News
Redmagic's New Flagship Gaming Phone has 7,500 mAh Battery
Redmagic has introduced the Redmagic 11S Pro, its latest flagship phone with high-end specs optimized for mobile gaming. To support extended gaming sessions, it has a massive 7,500 mAh battery with 80W wired and 80W wireless charging (plus reverse charging, wired and wireless). It also has an extensive cooling system to limit throttling during extended sessions, including a large vapor chamber, a liquid cooling system, and a 24,000 RPM mechanical fan. The 6.85" AMOLED display has an under-display camera, 144 Hz refresh, and 3,000 Hz touch sampling. It's powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip with 12 or 16 GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and 256 or 512 GB of UFS 4.1 storage. It has dual 50 megapixel rear cameras (main and wide) and a 16 megapixel front camera. It also has an IPx8 water resistance rating, ultrasonic fingerprint reader, USB 3.2 Gen 2, and NFC. In the US, the phone has decent support for AT&T's 5G and 4G network, but limited support for other networks. The Redmagic 11S Pro will be available unlocked online from Redmagic starting at $849, beginning June 10.
Hands On with Anker's New Earbuds and Chargers
Anker has released an impressive new set of phone accessories, including ambitious new Bluetooth earbuds, as well as chargers with impressive specs in compact form factors. The new SoundCore Liberty 5 Pro (and Pro Max) earbuds aim to challenge the best earbuds in the industry in terms of noise cancellation and sound quality, while offering features like a charging case with touch-screen controls. The newest chargers offer unprecedented power output for their size, while also offering displays with interactive controls. We checked them out. Here are our impressions.
SoundCore's New Earbuds Claim Title of World's Clearest for Calls
Anker has launched the SoundCore Liberty 5 Pro Bluetooth earbuds, which have been awarded the Guinness World Record for earbuds with the clearest-sounding voice calls. As a pair, the earbuds have eight traditional microphones and two bone-conduction sensors. Those inputs are fed into a noise-reduction system powered by Anker's new Thus AI processing chip. Anker claims its active noise cancellation (ANC) blocks more outside noise than any other earbuds on the market. The Liberty 5 Pro includes personalized equalization that tests your ears, asks your preferences, and fine-tunes sound uniquely for you. They also include an AI audio processing feature specifically designed to restore sound details that are typically lost by the Bluetooth codecs. The earbuds also have on-device voice recognition for basic functions like "volume up", "answer call", "next track", and "activate ANC". The earbuds have 6.5 hours of battery life with ANC on (28 including the charging case battery). They also charge quickly, giving four hours of battery life in just five minutes. The standard Liberty 5 Pro has a small touch-screen on the charging case and sells for $170. For $230, the Liberty 5 Pro Max sports a larger touch-screen on the case and can store up to three hours of audio with AI-powered dictation and a collection of note-taking features. Both versions are available now.
Trump Mobile Data Breach Exposes Personal Data and Order Count
Trump Mobile has confirmed that personal data of its customers was left exposed on internet. The data includes names, email addresses, mailing addresses, cell numbers, and order identifiers. The company says it is investigating and blamed an unnamed third-party provider. The company says there is no evidence that financial info was exposed. The company has not said it will inform affected customers. The bug that exposed the data has since been fixed. Although the company says its long-delayed flagship T1 phone received 600,000 pre-orders and will ship this week, the breach shows just 30,000 orders from 10,000 people, and there is no evidence that any phones have actually shipped yet.
Motorola Razr Fold is First with New 5G Tech That Downloads 20% Faster
The new Motorola razr Fold will be the first phone in the US to support a new 5G Advanced technology called 6Rx, and T-Mobile will be the only US carrier to support this technology at launch. 6Rx enables up to 20% faster download speeds thanks to six separate radio antennas, instead of the usual two to four. Most modern phones leverage MIMO technology, where multiple antennas — at some physical distance from each other — can deliver better performance. Because of the need for physical distance, the size of modern smartphones limits how many antennas can usefully be included. But foldable phones like the razr Fold, when unfolded, offer enough physical area to include up to six antennas with enough physical distance from each other to improve performance via MIMO. In a forthcoming version of the 5G standard, 6Rx will be able to boost download speeds by up to 50% in some conditions. T-Mobile will start selling the razr Fold and the 2026 razr on May 28.
