Foldables have been around for several years, but the recent launch of the iPhone Duo means the foldable market could be on the verge of changing in a big way. To the point where Samsung is reportedly looking to mix things up, and offer an even more diverse range of foldable-centric devices than it already does.

The latest rumor claims that Samsung is currently working on a companion for the Galaxy Z Fold 9, sharing the same wider passport-shape of the Galaxy Z Fold 8. According to a leak on Korean network Naver, Samsung is testing two possible options, including a Galaxy Z Fold 9 Plus and a lower-priced Galaxy Z Fold 9 FE.

I've already expressed some confusion as to how a Z Fold 9 Plus would sit between the Fold 9 and Fold 9 Ultra. But an FE-branded model? That's actually a very good idea, especially in the current climate. Just as long as Samsung doesn't mess things up, like it did with last year's Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE.

Prices are too high right now

It's no secret that the cost of smartphones is rising, and Samsung has been one of the worst offenders when it comes to price hikes. The Galaxy S26 series was already subjected to some price hikes at launch, depending on which version you bought, only for Samsung to raise prices again at the start of October. The Z Fold 8 Ultra was also noticeably more expensive than the Z Fold 7, which was in turn more expensive than the Z Fold 6.

The reason for these price hikes are obvious. The cost of phone manufacturing has been rising for a number of years, and the last 12 months have seen an explosion in the cost of RAM and storage — all thanks to the current AI boom we've been experiencing.

Because of that multiple electronics companies have been forced to increase prices across the board including Samsung, Apple and Google.

The key problem with foldable adoption has been that they're so darn expensive, especially if you don't have easy access to Chinese brands that (usually) charge less than their international counterparts. So if you think about it, the seemingly never-ending price hikes means that now is the perfect time to start releasing lower-cost foldables.

The iPhone Duo has raised a lot more awareness about foldables, and could mean higher foldable adoption rates across the board. All foldable phone makers need to do is make sure their devices are accessible, and offering something with a lower price tag is one way to do that — even if it does come with some compromises.

Plus, the cost of everything is going up, and there's less money to spend on luxury purchases like new smartphones. Especially ones that cost close to $2,000.

Fighting increased competition

While the launch of the iPhone Duo will help raise awareness of foldable phones, it also means that Galaxy foldables have some serious competition — possibly for the first time ever.

Apple is a popular brand, and that's reflected in the fact iPhone sales outpace any other individual phone brand. Even Samsung, easily the most popular Android brand, trailed behind Apple in global market share last year.

There are plenty of people out in the world who will only ever buy an iPhone, and will never even consider the possibility of switching to a rival brand — regardless of what might be on offer. But that doesn't mean convincing people to make the switch is impossible, and this means Samsung needs something that will help fight the increased competition from Apple and convince people that a Galaxy foldable is a much better option than an iPhone Duo.

Considering the Duo starts at $2,000, second only in price to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the obvious solution is to start offering something even cheaper. To hook into those people who saw the iPhone Duo, but were unwilling to pay quite so much money to experience what foldable phones have to offer.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is already slightly cheaper than the Duo, especially when you can grab one on sale. But finally releasing a Fan Edition foldable at an even lower price point should help steal interest away from Apple and other foldable rivals.

There could be a gap in the line-up

One of the earliest rumors about the Galaxy Z 9 lineup was that Samsung may be planning on scrapping the Galaxy Z Flip 9. At least one recent rumor has refuted that, but considering its been fairly persistent, there may be some truth to the claims.

Plus, considering Samsung has basically neglected the Z Flip series for the past few generations, and the relative popularity of book-style foldables, it's no surprise that they might turn around and can the whole thing.

If that does end up being the case, then Samsung will have a very large gap in its lineup. Not just because it might be killing off one of its long-term staples, but because the Z flip series has always been more of a lower-cost option for foldable users to consider.

Admittedly, $1,199 is still pretty expensive as far as smartphones go. It's the same price as the Galaxy S26 Plus, and $100 more than the Plus cost when it launched at the start of the year. For your money you get slower charging, worse battery life, lower durability and a bunch of other compromises that are cut in order to pay for the folding screen.

Still, the Z Flip series offered a cheaper alternative to the expensive Z Fold lineup. Without it, the base cost of a Galaxy foldable would shoot up to whatever the Z Fold 9 costs. I would bet money that it'll end up costing at least $1,900, or $100 more than the Z Fold 8.

But if there's a Z Fold 9 FE, then suddenly the cost of entry isn't quite so expensive. I doubt it'll be as cheap as the Z Flip 9 would have cost, but at least it lowers the barrier of entry for more frugally-minded folks.

Samsung just needs to not mess it up

The actual success of a Z Fold 9 FE is all dependent on what Samsung actually does with it, and the kind of sacrifices that have to be made in order to keep the cost low. Last time that happened we ended up with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, which was quite stripped down compared to the Z Flip 7.

Considering the Z Flip 7 wasn't all that impressive either just shows how disappointing the Fan Edition model was. More so when you remember that it started at $899, which was just $200 cheaper than its full edition sibling.

The price of a Z Fold 9 FE needs to reflect the compromises involved, and those compromises need to ensure that the user experience isn't hampered in any meaningful way. This means Samsung actually needs to put thought and care into the design of this hypothetical phone, otherwise we're going to end up with another damp squib that might as well have never been released.

But considering the job it did with the Z Fold 8 and the Fold 8 Ultra, I have better hopes for the possibility of a Z Fold 9 FE being done well. Or, at the very least, done better than the Z Flip 7 FE was. We only have to hope that Samsung doesn't pick the Z Fold 9 Plus instead.

More from Tom's Guide

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After what feels like and endless amount of waiting, the iPhone Duo is finally here. Apple's first foldable has generated a lot of buzz, and despite some flaws it seems as though reception has been largely positive. Can Apple steal Samsung's crown as the maker of the best foldable phone though?

Samsung has almost a decade of experience making foldables, and the fresh new look of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 shows that it's not given up trying new things just yet. Even if it emphasizes the compact (and arguably more comfortable) design, rather than the flashy features you'll find on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

The thing we want to know is which of these two passport-shaped foldables is actually the better choice for you. Now that we've had chance to test the iPhone Duo in all its glory, here's our full comparison of the iPhone Duo vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 to help you decide.

iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Specifications

iPhone Duo vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Price & availability

Both the iPhone Duo and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 are officially on sale right now. But if you want to get technical about it, demand for the Duo has been so extreme that every single carrier and retailer is sold out — and will be for the foreseeable future.

Current iPhone Duo wait times mean the absolute earliest time you'll get an iPhone Duo is the end of November, though most retailers and carriers have delivery estimates in late December and January. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is readily available, and is actually on sale at retailers like Amazon.

The cost of an iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,499 for a model with 256GB of storage. Higher storage options are available including 512GB ($2,199 / £2,199 / AU$3,899), 1TB ($2,599 / £2,599 / AU$4,699) and 2TB ($3,199 / £3,199 / AU$5,899).

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 prices start at $1,899/£1,699/AU$2,699 for 256GB of storage and 12GB RAM. The 512GB model is $2,099 / £1,869 / AU$2,999, and a 1TB model with 16GB of RAM costs $2,499 / £2,209 / AU$3,599. Samsung does not offer a 2TB storage option.

iPhone Duo vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Design & Display

The iPhone Duo and Z Fold 8 both have the passport-shaped design that is starting to take the foldable phone market by storm. Both phones include a large 7.6-inch foldable display with an aspect ratio close to 4:3, which is the same kind of display you'll find on the best tablets.

The Z fold 8 has a slightly larger outer display, though, with a 5.5-inch screen to Apple's 5.4-inches. The sharp corners also mean there's a little more real estate for the apps to work with compared to Apple's asymmetrical rounded design.

The Z Fold 8 features an anti-glare coating which is designed to improve visibility in low-light conditions. The iPhone Duo features a nano-texture display, which offers a matte feel to the screen. This is also designed to minimize glare, while also reducing the visibility of the crease. While the phone does accomplish both those things, the nano-texture display doesn't have nearly as good color saturation and contrast as Samsung's main display.

Both phones have similar brightness levels on the screen, though we found that the Z Fold 8 is a little bit brighter. In our testing Samsung's foldable had a peak brightness of 2,649 nits, while the iPhone maxed out at 2,558. It's less than 90 nits difference, which isn't going to be noticeable to many, but the numbers don't lie.

In terms of design, the iPhone Duo is noticeably thicker and heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Samsung's foldable is 4.5mm thick with a weight of 7.09 ounces. Meanwhile, the iPhone Duo is 5.2mm thick and weights 8.96 ounces. Not only is that almost two ounces more than the Z Fold 8, it also means this is the heaviest iPhone Apple has ever made.

Both phones feature power-button fingerprint scanners, and a pair of main cameras on the back of the phone. However while they also utilize the hole-punch camera design on the cover display, only the Galaxy uses the same one for the inner selfie camera. Apple instead opted for an under-display camera that's specifically meant for FaceTime and video calling — not selfies.

iPhone Duo has a key advantage where durability is concerned, thanks to the IP68 rating. This means that the phone is fully sealed against dust ingress, something that the IP48-rated Z Fold 8 offers no protection against. However both offer protection against being submerged in water for a short period of time.

iPhone Duo vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Cameras

From a hardware standpoint, both the Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo should be fairly evenly matched in the camera department. Apple has equipped its foldable with a pair of 48MP cameras (main and ultrawide) while Samsung has a pair of 50MP lenses.

Neither phone has a telephoto lens, which means your zoomed in shots will not be that impressive.

Of course, modern phone cameras heavily rely on computational photography software, and that can easily make the most difference in photo comparisons. So let's take a look at photos from both phones.

Both phones have capable main cameras, capturing bright colors with a lot of detail. It's worth noting that while the Z Fold 8 is able to capture brighter images, the photos end up a little more washed out in the process.

It's a similar situation with the ultrawide camera too. The iPhone Duo struggled with the darker spots within view, but the brightness on the Z Fold 8 is ramped up by so much that it completely washed out the background details and makes the details much harder to discern.

In terms of Zoom, the Duo and Z Fold 8 are fairly evenly matched, but as the magnification increases, the worse the quality on the Duo actually gets. At 10x magnification, you can see that the Duo is noticeably blurry and more pixelated than the Z Fold 8 — even though its own zoomed shots are nowhere near as good as they could have been with a dedicated telephoto lens.

Photos from the outer selfie camera are a little more clear cut, with the iPhone Duo producing a sharper and less blurry image, without the same washed out effect that seems to be plaguing the Z Fold 8's camera

The iPhone Duo offers noticeably better performance in low light, too. Both cameras managed to brighten up the image, but the Duo managed to produce a noticeably sharper photo than the Samsung.

Overall it seems as though the iPhone Duo has the edge in the camera department. While the Z Fold 8 doesn't take bad photos, and the iPhone Duo has its flaws, the fact is that Apple's foldable seems to do a much better job of capturing its surroundings in a more lifelike way — and without producing a washed out images that loses its spark. If you're looking for a deeper dive, our iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8 camera face-off has more samples to check out.

iPhone Duo vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Performance

Apple has already proven that the A20 Pro chipset is an absolute powerhouse of graphics and computing power on the iPhone 18 Pro. To the point where it trumps the Z Fold 8's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Chipset for Galaxy in almost every category. But does that still hold true for the iPhone Duo?

Yes, as it turns out, and you can see the figures below.

It turns out that, per the benchmarking tests, there isn't a whole lot of difference in performance on the iPhone Duo compared to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The figures aren't identical, but they do outpace the Z Fold 8 in everything except AI performance.

Geekbench 7 benchmarks produced scores of 4,007 for a single-core benchmark and 11,363 for multi-core testing — far in excess of the Z Fold 8's 2,978 and 9,811. Similarly 3DMark's Solar Bay Unlimited graphics test came out with a score of 16,496 and an average frame-rate of 62.3 fps. Sadly the Z Fold 8 only managed to produce 12,454 and 47.35 fps.

AI is a different story, though. The Z Fold 8 scored 72,242 in the Geekbench AI 1.7 test, compared to the Duo's 69,438. This means that on-device AI processing should be slightly better on Samsung's foldable.

iPhone Duo vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Software & AI

Apple's made a bunch of major advances in AI this year, thanks to the launch of iOS 27 and Siri AI. This upgraded assistant is capable of performing various different and more complicated tasks, as well as understanding personal context that helps it understand your commands much more easily.

On top of that, iOS 27 features expressive voices for Siri, more advanced dictation, and AI-powered editing features such as Clean Up, Extend and the unique "Reframe" that lets you adjust the angle of your photos. Outside of features available on other iPhones, the Duo comes with a Smart tracking camera feature, which operates in a similar manner to MyFanCam on the Z Fold 8.

The Z Fold 8 comes with all the best Galaxy AI features you'll find on every flagship Galaxy phone, plus all the best parts of Google Gemini. This includes Now Nudge, a context-based tool to resurface relevant information when you need it, Now Brief's regular preparatory reports and the advanced version of Circle to Search that's capable of identifying multiple items at once.

However, the Duo has some drawbacks to its overall UI. The main one is that the taskbar has been pinned to the right side of the screen, with no option to change it — compared to Samsung's traditional bar along the bottom of the phone.

The Duo's multitasking is also limited to running two apps side by side, and doesn't work as consistently when the phone is in portrait mode. The Z Fold 8 supports up to three split-screen apps and as many as five floating app windows — giving it the edge for productive multitasking. The Z Fold 8 also supports the DeX desktop mode, and so far there's no equivalent feature on iPhones.

Right now it feels like Samsung may have an edge with app optimization too. Apple has done a lot to ensure major apps take advantage of the iPhone Duo's larger screen, but Samsung has a head start of several years — and the fact Android itself runs on a huge number of devices of differing sizes.

Only the iPhone Duo offers stylus support, thanks to the Apple Pencil USB-C. Likewise, the Z Fold 8 doesn't fracture Samsung's Flex Mode, which adjusts the UI depending on the angle of the hinge. The Duo does do this, and has multiple different fold states to take advantage of.

iPhone Duo vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Battery

When it comes to total battery capacity, the iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 8 are pretty evenly matched. The Duo offers 4,883 mAh of power reserves, while the Z Fold 8 is slightly lower at 4,800 mAh. However the slight difference in capacity has led to very different results in our battery life testing.

The iPhone Duo lasted 13 hours and 20 minutes in a new version of our battery test, which was optimized for the iPhone Duo. In that same test, which ran simultaneously, the Z Fold 8 only lasted 10 hours and six minutes — which is not particularly great in the grand scheme of things.

Previously the Z Fold 8 has lasted 12hours and 19 minutes in testing, but that's no longer the case — and the current battery life is much lower. However, whichever way you look at it, the iPhone Duo has the clear advantage.

However, the Z Fold 8 has a slight edge when it comes to charging speed, despite the fact its 45W wired charging is noticeably lower than the iPhone Duo's 60W. The Duo reclaimed 42% battery in 15 minutes, compared to the Z Fold 8's 43%, with both numbers rising to a respective 66% and 70%.

It's not a huge amount of difference, but if you want to recoup as much power as you can as quickly as possible, the Z Fold 8 actually has Apple beat. Though its wireless charging speed is limited to 20W, compared to the Duo's 25W, and it lacks the internal magnets that facilitate Qi2 or MagSafe chargers and accessories.

iPhone Duo vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Bottom line

Apple has done great things with the iPhone Duo, and it manages to edge out competition from the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in a number of key areas. The main ones, of course, being battery life, performance, overall camera performance and the fact it has stylus support.

That said, the Z Fold 8 offers a lot and it feels like it has Apple beat when it comes to AI and software capabilities. Not to mention the fact it's cheaper, thinner and lighter than Apple's foldable, and the anti-glare coating means the colors from the screen really pop compared to the iPhone.

When deciding between the two, it's going to come down to what you actually want out of a foldable. If you value the software experience above all else, then the Z Fold 8 is going to be the right option for you. But if you like Apple products, and prefer a phone that is physically more capable, then the Duo might be the better option.

Then again, considering the iPhone Duo is sold out everywhere, and you're going to have to wait at least several weeks before you can actually get your hands on one.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple iPhone Duo 2 with Face ID is reportedly being tested even before the first foldable hits shelves
• I put the iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 through a 10-round photo face-off — and there's a clear winner
• 'Polished but rough': The common flaws in the iPhone Duo found by nine different reviewers

With the iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple has made some major changes to the camera hardware. For the first time, the company has introduced a variable aperture on the iPhone 18 Pro series, allowing the main camera to switch between f/1.48 and f/4.0.

This means the camera can physically control how much light enters the sensor, which should result in better photos across different lighting conditions. Or at least that's the theory.

But as Android smartphones have shown us time and again, iPhones don't necessarily take the best smartphone photos. I've had the chance to use the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max for the past two weeks, and after capturing more than 200 photos with both phones, I think it's pretty clear that despite the new hardware, Apple still has quite a bit of catching up to do.

Oppo Find X10 Pro Max vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max: A closer look at the hardware

Before we get into the camera samples, it's worth quickly going through the camera hardware on both the iPhone 18 Pro Max and Oppo Find X10 Pro Max.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max features a new 48MP Fusion main camera with a variable aperture ranging from f/1.48 to f/4.0. Alongside that, you get a 48MP ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field of view and a 48MP telephoto camera offering up to 4x optical zoom.

