You’ll probably never use a Tecno phone. Until this week, I’d never heard of the Chinese brand or its Camon line of handsets. Now, it’s unlikely I’ll forget them.

The company recently held a swanky New York City launch for its new Tecno Camon Series 19 Pro Android 12 phones even though the products won’t be for sale in the US (or the UK, for that matter). I honestly wondered what they were doing there and, more importantly, why I was there.

Tecno insisted on describing the handsets as being “designed for fashionistas.” I could not tell you what that means, but I admit to being intrigued by the design, specs, and, especially, the price.

Key specs include:

• 6.8-inch FHD+ virtually edge-to-edge 120 Hz display
• Drill-hole front-facing 32MP camera
• 64 MP and 50 MP cameras on the back
• 2X optical zoom
• Optical Image Stabilization
• 5,000 mAh battery
• Fingerprint reader
• Face unlocking
• Some nifty AI-infused photo tricks
• a 3.5mm headphone jack (!)
• A power brick, cable, and earbuds (!!)

It’s also a surprisingly attractive phone. There’s a fingerprint-rejecting diamond-coated back that looks and feels lovely. The dual circle camera array (which houses three cameras – there is a 2MP bokeh-assisting lens), is large but elegant, its premium looks assisted by its crystal glass covering. The chassis is only slightly thicker than an iPhone 13 Pro Max, but the phone feels considerably lighter.

The Camon 19 Pro comes will all this (and more) for $280. That’s a phone you could pay off in the space of five or six months (if you pay around $50 a month). The Camon Series 19 Pro 5G starts at just $320. That’s, on both phones, with 128 GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.

To put that in perspective, the cheapest iPhone you can buy is the $429 Apple iPhone SE, which has just 64 GB of storage.

There's a catch

There are, of course, huge caveats, the biggest one being global availability. These Tecno phones are available in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Southern Asia, but not, as I noted earlier, in the US or Europe. Pricing might also vary and the $280 and $320 Tecno offered is still just an “estimate” for my market.

There are numerous limits often associated with budget phones like no under-the-screen fingerprint reader. Instead, the power/wake button doubles as an effective fingerprint reader. The screen is still LCD and not OLED. There’s no reported IP rating (maybe keep it away from deep puddles). It doesn’t offer wireless charging.

Then there’s the mobile CPU, a MediaTek Helio G96, which is probably equivalent to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G. Its benchmark numbers aren’t even in the same neighborhood as, say, an Apple A15 Bionic or a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

So, when I unexpectedly walked out of the event with a review unit in hand and decided to spend a day or so with it, I tried to level-set my expectations.

For the most part, though, this budget device exceeded them.

Not bad at all

As I mentioned it’s an attractive big-screen phone with a vibrant display that, naturally, looks excellent indoors. Outside is a different matter. It struggled in bright light, but I could still see well enough to use its camera and rather rich settings to take a variety of shots. Everything from standard to 2x telephoto, and from Portrait to slow motion looked quite good. Even low-light and night shots were decent (nothing would qualify as remarkable). There’s no wide-angle lens, let alone ultra-wide but the included lenses captured sharp, colorful, and accurate images.

Portrait mode from the rear camera is good (the front camera had more artifacts), though you can’t adjust the level of bokeh before or after the shot (how many people do this on their iPhone 13 or Samsung Galaxy, anyway?). There is an editing tool that lets you add and adjust a bokeh effect on any image, but it’s not directly tied to Portrait Mode photography, which is kind of silly.

The AI-powered camera and its efforts to identify objects in a scene were entertaining. At one point, I pointed the phone at my hand, and it came up with “Pet.”

There are so many image manipulation options that you may never find or use them all. The set for body manipulation is, at best, problematic. It offers to slim the waistline, head, shoulder, slim and lengthen legs, “plump butt,” along with other cosmetic alterations. Perhaps this is what Techno meant by a phone for “fashionistas.”

It was, to be fair, hard to find those features and the phone certainly doesn’t push them. Still, it’s weird that they’re there.

Punching above its weight

For a sub-$300 phone, the Tecno Camon 19 Pro is quite the performer. It played taxing games like Asphalt 9: Legends without missing a beat. I think it might've been dropping a frame or two, and the audio could be richer, but it was still an enjoyable experience.

It’s an effective productivity platform for browsing and file management, and I do love the alphabetically ordered app list (Apple, Samsung, please do this).

That 5,000 mAh battery is, by the way, an all-day champ.

