Samsung sold over 60 million smartphones in Q1 2024
In Q4 2023, Apple became the world’s biggest smartphone brand in terms of unit sales. Samsung was pushed down to second place during that quarter. However, Samsung has returned strongly in Q1 2024, riding the wave of the successful Galaxy S24. According to market research firm IDC, it sold 60.1 million smartphones during the first quarter of this year. That’s slightly lower than Samsung’s 60.5 million sales from last year, marking a 0.7% drop compared to Q1 2023 figures.
Apple sold 50.1 million iPhones in Q1 2024, a 9.6% drop in sales compared to Q1 2023. It was the second-biggest smartphone brand in the first quarter of this year. According to previous reports, most of its sales drop might have come from China.
Xiaomi has also displayed a strong comeback, ranking third in the global smartphone market with sales of over 40.8 million smartphones during Q1 2024. That’s a massive improvement of 33.8% compared to Q1 2023. However, what’s even more impressive is Transsion’s gigantic 84.9% sales jump to 28.5 million units during the same period. OPPO’s sales dropped last quarter by 8.5%, and it sold 25.2 million smartphones globally.
Overall, 289.4 million smartphones were shipped globally in the first quarter of this year. That’s a 7.8% rise in shipments compared to the muted sales figures from 2023’s first quarter. Smartphone sales are increasing globally, and the recovery is underway compared to disastrous market conditions from last year.
Huawei has reportedly seen a strong comeback in China’s domestic market. However, they will likely not be in the top five rankings anytime soon due to the US sanctions on the company.
Nabila Popal, Research Director of IDC’s Worldwide Tracker team, said, “In contrast, while the Top 2 players (Samsung and Apple) both saw negative growth in the first quarter, it seems Samsung is in a stronger position overall than they were in recent quarters.”
Tech. Tech never changes. Well… okay… tech does a lot of changing – there’s exciting new gadgets released everyday – but one constant in the space is the unrelenting speed with which hardware and software updates roll out (and we really wanted to make a Fallout reference because the new show is fantastic, more on that below).
It’s a flurry that we know can be a struggle to keep up with. So if you feel a little out of the loop on this week’s biggest news, and want to get back up to speed, we’ve collected the seven most important tech stories of the last seven days in this one article to help you out.
Below you’ll find quickfire recaps on all of the latest goings on in the technology space including major Google Photos AI updates, our Fallout thoughts, and which phone is best for eclipse photography. Let’s get into it.
7. We launched a new podcast!
(Image credit: Future)
Of course the biggest tech news story of the week is we have a new podcast – very creatively called the TechRadar Podcast. We’ve taken all the tech chats we’d have on Zoom, Slack and at our desks and put them into a microphone – so you can expect more of the insightful, first-person experiential content we give you on the site in a new audio-and-video-based format.
In our first episode we give you a recap of the year in tech so far – discussing CES 2024 and AI highlights – and show off a demo of the Apple Vision Pro. The show is hosted by our Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff, with Josephine Watson (Managing Editor, Lifestyle), Alex Walker-Todd (Senior Phones Editor) and Matt Evans (Fitness, Wellness, and Wearables Editor) lending their expertise, too. And as a futher bonus we were joined by Tom, The Tech Chap.
It’s available to listen to right now on YouTube and Spotify, and it should be appearing in other podcast feeds over the next few days!
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These include the Photos app getting a version of Google’s AI-powered Magic Eraser, and Nearby Share getting speed and reliability upgrades. Copilot also got some improvements you try out now, such as plug-in support for third-party services.
That said, Copilot also got a downgrade for some users, as Windows Insiders are saying the AI helper now launches on startup automatically in Windows 11 preview builds – which many have said they find frustrating.
5. We saw how well smartphones captured the eclipse
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Everyone thinks their flagship smartphone is best and they especially have opinions about the cameras. Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff has tried and tested a lot of these phones and their camera arrays, so he decided to put them to the ultimate celestial test: The US Solar Eclipse.
It was an amazing show – even if New York City didn’t get totality – and a great showcase for the optical zoom capabilities of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Google Pixel 8 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. The only rule was no digital zoom.
The photos, which only worked because we used three tripods and an eclipse glasses lens as a filter, were way better than we expected. You might, though, be surprised by which phone did best.
4. Spotify’s playlist-making AI brought the party
(Image credit: Spotify)
Spotify has been steadily integrating more AI into its music streaming platform, and it’s now released a playlist-making bot for all Premium subscribers in the UK and Australia.
It’s in beta, currently – read: it’s a little rough around the edges – but the idea is you give the AI a prompt like “hard hitting beats that’ll help me ace my next workout” or “relaxing music to tide me over during allergy season” and it’ll spit out a selection of tracks.
There are some prompt restrictions, for instance you can’t make playlists for current events, for brands or use offensive language – but you can have a lot of fun with the tool. And if it doesn’t get things quite right you can add follow up prompts such as “more death metal” or “less upbeat” to fine-tune the selection. And of course you can also straight up delete tracks you hate.
3. Google gave away its Magic Editor – kinda
(Image credit: Google)
Google’s impressive AI image editing software, Magic Editor, is currently exclusive to paying Google One subscribers and Google Pixel 8 – or Pixel 8 Pro – phone owners, but this week Google announced that come May 15 all Google Photos users will have access to the tool for free.