The Oppo Find X10 Pro Max, on the other hand, is the first smartphone to feature a triple 200MP camera setup. This includes a 200MP f/1.5 main camera using a sensor co-developed with Samsung, a 200MP ultrawide sensor with a 124-degree FoV, and a 200MP periscope telephoto camera offering up to 3x optical zoom.

Of course, the Oppo also benefits from Hasselblad camera tuning. The company has introduced its new LUMO True Image Engine as well, which Oppo claims processes photos to reproduce colors and details as naturally as possible.

Purely in terms of hardware, the Find X10 Pro Max seems to have an advantage with its triple 200MP camera system, although megapixels alone don't tell the whole story. The iPhone, meanwhile, has the advantage of a variable aperture, which should give it more control over light and depth of field in different shooting conditions.

So, to see how much of a difference all this hardware actually makes, I captured nearly 200 photos using both phones across different scenarios and here's what I found.

It's worth noting that all the photos in this comparison were taken in the default point-and-shoot mode on both phones, without manually adjusting any Pro camera controls.

Daylight Shots

Starting with daylight shots, I believe both phones do an excellent job of capturing photos. But there are some noticeable differences in how the two phones handle colors and exposure.

In the first set of photos above, both phones capture plenty of detail in the buildings and the surrounding scene, but I personally prefer how the Oppo handles the overall exposure.

If you look closely at the trees, the iPhone 18 Pro Max tends to underexpose them slightly, making the darker areas look more shadowy than they should. The Find X10 Pro Max, on the other hand, does a better job of balancing the exposure, bringing out more detail in the trees without making the brighter parts of the image look washed out.

The second set of photos, however, is where the iPhone fights back. Looking at the colorful buildings, I actually prefer how the iPhone 18 Pro Max handles the scene. The colors look a little more balanced, particularly on the red and yellow buildings, while the geometric patterns on the central building have slightly better contrast.

The Oppo still produces an excellent photo, but its punchier processing doesn't necessarily work in its favor here. The iPhone's slightly more restrained approach makes the overall image look more natural to my eyes. Ultimately, this is a pretty close contest, and both phones have their strengths.

Winner: Tie

Against bright light

When the subject is against the bright light, such as above, the iPhone 18 Pro Max takes the lead. It seems to do a better job of exposing the face itself, with more even lighting. The Oppo Find X10 Pro Max also produces a bright image, but it seems to overexpose the subject slightly, particularly around the T-shirt.

Looking at the background, both phones manage to retain the blue sky and the details of the sunlit building. Neither phone completely blows out the highlights, which is impressive considering the lighting conditions. That said, I do prefer the overall outcome of the iPhone 18 Pro Max here.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

Portrait

Moving on to portrait shots, the Find X10 Pro Max produces a stronger, creamier bokeh effect that separates the subject from the background much better than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, although both phones produce pretty close results.

I also prefer how Oppo handles skin tones and overall exposure. The Find X10 Pro Max produces a slightly warmer, softer look, while the iPhone's image appears a little brighter and more contrast-heavy. The iPhone does retain excellent detail, and its sharper processing might appeal to some people. However, I find the Oppo's rendering a little more flattering.

Winner: Oppo Find X10 Pro Max

Ultra-wide

Now, on paper, the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max has a clear advantage here, thanks to its 200MP ultra-wide sensor and a wider 124-degree field of view. And to be fair, that advantage does show up in the photos, with the Oppo capturing slightly better details. That said, I personally prefer how the iPhone 18 Pro Max processes its ultra-wide photos.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max produces a slightly warmer image, particularly when you look at the stone walls and intricate carvings, while the Oppo takes a more neutral approach. Interestingly, despite the iPhone's warmer processing, I actually prefer how its photos look overall, with the building appearing a little more visually pleasing.

That said, the Oppo does have an advantage in terms of detail. If you zoom in on the intricate carvings, the Find X10 Pro Max retains slightly more detail, which is where its higher-resolution ultrawide camera comes into play. The difference isn't particularly noticeable when viewing the photos normally, but it becomes more apparent when you start looking closely.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

Selfie

Selfies are another area where I think the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max has a clear advantage over the iPhone 18 Pro Max. In the first set of photos, where I'm wearing sunglasses against a bright yellow wall, I much prefer how the Oppo handles the overall image.

The skin tones look closer to how they appear in real life, while the iPhone tends towards slightly red-toned processing. The Oppo also does a better job of balancing the exposure between my face and the bright background.

The second set of photos, taken inside a stone archway, tells a similar story. Once again, the iPhone produces a brighter image, particularly around my face, while the Oppo keeps the exposure more controlled and the skin tones more natural.

Winner: Oppo Find X10 Pro Max

Zoom

On paper, the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max comes with a 3x telephoto zoom lens, which can also crop in to deliver 6x zoom, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max has a slightly longer 4x telephoto lens that can crop in to offer 8x zoom. But as we've seen plenty of times, zoom photography isn't just about how far a camera can zoom in, but also how much detail it can retain.

Starting with the first set of photos, taken of a beautifully detailed building in Lisbon, I prefer what Oppo has done here. The intricate patterns around the windows, the colorful tiles, and even the flowers along the balcony look a little more defined. The Oppo also produces slightly punchier colors, while the iPhone's image looks more contrast-heavy.

The second set, featuring a statue in Lisbon, is a much closer contest. Both phones capture plenty of detail, but Oppo produces a slightly brighter image with more pleasing colors. The iPhone isn't far behind, though, and does a good job of preserving details around the statue and rooftops, but leans slightly towards warmer tones.

Overall, though, Oppo takes this round for its slightly better detail retention and more vibrant processing.

Winner: Oppo Find X10 Pro Max

Low light

Low-light photography is another area where the competition is pretty close, but I think the iPhone 18 Pro Max has a slight advantage over the Find X10 Pro Max.

Starting with the first set of photos taken inside a dimly lit restaurant, I prefer how the iPhone handles the overall exposure. It does a better job of preserving the restaurant's warm lighting and atmosphere without unnecessarily brightening the scene. The Oppo also captures plenty of detail, but its slightly brighter processing makes some parts of the image look less natural.

The difference becomes more noticeable in the second set of photos, taken outdoors at night. The Oppo produces a noticeably brighter portrait, but I think it goes a little too far with the exposure. The iPhone, on the other hand, keeps the lighting more controlled, with better contrast and more natural-looking skin tones.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

Food shots

Food photography is another area where I think the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max has a slight advantage, and this photo of a pizza is a good example of why.

The first thing that stands out is how differently the two phones handle colors. Oppo's AI optimizations kick in, producing slightly warmer and more vibrant images that make the food look more lively. The iPhone 18 Pro Max, on the other hand, takes a slightly cooler approach, making the overall image look a little... less lively.

Winner: Oppo Find X10 Pro Max

Verdict

After taking more than 200 photos with both devices, I can tell you that the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max comes out as the clear winner in this camera face-off.

Apple has undoubtedly done a great job with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the photos coming out of both phones are closer than ever. However, the Find X10 Pro Max, with its large camera sensors and new Luna image processing that aims to keep photos looking as natural as possible, manages to pull ahead in several key areas.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is still one of the best camera phones you can buy, but despite Apple's latest hardware upgrades, I think Oppo has shown that there's still plenty of room for improvement.

More from Tom's Guide

• I shot 200 photos with the iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra — here’s the winner
• 'Polished but rough': The common flaws in the iPhone Duo found by nine different reviewers
• The Pixel 11 is a swing-and-a-miss of a phone, but this one AI camera feature is genuinely useful

Now that I’ve had my hands on the iPhone Duo and seen what the hype is about, I better understand Apple’s vision for what a foldable phone should be. That matters, since Apple is just entering the market with its first-ever foldable, while Samsung has been refining the category for years.

While there are still many areas where Samsung is untouchable with its foldables, I’m going to tell you all the ways the iPhone Duo beats the Galaxy Z Fold 8. These are without a doubt two of the best foldable phones available, but this matchup is even more compelling because of how much they share —from their prices and designs to their cameras.

Considering that the iPhone Duo is a first-generation device, I have to give Apple credit for prioritizing the areas where it’s superior to its rival.

No glare and less of a crease

Foldable phone makers have long striven to achieve a nearly invisible display crease. While the Z Fold 8 smooths it out to the most subtle Samsung has ever designed, it still doesn't match the iPhone Duo’s implementation.

Side by side, there’s no comparison, especially because Apple’s anti-reflective nano-texture display coating also dramatically cuts ambient glare. The result is a seam that feels nearly flush under my thumb and fades from view when I watch videos.

The apps are already way better

One of the biggest frustrations with the Z Fold 8—shared with other Android foldables—is that many apps still aren't well optimized for larger, tablet-sized screens. Apple again leaves a strong impression, as many of the apps I use make great use of the expanded canvas.

For example, Instagram spreads out to show a video alongside the comments section simultaneously. My colleague Mark Spoonauer details how several popular apps look across the Duo’s larger footprint.

Yes, Apple has a 'Flex mode'

I was genuinely surprised by the Z Fold 8's stiff hinge, which refuses to stay propped open halfway like a mini laptop. The iPhone Duo doesn't have that problem—and its take on "Flex mode" rearranges UI elements with the polish I expect from Apple.

Open Netflix with the Duo propped on a flat surface, and the video cleanly snaps to the top panel, while playback controls shift down to the bottom half.

More durable design

Foldable phones are inherently more fragile than traditional slabs, so it’s reassuring that the iPhone Duo has a more durable build that's not just water-resistant but also dust-resistant.

That’s thanks to its IP68 rating, compared to the Z Fold 8’s IP48. This gives the iPhone Duo a huge advantage: its chassis is sealed more tightly, preventing fine debris from working its way inside and damaging internal components.

Stronger performance

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is no slouch, especially since it can run the graphically intensive games I play most. However, Apple’s new A20 Pro chip operates on an entirely different level, easily overshadowing its rival's benchmark figures.

Not only does it handily beat the Z Fold 8 in Geekbench’s single- and multi-core tests, but the A20 Pro also pulls ahead by an even wider margin in sustained graphics workloads. In 3DMark’s Solar Bay Unlimited stress test, the Duo clocked an average frame rate of 62.3 fps compared to the Fold 8’s 47.35 fps — a massive 32% performance advantage for Apple.

Longer battery life

Because of their massive main displays, foldables have larger power appetites that put heavy strain on battery cells. Between the two, however, the iPhone Duo delivers noticeably longer endurance.

What’s surprising is that their packs differ by only 1.73% in raw capacity (4,883 mAh on the Duo vs. 4,800 mAh on the Fold 8). Yet, the gap in actual performance is massive. On Tom’s Guide’s custom battery drain test, the Duo averaged 13 hours and 20 minutes, compared to just 10 hours and 6 minutes for the Z Fold 8. That means Apple’s foldable lasts over 3 hours longer on a single charge, a 32% boost in battery life.

Apple Pencil support

Finally, the iPhone Duo beats the Galaxy Z Fold 8 thanks to the added versatility of Apple Pencil USB-C support. In pursuing a thinner, lighter chassis, Samsung stripped the digitizer layer from the Fold 8's main display, meaning there’s no S Pen compatibility whatsoever.

Even though I don’t use a stylus every day, it remains essential for anyone craving a true pen-on-paper feel. The Apple Pencil doesn't just turn the Duo into a capable digital notepad — its low latency and pressure precision also make it an ideal canvas for quick sketches and markups.

More from Tom's Guide

• My iPhone 18 Pro Max just got delivered and I immediately regret the purchase — and I think iPhone Duo is to blame
• I've waited 5 years for the iPhone Duo — here are 7 reasons I decided not to pre-order
• iPhone Duo modes explained — 6 ways you can use Apple's new foldable

With the iPhone Duo launch now out of the way, it's time to start looking forward to some of the phones headed our way in the near future — into 2027 and beyond. The next big release we're expecting is the Samsung Galaxy S27, and the latest leak may have revealed what batteries to expect from two of the four upcoming models.

That's right, four models, because rumor has it that Samsung will be releasing a new Galaxy S27 Pro. Presumably this is a device that will sit between the Plus and the Ultra models, though we'll have to wait and see just what Samsung has planned. This new battery leak covers the mysterious Pro and the flagship Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Two batteries have just shown up on the Safety Korea database, alongside photos, featuring the model numbers EB-BS957CBY and EB-BS958DBY. This lines up with the SM-S957 and SM-S958 model numbers tied to the S27 Pro and Ultra, suggesting these are the batteries we'll see in next year's high-end Galaxy phones.

We can't quite see the capacities, but past leaks suggest that we'll see 5,534 mAh and 5,087 mAh batteries, with typical capacities of 5,700 mAh and 5,200 mAh, respectively. If those figures are accurate, it means this is the first time the Ultra model has had a battery capacity upgrade since the release of the Galaxy S20 Ultra almost seven years ago. Charging is said to be 60W on both, which is the same as the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

This is a long time coming

For those that don't remember, the Galaxy S20 Ultra was the first of Samsung's modern Ultra phones, and it came with a 5,000 mAh battery — up from 4,100 mAh on the Galaxy S10 Plus. This 700 mAh upgrade effectively means that the S27 Ultra is shaping up for an extra 100 mAh for every year Samsung ignored the calls for higher battery capacity.

Presumably this increase in capacity will be aided by Samsung's recent push into silicon carbon battery technology. As we saw with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, the different battery chemistry allows phone makers to improve battery density — packing more power into the same amount of space.

The batteries pictured don't look particularly big, which lends some support to that theory. Plus, the Z Fold 8 managed to adopt the new batteries without issue, and it makes little sense to avoid rolling silicon carbon out to other premium Samsung phones.

The Galaxy S27 series is expected to launch in early 2027, with rumors suggesting Samsung may pivot back to a January launch window. In the meantime we'll be seeing a lot more rumors about what all four phones can do, so stay tuned to Tom's Guide to hear all the best news and rumors as we hear about them.

More from Tom's Guide

• I put the iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 through a 10-round photo face-off — here’s the winner
• iPhone Duo full benchmarks — the world's fastest foldable, but how does it stack up to iPhone 18 Pro?
• I’ve been testing dozens of iPhone Duo apps — here’s my top 15 picks so far

​Two of the best foldable phones are on a collision course to determine which is superior. But before my colleagues and I can definitively crown a champion, I’m taking a close look at how the iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 8 cameras stack up against one another. Seeing as both handsets feature evenly matched dual rear camera systems, imaging performance will likely be the deciding factor for anyone considering either device.

​The iPhone Duo features a dual 48MP rear camera array supplemented by a 12MP selfie camera on the outer cover screen and an under-display sensor on the inner folding display. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 packs an equally formidable dual 50MP rear camera system alongside matching 10MP selfie cameras on both its inner and outer displays.

​It’s worth noting that unlike the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the Duo lacks Apple’s Pro Controls, denying users the granular adjustments that serious photographers crave — such as manual shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and manual focus. In contrast, Samsung provides comprehensive manual shooting controls right out of the box. For this photo face-off, however, I’m strictly judging the final image quality and processing each phone delivers.

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Daytime

​First up, let’s look at the perspective shots of the building above to see how their main cameras handle daytime conditions. At first glance, the iPhone Duo immediately catches my eye with its stronger contrast, which gives the brickwork across the facade noticeable pop and definition.

​Punching in closer, both phones resolve excellent detail — even the signage along the leftmost windows of the middle building remains crisp and legible on each. Across the entire frame, however, the iPhone Duo retains a bit more edge sharpness and micro-contrast.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Dynamic range

​With harsh afternoon sunlight washing over the New York Public Library and the surrounding skyscrapers, it’s clear which phone commands the wider dynamic range. While you could argue that the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s high contrast creates a punchy, dramatic aesthetic, the iPhone Duo does a significantly better job balancing exposure across harsh highlights and deep shadows.

​The Duo lifts the foreground without blowing out the sky, making it easy to discern fine carving on the fountain to the right, while preserving natural highlight detail in the tree foliage framing the left side.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Ultrawide

After polling my colleagues in the office on which ultrawide shot was better, picking a clear winner sparked genuine debate. Many initially favored the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for its brighter exposure and punchier, more saturated colors. However, upon closer side-by-side inspection, the iPhone Duo’s edge-to-edge sharpness and superior contrast prompted several people to reconsider.

​Personally, I lean toward the dramatic tone of the iPhone Duo, even though it doesn't lift shadow areas as aggressively as the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Ultimately, this round boils down to personal taste: Samsung's crowd-pleasing vibrancy versus Apple's refined contrast and clarity.

Winner: tie

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Colors

​Inside Whole Foods overlooking the floral department, one immediate difference stands out: the iPhone Duo’s ability to deliver rich, punchy colors without clipping highlight details.

​Both cameras produce richly saturated tones, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 tends to lift shadows too aggressively, leading to noticeable color bleeding and smearing when punching in on dense arrangements. Looking closely at the white flower petals throughout the scene, the iPhone Duo renders much tighter contrast and balanced exposure, preserving delicate petal textures that get washed out on Samsung’s shot.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Macro

​Almost immediately, I’m drawn to the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s macro capture of a bright orange Zinnia. The flower's petals take on a vibrant, iridescent sheen that pops off the screen, while the sensor resolves delicate textures like the finely fringed edges of each petal with crisp precision.