AT&T Launches Flexible Plan You Can Change Month-to-Month
AT&T is launching "Build-A-Plan", a new option for people on a budget who may need more data some months than others, and have advance notice of those needs. The base plan is just $15/month, which includes 1 GB of data, plus unlimited talk and text. In advance of each monthly billing cycle, you can choose to add phone data and/or hotspot data. 5GB of data costs $5/month, 15 GB costs $10, and unlimited data (with SD video streaming) is $20. The data buckets replace the 1 GB of the base plan. Hotspot data buckets are available at 5, 25, and 50GB, for $5, $15, and $20, respectively. Hotspot data buckets are only available when purchased with phone data buckets of equal or greater amounts. The unlimited phone data options are not "premium data", meaning data speeds may be temporarily slowed when the network is busy. This plan requires that you supply your own unlocked, eSIM-capable phone. There is no family plan / multi-line version of this plan. Prices do not include taxes and fees.
T-Mobile Launches Beta of Network-Based Language Translation
The service, first announced in February, is AI-powered and network-based, so it works with any T-Mobile phone, even non-smartphones. T-Mobile say it now supports 80 languages "and counting", up from 50 initially.
TCL K70 Comes to Verizon Prepaid for $50
Verizon Prepaid and TCL have launched the TCL K70, a new addition to TCL's entry-level K-series smartphone lineup. For just $10 more than the TCL K33 ($50 instead of $40), the new K70 offers a larger battery (5,200 vs. 5,010 mAh), faster charging (33W vs. 18W), double the storage (128 vs. 64 GB), better cameras (50 vs. 13 megapixel for the main), and adds NFC for tap payments. Both phones sport a large 6.8-inch display. The K70 is powered by a Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chipset with 4 GB of RAM.
Google Brings Vibe Coding to Android
Google today announced an Android version of its AI Studio app for building apps using generative AI, enabling vibe coding on the go. Apps started on your phone can then be moved to a desktop environment to finish. Google also announced that the desktop version of AI Studio now includes native support for building Android apps, streamlining a process that previously required the installation of a full app-development software suite.
Auto-Generated Video Captions Coming to iPhone
Apple is previewing several new accessibility features coming "later this year". The most important might be video subtitles (captions) that are automatically generated on-device for uncaptioned videos. This includes video content "recorded on iPhone, received from friends and family, or streamed online." This feature is coming to most Apple platforms, including iPhone. Google added a similar feature, called Live Caption, to Android seven years ago. Apple is also enhancing its existing VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility Reader features with AI, enabling queries that use more natural language, follow-up questions, and more detailed responses. Apple is also adding a new API that will support adding a human interpreter to an ongoing FaceTime video call within a sign language interpretation app.
Google's Wear OS 7 Brings New Widgets, Live Updates
Google has announced version 7 of its Wear OS platform for smartwatches. The software is more efficient, delivering 10% better battery life. It also replaces "Tiles" with "Widgets" that are more like the home-screen widgets on Android. Also new are Live Update Notifications, notifications that update with progress info over time, a feature that Android gained in version 16. A new "Remote Output Switcher" in the system media controls will make it easier to choose where music should play. Google is also introducing a few features for developers that will enhance AI features and make it easier to develop workout apps.
