Mobile

Phones, tablets, wearables, and the software that runs them.

updated
Oct 6, 2026
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October 202610 articles

Meta glasses: what the white light means. Ray-Ban and Oakley Meta capture LED, from Meta's own pages, read 6 October 2026. Blinks once: a photo is being taken for the wearer's gallery. Lit throughout: a video is recording, or the wearer is livestreaming. Stays dark: Meta AI may be using the camera, on all but the 2023 Ray-Ban Meta. LED covered or tampered with: Meta says the camera is disabled.
Mobile · Explainer

Meta Glasses Light Up to Record; Most Stay Dark for AI

A white light on the frame blinks for photos, video and livestreams, and covering it disables the camera. Meta’s terms forbid hiding it.

How to turn off priority notifications on iPhone, iOS 27, from Apple’s iPhone User Guide, read 6 October 2026. All apps: Settings, Notifications, Prioritize Notifications, turn the switch off. One app: on the Prioritize Notifications screen tap the app’s button, or on the app’s own page under Lock Screen Appearance. On the Lock Screen: swipe left on a priority notification, tap Options, then Turn Off Prioritization. It needs an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, or an iPhone 16 or later. The steps are the same in Apple’s iOS 26 and iOS 27 guides.
Mobile · Guide

Turn Off Priority Notifications All at Once or Per App

Apple’s iOS 27 guide gives one master switch, two per-app toggles and a Lock Screen shortcut. It needs an iPhone 15 Pro or newer.

The new Kindles, on paper: US prices as Amazon announced them on 1 October 2026. Kindle: 16GB at $149.99, aluminium with 32GB at $189.99, on sale now. Kindle Paperwhite: 16GB at $199.99, Signature Edition with 32GB at $249.99, preorder. Kindle Colorsoft: 16GB at $289.99, Signature Edition with 32GB at $319.99, preorder. All three have a flush front screen and are thinner and lighter than the 2024 models. Amazon opens preorders on a rolling basis; Best Buy lists a 28 October release.
Mobile · On Paper

New Kindles Get Flush Screens and Aluminium, From $149.99

The 6-inch Kindle is on sale now; the Paperwhite and Colorsoft are preorders. A 2024 Kindle earns its place only below the new price.

Sideloading survives Android verification: Android developer verification, from Google's pages, read 5 October 2026. August 2026: the advanced flow opens, allowing apps from unverified developers after a one-time 24-hour wait. 30 September 2026: in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, seven app stores check that apps are registered. 2027: checks cover all apps on certified Android devices, globally. Unchanged, Google says: adb installs, and apps from verified developers.
Mobile · Explainer

Sideloading on Android Survives Developer Verification

Since 30 September, seven app stores in four countries require verified developers. Elsewhere it waits for 2027; adb is unchanged.

Galaxy security updates, by Samsung's list: phones on Samsung's Security Updates Scope page, read 5 October 2026. Monthly: Galaxy S23, S24, S25 and S26, including the FE models, Z Fold5, Flip5 and later, and the Z TriFold. Quarterly: S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra, the S21 FE 5G, Z Fold4 and Z Flip4, and many A, M and F models. Not on any list: S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra, Z Fold3 and Z Flip3, A52 and A72, so no longer scheduled. Biannual: named on the page, with no models listed under it. Some carriers may give only quarterly updates, per Samsung's footnote 2.
Mobile · Explainer

Galaxy S23 Gets Monthly Security Updates, S22 Quarterly

Samsung's own list leaves the S21, Z Fold3 and A52 off every schedule, and names a twice-yearly tier with no phones in it.

watchOS 27, by Apple Watch, from Apple’s watchOS 27 page, support articles and newsroom, read 5 October 2026. Gets watchOS 27, eight models: Series 9, 10, 11 and 12, SE 3, and Ultra 2, 3 and 4. Dropped since watchOS 26, five models: Series 6, 7 and 8, SE (2nd generation), and the original Ultra. Siri AI and Apple Intelligence, all eight: only paired with iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, or iPhone 16 models or later.
Mobile · Explainer

watchOS 27 Drops Series 6 to 8. Siri AI Hinges on the iPhone

Every watch that gets the update is on Apple’s Apple Intelligence list. Whether it runs Siri AI depends on the iPhone it is paired with.

