Mobile

Microsoft’s new gaming boss said the “idea” isn’t dead, pointing onlookers to a legal brief it filed in a case. That case is Epic v. Google, and the brief is an argument that Judge Donato should stay the course and force Google to carry stores like Microsoft’s. There, Microsoft claims it’s put “significant efforts” behind “new consumer offerings” for Android.

Fairphone reports its smartphone shipments grew by 42 percent in 2025, no mean feat when the rest of the industry has been fairly flat. I thought last year’s Fairphone 6 was a huge step forward in quality, and it’s a good time for its efforts to expand into the US.

Along with an upgraded Android CLI, Google is launching a new Android skills GitHub repository and an Android Knowledge base, which can provide AI agents with the information and resources they need to perform coding tasks.

I’ve not been convinced by the Pixel 10 Camera Coach, which gives basic tips like zooming in to frame your subject. But are Huawei’s new AI-based pose recommendations for the Pura 90 much better? Selfies aside, how is the person being photographed meant to see what’s on the phone anyway?

Evan Blass has shared leaked images of the upcoming flip phone in four colors, each with a distinct texture. This is the regular Razr 2026 — a.k.a. the Razr 70 — though Motorola should also launch Pro and Ultra versions of the phone, and maybe soon — last year’s Razrs launched in April.

The Find X9 Ultra isn’t coming out for another week or so, but Oppo is ready to show off how it looks, and you can see why. Stay tuned for my full review, and let me know in the comments what you’d like me to test out — the 10x lens is a given.

The fairly reliable leaker OnLeaks has shared his first CAD renders for the Galaxy Z Flip 8, via MyMobiles, and it looks… pretty much identical to the Z Flip 7, actually. It’s apparently slimmer though, with 0.5mm shaved off when closed, which should make it fractionally more pocketable.

The Pura 90 series will launch in China on April 20th, and the phones will be decked out in a series of colorful gradient finishes. GizmoChina has images of the full line of Pura 90 Pro and Pro Max colors, but I’m a fan of this sunset Pro Max Huawei has teased on Weibo.

The Elec reports that Samsung Display secured a three-year exclusivity deal for folding iPhone screens, with the maybe-delayed, maybe-not-delayed Apple foldable due later this year. The question is whether Apple is getting the nearly creaseless panels Samsung showed off at CES, which it will need to match the Oppo Find N6.

Google’s latest affordable phone launched in Japan today, more than a month after its release elsewhere. The wait might have been worth it though, since Japanese buyers can get the phone in an exclusive isai blue finish, designed in partnership with Heralbony, a creative company that works with artists with disabilities.

The app will no longer be available on devices with Android 12 or newer in July 2026, according to an update on Samsung’s website. Samsung is encouraging users to switch to Google Messages, which it began shipping as the default messaging app on flagship Galaxy devices in 2024.

I mean, it’s not technically April Fools’ since you can actually buy the artificial turf-covered skins, just like you could last year. But this year, they come with a free matching “Blue Sky” skin and the amusing video below.

This four-minute Verizon short (there’s also a thirty second version if you can’t wait that long) starring Storrie and directed by Nia DaCosta (Candyman, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple) pays off their appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscar party by raising awareness about the Heated Rivalry star’s mobile phone struggles.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Nothing plans on launching AI smart glasses during the first half of 2027. The upcoming glasses will reportedly come with built-in cameras, microphones, and speakers, while offloading AI processing to a user’s smartphone and the cloud.

In addition to bringing the refurbished Pixel 8A to its online store, Google also announced that it’s listing its entire used phone lineup on Amazon, which includes the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 7A, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro.

Oppo is gearing up for April’s release of the Find X9 Ultra, and just confirmed it’ll have a 10x periscope lens — I think the first in any phone since Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra in 2023. Oppo’s Zhuo Shijie says the company pioneered a new five-reflection prism periscope to make it possible without a loss of quality.

The company has confirmed its Find X9 Ultra is getting its global launch in April, though the exact date remains unknown. The teaser poster shows what appears to be the returning haptic camera button from the Find X8 Ultra, only now more eye-catching in Hasselblad / iPhone orange.

The flagship launches in China on March 30th, though we don’t know if the promised international launch will be at the same time. We’ve also gotten our first good look at the phone, which includes a snazzy two-tone body. It’ll launch alongside the more affordable X300S, and both phones will support Vivo’s telephoto converter lenses.