Motorola just unveiled its newest flagship smartphone, and confirmed that it's going to cost just about as much as you might fear for a new top-end Android handset. £1,299.99 is quite a wedge, after all, but the Motorola Signature 27 doubtless won't be the last phone we see launch at this price in the months to come.

Motorola's giving the phone a flagship chipset to befit its pricing, too, with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 powering the whole thing, seated behind what will apparently be the brightest display in any smartphone (up to a ridiculous-sounding up to 12,000 nits of peak brightness).

That display is an Extreme AMOLED Duo one, which means you should get inky blacks and lovely vivid colours. It also has a battery that sounds about as good as you could hope for in a mainstream device right now (or one on sale in the West, at least). Its capacity is 7000mAh, which means it should have long-lasting power. That goes with 90W wired charging and 50W wireless charging (if you have a pad to support it).

Design-wise, it's a familiar look based on what Motorola has done in recent years, but with a camera bump that's now even more chunky and capable than ever before. Three big camera units comprise: a 50MP Sony LYTIA L910 main lens; a 200MP periscope telephoto option; and a 50MP ultrawide camera.

Next to them is what Motorola says is the "first-ever dedicated EVS action sensor on a smartphone". That sensor is aimed entirely at capturing fast-moving moments perfectly, and it should make for the crispest action shots yet.

From optical image stabilisation on the main camera to the ability to shoot video with Dolby Vision capabilities, there are plenty of impressive little features up the Signature 27's sleeve, too.

The phone will be available in dark green or dark grey, or "Pantone Coal Smoke" and "Pantone Capulet Olive" in Motorola's words. Impressively, it has the cumulative benefits of both IP68 and IP69 ratings, too, making it superb durability.

If all that sounds interesting to you, and you need an ultra-capable new Android phone, it goes up for pre-order on 16 November, in a couple of weeks – and, again, for the avoidance of doubt, will cost £1,299.99 to start.

The Samsung Galaxy S27 series could confuse buyers with a report suggesting that three different chips will be used to power the devices. That could point to wildly different performance between each phone.

The change comes with the expansion of phones offered under the Galaxy S27 banner. We're expecting to see the Galaxy S27, Galaxy S27 Plus, Galaxy S27 Pro and the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

We've previously we've seen all the models in the family using the same chip – as was the case for the Galaxy S25, where all the models used the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy.

Now, according to a report compiled by Notebookcheck, we learn that Samsung could be using up to three separate chips in the one range, drawing on its own Exynos hardware as well as Snapdragon CPUs. The details reportedly come from a Customs database, outlining the following distribution of hardware:

• Samsung Galaxy S27 - Exynos 2700
• Samsung Galaxy S27 Plus - Exynos 2700
• Samsung Galaxy S27 Pro - Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6
• Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra - Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6

At first glance, this suggests that even though the Pro is lining up as a compact flagship, it won't quite have the same performance as the Ultra. The Extreme version of Qualcomm's latest chip has a more powerful GPU and NPU, while also offering more video codecs and the latest connectivity standards.

At the same time, the use of the Elite Gen 6 in the Pro might help Samsung keep the price in check and allow for greater distinction between the Pro and the Ultra.

The story doesn't end there, because the division between Exynos and Snapdragon is nothing new: for years, Samsung has used Snapdragon hardware in China and the US, while the rest of the world gets Exynos.

The US market might benefit most

That could also be what we're looking at here. There's every chance that when the Galaxy S27 launches in the US, it will have a Snapdragon chip, rather than Exynos.

That would make the line-up more coherent: having Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 in the S27, S27 Plus and S27 Pro would make the Ultra really stand out as the super flagship device with its Extreme chip.

That would mean that the Pro's biggest advantage would be offering the same camera as the Ultra, but in a package that won't quite offer the same performance.

Over the past decade we've seen Samsung switch back and forth with Exynos and Snapdragon hardware, we've seen rumours about global Exynos or Snapdragon use which haven't turned out to be true.

If the past is anything to go by, this is just the start of the rumour dance as we try to figure out exactly what will power Samsung's next generation of phones.

Nubia's gaming brand, RedMagic, is renowned for its premium gaming phones, but its latest might well have become the ideal all-rounder we've been looking for.

The RedMagic 12 Pro is the global version of the 12 Pro+ launched in China recently, and for me it hits the sweet spot between a gaming powerhouse and an everyday device.

It's just been launched in numerous regions around the world, including the UK, Europe and the US, with open sales starting on 18 November 2026. There will also be early bird pre-order offers in the build-up, but in all fairness its official RRP is already impressive.

Available from £799 / €899 / $949, the RedMagic 12 Pro offers great value for money. It runs on Qualcomm's most powerful processor to date – the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 – and up to 16GB of RAM. And you can get up to 1TB of storage.

There's also a 6.85-inch 1.5K BOE X11 LPTO OLED display with an extremely thin bezel around the edge that's less than a millimetre thick. It has a 185Hz refresh rate too – a "first" for the industry.

RedMagic 12 Pro: first impressions

However, having used one for a week or so before the European launch, perhaps the most impressive upgrade over the RedMagic 11 Pro is that the successor is thinner, lighter and, well, friendlier.

You still get a whole lot of gaming-specific features, such as liquid cooling that now includes the ability to change the LED lighting to any colour you fancy (or set it to cycle through them). And the trigger buttons are still ranged along one side. But it just feels more like a premium Android phone this time around, not just a high-end games handheld.

The 8,400mAh battery is also a win – and yes, that's available on the UK and EU models too. I ran the phone normally and it lasted more than a day for sure. Heavy gaming might stretch it somewhat, but it's still a decent generational bump.

There's 80W fast charging on board too, so it doesn't take long to top it up. And you get up to IP69 protection from water and dust, although it's worth noting the cooling system is only rated at IPX8 due to its "independent airflow channel design".

The only compromise I've encountered so far, in my initial testing, is that the cameras aren't really a priority for RedMagic.

There are two 50-megapixel cams on the rear – main and ultra-wide – which are decent enough for phone at a mid-range price point, but the front-facing 16-megapixel under-display camera is just as poor as on the last model. Selfies come out soft and lacking detail, thanks to being obscured by screen pixels on top, so if that's your main concern, look elsewhere.

It's okay for video calling though, and that's about all you'd really use it for.

RedMagic 12 Pro: gaming giant?

You get RedMagic OS 12 (Android 17) preinstalled and while there's some bloatware, mainly when it comes to games utilities, it's not really that bad. I personally added a fair few additional apps as soon as I booted it up for the first time anyway, including a bunch of retro gaming emulators I use on all Android handhelds.

It's worth noting though that PC emulation and Steam access is available through RedMagic's own Game Space. However, I also installed GameHub and DroidDeck myself.

I did encounter some issues with both. Considering the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset is so new (this is one of the first phones to hit market that uses it), compatibility was flakey. You might have to wait a bit for developers to catch up. It's arguably too powerful and advanced right now.

I also had a few issues with some Android games, such as Red Dead Redemption, which crashed often. But I expect those to be ironed out before the phone is in the hands of consumers.

It's why I haven't fully reviewed the RedMagic 12 Pro yet – I want to see what happens over the next couple of weeks in terms of first- and third-party updates.

As it stands though, this is a highly impressive device for gaming and just general Android shenanigans, with potential that far outweighs its price point.

Yes, it's technically a gaming phone, but it's also something I'd consider keeping with me at all times. Just not when I want to take a selfie.

According to a report coming out of Korea, Samsung is preparing to bring its Privacy Display feature to a new device. Previously, Privacy Display was limited to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the phone on which it made its debut.

The model in question is thought to be the Galaxy S27 Pro, which will benefit from the tech that dims the display for those looking at it from an angle. The idea is to increase privacy by making sensitive information on the screen mode difficult to see unless you're the phone's user.

The Samsung Galaxy S27 Pro is thought to be a new flagship tier device that will have the same cameras as the Galaxy S27 Ultra, but in a slightly more compact model that doesn't support the S Pen.

Rumours about the new line-up of phone have been circulating for some time, but the details from The Korea Herald tells us that Samsung is starting production of the new displays, saying that it plans to manufacture 700,000 of the new display units in November.

Samsung's aim seems to be to encourage buyers to choose a slightly more premium device, without the size and price of choosing the Ultra. According to leaked prices from @phonefuturist on X, there could be a $100 price difference between the Pro and the Ultra, with the Pro said to start at $1,399.

What is Privacy Display?

Privacy Display has the ability to switch off wide-angle display pixels, restricting the content to narrow pixels only visible by someone right in front of the screen. Samsung allows versatile deployment of the tech, letting you choose whether it's used across the whole device, or just for particular apps.

The downside of Privacy Display is that it downgrades the quality of the display when in use and if someone is standing right behind you looking over your shoulder, they'll still have a quite a good view of what's on the screen.

The Samsung Galaxy S27 family is expected to be announced in February 2027 and be comprised of four models – the Galaxy S27, Galaxy S27 Plus, Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that Apple's anticipated folding phone – the iPhone Duo – is now seeing its first reviews, with the official launch date having finally arrived.

That's seen a series of comparisons to the other folding phone of the moment, the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Both have a similar passport-style design, but there are number of differences.

Looking to close the gap, there's now an app for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 that mimics one of the features that the Apple devices offers – tent mode.

This comes courtesy of an app called Foldy (via 9to5Google) that aims to give you the same sort of standby functions that Apple is known for. For whatever reason, Samsung doesn't really go in for this sort of standby functionality, but Apple seems to think you'll be using your phone as a bedside clock.

That's what Foldy offers: customisable screens, so you can have your phone standing next to you showing various details at a glance.