​Don't get me wrong: the iPhone Duo’s capture remains impressively sharp, but it lacks the visual punch found in Samsung’s rendering.

Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 8

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Inner screen selfie

​You have several ways to take a selfie on both foldables, but using their inner folding screens should strictly be a last resort. Because these under-display and pinhole shooters are engineered primarily for video calls, they yield the softest captures of the bunch.

​Evaluating the test shots my colleague Mark captured on each handset makes picking a decisive winner tricky, as both frames lack sharpness. Still, the edge goes to the iPhone Duo for delivering better overall contrast and avoiding the blown-out, overexposed skin tones visible in Samsung's capture.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Outer screen selfie

​Switching over to their cover screen selfie cameras, the gap between the two widens noticeably. The iPhone Duo produces a visibly sharper image that resolves finer facial detail on Mark, while metering a far more balanced, true-to-life exposure across his skin. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 still delivers a respectable shot, but it sits a distinct step behind Apple’s rendering.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Portrait

What jumps out at me right away is the sheer intensity of the iPhone Duo’s artificial bokeh, which ends up looking unnatural. While you can dial down the blur intensity in post, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 clearly delivers a more convincing, true-to-life depth effect at its default setting.

​Despite that aggressive blur, the iPhone Duo captures far more fine detail — from the distinct woven texture of Mark’s collared shirt to the clean, natural blur transition around the edges of his face. In comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 doesn't have nearly as much edge definition, while also leaving his skin tone looking somewhat flat and muted.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Zoom

​Both phones rely solely on in-sensor cropping from their primary cameras for zoom duties, maxing out at 10x digital zoom. Pushing them to that extreme, it quickly becomes evident which handset's processing algorithms handle heavy digital magnification better.

​At 10x zoom, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 yields a noticeably cleaner, sharper image — I can easily read the fine menu text posted underneath the hot dog stand umbrella. In comparison, the iPhone Duo fails to resolve the same degree of clarity, resulting in a noisier shot with grainy artifacts.

Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 8

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Low Light

​Both main cameras navigate tricky low-light situations with relative ease, but one clearly pulls ahead under close inspection. Most notably, the iPhone Duo renders a visibly sharper image across the frame — preserving delicate vein textures on the plant's leaves and sharp definition in the planter's decorative eyelashes. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 holds its own by general smartphone standards, but its output is noticeably softer overall.

Winner: iPhone Duo

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 camera face-off: Verdict

​This camera face-off turned out to be a one-sided affair after tallying up all 10 rounds, with the iPhone Duo sweeping an overwhelming number of categories. If pure image quality and consistency matter most to you, the Duo delivers noticeably superior straight-out-of-the-camera results across nearly every scenario. While it struggles against the Galaxy Z Fold 8 at extreme digital zoom levels, its primary camera proves far better at resolving fine detail and balancing challenging lighting conditions.

​That doesn't mean the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a complete wash. The margins across several rounds remained razor-thin, with a couple coming down to personal preference. While it may lack the tack-sharp definition and refined dynamic range of its rival, Samsung still offers a more versatile suite of pro shooting controls and manual tools out of the box.

More from Tom's Guide

• I disabled these iOS 27 features and my iPhone finally feels responsive again
• iPhone Duo Live Q&A: I spent a week with Apple's foldable and can answer ALL your questions
• I've waited 5 years for the iPhone Duo — here are 7 reasons I decided not to pre-order

2026 has been a big year for foldable phones, especially with the launch of the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone. But it sounds like Samsung isn't going to let Apple take the glory. After a successful launch of the passport-shaped Galaxy Z Fold 8, it's been claimed that Samsung could launch six foldables devices next year — including a new "Galaxy Z Slide."

This rumor comes from TheGalox on X, who claims that Samsung is prepping its biggest foldable lineup ever." Apparently the 2027 lineup will start with the launch of the Galaxy Z TriFold 2, and will be followed by a Galaxy Z Slide, Z Fold 9 Ultra, Z Fold 9 Pro, Z Fold 9 and the Z Flip 9.

That certainly is an interesting lineup of new phones. The two things that stand out most are the inclusion of the Z Fold 9 Pro and the Z Flip 9 — the latter of which is rumored to have been canceled. Likewise the "Pro" is not something we've heard of yet, and I'm curious to hear what kind of niche it might fill in the Z Fold 9 lineup.

There isn't a whole lot of difference between the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra, after all, and the last thing Samsung needs is to confuse people with multiple foldables that are too similar to one another.

The Z Slide is another mystery, and this is the first we've actually heard about such a device. If I were to guess, this is some kind of extendable phone with an extending screen, similar to various concept devices Samsung (and others) have produced over the years.

What we think is coming

The last time we saw one was back at CES 2025, with a number of different "slidable" phones. There was the Slidable Flex Duet, which extended its screen from 8.1-inches to a massive 12.4-inches, as well as the Slidable Flex Solo which grew from 8-inches to a mammoth 17-inches. Then there was the Flex Vertical, which grew vertically from 5.1-inches to 6.7-inches.

The question is whether or not these designs will be utilized for the Galaxy Z Slide, and if so which one will actually go on sale. My first guess would be some kind of smartphone-sized device, similar to the Flex Vertical, though that all depends on whether Samsung could make those smaller extendable displays at scale.

It's quite possible that a larger screen is easier (and therefore cheaper) to mass produce, which would see one of the tablet-inspired designs arrive first. @TheGalox has not elaborated on what's to come, and that means all we can do at this stage is guess.

As for the TriFold 2, it's no huge surprise that a sequel triple-foldable is coming. We've heard rumors about that already, but it's unclear how easy it will be to get hold of. The original TriFold was only available in limited quantities, and Samsung completely canceled production back in March. Here's hoping the sequel is a little easier to purchase.

It's still very early days for Samsung's 2027 foldables, and until we hear more there's no telling how accurate any of this information might actually be. So we're just going to have to wait and see what the rumor mill produces in the coming months.

More from Tom's Guide

• My iPhone 18 Pro Max just got delivered and I immediately regret the purchase — and I think iPhone Duo is to blame
• iPhone Duo's battery is officially bigger than Galaxy Z Fold 8 — here's how it compares to other foldables
• iPhone Duo modes explained — 6 ways you can use Apple's new foldable

For years, Apple has tried to convince us that the pro iPhone is a legitimate AAA gaming beast. It has the GPU to do so for sure, but every year comes a victory lap over a hand-picked, $50 App Store port of an older game.

And let’s be real — nobody wants to re-purchase a game they already own on Steam just to play it on a phone.

Enter DroidDeck: a free, open-source app that doesn’t stream games from the cloud or rely on clunky virtual machines to get the job done. Instead, it boots Valve’s Arm-native Steam client directly on your Android phone. You can thank the Steam Frame and the work Valve did to get games working on that for this.

Yes, you read that right. Your entire existing PC Steam library runs locally on Snapdragon silicon. So I’ve been testing it for myself on the Honor Magic V6, and the numbers prove this isn’t just a party trick — it’s the legitimate future of mobile gaming.

Under the hood

This isn’t the first time that somebody’s tried to run PC games locally on an Android phone, but here’s the big difference. Unlike those that have to rely on emulating Windows (and chewing up all your precious RAM and CPU resources), DroidDeck runs Steam natively on your phone’s Arm silicon.

The secret sauce here is we have Valve’s newly launched Steam Frame VR headset to thank for this. The company built this around an Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip rather than an x86 AMD processor. And because of that heavy lifting, DroidDeck essentially builds on its homework and unleashes it on your Android phone.

• Because the Steam client itself is running natively on Arm, zero resources are wasted on making SteamOS run in the background. On top of that, the open-source Turnip Vulkan drivers talk directly to the GPU on your Snapdragon chip.
• The end result is SteamOS-level optimizations right out of the gate, including cloud saves, all the performance overlays, and native support for AMD’s FSR, Snapdragon GSR and Lossless Scaling frame generation.

How to install DroidDeck

The awkward bit is that it does take some tinkering to get just right. The first bit is easy enough to do — go to the project’s Github releases page and download the latest version. After this, there’s a couple additional steps. You may need to turn off app security to install.

Optimal settings

Now, there’s an extra wrinkle here I need to go through. DroidDeck makes settings tweaks easy to do — just swipe over from the right of the screen (like you’re going back) and the right side menu will open up.

There’s a lot here, but to help, from my early testing, here’s the best options I’ve used for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 phone.

• Frame generation: LSFG 3x. You will need to download Lossless Scaling from Steam to activate this ($6.99)
• Scaling filter: Snapdragon GSR (Quality)
• FEX preset: FEX is the translation layer converting game code to work on your phone. “Use Default” if you’re playing an indie game or old title, and “Performance + TSO” if you’re on a AAA title

That “+ TSO” on the end (Total Store Order) makes the CPU read and write memory in a strict sequence. There are Extreme options, which is what ETA Prime uses in his video, but for me it crashed Cyberpunk 2077.

By the numbers

Now I’ve only had time to tinker and play three games here at the moment, and while it’s definitely still a work in progress, it’s definitely playable.

This is definitely a workaround that indie players are going to love. Hades II performs well and looks incredible on the Magic V6’s OLED display, and Portal II is a fun, fast blast from the past (been playing it loads with my nephew).

Meanwhile, AAA gaming can be tuned to run at over 30 FPS. Not 100% sure how ETA Prime managed to get it running at 60 FPS (kudos nonetheless), but this will take some time to tweak and get right on my end!

The iPhone is officially cooked on gaming

Even with the early-adopter friction, DroidDeck exposes the fatal flaw in Apple’s gaming strategy: library lock-in.

PC gamers have spent a decade or more building massive Steam, GOG and Epic Games libraries (all of which DroidDeck supports). When you buy a game on Steam, it works on your desktop, your Steam Deck, and now — thanks to this — your Android phone or foldable.

Apple’s walled garden, meanwhile, imposes iOS restrictions on custom drivers and background processes. An app like DroidDeck is technically (and legally) impossible on an un-jailbroken iPhone, which is a shame given the raw power that GPU holds.

Anyway, testing has just begun, but I can only imagine pairing this with a pair of AR glasses for a long haul flight would be a killer setup. No more will I be stuck playing watered-down mobile gacha games — I have my actual PC backlog.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Duo pre-orders open this week — but there are still 7 things we don't know
• 20 smart iOS 27 features that will make your life easier — and how to use them
• I didn’t believe an Nvidia RTX Spark laptop would have the same performance both on and off the charger — so I put it to the test

Android may have been the king of widgets for a very long time, beating Apple to the punch by several years, but the same can't be said about offering them on the lock screen. Lock screen widgets were available until Android 5, at which point they were unceremoniously removed with no word on when they would come back.

iOS, meanwhile, added the feature back in 2022 with iOS 16, prompting many an Android user to ask when the feature would make a comeback on Google-powered phones — myself included. Google eventually restored lock screen widgets on Android 16 last year, a move that I'd completely forgotten about by the time it reached my Pixel 10 Pro.

I have since fixed that glaring oversight and have been getting to grips with lock screen widgets on Android, and my mind naturally started drawing comparisons to iOS.

While similar, both platforms treat lock screen widgets very differently. So which of them actually does a better job?

How to set up lock screen widgets on Android and iOS

On Android, the easiest way to set up lockscreen widgets is to lock your phone, then swipe from the right side of the screen. You'll see a large box informing you that lock screen widgets are available, and you need to tap the Add widgets button to continue.

From there the setup is almost identical to that of adding home screen widgets. Select the app of your choice and choose one of the widget designs on offer.

On iOS, you will need to press and hold on your lock screen, then tap the Customize option when the lock screen editor shows up.

Once that's done press Add widgets in the bar at the bottom of your screen, and choose the app and widget style you want to add to your widget bar.

How lock screen widgets work on iOS

Apple's lock screen widgets are right in your face, sitting on your locks creen where you can see them. However they are fairly limited, in that Apple only gives you a single line of the screen to work with. This means you can't just overload your lock screen with whatever widgets you like, forcing you to be more selective about what you use.

Apple does let you make full use of that line, with equivalent space for four different tiles — or less if you select the larger widgets that take up the equivalent of two tiles. But once that line is full, you don't get any extra space to work with.

Most of the widgets seem to be for displaying information at a glance, whether that's time, calendar events, health metrics and other such features. There are a few other options that act as shortcuts to certain app features, including Chrome's dinosaur minigame for some reason, but I couldn't find anything that let me perform actions on my home screen.

It's unclear whether it is dependent on the apps you have installed, so maybe I missed something out. What I do know is that everything I have was limited to visible information or the aforementioned shortcuts. Apple also seems to limit which third party apps are allowed to offer lock screen widgets, and it seems as though my smart home apps didn't make the cut.

That means I don't get to turn on my water heater without unlocking my phone first.

One more thing to note is that iOS lets you choose whether your lock screen's widget bar sits at the top of the screen (under the clock) or at the bottom. There's no in-between option, so make sure to pick the one that works best for you.

How lock screen widgets work on Android

The funny thing about Android lock screen widgets is that it reminds of how Apple used to do widgets before iOS 14. If you think back to those days, you'll remember that iPhones had a separate page that stored all your widgets, accessible by swiping from the left side of the home screen.

That is essentially how Android's lock screen widgets work. You swipe from the right side of your lock screen, and all your widgets will be accessible without unlocking your phone. But rather than being a continuously scrolling feed of widgets, Android limits you to three lock screen widgets per page.

You can have multiple pages, of course, and if there's a limit to that I haven't managed to find it yet. So far I've added five pages worth of lock screen widgets, which is already more than I know what to do with.

You are limited to three widgets per page, however, and it doesn't actually matter how big the widgets actually are. The smallest widget takes up the exact same amount of space as the largest, and you need to use up all the space before moving on.

Much like Android's home screen widgets, there's a surprising amount of variety when it comes to widget design. You get multiple choices for each widget, and the designs are similar to those you'd expect to see on your phone itself. To the point where it feels a lot like the usual Android widget experience, but accessible when your phone is still locked.

You can only see things at a glance, though. Some widgets let you access and control certain phone features, including smart home devices, accessing anything more sensitive prompts you to unlock the phone. If I want to access my calendar, emails or even something as simple as Shazam, I'll need to unlock my phone first. While that does limit the usefulness of some widgets, I can understand why this is the case for a lot of things.

Except Shazam, not sure what that's about — perhaps it's something to do with microphone access?

Who does it best?

Both Android and iOS do lock screen widgets rather differently. Android gives you the option to have as many widgets as you like, with the added ability to perform certain actions without needing to unlock your phone.

Meanwhile iOS is a lot more limited, but seems focused on offering shortcuts to key apps, or offering important information in a way that doesn't require you to unlock your phone to see it — potentially saving you time and battery life in the process.

With that in mind, it seems Android definitely offers more freedom and productive use of its lock screen widgets. Sadly it's let down by the fact that it's so easy to forget about the widgets, and end up unlocking your phone anyway. While limited in scale, iOS's lock screen widgets are positioned front and center — making them very difficult to miss.

As feature-rich as Android lock screen widgets are, they're a bit pointless if you keep forgetting that they're there — and so far they haven't been around long enough to properly integrate themselves into my day-to-day phone use. Then again, it's not worth having in-your-face widgets if you can't do much with them.

Honestly, it would be much better if both platforms offered a hybrid approach. More feature-rich widgets on and around the lock screen, and displayed in a way that you can't really miss them. Keep Android's extra pages around too, so you have plenty of space to access the widgets you need when you need them.

More from Tom's Guide

• Don't rush into a new phone plan without checking their service first — these phone carriers offer free trials
• iPhone Duo — I ranked the 9 biggest reasons to buy Apple’s first foldable
• Fairphone 6+ review: Prioritizing repairability over performance

Phones are getting more expensive than ever, which is why my advice is to hold onto yours for a bare minimum of three years. Although the Fairphone 6+ is technically classified as a mid-range phone, the Netherlands-based company’s philosophy is to deliver modular phones built to last — and the Fairphone 6+ stays true to that.

You could say that hardware and software support are things it takes way more seriously than other phone makers, but in a segment that’s dominated by the likes of the Pixel 10a and iPhone 17e, the Fairphone 6+ faces a tough challenge in convincing people to pay more over the competition.

In my Fairphone 6+ review, I’ll tell you if it’s a best cheap phone contender and if it's worth shelling out $649 for it.

Fairphone 6+ review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A mid-range Android phone engineered around modular, user-serviceable repairability, and long-term sustainability.
• Who is it for? Conscious consumers who prioritize longevity, with the ability to make repairs themselves, and anyone who doesn't want to buy a new phone after 3 years.
• What does it cost? The Fairphone 6+ costs $649 and comes with 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and is available in three colors: Forest Green, Cobalt Blue, and Horizon Black.
• What do we like? We love its industry-leading 5-year warranty with software support through 2033, reliable 13-plus-hour battery life, minimalist "Moments" mode, and a fairly bright display.
• What don't we like? Its $649 asking price is higher than its key rivals, lackluster Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 performance, and subpar cameras.

