smartphones

Qualcomm announced two new smartphone chips as it intensifies its focus on on-device artificial intelligence. The launch comes as chipmakers race to position their processors for AI-driven mobile features. Despite the product news, Qualcomm shares edged lower in after-hours trading, suggesting investors were unimpressed or had already priced in the announcement.

Apple and Qualcomm have renewed their chip licensing agreement, extending a business relationship that has swung between partnership and litigation over the years. Qualcomm supplies modem chips for iPhones under licensing terms, and the renewal keeps that arrangement in place. The deal matters for the semiconductor and smartphone industries since both companies depend on the continued supply relationship.

Apple has announced its first-ever foldable iPhone, with a starting price of $1,999. The move marks the company's entry into the foldable smartphone market, a category rivals like Samsung have dominated for years. The premium pricing and Apple's long-awaited take on the foldable design are drawing wide attention and debate among tech observers and consumers.

Alibaba has launched Qwen Intelligence as a full-stack agentic AI platform designed for smartphones. The platform is positioned to let phone makers run AI agents that can handle tasks on a user's behalf, extending Alibaba's Qwen model family beyond cloud services and into on-device mobile experiences. Coverage so far frames it as Alibaba's push to compete in the fast-moving smartphone AI space, where Google, Apple and Chinese rivals are also racing to embed assistants.

Discounts on the iPhone 17 are drying up as Apple's price increases spread across markets. Reports from Forbes and other outlets indicate retailers are pulling back promotional pricing, meaning buyers who waited for deals may now pay closer to full price. The story has been picked up widely, fuelling discussion about rising smartphone costs and whether consumers should buy now or hold off for future promotions.

A new opinion piece challenges the increasingly popular argument that smartphones and social media are the main cause of rising anxiety and unhappiness among teenagers. It questions whether the evidence linking phone use to teen mental health decline is as strong as claimed, reopening a debate that has shaped school phone bans and parenting advice worldwide.

Qualcomm has announced its next generation flagship mobile processors, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The new chips are set to power upcoming premium smartphones, continuing Qualcomm's Elite line of top-tier mobile silicon. Details on performance gains and supported devices are expected as handset makers confirm adoption in the coming months.

Qualcomm is taking on Apple's latest chip in what is shaping up as a renewed battle over mobile and computing silicon. The week also brought news on Apple's front, including a fitness tracker, updated Macs and other product developments. The rivalry matters because Qualcomm's chips increasingly power Windows laptops that compete directly with Apple's Mac lineup, setting up a contest over performance and battery life claims.

vivo has unveiled OriginOS 7, the newest version of its Android-based operating system. The update introduces improved multitasking features, a built-in AI agent, and stronger cross-device connectivity across vivo phones, tablets and other hardware. Coverage so far focuses on the software's AI capabilities as smartphone makers increasingly compete on intelligent assistant features and seamless integration between devices.

TSMC has reportedly begun pilot production of chips on its A14 node, a 1.4nm-class process, with volume production targeted for 2028. The A14 line would succeed the current 2nm generation and keep the Taiwanese foundry ahead of rivals Samsung and Intel in the race for ever-smaller transistor sizes, with major customers such as Apple expected among early adopters.

A new wave of AI-powered devices is hitting the consumer market, ranging from small wearable "charms" to reimagined smart speakers. The products aim to embed artificial intelligence assistants into everyday objects, moving beyond smartphones. Coverage highlights both the ambition of these designs and questions over whether consumers are actually ready to adopt dedicated AI hardware.

Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, its new flagship smartphone chip, alongside a higher-tier 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The company describes both as flagship processors, with spec differences between them relatively minor and focused on improved AI processing, video capture and gaming performance. Coverage is focused on what the incremental upgrades mean for upcoming premium Android phones.

Apple's launch of a foldable iPhone is prompting investors to reassess the bull case for the company's stock. Commentary from analysts and market writers is focused on whether the new device category can reignite iPhone growth and justify bullish price targets for AAPL, as Apple looks for fresh revenue drivers in a maturing smartphone market.

Xiaomi has announced that its Android smartphones can now work with the Apple Watch, a notable cross-brand move since the smartwatch has long been limited to iPhones. The news is drawing attention in the tech press as an unusual instance of Apple and Xiaomi ecosystems overlapping, raising questions about what features will actually be available to users pairing the two devices.

Qualcomm's chief executive says the smartphone will remain the central device in people's digital lives, pushing back against claims that wearables, smart glasses or AI gadgets could replace it. The comments position the phone as the hub that other devices connect to, with Qualcomm betting its chip business on that continuing role.

Attention is turning to how young South Korean children are when they first begin using smartphones, with reports highlighting exposure starting in the toddler years. The topic has fuelled wider debate about screen time, child development and parenting habits in one of the world's most connected countries.

Nintendo is ending service for Mario Kart Tour, its mobile Mario Kart game that launched on 25 September 2019. The shutdown will come just five days after the game's seventh anniversary. Gamers are marking the occasion and raising concerns about preservation, since smartphone titles that rely on servers typically become unplayable once official support ends.

The postmarketOS project, which has spent close to ten years building a Linux distribution for mobile phones, is rebranding itself as Nura. The change marks a new chapter for the community-driven effort to bring mainline Linux to smartphones, a niche area of ongoing interest to enthusiasts seeking alternatives to Android and iOS.

Apple's new iPhone XS Max, the company's largest iPhone to date, will start at $1,449 for the 512GB storage version, making it the most expensive iPhone ever sold. The pricing has drawn wide attention and commentary, with many noting how far flagship phone prices have climbed and debating whether buyers will pay a premium for the bigger screen and storage.

The Motorola Signature 27 is likely to become the first Motorola smartphone to support GrapheneOS, the privacy-focused Android operating system previously limited to Google Pixel devices. If confirmed, it would mark a significant expansion for the security-focused platform, giving privacy-conscious users a hardware option outside Google's own lineup for the first time.

Xiaomi has introduced a Pocket Guitar, a compact gadget designed to attach to smartphones and let users play a portable string instrument. The announcement has drawn attention among gadget enthusiasts curious about how the device works and who it is aimed at. Details on pricing and availability were not included in initial reports, and reactions to the product are still limited.