What you need to know

• Paul Dunlop, Google's product lead for Android Onboarding and Android Settings, discussed major upgrades to Android 17's tool for switching from iPhone.
• The Android Switch tool now supports "more data than ever," capable of capturing an iPhone's messages (group chats included), files, passwords, passkeys, and more.
• Dunlop states this is rolling out for a "small percentage of Android 17 devices" today (June 17).
• Android 17 debuted a day ago, bringing strong security and threat detection software and several new features.

Google is coming off the back of Android 17's launch, and now the company is talking about a feature that's headed to the software today (June 17).

Early this morning, Paul Dunlop, Google's product lead for Android Onboarding and Android Settings, posted on Threads about the upgraded version of "Android Switch" (via 9to5Google). As Dunlop states, this update to Android Switch rebuilds it "from the ground up," putting a new spin on the iOS to Android tool. Out of the gate, Dunlop says this tool is completely wireless. Users can transfer data from their iPhone to a new Android over WiFi; however, if you'd prefer to use a wire, you still can.

What's more, their post states Android Switch now supports "more data than ever" when transferring. Google has improved the types of data it already supports, but Dunlops adds, "Out of the box, you can now seamlessly migrate passwords, passkeys, WiFi credentials, and your alarms." Users can even transfer all of their text messages (group chats, too) from their iPhone. This reportedly includes SMS, MMS, and RCS chats from iMessage.

Other data includes files/folders, calendar attachments, and call history.

To keep the experience from feeling too jarring or tedious, Dunlop says Android Switch in OS 17 transfers your iPhone's home screen. Your app layouts, wallpapers, and more will be automatically applied to your Android. What's more, Google is even taking "key accessibility settings" from your old phone to your new one.

Make the switch

Android 17's upgraded switch experience will transfer an iPhone's Google account and the device's eSIM "during initial setup." While this might seem enticing to users, Dunlop says the rollout will remain cautious for now. Android Switch's update is rolling out today (June 17) for a "small percentage of Android 17 devices," which likely only concerns Pixel phones for now.

June 16 was huge for Google, as the company announced Android 17 was finally here. The latest OS started rolling out on Pixel 6 and newer phones. Some of the update's hallmarks are its upgraded security and threat detection, as well as a strong "Mark as Lost" mode. Joining Android 17 in the limelight was the June Pixel Drop, which brings a whole bunch of new features to Google's series.

Screen reactions are the newest way to react to content online. Google says this will merge your selfie camera with a screen recording, simulating a green screen. "Bubbles" is a new way to multitask in Android 17 for Pixels. Users can quickly swap between their apps in a floating menu on their homescreen. Additionally, Pixel Folds are receiving a "Bubble Bar" that plays off this feature from regular slab phones.

Android Central's Take

There's always competition in the phone space, and having a tool that makes switching easy? That's a smart move. Android Switch isn't a new feature, as Paul Dunlop said. It's always been there for iPhone users looking to switch. This even works for Android to Android. What's new are these upgrades to make it even easier and painless. No one wants to do extra work swapping devices. It's already a daunting experience. Maybe this will make it more attractive to swap over.

What you need to know

• Apple's upgraded Siri and Apple Intelligence features are indirectly powered by Google's Gemini technology.
• Apple says all AI requests run on-device or through Private Cloud Compute without sharing user data.
• Apple Foundation Models are trained by Apple but refined using techniques from Gemini frontier models.

Apple's upgraded Siri AI stole the spotlight at WWDC today, and it turns out Google Gemini is playing a bigger role behind the scenes than expected.

Earlier this year, Apple announced that it was partnering with Google to leverage Gemini's capabilities, and today we finally saw the first major result of that collaboration. Apple introduced a number of new Apple Intelligence features across its ecosystem, including a much more capable Siri, improved dictation, and even small and thoughtful features like the ability to create Shortcuts using natural language prompts.

On its website, Apple says these new experiences are powered by its own Apple Foundation Models. However, those models were developed in collaboration with Google and Gemini.

Apple also emphasizes that the models run on-device whenever possible, and when cloud processing is required, requests are handled through the company's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure. According to Apple, that means user data isn't shared with either Google or Apple itself.

Apple later clarified that iOS 27 doesn't directly use Gemini apps or Google's client-side code to power these features (via 9to5Mac).

That said, Apple's AI chief, Subramanya, explained that the new Apple Intelligence experience is built on four Apple Foundation Models, or AFMs. At the base level is AFM Core, which is somewhat similar to Gemini Nano and handles on-device AI tasks.

Above that sits AFM Core Advanced, which adds multimodal capabilities. On the cloud side, Apple uses AFM Cloud and AFM Cloud Image models for more demanding requests.

Apple says these models are trained on the company's own proprietary datasets but are refined using techniques derived from Gemini's frontier models.

All things considered, while Apple is understandably positioning Apple Intelligence as its own AI tech, it's pretty clear that Google's Gemini models played a significant role in helping Apple get there.

How good the actual implementation ends up being is a completely different question, though. We'll have to spend more time with iOS 27 before making that call.

What you need to know

• Apple's latest privacy ad depicts Android phones with thick bezels and dated designs that don't reflect reality.
• The ad focuses on Safari privacy but portrays Android hardware as far more outdated than it actually is.
• Modern Android flagships like the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Find X9 Ultra look nothing like Apple's examples.
• The ad feels like another unnecessary jab at Android rather than a showcase of iPhone privacy features.

Apple has released a new "Privacy on iPhone" ad, but it goes out of its way to portray Android phones as thick, outdated-looking boxes — all over again.

It's nothing new for Apple and Google to take shots at each other. Tech companies have been doing that for years. What's ironic, though, is that Google often seems more willing to embrace Apple's products than Apple is to acknowledge modern Android phones. We've seen Google launch apps on iPhones first and even use MacBooks on stage during Google I/O.

Apple, meanwhile, still seems to have a very outdated idea of what Android phones actually look like.

Its latest Privacy on iPhone ad heavily focuses on Safari and privacy, showing Android users being tracked everywhere they go while browsing. Then, as soon as an iPhone user opens Safari, all of those trackers disappear into thin air.

The funny part isn't the privacy message itself. It's the Android phones Apple chose to represent Android.

The devices shown in the ad have huge bezels around the display and a notched front camera design. Ironically, in 2026, it's Apple that still sells devices with a notch cutout (the iPhone 16e), while most Android phones have moved on to punch-hole cameras and much slimmer designs.

The phones in the ad also feature a single rear camera, which feels even more disconnected from reality. Modern Android flagships like the Oppo Find X9 Ultra and even the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra are packed with camera hardware that goes far beyond what Apple is depicting here.

Personally, ads like this just don't really land for me anymore. They feel disconnected from what the smartphone market actually looks like today. Maybe they work for Apple's audience, but when the devices being mocked don't resemble modern Android phones at all, the whole thing starts to feel a bit silly.

It's not the first time Apple has released an ad like this, but we're halfway through 2026, and I feel like Cupertino can do better than taking these kinds of cheap shots. If anything, the ad says more about how Apple views Android than how Android actually looks today. What Apple gets out of these ads at this point is honestly beyond me.

What you need to know

• AS if to divert our attention, Apple announces WWDC 2026 is set to run from June 8-12.
• The company plans to give viewers insights into its new technologies during the main keynote on June 8 at 10 am PT (1 pm ET).
• However, our sights are firmly set on Google's I/O 2026 event tomorrow, May 19 at 1 pm ET, where Android XR, Android 17, and Gemini Intelligence will likely shine.

As if it were written in the script, Apple has started sending out notifications for its next major event, and it's all about what's next for its tech.

Today (May 18), Apple officially announced what's coming up next, and if you guessed WWDC 2026, you'd be right. The company's reveal comes with a brief view schedule for the event, which runs from June 8-12. As usual, Apple states this conference will bring together "developers from around the world to explore the tools, frameworks, and technologies" across its platforms.

The "main event" is set for June 8 at 10 am PT (1 pm ET), involving Apple's keynote and a "first look at the latest updates coming to Apple platforms." Of course, users can tune in via Apple's YouTube or its main website (even the Apple TV app). Following this, users can continue to stay on board for the Platforms State of the Union. If you're looking to get your nose into Apple's tech, it says users will find a deeper dive into its new features, APIs, and more.

The Apple Developer YouTube channel will take the lead here, as well as the associated app and developer website. Video Sessions and Guides, Group Labs, the Apple Design Awards, and the Swift Student Challenge are all lined up from June 8-12.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves

Apple will get its time to shine early on in June; however, facing our immediate future is Google's I/O 2026 event. The meat and potatoes of this event are set for May 19 at 1 p.m. ET. It's during this time that we're expecting to see what Google's been cooking for Gemini (Gemini Intelligence, too, maybe), Android XR, smart home updates, and much more. We've been speculating what could go down tomorrow for a while now, and all that's left is to see the event.

Samsung's Galaxy glasses are another aspect. While Android XR is likely to be a major feature during I/O 2026, perhaps Samsung's first pair of smart glasses will make an appearance. Either way, we're less than 24 hours away from the main event. To keep you involved and "in the know" about I/O, you can check our I/O 2026 Live Blog up until the event, and even after.

Android Central's Take

Apple had quite a bit to talk about last year, and some of it looked like it was directly inspired by Google. I'm expecting quite a bit from Apple this year, too. It's always interesting just seeing what they're coming up with, even if I don't own an iPhone. My main focus right now is on I/O (and that Live Blog, which you should check out). Gemini Intelligence, Android XR, and Android 17 are my big expectations for tomorrow.

What you need to know

• Apple is undergoing a leadership change for the first time in roughly 15 years, as Tim Cook will step down as CEO later this year.
• John Ternus, Apple's current senior vice president of hardware engineering, will be the company's next CEO.
• Cook will remain as CEO through a transition period, and Ternus will take over Sept. 1, 2026. Then, Cook will become Apple's executive chairman of the board of directors.

Apple's Tim Cook is stepping down as chief executive and John Ternus will become the next CEO, the company announced in a press release today, April 20. Cook will stay on and work with Ternus during a transitional period, and Ternus will officially become Apple CEO on Sept. 1, 2026. As part of the leadership change, Cook is set to become Apple's executive chairman of the company's board of directors, and Ternus will also get a board seat.

Cook has held the CEO title since 2011, when he took over for the late Steve Jobs. Ternus has worked for Apple for over 25 years, most recently as the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering. Previously, he served as a vice president of hardware engineering and a member of the product design team. Apple says Ternus helped introduce the iPad and AirPods, and worked on product generations of iPhones, Macs, and Apple Watches.

Ternus has an engineering background and holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining Apple, he was a mechanical engineer for Virtual Research systems.

"John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future," Cook said in a press release. "I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman."

Ternus spoke positively about Apple's future in his introductory press release as incoming CEO. "I am filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come, and I am so happy to know that the most talented people on earth are here at Apple, determined to be part of something bigger than any one of us," said Ternus. "I am humbled to step into this role, and I promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century."

Part of the change includes Johny Srouji expanding his role to include Ternus' previous duties. Srouji's new title is chief hardware officer at Apple.

As the transition takes place behind the scenes, there are key milestones to keep an eye out for. Apple will host a quarterly earnings call this Thursday, April 30, where we could hear from Ternus and Cook for the first time since the announcement. Additionally, the Sept. 1 transition is right before Apple typically holds its annual September event. This will likely be the first keynote hosted by Ternus as Apple's CEO.

Cook penned an open letter to customers and the Apple community following the announcement. "This is not goodbye," Cook writes, "but at this moment of transition, I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you."

What the industry is saying

Immediately following the announcement, Apple shares fell roughly 0.8% in after-hours trading, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Cook had an incredible run at the helm of Apple, as the International Data Corporation (IDC) tells Android Central in an email. Specifically, IDC calls it "one of the most successful tenures in the history of technology," adding that "Cook inherited a $350 billion company and handed over a $4 trillion one."

However, IDC also notes that Apple is at an inflection point:

With a hardware engineering background, Ternus could be judged on whether he can lead Apple through an AI-driven technological boom. "Apple's next decade will be defined less by hardware perfection, which Ternus clearly understands, and more by whether the company can build a strong AI platform and ecosystem strategy before competitors consolidate their positions," says Francisco Jeronimo, who is the vice president of client devices at IDC.

Android Central's Take

I'm looking at the news of Apple's upcoming leadership change with optimism. There is no doubt that Cook's tenure as Apple CEO will go down as historic, by virtually every metric. However, it's clear to anyone watching that Apple's dominance and characteristic innovation appears to be fading.

Its most innovative product in over a decade, Apple Vision Pro, wasn't a major success — and its future feels uncertain. The company has stumbled in the AI era, failing to ship already-announced features, like the overhauled Siri voice assistant. It is leaning on third-party companies like OpenAI and Google to make up for in-house weaknesses in artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, competitors like Google, Samsung, Microsoft, and Meta are leaning into internal AI development more than ever.

The big victory of Cook's time as Apple CEO is arguably the emergence of M-series Apple silicon laptop and desktop processors. Starting with the Apple M1 in 2020, Apple has established itself as the leader in Arm-based silicon, with powerful and efficient chips. It also overhauled the iPad and Mac hardware lines, most recently debuting the budget MacBook Neo, joining the redesigned MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

These are all hardware initiatives led at least in part by Ternus and Srouji. That's why I'm excited to see the two take on expanded roles at Apple. When Ternus takes the helm as Apple CEO in September, he will become the first chief executive with a mechanical engineering background in decades. And Srouji, who is almost entirely responsible for the success of Apple silicon, is becoming the first-ever Apple chief hardware officer.

Jobs was a legendary marketer and innovator, and Cook is an all-time-great operations specialist. Ternus and Srouji could be similarly excellent at developing hardware, and it could be just what Apple needs.

Do you have a friend, family member, or colleague who won't give up their iPhone? It makes sharing files challenging; the only options are to use e-mail, instant messaging, or a cloud storage site for larger or multiple files.

OnePlus has its Share with iPhone tool in the O+ Connect app, which works wonderfully, though it requires opening the app first on the receiving device. Google added AirDrop to its Pixel 10 series, confirming last month that it would be coming to more devices in the line as well. Now, Samsung is joining, too.

What does this mean? Thanks to the latest update to Quick Share, Samsung Galaxy S26 devices have added AirDrop support to make sharing with iPhones even easier. AirDrop on Galaxy S26 launched on March 23, 2026, in Korea and has since been expanding to other regions, including the U.S. and Canada, where I reside.

How to Quick Share from Galaxy S26 to an iPhone

Quickly sharing files with Apple devices is now super simple with a Galaxy S26 device.

1. First, make sure the iPhone or other Apple device is ready to accept a transfer. Go to Settings on the Apple device.

2. Select General.

3. Select AirDrop.

4. Change from Receiving Off or Contacts Only to Everyone for 10 Minutes.

5. Now the device is ready to accept a transfer from a Samsung Galaxy S26 device when it comes through.

6. Once the iPhone is ready to accept, make sure the Galaxy S26 is updated to the latest software (you'll also need Google Play Services v26.11.XX). You may also need to update the Quick Share app in the Galaxy Store.

7. Go to Settings.

8. Go to Connected devices.

9. Select Quick Share.

10. Make sure Share with Apple devices is turned to the "on" position. Now, you're ready to share with your iPhone and other Apple devices.

11. Select a photo, video, or selection of files and the Share icon.

12. Select Quick Share. A pop-up will appear the first time you do this.

13. Find your device and tap it.

Currently, the feature is only supported on Samsung Galaxy S26 devices, but Samsung says it will be announcing support for older model phones "at a later date."

Testing AirDrop on Samsung Galaxy S26 series

I tried this with a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, an iPhone 17 Pro, and a MacBook Pro M1. After updating to the latest OS and following the steps above, including changing my iPhone and MacBook AirDrop settings to "Everyone," I tried sending a variety of files. I started small with a single photo.

The aforementioned pop-up confirms sharing with iPhone and warns that the phone could temporarily disconnect from my Wi-Fi network while doing so. The transfer usually takes only a few seconds, so it won't even be noticeable if it does. But it's worth noting that if you're transferring many large files, it could take longer.

(Note that this means you won't be able to share with Apple devices if your mobile hotspot is turned on, and the phone will warn you when this is the case.)

It worked instantly, just as it does from one Apple device to another. A pop-up appears indicating that a Galaxy S26 Ultra would like to share a photo and offers me the option to Accept or Decline. Once I hit accept, the image arrived and was added to my Recently Saved album. I then tried with multiple photos, and while it took a bit longer, as it does with Apple devices when sending larger files, too, it went through without a hitch. It was the same with a 1.5-minute video file.

The process worked just as well from a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to my MacBook Pro, with the pop-up allowing me to Accept or Decline, and, if accepted, choose either Open in Downloads or Save to Photos. And, of course, it works when sending files from Apple devices to a Galaxy S26 (or recent Pixel devices), with these devices appearing in the AirDrop flow.

As someone who often takes images from Android phones for articles and then edits them on my MacBook, this feature is invaluable. All screenshots taken from the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and used in this article, for example, were AirDropped to my MacBook Pro for editing in Photoshop. Previously, I would have to upload the images to Google Drive and download them as a zip file from my computer, then unzip and copy them into Photoshop. This eliminates an extra few steps, making the process so seamless.

Why this feature is a game-changer

This feature bridges the two Apple and Android worlds in a way that makes sharing content simple, regardless of which OS you use. Imagine sitting at a dinner table with friends. One person hands their phone to the waiter to take a group shot, then must open an email or instant messaging thread to send the photo to everyone.

In fact, this happened to me recently at a work event when one person took a photo and had to send the image to us separately via WhatsApp since one had an iPhone and the other an Android device. He didn't have one person loaded in WhatsApp, which took a few extra steps to add her. A quick AirDrop tap for both of us would have made it much quicker.

Like RCS messaging, AirDrop on Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, as well as compatible Google Pixel devices, is another solution to the compatibility issues that have plagued the industry. We can probably expect to see the feature come to more Android devices in the future. For now, it's another reason why the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra ranks among the best Android phones.

Apple is attacking the midrange smartphone market with the iPhone 17e, and the second-generation "iPhone e" model includes a few major upgrades. The smartphone now starts with 256GB of storage, up from 128GB, and includes a faster Apple A19 processor. The company fixed a major omission by adding MagSafe charging to the iPhone 17e at up to 15W. All around, it's a solid smartphone, even if there are some corners cut.

That said, there are some iPhone 17e characteristics that'll be sure to make Android users cringe. The iPhone 17e still has a notch, rather than a hole-punch or pill-shaped front-facing camera cutout, that protrudes deeply into the display. Speaking of the screen, it's only 60Hz. There's also just one rear camera, and while it's a capable 48MP sensor, it can't replace dedicated ultrawide or telephoto lenses.

Those are just a few reasons you might not love the iPhone 17e despite its attractive $599 price point. Whether you want a cheaper phone or simply more features, these four Android phones can offer better value or a better experience than the iPhone 17e.

Google Pixel 10a

Any conversation about budget Android phones has to start with the Google Pixel 10a. It's the gold standard in value proposition, with decent specs, a no-nonsense approach, and a long software support guarantee. The Pixel 10a might actually be supported longer than the iPhone 17e, as Apple typically only guarantees five years of updates, while Google confirms seven years of support. Google's midranger is priced at $499, which is $100 cheaper than the iPhone 17e.

The iPhone 17e beats the Pixel 10a in a couple of notable ways. It has the faster Apple A19 processor, twice the base storage, and MagSafe compatibility. However, the Pixel 10a also bests the iPhone 17e in several ways, with a larger 6.3-inch display, a dual-camera system, a larger battery, and a completely flat back. The screen is not only larger, but also offers a 120Hz refresh rate and a much smaller camera cutout.

The iOS versus Android debate usually comes down to personal preference, but Google AI and Gemini clearly outperform Apple Intelligence, so the Pixel 10a beats the iPhone 17e there. At a lower price than the iPhone 17e, the Pixel 10a offers much more of what really matters in daily smartphone use.

OnePlus 13R

The OnePlus 13R has the best chance of beating the iPhone 17e in performance. The two phones are priced the same, at $599 each, and the OnePlus 13R is just as capable. It's powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with flagship performance, and it packs a giant 6,000mAh battery. If you want the biggest midrange display, the OnePlus 13R offers a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel that can handle 120Hz refresh rates.

The camera system is much better than that of the iPhone 17e, too. It uses a triple-camera rear system that includes a 50MP Sony LYT-700 primary shooter, a 50MP Samsung JN5 telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, and an 8MP Sony IMX355 wide-angle lens. There are ways that the OnePlus 13R's cameras could be improved — the optical zoom length is still lackluster and ultrawide quality is poor — but it's decidedly more versatile than the iPhone 17e's single 48MP rear camera.

You might be wondering why we're not talking about the OnePlus 15R, and there's a simple reason. It's $100 more expensive than both the iPhone 17e and the OnePlus 13R, and it also includes downgrades, like a missing telephoto camera. You'd be better off getting the older and cheaper OnePlus 13R instead.

Moto G Stylus 2025

The Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G 2025 isn't as premium as some of the other phones on this list, including the iPhone 17e, but it's also the cheapest. At just $400 and frequently much cheaper than that, the Moto G Stylus 5G 2025 is different and affordable enough to give the iPhone 17e a run for its money. The standout features are the built-in stylus for writing and drawing, and the PANTONE-styled colorways that make the Moto G Stylus 5G 2025 stand out.

As for specs, the Moto G Stylus 5G 2025 has a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel that's both larger and has a higher refresh rate than the iPhone 17e. On the inside, there's a weaker Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 and 128GB of storage. However, you do get expandable storage by way of a microSD card slot and a headphone jack. These are two features you won't find anywhere near the iPhone 17e.

Motorola's midranger also offers a dual-camera system with a 50MP wide lens and a 13MP ultrawide, giving you an extra rear camera compared to the iPhone 17e. The one area where the iPhone 17e is the much better option is software support, as Motorola only guarantees two years of full Android OS upgrades.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro

If you want a smartphone that truly stands out, look into buying the Nothing Phone 4a Pro. It's a brand-new midrange phone priced at $500, making it $100 cheaper than the iPhone 17e. Additionally, it's the first Nothing phone to look somewhat normal, with an aluminum chassis. There is a flashy camera bump with Nothing flair and a Glyph Matrix display, but it's more refined than prior models and gives the Phone 4a Pro more character than the iPhone 17e.

In terms of specs, the base model gets a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. You can upgrade the Phone 4a Pro to a 12GB/256GB configuration to make it more comparable to the iPhone 17e. Make no mistake, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor won't be completely on par with the A19 in the iPhone 17e, but it should be good enough for the price.

You also get a larger 5,080 mAh battery, faster 50W wired charging, and the largest 6.83-inch screen in this category. A notable omission is wireless charging, but otherwise, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro covers all the bases.

It's not every day that Apple releases an excellent midrange smartphone, and when it does, it tends to get a lot of attention. That's true of the iPhone 17e — a new $599 device with the latest A19 chip, 256GB of base storage, and native MagSafe/Qi2 support. However, Android phone brands have had a stronger, more consistent presence in the budget and midrange markets than Apple, so the iPhone 17e will face stiff competition.

Apple and Samsung are two of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world, and it's only fitting that the iPhone 17e will go up against the Galaxy S25 FE. The latter is a slightly more expensive, but much more polished, midranger than the iPhone 17e. It has a larger screen and two extra cameras, but it's also bigger and heavier overall, while lacking crucial Qi2 support. As such, the choice between the iPhone 17e and the Galaxy S25 FE is hardly a slam dunk for either device.

If you're in the market for a midrange smartphone, here's what you need to know to decide between Apple and Samsung's latest offerings.

iPhone 17e vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 FE: Design and display

The designs of the iPhone 17e and Samsung Galaxy S25 FE really couldn't be much more different. Apple went with a simple, minimalist, and refined design, while Samsung opted for a heavier, larger chassis. These differences are reflected in the hardware, too, as the Galaxy S25 FE's larger footprint allows it to pack more cameras and a larger battery. At a glance, you'll notice that the iPhone 17e has a single rear camera, while the Galaxy S25 FE has three.

The materials are nearly identical, as both Apple and Samsung use an aluminum frame and glass back. Crucially, the iPhone 17e uses Apple's new Ceramic Shield 2 covering, introduced on flagships like the iPhone Air, which offers better scratch-resistance than its predecessor. Samsung offers Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, but it's not as good as thwarting nicks and scuffs. Both phones have IP68 certification against dust and water ingress.

As for the dimensions, the iPhone 17e is significantly more compact. Due to its smaller 6.1-inch display, the iPhone 17e is narrower and shorter than the Galaxy S25 FE, which is great for small phone fans. The Galaxy S25 FE is thinner than the iPhone 17e, measuring 7.4mm compared to 7.8mm, respectively. However, the iPhone 17e does win the weight battle by a wide margin, coming in at only 169 grams. The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is much heavier at 190 grams and might be harder to hold due to the larger footprint.

Both phones have bezels on the larger side, but the iPhone 17e has a large notch that cuts into the display. This notch houses the phone's Face ID hardware, but it looks dated compared to the Dynamic Island on newer iPhones or the hole-punch cutout on the Galaxy S25 FE.

The iPhone 17e's display is otherwise solid, as it's an OLED panel with a sharp 2532x1170-pixel resolution and a pixel density of 460 pixels per inch (ppi). The Galaxy S25 FE offers a similar OLED display with a 2340x1080 resolution, which translates to a pixel density of roughly 385 ppi. In simple terms, this means the iPhone 17e's display is sharper than the Galaxy S25 FE's screen. On the flip side, the Galaxy S25 FE has a more responsive panel, as it supports 120Hz refresh rates, while the iPhone 17e is still limited to 60Hz.

Of course, size is another consideration. There's a pretty big jump between the 6.1-inch iPhone 17e and the 6.7-inch Galaxy S25 FE screen sizes. I tend to prefer more compact handsets, but you'll have to consider the size difference based on your personal taste.

The iPhone 17e offers full MagSafe and Qi2 support with built-in magnets. The Galaxy S25 FE lacks this useful feature, but it does support fast wireless charging. Otherwise, both phones tend to feel more premium than the midrange price point might suggest. You won't find low-quality glass or plastic backs here — just high-end aluminum and Corning glass.

iPhone 17e vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 FE: Hardware and specs

Apple and Samsung are both using custom processors in their midrange phones that are generally considered a step down from flagship chips. Still, they're more than capable for daily use. Apple uses the A19 chip in the iPhone 17e — seemingly the same one as the base iPhone 17 — but there's a catch. It's a binned version with one fewer GPU core. The average user is unlikely ever to notice this, but it's worth pointing out.

The Galaxy S25 FE is powered by the Exynos 2400 mobile processor, which powers flagship Galaxy phones in some regions, with Qualcomm handling flagship chips in markets like North America. It's a chip fabricated on a 4nm process node and is slightly less advanced than the 3nm Apple A19 Pro. Again, impact on daily use will be minimal, if noticeable at all.

Both phones come with 8GB of memory and can handle basic AI tasks, though you can expect Galaxy AI and Gemini to be more robust than Apple Intelligence.

An appealing aspect of the iPhone 17e is that it comes with 256GB of base storage as standard. The $650 version of the Galaxy S25 FE comes with half the storage, so it's more expensive and offers less storage. To get a 256GB or 512GB model of the Galaxy S25 FE, you'll end up paying much more than the comparable iPhone 17e.

The Galaxy S25 FE has a larger 4,900mAh battery and supports up to 45W wired charging. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17e has a 4,005mAh capacity and supports the aforementioned MagSafe and Qi2.

iPhone 17e vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 FE: Cameras

Finally, there are the cameras. Or camera, singular, in the case of the iPhone 17e's rear offering. It's hard to say how much you value a multi-camera system in a midrange phone, but there's no doubt the Galaxy S25 FE's triple-camera setup is more versatile. It offers a physical primary shooter, a telephoto zoom lens, and an ultrawide camera that can perform in any situation. The iPhone 17e's 48MP main camera is great for point-and-shoot shots, but beyond 2x sensor-crop zoom, it can't do more.