Basically, this is an above-average phone at a ridiculously good price.

Will it ever arrive in the US and UK? I don’t know and Tecno offered no guidance. I’m not sure it matters. What the Tecno Camon 19 Pro demonstrates for me is that all phone manufacturers can do better on the affordability front. We’re paying as much as $999 for powerful big-screen phones that probably do far more than we’ll ever need them to (at least for most of us).

The Camon 19 Pro sets a nice example for the possibilities of budget. I think it’s time Apple, Samsung, and others answer in kind.

The Google Pixel 6a was announced at Google IO back in May, but won't go on sale until July. While we wait, more promotional images of the mid-range handset have leaked out, giving us more of a look at the hardware and software of the device.

These photos come courtesy of well-known tipster Evan Blass on Twitter, and they look exactly like you would expect official promo shots from Google to look. The three colors are on show – chalk (white), sage (green) and charcoal (gray) – and there are some lifestyle shots to pore over too.

While the imagery doesn't really tell us anything we don't know about these phones, there's plenty of it. If you're planning on picking up a Google Pixel 6a at the end of July, then these shots should keep you going until then.

What we know

The Google Pixel 6a is going on sale on July 28, with preorders opening up a week before. It'll set you back $449 / £399 / AU$749, and there's one specs configuration, which gives you  6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

Powering everything is the same first-gen Tensor chipset that runs inside the Google Pixel 6 and the Google Pixel 6 Pro, so performance should be top notch. We also know that the phone will sport a 6.1-inch OLED screen, with a 1080 x 2400 pixel resolution and a refresh rate of 60Hz.

For the cameras, Google has gone for a 12.2MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera around the back, with an 8MP camera on the front for selfies. Battery capacity is 4,410mAh, and you'll be able to charge that up at a rate of 30W.

Analysis: Google's slow burn phone launches

Google has taken the somewhat unusual step of announcing the Pixel 6a and indeed the Google Pixel 7 a significant amount of time before they're actually going on sale – and we're not sure it's a particularly good approach to take.

The company does have previous form for this. Remember when Google told us the Pixel 4a with 5G and Pixel 5 were coming, months ahead of the phones actually going on sale. That was at the same time as the Google Pixel 4a was introduced to the world, so Google does enjoy announcing phones in batches.

On the one hand, it gives consumers plenty of warning about what to expect. Money can be saved, plans can be made, and it means that you won't get caught out buying an older handset days before a new one appears out of the blue. Knowing more about what's coming makes purchasing decisions easier.

However, it does mean that phones can already seem old and out of date by the time they can eventually be bought – and there's a danger in showing your cards too early. We'll have to wait and see how successful the approach is in terms of sales for the Pixel 6a.

• The next Google Nest Wifi router is tipped to get a Wi-Fi 6 upgrade

We’ve heard numerous claims about what flagship phones we might or might not see from OnePlus this year, with talk mostly referring to a standard OnePlus 10 and a OnePlus 10 Ultra. But it’s now looking like we might not see either of those, with a OnePlus 10T instead launching.

This phone so far seems positioned as a slightly lower end handset than the OnePlus 10 Pro, so it could end up being the OnePlus 10 in all but name. However leaks suggest it has the Pro beat in at least one area – that being charging speed, and there’s a possibility that it could have a better chipset too.

Below we’ve detailed everything that we’ve heard about the OnePlus 10T so far, and we’ll update this article as soon as we hear anything more about it.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next high-end OnePlus phone
• When is it out? Probably later this year
• How much will it cost? Possibly slightly less than the OnePlus 10 Pro

OnePlus 10T release date and price

The one real release date rumor so far points to the OnePlus 10T landing in July, though this seems early for a T model and quite close to the launch of the OnePlus 10 Pro, so we’d think August or September is more likely.

There’s no news on what this phone might cost, but the same source claims it’s positioned to fall between the OnePlus 10 Pro and the OnePlus 10R, which would mean a slightly lower price than the Pro. For reference, that phone starts at $899 / £799 (roughly AU$1,400).

Though there’s some uncertainty over where the 10T actually sits in the line, with some evidence that it could have better specs than the OnePlus 10 Pro – and possibly be the OnePlus 10 Ultra in all but name. In which case it could have an even higher price.

OnePlus 10T name

The OnePlus 10T is a slightly odd name choice, given that typically ‘T’ versions are upgraded versions of standard numbered versions of OnePlus phones. So really there shouldn’t be a OnePlus 10T without a OnePlus 10.

