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The one feature that keeps me from recommending flip phones
Gaming Gear

The one feature that keeps me from recommending flip phones

by admin


I carry a lot of different phones around, and I rarely get questions about them because most people stopped talking about which phone they own around 2017. I could be using an unreleased iPhone 18 Pro Max Air Ultra to pay for my coffee and nobody would raise an eyebrow (present company excepted, of course). To the majority, a phone is a phone; no matter who makes it or what software it runs, they’re all roughly the same size and shape. Unless that phone happens to be a flip phone.

Flip phones attract attention from the kind of people who have seen every type of phone in existence, which makes sense: they’re very obviously different. During the rise of the smartphone, there was a time when manufacturers tried a lot of other form factors. Physical keyboards, swiveling screens, pop-up cameras — anything was fair game. But over the past decade, the industry converged around one design to rule them all: the form factor that we now know as the slab phone. And it remained more or less unchallenged until Samsung started folding screens in half.

Before the new flip phones, book-style foldables came first. And Samsung’s debut effort was kind of a fiasco. Within days of receiving review units, testers started experiencing problems with the inner screen. The Verge’s own Dieter Bohn was one of them; he noticed a small bulge in the inner screen along the crease, as if a very small particle was pressing up into the screen from inside the hinge. Something similar happened to CNBC’s review unit.

Elsewhere, creators and reviewers at other outlets experienced similarly catastrophic screen deaths by peeling up the factory-installed protector on the inner screen, which was meant to stay permanently adhered. If this was not obvious to people who look at phones all day, you can be damn sure it wouldn’t have been obvious to the average phone user. Even though dust wasn’t the confirmed offender here — and Samsung clearly had more than one kind of problem on its hands — the message was clear: the inner screen of a folding phone was just one wrong move away from failure.

The first modern flip phones weren’t exactly bangers, either. Motorola’s revived Razr kind of sucked, and Samsung’s first Flip wasn’t much better, even though it was the first to offer a better-feeling glass folding screen rather than plastic. Both phones came with too many tradeoffs, too many durability concerns, and too high of a price to justify buying one for the novelty. But things changed when Motorola took a good look at its Razr design and said, “You know what? To hell with this. Big outer screen.”

The 2023 Motorola Razr Plus was the first flip-style phone that truly felt like something different. The outer 3.6-inch screen sounds tiny, and I guess it is tiny, but it was the biggest one offered on a flip phone at that point. And it made a difference. Instead of just triaging notifications, you could actually do things. Reply to texts, browse your Spotify library, even run full apps — so much more became possible. Samsung followed suit, and even though it took a couple of tries to get rid of the file-folder-shaped screen and embrace the full front panel, its flip phone became imminently more useful with a proper cover display. I love flip phones. Lots of you love flip phones, too.

Those little specks of dust still loom large. Despite substantial improvements to the screens and hinges, and the addition of water resistance, flip phones (and their fold-style siblings) still lack dust resistance. Both Motorola and Samsung’s latest foldables come with an IP48 rating, which only guarantees protection against very small particles, meaning anything smaller than a millimeter could still potentially work its way into the phone and wreak havoc.

Sure, plenty of people own folding phones and never experience problems with dust, which is great! But when every other slab-style phone at the same price point comes with a full IP68 rating, it’s hard to tell the average person to go ahead and spend $1,000 on a flip phone. Fun only goes so far.

I had a burning question for Samsung’s head of smartphone planning, Minseok Kang. Maybe it even bordered on a plea. “Is a dustproof foldable even possible?” I asked following Samsung’s most recent Unpacked. “I don’t think that it’s not possible,” he said. “But it is difficult.”

Whispers of foldables with the elusive IP68 rating have cropped up around most of the recent folding phone launches, ultimately fizzling when the full specs have been revealed. But the rumors are firing up again, suggesting that the Google Pixel 10 Pro might come with dust resistance. That, frankly, would rule. But I’ve gotten my hopes up one too many times this year, and I don’t have the energy to do it again, so I’ll consider it a nice surprise if it arrives with dust resistance. But I haven’t given up hope — I have it on good authority that it’s not impossible, after all.

  • If you live outside the US, you have a bunch more flip phones to choose from. Oppo, Huawei, and Xiaomi sell flip-style foldables — just not on our shores.
  • Samsung and Motorola have both expanded their flip phone portfolios this year. Motorola added a third high-end “Ultra” model, while Samsung recycled the previous generation’s Z Flip design into a lower-cost FE version this year. More models means a bigger spread in pricing, which ranges from $699 to $1,299.
  • Nobody’s having more fun with the flip format than Motorola. Razr phones include preloaded games tailored to the outer screen, retro-inspired music for player themes, and a mode that mimics the classic Razr’s UI.

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on all things phones and consumer tech, follow Allison Johnson. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.

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11 Best Android Phones of 2025, Tested and Reviewed
Product Reviews

11 Best Android Phones of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

by admin


Other Phones to Consider

We test a ton of Android phones. We like the ones below, but you’ll be better off with one of the options above. If you haven’t yet done so, check out our Best Cheap Phones and Best Folding Phones guides for more.

Pixel 9

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Google Pixel 9 for $599: The Pixel 9 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smartphone, but between the Pixel 9a and the Pixel 9 Pro series, it struggles to stand out. It shares many features with its pricier siblings, but you can get a very similar experience with the Pixel 9a, all while saving hundreds of dollars. I would hold off until the Pixel 10 launches.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 for $1,100: Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip7 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) got some great upgrades over its predecessor, but it wasn’t enough to dethrone the Razr Ultra 2025 as my top flip phone pick. Still, it’s worth considering if you’re shopping for a folding phone of this category, because the cameras are solid, the displays are excellent and larger than ever, and the cover screen is a little more useful (though not as versatile as on Motorola’s phone). Battery life is even worse here over the Fold7, so snag a power bank while you’re at it.