Fairphone 6+ review: Specifications

Fairphone 6+ review: The ups

Replaceable back cover

I do miss the days when phones offered replaceable batteries, easy-to-access microSD card slots, and SIM trays that didn’t require a specialty tool to open. That’s why I appreciate the premise of its modular design.

You can easily pop off the rear plastic cover and replace it with functional accessories — like a wallet add-on that works a lot like the MagSafe wallets I frequently test. In addition, there’s a finger loop attachment for extra grip, a lanyard loop, and a couple of protective cases.

Class-leading 5-year warranty

Electronics eventually break or wear out, but the Fairphone 6+ offers the best warranty coverage around with an outstanding five-year guarantee. That’s remarkably generous compared to the standard one-year limited warranty that comes with most phones.

That means if an internal component turns out to be defective, Fairphone covers both parts and labor. The only things not covered are the usual exclusions: normal wear and tear like cosmetic scratches, physical drops, water damage, and theft.

At the same time, it offers do-it-yourself repairability that's unheard of in modern times. Modern phone are notorious to repair, often requiring specialty tools in order to crack them open, but the Fairphone 6+ makes it a breeze — and the prices for spare parts aren't egregious.

A minimalist mode with the flip of a switch

As much as I sometimes feel like a phone addict based on my screen time data, it’s nice to have a quick way to scale things back. That’s the premise of Fairphone's Moments, a mode triggered by sliding the bright yellow switch on the side of the chassis — transforming the standard Android 16 interface into a clean, minimalist launcher.

Not only can I handpick up to five essential apps, but I can also create custom Moments profiles that I can toggle on the fly. This distraction-free setup lets me take an intentional breather from all the pings, badges, and alerts my phone constantly throws at me.

Software support through 2033

Budget and mid-range phones don’t typically receive the same software longevity as premium flagships, but the Fairphone 6+ comes with guaranteed support through 2033.

That’s welcome news, ensuring it'll continue to receive major Android OS upgrades and security patches for years to come. It ships with Android 16 out of the box, and I’m hopeful Android 17 is already on its way.

Decent display and battery

By no means is it the brightest panel on a mid-range phone, but the 6.31-inch AMOLED display on the Fairphone 6+ has its merits where it matters most: outdoor visibility.

With a peak brightness output of 1,471 nits, I’m able to clearly see what’s on the screen without having to retreat into the shade. It helps, too, that the panel delivers punchy color reproduction and offers wide viewing angles.

Endurance is equally dependable thanks to its 4,415mAh battery cell. In our custom battery drain test, the Fairphone 6+ clocked 13 hours and 19 minutes on a single charge with its refresh rate set to the default 90Hz — comfortably carrying me through a full day of mixed real-world use.

I also appreciate how quickly it charges with its 30W speed, reaching 39% in just 15 minutes and 71% in 30 minutes.

Fairphone 6+ review: The downs

Dull camera performance

Everyone knows that the most important thing to me is camera performance. Unfortunately, the Fairphone 6+ is well behind the curve with heavily over-processed results. It features a dual-camera setup consisting of a 50MP main sensor paired with a 13MP ultrawide, alongside a 32MP selfie camera around the front.

Photos routinely suffer from an over-processed look amplified by aggressive artificial sharpening. As you can see in many of the examples I captured below, it also has trouble neutralizing harsh highlights — resulting in those areas being overexposed. Under low light, the camera leans heavily on aggressive noise reduction, which simply makes fine textures look smudgy.

Lackluster processing muscle

I know enough to expect that mid-range phones scale back their performance to meet lower price points, but the Fairphone 6+, despite packing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, falls flat. Benchmark tests prove that, as its Geekbench 6 scores of 1,314 (single-core) and 3,674 (multi-core) trail its main rivals.

There’s an even greater divide with its graphics processing performance, seeing how its 28.47 fps average frame rate in 3DMark’s Wild Life Original Unlimited test is way too choppy for my liking. In fact, it hinders the experience, as games I play on a daily basis, like Age of Origins and Diablo Immortal, suffer from noticeable delays and frame drops.

Bland design

If there’s a poster child for generic smartphone design, the Fairphone 6+ is it. I’ll be the first to say it deserves credit for its modularity and sustainable sourcing, but the overall look is strictly utilitarian. It’s noticeably blocky, carries thick display bezels, and features an understated rear camera module that makes it look more like an enterprise device than a modern consumer handset.

Fairphone 6+ review: Bottom line

The Fairphone 6+ isn’t for everyone, but it succeeds at what it sets out to do. If you truly care about repairability, sustainable manufacturing, and modularity, this is the phone for you. Personally, I care about two out of those three — but its price gives me serious pause.

At $649, the Fairphone 6+ is noticeably more expensive than the iPhone 17e and Pixel 10a. That higher out-of-pocket cost will give most shoppers pause and could prevent them from even considering it. However, it’s backed by a class-leading five-year extended warranty and software support extending well into 2033.

These are two critical factors that most people quickly overlook, making it an investment that could easily outlive two or three conventional upgrade cycles — just as long if you're willing to live with mid-tier processing and subpar cameras.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is a phone that sits in a very awkward position in Samsung's phone lineup. The phone is designed to be a lower cost alternative to the standard Galaxy S26, but it also faces increased competition from the, frankly excellent, mid-range Galaxy A57. I've been questioning the need for a "Fan Edition" of Samsung's flagships, but with everything going on in the world it actually feels like a good mix of premium and affordable.

The price is the main factor for the S26 FE's success, especially now that Samsung has hiked prices for the rest of the Galaxy S26 series. On top of that you also have a lot of premium AI features, a solid (is imperfect) camera and a premium feel. However, that doesn't change the fact that the S26 FE has weak performance, and struggles to differentiate itself from both the Galaxy S25 FE and the cheaper Galaxy A57

Read our Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review to see whether this phone is right for you.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The latest release in Samsung's long-running "Fan Edition" series, offering a lower price tag in exchange for slightly worse features than the standard Galaxy S26
• Who is it for? The people who can't justify spending the full $899 on a Galaxy S26, but don't want to deal with the larger compromises made on the cheaper Galaxy A57
• What does it cost? Prices for the S26 FE start at $699, for a model with 128GB of storage. A 256GB model is also available for $799, which is $200 lower than the 256GB Galaxy S26's newly-raised starting price.
• What do we like? The low starting price, the good battery life, solid camera quality and the number of premium AI features Samsung has included.
• What don't we like? The weak performance, the lack of upgrades compared to last year and the fact the Samsung Galaxy A57 isn't that far behind.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: Specifications

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: The ups

$699 starting price

When I first went hands-on with the Galaxy S26 FE I commented on the fact that the phone wasn't actually that much cheaper than the Galaxy S26. In fact, at the time, a 256GB S26 FE cost the same amount as a 256GB Galaxy S26. Things have changed since then, though, thanks to Samsung hiking the price of the entire Galaxy S26 lineup — except the Galaxy S26 FE.

This means that the cheapest Galaxy S26 is now $999, complete with 256GB of storage. Meanwhile the cheapest S26 FE is $699, while the larger 256GB storage option will set you back $799. That's a $200-$300 difference, depending on how much storage you actually require.

With the cost of entry suddenly much higher, that gives a huge advantage to the Galaxy S26 FE since it offers a lot of the same features as the Galaxy S26 but for a much lower price tag.

Premium-feeling design

I'll caveat this by saying that the Galaxy S26 FE is not as premium as past fan edition phones. The S25 FE has the same matte glass back as the Galaxy S25 FE, but that isn't the case with the S26 equivalents. Instead, the S26 FE has a glossy glass back that looks more like the Galaxy A57 — to the point where I struggle to tell them apart.

That said, the design is more premium than your typical cheap phone. There's a large 6.9-inch display (rated up to 1,900 nits), and a brushed metal frame that helps the phone avoid feeling like it's a cheap device. The same goes for the solid glass camera bump, which is a trait Samsung usually reserves for other Galaxy S-series devices.

There's some weight to the S26 FE that makes it feel like it's got some solid construction. While lightweight designs are all the rage in certain circles, the extra half ounce the S26 FE has over the A57 goes a long way. Not to mention that the weight is fairly evenly distributed, giving the phone a more balanced feel. The mid-range Samsung feels a little too light for its size, and doesn't balance as well, which means it feels a little more flimsy as a result.

Solid AI features

It isn't a Samsung phone release without AI playing a key role in everything going forward, and the Galaxy S26 FE is no different. Samsung didn't add anything new and exclusive, which shouldn't surprise anyone, but it still added a bunch of Galaxy AI features we've tried and enjoyed on both the Galaxy S26 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Included here is My Fan Cam, which follows human beings to turn existing video into something brand new, the literally-named Horizontal Lock, Samsung's Document Scanner, Audio Eraser, Photo Assist's AI editing tools, Now Brief and the contextually aware Now Nudge, as well as the currently Samsung-exclusive Circle to Search upgrade that lets you scan multiple objects at once.

All of which makes this a solid low-cost choice for those of you that want access to Galaxy AI features.

Good battery life

We haven't been able to do our full battery life test on the Galaxy S26 FE just yet, but I have performed a rougher version to gauge just how much battery is lost when streaming video. That test involved streaming this YouTube video for three hours, with brightness set to 50%. For comparison's sake, I also ran the same test on the Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy A57.

The Galaxy S26 FE was the worst of the three, which is bizarre considering it has a 4,900 mAh battery. At the end of the video stream it came out with 82%, compared to 85% on the 4,300 mAh Galaxy S26 and 87% on the 5,000 mAh Galaxy A57. That said, with an average battery loss of 6% per hour, that's not a huge amount of battery drain.

If that power consumption holds steady, it means the Galaxy S26 FE should last almost 17 hours in the same conditions. It's far from the best battery life we've seen, and logic dictates that the regular S26 should last 20 hours. But that should keep you going throughout the day.

As for charging, the Galaxy S26 FE promises up to 45W wired charging speeds. My USB-C power meter, paired with a 60W charging brick, saw the incoming power hit a high of 41W which is pretty close. As for actual recharging time, I found the S26 FE reached 39% after 15 minutes and 72% after half an hour.

That's faster than the S26 and A57, and only slightly behind the Galaxy S26 Ultra (77% in 30 minutes). The S26 FE hit 100% charge after 58 and a half minutes during my testing. This means that while the battery life could be better, at least you'll be able to recharge pretty quickly.

Camera quality is (mostly) good for the price

Since the Galaxy S26 FE is designed to sit between the Galaxy A57 and Galaxy S26, I decided that the fairest way to test the cameras was to compare all three phones together. To get an idea of just how much of a difference there is when the phones themselves sit a few hundred dollars apart from one another.

With the main camera lens, you can't see a whole lot of difference in the three, or at least you can't see them on my dog sitting in the foreground. At a glance the quality is generally pretty good, but if you look a little closer the A57 dips considerably compared to the S26 FE — which manages to capture more detail (especially in the background) and a higher quality.

It's a lot closer in quality to the standard S26, though I'd say the flagship model clinches it in terms of overall quality — despite the fact I can't see much difference on the dog.

The ultrawide lenses are easily the mostly evenly matched lenses on the three phones, and the quality is surprisingly uniform. I'd go so far as to say that the quality does improve as the price does, and both the S26 FE and S26 highlight the red spray paint a lot more clearly than the A57. However, the actual difference is not that noticeable unless you look super closely.

Sadly all three phones do a pretty poor job with zoom, no doubt thanks to the A57's lack of optical zoom and the S26 and FE's weak telephoto cameras. The S26 probably has the edge, especially since the S26 FE added a weird warm color hue to the photo, but none of them are particularly great when you crank magnification up to 3x.

Crank things up to 10x magnification and things are a lot worse. The A57 turned the tower into a fuzzy mess, while the S26 and S26 FE are more evenly matched — though not by a lot. The FE seemed to add a bunch of detail that the S26 didn't pick up. But considering the quality of the photo itself, I can't really say that's an improvement.

It's a similar story for both S26 models at 30x zoom — the maximum you can get on both these phones. The S26 FE looks a little washed out, and picked up darker coloring in the bricks, but the actual quality is on par with the standard S26. Though, this is not meant as a compliment.

When it comes to selfies, things are much the same. The overall quality isn't bad, but the level of detail you get improves as the phones get more expensive. The A57 is blurrier and captures far less, while the S26 FE looks a little more like a competent photo. However the S26 captures it the best, and you can make out the individual hair strands a lot more easily. Alongside improved background details.

Weirdly, though, things are a little different when Portrait mode is involved. Somehow the quality on the A57 seems to have been ramped up, to the point where I'd say the sharpness of the photo exceeds that of the S26 FE. Even the S26 seems to be struggling to visualize my facial hair and various facial details that the S26 FE manages without issue.

Things are more or less back to normal with low light photography. The S26 comes out on top in the detail department, though the difference between it and the S26 FE is not that severe. The two certainly managed to capture a similar amount of light to illuminate the final product. As for the A57, the quality isn't there and the lighting has been processed in a way that makes the photo look a lot colder. Almost as though the tomato plant is being illuminated by fluorescent lights.

Overall I'd say the S26 FE sits in a comfortable position between the A57 and the Galaxy S26. The S26 certainly has the edge in most areas, but the quality difference isn't actually that severe compared to the S26 FE's camera. There's also a noticeable difference between the FE and the Galaxy A57, even though the A57 isn't a bad camera for its price tag.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: The downs

Minimal hardware upgrades

Like many phones, the Galaxy S26 FE doesn't have a whole lot to offer when it comes to actual upgrades. The differences in comparison to the Galaxy S25 FE are minimal, and the only tangible changes are the upgraded Exynos chipset and the glass enclosure around the rear camera lens.

The rest of the hardware is basically identical, which shows Samsung is leaning more onto the software upgrades to try and sell the S26 FE. That's not bad, per se, and the S26 FE does have a heck of a lot of useful features you'd normally only find on flagship phones. However, there's no telling how many of those will make their way to S25 FE at some point.

In that respect, the S26 FE doesn't feel like a "must-have" device. Not unless you have a super-old Fan Edition phone, or some kind of mid-ranger that desperately needs upgrading.

Middling performance

When it comes to making phones cheap, compromises have to be made, and in the case of the Galaxy S26 FE Samsung appears to have nerfed the performance in a big way. The fact is, while the rest of the S26 series gets the custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chips (or the latest Exynos 2600), the S26 FE is stuck with the Exynos 2500 — a chip that debuted at the start of 2025.

Obviously this means that the phone does not have the same level of computing or graphics power as more expensive phones.

As you can see, the Galaxy S26 FE trails quite far behind both variants of the Galaxy S26. Likewise it falls quite far behind the iPhone 17e, which is powered by Apple's A18 chipset. However, the older Apple chipset always struggled with the graphics side of things, which means it lags quite far behind the S26 FE in that area.

Performance is one area that the S26 FE truly beats out the A57. The mid-range phone's performance is very poor by comparison, especially where graphics are concerned. However, considering the A57 is $150 cheaper, that's not a huge surprise. In any case, if you were hoping for flagship performance from the Galaxy S26 FE, you are out of luck.

The A57 isn't too far behind

Having tested both the Galaxy A57 and the Galaxy S26 FE, I can tell you that the lived experience of using both phones is very different. That said, the Galaxy A57 is still an excellent phone for its price, and on paper the differences between it and the Galaxy S26 FE are fairly minimal — especially for casual users who prioritize value and battery life over raw power.

While I personally think the extra $150 you pay for a Galaxy S26 FE is justifiable, my finances are different than yours — and Samsung is going a lot to make its mid-range phones a heck of a lot more appealing. To the point where it's essentially competing with itself on multiple fronts. Frankly, Samsung should have done more to help the S26 FE stand out on its own more, rather than being compared to lesser phones.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: Verdict

I didn't have high hopes for the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE when Samsung first announced it. Personally, I felt as though the Fan Edition series was being awkwardly stuffed into a niche that didn't really need to be filled, to its own detriment. But actually using the phone, combined with Samsung's unceremonious price hike for the rest of the S26 series, has softened me up a bit. There's more to a phone than the basic hardware specs, and you don't really get to experience that without having it in your hand.

The Galaxy S26 FE offers a flagship experience that you just don't get on Samsung's cheaper phones right now. The experience has been nerfed slightly, in order to save money, but you still get a lot of the best parts of having a premium phone without the high price tag. Considering a regular Galaxy S26 now costs $999, the willingness to accept some of those compromises can now save you a bunch of extra money.

The lack of meaningful updates is not ideal, though, and if Samsung wants the Fan Edition series to continue long into the future, it's going to have to step up and not let it get neglected and end up the same way as the Galaxy Z Flip lineup.

The iPhone Duo is almost here, and there are lots of reasons to snatch up Apple’s first foldable phone come October 16 when pre-orders begin. It gives you a compact 5.4-inch phone and 7.6-inch mini tablet in one device, and it looks like an awesome option for those who want a more immersive viewing experience on the go along with dual-app multitasking — finally!

But as many in our comments have reminded me, Samsung has been making foldable phones for seven years. And that experience shows in the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It has a similar passport-style design to the iPhone Duo, but it offers some pretty unique advantages over Apple’s device and could be the best foldable phone for you. If you’re on the fence about getting an iPhone Duo or Galaxy Z Fold 8, here’s where Samsung’s device could sway you.

