Allison Johnson | The VergeThe Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts.2025-07-31T22:35:40+00:00https://www.theverge.com/authors/allison-johnson-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/rsshttps://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/verge-rss-large_80b47e.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1Allison Johnson<![CDATA[Apple shipped its 3 billionth iPhone]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=7171032025-07-31T18:35:40-04:002025-07-31T18:35:40-04:00
Tim Cook sure knows how to sell an iPhone.
Apple has been the target of a fair amount of criticism over the past year, from its AI missteps to a strong distaste for its new design ethos. But the numbers don’t lie, and if Apple knows how to do anything it’s sell iPhones. Specifically, three billion of them, as CEO Tim Cook announced on the company’s earnings call today.
That’s an impressive number on its own, but it’s even wilder when you consider that Apple is picking up the pace. The iPhone was introduced in 2007 and the company reached 1 billion iPhones sold nine years later in 2016. Getting to 2 billion took only five years; from there it’s been just four years to sell another billion. Considering the rate at which young people — in this country, at least — prefer iPhones over Android, it seems like a trend that’s bound to continue.
That’s also a lot of eggs in one basket. Apple’s own Eddy Cue recently admitted that “you may not need an iPhone 10 years from now.” That should be pretty worrying if your biggest business is selling phones! Apple’s most notable foray into a forward-looking form factor hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, either. It has somewhat famously fumbled its first attempts at adding meaningful AI features to its phones, too. At least from the outside, Apple doesn’t seem terribly well prepared for that world we might be living in ten years from now.
The dilemma is clearly on Cook’s mind. Later in the earnings call when asked about the fate of phones as the dominant mobile platform, he mentioned that the company is “thinking about other things as well,” but thinks that emerging technologies “are likely to be complementary devices, not substitution.” Phones certainly seem safe in the short term, but maybe whatever Sam Altman and Jony Ive are cooking up will slow Apple’s roll a bit on the way to its four billionth iPhone sale.
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Allison Johnson<![CDATA[Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review: more of a good thing]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=7153252025-07-29T22:15:50-04:002025-07-30T09:00:00-04:00
The Flex Window gets an upgrade.
It’s the flip phone paradox: if you want to be more mindful about your mobile device usage, you need more screen, not less.
I know. But I swear it’s true: with a bigger cover screen, you get more than just a new way to check notifications. You can actually get shit done. Things that are annoying or even impossible to do on a smartwatch, like sending a text or reading an email, are the perfect candidates for a larger-but-still-small screen. Best of all, you can avoid opening the phone altogether, which is a win for attention spans everywhere.
That’s what makes the $1,099.99 Flip 7 kind of a big deal. It finally offers a proper edge-to-edge screen on the cover. The previous two iterations offered a smaller screen with thick bezels that cut around the cameras, shaped like a file folder. Samsung finally took a cue from Motorola’s all-screen approach, trimming down the bezels and just letting the screen flow around the camera cutouts. Now, the file folder is in the recycling bin where it belongs — at least on the main Flip model. You can still get the previous design for a little cheaper in the Z Flip 7 FE. But with more space for your daily tasks and the option to embrace chaos and run full apps on the cover screen — even at the risk of losing stuff behind the camera cutouts — the Flip 7 is a significant step forward for Samsung’s foldable line.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
Samsung has finally committed to a bigger cover screen in the Z Flip 7, adding some welcome additional real estate for quick actions and info at a glance.
Score: 8
Pros
Cons
Samsung finally adopted the big cover screen
All-day battery
Reliable camera
More susceptible to dust than your average phone
Still too hard to run full apps on the cover screen
The cover screen is the biggest update on the Z Flip 7, so that’s a good place to start. With the slimmer bezels and the full-panel display, it’s gone up to 4.1 inches, from 3.4 on the Z Flip 6. By default, Samsung will keep cover screen content above the camera cutouts and use the space next to them to display things like live activities, navigation buttons, and a mostly useless AI summary of your day called the Now Brief. If you’ve opted for gesture navigation rather than three-button nav on the front panel, you’ll see the time and date fill that spot as you swipe between panels. Even using the cover screen this way, which sort of approximates the file folder effect from earlier Flips, there’s still more screen real estate to work with.
Things get more interesting if you let the Z Flip 7 run full apps on the front screen. As it has in the past, Samsung makes you jump through a couple of hoops to do this. You can add an apps widget to the front panel by enabling it as an “experimental” feature, but that only gets you access to a few preapproved apps, like Messages. As Flip phone realheads know, you need to download Good Lock and an extension called Multistar to let any app run on the cover screen. To its credit, Samsung added a shortcut to do this in the settings menu, but this still requires you to understand what “Multistar” is. This is still far too much work, and I don’t understand why Samsung keeps making this difficult when Motorola lets you run any old app on the cover screen without all this rigmarole.
Once you’ve done all this, the real fun starts. I use the Flip 7’s cover screen to glance at walking directions in Google Maps, start and end a bike ride in Strava, respond to texts that would otherwise languish in my notification tray, and punch in my coffee order as I’m running out the door. Doing all this stuff without having to come face to face with everything on my phone feels like a super power, and I always miss it when I switch from a flip phone to a regular one.
Of course, a 4-inch screen isn’t ideal for running modern apps — probably why Samsung makes it so difficult — and sometimes the thing you need to tap is hovering underneath the camera cutout. For these moments, Samsung provides a little icon at the bottom of the screen you can tap to cycle through three window sizes: full screen with content flowing behind the cutouts, everything above the camera lenses, and a teeny-tiny vertical window designed for ants. I was usually able to get to what I needed by tapping through these views, and in the worst-case scenarios I just opened the phone. A little awkwardness is worth it for the freedom of the full cover screen, if you ask me.
Outside of the cover screen upgrade this is a mostly incremental update, aside from two big-ish changes: the switch to a bigger battery, and the inclusion of a Samsung Exynos processor rather than a Qualcomm one. Exynos chips aren’t generally thought to be as powerful as their Snapdragon counterparts, but I didn’t see any noticeable performance hiccups in daily use. I can take a dozen back-to-back portrait mode photos before there’s a pause to clear the buffer. The phone warmed up with 20 minutes of Diablo Immortal gameplay at the highest graphics settings available, and I noticed a little jitter here and there, but nothing serious.
