Sony's latest AV-focused flagship smartphone is here: meet the Sony Xperia 1 VIII.

It’s good news for audio fans as, like the brand's previous offering, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is quite a rarity in smartphones and claims to "support high-quality audio using wired headphones."

It has enlisted the help of the firm's Walkman division once again to boost audio quality on this new handset.

Sony has also improved the full-stage stereo speakers, which the brand says will produce deeper bass and extended high frequencies.

The new smartphone's 6.5-inch, Full HD+ (1080 x 2340) OLED display has been tuned by Bravia, and it features a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate too.

It can also automatically adjust the brightness and colour of the display according to the environment, with Sony claiming it delivers a “bright display even under sunlight”.

If you are looking at the VIII and VII editions side by side, then the immediate difference is in the camera design. Instead of having the camera lenses in a vertical line as with its predecessor, the new Xperia model features a raised camera square containing three lenses.

There are plenty of AI features packed into Sony’s latest release, including an AI camera assistant which “suggests creative expressions based on the scene recognised”. If you don’t want artificial intelligence poking around with your photography, however, there is the option to switch it off.

The brand is also implementing a new ORE-inspired design, which has a textured feel like rough stone. This comes in Graphite Black, Iolite Silver, Garnet Red and Native Gold colour finishes.

In terms of chipset, owners of the Xperia VIII will be looking at the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor (backed up by 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage). If you choose the Gold edition, which is available in select countries in-store, then you have the option of upgrading to 16GB RAM and up to 1TB of storage.

Sony also claims you can get two days of battery life from the phone, thanks to the 5000mAh battery.

The new model is launching at the same price as its predecessor in the UK, setting you back £1399 for the 256GB version and £1849 for the 1TB Gold version. When we had the Sony Xperia 1 VII in our test room, we were impressed by its detailed audio and balanced picture. Its limited HDR format and frustrating operating system quirks held it back from true greatness, but it still received a four-star rating overall.

The previous Sony phone was outshone by the five-star Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, so it will be intriguing to see how the new model compares.

MORE:

Here is our review of the Sony Xperia 1 VII

Check out the best smartphones we have tested

I will keep playing music through my phone's speakers for this very simple reason

Apple has surprised iPhone fans by revealing the iPhone 17e, a more affordable variant of the Product of the Year-winning iPhone 17.

It follows the five-star iPhone 16e, with an upgraded processor, feature set and build.

It's powered by the A19 processor, which also features in the aforementioned iPhone 17. The CPU is paired with the C1X wireless chipset, which reportedly doubles the wireless connectivity speeds of the iPhone 16e.

The new modem will also reportedly allow for better battery life, with Apple claiming 30 per cent less energy drain than the model found in the iPhone 16 Pro, resulting in "exceptional all-day battery life".

Furthermore, it touts a similar 6.1-inch OLED display, which uses Apple's Super Retina XDR technology for rich, vivid colours, as well as the same 1200 nits of claimed peak brightness.

However, this year's model comes with the super scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield 2 coating from the iPhone 17, although the notch remains instead of being replaced by the Dynamic Island, as some rumours predicted.

Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support also carry over from the 16e, as does support for Apple's Spatial Audio format and Dolby Atmos sound.

While we would've liked to see a few more AV-centric upgrades, we're not surprised by the lack of any meaningful changes to the display or speakers, as Apple has made it clear what its priorities are with this budget iPhone.

Instead, it's focusing on packing more day-to-day features into the 17e, including MagSafe. This gives users the option to charge wirelessly with MagSafe attachments, or even attach MagSafe wallets and cases with a simple and satisfying magnetic snap.

Apple has, however, stuck to its guns regarding the cameras, or should we say camera. It's the same 48MP Fusion sensor, which reportedly enables "optical quality 2x Telephoto". Users can pick between snapping full-resolution 48MP snaps for sharper details or 24MP pictures for more efficient file sizes.

The Apple iPhone 17e is available to pre-order now for £599 / $599 / AU$999, and it comes in Black, White and a new Soft Pink finish.

The base storage has also been upgraded to 256GB as standard; however, a higher-capacity 512GB version is also available for £799 / $799 / $1399. It replaces the iPhone 16e entirely, which is no longer available for purchase on the Apple website.

MORE:

Read our full iPhone 17 review

And our iPhone 16 review

And check out our picks for the best smartphones for movies and music

Samsung has announced its latest trio of Android smartphones, with the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra forming the three-strong lineup for 2026.

These high-end handsets will serve as the flagship models, replacing the Award-winning Galaxy S25 Ultra and the four-star Galaxy S25 Plus from last year.

Samsung is touting updated designs, more powerful chipsets, better cameras and, if you can believe it, even more AI smarts than ever before. All of these do, unfortunately, come at a cost, and we mean that in the literal sense.

Samsung's new flagship, the Galaxy S26 Ultra

Starting with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, this flagship handset boasts a 6.9-inch Super AMOLED 2X display with a variable refresh rate of 1Hz-120Hz, and a resolution of 3120x1440.

It sports the superb ProScaler feature of its predecessor, which upscales lower-resolution content to look its best on the high-resolution display, and Samsung claims it has worked with its TV division once again to improve the tech on the new S26 Ultra.

Furthermore, Samsung is touting an improved mDNIe system for more natural and subtle colours, as well as HDR10+ and HDR10 support for compatible streaming apps.

Dolby Atmos audio is also on board, and can be accessed via wireless or wired headphones, as well as the built-in stereo speaker system, which utilises the handset's bottom-firing speaker and earpiece.

Powering this beast of a smartphone is the latest Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset from Qualcomm, and it's backed by 12GB of RAM if you opt for the 256GB or 512GB model, or 16GB of RAM if you choose the spacious 1TB configuration.

This powerful processor enables a wide range of Galaxy AI smarts, including automatic translation, Circle to Search with Google, writing assists, generative photo editing, and the Now Bar system, which can show you relevant news, calendar entries, and weather information at the relevant time.

Now Nudge is another new feature, which uses AI to dig into your apps to search for relevant information to automatically reply to messages or enter details on websites. There's also a generative photo assistant tool which can totally change a photo you've taken into a new style or scenario with a simple text prompt.

Speaking of photos, the S26 Ultra sports a quad rear camera arrangement with a new 200MP main sensor that's reportedly 47 per cent brighter than its predecessor, and a pair of upgraded telephoto sensors that provide better noise reduction and HDR performance.

Samsung is touting higher charging speeds, with wired charging now reaching 60W, and wireless charging topping out at 25W. If you have a compatible 60W wired fast charger, Samsung says that you can expect the Galaxy S26 Ultra to reach 75 per cent in just 30 minutes.

Disappointingly, Samsung hasn't upgraded the battery itself, meaning we have the same 5000mAh cell that's been featured on the last few Galaxy S Ultra iterations.

All of these features come wrapped up in a redesigned chassis with smoother, more rounded corners, and an Aluminium Armour frame (so long titanium) that features enhanced durability to withstand knocks and dings.

This is also the slimmest Ultra smartphone to date, according to Samsung, as it's shaved the S26 Ultra down to just 7.9mm, down from the S25 Ultra's 8.3mm thickness.

Samsung is launching the S26 Ultra in four widely available finishes (Black, White, Cobalt Violet and Sky Blue) and two exclusive (Pink Gold and Shadow Silver) colours for its online store.

As we mentioned earlier, prices have gone up this year, with the S26 Ultra now starting at £1279 for the 256GB model, £1449 for the 512GB version, and a whopping £1699 for the 1TB edition. Those prices are £50, £100 and £150 more than last year's models, respectively, which is a tough pill to swallow.

International pricing is TBA as of now; however, we do know that the S26 Ultra will launch on 11th March 2026, with Samsung offering customers double the storage capacity at no extra cost if they choose to pre-order the handset before then.

Upgraded step down models launching too

Moving down to the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus, these handsets shave off a few features in a bid to keep costs down.

The S26 sports a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 2340x1080, a variable 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+ and HDR10 support. Unfortunately, it doesn't support ProScaler, though this year's model features a 0.1-inch screen size upgrade compared to last year's model.

The S26 Plus moves up to a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 3120x1440 resolution, support for the same variable refresh rate and HDR formats as the other models, and the ProScaler feature is supported here.

Both handsets utilise Samsung's latest Exynos 2600 chipset in the UK. However, that's switched for the same Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip in North America, China and Japan. That's backed up by 12GB of RAM across the board for both models, and the base storage configuration is now 256GB on the standard S26, with a 512GB version also available for both.

The S26 sports a 4300mAh battery with Samsung's Super Fast Charging and Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 standards supported, which translates to 25W wired charging or 15W wireless charging. The S26 Plus, on the other hand, steps up to Super Fast Charging 2.0 and Super Fast Wireless Charging, allowing for 40W wired or 20W wireless charging.

Both devices feature a triple rear camera setup, with a 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto and a 50MP main sensor. Furthermore, the raft of Galaxy AI features listed on the S26 Ultra are also supported here.

The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus will launch in the same range of colours as the Ultra – that's Black, White, Cobalt Violet and Sky Blue (widely available), and Pink Gold and Shadow Silver (Samsung exclusives) – on the 11th of March.

Prices have also gone up for the entry-level models, thanks to the removal of the 128GB base storage, meaning the Galaxy S26 now starts at £879 instead of £799 (or £1049 for the 512GB version).

The Galaxy S26 Plus starts at £1099 rather than the £999 starting price of the Galaxy S25 Plus, with the 512GB model costing an Ultra-like £1269. Samsung will also double your storage on S26 and S26 Plus if you choose to pre-order before the official launch date.

MORE:

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review

As well as our Apple iPhone 17 review

And check out our picks for the best smartphones for music and movies

Samsung caught us rather off guard last year when it launched the Galaxy S25 Ultra. After many years of picture and sound performance taking a back seat while AI features and camera specs hogged the limelight, Samsung’s 2025 flagship Android smartphone wowed us with its impressive display features, derived from the company’s TV division.

One year on, and Samsung has officially unveiled that phone's successor in the form of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which hopes to set the standard for flagship smartphones. With a specification list longer than Avatar 3's run time, and a refined design that might make it the best-looking, best-feeling Galaxy Ultra device yet, has Samsung struck gold once again?

Well, you'll have to wait for our full review for the answer to that question, but we do have a few early thoughts to share on this successor to an Award-winning smartphone.

Price

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, which we shall be referring to as the S26 Ultra from here on out for the sake of brevity, sports a higher price tag compared with its predecessor here in the UK.

It’s launching at £1279 for the 256GB version; there are also 512GB and 1TB versions of the handset, available for £1449 and £1699 respectively. The first two of those sport 12GB of RAM, whereas the last enjoys 16GB.

The base model is £50 more expensive than its predecessor, the 512GB model is £100 more than the S25 Ultra, and the 1TB version is £150 more than last year’s model.

That’s quite the asking price, especially when we look at the current competition. The Award-winning iPhone 17 is available for £899, while its Pro Max variant – more comparable with the S26 Ultra – can be found for £1199.

The Award-winning Galaxy S25 Ultra will also probably stick around for a reduced price while stocks last, while the Sony Xperia 1 VII (£1399) could be a tempting choice for audiophiles.

Build

Samsung’s flagship has gone through a gradual transformation during the past few generations. The S23 Ultra featured a curved screen and sharp corners, the S24 Ultra flattened that screen, and the S25 Ultra smoothed out the corners for a nicer in-hand feel.

The S26 Ultra, however, feels like a culmination of the past three years of design development – and it looks all the better for it. The corners are now fully rounded for an even more comfortable in-hand feel, and the slightly awkward smattering of camera lenses on the rear is now mostly housed on a raised “island”.

This looks neater, but it also means that the phone now dramatically rocks if you interact with the display while it’s lying flat on a table.

Another design quirk that’s more of an irk is Samsung’s choice to drop the premium, durable titanium frame of the S25 Ultra and move back to an aluminium shell.

Samsung has, at least, ensured that the S26 Ultra is sporting the latest and toughest version of its Armour Aluminium material, which can also be found on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. This is paired with Corning’s Gorilla Armour 2 display coating for better scratch and crack resistance, and Samsung’s excellent anti-reflectivity screen coating.

We pressed Samsung on why it chose to make the switch, but no official word was given as to why it opted to move back to an aluminium frame after two years of titanium-clad smartphones.

Apple made the same move for the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, though it cited improved thermal efficiency as its biggest influence in making this change.

Back to the positives, Samsung has achieved its “thinnest Galaxy Ultra smartphone yet” with the S26 Ultra, as it has shaved the handset down to just 7.9mm from the S25 Ultra’s 8.3mm thickness.

Despite the thinner build and change in materials, the S26 Ultra is broadly the same weight as its predecessor, at 214g. That’s still pretty impressive for a device with a 6.9-inch display, and it doesn’t feel particularly unwieldy in the hand despite its size.

Regardless, the S26 Ultra looks and feels premium in all of its available colours – those being Cobalt Violet (a dark blue-ish purple), Sky Blue, Black or White. Samsung is also offering two exclusive colours for its online store: Silver Shadow and Pink Gold.

Features

Strap in, this is going to be a long one.

Samsung is once again billing this smartphone as the ultimate feature-packed handset for power users, and that’s evident from the feature-set. That being said, not a whole lot has changed since last year.

We’ll start with the glorious 6.9-inch Super AMOLED 2X Display, which is practically identical to that of the S25 Ultra. It features the same 3000 nits peak brightness, 3120x1440 resolution, pixel density of 500ppi, HDR10+ support and variable refresh rate of 1Hz-120Hz.

It does come with a few new tricks, including a privacy mode that can block the display from off-axis viewing. This has been impressively achieved at a pixel level, and can be easily switched on or off for the whole screen, or even certain parts of the display, meaning you can look at sensitive information or input passwords without worrying about prying eyes.

More exciting for us is the upgraded ProScaler feature, which Samsung says uses a new algorithm for even sharper and richer upscaling of lower-resolution content. Once again, Samsung claims that its mobile division has worked closely with its TV arm to achieve this, and it remains one of our favourite AV-focused smartphone features on the market.

Furthermore, Samsung is touting an enhanced mDNIe system with 10 Bit data processing for colours. Samsung claims that this will allow for four times the precision and subtlety when it comes to displaying colours; this is music to our ears as Samsung’s smartphone displays have traditionally leaned towards the more “enthusiastic” end of the scale when it comes to colour reproduction.

The audio capabilities of the S26 Ultra seem to be mostly identical to those of its predecessor. Unsurprisingly, there is no headphone jack (wired audio peripherals can be connected to the USB-C socket), and Bluetooth audio is supported via the Samsung Seamless Codec (SSC) and LE codec.

Dolby Atmos is, once again, supported via headphones and the stereo speaker arrangement made up of the bottom-firing speaker and earpiece.

On to the less-AV crucial feature of the S26 Ultra. This handset uses the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 for Samsung processor; the suffix differentiates this from the standard Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 chipset found on other smartphones, as Samsung has customised this chip for optimal performance on its smartphones.

As mentioned earlier, this is backed up by either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, depending on the storage configuration you choose.

Disappointingly, Samsung hasn’t upped the battery capacity of the Ultra, choosing to stick with the 5000mAh cell of the S25 Ultra. It does, however, benefit from some charging upgrades, including faster wired and wireless charging.

Samsung claims that the S26 Ultra can go from zero to 75% in 30 mins via 60W wired charging, whereas wireless charging is now boosted to 25W. You will, of course, need to supply a supported fast charger to access these charging speeds.

While Samsung is selling a range of magnet-equipped accessories, including cases and power banks, oddly the company has opted not to include the magnet ring in the handset itself for native Qi2 charging support.

Apple’s MagSafe and Google’s Pixel Snap features have been hugely popular for seamless accessory compatibility, so it feels as though Samsung is lagging behind here somewhat.

Nevertheless, Samsung is still putting in an impressive shift when it comes to the camera specifications of the S26 Ultra. It features a very similar quad camera rear setup to its predecessor, which is no shame to us.

The S26 Ultra sports four lenses in total. The 200MP main sensor is reportedly 47 per cent brighter for better night photography, while Samsung claims the 50MP telephoto zoom lens features a 37 per cent improvement over last year.

The 10MP 3x optical zoom lens now features less noise and better HDR support, while the 50MP ultra-wide lens (which was updated on last year’s handset) seems to be the same.

Last, but by no means least, is Samsung’s extensive AI feature set. Samsung is billing this phone as “the easiest, effortless AI phone”, so you can bet that artificial intelligence is baked into most of the software.

The usual suite of Galaxy AI features is here, including Circle to Search, writing suggestions, auto translate and the Now Brief feature, which provides contextual information such as calendar entries, weather forecasts and news depending on your interests and time of day.

These are being joined by a generative AI photo-assistant tool, which can transform photos into different styles simply by typing in a prompt, and Now Nudge, which will provide intelligent auto replies based on information from other apps (such as your calendar or messages).

Finally, Samsung’s Audio Eraser feature, which is supported for video recording in order to isolate and remove background noise, is now available on video streaming apps, including Netflix.

Samsung ran a demo on this feature by removing the crowd noise from a football match and isolating the commentators’ voices, all of which sounded quite impressive.

Picture

While we spent a considerable amount of time handling Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, we couldn’t download our usual suite of streaming apps to test the S26 Ultra’s full capabilities. That being said, we did manage to try out a few film trailers on YouTube – The Odyssey, Supergirl and The Mandalorian and Grogu to be exact – to get a flavour of what this display is capable of.

The good news is that the S26 Ultra seems to carry most of what made the S25 Ultra such a triumph. Contrast, sharpness and detail all seemed excellent, with the Samsung outputting a particularly contrast-rich and three-dimensional image.

The striking armoured soldier featured in the trailer for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey stood solidly in the foreground of the shot. Motion seemed mostly good, although it seemed to stutter slightly during a brief fight sequence in the trailer for the upcoming Star Wars spin-off movie.

Most interestingly, colours didn’t seem to be overbaked or too saturated in the phone’s default vivid screen setting mode. We find that Samsung’s natural mode can lean a bit too cool for whites, so improvements to the vivid mode are always welcome.

There is no doubting that this is one of the most capable displays on a mainstream smartphone, and we’re eager to put it through its paces; watch out for a full review coming soon.

Sound

We’ll keep this section short and sweet: the conditions in which we went hands-on with the Galaxy S26 Ultra weren’t ideal for serious sound testing; nor did we have a chance to download Tidal onto the device for a serious spot of listening.

If there was anything we would change about the S25 Ultra, however, it would be the sound performance. It can sound somewhat dynamically stunted, and could have stronger timing. We hope Samsung has fixed these issues in the S26 Ultra, but only further testing will tell.

What we do know is that the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, which we have just reviewed, are a solid set of companion earbuds to this handset, thanks to their support for the SSC UHQ hi-res codec, which can transmit music files up to 24-bit/96kHz.

Early verdict

It's too early to decide what star rating we should bestow the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra with, as much more testing is required to see if its picture performance lives up to the heights set by its predecessor.

Early signs show promise, however, as the S26 Ultra seems to be another feature-packed handset with a gorgeous screen. We can't wait to put it through our rigorous testing process.

MORE:

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

As well as our Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review

And our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review

Apple has announced its first full-scale event for 2026 after a smattering of low-key product launches throughout January and February.

This event appears to differentiate itself from those previous Apple launches because the company is billing it as a “special Apple Experience” rather than its usual live events.

Taking place on the 4th of March in London, New York and Shanghai, the experience will probably feature numerous expected product launches.

The most widely anticipated product is the iPhone 17e. Its predecessor, the five-star iPhone 16e, officially turns a year old on the 19th of February, so a successor is due. There have also been rumblings of updates to the MacBook and iPad lines, with updated processors and potentially new displays in store.

That being said, we are hoping to see some upgrades in two overlooked areas in Apple's product portfolio.

We are sorely overdue for a new Apple TV 4K, with the last model launching back in 2022. That streamer remains at the top of our best streaming devices list, fending off rivals from Amazon and Google for nearly four years.

Mutterings of a new Apple TV 4K have been circulating for quite some time, and it looked as though a new model was about to launch towards the end of last year, only to be delayed.

The expected upgrades include a more up-to-date processor, which will support Apple Intelligence and slicker tvOS operation.

We are also anticipating an upgrade to the HomePod range, which has remained fairly stagnant since the HomePod 2 launched in 2023.

The HomePod Mini is our main contender for an upgrade. It has been left basically untouched since 2020 (not counting a minor colour refresh in 2024). There are also rumours surrounding Apple working on a HomePod with a screen, though these are yet to be substantiated by a full product launch.

A HomePod Mini 2 is high on our wishlist, but only time will tell if Apple will launch a successor to its pint-sized, Award-winning wi-fi speaker.

All will be revealed in just under two weeks, and you can check back here for live coverage of the latest announcements.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best streaming devices

As well as the best wireless speakers

And read our full Apple HomePod Mini review

I have a confession to make: I actually use my phone's speakers to listen to music sometimes. I know, I know. I'm sure there's a spot reserved for me in audiophile hell, but hear me out: I think there's a time and a place.

I'm not completely mad, I don't play music through my phone in public. And nor should anyone (that's why we have a list of the best wireless headphones.) But at home, when the situation arises, I have been known to load Apple Music and blast songs straight from the phone.

And I think that’s okay. Here’s why.

A phoney speaker

Now in case you’re worried that this is the end of What Hi-Fi? as you know it, fear not. We – I included – still passionately believe you should enjoy the best sound quality you possibly can, whatever your budget. That’s why we cover the best cheap headphones and best budget speakers alongside the best audiophile headphones and best speakers for all budgets.

And in my defence, now that phones are much bigger than they were a few years ago, their speakers are becoming more capable. In our Sony Xperia 1 VI review, we comment that the phone’s speakers are “detailed and feature good stereo separation that makes a solid attempt to position sounds in relation to what is happening on screen.”

And in our iPhone 17 review, we say the device’s speakers deliver “a spacious sound, with focused vocals and enough detail given to sound effects (such as a bustling city street) to create a surprisingly immersive experience.”

Now neither of these is going to replace a dedicated speaker (of the iPhone 17's speakers, we even said “we’d refrain from using these to listen to music out loud”). And that's even more true of my ageing iPhone 12 mini. But they’ll do at a pinch. And that's exactly the kind of situation I’m talking about.

Coming clean with a dirty secret

So why, given that I work for the world’s foremost authority on sound quality and everything audiophile, am I advocating a set of speakers that would comfortably fit on your fingertip? One word: convenience.

I don’t often get the urge to clean the house, so when I do I have to act on it. If I wanted to listen to the admittedly much more rewarding sonic performance of my Ultimate Ears Wonderboom (the original model, eights years old and still going strong), I have to dig it out, power it up and pair it with my phone. At this point I usually find the battery has died and have to find the charging cable. In which time my kids have set fire to the curtains, or my desire to clean has evaporated.

But with my phone, there’s none of that. You just press play, and get on with it.

Another benefit: stick your phone in your back pocket and the music follows you wherever you go. There’s no carting the speaker around as you search for the bathroom spray, or move to vacuuming another room. I know, I should invest in one of the best multi-room systems… but cost of living. And I’ll bet even the most ardent of multi-room devotees stops short of the bathroom.

Of course, a pair of wireless headphones would do the job admirably, while also delivering a far superior sonic experience. But I need to be able to hear my kids. If my first inkling that something might be wrong is the smell of burning curtains… well, I might miss out on that dad of the year award for yet another 12 months.

There’s a saying: the best camera is the one you have on you. And sometimes – just sometimes, mind – the same can be said of speakers.

MORE:

Check out the best wireless speakers

The best Bluetooth speakers

What are open earbuds? For greater awareness

We're less than a month away from the Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy Buds 4 launch, if the latest leak is to be believed. And considering it comes from reliable source Evan Blass, we would say it is.

His post shows a promotional image for Galaxy Unpacked, which is Samsung's annual showcase for the next Galaxy S variant. The date given is 25th February – that's three weeks on Wednesday.

Last year's event was held on 22nd January, so this year's would be slightly later than usual.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 will be Samsung's flagship phone for 2026, until its Z Flip and Z Fold foldables launch in the summer, that is. It's expected to have a screen privacy feature that means people around can't see what's on your screen, leaving you free to enter passwords in public without anyone snooping on you.

It's also said to be slimmer than the Galaxy S25, to offer the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor (in certain markets), with a 200MP telephoto sensor rumoured for the S26 Ultra. Price rises have also been rumoured for certain models and capacities, but by no means all.

The Galaxy Buds 4 models, however, are expected to keep the same price as their predecessors. According to Dealabs, the Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro will cost the same €179 and €249 respectively as their predecessors. Those are European prices – in the UK, the Buds 3 launched at £159 and the Buds 3 Pro £219 (though both have come down from these prices since their 2024 launch).

Leaked pictures have shown a flatter, more compact design for both pairs of buds, while the charging case has also been redesigned. The buds are also said to have Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) connectivity, which could bring hi-res audio functionality.

Head gestures à la the AirPods Pro 3 are also on the cards.

Samsung's phones have reviewed well in recent years, but its wireless earbuds less so. Here's hoping the latest models can give the best AirPods a run for their money.

MORE:

Check out the best smartphones for music and movies

The best AirPods alternatives you can buy

Read our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

Every September, Apple launches its new iPhone family. Except that may be about to change this year...

Because, while we're still expecting to see new iPhones this September, rumours abound that the new baseline iPhone 18 model won't be among them.

So, when will we see the iPhone 18?

As we have with previous iPhones running back further than we care to remember, we've scoured the web to bring you all the rumours, leaks and news regarding the phone's release, specs, price, features, design and more. Add to these rumours our industry knowledge garnered from decades in the biz, and you've got the comprehensive guide on what to expect from the iPhone 18.

We'll be updating this article all the way up to the iPhone 18's launch, whenever that may be. So stay tuned for the latest news worth knowing.

iPhone 18: release date rumours

Possibly the biggest news concerning the iPhone 18 isn't to do with its design, specs or features, but its release date. Because while Apple is rumoured to launch some iPhones this September, the standard iPhone 18 isn't said to be among them.

Instead, it's rumoured to launch in the spring of 2027.

Why? Apple is said to be eyeing a split release strategy. September should act as the launch of the premium line of iPhones, while Apple will hold back the more affordable models until the following spring. Last spring saw the launch of the iPhone 16e, and the iPhone 18 is thought to debut alongside the iPhone 18e in the spring of 2027.

With the new foldable iPhone said to launch this September, alongside the newest iterations of the iPhone Air, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, it's understandable that the bog-standard iPhone 18 would be somewhat overshadowed in such company.

A spring launch would also make the iPhone 18e announcement more of an event, creating two iPhone launch events a year and doubling the amount of buzz. With updates becoming ever more incremental and people holding onto their devices for longer between upgrades, Apple hasn't been able to create the same kind of hype around an iPhone launch that it used to (remember the huge queues that used to form outside Apple Stores?). But two events a year would mean you were never more than six months away from a new iPhone launch.

This dual release strategy was first rumoured in May 2025, and has since been corroborated by numerous reputable sources.

iPhone 18: price predictions

Despite the rates of inflation in recent years, iPhones haven't really got more expensive. But that could be about to change.

Inflation might have subsided, but that doesn't mean everything has stopped increasing in price, just that it's getting more expensive more slowly. Coupled with US tariffs, it could point to the first significant price rise for an iPhone since the iPhone 12 in 2020.

There's also a RAM shortage currently ongoing, fuelled by the rise of RAM-hungry AI processes. As more devices need more RAM to run the latest features, RAM itself is becoming more scarce, which is pushing up prices due to the law of supply and demand.

Having said that, it's too early to predict prices with any accuracy. So far, we haven't see any leaks concerning prices from any reputable sources.

As a reminder, here's the pricing of the iPhone 17 line-up.

iPhone 18: screen speculation

If one rumour is correct, you might need sunglasses in order to operate the iPhone 18.

That's because the device will have a much brighter screen, leaker Instant Digital posted on Chinese social media site Weibo (via MacRumors). Apple's brightness requirements for the panel are said to be so high, that Chinese supplier BOE is struggling to manufacture screens for the device, according to Korean publication The Elec (though this is also partly to do with ongoing production issues that persist from the end of last year).

That means Samsung could end up manufacturing the bulk of the iPhone 18's screens.

The iPhone 17 hit a peak outdoor brightness of 3000 nits (though in more typical use it's around 1000-1600 nits). If Apple can increase this significantly, you might have to reach for the Ray-Bans.

The screen is expected to stay the same 6.27-inch size as the iPhone 17, according to Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station. They say it will have the same 120Hz refresh rate and LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) tech as the current model, too.

iPhone 18: design rumours

While rumours concerning the design of the iPhone 18 might be thin on the ground at present, we have heard about changes to the iPhone 18 Pro.

According to leaker Ice Universe, the Dynamic Island will shrink in the iPhone 18 Pro. In a post on X, they predict it will go from a width of 20.76mm to 13.49mm, a reduction of around 35 per cent.

The Dynamic Island is the pill-shaped cutout at the top of the screen. It debuted on the iPhone 14 – replacing the notch that had featured in the same place – and shows information from other apps, allowing you to multitask.

Ice Universe has a decent track record of accurate leaks, but this one is still far from set in stone. But where the Pro model innovates, the standard iPhone often follows, so we could see the base variant shrink its Dynamic Island in a similar way. And with a lag of a few months between the Pro and standard model launching, this change could even come to the iPhone 18.

However, the leakers are split on this one. Some reckon Apple will replace the Dynamic Island with a circular cutout in the top corner of the screen, while others predict Apple will have found a way to keep the same functionality while doing away with any cutout altogether.

The iPhone 18 Pro is also said to lose the two-tone colour finish (according to leaker Instant Digital). And it could get some new finishes, with possible new colours including burgundy, coffee and purple.

iPhone 18: specs and feature leaks

Apple is expected to unveil its C2 modem chip this year, so the odds of it featuring in the iPhone 18 are high. The C2 should be more powerful than the current C1 and C1X, with mmWave 5G connectivity.

