Poco F9 Pro in for review

Looking at the Poco F9 Pro, you'd be forgiven for not wanting an F9 Ultra. Yes, global users are getting a big battery reduction - the Redmi K100 Pro, on which the Poco F9 Pro is based, has a whopper of a battery at 8,580mAh, while the Poco makes do with 6,330mAh. But it's still not bad at all. In the hands, the Poco F9 Pro is a premium-feeling smartphone. It's glass on both sides and brushed metal in the middle. It's also a comfortable slab to handle for long periods, thanks to its reasonably sized 6.59-inch display. A key difference between the Poco F9 Pro and its Ultra...

vivo X500 Pro series video capabilities teased ahead of launch

vivo recently began teasing its upcoming X500 series and has already confirmed several key camera features of the X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max. The company has now offered a glimpse at the video capabilities of its upcoming Pro models. Last week, vivo confirmed that the X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max will support 4K 240fps slow-motion video recording. The phones will feature a new primary rear camera that uses a custom Phantom 900 sensor co-developed by Sony and vivo’s Blueprint Imaging team. vivo also confirmed that the new sensor offers up to 17EV of dynamic range and 3-axis optical...

Google Pics launches to create and edit images in Google Docs, Slides, and Drive

Today Google is starting to make Google Pics available. Google Pics is a new service that is not to be confused with Google Photos or Google Images. Google Pics is billed by Google as providing you with "a suite of fine-tuned editing capabilities that let you generate images and make precise edits rather than starting from scratch". Why this couldn't just be a Gemini feature is unclear. It is also using Nano Banana, although Google doesn't say which version. Pics is both a standalone product and integrated into Google Workspace apps, starting with Slides, Docs, and Drive, so it will...

Latest leak claims the iPhone 18 Pro lineup will launch in these new colors

There have been plenty of rumors surrounding the color options for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro series, and now there’s another one to add to the list. The latest leak reiterates some previous rumors, but notes that the new iPhones will be available in three color options. According to tipster Fixed Focus Digital, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be available in Dark Cherry/Burgundy, Sky Blue, and Black colorways. The latest leak contradicts recent rumors that claimed the upcoming iPhones would also be offered in a silver colorway. If this turns out to be accurate,...

HMD Asha 305 Pro is on the way, marketing images and specs leak

HMD launched the Asha 305 in July, and now the brand is apparently working on a new device called the Asha 305 Pro. As the name implies, it will be a slightly better version of the Asha 305. The two marketing images below have been leaked today, along with the Asha 305 Pro’s specs. These come from a usually reliable source of HMD-related information. The Asha 305 Pro allegedly has a 5-inch FWVGA Fluid LCD screen, a 5MP rear camera with LED flash, a 2MP front camera with LED flash, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a removable 2,500 mAh battery. HMD Asha 305 Pro leaked...

Honor Magic9 Pro said to be the first Android phone with a square selfie sensor

According to Honor, the Magic9 series is set to launch in September, with a recent leak suggesting that the company could unveil two models at the event. Now, a tipster claims that the Magic9 Pro could be the first Android smartphone to feature a square selfie sensor. Tipster Digital Chat Station claims that the upcoming Honor Magic9 Pro, which is expected to be powered by the yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro chipset, will be the first Android phone to feature a 1:1 square front-facing camera sensor. The Honor Magic8 Pro featured a 50MP selfie camera and a TOF 3D...

Alleged vivo X500 Pro Max photo and hands-on video reveal a massive camera island

The vivo X300 Ultra had an imposing camera – both in terms of quality and physical size – but the company may have something even bigger planned. An alleged photo and hands-on video of the vivo X500 Pro Max shows an absolute beast of a camera island with a rotating camera ring. Let’s look at the photo first – we’re not 100% sure, but we think that the phone on the left is the vivo X300 Ultra. And the phone on the right is allegedly the vivo X500 Pro Max. Look at that thing, it’s as wide as the phone itself! vivo X300 Ultra (left) and vivo X500 Pro Max (right, alleged image) Next...

Poco F9 Ultra's EPREL label promises longer battery life, but warns of worse drop resistance

The Poco F9 Ultra will be unveiled tomorrow alongside the F9 Pro. Information on the Ultra has been uploaded to the EPREL database, but it’s not publicly accessible yet – which didn’t stop it from leaking, of course. It’s just the energy label, which gives the Ultra an A for energy efficiency. Compared to its predecessor, the Poco F8 Ultra, the upcoming model will have longer battery endurance with the official number set at 80 hours and 44 minutes – up from 67 hours for the old model. The battery is rated for 1,000 charge cycles, the same as before. EPREL labels: Poco F9 Ultra...