Galaxy S25 Edge

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge for $970: Samsung’s latest innovation is to slim down the smartphone to an amazingly thin 5.8 mm. That’s not as impressive as phones from the past, but the Galaxy S25 Edge (6/10, WIRED Recommends) is still impressive when you hold this lightweight 6.7-inch phone in your hand. It maintains several features from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, except there’s no S Pen stylus, no telephoto cameras whatsoever, and battery life is not good at all for a phone of this size and price. I routinely had to keep it topped up throughout the day. But if you’re an average to light user, you may find it sufficient, and maybe you’ll be able to appreciate the thin and light size even more.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Nothing Phone (3a) for $379 and Phone (3a) Pro for $459: Here’s another well-rounded smartphone that doesn’t have an exorbitant price. The Nothing Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are sub-$500 Android phones, and they are both fantastic. They’re identical in every way except the cameras, where the Pro model has a slight advantage in zoom and low-light capabilities. I think the Phone (3a) looks nicer and is a better value. Run through the list of specs and you’ll be hard-pressed to find fault with the hardware. The display is wonderfully smooth with its 120-Hz refresh rate, and it’s no struggle to see in the sun. Performance is snappy, battery life is reliable, and the camera quality is decent for the money. There are some drawbacks—these phones are only IP64-rated, so don’t drop them in the pool. There’s no wireless charging, and connectivity isn’t seamless. While it’ll work best on T-Mobile, you’ll only get 4G on Verizon and AT&T until you ask the carriers to whitelist the device for 5G access. That process is sure to be frustrating.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE for $550: Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE is a better buy now that the flagship Galaxy S24 series is harder to find for sale. It’s a perfectly capable smartphone with a triple-camera array (including a 3X telephoto camera), and it delivers good performance. It has wireless charging, is IP68 water resistant, and has solid day-long battery life. It’s a shame the design’s a bit drab. Alternatively, you can try to find the flagship Galaxy S24 series on sale: the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra are still excellent devices, but make sure you don’t spend anywhere near their MSRP.

Moto G Power 2025

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Motorola Moto G Power 2025 for $300: The new Moto G Power (7/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t as great as its predecessor, and that comes down to one reason: Due to a lesser chipset, there’s a slight hit in performance, and it feels a bit more sluggish to use. However, the performance is good enough that you won’t feel frustrated. Outside of this, it’s a remarkable $300 phone. The green faux leather back exudes luxury, and it’s nice and slim. The cameras are solid, and the 6.8-inch LCD screen has a 120-Hz screen refresh rate and gets plenty bright. Best of all, the company retained the wireless charging it debuted in last year’s model, making it one of the only sub-$300 phones with this convenience. Another area of improvement? It’s IP68/69-rated, so you won’t have to baby this phone near a pool; it can handle a dip just fine. Motorola has also extended software updates on the Moto G series, promising two Android OS upgrades, with the same three years of security updates. There’s a fair amount of bloatware, but you can remove most of these preinstalled apps.

ROG Phone 9

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Asus ROG Phone 9 for $1,000: The ROG phone series is for serious gamers. There are two USB-C ports, so you can charge the phone comfortably even while using it in landscape mode for gaming. It has perks like a headphone jack and a bevy of accessories you can attach, like a cooler and a mobile controller, to enhance the gaming experience. Unfortunately, other aspects of this phone struggle to match the high price—the software can feel clunky, and the cameras are not at all what you’d expect at this price level.

Minimal Phone

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Minimal Phone for $399: Having trouble curbing your screen time? Instead of going cold turkey with something like the Light Phone III, try the Minimal Phone (6/10, WIRED Review). This is an e-paper Android phone with a physical keyboard. The goal is to let you access the usual Android apps, but because the screen is ill-suited to videos and most social media, you’ll naturally be able to avoid those distractions. It’s successful in this task, but the constant screen ghosting and plasticky build dampen the experience.

Mobile Accessories You Might Need

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

We have case recommendations for a few popular devices, like Samsung’s Galaxy S25, Galaxy S24, and Galaxy S23, or Google’s Pixel 9 series. It’s smart to slap a case on these glass sandwiches and even a screen protector to keep the display free of scuffs and scratches. Here are a few other noteworthy accessories, including charging adapters, which many phones don’t include anymore. Read our Best USB-C Cables guide for other recommendations.

Anker 45-Watt Charger for $28: This tiny charger will be enough for most people to charge most smartphones. It’s compact, reliable, and cheap, plus the prongs fold up. More smartphones than ever can go up to 45-watt charging speeds, so take advantage with a 45-watt charger.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Counterpart Retractable The Charger for $44: It’s not the best value, but this design-forward charger has a retractable 4-foot cable that makes it a fantastic two-in-one—no need to pack a separate charger and cable! It outputs 35 watts, which is plenty to fast-charge most phones and tablets, and the prongs fold in for travel.

Peak Design Samsung and Pixel Everyday Case for $50: If you have a Samsung or Pixel phone and you frequently mount your phone to a bike or scooter, you owe it to yourself to snag this case and Peak Design’s bike mount. The case snaps perfectly into the mount, is dead simple to release, and has yet to fall off after years of riding. Peak Design also sells several other accessories you can attach to the back of these cases, bringing Android into Apple’s MagSafe ecosystem.

Nimble Champ Portable Charger 10,000 mAh for $60: This portable battery is small enough to leave in a bag but has enough power to fully recharge your phone once or twice. There’s a USB-C and USB-A port; it delivers 18 watts of power, so it can recharge your tablet or phone, and it’s housed in 73 percent post-consumer plastic with plastic-free packaging.

Nomad ChargeKey V2 for $25: When your phone dies, it’s almost always when you forget to bring a charger or battery pack. The ChargeKey is a nifty solution—it’s like clipping a tiny USB-C charging cable to your keychain. Just plug one end into your phone and the other into any kind of power source (a friend’s phone or a charging adapter if you manage to find one), and you can top up your phone. Native Union also has a similar item that’s cuter but nearly as capable.

