We’re at the start of another one of those weeks where Apple announces one or two of its lesser products each day. The first pair to break cover is the iPhone 17e and iPad Air M4, with more due to drop as the calendar rolls forward. The iPhone 17e is by far the more interesting gadget, especially as the price remained the same as for the iPhone 16e. Apple is charging $599 for the 17e, even though the base model storage has doubled to a very welcome 256GB.
The 17e also gains several features that were held back from the equivalent budget handset last year. The most notable is perhaps the addition of MagSafe at Qi2 speeds, enabling users to wirelessly charge their device at 15W. Keen-eyed spec-list nerds will also spot Apple’s C1X proprietary wireless chip, which offers comparable speed to the Qualcomm models it will eventually replace, but with far better power efficiency.
The iPad Air, by comparison, is the very model of a modern major iterative spec revision to keep it up to date. The M3 has been upgraded to an M4, and it’ll get the same home grown wireless chips (N1 and C1X), blessing it with Wi-Fi 7 compatibility. Apple is also adding some more RAM to the iPad Air, boosting it from 8GB to 12GB, but without adding any more digits to the price.
As someone who’s still clinging on to an iPhone 14, the generous storage and low cost of the iPhone 17e is intriguing. And it’s a far more attractive package than whatever Apple was trying to offer with the iPhone Air.
Lenovo rocked up to MWC to show off a concept laptop with hot-swappable components, letting users push around their keyboard and displays at will. The company says you can set up the hardware on your desk to suit your needs at any given time. So, if you need a standard laptop, you can do that, or you can put a second display where your keyboard should go and use your keyboard wirelessly. Sadly, it’s a concept, so while you can purr at Lenovo’s engineering prowess you can’t hand it any of your cash to properly own this thing.
Honor made its usual full-court press at MWC, but the star of its own show was the Robot Phone, due to launch later this year. It’s a smartphone with its own articulating camera gimbal which can move around in response to its user’s commands. The Morning After’s own Mat Smith says it’s able to shake and nod its, uh, “head,” and can even dance along to music. And that’s before you get to its real function to, you know, take photos and stuff.
The combined ParaSkyWarDisco would serve 200 million subscribers.
Paramount Sky CEO David Ellison has outlined his vision for his latest toy, Warner Brothers Discovery. He told investors both companies would merge their streaming services, giving it a global audience of around 200 million subscribers. Ellison also pledged to give HBO operational independence, hopefully meaning it won’t be staffed entirely by patronage appointees.
MWC is such a big show it would be impossible to cover everything we’ve reported on in a single newsletter. But, thankfully, we’ve built a roundup of the most important things for you to peruse, especially all of the biggest phones that you aren’t as likely to see on store shelves in the US.
The iPad Air, the middle child in Apple’s tablet lineup, has been upgraded to the M4 chip with increased RAM and… Well, there’s not a whole lot else if I’m being honest. At the very least, the new iPad Air M4 models remain at the same price as the iPad Air M3, with the 11-inch version starting at $599 and the 13-inch at $799. I would give Apple more credit if it had increased the starting storage or added literally anything else.
If you put them side by side, you might not be able to tell the difference, but this upgrade would benefit creatives and professionals more than anything. There’s a significant performance bump from the M3 to the M4, and the increased RAM is doing a lot of work, especially if you’re taking advantage of Apple Intelligence.
If you’re using an M1-powered iPad Air or something even older, though, the new iPad Air M4 should be a compelling upgrade. Pre-orders start at 9:15AM ET on March 4, with the units arriving a week later. We expect full reviews will be published by then. But in the meantime, let’s dive into what the performance gains might look like and what we’re missing out on in this year’s iteration of the iPad Air.
iPad Air M4 vs. iPad Air M3: Performance and battery life
The most significant difference between the two iPad Air generations is their chipsets. The latest iPad Air launches with the M4 chip versus its predecessor’s M3 chip, and it gets a bump in RAM from 8GB to 12GB.
I don’t give much fanfare to incremental chip increases because the performance gain is usually minimal. However, the M4 is up to 30 percent faster than the M3, according to Apple. That might be noticeable to even casual users, especially as the years go on and iPadOS becomes more demanding. For power users, it’ll mean more demanding work like video editing will be noticeably quicker.
For those in need of the fastest internet speeds, the new iPad Air is also equipped with Apple’s N1 chip, which enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, the latest connectivity technology. However, I really don’t imagine the average user needing up to 46 gigabits per second of internet speed compared to the iPad M3’s 9.6 Gbps on Wi-Fi 6. If you do, you’re in the tax bracket for an iPad Pro.
Now, despite the increase in speeds, the battery life between the M4 and M3 models remains the same. Apple claims all four models get up to 10 hours of battery life surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video (up to 9 hours on cellular). No complaints here.
iPad Air M4 vs. iPad Air M3: Design, display, audio and cameras
For better or worse, we’re not getting any changes in any of these departments, which is why I’m lumping them together.
The iPad Air comes in blue, purple, beige and gray. The 11-inch option measures 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches and the 13 comes in at 11.04 x 8.46 x 0.24 inches. As their names suggest, they’re both rather light, at 1.01 pounds (1.02 pounds for M4) and 1.36 pounds, respectively. My only wish was that we got new colors that popped a bit more.
Then there’s the displays. All four versions of the iPad Airs sport a Liquid Retina LED display at 264 ppi. The 11-inch supports a 2,360 x 1,640 resolution with a peak brightness of 500 nits, while the 13-inch offers a 2,732 x 2,048 resolution at 600 nits. It would’ve been nice to see an OLED or even Mini-LED panel make its way to the iPad Air, which could’ve made the screen more vivid and vibrant. But it’s more disappointing that we’re stuck at 60Hz unlike the Pro models that offer 120Hz, making their visual experience smoother.
Both products feature landscape stereo speakers. The iPad Air M3’s audio quality couldn’t live up to the iPad Pro, so I doubt the M4 model will.
You won’t catch me taking photos with an iPad, but for those of you who do, the iPad Air M4 features the same 12MP cameras on the front and back as its predecessor.
iPadOS 26, Apple Intelligence and Apple accessories
Nothing huge is happening to iPadOS or the Apple accessories in the iPad Air refresh. The revamped Magic Keyboard from last year still works with these new models, as does the Apple Pencil Pro. iPadOS 26, released last fall, was a major update but will still be familiar enough to anyone who has used an iPad before. The new iPad Air M4 is getting a significant boost in AI processing speeds, though, thanks to its new chip and 50 percent increase in RAM. However, unless you’re an AI power user, you probably won’t notice a difference there.
All that said, if your love language is spreadsheets, the full specs are helpfully laid out below:
iPad Air M4 vs. iPad Air M3: Specs at a glance
Spec
iPad Air M4
iPad Air M3
Price
$599 (11-inch), $799 (13-inch)
$599 (11-inch), $799 (13-inch)
Processor
M4
M3
Display
11-inch: Liquid Retina, 2,360 x 1,640, LED display at 264 ppi
13-inch: Liquid Retina, 2,732 x 2,048, LED display at 264 ppi
11-inch: Liquid Retina, 2,360 x 1,640, LED display at 264 ppi
13-inch: Liquid Retina, 2,732 x 2,048, LED display at 264 ppi
RAM
12GB
8GB
Storage
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Battery
Up to 10 hours (Wi-Fi), 9 hours (Cellular model)
Up to 10 hours (Wi-Fi), 9 hours (Cellular model)
Cameras
12MP Wide (rear), 12MP Center Stage (front)
12MP Wide (rear), 12MP Center Stage (front)
Apple accessories
Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard Folio
Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard Folio
Dimensions
11-inch: 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches
13-inch: 11.04 x 8.46 x 0.24 inches
11-inch: 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches
13-inch: 11.04 x 8.46 x 0.24 inches
Weight
11-inch: 1.02 pounds
13-inch: 1.36 pounds
11-inch: 1.01 pounds
13-inch: 1.36 pounds
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/ipad-air-m4-vs-ipad-air-m3-the-few-new-things-in-apples-midrange-tablet-182701520.html?src=rss
Apple’s most affordable iPhone just got an upgrade, but how does the new iPhone 17e compare to the iPhone 16e? Well, thankfully the price remains the same at $599, which is good news in our current economic climate. An immediate difference you might notice is that one of them now comes in a third color: pink. That’s at least one win for me because I am all for putting more color into tech.
There are a few differences under the hood as well, namely that the iPhone 17e is arriving with the A19 chip and double the storage. We’ve already seen what’s possible with an A19 chip in the standard iPhone 17 — it’s not a super exciting upgrade, but it is a boost nonetheless.
Pre-orders start at 9:15AM ET on March 4, and while we work on a full review, let’s take a deeper dive into what has changed on this year’s model and what that might mean in the real world.
iPhone 17e vs. iPhone 16e: Design and display
Of course, the biggest difference in the design for the iPhone 17e is the shiny new pink color. I’ve long complained about how many major tech companies stick to the safety of black, white or gray colorways. Thankfully, the iPhone 17e’s pink hue is a departure from that approach. It’s also an understated shade that’s elegant, compared to the typically brighter and louder tones reserved for cheap(er) phones.
