We’ve known for a while that Apple will be switching to USB-C for future iPhones, but we don’t know for sure if that change will happen in time for the iPhone 15. Now though, a reputable source has said that it will, and that this switch will also lead to higher data transfer speeds – at least for some models.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo – an analyst with a good track record for Apple information – the entire iPhone 15 line will have a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port. However, Kuo claims that only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will take advantage of the extra speed potential of USB-C.

Those two phones will reportedly support either USB-C 3.2 data transfer speeds, which can reach 20Gbps, or Thunderbolt 3 speeds, which can get as high as 40Gbps.

The standard iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Max, though, will apparently be stuck at USB 2.0 speeds of just 480Mbps, which is the same as Lightning. So if Kuo is right, one of the main advantages of switching to USB-C will be reserved for the pricier Pro models.

As ever with leaks, we’d take this with a pinch of salt, but speed aside, a switch to USB-C looks likely. The EU has mandated that Apple must make the change by 2024, and Apple itself has confirmed that it intends to comply. So it’s just a question of timing, but there seems little point in Apple delaying, and Kuo is a credible source.

The varying data transfer speeds is something we’re less sure of, but it would make sense as another way to differentiate the top-end iPhones from the lower-end models, and Apple has taken a similar approach with its various iPad lines.

Analysis: pro-level speeds for Pro devices

Increasing the data transfer speed from 480Mbps to 20Gbps or 40Gbps might sound like overkill, and for a lot of people it will be. But these massively higher speeds would be extremely useful for some users in particular cases.

One key example is 4K video. Current iPhones are capable of shooting in 4K, but the file sizes that 4K footage produce can mean it takes a long, long time to transfer the footage from your phone to your computer or other device.

If you’re a mobile movie maker who captures a lot of footage, then the problem becomes even bigger. Of course, not everyone will be doing that, but there are lots of other types of large file that you might want to transfer, and whatever you’re transferring, that extra speed will enable you to do it a whole lot faster.

For more typical users, though, the slower speeds of USB 2.0 should still be adequate, so this upgrade won’t necessarily be a reason to shell out on one of the very best iPhones.

Along with the Dynamic Island and a 48MP camera, one of the biggest new features offered by the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max was an always-on display, yet Apple’s implementation of the feature has proved controversial. Soon though, there could be a solution for those who want an always-on display, but not in the way Apple initially offered it.

Apple’s current always-on display implementation basically just dims the lock screen – but it’s still in color, and it still shows everything, which isn’t to everyone’s tastes. We’ll get more into why that is further down, but the big news is that the iOS 16.2 beta 3 includes an option to customize the always-on display.

Now, rather than simply having it on or off, there are two additional toggles – one to choose whether or not to show the wallpaper, and one that lets you choose whether or not to show notifications.

If you disable both of those, then – as spotted by 9to5Mac – the always-on display will just show the time and your lock screen widgets against a black background, making for an appearance that’s much more like the always-on displays found on Android phones. It’s also the sort of implementation that those who are unhappy with the current version have been crying out for.

You can see how this looks in the tweet above, from Chance Miller, the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac. Of course, some people actually like Apple’s current implementation, but the version found in this beta lets you have either version, so no one is going to miss out.

That said, as with any beta software there’s always the caveat that this feature might not make it to the final release, but we’d think it’s likely to – and with iOS 16.2 probably rolling out before the end of the year, we shouldn’t have long to wait.

Analysis: too much, too bright, and too much battery drain

The issues people have with Apple’s current version of an always-on display are numerous, but one of the main problems is that at a glance, or out of the corner of your eye, it can look like the screen is on – which is a tell-tale sign that a new notification has arrived and might need attention.

That, of course, is annoying, and a screen filled with notifications and other data – as the always-on display often can be – is also more than some people feel they need from the feature.

Plus, by showing the full lock screen, even dimmed, Apple’s always-on display can be a noticeable drain on the battery. Whether the new version in the iOS 16.2 beta is less battery-hungry remains to be seen, but it seems likely.

So, along with the recent launch of Apple’s Emergency SOS feature, this update should make the day-to-day experience of using the best iPhones even better.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – Qualcomm's new top-tier mobile chip, destined for the next wave of flagship Android smartphones – made its debut during the company's annual Snapdragon Summit on November 15, showcasing a host of impressive new technologies.

While some head-turning AI and camera features punctuated the chipset's unveiling, one other notable upgrade centered around mobile gaming; with a major visual quality improvement inbound; led by the addition of hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

In a nutshell, ray tracing adds greater physical accuracy to how light behaves in the game world. Although resource intensive, it promises a significant jump in graphical fidelity by improving elements like reflections, global illumination, shadows and ambient occlusion, resulting in more realistic and immersive visuals.

This technology, once reserved for the best graphics cards on the market, subsequently trickled down to the latest games consoles and has now found a home on mobile.