iPadOS 27 in three tiers of iPad, from Apple's own pages, read 5 October 2026. Tier 1, iPadOS 27 itself: 23 iPad models; five that ran iPadOS 26 are dropped. Tier 2, Apple Intelligence, including Siri AI: needs M1 or later, or iPad mini (A17 Pro). Tier 3, Siri's voice: customising it needs M4 or later and at least 12GB of memory. Gets the update, not Apple Intelligence: iPad (A16); also iPad 9th and 10th generation, iPad mini 6th generation, iPad Air 4th generation and 2020 iPad Pro models.
Mobile · Explainer

iPadOS 27 Drops Five iPads. Siri AI Needs M1 or A17 Pro

Apple lists 23 iPads for iPadOS 27. The iPad (A16) it still sells gets the update, but not Apple Intelligence or Siri AI.

How long each Pixel gets updates: Android and security updates, from Google's Pixel Help pages, read 5 October 2026. Pixel 8 and later: 7 years, including the 8a, 9a, 10a and every Pixel 11. Pixel 6 to 7a and the Fold: 5 years, covering the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a and Pixel Fold. Pixel 5a and older: ended, Google lists them as no longer updated. The clock starts when a model first went on sale on the US Google Store, not the day you bought yours. Pixel 6 and 6 Pro went on sale in October 2021.
Mobile · Explainer

Pixel 8 Onward Gets 7 Years of Updates, Pixel 6 and 7 Get 5

Google counts from the month each model reached its US store, not the day you bought it. A used Pixel 8 has about four years left.

Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, on paper, from Samsung's US and global newsroom releases, read 4 October 2026. US price: from $1,399.99, on sale 7 October. Against S11 Ultra: $200 over its $1,199.99 launch. New: Dimensity 9500, 3D vapor chamber. Unchanged: 14.6in screen, 11,600mAh, cameras. Samsung's claims: CPU +19%, GPU +17%, NPU +61%. Updates: up to seven OS upgrades.
Mobile · On Paper

Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra: New Chip, Same Screen and Battery

Samsung's $1,399.99 Tab S12 Ultra keeps the S11 Ultra's 14.6-inch screen, battery and cameras, and changes the chip, cooling and speakers.

Apple's Siri settlement, from the claims administrator's site and the court filings, read 3 October 2026. Fund: $250 million. Who: original US buyers of an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max or any iPhone 16, 10 June 2024 to 29 March 2025. Payment: $25 per iPhone to start, $95 at most, moved by the number of claims. Claim by: 21 December 2026, one form per iPhone. Final hearing: 24 February 2027.
Mobile · Explainer

Apple's $250M Siri Settlement Starts at $25 per iPhone

Original US buyers of an iPhone 16 or 15 Pro, bought 10 June 2024 to 29 March 2025, must file by 21 December. The rate moves with claims.

September 20268 articles

Where to switch on battery percentage, from Apple, Google and Samsung support pages, read 22 September 2026. iPhone with Face ID: Battery, then Battery Percentage, from Settings; also shown in Control Center. iPhone SE and iPhone 8: on by default; also shown in the Batteries widget. iPad: Battery, then Battery Percentage; also shown in Control Center. Pixel: Battery, then Battery percentage; also shown in Settings, Battery. Galaxy on One UI 8.5: no switch, always on; also shown in the notification panel. Footnote: Face ID iPhones need iOS 16 or later to show the number in the status bar.
Mobile · Guide

Battery Percentage: One Switch, Unless You Have a Galaxy

Settings, then Battery, on iPhone, iPad and Pixel. Samsung made the number permanent in One UI 8.5; its switch now hides only the icon.

Wireless charging in the makers’ own words, from Apple, Samsung, Google and the Wireless Power Consortium, read 20 September 2026. Heat: over 35°C can permanently cut capacity. Too warm: charging may stop above 80 per cent. Qi2 magnets: aligned for better energy efficiency. EU notice: wireless may use more power than wired. Charge limits: iPhone 80%, Galaxy 85%, both optional. Battery wear: no maker says wireless ages it faster.
Mobile · Explainer

The Charging Pad Is Not What Ages Your Battery

Apple, Samsung and Google name heat, cycles and time spent full. None names the charging method. Above 35°C, Apple says damage is permanent.