The Z Flip 7 comes with a 4,300mAh battery compared to 4,000mAh in the Flip 6, and in this form factor every bit of capacity counts. It equates to battery performance I’d call a little worse than your average slab-style phone, but not by much. With moderate use I was down between 40 and 50 percent most days, but you can easily push that into less comfortable territory by adding extended hotspot use or graphics-intensive mobile gaming.
Overall, I didn’t come across any unpleasant surprises using the Z Flip 7. The 6.9-inch inner screen is pleasant to use and the crease basically disappears when you look at the phone straight on. It’s a little wider and taller than on previous Z Flip phones, and it feels spacious. Every once in a while it’s a little too eager to turn the brightness down while I’m using it, but this hasn’t been a major annoyance. With the main screen open, it’s easy to forget you’re using a folding phone — until it’s time to stop what you’re doing and snap it shut, which is oh-so satisfying. And let’s not forget the Flip 7’s greatest flex: seven years of OS and security updates, which means you’ll more than likely be done with this phone before it’s done with you, and that’s how things should be.
One thing that might bring your folding phone to its knees before it runs out of software updates? A grain of sand. Like other foldables, the Z Flip 7 comes with an IP48 rating and remains susceptible to dust damage; a teeny-tiny particle in the wrong place could spell doom for that folding screen. To its credit, Samsung has been working on beefing up its repair program to give foldable owners more peace of mind. Its highest-tier extended warranty plan, which costs $18 per month, fully covers broken screens — inner or outer — at no extra cost. Having a solid care policy in your back pocket takes some of the worry out of foldable ownership.
The Flip 7’s cameras are unchanged from the previous model; it’s still a very good camera system. On the rear panel there’s a 50-megapixel main camera that offers a 2x crop mode, plus a 12-megapixel ultrawide; on the inside there’s a 10-megapixel selfie camera. Letting you take selfies with the superior rear camera is still one of the Z Flip’s best tricks, and Samsung continues to deliver a stunning portrait mode when paired with the 2x zoom. Default image processing can be a little crunchy with Samsung’s well-documented tendency to pump up saturation on reds and blues.
But the added versatility of the form factor encouraged me to take more shots than I normally might, and you know what that one guy said about the shots you don’t take. I’m embracing the camera’s flex mode to take candid shots of my 3-year-old. I can keep the camera at a lower angle and still frame up the shot without having to lift the whole phone up in front of my face and give away what I’m doing. If you want to see a 3-year-old make the most unhinged expression imaginable, go ahead and try and take a picture of one with your phone. You’ll see what I mean.
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the best version of Samsung’s flip phone to date. The cover screen is more useful than ever, it’s guaranteed seven years of software updates, and it offers a reliable camera system. Whether you want to stare at your phone less or you’re interested in the nostalgia factor, a bigger outer screen is undeniably better. I certainly found myself less likely to get sucked into an impromptu scrolling session when using the Flip. But there is something intangible that Motorola has tapped into with its Razr series that still eludes Samsung.
The Razr makes it easier to take full advantage of the outer screen, lets you have more fun with your cover screen wallpaper, and it comes in a wood finish for Pete’s sake. Samsung took the big cover screen cue from Motorola, finally, but it still needs to learn a few more lessons from its competitor.
Samsung’s been working hard to make the Z Flip 7 feel more like a regular phone, which it has in a number of ways. Battery life is better, the inner screen is a little bigger, and the improved extended warranty helps ease concerns over foldable durability. But I think Samsung could also work on making the Z Flip 7 a better flip phone. Let’s have more fun with the cover screen! Let me run whatever app I want without giving me the runaround! It’s about flipping time.
Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge
Agree to Continue: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7
Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.
To use the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Z Flip 7, you must agree to:
Samsung’s Terms and Conditions
Samsung’s Privacy Policy
Google’s Terms of Service (including Privacy Policy)
Google Play’s Terms of Service
Automatic installs (including from Google, Samsung, and your carrier)
There are many optional agreements. If you use a carrier-specific version, there will be more of them. Here are just a few:
Sending diagnostic data to Samsung
Samsung services, including auto blocker, customization service, continuity service, nearby device scanning, personal data intelligence, and smart suggestions
Google Drive backup, location services, Wi-Fi scanning, diagnostic data
Bixby privacy policy (required to use Bixby), plus other options for Bixby like personalized content, data access, and audio recording review
There may be more. For example, Samsung’s Weather app also has its own privacy policy that may include sharing information with Weather.com.
Final tally: there are five mandatory agreements and at least 10 optional ones.
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Allison Johnson<![CDATA[The best iPhones]]>https://www.theverge.com/23618862/best-iphone-camera-battery-screen-guide2025-07-25T14:20:34-04:002025-07-25T14:20:34-04:00
New iPhones for the AI era. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge
The wait is over — kind of. Apple’s iPhone 16 series is now widely available, including the kinda affordable 16E, and its much-hyped Apple Intelligence has arrived courtesy of iOS 18.1. But if you’re expecting a new kind of iPhone experience, well, I have some bad news for you. The AI features introduced in iOS 18.1 and morerecentupdates, including the writing tools and ChatGPT integration, are standard fare at this point. And although Siri has a new coat of paint, it’s basically the same old Siri.
Apple has promised much more, but the Apple Intelligence rollout is going to be a slow burn that lasts well into the fall. This is all to say that if you don’t have any complaints about how your current phone is working, you definitely shouldn’t rush out and get a new one just for Apple Intelligence.
That’s actually the gist of our phone buying philosophy: hang on to the one you’ve got. If you’re not the type of person to get excited about a new camera button, updated photo processing options, or incremental performance upgrades, then there’s no reason to run out and buy an iPhone 16.
But if you’re questioning whether it’s the year to replace your iPhone 11 or 12 (or you’re concerned about a price increase as a result of the current tariff situation), then I think the answer is an easy yes. There are real gains this time around, especially in the basic iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, without even considering AI. And if Apple Intelligence turns out to be something special eventually, well, you’ll be ready for it.
Apple’s baseline iPhone has a 6.1-inch screen, two rear cameras in a rearranged vertical layout, a customizable Action Button, and a new Camera Control button. It also supports Apple Intelligence, which has started rolling out throughout 2024, with further development continuing into 2025.
Score: 8
Pros
Cons
Reliable camera with versatile photographic styles
Apple’s basic iPhone enjoyed a significant hardware boost this time around, playing an overdue game of catch-up to the Pro series. The iPhone 16 includes the Action Button from 2023 Pro models — handy if there’s an app in your life you want to access at the touch of a button — and the new Camera Control. So if buttons are anything to go by, this phone is two better than the last-gen model.
