Neowin News Feed for: Smartphones

HONOR teases upcoming 600 Series with flagship power & AI imaging to challenge Samsung, Mi

Paul Hill — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:44:01 +0000

HONOR is positioning the upcoming 600 Series as a major leap for "accessible flagships." Here is a first look at the design and specs meant to challenge Samsung and Xiaomi. Read more...

Samsung warns of 2026 smartphone price hikes amid "unprecedented" memory shortage

Fiza Ali — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:56:01 +0000

From DDR5 shortages and sharp memory price increases to pricier phones, tech giants are bracing for an AI-driven memory crunch for 2026. Read more...

Phones may come without bundled USB cables in the future, if OEMs have their way

Usama Jawad — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:16:01 +0000

It seems like OEMs are becoming brave enough to stop bundling a USB charging cable in their phone's packaging. Read more...

Qualcomm announces Snapdragon W5+ and W5 wearable SoC with direct satellite connectivity

Pradeep Viswanathan — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 08:02:01 +0000

Qualcomm has launched its new Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2 and W5 Gen 2 wearable platforms, which are the first to offer two-way emergency satellite messaging in smartwatches. Read more...

UK: Five million mobile subscribers at risk of overpaying, but there's a hack to save money

Paul Hill — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 16:54:01 +0000

Five million people in the UK are at risk of paying an extra £351 per year if they are not more proactive about switching mobile tariffs once out of contract. Read more...

Smartphone sector returns to yearly growth after two years

Paul Hill — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 13:42:01 +0000

Counterpoint, a research company, has found that the smartphone sector grew by 4% in 2024 after two years of decline. Read more...

Experts urge Spain to treat smartphones like cigarettes, requiring health labels on them

David Uzondu — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:42:01 +0000

Experts in Spain are pushing for smartphones to carry health warnings, aiming to address screen time concerns, mental health, and kids' tech habits. Read more...

Xiaomi plans to launch its own smartphone chip in early 2025

Karthik Mudaliar — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 09:24:01 +0000

Xiaomi is planning to launch its in-house designed smartphone processor next year, which could potentially make its smartphones more efficient and powerful. Read more...

Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro announced with Snapdragon 8 Elite and 20 color options

Omer Dursun — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:50:01 +0000

Xiaomi has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone series, the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro. The high-end 15 Pro and compact 15 feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 50MP Leica cameras and HyperOS 2.0. Read more...

The FCC makes it mandatory for all smartphones sold in the U.S. to support hearing aids

Karthik Mudaliar — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 17:50:01 +0000

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated all smartphones that will be sold in the United States must be compatible with hearing aids. Read more...

Report: Google Pixel 9a could be powered by Tensor G4 too, but with older modem

Omer Dursun — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 15:16:01 +0000

The upcoming Google Pixel 9a aims to stand out from previous A-series phones by embracing its affordable identity. It is rumored to use the same Tensor G4 chip as the Pixel 9, but a different modem. Read more...

Honor will bring phone-controlling eye-tracking tech to its phones this month

Paul Hill — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 12:20:02 +0000

The Chinese phone maker, Honor, will roll out eye tracking technology to its phones from August 27. With this, you will be able to open notifications and apps just by using your eyes. Read more...

Samsung now mass producing the thinnest 12GB /16GB LPDDR5X DRAM for smartphones

Pradeep Viswanathan — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 04:28:02 +0000

Samsung has begun mass production of the industry's thinnest 12nm-class LPDDR5X DRAM packages for premium smartphones. These packages offer improved thermal control due to their reduced thickness. Read more...

Canalys: Global smartphone market on the up for a third consecutive quarter

Paul Hill — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 16:30:01 +0000

Smartphone shipments have grown for a third consecutive quarter, according to Canalys. Shipments expanded by 12% year over year, reaching 288 million units. Disinflation was a main cause. Read more...

Leaked renders show supposed Samsung Galaxy S24 FE's thinner bezels and flat screen

Omer Dursun — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 16:44:01 +0000

Leaked renders of the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE reveal a flat 6.5-inch display, a triple camera setup. It is expected to be unveiled in Q4 2024 with an Exynos 2400 chip, 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Read more...

Samsung rumored to abandon bigger battery, faster charging in the next flagship due to cost

Martin Hodás — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 13:40:01 +0000

While the flagship Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra might come with some interesting improvements next year, the rumored “stacked” battery with faster charging won't be among them, claims the latest report. Read more...

Save big, go green: Why refurbished phones are winning over Europe

Paul Hill — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 04:00:01 +0000

Vodafone has found that Europeans are now more interested in buying refurbished smartphones than before. The main reason for making these purchases is the lower cost of the devices. Read more...

GenAI PCs and smartphones to capture a fifth of their respective markets this year

Paul Hill — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 13:36:01 +0000

The analyst firm IDC has said that GenAI smartphones and AI PCs will capture 22% of the market share in their respective markets by the end of 2024. This will boost the capabilities of devices. Read more...

Smartphone market shows signs of recovery in Q4 2023

Paul Hill — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 10:00:01 +0000

The analyst company Canalys has revealed that smartphone shipments were up year-over-year in the final quarter of 2023. It said that this stabilization could represent the start of a recovery. Read more...

Stanford study shows smartphones could predict when a person is drunk with 98% accuracy

Anushe Fawaz — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 08:04:01 +0000

A small study done at Stanford University concluded that sensors in smartphones can predict when a person is intoxicated with 98% accuracy by looking at the person's voice patterns. Read more...

