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Foldable phones were supposed to be the revolution. Six years in, they’re still niche — expensive, fragile, and increasingly boring.

Meanwhile, something stranger and far more ambitious is taking shape in the labs of Samsung, Apple, Honor, and a handful of universities: the holographic smartphone.

Not the gimmicky 3D phones of 2011 that flopped within a year. Not VR headsets you strap to your face. These are real, glasses-free, light-field displays — phones that project images floating above the screen, viewable from any angle, by anyone.

And this time, the physics actually works.

So what does that mean for your next phone purchase? Let’s break it down.

What Is a Holographic Smartphone, Really?

The word “holographic” gets thrown around loosely. Let’s clear it up.

The Simple Definition

A true holographic smartphone creates images with real depth, parallax, and perspective. Tilt the phone, move your head — the 3D object on screen looks different from each angle, exactly like a real object would.

No glasses. No headset. No “stand exactly here” gymnastics.

How It Differs From What You Already Know

• Stereoscopic 3D (HTC EVO 3D, Nintendo 3DS) — parallax barriers, one viewing angle, eye strain.
• VR/AR headsets (Vision Pro, Quest) — require hardware on your face, one person at a time.
• AR overlays (Pokémon GO, IKEA Place) — still 2D images composited cleverly.
• True holographic displays — flat phone, real spatial imagery, multiple viewers, any angle.

A Quick Real-World Comparison

Think of it this way:

• A photo = 2D image, looks the same from every angle.
• A 3D movie = fakes depth using glasses, looks broken without them.
• A snow globe = real 3D object, looks different as you move around it.
• A holographic phone = the snow globe, but on glass, generated on demand.

“Light-field displays are the holy grail of mobile visualization. We’re finally at the point where the math, the materials, and the chips can all meet in a phone-sized device.”— Dr. Ali Özgür Yöntem, holographic display researcher

💡 Key Takeaway

A holographic phone isn’t a better 3D TV. It’s a fundamentally new kind of display — flat hardware producing genuine spatial images.

The Science: How Glasses-Free 3D Finally Works

Three breakthroughs in the last 24 months made this possible. Let’s look at each one.

1. Diffractive Metasurfaces

A metasurface is a thin, nano-structured film that can bend light in precisely controlled directions.

In plain English: a single pixel can send different colors and brightness levels to different viewing angles — at the same time. Stack millions of these over an OLED panel, and you have a flat display that emits a true light field.

Think of it like a window with millions of microscopic prisms baked into the glass — each one sending light in exactly the right direction for the viewer in front of it.

2. Light-Field Rendering on NPUs

Generating a hologram in real time is computationally brutal. You’re rendering the scene from dozens of viewpoints at once — historically a job for a desktop GPU.

But modern smartphone NPUs (Neural Processing Units) use AI to predict and interpolate missing viewpoints, slashing the workload dramatically.

Without the on-device AI revolution, holographic phones simply wouldn’t be possible on battery power.

3. The Eye-Tracking Hybrid Approach

Some early implementations — notably Leia Inc.’s tech in the Nubia Pad 3D — use under-display cameras to track the viewer’s eyes and optimize the 3D effect for that position.

It’s not “true” holography, but it’s a clever shortcut already shipping in real products today. The next generation combines all three approaches.

💡 Key Takeaway

Metasurfaces + NPU AI rendering + eye-tracking = the first viable formula for a glasses-free 3D phone.

The Players: Who’s Actually Building Holographic Phones?

This isn’t theoretical. Several major companies are deep into development.

Samsung — Project MH1

Samsung Display filed multiple patents in 2024–2025 for what insiders call “MH1” — a holographic OLED panel using diffractive optical layers.

Samsung’s big advantage? It owns its display supply chain. If MH1 works, it could ship in Galaxy phones years before competitors.

Apple — The “Spatial iPhone”

Apple’s interest in spatial computing is no secret — Vision Pro proved it. Patent filings suggest Apple is working on a “spatial display iPhone” that would bring glasses-free 3D to the iPhone line.

The rumored launch window? 2028 or later. Apple typically lets others fail with first-gen tech before swooping in with a polished version — exactly what’s happened with foldables.

Honor — The Robot Phone & Beyond

Honor surprised everyone at MWC 2025 with its concept “Robot Phone” — a device with a gimbal-mounted camera and a clearly spatial-aware UI.

Honor is positioning itself as the most aggressive Chinese OEM in this space — and Chinese brands have a track record of shipping experimental tech fast.

Leia Inc. — The Quiet Pioneer

Leia Inc. is already shipping glasses-free 3D displays in commercial products like the Nubia Pad 3D II and Acer SpatialLabs laptops.

Their tech is the closest thing to a working holographic display you can buy today — and they’re aggressively licensing it to smartphone makers.

Sony, LG, Xiaomi & the Universities

Sony has been perfecting its Spatial Reality Display tech for years (primarily for creators). LG Display has demoed transparent and curved holographic prototypes. Xiaomi has filed exploratory patents. Research labs from MIT to KAIST publish breakthroughs every few months.

💡 Key Takeaway

Samsung leads on hardware, Apple leads on ecosystem, Honor leads on aggression, and Leia leads on shipping products today. All four matter.

Why Now? Why Not 2011?

You might be thinking: “Didn’t we already try 3D phones in 2011 with the HTC EVO 3D and LG Optimus 3D? They flopped hard.”

Fair point. So what’s different this time?

The 2011 phones failed because the technology forced your eyes to fake depth. The 2027 phones will succeed because they finally deliver real depth — the kind your brain doesn’t have to fight.

💡 Key Takeaway

2011 was the wrong tech at the wrong time. 2027 is the right tech meeting AI, NPUs, and a public ready for spatial computing.

The Killer Apps: What You’ll Actually Do With a Holographic Phone

This is where it gets exciting. The transformative use cases aren’t always the obvious ones.

1. Video Calls That Feel Real

Imagine your grandmother appearing as a tiny 3D figure floating above your phone screen during a Christmas call — you can see her tilt her head, lean forward, and it actually looks like she’s there.

Google’s Project Starline proved this works on huge prototype rigs. A holographic smartphone shrinks that magic into your pocket.

2. Shopping You Can Actually Trust

Buying a sofa online? Hold up your phone and a true-scale 3D model of the couch floats above the screen — viewable from every angle, by you and your partner at the same time.

No headset, no awkward “point camera at floor” gymnastics. Just pinch, rotate, decide.

3. Gaming That Actually Has Depth

Picture a chess board floating above your phone — pieces with real height, shadows that move as you tilt the device. Or a Clash Royale arena you can peer into from any side.

Racing games where the dashboard pops forward. Fighting games where the characters have physical presence. Mobile gaming finally gets a new dimension — literally.

4. Photography & Memories

Apple already captures Spatial Photos on iPhone 15 Pro and later. A holographic iPhone would let you view them in 3D — no headset needed.

Imagine flipping through old vacation photos and seeing them as if you were looking through a window back in time. Birthday cake candles flickering. Your kid’s first steps in volumetric form.

5. Navigation You Can Read in a Glance

Buildings rise from the map. A glowing arrow hovers above the next turn. The route ahead lifts into 3D so you instantly understand “left at the church, then up the hill.”

If you’ve ever fumbled with Google Maps in a confusing roundabout, you’ll appreciate this one.

6. Education & Medical

A med student studying the heart can rotate a beating, life-size hologram of one in their palm. A child learning about the solar system sees the planets float in correct orbital scale.

Holographic phones could quietly replace specialized hardware in classrooms, clinics, and museums — at smartphone prices.

7. Live Sports & Concerts

The football match plays out on a glowing miniature pitch above your phone. The pop star you couldn’t get tickets to performs as a 3D figure on your desk. Multi-camera angles become “walk around the action.”

This is the use case TV networks and streaming services are already quietly investing in.

8. Social Media & Messaging

Instagram stories where the subject genuinely pops out. WhatsApp messages with mini 3D avatars. TikTok dances with real spatial presence.

Once one platform does this well, every platform will follow within months.

Which of these would matter most to you — better video calls, AR shopping, gaming, or something else entirely?

💡 Key Takeaway

The killer apps probably aren’t gaming or novelty — they’re communication, shopping, and AR navigation. Real presence is the feature that sells holographic phones.

The Realistic Timeline (Don’t Hold Your Breath)

So if you’re waiting for a holographic phone — expect at least 2 years for a real product, and 3–4 years for one worth buying.

The Challenges Nobody’s Talking About

• Battery drain — Real-time light-field rendering is power-hungry. Expect notable battery hits until silicon-carbon or solid-state cells catch up.
• Resolution trade-off — Light-field displays split pixels across viewing angles, lowering effective resolution. Manufacturers need 8K-class panels.
• App ecosystem — A holographic phone is useless without holographic content. Apple and Google must expand their spatial APIs.
• Cost — First-gen flagships will likely start around $1,800–$2,500, like early foldables.
• Durability — Metasurface layers are delicate. Repair costs will be steep until production matures.

💡 Key Takeaway

The biggest hurdle isn’t physics anymore — it’s battery life, software, and price. Expect early adopters to pay a heavy “first-gen tax.”

Should You Wait to Buy One?

Honest answer: no, not yet — but keep one eye on it.

• Buying in 2026: Get the best 5G flagship phone you can. Holographic tech is at least 2 years from being worth the money.
• Buying in 2027: Watch CES and MWC carefully. If Samsung shows MH1, consider waiting 6 more months.
• Buying in 2028: You’ll have a real choice. First-gen holographic phones will exist — expensive and rough, like the original Galaxy Fold.
• Buying in 2029–2030: The tech will be refined enough for mainstream buyers — and Apple should be in the game by then.

Are you the kind of buyer who jumps on first-gen tech, or the kind who waits for v3 to nail it?

Holographic Phones vs Other “Next Big Things”

FAQs

Will a holographic phone work for multiple people at once?

Yes — that’s the whole point of true light-field displays. Multiple viewers see the holographic effect from their own angles, unlike eye-tracked 3D.

Will it cause eye strain like 3D TVs did?

Significantly less. True holographic displays provide both focus and convergence at the right depth — the mismatch that caused 3D-TV fatigue is gone.

Will Apple really make one?

Patents and supply-chain reports suggest yes — likely 2028 or 2029. Apple typically waits for technology to mature before committing.

Can I get holographic content today?

Limited. Apple’s Spatial Photos and Videos come closest. Once holographic phones launch, on-device AI will convert most 2D content into 3D automatically.

Is this just another fad like 3D TVs?

It depends on execution. The technology is dramatically better than 3D TVs, but it still needs a killer app — likely video calling or AR. If Apple commits, it’s almost certainly here to stay.

The Bottom Line

Foldable phones gave us a new form factor but didn’t fundamentally change how we use phones. AI changed how phones think. Holographic displays are poised to change how we see them — and that’s a much bigger shift.

It won’t happen in 2026. Probably not in 2027 either. But by 2028–2029, “Did you see that new holographic Galaxy?” will be a normal conversation.

The post-foldable era is coming. It just won’t fold — it’ll float.

Your Turn — Join the Conversation

Would you buy a first-gen holographic phone, or wait for Apple to refine it? Which killer app excites you the most — video calls, AR shopping, gaming, or something else?

👉 Drop your thoughts in the comments below. Tell us which brand you think will ship the first truly great holographic smartphone — and why.

Related Reads on Specser.com

• What Is an NPU in a Phone? The AI Chip Buyers Need to Know
• On-Device AI: Revolutionizing Smartphones in 2026
• High Dynamic Range Imaging: A Comprehensive Technical Guide
• Top 10 Futuristic Gadgets Changing Tech
• Revolutionizing Tech Trends: AI, AR, IoT, and Beyond
• Browse the Latest 5G Phones

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Introduction

High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI) represents one of the most significant advances in digital imaging over the past three decades. It addresses a fundamental limitation that has plagued photographers, cinematographers, and display engineers since the dawn of image capture: the inability of conventional imaging systems to simultaneously record the full range of luminance values present in real-world scenes. The human visual system can perceive a luminance range spanning roughly 14 stops in a single view—and even more when allowed to adapt—while traditional digital sensors and displays have historically been confined to a fraction of that range.

This article provides a thorough technical and practical examination of HDR imaging: its physical and perceptual foundations, capture methodologies, tone-mapping algorithms, encoding standards, display technologies, and creative applications, with particular attention to the modern perceptually-grounded approaches developed by Dr. Imran Mehmood and colleagues at Zhejiang University and the University of Leeds.

1. The Physics and Perception of Dynamic Range

Dynamic range refers to the ratio between the brightest and darkest luminance values a system can capture, represent, or display. It is typically expressed in stops (powers of two), decibels, or as a direct contrast ratio. A real-world sunlit scene can easily contain luminance values ranging from 0.001 cd/m² in deep shadow to 1.6×10⁹ cd/m² when looking directly at the sun—a ratio exceeding 10¹². The human eye, with simultaneous adaptation, manages roughly 10,000:1 (about 14 stops), while photopic-to-scotopic adaptation extends total perceptible range to nearly 10¹⁰:1.

Conventional 8-bit sRGB encodes only about 6–7 stops of dynamic range with 256 discrete levels per channel. HDR pipelines routinely handle 14 to 20+ stops.

It is critical to distinguish three concepts:

• Scene-referred HDR: linear-light data proportional to actual scene luminance.
• Display-referred HDR: data mapped to a specific output device.
• Tone-mapped HDR: an SDR image processed to suggest wider dynamic range (see Section 5).

2. A Brief History

HDR’s conceptual origins trace back to Charles Wyckoff in the 1940s–1950s, with multi-layer films capturing nuclear explosions. The modern computational era began with Greg Ward’s Radiance system in the mid-1980s and its RGBE format. In 1997, Paul Debevec and Jitendra Malik published Recovering High Dynamic Range Radiance Maps from Photographs, formalizing the bracket-merge technique. The 2010s brought HDR to displays via HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG. In parallel, a perceptually-oriented research stream emerged—most notably the work of Mehmood, Khan, Luo and colleagues—extending HDR theory from photographic heuristics to formal color appearance modeling.

3. HDR Capture Techniques

3.1 Exposure Bracketing and Merging

The Debevec–Malik approach remains the foundation of photographic HDR. Multiple bracketed exposures are aligned, linearized via the recovered camera response function, and merged into a floating-point radiance map weighted by per-pixel exposure reliability:

3.2 Single-Shot HDR Sensors

Modern sensors capture HDR data in a single exposure via dual-gain readout (ARRI Alexa 35, RED Komodo-X), spatially varying exposure patterns, stacked BSI with on-chip merging, or dual-base-ISO logarithmic response (Sony Venice 2).

3.3 Computational HDR on Mobile

Apple Smart HDR, Google HDR+, and Samsung Adaptive Pixel rely on burst capture of underexposed frames, robust alignment, denoising, and tone mapping.

4. HDR File Formats and Encodings

For display delivery, PQ (SMPTE ST 2084) maps absolute luminance up to 10,000 nits using a curve derived from Barten’s contrast-sensitivity model, while HLG (BT.2100) provides a relative, SDR-compatible curve well-suited to broadcast.

5. Tone Mapping Operators

The table below compares the most influential tone mapping operators in chronological order, including the modern perceptually-grounded methods developed by Dr. Imran Mehmood and colleagues (discussed in detail in Section 6).

6. Perceptual and Color-Appearance Based Tone Mapping

While the classical operators listed in Section 5 laid the algorithmic foundations of tone mapping, a parallel and increasingly important line of research has focused on the perceptual fidelity of tone-mapped output. Much of the most rigorous work in this area has come from the colour science group at Zhejiang University and the University of Leeds, with Dr. Imran Mehmood (working with Prof. M. Ronnier Luo) producing a sustained body of work directly relevant to modern HDR practice.

6.1 The Perceptual Tone Mapping Model (PTMM)

In “Perceptual tone mapping model for high dynamic range imaging” (Mehmood, Shi, Khan & Luo, IEEE Access, 2023), the authors proposed a tone mapping operator built directly on the human visual system’s contrast sensitivity and adaptation behavior rather than on purely photographic or signal-processing heuristics. The PTMM uses a perceptually uniform working space and incorporates local adaptation modeled after retinal mechanisms, so that tone-compressed output preserves apparent contrast and naturalness across a wide range of scene luminance distributions. The model was shown to outperform classical operators (Reinhard, Drago, Mantiuk) in psychophysical pair-comparison experiments using the reference HDR dataset the same group previously established.

6.2 Generic Color Correction for Tone Mapping Operators

A long-standing problem in tone mapping is that nearly every TMO desaturates or shifts hues, particularly in compressed highlights. In “Generic color correction for tone mapping operators in high dynamic range imaging” (Mehmood, Khan & Luo, Optics Express, 2024), the authors introduced a TMO-agnostic post-correction stage that restores chromatic fidelity after tone compression. The luminance compression ratio implied by any TMO is measured per-pixel, and a corresponding chroma scaling derived from a uniform color space is applied so that perceived saturation matches the original HDR scene. Crucially, the method is generic—it can be applied to Reinhard, Drago, Durand–Dorsey, ACES, or any other operator without modifying the operator itself.

A companion paper, “Adaptive Chroma Correction of Tone Mapping Operators for Natural Image Appearance” (Mehmood, Khan & Luo, CIC32, 2024), extends this with an adaptive variant where chroma correction strength varies with local luminance and hue.

6.3 CIECAM16-Based Tone Mapping

In “CIECAM16-based Tone Mapping of High Dynamic Range Images” (Mehmood, Zhou, Khan & Luo, CIC31, 2023), the group performed tone compression directly in the lightness channel of the CIECAM16 colour appearance model. Because CIECAM16 models chromatic adaptation, surround, and Hunt/Stevens effects, operating in its perceptual space yields tone-mapped images whose appearance is more stable across viewing environments.

6.4 Reference Images and Objective Quality Evaluation

Mehmood et al.’s “Method for developing and using high quality reference images to evaluate tone mapping operators” (JOSA A, 2022) and earlier CIC papers (CIC27, 2019) built a dataset by having expert observers manually craft preferred renderings of each HDR scene under controlled viewing conditions, producing a perceptually-anchored reference. Khan, Mehmood & Luo’s “No-reference image quality metric for tone-mapped images” (CIC27, 2019) provided an NR-IQA metric tuned to TMO-specific artifacts.

6.5 Receptive Field and Uniform Color Space Models

Earlier foundational work includes “A Tone Mapping Model Based on Receptive Field for HDR Images” (Mehmood et al., CIC28, 2020), using center-surround receptive field models inspired by retinal ganglion cells, and “Developing HDR Tone Mapping Operators Based on Uniform Colour Spaces” (Mehmood & Luo, 2021), which systematically compared CIELAB, CIECAM02, CIECAM16, and J_za_zb_z as TMO working spaces.

Taken together, this body of work represents a coherent perceptually-grounded HDR pipeline: capture → scene-referred radiance map → tone compression in a uniform colour appearance space (PTMM / CIECAM16-TMO) → generic adaptive chroma correction → evaluation against reference images using purpose-built IQA metrics.

7. HDR Display Technologies

• OLED — per-pixel emission; 1,000–2,000 nit peak; essentially infinite contrast.
• Mini-LED FALD LCD — thousands of dimming zones; 1,500–4,000 nit peak.
• Dual-layer LCD — e.g., Sony BVM-HX3110, Dolby Pulsar; 4,000-nit reference grade.
• MicroLED — emerging per-pixel emissive technology.

Active HDR display standards: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG (BT.2100).

8. HDR in Practice

In photography, HDR is now ubiquitous but increasingly invisible—the aesthetic goal is naturalistic merging rather than the over-processed look of 2008–2012. In cinema, Dolby Vision mastering on 1,000- or 4,000-nit reference monitors is standard, with HDR10 and SDR trims derived via tone mapping. In VFX, scene-linear floating-point has always been native, and HDR light probes underpin all image-based lighting since Debevec’s 1998 work.

9. Quality Assessment and Open Challenges

Full-reference metrics such as HDR-VDP-3 (Mantiuk) model the visual system explicitly, while no-reference metrics—including those by Khan and Mehmood—target TMO-specific artifacts. Open problems include cross-display appearance preservation, ambient-light-adaptive HDR on mobile, perceptually optimal SDR derivation from HDR masters, and HDR for AR/VR passthrough cameras.

10. Conclusion

HDR imaging has matured from a research curiosity into a foundational technology spanning capture, encoding, processing, and display. The classical photographic operators of the 2000s have been progressively superseded by perceptually-grounded methods—Dr. Imran Mehmood’s PTMM, CIECAM16-based tone mapping, and generic chroma correction representing some of the most rigorous recent contributions—and the display ecosystem has finally caught up to deliver content as intended.

Selected References

1. Mehmood, I., Shi, X., Khan, M. U., & Luo, M. R. (2023). Perceptual tone mapping model for high dynamic range imaging. IEEE Access, 11, 110272–110288.
2. Mehmood, I., Khan, M. U., & Luo, M. R. (2024). Generic color correction for tone mapping operators in high dynamic range imaging. Optics Express, 32(16), 27849–27866.
3. Mehmood, I., Liu, X., Khan, M. U., & Luo, M. R. (2022). Method for developing and using high quality reference images to evaluate tone mapping operators. JOSA A, 39(6), B11–B20.
4. Mehmood, I., Zhou, M., Khan, M. U., & Luo, M. R. (2023). CIECAM16-based Tone Mapping of High Dynamic Range Images. Color and Imaging Conference, 31, 102–107.
5. Mehmood, I., Khan, M. U., & Luo, M. R. (2024). Adaptive Chroma Correction of Tone Mapping Operators for Natural Image Appearance. CIC32.
6. Mehmood, I., Khan, M. U., Mughal, M. F., & Luo, M. R. (2020). A Tone Mapping Model Based on Receptive Field for HDR Images. CIC28, 100–104.
7. Mehmood, I., & Luo, M. R. (2021). Developing HDR Tone Mapping Operators Based on Uniform Colour Spaces.
8. Khan, M. U., Mehmood, I., Luo, M. R., & Mughal, M. F. (2019). No-reference image quality metric for tone-mapped images. CIC27, 252–255.
9. Mehmood, I., Khan, M. U., Luo, M. R., & Mughal, M. F. (2019). Tone mapping operators evaluation based on high quality reference images. CIC27, 268–272.
10. Debevec, P. E., & Malik, J. (1997). Recovering high dynamic range radiance maps from photographs. SIGGRAPH.
11. Reinhard, E., Stark, M., Shirley, P., & Ferwerda, J. (2002). Photographic tone reproduction for digital images. ACM TOG.
12. Mantiuk, R., Kim, K. J., Rempel, A. G., & Heidrich, W. (2011). HDR-VDP-2. ACM TOG.

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On this list, you’ll find entrants from Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, Amazon and Microsoft. That’s because they’re all genuinely excellent tablets, whether you’re an iPadOS, Android, ChromeOS or Windows user.

Whether you’re after something affordable, or something that can handle a bit more work and possibly replace a laptop, we’ve got you covered. You really can’t go wrong with the Apple iPad Air (M4) or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 — both are top-tier picks and among the priciest on this list.

Amazon Fire HD 10

Price: ~$139 (with ads; a bit more without)
Where to buy: Amazon

The Fire HD 10 has replaced the smaller Fire HD 8 as Amazon’s sweet spot for back-to-school. It’s not the tablet you’d primarily pick for heavy coursework, but it’s a fantastic device for downtime — YouTube, Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu and Kindle reading all work great. PCMag still rates it as the best cheap tablet for most people, provided you don’t mind Amazon’s locked-down ecosystem (PCMag).

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+

Price: ~$219
Where to buy: Amazon

The Galaxy Tab A9+ is Samsung’s budget pick and a solid one. It has an 11-inch 90Hz LCD, quad speakers tuned by Dolby Atmos, and microSD support if you need extra storage. Lightweight and long-lasting, it’s great for reading, note-taking and streaming — an ideal first tablet for younger students.

Apple iPad (11th Gen, 2025)

Price: $319–$349
Where to buy: Amazon / Apple

The base-model iPad is the best tablet for most students, according to both PCMag and ZDNET. It packs an A16 chip, an 11-inch Liquid Retina display, USB-C, and supports the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Magic Keyboard Folio. For the price, it offers most of what you’d want from an iPad without stretching the budget.

Lenovo Idea Tab Pro

Price: ~$279
Where to buy: Amazon / Lenovo

The Idea Tab Pro is PCMag’s pick for best Android tablet for most people. It sports a large, sharp 12.7-inch screen, a stylus and fast charger in the box, multitasking modes, and microSD support. It’s powerful enough for schoolwork and entertainment while staying well under $300 (PCMag).

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11

Price: ~$799
Where to buy: Amazon

The Galaxy Tab S11 is one of the best Android tablets you can buy today, and Android Central’s top pick for students. It features a stunning AMOLED 120Hz display, a flagship MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chip, up to 12GB of RAM and the S Pen included in the box. DeX mode turns it into a near-laptop experience, and Samsung promises 7 years of software updates — great for long-term value. A keyboard cover is sold separately.

Apple iPad Air (M4, 2026)

Price: $519–$599
Where to buy: Amazon / Apple

The 2026 iPad Air is the best iPad for creators and students per PCMag. It has Apple’s M4 chip — nearly iPad Pro levels of performance — plus a vibrant Liquid Retina display, support for Apple Pencil Pro and the Magic Keyboard. Available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, with colour options including blue, purple, starlight and space grey. If you want serious power without going Pro, this is the sweet spot.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11

Price: from ~$999
Where to buy: Microsoft / Amazon

The Surface Pro 11 is the best 2-in-1 tablet PC (IGN). Running full Windows 11 on Snapdragon X or Intel Core Ultra silicon, with an OLED display option and Copilot+ AI features, it’s a proper laptop replacement that doubles as a tablet. The keyboard cover and Surface Slim Pen are sold separately, but the device’s flexibility makes it tough to beat for students who need full desktop apps like Excel, PowerPoint and Office.

Apple iPad Pro (M5, 2025)

Price: from $899 (11-inch) / $1,199 (13-inch)
Where to buy: Amazon / Apple

The M5 iPad Pro is the most powerful tablet Apple has ever made, and IGN’s overall top pick. It has the stunning Ultra Retina XDR Tandem OLED display, 120Hz ProMotion, M5 chip performance that rivals laptops, and full support for Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard. It’s overkill for most students, but if you’re studying design, video, architecture or engineering — or simply want the best — this is it.

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Your smartphone has a hidden brain.

Inside many modern phone processors — alongside the familiar CPU and GPU — is a specialized chip designed to handle artificial intelligence tasks. It helps power features like real-time translation, smarter photo editing, voice recognition, face unlock, image enhancement, call summaries, and on-device AI tools.

That chip is called an NPU, short for Neural Processing Unit. As AI becomes a bigger part of smartphones, the NPU is becoming one of the most important phone specs buyers should understand.

This guide explains what an NPU does, why it matters, how it compares with the CPU and GPU, how different phone brands use AI chips, and what buyers should check before choosing their next phone. For broader context on how AI is reshaping the entire tech industry, see our piece on revolutionizing AI and the future of tech.

Quick Answer: What Is an NPU?

An NPU is a dedicated AI processor inside a phone. It is designed to run machine-learning tasks more efficiently than a normal CPU in many situations.

In simple words:

• CPU handles general phone tasks.
• GPU handles graphics, games, and visual effects.
• NPU handles AI tasks like voice recognition, image processing, translation, and smart suggestions.

The NPU does not replace the CPU or GPU. It works alongside them to make AI features faster, smoother, and more power-efficient.

Meet Your Phone’s Third Brain

For years, smartphone performance was mostly explained through two chips: the CPU and the GPU.

1. The CPU: The General Brain

The CPU, or Central Processing Unit, is the all-rounder. It handles everyday tasks such as opening apps, loading websites, managing notifications, running the operating system, and switching between apps. To see how far CPUs have advanced in recent years, take a look at our coverage of the Intel Core i9-12900K processor.

2. The GPU: The Visual Engine

The GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, handles visuals. It powers games, animations, video rendering, camera previews, and smooth interface effects.

3. The NPU: The AI Specialist

The NPU is different. It is built for artificial intelligence and machine-learning tasks. These tasks often require huge numbers of small mathematical calculations to happen quickly and efficiently.

Think of it like this:

• 🧠 CPU — the all-rounder that can handle many different tasks
• 🎮 GPU — the graphics specialist for visuals and games
• 🤖 NPU — the AI specialist built for neural-network calculations

Together, these chips help modern phones feel faster, smarter, and more responsive.

What Does “Neural” Mean in NPU?

The word neural comes from neural networks, a type of AI technology inspired by the way the human brain recognizes patterns. IBM defines neural networks as machine-learning models that teach computers to process data in a way inspired by the human brain.

Neural networks help computers understand things like:

• What object is in a photo
• What word a person just spoke
• What language appears on a sign
• Whether a face matches the saved face unlock data
• What short summary could represent a long paragraph

These tasks involve repeated calculations. An NPU is designed to perform those AI calculations efficiently on a phone.

You do not need to understand the math behind it. The important point is simple: the NPU helps your phone understand patterns.

What Does an NPU Actually Do?

The NPU is not just a marketing term. It can affect real features people use every day.

📷 1. Smarter Camera Processing

When you take a photo, your phone may use AI to detect faces, understand the scene, improve exposure, reduce noise, sharpen details, enhance low-light shots, and separate the subject from the background.

This is part of what people call computational photography. The camera hardware still matters, but the final image is increasingly shaped by software and AI processing. If you want to get the most out of your phone’s hardware, our top tech tips for speedy performance guide is a good place to start.

🗣️ 2. Voice Recognition and Dictation

NPUs can help phones process voice input more efficiently. This can improve features like voice typing, assistant commands, call transcription, and audio cleanup.

Some AI voice features still use cloud processing, but phone makers are increasingly moving selected tasks onto the device for speed and privacy.

🌍 3. Translation and Live Text Features

AI chips can help phones recognize text in images, translate signs or menus, and display translated text on screen. Some translation features may work offline, depending on the phone, language, app, and model support.

This matters for travelers, students, and anyone who regularly works across languages.

🎨 4. AI Photo Editing

Modern phones can remove unwanted objects, improve portraits, expand images, adjust backgrounds, and apply AI-based edits. These features may use a mix of on-device processing and cloud processing depending on the phone and the complexity of the task.

🔒 5. Face Unlock and Biometric Security

Face unlock and biometric authentication use machine learning to compare your face or fingerprint with saved data. The exact hardware and security system varies by brand, but AI processing is an important part of many modern biometric systems.

📝 6. Summaries, Smart Replies, and Productivity Tools

AI models can help summarize notes, recordings, emails, calls, and messages. These features are becoming more common on premium and upper mid-range phones.

The better the phone’s AI hardware and software support, the more likely it is to receive useful AI features over time.

Real-World Examples: How an NPU Improves Daily Phone Use

To understand why the NPU matters, imagine these everyday situations.

Example 1: The Traveler

You are in another country and point your camera at a restaurant menu. Your phone detects the text, translates it, and places the translated words on your screen. A capable NPU can help this kind of task feel faster and smoother, especially when supported offline.

Example 2: The Student

A student records a lecture and later uses the phone to create a transcript or summary. AI processing can help identify speech, organize the content, and generate useful notes.

Example 3: The Content Creator

A creator takes a photo in a crowded place and removes a person from the background. AI editing tools use machine learning to understand the image and fill in missing parts naturally.

Example 4: The Busy Professional

A professional receives a long email, meeting note, or call transcript and uses AI to create a short summary. A stronger NPU can help supported tools feel quicker and more private when processing happens on-device.

Example 5: The Everyday User

Even if you do not think of yourself as an AI user, you may still benefit from the NPU through better photos, cleaner audio, faster search, smarter keyboard suggestions, and improved battery optimization.

Why the NPU Matters When Buying a Phone

Most buyers still compare phones by camera megapixels, battery size, display refresh rate, processor name, and storage. Those specs are important, but they do not tell the whole story anymore.

The NPU matters because it can affect how well your phone handles future AI features.

It Can Make AI Features Faster

A stronger NPU may help AI tools respond more quickly, especially for tasks like voice typing, object removal, translation, image enhancement, and smart suggestions.

It Can Improve Privacy

When AI runs directly on the phone, less personal data may need to be sent to remote servers. This can matter for photos, voice notes, messages, documents, and private requests.

Apple says Apple Intelligence is built around on-device processing and can use Private Cloud Compute for more complex requests. Google also describes Gemini Nano as a model built for efficient on-device AI on supported Pixel devices.

It Can Help Your Phone Stay Useful Longer

AI features are increasingly delivered through software updates. A phone with stronger AI hardware and longer update support may age better than a phone with weak AI hardware and short software support.

It Can Improve Everyday Convenience

The NPU is not only for advanced users. It can help with daily features like better photos, faster voice typing, improved search, live captions, background noise reduction, and smarter notifications. For more practical phone tips, see our tech performance guide.

NPU vs CPU vs GPU: Simple Comparison

Simple takeaway: the CPU runs the phone, the GPU draws what you see, and the NPU helps the phone understand what it sees, hears, and predicts.

How Powerful Are Modern Phone NPUs?

Many chipmakers now describe AI performance using TOPS, which means trillions of operations per second. This number can help show how much AI math a chip can theoretically handle. Analyst firms such as Counterpoint Research and IDC have highlighted the NPU as one of the most important differentiators in modern mobile silicon.

However, buyers should be careful. TOPS is not the whole story.

Why TOPS Can Be Misleading

A phone with a high TOPS number is not automatically better at every AI feature. Real-world AI performance also depends on:

• Software optimization
• RAM
• Thermal control
• Battery efficiency
• Supported AI models
• Whether the feature runs on-device or in the cloud
• How long the phone receives software updates

What Buyers Should Understand

TOPS is useful, but it should be treated like horsepower in a car. A high number sounds impressive, but the full experience depends on the whole system.

A well-optimized phone with strong software support can sometimes feel more useful than a phone with bigger numbers but weaker features.

Why NPUs Can Be More Battery Efficient

AI tasks can be demanding. Running them on a general-purpose CPU can be inefficient because the CPU is not designed specifically for neural-network workloads.

An NPU is different. It is built for repeated AI calculations such as pattern recognition, image analysis, speech processing, and machine-learning workloads. That specialization can make supported AI tasks faster and more power-efficient than running the same type of task only on less specialized hardware.

Simple Example

• CPU: Can run AI tasks, but may use more power for heavy AI workloads.
• GPU: Strong for graphics and parallel workloads, but not always ideal for mobile AI efficiency.
• NPU: Designed specifically to accelerate AI tasks efficiently.

Why This Matters

If your phone can process AI tasks more efficiently, it may deliver better performance without heating up as much or draining battery as quickly. The exact result depends on the phone, feature, app, and chip design.

On-Device AI vs Cloud AI: What Is the Difference?

Not every AI feature runs fully on your phone. Some tasks run locally, while others use cloud servers.

Buyer tip: When a phone brand advertises AI, check whether the feature runs on-device, in the cloud, or through a hybrid system.

How Different Phone Brands Use NPUs

Different companies use different names for their AI hardware and AI platforms. The basic goal is similar: run AI features faster and more efficiently.

Important Note

Do not judge a phone only by the chip brand. The final AI experience depends on the phone maker’s software, update policy, RAM, storage, thermal design, and which AI features are actually available in your region. For more on choosing the right device, see our mobile news and phone updates section.

Apple Neural Engine vs Qualcomm Hexagon vs Google Tensor

Here is a simple explanation of three major AI platforms in smartphones.

🍎 Apple Neural Engine

Apple’s Neural Engine is used across modern Apple chips and supports machine-learning features in iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple says Apple Intelligence is integrated through on-device processing and can use Private Cloud Compute for more complex requests.

Apple’s machine-learning research also states that the first Apple Neural Engine arrived with the A11 chip in the iPhone X generation in 2017.

📡 Qualcomm Hexagon NPU

Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU is used in Snapdragon chips found in many Android phones. Qualcomm describes Hexagon as a custom-designed NPU for AI inference workloads, using specialized processing capabilities for AI and machine-learning tasks.

🤖 Google Tensor and Gemini Nano

Google’s Tensor chips are designed around Google’s AI features for Pixel phones. Google says Gemini Nano is built for efficiency on Pixel devices and supports on-device AI features on supported models.

🌏 MediaTek and Samsung AI Hardware

MediaTek and Samsung also include AI acceleration in their mobile chips. Their AI hardware supports features such as camera processing, power optimization, image enhancement, and machine-learning tasks in supported devices.

NPU Buying Checklist: What to Check Before Buying an AI Phone

Do not buy a phone only because the brand says it has “AI.” Check what the AI actually does.

• ✅ On-device AI: Can important features work without sending everything to the cloud?
• ✅ AI platform: Does it support Apple Intelligence, Galaxy AI, Gemini Nano, or another serious AI system?
• ✅ Software updates: AI features improve over time, so long update support matters.
• ✅ RAM: More advanced on-device AI features may require more memory.
• ✅ Storage: AI models, photos, videos, and editing tools can use extra space.
• ✅ Battery life: A powerful NPU should still be matched with good battery optimization.
• ✅ Privacy settings: Check whether the phone explains what runs locally and what goes to the cloud.
• ✅ Real features: Look for useful tools like translation, summaries, photo editing, call notes, and voice typing.

Smartphone AI Features: Useful or Just Marketing?

AI is now a major phone marketing term, but not every AI feature is equally useful. Some features solve real problems, while others are mostly fun extras.

Smartphone Specs That Matter More Because of AI

If you want a phone that handles AI features well for years, do not look at the NPU alone. These specs also matter.

NPU Myths Buyers Should Stop Believing

Should You Actually Care About NPU Specs?

Yes — but only if you understand what they mean.

You Should Care About the NPU If:

• You take many photos and videos.
• You use translation or transcription tools.
• You want private on-device AI features.
• You plan to keep your phone for several years.
• You use voice typing, call summaries, or smart assistant features.
• You want your phone to receive future AI upgrades.
• You use your phone for work, study, travel, or content creation.

You Can Worry Less About the NPU If:

• You mostly use your phone for calls, messages, browsing, and social media.
• You upgrade every year or two.
• You do not use AI tools often.
• You are buying a very budget-focused phone.
• You prefer simple features over advanced smart tools.

For most buyers, the smartest approach is simple: do not buy a phone only for AI, but do not ignore AI hardware either.

What Not to Overpay For

AI is now a major marketing word, and not every “AI phone” feature is worth extra money.

Be careful with:

• Vague AI branding without clear features.
• Huge TOPS claims without real-world examples.
• AI wallpapers and avatars used as headline features.
• Short update support on a phone marketed as future-ready.
• Low RAM on a phone promising advanced on-device AI.
• Cloud-only AI tools presented as if they are fully powered by the phone.
• Region-locked AI features that may not work in your country.

A good AI phone should combine strong hardware, useful software, privacy controls, and long-term updates.

Future Trends: Where NPU Technology Is Going Next

The direction is clear: smartphones are becoming more AI-focused. The NPU will not be the only important chip in a phone, but it will become harder to ignore. Research firms such as Gartner have repeatedly highlighted on-device AI as one of the most important shifts in consumer technology.

1. More On-Device AI

More AI tasks are expected to run directly on phones instead of relying only on cloud servers. This could improve speed, offline access, and privacy.

2. Smaller and Smarter AI Models

AI models are becoming more efficient. That means phones may be able to run more advanced features without needing desktop-class hardware.

3. Better Multi-Modal AI

Future phone AI will increasingly understand text, images, audio, video, and context together. This could make assistants more useful in real-world situations.

4. AI Agents on Phones

Instead of only answering questions, future AI tools may help take actions across apps — such as organizing messages, editing photos, booking tasks, or summarizing important updates.

5. Stronger Privacy Controls

As AI handles more personal data, phone makers will need to explain more clearly what runs on-device, what goes to the cloud, and how user data is protected.

6. AI as a Long-Term Buying Factor

In the past, people mainly asked: “How good is the camera?” or “How fast is the processor?” In the future, more buyers may ask: “How good is the AI hardware, and how long will it be supported?” For more on emerging trends, see our piece on the future of AI in tech.

Key Takeaways

• The NPU is a dedicated AI processor inside many modern phones.
• It helps with features like camera processing, translation, voice recognition, summaries, and AI editing.
• The NPU works with the CPU and GPU; it does not replace them.
• On-device AI can improve speed, privacy, and offline usefulness.
• TOPS numbers are useful, but they do not tell the full story.
• Buyers should also check RAM, storage, battery life, updates, privacy controls, and real AI features.
• A strong NPU matters most if you plan to keep your phone for several years.

FAQ: NPU in Phones

What does NPU mean in a phone?

NPU means Neural Processing Unit. It is a specialized part of a phone’s processor designed to accelerate AI and machine-learning tasks.

Is an NPU the same as a CPU?

No. The CPU handles general tasks, while the NPU is designed for AI workloads such as image processing, voice recognition, translation, and machine-learning features.

Is an NPU the same as a GPU?

No. The GPU is mainly designed for graphics and visual rendering. The NPU is designed for AI and neural-network calculations.

Does every phone have an NPU?

Many modern smartphones include some form of AI acceleration, but performance and supported features vary widely between budget, mid-range, and flagship phones.

Does a better NPU improve camera quality?

It can help. The NPU may assist with scene detection, noise reduction, portrait effects, low-light processing, object removal, and other computational photography features. Camera hardware and software tuning still matter too.

Does AI always run on the phone?

No. Some AI features run on-device, while more complex features may use cloud processing. The exact behavior depends on the phone, app, feature, and privacy settings.

What is TOPS in an NPU?

TOPS means trillions of operations per second. It is a measurement used to describe theoretical AI processing performance. However, real-world AI performance also depends on software, memory, thermals, and feature support.

Should I buy a phone based on NPU performance?

Do not buy based on NPU performance alone. Consider the NPU together with camera quality, battery life, RAM, storage, software updates, privacy features, and price.

Are AI phones worth buying?

They can be worth buying if the AI features are genuinely useful to you. Translation, transcription, photo editing, smart search, and privacy-focused on-device AI can be valuable. But avoid paying extra for vague AI branding without clear benefits.

Will NPUs become more important in the future?

Yes. As more smartphone features use AI, the NPU is likely to become a more important part of phone performance, privacy, and long-term value.

Final Takeaway: The NPU Is Becoming a Key Smartphone Spec

The NPU is not just another technical term. It is the chip that helps modern phones understand voice, improve photos, translate text, summarize information, run AI tools, and process more tasks directly on the device.

The five things to remember:

• 🤖 The NPU is your phone’s dedicated AI processor.
• ⚡ It helps AI features run faster and more efficiently.
• 📷 It supports smarter camera and editing features.
• 🔒 It can help keep some AI tasks private and on-device.
• 🛒 It is becoming an important spec to check before buying a future-ready phone.

The best phone is no longer only the one with the fastest CPU, biggest battery, or highest megapixel camera. The best phone is the one that stays useful, secure, smart, and efficient for years. That is why the NPU matters.

What Do You Think?

Do you check AI features before buying a phone, or do you still care more about camera, battery, and price? Share your thoughts in the comments — and tell us which phone AI feature you actually use the most.

The post What Is an NPU in a Phone? The AI Chip Buyers Need to Know appeared first on .

In 2026, that picture has flipped entirely. Artificial intelligence isn’t a feature anymore; it’s the operating layer underneath everything you do on your phone.

And the biggest shift? It’s no longer happening in the cloud. It’s happening right inside the device in your hand. This is the era of on-device AI — quietly the most important smartphone revolution since the move to multi-touch displays.

According to Counterpoint Research, over 54% of all smartphones shipped globally in Q1 2026 are now classified as “GenAI-capable” — up from just 11% in 2023. IDC projects that figure will hit 70% by year-end, while Gartner estimates the AI smartphone market will be worth $395 billion by 2027.

What Exactly Is On-Device AI?

On-device AI — sometimes called “edge AI” — means the artificial intelligence model runs locally on your phone’s hardware instead of on a distant server.

Think of it this way: the old model was like asking a librarian a question through the mail. You sent the question, waited, and got an answer back days later (or, in cloud terms, milliseconds later — but still requiring a trip). On-device AI is like having that librarian sitting next to you, all day, with no postage required.

Quick glossary — in plain language:

• LLM (Large Language Model): The AI brain behind tools like ChatGPT. It reads, writes, and reasons in human language.
• NPU (Neural Processing Unit): A chip built specifically for AI math, the same way a GPU is built for graphics.
• TOPS (Trillion Operations Per Second): A speed rating for AI work. The bigger the number, the more your phone can think at once.
• Quantization: A compression trick that shrinks an AI model without losing much of its smarts — like turning a movie file into a smaller version that still looks great.
• Inference: The actual moment an AI gives you an answer. “Running inference on-device” just means your phone is doing the thinking.

Three forces made this shift possible:

• Smaller, more efficient AI models (the same intelligence in 1/10th the size)
• Dramatically more powerful mobile chips
• A surging public demand for privacy

The Hardware Making It Possible

The unsung hero of the 2026 AI smartphone is the NPU.

Here’s where the major mobile chips stand in 2026:

• Apple A19 Pro (iPhone 17 Pro series): ~45 TOPS — more than double the A17 Pro
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 4: 50+ TOPS via its Hexagon NPU
• MediaTek Dimensity 9400+: ~48 TOPS, closing the gap fast
• Google Tensor G5: Custom-built on TSMC’s process, designed primarily around AI workloads

What the Experts Are Saying

Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, said at CES 2026: “The smartphone is becoming the most personal AI device ever made. The question isn’t whether AI runs on your phone — it’s how much of your life it can quietly improve from there.”

Dr. Fei-Fei Li, co-director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, told WIRED in February 2026: “The democratization of AI doesn’t happen through bigger models in bigger data centers. It happens when a teenager in rural Kenya can run the same intelligence on her phone that a Fortune 500 CEO has on his laptop.”

To get a sense of how fast mobile silicon has accelerated, take a look at our piece on the Intel Core i9-12900K era — what was bleeding-edge desktop power then is roughly what a flagship phone delivers today.

Three Different Philosophies: Apple, Samsung, Google

Every major manufacturer now has an AI brand — but their approaches reveal what they value.

🍎 Apple Intelligence: Privacy First

Apple Intelligence leans hardest into privacy. Most features run entirely on-device:

• Writing tools (proofreading, rewriting, summarizing emails)
• Image generation via Image Playground
• Notification summaries
• The new context-aware Siri

When a task is too complex, Apple routes it to Private Cloud Compute — a custom server architecture where even Apple can’t read your data. Tim Cook framed it on Apple’s Q1 2026 earnings call: “Users shouldn’t have to choose between intelligence and privacy. With Apple Intelligence, they get both.”

📱 Samsung Galaxy AI: The Hybrid Approach

Samsung blends on-device speed with cloud power. Highlights include:

• Live Translate during phone calls (in 32 languages as of 2026)
• Circle to Search
• Note Assist for summarizing meetings
• Generative Edit for photos

Crucially, users can toggle cloud processing off entirely — a rare bit of transparency. We’ve tracked this evolution in our Samsung phones roadmap.

🤖 Google Pixel AI: The Most Ambitious

Gemini Nano powers a compact on-device version of Google’s flagship AI. Pixel phones can now:

• Run Magic Compose offline
• Summarize hour-long recordings instantly
• Handle entire phone screening conversations — audio never leaves the device

🌏 The Chinese Makers Aren’t Far Behind

• Xiaomi HyperOS 2: Powered by MiLM, its proprietary model
• Vivo BlueLM: Strong on creative tools and translation
• Honor MagicLM: Can detect deepfake video calls in real time — a genuinely useful tool against modern scams

Real-World Scenarios: What This Actually Looks Like

Let’s move from specs to stories. Here’s how on-device AI shows up in actual daily life.

📸 Scenario 1: The Tourist in Tokyo

Maria is at a ramen counter in Shinjuku. The menu is entirely in Japanese, the staff don’t speak English, and she has no signal underground.

She points her phone camera at the menu. In under a second, every item is overlaid with an English translation — including allergens. She speaks her order in English; her phone whispers it back in Japanese through a small speaker. The staff smiles and nods. No internet was used.

📷 Scenario 2: The Parent Editing a Family Photo

James snaps a photo of his daughter at her birthday party. A stranger walked into the background. The lighting is harsh. The cake is partly cut off.

He taps the photo. His phone’s AI:

• Removes the stranger and intelligently fills in the background
• Softens the lighting on his daughter’s face
• Extends the frame to include the full cake

Total time: 4 seconds. All processing happens on the phone — the photo never leaves the device.

🧑‍⚕️ Scenario 3: The Doctor on a House Call

Dr. Patel visits a rural patient with no reliable internet. She uses her phone’s AI to:

• Transcribe and summarize the patient interview in real time
• Cross-reference symptoms against her offline medical reference
• Generate a structured visit note ready to upload later

Because all of this runs locally, it complies with healthcare privacy laws like HIPAA and Europe’s GDPR — no patient data was ever transmitted.

♿ Scenario 4: The Commuter Who Is Blind

Ahmed boards a bus. His phone, paired with smart glasses, describes the scene in real time: “Bus is half full. Seat available on the left, two rows ahead. Person to your right is wearing a green jacket.”

None of this requires connectivity. According to Chieko Asakawa, IBM Fellow and accessibility researcher at Carnegie Mellon, “On-device AI is the most empowering technology shift for people with disabilities since the screen reader.”

🔍 Scenario 5: The Student Studying for Exams

Layla aims her camera at a complex chemistry equation in her textbook. Her phone:

• Recognizes the formula
• Explains it step-by-step in her chosen language
• Generates 5 practice problems tailored to her level

All offline. All free. All private.

The Privacy Dividend

This is perhaps the most underappreciated consequence of on-device AI.

For the last decade, every “smart” feature came with a hidden cost: your data was being uploaded somewhere. Voice commands to a server. Photos to the cloud. Typing patterns into someone’s training dataset.

On-device AI breaks that model. When the AI lives on your phone, there’s nothing to upload.

For regulated industries — healthcare, law, finance — this is the difference between being able to use AI at all or not. Privacy advocates at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Mozilla have long argued for exactly this architectural shift.

Dr. Latanya Sweeney, Harvard professor of government and technology, told MIT Technology Review in January 2026: “The shift to on-device inference is the single most consequential privacy improvement in consumer technology this decade. It changes the default from ‘everything is shared’ to ‘nothing is shared.'”

European regulators are paying attention too. Margrethe Vestager, former EU Commissioner for Digital Policy, recently observed: “Edge AI is one of the few technology trends that simultaneously empowers consumers and reduces regulatory friction. We should be encouraging it.”

The Battery and Heat Question

Running AI locally isn’t free. But 2026 hardware has largely solved the heat and battery problems thanks to:

• Smaller process nodes like TSMC’s 2nm and Samsung’s 3nm GAA
• Smarter scheduling across NPU, CPU, and GPU
• Aggressive quantization — shrinking models without major accuracy loss

A typical on-device image generation now uses about the same energy as recording 30 seconds of 4K video. An hour of live translation costs less battery than a 20-minute YouTube clip.

The Developer Ecosystem Is Catching Up

Hardware was the easy part. Getting app developers on board was harder. That’s finally changing thanks to tools like:

• Apple Core ML
• Google AICore
• Qualcomm AI Hub

As Linus Lee, an independent AI developer building offline-first apps, put it on his blog: “For the first time, I can ship a serious AI feature without renting a single GPU. My users get speed, I save money, and nobody’s data leaves their pocket. It’s a triple win.”

This unlocks a wave of new app experiences:

• Note-taking apps that summarize meetings without sending audio anywhere
• Fitness apps with offline personalized workout plans
• Language-learning apps with infinite AI conversation partners
• Creative tools that turn rough sketches into finished art

Open-source models like Meta’s Llama, Google’s Gemma, Microsoft’s Phi, and Mistral have been shrunk into mobile-friendly versions — letting indie developers ship AI without paying API fees.

What’s Still Missing

It’s not all polished:

• On-device models can hallucinate or miss nuance
• Multilingual support is uneven — English remains strongest
• Complex multi-step reasoning still favors cloud models
• Fragmentation: an app built for Apple AI must be rebuilt for Android
• Older phones (3+ years) are mostly left behind

And privacy benefits, while real, are not absolute. A poorly designed app can still leak data through analytics or telemetry. On-device AI removes one major risk; it doesn’t make a phone magically secure.

The Long-Term Implications

Zoom out and a bigger picture emerges. On-device AI is changing the smartphone from a thin client into a genuinely intelligent device.

The ripple effects are already visible:

• Cloud computing costs are dropping as inference moves to user devices
• Network bandwidth needs are easing in regions with poor connectivity
• AI wearables — glasses, earbuds, smart rings — are viable because they can offload to the phone
• Users in restrictive or low-connectivity regions get advanced AI for the first time

It’s quietly rebalancing the relationship between people and platforms. When AI lives on your device, you own it in a way you never owned a cloud service.

Conclusion: The Tipping Point Has Arrived

2026 isn’t the year AI came to smartphones. It’s the year AI moved in.

Five shifts to remember:

• 🧠 Smarter: Flagship phones now run 7B-parameter models locally
• 🔒 More private: Your data stops at your screen
• ⚡ Faster: No internet round-trip — answers in milliseconds
• 🔋 Sustainable: Modern NPUs make AI essentially free, energy-wise
• 🌍 More accessible: AI works everywhere, even offline

By 2027, “on-device AI” will disappear as a buzzword the same way “retina display” or “4G” did. It will simply be how phones work.

And once you’ve used a phone where the AI is always available, always private, and always fast — going back feels unthinkable.

The post On-Device AI: Revolutionizing Smartphones in 2026 appeared first on .

Nothing is a relatively new brand in the smartphone world — but its sub-brand CMF is even newer. CMF (short for Color, Material, Finish) initially focused on smartphone accessories with distinctive designs and aggressively affordable prices. Then, in 2024, it launched its very first phone — aptly named the CMF Phone 1.

Unlike sub-brands from other manufacturers (think Realme from Oppo, or Redmi from Xiaomi), Nothing doesn’t treat CMF as a fully independent company. Instead, CMF lives as a separate lineup within the broader Nothing ecosystem — sharing design philosophies, software, and even some hardware DNA.

The CMF Phone 1 shares a lot with the Nothing Phone (2a), but with its own unique style, design language, and modular twist. Let’s break down whether it lives up to the hype.

CMF Phone 1 Specs at a Glance

• Body: 164 x 77 x 8.2mm, 197g/202g; plastic shell, glass front; user-replaceable back cover; IP52 splash resistance
• Display: 6.67″ Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1080 x 2400px, 2,000 nits peak, 394ppi
• Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (4nm) — Octa-core, Mali-G615 MC2 GPU
• Memory: 6/8GB RAM; 128/256GB storage; microSDXC support
• OS: Android 14 with Nothing OS 2.6
• Rear Cameras: 50MP main (Sony IMX882, f/1.8, PDAF) + 2MP depth
• Front Camera: 16MP, f/2.0
• Video: 4K@30fps (rear), 1080p@30fps (front)
• Battery: 5,000mAh; 33W wired charging; 5W reverse wired
• Connectivity: 5G, Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
• Extras: Under-display optical fingerprint reader; “Accessory Point” mount

Design, Build Quality & Handling

The CMF Phone 1 has a genuinely standout design, especially from the back. The rounded corners create an elegant silhouette, while visible stainless steel screws give it an industrial vibe — what CMF calls “engineer’s aesthetics.”

Swappable Back Covers

The headline feature is the user-replaceable back panel, which enhances both customizability and sustainability. While the battery itself isn’t user-replaceable, you can easily swap the back cover if it’s scratched or you simply want a new color.

Four colors are available:

• Black — subtle texture
• Light Green — subtle texture
• Orange — vegan leather finish
• Blue — vegan leather finish (India-exclusive)

The Accessory Point: A Modular Twist

The CMF Phone 1’s most unique feature is the Accessory Point — a small screw mount on the back that lets you attach official accessories like a fold-out stand, card holder, or lanyard. It’s a refreshingly modular touch in a market obsessed with sealed-glass uniformity.

💡 Key Takeaway

If you’re tired of phones that all look the same, the CMF Phone 1 brings real personality back to the budget segment.

Build & Controls

Despite the plastic shell, the phone feels solid in hand — no flex, no hollow spots. The control layout is slightly unconventional: volume rocker on the left, power button on the right. All buttons have crisp tactile feedback.

Other notable details:

• Single bottom-firing speaker
• No 3.5mm headphone jack
• Hybrid SIM tray (second nano-SIM or microSD, not both)
• Snappy under-display optical fingerprint reader

Display

The 6.67-inch AMOLED panel is the biggest “above-its-class” feature here. With a 1080 x 2400 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 2,000 nits peak brightness, it’s brighter than most phones at this price.

Color reproduction is excellent in both modes:

• Alive mode — DCI-P3 color space (vibrant)
• Standard mode — sRGB (accurate)

One small caveat: the display lacks formal HDR hardware certifications like Dolby Vision. However, it still supports Ultra HDR photos and HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG video decoding — meaning HDR content from YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video will still look great.

The “adaptive” refresh rate switches between 120Hz and 60Hz — no intermediate steps like 90Hz, which is a minor disappointment for battery optimization.

Battery Life & Charging

The 5,000mAh battery delivers stellar battery life, scoring an Active Use Score of 16 hours 13 minutes in standardized testing — outperforming other Dimensity 7300-powered phones like the Oppo Reno 12 and Reno 12 Pro.

Charging Speed

The phone supports 33W wired fast charging — but no charger is included in the box. Using a 65W PD/QC universal charger, the CMF Phone 1 peaks at around 26W and stays around 20W for most of the cycle. A full charge takes about 81 minutes.

There’s also 5W reverse wired charging — useful in a pinch for topping up earbuds.

Speaker Quality

The single bottom-firing speaker scores a “GOOD” loudness rating with clear mids and decent highs. However, the lack of a hybrid stereo setup is noticeable — especially compared to competitors like the Xiaomi Poco X6 Pro and Galaxy A35, which offer true stereo speakers.

Connectivity

The CMF Phone 1 offers solid modern connectivity — but with a couple of notable omissions:

• ✅ 5G (dual SIM)
• ✅ Wi-Fi 6
• ✅ Bluetooth 5.3
• ❌ No NFC — a big miss in 2026, especially for Google/Samsung Pay users
• ❌ No FM radio
• ❌ No 3.5mm jack
• ⚠️ USB-C limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds

Software: Nothing OS 2.6 on Android 14

The CMF Phone 1 runs Nothing OS 2.6 on top of Android 14 — and it’s genuinely one of the cleanest Android skins out there. It offers an AOSP-like experience with heavy visual customization, including:

• Custom dot-matrix-style icons
• Monochrome UI option (great for digital wellbeing)
• Unique widgets and a clean lock screen
• Minimal bloatware

⚠️ Update Policy

Nothing promises 2 major Android updates and 3 years of security patches — which is below what Samsung and Google offer at this price point. According to Android Authority, this is one of the weaker points of CMF’s value proposition.

Performance & Benchmarks

The MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset is built on a 4nm process and is geared toward power efficiency over raw performance. For everyday tasks like browsing, social media, and streaming, it’s perfectly snappy. For gaming, it handles most popular titles like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty Mobile at medium settings comfortably.

Compared to the Dimensity 7050, the 7300 offers improved efficiency and CPU performance. Thermal management is excellent — the back stays only lukewarm even under sustained load, and the throttling curve is gentle.

Camera Quality

Main Camera (50MP Sony IMX882)

• Daylight: Solid detail, natural colors, good contrast
• Portraits: The depth sensor enables good subject separation
• Low light: Impressive — plenty of detail, low noise, accurate colors
• Video: 4K@30fps with strong low-light performance

Selfie Camera (16MP)

Decent facial detail and accurate colors, but limited dynamic range. Fine for social media — not for portraits in tricky lighting.

⚠️ No OIS

The lack of Optical Image Stabilization is a notable omission, particularly for low-light handheld shots and video.

Competition

At this price, the CMF Phone 1 faces some stiff competition:

• Samsung Galaxy A35 — Better IP67 water resistance and longer software support.
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro — Bigger camera sensor, faster charging.
• Xiaomi Poco X6 Pro — More powerful chipset, stereo speakers.
• Nothing Phone (2a) — The CMF’s “older sibling” with better cameras and the iconic Glyph interface.

Each rival beats the CMF Phone 1 in some way — but none match its design personality, modularity, and repairability story.

Pros & Cons

✅ Pros

• Unique, standout design with real customizability and repairability
• Bright 120Hz OLED with great color accuracy
• Excellent battery life
• Solid chipset performance for the price
• Strong main camera in good and low light
• Clean, fast, distinctive Nothing OS

❌ Cons

• No charger in the box
• Minimal IP52 splash resistance
• Unimpressive single mono speaker
• No NFC (a big deal in 2026)
• No OIS on the main camera
• Only 2 years of Android updates

The Verdict: Is the CMF Phone 1 Worth Buying?

The CMF Phone 1 is unmistakably a design-first phone. It doesn’t excel in any single benchmark category, but delivers a well-rounded performance with great battery life, a bright display, and a genuinely fresh design language.

The minimal IP52 rating, single speaker, no NFC, and missing charger are all real downsides — but in return, you get something rare in the budget segment: personality. Swappable covers, an Accessory Point, and a striking industrial design make this phone stand out in a sea of glassy black slabs.

If you value aesthetics, sustainability, and customization over raw specs and feature checklists, the CMF Phone 1 will be one of the most charming phones you’ve owned in years. If you need NFC, top-tier IP rating, or stereo speakers — look elsewhere.

🎯 Who Should Buy It?

• ✅ Design enthusiasts and Nothing OS fans
• ✅ Users who want long battery life
• ✅ Tinkerers who appreciate modularity and repairability
• ❌ Heavy mobile payment users (no NFC)
• ❌ Mobile gamers who want top-tier sound and performance
• ❌ Photographers who need OIS for low light

Join the Conversation

Would you swap your current budget phone for the CMF Phone 1’s customizable design? Or is the lack of NFC a dealbreaker? 👇 Tell us in the comments!

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One of the most exciting developments in Samsung phones in 2023 is the introduction of 5G technology. This new network will allow for lightning-fast data speeds, improved connectivity, and smoother streaming and browsing experiences. Samsung has already released several 5G-capable devices, including the Galaxy S21 5G and the Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, and is expected to expand its 5G offerings in 2023.

Another area where Samsung is likely to innovate in 2023 is with foldable phones. The Galaxy Z Fold2 and the Galaxy Z Flip were both released in 2020 and have been well-received by consumers. In 2023, Samsung is expected to build on this success with new foldable devices that feature larger screens, more durable materials, and improved hinge technology. These foldable phones could change the way people use their devices and offer new possibilities for multitasking, gaming, and productivity.

Samsung is also known for its high-quality cameras, and 2023 is likely to bring even more improvements in this area. With each new device release, Samsung has improved its camera technology, adding features like multiple lenses, enhanced low-light performance, and advanced image stabilization. In 2023, we can expect Samsung to continue pushing the boundaries of smartphone photography, with even more advanced features and improved image quality.

In addition to hardware improvements, Samsung is also expected to make significant updates to its software in 2023. The company has already made strides in this area with its One UI 3.0 update, which offers a more streamlined and intuitive user experience.

Samsung Phones in 2023: Galaxy S23 Launch

Samsung is expected to launch its new Galaxy S23 series at an event scheduled for February 1. Although Samsung has yet to confirm the details, the company’s TM Roh has promised to unveil two Ultra devices, one of which is likely to be a new Galaxy Book laptop. The Galaxy S23 is expected to be the star of the show. With the first big smartphone launch of the year, Samsung hopes its new phones will live up to the hype. The rumors surrounding the Galaxy S23 Ultra are exciting, with Samsung reportedly giving the high-end Ultra model a 200MP sensor as its primary camera. Users will have a choice of 200MP, 50MP, and 12.5MP resolutions for their shots, depending on their preferences for brightness, color, and detail. The S23 Ultra may even allow users to shoot 8K video at 30 frames per second. Another exciting rumor suggests that the S23 Ultra will feature the brightest display of any phone, with a peak brightness of 2,100 nits. However, the newly introduced Ultra Dynamic Range display that can achieve such a feat may not have arrived in time for the Galaxy S23 update.

All three rumored Galaxy S23 models, the standard, Plus, and Ultra, are expected to receive a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset as their main engine. Our Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 benchmarks suggest that phones using this silicon should be able to challenge the A15 Bionic-powered iPhone 14, even if Apple’s Pro models remain out of reach. Furthermore, the S23 series has been rumored to get an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which could make the new phone an Android powerhouse.

The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus are expected to pick up the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s look, with individual lenses instead of a camera housing that blends into the side of the device as part of Samsung’s Contour Cut design. There is also talk of an upgraded fingerprint sensor beneath the display that would cover a larger area and even allow scanning of multiple fingerprints simultaneously.

Samsung Phones in 2023: Galaxy A Phones

One of the reasons Samsung is confident about dropping the Galaxy S22 FE is that its midrange Galaxy A phones have become powerful enough to be viable alternatives for people who do not want to pay for a flagship device. The Samsung Galaxy A53 was one of the best cheap phones to come out in 2022, giving the Pixel 6a a run for its money. The Galaxy A14 was the first addition to Samsung’s Galaxy A series in 2023, introduced at CES with a price tag of $199. The phone boasts a display that can ramp up to a 90Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and includes an increasingly rare microSD slot for boosting storage.

Samsung Phones in 2023: Foldable phones

Samsung has been the clear leader when it comes to foldable phones, with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 ranking among the best foldable phones in the market. And it looks like the company is planning to build on that momentum in 2023.
There are already rumors of a new foldable device that’s even more affordable than the Z Flip 3, which itself is priced at $999. According to a report from The Elec, Samsung is planning to launch a foldable device with a price tag of around $800 in 2023. The report suggests that Samsung may achieve this price point by using a new display material, which would be cheaper than the ultra-thin glass (UTG) used in current foldable devices.

Samsung is also said to be working on a new foldable device with a clamshell design, similar to the Z Flip series. According to a report from SamMobile, the device is codenamed “Bloom 2” and is expected to feature a larger external display compared to its predecessor. It’s also rumored to come with an under-display camera, which would allow for a completely seamless design without a notch or hole-punch for the front-facing camera.
And let’s not forget about the Galaxy Z Fold 4. While details are scarce, it’s safe to assume that Samsung will continue to refine and improve upon its flagship foldable device. There are already rumors of a larger external display and improvements to the hinge mechanism, which should make the device even more durable.

Samsung Phones in 2023: Other phones

While the Galaxy S23 and foldable devices are likely to be the stars of Samsung’s 2023 lineup, the company is also expected to release a number of other phones across different price points.
For starters, we can expect to see new additions to the Galaxy M series, which is Samsung’s budget lineup. The Galaxy M52 was released in 2022, so we can expect to see a successor to that device in 2023. There are also rumors of a new device called the Galaxy M42 FE, which is expected to be a more affordable version of the Galaxy M42.
Samsung is also rumored to be working on a new rugged phone, which could be called the Galaxy Xcover 6. The Xcover series is known for its durability and resistance to water and dust, making it a popular choice among outdoor enthusiasts and people who work in challenging environments.
Finally, there are rumors of a new Galaxy Note device in the works. The Note series was discontinued in 2021, but there have been reports that Samsung may bring it back in some form in 2023. It’s unclear what form that device may take, but it’s possible that it could be a foldable device with a stylus, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold series.

Conclusion

Samsung had a strong 2022, but the company can’t afford to rest on its laurels. With competitors like Apple and Google nipping at its heels, Samsung needs to continue to innovate and push the envelope when it comes to smartphone technology.
Fortunately, it looks like Samsung has big plans for 2023. From the highly anticipated Galaxy S23 lineup to new foldable devices and budget-friendly options, Samsung is covering all the bases. It remains to be seen whether these devices will live up to the hype, but one thing is for sure: 2023 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Samsung and smartphone enthusiasts alike.

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To be honest, that’s all you need to know about it. If you prefer an iPhone with the best battery life over an iPhone with the most recent features, the iPhone 14 Plus is the one for you.

It’s impossible to assess an iPhone without comparing it to the one before it. As a result, 2022’s iPhone 14 is eerily identical to 2021’s iPhone 13 (mini review), and a touch uninteresting as a result.

The Pros and Cons

It has the same design and offers very little new. If you already have an iPhone 13 (still great), you don’t need an iPhone 14.

If you’re here debating whether to buy the iPhone 14, you almost certainly don’t own an iPhone 13. You’ll have an older iPhone, like the iPhone XR or iPhone 11, or you’ll be switching from Android and aren’t sure whether you need all of the bells and whistles of the iPhone 14 Pro.

In that case, the iPhone 14 is an excellent device. It has a good screen, a long battery life, excellent cameras, and excellent performance. It’s the default iPhone setting and will fit in perfectly with your lifestyle.

All of that said, it’s more expensive in the UK and Europe than the iPhone 13 was at $799/£849/€1,019, and while its screen is good, it’s stuck at 60Hz when most Android phones at this price have slicker 120Hz refresh rates. Apple also purposefully excludes features that the hardware can support in order to upsell you to the iPhone 14 Pro, which is annoying.

Essentially, the iPhone 14 is a very good phone, but Apple has limited its potential so that it can charge more for it.

Specs and performance

In 2022, Apple changed its strategy, putting the new A16 Bionic chipset in the iPhone 14 Pro but not in the regular iPhone 14. The bottom line is that this is unimportant because the A15 in the iPhone 14 is very fast and capable – in fact, it is the same one found in the iPhone 13 Pro.

Apple does not specify how much RAM is installed in its phones, but teardowns have revealed that it is 6GB. Apple has redesigned the iPhone 14 on the inside, making it much more repairable, according to iFixit’s teardown – a minor victory.
The phone comes with a non-expandable storage capacity of 128, 256, or 512GB. If you have a lot of photos and apps, I recommend at least 256GB.

I encountered no performance issues while using the phone as my primary device. Despite its year-old processor, the iPhone 14 feels more fluid and performant than many current Android flagships. That’s not to say it’s not, but it feels so slick because Apple has complete control over the hardware and software, and its quality control is extremely high.

The phone keeps apps in memory so you can pick up where you left off when switching between apps. There’s also no aggressive background snoozing of apps like on some Android devices, so notifications came through without a hitch.

The phone competed with the iPhone 13 Pro in benchmarks, which makes sense given that the hardware is nearly identical. In Geekbench’s multicore CPU test, the phone outperformed the 14 Pro, demonstrating that the benefits of going ‘pro’ with an iPhone are minor.

Design and Build of the iPhone 14

The iPhone 14 has the same notch size as the iPhone 13 for the front camera and Face ID system, but it lacks the iPhone 14 Pro’s fancy Dynamic Island cut-out camera and sensor with its software tricks and new ways to display information. The Pro also gets Apple’s new always-on display technology.

There are two camera lenses in a bump on the back, which means the phone will rock on a table if not in a case (the bump is also bigger so will not fit in any iPhone 13 cases). The volume buttons are on the left edge, below the mute switch, and the power button is on the right.

There’s also a SIM tray in every country except the US, as Apple only uses eSIM in its North American models.

If you don’t want that to happen in your country, you might want to get the iPhone 14, which may be one of the last iPhones with a physical SIM tray.
It may also be the last year that the iPhone uses the 10-year-old Lightning port, as the iPhone is rumored to be switching to USB-C soon, but a Lightning port is still present on the bottom of the phone, next to the down-firing speaker that pairs with the earpiece for dual speaker sound.

There’s also a SIM tray in every country except the US, as Apple only uses eSIM in its North American models.

If you don’t want that to happen in your country, you might want to get the iPhone 14, which may be one of the last iPhones with a physical SIM tray.
It may also be the last year that the iPhone uses the 10-year-old Lightning port, as the iPhone is rumored to be switching to USB-C soon, but a Lightning port is still present on the bottom of the phone, next to the down-firing speaker that pairs with the earpiece for dual speaker sound.

Display and audio

In that case, the iPhone 14 is an excellent device. It has a good screen, a long battery life, excellent cameras, and excellent performance. It’s the default iPhone setting and will fit in perfectly with your lifestyle.

All of that said, it’s more expensive in the UK and Europe than the iPhone 13 was at $799/£849/€1,019, and while its screen is good, it’s stuck at 60Hz when most Android phones at this price have slicker 120Hz refresh rates. Apple also purposefully excludes features that the hardware can support in order to upsell you to the iPhone 14 Pro, which is annoying.

Essentially, the iPhone 14 is a very good phone, but Apple has limited its potential so that it can charge more for it.

The iPhone 14 has the same notch size as the iPhone 13 for the front camera and Face ID system, but it lacks the iPhone 14 Pro’s fancy Dynamic Island cut-out camera and sensor with its software tricks and new ways to display information. The Pro also gets Apple’s new always-on display technology.

There are two camera lenses in a bump on the back, which means the phone will rock on a table if not in a case (the bump is also bigger so will not fit in any iPhone 13 cases). The volume buttons are on the left edge, below the mute switch, and the power button is on the right.

iPhone 14 Charging and Battery

Apple annoys me by not revealing the size of the batteries in its phones, but you might not mind since this doesn’t affect how long the phone is usable between charges. The iPhone 14’s battery life was outstanding in my opinion. The phone would typically last me a day and a half of usage before I needed to recharge; in other words, I would take it off the charger around 8am and it would barely be at 20% by midday the following day.

The battery (if you care) is only 3,279mAh, which is significantly less than the 5,000mAh now frequently found on Android phones. Because Apple controls all of the hardware and iOS software, the battery efficiency is excellent, allowing for longer battery life with fewer cells.

If you use your phone a lot, you might want to consider the larger 14 Plus or the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which have larger batteries.
One disadvantage of the iPhone 14 is its slow charging. In comparison to Android phones, which can charge to 100% in less than 30 minutes, the iPhone remains glacial. I charged the phone from 0% to 60% in 30 minutes using the included Lightning cable and a 30W Apple USB-C charger (no charging brick is included).
Slow charging isn’t an issue if you want to charge your phone overnight, but if you run out of juice during the day, it takes longer to charge than rival phones.

Additionally, Apple’s MagSafe magnetic charging circle is built into the back of the device, allowing you to use magnetic wireless chargers or accessories like the company’s stylish three-card wallet. Wireless charging using the Qi standard is also available.

iPhone 14 Camera and video

• Excellent main 12Mp lens
• Autofocus on selfie cam
• No RAW capture

The regular iPhone 14’s camera isn’t a slouch, despite the Pro iPhones’ cameras receiving a lot of attention. As long as you don’t require an optical telephoto lens, it ranks among the best camera systems I’ve used on a phone this year.

The iPhone offers the best point-and-shoot camera experience of any phone brand, right up there with the Google Pixel. A 12MP main f/1.5 lens with optical image stabilization (OIS) or a 12MP ultra-wide f/2.4 lens with a 120° field of view are both options for shooting.

If you use your phone a lot, you might want to consider the larger 14 Plus or the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which have larger batteries.
One disadvantage of the iPhone 14 is its slow charging. In comparison to Android phones, which can charge to 100% in less than 30 minutes, the iPhone remains glacial. I charged the phone from 0% to 60% in 30 minutes using the included Lightning cable and a 30W Apple USB-C charger (no charging brick is included).
Slow charging isn’t an issue if you want to charge your phone overnight, but if you run out of juice during the day, it takes longer to charge than rival phones.

You are not granted access to Apple’s ProRAW RAW format, which would be useful for those who want to edit their images but don’t want to spend the money on a Pro iPhone, nor do you receive the 48MP main lens featured on the iPhone 14 Pro. It is infuriating that the iPhone 14 cannot shoot in RAW images despite having technology that clearly supports it. This is especially true given that the primary sensor utilized in this device is the same as that found in the RAW-capable iPhone 13 Pro.

Though the images are a little over-sharpened by Apple’s computational processing, the HEIF (if Live Photos is active) or JPEG shots taken with the main lens are stunning and capture loads of detail. Low-light performance is improved over the standard iPhone 13, but only when comparing images side by side. These are only marginal gains year on year.

Price and availability

The 128GB model of the iPhone 14 starts at $799/£849/€1,019 (approximately). While it costs the same as an iPhone 13 in the US, it costs £70 more in the UK and a significant €120 more in Europe.

Direct from Apple is the best place to purchase it in any region because you can also buy Apple Care insurance there. Check out our article on where to buy the iPhone 14 for more retail options.
The price increases to $899 (£959/€1,149) for the 256GB model and $1099 (£1179/€1,409; the model I tested) for the 512GB model.

You might prefer to buy the iPhone 14 on a two-year contract to mitigate the price increase, but if you want to buy it outright, consider cheaper, premium Android alternatives such as the $599/£599/€649 Google Pixel 6, which has a 90Hz display and a similar main and ultra-wide camera.

Is it worth buying iPhone 14?

The iPhone 14 Plus is for you if it’s time for an upgrade and you’ve been eyeing the large iPhone but would rather have the best battery life over the most up-to-date features. For less than $1,000, you can get an iPhone with a really large screen and excellent battery life. Many people will find that combination of features appealing, and the 14 Plus lives up to its promises.

In Apple’s lineup, the iPhone 14 takes the place of the iPhone 13 and continues to be the most popular iPhone model. It features excellent cameras, a long battery life, and a wonderful display—even though it runs at 60 Hz.

It’s worth noting that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max offer more noticeable upgrades. Everything new in the 14 is included, as well as an upgraded main camera with a larger 48-megapixel sensor, an ultrawide camera with Macro capabilities, and a third camera with a telephoto lens. If you can get a good trade-in deal that significantly reduces the price of the iPhone 14 Pro, upgrading from the regular iPhone 12 is a good step up.

It isn’t excessively huge, unlike the Plus and Max variants of the iPhone, and it won’t weigh down your pocket or bag. I also prefer the aluminum sides of the iPhone 14 over the glossy, fingerprint-attracting sides of the Pro iPhones.

Bottom line: Keep your iPhone 12 for another year because the iPhone 14 isn’t significantly different. The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, on the other hand, bring more significant changes that may be worthwhile if you can find a good trade-in deal.

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