Thanks to Magic Editor you can erase annoyances in your shot, reposition your subjects, cleverly adjust the lighting, and unblur your snaps to help make your favorite shots look even better – all you need is Google Photos and a smartphone with at least 3GB RAM and that’s running Android 8.0 / iOS 15 or higher.
Unfortunately, the free version only allows you to save 10 edited images a month but if you like the service you can pay for Google One or buy a Pixel phone to remove the restriction.
2. Fallout blew us away
(Image credit: JoJo Whilden/Prime Video)
Prime Video’s hotly anticipated Fallout show released this week, and it continues the golden age of video game adaptations we’ve seen in recent years through Netflix‘s Castlevania and Arcane, HBO’s The Last of Us, and even the big-screen takes on Sonic and Mario.
We watched the first four episodes, and found the ambitious adaptation is nothing less than “atomically entertaining” with a “satisfying blend of source material devotion and narrative originality.” Sure, there’s odd bump in the road, but these blemishes do little to spoil the luster of what is yet another fantastic video-game-to-TV adaption.
If you want to watch it yourself then you can binge the whole eight-episode first season on Prime Video right now.
1. Google launched its take on Apple’s Find My network
(Image credit: Google)
Android fans have been waiting for more than a year for Google’s rebooted Find My Device network – and this week it finally arrived. The feature, which is rolling out worldwide starting in the US and Canada, works in much the same way as Apple’s Find My network. Because it anonymously piggybacks millions of Android devices around the world, the network can show you precisely where your lost phone is – even if it’s offline.
If you have a Google Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro, the network even helps you find your phone when it’s powered off. We’ve also just seen the arrival of the first Find My Device-compatible trackers, courtesy of Chipolo and Pebblebee, which attach to your wallet, keys or luggage. We might attach one to our cat too, just to foil its hide-and-seek plans.
The total solar eclipse is coming, and of course you’ll want to capture this once-in-a-lifetime moment with your best camera. Whether that’s your DSLR, mirrorless, or smartphone, we’re here to give you the best tips possible. But let’s be honest, taking photos of the sun is hard on a normal day, and the total eclipse won’t make things easier.
Let’s set expectations. Even if you have a great camera or one of the best smartphones, your camera and your equipment may not be up to the task, and you probably won’t get an amazing shot worth hanging on your wall or selling in a gallery, not unless you are a dedicated solar photographer.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
That’s why we have tips for taking the best shots of the eclipse that capture the moment and the special day, not just the sun and moon in the sky. We’ll teach you how to set up properly, stay safe during the eclipse, and have a great time taking your best shots.
Most of all, don’t forget to look up – with the proper eyewear in place, of course. Don’t spend the entire eclipse managing your gear or you’ll miss a truly stellar event that likely won’t come your way again in your lifetime.
What is a total solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse is when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, completely covering the face. This incredible event happens roughly every 18 months, which sounds frequent, but usually only a small part of the Earth has a good view of any total eclipse. This time around, the eclipse will reach a massive cross-section of North America, including many large cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The next total eclipse in the US won’t come until 2044.
According to NASA, the eclipse happens because the Sun is 400 times larger than the Moon, and it is also 400 times farther away from the Earth than the Moon. This serendipity means that the Sun and the Moon appear to be the same size in the sky. When the two objects line up, the Moon covers the Sun almost perfectly.
We say ‘almost’ because the type of eclipse depends on how far the Moon is from the Earth in its orbit. When the Moon is farthest from the earth and closer to the Sun, the Moon cannot block the entire face of the Sun, so the eclipse is not total.
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During an annular eclipse, the moon does not totally block the sun (Image credit: Shutterstock ID 690404740)
This gives us an ‘annular’ eclipse, which produces the ring of fire effect around the Sun because some of the Sun’s face is still visible. During an annular eclipse, it is very dangerous to view the eclipse without proper eyewear.
This year’s total eclipse takes place when the Moon is closer to the Earth. During the total eclipse, the Moon will block all of the face of the sun, including the bright corona. When the Sun is totally blocked, it is technically safe to remove your eclipse eyewear, but only if you are in the path of totality, and only while the sun is totally blocked. NASA and the American Optometric Association still suggest leaving your glasses on, just to be safe.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
The ultimate treat is when the moon covers the entire face of the sun. This leaves the outer atmosphere of the Sun, the Corona, visible around the Moon. Photographers love to capture every stage of the event, but that Corona shot is something truly special because the Corona is usually invisible to the eye, but visible when the Moon is blocking the Sun’s light.
The total solar eclipse is often a once-in-a lifetime event. The eclipse itself seems to change everything. Darkness looms, birds start behaving strangely, and it gets noticeably colder. All of this adds up to a moment where you realize how incredible our solar system truly is.
When and where can I photograph the total solar eclipse?
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, will cast its shadow of totality on land starting around Mazatlán, Sinaloa in Mexico at 11:07 AM local time. It will take around one hour forty minutes to cross the continent. During that time, some portion of the Sun may appear obscured by the moon, no matter where in the country you live.