Google Shows Off New Smart Glasses
Google has revealed more details of its forthcoming Android XR smart-glasses platform, including a sneak peak at two of the designs that will launch this fall. The first Android XR glasses will be an "audio" type that does not include any kind of display. Later, Google plans to launch a "display" type that does. All of them will act as an extension of your smartphone (iOS or Android), performing similarly to Bluetooth earbuds but with a camera. This lets you access the Gemini assistant hands-free, with both voice and visual input to answer questions and perform common tasks. Google has partnered with Samsung and Qualcomm for the technology, as well as Warby Parker and Gentle Monster for the designs. Google provided a number of examples for how they might be useful: You can ask Gemini about anything you see, such as learning the name of that cloud formation or quickly decoding a confusing parking sign. It can also do real-time language translation of someone speaking to you, or of text in front of you. It can give you turn-by-turn directions, knowing which way you're facing. You can manage calls and messages, or summarize missed messages. You can also snap photos and videos, and even mix in AI. For example, you can ask it to "take a picture and put everyone in funny hats". It can also access third-party apps such as getting an Uber. Gemini can be summoned by saying "Hey Google" or just tapping the side of the frame. Google did not detail any specific privacy features related to the camera. Specific launch timing and pricing was also not revealed.
Major US Carriers Join Forces to Improve Satellite Service for Phones
AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have agreed to form a new joint venture focused on improving direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity in cellular dead zones. All three carriers already have such services in operation or close to launch, and those efforts will continue independently. The new venture will aim to "[pool] limited spectrum resources to increase capacity", provide "redundant connectivity" when existing ground-based networks are unavailable, and give customers "simpler access to satellite services". As a first step, "provider options will expand". The joint venture does not seem to aim to launch its own service, but rather "more satellite service providers will gain opportunities to compete, invest, and grow". The companies promise a "standards-based approach" in cooperation with mobile OS providers, phone makers, and app developers. The new joint venture could be seen as a way for US carriers to wrestle back some degree of power and control over D2D satellite service. Apple and Google have launched their own, brand-specific D2D services, independent of the carriers. AT&T and Verizon are reliant on AST SpaceMobile for their forthcoming D2D service. T-Mobile has partnered with SpaceX for its Starlink D2D service using T-Mobile spectrum. SpaceX recently purchased its own radio spectrum to expand its D2D service, although it's unclear what shape that service might take.
Google Bringing Agentic AI to Flagship Android Phones
Google today announced several new AI features for Android, that will start to roll out with new Samsung and Pixel phones this summer. Gemini Intelligence is agentic AI that works across your apps to perform multi-steps tasks for you. Examples include "snagging a front-row bike for your spin class", "finding your class syllabus in Gmail then putting the books you need in your cart", or, while looking at a shopping list in your notes app, "build[ing] a shopping cart with all of the items for delivery". Google Intelligence can continue a task in the background while showing progress via a live notification. It will also stop and ask for final confirmation before completing a task. Create My Widget is a new "generative UI" feature of Gemini Intelligence that will create new, custom widgets for your home screen simply from your description. This might include a countdown to an event, meal suggestions, or a custom weather widget that only includes the specific data you're most interested in. Finally, Google is also making its auto-fill feature smarter, using Gemini's Personal Intelligence to fill in more fields.
Android Auto Gets Revamp
Google has revealed the next version of Android Auto and Google Built-In for cars. A new layout includes edge-to-edge Google Maps navigation that better fits various display shapes, and widgets, such as contacts, weather, or a garage door opener. Google Maps also gains "Immersive Navigation", a vivid 3D view that shows buildings, overpasses, and terrain. It also aims to do a better job highlighting critical details, such as lanes, traffic lights, and stop signs. On supported phones, it will also surface Gemini Intelligence, the new version of Gemini with more agentic features. For example, "if you get a text from a friend asking for an address, Magic Cue will understand the context of the question, find the answer using information from your text messages, email or calendar, and offer to send a reply with the right information". This new version of Android Auto will roll out through the rest of this year.
Samsung Begins Public Beta Testing of Android 17
Samsung is releasing the first public beta version of One UI 9 — the company's spin on Android 17 — this week. Galaxy S26 series users can apply to join the beta program via the Samsung Members app. The beta software will start to become available this week in several countries, including the US. Notable new features in the beta OS include greater Quick Panel customization, as well as enhanced accessibility and security features. The final (non-beta) version of One UI 9 will debut on "upcoming Galaxy flagship devices later this year" and include new "advanced AI features" that may not be included in the beta version. Google is also offering public beta versions of Android 17 for its Pixel devices.