The iPhone 18 could have a new processor, too. The A20 will follow the A19 and A19 Pro of the iPhone 17 generation, though it could be exclusive to the pricier models, with the iPhone 18 being upgraded to the A19 Pro. At this stage, it's simply too early to tell.

The A20 will be more powerful and efficient thanks to TSMC's 2nm process – it's estimated to be up to 15 per cent faster than the A19 chips and 30 per cent more efficient.

The A20 should offer TSMC's Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) technology, which integrates the RAM directly onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU and Neural Engine rather than having it adjacent. This could mean faster performance and better thermal management, with a longer battery life. But again, it could just be for the iPhone 18 Pro models for now, especially as these chips are expected to cost Apple more.

But we could see Apple launch both A20 and A20 Pro chips, with the iPhone 18 getting the former and the latter reserved for the Pro models. That's the approach Apple currently takes, kitting out the iPhone 17 with the A19 and the 17 Pro with the A19 Pro.

The only other rumour we've heard so far says that the iPhone 18 might be upgraded to 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB on the iPhone 17. Given the ubiquity of AI features, and their increasing RAM needs, we would say this one is a dead certainty.

iPhone 18: camera conjecture

The only rumour specifically relating to the iPhone 18's cameras is that the front-facer will be upgraded to 24 megapixels, from the iPhone 17's 18 megapixels. But there's more chat about the iPhone 18 Pro camera.

It's said to have a variable aperture, allowing the user to manually adjust how much light reaches the sensor, affecting the photo's lighting and depth of field. A new Samsung three-layer stacked image sensor is also rumoured, to make the camera more responsive, reduce picture noise and increase the dynamic range.

We could also be in for larger apertures on the iPhone 18 Pro's main and telephoto lenses to allow in more light during gloomy conditions.

iPhone 18: early verdict

The iPhone 18 is still probably 14 months away, so the fact we've seen any rumours so far just shows how eagerly awaited the handset is. If the screen can go as bright as is rumoured, movie fans on the go will be in for a treat. And if the iPhone 18 can make some gains in performance, battery life, sound quality and camera abilities, it will please fans all over the world.

The split launch would be a new strategy for Apple, and would be the first time a standard model iPhone hasn't launched in the autumn since the iPhone 4 in 2010. Would Apple mark such an occasion by making some major changes to the baseline model iPhone? We'll have to wait and see.

MORE:

Read our iPhone 17 review

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• The best smartphones for film and music fans ranked

Sony has announced the latest entry in its Xperia smartphone lineup in the form of the budget-friendly 10 VII. The cheapest handsets in Sony's range have impressed us for quite some time now, with the Xperia 10 IV, Xperia 10 V, and Xperia 10 VI all scoring five-star reviews and coveted What Hi-Fi? Awards.

Naturally, I should be highly invested in this smartphone launch, as its predecessors have been amongst the best smartphones for watching movies and listening to music on the go. However, Sony has made a big change this year, and it's one that's sure to divide on-the-go cinephiles.

Much like its bigger and much more expensive counterpart from last year, the Xperia 1 VI, the 10 VII drops the 21:9 aspect ratio display that we've been raving about for the past three generations.

It now sports a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, which means that cinematic content will no longer naturally fill the display, and instead we'll be met with black letterboxing bars when watching supported movies.

That's a shame, because there is no budget phone that dedicates itself to AV in the same way that Sony's Xperia 10 series has in previous years.

Sony's approach, which is to cut back on cutting-edge specs and offer a relatively basic plastic chassis while focussing on providing a five-star picture and sound experience, has always resonated with our AV-first preference.

This year's model focuses more on a new camera system (complete with the physical shutter button shortcut) and AI software features, though there are some AV-focused upgrades to keep in mind.

Sony has upgraded the display to 120Hz, which should make scrolling and gaming on the OLED display feel a lot smoother. It also highlights that the new aspect ratio – which it shares this with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple iPhone 16 Pro – should suit 16:9 content better.

And we can't forget the 3.5mm headphone jack, which Sony is still supporting for high resolution wired audio, alongside a long list of wireless audio codecs including Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive and Sony's LDAC options.

Paired with redesigned front-firing stereo speakers that appear to directly address the issue we had regarding the predecessor's cabinet vibration, the latest Xperia 10 should still be a top-choice handset for audiophiles.

We'll need to test the Xperia 10 VII for ourselves to see if it lives up to the lofty expectations set by its predecessors, and we must remember that the Xperia 1 VI was still a five-star device even without the 21:9 display of its predecessor.

Regardless, its the end of an era for Sony, as an AV-first feature that it pioneered on its smartphones for quite some time has now been officially dropped from its lineup.

The Xperia 5 V remains on sale, which is now the only model in Sony's lineup to feature a 21:9 screen, though that handset is swiftly approaching its second year on sale with no sign of an update from Sony, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

If you do want a 2025 smartphone with a 21:9 display, then the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is likely your best bet; though we didn't think it was necessarily the best smartphone for music and movies.

MORE:

Read our full Sony Xperia 10 VI review

As well as our iPhone 16e review

And check out the best smartphones for movies and music

Apple debuted its latest take on the iPhone at last night's "Awe Dropping" event, and I have mixed feelings about it.

The iPhone Air is unquestionably a marvel of engineering, measuring in at just 5.6mm and weighing a mere 165g, making it the antithesis of the bulky Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra that currently occupies my pocket.

Its slender profile, sleek lines, and integrated camera bar make it the most un-iPhone looking iPhone in recent memory, but I'm warming up to the design. In reality, design is what it's all about with this phone, as its futuristic build is its unique selling point.

Despite that, Apple is touting Pro-level iPhone specs here, with the latest A19 Pro chipset, which can also be found in the new iPhone 17 Pro Max. The paper-thin chassis reportedly won't impact battery life either, with Apple claiming an impressive 27 hours of video playback on a single charge.

So, maybe this isn't the form-over-function device I have been bracing myself for since the rumours of a super-slim iPhone began circulating. Well, there is one catch, and it's one that I'm not willing to live with.

The iPhone Air only sports a mono speaker, which is located in the earpiece at the top of the handset and doesn't get any backup from a bottom-mounted loudspeaker like the one you'll find on the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro.

Apple, understandably, didn't shout about this downgrade during its livestreamed event. This is likely because this drawback makes the iPhone Air the first iPhone to not feature a stereo speaker system since the iPhone 6S, which was released a decade ago.

Now, this might not be a dealbreaker to everyone, but as someone who uses their phone's speakers more than they perhaps should, it's not a compromise I'm willing to make.

While I never commit the cardinal sin of blasting music from my phone's speakers, I use them to watch the occasional TV episode, and more frequently to watch TikToks, Instagram Reels and YouTube videos.

While these aren't the cinephile-quality tasks that we usually judge phones on, they're the real-life day-to-day functions that I use my phone for, and I'm willing to bet that's the case with plenty of other people out there.

I'd rather avoid thin-sounding mono audio if possible, so my hopes aren't all that high for the iPhone Air's loudspeaker performance.

I'm also confused as to how Apple will achieve Dolby Atmos audio from a mono speaker, as the recent batch of iPhones have all supported the immersive audio format from their earpiece and loudspeaker combination system, and they've been fairly effective at doing so.

Now, I have to give Apple some credit here, as in the grand scheme of things, this is a fairly modest downgrade. The rest of this slender phone's specifications are pretty impressive, but I'll need to get the phone in hand to figure out how it deals with movies and music.

For now, I'm hesitant to get too excited about it, as this audio-related drawback is pushing me towards the cheaper iPhone 17.

MORE:

Read the full Apple iPhone Air reveal news here

Here's our full iPhone 16 review

As well as our picks for the best iPhones

I've covered every iPhone launch since the original back in 2007, so when it comes to Apple announcements, I'm well versed in sifting the genuinely exciting from the pr guff. And while the iPhone 17 had plenty of the latter, it also had a fair amount of the former, especially when it comes to the screen.

In fact, it's the first phone in recent years that's tempting me to upgrade from my ageing iPhone 12 mini from 2020.

Here's why.

Biggie smalls

The iPhone mini variant is long since retired, of course. It only lasted two iterations before it was replaced by the iPhone 14 Plus in 2022. Apple had decided that people didn't want small phones, and replaced it with a 6.7-inch monster.

But I didn't want such a gargantuan phone. That's why I've stuck with the mini ever since. It does everything I need it to, at a size that fits easily in a pocket. It'll even get the latest iOS 26 operating system. So why upgrade to the iPhone 17?

I can see a few reasons. Firstly, the 120Hz refresh rate. Many would say it's about time Apple gave its base level iPhone a higher refresh rate, and they have a point. Even mid-range Samsung phones now have 120Hz – double the rate of the iPhone 16 – so Apple couldn't really not make the upgrade.

This should mean less blurring during fast-moving content like games, sports and movies. Which is ideal for anyone who enjoys watching or gaming on the go (that's me).

It's an always-on display, too, so you don't need to wake it in order to see certain information like the time. Given that my iPhone sits on a MagSafe charger acting like a bedside clock, this is a feature I would get a lot of use from.

And then there's the size. The 6.3-inch screen is marginally bigger than the iPhone 16's, and a big jump up from the 12 mini's 5.4 inches. But if you're going to go big, you may as well go that bit bigger, right?

The trickle down effect

None of this is new tech, by the way. It was all available in last year's iPhone 16 Pro. (Though interestingly, the iPhone 17 actually has a higher peak brightness outdoors – 3000 nits to 2000 nits – than the 16 Pro.) But it now comes in a more affordable package, one that's more within my means.

Bigger, brighter, with a higher refresh rate and a massive leap on from what I'm currently using, the iPhone 17's screen could finally convince me to put my hand in my pocket. And that's certainly not pr guff.

MORE:

AirPods Pro 3: everything you need to know

The iPhone 17 Pro looks great, but the standard iPhone 17's screen upgrades mean it’s probably all a cinephile needs

The Apple iPhone Air promises the firm's advanced screen and audio tech in a thinner body

Apple has announced the launch of its thinnest smartphone yet – the iPhone Air.

Measuring in at 5.6mm wide with a 6.5-inch OLED display, the Air is being marketed as Apple's thinnest to date. Despite this it has some very cutting edge specifications, including the same 3000 nits of brightness as the new iPhone 17 it was unveiled alongside.

That's a 1000 nit increase on the older iPhone 16's peak brightness that should make it much better for outdoor movie viewing and potentially boost HDR performance.

Apple claims the Air's "exceptionally light" design is achievable thanks to the addition of titanium frame, which has previously only been used in the Pro range. Apple also note that it is using 80 per cent recycled titanium which is the highest percentage for the brand so far.

New Ceramic Shield 2 is also in play which provides improved antireflection, scratch resistance, and significantly better crack resistance for the rear glass than the previous Ceramic Shield according to Apple.

Under the hood of the iPhone Air is the A19 Pro chip which Apple says is the "fastest CPU in any smartphone." The company says this provides three times the computing power of the previous A18 Pro chip, featuring a 6-core CPU for improved bandwidth.

AI is, of course, getting a bigger push with this thin model. Apple has built neural accelerators into each GPU core which the company says provides "MacBook Pro levels of compute in an iPhone."

On top of that, the N1 Apple-designed chip brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity to the phone. There's also a new modem design in the form of the C1X, which Apple says is up to two times faster than the previous iteration. So streaming hi-res music shouldn't be beyond it, even if Apple's not given any detail on specific audio improvements to the phone.

It comes in four colour options: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold and Sky Blue.

But what about the camera? Well, the iPhone Air features a 48MP fusion camera system including a 2x Telephoto system. Apple says this is to adds to the sensor's ability to capture ultra-sharp images and improve low-light performance.

It is capable of capturing 4K Dolby Vision video, complete with a 18MP front Centre Stage camera so you don't need to rotate your camera to snap a landscape selfie.

There's also a Dual Capture feature which uses the front and back cameras at once, creating an overall image that looks reminiscent of the social media app BeReal.

It's worth noting that this new iPhone model does not feature a SIM port, and is moving over completely to eSIM.

The battery life has an "all-day" battery life according to Apple, with up to 40 hours of video playback.

That all sounds exciting, but there is the all-important question of how much this new iPhone will set you back. Apple announced it will be available for $999, but has yet to confirm how much this would be in the UK or Australia. If we were to convert that directly, however, it would come to about £740 / AU$1518.

You can pre-order it from this Friday with availability from 19 September.

We're yet to get the iPhone Air in our test room to see how it performs, especially when it comes to video playback and listening to music, but stay tuned for our full review coming soon.

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Check out our review of the iPhone 16

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: which should you buy?

If you thought Samsung was done announcing new smartphones and tablets for 2025, then you ought to think again.

After launching no less than eight new smartphones this year – four of which are different versions of the flagship Galaxy S25 series – and three new iterations of the Galaxy Tab S10, Samsung is back with yet another phone and its latest generation of iPad adversaries.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE

We'll start with the Galaxy S25 FE, as it's likely the least exciting of the trio of new handheld devices. It sports a Full HD+ Super AMOLED 2X display, with a variable 120Hz refresh rate and a claimed 1900 nits peak brightness.

The display also supports HDR in Samsung's usual HDR10 and HDR10+ combination, although the ProScaler feature that we highly endorsed in our Galaxy S25 Ultra review is sadly not included. That means that lower resolution content will not get the added sharpness and clarity, which is certainly a shame.

However, what you do get is Samsung's Adaptive Vision Booster engine, which adapts the brightness of the display in accordance with ambient lighting conditions and the content on the screen.

Furthermore, you get a plethora of Samsung's premium handset features, such as an Armour Aluminium and Gorilla Glass Victus chassis, a triple rear camera array with 12MP ultra-wide, 50MP wide-angle, and 8MP telephoto lenses, and Samsung's One UI software.

Interestingly, Samsung has chosen this mid-range device to launch its new One UI 8 update, meaning the software experience could be even slicker than the flagship S25 Ultra. Samsung has, however, confirmed that One UI 8 will launch on the rest of the S25 range later this month.

The Galaxy S25 FE starts at a very reasonable £649, and is available in four finishes: Icyblue, White, Navy and Jetblack. Could this be the Android-based answer to Apple's iPhone 16e?

Galaxy Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra

The more intriguing duo of devices from Samsung's latest lineup are the Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra. These are two high-end tablets that tout OLED displays and plenty of AV potential, which could spell trouble for Apple's iPad Pro.

The Galaxy Tab S11 features an 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, with a variable 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 1600 nits, and support for HDR10 and HDR10+.

The Tab S11 Ultra scales that screen up to a whopping 14.6 inches, outdoing Apple's 13-inch iPad Pro M4, though the rest of the specs remain the same as the standard Tab S11.

ProScaler and Adaptive Vision Boost are both supported, meaning lower resolution streamed content should look pin-sharp on these displays thanks to Samsung's clever image upscaling capabilities.

While Samsung is touting the largest display on a Galaxy Tab device to date, it's not compromising when it comes to the design, as these are two super-slender slabs of glass and metal. The Ultra weighs just 692g and measures in at a mere 5.1mm in width.

The S-Pen also gets an upgrade, with a new design that snaps onto the side of the tablet magnetically for charging and convenient storage.

While Samsung is yet to confirm, all of its recent smartphones and tablets have supported Dolby Atmos audio over headphones (wired and wireless) and over speakers, so we expect the Tab S11 series to follow suit.

The Tab S11 starts at £799 for the 128GB Wi-Fi-equipped model, but the price quickly increases to £1149 if you opt to upgrade to 512GB storage and add 5G compatibility.

The Tab S11 Ultra, on the other hand, starts at a cool £1199 for the 256GB Wi-Fi model, with a 1TB version with 5G enabled costing £1699.

Samsung's new handheld devices are available to order now.

MORE:

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

And check out our iPad Pro 13-inch M4 review

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Nestled between the more affordable Galaxy S25 and the feature-packed Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Galaxy S25 Plus offers a compelling proposition for those seeking flagship performance without the premium of Samsung's top-tier device or the commitment to the S Pen stylus.

From £999 / $1000 / AU$1449 for the 256GB model, the Galaxy S25 Plus sits directly alongside Apple's iPhone 16 Pro in terms of pricing, making the comparison between these two flagships almost inevitable.

For many people, the choice between Android and iOS ecosystems will have already been made, but for those sitting on the fence or considering a switch, the Galaxy S25 Plus presents a strong case for Samsung's vision of premium smartphone design.

The question, as always with incremental smartphone updates, is whether Samsung has done enough to justify the upgrade from previous generations – and more importantly, whether it can hold its own against increasingly competitive rivals in the premium smartphone space.

Price

The Galaxy S25 Plus starts at £999 / $1000 / AU$1449 for the 256GB model, with a 512GB variant available for £1099 / $1120 / AU$1649. In the UK, the prices have currently dropped to £899 and £999, respectively.

This pricing puts it in direct competition with Apple's iPhone 16 Plus and around the same ballpark as Google's Pixel 9 Pro – all while offering a significant saving over Samsung's own Galaxy S25 Ultra.

For context, this positions the Galaxy S25 Plus as a premium mid-flagship – more expensive than Samsung's base Galaxy S25, but considerably more affordable than the top-tier Ultra variant.

The pricing strategy makes sense, offering buyers most of the premium features without paying for the Ultra's additional camera capabilities and S Pen functionality that many users will never fully utilise.

Crucially, Samsung's base model also offers double the storage of its iPhone 16 Pro rival. Apple’s offering starts with a frustratingly stingy 128GB for the same price as the base 256GB Galaxy S25 Plus. This makes the Galaxy S25 Plus particularly compelling for users who prefer owning their media files and rely on local storage for high-quality playback.

Build

Samsung has crafted something rather covetable with the Galaxy S25 Plus's design and build quality – at least, in a world where smartphone design innovation has all but stagnated.

While there’s nothing unexpected or groundbreaking, the device feels beautifully well-made and premium in the hands, with a quality that rivals Apple's own iPhone construction. The rounded aluminium frame, combined with a gorgeous frosted glass back, creates a smartphone that's a joy to hold and use daily.

Purists will also particularly appreciate Samsung's attention to symmetry – the rear camera lenses are perfectly aligned, unlike some Android smartphones that seem to throw symmetry out the window when it comes to camera placement. This might seem like a minor detail, but it contributes to the phone's overall sense of refinement and considered design.

The frosted glass back deserves special mention as a particularly pleasant finish. Beyond its attractive appearance, it proves resistant to fingerprints and smudges, maintaining that fresh-from-the-box appearance long after the new gadget feeling wears off.

Our only real criticism of the design centres on the absence of a dedicated shortcut button – an increasingly popular feature on new smartphones. A programmable button could open frequently used apps such as Spotify or Netflix, or even serve as a camera shutter button for photography enthusiasts.

While this omission doesn't detract from the overall build quality, it does feel like a missed opportunity in an otherwise polished design.

Features

The Galaxy S25 Plus arrives with a comprehensive suite of AV-focused features that should appeal to entertainment enthusiasts.

At its heart sits a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a variable refresh rate spanning 1Hz to 120Hz, supporting HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats. The screen delivers a crisp 1440 x 3120 resolution with 498 pixels per inch.

Audio capabilities include stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, though as expected, there's no headphone jack – users will need to rely on USB-C adapters or wireless connectivity. Bluetooth 5.4 with high-quality codecs is also on the cards.

Powering the device is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor – a slightly overclocked version of Qualcomm's flagship chipset.

This is a significant upgrade for UK and European buyers, who previously received Exynos variants that often lagged behind their Snapdragon counterparts in performance and efficiency. Thank you, Samsung.

A 4900mAh battery delivers excellent all-day battery life that will easily see you through a full day of heavy usage, with some users able to stretch into a second day with more conservative habits.

The 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging get the job done, though we wish the likes of Samsung, Google, and Apple would catch up with other smartphone manufacturers, such as Oppo, Nubia, and Xiaomi. Those less mainstream brands all offer much faster charging, from 65W to 120W.

Galaxy S25 Plus storage options include 256GB and 512GB variants, both paired with 12GB of RAM, though there's no microSD expansion available.

Camera duties are handled by a familiar triple-lens set-up – a 50MP main sensor, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.

While Samsung hasn't upgraded the camera hardware from previous generations, improved processing delivers reliably excellent results across various shooting conditions. Daylight photography produces sharp, vibrant images with good dynamic range, while the main sensor handles low-light scenarios admirably – you'll be more than happy with selfies even in a dimly lit pub.

The 3x telephoto provides useful flexibility for portraits and distant subjects, though digital zoom beyond this point shows the limitations of the smaller sensor. The ultrawide lens, while perfectly serviceable for group shots and landscapes, represents the weakest link in the camera array, with slightly softer detail and reduced dynamic range compared with the main sensor.

Video capabilities extend to 8K recording with solid stabilisation, making it a capable choice for content creators. Samsung's AI-enhanced photo editing tools, including object removal and generative fill features, work impressively well for quick touch-ups without the need for dedicated editing software.

Samsung's One UI 7 software brings enhanced AI features, including improved photo editing tools, real-time translation capabilities, and Samsung's ProScaler technology borrowed from the company's TV division. This feature claims to upscale video content by up to 40 per cent, though real-world improvements can be subtle depending on source material quality.

Picture

We test the Galaxy S25 Plus extensively, using both the Vivid and Natural picture modes, with the adaptive refresh rate enabled for optimal performance. The display immediately impresses, with Samsung's signature vibrant, punchy colours and the deep, rich blacks that OLED technology delivers so effectively.

The default colour temperature sits slightly on the cool side but remains pleasingly close to pure white. While most users will find the defaults perfectly acceptable, it's a simple matter to adjust the warmth manually in the display settings to suit personal preference. The comprehensive colour customisation options ensure you can tailor the visual experience to your taste.

However, direct comparison with the iPhone 16 Plus reveals some subtle but noticeable differences. The Galaxy S25 Plus lacks some of the cinematic warmth that Apple's rival provides, and we detect a slight green tint when viewing the devices side by side. This green wash isn't problematic in isolation, but it becomes apparent when scrutinising both devices simultaneously.

Contrast performance, while strong, doesn't quite match the iPhone 16 Plus's capabilities either. The Apple device delivers a more solid, three-dimensional presentation that makes content appear to pop from the screen more convincingly. The Galaxy S25 Plus offers sharp, well-defined edges, but they lack the contrast reinforcement that gives the iPhone its more substantial visual presence.

Motion handling proves mostly excellent, though we notice some judder during demanding sequences – particularly evident in the tank scene from Oppenheimer. While not desperately unpleasant and unlikely to bother most viewers in isolation, it represents another area where the iPhone 16 Plus demonstrates superior performance.

Taken on its own merits, the Galaxy S25 Plus delivers an excellent picture quality experience. It's an engaging screen for movies, gaming and general app usage, with enough display customisation options to satisfy most preferences. The minor issues we've highlighted become apparent primarily when making direct comparisons to best-in-class rivals, rather than representing fundamental flaws in Samsung's implementation.

Sound

The Galaxy S25 Plus delivers a solid audio performance that's improved considerably compared with previous Samsung generations, though it still trails its Apple rival in terms of refinement and subtlety. Testing with various headphones via a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter reveals a generally pleasant listening experience with good spatial separation between instruments.

Complex tracks such as Tool's Pneuma showcase the device's ability to handle intricate arrangements, with Danny Carey's sophisticated drum sequences receiving enough separation and precision to appreciate the complex fills and hypnotising hi-hat work. The Galaxy S25 Plus demonstrates commendable control over these demanding passages.

Agnes Obel's Riverside highlights the phone's capacity for delivering spacious, airy vocals with genuine warmth, fullness and depth. The intimate acoustic arrangement benefits from Samsung's improved processing, creating an engaging listening environment that draws you into the performance.

However, bass-heavy material such as Wolfclub's Summer Lights exposes some limitations. While the low-end remains controlled and without distortion, and there's good separation between bass elements and crisp percussion, the chorus sections reveal a slight harshness in the treble frequencies. The vocals and bass can become somewhat muddied together during particularly dense arrangements.

This tendency becomes more apparent with Pendulum's Witchcraft, where the controlled bass reproduction is undermined by overly sharp highs. Cymbal crashes feel slightly harsh and somewhat unbalanced compared with other mix elements, creating a less cohesive overall presentation.

While these observations might sound overly critical, they reflect the high standards we apply to premium smartphones. Overall, the Galaxy S25 Plus serves up a very pleasant listening experience that will satisfy most users. However, compared with the iPhone 16 Plus, Samsung's device lacks the subtle detail retrieval and textural richness that make Apple's audio performance so compelling.

Verdict

The Galaxy S25 Plus represents Samsung at its most accomplished, delivering a refined flagship experience that successfully balances premium features with more sensible pricing. While it may not represent a revolutionary leap forward from previous generations, it offers the kind of iterative excellence that makes for an outstanding daily driver.

For Android users seeking a premium smartphone experience, the Galaxy S25 Plus makes a compelling case. The build quality rivals anything else in the market, the display delivers vibrant, engaging visuals for entertainment, and the performance capabilities ensure smooth operation across all tasks. Battery life comfortably handles full-day usage, too, while the comprehensive feature set covers all the essential smartphone bases.

The comparisons with Apple's iPhone 16 Plus are inevitable given their similar pricing, and while Samsung's device doesn't quite match its rival's picture contrast or audio subtlety, these differences become apparent primarily through direct side-by-side analysis. Most buyers will find the Galaxy S25 Plus's AV performance more than satisfactory for their entertainment needs.

Perhaps most importantly, the Galaxy S25 Plus offers most of the Ultra's premium features without the price premium, making it the logical choice for buyers who don't require the S Pen or the absolute best camera system Samsung offers.

The generous 256GB base storage – double that of the iPhone 16 Pro at the same price point – makes it particularly attractive for users who prefer owning their media files and rely on local storage for high-quality playback. In the Android ecosystem, it stands as a superb, premium choice that delivers excellent value.

For existing Galaxy S24 or S23 Plus owners, the improvements may not justify an immediate upgrade. However, for those with older devices or considering a switch to Samsung's ecosystem, the Galaxy S25 Plus provides a compelling entry point to flagship Android performance.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Also consider the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Read our review of the Apple iPhone 16 Pro

Read our Sony Xperia 1 VI review

Best smartphones: the best phones for music and movies

We're only about three weeks away from the iPhone 17 launch. Traditionally, price is one of the last nuggets of information to leak, and while Apple is pretty good at keeping its marketing materials under wraps until the big reveal, there's enough information to make a reasonable prediction.

Spoiler: it's not good news.

We're most probably looking at a price rise, which would be the first significant one for an iPhone – not including the SE range – since the iPhone 12. Here's why.

Raising the barrier to entry

Rumours are, of course, far from gospel. We've seen some wildly inaccurate ones over the years. But when a lot of them say the same thing, including some reputable sources with a good track record of being on the money, it's worth taking note.

That's what's happening now. While the list of those predicting a price rise does include some randoms on Weibo, it also encompasses market analysts like Counterpoint Research, accurate leakers like Instant Digital and established media like the The Wall Street Journal.

The most common one regarding price is that Apple will drop the 128GB model of iPhone Pro, starting the 17 Pro at 256GB. This would raise the starting price to £1099 / $1099 / AU$1999.

While not technically a price rise – you would pay the same for a 256GB iPhone 16 Pro today – it would still raise the barrier to entry.

Apple has previous with this. It did the same with the iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023. So such a move seems likely for the iPhone 17 Pro. After all, who's buying a 128GB phone nowadays, especially one as well-specced as a Pro Max? Even with cloud storage, 128GB really is a paltry amount.

But there's potentially bad news for even those considering a non-Pro model of iPhone. Another rumour posits a $50 price rise across the range. Which would be the first 'proper' price rise since the iPhone 12 in 2020.

Brace yourselves, as we can see this coming to pass.

All rise?

It's worth noting that while the core iPhone range hasn't really increased in price since the iPhone 12, Apple is by no means a stranger to price rises.

Last year's iPad Pro M4 launched at £50 / $200 / AU$200 more than the model it replaced, though it did add an OLED screen. Prices for Apple's AirPods have stayed in line in recent years, but the price of Apple's more affordable iPhones have crept up.

The first iPhone SE launched in 2016 at £399 / $399, which stayed the same for the second-gen model in 2020. This increased to £429 / $429 for the third-gen SE in 2022. But this year's iPhone 16e raised it to £599 / $599 / AU$999.

That's hardly budget by most standards. But then with the levels of inflation we've seen in recent years, the definition of 'budget' has changed. Everything has become more expensive. Really, it's amazing we've not seen a similar increase to the core iPhone range.

2020 was a long time ago, after all. Boris Johnson was Prime Minister, Netflix's Tiger King was the talk of the town, and everyone was struggling to adjust to the 'new normal'. It was like a different world.

Apple is also rumoured to introduce a new iPhone 17 Air model in September. Any change to the existing lineup will come with significant research and development costs, which again, suggests a price rise is on the cards.

Certain of uncertainty

Then there's the shadow of US tariffs that loom large over any discussion of price.

To say the situation is a little confusing would be understating it. Apple has recently invested over $500 billion into the US in a bid to avoid tariffs. CEO Tim Cook even presented President Trump with a little statue.

Even if the plan works and Apple doesn't have to pay the tariffs, it's unlikely to just suck up that hit of a half billion dollars. Sonos recently announced it would rise prices on some products later this year, due to tariffs hitting its production hubs of Vietnam and Malaysia. So all tech companies are feeling the effects.

But with tariffs being repeatedly paused and changed, the only certainty businesses have is uncertainty. Which is something they really don't like.

Prepare to pay more

It's been a good run. The fact that the base level iPhone has remained at £799 / $799 since the days of Bad Boys For Life lighting up the box office is really quite staggering.

But all the signs are there. Global economic turmoil, price rises elsewhere, plus Apple's own recent product history all point to the iPhone 17 costing more than its predecessor.

We'll find out for sure next month.

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Check out all the iPhone 17 rumours

What we know so far about Apple's rumoured folding iPhone

And the best smartphones around

Google has teased its latest generation of smartphones, including a full reveal of the Pixel 10's design. The latest iterations of the Android-powered handset are set to launch next month, with a launch event scheduled for 20th August.

