The iPhone Duo has been on sale for a couple of days, but reports of the screen cracking are flooding the internet as users share their experiences.

There seem to be a number of cases where damage appears in the about a third of the way up the folding display, causing a break that means the screen no longer illuminates properly.

That's been shared on Reddit, on X, on TikTok while YouTube is awash with commentary too. As reported by Mark Gurman on X, Apple has now responded to rising reports of failed screens.

The full statement reads as follows: "We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units. If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement."

It's not exactly clear what's behind the problem, but looking at the location of the damage on a lot of units, and the iFixit teardown, it looks like one of the springs in the hinge could be the culprit.

It's also unclear how widespread this problem will be, whether this is down to a design flaw or if it's a limited manufacturing problem for early devices. For those with affected devices, Apple should replace it under warranty without quibble.

It's hardly the start that Apple wanted for its new £2000 phone. Joining the folding phone market in 2026 was a big step for the brand and always going to garner attention that other brands - including Samsung - don't get.

Crackgate joins Antennagate from the iPhone 4, Scuffgate from iPhone 5, Bendgate from the iPhone 6, all of which effectively petered out as the devices went on to enjoy success, having initially suggesting there was a bigger problem.

It's likely that within a couple of weeks, crackgate will be old news, and plenty of people will be happy with their new iPhone Duo.

For all those who aren't happy or have had their confidence shaken, there's always the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 that you might consider instead.

The iPhone Duo is now available, with many discovering Apple's take on the folding phone format for the first time. While the presentation by John Ternus and friends showed some of the great experiences the phone would offer, not everything is quite that tidy.

Included on that list is Instagram, which currently struggles to take advantage of the space. Called out on Threads, the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, replied to agree, saying "it's a bit of a tricky form factor".

This comes as a bit of a surprise considering Instagram is one of the apps designated by Apple as being optimised and "Made for iPhone Duo".

Apple made a major shift in the user interface on the Duo, using the right-hand edge of the display for various control elements. That means that apps need to be optimised to really take advantage of the Duo's format.

For Instagram that's what we see, with controls on the right-hand edge rather than across the bottom when you're browsing your feed.

When you open up the Duo, Instagram just sits in the middle of the screen, swimming in space and not using the additional real estate.

On rotation to portrait, the video or image naturally fills the screen better, but then controls move back to the bottom. That also highlights an inconsistency, with the back navigation to get out of a video shifting from the right to the top left.

The home screen of Instagram in portrait also doesn't fill the width of the phone with fairly large gutters left and right, while stories also don't fill the screen.

Why are some apps having issues on iPhone Duo?

While most of the attention on the iPhone Duo focuses on the folding screen and getting a larger view on the inside, there's a lot of optimisation that needs to happen to really take advantage of the space.

Some will just create columns, basically giving a two screen view, which for Instagram could see the content on one side and comments on the other, although it's debatable how many people are that invested in comments. For a creator it's a big deal, but for a casual browser, it probably isn't.

It's not just the iPhone Duo that needs app optimisation – in many cases all folding phones do and that's evident on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 too. The first case in point here is Samsung's use of screen space with its default keyboard, which eats half the cover screen leaving little space to see what you're actually doing.

This will all come together over time, but with so many apps designed around 20:9 displays (more or less), there's a bit of work to be done to fill the space, make the controls make sense, and offer a better experience.

I'm all for finding ways to spend less time staring at a screen, but I'm not entirely convinced that building an entirely new phone is the answer. That's the idea behind ADHD ONE, a gloriously chunky handset from Cologne-based designer Kevin Noki that looks like it's escaped from the 1980s.

The name stands for Anti Distraction Handset Device, and its purpose is pretty straightforward. Rather than replacing your smartphone, it connects to an iPhone over Bluetooth, allowing you to make and receive calls while leaving your actual phone tucked away in a drawer or another room.

It has a physical 19-key keypad, a small OLED display, a microphone and a speaker, but none of the apps, social media feeds or notifications that make modern phones so difficult to put down. You can also use your iPhone's Do Not Disturb settings to decide which contacts are allowed to get through.

There is, of course, a catch. ADHD ONE has no independent mobile connection, so your iPhone still needs to be nearby and within Bluetooth range. It's less a replacement for your phone than a way to make calls without having the usual distractions within reach.

3D-print your own retro handset

The ADHD ONE s that is not just a retro-looking shell around a modern phone. Noki has designed the handset from scratch, using Autodesk Fusion to create the enclosure before 3D-printing its components.

Inside, a Raspberry Pi Pico handles the device's functions, while a Bluetooth module takes care of call audio. There's also a rechargeable battery, charging controller and custom circuit board, all packed into that wonderfully oversized housing.

The design comes with a few customisation options, too. You can choose between three speaker grille styles and three antenna designs, including the sort of oversized aerial that makes the whole thing look like a prop from an old action film. There's even an alternative housing without an antenna, although that feels like missing half the fun.

If you fancy making one yourself, Noki sells the digital build files for €29.99 (around £26). The package includes the 3D-printable STL files, firmware, circuit board manufacturing files, a parts list and a quick-start guide. You'll need to source the electronic components and do the assembly yourself, though, and the files are licensed for personal use.

So, is this a clever way to cut down on smartphone distractions or an elaborate solution to a problem that could be solved by putting your phone in another room? Honestly, probably a bit of both.

I spend enough time staring at screens as it is, so a wearable that reminds me to take a break without adding another screen to my life sounds very appealing. That's the idea behind Arc, a silver bracelet from Belgian design studio Futurewave that gives your wrist a gentle vibration when you've spent too long on your phone.

Arc has you use a portal on your phone to select the apps you want to monitor and set a time limit, like 30 minutes of uninterrupted use. Once you hit that threshold, the bracelet delivers a discreet pulse. Keep scrolling and it'll give you one more nudge before falling silent and starting a new interval.

There's no display, no audible alarm and no running tally of your screen time to make you feel guilty. Futurewave says the system doesn't store usage history or require an account or subscription, either. It's a simple reminder to break the spell of the endless scroll, rather than another app demanding your attention.

Smart tech hidden inside a sculptural silver bracelet

What makes Arc great is that it doesn't look like a fitness tracker or another bit of tech strapped to your wrist. Its open, rounded form takes inspiration from the ancient torc, a type of metal ornament worn around the neck or wrist, with an organic shape that draws on everything from rib cages to seed pods.

The bracelet is designed to be cast in Argentium silver, an alloy chosen for its premium finish. Inside, a piezoelectric element produces the vibrations, while a low-power microcontroller handles the Bluetooth connection to your phone. A curved 25mAh battery and flexible circuit board are tucked away within the sculptural design, keeping the technology out of sight.

Futurewave wants Arc to remain a piece of jewellery in its own right, even if the electronics eventually stop working. So, unlike a smartwatch that becomes obsolete when its software or battery gives up, the bracelet could still have a life as a piece of silver jewellery.

There's just one catch, Arc is currently a concept, developed through 3D-printed studies and prototypes, with no confirmed price or release date. That means you can't buy one just yet. But if Futurewave brings it to market, I'd for one be very interested.

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.

The iPhone Duo is the phone many Apple users have waited years for. You only need to look at the Duo Pre-orders to know that this handset is seriously in demand, with shipping times now slipping into 2027.

Unlike the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone Duo only comes in two colours: Star White (white) and Night Sky (dark blue), so if you want to make it feel individual, a case is the way to go.

Here, though, there's not as much choice as you might expect. Apple offers two case designs, both available in just two colours. There's the standard polycarbonate case in either Sand (cream) or Navy Blue, and there's the TechWoven Folio case in either Taupe or Navy Blue.

That gives you just eight combinations between phone and case. Third-party cases have been slower to come through too, but some of the biggest names do have offerings to give your folding phone some more character. All of which you'll find below.

While it seems a shame to hide such a beautiful new design under a case, the last thing you want to do is scratch or smash your new Duo, especially considering the potential cost of repair. So putting a case on it gives you some extra protection.

All of these cases are designed specifically for the latest iPhone Duo model. You can find cases for the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max models here.

Best cases for the iPhone Duo

Apple cases

Best of the rest

There’s lots of excitement around the launch of the iPhone Duo, as it’s the very first folding device that Apple has produced. That means a significant change from the single-screen design of iOS to an adaptive display that can switch between the smaller portrait front display and the large landscape format central display, and also factoring in the folding nature and the ability to offer multi-screen.