Cross-Platform RCS Messaging Gaining Encryption
Apple and Google have jointly announced the rollout of end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messaging between Apple and Android devices. When RCS messages are end-to-end encrypted, they can't be intercepted and read while in transit between devices, improving privacy and security. Encryption will be on by default and will be automatically enabled over time for new and existing RCS conversations. On both platforms, a small lock icon will confirm when an RCS chat is encrypted. The feature requires iOS 26.5 or, on Android, the latest version of the Google Messages app. It also requires carrier support. The two companies still describe the feature as in "beta". E2EE was officially added to the RCS standard a little over a year ago, and Apple pledged to support it at that time.
New "Google Health" App to Replace Google Fit and Fitbit
Google is renaming the Fitbit app to "Google Health", adding new features, and positioning it to replace the existing Google Fit app. The new app integrates with other apps and APIs — including Health Connect, Apple Health, and the Google Health APIs — to sync and unify your health data in one place. A new layout offers four main tabs: Today, Fitness, Sleep, and Health. The Today and Health tabs offer customizable dashboards for quick access to your favorite metrics. The app also supports digital medical records and leaderboards for competing with friends on steps and cardio load. Existing users of the Fitbit app will receive an automatic update to Google Health starting May 19. Google will invite Google Fit users to migrate their data to Google Health "later this year".
Qualcomm Makes Modest Updates to its Entry-Level Phone Chips
Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen chips intended to power affordable phones. For once, AI is not the focus of these new chips. One new technology in both chips is "Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI". In the 6 Gen 5, this should deliver 20% faster app launches and 18% less screen stutter. In the 4 Gen 5, it should deliver 43% faster app launches and 25% less screen stutter. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 offers the most upgrades compared to the Gen 4 version, although also a few curious downgrades. Graphics performance gets a 21% boost. The CPU has been re-arranged: instead of one "prime" core running at 2.3 GHz plus three "performance" cores, the new chip simply has four performance cores running at 2.6 GHz. There are also still four efficiency cores, now running at 2 GHz instead of 1.8. The camera subsystem gains a new night vision mode, the sole new AI-powered feature. However there are only two 12-bit ISPs, instead the three found in Gen 4. The 5G modem gets some minor upgrades, but removes support for mmWave 5G. The other radios do get upgrades, including Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and support for XPAN, Qualcomm's unique audio-over-Wi-Fi technology. Most other specs carry over from the Gen 4 chip. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 is the first update to the main 4-series chip since the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, announced back in 2023. Even so, it makes surprisingly few changes. Qualcomm promises 77% improved graphics performance. The camera subsystem now has built-in support for face detection. The chip also supports Quick Charge 5 (previously, 4+) and 144 Hz display refresh (up from 120). Otherwise, the new 4-series chip is almost the same as the 2023 version, including Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 5. Both new chips are expected to reach consumers in new phones in 2026.
Apple Reaches $250 Settlement for Failing to Deliver AI Siri as Advertised
A class-action lawsuit against Apple for false advertising has reached a settlement of $250 million. Apple showed off a smarter, personalized version of Siri at its WWDC event in 2024 and promised to ship the feature by the end of that year. This was specifically advertised as one several Apple Intelligence features of the iPhone 16 lineup and the iPhone 15 Pro. But the feature never shipped. Apple waited until March 2025 to admit that the feature was delayed. Consumers who purchased a an iPhone 16 or 15 Pro may be eligible for part of the settlement if it's approved by a judge.
Approximate Location Comes to Chrome on Android
Google is updating its Chrome web browser for Android devices to support the sharing of "Approximate" location data with web sites that do not need "Precise" location data, such as web sites offering local weather or news. This is a privacy-enhancing feature. Web sites that do need precise location data will still be able to request that from users. And new APIs will allow web developers to indicate which type of location data they need, to streamline the permissions process for users.