In truth, Samsung's Exynos 2200 – introduced in early 2022 – was the first mobile chip to support the technology, but less than a year on, Qualcomm hasn't just implemented ray tracing to catch up but brought with it a number of partners committed to capitalizing on the availability of this new graphical enhancement.

Behemoth publishers like Tencent add credibility to the technology's wider adoption and success on mobile, while Qualcomm already has a host of hardware partners looking to leverage ray tracing in their own ways too.

Brands including Asus, Black Shark, OnePlus, Samsung, Sony and Xiaomi all got a mention, but it was Oppo who was keen to actively show its commitment to the 8 Gen 2 and its hardware-accelerated ray tracing during day one of the Summit.

Oppo's SVP and CPO, Pete Lau appeared on video during the presentation, explicitly calling out his excitement for the 'next level gaming' experiences that 8 Gen 2 promises to deliver but the company didn't stop there, bringing principal manager of graphics products, Jane Tian out on stage.

She spoke in greater depth about the results Oppo is already seeing with its sustained ray tracing performance tests on 8 Gen 2, which compared to its previous software-only ray tracing, is reportedly five times more efficient while placing 90% less workload on the CPU.

The company's history with ray tracing on mobile has actually led them to create an open source mobile ray tracing developer kit – named the PhysRay SDK – that should help developers with aspects like software and hardware compatibility and optimisation for ray tracing between difference device configurations.

The mobile ray tracing demos shown on stage accentuated the benefits that the technology is intended to bring to mobile graphics but the results speak for themselves, leaving us to wonder how soon after the first 8 Gen 2-powered phones hit the market, will we see games putting the chipset's Adreno GPU and its new star feature to work.

Oppo is, understandably, on the list of companies committed to launching 8 Gen 2-powered devices in the near future and that it'll come packing inside whatever the next entry in its Find X flagship phone series is to be called (our money's on the Oppo Find X6).

In the meantime, check out our rundown of the best gaming phones currently available, even if it's just to know which brands to keep an eye on, come the release of their 8 Gen 2-toting devices.

Emergency SOS via satellite, the iPhone 14 feature that lets the phone connect to satellites for emergency services, has finally gone live, fulfilling Apple’s launch promise. The service is available first in the US and Canada, and users can try a demo of the service on their iPhone without actually engaging a costly rescue. 

If you’d like to try a demonstration of the Emergency SOS service for yourself, your iPhone 14 family device can show you how it works. Go to your Settings, then scroll down to the Emergency SOS menu. 

At the bottom of this menu, you should see the “Emergency SOS via Satellite” paragraph. You can click the “Try Demo” link to start the demo process. For the demo, the iPhone will actually shut down your cellular service as it searches the sky for an available satellite. 

Here's what happens when you need it

Our Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff got outdoors and tried the Emergency SOS via satellite as it went live. From our New York City skyscraper offices we could not get a clear view of the satellite, which is fine because we don’t need it. The Emergency SOS feature is really only preferable when you have no cell service available. Apple says that if you can make a voice call or connect to a data network, you should do that instead. 

The Emergency SOS service is very slow, taking up to a minute or more to send a text message to space. It relies on prewritten scripts that help you report your emergency in a hurry without needing to send too much data. 

The first question will ask what sort of emergency you’re having, offering you a choice between a vehicle issue, sickness or injury, a fire, or being lost or trapped. If you choose a vehicle issue, for instance, it will ask you further questions about how many people were involved, the current environment, and anything that will help rescuers prepare to save you.

While you are handling the communication, the iPhone will track the satellite and give you guidance about where to face. It will tell you to turn left or right if it needs a better signal or to find a new satellite.

Your emergency broadcast will be sent through Apple’s own service, and Apple can talk to emergency providers whether or not they are capable of receiving text messages and the digital information the iPhone provides. Apple is acting as an intermediary, it isn’t just making a direct connection between your phone and emergency providers.

That satellite is very, very far away

If you thought your iPhone was already talking to a satellite every time you make a call, you’re quite a few miles off. Your average cell phone tower is at most a few miles away. The theoretical maximum for cell reception is around 45 miles, but in truth carriers place towers to make sure you have access to a few within miles of wherever you are. 

The satellite used by the iPhone for Emergency SOS is 850 miles above the earth. It’s a tiny target in space, which is why the iPhone helps you aim at the proper location in the sky and follow the path of the satellite through the duration of your session. 

Of note, Apple says that all of the data sent during an Emergency SOS session is fully encrypted on both ends. Even if you use Emergency SOS to update the Find My feature on your devices with your current location, the location data is kept private.

For at least the first two years, Apple says the service will be free to owners with an eligible device, including the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The service is live now in the US and Canada and will come to the UK, Ireland, Germany and France by the end of the year.

Qualcomm's annual Snapdragon Summit is the chip maker's opportunity to showcase its latest silicon and the advancements its technologies are bringing to the next wave of devices and experiences across mobile, automative, audio, mixed reality and more.

