Japan's long-lived 'gara-kei' feature phones, clamshell devices with physical keyboards that persisted even as smartphones dominated elsewhere, are rapidly disappearing. Docomo data shows smartphone ownership rose from 90% in 2021 to 98% in 2025, while MM Research Institute reports feature phone shipments fell over 25% to under 400,000 units in the first half of fiscal 2025. The decline is expected to speed up after NTT Docomo shut down the country's remaining 3G network this past March.
Google's Pixel release date page lists exact support end dates for each device. Pixel 6 and 7 series phones get five years of updates, while Pixel 8 and later models get seven years, with a-series phones following their own release-based timelines. Phones up to the Pixel 5a are already out of support.
CNET tested Vivo's new X Fold 6 foldable phone for several days, praising its vibrant blue frosted-glass design, strong camera performance and battery life. The device is a traditional book-style foldable running last year's MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset, and is not officially sold in the US or UK, though it can be imported from resellers in China or parts of Europe.
Unlike iPhones, which let users lock individual apps behind Face ID with a simple long-press, Samsung's Galaxy phones have no built-in one-tap app-lock feature. Instead, Samsung splits the function across two separate tools: Secure Folder, which hides and protects a set of apps behind authentication, and app pinning, which restricts the phone to a single app until unlocked.
Owners of foldable phones say they cannot place outgoing calls through Android Auto when their devices are closed, with one user receiving a prompt to 'flip open to continue.' Reports on Reddit and in Google and Motorola support forums indicate incoming calls still work fine, and several affected users say the problem began after they started using Gemini. Google and Motorola representatives have been gathering details from affected users but have not confirmed a cause.
SpaceX announced it has agreed to acquire Grain Management's nationwide 800 MHz low-band spectrum portfolio for roughly $8 billion, giving it up to 14 megahertz of paired airwaves. Elon Musk said the acquisition is the final piece needed for SpaceX to offer complete phone coverage across America, though the deal still requires FCC approval. Separately this week, the FCC authorized SpaceX to launch 15,000 additional satellites.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, is set to go on sale October 23 with pre-orders starting a week earlier, following the already-available iPhone 18 Pro. Competitors including Xiaomi, Oppo, Motorola and Samsung have been developing foldable phones in a similar compact 'passport' format, positioning themselves ahead of Apple's entry into the category.
Samsung and Motorola have issued guidance on maintaining foldable phone hinges, recommending users clear debris from the inner display before closing the device and avoid excessive pressure. Samsung notes its Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Flip8 carry IP48 ratings, meaning protection from objects 1mm or larger but not full dust resistance, while Motorola warns that dust buildup can shorten hinge life and damage internal displays, advising against pressurized air dusters.
Foldable phones like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 and Apple's new iPhone Duo include a factory-installed protector on their flexible inner displays, since the screens use layered flexible material rather than rigid glass. Apple's version adds a nano-texture coating that creates a matte finish and reduces crease visibility. Both companies warn against removing or replacing this protector yourself, offering official repair channels instead.
Apate, an Australian company founded by Dali Kaafar, has spent two years building a system that routes scam calls to AI bots designed to keep fraudsters talking indefinitely without ever falling for the con. The company says it now runs roughly 350,000 bots that also infiltrate scam chat groups and respond to fraudulent texts, and the platform is used by banks with support from telecom companies.
A Show HN post introduces version 2.0 of carrier-explode, a tool that extracts and decodes carrier configuration settings from iPhone, Pixel and Galaxy firmware. Users can look up APNs, VoLTE, Wi-Fi Calling and 5G settings per carrier, compare two versions or carriers side by side, and see differences between firmware builds. The project offers data via an API in JSON format or as a daily CC0-licensed dataset, with documentation in its wiki.
A CNET writer asked Meta's AI agent, Muse, to help confirm she was the registered owner of her Visible phone number after repeatedly receiving calls and texts meant for a previous owner named Andrew. The assistant was unable to complete the task, running into roadblocks at every step while trying to navigate Visible's chatbot-only customer service system.
GoKawiil