Mobile News 24 Hours

Last updated: September 10, 2026, 6:35 AM ET

Apple Event Roundup

Apple's "Surprise and shine" event has dominated the mobile landscape, with the company unveiling its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series. The new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max arrive with the A20 Pro chip, a smaller Dynamic Island, and variable aperture main cameras. Our hands-on impressions note that it doesn't fold, but it's likely the one most people will buy, featuring stunning new colors. Apple's new CEO, John Ternus, has teased the variable aperture camera on the Pro Max mere hours before the event. The camera innovations go well beyond megapixels and AI, with variable aperture and pro controls taking center stage. The Engadget Podcast dives into the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and Apple's new hardware.

iPhone Duo Foldable

The iPhone Duo makes a great first impression, though it lacks a dedicated telephoto camera and variable aperture—features that are somehow absent from the hot new iPhone. Its interface is iPad-like,with extra tricks for multitasking. Apple has also unveiled two official first-party cases for the device, including the iPhone Duo Folio. Competitors were quick to respond: Samsung and Duolingo have no chill, offering cheeky responses to Apple's debut. Meanwhile, Motorola teases its own compact foldable Razr, turning heads away from Cupertino. An analysis from Android Central highlights six features Apple copied from Samsung, Motorola, and Google. For those considering alternatives, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is FREEwith a T-Mobile trade-in deal. Motorola has also teased its next big move:a midsize Razr Fold, turning heads away from Apple's iPhone Duo.

Pricing and Availability

Apple has increased prices of older iPhone models by $100 across all regions, affecting the iPhone 17 series, iPhone Air, and iPhone 16. The pricing overview confirms that the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max will launch for pre-order across the first wave of countries. iOS, with Siri AI, will be available on September 14,while the release datehas been confirmed for September 18on the new devices.

Android and Other Mobile News

Samsung's Certified Re-Newed program has added the Galaxy S26, S26+,and S26 Ultra in the UK, offering 'like new' refurbished devices through its official store. The Galaxy Z Fold8 salesare beating the Fold7's numbers in Europe by 50%, following pre-orders that were 20% higher. Samsung has also detailed the journey of makingthe Z Fold8,and Fold8 Ultra, thinner and lighter, compared to the original Fold's 276g weight. Oppo's A7 Pro and A7 Pro Maxhave been spotted on Geekbench, signaling global availability. The Oppo Find X10 seriesis now up for pre-order, packing 8,000mAh batteries. Sony's Xperia 1 IXmay get an exciting camera upgrade, according to early rumors. Google has removed the Pixel Tabletfrom its store, signaling discontinuation. Motorola's Signature 27 teasersuggests the phone is finally US-bound,with a slimmer design, upgraded cameras,and a Swarovski edition. Arm has unveiled CSS for Mobile 2with Mali G2-Ultra NX GPU,and C2-Ultra Pro CPU cores,an AI-native compute platform for smartphones. Honor's Magic 9 Pro Maxdebuted at the Venice Film Festival,continuing its ARRI partnership for cinematic mobile technology. The 2028 Volvo XC40gets a tech refresh, but sadly loses the all-electric EX40 in the US.

Wearables and Accessories

The Apple Watch Series 12will listen to your conversations,delivering a host of upgrades,and even coming in a ceramic body. Its new Audio Intelligenceenables a real-life conversation rewind,though Apple says it's taking privacy concerns seriously. The Apple Watch Ultra 4isn't a major redesign,but comes with better battery life,and upgraded health tracking.

Software, AI,and Services

Google's AI Modecan now hold your hand through fantasy football season,acting as a coach. Gemini's Daily Briefhas dropped its subscription fee,now free for US users. You can also take full advantage of Geminiwhen planning your next trip,letting it line up all the details. Instacart has launched its own AI assistantcalled Clementine,which can make it easier to decide what to buy. Microsoft has struck a dealwith the national teachers union to not use school data to train AI,stepping up in the absence of federal protections. US authorities have accused Chinese AI companiesof industrial-scale campaigns to copy American models,citing DeepSeek,Moonshot,and others. Anthropic users are taking the company to courtover Max subscription terms,alleging misleading advertising about Claude usage. Muse,the band,has lost its social media handlesto Muse,Meta's new AI agent,after Meta execs accidentally tagged the band instead. Apple Wallet,and Apple Pay,serve different functions,but you need them both to make online payments.

Gaming and Entertainment

Nintendo Direct has announced a slew of gamesfor Switch,including Metroid Ravenous,which arrives on January 28, 2027and looks like Samus will be able to feed on her enemies. Mario Kart Worldis getting a bunch of courses from the SNES original in a free update arriving today. The Resident Evil remakesare coming to Switch 2 on October 16.No Man's Skygets its largest update yet to mark its 10th anniversary—the Cosmos update is huge,and 100 percent free. The Neo Geo console remakehas been delayed to September 16, 2027,though the price remains unchanged.Playdate Season 3kicks off on October 8,featuring games like Gloom Gate,Houm,and Soggy Froggy.The first and latest Star Wars filmsare coming to IMAX 70mm in 2027,including the original 1977 version. Blizzard employees have ratified their first union contracts,with the Communications Workers of America representing about 1,900 workers.

Deals and Transportation

Visiblewants to give you 50% OFF its best unlimited plan for an entire year—pay for a year of the Visible Plus Pro plan upfront,and use the code.Amazon is slashing priceson its Fire tablet lineup,including 50% off the Fire HD.Lyft is now offeringWaymo rides in Nashville,giving riders fully autonomous options through the Lyft app.