Tag Archives: phones

Nokia’s 2360 Flip Phone Offers Remote Setup but Sticks With 2G

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Smartphones can do almost anything these days, but that doesn’t make them the best choice for someone who simply wants to make a call. HMD’s Nokia 2360 Flip offers large buttons, family-managed settings, and a reassuringly familiar clamshell design. Unfortunately, that familiarity extends to its network connection. This new phone only supports 2G, limiting where those thoughtful features can actually be used.

At first, the design makes a fairly convincing case for keeping things simple. Large, clearly marked keys sit below a 2.8-inch screen, while a 1.77-inch outer display shows who’s calling before you open it. Flipping the lid answers the call, and closing it hangs up. Charcoal, Burgundy Red, and Teal finishes add some personality without making the keypad any harder to recognize.

Designer: HMD

The more interesting convenience is something that the person holding the phone doesn’t have to do. Family Assist lets a relative add contacts, set reminders, adjust volume, and configure SOS settings from an Android phone or iPhone. Instructions arrive over SMS, so the Nokia doesn’t need a data plan. Changing a doctor’s number needn’t turn into another lesson in navigating unfamiliar phone menus.

An orange SOS button on the back puts another important function outside the menus. Hold it for three seconds, and HMD says the phone calls one preset number while texting up to five emergency contacts. That’s a useful shortcut when searching a contact list is difficult, but it isn’t a substitute for public emergency services. It still needs a working cellular connection.

HMD also has younger users in mind, with parental controls protected by a Family PIN. Approved contact lists restrict calls and messages, while individual features such as games or the camera can be blocked. School Mode leaves only the clock and emergency calling available. These settings are handled on the handset, rather than requiring a parent to install another app to manage them.

There’s a removable 1,450mAh battery inside, along with USB-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Those are welcome touches, especially for a phone intended to remain familiar rather than demand frequent upgrades. The radio, however, supports only 900MHz and 1,800MHz GSM, with no 3G or 4G fallback. A replacement battery might keep the handset running, but it can’t restore a network that’s been switched off.

For US readers, this is more than a matter of checking reception in the backyard. T-Mobile retired its 2G network on August 3, 2026, leaving the country’s major carriers without 2G service. Elsewhere, compatibility still comes with an expiration date. The UK’s EE plans to begin shutting down 2G in May 2029, so an active network today doesn’t guarantee years of reliable service ahead.

HMD hasn’t established pricing or retail availability on its international listing. Before considering one, families will need to check supported bands, local 2G coverage, and their carrier’s shutdown plans. That’s an awkward extra assignment for a phone built around simplicity. Setting up a loved one’s contacts remotely is appealing, but having to replace their phone because the network disappears is rather less so.

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Samsung has a secret luxury foldable phone line, and its newest model is gorgeous

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Today I learned that Samsung has been running an entire phone line in China since 2008, and it has a name that sounds like a charity gala. The W series, called 心系天下 or “Heart of the World,” started as luxury flip phones sold through China Telecom, back when flip phones were still a flex. It has survived keypads, touchscreens, and the slow death of the old-school clamshell. Every year it gets a new number and a fancier outfit. The newest one, the Samsung W27, has just been announced, and it might be the best-dressed foldable Samsung has ever made.

Under the hood, the W27 shares its core hardware with the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, an 8-inch inner screen, and a weight of 7.6 ounces (215 grams). The difference is on the outside. Samsung swapped the Fold’s Victus 2 glass back for Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3, added a gold relief texture to the frame, and took its two colors from imperial Chinese porcelain glazes. It starts at CNY 18,999 and is exclusive to China.

Designer: Samsung

The colors come with a history lesson. The blue draws from 霁蓝, sacrificial blue, and the red from 霁红, sacrificial red, two glazes associated with imperial Ming porcelain. Imperial rituals used blue porcelain for the Altar of Heaven and red for the Altar of the Sun. The red is the legend, perfected during the Xuande reign (1426 to 1435). Attempts to recreate it in the early 1700s helped produce another celebrated glaze, now called oxblood.

Samsung changed the material to match the story. The W27 gets Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 on both the back and the cover screen. Glass-ceramic contains tiny crystals within its glass structure, which Corning says help deflect cracks and improve toughness. That doesn’t make it porcelain, but it gives the reference a material connection beyond the paint job. The W series has loved porcelain since the W23 and W23 Flip shipped with ceramic backs and Song dynasty porcelain wallpapers. Here, a frosted, semi-translucent gold camera island sits on the back. The Armor Aluminum frame gets a gold relief texture Samsung compares to cut gemstones, while the hinge cover has a frosted metal finish.

Under all that jewelry, the W27 measures 0.16 inches (4.1mm) thick unfolded and 0.35 inches (8.9mm) folded, excluding the camera bump. Folded, that’s roughly a regular phone wearing a case. The 5,000mAh battery is a jump from last year’s 4,400mAh W26, and Samsung rates it for up to 27 hours of video playback under its test conditions. The camera setup includes a 200MP main camera and a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. The displays are rated for up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. Tiantong satellite calling and texting offer another way to get a message home when terrestrial coverage disappears, subject to service availability and activation. The launch offer includes a year of satellite service, with call and text allowances. On the screen, animated wallpapers ripple with gold leaf, inspired by the Tao Te Ching line about the highest good being like water.

