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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Samsung continues to look at versatile phone formats, including expandable phones that use a flexible rolling display. Thanks to a patent filing dated 5 May 2026, it's possible to get an insight into some of the development work that Samsung is carrying out.

Much of this patent (via WearView) is about AR applications and calculating the changes to the device beyond the physical. While the system describes how the change in camera position is calculated, it's the technical drawings that are more interesting.

They show a phone with typical Samsung design – it looks like a recent Galaxy S model from the rear – but there are two pieces to the bodywork, with the inner section able to expand the width of the phone and it's that section that has the camera attached to it.

The design has the advantage of keeping the whole phone encased in the body – it opens like a drawer – meaning that the rear of the flexible display isn't exposed. It's similar in design to an unreleased LG rolling phone from a few years back.

The original filing date for this patent is 2023, when there was a little more activity around this type of device. And while we're yet to see any real commercial success for this type of flexible display device, it does have some advantages.

It allows the phone to behave like a regular device, because when "closed" it's just a normal candybar phone. But when expanded, there's a lot more screen space to use.

However, it's also easy to see why Samsung might not be rushing to launch this type of device.

Book-style folding phones already struggle to really make use of that large display effectively and this minor screen expansion might not offer a great advantage considering the complexity and cost of the design.

As is always the case with these sort of patents, it's not clear if this will ever make it to a device that gets launched, so while it's clear that development work still continues on rollable phones, it's not an indication of launch.

Instead, it gives Samsung the opportunity to develop and protect various technologies through the patent process. The renders – drawn up by xleaks – make for a great looking device, however.

Nothing is thought to have some big upgrades in store for its next affordable phone, the CMF Phone 3 Pro. Leaked specs suggest that this device is going to have a couple of power upgrades.

The CMF Phone 2 Pro was announced in April 2025, but it seems to be taking a little longer to get the CMF Phone 3 Pro to market, with a full launch not expected until August or September.

There will, however, be an entry-level device announced before we get to the launch of the CMF Phone 3 Pro, so that's something to look out for. The details come from Gatagetsdata on X (via Notebookcheck).

The biggest change seems to be a move from a MediaTek hardware to Qualcomm, with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 said to power the new CMF Phone 3 Pro. Although this is an affordable device, that hardware pulls it towards the mid-range.

It's a little more powerful than the Dimensity 7300 Pro, but within the same sort of ballpark. It's worth noting though that while Snapdragon hardware tends to be preferred with customers, it sometimes makes for a slightly more expensive device.

In addition, the battery capacity is expected to increase, moving from 5,000mAh to 5,400mAh, with 45W charging. It's a compelling makeup, especially if this phone sticks close to the current £249 asking price – although I suspect it might creep north to £299.

The cameras are expected to be a 50-megapixel main and 50-megapixel telephoto, along with an 8-megapixel ultrawide, the same as it was before.

It's also expected that it will retain a 6.77-inch 120Hz AMOLED display.

The design is the biggest thing about CMF devices: although they are affordable, they have a unique aesthetic, working with accessories. It's said that the phone will have a metal frame, which again, adds a premium touch at this price point.

It was previously leaked that the CMF Phone 3 Pro would have an entirely plastic build, so there's some disagreement between the leaks so far.

We're still some way from launch, so we can expect to see this device leak again to clarify the details further. But if any of the above is genuine, this could be a candidate for the best budget phone of the year.

RedMagic has announced its latest Android gaming phone, the RedMagic 11S Pro, making its official debut in China. The new models aim for peak gaming power with transparent designs and visible liquid cooling systems.

The new S model is a mid-life refresh, building on the RedMagic 11 Pro with an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. This "Leading Edition" version of the chip matches the "for Galaxy" clock speeds of 4.74GHz to give a little extra boost over the original phone.

Keeping the chip at workable heat levels is a challenge, but there's a comprehensive cooling system to do just that. It's called the AquaCore and here it combines a 24,000 RPM TurboFan, through-channel airflow design, a vapour chamber and liquid metal technology, all designed to ensure consistent performance under load.

RedMagic is a sub-brand of Nubia (itself part of ZTE) and has emerged as top choice for many gamers, especially with Asus announcing its departure from phones and ending ROG Phone development.

The RedMagic 11S Pro continues its upgrades over the existing models with an 8,000mAh battery – that's a 500mAh increase – along with 80W charging.

Power is controlled by the Energy Cube 3.0 to make sure that cooling, performance and power consumption are all coordinated.

While the phone has a mostly flat design to aid grip, it features a 6.85-inch BOE AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and there's no notch or punch hole on this screen for cameras, so you get all the space to play. There's an under-display camera instead.

There will be two colours of the 11S Pro – Matte Black and Matte Silver – while the 11S Pro+ comes in Nightfreeze (transparent black) and Subzero (transparent silver), allowing you to see the cooling systems and internal components. There's also customisable RGB lighting for the shoulder triggers and other areas.

RedMagic has also confirmed that it will be launching the Gaming Tablet 5 Pro, which will launch globally as the Astra 2 Gaming Tablet.

The phone will initially be available in China, but international availability will be announced on 27 May, at which point the pricing will be confirmed.

For many years now, the new iPhone has had to compete with the best and brightest in the Android world. Usually, that's meant the top spec Samsung phone, though in recent years other players have entered the fray.

For 2026, it looks like a new challenger is ready to battle the brand's most innovative phone in years. The iPhone Ultra is expected to debut this autumn, marking the first ever foldable phone to come from Apple.

Alongside it, seemingly, will be the Honor Robot Phone. That was first shown off at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, drawing eyes from around the world thanks to its unique look.

That effectively fuses a traditional handset with the gimbal camera head from a device like the DJI Osmo Pocket 4. Previously, the device has managed to keep out of the hands of users, sitting behind glass at other events.

However, the brand brought the device to the Cannes Film Festival and gave it out so some creators. There's not lots to gleam from it, but combined with a confirmed Q3 2026 launch window, it certainly suggests that the handset is very close to being in a usable state.

With the launch window seeming to coincide with that of the iPhone Ultra, the tail end of 2026 could be a big one for new phone designs. Apple will be hoping to show its own, reserved innovation by entering that new space, while Honor seeks to challenge the very concept of what a phone can be.

That device is also said to enjoy the fruits of Honor's partnership with ARRI, offering stabilised gimbal tracking shots and core elements of the brand's Image Science. All signs point towards this being a pretty serious videography device, then.

It looks set to be one of the most interesting phone launches in a long time.

Huawei is reportedly working on a new battery that could mean smartphones offer beyond 10,000mAh for longer than all day life.

Crucially, these batteries are expected to not massively increase the size of phones, only to extend lifetimes. This is thanks to the battery type.

While big name brands like Apple and Samsung have stuck to lithium-ion batteries, Huawei is apparently working on newer tech. This makes sense as Chinese brands have already begun looking into silicon-carbon cells, which can offer the same life as lithium, only in a smaller space.

So while there are currently smartphones with 10,000mAh batteries already out there, you generally have to lug around a pretty big phone. These sizes are usually found in tough phone brands like Oukitel and Ulefone.

The move to this new tech could mean those larger batteries become accessible in more lifestyle friendly devices, that still slide into your pocket with ease.

At this stage the news comes from a Weibo post where the individual claims the new battery material is in testing and it could lead to 10,000mAh+ batteries. So we're still taking this with a pinch of salt. That said, China has form for testing new battery tech so it makes sense this would be in the pipeline.

Other rumours suggest that brands including Huawei, Honor and Xiaomi are working on a double-layer coating battery tech. This could be used to increase battery life while also keeping the size to a minimum.

This double-layer battery tech is currently being tested and refined for electric vehicles. There it can mean better range, faster charging and longer life as well as improved safety. So better all round then.

If this technology can be brought to smartphones, we can expect all round better performance. Although, initially at least, you can expect this to appear in mid-range phones as manufacturers generally like to test out the new tech before unleashing it on the flagship smartphones.

