Latest from Phone Arena
Phone Arena
2 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Google and Samsung are making me more and more excited about the Pixel 10 series
For a lot of mobile tech enthusiasts (and especially hardcore Android fans) out there, the most exciting product announcements of 2025 might already be in the rearview mirror. If you had asked me at the very beginning of the year, I'd have probably expected to be in a similar position by now, as I was also mainly looking forward to Samsung's two big 2025 Unpacked events. But with the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition 7 globally unveiled at last, my excitement... for a totally different device (or four) is unexpectedly growing. That's right, I am now looking forward with (cautious) delight to Google's Pixel 10 series launch next month for a couple of key reasons. While a little optimism never hurt anyone (or anything), too much of it can definitely set unrealistic expectations for an unannounced family of high-end handsets and thus substantially reduce the chances of said handsets ever achieving commercial success. So, yes, I may have hoped for a few seconds a couple of months ago that at least one member of the Pixel 10 lineup would be cheaper than its Pixel 9 series counterpart, but realistically, the best case scenario was always one with unchanged price points across the board. The Pixel 10 Pro is likely to come with a familiar design and a familiar price point. The "vanilla" Pixel 10 ? If it retains the Pixel 9 's base $799 pricing (as has been rumored for several months now), its value proposition might prove unrivaled hard to rival, especially when Samsung is likely to come dangerously close to that mark with a potentially underwhelming Galaxy S25 FE soon. It's as if Samsung is intentionally trying to make Google look good, which brings me to quite possibly the search giant's biggest mobile hardware achievement this year. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold may look repetitive at first glance, but these images don't tell the full story. Of course, then you've got the likes of the Honor Magic V5, which packs a truly ginormous (by any standards) 6,100mAh battery in China, but obviously, that's a different (regional) story. In the (inexplicable) absence of a OnePlus Open 2, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold could well become a US battery life champion, which I know is something we've all wished for at least once in the last couple of years. And mind you, while this bad boy certainly doesn't look as thin and as stylish as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in those leaked renders from a while back, its design and overall thickness seem very close to what the Pixel 9 Pro Fold currently offers. That means Google might be able to considerably boost the battery size and slightly expand the cover screen real estate without adding much bulk, which sounds like an amazing engineering feat. Maybe even more amazing (at least in my book) than Samsung making the Z Fold 7 4.2mm thin in unfolded form. Oh, and let's not forget that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has also been expected for a little while to offer IP68 water and dust resistance, thus beating the (theoretical) durability of all its key US rivals. That's yet another major detail that's practically etched in stone after the latest report on this device, as well as another big reason why I'm more excited than ever for Google's August product launch event. Who's with me? Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Phone Arena
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Phone Arena
AI travel videos are getting so real, people are falling for fake attractions
A Malaysian couple recently found themselves at the center of an AI hoax that turned a simple weekend trip into a costly and frustrating experience. After watching what appeared to be a professionally produced travel video, the elderly couple drove over 230 miles from Kuala Lumpur to a small town in Perak, only to discover that the entire attraction was fabricated by artificial intelligence. The video that fooled them featured a realistic news segment from a fictional broadcaster called "TV Rakyat." In the clip, a lifelike AI-generated reporter showcased the "Kuak Skyride," a scenic cable car ride said to exist in the town of Kuak Hulu. The footage showed lush mountain views, interviews with so-called tourists, and even a luxurious dining experience overlooking the landscape. The segment ended with a visit to a deer petting zoo. The entire video appeared authentic, complete with voiceovers and convincing visuals likely created using Google's Veo 3 model. According to local media including the Metro and the South China Morning Post , the couple checked into a hotel in Perak's Pengkalan Hulu area on June 30 and asked about the cable car ride. A hotel employee recounted the moment she realized the attraction didn't exist: Receive the latest Google news By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy — @dyaaaaaaa._, a hotel employee, via Threads The woman was reportedly upset and said she planned to sue the journalist featured in the video. But the hotel employee had to break the news: the reporter was also AI-generated. 