The Latest on Smartphones

Meta's Instagram Threads takes a significant leap with group messaging, bringing conversations between up to 50 people directly into the app. Not just another feature update. It signals that Threads is moving past its Twitter-alternative phase into something broader and more useful. The rollout launched globally on October 15, 2025. The strategic twist, EU users are getting both individual and group messaging at the same time, which shifts their experience from basic public posts to full social...

Meta's Threads app just crossed a major milestone in its evolution from text-sharing platform to comprehensive social media powerhouse. The platform has introduced group messaging capabilities that support up to 50 participants, according to Android Headlines. The expansion arrives alongside a rollout of messaging features to European Union users, a pivot that reshapes how communities can form and engage on the platform.

When you're fed up with that unsightly camera bump jutting out from your phone's back, what if you could simply swap it for something better? The H-One Pro concept device introduces a fascinating approach to smartphone modularity, featuring what designer Mechanical Pixel describes as a minimalist modular system with just one swappable section. Unlike Google's abandoned Project Ara with its multiple modular components, this design focuses on a single rectangular section that can house various...

The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 just hit its most aggressive pricing yet, and if you're in the market for a premium flip phone, this might be the moment you've been waiting for. Now $999.99 at major retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon, a $300 drop from its $1,299 launch price. For foldables, that feels like a line in the sand.

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...

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

When you picture a budget phone, you brace for trade-offs. Sluggish performance, middling cameras, build that whispers "cheap." The Motorola G86 Power 5G flips that script. It costs $499, yet it behaves like it missed the memo on compromise. The price is almost the least exciting part.

You know that moment when a platform you rely on suddenly changes the rules? That's exactly what's happening with WhatsApp right now. The messaging giant is testing one of its most significant anti-spam initiatives yet, monthly caps on broadcast messages that could fundamentally reshape how we think about mass communication on the platform.

When you think about flagship smartphones these days, you usually have to pick your battles. Do you want incredible camera performance or all-day battery life? Well, Oppo just said "why not both?" with their new Find X9 Pro, and the specs are genuinely revolutionary.

When artificial intelligence meets the smartphone market, the battle lines are drawn between two tech giants with very different approaches. Samsung leverages its massive global reach and comprehensive device ecosystem, while Honor focuses on innovative features and accessible pricing. Let’s break down how these brands stack up in the ultimate AI showdown.

WhatsApp is finally addressing one of its biggest privacy limitations with the upcoming introduction of usernames, allowing users to connect without revealing their personal phone numbers. The messaging platform is reportedly gearing up to launch this long-awaited feature, which has been spotted in recent beta versions and represents a major shift from the app's traditional phone number-based identity system. Even more interesting, WhatsApp's beta builds show a username reservation feature that...

The smartphone world just got a lot more interesting. Motorola's latest challenger to Samsung's premium Galaxy S25 Edge popped up in a leaked promo, giving us a first real look at a potential flagship contender. The leaks suggest Edge 70 will depart from the design of recent Edge smartphones like the Edge 60 Pro, a sign Motorola is ready to shake things up when design has felt stuck in place.

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Nothing's latest widget creation feature is making waves in the Android community, and for good reason. Nothing Phones now lets you make your own widgets, and here's the kicker: you can use them not just on Nothing Phones, but on any Android device.

The smartphone world just got a lot more interesting, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting Xiaomi to shake things up this dramatically. Xiaomi just dropped a bombshell with the launch of their 17 series—the kind of announcement that makes you sit up. The Xiaomi 17 series was announced on September 25 in China, marking a bold leap into next-generation territory.

Qualcomm just dropped a bombshell with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, officially unveiled on Sept. 24, 2025, as perhaps the fastest smartphone chip in the world. The naming might catch you off guard. Many expected it to be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, but Qualcomm decided the "Gen" suffix now applies to their entire series, making this the fifth generation.

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

T-Mobile's digital transformation journey represents one of the most aggressive moves we've seen in the wireless industry recently. T-Mobile says it expects T-Life to handle the majority (or nearly all) of account transactions by 2026 as it embraces a comprehensive digital-first approach that's reshaping how millions of customers interact with their carrier. Not just another app update. A fundamental shift that touches everything from upgrading your phone to managing your account.