All that should mean we won't see this in an iPhone anytime soon then.

A new Android feature could be the best in years when it comes to helping you fight doom-scrolling. While this shows just how bad doom-scrolling has become – that Google itself is adding features to protect you – it also shows there is hope in the fight to hold onto our attention spans.

The new feature, called Pause Point, does as its name suggests. This will require a 10-second pause from you each time you open an app which you have already labelled as potentially distracting.

The idea here is that those 10-seconds will be enough time to give you pause to consider if you really want to go into that digital world. It adds a buffer between a habitual notification or icon press to open the app, and the reality of actually wanting to get into all that.

In short, Pause Point has been created to help give you back your choice in the moment to make healthier decisions.

This update comes from Google and could even apply to its own algorithm based apps of enticement, like YouTube. While this was a decision to help users, it also comes after Google has been under pressure from all the news and even new laws around restricting or banning minors from using social media.

The impact of these apps are starting to be taken seriously as damaging and so, at last, the company's behind them are having to offset that damage – at the least – with options like this.

Pause Point pauses the app launch, and the dopamine rush that follows, allowing you the space to actually think rather than being at the mercy of the chemical rush these apps can create.

That pause time isn't just dead space though. The Pause Point feature can also be set to suggest other more healthy app choices like a favourite fitness app, audiobook app or the like.

You can also choose to scroll through your favourite photos, perhaps to inspire activities to do other than doom-scrolling, an outdoor walk for example or meeting friends.

Pause Point requires a phone restart to turn it off – helping add a further layer of effort to keep you from taking the easiest path of least resistance to that dopamine hit.

Google I/O is the Mountain View company's annual developer event which has wide-ranging impact on the digital world we inhabit. Google not only powers billions of devices with Android, but Search, Gemini and a whole lot more fall under the Google I/O umbrella.

The past few years have all had a distinct theme – artificial intelligence. While Google used to talk about DeepMind and LLMs in a sort of abstract sense five years ago, we're now living that reality.

We've already been exposed to some of Google's plans for the near future. The recent Android Show revealed changes coming to Android 17 with Gemini Intelligence, Googlebook was introduced, the evolution of Android in the car was previewed, and a whole lot more.

We learnt a lot, but that leaves us with questions that the Google I/O keynote is expected to answer.

Here then are three big announcements I'm expecting at Google I/O next week:

Gemini, Gemini, Gemini

Of all the AI systems we're faced with, Gemini seems to be the most progressive. It's not just about image and video creation, or witty chatbot retorts, it's about device-wide integration.

Google has an advantage that many others don't, in that it can place Gemini right in the centre of its computing platforms.

Gemini will take centre stage at Google I/O as we move towards an increasingly agentic experience. That means it can carry out tasks on your behalf, with deeper integration expected into a full range of third-party services. I'm expecting a big step beyond the simple stuff it can already do, like add things to your calendar.

We've already seen Omni leak, which appears to be an evolution of Veo video creation, and I'd expect Omni to get a full introduction. I'm also expecting Gemini to become properly multi-modal from a single prompt.

We might also get a mention of plans for Gemini powering Apple Intelligence.

Aluminium OS

Google has long had plans to unify Android and Chrome OS. Small steps have been taken in that direction over the past years, but there's been an expectation that something new was coming.

Indeed, Sameer Samat, Google's president of Android, and Rick Osterloh, SVP of devices and services have both talked about bringing the two platforms together on numerous occasions over the past year, and the first fruits of that appear to be in Googlebook.

But Googlebook was announced with an unnamed operating system, which is where I'm expecting Google I/O to give us more. It's been dubbed Aluminium OS for some time, but that's not (yet) an official name.

The evolution of Aluminium OS (or whatever it's called) means more seamless interaction between mobile and laptop, a shared intelligence through Gemini and should mean that developments for Android can benefit PCs too. Chrome will continue, but Googlebook will likely accelerate the experience.

Android XR

Google's wearable platform is younger than others and while we've seen Galaxy XR make the debut of Android XR, we're yet to see Google's efforts in smart glasses in a commercial device.

There have been rumours that Samsung will announce Galaxy Glasses in July and we know that Samsung is a key development partner on Android XR, so I'm expecting to hear a lot more and hopefully see some real products.

While Samsung might be allowed to keep its product for its own launch, there's a chance that Gentle Monster and Warby Parker's involvements will have more prominence, while Xreal's Project Aura could also get some time on stage.

Android XR glasses are coming in 2026 and Google I/O is the perfect time to fill in the gaps and show us what we're going to be getting.

How to watch Google I/O

Google will be streaming all the action from Google I/O, with the action starting on 19 May at 10am PT, which is 6pm BST.

There will also be extensive coverage here on T3.com, with a live blog of the action, where we'll get under the skin of the announcements and what it all actually means.

Samsung has announced the One UI 9 beta program for Galaxy S26 users, built on Android 17, giving owners the first chance to experience the latest from Google and Samsung itself.

Of course, before you jump in, it's important to understand that this is still part of the beta program, so this isn't finished software and if your S26 is your main phone then you might not want to upgrade.

Android 17 is still in development: we're expecting to hear a lot more about new features for the platform at Google I/O next week – some of which will be Pixel exclusive – but Samsung will also be making tweaks of its own for Galaxy phone owners.

Android 17 is expected to make its debut on Pixel some time in June or July 2026, with Samsung debuting One UI 9 and Android 17 on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 – expected to launch on 22 July.

Samsung explains that the software includes a couple of new features, including new tools in Samsung Notes, an updated Quick Panel for greater layout controls with independent brightness, sound and media adjustments.

There are also some tweaks to DeX and Game Booster, new accessibility settings and options for physical keyboard and mouse. Basically, a lot of background stuff that Samsung doesn't mind sharing with you now.

What else is coming with One UI 9?

There will be other tweaks and improvements from the Android 17 side, while many of Samsung's core new features won't be delivered until the new phones are launched.

That's because the top features will be getting a lot more fanfare on stage at the launch of the new devices and Samsung doesn't want to spoil the surprise early. That's likely to include access to Gemini Intelligence, the new AI system from Google.

For those wanting to sample the new software, you can join the One UI 9 beta program through the Samsung Members app on your phone.

Here there's the option to opt in, pushing the beta update to your device. It's a limited roll-out at the moment with Germany, India, Korea, Poland, UK and the US getting access this week.

While many Samsung owners might not be ready to jump onto the beta to try One UI 9 and Android 17 right now, the fact that this is happening tells us a couple of things.

First, it indicates that Android 17 is progressing well and that we're getting close to final release from Google. And second, it tells us that Samsung's work is well underway and it's likely that the Galaxy S26 will move to new software fairly soon after it's introduced at Galaxy Unpacked.

In the past we've seen some really long delays from Samsung – hopefully, the move to Android 17 will be much faster.

Samsung could be the first brand to roll-out Gemini Intelligence, ahead of Google's own Pixel phones. That could see the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 as the debut devices for Google's new AI system.

Google has just introduced its next-gen AI system that's coming to devices, calling it Gemini Intelligence. It takes Gemini from the chat-based system that we currently have to something that's more personal and integrated with agentic powers.

However, it looks like Google is once again handing the baton to Samsung for the announcement, rather than letting it make its debut on the Pixel 11.

This isn't the first time that Google has turned to Samsung for such an occasion: we saw Samsung lead the way with Circle to Search in the past, using Samsung's huge platform to announce the feature on the Samsung Galaxy S24 before pushing it to Pixel phones.

That seems to be the approach that Google is taking with Gemini Intelligence, too. According to Seoul Economic Daily, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 will come with One UI 9 including Gemini Intelligence.

Indeed, during The Android Show and the announcement of Gemini Intelligence, Mindy Brooks, VP of Android platform, had name-dropped Samsung within the first minute, saying "starting with Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel later this summer".

Samsung's new foldable phones are expected to be announced on 22 July at a Galaxy Unpacked event in London. And it's here we'll likely see the new tech's first outing.