Samsung put a 50MP primary sensor on the Galaxy S25 FE, but the phone's secondary cameras are weaker. The 3x optical zoom telephoto lens is just 8MP, and the ultrawide isn't much sharper at 12MP. That said, you don't get these lenses at all on the iPhone 17e.

iPhone 17e vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 FE: Which should you buy?

If you're seeking the best-value phone at the most affordable price, and you don't care much about granular specs or features, the iPhone 17e wins. It has a capable Apple A19 processor and iOS 26 software packed into a thin, compact, and lightweight phone. With a versatile single 48MP main camera and MagSafe support, it covers all the basics for a casual user. Those who couldn't tell the difference between a 60Hz and a 120Hz display will love the iPhone 17e.

People with higher minimum expectations for what a smartphone should be in 2026 should absolutely upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE. If you think a 60Hz display in this day and age is laughable, Samsung's midranger is for you. It has a high-quality display, a large battery capacity, and a triple-camera system. The iPhone 17e might have a fine primary shooter, but it can't match the versatility of the Galaxy S25 FE's camera offerings.

Really, you can't go wrong with either the iPhone 17e or the Galaxy S25 FE, but try to get the latter at a discount as it's midway through its release cycle.

We all love flagship phones for their performance and capabilities, but let's be honest, not everyone can afford top-end devices, and sometimes they are simply not necessary. Brands like Xiaomi, Poco, Samsung, and OnePlus offer plenty of capable mid-range smartphones.

The problem is that many of them are not widely available in the U.S., where buyers usually end up choosing between Google and Apple. That brings us to the iPhone 17e and the Pixel 10a.

Both are new mid-range smartphones from Apple and Google that promise solid specs and features for the price. But which one actually makes more sense to buy? Let's take a closer look and see how they compare.

iPhone 17e vs. Google Pixel 10a: Pricing, colors, and availability

What used to be a mid-year launch for Pixel A series phones has slowly moved earlier on the calendar. Google has been pushing the launch forward in recent years, and it has not even been a full year since the Pixel 9a debuted, yet we already have the Pixel 10a.

The Pixel 10a officially launched on February 18, 2026, with the same starting price as last year at $499. However, the base storage still starts at 128GB, and if you want the 256GB version, you will need to pay $599.

The Pixel 10a comes in four colors: Obsidian (black), Fog (a pale green), Berry (a vibrant red-pink), and Lavender (blue-purple).

Apple, on the other hand, introduced the iPhone 17e on March 2, 2026, alongside its Chromebook competitor, the MacBook Neo. The iPhone 17e starts at $599, but the base storage is 256GB. That means the equivalent storage configuration between the two phones ends up costing the same at around $600.

Apple also offers a 512GB variant of the iPhone 17e priced at $799. In terms of colors, the iPhone 17e comes in three options: Soft Pink, White, and Black.

iPhone 17e vs. Google Pixel 10a: Design and display

Google moved to a new design language with the Pixel 9a, dropping the iconic camera visor, and the Pixel 10a continues with that same approach. In fact, if you place the Pixel 9a and Pixel 10a side by side, you won't be able to notice any differences.

The design is almost identical, with only two small changes. The first is the new color options, and the second is that the Pixel 10a is about 0.1mm thicker than the Pixel 9a.

Thanks to that slight increase in thickness, the Pixel 10a now sits completely flush on a table, something very few smartphones offer right now, including the iPhone 17e. In terms of design, the Pixel 10a features a flat back with a small dual-camera island in the top left corner, flat edges, and rounded corners. The back panel is made of plastic, while the frame around the device is aluminum.

The iPhone 17e follows the same design language introduced with the iPhone 16e. You get a notch on the front, a glass back, and an aluminum frame. The materials on the iPhone 17e are arguably more premium than those on the Pixel 10a. It's also lighter at 169g compared to the Pixel 10a's 183g, and it has a slightly smaller overall footprint.

Both phones offer IP68 dust and water resistance. One notable difference, however, is the display protection. The iPhone 17e uses Apple's Ceramic Shield 2, while the Pixel 10a relies on Corning Gorilla Glass 7i.

Moving onto the front, the Pixel 10a continues to use the same display setup as the previous generation, with a punch-hole camera, relatively thick bezels, and a 6.3-inch pOLED panel with a resolution of 1080 x 2424 pixels and support for up to a 120Hz refresh rate. It can also reach brightness levels of up to 2000 nits in high brightness mode.

The iPhone 17e, meanwhile, still uses a notched display even in 2026. It features a smaller 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel with a resolution of 1170 x 2532 pixels.

Even though Apple upgraded the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup to support 120Hz refresh rates, the iPhone 17e remains limited to 60Hz. Its peak brightness is also lower than the Pixel 10a at around 1200 nits.

iPhone 17e vs. Google Pixel 10a: Hardware, specs, and software

Apple has traditionally held the edge over Android phones when it comes to raw performance, and the same seems true with the iPhone 17e. The phone features the same A19 chipset found in the base iPhone 17.

Built on a 3nm process, the chip delivers impressive performance for a mid-range device and easily handles demanding tasks.

On the other hand, while many expected the Pixel 10a to move to the Tensor G5 chip used in the Pixel 10, Google has kept the same processor from last year. That means the Pixel 10a runs on the Tensor G4. It isn't the most powerful chip available, so if you care primarily about raw performance, the iPhone 17e and its A19 processor will likely come out ahead.

That said, Google has still brought some Pixel 10 features to the Pixel 10a, including Magic Cue and support for the Pixel Screenshots app. It's also worth noting that both devices support Emergency SOS via satellite, meaning you can still contact emergency services even in areas without cellular coverage.

As for the rest of the internals, both phones ship with 8GB of RAM. Storage is where the two differ. The Pixel 10a starts at 128GB, while the iPhone 17e begins with 256GB on the base model. Apple also offers higher storage tiers, whereas the Pixel 10a does not have a 512GB option. That means Pixel users who need more space may end up relying more on cloud storage.

Moving on to battery life, the Pixel 10a carries the same 5,100mAh battery as last year's Pixel 9a. The good news is that Google has increased the wired charging speed to 30W and bumped wireless charging up to 10W.

However, the Pixel 10a still does not support Qi2 like some of Google's more expensive models, which means you will need a third-party case if you want magnetic charging accessories.

The iPhone 17e uses a smaller 4,005mAh battery. While we have not tested the phone yet, its more efficient A19 chipset and 60Hz display should help it deliver battery life that is not drastically different from the Pixel 10a. The iPhone 17e also supports fast wired charging, and Apple has added Qi2-based MagSafe support to the device. That means it works with the full range of MagSafe chargers and accessories without needing a case.

Of course, the biggest difference between the two phones is still the software. The Pixel 10a runs Google's latest Android 16, while the iPhone 17e runs iOS 26. Each platform offers its own design, features, and ecosystem advantages.

In the end, the decision mostly comes down to which operating system you prefer. The good news, thankfully, is that both phones are expected to receive software updates for several years, so whichever one you choose should remain supported for a long time.

iPhone 17e vs. Google Pixel 10a: Cameras

The cameras are where one of the biggest differences between the two phones is most apparent. The Pixel 10a has a hardware advantage over the iPhone 17e in this department. It features a dual camera setup with a 48MP primary sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide lens.

On the other hand, the iPhone 17e comes with only a single 48MP rear camera. Neither phone includes a dedicated telephoto lens, but both can achieve 2x zoom by cropping into the main sensor.

The cameras on the Pixel 10a are the same as those on the Pixel 9a, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Pixel phones are known for their natural-looking image processing, and the Pixel 10a continues that trend. You can check out some of the photos we captured with it in our Pixel 10a review.

We haven't tested the iPhone 17e yet, but one thing is clear. If you prefer having an ultrawide camera on your phone, that option is missing on the iPhone 17e. It's worth noting that for video recording, the Pixel 10a does not support 4K at 60fps, offering only 4K at 30fps. The iPhone 17e, on the other hand, can record 4K video at 24, 25, 30, and 60fps.

iPhone 17e vs. Google Pixel 10a: Which should you buy?

So which smartphone should you buy, the iPhone 17e or the Pixel 10a? The Pixel 10a may not look very different from last year's Pixel 9a, but that doesn't make it a bad mid-range phone. In fact, I would argue that at $500, it's still one of the best mid-range smartphones you can buy.

With faster wired charging, a completely flat design that means you may not even need a case, a large battery, and up to seven years of OS updates, the Pixel 10a remains a great option for Android users who want timely software updates and Google's clean Android experience.

That said, the iPhone 17e is also a great option for anyone looking to enter the iPhone ecosystem. Sure, the notch in 2026 doesn't look particularly modern, and the lack of a dual-camera setup may disappoint some people. But aside from that, it's still a capable mid-range smartphone with strong performance, solid battery life, and long-term software support.

That said, we haven't had a chance to properly test the iPhone 17e yet, so we will reserve final judgment until we have spent more time with the device.

I've really enjoyed using the iPhone 17 Pro over the last six months, and the new design along with the orange color option and internal upgrades make it noteworthy. Of course, the iPhone Air is plenty intriguing in its own right, but after using these devices extensively, I think the iPhone 17 may just be the biggest upgrade if you're considering a new phone this year.

While not as flashy as the iPhone 17 Pro or as svelte as the Air, the iPhone 17 comes with upgrades you'll actually end up using, with Apple finally delivering features that have been missing on previous generations. Although it doesn't look too different, I guarantee that you'll notice an immediate difference when you switch to the iPhone 17, particularly if you're coming from an iPhone 13 or older.

I moved to the iPhone 17 after using the Pro model, and you know what? Other than a missing telephoto camera, higher memory, and a few extras, there really isn't much of a difference. If anything, I think the iPhone 17 is the smart choice in 2026 if you don't need a tele lens, and at $799, it doesn't cost anywhere as much as the $1,099 starting price of the iPhone 17 Pro.

The 120Hz ProMotion panel is a joy to use

The key highlight of the iPhone 17 is the display — the device finally gets ProMotion technology, bringing it on par with the iPhone 17 Pro. This means the panel on the phone is now able to do 120Hz, and it makes a noticeable difference. You can feel the smoothness when you start using the iPhone 17, and it's great to be able to use 120Hz on the base model as well.

What's great is that you get the exact same panel as the iPhone 17 Pro, with the same level of brightness and color vibrancy. You also get LTPO tech, with the panel able to go down to 1Hz when viewing static content, going up to 120Hz while navigating the interface, scrolling through social media, or playing games. The dynamic switching makes a difference in battery use, and the iPhone 17 holds up astonishingly well.

With the switch to 120Hz, always-on mode is now available on the regular iPhone 17, and it's exciting to see these features no longer limited to the Pro models. When it comes to color dynamism itself, I didn't see any difference between the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro, nor did I run into any issues while using the device outdoors — it gets just as bright as the Pro model.

It's just as good as the iPhone 17 Pro in daily use

One advantage of all the AI hullaballoo is that phones are generally more powerful, and the iPhone 17 gets the brand-new Apple A19 platform. Honestly, it is one of the fastest mobile platforms around, and in all the time I used the iPhone 17, I didn't see any slowdowns or felt like the device was being limited in any way — even when playing intensive games.

Sure, the iPhone 17 gets just 8GB of RAM and not 12GB like the Pro model, but that doesn't really make a difference in daily use. If anything, the bigger difference is that the base model also gets 256GB of storage; there's no 128GB model this time, thankfully.

There's 25W MagSafe, Face ID, Emergency SOS, UWB, and IP68 dust and water resistance. The biggest difference between the regular iPhone 17 and the Pro model is that it misses out on the 48MP telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom. The lens is fantastic, and I use it often on my iPhone 17 Pro — it does a great job up to 8x.

That said, the iPhone 17 has a fabulous 48MP main camera, and it has the same 48MP wide-angle lens as the Pro model. The phone takes great photos in its own right, and if you don't need the dedicated zoom lens, you're not missing out on much else with the regular iPhone 17.

You get great battery life

Although the battery on the standard iPhone 17 isn't as big as the Pro model, I didn't have any issues getting it to last an entire day. That's notable in itself, and there is a noticeable difference in battery life from previous years, even including the iPhone 16. Some of that has to do with the new 120Hz panel, but in general, I don't have any issues with the longevity of the phone.

It may not have a new design or flashy colors, but the introduction of the 120Hz panel and 256GB storage with the starting $799 model makes the iPhone 17 a great choice if you're mulling a switch from your older iPhone. Yes, the Pro model is a better overall phone, but it isn't quite as good a value against the regular model, and honestly, there isn't that much missing from the iPhone 17 other than the cameras that justifies shelling out an additional $300.

It sure sounds like the iPhone Air is being treated unfairly. That's not to say that the iPhone Air is a smash hit, or that it's for everyone. In fact, I say the opposite in my iPhone Air review. But is it really the commercial failure everyone seems to think it is?

A new survey from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, reported by CNN, suggests iPhone buyers aren't choosing the iPhone Air nearly as much as the new iPhone 17 models. The survey asked U.S. iPhone shoppers which iPhone model they chose in the fourth quarter of 2025, and only 6% of buyers spent their money on the iPhone Air.

The rest of the lineup seemed to resonate more with iPhone buyers: 22% purchased the iPhone 17, 25% purchased the iPhone 17 Pro, and 27% purchased the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Considering the iPhone Air was the only new iPhone model that didn't break double figures, analysts continue to criticize weak demand for the iPhone Air. The CNN report itself describes consumer reception to the iPhone Air as "frosty," partly citing this survey as evidence.

But I'm confused — is this supposed to be bad news for Apple?

It's easy to use these numbers to continue the narrative that the iPhone Air is a failure. No one knows Apple's internal expectations for the model, so it's impossible to know whether that is actually true. It very well could be. However, I look at the situation differently. I see Apple selling more iPhones than ever, dominating global market share, and upselling potential customers to higher-priced Pro and Max models.

In a lineup of four new phones — five, if you include the iPhone 16e — some are going to be more popular than others. Most of us don't go out and buy multiple iPhones, we pick the one we like the most. If the new lineup, including the iPhone Air, propelled Apple to ship 81.3 million smartphone units in Q4 2025 and claim a 24.2% share of the global market, can we really call it a failure?

Android and iPhone lineups are like a sports team

If you're not a sports fan, you'll have to bear with me through this quick analogy. When you're watching a team sport, your team can win without every player shining in a great individual performance. Some players are facilitators: they don't show up on the stat sheet, but they impact the team's overall success. Smartphone lineups work the same way — the Google Pixel 10, Samsung Galaxy S25, and iPhone 17 series are all teams, and each phone model is a player.

Samsung has the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 FE, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. Google offers the Pixel 9a, Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Apple sells the iPhone 16e, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. If a brand entices you to choose just one of its models over a competitor, it wins. Remember: the iPhone Air isn't competing against the iPhone 17, it's the entire iPhone lineup against Android.

Let's review the Consumer Intelligence Research Partners survey figures in this context. Here's a quick recap:

• iPhone 17 ($799): 22%
• iPhone Air ($999): 6%
• iPhone 17 Pro ($1,099): 25%
• iPhone 17 Pro Max ($1,199): 27%

It's easy to look at those numbers and say that the iPhone Air is a flop, or that it's not resonating with buyers, or that there's low demand. But the same numbers also tell a completely different story. More than half of new iPhone buyers (52%) bought the two most-expensive models in Q4 2025 with the lineup as currently constructed. The best-selling model, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, is also the most expensive model.

Most new customers (58%) are choosing a more expensive iPhone model than the base iPhone 17. That's an absolute win for Apple. We don't know the exact profit margins for each model, but it's safe to assume that Apple wants to push prospective buyers to pricier models. This iPhone lineup is doing just that.

As a reminder, preliminary data obtained by International Data Corporation notes that Apple smartphone shipments in Q4 2025 increased by 4.9% year-over-year. So, Apple is selling more phones than ever while simultaneously getting buyers to overwhelmingly choose their most expensive iPhones.

How every phone brand builds its lineup

There's a few things we don't know about the iPhone Air in the context of its performance. We don't know how much it cost to develop — though that cost may be offset by its clear standing as a precursor to an iPhone Fold — we don't know how many Apple made, and we don't know how many expected to sell.

It's Apple's job to gauge demand before developing and releasing a new model. If the company correctly expected only 6% of new buyers to pick the iPhone Air, it's not a failure. It's simply existing within the iPhone lineup, and one that's crushing it in sales numbers.

This is true of every major phone brand, including Android ones like Samsung and Google. When a company sells four or five models each year, it's inherently forcing users to make a choice.

The lineup is a balance. Apple, Google, and Samsung want to offer multiple value propositions across various price points to appeal to a wider customer base. They also want to create a "ladder" model and pricing structure that entices potential customers to upgrade to more expensive models.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is exorbitantly priced at $1,299. With the Galaxy S25 Plus below it at $999, it becomes an easier sell. And the higher-priced Galaxy Z Fold 7 benefits too. It's a staggering $1,999, but that's only $700 more than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and you arguably get more versatility out of it. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn't a failure when users pick the Galaxy S25 Ultra instead, because Samsung still sold a phone and earned a customer.

The iPhone Air 2 might be cancelled. I wouldn't be surprised if it was, but that wouldn't mean it failed. If you need further proof of that, consider that the iPhone "mini" and iPhone "Plus" models that came before it were also canned.

I also wouldn't be surprised if the iPhone Air is considered a success internally at Apple. It's really hard to spin Apple selling more iPhones than ever, at higher prices than ever, as a bad thing. People are trying anyway.

Thin phones are having a moment. Samsung kicked things off with the Galaxy S25 Edge, Apple took the trend one step further with the iPhone Air, and TECNO provided its own take with the Spark and Pova Slim. Now, Motorola is entering the space with the Motorola Edge 70, and it's impressive.

Motorola's Edge 70 is a slim phone for those who want to dip their toes into the water of thin smartphones. It's not the thinnest, but it also comes with fewer compromises. It's not the most powerful, but it's also not as expensive. So, how does the Motorola Edge 70 compare to the iPhone Air? While it's hard for any phone maker to beat the design marvel that is the iPhone Air, the Motorola Edge 70 does as good a job as any competitor.

Motorola Edge 70 vs. iPhone Air: Design and display

With thin phones, it's important to understand that the advertised thickness refers to the overall body, not the camera bump. This applies to both the Motorola Edge 70 and the iPhone Air. The former comes with a thick, squircle-shaped camera platform on the top-left portion of the back of the phone. Meanwhile, the iPhone Air has a "camera plateau" that extends across the topmost section of the back of the phone. Both camera bumps are significantly thicker than the rest of these thin phones.

The iPhone Air is more compact than the Motorola Edge 70 overall, since the latter has a larger display. This makes the overall dimensions taller, with the Edge 70 measuring 159 x 74 x 5.99mm. The iPhone is shorter and thinner, but slightly wider, measuring 156.2 x 74.7 x 5.64mm. Both phones fall under the 6mm mark, though the iPhone Air is decisively thinner. When phones get this thin, the marginal differences in thickness matter more than you think.

Apple uses a titanium frame for the iPhone Air. It's the only iPhone to use titanium this year, and it's crucial here to add strength while keeping the chassis lightweight. Otherwise, the phone is a glass slab with Ceramic Shield on both sides. Motorola is using its classic materials for the back cover of the Edge 70, using plastic, fabric, or faux leather in place of traditional glass. In this case, buyers can choose between four PANTONE colorways on the Motorola Edge 70.

Notably, Motorola has the design advantage in two key areas. The Motorola Edge 70 is six grams lighter than the iPhone Air. It also supports IP69 durability protection, going one step further than the iPhone Air's IP68 support. The Gorilla Glass 7i cover glass on the front of the Motorola Edge 70 is weaker than the iPhone Air's Ceramic Shield, however.

The iPhone Air sports a 6.5‑inch OLED display supporting 120Hz variable refresh rates and 3,000 nits of peak brightness. By comparison, the Motorola Edge 70 offers a 6.67-inch pOLED screen with 4,500 nits of peak brightness and a maximum 120Hz refresh rate. However, Motorola didn't use LTPO, so its refresh rates are locked to preset tiers.

Motorola Edge 70 vs. iPhone Air: Hardware and specs

On the inside, the scales tip in favor of the iPhone Air. Apple's slim handset is powered by the Apple A19 Pro and 12GB of memory. It's worth noting that this is a binned version of the chip with one fewer GPU core than the version you'll find in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. However, given the power and thermal constraints of the iPhone Air, this isn't surprising. It'll still perform better than the Motorola Edge 70, both in benchmarks and real-world use.

The Motorola Edge 70, by comparison, is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 mobile platform. This is an upper-midrange chip released in May 2025, so it's not outdated, but it sits firmly below flagship levels. The phone can be configured with either 8GB or 12GB of memory and either 256GB or 512GB of storage.

The iPhone Air also offers stronger support for the latest connectivity standards with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support. The Motorola Edge 70 only supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4, lacking Thread support entirely.

However, the Edge 70 does offer stereo speakers. The iPhone Air only has a single earpiece speaker, although it's louder than you would probably expect.

The iPhone Air has built-in magnets for connection with Qi2 and MagSafe chargers and accessories. The iPhone Air charges faster wirelessly, supporting 20W speeds compared to the Edge 70's 15W support. On the flip side, the Motorola Edge 70 charges much faster over a cable, supporting Motorola's 68W TurboPower.

Motorola Edge 70 vs. iPhone Air: Cameras

Another controversial aspect of the iPhone Air is the phone's inclusion of just one rear camera sensor. It's a 48MP lens that can double as a 2x telephoto camera using sensor crop. This works fine for my needs, but there's no true replacement for the lack of an ultrawide camera. If you like taking wide shots, the iPhone Air's single camera might not be enough for you.

The iPhone Air might make up for its rear camera deficiencies with a standout selfie camera. It's a square sensor that can take horizontal and vertical photos without needing to physically rotate the device. Using CenterStage software, you can zoom out and take 0.7x ultrawide shots.

The Motorola Edge 70 crucially has a second rear camera, for a total of two 50MP sensors. There's a primary shooter paired with a 50MP ultrawide, so if you love zooming out, the Edge 70 will do better than the iPhone Air. On the front, you get another 50MP sensor, albeit without the cropping and rotating tricks you'll find on the iPhone Air.

Motorola markets the Edge 70 as having a third rear camera, but this is actually just a light sensor, so don't be fooled.

Motorola Edge 70 vs. iPhone Air: Which should you buy?

I own both an iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which means I can appreciate a quality thin phone. If you're in the U.S. like me, you can't buy the Motorola Edge 70, so your choice is limited to those two options. That's a real shame, because I tend to like Motorola's take on an ultra-slim smartphone. While it's not the thinnest phone on the market, it is one of the lightest options at just 159 grams, making it lighter than both the iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

That quality alone is enough to grab my attention. There are other perks too, like IP69 protection against high-pressure and high-temperature water jets — something we don't often see on any phone, let alone a thin one. It also addresses some of the iPhone Air's deficiencies by offering a dual rear camera system and stereo speakers.

We can't ignore the Motorola Edge 70's shortcomings, though. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor powering the smartphone is unimpressive and likely won't age well. The phone is also only guaranteed to get three years of major Android OS upgrades. Meanwhile, the iPhone Air's A19 Pro chipset and five-year software support guarantee inspire a lot more confidence.

If you want a thin phone that won't break the bank, the Motorola Edge 70 is a stellar option. For those who want the best, however, the iPhone Air is still hard to beat.

What you need to know

• A new Google study shows Android users are less likely to receive scam texts than iPhone users.
• Android's AI tools help detect and block fraudulent messages more effectively than iOS.
• Independent studies found Pixel phones offer the strongest scam and fraud protection features.
• Google says Android blocks 10B scam messages monthly and RCS has stopped 100M suspicious numbers.

Google has been adding more security and privacy tools on Android to help users protect their devices from scams and fraud, and it looks like the move is paying off. A new report has found that Android users are more likely to avoid scam text messages than iPhone users.

Google partnered with YouGov to survey around 5,000 smartphone users in the US, India, and Brazil to study how different phones handle spam texts. Surprisingly, the company found that Android users reported fewer scam and fraudulent messages thanks to AI detection tools on their devices compared to iPhones.

The report found that Android users were 58% more likely than iOS users to report not receiving any scam texts in the week preceding the survey. The advantage on Pixel phones was even greater, with owners 96% more likely than iPhone users to report zero scam texts.

Moreover, Android users were 20% more likely than iOS users to describe their device's scam protection as "very effective" or "extremely effective." Compared to Pixel owners, iPhone users were 150% more likely to say their device wasn't effective at all in blocking mobile fraud.

iPhones falls behind Android smartphones in scam prevention

While this study was conducted by Google, independent research by Counterpoint revealed that Android phones also have stronger AI-powered protections. The firm compared devices from brands including Pixel, Samsung, Motorola, and Apple, finding that Android provided AI protection across ten key security areas, while iPhone covered only two.

Similarly, another study by Leviathan Security Group found that the Pixel 10 Pro offered the highest level of default scam and fraud protection, thanks to call screening and features like scam detection in Google Messages and Gmail.

While people usually associate the iPhone with being the most secure device, it turns out Google has taken the lead with its AI-powered protective tools. The company claims Android protects users from 10 billion suspected malicious calls and messages every month.

Google also says RCS has helped reduce scams, blocking over 100 million suspicious numbers from using RCS last month alone, stopping potential scams before they could be sent.

My first iPhone was the 3GS; I used it throughout college, and it was incredible. Coming from a Motorola Razr, it was novel to use a phone with a 3.5-inch touchscreen and a built-in app store. Following the 3GS, I switched over to Android (I got the Nexus 4), but I started using iPhones again a few years later — as my secondary phone — starting with the iPhone 6 Plus.

These days, I get to use every mainstream phone that launches globally (and a few that don't). Over 80 phones cross my desk in any given year, and I got to use the likes of the Huawei Mate XT, Vivo X200 Ultra, Xiaomi 15 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 7, iPhone 17 Pro, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL this year.

Out of all those devices, it's the iPhone Air that stood out the most. It isn't the most innovative phone I used — that honor goes to the tri-folding Mate XT — but the ultra-sleek design of the Air is just plain cool. Photos don't really do this thing justice; you'll need to hold it in your hand to understand just how thin and light it is.

You'll need to hold it to believe it

I've had the iPhone Air for ten days now, and it's become one of my favorite phones of 2025. In fact, I don't think there was any other iPhone in the last 15 years that evoked such strong feelings. The iPhone Air isn't unique in being an ultra-thin device — Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge also catering to a similar niche. But the iPhone Air is even thinner, and it just feels better to hold and use.

Design is obviously the biggest selling point of the Air, and the phone has a great in-hand feel. The frosted glass finish at the back also makes a difference in this regard, and you get the same set of buttons as the iPhone 17 Pro. The phone isn't anywhere as fragile as I initially imagined, and that should bode well for long-term use. While the iPhone 17 Pro switched over to aluminum, the Air retains a titanium chassis.

The iPhone Air has a 6.5-inch OLED screen with LTPO tech, and it is the exact same panel used in the iPhone 17 Pro, albeit a little bigger. You get the same great color vibrancy and excellent contrast, and it holds up incredibly well under harsh sunlight thanks to the anti-reflective coating. It has ProMotion tech, so you get 120Hz refresh as standard, with the panel going down to 1Hz with static content.

Pro-grade internals

You don't miss out on the internals either, with the iPhone Air coming with the latest A19 Pro silicon. The situation with the modem is interesting; Apple is using the C1X modem — a derivative of the C1 that debuted on the iPhone 16e — in the device, and it handles 5G connectivity alongside Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. The iPhone Air differs from the Pro models in this regard, with those devices using the N1 chip along with a Qualcomm cellular modem.