But then by the same logic there shouldn’t be a OnePlus 10 Pro without a OnePlus 10, and yet here we are.

Still, there is therefore a chance that OnePlus will actually launch this as the OnePlus 10 – something which one source has suggested, saying they’re not sure whether it will be called the 10T or the 10.

But most recent leaks only talk about a OnePlus 10T, with talk of the 10 having died off, and leaker Max Jambor has specifically said that the OnePlus 10T 5G is the “final name of the next and only flagship phone coming from OnePlus this year.”

There is some vague logic to calling this the 10T too, since it will probably be landing quite a while after the OnePlus 10 Pro, so marking it out as not a direct part of that line could make sense – and if it lands during the typical T timing (late in the year) then adding a T to the name makes sense on that front.

OnePlus 10T design and display

One big OnePlus 10T leak has revealed a lot of spec details, and also included images, giving us a look at the phone’s possible design.

You can see one of these images below, complete with a huge camera block stretching across the entire width of the rear – albeit only housing lenses in the left two thirds, while the front has a flat screen with fairly slim bezels and a punch-hole camera.

You can also see power and volume buttons on the right edge, but there’s no alert slider. It’s worth noting though that these images are apparently based on early prototype units of the phone, so may not be exactly right.

The same source also revealed that the OnePlus 10T apparently has a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Those exact screen specs have also been listed by another leaker. That second leaker thought this phone would launch as the OnePlus 10, but they’re clearly talking about the same handset.

Based on all this the design and display appear to be a slight step down from the OnePlus 10 Pro, as that has a QHD+ curved screen and possibly slightly smaller bezels.

OnePlus 10T camera and battery

According to one leak the OnePlus 10T has a triple-lens camera on the rear, consisting of a 50MP primary camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 16MP ultrawide snapper, and a 2MP macro one. It can also apparently record video in up to 4K quality at up to 60fps. The front meanwhile is said to house a 32MP camera capable of 1080p recording at 30fps.

This same camera specs list had previously been outed by another source, so there’s a good chance it’s accurate.

That said, a third source has pointed to slightly different camera specs, saying to expect a 50MP f/1.8 primary sensor joined by 8MP and 2MP secondary ones, and a 16MP camera on the front.

As for the battery, the same three sources have said it has a 4,800mAh one with 150W charging. That’s an incredible amount of charging power and would have the OnePlus 10 Pro beat – though the size of the battery is smaller here, and the 10T also apparently lacks wireless charging.

OnePlus 10T specs and features

There’s slight uncertainty in terms of which chipset the OnePlus 10 Pro will use, with sources suggesting it could use either the Dimensity 9000 or the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus.

These are both high-end chipsets, with the latter being even better than the one in the OnePlus 10 Pro (or just about any other Android phone).

It’s that latter chipset that is currently looking more likely too, with one source saying OnePlus has decided to switch from the Dimensity to the Snapdragon, and leaker @yabhishekhd specifically tweeting that it will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus. A third source has also pointed to this chipset.

Beyond that, we’ve heard that the OnePlus 10T might come with a choice 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of storage, plus Android 12 overlaid with OxygenOS 12.

There’s also talk of an under-display fingerprint scanner and stereo speakers – neither of which would be surprising.

• Check out the best OnePlus phones

A consumer rights campaigner is suing Apple for more than £750 million (around $1 billion), alleging that the company intentionally slows down older devices to avoid the expense of repairing or replacing a device that was suffering from poor battery life.

In a claim submitted at the UK Competition Appeals Tribunal, Justin Guttman alleges that Apple included a secret battery management system in an update to iOS, intended to disguise the fact that older iPhone models were unable to handle the new version. This practice is known as ‘throttling’.

Guttman says the system was not included in the software notes and that consumers had no option to disable it, meaning the ‘upgrade’ was effectively a ‘downgrade’ in terms of performance.

iPhone throttling

Because Apple would not admit that its older models could not handle the update, and did not provide an alternative course of action, the case claims consumers were harmed.

“The claim is against [Apple] for breaching UK competition law by abusing their position of dominance in related markets by applying exploitative and unfair commercial practices that caused widespread harm to UK consumers and businesses,” reads the case website.

“These practices include: pushing users to download iOS updates which placed demands on the iPhones that exceeded the capabilities of the batteries installed, therefore increasing the likelihood of unexpected shut-downs; pushing iOS updates on users which contained a ‘throttling’ function, which resulted in significant reductions in the performance of these iPhones; and failing to communicate in a transparent manner about the unexpected shutdowns and subsequent ‘throttling’.”

