RTP

Huawei has released what it calls the world's slimmest and largest foldable smartphone, a claim picked up by outlets across the United States. The launch underscores the Chinese company's continued push into premium foldable hardware despite Western sanctions, and it is drawing attention as a fresh challenge to rivals like Samsung in the foldable phone market.

A new survey finds that 8 in 10 Dutch people aged 16 to 34 believe their smartphone use harms their everyday life. The finding highlights growing concern among young adults about the impact of constant phone use on wellbeing, concentration, and daily routines, sparking debate about digital habits and possible measures to curb excessive screen time.

Huawei's latest smartphone chip is closing the performance gap with leading competitors, according to industry coverage. The development signals continued progress by the Chinese tech firm in domestic semiconductor design despite export restrictions limiting its access to advanced foreign chip technology.

Qualcomm announced two new smartphone chips, strengthening its push into on-device artificial intelligence as competition among chipmakers intensifies. The announcement came alongside the company's earnings update, but investors were unmoved: Qualcomm shares slipped modestly in after-hours trading despite the new product launches. Attention is on how the company's AI-capable silicon will fare against rivals in the premium smartphone market.

Portugal are taking on Norway, with the match drawing search interest in multiple countries, ranking first in Canada and high in France, Spain, Mexico and elsewhere. Portuguese broadcaster RTP quotes the coach saying he would not set up a team 'to draw' as he names an eleven built to win, and fans are debating his line-up choices ahead of kick-off.

A Northeastern University project is examining how modern cars function as smartphones on wheels, constantly collecting data from drivers and passengers. The work highlights which companies and services may have access to in-car microphones, sensors and location data, raising privacy questions about how much automakers and third parties can hear and track. Readers are debating how little control drivers have over this data collection.

A Guardian money article asks why bus passengers who do not use smartphones should have to pay more for their tickets. It highlights how cheaper digital fares and app-based ticketing leave passengers without mobile phones facing higher prices. Readers are debating the fairness of smartphone-only discounts and what it means for older or low-income travellers who rely on cash and paper tickets.

Bus passengers without smartphones are being charged more than those who pay via mobile apps, prompting complaints that digital-only fare systems discriminate against older and less tech-savvy riders. Critics argue transport operators are effectively penalising people for not owning a smartphone, raising questions about accessibility, fairness and whether essential public services should require personal technology.

Rosetta Stone is rolling out Sapphire, a revamped language learning product aimed at today's smartphone users, as it tries to stay relevant in a market dominated by newer, app-first competitors. The company says the update is designed to appeal to modern learners who want shorter, more flexible lessons on their phones. The move is drawing attention as the veteran education brand attempts a comeback.

A widely shared observation argues that young people raised on social media, AI, smartphones and other products of information capitalism — so-called digital natives — hold the most negative views of these technologies' social impact. The point being circulated is that their first-hand experience gives their concerns weight, and that society perhaps ought to listen more closely to what they are saying about the tools shaping their lives.

Writer Thu-Huong Ha tested life in Singapore with no smartphone, in one of the world's most digitally dependent cities. Her account describes navigating QR-code payments, app-only bookings and services that assume constant connectivity, highlighting how difficult everyday tasks become for anyone offline in a hyperconnected society.

A guide ranks gadgets designed to replace screen time with simpler technology, ordering them by how little attention they demand from users. The list reflects growing interest in digital minimalism, with devices such as e-readers, basic music players and other single-purpose tools positioned as alternatives to constant smartphone use for people looking to cut back on phone habits.

Huawei has increased the prices of its flagship smartphones by as much as US$200, attributing the hike to rising memory procurement costs that have pushed per-unit manufacturing expenses up by roughly the same amount. The move, reported by DigiTimes Asia, highlights how surging memory chip prices are being passed on to consumers, and it fuels broader discussion about component costs squeezing smartphone makers.

A debate is underway among writers and readers over whether smartphones should appear in fiction. Critics argue that phones eliminate tension by making characters instantly reachable and traceable, while defenders say ignoring them makes contemporary stories feel unrealistic. The discussion has reignited a familiar argument about how novelists should handle modern technology in realistic settings.

Attention is turning to how young South Korean children are when they first begin using smartphones, with reports highlighting exposure starting in the toddler years. The topic has fuelled wider debate about screen time, child development and parenting habits in one of the world's most connected countries.

A concept called the iPhone Duo is drawing attention for showing what smartphones could look like in the future, depicting a dual-screen take on Apple's phone. Coverage frames it as a glimpse at possible directions for device design, such as foldable or two-panel form factors, at a time when speculation about Apple's next hardware moves is intense.

A German-language guide explains how to charge smartphones in a battery-friendly way so the battery lasts longer over the years. It notes that battery capacity declines noticeably with time and use, and shares personal tips drawn from years of experience with different devices.

A short haiku-style poem shared on the social network Mastodon notes that as autumn weather cools, the urgency of the climate crisis feels less pressing, even though it isn't. The author, writing under the climate justice community, tagged the piece with themes of climate denial, emergency, collapse and extinction, using the change of seasons to make a point about complacency.

A Forbes article argues that constant smartphone use, social media and now artificial intelligence are chemically changing how human brains function, reshaping attention, reward systems and behaviour. The piece adds AI to a long-running debate about technology's neurological effects, suggesting the newest wave of digital tools may compound changes already linked to screens and feeds.

A newly released book about North Carolina's Research Triangle Park claims IBM came close to siting a major facility in Manassas, Virginia, before ultimately choosing RTP. The revelation has drawn attention in both Virginia and North Carolina, with local readers reflecting on how different the region's economic history might have been had the computing giant landed in Manassas instead.