CarPlay and CarPlay Ultra compared, from Apple's CarPlay page and its CarPlay Ultra release, read 20 September 2026. Screens: centre display only, against every driver screen. Gauges: none, against speedometer and tachometer. Radio and climate: the car's own controls, against inside CarPlay. Phone needed: iPhone 5 or later, against iPhone 12 on iOS 18.5. Cars: over 800 models, against select 2024 and later. Brands Apple names: 91 on its CarPlay page, against Aston Martin.
Mobile · Explainer

CarPlay Ultra Adds the Gauges. Your Car Decides.

Apple asks for an iPhone 12 on iOS 18.5 and a select 2024-or-later car. Aston Martin is the one brand it has named shipping it.

What an iPad’s charging status means, from Apple’s iPad support pages and User Guide, read 19 September 2026. Not Charging: port too weak, use a wall adapter. Charging On Hold: too hot or cold, resumes on its own. Stops near 80%: 80% Limit is on, or the iPad is warm. Slow Charger: adapter too weak to fast charge. Blank screen: very flat, can stay dark up to 2 minutes. Still nothing: new adapter and cable, then restart.
Mobile · Guide

When an iPad Says Not Charging, Apple Blames the Port

Apple's order of checks, the 15W minimum it sets for other adapters, and the two statuses that mean the iPad chose to stop.

iPhone battery service prices in the US, from Apple's out-of-warranty estimates read 19 September 2026. $129: iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. $119: iPhone Air, 17 Pro and 16 Pro models. $99: iPhone 17, 17e, and the 16, 15 and 14 lines. $89: iPhone 13, 12, 11, XS and XR lines. $69: iPhone SE (2nd, 3rd gen), 8, 7 and 6s. $0: with AppleCare, below 80% capacity.
Mobile · Explainer

An iPhone Battery From Apple Costs $69 to $129

Apple's own estimator, model by model: the 18 Pro costs $10 more than the 17 Pro, and AppleCare pays in full once capacity drops below 80%.

Search and Siri optimizing, from Apple's support article on Spotlight indexing, read 18 September 2026. What it is: The search index being rebuilt. When: After setup, and after an update. How long: Hours or even days, per Apple. Faster when: Not in use, on power, on Wi-Fi. Stays: On the phone, not shared with Apple. Then: Later index updates are much faster.
Mobile · Explainer

Search and Siri Optimizing on iPhone? It Is Reindexing

Apple says rebuilding the search index after an update can take hours or days. Power, Wi-Fi and leaving the phone alone speed it up.

Galaxy S26 FE, on paper, from Samsung's US newsroom and store, read 18 September 2026, with the S26 price read 4 October. Price: $699.99 128GB, $799.99 256GB. Against S25 FE: $50 more at launch. New: Exynos 2500 chip, One UI 9. Unchanged: 4,900mAh, 6.7in 120Hz, cameras. Against S26: $300 less; 8GB of RAM, not 12GB. Updates: Seven years of OS and security.
Mobile · On Paper

Galaxy S26 FE: $50 More for a New Chip, Same Battery

Samsung's $699.99 FE keeps the S25 FE's screen, cameras and 4,900mAh cell. Against the $999.99 S26 it trades RAM and telephoto for battery.

Pixel 11, on paper, from Google's launch posts and Store specs, read 18 September 2026. Prices: $899, $1,099, $1,299, $1,899 Fold. Against Pixel 10: $100 more for 11, Pro and Pro XL. Pro RAM at 256GB: 12GB, down from 16GB. Pro zoom: Up to 120x, up from 100x. AI Pro trial: Six months on Pros, down from a year. Updates: Seven years.
Mobile · On Paper

Pixel 11 Costs $100 More, and the Pro Starts With Less RAM

Every Pixel 11 starts at 256GB. At that size the $1,099 Pro drops from 16GB of RAM to 12GB, and its free AI Pro trial halves to six months.