This has created an opportunity for app developers not seen since the launch of the iPad. While developers of legacy apps rush to offer fixes to make use of the new features and real estate, new apps are springing up even faster.

While some of these offer genuinely useful features brought about by the iPhone Duo’s design, others are just about having fun. It reminds me of the classic iBeer app for the iPhone, which uses the phone’s sensors to make it look like you were drinking a glass of beer as you tipped your phone up, or the augmented reality Star Walk app for the iPad, allowing you to identify stars and planets.

Below are seven new apps that make the most of the new Duo screen that are worth trying. Plus some that haven’t made it to the App Store yet.

In the app store

1. Battlefleet Duo

The classic game of Battleships is brought to life in this app for a fun take that makes use of the folding display in almost a laptop-like position. The top half of the screen becomes your enemy's waters, showing where you've aimed, while the lower half shows your own fleet. You can also play it fully open, or on the outer screen, but that's not quite as fun.

Download Battlefleet Duo from the Apple App Store for free.

2. PianoFold

This tap-the-tiles-in-order game has hints of Guitar Hero and Beat Sabre, but it's designed especially for the iPhone Duo. With your Duo folded into a laptop-like position on a desk or surface, the top half augments the notes coming towards you in a highway arrangement. The bottom half becomes your piano keys, with four large coloured keys that must be pressed in time to match the oncoming notes.

Download PianoFold from the Apple App Store for free.

3. Foldhide

This app takes the virtual wallet to a new level by recreating a real leather bi-fold wallet. It's interactive in the fact that you can select each card to remove from the wallet and flip them around to see the back. You can also pull out the receipt and the banknote. By clicking on the pen, you can edit the cards to match your real accounts and store your details (just the last four numbers). It's a shame you can't then use the cards in here instead of the Apple Wallet, but that would require a lot more security. This is, after all, just a bit of fun.

Download Foldhide from the Apple App Store for free.

4. Deck-Man

Possibly the best new app we've seen so far, Deck-Man (originally Duo-Man) turns your iPhone Duo into an 80s-style portable cassette player, like the Sony Walkman. The great part of this app is that you can select music from your Apple Music library to play or from local files. You can use the pause, fast-forward and rewind buttons to skip through your tracks, all with mechanical clicks. On the central screen, you can see the cassette playing, while the outer screen shows the closed player, with a choice of designs. Occasionally, tapes will get tangled and need winding back in, just like the real thing. This is a must for your Duo.

Download Deck-Man from the Apple App Store for $4.99/£4.99.

5. Fold Accordion

This clever little app turns your iPhone Duo into a playable accordion. As with an accordion, your right hand plays the melody on the keyboard and the left hand plays the bass notes using the buttons. To make the sound, instead of squeezing, you fold and unfold the device to push the air through the bellows. Pick a song from the list, and it will guide you through the notes too.

Download Fold Accordion from the Apple App Store for $2.99/£2.99.

6. Tiny Computers

This is certainly one of those novelty apps that show off the features of the new iPhone Duo. Tiny Computers turns the Duo into one of 10 computers, including the original Macintosh, Commodore 64, Amiga 500, Window 95 machine, iBook G3 and more. you can do a few basic things on each screen – the Windows model even crashes to a Blue Screen of Death – but there's no practical use here. Just fun.

Download Tiny Computers from the Apple App Store for $3.99/£3.99/

7. Tesla

Though not specifically for the iPhone Duo, Tesla's updated app has native support for the larger screen, giving you almost like a split screen effect with the features down the left side and a large image on the right. It looks much more like the display you see in-car and will look excellent on either iPad or iPhone Duo.

Download the updated Tesla app from the Apple App Store from 23 October.

Coming soon (maybe)

8. CalibReader

One of the nice things about the NanoTexture display used for the centre screen on the iPhone Duo is that it's nicer for reading, and this app makes full use of that. The CalibReader app is coming soon to both Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store. It works for iPhone and iPad, but it's on the iPhone Duo where it really excels. It gives your phone a real book feel, with a clean full-screen layout, dark and light backgrounds and animated page curls as you turn a page. The outer screen gives you the book cover when closed, and when you open it again, it takes you straight to your page. You can import your own book library or link to your cloud storage, with pricing at $9.99 for lifetime use, or the first three books for free.

See more about CalibReader on its website.

9. Crate

Another musical app hoping to make it through to the App Store, Crate is an AI-powered music sampler. It uses a split-screen layout to divide the sample pads from the sequencer window, and uses the hinge to add special effects to the sounds. You can also use a text input to find the right samples and sounds to use.

10. TranslateCat

Another clever use of the dual display, TranslateCat is a two-sided interpreter, giving you the ability to type in one language at the bottom and see your translation at the top. Then, on the outer screen, your translation text is shown to whomever you're conversing with. Designed to work with eight languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Portuguese, it's a neat idea. No hint of when or if it will go live right now, though.

11. Monster Ink

While this appears to be an 8-bit city builder game, it's actually a clever tool to stop you using your phone too much. The idea with Monster, Ink is that while your phone is closed the helper cats build the city for you, but open your phone up and the Kaiju cats start to tear it down. You get a warning when you peek at the inner screen, but look too long and things go downhill for the city. A really clever idea that I'd love to see make it to the App Store.

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.

When Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo in its September presentation, it also mentioned that Apple Pencil support would be coming "later this year". Well, now it looks like we'll have it before many customers even have their new foldable devices.

The full rollout of iOS 27.2 is reportedly due "next week" and it'll include the ability to use an Apple Pencil on the Duo's internal display.

There is one catch, however – the iPhone Duo will only support one specific model of the Pencil, and it might not be the one you own already.

It was revealed that the iPhone Duo will only work with the Apple Pencil (USB-C). There will be no support for the Pencil Pro, which might bonkers considering the target market for the Duo and its price point. However, the Pencil Pro requires magnetic charging, which can only be done on the side of a supported iPad.

At least the Apple Pencil (USB-C) is reasonably priced. It's currently £79 on Amazon UK and actually has $10 off right now on Amazon US, making it just $69. You might find other deals come Black Friday at the end of November.

As for the iOS 27.2 rollout, that's likely to happen before many have even got their hands on an iPhone Duo. I ordered mine from Apple one or two minutes after the pre-orders started last week and was still bumped by a couple of weeks – so it's coming early November.

Others will have to wait anywhere up to January next year for theirs. You might be able to get one from a physical Apple Store this Friday (23 October), but there's no guarantee.

And so, by the time you actually have one in your hands, it's highly possible that Pencil support will already be applied. You might find that many third-party app updates have arrived too, to address the numerous optimisation complaints early reviews have highlighted.

Earlier this week, I attended an exclusive MediaTek event in Spain to discuss the latest Dimensity 9600 Pro chipset – which is confirmed in both the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max and Vivo X500 Pro Max handsets, due out imminently.

The former of those, the Oppo, which I've been using for weeks, I've since published the review in full. The latter, the Vivo, however, was the first time that I'd seen the international handset, as destined for Europe – and it confirmed interesting details.

My colleague attended the China launch of the Vivo X500 Pro Max, raving about its camera – which blew his iPhone out of the water – but we knew that particular handset, with its huge 8000mAh battery capacity, would not be released outside of Asian markets.

Vivo has confirmed that it will be launching in Europe, with an event taking place on 27 October, just not in all countries on the continent – the UK being one key territory that's excluded. Those in Spain, Portugal, Germany and other key countries, however, will be able to get their hands on a unit.

And so to the battery capacity. When exploring the handset at the MediaTek event, a colleague pointed out that it was the international model – and a further jump into the spec, confirming Dimensity 9600 Pro, also highlighted the 6750mAh battery capacity.

That's quite a big jump down from the 8000mAh of its Chinese cousin, but there's a specific reason for that. CE Certification – hence the big stamp on the side of the device in-hand, per my gallery of pictures here – mandates certain restrictions.

In previous released that's permitted 7500mAh (in the Oppo Find X9 Pro) and 7150mAh (in the Find X10 Pro Max) to enter the market, because they met specific conditions. However, certain countries in Europe set their own thresholds – with Austria, in particular, fixing that ceiling at 6750mAh. It's a transport safety regulation.

Vivo sells in Austria and, therefore, the international X500 Pro Max has said battery capacity. In some past product releases, a software-locked workaround was utilised – i.e. a larger battery capacity was 'locked' from use, but savvy users worked out how to bypass this – and that's no longer a viable nor accepted option.

