Smartphones

Your smartphone's next battery upgrade is already happening in electric cars, and it is about to make dead phone anxiety a thing of the past. You have been plugging in every night. Meanwhile, researchers have been perfecting silicon-based battery technology that could change how long your device lasts and how fast it charges.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your smartphone could be more ruthless about getting you out of bed, wonder no more. The mobile app landscape now includes alarms that refuse to snooze until you prove you are awake. Alarmy, nicknamed "Sleep If You Can," is one of the boldest versions, asking you to finish tasks before silence returns. Here is the kicker, research shows that wake-up tasks are tied to completing target behaviors and trimming the time it takes to feel truly awake. Task-based alarms...

Two titans step into 2025 with swagger, long memories, and sharper elbows. Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max chases higher performance and smarter cameras, while Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra arrived earlier this year packing the Snapdragon 8 Elite and an S Pen for serious note takers. The iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199, the Galaxy S25 Ultra at $1,299.99.

The mobile industry is shifting in a way that could change how we think about phone service forever. We used to walk into carrier stores or dial customer support to set up plans. Now apps can activate mobile service on the spot, no carrier visit required. Carrier billing and e-wallets will be worth $60 billion globally in 2025, and superapps are multifunctional platforms that integrate messaging, payments, e-commerce and more. Put those together and you get a new ecosystem where your next phone...

Reviewed by Corey Noles

Apple and Samsung have entered an absolutely fascinating phase of their ongoing rivalry, where traditional performance expectations are being turned upside down. For years, iPhone users could confidently claim single-core superiority, while Samsung fought back with more RAM and feature-packed specs. Now the latest benchmark results are telling a different story that is reshaping the entire smartphone performance landscape. Wild, right?

Apple's about to make its biggest battery leap in iPhone history, and the numbers are genuinely impressive. The iPhone 17 Pro Max will see an iPhone break the 5000mAH barrier for the first time, topping out at 5088 mAH, which puts it squarely in flagship Android territory. And here is the kicker: the 5088 number is in the ballpark of high-end Android phones, but iPhones generally run much more efficiently as well. Big cell, bigger payoff.

Here's what really matters after nearly a year with the iPhone 16: it's aged remarkably well. While tech reviewers were busy debating specs at launch, real users found something more important, this phone just keeps delivering, day after day, month after month. The iPhone 16 is not just holding up. It is proving that Apple built something genuinely lasting this time around.

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

When you think about YouTube's biggest star jumping into mobile services, it might sound like another celebrity cash grab. But MrBeast reportedly plans to launch a phone company next year, and this isn't your typical influencer side hustle. With Beast Industries valued at over $5 billion and Feastables generating millions monthly, Jimmy Donaldson is betting big on diversification into tech. The mobile industry is already experiencing an unprecedented celebrity invasion, but MrBeast's entry...

YouTube's biggest star is making another bold business move. MrBeast reportedly plans to launch a phone company, joining a growing trend of celebrity cell service brands that are reshaping the mobile industry. This isn't just another celebrity endorsement deal—it's part of a calculated expansion that could redefine how we think about mobile technology and fan engagement.

You've probably heard the buzz about satellite messengers lately—especially with Apple adding emergency SOS features to iPhones. But here's the thing: satellite messaging has become our go-to means of staying connected in areas without cell service, and these devices now pack in way more functionality than just emergency calls. We're talking location sharing, GPS navigation, weather reporting, and more. The real question isn't whether this tech is cool (it definitely is), but whether you...

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

Reviewed by Corey Noles

Reviewed by Corey Noles

Reviewed by Corey Noles

Reviewed by Corey Noles

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

Honor has just reclaimed the crown for the world's thinnest foldable smartphone with the Magic V5, and frankly, it's about time someone shook up the foldable market with meaningful innovation rather than incremental tweaks. At just 8.8 millimeters thick when folded, this device isn't just setting records—it's demonstrating what happens when engineering ambition meets practical user needs. Honor officially launched the Magic V5 in China and is bringing it to Europe in late August, marking the...