Although, as Google has already confirmed that it's coming to Pixel phones, it's likely that Google will push Gemini Intelligence as an update soon after. This could be within days or weeks, without the need to wait for new devices.

Gemini Intelligence will span all Android platforms including phone, watch, glasses, car, laptop and tablet, making smarter links between your apps, your information and what you want to do. Google calls it "seamless automation", designed to handle "the tedious stuff".

A key part of Gemini Intelligence is to act through other apps, to find and organise information. If you don't have the apps, it can also use Chrome, with Google putting the emphasis on "getting things done".

The idea is you spend less time heading to a specific app to do things and have Gemini do it instead. For example, Gemini can find your course books from a list you've been sent and add them to a shopping cart for you to buy, or it can plan a holiday for you - leaving you to make final checks and then hit the buy button at the end.

Gemini Intelligence will also handle things like form filling, able to extract information from places on your phone, while it will also clean up voice inputs to remove the "ums" and "ahs" as you talk for a cleaner message.

While Pixel phones are expected to get Android 17 in the early summer, it's unlikely to be tied specifically to that version of Google's software. Instead, we expect Samsung to showcase Google Intelligence on its new phones, before Pixel executes a much wider update.

Sony has unveiled its latest version of the Xperia 1, the Xperia 1 VIII, and it's come with a more significant redesign than between recent generations. The phone now features a square camera enclosure for its three lenses, and a brushed-metal finish in four colours that looks frankly luxurious.

Sony's not leaning that hard on the design in its announcement, though, preferring to spotlight the addition of an AI Camera Assistant that's been added to the phone's camera app. This will let you see suggestions for camera effects like colour tones, lens selection, and bokeh effects in real-time as you shoot.

You'll see these suggestions in the shooting process and be able to toggle to them, with the effects shown in your viewfinder so you can get a sense for how things will look before you ever take a photo. A demo we saw was indeed fairly slick, although it's a curious question as to whether the sort of camera enthusiast likely to pick an Xperia 1 actually wants those shortcuts.

The Xperia 1 VIII has a new 1/1.56-inch image sensor, which is significantly larger than the 1 VII's, which should make for better performance in a range of scenarios. It can also now use RAW multi-frame processing on all three of its lenses (16mm / 24mm / 70mm), which should help de-noise photos regardless of how you shoot them.

Curiously, Sony has also redesigned the phone's telephoto offering specifically. It'll now actually offer a fixed optical zoom of 2.9x, rather than a more flexible digital situation, which might technically make it less adaptable, but should enhance the actual quality coming from zoom shots.

This also results in a tweak to the telemacro setting, which now has a longer 15cm minimum distance (up from 4cm). This should arguably make it easier to get steady macro shots, but will undeniably mean that those shots aren't quite as close-up.

Elsewhere, Sony's packed in a new stereo speaker system, which is a bonus for the 'YouTube on your phone' watchers among us, while the whole thing is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which means it's got authentically flagship-level power (not always a given for the Xperia 1 historically). That should also mean comfortably all-day battery life after efficiency gains.

Sony says that pre-orders for the Xperia 1 VIII should go live today, direct from its store, and it'll come in at a chunky £1399 or €1499 for the default 256GB version, or a far loftier £1849 or €1999 for the 1TB version.

Google could offer Pixel owners the option to turn off the search bar in Android 17, removing a key feature of the Pixel Launcher.

For many years, Google has included the search bar on the home screen of its Pixel devices. Although it's a widget, you can't remove it from the launcher, so it has been omni-present, and a key feature for some time.

In Android 17, there could be the option to turn off the search bar, meaning that apps on the home screen sit closer to the bottom of the page.

The details were shared by Mystic Leaks on Telegram (via 9to5Google) having been uncovered in an unreleased Android 17 build.

A toggle to turn the search bar on and off seems to have been added, in addition to the customisation options that already exist in Android 16.

That will please some users who want greater customisation or don't find it useful, but over time, the search bar has become a key feature of Google's home screen offering.

Google's search bar isn't just about accessing Google and through the years that it's been part of Android, it has offered many features, so it might be that not many people want to remove it.

In addition to searching Google as you'd expect, it also searches your device, bubbling up apps in addition to returning search results. It also integrates shortcuts for Google Lens, as well as voice searching (which can also toggle song identification).

There's the option for another shortcut too, which by default is AI Mode. While this is still a part of Google Search, it takes you straight into an AI chat.

There's an argument that it's a duplication of features with Gemini elsewhere on the phone and that's true: search for your closest chicken restaurant and both Google Search and Gemini will give you the same results (in my experience), although Search is typically faster.

For many people, the search bar is a first port of call for finding information that's not already on their phone, but it is slightly confusing when Gemini is presented as a separate experience elsewhere.

While Gemini is only a swipe, button press or "Hey Google" away, I've always found the search bar handy for those quick interactions – and when not using a Pixel phone, I often choose to add it as a widget for convenience.

We're expecting to hear more about Android 17 at The Android Show this week.

Sony has a new flagship phone incoming in the shape of the Xperia 1 VIII, and it looks like the design will change for the first time in years.

You might have forgotten about Sony's mobile phones and you'd be forgiven for that – the Xperia line has a tiny market share. For years, Sony has pushed out new phones with a similar design, but for 2026, it looks like there's a change coming.

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII has dropped the line of cameras, in favour of a raised camera square containing three lenses. It sits on a slab of a phone with quite a brutalist design.

The phone first appeared in renders from @OnLeaks showing off this new design, before it was leaked on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.de – both of which have now been removed.

Today, Sony has confirmed that the launch will take place on 13 May in Japan, using the new camera layout as a teaser for the event. The event will be streamed on YouTube.

While the design renders revealed that Sony's phone would be thicker with that new camera arrangement, the Amazon listing gives us the chance to extract some more information.

What does the Sony Xperia 1 VIII look like?

The specifications are detailed as a 6.5-inch OLED display with a 19:5:9 aspect, Full HD+ resolution (probably 2340 x 1080 pixels like the Xperia 1 VII), and with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Next we see that there's a triple camera, two day battery life, 3.5mm headphone socket and a mention of Xperia AI. All these details were grabbed by Notebookcheck.

However, details from a Reddit post of the leak refer to three different pages of listings for the different colours, including Graphite Black, Garnet Red and Iolite Silver. This is then taken further with a Natural Gold colour, with all these different shades leaked in another set of images from Sumahodigest.

Note that the images shown here were cleaned up using AI to remove patterning from a photo of the phones shown on a display.

If Sony sticks to its typical load-out it's likely to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with 12GB RAM. It's thought to come in 256 and 512GB options, while it's expected that the old variable length telephoto will be dropped in favour of a 48-megapixel periscope fixed at 3x zoom.

The UK listing for this device said it would cost £1,728 which would be a huge jump over the Xperia 1 VII and leave this new device dead on arrival. It's more likely that the accidental early posting bundled it in with the Sony WH1000XM6 headphones which are thought to be offered as a pre-order gift.

All the details will be revealed on 13 May, so stay tuned.

Honor has announced official UK pricing for the Honor 600 and 600 Pro, and it’s proof that you don’t have to spend upwards of a grand on a phone to get high-end specs.

The Honor 600 Pro is the top model in this new series and, at £899.99 when full-price through Honor's UK store, it blurs the boundary between mid-range and high-end Android phones.

It has a top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, although when you dig into the model number, you’ll realise this is actually the last-generation version. It is, predictably, slightly less powerful than the newer one.

Continuing the low and no-compromise angle, the Honor 600 Pro has a full metal and glass design, where the last-gen Honor 400 Pro had a plastic rear panel. And there’s no filler content in the rear camera line-up either: a 200MP primary, 3.5x zoom view 50MP cam (up from 3x last year) and a 12MP ultrawide.