Another point of differentiation is that the iPhone Air is only available with eSIM — there's no model with a physical SIM card slot. Apple says it did this to maximize internal storage for the battery, and honestly, it isn't as limiting as I thought. I have a secondary number that I ported over to an eSIM, and it has been smooth setting it up on the Air.

On that note, we need to talk about the battery. The iPhone Air comes with a 3,149mAh battery, and while it is decent in the context of iPhones, it doesn't last all day in my use. I had to top it up around evening time with a power bank (I'm partial to UGREEN's Nexode 165W power bank with a retractable cable), and while it isn't an issue when I'm home, I wouldn't want to take the iPhone Air while traveling.

Battery anxiety is not a thing these days, with most phones managing to last a day without any problem. Most Android phones like the Vivo X200 Pro and Find X8 Pro last a day and a half even with heavy use thanks to 6,000mAh batteries, but even the iPhone 17 Pro manages to last a day consistently. However, the thinner size of the iPhone Air precludes it from doing so, and if you're a heavy user like me, you will be plugging it in before the end of the day.

Another consideration is the camera; the iPhone Air has a single 48MP camera at the back, and it takes good photos and videos. It may not be at the same level as Android flagships, but it delivers images with good colors and dynamic range, and it holds its own in low-light situations. The problems is the lack of auxiliary cameras; I use the 2x and 3x lenses regularly, and I often rely on these modules to shoot portrait shots. Not having the ability to do that on the Air is limiting.

That said, the front 18MP camera is the same as the iPhone 17 Pro, and it is fantastic. It uses a square module and switches orientation on the fly, so if you end up taking a lot of selfies, there's a lot to like here. The software is similarly identical to the Pro models, and I like the new visual design.

It's not for everyone— and that's okay

Ultimately, the iPhone Air isn't meant for everyone. There are always going to be tradeoffs in a new product line, and with the iPhone Air, those include a single camera and average battery life. I've been carrying an iPhone alongside my Android phone for several years now, so the fact that the iPhone Air doesn't last as long doesn't bother me anywhere as much.

But if you're eyeing this as an upgrade to your existing iPhone, you'll need to factor in the downsides before purchasing it. If you routinely take photos and videos and need added versatility, you should just get the iPhone 17 Pro. But if you don't mind the single camera and are willing to deal with the average battery life, then the Air is a much more enticing option than the mainline iPhone 17.

The iPhone Air isn't designed to the best iPhone — it isn't even the best iPhone I used in the last two weeks — but it is my favorite.

Whether we realize it or not, we make choices and compromises every time we purchase a new tech product. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra users give up a bit of room for a bigger battery in favor of a siloed S Pen, and foldable users often sacrifice camera quality for the dual displays and hinge.

In 2025, smartphone brands are emphasizing thinness and lightness as key features. It started with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which drew ire from Android fans, and Apple took that concept to the next level with the iPhone Air, which seems to concede something in every area in the pursuit of a futuristic design. It's the epitome of form over function.

As a result, the iPhone Air is inherently controversial. I admittedly love thin and light phones, and using the iPhone Air for two weeks cemented that as it's much easier to handle. That said, I also agree with the iPhone Air's detractors that Apple made significant compromises to get there, and it's an incredibly niche device for that reason.

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Apple iPhone Air: Pricing, availability, and specs

The iPhone Air launched alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup on Sept. 19, 2025, and is now widely available in the U.S and globally as of September 26. The phone retails for $999 and comes with 256GB of storage, but can be configured with up to 1TB for a max price of $1,399. It's sold in Space Black, Cloud White, Sky Blue, and Light Gold colorways. Notably, the iPhone Air is eSIM only worldwide.

You can order it directly from Apple, purchase it unlocked from retailers like Best Buy, or obtain it from your cellular carrier. Global pricing for the iPhone Air starts at £999 in the U.K., AU$1,799 in Australia, and €1,239 in Europe.

Apple iPhone Air: Design

• The iPhone Air's unique design has practical and style benefits, and it's the only titanium model this year.
• The giant camera plateau looks smaller in person and doesn't impact daily use.

Many see the iPhone Air as a breakthrough first-generation product that might not be fantastic today, but sets the stage for future Apple products (foldable iPhone, anyone?). I don't see it that way. The iPhone Air is more of a return to form for Apple, reverting to a time when its product design prioritized a delicate balance between form and function — and leaned more toward form when necessary.

Even the idea of cramming the iPhone Air's logic board into the camera plateau isn't really new to Apple; the design strategy used to build the iPhone Air can be traced back to as early as 2015.

The iPhone Air is extremely thin and impressive, but in a way that aligns with recent products like the iPad Pro M4. It measures 5.64mm thick across much of the body, with a sloping camera plateau that stashes away the internals and a single rear camera.

The plateau appears much larger in photos than it actually feels in person. In fact, I've come to use it as a place to rest my pointer finger while holding the Air, sort of like a grip or PopSocket. It helps for stability and usability, as I can hold the iPhone Air one-handed without it slipping due to the plateau.

It's covered with glossy glass, but the main rear glass slab of the iPhone Air has a matte, frosted finish. I'm not sure I like the contrasting materials on the back, but the glossy plateau matches the polished titanium side rails. Between all the glass and titanium, the iPhone Air feels premium, possibly the most premium out of the iPhone 17 lineup.

The colors are relatively uninspiring. The Sky Blue Air used for this review looks very similar to the Cloud White or Light Gold models. I was so unimpressed that I returned mine for Space Black, which I think is the best color.

The titanium frame, Ceramic Shield 2 glass, and IP68 protection should enhance the iPhone Air's durability. I didn't baby my Air at all, rocking it caseless and dropping it accidentally on occasion, and there was no notable wear. The material choices here should help it fare better than the iPhone 17 Pro, which has anodized aluminum that can scratch off or scuff up over time.

An underrated feature of the iPhone Air is its weight, as the phone weighs just 165g. It's slightly heavier than the Galaxy S25 Edge, but it's still incredibly light for a phone in this size class.

On the bottom, you'll find a slightly off-center USB-C port that's actually 3D printed to make it as thin and durable as possible — a magnificent engineering achievement for Apple. You won't find any speakers, because unlike the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, the iPhone Air only has an earpiece speaker.

This is understandably shocking, as we've taken stereo speakers on phones for granted in recent years. However, it's worth noting that the earpiece speaker is louder than expected, reaching a volume of around 70dB in my testing. Its volume is suitable for speaker calls, watching quick videos, or listening to a song. Quality is another matter entirely, because there's heavy distortion when the volume is set above 70%.

Even as a budding audiophile, I don't think the iPhone Air's mono speaker is a dealbreaker. It's fine in a pinch, and I can use earbuds, headphones, and proper speakers when I care about quality. If you're someone who uses their phone speaker, steer clear of the iPhone Air.

Apple iPhone Air: Display

• The 6.5-inch OLED display (120Hz) is gorgeous, but brightness throttling remains a pain point.
• The Ceramic Shield 2 anti-reflective coating isn't as good as Samsung's, but improved scratch resistance is a win.

The iPhone Air replaces the iPhone 16 Plus in the lineup, but only on paper. The iPhone Air slots right between larger and smaller iPhones with a 6.5-inch display, making it the best of both worlds.

I'm a small phone lover, and the iPhone Air's size and weight made it easier to use a 6.5-inch handset. Still, it won't feel as compact as smaller phones or as spacious as bigger ones.

In terms of specs, it's "Pro" all the way. It features an OLED panel with high resolution and pixel density. The iPhone Air supports all the features you'd expect, like always-on display (AOD), ProMotion tech with 120Hz refresh rates, HDR, and P3 wide color. It also introduces new accessibility options, including the ability to disable pulse smoothing entirely, which is particularly beneficial for individuals sensitive to pulse-width modulation (PWM).

Ceramic Shield 2 is a new version of Apple's premier display glass, claimed to be 3x more scratch-resistant than its predecessor. It also sports an anti-reflective coating, similar to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but Samsung's version makes a bigger impact.

Glare will still be a problem, and it's too early to know for sure how much more scratch-resistant the Air is compared to my prior iPhones.

Combined with the iPhone's tendency to aggressively dim brightness in direct sunlight due to thermal throttling, I found outdoor visibility on the Air to be very unimpressive. The phone's 3,000-nit outdoor peak brightness rating exists merely on paper, as the Air dims almost immediately after stepping outside.

To be clear, this affects many iPhones, and smartphones in general, but it may be worse on the iPhone Air. The tight form factor and titanium chassis may make the Air hot, resulting in lower brightness.

Apple iPhone Air: Performance and battery

• Apple's A19 Pro chip in the iPhone Air isn't quite as good as the variant in the Pro models.
• It's still plenty fast, but the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge delivers better top-end performance.

The iPhone Air is powered by the A19 Pro chipset with 12GB of RAM, but it has one fewer GPU core than the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. It will also be limited and throttled due to thermal considerations. There's also an Adaptive Power mode (not exclusive to the Air) that can limit performance when you're using more battery than usual.

As such, this won't be the fastest iPhone on the block, and benchmark data supports that. The iPhone Air typically outperforms the Tensor G5 chip in the Pixel 10 Pro, but falls short of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip in the Galaxy S25 Edge. It's also expectedly slower than the iPhone 17 Pro with its non-binned A19 Pro, vapor chamber, and aluminum shell.

The device tends to heat up during taxing tasks, including downloading large amounts of lossless music or heavy outdoor usage. There doesn't seem to be a significant impact on daily performance, although I noticed the camera viewfinder dropping frames at one point. This had no impact on recording, but it demonstrated that iOS graphics struggled to keep up in high temperatures.

Battery life is a tricky subject. It should be enough for most users — I got roughly six hours of screen-on time and extra standby hours on a single charge. That said, I'm a power user, so I averaged using about 125% to 150% of battery daily during my review period. Expect to charge around midday if you're a power user like me, or invest in a Qi2 battery pack.

iPhone Air is powered by iOS 26, the successor to iOS 18. It's more than just a new name scheme; there's a redesigned Liquid Glass design language that permeates throughout the experience. While not for everyone, Liquid Glass grew on me, and it seems fitting for a device that feels like one glass slab. It's glossy and reflective by default, and unfortunately, it seems to make simple tasks require extra taps.

Apple Intelligence intentionally feels like an afterthought here. Apple still hasn't delivered on the AI features it promised alongside last year's crop of iPhones, and we're waiting on long-overdue features like an overhauled Siri. For now, you get AI tools that seem to counter Google options — Writing Tools are like Help me write, Clean Up is like Magic Eraser, and Visual Intelligence is like multimodal Gemini Live.

But it's clear that Google still has the edge in mobile AI, and most iPhone users I know turn to Gemini or ChatGPT instead of Apple Intelligence.

Apple iPhone Air: Camera

• The primary camera is just fine for standard photos, and the 2x sensor crop is "good enough."
• The iPhone Air gets the cool square sensor on the front, allowing for ultrawide, vertical, and horizontal selfies without moving the device.

There's only one rear camera on the iPhone Air — a 48MP Fusion lens with an f/1.6 aperture — but Apple wants you to think it's really two, thanks to a 2x crop that provides a bit of zoom at optical-quality. Two things can be true: it's not a gimmick, but it's also not a replacement for a telephoto camera.

Here's how the 1x and 2x shots look on the iPhone Air:

The camera button remains, and it's easier to use on the iPhone Air's thin frame. Notably, the extra touch-sensitive features are off by default.

You shouldn't sleep on the iPhone Air's primary camera. It takes great photos in all conditions, from sunny days to dark nights. While not as good as the primary camera on other models, it produces great shots with stellar color accuracy. Again, it can't replace a dedicated ultrawide or telephoto lens, but the 48MP sensor is great for basic shots.

The front camera is perhaps the best upgrade this year. It's an 18MP square sensor that lets you take vertical or horizontal shots without physically rotating your phone. Additionally, the Center Stage feature can automatically crop in or move out to ensure everyone is included in the selfie. I guarantee this is a feature that Android phone makers are taking notice of, because it's the real deal.

Apple iPhone Air: Competition

• The iPhone Air's clear advantage over the Galaxy S25 Edge is Qi2 and MagSafe support.
• The Galaxy S25 Edge is the well-rounded phone, with a better chip, extra camera, and more features.

The iPhone Air's main competition in the U.S. is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, as they're both thin and light phones. The Air is thinner, but the Edge is lighter. The Air has MagSafe for easy midday charging, but the Edge has better performance and an ultrawide camera. In other words, both phones have major compromises; you'll just have to choose which ones you'd rather live with.

There's also the iPhone 17 ($799) and iPhone 17 Pro ($1,099), which provide a better feature set than the Air, albeit in different form factors.

Apple iPhone Air: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You want a large phone that's still easy to hold and maneuver
• Thinness and lightness matter more to you than cameras or battery capacity
• You don't need or use an ultrawide or telephoto lens often

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You want the best-value hardware in an iPhone (get the iPhone 17 or a Pro instead)
• You want a slightly thicker, but still thin, phone with fewer compromises (get the Galaxy S25 Edge)
• You'd rather wait and see what improvements an iPhone Air 2 might be

The iPhone Air is aimed at people who think having a thinner and lighter phone will make using it easier, such as runners who want to carry a phone with them while working out without it being unwieldy. Whatever your reason, the combination of a 6.5-inch screen, 5.6mm thickness, and 165-gram weight is a market anomaly that only exists in the iPhone Air.

That said, it's true that this version of the iPhone Air will be the worst one to ever exist, as if an iPhone Air 2 comes out next year, it'll assuredly be better. Don't underestimate the compromises made to create the Air, either, because they're real, and they might change what you can do and how you can do it on your smartphone.

It's also true that the rumored foldable iPhone will almost certainly take cues from the Air's design. If either of those prospects excites you, perhaps you should skip the iPhone Air and wait. On the flip side, if you want a slightly thicker and more "normal" phone than the Air, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is a sleeper.

The last four generations of iPhone Pro had a similar design — discounting the introduction of Dynamic Island — but that's changing with the iPhone 17 Pro. The phone has a new design with a wider camera plateau that immediately grabs attention, and Apple switched to aluminum after dabbling in titanium for the last two years.

But what I like the most this year is that the iPhone 17 Pro is available in orange. That's the model I'm using, and it's delightful to use an iPhone in a vibrant color. Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed the Natural Titanium iPhone 16 Pro Max quite a bit, but the orange hue this year is eye-catching on an entirely different scale.

There are plenty of other upgrades; the iPhone 17 Pro gets the all-new A19 Pro silicon, and there's a new vapor cooling system that unlocks much better sustained performance. There's a bigger battery this generation as well, and better ingress protection.

The cameras are also overhauled, with the iPhone 17 Pro now touting a trio of 48MP modules along with a new 18MP selfie lens that switches orientation automatically — which is very cool. Basically, if you're using an older iPhone, there are enough new features and upgrades on the iPhone 17 Pro to make it an enticing choice if you need the additional cameras.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro: Specs, pricing, and availability

Apple unveiled the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, iPhone Air, and 17 Pro Max on September 09, with all models going on sale starting September 19. I've been using my phone for just under a week now, switching over from the iPhone 16 Pro Max. There's a 2TB model this time, but it's limited to the Pro Max, and it comes in at $1,999.

This year's Pro models cost more than their predecessors, and here's what the pricing looks like around the world:

• iPhone 17 Pro (256GB): $1,099 / £1,099 / €1,299 / ₹1,34,900
• iPhone 17 Pro (512GB): $1,299 / £1,299 / €1,549 / ₹1,54,900
• iPhone 17 Pro (1TB): $1,499 / £1,499 / €1,799 / ₹1,74,900

Apple iPhone 17 Pro: Design

• The iPhone 17 Pro has bold styling thanks to a new orange color variant and wider camera plateau.
• The aluminum unibody design feels great to hold and use.

The design of the iPhone 17 Pro reminds me of the POCO M3, which is wild. The wide camera bar (err, plateau) distinguishes the iPhone 17 Pro from its predecessors, and the design is uncharacteristically bold. While the new design won't be to everyone's tastes, I love the styling, and the aluminum unibody gives the iPhone 17 Pro a much better presence than previous years.

The rectangular camera plateau isn't just for show; it houses a bulk of the internal components, which is an achievement in and of itself. In doing so, the iPhone 17 Pro gets a sizeable battery boost, and the difference is immediately noticeable. While I used Pro models in the past, I prefer using the Pro Max because of the bigger panel and all-day battery, but even on the Pro variant, I managed to get a day's worth of use.

I'm using the Indian variant of the iPhone 17 Pro, which has a nano-SIM slot. If you're using the eSIM-only variant, you get an even bigger battery. Alongside the new design, another change this year is the Cosmic Orange hue; the bright orange color looks fantastic, and it has to be my favorite iPhone color yet.

The sides still have flat edges, but the bevels make it comfortable to hold and use the device. The back has a two-tone finish with the aluminum unibody merging with the Ceramic Shield glass back; the matte texture is great to hold, and on the whole, the design is refreshing.

Buttons are relatively unchanged; Camera Control is intact, and the Action button is located on the left, which is arguably more useful. There are other niceties; the antennae bands are integrated seamlessly into the camera plateau, leading to a cleaner design. Even the visible screws at the bottom and the USB-C connector inside the USB-C port are coated orange, and it's good to see that level of attention to detail.

You still get IP68 dust and water resistance, and like last year, the iPhone 17 Pro can be easily submerged in six meters of water. The iPhone 17 Pro is 7g heavier and 0.8mm thicker than last year, but that isn't noticeable in daily use. If anything, I think I might end up using the Pro model more this year because of the better in-hand feel and decent-sized battery.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro: Screen

• The 6.3-inch OLED size is unchanged, but it gets brighter in outdoor use.
• You get the same great color vibrancy, and the panel has better protection this year.

Alongside the design, Apple introduced noticeable changes to the display this year. You get the same 6.3-inch size as well as a 2622 x 1206 resolution and 120Hz refresh made possible with ProMotion, but the iPhone 17 Pro manages to get much brighter. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has been my yardstick in this regard, and the iPhone 17 Pro got almost as bright under intense heat, with the phone able to hit 3,000 nits.

There's also a new anti-reflective coating that's standard on all models, and it makes a sizeable difference when using the phone outdoors. I haven't used screen protectors on my iPhones for over half a decade, and the Ceramic Shield 2 coating on the iPhone 17 Pro is touted to have three times better scratch resistance than last year. The toughened glass is good enough that I'm confident in using my phone without additional protection.

Dynamic Island is unchanged from last year, and it continues to provide contextual details and live notifications, with several Android brands emulating the feature on their phones as well. Similar to previous generations, the iPhone 17 Pro has excellent color vibrancy and contrast, and it's a delight to use the phone to stream HDR and Dolby Vision content or play games.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro: Performance and battery

• The A19 Pro is an absolute powerhouse, delivering decent gains across the board.
• The all-new thermal management system brings much better sustained performance.

As is the case with every new iPhone generation, the iPhone 17 Pro gets new silicon: the A19 Pro. There's the usual uptick across the board, and the silicon uses a 3nm node like previous year. The bigger difference has to do with frequencies, with the A19 Pro now going up to 4.26GHz (from 4.05GHz).

Where the iPhone 17 Pro stands out is sustained performance; Apple started using a dedicated thermal management solution in the form of a vapor chamber, and it allows effective heat dissipation. It isn't any different to what Android phones had for a while now, and it allows the iPhone 17 Pro to better manager thermals even during extended gaming sessions.

The result is less noticeable throttling. In 3DMark's demanding Steel Nomad Light stress test, the iPhone 17 Pro netted a stability score of 77.9%, higher than the 70.6% managed by its predecessor. In real-world games, I noticed better stability in general with extended use, and the phone didn't get as hot as the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Other positives include 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM as standard on all Pro models, along with 256GB of base storage. I didn't see any problems with connectivity, and my iPhone 17 Pro had a rock-solid signal over cellular.

Interestingly, the phone uses Apple's own N1 silicon to enable Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. It isn't quite the same as the iPhone Air, which has the in-house C1X cellular modem, but it's a clear indicator that Apple is looking to move its entire silicon in-house instead of relying on an external modem. That said, the iPhone 17 Pro uses a Qualcomm modem that delivers 5G connectivity.

There are no issues with haptics, with the phone delivering exquisite feedback while using the keyboard, navigating the interface, and while gaming.

I've always been reticent to use the Pro models because of average battery, but that's thankfully not a problem this year. The iPhone 17 Pro has a bigger battery, and it manages to last a day with medium use. I still had to plug it in on days which saw heavy use, but on the whole, it's reliable enough that I don't feel limited that I'm not using the Pro Max model.

There's good news when it comes to charging tech as well; the iPhone 17 Pro uses sustained 30W charging, and while it takes nearly 90 minutes to hit a full charge, it gets to the 50% mark in under 30 minutes. There still isn't a bundled charger, but as the phone uses the standard USB PD profile, you can use any PD GaN charger — I tested it with UGREEN's Nexode 500W charging station.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro: Cameras

• The iPhone 17 Pro comes with a trio of 48MP cameras, delivering better photos and videos.
• The front 18MP camera now uses a square sensor, and it is able to switch orientation automatically.

The iPhone 17 Pro has a trio of 48MP cameras at the back, with a new imaging engine that delivers better photos and videos. The main camera and tele lenses get OIS, and the front 18MP square module is just as interesting this year, given its ability to switch orientation on the fly. While I don't take many selfies, the feature is cool enough that I want Android brands to steal it immediately.

The viewfinder is different too; just the Photo and Video modes are visible, with the others hidden unless you move your finger over the ribbon at the bottom. Other than that, you get the ability to switch between the various lenses, and a new addition this year is shooting video from the front and rear cameras at the same time — going up to 4K30 — and this is similar to what Nokia phones did ages ago.

Predictably, the iPhone 17 Pro takes standout photos in daylight situations, delivering great dynamic range and good color saturation. On that note, you can easily adjust the look of the photos with Styles, and this year's Bright gets closest to what Android-based Chinese manufacturers manage to deliver. That's the mode I used by default, but there's extensive customizability in how your photos and videos look.

Low-light shots have plenty of detail and good color rendition, but they're not quite on par with what you get on the Vivo X200 Pro, X200 Ultra, Xiaomi 15 Ultra, or the Find X8 Pro. It's a similar story with the auxiliary sensors; the wide-angle and tele lenses are great in their own right, but they just don't measure up to what Chinese brands are offering on their phones.

That said, the Pixel 17 Pro is going up against Samsung and Google, and in that context, it holds up admirably well. I still prefer the Pixel 10 Pro XL in most scenarios, and Google did a better job with its telephoto lens this year. However, the iPhone 17 Pro isn't behind by much, and that alone is a considerable upgrade from previous years. If you're coming from an older iPhone, you'll love the cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro: Software

• iOS 26 is the biggest UI overhaul in iPhone history, bringing a fresh new design to this year's phones.
• The UI is modern and fun to use, and it has much better customization options.

It isn't just the hardware design that's different this year; the iPhone 17 Pro comes with iOS 16, introducing the new Liquid Glass interface. The UI feels cleaner and modern, and as someone who used Windows 7 for nearly four years, I love the transparency effects. Sure, it's not consistent and it affects usability at times, but it is a definite step up over the earlier UI, which was starting to look bland.

Apple's custom apps have all switched to the new interface, and the design feels cohesive. There are a few errant crashes that I haven't noticed in previous years, and inevitably, the interface has bugs, but the iOS 26.1 addresses this to an extent. There's much better customization, and I like that quite a bit — it was an area where iOS lagged behind Android in previous years.

On the whole, iOS 26 feels modern but familiar at the same time. It still doesn't address the fact that Apple's AI efforts haven't been quite as fruitful as that of Google, but as a design overhaul, it ticks the right boxes.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro: The alternatives

The upgrades to the standard iPhone 17 make it a good alternative this year. If you don't need great auxiliary cameras, it is the model to get. The regular iPhone 17 finally comes with ProMotion tech, bringing the panel to 120Hz, and it has a new 48MP camera, allowing it to take better images and videos.

Then there's the iPhone Air. The ultra-thin device is in an entirely different league, and I didn't think I'd enjoy using it as much as I have. It doesn't have the best cameras, and the battery isn't anywhere as good as the iPhone 17 Pro, but it is cool in a way that no other phone can manage in 2025.

If you're looking at an Android alternative, I'd recommend the Pixel 10 Pro. Google's latest phone is iPhone-esque to such an extent that there isn't much of a difference between the two. You get much better AI features on the Pixel 10 Pro, and the cameras are better — particularly the tele lens.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if:

• You're using an older iPhone
• You want an iPhone with bold styling
• You need the best cameras on an iPhone
• You want an iPhone that's easy to hold and use
• You need reliable battery life

You shouldn't buy this if:

• You need a bigger panel
• You want the best telephoto lens

There really isn't much of a reason to upgrade phones year-on-year — we're well past that cycle. That said, the iPhone 17 Pro brings welcome changes at a time when the models were starting to get a little stale. The bold styling in and if itself is a big enough change that it will prove to be divisive, but I like what Apple did in this area.

Other than that, you get the usual upgrades: the iPhone 17 Pro is faster, lasts longer, takes better photos and videos, and feels better to hold in hand. It makes a strong case for itself if you're looking to upgrade to a new phone this year, while still feeling familiar enough that it isn't jarring.

Ultimately, the decision to buy the iPhone 17 Pro is down to your requirements; if you need the auxiliary cameras and like the new design, it is the way to go. But if you just need the basics, the iPhone 17 is a good choice this year, and the iPhone Air is outstanding in its own right. Essentially, you've got much more choice than previous years, and that's always a good thing.

Apple has a new crop of smartphones, and the iPhone 17 feels like the first base model in years to be truly competitive with the best Android phones. In the past, it was easy to criticize Apple for seemingly holding back basic features, like always-on displays and high refresh rates, from the cheapest new iPhone. The iPhone 17 flips the script, adding both of those long-awaited features and a whole lot more to make the base model eye-catching.

For those looking for a small and cheap flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S25 has looked great on paper for the past few years. It's the most compact out of the top options from Apple, Samsung, and Google, and it added a third rear camera before it was cool. Now, it's time to see whether the iPhone 17 can beat the Galaxy S25 at its own game in base-model value.

iPhone 17 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Design and display

The iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S25 are both small flagships, but Apple's smartphone is heavier and less compact than Samsung's. It comes down to the displays — Samsung is still using a 6.2-inch AMOLED panel on the Galaxy S25, whereas Apple moved to a larger 6.3-inch screen. Both are now capable of hitting 120Hz refresh rates, and have AOD options.

Apple is using Ceramic Shield 2 glass on the iPhone 17, and Samsung opted for Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the Galaxy S25. Both are made by Corning, but the key difference is that the iPhone 17's cover glass is optimized for scratch protection and has anti-reflective properties. To get an anti-reflective screen on a Samsung Galaxy phone, you have to go with the expensive Galaxy S25 Ultra model.

It's hard to understate the difference in size between the iPhone 17 and Galaxy S25. By just comparing the screen sizes, the gap looks minuscule, but there's more to the story. The iPhone measures 149.6 x 71.5 x 8mm and weighs 177 grams, which is larger by every measure compared to the Galaxy S25's dimensions of 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm. The Samsung base model's weight is particularly impressive at just 162 grams — even lighter than the iPhone Air.

Surprisingly, the Galaxy S25 packs flagship specs and a larger battery capacity than the iPhone 17 in that small form factor. The only key compromise here is the display, which is smaller by one tenth of an inch. Only you can decide whether the bigger, thicker, and heavier design of the iPhone 17 is a dealbreaker, but I prefer the compact and lightweight build of the Galaxy S25.

As for durability, both phones sport an IP68 certification against dust and water ingress. They're also made out of aluminum and have frosted glass backs.

iPhone 17 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Hardware and specs

Apple and Samsung both equipped their cheapest flagship phones with current-generation processors, but the Galaxy S25 goes a step further. It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy mobile platform, the same one that powers Samsung's most expensive handsets. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 runs on an Apple A19 chip that's a lower-tier offering compared to the A19 Pro in the Air and Pro models. This could help the Galaxy S25 excel in AI tasks and gaming, but that remains to be seen.