There’s more going on under the hood, too. The A18 chipset is in the same generation as the processor on the Pro models, which hasn’t been the case for the past couple of years. That bodes well for the 16 series staying on the same update schedule. And there’s extra RAM in this year’s base model, which can only be a good thing.
The iPhone 16 became a much more interesting camera this time around, too. The Camera Control offers a quick way to launch the camera app and adjust settings like exposure compensation. But there’s also a new set of Photographic Style filters this time around, with options to adjust contrast, brightness, and undertones to dial in your preferred rendering of skin tones. You’ll get better low-light performance by stepping up to the 16 Pro models, and other cool tricks like 4K recording at 120 fps. But even without all that, it’s the most customizable camera Apple has offered yet.
Outside of camera performance, there are two major drawbacks to picking the regular 16 over a Pro model: no zoom lens, and no ProMotion screen. Only the Pro has a dedicated 5x lens, which is handy for creative framing. And the standard 60Hz screen on the iPhone 16 will likely only bother you if you’re used to a smoother 120Hz display, though it’s annoying on principle that Apple keeps this feature to its Pro phones when virtually every other high-end phone has one.
The iPhone 16 Pro sports a new 6.3-inch OLED panel with 120Hz refresh, all of which is powered by a new A18 Pro chip. Its triple camera array features a higher-res 48MP sensor for its ultrawide lens, and there’s a new physical Camera Control button for taking pictures and operating the camera app.
Score: 8
Pros
Cons
New tone control in camera lets you dial back HDR processing
Who doesn’t love a physical shutter button?
Your video director friends will spend hours gleefully taking 4K120 video portraits of people at street festivals
Camera Control button is a little fiddly
Default photo processing is more aggressive than ever
The most incremental of incremental upgrades over the iPhone 15 Pro
Screen: 6.3-inch, 2622 x 1206 OLED, 120Hz refresh rate / Processor: A18 Pro Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.8 with sensor-shift IS; 12-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS; 48-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 27W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68
The iPhone 16 Pro gets a small but meaningful upgrade this time around: a bump up to a 5x zoom, which on the 15 series was reserved for the Pro Max. And while the change from a 3x to 5x zoom doesn’t look that impressive on paper, it goes a long way to making the smaller 16 Pro feel like an equal to the 16 Pro Max. For once, you don’t need to get the biggest phone to get the best phone.
The 16 Pro is roughly the same size as the 15 Pro, but it has a bigger screen: 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches. There’s also the new Camera Control, an upgraded 48-megapixel ultrawide on board, and naturally, a new chipset that — naturally — supports Apple Intelligence.
There’s nothing here that makes the 16 Pro an absolute must-upgrade. Still, plenty of people will want the latest device with all the bells and whistles, and the 16 Pro represents an opportunity to get all of those features without having to buy the biggest phone.
The iPhone 16 Plus is the larger version of the iPhone 16, with a jumbo-sized 6.7-inch screen and a bigger battery. Like the smaller model, it starts with 128GB of storage and is configurable with up to 512GB.
Score: 8
Pros
Cons
Reliable camera with versatile photographic styles
Screen: 6.7-inch Super Retina OLED / Processor: A18 Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 main with sensor-shift IS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 27W wired, 25W wireless MagSafe, 15W Qi2, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68
The thing about a big phone is that it has a big battery. And while that’s easy enough to understand, it still feels surprising how much more performance you can eke out of the iPhone 16 Plus’ battery. It’ll stretch well into a second day of use, and even if you’re conditioned to charge your phone every night, you’ll be amazed at how much you have left in the tank at the end of each day. It’s a solid antidote to battery anxiety.
Naturally, the 16 Plus’ big-ness comes with another bonus: a bigger screen. The benefits are obvious here, too. But something that stands out to me when I use the phone is just how light it feels for its size, especially if you’re comparing it to the 16 Pro Max. If you like a big display but don’t need all of the weight of the Max — metaphorically and physically speaking — then the Plus is the way to go.
The iPhone 16E is the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE, bringing flagship-level performance for less than the standard 16. We really wish it included MagSafe for $599, but those upgrading from older iPhones will probably be satisfied with what’s included.
Screen: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR / Processor: A18 Cameras: 48MP Fusion with 1x and 2x optical zoom, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 20-watt wired, 7.5W Qi, no MagSafe/ Weather-resistance rating: IP68
This recommendation comes with a heavy sigh. Yes, the 16E is the cheapest new iPhone Apple sells. Yes, it’s a good phone. It has a capable camera, reliable performance, full water resistance, wireless charging, and will be supported with software updates for years to come. But its $599 price tag starts to feel like too much when you consider what it’s missing.
There’s no MagSafe, which you can kind of add by way of a MagSafe case, but it’s a bummer not to have it built in when it has basically become a standard iPhone feature. There’s no ultrawide camera, no Dynamic Island housing timely information, no camera control (not a huge loss, honestly), and no Ultra Wideband for precise object tracking. It does support Apple Intelligence, but that doesn’t feel like much of a consolation, given that it’s very much still a work in progress.
The 16E will most likely receive more years of software support than a previous-gen model like the iPhone 14 or 15. And sure, Apple Intelligence might turn into something useful someday. The 16E is a good choice if you want the path of least resistance to blue bubbles and FaceTime at your fingertips. But if you’d like MagSafe, a more advanced camera, and some of the other bells and whistles that got lost on the way to the 16E, then it’s not a bad idea to look at one of the older iPhones.
Apple still sells the iPhone 15 new, cutting the price down to $699 with the introduction of the 16 series. There’s a strong argument for buying a 15 rather than the 16E if you don’t care about Apple Intelligence; the 15 Pro runs Apple Intelligence while the regular 15 doesn’t. Compared to the 16E, the iPhone 15 includes MagSafe, the Dynamic Island, an ultra wideband chip for precise item tracking, and an ultrawide camera.
Update, July 25th: Updated to reflect current pricing / availability, with new links for relevancy.
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Allison Johnson<![CDATA[I tried Gemini on the Pixel Watch — here’s what it’s like]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=7135322025-07-25T11:25:15-04:002025-07-25T09:00:00-04:00
Wristy business.
I’m just getting acquainted with Gemini on the Pixel Watch I’m wearing when it tells me that there’s a kind of pastry called “nun’s farts.” This relationship is off to a good start.