While a jump from the £699.99 cost of the Honor 400 Pro to this year’s £899.99 may come with a sharp intake of breath, the Honor 600 Pro is a more lavishly attired — and better-looking, if perhaps excessively iPhone-like — phone.

Still too rich? The standard Honor 600 starts at £549.99 for the version with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, rising to £599.99 with 512GB storage. Honor’s 600 Pro only comes in the one spec, which has 12GB RAM and 512GB storage.

This represents a £100 increase over the last generation Honor 400, which started at £449.99.

Honor does offer a solution for those sick of constantly rising prices, from baked beans to smartphones. As it so often does, Honor offers some stellar discounts and freebies available during the launch window, if you buy directly from Honor.

There’s £200 off the Honor 600 Pro, bringing it down to £699.99 — just like the last generation. Or you can have £150 off the 512GB Honor 600 or £100 off the 256GB version. And, yes, this means both storage options cost £449.99, which makes absolutely no sense at all.

On the freebies front, the Honor 600 includes a SuperCharge power adapter, which apparently is otherwise not bundled in.

The Honor 600 Pro includes an Honor Choice Projector Air Pro, a Full HD portable projector with Netflix onboard. It’s not battery-operated, but it is highly portable, only weighs 550g and costs £249.99 on its tod. You also get a 100W SuperCharge adapter. for the phone

Alternatively, you can have as freebies the Honor Choice AI Note voice recorder plus a pair of Earbuds Clip earphones (and the power adapter), with the Honor 600 Pro. But a mini projector sounds like a lot more fun.

There’s also an Honor 600 Lite at the bottom of this particular range. It costs £369.99 and is available at £20 off and with a freebie pair of Earbuds Clip when bought direct from Honor, for a limited period.

How do the three compare? Stepping down from the Honor 600 Pro to the Honor 600 you lose the top-end processor, the glass back is swapped for plastic, and Honor drops the 3.5x “zoom” camera.

One further step down, the Honor 600 Lite has a weaker camera array, with only a basic 5MP ultra wide, a less bright screen and less powerful Mediatek Dimensity series processor.

All three phones have super-high capacity Silicon Carbon batteries, though, with capacity of 6320-6400mAh, which should let them breezily outlast most phones that still use the older style of lithium ion battery tech.

Qualcomm has announced the latest Gen 5 updates to some of its lower tier hardware, in the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5. This new 2026 hardware will power more affordable devices – with some big performance gains.

Qualcomm's best-known Gen 5 hardware is at the top end with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 that was announced in September 2025 and powers some of the best flagship phones, before the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 was announced, bringing more affordability to top-tier phones.

Now is the time for more affordable phones to get in on the action – with Honor, Oppo, Realme and Redmi all confirmed to be launching devices in 2026 using this hardware.

Starting with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5, Qualcomm says that this offers 20% faster app launching and an 18% reduction in stutter experienced on the screen compared to the previous version of this hardware.

It's designed to bring power into the mid-range, found in phones such as the Honor Magic 8 Lite. This is a phone that offers great performance for the price, with core hardware that's a little slower than flagship, but still good for daily use. One advantage of Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 is that it bundles in WiFi 7 for the latest connectivity.

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 is focused more on entry-level devices, with Oppo, Realme and Redmi all expected to release the first devices on this new platform.

Qualcomm says that it brings 43% faster app launches, which should add a little more expedience to phones on this lower tier hardware. There's also a claimed 77% GPU improvement which sounds significant and should boost the experience of entry-level devices considerably.

Key to this hardware advancement is support for 90fps gameplay, so even on cheap devices there should be smoother gaming experiences.

Qualcomm says that we'll see new devices on this hardware in 2026, but it could be in the entry-level devices that the biggest gains are made.

Qualcomm's next flagship hardware announcement is expected in September 2026, with the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 (and possibly a Pro version). This should move Snapdragon onto 2nm hardware for the first time.

If you use a Samsung phone, there's some great news coming your way. That's because the brand has just unveiled rollout dates for its next software update – and it should be arriving within a matter of days.

The One UI 8.5 update is likely to be one of the last boosts given to this version of the software. That's because its successor – One UI 9 – is anticipated to arrive in the coming months, alongside the brand's new foldable phones.

The One UI 8.5 update is actually already rolling out to users in South Korea, with the first release on the 6th of May. For those of us in other territories, things are set to kick off on the 11th of May – this coming Monday.

According to a report from SamMobile, that will affect users in Europe, Hong Kong, India, Latin America, North America, Southeast Asia and Taiwan. There's no word on release dates for other locations at the moment, but we'd assume it won't be too long after.

There's also a bevy of devices set to enjoy the updates. That includes the Samsung Galaxy S25 series – including the S25 Edge and S25 FE models – the Galaxy S24, the Z Fold and Flip 7 and the Z Fold and Flip 6 models, plus many more.

It even affects some of the brand's tablets, with the Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S10 series devices both set to enjoy the update. And mid-range handsets also see some love, with the Galaxy A56, Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A36 models all getting access.

Once the rollout begins, users will be able to install the update via the Settings menu on their handsets. Simply head there, and then to the Software Update section, where you'll be able to install the new software.

The update offers a liquid glass design, complete with enhanced Galaxy AI features and advanced security.

Samsung is planning to launch a wider format of folding phone, as it looks to fend off Apple's entry into the folding phone market.

The Galaxy Z Wide Fold has leaked again, this time showing off the difference in aspect to Samsung's existing format of device, which is expected to be updated in the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

This time the reveal comes via unreleased Samsung software, giving us a glimpse at how the devices will compare in design and giving us a good expectation of what we'll see come launch day.

We've previously seen renders of the wider folding Samsung phone, with details suggesting it will have a 3:2 aspect to the internal display, matching the iPhone Fold. While Apple's device lives mostly in the land of rumour and assumption, we're getting a much better idea of what Samsung will offer.

This time, representations of the forthcoming device have been uncovered in One UI 9 – the software expected to accompany the launch of Samsung's next-gen folding phones.

This doesn't just give us an illustration of a wider folding phone, but also shows the regular format of folding phone, so this isn't just a drawing that's out of scale, it's showing two distinctly different devices.

That's also highlighted in the cameras: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is seen with three cameras, the Wide Fold with two cameras – with a design that's similar to the Galaxy S25 Edge in layout.

These images were spotted by Android Authority and they seem to match previous renders that have been shared online.

The foldable phone wars are heating up

What does this have to do with Apple? Rumours that Apple was planning to launch a folding phone in this wider format seems to have driven to the emergence of a new format of device.

While Samsung is known for the taller format – which was a characteristic of its originally Galaxy Fold device in 2019 – it seems that the threat of Apple having a different format has prompted action.

That's already see the announcement of the Huawei Pura X Max, a folding phone in a similar style, although likely to be limited to release in China.

Talking of release, any new folding phone from Apple would be expected alongside the iPhone 18 Pro in September, while Samsung is said to be preparing a launch event in London in late July.

Google has confirmed that The Android Show is returning with a special Google I/O edition. It should give us some juicy details on what's next for Android ahead of I/O itself.

In 2025, The Android Show served as a way for Google to showcase some big parts of Android that it didn't want slowing down the main keynote. That included a reveal of Material 3 Expressive, the new design language for Android 16.

A short teaser video for The Android Show: I/O Edition sets the date for 12 May at 10am PT (6pm BST), before Google I/O kicks off on 19 May and we're expecting to hear a lot more about Android 17's new features.

The content of the teaser video has raised some concerns, however. It shows the green droid jumping around and pulling a light switch. It then appears to turn transparent, a visual that's being used elsewhere in I/O teasers.

That has led some to think that Google might be about to implement a "liquid glass" effect like Apple, although that's been flatly refuted by Sameer Samat, Google's president of Android. Replying on X, Samat confirmed that it was "not happening".

What we might see is increased transparency, in keeping with what we see in a number of third-party skins on Android. Others have suggested that it might be something to do with jelly animations instead.

What might Google announce at The Android Show?