Choose a Wireless Charger: Our guide to the best wireless chargers includes dozens of models in varying colors, shapes, and materials, and even some designed for specific phones. Not every Android phone supports wireless charging, but it’s a luxury you’ll want to take advantage of. Take a gander at our guide for our favorites.

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The best cheap phones for 2025
Gaming Gear

The best cheap phones for 2025

by admin


Some of us take a kind of “I eat to live” rather than an “I live to eat” approach to gadgets. They’re tools that help you get things done, not something you want to invest a lot of time or money in. If that’s you — and there’s no judgment here from a certifiable gadget nerd — then you can probably think of more worthwhile ways to spend $1,000 than on a phone.

Budget phones to the rescue. These devices are roughly $500 or under, though not all of them, and they’re more capable than ever. You won’t get all the bells and whistles, but you will save a little money to spend on, I don’t know, actual bells and whistles. It’s your world.

What I’m looking for

How we test

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There’s no shortcut to properly testing a phone; I put my personal SIM card (physical or otherwise) in each phone I review and live with it for a minimum of one full week. I set up each phone from scratch, load it up with my apps, and go about living my life — stress testing the battery, using GPS navigation on my bike while streaming radio, taking rapid-fire portrait mode photos of my kid — everything I can throw at it. Starting over with a new phone every week either sounds like a dream or your personal hell, depending on how Into Phones you are. For me, switching has become so routine that it’s mostly painless.

Strong software support

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At least a couple of years of OS upgrades and, ideally, three years of security updates. There’s no point in buying even a cheap phone if you have to replace it after just a couple of years because it stopped getting security patches.

A good screen

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Since you look at it roughly two thousand times a day, your phone’s screen is one place you shouldn’t compromise. An OLED has richer contrast and color than an LCD, and the big screens on today’s phones really need at least a 1080p resolution. Faster refresh rates like 90Hz and even 120Hz are becoming more common on budget phone screens, but for my money, a smooth-scrolling LCD doesn’t look as nice as an OLED with a standard refresh rate.

Serviceable storage space

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If you plan to hang onto your phone for a while, you’ll want enough storage space to accommodate all the system files, photos, and videos you’ll accumulate over the years. Ideally you’ll get at least 128GB built in.

One good rear camera, not four mediocre ones

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Upgrades like telephoto cameras and optical image stabilization are rare in the under-$500 class, but you can still expect good, basic performance in good lighting from any modern smartphone. Low light is trickier. Phones in this class should offer a night mode to help with non-moving subjects in very dim light. And there are no bonus points awarded for adding extra macro and depth cameras to pad out the rear camera array — those 2- and 5-megapixel sensors are pretty much useless.

What compromises can you expect from a budget phone? Some combination of the following: slower processors, less storage, and worse cameras than flagship phones, almost across the board. Many have lower-resolution screens and water resistance is often less robust than on a pricier phone.

$599

The Good

  • Reliable performance
  • Good, if limited, camera system
  • It’s the cheapest new iPhone you can buy

The Bad

  • No MagSafe
  • $599 feels like $100 too much
  • No ultrawide

Screen: 6.1-inch, 1170p OLED / Processor: A18 Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 with OIS, 12-megapixel selfie / Charging: 20W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

If I was making this recommendation to you face-to-face, you’d hear a heavy sigh. Yes, this is the cheapest new iPhone Apple makes. Yes, it comes with most of the things that make an iPhone an iPhone. But it comes with some significant tradeoffs — some of which make more sense than others — and it’s not exactly cheap. If you’re amenable to last year’s model or a refurbished iPhone 14, one of those might actually be a better option. But for an unfussy person who just wants a new iPhone for the least amount of money, the 16E will do the trick.

There’s a single 48-megapixel rear camera on the back, meaning there’s no ultrawide like on the regular 16. That’s an understandable tradeoff — so is the use of the older “notch” design rather than the Dynamic Island. But it’s harder to understand why Apple left out MagSafe here — that’s the ring of magnets built into the back of virtually every other iPhone since 2020. The 16E still supports wireless charging, but it can’t take advantage of the ecosystem of magnetic chargers and accessories on its own; you’ll need to add a magnetic case. This is a silly omission, and Apple should feel bad about it.

Another heavy sigh: the 16E supports Apple Intelligence, which you won’t get if you opt for an iPhone 15 or 14. Should you care? It’s really hard to say. What exists of Apple Intelligence so far is underwhelming and the most interesting bits won’t arrive anytime soon. If you want to future-proof your purchase as much as possible, the 16E will be ready for Apple’s AI. But don’t buy one expecting a life-changing experience now. It’s just an iPhone after all, for better and worse, and right now it’s the best price you’ll find on a brand-new one.

Read my full iPhone 16E review.

The best Android phone under $500

$449

The Good

  • Robust IP68 rating
  • Seven years of software updates
  • Brighter, bigger screen

The Bad

  • Missing a couple of AI features
  • AI is occasionally handy, usually weird

Screen: 6.3-inch, 1080p OLED, 120Hz / Processor: Tensor G4 Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.7 with OIS, 13-megapixel ultrawide, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,100mAh / Charging: 23W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

Google’s Pixel A-series phones have been my go-to recommendation for a cheap Android phone for years, but there was still room for improvement. With the 9A, Google made some modest tweaks that make it even easier to recommend — and at $499, the price is right.

The phone uses a Tensor G4 chipset that doesn’t run as hot as some of its predecessors, and performance is reliable. The 6.3-inch OLED screen is a little bigger and a bit brighter than last year’s, which makes a difference when you use the phone outside. Durability also got a small boost up to IP68, which means it can survive a drop in deeper water than the IP67-rated Pixel 8A.

The 9A’s camera is fine, though it comes up short against the rest of the Pixel 9 series in low light. Portrait mode could be better, too, and if you care a lot about image quality, then that might be a good reason to consider stepping up to a Pixel 9. But it does the trick for everyday snaps, and for the price, the 9A’s better qualities outweigh its shortcomings by a wide margin.

