Ten years ago, Google ’solved’ our photo backup problems with free unlimited space and some compression... until it didn’t anymore.
T-Mobile’s Google One benefit brought it back in 2022, but as 9to5Google notes, as of September 30th, that offer is gone and seems unlikely to return. We have some ideas if you need alternatives.
Backbone’s controllers are some of the best around for mobile gaming. Now, they’re in some fresh, new colors exclusively at Target. The $169.99 Pro is pretty in pink, while the $99.99 One comes clad in purple. Both work with USB-C phones, but only the Pro has a battery and Bluetooth support.
Android Headlines and OnLeaks shared renders of the S26 Ultra created from leaks and... this sure is a Galaxy Ultra. The only real change is a camera island for the main three lenses. It should launch in January alongside the S26 Pro and S26 Edge — no base model this time.
Two of the best Pixel features are hitting more countries. Google phone owners in Australia, Canada, and Ireland now get Call Screen, with a Hindi beta coming to India soon. They’re all getting Scam Detection too, as are UK users, who got Call Screen last year.
Even the storied director and noted luddite couldn’t escape the tyranny of parking apps. On the latest episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Herzog confesses that he finally bought a smartphone after finding himself trapped in a parking lot that would only accept payment via app. “But it’s always switched off,” he adds. Listen to the whole episode for Herzog’s take on infotainment systems, turn-by-turn navigation, and truth in the age of AI.
The company could lay off the Apple comparisons a bit though.
Remember the Humane AI pin? And that serious-as-a-heart-attack TED talk about the future of computing? Well, Qualcomm featured Chaudhri in its Snapdragon Summit keynote today, where he’s talking less about lasers you wear on your shirt and more about the amazing battery life on the OmniBook 5 series. How it started, how it’s going, etc. etc.
Vivo has confirmed that the 2.35x detachable lens it introduced with this year’s X200 Ultra is returning in the X300 and X300 Pro, which launch in October. I tested the original, which looks silly but took some exceptional shots — but how will the X300 Ultra outdo it next year?
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Verge Score
This year’s iPhone is more useful, has more storage, and starts at the same price. What’s not to like?
But most people should buy the regular iPhone 17.
The upcoming device, which is rumored to directly replace the Galaxy S25, could come with a 6.3-inch display (up from 6.2 inches), according to a report from Android Headlines. Based on leaked renders, it also looks like a new pill-shaped bump could house the phone’s three cameras.
If you care about who makes the processors that MediaTek, Samsung, and more use in their smartphone chips, you’ll want to know that Arm has released new CPUs and GPUs named Lumex. It marks the end of its “Cortex” cores, which now get boring names like “C1-Ultra” and “C1-Pro.”
Unsure about the Air or put off by the Pro? Don’t worry: with double the storage, a 120Hz display, and its upgraded selfie camera, the regular iPhone 17 looks like the best of the bunch, and not for the first time.
thewunderbar:
Every few years, Apple decides to make the base iPhone the best phone in the lineup for 99% of people. This is one of those years.
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Samsung earned plaudits for its super-slim Z Fold 7, but it’s not done yet. Korea’s ET News reports it plans two Folds next year, with one squatter and wider, with a square screen inside. No doubt it’s pure coincidence that the foldable iPhone is rumored to be a similar shape.