Samsung has the advantage in on-device memory, with 12GB of RAM on the Galaxy S25 compared to the iPhone 17's 8GB. However, the iPhone 17 crucially starts with 256GB of base storage at the same price as the 128GB Galaxy S25. There's more storage available on the higher-end configurations, too. You can buy an iPhone 17 with up to 512GB of storage, while the Galaxy S25 tops out at 256GB.

In terms of connectivity, the iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S25 both support Wi-Fi 7, 5G, satellite connectivity, and NFC. The iPhone 17 does support Bluetooth 6 compared to Bluetooth 5.4 on the Galaxy S25. On the flip side, the Galaxy S25 has a physical SIM tray, and all iPhones are eSIM-only in the U.S.

Samsung gave the Galaxy S25 slightly more battery life, but it charges more slowly and doesn't have internal magnets for Qi2 or MagSafe. The iPhone 17 can now do 40-60W fast wired charging and take advantage of Qi2.2 25W wireless charging, which is great to see.

While the A19 chip is a capable performer, Samsung likely does more with its on-device Galaxy AI processing than Apple does with Apple Intelligence at the moment. Between Galaxy AI and Gemini, the Galaxy S25 has the more robust AI suite.

iPhone 17 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Cameras

The iPhone 17 received a few major camera upgrades this year, headlined by the 18MP selfie camera. This new camera lens now uses a square sensor, a shift from typical 4:3 sensor. The practical benefit of this change is being able to take selfies in either orientation, portrait or landscape, without having to physically rotate your phone. And when there's a big group shot, Center Stage uses AI to automatically expand the view to fit everyone in.

The rear cameras are a bit less exciting — they're 48MP sensors, a main and an ultrawide. Still, they look to perform great and provide the stabilization and video recording Apple is known for.

Samsung has an extra rear telephoto lens, which adds a 3x optical zoom length into the mix. It's the handy tool in a triple-camera system that also consists of a 50MP, f/1.8 main sensor and a 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide with a 120-degree field of view. Google followed suit this year, adding a telephoto camera to its base-model Pixel 10, but Samsung pioneered this offering on cheaper flagships.

Compared to the 2x optical-quality zoom the iPhone 17 achieves using sensor crop, the Galaxy S25's true 3x optical zoom will undoubtedly produce better results.

iPhone 17 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Which should you buy

The iPhone 17 and Samsung Galaxy S25 are more similar than you may think — both feature the same chassis design as older models and come with key limitations compared to their higher-end counterparts. However, both also stand out in their own way. Aside from the obvious iOS 26 vs. One UI 7 debate, these phones focus on completely different things.

The iPhone 17 clearly puts an emphasis on the cameras, making it a great option for creators or anyone who loves to take photos or videos. Yes, it has one fewer rear camera than the Galaxy S25, but its 48MP main and ultrawide cameras are top-notch. Plus, the square front-facing camera that makes it possible to capture vertical or horizontal selfies without rotating your device is a standout feature.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 has more raw power with the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, and it does more with it thanks to Galaxy AI and Gemini. It'll run circles around Apple Intelligence, and the smarts may even help the phone beat the iPhone 17 in gaming and intensive tasks.

You can't go wrong with either one, but if you happen to care about camera or AI features, you may want to pick the iPhone 17 or Galaxy S25, respectively.

In the global smartphone market, where Android dominates over 80% share with flashy spec-filled smartphones that fold and scream AI features, it is not easy to stand out. However, anyone who’s played poker knows it’s not always the best hand that wins. Strategy, timing, and knowing when to go all-in often matter more than the cards themselves. Apple’s September event at Apple Park was, at first glance, a showcase of a strong hand: sleek devices, bold design, and carefully crafted messaging.

But the real game runs deeper. The iPhone 17 Air and Pro lineup may be Apple’s “pocket aces,” but they aren’t enough on their own to drive the next wave of growth, which is Apple’s ultimate endgame. Apple’s real bet lies in three calculated moves: disciplined pricing, design-driven differentiation, and aggressive trade-in incentives. While most Android players focus on price wars and long spec sheets, Apple is counting on these three strategic moves to make the aces matter and ‘win the hand’ — fuel a massive upgrade cycle in the year ahead.

Bet 1: Design-driven product differentiation

The Air — Style Icon: Apple knows design sells, and the iPhone Air is built to turn heads. Slim, lightweight, and instantly recognizable, it appeals to consumers who value aesthetics over maxed-out performance. At 5.6mm, it is slimmer than the 5.7mm Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and $100 cheaper.

What impressed me most was how incredibly light it felt. “It feels like Air,” I said, a sentiment echoed across Steve Jobs Theater. That weightlessness will attract consumers tired of bulky phones but still wanting a premium product.

Strategically, the Air sits neatly between the entry-level iPhone and the Pro line — a tier the Plus model failed to establish, contributing at best just 7% of Apple’s global shipments. I expect the Air to succeed here, potentially driving 15% of volume despite the much-talked-about compromises and regulatory challenges in China. In a market where differentiation is key, a novel design balanced with the right price and performance can be a powerful trigger.

The Pro Lineup — Performance Icon: The iPhone 17 Pro models are positioned to focus on performance, offering longer battery life, faster processing, and advanced cameras for content creators and enthusiasts willing to pay top dollar for the highest specifications. The return to aluminum was another power move — leaving Android rivals puzzled after they just shifted to titanium to mimic Apple’s recent success.

Beyond lower cost, better heat management, and durability, aluminum also enables bold colors like Cosmic Orange, already going viral. Apple places a heavy bet on design in its power lineup, placing confidence that upgrades are often emotional decisions, and design — especially color — plays a big role.

The iPhone 17 — Value Icon: Apple also gave significant upgrades to its base model, trickling previously exclusive “pro-only” features into the entry-level iPhone 17, boosting its appeal to value-conscious consumers and already triggering record-breaking pre-orders. This reflects Apple’s new approach: rather than size or price-based differentiation, it leans on design, style, and performance, sprinkling novelty and premium features throughout the lineup. The result is a more consistent premium feel throughout, at nearly the same price as last year.

Bet 2: Restrained pricing strategy

Apple’s decision not to raise prices across most of its lineup is under-appreciated, especially given inflationary pressures and higher costs driven by tariffs and accelerated supply chain shifts. Still, most models held steady while storage doubled, giving consumers more for the same cost. Even the Air delivers a premium product just under $1,000.

This restraint sends a clear message to its consumers: Apple won’t add pressure to already-stretched wallets. That promise matters more than any spec sheet in today’s inflationary climate, and it will help sustain Apple’s momentum in emerging markets where long-term growth rests.

Apple is able to lean into its scale, vertical integration, and supply chain control to make this strategy work without hurting profitability, a play most Android rivals can’t match. While competitors struggle with shrinking margins and price wars, Apple is cementing its 40% value share of the smartphone market and 70% share of the premium ($1,000+) segment.

Bet 3: The upgrades engine

All of this feeds into Apple’s endgame: driving a massive upgrade cycle. The Air serves as a style icon, the Pro models target heavy users, and the baseline 17 offers strong value. Stable pricing lowers upgrade friction and reinforces value, while aggressive trade-ins (up to $1,100 in the US) make upgrading a “no-brainer.” Early preorder data suggests the strategy is already working.

To top it off, over 430 million iPhones shipped in 2020–2021 are now hitting the 4–5-year mark — the typical upgrade window for iOS users per IDC. No matter what model they bought then, the iPhone 17 lineup gives them a compelling reason to trade up.

The final hand

For Android OEMs, this is a learning opportunity. While many Android phones chase spec sheets or pricing wars, Apple is playing a bigger game, a global upgrade strategy. Its mix of design differentiation, price restraint, and ecosystem lock-in pulls users forward, even when rivals match or exceed specs.

Apple’s event may not have delivered the slimmest phone in the smartphone world or the loudest AI when you stack it against Android counterparts, but its real play is subtle and powerful: the sum of design, pricing, and trade-in incentives. Every detail nudges users off older devices, lowers upgrade friction, and reignites growth in a slowing market.

Upgrades are the endgame, and Apple has gone all in.

Just like deciding between the iPhone 17 Pro XL vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro XL was a tough call, it's going to be a similar situation with the non-Pro models, too. The iPhone 17 Pro is the entry point to the Pro series, and it has the exact same features as the Pro Max model — just in a more compact size and with a smaller battery. On the Android side, the Pixel 10 Pro is its closest and direct competitor that happens to be priced roughly the same.

While it might seem like a slam dunk for the iPhone, the Pixel 10 Pro has its share of trump cards too; it should be able to pull off clearer telephoto images, the AI features are most definitely more alluring, and the larger battery capacity should allow it to last longer on a single charge. Plus, the new Material 3 Expressive design language in Android 16 is prettier than ever. It's not going to be an easy choice choosing either one, so let's break it down and see if we have a clear winner.

iPhone 17 Pro vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro: Design and display

After multiple generations of the same design, the iPhone 17 Pro finally gets a new look. The most noticeable change is a wider camera bump on the back that Apple calls the "camera plateau." This raised portion creates more room inside for components, allowing for a larger battery. The result is a phone that's actually thicker and heavier than its predecessor. It's thicker than the Pixel 10 Pro as well, but lighter by one gram.

Apple has ditched titanium for the frame and gone back to aluminum with the iPhone 17 Pro. It's a unibody design for the first time, which Apple claims provides significantly better durability. The phone is IP68 rated, supports MagSafe charging, and you now get Ceramic Shield over the back panel as well. Another iPhone first is the use of a vapor chamber for more effective cooling.

The Google Pixel 10 Pro also uses a vapor chamber, just like most other Android flagships for the past decade. There's nothing worth writing about in terms of design, though, as it's nearly identical to the Pixel 9 Pro from 2024. The 10 Pro does get Pixelsnap, which lets it use Qi2/MagSafe wireless charging and accessories natively, just like the iPhone.

iPhones have always had impressive displays, and the iPhone 17 Pro is no exception. It's a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits. Apple is using its new Ceramic Shield 2 coating over the display, which it says offers three times better scratch resistance than before. Thankfully, there's a lot less glass on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro due to the new design, which means the odds of cracking it when dropped are less.

The Google Pixel 10 Pro has the exact same screen size as the iPhone 17 Pro, with roughly the same resolution, too. This LTPO OLED panel also has a 120Hz refresh rate, but the peak brightness is higher at 3,300 nits. It's not the most eye-friendly display, though, due to its low PWM dimming rate, although Google has added an option to fix this in software. You get Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for scratch resistance.

iPhone 17 Pro vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro: Hardware and specs

Apple silicon has always been a generation or two ahead of the best SoC in the Android realm, and that's not changed. We're yet to test and benchmark the new Apple A19 Pro SoC, but we have no doubt that it's going to have a sizeable lead over the Tensor G5 in the Pixel 10 Pro. All variants of the iPhone 17 Pro have 12GB of RAM, and storage tiers start at 256GB and go all the way up to 1TB. Prices range from $1,099 to $1,499.

The Google Pixel 10 Pro starts with a 128GB storage tier at $999, and goes all the way to 1TB for $1,449. The Tensor G5 is a marked improvement over the G4, but it still trails behind other flagship chips from Qualcomm. While it's great for AI tasks, it's still not the best for other things like AAA gaming.

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro offer the latest wireless technology. You get Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, mmWave 5G, UWB, and NFC on both models. The iPhone 17 Pro has a slightly larger battery than its predecessor, but it's still not as large as the one in the Pixel 10 Pro.

The iPhone charges quicker too, thanks to the new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter (sold separately) that can deliver up to 50% charge in just 20 minutes. The Pixel 10 Pro, on the other hand, can charge at 30W. When it comes to wireless charging, both phones support Qi2 wireless charging via MagSafe accessories or Pixelsnap chargers.

The Pixel 10 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro have three rear cameras and support a wide focal range. The iPhone 17 Pro gets a new 48MP telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom, while the main camera now has a wider f/1.6 aperture for better low-light photos. There's a new square 18MP front camera sensor, which allows you to take a selfie in multiple orientations without having to hold the phone horizontally. For filmmakers, the addition of ProRes RAW video capture is a big deal, as you can now use the 17 Pro for professional-grade video workflows.

The Pixel 10 Pro features the same resolution sensors as before, but Pro Res Zoom can now zoom up to 100x. New features like Camera Coach and Auto Best Take are sure to be appreciated by everyone. The image quality from the cameras is rather excellent overall, especially images shot via Portrait mode, which Google has finally fixed.

iPhone 17 Pro vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro: Software

The iPhone 17 Pro runs iOS 26, which has gotten a big design overhaul in the form of Liquid Glass for its UI elements. In fact, a lot of the changes, like the new look for visual intelligence and iMessage backgrounds, seem to be inspired by Android and popular third-party apps. It's a big departure compared to Material 3 Expressive in Android 16.

Speaking of which, the Pixel 10 Pro runs Android 16 out of the box and is promised to get seven years of OS upgrades. A lot of the AI processing for the new features on the Pixel 10 Pro now runs on-device, which means faster operation and better privacy. Android 16 isn't as big a visual overhaul as iOS 26 is, but the changes are meaningful and make using your Pixel even better.

AI performance is in the Pixel 10's favor, due to Google's more mature suite of features led by Gemini. Meanwhile, Apple is still catching up with its AI, and while it has some notable features, they generally don't compare to those found on the Pixel, and we're still waiting for the major Siri overhaul.

iPhone 17 Pro vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro: Which should you buy?

This is never an easy answer, as you'll be choosing between two very different platforms, and many factors, such as your current accessories, wearables, and chargers, will need to be considered. I think the iPhone 17 Pro is a fantastic choice over the Pixel 10 Pro, even if you are a long-time Android user. Sure, Apple is trailing behind in the AI game, but apart from that, nearly everything else seems better. The more powerful chip, better video recording capabilities, eye-friendly display, faster charging, and compatibility with a ton more cases and accessories.

I'd choose the Pixel 10 Pro if AI features are the biggest draw for you. It comes close to the iPhone in overall specs, except in a few areas like gaming. Like the iPhone, it too will get day-one OS upgrades, and its current features will keep getting augmented thanks to Pixel Drop updates.

There are many smartphone launches in a year, but the ones everyone looks forward to most are from Apple and Google. Google unveiled its flagship Pixel 10 series back in August, while Apple has now officially introduced the iPhone 17 lineup as well.

Both the Pixel 10 and iPhone 17 are major upgrades over their predecessors, even if it doesn't look that way on paper. The Google Pixel 10 adds an extra zoom lens and new AI features, while the iPhone 17 brings an improved selfie camera and new anti-reflective glass up front.

Thankfully, both brands have kept the same $799 starting price for their entry-level flagships, making this comparison even more interesting. So, between the iPhone 17 vs. Pixel 10, which is the better fit for you? Let's see how they compare.

iPhone 17 vs. Google Pixel 10: Pricing, colors, and availability

After months of leaks, Apple officially unveiled the iPhone 17 lineup at its "Awe Dropping" event on September 9, 2025. The iPhone 17 starts at the same $799 price as the iPhone 16 base model. This time, however, Apple has bumped the base storage to 256GB, with a 512GB variant also available for $999.

The iPhone 17 comes in five colors: Lavender (purple), Sage (green), Mist Blue, White, and Black. Pre-orders for the iPhone 17 begin Friday, September 12, with availability in stores starting September 19, 2025.

Google, on the other hand, took the wraps off the Pixel 10 series about three weeks earlier at its Made by Google event on August 20, 2025. The baseline Pixel 10 also starts at $799 in the US. However, the base Pixel 10 comes with just 128GB of storage, with only one upgrade option to 256GB — there is no 512GB variant available.

The Pixel 10 is offered in four colors: Indigo, Frost, Lemongrass, and Obsidian, and is available for purchase immediately through carriers and major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

iPhone 17 vs. Google Pixel 10: Design and display

At first glance, the iPhone 17 and the Google Pixel 10 adopt a very similar design language. Both are rectangular slab smartphones with a glass-sandwich build, curved corners, and flat-edged frames. But once you turn to the back, the differences appear.

The iPhone 17 continues with the same vertical camera setup on the top left as the iPhone 16, while the Pixel 10 carries its signature horizontal camera visor across the back, housing the camera sensors and temperature sensor. Both devices also feature their company logos centered on the rear.

In terms of dimensions, the Google Pixel 10 is slightly wider, thicker, and heavier than the iPhone 17. The iPhone 17 has a 6.3-inch display and measures 149.6 x 71.5 x 8mm, while the Pixel 10 also has a 6.3-inch display but measures 152.8 x 72 x 8.6mm.

Another key difference in hand feel is weight. The iPhone 17 is lighter at 177 grams, while the Pixel 10 comes in at 204 grams. The Pixel makes up for it, though, with an extra camera lens and a bigger battery, but more on that later.

In terms of durability, both phones are quite comparable. The Pixel 10 uses Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, while the iPhone 17 uses Apple’s new Ceramic Shield 2. Both are also IP68 rated, meaning they can handle rain or shallow water immersion for up to 30 minutes.

One iPhone-exclusive feature that has now made its way to the Pixel 10 is Qi2 magnetic wireless charging. Both the iPhone 17 and Pixel 10 feature magnets on the back, so you can use magnetic chargers, power banks, and MagSafe accessories like mounts and wallets without third-party cases or stickers.

Another iPhone-inspired move, though not necessarily a plus, is the removal of physical SIM trays. Both the iPhone 17 and Pixel 10 are eSIM-only in the United States, with no SIM card slots available.

Up front is where the iPhone 17 sees major upgrades. For the first time, the base iPhone gets Apple's ProMotion display with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, something Android phones, including Pixels, have offered for years. It also features a 6.3-inch Super XDR OLED panel with up to 3,000 nits peak brightness.

However, one of the big upgrades on the iPhone 17's display this year is the addition of an anti-reflective coating, similar to what we've seen on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. This should make it easier to view the phone outdoors with less glare.

The Pixel 10 similarly offers a 6.3-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh, 3,000 nits of peak brightness, and HDR10+ playback support.

iPhone 17 vs. Google Pixel 10: Hardware, specs, and software

Apple has always led when it comes to smartphone processors, and the company doubles down with the A19 chipset on the iPhone 17. Similar to the A18 from the previous generation, the A19 is based on a 3nm process, but Apple claims it is now "fast and efficient" and tailored to power on-device AI features.

And Apple has something to show for it. The company has built what it calls "neural accelerators" into the A19's GPU, which should further improve on-device AI performance, especially with help from the 16-core Neural Engine. In raw performance, Apple claims up to 80% better graphics than the iPhone 15.

Now, the hardware has always been where Google Pixels lag behind iPhones. While Google has tried to catch up with the Tensor G5 on the Pixel 10, it still falls short.

The rumors were true: Google switched from Samsung Foundry to TSMC for manufacturing the Tensor G5 on a 3nm process. While this should theoretically improve sustained performance and efficiency, Tensor G5's benchmarks show the Pixel 10 still trails other Android competitors and the iPhone.

Hardware has never been Google's strong suit, as the company focuses more on user experience and software — and that remains true for the Pixel 10.

Google hit the numbers it wanted, with the Tensor G5's TPU 60% faster for on-device AI tasks and the CPU 40% faster than the Pixel 9's Tensor G4. Early results also suggest better performance, but if you're buying a device for gaming or video editing, you're probably better off with the iPhone 17.

Another interesting upgrade on the iPhone 17, something we wish Google had adopted on the Pixel 10 series, is the bump to base storage of 256GB. The iPhone 17 comes in two variants, 256GB and 512GB, while the Pixel 10 only offers 128GB and 256GB. Of course, neither phone includes a microSD slot for storage expansion.

In terms of battery capacity, the Pixel 10 takes the lead. It ships with a 4,970 mAh cell, while even though Apple increased the size of the iPhone 17, it's still lower at 3,692 mAh. The Pixel 10 supports 30W fast charging, while Apple has added dynamic 40W–60W support on the iPhone 17.

Apple claims the iPhone 17 can charge from 0–50% in about 20 minutes, while the Pixel 10 takes closer to 30. For wireless charging, both phones support Qi2 magnetic wireless charging, but the iPhone 17 offers faster 25W charging compared to the Pixel 10's 15W.

Of course, actual battery life depends on usage, but so far, I've been pretty impressed with the Pixel 10, while I'm yet to test the iPhone 17.

Turning to software, as we know, the two phones ship with completely different OSes. The Pixel 10 comes with Android 16 and Google's new bold Material 3 Expressive design. The iPhone 17 runs iOS 26 with Apple's Liquid Glass design language. It's personal preference, but I find Android 16's look more appealing than Liquid Glass.

As expected, Google leans heavily into AI and software features, and the Pixel 10 is no exception. It includes several new tools you won't find on any other phone, like Camera Coach to guide better photos, Magic Cue to surface info when you need it, and features like Daily Hub, Pixel Screenshots, and more. These are some of the features that are not available on the iPhone 17.

In fact, when it comes to the iPhone 17, Apple strangely didn't even mention Apple Intelligence — its suite of AI features — on stage at the keynote. Apple has clearly fallen behind in AI features and in rolling them out for users.

iPhone 17 vs. Google Pixel 10: Cameras

Finally, moving on to the cameras, and this is where most people are most interested. Both iPhones and Google Pixels are known for offering some of the most consistent cameras on smartphones, but this year, based purely on hardware, Google seems to have taken the lead.

The Pixel 10 ships with a triple-camera setup on the back. This includes a 48MP primary camera, a 13MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10.8MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. With the company's Pro Res Zoom and Gemini AI, the Pixel 10 can even achieve up to 20x digital zoom.

This is the first time Google has added a telephoto zoom lens to the baseline Pixel, something the iPhone 17 lacks.

The iPhone 17 comes with a dual-camera setup: a 48MP main sensor and an upgraded 48MP ultra-wide sensor for crisp wide-angle shots. But without a telephoto lens, the only optical zoom you get is 2x, achieved by cropping into the main sensor.

Of course, we can't just compare hardware, but based on hardware alone, the Pixel 10 takes the lead. We're still waiting, though, to see how these cameras compare in real-world use.

What's upgraded on the iPhone 17 is the main selfie shooter up front. It now features an 18MP front-facing camera with OIS and PDAF. The new addition is that this camera is multi-aspect, meaning it's wide enough that even when holding the phone vertically, you can snap selfies in landscape mode — something Google Pixels don't offer.

iPhone 17 vs. Google Pixel 10: Which should you buy?

So, between the iPhone 17 and the Pixel 10, which one should you buy? As always, comparing the two isn't like comparing apples and oranges. Instead, these phones are designed for different users with different priorities in mind.

At the top of that list is the OS. Some people prefer Android, while others prefer iOS. And while it will always remain a major differentiating factor when opting for either a Google Pixel or an iPhone, for the first time in years, it feels like buying the baseline entry-level model from both Apple and Google is genuinely worth it.

Google has upgraded the Pixel 10 to the point where it finally feels like a complete flagship without pushing you to upgrade to the Pro. Additions like Qi2 wireless charging, a much-improved Tensor G5 chipset, a 5x telephoto zoom camera, and plenty of helpful software features make it a phone that won't let you down.

On the other hand, the iPhone 17 is also a major upgrade with the long-awaited 120Hz refresh rate, faster charging, the powerful Apple A19 chipset, and an improved selfie camera. Altogether, the baseline iPhone now feels far less compromised compared to the Pro models.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is here, and it brings along the first major iPhone redesign in half a decade — but is that enough to beat Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra?

The two top flagships on the market have quite a bit in common, sporting 6.9-inch displays and the best chipsets on iOS and Android, respectively. It's now time to figure out whether the iPhone 17 Pro Max is enough to make longtime Android users switch, or vice versa.

Apple is changing things up with a switch back to aluminum and a new unibody chassis on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, while Samsung doubles down on titanium on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Let's break down how these two phones compare to help you figure out which one is the right buy.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Design and display

The design of the iPhone 17 Pro Max is radically different compared to any other iPhone model — though I'd forgive you if you thought the phone just looks like an iPhone 16 Pro Max with a rectangular camera bump. It's actually called the camera plateau now, according to Apple, and it's part of an aluminum unibody construction. The entire chassis is now one piece, with a single glass insert slotting into the back to facilitate wireless charging.

This new iPhone 17 Pro Max build is designed to enhance the smartphone's strength and reduce its temperature, addressing a few drawbacks of the prior models' titanium material. It's still IP68-certified, but now features Ceramic Shield 2 glass on the front with an anti-reflective coating. This takes clear inspiration from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which added a game-changing anti-glare screen earlier this year.

From a design standpoint, both the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Galaxy S25 Ultra have 6.9-inch screens, but the latter has a flatter and thinner body. The Galaxy S25 Ultra measures just 8.2mm thick, while the iPhone is 8.75mm thick. Apple's smartphone is also 15 grams heavier, so in terms of form factor, the Galaxy S25 Ultra may feel better in the hand.

Both phones have OLED displays with 120Hz LTPO variable refresh rate support. Apple's phone is slightly brighter, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max capable of reaching 3,000 nits peak in outdoor settings. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra tops out at 2,600 nits, which will still be plenty bright.

Notably, the Galaxy S25 Ultra packs an S Pen inside, and you can use the stylus for quick drawings or note-taking. There are even a few Galaxy AI features that leverage the S Pen for ease of use, like Sketch to Image. Put simply, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has no equivalent, either on the first or third-party market.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Hardware and specs

The Apple A19 Pro and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipsets are the two most powerful mobile processors on the market, and they're inside the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Galaxy S25 Ultra, respectively. Both phones utilize vapor chambers to cool these blazing-fast chips and feature optimizations that balance performance and efficiency. They each feature 12GB of memory by default, but only the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 16GB RAM option tied to the 1TB storage configuration.

While both handsets start with 256GB of storage, the iPhone 17 Pro Max introduces a 2TB storage configuration for the first time. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra can only be equipped with up to 1TB of storage. So, the top iPhone gets more storage, but the top Galaxy gets more memory.

Connectivity leans in favor of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which supports Bluetooth 6 and Thread in addition to 5G and Wi-Fi 7. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 Ultra only supports Bluetooth 5.4. Samsung has the edge in biometrics, offering an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and facial recognition.

Battery life and charging are starting to tip in favor of the iPhone for the first time. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 5,088mAh battery capacity, slightly higher than the 5,000mAh cell inside the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It can also charge up to 50% in only 20 minutes. While the Galaxy S25 Ultra supports Qi 2.1 Ready and needs a case to add magnets, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has them built-in and supports Qi2.2 25W.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra has the higher-spec USB-C port, supporting USB 3.2 Gen 1 compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB 3.0.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Cameras

The iPhone 17 Pro Max features a robust rear camera system comprising a trio of 48MP sensors, including a main, ultrawide, and telephoto lens. However, the telephoto camera is an upgrade in one way and a downgrade in another. It's a 48MP lens with 4x optical zoom, but that becomes 8x optical-quality zoom with sensor cropping down to 12MP photos. Last year's iPhone 16 Pro Max could do 5x optical zoom, but didn't have the sensor-cropping capabilities of the new higher-megapixel sensor.

Otherwise, the 48MP primary sensor can shoot 24MP and 12MP photos, with the 48MP ultrawide adding a 120-degree field-of-view to get more in the shot. Apple added a new 18MP front-facing camera sensor to the entire iPhone 17 lineup, and it's a square sensor rather than a typical 4:3 sensor. This means you can snap selfies in vertical or horizontal orientations without physically moving the phone, which is pretty neat.

On paper, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has the more versatile rear camera system. You get a 200MP main camera sensor paired with a 50MP ultrawide lens, plus two telephoto lenses offering 3x and 5x optical zoom. That's more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers with physical lenses, but less if you account for the 8x optical-quality sensor crop.

