CR: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is the best-selling smartphone for Q1 '24

Apple and Samsung dominated the top 10 best-selling smartphone charts in Q1 of 2024, as revealed by Counterpoint Research's latest report. Each company had five phones on the list, but it was Apple that came on top with the iPhone 15 Pro Max becoming the best-selling phone, followed by iPhone 15 in second and iPhone 15 Pro in third. The research pointed out that 5G is becoming more and more present in the everyday life of the average consumer, as all 10 devices in the list are 5G-enabled. Also, the trend towards premiumization is clearly visible, with 7 phones being priced above...

Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4 battery life test results are ready

We are working our way through the tests necessary for the Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4 review and we just completed the battery trials. The slate smoked the older and smaller Pad 6 and while it’s far from the longest lasting tablet that we’ve tested, it does well against comparable rivals. The tablet is equipped with a 10,000mAh battery that needs to feed not only the 12.4” 144Hz display – an IPS LCD with Dolby Vision and 12-bit colors that bucks the OLED trend – but the battery also has to power the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. Compared to the larger and more premium Samsung Galaxy Tab S9...

Record-breaking thin Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 and Mix Flip camera details leak

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 is coming, along with the Mix Flip, the company's first flip-style foldable. The Mix Fold 4's specs leaked back in March, and the Mix Flip has already been certified in China with support for satellite connectivity. Today some new details for both devices have been outed, coming from the prolific leaker calling himself Digital Chat Station on Weibo. According to him, the Mix Fold 4 will be the new record holder for thinnest foldable smartphone, taking the crown from the Honor Magic V2. Both Xiaomi foldables will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, and will...

Samsung launches new 10,000 mAh and 20,000 mAh power banks in India

Samsung has introduced two new power banks for the Indian market. One has 10,000 mAh capacity, the other 20,000 mAh. Both devices are offered in only one color - beige. They are both already listed on Samsung's official online store for the country, but only the 10,000 mAh model is available right now. So, let's start with that one. It has a maximum output of 25W, and it's priced at INR 3,499 (approximately $41 or €38). It can charge up to two devices via two USB-C ports, and it can also wirelessly charge a third device. When you use it like this, note that the maximum output...

vivo X100 Ultra, X100s, X100s Pro prices leak

A few hours ago vivo announced the official launch date for the oft-teased X100 Ultra, its all-out flagship smartphone for 2024. It will be unveiled on May 13, which is next Monday, alongside the X100s and X100s Pro. The pricing for all three models has been leaked in China. The Ultra is rumored to start at CNY 6,699 ($928 or €861 at the current exchange rates) with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Going for the version with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage will allegedly cost CNY 7,499 ($1,039, €964), while the top of the line model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage will be priced at...

Samsung's Exynos 2600 may ditch AMD's RDNA GPU for an in-house solution

According to a recent post by a reputable source on X (@rquandt), Samsung is readying to replace the Xclipse GPU co-developed with AMD for an in-house solution. But not just yet. The Exynos 2500's GPU will still be based on AMD's RDNA architecture, although it will likely be the last of its kind. The RDNA-based Xclipse GPU debuted with the Exynos 2200 and has even made its way to Samsung's mid-range Exynos 1480. It was marketed as a serious Adreno competitor (Qualcomm's GPU) and was touted to have exceptional performance in ray-tracing games. However, if the reports are true, it looks...

vivo X Fold3 Pro might go global, benchmark suggests

When vivo introduced the X Fold3 and X Fold3 Pro in March, we expected the phones to remain exclusive to China like the predecessors. Now, this might change, as a global version appears on Geekbench. A phone with the model number V2330 reached over 6,300 in multi-core score, suggesting the device is being prepped for an international unveiling. This is the very same device that was certified in Indonesia more than a month ago, which was already confirmed to have the name X Fold3 Pro. Bringing the X Fold3 Pro to the global market would make it the thinnest book-style foldable...

Realme GT Neo 6 gets listed for pre-order, key specs revealed

Realme is preparing to launch the GT Neo 6 as the phone gets listed at China's biggest online retailer JD.com. The phone is already up for pre-order/registrations and one image revealed key specs of the phone. According to the listing, the Neo 6 will have a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, making it the first Realme phone with the flagship-killer chipset. We also expect 120W fast charging and up to 1 TB of internal storage. Realme GT Neo6 specs Realme already certified a smartphone with 120W charging over a month ago, and our sources claimed the RMX3852 device was indeed the GT Neo 6. We...