Both the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e measure 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches. However, the iPhone 17e did get a bit heavier at 5.96 ounces compared to the iPhone 16e’s 5.88 ounces. It’s very unlikely you’ll notice the 0.08 ounce difference, though. (And if you do, you have a gift.)
In terms of durability, the iPhone 17e is outfitted with Ceramic Shield 2, which is a glass face that Apple said is three times more scratch-resistant than the iPhone 16e’s original Ceramic Shield. Ideally, it’ll survive falls to the ground (within reason) and spare you a scratched up display from casual wear and tear.
There doesn’t seem to be any change in the display — whether that be in its brightness or color rendering capability — but that isn’t too shocking. Both the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e feature a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel with a 1,200-nit peak brightness. That’s bright enough to combat the ambient glare from the sun, so you should be able to read it outside relatively easily. They’re also specced out with a 2,532 x 1,170 resolution at 460 ppi — meaning text and lines will be clean and sharp.
iPhone 17e vs. iPhone 16e: Cameras
I didn’t expect a huge bump in camera technology, especially if Apple intended to keep the price the same. We’ve got upgrades in other categories for sure, but it would’ve been nice to see an extra camera on the back. Like the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e is kitted out with Apple’s 48-megapixel Fusion 2-in-1 camera with a 12MP 2x Telephoto setting. You also get digital zoom up to 10x. Take a look at our iPhone 16e review to see exactly what that looks like in practice, but to sum up our experience: it’s solid.
There’s a great level of detail and vibrancy, but like I said, it’s limited. Without a potential ultrawide camera, you cannot capture as much of your surroundings because you’re not getting that 0.5x zoom option.
One major upgrade, however, is that the iPhone 17e is now capable of recognizing dogs and cats in Portrait mode. It also saves depth information so you can turn regularly captured photos into portraits after the fact. This might be a noteworthy upgrade, considering the iPhone 16e struggled in Portrait mode, incapable of capturing non-human faces and objects.
There’s also the 12MP TrueDepth camera on the front, which we didn’t have many complaints about, and don’t expect to disappoint on the iPhone 17e.
iPhone 17e vs. iPhone 16e: Processor, battery life and charging
Apart from the color, the biggest differences between the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e is their starting storage and overall performance. The new iPhone is packed with an A19 chip, while the latter comes with an A18 chip.
Yes, you’re getting a performance bump with the A19 chip, but casual users are unlikely to feel the difference. If you’re a power user trying to get the most out of an affordable iPhone and want to get crunchy about it, there’s roughly a 5 percent difference in CPU speed and over 10 percent in GPU performance (according to CPU Monkey).
Despite that bump, the battery life hasn’t changed. With both devices, Apple says you’re getting up to 26 hours of video playback and up to 21 hours streamed. The company doesn’t typically share specifics on battery sizes, but GSMArena is reporting that both models come with a 4,005mAh battery. What has changed, however, is being able to receive double the wattage from wireless charging. The iPhone 17e can now take up to 15W for Qi2 fast wireless charging — compared to 7.5W from the Qi support on the iPhone 16e.
iOS 26 and Apple Intelligence
At a glance, there does not seem to be any difference in what the iPhone 16e and iPhone 17e offer in terms of iOS and Apple Intelligence capability. However, it’s relevant to note that you will likely get better performance out of the iPhone 17e with regards to AI features because of its superior A19 chip.
In case you wanted to do the numbers comparison yourself, we’ve compiled a nifty table here so you can eyeball them with ease. But for a sense of how the iPhone 17e holds up in the real world and whether it’s worth the money, stay tuned for our full review.
iPhone 17e vs. iPhone 16e: Specs at a glance
Spec
iPhone 17e
iPhone 16e
Price
$599
$599
Processor
A19 chip
A18 chip
Display
Super Retina XDR, 6.1‑inch, 2,532 x 1,170, OLED display at 460 ppi
Super Retina XDR, 6.1‑inch, 2,532 x 1,170, OLED display at 460 ppi
RAM
8GB
8GB
Storage
256GB, 512GB
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Wireless charging
Up to 15W
Up to 7.5W
Rear camera
2-in-1 camera — 48MP Fusion main, 12MP 2x Telephoto, digital zoom up to 10x
2-in-1 camera — 48MP Fusion main, 12MP 2x Telephoto, digital zoom up to 10x
Front camera
12MP selfie cam
12MP selfie cam
SIM
Dual SIM (two active eSIMs)
Dual SIM (two active eSIMs)
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.3, NFC
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.3, NFC
OS
Launched with iOS 26
Launched with iOS 18
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/iphone-17e-vs-iphone-16e-whats-new-on-apples-latest-599-handset-162009364.html?src=rss
Apple had promised a “big week” for the company as rumors swirled that it had a number of product announcements lined up. True enough, it unveiled a half-dozen new and refreshed devices over the last few days, along with more powerful chips for MacBook Pros.
In addition, ahead of the official announcement, Apple leaked news of a cheaper MacBook called the MacBook Neo. Whoops! The company confirmed the existence of that system on Wednesday. It starts at $599, making it Apple’s most affordable laptop to date.
Here’s our recap of everything Apple announced this week:
iPhone 17e
Apple
Apple has spruced up this year’s entry-level iPhone with some pretty solid upgrades, though it's keeping the starting price at $599. The iPhone 17e has double the base storage of the iPhone 16e at 256GB. It also has MagSafe support with Qi2 wireless charging speeds of up to 15W, double that of the iPhone 16e.
Design-wise, Apple hasn't exactly rocked the boat. The iPhone 17e looks pretty much identical to its predecessor. It appears that Apple is sticking with the same 48MP Fusion camera system as it used in the iPhone 16e too.
That said, the 6.1-inch Super Retina display has Ceramic Shield 2. According to Apple, this provides “3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation and reduced glare.” The company slotted its C1X cellular modem into the iPhone 17e as well. It says this is up to two times faster than the C1 that was in the iPhone 16e. The device has the same A19 chip as the iPhone 17, so it supports Apple Intelligence AI tools, and it runs iOS 26.
In addition, the iPhone 17e has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, as well as the promise of "all-day battery life." It also supports satellite-powered features including Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages and Find My.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 17e are now open. It’s available in black, white and soft pink. The device will hit shelves in more than 70 countries and regions on March 11.
iPad Air M4
Apple
The latest iPad Air boasts Apple’s M4 chip. That means the mid-range iPad is effectively remaining a year behind the iPad Pro. The M4 is almost two years old at this point, while the top-end model has the newer M5 chip. Still, if you only use an iPad for casual tasks like watching shows, web browsing, email and so on, the M4 will be more than powerful enough. It will be more adept at handling resource-intensive tasks like video editing than previous iPad Air models too.
Apple has also bumped up the RAM from 8GB from the last-gen model to 12GB. Given the sharp increase in RAM prices in recent months, it’s slightly surprising that Apple is sticking to the same prices for the iPad Air. The 11-inch M4 iPad Air starts at $599 while the 13-inch version starts at $799, each with 128GB of storage. There's a $50 discount for those buying it for educational use.
Apple claims the M4 delivers up to 2.3 times faster performance compared with the M1 iPad Air and "over 4x faster 3D pro rendering with ray tracing performance." Of course, the new iPad Air runs iPadOS 26.
Apple gave the iPad Air other internal upgrades by including its N1 and C1X connectivity chips. As such, this is the first iPad Air with Wi-Fi 7 support. As you might expect, 5G cellular connectivity is available as well.
The design of the M4 iPad Air doesn't seem to have changed, as it appears to have the same LCD display Apple used in the last two iterations of the tablet. The company has stuck with the same rear-facing camera and dual-speaker setup as well.
Pre-orders for the M4 iPad Air are now open. The tablet will hit retailers in 35 countries and regions on March 11. It will be available in blue, purple, starlight and space gray.
Apple MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and Max
Apple
Apple’s most powerful laptop line finally got the chip upgrades that we’d long been expecting. Along with announcing the M5 Pro and M5 Max, the company is offering versions of the MacBook Pro with those chipsets. However, there are price increases to go along with the upgrades.
The new 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chipset (with 15 CPU cores and 16 GPU cores), 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage starts at $2,199. That's a $200 increase compared with the base M4 Pro-powered system from late 2024, though Apple has doubled the base storage, which is a welcome touch. If you prefer, you can have a 14-inch MBP with a more powerful M5 Pro (with up to 18 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores) or M5 Max (with 18 CPU cores and 32 or 40 GPU cores). You can double the RAM to 48GB as well.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro has an M5 Pro chipset with 18 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores as standard. Of course, you can swap that out for an M5 Max if you'd rather. The 16-inch model starts at $2,699, a $200 increase from the base M4-powered system. It also starts with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. For what it’s worth, Apple says both the memory and SSD are faster than in previous models.
Apple hasn’t changed the Liquid Retina XDR display and 12MP Center Stage front-facing camera for these models. However, the company has installed its N1 chip to power Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity.
Pre-orders are now open, with general availability to follow on March 11.
Apple said the M5 Pro and M5 Max are built using new “Fusion Architecture” that “combines two dies into a single system on a chip (SoC).” As ever, the goal is to deliver more power and efficiency. We’ll find out for ourselves whether Apple’s performance claims hold up when we’re able to test the chips.