As part of the proceedings, it's also the place where the company's next flagship mobile chip usually makes its debut too (the one likely to likely to power the next wave of the best Android phones coming up) and, sure enough, on November 15, the highlight of day one of the Summit was the unveiling of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Those following Qualcomm's current mobile chipset naming convention might have already guessed that – after the departure from a triple-digit system the year prior – the successor to 2021's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 was going to be the 8 Gen 2, and now that's been galvanized.

For those familiar, the underlying CPU architecture (a 'prime' core, supported by three performance cores and four efficiency cores) may not seem like a notable departure against its predecessor, but Qualcomm has made a myriad of tweaks across its latest and greatest mobile SoC (system on chip) that bring significant improvements to key aspects of the mobile computing experience; like AI processing, gaming fidelity, image processing, connectivity and power efficiency.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Qualcomm's new flagship mobile chipset
• When does the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 launch? Consumers will likely get their hands on smartphones powered by the 8 Gen 2 as early as December 2022, but the majority of devices that use the chip will arrive in the first half of 2023.
• How much does the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 cost? Qualcomm is selling the 8 Gen 2 direct to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) – like Motorola, OnePlus and Xiaomi – so end-consumers only pay for the silicon as part of the total cost of the smartphones using it. As the top of the latest generation of the company's Snapdragon line, it'll power devices that, at least at first, demand flagship prices; probably in the region of $800 / £700 / AU$1,200 and up.

So, what are the most noteworthy improvements that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 brings to the table, and why should you care enough to actually want to upgrade to a phone using it?

Cameras that understand what they're looking at

One of the most exciting improvements set to offer some of the most tangible benefits to users is the 8 Gen 2's 'Cognitive ISP'.

What Qualcomm is calling a 'world-first', this generation's Spectra ISP (image signal processor) takes the existing image segmentation of its predecessor but brings in the added benefit of real-time processing. This means your device's camera will be able to distinguish the sky from the ground, your cat from the freshly-made bed its decided to get comfy on or the flower amid the background foliage and, at a pixel-level, apply color, tone, sharpness and noise reduction algorithms to get the best final shot.

The real kicker is that it can apply this level of real-time processing to both stills and video, and even show a more accurate end-result image on the viewfinder during capture with minimal lag. So you know that what you see and what you'll get after you press the shutter or record, will more directly reflect one another.

A feature that'll undoubtedly help the next wave of the best camera phones stand out from the non-8 Gen 2-powered competition.

Better gaming visuals, including ray tracing

In 2021, one key area where Samsung's own Exynos 2200 chip stood apart from its like-minded rival – the 8 Gen 1 – was the inclusion of support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing (expect better visuals in gaming, punctuated by accurate reflections, soft shadows and ambient occlusion).

Naturally, Qualcomm was keen to address that with its next follow-up and sure enough, the 8 Gen 2, commits to delivering hardware-accelerated ray tracing on mobile; with confirmed partners, like maker of some of the best gaming phones around – Red Magic, and supported titles such as War Thunder.

The Adreno GPU at work on the 8 Gen 2 promises 25% faster performance, while also delivering up to 45% greater power efficiency, along with newfound support for Vulkan 1.3, the Chinese 'HDR Vivid' standard and a feature called OLED ageing compensation too.

More simultaneous AI tasks, while using less power

AI (yes, artificial intelligence) has been the rising star in mobile computing over the last few years and that trend continues upwards with the 8 Gen 2.

Although every major element of the SoC already leverages AI to some degree, this generation's dedicated Hexagon Processor offers a revised toolset (including a Tensor accelerator that's doubled in size) set to deliver some significant gains.

Qualcomm promises a 4.35x speed increase when performing AI-based tasks, thanks – in part – to the fact that the 8 Gen 2 is the first of its kind to leverage something called INT4 (integer 4) precision; allowing for 60% more AI-based tasks to be performed concurrently per watt.

Through what can only be arcane wizardry, Qualcomm is able to scale 32-bit processes down to 4-bit without compromising the quality of the data sets being processed, which the company's Ziad Asghar – VP of Product Management at Qualcomm – told TechRadar, amounts to a 64x power reduction.

Upgraded always-on Sensing Hub

Modern phones can already help us transpose the analogue world into digital; with features like semantic text recognition and object recognition, but the Sensing Hub inside the 8 Gen 2 has been purpose-built to help with such tasks; boasting two AI processing cores for up to double the AI performance compared to 8 Gen 1, along with 50% more memory than previously.

The Sensing Hub supports an 'always-sensing camera' (a rewording from last-generation's 'always-on camera'), that's great for everything from QR code scanning to face proximity detection, facial recognition and even eye-tracking – all without having to actively open your device's camera app.

Asghar confirmed to TechRadar that multiple OEM partners have been particularly interested in this aspect of the Sensing Hub, suggesting the next wave of phones powered by the 8 Gen 2 may well have the ability to scan and action QR codes and the like without even needing to be woken up or for particular apps to be opened to interact with them.

