For whatever reason, Apple doesn’t do much to highlight these features, with them for the most part either being buried deep in submenus or requiring specific gestures on specific icons that you might not think to try.

So, since Apple hasn’t made these features obvious, we’ve done that job for them, highlighting seven of the best hidden iOS features below.

1. Fast timers

There are various ways to set a timer on iOS – or rather there are various ways to open the Clock app, which is the main avenue for timer setting. But there’s also a speedier approach that bypasses the Clock app altogether.

If you’ve got a timer option in Control Center, just long press that, and you can immediately set a timer without launching the app itself.

This approach has some limitations in that it only lets you set timers for certain intervals, so if you need something really specific like 27 minutes it won’t be much use – and even less so if there are seconds involved. But for the timer durations it can handle, this is the fastest method we’ve found.

2. Siri shorthand

Siri isn’t a person, so there’s no need to speak to it in full sentences – it won’t be offended if you don’t and more importantly it will generally infer what you want.

Where this can come in most handy, is when you want to set an alarm or a timer. For an alarm, you can simply say a time, such as “2pm”, rather going to the effort of saying “set an alarm for 2pm”. And it’s the same deal with timers – just say the duration you want and Siri will figure out that you want to set a timer for that long.

3. Swipe between apps

If you want to switch between open apps, you’re probably swiping up from the bottom of the screen, then swiping through the app switcher and tapping on the app you want. But there’s a faster way to move between them.

Rather than swiping up on the bottom of the screen, just swipe left or right along the bottom edge, and your phone will move between apps that way. Generally you’ll want to start by swiping right, since the app you’re currently using will be the most recent one, so there will be nothing to see in the other direction.

4. Background Sounds

There are all sorts of apps you can download that contain relaxing sounds like the noise of rain or a fire. These can help drown out the sounds around you or simply soothe you, so you can focus on what you’re doing or just chill out or sleep.

But you don’t even need to download a third-party app to access these sounds, as many of them are built right into your iPhone.

Just head to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual >Background Sounds. Then, toggle Background Sounds on, and select which sound you want to play. You can also adjust the volume of the sound if you want, and tweak other settings too, like whether the sounds will stop at a specific time, and whether they’ll still play while your phone is locked.

5. Know when your camera lens is dirty

It’s almost unavoidable that your camera lens will get dirty over time. After all, even if you’re careful, it’s likely to come in contact with fingers and surfaces.

But it can’t always be easy to tell whether it’s dirty just by looking at it – and that’s if you even think to check.

Thankfully, your phone can check for you. Just head to Settings > Camera, and then turn on the ‘Lens Cleaning Hints’ toggle. Then, you’ll get an alert when your phone detects that the lens should be cleaned in order to improve image quality.

6. Callback reminders

If you miss a call it might not be convenient for you to call back immediately, but you don’t have to manually write out a reminder to do so. Instead, you can set a reminder directly from the Calls screen of the phone app.

Just swipe right across the log of the call you missed (or of any other call for that matter), and tap the picture of a clock. Then, it will give you options to set a callback reminder for an hour’s time, for tonight, for tomorrow, or you can tap ‘Remind Me Later’ and set a reminder for any other time.

7. Lock and hide apps

You probably already have Face ID set up so no one but you can unlock your iPhone, but what about if you let someone else use the phone but don’t want them to access specific apps?

For that, you can just long press the app icon on the home screen, and then tap ‘Require Face ID’. Once done, the app will then require Face ID to open.

If you want to go a step further, then after initially tapping ‘Require Face ID’ there’s also a ‘Hide and Require Face ID’ option, which means that not only will it need Face ID to open, it also won’t be displayed on the home screen or in the App Library. Instead, you’ll only find it in the Hidden Apps folder and in your phone’s Settings menu.

Hiding the app like this means you won’t get notifications from it either, so it’s a drastic step, but it does ensure the app is truly hidden.

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AirTag, one of the most popular tracking tags, is getting a major update that somehow manages to not change the size, shape, or even price. The next-generation AirTags have better finding range, louder speakers, and even a more recognizable chime, all of which could make their ability to help you track and find lost and misplaced items (or people) better than ever.

The new AirTags (oddly not called "AirTags 2"), which look exactly like the old tags and work with all existing accessories, arrived today on Apple's online store and will arrive at retail stores later this week. Inside is the same second-generation Ultrawideband chip Apple introduced with the iPhone 15 and Apple Series 9.

The chip significantly enhances precision-finding capabilities, making it easier to detect the new AirTag at distances 1.5x further away than the previous AirTag. This means that when you're using your iPhone to find, say, where in or around your house you left your wallet, the AirTag-toting device will appear on your phone, guiding you to the AirTag that much sooner.

Now, though, you can also use your Apple Watch – Series 9 or higher, or Ultra 2 – to find the updated AirTag using visuals and haptic feedback that should be recognizable to anyone who has used their phone to find a lost AirTag.

You'll hear it now

In addition to a better range, the new AirTag is louder with reengineered speakers that Apple claims are 50% louder. A new Bluetooth chip also means that the AirTag can be activated to make a noise from a greater distance. Plus, the chime they make has been updated and is now more recognizable.

AirTags can help you find items that are far away from you by connecting to the wider Apple user network (without delivering any personalized information to you). And they can work with 36 different airlines, which will help you find your lost AirTagged luggage (you share a link with them). Apple plans to add another 15 airline partners soon, bringing the total to 50.

Not everything is different

For all these changes, there's a lot about the new AirTags that remains the same. As noted, the $29 / £29 / AU$49 per AirTag price ($99 / £99 / AU$165 for a pack of four) is the same. Nothing about the battery or how you replace it has changed. It's still powered by a standard CR2032 battery, and Apple is claiming over a year of battery life.

In addition, all privacy settings and controls remain unchanged. iOS and Android devices will still alert you to an unknown AirTag tracking with you. AirTags separated from their owners for an extended period will also emit a noise. Plus, found unknown AirTags can be disabled: you tap the AirTag with your phone, and it guides you through the steps.

This is the first major update for AirTags in years, and since they launched in 2021, they've seen increasing competition from Tile, Samsung, Moto, and others. Apple doesn't release how many AirTags are out there, and we wonder how often people remember to change the batteries (even if it is only once a year) and how many are just inert discs sitting at the bottom of a backpack. Yes, this is a gentle reminder to check the charge on your tags.

Even so, the peace of mind that comes with tracking wallets, backpacks, and especially luggage is hard to beat. When an airline loses your bags, an AirTag or a tag like it may be the only surefire way to find them, and now, with better range and louder tones, the chances of retrieval are even better.

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That’s finally starting to change, however, as Apple and Google have entered into a long-term partnership where Siri will be powered by Gemini.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple could reveal its long-awaited Gemini-powered Siri upgrade as soon as February 2026 (next month), and that could mean huge things for the iPhone in a year where the Cupertino-based company looks to revolutionize its smartphone lineup with more powerful products and maybe even a foldable screen.

As someone who’s used Gemini on Android for months now, this is genuinely exciting. But confirmation alone isn’t enough. If Apple wants this to be the Siri reset iPhone users have been waiting for, here are five things I really want to see when it finally arrives.

1. A Siri that can actually hold a conversation

Right now, Siri still feels transactional. You ask a question, you get an answer, and the conversation ends. Ask a follow-up, and it’s a coin toss whether Siri remembers what you were talking about in the first place.

If Apple is plugging Gemini into Siri, that has to change. Gemini already handles conversational context well. It understands follow-ups, clarifications, and vague human language without needing you to repeat yourself like a robot.

If I ask for restaurant recommendations and then say “book the second one,” Siri should just get it. In 2026, with AI assistants capable of booking flights a reality, this should be the bare minimum for a Gemini-powered Siri.

2. Real help with real tasks

Siri has always been fine at trivia and timers, and while that was enough in 2011, it's not anymore.

A Gemini-powered Siri should help you do things, not just answer questions you could simply use Google Search for. Planning trips, summarizing emails, organizing your day, and making sense of information across apps should all be on the table, and I genuinely think that's the absolute minimum.

Gemini already does this in apps like Gmail, which is why my expectations are high. If Siri can’t help me plan a weekend away using my calendar, messages, and location data, then something’s gone wrong.

This is Apple’s chance to turn Siri into a genuine personal assistant, and I'm hoping once Gemini enters the fray, it'll just be the beginning of a Google AI-powered iPhone capable of streamlining my life.

3. Intelligence without ignoring privacy

Apple leaning on Google for AI will understandably make some people nervous. Privacy is still Apple’s biggest selling point, and it cannot afford to fumble that trust now, especially when it's the main reason the company has gotten away with being behind in the AI race for so long.

The good news is Apple has already laid the groundwork with on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute. The Gemini-powered Siri needs to feel just as safe with clear explanations of what data is used, when it leaves your device, and how it’s protected.

The experience should feel private by default, not something you need to opt out of, and if Apple gets this right, it could end up being the most privacy-conscious AI assistant on the market.

4. Memory, memory, memory

In my opinion, memory is one of the most important features of any AI chatbot, and if you live in the UK like me, you'll know Google still hasn't fully launched Gemini's memory functionality across the pond.

I'm hoping Apple's Gemini-powered Siri can remember everything I do on my device while still operating within Apple's industry-leading privacy bubble.

I know I've mentioned memory across multiple sections in this article, but I truly believe Apple could win the hearts of every AI-sceptic if it were able to create the ultimate personal assistant in your pocket - one that's capable of remembering where you had breakfast, when your next meeting is, and what the last movie you saw at the cinema was.

Apple can play into its privacy-first approach to make AI memory impressive rather than creepy, and if it does, I'll be convinced about Apple Intelligence again.

5. Siri that finally understands the Apple ecosystem

Siri never actually feels connected to your experience on an Apple device. For years, it has just been an extra on top of iOS or iPadOS, which often feels like a gimmick more than a useful tool.

A Gemini-powered Siri should understand that your iPhone, Mac, iPad, Watch, and Apple TV are all part of the same life. Context should carry over between devices, and everything should sync seamlessly.

If I start a conversation on my iPhone, I should be able to continue it on my Mac without starting from scratch. If Siri knows what I’m doing on one device, it should use that knowledge on another.

This is where Apple can really shine. No one else controls hardware, software, and services the way Apple does. A smarter Siri should finally bring all of that together.

The Siri we've been waiting for is just around the corner

Apple confirming a Gemini-powered Siri is a big deal, but it’s also an admission that the company needs to do better. Apple knows it fell behind, but 2026 could be the year it rectifies the wrongs.

If Apple nails these five things, Siri could go from being a punchline to being one of the best AI assistants you can use. Not because it’s the flashiest, but because it’s the most useful in everyday life.

After years of waiting, iPhone users deserve nothing less.

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If you’re anything like me then you’re probably familiar with lying awake in bed, mind buzzing, and thoughts coming to you when you’d rather be sleeping. That’s annoying enough in itself, but it’s even worse when you feel compelled to use your phone to record those thoughts – further staving off sleep by looking at its lit up screen. But it doesn’t have to be like that.

As spotted by XDA Developers, Ansh Trivedi has used a Raspberry Pi to create what they call a ‘Thought Catcher’, also known as the TC-01. It’s a device that you place by your bed, and if a thought comes to you, then you can press a button on it and speak to record the thought.

Press the button again when you’re done speaking, and whatever you said will be transcribed by the AI-powered Whisper.cpp service, and sent to Notion, with a beep letting you know that’s been achieved.

Get some screen-free sleep

So there’s no need to reach for your phone, and therefore one less reason to even keep your phone by your bed, which is ideal if you tend to reach for it at night – be that to record a thought or browse social media – when you’d rather not.

When you wake up in the morning, you’ll then find those thoughts in a Notion database, categorized as an ‘idea’, ‘task’, or ‘note’, complete with a summary-style title, relevant keywords, a timestamp for when the note was captured, and – if it’s a task – an urgency level assigned to it, as you can see in the image below.

Of course, this being Raspberry Pi-based, you’d have to make it yourself, much like Trivedi has done. And as well as the Raspberry Pi itself, it also requires a physical button, a microphone, and a buzzer – plus Python code to configure it.

It’s also something that Trivedi is still working on, so future versions may be improved. The full details of how to make this haven’t been released either, but Trivedi says they’ll share that if there’s interest.

It certainly sounds like an appealing device though – especially if a smaller version of it can be produced. Then after that I’ll just need a waterproof one I can use in the shower, as that’s the other time when thoughts tend to come to me.

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The 6.6-inch NexPhone runs Android, as well as desktop Linux and Windows 11. As was made clear when we interviewed the CEO of the maker Nex Computer, it's essentially trying to bridge the gap between the phone and the PC by turning that phone into a computer.

So, it's a phone that can be a phone (obviously), but it can also boot a desktop OS and effectively be a computer, either running that environment on the small phone display – with tweaks so the OS works better here – or more ideally, connected to an external monitor of some kind, with Windows or Linux depicted in its full glory.

It's not a new idea, but the way it's done here is very remarkable. You can boot to Android or to Linux (Debian) and still access all your files on the Android system. Or you can go in another direction entirely, and boot Windows 11 (without Android file access, mind) – but this isn't some cut-down flavor of Microsoft's desktop OS. This is full-blown Windows 11.

Why am I so stoked about this prospect? Well, firstly, it's just really cool to think you can have your Windows 11 setup accessible on your phone, to the point that it's just a matter of plugging in the handset to a monitor, and away you go (with some additional input peripherals, naturally).

You'll be able to run all your Office apps on the NexPhone when it's acting as your Windows 11 PC and carry out other basic computing tasks. I've seen people worried that the admittedly somewhat old mid-range ARM mobile CPU (it goes back half a decade or so) might struggle running Windows 11, but based on YouTube footage of the device in action, which has been aired this week, it seems like the OS should work fine with the basics.

Of course, you won't be able to do anything remotely demanding – but for emails, browsing, dipping into Office, and so on, it all looks relatively okay in performance terms. There's 12GB of RAM backing up the Qualcomm CPU, incidentally, which should be enough. It's also worth noting that the CPU has been picked for its long-term support, with 10 years of that in the pipeline, a comforting prospect.

Money talks

The second thing that excites me about the NexPhone is its potential to save people money. While it's more targeted as a secondary phone, or work smartphone (it's a rugged model, incidentally), I can see a market for this later in 2026 for people who are priced out of buying a PC, perhaps.

We've got the RAM crisis, of course, and SSD prices are also heading skywards, so it's no secret that PCs are going to become a good deal more expensive this year. Indeed, these price hikes are widely predicted to get even worse before the situation improves (or even stabilizes), and the reality is that some folks may need to buy a new computer in 2026, but may not be able to afford one. Even though their current PC may be in dire need of replacement and on its very last legs.

If they're also mulling a new (affordable) phone in the near future, the NexPhone could be a tempting middle ground that gives them entry to both worlds. The $549 price will effectively secure two devices: a new mid-range smartphone and a Windows 11 (or Linux) PC. That could seem quite the bargain in a time of spiralling prices (RAM has got truly ridiculous now).

For this niche set of buyers, the NexPhone could be a way to sidestep this whole PC pricing nightmare. It's your phone, it's your PC, and if you get (or already have) a portable display (and Bluetooth keyboard), it could be your laptop, too.

Just scratching the Surface

The final reason the NexPhone is a truly intriguing development is not the device itself, but what it points to in the future. Now this hardware exists – and if the reality of how useful it seems actually pans out, it'll surely pave the way for others to make similar devices.

Even if performance does feel a bit wonky with the Windows 11 side of the equation on the NexPhone, which is one of the main points of skepticism – that and 'who wants Microslop Copilot on a phone' (just use the Linux desktop, then) – a beefier version of such a phone can remedy that.

Further to that, here's another thought: maybe this could prompt Microsoft to consider creating its own higher-end version of this concept? I may be wrong, but I've got a feeling the NexPhone could be a very important step forward in terms of bringing together the worlds of mobile and desktop computing, which, one way or another, is going to be the future.

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The deal in question is a four-phones-for-free promotion on the carrier's Welcome Unlimited plan. Essentially, you can bundle together four Galaxy S25 on an entry-level unlimited plan that costs just $100/mo – or, just $25/mo per line.

Unlike previous similar promotions, no trade-ins are needed to be eligible here, so it's a very, very strong option for families or multi-line users looking to squeeze out some value without having to hand over old devices.

And, if this particular deal rings a bell, it's because it's a promotion that was originally featured at the carrier back in November of last year as part of Verizon's Black Friday event. Back then, it was one of the highlights of the entire sale, so this is definitely a good opportunity to pick up a few devices on a cheap plan before the Galaxy S26 range hits the shelves.

Today's best Galaxy S25 deal at Verizon

• See more: check out all of today's deals at Verizon

Should I wait until the Galaxy S26?

So far, all the latest rumors for the upcoming Galaxy S26 series point to another iterative upgrade, rather than a major one. It's also likely that the series will arrive a little later in February, which again might be another reason to just opt for a cheaper Galaxy S25 right now.

When the Galaxy S26 lands, I don't expect Verizon or any of the big carriers to offer deals in a similar vein to the one showcased above. They usually wait a few months before doing the big multi-device deals, instead opting for more conservative trade-in rebates. We could see the Galaxy S26 available for free without a trade-in, but that will likely be on one of the pricier plans, not the more budget-friendly Welcome Unlimited plan or similar.

It looks as though one of the features that Google has so far kept as an exclusive for its own Pixel phones could be making its way to one of the best Samsung phones of 2026: the Galaxy S26 series is rumored to be getting the AI-powered Scam Detection alerts that warn users about scams in real time.

The Android Authority team has found code hidden away in the latest version of the Google Phone app that mentions some new smartphone model numbers – numbers that match up with the Galaxy S26, the Galaxy S26 Plus, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

These model numbers appear alongside references to various Pixel phones, and "Sharpie", which is the internal codename Google uses for Scam Detection. Join the dots and it seems as though the feature will be appearing on the Samsung Galaxy S26 series when these phones launch (probably next month).

Nothing is certain yet though, and there is one problem to note: Samsung phones have their own Samsung Phone app installed by default, rather than the Google one. It's possible that the Google version will be the default one going forward, or that the Samsung equivalent will itself adopt the Scam Detection tech.

Stay safe

Scam Detection is one of those features that shows just how useful AI can be: it looks for patterns that match up with known scams, and warns you if someone might be trying to trick you. It works across phone calls and text messages, with everything running on your phone and nothing sent back to Google.