Meanwhile, the base 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chipset also got a $100 price increase to $1,699. To take the sting out of that a bit, Apple doubled the base storage of that model to 1TB as well. Given that Apple usually charges a premium for storage increases, that’s not a terrible tradeoff.
M5 MacBook Air
Apple
A year after Apple upgraded the MacBook Air with an M4 chipset, the company pulled the same trick by swapping in an M5 chip. The company also boosted the base storage from 256GB to 512GB, with an SSD that it claimed can provide “2x faster read/write performance compared to the previous generation.”
While the MBA still has 16GB or RAM as standard, Apple also upgraded the memory to have 153GB/s of bandwidth — the company said that’s a 28 percent improvement over what the M4 MBA offered. Meanwhile, Apple has slapped in the N1 chip to deliver Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity.
Alas, with those upgrades comes a tradeoff. Apple has bumped the starting price of the latest MacBook Air back up to $1,099 after cutting it to $999 for the M4 model. That’s for the 13-inch variant. The 15-inch M5 MacBook Air starts at $1,299.
The latest MacBook Air is available in sky blue, midnight, starlight and silver. You can pre-order one now. It will hit stores in 33 countries and regions on March 11.
MacBook Neo
Apple expanded its laptop lineup even further on Wednesday with the announcement of the MacBook Neo. This is a new entry-level model that starts well below the latest $1,099 MacBook Air at a very reasonable $599 ($499 for educational use). It’s Apple’s least expensive laptop to date, and a clear attempt by the company to wade into a market that’s saturated with cheap Windows laptops and Chromebooks.
As expected, the laptop runs on an A18 Pro chip, which first appeared in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The chipset has a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine, along with 8GB of unified memory. That’s enough for the MacBook Neo to power Apple Intelligence features (of course, it’s a macOS Tahoe machine). Apple also said that the MacBook Neo will run for up to 16 hours on a single charge.
The MacBook Neo has a 13-inch Liquid Retina Display (with 500 nits of brightness and support for 1 billion colors), one USB-C 3 port, a USB-C 2 port and a headphone jack, but no MagSafe connector. There’s a 1080p front-facing FaceTime HD camera, dual mics and side-firing speakers that support Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos.
The system has a Magic Keyboard with a multi-touch trackpad. However, if you want a TouchID sensor, you’ll need to pay $100 more for it. Ponying up the extra cash will also double the storage from 256GB to 512GB.
Apple claimed that the MacBook Neo is up to 50 percent faster at everyday tasks than “the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5” with 8GB or RAM and a 256GB SSD. The company also contended that its new laptop is up to three times faster than that Windows system “when running on-device AI workloads like applying advanced effects to photos.”
The MacBook Neo is available in four colors: silver, blush (a light pink), citrus (light yellow) and indigo. It was previously reported that Apple would offer the budget-friendly laptop in some lively iMac-esque colorways. Moreover, Apple says the laptop is “made with a durable recycled aluminum enclosure that helps it reach 60 percent recycled content by weight,” which is said to be the most of any Apple device.
As with the rest of the new devices, pre-orders are open now and the MacBook Neo will be available in stores in 30 countries and regions on March 11.
We’ve already had a chance to go hands-on with the MacBook Neo. Engadget senior editor Devindra Hardawar had generally positive first impressions of the laptop, but felt that the keyboard and touchpad didn’t feel quite as sturdy as those on Apple’s higher-end systems.
Studio Display and Studio Display XDR
I don’t think many people had Studio Displays on their Apple announcements bingo card for this week, but here they are. The Studio Display XDR is completely new.
This is a 27-inch monitor with a 5K Retina XDR screen. It has a mini-LED display with more than 2,000 dimming zones and peak HDR brightness of 2,000 nuts, along with a wider color gamut. The Studio Display XDR boasts a 120Hz refresh rate (an improvement over the 60Hz that previous models were limited to) and a tilt- and height-adjustable stand as standard.
The monitor also has a 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View, a feature that — weirdly enough — lets you show both your face and what's on your desk. Thunderbolt 5 connectivity allows you to hook up more displays by daisy chaining them. The Studio Display XDR is also a Thunderbolt hub with support for up to 140W of charging power. As such, you'll be able to fast charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro using the included Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable.
The Studio Display XDR starts at $3,299. A version with nano-texture glass, which is said to further reduce reflectivity, costs $3,599.
Meanwhile, the refreshed Studio Display has an upgraded 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View. There's also a "studio-quality" three-microphone array and six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio. The latest model has Thunderbolt 5 support with the option to daisy-chain displays. The Studio Display can deliver 96W charging as well.
The base monitor is $1,599. It still has a 27-inch 5K Retina display with up to 600 nits of brightness and P3 wide color. It comes with standard glass or, for an extra $300, nano-texture glass. The Studio Display has a tilt-adjustable stand as standard. If you'd prefer to have one that's height adjustable as well, you'll need to shell out another $400.
Again, pre-orders for the displays are now open ahead of broader availability on March 11.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/everything-apple-announced-this-week-macbook-neo-iphone-17e-and-more-155617129.html?src=rss
Samsung's newest feature turns your phone into your house keys. The company has created the Digital Home Key, a feature inside of the Samsung Wallet that should let you unlock any compatible smart door with your phone. The Samsung Wallet already offered digital car keys.
"As we continue to evolve Samsung Wallet, delivering trusted mobile experiences remains at the core of our innovation," Woncheol Chai, EVP and head of Digital Wallet Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement. "Through close collaboration with our partners and in alignment with the Aliro standard, Digital Home Key brings the same level of security and ease Samsung Galaxy users expect from Samsung Wallet to their homes."
Created by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), Samsung calls Aliro an "industry-standardized communication protocol." The Digital Home Key will also get support from smart lock brands like Nuki and Schlage. It's also designed to meet EAL6+ security certification.
According to Samsung, you'll also need biometrics or a PIN to use the Digital Home Key. You should be able to remotely manage or remove the tool through Samsung Find if you lose your phone.
Samsung is rolling out the Digital Home Key in select regions starting this month. It plans to expand its range as compatible smart lock brands become available in more locations.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/the-samsung-wallet-can-now-hold-your-house-keys-142944132.html?src=rss
Apple has just announced the addition of the iPhone 17e to its smartphone lineup. This model is kitted with the same A19 chip that powers the base iPhone 17, and it will support the Apple Intelligence suite of AI tools. As the rumors suggested, the iPhone 17e will indeed be priced at $599, same as last year’s iPhone 16e. The base model will come with 256GB of storage, and also be available in a new pink color.
The iPhone 16e was missing a few elements that are now being added to the 17e, most notably MagSafe charging at Qi2 speeds. This means it can charge wirelessly at 15W compared to the 7.5W on last year’s model.
Apple also gave the iPhone 17e its C1X cellular modem, which it said is “up to 2x faster than C1 in iPhone 16e.” This year’s entry-level iPhone also has Ceramic Shield 2 on its 6.1-inch Super Retina display, which Apple says offers “3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation and reduced glare.”
Most of the other specs appear similar to the iPhone 16e, including the 48-megapixel Fusion camera that uses one single hardware sensor to provide two dedicated camera pipelines. It’s not yet clear whether there are specific changes here, but to use Apple’s words in its press release, “[The Fusion camera] also enables an optical-quality 2x Telephoto — like having two cameras in one.”
The iPhone 17e is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, and will also support Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages and Find My via satellite. From the outside, the device looks very similar to its predecessor, with the same shape, notch and buttons as before. We’ll of course have to wait for a review unit and more information to know for sure, but Apple continues to state that the iPhone 17e delivers “all-day battery life,” though adding this time it’s aided by the C1X modem “and the advanced power management of iOS 26.”
Apple unveiled most of its iPhone 17 roster back in September, but its budget models usually are introduced a few months later. We're also still waiting on the official news of what’s colloquially being calling the iPhone Fold, which is rumored to arrive in the back half of this year.
The iPhone 17e will be available for pre-order on March 4, and will start arriving in stores on March 11.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-introduces-the-599-iphone-17e-with-magsafe-and-twice-the-storage-140612085.html?src=rss
Apple is kicking off multiple days of product announcements this morning with a new iPad Air. Unsurprisingly, it’s more or less like the iPad Air Apple announced one year ago, except it now has an M4 chip instead of last year’s M3.
Apple is also including its in-house networking chips, the N1 and C1X, which will cover Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread and cellular connectivity. This means the iPad Air supports the Wi-Fi 7 standard for the first time. The Air also now has 12GB of RAM standard, up from 8GB in the prior model.
The rest of the iPad Air appears unchanged at this point. It has the same display that the 2023 and 2024 models sported — either an 11- or 13-inch LCD that tops out at 500 nits of brightness and a 60Hz refresh rate. Storage options start at 128GB and go up to 1TB, same as last year. The dual stereo speaker configuration and both front- and rear-facing cameras are unchanged, as well.
For those keeping track, it’s been less than two years since Apple redesigned the iPad Air, adding a 13-inch model that had an M2 chip. I remain surprised the company is committed to releasing chip updates for the Air so frequently — even the M2 model is more than powerful enough for the target audience. But, getting a faster chip for the same money is hard to complain about.
