When I’m searching for the best NBN deals, the main factor I’m taking note of is the monthly price. Second to that come perks which, to be honest, are becoming rarer and rarer. So when Dodo announced it’s now offering its NBN customers totally unlimited mobile data via its postpaid SIM plans, I simply had to take notice.

This offer, available to new and existing customers, works as follows — sign up for any Dodo NBN plan, and you’re eligible for the new Infinity plan, a AU$19/m SIM-only offer that includes unlimited data, capped at 50Mbps.

Unlimited 5G mobile data on the Optus network for just AU$19/m is a standout deal in itself. But combine it with Dodo’s low-cost NBN plans — now on the receiving end of an AU$30/m discount for six months — and you've got a package that's hard to ignore.

Unlimited mobile plans aren’t entirely new. While virtually all telcos will allow you to continue using data, if you exceed your monthly allowance, download speeds are usually throttled to around 2Mbps. However, Felix has been offering truly unlimited data SIM plans for some time, and while speeds are restricted, they're now available at up to 80Mbps.

Unlimited data at 80Mbps, of course, sounds great, but it'll cost you AU$50/m. Dodo's unlimited data plan, meanwhile, is capped at 50Mbps but costs just AU$19/m, making it arguably the better-value option.

Take my favourite NBN speed tier of all — NBN 500 — as an example. You'll pay just AU$62.99/m for the first six months for Dodo's plan (far less than the current AU$95/m average). Throw in the unlimited mobile data plan, and your monthly total comes to AU$81.99/m — that's cheaper than some NBN 25 plans! Once the six-month introductory period is up, your ongoing monthly total will be AU$111.99.

There's no end date to Dodo's unlimited mobile data offer, but the discounted NBN plans for Black Friday sales in Australia are time-sensitive. So, to secure the lowest possible price, you'll need to sign up before December 8.

Sometimes, I have to remind myself that not everyone is immersed in the Apple news cycle like their livelihood depends on it.

If, like me, you were paying close attention to all 24 minutes of the company’s iPhone 18 Pro announcement in September, you may already know why a small amount of pixelation is occasionally visible in the top left-hand corner of the display on Apple’s newest flagship. But if you had better things to do (and let’s be honest: you probably did), then you may have missed the memo.

In any case, don’t panic: if you occasionally spot some odd discoloration on the left side of your iPhone 18 Pro’s clock, you’re not going mad, and your iPhone isn’t faulty. What you’re actually seeing is Apple’s new under-display Face ID camera, which makes room for an upgrade elsewhere. Let me explain.

The iPhone 18 Pro has a new, better Dynamic Island — it’s smaller and can display three Live Activities at once, versus two on the original Dynamic Island. To shrink it, Apple moved the iPhone 18 Pro’s Face ID infrared (IR) camera away from the Dynamic Island and placed it under the top-left corner of the phone’s OLED panel.

As a result, this portion of the display features a modified pixel layout—there are larger gaps between pixels here than anywhere else on the iPhone 18 Pro's screen, allowing IR light to pass through and Face ID to function.

You’ll need a pretty serious zoom camera to spot these gaps with the naked eye (as this iFixit video demonstrates), but this pixel trickery does occasionally become visible, particularly when the clock is displayed (it only affects the first half of the clock, but I think that’s what gives it away).

I spotted this new under-display Face ID camera when using my iPhone 18 Pro for the first time (I mention it in my video review at 0:56, see below), but it’s too subtle to have remained distracting. And hey, maybe I went looking for it because I knew it was there.

Still, people notice it to varying degrees, as one Reddit forum suggests: “I haven’t noticed it at all. Zero difference to me,” wrote one user. Another said, “I usually only notice it when the black text of the clock is sitting directly on a solid white background, which isn't very often.”

But there are some outright negative responses to Apple’s Face ID switcheroo: “This really bothers me; I always notice it whenever I look at that part of the display,” one user wrote, while another said, “I don’t know how good people’s eyesight is, but I notice it clearly even with a passing glance. It’s actually quite distracting. I’d much rather have a larger Dynamic Island than an obvious screen disparity.”

I’m not sure I’d call the pixelation ‘obvious’, but then maybe my eyes are bad.

I did, however, feel like this iPhone 18 Pro oddity was worth explaining to those who may have noticed it and feared the worst. But honestly, it’s not a big deal — as mentioned, the trade-off is a better Dynamic Island — and at least we’re seeing Apple try new things with its long-standing iPhone features. More please.

Samsung's Galaxy FE line has always been a slightly odd proposition. In theory, these phones are cheaper alternatives to standard numbered Galaxy phones, offering Plus-sized screens at an affordable price. But they've steadily gotten more expensive over the years, and some FE phones are more well-rounded than others.

That makes choosing between a Samsung Galaxy S26 FE and a Samsung Galaxy S26 more complicated than just choosing between a pricier phone and a cheaper one.

In this guide, then, we'll walk you through the key differences between these two phones, comparing their displays, designs, performance credentials, and more.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Samsung Galaxy S26: specs comparison

The table below provides a brief overview of how the Galaxy S26 FE and Galaxy S26 compare in terms of specs.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Samsung Galaxy S26: price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE was announced in late August 2026 and shipped in November, with the phone now widely available. It starts at $699.99 / £699 / AU$1,149, which gets you a model with 128GB of storage. But there’s also a 256GB model for $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,299 and a 512GB model for £949 / AU$1,599 — though this version is not available in the US.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 went on sale in March 2026 and is also available globally. It costs $999.99 / £959 / AU$1,649 for a 256GB model, rising to $1,199.99 / £1,129 / AU$1,949 for a 512GB version. It’s worth noting that the Galaxy S26 actually cost less than $999.99 / £959 / AU$1,649 at launch, but thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis, its price has since gone up, rather than down.

In any case, that makes the starting price of the Galaxy S26 FE some $300 / £260 / AU$500 less than that of the Galaxy S26, but that’s for a model with just 128GB of storage, which is less than the Galaxy S26 comes with as standard. Looking at the 256GB models of each phone, the Galaxy S26 FE costs $200 / £160 / AU$350 less.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Samsung Galaxy S26: design

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE and Samsung Galaxy S26 have quite similar designs, with flat screens, punch-hole cameras at the top of their respective displays, and triple-lens cameras arranged vertically on their rear panels.

They also both have glass backs and aluminum frames, as well as IP68 ratings — meaning they’re dust-tight and can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.

However, the Samsung Galaxy S26 should be slightly tougher than the FE overall, as it has Gorilla Glass 2 protection, while the FE uses Gorilla Glass+.

There are bigger differences in their colors, though, with the Galaxy S26 FE being sold in Blueberry, Graphite, and Pistachio, and the Galaxy S26 available in Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, and Pink Gold.

And their weights and dimensions differ too: the Galaxy S26 FE measures 161.6 x 76.9 x 7.4mm and weighs 193g, while the Galaxy S26 measures 149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2mm and weighs 167g. So the FE is bigger, thicker, and heavier — but it does also have a larger screen.

In our Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review, we described it as “worthy of the Galaxy S name in terms of looks and durability,” while in our Samsung Galaxy S26 review, we praised “a tried-and-true design that looks great.”

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Samsung Galaxy S26: display

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE has a 6.7-inch 1080 x 2340 AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, around 385 pixels per inch, and a peak brightness of 1,900 nits.

The standard Samsung Galaxy S26 is smaller, with a 6.3-inch 1080 x 2340 AMOLED screen that has a 120Hz refresh rate, roughly 411 pixels per inch, and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits.

So these two screens use similar tech and are the same resolution, but in being smaller, the Galaxy S26’s display is also slightly crisper, and it has a higher peak brightness. Plus, while the Galaxy S26 can switch its refresh rate from 1Hz all the way to 120Hz depending on what the screen is displaying, the Galaxy S26 FE only has static 60Hz and 120Hz capabilities.

Our Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review described its screen as “big and colorful, but lacking detail,” while our Samsung Galaxy S26 review said it has “a display that hits all the marks of what you’d want in a flagship phone.”

So the standard Galaxy S26 has the better screen overall, but if you want a massive display, then the Galaxy S26 FE is the obvious choice out of these two phones.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Samsung Galaxy S26: cameras

Both of these phones have triple-lens cameras, with the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE having a 50MP f/1.8 wide snapper, a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide (with a 123-degree field of view), and an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom.

The Samsung Galaxy S26, meanwhile, has a 50MP f/1.8 wide camera, a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view, and a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom. Both phones also have 12MP f/2.2 front-facing cameras.

So their camera hardware isn’t drastically different, but in practice, the Galaxy S26’s lenses performed better in our tests. Our Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review noted that “the main and selfie cameras produce strong photos, but the phone’s let down by its ultra-wide and telephoto lenses,” while in our Galaxy S26 review, we said that “all three cameras take solid pics, but don’t rely on the telephoto past 3x.”

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE camera samples

Samsung Galaxy S26 camera samples

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Samsung Galaxy S26: performance and software

With the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE, you’re getting an Exynos 2500 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 has either a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (in the US) or an Exynos 2600 (in most other regions) paired with 12GB of RAM.

So, whichever region you’re in, you’re getting a faster chipset in the standard Samsung Galaxy S26, along with an extra 4GB of RAM, and that could make a real difference for AI and high-end games. But despite that, these phones both generally perform well.

Our Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review noted that its chipset is “a good performer, especially for graphics,” while acknowledging that “8GB of RAM is limiting for a premium phone in 2026.”

Of the Samsung Galaxy S26, we said it’s “quick and powerful, but the phone does get hot during intense tasks.”

What’s not so different between these two phones is their software, with both running Android 17 and Samsung’s One UI 9 overlay. Both the Galaxy S26 FE and Galaxy S26 also come with the promise of seven major Android version updates — though the latter phone has already received one of those.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Samsung Galaxy S26: battery

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE has a 4,900mAh battery, and it supports 45W wired or 15W wireless charging, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 has a 4,300mAh battery with 25W wired and 15W wireless charging. So the Galaxy S26 FE has a higher-capacity battery, with more charging power.

In practice, we found that the Samsung Galaxy S26 still had “all-day battery life,” though we lamented its slow charging speeds, while for the Galaxy S26 FE, we said the battery is “long-lasting and fairly fast-charging.” So this is one area where the FE arguably has a slight edge.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Samsung Galaxy S26: verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S26 is more powerful than the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE, plus it has a slightly superior screen and — based on our testing — better cameras. It’s also slightly more durable, thanks to Gorilla Glass 2.

That said, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE has a bigger screen, a higher-capacity battery, faster charging, and it costs less, while offering a similar software experience.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S26 is the better phone — indeed, we scored it higher in our reviews, with the device achieving 4 stars while the Galaxy S26 FE got 3.5.

But if you want a big screen on a mid-range budget, or simply don’t want to pay what the Galaxy S26 costs, then the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is still a good option.

• Motorola has announced the flagship Signature 27
• It features a 12,000-nit screen, a 7,000mAh battery, a top-end chipset, and other impressive specs
• However, it also has an iPhone 18 Pro-rivaling price

The original Motorola Signature only launched back in January, but a successor has already been announced in the form of the Signature 27 — and while it fixes its predecessor’s main weakness, it also comes in at a far higher price.

This is a top-end phone with a 7,000mAh battery (complete with 90W wired and 50W wireless charging), and what Motorola claims is “the brightest display available in a smartphone” — one that tops out at 12,000 nits of brightness.

For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery and a display with a 2,600-nit peak brightness, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max has a 5,567mAh battery (or a 5,391mAh one in models with a removable SIM card) and a display with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

So the Motorola Signature 27 dwarfs both of those top phones in these areas, and as far as addressing its predecessor’s main weakness, it’s one of the first phones to feature the exceptionally powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset.

This chipset was only announced in September and is a generation ahead of the chipset found in the Galaxy S26 series. It's also far more capable than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset found in the original Motorola Signature.

Other highlights of the Motorola Signature 27 include a triple-lens camera, with a 50MP wide snapper, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 200MP 3x zoom periscope that’s also capable of 100x AI-powered zoom. This camera setup also includes the first-ever dedicated EVS action sensor on a smartphone, to help capture fast-moving subjects. And there’s a 50MP camera on the front, too.

So its photography features sound promising; on top of that, the Motorola Signature 27 also has Audio by Bang & Olufsen, which the company claims can deliver “richer, more immersive sound.”

