smartphones

Apple is reported to be facing a dispute worth around $5.7 billion connected to technology used in the iPhone. The Times says the company is heading into a costly battle over the smartphone technology, though details of the claimants, the patents involved and the stage of the proceedings remain limited in the reporting so far.

Huawei has released what it calls the world's slimmest and largest foldable smartphone, continuing its push into high-end foldable devices. The announcement is drawing attention as Huawei showcases its hardware design capabilities despite ongoing US sanctions that have limited its access to advanced chips, with observers watching how the device competes with Samsung and other foldable rivals.

Qualcomm has renewed its global licensing agreement with Apple, extending the deal under which Apple pays to use Qualcomm's patented technology in its devices. The renewed agreement is set to take effect on 1 April 2027, continuing a long-running partnership between the two companies that has spanned their iPhone chip supply relationship.

Qualcomm announced two new smartphone chips, strengthening its push into on-device artificial intelligence as competition among chipmakers intensifies. The announcement came alongside the company's earnings update, but investors were unmoved: Qualcomm shares slipped modestly in after-hours trading despite the new product launches. Attention is on how the company's AI-capable silicon will fare against rivals in the premium smartphone market.

A new survey reported in the Netherlands finds that roughly 80 percent of people aged 16 to 34 believe their smartphone use harms their everyday life. The finding has drawn attention online, with commenters discussing screen time, attention spans and habits among younger generations who grew up with mobile devices.

Qualcomm has confirmed it is evaluating Samsung's 2nm manufacturing process for future Snapdragon chipsets. The move would mark a return to Samsung foundries for flagship chips, alongside rival TSMC. The decision is seen as a test of Samsung's advanced node competitiveness and yield reliability, with implications for upcoming flagship smartphones.

Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, its new flagship smartphone chip, alongside a second premium model, the 8 Elite Elite Extreme Gen 6. The company positions both as flagships, with the differences between them relatively minor: mostly improved AI processing, video capture, and gaming performance. Coverage so far focuses on whether the two-tier flagship approach meaningfully separates high-end phones.

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is arriving as the first mobile processor to reach a 5 GHz clock speed. German tech outlet heise+ has taken a closer look at what the chip actually delivers, arguing that the headline frequency is far from the whole story, and weighing its real-world performance gains for upcoming flagship smartphones.

Rosetta Stone, the veteran language-learning company, is rolling out Sapphire, a new product aimed at reinventing how people learn languages on smartphones. The company hopes the relaunch will appeal to a generation of learners raised on mobile apps and short-form content, and the move is drawing attention in tech and education circles as a bid to stay relevant against newer, app-first competitors.

News coverage highlights that new smartphones keep getting more expensive, and the semiconductor chips that power them are becoming increasingly extreme as well. The report connects rising handset prices to the growing cost and complexity of advanced chip technology used in flagship phones.

Acurast says it is scaling an open-source AI system by running the Laya large language model across its decentralized network of smartphones. The approach uses spare capacity on consumer devices instead of centralized data centers, positioning Acurast as a lower-cost, censorship-resistant alternative for AI compute. Discussion is centering on whether phone-based decentralized networks can realistically handle serious AI workloads at scale.

Huawei's latest smartphone chip is closing the performance gap with leading competitors, according to industry coverage. The development signals continued progress by the Chinese tech firm in domestic semiconductor design despite export restrictions limiting its access to advanced foreign chip technology.

Honor has launched its Magic 9 flagship smartphone lineup in China, headlined by the Magic 9 Pro Max, which brings a redesigned body, a strong camera system and an unusually large battery. It is the company's first major flagship release since it announced its camera partnership with cinema brand Arri, and observers are weighing whether the collaboration shows in the new hardware.

Honor has launched the Magic 9 Pro Max in China, a flagship smartphone that stands out for its unusually large camera system, developed in collaboration with ARRI, and an oversized battery. The device also features a Snapdragon chip and a bold new design. Coverage is focused on how far Honor is pushing hardware limits to differentiate its premium phones in a competitive Chinese market.

Renault is drawing attention to the contrast between vehicle and smartphone recycling, arguing that cars are far easier to process at end of life. The carmaker points to established dismantling and recovery systems for vehicles, while smartphones are rarely recycled in comparable volumes, leaving valuable materials uncollected.

Apple's new iPhone XS Max, the company's largest iPhone to date, will start at $1,449 for the 512GB storage version, making it the most expensive iPhone ever sold. The pricing has drawn wide attention and commentary, with many noting how far flagship phone prices have climbed and debating whether buyers will pay a premium for the bigger screen and storage.