“Nun’s farts” was a totally appropriate response, by the way. I’d asked it for a list of pastries with silly names, prompted by a question from my 3-year-old. But my first reaction — right after “That’s hilarious!” — was “I wonder if that’s true?” Which sort of highlights the problem with having AI on your wrist.
Google has just released an update for Wear OS that enables Gemini Assistant on smart watches for the first time. I figured I’d have to faff around with software and app updates to get it on the Pixel Watch 2 that I use. Surprisingly, it downloaded automatically, announcing itself with a notification.
I’ve gotten used to having Gemini at my disposal whenever I’m using an Android phone
As problematic and hallucination-prone as AI assistants are, I’ve gotten used to having Gemini at my disposal whenever I’m using an Android phone. I don’t ask it to plan my vacations or help me shop for shoes, which are the use cases AI companies seem most obsessed with. But I do find it useful for a certain kind of question — something a little more complex than one that can be answered by a straightforward Google search. I’ve also started noticing that I tend to have “Gemini questions” when I don’t have easy access to Gemini, like in the car or when I’m in the kitchen and my phone is in another room. I guess those days are over, because now I’ve got Gemini literally attached to my wrist, even when I sleep. Not creepy at all!
I started with a question I was pretty sure I knew the answer to but asked anyway: “Do I really have to scrub this sweet potato if I’m just going to peel it?” My husband yelled in the affirmative from the other room, and Gemini gave me a short answer to the same effect. Okay, okay, I get it.
Gemini handled another line of questioning pretty well, too: “Where should I get coffee around here?” It recommended a long list of shops, with two of my favorites at the top. When I prompted it to help me navigate to the closest one, it fired up Google Maps as directed. It also correctly identified a “fancy, third-wave coffee shop” when I asked for such a recommendation in another neighborhood. Job well done.
Calendaring — one of my favorite jobs to give AI — was more mixed. Gemini can add a new calendar event easily enough, and it found the details of my next flight when I asked. But for some reason it insists that there’s nothing on my calendar tomorrow, even though there definitely is. It also doesn’t seem to have access to events on someone else’s calendar that’s been shared with me, which is just an extension of the eternal struggle of living with multiple Google Calendars.
Gemini didn’t do so well with the ferry schedule. I asked when the next ferry would leave downtown Seattle for Bainbridge Island, and it gave me an answer that was, oh, 35 minutes wrong. That’s not something I’d normally rely on Gemini for, but when you use Gemini on your watch that’s kind of your only option. Working with such a small screen and no web browser, there’s no easy way to verify or contextualize what Gemini is telling you from the watch itself. Aside from a little fine print that says “Gemini can make mistakes, so double check it,” you have to put a lot of trust in a technology that is known to make things up.
Of course, your phone is usually around somewhere even if you’re talking to Gemini on your watch, and all of your conversations with the AI are available in the Gemini phone app’s history. Assuming your mobile device isn’t far away, it’s not hard to grab it and double check what’s being said. But given how few people actually click through to the sources on AI summaries for web searches, I’m not confident that everyone’s going to go to the trouble.
You have to put a lot of trust in a technology that is known to make things up
I am sure of one thing, whether or not I want to admit it: I’m going to use Gemini on my watch a lot. I’m already used to having AI available to answer certain kinds of low-stakes questions, and having constant access to it will probably spur me to ask even more of it. I like to think that I’m disciplined enough to double-check sources when it really matters. Maybe those are famous last words.
I don’t think I’m alone in wanting this kind of convenience. When I started using my watch with the regular Google Assistant to ask simple questions — the ones you can answer with a basic web search — my tech-averse husband took notice. Now he says “Ask your watch” whenever he has a question about something and his phone is out of reach. Once you realize you can get certain kinds of questions answered without lifting a finger, you start to notice those questions more often and actually ask them. Just double check that ferry schedule, though.
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Allison Johnson<![CDATA[The best budget smartphone you can buy]]>https://www.theverge.com/21420196/best-budget-smartphone-cheap2025-07-24T15:25:27-04:002025-07-24T15:24:47-04:00
You can get a great budget device these days if you know how to pick your priorities. | Image: The Verge
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 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.
The iPhone 16E is the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE, bringing flagship-level performance for less than the standard 16. We really wish it included MagSafe for $599, but those upgrading from older iPhones will probably be satisfied with what’s included.
If I were 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.
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 noticeable difference when you use the phone outside. Durability also received a slight boost to IP68, which means it can withstand 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.
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 — although we’ve seen it on sale for $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 many 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 sprays 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.
The Galaxy A35 5G comes with a good 6.6-inch OLED panel, a robust IP67 dust and water resistance rating, and a strong software update policy for its class.
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 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.
Overall, the A35 5G is a compelling package — especially with its big, crowd-pleasing OLED display and strong battery performance. That being said, Samsung just released the Galaxy A36 5G in March. It offers a slightly larger 6.7-inch display and a more powerful Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor for the same price; however, the newer midrange device trades the microSD slot in favor of a second SIM card slot, so you lose out on the ability to expand your storage for photos, videos, and other media.
Other budget phones to consider
The 2025 Motorola Moto G Power offers a lot despite its starting price of $299.99. It features a 6.8-inch LCD display, a 5,000mAh battery, wireless charging support, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is increasingly rare in 2025. Additionally, the device combines both IP68 and IP69 ratings, meaning it’s rated for both submersion in water and exposure to high-pressure water jets and steam, in addition to full protection from dust.
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 9A or trying to score a trade-in promo for the newer Galaxy S25. Read our review.
The Samsung Galaxy A56 recently launched in the US with a starting price of $499. The device has all the makings of a solid midrange phone, including a 6.7-inch OLED display, a 50-megapixel main camera, an Exynos 1580 chip, and a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging. Although we haven’t tested it yet, it has some pretty stiff competition in the form of the Pixel 9A, which also has a starting price of $499.
We got our first glimpse of the TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper 5G back at CES 2025, and it’s finally in our hands for testing. The device features an Nxtpaper matte LCD screen that’s supposed to be easier on your eyes than a traditional LCD, as it reduces your exposure to blue light. It also features a “Max Ink Mode,” which turns the screen monochrome and silences notifications. This, in turn, can help extend the phone’s battery life to multiple days. Read our initial impressions.
Update, July 24th: Updated pricing / availability and added a mention of the 2025 Moto G Power, Galaxy A56, and TCL 60XE Nxtpaper 5G to the “other budget phones to consider” section.