Despite its always-on nature, Qualcomm also states that the data processed by the Sensing Hub doesn't leave your device.

Even faster and more flexible 5G and WiFi

Packing the Snapdragon X70 5G modem, the 8 Gen 2 not only supports up to 10Gbps down and 3.5Gbps up over 5G, but it's the first on the scene to boast DSDA (Dual SIM Dual Active) for two 5G SIMs, simultaneously and also boasts its own AI processor to optimize cellular performance and power.

As before, mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G, along with standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) modes ate all supported.

What's more – even though WiFi 6E feels like it's barely out the door – the FastConnect 7800 inside the 8 Gen 2 renders it one of the first pieces of consumer silicon to support WiFi 7 bandwidth and speeds; only losing out to MediaTek's new Dimensity 9200 chipset, which was announced just days earlier.

With the increasing popularity of video streaming at higher and higher fidelities and bit rates, along with growing interest in cloud gaming and competitive mobile gaming, these upgrades are essential to allow those experiences to continue evolving.

Which phones will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2?

Although Oppo is the first company to confirm that its next Find X-branded flagship Android phone (assumed to the Oppo Find X6 series) will run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, (despite no launch date having yet been confirmed). Qualcomm detailed a number of partners at the chip's unveiling.

Asus, Honor, Motorola OnePlus, Oppo, Sony, Vivo, Xiaomi, ZTE and more have all committed to delivering 8 Gen 2-powered devices in the near future, however, who'll be first remains to be seen.

We’re used to details of upcoming phones leaking, but lately Google's handsets seem to be getting leaked in detail long before launch, with the Pixel Fold being the latest example.

We’ve heard a number of Google Pixel Fold rumors over the last few months, but now high-quality renders have emerged that purport to show the likely design in full.

These were shared by YouTube channel FrontPageTech, which has a reasonable track record, and while they’re not official renders, they were apparently created based on images and other information supplied by the channel's sources.

In most respects these renders look very much how you might expect a foldable Pixel to. There’s a large camera block on the back, similar to the one on Pixel 7, and a non-foldable secondary screen with a punch-hole camera, such that when this device is folded shut it looks a bit like a more chunky Pixel 7.

Unfold it and you’re greeted with a much larger foldable display, but unlike its main rival, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, the foldable screen here doesn’t have a punch-hole camera. Instead, there are surprisingly large bezels above and below the display, with one of them housing a selfie camera.

Other details shared here are that the cameras on both screens are apparently 9.5MP, the phone is clad in metal and glass, it supports 5G, and it will come in just white and black shades.

There’s apparently a fingerprint sensor built into in the power button, and speakers on the top and bottom edges. While the name of this phone is supposedly yet to be confirmed, FrontPageTech's sources say it’s internally being referred to as the Pixel Fold, and it sounds as though this is likely to be the release name too.

If you’re interested in buying the Google Pixel Fold, you’ll apparently be able to do so from May – but you might want to start saving up, as the phone will reportedly cost $1,799 (around £1,520 / AU$2,660). That price isn't too surprising though, as it’s the same price at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, at least in the US.

As usual, we’d take all of this with a pinch of salt, but prolific leaker Jon Prosser, who's the face and voice of FrontPageTech, claims to be “very, very confident in this information.”

Analysis: a camera coup, but the design needs work

If this leak is accurate then it’s a mix of promising and not-so-promising information. 

On the promising front, there are the cameras. There appear to be three of them on the back, much like on the Google Pixel 7 Pro. Given that the camera bar looks similarly large too, it’s entirely possible that the same selection of sensors and lenses are used here – and that would be excellent news, as the Pixel 7 Pro has great cameras, and it's an area where most foldables come up short.

But while the cameras could be strong, the design is less impressive. When the phone is folded shut it looks good – if rather chunky, something that's not helped by the substantial camera bar. When it's open, however, it looks a little cheap, given the large bezels above and below the display.

On top of that, the sources behind this leak claim the phone very heavy. They don’t get more specific than that, but if it’s significantly heavier than rival foldables then that could be a problem.

With Google reportedly pricing its foldable in line with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold line, the Pixel Fold will need to make a strong impression to compete – and right now it looks like more of a mixed bag. Still, if the cameras impress then that could be enough to see this device ranking among the best foldable phones.

There's a fresh Samsung Galaxy S23 leak to report on: and this time an image purportedly taken with the S23 Ultra has been compared to similar snaps shot on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Google Pixel 7 Pro.

This comes from well-known tipster Ice Universe (via Notebookcheck), who initially posted a series of three zoomed-in pumpkin photos without naming the phones involved, asking for votes as to which of the pictures was the best.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra won the vote, beating out this year's Ultra edition and Google's latest flagship – but you can decide for yourself which you prefer. The shot apparently taken by a Galaxy S23 Ultra phone certainly looks the most detailed and vibrant.