Naturally, the iPad Air M4 is running iPadOS 26, which was released last fall. It was, without a doubt, the biggest iPadOS update we’ve seen, bringing a far more robust multitasking system than the iPad has ever had before. It’s most noticeable and useful on the larger 13-inch screen, but having greater freedom with window management and more robust background tasks is a huge step forward — even if the Liquid Glass visual redesign is a bit divisive.
Pre-orders for the new iPad Air M4 open on Wednesday, March 4, and the tablet will be fully available on March 11. As before, pricing starts at $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for a 13-inch display.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/apple-updates-the-ipad-air-with-an-m4-chip-141117569.html?src=rss
On its own, at 4.9mm thin, Tecno's modular phone concept barely feels like a smartphone. It has a screen, a basic camera module, four low-profile pogo-pin connectors and that's about it. From there, you can seemingly build your conceptual phone however you want.
At its booth at MWC 2026, Tecno had two families of modular components in two different colorways, which is surprising at this concept stage. The chunky telephoto lens and housing must weigh over three times as much as the base phone, adding up to 20x zoom capabilities, even if it was a little glitchy during my hands-on. The barrel also offers manual focus, which is always a nice touch. The lens itself is huge, though, making even Vivo's latest 400mm telephoto lens peripheral look reasonable by comparison.
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
There are more subtle camera modules, including ultrawide options and a more streamlined periscope telephoto. There's even an action cam that can attach through Wi-Fi and be used on its own. Depending on the module, transmission is also done through Bluetooth and even mmWave. One module has an antenna that folds out, turning the phone into a walkie-talkie messenger… thing that can communicate without cell service or Wi-Fi. There were also lanyard connectors, grip clips, and several that I may have forgotten. Sadly, the game controller mod wasn't on the stand, though I'm not sure how you'd use it blindly on the back.
It's a lot of fun to swap out and even stack the modules, most of which were functionally working. There are plenty of questions left to answer, and I'm concerned about how rigid the magnetic connection would be when pulling this kind of phone out of your pocket repeatedly. Also, who's going to carry around an attaché case filled with all these things?
Who doesn't love an aerial?
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
Naturally, due to its thickness, the phone has a tiny battery cell (I don't know the capacity), but you can add 3,000mAh battery packs to the back. And another. And even another, topping out at around 10,000mAh, beating the capacity of most mainstream smartphones. It was only then that I realized it lacked any traditional USB-C charging port. Instead, a charging module can be attached to either of the two pairs of connectors. (And you can add further modules on top of that.)
Tecno often has thrilling concepts and one-off devices at trade shows, so we can't vouch that this will eventually make its way to consumers. Modular phones are a tricky sell, as they can often lose the efficiencies that come from unified components. Google ended its Project Ara modular concept over 10 years ago, while Motorola's Moto Mods just weren't very good and even I struggle to remember LG's G5 modules.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/at-mwc-tecnos-super-thin-modular-concept-phone-doesnt-even-have-a-wired-charging-port-123129135.html?src=rss
Vivo barely has a presence outside of China but that seems to be changing with the company's next flagship phone. At Mobile World Conference 2026, the company unveiled the X300 Ultra smartphone that comes with a 200MP telephoto sensor, along with multiple accessories designed for pro photographers and content creators, including a SmallRig video cage and 400mm Zeiss telephoto extender lens.
Vivo didn't go into detail about the phone's specs, but you can likely expect a high-end processor, screen, battery and other internal components when it's fully unveiled later on. Vivo did say that like the X300 Pro, the X300 Ultra will have an impressive 200MP telephoto sensor, and is likely to offer features like 4K 120fps Dolby Vision HDR recording. Vivo's Daniel Goetz said it couldn't yet reveal the specs for its primary camera sensor — which will likely be deeply involved with the new device's push into video.
Mat Smith for Engadget
Another thing Vivo revealed is that you'll be able to get the Vivo X300 Ultra with a 400mm equivalent lens accessory called the Vivo Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra. That will allow about an 8x zoom compared to the native field-of-view, plus much more when combined with the high-quality digital zoom. It will also offer "gimbal-grade" optical image stabilization and motion-tracking focus technology, Vivo says.
The device's camera mount is part of an ecosystem that remains consistent with the X200 Pro, so the camera automatically reads the connected lens. This means the first-gen telephoto extender will also work with Vivo's newest flagship. The large 1/1.4-inch telephoto sensor and high megapixel count allow shooting up to 30x zoom (roughly 800mm) while retaining high levels of detail, according to Vivo.
Along with the lens, Vivo is introducing a "pro-grade camera cage" designed by the well-known accessory company SmallRig. It's expandable and offers multiple cold shoe mounts and quick-release ports so you can easily add things like handles, lights and microphones. It also comes with dedicated physical buttons for tactile shutter and zoom adjustment, plus a multi-level piezo cooling fan to keep the phone running cool. You also get an "External Lens Expansion Frame" to accommodate the X300 Ultra Telephoto Extender. Other SmallRig collaborations include Bluetooth connected gri controllers, which you can see above, mounted on the X300 Pro.
During a brief teaser presentation, we learned a few more details. The telephoto camera will include three degrees of optical image stabilization, and you'll be able to shoot video in Log with your favorite LUT active in the X300 Ultra's preview view. The video you record, however, will still be an unedited Log file. Color grading will also be available inside the device.
For videographers, it will also natively support ACES (Academy Color Science), making it easier to fit into professional workflows in DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro without requiring specific color conversion.
Mat Smith for Engadget
Vivo showed off the phone at MWC 2026 in Barcelona to a fair amount of enthusiasm. The company emphasized that the X300 Ultra will be the first device in the series to reach international markets, including all European regions in which it already does business. It didn't specify the price. The X300 Pro costs about €1,400 in Europe. Availability in the US is still TBC.
The move, Vivo said, "signals Vivo's more proactive and confident approach to expanding its presence in the global premium smartphone segment." Given the likely price, though, it's debatable if pro creators will want to buy this instead of, say, a pretty nice mirrorless camera and lens.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/vivos-x300-ultra-goes-global-and-gets-a-huge-400mm-zeiss-telephoto-lens-105058478.html?src=rss
After briefly announcing its new foldable at CES, Motorola is now ready to debut its first book-style foldable in full at MWC 2026. There are several features we already knew, including support for Motorola’s new Pen Ultra stylus and no fewer than five cameras. However, many specs were still unknown. There are some pleasant surprises.
Motorola decided to make both screens brighter than any of its rivals by quite a margin. The main 8.1-inch foldable display of the Razr Fold has a peak brightness of 6200 nits, while the external screen almost matches it with 6000 nits. For comparison, both screens on the Pixel 10 Fold Pro have a peak brightness of 3000 nits and other foldables’ internal screens typically have substantially lower brightness levels. Inside Motorola's demo room, filled with windows and Barcelona sun, I had no trouble reading either screen.
The main display is a 2K (2,484 x 2,232) LTPO display that can reach a peak refresh rate of 120Hz, while the external display has a 2,520 x 1,080 resolution and peaks at 165Hz. Both screens also support Dolby Vision.
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
With those high-brightness levels, Motorola has opted for a silicon-carbon 6,000mAh battery, another leading specification among foldables at the time of writing. It’ll be interesting to see how battery life fares, powering those big, bright screens. The Razr Fold also supports fast charging at up to 80W with the company’s own (sold separately) TurboPower charger and up to 50W wireless charging.
With a silicon-carbon battery that offers higher energy density, Motorola’s biggest foldable yet remains surprisingly svelte, despite its huge battery. The Razr Fold is 4.6mm (0.181 inches) thin when open and 9.9mm (0.39 inches) when closed. Yes, Samsung’s latest Z Fold is thinner (4.2 mm; 8.9 mm), but it has a substantially smaller 4,400mAh battery.
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
The Razr Fold’s hardware continues with many of the design touches found on recent Razr phones. I spent most of my time with the Blackened Blue iteration of the Razr Fold, with a woven piqué design that felt both easy to hold and didn’t seem to hold onto fingerprints. There will also be a Lily White color that doesn’t have the piqué design, but a more satin finish.
The Razr Fold has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor, the de facto flagship Android processor at this point. The foldable also has its own liquid-cooling system to maintain consistent performance during tougher tasks and gaming sessions.
The Razr Fold’s cameras will have to do more than what we’re used to seeing on the flip-style Razr smartphones, which have underwhelmed in the past. Fortunately, it looks like it could be a very capable smartphone camera. The main 50-megapixel sensor has a f/1.6 lens and 3.5 degrees of optical image stabilization. It’ll also work alongside a multi-spectral 3-in-1 light sensor to improve color accuracy. The Razr Fold’s ultrawide camera has a 50MP sensor, a 122-degree field of view, and support for macro photography. The 50MP periscope telephoto camera can reach up to 3x optical zoom and 100x SuperZoom, through image cropping and AI-boosted image processing. And finally, there are two selfie cameras: a 32MP internal camera that can record up to 4K video and a 20MP external selfie cam, both with a f/2.4 lens.
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
Motorola is already claiming this is the best camera on a foldable smartphone, with the highest DXOMARK score among foldables. If you haven’t heard of DXOMARK before, it’s a benchmarking website and lab in France that offers professional image quality testing for smartphones, camera lenses and cameras. It also offers a consultancy service to help manufacturers improve their devices’ camera performance.