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Allison Johnson<![CDATA[Liquid Glass is fine, I guess]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=7109802025-07-24T13:14:49-04:002025-07-24T13:14:49-04:00
Embrace the glass.
If you want to give Liquid Glass — Apple’s new design language in iOS 26 — an uncharitable nickname, well, it’s right there for the taking. The new look has its fair share of haters, and I fully expected to be one of them when I downloaded the beta. But while there are aspects of the design that bother me, my biggest surprise about Liquid Glass has been the way I’ve just… gotten used to it. Which is a good thing, because Apple seems committed to hurtling us into this mixed-reality-ready aesthetic whether we wanted it or not.
I’d like to reiterate something: being fine with Liquid Glass does not mean that I think it’s great. After using it for a few weeks, I feel neutral toward it, which is better than I anticipated. Liquid Glass started with the Vision Pro’s interface, where windows appear to float on top of background elements as if they were on transparent glass. Makes sense for a VR headset. But then someone at Apple watched Minority Report and decided that every OS the company makes should adopt the look.
The outgoing design (left) in iOS 18 put navigational elements on a solid background. Liquid Glass (right) in iOS 26 opts for a water droplet look.
Sure enough, the first beta was a little too glassy and sci-fi. Apple spent the next three beta versions messing with transparency and contrast sliders, turning the glass effect down and back up again. The company made some extremely necessary concessions for usability — Control Center was a nightmare in the first beta — but ultimately stayed true to the original vision. Is it a good vision? I don’t know. I mostly ignore it as I go about my day tapping through apps and clearing one million notifications. I’m sure as hell not enabling the feature that turns all your homescreen icons into colorless blobs. But in its default state, the new design has mostly faded into the background for me. Liquid Glass hasn’t so much won me over as it has worn me down.
Not everyone agrees with me. My colleague Victoria Song despises it and says that the transparency makes it difficult to read notifications and messages. You can minimize the effect by turning on some accessibility settings, which she has, but then… what was the point of Liquid Glass? Fair question.
I still get distracted by some elements of the design myself — the liquid “droplet” look has a way of magnifying things behind it, so once in a while I’ll scroll past something in Safari that suddenly jumps off the page as it slides behind the search bar. But for the most part, I quit noticing it. I like Long Clock on the lock screen, which makes it easier to read the time when my phone is across the room. The spatial effect you can add to lock screen photos is surprisingly convincing. But everything else is mostly forgettable.
Liquid Glass hasn’t so much won me over as it has worn me down
For better or worse, this is just what Apple does. I thought AirPods looked awful and I swore I’d never use them. Now I wear them (or a more Android-friendly version, depending on the phone I’m testing) basically every day. The home-button-less iPhone X had its haters too, but now it’s the only option. This company will stick with a design vision, even when the complaints against it are loud and justified.
These things tend to go one of two ways: either it’s an unmitigated disaster and Apple quietly shifts course in a few years, pretending it never happened, or we all just get used to it until the next redesign. I have a feeling that Liquid Glass will be the latter. In a war of attrition, Apple wins every time.
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Allison Johnson<![CDATA[The best foldable phone you can buy]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=6358392025-07-23T13:45:13-04:002025-07-23T13:44:41-04:00
Choose your foldable fighter.
A foldable phone isn’t for the faint of heart. They’re generally heavier, pricier, and have less capable cameras than a standard slab-style phone. And while they’re far less fragile than when they first debuted, foldables are still susceptible to the kind of damage a regular smartphone can shrug off. You really don’t want any dust getting in that hinge. But if you’re an adventurous sort of gadget lover, then a folding phone is a rewarding investment.
There are basically two kinds of foldables at the moment — the kind that fold like books and the ones that fold clamshell style, like your old flip phone. Here’s how I think of it: a book-style foldable is like a phone plus a tablet, and a flip-style foldable is a phone plus a smartwatch. The book foldables provide an outer screen for all your regular phone needs, and then a tablet-like inner screen when you want, well, more screen. Flip phones come with a smaller secondary display on the outer panel that’s useful for checking information quickly. When you need to do regular phone stuff, you unfold it.
So while they all fit in one category of folding tech, they’re suited to two very different kinds of people — someone who wants even more phone with their phone and someone who wants to be fully immersed a little less. Whichever category you fit into, you’d be wise to get the manufacturer’s extended warranty with your purchase; fixes can be expensive, and you won’t be able to walk into just any phone repair shop to get them. If you don’t opt for the warranty, you’ll want to be sure you can comfortably afford to replace your phone in the event of a sudden sand-related catastrophe. Death can come swiftly to a folding screen.
If I haven’t scared you off by this point, then you’re probably the kind of person who will have a heck of a good time with a foldable. I’ve used every phone under the sun, and folding phones are some of my favorite gadgets. Run four apps at once! Prop it up like a tiny laptop! Hold it like a camcorder when you shoot video! There are tons of possibilities, and the thrill you get when you fold your phone shut never fully wears off.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the foldable we’ve been waiting for Samsung to create. Unlike the long and narrow form factor of previous Z Fold devices, the Z Fold 7 boasts a more familiar 21:9 aspect ratio, making it feel much less unwieldy to use. At just 8.9mm thick, it’s nearly as slim as standard slab-style devices and doesn’t feel bulky in your pocket. Open it up, and you get a spacious inner display that’s perfect for multitasking, gaming, or simply enjoying more screen real estate. It will even last a day with moderate use, which is relatively good for a folding phone.
The Z Fold 7, however, isn’t without its shortcomings. Notably, its starting price of $1,999 is a huge reminder that this is a luxury device, not a practical choice for everyone. The outer display also has a lower resolution than the screen found in the more affordable Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the camera bump is quite large, resulting in a slight wobble when the phone is placed on flat surfaces. That said, the camera system is top-notch, highlighted by a 200-megapixel lens that performs well in low-light scenarios.
It was going to take a lot to unseat the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as our favorite book-style foldable, but the Z Fold 7 has done just that. The hardware is stunning, and the reworked proportions make it feel much nicer to use. Still, issues like long-term durability remain a concern, while the $1,999 price tag places it out of reach for most.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 offers slight design and performance upgrades compared to the previous generation. The AI-ready Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 now comes with 12GB of RAM and a vapor chamber for cooling. It also has a new 50-megapixel camera sensor that enables 2x optical zoom.
