Smartphone - The Gadgeteer

iPhone Air 2 Could Fix the Two Biggest Problems With Apple’s Thinnest Phone

By Rei Padla / September 8, 2026 / Articles / Apple, iPhone, Smartphone / 1 Comment

Apple’s September 9 event is imminent, but current reporting suggests an iPhone Air 2 is unlikely to arrive there. Instead, Bloomberg reports that Apple is targeting spring 2027 for the second-generation model, potentially giving it more time to address the camera and battery compromises that came with the first Air’s ultra-thin design. The original iPhone […]

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Huawei Mate XT 2 Fixes the Biggest Problem With Trifold Phones

By Rei Padla / September 7, 2026 / Articles / Foldable, huawei, Smartphone, Tablet / Leave a Comment

A trifold phone only makes sense if the extra screen earns the space, weight, and complexity it adds. Carrying one device that expands into something close to a small tablet sounds convenient, but the tradeoffs are substantial: two hinges, a large flexible display, extra thickness when folded, and a price that can exceed many laptops.

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TCL P80 Series Brings NXTPAPER to AMOLED, but the Ultra Has the Camera Advantage

By Rei Padla / September 4, 2026 / Articles / IFA, IFA 2026, Smartphone, TCL / Leave a Comment

Choosing a phone display usually means accepting a compromise. AMOLED panels deliver deep blacks, strong contrast, and vivid color, but reflections can still be distracting and long reading sessions are not always pleasant. TCL introduced NXTPAPER AMOLED technology at MWC 2026, and the new TCL P80 Series is the first phone lineup to put it

TCL P80 Series Brings NXTPAPER to AMOLED, but the Ultra Has the Camera Advantage Read More

5 Things We Love About the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE

By Rei Padla / August 28, 2026 / Articles / Samsung, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

Buying a flagship Samsung phone doesn’t have to mean dropping four figures on an Ultra model. With smartphone prices creeping steadily upward across the entire mobile industry, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE arrives to bridge the gap between affordable midrangers and uncompromising flagships. Starting at $699.99 in the U.S. for 8GB of RAM and 128GB

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Bigme HiBreak Dual 3 Has an Answer for When E Ink Isn’t Enough

By Rei Padla / August 27, 2026 / Articles / Smartphone / Leave a Comment

The biggest problem with using an E Ink phone isn’t reading on it. It’s everything else: video, photos, animation, social apps, and the other jobs that expose slower response and more limited color. E Ink still makes plenty of sense for articles, books, messages, notes, and documents. A phone has to do more than sit

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After going hands-on with the Galaxy S26 FE, $699 still feels like a great deal

By Vincent Nguyen / August 27, 2026 / Must Read, Featured, News / galaxy, Samsung, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

I went into my hands-on with the Galaxy S26 FE expecting Samsung to show me a less expensive S26 with a few obvious cuts. Instead, the first thing I noticed was how little it felt like a cut-price phone. It’s a 6.7-inch phone, yet it felt light in my hand. That sounds like a small

After going hands-on with the Galaxy S26 FE, $699 still feels like a great deal Read More

4 First-Phone Options for Kids Who Need to Call You, Not Scroll All Day

By Rei Padla / August 26, 2026 / Buyer's Guide / Kid Gadgets, Mobile Phone, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

Giving a young child a phone creates an awkward problem. You want them to call when practice ends early, text when pickup plans change, and reach you when something goes wrong. But a conventional smartphone can also put social media, games, an app store, and the open web in their pocket. So before comparing parental-control

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6 Heavy-Duty Phones Built for Survivalists and Adventurers

By Rei Padla / August 23, 2026 / Buyer's Guide / Outdoor Gear, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

Your phone becomes a bigger liability once the pavement ends. On a multi-day hike, remote worksite, overlanding trip, or emergency-preparedness setup, a cracked screen or dead battery can take out your main communication and navigation device. That is where heavy-duty phones make their case. They trade slim bodies and low weight for reinforced construction, oversized

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This 10,000mAh Phone Is Made for People Who Always Run Out of Battery

By Rei Padla / August 19, 2026 / Articles / mobile, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

If your phone regularly hits the red before your day is over, the usual solutions are not especially satisfying. You can carry a power bank, hunt for an outlet, lower the screen brightness, or simply use your phone less. Price: RM1,459.00 (About $360) Where to Buy: Vivo The iQOO Z11S offers a more appealing answer:

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Fairphone 6 Plus Gives a Repairable Phone More Performance Headroom

By Rei Padla / August 18, 2026 / Articles / mobile, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

Most smartphones aren’t replaced because every part has stopped working. A worn battery, cracked display, damaged charging port, or the end of software support can be enough to turn an otherwise usable device into another upgrade. Fairphone Gen 6 Plus Price: From €599 (About $694) Where to Buy: Pokemon Center Fairphone approaches that problem differently,

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6 Dumbphones and Minimalist Phones for Cutting Screen Time