Xiaomi Pad 9 Pro Max does Geekbench ahead of launch

Xiaomi’s next flagship Android tablet will feature the brand’s own Xring O3 chip and it managed to leak on Geekbench. The Xiaomi Pad 9 Pro Max (M367FC) scored an impressive 3,471 points in the single-core test and 13,229 in the multi-core test. Xiaomi Pad 9 Pro Max Geekbench test run This is a Geekbench 6 test, but it shows just how potent the Xring O3 is. The single-core score is slightly below the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the multi-core test is 15-20% higher. Xiaomi’s chip features a 10-core CPU with 2 cores running at 4.36GHz, alongside 4 units at 3.69 GHz and 4 more at 3.15...

Huawei Mate XT 2 colors and storage variants revealed, pre-orders now live

Huawei recently teased the design of its upcoming Mate XT 2 tri-folding smartphone in a video. The company has now opened pre-orders for the foldable in China, while also revealing its available color and storage options. The Huawei Mate XT 2, which is set to go official in China on September 7, will be available in Dark Black, Pure White, and Jin Purple (translated from Chinese) color options. The foldable will be offered in 16GB/512GB and 16GB/1TB configurations. Huawei will also offer a privacy matte display variant with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Meanwhile,...

Weekly poll: will you buy the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE?

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is here and, in a way, it feels like it has been with us all along. The S25 FE was overall a decent upgrade over the S24 FE. The list of improvements includes a better bin of the Exynos 2400 chipset, a bigger 4,900mAh battery (+200mAh) and it got faster 45W wired charging (up from 25W, wireless is 15W on both). The S25 FE also brought a new 12MP sensor for the selfie cam (up from 10MP) and a more premium Enhanced Armor Aluminum body (the S24 FE used regular aluminum). Okay, these are not the kind of upgrades that will have you shouting in the streets, but...

Weekly poll results: the Honor Robot Phone draws in a crowd with its camera capabilities

Last week’s poll shows that people are interested in the Honor Robot Phone for its camera and AI capabilities – but mostly the camera. For the purposes of the poll, we put aside issues of availability (for now the phone is only available in China), but the issue of price is harder to ignore. Indeed, if Honor chooses to pursue this form factor for future development, a hypothetical future model might win over new fans. As for the current model, it did its main job – draw attention – but many of the onlookers aren’t willing to spend that much money on it. Honor Robot Phone's gimbal...

WhatsApp's Scam Alert feature is now available to beta users on Android

Back in June, we learned that WhatsApp was developing a Scam Alert feature, which Meta officially detailed over two weeks ago. While WhatsApp hasn't yet revealed exactly when the Scam Alert feature will roll out to everyone, the public release shouldn't be far off, as it's now available to some Android users enrolled in WhatsApp's beta program. This revelation comes from the folks at WABetaInfo, who discovered this development on beta version 2.26.34.1 of WhatsApp for Android. As the name suggests, Scam Alert will warn users if an incoming message from an unknown sender appears to be a...

Motorola's Razr Fold is finally on its way to Verizon

Motorola launched the Razr Fold in the US in late May, when the company announced that it would be available for purchase at T-Mobile and Verizon. T-Mobile got it right there and then, but Verizon has still not released the phone. [#InlinePriceWidget,14402,1#] Now we know why. The FCC has only just certified a version of the Razr Fold that comes with mmWave 5G support, and Verizon has the most extensive mmWave 5G coverage in the US, so you can see where this is going. Now that this model is finally certified, it could become available in the next few weeks. Unfortunately, Verizon...

Deals: the Galaxy S26 FE is on pre-order, but the S26+ is cheaper - several Pocos are cheaper too

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S26 FE earlier this week – the phone is set to go on sale on Friday next week (September 4). Unfortunately, the new model costs more than its predecessor despite bringing a rather short list of upgrades. Samsung Galaxy S26 FE coming September 4 8/128GB - €700 at Amazon DE 8/256GB - €800 at Amazon DE The obvious comparison is to the Galaxy S26+ – it’s the better phone and it’s cheaper too, if you are looking at 256GB models. It’s powered...

Oppo Reno17 series could get teleconverter support, new rumor claims

Oppo unveiled the Reno16 series in China in May and later launched it in global markets. The lineup also made its way to India in July. The Reno16 series introduced the AI Snap Key, and a new rumour now claims that the Reno17 series could offer a flagship feature. According to a tipster, Oppo is testing a teleconverter accessory for the Reno17 series. Oppo Reno16 Pro The Oppo Reno16 and Reno16 Pro feature a 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom. If the rumour is accurate, the Reno17 series could offer greater optical zoom capabilities with the help of the...

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE in for review

The Galaxy FE models have always enjoyed the attention of loyal and savvy Galaxy fans, but Samsung may be cutting it a bit too close with the Galaxy S26 FE. We called it the "Galaxy S26 AI and the Galaxy S25 FE Part 2 in our announcement news, and we still stand by that. To start with, the Galaxy S26 FE is nearly identical, spec-for-spec, with its predecessor. The major aspects of the phone are the same: the same 6.7-inch screen, triple camera system, battery and charging, and overall feel in the hand. Well, okay, the S26 FE has a camera island, whereas the older phone's camera system...

