u/vantaratechnology

Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra

Continuing the trend of last generation's flagship S25 Ultra, Samsung have yet again disappointed.

They continue to use an unacceptable 8-Bit Low PWM Display, but with the new addition of the privacy display, while somewhat functional it is rather a gimmick, and while not only being the only selling point of this model, also has had no market demand for the feature and results in IPS-esque viewing angles even when the feature is not enabled, purely due to the new display architecture.

This generation also continues the lack of a bluetooth S-Pen, a feature Samsung proudly bragged about in the Note line and S22-S24 Ultra, now remains a relic of the past while competitors such as Oppo and Motorola now integrate the feature.

Price Hikes - Samsung have not only copied Apple in the material change, but also taken one step further, by increasing the cost of the S26 series notably, while offering no extra value to compensate.

Exynos - Samsung’s “Groundbreaking” 2nm Exynos 2600 has proven to be, despite the aggressive marketing campaign, such a failure, that no Ultra model features it, likely a result of the unstable thermals, poor yield and expensive industry-first HPB.

Storage - Samsung have also now made certain RAM configurations regionally dependent and continue to use last-gen UFS 4.0.

Cameras - Yet again Samsung refuses to use its flagship sensors in its own flagship phone, while aperture on the main lens has been improved for better light intake, they have downgraded the 10x telephoto. 

Not only this, they have also reduced the minimum focusing distance, which is likely to impact macro photography significantly.

Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max

Apple’s flagship iPhone 17 Pro Max has notably been quite the catch-up device for Apple, with a new more thermally conductive aluminium design and integrated vapour chamber.

The A19 Pro is also doing quite well for Apple, maintaining acceptable performance scores but requiring that new Vapour Chamber.

The iPhone’s Camera system has also notably improved from the last generation, now featuring a triple 48-Megapixel camera system, while still disappointing considering competitors, it seems a step in the right direction.

The new 18-Megapixel Selfie camera has also been a selling point of the new model, featuring a custom Square-esque sensor design, allowing for portrait and landscape selfies, while this could be achieved by simply rotating the phone 90º, though this must be revolutionary idea and must be introduced to Apple’s research and development team at once, maybe “iRotate” could be the new selling feature next year?

Jokes aside, the new selfie camera is a worthwhile upgrade from the 16 line-up, but maybe don’t market it as reinventing the wheel, okay Apple?

RAM has also been upgraded to 12GB, while not the 16GB the industry would expect from a device that can literally reach 2000GBP, at least iOS can use it effectively.

Or that is what I would’ve said a year ago, recent iOS iterations have meant that Apple’s “It just works” Motto has now been shattered harder than Samsung’s wallets after seeing their Yield reports.

This is however seeming to be a temporary phase for Apple, as they are reportedly intending to refine the new aesthetics and function… But not until iOS 27.

Oh, and Apple have now decided that their premium and high-end colourway for their top-end phone should be the colours of RNLI boats, disappointing many fans of the more neutral and darker colourways of the past or even those expecting a return of Product (RED).

Google - Pixel 10 Pro XL

Ah, Pixel, the modern equivalent of Justin Bieber, once-loved, now… what? 

The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL remains more of a refinement of the 9th Gen Pixel, notably switching to TSMC over Samsung’s foundry, leading to more improvements than the 4nm to 3nm transition alone would suggest.

Technically the Tensor G5 is similar to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in raw CPU power, while of course having better efficiency due to the newer process and hardware-level optimisation.

Software remains a strong point of the Google Pixel, it has good software support for years to come, and includes a new overhaul of Android 16 and 17’s Desktop mode, meaning it is now actually somewhat functional and may well become a competitor to the more mature Samsung Dex, ideal for productivity and mild-to-moderate gaming.

Cameras are also a strong point of the Pixel 10 Pro XL, while similar to iPhone in philosophy, they deliver consistent results and decent image processing.

Just wondering if anybody knows of any news of a functioning desktop mode in future versions of originos for vivo flagships?

I know the android 16 and 17 framework improves it significantly however as of now it is non-functional.

So I own the vivo x300 ultra, love it, it's perfect for me as I mainly indulge in photography, however from time to time I do game, and playing on the touchscreen is horrible.

my question is, does anybody know of any good controllers for the x300u? I have a gamesir x5 lite and I love it but it doesn't fit, and I was looking at the steelseries stratus+, but then the center of gravity would be uncomfortable.

my current idea is to make a case for it to mount to joycons, and that would be ideal however it means custom 3d prints and everything, so any other recommendations would be appreciated.

tldr: imbecile buys camera phone but plays game, what controller do they use?

thank you (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

based off any leaks, rumours or personal preference, what would you want me to make?