Camera specs

We've previously seen another photo from the same leaker that is supposedly from the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, so it looks as though Ice Universe may have got hold of a unit in advance – the handset isn't expected to launch until February 2023.

That means Samsung still has plenty of time to tweak the photo optimization algorithms on the S23 phones, and make sure that pictures and videos are looking the best that they can possibly be (indeed, this usually carries on after a phone's release too).

We're expecting the Ultra edition of the Galaxy S23 to come with a triple-lens rear camera that's not massively different from the one on the Galaxy S22 Ultra – though there is talk that the low light photo capabilities will be significantly upgraded.

Analysis: cameras keep on improving

The best handsets of 2022 – including the iPhone 14 Pro and the Google Pixel 7 Pro – can take fantastic photos, images of a quality that you would scarcely have believed back when cameras were attached to the back of smartphones for the first time.

However, these cameras just keep on getting better, and that's down to improvements in two areas: the hardware (the actual sensors fitted inside the phones) and the software (how the phone interprets and processes the information it gets from the cameras).

It's Google that's perhaps best known for the way its algorithms can create brilliant-looking snaps even with camera sensors that aren't top end, but other phone makers are busy improving their core code too, including Samsung.

That's why we'll have to reserve judgment on the Galaxy S23 Ultra camera until we can actually test it – the camera specs alone won't tell us the full story, even if the main sensor gets a major bump up to the 100MP mark.

• The Samsung Galaxy S23 will be the right phone at the wrong time

There's a fresh Samsung Galaxy S23 leak to report on: and this time an image purportedly taken with the S23 Ultra has been compared to similar snaps shot on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Google Pixel 7 Pro.

This comes from well-known tipster Ice Universe (via Notebookcheck), who initially posted a series of three zoomed-in pumpkin photos without naming the phones involved, asking for votes as to which of the pictures was the best.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra won the vote, beating out this year's Ultra edition and Google's latest flagship – but you can decide for yourself which you prefer. The shot apparently taken by a Galaxy S23 Ultra phone certainly looks the most detailed and vibrant.

Camera specs

We've previously seen another photo from the same leaker that is supposedly from the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, so it looks as though Ice Universe may have got hold of a unit in advance – the handset isn't expected to launch until February 2023.

That means Samsung still has plenty of time to tweak the photo optimization algorithms on the S23 phones, and make sure that pictures and videos are looking the best that they can possibly be (indeed, this usually carries on after a phone's release too).

We're expecting the Ultra edition of the Galaxy S23 to come with a triple-lens rear camera that's not massively different from the one on the Galaxy S22 Ultra – though there is talk that the low light photo capabilities will be significantly upgraded.

Analysis: cameras keep on improving

The best handsets of 2022 – including the iPhone 14 Pro and the Google Pixel 7 Pro – can take fantastic photos, images of a quality that you would scarcely have believed back when cameras were attached to the back of smartphones for the first time.

However, these cameras just keep on getting better, and that's down to improvements in two areas: the hardware (the actual sensors fitted inside the phones) and the software (how the phone interprets and processes the information it gets from the cameras).

It's Google that's perhaps best known for the way its algorithms can create brilliant-looking snaps even with camera sensors that aren't top end, but other phone makers are busy improving their core code too, including Samsung.

That's why we'll have to reserve judgment on the Galaxy S23 Ultra camera until we can actually test it – the camera specs alone won't tell us the full story, even if the main sensor gets a major bump up to the 100MP mark.

• The Samsung Galaxy S23 will be the right phone at the wrong time

There's a fresh Samsung Galaxy S23 leak to report on: and this time an image purportedly taken with the S23 Ultra has been compared to similar snaps shot on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Google Pixel 7 Pro.

This comes from well-known tipster Ice Universe (via Notebookcheck), who initially posted a series of three zoomed-in pumpkin photos without naming the phones involved, asking for votes as to which of the pictures was the best.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra won the vote, beating out this year's Ultra edition and Google's latest flagship – but you can decide for yourself which you prefer. The shot apparently taken by a Galaxy S23 Ultra phone certainly looks the most detailed and vibrant.

Camera specs

We've previously seen another photo from the same leaker that is supposedly from the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, so it looks as though Ice Universe may have got hold of a unit in advance – the handset isn't expected to launch until February 2023.

That means Samsung still has plenty of time to tweak the photo optimization algorithms on the S23 phones, and make sure that pictures and videos are looking the best that they can possibly be (indeed, this usually carries on after a phone's release too).

We're expecting the Ultra edition of the Galaxy S23 to come with a triple-lens rear camera that's not massively different from the one on the Galaxy S22 Ultra – though there is talk that the low light photo capabilities will be significantly upgraded.

Analysis: cameras keep on improving

The best handsets of 2022 – including the iPhone 14 Pro and the Google Pixel 7 Pro – can take fantastic photos, images of a quality that you would scarcely have believed back when cameras were attached to the back of smartphones for the first time.