If successful, anyone who owned an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, SE, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus or X, would be entitled to seek damages.

Apple has faced accusations of ‘throttling’ devices to encourage consumers to purchase new hardware before. In 2020, it filed a settlement in a California court, agreeing to pay up to $500 million (with a minimum of $310 million) in the form of payments to affected US customers. Similar lawsuits have also been filed in France and Italy.

Although the company has denied ever deliberately slowing down older handsets for nefarious reasons, it has confirmed that it does do this for older phones in certain circumstances. This might be because of a very old battery or because the device was cold – scenarios that would otherwise result in the device shutting down. More recent features include a ‘battery health’ dashboard and the ability to choose whether or not to optimise charging.

TechRadar Pro has contacted Apple for comment.

Unfortunately, Apple's webcams on its Mac computers have been a running joke in recent years due to their low quality, but a DIY stand looks to finally improve this once macOS Ventura is released.

Though we've seen improvements in the front cameras in Apple's iPhones in recent years, with features like filters, Portrait mode and more added, the lower quality on the Mac has remained the same.

This was put to the forefront when its Studio Display was released in March. While a software update tried to fix the bugs of webcam streams being blurry, it didn't seem to improve the quality much.

However, there's a new 3D-printed stand that can enable Continuity Camera in macOS Ventura, which uses your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac, and I can't wait to use it for my MacBook Pro.

Not long to wait

While I've been loving using a Mac again after going iPad-only for several years, one takeaway from this change is how much of a step-down the webcam in the Mac is, compared to the FaceTime camera in the iPad Pro.

If I was in a Zoom or Skype call for example, the recipient would see me in high-quality, even with filters applied. But on the Mac, everything looks grainy, and while I thought it may be because the lens was smudged, I've since conceded that it's purely down to the webcam itself.

Which is why I'm looking forward to Continuity Camera in macOS Ventura. This one feature makes me look forward to the macOS update, as it lets me snap my iPhone to the back of the MacBook Pro, and use it for those important video calls each week.

But Jonathan Wight has already solved the issue of making us wonder when the accessory for clamping the iPhone to the Mac will arrive, thanks to his 3D-printed solution.

I don't have a 3D printer, but there are some friends who do own one. With the public beta arriving in July according to Apple, it's tempting to install macOS Ventura, have the above printed out for me, and see how well the feature works.

On one hand, the new feature is an admission by Apple that they can't improve the Mac webcams fast enough, so this is the next best thing. But on the other hand, your iPhone has another use while you're working on your Mac other than charging.

Regardless of what the reasoning was behind Continuity Camera, it's one feature I'm looking forward to trying out, almost as much as the new lock screen in iOS 16. But do keep in mind, that this will only work with iPhone models with MagSafe, which allows peripherals to magnetically connect to the smartphone to charge, become a holder, and now, a camera.

If you're wanting to try this out and you have an older iPhone, there are some good deals for an iPhone 13 to make sure you're ready for Continuity Camera once macOS Ventura arrives later this year.

Smartphone shipments in Europe fell by 12% to 49 million during the first quarter of 2022 – the lowest volume for the three-month period in nine years.

The figures from Counterpoint Research and strength to concerns that geopolitical and economic uncertainty will hinder any chance of a major recovery in the market.

Traditionally weak seasonal demand has been compounded by Covid-19 related lockdowns, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the rising cost of living in many countries, and the ongoing component shortage that is hampering production.

China smartphone sales

Samsung’s shipments fell by 16% year-on-year but it still remains the largest vendor in the region with a 35% share, while Apple’s shipments fell 6% as it stayed in second place with 25% share. Xiaomi saw shipments fall by a third, while Oppo’s fell slightly by 8%. 

However, Realme increased shipments by 67% to double its market share to 4% - enough for fifth place.

Analysts at Counterpoint Research said it was likely that detereoirating economic conditions and the effects of war will likely drive further declines in 2022.

“Existing issues such as Covid-19 and component shortages have been exacerbated by new economic and geopolitical challenges,” suggested Counterpoint Research’s Associate Director, Jan Stryja. “Rising inflation levels across the region are impacting consumer spending, while Samsung and Apple, Russia’s first and third ranked smartphone vendors, halted all shipments into Europe’s largest market in early March 2022.

“The two vendors make up around half of Russian smartphone shipments, but their combined shipments in Russia account for only 6% of total European smartphone shipments.