Hands On with the 2026 Motorola razr Lineup
Motorola has refreshed its lineup of razr phones for 2026. Most of the changes are minor, putting a few small upgrades into the same three bodies. We also spent time with Motorola's first book-style foldable phone, the razr fold. With all of its phones, Motorola puts a big focus on CMF: color, material, and finish. So we spent some hands-on time with all four new razrs to check how they look and feel in person. Read on for our impressions.
Motorola Refreshes razr Lineup with Better Batteries & More
Motorola is giving its razr lineup of foldable flip phones an update for 2026. There are no dramatic changes, but each model gets at least a couple of notable spec upgrades. Colors and finishes have of course been refreshed, but otherwise the physical designs of each model remain unchanged. The razr and razr+ both get a battery capacity boost of roughly 13% thanks to new silicon-carbon chemistry that the company has been rolling out across its lineup this year. The razr ultra gets a 6% boost, but that gets it up to 5,000 mAh, which is enough to count as the largest battery capacity of any flip phone. The relatively affordable razr (2026) also gets upgraded cameras, with the wide-angle cam getting upgraded to a 50 megapixel sensor. The razr should also be speedier, thanks to an updated Dimensity 7450X processor from MediaTek, and faster RAM. Unfortunately, storage has been downgraded from 256 to 128 GB, likely due to the ongoing memory-chip shortage. The step-up razr+ (2026) undoes the curious 2024 decision to include a telephoto camera instead of a wide-angle one. So the wide-angle camera is back, and it's also a 50 megapixel sensor. The razr ultra (2026) gets a few upgrades, including a main camera sensor with new LOFIC technology. This expands the range of light levels a pixel can measure by 6x, which enables HDR with a single exposure, and improves shooting speed and power efficiency. Motorola has also upgraded the cover glass to Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3, which it claims offers 75% better drop resistance. As usual, Motorola is offering a variety of unique finishes and fresh Pantone colors. The new razr comes in four colors: Hematite (warm gray) with a "woven-inspired" finish, Violet Ice (pink) and Sporting Green with "leather-inspired" finishes, and Bright White in an "acetate" finish. The new razr+ comes only in Mountain View (green) with a "woven-inspired jacquard" finish. The new razr ultra has two options: Cocoa in a natural wood finish, or Orient Blue (purple) in Alcantara (faux suede). Most of the new razr phones will be available for pre-order May 14 and go on sale May 21, unlocked from motorola.com and third-party retailers, as well as some US carriers. Unfortunately, Motorola has raised prices across the board. The razr (2026) will list for $800 and be offered by Boost, Spectrum, Verizon, Visible, Xfinity Mobile, Consumer Cellular, Google Fi, Cox Mobile, T-Mobile, and Cricket. The razr+ (2026) will retail for $1,100 and be offered by AT&T and T-Mobile. The razr ultra (2026) will be offered unlocked for $1,500.
Motorola Prices razr fold at $1,900
Motorola will start selling its new flagship foldable, the razr fold, on May 21, with pre-orders available May 14. The device will also come to T-Mobile, Xfinity Mobile, and Verizon "in the coming months".
Supreme Court Takes on Geofence Warrants
The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments today on whether "geofence warrants" violate the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable searches. Geofence warrants request info on all persons whose phones can be placed within a certain area at a certain time, without naming a specific person of interest. In this case, the warrant was served to Google, and used to find someone who robbed a bank in Virginia. The Supreme Court previously weighed in on phone location data in 2018 when it ruled that getting location data for a specific person required a warrant.