It’s too early to tell whether this is objectively a better cameraphone than Samsung’s Z Fold 7, but I was particularly impressed by the Razr Fold’s telephoto camera results. Similarly, I’m intrigued by Motorola’s decision to support its newest stylus, the Moto Pen Ultra. It warrants further testing when the foldable lands for review.
Motorola hasn’t announced pricing and availability for the Razr Fold. It’ll be coming to North America “in the coming months.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/motorola-razr-fold-hands-on-mwc-2026-050027092.html?src=rss
MWC 2026 kicks off today, running from March 2 through March 5, but announcements were pouring in all weekend in the lead-up to its official start. We can always count on the annual tech event to bring tons of new phones, laptops and tablets, and we're expecting to see some robots and other gadgets too — plus plenty of AI news, of course. In addition to the announcements, MWC is our chance to get hands-on time with some of the most interesting new devices, like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Honor's Robot Phone, and concepts like the Legion Go Fold.
Engadget’s Mat Smith is on the ground in Barcelona, and we'll be updating this story as the week goes on to keep you in the loop on everything that caught our attention. Keep checking back here for the latest MWC news.
Lenovo
How silly does this look when its flexible display is fully extended in portrait mode?
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Lenovo pulled up to MWC with a bunch of new products and concepts, but if there's one thing everyone's going to be talking about, it's the Legion Go Fold. (Check out Sam Rutherford's coverage of the Legion Go Fold here). In short, the Legion Go Fold is a concept foldable gaming handheld with a flexible display that can unfurl to a massive 11.6 inches. Or, it can be folded in half to become a 7.7-inch display. It has detachable controllers, and there are multiple mounting points along the tablet so you can switch things up between landscape and portrait mode. The left and right gamepads can also be combined into one controller with an accessory, and the display can be propped up kickstand-style with the folio cover.
You think we're done here? We're not. The Legion Go Fold can go laptop mode too, with a strip of pogo pins where a wireless keyboard can be connected. Its right gamepad can serve as a mouse, thanks to the inclusion of a little scroll wheel and a hidden sensor. That gamepad also features a tiny circular OLED display below the buttons, which can both show widgets such as the time and be used as a touchpad.
It is a concept, though, so don't get your hopes up too much about this one going into production. And if it does ever become a real, buyable product, it'll no doubt be expensive.
The Lenovo Modular AI PC concept is an ambitious mashup between a traditional clamshell and a dual-screen notebook with hot swappable ports.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Lenovo also announced its Modular AI PC concept — a laptop with two displays and a detachable keyboard. As Sam Rutherford, who got a chance to check it out in person, explained, "This allows you to move its keyboard and secondary display around at will, so the system can better adjust to its environment or workload." Perhaps even more exciting is that it has hot swappable ports. Lenovo demonstrated it with USB-C, USB-A and HDMI connectors, but said others could be possible too.
Still, while everything looked pretty polished in the demo, Lenovo says this one will remain a concept.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition Gen 11
Lenovo
It hasn't all been concepts at MWC. Lenovo also refreshed some of its existing tablet and laptop lineups for 2026. The company introduced the Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition Gen 11 (with the new Canvas Mode configuration), starting at $1,949, and the new 15.3-inch Yoga Pro 7a, which starts at $2,099. It's updated its more affordable IdeaPad Slim 5i Ultra laptop ($799) as well. All of those new laptops come with Copilot+ features. For students, Lenovo is launching the 13-inch Idea Tab Pro Gen 2, starting at $419, with its Quira AI assistant and AI tools. You can find all the specs and release dates for those here.
Upgrades are here for Lenovo's ThinkPads too, along with the Yoga-like ThinkBook 2-in-1. And, Lenovo announced a $499 industrial tablet, the ThinkPad X11.
Lenovo's 8.8-inch gaming tablet is getting a spec boost with the latest version announced at MWC 2026, the $849 Legion Tab Gen 5. The tablet has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB storage. It also has a 9,000mAh battery to support longer gaming sessions, and two USB-C ports. The Legion Tab Gen 5 comes in three colors: Eclipse Black, Glacier White and the lime-green Surge. It launches in May. That'll be followed shortly after in July by the launch of the new 15-inch Legion 7a Gen 11 gaming laptop, starting at $2,299.
Lenovo AI Workmate Concept at MWC 2026
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
And we're back to the concepts. Lenovo showed off two work-oriented AI devices: the AI Workmate Concept, a desktop robot, and the AI Work Companion Concept, a clock/display that can sync tasks across devices and organize them into a daily plan. The robot has a cute little face, and its head doubles as a projector that can display images and documents on nearby surfaces.
Honor
The Robot Phone. (Image by Mat Smith for Engadget)
Honor teased its Robot Phone this past fall and we just finally got a proper look at it at MWC. And it's pretty freakin' cute. The phone is equipped with a camera that's mounted on a highly mobile 4-degrees-of-freedom gimbal, which tucks away into a compartment on the back when it's not in use (making for a pretty beefy camera bump). In a demo at MWC, the camera, which behaves like a little robot head, bobbed along to music and showed off some of its gesture skills, like cocking its “head” and nodding in agreement.
Honor didn't reveal too much spec-wise, but the company says the primary camera uses a 200-megapixel sensor. The gimbal will offer three-axis stabilization, which will be coupled with camera modes such as Super Steady Video and AI Object Tracking. The Robot Phone isn't quite ready for release at the moment, but the company says it will launch later this year.
Be sure to check out Mat Smith's writeup on the Robot Phone for a more in-depth look.
Honor's humanoid robot. (Image by Mat Smith for Engadget)
Image by Mat Smith
It's not a humanoid robot reveal without some backflips and a choreographed dance performance. Honor introduced its robot at MWC with all the spectacle we've come to expect (though the bot didn't do any talking). It’s simply called the Honor Robot, and the company has plans for it to be used in both industrial and domestic settings.
Honor Magic V6 (Honor)
The Robot Phone isn't the only phone Honor showed off at MWC. The company also announced its Magic V6 smartphone, which it says is the thinnest phone in its category, measuring 8.75mm folded and 4.0mm open in the white colorway. The other three colors — black, gold and red — are slightly thicker, at 9mm folded and 4.1mm open.
Not too much has changed from the V5, though, which only came out in August 2025. It does however have the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, with 16GB RAM and 512 GB storage. As for the cameras, there are two 50-megapixel lenses and a 64-megapixel telephoto, plus a 20-megapixel f/2.2 selfie lens on the cover and internal display.
The international version of the Magic V6 will have a 6,660mAh battery with 25 percent silicon content, while the version sold only in China will boast a battery with a rated capacity of more than 7,000mAh and 32 percent silicon content. Honor hasn't yet shared details about pricing and availability.
Honor MagicPad
Honor
Ahead of MWC, Honor also announced what it claims is the thinnest Android tablet in the world: the 4.8mm thick MagicPad 4. We're expecting to hear more about this at Honor's press conference on Sunday, but so far we know it features a 12.3-inch 165Hz OLED display and weighs just 450g. It comes with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, and is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset. The thinness doesn't count the camera bump, Honor notes. The MagicPad 4 has 13MP rear and 9MP front cameras. It also boasts spatial audio, with eight speakers.
Just as the display is slightly smaller than the previous MagicPad, the MagicPad 4 has a smaller battery at 10,100 mAh. It comes with a 66W fast charger. The MagicPad 4 will run Honor's MagicOS 10. We don't yet know how much it will cost, but we'll update this after Honor's press conference (where we're also expecting to see the company's robot) with any new details.
Xiaomi x Leica
Mat Smith for Engadget
Xiaomi kicked off MWC this year by announcing the global launch of its 17 Ultra smartphone, which debuted first in China back in December. It's unclear if the phone will ever come to the US, but it's now rolling out in Europe. Xiaomi teamed up again with Leica to make a photography-focused smartphone, and the 17 Ultra sports a 1-inch 50-megapixel camera sensor with a f/1.67 lens, a telephoto setup with a 200MP 1/1.4-inch sensor, and a 50MP ultrawide camera. There's also a manual zoom ring around the camera.
Check out our hands on for our first impressions of what it's like shooting with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. And there's more to it than just the camera. The 17 Ultra has a 6.9-inch OLED 120 Hz display that peaks at 3,500 nits of brightness, and a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra starts at £1,299 (roughly $1,750).
Leica also announced a new phone made in partnership with Xiaomi at MWC. It looks a whole lot like Xiaomi's 17 Ultra, but isn't the 17 Ultra, exactly.
Leica Leitzphone by Xiaomi hands-on at MWC 2026
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
Like the 17 Ultra, Leica's Leitzphone by Xiaomi has a 1-inch camera sensor and physical controls for zoom and other settings, using a mechanical ring around the camera unit. It features a Leica-designed intuitive camera interface with the option to show just the essentials when you're shooting, hiding all the modes and labels. There's a monochrome shooting mode and Leica filters.
The Leica branding is splashed all over it in design and wallpapers, but it's otherwise pretty similar to the 17 Ultra, with the same specs. Like the 17 Ultra, it has a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and a 6.9-inch 120Hz display. This one's priced at €1,999 (roughly $2,362).