Oppo notably does not sell in Austria, hence the Find X10 Pro Max model going beyond the 7000mAh threshold. That this specific model elected for a lower battery capacity than its X9 Pro Max predecessor, however, suggests the brand could have eyes on other countries in which to sell.

Vivo hasn't officially revealed its X500 Pro Max's international specification as yet, due to the launch event next week, so this MediaTek access point gave a little early insight into what to expect. For pre-orders, pricing and more, you'll need to head to Vivo's official page – with the big reveal taking place on 27 October.

Oppo has just revealed its brand new flagship: the Find X10 Pro Max. It's all about cameras, with three 200-megapixel large-sensor snappers on board.

We've already reviewed the handset, which has wild battery life and a camera suite that little can compete with – Samsung and Apple included – wrapped into a stylish package.

However, it's also set to cost a chunk of cash, at £1,499 in the UK, but if you pre-order a device now then you can cut £100 from that asking price – thanks to a promotional offer direct from Oppo. But you'll need to be quick.

There's more, too, as if you trade in a relevant Oppo or even OnePlus phone then you can cut extra from your asking price, with a £250 bonus removed from the asking price. That could, for example, bring the price down by another £538 if trading in a OnePlus 15 (512GB) model.

That could, therefore, bring the asking price down to a more palatable £861 – undercutting many of the best flagship phones today. But not everyone is going to have a trade-in option that'll pay to such a level.

Further bolstering this deal is a free gift included in your purchase. You can pick from either a Hasselblad Teleconverter lens for free, saving £499, for example. Other gift options include the Oppo Pad 5 (£399) or Watch X3 (£329), so the choice is yours.

All of that certainly adds value to what's an otherwise a high list price, but this is 2026 – and with RAMageddon causing significant price rises across the industry, all incoming handsets are simply going to cost more.

Fortunately, Oppo's pre-order is for the 512GB storage model, so you get plenty of space. RAM is fixed at 12GB this year, though, but you can advance this with virtual RAM, activated through Oppo's ColorOS 17 software.

So if you're looking for the best camera phone on the market, Oppo's Find X10 Pro Max makes a very strong case for itself. But you'll need to be quick to secure the lower-priced promotion – as it'll end on 28 October ahead of the on-sale date.

Around this time last year, I found myself falling for an Android flagship that took me by surprise. After a hiatus in UK and European launch cycles, Oppo came back with a bang – followed by its Find X9 Pro being a masterstroke in the camera department.

This year, while there's no standalone Pro model, I've been using the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max for many weeks to find that photographic spark of excitement once again. It certainly delivers – as there are notable sensor upgrades for this model.

However, there's also a notable 'upgrade' in the X10 Pro Max's price – in line with its 'Max' name, you'll need to find a small fortune to buy this handset. And with the general specifications largely familiar, is it worth it for the camera credibility alone?

Price & Availability

While the Chinese version of the Find X10 Pro was revealed in September, its ¥6799 CNY base price (circa £765/€910 by current conversion rates – or about $1000, not that it will launch in the USA) doesn't directly translate to other regions.

In the UK the launch price will be £1,499 for the 12GB RAM and 512GB storage model. However, there's a £100 off promotion until 28 October, plus bonus of a free gift – either the Oppo Watch X3, Hasselblad Teleconverter, or Oppo Pad 5.

At the time of writing this review, however, the official Euro price is still unknown – but previous leaks suggest that you may need to part with €1699-1799 – which would be a massive jump over the Find X9 Pro's €1299 launch price just one year ago.

Also note that, due to European regulation, the earlier Chinese launch model isn't one and the same as the international version. The latter has a smaller battery capacity, for example, as it cannot bypass EU regulations.

What's New?

• All three rear cameras now 200-megapixels and housed in a new, larger enclosure
• Processor upgrade from Mediatek Dimensity 9500 to latest 9600 Pro
• Battery capacity reduced from 7500mAh to 7150mAh
• Android 17 and ColorOS 17 at launch
• Same 6.78-inch display

Straight out of the box, the Find X10 Pro Max's rear looks notably different from the Find X9 Pro's – and that's mostly on account of the new, larger camera enclosure. This further qualifies the 'Max' name, marking out the cameras as the biggest upgrade.

So just what are we talking about here? While the Find X9 Pro had a great camera suite, one of its rear trio was a 200-megapixel resolution, with the other two 50MP units. The Find X10 Pro Max, however, has a trio of 200MP sensors.

They're not just any old sensors, though, with the main using Samsung's ISOCELL HPC sensor for the first time. Only the Vivo X500, which won't launch in most markets outside of China, can currently claim the same. It brings so-called DeepPix technology and offers a massive dynamic range, of up to 17 stops.

In terms of physical size, however, the Find X9 Pro and X10 Pro Max are more or less the same – save for that camera unit. The same can be said of the display, which is a 6.78-inch panel with flagship specs in terms of colour volume, refresh rate and resolution.

Internally, the latest model gets a processor upgrade, utilising MediaTek's newest Dimensity 9600 Pro – something not even Samsung's Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra opted to use – paired with 12GB RAM (there's no 16GB variant for the international model, it seems, only the Asian markets).

The battery capacity, at 7150mAh, is huge in this phone. That said, it's lower capacity than the Chinese model's 8000mAh and, oddly, lower than the earlier Find X9 Pro's 7500mAh. Why? Hitting CE certification, as required in the European region.

Design & Display

• 6.78-inch OLED display with 1.15mm bezel on all sides
  • 1272 x 2772 resolution (450ppi density)
  • 1-120Hz LTPO variable refresh rate
  • 1-to-3600 nits brightness range
  • Dolby Vision and HDR10+
  • 3840Hz PWM dimming
• Measures: 8.4mm thin; Weight: 233g
• Titanium Grey / Luna White

For the international release, I was originally told that the Find X10 Pro Max only comes in Titanium Grey (but the Oppo site also lists Luna White, so that's an option).

The Titanium finish sometimes looks silvery-grey, sometimes emanates a warmer, almost pinkish hue when catching light. It's much nicer than the so-called Silk White finish of the previous X9 Pro, in my view.

While 2025 seemed to ramp up the demand for super-slim phones – the Samsung Galaxy S24 Edge and Apple iPhone Air were the prime two releases to prove that point – that messaging and, indeed, consumer demand have both dwindled. Not that Oppo seems to care: its 8.4mm thickness is a whisker more than its predecessor.

While 2026 has seen the advent of super-wide folding phones – again championed by Samsung and Apple, with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo – the Find X10 Pro Max sticks with classic flagship format, the display a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. I've found it spot-on for one-handed use, with slender and symmetrical bezel surrounds looking neat and tidy.

There's one thing that I don't love about this display, however, and that's its reflective nature. It's just glossier than most, which I've sometimes found a distraction. It's more than bright enough to cut through this, thankfully, and I've often not needed to push that brightness anywhere near to maximum. Good to know it's there when needed, though.

The design is otherwise familiar to anyone who's handled the earlier X9 Pro: there's the Snap Key, positioned to the upper left when facing the device front-on, which is used by default for Oppo's Mind Space capture – an AI feature that captures what's on the display to store and contextualise that info.

You can adjust what the Snap Key does, if preferred, with quick control for Sound & Vibration, Do Not Disturb, Camera, OSee (Oppo's real-time camera-based translator, document and QR scanner), Torch, Recorder, Translate, and Screenshot. Or you can deactivate it entirely.

On the opposite side of the phone is the volume rocker, which sits above the power key – similar to most Android phones' controls. Absent for this model, however, is the Quick Button – which, in the previous design, was that camera quick-launch and control button that you'd usually find yourself hitting by accident rather than when actually wanted. Oppo has clearly taken on feedback here, so all the better for it.

Performance & Battery

• MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro processor (2nm process)
  • 2x 4.55GHz; 3x 4.35GHz; 3x 3.1GHz; Arm G1-Ultra-NX GPU
• 12GB RAM only, 512GB storage as standard
• 7150mAh silicon-carbon battery
  • 80W wired charging
  • 50W wireless

While some will knock the Find X10 Pro Max for having a lower battery capacity than the Chinese model and, indeed, its X9 Pro spiritual predecessor, I take quite the opposite view. Because this 7150mAh battery will no doubt last for an absolute age – but I'm basing that on calculated assumption, as I've been provided the Asian model with 8000mAh battery for this review.