Samat said to expect the "Biggest. Android. Updates. Ever", without revealing exactly what that might be. But there's plenty that we're expecting.

It's been said that new widgets, new home screen customisation, transparency and multi-tasking bubbles could be introduced. The latter is common on other Android brands, allowing any app to pop-out into a window for multi-tasking.

Personally, on a smartphone, I find that windowed use doesn't help because there's not enough space, but with Google's focus on larger screens, that could be a useful native feature.

That might go hand-in-hand with a proper desktop mode to rival Samsung DeX, again making big screen Android use better.

Talking of bigger screens, we've previously heard Samat talking about the advent of the Android PC, likely as a post-Chrome device. Aluminium OS is thought to bring Chrome OS onto the Android technology stack – and mostly to benefit from the AI gains that have boosted Android.

Talking about AI, the move to make Gemini a proper agentic AI platform has been talked about for a long time, but really hasn't come to fruition yet. We also know that Google wants Android to have more automations, powered by AI, for a smarter user experience.

I'm expecting to hear a lot about Gemini at Google I/O – whether Google would use The Android Show as a warm-up for agentic AI remains to be seen.

Samsung could be preparing a lighter Galaxy Z Flip model with a new hinge as it tries to reassert itself in the face of competition from the Motorola Razr.

With Motorola just launching the 2026 version of the Razr, Samsung is said to be making changes to its own flip phone as it tries to claw back some market share. According to a report earlier in 2026, Motorola has 50% of the market in the US for folding phones.

As I highlighted in my side-by-side comparison of the new Motorola and incumbent Samsung flip phones, there's quite a difference between these devices – and Samsung's moves will increase that gap.

According to a leak from Lanzuk on Naver (via 9to5Google), Samsung is going to be using a new hinge on the Z Flip 8. This brings the weight down from 188g to 180g. The Razr 70 Ultra is 199g, so that's a substantial difference.

Not to mention that Samsung's phone is already slimmer, but Samsung could be shaving a fraction of a millimetre off here too.

Along with the new hinge, the crease is going to be reduced, so the display should appear flatter when you look at it and hopefully feel less undulating when running your fingers across it.

Can the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 beat the Motorola Razr 70 Ultra in 2026?

The question is whether this is going to be enough to draw in customers. With Motorola setting out its stall already, we've seen that the 2026 Razr phones are now more expensive, while they still only offer three OS updates and five years of security updates compared to Samsung's seven years of updates.

Motorola offers a better external display experience, where you can place and open full apps, so it will do a lot more, while the screens are brighter than Samsung's.

However, Samsung offers a better user experience, with One UI more refined that Motorola's Hello UI which is slowly getting polluted with bloat and distractions.

Motorola is pushing the Razr very much from a design point of view, focusing on colours and materials, to good effect, but Samsung's design is tighter and looks more technically proficient.

Where the 2026 Razr models surprise is that much of the hardware remains the same as it was before, with only a few tweaks – and it sounds as though Samsung is going to do much the same. It may well be the case that if Samsung undercuts Motorola on price, it will stand a greater chance of having an impact.

The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra could lose one of its oldest features, with rumours suggesting that the 3x telephoto camera could be removed.

The Galaxy S Ultra models have flip-flopped with the telephoto cameras they offer, with the first – the Galaxy S20 Ultra – offering at 10x periscope telephoto that ran through until the Galaxy S23 Ultra, alongside the more common 3x optical zoom.

That was then ditched for 5x optical, with the 3x remaining. Through these changes, the "big zoom" has remained the focus, while the 3x just sort of hung in there. On the Galaxy S26 Ultra, there's still a 10-megapixel 3x optical zoom mixing it in with the rest.

It's that little old camera that could be ditched, with established and frequently accurate leaker UniverseIce taking to X to share the news: "It didn't get stronger. It didn't get weaker. It's simply gone," they wrote.

That would suggest Samsung is just going to do away with the 3x camera entirely, reducing the number of cameras on its flagship handset overall.

The question is whether Samsung would make this move, given that other Ultra devices are offering a wider selection of lenses – including a similar "portrait" lens.

We've previously heard that Samsung is planning to make other changes to the camera, including swapping to a new main camera sensor using LOFIC technology, and it might be that Samsung thinks it can bridge the gap between the main camera and 5x zoom camera with cropping on the main camera sensor.

It might be that there's a major reset in the lenses that are offered, with a camera that feels much newer than the version that's been rolling from phone to phone over the past few years.

The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra is not expected to be announced until January or February 2027, so there's still a good way to go until launch day, so many of these plans will probably change.

We're certain that we'll be hearing a lot more about the Galaxy S27 over the coming months.

While we’re expecting the Google Pixel 11 to have much the same design as the current models, the move to a new Tensor chip is more exciting. So far, we've heard little about the Google Tensor G6, but a new leak furnishes us with new information.

The Google Tensor G6 is expected to feature some of the latest ARM cores, including a C1-Ultra clocked at 4.11GHz, four C1-Pro cores at 3.38GHz, and two C1-Pro cores at 2.65GHz.

So that looks like a 1+4+2 configuration, weighted towards performance, which is a slight shift in positioning from previous Tensor chips. This might be because Google wants more raw power for intensive tasks in future Pixel devices.

It could mean that the Pixel 11 feels significantly faster than previous phones, which will be great for users. There is a suspicion in the back of my mind that this could be future-proofing, perhaps with the intention to roll the chip over to products for a longer time window.

I say this because we saw the Pixel 10a run with the same chip as the Pixel 9a rather than get updated – perhaps Google is planning more of this type of multi-generational use.

While that's just speculation, there's another part of this equation: the GPU is said to be the PowerVR C-Series CXPT-48-1536, which according to 9to5Google is a couple of years old.

That might see the Tensor G6 equipped with some of the very latest CPU cores, but a GPU that lags behind. This might just be because it's not being pitched for graphically intensive tasks, or perhaps this is an outdated part of the configuration.

While for many users this won't be a concern, it might be that despite the additional power, the Tensor G6 devices aren't as universally powerful as those powered by the latest Snapdragon hardware – something that's been true since Tensor's inception.

While these details are all a bit on the technical side, we're unlikely to hear what Google has in store for the Pixel 11 and the new Tensor hardware until the new device launches – expected to be around August 2026.

Motorola's never been afraid to release plenty of phones at once, and that's definitely the approach it's taken this week, with a deluge of new handsets being announced. Really, though, most people are likely to have their eyes caught by the new Razr 70 lineup, which splits into three variants with some interesting differences.

Starting this year, the Razr family will comprise a standard version, a Plus phone and an Ultra phone, adding a third version to last year's pairing. The Razr 70 Ultra will obviously be the flagship, with a Snapdragon 8 Elite powering it, a 5000mAh battery with 68W fast-charging, and a 4-inch external display punch-holed with three 50MP cameras and coated in Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic.

The middle-grade Razr 70 Plus will have the same external display, but a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset to give it less power to work with, and a 4500mAh battery with 45W fast-charging. Its Gorilla Glass will be Victus, but it still looks like a really capable folding phone.

The most affordable phone will be the standard Razr 70, and it's the one that stands out from a design point of view, thanks to a smaller 3.63-inch external display. Its chip is a MediaTek Dimensity 7450X, and while it gets 4800mAh of battery, its charging is capped at 30W, and it also gets Gorilla Glass Victus.

In classic Motorola style, the availability of each version is a little complicated, but here in the UK and EU, we're definitely getting the Razr 70 Ultra (starting at £1,199.99 / € 1,299.99) and the standard Razr 70 (at a reasonable £799.99 / €899.99). The Razr 70 Plus is implicitly AWOL in our regions, so it's likely to end up being a model aimed at the US.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the launch, too, comes in the form of the colours on offer. Motorola's trying to go big on having unique and interesting finishes on its phones, which means each model has different, but surprisingly restrictive colours to choose from.