1. It’s considerably thinner and lighter

I only played around with the iPhone Duo for about an hour between various hands-on sessions, but it definitely feels heftier than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Sure, the iPhone Duo is technically the “thinnest iPhone ever,” at just 5.2 mm unfolded. That’s even less than the iPhone Air’s 5.64mm. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is only 4.5 mm.

When folded, the iPhone Duo measures 11.3mm thick, compared to 9.7mm for the Fold 8. For context, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is 8.75mm thick. So while the Duo will slip into a pocket with ease, it will take up some room.

In addition, the iPhone Duo weighs 8.96 ounces or 254 grams, while the Fold 8 is a feather light 7.09 ounces (201 grams). Samsung’s foldable is even lighter than the regular iPhone 18 Pro (7.44 ounces), which has a relatively tiny 6.3 inch display compared to the 7.6-inch panel on the Fold 8.

2. You can run more apps at once

I give Apple plenty of credit for making running two apps at once so seamless and intuitive on the iPhone Duo. You just select an app and then place it on the left or right side of the display. From there you can easily create app pairs and go back to them at any time. And it’s also a cinch to switch out apps; you just swipe up and go back to the home screen — it’s like having two distinct desktops.

However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 can let you run three tiled apps at the same time on screen. So, for example, I could have Gmail in one window, Slack in another and Spotify in another. It’s pretty cool. Plus, Samsung lets you put up to five floating windows on top. Now, eight apps at once seems like overkill to me, but it’s pretty amazing that you have that flexibility.

3. Gemini AI is more advanced

Siri AI is definitely improved in iOS 27, and it lets you do some pretty cool things on the iPhone Duo. You get better personal context understanding in all sorts of apps, including Messages and Notes. And there’s on-screen awareness, so you can say things like “add these items to my shopping list.” And I also appreciate that there’s finally a Siri mode in the camera app, so you don’t have to think about performing any shortcuts.

However, I think Galaxy AI and Gemini on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 are not only more advanced but more tailored to the foldable experience. For example, Now Nudge gives you suggestions in Messages for apps that you can open in split-screen mode, such as Calendar.

And Gemini itself is just more versatile than Siri AI. You can share your live camera video in real time and get advice and troubleshooting tips. I did this when trying to figure out how to clean out battery corrosion from an outdoor flood light.

4. It’s $100 cheaper

The Galaxy Fold 8 starts at $1,799, which is $100 less than the iPhone Duo. Plus, there are already some pretty good deals out there. At time of writing I found the Fold 8 for just $1,649 on Best Buy, which is $250 off.

I’m sure there will be plenty of iPhone Duo pre-order deals around Apple’s launch as well, so you should be able to get it at a discount. But as of now the Fold 8 is a better value.

Where the iPhone Duo wins

As good as Samsung’s foldable is, there are several ways the iPhone Duo beats the Fold 8. For example, the iPhone Duo offers an IP68 rating for durability, which means it’s protected from both water and dust. Samsung’s phone is only water resistant.

In addition, the iPhone Duo offers MagSafe built in for wireless charging, Apple Pencil support and vapor chamber cooling, which will presumably help with sustained performance for Apple’s faster A20 chip.

But Apple’s biggest advantage will likely come with software and apps. The iPhone Duo’s software can react based on the position of the hinge while the Fold 8 lacks Samsung’s Flex Mode. And I expect a sizable wave of Duo optimized apps at launch, including Slack, Netflix and Zoom.

Bottom line

The iPhone Duo clearly has the most buzz, and it makes sense because Apple is entering a new category. But I wouldn’t overlook the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It feels so light and thin that it almost seems like Samsung cheated physics. And if you like the idea of multitasking on a big screen, the Fold 8 lets you run more apps at once. And while Siri is smarter than ever, Samsung and Google are in the lead with AI features.

So which foldable has your interest? Let us know in the comments.

Samsung has officially increased prices for nearly every single Galaxy S26 model, save for one. And one variant of the S26 Ultra is now $200 more expensive.

It's essentially the second price hike for the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus since both models received $100 increases at launch compared to the S25 versions. At the time, the Galaxy S26 Ultra models retained the same $1,299 starting cost.

Only the more recently announced Galaxy S26 FE kept its launch price, though it is $50 more expensive than the S25 FE.

The prices listed are for the starting 256GB versions of each model. The 512GB versions of the S26 and S26 Plus now costs $1,199 and $1,399, respectively.

The Ultra models are now $1,599 for the 512GB variant and $1,999 for the 1TB, a $200 increase over the previous price.

In March, Samsung justified the first price increase by emphasizing upgrades and innovation, though company executives also admitted the ongoing AI-created RAMageddon was to blame. Unfortunately, the RAM crisis isn't going away anytime soon, and 2027 is expected to be worse by some than this year.

Next year's Galaxy S27 was just tipped for a price hike, but hopefully that's based on the original S26 prices and not these new ones.

What to do if you need a new Samsung phone

If you are in the market for a smartphone, my recommendation is wait for sales and big discounts. Never pay full price.

Otherwise, Samsung offers cheaper, capable phones like its Galaxy A57 series that starts at $549. In the meantime, Amazon is still offering the Galaxy S26 Ultra at the original price. That also includes some colors of the S26 and the S26 Plus.

Or, if you wait a week, Amazon's Prime Day sale is scheduled to kick off on October 6, and that sale usually features deep discounts on everything, including Samsung's flagship phones.

Or there's Black Friday and Cyber Monday just after Thanksgiving. Either way, the infuriating trend of ever increasing smartphone prices continues.

More from Tom's Guide

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 review: The best Android foldable for most people
• I checked out the new Samsung SmartTag3 — here’s why this tracker could be a game-changer
• The best Samsung phone might not be the best for you — take our quiz to find out which you should buy

Everything seems to be getting more expensive, and that's especially true when it comes to phones and other electronics. Production and component costs are on the rise, particularly RAM and storage, and that means the price increases getting passed on to us. Sadly, it seems as though the Galaxy S27 might be the next big phone to hike prices.

We've already heard rumors that the S27 Ultra could get a $100 price increase, which would mean prices start at $1,400 for the S27 UIltra instead of the current $1,300. However, the latest murmurs from the rumor mill suggest that the entire Galaxy S27 lineup could get a price increase. Again.

Galaxy S27 Price hikes across the board

The rumor itself comes from a blog on Korean social media site Naver, and specifically blames the alleged price hike on the extortionate cost of memory. Apparently, Samsung can't absorb the price increases the way it used to, and that means the cost of S27 models is going up in the Korean market.

This doesn't necessarily mean that prices will be going up in other regions. That said, if a Korean price hike is tied to RAMageddon costs, it seems unlikely that Samsung would give other markets a pass. Then again, stranger things have happened.

The base price increase is said to be in the "higher 130,000 won range" which is roughly $95 at the current exchange rate. The cost to upgrade your storage is said to be going up as well, though the exact price change isn't detailed.

Currently, an upgrade from 256GB to 512GB is an extra $200, while S26 Ultra owners are expected to pay another $400 on top of that if they want a 1TB model — or $600 more than a 256GB model.

That's quite a lot, especially when those sorts of upgrades used to be as little as $100 in recent years. The prospect of another storage price increase cements my opinion that high storage phones are a scam.

The S27 Ultra could be even heavier, too

The price isn't the only thing about the Galaxy S27 Ultra that could be increasing. A new rumor, courtesy of Ice Universe, claims that the phone will weigh 218 grams (7.69 ounces), which is four grams more than the Galaxy S26 Ultra. However, the thickness will apparently stay the same 7.9mm (0.31-inches) for another year.

Ice Universe has a solid track record when it comes to Samsung leaks, but there's always a chance that he's wrong. However, if we take them at their word, those few extra grams have to come from somewhere. The question is, what is causing the extra weight to be piled onto the phone? Especially with rumors claiming that Samsung is removing features like the secondary telephoto lens.

The most obvious answer could be the battery. Samsung is expected to utilize silicon carbon batteries, just as it did with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series, allowing it to add more battery capacity into the same size. That would explain the lack of extra thickness, and the minimal weight increase. The battery itself is rumored to be 5,700 mAh, compared to S26 Ultra's 5,000 mAh power pack.

Samsung is also rumored to be adding magnets to the back of its phone, and facilitating the full Qi2 wireless charging experience. This would allow users to use magnetic chargers and accessories without using a special case, much like you can do on iPhones and recent Pixel flagships.

We don't know how heavy Qi2 or MagSafe magnets actually are, but they don't weigh nothing.

The Qi2-enabled Pixel 10 Pro XL was 11 grams heavier than the Pixel 9 Pro XL, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max was just two grams heavier than the MagSafe-free iPhone 11 Pro Max.

The Galaxy S27 series is expected to launch in early 2027, and in the meantime you can check out our story on all the different ways it could beat the new iPhone 18 Pro.

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Fresh from announcing its new Signature 27 flagship phone last week, Motorola has an upcoming foldable device that's got the iPhone Duo and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 in its sights.

According to an extensive leak over on Android Headlines, the new phone is being called the Motorola 'Razr Flex' internally and will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip, backed by 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. But I hope the main display size is a typo, because it seems dumb.

Like this year's releases from Apple and Samsung, the Razr Flex will be a wide foldable with a passport-style design rather than a traditional book-style foldable. According to the report, the 4.97-inch main display will open to reveal a 6.92 inner display — much smaller than the 7.6-inch inner screen on the iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Granted, the wide aspect ratio might be good for watching video, but 6.92 inches is basically the same size as the iPhone 18 Pro Max and Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Here's the full list of specs, according to sources speaking with Android Headlines:

Razr Flex vs iPhone Duo

Having spent some time with the iPhone Duo myself, I have to give Motorola credit for going head-to-head with Apple's first ever foldable. One of the key differentiators will be the price. Android Headlines' sources weren't able to give clues on that score but coming in under Apple's $2,000 asking price will be a good first step to try and sway potential customers.

Motorola can also tout the fact its foldable will be smaller and lighter than the Duo, meaning for one-handed use it could have the edge. However, one of the things I liked most about Apple's handset was the reassuring heft when you picked it up.

Where I do think Motorola will have Apple comfortably beat is in the selfie cameras for both the main and inner displays. The 12MP FaceTime cameras on the Duo have already come in for some criticism online, and given how many of us now use our phones for video calls, Motorola's rumored 32MP cameras could have a decisive edge.

Despite being smaller, the Razr Flex also purports to have a bigger battery at 5,000mAh than the Duo's 4,700mAh. This won't necessarily translate into better endurance, though, as Apple's integration of the A20 Pro chip and iOS 27 could still give it the edge even with less capacity.

Regardless of whether or not Motorola is able to go up against the likes of the iPhone Duo or the Galaxy Z Fold 8, I have to commend the company for trying. I just have the question the main screen size. The whole point of a foldable phone like this is having a foldable phone and table in one device. And in this case you'd be getting a small phone that opens to the size of a regular flagship phone.

But we'll reserve final judgement until we get the Razr Flex in for testing and a full review to see if it can make our best foldable phones list.

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 ways Galaxy S27 Ultra can beat the iPhone 18 Pro — and 2 ways Apple will still win
• iPhone Duo: 7 features you’re giving up by not buying the iPhone 18 Pro Max
• The real reason why iPhone Duo will beat all Android foldable phones

The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra is coming next year, and we've already started hearing a bunch of rumors about the upcoming phone, including a redesign that could see the camera layout drastically change for the first time in several years. However, the latest leaks suggest Samsung will implement much grander changes than just the camera's look.

In fact, it now seems as though the new look could come at the expense of Samsung's trademark fourth camera lens — the secondary telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. Or, at least, that's what long-time leaker Ice Universe claims over on X.

Ice Universe notes that the camera app will now jump from 1x magnification on the main lens, straight to 5x magnification on the soon-to-be-solo telephoto lens. So there's no optical magnification sitting between the two, though the main lens will presumably still offer the 2x "optical quality" digital zoom that's become so popular on flagship phones in recent years.

Ice has stuck with past claims that the telephoto camera itself will remain unchanged, with the same 5x 50MP lens that is currently available on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. This also means that the long-standing rumors that Samsung might offer some kind of variable optical zoom presumably won't be happening next year.

The software could be changing too

Modern smartphone photography involves a lot more than having lots of megapixels or fancy lenses. The software is an integral part of the process, and the Galaxy S27 Ultra is tipped to make some big changes there as well.

This news also comes from Ice Universe, which claims three changes are coming to how the S27 Ultra processes photos. The first of which is a shift from cooler color tones to something warmer. I have noticed this with Samsung cameras in recent years, and the color-temperature shift should make the final photos look closer to what rival camera phones offer.

Samsung is also set to include better highlight control for small, bright objects, such as illuminated text or far-off light sources. According to Ice, the S26 Ultra struggles to suppress these highlights, causing lost detail and overexposure in the final photo. The S27 Ultra should, in theory, control that extra brightness and preserve the clarity of the shot.

Finally, Samsung is supposedly working to reduce noise in dark areas and offer a smoother image all round. This makes perfect sense, since Samsung has done a lot of work improving low-light capabilities and reducing photo noise over the past couple of years, with the help of AI. So there's little reason to expect that it would suddenly stop without warning.

Overall, this should give us better photos with a cleaner picture across light and shadow, plus a warmer tone that doesn't look as harsh as the current cool-looking Samsung-processed photos.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Duo leak reveals a bunch of StandBy details Apple didn't tell us about — including what sounds like a smart home display
• 5 ways Galaxy S27 Ultra can beat the iPhone 18 Pro — and 2 ways Apple will still win
• The real reason why iPhone Duo will beat all Android foldable phones

There are a lot of things to love about the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but they definitely are not perfect. There are things that Apple's latest flagships are missing, and that could give Samsung an advantage with the release of the Galaxy S27 Ultra next year.

Success over Apple isn't guaranteed, but with Galaxy S27 Ultra rumors arriving pretty regularly, we're getting a good idea of what the next Samsung flagship could offer. There could be some pretty big changes, including a brand new design that ditches the vertical camera array of the last several generations of Galaxy phones.

That's only scratching the surface. These 5 things in particular could help the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra beat the iPhone 18 Pro — but there are two ways Apple could stay on top.

A bigger battery

Samsung already proved that it has what it takes to boost battery capacity without affecting the design of the device — as we saw with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's 5,000 mAh silicon carbon battery. Rumor has it that Samsung could utilize the same tech in the S27 Ultra, which makes total sense considering how long the Ultra models have been stuck with 5,000 mAh batteries

Regulator documents have already revealed that Samsung could add a 5,700 mAh battery to the phone. That's a 14% increase over the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and while it's nowhere near as large as the 7,300 mAh OnePlus 15, it's still a noticeable jump in available power. That should hopefully increase the overall battery life. That said, we won't know whether it will exceed the iPhone 18 Pro Max's 18 hours and 27 minutes.

That would require an extra two hours of battery life on Samsung's part, so it better get to work on the efficiency side of things.

An improved privacy display

The Privacy Display is the S26 Ultra's stand-out feature, but it wasn't perfect, and what we really want to see are some improvements to the technology. We'd hope that means brighter overall displays, even when Privacy Display is turned off, and more versatile use of the dimmed sections of the screen.

The latter may be coming true, with leaker Ice Universe claiming that Samsung will adopt a feature that Xiaomi included on the newly-released 18 Pro — a split-screen privacy display. This feature would work in tandem with the S27 Ultra's multitasking, and would expand or contract according to how big the different windows are. The other window is fully lit and visible.

S Pen

While the iPhone Duo is set to get Apple Pencil support, the iPhone 18 Pro does not. The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra is likely to stick with the same level of S Pen support Samsung has offered for the past several years.

We're not expecting any major changes with the S27 Ultra's S Pen. This means you shouldn't expect to see the return of Bluetooth or other more advanced functionality we have seen in previous years. But even the simplest S Pen around is something that Apple doesn't offer on its flagship. So if you like to use a stylus to draw, take notes or make fine photo edits, the S27 Ultra is a more appealing device.

Better camera hardware

Ultra-tier Galaxy phones already have superior camera hardware, thanks to the 200MP main sensor, but things could be getting even better with the S27 Ultra — in the front and back of the phone.

The first upgrade rumor is the addition of a 16MP selfie camera, which would be a notable upgrade from the 12MP shooter on the S26 Ultra. While that's still a little bit less than the 18MP Center Stage camera on iPhone 18 Pro, it's still a welcome upgrade. However, Samsung could jump ahead with rumors of a large sensor on the telephoto lens.

Some rumors suggest that Samsung could offer a larger 1/1.9-inch telephoto sensor, but as a result reduce the amount of optical zoom from 5x magnification to 4x. However, this has been disputed by some leakers, who claim Samsung is sticking with the same 5x 1/2.52-inch sensor as the S26 Ultra. But either way, it's a telephoto lens offering higher resolution and sensor size than the 48MP 1/2.55-inch sensor on iPhone 18 Pro Max.

A 16GB RAM option

While it's unlikely that we'll see the S27 Ultra get a full 16GB of RAM in its cheapest form, there's still a good chance the pricier 1TB models will get that memory boost. This should in turn give those models a slight advantage when it comes to processing, specifically where on-device AI is concerned.