Pricing starts at CNY 18,999 for 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage; the 1TB model costs CNY 21,999. The box includes a Kevlar case and a 45W charger, while eligible launch-period buyers can claim Elite-tier Samsung Care+ coverage. It’s a China-only release, so US buyers would need an importer. The name is already looking ahead to 2027, like a Camry arriving before its model year. Samsung has wrapped a gadget people may replace in a few years in colors potters have chased for six centuries.

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HMD 2660 Flip Senior Edition Brings AI Conversations to an Old-School Phone

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Making a phone call shouldn’t feel like learning a new piece of software. The HMD 2660 Flip Senior Edition responds to that familiar frustration with big buttons, a folding body, and an unexpected addition called Mary. This AI companion from inTouch brings conversation to a basic phone, letting older adults try the technology without trading their keypad for a touchscreen full of apps.

The hardware doesn’t stray far from the regular HMD 2660 Flip introduced in 2025. Open the clamshell, and there’s a 2.8-inch screen above a generously sized number pad, with a navigation control separating the two. Answering or ending a call can be tied to opening or closing the phone, giving those actions a physical beginning and end that a touchscreen doesn’t quite offer.

Designer: HMD Global

The outside gets its own smaller display, so checking the time doesn’t require unfolding the whole thing. Its dark body and rounded corners stick to the recognizable flip-phone formula rather than dressing the device up as medical equipment. That restraint matters here. The phone offers an alternative way to stay in touch, without announcing that its owner needs an entirely different category of gadget.

Mary adds a different kind of contact to the phone, one that’s available for a casual conversation around the clock. HMD says the companion speaks slowly, leaves room for replies, and remembers earlier conversations. A chat might involve history, a favorite memory, or a game. The interesting choice is delivering those interactions through speech, instead of asking someone to type their thoughts.

Of course, an AI feature can easily complicate a supposedly simple phone. Here, Mary appears in the main menu, and selecting her icon before pressing the call button starts the conversation. There’s no separate app to install or number to memorize. Activation still involves a website or QR code, though, so the simplest experience comes after someone has handled that initial setup.

The less glamorous details haven’t disappeared beneath the AI pitch. A removable 1,450mAh battery and USB-C charging keep the basics familiar, while HMD rates the body IP54 for protection against dust and splashes. A replaceable battery also means you can swap a worn component, rather than treating the whole phone as something that has reached retirement age.

The UK listing puts the phone at £79.99 (about $107), including a five-hour trial of Mary. Continuing the service costs £16.90 (about $23) monthly, with carrier charges potentially adding to that. The trial doesn’t automatically become a paid plan, but inTouch’s general terms say paid subscriptions renew automatically. It can be canceled, but ongoing conversations introduce another expense alongside ordinary phone service.

There’s an important distinction between making conversation easier to access and replacing human company. Mary is software, and her availability shouldn’t be confused with evidence that she reduces loneliness. The change here is how someone reaches that software. They can keep the familiar ritual of opening a phone and making a call, and still use their handset after the AI subscription ends.

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Oppo Find X10 Pro Max Review: Stunning Imaging, Well-Balanced Flagship, Big Price

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PROS:


  • Industry-first triple 200MP camera system

  • Natural, consistent photo colors across all cameras

  • Strong video capability

  • Bright, immersive AMOLED display with thin bezel

  • Excellent battery life

CONS:


  • High price

  • Optional teleconverter kit limits lens options while in use

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

With standout cameras and top-tier hardware, the Find X10 Pro Max nails nearly every mark. Just be ready to pay for the privilege

In 2026, nearly every major phone maker is eager to add “Pro Max” to their flagship lineups. Oppo is now joining this trend with its Find X10 Pro Max. Whether you see the naming as bold or just another industry move, one thing is hard to ignore. Even when manufacturers like Oppo pack their phones with leading-edge hardware and arguably superior imaging, they still face the ongoing challenge of measuring up to Apple’s influence at the top of the market.

This device brings a massive 6.78-inch AMOLED display and debuts the industry’s first trio of 200-megapixel cameras. Its battery is also among the largest found in any mainstream smartphone. Oppo claims this phone stands out for both design and capability. After spending time with the Find X10 Pro Max, I set out to discover if this “Pro Max” truly lives up to its name or simply chases a label.

Designer: OPPO

Aesthetics

The Oppo Find X10 Pro Max carries forward some of the Find X9 Pro’s most recognizable design elements, including its signature square camera bump, now paired with an oval accent for the color sensor and LED. Oppo offers this flagship in two finishes. The Titanium Grey edition features a single sculpted piece of glass with contours that flow seamlessly into the camera area, softening the visual impact and giving the phone an understated, professional vibe. The grey itself is subtle, with hints of mauve appearing under certain lighting conditions.

For this review, I received the Luna White edition, which channels inspiration from classic cameras and reimagines the look for a contemporary audience. The camera island sports a matte silver metallic finish with knurled detailing, highlighted by Hasselblad’s signature orange accent ring. The back showcases a subtle fabric-inspired pattern, with Oppo and Hasselblad branding on the side. While both colors exude sophistication, those who prefer darker tones or bolder shades may find themselves wishing for greater variety in the color lineup.

Ergonomics

Despite its impressive size and powerful hardware, the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max manages to feel thoughtfully balanced in hand. My review unit is the global version, which comes with a substantial 8000mAh battery and weighs 235 grams (about 8.29 ounces) in Titanium Grey or 233 grams (about 8.22 ounces) in Luna White. The EU version features a slightly smaller 7150mAh battery and is a bit lighter at 228 grams (about 8.04 ounces) for Titanium Grey and 226 grams (about 7.97 ounces) for Luna White. Measuring 161.32 x 76.57 x 8.40 mm, or approximately 6.35 x 3.02 x 0.33 inches, this phone clearly fits into the large flagship category, yet its slim profile keeps it manageable.

The weight of the Find X10 Pro Max is certainly noticeable each time you pick it up, although the distribution helps maintain comfort during longer use. Both color options have a matte back and frame that do an excellent job resisting fingerprints and smudges, while also offering a velvety texture that is genuinely pleasant to touch. The device maintains a clean look throughout the day and feels luxurious with every interaction. The edges are only slightly curved, almost flat and straighter than on many other flagships, so they do not dig into your hand but may affect comfort depending on how you hold the phone over time.

Performance

The Oppo Find X10 Pro Max delivers the kind of fluid, responsive experience you expect from a flagship. Powered by the Dimensity 9600 Pro, the phone handles daily tasks, multitasking, and demanding apps without any noticeable lag or slowdowns. ColorOS 17 brings a polished feel with more refinement than revolution, ensuring that every interaction is smooth and intuitive. Everything from app launches to switching between tasks happens with impressive speed and reliability.

The large 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display stands out with a sharp 2772 × 1272 resolution and vibrant colors, thanks to BT.2020 coverage and 10-bit color support. Bezels measure just 1.15mm and are perfectly symmetrical, which makes the screen feel even more expansive. With up to 3,600 nits peak HDR brightness, visibility outdoors is excellent. The adaptive refresh rate ranges from 1 to 120Hz for smooth scrolling, while 144Hz is available in select gaming scenarios for extra fluidity. The speakers provide plenty of volume, though sound quality does not really stand out.

Hasselblad Hi-Res (50MP) mode, main camera, 1x

Main Camera, 1x

Over the past few years, smartphone cameras have leaned heavily on computational processing to overcome the limitations of small lenses. Sometimes the results are impressive, but too much digital magic can leave photos looking punchy or even artificial. With the Find X10 Pro Max, Oppo takes a different route by aiming for images that genuinely match what you saw in real life. The brand continues its collaboration with Hasselblad to fine-tune color science, and this generation introduces the LUMO True Image Engine, which keeps colors believable and resists the urge to overdo sharpening or saturation.

Oppo debuts the industry’s first triple 200-megapixel camera system in the Find X10 Pro Max. You get a 200MP main camera (Samsung ISOCELL HPC, 1/1.3″, f/1.5 with OIS), a 200MP ultra-wide (Samsung ISOCELL HP5, 1/1.56″, f/2.2 with autofocus), and a 200MP periscope telephoto (Samsung ISOCELL HP5, 1/1.56″, f/2.1 with OIS). Flip the phone around and you’ll find a 50MP front camera (Samsung ISOCELL JN5, 1/2.75”, autofocus, 100° FOV).

Ultrawide, 0.5x

Telephoto, 3x

Telephoto, 6x

The headline megapixel count is only part of the story. The main sensor leverages DeepPix technology, redesigning each pixel to improve light-gathering efficiency and preserve detail even in challenging conditions. It delivers up to 17 stops of dynamic range for images full of nuance from shadow to highlight. Daylight photos are crisp and vibrant, and low-light shots stay clear and accurate.

Most flagships treat ultra-wide cameras as a weak spot, but Oppo breaks that trend by using the same large sensor in both its ultra-wide and telephoto modules as in the main camera. The ultra-wide’s 13mm-equivalent focal length provides an expansive 124-degree field of view and captures sharp images across the frame. There is still some noticeable lens distortion at the edges, which is common for lenses this wide, but overall image quality remains impressively crisp. Color consistency is another area where Oppo truly excels. Tones stay remarkably uniform across all three lenses, so your shots always look cohesive.

Ultrawide, 0.5x

Main Camera, 1x

Main Camera, 1x

Telephoto, 3x

Personally, I love shooting with the telephoto camera on the X10 Pro Max. It is genuinely a treat for anyone who enjoys zoom photography. Hasselblad Master mode is another highlight because it delivers a more natural, less processed look that gives images a classic photographic character rather than an overdone “smartphone” feel. For those who want total control, Pro mode within Hasselblad Master mode allows for granular manual adjustments.

For users seeking more flexibility, Oppo offers a Hasselblad Teleconverter Kit in Luna White that includes a MagSafe-compatible case, lens adapter plate, teleconverter lens, lens bracket, shoulder strap, and pouch, all in silver or white with orange accents to match the Luna White phone version. While I love how visually unified the kit appears, attaching the lens adapter plate blocks both the main and ultra-wide lenses at once, just like on the Find X9 Pro teleconverter. This can limit your photo options when using the kit.

Telephoto Converter, 20x

Telephoto Converter, 40x

Oppo’s camera app supplies a nice set of filters. The selection is not as broad as Vivo’s catalog but still offers plenty of creative and customizable choices. Each filter lets you tweak tonality, saturation, and intensity to match your style preferences. My main gripe is with how OPPO lays out these filters: instead of small thumbnails along the bottom edge like most brands use, you only see one filter preview filling the UI at a time. This makes it tougher to quickly browse options and can slow down creative experimentation.

Filter UI

Open Gate Mode

Video performance keeps pace with stills. All three rear cameras support up to 8K at 30fps, 4K at 60fps, and even 4K at 120fps for dramatic slow motion. The front camera supports up to 4K at 60fps for sharp selfies and vlogs. If you apply creative filters during recording, output is capped at 1080p at 30fps. Open Gate recording is available on all rear cameras as well, so creators can leverage every pixel for flexible cropping in post-production.

My global review unit features a massive 8000mAh battery, while the EU version is equipped with a still-impressive 7150mAh cell. Both models support fast charging, with 80W SUPERVOOC wired charging making it easy to top up quickly and 50W AIRVOOC wireless charging for added convenience. Battery life is outstanding. It easily lasts more than a full day of heavy use and can reach two days with moderate usage.

Main Camera, 1x, Night

Sustainability

Oppo positions the Find X10 Pro Max as a durable and future-proof flagship, but most of its claims align with what’s now expected at the high end. The phone comes with IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings, so it stands up well to dust and water in a wide range of scenarios. Both the front and back are protected by OPPO Crystal Guard Glass, co-developed with Corning, promising solid scratch and drop resistance. SGS Five-Star Drop Resistance Certification adds further reassurance, though these certifications have become standard for premium smartphones.

Oppo also states that the battery should retain over 80% of its original capacity after five years of typical use, which is consistent with leading brands but does not set a new bar. The promise of five years of major Android OS updates and six years of security patches is definitely good news for long-term owners and matches current flagship expectations. That said, it would be great to see Oppo take additional steps in sustainability, such as using more recycled materials in construction and offering easier repair options, to truly stand out in this space.

Value

Official pricing was unavailable at the time of writing this review, but the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max is rumored to launch at €1,799 (about $1,900) for the 16GB+512GB EU version. This firmly places it among the highest-priced flagships on the market and marks a clear jump from last year’s Find X9 Pro (€1,299, or around $1,370) and even the Find X9 Ultra (€1,699, or about $1,790). A significant part of this price hike likely comes from soaring RAM and storage costs, driven by increased demand from the AI boom and broader tech trends.

If these figures are correct, Oppo will face an uphill battle. Even with top-of-the-line hardware and some of the best mobile imaging features available, nearly two thousand dollars is a serious investment, especially as many consumers are feeling economic pressure. The EU version of the Find X10 Pro Max is even more expensive than both the iPhone 18 Pro Max with 512GB of storage and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 512GB model in the U.S. For Oppo to justify this price point, buyers will need to be truly convinced by its unique camera system and design philosophy. Otherwise, many may find more value in established alternatives from Apple or Samsung.

Verdict

The Oppo Find X10 Pro Max stands out as a well-balanced flagship that gets almost everything right and, at times, feels nearly flawless. What really sets it apart is its excellent mobile photography, from the industry-first triple 200-megapixel camera system to the natural color science developed in partnership with Hasselblad. Everyday performance is smooth, build quality is unquestionably premium, and battery life ranks among the best available in any flagship.

On the flip side, the high price tag puts the Find X10 Pro Max in direct competition with industry giants. While it delivers top-tier hardware and leading imaging capability, buyers must be willing to stretch both their expectations and their budgets. For those who put a premium on cutting-edge camera features and want an alternative to Apple or Samsung, Oppo’s latest is a compelling choice. For everyone else, especially those mindful of budget, there are several strong alternatives on the market that may offer a more accessible fit.

The post Oppo Find X10 Pro Max Review: Stunning Imaging, Well-Balanced Flagship, Big Price first appeared on Yanko Design.

ADHD ONE Lets You Answer iPhone Calls on a DIY 1980s-Style Brick

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Answering a call on your smartphone can easily turn into checking messages, opening an app, and forgetting why you picked it up. ADHD ONE keeps that familiar temptation out of your hand, at least while you’re talking. This DIY, 3D-printed Bluetooth handset borrows the shape of a 1980s brick phone, letting you answer iPhone calls while the touchscreen stays tucked away nearby.

The deliberately bulky body puts a speaker grille at the top and a projecting mouthpiece at the bottom, with a narrow OLED display between the grille and keypad. Rounded physical buttons take over from glass, giving dialing and ending a call their own controls. It’s a very recognizable arrangement, even if younger owners might wonder why anyone would willingly carry something this conspicuous.

Designer: Kevin Noki

Of course, the oversized antenna doesn’t mean you’ve escaped modern technology completely. The handset connects to an iPhone over Bluetooth, so that phone still handles the cellular connection and must remain within range. You can leave it in a drawer while reading or working, with the iPhone’s Focus settings deciding which callers are allowed to interrupt your afternoon in the first place.

That retro character isn’t fixed to a single appearance, either. The printable enclosure comes with three speaker grille styles, ranging from perforations to horizontal stripes, plus three antenna designs. There’s even a housing that leaves the antenna opening closed. Builders can choose a cleaner outline or keep the exaggerated silhouette, although removing that long protrusion does take away a rather obvious visual joke.

The shape also came together through a surprisingly hands-on process. Before committing to the printed enclosure, its proportions were explored using foam and a hot-wire cutter. That’s an old industrial design habit with a practical purpose: you can hold a full-size shape and remove material as needed. A digital model can describe a handset without telling you how it occupies your hand.

Getting one, however, involves more than choosing a color. The available product is a €29.99 (around $34) digital download, not a finished handset. It includes printable parts, compiled firmware, circuit-board manufacturing files, a component list, and a build guide. You’ll need to source the required electronics and assemble everything yourself, while editable design files and firmware source code aren’t part of the package.

A boxed DIY kit isn’t available, and its release hasn’t been scheduled. There’s also a standalone 4G version under development, according to the maker, but that shouldn’t be confused with this Bluetooth build. For now, the brick remains an accessory to the smartphone you’re avoiding. Leaving your iPhone at home and taking only this handset would miss an important detail.

Having a separate handset does mean finding room for another device and remembering to charge it. Its bulky outline also makes the idea easier to imagine on a desk than in a jeans pocket. But once you’ve finished talking, there isn’t a social feed waiting behind the call screen. You can put the brick down without deciding what else to do on it.

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Acer’s new 5G phone comes with a microSD slot, a headphone jack, and a display on the back

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Some phones look like slabs, some look like jewelry, and the Acer Sospiro A70 looks dressed for a wedding. A black glass camera module runs across the top of the back and ends in a pointed V, exactly like the flap on a blazer pocket. I love it. It gives the phone an instantly recognizable silhouette in a market where most rivals share one camera island and one personality. The V points down the back like an arrow, as if the phone is gesturing at its own camera and saying, look at this. Anyone who keeps a phone in a blazer pocket will feel right at home.

The A70 comes from Senwa Global, the Mexican company that licenses the Acer name for phones sold across Latin America. Tucked into that module is a 1.88-inch second screen that works as a viewfinder, so you can shoot selfies with the 64MP main camera instead of the 16MP front one. Under the hood sit a Unisoc T8200 chip (two fast cores, six frugal ones), 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, 5G, and a headphone jack. Pricing and a launch date are still unannounced. Sadly, the A70 isn’t sold in the US, so this one is admiration from a distance.

Designer: Acer

Selfies Finally Get the Good Camera

Front cameras are the budget cut nobody advertises. The A70’s 16MP selfie shooter is fine, but the 64MP rear sensor is the one Acer actually bragged about. The 1.88-inch rear screen (240 x 284 pixels) lets you flip the phone around and frame yourself with that better camera. No more guessing where your forehead ended up. The same panel shows the time, notifications, and incoming calls, which suits a face-down phone on a cafe table. At roughly 198 pixels per inch it’s softer than the main display, but for checking your hair that is plenty.

Xiaomi started this whole idea in 2021 with the Mi 11 Ultra, which carried a 1.1-inch AMOLED beside its camera and sold in Europe for €1,199. The Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max grew the screen to 2.7 and 2.9 inches in 2025, starting at CNY 5,000 and CNY 6,000 (roughly $700 and $850). Those are flagship prices, and the phones launched in China first. The A70’s 1.88-inch panel lands between those two generations in size and keeps the same logic, minus the flagship bill. Nobody had a licensed Acer down as the one to carry the trickle-down torch, myself included.

The V Does the Branding

On the red and graphite versions, the module is a black glass band spanning the full width of the back, with a chevron lower edge pointing down the body. The lens rings are tinted to match each body, so the red gets red rings, the white gets silver, and the graphite stays dark. A vertical flash strip sits beside the lenses, and the rear screen fills the right half of the module in Acer’s renders, with a gradient clock and a flower wallpaper overlapping the digits. A small 5G badge sits right at the V point. It is a tidy composition for a phone in this class.

The graphite finish is my favorite, a speckled texture with a faint sparkle that Acer photographed against a slab of rock for maximum drama. The red is glossy and loud, and the white pairs a silver frame with a white module for a cleaner look. Green accents on the side keys add a pop of color in the renders. Back to the pocket flap, though. I would argue a distinctive camera shape does more branding work than the Acer logo, which sits modestly near the bottom. Even from across a table, that V says Acer Sospiro louder than any badge.

Sensible Specs, Zero US Availability

The rest of the spec sheet reads like a practical friend. A 5,000mAh battery is the usual all-day size, and the box includes a charger, cable, case, and screen protector, which saves you a trip to the accessory aisle. The 6.67-inch screen is only 720 x 1600 pixels, but it runs at 120Hz (120 refreshes per second), so scrolling stays smooth even if small text is not razor sharp. Storage is 256GB with a microSD slot for cards up to 1TB, so your vacation clips have somewhere to go. The 3.5mm jack and FM radio are on board, and IP64 handles rain but not a pool.

Pricing and a launch date are unannounced, and the A70 isn’t sold in the US, so American readers will need a Latin American friend or a lot of patience. The nearest thing on US shelves is a midrange Samsung Galaxy A phone or a Google Pixel A model, and neither has a second screen on the back. Senwa’s lineup of Acer-branded phones has mostly been budget fare, which makes this one a clear step up in ambition. Xiaomi proved the rear screen could be a flagship feature, and Acer’s licensee is betting it can be a mid-range one. If it works, the cheap seats get the coolest design detail first.

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Tilta’s modular iPhone case lets you swap a card holder for a kickstand

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Phone cases have become accessories with accessories, from folding stands to little wallets stuck on the back. Useful as those extras can be, you might not want the same arrangement every day. To address that need, Tilta’s Khronos Core Limited Edition Kit offers four interchangeable backplates for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, changing its everyday functions without replacing the metal frame itself.

The case starts with a single block of aluminum, shaped through CNC machining rather than molded into a soft cover. Recessed panel outlines and an angular camera surround give it a distinctly mechanical appearance. Burgundy makes that character particularly noticeable, while Glacier, Lunar Silver, and Titanium Gray offer alternatives. That last name describes a color, of course, not a different metal hiding underneath.

Designer: Tilta

The Kickstand Backplate combines a folding support with a silicone finger ring, keeping two familiar additions in one panel. Prop the phone up for a video call, then use the ring when you’re holding it again. This plate also comes with the standard case. The kit’s other three backplates are what make the tool-free swapping system worth exploring beyond that initial setup.

The Ring Backplate replaces that setup with a metal finger ring that rotates through 360 degrees. You can change its angle as you reposition the phone, rather than having your grip follow a fixed loop. Interchangeable number tags give the panel a more personal touch. They look a little like an equipment label, except you’re choosing the numbers rather than reading specifications.

Personalization takes a rather different turn with the Transparent Backplate, which has a windowed compartment for photographs and small keepsakes. Your phone might already contain thousands of pictures, but this gives one of them a place outside the screen. A printed family photo can stay visible without waking the display, bringing something sentimental to an exterior that otherwise resembles professional camera equipment.

The Card Holder Backplate is less about decoration and more about leaving something at home. A latched cover encloses space for up to three cards, enough for an ID, bank card, and transit pass. That could spare you a separate wallet on a short outing. Losing the phone would also mean losing those cards, so keeping everything together has its own compromise.

The kit also includes short and long straps, with magnetic quick-release connections and multiple mounting points on the frame. Use the shorter option for everyday carrying, or wear the phone across your body with the longer one. That’s handy when you’re carrying bags and have nowhere convenient to put the phone, although turning it into a dangling accessory won’t suit every outfit or activity.

Of course, buying the complete kit means paying for choices you might not use. The US list price is $249, with a current $224.10 sale price. Leave three backplates in a drawer, and most of that flexibility stays there too. If all you want is a folding stand, the standard case already includes it, without three spare backplates taking up room at home.

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Ex-Dyson designer builds a Y2K Nokia-flavored landline for kids

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You cannot slam a smartphone. Trust me, I’ve tried, and all you get is a sad little tap on a red icon and a mild sense of defeat. Slamming a receiver was a full body experience with built-in sound design. Generations of furious teenagers, dramatic dads, and heartbroken rom-com leads got to end a call with a clunk that said everything. Kids today never get that. They also never untangle a cord, memorize a number, or yell “I’ll get it!” across the house, which feels like a lot of lost childhood.

A UK startup called YAPA is bringing all of it back with a home phone for kids aged five to 14. It was designed with Aetha, the Poole studio led by ex-Dyson designer Tom Parsons, and it has a corded handset, a real keypad, and a little display for caller ID. Parents approve contacts through an app and set the hours when calls can come through, so dinner stays sacred. Everything runs over Wi-Fi, which means no wall jack and no phone bill from 1994. Translucent shells in colors like Flamingo Fizz and Electric Lagoon, plus swappable covers, give it a Y2K Nokia energy that I find completely irresistible.

Designer: Aetha Design

The shell is where YAPA gets its personality. Frosted translucent plastic wraps the base, and you can spot the internals through it, like the circuit board sitting in a clear bay beside the speaker grille on the pink unit. That’s iMac G3 thinking, the same see-through honesty 8BitDo revived on its 64 controller last December. The handset, keys, and fold-out rear leg share one loud solid color against that milky body, with orange on clear, mint on pink, and lime on aqua. Every colorway keeps the same orange coiled cord, which works like a signature and makes the whole thing look like it escaped from a 2001 toy catalog.

Swappable covers are the second Y2K callback, and this one comes straight from Nokia. Xpress-On covers debuted on the Nokia 5110 in 1998, and the 3310 pushed the idea hard, with thousands of shells from third parties. YAPA follows the same playbook, selling extra covers in Comet Orange, Cosmic Citrus, and Deep Space for £19.99 each, roughly $27. Anyone who ever matched a phone cover to an outfit will understand the appeal immediately. Today’s kids get to do the same thing, except the canvas is a kitchen counter.

Parsons and the Aetha team had a clear brief. They wanted an object with real material quality that a kid would be proud to leave out on the counter, with no toy vibes and no shrunken smartphone. That explains the proportions, which read like a proper desk phone rather than a plastic play set. It also explains the small display, which shows who’s calling and lets a child browse the address book, while YAPA insists the whole thing is built around voice and ears instead of eyes. Tin Can skips a screen entirely, which is the purist’s route, but I like that a YAPA kid gets to see Grandma’s name light up before answering.

Here’s what I love about the setup. A kid lifts a corded handset, the cord stretches across the living room, and suddenly they’re pacing in circles like every movie character who ever got bad news. Parents build the contact list in the app, so only approved numbers can reach the phone, and they pick the hours for school, dinner, and bedtime. Group calls are supported, which means a whole cousin squad can gossip at once. A real keypad sits right there for anyone who fancies memorizing Grandma’s number, and honestly, more kids should.

The handset costs £99.99, roughly $134, in Electric Lagoon, Cloud Spark, or Flamingo Fizz. Calls between YAPA units are free, while reaching grandparents and parents’ mobiles takes the Pro plan at £9.99 a month, roughly $13, or £99.99 for a year. Pinwheel Home, its closest US rival, costs $79 with $6.99 or $9.99 monthly plans for real numbers, so the pricing structure is nearly identical. YAPA’s first batch is on pre-order in the UK, with Europe coming soon. I couldn’t find any word on a US launch, so American parents will keep eyeing Tin Can and Pinwheel for now.

Retro always boomerangs. Vinyl came back, film cameras came back, and adults are paying real money for phones like the Light Phone III just to feel less glued to a screen. Kids deserve their own version of that reset, and a bright orange cord is a much friendlier invitation than a lecture about screen time. A generation raised on tapping glass is about to find out what a satisfying hang-up feels like. I give it a week before the first dramatic slam echoes through a house, and I hope a parent smiles when it does. You can see the colorways and preorder details at YAPA’s site.

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Apple’s iPhone 18 is getting a ‘cheaper’ A20 chip to keep the overall phone affordable

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Apple has a long habit of handing last year’s brain to this year’s regular iPhone. The iPhone 15 shipped with the A16 chip while the 15 Pro got the shiny new A17 Pro, and nobody stormed Cupertino with pitchforks. It works because people shop for cameras and battery life, and nobody has ever asked a store clerk about die size. The iPhone 18 is about to run the same play with a twist. This time the regular model gets a brand new A20 chip, except it arrives months after everyone else’s.

The chip is the A20, and a leaked solder ball map analyzed on Weibo by user 白饭炒白米饭 (reported by Notebookcheck on October 1) suggests it is a slimmed down sibling of the A20 Pro. That Pro chip already powers the iPhone 18 Pro, starting at $1,199, and the iPhone Duo, starting at $1,999. Both reportedly use TSMC’s 2nm process, but the standard version supposedly keeps the AI hardware and trims the GPU, cache, and clock speeds. The base iPhone 18 is expected in spring 2027, and Apple has announced no price or date. So what does Apple cut when it wants a cheaper 2nm chip, and what does it refuse to touch?

Designer: Demon’s Tech

A Smaller Die Than Last Year’s Chip, on a Pricier 2nm Node

The standard A20’s bare die is estimated at 70 to 80 mm², which would make it smaller than the A19 at 82.8 mm² and well under the A20 Pro’s 98.8 mm². A die is the actual slab of silicon, and every square millimeter you shave off means more chips per wafer and a lower bill. On 2nm the savings count for more, since Notebookcheck’s report notes those wafers cost significantly more than earlier nodes. Our own look at the base iPhone 18 pegged its body as basically an iPhone 17 in disguise, so there is no fresh industrial design to pay for either. Apple looks to be spending the budget on silicon instead.

Apple reportedly gets there by halving the cache. The standard A20 is expected to carry 8 MB of L2 cache for its two super cores and 4 MB for its four efficiency cores, which is 50% less than the A20 Pro. Cache is the small, ultra fast memory sitting right next to the processor cores, so a smaller helping can mean slightly more trips out to slower memory under heavy load. It is also one of the most direct ways to shrink a die, because SRAM, the circuitry cache is built from, has scaled poorly on recent chip nodes. Honestly, it is the smartest corner to trim, since you will never see a cache spec on a phone box.

Why the A20 Pro Gets Fancy Packaging and the A20 Skips It

The A20 Pro reportedly uses WMCM, short for wafer-level multi-chip module, which places the processor and its memory side by side instead of stacking one on the other. That layout lets the chip connect straight to the vapor chamber, the cooling plate Apple introduced with the iPhone 17 Pro. Apple says the new Pro design delivers up to 40% better sustained performance than the 17 Pro. The standard A20 is expected to stay with traditional package-on-package, where the memory sits on top of the chip like a hat. A hat is cheap and compact, but it also traps heat right where you do not want it.

Packaging is how Apple reportedly gets the A20 Pro to 4.93 GHz, a figure from the leak analysis that Apple has never confirmed. The standard A20 is expected to clock considerably lower, so it likely does not need the same cooling tricks. Pair that with an expected 5-core GPU against the Pro’s 7 cores, and the gap could show up in a long gaming session. Past base chips trailed their Pro siblings by one GPU core, so a two-core deficit would be wider than usual. The vapor chamber stole the show in the iPhone 17 Pro teardown we covered, and the leak says nothing about the base model getting similar cooling.

The AI Hardware Apple Keeps, and What Spring 2027 Looks Like

The AI side of the chip reportedly survives the cuts largely intact. The leak says the A20 keeps the same dual 16-core Neural Engine as the Pro, the dedicated block that handles on-device AI tasks, along with its own 4 MB cache. The system-level cache, a shared pool of memory every part of the chip can tap, may grow from the A19’s 12 MB to 16 MB. The memory bus is also expected to widen to 96 bits, matching the Pro, which means more data can flow to the chip per second. In real life that means live translation and photo cleanup running on the phone instead of waiting on a server.

The iPhone Duo (the one with the open and close animation we gushed over) runs the same A20 Pro, so Apple’s fall lineup now shares one chip. The base model is expected to follow in spring 2027 with a lighter version of that platform. Apple has confirmed no date, price, or chip for it, so every number here is a leak. The iPhone 17 started at $799 and the Pros just rose $100, so the base model’s price is the number to watch. Back in the A16 days the hand-me-down chip was a consolation prize, but this time the regular iPhone gets a fresh 2nm brain with a little muscle trimmed, a deal I would happily take.

The post Apple’s iPhone 18 is getting a ‘cheaper’ A20 chip to keep the overall phone affordable first appeared on Yanko Design.

Apple’s iPhone 18 is getting a ‘cheaper’ A20 chip to keep the overall phone affordable

Posted on by

Apple has a long habit of handing last year’s brain to this year’s regular iPhone. The iPhone 15 shipped with the A16 chip while the 15 Pro got the shiny new A17 Pro, and nobody stormed Cupertino with pitchforks. It works because people shop for cameras and battery life, and nobody has ever asked a store clerk about die size. The iPhone 18 is about to run the same play with a twist. This time the regular model gets a brand new A20 chip, except it arrives months after everyone else’s.

The chip is the A20, and a leaked solder ball map analyzed on Weibo by user 白饭炒白米饭 (reported by Notebookcheck on October 1) suggests it is a slimmed down sibling of the A20 Pro. That Pro chip already powers the iPhone 18 Pro, starting at $1,199, and the iPhone Duo, starting at $1,999. Both reportedly use TSMC’s 2nm process, but the standard version supposedly keeps the AI hardware and trims the GPU, cache, and clock speeds. The base iPhone 18 is expected in spring 2027, and Apple has announced no price or date. So what does Apple cut when it wants a cheaper 2nm chip, and what does it refuse to touch?

Designer: Demon’s Tech

A Smaller Die Than Last Year’s Chip, on a Pricier 2nm Node

The standard A20’s bare die is estimated at 70 to 80 mm², which would make it smaller than the A19 at 82.8 mm² and well under the A20 Pro’s 98.8 mm². A die is the actual slab of silicon, and every square millimeter you shave off means more chips per wafer and a lower bill. On 2nm the savings count for more, since Notebookcheck’s report notes those wafers cost significantly more than earlier nodes. Our own look at the base iPhone 18 pegged its body as basically an iPhone 17 in disguise, so there is no fresh industrial design to pay for either. Apple looks to be spending the budget on silicon instead.

Apple reportedly gets there by halving the cache. The standard A20 is expected to carry 8 MB of L2 cache for its two super cores and 4 MB for its four efficiency cores, which is 50% less than the A20 Pro. Cache is the small, ultra fast memory sitting right next to the processor cores, so a smaller helping can mean slightly more trips out to slower memory under heavy load. It is also one of the most direct ways to shrink a die, because SRAM, the circuitry cache is built from, has scaled poorly on recent chip nodes. Honestly, it is the smartest corner to trim, since you will never see a cache spec on a phone box.

Why the A20 Pro Gets Fancy Packaging and the A20 Skips It

The A20 Pro reportedly uses WMCM, short for wafer-level multi-chip module, which places the processor and its memory side by side instead of stacking one on the other. That layout lets the chip connect straight to the vapor chamber, the cooling plate Apple introduced with the iPhone 17 Pro. Apple says the new Pro design delivers up to 40% better sustained performance than the 17 Pro. The standard A20 is expected to stay with traditional package-on-package, where the memory sits on top of the chip like a hat. A hat is cheap and compact, but it also traps heat right where you do not want it.

Packaging is how Apple reportedly gets the A20 Pro to 4.93 GHz, a figure from the leak analysis that Apple has never confirmed. The standard A20 is expected to clock considerably lower, so it likely does not need the same cooling tricks. Pair that with an expected 5-core GPU against the Pro’s 7 cores, and the gap could show up in a long gaming session. Past base chips trailed their Pro siblings by one GPU core, so a two-core deficit would be wider than usual. The vapor chamber stole the show in the iPhone 17 Pro teardown we covered, and the leak says nothing about the base model getting similar cooling.

The AI Hardware Apple Keeps, and What Spring 2027 Looks Like

The AI side of the chip reportedly survives the cuts largely intact. The leak says the A20 keeps the same dual 16-core Neural Engine as the Pro, the dedicated block that handles on-device AI tasks, along with its own 4 MB cache. The system-level cache, a shared pool of memory every part of the chip can tap, may grow from the A19’s 12 MB to 16 MB. The memory bus is also expected to widen to 96 bits, matching the Pro, which means more data can flow to the chip per second. In real life that means live translation and photo cleanup running on the phone instead of waiting on a server.

The iPhone Duo (the one with the open and close animation we gushed over) runs the same A20 Pro, so Apple’s fall lineup now shares one chip. The base model is expected to follow in spring 2027 with a lighter version of that platform. Apple has confirmed no date, price, or chip for it, so every number here is a leak. The iPhone 17 started at $799 and the Pros just rose $100, so the base model’s price is the number to watch. Back in the A16 days the hand-me-down chip was a consolation prize, but this time the regular iPhone gets a fresh 2nm brain with a little muscle trimmed, a deal I would happily take.

The post Apple’s iPhone 18 is getting a ‘cheaper’ A20 chip to keep the overall phone affordable first appeared on Yanko Design.