07-14-25 -

HMD "Scales Back" US Operations
HMD Global — steward of the Nokia brand for phones — is all but shuttering its US operations, citing "a challenging geopolitical and economic environment". The company has offered a number of phones in the US in recent years, under i...

07-09-25 -

Samsung Expands Foldable Lineup with Cheaper Z Flip 7 FE
After teasing that this year's foldable lineup would go more premium with a new "Ultra" model, Samsung has done the opposite and added a more-affordable Galaxy Z Flip7 FE. The lineup also includes the expected Galaxy Z Flip7 and Z Fold7....

07-01-25 -

AT&T Finally Offers Protection Against SIM Swap Attacks
AT&T now offers an Account Lock feature that can protect customers from attacks that intercept messages and security codes. It's a setting available for post- and pre-paid consumers in the myAT&T app. Business customers can access Account ...

07-01-25 -

Nothing Launches Flagship Phone (3)
Following the recent launch of several more affordable models, Nothing has finally launched its next flagship model, the Phone (3). It evolves Nothing's distinctive light-up "Glyph" system into a new "Glyph Matrix", a small, ci...

06-25-25 -

Bill Reintroduced to Open Up App Stores
A bipartisan group of US senators have reintroduced the Open App Markets Act, after it failed to reach a vote in 2022. The proposed law would require Apple and Google to allow "side-loading" (installing apps without using the app stores)...

06-25-25 -

Trump Phone Won't be Made in USA After All
All previous mention of the Trump T1 phone being made in the US has been removed from the Trump Mobile web site. Some specs have also been changed.

06-25-25 -

Fairphone 6 Shrinks its Modular, Long-Lasting Phone
Fairphone has launched its sixth-generation phone designed to be user-serviceable, long-lasting, and eco-friendly. The Fairphone (Gen. 6) is more compact than past iterations, with a 6.31-inch display (120 Hz OLED and FHD+). The modular design has...

06-25-25 -

Google Chrome Lets You Move Address Bar to Bottom
This new web browser option on Android follows a similar move by Apple with the Safari browser in iOS. The easiest way to change the location is to long-press on the address bar itself, then tap "Move address bar to bottom".

06-24-25 -

Apple Pushes Ad for its Newest Movie to iPhones
Many iPhone users today received a push notification from the Apple Wallet app promoting the new "F1" movie made by Apple. The unsolicited ad took the form of a $10 discount code for use with Fandango. A beta version of iOS includes a se...

06-24-25 -

Verizon Upgrades Its Customer Service
Verizon is launching a new effort to improve its customer service. First, for "complex issues", the company will now assign a dedicated "Customer Champion" to provide updates and ensure full resolution. Those updates can be pro...

06-23-25 -

T-Mobile Details Satellite Service
T-Mobile has released the final details of its T-Satellite service. The company also revealed a new award it received, and announced a new perk for customers. Following a successful beta test period that saw millions of messages sent, phase one of...

06-18-25 -

T-Mobile Reshuffles Prepaid Plans
T-Mobile is reworking its prepaid plans, with a mix of positive and negative changes. All three new plans include a 5-year price guarantee (on data, voice, and text) and new perks like soccer and baseball TV subscriptions and free in-flight Wi-Fi ...

06-18-25 -

TikTok Gets Another Temporary Lifeline in US
President Trump has announced a new 90-day pause in the enforcement of the law that forces TikTok to sell its US operations, or be banned.

06-16-25 -

Trump Org. Launches Trump Mobile
The Trump family has launched Trump Mobile, a new MVNO offering "5G service through all three major cellular carriers". The prepaid service has no contracts and no credit check. For $47.45 per month, the service offers "unlimited da...

06-13-25 -

Google Kills Instant Apps
Google is shutting down an Android feature that let users quickly download and use a temporary "mini" version of an app, instead of installing the full app. Instant Apps were not popular with developers, but were useful for game trials o...

06-13-25 -

The Nothing Phone (3) Will Come to US
Nothing has previously made a series of unique phones but shied away from the US market in terms of network support, sales channels, and support. The Phone (3) will be announced July 1 and sold in the US via Amazon and Nothing's web site.

06-12-25 -

Anker Recalls Popular Power Bank Over Fire Risk
Anker has recalled its PowerCore 10000 power bank (model A1263), which was sold between June 2016 and December 2022 in the United States. Anker has received 19 reports of fires and explosions with this model. The power bank was popular, selling ov...