The Pixel 10, which is designed in-house at Google and will be powered by the company's Tensor processor, appears to be practically identical to the outgoing Pixel 9 series in the early teaser images.

That being said, we're expecting to see numerous under-the-hood upgrades. Namely, a new version of the Tensor processor and likely a handful of new AI features; Google has been pushing its Gemini AI service on several of its products, including the Google TV Streamer.

Little else is known about what the Pixel 10 series will bring to the table, and we are yet to hear any rumblings about its AV potential.

However, if it's anything like the Pixel 9 series, which featured OLED panels with HDR10+ support and Qualcomm's aptX HD Bluetooth codec for high-quality wireless audio, then we could be in for a treat.

We'll have to wait until 20th August to find out more, with a full livestreamed unveiling expected. No timings have been confirmed as of yet, but we will provide full coverage of the event, so stay tuned.

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Check out our picks for the best smartphones

As well as our Google Pixel 8 review

And our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

Samsung has announced its latest series of foldable smartphones – and there's a lot to cover, so strap in.

The new devices are the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, the first of which is a successor to a five-star handset from last year.

Both the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 feature the ProScaler upscaling feature that launched on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which Samsung says it created in tandem with its 8K TV division.

We approved of this feature greatly on the Ultra, so are looking forward to seeing how it performs on the new foldable phones.

Pair that with Dolby Atmos support with the speakers and headphones (both over a wired and wireless connection), and the new Samsung Galaxy smartphones could be a pair of AV powerhouses.

The Fold 7 sports a slender new design that is just 4.2mm thick when unfolded, complete with a new Armour Flex hinge and multi-rail structure for a smoother folding action.

Despite its paper-thin frame, it has been outfitted with Samsung's latest Advanced Aluminium Armour casing, as well as Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and Ceramic 2 coatings for enhanced durability.

It also has new displays, with a larger new 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Quad HD interior display, which features a dynamic refresh rate up to 120Hz and a claimed peak brightness of 2600 nits.

The cover display is arguably even better for watching movies, as it's a 6.5-inch screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio (and the same specification as the interior display), perfect for cinematic content.

Samsung's new flagship foldable sports the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite for Galaxy processor, and either 12GB of RAM with the 256GB and 512GB models or 16GB of RAM with the 1TB version.

You'll also find an upgraded camera system, with the 200MP main lens from the S25 Ultra making its way to the Z Fold series, backed by a 10MP telephoto and a new 12MP ultra-wide lens with autofocus.

Moving on to the new Galaxy Z Flip 7, this smartphone also sports a new design with an edge-to-edge cover display and a 6.9-inch 21:9 aspect ratio main display.

The main display sounds ideal for consuming movies on the go, with HDR10+ support, a claimed 2600-nits peak brightness, and a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

Samsung has opted to switch to an Exynos chipset with the Flip instead of a Qualcomm processor, though it still supports the same Android 15 operating system with One UI 8 running over the top, and all of the Galaxy AI features on board.

Finally, the dual-camera system sports a 50MP main and 12MP ultra-wide lens, with enhanced night-photography performance.

Samsung also launched a surprise new foldable in the form of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 FE, which is an affordable entry point into the Galaxy Z series.

It looks to be an updated version of the existing Z Flip 6, with a 6.7-inch AMOLED main display and plenty of Samsung's latest software features, including Galaxy AI and the Now Brief system.

These new flexible phones are set to launch on the 25th of July, and you can find pricing for all new models below:

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, available in Silver Shadow, Blue Shadow, Jetblack and Mint:

• 12GB/256GB: £1799 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 12GB/512GB: £1899 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 16GB/1TB: £2149 / $TBC / AU$TBC

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, available in Coral Red, Blue Shadow, Jetblack and Mint:

• 12GB/256GB: £1049 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 12GB/512GB: £1149 / $TBC / AU$TBC

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 FE, available in Black or White:

• 12GB/128GB: £849 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 12GB/256GB: £909 / $TBC / AU$TBC

MORE:

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review

As well as our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

And check out our picks for the best smartphones

Nothing has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Nothing Phone (3).

We've always been a little ambivalent about the young brand's attempts at making budget wireless earbuds, but we have some affection for how it handles smartphones.

The Nothing Phone (1) is an admirable performer, and I've personally got two Nothing phones stashed in my backpack for taking pictures of various test products.

That flagship range of smartphones could do with some improvement, though, and that's just what Nothing teased with its big unveiling at the start of July.

Wholesale upgrades have been promised, but there are some major tweaks that I think could take the Nothing Phone (3) to the next level.

A faster, smoother experience

Powered by Snapdragon's 8s Gen 4 mobile platform, Nothing's latest flagbearer comes burdened with the promise of a faster, smoother user performance from its implementation of Nothing OS 3.5, with the British brand boasting a 36 per cent faster CPU and an 88 per cent faster GPU compared with the old model.

That's encouraging stuff, as one of the things I've occasionally struggled with has been the occasional lag or imprecision of my second-gen handset. Only sometimes, the Nothing (2) can feel a tad sluggish or unresponsive, especially if you're used to the lightning-fast reaction times of Apple's latest iPhone roster.

I'm also hoping that improvements to the mobile platform will result in fewer bugs. At key moments, the second-gen model can completely crash when operating certain apps or using the camera – rectifying those issues would make my photography sessions even more of a breeze.

Even better cameras

Whether it's the Nothing Phone (1) or the Phone (2), I much prefer snapping product pics with the former pair than with my iPhone 15 – they're clearer, richer and are more adept at giving pictures a sense of depth and scale. Seriously, I love those cameras.

The fact that those cameras are being upgraded this time around, then, is exciting news. The new flagship boasts a 50-megapixel lens alongside a 50MP ultra-wide lens and a 50MP telephoto lens, improvements that tease more dynamic and authentic reproductions, even in low light.

For someone who spends much of his time snapping on-hand pictures of oft-tricky products, that's an exciting prospect.

I also like the fact that there's a small square red dot on the back of the device that lights up when you start recording with one of the main rear cameras.

Speaking of lights...

Glyphs are back, baby!

I mean this completely unironically: I love the Nothing glyphs. Ok, I don't use them particularly often, but there's a fun novelty of having the back of your phone light up in a variety of configurations depending on the function being performed or the alert being received. I like products to be fun, and glyphs are certainly fun, if nothing else.

Nothing has had a rethink of how it's implementing glyphs into the Nothing Phone (3), debuting a new glyph matrix design housed in a screen mounted on the phone's backside to the right of the camera array.

That new matrix lets users customise their glyph with a range of functionalities, a little like modding your favourite video game, later down the line. For now, there's a healthy array including a 'spin the bottle' feature, a stopwatch, a timer and a spirit-level bubble type thing.

I really like the idea of these new 'Glyph Toys'. Having a handy little window wherein you can quickly access a notification or function reminds me of the days of Blackberry, wherein you could see who had messaged you depending on the colour of the light the phone displayed next to its camera. I think my girlfriend was light purple...

Spin the bottle is a bit of a gimmick, but a back-mounted stopwatch or battery indicator? I can definitely see the appeal when you just want a handy tool accessible at a glance.

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Hands on: Nothing Headphone (1) review

7 tracks we've been using in our test rooms over the past month

These are the best smartphones you can buy

Sony's Xperia series has been an oddity in the smartphone world for quite some time, and its dwindling popularity against heavy hitters such as Apple and Samsung is hard to ignore.

Despite the difficulties, Sony has remained steadfast in continuing production of its Xperia phones; that, though, might be about to change. Rumours are circulating that Sony's new Android smartphone will usher in a new era, in which it won't have a hand in its production.

A report from Smartphone Digest (via Android Authority) claims that the Xperia 1 VII, which was announced just a couple of weeks ago, won't be manufactured by Sony internally.

Instead, Sony could be outsourcing assembly of its latest premium smartphone to third-party manufacturers, as evidenced by the removal of any mention of smartphones on its manufacturing-focused website.

Sony already uses other manufacturers to assemble the step-down smartphones in its range, namely the mid-range Xperia 5 and entry-level Xperia 10, so the Xperia 1 appears to be following in the footsteps of its siblings.

Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that the Xperia range is winding down. However, it does seem that Sony has taken an unusually reserved approach to announcing its smartphones for the last couple of years.

The Xperia 5 V is still awaiting a successor, despite launching back in 2023. Though there might not be much use in waiting, as Sony reportedly cancelled the Xperia 5 VI last year.

The Japanese-language publication Impress Watch (also via Android Authority) reported that Sony opted to continue selling the five-star Xperia 5 V instead of launching a sequel, and the company is yet to confirm if the Xperia 5 series will return this year.

The Xperia 10, on the other hand, is often refreshed alongside the flagship model yet there was no mention of an Xperia 10 VII at Sony's last launch event.

Considering the last three generations of Sony's budget smartphones have picked up Awards, we're eagerly anticipating the next version's announcement.

Overall, it seems as though Sony's Xperia phones are in somewhat of a limbo state, though the 1 VII's upgrades to picture and sound performance are certainly appealing to us, so we hope to see the rest of the lineup get the same attention later this year.

As for the shift in manufacturing strategy, it's unclear what impact this will have on the new Xperia 1, though we didn't notice anything too out of the ordinary when we reviewed the latest generation Xperia 10 and Xperia 5 devices.

Generally speaking, it could either be the lifeline that the Xperia series requires, or Sony's way of sidelining its smartphone division without abandoning it entirely; only time will tell.

MORE:

Read our full Sony Xperia 1 VI review

As well as our Sony Xperia 10 VI review

And check out our picks for the best smartphones

September has become synonymous with new iPhone launches – and this year’s announcement could see the arrival of an entirely new model.

Rumours are rife that Apple is preparing to launch a new ultra-thin iPhone, much as Samsung has done with its new Galaxy S25 Edge.

So just how thin could it be? And what compromises might Apple have to make to achieve it? We’ve combed through all the latest speculation and summed it up for you below.

• iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: which should you buy?
• The iPhone 16e's downgrades are in all the right places if movies on the move are your priority
• iPad Air M3 vs iPad Pro M4: what's the difference?

iPhone 17 Air: Release date speculation

Until the iPhone 17 Air (a pretty solid prediction for what it will be called given the use of the ‘Air’ name in Apple’s other products) is officially announced, any suggested release date is purely speculation. Having said that, you can practically set your watch by Apple’s iPhone launch schedule, so we can at least attempt to narrow it down somewhat.

Five of the past six iPhone launch events have happened in the first half of September (between the 7th and 14th), with only 2020’s iPhone 12 coming later due to disruption caused by the Covid pandemic that swept the world in that year.

With reports suggesting that Apple will start to split its launches across two periods, and with this being a new entry into the iPhone range, it could be that the Air model is held back for 2026 – but the expectation is that this new spring window will be for cheaper models such as the iPhone 16e.

iPhone 17 Air: Price predictions

It’s fair to assume that the Air would slot into the iPhone range in the same way that the iPad Air and MacBook Air fit into their respective product line-ups: right in the middle.

That will leave the iPhone Pro (and its larger Max variant) at the top of the range, with the Air coming in slightly cheaper, and the standard iPhone remaining as the most affordable option of the most recent generation. A cheaper 17e model would be unlikely to appear until further down the line (possibly as part of the aforementioned spring release).

In terms of actual prices, specific numbers would be pure speculation right now, particularly given the uncertainty caused by recent tariff changes in the US. Donald Trump has recently threatened to charge Apple a 25 per cent tariff on any iPhones sold in the US that are made outside the country (Apple has recently shifted production of the majority of its US-bound phones from China to India).

When the iPhone 16 launched last year, prices were generally the same as they were for the iPhone 15 (in Australia they actually went down), but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them rise this time round.

As a rough guide, here are the prices for the current iPhone range:

iPhone 17 Air: Design and build

The Air name implies lack of weight rather than thinness, but ever since Steve Jobs unveiled the original MacBook Air by removing it from a manila envelope the main selling point of Apple’s Air products has been just how impossibly skinny they are.

Various rumours have the iPhone 17 Air pegged to measure between 5mm and 6.25mm thick, but, with a camera bump expected to be part of the design, chances are it won’t be a uniform thinness from top to bottom.

Wherever in that spectrum it might land, it would still be the thinnest iPhone ever made, a title that’s currently held by the 6.9mm iPhone 6, and around 2mm thinner than the current iPhone 16 Pro (above).

The iPhone 6 was released more than a decade ago, though, and handsets have increased in size since then as manufacturers have had to find space for bigger screens, more capable cameras, and higher-capacity batteries to power them.

It seems inevitable that some compromises will have to be made to achieve such a slimline chassis. The suggestion is that a titanium-aluminium alloy will be used to keep the weight down to around 145g.

iPhone 17 Air: Display

There are some minor disagreements when it comes to the rumoured size of the iPhone 17 Air’s screen, with some saying it will be a 6.6-inch OLED and others suggesting it will come in at a slightly larger 6.7-inches.

The former would put it in between the current iPhone Pro Max and the standard iPhone (above). This works in terms of its position in the range – but, with such a small margin between the two, either would seem equally plausible.

What most reports do agree on is that it will have 120Hz ProMotion display technology and offer an always-on mode, with a Dynamic Island to house the Face ID sensors. Some analysts, however, disagree on whether that will remain unchanged from the iPhone 16 range.

Jeff Pu has suggested that the Dynamic Island could be made smaller on the Pro Max, but Ming-Chi Kuo believes that it will remain “largely unchanged” across the entire iPhone 17 line-up.

There have also been some speculative suggestions that the iPhone 17 Air could use an entirely new screen technology in order to achieve the necessary thinness. Back in October 2024, DigiTimes reported that Apple would be one of the first companies to buy screens that use TDDI technology, which combines the touch and display layers. Sounds ideal for a new super-thin iPhone, right?

iPhone 17 Air: Specs and features

Each new iPhone generation comes with a new chip to power it – and the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be no different.

Apple will introduce its new, more powerful A19 processors with the iPhone 17 range and as usual it will comprise two different chips: the A19 and A19 Pro. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to pair 8GB of RAM with the standard A19, which makes sense for a couple of reasons.

First, the Pro version of the chip tends to be reserved for the Pro version of the phone (the clue’s in the name), and with the slim chassis meaning there is less room for the battery – one leak suggests it will have a capacity of just 2800mAh – a less power-hungry chip would be required to make it last as long as possible between charges.

That might sound paltry – for context the battery inside the new 6.7-inch Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which measures 5.8mm thick, is 3900mAh and lasts about a day – but there are multiple reports that Apple will use a new type of higher-density silicon-anode battery technology to make it last longer than the raw numbers would suggest.

There is a suggestion that a case with a built-in battery will also be available, but surely even the most ardent Apple fan wouldn’t buy a phone that’s USP is thinness and then make it fatter with a case.

The iPhone 17 Air could also see a couple of changes in terms of connectivity. For starters it’s expected to ditch the physical SIM tray in favour of an eSIM. That might seem like a minor change but it will help to free up more crucial space within the chassis, while it could also be the only model in the iPhone 17 range to use Apple’s own C1 modem, which is currently found only in the 16e (above).

iPhone 17 Air: Cameras

The biggest compromise looks to be made when it comes to the iPhone 17 Air’s camera.

Smartphone buyers have grown accustomed to handsets with multiple lenses crammed onto the back, but a recent video posted on X by known leaker Majin Bu shows just a single camera on the back of the iPhone 17 Air.

Most Apple tipsters expect this single camera to be a 48MP job, the same as you currently get on the iPhone 16 Pro, with a 24MP one on the front.

iPhone 17 Air: Early verdict

We’re still a little way away from the expected reveal of the iPhone 17 Air, but with every new leak a clearer picture of what it could look like is starting to appear.

While the exact dimensions won’t be known for certain until it is made official at Apple HQ, it seems certain that we’ll be shown the thinnest iPhone ever made. But will it come at the expense of its camera capabilities and battery life?

We should know for sure in early September.

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Sony has officially announced the latest flagship in its long-running Xperia smartphone line, with the Xperia 1 VII touting a wide range of AV upgrades over its predecessor.

It's set to provide a picture and sound-first approach – something we've approved of for many generations – with a new partnership that should "take sound quality to the next level".

Sony's smartphone team has enlisted the help of the Walkman division to boost audio quality on this new handset. The Sony Xperia 1 VII remains one of the very few flagship phones to include a 3.5mm headphone jack, but Sony has taken it a step further in its dedication to audio performance on its smartphones.

Sony claims that it tested a range of high-quality internal components from its Walkman portable music players, leading to a new headphone jack that is manufactured with high-quality solder containing gold to "enhance the reproduction of subtle sounds" and "improve the soundstage and directional accuracy".

For those who prefer to listen to their music over a pair of the best wireless headphones, you'll be pleased to hear that the LDAC and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs are supported for high-quality wireless audio. It also supports Dolby Atmos over the speakers and via headphones.

As if those audio upgrades weren't enough, Sony has also improved the full-stage stereo speakers on this handset; it's touting an "even more realistic" sound, which isn't a quantifiable upgrade per se, but we'll take an upgrade regardless.

Sony is also continuing its partnership with its Bravia TV division, something that was established in greater detail last year after the launch of the updated Bravia TV range (which includes the Award-winning Bravia 8 OLED TV).

The new smartphone's 6.5-inch Full HD+ OLED display has been tuned by Bravia, and it features a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate too. While we do miss the overkill 4K 21:9 display from the Xperia 1 V and IV, we understand the benefits to usability and battery life. Plus, if the performance is anything like that of the five-star Xperia 1 VI, then we should have nothing to worry about.

In fact, Sony says it has implemented an AI system to help reproduce some of the best aspects of its Bravia TVs, including colour, contrast, texture and three dimensionality.

The display is also getting a 20 per cent brightness upgrade, as Sony claims it's the brightest screen in an Xperia device to date. It's paired with a new rear light sensor that should adapt the display settings to suit a range of ambient light conditions.

Elsewhere, the Xperia VII features the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite processor with 12GB of RAM, and it runs Android 15; the latest version of the operating system. Sony has jumped on the AI bandwagon with its new Xperia Intelligence suite, which plays a hand in the picture, sound and photography aspects of this device.

On the subject of photography, the Xperia 1 VII sports three rear sensors in total: a 48MP main shooter, 12MP telephoto lens, and a 48MP ultrawide camera. These should pair well with Sony's professional camera app and dedicated camera shutter button for an in-depth smartphone photography experience.

The Sony Xperia 1 VII is available to order now for £1399 (a £100 increase from the Xperia 1 VI's price), and you can pick between three finishes: Slate Black, Moss Green and Orchid Purple. Sony is also running a promotion in which you can get a free pair of the excellent, Award-winning WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones if you pre-order the Xperia 1 VII.

Much like the previous generation devices in this series, it appears as though Sony will not launch the Xperia 1 VII in the US.

MORE:

Read our full Sony Xperia 1 VI review

And our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

Check out our picks for the best smartphones

The iPhone 16e marks quite the departure from Apple’s previous budget phones.

The last iPhone SE, which came out during the reign of the iPhone 13 series, had a smaller, lower-resolution screen than all of the ‘proper’ iPhones and was the only one without HDR. It had a shorter battery life, too.

It was still good for the money, but the iPhone SE rather gave off my-first-iPhone vibes, and it was a serious downgrade if watching movies was a priority.

The iPhone 16e is very different. It has an HDR OLED display that’s the same size as that of the iPhone 16, and with an identical pixel density. And battery life is, in fact, better than the iPhone 16’s.

Sacrifices have been made, of course, but they’re in all the right places if your priorities align with ours – and the performance bears that out.

Price

iPhone 16e prices start at £599 / $599 / AU$999. That gets you 128GB of internal storage, but 256GB (£699 / $699 / AU$1199) and 512GB (£899 / $899 / AU$1549) versions are also available.

Each version of the iPhone 16e is £200 / $200 / AU$400) cheaper than the equivalent iPhone 16.

That pricing is rather unusual, in that it sits below the cheapest premium phones from other brands (there’s no Samsung Galaxy S25 at this level, for example) but doesn’t drift into the genuine cheap smartphone category in which you will find the Award-winning Sony Xperia 10 VI (£349 in the UK but not available in the US or Australia).

Design

The 16e is immediately recognisable as a modern iPhone, but there are some obvious design differences between it and the standard iPhone 16.

The most obvious of these is the camera. We’re so used now to seeing bug-eye arrays of lenses on the back of our phones that the iPhone 16e’s single lens makes the rear of the phone look a bit naked.

That rear is glass, like the iPhone 16’s, but it isn’t ‘colour-infused’. In fact, the iPhone 16e isn’t available in any colours: you can only choose between black and white.

The phone’s surround is aluminium, again like the iPhone 16’s, but the finish is light silver regardless of whether the main body is black or white.

All told, our white sample looks really crisp and smart, and certainly far from cheap.

The front of the phone features Ceramic Shield technology, though seemingly of an older design than is used on the iPhone 16. The IP68 rating remains, however, and means the iPhone 16e is waterproof down to 1m for up to 30 minutes.

Given that the iPhone 16e’s screen is almost identical in size to that of the iPhone 16, it’s little surprise that the two phones are almost identical in terms of overall dimensions. The 16e is around a millimetre less tall than the 16 and a gnat’s whisker less wide, and there’s just 3g of difference in weight. Depth is an identical, and very svelte, 7.8mm.

Features

The iPhone 16e’s screen is a 6.1-inch OLED affair with a resolution of 2532 x 1170. That’s actually a few pixels shy of the iPhone 16’s 2556 x 1179 thanks to the slightly different profile of the phones’ corners, but side-by-side, the screens appear identical in size.

Pixel density is the same 460ppi (pixels per inch) and, like its more premium siblings, the iPhone 16e supports all four major HDR formats: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

However, while the 16e has the same claimed contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1 as the other iPhone 16 models, its peak brightness is lower: 1200 nits in HDR compared with 1600 nits for the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro.

Also, unlike the other iPhone 16 models, the 16e isn’t able to further boost brightness in very bright, outdoor lighting. This is definitely something to bear in mind, and we’ll come back to it in the picture section.

The iPhone 16e’s screen also differs from those of the other iPhone 16 models in that it has an old-school notch rather than the Dynamic Island. Truthfully, while the Dynamic Island occasionally presents some neat contextual touches, such as teeny tiny album artwork when playing music, it doesn’t feel essential, and it’s no less intrusive than a notch when watching movies.

Powering the iPhone 16e is the same A18 chip that you’ll find in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, but while it has the same number of CPU cores (six) and Neural Engine cores (12), the iPhone 16e has four GPU cores compared with the iPhone 16’s five and 16 Pro’s six.

That ‘missing’ GPU core makes the iPhone 16e slightly less powerful when it comes to intense graphical challenges, but it has no trouble with any of the games we throw at it during testing. You’ll likely only feel the difference in games and apps that appear in the coming years, so how much this deficiency matters to you will really depend on how long you tend to keep your phones.

In day-to-day use, it’s the CPU that matters most, so it’s little surprise that we find the iPhone 16e performs just as snappily as the iPhone 16 when navigating the OS and switching apps.

As mentioned, the biggest, most obvious downgrade for the iPhone 16e is to the camera system, but it’s surprising how little difference this makes for much of the time.

While the 16e does without the 16’s 12MP ultrawide camera, it has the same 48MP ‘Fusion’ main camera, and most of the daylight shots we take using both phones during testing are exceptionally alike.

The iPhone 16 pulls out a little more shadow detail, but for general contrast, sharpness, detail and colours, all of the photos could have been taken by either phone.

The subjects of portrait shots are a little more softly defined by the iPhone 16e than the iPhone 16, which uses its ultrawide camera for increased depth recognition, but they still look lovely.

But it’s nighttime shots that are most different, with the 16e digging up way less information than the iPhone 16. It’s still more than good enough to document all of the sordid details of a night out, but if you’re serious about dark photography, the iPhone 16e might not be for you.

Ditto if you’re into snapping insects or flowers: without that Ultra Wide lens, the iPhone 16e doesn’t have a proper macro photography mode.

Picture

We start our picture testing with Alex Garland’s excellent Civil War in Dolby Vision from the Apple TV app, and the results are very much in line with what we’ve come to expect from Apple’s smartphones.

The picture is beautifully sharp, detailed and vibrant, just as this film is supposed to be. In the hugely tense scene in which the team of journalists crosses the path of an unhinged, racist militia member (played to chilling perfection by Jesse Plemons), the iPhone 16e does a great job of crisply defining the terrified characters against the lush, bright landscape behind them, and of revealing their fear and shock in the close-ups of their faces.

The red of the militiaman’s bizarre glasses is brilliantly vivid, and while it’s true that there’s a little red oversaturation in general when compared against the iPhone 16, the small amount of extra rosiness the iPhone 16e occasionally adds to skin tones isn’t unpleasant and never looks unnatural.

Switching to Alien: Romulus, again in Dolby Vision via the Apple TV app, we find to our surprise that the iPhone 16e is actually a little more strident in the depth of its blacks than the iPhone 16 is.

That makes for an even more solid and contrasty appearance, but it does come at a cost to shadow detail. When watching in a dimly lit room, the iPhone 16e still digs up plenty of picture information from the dark corridors of the Renaissance space station, but in a bright room, it can be a little hard to keep up with all of the action.

The iPhone 16’s ability to tap into greater brightness reserves allows it to punch through more ambient light, too, so if you regularly watch movies in very bright conditions, it’s marginally worth spending the extra money on the ‘proper’ iPhone.

In most conditions, though, the iPhone 16e is pretty much a match for its more expensive sibling, which means it delivers a really satisfying cinematic experience in a very portable package.

Sound

Apple barely talks about audio quality with any of its phones or tablets, yet it produces some of the best-sounding examples of those devices – and the iPhone 16e is no exception.

Using a pair of quality headphones (whether wireless or wired via a USB-C adapter), the sound is more or less identical to that of the iPhone 16. Which is to say rich and warm but not coloured, brilliantly punchy and rhythmic, and terrifically detailed and dynamic.

A couple of times during testing, for example with Trials of the Past by SBTRKT and Speaking Gently by Badbadnotgood, we get the faintest sense that the iPhone 16e is hitting the leading edge of notes a little more crisply than the iPhone 16 but that the latter has a little more volume to those notes, but we are talking exceptionally slim margins.

It’s a different story with the integrated speakers, which have definitely been downgraded for the iPhone 16e. The budget phone doesn’t go as loud as its more expensive siblings, and it’s significantly less weighty.

But while the iPhone 16e sounds a little lightweight compared to the best phones, it’s also detailed, energetic and fairly spacious, so it will more than do in a pinch.

Verdict

The iPhone 16e is a very different proposition to Apple’s SE phones of old. This is a phone that delivers most of the iPhone 16 ownership experience, particularly where picture and sound quality are concerned, for a healthy chunk of change less.

If you’re more than just a point-and-shoot photographer or you regularly watch movies in very bright sunlight, the iPhone 16 or 16 Pro are worth the extra outlay, but for most people, the iPhone 16e feels like all the phone they will need.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 5
• Features 5

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Read our review of the Apple iPhone 16

Also consider the Sony Xperia 10 VI

Best smartphones: the best phones for music and movies

A foldable iPhone called, it figures, the 'iPhone Fold' is the rumour that will not die, but maybe with good cause. Because while the device has been rumoured for the best part of a decade, now there are signs it could finally launch soon. This September, in fact, alongside members of the iPhone 18 family (though not, curiously, the iPhone 18 itself).

So what rumours are currently circulating? And how could Apple's first foldable stand out from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold and Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold?

One report goes into detail on the latter, spelling out how Apple could take the lead in the foldables war.

Here's everything we know so far.

iPhone Fold: design rumours

Foldable phones come in two varieties: 'standard' foldables that open like a paperback book, and flip phones (like those from the early 2000s) that open like a make-up mirror. Samsung makes both: the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the former, and the Z Flip 7 the latter.

Apple's iPhone Fold has been linked to both designs in the past, which doesn't help clarify which form factor the device will actually take. Early rumours said it would be a flip phone, while more recent rumblings concern a more standard foldable design.

We would expect the latter, as it would allow for a larger screen. Flip phones typically have smaller screens, whereas more standard foldables often open up to offer a display of around 7-8 inches across the diagonal. That's the equivalent of a small tablet like the iPad Mini.

(Indeed, one render via AppleInsider shows a more square form factor when unfolded, similar to the iPad Mini.)

With Apple's mobile OLED screens among the best in the business, we would expect it to use a standard foldable design in order to maximise screen real estate.

As for where that leaves the iPad Mini, it's anyone's guess...

iPhone Fold: launch rumours

A foldable iPhone has been rumoured for years, with many potential launch windows mooted. But recently more credible sources have been weighing in, with a consensus – of sorts – emerging.

If they're right, the iPhone Fold could launch as soon as this September.

Analyst Jeff Pu predicts (via 9to5Mac) that the foldable iPhone will launch in 2026 alongside a foldable iPad. This backed up a previous report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Pu and Gurman are two of the most reliable Apple analysts around. While some others predict we won't see Apple's foldable(s) until 2027, the fact that these two agree suggests we might see Apple enter the foldables arena sooner rather than later.

Respected tipster Momentary Digital says that Samsung is expected to begin mass production of its foldable screen – for use in the iPhone Fold – in May, which would suggest a September launch is on the cards.

It could play havoc with the usual iPhone launch schedule. A recent report says that Apple might split its future iPhone launches across two separate release windows – so the Fold, Pros and Air in the autumn, and lower-end models (non-Pros and iPhone 'e' variant like the recent iPhone 17e) the following spring.

That's in order to give the foldable more prominence at the launch event without the more affordable phones being lost in the sea of announcements.

The foldable iPhone could be updated annually, making it a permanent member of the iPhone family. Korean news site ET News reports that the foldable will sit above the Pro and Pro Max in the annual iPhone lineup – meaning it could be higher-specced that most rumours have said. And even more expensive.

iPhone Fold: screen speculation

But we don't have to rely on intuition as to what size screen Apple will use. There's a very high likelihood the screen pictured above will feature in the iPhone Fold.

The display in question is made by Samsung Display, a major supplier of iPhone screens. It's the firm's first crease-free foldable display, and was shown off at trade show CES 2026 (as spotted by SamMobile).

