Apple has now publicly released its next batch of software upgrades for a large segment of its hardware ecosystem, bringing battery life improvements, new features, and UI upgrades. iOS 26.1 goes live with anecdotes claiming of huge battery life improvements, especially for the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max We noted on Sunday that Apple was likely to release iOS 26.1 to the public today. Well, that prediction has now panned out. And, right on cue, anecdotal claims of huge battery life improvements, especially for the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro Max, have already started populating social […]

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Google's Pixel 10 smartphone lineup is enjoying unprecedented success in the US, as per the latest report from Counterpoint, which paints a broadly encouraging picture of the American smartphone market, especially when viewed together with the concurrent success of Apple's iPhone 17 lineup. Counterpoint: "Google’s Pixel sales in the US jumped 28% YoY in September 2025, marking a single-month sales record for the OEM" According to Counterpoint's North America Handset Channel Share Tracker, Google recorded a year-over-year jump of 28 percent in its Pixel sales during September 2025, constituting "a single-month sales record for the OEM." The report notes: Meanwhile, […]

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Apple appears to have conceded defeat apropos its in-house Siri revamp strategy, and is now leaning on Google to design a custom Gemini-based Large Language Model (LLM) to power the new Siri in the cloud. Mark Gurman: Apple is paying Google to design a custom Gemini AI model for its Private Cloud Compute framework The legendary Apple tipster, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, reported in his latest 'Power On' newsletter that the Cupertino giant seems to have thrown in the proverbial towel when it comes to creating an in-house AI model to power the revamped Siri's upcoming features, all couched under the […]

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Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra is adopting a new design language, as per an image of the upcoming smartphone's screen protector. In doing so, Samsung appears to be leaving behind the last vestiges of the Note series' design language. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to adopt iPhone-like rounded corners The famous Samsung tipster, Ice Universe, has now posted an image of the compatible screen protectors for the upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup. Critically, the screen protector for the S26 Ultra shows noticeably rounded corners, giving the apex model in the S26 lineup a softer overall profile, which appears in sync with Apple's design […]

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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has shared a number of tidbits in his latest "Power On" newsletter, including the number of product launches that Apple is planning for 2026, and the imminent launch cadence for iOS 26.2 beta. Apple is planning to launch as many as 15 new products in 2026 By all accounts, 2026 is shaping up to be a very busy year for Apple, especially if the latest tidbits from Mark Gurman prove to be prescient. To wit, Gurman believes Apple will launch these new products in the early portion of 2026: Then, between March and April, Apple will launch: […]

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When Apple launches new products, it goes through a veritable litany of protocols, including one that involves preparing its store front displays to better advertise the new product. Now, it seems the iPhone manufacturer is planning a synchronized store display change on November 11. Mark Gurman: Apple retail stores are preparing for an "overnight" on the evening of November 11 The legendary tipster, Mark Gurman, is out with another scoop today, disclosing that Apple employees are preparing for an "overnight" on November 11, when those employees will implement designated changes to their stores' displays after the closing. Apple typically follows […]

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Samsung has had a fairly predictable launch cadence for its Galaxy S-series smartphones over the past few years. Now, in keeping with the expected launch window, albeit with a slight delay, Samsung is gearing up to unveil the S26 lineup in February 2026. Samsung to host its next "AI-focused" Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco on February 25, 2026 As per an X post by the prolific tipster Jukan, Samsung is gearing up for its next 'Galaxy Unpacked' event on February 25, 2026. The theme of the event, unsurprisingly, centers on AI. Interestingly, this is the first time in around […]

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Some consider Elon Musk a visionary, others a skilled grifter. Regardless of his supposed merits or de-merits, one has to concede that Musk is one of the most influential voices in the world right now, and when he enunciates his vision about the future of smartphones, everyone should pay attention. Elon Musk's vision resembles Plato's cave: "You’ll have AI on the server side communicating with AI on your device - formerly known as a phone - and generating real-time video of anything you could possibly want" Elon Musk was a participant in a recent Joe Rogan podcast, where he discussed […]

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