06-12-25 -

Verizon Expands Its Dedicated 5G for First Responders
Verizon launched its "Frontline Network Slice" in April in 30 major markets, giving first responders guaranteed network access. Now it expands nationwide to all 50 major markets where Verizon offers 5G Ultra Wideband.

06-12-25 -

Google Makes Open-Source Android Development More Difficult
Google is taking away a key resource that made it easier for third parties to develop non-Google versions of the Android OS for smartphones. Specifically, Google will no longer publish an "example" version of AOSP (Android Open Source Pr...

06-11-25 -

Apple Expands Child Safety Protections and Options for Parents
Apple today announced new features for its child-safety and parental controls features in its platforms, including iOS for iPhones. Apple will be expanding its number of age range categories to include under-13, 13+, 16+, and 18+. Apps with an ove...

06-10-25 -

Pixel Phones Gain Exclusive new VIPs Widget
Google has started rolling out the "Pixel Drop" software update for Pixel phones for June. Its most prominent new feature is a "VIPs" home-screen widget that integrates with the Contacts app. It lets you designate a small numbe...

06-10-25 -

Android 16 Exits Beta, Now Available on Pixels
Google has put the finishing touches on Android version 16, ending the beta period for the OS. It is now available for Google Pixel phones and will roll out to other brands soon. Notifications get a big update, with the introduction of Live Update...

06-09-25 -

Apple iOS 26 Brings a New Look and Long List of New Features
Apple has revealed iOS 26, the next major version of iOS (the current version is 18). It introduces a major new design language that Apple calls Liquid Glass, which is coming to all Apple devices, not just iPhone. Accompanying the new look is a ho...

06-04-25 -

Sonim XP Pro Launches on AT&T
After initially launching with Verizon in November, Sonim's XP Pro is now available from AT&T as well. The XP Pro is a rugged Android smartphone with a much sleeker profile than the company's previous rugged smartphones. It has a good upper-mi...

06-03-25 -

Samsung's Next Flagship Foldable Will be Ultra
Samsung announced that it's bringing its "Ultra" branding to its foldable phone lineup soon. The accompanying teaser animation shows a device that opens like a book, similar to the company's current Galaxy Z Fold6 model. It's not clear i...

06-02-25 -

Google Kills Off PayPal in Google Wallet
Google Wallet is turning off the ability to link a PayPal account directly with Google Wallet in the US. After June 13, this special integration will only be continue to be available in Germany. Instead, users are encouraged to add a PayPal Debit ...

05-30-25 -

Life360 Integrates Tile Tags
Nearly four years after acquiring Tile, Life360 has now fully merged most Tile app functionality into its own Life360 app. Life360 is a family locator app. Tile is the original Bluetooth object-tracking tag that preceded Apple AirTags and similar ...

05-29-25 -

OnePlus Replaces Alert Slider with Plus Key for AI
OnePlus has announced its new AI strategy that will debut with the forthcoming OnePlus 13s phone. The company is replacing its hallmark alert slider switch with a new shortcut button that can perform a variety of functions, such as switching sound...

05-28-25 -

Consumer Cellular Launches White-Label Service for MVNOs
Consumer Cellular is launching "Enabler IQ", a turnkey service for brands wishing to launch their own mobile service as an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). AT&T will provide the 5G and 4G network for the service, while Consume...

05-28-25 -

Cricket Expands Unlimited Plan Options
Cricket has introduced a new service plan called Simply Unlimited that brings a form of "unlimited data" to a new low price point of $40/month for one line. Previously, its cheapest "Unlimited Plan" was $55/month. Simply Unlimi...

05-28-25 -

Samsung Details its Next Big Software Update
Samsung has announced One UI 8, its customized version of Android 16. The software is now available in beta for the Galaxy S25 series, with a final version debuting first on new Samsung foldable phones this summer, then rolling out to other Galaxy...

05-27-25 -

Texas Joins Utah in Mandating App Stores Verify Age
The Texas Governor has signed a new law that requires app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental approval for a minor to download software or make in-app purchases. Utah enacted a similar law in March. Apple and Google have vocally oppos...

05-27-25 -

Hands On with the New Moto Edge
Motorola is rounding out its 2025 lineup of phones with the new edge (2025). This mid-range phone has a fancy curved-edge display that gives it a unique look and feel. It helps the phone have thinner bezels, and look and feel extra-thin. What's it...

05-27-25 -

Motorola's new Edge Adds Tele Camera, Among Other Upgrades
Motorola has announced the 2025 edition of its mid-range "edge" phone model. Like most previous generations, it has a curved-edge display, which measures 6.7 inches and has "Super HD" resolution of 1220 x 2712 pixels, with 120 ...