The last-gen Flip 6 lacks some of the imaginative UI touches you can get on Motorola’s Razer Ultra, and the file folder-shaped outer screen feels more cramped than Motorola’s approach to fill the space — minus camera lenses, of course. But it’s more reliable, is scheduled to get seven years of software updates, and Samsung’s extended warranty offers good coverage for that extra peace of mind. Not the most titillating stuff, but it matters.
As you might guess from the name, the Flip 6 is far from Samsung’s first flip-phone rodeo. It comes with some thoughtful updates, like a true always-on display for the cover screen and a tweaked UI for adding widgets more easily. The cameras are good, though far from the best you can get for $1,100, and the battery goes all day. Its IP48 rating means there’s some protection from small particles, but dust is still a concern. Power users will need to download Good Lock to get the most out of the cover screen, but it’s perfectly capable out of the box for someone less adventurous. A bit boring? Yes, but that’s okay.
All that being said, it’s worth noting that we’re currently testing the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 7, which, based on our early impressions, appears to be a worthy upgrade. The Z Flip 7 finally offers a proper edge-to-edge cover screen, giving you more room for widgets, using apps, and typing out replies. The new flip-style foldable is also thinner than the Z Flip 6, packs a larger 4,300mAh battery, and supports DeX, a feature that provides a desktop-like experience when connected to an external monitor. It even allows you to use Gemini on the cover screen.
The Razr Ultra is the newest and most advanced member of Motorola’s foldable lineup. Compared to the Razr Plus, it boasts a higher-resolution inner screen, Qualcomm’s most powerful mobile processor, double the storage space, and an upgraded selfie camera. The device is also one of the best-looking phones you can buy — the gold-bronze chassis and wooden back panel lend the Ultra a real elegance. When every phone tends to look the same — even in the foldable market — the Razr Ultra stands out in a crowd, which only adds to its charm.
Beyond its appearance, the Ultra is just plain fun to use. The 4-inch outer screen covers almost the entire front of the phone, making it perfect for checking notifications, responding to messages, and taking quick actions such as hailing an Uber. The titanium hinge is also an upgrade over the stainless steel found in the Razr Plus. While the Ultra is enjoyable, it can’t overcome the gripes we’ve had with previous Motorola foldables, like inconsistent camera processing. Meanwhile, Motorola is only promising three OS upgrades and four years of security updates, which is on the shorter side considering the $1,300 retail price.
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: if you live in the US or Europe, you can’t buy the Oppo Find N5. That rules out, well, a lot of us. But if you live in China, Singapore, or any of the other Asian countries Oppo included in its so-called “global” release, then you’re in luck: you can pick up one of the world’s thinnest book-style folding phones, and the rest of us are all very jealous of you.
The Find N5 isn’t all about thinness, either. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset is highly capable, the phone is fully water-resistant, and battery life is excellent. It utilizes silicon-carbon battery technology to accommodate a large (by foldable standards) 5,600mAh battery, which easily holds up after a long day of heavy use. What’s even more impressive is that, like the aforementioned Z Fold 7, the Find N5 is still barely thicker than a standard slab-style phone and only slightly heavier. That matters when you’re using the phone via the cover screen for long periods of time or stashing it in the side pocket of your yoga pants. When a foldable is only about as heavy and bulky as a regular phone, using the inner screen feels like getting away with something fantastic — not a benefit you have to make many other sacrifices for. Oppo delivers this in spades, and I just wish more of us could… find it.
The OnePlus Open strikes a great balance in its form factor and offers a clever UI for multitasking that has won plenty of fans since it debuted. But the phone lacks wireless charging and full water resistance — it’s only splash-resistant — and OnePlus’ software support policy isn’t as strong as Google’s and Samsung’s. Read our review.
The Huawei Mate XT gets an honorable mention for its sheer wow factor alone. The “trifold” phone — as it’s been dubbed — contains three screen segments and two hinges, putting it in a category of its own right now. It’s only available in China and a few other countries that don’t include the US or the UK, and it’s monstrously expensive at €3,499. But it’s cool as heck and may be a sign of things to come from other manufacturers. Read our hands-on impressions.
The Motorola Razr Plus 2025 is new to the scene, replacing last year’s model. Although the two devices look identical, there are a few notable changes. The biggest difference is that the Razr Plus 2025 now features a titanium hinge, rather than stainless steel, promising better durability and a less noticeable crease when the device is open. Additionally, the Razr Plus 2025 offers IP48 dust and water resistance, whereas last year’s model featured an IPX8 rating. While we haven’t tested the newest model, it appears to be a solid alternative to the Ultra.
The standard Motorola Razr 2025 is a more affordable entry point into the world of foldables, starting at $699. The Razr 2025 offers improved performance, battery life, and durability — the kind of bumps we expect year after year. It boasts a smaller cover screen compared to the Razr Plus and Ultra, but still offers a spacious 6.9-inch internal display. We haven’t tested the Razr 2025 yet, but its relatively budget-friendly price is a good option for jumping into the foldable market.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is an impressive sophomore effort from Google, offering an ideal form factor that’s a joy to use. When folded, the outer screen matches the dimensions of a regular phone, and the inner screen can get nice and bright outdoors. The whole package is also light enough that it sometimes doesn’t feel like you’re holding a foldable, though it does suffer from a slightly downgraded camera system compared to its slab-style siblings. There’s also no formal dust resistance, so long-term durability remains a concern. Read our review.
What’s coming next
Google has an event scheduled for August 20th, where we’re expecting to learn more about the upcoming Google Pixel 10 series. The company has already given us a glimpse at the standard Pixel 10 ahead of the launch event, but we’re still waiting for information about a new foldable. Rumors suggest Google is gearing up to release the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which could feature an IP68 rating, addressing a common concern about long-term durability in the foldable space.
Update, July 23rd: Adjusted pricing / availability, replaced our No. 1 pick for the “best book-style foldable” with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and added info about Google’s upcoming Pixel event. Brandon Russell also contributed to this post.
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Allison Johnson<![CDATA[Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: stunning, bendy, and spendy]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=7099902025-07-19T01:57:14-04:002025-07-19T09:00:00-04:00
Quiet luxury.
I’ve been using the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for a week, and I’ve run out of ways to say “It’s so nice.” It’s not essential, or life-changing; it’s nice.