Once you enable Scam Detection (it's actually off by default), it'll monitor calls and text messages with people who aren't already saved in your contacts list – so you won't suddenly find that one of your parents is labeled a scam threat.

The feature is available on the Google Pixel 6 and later in the US, and on the Pixel 9 and later (excluding the Google Pixel 9a) in Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, and the UK. In the case of the most recent handsets, the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 series of phones, the functionality is powered by the Gemini Nano model.

Google doesn't promise a 100% success rate with Scam Detection, but it just might prevent you from being tricked out of some money or personal data. This adds to the long list of rumors and leaks that have appeared for the Galaxy S26 so far – and we've rated all the major ones in terms of how likely we think they are to be accurate.

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Leaks suggest the event will occur on February 25, and while that date isn’t yet confirmed, we’d expect it in the first couple of months of the year based on past form.

Thanks to other leaks and rumors, we also have a good idea of what to expect at this event, so below, you’ll find everything we’re expecting at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026 – along with the significant things we probably won’t see.

1. The Samsung Galaxy S26

Samsung always uses its early-year Unpacked to launch new Galaxy S models, so of course, we’re fully expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy S26 here.

Leaks suggest this will have broadly similar specs to the Samsung Galaxy S25, but with a more powerful chipset (likely a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5), a higher capacity 4,300mAh battery, and magnetic wireless charging.

It may also benefit from a boosted 12MP telephoto camera and a slightly larger 6.3-inch screen, and it could start at 256GB of storage rather than the 128GB of its predecessor.

2. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus is expected to land alongside the Samsung Galaxy S26, and it will probably be a lot like its predecessor – in fact, it might even have fewer upgrades than the Samsung Galaxy S26, as leaks suggest there will be no change to its battery capacity or screen size.

That aside, the same assortment of potential upgrades as for the S26 has been assumed, including a more powerful chipset, with the most likely candidate being the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 – though some sources suggest the Exynos 2600 will be used in at least some regions.

It might also have magnetic wireless charging and a 12MP telephoto camera, replacing the 10MP sensor on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus.

3. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will likely be the star of the upcoming Unpacked event, as it will be the top-end model in the Samsung Galaxy S26 series.

Upgrades might again be relatively minor, though, headlined by a new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

Beyond that, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is rumored to offer a charging upgrade to 60W, possibly replacing 45W, and, like its siblings, it could also support magnetic wireless charging. The battery might be boosted too – sources disagree on this, though - but it could be in the region of 5,200mAh–5,400mAh, rather than the 5,000mAh of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

It might also have a larger vapor chamber, a ‘Privacy Display’ feature that prevents snoopers from seeing what's on the screen, and possibly some minor camera upgrades, including a 12MP telephoto in place of its predecessor’s 10MP one, and perhaps a new lens and a larger sensor for its 200MP main camera.

4. The Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold

The Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold has already been announced, but it’s not widely available yet. We know Samsung plans to start selling it in the US sometime early this year, so announcing its release date and pricing at Unpacked would make sense.

We’re a lot less sure that we’ll see this than the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, though, because while its appearance and those details being outlined would make sense, it’s not something we’ve specifically heard rumored.

5. New AI features

The whole world is obsessed with AI right now, and there’s a high chance Samsung will take this opportunity to unveil some new AI features of its own – likely ones that will ship with the Samsung Galaxy S26 series.

We’ve heard, for example, that Samsung might partner with Perplexity to give its Bixby assistant a boost, and signs of that have already been spotted in beta versions of Samsung’s upcoming software, so there’s a good chance some of these capabilities will be shown off at Unpacked.

What we probably won’t see

While there could be quite a lot on show at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026, there are also various things that we’re not expecting to see.

This includes the Samsung Galaxy S26 Edge, which was once thought to replace the Galaxy S26 Plus but has now seemingly been canceled or delayed, depending on which sources you believe.

We also doubt we’ll see the Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 here, and leaks suggest this might not launch at all.

As for new foldables and smartwatches, we don’t typically get those this early in the year, and there’s no sign of 2026 being an exception, but we expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 series in or around July.

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The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is likely to be the first major flagship phone launch of the year, with these phones expected to land in late February.

As usual with Samsung flagships, there’s a lot of hype – and that means there have also been a lot of leaks and rumors, but some of the things we’ve heard sound a lot more likely than others.

So below, I’ve detailed and rated the seven biggest Samsung Galaxy S26 series rumors, assessing how likely I think they are to be correct.

1. A privacy display

One of the more intriguing possible additions we’ve heard about is that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra might have a ‘Privacy Display’. This would essentially work like a privacy screen protector, making it hard to see what’s on the screen unless viewed front-on, so people around you can’t see what you’re looking at.

This feature has been leaked multiple times and it could be a great way for the Galaxy S26 Ultra to stand out from rival phones, as it’s a bit unusual.

Being so unusual I’d usually take this sort of thing with a pinch of salt, but in fact Samsung has already shown off a technology capable of this, and while the company hasn’t officially confirmed that it’s coming to the Galaxy S26 series, 9to5Google spotted a Privacy Display toggle in a screenshot shared by Samsung itself, so I’m now almost certain this will be coming to at least some S26 models – with the S26 Ultra being the most likely.

• Likelihood: 9/10

2. A higher price

There have been conflicting reports on whether the Samsung Galaxy S26 series will cost more than the Galaxy S25 line, so it’s hard to be sure based on the leaks and rumors so far.

However, given that memory prices are soaring it’s hard to imagine that a price rise would be avoided. But the good news at least is that most leaks that point to a price rise suggest it won’t be a very substantial one – so you likely will have to pay more, but hopefully not too much more.

• Likelihood: 7/10

3. A Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset for every model

We’ve also heard conflicting reports on what chipset the Samsung Galaxy S26 series will use. Some say we’ll get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while others suggest a mix of that and Exynos 2600 units will be used.

It’s likely – based both on leaks and past form – that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will have a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, but there’s more of a question mark over the other models, especially as Samsung often uses a mix of Snapdragon and Exynos.

However, recent leaks suggest that only South Korean models will get an Exynos chipset, with Snapdragon used everywhere else for every S26 model. So with this being a more recent claim than other leaks – and it fitting with Samsung’s approach to the S25, I’m guessing that’s probably what will happen.

Either way though, these are both top-end chipsets, so you should get great performance regardless.

• Likelihood: 6/10

4. Magnetic wireless charging

There have been numerous signs that the Samsung Galaxy S26 series might support magnetic wireless charging, a bit like the MagSafe system on iPhones.

This includes leaks around various magnetic accessories that could be offered for the phones and a diagram that appears to show a magnetic ring on the back of the Galaxy S26.

While there are enough leaks now that we’re fairly sure some magnetic accessories will be sold, it’s possible that these will require the S26 to be in a case with magnets rather than it having magnets of its own, much like accessories you’ll find for the Samsung Galaxy S25.

So it’s slightly less clear whether the phones themselves will have magnets, but several sources have suggested they will, so I’m cautiously optimistic.

• Likelihood: 7/10

5. A variable camera aperture

Among the more unlikely leaks is a claim that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could have a variable aperture for its main camera.

This would mean you could choose between a wider aperture to let more light hit the sensor in dim conditions or to create a blurred background, and a narrow aperture for sharper images in bright light.

It would be a nice – if niche – feature, and it’s actually one Samsung tried before with the Galaxy S9. But as we’ve only heard this from one tipster – and as they haven’t reiterated the claim since first making it almost a year ago – I doubt this is something we’ll see.

• Likelihood: 3/10

6. Bigger batteries

While the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus will probably have the same capacity battery as its predecessor, both the base Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be in for a boost.

Specifically, leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy S26 might have a 4,300mAh battery (up from 4,000mAh in the Galaxy S25), and the Galaxy S26 Ultra could have either a 5,200mAh or 5,400mAh battery – which would be up from 5,000mAh in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

That said, some sources disagree about the Ultra's battery, saying that actually it won’t be changing. So of the three phones it looks most likely that the base model will get a battery boost, but the Ultra may well do so as well.

• Likelihood: 8/10 that one model will have a bigger battery, 5/10 that two will

7. 60W charging for the Ultra

Several sources have suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra might have higher power charging than its 45W predecessor, with reputable leaker @UniverseIce in particular pushing this claim.

They say to expect 60W charging, which while still far lower power than, for example, the 120W OnePlus 15, should make a noticeable difference to charging speeds.

With multiple sources having said to expect higher power charging and with at least one of them having reiterated the claim multiple times, I’d think this is a very likely inclusion.

• Likelihood: 8/10

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The Trump Mobile T1 phone, that oddball Android 15 device that inexplicably still has a 3.5mm headphone jack, may finally arrive in customers' hands in March. This, according to a Trump Mobile customer service representative contacted by TechRadar.

That's months later than was originally promised, and it's also not guaranteed. The same rep told us that the $499 phone is in the final stages of certification and field testing. The ship date is based on it passing those tests and achieving that certification, which likely means, at the very least, FCC licenses for use in the US.

The news follows an already somewhat checkered past for the Trump Mobile T1 phone. It was initially promised that it would be made in the USA. However, practical considerations, like the fact that the majority of smartphone components are still made outside the US, made this virtually impossible.

The site quietly changed the language to: "American-Proud Design: The T1^SM Phone isn’t just powerful—it’s brought to life right here in the USA. With American hands behind every device, we bring care, precision, and trusted quality to every detail."

That kind of fuzzy language skirts actual development, components, and even building, but manages to put the US at the center of the operation.

Back in June, Trump Mobile started collecting $100 per rose gold handset for preorders, but since then, it has been silent on its development and delivery. The carrier is apparently selling its "The 47 Plan" cell service, which can be used on other smartphones like the renewed Samsung Galaxy S24 and the renewed iPhone 14 or iPhone 15, currently on sale through the site.

By the time the 6.25-inch T1 does ship, it will be just a few months before Google unveils what is expected to be Android 17. An Android 15 T1 might soon seem like an antique. With so little information about the components, especially the mobile CPU, it's unclear how well the T1 will support Android 17. There's also no indication that it will have any AI capabilities.

Analysis: A bigly problem?

If and when the T1 does ship, it could be met with a big, "meh." When we've asked on social media about the phone, we've received little response. This is no iPhone, Galaxy, or Pixel. Its chief appeal might be if you really like faux gold or are a fan of the current US President. In fact, this may be the first phone that has a required alignment with a particular political ideology.

Smartphones are generally not political devices, even if the machinations behind the components and rare-earth minerals required to create them can sometimes be so (see a certain someone's pursuit of Greenland). So, the T1 is an unusual smartphone that may be hamstrung in the US, where a large portion of the possible market will dismiss it out of hand because of branding and political affiliation.

President Trump is not, by the way, directly affiliated with Trump Mobile, despite the name and his well-known MAGA motto appearing on the phone's apparent lock screen. Still, if the phone doesn't ship or, worse, it ships and is a terrible phone, that may reflect on him in some way, anyway.

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Phones Editor Axel Metz mentioned he mostly turns off the Apple Intelligence features on his iPhone, while freelancer James Rogerson hasn’t been overly complimentary about the AI features on iOS.

As for me, I keep them on, but can’t say I’ve been blown away with what’s on offer. Notification summaries aren’t particularly accurate or clear, the Intelligence option in Camera Control can be hit and miss, and I just don’t really find myself using Siri.

So now it’s over to you, dear readers: I want simply want to know via the poll below if you use Apple Intelligence, whether that’s on an iPhone, iPad or MacBook. And if you have more thoughts, please head to the comments below and let me know what you like or dislike about Apple Intelligence.

In general, I still think it’s early days for Apple Intelligence and that Cupertino fumbled its launch but is at least slowly improving it. I can’t say I’m super excited at what’s next for it, but I won’t quite fully dismiss its future potential right away.

Equally, I think Apple will need to put of a good show at WWDC this year to really win back some favor for Apple Intelligence. Of course, that’s some time away so right now we’ll have to rely on any iOS 26 updates and AI improvements.

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So there’s a while to wait before it’s in any way official, but we already have some idea of what to expect, based on leaks and rumors. And while iOS 26 included a major visual overhaul, it so far seems like iOS 27 will be far more focused on AI than on interface changes.

So below, we’ve listed five of the biggest possible upgrades we’ve heard of so far – most, but not all of them, are AI related.

1. The all-new Siri

The biggest update we’re expecting in iOS 27 is the overhauled, all-new version of Siri, powered by Google Gemini. Parts of this might arrive in iOS 26.4, but we’re expecting the complete version will land in iOS 27.

That’s when reputable Apple watcher Mark Gurman says we’ll get it anyway, claiming that Siri will get smarter in iOS 26.4, but that it will have a whole new, chatbot-like interface in iOS 27, making it look and feel more like ChatGPT than the current Siri we all know and tolerate.

This new Siri should of course be more conversational and more intelligent, but it will also apparently have new skills, like being able to analyze on-screen content and tap into your personal data, so it can provide far more personalized and relevant assistance.

2. Apple Health+

Along with Siri’s big AI overhaul, we’ve been hearing for a while that Apple might give its Health app a major refresh – complete with a new AI-powered and subscription based ‘Health+’ service, and that this might land as part of iOS 27.

This will reportedly include a chatbot – much like the overhauled Siri – but one that’s specifically focused on providing health insights.

Whether this will be useful or just gimmicky remains to be seen, but if it can go beyond the basic data and provide actionable insights then it could prove a handy tool.

3. Satellite connectivity upgrades

Various satellite connectivity upgrades are reportedly in the works, and at least some of these are likely to land with iOS 27.

The biggest of these is perhaps allowing for 5G satellite connections, though it’s possible this feature would be exclusive to the iPhone 18 series – or even just the iPhone 18 Pro models.

We’re also hearing that Apple is working on satellite-powered maps in Apple Maps, and that the company might allow image sharing over a satellite connection, as well as releasing a satellite API for third-party app developers to use with their apps.

If these features are added, it could mean you’d have fast connectivity across various apps and services almost anywhere on Earth.

4. An AI-powered calendar app

In a post on X, the ever-reliable Mark Gurman claimed that Apple was working on AI-powered calendars for iOS 27.

We don’t know much about this yet, but it sounds like this would be a revamp to the existing calendar app, likely with deeper integration with the upcoming Siri overhaul.

5. Performance improvements

From what we’ve heard so far, there might not be many truly new features in iOS 27 beyond those detailed above, but what there will apparently be are improvements to the "quality and underlying performance".

This again comes from Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg, who compared this update to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in that the focus will be more on polish than new additions.

So that’s likely to mean fixing bugs, removing bloat, and making the operating system as fast, smooth, and intuitive as possible.

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But no operating system is perfect – if it was, then there would be no need for the major new iOS versions we see every year.

There are always improvements to be made, but with this article, I’m thinking not so much about small tweaks and optimizations, as bigger, more daring, or simply more innovative changes that I’d like to see brought to iOS.

Some of these are likely limited by current technology, though hopefully won’t be for long, while others would simply take Apple choosing to incorporate them. But everything I’ve listed below could make a big difference to iOS and how you use it.

1. Deep AI integration

So far, Apple is a bit behind on the AI front. Its Apple Intelligence features were later to land than some rivals and still feel a bit underbaked. But that could soon change.

We know for example that Apple is partnering with Google to deliver a Gemini-powered Siri overhaul, which once available later this year, might bring the AI experience on iOS more up to the standards of what you can get on Android.

But hopefully that’s just the start, as what I’d really like to see is AI that’s deeply and intelligently integrated with the whole operating system. An AI agent that can surface what you need, when you need it, offer proactive advice, and maybe even change the whole interface according to your shifting needs.

This would be an AI that can carry out any task on your phone when asked, whether ordering groceries from a shopping app, forwarding concert tickets to a friend, or whatever else. It would work within and across all apps – not just those made by Apple, and importantly it would do a lot of its job without even being asked, by anticipating your needs before you can even voice them.

2. More insightful health and fitness analysis

We’ve heard rumors that Apple’s is planning to launch an AI-powered – and subscription based – Health+ service later this year, which might deliver health advice, food tracking, and nutrition planning. I hope these rumors are true – and that this goes beyond what you’ll find on rival health and fitness tracking services.

What I really want here is genuinely useful, personalized insights and suggestions. Raw data is fine, but telling us what to do with it is where many fitness trackers fall down – they either make no suggestions at all, or their suggestions are obvious, vague, or broad.

What I want from a future version of iOS is for it to give us insights more like what we might get from a personal trainer, a nutritionist, or even a doctor (though of course I wouldn’t recommend relying on any AI or technology over a real doctor).

I want advice and suggestions that are clear enough to be easy to action, personalized enough to make a real difference to our health and fitness, and thoughtful enough that they’re not things we’ve heard a million times before, or figured out on our own.

3. Proper app limits

There’s already a way to limit your use of apps in iOS, with ‘App Limits’ letting you set time limits for how much you can use specific apps – or specific kinds of apps – each day. This can be handy if you’re trying to spend less time on your phone, or simply trying to waste less time in specific apps.

Except, of course, that when you reach that time limit, it only takes a few taps to ignore the limit for the day and keep on scrolling, browsing, posting, or whatever else you were trying to limit yourself on.

So I’d like to see more serious app limits added to a future version of iOS – ones that can’t easily be ignored. I can imagine Apple might be reluctant to add a feature that lets people fully block off certain apps for a period of time, but we’re all adults here, and this could make a serious difference in curbing smartphone addiction.

4. Split screen or picture-in-picture for all apps

iOS already offers picture-in-picture for some apps, but it’s mostly limited to select video streaming and video calling ones, and there’s no true split-screen mode where you can run two apps side-by-side.

Of course, iPhones – even the largest ones like the iPhone 17 Pro Max – are relatively small devices, so this makes some sense. But particularly at that larger size they are just about big enough that this could be a useful multitasking feature, so it’s one I’d like to see, so that – much like on iPad – you can choose to run any two apps next to each other on your phone’s screen.

Technically, even on iPad there are some limitations here, as app developers need to enable the feature, but I’d like to see it offered as standard across all apps in iOS.

5. Complete continuity

Apple devices already offer better continuity than most brands – you can use Handoff to pick up where you left off across Apple devices with certain apps. But this doesn’t work with everything, and you can use iPhone Mirroring to view and interact with your iPhone on your Mac’s display – but this puts it in a tiny iPhone-sized window, and doesn’t work the other way around.

So I want to see even better continuity in a future version of iOS. The dream would be for Handoff to seamlessly work across all apps – even those that aren’t natively available on some Apple devices. With that, there would be no real need for mirroring, as you’d have direct and immediate access to everything you’re doing across every device.