05-23-25 -

Trump Expands Tariff Threat to All Smartphones
After threatening a 25% tariff against Apple this morning unless they start making iPhones in the US, President Trump clarified this afternoon that the threat applies to all smartphone makers. The tariffs would start at the end of June.

05-23-25 -

Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on Apple Unless iPhones are Made in US
The latest salvo in the Trump administration's ever-shifting trade war is a new threat of a 25% tariff on all Apple products manufactured outside the US (which is essentially all Apple products, including iPhones). Trump's initial focus seemed to ...

05-22-25 -

TCL Brings 5G to its Newest Flip Phone
TCL has launched a new flip phone, its first with 5G. The TCL FLIP 4 5G is now available from Metro by T-Mobile. 5G in basic/flip phones is a new trend for 2025. Sonim recently launched the XP3plus 5G on T-Mobile, which also adds 5G (among other u...

05-22-25 -

Samsung DeX Merged Into Android 16
In Google's developer keynote address at its I/O event this week, the company announced that it will bring the desktop-mode feature of high-end Samsung phones to Android 16. Google and Samsung have been working together on the new feature, which i...

05-22-25 -

FCC Restricts Chinese Companies from Phone Testing Process
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted new rules that ban any company suspected of having ties to the Chinese government from participating in the process to approve new radio devices — including phones — for use in the US....

05-21-25 -

Fortnite Returns to Apple iOS App Store
Following a years-long legal battle that has fundamentally reshaped the economics of Apple's App Store, the popular game Fortnite has triumphantly returned to the App Store. Fortnite's developer, Epic Games, led the lawsuit against Apple's tight r...

05-20-25 -

Google Gemini Live AI App Can Now Take Action in Other Apps
Google is adding the ability for Gemini Live to integrate with other Google apps. For example, it can create calendar entries in Google Calendar or make a new list in Google Keep, upon request, based on the output of a conversation.

05-20-25 -

Spotify Adds Audiobook Purchases in iOS App
Spotify continues to update its iOS app to add newly-allowed purchasing options in the wake of Apple's App Store policy changes following a recent US court ruling on third-party payments. The most recent is the ability to buy individual audiobooks...

05-16-25 -

Charter to Merge with Cox
Charter and Cox have announced plans to merge, creating a new, larger cable and internet company. Both companies also offer mobile service for their customers as a bundle offering. The new company will officially be called Cox, but it will adopt C...

05-15-25 -

Qualcomm Upgrades its Affordable-Flagship Snapdragon Chipset
Qualcomm today announced the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 Mobile Platform, a replacement for its existing Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip for high-end (but not quite top-end) phones. The new Gen 4 chip offers a 65% improvement in AI performance, 30% faster graphics...

05-13-25 -

Google "Find Hub" Replaces Find My Device
Google is revamping its find-my-device services into a new Find Hub. The new features will be able to find a lost Android device, or anything with a Google-compatible Bluetooth tracker attached. It can also be used to keep to share your location w...

05-13-25 -

5G Phones get More Affordable with TCL K32 5G on Metro
The "sub-$100" 5G phone that TCL promised at CES in January has arrived on US shelves with its launch on Metro by T-Mobile. Although Metro lists the full price as $119.99, many customers may be able to get the phone for free, through var...

05-13-25 -

Apple Intros New Accessibility Apps, Plus Accessibility "Labels" in App Store
As it does every May for Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple has announced a number of new accessibility apps, features, and initiatives. Apple's App Store listings will now include "Accessibility Nutrition Labels", showing which m...

05-12-25 -

Samsung Fully Reveals 5.8mm-Thick Galaxy S25 Edge
After a brief tease in January, Samsung has finally announced the Galaxy S25 Edge, its thinnest flagship phone to date. A titanium body and Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 help allow the phone to be just 5.8mm thick. The phone naturally has a smal...

05-08-25 -

Google Expands Scam Detection on Android Using AI
Google is adding new types of scam detection and protection using on-device AI on Android. Android can already detect scams in progress and warn users in phone calls and messages. Now, the Chrome browser can detect scam-related notifications from ...

05-07-25 -

Android's New Design Guidelines Leaked
Google seems to have accidentally, prematurely published a blog post about its new "Material 3 Expressive" design guidelines for Android. The new templates feature a bolder design with floating toolbars, larger buttons, more color, and m...