Is that copying? Not really: Samsung has carried the folding phone segment since 2019, with only really Huawei offering any competition. During that time the Korean firm has refined the hardware, expanded screens, reduced creases and optimised Android use on these phones.

Apple has had the benefit of learning from its rivals, before coming in with a fresh take. It was to be expected that Samsung would develop its own folding devices in response, even if it's the developer community that got there first.

There are a couple of takeaways in early comparisons of these devices: Apple's keyboard is a lot more compact, giving more screen space for typing than Samsung typically does. However, Apple's persistent controls down the right-hand edge mean apps can't be as wide as Samsung offers.

Samsung's device remains thinner and lighter, but Apple's hinge allows more precise positioning.

Then you have the display, which is dividing opinion. The matte finish works wonders for cutting out reflections and ensuring daylight visibility, but it's less contrasty and can look a little softer compared to Samsung's display when out of direct light.

In short, there's enough of a difference here for everyone to get the experience that they want. What I am hoping for, however, is that some of the optimisation that app developers do for iPhone Duo will also benefit the Galaxy Z Fold 8 – especially with that fancy Netflix app.

If you've long been dreaming of a phone with a huge battery, then things have slowly been moving in your favour. The launch of the Honor Win2 gaming phone, with a 10,100mAh battery could be of interest.

It's a huge battery that joins huge spec, including a 10,000 nit peak brightness display with 185Hz refresh rate, a 200-megapixel main camera and IP ratings up to 69K, with the details shared by 9to5Google.

To make sure that huge battery doesn't take an age to charge, there's 100W wired and 80W wireless charging. The bad news is that the Win models often don't launch outside China – and this phone might face regulatory problems too.

For those paying attention, phones in China often launch with a higher battery capacity than global partners and that often comes down to regulation. The European Union has plenty of rules on battery size, as well as transport restrictions.

As T3's Tech Editor Mike Lowe found out when checking out the global version of the Vivo X500 Pro Max, such restrictions mean that the battery capacities of devices in Europe are lowered to meet regulations.

In this case, the 8,000mAh battery of the Chinese Vivo is reduced to 6,750mAh, reportedly a reflection of transport restrictions in Austria where the device will be sold.

The EU rules set a transport limit on single cells in smartphones. That limit is 20Wh, which is about 5,200-5,400mAh in a single cell. Manufacturers often get around this by using multiple cells in a device. This not only meets the restrictions, but also allows for better thermal control while charging.

So there are considerations for devices that come to the EU – and by extension the UK which uses the same regulation framework. It's not just a case of changing the software and keeping the hardware that China uses.

While you might damn EU rules, there is a consumer-leaning benefit coming into force too, which has seen a change in many devices. From 18 February 2027, devices like smartphones must have a user-replaceable battery, able to be accessed without specialist tools – while spare cells need to be sold for five years after the launch of a phone.

There's an exemption though, which comes in the form of a performance guarantee as part of the EU's ecodesign rules. If a device retains 83% of its rated capacity after 500 charge cycles – and at least 80% after 1,000 charge cycles – then the replacement requirement doesn't have to be met. For these devices, they must also be at least IP67 rated, meaning that many major smartphone brands are already compliant.

This is all about making sure that batteries in devices are safe in transit – limiting "thermal runaway" where a combusting cell fuels itself and basically burns out of control – while also ensuring that the battery in your phone lasts for a long time to reduce the rate of redundancy in electronic devices.

So, if you don't get phones with huge batteries and you're envious of those devices in China, then at least you know there are reasons why.

Samsung could make a significant expansion of its folding phone family, known as Galaxy Z. According to a new leak, there could be up to six models in 2027.

Some of these are predictable: replacements for the existing line-up will see the Galaxy Z Fold 9 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 9 and Galaxy Z Flip 9 launch as expected. However, that's not all.

According to TheGalox on X, a reputable leaker, we could also be looking at a new Z TriFold 2, the Galaxy Z Fold 9 Pro and the Galaxy Z Slide. This suggests two new formats, and a return of Samsung's largest foldable so far.

The leak doesn't tell us much more, but says that Samsung will start with the Galaxy Z TriFold 2. This has previously been rumoured and I suspect that Samsung will repeat the timing of the previous model's launch.

The date we've previously heard is early 2027, so there's a chance that Samsung could have this on the cards for a CES 2027 announcement in January, even if the availability isn't until a little later in the year.

What is the Samsung Galaxy Z Slide?

The Galaxy Z Slide has been shown as a prototype and there have been various patents for the expanding device, but it could see a launch in 2027, according to this leak.

There's no telling when Samsung might showcase this, but it feels like it would be perfect to show off at MWC 2027 at the beginning of next March, even if it's not a full product.

The launch of the regular updates will likely fall into July or August 2027, essentially as they have done before, but this might also be where the Galaxy Z Fold 9 Pro comes in.

At the moment we don't know what this model would be. Is this a step down from the Ultra, or a step up over the Z Fold 9? I'm thinking it will be the latter, with boosted specs on the wide fold to make it more directly challenge the iPhone Duo.

We haven't seen any leaks for the Galaxy Z Fold 9 Pro, but an easy target would be to increase the camera count to restore a zoom on the rear. That would also fit with Samsung's plans to expand the Galaxy S family with a Pro model too.

It could be a busy year for Samsung – let's just hope that everyone is still paying attention once the iPhone Duo goes on sale.

Motorola is planning to launch its own wider folding phone to rival the likes of the iPhone Duo and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8. The new device has just appeared online, although the specs might not worry the incumbents.

According to a Geekbench listing dug up by Gizmochina, the Razr Flex, as the Moto phone is expected to be called, appears to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, with 12GB RAM. While this is flagship-grade hardware, it's a year old and it's not the top tier Snapdragon 8 chip either.

While that might come as a surprise to those watching the folding phone market, it would fit neatly into Motorola's current strategy, while also keeping costs down.

Motorola updated its flip phones in 2026 but didn't change the core hardware. That left the Razr 70 Ultra with last year's chip, for example, but arguably that isn't a problem.

While techy customers will always want the latest hardware, Motorola has a stronger lifestyle positioning for its devices. It's selling with a fashion-first message, which is why it has Paris Hilton as a brand ambassador.

Sure, the older hardware benchmarks differently, but in the day-to-day use of phones, it doesn't make a huge difference. Or to put another way, it's not enough of a difference to justify the increased price, especially when we're going through a component cost crisis.

Gamers will disagree – and I think gaming is the exception rather than the rule – but folding phones aren't great for gaming anyway. They're difficult to hold, the cooling is poor and the display surfaces can't stand up to the pressure that on-screen controls exert.

So, that Motorola is using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 for the Razr Flex isn't a huge negative. If it ends up cheaper than Samsung's £1,699 for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 or Apple's minimum of £1,999, then I'd say it was a savvy bit of product planning.

What else is expected from the Razr Flex?

This latest leak lists Razr Flex 27 and Razr Flex 2027. Motorola typically adds the year to the US model, while in other regions it has been using numbered releases, although that could be set to change. When the new Signature was announced, it was called Motorola Signature 27 globally, so we could be looking at a new naming policy here.

Elsewhere, the phone is said to feature a 6.92-inch internal folding display with 2364 x 1728 pixels and 165Hz refresh rate. The cover display is said to be 4.97-inch, with 1736 x 1140 pixels.

The cameras are comprised of two 50-megapixel snappers on the rear with a pair of 32-megapixel cameras in the two screens.

A 5,000mAh battery has been rumoured, but it's not clear what the wired charging rate would be. Elsewhere, the phone is said to weigh 215g and measure 5.8mm thick when unfolded.

While it won't rival Samsung or Apple for sheer power, we're keeping our fingers crossed that Motorola will make this a more affordable addition to the wide folding trend.

Samsung fans are reeling after cases for the Samsung Galaxy S27 series leak, suggesting an unwelcome change in design for some.

Cases for four phones – the Galaxy S27, Galaxy S27+, Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 Ultra – have all leaked. And while the cases shown are basic in nature, the camera cutouts reveal changes to the forthcoming devices.

While the Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27+ are expected to look much as they do at the moment with a triple vertical camera on the back, the Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra are expected to adopt a larger island like the iPhone Pro.

The leak comes from a reliable source, UniverseIce on X, and it corroborates with earlier pictures showing the change in the camera layout for Samsung's Ultra phone.

That sees one of the lenses dropped, but the whole camera sitting on an island that stretches the entire width of the phone.

It's a design that's been widely copied from the iPhone Pro, with a number of devices offering a similar layout of cameras. Samsung had previously offered individual lenses on the back of its phones and established something of its own design identity.

That's the accusation from commenters, with one saying: "S27 Ultra looks like Chinese design. It's not Samsung identity."

Another states: "Samsung has lost all its original identity trying to copy Apple."

Caught in the flack is the Galaxy S27 Pro, Samsung's new entry to the line-up that's designed to offer that Ultra experience, but without the S Pen. It's thought that it will have the same camera, but in a slightly more compact form.

The return of a more compact powerhouse should be cause for excitement, but the design change appears to causing some consternation.

What changes should we expect?

The change in camera design is thought to be paired with dropping the 3x zoom camera that Samsung has offered for many years. While that intermediate zoom step might feel like a loss, it's a camera that hasn't really kept up with change elsewhere.

That's likely to see a single 4x optical telephoto using a 1/1.9in sensor, which should be an upgrade to the quality of both the lenses it replaces.

At the same time, a recent report has suggested that Samsung has raised doubts about the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip that it's thought the S27 Ultra and S27 Pro will use. The report suggests Samsung has experienced overheating problems with the new Qualcomm chip, and that Exynos could be used instead.

