Phones

That’s the pitch for the 17 Max, a new phone Xiaomi is teasing on Weibo. It looks exactly like the regular Xiaomi 17, but has a 6.9-inch display — the same size as the 17 Pro Max and Ultra. That’s all we know so far, but it launches in China this month.

In case you missed it, yesterday’s Android Show stream included a brief list of every phone with current and confirmed plans for AirDrop support in Quick Share. Google also told The Verge that Xiaomi is planning support this year, though we don’t yet know to which phones.

Charli xcx just invested in Nothing and was announced as the company’s first global brand ambassador. For their first promotion together the startup claims it had the singer wear the Nothing Headphone A for five days straight to test their 135-hour battery life.

It’s part of One UI 8.5, rolling out now in the US after the Korean rollout began last week. Along with AirDrop compatibility, the update brings other features that launched on the Galaxy S26, including an updated Bixby, AI call screening, and easier AI image editing in Creative Studio.

OpenAI may have pledged to cut back on “side quests,” but making its own phone doesn’t count. Right?

It was the top-selling phone in Q1 according to Counterpoint, with 6 percent of global sales. The 17 Pro and Pro Max weren’t far behind, with Samsung A series phones and the Xiaomi Redmi A5 also at the top. The Galaxy S26 Ultra just missed the cut, after launching in the middle of the quarter.

Droid Life reports that potential buyers who’d reserved the upcoming BlackBerry-ish Android phone were just told to expect the phone to ship in Q4 this year. First announced at CES, the Communicator is a fully-fledged phone with a physical keyboard, a big step up from Clicks’ current line of keyboard cases.

Fairphone reports its smartphone shipments grew by 42 percent in 2025, no mean feat when the rest of the industry has been fairly flat. I thought last year’s Fairphone 6 was a huge step forward in quality, and it’s a good time for its efforts to expand into the US.

I’ve not been convinced by the Pixel 10 Camera Coach, which gives basic tips like zooming in to frame your subject. But are Huawei’s new AI-based pose recommendations for the Pura 90 much better? Selfies aside, how is the person being photographed meant to see what’s on the phone anyway?

After teasing the “world’s first dual-screen color E Ink + LCD smartphone,” Bigme has announced its new HiBreak Dual. The Android 14 phone features a 6.13-inch color E Ink screen on the front and a 1.85-inch circular LCD on the back. It also supports a pressure-sensitive stylus, while April 16th preorders will start at $359.

Evan Blass has shared leaked images of the upcoming flip phone in four colors, each with a distinct texture. This is the regular Razr 2026 — a.k.a. the Razr 70 — though Motorola should also launch Pro and Ultra versions of the phone, and maybe soon — last year’s Razrs launched in April.

The Find X9 Ultra isn’t coming out for another week or so, but Oppo is ready to show off how it looks, and you can see why. Stay tuned for my full review, and let me know in the comments what you’d like me to test out — the 10x lens is a given.

The fairly reliable leaker OnLeaks has shared his first CAD renders for the Galaxy Z Flip 8, via MyMobiles, and it looks… pretty much identical to the Z Flip 7, actually. It’s apparently slimmer though, with 0.5mm shaved off when closed, which should make it fractionally more pocketable.

The Pura 90 series will launch in China on April 20th, and the phones will be decked out in a series of colorful gradient finishes. GizmoChina has images of the full line of Pura 90 Pro and Pro Max colors, but I’m a fan of this sunset Pro Max Huawei has teased on Weibo.

After being announced at CES 2026, TCL has confirmed its NXTPaper 70 Pro, featuring the company’s matte finish screen tech that’s meant to compete with E Ink, is now available through T-Mobile and Metro by T‑Mobile for $199.99 with a phone plan. The 70 Pro is also listed as “Coming Soon” on TCL’s US site for $299.99.

The Elec reports that Samsung Display secured a three-year exclusivity deal for folding iPhone screens, with the maybe-delayed, maybe-not-delayed Apple foldable due later this year. The question is whether Apple is getting the nearly creaseless panels Samsung showed off at CES, which it will need to match the Oppo Find N6.

Google’s latest affordable phone launched in Japan today, more than a month after its release elsewhere. The wait might have been worth it though, since Japanese buyers can get the phone in an exclusive isai blue finish, designed in partnership with Heralbony, a creative company that works with artists with disabilities.