We're in an age where other phone-makers are hitting high-capacity silicon-carbon batteries – yes, Samsung, here's looking at you (finally!) – but Oppo is high up the ranks of the largest capacities going. Here it's in a multi-cell arrangement to facilitate fast-charging safely and distribute the capacity successfully within the limitations of the EU CE certification.

Note that you'll need to purchase a viable plug to achieve the maximum 80W 'SuperVOOC' charging speeds. There's also 50W wireless charging, for which you'll need a relevant Qi2 pad. As Oppo elected to forego magnets in the design, you'll want the separate magnetic case for use with charging accessories – such as the (also sold separately) magnetic power bank.

So how does all that add up in the real world? After the device bedded in and got used to my usage patterns, I was getting through a day, not plugging it in overnight, and still waking up 24 hours later with 45% battery in the tank. Used carefully, you'd be able to get through two working days. Calculating for the 8000mAh to 7150mAh difference, that's a 10% reduction, so around 38% would remain by equivalent.

Performance in the Find X10 Pro Max is typically as 'max' as the name suggests. I've not found it to overheat, and gaming titles like Earn to Die Rogue will run solidly for extended periods thanks to MediaTek's latest Dimensity 9600 Pro processor.

I have seen one or two frame-rate hiccups, or strange upscaling visible in Facebook videos, though, so it's not always perfect. The decision to stick with 12GB RAM, especially when the earlier X9 Pro featured 16GB as standard, only goes to show the heightened impact of the RAM crisis here, too.

I've gotten more used to Oppo's ColorOS over the years, now finding its additional features beyond raw Android to be of use. Multitasking with floating windows, for example, is most welcome – although it needs to better integrate keyboard visibility, as all too often what you're typing won't be visible in real-time, for example.

By and large, however, ColorOS 17 is a smooth operating system with some inevitable double-ups in some areas, such as two app store fronts (Google Play and App Market). Some aspects take a little tweaking to maximise, too, such as ensuring apps aren't set to limit battery use so they can be fully functional in the background.

Cameras

• Triple rear cameras (with fourth as True Colour Camera):
  • Main (23mm): 200-megapixel, f/1.5 aperture, 1/1.3in size (Samsung ISOCELL HPC), DeepPix HDR, autofocus (PDAF), optical stabilisation (OIS)
  • Tele (70mm; periscope zoom): 200MP, f/2.1, 1/1.56in (Samsung ISOCELL HP5), PDAF, OIS
  • Wide (13mm): 200MP, f/2.2, 1/1.56in (Samsung ISOCELL HP5), PDAF
  • 2nd Gen True Color Camera: 3.2MP, 24-channel colour
• Single front selfie camera:
  • 18mm: 50MP, f/2.0, 1/2.76in, PDAF

But the real reason to want the Find X10 Pro Max beyond, well, anything else on the market? It's the cameras, but of course. I've been road-testing them for some weeks now, even able to take the phone away on a holiday to Malta to test out its abilities.

As a quick overview again: the Find X10 Pro Max's 'Lumo Camera System' features a Hasselblad-backed trio of lenses, ranging from wide-angle (13mm) to main (24mm) and a 3x periscope zoom that will deliver top portraits (thanks to a 70mm focal range). You can zoom beyond this, with the 6x default in the app offering a great 140mm option.

All these sensors are top drawer, with both the wide-angle and zoom utilising the proven Samsung HP5 – as featured in the previous Find X9 Pro's zoom, too. Its appearance in the wide-angle is new, further upping the quality of that offering. But it's the main sensor, the Samsung HPC, that really ups the Find X10 Pro Max's game.

As you can see in the gallery of shots above, that zoom lens is mighty impressive. While the first frame may look abstract – it's some truffles atop a burrata (itself atop a pizza – the Maltese know how to do it) – the level of detail by default at that 140mm setting is incredible. The 70mm and main 24mm are sharp, and each looks colour accurate to the next.

That colour accuracy is part of the second-generation Hasselblad 'True Colour Camera', which now uses more channels to ensure colour capture that's reflective of reality – and balanced to the scene's other colours – to provide an accurate representation, whichever optic or focal length or digital zoom increment you're utilising.

Daylight shots, as you can see in the gallery of shots below, depict really rich yet natural colours as a result. It's particularly pleasing that the wide-angle doesn't suffer as much blurring or visible processing compared to many other flagship phones, where this is a typical weak point.

That DeepPix technology certainly functions well in permitting low-light capture, too, although this is the one area where I feel a little more could be done. The Google Pixel 11 Pro, for example, is great at identifying faces and taking multiple shots to try and negate subject blur – something the Find X10 Pro Max isn't quite so accomplished at achieving.

There's no doubting the sheer clarity when shooting in low-light conditions, mind you, again regardless of which lens I selected to use. Having such a suite of options at your fingertips is a massive appeal that gives this device the upper hand compared to the majority of its rivals.

There are a bunch of options and settings to tinker with, too, from Portrait to Hasselblad Hi-Res or fully manual Master mode, and video capture that can hit 4K resolution at 60fps on all three cameras. Heck, you can even shoot 8K at 30fps on all three, too, should you feel the need!

I'm yet to try the separate teleconverter unit that you can also purchase for this device (using the separate case to connect), adding a physically large, elongated lens to the setup. It's quirky, that's for sure, but it's yet another string to this phone's bow that edges it closer to being 'a proper camera'.

Verdict

There's no doubt that the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max is a real showcase of what's possible in a phone camera in 2026 – blowing the likes of Samsung's and Apple's equivalent flagships out of the water with a more comprehensive and accomplished setup.

That suite of Hasselblad-endorsed shooters is the core reason to want to buy this phone over the established competition. But you'll have to really want to, as it's a pricey option when purchased outside of its launch promotional period – far more so than last year's Find X9 Pro top-tier product.

There's plenty more to upsell it, of course, from the stunning battery life to top-drawer power and a generally finessed design (if you can cope with such a giant camera enclosure – but, given what it offers, that's the visual compromise to be made).

If you're seeking a new Android flagship that's best-of-the-best when it comes to cameras, the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max is an astonishing option. It just happens to be astonishingly expensive – but you'll certainly get tonnes of worth from it.

Also consider

So that would ultimately be my suggestion: look to the Oppo Find X9 Pro, as you can pick it up for approaching half the amount of money. It still has a great suite of cameras in a design that's largely similar.

Otherwise, Google's Pixel 11 Pro can show the upper hand in some low-light or subject-recognition scenarios, wrapped in a great-looking design with the best Android software that's available.

But if all this talk of Android is making you scoff, then, well, Apple's iPhone 18 Pro is a formidable option, no doubt. Its variable aperture camera is a rarity and a point of attraction for this generation, in a proven design and highly regarded ecosystem.

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.

If you're spending £2,000 / $2,000 on a new folding iPhone, then you'll likely be considering how you'll protect it. With iPhone Duo pre-orders now open, the cases are also available to buy, but have thrown up a quandary.

Apple is offering two official cases – the iPhone Duo Folio with Kickstand and the iPhone Duo Case, priced at £129 / $129 and £79 / $79 respectively. But it's the latter of these cases which is getting the attention right now.

The description of the case on the Apple Store says: "With built-in magnets that align perfectly with iPhone Duo, this case offers a magical attach experience…" However, early buyers have found that you'll need to use adhesive to stick it to the phone.

That comes in the form of a couple of strips that are peeled off making the edges stick better. The fact that it uses adhesive has surprised some buyers, resulting in wide discussion on Reddit, as well as photo sharing on X (via 9to5Mac).

The use of adhesive is common in folding phone cases, especially for the thin surround that you need for the cover display. But the fact it's not mentioned on the Apple site – with Apple talking about the "magical attach experience" instead – has drawn some comment.

It also raises questions about the best way to protect your folding phone. We recently shared the cost for iPhone Duo repairs should you damage the device, so many will be looking for the best cases to buy.

Protecting the back of the phone is easy because you can have space to work with, but protecting the cover screen is a different matter, because there's very little space, just a slim frame.

Adhesives are common to help these cases stay in place, because you can't clip on a case the same way you can with a regular phone.

Adhesives come with concerns: removing the case downgrades the adhesive (with the risk of residue remaining on the device), while it can also trap dust that might then damage the frame after a long period of time.

Unlike a regular magnetic or clip on cases, adhesive cases are harder to remove and clean, and then replace.