We've seen this to and fro before, but it's likely that come launch day, Samsung will use a mixture of hardware in different regions.

The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S27 series is not expected until February 2027.

Nubia's gaming sub-brand RedMagic is one of the first each year to release devices with the latest tech – pushing the envelope in Android handsets before rivals catch up. And it regularly does so at prices that defy belief.

That seems to be the case once more, with the RedMagic 12 Pro having been announced in China this week (as the Pro+) with a spec list that looks crazy for the money.

The Chinese edition starts at just 6,999 RMB (around £784 / $1,040 at today's exchange rate) for a version with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and rises to just 8,999 RMB for 16GB / 1TB.

We'll find out the final global prices when the international model launches on 3 November, but considering previous years, we're expecting them to offer mid-range affordability.

And that's for a new phone running Qualcomm's latest and greatest chipset – the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The same SoC you'll find in the highest-end handsets throughout 2027.

On top of this, you get a mammoth 8,400mAh battery with 120W wired and 80W wireless charging, a 6.58-inch 185Hz 2K AMOLED display, and a thinner bezel and build than ever before.

This is a gaming phone still, of course, so there are extra touch buttons on the side and several RedMagic proprietary technologies to both enhance performance and keep the device cool. That includes an RGB liquid cooling system and the RedMagic R5 gaming chip, which supports full scene ray tracing.

On the rear you get two 50-megapixel cameras – wide and ultrawide – and there's an under-display 16-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calling.

It runs RedMagic OS 12 – based on Android 17 – and there's a PC emulator included for good measure, to play PC games from the likes of Steam and Epic Games Store.

We await the global launch with bated breath, not least to see how it weighs up in price. There are three colour options planned, with the Nightfreeze (black) and Subzero (silver) versions now available in China, and a Skyfrost (blue) version to follow "later this year".

Sony has taken the unexpected step of announcing that a phone it launched just two years ago won't get the Android 17 update that was promised at launch. That has left owners reeling.

The Sony Xperia 10 VI was announced in June 2024 and at the time of launch it came with three years of software and four years of security updates. In February 2025 it moved to Android 15, in October 2025 it moved to Android 16 and that's where it's going to stay.

Sony says that the decision not to update comes down to "limitations related to the device's storage configuration". Speculation suggests that Sony might not have enough space in the partition for the update, instead requiring a factory reset which would wipe all user data.

The news was announced via a notice on Sony's website, uncovered by 9to5Google.

While Sony issues an apology, it's unclear whether owners will be able to take any other action to get compensation for the failure of Sony to deliver the updates stated at launch.

Sony quickly pivots to the positive, saying that security updates will continue as planned, so in reality, while some new features will be missing, the phone will remain usable.

What's happening with Sony's Xperia phone line?

Sony's Xperia phones have been through a tough time. In the early 2010s, it produced some of the most interesting devices and was one of the brands that continued to offer smaller flagship devices with its Compact range.

As competition grew from Samsung, Sony leaned into other IP that it owned, using Cybershot, Bravia and Walkman, before opting for Alpha-inspired camera experiences on its phones. But Xperia devices went into rapid decline through the decade, with long launch delays, questionable features and very high prices, leaving the company as somewhat niche in the smartphone space.

This latest incident suggests that somewhere along the planning of the Xperia 10 VI something went wrong – and that's unlikely to help Sony maintain its customers.

Here's the full notice from Sony:

"Dear valued customers,

"Thank you for your continued support of Xperia products.

"We announced at launch that the Xperia 10 VI would receive three Android OS upgrades. However, after a detailed technical assessment, we determined that due to limitations related to the device’s storage configuration, the Xperia 10 VI does not support an Android 17 upgrade experience that we consider adequate. Accordingly, we have decided not to make this upgrade available. We recognise that this falls short of our original announcement, and we wish to apologise for this change.

"On the other hand, our security update commitment remains unchanged. Sony will continue to provide security updates for four years from the product’s launch date, as previously communicated.

"This issue is specific to Xperia 10 VI’s technical specifications and will not impact other Xperia models.

"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding."

OnePlus made the shock announcement that it was pulling out of Europe and the US in July, and its first affected flagship, the OnePlus 16, has been launched in China.

The phone was previewed heavily, but now we have all the details of this device, even if you're not actually going to be able to buy it. Instead, Oppo is increasing its efforts in Europe with the Find X10 Pro Max currently running through a staggered release.

At a glance, these phones share a lot of parental DNA, but while Oppo focuses on camera power, it seems that the OnePlus 16 positions itself for performance – and it's a shame we're not going to be able to get one.

The OnePlus 16 carries a similar design to the OnePlus 15 (similar to the Oppo Find X9 and Find X10 devices), although it's the Tomorrow's Starlight version (a translation) that's interesting, because it has illuminated section under the back.

Power comes from the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, the top-tier of Qualcomm's new hardware, while there's an Oppo developed "e-sports triple chip" designed to boost touch, graphics performance and network speeds for an advantage in gaming.

There's a Glacier Cooling System boasting a 40% vapour chamber performance boost and 50% improvement in the thermal gel, designed to keep the chip cool and ensure prolonged gaming. OnePlus says the cooling system keeps the heat away from your hands too.

The display is capable of 185Hz across a number of titles – including PUBG, no surprises there – while it's a BOE-supplied 6.78-inch f-OLED panel, with 2,000 nits brightness and support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

Sitting behind all of that is a 9,000mAh battery with 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging with a compatible charger. There's bypass charging for use when gaming, of course, with the promise of over eight hours of hardcore gameplay from a single charge.

Finally, we have a 200-megapixel main camera with 1/1.4in sensor, a 50-megapixel 3x telephoto with 1/1.95in sensor and 50-megapixel ultrawide camera.

ColorOS 17 runs the whole thing on Android 17.

The prices start a CNY5,999 which about £700 or $900, although as we said at the start, OnePlus has no plans to sell this phone to you.

There's been no shortage of excitement around the Galaxy Z Fold 8 with its "passport" sizing, excitement that was amplified with the launch of the iPhone Duo. But it seems that Oppo might launch a non-folding phone with a similar design.

According to a couple of leaks – spotted by Android Headlines – we could be heading towards a future that has wider phones, meaning they are a little shorter for better pocketability, albeit while being a little less comfortable in the hand.

According to Gadgetsdata on X, the Oppo phone will have 6.35-inch display with a 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio. It could use the name Reno X, suggesting it's a mid-range phone, although many Reno devices are well equipped.

Just glancing at the suggested specs makes that clear, with a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chip powering it and a triple camera, comprising two 200-megapixel sensors and a 50-megapixel ultrawide.

Digital Chat Station also discusses the device, saying that the it's a "wide-screen prototype" with a 16:9 display, highlighting narrow bezels.

The width of the screen is given as 81mm which highlights the problem: although 16:9 is a great aspect for watching movies, there are compromises when it comes to comfort and the amount of useful screen space that you get.

The biggest problem with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is that when using the keyboard on the cover display, there's not a lot of space for text entry. While conventional phones have plenty of space above the keyboard, that's not the case on these wider phones.

So while this might be an interesting move towards a current trend, it's returning to a problem that we've already encountered in smartphones before.

16:9 screens were common a decade ago

If we look at the history of phones, many used a 16:9 display in the past. But if we look at the 2014 Nexus 6, this typifies the problem. It had a 5.96-inch display and was 83mm wide.

As we said in our review of the Nexus 6: "If you like using your smartphone one handed then – unless you have fingers longer than E.T.'s – you're going to struggle with the Nexus 6."

We have already lived through the phablet era, until phones shifted from 16:9 to 18:9, to 20:9. Phones got taller, because human hands couldn't easily hold something that was getting wider.

So, Oppo might be looking at a wider phone to jump on the trend that folding phones have started, but it might run into all the problems that big smartphones had previously.

Nothing has confirmed that Nothing OS 5.0, based on Android 17, is now rolling-out. The update lands on the Nothing Phone (3) first, but there are a range of devices that will benefit from the new software soon.

We first got a glimpse of Nothing OS 5.0 when the beta was released in August and, true to form, Nothing has pushed the update according to its timeline. It should be noted that updates are staggered, so not everyone will get it on the same day.

Nothing OS 5.0 brings "best of Android 17" along with a host of new features for Nothing phone owners to enjoy.

What's new in Nothing OS 5.0?

There's a detailed breakdown of the changes that Nothing OS 5.0 brings with it, but just as a recap there's a change to the overall design, with new icons, spacing, materials and motion. There's a new font – Geist – to lend character, while helping NOS5.0 feel different to other Android interfaces.

The settings and status bar have been tweaked for cleaner visuals, and there's more personalisation across the home screen, lock screen and widgets. That includes colours that adapt to your wallpaper for a sense of cohesion, and everything is wrapped up into a new theme, rather than just replacing the existing home screen.

There's increased transparency, the addition of a micrographics widget as well as a fun Collector widget, so you can drop something you've snapped onto your home screen easily and with style.

Now you get a Glyph app for better control over the Glyph interface, while there are updates to Essential AI tools too. Essential Apps can now be made through their own builder app, while there are updates to the Gallery and Camera too.

Drawing on Android 17, there's the option to split the Quick Settings and notifications, although you can leave them combined if you prefer. Quick Share gets a QR code, remembering that this now works with iPhone users too.

Live updates will appear in the status bar from compatible apps – designed to give you at-a-glance information on where your taxi or food delivery is – and there are a whole lot more tweaks across the OS too.

When will my phone get Nothing OS 5.0?