The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro
Xiaomi
In addition to the 17 Ultra, Xiaomi announced two new tablets at MWC this year: the Xiaomi Pad 8 and Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro. There's nothing revolutionary here, but they're lightweight and thin, with both being 5.75mm thick and weighing 485g, and have a 9,200mAh battery. The Pro model is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, while the regular Pad 8 uses the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset.
Xiaomi also unveiled a new 5,000mAh powerbank, the UltraThin Magnetic Power Bank 5000 15W. The 6mm thick power bank comes in three colors with an aluminum alloy shell: orange, silver and charcoal gray. Along with that, the company introduced the Xiaomi Tag, its own take on the Bluetooth item tracker. The Xiaomi Tag has a built-in hanging loop so it can be attached directly to a keyring, and the company says it will work with both Apple Find My and Google's Find Hub for Android.
Tecno
Tecno
We can always expect to see some wild phone concepts at MWC, and this year we're starting with one from Tecno. The company unveiled a modular concept smartphone design that can be as thin as 4.9mm in its base configuration. There’d be 10 modules to choose from based on the announcement, including various camera lenses, a gaming attachment and a power bank, relying on magnets to keep it all together — or Modular Magnetic Interconnection Technology, as Tecno is calling it.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/everything-announced-at-mwc-2026-lenovos-wild-foldable-gaming-handheld-honors-robot-phone-and-more-172442814.html?src=rss
China’s biggest phone makers continue to relentlessly forge ahead with high-spec phones that you may never see in the US. With the Xiaomi 17 Ultra this year, the company has continued its pattern from previous iterations by focusing on powerful camera sensors, huge batteries and… being selective about global availability.
Xiaomi’s 17 series is launching across multiple European territories months after its Asia debut, but at the time of writing, no word yet on US availability. Another logistical point of interest? When we last checked out Xiaomi’s devices, it was the 15 series, and the company has decided to skip 16 and leap straight to 17, conveniently matching Apple’s latest number.
Storied camera brand Leica has been involved with Xiaomi’s phones for a few years and its newest flagship doesn’t disappoint in that regard, because this is another Xiaomi device dedicated to photography.
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
The 17 Ultra has a huge 1-inch 50-megapixel main camera sensor with a f/1.67 lens, and a telephoto setup with a 200MP 1/1.4-inch sensor and going up to 4.3x optical zoom. Xiaomi claims it’s capable of up to 17x “optical-level zoom,” but quality doesn’t measure up to, say, the Oppo Find X9, with its dedicated telescopic lens add-on. There’s also a 50MP ultrawide camera to round things out.
The main camera is very impressive, delivering plenty of detail and performing incredibly well in low light, seemingly before any computational photography kicks in. A new Light Fusion 1050L sensor features LOFIC HDR technology, delivering stronger control over highlights and more detail in darker areas of your shots. I've been impressed by the balanced color tone and contrast, without having to edit or add one of the (many) Leica camera filters.
If anything, the slightly heavy-handed algorithms can sometimes ruin parts of a shot. For instance, by scrambling lettering or capturing blurry, AI-mutated faces where computational photography takes a swing (and a miss) at people in the distance.
Mat Smith for Engadget
The telephoto camera alone is also technically interesting in a few ways. It offers continual optical zoom across the 75-100mm range without in-sensor cropping. This means the lenses physically move to deliver lossless zoom across a range of distances, without jarring leaps between camera sensors and crops. This doesn’t run across the full gamut, but it does roughly cover the 3-4x optical zoom range, which is often used in portrait photography.
The APO (apochromatic) lens design on the telephoto is more immediately useful and effective. An APO lens significantly reduces chromatic aberration by focusing three wavelengths of light (red, green and blue) onto the same focal plane. This lens design means it can correct color fringing and improve image sharpness.
At full optical zoom, this light fitting at Soho Theatre Walthamstow doesn't bloom or fringe to the extent that most smartphone zooms suffer from.
Mat Smith for Engadget
At higher zoom levels, fringing and lighting bloom often hamper telephoto photos on smartphones, and Xiaomi’s solution has some appeal. I noticed less fringing than on other zoom-capable Android phones from Samsung, Oppo and Google. It also supports macro photography, but is hindered this time by a minimum focal distance of 30cm (11.8 inches). Most smartphone cameras’ macro modes let you get much closer.
The 17 Ultra can capture up to 8K video (at 30 fps), 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps, and 4K 120 fps Log video, ensuring you can make the most of that huge 1-inch sensor in video, too. That said, it seems to struggle with stabilization at times, while its low-light performance doesn’t match its prowess in still photography, lagging behind flagship phones from Apple, Google and Samsung.
There's also a special Leica edition of the 17 Ultra, which is largely the same, specification-wise, but with a manual zoom ring around the camera unit. It's a cool gimmick, but felt oddly loose on a few devices I've handled.
While cameras may be the highlight, this is a flagship device by any specification metric. With a 6.9-inch display, this expansive OLED display has variable refresh rates (1-120Hz) and peaks at 3,500 nits of brightness.
At that size, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is in the territory of devices like the iPhone 17 Pro Max and S26 Ultra. A phone this size isn’t for everyone, but it is the thinnest Ultra phone from Xiaomi to date, with a profile measuring 8.29mm. Xiaomi has also reduced the camera unit’s diameter and raised it on the device, making it easier to use and helping keep fingers out of your shots.
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the huge 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, with support for Xiaomi’s 90W HyperCharge (if you have the right charger) and 50W wireless HyperCharge (which also requires Xiaomi’s own dock) speeds. Other phone makers: Please put a battery this huge in your flagship.
At MWC 2026, the company announced the global launch and rollout of the device across Europe, including the UK where the Ultra will start priced at £1,299 (roughly $1,750). We're still waiting to confirm US availability and pricing.
While the specs are powerful, “launching” a flagship device that’s already been in the wild for a few months — even if elsewhere in the world — reduces the spectacle.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/xiaomi-17-ultra-global-launch-hands-on-leica-camera-143006810.html?src=rss
Apple CEO Tim Cook has teased “a big week ahead" for Apple, starting on the morning of Monday, March 2. The company had already announced an in-person event for media and creators on March 4, while rumors had pointed toward Apple revealing at least five products over three days next week, so it looks like the stars are aligning for that to actually be the case.
Cook all but confirmed that Apple is about to reveal its newest MacBooks in the coming days. His tweet features a short video of someone shaping an Apple logo on a surface that appears to have the company’s classic space gray colorway.
We’re expecting to see a new MacBook Air next week, along with updated 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros. It's believed that the M5 Pro and M5 Max will debut in the higher-end devices. Apple may also be cooking up an entry-level MacBook that'll be available in an iMac-style array of bright colorways. New iPads and the iPhone 17e could well be in the hopper too.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/tim-cook-confirms-a-week-of-apple-product-reveals-144758464.html?src=rss
Tecno just unveiled a rather intriguing modular smartphone concept design at MWC 2026. The standout feature here is likely the size. Most modular smartphone concepts start bulky and only get bulkier once attaching accessories. Tecno's base smartphone is just 4.9mm thin, which is significantly thinner than a pencil and the iPhone Air.
Of course, the size increases with each attached module. However, snapping on the power bank module makes the thickness comparable to a standard modern smartphone. Another key feature here is how these various modular components stick together. Tecno has developed new interconnection technology that uses both magnets and pin connectors. This should make it easy to both attach and remove components.
The company says this phone has been designed to grow with the user through hardware expansion. To that end, Tecno has developed 10 modules. There are various camera lenses and something that looks like a dedicated gaming controller.
Tecno
While the magnets are for attaching, the pin connectors assist with power delivery. Data transmission between the phone and the modules is handled wirelessly, with the ability to switch between Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mmWave depending on where the user is located.
There are two colorways for both the phone and the ecosystem of accessories. There's a silver-aluminum edition and a nifty-looking grey version. This doesn't matter to actual consumers because, well, it's just a concept design. It does look like the company's magnetic attachment technology could make it to some actual products down the line.
The industry hasn't quite embraced modular smartphones just yet, even though there have been some nifty concept designs. Google's Project Ara prototype goes back more than a decade, and the same can be said of other concept designs that never saw the light of day.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/tecno-just-unveiled-a-ridiculously-thin-modular-smartphone-concept-design-194741776.html?src=rss
Following Samsung’s Unpacked event, the Samsung Galaxy S26 is available for pre-order, and it looks very familiar. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Like recent updates in the Galaxy S line, Samsung is refining its flagship rather than dramatically reinventing it.
Both phones share a lot of core DNA, including compact designs, high-refresh AMOLED displays and similar camera hardware. The S26 does introduce a handful of meaningful updates, however, including a slightly larger battery and newer software out of the box. Those changes also come with a higher starting price: the Galaxy S26 begins at $899.99 compared to the S25’s $799.99 launch price. The entry model now includes 256GB of storage instead of the S25’s base 128GB. Here's how the Galaxy S26 compares with last year’s Galaxy S25 on paper and whether the newer model is worth your attention.
Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: Design, display and performance
Physically, the Galaxy S26 stays very close to the design Samsung established with the S25. You still get a compact handset with flat edges, an aluminum frame and IP68 water and dust resistance. The overall look and feel should be immediately familiar to anyone who used last year’s phone.