That's not the only consideration: a folding phone in a case gets thicker and the iPhone Duo is already 11.3mm thick. Some people will just decide to carry their device "naked", ie., with no case at all.

There's a full range of iPhone Duo cases available on Amazon (including the official Apple cases), but the big decision is going to be whether to use one or not.

Finding a phone for your kids is a bit of a dilemma. You want them to be able to call you when they're out with friends or making their own way home, but handing them a smartphone also gives them access to social media, the internet and an endless supply of distractions.

That's where the Freckle Phone comes in, with a design that encourages children to get outside and explore rather than spend hours staring at a screen.

Created for children aged seven to 13, Freckle has no web browser, app store or social media. Instead, it focuses on calling and texting approved contacts, finding your way around and a collection of features designed to make the world outside more interesting.

A phone that wants kids to go exploring

The most interesting feature is Quests, which gives children missions to complete in the real world. They might be asked to find five different bugs in the park, for example, or photograph particular objects while out exploring. Parents can also create their own challenges.

There's a Discovery Camera, too, which uses AI to identify plants, animals and other things children photograph, adding their discoveries to a digital collection. Think of it as a real-world version of Pokémon, with children encouraged to find things outdoors rather than collect characters on a screen.

Other features include maps, a simple music player, contactless payments using preloaded credit and a walkie-talkie mode that lets children communicate with nearby Freckle phones. The idea is to give kids useful technology for becoming more independent, without making a conventional smartphone the default option.

Less tracking, more trust?

Freckle is also trying to strike a different balance between parental reassurance and children's independence. Parents can approve contacts and set up safe zones, receiving an alert if their child leaves a designated area rather than having to monitor their every movement.

AI plays a part in several of the phone's features, including answering questions and creating interactive stories, but the company says it isn't designed around an open-ended chatbot or an AI companion that children spend hours talking to. Parents can also remove the AI-powered features if they'd prefer.

The phone has been designed with a rugged case and a lanyard, so children can wear it around their necks while they're out. Its software, called ClayOS, uses playful characters and can be customized with accessories, giving it a more child-friendly feel than a scaled-down adult smartphone.

When can you get one?

Freckle is taking preorders in the US, with the phone priced at $199 (around £149). A wireless plan costs $25 per month (around £19), and the first units are expected to ship in December 2026. There's no confirmed UK launch yet.

If you're looking for a first phone for your child, Freckle could be an interesting middle ground between giving them a full-blown smartphone and leaving them without a way to contact you. And if it gets them outside looking for bugs instead of watching videos, that's not a bad start.

Last weekend I was enjoying a little time off work, exploring the island nation of Malta, a holiday trip for which I didn't actually pack my dedicated 'proper' camera.

That's because I've been using Oppo's latest flagship, the Find X10 Pro Max, which I put in my pocket, safe in the knowledge that it would be a photographic beast.

Pre-order discount promotion

While my full X10 Pro Max review is forthcoming, Oppo is already teasing a pre-order promotion to net a £200 discount on the final product release – which commences on 21 October, so it's just around the corner.

The same promotion also includes a free gift, which can either be an Oppo Watch X3 or the Hasselblad Teleconverter Kit. It's the latter I'd be most interested in, given the strength of this product's camera – and the reason for me writing this very article.

It's no secret that the Find X10 Pro Max has a trio of 200-megapixel cameras on its rear – indeed, none of the specification is a secret (per GSMArena), as the handset has already launched in China – replete with Hasselblad backing.

That's what that 'H' symbol in my pictures of the phone represents, if you're unfamiliar with Hasselblad's work – it's a renowned lens- and camera-maker, based in Sweden, which has worked with Oppo for some years now.

And it makes very good lenses. In the X10 Pro Max, however, its services are also deployed in collaboration for the processing, picture styles and colour balancing – making use of the True Color Camera (the fourth lens on the rear) for great accuracy.

Dreamy zoom options

But it's the zoom that's really blown me away in my use. Check out the gallery below. Sure, it's just a pizza on a table, right? Click through to the 3x zoom option and then full 6x zoom, however, and you'll see just what this device is capable of delivering.

Those glistening truffles sat atop a burrata are packed full of detail – and that's a shot straight out of the camera, I needn't do anything more to the image. It's nicely colour-matched to the other images, too, showing Oppo's and Hasselblad's finesse when it comes to consistency across its camera suite.

200MP clarity

It was really great being able to roam the streets of Maltese towns – from Valetta to Saint Paul's, even to the island of Comino – knowing that I could just quick-launch the Find X10 Pro Max's camera and confidently shoot, whether close-up, portrait distance, or zooming in further.

A stray cat, sat atop a car, I caught licking its whiskers in a burst shot at 6x zoom, during a walking tour around the city. It was candid, easy to shoot, and I hadn't noticed the tongue until afterwards – but it's a great shot.

The camera setup isn't just capable in distance shooting, of course, as its wide-angle is very capable too, as you can see in the coastal shot second in the gallery. The third shot, of a late sushi lunch, gives an impression of how those 200-megapixels squeeze lots of detail into an image (which, by default, are oversampled and output at 25MP).

Day or night

Malta is splendid in the day, but when the sun sets – often in dramatic style – the night takes over, and there's a lot of nightlife. Low-light scenes are little problem for this camera's triplet of large sensors, able to maintain detail and low noise throughout.

The only weakness I've really found in this camera is the occasional slip-up in focus and limitations for subject movement in low-light conditions.

Obviously it's tricky to avoid subjects blurring due to their movement in dim scenes, because there's only so much light available and, even with a wide aperture, there are limitations.

Nonetheless, what I've managed to shoot with the Find X10 Pro Max does, in many instances, put the other big names to shame. You won't get this kind of zoom clarity from Samsung or Apple right now, that's for sure.

Should I buy the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max?

If you're in the market for a camera phone first and foremost, then I've no doubt that this Oppo flagship is among the best of its kind. It made my holiday without a separate camera totally carefree.

It's likely to be rather pricey, however, so that pre-order promotion is well worth considering. You've got until this Wednesday, 21 October, to put £49 down for £200 off the list price.

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."

The world has been abuzz with the news of Apple's first folding phone, the iPhone Duo. With pre-orders for the new phone opening tomorrow, it's worth being aware of what the costs might be to repair such a phone.

Remember that the iPhone Duo will cost £1,999 / $1,999 for the 256GB model and this is already Apple's most expensive iPhone to start with.

The price of repairs to the phone are available on the Apple Support site, detailing that a replacement inner display will cost you £999 / $999, or 50% of the cost of the phone.

That should perhaps focus your mind a little and might make you consider getting AppleCare+, because that reduces the cost of replacing the inner display to £79 / $99.

AppleCare+ is an extended warranty plan for Apple devices that brings the costs down to a set excess, with unlimited repairs. There's the option to pay monthly or yearly, with the monthly cost set per device. The iPhone Duo is £16.99 / $19.99 on AppleCare+, paid monthly.

Apple identifies a number of different repair options and here's how they are priced (estimates) with and without AppleCare+ coverage:

It's worth noting that these are listed as "estimates" for devices out of warranty, with Apple declaring that the device will be inspected and the final fee might be different to that listed.

What's interesting here is the differentiation between "cover layer damage" and "inner display damage", suggesting that repairs can be done in a more costly fashion and it's not a case of replacing the entire thing.

That's because the matte display surface is just a layer on top. I highlight this, because over the past years of Samsung folding phones, it has been the folding display surface layer separating that's the most common issue that I've seen with such devices.

It's designed to be easily replaced, there to protect the folding OLED display underneath, so it's better that it's easily replaced rather than causing problems. Still, while Apple will only charge £19 / $19 for a replacement with AppleCare+, it would be £49 / $49 without.

Whatever you choose, AppleCare+ might be a smart investment for this device, although if you have a number of expensive Apple devices then AppleCare One might be worth considering. Not least because it also covers theft.

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.

Frequent travellers have a lot to juggle. Between staying connected, there's dealing with travel disruption, medical coverage and lost luggage to contend with. To make life easier for those always on the move, Holafly has expanded its offering with Holafly Ultra.

You'll know the Holafly name because it's one of the dominant providers of eSIMs for global roaming. Supporting 160 countries, it's an easy way to stay connected, with Holafly selling data plans for travellers and recently introducing ongoing global data through its existing Light and Unlimited plans.

Expanding its offering, Holafly Ultra has unlimited data globally, while bundling in additional travel essentials, including flight and luggage assistance, and medical support.

