A new rumor from a Chinese leaker suggests that Apple's C2 modem which is expected to be featured inside the iPhone 18 Pro series will support 5G satellite connectivity. The rumor claims the C2 modem will offer support for New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks (NR-NTN) connectivity. This means devices with the new modem will be able to connect to low-Earth orbit satellites for direct internet access in areas without traditional cellular coverage.
Speculations on what the Steam Deck 2 might be like have been put on pause - people are now more focused on what is going on with the current generation Steam Deck - it is out of stock in several regions. Valve hasn't come out with an official statement yet, but last night the Steam stores in the US and Canada started showing all three variants of the Deck as "Out of Stock".
iPhone users claim they're immediately turned off when they realise a potential partner uses an Android, in a concept dubbed the 'green bubble ick'. 'The thought of green texts makes me feel sick,' one user said on TikTok. Another added: 'The green text bubble gives the ICK hardddd!' And one joked: 'Texts back in green...suddenly I can't read.' The nickname is linked to the fact that iPhone users receive green text messages from Android users, rather than Apple's blue iMessage bubbles.
Google recently began rolling out the Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2.1 update to eligible Pixel devices. At the same time, the company has confirmed that the first Android 17 beta is coming soon. In a Reddit post, Google revealed that the Android 17 Beta 1 will roll out to users soon with bug fixes and include improved performance and system stability.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will cost exactly the same as their predecessors, according to a new research note from GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu, a constant purveyor of Apple-related supply chain information. That is obviously very good news, if it pans out, since the pricing stability of smartphones is anything but guaranteed this year given how memory production seems to mostly be going to AI data centers.
The Honor X6d is very similar to the Play 60A - the main difference is the upgraded 50MP f/2.0 camera (the 60A only has a 13MP f/2.2 camera). It's still the only lens on the back and it still tops out at 1080p @ 30fps video recording, but it is an upgrade. The 5MP f/2.2 selfie camera is the same.
The ongoing memory chip shortage is about to lead to a drastic drop in smartphone shipments this year. According to the latest forecast from TrendForce, the market will see a 10% drop in global smartphone shipments, which would result in an estimated 1.135 billion units shipped for the calendar year. There is, however, an even worse turn of events, which could see the drop go as low as 15%, which TrendForce describes as the "Bear-case scenario".
Telegram has announced that it's rolling out a fully redesigned interface for its Android app, making navigation and search quicker and more intuitive. The most notable change this redesign brings is the new bottom bar, which lets you quickly switch between the Chats, Settings, Profile, and other tabs. In addition to the UI redesign, Telegram "completely rebuilt" the interface code to maximize efficiency and increase responsiveness. You can head to the Settings > Power Saving menu to maximize performance and extend battery life.
Apple is widely rumored to be introducing variable aperture on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max later this year, and Samsung is apparently paying very close attention to iPhone-related rumors. That's because the Korean company is now said to be considering re-adding the feature to its lineup as well. The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S10 both had variable aperture main cameras, but the feature was dropped with the Galaxy S20 generation in 2020.
Back in October, Nothing unveiled Essential Apps - AI-generated mini-apps and widgets based on prompts, that will live on your device and can be shared with others through Nothing's Playground community platform. Today, Nothing is announcing the rollout of Essential Apps Beta, following the Alpha release from late 2025, which was only available for a small group of early adopters. With the Beta, access is gradually expanding through a waitlist, with users added in batches.
itel quietly unveiled three new models - they have 120Hz 720p+ displays, are rated IP65 and are powered by the 4G-only Unisoc T7250 chipset. The itel City 200 is the most capable model of the trio. As it has 4/6GB of RAM and 128/256GB storage, it runs full Android 15. The other two have 3/4GB of RAM and 64/128GB storage, so they are relegated to Android 15 Go Edition software.
The official posters on Weibo confirm an 8.8-inch display with a 3040 x 1904px resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, 2640Hz touch sampling rate for faster response during gaming, 800 nits maximum brightness, and 12-bit color depth. This will likely be the same display as last year's model. And even though the poster doesn't say anything about the display technology, it's probably safe to assume it's going to be LCD as the Weibo tipster confirmed as much.
Last week, Dreame held a launch event in Poland, where, alongside several home appliances, the brand showcased three smartphones. These devices are expected to receive a wider rollout across Europe and possibly other regions, though the brand has not yet confirmed any launch details or pricing. The most interesting phone of the bunch is the Dreame RS1. It's the flagship offering and features an eerily similar spec sheet to the Nubia Z80 Ultra.
The buds will allegedly use a new QN3e processor which is billed to be three times faster than the one in the WF-1000XM5. There will also be eight adaptive mics (four per earbud), up from six (three per earbud) in the previous generation. There are even new drivers, as well as support for LDAC, DSEE Extreme, a 10-band EQ, Auracast, Multipoint, Fast Pair, and Swift Pair.
The rides will require PIN verification, audio recording when given microphone access, Smart Trip Check-In for unusual route changes, as well as a live ride-tracking feature for parents.