'Why would anyone want to lie?' the woman replied. 'There was even a reporter (in the video).' This wasn't an isolated incident. Another social media user reported their parents spent RM 9,000 (around $2,120 USD) to rent a van for the same trip, believing the video to be real. Reports suggest the video went viral across Malaysian social platforms before eventually being taken down due to public backlash. The situation raises important questions about the growing realism of AI-generated video content. If ordinary travelers can be misled by videos that seem indistinguishable from real-life footage, what does that mean for digital media going forward? Cases like this show that while generative video tools can be powerful for creativity, they also introduce risks around misinformation, especially when viewers are unaware of how convincing synthetic content can be. Personally, I think that as these tools become more accessible, we may need better labeling, regulations, or education to help viewers distinguish real from fake. The woman was reportedly upset and said she planned to sue the journalist featured in the video. But the hotel employee had to break the news: the reporter was also AI-generated. 'Why would anyone want to lie?' the woman replied. 'There was even a reporter (in the video).'This wasn't an isolated incident. Another social media user reported their parents spent RM 9,000 (around $2,120 USD) to rent a van for the same trip, believing the video to be real. Reports suggest the video went viral across Malaysian social platforms before eventually being taken down due to public situation raises important questions about the growing realism of AI-generated video content. If ordinary travelers can be misled by videos that seem indistinguishable from real-life footage, what does that mean for digital media going forward?Cases like this show that while generative video tools can be powerful for creativity, they also introduce risks around misinformation, especially when viewers are unaware of how convincing synthetic content can be. Personally, I think that as these tools become more accessible, we may need better labeling, regulations, or education to help viewers distinguish real from fake.
Phone Arena
3 hours ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
Nvidia will soon resume sales of its AI chips in China
As we mentioned back in April, the U.S. might have shot itself in the foot by blocking Nvidia from selling its GPU chips, which are used as AI accelerators in China. This part of the story is easy to understand since it is well known that the U.S. seeks to prevent China from obtaining advanced chips amid concerns that they will be used to improve the country's military. But this ban resulted in Huawei receiving more orders inside China for its Ascend series of AI accelerators. Many of these sales would have gone to Nvidia except for the fact that the U.S. company, as noted, is banned from selling its GPUs in China. But in a statement released last night, Nvidia, the world's most valuable publicly traded company, says that it is filing applications with the U.S. government to resume shipping its H20 chips to China. The company expects to receive the licenses soon. The H20 chips that Nvidia hopes to sell in China are the most capable it can sell in the country. That is because of laws enacted by both President Donald Trump during his first term, and President Joe Biden. These chips are not as powerful as Nvidia's GPUs sold outside China. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is currently in Beijing and set to speak during an event being held in the city tomorrow. The company released a statement that says, "The U.S. government has assured Nvidia that licenses will be granted, and Nvidia hopes to start deliveries soon." Huang has said that Nvidia could lose its position as a global AI leader if it remains unable to sell its chips in China. A report published today says that Chinese companies are rushing to place orders for Nvidia's GPU. These orders will have to be sent to the U.S. government for approval. Among Chinese firms reportedly getting ready to submit orders are TikTok parent ByteDance and Chinese conglomerate Tencent. For the fiscal year ended January 26th, 2025, Nvidia took in $17 billion in revenue from China, equivalent to 13% of the company's global sales. Chinese tech companies still favor Nvidia's computing platform, known as CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture). CUDA allows developers to take advantage of the parallel processing used by Nvidia's GPUs. This type of processing allows multiple tasks to be handled simultaneously while using multiple cores. It is critical for AI, where billions and trillions of operations are handled at the same time. Investors are reacting to this new by pushing Nvidia's shares up 3.98% to $170.60. The company is now worth $4.16 trillion dollars. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Phone Arena
3 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Google Messages is fixing a major UI annoyance