The Razr 70 Ultra, for example, is only coming in two variants. One, according to Motorola, is "Pantone Orient Blue, featuring a finely-embossed Alcantara texture". The other is "Pantone Cocoa in a natural wood veneer finish". Neither is exactly generic, and similar options abound for the Razr 70 and 70 Plus – if you're interested in a folding phone, you're definitely going to want to double-check those colours and textures before you buy.

That's not all, though – Motorola is also shining a spotlight on the non-foldable Edge 70 Pro, which is debuting at £749.99 / €849.99. It, too, has some crazy finishes to choose from, including a wooden version, a wool-inspired finish, a silk-inspired one and a simpler acetate option.

It'll have four 50MP cameras, a massive 6500mAh silicon-carbon battery, a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Extreme chipset when it hits the market pretty soon.

If you've been holding your breath for a phone that dares to bring back the physical keyboard, this news will likely bring a smile to your face. The Clicks Communicator is still very much on its way, and the team behind it has revealed the most detailed timeline yet.

Clicks is probably best known for its iPhone keyboard cases, but it unveiled the Communicator back at CES 2026 in January. It's positioned as a love letter to the golden era of BlackBerry, but only dummy units were on show at the time.

Now, Droid Life has posted an update from the company, which confirms that despite the RAM crisis and tech shortages, it's still on track for a 2026 release. It also offers a clearer picture of what to expect.

Here's what the Clicks Communicator timeline looks like

According to an April update sent directly to those who signed up for the Clicks Communicator, the rollout breaks down as follows:

• May: Clicks will begin pulling back the curtain on the Communicator experience, including software, interface details, and more details on the thinking behind the design.
• June: Working units will be available to see, fulfilling the company's Q2 commitment.
• Q3: The device will head into certification and testing. Reservation holders will also get to personalise their order, choosing their preferred colour and keyboard layout, plus opt for bonus covers, including limited-edition colourways.
• Q4: Production will kick off and shipping will begin for those who reserved early.

If this is your first time hearing about the Clicks Communicator, it’s a mid-range Android phone with a built-in physical keyboard, that is priced at just $199 (that's around £147 today).

The specs aren't going to compete with the best Android phones on the market, but that's somewhat by design.

The Clicks Communicator is pitched less as a flagship replacement and more as a considered companion device – something you reach for when you want to step back from your main smartphone, tap out messages properly, and maybe reclaim a little focus in the process.

That said, it does include a SIM slot, so it's fully capable of being your only phone if that's the life you want to live. Sure, it's niche, but for anyone who has spent years mourning the death of the BlackBerry keyboard, the Clicks Communicator might just scratch the itch.

Samsung launched its TriFold phone late in 2025, but it was a limited run and has now finished production. But if you missed out, there's another player returning to town with a new trifold device – Huawei.

Huawei was actually one of the first manufacturers to release a dual-hinge device with the Huawei Mate XT in 2024 and rumours now say that the company is working on the Mate XT2 for later in the year.

It's said that the company will be focusing on improving the hinge technology to reduce creases, while also boosting the power, battery and camera. That's to be expected when replacing a device from 2024.

The Huawei Mate XT used a different design to Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold. Huawei's device only had one display, folding in a Z action rather than a G like Samsung.

That meant that Huawei's external display was the left-hand portion of the screen, with it wrapping around the outside of that hinge, rather than all folding up inside. This perhaps makes it simpler, but means a third of the screen is exposed all the time, so more likely to pick up damage.

The details come from Weibo (via Notebook Check) and it's not clear exactly how the hinges will change and what it means for the device – and if there will be any change to the folding method.

Other details are more specific: the Kirin 9050 Pro processing unit is mentioned, as well as increasing the battery from 5,600mAh to more than 6,000mAh, which shouldn't be a surprise given the advancements in silicon-carbon battery tech.

Finally, the Mate XT2 is said to have the same cameras as the Huawei Mate X7, said to be two 50-megapixel cameras for the main and telephoto, with a 40-megapixel ultrawide.

Unfortunately, as we're talking about Huawei, it's likely that availability outside China will be limited. The launch is expected to take place in October.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected to make a change to one of its displays, with one aspect of the external screen getting smaller. Before you panic, the element that Samsung is looking to shrink is the cut-out for the front camera.

That's probably not where you thought the attention would be focused, but this is the subject of the latest leak about Samsung's forthcoming folding phone.

The source of this information is UniverseIce, who is often reliable. They explain that the Z Fold 8 front camera will only have a 2.5mm diameter hole.

The current Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a 3.7mm diameter hole, so those opting for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will have a tiny amount of screen space around that camera that the older phone lacks. By my quick calculation, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will restore 5.84mm² of display to users.

That's not a significant amount of space, but every little helps.

The famed leaker on X says: "Samsung appears to have adopted a new technology". This is likely to eliminate the black ring around the camera that's common on many phones.

Is this going to make a material difference to the experience? Probably not because there's a huge folding display inside if you need more space, but these sorts of small refinements are perhaps the real measure of progress.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected to launch at an event in London in late July, accompanied by a Galaxy Z Flip 8, as well as a slightly new format of phone offering a wider folding format.

Indeed, it's the wide fold that's attracted the most speculation from Samsung's future plans, with the device said to rival the iPhone Fold. So far we've seen Huawei announce a wider folding device, but this new style of folding phone could be the future for the format.

For those sticking to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and its more traditional design, perhaps you'll just get a slightly smaller camera hole.

Samsung is thought to be working on a third folding phone to launch alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Flip 8. It's a wide folding design and new details have revealed a little more about the expected device's specifics. There's something familiar about these details, too.

Samsung's new wider fold – which some are calling the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide – could bring about a shift in Samsung's folding phone design. It will reportedly move from a taller type of phone, which we have seen from the Z Fold in the past, to something that is shorter and wider.

It's thought that the new phone is designed to compete with the iPhone Fold (or iPhone Ultra, as some call it), also thought to be adopting this format. That's where the familiarity comes in.

Apple does everything by design, so it's no surprise that its first foldable is expected to adopt an internal screen aspect similar to iPad models. The iPhone Fold could open up to be a 4:3 device, which has been used on many iPads in the past.

Why does Apple do this? Because if a decision was right before, the same justification now applies – and the 4:3 aspect is nicer for reading (when rotated into portrait) and because it's less square than existing folding phones, so could be better for watching movies without the sort of letterboxing that current book-type folding phones use.

Returning to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide and the details from leaker UniverseIce suggest that the display will have a 4:3 aspect on the inner display. That's also similar to the Huawei Pura X Max that has already been teased, which has a 4.24:3 aspect inner display.

There are a couple of other interesting dimensions to leak: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide is expected to be 4.3mm thick when unfolded and 9.8mm thick when closed. It's also said to be 82.2mm wide (folded), with a height of 123.9. When unfolded it will be 161.4mm wide.

The details suggest that Samsung's phone will be slightly wider and less tall than Huawei's device, but crucially it will be thinner too.

If Samsung is going to move to offer a wider folding phone, we'd expect that to appear in late July 2026 at a Galaxy Unpacked event in London. If Apple is going to launch its own folding phone, that will likely appear alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September.

The new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 may not be as exciting in all areas as hoped. While that's not a massive surprise, it has left me to consider waiting for the next generation, in the Flip 9, instead.

Typically, Samsung offers the cutting-edge folding screen tech at a reasonably affordable price, but makes cuts in others areas. In the next generation Flip 8, it sounds like that cut could come in the battery department.

The latest leak from a Korean source clearly states the 25W charger, found as far back as on on the Flip 4, is still remaining the same. That translates to a pretty slow charge compared to some of the more mainstream smartphones.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, for example, features a 60W charger, that's so fast it can go from one to 75% in just 30-minutes. And that's on a hefty 5,000mAh battery.

By comparison, the Flip 8 is due to receive less than half that charging pace for a battery which is expected to come in at 4,300 mAh.

Should I get the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8?