While we don't know exactly when Motorola will introduce the Moto Buds 2 Plus, thanks to leakster Evan Blass, we do know what they will look like. Blass has shared a couple of images of the Motorola Moto Buds 2 Plus, which reveal that the new pair has a vertical design, unlike the Buds+, which had a horizontal design. Motorola Moto Buds 2 Plus' leaked renders
Some last minute changes to the design and hardware are the reason why. The updated chassis has a more prominent camera island with three vertically stacked camera sensors, but the execs said that the T1 logo is going away. The gold paint job and the American flag are here to stay. Moreover, the official website now states that the handset is only assembled in the US, but components are manufactured elsewhere, without giving any more details.
EE said the messages were sent via RCS, a more advanced type of messaging than SMS, and it is unable to block them (unlike SMS, which it can). EE said it was working with Apple and Google on the problem. Vodafone said its customers were mostly not receiving the texts (labelled as coming from Vodafone) because RCS is not enabled by the carrier on iPhones. However, people on other networks are receiving them.
A couple of weeks ago, the Redmi Note 15 Pro was €350 for a 12/512GB unit. Now there is a €30 voucher, which brings the final price down to €320. An 8/256GB version is also available, though since it's only €20 cheaper, we recommend getting the version with more RAM and double the storage. The Redmi Note 15 Pro has a 6.83" 12-bit 120Hz OLED display and a Dimensity 7300 Ultra chipset.
Instagram introduced the Close Friends feature for Instagram Stories back in November 2018, and last September, we learned that WhatsApp was developing that same feature for its users. Now we've learnt that WhatsApp is also working on a Custom Lists feature for status updates, giving its users more privacy control. This revelation comes from the folks at WABetaInfo, who discovered this under-development Custom Lists feature in beta version 2.26.5.11 of WhatsApp for Android.
However, based on the model numbers, the Poco X8 Pro will be a rebranded Redmi Turbo 5, while the Poco X8 Pro Max will be a rebranded Redmi Turbo 5 Max. If so, then expect the Pro to come with a 6.59-inch 1268x2756 AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, 3,840Hz PWM, and 3,500-nit peak brightness, the MediaTek Dimensity 8500 SoC at the helm, a 50MP main camera with OIS, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 20 MP selfie camera.
The vivo Y21 launched in 2021, and now the brand is working on the Y21 5G. Weird, we know, but apparently vivo couldn't help but reuse this name, despite there being an infinite number of other options. The Y21 5G will come with a 6,355 mAh rated battery in India and Malaysia, and a 5,090 mAh rated battery elsewhere. These capacities will probably end up advertised as typical 6,500 mAh and 5,250 mAh, respectively.
The iQOO 15R's camera island design is similar to the iQOO 15, and it houses two cameras, with the primary camera using a 50MP Sony LYT-700 sensor and having OIS. On the front is a punch-hole display, whose diagonal is yet to be revealed by iQOO. Under the hood is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC and a 7,600 mAh battery with 100W charging. The smartphone also supports bypass charging.
"Consumers don't have all the information at once," Griffin Li, the app's 19-year-old creator, told SFGATE. "They have to sort of make suboptimal decisions and spend more money. And this is just a way to help."
Oppo is rumored to unveil the Find X9s and Find X9 Ultra in the coming months. Ahead of any official announcement, a new report has surfaced revealing the Find X9s variant's chipset. It is rumored to launch in China in Q2 2026 alongside the Ultra variant. As per the report, the Find X9s will be equipped with the recently launched MediaTek Dimensity 9500s chipset. Notably, the recently launched Redmi Turbo 5 Max also uses the same chipset.
Without question, the 10,001mAh battery is the highlight feature of the phone, so that's where we turn to next. It's not that we haven't seen phones with similar or even bigger batteries before - it's just that this one is the first one we have tested that doesn't feel like a brick. It measures 162.3 x 76.2 x 9.1mm and weighs 219g, which is pretty standard for a phone with a 6.8" display.
While Samsung's latest flagships receive seven years of security updates (and seven major Android OS updates), that hasn't always been the case. And so, five years after their release, the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra are no longer going to receive any updates from this point forward. The trio launched in January of 2021, and they were each promised to receive four major Android updates and five years of security patches.
Today Apple has started selling officially refurbished versions of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Their prices are discounted by 12% to 22% compared to the company's current new pricing (for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, which are still offered as new), or compared to the original pricing for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, which have both been discontinued.
The iQOO 15 Ultra is now official - it is the first iQOO phone with an active cooling fan and it is the first to deserve the "Ultra" moniker (previously, "Pro" models have been the top end). The Ultra draws its power from a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, the same as the vanilla iQOO 15. However, here there is the "Ice Dome" system - a fairly large 17x17mm fan that moves 0.315 cfm (cubic feet per minute). The chipset is paired with 10,667Mbps LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1. The Qualcomm chip is paired with the Q3 gaming chip that handles resolution upscaling and frame generation.