At the show, Samsung showed the screen side by side with that of the Z Fold 7, the firm's latest foldable. The Z Fold 7 earned four stars from us, and while we commented that you can see its screen crease at certain angles and especially with a bright light above, we added that it's "it’s genuinely invisible during normal, face-on viewing."

With this latest foldable screen, the crease promises to be genuinely invisible all of the time. Which would improve the viewing experience no end.

This was supported by previous reports from Business Koreaand Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman notes that the iPhone Fold will have a "much higher-quality hinge", echoing earlier reports that mentioned an amorphous alloy (metallic glass) hinge that's not only stronger, but able to go flatter when open too.

Leaker Setsuna Digital posted speculation on the hinge on Chinese social network Weibo. They support previous claims that Apple will use 'Liquid Metal' for the component, which is described as an "amorphous alloy" or "metallic glass." It's claimed to be 2.5 times tougher than an aluminium alloy, and be extremely resistant to bending, deformation and depression.

Leaker Fixed Focus Digital also commented that it's commonly thought within the industry that the iPhone Fold "may have a flatness exceeding that of many currently available domestically produced foldable screen models." Which suggests Apple has nailed the hinge.

So it seems Apple has addressed the two problems with early foldables: a visible screen crease, and flaky hinge that even snapped in some cases. Apple is unlikely to risk the reputational damage either of these issues would cause, hence the multiple delays to the iPhone Fold. Sometimes it pays not to be first to market.

There's more to go on. One of the most well-respected Apple analysts around, Ming-Chi Kuo, shared his predictions in a March 2025 blog post on what an iPhone Fold will look like.

He reckons the device will have a "book-like" design, with a 5.5-inch exterior screen and a 7.8-inch display once opened up.

That external screen would be smaller than that of the iPhone 17 (which is 6.3 inches), and than those of rivals the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (6.5 inches) and Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold (6.4 inches). Its folded out screen would also be marginally smaller than the Z Fold 7's (8 inches) and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's (also 8 inches).

We would expect a foldable iPhone to have the same 120Hz ProMotion display technology as the iPhone 17 family. This gives those phones double the maximum refresh rate of the 60Hz iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, meaning less blur during fast-moving games and movies.

iPhone Fold: potential specs

Lately, more details on the potential specs of the iPhone Fold have started to emerge.

In his extensive blog post, seasoned Apple watcher Ming-Chi Kuo predicts the foldable will be a "true AI-driven phone". Given the direction of travel in recent years across the smartphone sector as a whole, that's hardly surprising – even the entry-level iPhone 16e has artificial intelligence smarts.

"Multimodal functionality and cross-app integration are the trends in AI device use cases," he notes. "Larger screens enhance the AI experience, enabling scenarios like chatting with a chatbot about travel plans while viewing a full map app simultaneously."

Apple is keen to avoid a bulky device, and will reuse some of the technologies and techniques it used in 2025's year's ultra-thin iPhone Air, according to Mark Gurman. Which would mean Apple's own compact C1 modem (also used in the iPhone 16e), no SIM card tray and high-density battery tech.

Kuo agrees that it will be a slim device. He reckons it will measure between 9mm and 9.5mm thick when folded, and between 4.5mm and 4.8mm when unfolded. That would make it a little thicker than the 8mm iPhone 17 when folded, but noticeably slimmer when unfolded. It would also make it much slimmer than the iPhone Air (5.6mm) when unfolded, and comparable to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is 8.9mm thick when folded and 4.2mm when unfolded.

In terms of power, we can expect Apple's top processor at the time (presumably the A20, or A20 Pro if Apple launches two variants of the A20). And the battery is rumoured to be a whopping 5500mAh (according to Fixed Focus Digital). That would be the biggest battery of any iPhone ever – the iPhone 17 Pro Max only has a 5088mAh, making it the first Apple handset with a 5000mAh+ battery capacity. Though with two screens to power (one of which will be nearly 8 inches in size), the Fold will need all the battery capacity it can get.

It sounds like a very futuristic device, but in one regard it could take a bit of a step backwards. Kuo speculates that it will feature Touch ID on the side button instead of Face ID. He says Apple could leave out facial recognition tech because of space constraints within the device – if it can't slim down the front-facing TrueDepth camera module, it will leave it out altogether.

iPhone Fold: price rumours

The bad news is, it's going to cost you. Predictions vary, but they all agree on that.

Kuo pegs the price at around $2000 to $2500, while an analyst from Barclays Bank reckons it will cost $2300 (via MacRumors) and leaker Momentary Digital says between $2100 and $2300. Gurman's guess? "Around $2000" which he then refined in September 2025 to "at least $2000."

For reference, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 costs £1799 / $1700 / AU$2899, and the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold £1749 / $1799 / AU$2699. So if these rumours bear fruit, Apple's foldable would be pricier than its rivals.

Then that's hardly surprising. Apple's devices are premium through and through. Even its "budget" iPhone 16e starts at £599 / $599 / AU$999.

But would people really be willing to pay twice the price of an iPhone 17 Pro Max for a foldable iPhone? Some would, certainly, but in order to appeal beyond just the Apple diehards, the firm has to execute the phone brilliantly. It's certainly had long enough to work on it.

iPhone Fold: early verdict

There are a lot of moving parts to this story, so a lot can change. Indeed, a lot already has – this device was first mooted years ago, when foldables were in their infancy.

But the rumours are gathering pace, and with the most renowned industry watchers predicting a September 2026 launch, an iPhone Fold could become real pretty soon.

Apple's rivals have a big head start, with Samsung, Google and OnePlus already producing solid foldable phones that have reviewed well. So Apple has a big challenge on its hands.

To succeed, it will have to make a compelling case for foldables, convincing more than just early adopters that the device is a must-have, not just a nice-to-have. But for us fans of movies on the move, a fold-out big screen – sprinkled with a bit of Apple magic – could make it the phone we've been waiting for.

We'll update this article as more rumours emerge.

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Google has announced its latest mid-range phone, and it looks like a real rival to the iPhone 16e. Not only does the Pixel 9a cost £100 less than Apple's latest, it also has a brighter screen.

It's the latest model in the Pixel A series, which like the 'FE' variants of Samsung's Galaxy S handsets, is a stripped-back version of the brand's flagship phone.

As a mid-range model, it won't challenge the best smartphones around. But it does have a lot going for it.

For starters, its 6.3-inch OLED screen is 0.2 inches bigger than the iPhone 16e's. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate compared the 16e's 60Hz.

That should mean less blur during fast-moving films and games.

It's brighter, too. Google quotes a brightness of 1800 nits in HDR, and 2700 at peak brightness. That's more than double the 16e's equivalent figures of 800 nits and 1200 nits, respectively.

Though it's worth noting that the iPhone 16e has a slightly higher pixel density than the Pixel 9a.

Inside is the same Google-made Tensor G4 chip as the standard Pixel 9, which enables all sorts of artificial intelligence (AI) smarts including Gemini, Google's AI assistant.

And the phone has a new look, with a flat design and rounded edges.

The cameras have been upgraded, with 13-megapixel ultrawide and 48-megapixel snappers at your disposal. It gets the same Add Me feature as the Pixel 9, which lets you combine two group shots into one quickly and easily using AI.

With 30 hours per charge, and over 100 hours using the Extreme Battery Saver feature, the Pixel 9a promises the best battery life of any Pixel smartphone.

Though how long it will last will depend on what you're using it for.

It should be built to last – its IP68 rating means it's fully dust-proof and waterproof in up to 1m of water for up to 30 minutes.

It comes with over seven years of security and software updates too. So it could serve as your main phone well into the next decade.

The Pixel 9a comes in four colours (Iris, Peony, Porcelain and Obsidian) and starts at £499 for the 128GB model. That's £100 less than the iPhone 16e with the same storage. It goes on sale in April.

MORE:

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What does 120Hz mean? Mobile screen refresh rates explained

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: what's the difference?

Hardly anyone upgrades their smartphone every year any more. Thanks to a combination of rising prices and mostly negligible improvements, an annual upgrade is now a luxury that few can afford. It's far more likely that anyone looking to upgrade is rocking a smartphone that is perhaps three, four or five years old.

If that's you, you're in the right place. Here, we run you through your current options, and help you decide which iPhone is right for you. Spoiler alert: it might not be the latest or most expensive model...

Screen

The screens on today's iPhones are stunning, but they haven't actually evolved all that much in recent years. The last really big change was the introduction of OLED technology on all models – but that came with the iPhone 12 range all the way back in 2020.

In terms of pure hardware then, the only differences between the screens on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 16 are a slight bump in brightness, and a higher resolution (but the same pixel density) thanks to the introduction of the Dynamic Island (though the iPhone 16e sticks with the old cutout design).

Of course in use it's a different story, as our reviews have shown. Apple rarely talks up improvements in picture quality, but they are there, albeit slight. To really notice the difference, you will want to jump at least a couple of generations of iPhone.

But if you look closely, you can see the improvements from one generation to the next. In our review, we note that iPhone 16 produces "a rich and three-dimensional image that is deeply engaging.

"The opening scene of 1917 shows us crisp details in clothing, skin and environmental textures, with a tangible grain to the rough fabric of the soldier’s uniforms and the gritty dirt lining the walls of the trenches through which they weave. Much like the iPhone 16 Pro that sits above it in the lineup, the iPhone 16 also manages to skilfully draw our eye to the focal point of the image while retaining an excellent amount of detail and solidity to objects in the background."

The Pro models have the Pro Motion display which ups the refresh rate to 120Hz and allows for the always-on capabilities, so you can use your phone as a bedside clock, for example. This is rumoured to become a feature on all models of iPhone 17, not just the Pros.

HDR used to be reserved for just the Pro models, but it has been standard on all variants since the iPhone 12.

The recent Pros also have slightly larger screens than the non-Pros – the iPhone 16 Pro's screen is 6.3 inches to the standard iPhone 16's 6.1 inches, while the Pro Max is 6.9 inches to the 16 Plus' 6.7 inches. Which will help make the picture more immersive.

Sound

As with picture quality, Apple doesn't talk up any sonic improvements from one generation of iPhone to the next. But they are there, if you know what to listen out for.

The iPhone 16 is "easily one of the best-sounding smartphones we've heard," we note in our review. Its sound is "rich, detailed and engaging" regardless of what it's playing.

It is particularly impressive with low-level dynamics. Even the speakers aren't half bad – though we would always listen through headphones if possible.

There have been small improvements in each model. For example, we found the iPhone 15 Pro Max's treble is a little smoother and cleaner than the 14 Pro Max's, while the overall audio is "a little weightier and more full-bodied, too".

Features

The biggest feature to come to the iPhone in recent years is Apple Intelligence, Apple's suite of artificial intelligence skills. This can help you compose text messages and emails, let you interact with Siri in a more natural and conversational way, edit photos, prioritise notifications and more.

It hasn't been a complete success story. Apple had to pause its news summaries after they started presenting false information as if it was from trusted sources such as the BBC and The New York Times. But the technology is still in its infancy, and will only get more sophisticated.

It arrived with the iPhone 16 range (though it wasn't available at launch). It is also available on the iPhone 16e, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Another neat feature is Camera Control, a button that lets you open the camera without having to wake the phone first. It's on the iPhone 16 range, but not iPhone 16e or earlier models.

USB-C has replaced the older Lightning port for charging, as mandated by a change in EU law. Every iPhone since the iPhone 15 range has USB-C, while the 14 and earlier feature Lightning ports.

Prefer to charge wirelessly? That feature is available on every model since the iPhone 8, though the speeds will vary. The earlier models support only 7.5W Qi wireless charging, but every handset since the iPhone 12 supports MagSafe magnetic charging at either 15W or 25W with a compatible charger (all except the iPhone 16e, which is stuck with no MagSafe and the same wireless charging speed as the iPhone 8, disappointingly).

Every iPhone since the iPhone 13 starts at 128GB storage (previously the base level was 64GB), but only the Pro models from the 13 Pro onwards go up to 1TB.

Lastly, power. Generally speaking, the newer the iPhone, the beefier the processor. Even though the iPhone 16e has some compromises, power isn't one of them – it has the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16.

Cameras

The camera has always been one of the main differentiators between the standard iPhone models and the Pros. The Pro Max used to have a better camera than the Pro, but for the iPhone 16 range, Apple brought camera parity to the Pro models.

The Pros offer an extra telephoto lens over the non-Pros. This lets you zoom in at up to 5x without losing any detail in the image, as you do with a digital lens.

The telephoto has been a staple of the pricier models since the iPhone 7 Plus. In recent years the optical zoom has increased, and more shooting modes have been added, including Night mode, Night mode portraits, Spatial photos and Apple ProRAW.

Price and availability

Apple no longer sells any iPhones earlier than 2023's iPhone 15 range, and of those, it sells only the 15 and 15 Plus. But you can find the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, and iPhone 14 range and earlier at other retailers.

The cheapest iPhone Apple sells is the iPhone 16e, which starts at £599. That's £100 cheaper than the iPhone 15, and £200 cheaper than the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 16.

The iPhone 16 Plus starts at £899, the 16 Pro £999 and the 16 Pro Max £1199.

Of course you can also spread the cost over years with a contract. Check the best prices below for recent iPhones both SIM free and on contract.

Verdict

While it's true that you get what you pay for, there's no point paying for features you're not going to use. If you just want an iPhone for the basics, and maybe the odd bit of movie watching and music listening on the go, you could save a small fortune by hunting out an earlier model from the iPhone 15 or even iPhone 14 families.

We wouldn't advise going any earlier than that, as Apple isn't likely to support those handsets with software and security updates for much longer.

Of the latest iPhones, the 16e is worth investigating if you want AI and don't mind the more basic camera and lack of MagSafe charging. But if you want the ultimate in movies and music from an iPhone, the 16 Pro and Pro Max are where it's at.

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iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15: should you upgrade?

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: what's the difference?

Check out the best smartphones for music and movies

Apple has finally released their newest model – the iPhone 16e. It’s picking up where the iPhone SE left off to provide all of Apple’s latest smartphone tech with a (semi) reasonable price tag.

While the new smartphone looks mighty promising, the Sony Xperia 10 VI has a lot going for it as well.

We have not had the opportunity to get our hands on the iPhone 16e yet, but in the meantime we can compare its specifications to the Sony Xperia 10 VI to get an idea of how the two compare.

iPhone 16e vs Sony Xperia 10 VI: price

The Sony Xperia 10 VI is one of the cheaper smartphones available that we have given five stars, retailing for £349 on paper for 128GB, which is already a steal in the realm of smartphones. We have seen reductions on this already reasonable price as well, with some retailers selling it for £299. The phone is not available to buy in the US or Australia, though.

Pricing for the iPhone 16e starts at £599 / $599 / AU$999 for 128GB, £699 / $699 / AU$1119 for 256GB and £899 / $899 / AU$ 1549 for 512GB. It will be available for pre-order in the US, Australia and the UK starting 21 February, and first orders will arrive on 28 February.

iPhone 16e vs Sony Xperia 10 VI: design

The iPhone 16e boasts a 6.1-inch OLED screen display, meaning it is about the same size as Apple’s standard iPhone 16. It weighs in at 167 grams, and is available in just a black or white finish. It has a notch at the top which is used for the Face ID support. We have not been able to see the phone up close yet, but from what we can tell the design looks much like a combination of the iPhone 14 and 16.

Sony’s entry is also an OLED 6.1-inch, and is slightly lighter than the iPhone at 164 grams. There are also a few more finish options available, with black, white and blue on the cards. It has a 1080 x 2520 and a pixel density of 449ppi.

iPhone 16e vs Sony Xperia 10 VI: features

One of the most notable features of the iPhone 16e is its C1 modem, which is the first cellular modem designed by Apple. Apple claims it is the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone, set to deliver speedy and reliable 5G cellular connectivity. There’s also support for HDR, portrait mode, and night mode.

AI, or Apple Intelligence as the brand calls it, also plays a big part in the iPhone’s functionality thanks to the A18 chipset. Apple says the six-core CPU is up to 80 percent faster than the A13 Bionic chip on iPhone 11. This AI skillset includes support for features such as Genmoji, Writing Tools, Clean Up in the Photos app, and ChatGPT integration. You can also access Visual Intelligence via the Action button. Turning to battery life, Apple says it has “the best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone, lasting up to six hours longer than iPhone 11 and up to 12 hours longer than all generations of iPhone SE.”

As with all the latest iPhone models, it has integrated Face ID support. You can also find a USB-C port at the bottom for charging and data transfer. The device also features the Action button instead of the classic mute switch. We have not had the chance to test the iPhone 16e’s camera, but will be keenly awaiting our chance to test it out. It has a single 48MP Fusion camera and will take high-resolution 24MP photos, but you can also choose to take 48MP images. In terms of video quality, we do know it offers 4K with Dolby Vision up to 60 frames per second.

But what about the Sony Xperia 10 VI? The phone’s lower price point does mean it lacks a few features, but that does not mean it should be underestimated. Its display is 60Hz, and supports HDR. Its chipset is not as powerful as that of the iPhone 16e, using the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor and 8GB of RAM.

It runs Android 14, whereas the iPhone 16e runs iOS 18, giving you access to Google’s latest AI features, including the Magic Eraser photo editing tool and the Gemini assistant. The latter proved useful during testing, as we were able to produce a coherent meal plan in a matter of seconds. The Sony Xperia 10 VI slightly underwhelmed when it came to the camera. We said in our review: “It gets the job done for quick snaps here and there, but if you’re serious about smartphone photography, this phone will not satisfy your needs.”

iPhone 16e vs Sony Xperia 10 VI: picture

Once again, we have not tested the iPhone 16e so cannot comment on its picture quality.

For the Sony Xperia 10 VI, we were surprised by its three-dimensional depth during testing. It balanced colour well too, with skin tones being portrayed as lively yet not overly bright. The darks don’t quite reach the blackest depths of more expensive models, but that is to be expected at such a reasonable price.

iPhone 16e vs Sony Xperia 10 VI: sound

All the usual caveats; we have yet to get close and personal to the iPhone 16e so cannot vouch for how it sounds. We do know it has Dolby Atmos support through headphones or built-in stereo loudspeakers.

The Xperia 10 VI’s speakers are more than acceptable, and while they won’t knock your socks off, they’re perfectly usable for watching the occasional TV show without connecting headphones. We said that the phone’s speakers were “more than useable” with a decent sense of weight and well organised.

iPhone 16e vs Sony Xperia 10 VI: early verdict

We have not given the iPhone 16e anything close to a full review, so will reserve judgement until we get to do so. But its comparatively low price compared to the rest of the iPhone family is welcome, especially considering its impressive specifications. We’ll have to see how they all play out in practice, though.

With an affordable price tag and solid overall performance, we think the Xperia 10 VI is a great buy. But will the iPhone knock Sony’s offering off its pedestal as the best affordable smartphone? We'll update this page once we've reviewed the iPhone 16e.

MORE:

Here is the review of the Sony Xperia 10 VI

This is what we know so far about the iPhone 16e

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The iPhone 16e (essentially the new iPhone SE) has just been announced, and while Apple's entry-level phones rarely get me that excited, this one has really grabbed my attention. That's because my priority when it comes to phones is how they perform with movies, and with the iPhone 16e it seems that other elements have been downgraded so that the screen can remain very similar to the five-star iPhone 16's.

Using Apple's own iPhone comparison tool, the downgrades from iPhone 16 to iPhone 16e stand out clearly: it's available in fewer colours, it has a far less fancy camera system, and it lacks the Dynamic Island and MagSafe compatibility. Those things are nice to have, sure, but I reckon I can live without them if I need to.

And the similarities are plain to see, too: it's got the same A18 chip with Apple Intelligence support, the same storage capacity options, it's almost exactly the same size and weight, and – most importantly – it's got what appears on paper to be a near-identical 'Super Retina XDR' display.

So, we're talking about a 6.1-inch affair (plenty big enough for movies on the train or bus) with a pixel density of 460ppi (the same as not only the iPhone 16 but also the iPhone 16 Pro), a claimed contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, True Tone and Wide Colour certifications, and support for all four of the HDR formats used for movies and TV, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

In fact, the only way in which the iPhone 16e's screen is a downgrade on the iPhone 16's is brightness, with SDR and HDR being rated by Apple to 800 and 1200 nits respectively rather than 1000 and 1600 nits.

Now, that drop in brightness could prove significant, but it's slight enough that I think in most conditions it won't make a huge difference. Only viewing in very bright sunlight should be obviously hampered.

We swooned over the picture quality of the iPhone 16, describing it in our review as having "a rich and three-dimensional image that is deeply engaging".

We went on to say that "the iPhone also presents colours in a balanced yet engaging fashion", and is "adept with motion as fighter jets tear down the runway of an aircraft carrier and shoot off into the sky".

On paper, at least, there's no obvious reason that the new iPhone 16e can't deliver very similar picture quality (there are no audio downgrades in the spec sheet, either). Given the significant cost saving (£200 / $200 / AU$400 upfront or £8.34 / £8.34 per month) compared with the iPhone 16, I can see the iPhone 16e being a smash hit with those who, like me, consider movies on the move to be a much bigger priority than photography.

We will, of course, need to get the new Apple handset in for complete, comparative testing before we pass judgement, but I've got high hopes and intend to be among the first in the queue to get one.

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Here's everything you need to know about the new iPhone 16e

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Apple has unveiled its latest addition to the iPhone 16 family, with an overhauled entry-level offering which serves as the new starting point for the latest iPhone generation. It's called the iPhone 16e, which picks up where the iPhone SE leaves off – and it's all about serving up the latest iPhone features at a more affordable price tag.

The 16e features much of what we liked about the standard iPhone 16, including a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with support for HDR – presumably the Dolby Vision variety, as is the case with every iPhone since the X in 2018.

Apple quotes a resolution of 2532x1170, a pixel density of 460ppi, and a peak brightness of 1200 nits for HDR content (800 nits typical brightness for everything else). Furthermore, it features trimmed-down bezels for an edge-to-edge style display and Apple has even resurrected the notch; sorry, no Synamic Island here.

Apple has also stuffed its latest A18 chipset inside, which we found to be a performance champion on the five-star iPhone 16. It also has an exclusive debut chip from Apple, in the form of the C1; which is the company's first in-house designed cellular modem. We're not yet sure how this will affect the phone's 5G performance, however, Apple is promising enhanced power efficiency and "fast and reliable 5G cellular connectivity".

Elsewhere, the iPhone 16e sports a single 48MP camera, though it features a clever 2-in-1 functionality with an integrated 2x telephoto lens for improved zoomed photography. You'll also find a USB-C socket for charging and wired audio connectivity, the Action Button which can be remapped to fulfil a variety of shortcuts or functions, and Face ID for biometric authentication for unlocking the device or completing purchases.

The iPhone 16e runs the latest version of Apple's operating system – iOS 18 – with all of the key software features found on the standard iPhone 16. This means that Apple Intelligence is also on board, with a range of AI-powered photo editing, typing and search tools included.

There are, however, a couple of surprising Apple-centric omissions. MagSafe is absent, so it won't work with any of your magnetic accessories, and Camera Control (which made its debut on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro) is also nowhere to be found.

The design appears to be a fusion of the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 16, with the flat metal rails and notch of the 14 complimenting the matte glass rear and slightly softer tapered edges of the 16. Apple is only offering this handset in two finishes: black and white. It's set to be on sale on 28th February, with pre-orders available now. Pricing for the new iPhone 16e is as follows:

• 128GB: £599 / $599 / AU$999
• 256GB: £699 / $699 / AU$1199
• 512GB: £899 / $899 / AU$1549

MORE:

Read our full Apple iPhone 16 review

As well as our Apple iPhone 16 Pro review

And check out our picks for the best iPhone

Mobile World Congress is the world's biggest phone show, and it's happening soon. Barcelona will host the event from 3rd - 6th March.

We're sure to see some great new phones launch. But which ones specifically? Most of the debutants are still under wraps, of course – but that hasn't stopped the rumours and leaks flying. We have scoured the internet to bring you everything (worthwhile) that has been said about what phones we expect to see. And being What Hi-Fi?, we're very much focused on their audio and visual skills.

Here's what we expect to see (and what we would like to, in an ideal world).

Mobile World Congress 2025: what to expect

Nothing Phone 3a

We know for sure that this one is coming, because Nothing has confirmed it. It put out a teaser video before saying that the phone in question was the Nothing Phone 3a. At the same event, it will launch the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. It has even named the time and date: 4th March, 10am.

Both phones will feature the same cool glyph lighting from the Nothing Phone 2a. According to X user Gadget Bits, the Nothing Phone 3a will have a 6.8-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, 5000mAh battery with 45W fast charging, and Nothing OS 3.1 (which is based on Android 15). Cameras are said to be a 50-megapixel main snapper, 50-megapixel telephoto with 2x optical zoom, and an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens.

The 3a Pro is said to increase the RAM to 12GB and the storage to 256GB, and might boast a 50-megapixel ultrawide-lens camera.

And as for the Nothing Phone 3? That's not expected until the summer, and is said to be the firm's first flagship phone.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra (pictured) is widely considered one of the best cameraphones around, but its screen is also a sight to behold, with an insane peak brightness of 3000 nits. So nearly 12 months on, what's cooking for the sequel?

The latest rumours suggest another stellar performance in the camera department, with a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto snapper mooted. Other improvements include the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor as the Samsung Galaxy S25 (though not the customised version Samsung uses), and the same 6.7-inch screen as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. You'll need to wear shades.

OnePlus Open 2

One of the best foldable phones around, the OnePlus Open (pictured), didn't get a sequel last year, but rumours say it's coming soon. The same winning software is said to make a return, but according to one leak, the device has slimmed down considerably, potentially taking the crown as the slimmest foldable around. Its predecessor was known as the Oppo N5 in some territories, so chances are the sequel will be similarly named in some parts of the world.

Mobile World Congress 2025: what we'd like to see

Sony Xperia 1 VII

Sony has been slimming down its phone range in recent years, from seven devices in 2021 to just two last year. But now rumours abound that the Xperia 10 VII has been cancelled, leaving just the Xperia 1 VII on its tod. Which would be a shame – the Xperia 10 VI won an Award last year for its great performance at a very reasonable price.

Rumours suggest the Xperia 1 VII will be another high-end effort, with a better telephoto camera lens. It is also thought to be retaining the FHD+ resolution of the Xperia 1 VI – sadly, it doesn't look as though we'll see a return to the 4K screen of the Xperia 1 V, nor the more cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio.

Sony used to launch its new Xperia models at Mobile World Congress, but since 2021 the date has slipped to April or May. Here's hoping it breaks with recent tradition and brings the announcement forward to MWC.

Apple iPhone SE 4

Apple doesn't do trade shows, so don't expect to see Tim Cook manning a stand at Mobile World Congress. But the iPhone SE 4 could be announced around the same time (though another rumour reckons it'll land as soon as this week). It's rumoured to look a lot like the iPhone 14 (pictured), with flat sides and a 6.1-inch OLED screen. Which would be quite an upgrade on the current SE's Touch ID button and 4.7-inch LCD.

MORE:

Check out the best smartphones for movies and music

The best iPhones you can buy

And the best Android phones

When Samsung announced its Galaxy S25 flagship phone last month, I made a beeline for the specifications section of the official website listing. I was specifically looking to see whether the new Galaxy handsets supported the highest-quality Bluetooth aptX codecs its generations of forebears had disappointingly overlooked. But I couldn't see codec support listed. My colleague trawled through the press materials provided by Samsung, but no luck there either. Hmm.

I presumed no specs meant no support; that the Galaxy lineup would, for at least another year, continue to be without Qualcomm’s aptX HD, aptX Adaptive or aptX Lossless, three of the four higher-quality Bluetooth codecs* widely supported nowadays by premium wireless headphones and speakers. Conspicuous by their absence and, to a large extent, historically incompatible.

But Samsung representatives have finally confirmed to What Hi-Fi? every Bluetooth codec the new S25 supports – and I'm pleasantly surprised by the answer.

*The other is Sony’s LDAC, which Galaxy phones have supported.

The aptX HD and Galaxy gripe

UPDATE: This article was written and published based on information provided to What Hi-Fi? by a Samsung PR representative. The same representative has since admitted that the information they passed on was incorrect: "Unfortunately the information we had on the codecs was incorrect. I'm really sorry about this and for the miscommunication. I've just been updated that the S25 Series supports the same Bluetooth series as previous models including aptX and LDAC." We therefore apologise for the inaccuracies below, and the 'surprise' is actually not a surprise at all; Samsung's Galaxy phones still disappointingly and frustratingly lack support for aptX HD, Adaptive and Lossless – some of the highest-quality and most commonly supported Bluetooth codecs.

Despite the availability of aptX HD for the best part of a decade (Adaptive is some years younger while Lossless is very much in its infancy), Samsung phones have historically stuck with the comparatively lower-quality ‘standard’ aptX alongside the company's own Samsung Scalable Codec (SSC) – naturally found in its headphones and earbuds – and LDAC. You can read all about how different Bluetooth codecs are capable of transferring varying amounts of audio data (which impacts the sound quality you hear), and the extent of those capability differences between them all in our comprehensive Bluetooth codec explainer, but essentially aptX is bettered by aptX HD, which is bettered by aptX Adaptive, which is bettered by aptX Lossless (and they are all backwards compatible).

Now, the Galaxy phones’ support of LDAC has always been good news as it is among the best-quality methods of Bluetooth transmission out there, up there with the best aptX codec. However, as codecs are handshakes that require both the transmitting and receiving devices to support the same one, it’s only handy for wireless headphones that support it. Don’t have LDAC-supporting headphones? No cigar. Thankfully, several awesome wireless headphones do support LDAC, including the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Mark Levinson No5.909 found in our best noise-cancelling headphones list.

But it’s also true that even more awesome wireless headphones support those three latest and greatest aptX codecs. A couple of years ago it became a daily frustration of mine when the Samsung Galaxy S21 in my pocket couldn’t play ball with the aptX Adaptive codec supported by my Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones, preventing them from reaching their wireless performance potential. The phone’s codec quality – and therefore the handshake between it and the Sennheiser headphones – topped out at ‘standard’ aptX.