However, these cameras just keep on getting better, and that's down to improvements in two areas: the hardware (the actual sensors fitted inside the phones) and the software (how the phone interprets and processes the information it gets from the cameras).

It's Google that's perhaps best known for the way its algorithms can create brilliant-looking snaps even with camera sensors that aren't top end, but other phone makers are busy improving their core code too, including Samsung.

That's why we'll have to reserve judgment on the Galaxy S23 Ultra camera until we can actually test it – the camera specs alone won't tell us the full story, even if the main sensor gets a major bump up to the 100MP mark.

• The Samsung Galaxy S23 will be the right phone at the wrong time

We're starting to get a better idea of what the Google Pixel 7a is going to bring with it at some point during 2023, and the latest leak in regards to the handset covers the screen, the battery charging capabilities, and the camera.

According to some digging done by developer Kuba Wojciechowski, who has a better record than most when it comes to phone leaks, the Pixel 7a is going to sport a display with a 90Hz refresh rate – up from 60Hz on the Google Pixel 6a.

The screen is apparently staying at a 1080p resolution, but a bump in refresh rate to match the standard Google Pixel 7 would be welcome, and mean a more fluid interface experience (the Pixel 7 Pro, as you might know, goes up to 120Hz).

Cameras and charging

When it comes to the rear camera, Wojciechowski says that a 64MP Sony IMX787 sensor and a 13MP Sony IMX712 ultrawide sensor, which should equate to a significant jump from the 12MP+12MP dual-lens camera on the Pixel 6a.

Lastly, the phone is being tipped to come with wireless charging (albeit slow wireless charging), another upgrade on its predecessor. There's no word yet on the potential battery capacity, which was 4,4110mAh on the Pixel 6a released last year.

Google announced the Pixel 6a in May 2022, as part of the Google IO event. The chances seem high that Google will do something similar in 2023, though as yet we don't know the exact dates for when the next IO conference is going to be held.

Analysis: a promising mid-ranger

From what we've learned here, the signs are promising for the Google Pixel 7a. The upgrades are all in key areas, and they should all make an actual difference to the experience of owning and using the smartphone.

What with the global pandemic that we've all been living through, the mid-range Pixel series has stuttered a little. The Google Pixel 5a was only launched in the US and Japan, and didn't offer too much more than the Pixel 4a that came before it.

The Google Pixel 6a was more widely available, although we felt that its poor battery life and slow charging speeds limited its appeal. Google knows that in the tough mid-range segment, it takes a lot to stand out in the midst of the competition.

With the Google Pixel 7a, that might just happen: the key to this phone series is keeping the price down while offering just a taste of premium-level specs and features, so it's going to be interesting to see how much the Pixel 7a sells for when it finally appears.

• The Google Pixel 7a has already shown up on Amazon

Apple doesn’t seem in any hurry to make a foldable phone, with most leaks suggesting the iPhone Flip is still years away. But the world won’t wait, and one intrepid team has taken it upon themselves to create the first functional folding iPhone.

Crafted by the China-based Aesthetics of Science and Technology (AST), this foldable iPhone – spotted by Engadget and others – took around a year to make.

The process involved combining the internals of an iPhone X with the chassis of a Motorola Razr (2019), along with some 3D printed parts; a process that doesn’t sound easy or cheap. For example, they ate through 37 iPhone X screens before successfully separating the non-flexible glass from the flexible OLED that their phone needed.

The end result is far from perfect, but it's impressive nonetheless. This makeshift iPhone Flip has a sizeable gap between the folded part of the screen and the body, which in turn strikes off any chance of water resistance, and the phone as a whole is likely extremely vulnerable to dust and damage.

This Frankenstein’s phone also couldn’t fit the iPhone X’s 2,716mAh battery inside, so it instead has to rely on a measly 1,000mAh cell; there's also no MagSafe or wireless charging, which isn't a surprise considering the lengths taken to make the concept work at all. There’s also only space for one speaker, and iOS in its current form is clearly a bad fit for foldables – even with some tweaks the team made to the (jailbroken) software.

Yet, assuming the video is genuine, it does work. This is an iPhone, running iOS, with a foldable screen, and it appears more or less fully functional, other than the limitations mentioned above.

Analysis: a promising sign of things to come

While this particular folding iPhone is not something anyone should ever buy – were it even for sale – it shows what’s possible.

After all, if a small team on a presumably extremely limited budget can achieve this in just under a year, imagine what a company as large, rich and experienced as Apple could do. Especially as Apple itself has probably been developing the iPhone Flip for well over a year already. As such, by the time it launches, the iPhone Flip could be something really special.

Of course, it will have to be. Samsung is already up to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, and we may well have seen another couple of models of each by the time the iPhone Flip lands. So Apple’s first-generation device will be up against Samsung’s fifth, sixth or even seventh generation devices.

Still, part of the reason Apple is taking so long is presumably so that it can launch an extremely polished foldable handset on its first attempt. So don’t be surprised if the eventual iPhone Flip tops our list of the best foldable phones.