Vivo announces launch date for X100 Ultra, X100s duo

The vivo X100 Ultra will be announced on May 13, the company revealed on Weibo. The event will also see the introduction of two new flagships, X100s and X100s Pro, the first of which will have flat sides and a front panel. The company already listed the phones on its online store in China, revealing the full memory combos and color options. The X100 Ultra has a camera setup that is different from that of any other X100 smartphone. According to a senior executive, the phone, with its flagship-tier camera technologies, will excel in five key scenes: The micro-gimbal anti-shake...

Deals: iPhones are £100 off, this time including the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max

Amazon UK has dropped £100 off the prices for the entire iPhone lineup (except the SE). A while back there was a similar price drop, but it only covered the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus – this time the two Pro models are discounted as well. Starting with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the base 256GB model is over a thousand pounds even with the discount. But iPhones were never cheap, the Pro Maxs least of all. Still, it's the best Apple phone ever made at least until this September. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max £100 off ...

Weekly poll: who will splurge on the Honor Magic6 RSR Porsche Design?

Earlier this week Honor started the global rollout of the Honor Magic6 RSR. This is largely similar to the Magic6 Ultimate on the inside, but the outside is the work of Porsche Design. One thing that puts it above the Ultra is the 24GB of RAM on board (paired with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3). There is only one storage option and it is 1TB. As for colors, there are a couple to choose from – Frozen Berry (the hero color of the 2020 Taycan) and Agate Gray (a classic paint job of Porsche 911 race cars). Honor Magic6 RSR in: Frozen Berry • Agate Gray We have a detailed review if you...

Weekly poll results: Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is shaping up to be a hit, Pura 70 tops the Pro model

The lack of Google Play Store on the Huawei Pura 70 series is not ideal but not a deal-breaker either – per the comments under last week’s poll, some are already using Google-less Huawei phones and are eyeing the new series. That said, it is a no-go for others as some vital apps (e.g. local banking apps) are missing, but it seems like Huawei did a good job of stocking up the App Gallery. So, what do people think of the four phones? Well, the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is a blockbuster in the making with half of voters expressing interest in it and only a fraction of those are waiting on reviews...

Deals: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and S23 FE prices fall

Last week a 512GB Galaxy S24 Ultra was $1,220, now it’s down $50 on both Amazon and Best Buy. The 256GB model remains at $1,100 and doubling the storage is well worth the $70 if you ask us. It will help with the phone’s longevity (it will be supported for 7 years) as OS and apps will continue to grow in the coming years. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 12/512GB $250 off Read our review $1,170 at Amazon US $1,170 at Best Buy The Samsung Galaxy S23...

Even more official images leak showing Sony's Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 10 VI

Mere hours ago a barrage of official-looking images leaked depicting the upcoming Sony Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 10 VI, both models which could become official at the company's event on May 17. And now here we are with even more leaked images of the two phones, and these look pretty official as well. Sony's not doing a great job of taming these leaks, but we're happy we get to see the unannounced devices in so much detail. Sony Xperia 10 VI leaked images This time we have a better look at the Xperia 10 VI in all three colors. As we already mentioned earlier, the Xperia 10 VI...

Entry-level vivo Y18 debuts in India with "segment's brightest screen", IP54 rating

Previously premium features have been trickling down to mid-range and even entry-level devices at a steady pace, and the new vivo Y18 can definitely attest to that. The phone was quietly listed by vivo onto its Indian website without any fanfare, and it comes with a premium-looking design on the back, which employs a 3D micro sculpting process in the Gem Green variant, which carves silver ripples into the rear plate. Combined with a nm scale coating the result is a gem-like texture, hence the name of the colorway. There's also the more subdued Space Black, which has a subtle 'starry...

Xiaomi 15 rumored to arrive in mid-October with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4

Last week a report claimed that Xiaomi has the exclusive first launch rights for Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC, and today a new rumor tells us when exactly to expect said launch. According to the prolific leaker Digital Chat Station, the first device powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is tentatively scheduled to arrive in mid-October. If the previous report regarding Xiaomi's exclusivity was accurate, this means the Xiaomi 15 (and possibly the 15 Pro alongside it) will become official in mid-October. Xiaomi 14 Of course a lot can change between now and then as we're...