Indeed it was a shame for someone like me who wanted the best audio quality available, but even I admit it wasn’t the end of my on-the-go-listening world as, honestly, the differences in sound quality between something streamed to the Sennheisers in aptX and in aptX Adaptive were noticeable but not night and day noticeable. Generally, such premium wireless headphones, good as they were back then, weren’t revealing enough to entirely lay bare the standard aptX’s comparative quality compromises, as a more sophisticated and thus transparent piece of audio equipment would be able to.

Fast forward to last January's Samsung S24 phone launch, however, and in the face of the higher-quality crop of wireless headphones that had emerged (like the Bowers & Wilkins Px8), those gaps in support were a little more than a ‘shame’.

So why the omission? It didn't appear to be a cost issue. A couple of years ago, Android expert Mishaal Rahman was reportedly told by Qualcomm that aptX HD encoders were open-source (part of the Android Open Source Project) and no longer required a license fee to use. Was it, then, simply down to Samsung naturally wanting to push its own SSC codec ecosystem of headphones and earbuds?

The aptX HD/Adaptive omission and the reasons for it have been the topic of discussion and ridicule over the years on various Reddit threads.

The Galaxy S25 changes that

But here comes the good news.

As far as Bluetooth specifications go, Samsung’s product pages for the Galaxy S25 lineup only list support for the 5.4 standard (standards are not the same as codecs). However, despite no official mentions of this on Samsung's website (or, as far as I can see, any third-party sites), Samsung representatives have confirmed to What Hi-Fi? the S25's supported codecs include not only SSC, aptX and LDAC but also aptX HD and Adaptive, plus the niche LHDC. (LC3 is supported too, but that's another story.)

That means aptX Lossless is still off the menu, but that fledgling codec isn't supported by many pairs of headphones (or phones) yet anyway – and hey, let's celebrate the progress!

As the Bluetooth headphones I listen to and travel with most these days, the Focal Bathys, support aptX Adaptive, I would now be able to take advantage of that high-quality transmission with a Samsung S25. Indeed, in our best wireless headphones buying guide, six of the nine premium-priced pairs in the main and ‘also consider’ lists support aptX Adaptive – the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, Grado GW100x, Mark Levinson No. 5909, Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Bowers & Wilkins' Px7 S2e and Px8 – while one, the T+A Solitaire T, supports aptX HD.

What's more, the new crop of super-premium wireless headphones – undoubtedly encouraged by the launch of Apple's AirPods Max, and including the aforementioned Focal, Mark Levinson, T+A and B&W pairs – do have acoustics revealing enough for the differences in Bluetooth transmission quality to be more discernible.

It's a win for everyone involved – not least the consumer. When you're paying hundreds for new headphones, you would reasonably hope your phone would allow them to work optimally. Samsung's Galaxy S25 goes on sale today, and there's now no reason I would avoid making it my next Android phone.

MORE:

Read our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs S24: what's new, and should you upgrade?

Bluetooth 5.0: everything you need to know

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Purists continue to sniff at the idea of watching an episode of Bob’s Burgers, let alone a movie, on portable devices. That’s what things like projectors, including the recently reviewed £27k Sony Bravia Projector 9, and full fat 5.2 surround sound systems are for, right?

I partially agree with that sentiment, especially for movies I'm excited about and want to fully experience. But the number of faces I see glued to their screens watching films on my commute to and from the our test rooms each day is clear proof that mobile devices are being used as in-hand home cinemas, whether us cinephiles like it or not.

Which is why I am all for Samsung’s latest pitch on its Galaxy S25 line of smartphones to improve its movie chops by loading the OLED panel with the same upscaling smarts seen on its TVs.

But the more I pondered the move, the more I came to one simple conclusion: why didn’t it launch a tablet aimed at movie fans with the new phone?

Though I limit my use of a smartphone to watching news reels and the occasional episode of Good Mythical Morning, MeatCanyon or TechSpurt on YouTube, I am willing to stick my neck out and admit I regularly watch proper TV (especially anime via Crunchyroll and Hidive) on longer train rides, or in bed using a tablet.

At the moment, there aren’t very many “good” giant screen tablets for this at the top end of the market. Jump to our best tablets guide and you’ll see there’s only one: the Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4).

As it stands this is the only option we’d describe as capable of offering a proper “home cinema in a hand” experience when it comes to picture quality – you’ll want a decent pair of headphones to get the full-fat experience. With an iPad, our current recommended set is the Apple AirPods Max.

This is largely thanks to the inclusion of Apple’s What Hi-Fi? Award-winning tandem OLED screen tech which, coupled with its attentive tuning, lets the tablet offer an incredibly bright, but accurate picture. Hence our reviewers’ conclusion:

“Not only does the new iPad Pro boast even better contrast than its predecessor, it also adds richer colours, a more cinematic tone and even better motion.”

I’m not expecting the QD-OLED screen tech to appear on a tablet any time soon – Samsung’s made clear its R&D spend there is going into monitors and larger TVs for the foreseeable future. But, 2025 would have been the perfect opportunity for Samsung to take the fight to Apple and launch a new Galaxy Tablet to take on the iPad Pro, equipped with its advanced upscaling powers.

As we saw on the Samsung QN900D, Samsung is an industry leader here and could have been a key differentiator for a top end Galaxy Tablet – especially if it also took some of the learning it has made over the past few years improving colour accuracy and general authenticity on its TVs.

If it had, this could have been the shift that drove its ongoing line of Galaxy Tab Ultra tablets, the last of which we reviewed being the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, from four-star recommendations to five-star Award winners.

Until then Apple’s dominance at the top end of the tablet market for movie fans will likely go unchallenged for yet another year.

MORE:

These are the best smartphones for music and movies

We rate the best wireless headphones

Our picks of the best wireless earbuds

Samsung has taken the wraps off the Galaxy S25 range. As the most affordable in the family, and with some significant upgrades, the standard S25 is likely to be the most popular.

It offers a new ProScaler feature that promises to upgrade picture quality and increase detail levels, among other improvements. But the iPhone 16 has plenty going for it – it's been on sale for about four months already, stealing a head start on the S25, and has fared very well in terms of picture and sound.

So how does the newbie compare to Apple's equivalent?

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: price

Pricing is very similar between the two at the lower capacities, but the more storage you get, the more you'll save by choosing the S25 over the iPhone 16.

The S25 and iPhone 16 cost the same at 128GB (in the UK), while at 256GB the S25 is £40 cheaper, and at 512GB it's £140 cheaper. Quite a saving.

The difference is even larger right now, thanks to Samsung's introductory offers. These put the 256GB S25 at the same £799 as the 128GB, while reducing the 512GB variant by £100 to £859. Making the latter a whopping £240 cheaper than the same capacity iPhone 16.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: design

The S25 has become 6g lighter than its predecessor, making it 8g lighter than the iPhone 16 (162g to 170g). Other than that, not much has changed from the S24 in terms of design – you get the same 6.2-inch FHD+ display, for example.

Colour options are Icyblue, Navy, Mint, and Silver Shadow (with some other colours available exclusively from Samsung). It is very slightly slimmer than the iPhone 16 (7.2mm to 7.8mm).

The iPhone 16 is one of the best-looking smartphones around. Its 6.1-inch screen is slightly smaller than the Samsung Galaxy S25's, but it does have a higher resolution. The iPhone 16 comes in five colours: Black, White, Pink, Teal and Ultramarine.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: features

Unusually for a smartphone, one of the main selling points of the S25 is the improvement in picture quality. Which we welcome – most new phones make minimal improvements, so much so that they're barely mentioned by the manufacturers. But the S25 makes real strides.

Samsung says its ProScaler feature will upscale video to a higher resolution while increasing the level of detail on lower quality content by 43 per cent. This is similar to the AI Upscaler Pro feature found on Samsung's TVs. Samsung's QN900D TV does a great job in this regard, so if the S25 can get anywhere close, we'll be very happy indeed.

There's no increase in brightness over last year's models, but the S24 had a very bright screen.

Inside the S25 is Qualcomm's latest processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite (in a custom 'For Galaxy' edition which is optimised for the S25). It also has 12GB of RAM, and runs Samsung's One UI 7 operating system over Android 15, with seven years of software updates guaranteed.

AI plays a big part. It offers features like Circle to Search with Google, Live Translation, Generative Edit photo editing tools, Custom Wallpapers, and Chat Assist for tweaking the tone and grammar – plus many more. An on-device large language model powers an improved Generative Edit photo editing system with more natural-looking generative fill sections when removing subjects from a photograph.

Camera-wise, you get a 50MP main lens, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto camera. 10-bit HDR support brings four times more dynamic colours, and an on-device Audio Eraser feature will cut unwanted background noise from videos at the tap of a button.

Apple too has bestowed its phone with AI. The iPhone 16 has a similarly bewildering array of AI skills, though Apple had to pull its AI news alerts recently after they started getting the facts wrong.

The A18 processor partners with 8GB of RAM – that's less RAM than the S25, but it still flies through the iOS 18 operating system.

The 2000 nits peak brightness is also lower than the S25's 2600 nits, but with HDR10 and Dolby Vision formats on board, it offers a wider range of HDR content than the S25 (which only supports HDR10 and HDR10+). The 60Hz refresh rate is a bit disappointing though – that's half the S25's 120Hz.

The iPhone 16 only has two cameras to the S25's three – a 48MP wide angle and 12MP ultrawide angle. You can shoot spatial videos and photos thanks to the vertical lens alignment, for viewing back on the Apple Vision Pro headset.

The Dynamic Island is back for another year, creating shortcuts and showing info at a glance. It's another classic Apple feature, making a virtue out of the otherwise-annoying screen cutout that houses the front-facing camera.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: picture

Now we're getting into reviews territory, we must make one thing clear: we have only used the S25 briefly, and haven't put it through our thorough reviews process. The image appeared bright and clear, with the ProScaler feature seeming to add in extra detail. We look forward to putting it through its paces in a proper review environment.

In the meantime, you can read our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on review for a flavour of what to expect.

The S25 faces quite a foe – the iPhone 16 is an excellent pocket cinema. Its image is rich, with plenty of depth. There's enough detail in the picture to create a sense of textures, and colours are balanced and engaging. Skin tones and flora appear natural, with a degree of subtlety that's been missing from Samsung's phones so far. A highly enjoyable viewing experience.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: sound

Our listening of the S25 was limited to YouTube trailers in a crowded demo room, so we're going to reserve judgement for now.

The iPhone 16 has decent audio chops – it supports Dolby Atmos audio through headphones or built-in stereo loudspeakers, as well as Apple Spatial Audio through supported AirPods or Beats headphones and earbuds. It performs very well indeed – "easily one of the best-sounding smartphones we’ve heard" was our verdict in our review. It's rich, detailed and engaging, regardless of what it's playing.

Bass is deep and rich, and compositions are packed with detail and tonal variation. Your move, Samsung.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: early verdict

Until we've given the Galaxy S25 the proper review treatment, we can't comment on its performance. But it certainly looks promising, especially the ProScaler feature to improve picture detail. We can take or leave the AI razzmatazz for now – it's a bit of a gimmick, and teething issues the likes of Apple's AI news alerts are inevitable. If Samsung can improve on the sound quality, it could be up there with the best smartphones of the year.

With a solid track record in picture and sound, the iPhone 16 is a great buy. But given that its higher capacities are quite a bit pricier than the S25, could Samsung steal its thunder? We'll update this page once we've reviewed the S25.

MORE:

Check out our full Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review

As well as our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review

Here are our picks for the best Android phones

Samsung's latest Galaxy smartphones have officially been announced and, miraculously, there was a prominent AV feature that received plenty of attention during the Unpacked presentation. I say miraculously as picture and sound features are often relegated to footnotes of press releases or, in many cases, not mentioned at all.

So, when Samsung announced that its mobile and television divisions had collaborated on a new picture quality-enhancing feature for the S25 series, my interest was immediately piqued. The feature in question is ProScaler, which promises to enhance details of lower-resolution content by up to 40 per cent to better suit the expansive and crisp 6.9-inch Quad HD display of the S25 Ultra.

Why is this so important though? Simply put, the mobile versions of streaming services tend not to stream in resolutions higher than 1080p, with much of the content we find on the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video streaming in either 720p or 1080p. Furthermore, 1440p (Quad HD) isn't a traditionally supported resolution on any of the current streaming services, so finding content that can fully take advantage of this high-spec display is easier said than done.

This means that the ProScaler feature becomes an integral part of closing the gap between the content you're watching, and the capabilities of the phone's display; because who wants blocky, low-resolution visuals on their £1200 smartphone?

This technology is, unsurprisingly, backed by Samsung's robust AI platform which is featured in everything from its smartphones to its refrigerators and, most notably, its TVs. In fact, this ProScaler function appears to be directly inspired by and presumably working in a very similar way to Samsung's AI Upscaling Pro engine. This feature was a major factor in the QN900D 8K TV receiving five stars, and it's confirmed to be coming to the company's 2025 4K OLED and NeoQLED TVs.

Much like how there is very little 8K content to be found in the wild, Quad HD content is very rare; in fact, it's almost exclusive to YouTube. So, Samsung's workaround to enhance content to match its screens makes complete sense to me, as waiting for creators to adopt these formats has been a fruitless endeavour thus far.

Optimistically speaking, I'd like to see Samsung bring more of its TV features to its smartphones, including its Object Tracking Sound Pro feature and AI Motion Enhancer Pro; obviously scaled down for mobile use, of course. The big, bold and bright screen of the S25 Ultra lends itself so well to being a travelling companion to take movies on the go, so bring on the AV features I say!

MORE:

Read our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on review

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs 24 Ultra: what's new?

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: battle of the flagships

As yesterday's Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event came to a close, we were surprised by an announcement asking everyone at the event to pay attention to their nearest screen. A brief introductory video for an unexpected fourth variant of the Galaxy S25 then played, teasing a razor-thin form factor, swiftly followed by the title "Galaxy S25 Edge" flashing up on the screen.

The Edge suffix has been a staple in previous Samsung lineups, usually in reference to a curved display that melts over the frame of the device. Samsung ended this naming convention with the Galaxy S7 series and converted its lineup to entirely flat displays with the Galaxy S24 series. Unfortunately for fans of curved screens, this new Edge naming convention doesn't signal the return of this form factor but instead hints towards a new ultra-thin design.

Little is known about this device currently aside from it being the thinnest Galaxy smartphone to be released by Samsung. It also appears to drop one of its cameras, with a new vertically stacked dual lens system on the rear. We presume that it will leverage Samsung and Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon Elite for Galaxy processor for the comprehensive suite of Galaxy AI features too.

As for the AV-specific features, we anticipate an OLED display (in true Samsung fashion) with a 120Hz variable refresh rate and HDR10+ support. However, considering how slim this device is, we have to wonder if Samsung will leverage a new panel technology to achieve this super slender design. Apple notably launched its slimmest-ever iPad Pro last year, and it accredits tandem OLED for this achievement; could we see Samsung use the same panel tech for a similar use case?

Speaking of Apple, the Galaxy S25 Edge announcement follows substantial rumours that Apple will launch an iPhone 17 Air later this year alongside its usual standard, Plus, Pro and Pro Max models. While a futuristic form factor is a plus, we are mostly concerned with picture and sound performance, so we sincerely hope both Samsung and Apple are keeping these crucial factors in mind.

Interestingly, no price or release date was shared for this device. We have no idea when to expect this new phone, as it has not officially launched alongside the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra, nor do we know where it will be positioned within the new lineup.

MORE:

Read our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on review

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs S24 Ultra: what's new?

Check out our picks for the best smartphones

If you're looking to buy one of the biggest and best smartphones, chances are the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max are on your shortlist.

Both handsets, the flagships of their respective ranges, offer cutting-edge tech, premium designs, and all manner of features to tempt you. But phones don't exist in isolation – on the contrary, they land in a fiercely competitive field of rival smartphones where they must fight for survival.

While we've yet to review the iPhone 16 Pro Max, we have reviewed its sibling, the iPhone 16 Pro. The Pro and Pro Max are virtually identical, with the main difference being that the Max has a larger 6.9-inch screen versus the Pro's 6.3-inch display (both have a 460 PPI count). The Pro Max's larger battery is also rated for up to 29 hours of video streaming, versus the Pro's 2 hours. That aside, they're exactly the same.

With that in mind (and given that we've fully reviewed the Galaxy S25 Ultra), our comparison below is based on our review of Samsung's offering, along with the iPhone 16 Pro, which shares identical key metrics with its Pro Max brother.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: price

First, the good news: the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has the same starting price as its predecessor. The bad news? £1249/ $1299 / AU$2149 for the base model is a lot of money, even for a 256GB smartphone with these kinds of specs. The 512GB model is £1349 / $1419 / AU$049, and the 1TB is £1549 / $1659 / AU$2749.

That's a little pricier than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, whose 256GB variant will set you back £1199 / $1199 / AU$2149. The 512GB is £1399 / $1399 / AU$2499, while the 1TB is £1599 / $1599 / AU$2849. Those prices are still considerable but slightly cheaper than the S25 Ultra.

Ultimately, though, if you're spending north of a grand on a phone, there's relatively little to separate the two models in terms of price, particularly if you go down the pay monthly route.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: design and screen

Samsung has followed Apple's lead and enlarged the size of the S25 Ultra's screen. It now stands a mighty 6.9 inches across the diagonal, compared to 6.8 inches on the S25 Ultra. Not a massive increase, admittedly, but an increase all the same.

It doesn't make for a large and bulky phone, though. Far from it. The S25 Ultra's bezels are 15 per cent slimmer than its predecessor's, and it's actually 15g lighter than the S24 Ultra, and 9g lighter than the iPhone 16 Pro Max (218g to 227g). That will be thanks to its titanium frame. The S25 Ultra also has more rounded corners than its predecessor, and it's a flatter design overall.

It should be strong, too. The S25 Ultra's Corning Gorilla Armour 2 display covering is 29 per cent more effective at reducing scratches and fractures. Luckily we didn't have any accidental drops or clumsy disasters during our review, but we'll take Samsung's word for it.

As for the Galaxy S25's screen, it has a max brightness of 2600 nits. There's also a new ProScaler feature that can upscale lower-resolution content with 43 per cent more detail, according to Samsung. In our review, we found the display to be superb – bright, sharp, and with excellent contrast, while the ProScaler upscaling proved genuinely effective for streaming content.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max's screen doesn't go quite as bright, topping out at 2000 nits. Like the S25 Ultra, the Pro Max's screen is equipped for 4K at 120Hz, which is the same as the best gaming TVs. And also like the S25 Ultra, it's made of titanium, making it strong yet light.

As for its design, it's predictably very "Apple" – which, of course, is no bad thing. Sharing the same design and build as the 16 Pro Max (just a bit smaller), the 16 Pro is a sleek and solid bit of kit, with a premium feel and thinner bezels that help the display feel even more immersive.

The new Desert Titanium finish joins returning colour options and adds a bit more flair for those wanting their device to stand out. And while the Dynamic Island (aka, the long pill-shaped cutout at the top of the display) can still be a slight visual distraction for video, the panel itself is bright, sharp and wonderfully smooth, thanks to Apple’s 120Hz ProMotion tech.

Lastly, thanks to the EU, the 16 Pro Max follows its predecessor with a handy USB-C port, matching the convenience that Samsung (and, indeed, Android) users have enjoyed for years.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: features

Samsung has made a big deal of the S25 Ultra's AI features. The AI photo editing tools have been upgraded, and now feature a more effective Generative Fill tool thanks to an on-device large language model. Which should make for more realistic-looking photo edits.

All capacities feature the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor with 12GB of RAM. There's also a new 50-megapixel ultrawide camera alongside the existing 200-megapixel main snapper, 10-megapixel telephoto and 50-megapixel periscope sensors. The front-facing camera is 12 megapixels.

The S25 Ultra runs Samsung's One UI 7 (which is based on Android 15) with seven years of OS and security updates promised. So it's not going to go out of date tomorrow.

Both the S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 pro Max come in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB variants.

Chief among the iPhone 16 Pro Max's features is the Camera Control button. It's capacitive, which means it reacts differently depending on how you press it. Click it once and the camera app opens. Click it again to take a photo. And clicking to hold will start recording a video. A light press shows a preview of what you're about to shoot, while a new overlay gives you access to functions such as zoom and switching between lenses.

An AI feature called Visual Intelligence gives you contextual info on whatever you point your camera at, be it the Statue of Liberty or an unknown breed of dog. The Pro Max has a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, 48-megapixel fusion, and 12-megapixel telephoto with 5x optical zoom.

Away from the cameras, the 16 Pro Max features Apple's A18 Pro processor, with Apple Intelligence features available since December 2024. It also has four studio-quality mics and Spatial Audio capture for a more immersive listening experience. There's a new audio mix feature, powered by AI, which identifies and separates background sound from speech, and lets you choose what to prioritise.

The Dynamic Island, USB-C port and 25W MagSafe wireless charging are also present and correct.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: picture

We’ve now reviewed the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and it’s one of the best displays we’ve seen on a smartphone. It’s bright, detailed and offers a superb sense of depth. Colours are vivid without tipping into oversaturation when set to Natural mode, and the ProScaler feature really does help streamed video look cleaner and more refined. We did notice a slight bit of motion judder in one or two panning shots, but this was rare and not unique to the device.

In contrast, while we haven't reviewed the iPhone 16 Pro Max, we have tested the standard iPhone 16 Pro, which is basically the same, but a bit smaller. So we have a pretty good idea of how it will perform.

And that is very well indeed. "A balanced, sharp and bright image that looks stunning regardless of the content we throw at it," was our verdict of the 16 Pro Max.

Top Gun: Maverick looks warm, rich and engaging, with a good level of detail in both dark shadows and bright highlights. It's rich and punchy, yet also very well-balanced. Another stellar performance from Apple.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: sound

Having had a chance to put the S25 Ultra's speakers its paces, we can confirm that the audio is crisp and detailed, with good clarity and a solid stereo effect for a phone. Dolby Atmos support brings a greater sense of immersion when watching compatible content as well. That said, we found that while the S25 Ultra sounds punchy, it still can’t quite match the emotional subtlety or fine detail of the very best performers in this space.

In contrast, Apple's iPhone 16 Pro is, we declared, "easily the best-sounding phone we’ve heard all year." The sound is more refined than before – "warm, smooth and dynamic", we said, but "this year it digs out even more detail."

Tracks are bursting with detail, while it keeps time well with even the most complex arrangements. Even the built-in speakers fare well, and we expect that the 16 Pro MAx matches its slightly smaller sibling in the audio department.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: early verdict

We applaud Samsung for the ProScaler feature especially – most phone makers don't offer meaningful upgrades to picture quality from one year to the next, and even those that do often don't consider it worth mentioning during their presentations. Kudos, Samsung.

Ultimately, your preference might be swayed by whether or not you'd rather use an Android or iOS device, as the OS makes up a major part of your daily smartphone experience. Having said that, we'll be updating this feature once the iPhone 16 Pro Max has been given the full testing treatment, so stay tuned.

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Read our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

The Samsung Galaxy S25 is here. And in case you’re reaching for your troll mask to ask why we’re talking about it on What Hi-Fi?, the answer is simple; it’s being pitched as a perfect home cinema in your hand and portable music player by the Korean giant.

On top of that, based on our early hands-on impressions using the Galaxy S25 during its launch event, the phone definitely shows promise in both areas. The feature that caught people's attention most is its new AI upscaling powers, which the firm claims are directly taken from its line of top-end TVs.

Specifically, Samsung claims the new phone range features a customised Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (the latest one) with a tweaked version of the firm’s ProScaler10 upscaling tech. This will apparently let it offer a “40 per cent” improvement on display image scaling quality – which we’re interpreting as fancy marketing speak for better upscaling.

We haven’t tested the tech on the S25 properly, but if it works as well as the firm’s upscaling does on recent Samsung TVs we’ve tested, it could be a key perk for the phone. To catch you up, Samsung has become something of a front runner when it comes to upscaling – a process that uses AI wizardry to let a TV convert a lower-resolution image to match a higher-resolution display.

Usually this is done to convert HD streams or DVDs into 4K, though as evidenced by our five-star review of the Samsung QN900D, the firm has had great success turning 4K sources into next-generation 8K recently.

When done correctly this can make pictures look sharper, more realistic and generally better, hence why its appearance on the Galaxy S25 could be awesome. Especially as our staff writer, Lewis Empson, walked away from his initial hands-on go with the phone impressed, reporting:

"The Galaxy S25 Ultra's display appeared sharp and crisp when we watched the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World on the device, which we suspect is partially down to the ProScaler feature adding an extra dash of detail. Heroic shots of the new Captain America striking a pose had tangible depth, with sharp outlines and texture to his armoured suit."

But, while I am excited to see how the tech performs when we get the Galaxy S25 in for proper testing, in my heart of hearts I can’t help but feel a little regret about the launch.

This isn’t because I don’t think the phone looks cool. It’s because I’d really hoped Samsung would use the Galaxy S25 as the launchpad for its new Dolby Atmos rival, Eclipsa Audio.

This is a long-awaited tech Samsung built in partnership with Google that has previously been known as Project Caviar and IAMF (immersive Audio Model and Formats).

While Dolby Atmos rivals aren’t anything new – we saw a laptop-focused one from UK-based Audioscenic called Amphi Hi-D® spatial audio launch less than a month ago – the fact Eclipsa has two such big name parents makes it automatically a big deal.

At the moment its only designed to work with YouTube, but Samsung’s confirmed it hopes to entice streaming services including Disney+, Netflix and Amazon Prime in the future by pulling the exact same trick it did with HDR10+. Specifically, making it open source and not charging a certification fee, as Dolby does with its Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio standards.

That is undeniably clever, but one other big way to get people and companies onboard with a new technology is letting them try it and, hopefully, see / hear how awesome it is. Apple did this with its Spatial Audio, when it rolled the tech to its entire platform as soon as was humanly possible at launch. The fact the tech launched as a full package, with iPhones, and a pair of headphones optimised to show it off is a key reason I think the tech succeeded. Our home cinema editor continues to praise the stellar surround sound he gets with an Apple TV 4K or iPad Pro and pair of AirPods Max over-ears to this day, after getting hooked early.

Which is why I wish Samsung had done this with the Galaxy S25. Given how many phones it ships each year, which according to Statista’s latest data is well over 15 per cent of all global shipments, this seems like an open goal opportunity to get Eclipsa in front of people.

This is doubly true as Samsung recently resurrected AKG, with the new AKG N9 wireless headphones and AKG N5 wireless earbuds in September last year. Since Samsung owns AKG, how cool would it have been to launch a new AirPods Max rival with Eclipsa support alongside the Galaxy S25? I’d certainly at the very least have been curious to try the two if it had.

Sadly, without it I can’t help feel like Samsung missed an open goal and the ongoing lack of decent home cinema headphones will continue, for at least the foreseeable future.

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Samsung has unveiled its latest trio of flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S25 series. Comprised of the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra, this trio succeeds the impressive Galaxy S24 series with a plethora of design, feature, and (most importantly) picture upgrades to usher in what Samsung is calling its "most advanced smartphones yet."

Each device will also feature a Dynamic AMOLED display with a variable refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz; notably, the S25 Ultra and S25 Plus will feature 3160 x 1440 (quad HD) resolutions, whereas the standard S25 will sport a 1920 x 1080 (full HD) screen. And while Samsung itself hasn't mentioned it yet, we anticipate HDR10+ support on these devices, as was the case with previous generations, including the Galaxy S24 and S23 devices.

There is a rare AV upgrade in the spotlight with the S25 series, which has certainly piqued our interest; especially considering these sorts of features take a back seat when it comes to most mobile phone launches. Samsung is incorporating its new ProScaler feature with the S25, which upscales video and reportedly increases detail levels of lower quality content (think 480p or 720p videos) by 43 per cent – consider us intrigued.

Much like how Sony's Xperia smartphone allegedly confers with its Bravia TV division, Samsung has reportedly utilised the experience of its TV business to implement this new picture feature. It appears similar to the AI Upscaler Pro feature from its 2025 TV range and 2024 8K models, which is a promising sign considering how impressive the upscaling was on the QN900D.

We've also received word directly from Samsung that there will be no increase in brightness this year, with the same impressive 2600-nit figure quoted from the S24 range. The Ultra also gets a new Corning Gorilla Armour 2 display coating, which reportedly increases protection from scratches and fractures by 29 per cent.

Each of the new devices is notably lighter than their predecessors too; the S25 is 6g lighter, the S25 Plus is 7g lighter, and the S25 Ultra is 15g lighter. Samsung has also shrunken the bezels by 15 per cent, giving the S25 Ultra a 6.9-inch display – a small increase from the 6.8-inch screen of the S24 Ultra. The S25 and S25 Plus feature the same 6.2- and 6.7-inch display sizes as their predecessors.

Audio-wise, it doesn't appear as though much has changed. All three devices feature stereo speakers (consisting of a downward firing speaker and earpiece speaker) on all devices, Dolby Atmos support over the speakers and headphones, and Bluetooth 5.3 for connecting wireless headphones.

All three of the new devices will be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, which is once again a customised variant of the latest Snapdragon processor which is exclusively tuned for the new Samsung devices to feature a slightly higher clock speed. Furthermore, all devices in the range will feature 12GB of RAM regardless of their storage specification; this is a major upgrade which should see performance be silky smooth on the new handsets. The S25 series will also launch with the latest One UI 7 operating system (running over Android 15) with seven generations of promised software software.

These latest generational internal components will once again power the Galaxy AI system, which encompasses a variety of features including Circle to Search with Google, Live Translation, Generative Edit photo editing tools, Custom Wallpapers, and Chat Assist for tweaking the tone and grammar – plus many more. New for the S25 series is an on-device large language model, which powers an improved Generative Edit photo editing system with more natural-looking generative fill sections when removing subjects from a photograph.