This might not be realistic, but this sort of seamless and complete continuity would definitely be innovative, and would go a long way to keeping users locked into the Apple ecosystem.

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If you thought all phones were starting to feel the same, then you might want to check out 8849 - a brand you probably haven’t heard of, but one that’s quietly been putting all sorts of interesting features in its phones – including projectors.

The Tank X is the latest of these phones, though we’ve previously written about the Tank 4, which has a projector of its own. That one,th hough, is just 100 lumens, while the Tank X’s projector can deliver 220 lumens of brightness.

That’s still just one tenth of what the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 projector for example can manage, but given that the projector here is built into a phone, it’s still fairly bright.

The Tank X also has a massive 17,600mAh battery, which puts even the 10,001mAh Realme P4 Power to shame, and which supports up to 120W charging.

There’s also a 1,200-lumen camping light, a 6.78-inch 1080 x 2460 screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 50MP main camera, a 64MP night vision one, an 8MP 3x telephoto, a 50MP front-facing camera, a mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.

Big, heavy, and niche

With all of that tech packed in this of course isn’t a slim smartphone – in fact it’s positively enormous at 31.9mm thick and 750g. For comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro Max – which is on the large side for a mainstream smartphone – is 8.8mm thick and 233g.

But then the Tank X isn’t intended to be a mainstream smartphone, it’s a niche device designed for use in the wilds – where that camping light, night vision camera, and big battery should come in very handy.

You might wonder about the projector and, well, so do we frankly. Marketing imagery shows the phone placed on a rock and projecting onto an unseen surface. So if you can find a suitable surface this could perhaps be a way to take movie nights on camping trips with you.

But while we’d think this feature would work better indoors than outside, we can see how having access to a projector anywhere and everywhere could prove useful. 8849 keeps making these phones anyway, so someone must be finding a use for them.

If you're one of those people, you'll be able to grab the Tank X from February 1, but pricing hasn't yet been revealed.

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As well as a huge saving, you also get a 45W charger thrown in for free. That guarantees fast charging, so you'll never be left without precious battery juice for long.

The Pixel 9 is known for its fantastic performance, sharp cameras, and long battery life. No wonder we'd consider it one of the best phones around, despite being a previous-gen Pixel. Don't wait around for the Samsung Galaxy S26 and get this excellent budget Android handset right now for a new record-low price.

Today's best Google Pixel deal

In our comprehensive Google Pixel 9 review, we rated the phone a very respectable four out of five stars. We were specifically impressed by its premium finish, amazing cameras, and AI smarts that rival the best. All of this, and more, makes it one of the best Pixel phones and best Android phones around.

If it's great photos and videos that you're looking to capture, then you'll love the camera setup that delivers a 50MP main sensor and a 48MP ultrawide camera with Macro Focus. There are also AI upscaling and editing options that make it an unbelievable tool for making edits after the shot.

It's hard not to go further into the AI features, given how impressive they are. There's Gemini Live for transcribing what you say instead of typing, as well as Pixel Screenshots, which identifies key information from pictures and screenshots and generates summaries about them.

This is a seriously good deal, but the Pixel 9 won't be for everyone. No problem. Continue your search by browsing our guides to the best phone and best camera phone.

Right now, you can use the code SWITCH26 at checkout to get a massive discount of up to $12 per month for an extremely generous 26-month period.

With this deal, you can get the standard Visible plan for $19/mo (was $25), the Visible Plus plan for $26/mo (was $35), or the Visible Plus Pro plan for $33/mo (was $45). These are all some of the lowest prices I've seen for the plan tiers, respectively, which were already excellent value at full retail.

Note that this particular promotion at Visible ends on February 2, so while you've still got over a week to sign up, it won't be available for much longer.

Get a cheap unlimited plan at Visible Wireless

• See more: check out all of today's deals at Visible Wireless

Visible's latest deal is especially great because it gives you plenty of options. Usually, the carrier runs tier-specific promotions, so this is fantastic for the vast majority of users – if they're new customers, that is.

If you're on a budget, then the standard Visible plan is a great option at $19/mo. It's not only cheaper than much of the competition, but still includes unlimited data and mobile hotspot allowance.

If you want an alternative to the feature-laden unlimited plans at the big carriers, then Visible's Plus and Pro Plus plans are also great. Both feature unlimited premium data on the super-speedy Verizon Wideband 5G network, unlimited mobile hotspot allowance, and either HD or 4K streaming. These are the kinds of perks you usually pay top dollar for at the major carriers, so it's doubly impressive to think you can get them for such a low price (for 26 months, at least).

This isn't exactly a revelation: over the past decade, the screen sizes of all smartphones have ballooned. I remember when the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ came out with a 5.7-inch screen, seen as a large screen at the time, yet now they have the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with a 6.9-inch display and a design that pushes the definition of pocketability.

Apple did try to cater to people with smaller hands with the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini, but these got discontinued pretty quickly – seemingly down to poor sales – and now the smallest phone Apple has is the iPhone 16e with a 6.1-inch display.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single big phone maker that offers a smartphone with a display coming in at under six inches, even on the budget side. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola Razr phones do go some way to making foldable phones with a small cover display and footprint when one needs to quickly scan a notification or two, but they aren’t exactly positioned as small phones.

While I doubt people’s hands have gotten bigger on average over the past decade, it seems like a huge number of us simply went with the flow when it came to accepting bigger phones.

However, jumping to the comments of my recent iPhone article, it appears that there is still a cadre of people who bemoan the rise of large phones.

Readers react

“Phones these days are practically phablets, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 6.9 inches is really a mini tablet,” said a commenter with the handle ‘zeino’, echoing a sentiment I somewhat agree with.

“I long for the days of a proper phone, with a 4-inch display (iPhone 5s) that you can pocket without it bulging or making it uncomfortable to sit, and still use one-handed in bed for long reading sessions, thanks to its relatively light weight of 112 grams (under 4oz).”

The commenter went on to theorize how even the iPhone mini with its 5.4-inch display could be considered too large and hence why it didn’t surge in popularity, noting they are now stuck with a first-generation iPhone SE with its 4-inch display in order to have a smaller phone.

Responding to zeino, commenter ‘MrBond007’ noted, “The iPhone 13 mini has a very loyal fanbase. There are still people who look for brand new iPhone 13 minis in 2025. It’s such a shame people overlooked the Mini because it really is an excellent phone, and with devices like MagSafe and portable battery banks, battery life isn’t really that big of an issue like people make it out to be.”

I remember someone on Instagram asking about phones and noting how small their hands are. Yet with no desire to move to Android, they ultimately decided they’d go for a refurbished iPhone 13 mini over newer and more capable Apple phones.

MrBond007 also responded directly to my article, stating: “​​I disagree completely and think anything above ~5.4 inches is too large and hard to use one-handed. iPhones have become way too large over the past 8-10 years (starting with the iPhone 6/6S Plus or whatever it was).

“It’s not just the size that’s the problem, it’s how heavy phones have become as well. A lot of people use their pinky to support their phone, and there are loads of comments online from people saying they get pain in their pinky finger because phones are so heavy now. I mean, the “pop socket” has been invented so people can instead rest their phone on their middle finger when using it, instead, a solution created for a man-made problem.”

Continuing, MrBond007 noted the iPhone 13 mini is the perfect size and how larger phones are “objectively worse” and linked a consumer obsession with size to a similar reason why people chose SUVs over smaller cars, despite being heavier, harder to maneuver, and offering less driving dynamics.

The end of plus size?

While I don’t think larger phones are objectively worse than their smaller predecessors – I’d say that in terms of performance, battery life, and camera arrays, they are definitely better– I do agree in part that there seems to be an accepted sentiment in the phones world that bigger is better without any solid logic.

On my commute, I often see people with smaller hands than mine tap away on plus-sized phones. It’s as if being forced to use a phone two-handed has become the accepted norm, while a few holdouts like myself try to use the 6-inch plus phones one-handed and then see them slip from my grip and dive bomb into the ground.

Despite there seeming to be an appreciation and desire for small phones, those that were on the market didn't seem to sell in big numbers, and mainstream phone makers don’t seem to be considering them; slimmer phones, yes, smaller, no.

Part of me thinks the likes of the iPhone 12 mini came at the wrong time. It arguably arrived when big phones were getting a lot of attention, with Samsung effectively bringing back the Galaxy Note series with Galaxy S22 Ultra and Apple expanding the screen size of its Pro phones. This surely made bigger phones the zeitgeist, with smaller ones and their smaller batteries left as a bit of an afterthought.

But now there’s a feeling we're pushing towards a time where people don’t necessarily want the biggest and best phones to dominate their life, with the idea of limiting screen time and going on digital detoxes being more prevalent; this is something I’m slowly becoming aware of given how easily I find it is to doom scroll on increasingly toxic social media and short attention-grabbing videos.

This is perhaps why we’ve seen people look back at using older phones, and the likes of Phone Writer Jamie Richard extol the virtues of ‘retro’ phones like the iPhone 5s. So maybe now’s the time for phone makers to explore going back to smaller and simpler phones that feel more like tools than time-sucking pocket computers. An early hint at this feeling I have can be seen with the Ikko MindOne Pro, a compact phone revealed at CES 2026 that looks like a slick antidote to ubiquitous big phones.

Of course, I’m lucky as what I’d call a medium phone (6.1 to 6.3 inches) fits my hands. But I’d not be against seeing a fresh slew of small phones that help cut out the ease to dive into social media and streaming, and instead work well enough to send some messages, follow directions on Google Maps, and snap the odd photo.

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Just nine days after Apple partnered with Google to use Google's Gemini models and cloud technology to base its next-generation of Apple Foundation Models, it appears that the AI-powered Siri that the Cupertino-based giant first promised to us all back in 2024 might be coming way, way sooner than any of us thought.

According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the rumor mill is doubling down on the rollout of the AI-powered Siri being released in Spring 2026 – now writing that it’s “planned for iOS 26.4,” which is likely due in the coming weeks or months. Right now, Apple is seeding iOS 26.3 to registered developers and folks enrolled in the public beta program.

The report notes that iOS 26.4 will deliver on the promised features Apple first teased at WWDC 2024 as part of Apple Intelligence – things like Siri having a deeper personal understanding of you, based on what it can see on your screen, and being way smarter. Meaning that it could also pull up topical information in a jiffy, making it a much more impactful and meaningful user experience.

More importantly, though, is the timing here – this report, which comes alongside a rumor that Apple will launch an AI chatbot with iOS 27, one that competes directly with Google Gemini and ChatGPT, notes that this updated Siri wouldn’t likely be possible without the partnership with Google for that foundational base.

The iOS 26.4 version of the AI-powered Siri “will rely on a Google-developed system internally known as Apple Foundation Models version 10,” the report reads before noting it operates at 1.2 trillion parameters.

Clearly, access to Gemini models to build and stand Apple’s own Foundational Models on top has sped things up and might mean that Apple will be able to deliver on the smarter, more personal Siri it’s been promising for a long time, much sooner, rather than later.

As for when iOS 26.4 will arrive, it’s likely in the Spring, after the start of March and before the end of May. Meaning it would likely arrive before WWDC 2026, which is expected in June.

Of course, Apple could save this news for a bit of consumer buzz at WWDC and ship 26.4 to all users with an Apple Intelligence capable device, and thus the access to the new Siri, right after the keynote wraps.

It would be a surprise-and-delight moment, but would also push aside the usual public beta and developer testing periods. Either way, though, with Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude all pushing what we’ve come to expect from AI tools and many of them becoming more personal, we’ll have to wait and see if Apple’s actually smarter Siri is worth the wait, and how it prepares us for the other big rumor: a Siri chatbot inside iOS 27.

Time will tell, but Siri’s major upgrade is still a long time coming.

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To say this is a possible about-face is an understnatment and it's just one piece of the whirlwind that is apparently now Siri development.

Remember that pledge to deliver in early 2026 the Apple Intelligence Siri we were promised almost two years ago? That's apparently still happening, Gurman claims, via an iOS 26.4 update. If so, Siri will, with your permission, be able to see your screen, understand your actions in apps and other systems, becoming a more proactive and smarter assistant.

It's unclear if that ability is still what Apple meant when it announced earlier this month that it would use Google Gemini models to build its Foundation Models and enable the promised Siri. The only reason to doubt that iOS 26.4 will contain that is the timeline.

For Apple to deliver that update by late May (before it unveils iOS 27 in June), it probably must have been working with Google since late last year. Again, Apple is not commenting, so we have no insight into the development process.

Siri, we have questions

What will power this potential Siri AI chatbot is also a question mark. Will it still be tapping into Gemini foundation models and therefore be more or less a skin for Gemini? That seems unlikely, or at least too much of an admission by Apple that it was never up to the task.

But Gurman claims that not only will the iOS 26.4 update use those promised Gemini models (albeit built into Apple's Foundation Models), but the chatbot update (currently called Project Campos, per Gurman) will also rely in part on fresher, more powerful Gemini models and even use Google cloud servers.

That last bit sounds bonkers because it erases the security promise of Apple's Private Compute Cloud. Sure, since iOS 18, it's transparently sent some queries to either ChatGPT or Google, but to send potentially all Siri Chatbot prompts there is tantamount to abandoning a core privacy promise.

The problem with this Gurman theory is that it contradicts what Federighi told me almost a year ago at WWDC 2025 when we asked about what happened to the development of that long-promised Siri update.

"This wasn't about just building a chatbot," said Federighi last year, adding. "...That was never the goal, and it remains not our primary goal."

A hint of truth

So who are we to believe? Gurman or Apple executives. To be fair to Gurman, the only recent comment we have from Apple is that they are partnering with Google (Gurman claims it's for a $1 billion-a-year price tag, paid to Google). So it stands to reason that there is some truth here.

I agree with Apple that Google's Gemini provides some of the best models, and it is clear that Apple can't get there on its own, but the handing of privacy keys to a chief computer, one who already rules so much of our data, looks pretty anti-Apple. That's why I'll take all these rumors with a massive helping of salt and await Apple's next big AI reveal.

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Arguably, no one did it better than Blackberry, and I was on my final Blackberry Storm when I made the switch to the iPhone 4. What followed were weeks, if not months, of me retraining my digits to type on imaginary keys, and not send friends and coworkers absolute gibberish.

I wasn't alone in this, and for a time, many steadfastly clung to their Blackberries, Samsung Galaxy with slide-out keyboard phones running Windows Mobile, and Palm Pre handsets (and to this day, I miss Nokia's wild feature phones and their old T9 keyboards). The writing was on the wall for physical keyboards, however, and ultimately, all flagship smartphones turned into flat panes of glass.

Those born after 2005 and coming up in the age of AI likely have no memory of those old phones, and their almost clicky keyboards.

Somehow, though, the hardware-based smartphone keyboard is making a comeback – or at least a whole lot of buzz. At CES, I saw Clicks Communicator and Clicks Power Keyboard. The latter is a Magsafe-ready powerbrick and physical keyboard add-on for iPhones, and it reminds me a bit of Ryan Seacrest's ill-fated Typo keyboard case, which was just a tad too similar to Blackberry's keyboard for, well, Blackberry's taste.

The Clicks Power Keyboard also reminds me of a Blackberry keyboard; but with its ability to work with your iPhone, whether it's in portrait or landscape mode, it's clearly more versatile.

Even more interesting is the Clicks Communicator, a self-contained Android 16 phone with a smallish full-color screen and an ample keyboard – that's the one that's really turned people on. Now, in short order, they have another keyboard phone to consider, the Titan 2 Elite from Unihertz. Where the Clicks Communicator at least tries a more distinctive pill-shaped key design, Unihertz looks a lot like the iconic Blackberry Keyboard; somewhere, a patent lawyer is smiling.

I'm wondering: why this sudden fascination with hardware smartphone keyboards.

After all, Gen Z and Gen Alpha – the key market demographic at the dawn of the smartphone age – didn't grow up didn't grow up using physical keys. Even their laptop keyboard keys barely move. That said, those generations are obsessed with nostalgia and lo-fi tech. They like vinyl albums, tiny keychain cameras, film, retro game consoles, and even meet-cutes instead of Tinder.

It's not just them, though. I've spoken to colleagues and contemporaries who are excited to own a Clicks Communicator. Even the guy who helped birth the product, MrMobile (A.K.A. Michael Fischer) has some flecks of gray in his hair.

Looking at you, Apple

If I had to choose a culprit for this wave of excitement over pressing physical keys to control a modern mobile OS, it would have to be Apple. Why is it, I wonder, that after nearly 20 generations of iPhones and iOS, I am worse at typing on the iPhone's keyboard than ever?

Its predictive capabilities are often awful, and it doesn't seem to be able to use AI to understand the intention of my fingers. I spend more time trying to fix my texting and email typos than I do composing messages.

I feel I'm not alone in this. I hear complaints about iOS 26 being buggy, and some of those center around the keyboard. Apple has not made the keyboard better – and I'm sorry, but QuickPath does not cut it for me.

I've done a fair amount of typing on Android, too, and it's better, but not by much.

If Apple, Google, Samsung, and others can't fix typing on in-screen keyboards, they may face a wave of defections to Clicks Communicator and other hardware keyboard alternatives.

There is another scenario, though. This could be a blip; momentary and short-lived nostalgia for typing days gone by. Most of the nostalgia tech waves supported by Gen Z and others do not result in the creation of massive new markets. They make some money, and then people go back to using what everyone else is using.

That may be the case here; but for now, let's bask in the clicky fun of hardware keyboards, and enjoy the moment for as long as it lasts.

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Even better, you also get a $100 Best Buy gift card thrown in for free, meaning you can treat yourself to something else from the retailer at the same time.

To get the discount, you’ll need to trade in a fairly new phone. The best thing to do is play around with the trade-in calculator on the site. Predictably, phones like the latest iPhone 17 will reap the biggest trade-in rebate, so this is a good chance for anyone planning on switching from iOS to Android. However, a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL will also get the full $600 discount.

We called the OnePlus 15 “everything I’d wish for in a phone” and truly loved pretty much everything about it. It has phenomenal battery life, along with a great 50MP main camera, 50MP ultra wide, and a 50MP telephoto lens.

Today’s best Android phone deal

When our phones expert spent time with the device for our OnePlus 15 review, he had so many great things to say about it. He called it “better than perfect”, stating that it “grants every smartphone wish I have and exceeds most expectations.” It has the “best battery life of any smartphone, stellar performance, and top-notch cameras,” making it easily one of the best phones around.