“The consequences of their withdrawal are, therefore, still relatively small on a regional scale. However, the impact of the war may develop wider ramifications if it leads to a drop in availability of raw materials, a rise in prices, further inflationary pressure and/or other vendors withdrawing from Russia”.

Samsung doesn’t have much competition in the foldable phone market, but this year it sounds like Motorola is going to give it run for its money, as the Motorola Razr 3 is reportedly on the way, and a new leak suggests it could be a big improvement on the Motorola Razr 2020 – although perhaps not quite enough of one.

According to OnLeaks – a reputable leaker – in collaboration with CompareDial, the Motorola Razr 3 will cost €1,149 in Europe. That converts to around $1,200 / £980 / AU$1,730, but more importantly it’s €250 less than the €1,399 launch price of the Motorola Razr 2020.

So while those price conversions are unlikely to be exact, the Motorola Razr 3 will probably be significantly cheaper than the $1,399 / £1,399 (around AU$1,900) launch price of the Razr 2020 in the US and the UK.

In fact, given that Motorola used the same numerical price in both the US and the UK for the last model, it's possible that this one will be $1,149 / £1,149.

The source adds that the Motorola Razr will apparently only be available in a Quartz Black shade initially, though EvLeaks – another leaker with a great track record – tweeted that it will also be available in Tranquil Blue.

Beyond that, this leak seems to be reiterating previously leaked information, but it’s information that makes this rumored price look all the more impressive.

Apparently, the Motorola Razr 3 will have a 6.7-inch foldable screen and a 3-inch secondary display – both of which would be bigger than on the previous model.

It’s also said to use a top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset, which would be a huge upgrade given that previous models used mid-range chips, and it supposedly has 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage – with only this one configuration set to be available.

The source concludes by saying that the Razr 3 will apparently land in China in July, with a global launch following soon after.

Analysis: good, but not good enough

With bigger screens, a much more powerful chipset and a significantly lower price, the Motorola Razr 3 could be a huge improvement on the Motorola Razr 2020. Of course, all of these leaked details should be taken with a pinch of salt, but even if they're all correct, the phone faces a big Samsung-shaped problem.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is also expected this year, and that phone will reportedly be cheaper than its predecessor too. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 started at $999 / £949 / AU$1,499, which is already cheaper than we’d expect the Motorola Razr 3 to be, so if the Z Flip 4 is cheaper still then Motorola’s phone could remain a hard sell.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is also rumored to have a 6.7-inch main screen and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset, just like the Razr 3, so Motorola’s phone may not have an advantage on those fronts either.

That said, the Razr 3 might have the edge in other ways, as it’s likely that the Z Flip 4 will have just 8GB of RAM compared to the Razr's 12GB, and it will probably have less storage too. Plus, the Samsung's cover screen is reportedly smaller at just 1.9 inches, compared to the Razr's three inches.

So the Motorola Razr 3 might have a specs edge, but at a higher price and coming from a smaller brand, it’s still likely to face an uphill struggle – and those with a bit more cash to splash might also be looking at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, which is also expected this year.

• The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is also expected this year

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has urged major airlines to address potential risks from C-Band 5G services set to launch around some airports next month.

Mid-range C-Band spectrum offers a compromise between the range and indoor penetration characteristics of low-range airwaves and the huge capacity offered by high-band frequencies.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless won C-Band licenses at an auction last year that raised $80 billion for the American government.

5G aviation threat 

However, the FAA is concerned that C-Band 5G could affect sensitive electronics, like altimeters, that rely on frequencies located between 4.2 and 4.4GHz. 

These fears are disputed by mobile operators, who nonetheless agreed to delay the launch of their respective services near some airports and introduce measures that mitigate any perceived issues, including airport buffer zones.

With operators set to resume deployment from July, the FAA has called on airlines to press ahead with retrofitting radio altimeters, warning that not all airports will continue with the safeguards introduced earlier this year.

The FAA added that it was also working with operators to minimise potential disruption, with both Verizon and AT&T planning to complete their rollouts by the end of 2023.

Mobile operators and industry bodies say there is no credible evidence of interference, noting that other countries have deployed C-Band 5G with no problems and that there is a sufficient spectrum gap between bandwidth allocated for mobile and for aviation. Others have questioned why the FAA waited so long before expressing is concerns.

Via Reuters 

One of the great things about smartphones is that the software is always changing, with features regularly being added and improved, and so it is with Samsung phones, as they now have access to a Samsung Wallet app.