Read my full Google Pixel 9A review.

The budget phone with a big, beautiful screen

$599

The Good

  • Excellent battery life
  • Great screen for the price
  • Six years of security updates

The Bad

  • No wireless charging
  • Only splash-resistant
  • Fewer OS updates than Google and Samsung

Screen: 6.78-inch, 1264 x 2780 120Hz OLED / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 with OIS, 50-megapixel 2x telephoto, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 16-megapixel selfie / Battery: 6,000mAh / Charging: 80W wired / Weather-resistance rating: IP65

The OnePlus 13R isn’t quite as well-rounded as my pick for the best overall budget Android phone, the Pixel 9A. It’s also a little pricier at $599 — though we’ve seen it at $499 for extended periods of time — but for some people the 13R’s upgrades will make it a better choice. It comes with one of the best big screens in its class, and lots of people love a big screen. The 13R also offers very strong battery performance; unless you’re a power user, you can probably manage two full days on a single charge.

There’s also very fast charging with the included charger, though you won’t find wireless charging at any speed. The 13R also lacks full water resistance; it should hold up fine against spray and rain showers, but it isn’t rated to withstand full immersion. Plenty of people won’t find those omissions bothersome, but they make it harder to recommend to a general audience — especially at a higher price than the Pixel 9A.

Read my full OnePlus 13R review.

The best phone under $400

$360

The Good

  • Bright, 120Hz OLED display
  • Robust IP67 dust and water resistance
  • Five years of security updates

The Bad

  • No wireless charging
  • Unremarkable camera system
  • So-so performance

Screen: 6.6-inch, 1080p resolution, 120Hz OLED / Processor: Exynos 1380 Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 with OIS, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 5-megapixel macro, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 25W wired / Weather-resistance rating: IP67

The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G comes with surprisingly strong specs for its $399 price. They’re the kind of features you won’t really spot from the outside, but they’re important, particularly its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. Unlike virtually every other phone at this price, the A35 5G is built to withstand water immersion, so you don’t need to sweat it if your phone lands in a toilet bowl or puddle.

Here’s another unexciting spec: four years of OS updates and five years of security updates. That’s not the very best in the budget category — the Pixel 9A takes that honor with seven years of updates — but it’s much better than the two or three years we typically see in phones well under $500.

The A35 5G comes with a water-resistance rating and software support policy that are unusually strong for its class. Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge

The camera is lackluster; it’s fine in bright light but struggles in dim and mixed indoor lighting. It doesn’t have the strongest processing performance you can find under $500, either, and the Samsung-made Exynos processor occasionally stutters when quickly bouncing between tasks. I was horrified — horrified! — when I accidentally texted my husband one of the automatically generated replies because it popped up at the last moment as I was trying to tap on something else. These things don’t happen when everything loads quickly.

But overall, it’s a compelling package — especially with a big, crowd-pleasing OLED display and strong battery performance. If you’re a light user and not fussy about camera quality, the A35 5G offers some upgrades that make a real difference in the long term.

Other budget phones we tested

  • The 2024 Motorola Moto G Power has all the makings of a good budget phone, including a lovely vegan leather exterior and wireless charging. But it’s loaded with bloatware of the worst kind, and that alone disqualifies it from our recommendations. Read our impressions.
  • The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is another perfectly capable phone that doesn’t quite earn a recommendation here. It’s a little outside the scope of this guide at $649 anyway, but you do get a telephoto lens and a nice, big screen for that price. Still, you’re better off saving a bunch and picking up the Pixel 8A or trying to score a trade-in promo for the newer Galaxy S25. Read our review.

Update, June 13th: Updated prices and availability. Samsung’s Galaxy A35 5G is currently out of stock at Amazon and Samsung, while Best Buy has it marked down on clearance.





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Anna Washenko
Product Reviews

Google will reduce battery life for some Pixel 6a phones to prevent overheating

by admin


Google’s Pixel 6a has been a winner in many respects, but a new issue with the smartphone’s battery may pose a safety concern. After Android Authority reported on a pair of instances where a Pixel 6a battery overheated to the point where the device caught fire, the publication spotted some details in the latest Android 16 beta indicating that as a precaution, the Pixel 6a battery capacity and charging speed will be reduced. In addition, Android Authority received this statement from Google:

A subset of Pixel 6a phones will require a mandatory software update to reduce the risk of potential battery overheating. The update will enable battery management features that will reduce capacity and charging performance after the battery reaches 400 charge cycles. We’ll contact impacted customers next month, with all the information they need to address the issue.

The Pixel 6a is due to receive software support until July 2027, but it’s just the latest entry in this device line to have battery problems this year. In January, Google rolled out an update that reduced battery life of the Pixel 4a to increase stability for the 2020 phone model. Then in April, the company launched a program of repairs and payments after some instances of batteries “swelling” in the Pixel 7a.



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The Best Samsung Phones of 2025, Tested and Reviewed
Product Reviews

The Best Samsung Phones of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

by admin


Other Samsung Phones to Consider

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

If you don’t see a Samsung phone mentioned in this guide, that might be because it’s not sold in the US and is a little harder to source for testing. But here are a few other Samsung phones I’ve tried to consider.

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G for $400: The Galaxy A36 (6/10, WIRED Review) doesn’t quite measure up to its peers from Nothing and Motorola. Performance is just too choppy, and that’s not acceptable at this price. It’s manageable—it’s not so slow that it will frustrate—but you can do better. If your needs are very minimal, it’s an OK phone, and the camera system is good, with day-long battery life, a nice AMOLED screen, and 6 years of software updates.

Galaxy A16.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Samsung Galaxy A16 for $200: Samsung’s Galaxy A16 still doesn’t reach the highs of the Galaxy A14, and that’s largely due to sluggish performance. Sure, Samsung is promising six years of software updates, but that remarkable update window doesn’t matter when the phone is frustratingly slow, and you want to throw it out the window. If you barely plan on using this device but want something from a reliable brand that will stay secure, the Galaxy A16 is fine. Its performance just isn’t competitive with other similarly priced phones.