The iPhone isn't just outpacing the competition—it's practically carrying the entire smartphone industry on its back. While other major brands struggle with flat or declining sales, Apple's latest iPhone models are driving unexpected growth in a market that many analysts had written off as saturated. Let's break down what's really happening behind these surprising numbers and what it means for the future of mobile technology.

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

Reviewed by Corey Noles

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

The next time you can't find your college friend at a crowded concert, you probably won't text them. Instead, you'll open Find My, spot their little avatar moving near the merch table, and walk straight over. Welcome to 2024, where this behavior isn't just convenient—it's completely normal.

You've probably heard this song before: "world's thinnest foldable phone!" But the Honor Magic V5 might actually deserve the hype. At just 8.8mm thick when folded and weighing a mere 217g, this thing makes other foldables look chunky by comparison. Honor didn't just chase thinness records though, they packed in a 64MP periscope telephoto camera and the world's first 6,100mAh silicon-carbon battery for a foldable. The engineering feat represents something bigger than spec sheets: it's the moment...

The swiping just got a lot more serious. Tinder is expanding its identity verification tech to the US, bringing along facial recognition that's supposedly safer, smarter, and more foolproof than ever. But as always with biometric data, there's more happening under the hood than a simple selfie check.

Why are there no official Star Wars emoji in the Unicode Standard? We've got the Vulcan Salute from Star Trek, so where's the force choke hand gesture?! While you may never see Star Wars officially invade your emoji keyboard, there are ways to send Star Wars emoji and stickers to your friends in your favorite chat app.

Flagship earbuds like Apple's AirPods Pro, Sony's WF‑1000XM5, Jabra's Elite 10, and Soundcore's Liberty 4 Pro sound fantastic, but they come with equally premium price tags. Luckily, there are plenty of stellar alternatives that won't gut your wallet. Spend less than $100, and you can still land punchy audio, rock‑solid active noise canceling (ANC), and marathon battery life without feeling like you settled.

The Unicode Consortium is already hard at work on the next batch of emoji, but don't get too excited just yet. It may be a while before you see these new characters, which include an apple core, orca, and hairy creature, on your devices.

Google Maps makes it easy to find the best routes, and one of its most useful tools is the ability to set departure and arrival times directly in the mobile app. While this feature was initially exclusive to the desktop site, it’s now fully integrated into the app for both iPhone and Android. This allows you to plan ahead and get accurate travel estimates based on predicted traffic conditions.

If I told you to follow as many users as you could possibly follow, in order to get more Instagram followers, that may seem counterintuitive, right? If I told you I'm trying to brainwash/annoy you with how many times I could possibly say versions of the word "follow" in an opening sentence, that would seem weird, too.

I have nightmares about trying to reply to hundreds of strangers on social media. To prevent the overwhelming feeling of having to small talk with people I don't know, I'm now aiming for more control over the ways that people can contact me. One way is to stop users from hitting me up on Instagram Stories.

Breathe new life into your Instagram profile picture with another layer of self-expression. It's the perfect way to show another side of your personality without sacrificing your current IG profile photo.

Most of you have probably wondered at least once who has been checking out your social media profiles. While most platforms prohibit you from seeing who's viewed your profile, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, TikTok is one of the few places that lets you track profile visitors. And unlike with LinkedIn, you don't have to pay for the privilege.

When it comes to smartphone screens, there are two predominant technologies—the traditional LCD panel, and the newer AMOLED display. Most phones still use LCD screens, as the tech is more cost-effective due to its longstanding reign as the primary display type in TVs, smartphones, and tablets.

So, you're trying to show a friend or two a hilarious Reel you liked or saved on Instagram, but where is it? Unlike TikTok, Instagram doesn't make it clear where you're supposed to find your liked and saved Reels. Luckily, we can help.