The total solar eclipse will reach totality, when the moon completely covers the face of the Sun, at the times listed below for major cities in each time zone. If you want a more detailed look, check out NASA’s excellent Where and When website.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Location
Totality begins
Totality ends
Mazatlán, Sinaloa
11:07 AM MST
11:11 AM MST
Dallas, Texas
1:40 PM CDT
1:44 PM CDT
Little Rock, Arkansas
1:51 PM CDT
1:54 PM CDT
Evansville, Indiana
2:02 PM CDT
2:05 PM CDT
Cleveland, Ohio
3:13 PM EDT
3:17 PM EDT
Erie, Pennsylvania
3:16 PM EDT
3:20 PM EDT
Buffalo, New York
3:18 PM EDT
3:22 PM EDT
Burlington, Vermont
3:26 PM EDT
3:29 PM EDT
Montreal, Quebec
3:26 PM EDT
3:27 PM EDT
Caribou Maine
3:32 PM EDT
3:34 PM EDT
Gander, Newfoundland
5:12 PM NT
5:14 PM NT
If you haven’t already picked your spot to see the eclipse, you may want to plan ahead to get the best shot possible. Unless you are carrying a serious zoom lens on a professional camera, your best shot of the eclipse is probably not going to be a close-up of the sun. You’ll want to have some scenery as well.
To pick the best location, including the surroundings and any other background you’d like to include, check out the app PhotoPills. Though PhotoPills is a bit complicated to use, it does an amazing job helping you plan the best photos when the Sun and/or Moon are involved.
With PhotoPills, you enter the date and time, then choose the location where you’ll be sitting, and the app will show you where the sun sits in the sky. If you want to shoot the total solar eclipse with the Statue of Liberty or your favorite local monument, PhotoPills is a must-have. We have more from PhotoPills below.
What to know about shooting an eclipse with your camera
If you’re in the path of totality within the United States, Canada, or Mexico and want to capture the event, then there are a number of things to do to make sure you’re properly prepared. First, you’ll need to make sure you pack the right kit.
Other than your DSLR, picking the right lens is one of the most important considerations, especially if you have an idea of the type of shot that you want to capture. At the very least, you’ll want a 200mm telephoto lens or, even better, 300mm or longer. This will result in the sun taking up around a fifth of the height of the shot.
(Image credit: Shutterstock ID 700335634)
On the other end, if you want the total solar eclipse to take up your whole shot, then you’ll need to get a lens with 1,200mm range. This can also be achieved by pairing a telephoto lens with a teleconverter, which is a secondary lens that magnifies the center of your image. So, 1,200mm is possible with a 600mm lens and a 2x teleconverter. Teleconverters add more glass, though, so the shot may not be as bright or sharp as it would be with a dedicated lens.
Getting the closest possible crop might seem like the best course of action, but there are other things to consider. The first is that the sun’s corona extends beyond the edge of the Sun and the total eclipse, and therefore a tight crop risks cutting off details. The second is that the closer the crop, the more regularly you’ll have to reframe.
To avoid both of these pitfalls, we recommend a lens focal length of between 400-800mm perfect for capturing all the beauty of a total solar eclipse.
Shooting the total solar eclipse – what you’ll need
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Lesterman)
– Camera or phone – A telephoto lens (at least 300mm – up to 1200mm) – Safety solar filter – Safety solar glasses – Tripod – Shutter release
For most photography, you’re all set with a DSLR and a lens, but that’s not the case when capturing the total solar eclipse. In the same way that you’ll need solar glasses for your eyes, you’ll also need a solar filter for your lens. This will help you avoid damaging components and ruining sensitive electronic parts.
Solar filters are fitted like any other filter, with a screw-in thread at the end of your lens. They block out enough UV and IR light to not only protect your equipment but also to protect your eyes when looking through the viewfinder.
The first step to finding the perfect filter is to find the diameter of your lens. This number, in mm, will be displayed either on the side or front of the lens and may even be preceded by the Ø symbol.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
With all your gear purchased and ready to go, it’s time to make sure everything is clean and free from dust. The last thing you’ll want is a speck of dust ruining that once-in-a lifetime photo. Use a camera cleaning kit, or if you want it done professionally, then it might be worth paying for the service for this special occasion.
Pack your gear into your favorite camera bag, or look at our best camera bags for some ideas. Get to your pre-determined site well ahead of time, set everything up, and wait for the magic to happen.
Step-by-step instructions for shooting an eclipse with your camera
(Image credit: Future)
1. Choose your location By far the easiest way to make sure you’re in the right location is to purchase the Photopills app ($10.99 / £10.99 / AU$14.99). The app includes an incredible augmented reality function that superimposes the moon onto your camera feed. Being able to frame your shot in advance will save you the stress of having to work on the fly. Preparation is key to avoiding missing that special shot, and if you can visit the location ahead of time, then all the better. Position your tripod and lens in your desired location, and make sure your lens is pointing in the correct direction.
2. Set your lens to manual focusing You may be able to get away with autofocus, but to have maximum control, you are far better off switching to manual focus. By doing this, you’ll avoid the hassle of having to wait for the camera to find focus every time you want to take a snap.
3. Turn off VR/IS There is no need for your camera to apply vibration reduction or image stabilization when you’re using a tripod. Turning these settings off will result in a better image.
4. Shoot in RAW If you want to edit your image in post, then give yourself the most dynamic range by shooting in RAW format. This will enable you to adjust highlights, shadows, and the overall exposure in case you don’t capture it perfectly in camera.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
5. Choose spot metering The only bright part of your shot is going to be the sun so make sure you meter on the sun specifically. Any of the other metering modes will struggle to accurately process the frame due to the amount of dark versus light parts.
