Phones

Phones The AI tax on your next phone: how memory costs are reshaping smartphone pricing Memory now accounts for more than 65% of what it costs to build a cheap phone. That single number explains the disappearance of the budget tier, the worst annual shipment decline in smartphone history, and why the industry’s own suppliers say relief is years away. Issue 63 9 min read Phones The satellite phone isn’t coming: it’s already in your pocket, so why doesn’t it feel that way? Roughly 60 phone models can now reach a satellite without any accessory. Issue 63 9 min read Phones Two autumns a year: inside Apple’s break with the September ritual For more than a decade, Apple compressed its most important product decisions into a single week each September. Reporting suggests that ends in 2026. Issue 63 8 min read Phones The flagship killer is dead: inside OnePlus’s retreat and what’s left of it In one week of July 2026, OnePlus confirmed it will stop launching phones in North America and Europe, announced it is retiring OxygenOS worldwide, and scheduled the shutdown of its own US community forum. Issue 63 8 min read Phones Smartphone mid-year report: the launches, the chips and the AI inside The first half of 2026 delivered one of the busiest smartphone launch cycles in recent memory. Issue 62 6 min read Phones The smartphone squeeze According to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, worldwide smartphone shipments were forecast to decline 13.9 percent year-on-year, falling to 1.09 billion units. Issue 62 5 min read Phones The foldable gamble: Apple’s $2,000 bet and the race it triggered For years, the foldable smartphone market has been a niche within a niche. Issue 62 6 min read Phones Shortage in new phones and why prices go up and Why Prices Go Up Something unusual is happening in the smartphone market in 2026. Prices are going up, shipments are going down, and the phone you bought two years ago might actually be harder to replace with something better at the same price. Issue 61 6 min read Phones Smartphone AI wars: on-device intelligence changes everything On-Device Intelligence Changes Everything For the first decade of the smartphone era, the annual upgrade cycle was defined by hardware specifications. More megapixels. Faster processors. Bigger screens. Thinner bodies. Issue 61 6 min read Phones Foldables go mainstream: the iPhone Fold effect The iPhone Fold Effect For six years, foldable smartphones have been the technology industry’s most persistent “almost.” Almost ready for the mainstream. Almost reliable enough to justify the premium. Almost compelling enough to convince the average consumer to abandon the familiar glass slab. Issue 61 6 min read Phones Smartphones in 2026: shrinking market, shifting winners Shrinking Market, Shifting Winners After years of steady growth, the global smartphone market is facing a rare contraction in 2026. Issue 60 2 min read Phones A mature market: why the global smartphone industry is no longer booming Why the Global Smartphone Industry Is No Longer Booming The global smartphone industry is no longer in a phase of rapid expansion. Issue 60 4 min read