Buying an Android phone is no longer enough — Google wants you to subscribe too
… The smartphone industry spent over a decade convincing consumers to pay more upfront for better hardware while software steadily improved for free. …
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Amazon’s next Kindle upgrade might be a replaceable battery
… The findings surfaced as the EU moves toward stricter battery repairability requirements for consumer electronics. The changes could hint that Amazon is preparing for easier Kindle battery replacements and first-party repair kits in the future. …
Android OEMs should be worried that Apple's "boring" era is ending
… Fixing the hardware-software disconnect Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority One of the biggest complaints during the Tim Cook era was the hardware-software gap on the iPad. We had M-series chips that could edit 8K video, yet the software felt like a blown-up version of the iPhone. …
OpenAI could cut ChatGPT prices to win you over from Claude
… In recent months, the younger company has gained momentum, thanks to the popularity of its offering, Claude Code, among software developers. …
I've used Plex for 10 years. Here's why absolutely no one should pay $750 for Plex Pass
… Asking a consumer to pay for nearly 11 years of software upfront is unprecedented, especially for an app relying on your own server infrastructure. …
Samsung gets a D, Apple scores a D minus: Repair report says your phones aren't built to last
… One of the biggest factors dragging their scores down is the lack of proper software support disclosure. While both companies offer long-term software update support, they only declare the regulatory minimum of five years in the EPREL database. …
The $500 phone isn't dying, but rising costs might make it a lot less exciting
… In that scenario, the mid-range device remains capable, but some of the most ambitious software features become the preserve of premium hardware. …
I'm sick of seeing $1,300 phones like the S26 Ultra get less ambitious every year
… With devices like the 2026 Razr Ultra , consumers don’t even get a chipset upgrade. …
The first Snapdragon 8 Elite handheld might not have a Snapdragon 8 Elite after all
… The manufacturer also promised that the Fairphone 5 would get up to 10 years of software updates. In fact, Fairphone said it chose this chipset because it enabled a longer update commitment. We’ve nevertheless asked AYN and Qualcomm for comment regarding these changes. …
The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a major display flaw that cheap Android phones solved years ago
… Yet it still hasn’t adopted basic display and software changes that could improve the experience for users who are sensitive to display flickering. …