6. Use aperture priority mode Switch on your camera and make sure it is set to aperture priority mode. In this mode, all you have to do is set the aperture and the ISO. Your camera will work out the ideal shutter speed for a well-exposed shot. An aperture between f/5.6 and f/8 is ideal. Finally, adjust your ISO so that you get a shutter speed of somewhere between 1/100s and 1/500s. Keep in mind that the higher the ISO, the more noise that will be introduced.
7. Capture the solar eclipse You are now ready to take some photographs. Use your camera’s self-timer or a remote shutter release to make sure you’re not touching your camera when the shutter is open. Any movement to the camera or tripod when the shutter is open could result in a blurry image.
What to know about shooting an eclipse with your phone
The most important thing to consider when you’re planning to shoot the total solar eclipse with your smartphone is just what sort of image you plan to capture. Even if you have one of the best smartphones with a real optical zoom lens, you won’t come close to making a photograph with an eclipse that dominates the image.
As we mention above in our camera section, to photograph the eclipse in full view, you’d need a lens with around 1,200mm focal range. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 24mm equivalent main lens, and that 5X zoom lens only reaches to around 120mm. Even the 10X zoom lens on the older Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is equivalent to around 240mm zoom. That’s very impressive for a smartphone, but not adequate for astrophotography.
People watching the solar eclipse may be more interesting than the eclipse (Image credit: Shutterstock)
Instead of trying to capture a close-up of the Sun’s corona, why not use your smartphone for what it does best? Take photos of the entire scene. Take photos of the landscape as the Sun disappears.
Even better, smartphone cameras are great for taking photos of people. Take photos of all the people around you, staring up at the eclipse with glasses on, wide-eyed with wonder. In 20 years, when the next eclipse rolls around, those are the photos that will be the most interesting: the photos that show what it was like to be there, not the photos that show just the moon and the sun.
Step-by-step instructions for shooting an eclipse with your phone
1. Use a tripod (even if it’s not really a tripod) You don’t need a tripod to stabilize your phone, but making sure your camera is steady is the best thing you can do for a sharp shot. On Amazon you can find plenty of options for phone tripods, or if you have a photo tripod you can just get an adapter to hold your phone. If you don’t have a tripod, find an object you can lean your phone against to hold it steady.
2. Use the camera’s timer When you tap the shutter button on screen, you can shake the phone, which causes blur. Better to set the timer. Look for the timer on the left side of the camera screen, when you hold your phone sideways (landscape). On iPhone and Galaxy phones, you’ll find a small clock icon that you can tap to set a timer.
The iPhone timer option is shown here (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
3. Attach a solar filter Normally, your phone can balance a scene with the sun just fine. During an eclipse, when the Moon partially blocks the Sun, your camera will adjust for the dark scene but the Sun will still radiate intense light. The difference can damage your camera sensor, just like it can damage your eyes. When the Moon is not totally blocking the Sun, you need to use a solar filter.
Samsung agrees. Company reps tell me “we encourage the use of a filter to protect your device for extended shots taken before, during, and after the eclipse when using a tripod.” The good news is that you don’t need to buy a special filter for your phone. If you have standard ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses, you can just tape one of the lenses to the back of your phone. As long as it is covering your phone lens during the eclipse, your phone will be safe.
4. Turn down your exposure Even during the darkness of the eclipse, the bright light of the Sun’s corona may be overexposed in your shot. You can dial down the exposure on an iPhone. When you focus, a yellow box appears with a small sun icon. Hold the sun icon and drag it down to lower the exposure value (EV).
On Galaxy and other Android phones, you may need to use your camera’s Pro mode. Don’t worry, you won’t have to mess with too many settings. Just look for EV (exposure value) and lower this to a negative number. Lower your exposure until you can see texture on the sun, not just a bright blob of light.
The Night mode icons on the iPhone are shown in yellow (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
5. Shoot in Night mode during totality When the sky is dark, Night Mode will help you balance the difference between the eclipse and your surroundings. On the iPhone, Night Mode should activate automatically when your scene gets dark. A special Night Mode icon will appear, and if you tap on the icon you can set the controls for longer or shorter shots.
On Galaxy phones there is a Night Mode you can manually select. On Pixel phones, this is called Night Sight mode. Experiment during the totality of the eclipse to take a variety of photos for the best possible results.
6. Shoot video and photos at the same time Did you know your phone can shoot video and take photos at the same time? If you start taking a video of the eclipse, you’ll see a white circle appear on the screen. Tap that circle and your iPhone or Android phone will also take a photo, separate from the video. Just remember to use a solar filter when you shoot video before and after totality occurs.
Should I buy a lens attachment for my phone?
Sadly, extra lenses won’t help your smartphone take better eclipse photos. While there are some interesting lens attachments for smartphones, especially the very cool lenses made by Moment, I wouldn’t recommend buying a lens attachment to photograph the solar eclipse. Lens attachments are made to work with the main camera, the 1X zoom lens, so they won’t help take better photos of the eclipse.
