Phones – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content

Phones

Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
It pays to be fair.

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.

Oppo’s new phone has one camera too many

7

Verge Score

The Find X9 Ultra has the best 10x telephoto lens yet, but would be a better phone without it.

Dominic Preston
Our new favorite budget phonesOur new favorite budget phones
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
A new type of AI camera coach.

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?

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Bigme’s latest E Ink phone doubles up on screens.

After teasing the “world’s first dual-screen color E Ink + LCD smartphone,” Bigme has announced its new HiBreak Dual. The Android 14 phone features a 6.13-inch color E Ink screen on the front and a 1.85-inch circular LCD on the back. It also supports a pressure-sensitive stylus, while April 16th preorders will start at $359.

1/4Image: Bigme
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Motorola’s next Razr looks sharp in new leaks.

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.

1/4Image: evleaks
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Oppo’s new flagship is one of the best-looking phones of the year.

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.

<em>Oppo sent me the “tundra umber” version of the phone, though there’s an inevitable orange version too.</em>
<em>This version has orange accents too, like this shutter button, though in fairness orange is the classic Hasselblad color.</em>
<em>The curved hexagonal edge to the rear camera is the only design flourish I’m not a fan of. </em>
<em>But I love the two-tone vegan leather effect, and the joint landscape logos.</em>
1/4
Oppo sent me the “tundra umber” version of the phone, though there’s an inevitable orange version too.
Photo: Dominic Preston / The Verge
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Samsung’s Z Flip 8 slims down in new leak renders.

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.

<em>The Flip 8 has the same boxy design and full cover screen as its predecessor according to this leak.</em>
<em>While it’s apparently going to be thinner when folded, it will be about the same thickness when open.</em>
<em>Samsung’s foldables normally launch in July, so expect to find out more then.</em>
1/3
The Flip 8 has the same boxy design and full cover screen as its predecessor according to this leak.
Image: OnLeaks / MyMobiles
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Huawei’s next flagship phones are going big on gradients.

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.

Screenshot showing Huawei Pura 90 Pro Max in the colors of a sunset on water
Gradients aren’t new for Huawei — its P20 and P30 phones had similar finishes.
Screenshot: Huawei Weibo account
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
TCL’s NXTPaper 70 Pro with its paperlike screen is now available in the US.

After being announced at CES 2026, TCL has confirmed its NXTPaper 70 Pro, featuring the company’s matte finish screen tech that’s meant to compete with E Ink, is now available through T-Mobile and Metro by T‑Mobile for $199.99 with a phone plan. The 70 Pro is also listed as “Coming Soon” on TCL’s US site for $299.99.

The front and back of the TCL NXTPaper 70 Pro smartphone.
Image: TCL
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Apple’s foldable iPhone to use Samsung display.

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.

Will the foldable iPhone use Samsung Display’s “crease-less” display we saw at CES?
Will the foldable iPhone use Samsung Display’s “crease-less” display we saw at CES?
Image: Samsung Display
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Japan gets the Pixel 10A in a snazzy new blue.

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.

Render showing Isai Blue Google Pixel 10A from an angle
Render showing Isai Blue Google Pixel 10A from the front
Render showing Isai Blue Google Pixel 10A from the back
Bento box graphic showing Isai Blue Google Pixel 10A with exclusive software design
1/4
Isai blue is a limited edition that’s exclusive to Japan.
Image: Google
Oppo made the best foldable phone, again

9

Verge Score

The Find N6 is my new favorite foldable.

Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
10x zoom is coming back to phones.

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.

Image of Oppo’s “5-reflection prism” for Find X9 Ultra
The Find X9 Ultra 10x camera will use a custom 50-megapixel Samsung JNL sensor, allowing “optical quality” images at up to 20x.
Image: Oppo
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Oppo goes Ultra next month.

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.

Promotional posted for Oppo Find X9 Ultra showing April release date and orange camera button
Image: Oppo
Amazon is making an Alexa phoneAmazon is making an Alexa phone
Stevie Bonifield
Nothing Phone 4A Pro review: That flagship feeling

6

Verge Score

All style, some substance.

Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Vivo’s X300 Ultra arrives this month.

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.

Render of Vivo X300 Ultra
Render of Vivo X300s
1/2
Vivo has already revealed the new 400mm telephoto converter attached to the X300 Ultra here.
Image: Vivo
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Here for a good time, not a long time.

Samsung has discontinued its TriFold phone after just a few months on sale, amid speculation that it only ever manufactured a few thousand devices. So long, TriFold, we barely knew ye.

macfixer:

RIP Galaxy Z TriFold

2026 — 2026

🫡🫡🫡

Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.

Google Pixel 10A review: Just buy the 9A

7

Verge Score

Google’s new midrange phone isn’t even a spec refresh — it’s a rerelease.

Dominic Preston