Durable but expensive

The Signature 27 has a premium yet durable build — its chassis is a mix of ceramic, glass, and aluminum, and the phone boasts both IP68 and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance. And while it runs Android out of the box (complete with support for Gemini Intelligence and the promise of seven years of software updates), it also supports the privacy-focused GrapheneOS, which has hitherto been limited to Google Pixel devices.

So, on paper, this phone sounds extremely promising, but it might be held back by its price, as it's set to retail for £1,299.99 (roughly $1,750 / AU$2,495 — US and Australian pricing and availability are yet to be confirmed). That makes it even more expensive than the iPhone 18 Pro and roughly the same price as the iPhone 18 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

So Motorola is definitely positioning the Signature 27 as a truly top-end handset, and while it has the specs to support that ambition, the brand might not be enough of a household name in 2026 to pull off that price.

Still, if you do want the Motorola Signature 27, it’s shipping in Europe on November 16, in a choice of Pantone Coal Smoke and Pantone Capulet Olive shades. Stay tuned for our full review of the phone in the coming weeks.

Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G review: Two-minute review

You may not have heard of Redmi, but you likely know its parent company, Xiaomi, which regularly features in our coverage of the best phones.

While Xiaomi focuses on premium smartphones and tablets, Redmi offers solid mid-range smartphones that aim to compete with the similarly priced competition from Google, Samsung, and Nothing.

Indeed, the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G stands squarely against the Google Pixel 10a, Samsung Galaxy A57, and Nothing Phone 4b in the mid-range category. But while those devices stand out for camera, design, or overall polish, Redmi has chosen to focus on raw durability with the Note 15 Pro Plus 5G.

The star feature is an SGS 5-star certified Titan Durability frame with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, offering up to 2.5-meter drop resistance alongside flagship-level IP68 and IP69K dust and water resistance. That’s paired with a large 6,500 mAh battery with 100W fast charging — both market-leading at the phone's £350 price point.

Still, at that price, there’s always a catch. The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G prioritizes tough hardware over software refinement. The 6.83-inch 120Hz display is sharp and supports Dolby Vision, but aggressive auto-dimming hampers outdoor visibility. The 200MP main camera takes great daylight shots, but the 8MP ultra-wide is mediocre, and there’s no dedicated telephoto lens.

Meanwhile, the mid-range Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor struggles under heavy gaming loads; Xiaomi’s HyperOS has a bundle of ads through native apps, and there’s a general lack of UX refinement, all of which lead to a more sluggish experience than you'll find on other phones.

You'll notice these trade-offs throughout daily use, but the phone's excellent battery life and solid drop protection make it a champion in its own right.

If you can live with less polish and the usual mid-range trade-offs, you’ll get something that can withstand much more than most phones. And if you know a chronic butterfinger who can’t keep a phone in their hands — my sister, for instance — the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G is the exact phone you should buy them.

Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G review: price and availability

• Launched for £429 in January 2026
• Currently available from ~£349 in the UK and Europe
• Not officially sold in the US or Australia

The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G was announced in December 2025 and launched in January 2026 at £429 in the UK. It was quickly followed by launches in India and across Asia, but like many Xiaomi phones, it's not available in the US or Australia.

Six months later, at the time of writing, the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G has dropped to around £350 for the model with 8G of RAM and 256GB of storage, the latter of which is double that of its three key competitors — the Pixel 10a, Galaxy A57, and Nothing Phone 4b.

The upgraded version with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage costs just £50 more, offering excellent value for money, especially given the ever-increasing cost of RAM and storage driven by AI. A price of £479 is relatively unheard of in this price bracket, as phones with 512GB usually cost considerably more.

Like most Redmi phones, there are a few colors to choose from. Mocha Brown features a vegan-leather rear panel paired with a gold frame and matching camera-ring accents. However, this model is slightly thicker and heavier than the Glacier Blue and Black versions, which both feature a fiberglass back with a matte texture and color-matched side rails.

• Value score: 5 / 5

Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G review: specs

Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G review: design

• A sleek, modern phone, not a bulky industrial brick
• IP68 and IP69K water resistance ratings
• 2.5-meter drop resistance onto hard granite
• Touchscreen remains responsive in pouring rain or with wet hands

If there’s one area where the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G truly stands out, it’s design — specifically, durability.

What makes this device unique is the sheer lengths Xiaomi/Redmi went to in order to build one of the most durable smartphones on the market without incurring the classic "rugged phone" penalty. Instead of resembling a heavy industrial power tool, the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G looks and feels like a standard, stylish mid-ranger.

Underneath that homogeneous exterior sits a “Titan Durability” frame, certified by SGS, with a 5-star rating for drops from up to 2.5 meters onto granite. Add full IP68 and IP69K water and dust protection — a high-temperature, high-pressure rating that many of the best smartphones skip — and you have an absolute durability champion.

The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G proves that drop-proof hardware doesn't have to look industrial. Offered in either a faux-leather finish or two matte fiberglass backings with color-matched frames, it demonstrates that extreme durability can coexist with different aesthetic styles.

This achievement becomes obvious when put side-by-side with its direct rugged price rivals:

• Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 (~£320): Wrapped in a heavy black rubber casing with chunky bezels, the XCover measures 10.2mm thick and weighs 240g. The Redmi is 2mm thinner, 33g lighter, has a higher drop rating (2.5m vs 1.5m), and superior water protection.
• Nokia XR21 (~£360): Matches the IP69K rating, but caps drop protection at 1.8 meters while measuring a thicker 10.4mm and weighing 231g.
• Doogee S200 (~£330): Offers solid protection, but at a massive 16mm thick and 369g — nearly double the Redmi's weight. It looks like an archetypal construction-site brick, whereas the Redmi comfortably slides into standard jeans pockets.

The Redmi's durability is further enhanced through software features like water ejection, which works the same way as a smartwatch by ejecting water from the speakers using low-frequency sound/vibration, and screen algorithms optimized for use with wet hands.

The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G is attractive enough to appeal to casual buyers who aren’t looking for a rugged phone, but its build stands head and shoulders above its rugged competition.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G review: display

• Vibrant 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel with Dolby Vision and HDR10+
• Smooth 120Hz refresh rate and ultra-high 3840Hz PWM dimming
• 3,200 nits peak brightness is bright enough for outdoor use but…
• … aggressive thermal auto-dimming makes it much harder to use in direct sunlight

The display on the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G is a strong performer for a mid-range phone. You get a large 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel (2772 x 1280) that delivers crisp details, rich 12-bit colors, and deep contrast. With both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support included, media streaming looks noticeably punchier than on baseline 1080p mid-range screens.

In daily use, scrolling feels fluid thanks to the adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. Xiaomi also equipped the panel with 3840Hz PWM dimming to reduce eye strain during late-night scrolling — a thoughtful touch rarely prioritized at this price point.

The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G falls short in Xiaomi’s aggressive thermal management in direct sunlight. While Xiaomi claims a massive 3,200-nit peak brightness — which is higher than most phones at this price point — the company employs aggressive auto-dimming that kicks in quickly when outdoors to protect the panel from overheating. It’s fine for basic tasks, but it won't maintain its peak brightness in sustained summer heat, and it is definitely less enjoyable to watch content on while outdoors.

That aside, this screen is a solid upper-mid-range offering, and it further reinforces that you can have a great display in a rugged phone.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G review: cameras

• 200MP primary camera (1/1.4" sensor) with OIS delivers detailed daylight stills
• Effective 2x somewhat compensates, but you do miss the telephoto
• 8MP ultra-wide lens is a noticeable drop in sharpness and color fidelity
• Video tops out at 4K/30fps on the main camera and 1080p on the front selfie camera

The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G camera is the epitome of mid-range compromise, with a single main camera doing all the heavy lifting to compensate for weak or missing additional cameras.

The 200MP main camera features an f/1.7 aperture and OIS. In daylight and great lighting conditions, it uses 16:1 pixel binning to capture 12.5MP photos with a wide dynamic range and punchy colors. The high-resolution choice means the 2x and 4x zoom options achieved via in-sensor cropping are fairly capable for casual portraits and macro shots, but the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens means this doesn’t stand out for its zoom capabilities.

Beyond the main sensor, the camera quickly falls apart. The 8MP ultra-wide camera lacks the detail and color accuracy of the primary lens, with soft detail and noticeable grain even in challenging lighting. Nor is the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G a champion at video, with 4K recording at 30fps limited to the rear cameras, and the 32MP selfie camera locked to just 1080p video.

• Cameras score: 3.5 / 5

Poco F8 Pro review: camera samples

• Camera score: 3.5 / 5

Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G review: performance

• Powered by Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 (4nm) processor
• Up to 12GB of RAM is great, with other phone makers cutting back or increasing costs
• Paired with older UFS 2.2 storage speeds
• Handles daily tasks and media smoothly, but stutters under heavy load

The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G has an admirable 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and this is ultimately necessary to provide a somewhat smooth day-to-day experience. However, under heavy loads, the 4nm mid-range Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 starts to struggle, and you are quickly reminded that this is a mid-range phone.

Xiaomi is quite generous by offering 256GB of storage as the base option, but it uses slower UFS 2.2 storage, which means app installations, accessing storage in apps, and heavy gaming loads are noticeably slower than on rivals using UFS 3.1 or UFS 4.0 standards.

The 5,200mm2 vapor chamber does keep the phone relatively cool during heavy gaming sessions, which is a pleasant surprise, but as we covered before, it doesn’t prevent the screen from aggressively auto-dimming in response to high temperatures in direct sunlight.

Overall, this is about the experience you’d expect from a mid-range phone, and if you’re coming from a phone with a flagship processor, you’ll definitely notice the difference. Compared to its rugged rivals, though, the performance package is above average.

• Performance score: 3 / 5

Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G review: software

• Ships with HyperOS 2 built on Android 15
• 4 major OS updates and 6 years of security patches beats most rugged rivals...
• ... but falls short of the 6–7-year policies on the Pixel 10a and Galaxy A57
• Preloaded bloatware is annoying
• Has features like Circle to Search, Google Gemini, and IR Blaster

Xiaomi isn’t known for offering the longest support or fastest updates across its smartphone range, and the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G firmly sits at the lower end of the update spectrum for modern mid-rangers. Yes, Xiaomi is offering four major OS updates and six years of security patches — which easily beats niche rugged rivals — but Xiaomi is notorious for slow regional rollouts.

Considering the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G launches on Android 15 while non-durable competitors at this price point will soon be receiving Android 17, the software commitment doesn't feel particularly future-proof. At best, you’ll get Android 19 support, but it won’t be particularly fast to roll out.

Further, Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2 remains one of the more frustrating aspects of the user experience. Out of the box, it comes cluttered with preloaded bloatware and opt-out system ads tucked inside native utility apps. Yes, you can uninstall many of them quite easily, but it’s a frustrating first impression.

On the positive side, HyperOS 2 isn't short on practical utility. You get Google’s native Circle to Search feature and solid Gemini Integration, while Xiaomi’s Hyper Connect suite allows for handy cross-device clipboard sharing and PC integration. The pre-installed Mi Remote app also makes great use of the top-edge IR blaster.

However, the overall software experience would be far more appealing if Xiaomi adopted a lighter, cleaner approach.

• Software score: 3 / 5

Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G review: battery life

• 6,500mAh silicon-carbon battery delivers genuine two-day endurance
• 100W fast charging charges to full in 40 minutes
• 22.5W reverse wired charging
• No wireless charging support

Many people turn to rugged phones because their large batteries are worth the obvious trade-offs in features and design. There are also many customers who would like the larger battery but are not willing to accept the same trade-offs.

The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G sits in the Goldilocks zone between these two camps, with a 6,500mAh battery that’s much larger than those of its non-rugged competition at this price, and also bigger than the batteries in several key rugged rivals. Yes, it’s not as large as the 10,000 mAh battery you’ll find in the Doogee S200, but the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G strikes the best balance of capacity, longevity, and overall design.

In real-world usage, this 6,500mAh battery delivers genuine multi-day battery life, with the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G regularly lasting two full days with between 10 and 11 hours of screen time. This is among the best battery life you’ll reliably get on a smartphone, and even if it does run low, it’s fast to recharge.