Samsung's front-facing camera is a 12MP wide lens, and it doesn't have any of the fun tricks added by the iPhone 17 Pro Max's square sensor.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Which should you buy?

The iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra are both the best we've ever seen from the iOS and Android side of things, but they're also unlikely to sway longtime fans. For Apple users, the Galaxy S25 Ultra's lack of Qi2 support could be a deal-breaker. Android users probably won't be impressed by iOS 26 or the iPhone 17 Pro Max's new hardware changes, even if they're impactful for iPhone owners.

On paper, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has more versatility, with an inbuilt S Pen and five total cameras. The thinner and lighter build represents the best of Samsung's design and engineering, and even iPhone users can probably appreciate it. These are the greatest phones on each side of the walled garden, so it'll probably come down to whether you want to use iOS or One UI more.

We've spent plenty of time with the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, and we keep coming to the same conclusion: this is an Android phone for iPhone users ready to make a change. That puts a bit of pressure on Apple and the iPhone 17 Pro Max to provide an experience great enough to keep longtime iOS users on board. Now that the iPhone 17 Pro Max is official, is it enough to beat the Pixel 10 Pro XL and keep iPhone users happy?

That's up for debate, because whether you love or hate the iPhone 17 Pro Max will likely come down to your thoughts on the new aluminum chassis. Otherwise, performance and everyday use will likely feel similar to that of its predecessor. Another factor will certainly be whether you prefer iOS 26's Liquid Glass or Android 16's Material 3 Expressive design language. If you're on the fence, this comparison will help you choose between Apple and Google's top smartphones.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Design and display

Google popularized the modern concept of a "camera bar" on Pixel phones, which has recently become more of a camera "island" on the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 10 Pro XL. Apple seems to be copying Google's homework a bit, because the new iPhone 17 Pro Max has what it's calling a camera "plateau." It might sound a bit silly, and some think it looks silly, but it's part of an impressive iPhone 17 Pro Max design shift to a unibody construction.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is crafted out of one piece of aluminum that holds all the components with a small cutout on the back for a slab of glass. It creates something of a two-tone look for the iPhone — also reminiscent of older Pixels — that makes wireless charging transmission remain possible. The design change improves durability and thermals, as aluminum is better at dissipating heat than titanium, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a vapor chamber for the first time.

It's worth noting that Google has been using polished aluminum for a while on Pixel Pro phones, and had vapor chambers for cooling before Apple.

I tend to be critical of big and heavy phones, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max actually makes the Pixel 10 Pro XL feel small in this regard. Apple's phone is 8.75mm thick (which doesn't even take the camera plateau into account) and weighs 233 grams.

Meanwhile, the Pixel 10 Pro XL is thinner at 8.5mm and lighter at 232 grams. Those figures don't include the camera bump either, but the Pixel 10 Pro XL is still thinner and lighter than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Maybe that matters to you, maybe it doesn't.

Both phones have impressive durability features. The iPhone 17 Pro Max and Pixel 10 Pro XL are both IP68-certified against dust and water ingress, and each has durable glass — Ceramic Shield 2 and Gorilla Glass Victus 2, respectively.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a larger display, measuring 6.9 inches. It's an OLED screen with a 120Hz variable refresh rate, and it tops out at 3,000 nits of peak brightness. The Pixel 10 Pro XL's 6.8-inch OLED display is actually brighter, maxing out at 3,300 nits. This could help the Pixel with outdoor visibility, but the iPhone has the advantage of an anti-reflective display coating.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Hardware and specs

Hardware and specs could lean in favor of either the iPhone 17 Pro Max or the Pixel 10 Pro XL, depending on whether you want raw power or practicality. If you need the former, the Apple 19 Pro chip in the iPhone 17 Pro Max will run circles around Pixels in benchmarks.

It's faster and can handle AAA gaming on-device, paired with 12GB of memory. While the Tensor G5 chip in the Pixel 10 Pro XL is vastly improved, it still lags a bit behind Apple and Qualcomm in benchmarks and strenuous use cases, like gaming. Google did equip the Pixel 10 Pro XL with 16GB of RAM, which will help with longevity and come in handy in certain situations, like on-device AI processing.

Speaking of AI, the Pixel 10 Pro XL clearly has the better artificial intelligence suite with Google AI and Gemini. Apple Intelligence isn't anything to write home about at the moment — we're still waiting for the revamped Siri, and Visual Intelligence is a subpar experience compared to multimodal Gemini Live. The good news is that you can get many of Google's best AI features on iOS via the Google, Chrome, and Gemini apps.

In terms of connectivity, both the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Pixel 10 Pro XL offer the latest and greatest wireless technology. You get Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, mmWave 5G, UWB, and NFC on both models. Apple takes things a step further with a Thread radio, but this will only matter if you have or plan to use Thread-supported networking and smart home products.

Apple and Google both took charging speeds to the next level this release cycle. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 5,088mAh battery, the largest ever in an iPhone, and can charge at up to 40W wired. That equates to 50% of charge in 20 minutes in the real world. On the flip side, the Pixel 10 Pro XL has a 5,200mAh battery and can charge at 45W over a cable.

Both phones support the latest Qi2.2 wireless charging standard, enabling 25W wireless charging over supported MagSafe, Qi2.2, or Pixelsnap chargers.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Cameras

Apple and Google loaded up their new flagships with similar triple-camera systems on the rear, with a main, ultrawide, and telephoto lens on each phone. Google has the higher-megapixel main camera sensor at 50MP, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max has three 48MP sensors.

Notably, the Pixel 10 Pro XL telephoto camera can do true 5x optical zoom, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro Max reaches 8x optical-quality zoom — but true optical zoom is capped at 4x length.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a unique advantage in the front-facing camera battle. On paper, it would appear the Pixel 10 Pro XL's 42MP selfie cam runs circles around the iPhone's 18MP sensor. However, Apple is using a square sensor this year, enabling horizontal and portrait selfies without needing to physically rotate the phone. This is a cool party trick that'll really come in handy when taking group photos.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Which should you buy?

Of course, if you have a preference for iOS or Android, the hardware in Apple and Google's respective flagships is unlikely to sway you. In fact, they're very similar from a specs standpoint. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a slightly larger display and a faster processor on paper, but in terms of daily use, it'll likely feel similar to the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL.

To that end, both phones support Qi2.2, meaning they can tap into the vast MagSafe and new Pixelsnap ecosystems of chargers and accessories. They also have aluminum materials and a triple-camera system on the back. One advantage of going with the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the 2TB storage option, but the Pixel 10 Pro XL similarly has more RAM at 16GB.

Put simply, you can't go wrong with either the iPhone 17 Pro Max or the Pixel 10 Pro XL. If you like the Apple ecosystem, go with the iPhone; if you want tons of on-device AI, grab the Pixel. Either way, you're going to end up with an excellent phone that will last you into the next decade.

Apple just launched its new iPhone 17 series, and each model is available to preorder now. I've never owned an iPhone, and my last experience using one was probably the iPhone 6, but Apple's latest phones are admittedly pretty enticing, even as a long-time Android user.

Given Apple's unfortunate disinterest in developing another iPod Touch, I've gone back and forth about buying an iPhone, and each year, I feel like the temptation becomes stronger. With the iPhone 17 series, I feel like it's come to a head, and now all that's left is to decide which model would be best for me and look at how they compare to their Android counterparts.

The iPhone 17: A welcome step-up

To me, the base iPhone always felt like the poor man's iPhone, as it made quite a few compromises to keep the price down, especially when you put it next to comparable Android phones. However, Apple seems to have gotten the memo, bringing plenty of notable upgrades that finally make the base iPhone 17 worth looking at.

For starters, it has a 120Hz OLED display, up from the 60Hz panel on previous models. It's shocking Apple waited this long to bring it to an $800 phone. It also features a 1-120Hz refresh rate, which surpasses the Pixel 10's 60-120Hz display.

Faster charging means it reaches 50% in just 20 minutes, plus Qi2 25W MagSafe charging is something you'll only find on the higher-end Pixel 10 Pro XL. Unfortunately, there are only two rear cameras, but the front gets the upgraded Center Stage selfie camera, which lets you reframe your photos without physically rotating the phone.

At $800, both the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 10 come with an third camera for 3x and 5x telephoto zoom, respectively, one-upping the iPhone in terms of camera hardware. The Galaxy S25 misses out on magnetic charging, and both Android phones limit wireless charging speeds to 15W.

That said, for the same $800, the iPhone 17 also gives you double the storage at 256GB, something I hope becomes standard on more Android phones, although it has less RAM to work with.

Design-wise, the iPhone's pastel colors are admittedly much less interesting than the base Galaxy S25 or Pixel 10 colors. Still, there seems to be plenty of value here, making the base iPhone 17 a compelling buy.

iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max: More of a good thing

The base iPhone 17 is tempting if you don't wanna spend an arm and a leg on a new phone, but the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are for power users and anyone looking for the absolute best experience from Apple.

That means impressive photos, thanks to the triple 48MP camera system, upgraded video capabilities with support for ProRes RAW and Log 2, and an advanced A19 Pro chip that seemingly outpaces the Snapdragon 8 Elite by a wide margin. As someone who likes to dabble in videography, the cameras are the most enticing aspect of the Pro phones for me, especially compared to the Pixel's fairly lackluster video capabilities.

The new 48MP telephoto camera also inches toward the Galaxy S25 Ultra with its 4x optical zoom and 8x optical-quality zoom. That's just shy of the Galaxy's 5x telephoto and 10x optical-quality zoom ranges, but it's not a huge difference, especially given the iPhone 17 Pro has one less camera sensor to work with.

The A19 Pro chip has Neural Accelerators built in for improved AI capabilities, although we know that Apple Intelligence hasn't quite lived up to its promises. On the other hand, you'll find a robust AI suite on comparable phones, such as the Pixel 10 Pro and Galaxy S25 series, which sport Google AI and Galaxy AI. This arguably makes Android's offerings a bit more enticing for potential buyers who care about having the latest and coolest AI features.

Still, in terms of raw power, Apple likely the rest beat, and the Pixel doesn't come close.

Design-wise, the iPhone 17 Pro may take the win. I never cared for Samsung's subdued design, and although the Pixel 10 series has a fantastic design, the Pro models get the less interesting colors. The iPhone 17 Pro has a fairly unique look with a bit of glass on the back encased by aluminum. The Camera Plateau doesn't look half-bad, and the Cosmic Orange colorway is one of the best I've seen on a phone.

iPhone Air: Too many compromises?

The iPhone Air is where things get a little confusing. It's probably the best-looking iPhone I've seen in a long time, sporting a new design that's reminiscent of a Nexus 6P. As Apple's thinnest phone, there's no doubt it's a technological marvel, but there are some compromises to deal with if you're going to pick this $999 phone over competing phones (and even the iPhone 17 Pro).

Most notably, there's only one camera, which likely takes great photos, but it lacks flexibility. Even the Galaxy S25 Edge, which is nearly as thin, features a secondary ultrawide camera, which can be handy. And after using the Razr Plus 2024 for a year, I don't wanna have to go without one again.

There's also only a top-mounted speaker, meaning you won't get that stereo experience from having speakers on either side of the phone. To some, this may not be a huge deal, but I know for a fact that it would annoy me.

Apple claims all-day battery life, which I'm admittedly squinting at, but we'll have to wait and see how that claim holds up without resorting to a portable MagSafe charger. The Galaxy S25 Edge fared better than expected, but it isn't a battery king by any means.

Ultimately, I really want to like the iPhone Air. However, in this state, it feels too much like a gimmick, much like the Galaxy S25 Edge. If anything, this is good practice for an eventual iPhone foldable, but I'll probably hold off until the next iPhone Air to go thin.

Over the course of a little less than an hour and a half, Apple introduced its latest batch of flagship phones, along with some major updates for other product categories. Arguably, the second-most striking of them all was the introduction of the iPhone Air, seemingly Apple's response to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

I'm not one who really cares, or has ever cared, about really-thin phones, as they're usually accompanied by crappy battery life while missing out on other features. I suspect the same to be true of the iPhone Air, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max being more of my style, especially now that Apple has found a brand new orange ink cartridge.

But as the Apple event rolled on, it dawned on me that the iPhone Air isn't just a way for Apple to compete with Samsung. It's also serving as a sort of testing ground for what we've been expecting for years: a foldable iPhone.

The writing is on the wall

There was one part of the presentation that tipped me off to this, and it was when the design changes were being explained. In order to make a phone this thin and still give Apple the ability to market it as having "all-day battery," components had to be shifted around. So in order to make this work, Apple shoved all of the major components into the camera "plateau."

And I'm not exaggerating. The iPhone Air's entire logic board now rests inside the camera bar, while still accounting for both the selfie and rear cameras. The rest of the chassis? It's pretty much a large, thin battery and a USB-C port.

So why does that matter? Well, if Apple wants to release a foldable iPhone that isn't immediately laughed out of existence, it needs to be thinner than what previous iPhone models were — especially considering how late Apple is with getting into the game.

Many rumors point to Apple's first foldable phone to be a book-style foldable, like the Galaxy Z Fold 7, as opposed to a flip phone, like the popular Razr 2025 series. Given Apple's propensity for being a crowd-pleaser, I initially thought the opposite was true — since flip phones tend to be more popular due to their nostalgic design and cheaper price tag — but the iPhone Air pretty much solidifies the book-style rumors.

In order to release a phone that's thin, sleek, and modern, without making too many sacrifices, Apple had to hit the design reset button. This is likely what spurred the decision to overhaul the iPhone Pro lineup, while also introducing an all-new device. It also doesn't hurt that we were overdue for a proper design change, as the previous iterations were already stale, even with the Titanium frame.

With that said, I can't help but feel like the iPhone Air design is a precursor to an eventual foldable. If you tape two iPhone Airs together, side-by-side, that's a pretty good indication of what Apple's first foldable could look like. Of course, that tape will be replaced by some state-of-the-art hinge that "only Apple could make." Or at least that's what we'll be told.

Even if that isn't the case, there's no denying that seeing Apple being able to redesign basically every element of the phone to fit into a phone this thin is simply extraordinary. The iPhone Air (5.64mm) is thinner than the Galaxy S25 Edge (5.8mm), but isn't quite nearly as thin as the upcoming Pixel 10 Pro Fold (5.2mm) or the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (4.2mm). But an iPhone foldable easily could be.

The iPhone Air is a great start to something greater

Nevertheless, seeing what Apple was able to do with the iPhone Air and how it committed the resources to creating a phone like this to begin with leaves me feeling much better about Apple's first foldable phone. Recent reports suggest it will be unveiled this time next year, arriving alongside the iPhone 18 lineup. Rumors also point to it being between 4.5mm and 4.8mm thin, meaning that Apple still has a bit of work to do, but the iPhone Air is a good start.

Android Central contributor and resident thin-phone fanboy, Brady Snyder, probably summed up the iPhone Air the best way: "The entire body of the iPhone Air is just the battery, and the camera bump actually houses the entire logic board. That's insane."

Insane, indeed.

Thin phones are in, and the iPhone Air and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge are going to be the top options for ultra-slim flagships heading into 2025. I bought a Galaxy S25 Edge with my own cash and plan to do the same with the iPhone Air, and in this guide, I'll help you figure out how these two smartphones compare.

For those who don't quite understand the appeal of thin phones, here's a quick overview. There are certainly some people who use every percentage of their phone's battery life each day and all of its features. However, there's also a subset of users that don't need extremely long battery life or a pro-grade camera system. For them, it's arguably better to carry a thin and light phone daily, and add separate tools like a MagSafe/Qi2 battery pack or a dedicated camera when they're really needed.

If that sounds like you, an iPhone Air or Galaxy S25 Edge might be the change you need. I ditched heavy and thick flagships this year and haven't looked back. But you'll want to pick the right one — here's how to decide.

iPhone Air vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Design and display

Smartphone manufacturers have been cheating on thinness for ages with camera bumps and creative math — there isn't a single brand that includes the thickness of the camera bump in their official measurements, and foldable phones even omit the size of the internal bezel when talking about their unfolded measurements.

However, the iPhone Air takes this practice to the extreme. It doesn't have a camera bump; it has a camera plateau, and it practically houses the entire phone — the rest of the chassis is filled almost entirely with battery. This strategy makes the iPhone Air feel impossibly thin, with much of the body measuring only 5.6mm thick. At the same time, the plateau will protrude further off the back of the phone than the Galaxy S25 Edge.

By comparison, Samsung made the Galaxy S25 Edge measure 5.8mm thick. The difference of 0.2mm in thickness might sound minuscule, but early first impressions from those who have held the Air seem to show it's a difference you can feel, which may be attributed to its curvier chassis.

There's a big difference in screen size and overall form factor between the iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. The former has a 6.5-inch screen, which slots in between what would typically be a base or a plus-sized phone. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 Edge has a 6.7-inch display that's identical in size to the Galaxy S25 Plus. Both phones are using AMOLED screens with 120Hz LTPO support, but the iPhone is slightly brighter, topping out at 3,000 nits.

It's worth noting that due to all the components in the iPhone Air camera plateau, Apple had to shift the Dynamic Island and Face ID sensors down to make everything fit. This means the pill-shaped camera cutout will cut deeper into the iPhone Air display, obstructing more of your content. The Galaxy S25 Edge has a hole-punch camera cutout in the display that's much more minimal than what the iPhone Air offers.

The iPhone Air also has an anti-reflective coating similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Both phones use a titanium construction for durability and feature IP68 certification against dust and water ingress.

Personally, I'm torn on which phone looks better. To me, the reasonably small rear camera bump is a huge appeal of the Galaxy S25 Edge, but it's hard not to be impressed by the 5.6mm thickness of the iPhone Air.

iPhone Air vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Hardware and specs

The iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge both impressively retain similar performance to that of their "Pro" and "Ultra" counterparts. Apple put the A19 Pro chipset in the iPhone Air, but it is technically a binned version of the system-on-a-chip with one fewer GPU core. For what it's worth, the Galaxy S25 Edge has the exact same Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor as its predecessors with identical core counts.

Both phones sport 12GB of memory. You can get the iPhone Air in up to 1TB of storage, while the Galaxy S25 Edge is capped at 512GB.

The iPhone Air is powered entirely by Apple chips, including the Apple C1X modem for cellular and Apple N1 for general connectivity. It supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, but crucially, the Apple C1X only supports standard 5G — there's no mmWave support like the Galaxy S25 Edge.

The iPhone Air has a major advantage in supporting MagSafe and Qi2 with no external cases or accessories required. This will make topping up the relatively small 3,149mAh battery easy with chargers like the official MagSafe battery pack or third-party options. Samsung didn't include Qi2 magnets on the Galaxy S25 Edge, so you'll need a case and a battery pack to magnetically recharge the 3,900mAh battery.

There are a few other iPhone Air hardware limitations to point out: there's no bottom speaker, and the USB-C port is only USB 2.0. The Samsung Galaxy S25 doesn't have either drawback, with stereo speakers and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port.

iPhone Air vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Cameras

The iPhone Air has one rear camera on the back — it's a 48MP sensor that Apple claims to effectively be two cameras, as it supports 2x optical-quality zoom. By that logic, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge effectively has three cameras. The Galaxy S25 Edge's main camera is a 200MP sensor that can also provide 2x optical-quality zoom via a technique called sensor cropping. On top of that, the Samsung phone has a 12MP ultrawide camera for wide shots.

Apple's 18MP front-facing camera on the iPhone Air is impressive. It features a square sensor that enables horizontal and portrait selfies without physically rotating the device. Samsung doesn't have this feature on the Galaxy S25 Edge; its front-facing camera is the usual 4:3 aspect ratio. The 12MP, f/2.2 sensor is still solid and can produce great photos.

iPhone Air vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Which should you buy?

The look and feel of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is downright mind-blowing, and there appear to be fewer compromises than the iPhone Air. Compared to Apple's thin handset, the Galaxy S25 Edge has a flagship processor without binning, a faster USB-C port, stereo speakers, a rear ultrawide camera, a larger display, and a smaller front-facing camera cutout. However, it's slightly thicker and more expensive than the iPhone Air.

There's just one reason why it's extremely difficult to recommend the Galaxy S25 Edge over the iPhone Air. The former doesn't have Qi2 magnets onboard, and this feels like a mandatory feature for thin phones with shorter battery life. The iPhone Air, having MagSafe and Qi2 support, means you can quickly and easily top up the phone with a battery pack in a pinch. It'll be much tougher to do so on the Galaxy S25 Edge without a case, and adding a case somewhat defeats the point of a thin phone.

Otherwise, the choice might come down to whether you prefer iOS 26 or One UI 7. Neither phone is perfect, but both the iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge are a breath of fresh air for people disenfranchised by thick, heavy smartphones.

Apple just unveiled the iPhone 17 series, with the phones powered by the A19 and A19 Pro silicon. Like last year's A18-powered iPhone 16, the platforms are built on a 3nm node, and they share a similar core configuration, offering two performance and six efficiency cores. However, there are clear upgrades available this year, and Apple isn't beating around the bush:

"When paired with the Apple-designed vapor chamber, A19 Pro enables iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max to deliver up to 40 percent better sustained performance than the previous generation." Obviously, that doesn't mean the A19 Pro is going to be 40% faster than the A18 Pro — that's just not feasible.

What Apple is alluding to is sustained performance; thanks to a new thermal management system that includes a vapor chamber with deionized water, the latest-gen iPhones will be able to do a much better job during extended gaming sessions. Of course, this is something Android phones have been doing for many years now, and it's telling that Apple is also going this route to deliver better performance.

What kind of performance can we expect?

As for actual upgrades, we are likely to see anywhere to the tune of a 10 to 15% uptick in CPU performance, and leaked Geekbench results of the iPhone 17 Pro indicate the same. Even if it isn't much in the way of IPC gains as the A19 Pro is clocked higher at 4.26GHz, it's still a decent amount year-over-year, and it's entirely possible the GPU gains will be greater. Efficiency is also a big deal with this generation, with the efficiency cores getting a 50% increase in cache.

What's of particular interest to me is that the A19 Pro once again takes the lead in overall CPU scores; while this was the case for much of the last decade, Qualcomm's switch to a fully custom design allowed it to get an edge over Apple, and this was evident not just in synthetic workloads like Geekbench but real-life usage scenarios.

It's no wonder, then, that the A19 Pro addresses this issue. I'll need to get my hands on the iPhone 17 Pro to test how the single and multi-core workloads measure up against what's available on the best Android phones. Qualcomm and MediaTek are set to announce their next-gen platforms soon, and it will be interesting to see what they bring to the table.

What about AI performance?

Another point of differentiation is around AI; the A19 and A19 Pro have Neural Accelerators built into each GPU core designed to deliver up to a 4x increase in compute. Apple is confident enough in its claims that it says the A19 Pro delivers MacBook-level performance when it comes to AI-assisted workloads. That's joined by a new 16-core Neural Engine with increased memory bandwidth.

Although Apple didn't talk too much about AI at the event, it's evident that all phone manufacturers are pushing to increase on-device AI utilities as they introduce powerful NPUs tailored to handle these tasks. Apple Intelligence has potential, but it still isn't at a point where it measures up to what Google is doing on its phones.

There's no question that Google has the edge in this area with the Pixel 10 Pro XL; the phone has a vast suite of meaningful AI utilities, and it continually gets new features, like the image-to-video Veo 3 engine. If anything, AI is foundational to Google's efforts, and the Tensor G5 is designed around the NPU. While the A19 Pro doesn't put as strong an emphasis on the NPU, it's clear that Apple wants to do better in this segment.

Upgrades to look forward to

With the touted efficiency gains and all the new features coming to the A19 Pro, I'm excited to get my hands on the iPhone 17 Pro models to see how they differ to their predecessors. While we've had several years of similar-looking designs with little increments, the aluminum unibody designs of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max alongside the new internals and tweaks to the imaging make the devices a much more enticing upgrade this year.

Android users are famously unimpressed when Apple reveals its new iPhone and Apple Watch each year. The company calls it the "best iPhone ever" with catchphrases like "it's unlike everything we've ever created," but many of our readers aren't buying it.

This time around, it's a little different. There were quite a few feature reveals and announcements that made our team at Android Central genuinely impressed, and Android users should take notice.

From a reimagined front-facing camera sensor that made us ask, "Why hasn't anyone done this before?" to blood pressure monitoring on Apple Watch, these are the Apple event features the best Android phones and watches should quickly take inspiration from.

A square selfie camera

There are rarely new iPhone features that make me feel the need to upgrade, but Apple's new front-facing camera sensor on the iPhone 17 is one. The CenterStage camera now uses a square aspect ratio, a deviation from the 4:3 size we usually see on most front-facing smartphone cameras. With a 1:1 aspect ratio, the camera can crop in to provide portrait or landscape shots without the user needing to physically rotate their device.

If you've tried to hold a big flagship in landscape orientation one-handed while trying to get a group selfie, you'll know why this matters. It's easier to corral your phone in portrait orientation, and you can get the best of both worlds with the redesigned CenterStage camera. A simple tap of the screen will rotate the selfie orientation in software, simplifying the experience.

CenterStage can also use AI to expand the typical field-of-view to make sure everyone fits inside the photo. The resolution is up to 18MP for photos and 4K HDR for videos, so you don't trade versatility for quality. I want every Android flagship to explore using square sensors next upgrade cycle.

Higher base and max storage configurations

Is 128GB of base storage enough in 2025? We think not, and Apple didn't think so either. It raised the base storage for the iPhone 17 lineup across the board, with its newly announced phones starting at 256GB. Amazingly, even considering tariffs and inflation, Apple didn't raise the price of a single model to deliver higher base storage.

Meanwhile, we're still waiting for Google and Samsung to take the hint and remove the 128GB storage configuration from their flagship lineups. This year, the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Galaxy S25 all start with just 128GB of storage space.

Apple also raised the storage ceiling on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. You can now equip the smartphone with up to 2TB of storage. The price is a bit laughable at $2,000, but it is a nice option for people who want to use the "pro" camera system for high-quality video recording formats with extreme storage demands.

Dual Capture recording

When Apple does something, it often becomes mainstream. That's what we're hoping to see happen with Dual Capture recording on the iPhone 17 series. It allows users to record both the front- and rear-facing camera views at the same time, which is great for POV-style videos that also provide insight into what the person is actually seeing in their surroundings.

Samsung actually already offers this feature in the form of Director's View on select Galaxy phone models. With this tool, you can simultaneously record both camera views or switch between them on your Samsung phone. But it's a relatively unknown feature among casual users, and other Android phone brands haven't been quick to borrow it. As such, we would like to see OEMs like Google add options like Dual Capture or Director's View soon.

Blood pressure monitoring

The Galaxy Watch has featured blood pressure monitoring for years now. However, U.S. availability has become a major hurdle. The Galaxy Watch 8 has all the sensors for it, but the brand won't flip on the feature in this region, presumably for regulatory reasons. Well, this is a problem Apple officially solved with hypertension warnings on the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3.

It's not replacing medical-grade detection methods, but blood pressure monitoring and hypertension warnings could literally save lives.

"Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease, and impacts approximately 1.3 billion adults globally," the company explains in a press release. "It is frequently undiagnosed because it often has no symptoms, many people do not see a doctor regularly, and even during a clinical visit, it can be easily missed with a single measurement."

For these reasons, we're thrilled to see Apple Watch support blood pressure monitoring in the U.S., and we want to see Wear OS watches get on board sooner rather than later.

An affordable smartwatch with current specs

Affordable versions of Wear OS smartwatches usually cut quite a few corners to hit an approachable price point. Samsung's Galaxy Watch FE, for example, uses recycled and older hardware to hit an affordable cost. You can always buy older models, like a Galaxy Watch 7 or Pixel Watch 3, but we want something better. Apple's newly announced Apple Watch SE 3 strikes the perfect balance of modern feature set and affordability.