Receive the latest Google news Subscribe By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy Google hasn't rolled back the previous changes, though. Selecting the icon in the text field will still summon the combined interface. Google is basically letting you decide which interface is right for you. We think it might merge the viewfinder and gallery again when more people get used to it. The opposite may also prove to be true, but we are just speculating. For now, it has done the sensible thing by keeping around both options. After all, these are both frequently used options, and any friction would adversely affect the user experience. Google is basically letting you decide which interface is right for you. We think it might merge the viewfinder and gallery again when more people get used to it. The opposite may also prove to be true, but we are just speculating. For now, it has done the sensible thing by keeping around both options. After all, these are both frequently used options, and any friction would adversely affect the user experience. 9to5Google says that the change is being rolled out at a limited scale to the latest version of Google Messages beta. Google has taken care of the problem by letting users access the camera and gallery separately. When you tap the 'plus' menu on the right, you will now be able to decide if you want to bring up the camera or go to the gallery. Grab Surfshark VPN now at more than 50% off and with 3 extra months for free! Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer If there's one app that gets updated frequently, it's Google Messages. Not only does Google frequently roll out changes, but it's also swift in handling complaints. In June, the gallery and camera interface were redesigned , but not everyone was a fan of it. Google is currently taking care of interface rolled out in June combined the camera and gallery. When the button to the right of the text field was tapped, it displayed a viewfinder at the top and a photo grid at the bottom. Users who didn't want to activate their camera every time they tried to attach a photo weren't happy with the change. The only fix was to disable the camera in Google was also annoying for some users that tapping the gallery icon brought up a full-screen viewfinder that took up most of the screen, while the remaining portion was taken up by the photo grid, hiding the conversation completely.
Phone Arena
4 hours ago
- Phone Arena
The Nothing Phone (3) and Headphone (1) are now widely available in most regions
The latest chapter in Nothing's growing ecosystem is officially underway. The company has now opened sales in most regions for both the Nothing Phone (3) and its debut over-ear headphones, the Nothing Headphone (1).Following several weeks of heated online discussion — especially surrounding the updated design of the Phone (3) — the devices are now available in multiple regions, including the US, UK, Europe, and India. For those interested, purchases can be made directly through the official Nothing store, while third-party retailers such as Amazon and Flipkart are handling sales in select we reported in our review of the Nothing Phone (3), the phone takes a bolder aesthetic leap compared to previous models. The rear panel sees a major redesign of the Glyph Interface, now called Glyph Matrix, introducing more granular lighting zones and interactive animations. That change divided opinion early on, but the final release gives users more hands-on control with lighting patterns and real-time integrations. Hardware-wise, the Phone (3) includes the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, a 6.7-inch OLED display, and either 12GB or 16GB of RAM depending on the configuration. Storage goes up to 512GB, and customers in some regions are receiving free upgrades to the higher-memory model. However, this promotional offer is not available everywhere. One regional variation worth noting is the Indian version of the Nothing Phone (3) , which ships with a larger 5,500mAh battery. The international variant carries a slightly smaller 5,150mAh cell. This distinction might matter to heavy users, especially with Nothing's increasing focus on long-lasting performance. Nothing Phone (3) and Headphone (1). | Image credit — PhoneArena Meanwhile, the Nothing Headphone (1) marks the brand's first foray into premium over-ear audio. Featuring a transparent outer shell that fits Nothing's signature design language, the headphones support active noise cancellation, dual-device connectivity, and personalized sound profiles. While early impressions have been limited, these headphones are positioned to compete in a market already dominated by established players like Sony, Apple, and Bose. With both devices now widely available, the real test begins. Will the Phone (3)'s divisive design and modest hardware tweaks prove appealing to longtime fans? And can the Headphone (1) carve out space in a crowded field?As always, we'll be keeping a close eye on community feedback and long-term impressions — but for now, Nothing is keeping its momentum going with bold choices and growing ambitions. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