The 100W superfast charging is faster than most of the competition, rugged or otherwise, and takes around 40 minutes for a full charge. This gives it an average speed of 162.5 mAh/min, which is among the fastest of any phone I’ve tested.

There’s also the option of 22.5W reverse-wired charging, which is fast enough to charge your accessories, or even your friend’s phone in a pinch. In many ways, the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G is almost the perfect smartphone if you like to go camping for a weekend, as it’s versatile enough for many use cases.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G: also consider

There are four real competitors to the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G worth considering, but each has its compromises.

How I tested the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G

• Review test period: ~2 weeks
• Testing included: Daily driver usage, including GPS navigation, web browsing, social media feeds, photography, casual and 3D gaming, video streaming, music playback, and outdoor brightness checks.
• Tools used: Synthetic benchmarks (Geekbench 6, 3DMark), battery drain logs, native Android stats, official Xiaomi chargers, and real-world drop tests.

I tested the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G as my primary smartphone for two weeks, evaluating everyday performance, real-world battery endurance, outdoor screen visibility, and camera output across various lighting conditions.

Read more about how we test

First tested: May 2026

• Qualcomm's Dragonwing Cellular Infrastructure platforms will support Starlink Mobile's terrestrial base stations
• This tech will help improve coverage, capacity, and spectral efficiency
• However, analysts argue that spectrum and tower leases are more important for the carrier

Starlink Mobile has just taken another big step towards launching its US mobile network to compete with the likes of Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile — the SpaceX-owned company has announced that Qualcomm’s Dragonwing Cellular Infrastructure platforms will support the carrier’s terrestrial base stations.

According to Qualcomm, these base stations are “designed to improve coverage, capacity and spectral efficiency, helping the network serve more traffic efficiently.”

The multi-year agreement will see Qualcomm's tech used in "tens of thousands of sites", with the rollout due to begin in 2027. Qualcomm has described the agreement as its "biggest 5G deal yet".

In a post on X Elon Musk claimed that “Qualcomm’s technology is excellent,” adding in another that “at last there will be one network with good signal everywhere!”

However, despite rumors from The Washington Post that SpaceX is also looking to acquire Boost Mobile from EchoStar, telecoms experts say the move is just one step on a potentially long battle with the established mobile giants.

Analysis: A small step in a long bid to 'disrupt the entire industry'

So how big a deal is this? Telecoms analyst Tim Farrar, President at TMF Associates, told us: "This deal is an important part of building a new mobile network in the US. But even more important will be for Starlink to secure the spectrum and tower leases that will be used with the Qualcomm equipment.

"I think a purchase of the remaining EchoStar spectrum assets and a settlement with the tower companies is the easiest and quickest way to go about that, especially as Starlink intends to start deploying equipment next year."

By “EchoStar spectrum assets,” Farrar is referring to the parent company of Boost Mobile, which was the subject of those acquisition rumors from The Washington Post. However, Boost Mobile has MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) agreements with T-Mobile and AT&T, and according to a research note from MoffettNathanson (via TeleCompetitor) it’s unlikely that those agreements would be transferred to Starlink Mobile.

In other words, that “settlement with the tower companies” mentioned by Farrar could still be a stumbling block, especially since Starlink Mobile was recently turned down as an MVNO by the US’s major carriers. It remains unclear how easy it will be able to lease towers.

Without that, Starlink Mobile will have spectrum but not much in the way of ground-based infrastructure, leaving it with the big and expensive job of rolling out its own.

The fourth big mobile giant?

Other analysts are more bullish about Starlink Mobile's prospects. “The new agreement between SpaceX and Qualcomm reinforces the likelihood that Starlink Mobile could become a credible fourth nationwide mobile network provider in the U.S," said Mike Dano, Lead Industry Analyst at Ookla.

However, he also added a note of caution. "Of course, there are many more steps along this path, including building radios for a Starlink Mobile terrestrial network, putting them on top of towers, and then activating services for paying customers. And even then, it’s not clear whether Starlink Mobile will be able to successfully compete against the market’s established mobile providers," Dano added.

"I think it will take several years — at the very, very least — for Starlink Mobile to build the terrestrial network and launch the new satellites that will be necessary for it to potentially become a credible fourth nationwide mobile network provider," he added.

Elon Musk's claims that Starlink Mobile will be the "one network with good signal everywhere" also don't currently match reality. Dano pointed towards Ookla's recent research on Starlink Mobile's 'direct to device' (D2D) offering. While Starlink was praised for filling coverage gaps in the US, the report concluded that "Starlink Mobile’s network trails the performance of terrestrial networks".

For example, Ookla's tests concluded one in seven Starlink Mobile D2D texts failed to go through, compared with around one in fifty on the terrestrial network. "This is the kind of performance gap that Starlink Mobile will need to address with its terrestrial network buildout,” Dano added.

Other mobile networks, meanwhile, think Elon Musk is playing a long game. "It's about getting enough network coverage to fundamentally disrupt the economics of the entire industry," said Peter Adderton, CEO of MobileX and founder of Boost Mobile in a post on X.

"I think the endgame isn't simply competing with the MNOs, but weakening their economics and valuations to a point where SpaceX can eventually acquire one at a fraction of today's valuation? This isn't necessarily just about winning wireless customers. It's about changing the economics of wireless itself," he added.

The Revenant, Blade Runner 2049, Dune: Part One and Part Two. You might not recognize the ARRI name, but you’ve undoubtedly watched one of the many Academy Award-winning films created using the camera maker’s tech.

Founded in 1917, the German company has quietly grown into one of the most respected names in cinema, with its digital ALEXA camera system used to film countless blockbuster hits. Popular models like the ARRI ALEXA 35 can cost upwards of $80,000 to buy and require a trained crew to operate.

It’s the kind of equipment that few would ever have the opportunity, let alone the expertise, to use, which is what makes ARRI’s partnership with Chinese smartphone giant Honor so interesting. With the upcoming Honor Magic 9 Pro Max, the two brands are aiming to turn buyers of the flagship Android phone into pro cinematographers by giving them access to some impressive imaging tools. And I got a chance to try them in Hollywood, California.

A pocket cinema camera

The physical design of the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max is a statement of intent. Its sleek camera module is branded with the ARRI logo and arranged in a three-lens layout that is intentionally reminiscent of the appearance of classic film cameras like the vintage Arriflex 35. It’s a major departure from the big circular camera layouts of the company’s previous flagships, like the Honor Magic 8 Pro, and in my eyes, it looks a lot more balanced and professional.

I’m sure that Honor has also taken some inspiration from the look of the latest iPhone Pro Max line, but some neat touches do help set the Magic 9 Pro Max apart. I personally love the satisfying texture of the metal ring that surrounds the biggest camera's housing. It feels very analog, and running your fingers across it almost feels like adjusting the focus of a DSLR camera lens.

Under the hood, the phone boasts two 200MP shooters alongside a 50MP ultra-wide lens. Stabilization was a big focus in the design of this camera setup, and Honor claims that the Magic 9 Pro Max will offer equivalent performance to a stabilizing gimbal — even in low-light conditions where most phones would struggle, as longer shutter speeds emphasize movement.

You can still use the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max to take standard photos (and, in my testing so far, it has managed some excellent shots — though I'm not permitted to share any just yet). But as the phone's design would suggest, video is really where it comes into its own. Honor and ARRI have effectively taken a full end-to-end cinematic workflow and condensed it into a basic process that anyone can follow (incidentally, you'll find the same workflow on the recently released Honor Robot Phone).

The first step is enabling the ARRI Cinema mode in the phone’s camera app. It takes a few moments as it loads up a wealth of tools, the most important being the ability to record in up to 4K 60fps using ARRI LogC3 and Wide Gamut 3. Without getting too technical, ARRI LogC3 is a gamma curve designed for ARRI’s cinema cameras, intended to capture as much dynamic range and contrast as possible, while Wide Gamut 3 ensures a larger range of colors can be reproduced.

Encoding all this into an image produces a very flat, almost grayscale look that’s absolutely packed with imaging data, which is vital when you take your footage into professional color grading software like DaVinci Resolve to give it a more stylized, cinematic look. Pro users can take footage from the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max into DaVinci Resolve, but there’s really no need when some nifty color-grading options are built in.

From capture to color

The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max comes pre-loaded with 14 color grading profiles (or LUTs), many taken straight from the ARRI Look Library — an online collection of presets used in professional film productions. There is a good range to experiment with here, with some of my favorites so far including the cutesy ARRI-6311, which renders beautiful pastel tones, and the amusing ARRI-9211, designed for day-for-night shots.

It’s fun to play around and experiment with the different profiles and, with the right setup, you can get some pretty incredible results, with gorgeous, rich colors and lifelike skin tones (the latter being something that ARRI hardware has become known for). These presets are only the beginning as well; you can download more ARRI LUTs from the company’s website and import them to the phone.

You’re not restricted to just those created by ARRI either, as the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max is fully compatible with third-party LUTs that you can find online. Many LUTs are available for free, which opens the door to practically limitless aesthetics. You can preview each LUT while you’re filming as well, which lets you see exactly how your finished footage is going to look as the action is happening.

If you’re already a budding cinematographer with your own LUTs, this means that you can use the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max to gain a pretty good idea of how your finished footage will appear without the costly camera setup.

Honor has clearly gone to great lengths to make everything here as approachable as possible, though I do worry that these features will be niche. Either way, it’s a neat collaboration, and I’m certainly interested to see what kinds of footage people will be able to achieve when the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max releases soon.

• Honor is reportedly testing a phone with a 14,000-15,000mAh battery
• The main selling point of the handset would apparently be a "guaranteed" week of battery life
• However, we wouldn't count on being able to buy it even if it does launch

After having remained relatively stable for a long time, battery capacities in smartphones have finally started increasing over the last few years, thanks largely to the use of new technologies such as silicon carbon. But mainstream handsets still tend to be under 6,000mAh, and very few phones breach 10,000mAh.

That could soon change though, as Honor is reportedly testing a phone battery of between 14,000mAh and 15,000mAh — with the phone’s main feature supposedly being a “guaranteed” one-week battery life.

This is according to leaker Digital Chat Station posting on Weibo (via NotebookCheck), which has a reasonable track record — but we’d still take this with a pinch of salt.

The right brand for the job

If any company was going to do this, Honor would be a likely candidate, as this brand has already launched the likes of the Win RT 2 gaming phone with a 12,070mAh battery. So making a phone with a 2,000-3,000mAh higher capacity doesn’t sound impossible, but it might lead to quite a weighty, chunky handset, or mean compromising other specs.

As NotebookCheck points out, it might also require more complicated thermal management, so there are likely to be challenges in delivering this.

Still, there could be a market for it, particularly for people who spend a lot of time off-grid or simply use their phones a lot. With the right MagicOS optimization, that one week of life claim could well hold up given that 15,000mAh would be triple the capacity of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — a phone which delivered “fantastic” battery life according to our review.

That week-long battery life would also take Honor's smartphone into the kind of feature phone territory that many of is remember getting from our classic Nokia phones. Although current Nokias, like the Nokia 300 Charge, promise 40 days of standby time and even have a power bank for charging other gadgets.

It isn't clear if Honor's phone will come with these kinds of features, and for now we wouldn’t count on seeing it launch globally. Even if Digital Chat Station is right, it only only says that Honor is “testing” it, and even if it launches, it might only be sold in China.

Still, if Honor shows that it’s achievable without making the phone ridiculously chunky in the process, it’s possible that other brands will follow suit.

• Coolgeek P1 Cassette Player unveiled
• Brings some modern twists like Bluetooth and a HD display
• Kickstarter campaign just launched; MSRP is $179 but cheaper now

The cassette player revival began with retro-inspired models such as the EDITH WE-001 and FiiO CP13, but we're beginning to see more modern versions like, well, this strange wall-mounted system. And another new option — the one you're here to read about — definitely falls into the latter camp.

Coolgeek, whose RGB light-up turntable we covered several months ago, is back with its newest gadget: the P1 Cassette Player.

Like its turntable, this device is being 'released' on Kickstarter, so you can't buy it immediately. However, from what we've been told, it sounds pretty far along in production, so I don't envision the turn-around time being too long here.

While the standard price of the P1 is $179 (about £130, AU$260), in true Kickstarter fashion it's available for much cheaper if you sign up to the campaign earlier; it'll be half that price in the 'Super Early Bird' wave, and slowly increase over time.