If you attach a lens to the 5X zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max or Galaxy S24 Ultra, the image will not be clear because attachment lenses are not made to work with those zoom cameras. The zoom camera leaves too much space between the sensor and the lens, making it hard for the camera to properly focus. Your shot will be blurry.
Also, adding 2X zoom won’t be enough for great solar photography. To fill your frame with the eclipse, you’d need at least 600mm focal range, and up to 1,200mm would be ideal. The iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra give you 120mm with 5X zoom, and doubling that would result in 240mm equivalent. That’s nice, but still not close enough for a great, detailed eclipse photo.
Did you know that Android OS has had a desktop mode similar to Samsung Dex for the past five years or so? It’s true. The mode first came out back in 2019 on Android 10. It allowed you to connect your smartphone to a monitor, mouse, and keyboard setup turning it into a mini-desktop. No one can blame you for not knowing it existed in the first place. It was primarily meant for developers to use as a testing ground for their apps. It was as barebones as a system can be. However, recent evidence suggests Google is expanding the feature to be more friendly for the everyday user.
News site Android Authority dove into the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1 update and with some technical know-how, activated desktop mode “to see how the… system has evolved.” As it turns out, it’s advanced quite a bit since 2019.
Their demo video shows windows can now be dragged around and resized on the screen. Resizing causes the page to go blank save for the app’s logo in the center.
Moving a window over to either side causes it to snap into place. They then opened another app, clicking into place on the other side letting them have two pages side-by-side similar to Windows 11. Grabbing a full-screened page by dragging the top handle causes it to shrink, letting users make quick adjustments.
At the top of every full-screen is a small menu. Android Authority states it “contains the app’s name, icon, and three buttons to switch between full-screen, split-screen, and freeform mode. That last option lets you drag the window around. While the app is in freeform, apps gain a URL bar, a dropdown menu for altering the viewing mode, plus maximize and close buttons.
Basic, yet important
This may seem like basic functionalities that all web browsers come with. Well, that’s because they are. Earlier when we said desktop mode is as barebones as a system can be, we meant it. The thing to keep in mind is this update signifies a continued effort to improve this feature. We could see where Android smartphones can turn into capable computers that are more portable than laptops. Technically, they already are, but they’re missing the necessary support.
There is still a lot of work to be done, as the publication points out. Most apps, for instance, “don’t support drag-and-drop”. A few keyboard shortcuts are apparently present, but the report doesn’t go into detail.
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No word on when the revamped mode will launch. Considering it’s part of a late beta, we could see the feature arrive on Android 15 which is scheduled to come out somewhere between August and October.
Take this information with a grain of salt. After all, Google could suddenly change its mind and kill the project. Something similar happened recently with the WSA (Windows Subsystem for Android) app on Windows 11. It gives users a way to run Android software natively on the Windows operating system, however, starting on March 5, 2025, support is going cut off.
You don’t need to shell out a four-figure sum to find a great smartphone. In fact, you don’t even need to spend half of that to snap up one that covers all of the basics and then some. At its regular price of $300, was already our pick for the around. It’s currently on sale for $250 ($50) off, which makes it an even better deal. That’s close to a record low price. The discount is part of a broader sale on .
OnePlus
Our pick for the best cheap smartphone is currently $50 off its usual price.
The OnePlus Nord N30 5G offers great value however you slice it. The phone has a relatively zippy Snapdragon 695 5G processor, along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which is expandable with a microSD card.
You’ll get a 16MP front-facing camera and, on the rear, 108MP main and 2MP macro lenses. The 5,000mAh battery should last you a day of moderate use, while OnePlus says the 50W fast charging support will top it up from a one-percent charge to 80 percent in 30 minutes. The OnePlus Nord N30 5G also has a 6.7-inch, 120Hz IPS display that’s great for gaming.
On the downside, there’s no IP rating for dust or water resistance. And while the handset runs on Oxygen OS 13.1 (which is based on Android 13), OnePlus has only committed to bringing one major Android update to the N30, along with three years of security support. That’s a pity for those looking for something that’ll stay up to date for a few years without breaking the bank, but that level of Android support is typical for budget phones.
Write this down, because I’m going to tell you my secret to understanding the US mobile industry for the last 20 years. The answer to everything is ‘The Carriers.’ Every question, every conundrum. If you want to know why we DO have this, or DON’T have that? The answer is the US carriers: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. How has Apple managed to achieve monopoly power in the US and draw the ire of the Justice Department? The answer is the US carriers.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
One of the strongest points that Apple makes in its rebuttal to the government’s lawsuit is that the government is considering only the US market, but Apple competes on a global scale. In the global market, Apple’s market share is much lower than in the US alone. It owns closer to 20% of the global market, as opposed to more than 60% of the US market.
Why is there such a huge difference? Is it because Samsung is incredibly popular everywhere else in the world? Are Google Pixel phones and Motorola Razr phones catching on like wildfire? Of course not. It’s because there are lots of phones in the rest of the world that you simply cannot buy here in the US.
Half of the Top 10 phone makers don’t sell phones here
The top ten phone makers in the world include Apple, Samsung, OnePlus and Motorola. It also includes Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Huawei, and Realme. While Oppo’s subsidiary brand OnePlus sells phones in the US, none of those latter brands are available here. Why not? Check your notes, you wrote down the answer.