This new app is essentially a combination of the old Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass apps, but with a few new features, and with Samsung Blockchain Wallet integration for good measure.

From the Samsung Wallet app you can store payment cards (to make contactless payments) and also store loyalty and membership cards. But you can also use it as a password manager to store and access your passwords, and if you own any cryptocurrencies then you can use Samsung Wallet to check their value, across various exchanges.

Other documents such as COVID-19 vaccination records can also be stored in Samsung Wallet, and so can boarding passes, though airlines will need to opt into this, and at the moment it sounds like only Korean Air has done.

And thanks to SmartThings integration, Samsung Wallet can also be used to house digital home and car keys. The company has so far partnered with nine home security companies for this, as well as with BMW, Genesis, and Hyundai – though only select cars are supported. Over time, Samsung expects to sign up more car brands too.

Samsung is also aiming to support things like driver’s licenses and student IDs within Wallet from later this year.

Of course, with all this important information housed in Samsung Wallet it needs some serious security, and for that Samsung is using its Knox security platform, which allows Wallet to encrypt data and require a fingerprint for access. Really sensitive data can also be stored in an isolated environment, to protect against hacking.

If you live in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy or Spain and have a Samsung Pay-enabled Galaxy phone running Android 9 or later then you should have access to Samsung Wallet now. Just open Samsung Pay or Samsung Pass and you’ll be prompted to migrate your data to the new service.

Analysis: following in Apple’s footsteps

If the features of Samsung Wallet sound familiar, that’s probably because iPhone users have access to a very similar offering in the form of Apple Wallet.

The feature set isn’t identical, but the idea is basically the same, with Apple Wallet housing payment cards, car keys, boarding passes, loyalty cards, tickets and more. In fact, it even supports driver’s license and state IDs in a few areas, so it’s slightly ahead of Samsung there.

Google is also working on a similar idea called – unsurprisingly – Google Wallet, which is likely to launch soon. So if you have an Android phone but not a Samsung one then you won’t have to miss out on all this Wallet goodness for long.

• After a new handset? These are the best Samsung phones

The OnePlus 10T is a baffling phone. This rumored handset is apparently higher end than the OnePlus 10 Pro in some ways and lower end in others, and the latest leak suggests its specs really are all over the place.

According to Digital Chat Station – a leaker with a reasonable track record – posting on Weibo, the OnePlus 10T has a flat 6.7-inch 1080 x 2412 OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset, 150W charging, a 4,800mAh battery, an under-display fingerprint scanner, dual speakers, and a punch-hole selfie camera.

That selfie camera is apparently 16MP, while the triple-lens rear camera supposedly includes a 50MP f/1.8 primary snapper, joined by 8MP and 2MP secondary sensors.

If that’s all accurate then the OnePlus 10T will have a more powerful chipset than the OnePlus 10 Pro (which has the non-Plus version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1), along with faster charging – up from 80W on the OnePlus 10T (or 65W for US buyers).

But the 10T’s cameras sound like a massive downgrade, its screen is apparently lower resolution, and it seemingly has a smaller battery.

And to add to the confusion we don’t even know for sure how the OnePlus 10T will be branded, with this source saying that’s the “tentative name”, and previous sources also suggesting they’re not certain it will land as the 10T – it might land as the OnePlus 10 instead, or something else entirely.

We would take this particular leak with a pinch of salt, as the camera specs here are different – and worse – than those listed in earlier leaks, but in either case it sounds like the snappers will probably be worse than those on the OnePlus 10 Pro.

Analysis: a confusing proposition

If any of the specs leaks we’ve heard about the OnePlus 10T are right, then OnePlus could have a tricky job in either justifying its existence or selling it.

It will probably have to be priced under the OnePlus 10 Pro, yet it’s a newer handset with – supposedly – a more powerful chipset and faster charging. But with a flat FHD+ screen and what sounds like a mediocre camera setup it can hardly be positioned as the company’s top flagship.

Perhaps they’ll carry a similar price and OnePlus will just leave it to buyers to decide what they value most in a phone, but whatever the company does this handset looks set to add confusion to the range.

• These are the best OnePlus phones

Via MyFixGuide

If you'd love to pick up a new Samsung phone but don't want to pay the high price for a flagship Galaxy S mobile, each year's FE spin-off used to be your best recourse. However, it's starting to sound like the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE might never show up.

