UAE bans social media for those under 15

A few days ago the UK government announced a ban on social media for children under 16, and now the UAE is following suit by effectively banning social media for those under 15. The UAE is the first Arab country to introduce such a measure. Children under 15 are prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal social media accounts. They will not be able to post content, comment, share, or join public groups. Those aged 15 to 16 will be allowed on social media subject to age-appropriate content controls, restrictions on interaction with unknown users, screen-time management...

Smartwatch shipments grew steadily in Q1 2026 with Apple still leading the pack

According to the latest Counterpoint report, the global smart wearable market grew 4% in Q1 2026 compared to the same period last year, which follows a steady recovery in 2025 after a rough 2024. The analysts say Apple's relatively new wearable devices fueled much of the growth, and consumers are now generally more inclined to buy premium smartwatches. The growth of the Chinese smartwatch market has also contributed quite a bit, with Huawei leading the pack domestically, followed by Imoo and Xiaomi. Shipments in the country grew 15% YoY, and Huawei seized 40% of the domestic market...

Spotify Reserved offers advance concert tickets to the most dedicated fans

Today Spotify is launching a new feature called Reserved in the US. This basically means Spotify is holding two concert tickets for an artist's most dedicated fans, and will offer them the chance to grab said tickets before the general sale goes live. The company isn't saying exactly how it determines who to offer these tickets to, as it doesn't want to encourage strategic engagement. But it did say that eligibility is based "on a wide range of signals like streams, saves, and shares, as well as location". The location factor matters because it wants these tickets to only reach fans who...

SK hynix ships samples of its HBM4E memory: 16Gbps per pin, 48GB capacity per 12-layer stack

AI hardware doesn’t use regular DDR memory – it’s too slow. Instead, the preferred format is High Bandwidth Memory or HBM. SK hynix just announced that it has started delivering samples of the latest HBM4E to its customers. HBM4E delivers 16Gbps of bandwidth per pin. For comparison, the previous HBM4 standard did 10Gbps per pin. Samsung started sampling its own HBM4E design a month ago and it claimed 14Gbps per pin. The design currently being shipped to SK hynix’s partners has 12 dies stacked on top of each other. This 12-layer design works out to 48GB of capacity – that is per...

Gurman: Apple AirPods with built-in camera may arrive in late 2027

Back in May, a report claimed that Apple had entered the final stages of development for its camera-equipped AirPods. Now, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has shared a revised launch timeline for the earbuds, along with a few additional details. According to Gurman, citing people familiar with the matter, the AirPods with built-in cameras are now expected to debut in late 2027. The earbuds will reportedly launch alongside Apple's second-generation foldable iPhone and the special 20th anniversary iPhone. Apple AirPods Pro 3rd gen In the earlier report, Gurman noted that Apple could delay...

Nothing CEO Carl Pei wants to steal Apple's customers

The latest publicity stunt by Nothing involves its founder and CEO, Carl Pei, releasing a video on his Instagram profile. In the video, he addresses Apple, warning the Cupertino company that Nothing is going to steal its customers, "one bored iPhone user at a time". And that's it. Does Tim Cook even know that Nothing exists? Does his successor? Probably not. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Carl Pei (@getpeid) Smaller companies do sometimes pull such stunts, name dropping much bigger competitors, in order to have people watching create an unconscious...

Wear OS 7 is now available for eligible Pixel Watch

Alongside the stable Android 17 release, Google has also started rolling out Wear OS 7 to compatible Pixel Watch models. The update introduces several new features and system improvements, while Google also claims it delivers better battery life. The Wear OS 7 update is currently rolling out to the Pixel Watch 2, Pixel Watch 3, and the latest Pixel Watch 4. In an official blog post, Google detailed the new features and improvements included with Wear OS 7. For starters, the company claims the update can improve battery life by up to 10% compared to Wear OS 6. The update also...

WhatsApp continues testing "view once" text messages on iOS

WhatsApp has started testing "view once" messages on iOS. As the name implies, these will be messages that you send and can only be viewed once by the recipient. After they viewed them once, the messages will disappear. To enable the functionality you will just need to long-tap on the Send button, which will then present you with the option to "Send as view once". Engage that and you're done. WhatsApp initially started testing this feature on Android earlier this month, and now the same is happening on iOS. The view once option is already available for photos, videos, and voice...

Commodore announces Callback 8020, a phone "between dumb and smart"

Commodore is making a phone that isn't a full-on smartphone, nor is it a dumbphone. It straddles the line in a very obviously nostalgia-baiting fashion. Before we talk about the new Commodore Callback 8020, let's get something out of the way first. Commodore International Corporation (CIC), which now owns the brand, was established last year by Christian Simpson, a tech YouTuber who is the CEO. He's brought on some ex-employees of the original company, but this isn't the Commodore of old rising from the ashes like a Phoenix. It's an entirely different company which bought the rights to the...