If you’re looking to save some cash, it’s fine to buy Samsung’s Galaxy S23 range or the Galaxy S23 FE from 2023, as long as the prices are a good deal lower than the original MSRP. (They’re hard to find at most major retailers.) These phones will still get support for a while, and they’re pretty great. I don’t think it’s worth buying anything older.

Should You Invest in Samsung’s Ecosystem?

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Samsung is one of the few smartphone manufacturers that can match Apple in its hardware ecosystem. Not only does the company make smartphones, but you can also expand your experience by adding on a Galaxy Watch7 smartwatch, Galaxy Buds3 Pro earbuds, Galaxy Ring fitness ring, Galaxy Tab S10+ tablet, and even a Windows-powered Galaxy laptop.

There are certain perks to this, too, like how some features on the Galaxy Ring and Watch7 are only available when paired with a Samsung phone, and its earbuds will automatically switch between Samsung devices based on what you’re using. There’s not much in the way of exclusive features when using a Galaxy phone with a Galaxy laptop, but features like Quick Share let you speedily send photos and documents between your devices.

Again, it’s not necessary, and these other devices might not be the right ones for you within their respective categories, but if you’re chasing hardware parity, you have that option with Samsung.

What Is Galaxy AI?

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

With the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung launched “Galaxy AI,” a selection of artificial intelligence features, many of which are powered by Google’s Gemini large language models. These enable smart features that may be helpful day to day, like real-time translations during phone calls, real-time transcriptions in Samsung’s Voice Recorder app, the ability to summarize long paragraphs of text in the Samsung Notes app, or change a sentence’s tone with the Samsung Keyboard. In the Galaxy S25 series, Galaxy AI expanded to include Gemini as the default voice assistant and the ability for Gemini to work with multiple apps simultaneously. It also debuted Drawing Assist, which lets you sketch or enter a prompt and get an AI-generated image.

You can find many of these features by heading to Settings > Galaxy AI to toggle them on or off.

What Is Samsung DeX?

Courtesy of David Nield

Samsung’s DeX (short for “desktop experience”) launched in 2017, and it’s a way to plug in your Samsung phone to an external monitor and trigger a desktop version of the Android OS, all completely powered by the phone. You can find a list of compatible Samsung phones here, and you’ll need a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, plus a cable to connect the phone to the monitor. (You can also cast DeX to select screens wirelessly.)

When in DeX mode, you can resize Android apps and have them all open in separate windows. It’s a proper computing platform, though you probably won’t want to use this as a permanent laptop replacement or anything of the sort. It’s great if you’re visiting another office, or working out of a coffee shop or airplane (if you have a portable display). We have a whole guide to setting up and using DeX here.

How I Test Phones

I’ve been reviewing smartphones for a decade, but one of my earliest smart devices was a Samsung Galaxy Captivate, which I got for “free” from my carrier at the time. After working during college, I finally saved enough cash for a Galaxy S3, my first flagship. I’ve spent years using Samsung phones in my personal life and began reviewing them for work not too long after.

With each Samsung smartphone, I always put my personal SIM card inside and spend as long as I can (a few weeks) using the phone as my own. I do camera testing and compare the results with similarly priced devices, I benchmark performance and play graphically demanding games to see how they fare, I try out all the new features, and even take calls to make sure that ol’ function still works fine.

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The best Android phones to buy in 2025
Gaming Gear

The best Android phones to buy in 2025

by admin


The Android ecosystem is all about choice. While iPhone owners have a smaller pool of new devices to pick from when it’s time to upgrade, there’s a wider range of choices on Android. Some Android phones even fold in half! Imagine.

On the flip side, all that choice can make for some hard decisions. Here’s where I’d like to help; I’ve tested a whole boatload of recent Android phones, and I think there are some real winners in the current batch. It’s all a matter of what you’re looking for, what you’re comfortable spending, and what your definition of a “reasonably sized phone” is. (I have my own, personally.)

As you sift through the options, you’ll almost certainly come across tech’s favorite buzzphrase of the moment: AI. Generally speaking, AI has yet to really impress me on a phone. The Pixel 9 series has some potentially useful features, like a Screenshots app that uses AI to tag relevant info in metadata, and Galaxy devices can translate a phone call for you in real time. These things are nothing to sneeze at! But none of it feels like the platform shift that the big tech companies keep promising. Best not to put too much stock in any company’s AI claims just yet.

What I’m looking for

How we test smartphones

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There’s no shortcut to properly testing a phone; I put my personal SIM card (physical or otherwise) in each phone I review and live with it for a minimum of one full week. I set up each phone from scratch, load it up with my apps, and go about living my life — stress testing the battery, using GPS navigation on my bike while streaming radio, taking rapid-fire portrait mode photos of my kid — everything I can throw at it. Starting over with a new phone every week either sounds like a dream or your personal hell, depending on how Into Phones you are. For me, switching has become so routine that it’s mostly painless.

Longevity

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A great Android phone will go the distance. I look for signs that the hardware and software will keep up for many years to come, including a strong IP rating for dust and water resistance (IP68 is preferred), durable glass panels on the front and back, and a sturdy aluminum frame rather than plastic. Samsung and Google flagships now offer seven years of OS and security updates, which as awesome. As a bare minimum three years of Android OS version upgrades is preferred, along with a total of four or five years of security updates.

A great screen

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The best Android phones have plenty of resolution to cover their large display area, which means 1440p, ideally. A fast refresh rate of at least 120Hz is preferred — animations and scrolling look super smooth at that rate — and even better if it’s variable down to 1Hz to save on battery life.

Quality cameras

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Any phone can take a decent photo in good lighting, but the best phone cameras can handle low light and high-contrast scenes well, too. I look for optical (most common) or sensor-shift (rare) image stabilization, which helps compensate for hand shake and enable slower shutter speeds in low light to gather more light. A telephoto lens is great to have too, though high-res sensors are starting to offer better lossless crop modes that mimic short zoom lenses well.