While this isn't full medical travel insurance, it means there's access to help, so you can get 24/7 medical assistance, talking to a real human being. That includes access to a doctor, as well as mental health support, with the service provided by Meeting Doctors.

There's even assistance for any pets that you might be travelling with.

On the travel side, Holafly says that it will handle claims for delayed flights and lost, delayed or damaged luggage. That should mean that you can leave Holafly to handle the logistics, while you focus on the work or play you're supposed to be doing.

Diving into the small print Holafly details that up to €600 could be claimed for eligible delayed flights, while up to €1900 is available for lost or damaged luggage. Holafly stipulates that this is handled by AirHelp.

While this won't replace full insurance policies for medical and travel emergencies, it means there's assistance on hand for many of the regular occurrences, especially for those who are frequently on the move.

Priced at £72.35 a month there's the option to cancel that renewal at any time, while the regular Unlimited Plan costs £50.95 a month, so you can see what those additional extras are costing you.

This is really aimed at the those who are away a lot of the time: this isn't for the occasional traveller, it's for people who find that travel incurs expenses and time involved with managing delays, sorting connectivity and getting medical assistance.

The new Holafly Ultra plan is available now from Holafly.

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.

RedMagic is one of the few remaining vestiges of gaming phones, with other brands pulling out of the business. But the Nubia sub-brand (itself part of ZTE) is preparing to launch its next device - the RedMagic 12 Pro+.

Teasing has already started, firstly talking about the design, but now we have the chance for a full look at the new phones before the 15 October launch.

Shared by RedMagic on Weibo, we get to see the new phone in three colours: black, silver and blue. It's not clear what the official names will be, but previously we've seen the black model called Nightfreeze and the silver model called Subzero.

These could be released as Transparent Dark Night, Transparent Silver Wing and Transparent Ice Blue, according to GizmoChina.

On the rear of the phone there's a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 badge, and it's thought that RedMagic will use the Extreme version, leading to flagship-level performance. This will be supported by RedMagic's liquid cooling system, which is clearly visible and integrated into the design.

On previous devices we've seen this circulating on the back of the phone, which looks like it will also happen here, designed to keep the hardware cool during intensive gaming sessions.

RedMagic previously said that the 12 Pro+ would be "more rounded" with a lighter build and thinner and narrower body. That should all help handholdability when it comes to gaming.

Turning to the display, the crusade against the bezel continues, shrinking down to 0.96mm so it's more of an edge-to-edge experience, while the flat finish will be popular with gamers. There are shoulder buttons to support gaming.

It's not clear what the battery capacity will be and how the charging will work, but it likely offers bypass, so gamers can power the phone without introducing more heat.

As I said above, RedMagic is one of the few remaining choices for a pure gaming phone. The performance in gaming is generally exceptional, while the prices are really aggressive too. The downside is that there's often a lot of bloatware added and changes to the user interface that need unpicking to get the smoothest Android experience.

All the details will be revealed on 15 October in China - it's not clear how long we'll have to wait for a wider international launch.

Oppo announced the Find X10 Pro Max - its new flagship phone - in China on 22 September. Now the company has confirmed the global launch date and it's sooner than many expected.

The Oppo Find X10 Pro Max will be launched on 21 October at an event in Mallorca, just a month after the launch in China, making this a swift device launch by any measure.

Typically, devices announced in China then see several months of delay before the international launch takes place. In the past, that's seen new devices announced around February, having been on sale in China for a number of months.

With the device launched in China, you can head over and read the full specifications, although that might not be the same as the specifications in other regions. Oppo has, however, previously confirmed that the phone will be loaded with Hasselblad-developed cameras.

In a bizarre twist of fate, we find ourselves with the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max in hand already, although we're only allowed to share details about the design and nothing about the performance of the device itself - that will come in the future.

What we can say is that the Find X10 Pro Max evolves the design of the Find X9 Pro, keeping that square camera design, but expanding some of the camera elements in to a second island.

On the Titanium Grey model seen here, these both sit on a raised island, while the Luna White version is slightly different and more distinct.

Back to the details and Oppo has previously shared that there are three 200-megapixel cameras on this phone, with support for up to 8K 30fps shooting.

The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro, a new 2nm chip, while there's a 7150mAh battery, using silicon-carbon tech. Oppo says that the battery is engineered to still offer 80% of its original capacity after 5 years of use.

The price of the phone remains unknown for now, but those interested can reserve the device for a £49 / €49 deposit, which also unlocks three gifts - either the teleconverter kit (a 200x lens accessory) or an Oppo Watch 5 / Oppo Pad 5; £200 discount off the phone price; and a guarantee on the price, so if it's cheaper on Black Friday, Oppo will refund the difference.

As it stands, there seem to be a lot of good reasons to be interested in the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max, even if we can't share everything about it yet.

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.

The iPhone 18 Pro is another step forward for Apple in terms of performance, with a new A20 Pro chip and upgrades to its battery, thermal management and camera system. It sits as the pinnacle of the company’s phone technology, though this year it has a shiny new stablemate that is in danger of stealing the limelight.

It’s perhaps no accident that there is a month between the on-sale dates of the iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max and the new foldable iPhone Duo. That time gives those looking for a replacement a chance to properly consider the Pro models, as on paper at least, it’s the better phone.

While the Duo offers the spectacle of a folding screen, revealing a 7.6-inch display from its passport-sized form, the iPhone 18 Pro and larger 18 Pro Max offer better battery life and a better camera system – complete with full Pro camera features.

This year, more than ever, the 18 Pro and Pro Max feel like professional tools, with their ProRAW, Spatial video, ProRes RAW and variable aperture on the main 48MP camera. With the Pro Max, you get a generous 6.9-inch display for that big-screen playback, while the smaller iPhone 18 Pro still offers a 6.3-inch display and sits easily in your pocket, weighing less and being both thinner and narrower than the Duo.

I upgraded from the cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro to the classier burgundy iPhone 18 Pro to see how the new model performs and to see how much of an improvement it is for those annual upgraders.

How much is the iPhone 18 Pro?

The iPhone 18 Pro was first announced on 9 September 2026 and went on sale on 18 September. Prices start from £1199 / $1199 in the UK and US, respectively. In Europe, it starts from €1449 and in Australia from A$2099. Alternatively, the larger iPhone 18 Pro Max starts from £1299 / $1299 / €1599 / A$2299.

This year, there are four colours to choose from, including Glacier Blue and Burgundy in addition to silver and black options. Capacities start from 256GB for the base model and go up to 2TB for both the Pro and Pro Max, which takes the price up to £2399 / $2399 for the Pro or £2499 / $2499 for the Pro Max.

Design and build

From the outside, very little has changed with the iPhone 18 Pro, compared to the 17 Pro. The dimensions are identical, as are the button placements and camera bump, meaning that cases for the 17 Pro will fit the 18 Pro, and the same for the Max models.

The only real difference is the weight, with the new Pro model being 7 grams (0.24 oz) heavier, or 18g (0.63 oz) in the case of the Pro Max. It’s not enough of a difference to feel in the hand, but it is at least a distinction.

The iPhone 17 Pro was defined by its bold Cosmic Orange colour, which divided opinion among buyers. This year, Burgundy is the main marketed colour, and projects a calmer, classier feel. It’s a deep colour with all elements of the phone perfectly colour-matched, including the camera bump.

Notably, there was no black option in last year’s 17 Pro and Pro Max, so it’s nice to see that return here. The black also feels much darker than previous black iPhones, thanks to the paintwork's matte effect. It reminds me much more of the midnight black used on MacBook Pro models.

New Features

The real change comes inside the 18 Pro. It features a brand new A20 Pro chip, with huge performance upgrades over the previous A19 Pro, including a new CPU and a GPU with an additional core.

To keep the phone, and specifically the chip, cool, the 18 Pro has a larger vapour chamber, with three times the surface area. With this thermal management, the A20 Pro chip is able to sustain high performance for longer.

Then there’s the battery. Not only is this a new integrated design, but it’s also larger in capacity. According to energy labels required for European sales, the Pro and Pro Max models sold here feature a 4,056 mAh and 5,391 mAh capacity, respectively, which is 1.45% and 11.8% greater than the 17 Pro models. The US model, which doesn’t feature a physical SIM slot, has a larger battery, still.

On the display, there’s a redesigned Dynamic Island, which is 25% smaller than the previous version. This has been achieved by placing the IR camera, used for Face ID, under the screen.