This comes from SamMobile, which says that the Galaxy S22's budget version may have been canceled, with sources apparently saying that a phone with the S22 FE's expected model number just isn't being worked on.

The Galaxy S22 FE wouldn't have been a contender for our list of the best cheap phones, as it would likely be a mid-range version of the company's flagship devices, but it would have been a cheaper version of the popular but expensive S22.

This was the case for the Galaxy S20 FE and, in theory, the Galaxy S21 FE, but the latter came along so late that it actually didn't undercut the Galaxy S21, which had seen many months of price cuts by the time its FE version showed up.

If the S22 FE does release, it will be the third-gen version of Samsung's FE line, but it's not clear from this leak whether the company has totally given up on this Fan Edition line, or will just skip a year.

We should point out that we've actually heard this rumor before, lending it a lot of credence.

There's also no word on why the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE was apparently canceled, but given that the much-delayed S21 FE launched surprisingly close to the S22 series, it's possible that Samsung has seen lowered interest in the range.

Analysis: it's not the end of the world

Fans of mid-range or affordable phones may be irked by the dropping of the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE, or might feel that the company is giving up on its budget mobiles, but luckily that's not the case.

In fact, if you want a Samsung phone without a high price tag, the Galaxy S FE line has never been the place to look - and that remains the case now.

Instead, Samsung's Galaxy A line has mid-range and budget phones with some top-end specs but tempting prices. If you want a really low-end phone, the Galaxy A13 is what you need, but we'd really recommend the Galaxy A53, a competent mid-range alternative to the S22 - which currently sits on our list of the best smartphones overall.

• Check out the best Samsung phones

If you’ve been eyeing up the Sony Xperia 1 IV then today (June 16) is the day you’ve been waiting for, as the phone has finally shipped. Or at least, it has for buyers in the UK and Europe – those in the US will have to wait until September 1, while Australian Sony fans aren’t getting it at all.

That means if you’ve pre-ordered the phone in the UK then it will hopefully be turning up on your doorstep today. Maybe it’s already there. Maybe you’re even reading this article on it. If you haven’t pre-ordered, then you can just wander into a shop and get it – assuming they have stock.

Just be aware that the Sony Xperia 1 IV is a very, very expensive phone, coming in at £1,299.99 in the UK and $1,599.99 in the US. Those are for different storage capacities – 256GB in the UK and 512GB in the US – but these are the only versions landing in each region.

In any case, that’s more than the Sony Xperia 1 III cost at launch, more than the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra or iPhone 13 Pro Max costs, and more than just about any other phone that doesn’t fold costs.

For certain users though – primarily creative professionals - the Sony Xperia 1 IV could really justify its price tag, as it offers features such as a continuous optical zoom on its camera, tools for game streamers, a pro-focused video recording mode, audio recording tools, and more. It goes above and beyond on these fronts, but these are arguably also niche features.

The rest of the Sony Xperia 1 IV is a fairly standard – if impressive-sounding – flagship, complete with a top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, 12GB of RAM, a 6.5-inch 1644 x 3840 OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5,000mAh battery with 30W charging, and a quad-lens camera.

That camera consists of a 12MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultrawide one, a 12MP telephoto one that can shift between 3.5x and 5.2x optical zoom (and every stage in-between), and a depth sensor.

Analysis: a standout phone that’s not for everyone

While the top Samsung handsets and iPhones could arguably appeal to just about anyone and everyone, the Sony Xperia 1 IV seems to have narrowed its sights towards the creatively inclined, and particularly photographers, videographers, streamers, musicians, and podcasters.

While the phone as a whole looks accomplished enough to be good for anyone, it’s those areas where it looks to stand out and excel, and those areas where it aims to justify the high price.

If you’re not interested in those things then you can get a handset that largely matches the Sony Xperia 1 IV in terms of specs for less money, and from a bigger name. So be sure you know what you’re buying before you shell out on this – and maybe wait for our full review.

• This could be one of the best smartphones

T-Mobile has achieved speeds of more than 3Gbps on its standalone 5G network (5G SA) by combining multiple spectrum channels using carrier aggregation.

The US mobile operator combined two lots of spectrum in the 2.5GHz band with another in the 1900MHz band to effectively create 210MHz of mid-range capacity to reach the desired transmission rate.

T-Mobile says it’s the first time that an operator has achieved such a feat on a live production network using a commercial device – in this case a Samsung Galaxy S22 powered by Qualcomm’s technology – and that customers could see the benefits sooner rather than later.

