Apple has rebuilt core iOS 27 controls and app layouts to suit the iPhone Duo's foldable form factor, borrowing multitasking concepts from iPadOS. The update repositions status icons and navigation elements, introduces a dual-homescreen layout when unfolded, and adds a standby mode that turns the device into a smart display with fullscreen widgets. The Duo will also be the first iPhone to support Apple Pencil, usable on either screen.
Android Authority published its latest weekly collection of phone wallpapers, sourced from both readers and its own team members. The roundup continues an ongoing series that curates fresh wallpaper designs for Android users to download and use on their devices.
Apple is holding its annual flagship product event on September 9, 2026, where it is expected to reveal the iPhone 18 series and detail iOS 27. This marks the first major keynote led by John Ternus, who has taken over as Apple's CEO.
A CNET survey found that 52% of US adults would consider upgrading their smartphone mainly for longer battery life, while 55% cited price as their top motivator. The findings arrive just before Apple's Sept. 9 event, where the company is expected to unveil its first foldable phone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and Ultra models.
Apple's standard iPhone 17 starts at $799, while the Google Pixel 11 and Samsung Galaxy S26 both launch at $899, a $100 gap that has flipped the usual value equation in the flagship smartphone market. Rising RAM and storage costs, plus heavier investment in on-device AI, are cited as reasons behind the higher pricing from Google and Samsung, and rumors suggest Apple may delay the iPhone 18 launch, potentially extending this pricing advantage.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple's long-rumored foldable phone will be called the iPhone Duo rather than the previously rumored iPhone Ultra. The device is said to start at $2,000 for 256GB storage and reach about $3,000 for 2TB, shipping as early as October in white and dark blue.
A new study examined whether phone tutoring could offset learning losses when schools close, finding that students who received such tutoring showed measurable gains in math performance compared to peers without access to it. The research points to remote, low-tech tutoring as a viable stopgap during disruptions to in-person schooling.
A study spanning randomized trials in India, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines and Uganda found that 20-minute weekly tutoring calls to primary-school children produced substantial learning gains during COVID-19-related school closures. The approach paired widely available mobile phones with tutoring tailored to each child's current skill level, costing about $11 per child, and worked whether delivered by government teachers or NGO staff.
A study led by Oxford researcher Noam Angrist tested a low-cost intervention combining text-message nudges and a weekly 20-minute phone call from a teacher to support children's learning when schools shut down. The randomized trials, involving more than 16,000 households across India, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines and Uganda during COVID-19 closures, followed an earlier pilot in Botswana and were published in Nature.
A new Nature study by Angrist and colleagues examined how remote phone-based tutoring affected children's learning during periods when schools were shut, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research found strong evidence that this low-tech approach helped students keep learning despite the disruption, offering a rare data-backed solution to an otherwise poorly understood problem.
The UK government says Apple and Google failed to meet a three-month deadline to make it impossible to capture, view, or share child nudity images on their devices. In response, officials are introducing what they call world-first legislation that would impose fines and potential criminal liability on executives at companies that don't build these protections into phones and tablets sold in the UK.
Case maker Dbrand has already listed close to 50 grip cases for the rumored foldable iPhone Ultra, even though Apple hasn't officially unveiled the device. The phone is widely expected to debut at Apple's September 9 event, with a foldable design similar to the Samsung Z Fold or Google Pixel Fold and a price tag potentially exceeding $2,000.
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