It’s because of the US carriers. Okay, we can’t blame the US carriers for the US government’s ban on Huawei products (though the government hasn’t offered specific evidence to support that ban). The rest of the phones, though, are not available in the US because the carriers don’t sell them. You can find them through grey market import channels, but they won’t have a local warranty, and they may not support local networks properly.
Huawei showing phones at MWC in Barcelona, Spain (Image credit: Huawei)
It’s unclear why the US carriers don’t sell half of the top phone brands here in the US, and we can only add blind speculation. Is there a political motive, as all of these brands are Chinese? I’ve personally heard from a mobile industry analyst that the US government has in some way influenced the carrier decision to forego selling most new Chinese phones. That analyst wouldn’t go on the record, so I take that possibility with a huge grain of salt.
The other possibility is that it is simply cost-prohibitive for a foreign manufacturer to sell phones here. If you want to sell phones in a US carrier store, you need to work with the carriers. That means sending hundreds of devices to labs for testing, and adjusting everything on the device that fails those stringent tests.
It means a lot more localization work for each phone. The US carriers will also want a marketing commitment, or else the phones will end up on the shelves in the back, behind all the iPhones and Galaxy phones and no-name budget phones with Verizon or AT&T branding.
It is easier for US carriers to sell you an iPhone
when you have a problem with your iPhone, you don’t need to call Verizon. You can call Apple
The same motivation that keeps the US carriers from selling these competing phone brands is also what keeps the iPhone at the top of the pile. It is very easy for US carriers to sell the iPhone. Apple spends a lot of its own money on marketing, alongside whatever the carriers are spending. There are rewards and incentives for selling more iPhones, especially with AppleCare attached.
Best of all, when you have a problem with your iPhone, you don’t need to call Verizon. You can call Apple. In fact, Apple would probably prefer you call them directly.
Most companies hate customer service calls because they cost a lot of money and don’t result in more sales. Carriers will refuse to stock phones if those phones are going to cause a lot of customer service calls. That’s another reason we don’t see Chinese phones, which tend to have poor localization and language issues, in US carrier stores.
The US carriers buy more iPhones than anybody else
Apple isn’t to blame for its overwhelming market share. Instead, blame its largest customers, the ones that buy so many iPhones that Apple’s dominance is inevitable. Apple’s top customer isn’t you or me. It’s the US carriers. Apple sells millions of phones directly to US carriers, and they sell them to us.
Most people in the US still buy their phone directly from their mobile carrier. While Apple and Samsung both sell directly, and Apple even has a store in your local mall, most iPhone owners in the US bought their phone from AT&T or Verizon or T-Mobile, or one of the smaller (often wholly-owned) networks that buy bandwidth from those three. After all, the carriers give you the best deal on a new phone if you sign up for a long-term contract, and who can afford to pay hundreds upfront these days?
Verizon will give you an Apple Watch for free right now (Image credit: Apple)
If there is a reason that the Apple iPhone is the dominant phone on the market, the reason is the US carriers. They sell more iPhones than Apple directly, along with the Apple Watches that keep you locked into Apple’s platform. Verizon often gives away a free watch and a free tablet if you connect all of your devices to their network; we see this deal every time a new model is launched.
Not only is Apple not solely responsible for its US market dominance, but it’s also fair to say that the US cellular market could use some scrutiny. After T-Mobile swallowed up Sprint, US customers were left with a much less competitive market.
Instead of going after Apple for dominating the market, the Justice Department should encourage the US mobile networks to offer more options in stores. The rest of the world has far more options, and the global market is more competitive. If the US carriers are the reason we don’t have the same choice as the rest of the world, maybe it’s the US carriers that are the problem, and not Apple.
Replacing a smartphone every two years is partially why billions of phones go into landfills each year. If stacked flat atop one another, that many handsets would reach farther than the ISS. But we’ve become accustomed to that 24-month time frame because wireless carriers often push an upgrade on biennial contracts, and many smaller phone makers only offer software support for two years. But now, with longer software commitments from major manufacturers, along with growing right-to-repair legislation, many newer phones can stay in our pockets for closer to seven trips around the sun. Here’s how you can extend the lifespan of your smartphone and avoid shelling out hundreds before it’s absolutely necessary.
How to make your smartphone last longer
Engadget
Use a case
It’s a flashy move to carry a naked phone around, but the chances of a handset making it through a tumble go up dramatically when you employ extra protection. We recommend a number of them in our guide to iPhone cases and in our eco-friendly phone cases guide. In my family, we’ve been happy with Mous cases. Though we’ve never subjected our phones to the brutality seen in the company’s ads, I can say that these cases have seen my partner’s aging Samsung Galaxy and my elderly iPhone through some pretty gnarly spills, sparing them from scratches or worse.
Take care of the built-in battery (or use a power bank)
Since a phone’s battery is often the first thing to show signs of age, it’s worth it to follow recommendations for extending its lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries don’t perform well in heat and you should avoid charging them if it’s hotter than 95 degrees — doing so can degrade the battery quickly and even cause them to malfunction. They’ll tolerate cold weather better, but can get sluggish when things get too chilly.
If you’re storing a phone for a while, it’s best to do so with the battery at half charge, rather than full or empty. In fact, Li-ion cells last longer when they spend less time being either completely discharged or full — that’s why battery optimization features in iPhones and Pixel phones delay overnight charging to 100 percent until about an hour before you typically grab your mobile. And while it’s sometimes necessary to charge a battery quickly, a slower charging method when speed isn’t critical will put less stress on the ionic components and help extend the cell’s life.