Considering on-device AI is a big focus for Apple, the 12GB of RAM in the iPhone 18 Pro doesn't seem quite so impressive. The S27 Ultra, with more advanced Galaxy AI and computing hardware, could end up leaving the iPhone 18 Pro in the dust here.

2 ways Apple can still win

Performance power

We can't say for certain how powerful the Galaxy S27 Ultra will be, but we have tested the chip that should power the phone when it arrives next year — the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. We have done some benchmarking tests with a Qualcomm Reference Device, which gives us an idea of how the chip should perform. As powerful as it is, it doesn't really compare to Apple's A20 Pro in a lot of areas.

As you can see, the A20 Pro pulls ahead in most areas, including single- and multi-core benchmarking tests, and 3DMark's Solar Bay Extreme graphics test. The figures are close in a lot of places, but the only time the Gen 6 chip outpaces Apple is with the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme graphics test.

We don't know how Qualcomm's chip will perform on the S27 Ultra, especially if Samsung gets another custom "for Galaxy" chipset, but for now it seems like Apple certainly has the upper hand.

More storage

As small a difference as it may be, we know that Apple currently offers more storage space than Samsung — offering a maximum storage space of 2TB to Samsung's 1TB. There's always the possibility that this could change, but the rumors suggest otherwise. In fact, the S27 series will apparently have the exact same storage options as the S26 series. This means the Ultra will max out at 1TB.

Those larger storage variants might get LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.1 storage, which would be a benefit for performance and loading speed. Sadly, your maximum limit will be the same 1TB as always, if these rumors are to be believed.

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With Qualcomm splitting its top-tier mobile silicon into the Snapdragon 8 Elite and 8 Elite Extreme, Android buyers are facing a new level of flagship fragmentation.

While it’s all fair and good to speeds and feeds nerds like me to benchmark the fastest chip, when it comes to you going online or walking into a store, which one should you buy.

To figure out how you’re supposed to navigate this, I put the question directly to the company’s mobile leadership during a post-keynote roundtable: Chris Patrick (SVP and GM of Mobile Handsets) and Dino Bekis (SVP and GM of Premium Mobile & AI).

Their answers cut through the marketing jargon and offered surprisingly blunt buying guidance based on form factor, budget and future-proofing.

Who should buy the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme?

According to Patrick and Bekis, the Extreme tier is engineered for three specific types of buyers who view their smartphone as a long-term tech investment.

The hardcore gamer

If you are chasing raw frame rates and competitive advantages, Patrick says the choice is simple.

"If you tell me... you love gaming, getting that FPS moving higher, being able to shoot the person before he shoots you, because your response time is even better... I'll tell you to go get the Extreme," Patrick commented.

The camera and media purist

For users who care about advanced image processing and future video formats.

Patrick notes that the Extreme is for those who “want the brand new codec that’s just coming out,” ensuring that as streaming services adopt new standards, and new camera breakthroughs are made, the phone delivers “the best quality, the best bit rate and the best power consumption.”

The “future-proof” enthusiast

Bekis made the case for the buyer who simply doesn’t want to hit a hardware ceiling in three years. “I don’t know what my needs are tomorrow, maybe I will become a gamer… I want the best. I want to have access. I want to have the flexibility for the future. Okay, go get the extreme.”

Who should stick to the base Snapdragon 8 Elite?

If you aren’t chasing 144fps or analyzing video bitrates, Patrick argues that paying the premium for the Extreme chip is a waste of money — especially if you prioritize hardware design over raw benchmark supremacy.

The form factor crowd (flips and foldables)

The standard Elite is the chip of choice for highly stylized phones where thermal limits and battery size are constrained by the chassis.

“A whole category of consumers really enjoy the flip form factor and enjoy being able to position the camera,” Patrick explained. “But you don’t necessarily want to spend a huge premium for a completely overpowered processor. So why invest in the Extreme? Go with the Elite. It’s perfectly fine.”

The pragmatic buyer

As Patrick bluntly summarized, OEMs now have two logical choices: use the lower-cost chip to save money, or use the higher-cost silicon to justify the ultra-premium phone price.

For most traditional smartphone users, the base Elite delivers flagship performance without the enthusiast tax.

The death of the ‘one size fits all’ flagship

Qualcomm’s decision to segment the 8-series acknowledges a new reality in the Android market: a thin, folding flip phone and a bulky, vapor-chamber-cooled super phone should not be forced to use the exact same silicon.

Reading between the lines of their answers, you can start to paint a picture for yourself. The Extreme chip exists for spec-chasers, but for everyone else, the base Elite is more than enough.

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Being able to carry a powerful camera in my pocket is fantastic, and I can't tell you the number of times I've been able to pull out my phone to snap something that would have otherwise vanished in a second. The problem is that smartphones are not so great and shooting a lot of photos in a short space of time.

The lack of a burst mode has always irked me, especially since I'm often trying to take photos of things that are moving around — mainly my dogs or my son. My workaround has been to shoot video and then try and screenshot the appropriate frame, but those results are often lacking. You lose resolution and the whole process is rather fiddly, as you try and find the perfect frame.

Thankfully Google and Apple have each developed systems to do this exact thing, without all the same pitfalls. The execution is very different, though, and I set out to see whether Google Pixel 11 Pro's Magic Capture or the Save Video Frame as Photo option from iPhone 18 Pro and iOS 27 offered a better experience.

What are Magic Capture and Save Video Frame as Photo?

Magic Capture is a new AI-powered feature exclusive to Google's Pixel 11 series, and it functions as a separate mode within the Pixel camera app. Magic Capture records videos up to two minutes in length, and once finished, uses AI to analyze the footage and export a handful of frames as standalone photos.

The crucial thing there is that the whole process is automatic. You don't get to choose what Magic Capture picks out, and the number of photos you get is actually pretty limited. You get one photo at first, but that number increases to five once the cloud-based processing is complete.

In contrast to this, Apple's Save Video Frame as Photo feature is all on you. Rather than having a specialist camera mode, or complicated AI integration, it all functions as a feature in the Apple Photos app. Simply find a video you want to pull photos from, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, and tap the Save Video Frame as Photo option.

Tapping that option then isolates the frame that's on screen and exports it to Apple Photos as a photo. It doesn't matter whether the video is playing, or if you've paused it, the feature will work as advertised, dropping the newly-created photo at the end of your timeline. Naturally, the manual process means you're not guaranteed to get a good photo, since it only copies what's seen on screen.

How do they actually differ in practice?

Magic Capture is certainly the more convenient method of extracting photos from video, though it definitely comes with some downsides. The fact that you can record a video clip, and have Google's AI do all the hard work for you to get things done quickly and stress-free. That said, the limitations do get in the way.

One issue is that Magic Capture is limited to two minutes of actual use. That's not an issue for short bursts of video, but if you want continuous, uninterrupted recording, you're out of luck. Similarly the feature sticks you with five photos no matter how long the clip is — no more, no less. It doesn't matter whether you record 30 seconds or the full two minutes, you get five photos.

If you want anything more, or you don't like what Magic Capture selected, you're going to have to do things the old fashioned way. That is less than ideal, especially since Magic Capture was supposed to solve this problem. The reliance on cloud processing may also be a little much for some people, depending on how much you trust Google's servers to keep your video clips secure.

Apple's system has no such limitations, because it doesn't rely on AI processing or a specialist camera. You simply record a video as normal, with no extra caveats or conditions you need to meet. The obvious downside is that you need to pull each individual frame out manually, which is not that easy — especially on an iPhone touchscreen.

There's a difference between photographs and video frames, since one is designed to be standalone and the other is one part of something much larger. Without the surrounding frames, that single snapshot could look like absolute garbage. And that happens quite a lot with the Save Video Frame as Photo feature. Not always, and rapid movement definitely makes it a lot harder, but it is something to be aware of.

The process is fairly simple, though. You load up the video you recorded in Apple Photos, and slide the progress bar along until you get to the frame you want to see as a photo. The main issue is that doing it in Portrait mode is not easy, especially if it's a particularly long video. This isn't like VLC, where you can advance frame by frame until you get to the spot you want.

There isn't enough finesse in my fingers to be super accurate with everything, but I found that flipping the phone into landscape mode made the process slightly easier. Similarly, loading up the video on my iPad and cycling through the video using the Apple Pencil made it feel as though I had more control over the entire process. Yes, iPadOS 27 has this feature too, and it works in the exact same way.

Clipping videos down into shorter clips can also be a big help, since the playback bar is the same size no matter the length of the video in question.

Verdict: Which is the better option?

The most important thing to remember about Magic Capture and Apple's Save Video Frame as Photo is that they are both rather different methods of reaching the same goal. The way they work is going to impact which of these is actually right for you, and the truth is that neither of them is a bad option.

Magic Capture has its limits, but it's the easiest way to get a handful of photos from short video clips. Personally I think Google's option is better suited to those times when you know getting a good photo is going to be difficult, but you don't want the moment to pass. So you use Magic Capture to record the video, and have Google AI select five photos of the event in question.

Meanwhile Apple's Save Video Frame to Photo feature is arguably better for those times you know you're going to be recording anyway, but want to be able to export different frames as their own photos. Or, alternatively, for those of you that prefer to put the effort into generating those photos yourself, rather than having a faceless collection of cloud-based AI algorithms do it for you. It's certainly the more labor-intensive option, but it's also the one that ensures better data security. Provided you have the will and means to go through your video frame-by-frame — or close enough to it.

A blend of the two wouldn't be a bad option, especially if Apple can adapt its own version of Magic Capture through Private Cloud Compute. However, we can all agree that it certainly beats the alternative of screenshotting videos and losing all resolution in the process.

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I'm a big fan of magnetic phone accessories, especially when it involves MagSafe-compatible wireless charging. Portable battery packs are great, but the reliance on cables is not something I will ever be happy about. Switching to wireless charging, and using magnets to keep everything in place, means that problem is eliminated — though it's not ideal that those batteries add a bunch of bulk and weight to your phone.

Belkin's newest magnetic battery pack, UltraCharge Pro Slim Magnetic Power Bank with BoostSolid Cell, helps to eliminate that problem. The "Semi Solid State" battery design is significantly thinner and lighter than you might expect, which makes a surprising amount of difference for comfort. However, that also comes at the cost of overall capacity, which may or not be a dealbreaker.

What the heck is a 'semi-solid-state' battery?

You may be wondering what Semi-Solid-State actually means. The idea of solid-state batteries is nothing new, since those offer power without any of the chemical movements and reactions.

According to Belkin, this "semi-solid" design utilizes a gel-like layer alongside a liquid electrolyte. The company hasn't gone into the specifics of how everything works, but the design enables a slimmer and more compact design, greater longevity and a much lower risk of overheating. That should help improve the overall safety of using these batteries, and considering the clampdown by airlines in recent months, that's definitely a good thing.

Speaking of airlines, Belkin says that the $70 UltraCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank has been built to comply with standard safety requirements, and the TSA's carry-on guidance. Though this doesn't necessarily mean that you are cleared to use this one in the air. Each airline has their own policies, and you need to be aware of them before you travel.

The battery itself is Qi2 certified, offering up to 15W charging speeds on compatible phones. Wired USB-C charging is also available if you have a cable, with speeds up to 7.5W. The battery itself recharges at up to 22.5W. Naturally, being magnetic, it snaps onto the back of your phone — whether it has built-in magnets or you're using a special case.

Materials-wise, you've got a battery that is a mix of metal and rubber, which is not exactly uncommon in magnetic batteries, though the actual size of the thing is arguably where its biggest strength lies.

How does it compare to my existing magnetic power bank?

The magnetic battery pack I use most of the time is UGreen's 10,000 mAh magnetic power pack. It's a fairly cheap option, which means it isn't officially certified as MagSafe or Qi2 — it's just a regular wireless charger with a MagSafe-compatible connection. That means it's slow, and it has a habit of getting pretty hot.

UGreen's model is 0.79-inches thick, which is more than double Belkin's 0.35-inches. It's also heavier, weighing 7.9 ounces compared to 4.4 ounces for the Belkin. The UGreen battery is actually heavier and thicker than an iPhone 17 Pro (0.35-inches and 7.27 ounces), and only slightly lighter than the iPhone 17 Pro Max (8.33 ounces).

The UltraCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank is still going to add thickness and weight to your phone. However, it is a lot more comfortable and convenient to use compared to the bulky UGreen option I've been using.

The downside is that it the Belkin has half the capacity of the UGreen. 10,000 mAh is enough to charge just about every phone at least once — and often more. 5,000 mAh doesn't go quite as far, but it's no small amount of power. It's enough to recharge a lot of phones in full, and enough to add a significant amount of power to others.

Personally, while I like to overprepare and make sure I have more than enough energy to keep me going, I'll admit that 10,000 mAh is a bit overkill for most situations. So long as you have enough power to make it through the day, and get back to a home charger, then what does it matter how much of a reserve you have?

In terms of charging and heat, I decided to test the two batteries on my iPhone 17 Pro Max starting at 47% charge. The Belkin battery restored 10%, bringing the total to 57% in that time, while the UGreen battery brought the charge to 54% — a 7% increase. It's not a huge amount of difference, but over the course of many hours that will add up.

As for heat, the Belkin battery definitely felt warmer, but a quick check with a thermal camera saw the temperature peak at just under 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The UGreen battery didn't feel nearly as warm, but the thermal imaging revealed that a small part of the battery had risen to just shy of 97 degrees. That's not a huge difference, but you do have to remember that the UGreen charger is going much more slowly — and I did feel that heat start to add up over extended charging sessions.

Wireless charging is always going to produce some heat if you don't have some sort of active cooling system. The Belkin UltraCharge does get warm, but it doesn't get too hot, which is quite nice.

Bottom line

I really like the Belkin UltraCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank. Not specifically because it's a semi-solid-state battery, but because it manages to do all the things you need from a portable battery pack. It's slim and lightweight, with the magnetic connection making it incredibly easy to recharge your phone. Plus, the 15W Qi2 speeds mean it's fairly speedy as far as wireless charging goes.

Admittedly, the 5,000 mAh capacity would be enough to make me hesitate on buying one for myself — especially with a $70 price tag. You can buy wired battery packs that offer four times the capacity for similar prices, if not less. Still, you can't fault the Belkin for convenience or comfort, and that premium might be worth it if you regularly find that you need to top off your phone on the move.

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Ever since the Pixel 9 Pro XL, Google’s flagships have consistently impressed me with their astrophotography performance — and the latest Pixel 11 Pro XL is shaping up to be no exception. That’s largely down to its updated Night Sight engine, which directly dictates how effectively it navigates the nuances of night-sky imaging.

But that effortless automation is precisely one of the biggest strengths of shooting on the Pixel: all the heavy processing happens silently in the background. Google claims this updated Night Sight captures up to 4.5 times faster than prior generations, but I wanted to see how it holds up against dedicated hardware.

To find out, I pitted it against an OM SYSTEM OM-3 Astro setup — a $2,500 specialized mirrorless body meant to capture the night sky paired with a fast Olympus 12mm f/2 lens. On paper, it looks like an absurd mismatch, but the side-by-side results downright surprised me.

Point and shoot ready

The greatest advantage of shooting astrophotography with the Pixel 11 Pro XL is that you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to capture scenes filled with brilliant, twinkling stars. With a dedicated setup like the OM SYSTEM OM-3 Astro, you can't just lean on full auto and hope it takes care of the rest. Instead, you have to dial in manual exposures, balance your ISO, and make sure your focus is spot on.

The Pixel effortlessly turns any first-time astrophotography shooter into a seasoned pro. All you have to do is follow my usual advice: secure the phone to a tripod, point it toward the sky, and switch over to Night Sight. Once the phone detects that it’s completely stationary, the shutter icon transforms into the dedicated Astrophotography mode. One tap of the shutter button is all it takes, and Google’s computational engine handles the rest.

Pixel 11 Pro XL vs OM SYSTEM OM-3 Astro: the results

For this shootout, it’s worth noting that I’m comparing a single exposure captured on the OM SYSTEM OM-3 Astro rather than taking a full sequence and stacking them. Meanwhile, the Pixel 11 Pro XL relies on an automated computational exposure that can take several minutes to complete.

The differences between computational photography and specialized dedicated glass might be tough to spot at first glance, but they become apparent once I comb through the details. Across the board, photos from the Pixel 11 Pro XL showcase the triumphs of Google’s algorithms. The images are remarkably clean and bright, utilizing an exposure that lifts the night sky into a slightly overexposed gray tone.

This approach pulls in an incredible amount of ambient light, drawing out faint stars that my own eyes struggled to see even after adjusting to the dark. Crucially, foreground trees and passing clouds remain surprisingly sharp and well-defined. However, the photographer in me easily notices the flattened, high-dynamic-range aesthetic that often accompanies heavy computational processing.

In comparison, shots from the OM SYSTEM OM-3 Astro offer a dramatically more atmospheric look. The camera’s specialized optical filter produces a rich, deep-teal sky with punchy contrast that immediately catches the eye.

Stars are noticeably sharper, revealing a denser, more defined field of light that software trickery struggles to replicate. The only downside to the 15-second exposure I stuck to is that the foreground trees show slight softness and wind-induced motion blur — highlighting the computational edge the Pixel holds when it comes to stabilizing the surrounding landscape.