What your money gets you

At its core, Coolgeek's P1 Cassette Player is... well, a cassette player (think Walkman, but Sony makes those), so you don't really need me to run you through what it does, do you? It plays cassettes. But there's more, of course, or we wouldn't be covering it.

For one, the model has Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, so you can listen to your tapes using your wireless headphones. There's a 3.5mm jack for wired headphone lovers too, as well as a USB-C port, but the latter's just for charging.

There's also a little HD display, which is primarily used for arranging the Bluetooth connection. Judging by images we've seen, there's also some colorful LED indicator column (ooh, lights!) probably for volume, but we weren't expressly told what it depicts.

Like many retro-inspired gadgets, the P1 is see-through, so you can see your tape spinning around as you listen. Coolgeek told us that it was designed not merely to ape older cassette players, but to have its own design identity.

Plenty of the new cassette players we've seen have playful, pastel-colored designs and curved edges, and Coolgeek's P1 looks a lot more mechanical and industrial in comparison — like true 1970s and 1980s tangible tech. So if you've been wanting an alternative cassette player, the campaign might be worth taking a look at.

• The Explorer 100D is a palm-sized 30,000mAh portable power station
• It uses a long-lasting lithium iron phosphate battery
• It has a maximum total output of 158W and supports direct solar input

Jackery has just launched a new portable power station that combines a high capacity with an impressively small and lightweight design.

Dubbed the Jackery Explorer 100D, it measures 11.87 x 8.26 x 8.57cm and weighs 850g, which sounds fairly compact when you consider that it has 30,000mAh of power. Indeed, it’s 14% smaller and 12% lighter than the Explorer 100 Plus, making it Jackery's smallest portable power station yet.

So, while it will certainly add some weight to your bag, it's small enough to carry around in a backpack, so you can keep your devices powered when out and about or on trips. It’s designed to comply with lithium battery transport standards, too, so you can take it on planes and trains, and even though it’s palm-sized, it also includes a built-in handle and supports an optional shoulder strap.

An LFP battery with solar support

The Jackery Explorer 100D also uses a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery rather than the more common lithium-ion ones, meaning it’s theoretically both safer and longer-lasting, with Jackery claiming it has an up to 8-year lifespan and will retain at least 80% of its capacity across 3,000 charging cycles.

It has two 140W USB-C ports and an 18W USB-A port, so you can charge, for example, a laptop, phone, and tablet all at once. That said, it tops out at 158W of combined charging power, so you can’t use all of those ports at full power simultaneously.

When you need to charge the 100D itself, you can of course plug it in to any outlet, but it also supports up to 100W of direct solar input, making it suited to an off-grid setup.

So there’s a lot to like here, and while this isn’t the cheapest 30,000mAh power station, it’s reasonably affordable too, coming in at $99 / €99 (roughly £75 / AU$140). It’s not currently available in the UK or Australia, but Jackery does have a presence in both regions, so that might change.

The iPhone Duo and iPhone Air are both oddities in Apple’s current smartphone lineup. There’s only one of each, and they meet fundamentally different user needs.

Sure, they're both extremely sleek and slim (assuming we’re talking about the iPhone Duo in its unfolded form), and they share some other similarities. But for the most part, these two iPhones couldn't be more distinct.

In this article, then, we’ve compared the iPhone Duo and iPhone Duo in full, to help you decide which model is right for you.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone Air: specs comparison

The chart below shows the core specs of both handsets, so you can see at a glance how they compare.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone Air: price and availability

The iPhone Duo was announced in September 2026 and began shipping in October, with the phone now widely available globally.

The iPhone Air is a bit older, having launched back in September 2025, but with no successor yet available, you can still buy it.

The Duo comes in four configurations, with the cheapest being a 256GB option for $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,499. Next up, there’s a 512GB version for $2,199 / £2,199 / AU$3,899, with a 1TB model costing $2,599 / £2,599 / AU$4,699, and a 2TB configuration coming in at $3,199 / £3,199 / AU$5,899.

The iPhone Air also starts in a 256GB configuration, costing $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,899, while the 512GB model is $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,299, and the 1TB version is $1,699 / £1,699 / AU$3,099. There’s no 2TB version of this phone.

So, the iPhone Duo’s starting price is some $900 / £900 / AU$1,600 higher than the iPhone Air’s, and to be honest, you're unlikely to need to pay full price for Apple's super slim handset. It's regularly on sale at third-party retailers including Amazon, so the price gap between it and the iPhone Duo is $900 / £900 / AU$1,600 at worst.

With the money you’d be saving by buying the Air, you could also buy an iPhone 17 or an iPad Air, which speaks to how expensive Apple's first foldable phone is.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone Air: design

Both of these phones are, first and foremost, examples of beautiful design.

With the iPhone Duo, Apple managed to make a remarkably slim phone that’s just 117.8 x 164.6 x 5.2mm when unfolded. That makes it even thinner than the 156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6mm iPhone Air — a phone that has a slim design as one of its main selling points.

Of course, when folded shut — as it will be in your pocket — the iPhone Duo is rather chunkier at 117.8 x 84.1 x 11.3mm. At 254g, the Duo also weighs a lot more than the Air, which clocks in at a remarkably light 165g.

Before we move on, it's worth reiterating that these measurements make the Air one of the most comfortable phones to use and hold over long periods. Its slimness might seem like a gimmick, but there's a lot to be said for using a phone that feels almost weightless in your hand and pocket.

The Duo is equally well-crafted and impressively thin when unfolded, but in day-to-day use, it feels significantly heavier and chunkier than the Air. But then, with two screens, that was inevitable.

As far as durability goes, both phones have a Ceramic Shield 2 glass front, a Ceramic Shield glass back, and a titanium frame, and both also have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

Of course, foldables are inherently more fragile than single-screen phones like the iPhone Air, but you needn't worry about the Duo breaking after a few folds — Apple has confirmed to TechRadar that the phone's viral screen-cracking issue only affected a "small number of units" at launch.

The iPhone Duo and iPhone Air also look somewhat similar from the back, with both having a horizontal camera block — though this block houses two lenses on the iPhone Duo, and just one on the iPhone Air.

On the front, the Air has larger cutouts in its screen, allowing for Face ID — something the iPhone Duo lacks. And the two phones come in different colors, with the iPhone Duo being available in Night Sky and Star White shades, while the iPhone Air is sold in Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue shades.

So, there are as many differences as similarities here, but the designs of both phones shine, with our iPhone Duo review praising Apple's foldable as “beautifully designed and engineered,” while our iPhone Air review called it “the freshest look that Apple has delivered in years.” These are two great-looking products.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone Air: display

You may not have noticed, but the iPhone Duo has two screens.

Its main foldable display is a 7.6-inch 1878 x 2670 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel with 430 pixels per inch, a 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and an anti-glare nano-texture finish.

Its smaller cover screen is a 5.4-inch 1398 x 2034 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel with 60 pixels per inch, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

The iPhone Air, of course, just has one screen — a 6.5-inch 1260 x 2736 Super Retina XDR OLED panel with 460 pixels per inch, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

The specs and quality of both phones' front screens are similar, with our iPhone Duo review saying it has a “bright, sharp, fluid display,” and our iPhone Air review calling its screen “punchy, sharp, and smooth.” So you’re mostly just choosing whether you want one screen or two, and what size(s) you want.

That said, having two displays undeniably makes the iPhone Duo more versatile, as it’s suited to both large-screen and small-screen tasks — it also supports the Apple Pencil, which the iPhone Air doesn’t.

The nano-texture finish on the Duo's inner screen is a sight to behold, too. It does an excellent job of preventing glare, and an even better job of hiding the phone's crease when viewed straight-on. This crease is, of course, still visible when viewed at an angle, but that doesn't really matter if it's not visible when the Duo is in use.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone Air: cameras

iPhones tend to excel at photography, but arguably neither of these devices ranks among Apple’s best. Still, of the two, the iPhone Duo has the edge by virtue of having more cameras.

On the back, it has a 48MP f/1.6 wide camera and a 48MP f/2.2 ultra-wide one (with a 120-degree field of view). Then, on the cover screen, it has a 12MP f/2.2 punch-hole camera, and on the foldable screen, it has a 4MP f/1.8 under-display one.

The iPhone Air, on the other hand, has a solitary 48 MP f/1.6 wide camera on the back, and an 18MP f/1.9 camera on the front.

So the main difference here is that there’s no ultra-wide lens on the iPhone Air, making the Duo more versatile for photography. But the Air does have a superior selfie camera, even if the Duo has two front-facing snappers (the 4MP inner-display camera is really not very good).

All that said, both phones are still capable ot taking excellent shots. In our iPhone Duo review, we said it has “two strong 48MP lenses and an above-average Center Stage selfie camera,” while in our iPhone Air review, we said its camera “delivers sharp, natural photos and impressive portraits, but lacks the versatility found on other models.”

iPhone Duo camera samples

iPhone Air camera samples

iPhone Duo vs iPhone Air: performance and software

The iPhone Duo has an A20 Pro chipset, 12GB of RAM, and a vapor chamber, putting it in line with the performance of the iPhone 18 Pro series. The iPhone Air is a step down from that, with an A19 Pro chipset, 12GB of RAM, and no vapor chamber.

As such, the Air isn’t quite as high-performing, though unless you’re really pushing it with high-end games or other demanding tasks, you’re unlikely to notice much of a difference, and both phones are speedy.

This was reflected in our use of the two devices, with our iPhone Duo review finding that it offered “smooth performance across the board,” while our iPhone Air review said it “feels fast and smooth in daily use, though it can warm up under sustained heavy gaming.” The Air occasionally heats up during FaceTime calls, too.

As for software, the iPhone Duo launched with iOS 27.1 out of the box, while the iPhone Air — being older — shipped with iOS 26. But both phones can be updated to iOS 27.2 at the time of writing, so there’s not much to choose between them here, though the Duo does feature some unique touches like a side-positioned dock.

However, it’s worth noting that it might take a while for all apps to be optimized for the iPhone Duo’s form factor. First-party apps like Messages and Mail look great on either Duo screen, but third-party apps like YouTube and Instagram still need work.

This early-stage clunkiness may well be resolved by the time you're reading this, but don't be surprised if you encounter some software-related oddities on the iPhone Duo.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone Air: battery

The iPhone Duo has a 4,883mAh battery, while the iPhone Air has a far lower-capacity 3,149mAh cell. This, unsurprisingly, also means the iPhone Duo lasts longer, with Apple claiming you’ll get 44 hours of video playback from it when using the cover screen or 31 hours with the foldable display, while the iPhone Air is quoted at 27 hours.

This largely tallies with our test results. In the case of the iPhone Duo, our reviewer found that “all-day battery life is virtually assured,” while for the iPhone Air we found that it “should last a workday, but heavy users will need to recharge.”

And when you do recharge, the iPhone Duo can reach 50% in roughly 20 minutes with a 60W or higher charger, or if you’re using wireless charging, it can get to 50% in around 30 minutes with a 35W or higher MagSafe charger.

The iPhone Air takes about 30 minutes to reach a 50% charge whether using wired or wireless charging, so it’s slightly slower here.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone Air: verdict

The iPhone Duo is far more expensive than the iPhone Air, and that price difference is probably the main thing you need to consider when choosing between them — especially as you could buy the iPhone Air and an iPad for less money than the iPhone Duo.

Of course, there are advantages to having two devices in one, and the iPhone Duo is a better phone than the Air in various ways too — it boasts slightly better performance, longer battery life, an extra camera, and, of course, that all-important second screen.

Both phones have sumptuous designs, though, and the iPhone Air can hold its own for screen quality — it also features Face ID, which the iPhone Duo lacks.

So, if you want a more affordable, beautiful-to-use iPhone that works like every other iPhone you've ever owned, go for the Air. If you're willing to try something new — and happy to pay for the privilege of doing so — the Duo is the obvious choice.

Making it easier to repair an old smartphone or laptop, rather than buying a new one, has long been a goal of tech enthusiasts, and the EU took a big step towards making that a reality in June 2025 with the introduction of its "Ecodesign" requirements.

The European Commission's rules require manufacturers of smartphones and certain tablets to meet new obligations covering spare parts, repair information, and the fundamental design of their devices. Laptops aren't covered by these particular rules, although other EU regulations apply to them.