One UI 6.1 update for Galaxy S22 series halted due to a bug

Samsung started rolling out the update to One UI 6.1, containing the Galaxy AI features that debuted in January, to the Galaxy S22 family in Korea yesterday. And here we are not even 24 hours later, and it seems like the rollout has already been halted. Note that while yesterday's rollout included many more devices, it only appears to have been paused specifically for the Galaxy S22 series. The reason, as always in such cases, has to do with a bug - quality control on software updates is hard, for sure, but it shouldn't be this hard to spot something so obvious. We're talking about the...

vivo X100s live images surface ahead of launch

The vivo X100s launching this month recently appeared in an official teaser, and now we are looking at its live images that surfaced on Weibo, giving us a better look at the smartphone. The vivo X100s' rear looks similar to the vivo X100, sporting a circular camera island. However, while the X100's camera module has a Moon Halo design, the X100s' design looks similar to the X100 Pro's Sun Halo design, with some camera specs written on the ring around the cameras. vivo X100s live images There's also a ZEISS logo on the camera module, so you can expect the vivo X100s' cameras to...

Google Pixel 8a marketing materials leak

The Google Pixel 8a's official announcement is still more than ten days away. And yet, we're now at the stage where we're seeing at least one leak regarding it each and every day, if not two. Today's leak seems to basically be the Google website listing for the Pixel 8a, obviously prepared in advance for the launch. It's unclear if this was made live for a short while by mistake, or if it was leaked from inside the website's development team. Google Pixel 8a marketing materials Either way, here it is. Note the weird outline around the text, which probably means this has...

New Sony Xperia 1 VI leak details the cameras, chipset, and battery

Sony is expected to unveil the Xperia 1 VI flagship smartphone at its event on May 17. While we've heard a few things about it over the last few weeks, today a new rumor brings us more details, including the leaked renders you can see below. So let's dive in. Unsurprisingly, the Xperia 1 VI will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. It will come with a 16mm ultrawide camera, a 24mm main camera (48mm with 2x optical zoom), and an 85-170mm telephoto zoom camera. The zoom camera goes further than the Xperia 1 V's which maxed out at 125mm, but the other specs seem identical....

High-end MediaTek-powered smartphone to land in the US for the first time this year

The Android smartphone market in the US is quite different from Europe or Asia, in that there are fewer options, especially at the mid-range and low-end. But even when we're talking high-end, one thing is obvious - all of the top shelf devices in that market use a Qualcomm chipset. No MediaTek anywhere (and no Exynos either, for what it's worth). And that's despite the fact that MediaTek's 9000 series chips have, for a few years now, been very close in performance to Qualcomm's latest and greatest. The situation will thankfully change later this year, when, for the first time, a "premium"...

Nothing OS 2.5.5a with ChatGPT is now landing on the Nothing Phone (2a)

Nothing's rollout of ChatGPT onto its devices is now complete. Following the Nothing Phone (2) (which you can purchase from Nothing) last month and the Nothing Phone (1) less than 24 hours ago, now it's time for the more affordable Nothing Phone (2a) (also available at Nothing) to get its taste of the AI goodness, in the form of Nothing OS 2.5.5a, which is now rolling out. This brings with it the much anticipated ChatGPT integration, which gives you a new gesture option in the Nothing X app for starting a voice conversation with the chatbot. This works via the recently launched Nothing Ear...

WhatsApp now gives you a new way to organize events

Today WhatsApp is introducing a new way to organize events. It should thus be easier to plan get togethers directly in WhatsApp, without the need for separate apps, regardless of whether you're setting up a virtual meeting or birthday dinner or whatever else. Anyone can create an event that others can respond to in a group chat, so that the entire group knows who's coming and who isn't. Events will also be listed in each group's information page, and those who are going will get a notification when the event is getting close. Events are rolling out to groups that belong to a...

iQOO Z9x is coming to India soon

Last month vivo sub-brand iQOO made the Z9x official in China, and it looks like the phone is coming to India very soon. Spare parts pricing is already available for the Z9x on vivo's Indian website, signifying a launch in the very near future in the country. This also shows the RAM/storage combos that will be offered in India: 4/128GB, 6/128GB, and 8/128GB. The iQOO Z9x is identical to the vivo T3x which launched in India in mid-April starting at INR 13,499 (approximately $161 or €151 at the current exchange rates). And when we say identical, we mean 100% the same device on the inside,...

Apple Watch Ultra 3 to have almost no hardware upgrades

One of the most famous analysts in the tech world when it comes to all things Apple has to be Ming-Chi Kuo, and today he's back with a tidbit regarding the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra 3. This is now expected to become official at the company's fall event, most likely taking place in September. That's contrary to a report (by the same source, no less) from last October claiming there wouldn't be an Ultra 3 this year. If you were expecting huge hardware changes compared to its predecessor, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 introduced in 2023, you will apparently be disappointed. Kuo says there will be...