Time-lapse surprise

Beyond delivering a finished still image with excellent fidelity, the Pixel 11 Pro XL also creates a short time-lapse clip that I can easily share. Every time I trigger an astrophotography exposure, Google’s camera app quietly compiles a brief video capturing the night sky’s movement and drifting clouds over the duration of the shot. The beauty of this is that there’s nothing more I need to do — the clip simply appears alongside the final photo in the Google Photos app.

Pulling this off with the OM SYSTEM OM-3 Astro is a far more involved ordeal. It requires setting up an intervalometer, capturing hundreds of frames, and offloading massive batches of images into desktop software like Lightroom or Premiere to stitch and render the sequence manually. With the Pixel, that entire workflow is reduced to a single shutter press.

Bottom line

At the end of the night, the specialized camera still takes the crown in my opinion. That’s because the OM SYSTEM OM-3 Astro’s larger sensor and fast 12mm f/2 glass deliver the kind of depth, contrast, and pin-sharp star definition that serious astrophotographers crave.

Yet, comparing a $2,500 dedicated mirrorless body to a phone I can slide into my pocket highlights just how unbelievably capable modern mobile photography has become. The Pixel 11 Pro XL doesn't require years of experience to master — you just need a sturdy tripod and a single tap of the shutter. And I certainly can’t find fault with that.

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I’ve said it countless times: when it comes to genuinely useful AI tools, Google’s Pixel phones consistently set the benchmark. I thought past efforts such as Call Screen, Voice Translate, and Gemini Live showcased the power of what AI could do, but this latest Gemini Intelligence feature coming to Pixel 11 phones is yet another addition that proves how far AI assistants have come.

Now, Google is taking things a step further by allowing Pixel 11 phones to actually place phone calls on your behalf. "Call For Me," an early experimental feature, will handle everything from appointment bookings to general inquiries — all without you ever having to dial a single digit or sit through agonizing hold music.

As someone who rarely answers unexpected doorbell buzzes at home, the introvert in me is ecstatic about this new AI feature. I thought having my phone place a Dunkin' Donuts order for me was impressive, but this could top it. But beyond sparing me from conversations I'd rather avoid, I’m just as thrilled by its most practical advantage: saving time.

Based on what Google has shared about Call for Me, this new capability is designed to handle routine business calls on your behalf. These include checking inventory availability for a product, rescheduling an appointment, or booking dinner reservations — all initiated directly through the Gemini app by simply telling the assistant what you need.

Personally, this strikes me as a genuinely helpful feature that will save people significant time, especially when dealing with long hold times. What I’m most eager to see, however, is how well Gemini handles back-and-forth conversations when unexpected questions or issues arise. Take dinner reservations: what happens if the host asks an unprompted follow-up question, such as how many adults and children are there in the party?

Gemini’s conversational capabilities will be on full display here, showing whether it can navigate requests or take mid-call direction beyond your initial prompt. The app provides a live transcript of the call in progress, which I suspect will likely give you the chance to chime in with answers or take over entirely.

The early preview begins rolling out today exclusively in the U.S. for Gemini paid subscribers who own a Pixel 11 and are enrolled in the Phone by Google Public Beta. Given that it's routed through the Gemini app, I suspect Google will eventually expand support to other Android handsets down the line.

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Another year, another Snapdragon chip, right? Well, we’re getting two: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. And I’ve just benchmarked the Extreme.

Let’s answer some key questions. First, how does it fare against the mighty A20 Pro in Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max? Second, are Qualcomm’s claims backed up by testing? And third, how big of an upgrade over previous generations is it and who should be thinking about buying in?

This is a reference designQualcomm Reference Designs (QRDs) were used in this benchmarking session — not final hardware sporting the chipset. The model I tested packs 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM, 1TB of storage, a 4,400 mAh battery and a 6.73-inch 1440x3200-pixel AMOLED screen. So you’re getting something largely representative of what you will get in the future (maybe with a bigger battery).

Geekbench battle — iPhone 18 Pro wins

The bragging point of 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is a 13% faster CPU speed than Gen 5, which, based on my own testing, they’re being a little modest!

A good chunk of this comes down to those two new Prime Cores that can run at 5GHz (a world’s first for smartphones), which you can feel with temperatures getting hot on the back of these reference designs.

That being said, in our own testing, Apple’s re-engineered CPU continues to stay ahead in single-core, while the multicore results gap narrows a little bit.

In use, quick switching between apps and loading up that RAM with various apps in the background, the snappiness of this was not affected.

In all honesty, you won’t really feel that difference in real-world use in that gap, but for the speeds-and-feeds nerds amongst you (welcome to the family), the Cupertino crew remains out front.

Also, while we don’t test specifically for AnTuTu in our labs, it’s worth noting I got to run this suite along with AI benchmarks (more on that later). So here are those results.

Gaming is a different story

Now on paper, if you were to take the 3DMark numbers you see here, you’d see that the overhauled GPU with neural accelerators in the A20 Pro trades blows with the 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6.

So on a pure apples-to-apples (pun intended), the silicon level is pretty evenly matched. But the real win for Qualcomm comes in the form of Adreno Neural Fusion (ANF) — Snapdragon’s AI upscaling and frame generation tech.

iPhones do have MetalFX, which is based on Spatial and Temporal upscaling. Basically, this tracks motion, contrast and edges on a lower-resolution image to paint in missing pixels. It does the job OK, but is a bit of an old-fashioned way of going about it (and quite power intensive).

Meanwhile, ANF is AI-based (running inside the display coprocessor), which uses those AI-specific Matrix Cores and high performance memory to upscale frames based on shared knowledge, and can even use that same AI hardware to insert generated frames to smooth frame rates.

Does this work like DLSS? Yes, it does seem like Qualcomm’s looked at Nvidia’s homework a little bit. But the purpose is different — rather than squeezing out the highest FPS possible without thinking about battery consumption, ANF is designed to make things more power efficient over long-term play.

And in the Traverse benchmarks purpose-built for this, I did see a drastic reduction in total wattage required to run these demos, while also seeing better detailing on faces and the terrain.

Ready for agentic AI?

This seems to be the big differentiator between 8 Elite Gen 6 and 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. With a 50% larger shared memory across the chip and support for a vastly larger mix of expert (MoE) AI models on-device, this chip is better prepared for what Qualcomm is calling the “agentic age” for smartphones.

Basically, the idea that a phone can work for you rather than with you in some key tasks, and across devices too. It’s an ambitious goal that’s starting to come into view, but we’ll see how people feel about using this in practice. That being said, the AI benchmarks show a sizeable uplift over previous generations:

Yep, you read that right. That is a massive increase in LLM performance, which goes to show that those AI-dedicated cores are doing their job well here.

What about heat and battery life?

Take this with the biggest grain of salt available. A 4,400mAh battery cell is not going to be representative of what you may see in final models. In fact, chances are that with this being an ultra flagship-level chip, you’ll see the Elite Extreme pop up alongside a massive silicon carbon battery to keep it going for longer.

That being said, Antutu performance benchmarks show how much battery is consumed over that time, as well as the rising temperatures while doing so. The result, as you’ll see, shows just how hungry those Prime Cores can be when running at full power.

Of course, like I said, with bigger cells, this percent drop in battery may be less pronounced, but getting to 5 GHz will take some brunt.

Another big uplift to take on Apple, but should you upgrade?

So it goes without saying nowadays, the uplifts over previous generations are nice to see, but still very much iterative if you’re on the upgrade train with a 1-2-year-old phone.

If you have a phone from the past year or two, unless you really care about agentic AI or want to be ready for when Adreno Neural Fusion comes to more games through Unity and Unreal Engine 5 support, it’s not going to be worth the upgrade.

But one thing is clear — this chip is the biggest statement of intent from Qualcomm about where they think the smartphone is going. It’s no longer an app-based system; it’s an agentic one, and everything is being purpose-built around this.

I look forward to seeing what this chip can do in more phones, starting with Motorola later this year with the Signature 27.

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• Snap’s CEO told me he hates getting AI-drafted texts from his wife — so what’s the plan to fight brain fry with Specs?
• Google’s Android president on Apple iPhone Duo: ‘Android is usually where you see the future first’
• Motorola Signature 27 is the weirdest flagship I’ve seen in a long time — but it packs Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 and a 200MP telephoto

Even before the iPhone Duo launched, Android and Samsung fans were ribbing Apple for being so late to the foldable phone party. After all, the first Galaxy Fold launched in 2019.

Right after the Apple September event, Samsung tweeted “Let us know when you're done reheating our leftovers.”

Now that we’re edging closer to the iPhone Duo pre-order date of Oct 16, I thought it would be interesting to get the reaction of Sameer Samat, who is the president of Android Ecosystem at Google.

We were sitting down to talk about the new Googlebook push, but since those laptops are powered by Android, I wanted to ask him what he thought about Apple’s foldable entry versus Android foldables.

Better late than never

As you might expect, Samat pointed out that Apple’s foldable launch is a wee bit behind the Android camp.

“I think that it's wonderful to see more people realizing after so long that the foldable space is the place to be. And Android is usually where you see the future first.”

It’s true that Android beat Apple to the foldable punch by a long shot, including the wide passport form factor the iPhone Duo has. Samat has been using the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and is a big fan of that device in particular.

“The Fold 8 is an amazing device, Samat said. “It helps me get so much work done. I actually find myself starting productivity quite often on that device, and then moving to my laptop.”

But the Duo is still a real threat

At the same time, analysts predict a big foldable phone market share for Apple. For example, Counterpoint Research says Apple will gain about 25% of the market in year one, growing to 40% by the end of 2027.

A lot of that likely has to do with the ecosystem factor. I did a story recently ranking the iPhone Duo trade-offs — from the lack of telephoto zoom to a heavier weight versus the Fold 8 — and this reader comment summed up the pent-up demand best.

“Seriously, I've been waiting since the first Galaxy Z Fold for Apple to enter the arena (tried the Fold 5 and Fold 6, but just couldn't do Android because I'm locked into the rest of Apple's ecosystem).”

Despite Apple’s momentum at the moment, Samat is confident that the Duo will have a halo effect on Android foldables, because it will only increase interest in the category overall.

“I think that what this speaks to is something that we've known for a long time in the Android ecosystem, which is that the foldable space, the foldable form factor is awesome.”

Apple = app advantage?

In addition, Apple could have a sizable advantage when it comes to app support for larger foldable displays, as it is making a big push with developers.

In fact, Apple specifically called out Slack during its event as one of the optimized apps, which as we speak still looks like a stretched out phone app on Android foldables. Apple also showed off a foldable-friendly version of Netflix.

Samat admitted that there’s still work to be done. And ironically Apple’s entry could be the tide to lift Android’s boat.

“I think that as this form factor becomes more and more popular, developers realize that there's more and more value in investing in it,” Samat said. “I think one of the things that we've done is to make the tools simpler and easier for them to invest in. And of course there are apps that haven't made that transition yet. Either they're working on it, or we're in conversations with them, but there are also thousands of thousands of apps that have.”

We talked about one of those apps in TikTok, which works very well on the Samsung Fold 8. You get an immersive viewing experience on the outside display, and on the inside you can scroll videos on the left and view comments on the right.

In addition, many of Google’s own apps have been fully optimized for foldables, including Gmail and YouTube.

“We can cherry pick an app or two that you know one platform will have or the other platform will have, but the reality is this form factor is a hit,” Samat said. “It's growing. It was growing even before these last couple weeks, and I'm glad to see more people joining what is now the obvious party.”

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Duo hands-on: Apple nailed it — and just put everyone else on notice
• iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
• I spent 30 minutes with the iPhone Duo — 3 things you just don't get from the pictures

Motorola has never been afraid to get weird. While the company's focus has largely centered on making some of the best foldable phones around, like the Razr Ultra (2026) and Razr Fold, its newly announced Signature 27 is easily one of the strangest-looking flagships I’ve seen in recent history.

The reveal coincides with Qualcomm’s unveiling of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, which promises performance that should give the A20 Pro-powered iPhone 18 Pro Max a run for its money. Beyond the raw power, what makes the Motorola Signature 27 so compelling is the asymmetrical camera layout on the back — a radical, yet intriguing choice that reminds me of eccentric classics like the Motorola Backflip and Flipout.

Love the look or hate it, the Signature 27 won't easily get lost in the crowd, especially when it backs up that bold styling with a massive 200MP periscope telephoto shooter.

It’s all about the cameras

I haven’t been this excited about Motorola’s design philosophy since the Moto X days, primarily because the Signature 27 completely throws out the conventional smartphone design playbook. Instead of settling for the standard square or rectangular island found on most competitors, it sports an unorthodox rear array that immediately commands attention.

While several circular cutouts are visible across the back, Motorola has detailed only two so far: a 50MP Sony LYTIA 910 main sensor and a 200MP periscope telephoto lens. I suspect the remaining openings house an ultrawide shooter and a secondary telephoto camera, with the final cutout clearly serving as the LED flash. Either way, that 200MP telephoto sensor opens the door to serious zoom reach and crisp reframing, which could deliver impressive results when backed by new image-processing algorithms. I'm confident about its potential, especially given the stellar telephoto performance I saw on the Razr Fold compared to the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

Just as notable are the video upgrades. Motorola is introducing its new Video Enhancement Engine, an AI-powered real-time layer designed to analyze scenes and dynamically fine-tune color tones on the fly. There’s also a new 3.5° hardware optical image stabilization (OIS) setup that reportedly keeps footage exceptionally steady, giving handheld video a fluid, cinematic look even while walking.

Powerful performance

Beneath the surface, the Signature 27 packs Qualcomm’s newly unveiled Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 mobile platform. To keep that silicon in check, Motorola engineered a dedicated ArcticMesh cooling system featuring a 40% larger 3D vapor chamber, copper mesh, liquid metal, and a diamond-infused thermal gel — all calibrated to dissipate heat before thermal throttling sets in.

That hardware muscle directly powers an expanded suite of generative AI experiences centered around Google Gemini. I’m especially interested in how it handles complex task automation, given how sluggish it felt when I tried to place a Dunkin' order through DoorDash using the assistant on my Galaxy S26.

Rounding out the media package, the Signature 27 marks Motorola’s first collaboration under its new multi-year partnership with Bang & Olufsen. The etching on the back proudly displays the “Audio by B&O” badge, promising a custom stereo profile tuned for rich acoustic depth, resonance, and spatial precision.

Back into flagship contention

While the rear camera array is bound to divide opinions, the Motorola Signature 27 feels like the definitive turning point the phone maker has desperately needed. For years, Motorola has delivered standout budget devices and fun foldables, but its traditional slab flagships have often been overlooked in favor of Apple and Samsung heavyweights.

The Signature 27 changes that narrative. Between the raw muscle of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, a massive cooling system, Bang & Olufsen audio, and a 200MP periscope telephoto that finally takes zoom seriously, Motorola has a genuine shot at reclaiming the flagship space.

Motorola has confirmed the Signature 27 is slated to arrive globally later this year, though official pricing remains under wraps. If Moto truly wants to shake up the hierarchy, an aggressive price point will be essential.

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It's September, so of course Qualcomm is back with an even more powerful mobile phone chip. However, this time, there’s two: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6!

One thing is clear, the company are keen to tell you these chips will “power the agentic AI age,” which is all fair and good (and a real advantage for this over the A20 Pro in Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro). But there are a few other places where Snapdragon-armed phones will get the advantage.

Let me explain.

Clock speeds off the charts

So it all starts with re-engineered Oryon CPU cores — the brains of the operation. And if you’re a speeds and feeds kind of person, the main thing to note here is this is the world’s first 5GHz mobile CPU. Those Prime Cores on 8 Elite Gen 6 are sure to tear through even the most intensive of tasks.

Now, this is of course before any real benchmarking has happened. Apple has always been up to some serious witchcraft and wizardry when it comes to this wicked single core speeds. But that symphony of Prime Cores will surely introduce some bonkers multicore speeds and give Snapdragon the edge over A20 Pro.

Bringing DLSS to smartphones

There’s a 12% power improvement and new AI-dedicated GPU cores on-board here. Beyond all your usual accelerated local AI numbers, one of the big things that comes with this is Adreno Neural Fusion — AI super resolution and frame generation for games.

Time will tell on how many games will support this tech looking ahead. But with a 40% improvement in power and performance in key titles like Naraka Bladepoint and Honkai Starrail, as well as integration into game engines for future ease of support, this could be significant for bringing more AAA titles.

My Sensing Hub is tingling

Built onto the chip is what Qualcomm’s calling the Sensing Hub. For local AI to be at its most effective, it needs a chance to be ready to listen at all times, support suitably sized models to understand all your personal context, and zippier speeds with greater efficiency.

This is the thing that ties that agentic AI loop through the CPU, GPU and NPU, as ambient voice is captured, and with low latency, responses are received entirely on-device. A20 Pro is absolutely capable of this, but 8 Elite Gen 6 is taking it a step further with a dedicated neural chip alongside the bigger NPU.

Camera ceiling lifted

And last but certainly no means least, we get into the camera resolution. Any slab with an 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 inside it has an advanced Spectra Image Signal Processing unit (ISP) that is capable of handling 8K 60 FPS video recording — or 4K 240 FPS slow motion.