The display story is similarly steady. Both phones use Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, and the S25 is rated for peak brightness of up to 2,600 nits. In everyday use, whether you are scrolling, gaming or watching video, the viewing experience should feel broadly similar between the two devices.
Under the hood, the Galaxy S25 is powered globally by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset paired with 12GB of RAM. The Galaxy S26 continues to target flagship-class performance. While Samsung has made internal refinements, overall speed should remain firmly in high-end territory for routine tasks, multitasking and mobile gaming.
On the software front, the S25 launched with Android 15 and One UI 7, while the Galaxy S26 ships with a newer version of Samsung’s software out of the box. As usual, the older model is expected to receive updates over time, which may narrow the long-term software gap.
Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: Cameras
Samsung has not dramatically reshuffled the base Galaxy camera hardware. The Galaxy S25 features a triple-camera setup built around a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, along with a 12MP front camera.
The Galaxy S26 largely sticks with the same proven approach, which suggests image quality should remain broadly consistent in good lighting. As is often the case with Samsung’s year-to-year updates, any meaningful gains are likely to come from image processing improvements rather than brand-new sensors.
For most people, that means the S26 should deliver the punchy, reliable photos Samsung flagships are known for, but Galaxy S25 owners should not expect a dramatic leap in camera hardware.
Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: Battery life and charging
Battery capacity is one area where the Galaxy S26 makes a measurable change. The Galaxy S25 uses a 4,000mAh battery, while the Galaxy S26 increases that to 4,300mAh. That modest bump should translate into slightly longer endurance in day-to-day use, though real-world gains will depend on efficiency improvements and individual usage patterns.
Charging speeds remain largely unchanged. The Galaxy S25 supports up to 25W wired charging, up to 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, and the Galaxy S26 stays in the same general range.
Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: Software and AI
This year, Samsung is putting more emphasis on Galaxy AI, even on the base Galaxy S26. While many of the headline features are aimed at the Ultra and Plus models, the standard S26 still picks up several practical upgrades.
One of the more useful additions is Document Scan, which uses AI to clean up scans by automatically removing distortions, fingers and creases. It can also bundle multiple images into a single PDF, making it easier to digitize receipts, notes or forms without extra editing.
Samsung is also expanding its proactive assistant features. Now Brief becomes more personalized on the S26, surfacing reminders and updates based on your activity throughout the day, while the new Now Nudge system can suggest relevant content at the right moment. For example, if someone asks for photos from a recent trip, the phone can proactively surface matching images from your gallery instead of making you search manually.
Search is getting smarter as well. Circle to Search with Google now supports enhanced multi-object recognition, allowing you to identify several items in an image at once. Samsung is also upgrading Bixby into a more conversational assistant, and the S26 supports third-party agents such as Gemini and Perplexity for handling more complex, multi-step tasks through voice commands.
Security and privacy features are expanding in the background too. The Galaxy S26 introduces AI-powered Call Screening to summarize unknown callers, along with new Privacy Alerts that warn when apps request sensitive permissions. Samsung is also extending its post-quantum cryptography protections deeper into the system, backed by the company’s Knox security platform and seven years of promised security updates.
Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: How to choose
If you already own a Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S26 looks like a fairly iterative update. The core experience, including performance, display quality and camera hardware, remains very similar.
The main tangible upgrade is the slightly larger battery, along with newer software out of the box. For most S25 owners, that alone probably is not a compelling reason to upgrade. However, if you are coming from an older Galaxy phone or buying fresh, the Galaxy S26 is the more future-proof pick simply because it starts one generation ahead in Samsung’s update cycle and packs the larger battery.
As usual with Samsung’s yearly refreshes, the real decision may come down to pricing and discounts. If the Galaxy S25 sees significant price cuts, it could remain the better value. But at similar prices, the Galaxy S26 is the safer long-term buy.
Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: Specs at a glance
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S26
Samsung Galaxy S25
Price (MSRP)
$899.99
$799.99 (128GB), $859.99 (256GB)
Dimensions
5.88 x 2.82 x 0.28 inches
5.78 x 2.78 x 0.28 inches
Weight
5.9 ounces
5.7 ounces
Screen size
6.3 inches (FHD+)
6.2 inches (FHD+)
Screen resolution
2,340 x 1,080
2,340 x 1,080
Screen type
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1–120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 3
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1–120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s26-vs-galaxy-s25-whats-changed-and-which-one-should-you-buy-181515367.html?src=rss
Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the company is once again leaning heavily on AI, camera upgrades and refined hardware to move the lineup forward. While the overall design remains familiar, there are some meaningful differences between the three models, particularly when it comes to display tech, charging speeds and camera hardware.
Across the board, the S26 family is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip and runs Android 16 with One UI 8.5. Samsung is also doubling down on Galaxy AI features like Now Brief, Now Nudge and upgraded Circle to Search, positioning the new phones as more proactive assistants than before.
As usual, though, the Ultra model is where Samsung is pushing the envelope the furthest. It gains the most advanced camera system, faster wired and wireless charging and the company’s new built-in Privacy Display tech. Pre-orders are available now, with official sales starting on March 11. If you’re trying to decide which model makes the most sense for your needs (and budget), here’s how the three devices stack up on paper.
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. S26+ vs. S26 Ultra: Specs compared
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S26
Samsung Galaxy S26+
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Price (MSRP)
$899.99
$1,099.99
$1,299.99
Dimensions
71.7 x 149.6 x 7.2 mm
71.7 x 149.6 x 7.2 mm
78.1 x 163.6 x 7.9 mm
Weight
167g
190g
214g
Screen size
6.3 inches (FHD+)
6.7 inches (QHD+)
6.9 inches (QHD+)
Screen resolution
2340 x 1080
3120 x 1440
3120 x 1440
Screen type
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1–120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightness
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1–120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightness
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1–120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightness
Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue / Pink Gold and Silver Shadow (Samsung exclusive)
Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue / Pink Gold and Silver Shadow (Samsung exclusive)
Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue / Pink Gold and Silver Shadow (Samsung exclusive)
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s26-vs-s26-vs-s26-ultra-comparing-the-three-new-phones-181047172.html?src=rss
During its Unpacked event today, Samsung announced three new Galaxy S-series phones as well as the latest generation of its earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Pre-orders are now open and the new devices are set to ship March 11. As expected, this year’s models aren’t drastically different from last year’s, but all the phones are equipped to better handle the Galaxy AI experiences such as Now Nudge that offers suggestions based on your activities and a more conversational assitant in Bixby (or Gemini or Perplexity depending on your preferance).
Engadget’s own Sam Rutherford is on-site in San Francisco for the new hardware launch and will have hands-on impressions. We’ll follow that up with official reviews in the next week. But if you can’t wait for our final verdict, here’s how to pre-order Samsung’s Galaxy S26 phones and the Galaxy Buds 4 today.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-pre-order-the-samsung-galaxy-s26-phones-and-galaxy-buds-4-180500976.html?src=rss
Samsung has announced the latest version of its flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, and just like last year, the high-end phone is where the company is making some of its biggest changes. The S26 Ultra includes a new processor, a new privacy-focused display technology, an improved camera system and like Samsung's other phones, a crop of new AI-powered software features.
On first blush, the Galaxy S26 Ultra isn't all that different from the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Samsung is still using a 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED screen, with an 120Hz refresh rate and support for an S Pen stylus. The S26 Ultra also features the same flat sides, utter lack of Qi2-compatible magnets and pronounced camera bump. Despite those similarities, the new flagship does have some differences: for one, it's ever so slightly thinner at 0.31-inches than the S25 Ultra was at 0.32-inches. It also comes with an aluminum frame rather than the titanium frame of the previous generation. For stylus fans, the new S Pen has a curved top that lets it better match the curves of the S26 Ultra. Biggest of all, Samsung's new phone includes "Privacy Display," a new technology that lets the phone limit how much of its screen is visible when you're not looking directly at it.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Inside, the Galaxy S26 Ultra uses Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip, a modified version of the flagship mobile chip it debuted last year, and either 12 or 16GB of RAM. In terms of storage, the Galaxy S26 Ultra can come with either 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of memory. Regardless of which version you pick, you'll get a 5,000mAh battery with support for Samsung's wired and wireless fast charging, and Wireless PowerShare for topping up accessories like wireless earbuds.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra, just like the S25 Ultra before it, includes an array of four cameras on the back and one selfie camera on the front. The phone features a 200MP f/1.4 wide, 50MP f/1.9 ultra-wide, 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto, 50MP f/2.9 periscope telephoto and 12MP f/2.2 selfie camera. If you were to just look at just the megapixel counts of the phone, they're identical to last year's model. Samsung's major tweaks are to the aperture of both the wide and periscope cameras, which should let them capture more light.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Of course, plenty of the flashiest parts of Samsung's new smartphone are software features. The improved photo and video performances of the Galaxy S26 Ultra's cameras is partially driven by software tweaks. Samsung is also adopting Perplexity as a second, system-level AI assistant. The AI can be called with a button press or "Hey Plex," powers improvements to Bixby and can act inside Samsung apps. That doesn't mean Gemini isn't still available, though. Google's AI will gain the ability to handle things like booking a rideshare or filling an online grocery cart in the background on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $1,300 and is available to pre-order today in a purple-ish "Cobalt Violet," light blue "Sky Blue," black, white and exclusively through Samsung's online store, "Silver Shadow" and "Pink Gold." The phone will become generally available on March 11.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsungs-galaxy-s26-ultra-offers-a-subtle-set-of-hardware-improvements-180000725.html?src=rss
Last year, it felt like Samsung relied a bit too much on AI when trying to convince people to upgrade to its flagship phone. And while there’s no shortage of features that utilize machine learning on the new Galaxy S26 Ultra, it feels like Samsung has done a much better job of filling out the rest of the phone’s kit with fresh hardware, faster charging and a more cohesive design. It’s still rather expensive, but its price has stayed flat year-over-year at $1,300, which when combined with everything else makes it a much more attractive package than its predecessor.