More than a year later, there are some real signs of improvement – but also lingering questions about the difficulty and cost of repairs.

So, how much has actually changed? Are smartphones easier to repair, and are laptops heading in the same direction? To make sense of the EU's repairability push, TechRadar spoke to three experts.

Europe's repair revolution

The EU's rules stop short of mandating anything too drastic. Apple does not have to make the iPhone a 10/10 on iFixit's repairability scale, or turn it into something resembling a Fairphone.

Instead, much of the focus is on spare parts: manufacturers must make specified replacement components, including screens and batteries, available for at least seven years after a model stops being available on the EU market.

Manufacturers must also deliver parts within five working days for the first five years, rising to 10 days for the remaining two, while providing repair documentation and access to necessary software tools.

Batteries must meet minimum durability standards, too.

For consumers, perhaps the most visible change is an A–E repairability rating on the EU's new energy labels, based on factors such as disassembly difficulty and replacement parts.

The EU has also introduced a separate Right to Repair Directive, which member states had to implement by July 2026, adding protections for certain products, although laptops aren't yet covered.

The changes could have implications beyond Europe, too. "The regulation clearly influenced products sold outside Europe, because few vendors engineer a separate phone for one region," says IDC's Francisco Jeronimo.

Cracking the repair problem

In June 2026, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) carried out an investigation into the availability of spare parts and repair instructions across Europe, comparing smartphones with battery-powered vacuum cleaners.

"The new Ecodesign rules for smartphones have improved consumers’ access to spare parts and repair instructions," says Silvia Barlassina, the group's ecodesign project coordinator. "However, as the rules have been in force for only a year and a half, it is too early to assess whether they have led to an increase in consumer repairs."

Of course, getting hold of replacement parts is only half the battle. Thomas Opsomer, an EU policy specialist at repair advocacy group iFixit, is less convinced that the rules have changed how smartphones are actually repaired.

"As a result, the regulation did not really change the current mainstream smartphone design, which is one that requires heating to release the screen adhesive in order to get access to the inside of the phone for any type of repair – a procedure that is quite daunting to most users."

A recent iFixit teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro shows that, despite a screwed-in battery tray and modular cameras, accessing the battery still requires removing the glued-down display.

In fact, iFixit says it damaged the plastic display frame in three of the four phones it opened, although it cautioned that further testing was needed to establish whether this was a widespread problem.

Physical repairs aren't the only problem. In a separate September 2026 investigation, Right to Repair Europe and iFixit examined 2,334 smartphone-model records in the EU's official product database, finding widespread gaps in the availability of repair instructions and spare-part prices.

"We found 80% of models on the market to be non-compliant, which is not the same as 80% of units sold," says Opsomer. "We have seen dramatic improvements in the availability of instructions for self-repair from the leading manufacturers, who were previously quite reluctant to share those."

Many of the shortcomings are instead concentrated among cheaper, lesser-known smartphone brands, Opsomer adds, potentially leaving budget-conscious consumers particularly exposed.

There has also been progress on parts pairing, the software checks that can restrict the use of replacement components. Manufacturers such as Apple must now allow users and independent repairers to restore the functionality of replacement parts, "removing a significant barrier to self-repair and independent repair," says Opsomer.

The €400 question

New smartphones are expensive – and prices are being pushed even higher as demand from AI data centres drives up the cost of components like memory chips, even for giants like Apple.

With replacement parts becoming easier to find, you might expect repairing a smartphone to be substantially cheaper than buying a new one. Unfortunately, the reality isn't quite so straightforward.

"For one high end device we examined in our recent market check, the cost of replacing the display exceeds €400," says Barlassina. "When compared to the average original retail price of the device, this represents roughly 30% of the total cost."

Research cited in the European Commission's impact assessment suggests consumers are typically willing to spend around 20% of a product's purchase price on repairs. Damningly, BEUC's €400-plus figure, meanwhile, only covers the replacement component, before labour and other expenses.

The EU's new A–E repairability labels account for factors like disassembly difficulty and the tools required, but crucially not the cost of replacement parts or repair services. This, Barlassina says, "can give an incomplete picture to consumers."

The cost of fixing individual devices illustrates the problem. Samsung's Irish repair pricing page lists a recommended €267 for an out-of-warranty screen repair on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, including a replacement battery, although additional work could increase the charge.

Meanwhile, Fairphone's replacement display for the Fairphone 6 costs just €89.95, while a replacement battery costs €39.95. Both are parts-only prices, with Fairphone designing them to be replaced at home.

"The economics of repair are key," says Opsomer. "When their phone breaks, users consciously or unconsciously make a tradeoff between the repair costs and the perceived residual value of their phone, which is lowered by incessant messaging extolling the virtues of the latest and greatest model."

Laptops are opening up

Laptops weren't covered by the EU's June 2025 smartphone Ecodesign rules, but some manufacturers have made substantial improvements anyway.

Notably, iFixit gave the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 7 a provisional 10/10 repairability score, praising its accessible battery, replaceable USB-C ports, keyboard, RAM, and storage. iFixit had also consulted with Lenovo on its design.

Even Apple is leaning into repairability with the MacBook Neo, which got a 6/10 score from iFixit, the highest MacBook score in around 14 years. The Neo uses a screwed-in battery rather than a glued-down one, although its RAM and storage remain soldered.

But are these examples part of an industry-wide shift, or still the exceptions?

"We see a shift towards repairability in smartphones and laptops, but not to the extent that I would call it a broader industry shift," says Jeronimo. "There are clear signs of movement, and Apple and Lenovo are two good examples."

There's a commercial argument for repairability, too. Jeronimo points out that consumers paying more for their devices increasingly expect them to last longer, giving manufacturers another reason to make repairs easier.

"A repairable device tends to hold its value for longer, which means a higher residual value when the consumer trades it in for a new one," he says.

Still some fixing to do

More replacement parts and better repair manuals are all well and good, but are consumers actually making repairability a priority?

According to IDC's research, consumers are now keeping smartphones for around 3.5 to 4.5 years on average.

"Consumers are keeping phones longer, but repairability is not what drives it," says Jeronimo. "In a 2025 IDC consumer survey, battery life, connectivity, price and build quality ranked highest among the purchase criteria."

Governments are also looking at ways to make repairs more attractive. Under the EU's Right to Repair Directive, member states must introduce at least one measure encouraging repairs, potentially including financial incentives such as repair vouchers.

Member states have until July 2029 to notify the Commission of the measures they've taken, although they can introduce them sooner. "Among these options, financial incentives would be by far the most effective," says Opsomer.

More than a year after the EU's repairability rules came into force, things are slowly improving. Enthusiasts who want to keep their smartphones and laptops forever – or at least several more years – have more options than before.

The challenge now is making repair a realistic choice for everyone else.

The iPhone Duo has been a long time coming, but is Apple’s first foldable a home run? And even if it is, do you even really need a dual-screen device?

Those are questions you might be asking yourself if you're in the market for a new iPhone — especially when the iPhone 18 Pro is also available, which only has one display but is a better device in various other ways.

So, to help you decide which of these two models is best for you, we’ve compared the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro across various categories, including price, display, and design. Happy decision-making!

iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: specs comparison

Before we look in depth at the key elements of the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro, the specs table below provides an overview of their similarities and differences.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: price and availability

The iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro were both announced in September 2026. But while the iPhone 18 Pro shipped shortly after its announcement, the iPhone Duo wasn’t available until October 23. Both phones are available now, though, across much of the world.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,499, for which you’ll get 256GB of storage. There’s also a 512GB model for $2,199 / £2,199 / AU$3,899, a 1TB version for $2,599 / £2,599 / AU$4,699, and a 2TB model for $3,199 / £3,199 / AU$5,899.

The iPhone 18 Pro is a lot more affordable (relatively speaking), while still being expensive. This device starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,099 for 256GB of storage, rising to $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,499 for 512GB, $1,799 / £1,799 / AU$3,299 for 1TB, and $2,399 / £2,399 / AU$4,499 for 2TB.

So, the iPhone Duo’s starting price is some $800 / £800 / AU$1,400 higher than the iPhone 18 Pro's; that difference is the price of a high-end phone (or indeed the new iPad mini) all on its own. So while you’re essentially getting a phone and tablet all in one with the Duo, you’re also paying handsomely for that privilege.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: design

The iPhone Duo doesn’t really look like any other iPhone, and not just because it folds. When folded shut, you might expect it to look like the iPhone 18 Pro, but you’d be wrong, as it has a much shorter, passport-shaped footprint, coming in at 117.8 x 84.1 x 11.3mm compared to the iPhone 18 Pro’s 150 x 71.9 x 8.8.mm size.

Of course, the iPhone Duo is substantially larger when unfolded, opening out to 117.8 x 164.6 x 5.2mm (we'll touch on their displays in the next section).

Other differences include the phones' respective camera arrangements. The iPhone Duo has a punch-hole camera in the top right corner of its cover display, and an under-screen camera in its foldable display. The iPhone 18 Pro, meanwhile, has a much larger cut-out for its Dynamic Island, but this larger opening also allows for Face ID, which the iPhone Duo lacks.

On the back, the iPhone Duo has a horizontally arranged dual-lens camera, while the iPhone 18 Pro has a larger triple-lens camera block (which Apple describes as the 'camera plateau').

The Duo is also unsurprisingly heavier at 254g to the iPhone 18 Pro’s 211g, and their colors differ, with the iPhone Duo being sold in Night Sky and Star White shades, while the iPhone 18 Pro is available in Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy options.

Their materials differ a bit too, with the iPhone Duo having a titanium frame and a glass back (not unlike the iPhone Air), while the iPhone 18 Pro has an aluminum frame and uses a mix of metal and glass on the back.

However, both phones have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and both use Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back — so they should be similarly durable, aside from the inherent fragility that comes with a second screen and a hinge mechanism (Apple has confirmed to TechRadar that the Duo's viral screen-cracking issue only affected a "small number of units" at launch, so you shouldn't worry about experiencing that level of vulnerability).

Ultimately, we praised the designs of both these phones, with our iPhone Duo review describing it as “beautifully designed and engineered,” while our iPhone 18 Pro review highlighted its “fantastic” new shades.

There's certainly a learning curve to be experienced with the iPhone Duo's folding form factor — its volume buttons, for instance, are positioned on the top, not the side — while the iPhone 18 Pro feels extremely familiar in the hand. But we'd urge you to try the Duo out for yourself in a store before dismissing its design as a reason not to buy it.

In essence, both of these devices are a treat to use.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: display

If you’re considering the iPhone Duo, then its screen is probably the most important factor for you, since it has two of them. The Duo's main display is a 7.6-inch 1878 x 2670 foldable LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel, with a 120Hz refresh rate, 430 pixels per inch, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

The aspect ratio of this inner display is a content-friendly 1.4:1, giving you room to run two full apps side-by-side, play games on a larger canvas, or watch wide-format media (note, though, that most YouTube and Netflix content is still displayed in 16:9).

Crucially, this inner screen also features a nano-texture coating to reduce glare and make the Duo's crease appear invisible face-on. Sure, you can see this crease when looking at an angle, but nano-texture really does work for making you forget about the crease during general use.

Being a foldable phone, the iPhone Duo also has a 5.4-inch 1398 x 2034 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED cover screen, which likewise has a 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and around 460 pixels per inch.

The iPhone 18 Pro just has one screen, but it’s a good one. It's a 6.3-inch 1206 x 2622 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and around 460 pixels per inch.

On paper, then, the iPhone Duo’s screen specs are very similar to those of the iPhone 18 Pro — except you get both a bigger and a smaller screen here than the Pro’s mid-size display. But the Duo has an extra trick up its sleeve, as its foldable screen also supports the Apple Pencil, which the iPhone 18 Pro doesn’t.

As far as screen quality goes, though, there’s not much to choose between these two devices, with our iPhone Duo review praising its “bright, sharp, fluid screens” along with a surprisingly well-hidden crease, and our iPhone 18 Pro review calling its display “punchy, sharp, and smooth.”

iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: cameras

While the iPhone Duo arguably has the edge where screens are concerned, it’s the iPhone 18 Pro that takes the win for photography.

The Duo has two rear cameras: a 48MP f/1.6 wide snapper and a 48MP f/2.2 ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view. It also has a decent 12MP f/2.2 camera on the cover screen, and a paltry 4MP f/1.8 under-display camera on the foldable screen.