Now, bear in mind that I said “resolution” and not “quality.” The iPhones will always have a spectacular camera system, but if extra sharpness matters to your captures, 8 Elite Extreme phones will be capable of it.

The similarities

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. For every difference I can point to here, there are other ways these two SOCs are pretty similar, such as AI accelerated GPU cores, a combo of performance and efficiency, and a secure enclave built directly onto the chip.

There are some differences across these tiny dies with transistors thinner than the average human hair, but what they unlock seem to be similar enough: boosting NPU and memory throughput for a local AI future, turbocharging the GPU and further squeezing that power efficiency,

Look forward to tests from me soon enough!

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The iPhone Duo is ticking all of the right boxes at the moment, wowing just about everyone that's been able to use it ahead of its official release Oct. 23. We still don't know how much of a success the phone will be, especially considering the $2,000 price tag, but you can be sure other phone makers are watching closely — especially Samsung.

Samsung has been the de-factor king of the foldable phone business for several years. Mainly because, outside of China, the best foldables have been limited to Google and Motorola — who haven't exactly put up much of a fight. Apple could finally bring the Galaxy Fold series some serious competition, and if I were Samsung I'd be looking for ways to make my foldables stand out. Even if it means blatantly copying Apple's ideas.

Here are five things the Galaxy Z Fold 9 should steal from iPhone Duo, and two things it should leave well alone.

What Z Fold 9 should steal from iPhone Duo

Under display camera

Samsung had under-display cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold lineup for four generations, from the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to Z Fold 6. The quality of those cameras was a little... weak, to say the least, so it's no surprise that Samsung pulled them for the last two generations. But maybe now is the time to bring them back.

Apple has added an under-display camera to the iPhone Duo's foldable display, though this one isn't designed for selfies. Apple has referred to it as a FaceTime camera, and talked about its use as an aid for video calling. That suggests the quality isn't all that either, but by limiting its use cases (at least in marketing) Apple can avoid the same criticisms as Samsung.

This means the Z Fold 9 could be the perfect time for Samsung to bring the under-display camera back — and give you more of your screen back. Plus, considering you can already take selfies with the rear cameras and the hole-punch on the cover display, I'd avoid using it as a way to take photos of yourself.

S Pen support

The loss of the stylus is one of the things Galaxy foldable fans have been complaining about since the release of Galaxy Z Fold 7. The stylus requires a special digitizer layer in the display, which was removed in an apparent attempt to reduce thickness. Which isn't a great reason to remove a long-standing feature, especially when it leaves Galaxy foldables feeling a little bit lacking.

Not only does the iPhone Duo have stylus support, it uses the Apple Pencil USB-C — which is compatible with almost every iPad on sale. There's no special iPhone-exclusive stylus; it's the one a lot of iPad users may already have. The same couldn't be said for past Z Fold models, which needed a special foldable-exclusive stylus designed for the more fragile folding display.

I felt that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra was missing out on account of its lost stylus, and the launch of Z Fold 9 would be the perfect opportunity to reintroduce that support. Ideally, it would the form of a stylus that will work across Galaxy devices, including tablets and other phones.

IP68 durability

Google was the first foldable phone maker in the U.S. to add IP68 water and dust resistance to foldables with Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and Apple has followed its example with iPhone Duo. Galaxy Z Fold 8, on the other hand only has an IP48 rating, which means it's totally exposed to dust — even if it is sealed tight against water.

Obviously, that's not a good look for Samsung, especially when you consider all the moving parts associated with a foldable hinge. You should be able to take your $1,900 to $2,000 foldable to the beach. So Samsung definitely needs to do better with the Z Fold 9.

Magnetic wireless charging built in

One of the things I'll never understand is why Samsung is so seemingly against adding magnetic wireless charging to its phones — foldables included. The phones support Qi2 wireless charging technology, but they lack the integrated magnets that let chargers and accessories snap into place.

One reason I was given was that the magnets interfered with the S Pen, and Samsung couldn't offer both. But considering the iPhone Duo has Apple Pencil support and MagSafe, it's clear that there is a way to offer both features without asking users to compromise. Because a magnetic case system is just a poor show for a phone company that sells devices for close to two thousand dollars.

An actual Vapor Chamber

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset is powerful. But the phones that use it can get quite hot, and a lack of cooling can lead to worse sustained performance.That's why Samsung needs to add a vapor chamber, much like the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the iPhone Duo.

Vapor chambers help move heat across the phone, allowing it to dissipate more evenly, and keep key components from overheating. It also helps improve sustained performance, and les the phone work harder for longer.

Admittedly, the Z Fold 8 does have pretty good sustained performance compared to the S26 Ultra (72.4% versus 53.9%) but it's behind the iPhone 18 Pro Max (79.4%), But can you imagine how much better things could be if there was a vapor chamber to help keep everything cool?

Two things iPhone Duo can keep

Curved corners

Apple loves curved corners on its phones, a design that has made its way to foldables as well. Samsung may have opted for more curved corners on its non-folding phones, like Galaxy S26, but for the time being foldables have retained the sharper right-angles Samsung was once known for. The Galaxy Z Fold 9 should stay the same way.

My issue with the iPhone Duo is the lack of symmetry in the design. If you look at it from the cover display, the disparity between the left side and right side is painfully apparent. It looks wrong to have curved corners on one side and rounded edges on the other, even if you don't actually see that when the phone is unfolded.

The Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra are the total opposite, with a symmetrical design regardless of which screen you're actually looking at — and it makes Galaxy foldables all the better to look at. Plus, you're likely to get a little bit more screen space if you're using the phone in certain display configurations.

The eSIM only design

Apple has been aggressively pushing eSIMs the past few years, and that's led to a foldable with no support for physical SIM cards — regardless of which part of the world you buy it in. Samsung, on the other hand, has stuck to the physical nano SIM slot on all its flagship phones — and it should continue that trend for Z Fold 9.

I get the appeal of eSIMs in certain situations, but I also feel as though they come with a key disadvantage compared to physical SIM cards. A physical SIM pops out of your phone and into another device without issue, while eSIMs have to be digitally transferred. The process is not as awkward or laborious as it used to be, but it's still not as convenient.

If you prefer eSIMs, that's great, more power to you. But it's good to offer users a choice on how they connect to cell networks, rather than deciding for you and giving you no flexibility. Which is a very Apple way of doing things.

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We asked Tom's Guide readers if they would rather pick up Apple's new iPhone Duo or the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the winner was quite surprising.

With 2,761 votes, one device proved far more popular than the other by more than double the votes, but was it the Apple iPhone Duo or Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8? Check out the results below.

Which flagship foldable would you rather purchase?

• 1st place: 62%, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
• 2nd place: 23%, iPhone Duo
• 3rd place: 15%, Neither

With a total of 1,705 votes, 62% of respondents said the Samsung foldable is their preferred foldable phone. Apple's Duo came in a distant second with 632 votes, or 23%.

Meanwhile, 424 people said they weren't interested in either phone. If you find yourself in that camp, what would you buy instead? Or is this category too pricey for you?

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the winner, but why?

So why did the Galaxy Z Fold 8 dominate our poll over the iPhone Duo.

I think it comes down to a few of factors in the battle between the Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo: design, price and expertise.

The Duo starts at $1,999 for the 256GB version and goes up to over $3k for the 2TB option. Samsung's foldable starts at $1,899, not a big difference but with how expensive the world has gotten in the last two years every dollar matters. No, Samsung doesn't offer a 2TB variant but the top-end 1TB model will cost you $2,499, again $100 than the equivalent Duo version.

Additionally, the Z Fold 8 offers a thinner and lighter design than the iPhone Duo. And Samsung lets you run more than two apps at once, which is better for multitasking. Plus, Samsung has been iterating foldables for eight generations, while this is Apple's first attempt.

There is concern over visibility and brightness with the matte finish on the Duo display, which is meant to hide the crease. Pictures of CEO John Ternus at the Emmys recently stirred up controversy online, but we thought it was plenty bright in our hands-on time.

As we've found, though, the iPhone Duo has multiple features that the Z Fold 8 doesn't, including iP68 durability, stylus support, faster charging, and a vapor chamber for better cooling.

What you have said

One reader said in a comment that they were staying away from all things Apple as they didn't want to get sucked into another ecosystem. "I have Samsungs 8 ultra, and I am impressed with it," they said.

As a counterpoint, another reader wrote that the "crucial factor" when comparing Samsung and Apple is Apple's "after-purchase service experience."

"Functionally, I have liked both platforms, but there is a fundamental difference in corporate philosophy. Apple actively invests in both technology and the customer service infrastructure required to support it. Samsung, on the other hand, focuses almost entirely on tech specs while leaving its customer support framework completely neglected," they said.

Bottom line

The iPhone Duo may be the belle of the ball after its recent announcement, but you won't be able to actually hold it in your hands until October 23.

Meanwhile, the Z Fold 8 is available right now and is a pretty impressive foldable, even if Apple's device beats it in some areas.

Let us know: why would you pick the Duo or the Z Fold 8? Don't like either? What's your replacement?

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has been a strong reminder of why Samsung has been able to dominate the foldable phone market for so long. While it's true the company hasn't had a lot of competition, the fresh new form factor of the Fold 8 seems to have reinvigorated the interest in Galaxy foldables — just in time for Apple to jump onto the foldable bandwagon with the iPhone Duo.

The simple fact that this is a foldable iPhone means the Duo has the potential to offer Samsung the first serious competition for several years. The phone hasn't even been released yet, and we've already identified key ways that the iPhone Duo beats the similarly-styled Galaxy Z Fold 8. But what about the other way round?

Samsung has almost a decade of foldable experience, and that shows in the ways its latest release compares to Apple's first attempt. Here are seven ways the Galaxy Z Fold 8 beats the iPhone Duo.

It's lighter and thinner

Rumors suggested that the iPhone Duo would be the thinnest phone Apple has ever built, at 4.5mm (0.17-inches) thick when unfolded. That wasn't the case, and we now know that the iPhone Duo is 5.2mm (0.2 inches) thick — which is slightly less than the 5.6mm iPhone Air.

Meanwhile the Galaxy Z Fold 8 really is 4.5mm thick when it's unfolded, making it one of the thinnest phones you can go out and buy. It's also much lighter than the iPhone Duo, weighing 201 grams (7.09 ounces) to Apple's 254 grams (8.96 ounces). That weight actually makes the Duo one of the heaviest iPhones Apple has ever released.

The difference between the two may not seem like much, it does mean that the Z Fold 8 is likely to be more comfortable to use.

A cheaper price tag

Foldable phones are not cheap, with both the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo costing several hundred dollars more than their non-folding counterparts. But when it comes to the actual asking price, Samsung has the edge.

The cheapest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is $1,899, which gets you a model with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. Apple's cheapest iPhone Duo offers the same level of memory and storage, but it costs $1,999 — $100 more.

That price disparity sticks around for the 512GB and 1TB options as well. Samsung charges $2,099 and $2,499, respectively, while Apple's prices are both $100 more at $2,199 and $2,599. Samsung doesn't offer a 2TB storage option; the 2TB Duo comes in at $3,199.

Better multitasking

Multitasking has never been Apple's strong suit, especially on the iPhone, and it looks like iPhone Duo won't be at quite the same level as the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The Z Fold 8 supports up to three windows at once, as well as five floating app windows that can sit wherever you like on screen. This is also possible on Apple's iPads, but iPhone Duo only supports two Split View windows at a time.

Considering one of the benefits of iPhone Duo is the ability to carry an iPad-like device in your pocket, the limited nature of Split View means you're missing out on an important productivity feature other devices have offered for years.

DeX

While desktop modes have slowly started making a comeback on Android phones, Apple has always seen fit to completely ignore them. The Z Fold 8 offers Samsung's DeX desktop mode, while the iPhone Duo lacks any sort of equivalent feature.

The idea behind DeX is that you plug your Galaxy phone into a monitor, at which point the phone loads up a desktop-like UI on the larger screen. That way you can use your phone as a desktop computer, without needing to carry around a laptop or tablet everywhere you go.

It's a fairly niche feature, and it's reliant on having access to a spare display. But it is a way to get more use out of a Z Fold 8, and put all the performance hardware to good use. It's unfortunate that the iPhone Duo is limited to its own display and UI.

Physical SIM slot

Apple has been betting big on eSIMs in recent years, and some regions (including the U.S.) can't use physical SIM cards in newer models of iPhone.

Sadly, while European versions of the iPhone 18 Pro still come with a physical SIM card slot, that won't be the case with iPhone Duo. Apple has confirmed that the phone will be eSIM only all around the world. So no matter where you live, there's zero opportunity to use a physical nano SIM card.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 still supports both eSIM and physical SIM cards, which gives users a lot more choice and flexibility. It's pretty small in the grand scheme of things, but as someone that has to swap phones fairly often, the process of transferring eSIMs to a new device is nowhere near as simple as swapping a physical card between devices.

16GB RAM option

The iPhone Duo comes with 12GB of RAM no matter which storage variant you get. Samsung starts off by offering 12GB on its cheapest models, but those buying the 1TB storage option will actually get an additional 4GB of RAM thrown in — for a total of 16GB.

Why does that matter? It all comes down to why memory prices have been skyrocketing over the past year: AI processing. AI features are heavily reliant on RAM, and generally speaking the more memory that's available, the faster things will run. That's particularly important for on-device AI processing, which is faster and more secure than offloading those tasks to the cloud.

Historically iPhones haven't needed as much RAM as Android phones, on account of the strong links between Apple's hardware and software. But not even Apple can bypass AI's need for memory, and we'll have to wait and see how the Duo (and A20 Pro chipset) performs in AI benchmarking tests before we can say how much better or worse it could have been with more RAM.

8K video recording

The iPhone Duo is no slouch in the camera department, at least not as far as we can tell from the specs and limited hands-on time. While the actual camera hardware looks fairly similar to that of the Z Fold 8 (48MP main lenses compared to 50MP), there is one thing Samsung has a leg up on — ultra-high-resolution video recording.

Like many Samsung flagships, the Z Fold 8 is capable of recording video at 8k resolution at 30 frames per second or 4K resolution at 120fps. Meanwhile, the iPhone Duo is capped at 4K resolution video recording, with frame rates of 120fps on the main camera and 60fps on the ultrawide.

Admittedly, the opportunities to play 8K video are pretty slim for the average phone user — so recording in such high resolution is just a waste of storage space. But it is a key area in which Samsung outpaces Apple, which might be important to you.

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The launch of iPhone Duo is a big deal. This is the first ever foldable developed by Apple, and for that reason alone it has the chance to dethrone Samsung as the king of the foldable phone space. But it also helps that Apple has produced a phone with a lot of great qualities, and will naturally lead to comparisons with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The two phones are similar in a bunch of ways, including their wider, passport-inspired design. However, there are a number of key ways Apple has improved on the foldable design, and beaten Samsung at its own game. Considering this is Apple's first foldable, that might just make the extended development time worth it. Here are seven ways iPhone Duo actually beats the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

IP68 rating

Google proved that a foldable could get an IP68 water and dust resistance rating with last year's Pixel 10 Pro Fold. This means that, despite all the moving parts around the hinge, Google was able to seal the phone up and ensure dust and other foreign particles can't get inside. Apple continued that trend by also sealing the iPhone Duo up to the same IP68 standard.

Meanwhile the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is only rated to IP48. The 8 means that it's water-tight, capable of being submerged in up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes — just like Google and Apple. However, the 4 means that the Z Fold 8 offers no protection against dust, or any other particles larger than one millimeter (0.04 inches).

In other words, there's a whole bunch of nasty stuff that could get inside the Z Fold 8 and cause problems — and you might not even realize it. In other words, you should be able to take the iPhone Duo to the beach.

Apple Pencil support

Samsung used to sell foldables that supported the S Pen stylus, but the last one to be released was 2024's Galaxy Z Fold 6. From the Z Fold 7 onwards, Samsung stripped out the S Pen functionality, removing a critical part of the display makeup in order to reduce the phone's thickness. This means that the Z Fold 8 does not support any kind of active stylus.

Meanwhile, the iPhone Duo not only offers stylus support, it's compatible with the Apple Pencil USB-C — which works with the majority of iPads still on sale. Samsung needed a special kind of S Pen for the foldable screen, but the iPhone Duo uses a stylus that you may already have.

It's the most basic Apple stylus on sale, and it lacks key features you'll find on the Apple Pencil Pro, but it's better than nothing.

MagSafe

Magnetic wireless charging is a rarity, in part because Apple had a stranglehold on it for so long. While Qi2 wireless charging does allow phones to add a MagSafe-style magnetic ring, Samsung has avoided doing this — preferring to utilize special magnetic cases instead. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is no exception to this trend, despite offering all the other benefits of Qi2 charging.

Apple had no such issue adding MagSafe to the iPhone Duo, as it's done with virtually every iPhone released since the iPhone 12. Plus, despite the phone's unique shape and size, Apple confirmed that it is compatible with MagSafe accessories and chargers — meaning all your old MagSafe products should still fit.

Faster 60W charging

MagSafe isn't the only way iPhone Duo beats Z Fold 8 in the charging department. Apple's foldable also offers faster charging speeds, regardless of whether you use MagSafe or a plug-in charging cable.