Topping our look at the best Android phones, we struggled to find faults. The only potential issue is that its design is “less flashy than before,” but otherwise, we’re just being picky. Snapping up the best OnePlus phone is a good route to the perfect phone experience for less.

We have plenty of other cell phone deals to look up right now. One highlight could be the many Samsung Galaxy S25 deals currently available so you can save plenty of cash on a great phone.

The tech world was shaken yesterday by a report from Android Headlines that OnePlus was being 'dismantled' by parent company Oppo – but today we have official word that rumours of the demise of OnePlus are wide of the mark.

CEO of OnePlus India, Robin Liu, took to social media (via Android Authority) to say that the company is "operating as usual and will continue to do so". He described the leaks around OnePlus shutting down as "false" and "unsubstantiated".

And here at TechRadar we're very happy to hear it: we've covered the OnePlus brand since it launched its very first phone way back in 2014, and we recently awarded the OnePlus 15, which launched last year, and which sits atop our rankings of the best Android phones, a full five stars out of five.

As you might remember, Oppo and OnePlus merged in 2021, with OnePlus becoming the sub-brand. Since then, we've seen numerous similarities between phones from Oppo and OnePlus (and Realme, which Oppo also owns) – but OnePlus devices remain distinct.

Some questions remain

The original Android Headline report points to several signs that OnePlus operations are winding down, including low levels of phone shipments across the globe, and cutbacks in marketing operations outside of China.

According to analysts, OnePlus phone sales dropped to around 13-14 million in 2024, down from 17 million the year before. Meanwhile, Oppo sales are up across the same period, which might be a reason for the company to shutter OnePlus operations.

There remains some uncertainty over the future of OnePlus outside of China and India. The brand doesn't have any carrier partnerships in the US, for example, and previous leaks have suggested that the OnePlus Open 2 and OnePlus 15s might both have been canceled.

Hopefully, OnePlus continues to operate globally, and offer some much-needed competition to the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Google – its latest flagship is high up in our best smartphones list, and we'd certainly miss the brand if it disappeared.

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However, powering that display can drain a lot of battery life – especially if you’re outdoors or in another environment that requires high brightness.

iPhones are pretty efficient devices, but their batteries are typically a touch smaller than comparable phones from other brands, which means battery-saving tips can be especially useful for Apple users.

Keep scrolling for five simple and easy display settings you can change to extend your iPhone’s battery life.

Turn down the brightness

Turning down your display brightness is a tried-and-tested way to conserve battery life on any phone, including iPhones. It might be a well-known tip, but it’s as true now as it ever was, especially since maximum brightness levels have steadily increased over the years.

Luckily, it’s incredibly easy to turn down your brightness. Just head to the Control Center by swiping down on the top-right corner of the phone’s screen, and pull the slider with a sun icon down to a lower level.

Your phone’s backlight is a major power draw, so keeping brightness low (but still visible enough that you aren’t straining your eyes) is a great way to conserve some battery.

Disable auto-brightness

Turning down your display brightness can get annoying after a while, as your iPhone will automatically adjust brightness based on ambient light.

Luckily, you can head to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size to find and disable the Auto-brightness switch, which stops your iPhone from automatically changing the brightness in response to ambient light levels.

This allows you to have much greater control over your brightness level and means you won’t automatically use more battery power when using your phone in brighter rooms or outdoors.

Low Power Mode

optionsNaturally, Low Power Mode reduces the amount of power your iPhone consumes – and part of the way it does so is by altering the way your display behaves. You’ll see pop-ups with the option to enable low-power mode at 20%, 10%, and 5% battery life, or you can enable it manually in the Control Center.

As well as limiting your iPhone's performance, Low Power Mode dims the screen, reduces the effect of auto-brightness, turns off the display after 30 seconds of inactivity, and, on ProMotion-enabled phones, limits the adaptive refresh rate to 1-60Hz rather than 1-120Hz.

For ProMotion-enabled iPhones, you can manually lock the refresh rate to 60Hz by heading to Settings > Accessibility > Motion and selecting the Frame Rate option.

Reduce the Auto Lock time

You can also manually adjust how long it takes for your iPhone to automatically go to sleep when left inactive, ensuring the screen doesn’t stay on and drain power if you set your phone down without pressing the lock button.

You can find this option in Settings > Display & Brightness, under the Auto Lock menu. As with the brightness slider, this gives you more control over your iPhone’s behavior and allows for a quicker Auto Lock without using Low Power Mode (which also affects phone performance).

Dark Mode

Dark Mode flips the iPhone’s usual bright color scheme, replacing white and lighter colors with black and darker colors in most menus and default UI elements.

This especially reduces power consumption on iPhones with OLED displays, which every iPhone has had since the iPhone X, except the iPhone XR and the base-model iPhone 11. OLED displays don’t illuminate black pixels, which makes Dark Mode a useful way to conserve battery power.

Those using older iPhones with LCD panels may not notice much difference in battery life with Dark Mode switched on, as LCDs illuminate all pixels regardless of color.

To activate Dark Mode, you can either head to the Control Center, hold down the brightness slider, and tap the Dark Mode icon that appears, or head to Settings > Display & Brightness and tap Dark in the Appearance tab.

Hopefully, these five tips can help you get more out of your iPhone’s battery life – and if you’re thinking of picking up a new Apple handset yourself, be sure to check out our guide to the best iPhones.

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While some of you might know about the recording feature on the best iPhones (hidden under the paperclip 'Attachment' icon), you may not realize that since iOS 18, Notes has also been able to automatically transcribe the conversation. Even when conducting a video interview, I'll place the iPhone near my laptop and let it record the audio conversation while I talk freely and don't get too distracted (or distract my subject) by furiously typing.

During in-person interviews, Notes is a great backup for my note-taking, and with Apple Intelligence, it can also quickly produce a summary of the conversation – it recently boiled down a recent 29-minute recording to three paragraphs. That can be useful, though, for my purposes, I need the full conversation so I can find all the juicy quotes.

With all the text available on screen, I can tap any word to jump to that exact moment in the conversation. This is critical since the transcription is not always 100% accurate. And there's another crucial reason for checking the tape.

If Note's transcription capabilities stumble in one significant way, it's in identifying speakers; basically, it does not.

It's a problem when you're interviewing one person, and it's even worse when you have a small group. Obviously, I can always re-listen to the audio and self-label. In fact, this is exactly what I've done when I record with the iPhone's Notes app. It's also why, when I can, I choose a different mobile recording and transcription tool and platform.

Android's free Voice Recorder is available on virtually every modern Android handset, including all the best Google Pixel Phones, Samsung Galaxy S25 line, and the foldables like my Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Not only is the recording generally as accurate, if not moreso than iPhone Notes, but it can identify multiple speakers. Granted, those speakers are not named – they're called "Speaker 1", "Speaker 2", "Speaker 3", and so on – but Voice Recorder keeps it consistent and makes it easier for me to scan the transcription and find key quotes and details from any one of my subjects. Also, like Notes, I can tap on any word to play that part of the recording and verify the transcription and my notes.

Also, like Notes, my Galaxy Z Fold 7 can use Galaxy AI to summarize the recording. It's a more organized and comprehensive summary, at that.

Not everyone has more than one phone, let alone a platform to rely on, and for most people, I bet the iPhone Notes transcription will be good enough. Plus, I fully expect Apple to add subject identification and upgrade its AI summary capabilities in iOS 27. At least I hope they do.

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The promotion is called the Better Value family plan, and it offers (by the carrier's own estimation) massive discounts of up to $1,000 versus rival plans from both AT&T and Verizon.

The plan starts at just $140 per month for three lines, and includes unlimited mobile hotspot, Netflix, Hulu, and very generous roaming perks. In a nutshell, you get everything the carrier has to offer in a neat package - and that's including T-Mobile's new satellite service.

Crucially, the plan also includes the option for a free upgrade every two years, which is essential for squeezing out as much value as possible from these pricey post-paid unlimited plans. With a number of the latest iPhones, Samsung, and Google phones on offer, there's always plenty of options for an upgrade at T-Mobile, too.

T-Mobile's new Better Value family plan

• See more: check out all of today's deals at T-Mobile

Note that T-Mobile's Better Value family plan starts at three lines, so you're not eligible if you have just two lines. Instead, you'll have to go for one of the carrier's usual unlimited plans, which will work out a little pricier if you want the same level of perks. On the plus side, all post-paid unlimited plans at T-Mobile include options for excellent phone deals, including a few highlights that I've posted just down below.

Other T-Mobile deals to check out this week

One of those trendsetters is Apple, which sends shockwaves through the phone market with the reveal of each new generation of iPhone. Last year’s iPhone 17 series was no different, and the new designs for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, as well as the new iPhone Air, have served as – ahem – inspiration for plenty of other phones already.

However, there's a point where inspiration goes a bit too far, but for some phone makers being accused of taking design elements from Apple’s latest handsets doesn’t seem to be a worry.

In fact, I’d say there are some phones on the market now that are just blatant iPhone 17 series clones (we’re including the iPhone Air as an iPhone 17 series model as it came out at the same time). Keep scrolling for a list of the five most shameless iPhone 17 series clones from other phone makers — just keep in mind that none of these phones are available in the US.

Honor Magic8 Pro Air

Let’s start with the new kid on the block, the Honor Magic 8 Pro Air – no prizes for guessing which iPhone this Android handset takes its inspiration from.

Announced in January 2026, the Honor Magic 8 Pro Air looks conspicuously similar to the iPhone Air, and Honor’s naming scheme makes the link pretty obvious. What’s odd about the Honor Magic 8 Pro Air (apart from its long name) is that, on paper, it’s a more capable handset than the iPhone Air in a couple of key ways.

The Magic 8 Pro Air has three rear cameras and a 5,500mAh battery – larger than even the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s battery capacity. For reference, the iPhone Air was widely criticized for its single rear camera and limited battery life. With that said, Honor’s slim flagship isn’t quite as thin as Apple’s, as the Magic 8 Pro Air measures 6.1mm thick compared to the 5.6mm iPhone Air.

Still, it’s hardly the most original design we’ve seen, and near enough copies the ‘plateau’ motif from the iPhone Air as well as the orange color of the iPhone 17 Pro.

It’s not even original enough to be the first Honor phone to nab design ideas from the iPhone Air – that title goes to the Honor 500 (released in China in November 2025), which arguably looks even more similar to Apple’s thin flagship. For now it seems that the Magic 8 Pro Air is a China-exclusive release, and the Honor 500 has only launched in select Asian markets – we’ll be on the lookout for a global launch for either or both handsets.

Honor Power 2

Double trouble – we’re sticking with Honor for the next entry on this list, the Honor Power 2, which despite being a mid-range handset takes more than a few cues from the most expensive iPhone on the market.

While the name of this phone doesn’t give quite as much away as the Magic 8 Pro Air, once you get your eyes on the Honor Power 2, it becomes clear that someone at Honor’s R&D department has a bit of a thing for the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

What makes this so obvious is that the Honor Power 2 has the same plateau at the top of the phone, housing a triple-camera setup in a triangular pattern. With how simple phone design is these days, that means it already looks almost exactly the same as the iPhone 17 Pro. And did I mention it’s also bright orange?

That’s right, Honor didn’t just stop at construction – the brand has also nicked the quirky orange color scheme from this year’s flagship iPhone. How imaginative.

Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max

I’m torn about including this next entry in the list, because despite a good helping of Apple inspiration, I do think the final product has some original and worthwhile ideas.

I’m talking about the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, released in China in late September 2025. On the surface, these phones aren’t that similar to Apple’s top-end handsets. The biggest difference is in the rear display on the Xiaomi flagships, which takes cues from the cover display on flip phones to offer a convenient way to check the time, receive messages, or take photos with the rear camera system.

However, we can’t ignore the name scheme here, which is not just similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but absolutely identical. What’s more, Xiaomi skipped over the Xiaomi 16 Pro entirely just to catch up to Apple, jumping straight from the 15 series to the 17 series.

I’m a fan of the best Xiaomi phones, and understand the need to keep pace with the big names in the industry, but this just seems desperate, even if the phones themselves are both cool and capable.

Poco F8 Pro and Poco F8 Ultra

Sticking with Xiaomi, we’re heading over to gaming-focused sub-brand Poco for the next iPhone-inspired models on this list, the Poco F8 Pro and Poco F8 Ultra, released in November 2025. Once again, the giveaway is the raised camera plateau, which houses three cameras and a flash module in Xiaomi’s typical square arrangement.

How similar these mid-range phones look to the iPhone 17 Pro depends on how it’s configured. In the silver colorway, the Poco F8 Pro very much resembles a silver iPhone 17 Pro, but the other color options are less directly tied to Apple’s models.

And considering that there’s no basic Poco F8 to speak of, it’s possible that the ‘Pro’ suffix was added to bring Apple’s high-end flagships to mind alongside the similar design.

As for the Poco F8 Ultra, the Bose speaker on the plateau and optional denim material option help to differentiate it from Apple’s design. I can’t see Apple releasing an iPhone that feels like a pair of jeans any time soon.

Inifinix Note Edge

Infinix isn’t a brand we talk about much here at TechRadar, as it’s mainly focused on releasing phones in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. But I had to include the recently announced Infinix Note Edge handset on this list, as it’s another clear-cut iPhone Air copy with a dose of iPhone 17 Pro design in there for good measure.

We’re talking about another thin, large phone with a camera plateau – but Infinix goes one step further with an Android wrapper that looks almost exactly like iOS 26.

However, Infinix seemingly at least had the good sense to withdraw its bright orange color option by the time of the phone’s official announcement (via GSMArena). I also find the name – Note Edge – pretty humorous, as it brings to mind the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge or older Galaxy Note phones much more than it does any Apple handset.

And to give credit where credit’s due, the Infinix Note Edge does sport some impressive specs, especially when it comes to its 6,500mAh battery capacity, which more than doubles the iPhone Air’s 3,149mAh capacity.

By the looks of these iPhone clones, it seems that Apple’s influence on phone design is set to continue – be sure to check out our list of the best iPhones if you’re thinking about picking up the real thing anytime soon.

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That might sound odd, but ‘potential’ is the key word there, as right now this feature just isn’t ready – even though it rolled out back with iOS 18.1, and has since been improved in iOS 26.

If you haven’t guessed, I’m talking about notification summaries, an AI tool that – as the name suggests – will summarize notifications. So for example if you get a long series of messages, the summary will condense them into a brief overview of the key points, meaning that you don’t necessarily have to read them immediately, or at all.

This can save you time if you’re getting a lot of notifications, and help you prioritize the most important ones. Or at least it could if I could rely on it.

Why I turn off notification summaries

I love the idea of notification summaries – they could allow me to spend less time looking at my phone, and especially less time reading endless messages in group chats, just in case there’s something important. But right now, I find that even with notification summaries enabled, I’m doing that anyway, because they don’t always get things right.

In fact, soon after launch, Apple disabled summaries for news apps, because this tool made major errors in summarizing news stories.

The feature was fully enabled again with iOS 26, but while it has seemingly had some behind the scenes improvements, it’s still not totally reliable, with the iOS 26 version of its UI making a point to emphasize that errors may occur.

And errors do occur – notifications will still sometimes be incorrectly summarized, but what more often happens in my experience is that when it attempts to summarize multiple messages or particularly long texts, it will often miss key details. So what’s there might be correct, but it still won’t tell me everything I need to know.

So since I can’t rely on it, I just end up reading the summaries and then still immediately reading the messages or articles anyway – which takes even more time than when I just don’t use notification summaries at all.

Still, I am hopeful that one day this feature will be reliable enough to, well, rely on, so I’ll still turn it on again next time it gets updated, just to see if it’s good enough yet. But for now, these summaries spend most of their time switched off.

How to turn notification summaries off

Thankfully, if you’ve previously enabled notification summaries, it’s easy to turn them off again, though annoyingly using the search bar in the Settings menu to search for ‘notification summaries’ or ‘summarize notifications’ fails to find anything.

Instead, you’ll want to do the following:

• 1. Open Settings
• 2. Tap Notifications
• 3. Then tap Summarize Notifications
• 4. Then turn the Summarize Notifications toggle off

Pro tip: customize the feature instead

Personally, I tend to keep notification summaries fully disabled – other than when I want to test them again with new versions of iOS. But another option is to customize them so that only certain types of notifications get summarized.

So you might for example choose not to summarize news apps or anything else where accuracy is super important, but allow the feature to summarize social media posts and content from other apps.

But you can get as granular as you want, toggling the feature on or off for specific apps. To do this:

• 1. Open Settings
• 2. Tap Notifications
• 3. Then tap Summarize Notifications

On that screen, you’ll see the toggle to turn notification summaries off, but underneath that, there are also toggles for individual apps – so you can just enable or disable it for specific apps.

Alternatively, the first time you turn notification summaries on – or after turning it off and then on again – you’ll be presented with three tick boxes, letting you select app categories that you want to summarize notifications for – the options being ‘News & Entertainment’, ‘Communication & Social’, and ‘All Other Apps’.

So if you just want to enable or disable it for one or more of those categories, that’s a faster approach than ticking and unticking individual apps.

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We seem to be in the middle of a battery capacity revolution, as following on from the likes of the 7,300mAh OnePlus 15 leaping ahead of the 5,000mAh smartphone standard last year, now Realme has teased a phone with a 10,001mAh battery.

Dubbed the Realme P4 Power, this phone is launching on January 29, but the company has already shared a lot of details about it, including that the phone can apparently manage 185.7 hours of music playback, 21.3 hours of navigation, 32.5 hours of YouTube, or 72.3 hours of call time on a single charge.

So this is a battery that for most people will probably last at least a few days, and which could feasibly keep going for up to around a week if you’re a light enough user. Despite that, the Realme P4 Power weighs just 219g, which is about the same as the 5,000mAh Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and less than the 5,088mAh iPhone 17 Pro Max.

This is largely thanks to silicon anode technology, which can store more energy than the graphite used in traditional lithium-ion batteries. Also used in some EVs, this tech means a higher energy density for a similar weight, which helps the P4 Power avoid brick status.

Fast charging and built to last

The P4 Power also charges at 80W and offers 27W reverse charging, which makes this very viable as a means to power up other devices.

Plus, the phone has passed military-grade shock tests, and its battery health should be able to stay above 80% for up to eight years, so it won’t wear out fast.