The Honor Magic Vs is the successor to the Honor Magic V foldable phone, and it’s landing soon; with leaks suggesting it could give the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 a real run for its money.

Honor itself has revealed an image of the Magic Vs, and beyond that, a few other details have leaked, so we’re starting to build up a picture of the company's next flagship foldable.

Below you’ll find everything we’ve seen and heard so far, including the confirmed announcement date of the Honor Magic Vs.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next foldable phone from Honor
• When is it out? Being unveiled on November 23, then going global in Q1 2023
• How much will it cost? Unsure, but expect a very high price

Honor Magic Vs release date and price

The Honor Magic Vs is being unveiled on November 23, so very soon. That launch is just for China, but speaking to Tech Advisor, an Honor spokesperson confirmed that the Magic Vs would launch globally in Q1 2023 – so sometime between the start of January and the end of March.

That said, while the company has also previously said this phone will land in Europe, they didn’t say exactly which European countries it would be available in – nor whether it would be sold in the US or Australia. Though a US launch is unlikely.

There’s no news on what it might cost, but the original Honor Magic V – which didn’t go global - was sold for ¥9,999 (around $1,380 / £1,210 / AU$2,150), so the Honor Magic Vs might have a similar price – though conversions are unlikely to be accurate in any case.

Honor Magic Vs news and leaks

While we don’t know much for sure about the Honor Magic Vs yet, we do have an idea of how it looks, as Honor has shared the image above, which shows the Honor Magic Vs’s main screen and top edge.

You can see from this that it looks a lot like the Honor Magic V or the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, with a large foldable display that opens out into a tablet-like expanse, or can be folded shut, leaving you with a more smartphone-sized device.

Presumably when it’s shut there’s a secondary display you can use, but that’s not shown in this image.

What we can see is that there’s a punch-hole camera on the foldable display, and a gold-colored frame, likely made of metal. There will probably other colors offered too though.

The phone looks very thin in this image, and indeed according to a sketch shared by leaker @UniverseIce, which you can see below, the Honor Magic Vs is ‘ultra-thin’. The source also suggests that it will be the lightest foldable phone with this sort of design.

Beyond that, we can see in the sketch that there’s what looks to be a triple-lens camera on the back, and a secondary screen with a punch-hole camera of its own for when the main display is folded shut.

The sketch also mentions a 5,000mAh battery, which is quite a large size for a foldable phone – beating the Galaxy Z Fold 4 by 600mAh, and @UniverseIce claims the Magic Vs will break the battery life record for this kind of foldable.

The same sketch was also shared on Weibo – a Chinese social network - by a leaker known as Panda is bald, and they additionally claim that the Honor Magic Vs offers 66W charging and weighs 261g.

We would, of course, take this sketch and the accompanying information with a pinch of salt, but it comes from sources with a reasonable track record.

That’s all we’ve heard so far, but we can speculate that the Honor Magic Vs will have a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, since the Magic V has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

Given how similar the upcoming phone looks to the old one in the official image above, some of the other specs might be similar too. So we might be getting a roughly 7.9-inch OLED main display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a roughly 6.45-inch OLED secondary display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and a trio of 50MP cameras on the back. However, that’s just speculation for now.

All in all, while it’s too early to say whether the Honor Magic Vs will rank among the best foldable phones, it certainly seems like this might be the most competition Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold line has had in quite some time.

Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite feature is finally coming to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro later this month (November 2022) – if you live in the US or Canada that is.

Every iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro model (including the larger iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro Max) already has all the internal tech they need to communicate via satellite – they’ve just been waiting for Apple to flip the switch.

And that’s about to happen soon, with Apple revealing that it and its satellite partner Globalstar are finally ready to make the feature live in November 2022.

Thanks to Emergency SOS via Satellite, iPhone 14 users will have a way to communicate with emergency services that doesn’t require a Wi-Fi or cellular connection – so the next time you’re out exploring an area of wilderness that’s off the grid, if you've got an iPhone 14 you won’t need to worry so much about how to summon assistance if you're in a pinch.

You won’t, however, be able to use the feature to contact anyone you want, at least for now, which sadly means no Instagramming your adventures from remote locations. Emergency SOS via Satellite is, as the name suggests, for contacting emergency services only.

When it launches, Emergency SOS via Satellite will join the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models’ other new safety feature: crash detection. This feature (which is also found on the Apple Watch 8, Apple Watch SE 2, and Apple Watch Ultra) relies on various data that your Apple device collects to determine if you’ve been involved in a collision.

If it detects that you've been involved in a crash, your device can then contact emergency services automatically – though you're given a few seconds to cancel the automatic call in case the device is mistaken.

For now, Emergency SOS via Satellite is only available in the US (including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands) and Canada. Considering that the feature has reportedly cost Apple $450 million to implement in these regions (based on the amount Apple says it has invested in US infrastructure), we imagine it may take a while before it decides to expand it further – Apple likely won’t want to spend more on satellite communications unless it’s certain the feature will be popular.