Nothing doesn't offer hugely-long software support for its devices, so original Nothing Phone (1) owners won't get it. Here are the devices that will get the update and the date that's expected to happen:

• Phone (3): Mid October
• Phone (4a) Pro: Early November
• Phone (4a): Early November
• Phone (3a) Pro: Early November
• Phone (3a): Early November
• Phone (2a): Mid November
• Phone (2a) Plus: Mid November
• Phone (3a) Lite: Late December
• Phone (4b): Mid January
• CMF Phone 2 Pro: Mid January  

To check if your device has an update, head into Settings > System > System updates. Then you can tap "check for update" to manually check. Normally, once the update is available, you'll get a notification alerting you.

Motorola is updating eligible devices to Android 17, sitting under the Hello UI interface. The updates have started, with a report saying that the Razr Ultra (2026) has made the move to Android 17, adding to the Edge 60 Pro and other devices that have been updated over the past weeks.

The update comes some three and a bit months after Google released Android 17 for the Google Pixel, with Samsung updating the Galaxy S26 in mid-September. In the grand scheme of things, that puts Motorola in the middle of the pack – at least for the start of the roll-out.

There's the promise that 50 devices will be updated to Android 17, across Signature, Edge and Razr families, which will also get access to Motorola Qira, the company's personalised AI assistant.

Those with Moto G devices are also in line, although they are not expected to get Qira.

Motorola's reputation for updates hasn't always been the best, although pushing the update this close to Samsung is a boost – this is about two months faster than the update to Android 16 for those top-tier Edge devices.

While the timeframe is better, Motorola doesn't offer the same length of support that rivals do. Google offers seven years for all its devices, while Samsung also offers seven years for most models. Motorola, by comparison, offers only three years of updates for many of its phones.

That position is starting to change, perhaps as Motorola looks to be more competitive, but also reflects that people are holding onto phones a little longer than they used to. The Motorola Signature, for example, will get a similar seven years of updates to Google and Samsung, although many of the Razr flip phones will only get three.

What's new in Android 17 for Motorola devices?

Android 17 on Moto phones will update Hello UI as well as delivering Qira for eligible devices as detailed above.

Other improvements include stacked widgets on the home screen, themed icons, and changes for quick settings styling.

Live updates are now supported, designed to let you see the ongoing status of something, for example a food delivery or sports scores. Notification summaries are offered and notifications are also better organised.

There's better control for HDR brightness, bug fixes and performance improvements, rolled into the software too.

What devices are eligible for the update?

Here's a condensed list of the Motorola devices expected to get Android 17:

• Motorola Signature
• Motorola Razr - Razr 70 Ultra, Razr 70 Plus, Razr 70, Razr Ultra 2026, Razr+ 2026, Razr 2026, Razr Fold 2026, Razr Fold 2025, Razr 60 Ultra, Razr 60s, Razr 60d, Razr 60, Razr Ultra 2025, Razr+ 2025, Razr 2025, Razr 50 Ultra, Razr+ 2024
• Motorola Edge - Edge 2026, Edge 70 Pro+, Edge 70 Pro, Edge 70 Max, Edge 70 Fusion+, Edge 70 Fusion, Edge 70, Edge 2025, Edge 60 Stylus, Edge 60 Pro, Edge 60 Fusion, Edge 60, Edge 50 Ultra, Edge 60
• Moto G - G Stylus 2026, G Power 2026, G Play 2026, G 2026, G 2025, G Power 2025, G Stylus 2025, G Max, G87, G86, G86 Power, G77, G77 Power, G67, G57, G57 Power, G47, G37, G37 Power

The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra will come with four base colours, with a fifth special colour confirmed by a reliable source.

Samsung's next flagship phone is expected in early 2027 and we've already heard a lot about what it might offer, including a change in the tone of the camera and a new design.

But now we learn the colours that Samsung is going to offer. Those include black, blue, light pink and white. In addition, violet is said to be a special colour.

Normally, Samsung offers the base colours to all of its network partners, while special colours are reserved for those who buy direct from Samsung.com. This includes some of the more interesting hues.

For example, the current selection for the Galaxy S26 Ultra includes Cobalt Violet, Black, Sky Blue and White, while the special exclusive colours are Pink Gold and Silver Shadow.

That suggests that there's another special colour expected, with UniverseIce only mentioning five so far.

The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected to change look when it launches in 2027, dropping the design that's been evolving since the Galaxy S22 Ultra. This will also see one of the cameras ditched, with Samsung deciding to scrap the second zoom.

The leaked design suggests that Samsung is going to adopt a camera island that stretches across the width of the phone, which has drawn unfavourable comparisons to recent iPhone models.

It's not currently known when the manufacturer will launch the new device, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra announced in February 2026, but previous models landing in January.

Beyond that, it's expected that the Galaxy S27 Ultra will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, although it's not known how the "for Galaxy" styling will be applied.

The phone is said to have a larger capacity 5,700mAh battery, a hefty increase over the Galaxy S26 Ultra with its 5,000mAh. It's also expected to come with 60W charging.

There are other camera changes expected, with a new main sensor which should lift the quality of the photos that it takes and help Samsung's flagship remain competitive.

I don't think most people actually want a less capable phone. They want a phone that stops demanding their attention every five minutes. Just me?

That's the idea behind Meadow, a tiny three-inch Android device designed to let you leave your main smartphone at home without completely cutting yourself off from the things you may need. It can handle maps, music, calls, messages, Uber and even Strava, but there's no social media, web browsing or endless feeds.

It's not really trying to be a dumbphone, but rather a phone you don't particularly need to use.

Small phone, useful apps

The Meadow is designed as a companion to your existing phone rather than a replacement for it. It runs Android, giving it access to apps including Google Maps, Spotify, Apple Music, Uber and Strava, alongside native tools for calling, texting, the camera, notes, voice memos, location sharing and ticket scanning.

The idea is that you can still go out for the night, get an Uber home, find your way around, listen to music or show someone where you are without having a giant portal to the internet sitting in your pocket.

It's also super tiny. The square device has a three-inch display and is deliberately less comfortable to use than a conventional smartphone. That sounds like a flaw, but in this case it's the point. Meadow doesn't want to become the thing you spend your evening staring at.

There are some clever touches, like the camera which has no front-facing lens, instead using a tiny mirror beside the rear camera to help with selfies. Photos and videos can be captured while you're out, but you need to use the Meadow app on your main phone to view them later.

Your smartphone stays at home

There's one catch though. Meadow gets its own phone number and data plan, so it isn't simply an extension of your existing mobile. You'll need a separate subscription, and people won't be able to call or text your normal number directly through it.

It's an interesting compromise, though. Instead of fighting the temptation to open Instagram, check the news or disappear down a YouTube rabbit hole on your normal phone, Meadow simply doesn't give you those options.

And for anyone who doesn't actually dislike smartphones but does dislike what they do to their attention, this could be ideal.

Huawei has announced a new smartphone, the Mate 90 Pro Max, offering a complete camera unit as an accessory.

There's been a recent trend of offering companion lenses for smartphones, with the likes of Oppo and Vivo selling pocketable zoom lenses to convert the camera on the back of the phone.

Huawei has gone one stage further though, basically selling a whole camera, where the smartphone becomes the display and controls. It's called the Z10 and it's a lot like the Sony Cyber-shot QX lens cameras from over a decade ago.

Starting with the phone, the Mate 90 Pro Max is a flagship level device, running on the homegrown Kirin 9050 Pro chip, with a 6.9-inch display, 6,800mAh battery and an IP69 rating – so far, so smartphone.

The cameras are comprehensive with a 50-megapixel main, 40-megapixel ultrawide and a 200-megapixel telephoto with 4x optical zoom. Again, that's fairly typical flagship level stuff.

Then we get to the Z10, which is an accessory that attaches to the rear of the phone, covering its native camera and offering a full lens and sensor setup of its own. Unlike the recent solutions from rivals, this isn't about converting the phone's camera, it's about hijacking the phone's screen and power to run the camera accessory.

The Z10 camera itself has a proper zoom lens, running from 24mm wide out to 240mm telephoto (that's 10x), while feeding into a 50-megapixel stacked CMOS RYYB 1-inch sensor. That means it has a much better spread of glass than a typical smartphone, even one with a teleconverter lens slapped on the back.

It offers an aperture range from f/2.0-f/4.5, weighs 346g and will accept 70mm filters.

The Z10 connects to the Mate 90 Pro Max using the HyperClick mount, which appears just to twist into place and lock, for a seamless experience.

What we don't know is how the rest of it unfolds. Previously, the Sony QX system was scuppered because it relied on a Wi-Fi connection between lens and camera that was terribly slow, the controls were poor and it just wasn't worth the effort to get a photo out of it.

Things have changed a lot and it's likely that Huawei will offer a much better experience. However, it begs the question of why, when this solution is relatively bulky, you'd choose to use your phone with an accessory, rather than just buying a camera?

Still, given Huawei's regional restrictions, this is only likely to be available in China, with the phone costing around $1,400 and the camera around $900.

Motorola is preparing to launch a new wider folding phone, thought to be known as Razr Flex internally and using the codename Parker.

The existence of the new folding model was confirmed on Motorola's social channels while Apple was announcing the iPhone Duo, although only a silhouette was shown at that time.

Since then we've seen design sketches, but now we have a full range of specs for the device, which is expected to be announced in mid-December, according to Android Headlines.

The December date is interesting, but it's not the first time Motorola has done this. The Motorola Signature was mentioned in December before making an appearance at CES 2026. That was also where the Razr Fold made its debut, many months before it actually went on sale.