Virgin Media O2 has renewed a staggering amount of unused business devices

Paul Hill — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 03:34:01 +0000

Virgin Media O2 has relaunched its O2 Recycle for Business service to give companies an easy way to get rid of their old phones. The service ensures that old devices are kept out of landfills. Read more...

Samsung rumored to launch affordable Galaxy Z FE after the Galaxy Z Fold/Flip 6

Omer Dursun — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 15:22:01 +0000

Samsung is reportedly planning to launch a more affordable foldable under its Galaxy Fan Edition lineup. The phone is rumored to be released in 2024 after the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. Read more...

2024's Android flagships could get expensive due to Snapdragon's price hike

Omer Dursun — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 19:38:01 +0000

A new report shows that the cost of Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 seems to be a bit high. In contrast, the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 is a possible alternative for 2024 flagships. Read more...

Apple is rumored to launch the iPhone 15 on September 13

Omer Dursun — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 20:02:01 +0000

Apple's roadmap for the iPhone 15 series has been leaked. The company is said to be planning to launch the iPhone 15 lineup on Sep 13. The iPhone 15 Pro might be the most expensive iPhone ever. Read more...

Nothing announces its new brand CMF for budget smartphones and accessories

Omer Dursun — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:16:01 +0000

Carl Pei announced his new brand, CMF by Nothing. The sub-brand offers affordable devices with minimalist design. And the first products, earbuds and a smartwatch, will be released this year. Read more...

You can now download the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Fold5 wallpapers

Omer Dursun — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 23:18:01 +0000

A new set of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 wallpapers has been released on Twitter. The wallpapers are inspired by round rings with different designs and colors. Check them out now. Read more...

UNESCO calls for a smartphone ban in classrooms unless absolutely necessary

Paul Hill — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 20:02:01 +0000

UNESCO has called on schools to remove technology, such as smartphones, from classrooms unless they are absolutely necessary. It said technology was over-used and caused a significant distraction. Read more...

iPhone 15 Pros might be the most expensive iPhone ever

Omer Dursun — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:12:02 +0000

Apple may raise prices for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max despite the falling market. The launch is expected in September, but the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max sales may be delayed. Read more...

Apple reportedly delays iPhone 15 launch for a couple of weeks

Omer Dursun — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:18:01 +0000

Apple's iPhone 15 launch may be delayed until Q4 2023. The reason for the delay is unknown but is likely due to manufacturing difficulties. Analysts also expect lower iPhone sales. Read more...

Smartphone market showing early signs of recovery, says Canalys

Paul Hill — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 16:26:01 +0000

Canalys says that the smartphone market is finally showing signs of an early recovery. Shipments have declined every quarter starting in the first quarter of 2022 but now there are recovery signs. Read more...

Apple holds strong in a rotten market: smartphone shipments sink globally

Paul Hill — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 03:28:01 +0000

Smartphone shipments globally have declined 14.6% in the first quarter year-over-year. IDC said inventory is still pretty full but good work is being done to help sell these devices to customers. Read more...

Report: Global smartphone market declines for the fifth time in line

Aditya Tiwari — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 11:30:02 +0000

Apple and Samsung are in close competition in the race to grab the biggest market share. However, overall the global smartphone market has declined again, according to research firm Canalys. Read more...

Xiaomi denies Ukraine's claim that it's an ‘international sponsor of war'

Paul Hill — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 18:32:01 +0000

Xiaomi has hit back at Ukraine's assertion that it's an international sponsor of war. The Chinese company said that the phones it sells in Russia are for civilian and commercial use only. Read more...

Global shipments of foldable phones forecast to grow more than 50% compared to 2022

Paul Hill — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 01:42:01 +0000

IDC is predicting foldable smartphone shipments will increase by more than 50% this year compared to 2022. It said between 2022 and 2027, it expects to see a compound annual growth rate of 27.6%. Read more...

Xiaomi reveals four Redmi Note Series 12 phones with triple camera system and more

Anushe Fawaz — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 18:14:01 +0000

Xiaomi's Redmi Series 12 has four new phones with the most advanced one being Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G. The smartphones come with an improved camera system, more connectivity, and better battery life. Read more...

Global smartphone shipments expected to see decline this year to 1.19 billion units

Paul Hill — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:34:01 +0000

The analyst firm IDC has revised its estimates of global smartphone shipment growth this year from +2.8% to -1.1%. A recovery will now not take place until 2024. It also expects prices to fall. Read more...

Google shares concerns about India's antitrust law, claims it threatens user safety and more

Anushe Fawaz — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 18:36:01 +0000

Google shared a blog post commenting on the consequences the CCI's fine imposes on India's economy and the company. It argued that the order affects smartphone prices, costs to developers, and more. Read more...

Used smartphone demand soars in 2022, expected to continue through 2026

Paul Hill — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 02:26:01 +0000

IDC has said used and refurbished phones grew to 282.6 million in 2022, that's several tens of millions higher than in 2021. In the coming years, it expects demand for second-hand phones to rise more. Read more...

Alleged OnePlus 11 Pro may not officially be called a "Pro"

Rahul Naskar — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 12:34:01 +0000

OnePlus is said to launch a new flagship phone in early 2023. But the flagship model may not officially be called a "Pro." However, it will reportedly be the rightful successor of the OnePlus 10 Pro. Read more...

Foldable phone shipments could more than quadruple by 2026, analyst says

Paul Hill — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 18:40:01 +0000

IDC has predicted that foldable phone sales will more than quadruple by 2026 compared to 2021. Despite this, the analyst firm said that it doesn't expect them to become mainstream devices by then. Read more...