Battery aside, the Realme P4 Power has a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra 5G chipset, a 50MP main camera, and a 144Hz screen with a peak brightness of 6,500 nits, so its other specs sound promising too.

Pricing and availability are the big remaining questions, with the initial launch seemingly just being for India – but with a battery like that we certainly hope it goes global.

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If you use Google Clock on your Android phone then you’ll likely either just have got or soon be getting an update that could help ensure you don’t sleep through your alarms.

Now, rather than being presented with large ‘Snooze’ and ‘Stop’ buttons when an alarm goes off, you can choose to instead have a slider, which will snooze the alarm if you slide it left, and stop it if you swipe right.

As having to swipe in a specific direction is a more involved gesture than simply tapping at the screen, you’re less likely to accidentally stop the alarm when you want to snooze it, or vice versa.

An optional approach

However this change – which was first spotted by 9to5Google – is optional, so if you prefer the buttons and aren’t in the habit of sleeping through your alarms, you can stick with that approach. To decide which method to use, head to the Google Clock settings screen, where you’ll find a new ‘Dismiss alarm with a’ toggle, which lets you switch between taps and swipes.

This change is very reminiscent of one that Apple rolled out with iOS 26.1, which also meant that you now have to swipe to turn alarms off, though in Apple’s case the implementation is slightly different, with stopping the alarm requiring a swipe, while snoozing still just requires a tap.

In any case, this is a small but potentially useful update that’s rolling out as part of version 8.5 of Google Clock. That said, it seems to be a gradual roll out, as 9to5Google has only started seeing the change days after updating to that version. So if you don’t see these options yet, keep checking, as they’ll likely show up soon.

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However, just because WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app doesn’t mean it’s everyone’s cup of tea – users might be pushed away by its archaic login process, lack of multi-account support, or indeed just its overall vibe.

Luckily, there are plenty of alternatives out there. Below you’ll find a list of the best WhatsApp replacements for Android users, all of which are free to use (though some have additional premium features for those willing to pay up).

We’ve included some usual suspects in our list, like Google Messages and Discord, as well as some lesser-known options like Signal and Beeper. If you’re looking to skip installing WhatsApp on your Android phone, there’ll be an option for you here.

Google Messages

Google Messages has the advantage of being pre-installed on nearly every Android phone, and uses the same Google account system that Android relies on, meaning it can feel like the most natural choice for Android users.

Google has steadily increased the functionality of the Messages app over time, and it’s now one of the most richly featured messaging services on the market.

Like WhatsApp, Google Messages relies on your phone number to send and receive texts, but because your messages and contacts can be linked to your Google account, transferring between devices is much easier.

Though Google Messages is an Android exclusive, you can chat with users on other platforms without issue thanks to RCS support.

Discord

Discord has long been the messaging and calling app of choice for gamers because of its integration with Steam, PlayStation, and other platforms, but it’s also a very powerful communication app that shines when it comes to group chats and communities.

Though not quite as simple or intuitive as other messaging apps on this list, Discord’s killer feature is its server system, which allows for the creation of topic-focused channels within a broader group.

That makes it a great choice for organising large trips, creative projects, or creating communities around your favorite TV shows, music, or games.

Discord is also a solid choice for simple one-on-one calls and messages, and uses a friend list system similar to traditional social media rather than phone numbers. The Discord Nitro subscription service adds HD video streaming, larger file uploads, and a plethora of cosmetic upgrades.

Signal

Open-source messaging app Signal puts all of its focus on privacy. Like WhatsApp, all conversations on Signal are end-to-end encrypted, meaning nobody but you and the recipient can read them.

Messages can also be set to self-destruct, and local backups are switched off by default, making it easy to manage your footprint for sensitive conversations.

Being open-source means that anyone can have a look at how the code powering Signal works, which keeps things transparent and would, in theory, expose any backdoors should they be implemented.

Session

For an even more confidential messaging experience, Session has got you covered. Session uses a decentralized blockchain network to transmit individual and group messages, all of which are end-to-end encrypted. The app also offers encrypted calls via the same network.

What’s more, Session does not require a phone number or email address to use. The app instead assigns each user a unique 66-character code. That’s more anonymity than any other app on this list can claim to offer.

Session also has a no-logging policy, which means it doesn’t track your IP address or other data. For users who put privacy at the heart of their digital experience, Session is a lesser-known but powerful option.

Session Pro is currently in beta, and allows higher character limits and larger group chats amongst other features.

Beeper

Unlike the other apps on this list, Beeper isn’t really its own messaging service. Instead, the app works as an aggregator for other messaging apps, including social media services like Instagram.

This is great for folks who want to keep up with friends and answer messages without the risk of getting stuck doom scrolling afterwards. It uses a clean, minimal UI, and allows you to respond via your usual social accounts.

Beeper says it uses zero-access encryption before your chats are backed up to its servers, meaning only you can see your chat histories. Still, as with any third-party client, be sure to review the permissions and access settings to be sure you’re happy with what Beeper can access.

The optional Beeper Plus subscription adds new features like chat reminders and scheduled sends, and allows management of up to 10 accounts.

Facebook Messenger

If you’re looking for a Meta app for your messaging needs but just don’t like WhatsApp, then Facebook Messenger is your best bet.

As its name suggests, Facebook messenger is tightly integrated with Facebook, making it a go-to pick for fans of the platform as well as its associated Facebook Marketplace service.

Messenger is a lightweight and convenient app that offers texts, calls, and file sharing – all the basic features you’d expect. Chats can also be linked to specific Facebook groups and pages, great for building and updating larger communities or making group plans.

Instagram

Another option from Meta here, and this one comes with an entire social media network attached to it. For my money, Instagram's Direct Messages section is one of the best, most richly-featured messengers on the market.

That's because Instagram has spent the last ten or so years taking the best bits of every other messaging app for itself — you can share files and photos, customize the chat with themes, create group chats, pin messages, and connect to Spotify to make sharing songs easier.

Of course, Instagram DMs are best for people who already use the platform day-to-day, as you can share posts, reels, and stories via the app's messenger. It's the one I use most often.

Let us know your Android messaging app of choice in the comments below, and be sure to check out our lists of the best Android phones if you’re thinking of picking up a new Google-powered handset.

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Heck, the new Fusion main camera even goes some way to making me forget my love of telephoto cameras. So all was looking rather rosy…

Until the iPhone 17 with its satin-finished back and sides slipped from my hands.

The first time this happened the phone came away with a solid dent in its lower frame. The second, a sort-of horizontal splat onto a sidewalk left shattered glass in the top and bottom corners diagonally to each other, with hairline fractures connecting the two.

Of course this is down to my own dumb clumsiness, which seems to have got worse over the years. And as I’m not a fan of cases ruining the slick industrial designs of the best phones, I tend to raw-dog my iPhone experience, leaving the hardest I test out at the mercy of the elements and my fumblings.

But as I’ve written before, all this was fine with the past two generations of Pro iPhones as they made use of a titanium chassis, which proved pretty much immune to Roland foolery.

Yet that’s not the case with the iPhone 17, with its aluminum frame. Or indeed the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, both of which have ditched the titanium chassis for aluminum in order to save weight.

Given the above, I’m not a fan of this. And I also think that at its current price, the standard iPhone could make use of titanium. I get that it’s harder to work with. But Apple touts sustainability, so surely having stronger phones out of the box would save on energy, and indeed money, spent on repairs.

And while I’m talking durability, I still think more could be done, especially on flagship phones.

Sure, Gorilla Glass is tough and weathers scratches, and Apple’s own Ceramic Shield coating is very good on the display. But outside the use of titanium, I’ve yet to see a glass or coating that truly makes iPhones, Pixels phones and Galaxy S-series handsets truly durable.

Maybe I’m just trying to eschew blame for my own butterfingered nature, possibly aided by enjoying the holiday season festivities with a little too much gusto. But here’s to harder, stronger, tougher phones in 2026.

What’s do you reckon? Do phones need to toughen up? Or are you a case user? Let me know in the comments below.

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My colleague Jamie recently wrote about the phones we were all using back in 2016, and like a shot to the heart, I remembered my dearly beloved iPhone SE.

That being said, what I really wanted at the time was the iPhone 6s, which had released just a few months earlier in 2015. Instead, I landed on the more affordable (read: student-friendly) iPhone SE, the newest addition to Apple’s phone family.

To this day, I remember it as one of the best phones I’ve ever owned. It had ample functionality, fit neatly into every pocket and bag I owned, and didn’t cause the hand cramp I now curse Apple for after using the iPhone 15 for the last two years.

That’s all fine and dandy, but the iPhone SE also represents one of the worst ways Apple has impacted the phone market – and indeed my life.

Jacked up

That’s right, we’re talking headphone jacks.

The iPhone SE was the last iPhone to release with a headphone jack before Apple made the controversial decision to move to a proprietary single-port system, the Lightning cable. Yes, I’m still rather upset about it.

I’m not an audio snob, nor am I as experienced as our fantastic team of AV experts here on TechRadar, but I do prize accessibility and affordability; this move was detrimental for both.

Not only did Apple limit its customers' options for headphones by switching to the Lightning port, but it also made it significantly more difficult to do so affordably. Many customers opted for even pricier wireless headphones and earbuds instead of paying a premium for a Lightning-compatible pair that they could only use with their iPhone.

That wasn’t a solution for everyone, however; deaf, hard-of-hearing, and other iPhone users with assistive audio equipment rallied against Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack. Especially at the time, issues with Bluetooth connectivity, latency, and battery made the change an accessibility challenge these users didn’t need.

Suddenly, everyone was furiously researching DACs and adapters to make their existing hardware work in harmony, and the days of hopping to your local convenience store and grabbing a new pair of headphones when you inevitably tangled yours past the point of no return were over.

Ripples in the water

Just in time for the release of its own wireless earbuds, the original AirPods, Apple had effectively transformed the tangle-free technology into a necessity for music lovers.

The wider effects weren’t immediate; in fact, Samsung initially poked fun at Apple for the decision, but it later followed suit, starting in 2019 with the removal of 3.5mm jacks from its Galaxy Note series and later in its S series smartphones.

Now, however, greater impacts have become apparent. With proper care, wired headphones can go the distance and last for years (I still have my SkullCandy headphones from 2013, and they work beautifully), while the lithium-ion batteries used in wireless headphones will invariably die out after a few years of use. Not to mention the faff (and waste) created by losing one of your earbuds.

Plus, the batteries of these oft-sealed earbuds aren’t replaceable, meaning it’s a new pair or nothing; and if you’ve owned some of the best wireless earbuds you know that’s no small fee. Never mind the obvious impact all this has on the environment.

We’re scarcely two years into Apple’s changeover to USB-C, which, while a darn sight better than the Lightning cable, still doesn’t scratch my itch. Sure, phone batteries last well into the day now, and wireless charging exists to keep your phone powered if you do want to use wired headphones. However, it remains challenging to walk into your local audio or gadget store, grab a good pair of wired headphones for less than $20/£20 and bounce; now you have to consider not just the speaker quality, but also the DAC, which moved to being a headphone problem when 3.5mm jacks phased out.

Then, just as the light at the end of the tunnel manifested before us with the arrival of Apple’s USB-C headphones, disaster struck once again. As chronicled by our audio expert, Becky Scarrott, the latest wired headphones from Apple don’t live up even to their Lightning port predecessors. It wasn’t all bad; USB-C is a noteworthy improvement to Lightning in terms of hi-res audio accessibility, so the option to use other available wires USB cables is back on the table.

Of course, a brief review of the history of the headphone jack will remind you it wasn’t all roses; the headphone jack was surprisingly breakable with frequent use, and an extra port gave extra avenues for water to damage your phone. We also were able to build increasingly slim phones off the back of it, so if you love that particular trend (I don’t), then I’m pleased it worked out for you, at least.

Alas, the saga continues, and so it will until people are either unanimously sick of losing a single earbud and yearn for the wires or a new technology emerges that’s less dependent on Bluetooth and batteries. I, for one, loved my iPhone SE, and loved the freedom of choice that came with it; 2016 was indeed a simpler time.

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While most MagSafe battery packs will work with the iPhone Air, due to its differing design to other iPhones, they won’t necessarily fit perfectly – other than the few that are designed specifically for Apple’s super slim smartphone. But even those designed for it can be a bit chunky, which isn’t ideal when the whole point of this phone is to be thin. However, a new battery pack addresses that.

Dubbed the Ozone 3K, this is just 4.98mm thick, which according to Kopplen (the company behind it) makes it the world’s thinnest magnetic power bank. While that’s not easy to verify, it’s certainly slimmer than the roughly 7.7mm thick official iPhone Air MagSafe Battery, or the similarly thick Anker Nano Power Bank. And it’s also thinner than the 5.6mm iPhone Air itself.

Of course, being so slim the Ozone 3K doesn’t have a huge capacity, with its 3,000mAh of power delivering a 62% charge to the iPhone Air, though there is also an Ozone 5K, which can give it a full charge, but comes in at a thicker 6.49mm.

Not just for the iPhone Air

And while we’re focused on the iPhone Air here, both Ozone models are also compatible with other iPhones, as well as Qi2 Android devices. In fact, if you’re using these with an Android phone you’ll get up to 15W of charging power, while on iPhones you’re limited to 7.5W.

Both battery packs are also lightweight, with the Ozone 3K coming in at 77g and the 5K at 97g, and right now they’re not overly expensive, with early bird Kickstarter pricing of just $44.99 (around £35 / AU$65), down from a standard price of $69.99 (roughly £50 / AU$105).

That pricing oddly applies to both models, so you don’t have to pay more to get a higher capacity. Though of course since these are currently on Kickstarter there’s no guarantee they’ll ever ship, so you might want to wait for retail, even though that will cost a little more.

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Right now, the iPhone 17 Pro Max tops our list of the best camera phones, thanks to its ability to capture lifelike images and shoot videos in superb quality, but a rival could soon take its crown – and not one of the obvious names.

So no, we’re not talking Samsung, Google or even OnePlus. Instead, it could be Vivo that launches the best camera phone of 2026, if the latest leak about the Vivo X300 Ultra is accurate.

According to reputable leaker Digital Chat Station (via NotebookCheck), the Vivo X300 Ultra will have the industry’s largest multispectral sensor. Such a sensor can improve color accuracy, so if this does have the industry’s largest then the Vivo X300 Ultra has a shot at capturing colors more accurately than any other phone.

Loads of megapixels and plenty of power

But that’s not all it might have going for it, as in a reply to their post, Digital Chat Station has also claimed this phone will have a 35mm lens built by famed lens-maker Zeiss, and that this will use a 200MP Sony LYT-901 sensor.

Plus, in an earlier post, the same source claimed that the Vivo X300 Ultra would also have a 200MP telephoto camera with an 85mm focal length, and a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and that it will be powered by the top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

That’s a combination which – on paper at least – sounds extremely impressive, and unlike some Chinese phones, leaks suggest the Vivo X300 Ultra will be sold globally, so you might actually be able to buy it.

It remains to be seen how good this phone will be in practice, but with it reportedly set for a March launch, we might have a better idea soon. That initial launch will probably just be for China, but it could land in other regions later this year.

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In our iPhone 17 Pro review we gave the Apple flagship very close to a perfect score, so anticipation is high for the follow-up – and in a new video leak, we've got a full, unofficial look at the iPhone 18 Pro from all angles, and in three new colors.

The video comes from Front Page Tech and Jon Prosser (who by the way was sued by Apple last year for leaking iOS 26 details). We can assume the renders we see here are based on inside information from the Apple supply chain and elsewhere.

As far as the design of the iPhone 18 Pro goes, it appears to be more or less identical to that of its predecessor. Presumably the same can be said for the iPhone 18 Pro Max as well, which will be like the Pro model only bigger.

What might be changing, according to this video, are the colors: Prosser says that burgundy, brown, and purple are all being tested for 2026. It's possible that one of these will appear alongside the silver, orange, and blue previously leaked.

Face ID, cameras, and more

There is another change coming to the iPhone 18 Pro, according to this video: the selfie camera will be shifted over to the top left corner, while the Face ID tech will be hidden away under the display, which is a move that has been predicted before.

The Dynamic Island won't be going away, but it will fly out from the top left corner on this new phones, this leak suggests. You'll still be able to get your calls, directions, sports scores and so on from the Dynamic Island, just like you can currently.

Prosser also mentions several other leaks we've heard before: a variable aperture camera system that should mean superior photos and videos in all lighting conditions, a simplified Camera Control button, and 5G satellite connectivity.

If Apple's rumored launch schedule shake-up actually comes to pass, we'll be getting the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone in September – with the iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2 pushed back to 2027.

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Unfortunately, the Camera Control didn’t work the way I expected, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be an incredibly useful tool – and in this article I'll show you how to make the most of it.

Today, you’ll find the Camera Control on every new iPhone model except the iPhone 16e. That includes the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air. Sadly, most iPhone owners I know (who, in fairness, don’t spend their days like me, contemplating phone features) rarely use the Camera Control, or only press it by accident.

I’ve found many ways the Camera Control can be useful, but it can also be tricky. You have to know how to navigate the button and the tiny pop-up window it opens, and you’ll need to find the settings that let you change what it can do. I can show you where to look, and how to use the Camera Control to open apps, look closer, and adjust your camera – before you even take your shot.

Launch a different camera app – like Instagram

The first thing you’ll need to find is your iPhone’s Camera Settings. Apple doesn’t put its Settings menus within its apps – instead settings for all apps are under the Apple Settings app. Open Settings, then scroll down to the Camera options. The top setting under Camera (at least in iOS 26.2) will be Camera Control.

Under the Camera Control settings, the first option asks you which camera the button should launch. Instead of the robust Camera app, you can just open a QR code scanner, or even a third-party app. Instagram started life as a camera app with filters, and you can still set your Camera Control to open Insta directly to its camera.

You’ll need to have granted Instagram permission when you first downloaded the app; if you haven't you can change its permission settings under the Settings: Apps: Instagram menu.

Open the Magnifier app for a closer look

I need reading glasses, but I don’t always carry a pair with me. Instead, if I need to read the fine print on a menu, I just open the Magnifier app on my iPhone. If you use Magnifier all the time, you’ll be delighted to know you can open the app using the Camera Control with a simple click. Just follow the instructions above and choose the Magnifier instead of Instagram.

The Magnifier app can even take photos! You can zoom in on text, take a photo, and then import the text directly to Apple’s reader to transcribe the photo. If you’re in the dark, the magnifier can activate the flashlight as well.

