New Take on the AI Smartphone: More Storage, Bigger Battery, and Subtle Changes
Smartphone enthusiasts, gear up for a new era of tech gadgets. The era of 128GB flagship smartphones has come to an end, making way for a more practical 256GB storage option. This new and improved AI phone may look similar to its predecessors, but it comes with a slightly larger 6.3-inch display, fitting into the same pocket-friendly size but packing the power of a much larger device.
For those who prefer smaller phones, this device is a dream come true. It's compact, lightweight, and more comfortable to hold than many of its competitors. The new satin-finish back effectively conceals fingerprints, adding to the phone's aesthetic appeal. However, the camera specs might not be as exciting for photography enthusiasts. The cameras include a 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP 3X telephoto. If you were hoping for a periscope zoom on this model, you might be disappointed.
Availability and Pricing
This AI phone is now available at a starting price of $900. This is a $100 increase from the base model price last year, but the added storage justifies the price hike. You can find it at gadget stores in major US cities or order it online for quick delivery. Major US carriers offer the full color lineup (Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, and White) and provide financing options starting around $25/month.
There's also an exciting trade-in discount at the official store. You can now buy this model with a maximum price cut of $380. Additionally, you can get 15% off on wireless earbuds with your smartphone purchase.
The AI Smartphone: Pros and Cons
Let's delve into the features of this new smartphone:
What We Like:
- Bigger battery
- Slightly larger screen
- Cool new AI features
What We Don't Like:
- No fast charging
- Weak telephoto camera
- Lacks anti-reflective screen technology
This device scores slightly lower than the average for its price class, which includes devices like the OnePlus 15 and Google Pixel 10 Pro. The subtle improvements in performance are there, but charging speeds have remained the same. Unfortunately, flagship display technologies, such as the anti-reflective coating, have not been integrated yet.
Design and Display
The design and display of the phone remain mostly the same, with a thickness of 7.2mm and a weight of 167 grams. It's much slimmer and lighter than its competitors, which makes a huge difference. The bigger, slightly raised camera island might cause the phone to wobble a bit more when lying on a table. It comes with an aluminum frame and glass on the back and front, with a frosted finish that's good at hiding fingerprints. The phone comes in several colorways, including Black, White, Sky Blue, Cobalt Violet, Silver Shadow, and Pink Gold.
However, the phone does not come with a charging brick, screen protector, or a case. The screen brightness hasn't changed, and the phone hits the same max brightness as its predecessor. However, the lack of an anti-reflective coating is disappointing, considering its higher price.
Camera
The camera score remains practically unchanged from the previous generation, with the familiar rear camera trio: a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP 3X telephoto snapper. However, the color science has been tweaked to opt for warmer tones across all cameras, and photos no longer look underexposed, as they often used to on the previous model.
Performance & Benchmarks
The processor split is back with this phone. In the United States, users get the phone with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset under the hood, but in most global markets, the phone is powered by the brand's own Exynos 2600 chip. Both are 2nm chipsets, but the Snapdragon holds a small advantage over the Exynos.
As for the software, the phone runs on the One UI 8.5 interface on top of Android 16. One UI feels like one of the most feature-rich skins available currently and has added plenty of new AI features. The big change this year is the jump to 256GB native storage, which feels more adequate for a flagship model these days.
Battery
There's a nearly 10% battery increase, but no faster charging. The phone offers a battery life estimate of 6 hours and 37 minutes, with a full charge taking approximately 1 hour and 16 minutes using a 25W charger. The wireless charging speed remains the same at 15W.