On the subject of photography, Samsung has upgraded the system with a new 50MP ultra-wide lens on the S25 Ultra, which joins the same 200MP main camera, 10MP telephoto and 50MP periscope arrangement from the S24 Ultra. On the other hand, the S25 and S25 Plus feature a triple camera system comprising a 50MP main lens, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto camera. Users will now be able to experience four times more dynamic colours with 10-bit HDR support, and an on-device Audio Eraser feature will let you cut unwanted background noise from videos with the tap of a button.

Samsung has revealed that pre-orders for the Galaxy S25 series will begin today, and we can expect to see devices begin shipping on the 7th of February. As with previous generations, Samsung will run a promotion allowing users to double the storage of their device for no extra cost if they pre-order through the official Samsung online storefront. Pricing for new models is as follows (we are awaiting pricing for the US and Australia):

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Samsung has kicked off 2025 by releasing a whole host of new products, including the Galaxy S25 / S25 Plus, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The latter’s previous iteration, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, was created to rival its competitors at Apple and Sony with oodles of AI features, bright screen and a new processor.

All of these appear to have been carried on to the S25 Ultra, with a selection of upgrades to boot. If you are unsure whether you need to upgrade your model, you’ve come to the right place. We have broken down every aspect of both the S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra to help you make an informed decision. So, does the S25 Ultra look like it will be the cream of the crop? Let’s find out.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: pricing

It’s good news for UK customers, as the retail price of the S25 Ultra will stay the same as the S24 Ultra at its release. We are still waiting on international pricing, but we will keep you updated as soon as we know.

The prices of all models and configurations of Galaxy S25 Ultra and S24 Ultra can be found below:

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: design

Our senior staff writer Lewis Empson got the chance to see the new model up close at Samsung’s launch earlier this week. He noted that where the four-star rated S24 Ultra has quite square corners, the new S25 has a more rounded look and a flatter design overall. The S24 was the first Ultra model to be built with titanium (much like the iPhone 15 Pro models), and the S25 Ultra has continued to follow this trend. It says this material is its go-to because it can increase grip to prevent drops, as well as improve durability so that if it does hit the floor it is less likely to be damaged.

The S24 Ultra utilises Corning Gorilla Armour glass, which doubles up to increase scratch resistance and reduce screen reflectivity by up to 75 per cent. But the S25 Ultra has been fitted for the armour’s upgraded display, which is 29 per cent more effective at reducing scratches and fractures. Samsung also uses titanium in the frame of both models, but the S25 Ultra has managed to trim 15g off the S24 Ultra’s 232g.

If you were unsure if the S25 Ultra was made of titanium, Samsung ain’t going to let you forget with its aptly named range of colours. You can get the new model in Titanium Black, Titanium Grey, Titanium Silver Blue, and Titanium White Silver.

Those aren’t the only upgrades the S25 Ultra has been afforded in terms of looks. The new model has 15 per cent smaller bezels (the frame that surrounds a phone’s screen) compared to last year’s design which has resulted in a 0.1-inch increase in screen size.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: features

Like most tech brands in the last few years, one of the biggest features Samsung is touting at the moment is its AI abilities. When we reviewed the S24 Ultra, we said that the AI features were “genuinely useful”, so it’s reassuring to see that all of them have been continued into the new model. There are a huge number of AI features integrated into the S24 Ultra. There are almost too many to talk about, including real-time texting and calling translation between 13 supported languages, intelligent voice note transcription, typing revisions based on different tones/scenarios and smart summarisation of documents and recordings, to name a few.

The S25 Ultra has kept these features and is even set to include upgrades to the photo editing tools including a more effective Generative Fill tool thanks to an on-device large language model.

We were impressed with the S24 Ultra’s punchy and sharp camera performance, and it seems the S25 Ultra is only going to improve on what we liked. It has a new 50MP ultrawide camera joining the existing 200MP main, 10MP telephoto and 50MP periscope lenses. Both models have a 12MP front-facing camera.

The two models have a special 'For Galaxy' version of Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, and 12GB of RAM available. There’s the UI 7 operating system running on top of the standard Android 15, as well as seven years of software support.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: picture

At 6.9 inches, the S25 Ultra’s screen is a whole 0.1 inches bigger than the previous Ultra’s display.

The two phones’ have the same levels of peak brightness, clocking in at an impressive 2600 nits. With the S24 Ultra it proved a good level for viewing in bright sunlight, so we can only imagine the new model will be the same. Also, they both have Dynamic AMOLED displays.

One thing that has particularly piqued our interest is the new ProScaler feature. This can upscale lower resolution content with (reportedly) 43 per cent more detail, which is an important addition considering many mobile versions of streaming apps tend to stream at lower resolutions, and none that we’re aware of support Quad HD resolution.

It’s worth noting that both phones are HDR10+ compatible, which is ideal for watching Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, but less ideal for Dolby Vision-specific streaming apps like Netflix and Disney Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: sound

During the testing process of the S24 Ultra, we found that it delivered an energetic performance with hints of warmth and impressive clarity. However, we said it lacked some subtlety compared to competitors such as Sony Xperia 1 V.

There is not much to go on yet in terms of the S25 Ultra’s audio quality as we didn’t get to hear it in optimal conditions, nor did we get to use headphones with the device. So, for the moment, it is a bit of a mystery and you’ll have to wait for our full review to come out. We do know, like the S24 Ultra, that it does have Dolby Atmos over its speakers and headphones.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: early verdict

While we haven’t had the chance to spend some extended quality time with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, its array of useful AI features and bright screen seem extremely promising.

We rated the S24 Ultra highly with four stars after the testing process for its punchy screen and high-quality build, so we will eagerly be awaiting the day we can give the S25 Ultra a proper look.

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We're just a few short hours away from the iPhone 17 launch. To stay up to speed on all the latest developments, check out our Apple event 2025 live hub. Or read on to see what all the leaks and rumours have been saying over the last year or so.

It's a lot. From the camera specs and screen changes to design tweaks and even what colours to expect, we've heard them all. And we've sifted through them to bring you only the most relevant – and likely – predictions.

We're expecting a new, ultra thin model – dubbed the iPhone 17 Air – to join the standard, Pro and Pro Max models. All four handsets are expected to get 120Hz ProMotion screens, and the Pro and Pro Max are rumoured to feature a new 48-megapixel telephoto camera.

Apple is also rumoured to be increasing the base level of iPhone 17 Pro from 128GB to 256GB. Though it could mean a price rise.

We could even see the AirPods Pro 3 debut alongside the new iPhones. After all, the AirPods Pro 2 launched alongside the iPhone 14 in 2022, so the timing would be consistent. And Apple announced the AirPods 4 with ANC at the iPhone 16 event last year, so it's clearly no stranger to letting its new smartphones share the limelight.

Apple's 'Awe dropping' event kicks off at 10AM Pacific Time (6PM BST / 3AM AEST on Wednesday). We'll update this page once all the details are official – in the meantime, read on for what to expect.

• iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: which should you buy?
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• iPad Air M3 vs iPad Pro M4: what's the difference?

iPhone 17 release date rumours

Apple's 'Awe Dropping' event takes place on 9th September 2025, and you can bet it will launch the iPhone 17. How can we be so sure? Check out when every recent iPhone was announced.

• iPhone 11: 10th September 2019
• iPhone 12: 13th October 2020
• iPhone 13: 14th September 2021
• iPhone 14: 7th September 2022
• iPhone 15: 12th September 2023
• iPhone 16: 9th September 2024

The event kicks off at 10AM Pacific Time (6PM BST / 3AM AEST on Wednesday).

This could be the last year with the current iPhone launch schedule. One recent report says that Apple might split future iPhone launches across two separate release windows – retaining the traditional autumn schedule for Pro models while shifting standard models to the following spring.

This would take effect from 2026, possibly the same year that the foldable iPhone launches (here's everything we know so far about Apple's folding iPhone).

iPhone 17 price hearsay

The nature of inflation means that devices like phones usually get more expensive. But in the last couple of years, we've seen much more modest price rises than previously.

In some cases, prices have remained the same, or even fallen, meaning a new model launches for less than its inferior predecessor.

The iPhone 16 range costs broadly the same as the iPhone 15 before it.

For context, Apple's latest iPad Pro launched at £50 / $200 / AU$200 more than the model it replaces, though admittedly it did add an OLED screen to the offering.

But the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation launched at the same price as the AirPods 3, and that's despite adding ANC. So Apple's prices don't always go up.

Running counter to that, the iPhone 16e replaced the iPhone SE as Apple's cheapest iPhone. But with a starting price of £599 / $599 / AU$999, it's not exactly budget. Which suggests Apple has given up on the cheap phone market.

Prices are notoriously tricky to predict, especially for a new variant like the iPhone 17 Air.

The recent tariff uncertainty has prompted some Apple analysts to forecast a price rise. Smartphones were supposed to be among the devices exempt from tariffs, but then President Trump backtracked and threatened tariffs of "at least" 25 per cent on any iPhone made outside America.

According to Counterpoint Research, this will spell a price rise. Leaker @Jukanlosreve specifies that this will mean a $50 (£40 / AU$75) price hike compared to the iPhone 16 models.

More RAM has been rumoured for the iPhone 17 range (more on this later), but with 12GB RAM modules costing 50 per cent more than 8GB ones, a price rise could be on the cards.

Couple that with the rumour that Apple will bin off the 128GB variant of iPhone 17 Pro models in favour of 256GB, and we would say a higher starting price is looking increasingly likely.

iPhone 17 range shakeup?

One of the biggest rumours concerning the iPhone 17 is the range make-up.

Before the iPhone 16 even launched, there was talk of the Plus model being replaced by a new 'Air' or 'Slim' variant.

As the name suggests, this would be slimmer than the current Plus, but also have other points of difference, like a different screen size and camera arrangement.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (who has a decent track record when it comes to these things), the iPhone 17 Air will measure just 5.5mm at its thinnest point, approaching the svelte dimensions of Apple's 5.1mm iPad Pro M4.

This remarkable thinness isn't merely an engineering achievement – Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests it could serve as a crucial testing ground for technologies destined for future foldable Apple devices.

According to a leak from Korea (via MacRumors) the Air's battery is about half a thick as the iPhone 17 Pro's. Which would certainly help slim down the device.

Here's how the iPhone 17 Air might look, with a render created by Front Page Tech.

The pursuit of such a slim profile has led Apple to make several significant design decisions, Gurman says: the frame will use a unique titanium-aluminium blend, with a higher proportion of aluminium than seen in current Pro models.

Physical SIM functionality will be replaced entirely by eSIM technology, while audio output will rely on a single speaker at the top rather than the dual-speaker configuration found in current iPhones.

If this is true, it could impact sound quality, so consider our interest piqued.

One more design compromise – the USB-C port on the bottom might not be centred, but rather be situated closer to the rear of the device than the front. That's in order to accommodate display components within the enclosure, according to a dummy model seen by AppleTrack.

That's a fairly minor change in the grand scheme of things. But unsightly to those with an eye for design, as it would mess up the pleasing symmetry of the device's bottom edge. We can't imagine Steve Jobs ever countenancing it.

In leaker Majin Bu's photos (via GSMArena) of a dummy iPhone 17 Air, the handset certainly looks slim, but the camera lens juts out quite a bit from the top half. Which could turn some people off.

The iPhone 17 Air also thought to feature a black camera bar across the width of its back panel.

And speaking on the Recycle Bin podcast, tipster Jon Prosser speculated that the iPhone 17 Air could have a 6.7-inch screen – bigger than the 6.55 inches previously rumoured (though this was rounded up to 6.6 inches).

6.7 inches would be the same size as the screen on the iPhone 16 Plus – which would make sense, seeing as the 17 Air is said to replace the 16 Plus in Apple's line-up.

Apple is said to be using high-density battery cells in the iPhone 17 Air in order to cram more battery power into a slimmer frame. That's according to Ming-Chi Kuo.

iPhone 17 screen speculation

There's talk of Apple increasing the screen size of the standard iPhone model to bring it in line with the Pro.

Currently, the iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch screen, compared to the iPhone 16 Pro's 6.3-incher.

With the rumoured iPhone 17 Air replacing the Plus model, that would leave the iPhone 17 range as follows:

• iPhone 17: 6.3 inches
• iPhone 17 Air/Slim: 6.6/6.7 inches
• iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3 inches
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9 inches

But that's not the only screen change being mooted.

Apple is also said to bring 120Hz refresh rates to every iPhone in the line-up (including the rumoured iPhone 17 Air). This is a pretty big deal, given that its so-called ProMotion displays are currently exclusive to the Pro models.

But according to display analyst Ross Young (via MacRumors), 120Hz will soon be standard across the board.

This was also mooted by a leaker on Weibo(via MacRumors) who said this would be enabled by Samsung's M14 OLED display panel (which is currently only used in Apple's iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max).

Not only would 120Hz refresh rates mean better handling of more frantic action, with less slowdown, it would also allow every iPhone 17 model to scale down to the more power efficient refresh rate of just 1Hz, extending battery life while also allowing for always-on displays to show information while the handset is locked (again, this feature is currently limited to the Pro models).

Samsung's M14 panel is also 30 per cent brighter than the M13 that came before it.

However, one leaker has poured cold water on our expectations. Someone calling themselves Digital Chat Station posted on Weibo that you should "lower your expectations appropriately", which suggests that either the standard and Air will only have 90Hz screens (still up from the 60Hz of the standard iPhone 16) or that they will have 120Hz displays but that these will lack the energy-efficient ProMotion tech of the Pro models.

That would mean fewer gains in battery life. But another screen technology could help out in this area.

Low-Dielectric TEE (Transmission Electrically Enhanced) apparently "improves battery efficiency, maximises display durability, and enhances overall performance compared to existing display technologies" according to the person who posted about it.

It's said to be new technology about very little is known, so file this under 'maybe' for now.

The iPhone 17 is also said to have an anti-reflective screen that's more scratch-resistant than Apple's current Ceramic Shield, according to a rumour on Chinese social network Weibo.

A smaller Dynamic Island could also be in store. Analyst Jeff Pu says (via MacRumors) that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a "much narrowed [sic] Dynamic Island" thanks to the Face ID system using a smaller "metalens".

Instead of being curved like a traditional lens, this would be thin and flat and be able to focus light more precisely. It would be the first change to the Dynamic Island since it was introduced in 2022.

However, another well-respected analyst thinks the Dynamic Island will remain "largely unchanged".

iPhone 17 design rumours

The iPhone 17 is said to feature some significant design changes compared to its predecessor.

One of the biggest – and most puzzling – design changes mentioned is ditching the Pro models' titanium build in favour of aluminium across the board. That's according to The Information, which notes that "the back of the Pro and Pro Max models will feature a new part-aluminium, part-glass design.

"The top of the back will comprise a larger rectangular camera bump made of aluminium rather than traditional 3D glass. The bottom half will remain glass to accommodate wireless charging."

Why is this puzzling? Apple only introduced titanium in 2023, on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

Apple marketed titanium as strong yet light, and a more premium option than the stainless steel previously used. (It hasn't used aluminium for a premium iPhone since the iPhone X in 2017.)

As such, this rumour has been met with some skepticism.

The iPhone 17 Pro could have the same horizontal camera bar on the rear as the iPhone 17 Air, according to this render from Front Page Tech.

But another leak contradicts that, showing the camera bar split into two distinct sections. Mark Gurman reckons the bar will be the same colour as the rest of the iPhone too, whereas previously it was thought to be a different shade in order to stand out.

According to leaker Majin Bu, the camera bar will mean the Apple logo sits lower on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro model than on the iPhone 16 range.

The iPhone 17's battery could be easier to remove, thanks to a different type of adhesive. According to MacRumors, that would make the batteries easier to swap, extending the life of your iPhone.

According to these CADs (computer-aided designs) shared by reputable leaker Sonny Dickson, the iPhone 17 will have a very similar design to the iPhone 16, with only the Air, Pro and Pro Max getting the horizontal camera bar.

Though the standard iPhone 17 model would still get plenty of other improvements, like the 120Hz always-on screen and possibly some new colour schemes.

The iPhone 17 Air will have the same dimensions as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, apart from being slimmer, according to leaker Ice Universe.

"The iPhone 17 Air is 5.5mm thick, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max is 8.725mm thick," they wrote on Weibo.

That would make the 17 Pro Max quite a bit thicker than the 16 Pro Max.

We should also have some new colours with this year's model. Rumours say – via MacRumors – that the iPhone 17 Air will come in a new light blue, similar to the M4 MacBook Air that launched earlier this year, while the 17 Pro could come in a nice shade of orange. We know Apple is trying to cosy up to Trump but this seems ridiculous...

iPhone 17 specs and features leaks

Apple usually gives its new iPhones a new processor, and the iPhone 17 should be no different.

The range-topping iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to feature Apple's A19 Pro chip, while the iPhone 17 and 17 Air/Slim are thought to feature the standard A19.

This is in keeping with the iPhone 16 range, which was the first to feature different versions of the same chip in the Pro and non-Pro models.

TSMC's upcoming N3P technology is thought to feature. This is said to offer better efficiency and increased transistor density.

More RAM is also thought to be in the offing. Analyst Jeff Pu has previously said that the Pro models will have 12GB RAM, and the non-Pros 8GB.

However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reckons that only the Pro Max will have 12GB, with the rest featuring 8GB. In a more recent blog post, he expanded this prediction to include the iPhone 17 Air as well.

Apple doesn't reveal how much RAM each iPhone features, so it's down to teardowns and online sleuths to reveal it.

The iPhone 17 Air, in particular, is expected to feature at least 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence's AI features, despite its slim profile.

However, the thin design necessitates some compromises – notably, the device will completely eliminate the physical SIM tray in favour of eSIM technology, which could affect its availability in certain markets.

Other new features are said to include an Apple-designed 5G modem (only in the Slim/Air variant), and an Apple custom Wi-Fi 7 chip.

The iPhone 17 range is also expected to gain vapour chamber cooling (via 9to5Mac). This is a more effective method of passive cooling to squeeze the maximum possible performance out of the phone.

Opinion is split whether this will be exclusive to the Pro Max, or available on all models.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is also said to have a 5000mAh battery – larger than any iPhone that has come before it. The 16 Pro Max has a 4685mAh battery.

Google's Gemini AI assistant could arrive as part of the iPhone 17. Google's CEO Sundar Pichai has reportedly been talking to his Apple counterpart Tim Cook about having Gemini built into the next iPhone, and hopes to have a deal in place by the launch, Bloomberg reports.

But Apple's own Siri AI has reportedly been shunted back to 2026, according to Bloomberg.

We could see faster charging speeds. 91Mobiles spotted that Apple has submitted regulatory filings in Taiwan for two new MagSafe chargers supporting the Qi 2.2 standard. This would step up the maximum charging speed from 25W to 50W, meaning greater efficiency and less heat generation, and even better alignment when snapped into place using their magnets. Wins all round.

iPhone 17 camera conjecture

The camera is always one of the main selling points of any iPhone, and the iPhone 17's could be the best yet, with a comprehensive update across the range expected.

The top-end iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumoured to be the first iPhone with three 48-megapixel rear cameras: wide, ultrawide and tetraprism telephoto.

It's also said to feature the "strongest telephoto camera yet", which could make for better zoom capabilities, better portraits and more stable video recording.

The iPhone 17 Air, given its svelte nature, is expected to have just a single rear camera, to allow it to be much thinner than its stablemates.

One model in the range is also said to have a mechanical aperture, to vary the amount of light allowed in to the sensor.

This would allow for shallow depth of field shots, and make it a much more versatile camera.

However, The Information doesn't reveal which model this would be, though it would make sense to be the 17 Pro Max, with the highest-end model getting the most advanced features.

The 5x telephoto zoom lens is thought to remain exclusive to the Pro models in the iPhone 17 range.

Every phone in the family is said to have a 24-megapixel front-facing camera – double the resolution of the iPhone 16's 12-megapixel selfie-taker.

The iPhone 17 is also rumoured to gain 8K video recording, according to a source on Weibo (via GSMArena).

Some Android phones allow 8K video recording, but this would be the first iPhone with the feature.

iPhone 17 early verdict

Even before the iPhone 16 broke cover, the 17 was said to be the first significant upgrade to the iPhone in years. If these rumours are true, that definitely looks to be the case.

As ever, Apple won't be short of competition, with Google, Samsung and a host of Chinese competitors vying for your hard-earned. But with a price rise looking more likely by the day, Apple will have to deliver even more from the iPhone 17.

We'll keep updating this page regularly with all the latest leaks, rumours and news, so make sure you check back for the latest.

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Apple’s annual iPhone launch has been and gone, and with it came the usual quartet of new devices; two ‘standard’ iPhones and two ‘Pro’ iPhones. As expected, Apple spent very little time covering AV performance and stuck to the core areas of design, processor and camera features – though, as we’ve found with many previous iPhones, there are upgrades to be found even if Apple won’t give them the spotlight. 

This is once again evident with the standard iPhone 16, which we have to put through our rigorous testing process. As ever, its merit as a portable movie and music device will be put to the test – so can it deliver the goods when it comes to picture and sound?

Price

Apple’s latest entry-level iPhone costs £799 / $799 / AU$1399 for the base 128GB storage configuration, though 256GB and 512GB models are also available for a premium. Apple also offers a ‘Plus’ version with a larger 6.7-inch display and higher capacity battery starting at £899 / $899 / AU$1599. Above that are the iPhone 16 Pro (£999 / $999 / AU$1799) and 16 Pro Max (£1199 / $1199 / AU$2149), which have larger displays than their non-Pro equivalents, a more powerful processor, 120Hz ProMotion screens and an additional camera.

If you’re looking to explore Android alternatives to the iPhone 16, then there are some noteworthy options. The Sony Xperia 5 V is our preferred alternative, though it's over a year old now and not available in the US or Australia – so if you live in either of those regions you may want to look at either the Samsung Galaxy S24 (£799 / $799 / AU$1399) or Google Pixel 8 (£699 / $699 / AU$1199).

However, the iPhone 16’s greatest competitor is its own predecessor, as Apple’s strategy of keeping its previous iPhone models on sale at a reduced price continues. The iPhone 15 can be found for just £699 / $699 / $1249; considering it’s a five-star handset and shares many features with the iPhone 16, it might be a preferable purchase for those who want to save £100 / $100 / AU$150.

Build

The iPhone 16 is easily distinguishable from the iPhone 15 at a glance, so long as you’re looking at the back of the device. The ‘new’ vertically stacked duo of camera lenses look like they’ve been plucked straight from the iPhone 11, while the frosted matte glass back returns from the iPhone 15 for a premium feel in the hand. 

There are also a pair of new buttons. First and foremost is the Action Button, which replaces the mute switch. While it can be set to act as a mute shortcut, this remappable button can also be set to open apps, identify music with Shazam, switch on the torch or just be turned off altogether. This is the first standard iPhone model to feature the button after it was introduced on last year’s iPhone 15 Pro models. 

You’ll also find the new Camera Control button on the right-hand side of the handset. It can be used to open the camera, and a firm press snaps a photograph, while a gentle press allows you to zoom in or out, choose your photography style, switch between cameras and set the exposure. We’ll get onto how useful this new button is in just a moment, but before that, we’d like to make a note that it feels a little too high up on the phone to be used comfortably in landscape mode. Adjusting our grip on the phone alleviates this issue somewhat, but it's not how we’d naturally hold the device. 

Elsewhere on the phone, you’ll find a pair of volume buttons and a USB-C socket. There is, of course, no headphone jack. Flipping the phone around we find that it looks practically indistinguishable from the iPhone 15 – the same dynamic island, uniformly slim bezel and Ceramic Shield glass coating are all present and correct. It’s also the exact same size as the iPhone 15. 

One way in which this phone is visibly different to its predecessor is the range of finishes it is available in. Gone are the muted pastel tones of the iPhone 15, as Apple has juiced up the 16 range with a bombastic trio of bright hues; namely a vibrant blue Ultramarine, a punchy Pink finish and a rich Teal colour – all of which look rather fetching. For a more subdued look, you can opt for Black or White.

Features

Apple has caught the AI bug from Google and Samsung and, as a result, has developed a system for the iPhone 16 called Apple Intelligence (AI – see what it did there?). It incorporates generative AI emojis, AI writing suggestions, advanced photo editing and more – but there is an unfortunate catch. Apple Intelligence is, as of now, missing. Yes, despite being plastered across the product page on Apple’s website and TV advertisements alike, we cannot access it on our review unit. 

It’s a disgruntling move from Apple to launch its latest premium handset without the headline feature; furthermore, when the full update arrives, it will only add some of the promised features that were shown off during Apple’s various live-streamed events, with other features coming at a later undisclosed date. It’s also worth noting that the availability of Apple Intelligence will vary by region, with many European territories especially being restricted. 

These AI features apparently require an advanced new processor, and Apple has loaded the iPhone 16 up with its A18 processor and 8GB of RAM. The iPhone 16 flies through the iOS 18 operating system and remains staunchly stutter-free during day-to-day use. We do wish that it could squeeze a bit more life out of its 3561mAh battery – we can just about get a full day out of the handset, though the speedy wired charging, which can juice the phone up to 50 per cent in 30 minutes, is appreciated. That does require you to buy a compatible fast charger, as you’ll only find a USB-C cable in the box; though Apple has at least switched to a more rugged and higher-quality braided cable this year, which is a nice touch.

Moving away from AI and onto AV, here we can take a deep dive into the iPhone 16’s picture and sound features. With its 6.1-inch OLED screen, the iPhone 16 feels pleasantly compact in the hand, meaning we can comfortably reach practically every part of the screen while using the device one-handed and without needing to shuffle the device around too awkwardly. 

The Super Retina XDR display sports a familiar pixel density of 460ppi (the same found on practically every iPhone), support for the HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR formats, an impressive peak brightness of 2000 nits and a frustrating 60Hz maximum refresh rate. Apple, it’s 2024 – there is no need to limit 120Hz display technology to the Pro-series iPhones when Android devices costing half this price have it as standard.

Onto sound, and the iPhone 16 supports Dolby Atmos audio through headphones or built-in stereo loudspeakers, as well as Apple Spatial Audio through supported AirPods or Beats headphones and earbuds. You can plug in headphones via a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter or DAC, or straight into the device if your headphones have a USB-C connector, something we have seen more frequently since Apple ditched the Lightning port last year. Bluetooth 5.3 is on board, though it only supports the LE and A2DP codecs.

Next up are the cameras, and Apple is using a familiar 48MP wide angle and 12MP ultrawide angle duo on the iPhone 16, and the move from a horizontally to vertically stacked arrangement isn’t purely aesthetic. It’s actually so users can shoot spatial photographs and video to be viewed on the Apple Vision Pro headset; the relevancy of this feature will of course depend on whether you own or plan to buy one of Apple’s mixed reality headsets. 

Finally, there are a handful of trademark Apple features that make their return this year. The Dynamic Island returns, which interacts with apps such as Maps, Uber and Apple Music to create shortcuts and show necessary information at a glance. It's a feature that we believe has passed the gimmick stage and is proving itself to be genuinely useful. Within the Dynamic Island there is the Face ID system which can be used to unlock the handset or approve payments via Apple Pay, and on the rear of the device is the built-in MagSafe ring, which can be used to interface with a variety of accessories including chargers and cases. 

Picture

Apple has an impressive track record of delivering stellar picture quality with its iPhones, even when it doesn’t advertise any improvements to the movie-watching experience. The iPhone 16 is no exception, as it carries all of the established characteristics that made its predecessors successful along with a small handful of picture refinements that level the iPhone up to surpass its predecessor.

We load Netflix and Amazon Prime Video onto the iPhone, as well as using the pre-installed Apple TV app to watch content from our library. We watch a variety of reference material including Top Gun: Maverick and Mad Max: Fury Road in Dolby Vision, as well as 1917 and Blade Runner 2049 in HDR10 to assess the capabilities of the iPhone 16 as a portable movie machine. We also have the step-up iPhone 16 Pro on hand as a reference point, to see what picture aspects you might be sacrificing if you opt for the ‘standard’ model. 

The iPhone 16 passes with flying colours, with a rich and three-dimensional image that is deeply engaging. The opening scene of 1917 shows us crisp details in clothing, skin and environmental textures, with a tangible grain to the rough fabric of the soldier’s uniforms and the gritty dirt lining the walls of the trenches through which they weave. Much like the iPhone 16 Pro that sits above it in the lineup, the iPhone 16 also manages to skillfully draw our eye to the focal point of the image while retaining an excellent amount of detail and solidity to objects in the background. 

The iPhone also presents colours in a balanced yet engaging fashion. Skin tones appear very well judged across a range of complexions, and foliage appears natural, with ample depth and variation to the hues of green in the opening shot of a field in 1917. There is also an impressive subtlety to the variation of colour seen in clothing, with patches of darker green and brown to be found on the soldiers' uniforms. 

Switching to Top Gun: Maverick in Dolby Vision, the iPhone 16 shows that it's adept with motion as fighter jets tear down the runway of an aircraft carrier and shoot off into the sky. There is no observable judder to these movements, and the slow-motion scenes of cables whipping and epic high-fives are wonderfully cinematic on this relatively compact screen. 

One area in which the Pro model clearly surpasses the standard 16 is how it handles peak brightness. Make no mistake, the iPhone 16 still delivers punchy areas of brightness, such as the sunset in the high-octane opening sequence of Top Gun, but the Pro manages to add a touch more punch while retaining detail around the brightest part of the image. It reminds us of an MLA OLED TV in this regard, while the regular iPhone 16 performs more like a standard OLED TV – which is by no means a slight on its picture performance. 

Sound

Apple’s iPhones tend to impress when we plug in a pair of headphones, and the 16 is no exception. It’s easily one of the best-sounding smartphones we’ve heard thanks to its rich, detailed and engaging sound regardless of what we throw at it. Buzzy electronic pop tracks such as Jamie xx’s Waited All Night or Charli XCX’s Club Classics are bursting with energy and feature snappy timing alongside deep, rich bass.

Slowing things down with Taylor Swift’s The 1 or playing a dramatic pop ballad such as Chapelle Roan’s Good Luck Babe shows us just how talented the iPhone 16 is when it comes to low-level dynamics. Both vocalists are presented with tangible emotive qualities in their voices, while the methodical piano of the former track and roaring guitar strums in the latter are both packed with detail and tonal variation. 

