News and Updates about Smartphones

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

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 Julianne Ngirngir

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...

Reviewed by Corey Noles

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 Corey Noles

Reviewed by Corey Noles

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...

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

Reviewed by Corey Noles

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.

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.

Having tracked telecom policy changes for over five years, I've seen how regulatory shifts can reshape entire markets—but Verizon's latest move hits different. The carrier is pushing to ditch the 60-day phone unlocking rule at precisely the moment when T-Mobile's satellite service via Starlink could change how we think about connectivity. While Verizon claims it's fighting fraud, the real casualty might be your ability to tap into the most significant advancement in mobile coverage since 4G.

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...

You lose cell service in the middle of the day, and twenty minutes later, your bank account is empty. Welcome to SIM swapping—the nightmare scenario that's plagued millions and cost victims over $25 million in 2024 alone. The good news? AT&T just rolled out a feature that could slam the door on these attacks before they start. ZDNet reports that Wireless Account Lock is now live for both postpaid and prepaid customers, joining T-Mobile and Verizon in offering SIM protection tools.

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.

Christmas is just one week before Jan. 1. That means a lot of New Year's resolutions filled with promises to better ourselves with increased productivity, focus, and work ethics — but getting started can be challenging. Give the people in your life a leg up this holiday season with these smartphone gifts to keep them on-task in 2020.

With smartphone cameras and software getting better and better every year, more and more users are getting passionate about photography. So when you're shopping for a gift to get someone, if they have a smartphone, chances are they'll more than appreciate some tools and accessories for taking better photos with their pocket friend — and we've got some gear ideas they'll love.

In a time where we're more connected than ever, privacy and security have never been more important. Maybe you're not concerned, but I'm sure there's someone in your life who is, and shopping for them can be daunting. However, with these gifts, you can provide them the tools they need to enhance their protection.

Smartphone gaming continues to improve with ever sharper displays and raw processing power to deliver console-quality graphics right in the palm of your hands. Nonetheless, you still stand to improve the gaming experience on any phone by adding the right accessories to the mix.

There's never been a better time for streaming movies and TV shows on the go. With so many services available, the only limitation to your enjoyment is your phone's accessories. Whether you're buying for yourself or someone else, here are some of the best gifts that improve the movie-watching experience on mobile.

A new Sony patent shows the company doubling down on mobile gaming, and it could mean more advanced controller features for your iPhone or Android phone, similar to those in PlayStation's DualSense and DualShock controllers.

It is safe to say 2020 sucks. With the coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest, things haven't been great. But beyond impacting your emotional state, that upcoming phone you've been waiting for has likely had its release date pushed back.

After the iPhone X eclipsed the $1,000 mark, phone prices skyrocketed. Android OEMs like Samsung started putting out phones in the same price bracket that were crammed with expensive parts. To appease the folks that didn't want to drop over a grand on even the nicest phones, a new segment was created with devices that are still in the flagship tier, but not top-of-the-line.

At the beginning of every year, Samsung drops a fantastic phone in the Galaxy S series, and then tries to top it with the Galaxy Note series in August. This year, Samsung had their work cut out for them. But they managed to improve on their predecessor and properly challenge Apple's best.

5G is here. Well, not everywhere. All three wireless carriers have turned on their 5G networks, but only in select markets. Like 4G, each carrier is doing things a bit differently, which means your 5G experience will not be the same across the board.

In 2018, Niantic unveiled its in-development augmented reality cloud platform for smartphones, the Niantic Real World Platform. A demo showed Pikachu and Eevee cavorting in a courtyard, darting in front of and behind potted plants and people's legs as they walked through the scene. This would be the future of Pokémon GO.

Over the past few months, Google has prioritized the development of its video communications products as the demand for social distancing solutions continues to increase in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It's not so difficult to stay at home during the coronavirus lockdown when there's so much free entertainment to take advantage of. That seems to be the M.O. for many studios and streaming services, as they've made so many shows and movies available to the public for free. That said, they aren't running charities here. These deals won't last forever, so make sure to jump on board before it's too late.