It's perfectly reasonable that Motorola would do the same again, lining up the Razr Flex for an announcement with a full reveal at CES 2027 during Lenovo Tech World with availability later in the year.

But back to those specs. The Razr Flex is said to sit on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, so this isn't the top hardware from Qualcomm. It's a slight step down, from the Elite Gen 6 that has just been announced. There will be 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.

Currently, only one storage level has been confirmed: that's a little irregular, but again Motorola has done this before, most likely to control the pricing. For example, both the Razr Fold and Razr flip models are listed in the UK with 512GB as the only storage option.

Motorola Razr Flex displays

The internal panel on the wider folding Razr is said to have a 6.92-inch diagonal with 2364 x 1728 pixels. That's a 4:3 aspect, while the display is said to support 165Hz with Dolby Vision. Both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo have larger 7.6-inch internal displays.

The cover screen is 4.97 inches with a 1736 x 1140 pixel resolution, which is a 3:2 aspect. Both of these will be OLED, but that's all the specs we currently have: it's safe to assume that the cover screen will also be 165Hz, while Motorola tends to use high brightness displays. That means you can expect a peak of something like 4000 nits, although that's not confirmed.

What about the rest of the specs?

The phone is said to be 5.8mm thick when unfolded and 12.6mm when shut, so it's not the slimmest phone of this type out there. That likely accommodates Motorola's design, which is a little more pitched towards lifestyle than Samsung's industrial looks.

Indeed, the Razr Flex is said to be 215g, heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 which is 201g. Part of that weight probably comes from the 5,000mAh battery, but also accounts for a Pantone finish in some fun material, which is what Motorola is really known for.

It's thought that it will come in Pantone Coriander and Pantone Dark Botanical Garden, but whether these are flat colour finishes, Alcantara or something else, we don't know. There's said to be an IP49 rating.

Finally, a dual camera sits on the back, offering a pair of 50-megapixel sensors, while the selfie cameras are 32-megapixels, set into both displays.

It's likely that Motorola will aim to undercut Samsung on price, if the past is anything to go by.

Details about the camera for the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra have leaked, giving us some interesting details – not just about the composition of the camera, but how the photos will look.

We've already heard that Samsung is planning to reduce the number of cameras on the phone, dropping the 3x telephoto in favour of a single zoom lens instead. That's now been confirmed by UniverseIce, saying that the 5x telephoto will stick to the existing sensor and lens with f/2.9 aperture.

The main camera sensor is said to be the ISOCELL HP6 – a version of the HPC sensor – with a 1/1.3in size, so that's also going to bring in a change compared to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra which used the ISOCELL HP2.

But this is where things get more interesting – and where that Nikon and Canon reference comes in. According to UniverseIce, Samsung is going to change the tone of the camera, moving from the cooler (bluer) images of previous model, to a warmer tone.

The Canon/Nikon comparison

That reflects the default images that come from those major camera brands, with Canon typically being a little warmer than Nikon. When using the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S27 Ultra side-by-side, the warmer tone should be noticeable straight out of the camera.

It's also said that handling of distant bright objects is much better controlled. That will mean that things like points of light in the distance will be will be less likely to over-expose, preserving detail. It's said that this is evident on both the main and telephoto cameras, so it's likely a computational (processing) tweak.

That leads us to the next improvement, which is that noise is allegedly better handled, with lower noise in dark areas and a smoother image. That should improve fidelity in low light and give better overall results in shadows.

This points to a fairly hefty upgrade in the image processing that's taking place in the camera. Where Samsung may find itself falling short is that it's likely to persevere with the f/1.4 aperture on the main camera, while rivals at Apple now offer f/4.0.

The result of Apple changing the aperture properties of its main camera lens on the iPhone 18 Pro is that it's possible to get greater depth of field so more of the image is in focus. Samsung's problem – and it's one that has been around for much of the last decade – is that the wider aperture means a very shallow depth of field.

The result is that when things get close to the lens, only a fraction of the subject is in focus, with most of the rest of the image being blurred. While that doesn't affect things like landscape photography, as soon as you take a picture of your dinner or anything close, you lose focal depth.

With the Galaxy S27 Ultra so far into development, it's unlikely that Samsung could do anything to address Apple's current advantage on the iPhone 18 Pro. However, it looks like there's going to be a host of improvements for the Samsung camera when it launches in 2027.

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

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

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

How things click into place

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

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

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

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

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

A zoom for all occasions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taking a step back

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What upgrades are coming with the Clicks Communicator?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We can but hope.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huawei announced its latest foldable phone in China this morning and it comes with a couple of surprises.

The Huawei Mate XT 2 is a new tri-fold phone, but the brand has opted to change the design from its former model. Rather than a large screen that folds in on itself to create the front display, it now resembles the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold.

That means it has a separate front screen and the main tablet-like display is now better protected. And that's not the only feature "borrowed" from Samsung.

The Mate XT 2 also comes with a privacy display, as featured on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. But this is the first time a hardware level privacy solution has been used on a foldable, says Huawei.

For those who haven't seen Samsung's version of the tech, it can stop snoopers from seeing either the whole of your phone's screen, or even just individual apps, such as a video pop-up. The person sitting directly in front of the display can see it, but not those at an acute viewing angle.

Also new on the Huawei triple-fold phone is a built in stand, to prop it up when watching content on the inner screen.

As for other specs, Huawei has announced that it runs on a Kirin 9050 Pro processor, has an included ECG (electrocardiogram) sensor to read your heart rate, and comes preinstalled with the all-new Harmony OS 7 software.

It's not yet known when (or even whether) the Huawei Mate XT 2 will be available outside China, or how much it costs, but we'll update when we have more information.

A week of foldables

Of course, the Mate XT 2 isn't the only foldable to be launched this week. Apple is fully expected to unveil the iPhone Ultra on Wednesday – its first foldable device.

This will be a single fold phone, but with a similar wider design to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8. That gives a larger iPad mini-like display in the middle.

T3 will be covering the Apple launch event live.

Google could be about to make one of the biggest changes yet to its Pixel Fold line, and it's one you should be able to see every time you open the phone.

The upcoming Pixel 12 Pro Fold is reportedly being lined up for a crease-less folding display, potentially bringing Google's foldable in line with some of the best new foldable phones on the market.

According to a report from The Elec, Google is among the companies working with Samsung Display on next-generation foldable panels using dual ultra-thin glass (UTG) technology. Oppo and Vivo are also reportedly adopting the technology, while it is expected to feature on Apple's first foldable iPhone.

Goodbye, crease?

The visible crease running down the middle of a folding phone's internal display has become one of the biggest compromises of the form factor.

It doesn't necessarily stop a foldable being enjoyable to use, but it's difficult to ignore when light catches it, and you can often feel it when running your finger across the screen.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold still has that compromise, while rivals have been increasingly aggressive about hiding it. Oppo, Honor and Samsung have all moved towards displays where the crease is considerably less noticeable.

Samsung Display's reported solution uses one UTG layer above the OLED panel and another underneath it, with the latter helping support the display. Samsung itself has previously used a titanium plate beneath the OLED to help achieve a flatter surface, while Oppo has taken a different approach involving liquid 3D printing.

Pixel 12 Pro Fold could be a big upgrade

The Pixel 12 Pro Fold isn't expected until the second half of 2027, with August reportedly a likely launch window given Google's usual Pixel schedule.

That gives Google plenty of time to refine the technology before it reaches us.

And the timing could be important. With Apple's first foldable expected imminently, a genuinely crease-less screen is rapidly becoming a feature we can expect from an expensive folding phone.

For Google, that means the Pixel 12 Pro Fold won't just need to fold. It could finally look like it doesn't.

With prices rising across the board, some smartphone shoppers might look to alternative brands for their next flagship phone and Poco, one of the champions of affordable alternatives, might be worth your attention.

But before we get started, the £899 price isn't exactly what we'd call cheap – until you see what you get for your money in the Poco F9 Ultra. How about Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 power, a 185Hz AMOLED display and 100W charging?

Put a 200-megapixel main camera on the rear and Bose sound, with Dolby Atmos, and you've already ticked a lot of boxes.

Fans of the Poco brand – a sub-brand of Xiaomi – will know that this isn't unusual. Poco is known for packing its phones with plenty of specs, designed to challenge premium phones without putting too much strain on the buyer's pocket.

But what about pricing? The Poco F8 Ultra launched at £749 in 2025, so the £899 starting price is something of a bump for the 12GB and 256GB version. That reflects the strain that the smartphone industry is under, with everyone from individual brands to IDC saying that the era of the cheap phone is over.

What you are getting though is an Ultra phone, where many of the rivals will now want to charge you closer to £1,000.

Poco also has a reputation for great gaming devices, thanks to the youthful market that this brand appeals to. There's flagship-grade hardware here in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, with a graphics boost provided by the VisionBoost D8 chip, which powers that 185fps display performance.

There's a 6.9-inch AMOLED display, with a brightness up to 4500 nits, which challenges most flagship phones like the Pixel 11 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra – but with a peak HDR brightness of 10,000 nits.

There's power and there's display brilliance, but with Bose behind the audio, it's no surprise to find Dolby Atmos support. It's a 2.1 experience, with an independent subwoofer for a richer and more rounded sound experience.

The battery isn't small either: it's a huge 8,050mAh silicon-cabon cell with 100W charging and the claim of 2 days of battery life. Wireless charging at 50W is supported with a compatible HyperCharge charger.

Finally the camera: the 200-megapixel main camera is just the starter, with a 50-megapixel telephoto and 8-megapixel ultrawide. With the focus on performance, it's typically the camera that's the weaker side of Poco phones – along with the software experience.