There’s improvement on the camera side too, with a new variable aperture on the main camera, giving real depth-of-field control to the iPhone for the first time – more on that shortly.

Display

The Super Retina XDR Display on the iPhone 18 Pro is a 6.3-inch OLED display with 2622 x 1206 pixel resolution. The Pro Max has the larger 6.9-inch display with 2868 x 1320 pixels. Both feature ProMotion technology, which provides an adaptive refresh rate, going up to 120Hz and as low as 1Hz for that lock screen.

With a typical peak brightness of 1,000 nits, it also offers a peak HDR brightness of 1,600 nits and an outdoor mode that pushes it up to 3,000 nits. For nighttime use, it will also go as low as 1 nit minimum, should you need it.

While these are the same specs as last year’s models, it’s a fantastic screen. It delivers great detail and colour, whether you’re watching movies, browsing images, gaming or just browsing the web.

On a bright sunny day, the auto setting turns the brightness to full while outside, and the screen is just as clear as when inside at 50% brightness. I also really like the low brightness settings when looking at your phone first thing in the morning or last thing at night, without flooding the whole room with light.

The smaller Dynamic Island on the 18 Pro is a notable improvement here. Though still more than just a punch hole, when not showing extra information, it takes up a lot less of that top bar. As this space doesn’t sit under videos or most games, you wouldn’t notice otherwise, but it gives the top bar more breathing room.

It also provides more space for the Dynamic Island to show information, adding small symbols and numbers for anything from music playback to sports scores and Uber pick ups. It can then expand for those full live activities.

I watched a range of different content on the iPhone 18 Pro, from The Last First: Winter K2 documentary and the latest series of Slow Horses on Apple TV, through to Taylor Swift music videos on the YouTube app. The one thing that hit me, besides the image quality, was the sound, especially in landscape mode.

Like the 17 Pro models, the 18 Pro supports Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos playback from its stereo speakers, with vents on the bottom and top of the phone. So while it sounds good while holding the phone in portrait mode, moving to a landscape position gives you that full separation.

Rear cameras

Principally, the camera system on the iPhone 18 Pro (and Pro Max) remains unchanged from the 17 Pro series, with one exception. The 48 million-pixel main camera now features a variable aperture.

This is a first for the iPhone, though other brands have tried it before, as far back as 2018, when the Samsung Galaxy S9 offered a dual aperture option on its camera. The iPhone aperture is a six blade design with four aperture settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4. These can be selected manually from the new pro controls menu in the camera, or set to auto.

Advantages of a variable aperture are three-fold. In bright conditions, it allows you to reduce the light intake for creative control, while in low-light conditions you can increase the amount of light for better results. The most visual result though is in the depth of field.

Typically, with a fixed aperture, smart phones are designed to let in the maximum amount of light while maintaining a large depth of field – meaning that everything in the image stays in focus. In recent generations, Apple has offered a digital blurring effect in its portrait mode and cinematic video, to replicate a shallow depth of field, but it always looked a bit processed.

The main camera on the iPhone 17 Pro had a maximum aperture of f/1.78, so the f/1.48 option on the 18 Pro is two thirds of a stop wider, with 2.3 stops the other way to give greater depth of field. These changes are small compared to a DSLR lens, which may offer as much as a six-stop range from f/2.8 to f/22, but with a phone camera sensor being that much smaller, the changes appear as large.

The variable aperture works with all the zoom settings that the main camera offers, which is 1x (24mm equivalent), 2x (48mm equivalent) as well as the 1.2x (28mm) and 1.5x (35mm) settings. It’s also worth noting that you are only getting a full 48-million-pixel image at the 1x setting, with a standard 4:3 aspect ratio. All other ratios and zoom lengths will give you a cropped in image with less pixels.

By default, the iPhone uses a 24MP setting anyway, which uses two pixels for everyone to optimise the image. However, this is reduced to 12MP for a 2x crop, or if you use the studio lighting effects or portrait mode to create the fake depth of field. This isn’t always clear unless you check the image information after.

The longer telephoto camera works much the same way, but with a fixed f/2.8 aperture rather than a variable one. It provides a 4x zoom (100m equivalent) at 48 million pixels or 24 million pixels, as well as an 8x (200mm equivalent) at 12 million pixels.

The third camera is the ultra-wide, which provides a fixed f/2.2 aperture and a 0.5x zoom (13mm equivalent) for 120-degree images at either 24MP or 48MP. This is reduced to 12MP though for Macro shooting.

Front camera

The front camera saw a massive upgrade on the iPhone 17 Pro models and is the same here on the 18 Pros. It uses a square format sensor which can deliver 18-million-pixel images in either portrait or landscape format without having to turn the phone on its side.

This camera also includes Apple’s Centre Stage technology for photos and for video calls, allowing it to zoom in and out to keep either you centred or expand to include a group of people. This means that by default, it will take a cropped 7MP image, but you can zoom out to use the full sensor.

The results are so much sharper than the old 12MP front cameras that feature in the iPhone 16 and older, so if you’re upgrading from a phone more than a year old, you’ll notice a significant difference.

Video

It’s not just still images where the iPhone 18 offers professional level specs. For video, you can shoot in 4K at up to 120fps using the main rear camera, or 60fps using the ultra-wide or telephoto cameras. The front camera also provides 4K at up to 60fps.

For professionals, you can record using the ProRes format in 4K 120fps, and record straight to an external hard drive. There’s also Apple Log 2 and Academy Colour Encoding, to get the most colour information out of your video, and ensure consistency across your cameras.

For on-camera effects, there’s also Apple’s Cinematic mode, which creates a pro-looking shallow focus effect and can still record in 4K at up to 60fps. The beauty of this is that you can actually adjust the focus point after shooting. The variable aperture also works for video, so you can make use of the real aperture effects here too.

There’s also dual capture mode, which uses both the front and rear camera to create a picture-in-picture effect, action mode for ultra-steady shooting in 2.8K at 60fps, slow motion at up to 240fps (1080p) or 120fps in 4K, timelapse recording in 4K and Spatial video recording in 1080p at 60fps for immersive 3D.

Video also benefits from the iPhone 18 Pro’s four-mic array, allowing you to capture Spatial Audio sound or stereo recording. Apple’s new audio mix tool then allows you to edit the recorded sound to separate voice and music from background noise.

Image quality

What I think impressed me most about the image quality on the iPhone 18 Pro, is how much more photographic the results feel. One of my favourite images was during my aperture test, placing a thistle in the foreground and a house in the background to see how the variable aperture changes the image.

I underexposed the original shot and pulled it back using Adobe Lightroom. Though the aperture was set to f/1.8, which is achievable on the iPhone 17 Pro, the slight stop-down of the aperture ring gives the out-of-focus areas a natural bokeh while the main thistle really stands out.

You can see the change in depth of field quite clearly between the f/1.4 and the f/4 settings, though the effect isn’t quite as extreme as on a DSLR or mirrorless camera. The one interesting feature is the way the aperture reacts to having the sun in the shot. With the aperture even slightly closed, you get a real starburst effect on the highlight, which looks quite impressive – and goes away when the aperture is fully open.

Apple has clearly focused its imaging efforts on colour and exposure over detail, with results straight from the camera looking absolutely stunning. To opt for the most detail, you often have to override the camera, picking the RAW capture and the 48MP mode. This is sensible, as most don’t need an image that large, and the option is still there if you need it.

Many were hoping that we might see the iPhone 18 Pro go beyond the 48MP sensor resolution, to match the 200MP sensors now offered by Samsung and Oppo. Personally, I would rather have seen a larger sensor on the main camera, which in turn would have made the aperture changes more prominent. The current main sensor is 1/1.128 inches, which is the same as the iPhone 17 Pro.

Oppo, Xiaomi and Huawei have all offered 1-inch sensors for some time on their phones, which has a significant advantage over a smaller sensor. However, this would require bigger lenses to cover it. The perfect set up would be where smartphones can use a single sensor for all of its rear cameras and simply have a variable optic, but it seems we’re still some way off that.

Battery and performance

Apple’s new system-on-a-chip (SoC) is the A20 Pro, and it’s used on the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and the upcoming iPhone Duo. It has a 6-core CPU, which is 20% faster than the A19 Pro, and a 7-core GPU, which is 40% faster. It also offers a new dual 16-core neural engine for those on-device Apple Intelligence features.

