News & Reviews:   phones

A new report from Counterpoint Research highlights a major shift in the smartphone landscape, with “accessible flagship” devices emerging as the sweet spot for consumers in 2026. These devices, typically priced below ultra-premium flagships but packed with high-end features, are gaining traction globally and increasingly influencing buying trends in markets like Malaysia.

Today, WhatsApp has announced a new wave of features aimed at making chats easier to manage, more flexible across devices, and smarter with AI integration. The update focuses on solving everyday pain points such as storage limitations, switching phones, and juggling multiple accounts, while also introducing new AI-powered tools for messaging and media.

Speaking during an interview at SXSW 2026, Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, outlined a vision where smartphones move beyond app-based interfaces toward intelligent, agent-driven experiences. He has suggested that traditional mobile apps could eventually disappear, replaced by AI-powered systems that act on behalf of users.

For 2026, MediaTek has expanded its Dimensity lineup with the introduction of two new mobile platforms, the Dimensity 9500s and Dimensity 8500. Aimed at flagship and premium smartphones, the new chipsets focus on boosting performance, power efficiency, AI computing, imaging, gaming, and wireless connectivity.

2026 already seems like all doom and gloom for the tech industry. Xiaomi's President and HONOR have already warned us about this due to the rising cost of memory chips. Today, Nothing co-founder Carl Pei took to X to warn that future smartphones may become more expensive, signalling a shift in industry dynamics that could reshape how devices are priced in the coming years.

In case you missed it, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) announced on its social media pages that the Time-of-Use (ToU) tariff switching feature is available on the myTNB app. This feature was introduced a few months ago, allowing customers to manage their electricity costs on the TNB website, and now directly from their smartphones.

Today, Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 2 Mobile Platform, targeting users who want performance-focused multimedia smartphones. At the same time, there is also an accessible 5G lineup with the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 Mobile Platform for mainstream and entry-level smartphones.

With the demands of AI rising in recent years, it is not a surprise that the prices for RAM have increased as well. So, it should not be a surprise if companies decide to limit the RAM for their phones. So, what should you know about it?

Yes, you read that right. This isn't just some survey from a media outlet, but by Samsung itself. A recent survey of users of Samsung Galaxy phones has found that while many recognise flaws in their photos, a surprisingly large share never use the phone’s built-in AI editing features.

Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 Mobile Platform, the newest addition to its 6-series lineup, and it is designed to bridge the gap between budget chips and flagship processors. According to Qualcomm, the chip offers an estimated 11 % faster CPU performance, 29 % better graphics rendering, and 12 % power savings versus its predecessor.