Design and display
Samsung’s Ultra phones are always going to be somewhat boxy and that’s OK. However, for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the company’s top-of-the-line handset is getting a slightly curvier appearance thanks to rounder corners. There’s also a very (and I do mean very) small reduction in size that technically makes this version the thinnest and lightest Ultra to date (214 grams and 7.9mm thick). That said, considering the previous model weighed 218 grams and measured 8.2mm, it’s incredibly hard to feel a difference even when you know what you’re looking for.
The two biggest changes to the S26 Ultra's exterior design are more rounded corners and an aluminum chassis instead of titanium like we got on the S25U.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
In reality, the biggest exterior change is that Samsung has ditched the titanium frame from last year’s phone in favor of an Armor Aluminum chassis with Corning Gorilla Armor 2 panels in front and back. Samsung says this new design is meant to make the Ultra fit in better with its less expensive siblings while also making it easier to do things like color match the phone’s body to the rest of the device. Also, for anyone who keeps track of Samsung’s palette, the hero color for the S26 Ultra is a rather fetching shade of purple called cobalt violet, with sky blue, white and black available as well (plus silver shadow and pink gold being Samsung’s online exclusive hues).
If you look closely at the top of the phone, you can see where a notification has been blacked out by the S26 Ultra's Privacy Display.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
However, my favorite new thing on the S26 Ultra is its Privacy Display. When activated, it functions a lot like HP’s Sure View tech, which prevents people from peeking at your screen from acute angles. It works both when viewed from the side or up and down and has a surprising amount of customization. Not only can you set it to turn on automatically when the phone asks you for a password or PIN, it can also be triggered by specific apps or whenever you receive a notification. But perhaps the most impressive thing is that there’s almost no impact on image quality. When Privacy Display is active, there is a minor reduction in overall brightness, but aside from that, it’s really hard to tell when it’s on (at least from the front). Furthermore, the S26 Ultra’s 6.9-inch AMOLED screen has the same underlying specs as last year, including its 120Hz variable refresh rate and 2,600 nit peak brightness, so there are pretty much no trade-offs for the added functionality.
Performance and charging
The S26 Ultra still comes with an included S-Pen and a built-in storage slot, but it still doesn't have Bluetooth connectivity like on some of Samsung's older models.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Inside, the S26 Ultra features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip along with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. Compared to its predecessor, Samsung claims the NPU’s performance has made the biggest leap with it being 39 percent more powerful year-over-year with respectable increases for its CPU (19 percent faster) and GPU (24 percent faster) as well.
As for charging, both wired and wireless speeds have gotten a big boost with the former now rated at up to 60 watts (up from 45 watts) or 25 watts (up from 15) for the latter when using compatible Qi2 pads. Samsung says buyers will even get a three amp cable in the box, so all you need to do to get those peak wired speeds is to hook it up to the right adapter.
A small quirk with the S26 Ultra's S-Pen is that because the end of the stylus is curved to match the corner of the phone, if you put it in "wrong," it'll stick out a bit.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Unfortunately, we’re still not getting a magnetic ring inside the phone, which means if you want to use the S26 Ultra with magnetic accessories, you’ll need to pair the phone with a case that supports that functionality. This is super frustrating because Samsung says this decision was made in part to keep the handset as thin as possible, but when you consider the difference between the S26 Ultra and the S25 Ultra is 0.3mm, that choice feels rather misguided.
Cameras
One of my biggest complaints about last year’s S25 Ultra is that the only new hardware was an updated 50MP sensor for its ultra-wide lens, which is the camera I (and probably most people) use the least. Thankfully, it seems Samsung took note of that because while the resolution of its 200MP main cam, 10MP 3x telephoto and 50MP 5X telephoto are the same as before, the S26 Ultra’s main and 5x zoom lenses now have significantly wider apertures (from f/1.7 to f/1.4 and f/3.4 to f/2.9, respectively). This results in as much as 47 percent more light reaching the phone’s primary sensor (or 37 percent for the 5x telephoto), which should result in some major gains in photo quality and low light sensitivity. That said, I wasn’t able to properly test this during my hands-on session, so I’m going to reserve final judgement for a proper review.
The S26 Ultra's 200MP main and 50MP 5x zoon lenses feature significantly larger apertures, which should deliver much improved image quality in low light conditions.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Meanwhile, for video capture, Samsung is adding support for the APV codec at up to 8K/30 fps to the S26 Ultra along with a new horizon lock feature that will keep your footage level no matter how much you rotate the phone. Now I will admit that the latter didn’t impress me much when I first heard about it, but after testing it out and spinning the phone a full 360-degrees while recording a clip, I was shocked when the resulting video showed no hint of being whirled around. Samsung also says the handset’s improved Nightography processing uses AI to recognize noise patterns in low light to improve image quality. But similar to the wider apertures bringing in more light, I’ll believe it when I see it.
Finally, there’s a new AI-powered Photo Assist tool that lets you edit or adjust images using natural language prompts. From what I experienced, it’s effective and works as you’d expect. However, with the proliferation of services and devices offering similar functionality over the past year, this feature feels more like Samsung’s attempt to keep up with the Joneses.
AI features
When it comes to AI, the S26 Ultra is getting the same batch of new and improved features as the rest of the S26 family. So if you’re big into machine learning, there’s no need to pay extra for this model. Furthermore, many of the updates for 2026 are tweaks or refinements of existing things like the Gallery app, which now uses AI to automatically sort screenshots into eight different categories so they’re easier to find later. There’s also what Samsung is calling Now Nudge, which functions a lot like Google’s Magic Cue. It’s built into the Samsung keyboard and it can do things like suggest relevant photos based on your conversations.
One of the S26's most powerful new AI features is Automated App Actions, which allows the phone to do things like book a car ride via Uber while you continue to use other apps in the foreground.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
To me, the most impressive of the bunch is the S26’s Automated App Actions, which allow you to ask the phone to do slightly more complicated tasks like ordering an Uber to a specific location. After your initial prompt, Gemini can even complete the task in the background while you go back to doomscrolling or watching videos. When it’s done, you’ll get a notification so you can manually review and confirm the command. Unfortunately, Uber will be the only supported app at launch, though Samsung says it’s working on expanding the feature to others like Instacart.
Early thoughts
The Galaxy S26 Ultra will be available in four main colors: sky blue, black, cobalt violet and white, along with two more online exclusive hues in silver shadow and pink gold.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Look, there’s no getting around it: $1,300 is a lot to spend on a phone. That said, considering the RAM shortage that’s going on right now, keeping the S26 Ultra’s price the same as last year’s phone feels like a small blessing. And when you get that on a handset with a more refined design, a beefier chip, a fancy Privacy Display, faster charging and an updated generation of AI-powered tools, Samsung’s latest flagship feels like a much better deal than its predecessor. Really, the only thing that hasn’t been improved is the Ultra’s S-Pen, which as time goes on, is starting to feel more and more like a consolation prize for people who are still nostalgic about the Note line than a true tentpole feature.
Now this doesn’t mean that people with an S25 Ultra or even an S24 Ultra should run out and upgrade. But for anyone with something older than that who’s in the market for a true do-everything phone, the S26 Ultra has quite a bit to offer.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-hands-on-meaningful-tweaks-plus-a-slick-new-privacy-display-180000057.html?src=rss
Ahead of a full release at Mobile World Conference (MWC), Honor has teased the MagicPad 4 that it calls the world's thinnest Android tablet. The new model is just 4.8mm thick (not counting that camera bump), a full millimeter thinner than the MagicPad 3 and slightly less than the 5.1mm iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, the company revealed.
On top of being thinner, the MagicPad 4 has a new 12.3-inch 165Hz OLED display. While slightly smaller than before, it should be considerably better than the LCD display on the previous model. The new model weighs 145 grams less than before at 450g thanks to that screen and the slightly smaller 10,100 mAh battery (with a 66W fast charger in the box).
The new tablet is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset and comes with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It's equipped with 13MP rear and 9MP front cameras, along with eight speakers for spatial audio. The MagicPad 4 will run MagicOS 10, Honor's flavor of Android 16. There's no word on pricing or availability yet, but we'll likely learn more at the company's press conference on Sunday — along with the company's weird robot revealed yesterday.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/honor-says-its-48mm-thick-magicpad-4-is-the-worlds-slimmest-android-tablet-114346615.html?src=rss
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