While the battery might not be upgraded in size or charging speed, that's perhaps not a deal breaker for everyone. This could, of course, mean that Samsung is able to pass on any savings it makes to us – keeping the price similar or making even lower. Although, with all the shortages and price hikes in other areas of tech, I'm not holding my breath there.

So, is it worth waiting for the Flip 9 instead? It's a risk, as we can't know that Samsung will upgrade the battery then either. So, if you're considering going foldable, keep in mind that battery limit, but also the fact that this will likely be the best foldable screen yet.

It's fair to say that at first glance, the design inspiration for the Honor 600 Pro might well be a popular Apple device, with the company closing the visual gap with the iPhone.

The triangular arrangement of the cameras on the back of the Honor 600 Pro – as well as the Orange colour option – brings to mind the iPhone 17 Pro, especially with the oblong island on which the cameras sit.

But to see the Honor 600 Pro as just an iClone would be a mistake: this is a powerful Android handset with a lot packed in under the skin.

The Honor 600 Pro sits alongside the Honor 600, with the Honor 600 Lite already available. The new models offer similar design and build, with a slim 7.8mm body, and a unibody design with metal frame. Both come in Black, Golden White and Orange colours.

The big difference in these devices comes from the core hardware and the cameras – which I'll get to in a bit – but let's start with the display.

There's a huge 8,000 nits peak brightness available with this 6.57-inch AMOLED screen, with support for 120Hz and a high resolution resulting in a 458ppi. I think this is the highest peak brightness in a device so far, although how much of that comes through in normal use remains to be seen.

Worth noting, however, is the exceptionally thin bezel around the visible area of the screen – it is slimmed down to just 0.98mm, which looks great.

Now back to those cameras: the Pro has a three camera arrangement laid out like the iPhone 17 Pro, packing in a 200-megapixel main camera and supported by a 50-megapixel telephoto and 12-megapixel ultrawide. The Honor 600 drops the telephoto, but keeps the main and ultrawide cameras.

Honor is really leaning into the night photography skills of this main camera, as well as the advanced stabilisation that it offers. We saw great results from the Honor Magic 8 Pro, although this uses a different selection of sensors, so the results remain to be seen.

The next difference between these phones is in the hardware: the Honor 600 Pro has Snapdragon 8 Elite so it's a verifiable flagship phone, even if this hardware is a generation old. That makes the Honor 600 Pro a really interesting device, especially for what promises to be a very affordable price.

The Honor 600 sits on the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, but will be even cheaper, so this is a competitive mid-range device.

Both phones get a 6,400mAh battery with 80W charging – the Pro benefitting from 50W wired charging and 27W reverse charging too. Both run Android 16 and will benefit from Honor's recent move to offer six years of software updates.

Both phones are launching in May, and despite the copycat looks, are impressive on the spec sheet. We will be reviewing the Honor 600 Pro in the near future to see just how well it fares.

Last week, Nothing announced a transfer tool called Warp, which allows the transfer of files, images, copied text or links between devices. It leverages Google Drive allowing users signed into a Google Account to essentially share information with themselves across devices.

It was announced on the Nothing Forum, inviting users to install a browser extension and then install an app. As soon as it launched, it was pulled.

Nothing provided an update, saying: "Nothing Warp was temporarily withdrawn to fine-tune the product following its initial release. The app is built on Google's infrastructure and handles no user data. There are no security or privacy concerns."

Well now it's back, with Nothing inviting you to install a Chrome extension which handles the PC side of the operation, but for the phone part, you'll need to sideload the app on your Android phone, which is available from Nothing directly.

That's currently not a challenge, once you've granted the various permissions on your phone. You'll then be invited to sign into both halves with a Google account to begin sharing.

What is Nothing Warp?

Nothing Warp is a simple tool. On a PC, just right click on the content you want to share and select the "Nothing Warp" option. For those who spend most of their time in a desktop browser and want to copy text, or a webpage or an online image, it works well enough. Within Chrome, just select it, right click and the option is there.

For those wanting to share files, you'll have to open the browser extension and click upload. Note that this can be pretty slow – if you've synced files to Google Drive before, you'll know how slow it can be with big files.

On a phone, because it's using a proper app, things are simpler, as Nothing Warp gets added to the share menu across the whole device. Just select it and off it goes.

In reality, Nothing Warp is great for lightweight copy and paste functions or sharing URLs, but if you want to share content saved on your phone, you can already do that through Google Drive and other Google properties, like Photos, already easily accessed through a browser.

It's an interesting tool and you can tell it was designed to address a set of demands that the Nothing team encountered, rather than it being a proper multi-platform file sharing tool.

Exactly why it was pulled, we don't know, but now it's back if you want to try it.

Motorola is expected to announce the Razr 70 alongside other phones next week, but the full specification has leaked early, letting us get a good measure of this device before it's launched.

The Motorola Razr 70 is expected to launch on 29 April alongside the Razr 70 Ultra, which has already made an appearance of its own, with Motorola already teasing this launch event.

This latest leak comes thanks to a product listing by Russian retailer (via Android Authority). It gives us the chance to the see the full specifications for the phone, as well as the colours and product images.

From these details we can pick out the key updates, including a move to the Dimensity 7450X CPU, while the battery increases to 4,800mAh. Both of these are incremental updates, boosting the performance ever so slightly compared to the Moto Razr 60.

The weight is listed as the same, as are the dimensions of the phone, while the IP48 rating remains as it was before.

The cameras are listed as a pair of 50-megapixel sensors, compared the previous phone that had a 50-megapixel main camera and 13-megapixel ultrawide, so the quality of that ultrawide could be improved.

The specs of the 6.9-inch display appear to be identical – even including the peak brightness of 1700 nits – while the external display is expected to stay at 3.6-inches.

Motorola Razr 70 colour options

There are three colours shown: white, grey and green, with visibly different finishes, but it's not possible to figure out exactly what we're looking at here – or what those colours will be officially called. There's also a pink model shown, but not included in the retail listing.

While we don't know if Motorola will be launching any additional software features on these foldables, it looks like the hardware is only making minor changes to the previous version.

That might not matter at this point in time, with IDC reporting that Motorola has over 50% of the folding phone market in the US (it's only 13% in Europe, mind you). The question is whether Motorola can continue to attract customers to its flip phones and whether big specs matter.

Currently, the Motorola Razr 60 is listed with a £200 discount from Motorola direct, while the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra also has a £200 discount, suggesting that the 2025 phones might be worth snapping up if there are only minor changes expected from the new devices.

Motorola has teased the release of its new phones, confirming a 29 April 2026 launch date. Motorola's new folding phones in the Razr family are expected, with the spotlight on the Razr 70 Ultra (or Razr Ultra 2026 in the US).

The Razr logo is shown in the brief teaser on X, along with a good look at the hinge, putting the Razr 70 Ultra and Razr 70 firmly in the frame.

But that's not the only detail we've spotted: there's also what looks like an Edge model based on the design, which could be Edge 70 Pro, slotting in between the Signature and the Edge 70.

Diving into the video in more detail, we see a purple Edge device with a pillowed design studded with gems. It looks like the Swarovski design that we've seen previously, but the presence of a rear fingerprint scanner tells us it's a candybar phone.

Then we move onto a red device which is probably the Edge Pro. There's a glimpse of the camera, where we see three lenses, which means it's unlikely to be a Moto G model. Motorola's phone design is very consistent, so it's hard to tell exactly what we're looking at.

Then we're into folding phones, showing three colours – black, green and a lilac blue – but few other details are given away. Rumours have already suggested that we're not going to be seeing substantial design changes, but we might get wood and Alcantara finishes.

Motorola Razr 70 Ultra leaked specs

It's not expected that there will be huge changes to Motorola's flagship foldable, with the Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU at its heart, and with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.

A 5,000mAh battery – a small increase over the previous version – will power the flip phone, with 68W charging to keep that topped up.

Elsewhere, we're expecting a 4-inch external display and 7-inch internal folding screen, while the cameras are expected to be the trio of 50-megapixel sensors that we saw before.