The iPhone 18 Pro, on the other hand, has a triple-lens camera setup on the back, with the same ultra-wide snapper as the Duo, but a superior 48MP variable aperture wide camera that can move between f/1.5 and f/4.0. It also has a 48MP f/2.8 telephoto camera capable of 4x optical zoom.

The selfie camera on the iPhone 18 Pro is also slightly higher spec than that of the Duo, being an 18MP f/1.9 one.

So, if you buy the Duo, you’ll be getting a less versatile wide camera and no telephoto camera, along with fewer megapixels for its front-facing cameras.

Of course, the Duo is far from a bad camera phone, with our review praising its “two strong 48MP lenses and an above-average Center Stage selfie camera.” You can absolutely take great shots with either of these phones.

But when it comes to photography, Apple's first foldable is simply no match for the iPhone 18 Pro, which we summed up as offering “better detail” than its predecessor, along with “strong low-light performance, and excellent 4x and 8x zoom.”

The iPhone 18 Pro is one of the best camera phones you can buy; the Duo is good, but not great.

iPhone Duo camera samples

iPhone 18 Pro camera samples

iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: performance and software

The iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro should offer comparable performance, as both phones have an A20 Pro chipset, 12GB of RAM, and a vapor chamber.

That’s a capable combination, with our iPhone Duo review mentioning “smooth performance across the board,” while our iPhone 18 Pro review highlighted that it’s “fast, efficient, and ready for whatever comes next.”

Obviously, the iPhone Duo may be a more enjoyable phone to play mobile games on (given its larger inner screen), but it's not an inherently better or more powerful gaming phone than the iPhone 18 Pro.

The same applies to productivity, since you can split the Duo's display in two by swiping up from the bottom and slowly dragging an app left or right. For obvious reasons, you can't do any such multitasking magic on the iPhone 18 Pro.

The software on both phones is similar, with the iPhone Duo running iOS 27.1 out of the box and the iPhone 18 Pro running iOS 27. At the time of writing, both phones can be updated to iOS 27.2, and it’s likely they’ll be supported for the same amount of time.

There are, however, some software differences to be aware of, with Apple taking advantage of the Duo's dual-screen nature to add and change some features.

While using its cover screen, for instance, you'll notice a status bar and side-positioned dock that's easier to reach with your thumb, but sometimes cuts into the Duo's screen real estate.

Several apps, too, are not yet optimized for the Duo's unusual screen sizes — first-party apps like Mail and Safari look great, but others (like LinkedIn and Instagram) are a little clunky at the time of writing.

These optimization issues will almost certainly be resolved quickly as app developers release Duo-specific updates, but they're worth bearing in mind nonetheless.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: battery

The iPhone Duo has a 4,883mAh battery, while the iPhone 18 Pro has either a 4,288mAh cell (if you’re getting an eSIM-only model like those sold in the US) or a 4,056mAh cell.

So in either case, the iPhone Duo has a higher-capacity battery, but it won’t necessarily last longer, with Apple claiming it can manage an impressive 44 hours of video playback if you're only using the outer display, but just 31 hours if you're mostly using the larger foldable screen.

The iPhone 18 Pro, meanwhile, splits the difference at 34 hours. For ‘typical use,’ they’re similar, with the iPhone Duo listed at 24 hours and the iPhone 18 Pro at 23.

In our own tests, we found that the iPhone Duo had “solid all-day battery life,” while the iPhone 18 Pro offered “outstanding endurance.” So neither phone should run low on battery too fast.

When they do need charging, the iPhone Duo can be juiced to 50% in around 20 minutes with a 60W or higher charger, or it can reach 50% in 30 minutes with a 35W or higher MagSafe charger.

The iPhone 18 Pro is slightly faster here, with Apple claiming it can reach 50% in just 15 minutes with a 60W wired charger, and the same 50% in 30 minutes with a 35W MagSafe charger. Those speeds proved accurate in our testing.

iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro: verdict

The iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro are refreshingly different product offerings from Apple. They're similar in some ways, but very distinct in others.

The Duo gives you both phone- and tablet-sized screens, along with a higher-capacity battery and stylus support, at a much, much higher price than the iPhone 18 Pro — which itself has better cameras, Face ID, and a slightly faster-charging battery.

In other areas, they’re largely similar devices, offering comparable power and software (despite some early teething issues for the Duo), plus similar-quality outer screens.

The Duo gets a beautiful nano-texture inner display, though by virtue of it being a foldable phone, it's also heavier than the iPhone 18 Pro, and when folded shut, it’s also thicker.

So you’ve really got to think about what factors are most important to you and whether the benefits of the iPhone Duo outweigh its enormous price. Indeed, at such a high cost, you might want to consider buying both the iPhone 18 Pro and an iPad mini instead.

Still, the Duo is more pocketable than an iPad (crucially, you're getting two device experiences in one), and it’s an undeniably great phone, scoring 4.5 stars in our review. So if it suits your needs, you’re unlikely to regret buying it. Just be aware of the learning curve.

• T-Mobile has rejected the idea of sharing its network with Starlink
• The company's CEO argues that satellite is an "inferior" technology to what T-Mobile currently uses
• Verizon and AT&T have also turned Starlink down

For all its lofty ambitions, Starlink Mobile doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere fast. SpaceX recently announced plans to build “the world’s most advanced mobile network” using its Starlink satellites, but satellites alone won’t cut it — the service also needs ground-based infrastructure and enough spectrum to power it, neither of which Starlink really has.

So its initial plan seemed to be to launch an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) by partnering with T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T and gaining access to their infrastructure.

However, all three of those names have rejected SpaceX’s proposition, with T-Mobile’s CEO, Srini Gopalan, recently going so far as to say in an earnings call (via WCCFTech) that "satellite is an inferior version of FWA with even more constraints in terms of things like what is the size of the beam."

No need for satellites

FWA, or fixed wireless access, is what carriers often use to bring broadband to homes and other static locations in rural areas, combining a router with a 5G or 4G signal, rather than using fibre optic cables.

FWA exists in urban areas too, but it’s particularly useful where conventional broadband struggles. So, essentially, Gopalan is arguing that satellite connectivity is a worse option, even in many rural and hard-to-reach areas, than FWA.

On top of that, Gopalan claims that “two-thirds of our FWA customers come from dense urban areas. We see huge growth opportunities in those areas still, all under the fallow capacity model. So we don’t really see a synergistic opportunity with satellite providers.”

All of which could be a big problem for SpaceX, as it’s likely the company will have to rely primarily on its satellites for now. Though with its plans to launch 15,000 new satellites, lease 80,000 cell tower sites, and possibly install cellular base stations on existing Starlink dishes, it could still deliver a viable mobile network — and a threat to the big three — eventually.

If you’ve just picked up a shiny new iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, you’re probably sifting through a gazillion case options to better protect it from drops and scratches.

The very best iPhone cases are stylish, durable, and feel great in the hand, but having tested hundreds of different models over the years, let me tell you: not all iPhone cases are created equal.

So, to help you find the treasure in a sea of trash, I’ve rounded up nine of my favorite iPhone 18 Pro-specific cases from Moft, Troubadour, CASETiFY, and more.

Apple Silicone Case with MagSafe

Apple’s classic Silicone Case for the iPhone 18 Pro is the definition of a safe bet. As we’ve come to expect from these largely unchanging models, this case feels great in the hand and is grippier than many of the leather options included elsewhere on this list. But if by some miracle Apple’s Silicone Case does slip from your grasp, its rubbery construction provides a good amount of shock absorption for your precious iPhone.

If I’ve got any criticisms of Apple’s Silicone Case, it’s that it picks up lint pretty easily (a consequence of that extra grippiness) and it's prone to showing circular marks when attached to MagSafe charging accessories for long periods. These circles are temporary, only appearing when the case itself heats up during charging, but their existence is worth noting nonetheless.

For extra protection, you can pair Apple’s Silicone Case with a compatible Wrist Strap or Crossbody Strap, which are both sold separately. I'm not cool enough to pull off either of those things, but you might be.

Buy the iPhone 18 Pro Silicone Case with MagSafe

ESR Atelier Silicone Leather Magnetic Case

Crafted from soft silicone leather (which I can only assume is a synthetic leather-adjacent material), the ESR Atelier Silicone Leather Magnetic Case feels comfortable to hold and is chunky enough to protect your iPhone from reasonably high drops.

But the selling point of this case is its built-in stand, which sits around the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera plateau. It can be adjusted from 15 to 69 degrees and is sturdy as heck at all angles, so whether you’re watching a YouTube video with breakfast or a movie on the train, you don’t have to worry about your iPhone collapsing backwards on itself.

A 90-degree extension option would’ve been nice, but if going beyond 69 degrees would necessitate a bulkier module around the camera plateau, I’m happy with the trade-off.

Buy the ESR iPhone 18 Pro Atelier Silicone Leather Magnetic Case

Troubadour Modular Case

I’ve written about my favorite iPhone cases from Troubadour (formerly Mujjo) before, and for the iPhone 18 Pro, the case-maker has shaken up its lineup with a modular version of its classic Leather Case.

This Terracotta model features a removable magnetic back panel, which lets you pop out a portion of the case if you’d rather leave the rear of your iPhone 18 Pro exposed. I’m not entirely sure why anyone would want to do this — a backless phone looks cool, but feels strange in the hand — but I suppose it’s nice to have the option to do so.

The bigger benefit of having a removable back panel is that you can swap out the standard piece for custom MagSafe accessories that sit inside the cavity, rather than stacking onto the back of the case itself. Troubadour’s MagSafe Card Leather Wallet Stand is sold separately, but it’s absolutely worth picking up: it’s big enough to hold three cards, and features a fold-out stand that can prop up the iPhone 18 Pro in either portrait or landscape positions.

Buy the Troubadour iPhone 18 Pro Modular Case

CASETiFY Ripple Case

CASETiFY never does things by halves (remember when the brand partnered with The Andy Warhol Foundation?), and its latest Ripple Case for the iPhone 18 Pro is characteristically fun and durable.

Featuring four raised corners, this silicone case has been engineered to absorb and disperse force when dropped from multiple angles. CASETiFY says it’s been tested to withstand drops from up to 6.6 feet high, and while I wasn’t brave enough to raise my own iPhone 18 Pro above my 6-foot frame and drop it to the floor, I can believe the company’s claim: this thing bounces around like a ping-pong ball (complimentary).

Another nice feature of the Ripple case is its ability to withstand light-induced yellowing and object staining. You can rub ketchup, crayons, and coffee all over it — or even leave it out in the sun all day — and it’ll look good as new after a quick wipe. Parents, rejoice!

Buy the CASETiFY iPhone 18 Pro Ripple Case

Wave MagSafe Case

Wave’s MagSafe cases are unfussy, eco-friendly, and devoid of flashy features. Crucially, they’re made from biodegradable wheat straw, so they’re (much) better for the planet than many of the other options in this list — including those made from vegan leather.

I don’t love that Wave’s cases leave your iPhone’s Camera Control button exposed, which makes the button itself harder to reach given the width added to the phone by the case. But if you’re conscious about what might happen to your case after you’re done with it, there aren’t many better options than the Wave case.

Buy the Wave iPhone 18 Pro MagSafe Compatible Case

Peak Design SlimLink Everyday Loop Case

If you’re someone who likes to attach your phone to your vehicle, Peak Design’s SlimLink cases are the way to go. The SlimLink Everyday Loop Case for the iPhone 18 Pro can be attached to the brand’s car, bike, and motorcycle mounts (sold separately) via a novel magnetic-plus-mechanical mount system, which is more resistant to vibrations and bumps than magnets alone.

But even if you’re not fussed about mounting your phone to your, err, mount, the SlimLink Everyday Loop Case feels awesome in the hand, looks super smart (particularly in the Sage color pictured above), and features an optional finger loop for added peace of mind when you’re leaning over the railings at Niagara Falls to get the perfect shot.

I’m going to cheat and add a second Peak Design option in this same entry: the brand’s MagSafe-only Everyday Case is also a great pick if you’d rather avoid the bells and whistles of its SlimLink system and finger loop. It’s available in Charcoal, Sage, Ocean, Redwood Clarino (pictured above), Dusk Clarino, Cirrus Clarino, Black Leather, and Amber Leather.