No, the foldable iPhone Ultra has not been delayed, claims leakster

Yesterday, reports claimed that the foldable iPhone Ultra will be delayed until early next year – however, leakster Fixed Focus Digital believes these reports are false. According to FFD’s sources, production capacity is limited, but that doesn’t mean that the announcement has been delayed. Instead, the Ultra will be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September as originally planned. The actual release of the foldable may be delayed, but only by a month at most, claims the leakster. As we mentioned yesterday, something like this has happened before – the iPhone X was...

ChatGPT grows user base to over 1.1 billion but its market share is shrinking

OpenAI's ChatGPT had an early start in the AI chatbot race, which cemented its dominant position that it's held for years. However, that is now eroding. For the first time ever, ChatGPT now has less than 50% of the AI chatbot pie, as its competitors have made massive strides lately. By May, ChatGPT's market share was down to 46.4%, followed most closely by Gemini (27.7%) and Claude (10.3%). 46% market share is still impressive, but ChatGPT started at 100% all those years ago, let's not forget. On the other hand, more and more people are using AI chatbots, with ChatGPT going over the...

Meta's Threads celebrates 500 million users with a bunch of new features

There was a time when many Twitter alternatives popped up, and Meta couldn't resist throwing its hat in this game too, with Threads. Threads may have started as a way to capture people leaving Twitter after Elon Musk bought it, but it's now all grown up, it seems. The service has reached 500 million monthly active users, having added about 100 million since last August. Undoubtedly, its ties with Instagram have made it easier to jump to than other Twitter wannabes. But Meta says the recently launched communities feature has been driving a lot of the growth. To celebrate the...

Here's how the Redmi K90 Ultra will compete with flagship smartphones

Redmi apparently has a very interesting plan to make its upcoming K90 Ultra viably compete with much more expensive flagship smartphones, specifically those equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC. According to a new rumor from the prolific Digital Chat Station on Weibo, the Redmi K90 Ultra will pair the older Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset with an active cooling fan. The fan will ensure sustained performance that will allegedly rival that of devices that don't have a fan, but are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Redmi K90 Max Additionally, the K90 Ultra is said...

The Apple iPhone Fold/Ultra may have been delayed to next year

With the higher than usual amount of leaks about the iPhone foldable, it seemed like a done deal that the iPhone Ultra/Fold/whatever-it-gets-called will finally launch this autumn. But maybe it won’t. Companies from the Apple supply chain are now indicating that the launch has been pushed back to early next year: Largan Precision CEO Lin En-ping said (machine translation): “the fourth quarter of this year will be busier than in previous years due to customer new product scheduling factors, with some new products expected to be launched in the third quarter and others postponed to early...

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 wide may use thicker ultra-thin glass than Fold8 Ultra

According to a report from last week, Samsung will use ultra-thin glass (UTG) of different thicknesses on the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold8 (wide) and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. Both foldables are expected to debut in July alongside the Galaxy Z Flip8. Ultra-thin glass forms the top protective layer of a foldable phone's flexible AMOLED display. It helps reduce the crease while protecting the screen from drops. According to the report, the Galaxy Z Fold8 (wide) will feature a 60μm-thick UTG. Leaked Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 (wide) render The taller Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, on the other hand, is...

Honor X70 Pro Max silently launched with an 8,560mAh battery

Ahead of next week's X80 Pro Max launch, Honor has quietly introduced the new X70 Pro Max in China. The Honor X70 Pro Max comes with a 6.79-inch AMOLED display that has a resolution of 2640×1200 pixels, a 120Hz refresh rate, up to 6,000 nits of peak brightness, and 1.3mm slim and uniform bezels. It is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 Enhanced edition chipset, paired with the Adreno 810 GPU. The handset gets 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. It runs Android 16-based MagicOS 10.0. The phone features a 50MP primary rear camera housed inside a circular module. For selfies,...

vivo X Fold6 camera and display specs officially revealed, to support teleconverter

Last week, vivo confirmed that its upcoming foldable, the vivo X Fold6, will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 Super Edition chipset. The company has now unveiled key details about its cameras and displays. While vivo has yet to announce a launch date, it has revealed new details about the X Fold6. The foldable will feature an 8.02-inch inner display built using Samsung's M14 luminous material. According to vivo, the panel can reach a peak brightness of 5,000 nits while also supporting a 1-nit ultra-low brightness mode. It has also received TÜV Rheinland Global Eye...