Apple hikes prices again, this time for Apple TV and Apple One

Apple hiked the prices of all of its hardware products back in June. As we're all anxiously waiting for the company to make its iPhones more expensive too, in the meantime, it has made two of its services more expensive. We're talking about Apple TV (previously known as Apple TV+) and the Apple One all-encompassing subscription, which already got more expensive last month for its family and premier plans. Today, the individual plan is getting pricier too. Apple TV is now $14.99 per month in the US, up from $12.99. The annual plan goes from $99.99 to $119.99. At the same time, the...

vivo Y31t's pricing and availability revealed

vivo quietly listed the Y31t on its Indian website last week without revealing its pricing or availability. But we now know how much the vivo Y31t costs, as it’s now on sale in the country. The vivo Y31t comes in Crimson Red, Seashore Green, and Golden Mist colors, with three memory configurations - 4GB/128GB, 6GB/128GB, and 6GB/256GB, priced at INR25,999, INR29,999, and INR34,999, respectively. You can purchase these in India from vivo's official website, Flipkart, and partner retail stores. vivo Y31t's color options The vivo Y31t is powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC and...

Huawei nova 16 Pro going global next week

Huawei introduced its nova 16 series back in June, and we now have confirmation that the nova 16 Pro will finally go global. Huawei confirmed the midranger will make its global debut at its upcoming global launch event on September 2 in Munich, Germany. Huawei nova 16s Pro teasers Both devices will feature an additional “s” in their names, similar to how Huawei brought over the Pura 90s Pro Max to the global stage. The nova 16s Pro is getting the same pink and blue gradient colors as the Chinese variant. It remains to be seen if there will be any hardware changes between the...

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE uses the Exynos 2500 chipset everywhere

Samsung just announced the Galaxy S26 FE, and its main upgrade compared to the Galaxy S25 FE is the newer chipset. The S26 FE comes with the Exynos 2500, which is better in every way than the Exynos 2400 that the S25 FE employed. [#InlinePriceWidget,14870,1#] The Exynos 2500 is also the only SoC that Samsung is using for the Galaxy S26 FE, there's no Exynos/Snapdragon split based on market here, or anything like that. You get an S26 FE, you get it with the Exynos 2500, no matter where you are. That's the deal. And it's a pretty good upgrade, all things considered. According to...

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra bend tests yield two very different results

Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra as the successor to the Galaxy Z Fold7 last month, alongside the new, wider Galaxy Z Fold8. That model didn't really impress in a teardown, and now it's time for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra to get one of its own. [#InlinePriceWidget,14802,1#] It all starts with the displays. The cover screen has Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 on top, which scratches at level 6 on the Mohs scale, with deeper grooves appearing at level 7, just like you'd expect. The inner, folding screen, however (or is that the non-removable screen protector?), will scratch at level 2 and...

iPhone 17 continues to lead global smartphone sales in Q2 2026

Back in May, the base Apple iPhone 17 was the world’s best-selling smartphone for Q1 2026. Now, a new Counterpoint report shows that the iPhone 17 has retained the top spot in global smartphone sales in Q2 2026. According to the research firm’s latest data, the iPhone 17 accounted for 6% of global smartphone unit sales in Q2 2026. Apple also secured five other spots in the top 10. The iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro ranked second and third, respectively, while the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16 also made the top 10. On the Android side, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra took the top...

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL in for review

Today, we got the new Pixel 11 lineup on our doorstep, so it's time to start unboxing them one by one. The new phones made somewhat of a negative initial impression for keeping things mostly unchanged, but there are some novelties. Let's dive in! From left to right - Google Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and the Pixel 11 Pro XL The Google Pixel 11 Pro XL is the biggest in the trio, and it feels it. It's tall and wide, and hefty at 226 grams. It feels nearly identical to its predecessor, and it is, dimension-wise, at least. Its battery is a tad smaller at 5,115mAh (vs 5,200mAh on the 10...

Lenovo Legion Y700 AI tablet unveiled with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and dual USB-C ports

Lenovo teased a new Y700 tablet that scored 4,585,844 on AnTuTu – this was achieved with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 as we now know since Lenovo just unveiled the tablet. Lenovo Legion Y700 AI The Lenovo Legion Y700 AI – yes, it has AI in the name – is smaller than its predecessor. It has an 8.4” OLED display, a 2,560 x 1,600px panel, with 12-bit colors and Dolby Vision support. The display runs at up to 165Hz and can reach 4,000 nits peak brightness. This is a bit of a gaming tablet as you can imagine given the Legion branding. The Snapdragon chip is placed in the...