Answer the question "what the heck is that?!" using ChatGPT

Want to give some AI a try? You can use the camera to ask questions through Visual Intelligence, Apple’s image-recognition AI that works with ChatGPT to get answers (it may work with other AI models in the future). The next time you're wondering 'What kind of bird is that!?’ open Visual Intelligence on your iPhone and ask.

No need to change apps this time – Visual Intelligence is always a Camera Control feature. Instead of pressing the button and releasing it, hold down on the button from any screen besides the Camera app. The button works differently when a camera app is open.

Visual Intelligence takes a still photo before it gets to work – it doesn’t work with a live video feed. Also, it isn't the most accurate in my experience, but I blame ChatGPT. For instance, it identified my Lego Transformers Soundwave model as a Lego Artemis Space Launch System the first time, and then it identified Lego Optimus Prime the second time. At least it recognized the Lego bricks.

Camera Control features in the Camera app

Now for some Camera Control tips while you’re actually using the Apple Camera app. You can just press the button to take a photo, but there are many more tricks it can perform. To access these, you first press lightly on the Camera Control button, until a tabbed window pops up right under your finger. Swipe down on that window and you’ll see a horizontal scroll of icons for the Camera Control features.

In the Settings: Camera: Camera Control menu, you can turn off any of these Camera Control features that you never use. I’ve found the ‘Depth’ feature to be totally ineffective – I couldn’t tell the difference between maximum and minimum Aperture shots – so I turn that one off. Here are the tools that I actually use and recommend…

Zoom in, or focus on yourself

Using Camera Control, you can zoom in smoothly to frame your subject or get a closer shot. Select Zoom from the Control menu, then slide your finger left and right on the Camera Control button. Slide left to zoom in, slide right to zoom out.

Instead of zooming, you can also change between the three iPhone cameras. From the top Camera Control menu, instead of Zoom, choose Cameras. Now you can jump from the wide angle (labeled ‘.5’) to the main camera, or skip through 2X, 4X, and 8X zoom. You can also quickly switch to the selfie camera this way – when you scroll past the wide-angle lens, the view flips around.

Quickly record a video without changing camera modes

Instead of a still photo, you can quickly record a video without having to switch modes – just press and hold the Camera Control button while the Camera app is open, and instead of taking one shot, it will start recording video. The recording will end when you lift your finger, making it perfect for quickly capturing moments as they happen. As it happens, the camera button on the phone screen works the same way – hold your finger on the button to record video instead of taking a photo.

I wish there was an option to make this Camera Control feature shoot a burst of still photos instead of a video, but that option exists for another button. In the Settings: Camera menu, you’ll find an option near the bottom to make the Volume Up switch your burst control. Instead of pressing Camera Control or the button on screen, if you hold down the Volume Up button on your phone, it will take a quick burst of shots until you let go of the button.

Make your photo brighter or add some drama

Get to know the exposure control on your phone camera – it can make a huge difference balancing your shot or creating more intense drama. Using Camera Control in the Camera app, swipe down to see the menu of Camera Control features. Then swipe right until you see the ‘±’ sign with the label ‘Exposure’ beneath.

Gently swipe left and right to see the difference you can make. If you don’t use any other Camera Control tools, keep the button set to Exposure so that you can quickly dial in a better look for images that are blown out and too bright, or to brighten up dark scenes so you can see faces and skin tones more clearly.

I’m still holding out for the shutter button I’ve always wanted – a proper two-step shutter like I have on my Fujifilm X-T5. Maybe an Android maker will deliver on this potential. Until then, I hope these tips make the Camera Control feel more vital, and I’ll keep them updated if Apple adds any great new features to its big new button.

In 2013, Apple split the iPhone lineup for the first time, releasing both the cheap, plastic-coated iPhone 5c and more powerful iPhone 5s, which carried forward the premium design of the iPhone 5 with some new upgrades and more powerful internals.

Okay, let’s address the obvious right off the bat: I could technically use my iPhone 5s today. Its battery is long-dead, but with a replacement, I could get it switched on and running as it did in its four-year stint as my daily driver.

However, as I’ve recently covered, that wouldn’t be the smartest move now that the iPhone 5s is outside its security coverage window. In 2025, the oldest version of iOS Apple provided any kind of security update for was iOS 15, whereas my iPhone 5s is forever stuck on iOS 12. As such, connecting to any kind of mobile network would put me at risk of attacks by hackers and other bad actors.

So it seems that really using my favorite Apple handset of all time will remain a pleasant daydream for now – but why exactly am I so hung up on a phone that came out more than 10 years ago? What exactly is so special about the iPhone 5s?

I’m glad I asked – let me break down why the iPhone 5s, with its 4-inch screen, minuscule battery, and outdated cameras, still holds a big place in my heart.

The part of the iPhone 5s – and other early iPhones – I miss most is its design. Released at the tail end of the first wave of square-edged phone design, I have always found the iPhone 5s to be a supremely beautiful and ergonomic piece of technology.

I mean, just look at it: the rear panel fits the camera system into a wedge of glass, mirrored on the bottom of the phone, giving the unit a symmetry that most modern phone makers don’t seem to consider. And Apple has always been the master of gold colorways – I never fell out of love with the rear panel or the reflective trim on the front of the unit. Like today’s iPhone Air, the iPhone 5s can often feel more like a piece of jewellery.

The curved edges and small frame made it easy to hold, and at 112g it weighed about half as much as today’s top-tier model, the iPhone 17 Pro Max. I remember unlocking the phone with the Touch ID-enabled home button before I had even flicked the phone out of my pocket.

Speaking of which, I have never found Face ID to be as quick, convenient, or reliable as Touch ID was. To this day, I much prefer using the in-display fingerprint scanner on the best Android phones compared to Apple’s iconic face-scanning system.

And on the topic of displays, the iPhone 5s sports a 4-inch 640p panel with a pixel density of 326ppi. Though I’m a fan of the huge displays on today’s best phones, I’d also stand up and say the iPhone 5s is as large as we ever needed a phone to be. I never found that display limiting, and it wasn’t quite so easy to lose hours in as the phablets I walk around with today.

In fact, though phone design has become more focused and advanced over time, we're now very much past the point of thinking about 'necessary' upgrades. The iPhone 5s is remarkable to me because of this split – it wasn't the first premium iPhone, but it was the first higher-end iPhone in Apple's yearly lineup, and a lot of its value came from its luxurious design and conveniences like Touch ID.

Admittedly, I think I would miss the incredible battery life and superb cameras of today’s phones if I did actually switch back. The iPhone 5s sports an 8MP rear camera, 5MP selfie camera, and a 1,560mAh battery – compare that to the iPhone 17 Pro, with its three 48MP rear cameras, 18MP Center Stage selfie camera, and approximately 5,000mAh battery, and it’s not really a close contest.

There's also a solid chance that my feelings on how we used our phones back in the 2010s compared to now are getting wrapped up in my memories of the iPhone 5s itself – if I'd been using it in the current era of AI slop and social media brainrot, my view of the handset might not be so rose-tinted.

Still, there's a part of me that secretly hopes for the return of iPhone 5s-style handsets. Maybe we'll see a revival fuelled by zillenial nostalgia one day, one for the hipsters of years to come. Until then, I'll have to make do with the huge screens on modern phones.

To keep this blast from the past rolling, feel free to check out our classic iPhone 5s review. For newer models, our guide to the best iPhones has you covered. Be sure to let us know which classic phone you would switch back to in the comments below.

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All the indications are that the Samsung Galaxy S26 series of phones is going to break cover sometime next month, and a new leak offers more evidence of the specific handsets we're going to see when the time comes.

As spotted by SamMobile, a PDF document appeared on the Samsung Colombia website that listed three Galaxy S26 models: the Samsung Galaxy S26, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

This is notable for a couple of reasons: first it suggests that there won't be any Galaxy S26 Pro rebranding this year, as previously rumored, and second it apparently confirms that we're not going to be getting an Edge model this time around either.

We had been hearing conflicting reports about whether or not there would be a successor to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, but with just a month to go to the expected launch dates, it now looks very unlikely that another super-thin model is on the way.

What might be coming

There isn't really any other information revealed in this particular leak, but we're quite well stocked already when it comes to Galaxy S26 rumors. According to those in the know, we can expect quite a few more leaks to appear in the next few weeks too.

As has been the case in previous years, it would seem that the Ultra model is in line for the most substantial upgrades. We've heard that it'll offer faster wireless charging and a rear camera redesign, and a leaked video of the phone has emerged online as well.

From what we've heard so far, it seems that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Exynos 2600 chipsets will be sharing chipset duties across the three expected models, with variations depending on region.

A lot of the leaks that have appeared recently concern a release date, and Wednesday, February 25 looks like a safe bet at the moment – although the phones might not actually ship or be available to buy until March.

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Right now, however, Amazon has a fantastic price on the standard Galaxy S25, with the 128GB variant retailing for just $649 (was $799) unlocked. That's a price that's just as good as Black Friday and one that's probably worth considering if you just want a no-strings-attached deal on a solid Android flagship.

Not only do you not need the usual plan or trade-in to get your discount here, but I doubt the latest series will be anywhere near this cheap for a good while. It's usually a couple of months at least before we start to see the big upfront price cuts hit major unlocked retailers like Amazon or Best Buy.

So far, all the latest rumors for the upcoming Galaxy S26 series point to another iterative upgrade, rather than a major one. It's also likely that the series will arrive a little later in February, which again might be another reason to just opt for a cheaper Galaxy S25 right now. Either way, you have a really great option here that's worth considering.

Record-low unlocked Galaxy S25 deal at Amazon

• See more: check out all of today's phone deals at Amazon

Other great Galaxy S25 deals to consider

I’ve been using the iPhone since the very beginning, and since most of my family opted for the iPhone, I use Apple Messages extensively, and I’ve explored its best features.

To access these tools, open Apple Messages and choose a conversation. At the bottom of the screen, next to the open text box, you’ll see a plus (‘+’) sign. Tap that + and a long list of extra features will appear. That list will grow as you add apps that can use Apple Messages for features, like the Starbucks app.

Here are seven fun and useful tools that Messages offers to take your communication beyond basic text messaging.

Send a sticker that you made from a favorite photo

To make a sticker, open Apple Photos and find a photo with the subject you want in a pose that makes a great sticker when you cut out the background. Then, hold your finger down on the subject. You’ll see a wavy effect that traces the outline of your sticker. Lift your finger and a pop-up menu will appear - choose the ‘Add Sticker’ option.

If you try to make a sticker with a Live Photo, it won’t work. Holding your finger on a Live Photo makes the photo playback. You’ll need to turn that Live Photo off first, then you can create a sticker.

Once you’ve created a sticker in Photos, you can add it to your conversation by tapping the ‘+’ sign in Messages and choosing ‘Stickers.’ You can also add cool effects, making your sticker look puffy or sparkly in a way that reacts when you tilt your iPhone.

Send Cash money

Why bother with Venmo or Zelle when you can send money through Apple Messages? If you have Apple Cash set up with a payment method, you can send money to another iPhone user through Messages, without opening a separate app or service.

Open Messages and tap the ‘+’, then choose Apple Cash. You can send or receive money from this window. If you don’t have Apple Cash set up yet, open the Apple Wallet app. Cash should appear as one of your Wallet cards.

Poll a group for their opinions

Where should we eat dinner? What time should we meet on Sunday? Did you watch the Super Bowl halftime show or the Puppy Bowl? Instead of pinging your group chat with questions, send a poll instead.

Open Messages, then tap the ‘+’ and choose ‘Polls.’ You don’t have much control over the poll - being able to set a time limit would be nice. However, you can add countless options, so you aren’t limited to A, B, C, or None of the Above.

Unlike Stickers and Apple Cash requests, Polls can only be sent to iPhone recipients. If you have a group chat with one Android user, you won’t be able to send a Poll questionnaire.

A text message... but not right now

I use this feature all the time. Schedule a text message for later. Maybe you want to hit somebody at the right moment - at the end of the school day instead of during class. Perhaps you want to remind someone about an appointment. Maybe you just don’t want to seem weird if you have an idea at 2 AM and want to send a message. Instead, write your message now and schedule it for later.

Open Messages and tap the ‘+’ then choose Send Later. A bubble appears above your text box, showing the time your message will be delivered. Tap that bubble to change the time. You can even set your message to be sent up to 364 days in the future. Set your birthday messages now and take credit next month!

A check-in when I get there

Does someone frequently ask you to ‘text me to let me know you got there safe?’ Your iPhone will remember to check in, even if you forget. Open Messages and tap the ‘+’ then choose Check In, and you’ll find one of the iPhone’s coolest features.

You can set a check in to occur when you arrive at a specific location, or send a check in after a set period of time. You can even inexplicably send a check in after you finish a workout if you coordinate with your Apple Watch.

A check in can send an interesting package of details: your location, your phone’s battery level, and signal strength. You can also choose to send even more details, like the route you took to get to your destination and the last location before your iPhone shut down or your Apple Watch was removed.

These features put Check In well into the realm of safety and security tools, beyond simple messaging.

Coffee from Starbucks, or moves on a game board

Send somebody a coffee. Not the actual coffee, but a Starbucks gift card, through Apple Messages. If you have the Starbucks app on your iPhone, you’ll see an option under the Messages ‘+’ menu for Starbucks. You can choose from several card designs and set the value before you send it. Sure, you could just send Apple Cash, but this is a bit more personal.

As you add apps to your iPhone, check under that ‘+’ menu to see if you have any new features for Messages. For instance, TikTok integrates directly with Apple Messages, and there are also a number of games that you can play using Messages to send moves to the other player’s screen, like Game Pigeon.

An animated doodle

The Digital Touch feature was born on Apple Watch, but now you can send doodles and drawings to anybody with Apple Messages. The doodles aren’t just static drawings, either; your recipient can see the lines as if traced by your finger, making doodles animated and surprisingly personal.

You can also record a video of yourself and draw on the screen while it's recording! There’s a lot of potential fun to be had with Digital Touch, especially since it works across devices. Using my Apple Watch to send doodles adds a more personal touch than just telling Siri what to say.

Still, I’m enjoying the fact that, for now, it’s a great time for tech specs and value for money in the world of mobile phones – flagship prices have held fairly steady over the past five or so years, and the best phones offer incredible performance, photography, and battery life.

And while I find myself feeling nostalgic every now and then (check out our recent 2016 retrospective), I’m pretty happy to be living in a world with phones that last a couple days on a single charge and can take serviceable photos at 30x zoom.

With that said, there is one phone I wish I’d had the chance to try before it was discontinued – and unlike my favorite phone of all time, the iPhone 5s, this one isn’t even that old.

The LG Wing, released in 2020, was the last hurrah from LG’s mobile business before it shut down in 2021. The finale to a series of weird and quirky phones, the LG Wing featured a rotating display that allowed the phone to swivel out into a T-shaped orientation – effectively giving you a landscape view without having to rotate the phone itself.

At 6.8 inches, that rotating display offered a pretty wide view in its, uh, deployed state, and swiveling out the main screen revealed a second 3.9-inch panel, to use as a keyboard or for other quick actions.

It’s possible that the Wing was a response to the advent of folding phone technology – perhaps LG had hoped that consumers would prefer the sleekness and convenience of their rotating design, which measured just 10.9mm thick compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s 16.8mm folded thickness. More than anything, the Wing was inventive – no other phone maker had offered an alternative to Samsung’s booklet-style form factor that was quite as unique, and none have since.

In typical LG style, it was a bit bizarre, but the LG Wing was also well-equipped. For $999 in the US, you got the two displays, a triple camera system with a special gimbal-style ultra-wide lens, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a 4,000mAh battery. And if it didn’t already have enough moving parts, the selfie camera had a motorized pop-up system.

Sadly, the LG Wing came and went before I made my start in tech journalism, and with my trusty Huawei Mate 20 Pro keeping me company through 2020 and 2021 I had neither the means nor the reason to pick up a new phone.

Alas, LG’s phone division has been shut for half a decade and every large phone is a foldable in the footsteps of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold. As cool as the phones of today are, none of them can quite scratch the itch the LG Wing has left me.

Of course the LG Wing didn’t save the company’s phone division. Phones with moving parts are have increased likelihood of failure, a higher price tag compared to slab phones, and possible servicing difficulties.

Still, it was bold for LG to hitch its hopes on a niche device when it needed a win to stay afloat. LG was too far ahead of the game for its own good. The LG Wing wasn't a flop, it was ahead of its time.

Holding a phone horizontally sucks. It’s not how phones are designed and normally leads to hand cramps. That's why pop sockets and mobile gaming controllers exist, and it’s why vertical video is so dominant.

The LG Wing offered the best of both worlds – landscape and portrait, while offering a vertical grip. The market wasn’t ready for it. TikTok was just gaining momentum; YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels launched the same year as the Wing, in 2020. The world hadn’t yet realized how convenient holding a phone vertically all the time could be.

I just can’t get over the LG Wing. It’s like over-the-top tech that pops up in the background of a Star Wars movie - possibly useful and designed to look cool. It’s a phone you’d see in a YouTube video from 2006 titled “this will be smartphones in 2012,” a relic of optimistic and experimental design.

The LG Wing is the coolest phone I can’t buy – it’s discontinued, and buying a second-hand phone with that many moving parts doesn’t seem smart. Let me know which phone you wish you’d been able to get ahold of in the comments below.

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The iPhone 18 series probably won’t land until September – or possibly even later in the case of the base iPhone 18 model- but we’ve already heard lots about these phones, with leaks and rumors shedding light on many of the specs the iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max might offer.

Of course, this far from launch, we’d take any claims with a serious side of salt, but some of these claims sound believable, and many come from reputable sources, so they could be correct.

Below, we’ve detailed five of the biggest iPhone 18 series rumors – these being things that might actually change on the phones, rather than stay the same, and we’ve rated how likely we think they are to happen.

1. A variable aperture camera

One of the most exciting and intriguing iPhone 18 series rumors so far is that the Pro models could have a variable aperture for their main camera.

This would let you control how much light enters the lens, and in turn give you more control over the depth of field. It’s a feature that most DSLR and mirrorless cameras have, but it’s rare on smartphones, and would be a first for an iPhone.

Arguably, this could be a bit niche, since anyone who just wants to point and shoot probably wouldn’t bother adjusting the aperture, but for those who dabble with pro and manual modes, this could be a major addition.

Will we see it? Given that it is a bit niche, we’re not certain, but some credible sources have claimed we might. Apple watcher Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned that this was planned back in November, and they have a good track record.