Wireless charging

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Most phones on this list offer wireless charging, though not all do. Lack of wireless charging isn’t a complete deal-breaker, but it’s becoming an essential feature for a lot of people since it’s convenient for charging many different kinds of devices.

If you live in the US, I have some bad news about the Android market, though. For complicated reasons having to do with “capitalism” and “geopolitics,” we don’t get nearly as many of the options as you’ll find in Asia and Europe — brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, and Oppo just aren’t available here. I’ve limited this guide to the devices I’ve personally tested in depth; thus, it is a fairly US-centric set of recommendations.

With that in mind, it’s also worth acknowledging that most people in the US get their phones “for free” from their wireless carrier. If you can manage it, buying a phone unlocked will give you the most flexibility and freedom if you end up wanting to change carriers in the near future. Phone manufacturers also offer financing and trade-in deals to make payment more manageable. But if you’re happy with your carrier and the free phone on offer is the one you really want, by all means, take the free phone. Just make sure you understand the terms, especially if you need to change plans to cash in on the deal.

However you go about it, you have some fantastic options for your next Android phone.

The best Android phone overall

$599

The Good

  • Updated design feels more secure in hand
  • Fast fingerprint sensor
  • Seven years of software and OS updates

The Bad

  • No telephoto camera
  • AI features are inconsistent
  • What is a photo?

Screen: 6.3-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.7 main with OIS, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 10.5-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 27W wired, 15W wireless (with Pixel Stand 2) / Weather resistance: IP68

Google’s hardware is better than ever, and the whole Pixel 9 lineup feels just as polished as anything you’d get from Samsung or Apple. But at $799 (and often less than that), the basic Pixel 9 is in a particularly appealing position, and if you don’t need a telephoto camera or the biggest screen, then this is the Android phone to get.

The Pixel 9 comes with some significant quality-of-life improvements like a faster fingerprint scanner for unlocking the phone. The camera is as reliable as ever, and if you’re into AI photo editing tricks, boy does this phone have ‘em. There’s a new Screenshots app that acts as a place to store all of the information that would otherwise be lost at sea in your camera roll, and it uses AI to parse information out and make it searchable. Kinda handy.

You gotta admit, the camera bar is a strong look. Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge

Even without AI, this is an excellent phone. It’s also designed to go the distance, with seven years of promised OS updates, which very likely means you’ll outgrow the phone before Google stops supporting it. Its potential for long-term value and the quality of the hardware make it an easy recommendation for anyone who just wants a nice Android phone that works.

Read my full Google Pixel 9 review.

The best maximalist phone

$1000

The Good

  • Excellent screen
  • Improved ultrawide camera
  • Rounded corners are comfier

The Bad

  • Expensive
  • Bulky
  • AI is (still) hit or miss

Screen: 6.9-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 200-megapixel main with OIS, 50-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 50-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready) / Weather resistance: IP68

There’s still no phone quite like the Ultra. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is Samsung’s latest answer to the question, “What if your phone had all of the features?” It’s equipped with two telephoto cameras, a built-in stylus, and a big, bright screen. Good luck finding that combination in another phone. Related: this is one of the most expensive slab-style phones you can buy.

The newest edition of the Ultra comes with rounded corners and flat edges, making it more comfortable in your hand. But if you’re looking for significant year-over-year improvements to the Ultra formula outside of that, well, you won’t find much. Samsung’s focus has been on software features, which is to say AI features. But AI on Galaxy phones remains a mixed bag — it’s certainly not the paradigm shift Samsung wants us to think the S25 series represents.

Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge

All of that puts the Ultra in a place of slightly less distinction than previous versions. The biggest updates are software features available to the rest of the S25 series. The Ultra looks and feels more like other Galaxy phones this time around, too. More than ever, it’s hard to understand what Samsung means when it calls this phone “Ultra.” Still, it’s your best choice for a feature-packed Android phone — even if it’s not quite as ultra as it once was.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review.

The best Android phone that isn’t huge

$625

The Good

  • The last reasonably sized Android phone
  • Seven years of OS upgrades
  • Very good camera

The Bad

  • Samsung software is as cluttered as usual
  • AI is still a mixed bag

Screen: 6.2-inch 2340 x 1080 120hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Cameras: 50-megapixel main with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel selfie Battery: 4000mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready) / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

Most people like a big phone, and I get that. I do. If you want a big Android phone, you have plenty of options in front of you. But some of us like a smaller phone — something that (kind of) fits in your pocket, or feels more comfortable in your hand. For us, there is but one option on Android: the Samsung Galaxy S25.

That’s the regular S25, not the Plus, which is a fine big phone. But the standard S25 is basically the last of its kind: a full-featured phone with a 6.2-inch screen. It’s not small, but it’s not huge, and we’ll have to take what we can get. And it’s a darn good phone that keeps up with the bigger devices in all the important ways: the battery goes all day, it comes with plenty of RAM, and it even has a real telephoto lens — not something you get on a basic, 6.1-inch phone on, say, iOS.

Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge

The Galaxy S25 isn’t just a good, small-ish phone by default. It’s reliable, durable, and comes with the promise of seven years of OS updates. It’s not my pick for the overall best Android phone because Samsung software can be a bit much, but if you’re comfortable in the Samsung ecosystem and you just want a phone that fits in your dang pocket, then this is the one to go with.

The best phone if you hate waiting for your phone to charge

$850

The Good

  • Excellent battery life
  • Six years of security updates
  • Strong IP rating for dust and water resistance

The Bad

  • Big phone is big
  • Not as many OS updates as Google and Samsung offer

Screen: 6.82-inch 1440p 120Hz LTPO OLED / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.6 main with OIS, 50-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 50-megapixel f/2.0 ultrawide, 32-megapixel selfie / Battery: 6,000mAh / Charging: 80W wired, 50W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP68 and IP69

There are plenty of good reasons to consider the OnePlus 13. It has a big, beautiful screen, and costs a hundred bucks less than the Galaxy S25 Plus. Its dust and water resistance is so strong you could practically use the phone in a hurricane without consequences. And its camera system is much improved year over year, particularly when it comes to low-light portraiture. But there’s one standout reason to consider the 13: impatience.