It costs just $249, and doesn't sacrifice much in terms of hardware. There's the Apple S10 system-in-package (SiP) processor, 5G cellular connectivity, and an always-on display (AOD). Offered in 41mm and 44mm sizes, it's a versatile smartwatch that runs the latest watchOS 26 operating system.

In fact, the Apple Watch SE 3 supporting 5G is notable because most flagship Wear OS watches are limited to just 4G LTE connectivity. We'd like to see more Android watches adopt 5G, and we'd also like to see better value-oriented wearables on the Wear OS side.

Features Apple "Stole" from Android

Apple also "borrowed" a handful of Android features and characteristics, most notably the camera bar, which it's eloquently calling the camera plateau. Check out everything the company finally brought inside the walled garden here.

For seven years now, most iPhone models have shipped with an OLED display. It was a long-awaited change for some users who had already experienced the punchy colors and inky blacks associated with Android phones that used the technology, and while it enhanced picture quality a lot, it also came with a nasty surprise for some: headaches and eye strain caused by PWM dimming.

This year, Google launched a new accessibility mode that's supposed to help users who find OLEDs more painful than pleasurable, but the company didn't actually do what users needed. Turns out, Apple was also working on a solution, and, per Mac Rumors, the iPhone 17 family has a new accessibility option that disables PWM dimming entirely.

The new setting, found under the Display and Text Size section of accessibility settings in iOS 26, reads "Disables pulse width modulation (PWM) to provide a different way to dim the OLED display, which can create a smoother display output at low brightness levels. Disabling PWM may affect low brightness display performance under certain conditions."

Mac Rumors notes that while all iPhone 17 series phones have the new option, they aren't sure if the setting will come to older iPhone or iPad models. We've reached out to Apple for additional information on this new feature and will update this article when we hear back.

Why this is important

Based on the language, it seems that Apple's new accessibility option is likely identical to what Motorola launched back on the Motorola Edge Plus 2023. That means the phone doesn't use PWM dimming at all. Instead, it'll use DC-like dimming to adjust the brightness of the display, making it significantly more friendly for everyone, not just those of us who suffer from PWM sensitivity.

We don't yet know the specifics of how the new setting works, but there's a clear difference in the language versus what Google's Pixel 10 Pro family provides. Google's accessibility setting notes that it "adjusts emission frequency" to help sensitive users, but this only doubles the PWM frequency from 240Hz to 480Hz. Research shows that PWM dimming needs to occur at a minimum of 3000Hz to help most users, so Google's mode isn't exactly effective.

Most phones from Chinese brands have offered the ability to either adjust or disable PWM dimming for years, with companies like Honor using up to 4320Hz dimming in its latest phones. Since most of these Chinese brands aren't officially available in the US, users who are sensitive to light flicker, like PWM dimming, haven't had an abundance of choice. Notably, the three most popular brands — Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixel — offered no relief for these folks until now.

This move should help push the entire OLED industry forward and make OLED displays more friendly for all users. I wasn't PWM-sensitive until 2022, and it took me several months to figure out that it was my phone's OLED display causing the issue. Many users don't know that their phones' displays rapidly flicker on and off to control brightness, and likely have no idea it's what's been causing their headaches.

It's estimated that up to 20% of the population suffers from some form of flicker sensitivity and likely doesn't realize it. Since the flickering is "invisible" to our eyes, most people don't even know that LEDs and some fluorescent bulbs rapidly turn on and off to manage brightness, but our brains perceive this, and some people are "allergic" to it. Think of it like being allergic to gluten but not knowing that gluten exists. You would constantly experience pain, but not understand the cause since most people around you don't suffer from it.

By adopting this new accessibility setting, Apple's move will hopefully push Samsung and Google to finally fix their OLED displays and offer all users dimming options that are better for their eyes.

With Samsung and Google's latest device launches out of the way, Apple took center stage to announce the iPhone 17 lineup and more. While Apple might not realize it, there is a world outside of the walled gardens in Cupertino, and we spotted a few things that Apple "stole" from Android during the event.

However, we have to admit, compared to years past, this list is a lot lighter than we expected. Usually, we can stick to the confines of the iPhone, but this year, we had to broaden the horizon a bit more.

An ultra thin phone

You can file this in the category of "what's the point," but the iPhone Air was officially introduced, a phone that's just 5.6mm thin. Samsung beat Apple to the punch earlier this year when it released the Galaxy S25 Edge, which is surprisingly a bit thicker than the iPhone at 5.8mm.

When you think about the R&D that had to go into redesigning every aspect of a phone so that it still provides a quality experience, it's pretty crazy. Apple redesigned its chassis from the ground up, along with relying on custom-designed components in order to wedge everything in.

Some of the main components, such as both front and rear cameras, the speaker, and even the processor, were displaced, but are now all housed within the "plateau" on the back. Samsung obviously opted for a different approach, as the dual rear cameras simply protrude a bit further compared to the rest of the back.

The 'Cyclops' camera bar

This is the most obvious design change that Apple borrowed from Android, as it finally ditched the camera island in favor of the bar. It's a move that Samsung is apparently also rumored to perform with the Galaxy S26. The "Cyclops" camera bar has been a staple of Google's Pixel line ever since the Pixel 6, but that wasn't the first time we've seen it on an Android phone.

Different variations have been available for years, such as the iQOO 9 Pro, Vivo X70 Pro, and others. But the one that immediately pops in my mind is Huawei's Nexus 6P from all the way back in 2015.

While it looked more like a periscope for a submarine, the 6P's camera bar still spread the width of the phone, with the glass being easily prone to cracking.

Part of the reason why some of us are fans of seeing Apple and Samsung adopt such a change is that it will hopefully put an end to the "table wobble." However, there are other benefits, such as providing more room for larger camera sensors while keeping the rest of the phone as thin as possible.

Tariff-proof pricing

Arguably, the most surprising aspect of the iPhone 17 announcement wasn't the iPhone Air or even the new features coming to the AirPods Pro 3. It was that Apple didn't increase the price for any of the new models that are slated to arrive in a little over a week.

With the ongoing global tariff situation, many assumed Apple would pass some of those increased costs to the customer. However, to the surprise of many, Apple followed in Google's footsteps with the Pixel 10 lineup, keeping the price of the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max the same as last year's models.

Earbuds that let you have a conversation with anyone

Think back to 2017 when Google unveiled the original Pixel Buds. Ignoring the annoying design and how they were pretty much a flop, these introduced one feature that Apple is only now adopting: Real-Time Live Translation. For as popular as the AirPods and AirPods Pro have been over the years, this is one feature that can be found on practically all of the best earbuds for Android phones.

In that time, Google has continued improving its Live Translation functionality in order to provide a more fluid multi-language experience. We can't give Apple too much grief here, as Samsung only implemented Live Translation into its own earbuds in 2024.

A watch that stays connected from anywhere on (and off) Earth

Following a recent trend of OEMs incorporating satellite connectivity into a range of smartphones, many of those same companies are now targeting smartwatches for the same approach.

Google was the first when it announced the Pixel Watch 4 series, and just last week, Garmin confirmed it was coming to the Fenix 8 Pro. And now, Apple is implementing satellite connectivity into the Watch Ultra 3.

It's worth mentioning that the Fenix 8 Pro is available now, beating both Apple and Google to the punch. And of the trio, Google will be the last to make it to the masses, as the Pixel Watch 4 won't arrive until early October, whereas the Apple Watch Ultra 3 releases on September 19.

It’s been a year since Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence, its long-awaited foray into the world of artificial intelligence on phones. The company promised many features, but a year on, these have been delayed for up to another year.

Over the same period, Google has continuously developed and released new features for Gemini, as well as unique features for each phone maker through Google Cloud. I enjoy the usefulness of Apple’s AI direction, but the best Android phones have more AI tricks than iOS 26.

Rumors suggest that Apple could add Google Gemini to the iPhone alongside ChatGPT, but could this lead to a partnership like Google’s current deal to be the default search engine? Given the challenges so far, should Apple ditch Siri entirely in favor of Gemini?

Apple has a strong vision for Apple Intelligence

This may seem like a contradiction given the challenges so far, but I like the direction that Apple Intelligence is headed. Apple chose to focus on building an AI personal assistant that solves everyday problems, and while the idea is sound, the execution has proven challenging.

Many of the features have deep integration into iOS and solve genuine problems faced by many users. It’s the antithesis of most AI applications so far, but the direction that the industry is headed towards. Yet, many of the features hadn’t launched by this year’s WWDC 2025 keynote, where Apple announced iOS 26 with far fewer mentions of AI than last year.

Apple execs Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak spoke with Joanna Stern from The Wall Street Journal about the challenges faced so far in delivering Siri, the expectations around Apple and AI, and Apple Intelligence as a whole.

This interview is particularly interesting, as it shows Apple is quite contrite about the state of Siri. Apple has shipped roughly half the new Siri features it mentioned last year, and it made a rare misstep of running a commercial for the new Siri. However, most interesting is that the issues with Siri have also overshadowed the broader Apple Intelligence features that have been shipped.

One such feature is the partnership with OpenAI and ChatGPT. This allows the new Siri to offload tasks that fall outside its knowledge base and rely on more up-to-date information from OpenAI. It's not perfect, but it does show that Apple is open to letting a third party handle the chatbot part of the AI equation.

Gemini has incredible AI features across form factors

Google has developed a comprehensive suite of AI features for all Android phones, as well as the iPhone. The iPhone experience is limited, as it utilizes the Gemini app and only includes core Gemini features, such as Gemini Live with screen sharing. The current iPhone experience lacks OS-level features like Circle to Search, Google Lens, and several AI planners.

Many of Gemini’s first features focused on generative use cases, but this year, the company has shown off Gemini Live and its ability to be your visual assistant, and the ability to create entire videos with sound using the new Veo 3 model.

Apple promises similar Gemini Live features with Visual Intelligence, but it's unclear when these will launch. Apple's version of Circle-to-Search is launching in iOS 26, where users will be able to capture what's on the screen and search for specific information or perform tasks across every app on their phone, not just perform a web search.

Yet, Visual Intelligence and Siri do not have the same capabilities as Gemini. Apple’s focus on and challenges in building a helpful personal assistant have allowed Google to develop a suite of generative features and subsequently catch up in productivity features.

Then there’s Project Astra, and Google’s foray into AR glasses. Apple is expected to eventually launch a pair of multimodal glasses, but Google already has a pair in the works that is set to launch next year. There’s also the Project Moohan headset that’s been developed with Samsung, and is ready to launch this year to challenge the Apple Vision Pro.

Google has also proven it can build custom experiences

If it were just Gemini, I think there’s a much stronger case to be made for Apple to develop its own suite of AI features. Yet, over the past year, Google has proven that it knows exactly how to build features that empower partners’ creative visions. The result is that every Android phone has a taste of Gemini, and many now also have unique AI applications offered by Google Cloud.

There’s the suite of Moto AI features on the Razr 60 Ultra, which includes Catch Me Up to summarize personal notifications, Remember This to capture a screen and notate it for future reference, and Pay Attention to launch a voice recording complete with transcription.

It’s not just Motorola, as Google has also partnered with every company to help enable custom experiences. Samsung has been a test bed for new Gemini features, such as Circle-to-Search, and Gemini has replaced Bixby as the default personal assistant.

OnePlus and Nothing have built AI spaces to store, percolate, and iterate on ideas. Realme’s new AI Assistant can automatically create new lists and calendar entries by reading what’s on your screen. Then there’s Honor and Image to Video, which uses Google Veo 2 AI models to bring static images to life in short video clips or animated GIFs.

Google I/O 2025 and WWDC 2025 proved to be extremely contrasting when it came to AI as a whole. Google mentioned AI over 100 times during the keynote, more than Apple mentioned all of its AI features, Apple Intelligence, and Siri combined during its keynote.

Apple could benefit from Google’s head start

The challenge for Apple is whether it can rebuild faith in Apple Intelligence. It utilized its upcoming AI features to promote the iPhone 16 series, and a year later, many of these features are still not available for customers who bought into the marketing.

There’s a promise of delivering these features next year, but the partnership with ChatGPT shows that Apple isn’t afraid to look externally. A potential collaboration with Gemini would bring immense benefits to iOS users and also allow Apple to focus its efforts on building deeper features, rather than competing directly with Google.

History suggests that Apple would be open to this, but it would only be a temporary agreement until it can refine its own capabilities. I use an iPhone daily alongside one of the best folding phones, usually the Oppo Find N5 or the Razr 60 Ultra. Observing my usage over the past couple of weeks, I’ve realized that when I have a choice of phones, I’ll always turn to an Android phone with Gemini for any AI-powered tasks.

Apple has a strong vision for Apple Intelligence, but based on what’s known publicly, Google seems to be closer to building features that will capture the attention of potential customers. Considering the popularity of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, eyewear is shaping up to be the next battle frontier, and a partnership with Gemini may be the fastest way for Apple to bring a product to market quickly.

The key question: What about Privacy?

For all the benefits, there’s likely one area where a partnership could fall apart. Apple has made privacy a significant part of its focus with Apple Intelligence, and the company has built a reputation around data privacy.

Meanwhile, Google offers many of the same features — i.e., Private Compute Cloud — that are designed to focus on the privacy of your data, but doesn’t have the same trust amongst everyday customers when it comes to privacy.

A partnership between the two companies that makes Gemini the default assistant could also lead to further regulatory scrutiny regarding competition. Yet, if Apple can work its way around that, Gemini would make the ideal replacement for Siri, allowing Apple to focus on building the AI experiences that only it can.

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The iPhone vs. Android debate is as old as time but sometimes, the decision is not that simple. In the case of the iPhone 16e vs. OnePlus 13R, those coming from an older number series iPhone might hesitate to get a new iPhone with just one camera and an older design. That's where the OnePlus 13R poses a real threat as it's a pretty compelling alternative to the 16e at the same price.

The biggest strength of the iPhone 16e is that it uses (nearly) the same chipset as the latest 16 series and it supports Apple Intelligence. It's compact, has great battery life, and supports wireless charging (although, no MagSafe). The OnePlus 13R is one of the best cheap phones to buy. It has proper flagship specs that give the 16e a run for its money, on paper. But it's not the easiest to get a hold of in all countries and not everyone wants to carry around a massive slab of metal and glass in their pockets.

Putting aside the whole iOS vs. Android preference for a second, let's see if the 16e makes a strong enough case against the 13R.

iPhone 16e vs. OnePlus 13R: Design

The iPhone 16e is the spiritual successor of the iPhone SE but thankfully, Apple has finally done away with Touch ID and the thick bezels of that series. Instead, the 16e looks very much like the iPhone 14 with flat sides, front, and back. The bezels around the display are thicker than the iPhone 16 but that was to be expected. The phone sports Face ID in the old-style Apple notch and the mute switch has been replaced by the Action Button. You don't get the Camera Control button from the 16, which is fine.

The 16e gets a glass back, a USB-C port, and only eSIM support in U.S. models. Sadly, there are only two colors to choose from, white or black. My guess is Apple sort of knew that the 16e would not be that popular at launch, given the reduction in features and higher price than the SE, but we could see more colors added later in the year or with next year's revision based on how well it sells.

What you'll love with the iPhone 16e is the amazingly compact size and low weight. Compared to the 13R, the 16e is just 167 grams and measures only 7.8mm in thickness. That's a pretty slim and light phone, something that we don't see too many of in the Android world. The 16e is also IP68 rated which again trumps the IP65 rating of the 13R.

The OnePlus 13R is a massive phone compared to the 16e in dimensions and weight, but manages to be nearly as slim. It is built well with aluminum and glass all around and it looks like a typical Android flagship. You only get two colors here, Nebula Noir and Astral Trail, similar to the 16e. The 13R bears a lot of resemblance to the flagship OnePlus 13, just without the Hasselblad branding.

The 13R features the signature OnePlus slider for quickly changing alert modes, which is something the 16e's Action button can also be configured to do. There's USB-C with 80W fast charging, an IP65 rating, but no wireless charging.

iPhone 16e vs. OnePlus 13R: Display

The iPhone 16e has a pretty good display for a budget iPhone. It's a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel with a greater than Full-HD resolution, P3-color gamut support, and 1,200 nits of peak brightness for HDR content. Sadly, all non-Pro iPhones are still stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate and no always-on mode despite being an OLED screen. I guess it's going to take a lot more courage to add this than it did to remove the headphone jack. Thankfully, the display works just as well indoors as it does under direct sunlight, and we were quite happy with its performance when we tested it.

The OnePlus 13R absolutely decimates the 16e's display with top-notch specs. It's a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED panel with a higher 2,780 x 1,264 resolution, and a refresh rate that can vary from 1Hz to 120Hz. For scratch protection, there's Gorilla Glass 7i, and it has a rated peak brightness of 4,500 nits. The sheer size of the display makes viewing any sort of content infinitely better. The cutout for the selfie camera is also unobtrusive, unlike the 16e's notch.

iPhone 16e vs. OnePlus 13R: Hardware and battery

The iPhone 16e starts at $599 for 128GB of storage, $699 for 256GB, and $899 for 512GB. All variants feature 8GB of RAM since that's the minimum needed for Apple Intelligence. The base model is probably something most buyers would consider as paying anything more doesn't make sense for such compromised specs. The good thing is that you can easily get this via your carrier in the U.S. for a small monthly fee.

The iPhone 16e has the same A18 SoC found in the iPhone 16, but with one GPU core disabled. As a result, benchmark numbers are a bit lower but you'll barely notice any performance hit in real-world usage. All games run well and multitasking is a cakewalk for the 16e.

Battery life is also one of the big highlights here as the new in-house Apple C1 5G modem proves to be more power-efficient than any of the Qualcomm ones in other iPhone models. Coupled with a fairly large 3,961mAh capacity, you should easily get a full day's worth of usage out of it, or even more. There's fast charging but it's only 20W, which isn't really considered fast in 2025. The 16e does support wireless charging at 7.5W but nothing higher like you get with other iPhones with MagSafe charging.

The OnePlus 13R is available as a single variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage for $599.99, in the U.S.. It's not widely available from online retailers as of this writing, so your only option may be OnePlus.com. You'll also have to buy this unlocked only in the U.S., as none of the carriers offer any subsidies on it.

The OnePlus 13R uses the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 from Qualcomm, which can easily handle the most stressful apps and games without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, eSIM is one feature we found missing from the 13R, but the SIM slot can accept two SIM cards.

Battery life is on another level thanks to the beastly 6,000mAh capacity. In our testing, the OnePlus 13R easily lasted two full days on one charge, which is pretty insane. That's almost twice as long as the 16e lasted. It misses out on wireless charging, but I don't think anyone will miss it since there's support for 80W charging. Plus, you get the compatible charger in the box, which is not the case with the 16e.

iPhone 16e vs. OnePlus 13R: Cameras

It's hard to believe it but the iPhone 16e has just a single camera on the back. Apple calls it a "2-in-1" camera system where the 2x zoom mode crops in on the sensor for a zoomed-in view, without having to use digital zoom. It's a trick Apple has been using on its iPhones for a while. Zooming in any further though reveals visible noise in photos, as we found out in our review. Despite its budget stature, the 16e can still record Dolby Vision videos at 4K 60fps. The front 12MP camera is similar to the iPhone 16. The 16e misses out on some camera features like Action mode and Cinematic mode, which are present on the 16.

The OnePlus 13R has an upgraded 50MP main sensor, which does a superb job of capturing fine details in still photos. Unlike the 16e, you get an ultrawide and telephoto camera on the back. We didn't find the secondary cameras to be too impressive, though. The telephoto, while nice to have, can only do 2x optical zoom, so anything beyond that is still digital. The 16MP selfie camera is also strictly okay.

iPhone 16e vs. OnePlus 13R: Software

The iPhone 16e is primed to get several major iOS versions for at least the next four years. Not to mention, you'll always get a new update along with every other iPhone on day one. The 16e is majorly about getting Apple Intelligence into the hands of more users and while many of the AI features are still in beta, we found some useful ones when we tested it. Visual Intelligence for instance works similar to Google Lens, and is able to look up locations and objects easily by simply pointing the camera at it.

The OnePlus 13R ships with OxygenOS 15, which is based on Android 15. OnePlus has pledged four years of OS upgrades which is decently long, but not great. The redesigned interface is slick and there are plenty of options to customize the look and feel to your liking. OnePlus isn't selling its AI features as aggressively as others, but there are a few useful ones baked in like AI Unblur and Reflection Eraser.

iPhone 16e vs. OnePlus 13R: Which should you pick?

The OnePlus 13R is the more powerful and feature-rich phone of the two, and is the one I'd recommend to most buyers. Even in the U.S., if you don't mind putting down $600 in one go, you should get the 13R over the iPhone 16e. It has a vastly better and bigger display, a great set of cameras, excellent performance, superb battery life, and slick software. The lack of wireless charging and the lower IP rating is not that big of a blow if you ask me.

The iPhone 16e is a great starter iPhone for Apple Intelligence once the price drops closer to $500. At full price, you might as well look for a good deal on the iPhone 15 instead which has an ultrawide camera and MagSafe charging. The Pixel 9a also makes for a good alternative and is worth checking out. If you're coming from a really old iPhone like the last SE or the Xr, then the 16e is a good upgrade, but only during sales.

Welcome to Ask Jerry, where we talk about any and all the questions you might have about the smart things in your life. I'm Jerry, and I have spent the better part of my life working with tech. I have a background in engineering and R&D and have been covering Android and Google for the past 15 years.

I'm also really good at researching data about everything — that's a big part of our job here at Android Central — and I love to help people (another big part of our job!). If you have questions about your tech, I'd love to talk about them.

Email me at askjerryac@gmail.com, and I'll try to get things sorted out. You can remain anonymous if you like, and we promise we're not sharing anything we don't cover here.

I look forward to hearing from you!

When is the next big breakthrough coming? This is boring.

Milo asks:

Why are smartphones not getting better? It seems like we have so many places to get better, but all phones are essentially the same now.

Hi Milo, and thanks for asking! This is a polarizing issue, but I can see where you're going — almost every phone is a rectangular sandwich of glass running software that does the same things as other phones. It seems like they all came from a clone factory.

On the other hand, a lot of people are going to disagree. This is because some phones are outliers, like foldables or phones with an S Pen, and the small software features can make a big difference for the people who use them regularly.

Still, if you put 100 new phones in a box, most of them are just like the others, so I get it.

There are reasons for this, of course. A phone maker has two goals when it offers a new product — it wants it to be popular and sell in the millions, and it wants to make a bit of profit from every unit sold. To do this, they have to offer what they're sure people want to buy.

If you look at a Galaxy S25, a Pixel 9, an iPhone 16, a OnePlus 13, or any other "normal" smartphone, you can see they seem alike, especially at a glance. However, the small differences add up and are what makes people choose one over the other.

If you want to take amazing photos without fiddling with anything, buy a Pixel 9. If you want to do the same for video, buy an iPhone 16. Want the ultimate set of specs and hardware for a good price? The OnePlus 13 is for you. And, of course, the Galaxy S25 further refines the software people love with One UI. There are differences even though they seem the same at a glance.

But there are other phones out there, especially on the Android side. It's hard to say the industry is stagnant when you can buy a phone that folds out three ways, a phone that flips open like a Star Trek Communicator, or a phone that silos an integrated smart stylus. A Techno Phantom Ultimate 2 (these names are getting terrible) or a Motorola Razr Plus 2024 (see?) aren't anything like a Pixel or an iPhone. Even the Galaxy S25 Ultra and its S Pen are very different from the base model S25 or any slab phone.

I think phone makers are innovating but in a different way than they used to. We see fewer gimmicks like an IR blaster or a tiny ticker screen and more focus on the things that seem to sell. You and I might have loved the IR blaster or the LG V10's small ticker tape screen, but they didn't add to the overall sales numbers in a way that justifies their inclusion. And that's the real deciding factor.

Phone makers are also working on ways to make their phones thinner and batteries that last longer. These aren't flashy innovations that stand out from the pack, but they're something that people demand. Remember, making a thin device even thinner or packing a bigger battery in a tighter space isn't easy.

We all won't appreciate the design and hardware innovation in the smartphone world of the past few years. I want a thicker phone with a big removable battery, made of quality plastic with enough bezel to hold it without my big, thick thumbs hitting the screen. Better yet, BlackBerry could rise from the ashes and build me what I loved to use.

None of this is happening because what I want isn't as important as what most people want. I think phone makers are delivering what people want, and these small differences make a world of difference when it comes to using your phone.

Eventually, some company will fire off something nerdy, goofy, and weird that enthusiasts love. If it sells, then the other companies will copy it. Until then, we'll see the small differences and minor revisions between models to make them consumer-friendly.

Welcome to Ask Jerry, where we talk about any and all the questions you might have about the smart things in your life. I'm Jerry, and I have spent the better part of my life working with tech. I have a background in engineering and R&D and have been covering Android and Google for the past 15 years.

I'm also really good at researching data about everything — that's a big part of our job here at Android Central — and I love to help people (another big part of our job!). If you have questions about your tech, I'd love to talk about them.

Email me at askjerryac@gmail.com, and I'll try to get things sorted out. You can remain anonymous if you like, and we promise we're not sharing anything we don't cover here.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Why your phone takes time to boot up

Anonymous asks:

I was wondering why phones don't have the same instant-on capabilities that newer laptops and Chromebook do. Is there a good reason?

Thanks

Hey there, and thanks for the great question! It's something I've never thought about, but now that I've been paying attention, I can definitely see that some phones seem to take a while to get up and running if they've been powered off.

The quick and dirty answer for people who aren't interested in all the nuances of what happens when a phone boots up is that your phone is checking the software and file system before you get to use it. On some phones that takes longer than others.

To better understand what's happening, you need to understand how a computer boots up. There are three basic stages: powering, reading, and waiting.

A phone (which is really just another type of computer) sends power to the components on the main board as step one. There are components that need to power up and "run" their software before your phone can get up and running because they tell your phone how to boot itself. These get started once everything has power applied.

Some things need to be in place before Android or iOS can start on your phone. The reserved portion of the phone's memory needs to be set up to act as a buffer for video, run the firmware that enables the cellular radio, and then unpack and run the kernel that tells the hardware how to interact with the software.

Furthermore, if your phone's battery ran dead (it's not really dead when your phone says it's dead and shuts off), you might have to wait a few minutes until the battery has enough power to get all the hardware up and running because software plays a big part in charging your battery. It can charge while turned off, but not as efficiently as it does when software is helping regulate the incoming power.

If you've ever let an iPhone battery run down completely, you know this can take a while to get enough charge then take even longer to boot everything up. Short version: never let your phone shut off because of a dead battery. Turn it off manually when your battery gets super low and you won't have to deal with this.

Once the power is applied where it needs to be and the phone knows it has enough power to start the boot sequence, it checks the system software to make sure it's not been tampered with. If your software isn't signed with the right cryptographic key, your phone will not start unless the bootloader has been unlocked to allow it.

If the software checks out, booting begins. Part of the booting process is checking the file structure, creating dynamic symlinks (symbolic links; it's a Unix/Linux thing), and building a pseudo file system (/proc most of the time) for things like statistics and logs. All of this needs to be in place and working as expected before Android can run on your phone. It's all done automatically, but it takes time.

Your phone also needs to do things like connect to a network, load a user profile, allocate memory and resources for services that run at boot, among other small tweaks to get Android itself ready. Many of these things happen simultaneously, but computers really do one task at a time very quickly so it can take some time.

Once all this is done, your phone is in the waiting state. That's where you unlock your screen and can start using it. It's waiting for input. Some phones can do all of this faster than others, even if they are doing the same basic things.

All computers start this way. Some of the steps are different, but computers all need to apply power so booting can start, check that the software is ready, and then wait for your input. There are tricks that can speed this up, and you've probably used them even if you didn't know them, especially on a Windows laptop.

A PC can store the current state of your computer in a sort of file, then save it to a spot on the memory itself when you're turning it off. Since you're not really killing the power input when you do this, it's ready in an instant when you hit the button and you're right where you left off. This is most likely what happens if you shut the lid on your laptop instead of going through the motions of powering it down.