The vapour chamber, which was first introduced to the iPhone last year, has been tripled in size to keep that new chip running cooler. This results in a 40% gain in sustained performance, so you can game and run those AI features for longer without any impact on performance.

To see exactly how that performance stacks up, I ran the Geekbench 6 benchmarking app on the iPhone 18 Pro. The CPU test delivered a multi-core score of 12,543 (4678 single core), which is a marked increase on the iPhone 17 Pro’s 9014. Meanwhile, on the graphics (GPU) test, it scored 63,551, which is also an increase over the 44950 from the 17 Pro.

What’s also interesting is how this compares to the M-series chips used in iPad and Mac devices. The CPU multi-core score is higher than the M3 results and closing in on the M4, while on the GPU it beats all but the latest M5 iPad Pro models.

Considering the MacBook Neo runs on an older A18 Pro, the potential for future MacBooks and iPads to run on the A20 Pro chip are huge, and offer potential space saving and battery efficiency improvements.

On the battery side, the iPhone 18 Pro now offers up to 34 hours of video playback compared to 31 hours on the 17 Pro. The 18 Pro Max is even better with up to 43 hours, compared to 37 hours on the 17 Pro Max. Apple also now quotes a typical usage figure, which is meant to give a more realistic estimation of overall battery life. For this it gives the 18 Pro 24 hours per charge and the Pro Max 30 hours per charge.

Those typical numbers certainly feel close to what I have been getting from the 18 Pro. Once all of my data had fully migrated over from my old phone and things were running normally, I would typically end my day with between 20% and 30% battery left.

The only caveat was that when shooting video, the battery still drains much faster, and with heavier use, you are likely to need a charge before the day is done.

Should I buy the iPhone 18 Pro?

The iPhone 18 Pro is without doubt the most powerful and best-performing iPhone to date. While the 18 Pro Max has the bigger screen and better battery life, both provide the same upgrade in power and performance, as well as the new camera system.

Aside from the battery improvements, which feel negligible in real terms, the biggest change for me is the camera system. This is a big step forward for the iPhone, and while the effects can seem subtle at times compared to the digital depth-of-field options, it feels a lot more real.

If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 16 Pro or older, you’ll notice significant upgrades across the board with the iPhone 18 Pro. If camera performance really matters to you, this is the iPhone to go for this year.

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.

September has been a busy month. From the streets of Toyko (checking out the new Technics EAH-A1000 headphones), to the wind-swept beaches of Maui (for Qualcomm's annual Snapdragon Summit), and the cafes of Paris (for Loewe's new coffee machine), there's been one consistent theme in my travels.

"Is that the new iPhone?" I've been asked feverishly many times, from hotel check-in staff, to members of the public, even fellow journalists – there's clearly an appetite for the new iPhone Duo. Except, here's the thing, I'm using Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 – the closest thing you'll find to Apple's foldable ahead of launch.

"No, it's the closest equivalent, but the iPhone Duo is almost exactly the same size," I muse, offering it over (with trust) for people to take a look. The reaction is always the same: "Oh, it's a strange size!" While I did agree on day one of my use, now other phones feel almost too narrow

This bold new scale – with a 4:3 aspect ratio screen within – is what's been needed to shake the folding phone apple cart (or 'Apple cart, if you will), though, offering a new proposition that's redefined what the best folding phones can deliver. I suspect many other phone-makers will follow suit in the near future.

The fascination with my Galaxy Z Fold 8, however, is down to the fact that Apple's iPhone Duo isn't out on public sale just yet. We've got to wait until the end of October for that – but even then, given its £/$2000 starting price, I suspect you won't see loads of them in the wild. Even Apple insiders don't yet have the hardware for review.

The fascination isn't likely to expire quickly either, as this new folding format is so eye-catching from afar, yet so compelling during use. I was asked by a lifestyle journalist how the physical fold affects daily use, only to show him that, while there's some visibility at acute angles, face-on you'll not notice a crease.

Apple has to prove itself in that department, given the Duo is its first-gen attempt. The technology here sounds fascinating, though, just as Samsung's Flex Titanium hinge impresses in the Z Fold 8 (and Ultra model, too). I've spoken with Samsung engineers about how this conundrum "seemed impossible" but was solved thanks to a variety of clever solutions.

When the Z Fold 8 was first revealed, it captured the public's imagination back in August, with pre-orders up 17% year on year. Since Apple debuted the iPhone Duo this month, however, that's seen an even greater increase in people buying the Galaxy handset. Who'd have thought it, eh? An Apple launch upselling an Android phone!

I'm loving this renewed interest in folding phones, and really looking forward to seeing how Apple's injection in this section of the market performs. Because, just like the general public, interest is at fever pitch – and, as a daily Z Fold 8 user, I very much include myself in that camp. All will become clearer in a matter of weeks, when burgeoning questions about the new iPhone will be answered.

It's not only a new line of tablets that Samsung has revealed this week – in the Galaxy Tab S12 series, led by the Ultra model – as the Korean brand has also teased its latest SmartTag 3 tracker.

The third-generation tracker isn't due for launch until early 2027 in majority territories – it's far sooner in its native South Korea, due on sale from 7 October – and will support both Android and Apple iOS systems.

The latest tracker focuses more on design details than its predecessor, with a third shaved from the size and weight for this generation, and it includes an aluminium-finished control button for added finesse.

Samsung's Galaxy Find Network already has 900 million participating devices registered, which can aid in greater accuracy for location tracking, making the SmartTag 3 even easier to find.

It's possible to set up Place Notification with this latest tracker, too, meaning you can ringfence a given area and get an alert when the SmartTag 3 has departed that area. That'll avoid any unnecessary checks in the app.

This feature can also be used in conjunction with routine triggers, meaning the SmartTag 3 can commence a smart routine when, say, arriving home from work and firing up your smart lighting – and more, as programmed.

The addition of cross-OS support for both Android and Apple's iOS might seem of limited use, but the big takeaway here is that it assists with sharing among trusted users, such as family members, so if your kids use an iPhone they can still follow along with shared tracking information.

While the Galaxy SmartTag 3 is imminent in Samsung's home country, the rest of the world will have longer to wait for its release – with a vague "2027" date penned in for the time being. Pricing info is also forthcoming.

Google's next mid-range phone, the Pixel 11a, has leaked in renders, fleshing out expectations for this forthcoming phone.

The Pixel 11a is expected to replace the Pixel 10a and come with much the same design. That shouldn't be a surprise, the flush rear camera being the only design change that the 10a made compared to the Pixel 9a.

That the flush camera is still in place will be welcomed and while there might be a minor change to the shape of that camera, the overall aesthetic of the phone remains the same.

The details come from renders at Android Headlines, with the reveal that there will be four colours: black, silver, green and purple. The purple is shown here, but we don't know what names Google will use for these different shades.

The phone is otherwise expected to continue with the 6.3-inch display, hanging onto that thick bezel which really is the biggest drawback of this device. It looks cheap and dated and unfortunately, this phone isn't as cheap as it once used to be.

The Pixel 10a launched at £499, while the Pixel 6a was £399 back in the day. There's no word on what price Google will pin on it when it launches in spring 2027 - probably around February or March. The increasing cost of RAM and storage might push the price up, but sticking to £499 in this climate would make a positive statement.

Elsewhere, the Pixel 11a is expected to make a big change to the core hardware, moving to the Tensor G6, matching the Pixel 11 devices and righting the wrong of the Pixel 10a that stuck to the Tensor G4, making it a questionable upgrade.

This is thought to be paired with a MediaTek modem, but other elements, like the display specs and cameras are likely to be the same as the Pixel 10a.

The result is a decent mid-range phone, likely to keep pushing its status as one of the best camera experiences under £500 (if the price is maintained), while offering access to a clean Android experience with a host of Pixel benefits for an experience that surpasses many cheaper rivals.

It's to be expected that there will be more leaks as we get closer to launch but as we stand, the Pixel 11a looks like a phone worth holding on for if you're considering an upgrade.

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.

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

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

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

Battery life remains top of consumer wants

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

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

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

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

The camera is still a key battleground

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hardware matters, but software gets highlighted

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A tiny slice of clever gaming design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HyperRGB Privacy Display

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rear display

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

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

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

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

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

Serious spec

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best cases for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

Apple cases

Leather cases

Non-leather cases

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

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

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

How things click into place

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

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

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

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

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

A zoom for all occasions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taking a step back

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Which devices will feature Gen 6 and when?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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