This vegan leather back panel is so nice. Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge

The OnePlus 13 offers enough battery stamina to get through two days of moderate use on a single charge — and that’s with plenty of power-draining features enabled, including the always-on display. If you’re thriftier with your charge, it could even go beyond that. Forgot to charge overnight? No big deal; you can probably just charge it up on night two. Charging is also relatively fast, and in the US, the phone comes with an 80W wired charger in the box. So even if you do need a midday top-off, you’ll be able to get hours of charge in a matter of minutes. No other flagship phone offers that kind of charging (or not charging) flexibility.

Read my full OnePlus 13 review.

$1499

The Good

  • Excellent outer screen format
  • Inner screen is lovely to use
  • Seven years of OS updates

The Bad

  • Expensive
  • Main camera isn’t as good as slab phones
  • Long-term durability?

Screen: 8.0-inch 2076p 120Hz OLED inner screen, 6.3-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED cover screen / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.7 main with OIS, 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS, 10.5-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie (cover screen), 10-megapixel inner selfie camera / Battery: 4,650mAh / Charging: 21W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather resistance: IPX8

Does anyone truly need a folding phone? Probably not. But using one is awfully nice, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the nicest book-style foldable I’ve used to date. It’s pricey, it’s still bulkier than a slab-style phone, and its cameras aren’t quite as nice as the other Pixel 9 Pro phones. But it’s a joy to use, both as a regular phone with the cover screen and when you unfold the big inner screen.

The 9 Pro Fold is Google’s second folding phone, following up the passport-shaped Pixel Fold with a format that feels much more familiar. The outer screen measures 6.3 inches on the diagonal, but more importantly, the ratio is the same as Google’s slab phones. By comparison, Samsung’s Z Fold 6 uses a taller, narrower format that feels cramped. Having used them both, I much prefer the 9 Pro Fold’s approach.

The inner screen is great and all, but how about that outer screen? Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge

That said, the 9 Pro Fold isn’t without compromises. The camera system isn’t quite as good as what you get in the other 9 Pro phones. The outer screen isn’t as sharp or bright as the Pixel 9 Pro’s, either. And it’s not as durable as its slab-style counterparts — there’s no dust resistance, and you can’t get it repaired just anywhere. For $1,800, that’s an awful lot to swallow. For the adventurous early adopter, though, the 9 Pro Fold will be very rewarding.

Read my full Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review.

Other Android phones worth considering

There are many more great Android devices that weren’t covered here, and a few are worth calling out that didn’t quite make the cut for a recommendation.

  • First off, there’s the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Samsung’s excellent clamshell-style foldable. It’s not as much fun to use as the 2025 Razr Ultra — which facilitates using apps on the cover screen more easily — but Motorola’s track record for software updates isn’t great, so the Z Flip 6 is a safer bet for a flip phone. Read our review.
  • The OnePlus Open is also another good book-style foldable option. It’s thin and light, and the software includes some thoughtful approaches to multitasking — a crucial part of the folding phone experience. But it won’t be supported with software updates for as long as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Read our review.
  • Speaking of OnePlus, the company also recently launched the OnePlus 13R, a midrange phone with a big 6.78-inch OLED display and enough battery life to carry you through two full days on a single charge. That said, the $599 handset lacks wireless charging and full water resistance, both of which can be found on other budget-friendly phones for less. Read our review.
  • We’re currently in the midst of testing Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 Edge, which essentially serves as a sleeker S25 Plus that trades battery life and a telephoto lens for sheer compactness. It’s still got a 6.7-inch OLED display and a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, but given that it’s 1.5 millimeters thinner and about an ounce lighter than the Plus, it’s more comfortable to tote around. Read our hands-on impressions.
  • Last but not least, there’s the Google Pixel 9A. It comes with some small but important updates over the 8A, including more robust water resistance and a slightly bigger, brighter screen. Better yet, those improvements don’t come with a price bump. With seven years of OS updates included, that’s a strong ROI. Read our review.
  • Google’s Pixel 10 series — which will likely include a regular Pixel 10, a Pro, a Pro XL, and a Pro Fold — will reportedly launch at a Made by Google event on August 13th. Google’s next-gen flagships have been heavily leaked at this point, and the base model is expected to join the Pro options with three cameras (including a telephoto lens). The Pro models, meanwhile, will distinguish themselves with an upgraded Tensor G5 chipset and more advanced AI features while retaining a near-identical design.

Update, June 5th: Updated pricing / availability and added a mention of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge.





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4 phones you can buy instead of the Motorola Razr 2025
Product Reviews

4 phones you can buy instead of the Motorola Razr 2025

by admin



If you’re looking for one of the best folding phones, the new Motorola Razr 2025 is likely high on your list. It offers the iconic Motorola experience at a more affordable price than its siblings, and as I discovered in our Razr 2025 review, it still feels just as premium, especially thanks to its larger battery.

However, folding phones won’t be for everyone, and while the Razr 2025 features cutbacks in well-done ways, it’s still not as premium as its more illustrious siblings. There’s the Razr Plus 2025, essentially the same as the Razr 2024, and the new Razr Ultra 2025, the best flip phone you can buy right now.

If you’re not set on the Razr 2025 and want to explore the best alternatives, here are five phones you can buy instead, and why.

Motorola Razr Ultra 2025

Britta O’Boyle / Digital Trends

You can’t talk about flip phones without including the best right now, the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025. It brings the essence of the Ultra concept to flagship phones, and while it doesn’t feature dedicated telephoto lenses like its nonfolding namesakes, the Razr Ultra 2025 packs everything else you could want from a flip phone.