Android could do this, but when you consider the size of the battery running everything, you'll know why phone makers don't implement this feature. It'd be exactly the same as letting it sit with the screen off, and it would drain your battery in the same amount of time.

Let's get real for a minute and recognize that this doesn't matter in 2024. Older phones (and other computers. too) did take ages to boot up when you power cycled them, but that's not really the case any longer. Some phones, like Google's Pixels, boot up super fast while others like an iPhone take a little longer but none of them take enough time for it to be a problem.

It is a neat question, though, because it takes a look at what your phone is doing between the time you press the power button and the time when it asks for your password.

What you need to know

• Google announced the launch of its dedicated Gemini on iPhone app via the App Store.
• The dedicated app features Gemini Live, Imagen 3-backed image generation, and study guides for students.
• The app is set to arrive on the App Store today (Nov 14); however, it may appear at different times throughout the day.

Today (Nov 14), Google announced that its dedicated "Gemini on iPhone" app is rolling out to Apple's iOS phones.

According to a press release, Google states iPhone users can begin downloading the new dedicated Gemini app via the App Store. One of the app's standout features is Gemini's image generation capabilities. The post states the AI leverages the Imagen 3 model for "high-quality" and "stunning" imagery.

Google states the AI's images can be saved and shared with others or used for a project. As a reminder, the company recently upgraded Gemini's image generation capabilities. The update lets users create "photorealistic" images of animals, objects, plants, and more.

Speaking of projects, Google highlights Gemini's capabilities to assist students with studying. Users can ask the AI software questions about specific genres and it can also "generate a tailored study plan." Additionally, Gemini on iPhone accepts uploaded "complex diagrams" for quizzing purposes.

For everyday queries, Gemini on iPhone is said to provide a "free-flowing" conversation that feels natural. Google attributes this ability to the inclusion of Gemini Live. The company detailed this new Gemini variant in August, stating users would find a conversational experience when talking to it. The AI gives users time to brainstorm and ask complex questions about several subjects.

Google adds that Gemini Live in the new iPhone app lets users practice for interviews and find helpful tips on things to do in an unfamiliar place. Gemini Live contains 10 different voices and supports 12 languages on iPhone. The post states more language support is "coming soon."

Lastly, Gemini on iPhone brings access to Google's assortment of apps. Through the AI's extensions, users on Apple's smartphones can connect Gemini to their Gmail, Maps, and YouTube accounts. Doing so lets users ask the AI to find a song, a playlist, or summarize the day's emails without diving into those apps themselves.

Google reiterates that Gemini's dedicated app will be available on the App Store today (Nov 14). However, it seems the exact time "depends on Apple" as some countries may see the app's arrival earlier than others. The app can assist with reminders, schedules, and email composition.

The company rolled out Gemini Live for free for all Android users in October. Its initial launch during I/O 2024 concerned Gemini Advanced customers, but now every user can experience its natural conversation experience. That wider launch for Android included even more languages, which can likely be treated as a teaser for what's to come for iPhones.

Doing an Apple vs. Android comparison is always tricky since they are based on entirely different software platforms, and based on your current ecosystem of devices, your current devices force you to go in one direction, whether you like it or not. If you don't have a preferred ecosystem, choosing between the one the iPhone offers and the one on the Pixel 9 Pro XL is easier. But which one should you choose if you're open to either platform?

Apple outdid themselves with the new iPhone 16 Pro Max, a phone with fantastic specifications and the biggest display. On the other hand, we have Google's Pixel 9 Pro XL, arguably the best way to experience Android the way Google intended it to.

Both phones are priced roughly the same and boast cutting-edge hardware. For better or worse, AI is here to stay, and that’s the current hook every manufacturer is grabbing on to sell their expensive devices. The iPhone 16 Pro Max and Pixel 9 Pro XL support the best AI advancements from each camp. The question is, which one should you give your money to?

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Design and display

If you love holding large slabs of glass and metal, you’ll love both these phones. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is a true successor to the Pixel 8 Pro since it has similar dimensions: 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm and 150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm, respectively. Google has changed the design quite a bit this year, and it looks pretty epic, in my opinion. The flattened side frame makes it look more like an iPhone than ever, and the aluminum and scratch-resistant glass give it a premium feel in the hand. It’s a bit heavy at 221g, but not too chunky.

At first glance, the iPhone 16 Pro Max looks almost identical to its predecessor. It’s grown a bit larger due to the bigger screen, and slightly bigger than the 9 Pro XL in hand. It’s also heavier at 227g but surprisingly slimmer than the Pixel at 8.3mm depth. The Pro Max uses a sturdier titanium material for the frame and Apple’s concoction for a scratch-protective glass called Ceramic Shield. The phone gets a new dedicated camera button with haptic feedback, which lets you control different camera settings depending on how you press it. For example, press once for a picture and long-press for a video.

Both phones have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning they are totally sealed from dust and can be submerged in water for up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. Neither phone has expandable storage, so it's important to consider your storage needs carefully before choosing. Also, Apple and Google use USB Type-C (USB 3.2), so file transfer speeds should be similar.

The displays on both phones are impressive. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 6.8-inch OLED display with a high resolution of 2,992x1,344 pixels. It has LTPO tech, which means the refresh rate can vary from 1Hz to 120Hz. The display has a 20:9 aspect ratio, full support for HDR playback, and a peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max’s display is awe-inspiring this year as it’s a whopping 6.9 inches, with razor-slim bezels. The resolution has increased to 2,868x1,320 to keep the exact pixel count as the previous model. The other new feature is that the brightness can now drop to one nit for the always-on mode, so there’s extra power saving, and you can get info such as notifications and date and time.

Other specs have remained the same, such as the ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate, 1,000 nits of max typical brightness, and up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness when used outdoors during the day.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Hardware and specs

The iPhone 16 Pro Max costs $1,199 for 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. All iPhone 16 models are confirmed to have 8GB of RAM to run Apple Intelligence features. This might seem like a joke in the Android world, but it’s actually a big deal in iPhone land, and it’s the first time we’re seeing the entire lineup with the same amount of RAM. It’s not an upgrade for the 16 Pro Max, though, since the 15 Pro Max also had 8GB RAM.

Four colors are available – Desert Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium. Internal storage can go up to 1TB, which costs $1,599. It’s relatively expensive, but the 9 Pro XL is no different. Google’s offering starts a little lower at $1,099, but this is for 128GB of storage. Ideally, You’d want at least 256GB, which will set you back $1,199, like the iPhone. There’s 512GB and 1TB options too (only in the Obsidian color) for $1,549. All variants come with 16GB of RAM, which we’d expect for a top-tier Android phone. The Pixel comes in four colors — Porcelain, Rose Quartz, Hazel, and Obsidian.

Apple and Google have similar wireless and 5G connectivity. The 16 Pro Max and 9 Pro XL support all the major 5G bands and carriers in the U.S., along with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, Ultra Wideband, and satellite SOS service. Both offer secure biometric authentication, like an ultrasonic fingerprint reader on the Pixel and Face ID on the iPhone.

The A18 Pro SoC powers the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which we are confident will make the phone incredibly powerful. Apple is claiming significant gains in GPU computing and memory bandwidth compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which was stellar to begin with. Apple promises improved battery life of up to 33 hours with the 16 Pro Max with video playback. The phone can be fast-charged up to 50% in 30 minutes or quicker when paired with a higher-wattage adapter. It also supports MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging standards.

The Tensor G4 SoC powers the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, the most power-efficient processor yet. Our ongoing review found that the thermals are much better controlled, although it still throttles hard when playing heavy games. It’s not a big step forward in computing performance and will undoubtedly trail behind Apple’s offering. The 9 Pro XL does, however, boast of a 24+ hour battery life thanks to the large 5,060mAh capacity. Charging speeds have improved over the previous model, and it can be charged up to 70% in 30 minutes using Google’s 45W charger. If you use the Pixel Stand (2nd Gen) charger, fast wireless charging is also present.

This time, the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL are neck-and-neck in camera quality. Both smartphones have top-tier camera sensors, so the largest difference could be in the picture cameras' color tone. The Pixel should still rule the house when it comes to capturing good details in zoom shots, thanks to its 48MP periscope telephoto camera. The iPhone has 5x optical zoom, too, but it’s only a 12MP sensor.

With its larger 42MP sensor, the Pixel should also have an upper hand with selfies. The 16 Pro Max does have one really cool trick up its sleeve: Its main camera can shoot 4K 120fps Dolby Vision videos. That’s a powerful tool for video creators, making this generation’s Pro series the best yet for video recording.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Software

Ultimately, Apple and Google want you to buy their phones for the software experience. For Apple, there’s only one choice, and that’s the iPhone. iOS 18, Apple’s latest version of its mobile OS, was just rolled out to the public. It features some major UI changes, like the ability to add a custom color to all your app icons and new ways to interact with the shortcuts and toggle switches. The highlight addition, though, is Apple Intelligence because simply calling it AI is too mainstream for Apple.

Apple’s AI feature will work across the range of iPhone 16 models and only the Pro models in the last gen, along with select models of the iPad and Mac. Many of the “new” features are already things we’ve seen on Android phones. The kicker is that none of these features will be available on the iPhone 16 Pro Max the day you buy it. That’s right, Apple Intelligence will be coming this fall to all supported devices as an update, while other AI features won’t be here till early next year. That’s a giant leap of faith for early adopters. One thing’s for sure: the 16 Pro Max will have at least five years of software support, considering that the 2018 iPhone XR is also getting iOS 18.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL promises to get seven years of OS upgrades, which is incredible for one of the best Android phones. While it doesn’t ship with the latest version of Android (because it’s not rolled out yet), you get all the AI features from day one. The Pixel line has survived all these years despite having basic hardware, purely on the prowess of Google’s software. The 9 Pro XL gets exclusive AI features like Reimagine and Add Me that no other previous-gen Pixel receives, which is a good incentive for users with an older Pixel to upgrade.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Which one should you get?

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is easily Apple's finest mobile hardware. If you’re in the ecosystem and have been waiting for it to upgrade from an older iPhone, chances are you’ve already pre-booked and used it. For the rest who don’t have a platform preference and want the best phone above $1,000, I’d put my money on the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Now, before you sound off in the comments saying, “Android Central chose an Android phone as the winner over an iPhone, big surprise!” hear me out.

I fully concede that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will decimate the Pixel in tasks like gaming, and it is superior for any video work (as iPhones generally tend to be). However, besides the new SoC, camera button, and ultrawide sensor, it’s not too different from the 15 Pro Max, which should start seeing big discounts soon as Apple officially discontinued it from its online store. This older model should be able to run Apple Intelligence just as well whenever this feature drops.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL’s processor may lack the brute force of the iPhone’s chip, but it makes up for that in several other ways. For starters, it’s way cooler to look at, and everyone will know it’s the latest Pixel. Secondly, the new AI features in Google’s first-party apps are scarily good and super useful. It also matches an iPhone in terms of the longevity of software updates. We know the cameras are excellent for still photos, and battery life is solid.

While you can make a case for the iPhone 16 Pro Max at launch if you’re one of those niche users that would actually take advantage of the hardware improvements, I think most users would get more use out of the 9 Pro XL’s superb AI features, which have a broader appeal.

For several years Google has been very vocal about Apple supporting RCS in its iMessage platform. Now that it's happened, it seems like Google got what it was asking for. Spoiler: it didn't, but it did stop the barrage of messaging about why it was needed.

Two very important things come into play here. First, RCS on the iPhone is not end-to-end encrypted because that type of encryption is not part of the RCS standards. Second, Google chose to add the encryption layer itself, but Apple did not, nor did it choose to work with Google to enable it.

Oh, there is one more important thing: Apple didn't add RCS support to appease Google or as a show of good faith for its customers. It was more likely because China demanded it happen.

I know plenty of people simply don't care about RCS at all. You may use WhatsApp or never text with someone on a different smartphone platform, so it makes no difference to you that Apple supports it. That's great, but it affects a lot of other people, which is why so much virtual ink has been used to talk about it.

If you're not sure about what RCS is, think of it as WhatsApp-style text messaging. You can send higher resolution photos and videos, see when the other person has read your message or when they are typing, and include media like stickers without converting it to an older style MMS message.

If you were texting between two iPhones or two Android phones, it's what you're used to. If one person has an Android phone and the other has an iPhone, none of this could happen, and you probably noticed that, too. Now it can, thanks to iOS 18's support for RCS in iMessage. 

One of the big reasons so many people are talking about this is because Google made a big deal about Apple not supporting it. Besides the richer user experience, RCS (the way Google does it) supports end-to-end encryption, making sure only you can read a message meant for you. Google said Apple was making messaging unsafe because it would not support this feature.

With the RCS announcement from Apple, Google stopped telling us all why Apple was "bad" for not supporting it. However, Apple's current implementation of RCS does not support end-to-end encryption. A message between an Android phone and an iPhone is encrypted while it's flying across the internet (like almost all other internet traffic) but it isn't as secure as Google claimed it must be.

Encryption of this sort isn't part of RCS. It's likely to be added in the future, but even then, Apple won't support it without updating its implementation. The only reason it's supported on Android is that Google added it to the standards-based RCS profile itself.

Apple could have done the same, or it could have worked with Google to add it to iMessage, but it didn't. There is no incentive to add it and even less to work with Google because proprietary messaging is an important feature that is used to lock users into a platform by both Apple and Google. 

In fact, Apple didn't add RCS support because of Google's efforts. As a company, it would be better if you had grandma buy an iPhone versus supporting something it doesn't think adds value to iOS. I'm not going to buy into the conspiracy theory that Apple purposefully chose to support an outdated version of RCS to thwart Google, but I do think Apple simply didn't care what Google had to say.

Apple added RCS support because 20% of its sales are in China, and China will soon require all phones with 5G capability to support the RCS standard if they are to gain regulatory approval. Apple can not afford to lose 20% of its market and will always do what China demands. 

This leaves me with one question: why has Google stopped demanding secure cross-platform messaging from Apple? It's not here, and Apple has made no effort to provide it.

I'm not saying Apple should have or that you should worry about it. There are plenty of end-to-end encrypted messaging platforms out there if that's something you care about. Most people already use one of them, especially outside of North America.

Google and Apple will always find ways to dig at each other and try to convince you that it is the best. Maybe one is better than the other, and maybe one day, something even better will come along. In the meantime, don't fall into the trap of believing everything one of them has to say.

Apple has unwrapped the iPhone 16 along with a new watch and some updated headphones. I'm sure you've noticed.

It was a bit of a letdown, mostly because Apple told us everything cool the last time it took the stage to introduce "Apple Intelligence", its take on the AI features we're used to seeing from every phone maker. Really, this event was about the hardware that powers the software we already knew about.

Maybe that's why this time things felt like the most un-Apple-like Apple event so far. To be frank, it resembled something we would see from Samsung or Google — filled with numbers and tech terms that you or I might find interesting, but things that most of its customers aren't concerned with.

Remember Google telling us about tokens without telling us why tokens were important during the Google I/O keynote? While Apple didn't use the same word, time was taken to explain the different processors inside the SoC and how each supported the new version of iOS and its AI.

This is a stark contrast compared to years past. You might be old and nerdy enough to remember Steve Jobs showing off the YouTube app. He told us all that we could watch YouTube videos right on the iPhone without them spitting and stuttering. People into the tech understood why — a powerful processor and software optimizations — and everyone else, the people who were going to buy the iPhone, knew everything they needed to know: the iPhone could do what their BlackBerrys and Palm phones couldn't. 

There was no need to talk about memory bandwidth or processor cores. it was implied and interested people understood. It's what made me spend way too much money at AT&T and buy one even though I knew better.

This happened gradually and it's something Apple had to do. Apple has a tight hold on just a few national markets and if Samsung or OnePlus is telling everyone how fast and how good their hardware is Apple has to have a response. It wants to keep that grip on markets that make it so much money and even the smallest thing could have an effect. Apple is already the cool and trendy phone in the eyes of consumers but it can't afford to let another company grab that spot in the eyes of the tech community.

I won't lie, I don't hate it. That's because I enjoy hearing about the numbers and neural pathways from Apple the same way I like hearing Google tell me how many tokens (the smallest, most basic units of data in AI processing) the Tensor G4 can handle. But I'm definitely not the average consumer even if I want to be or try to think like one.

Maybe this doesn't take away from the message but it sure makes the presentation longer. I wonder if the people looking to buy a new iPhone would rather hear more about the new camera control button or hear a refresher on how the new Siri can harness generative AI from a cloud provider instead. 

These things are cool and what people using phones are going to talk about to their friends. Nobody cares about the chip inside AirPods or how a custom piece of glass covers a button for the camera except nerds like me, and maybe you. They care why these things matter and what having them means when you're using the products.

This won't change and as tech events move further away from in-person to over the top scripted videos it will only get worse. There was a lot of things I didn't like about Steve Jobs but I loved the way he directed events and spoke to users, not the tech press.

The new Apple has moved away from that and is following in the footsteps of every other tech company.

A recent report from The Information dropped in late July, indicating that Apple could release a foldable device as early as 2026. We’ve known about a potential Apple foldable as early as 2021, with a more definitive rumor circulating last year. But even if the company releases one within the next couple of years, would people be interested in buying an Apple-made foldable?

I decided to speak with Victor Hoyos, a 32-year-old long-time iPhone user who recently switched over to the Motorola Razr Plus 2024, and ask whether he would switch back to Apple if it made a foldable. 

“I’m not going to move,” Hoyos told me in an interview. 

He believes that Apple is at a point of maturity with its iPhone and is now trying to shift gears to have another wow-factor moment with its Apple Vision Pro VR headset.  

“They know that their iPhone is mature enough, [and] their market is just not going to grow. And you can see it in their phones. They’re just very iterative,” he said, adding that he also thinks if Apple were to make a foldable, it would likely be in book form rather than a flip phone, and Apple would slap a $2,500 price tag on it.

Hoyos recently posted on Reddit asking other long-time Apple users about their experience switching to an Android-based phone and whether it was hard. Though relearning a new device and operating system was a challenge, he still said it was “very exciting.” 

“It was pure nostalgia for me. I heard the word Razr and…it was the same level of awe and excitement for technology that I haven’t felt in years,” Hoyos said. “I think the last time I felt that excited was probably the iPhone 5s.

Hoyos isn’t the only person who feels this way about his iPhone. I also spoke with Shepherd Howe, a 16-year-old high school student who switched to an Android in 2020 despite living in an Apple-centric household. 

In an interview, Howe said one of the main reasons for switching over was that he felt Android phones looked cooler. While he still has his iPhone, he felt that over time, his iPhone’s performance fell short of that of his Android device. 

Like Hoyos, Howe also doesn’t think he’d switch back if Apple made a foldable device. 

“I don’t think I would switch even though it would be cool to have a folding phone that was an iPhone,” he said. “But my final answer would be no.”

Apple will still win if it launches a foldable 

Despite Hoyos and Howe both strongly stating they would not switch back to Apple if it created a foldable, there is still a large market of people who would still choose Apple.

Alex Mar is one of those people. In an interview with Derrek Lee, Android Central's managing editor, Mar, who is in his early 30s and lives in the Seattle area, said he switched to a Galaxy Z Flip 5 for reasons similar to Hoyos. He said it brought a nostalgic feeling, something that companies like Motorola have focused heavily on when marketing their flip phones.

He also revealed that he had a little bit of “iPhone fatigue.” However, after several months with the Flip, Mar eventually decided to switch back to his iPhone, ultimately because of the Apple ecosystem. 

“In the United States, most people have iPhones here. If It were another country where everyone uses WhatsApp, WeChat, or they just use [a] regular [messaging service], I would have stuck with Android,” he said. 

More importantly, Mar said he would “absolutely get an iPhone flip phone.”

Counterpoint Research data from 2022 suggested that while 46% of people would buy a Samsung foldable phone, 39% would pick a potential Apple foldable over other foldables that are in the market. 

“Foldables have performed better in controlling the shift from Android to iOS,” said Hanish Bhatia, associate director of North American research at Counterpoint Research. “However, we don’t expect foldables to become the dominant form factor anytime soon in the U.S.” 

Despite the unavailability of an Apple foldable, the data shows “a lot of excitement among consumers for a foldable iPhone,” said Jeff Fieldhack, research director of North America at Counterpoint Research.

I myself have been a foldable hater for a while now, although not because I don’t think the form factor is cool; it's mostly because I simply can’t stand the display crease. 

But when Lee wrote his Motorola Razr Plus 2024 review, I somehow became convinced that Android manufacturers have almost figured it out. As he writes, “the crease looks and feels even less noticeable than on the Razr Plus 2023, which is saying something.”

If Apple were to create a foldable phone, the crease would definitely be something the company would seriously need to work on perfecting. 

Apple isn’t late to the game; it’s being strategic 

However, give credit where it’s due. While most people might think Apple is silly for not having a foldable in the market yet, there is a very smart reason why. The company wants to avoid putting out a shoddy and lackluster product. Maybe the new iPhones are iterative in nature, but I know that if Apple were to release a foldable, it’d be a quality phone. 

Jiitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC's worldwide device tracker, agrees, indicating that “Apple often isn’t the first to the game, but it does tend to offer some of the best and well-thought solutions.”

Neil Shah, vice president of research at Counterpoint Research, also added that Apple (and likely other manufacturers) consider many components before releasing a product. 

“It’s a question of getting the product definition, positioning, durability, and experience right,” he said. “There are multiple factors, which Apple needs to consider before jumping into foldables to maintain the standardization and scale at a global level from silicon to software to devices.”

So, is Apple too late to the game, particularly when companies like Samsung are now in their 6th generation of foldable phones?

“Foldables, even in 2026, will only account for less than 3% of the global smartphone volumes (this is assuming only Android foldables exist). However, a folding iPhone would be a great way for Apple to further increase average selling prices and address an ultra-premium segment of the market that is currently being served by Android brands,” he said. 

In the scenario where Apple decides to have a foldable device, it will likely be a premium phone and “not something that the average consumer would afford initially unless Apple continues to offer great trade-in programs or financing options like they currently do.”

Take the Apple Vision Pro, for example. There are plenty of consumer VR headsets in the industry that do not cost an arm and leg, but Apple decided to launch a $3,500 headset for its first iteration of a new device in this category, priced well beyond what an average consumer might pay.

However, Hoyos, Howe, and Mar all make interesting points. While I am incredibly bored with the Apple ecosystem and its lack of ingenuity with newer phones, I am intrigued by Apple potentially releasing a foldable. 

Still, I haven’t been excited about an iPhone for a while now, and I’ve asked myself the same question: would I switch if Apple released a foldable?

No. 

Meanwhile, I have been very excited about the Android foldable ecosystem. So perhaps it’s time for me to officially switch over to Android-based devices permanently. I’ll leave that story for another time. 

This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape. 

This week saw the first look at RCS messaging on the iPhone, YouTube is tightening its reigns on Premium subscriptions via VPN, Android 15's Beta 3 launches, Motorola teases its upcoming foldables, and Spotify introduces a new basic plan.

Apple finally teases RCS messaging

Read more here.

RCS was barely mentioned at Apple's WWDC; however, days later, we saw a glimpse of the messaging feature with the iOS 18 beta. 

X user Dhinak spotted this and posted a lengthy thread breaking down its availability and present features. The first look shows that green bubbles are still used to identify texts from Android users despite RCS—as expected. Apparently, Android users can send RCS messages to iPhone users in individual and group chats. Additionally, the X user states that higher-quality audio files, photos, and other forms of media can be shared via these chats. 

However, it appears Apple has a lot of work to do when it comes to RCS. Firstly, there is a lack of E2EE (end-to-end encryption) in group chats, something that was implemented in Android last year. Emoji reactions continue to be an iPhone user thing, as only they get to see a "proper" reaction to messages. If an iMessage user reacts to an Android user's message, the green bubble user will receive a new message saying "Liked," followed by their text in quotes.

Replying to a specific message continues to be a challenge for both Android and Apple users, as they don't have the option to do so. Another thing to note is that RCS is limited to iPhones on T-Mobile and AT&T networks at the moment.

YouTube cracks down on premium subscription loopholes

Read more here.

YouTubers worldwide received surprise cancellations of their Premium subscription last week, as the company seems to be going after people who find ways to get cheaper premium rates in their region. A recent thread on Reddit highlighted that these cancellations were linked to users resorting to VPN services in order to score cheaper rates by taking advantage of regional pricing loopholes.

To illustrate the price difference, a Premium subscription costs Rs.129 ($1.54) per month in India, whereas it normally costs $13.99 in the US. Some use YouTube Premium for a fraction of the cost in their home market. Although the subscription worked fine after the initial VPN trick, Google seems to be aware of this loophole and is going after these users.

In response, Google indirectly confirmed to Android Central that it's tightening its reigns and that "to provide the most accurate plans and offers available, we have systems in place to determine the country of our users," the spokesperson said. "In instances where the signup country does not match where the user is accessing YouTube, we're asking members to update their billing information to their current country of residence."

Android 15 Beta 3 is here

Read more here.

Google rolled out Android 15 Beta 3 on June 18, and with it comes "Platform Stability" and improvements to passkeys and the Credential Manager. Google is now allowing enrolled testers to have single-step sign-in capabilities through biometrics like facial recognition, fingerprint, or screen lock. Previously, users were given two sub-menus: one asking about a "saved passkey" and another for their biometrics. Users will now see one unified sub-menu detailing the service they're signing into, a prompt for their fingerprint, or the option to use a PIN.

Android 15 Beta 3 wants app developers to prepare their products, libraries, tools, and game engines for Android 15. Google hopes this will prepare their apps for the new "FLAG_STOPPED" changes that ensure apps don't run until a user's manual input is detected. Support for 16KB pages, predictive back animations, and support for Private Spaces are items to keep an eye out for. 

Android 15 Beta 3 is rolling out now to all enrolled testers and supported devices. Those with a Pixel phone can check the devices that are eligible for testing and get started.

We're flipping excited about the Motorola Razr 2024 launch

Read more here.

Motorola posted a tease for its new foldables launch this week, which will hit the U.S. market on June 25. 

The video gives us a quick look at the Razr devices that will feature orange and blue colorways. It also looks like a vegan leather backing is expected on the devices. The teaser continues, briefly showing several more colorways for its 2024 Razr phones, such as pink and maybe a coffee-brown option.

It should be noted that Motorola put its higher-priced Razr Plus on the shelves before the cheaper Motorola Razr 2023 hit the market later in the year. It's unclear if the company will follow the same trend again this year or if consumers can grab both devices simultaneously.

Some leaks suggest that Motorola is upgrading its new foldables with a bigger cover screen. It is boosting the Razr Plus 2024 to 4 inches and giving its base model a larger 3.6-inch cover, the latter of which is the same size as the cover display on the 2023 Razr Plus.

Spotify is bringing a basic plan with a new Family tier

Read more here.

Spotify users in the U.S. can now subscribe to a new Basic plan that offers all the benefits of a Premium plan without audiobook listening time. The streaming platform recently hiked its Premium individual plan from $10.99 to $11.99 monthly. However, it has launched a new basic plan for  $10.99, but it comes with some limitations.

"Enjoy the music streaming benefits of your Premium plan without the monthly audiobook listening time. Starting at $10.99/month for eligible users," Spotify notes in the announcement post. 

It is important to note that users can't "directly sign up for the new plan" through Spotify's website but can downgrade to the new plan, provided they are already existing individual plan users. Spotify still has the  $9.99 per month plan that gives the user access to Audiobooks wiith15 hours of audiobook listening time. 

The Basic Family plan costs $16.99 per month, which, for some reason, isn't mentioned in the post but is visible for Spotify subscribers. 

Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:

• Google rolls out new lens controls to older Pixel phones
• Circle to Search might gain audio lookup for sounds on your device
• The Oura Ring is about to face its biggest challenge yet: a fair fight
• Amazon might charge users up to $10 fee for its 'Remarkable Alexa'
• Google spotted developing 'Adaptive Thermal' to help Pixels stay cool
• Samsung News picks up a much needed update in the US
• Google's June System updates bring better data transfers and device security
• New OnePlus Watch certification and specs suggest an impending launch
• Alleged Galaxy Buds 3 case render is very Apple, but with a clear dome
• Galaxy S25 camera rumor might disappoint the hopeful
• US Surgeon General calls for a warning label on social media sites, citing mental health harms

What you need to know

• An early dive into Apple's coming RCS support for iPhones in iOS 18 shows green bubbles, single and group chat functionality alongside file transfers.
• Unfortunately, early RCS support on iPhones lacks proper E2EE for group chats and emoji reactions only work for iPhones.
• Proper message replies aren't working as iPhone users can't send them and replies they receive appear as regular texts.

Shortly after Apple's usual WWDC event, those enrolled in its iOS 18 beta were able to surface its upcoming RCS support.

X user Dhinak made the discovery and posted a lengthy thread breaking down its availability and present features in the iOS 18 beta (via Android Authority). Early evidence shows that green bubbles are still used to denote Android users despite the existence of RCS — but that was expected.

Users on Android can message those on iPhone through a single RCS chat and group chat. Additionally, the X user discovered that file transfer work, meaning higher-quality audio files, photos, and other forms of media can be shared.

However, there are a few areas in which Apple drops the ball early on, beginning with a lack of E2EE (end-to-end encryption) in group chats. Emoji reactions seem to operate as a one-way street as only the iPhone user will see a "proper" reaction.

If an iMessage user reacts to an Android user's message, the latter will receive a new message saying "Liked," followed by your text in quotes.

Dhinak responded to a comment asking about replies — which don't work properly either. According to the tipster, replies appear "as regular messages" on an iPhone, and Apple users can't send replies, either.

Some technical details in the thread show that the RCS standard is limited to iPhones on T-Mobile and AT&T networks. Android phones attempting to use RCS with an iPhone user need to be on a T-Mobile plan, at least for now. 

More digging revealed that RCS is disabled by default on iPhones, meaning users must navigate to the settings to turn it on.

We've been expecting RCS support on Apple's iPhone ever since the company confirmed it was coming last November. Google has been pushing for it through its #GetTheMessage campaign for quite a while. Apple said that through RCS, it would " offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS." However, this early look shows that there's still more that needs polishing.

Apple also left its coming RCS support for iPhones in iOS 18 as little more than a footnote during its WWDC presentation this year. Another unfortunate side effect is that Apple announced an array of new iMessage features for its users, which won't play well with the RCS standard.

What you need to know

• In a regulatory filing this week, Apple shared how long it will guarantee software updates for the iPhone 15 series.
• The company’s five-year commitment falls short of Samsung and Google’s update promise, marking an industry shift.
• While Apple could support the iPhone 15 for longer than the minimum, this shows just how far Android phones have come with software support.

Google made waves when it announced that the Pixel 8 series of flagship phones would support seven years of full OS upgrades last year. Samsung followed up Google’s commitment with a matching seven-year update promise of its own for the Galaxy S24 series earlier this year. More recently, Google extended that seven-year promise to cover the midrange Pixel 8a, proving that great software support can be had on devices at any price point.

Of course, these commitments were viewed as a massive win for Android — even if we aren’t quite sure what Android will look like in 2031. However, we still don’t have a finite gauge of how Google and Samsung’s software commitments stacked up against Apple’s. Until this year, Apple was the clear industry leader in software support with the iPhone and iOS. The uncertainty was cleared up this week, as Apple officially declared how long it would support the iPhone 15 series in a regulatory filing first spotted by Android Authority.

Apple never publicly stated the software support for iPhones before, making evaluating them tricky. The first two iPhones supported three years of iOS updates, while a few later iPhones supported as many as seven iOS upgrades. That’s a big range that leaves a lot up to Apple’s discretion. However, thanks to the United Kingdom’s new Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure policy, companies now have to disclose a guaranteed software support window for certain products.

In accordance with this new regulation, Apple said that the iPhone 15 series would get a total of five years of software support from the date the phones were first released. For those not keeping track, that’s five years from Sept. 22, 2023. Notably, that means Google and Samsung have guaranteed two more years of software support than Apple, and this is a first. 

Software support matters, regardless of whether you will actually use your new Pixel 8 Pro or Galaxy S24 Ultra for seven years or not. Of course, with software support, you theoretically could do so. If, like most people, you decide to upgrade earlier, you can trade in or sell your old smartphone. Devices currently receiving software updates will fetch more on the resale market than unsupported ones, so phones with longer software support windows will retain their value better. Additionally, if phones can be used for longer, we can reduce E-waste and produce fewer new devices.

It’s something that should factor into your purchase decision. And for the first time, Android is the one receiving a tick in the win column.

Why Apple is making a commitment now

Like many of Apple’s recent moves, the company has only decided to outline a software support promise for the iPhone 15 series to comply with regulations. The five-year window is the minimum, and Apple could always extend support beyond this initial guarantee. There is evidence to suggest that the company will support more than that, based on Statista’s tracking of iPhones and iOS updates. 

The last iPhone to support just five iOS versions was the iPhone 6, released in 2014. All the iPhones released since have received either six or seven iOS versions, though the jury is still out on some of the newer models. It’s possible that Apple is anticipating on-device AI processing becoming a huge part of iOS, which would restrict what kinds of hardware can run newer iOS versions. Or, in the more likely scenario, Apple is just declaring a minimum number, and it plans to offer more support than it has agreed to. 

This only goes to show how far Android phones have  come

Still, we shouldn’t give Apple a pass just because it could offer more support to the iPhone 15. As it stands now, the newest Android phones are guaranteed to get more full OS upgrades than the newest iPhones. That’s true regardless of how these promises and support windows end up playing out. Android manufacturers, specifically Samsung and Google, deserve credit for solving what was a major problem for the platform in previous years. 

It was a common notion that iPhones inherently lasted longer than Android phones, and this situation has been completely flipped. At present, Pixel and Galaxy devices are guaranteed to receive more software support than iPhones, helping them last longer. Samsung has some serious repairability problems that could limit how long Galaxy phones can feasibly last, but Google is doing great on that front. Combined, it’s definitely possible that a Pixel phone can last longer than a new iPhone with great hardware and software support.

It’s still on Android phone brands to prove it

However, there is one thing to remember when we discuss the software support windows promised by companies — they actually have to deliver on these promises. The work isn’t done yet; in fact, the opposite is true. If the version of Android released seven years from now runs like garbage on Pixel 8 series phones, this support promise will be seen as nothing more than a marketing tactic. Other Android Central staffers and I have expressed skepticism over the Pixel 8 update guarantee, and we aren’t the only ones. 

Samsung and Google still have to prove that they can support phones for seven years. But for now, it’s worth giving a tip of the cap to Android brands that have managed to usurp Apple in software support for the first time.

What you need to know

• Android users reportedly received distorted GIFs and memes from their friends who use iPhones.
• Several Pixel and Galaxy phone users took to Reddit to report the issue.
• Reddit users also suggested some workarounds, which helped resolve the issue for some.

Last week, we saw Google Messages users receive spam messages, including random letters and numbers, along with a Google support page link. This week, we're back with another blue and green bubble error, as reports suggest that Android users are receiving distorted GIFs sent from iPhones as SMS/MMS.

Several Android phone users took to Reddit (via 9to5Google) to share their Google Messages, receiving distorted GIFs from their iPhone friends. Notably, these were received via SMS/MMS by users on Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones. It wouldn't be the case if iPhones were adapted to RCS instead of relying on older communication protocols for Android handsets. The Apple iPhones are yet to gain RCS support, which is anticipated to happen later this year.

Per the Reddit posts, users saw distortion issues with GIFs and memes. However, other media messages, like photos, appear as usual. Initially, multiple users attributed this issue to file sizes sent from iPhones to Google Messages—the smaller file sizes of the GIFs rendered well, while the bigger ones struggled to render.

Meanwhile, another Reddit user noted that Google had recommended factory resetting their Pixel phone when contacted regarding the issue. In the accompanying comments, another user hinted that turning off “Send Messages Faster” had somehow fixed the distortion. And other users who tried the workaround were lucky enough to get the issue fixed as well. It appears to be a temporary solution for users facing the problem.

It is still unclear when the issue with iMessage and Google Messages started popping up, as many users on Reddit have indicated that it had been happening for more than a couple of weeks. 

As mentioned, Google hasn’t officially acknowledged the issue despite suggesting a factory reset for a user. Such issues might still pop up across iMessage and Google Messages unless Apple quickly adopts RCS support as promised.

Welcome to Ask Jerry, where we talk about any and all the questions you might have about the smart things in your life. I'm Jerry, and I have spent the better part of my life working with tech. I have a background in engineering and R&D and have been covering Android and Google for the past 15 years.

I'm also really good at researching data about everything — that's a big part of our job here at Android Central — and I love to help people (another big part of our job!). If you have questions about your tech, I'd love to talk about them. 

Email me at askjerryac@gmail.com, and I'll try to get things sorted out. You can remain anonymous if you like, and we promise we're not sharing anything we don't cover here.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Why isn't Apple selling iOS?

Ed writes:

Google's Android operating system operates on many different platforms and brands of phones, so why don’t any brands use iOS or request to use it?

Ed asks a question here that I often think about — what if Apple licensed out its phone and tablet OS the way Google does, or Microsoft does for desktops and laptops? More importantly, has it ever been considered, and if not, why not?

I mean a lot of people would love it. Imagine the best phones out there, something like a Galaxy Fold, running iOS. You get the great and innovative physical hardware combined with the software many of us love to use. Or the fun form factor of a Galaxy Flip or Moto Razr. I'll bet a lot of people would buy it and even more people would want to buy it.

I'm quickly bounced back to reality when I remember one thing — Apple has no incentive to do this. Money may or may not be the root of all evil, but it is the root of every decision any tech company makes.

Cold hard cash

The iPhone is Apple's prime source of revenue. Without it, Apple couldn't afford to do the things it wants to do with other products like the iPad or MacBook. Without iPhone sales, Apple would look very different from what we see today.

Historically, Windows and Office are Microsoft's prime revenue streams. These two products have given Microsoft the cash to build a great cloud computing platform and build its Surface laptops. There is even enough money left over for"throw-away" products like phones running Android in case the idea takes off.

Android is not Google's biggest source of revenue. Android is a vehicle for monetization. Using software to ferry people into a system where each generates income isn't a new idea nor is Google the only company doing it, but Android is probably the most successful at it so far.

Each of these things is pretty different from the other but they help explain why Apple keeps iOS for itself. Apple depends on selling iPhones and there is too much competition for it to reinvent itself.

I'll Use Microsoft as an example again. The company came in at the right time with software that was so much better than anything else out there and everyone bought it. By today's standards, early versions of Windows and Office were terrible to use. But the computing age was new and Microsoft got in on the ground floor, amassing a fortune. It has leveraged this fortune to build other products that make money now that Windows and Office aren't the revenue stream of the future.

Google doesn't place as much importance on Android as a product because it just wants everyone to use the internet. Eyeballs on the web and web services are how Google makes money, regardless of the platform being used. 

Android is a way to make computing more affordable because Google saw the importance of emerging markets like India and South America when they were "emerging". I remember speaking with some Google execs over 10 years ago and the most important thing was India's share of the world technology market. It was important that everyone in India who wanted a way to use the internet could afford to use the internet.

They were right, and as places like India turned into millions and millions of eyeballs on the web and Google's services, Google made a lot of money.

Apple, on the other hand, depends on people to purchase its hardware. To Apple, iOS is important because it is a way to sell iPhones, not the other way around. Apple has done a lot to maximize profits on the back of the iPhone and tailoring iOS for what it thinks is the best iPhone experience is one of the most important.

Apple could sell iOS to companies like Samsung or Xiaomi. I think both companies would be interested and buy it. But doing that would dilute and pollute the experience and prestige of owning the company's most important product: the iPhone.

What you need to know

• Google added a section to the landing page for Google Messages that revealed when Apple will support RCS messaging on the iPhone.
• Later, Google pulled the section from that landing page, but the information remains available through screenshots and the Wayback Machine. 
• While Apple announced that RCS messaging would come to the iPhone later this year, Google clarified in its promotional material that it will specifically be available in Fall 2024. 

Google finally won its battle with Apple last year, as the Cupertino-based company agreed to support RCS messaging on the iPhone later this year. Now, Google appears to have leaked Apple's timeline for RCS availability in iOS. In a new landing page for Google Messages, the company shared that Apple "will be adopting RCS in the fall of 2024." Hours later, this landing page has been completely scrubbed of references to this timeline. 

In fact, the entire section that revealed Apple's plans to support RCS messaging this fall has been removed. In it, Google described RCS messaging by saying, "Hello hi-res, goodbye blur," referencing the improved quality of photos and videos shared over RCS compared to SMS or MMS. Clicking the See more features button opened up an expanded spotlight of RCS, where Google outlined Apple's timeline for supporting the messaging standard.

Here's what the section regarding Apple's upcoming support of RCS on the Google Messages landing page looked like before it was taken down:

Now, that entire section is gone on the very same Google Messages landing page. While the section was only live for a matter of hours, it was partially captured by the Wayback Machine. There were originally three main feature spotlights: customization, photomoji, and RCS. In the live version of the landing page, only the first two sections remain, with smaller sections for other features that remain below.

It appears Google may have inadvertently leaked Apple's timeline, but it isn't too surprising. Apple's initial timetable of "later next year," referring to late 2024, seemed to line up with the fall already. Since iOS 18 is set to launch in the fall of 2024, it was already likely that RCS message would be supported starting with that OS upgrade. Now, thanks to Google's lapse, it seems all but confirmed, although things can change now that the reference was taken down.

RCS messaging will make texting between iPhones and Android phones easier, leveraging higher-quality photos and videos, read receipts, typing indicators, better group chat support, and more. 

The United States Justice Department and the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia are suing Apple, claiming the tech giant has an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market. 

Similar cases against Alphabet (Google) and Amazon are also in the works and as you can imagine this case has polarized the internet just like cases before it has. Everyone has a favorite tech brand it seems.

It's important to note that this is only a U.S. thing and has nothing to do with Apple's business elsewhere. Just as we saw when the EU went after Apple and changes were made that only affected products sold in the EU, any results in this trial only affect business done in the U.S.

Having said that, the complaint against Apple claims that the company:

• Degrades and undermines cross-platform messaging apps and rival smartphones, including introducing deliberate incompatibilities to prevent Android users from seamlessly sending messages to iPhone users.
• Makes it difficult for U.S. app developers to list "Super Apps," which have a broad array of functions and make it easier for consumers to switch from one phone manufacturer to another 
• Blocks cloud gaming services on iPhones by historically refusing to list cloud gaming apps on the Apple App Store. Cloud gaming allows consumers to stream and play video games seamlessly across different devices independent of phone hardware.  
• Limits basic functionality when consumers try to use third-party cross-platform smartwatches with iPhones.
• Restricts digital wallet competitors by allowing only Apple Wallet access to the iPhone's "tap-to-pay" functionality.

Much of this list sounds like it comes straight from an angry user on the Android subreddit, and as a result, people are tripping over themselves to rush to Apple's defense. However, it's important to know a few things about the word "monopoly" in this context though, because it's not what you think.

The DOJ addresses this in a press conference. The Supreme Court defines monopoly power as "the power to control prices or exclude competition." As stated in the complaint, Apple has that power in the smartphone market. The DOJ states that while having monopoly power doesn't necessarily violate antitrust laws by itself, it does "when a firm acquires or maintains a monopoly not because it has a superior product or superior business acumen, but by engaging in exclusionary conduct." 

The Justice Department claims Apple has done just that, just as it claims that Google abused its monopoly power in search. Therefore, the Justice Department must prosecute.

Forget about green bubbles and the price of an Apple Watch for a moment. A company that can use its influence to stifle competition instead of simply providing a better product is bad for business. It's bad when Google does it. It's bad when Amazon does it. It's equally bad when Apple does it. Even a hint of illegal behavior should be investigated and, if necessary, litigated.

What does this mean for me?

This isn't about Google or Android or any other company. It's about Apple. 

It almost feels like it is, though. It is important to remember the DOJ isn't doing this so that iMessage can work on Android or so iPhone users can use a Pixel Watch. It just so happens that Android is the only competition in these spaces, so a "level playing field" in the U.S. smartphone market means Samsung, Google, and Motorola benefit.

The DOJ has the Herculean task of holding all tech companies to a set of standards, so we see Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and now Apple at odds over antitrust laws. Whether you think it does a good job at keeping a level playing field makes no difference — it has to try and enforce existing laws and help shape new ones. 

Sometimes, that means a company you like ends up in court; sometimes, it's the company you don't like. But both times, you benefit.

If the Justice Department has its way (doubtful) Apple would be forced to better integrate iMessage with accepted standards, more work would be done to use third-party smartwatches on the platform, and there would be fewer obstacles when moving from iOS to Android. None of those things may happen; it is still a win for consumers.

No single company should have an insurmountable advantage in the consumer market unless it's because the products it sells are better in every way, and even then, it should not be able to leverage this to drive competition out of business. And no, your anecdotal evidence doesn't count; just because you like a thing doesn't mean everyone does.

Great artists steal. You've heard that before, and whether you want to admit it or not, it's true. Smartphone software is the epitome of this statement — Samsung, Google, and Apple have been lifting ideas for years, and in the end, we are the beneficiaries. Do you enjoy using your phone? If so, thank Palm and BlackBerry.

If one company is allowed to kill off competition by abusing its position in the market, we are the ones who suffer. Apple isn't going to thank BlackBerry for iMessage, and Google isn't going to thank its hardware partners for 50% of Android's features, but we would not be here without them.

Being able to kill off your business rivals is against the law for our benefit, and we should welcome seeing investigations like this, even when it's the company you like.

What you need to know

• Marques Brownlee released the results for his annual blind smartphone camera test, which asks millions of users for their input.
• Across multiple categories, it was Pixels and foldables that stood out in a field of 20 smartphones.
• The smartphone cameras were tested in daylight, low-light, and portrait mode. 

Marques Brownlee, creator of the MKBHD channel on YouTube, has released the results of the 2023 blind smartphone camera test. This time around, 20 smartphones went head-to-head, and millions of users voted on which photos turned out best. It's a blind test, so any concerns of bias are thrown out the window. 

The smartphones were tested in three categories: daylight shots, low-light shots, and portrait mode shots. In each category, users choose between two photos to find out which one is best. There's an entire website dedicated to voting, and choosing the best photos in each category takes between five and 15 minutes.

Then, the Elo rating system is used to sort the 20 phones in terms of best and worst picture quality. This works by seeing which phones beat others and which phones lost to others. Through this process, an Elo score is generated that will name the overall winners and losers. There are also a few winner categories, like best value and user's choice.

Brownlee says that, as hard as it may be, the photos are taken in the exact same position by each of the 20 phones. They are also taken using the default settings in the camera app. 

You should watch Brownlee's full video for the in-depth breakdown, and when you do, you'll notice that Pixel phones and folding phones stole the show. 

The best daylight shot was taken by the Pixel 7a, which might come as a surprise, considering the smartphone is the cheapest device in Google's current smartphone lineup. Google is clearly up to something here because the Google Pixel Fold was the runner-up in this category. In third place was the OnePlus Open, another folding phone. 

Low-light shots are some of the trickiest for smartphones, and it was the iPhone 15 Pro that stood out in that test. Next up was the Pixel 8 Pro, and then the Pixel 7a came in third place. This makes sense because Google has long been a leader in low-light photography, and Apple has been improving steadily as well. 

The final category was portrait mode, which comes with a lot of variables. To compensate for the different default focal lengths, Brownlee's team stepped forward and back when taking the shots. Once again, a Pixel took the crown, and it was the Pixel 8 Pro again. The runner-ups were the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and iPhone 15 Pro, respectively. 

Combining the Elo ratings of all the smartphones across all three tests, it was the Pixel 7a that took the top spot for best smartphone camera overall. Second place went to the Pixel 8 Pro, and third place went to the Pixel Fold, so Google completed a sweep with Pixel phones. 

It's also worth mentioning the votes-per-dollar winner, which was — you guessed it — the Pixel 7a again. 

We aren't surprised that Pixel phones impressed, as they've been the gold standard for smartphone cameras for quite a while. But it is interesting that folding phones from Samsung, Google, and OnePlus all appeared in a top spot at least once. For all the narratives we've seen about how underpowered the camera systems in folding phones are compared to flagships, it didn't hold them back in this test.

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What you need to know

• The premium smartphone market, consisting of phones costing $600 or greater, grew six percent in 2023, according to preliminary numbers from Counterpoint Research.
• Ultra-premium smartphones, costing a thousand dollars or more, represented a significant part of the growth within the premium sector.
• Apple is leading the charge, holding 71% of the premium smartphone market in 2023. 

Flagship phones continued to get more expensive in 2023, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra both starting at $1,200. But people continued to buy them at a higher rate than ever before, according to a report from Counterpoint Research. 

The sales figures for 2023, though preliminary, indicate that the market for premium smartphones increased by six percent in 2023. By definition, premium phones are those with a retail price of $600 or higher. Within that market, the ultra-premium market of phones sold at $1,000 or greater represented over one-third of sales in the premium sector. 

Apple continued its massive dominance over the premium market, holding a 71% share over it in 2023. Surprisingly, this was actually a decrease from its 75% market share in 2022. Samsung, Xiaomi, and Huawei each saw slight market share gains, to steal a few combined percentage points away from Apple. The only other smartphone OEM (original equipment manufacturer) to earn a percent or greater of market share for premium smartphones was Oppo, which also owns OnePlus. 

The growth in the premium smartphone market exceeded expectations for 2023. In part, due to global economic struggles and inflation, experts predicted the global market for smartphones to see a decrease in smartphones. Premium phones carried sales last year, and this is something that Counterpoint predicts will continue moving forward. 

Foldable phones continued to gain popularity last year, and Samsung may have gained market share with its Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold 5 series. Similarly, Huawei's successful Mate 60 Pro series contributed to its slight uptick in sales last year. 

Samsung has a chance to get off to a strong start in 2024 with its Galaxy S24 series, which will debut at an Unpacked event set for Jan. 17. 

The market continues to grow, especially for phones priced at $1,000 or more. Companies will likely keep trying to push the envelope until they find a price point that customers aren't willing to meet. 

Does my iPhone even have wireless charging?

If you've bought a new iPhone in the last couple of years, there's a good chance it has wireless charging. In fact, since Apple switched from metal to glass designs on the back of its phones, every new model has supported it — that means every model between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 14.

If you have an older iPhone, you can still technically get wireless charging working ... sort of. Some battery cases, like the Mophie Juice Pack Wireless for the iPhone 7, support Qi wireless charging for their internal battery, which in turn charges your iPhone through its Lightning port — though exactly how fast the case can charge will vary from product to product.

How well does the Wireless Charger Duo work?

Newer iPhones support Qi wireless charging at up to 7.5 watts. That's the same speed that Samsung's Wireless Charger Duo maxes out at, and while it's obviously made to support phones like the Galaxy S23, it works just as well with iPhones.

As the name implies, the Wireless Charger Duo can charge up to two devices at once. On the left half of the charger is a vertical stand to prop up your phone, while the other half is flat; you can still charge a second phone on the flat portion, or use it to charge a smartwatch like the new Apple Watch Series 8.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Wireless Charger Duo is not compatible with Apple's MagSafe charging technology. This doesn't mean that you won't be able to charge your iPhone using the Duo, but it does mean that you are capped at the 7.5W charging speeds. In order to enjoy the 15W speeds offered by MagSafe charging, you'll need a MagSafe-compatible charger.

Make it a double

There are plenty of wireless chargers that work well with the newer line of iPhones, but Samsung's Wireless Charger Duo makes it easy to charge two phones or a phone and a watch at the same time.

What you need to know

• Warren Buffett suggested that iPhone users would not take $10,000 to leave iOS.
• We polled our readers on whether they would take $10,000 never to use Android again.
• Of the votes, 45% say they would take the money, while 36% say they would not.
• The remaining voters say it would probably require more money.

Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (which notably has a majority of its investments in Apple), recently spoke about how faithful iPhone users are to the company. He said that even if offered $10,000 never to buy another iPhone again, iPhone users would not take the money if it meant giving up their devices. So, we posed the same question to our readers.

We received nearly 5,000 responses, 45% of which indicated that they would take the money. Meanwhile, 36% said they wouldn't take the money, and 17% said they might ditch their Android phones if they were offered more.

Here are some responses from our readers:

Delatux: "One main reason why I keep a personal phone is because I hate how iOS works. I mainly use the iPhone for work because I don't want to use it if I don't have to."

Joeldf: "I'd take a higher price. If it'd take care of all my debts, including my mortgage? Sure. My wife has already been on an iPhone since 2009, so it's not like I wouldn't know what to do with it. I'm the one that has to fix any problems with it as it is anyway."

Tom Odell: "My preference is Android. My Samsung Flip is my daily driver. But I do have an Apple backup mobile. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. I believe Android comes out slightly ahead. $10,000? Hey, I got to go with the big bucks."

Judge Castle (Twitter): "The Pixel 6 did that for 599. Love that ecosystem and the phone, but bleeding-edge tech cut me, and I needed consistency. Apple has provided that and a whole ecosystem, which makes my personal and mostly my work life easier. God, do I miss Pixel software, though."

David Gossett (Twitter): "Ehhhh... I prefer Android, I understand the UI, filesystem, etc., better than iOS, but it's annoying getting left out of group texts simply because I don't use iMessage. If it wasn't for the constant 'green bubble' bullying, I'd never be tempted to leave Android."

Brett Morris (FB): "I'd do it if it means anything other than iOS. Didn't really care for iPhone when I had one. Would definitely go HarmonyOS if it had the apps I rely on daily for work."

Izwan Shaari (FB): "Yes. I'm not a power user, so adapting to iOS will be easy. I will miss the ability to choose between phone brands, though. And the generally cheaper price."

The poll may be over, but the question still remains: What would it take for you to leave Android? Personally, I would take the $10,000, but only if I could move to Windows Phone. iOS is fine, and iPhones have great hardware, as seen with the latest iPhone 14 Pro devices. However, Microsoft had something special with its long-dead mobile operating system, which sadly struggled to entice developers.

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Android is the most-used mobile operating system in the world. However, iOS remains a popular choice, particularly in the United States, where the mobile OS wars seem alive and well, and the dreaded green bubble can get you kicked out of social circles, or at least a group chat.

Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and one of the richest men in the world, is a big fan of Apple and recently stated that iPhone users are so attached to their devices that they would not give them up, even if offered $10,000 never to buy another iPhone. He strongly suggests that they would not be willing to switch to an Android phone due to their strong loyalty to the iPhone.

Based on this, we wanted to pose this very question to Android fans: would you give up your Android phone for $10,000 if it meant you could never buy another?

While $10,000 may not be a lot of money for Buffett, it's still a substantial amount for many. And while we're a bit biased about our love for Android, iPhones are still great devices that are plenty capable as a natural alternative. Android Central's Harish Jonnalagadda and Andrew Myrick were both impressed with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, respectively. Additionally, it's expected that Apple's upcoming models will finally adopt USB-C, meaning no more proprietary Lighting cable.

The OS is solid, and the ecosystem is very tight. There's a reason iOS has amassed 57% of the U.S. market share, despite Android securing a huge 76% of the global OS market as of Q4 2022.

Of course, iOS isn't the only other mobile operating system besides Android. There are plenty of smaller OSes out there, such as KaiOS and Huawei's HarmonyOS, the latter of which managed to carve out 2% of the global OS market, according to Counterpoint Research. Although to be honest, this question kind of makes me miss Windows Phone, and if it came down to a decision between iOS and Windows Phone, I'd probably go for the latter.

Let us know in the comments what it would take for you to give up Android forever.

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