who isn't already subscribed can sign up for a one-week free trial, just in time to catch the game.

Personally, I'm really excited to see this. While there are all manner of examples of 'good enough' footage from phones, this is one of the first like-for-like tests with real-world significance.

If the output is up to par with professional systems – or, at the very least, not so far behind that the average Joe notices something wrong – it could make it much easier to showcase a wide variety of content without such significant overheads.