If you've got an Android phone, it may not be too long before you're able to use a similar satellite SOS feature – it's been reported that Android 14 will bring satellite communications support to many of the best Android phones in 2023.

Mastodon apps on iPhone and Android devices that were previously left abandoned are now seeing updates to get them up and running again for the thousands of new users who have signed up to the platform. New apps are also now in development.

I've spoken before of how Mastodon's official app on iOS and Android refuses to work for me, but I've recently found two third-party apps that have allowed me to sign in, create new posts, and follow new users without issue.

Developers have informed me that they're starting to look into plans for their own Mastodon apps, as the current ones are restricted in what you can do on the platform. Meanwhile, there are many available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store that simply don't work.

With this in mind, here are two apps available on iOS 16 and Android 13 that are worth trying out. These apps try to simplify how Mastodon works, and could be a great Twitter alternative if Elon Musk's constant changes are already alienating you from the blue bird site.

Mammoth

Developer Shihab Mehboob previously gave me his thoughts about WWDC way back in 2021 and now he's back, developing a brand new Mastodon app called Mammoth, releasing it just this week.

Mehboob has made a free test version available to users, and already I'm using it daily. For one thing, it actually works for me when signing in, which is a marked improvement from the official Mastodon app, and every part of Mammoth reminds me of the familiar layout of Twitter's app.

You can also switch between your timeline and the server's timeline, while checking on whether anyone has liked or 'boosted' (retweeted, in Mastodon terms) one of your posts.

As this is an app in development, you can't properly post or send messages yet, but with the speed with which Mehboob develops his apps, it wouldn't be a surprise to see these features working by the weekend.

Tusky

Available on the Google Play Store, Tusky is another app that allowed me to sign in normally, and as this is an app that's been around on Android for much longer than Mammoth, you can post and send messages to other users without issue.

With a bunch of users flocking from Twitter to Mastodon the Tusky app has seen a lot of improvements lately, with bug fixes and the newly-added ability to look at user details, such as their likes or the date their account was created. You can also quickly crop an image for when you're creating a post, or a 'toot' as it's called in Mastodon.

There's a toolbar at the top where you can switch between your activity, your server and your community, and you can press the 'Compose' icon to create a toot. Much like Mammoth, this gives a nice amount of familiarity for anyone who has been a regular user of the official Twitter app.

Overall, it's a great app to use on Android for now, and it could give the developers of the official Mastodon app a desperately needed wake-up call to solve the glaring issues it has.

Early 2023 could be a busy time for OnePlus phones, because, as well as the OnePlus 11, we’re also likely to see the OnePlus Nord CE 3, and a detailed specs list for this phone has now leaked.

This comes courtesy of @OnLeaks – a leaker with a good track record – on behalf of GadgetGang, and according to the leak, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 has a 6.7-inch FHD+ LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 695 chipset, and a choice of either 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage or 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 also apparently has 5G, a 5,000mAh battery with 67W charging, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a triple-lens rear camera, consisting of a 108MP primary sensor, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. Finally, there’s apparently a 16MP camera on the front.

These specs are a mix of good and not so good, at least on paper. The 108MP camera is a promising inclusion, as is the 120Hz refresh rate, the large amount of potential RAM and storage, and the battery size and charging speed.

The 2MP macro and depth sensors sound rather less promising and more like filler, and the remaining specs sound middling, but still reasonable, if the price is right. So far we don’t know what the OnePlus Nord CE 3’s price will be, but it’s likely to be a rather affordable phone.

For reference, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 starts at £299 (around $340 / AU$530), so we might see a similar price here. However, the Nord CE 3 almost certainly won’t be available in Australia and probably won’t land in the US either, going by past form – but a UK release is highly likely.

Analysis: a mix of the CE 2 and the CE 2 Lite, with some upgrades

If you’re wondering how these rumored specs compare to those of the OnePlus Nord CE 2, then, well, it’s not as simple as the upcoming model being an all-round upgrade. It looks to be in some areas, but in others it might actually be a downgrade.

If these specs are right then the OnePlus Nord CE 3 has a bigger battery and screen, a higher refresh rate, more potential RAM and storage, and more megapixels on its main camera.

But its charging speed is similar, it lacks the Nord CE 2’s 8MP ultra-wide camera, it has a marginally less powerful chipset, it uses LCD rather than the older phone’s superior AMOLED display tech, and it doesn’t have the Nord CE 2’s under-display fingerprint sensor.

In fact, some of the OnePlus Nord CE 3’s rumored specs are more in line with the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite, which has the same chipset, battery size, secondary cameras, and refresh rate.

So the OnePlus Nord CE 3 is in danger of finding itself confusingly positioned, which could hurt its chances of ranking among the best cheap phones. We’ll likely find out soon, as the Nord CE 2 landed in February 2022, so a launch around February 2023 might be on the cards.