5G FWA broadband

Carrier aggregation is already used by T-Mobile in some parts of its network, with customers able to access to the two channels of 2.5GHz. 

The additional third 1900MHz channel will be added later this year, allowing anyone with a Galaxy S22 to experience the headline transmission rate.

“This test demonstrates the incredible power of mid-band spectrum and represents another huge step forward for standalone 5G,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “Only T-Mobile is delivering a nationwide standalone 5G network to customers today, and we’re blazing a trail with new performance-boosting capabilities that generate incredible speeds and deliver on our vision to create the highest capacity network in the country.”

T-Mobile claims its 5G network now covers 315 million people in the US, with 225 million of those able to access it fastest ‘Ultra Capacity 5G’ service. The latter figure is expected to reach 260 million later this year and 300 million in 2023.

The magenta-obsessed operator has started rolling out Voice over New Radio (VoNR) in some locations, allowing users to make and receive phone calls using 5G, arguing this will ensure a higher quality and more consistent 5G experience.

• If you're looking for a new broadband deal then here's a good place to start

Going by early teasers you might have expected the Nothing Phone (1) to sport a completely 'out there' design, but it seems the talk of a transparent rear was overstated, and the first official image of the phone shows that, while yes there are transparent elements, the bulk of the components are still hidden.

You can see some screws and the wireless charging coil, but that’s about all. What’s potentially more interesting is the white strips, which look like they might illuminate. In practice that might either look good, or garish like so many gaming phones – we’ll have to wait and see.

The Nothing Phone (1) then certainly looks different enough to stand out from the crowd, but we can’t escape the feeling that this was a missed opportunity. There are so many components in a smartphone, and showing off more of them could have made for a really interesting design, packed full of details to spot.

What we’re actually getting will still stand out though, so we don’t want to be too down on it.

Other details that this image shows off include a dual-lens camera – which isn’t many in this day and age – and a white finish, though it’s unclear whether other colors will be offered.

We should find out on July 12, as that’s when the company is fully unveiling the Nothing Phone (1), though if anything we’ll probably learn plenty more about the phone before then, given that the company keeps drip-feeding information about it.

Analysis: the dual-lens camera could be a real highlight

You might have looked at that dual-lens camera with disappointment. After all, even many affordable phones now have quad-lens snappers, and while the Nothing Phone (1) isn’t expected to be a high-end handset, it will probably at least have a mid-range price.

But a lot of cheap phones opt for quantity over quality, offering completely disposable macro and depth sensors alongside their actually useful cameras.

By just having two lenses, Nothing might have been able to boost the quality offered by them. It also looks like these lenses might be a reasonable size, which bodes well – though it’s hard to say for sure.

We’d guess they’re probably wide and ultra-wide cameras, since that’s the standard if a phone is only going to have two lenses, and we’re optimistic from this that they might be better examples of those than are found in many similarly priced handsets.

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Motorola has quietly launched the Moto G62 in the UK, but the company could easily have justified announcing it with more fanfare, as it has the potential to be Motorola’s best cheap phone, and perhaps one of the best cheap Android phones from any brand.

We can only go by the specs and price so far, as we haven’t been hands-on with it, but at a price of £199.99 (around $240 / AU$350) this is one of Motorola’s cheapest 5G phones.

Not only that, but the Moto G62 also has a 6.5-inch 1080 x 2400 screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a big 5,000mAh battery, and a triple-lens camera, with a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultrawide one, and a 2MP macro one.

Other key specs include a 16MP front-facing camera, a fairly low-end Snapdragon 480 Plus chipset, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and Android 12.

There’s also a 3.5mm headphone port, a microSD card slot, a fingerprint scanner, and dual stereo speakers.

Design wise the Moto G62 looks fairly ordinary, with a plastic rear in Frosted Blue or Midnight Gray, but it has a water-repellent design, giving you a little bit of reassurance if it gets wet. It’s out now in the UK, but there’s no word on availability in the US or Australia.

Analysis: 5G keeps getting more affordable and accessible

It wasn’t all that long ago that 5G was the preserve of high-end handsets, but now it’s almost a standard feature, as evidenced by a phone as cheap as the Moto G62 including it.

But this isn’t even the cheapest 5G phone, with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G dropping below £100 not so long ago, and there’s plenty of competition at around the price of the Moto G62, from phones like the Realme 8 5G.

Still, Motorola is a respected brand known for its high-quality affordable handsets, so seeing a 5G phone land for so little money here is still notable.

• Check out all the best Motorola phones