But over time, any battery will eventually wear down. The cell powering my iPhone 11 can make it through a typical day, but if I’m traveling, relying heavily on navigation or using the phone as a hotspot, it’ll need a top-off before bedtime. That’s easy if I’m home, but out in the world, a battery pack is an essential. I have a slew of them on hand after testing for our best power banks guide and the two I grab most often are the Otterbox Fast Charge, because it looks cool and has a good capacity, and the Nimble Champ Pro, because it’s crazy fast.
If you really want to give your phone a new lease on life, a new internal battery could be the ticket. For Pixel phones, you can go through Google’s official channel for either a walk-in or mail-in repair, or you can pick the DIY route with iFixit’s Pixel repair kits and instructions. For iPhones, you can start with Apple’s official page, go through Best Buy or other third-parties, or try iFixit’s methods. Samsung also has an in-house option, or you can try Best Buy or iFixit. Depending where you go and the model of your phone, the price for a new battery and installation will likely run you between $45 and $150 — still far less than ditching your handset for something brand new.
Clean up your phone’s storage
Most advice on how to declutter your phone and make it run faster centers on one thing: freeing up space. Your phone’s OS will likely have suggestions for clearing up storage space, like automatically offloading unused apps or deleting year-old messages. You can also do things manually by deleting any apps you don’t use. Next, consider the photos and videos you’re storing locally and either opt to pay for cloud storage or transfer the files to a computer or an external backup device. You can also consider getting rid of any music and movies you may have downloaded for offline use, and deleting old messages and large attachments. A good rule is to keep your storage at around 80 percent capacity. Once you’ve deleted and transferred what you can, restart your phone to give it a chance to clear up its temporary memory.
Why you can (and should) extend the life of your smartphone
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
The e-waste stream grows each year and doesn’t do great things for human or planetary health. Smartphone companies are offering better and more consistent trade-in deals, but even some electronic recycling has its faults. Simply hanging onto a device instead of opting for a new one is the most efficient way of cutting back on a phone’s environmental impact — plus it’ll save you money.
While every giant phone maker would like you to believe that upgrading annually is critical, it’s worth noting that new generations of phones often bear strong resemblance to the prior year’s model. We called both the latest iPhone and Google Pixel the most significant updates in years, but prior to that, upgrading didn’t make muchsense. The latest Samsung Galaxy phone has a slew of new AI tricks, but physically, it’s not much different than the one that came before it.
With only minor hardware upgrades, the more exciting new features come via over-the-air software updates. When Google released the Pixel 8 last October, the company promised security and software updates for a full seven years. Samsung came out with the Galaxy S24 in January of this year and committed the same support for its handsets. Apple hasn’t made the same pledge, but when the launch of iOS 17 last year cut support for the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, both models had enjoyed around six years of updates from launch.
What Apple did announce is that the batteries in all four models of the iPhone 15 last twice as long as the company originally claimed. Originally, battery capacity was listed at 80 percent of the original full charge after 500 cycles. Now, that same capacity rate applies to 1,000 cycles. The improvement, Apple says, comes courtesy of advanced battery tech and better power management from the operating system. It’s true battery technology has improved in capacity over the years, but longevity hasn’t gone up across the board, as a study by PhoneArena makes clear.
More advancements in battery life spans may be on the horizon particularly as the EV industry grows, which also relies on lithium-ion cells. For now, declining battery health is usually the most noticeable issue affecting older phones. This year, the European Parliament voted for rules surrounding battery-powered devices and included a mandate to allow consumers to “easily remove and replace” batteries. That won’t go into effect until 2027, and there will be plenty of interpretation as to what “easily” means. But EU mandates are what made Apple finally ditch Lightning ports on iPhones in favor of USB-C, so this could eventually be a step towards (once again) having smartphones with swappable batteries.
Even in the US, legislation will soon compel companies to make repair a better option. Right-to-repair bills were passed last year in New York, Minnesota and other states. California has the strongest rule, and it even garnered Apple’s support. Once the law goes into effect in July, it will require companies to provide repair tools and documentation, and to sell components for seven years after the last new model is made for any device costing more than $100. Of course, the law didn’t say anything about prohibiting “parts pairing,” in which a device only works properly when repaired with official parts by a manufacturer-authorized repair center.
Currently, a number of phones have decent repairability scores, according to the online repair community iFixit (the FairPhone 5 gets the highest marks). After California’s law goes into effect, more models may become user-repairable, considering few manufacturers are likely to ignore the state’s nearly 40 million customers. In the meantime, authorized repair is an option, as is self-repair for the more industrious.
The 8849 TANK3 PRO is a rugged smartphone sporting a massive 23,800mAh battery, which means you won’t have to worry about running out of juice while on the go.
While the battery should be the main highlight, as the phone also supports 120W super-fast charging, the TANK3 PRO boasts several other unexpected standout features.
Marketed as the ‘Ultimate 5G Projection Rugged Smartphone,’ the IP68 waterproof rated TANK3 PRO comes equipped with a DLP projector, a 200-megapixel camera, and a camping torch.