Verizon Opens up Dedicated First Responder Network to Mobile Devices
After a successful but limited launch of its dedicated virtual network for first responders last year, Verizon is now opening up the network to compatible smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Verizon started its rollout of the network almost exactly one year ago with 30 markets, expanding "nationwide" to 50 major markets last June. However, access to the network has been restricted to connected vehicles, a restriction being removed today. The company calls the network the Verizon Frontline Network Slice. As the name implies, it uses network slicing, a new feature of 5G networks that lets operators create virtual networks that can deliver dedicated resources and specific performance guarantees. First responders can get priority 5G network access regardless of how busy the regular, public network gets. Verizon can also scale the Frontline slice in real time based on the operational needs of first responders. T-Mobile also offers a dedicated 5G network slice for first responders that it calls T-Priority, which started rolling out in late 2024. AT&T has operated FirstNet for first responders since 2018. FirstNet is set up slightly differently, using dedicated spectrum in band 14.
Xfinity Mobile Remixes Plans
Xfinity Mobile has replaced its two old mobile service plans with two new ones, with restructured pricing and (mostly) upgrades to what's included. The new entry-level plan is Mobile Select, replacing the old "Unlimited" plan. While the old plan was $40/month for the first line and $20 for additional lines, the new plan is simply $30/month for each line. It has several improvements: Full high-speed data is now capped at 50 GB instead of 30 GB. It also now includes 15 GB of high-speed hotspot data. Unlimited international talk/text/data has now expanded to 215+ countries, instead of just Canada and Mexico. Finally, video streaming quality is being bumped from 480p (SD) to 720p (technically HD). The higher-end plan is now called Mobile Plus, replacing "Premium Unlimited". The new plan runs $45/month for each line, instead of $50 for the first and $30 for additional lines. This means a price hike for everyone except solo lines. One all-new included feature is Mobile Care Plus, which covers repairs, replacements, and live tech help for devices connected to your account. High-speed data remains truly unlimited, while high-speed mobile hotspot data has been upped from 30 to 50 GB. It includes 215+ country international service and 4K video streaming. As before, the premium plans gets you Call Guard spam protection. Regular phone upgrades are also included, but now just once per year instead of twice. As always, Xfinity Mobile is only available as an add-on for existing Xfinity home internet customers. The new plans are available starting today.
AT&T Launches New Sonim Phones, Including Thermal-Imaging Model
AT&T has started offering the Sonim XP Pro Thermal and XP5plus 5G. The XP Pro Thermal has FLIR thermal imaging camera on the back and comes with a dedicated thermal camera app with a wide range of tools for taking and analyzing thermal data in the field. Otherwise, the phone is similar to the standard XP Pro, a rugged Android phone with a relatively sleek design, extra shortcut buttons, support for pro field accessories, and extra-loud speakers. AT&T also launched the XP5plus 5G, a new 5G version of the XP5plus, Sonim's bar-style rugged feature-phone model that, uniquely, is available with or without physical knob controls on top. The new model doesn't just add 5G, but also upgrades the display, processor, and memory. Both phones are available from AT&T today. The XP Pro Thermal sells for $650 while the XP5plus 5G sells for $330. Sonim was recently acquired by Social Mobile, which has also rebranded itself Nexa.
Amazon Gets Serious About Satellite Service for Phones with Purchase of Apple's Service Provider
Amazon is purchasing GlobalStar, the legacy satellite operator that powers the "Emergency SOS via satellite" feature of iPhones. Amazon will continue to operate GlobalStar's existing and upcoming satellites and services, and they will continue to power the satellite functions of Apple devices. These services will compliment Amazon's own "Leo" broadband data satellite constellation that it is in the middle of building. Going forward, Amazon will blend the two networks by adding D2D (Direct-to-Device) capabilities (similar to what GlobalStar offers for iPhones today, but more advanced) to its own, next-generation Leo satellites. Amazon cites GlobalStar's radio spectrum licenses and operational expertise as key enablers for adding D2D capability to Leo. First-generation Leo satellites started launching to orbit one year ago. Amazon plans to start launching next-gen Leo satellites with D2D in 2028. Leo competes with SpaceX's Starlink, which already offers D2D service for T-Mobile. Amazon Leo will not only continue to work with Apple, but will court mobile network operators "and additional partners", competing with both SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile to provide satellite service for carriers where their land-based networks don't reach.
TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro Lands at T-Mobile
TCL continues to makes inroads in the US market with its NXTPAPER matte-display technology, with T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile now offering the new NXTPAPER 70 Pro. The 70 Pro is an affordable 5G phone at just $200, yet offers TCL's unique NXTPAPER 4.0 display technology in a large 6.9" format with 120 Hz refresh, 50 megapixel camera with OIS, 5,200 mAh battery with 33W fast charging, an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of (expandable) storage. It also supports Bluetooth Auracast, is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, and launches with Android 16. A dedicated NXTPAPER switch on the side makes it easy to activate to special display modes like Color Paper Mode and Ink Paper Mode. TCL claims the battery can last up to 7 days with the display set to Reading Mode. The phone is also compatible with an optional stylus.
Insta360 Launches Screen Accessory for Better Selfies
The Insta360 Snap is a new phone accessory with a display (and optional ring light) that makes it easy to frame and shoot photos of yourself using your phone's higher-quality rear camera. The Snap can attach to the back of a phone magnetically (via MagSafe) and uses a wired connection to the phone via USB-C. The display is a touchscreen that mirrors the phone's main display, allowing full camera control. This also makes it compatible with third-party camera and social media apps. It's compatible with iPhone 15 and newer, as well as higher-end Android phones (that support DisplayPort via USB-C Alt Mode.) A magnetic ring is included to add magnetic attachment to phones that don't already have it. The version with integrated lighting lets the user adjust the light color and brightness. The Insta360 Snap is available now for $90 with light, and $80 without.
Samsung Brings Back the Galaxy Z TriFold
This Friday, Samsung will once again sell its exotic $2,900 phone with two hinges that unfolds into a 10-inch tablet. Samsung started selling the device in the US this January in limited quantities, then "ended" sales a few weeks ago.
Motorola Updates its Stylus Phone
Motorola has announced the 2026 moto g stylus, a minor update to last year's model. Improvements include a larger battery (5,200 mAh) and improved water resistance (up to IPX9, and the touch screen works when wet). Other features and specs are largely unchanged, including a 6.7-inch OLED display with 1.5K "Super HD" resolution, Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB base storage, 50 megapixel main camera, and 13 megapixel wide-angle camera. Similarly, it keeps wired fast charging up to 68W and 15W wireless charging. The powered stylus is included and integrated into the body, supporting features like "Quick Clip" to send any text to the Notes app, Hover to Magnify, and Google's Circle to Search feature. It also still includes a 3.5mm headset jack and expandable storage via memory card. The new moto g stylus will go on sale in the US starting at $500 unlocked on April 16. Google Fi will also launch it that day, with subsequent availability at Spectrum, Cricket, AT&T, Xfinity, and Optimum. Motorola will offer a launch promotion that throws in a free 4-pack of moto tags with 128 GB version; the 256 GB version will come with a free pair of moto buds loop earbuds, a moto watch, and a moto tag.
Samsung Sets End Date for its Own Messages App
This July, the Samsung Messages app for texting will stop working. Samsung's recommended replacement for its Android phones is Google Messages, which offers more functionality. Samsung started this transition last year when it made Google Messages the default messaging app on its new phones.
AT&T Launches New Home+Mobile Bundle Plans
AT&T has introduced a new set of service plans that bundle mobile and home internet service. The new plans are unique in allowing up to four mobile devices per person at no extra cost, but also have a long list of restrictions. These new "OneConnect" plans are only available where AT&T offers fiber-to-the-home service, and only for new wireless customers; existing AT&T wireless customers are ineligible. The plans include unlimited data, but the wireless 5G data is not "premium", meaning it may be de-prioritized (slowed) when the network is busy. Mobile phones used with the plan must be bring-your-own, AT&T-compatible, and support eSIM. Extra cellular devices can include tablets or wearables, but mobile hotspot (via phone or separate device) is not supported. There are three specific plans: The Individual plan allows one mobile phone plus up to three other cellular devices, for $90/month. The Duo plan allows up to eight total cellular devices — two of which can be phones — for $120. The Family plan runs $225/month and allows up to 20 cellular devices, up to ten of which can be phones. All of these plans include 1 Gig home internet speeds. Taxes and fees are included, but auto-pay is required.