Since then, in January 2026, we heard the same from analyst Jeff Pu (via 9to5Mac), whose track record isn’t quite as strong as Kuo's, but who is still frequently right about Apple information.

• Likelihood: 7/10

2. Under-display Face ID

For years, leakers have claimed that Apple wants to reduce the size of the camera cut-out or eliminate it entirely, but this has yet to happen. This year might be the year, though, as we’re hearing that the Dynamic Island could be smaller on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and that this might be achieved by hiding the Face ID components under the screen.

That would mean there would only need to be a visible cut-out for the front-facing camera lens, allowing for a tiny punch-hole design like we’ve seen on most Android phones.

This is a claim we’ve heard from multiple sources, including The Information and leaker Digital Chat Station, but it’s also something we heard repeatedly about the iPhone 17 series, and it didn’t happen there.

There are two ways you could look at that. On the one hand, since this has been rumored in previous years and didn’t happen, there’s arguably no reason to think it suddenly will now.

On the other hand, the fact that this claim is so enduring suggests it really is something Apple is working on, and perhaps the tech just hadn’t been perfected in time for the iPhone 17 line – in which case it might be ready to go with the iPhone 18 series.

That makes it really hard to predict whether this actually will happen in 2026, but we’d think this feature is likely to appear one day anyway.

• Likelihood: 5/10

3. A20 / A20 Pro chipsets

Will the iPhone 18 line have new A20 and A20 Pro chipsets? Yes, it almost certainly will. While a change in chipset could be one of the biggest upgrades we see on these phones, it’s also one of the most likely, since we see new A-series chipsets with each iPhone generation. So there’s no reason to think that will be different this year.

It’s possible the naming scheme will be changed, but with the iPhone 17 series having A19 and A19 Pro chipsets, the most likely outcome is that we’ll get A20 and A20 Pro chipsets this year.

Leaks suggest these could be a big upgrade, with the new chips said to be made using a 2nm (nanometer) process, down from 3nm for the A19 series. Such a shift tends to signify a big boost in power and/or efficiency.

We can’t yet be certain a 2nm process will be used, but we’re almost certain these phones will have new and more powerful chipsets anyway.

• Likelihood: 10/10

4. A simplified Camera Control button

Do you use the iPhone’s Camera Control button much? And if so, are you using it to adjust settings or just as a simple button?

If you are making full use of this tool, then you might not be a fan of one rumored iPhone 18 change, as sources suggest the base model – and potentially therefore also the Pro ones – could have a simplified Camera Control key.

According to The Information, this button might lack touch sensitivity and haptic feedback, so that it essentially just acts as a basic button on the upcoming phones – it would still apparently be pressure-sensitive, but you wouldn’t be able to swipe across it.

This is a claim that leaker Instant Digital has also made, adding that it’s expensive for Apple to make in its current form. So it’s believable Apple might make this adjustment to save some money – particularly since the Camera Control button in its current form has received mixed feedback, and since smartphone prices are likely to rise this year.

On the other hand, we’re yet to hear this claim from the biggest Apple leakers, so we’d take it with a pinch of salt for now.

• Likelihood: 6/10

5. 12GB of RAM for all models

Another rumor we’ve heard is that the base iPhone 18 and the Pro models could all have 12GB of RAM. For the base model, that would be an improvement on the 8GB of the iPhone 17, while for the Pro models, it would be no change.

We’d say this sounds quite likely – Apple only boosted the Pro models to 12GB last year, and since it doesn’t give its phones yearly RAM increases, we wouldn’t expect the iPhone 18 Pro series to go above that.

As for the base iPhone 18, the last two base models had 8GB, so an increase here makes more sense – especially since it could benefit Apple Intelligence, which is expected to get a lot more capable this year with Gemini being integrated into Siri.

On the other hand, memory is also getting more expensive thanks to AI data center demands, so it’s possible Apple would choose to keep the base model at 8GB still to keep costs down.

And it’s not something that we’ve heard much about yet – South Korean site The Bell (via MacRumors) claims that the iPhone 18 will be boosted to 12GB, and Apple analyst Jeff Pi (via 9to5Mac) says the Pro models will remain at 12GB, but not many other sources have weighed in yet. But price concerns aside, this is a move that makes sense.

• Likelihood: 7/10

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As someone who covers the best phone and plan deals at TechRadar all year round, I've rounded up this week's best options for potential switchers just below. There are plenty of excellent deals right now at both T-Mobile and AT&T, covering not just the latest devices, but excellent ways to save on your plan - should you want to switch.

It's a good time to check out T-Mobile, for example, because the carrier has just launched a new 'Better Family' promotion that could save you up to $1,000 on a high-end unlimited plan. On top of that, the carrier's excellent four-phones-for-free promotion on the iPhone 17 is still available right now - a promo that was originally featured back on Black Friday last year.

Meanwhile, AT&T's throwing in $200 of credit alongside all new unlimited lines this week, a great bonus that's stackable with the other phone deals at the carrier. You can read more about this promotion, and others, just down below.

This week's best switching deals at major carriers

That’s starting to change now – silicon-carbon batteries are now being used in a growing number of handsets, such as in the OnePlus 15 and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. This tech is heralding batteries with a capacity in the range of around 7,000-9,000mAh in a standard-size smartphone, while more conventional lithium-ion batteries rarely go above about 5,500mAh without manufacturers having to resort to a chunky device.

But while silicon-carbon batteries allow for the biggest battery jump we’ve seen in the history of smartphones, there are other battery technologies in the works that could deliver even more impressive life, or other advantages. So below, in no particular order, we’ve detailed five battery technologies that might one day power your phone.

1. Solid-state batteries

Of the many battery technologies currently being developed and explored, solid-state batteries look to be among the closest to finding their home in smartphones, as already we’re seeing companies reveal other types of products with them.

We’ve recently, for example, seen the announcement of the Kuxia S3 – a power bank with a semi-solid-state battery – and electric vehicle manufacturers are also experimenting with solid-state batteries.

But their use in power banks is most relevant here, as these are small-size devices much like a smartphone. This would suggest that solid-state batteries could also work well in phones.

Solid-state batteries use a solid or gel electrolyte, rather than the liquid electrolytes used by lithium-ion batteries, and this change allows for greater energy density, so you can have a higher capacity battery without increasing the footprint.

These batteries also degrade slower, with the Kuxia S3 for example promising to keep over 80% of its capacity until at least 1,000 charges, where most lithium-ion batteries will fall below that level after around 300-500 charging cycles.

2. Nuclear batteries

Nuclear batteries aren’t something that we’re likely to see powering smartphones any time soon, but one day they might, and these have the potential to keep your phone running for 50 years without needing a charge.

This would mean there would be no need for chargers or power banks, and as the battery wouldn’t be getting charged, it also wouldn’t see its capacity degrade through repeated charges.

This might sound like the stuff of science fiction but in fact nuclear batteries already exist. However, they’re typically used for things like spacecraft and automated scientific stations, as current designs are large, heavy, expensive, and generate lots of heat.

But some companies are working on solving those issues, with for example Betavolt Technology claiming to have successfully miniaturized these batteries, with plans to one day use them for phones.

3. A proprietary battery from Apple

While most of the technologies in this list could potentially be used by any or all phones one day, we might also see companies develop proprietary technologies to help their own handsets stand out.

Apple is one example of this, as back in 2023, industry sources claimed Apple was working on exactly this. While these sources were light on specifics of how these batteries might work, they did say that carbon nanotubes could be used as a conductive material, to improve performance.

That said, this report suggested these batteries would appear in devices in 2025, which obviously hasn’t happened. So perhaps the sources were wrong, or Apple hit a snag. As such, it’s unclear if or when we might see these.

4. Structural batteries

Structural batteries are a kind of battery where the battery could double as a phone’s frame or case, allowing handset makers to make better use of the available space, while reducing the weight of phones, and potentially making them far thinner, as they won’t need a separate battery component.

So far, researchers are primarily looking at using structural batteries in vehicles such as electric cars, but they could one day lead to mobile phones that are as thin as credit cards; though that might require the slimming down of some other components too.

5. Graphene batteries

Graphene batteries use a combination of graphene and solid-state materials, and they promise faster charging, increased capacities, and – like the solid-state batteries detailed above – slower degradation, so they can withstand more charging cycles.

These batteries already exist, but right now they’re prohibitively expensive for most use cases. However, research from Focus – via Energy Monitor – suggests that by the mid 2030’s, prices could fall enough that these batteries might start seeing widespread use in EVs.

There’s no mention of smartphones, but it sounds like their advantages could make them a good fit for phones if and when they become affordable.

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However, buying an older phone isn’t without its challenges. For one thing, it can be hard to find the exact model you’re after, especially if you’re looking to buy a factory-new handset. Older iPhones – especially Pro and Pro Max models – can be very hard to come by even as soon as two years after launch.

And secondly, there are some operational and security factors to consider when buying an older phone. Phones need to be able to run a reasonably recent version of their operating system to access most apps, and those stuck on obsolete versions are much more vulnerable to hackers and malware.

So, with all of these factors in mind, what is the oldest phone you can – or should – still use in 2026?

The oldest box-new phone

If you’re looking to buy a box-new phone, then the oldest units you’ll find in factory new condition are likely to be only a few years old.

For Apple fans, you’re still able to find new iPhone 13 models on pre-paid plans from carriers like Verizon, but might struggle to find the same units unlocked. In the UK, the oldest iPhone I can see for sale new is the iPhone 12, which Laptops Direct still has in stock.

As for Android, you can still find a good supply of Samsung Galaxy S22, Google Pixel 7, and OnePlus 12 series phones at retailers. There are many, many brands of Android phones that vary quite a lot by region, so mileage may vary depending on manufacturer.

The oldest supported phone

If you’re willing to shop used or refurbished, your main concern when buying an older phone should be whether it’s still supported. Ideally you want a phone with one or two operating system updates left in its lifespan, but even if that’s out of the question, you absolutely need a phone that’s still getting security support if you plan to use it while connected to the internet.

According to Apple’s security patch log page, the oldest version of iOS that got any kind of security patch in 2025 was iOS 15.8.5 – meaning the oldest phone that got security updates last year was the iPhone 6S, released in 2015. Not bad – but do keep in mind that some apps, and even newer releases of staple apps, might not run on this older version of iOS.

It’s worth noting that the oldest iPhone that can run iOS 26 – the latest version – is the iPhone 11 (released in 2019). You might want to pick up an iPhone 12 or newer if you plan on using any upcoming features, as the iPhone 11 is now next in line to be dropped.

On the Android side of things, the oldest version of Android still listed in Google’s Android Security Bulletin updates is Android 13, meaning any phone that runs Android 13 or newer can be considered a safe pick.

That means the oldest widely available phone still covered by Android security patches could be the Google Pixel 4, released in October 2019, which received Android 13 as its final major OS update. The Samsung Galaxy S20 and OnePlus 9 families can also run Android 13.

As for phones that can run Android 16 – the latest version – we’re looking at the Samsung Galaxy S22 series (plus the Galaxy S21 FE), the Google Pixel 6 family, and the OnePlus 11 series. Google cinches it again on this one, as the Google Pixel 6 was released in October 2021, beating the respective 2022 and 2023 launches by Samsung and OnePlus.

Classic phones and staying safe

As I covered in a recent piece, the iPhone 4 has surged in popularity lately due to demand for its digital camera, which retro tech lovers prize for its charm and Y2K-style aesthetic. And for collectors, old and obsolete phones can be a real prize.

However, if you’re dead-set on buying a phone that’s so old it no longer gets security updates, there are a few security measures you need to take to stay safe.

You should keep any phone that no longer gets security updates disconnected from wireless networks with no SIM card inserted, and avoid inputting any sensitive or personal data. And be sure to move any files off of the phone with a wired connection to a trusted device.

By following these steps you can protect your nostalgic fun against hackers and malware.

So, overall, the oldest “usable” phone for daily use is probably the iPhone 6S, which seems to still get security support from Apple – but there’s no predicting whether this will last much longer. Personally, I’d recommend getting a daily driver that can run the latest version of your preferred operating system, which would make 2019’s iPhone 11 the front-runner (or.... back-runner?). For Android fans we have to get even more recent with the Google Pixel 6, released in 2021.

If you’re blast-from-the-pasted out, feel free to check out our guides to the best iPhones, best Android phones, and best phones overall for a refresher on the latest and greatest handsets – and let us know your favorite classic phone in the comments below.

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For years, I relied on third-party apps like Calm or Dark Noise to fill that silence with white noise. They work great, but they often come with subscription fees, and honestly, I need to have a bit of a 2026 subscription declutter this year.

In my quest to find a cheaper alternative, I remembered that Apple actually baked a high-quality sound machine directly into iOS 26, and most people have no idea it’s even there.

The feature is called Background Sounds, and if you struggle with distractions or insomnia, it might just be the most underrated accessibility feature on your iPhone.

Why use Apple’s native background noises?

Beyond the obvious benefit of being free, the integration is what makes this feature shine. Unlike some third-party apps that cut out when you lock your phone or start playing music, Apple’s Background Sounds are designed to layer.

You can have a rainstorm playing underneath your favorite podcast, or white noise humming along while you scroll TikTok. It transforms your phone into a dynamic soundscape rather than just a media player, and because of that, I think it's the best way to listen to background sounds on an iPhone.

Sounds like white noise are scientifically proven to help people sleep better, so if you're a light sleeper or have noisy neighbors that make falling asleep a chore, Apple's hidden iPhone sound library could be the solution you've been looking for.

How to listen to sounds like white noise on your iPhone

I love listening to white noise, especially when I want to get in the zone and get serious work done. Enabling Background Sounds on iOS 26 is incredibly easy, but if you didn't know where to find it you'd never know it existed.

Here's how to enable sounds like white noise on iPhone.

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Accessibility, then Audio & Visual
3. Select Background Sounds 
4. Toggle On and select your sound of choice

Pro tip: Control Center toggle

So you now know how to turn on background noises on iPhone, but wouldn't it be better if you had a quick toggle so you don't need to spend extra time delving into the Settings app every time you want to use rain sounds?

There's a simple fix, and it's built into the iPhone's Control Center.

1. Open Settings
2. Select Control Center
3. Add Hearing

That's all there is to it, you've now got access to a dedicated iPhone background noise toggle without paying for a subscription from one of the best iPhone apps like Calm.

If you want to take this even further, you can use the Shortcuts app to enable sounds like white noise just before bedtime and disable it when you wake up.

This secret tool is just one of many lesser-known iPhone features that people often overlook. Stay tuned to TechRadar for more quick iOS tips.

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Looking for a cheap phone – a very cheap phone even – that can do all of the basics? Then the Motorola Moto G06 Power could be a mobile well-worth considering. For just £89, this budget device will let you do all the important stuff: think phone calls, WhatsApp messaging, and web browsing.

Of course, at such a low price-point, there are some serious limitations. Performance is far from ideal, with fairly regular stuttering, especially with more demanding tasks. The display only has a 720p resolution too, so movies and YouTube videos will never look particularly great.

But even if you’ll experience some occasional delays, you’ll still be able to perform the essential tasks without much of an issue – just as you would on any of the best Motorola phones. And doing that is nice and easy thanks to the familiar and effective Android 15 operating system, which is paired with Motorola’s simple Hello UI.

You’re also able to take some snaps with the G06 Power, thanks to its main camera, which offers an effective photo resolution of 12.5MP, and an 8MP selfie camera. Again, quality isn’t the best here, but you can take fairly clear captures in natural or low-lit conditions and hop on video calls without a hitch.

The general theme here is that you’ll have to sacrifice a fair bit on quality for a phone in this price bracket. For example, there’s no 5G or Wi-Fi 6 support, so you won’t be able to access the best network speeds. The IP64 waterproof rating is also hardly the best around and the phone’s built-in speakers can sound unrefined.

However, there are a few areas where this model excels. The most obvious is in regard to battery life. You’re getting a 7,000mAh capacity battery with the G06 Power; that’s exceptional, and will easily get you through a day of use, even if you’re dipping into more power-intensive apps.

Another highlight is the inclusion of a 3.5mm port on the top of the device. This is something that you won’t often come across on modern smartphones, but it’s a really welcome addition, enabling you to enjoy wired, higher-resolution music without sacrificing the USB-C port, which can be dedicated to charging alone.

All in all, I was satisfied with the Motorola Moto G06 Power. It did very little to wow me, performance was pretty rocky, and its display was pretty unremarkable. But for £89, I wasn’t expecting anything special. Essentially, this does everything it needs to for the price and, if you need a phone for less than £90, it will get the job done.

Motorola Moto G06 Power review: price & availability

• List price of £89
• Launched in October 2025

The Motorola Moto G06 Power is available in the UK from a range of retailers. It is typically sold for £89, but I’ve seen it going for less than £80 on occasion. It launched in October 2025, and can be purchased in either Laurel Oak or Tapestry.

Motorola Moto G06 Power review: specs

Motorola Moto G06 Power review: design

• Basic yet decently modern look
• Understated colour options from Pantone
• Nifty 3.5mm port

In terms of looks, the Motorola Moto G06 isn’t doing anything all too differently to siblings like the Motorola Moto G55 5G, say. It’s got a basic look, with a decently large 6.88-inch screen, solid feel, and textured casing on the back – it’s not going to wow anyone, and it’s not exactly razor thin, but it’s still quite a modern-looking device.

All of the G06 Power’s buttons are kept on one side – something I always appreciate, as it means I’m less likely to accidentally press a button while gaming, for example. They’re also well-sized and easy to use.

Something that Motorola likes to flaunt is its partnership with colour specialist Pantone, which has led to some pretty unique colour variants for phones like the Motorola Edge 50 Neo. There’s nothing overly vibrant this time out, but the two colour options – Laurel Oak and Tapestry – are classy and understated, and make for a nice change from the usual black, silver, or white that most manufacturers offer.

Let’s look a little more at the practical aspects of this phone’s design, though. First of all, I’m a huge fan of Motorola’s decision to include a 3.5mm slot on the top edge of the device. This means that you can enjoy high quality audio from some of the best wired earbuds or IEMs, like the 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones or the Sennheiser IE 200.