Buy the Peak Design SlimLink Everyday Loop Case for iPhone 18 Pro

Moft Snap Case MOVAS

The Moft Snap Case MOVAS is an absolutely gorgeous iPhone 18 Pro case, but I urge you to exercise patience if, when putting it on your iPhone for the first time, it seems defective.

This is the tightest iPhone case I have ever used, which means it’s a bit of a challenge to get on and off. And once you do manage to snap it around your iPhone, it can sometimes ‘lock’ the power button into depression erroneously, which will force you to remove and re-apply the case until the power button becomes clickable as normal.

However, once you do find the perfect fit (I suggest leading with the power button side, and ‘pushing down’ with the volume rocker side), I’d wager that this is the nicest-feeling and nicest-looking iPhone 18 Pro case around.

There is something remarkably soft about Moft’s proprietary vegan leather, which is topped with a silicone-based surface treatment for a skin-like feel. And the aforementioned tightness of this case means it adds almost zero bulk to your iPhone 18 Pro. If you’re concerned about aesthetics above all else, this is the case to choose — especially in the Blackberry color, which complements Apple’s new Burgundy shade perfectly.

Buy the Moft Snap Case MOVAS for iPhone 18 Pro

Moment Camera Case II

Here’s one for the camera aficionados: the Moment Camera Case II lets you attach extra mobile lenses, physical photo filters, and mounting hardware to your iPhone 18 Pro.

Maybe you want to add some cinematic depth to your wide shots, or more optical character to your macro shots? Moment has attachments that help you do both those things, and the Camera Case II is the rig onto which these attachments, well, attach.

The brand’s twist-and-lock system works seamlessly, and the Camera Case II’s Camera Control button is the best of any case I’ve tested. Sure, this is a chunky piece of kit, and I don’t particularly like the ribbed material on the rear panel (think mild carpet burn), but this is the case to choose if you’re looking to take your iPhone photography to the next level.

Buy the Moment Camera Case II for iPhone 18 Pro

• JerryRigEverything has performed a teardown and durability test on the Trump phone
• This revealed that it's so similar to an HTC phone you can even swap their motherboards
• The Trump phone did at least survive the durability tests

It was starting to feel like we wouldn’t have to hear any more about the Trump Mobile T1, but a new durability test has confirmed what we already largely knew — namely that it's little more than a rebranded HTC.

A previous teardown from iFixit revealed that the Trump phone had essentially identical specs and components to the HTC U24 Pro — a mid-range Taiwanese phone from 2024. The design is ever so slightly different, with the Trump phone having a different camera housing and a gold paint job, but the dimensions are the same too.

Now, though, JerryRigEverything has gone a step further, revealing that not only is the internal layout the same, right down to the number of screws, but if you swap the Trump phone’s motherboard with the HTC U24 Pro’s, both phones still work.

So the Trump phone really is almost a carbon copy of that HTC handset — rather calling into question its claims of being “proudly American.”

Passes the durability test

The only upside to all this is that, by essentially being an HTC U24 Pro, the Trump phone matches that device for durability. It survived being bent in multiple directions, seemingly has effective water resistance, and has a screen that’s just as scratch-resistant as most modern smartphones.

So if you have bought one of these devices, then at least it might last you a while — but that’s likely more down to designers and engineers in Taiwan than anyone in the US.

And even if you haven’t bought one, the video is worth a watch, targeting as it does not just the phone but the entire Trump administration, to the point where one Reddit commenter described it as “the most entertaining durability test video I've ever seen”.

Nintendo officially increased the price of its Switch 2 console in September from AU$699.95 to AU$769.95 due to “various market conditions”, no doubt caused by increasing component costs driven by AI-driven shortages.

If you missed out before the price increased, and now feel the new price has put you off from buying a Switch 2, I don’t blame you — but if you also happen to be in the market for a new smartphone, then have I found the deal for you.

For a limited time, JB Hi-Fi is throwing in a free Nintendo Switch 2 with every purchase of either a Google Pixel 11 Pro or Pro XL handset, a saving of AU$769.95!

I’ve not seen many discounts on the Switch 2 since its September price hike, and I’ve certainly never seen one being given away for free. That fact alone should give this deal plenty of appeal, but when you consider the recent game releases for the console, there’s plenty more to get excited about.

Yes, with a slew of first-party and exclusive releases from this year like Star Fox, Donkey Kong Bonanza, Pokémon Pokopia and more, as well as upcoming titles like Metroid Ravenous, Pokémon Winds and Waves and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, you’re not exactly short of options for engaging gaming potential.

Our Nintendo Switch 2 review gave the console 4.5 stars, confidently claiming it to be a massive upgrade over its predecessor. The headline improvements include support for 4K and 1440p resolutions (vs up to 1080p), a 120Hz refresh rate (up from 60Hz) and overall performance improvements with an Nvidia Tegra T239 processor, 12GB of RAM (vs 4GB) and starting storage of 256GB.

And let’s not take the attention away from the Pixel phones included in this offer. The Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL each received 4 out of five stars in their respective reviews, with both delivering battery improvements and better AI performance from the new Tensor G6 chipset, improved cameras, brighter screens and lighter and slimmer chassis. The Pro XL has also earned a spot among the best phones you can buy in Australia.

Securing either of these top-performing devices on their own is always going to be a wise move. When you get one of them included for free, then it practically becomes a no-brainer.

In the year of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Honor Robot Phone, and recently released iPhone Duo, it feels almost blasphemous to hand TechRadar’s Phone of the Year award to the iPhone 18 Pro at the TechRadar Product of the Year Awards 2026, but there is something quietly brilliant about Apple’s latest flagship.

Contrary to those aforementioned headline-grabbers, the iPhone 18 Pro is not a flashy product in almost any way. Heck, it even swaps the Cosmic Orange excitement of the iPhone 17 Pro for a more sophisticated, wine-tasting-in-Sonoma Burgundy shade, as if it wants to emerge from your pocket with as little fanfare as possible.

And yet underneath the iPhone 18 Pro’s muted exterior is a phone so consistently competent that it’s hard to find anything to complain about. Not only is it one of the best camera phones money can buy, but it also brings market-leading performance, a gorgeous OLED display, impressive battery life, and refreshing software simplicity to the table.

The iPhone 18 Pro’s well-roundedness is what makes it a cut above the rest. Sure, you’ll find larger camera sensors on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or bigger batteries in the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max and Xiaomi 17 Ultra. You’ll even find a variable aperture feature on a handful of Android phones from the last decade (Huawei Mate 50 Pro, anyone?). But if I had to recommend a phone that does everything at an 8/10-level or above, it’s the iPhone 18 Pro.

And I really do mean everything.

In recent years, Apple’s flagships have been excellent phones with embarrassingly limited AI capabilities compared to the competition. But following Siri’s long-awaited glow-up in iOS 27, the iPhone 18 Pro no longer feels like a hamstrung device (don’t let the naysayers fool you — Siri AI is good).

Even if you’re not fussed about AI and are wondering whether the iPhone 18 Pro is a meaningfully different device to the iPhone 17 Pro, I’m inclined to say, “no, but that’s not really the point.” Most people aren’t upgrading from a previous-generation flagship, and Apple is hardly alone in shipping iterative upgrades year after year. The iPhone 18 Pro is familiar but formidable.

I also think the arrival of new form-factor devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo will remind people not to take the iPhone 18 Pro for granted. Consumers have long berated Apple for shipping ‘boring’ new-generation iPhones, and yet critics of the Duo are lamenting its thickness, awkward button placement, and lack of Face ID and Pro camera components.

We’ve been spoiled by the consistency of Apple’s flagship phones, just as soccer star Erling Haaland — who regularly scores 30+ goals every season — is rarely mentioned in conversations surrounding the most exciting players in the world. Haaland’s excellence has been normalized so as not to be exciting anymore: he's the iPhone 18 Pro of the soccer world (Lamine Yamal is the iPhone Duo in this metaphor — I won’t be explaining further).

The question now is: where do candybar flagships go from here? It feels like we’re approaching the end of an era, not only because the margin for year-on-year improvements is as small as it's ever been, but also because foldables are finally entering the mainstream conversation.

What's more, smartphones as we know them might soon be replaced by smartphone-adjacent wearables, especially if OpenAI and Jony Ive get their way.

But if you’re asking me right here, right now, for my pick as the best smartphone of 2026, my answer is the iPhone 18 Pro. It’s the boring choice, but in my opinion, the right one. We've reached ‘peak smartphone,’ and the iPhone 18 Pro is what ‘peak smartphone’ looks like.

I now invite you to (*deep breath*) debate me in the comments.

In my review of Apple's iPhone Duo, I noted the engineering and build quality, how easy it is to unfold the phone, and also how solid and sure it feels when you close it. And I have opened and closed the flexible, dual-screen phone many, many times.

When a small set of iPhone Duo owners complained that their large inner screens had unexpectedly and disturbingly cracked, Apple did something unusual: it acknowledged the complaints: "We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units. If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.”

That's not Apple saying there's a fundamental flaw or that the issue is found on anything more than a small number of the already popular phones.

I watched with some dismay as people started bandying about the 'crackgate' phrase. Apple has had its share of 'gates' over the years, including 'bendgate' with the iPhone 6 Plus, and Antenna Gate with the iPhone 4. On the latter, Steve Jobs memorably told customers they were holding the phone wrong (he later apologized for the issues).

The notion of '[anything]gate' comes from the Watergate Scandal, a cover-up of a crime involving the then President of the United States, Richard Nixon. Now, whenever people think there's an issue and someone is trying to obfuscate it, they slap a 'gate' on it. I've written before that I hate this.

Leaving aside the term, there is the fact that some people claim the iPhone Duo cracked when they opened it and only shortly after they brought it home. Since we can't rewind those tapes, we have to take them at their word. Still, I think it's fair to wonder if they opened it too roughly, like a strongman trying to tear a phonebook in half. We just don't know.

Inside the iPhone Duo Display

Here's what I do know, though: Apple spent considerable effort building a durable folding iPhone. Seriously, how could it not?

Samsung has been doing this for a decade, and with each iteration of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold line it has improved the display panel structure and supporting hinge technology. On the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra it actually uses two titanium plates. One relatively rigid plate sits at the bottom of the stack, and is responsible for making the phone open stiffly flat. The other, for durability at the crease, is a super-thin sheet of titanium alloy.

Apple does not talk about where it sourced its iPhone Duo display technology, though most have surmised that it started with Samsung. Even so, the display and hinge architecture of the iPhone Duo is distinct from that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

It's worth digging into these details to understand the iPhone Duo's potential weak points, and because, in many of my conversations about why the Duo displays might have cracked and how it happened, people want to understand what part, exactly, is cracking. The build, as described by Apple on the Surprise and Shine launch day in September, provides some clues.

It's been more than a month since Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, but I recall Chief Hardware Officer Johny Srouji explaining in stark detail how Apple builds the iPhone Duo display and hinge (complete with images).

According to Srouji, the goal for Apple was, unsurprisingly, "to provide the high quality for viewing content without what people dislike about foldable displays: The distracting crease, the plastic feel, susceptibility to scratches and dents."

Apple started with what it knew and built something better

Talking to me after the event, Srouji and Apple CEO John Ternus probably leaned a little too hard into criticisms of other foldable displays. Ternus claimed, "I think what you've seen out there are all these just kind of cheap-feeling plastic surfaces that don't feel good to the touch."

Having used most of the major foldable phones out there, I don't think Ternus was being fair. After all, Apple has built its first foldable on the shoulders of giants like Samsung, who all but perfected the display design. Did Apple take it further? Absolutely.

In the keynote, Srouji said Apple's engineers relied on "their learnings from iPad and Mac" to develop the biggest folding display innovation: the nano-texture display. This reflection-killing surface is what's primarily responsible for hiding virtually all visual remnants of the crease.

I don't think the nano-texture covering (a polymer with a special anti-scratch coating, by the way) has anything to do with the possible cracks; instead, they probably relate to the multi-layered construction, and both the display and the hinges' ability to withstand thousands and thousands of folds (or, in the case of these cracked Duo screen customers, one bad unfold).

Based on the images Srouji showed off, the iPhone Duo display is composed of 10 layers. Included in them is a back panel of titanium (yes, like on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra) for straightness and stiffness when unfolded. There are also two ultra-thin flexible glass layers above and below the OLED panel.