That all amounts to not much of a change for this new model, which might entice with new colours instead. Of course, it's likely that Motorola will continue to push the Moto AI features of the phone.

While all this was speculation until recently, at least we now have a date, so we won't have to wait too long until we get full confirmation and see how this phone will rival the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7.

New features expected to be available in Samsung One UI 9.0 have surfaced thanks to early beta versions of the software. They include Tap to Share and new Bixby widgets.

While Google is developing Android 17 – expected in final form in June or July – Samsung is working on its One UI version that will sit on it and power the company's phones and tablets. And with One UI 8.5 launching with Galaxy S26 phones just a couple of month's ago, it's One UI 9.0 that's next in line.

The new version of the software isn't expected to appear until the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8, expected to take place at Galaxy Unpacked in London in July. However, Sammobile has revealed a couple of the features spotted in the latest beta build.

While the transition to Android 17 is exciting, it's Samsung's own additions that normally result in more features for customers and Tap to Share seems like a handy new tool.

This will give you contact sharing – like Apple's NameDrop – while it can also be used to trigger Quick Share file sharing. Both rely on NFC to make contact, with Samsung specifying that the "tap" is mandatory to trigger the action.

If you're on the home screen, then your contact info will be shared. If you're in the Gallery, Quick Share or share panel, then images, videos and other files can be shared. Basically, it's an automation of Quick Share, ideal for people you don’t know.

At the moment, this appears to be a Samsung feature and as 9to5Google points out, Google is working on a similar feature. In fact, it's already there as part of Quick Share (triggering sharing with a tap), but it doesn't work very well and no one really knows about it – probably because it's not signposted anywhere in the user interface.

If nothing else, contact sharing will be an exciting addition.

The second new feature sees Samsung leaning into its renewed enthusiasm for Bixby.

In the Galaxy S26, Samsung elevated Bixby into being a useful AI on your phone, ideal for answering questions about your device.

A new set of widgets will offer shortcuts to get to Bixby and start that conversation – presumably because the device is using Gemini through button and wake word shortcuts. Giving Bixby a more prominent widget might encourage owners to actually use it.

These are still early days for One UI 9.0. While it's expected to make its debut in the summer, it's likely to be a fairly long wait before it appears on the majority of Samsung Galaxy phones.

Honor could be working on a phone with a huge 10,690mAh battery, double the capacity of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. It's likely to be listed as 11,000mAh if it makes it into a future phone.

The Chinese brand is known for its large capacities, with a 6,270mAh battery in the Honor Magic 8 Pro. But the company already has devices with higher capacities, including the Honor Power 2 with 10,080mAh of juice.

The details come from Digital Chat Station on Weibo (via Huawei Central), but at this point, it's not clear what phone this might be heading into.

Battery capacities have generally been increasing across devices, mostly driven by the adoption of silicon-carbon technology. That's seen the likes of Honor, OnePlus, and Xiaomi launching devices with high capacities.

That's not been the trend in the mainstream, however, with Samsung, Apple and Google sticking to capacities around 5,000mAh, while rivals might be offering around 7,000mAh in flagship phones.

Honor's 11,000mAh phone is likely to be a model that's specifically pitched as having a huge battery rather than its next flagship phone, but it's still a huge step forward in capacity compared to traditional Li-ion battery tech.

Remarkably, while these higher capacities are being stuffed into phones, high charging speeds are also retained – the Honor Power 2 offers 80W wired charging, for example.

The increase in battery capacities means that some devices now reasonably last over two days. I recently reviewed the Honor Magic 8 Lite with a 7,500mAh battery and was really impressed with the battery life.

What we don't currently know is how long these batteries last. Sticking to traditional methods is usually to preserve battery longevity to make sure it lasts as long as possible. That's also the reason that some brands – Apple, Samsung and Google for example – use slower charging speeds. It maintains battery health over a longer period of time.

A YouGov study from 2023 found that battery life was the top priority for new smartphone customers, regardless of how much they were planning to spend on a new phone.

Samsung's next TriFold phone might have a shorter and wider design, better placed to challenge incoming "wide" devices like the iPhone Fold. And so, even though the first TriFold phone from Samsung has already been discontinued, it seems the concept could live on.

Samsung announced the Galaxy Z TriFold in late 2025, but it was a limited run that sold out quickly with no plans to restock. While many thought that was the end of the idea, rumours then surfaced that Samsung was looking at a new hinge design for a thicker device and now we have a patent for a revised use of a dual-hinge foldable.

In an extensive patent filing, the company outlines new details of a folding phone, exploring different modes of use – and there's even the appearance of the S Pen, with an explanation of how it might magnetically attach to the frame.

The patent details were uncovered by Network Right, along with concept images from @xleaks77, with a filing date of 12 March 2026, with the original source focusing on the appearance of a wider folding device.

Much of the patent appears to show a design of a dual hinge device that's the same as the Z TriFold, but the purpose of the filing isn't to showcase a new format of phone, it's to talk about how the device will operate "in a multi-folded state".

In some of the images the device appears like the Z TriFold, in others, it's clearly a wider and shorter TriFold.

That might come down to the fact that these are patent drawings not engineering drawings, so the proportionality of the device isn't to scale. That raises a question of the validity of a "wide fold design" – however, it certainly looks like it.

What's really interesting about this patent is how the phone is presented in a tent-style folded shape, or "prism shape" as Samsung refers to it. It appears to be to enable a bedside mode, with subsequent illustrations displaying on-screen widgets, a clock, timers and so on.

Reading into the details, Samsung describes that in this state the folding display could also be illuminated, providing a nice ambient lighting effect. There are details of using different materials to support the prism shape, so it doesn't slide flat. That might appear in the form of a rubberised part in the corners, for example, so there's friction against the frame.

In other images, Samsung displays how it could connect with magnets or slot into a groove to support the prism shape.

This all points to Samsung looking for expanded use cases, in this instance, changing the design to support them. If nothing else, this propagates the idea that Samsung is still looking at TriFold phones, rather than just abandoning it completely.

While it's a bit of a leap to take this as evidence of a wider folding phone, it definitely tells us something about Samsung's intention to keep working on this type of device.

The Motorola Razr 70 Ultra – expected to be called the Razr Ultra (2026) in the US – is not expected to make any huge changes to the specifications, with the only upgrade being a small increase in the battery capacity.

We'd previously heard – and reported – that the Razr 70 Ultra might be thicker than the previous iteration. However, these new specifications from Android Headlines suggest that the flip phone will be pretty much the same size and weight.

There will be a 5,000mAh battery, whereas the previous device was 4,700mAh so there's a minor bump there, along with 68W wired charging. But that's all that's changed, it seems.

Elsewhere we have a Snapdragon 8 Elite powering the phone – the same as it was previously – while it will come with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.

The external display will measure 4 inches, with a 1272 x 1080 pixel resolution, with the 7-inch internal display sporting a 2992 x 1224 pixel resolution. There are no new details about brightness, which might be one area where Motorola pushes a change.

Beyond that, the cameras are also expected to be the same 50-megapixel cameras used on the Razr 60 Ultra. All in, it looks like there aren't going to be any significant changes to this phone, apart from a slightly higher battery capacity.

That means that existing Razr users might not rush to upgrade, but it's worth considering who Motorola is appealing to with these phones. In a recent IDC report, it was said that Motorola dominated sales in the US with over 50% market share.

That means that something Motorola is doing is attracting customers who aren't going for the Galaxy Z Flip, the biggest global competitor in the flip phone space. It's also been previously suggested by Motorola that the people it is attracting are iPhone users looking for a change.

That might be the thinking behind the new device: it will come in Pantone colours, using materials such as wood and Alcantara and represent a lifestyle choice. That's not necessarily about the core specs, but about the whole essence of the phone.

So while on the surface, this isn't a huge strike at Samsung's folding phones, it might be the sort of consistency that intrigued iPhone owners want.