This phone also offers OK protection against damage. It uses the scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 3, and also has an IP64 dust and waterproof rating. This means it’s essentially fully dustproof, and protected against multi-directional water splashes – think raindrops, for instance. However, that’s not as impressive as other Motorola devices – like the IP69-rated Motorola Edge 60 Fusion – which can be fully submerged underwater for extended periods without accruing damage.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Motorola Moto G06 Power review: display

• Unremarkable 720p LCD screen
• But has a respectable 120Hz refresh rate
• Peak brightness of just 600 nits

Design-wise, the G06 Power seems decent for a sub-£100 phone, but when we turn towards the display, its limitations start to become all too apparent.

First of all, and perhaps most importantly, this display’s resolution is very low for a phone that was released in late 2025. It’s just 720p – not even full HD – so you won’t be able to enjoy your favourite movies, series, YouTube videos and more in the best quality.

Just generally, the picture here is pretty poor too. When watching a YouTube video covering the natural beauty of Costa Rica, the deep greens of a lizard on-screen weren’t replicated well, appearing flushed out and artificial. On my mid-range Samsung phone, however, those greens looked true-to-life and rich, creating a far more appealing viewing experience.

Sure, there are ways to alter the display’s output – you can swap between a Natural and Saturated presentation in system settings, alter colour contrast levels, and more. But regardless of your calibration, you’re not going to get the sharp detail and eye-popping colours that pricier models can offer.

Other than disappointing colour reproduction, I also picked up on underwhelming contrast and brightness. The display’s peak luminance of 600 nits plays quite the part here – that’s low, even for a budget device, considering a rival like the Samsung Galaxy A15 delivers 800 nits. That low brightness means the phone performs poorly outdoors, and I found it hard to read or view on-screen content in bright conditions.

In spite of its unremarkable picture quality, the G06 Power’s display does have a 120Hz refresh rate, which is pretty decent. That means that you’ll be able to play some mobile games at up to 120fps, if they support such a frame rate.

• Display score: 2.5/5

Motorola Moto G06 Power review: software

• Runs Android 15 out of the box
• Expected to receive three years of security updates
• Some annoying bloatware, but less AI fluff

Out of the box, the Motorola Moto G06 runs Android 15, which is as customizable, easy-to-use, and intuitive as ever on the G06 Power. Motorola claims that it will update to Android 16 in due course, and that you can expect three years of security updates. That’s not particularly good, but still in-line with most of its G-series mobiles.

The usual Motorola UI touches are here too, which open up a few nice options. You’re getting gesture controls, attentive display, media controls, and more. The UI is well laid-out and simplistic, making it highly accessible for all users.

Something I appreciated quite a bit about the Moto G06 was its more stripped back approach to AI functionality. When I reviewed the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion, I felt as if it was constantly trying to push uninteresting AI tools onto me – thinking generated wallpapers, playlists, and notification summaries.

But the G06 Power doesn’t try to force these superfluous features onto you. Instead, it delivers a much more streamlined, bloat-free user experience. AI can be found on the device, with some camera integrations and Google Gemini functionality, but it’s not the star of the show here.

Having said that, the G06 Power isn’t totally bloat-free. And that’s because it automatically downloaded a bunch of apps that I didn’t want at all. I’m not talking about the useful stuff, like Google Chrome or YouTube. No, instead I raise you Toon Blast, Block Blast, and the dreaded Temu. If I wanted this software, I’d be capable of downloading it myself, thank you very much.

• Software score: 3/5

Motorola Moto G06 Power review: cameras

• 50MP camera realistically operates at 12.5MP
• Basic 8MP selfie camera
• Quality isn’t great overall, but does the job

As you may expect, the Motorola Moto G06 Power is no powerhouse in the cameras department. However, it does produce perfectly acceptable results for a phone in this price range, in my view.

The star of the show is the 50MP Quad Pixel camera system, which essentially combines four pixels into one to capture what are effectively 12.5MP photos. I took a variety of snaps throughout the day in my city, both indoors and outdoors, and the quality was about as I’d expected.

In natural light, buildings and cars looked clear enough, although I hardly got the most detailed or dynamic images around. It was a similar story when taking photos inside: the vivid blue of my vase was captured decently, but a restricted resolution meant that the intricacies of a rose inside were lost.

The G06 Power uses digital processing to make photos clearer in low light, and this worked fairly well in my experience. I took a photo of a street at night, and although some details were blurred, the overall finish was solid enough. In a darker room, the camera held its own, ensuring a pigeon figure was easily discernible.

When zooming in, the camera’s restrictions became very apparent; a lot of clarity is lost, and already low-detail elements can look pretty messy. But again, that’s nothing out of the ordinary for cameras on a phone this cheap.

With the 8MP front-facing camera, the story is much the same. When taking a photo of myself, my skin tone and eyes looked pretty colour accurate, although it wasn’t the brightest of images. Finer details, like lines on my face and individual hairs weren’t the sharpest, but again, I was satisfied with what I saw.

In the video domain, things are about as basic as it gets. You can film in up to 1080p, at 30fps, which isn’t going to compete with some of the best budget phones. But still, motion was as smooth as I expected, and image quality was steady.

• Cameras score: 3/5

Motorola Moto G06 Power review: performance

• Constant issues with stuttering
• Underwhelming built-in speakers, but good audio support
• No 5G or Wi-Fi 6 capabilities

Given this phone costs less than £90, it may not surprise you to hear that it has some glaring performance issues.

Even with only a couple of apps open, I was experiencing fairly consistent delays when sifting through menus, scrolling across webpages, and opening software. Some other basic functions, like switching out of full-screen mode on a YouTube video, also caused some slow-down.

As you can imagine, then, some more demanding commands can be tough for the G06 Power to handle. I downloaded Genshin Impact, a pretty intensive 3D game, and even loading it up took a full minute. When I was finally through the door, the game did stutter quite a bit, although some segments were functional.

Ultimately, the phone’s MediaTek Helio G81 Extreme processor and 4GB of RAM just won’t be enough for mobile gamers. This model is even pretty weak for general productivity and daily tasks, so unless you’re fine with a little bit of stuttering and delay, you’ll probably want to step-up to something more powerful.

Something I also want to touch on is audio quality. Now, I have to be honest, the phone’s built-in speakers aren’t very good. When watching The Boy and the Heron, audio wasn’t the most controlled or balanced, and in Genshin Impact audio could get a bit distorted. However, this phone does support Dolby Atmos, LDAC, and wired listening through its 3.5mm port, meaning it's awesome when paired with some of the best earbuds or best headphones.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the Motorola Moto G06 Power does not support 5G or Wi-Fi 6. As a result, you’ll be missing out on the best network speeds and connectivity options, which could prove to be a sticking point for some buyers.

• Performance score: 2.5/5

Motorola Moto G06 Power review: battery life

• Very high 7,000mAh battery capacity
• 18W wired charging
• No wireless charging

Other than its incredibly low price, the most enticing aspect of the G06 Power is its battery life.

That’s right, it has a phenomenal 7,000mAh capacity battery, which means it can live for quite some time. Its processor is hardly the most demanding either, so it will drain at a fairly slow rate. Motorola says that the battery will last as long as 62 hours, but even if you’re using more intensive apps, you’ll easily get a day's use from the G06 Power without needing to charge it.

You can check up on battery health status, usage history and more in system settings, but there’s more available if you go digging. For instance, you can activate a battery saver mode, toggle adaptive battery, and enable overcharge protection, which limits charging to maintain superior health.

In terms of charging technology, things are kept pretty basic, though. This model supports 18W wired charging, but has no wireless charging capabilities.

• Battery life score: 4/5

Should I buy the Moto G06 Power?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Motorola Moto G06 Power review: also consider

How I tested the Motorola Moto G06 Power

• Tested for one week
• Used at work and in day-to-day life
• Assessed gaming, camera and battery features, among other things

I tested the Motorola Moto G06 Power across an intensive week-long period, trying it out in a wide range of environments, like the office, at home, and out on walks.

In my time testing the phone, I exhausted all of its core features – stuff like different display configurations, camera options, and gesture controls. I also tried listening to music via the included 3.5mm port, and tried out a bunch of games like Genshin Impact, to test performance.

More generally, I’ve tested a bunch of phones here at TechRadar, including a range of budget-friendly Motorola devices like the Motorola Moto G55 5G and Motorola Edge 60 Fusion, to name just a couple.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: January 2026

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It’s now 2026 – 10 years since 2016 – so it’s no surprise that nostalgia for the internet’s favorite year is surging. According to the BBC, searches for “2016” are exploding on various platforms, from TikTok to Spotify.

What I think a lot of people – Gen-Z or otherwise – miss when discussing the impact of 2016 is just how much of our fondest memories revolve around our phones. While the world wasn’t quite as reliant on smartphones 10 years ago as it is today, we’d certainly started to lean on the computers in our pockets for daily activities and entertainment.

Furthermore, a lot has changed in the world of smartphones in the last decade. So, for old time’s sake – here’s a recap of the biggest phone releases of 2016, plus a list of the phones the TechRadar team were using ten years ago.

Apple: iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone SE

Launched in September 2016, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus live in infamy as the first iPhones to launch without a headphone jack. Equally notorious is Apple’s reasoning for ditching the useful port – at that year’s launch event, Tim Cook gave an infamous one-word explanation: “Courage”.

Despite the ensuing storm of controversy and some mockery from Samsung, Apple turned out to be ahead of the curve. Today, headphone jacks are a rarity on modern flagship phones and are most often reserved for the best gaming phones or other specialist handsets.

Headphone jacks aside, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were pretty decent smartphones. Though not a huge step up from the still-popular iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S families, the iPhone 7 got the new A10 Fusion chipset, a 4.7-inch screen (in the then-standard 16:9 aspect ratio), and a single 12MP rear camera. The iPhone 7 Plus was the first iPhone to launch with a second camera, a 2x telephoto lens. Both came with huge bezels and a Touch ID-enabled home button, and ran iOS 10 at launch.

As well as the new flagships, Apple launched the first iPhone SE in March 2016, giving fans of the iPhone 5’s 4-inch form factor the chance to get their hands on the latest A9 chipset. This wasn’t as much of a ‘budget’ phone as the generations that followed, as it was an homage to the outgoing design, a final salute to truly small handsets.

Samsung: Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, and Galaxy Note 7

While Apple started to simplify the iPhone in 2016, Samsung kept thinking big – literally. At 5.7 inches, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was one of the biggest widely available phones at the time, with a spec sheet to match. Its 1440p display was razor sharp, and with 4GB of RAM, it offered twice as much memory as its Apple counterpart. And of course, this was the birth of the built-in stylus, which we stil see today in the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The standard Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge both had 5.1-inch displays and a few internal boosts over their predecessors. Samsung revived the Edge branding for the Galaxy S25 Edge last year, but back in 2016, the term meant something completely different – rather than being a slimmer version of the standard model, the Galaxy S7 Edge had a wraparound display that covered the edges of the phone.

Curved displays have since gone out of fashion, but it’s worth remembering that Samsung was the one to popularize them and really thought outside the box when it came to making the most of the extra space. Notifications and various indicators could flash up on the sides of the phone, making them easy to read from, say, a bedside table.

All three of 2016’s Samsung flagships ran Android 6 at launch, and all three had expandable storage via microSD. Take me back!

Google: Pixel and Pixel XL

After a successful run of Nexus phones made in collaboration with various phone makers, 2016 saw Google step out on its own for the first time. The Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL were the first phones made by Google and only Google, giving the Android operating system a piece of flagship hardware to call home.

The Google Pixel had a 5-inch screen, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a 12MP rear camera. The Google Pixel XL offered a similar experience, just with a 5.5-inch screen and a bigger battery. However, neither of the phones were particularly weatherproof, with just an IP53 ingress protection rating – this was before the days of IP68 being a given for flagship smartphones.

The real selling point of the phone was basically the same as today’s Google Pixel flagships – it ran a very lightweight, bloat-free version of Android 6 at launch, optimized for the hardware by Google itself. Though Google Pixels increasingly lean on AI tools to offer value, it's still this software simplicity that brings some users to the platform in the present.

OnePlus 3

Once considered an underdog brand, OnePlus has shot up through the ranks of the smartphone world in recent years. Its latest flagship, the OnePlus 15, earned a rare 5 stars in our review and now holds the title of the best Android phone, while also appearing on our list of the best phones.

Rewind ten years, though, and OnePlus wasn’t nearly as well-known as it is now – but the company was still putting out phones that put the big brands in the crosshairs. In 2016, OnePlus released the OnePlus 3, which we called a “genuine flagship killer” in our 4.5-star review.

It’s not surprising that the phone earned such high praise when you take a look at its spec sheet. The OnePlus 3 launched with a 5.5-inch display, a 16MP rear camera, an above-average 6GB of RAM, and a 3,000mAh battery with support for 20W charging – very speedy for the time. It was also the first all-metal OnePlus phone and came with the brand’s iconic ringer switch, which was only retired from its flagship phones in 2025.

The OnePlus 3 might be outdated now, but it’s cool to see that OnePlus has, in fact, been pushing its flagship-fighting philosophy for quite some time. It makes the brand’s win with the OnePlus 15 feel even more earned.

HTC 10 and LG G5

Back in 2016, there were a couple of brands on the scene that seemed like they’d be heavy hitters for years to come, but have vanished in the years since.

For example, HTC launched the HTC 10 in 2016. This was the successor to the much-loved HTC One series, and like its predecessors had a premium design, with a 5.2-inch display and 3,000mAh battery (both large for the time); it scored 4.5 stars in our review.

In the same year, we saw the LG G5 handset, which launched alongside a crop of separately-sold modules, such as a 360 camera and dedicated DAC.

HTC’s focus on luxury ultimately couldn’t secure its place in the race against Apple and Samsung, and the company now produces low-end smartphones, mainly for Asian markets. LG, on the other hand, kept getting weirder and wilder, but the company’s phone business closed in 2020 due to poor sales.

Which phones were the TechRadar team using in 2016?

I asked the TechRadar team which phones they were using in 2016 – as the list shows, plenty of the crew were still rocking phones from 2015 or earlier.

• Rowan Davies, Editorial Executive: iPhone 6S
• Mark Wilson, Managing Editor, News (UK): iPhone 6S
• Matthew Bolton, Managing Editor, Entertainment: iPhone 6S
• Jacob Krol, Managing Editor, News (US): iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 Plus
• John-Anthony Disotto, Senior Writer AI: iPhone 7 Plus
• Josephine Watson, Managing Editor, Lifestyle: iPhone SE
• Timothy Coleman, Cameras Editor: iPhone SE
• Matt Evans, Senior Editor, Fitness Wellness & Wearables: iPhone SE
• Becky Scarrott, Audio Editor: iPhone 5S
• Jamie Richards, Staff Writer, Mobile Computing (hey, that's me!): iPhone 5S
• Roland Moore-Colyer, Managing Editor, Mobile Computing: Samsung Galaxy S6
• Catherine Ellis, Homes Editor: Samsung Galaxy Note 2
• Matthew Hanson, Managing Editor, Core Tech: Google Pixel XL
• Dashiell Wood, Gaming Editor: Moto G4 Play
• David Nield, Freelance Contributor: Google Nexus 6

Were phones better in 2016 than they are now?

From a purely technical perspective, the best phones of 2026 are much more capable than the phones of 2016 – there's not much point arguing otherwise. But when we look at which year was better for phones at the time, things get a little more interesting.

The iPhone 7 was widely criticized for ditching the headphone jack and delivering less of an upgrade than the iPhone 6, but it was still a solid Apple handset. Samsung’s mainline Galaxy phones were also built around incremental upgrades, and didn't really push the boat out compared to past releases.

However, we did get some excitement from the launch of the all-new Google Pixel and oddball handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and LG G5. In the present day, big brands are hesitant to take a chance on out-there designs, and other than a wave of thin phones in 2025 we haven't seen any truly wild innovations since the introduction of folding phones. From that perspective, 2016 gains some ground.

And while 2026 has only just started, it seems like it might not be a huge year for phone development thanks to economic uncertainties and the rocketing demand for components like RAM.

What I personally remember about phones in 2016 is more about the way we used our devices, not the spec bumps or new features. Whether we were stepping around the neighbourhood looking for Pokémon in Pokémon Go or getting a few friends together to film a Mannequin Challenge video (remember that?), it seemed like many of the apps and trends we took part in were about coming together and amplifying our real-world experiences. In that way, it was a great year for phones, possibly because we weren’t using them quite so much.

Still, 2026 is set to be a very exciting year for mobile tech, with new developments expected in battery tech, design and materials, and mobile photography. Keep an eye on our mobile buying guides for the latest new models, and be sure to let us know which phone you were using in 2016 in the comments below.

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The dust is slowly settling on the massive Verizon outage of 2026, and while we still don't know what cut out cell service for Verizon customers across much of the United States, the company is getting out in front of the issue with another public apology and a $20 credit for affected customers.

Verizon wrote in an X post that customers can get their $20 credit by logging into their Verizon accounts, which customers who were unable to access the cell network for upwards of eight hours may or may not think is enough. The credit doesn't appear to be there yet, though, and Verizon has told us it will send a text message when it becomes available – that, of course, assumes your service has returned.

In fact, Verizon appears to be anticipating the response, adding in its post, "This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can. But it’s a way of acknowledging your time and showing that this matters to us."

Do I think $20 is enough? Probably not. A fairer amount might've been the cost of one month of 5G coverage for one month, so somewhere in the range of $50. But I get that could be a huge expense for Verizon across millions of customers. Also, that's not my problem.

And judging from the comments on our live report tracking the outage and aftermath, I have a feeling many folks across the United States won't be happy with this either. Further, while Verizon is upping the communication now, the carrier went for hours without providing an update, and this, as well as a small, $20 credit will likely make for a rightfully unhappy bunch. Though, as some have shared, calling in and chatting with a customer service rep might be a way to score a larger credit – mileage on this will likely vary though.

What's missing thus far is an explanation of the outage's root cause. There are numerous theories, including a cyberattack, bad code, and equipment failure. Any one of them could account for the scale of the event (and its duration), but until Verizon does its post-mortem, we simply won't know. That process can take hours, days, or even weeks.

In the meantime, whatever percentage of Verizon Mobile's nearly 150 million customers affected by the outage will have to decide if $20 is enough to assuage their frustration over lost communication opportunities, business, and even the inability to reach emergency services when they needed them.

If you're currently searching for that $20 credit, you might want to wait a bit until that text from Verizon comes through. Many people, including this Verizon customer, have yet to see any indication of the credit on their accounts. I even tried to engage with chat on the issue, and it, though automated, knew nothing about the credit offer.

In the meantime, let us know what you think about Verizon's $20 credit in the poll below.

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And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.