Honor X80 Pro Max to debut on June 22, confirmed to pack a 11,000mAh battery

Honor has announced the launch date for the X80 Pro Max. Alongside the confirmation, the company has also unveiled the phone's design and color options. The Honor X80 Pro Max is set to launch in China on June 22, the company confirmed in an official Weibo post. Honor has also opened reservations for the smartphone through its official online store. Honor has confirmed that the X80 Pro Max will pack a massive 11,000mAh battery with support for 90W wired fast charging. The device will also support 27W wired reverse charging, allowing it to double as a power bank for charging other...

Top 10 trending phones of week 24

As the hype surrounding the Xiaomi 17T pair died down a little, the Samsung Galaxy A57 returned to the top of our trending chart. The 17T Pro took the silver medal, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra completed the podium. [#InlinePriceWidget, 14379, 1#] Xiaomi 17T is now fourth, sitting ahead of the Galaxy A17 and the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max. Redmi Note 15 took the seventh spot, followed by the Motorola Moto G Max and the vanilla iPhone 17. The final spot once again goes to the Poco X8 Pro. Samsung Galaxy A57 5G RANK: 1WAS:...

Deals: Pixel 10 phones come with price cuts and a free Google TV Streamer, Galaxy S26+ discounted

Mexico and South Africa kicked off the FIFA World Cup on Friday. Germany’s first match is this Sunday and it is against Curaçao. Why are we mentioning this? Well, Google has a special promotion – you can get a free Google TV Streamer plus a World Cup-themed Pixelsnap Ring Stand with a Pixel 10, 10 Pro or 10 Pro XL. You can find out more about the offer here. Using the TV Streamer (or any other Google TV device), you will be able to watch the matches live, check the schedule, see match highlights and post-game analysis. The Google Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL flagships are both...

Weekly poll: what do you think about iOS 27?

It was a busy week over at Cupertino, California – the annual WWDC introduced the latest versions of Apple’s key operating systems. Let’s focus in on iOS – what did you think about its new features and improvements? If you need a refresher or you missed the announcement altogether, here’s what’s new in iOS 27. The headlining feature this week – not just for iOS but the whole WWDC – is the new Siri AI. This and the next generation of Apple Intelligence. iOS 27 But there were other changes too, like Apple trying to polish the maligned Liquid Glass design language. Also, iPhones...

Weekly poll results: the Motorola Razr Fold is pricey, but may have a future despite its flaws

Like with other book-style foldables, Motorola Razr Fold’s biggest flaw is its price – indeed, in last week’s poll, the biggest group of voters was the one that gave the price tag a thumbs down. To put it in concrete terms, the Fold has an MSRP of EUR 2,000 / GBP 1,800 / INR 150,000 / USD 1,900 / CAD 2,700. That’s not the only problem, but the high cost of the device amplifies its other issues. For one, Motorola promises 7 years of OS updates and security patches. That’s on par with what other manufacturers promise and better than most other Motorolas. However, Moto just doesn’t have the...

Deals: Galaxy S26+ gets a deeper discount on its 512GB model, Galaxy S26 Ultra also on sale

This week saw the annual WWDC from Apple. The week before, it was Google I/O – both are software-focused events, so there wasn’t any new hardware. So, we turn to older models instead. The Samsung Galaxy S26+ is not going to win any popularity contests, but it’s a solid middle-of-the-road smartphone that offers a good balance of features, support and price. Right now, the 512GB model is down to $900 – that’s the same price as the 256GB version, but note that only the Black units have such a deep cut. The Cobalt Violet is the second best at $1,020, which is a rather large gap. If you don’t...

Deals: Xiaomi 17 and 17T series discounted, Galaxy Z Fold7 also gets a price cut

For the third week in a row, the Xiaomi 17T and Xiaomi 17T Pro are available at discounted prices. Xiaomi's flagship offerings, the Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra, have also received price cuts. Elsewhere, deals are available on Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold7, select Google Pixel 10 series smartphones, and a couple of Nothing devices. Just like last week, the Xiaomi 17T remains discounted by £150, while the Xiaomi 17T Pro receives a £200 price cut at checkout. Xiaomi 17T £150 off at checkout Read our...

Samsung Galaxy F15 receives the One UI 8.5 stable update

Samsung has released the stable One UI 8.5 update for the Galaxy F15, which launched in 2024 with One UI 6. The update has firmware version E156BXXUADZE7, requires a download of around 2.5GB, and bumps up the Android security patch level on the Galaxy F15 to May 5, 2026. While stable One UI 8.5 for the Galaxy F15 is currently rolling out only in India, you can expect the rollout to expand to other regions in the coming days. [#InlinePriceWidget,12831,1#] If you live in India and haven't received the One UI 8.5 stable update on your Samsung Galaxy F15 yet, you can check for it...