Instead of these floating freely, Apple uses an elastic adhesive to keep the panels together while also letting them slide back and forth over each other so that, Srouji said, "the panel doesn't distort over time".

Behind the panel is the hinge, which Apple says has one hundred components, some of which are attached to carbon fiber support plates.

Watch this space

My point is that Apple was about as open as a tech company could be about how and why it made the iPhone Duo display, and we have enough information to make at least one reasonable assumption: one or more of the thin glass panels cracked for a few iPhone Duo owners. After all, the OLED panel is about as flexible as a thin piece of plastic. The titanium wouldn't crack; even the nanostructured polymer is unlikely to crack. My guess is that either a manufacturing imperfection or misuse resulted in one or both of the glass panels cracking, and possibly damaging the OLED sandwiched between them.

There are other hypotheses, like some loose component inside getting sandwiched and cracking the screen or even hinge misalignment. I'm sure Apple is examining every possibility.

The iPhone Duo is the first iPhone with a significant moving part. It's the first with two displays. And the first where one is a flexible display that's expected to survive tens of thousands of folds. The complexity and quality assurance for building such a device is surely enormous. Apple is lucky to have had others like Samsung, Motorola, and Google go through a decade of perfecting the technology before it delivered the iPhone Duo. Still, that doesn't diminish its accomplishment. Nor does it lessen the risks of shipping a folding iPhone to people who don't always know when to stop unfolding. Maybe someone over-torqued it; maybe they just got a bad unit.

In the end, such issues are not entirely unexpected, but they do not, for now at least, indicate a larger issue. I think Apple did its homework here, and I'm simply not buying 'crackgate.'

• A vibe-coded app lets you access various AI chatbots on the Nokia 6300 and other ancient phones
• As long as the phone supports Java apps, it should, in theory, be able to run the app
• However, you have to buy credits to use it

Phones have come a long way since the Nokia 6300 launched back in early 2007 — that device had no touchscreen and no Wi-Fi capabilities. In fact, you were limited to 2G connectivity on the 6300 — something that the US and some other countries have now shut down. But thanks to a new vibe-coded app, the Nokia 6300 now has some very 2026 capabilities.

X user @EmirKarsiyakali has shared how they’ve created an app dubbed Aikon — that's 'Nokia' backwards — that allows you to access ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok on the Nokia 6300 or any other old phone that runs Java apps (notably, though, it was originally developed for the 6300 and has only been tested on Nokia Series 40 and Series 60 phones).

So if you’ve got one of these ancient handsets sitting in a drawer, you could dig it out and give this app a try — though you’re unlikely to want to ditch your smartphone.

Pricey and clunky

While the Aikon app does add some smart capabilities to old dumb phones, it’s not free, as you have to buy credits from the Aikon site to converse with it.

Also, while some effort has been made to provide a good user experience — the app supports multiple languages, saves messages for 30 days, and includes support for voice messages and image analysis — you’re still going to be working with a tiny, low-resolution screen and a keypad.

Not to mention the fact that, in the case of the Nokia 6300 and some other supported models, you might not even have access to any sort of data connection if you’re in a country that has shut down its 2G services.

Still, it’s impressive to see such a modern technology working on such ancient hardware, and it could be fun to at least dabble with the Aikon app if you have a supported handset.

• The Android Kindle app now supports handwriting
• This means you can use a stylus to annotate books
• A support page suggests similar functionality might soon come to Apple devices

One of the big perks of the Kindle Scribe is being able to add handwritten annotations to your books, but it’s a perk that’s no longer exclusive to Amazon’s hardware, as the Kindle app for Android now supports handwritten notes too.

With this update, you can now use a stylus to write directly onto your Kindle books, selecting from different pen styles, colors, and sizes. You can also use this feature to highlight, circle, and underline text.

This could be especially useful for studying, but if you enjoy annotating fiction books, it’s a helpful update there too. It’s not limited to large-screen devices either, with users on Reddit claiming that various standard phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, gained access to this feature as well — though it appears to only work on devices that have native stylus support.

An ereader upgrade — with iOS support possibly incoming

Still, as confirmed by some users, that also means you can access this update on some Android-powered ereaders like certain Boox models.

It’s a feature that’s largely been received positively, with comments on Reddit including “nice surprise,” “I was so happy to see this,” “this is awesome,” and “this is such a game changer.”

Right now, this feature is only available on the Android app, but an Amazon support page mentions that Active Canvas (the feature that allows you to write directly on a Kindle book) is also available on supported iOS devices — so perhaps the iPad and iPhone Duo app will get this update soon.

Felix Mobile has long been the sole provider of truly unlimited mobile data plans in Australia, with the only catch being download speeds are limited. For a time, the telco’s only offering was 40Mbps for AU$40 per month. Earlier this month, though, the telco unveiled a faster Unlimited+ plan that doubles download speeds to 80Mbps, for only AU$10 extra each month.

In my mind, AU$50 a month for truly unlimited data is a bit of a bargain, but now Felix Mobile has taken things a step further by offering 50% off its Unlimited+ plan for the first 6 months — that’s just AU$25 per month for as much mobile data as you need, at speeds up to 80Mbps.

Most telcos in Australia technically offer unlimited mobile data on their plans, but they almost always throttle the speeds significantly once you’ve used your monthly allowance — usually down to around 2Mbps. Felix Mobile’s Unlimited and Unlimited+ plans forego data caps entirely, and the speeds remain consistent at 40Mbps and 80Mbps, respectively (compared to the minimum 100-150Mbps that most telcos offer).

The 80Mbps speeds of Felix Unlimited+ will be virtually identical to a 100-150Mbps mobile plan for everyday browsing, social media and music streaming, and I’d argue that even streaming 4K video will perform quite similarly, too.

You’d only be able to tell the difference when you’re downloading large files and apps, though you’d be better off using your home internet for those, anyway.

Felix recommends using the Unlimited+ plan for personal mobile use only, with occasional hotspotting to personal devices like laptops or tablets while on the go, and it shouldn’t replace a home or office internet plan or be used for continuous downloading of large files.

If you want to test the data speeds before committing, Felix also offers a 7-day guarantee where you can get a full refund within 7 days of activating if you’re not satisfied.

It’s been an exceptionally busy few months for Apple. In just seven weeks, the Cupertino giant has refreshed its store shelves with the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, HomePod mini 2, HomeView, OLED iPad mini, iMac M6, and MacBook Pro M6.

That’s eight new products for your perusal, but by offering more choice than ever, Apple has also thrown up some unique new buying conundrums.

For instance, if it’s cheaper to buy an iPhone 18 Pro and Apple’s new iPad mini than it is to buy the iPhone Duo (spoiler: it is), should you? That’s the argument currently doing the rounds on Reddit and TechRadar sister site Tom’s Guide, where my colleague says the iPhone 18 Pro/iPad mini combo is “cheaper and better” than Apple’s first foldable.

I can absolutely see the logic in this position. The iPhone 18 Pro costs $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,099. The new OLED iPad mini costs $699 / £699 / AU$1,099. Together, they cost $1,898 / £1,898 / AU$3,198, while a single iPhone Duo costs $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,499. You’d be getting two great products instead of one, and saving $101 / £101 / AU$301 in the process.

The iPhone 18 Pro is also a better phone in many ways than the iPhone Duo. It’s thinner, lighter, has better cameras, and doesn’t rely on Touch ID. The OLED iPad mini, meanwhile, offers a Duo-comparable entertainment experience, and can even be equipped with the same Nano-Texture display technology as Apple’s first foldable. So buying the Pro and mini over the Duo is a no-brainer, right?

Well, I'm not so sure. The fundamental difference between these two purchase decisions is that one involves two devices, and the other only one. These are not like-for-like experiences. Owning and using an iPhone 18 Pro alongside an iPad mini is not comparable to the experience of owning and using a single iPhone Duo. But, crucially, the reverse is true.

The Duo is a compromise, yes, but it still offers an undeniably iPad-like experience in pocketable form. You’re paying a premium for its versatility and portability. The whole point of the Duo (and foldables generally) is that it lets you experience a tablet whenever and wherever you are. It’s like using a spork while camping to save you packing a spoon and a fork. Or buying a Range Rover Sport instead of a Ferrari and a family-sized minivan.

The new iPad mini is small, sure — but are you really going to walk around with an 8.5-inch tablet in your pocket? Tom’s Guide’s assertion that “Apple has inadvertently priced its own foldable out of the market for anyone willing to carry a small bag” makes a rather big assumption about the number of people willing to carry a small bag on their person at all times. I am not one of those people, and I don’t know many of them.

All this being said, I am no great iPhone Duo defender. For me, the compromises of getting an iPad-like experience in an iPhone-sized device are, at the time of writing, too great, and I would personally rather stick with my iPhone 18 Pro (and, yes, maybe even buy an iPad mini for watching movies in bed or on the plane).

But that does not mean I think I'd be recreating the experience of owning the iPhone Duo by buying two separate Apple products — watching movies in bed or on the plane is not the same as watching movies wherever I please.

So, yes: buying the iPhone 18 Pro and the new iPad mini might be better value for money than buying a single iPhone Duo, but value and compatibility are two different things. There’s definitely something to be said for owning one device that offers the best of both worlds, and anyone considering the iPhone Duo should remember that before being swayed one way or the other.

Though 2026 has been a tumultuous time for technology when it comes to price hikes and shortages, the tech that's reached us has been excellent — in fact, it's been a banner year in most areas, just with some downsides for your wallet.

We've already crowned the best tech of the year as chosen by you in our TechRadar Readers' Choice Awards 2026 — but this is where we let our experts have their say.

Our writers and editors chose their favorite products in nearly 100 categories, ranging across all the kinds of products we review. In some cases, we agree with the readers; in lots of cases, we don't. So read on to see which gadgets we rate as being the most impressive of the last 12 months.

Phones & tablets

Phone of the Year

Phone Brand of the Year

Phones Innovation of the Year

Best Value Phone

Best Mid-Range Phone

Best Folding Phone

Best Flip Phone

Best Camera Phone

Best Gaming Phone

Best AI Phone

Best Phone Accessory

Best Tablet

Best eReader

Cameras & drones

Camera of the Year

Brand of the Year

Camera Innovation of the Year

Best Beginner Camera

Best Mid-range camera

Best Professional Camera

Best Compact and Instant Camera

Best Action and Vlogging Camera

Best Camera Lens

Best Camera Accessory

Best Drone

Computing

Laptop of the Year

Computing Brand of the Year

Best Computing Innovation

Best Value Laptop

Best AI Laptop

Best Gaming Laptop

Best PC Gaming Handheld

Best Gaming Keyboard

Best Gaming Mouse

Best Gaming Monitor

Gaming

Gaming Device of the Year

Gaming Brand of the Year

Gaming Innovation of the Year

Best Console Accessory

Best Gaming Service

Best Gaming Controller

Best Gaming Headset

Best Gaming Chair

TV & home theater

TV of the Year

Home Entertainment Brand of the Year

Home Entertainment Innovation of the Year

Best Gaming TV

Best TV for Sound

Best OLED TV

Best Mini-LED TV

Best Value TV

Best Projector

Best Soundbar

Best Wireless Home Theater Speakers

Streaming

Streaming Service of the Year

Best for Movies

Best for Documentaries

Best for TV Shows

Best Free Streaming Service

Audio

Headphones of the Year

Audio Brand of the Year

Audio Innovation of the Year

Best Wireless Headphones

Best Wireless Earbuds

Best Open Earbuds

Best Value Headphones

Best Value Earbuds

Best Value Open Earbuds

Best Wired Headphones

Best Wired Earbuds

Best Bluetooth Speaker

Best Wireless Speaker

Best Portable Audio Player

Best Turntable

Best DAC

Best Stereo Speakers

Health & Fitness tech

Health & Fitness Device of the year

Health & Fitness Brand of the Year

Health & Fitness Innovation of the Year

Best Smartwatch

Best Running Watch

Best Fitness Tracker

Best Smart Ring

Best Electric Toothbrush

Best Connected Fitness Tech

Home tech

Home Device of the Year

Home Tech Brand of the Year

Home Tech Innovation of the Year

Best Home Light Tech

Best Home Security Device

Best Robot Vacuum

Best Vacuum