200MP main camera
The built-in 100 Lumens 120Hz DLP projector allows users to project content onto any surface, making it suitable for presentations or movie viewing – indoors or outdoors – and it features an adjustable focus. The large LED camping light not only illuminates your path at night but can also emit red or blue light for those moments when, 8849 suggests, you want to add “more fun to your life” (perhaps by pretending to be a police car).
The phone features a 6.79-inch FHD screen and is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 processor. It has 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.
TANK3 PRO comes with 16/18GB of memory, which can be increased to 32/36GB, and 512GB of storage space. In addition, the device supports up to 2TB memory cards for expanded storage.
For photography, the phone is equipped with a 200MP AI main camera, 64MP night vision shooter and 50MP selfie camera.
The TANK3 PRO is currently available for pre-order at the official AliExpress 8849 store. A $50 off promotional offer running at the moment means the price comes in at around $600.
Samsung has been the king of the foldable smartphone market since the launch of the Galaxy Fold in 2019. However, the company will lose its crown soon, at least as per a new report. And it would be none other than Huawei that would steal Samsung’s crown.
Huawei could overtake Samsung in foldable smartphone market in Q1 and Q2 2024
According to a new Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) report, Samsung will lose its number-one ranking in the global foldable smartphone market in Q1 2024. Apparently, Samsung was the biggest foldable smartphone brand in Q4 2023 despite lower-than-expected sales of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Honor and Huawei gained market share in that quarter.
23 different foldable smartphones were shipped globally. Four out of the top ten best-selling foldable smartphones in Q4 2023 were from Samsung, while Honor and OPPO had two phones each on the list. Huawei and Xiaomi had one phone in the top ten best-selling foldable smartphones list. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 was the world’s best-selling foldable phone in Q4 2023, while the Huawei Mate X4 ranked second. The Honor Magic VS2, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and OPPO Find N3 Flip ranked third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
In Q1 2024 and Q2 2024, Huawei is expected to overtake Samsung in the foldable smartphone market with the help of the Mate X5 and the Pocket 2. However, Samsung is expected to make a strong comeback in the second half of this year and lead the overall sales for 2024. 27 new foldable smartphones are expected to launch this year.
While Samsung is expected to launch Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, OPPO and Vivo might abandon their flip phone lineup in 2024
Due to the lack of profit margins and demand for flip phones in China, OPPO and Vivo are expected not to launch successors to their flip phones. So, the sales of foldable smartphones from OPPO and Vivo are expected to fall in 2024. On the other hand, Samsung is rumored to come with a pricier version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It could be named the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra and could have a built-in S Pen slot and better cameras.
Samsung is expanding its mid-range smartphones by adding two new, more secure models to its A-series: the Galaxy A35 5G and the A55 5G.
The pair’s robust security comes in multiple forms. Chief among them is the introduction of the tech giant’s Knox Vault software. What this does, according to the announcement, is it physically isolates sensitive data like passwords or encryption keys away from the smartphone’s “main processor and memory.” That way, if the device is somehow compromised, your information is safe. Knox Vault’s inclusion is notable because it marks the first time it’s being seen on a mid-ranger. Until recently, the software has been exclusive to high-end models like the Galaxy S24.
Next, we have Auto Blocker which primarily does two things. One: stop “app installation from unauthorized sources”, and two: scan apps for any potential malware lurking around. The software can even block “malicious commands” sent via USB cable.
Private Sharing is here, too, offering encrypted protection whenever private files are shared. It can limit the number of allowed downloads too. Finally, the Security and Privacy Dashboard gives owners an easy way to control their phone’s onboard data. You can, for example, remove file permissions at any time.
Camera upgrade
Besides the security, Samsung also upgraded the cameras on these A-series models. Both house OIS (optical image stabilization) and VDIS (video digital image stabilization) to ensure that shot content is crystal clear. The Galaxy A55, however, has better photography skills. Not only does it house a 12MP ultra-wide lens, the model also has Nightography which gives it the ability to take high-quality images in low-light environments. This feature is backed up by AI Image Signal Processing to further enhance those low-light pictures.
Apart from the few differences, they have a similar rear camera array. You have a 50MP main lens alongside a 5MP macro option for close-ups. On the front is a 32MP selfie camera.
(Image credit: Samsung)
Specs
As for specs, the pair are nearly identical to one another. They have a 6.6-inch AMOLED screen capable of outputting Full HD Plus resolution (2,220 x 1,080 pixels) images with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. Memory and storage space peak at 12GB and 256GB, respectively. The two are even powered by a 5,000mAh battery.
If you look closely at the specs sheet, you’ll notice the Galaxy A55 is a bit heavier at 213 grams. Android Police, in their coverage, claims the smartphone sports a metal frame instead of the plastic frame seen on Samsung’s other mid-range devices. That could explain why the A55 is heavier than the A35 although nothing is confirmed.
No word on when the pair will launch in the US. TheVerge states the new A-series phones will arrive in Europe on March 20th. Prices for the A35 reportedly start at €379 while the A55 will start at €479. We reached out to Samsung to double-check if this is true or not. They didn’t tell us much, however, a company representative did give us some interesting tidbits
They told us the Galaxy A35 will launch in the United States but not the Galaxy A55. There are no plans for now to launch the latter in the US. We prodded the rep for more details. This story will be updated at a later time.