Moving to the stereo speakers – which combine a bottom-firing loudspeaker and the front-firing earpiece – we find that the iPhone is more than usable for a spot of movie watching out loud. While we’re standing firm in our recommendation to skip these speakers for listening to music and use headphones, the iPhone can still comfortably deliver dialogue and sound effects with plenty of clarity and detail, even if they’re slightly stunted in the dynamics department. 

Verdict

This year’s entry-level iPhone isn’t worlds apart from last year’s 15 series model. In fact, the main difference is Apple Intelligence support which, at the time of writing, is MIA. That being said, it excels in the metrics we test, with its subtle, crisp and engaging picture and rich, detailed sound providing a spectacular AV experience overall.  

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 5
• Features 5

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• The best smartphones for music and movies put to the test

Apple’s iPhone launches have become somewhat formulaic in recent years. The shiny new model is revealed, we hear about how powerful the new processor and camera are, and the phrase “best iPhone yet” is usually thrown in there for good measure. Picture and sound performance, on the contrary, is relegated to the footnotes or is sometimes absent altogether.

While we yearn for a segment in Apple’s yearly livestream to dig deeper into new features that enhance the movie and music capabilities of the latest iPhone handset, we’re also ready to accept that megapixels and app loading times are a bigger draw, even though each iPhone generation traditionally tends to feature a better AV experience than its predecessor. 

2024 marks the year of the iPhone 16 series which, despite the name, is the 18th generation of iPhones. We have the iPhone 16 Pro specifically on hand today and, as expected, it's quicker and features a better camera than the iPhone 15 Pro; but how does it handle movies and music?

Price

iPhone prices have been somewhat unstable in recent years, and it usually heavily depends on which region you’re situated in as to whether you’ll be paying more, less or the same as the previous generation handset. Thankfully, this year it actually looks like good news all around, as the iPhone 16 Pro costs £999 / $999 / AU$1799 – the same as the 15 Pro in the UK and US, and AU$50 cheaper in Australia.

That will get you the base storage option with a frustratingly stingy 128GB capacity; though you can spec it up to 1TB for a less wallet-friendly £1499 / $1499 / AU$2699. Apple does offer a larger screen alternative with the iPhone 16 Pro Max (which starts at £1199 / $1199 / AU$2149), as well as two cheaper models in the form of the iPhone 16 (£799 / $799 / AU$1399) and iPhone 16 Plus (£899 / $899 / AU$1599).

The iPhone 16 Pro occupies an unusual position in the smartphone market, as other manufacturers tend to position their flagship devices to contend with the Pro Max variant. The Galaxy S24 Ultra launched at £1249 / $1299 / AU$2199, whereas the Sony Xperia 1 VI retails for £1299 / $1700 approx / AU$2500 – both are more expensive. 

The Xperia 5 V (which launched last year) is a closer comparison at £849, or the recently released Google Pixel 9 Pro (which we’re yet to review) might be the most like-for-like comparison at £999 / $999 / AU$1699. 

Build

Apple claims to have given the iPhone 16 Pro a “stunning new design”... are we missing something? The 16 Pro looks nearly identical to the 15 Pro, which in turn looked very similar to the previous generations of iPhones stretching back to 2020’s iPhone 12 series. Apple has clearly found a formula that works though, as this handset looks and feels exquisite, even if it’s not exactly revolutionary. 

The build once again combines glass and titanium, to create a rigid and premium feel in the hand. Apple has swapped brushed ‘aerospace-grade’ titanium for a polished effect, which makes the side rails slightly shinier; as a result, you’ll likely see more fingerprints on your phone depending on the finish you opt for. 

Speaking of finishes, there are four to choose from: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium and, new for this year, Desert Titanium. We have a white model on hand, and approve of its smart and clean styling, though you might want to opt for the new gold hue if you want people to know you’ve splashed out on the latest device.

Admittedly, there are a few new design cues to signal that this is indeed a new iPhone. The 16 Pro sports a slightly larger screen than last year’s device – 6.3 inches up from 6.1, the Pro Max reaches a colossal 6.9 inches up from 6.7 – and the bezels around the display have shrunk even further. 

It’s not totally borderless, and the dynamic island still floats across the top edge (which can be intrusive for watching video), but Apple has done an excellent job of shaving the bezels down to achieve a sleek and minimalist look, which makes the 16 Pro feel even more futuristic than its predecessor. The display is also coated with Apple’s Ceramic Shield material, which makes it reportedly twice as durable as the glass on other smartphones.

The second and more obvious design difference that gives this new model away is the Camera Control button. Last year’s iPhone 15 Pro got the remappable Action Button, and this year it’s joined by Camera Control, which is a combination camera shortcut and capture button. If you gently depress the button with a half click, you can access a selection of camera controls. To interact with these, you just swipe your finger across the sapphire crystal-coated surface, which feels fairly intuitive for the default zoom function and a bit clunky for anything else.

We wish it was slightly lower on the side of the device, as we have to crane our finger awkwardly around the edge of the frame to reach the button – something that would be negated if the Camera Control button was shifted a few millimetres to the right, and physically pushing down on the side of the device can make lining up shots trickier, as we’ve snapped our fair share of wonky pictures with this iPhone. 

Features

We’ll get this out of the way first: Apple Intelligence is not available on the iPhone 16 Pro yet. It’s plastered across the marketing for this device, and all over Apple’s website too, but when we hold down the lock button expecting to interface with this new AI system, we’re instead met with the same Siri interface we’ve seen from the previous generation of iPhones. AI features are expected to go live in a forthcoming update, but they’re absent so far – note that availability will vary by region when it does launch, with EU regions especially being affected. 

Having Apple Intelligence missing at launch feels like an unusual misstep from Apple. We rarely see an iPhone launch without one of its tentpole features. Bear in mind that the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max will also gain access to this feature when it launches, so if you’re on the previous generation device, you shouldn’t feel the need to upgrade immediately. 

The triple camera arrangement on the rear of the device should also be familiar to anyone with previous generation iPhones, as the 48MP main sensor and 12MP telephoto lenses return, while the ultrawide camera gets a bump up to 48MP this year. In practice, the iPhone 16 Pro is an excellent smartphone for photography, as it produces crisp and detailed images with rich colours, and the versatility of the different lenses is appreciated. That being said, it can be overshadowed by the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which also produces high-quality pictures and features an additional telephoto lens for zoomed photography.

Internally, the 16 Pro is a step up over the already powerful 15 Pro, with the A18 Pro processor powering the device alongside 8GB of RAM. In practice, the phone flies through the iOS 18 operating system and isn’t challenged by having multiple heavy-duty apps running. Furthermore, we anticipate that it will be supported by Apple for at least five years of software upgrades. As was the case with last year’s model, the 16 Pro’s powerful GPU is capable of delivering console-quality titles elsewhere seen on the Xbox Series X and PS5, including Resident Evil 8: Village, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut, and Assassin’s Creed: Mirage. 

Moving onto the AV-oriented features of the 16 Pro, we get to the display. It’s a nearly identical affair to the 15 Pro it replaces, albeit slightly larger as we’ve previously mentioned. It’s a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, with a variable refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz – Apple calls this ProMotion and it can also be found on the iPad Pro M4. It supports HDR in the HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats too, and has a resolution of 1206 x 2622 pixels and a pixel density of 460ppi. 

ProMotion remains a key asset of the Pro-series iPhones, as it makes navigating the iOS 18 operating system a dream; animations flow and swiping between home screen pages feels incredibly smooth. It also features a broad brightness range from one nit to 2000 nits peak brightness. You may wonder why the display would need to reach such a low brightness, but Apple pairs it with the 1Hz refresh rate for the always-on display feature to minimise battery usage. We’re well aware that a large portion of the Android phone market has had 120Hz and always-on displays for quite some time, so Apple is slightly behind the curve, but they’re nice features to have nonetheless.

As for sound, the iPhone 16 Pro is slightly more limited than its Android counterparts. It features a stereo speaker set-up that combines the earpiece and bottom-firing loudspeaker, and there’s no headphone jack (as to be expected) though you can hook USB-C earbuds up or wired cans via an adapter. Wireless audio utilises Bluetooth 5.3 in the A2DP and LE codecs, and Dolby Atmos is supported on both the loudspeakers and over headphones. 

Finally, Apple quotes a higher battery capacity on this new iPhone, with a larger 3582mAh cell that can reportedly last for 27 hours of consistent video playback. We find that it comfortably lasts us through some intensive video and audio testing at high brightness with an impressively small drop in battery percentage. 

Apple also sells an upgraded MagSafe wireless charger that is compatible with this device. It supports 25W wireless charging, though wired charging still maxes out at 20W with a supported USB-C fast charger. Apple claims that you can reach 50 per cent battery in just 30 minutes over wired charging, which should be useful if you need to juice your phone up in a pinch – just remember that the 20W power adapter is not included in the box. 

Picture

As has been the case for practically every generation of iPhone we’ve seen, the latest model performs better than its predecessor, even if Apple doesn’t make any grand claims of potent AV upgrades. We fire up content in Dolby Vision on Netflix, and content from our Apple TV library too – and the bottom line is that this iPhone delivers a balanced, sharp and bright image that looks stunning regardless of the content we throw at it.

Starting with Top Gun: Maverick in Dolby Vision on Netflix, we’re met with a warm, rich and engaging image. The edges of fighter jets are crisp and well-defined, leading to a pleasingly three-dimensional presentation, and details of the jets are retained even when submerged in shadows. The setting sun that bathes this sequence in golden light is reproduced to great effect, and the times that we do see the sun in all its glory, we’re treated to bright highlights and plenty of detail retained in the surrounding clouds.

While the picture as a whole is rich and punchy, it’s also expertly balanced, and there is a palpable subtlety to be found. As evidenced by 1917 in HDR10 (also on Netflix), clothing textures have a subtle gradation of colour throughout that isn’t visible on equivalent handsets, such as the Sony Xperia 1 VI. The dirt that forms the trenches is packed with detail, with defined rocks and rubble adding texture without looking either mushy or over-etched. 

Furthermore, the iPhone is excellent at identifying the focal point of the image, ensuring our focus is drawn to Lance Corporals Blake and Schofield. It still retains a crisp three-dimensionality with other elements of the picture, like a tree in the background, but it ensures that they are firmly in the background – which further enhances the depth of the image. 

Top that off with inky blacks courtesy of the OLED display and impressive motion handling of speeding jets and motorbikes in Top Gun, and the iPhone 16 Pro proves itself a formidable portable movie-watching machine. With dark content such as Drive’s opening sequence, we see plenty of detail retained in the darkest part of the image – the side of the titular Driver’s face and ear are still visible even when he’s mostly covered by shadows; notably, this has tripped up other smartphones which are heavier handed where dark details and contrast are concerned. 

Sound

Apple has settled on a signature sound with its iPhones, however, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t innovate with each iteration. Put simply, the iPhone 16 Pro is easily the best-sounding phone we’ve heard all year.

Starting with the headphone performance, we plug a pair of wired headphones into the 16 Pro using the same USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter we use for all smartphone reviews and find that Apple has refined its sound to be even more inviting than before. We listen to a range of tracks on Tidal from the likes of Tool, Taylor Swift, James Blake and Bon Iver, and find the warm, smooth and dynamic sound that we’ve come to expect from iPhones to be present. However, this year it digs out even more detail.

Each strike of the piano in Taylor Swift’s The 1 sounds delicate yet crisp and impactful, while the rhythmic plucking in Tool’s Invincible is bursting with texture and detail. Stepping up to Fred Again’s Places To Be, the iPhone doesn’t even think about stumbling over the pacey electronic beat – ensuring that the dance track is buzzing with energy and timed perfectly. 

Apple does lock some of its premier audio features behind its AirPods line of wireless earphones, such as Spatial Audio, so you may find extra value if you’re already deep into the famed Apple ecosystem; however, you’ll still find an abundance of audio excellence if you have a pair of wired cans or non-Apple earbuds. 

Unplugging our headphones and reverting to the stereo loudspeaker system, we find it to be a more than acceptable experience for a spot of movie watching. Returning to Top Gun: Maverick, we’re met with a clean and punchy sound from these speakers, that manage to inject energy into Kenny Loggins’ iconic Danger Zone track while also making an admirable attempt at tracking the sound of the jets as they roar down the aircraft carrier and into the sky. These speakers carry some genuine weight behind them and are surprisingly dynamic too, though we wouldn’t count on them to replace a quality Bluetooth speaker if you do want to play your music out loud.

Verdict

The iPhone 16 Pro is an easy handset to recommend if you want a flagship Apple smartphone, and that’s not just because it has completely replaced the excellent iPhone 15 Pro. It’s a formidable smartphone for watching movies, and it’s equally impressive when it comes to music too. Ultimately, it comes down to subtlety – something other manufacturers seem to overlook in favour of chasing the brightest screens or longest list of audio features. Apple’s attention to detail is practically unrivalled, and that enhances every aspect of the 16 Pro’s AV experience in a meaningful way.

Review published: October 2023. Review updated: November 2024.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 5
• Features 5

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These are the best smartphones for music and movies

Sony’s smartphones tend to score well on our testing metrics, as they’re practically the only handsets on the market that are designed for content consumption first and foremost. The 21:9 OLED displays, front-firing stereo speakers and old-school headphone jack are features we wish every phone had, but even Sony now appears to be softening in its resolve.

After announcing that the flagship Xperia 1 VI would forgo the cinematic aspect ratio and drop to 1080p, we were immediately sent into a spiral. Thankfully, in the same breath, Sony announced that its entry-level Android smartphone, the Xperia 10 VI, would stick to the established formula, and that’s what we’re here to look at today.

Can Sony hit a hat-trick of affordable five-star handsets? Will this device continue the streak of Award-winning budget brilliance that is the Xperia 10 series?

Price

The Sony Xperia 10 VI retails for £349 on paper, which is already a steal in the realm of smartphones. Better yet, we’re already seeing it available for just £299 at a wide range of retailers, which is a frankly bonkers bargain at a time where thousand-pound handsets are the norm for many. Unfortunately, Sony has once again opted not to launch this device in the US or Australia, where it would hypothetically cost around $465 and AU$670 respectively.

Competition at this price is very slim, aside from perhaps the Nothing Phone (1) (£399 / AU$749) and Google Pixel 7a (which now sells for £349 / $310 / AU$549 after being replaced by the Pixel 8a). Comparing the Xperia 10 VI to the current batch of Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy S smartphones is futile, as we’re talking about doubling or tripling the price depending on which model you opt for.

Build

Sony has made strides in the design and build quality of its budget handset this year. The latest Xperia 10 is a step up over last year’s Mark V device, with a more rigid and premium-feeling chassis. It’s still all plastic (aside from the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus display), but this year’s device features a smoother back panel that incorporates the camera lenses more stylishly. It’s also a touch heavier this year, weighing in at 164g compared to 159g for the 10 V. While a heavier handset might sound like a step in the wrong direction, in reality, the new Xperia 10 feels more solid as a result.

While the flagship Xperia 1 VI has lost its taller and thinner aspect ratio, Sony has curiously opted to keep it on the Xperia 10 VI. We’re not complaining, as it is a feature we’ve harped on about in practically all of our previous Xperia phone reviews, but it does seem like an odd choice to split the range in this way. While we appreciate the taller and thinner aspect ratio for watching movies, we have to admit that it comes at the expense of usability at times; for instance, not all apps play nicely with the ratio and people with smaller hands might find reaching the top of the screen tricky when using the device one-handed.

Overall, the Xperia 10 VI looks and feels more premium than its predecessor, and the new trio of available finishes – black, white and blue – all look fairly slick. Our review unit is in the blue hue, and we think the icy pastel finish suits the device perfectly.

That being said, the Xperia 10 VI is plagued with a similar issue to its predecessor. We don’t usually complain about this sort of thing on smartphones, but the haptic feedback on the Xperia 10 VI is so bad that we opt to turn it off in the settings menu. Every tap of the keyboard elicits a vibration that rattles the entire chassis of the device, creating an unpleasant buzzing noise. Cranking up the volume of the built-in speakers also results in a fair bit of chassis vibration, although we feel as though that aspect has been slightly reduced compared to the 10 V.

Features

Compared with the Xperia 1 VI and 5 V, the Xperia 10 (understandably) has a cut-down list of features. However, this entry-level device doesn’t appear too distant from its relatives on paper. It boasts a 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2520 and a pixel density of 449ppi, that’s an identical specification to the more expensive Xperia 5. That being said, the Xperia 10’s display is 60Hz instead of 120Hz, and while the device technically supports HDR, it’s not the HDR10 standard as seen on the Xperia 5.

The Xperia 10 VI is a step up over its predecessor where internal components are concerned too. While picture and sound performance on the outgoing Xperia 10 V is excellent, we found day-to-day usability took a hit due to the use of the middling Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset, which was also featured on the 2022 model. Sony has implemented a more powerful Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor and 8GB of RAM (up from 6GB) this time around, and while it won’t outpace a Galaxy S24 Ultra or iPhone 15 Pro Max, it’s certainly less stuttery than its predecessor. It also features 128GB of internal storage as standard, though there is a slot for a micro SD card on the SIM tray, meaning you can load media onto the device or expand the storage as needed.

We’re also pleased to see that, despite this being an affordable device, it doesn’t sacrifice the latest software features seen on more premium handsets. It’s running Android 14 and will reportedly receive the next three major Android system updates at a minimum – meaning you’re getting a worthwhile, future-proofed investment even though this isn’t a flagship device. As part of Android 14, you get access to Google’s latest AI features, including the Magic Eraser photo editing tool and the Gemini assistant. The latter works flawlessly on this device. For example, we ask it to “suggest some meals to cook this week that take less than 30 minutes to prepare and are high in protein” and Gemini delivers a coherent meal plan complete with instructions.

You may notice that there are two lenses on the rear of the Xperia 10 VI, whereas the previous iteration featured three. Sony has dropped the 8MP telephoto lens from last year’s model while retaining the 48MP main shooter and 8MP ultrawide lens. Honestly, this is no great loss as the entry-level Sony handsets have never really wowed us when it comes to camera performance. The Mark VI is unfortunately no different, as it produces images that are fairly noisy and lack much in the way of detail. It gets the job done for quick snaps here and there, but if you’re serious about smartphone photography, this phone will not satisfy your needs.

Sony is renowned for offering the most extensive smartphone audio features on the market, and it remains one of the few manufacturers to keep the 3.5mm headphone jack. We’re always happy to see the headphone jack, but if you prefer wireless audio you can take advantage of Bluetooth 5.2 in the A2DP, LE, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive codecs. If you’d rather play audio directly from the phone with no cans or buds attached, the front-firing stereo speakers will appeal.

Picture

Sony’s strategy of cutting down on premium build materials and camera performance, while retaining picture quality in order to reach a more affordable price point, has always resonated with us. This is the third generation that we’ve reviewed with this formula, and we’re pleased to report that picture performance is as strong as ever.

We’ve loaded Netflix and Amazon Prime Video onto the phone to watch a range of our reference movies, such as Top Gun: Maverick and Blade Runner: 2049. Put simply, the Xperia exceeds its diminutive price tag when it comes to picture performance, meaning we echo our sentiment from the Xperia 1 V; this is once again the “most cinematic phone we’ve seen for the money”.

The opening sequence of Blade Runner is delivered with well-defined outlines and plenty of detailed texture in clothing, skin and the environment alike. While the display can appear to lean cooler than we prefer, the colours overall remain balanced and well-judged, leading to a pleasingly natural-looking image.

What’s most striking (but perhaps least surprising if you’re familiar with Sony smartphones) is how much three-dimensional depth there is to the image. The dystopian California stretches far into the distance during the opening shots, and Sapper Morton’s gloved hand looks solid and impactful as it arises from a grimy tank holding squirming maggot-like creatures.

As Officer K enters the farmhouse, we find that there is some loss of dark detail in the very blackest part of the image, but the areas bathed in murky white light from the windows have a natural-looking illumination without appearing over-brightened. While the edges of the piano and some detail within the chairs in the scene get lost, it’s forgivable considering the price of this device, and it doesn’t distract too greatly from the overall picture quality.

Switching to Top Gun: Maverick, the sequence introducing the titular character echoes much of what we saw with Blade Runner 2049. There is a great sense of three-dimensionality and edges are well defined. We also get to see motion in action and are pleased to report that there is no observable judder to be seen as Maverick tears down the road on his Kawasaki motorbike. Furthermore, skin tones look accurate, with a solid balance between looking lively without being overtly orange or red.

Sound

The Xperia 10 VI continues the budget series’ trend of formidable audio performance at a reasonable price. We plug a pair of over-ear headphones directly into the 3.5mm headphone jack and load up Tidal to test performance and, in all honesty, it's very reminiscent of its Award-winning predecessor.

Playing DARE by Gorillaz, we’re met with a snappy and rhythmic performance that captures the playful energy of the track. Switching to something a bit more melancholic and slower-paced, Taylor Swift’s The 1 sounds detailed, with the sort of low-level dynamic subtlety required to deliver Swift’s yearning lyrics with the necessary emotive qualities. The sound remains spacious, well organised and dynamic, making it difficult to pick holes in, especially considering the price.

The Xperia 10 VI’s speakers are also more than acceptable, and while they won’t knock your socks off, they’re perfectly usable for watching the occasional TV show without connecting headphones. The front-firing stereo pair returns, with a clear and decent sense of weight (as much as can be expected from an affordable smartphone). We find that they’re not particularly dynamic or full-bodied – and we implore you not to be that person who plays music on your phone’s loudspeaker – but the speakers are overall more than usable. Just be warned of the previously mentioned chassis vibration if you plan on using them at high volumes.

Verdict

Sony’s ability to deliver a phone this talented in the picture and sound department for this price should be studied by other manufacturers. We’ve seen phones that cost double or even triple the price of the Xperia 10 VI unable to deliver a performance like this; thus proving that you don’t need to spend ludicrous amounts of money if you want a handset that doubles as an impressive portable music and movie player.

Review published: October 2024. Review updated: November 2024.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 5
• Features 4

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Read our review of the Google Pixel 7a

Also consider the Nothing Phone (1)

The best smartphones for music and movies

If, like us, you're disheartened by Apple not announcing any new picture or sound features for the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro, then this might help to soothe the pain. While the iPhone 16 appears to be a rehash of the 15 in many ways, we still think that deep down there could be some upgrades under the hood. 

Why do we believe this to be the case? Simple, Apple never talks about picture and sound upgrades at these events. If we're being totally honest, very few smartphone manufacturers go into great depth at these keynotes, so seeing Apple dodge how the new iPhones handle picture and sound is no great surprise. Instead, camera quality and new processors tend to hog the limelight as that's what Apple (and its comrades in the smartphone field) deem to be the most exciting features nowadays. 

That being said, we often find that Apple smartphones and tablets tend to improve year-on-year in the areas we're interested in, even if Apple doesn't make that particularly clear. Read our iPhone 15 Pro Max review and you'll see that we clearly state "each new iPhone generally does include undocumented audio-visual improvements and has clearly been tuned to deliver the best picture and sound possible". 

This was also the case with the iPhone 14 Pro Max before it, which was a minimal upgrade from its predecessor (Dynamic Island aside) on paper, but a boost in brightness meant that the 14 Pro Max trumped the 13 Pro Max in both picture and sound.

We could go on, but it's clear that a trend has been established, which leads us to believe that the iPhone 16 series could be another unsung upgrade. Apple didn't make a song or dance about the iPhone 16's display during the "It's Glowtime" event, instead, it just quoted a 2000 nit brightness figure and briskly moved on; but we're eager to see it in hand to judge whether it's more of an upgrade than Apple is willing to let on. 

MORE:

iPhone 16: everything you need to know

Read our iPhone 15 Pro Max review

And check out our picks for the best iPhones

Apple has officially unveiled the iPhone 16 series of smartphones, with a quartet of new handsets offering a handful of upgrades over last year's iPhone 15 roster. The new lineup was announced at the "It's Glowtime" event and, say it with us now, they're the best iPhones yet (according to Apple). 

As we've come to expect, there are two versions of the iPhone 16 and two further size options to choose from. We have the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, and after the iPhone 15's fairly radical redesign, the 16 series is more focused on under-the-hood upgrades.

The new devices come with Apple's latest processor; the A18 on the standard iPhone 16 and the A18 Pro on the Pro and Pro Max devices, and these new chips are the key to Apple's new AI tools. Apple Intelligence, as the company has wittily named it, is Apple's answer to Google's blossoming Gemini artificial intelligence system, meaning it will introduce smart text formatting, advanced photo editing, on-device image generation and a smarter Siri assistant. Unfortunately, Apple Intelligence won't be launching alongside the release of the iPhone 16, with Apple touting it to be a free software upgrade later down the line. 

Both devices are expected to launch with iOS 18 too, which includes deeper home and lock screen customisation, a redesigned control centre, general updates to Apple's iOS apps across the board and a reduced latency game mode which makes Bluetooth controllers and AirPods more responsive. 

As for new picture and sound upgrades, Apple is playing coy as it often does, but we are hopeful for upgrades in these key areas. The iPhone 15 introduced a 2000 nit display which was brighter than its predecessor, and it supported Dolby Vision, and the iPhone 16 appears to feature the same specs. The 16 and 16 Plus also come in the same 6.1- and 6.7-inch screen sizes as the 15 series, with all models in the new range sporting the OLED displays. 

The Pro and Pro Max once again bring the ProMotion display technology into the mix, which is Apple's term for high refresh rate mobile displays. While we're still waiting for this to trickle down to the standard models, Apple is firmly of the opinion that its standard models are better served by 60Hz displays while the Pro models have a variable refresh rate of 10Hz to 120Hz. 

As for exterior upgrades, the standard model sports a vertically stacked dual camera stack that reminds us of the iPhone 11, alongside a new camera control button for quick launching and interacting with the camera app. Furthermore, it gets the action button first introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro Max which can be customised to launch apps or use control centre tools. 

Speaking of the camera, Apple has carried the 48MP main sensors from the 15 series and paired it with an upgraded ultrawide lens and a larger aperture for better low-light performance and autofocus. The Pro models get a higher resolution 48MP ultrawide and a 12MP telephoto zoom lens, alongside the 48MP main shooter of the standard 16 model. 

Despite Apple claiming them to have a "stunning new design", the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max look practically identical to their predecessors. They do, however, feature a larger display (6.3- and 6.9 inches respectively) with the thinnest borders on an iPhone yet, and a familiar titanium frame as seen on the 15 Pro. It's touted to have "the best iPhone battery life ever" too, with all models in the new range reportedly getting prolonged battery life. 

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus come in three bold new colours – blue, teal and pink – alongside the returning black and white, while the 16 Pro and Pro Max come in four colours: black titanium, white titanium, natural titanium and desert sand titanium. Pricing is as follows for the new models:

• iPhone 16: £799 / $799 / AU$1399 
• iPhone 16 Plus: £899 / $899 / AU$1599
• iPhone 16 Pro: £999 / $999 / AU$1799
• iPhone 16 Pro Max: £1099 / $1099 / AU$2149 

MORE:

iPhone 16: everything you need to know

And iPhone 16 Pro: price, release date and more

Read our full iPhone 15 Pro Max review

We often get asked why we bother to review smartphones when our wheelhouse is hi-fi, TVs and home cinema. The answer is simple; it is the primary music device for many people, and given the use of an HDR-supporting OLED screen, possibly the highest-quality display that they own. 

No other smartphone has devoted itself to AV and musical prowess quite like Sony’s revitalised Xperia series, namely the flagship Xperia 1. We’ve long recommended it as a top choice for those who want the best-looking and sounding smartphone available (and don’t want an Apple iPhone). For years, the Sony’s unique 21:9 aspect ratio screen made it stand apart from the Android crowd. While the Xperia 1 wasn’t necessarily the best for daily use, it was an absolute treat for watching movies. 

Alas, Sony has opted to take the latest generation, the Xperia 1 VI, in a new direction to get its handset in more, well, hands. It’s no secret that Sony hasn’t enjoyed the same success as Apple, Samsung and Google, with average consumers opting for the more well-known and (without sounding too critical) consistent brands. 

So, can Sony snag itself a slice of the mainstream smartphone pie with its latest Xperia? And more importantly, has it sacrificed much of what we like about the previous generation to do so?

Price

Let’s face it, the 4K display on the older Xperia 1 models was a costly addition, so dropping it from the lineup should subsequently drop the price, right? Wrong. The Xperia 1 VI launches at the exact same £1299 price as its predecessor and, much like its precursor, it won’t be launching in the US or Australia (where it would cost roughly $1700 / AU$2500 respectively if you were interested).

While that might not be the end of the world – after all many manufacturers are still upping their prices year on year – it’s also not good news by any means, as last year’s Xperia 1 V was already considered an expensive phone. It also puts the Xperia 1 VI in the direct firing line of established smartphones from the likes of Samsung and Apple. 

Samsung has the four-star Galaxy S24 Ultra which launched at £1249 / $1299 / AU$2199, though that has dropped to around £1149 now that it has been on the market for over six months. Apple’s five-star (and Award-winning) iPhone 15 Pro Max is also a direct competitor, and it can be found for £1199 / $1199 / AU$2199 – though it's expected to be replaced in the next month.

Build

The latest Xperia should be familiar to anyone who’s owned or used any of the previous generation Xperia 1 devices, albeit with a few tweaks. It’s most akin to the Xperia 1 V, sharing its ridged aluminium rails and grippy textured matte glass backing. It even comes in the same black, platinum silver and khaki green finishes and retains the flat, boxy shape and squared-off edges from last year’s Mark V.

While it feels solid in the hand and the additional security of the grippy back and sides is appreciated, we do prefer the smoother and more premium-feeling offerings from Apple and Samsung when it comes to their tactility. The rear panel of the Xperia can even feel slightly sharp, which means it loses some comfort points, but this could also be interpreted as a clean-cut and precise build feature. Sony has added an extra layer of protection in the form of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front of the phone and the first generation Gorilla Glass Victus on the rear. This should make the handset more resistant to drops and scuffs. This Xperia is also IP65/IP68 water and dust-resistant, meaning it can survive a dip in water of up to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes. 