WhatsApp just made communicating across languages ridiculously easy. Engadget reports that the messaging giant is now rolling out message translations on both iOS and Android apps, a big step for more than 3 billion monthly users who chat across borders. The twist, and it matters, is that translations are handled entirely on your device to maintain privacy, so WhatsApp still cannot peek at your encrypted chats.

When Apple announced the iPhone Air, its thinnest phone ever at just 5.64mm thick, the repair community collectively held its breath. Surely this ultra-slim design meant a return to the dark days of glued-together nightmares that required a full phone swap for minor issues. Then iFixit's teardown landed. The revelation is that the iPhone Air doesn't sacrifice repairability for thinness, earning an impressive 7 out of 10 repairability score. For context, it's even thinner than Samsung's Galaxy...

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

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.

Mark Zuckerberg isn't just talking about the future of technology, he's building it. Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is shifting focus from smartphones to advanced smart glasses and AR devices. This is not a distant sci-fi pitch. The company has been pouring resources into projects like Supernova and Hypernova that aim to enhance digital experiences with versatile smart glasses. And yes, Zuckerberg predicts the end of smartphones by 2030, replaced by smart glasses. That date is closer than it...

Apple's latest iPhone 17 finally brings real change to the standard model. After time with it, this is not another small step. The Independent calls it "one of the biggest upgrades for the regular iPhone in years," and that tracks across the board. With ProMotion on the base model, 48MP Dual Fusion camera system, and Apple's new A19 chip, it feels like the most compelling entry-level flagship Apple has made in a while.

Looking at Trump Mobile's original promises, you could be forgiven for getting excited about an American-made smartphone that could compete with the big players and support domestic manufacturing. The Trump Organization's T1 Phone launched with bold claims about being "MADE IN THE USA" and bringing smartphone production back to American soil. Then the messaging shifted, the big talk faded from the website, and the reality of smartphone manufacturing caught up.

The flagship smartphone battle is heating up again, and if you’re torn between Apple’s latest iPhone 17 Pro and Google’s Pixel 10 Pro, you’re not alone. Apple has done a thing with this release, stepping past the routine cycle to give the Pro line a new sense of direction. Meanwhile, Google launched the Pixel 10 Series with new features powered by the Google Tensor G5 processor. Both phones push forward, but they chase flagship greatness in different ways.

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.

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...

When Bethlehem High School in Upstate New York banned students' cellphones and started offering analog entertainment, it sparked a culture change you could notice even with your eyes closed. "Our cafeteria is loud again," social studies teacher David Rounds observed. Then it got interesting. Students did not just accept these bans, they adapted in ways few predicted. Young people are turning to legacy technology such as MP3 players and cassette players to fill the digital void. A simple policy...

When your smartphone screen feels more like looking at printed paper than a glowing display, you know something revolutionary is happening. The TCL NXTPAPER 60 Ultra represents the first smartphone equipped with the latest version of NXTPAPER technology, and early reviews suggest it just might be a favorite smartphone display of all time. With NXTPAPER 4.0 featuring a redesigned substrate and nano-matrix lithography application to enhance brightness and color accuracy, this is not just another...

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.

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...

When you fire up your Kindle and see that familiar screen, there's one feature that transforms the entire reading experience from good to absolutely game-changing: Libby integration. Libby connects you with your library's digital collection, turning your e-reader into a gateway to thousands of free books. What makes this combination so powerful? Libby enables sending borrowed books directly to Kobo or Kindle devices, creating a seamless bridge between your local library and your personal...

When your phone suddenly displays "SOS" instead of your carrier's name, it's more than just an inconvenience—it's a complete communication breakdown. Verizon customers across the United States experienced exactly this scenario when a software issue triggered a massive outage, leaving more than 23,000 customers without cellular service on what should have been an ordinary day. The outage affected calls, texts, and mobile data, sparking frustration on social media platforms and tracking websites.

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez