Mobile News 8 Hours

Last updated: August 10, 2026, 8:50 PM ET

Carriers & Policy

Verizon's latest outage hit Southern California after vandals cut multiple fiber cables, disrupting mobile and internet services for hours. In New York, Mayor Mamdani announced support for the Delivery Protection Act, which would force Amazon and other platforms to use direct employees instead of contractors for last-mile delivery — Amazon is fighting the measure. Separately, YouTube doubled its monetization requirements for new creators; partners now need twice the watch hours or Shorts views to qualify for ad revenue cuts.

Premium Devices

A new Trend Force report estimates the iPhone 18 Pro BOM cost will jump by up to 40% due to the ongoing memory chip shortage, potentially pushing retail prices higher. Samsung is boosting production of the Galaxy Z Fold8 by an additional 1 million units this year, suggesting strong early demand for the wide-folding flagship. If you’re considering whether to wait for the Google Pixel 11, Android Central’s guide weighs the trade-offs against buying a Pixel 10 now. The Minimal Phone 2 ditches its E Ink screen for a 90Hz AMOLED panel, adds a tactile QWERTY keyboard, and packs 5G into a sleeker aluminum body. Leaked images reveal the Fairphone 6+ in Cobalt Blue, boasting 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage — a notable upgrade over the original Fairphone.

Budget & Tips

Wondering what a $100 smartphone will get you in 2026? Engadget’s guide suggests getting creative — think refurbished flagships or carrier deals — to land a decent device at that price. Before you toss any drives, be sure to securely wipe or destroy your old USB drives; simply deleting files offers little real protection against data recovery.