Google Brings Smart EV Route Planning to Maps in Android Auto
Google is updating Google Maps to include smarter route planning — including charging stops — for electric vehicles with Android Auto. You can now tell Maps your car model and current charge level to get a route that takes that info into account to estimate range, and suggest the best charging stops with compatible plugs. It can also recommend a charging duration at each stop, show an estimated charge level at each point of the trip, and give a trip duration that includes charging time. The feature is now available for "hundreds" of EV models from more than 15 brands, with more coming "soon".
Verizon Offering Lenience to Unpaid Federal Workers
Verizon today announced that customers affected by the ongoing partial government shutdown can call Verizon to receive waived late fees and "flexible payment arrangements".
Samsung Gives its Mid-Range A37 a Minor Refresh
Samsung has announced the Galaxy A37 5G and Galaxy A57 5G, replacing the A36 and A56, respectively. The new models are mostly similar to the models they replace, and similar to each other, for that matter. One upgrade is an IP68 dust/water rating (up from IP67 last year). Both have a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and up to 120 Hz refresh. Both have a 5,000 mAh battery, 50 megapixel main camera, wide camera, macro camera, and 12 megapixel front camera. Samsung is switching from a Snapdragon processor to one of its own Exynos chips in the A37, while the A57 is powered by a higher-end Exynos chip. While the A37 is the same size as the A36, the A57 is slightly smaller (in every dimension) than the A56, which also means slimmer bezels around the display. On the software side, Samsung is adding Voice Transcription to the Voice Recorder app, and the company promises "more natural results" with its AI-powered Object Eraser photo-editing tool. Samsung promises six years of software updates for both phones. Both phones launch in the US on April 9th. The A37 will come to numerous US carriers in a charcoal color. It will also be available unlocked, starting at $450, in charcoal or lavender. Best Buy will carry an exclusive "Graygreen" color while Amazon will offer an exclusive white color. Like the A56, it appears that the A57 will only be sold in the US as an unlocked phone from Samsung, in navy, starting at $550.
Samsung Brings Support for Apple's AirDrop to S26 Series
Samsung is starting to bring compatibility with Apple's AirDrop to its Android phones via a phased software update. Google announced last November that it was adding AirDrop compatibility to Android's similar Quick Share feature. At the time, Google said rollout of the feature would start with its own Pixel 10 series, then expand to "more Android devices" over time. Quick Share and AirDrop are both designed to allow easy wireless sharing of files and content between two nearby devices, but were previously not compatible between iOS and Android. Samsung's rollout will start today with the Galaxy S26 series — the company's newest flagship phones — in South Korea. It will then expand to other regions, including North America, and then expand to other Samsung devices.
Google Explains New Process for Side-Loading Unregistered Apps
As promised, Google has announced the details of how users will be able to side-load apps that are not registered with a "verified" developer. Google's new developer verification program is designed to combat malware that scammers convince their victims to install (side-load). The new "Advanced Flow" lets "power users" bypass this protection, but puts up several barriers designed to stymie scammers. Users must confirm that they are not being guided or instructed by someone else (a scammer) and that they understand the risks. Crucially, they must also restart their phone and wait 24 hours, interrupting the flow of a typical scam. They can then choose to enable the bypass for seven days, or indefinitely. As previously announced, there will also be a "limited distribution" developer account option, intended for students and hobbyists. This will let those developers register their apps without the full verification requirements and fee. Those apps will then be eligible for side-loading without requiring the "Advanced Flow", but will be limited to installation on no more than 20 devices.
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