The most radical departure from the previous Xperia 1 devices has to be the new aspect ratio, as Sony has ditched the tall and thin 21:9 profile in favour of a more conventional 19.5:9 aspect ratio  – the same ratio seen on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It’s a bittersweet farewell to this unique screen size as, while we’ll miss it for watching movies, we found it to be rather inconvenient for day-to-day functionality. So while the AV enthusiast side of us is disappointed, we have to chalk this up as an improvement, as truthfully it makes the Xperia 1 VI a much nicer handset to use overall.

As for the various buttons and ports on the frame of this device, we have a USB-C charging socket on the bottom, as well as a combination power, lock and fingerprint scanner, textured camera shutter button and volume rocker on the right-hand side, and finally (drum roll please) a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top edge – thank you Sony for keeping this alive for yet another year. 

Features

Sony’s latest flagship might not have the AI smarts of the latest Samsung Galaxy, but it’s funnelled its energy into AV features instead; we, of course, approve of this strategy. This Xperia phone is still focused on content consumption and creation, and Sony has enhanced its display and speakers accordingly.

Starting with the display, Sony has equipped the VI with a 6.5-inch LTPO OLED screen, with a variable refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz. It supports HDR in the BT.2020 colour space which is a feature commonly found on TVs. Speaking of TVs, Sony seems to have called in some backup from its Bravia TV division, as the default picture mode on this phone carries a “tuned by Bravia” badge. As ever, there is also the Creator Mode picture setting (which is reportedly tuned by its CineAlta professional film camera team), which to us seems to equate to a Filmmaker mode. It dials colours back slightly to a more cinematic standard, with a greater emphasis on authenticity.

There is one downgrade that may sound bad on paper, and that’s the new display resolution. Sony has dropped from 4K down to 1080p HD – now if this was a TV review, we would be calling this an absolute catastrophe, but as this is a handheld screen with an immense pixel density of 396ppi (4K TVs tend to have a pixel density of 140ppi), we don’t find this to be the tragedy we first thought it was when the phone was announced. 

While we feel as though 1440p (otherwise known Quad HD) might have been a better resolution to choose, especially considering most of its rivals use this resolution on cheaper handsets, we don’t consider it to be a noteworthy deficiency on the Sony. Furthermore, the Android versions of a majority of the streaming apps we use to watch content on mobile devices don’t support 4K playback anyway, with YouTube being the biggest platform for playing UHD content on the go, so the loss of 4K is ultimately less of a sacrifice than we anticipated.

Moving onto the sound chops of this smartphone, we’ve established that the Xperia VI continues the legacy of the headphone jack which for us means instant bonus points. It can be used to play hi-res audio to cans plugged directly into the smartphone. If wireless audio is more your style, then Sony has you covered with Bluetooth 5.4 on board and a boatload of supported audio codecs including aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LE and A2DP, alongside its own LDAC wireless audio codec. 

Speaker audio also gets a boost thanks to the full-stage stereo speakers. Unlike other handsets on the market that combine the earpiece and bottom-firing speaker to create a stereo effect, the Xperia 1 VI features dual front-facing speakers that deliver a more balanced sound with enhanced clarity and spatial separation. The positioning is also better than other smartphones, as it's much harder to block the speakers with your hand when holding the phone in landscape orientation. 

Moving onto the camera performance, we find the Sony to be a top-tier choice for smartphone photographers who want to dabble in the more complex areas of professional photography. We won’t equate this to a high-end DSLR by any means, but the combination of the dedicated camera shutter button and the “Pro” mode found in the camera app makes for a dedicated camera-like experience that’s intuitive and fun to use. You can even half-press the camera button to establish focus, and the UI changes that mimic the interface of a Sony Alpha camera are both nice touches. There are also a handful of AI features (a staple of 2024 smartphones) to be found in the camera software, including a human pose estimation feature that can track subjects for smoother video tracking. 

As for the cameras themselves, Sony has equipped the VI with three on the rear – a 48MP main lens, a 12MP ultrawide and a true optical 85mm to 170mm zoom telephoto lens. The camera module is also coated with Zeiss’ T* anti-reflectivity coating for enhanced picture quality. While we don’t profess to be photography aficionados, we manage to get some great-looking shots out of the Xperia with ease. 

The Xperia VI uses the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor from Qualcomm, with 12GB of RAM. The most common variant has 256GB of storage, though a 512GB option is available from select retailers. It's also running Android 14 with a small handful of Sony-specific features. This includes a dashboard for quickly accessing some settings and tools, as well as some Sony-specific apps like the Creators’ App, Music Pro and an app that lets you use the handset as an external monitor for a Sony camera. We’re yet to discover any software glitches or stutters, and day-to-day operation feels smooth and responsive.  

Picture

Sony’s smartphones have always impressed where picture performance is concerned, and the Xperia 1 VI continues this trend for yet another year. While black letterboxing bars have been introduced with this generation, we find that the remainder of the picture remains uncompromised. We watch some of our go-to reference films such as The Batman and Blade Runner 2049 on various streaming platforms, using both available picture modes. 

Starting in the creator mode, in many ways this feels like having a pocketable Sony TV, as many of the characteristics we’ve seen on the Bravia 9 and Bravia 8 (review coming soon) are apparent here. Sony’s tendency to lean towards a slightly cooler colour temperature is apparent, with some skin tones looking a tad pasty and colours lacking some richness. However, the solidity and detail found within the image more than make up for it. 

Switching to the standard picture mode helps to reintroduce some life and richness to the colours, with more lively skin tones and a more engaging presentation overall. While the creator mode setting is certainly the more authentic of the two settings, we find that the Bravia-tuned standard mode is the one we prefer thanks to the enhanced colour saturation.

Edges are sharp and details within clothing and skin textures are well-defined, resulting in a richly detailed image overall. The opening shot of Blade Runner featuring a close-up of an eye is striking thanks to its intricate reproduction of the iris, and spectacularly detailed skin texture. Pair this with the excellent contrast and punchy highlights and we’re treated to an image that oozes three-dimensional depth.

The Sony is also talented in the motion department. Watching sweeping panning shots and scenes in which Officer K’s flying car zooms towards the LAPD headquarters, we find the Xperia to deliver smooth yet natural motion that doesn’t contain any noticeable judder. 

Our main criticism here is that, when placed side by side with an iPhone 15 Plus, the Sony can look as though it's trying slightly too hard. It lacks a touch of subtlety and nuance that the iPhone captures effortlessly, which can be best spotted when it comes to how naturally skin tones are presented. The Apple handset is slightly more reserved and cinematic at times, though the Sony’s added oomph can suit some content more – and truthfully some may prefer the more extroverted Sony in this regard. 

The iPhone also bests the Xperia in retaining dark details, though the Sony trumps the iPhone where brightness is concerned. In scenes with characters’ faces obscured by shadow, we find that the iPhone manages to keep facial features visible, whereas the Sony tends to let them disappear into the shadows. The Sony does impress where black depths are concerned, though, with inky true blacks courtesy of the OLED display.

Sound

Sony once again delivers class-leading sound when it comes to mobile phone audio with the Xperia 1 VI, as evidenced when we plug a pair of wired headphones into the handset. We use both the built-in 3.5mm headphone jack and an external USB-C to 3.5mm adapter for the sake of fairness when comparing it side-by-side with the iPhone 15 Plus, although it must be said that performance seems similar, pretty much regardless of which way we choose to plug the headphones in. 

We play a range of songs from Tidal, including The 1 by Taylor Swift, Dare by Gorillaz, Luna by Bombay Bicycle Club and more, and we conclude that the Xperia delivers a similar experience to its predecessor. It’s a clean, detailed and crisp sound, with superb timing and dynamics, though it can verge on lean-sounding at times. While it may not sound as full-bodied as the iPhone, the Sony injects an enhanced sense of energy, while remaining well organised and composed. 

Bombay Bicycle Club's Luna is a prime example of content that best showcases the Xperia’s prowess, with crisp vocals, textured and sparkling instrumentals (the guitars and woodwind are particularly well served), and steadily building dynamics that deliver a punch when the chorus kicks in. It’s all tied together with solid timing and rhythmic pace, resulting in a truly engaging sonic experience overall. 

The loudspeakers are mostly impressive by mobile phone standards. They’re detailed and feature good stereo separation that makes a solid attempt to position sounds in relation to what is happening on screen. However, they feel somewhat lightweight, and lack some much needed dynamic punch, meaning we’d prefer to plug some cans in for any extended watching or listening sessions.

Verdict

The Xperia 1 VI somehow manages to drop a handful of cherished AV features without sacrificing picture and sound performance. While waving goodbye to the 21:9 screen will be a tough pill to swallow for those who love to take their films on the go, it's a sensible move when it comes to literally everything else this phone does, and the new Bravia-tuned picture mode makes up for this loss in many regards.

It remains an excellent-sounding device that supports wired audio without the need for an adapter (which will always be a win in our books), and even if the speakers lack some impact and weight, we still appreciate the positioning and how spacious they sound. Pair the AV performance with a slick user interface and impressive camera, and the Xperia 1 VI might have the most mass appeal we've seen in a Sony phone for years.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the iPhone 15 Pro Max

Also consider the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Read our Sony Xperia 1 V review

The best smartphones for music and movies

Google has revealed four new smartphones as part of its annual Made by Google event. The Pixel 9 series is the most versatile lineup in the company's history, with the usual two-tiered approach being doubled with two new Pro devices. The Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold make up the new series, with upgrades mostly focused on display brightness, processing power and, of course, an absolute bucketload of AI features. 

Starting with the Pixel 9, this is the entry-level into the new Pixel lineup. It features the new Tensor G4 processor, which Google claims is the most powerful processor it has ever created. It's backed by 12GB of RAM, which should play a hand in delivering all of Google's new AI promises – more on those later. 

The Pro models get a bump up to a whopping 16GB of RAM, which rivals most high-end laptops on the market, let alone other smartphones. The Pro, Pro XL and Pro Folds also leverage the new Tensor G4 chip for slick day-to-day performance, and Google is promising seven years of software updates all around. 

Google claims that the entire range has brighter screens, including the standard 9 with its 1080p Actua OLED display. The Pro models get brighter Super Actua displays with variable refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz, as does the Fold with its Super Actua Fold screen. There are also upgraded ultrasonic fingerprint scanners underneath the displays, which should make biometric authentication a smoother and more reliable experience. 

Battery life also gets a boost, with a reported 20 per cent increase on all models, while improved thermals should help the phone perform under pressure. Google has implemented vapour chambers on the Pixel 9 series to improve the thermal performance of these devices, which should also ensure that the handsets are cooler to the touch during heavier tasks. 

Speaking of heavier tasks, the time has come to discuss the new AI features. Google is deeply integrating its Gemini artificial intelligence model into all of these new phones, with a discussion-style interface that acts as a personal assistant. There are new photo editing tools, summarised information based on notifications and relevant news and the brilliant circle-to-search feature for instant web searches of anything on the screen. 

In true Google fashion, the cameras on the Pixel 9 series have been upgraded across the board, with a dual camera system on the standard model and a triple stack of lenses on the Pro models. They feature upgraded autofocus, better low-light performance and an impressive panorama feature for more seamless and high-quality widescreen shots. Paired with the AI photo editing tools that allow you to move and remove subjects within your photos, generate and implement new aspects to the photos, and even a mode that means you can implement yourself within a photo without having to hand your phone to a stranger to get a group shot; the Pixel 9 series could be a tempting choice for smartphone photographers and Instagram aficionados. 

The new range is also debuting a fresh look for the Google Pixel Phones; with the rounded, pebble-like aesthetic of the Pixel 8 Pro being traded for a sharper and sleeker finish with flat sides and a floating camera bar. The Pro Fold is also claiming the title of the thinnest foldable phone, going up against the fairly slender Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. 

All models get a range of new finishes too; the standard model comes in Porcelain (white), Obsidian (black), Peony (pink) and Wintergreen (green), while the Pro models swap the Peony for Rose Quartz (a different pink) and the Wintergreen is dropped in favour of Hazel (grey). The Fold is only available in Obisian and Porcelain. 

Unfortunately, the new Pixel range is more expensive than last year's lineup. The standard model is now £100 / $100 more expensive (Australian pricing TBC) at £799 / $799, and the Pro remains £999 / $999, however, that is with the smaller screen size than last year's 8 Pro. The 9 Pro XL costs £1099 / $1099, and the most expensive model in the new range, the 9 Pro Fold, starts at a hefty £1799 / $1799. 

All models are available to pre-order now with the standard and Pro XL models set to launch later this month, and the smaller Pro and Pro Fold models will ship next month.  

MORE:

Read our full Google Pixel 8 Pro review

As well as our Google Tablet review

And our picks for the best Android phones

Don't regret it – 3 reasons to buy the Google Chromecast with Google TV before it's gone forever

Just 10 short months since it launched the Pixel 8 series, Google has just taken the wraps off its successor, the Pixel 9 series.

While the Pixel 8 series consisted of two models, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, the new series consists of four models: the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

The names used might lead you to believe that the Pro XL is the main differentiator, but it's really the Pixel 9 Pro that's the new proposition as it offers Pro specs at a 'standard' size – if you wanted to go Pro last year, you had no choice but to also go big.

If it's the Pixel 9 Pro or Pixel 9 Pro XL you're interested in, here's everything you need to know.

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL at a glance

• Pixel 9 Pro has a 6.3-inch display (slightly larger than the standard Pixel 9)
• Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 6.8-inch display (slightly larger than that of Pixel 8 Pro)
• Specs are otherwise the same
• Both models powered by the new Tensor G4 processor
• Prices start at £999 / $999 / AU$TBC for the Pixel 9 Pro
• Prices start at £1099 / $1099 / AU$1699 for the Pixel 9 Pro XL

Google Pixel 9 Pro release date

The Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL were announced during today's 'Made by Google' and pre-orders went live immediately. Deliveries will begin on 22nd August for the Pixel 9 Pro XL and in early September for the standard-sized model.

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL prices

Pricing for the standard-sized Pixel 9 Pro starts at £999 / $999 / AU$TBC, whereas the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL is priced from £1099 / $1099 / AU$1699.

For reference, last year's Pixel 8 Pro, which was only available in a large size, launched at a price of £999 / $999 / AU$1699.

If you're wondering how the new Pixel 9 Pro models compare on price to Apple's iPhone 15 Pro handsets, it's very similarly. The standard iPhone 15 Pro is officially priced at £999 / $999 / AU$1849, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro Max is £1199 / $1199 / AU$2199.

Google Pixel 9 Pro design

The new Pixel 9 phones are aesthetically a bit of a departure from previous models. The relatively soft and rounded design of before has been replaced by a more angular and straight-edged form that to these eyes looks more sophisticated but could have an impact on ergonomics. It also means that the new Pixels look more similar to iPhones than previous models did, which might not please all Android fans.

However, rather than switching to an iPhone-like camera cluster, Google is sticking with its camera bar concept, albeit with a new design. Rather than the bar stretching the whole width of the phone's rear and integrating with its edges, the new camera bar is a protruding oval with crisp edges. It's a more modern look that's still distinctly Google – you won't mistake the Pixel 9 Pro for a phone from any other brand.

The Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL will be available in four colours, which Google calls Porcelain (grey), Obsidian (black), Rose Quartz (pink) and Hazel (green). These colours are very subtle compared to the brighter hues being used for the standard Pixel 9. That seems a shame to us (who says a 'pro' phone can't be colourful?), but it's a pretty standard approach across the smartphone industry.

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL displays

Inevitably, it's the picture and sound quality that we're most interested in, and while little to nothing is currently known about the latter (Google made no mention of sound quality during the Made by Google event), we do of course know a fair bit about the displays.

The standard Pixel 9 Pro features a 6.3-inch display with a 2856 x 1280 resolution, which means it has a pixel density of 495 ppi (pixels per inch).

The Pixel 9 Pro XL, meanwhile, has a larger 6.8-inch display with a 2992 x 1344 resolution, giving it a very slightly lower pixel density of 486 ppi.

As you would expect at this level, both displays are OLEDs with a 120Hz refresh rate that can dynamically drop to as little as 1Hz to save battery when the image is largely static. They both also have a claimed peak full-screen brightness figure of 2000 nits with HDR content. That's up from 1600 nits on the Pixel 8.

These specs compare very favourably with those of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Each Pixel 9 Pro model has a larger display with a higher pixel density and claimed peak brightness figure than its iPhone equivalent. Of course, picture quality is about much more than just specs, particularly when it comes to watching movies and TV shows on the move, so it certainly wouldn't be sensible to assume that the screens of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL are 'better' than those of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. As ever, we will thoroughly compare the phones ourselves before delivering any sort of verdict.

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL processor and battery

The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL both feature the same Google Tensor G4 processor. As you would expect of any new processor in 2024, Google is talking up the Tensor G4's AI smarts, which should be most keenly felt through the Google Assistant and photography, but also in specific apps such as Pixel Screenshots, which can analyse screenshots and translate and save the info for access whenever you need it

Both phones have 16GB of RAM and are available with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage.

The larger Pixel Pro 9 XL also comes with a larger battery than the standard 9 Pro (5060mAh versus 4700mAh), but Google is claiming the same 24+ hours of constant use for both.

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL cameras

The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL feature identical cameras. On the rear is a triple-threat camera system that includes a 50MP main sensor, 48MP ultra-wide sensor and a 48MP telephoto lens. In sensor terms, this camera system is very similar to that of the Pixel 8 Pro, but Google says that a lot of improvements have been made to the rest of the camera software and hardware, resulting in far better photography results, particularly in low light conditions.

A much bigger sensor upgrade has been made to the front camera, though, with the 10.5MP lens of the Pixel 8 Pro having been replaced by a 42MP lens. That should make for much better selfies and video calls.

Google Pixel 9 Pro first thoughts

On paper, the new Pixel 9 Pro models look like a useful upgrade on the Pixel 8 Pro in some areas. There's the availability of a smaller model, of course, which will be a big deal to those who want a 'pro' performance in a more manageable size, but there are also upgrades to the cameras and processing.

Display upgrades are thinner on the ground, at least where the numbers are concerned, but a good movie performance is about more than numbers, so we're hopeful that there are improvements that the spec sheet doesn't show. Last year's Pixel 8 Pro put in a solid movie performance but it was a bit lacking in subtlety and there's no reason that couldn't be improved for this year. We're looking for improvements to sound quality, too, as the Pixel 8 was a little sluggish in terms of musical timing.

Ultimately, we won't know how good the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL are until we've had them in for comprehensive, comparative testing, but we're hopeful that there are movie and music upgrades hiding beneath the surface so that we've got a more affordable 'pro' phone to recommend.

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Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series of smartphones has been through several generations now, with early fears of fragile hinges and questions surrounding the longevity of bendable displays slowly fading away. While the form factor hasn’t replaced the conventional smartphone quite yet, we can’t help but crack a smile when we pick one up and unfold it for the first time. Even though they’ve been around for over five years now, that sci-fi feeling is still present, and that’s no different when it comes to Samsung’s latest offering; the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

This bendable smartphone sits alongside the more conventional Galaxy S24 Ultra in Samsung’s range as a premium flagship device, and with five generations before it to perfect the folding formula, it seems like Samsung has found a comfortable place within its lineup for the Z Fold. Those who prefer a more conventional smartphone can opt for the S24 series which launched in January of this year, while those who want a flashy handset that’s capable of productivity tasks and big-screen entertainment will find the Fold more appealing. 

The real question (to us at least) is this: does the Galaxy Z Fold provide a quality portable AV experience? We certainly think so, as the Z Fold 6 might just be our new favourite phone for taking our movies on the go.

Price

A phone this complex and fully featured comes with an understandably high price tag. At £1799 / $1900 / AU$2749, this premium handset is considerably more expensive than the Award-winning iPhone 15 Pro Max (£1199 / $1199 / AU$2199) and its Galaxy S24 Ultra counterpart at £1249 / $1299 / AU$2199. Comparing it to last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 5, that phone launched at £1749 / $1800 / AU$2599, making the new version more expensive in the US and Australia, but the same price here in the UK. 

We haven’t reviewed any other foldable phones on the market as of yet, but we’ll include a few options here for context. The Google Pixel Fold launched at a similar £1749 / $1800 (around AU$3400), while the OnePlus Open undercuts both devices at £1599 / $1699 (around AU$3110).

As standard, the Z Fold 6 comes with 256GB of storage, although that can be upgraded to either 512GB or 1TB should you need more storage space (for an additional price). All three storage configurations come with 12GB of RAM, and there are five colours to choose from including navy, pink, crafted black, crafted white and silver shadow – which is the finish featured on our review sample. The two “crafted” finishes are exclusive to Samsung’s official web store. 

Build

The Z Fold 6 has undergone a design refresh this year, with a more angular aesthetic overall. The rounded corners of the Z Fold 5 have been swapped for sharper, more squared-off edges, the shiny aluminium rails are now matte and the camera module is more pronounced on the rear of the device. Overall, it looks much more like the S24 Ultra than the Fold 5. 

While the newer handset looks sharper, it’s unfortunately sharper in the hand too, making it feel slightly less comfortable than the outgoing Z Fold 5. This new model is also slimmer and lighter than last year. It’s 239g, which is 14g lighter than the Z Fold 5, and it's impressively thin at just 5.1mm when unfolded, or 12mm when folded. 

Thankfully, it does feel premium in the hand, thanks to the metal and matte glass construction; however, considering the price we would expect this to be the case. The hinge and rails are made of Samsung’s Aluminium Armour material that’s meant to be resistant to nicks and dents, while the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2-coated exterior display and rear panel should be more resistant to scratches and cracks; but we’ll take Samsung’s word for that as we don’t want to damage our review unit.

As this is a foldable phone, you’ll find two displays here; a 6.3-inch exterior cover screen with a thin 22.1:9 aspect ratio to use when the phone is shut, and a 7.6-inch interior display with a squarer 20.9:18 aspect ratio. While these measurements may sound strange – the inner screen is much larger than the cover display after all – it's the diagonal measurement we rely on for screen sizes, so the aspect ratios are a more telling sign of how these screens differ.

The folding aspect of this phone wouldn’t be possible without the dual rail hinge that allows the phone to stay open at any angle you wish. It feels robust and sturdy enough that we aren’t overly concerned with longevity, although if we were to use this phone for a couple of years we may have a different opinion. It’s worth mentioning that this phone isn’t completely flat when unfolded, with a very slight camber towards the central hinge; although we have to say that it’s by no means a deal breaker in our opinion. 

Mirroring the hinge on the open screen is the dreaded crease, an unavoidable facet of foldable phones that no company has perfected quite yet. Let’s not beat around the bush, you will notice the crease – however, it could be worse. While it is very visible if you’re viewing the device off angle and in direct sunlight, we really struggle to see it in a dark room facing the phone head-on. Swiping across it is still ever so slightly unnerving, but in optimal viewing circumstances, we have to say that Samsung has done an admirable job of making the crease fade away. 

What’s most impressive about this handset is the fact that it’s somehow still water-resistant despite being foldable. There are caps that seal the hinge, making this phone IP48 water and dust-resistant; that means you could hypothetically take the Z Fold 6 for a dip in a 1.5-metre pool for up to 30 minutes if you were so inclined. 

Features

As this phone is all about the screens, we’ll start with those. The cover display is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X with a variable refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz and a resolution of 968 x 2376. This display is meant to be used more for quick tasks, replying to messages and quick snaps from the rear camera, hence its unusual tall and thin shape that reminds us of a chocolate bar. Moving onto the main display, it’s another Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz and an 1856 x 2160 resolution that’s practically equivalent to Quad HD. This is where you’ll interact with the phone most, as it's the expansive canvas best suited for watching content or completing productivity tasks. Both displays have a claimed peak brightness of 2600 nits and support HDR in Samsung’s usual HDR10+ format.

Swiping through the Android 14 operating system (with Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1 skin on top) is a joy, with the responsive user interface feeling buttery smooth in operation thanks to the 120Hz variable refresh rate. There are a couple of Galaxy Z Fold-specific software features here, such as an ergonomic split keyboard that makes typing easier on the main display and a PC-style taskbar at the bottom of the screen for showing recent and frequently used apps.

That smooth operation is also thanks to the lightning-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor – once again this is a “For Galaxy” variation with a slightly higher clock speed according to Samsung – and 12GB of RAM, which is more than many laptops on the market. It’s powered by a non-removable 4400mAh battery that supports up to 25W wired fast charging (reportedly 50 per cent in 30 minutes with a compatible charger), 15W wireless charging and even 4.5W reverse wireless charging that can be used to top up your earbuds in a pinch or even charge a friend’s phone if you don’t mind sacrificing some of your own battery life.

The Z Fold 6 is outfitted with five cameras in total, although at first glance we wouldn’t blame you for thinking that there are only four. The 4MP front-facing camera on the main display is actually hidden behind the display, which gives an uninterrupted seamless look to the screen as long as you don’t look too hard. The downside here is that the camera quality is really quite poor, and very unflattering if you’re hoping to take a selfie with it. Thankfully, the 10MP camera on the cover display is much sharper and cleaner, although using the rear cameras with the cover screen as a viewfinder will be the preferred option for Instagram addicts. 

The trio of rear cameras are practically identical to the Galaxy S24’s arrangement, with a 50MP main shooter backed by 10MP telephoto and 12MP ultrawide cameras. It doesn’t feature the 100x Space Zoom of the S24, but we do get a 30x digital zoom for far-away targets; although we’d like to temper expectations here and say that 30x zoomed shots are not particularly crisp. We found that this camera produced clean and mostly impressive shots that should suffice for most, however low light performance can be hit or miss in situations with difficult lighting. 

Now, this is a 2024 Samsung smartphone, so strap in for some AI features. They’re mostly lifted directly from the Galaxy S24 series, which is good news as most of those AI-driven features were more useful than gimmicky. The best of the bunch is Circle to Search with Google, which allows you to draw a ring around anything on screen to instantly search for it. It’s wonderfully convenient and it even works within the camera app, meaning you can point your phone at anything with the camera open and circle it to search exactly what it is, as well as offering suggestions for online shopping.

Other AI-powered features include real-time translation for text, phone and real-life conversations, automatic formatting for notes and voice recordings, and a plethora of useful photo editing tools – the best being the generative fill option that allows you to remove subjects from a photo and generate a cohesive background to fill their place. These AI features will come down to personal preference; you may find that they become vital everyday tools or you may never touch them.

Picture

With its conventional counterpart, the S24 Ultra, scoring four out of five in the picture department, we’ll lay our cards on the table and admit that we were apprehensive about the Z Fold 6. However, we are very pleased to report that this foldable marvel absolutely delivers on its promise of being a portable big-screen AV companion, as its picture performance is really quite impressive. 

We watch clips from The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story across Prime Video, Netflix and Disney Plus with both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Plus as reference devices, and find plenty to like on the Samsung smartphone.

What’s immediately most striking about the Z Fold’s picture is how crisp it is. There is a healthy amount of detail to be found in skin, clothing and environmental textures which all look very well defined on this expansive display. Furthermore, the sharp outlines result in a picture that oozes three-dimensional depth – which comparatively makes the iPhones look somewhat flat at times. The Fold doesn’t look overly etched though; instead, it veers closer to a balanced and natural presentation that we approve of. 

Contrast plays a key role here in creating a three-dimensional effect, and it's a highlight of the Fold’s picture performance. Highlights are bold and bright, while shadows are presented with depth and variation to great effect. In this regard, the Fold highlights that the iPhones could go a little further when it comes to shadow detail, although that’s not to say that the iPhone 15 Plus performs poorly. 

Samsung also seems to have learned a lesson where colours are concerned, as they’re not as overly vibrant as we’re used to seeing on its handsets. While the iPhone ever so slightly edges ahead in this area, we’re seriously impressed as to how well Samsung has reined in its usual over-enthusiastic approach for a more balanced presentation instead. Skin tones could look slightly more natural, but they’re not a million miles off in our opinion.

The Fold 6 really does tick all of the boxes we look for in picture performance on a smartphone; it is sharp, motion is handled well, black levels are excellent and most of all, we’d be more than happy to watch a full feature-length film on this device. 

Sound

Onto the sound performance, and once again we see a decent step up from Samsung here. We listen to a variety of artists on Tidal, including Taylor Swift, James Blake, Tool, Billie Eilish and The Weeknd via a USB-C adapter and wired headphones for our testing process and once again find ourselves impressed with the Samsung’s performance. 

The Fold delivers crisp and detailed audio, with vocal clarity being a standout component. In tracks with a heavy focus on vocals such as James Blake’s Limit To Your Love or Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For? we find that the clarity and low-level dynamics pair up to capture the intricacies and emotive qualities of the singers’ vocal performances well.

Personally, we prefer the sound performance with Dolby Atmos switched on, as it makes the sound feel more spacious and open, even when we play content on Tidal that’s not marked as being a Dolby Atmos mix. However, those who value accuracy and authenticity will want to leave this setting turned off in order to achieve a more traditional listening experience.

That being said, we find that the iPhone 15 Plus manages to dig out a bit more sonic subtlety compared with the Galaxy Z Fold, and the Apple handset also has a touch more warmth and richness that we prefer overall. However, the Fold 6 is still a major improvement over other recent Samsung smartphones that we’ve tested, thanks to its more engaging characteristics, solid timing and enhanced clarity.

Moving on to the speakers, this device is at an advantage as it is physically larger than most other handsets, which means that there is more space between the stereo speakers. This results in an open and spacious sound that’s fairly clear and more than acceptable for a spot of movie or TV watching. The stereo speakers are also Dolby Atmos certified, and we appreciate that an attempt to recreate the object-tracking immersive sound at such a small scale.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 can best be described as an OLED TV that will fit into your pocket. Its cinematic picture performance has truly won us over, and we’re convinced that this would be an ideal AV companion for a long-haul flight or road trip. It's pricier than the competition, and it may not be a suitable choice for those who prefer a traditional form factor, but if you’re feeling adventurous then the Z Fold 6 could be a perfect first step into the realm of foldable smartphones.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 5
• Features 5

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