It’s an understatement, though. Samsung joins the likes of Honor and Oppo in making a folding phone that’s almost as thin as a regular phone, and it’s a trend with real benefits. Compared to the previous six generations of Samsung folding phones, the Z Fold 7’s inner screen feels like a bonus — one that doesn’t require the sacrifice of carrying a bigger, bulkier device to get. It is thin. It is luxurious. Also: it is two thousand dollars.
It’s so nice. It’s two thousand dollars. Somewhere in between those two statements, you’ll know whether the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is for you. If the size and bulk of previous foldables deterred you, then this is the phone you’ve been waiting for. Provided you have, you know, a couple grand lying around.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
It costs a pretty penny, but the Z Fold 7 is Samsung’s finest foldable yet. When it’s closed it’s basically the size of a regular phone, so the big 8-inch inner screen feels like it’s all upside.
Writing a review of the Fold 7 feels like writing a review of two devices: the one you use with the phone closed, and the one that’s available with the phone open. The former got a major upgrade this year: it uses a normal 21:9 aspect ratio. Previous versions of the outer screen were longer and skinnier than your average phone, and I never quite got used to typing on them. I sometimes forget I’m using a folding phone when the Z Fold 7 is closed.
It works just like a regular slab-style phone outside of some extreme use cases. And for a folding phone? That’s mission accomplished.
Here’s the Z Fold 7’s dilemma: that outer screen is a 6.5-inch 1080p display that’s not as sharp or as pleasant to use in bright light as the outstanding screen on the far cheaper Galaxy S25 Ultra. That’s a point I kept revisiting as I used the Z Fold 7. As a total package there’s almost nothing like it, but plenty of its individual features fall short of the best slab-style phones.
Non-foldy phones offer better battery life, but the margin isn’t as wide as I feared. How much you use the inner screen will dramatically affect battery life; I got through a day of moderate use and occasional inner screen use with around 50 percent left. With more time on the inner screen and about an hour of hotspot use, the battery was down to around 30 percent by bedtime. Nobody’s buying a folding phone for its power efficiency, and I think these results are pretty good.
As soon as I open the inner screen, the slight shortcomings are out of mind. I kept forgetting that the inner screen even existed, but I quickly got into the habit of opening it. Do you know how nice it is to use Chrome on your phone with normal-ass tabs at the top of the screen? Do you know how much less fiddly a game like Diablo Immortal is on a big screen? Do you know how useful it is to keep the Uber app open on one side of the display so you can keep track of your driver’s arrival while you finish a sudoku on the other half? I do. Once you start using the inner screen, you keep finding new ways to use it.
None of the above is new or exclusive to the Fold 7, but I can’t emphasize this enough: this all feels like you’re getting away with something, because the experience of using this phone while it’s closed feels normal. No more chunky brick in the side pocket of my yoga pants. One nitpick: I don’t love how stiff it feels when I’m opening the phone. The grip from a case would help here. Overall, a slimmer, lighter, well-proportioned foldable really is a whole new ballgame.
There’s some bad news. I’m not one to get worked up about the way any camera bump looks, but this one protrudes a lot. The phone sits crooked on surfaces and wobbles when you tap the screen, which encourages you to put it on a table screen-side-down. Fewer distractions from notifications? Good! The screen is slippery and the phone slides off the edge of the bathtub? Bad! There wasn’t any water in the tub when that happened, but still.
The wobble is annoying; I have to prop it up on a couple of drink coasters if I’m using it on the dining room table. Samsung’s silicone grip case seems to mitigate it, but stand cases don’t fix it. A case feels like a requirement here (and I say that as a case hater!), but they’re thin enough they don’t erase all the benefits of a slim foldable.
The Fold 7 uses a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset tuned for Samsung, along with 12GB of RAM in the 256GB model I tested. It keeps up just fine, and I had no problems running Diablo Immortal at the highest display settings. The phone didn’t even get very warm. The Z Fold 7 did get mighty toasty in a bit of a torture test: using it as a hotspot on a coffee shop patio on a high-80s afternoon. I put it in the direct sun, which you should not do, and sure enough, it started closing apps after about 10 minutes to try and cool itself down. Extreme, yes, but good to know if you live in a place with high temperatures.
Another environmental consideration: dust resistance. The Z Fold 7 still doesn’t have a formal dust resistance rating; its IP48 means it’s fully water-resistant but only immune to very small particles, not specks of dust. Take extra care and consider adding Samsung’s extended warranty plan to cover pricey inner screen repairs.
The Z Fold 7’s 200-megapixel camera is adapted from the S25 Ultra’s, and it’s a great camera here, just as it is in the Ultra. Low-light photos are detailed, provided your subject isn’t moving too much, and Samsung’s preference for vibrant reds and blues is on full display. There’s also a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto and a 12-megapixel ultrawide — both solid performers if you don’t ask too much from them. Digital zoom past 5x from the telephoto lens looks pretty watercolor-y. But Samsung’s portrait mode with the 3x camera remains the best in the game, as it has been for years. Segmentation is so good it’s uncanny — isolating a subject down to the eyelashes on my son’s eyes.
If you compare the Z Fold 7 to a top-tier slab phone like the S25 Ultra spec by spec, the folding phone often comes up short. It’s less durable, battery life isn’t quite as good, and the camera system isn’t as versatile. But that misses the point of the Z Fold 7. This phone is a luxury and an engineering marvel. If you have the deep pockets and a mind open to the benefits of the big screen, then I think you’ll agree with me: it’s just so nice.
Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge
Agree to Continue: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.
To use the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, you must agree to:
Samsung’s Terms and Conditions
Samsung’s Privacy Policy
Google’s Terms of Service (including Privacy Policy)
Google Play’s Terms of Service
Automatic installs (including from Google, Samsung, and your carrier)
There are many optional agreements. If you use a carrier-specific version, there will be more of them. Here are just a few:
Sending diagnostic data to Samsung
Samsung services, including auto blocker, customization service, continuity service, nearby device scanning, personal data intelligence, and smart suggestions
Google Drive backup, location services, Wi-Fi scanning, diagnostic data
Bixby privacy policy (required to use Bixby), plus optional for Bixby options like personalized content, data access, and audio recording review
There may be more. For example, Samsung’s Weather app also has its own privacy policy that may include sharing information with Weather.com.
Final tally: there are five mandatory agreements and at least 10 optional ones.
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Allison Johnson<![CDATA[The best Android phones]]>https://www.theverge.com/23674658/best-android-phone2025-07-18T12:32:04-04:002025-07-18T12:31:40-04:00
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.
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.
Google’s Pixel 9 has a slightly larger 6.3-inch OLED display than its predecessor, along with a Tensor G4 processor, a bigger battery, 12GB of RAM, and a dual rear camera setup with a new 48-megapixel sensor for its ultrawide.
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.
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.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is still one of the best phones you can buy, even if its “Ultra”-ness is a little diminished. Two telephotos, a built-in stylus, and a big screen are the main attractions. Read our review.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Big phones have a tendency to, well, look and feel big. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, on the other hand, is different. Thanks to its slim, lightweight design, the device provides a welcome reprieve from the countless chunky, heavy alternatives. It’s thinner and lighter than the Galaxy S25 Plus, making it the big phone you can actually slide into your pocket or evening bag without it protruding out.
So, what’s the catch? The S25 Edge’s battery life is fine. Not great, not terrible, but somewhere straight down the middle. To be fair, it held up admirably during a particularly strenuous workday, one complete with hours of screen time, mobile hotspotting, and live blogging, making it to bedtime with battery to spare. It also lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, though it does feature the same 200-megapixel main camera found in the S25 Ultra.
Even with those compromises, the S25 Edge is a very capable phone that offers similar performance and durability to other devices in the S25 lineup. You’ll just have to be a little more aware of battery life as the day goes on; however, unless you’re frequently streaming video or playing graphics-intensive games throughout the day, the noticeably thinner, lighter design offers a nice change of pace.
The best phone if you hate waiting for your phone to charge
OnePlus 13
The OnePlus 13 comes with improved water resistance, support from all three major US wireless carriers, and a strong software policy. Coupled with a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and multi-day battery life, it’s an impressive high-end Android phone.
Score: 8
Pros
Cons
Excellent battery life
Six years of security updates
Strong IP rating for dust and water resistance
Big phone is big
Not as many OS updates as Google and Samsung offer
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.
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.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold features a 6.3-inch outer screen and an 8-inch inner screen once it’s unfolded — both of which are larger than the original Pixel Fold. The new foldable also lays flat when opened, sports IPX8 weather resistance, and offers a thinner design than the last-gen model.
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.
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.
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.
The Google Pixel 9A 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.
We’re currently testing the new Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, and Z Flip FE, which feel like the foldables we’ve been asking for. The $1,999 Fold 7 sports a book-style design that’s thinner and lighter than its predecessor, with larger outer and inner displays. The Flip 7, meanwhile, starts at $1,099 and offers a proper edge-to-edge cover screen. It’s thinner than its predecessor, too, with a larger battery. Finally, there’s the Flip SE, which is a lower-cost alternative to the Flip 7, with a starting price of $899. Read our impressions.
The Nothing Phone 3 is billed by the brand as its “first true flagship phone,” with a $799 starting price that competes directly with the iPhone 16, Galaxy S25, and Pixel 9. It boasts a 6.67-inch OLED display, a generous 5,150mAh capacity battery, and a Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 chipset, which is on the lower end of the flagship spectrum. It also looks different from previous Nothing devices. Instead of the iconic light strips on the back that glow and flash, the Nothing 3 features a small dot-matrix LED display that can show pictures and icons. We’ll publish our full review soon, but in the meantime, you can read our initial hands-on impressions.
What’s coming next
Google’s Pixel 10 series — which will likely include a regular Pixel 10, a Pro, a Pro XL, and a Pro Fold — is expected to be unveiled at a Made by Google event on August 20th. 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. Google may also reveal a completely dustproof Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Update, July 18th: Updated pricing / availability, added the Galaxy S25 Edge as our pick for “the best lightweight big phone,” and mentioned details regarding Samsung’s upcoming foldables and the Nothing Phone 3. Brandon Russell also contributed to this post.
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Allison Johnson<![CDATA[Bring on the trifolds]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=7084872025-07-17T14:42:38-04:002025-07-17T15:00:00-04:00
I’ll take one of these, please.
I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 for the past week, and I think I can finally say it: I get folding phones. The Z Fold 7 so slim and so nice to use, that I’m looking at the whole category in a whole new light. It’s great timing, because it looks like phones with two sets of hinges might be on the way. Huawei did it first, of course, but Samsung seems serious about launching its trifold in the near future, and Chinese brand Tecno just teased an enticing-looking concept. And you know what? Bring them on.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a small phone. I plan to keep my iPhone 13 Mini until it becomes a security hazard. But big phones have clearly won the battle, and if I have to carry a giant phone around then I think it should do more for me. It should have more screens, more ways to prop itself up. I should be able to run two apps at once. Maybe three! My phone should literally bend to my will. But I also don’t want it to be bigger than a regular big phone. A tall order, I know, but then I tried the Z Fold 7. Finally, a foldable that feels so much like using a regular phone that it makes the inner screen feels like it’s all upside.
If you asked me a few weeks ago what I thought about trifold phones I might have told you that it seems like a gimmick. Who needs all that inner screen? What do you even do with it? I get those questions about the single-hinge Z Fold 7. But here’s the thing: you figure it out. We’re so used to doing things on small screens that I think it’s hard to imagine what to do with a bigger screen until it’s in your hands. Here’s an incomplete list of things that I’ve used a folding phone’s inner screen for in the past week:
Playing Sudoku while I keep an eye on my Uber driver’s arrival
Refering to an instructional video while putting together an e-bike in my garage
Publishing quick posts to this website when Wi-Fi at Samsung’s Unpacked event utterly crapped out
Playing Diablo Immortal, which I discovered I actually enjoy on a bigger screen
Some of these things are basically impossible on a regular slab-style phone. I watched my colleague Victoria Song try to use WordPress on an iPhone and it did not go well. But some things are just nicer on a big screen, and when something is nicer you might actually do that thing more. I’ve seen more than one Uber driver with a folding phone mounted as a kind of second display on their dashboard. You can do that with a regular phone, but the extra real estate on the inner screen makes a real difference.
You’ve been able to do all of this with a folding phone for years now, but I can’t emphasize this enough: doing these things on a phone that feels about the same size as a regular phone when it’s folded is a huge deal. I could carry my laptop around all day if I wanted constant access to a bigger screen, but for obvious reasons I don’t do that. This is what has converted me to a folding phone believer.
So bring on more hinges, more screen, more reasons to not get up and find my laptop when I need to do a “big screen” activity. The trifolds are coming. I’m ready to embrace them.