The Razr Ultra 2025 is powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Elite that powers most of the best phones. It’s the full 8-core version, not the 7-core, less powerful version used in thin phones like the Oppo Find N5. It has the largest main display of any flip phone at 7 inches, the biggest battery at 4,700 mAh, and two 50MP cameras that capture great photos in most lighting conditions.

Britta O’Boyle / Digital Trends

The 4-inch Cover Display takes over the entire front of the phone and offers the full suite of Motorola’s software features. These allow you to use the display like a 4-inch smartphone and run any app or widget. Like every phone, there’s a lot of AI with Motorola and Google Gemini introducing new AI features, offerings from Microsoft CoPilot and Perplexity preloaded, and three months free of Perplexity Pro.

If there’s something the Motorola Razr 2025 is missing for you, the Razr Ultra 2025 almost certainly solves it. The distinct wood finish is also available only on Motorola’s flagship flip phone.

Google Pixel 9a

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If the $700 price tag on the Razr 2025 is too high for you, and you like the clutter-free, material design of the Razr 2025 interface, you should consider the affordable Google Pixel 9a. It offers the core experience of the flagship Pixel 9 series, but does so at a significantly lower price. 

Starting at $499, it’s $200 cheaper than the Razr 2025 and offers a dual camera paired with Google’s camera algorithm prowess. The 48MP main camera is particularly capable, while the 13MP main camera may yield similar results to the Razr 2025, although it does lack autofocus capabilities.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Pixel 9a is powered by the flagship Tensor G4, which is Google’s answer to the Apple A18 or Snapdragon 8 Elite used by Apple and many others. One particularly noteworthy feature is the 5,100 mAh battery, the largest of any Pixel and 13% larger than the 4,500 mAh battery in the Razr 2025.

Apple iPhone 16 Plus

Apple’s dual-camera might get overshadowed by the Pixel 10. Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you like the Razr 2025’s size and don’t mind compromises, like the lack of a telephoto camera, and want an equally large display and battery, you should consider the Apple iPhone 16 Plus. It offers a dual camera setup like the Razr 2025, and the range of iPhone 16 colors is also quite stylish, just like Motorola’s new smartphone.

Battery life is a key strength of the Razr 2025, and the iPhone 16 Plus is equally impressive. The A18 processor is rapid and should be smoother than the MediaTek Dimensity 7400X in the Razr 2025. The 48MP main camera and 12MP ultrawide are fairly evenly matched with the 50MP and 13MP cameras used in Motorola’s base flip phone.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The iPhone 16 Plus costs more than the Razr 2025, and there are definite downgrades, such as a lower refresh rate and a lack of an always-on display. The iPhone 16 Plus also lacks the wow factor that the Razr 2025’s form factor naturally provides, but it’s a great option if you aren’t ready to switch from Apple’s ecosystem.

OnePlus Open

Tushar Mehta / Digital Trends

If you like the idea of a folding phone but prefer the book-style form factor that turns a smartphone into a tablet, look no further than the OnePlus Open. Although it’s over a year old, it remains the best all-around book-style folding phone in the US. Many are sold outside the US, including its successor, the Oppo Find N5, but this is the best in the US right now.

One reason to pick the Open over a newer device like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or Galaxy Z Fold 6 is its camera. The triple camera setup pairs a 48MP main with a 48MP ultrawide and a 64MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom that can take great photos at up to 100x. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is two generations old, but the OnePlus Open still offers a fast experience, and the 4,805 mAh battery lasts for days.

You could also consider many other phones instead of the Razr 2025, but the list is far shorter than you may expect. The Razr 2025 punches above its price and proves that the best folding phones can be both affordable and fabulous. 





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samsung-galaxy-tab-s6-lite-0053
Gaming Gear

Not So Far, Far Away: Nearly All Galaxy Phones Updating to One UI 7 in June

by admin


As it turns out, Galaxy updates won’t be so far, far away. That’s according to a schedule for One UI 7 updates purportedly posted by Samsung Germany and spotted by Samsung leaker Tarun Vats on X early Friday. According to that schedule, reported earlier by 9to5Google, Samsung will complete the OS update for all but one of its remaining devices in June. The last device to be updated will be the Galaxy Tab A9 in July.

One UI 7 is the tech giant’s most recent software update, built on Android 15, featuring advanced AI integration and a refined interface. Samsung initially launched the updates in early April, but paused them after a bug locked people out of their phones. It resumed the rollout in late April, but declined to provide further details about the original issue.

These will be the phones and tablets updated to One UI 7 in June, according to the posting:

  • Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024)
  • Galaxy Tab Active 5
  • Galaxy Tab Active 4 Pro
  • Galaxy Tab A9+
  • Galaxy A55
  • Galaxy A54
  • Galaxy A53
  • Galaxy A35
  • Galaxy A34
  • Galaxy A33
  • Galaxy A25
  • Galaxy A16
  • Galaxy A15
  • Galaxy A14
  • Galaxy A05s
  • Galaxy M53
  • Galaxy M33
  • Galaxy XCover7
  • Galaxy XCover 6 Pro

For folks not yet in the know, the One UI 7 updates will provide a raft of new features, according to this Samsung explainer. A Now Bar at the top of the screen will offer “real-time news updates to workout progress and sports scores.” Another addition is Google Gemini, which allows users to connect to multiple apps, such as to find a restaurant or movie theater.

An upgraded Settings menu “understands natural language commands,” and the “AI Select feature serves as your intelligent creative assistant, suggesting relevant AI tools based on your activity.”

Galaxy users shouldn’t get too cozy with the Android 15 updates — the Android 16 iteration could be arriving in early summer, according to another tidbit from Samsung leaker Vats. Just weeks after Samsung said One UI 8 with Android 16 would launch this summer, Vats on Wednesday posted an image of the official forum page for the One UI 8.0 beta for the Galaxy S25 series.

One UI 8 updates reportedly will include a redesigned weather app and an Audio Brief to provide you with a summary of the day.



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