The Latest on Smartphones

Qualcomm just dropped a bombshell with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, officially unveiled Wednesday 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. Early benchmarking tests show a clear lead over devices like the Vivo X200 Ultra and Galaxy S25 models, and Tom's Guide says it races past...

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...

Instagram's journey to 3 billion monthly active users is more than a flex of big numbers, it is proof that a photo-sharing app grew into one of the world's most influential digital platforms. When Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced this milestone, it marked a significant leap from the 2 billion users reported in 2022. The fascinating part is not just the pace of growth. It is how Instagram reshaped the way we shoot, swipe, and share on our phones, setting the blueprint for mobile-first social...

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.

WhatsApp just rolled out one of its most requested features, and it’s about time. WhatsApp is now rolling out message translations on its iOS and Android apps, bringing real-time language support directly to your chats. The twist, translations are handled on your device to help protect your privacy, so WhatsApp still can’t see your encrypted chats. Not a gimmick, a useful fix to a real barrier, done without poking holes in encryption.

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 2 billion people 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.

The deal everyone's been talking about is finally taking shape. What does it mean for TikTok users, creators, and the broader tech landscape? After months of uncertainty and political maneuvering, the US and China have reached what appears to be a breakthrough agreement on TikTok's future in America. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Americans will hold six of seven board seats overseeing TikTok's U.S. operations, while Oracle will control the app's algorithm under the...

When Apple announced the iPhone Air, their thinnest phone ever at just 6.5mm 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 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 S25 Edge, yet Apple...

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

TikTok's U.S. saga has been a rollercoaster of uncertainty, deadline extensions, and regulatory drama. Here’s the twist. Despite months of political turbulence, TikTok is reportedly building a new version specifically for American users with a targeted launch on September 5, while President Donald Trump has indicated the U.S. has "pretty much" reached a deal for an American company to acquire TikTok's U.S. assets. With Google and Apple both restoring TikTok's listings in app stores on February...

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, dual 48MP cameras, 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 flagship smartphone battle is heating up again, and this time it’s personal. With Apple rolling out the iPhone 17 and Google preparing the Pixel 10, we are looking at what could be the most compelling entry-level flagship showdown in years. Both phones are expected to launch at the same $800 price point. Less premium posturing, more real value for people who want flagship features without the Pro tax.

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.

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...

Reviewed by Corey Noles

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.

If you've been holding off on upgrading your iPhone, the iPhone 17 Pro lineup might just change your mind. It could be Apple's biggest performance leap in years. About time, right?

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

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.

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

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 Corey Noles

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

Your phone's security just got a lot more complicated. While device manufacturers have been racing to encrypt everything from your photos to your deleted messages, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been quietly building an arsenal of tools to dig deeper into seized devices. But here's the thing: the agency isn't just looking for what's on the surface anymore—they're hunting for data you didn't even know existed.

Picture this: You walk into a phone store looking for the latest Sony Xperia, only to find empty shelves where they used to be. That's increasingly becoming reality across major markets, and it's raising a question that would've seemed impossible just a few years ago — are we witnessing the twilight of Sony's smartphone ambitions?