That's a slight dampener – Poco phones often come with a fair amount of bloat in the HyperOS software, while the four years of Android updates and six years of security updates won't quite compete with Samsung.

At the core of it, even with a price increase, the Poco F9 Ultra still gives you a lot of phone. It's no longer cheap, but in 2026, you might have to pay a little more for this sort of specification.

It can be a little bit challenging to get one's head around Sony's approach to its smartphone business, which seems to continue chugging along, making phones slightly unlike the rest of the market, with a dedicated user base but widespread rumours of slowly shrinking sales.

The Xperia brand is still a decent one in terms of recognition, though, so it perhaps isn't any surprise to see the Xperia 10 VIII unveiled this week. What is more surprising, though, is how Sony's chosen to do it – with just a low-key blog post that's really quite sparse, and basically no fanfare.

Sure, this is just a mid-range phone launch, but it doesn't exactly scream "pride" about its new device.

The phone launches at £549 here in the UK, €599 in Europe, and it isn't currently announced for the US, which is another notch in the belt for those who think Sony's not really trying to be a global smartphone player any more.

What's also eye-catching is the lack of meaningful upgrades over last year's Xperia 10 VII, other than a big bump in the price. In fact, it's got a brighter display, better stereo speakers, and that's just about it when it comes to actual changes. That means there's a lot that's the same, including the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset, and the same 6.1-inch OLED screen at 2340x1080 with a 120Hz refresh rate.

That doesn't necessarily make this a bad phone, but it's certainly as small an upgrade as you're likely to see this year between two generations of the same device. Given that the price has gone up by £150 here in the UK, a major bump on the launch price of the Xperia 10 VII (which has seen price hikes since), that's not the most exciting news.

Sony says the phone will be available to order very soon, in three colours: Frozen White, Frosted Grey and Misty Lilac. That's well and good, but in a world where the mid-range Android market is as competitive as ever, it's a little hard to see where the Xperia 10 VIII really fits. Nothing, Google and Samsung all make cheaper phones with better specs, after all.

Sony's fans might well find some positives about the phone, and power to them if so, but this is looking like one of the more downbeat product launches I can remember seeing recently.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has been well received, invigorating the folding phone segment with something that feels a little fresher. It's also better suited to large screen use than previous folding phones that were often square.

To keep momentum going, it seems that Samsung is looking to produce a special edition of the phone with a collaboration. That's nothing new, as Samsung has had a number of partners in the past – the most likely for the Z Fold 8 being Thom Browne.

That usually sees a special colourway for the phone, using Thom Browne's signature stripe, with the theme running from the phone's design to the packaging and bespoke wallpapers.

The details come from Lanzuk on the Naver Blog (via Notebookcheck), but the details are scarce, merely saying that Samsung has plans for a special edition. The last special edition with Thom Browne was on the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but it's easy to see why brands would be eager to be involved with the new model.

Why is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 different?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 switched the aspect of the internal display to make for a wider folding phone, which is much better for content. In portrait, it's great for reading, whether that's websites or documents, while in landscape it's better suited to movies and TV thanks to the 4:3 aspect.

Samsung's previous book-style folding phones had an aspect that was closer to 1:1 on the inside – square – so offered no real advantage when moving between landscape and portrait. It just offered a larger screen, without any real application for that space.

The downside of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is that the 5.5-inch external display is a little wide, meaning that it can be hard to navigate if you're trying to reach the far corner, for example, while its shorter stature means that when the keyboard is open there's less space to do anything.

But aside from those minor usability considerations, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 seems to have got off to a strong start with a bump in the pre-orders for the device. That's likely to be what Samsung wants to capitalise on with a special edition.

Increased competition is expected soon, with Apple thought to be launching its own, similarly-shaped folding phone in September, with Xiaomi also expected to launch a wider fold model in the form of the Xiaomi 18 Fold.

A weekend is a long time in tech leaks and that could be all that was needed for Samsung's forthcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra to go from eager anticipation to absolute derision. Leaked schematic designs for Samsung's next flagship have appeared online – and that's got people talking.

The design first appeared from UniverseIce on X, and shows a radical change for the Galaxy S27 Ultra. Meanwhile, the standard Galaxy S27 looks much like it did before.

The schematics show the Galaxy S27 Ultra moving to a rectangular camera section at the top – like the iPhone 17 Pro – squishing in the cameras, while dropping one of the telephoto lenses, as has long been rumoured.

In addition, a circle on the rear of the phone suggests that these phones will have integrated magnets for charging, although it's unlikely that the design will have circle on the back of the phone.

In successive posts we see an AI-generated version which looks like a cheap knock-off you might find on a market stall, as well as seeing Sonny Dickson – another common leaker – wading in with more information.

Two Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra models tipped

Dickson suggests that Samsung is going to offer the Ultra is two sizes, which might take us back to the existing rumour that there will be a Galaxy S27 Pro as part of a four-device line-up in 2027.

The reaction to these designs has been swift, with comments on Reddit calling the design "atrocious", "fugly" and another saying "it’s like they have no shame". The accusation is levelled that Samsung is copying the iPhone 17 Pro – which also happens to be Apple's most controversial design.

We've already seen the iPhone copied in the Honor 600 Pro, where I called out the contentious design, and that seems to be the general sentiment of this leak too. UniverseIce is known for being a reliable leaker, so there's every chance this will come to pass.

This design, however, hasn't come out of nowhere. It was previously suggested for the Galaxy S26 Edge, a phone that was never launched, as slim but compromised phones haven't found favour with buyers.

The question here is one of balance. Camera bumps notionally give the camera a little more space. That could allow for a larger sensor or more sophisticated lens, while the pursuit of thinner devices continues.

We've been through this cycle before within the last decade, and new battery technology allows for thinner designs without sacrificing battery capacity.

However, slimmer phones are also harder to cool and ultimately, year on year, customers call for better battery life and rarely call for thinner phones.

Samsung's Galaxy S27 family is not expected to launch until February 2027, so we can expect a lot more leaks before we see the final design.

If you thought that Samsung was finished for the year, then think again: the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE has been confirmed, with the date set for 27 August.

Samsung, confirming the event on its official newsroom, says that it will "introduce the newest addition to the Galaxy S26 family". That lays any doubts to rest, reinforcing the particular model by saying "purposefully designed to bring the core Galaxy S26 experiences … to those who look for what truly matters most to them"

This has long been the mantra of the Galaxy FE models. FE stands for "fan edition" and the whole premise is to give buyers the core essentials they need, but strip out some of the other flagship features, to make for a slightly cheaper device.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is expected to do just that, tweaking the design slightly to match the Galaxy S26 models, but offering much the same as it did in the Galaxy S25 FE.

Previous leaks have suggested a change in display supplier, while the specs aren't expected to change much, although it's likely to be powered by the Exynos 2500. It's also said that there will be a move to a silicon-carbon battery, along with 45W charging, although that likely means that the phone won't be rated for as many charging cycles.

Back to the teaser video that Samsung shared, and it appears to show three cups of matcha with the ice cubes conveniently shaped as the Galaxy AI logo. The tray they sit on hints at the design change for the camera.

A hand comes in an picks up the middle cup revealing that there's a Galaxy Event and the date. The video is labelled as being produced by AI, which might leave a bitter taste in the mouth, especially amongst Gen Z matcha fans who are turned off by this sort of AI image generation.

What's interesting is that in the version on X and other social channels, the video is rotated 90 degrees, so it looks like the cameras on the back of the phone. However, with the hand reaching in to remove one of the cameras, it suggests that the Galaxy S26 FE could lose one of its cameras - just like the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

That middle camera is the main 50MP camera, however, and all leaks have so far suggested we're getting the same 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide camera and 8MP telephoto camera as the previous model. It seems, perhaps, that this teaser video is just a little confusing.

The Galaxy FE has been a slightly confusing phone, launching cheaper than the Galaxy S flagship while offering many of the same specs. That doesn't appear to be happening with the Galaxy S26 FE: the expected move to Exynos 2500 is older hardware than the Exynos 2600 used in some S26 models, while the price is expected in increase, perhaps hitting €799, an increase of €50 over the previous model.

While the full specifications are unknown, the Galaxy S26 FE could walk a fine line between affordable flagship and costly competitor. You'll be able to watch the reveal live on 27 August.

Honor's Robot Phone almost has dibs on the "most interesting phone" conversation at the moment, despite Samsung's valiant effort with the new shape of the Galaxy Z Fold 8. We simply haven't ever seen anything quite like a handset with a built-in motorised gimbal arm, after all.

After getting to wave at the phone at MWC in Barcelona earlier this year, I finally got to actually go properly hands-on with it in London this week, and there's a big gulf between those two experiences. Actually using the Robot Phone underlines just how much of a fun tool its gimbal is, although it still left me with questions about its long-term viability.

An engineering marvel

At this point, the Robot Phone has been trailed and unveiled so many times that its design is far from a surprise, but finally getting to go up close with it, to actually check it out from every angle, it really is an impressive bit of engineering.

This is a phone that's traditional in most ways, but completely different in one big, obvious element. The phone itself is slightly thicker than most modern flagships, but there's only one reason for that – the gimbal that collapses into its camera unit.

Amusingly, there are regular cameras here, for ultrawide shots and zooming in, but I don't think most people are coming to the Robot phone to use them.

Far more important is that robotic arm, which requires a couple of steps to use. First, you manually swipe open the protective cover that normally keeps the dust off it. Then, in the phone's camera app, you tap a little gimbal icon to activate it, and watch it pop up ready for shooting.

Once it's open, you have a huge range of control options available to you, including a virtual joystick to manually move the camera and direct it. This is responsive and easy to get to grips with, but it also moves the lens quite slowly.

More impressive is the automatic subject-tracking. Double-tapping on an object, building or person in the viewfinder will lock the camera onto it (if the subject-tracking mode is turned on). This will let you move the phone around pretty freely without it letting your subject out of the shot.

It's pretty brilliant, and I tested it on trains, a passing helicopter, and much more, all from a rooftop vantage point. It's clearly going to be ideal for those who'd otherwise pack an extra action camera into their gear pack, albeit it has a few limitations that those cameras don't (more on that later).

The footage I was able to review was really impressive, too, and did a decent job of selling the whole concept, frankly. That said, selling the phone is an interesting topic – it's only confirmed for sale in China at this point, and I can't help but feel it's really unlikely to make it to the UK in this guise.

Kinks to be ironed out

The sheer fact that Honor has managed to get a gimbal onto its phone makes the Robot Phone basically peerless – no other handset can match this one big feature.

That said, that lack of competition makes it hard to judge how good the gimbal is, and it does have clear limitations. One is that its freedom of movement isn't total. Because the camera's on an arm, it can move a lot more freely to the right than it can to the left.

This is hard to describe, but it means that if you lock a subject directly in front of you, then turn the phone to your right, you can keep going for ages before the gimbal reaches its maximum and you lose your subject. Turn to the left, though, and you'll hit that limit way more quickly.

I can see how that sounds like a tiny issue, but I think it's the sort of thing that you'd have to work around basically any time you shoot some dynamic footage, and it isn't a problem that I'm aware of many full-on gimbal cameras having.

If that gimbal does have limitations, then, it's also fair to say that the software experience I tinkered with doesn't feel quite final. It was fairly common to encounter small bugs or features that didn't want to work the first time around.

That's obviously entirely forgivable on a phone that isn't yet shipping, but in China the Robot Phone is now a real consumer product, and I'd be a little irked by some of the kinks in the system if I'd paid for it.

Then again, just like with the first generation of folding phones some years back, this is also very much an early-adopter type of phone, one that you know is doing something unique. It won't be an enormous surprise when it's a little quirky as a result.

I also have real reservations when it comes to durability – I obviously couldn't do any drop-testing with what remains a rare phone, but I'm extremely curious about how the gimbal would fare if you dropped the phone. It's also likely to be a stress point for mechanical failure, and I'd assume that a normal phone would have a far better chance of surviving for a longer span of years.

In some ways, that sums up how I felt about the Robot Phone after finally getting to actually use it. The novelty factor is huge here – that camera is unlike anything else on a phone right now, and it's really fun and rewarding to explore its abilities and limits.

That said, without any firm hints on a US or UK release, and therefore no pricing to contextualise it, it still feels like a bit of a mirage right now, even after having held it. Will this be a flash in the pan, or is there a genuine mainstream lineage of Robot Phone successors to come?

Google is in the process of making changes to sideloading on Android with the aim of improving user security, while maintaining freedom of choice.

That sees verification of developers, apps, additional app stores, as well as a process for installation of apps from unverified developers. The latter, called advanced flow, is designed to maintain the freedoms of experienced users to install whatever they like on their phone.

The changes have come about for a couple of reasons. First, "sideloading" (where an app is installed directly on the device rather than from Google Play) is a route used by hackers and those with malicious aims, like scammers. Second, verifying additional app stores see compliance with the fallout from the Epic Games anti-trust case.

Using a post on Reddit, Google has explained the timeline for the changes and what the sideloading restrictions will mean.

How Android sideloading is changing

While millions of apps have already been verified (through Google Play and some outside Google Play), additional verifications are coming through the Honor App Market, Oppo App Market, Samsung's Galaxy Store, Palm Store, V-Appstore and GetApps.

This step will first happen in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, before spreading to global coverage in 2027. That will mean that installation of apps from verified developers and app stores will all be covered and shouldn't result in any changes for Android users.

The final step – which is the process that starts today – is the installation process for unverified developers. The aim here is a break the cycle of coercion, so a scammer can't (for example) phone you, say that your bank account is compromised, and tell you to install a remote control app, which they then use to take over your phone.

Instead, the "advanced flow" is a 24-hour process, giving some cooling off time that allows you to reevaluate that installation. It might just be an app that a friend developed that's totally fine, it might be that the break makes you realise you're being scammed.

Anyway, the process for the advanced flow is:

• In Developer Options, select "Apps from unverified developers".
• Toggle on "Allow apps from unverified developers".
• You'll be asked if someone is telling you to do this.
• Restart your phone, which cuts off any remote access or callers.
• Wait 24 hours, then return to "Apps from unverified developers".
• Choose whether to turn the setting on for 7 days or permanently.

These steps include a number of breaks to protect users so they aren't coerced into installing an unverified app on their device. The restart, the 24-hour break and the warning message take steps to highlight that installing an unverified app could be a risky process.

It's a one-time process, however, so if you're regularly installing apps from unverified developers, you don't have to constantly wait. However, if you are doing that (and enjoying one of the freedoms that Android has always been known for) then you're perhaps less likely to fall for a scam where someone else makes you install a malicious app.

The advanced flow will arrive as a gradual roll-out with an additional system service on your phone called Android Developer Verifier, which I found has already updated on my recent Android devices.

The result of Google's changes should mean that it's harder for tricksters to take over your phone, advanced users still have the freedoms they want, while regular users will just be able to get on with using their phone as normal.

The additional protections through the support of third-party app stores should provide the peace of mind that using those app stores is safe.

Samsung has developed a new structure for OLED screens that will boost the quality of folding or curved displays.

The new tech increases the viewing angles for the OLED panel, meaning that brightness can be preserved when not viewing the screen head-on. That's a problem for folding screens or anything that curves, with the edges or areas around the fold traditionally losing brightness.

Samsung says that the brightness in these areas could drop about 60%, meaning the user sees a darker area. Anyone who has used a folding phone will have noticed this around the fold, where the slight ripple in the screen leads to a dimmer area.

The Wide View Display from Samsung Display is said to counter this, with Samsung completely redesigning the material and structure of the OLED. The aim is to ensure that the image quality is consistent, so even if there is a bump or curve in the display, the quality is maintained.

Presented at IMID 2026 in Busan, Korea, the new material was presented in a 7.6-inch size, exhibited on a folding device. There's every chance that this screen technology could make its way to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 9 Ultra in 2027 and also be used by other folding phone manufacturers.

Samsung itself refers to "next-generation form factor products such as foldable, slidable, and rollable displays".

A huge boost to screen quality

Using a wide view display could also improve the quality when a folding phone isn't flat. In the accompanying image showing the technology, the colours also look more vibrant and uniform across the whole screen, rather than just in the section that's 90-degrees to the viewer.

That could also boost the performance of curved displays, which could be more applicable to automotive screens, allowing higher performance when viewed from a wider range of angles by different people in the car.

Samsung's use of wide-angle viewing technologies became a hot topic in 2026 with the release of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra with its Privacy Display. The tech works by limiting the output to narrow angle subpixels, meaning the screen content is only visible to those looking straight at it.

When Privacy Display is switched off, the wider-angle pixels allow viewing from greater angles. That raises the question of whether Privacy Display would work effectively on a folding screen, given that the solution to dimming has been to increase the wide viewing tech in the panel.

Samsung has been taken aback by the overwhelming support for its wider foldable. Launched in July, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has already proved a "smash hit" and the company is said to have ordered a million more units to be manufactured.

It also bodes well for the iPhone Ultra – Apple's first foldable that will reportedly come in a very similar form factor, and likely with the exact same folding display. We'll find out just how popular that will be too, when it will almost certainly launch early September.

But, it seems, Samsung is not going to wait until then to double down (or, in fact, up) on its own success story. It seems that it's already making plans to release two wider foldable phones next year.

According to trusted leaker Ice Universe, Samsung roadmap for folding devices next year includes another new foldable with a wider display, in addition to a follow-up to the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Citing his X post as an "ETnews exclusive", the online leaker claims there will be five new Samsung foldables in 2027, although doesn't say whether the new wide model will be a cheaper or more premium device than the Z Fold 8 replacement.

If genuine, we'll be getting the following new phones around this time next year:

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 9
• New wide-format Samsung Galaxy Z Fold model
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 9 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 9
• Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold 2

That's a whole lot of new foldable handsets, with pretty much something for every budget.

"Samsung has clearly tasted the benefits of expanding its foldable form factors, and next year it plans to go even further," he posted.

And what about other manufacturers

With Apple soon to announce its own, it is surely just a matter of time before other manufacturers adopt the new form factor too.

Xiaomi is already rumoured to have a wider device in the works, and anyone who has had a play with the Z Fold 8 will understand why.

Unlike conventional book-style foldables, the wider format allows the inner display to provide a wider aspect ratio – more akin to an iPad mini. And while it means the outer screen is more square in shape, video content, games, and all manner of other applications look better on a 4:3 display.

It might take a little getting used to, but our tech editor Mike Lowe believes that it could be the future of foldables full stop: "Much as the Galaxy Z Fold 8's passport-sized form could have proved a floundering move for Samsung, having used this unique Android device for a full working week, I think it's opened new borders," he wrote in his review.

It seems Samsung agrees.

The Google Pixel 11 family of phones is official, with four new handsets replacing last year's models – the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

They are available to pre-order in the UK now, and should ship from 20 August 2026. That includes from Google's own store, as well as all the main networks.

The networks are offering the Google Pixel 11 Pro with different deals depending on the tariff chosen. Here are some of our favourites so far.

We'll be updating this list with new deals and networks as they announce their own offers.

Google Pixel 11 Pro pre-order deals (UK)

You can also check out some of the best pre-order deals on the Pixel 11 Pro XL, Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold below. We'll also be hunting more of those in the coming days too.

Among all of Google's Pixel 11 device launches – the Pixel 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and 11 Pro Fold – there's actually a brand new non-phone device that'll be turning heads.

The Pixel Tag is Google's first-ever finder tag product, revealed some 5 years after Apple introduced its own ecosystem product, AirTag, and many years after the first Bluetooth trackers from Tile launched.

Clearly there's demand among the Android ecosystem for such a product, which Google promises will deliver "less searching, more finding" as a result of its updated Android Find Hub – which, until mid-2025, was called Find My Device.

Find Hub has an extensive volume from which to pull its location data, although Google doesn't disclose full details. You can share location with web tracking, via app access, and call on a Pixel Tag to play a sound to aid finding it.

Pixel Tag will even work beyond browser- and phone-based applications, with Find Hub also operating on Pixel Watch. You can even ask Pixel Buds to ask Gemini to locate a device.

Which is very much in play with Google's latest round of hardware launches. Gemini is now front and centre – well, rear and centre, really – in the new HiLight feature on Pro Pixel 11 handsets.

There's also the brand new Pixel Watch 5, which enhances the brand's Health Guardian features to be their most comprehensive to date – with the addition of Blood Pressure and Insulin Resistance trends.

Pixel 11 series: Pricing per handset

Not a huge amount of additional information about the Pixel Tag has been made available at the time of writing, including its price, colourways – and whether that'll match the Pixel 11 line-up – nor its release date, beyond "later this year".

More information about that as it arrives. But if it's handset pricing that you seek, then here's what we know you'll pay for Google's latest series of flagship phones:

Pixel 11 with 12GB RAM, 256GB storage – £879 / $899 / AU$1,499

Pixel 11 Pro with 12GB RAM, 256GB storage – £1,079 / $1,099 / AU$1,849

Pixel 11 Pro XL with 12GB RAM, 256GB storage – £1,279 / $1,299 / AU$2,099

Pixel 11 Pro Fold with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage – £1,799 / $1,899 / AU$2,799

Google will host its annual Pixel launch event today, Wednesday 12 August, and things aren't as they usually are.

For starters, the event will kick off at 11pm BST (6pm EDT), so you'll have to stay up pretty late if you're in the UK. And it'll be hosted by South African comedian and talk show star Trevor Noah, so expect a few clever barbs along the way. You can watch it live below.

Of course, Jimmy Fallon hosted it last year in a weird chat show way, so we could get similar. Although Noah is better know for his political humour and sharp wit, so who knows?

Here's everything you need to know about Made by Google '26 and what to expect.

When will Made by Google '26 start?

Made by Google will begin at 6pm EDT today, Wednesday 12 August. That means it'll be shown from 11pm BST and even into the following day for some other regions.

Here are the times for your area:

• US West Coast: 15:00 PDT
• US East Coast: 18:00 EDT
• UK: 23:00 BST
• Central Europe: 00:00 CEST
• India: 03:30 IST (13 August)
• China (Beijing): 06:00 CST (13 August)
• Japan: 07:00 JST (13 August)
• South Korea: 07:00 KST (13 August)
• Australia (Sydney): 08:00 AEST (13 August)

How to watch the Made by Google Pixel 11 launch live

You can watch the entire show live via the video further up this page.

Alternatively, it will be streamed on the dedicated Made by Google YouTube channel.

What to expect

Hosted by Trevor Noah (The Daily Show, Grammy Awards) in New York, the Made by Google event will introduce a number of guest stars talking about the new product launches. These include Stephen Curry, Chari Hawkins, Alex Cooper, Ayami Nakajo, Shubman Gill, and Pink Pantheress.

They'll talk about and demo the devices launched today, including the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and the Pixel Watch 5 – all of which have been heavily rumoured and even officially teased over the last few weeks.

We might also see a new Pixel Tag – Google's first Bluetooth tracker.

If you thought we had seen the last of Samsung phone launches for this year, you’ve clearly forgotten about the more affordable Galaxy S26 Fan Edition.

Rumoured to be coming sometime in September, images of the device have leaked via Android Headlines, along with the specifications via WinFuture, and you might be disappointed.

What is the Galaxy S26 FE expected to arrive with?

According to WinFuture, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE will be very similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S25 FE. It’s expected to come with a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with a 2340 x 1080 resolution, a peak brightness of 1900 nits and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Samsung Exynos 2500 is claimed to be running the show, which is the same processor you will find in last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 7, supported by 8GB of RAM and storage options of 128GB or 256GB.

There is also claimed to be a triple rear camera, comprised of a 50-megapixel main sensor, along with an ultra-wide sensor and telephoto sensor with 3x zoom. An IP68 rating is also suggested in the list of specifications, while the battery capacity is said to be 4900mAh with 45W fast charging support.

None of that is particularly groundbreaking, especially when compared to the Galaxy S25 FE that has broadly similar specs aside from the processor. However, the Galaxy S26 FE is at least said to have a silicon-carbon battery like the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra all introduced last month.

The design also appears to have changed slightly on the rear compared to the Galaxy S25 FE, closer matching the Galaxy S26, though the weight is said to be a little heavier at 196g compared to 190g.

One last bit of bad news is that the price of the Galaxy S26 FE is expected to increase compared to the Galaxy S25 FE, too. That makes the traditionally affordable phone, well, less affordable.

According to WinFuture, the device will start at €799 (around £680), which would be €50 more than the previous model.

Samsung didn’t just announce two folding phones last month like it normally does each year – it released three. The third model introduced a gorgeous new shape and format.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 arrived alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but while the Ultra features the same design as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 adopts a wider, squarer design, much like what the first folding iPhone is rumoured to be offering.

Why the Galaxy Z 8 Fold is so popular

Good thing too, really, as according to ETNews (via 9to5Google), Samsung will produce an extra one million units of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to meet the higher-than-anticipated demand.

The 9to5Google report calls the device a “smash hit” after Samsung confirmed much higher pre-order figures than expected. A couple of the models even went out of stock during the pre-order window.

The extra one million run is on top of the initial higher production numbers for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 too, so clearly the wider format is a bit of a winner.

I can see why. I was never quite sold on previous folding phones, despite thinking the Galaxy Z Flip was very cute, but I love the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It reminds me of my BlackBerry from back in the day, with the wider format much nicer to use than the slimmer and taller Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Apple is one of the few main smartphone manufacturers that doesn’t offer a folding phone at the moment, but that is rumoured to be changing come September.

We’ve been hearing about a folding iPhone – the iPhone Ultra – for years, but speculation has really picked up over the last couple of months, with the squarer format widely reported.

It’s looking more and more likely Apple will follow in Samsung’s footsteps come September and with the Z Fold 8's success, it's an obvious step.

Like many of its phone chassis, Nothing has been refreshingly transparent on its release plans over the years – regularly furnishing us with teases and reveals long before products launch.

It has also been open about absences, with CEO Carl Pei saying in January that we shouldn't expect a flagship Nothing phone this year. And while we have had three handsets since, the company has so far lived up to that promise

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro and Phone (4a) have recently been joined by the Phone (4b), and each of them have their merits. But they are also entry to mid-range. What we need is a Nothing Phone (4) to shake things up again, and there's some news on that front.

Six new Nothing phones planned for 2027, says co-founder

Speaking to TimesNow, the brand's co-founder, Akis Evangelidis explained that although plans were tempered this year due to the global RAM and components crisis, things will be better in 2027: "It's still too early to discuss individual products, but I can say we've launched three smartphones this year, and we're looking to launch twice that number next year," he said.

"We'll share more details closer to launch, but the idea is to have a wider range of smartphones."

That could include the Nothing Phone (4) – the flagship device many hoped would appear earlier this year, but was already publicly postponed. It could also include the CMF Phone 3 Pro, which was also abandoned.

"We pulled the plug quite late," revealed Evangelidis.

"We're looking at different ways on how we could make it happen for next year. But that's still in consideration. We're staying close to how the memory price will evolve."

Nothing has continued to release headphones this year though, with the CMF Clip Pro open earbuds being the latest to hit the market. Announced earlier this week, they will be available to purchase for £79 / $99 from 15 August.

Google Assistant launched way back in 2016, so there is a good chance you've come across it at some point. That might have been on an Android phone, an iPhone, a smart speaker, headphones or even a car through Android Auto. We could go on – the list of devices it's been available on is not insignificant.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. With Gemini on track to replace it – and doing so quickly – the company has confirmed the date Google Assistant will be shuttered on Android phones and smartwatches.

When is Google Assistant shutting down on Android?

Picked up by 9to5Google, an email has been sent to existing Google Assistant users, explaining that the service is “being discontinued” on mobile devices.

It also highlighted, just in case you haven’t been keeping up over the last couple of years, that Gemini is now the assistant experience on Android.

Google detailed in the email that Google Assistant will begin to be removed from devices starting on 4 September 2026, and that will include Android phones, Wear OS smartwatches, headphones and any cars “running Android Auto projected from a user’s mobile device”.

The company did say the process may take a few weeks, so you might have a few days grace. However, it’s time to start saying your goodbyes.

Google added in the email that after its removal, you will no longer be "able to use or switch back to Google Assistant on your phone, tablet, or paired devices”.

It also said: “We are committed to providing a smooth transition and are confident that Gemini will offer you an even more capable and helpful assistant experience."

Let’s hope that’s the case. We really did like Google Assistant.