GoKawiil
Tech News
Xiaomi officially unveiled the Xiaomi 18 Fold at IFA 2026, giving the public its first real look at the wide-screen foldable in a cherry red finish after weeks of leaked images. The device features a triple-camera setup with a focal range suggesting roughly 3.3x telephoto zoom, and it debuts alongside more than 380 other products at Xiaomi's booth, including its smart home and connected ecosystem lineup.
Writer Ploum recounts telling businesses he has no smartphone to avoid being pressured into installing apps or scanning QR codes for basic services. He says he had to push back against 18 separate app installation demands in the past year, including for kitchen appliances, a car, and even a toilet with separate apps for its seat, flush, and ventilation.
Roku offers a free companion app for iOS and Android that lets users control their Roku devices directly from a smartphone, connecting over the same home Wi-Fi network. It replicates the core functions of the physical remote, including navigation, playback and volume controls, without requiring any purchase or subscription.
Reports ahead of Apple's Sept. 9 event suggest the iPhone 18 Pro's main camera could gain a variable aperture, letting the lens opening physically adjust rather than stay fixed like on the iPhone 17 Pro. Samsung and Xiaomi both tried similar variable-aperture designs in past flagships but later dropped the feature.
Slate's new electric pickup ships without a factory infotainment screen, instead relying on owners' smartphones or tablets mounted in the center console. Buyers can add speakers, switches and other accessories separately, with pricing ranging from $24,950 for the base 'Blank Slate' model up to $46,493 depending on options.
BlackBerry's business today centers on secure government communications and its QNX operating system, which powers safety-critical functions like braking and driver assistance in 275 million cars worldwide. CEO John Giamatteo described the shift from the company's smartphone era on a CNBC podcast, positioning BlackBerry as an embedded software provider rather than a device maker.
A Android Authority columnist describes returning to audible ringtones after years of relying on silent mode with vibration, prompted by missed calls when the phone was out of reach. Frustrated by the overwhelming number of ringtone options available through apps and websites, the writer turned to AI tools to generate a custom ringtone tailored to personal taste.
Samsung's latest folding phone experiment appears to be resonating with buyers, continuing the company's pattern of testing unconventional smartphone form factors in public before they go mainstream. The device's reception is drawing attention as Apple prepares its own entry into the foldable phone category.
Speedo has introduced a wearable sensor module designed to attach to compatible goggles already owned by swimmers, rather than requiring a full new headset. The device tracks metrics such as head movement, pace, and stroke count during a swim session, syncing that data to a companion smartphone app for analysis.
Google has issued new guidelines requiring Android app developers to reduce memory consumption, giving them until February 2027 to comply. The move responds to a global memory shortage that has pushed phone makers to cut RAM in entry-level devices, often dropping from 6-8GB to just 4GB. Apps exceeding Google's memory thresholds for dynamic RAM use, bitmap handling, and DEX code will be throttled or force-closed by the OS.
Leaked images shared by Weibo user Peter show what appears to be an engineering prototype of the Xiaomi 18 Fold, a book-style folding phone with a camera island resembling the rumored iPhone Ultra design. The device reportedly comes in a dark cherry color, echoing speculation about one of the iPhone 18 Pro's colorways.
IDC's August 2026 forecast predicts worldwide smartphone shipments will drop 16.7% this year, a steeper decline than the 13.9% estimate from May. The cause is a severe shortage of NAND and DRAM chips, with component costs up over 300% year-over-year as manufacturers redirect capacity to AI data centers. As a result, average smartphone selling prices have jumped 27.6% to $581, effectively pushing sub-$100 Android phones out of the market.