By Rei Padla / August 18, 2026 / Buyer's Guide / mobile, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

6 Dumbphones and Minimalist Phones on Amazon for Cutting Screen Time

If you’re trying to spend less time on your smartphone, buying another phone sounds like a strange solution. The problem, however, isn’t necessarily having a phone in your pocket. It’s carrying a device designed around notifications, apps, social feeds, videos, and an effectively endless supply of things to look at. That’s where dumbphones and minimalist

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Honor’s New Budget Phone Bets Everything on a 7,500mAh Battery

By Rei Padla / August 17, 2026 / Articles / HONOR, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

If you’re shopping at the affordable end of the smartphone market, battery capacity can matter more than another camera sensor or a benchmark score. Phones used heavily for messaging, video, navigation and calls put plenty of pressure on the battery, particularly when a charger isn’t nearby. Price: 1199 yuan (About $178) Where to Buy: JD.com That’s

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Redmi’s New K100 Pro Max Packs the Biggest Battery in a Flagship Phone Yet

By Rei Padla / August 11, 2026 / Articles / Smartphone, Xiaomi / Leave a Comment

Redmi has officially launched the K100 Pro Max in China, and it is one of the brand’s most ambitious flagship smartphones to date. The handset combines bleeding-edge performance hardware with a massive battery, a high-refresh-rate display, a 200MP camera system, and a more premium feature set than the standard Redmi K100 Pro. Price: From CNY

Redmi’s New K100 Pro Max Packs the Biggest Battery in a Flagship Phone Yet Read More

Google Pixel 11 Is Almost Here: Should You Buy a Pixel Now or Wait?

By Rei Padla / August 11, 2026 / Articles / Google, Pixel, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

If you’re weighing whether to buy a new Pixel right now, hold off for one more day. Google confirmed its Made by Google 2026 event happens August 12 in New York, with the livestream kicking off at 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET, hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, with appearances from Alex Cooper, Stephen

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This New Keyboard Phone Still Has to Prove It Can Be Your Daily Driver

By Rei Padla / August 10, 2026 / Articles / Mobile Phone, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

The Minimal Phone 2 is trying to prove that a physical keyboard can make a modern phone feel quieter. Right now, it asks buyers to trust that promise before it shares the details that decide whether the phone will fit their lives. Price: TBD Join the waitlist: Minimal Minimal Company’s Minimal Phone 2 page is

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Why the Galaxy S26 Ultra Suddenly Looks Like the Practical Premium Phone

By Rei Padla / August 10, 2026 / Articles / Samsung, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

The same reaction keeps following Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra: $1,299.99 is too much for a phone. Then Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max arrived at $1,199, the Galaxy Z Flip8 started at $1,199.99, and Samsung launched an even more expensive foldable tier. The S26 Ultra isn’t cheap, but the premium phone market has shifted around it.

Why the Galaxy S26 Ultra Suddenly Looks Like the Practical Premium Phone Read More

5 Best Phones for Kids for Back to School

By Rei Padla / August 8, 2026 / Buyer's Guide / Kid Gadgets, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

Back-to-school is when the first-phone question stops being theoretical. A kid has practice pickup, bus changes, sleepovers, after-school clubs, and more time away from the adults who usually coordinate everything. If you are weighing a wearable before a phone, The Gadgeteer’s TickTalk 4 wearable phone for kids review is a useful nearby comparison. That does

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The 7.5-Inch Phone That Wants to Be Your Handheld Console

By Rei Padla / August 7, 2026 / Articles / Smartphone / Leave a Comment

Phone makers settled on a safe answer years ago. A screen should be big enough to watch a show on, and small enough to use with one thumb. The nubia Neo 5 Max ignores that rule, with a 7.5-inch display and controls built for two hands. Price: About $427 Where to Buy: Nubia nubia calls

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Vivo S2 Puts a 7,050 mAh Battery in a Curved Phone

By Rei Padla / August 6, 2026 / Articles / Smartphone / Leave a Comment

Big batteries usually make phones feel practical before they feel premium. The vivo S2 flips that expectation by putting a 7,050 mAh battery inside a curved AMOLED phone that is being sold on design, portrait tools, and durability instead of looking like a chunky endurance device. Price: From ₹39,999.00 (About $420) Where to Buy: Vivo

Vivo S2 Puts a 7,050 mAh Battery in a Curved Phone Read More

Privacy Phone Choices: GrapheneOS, Fairphone, or Convenience?

By Rei Padla / August 4, 2026 / Buyer's Guide / Pixel, Security, Smartphone / Leave a Comment

I wouldn’t choose a privacy phone until I listed the banking, transit, authentication, and government apps I can’t lose. That list turns a vague privacy upgrade into a buying decision, because GrapheneOS and Fairphone with /e/OS solve different problems. GrapheneOS gives a supported Google Pixel a security-focused operating system with app isolation, permission controls, and

Privacy Phone Choices: GrapheneOS, Fairphone, or Convenience? Read More