“Snapdragon” has been synonymous with high-end smartphones for several years. People may not really know what chip their phone runs on, or what the numbers mean, but they likely know that it’s powered by a Snapdragon. Qualcomm, which makes the expansive range of chipsets, is acknowledging the strength of the brand with a shift in the product line. Moving forward, the company is dropping its own name from the chips to let “Snapdragon” stand alone.
That’s just the start. Qualcomm is also simplifying the (frankly confusing) range numbering system, moving to “a single-digit series and generation number, aligning with other product categories — starting with our newest flagship Snapdragon 8-series platform.” There are dozens upon dozens of Snapdragon chips that follow what — from an outside perspective — feels like no rhyme or reason. Moving to a single-digit naming system is absolutely an improvement.
Qualcomm is also, somewhat surprisingly, removing “5G” from chipsets branding moving forward. Even though the company has been crucial in the development of 5G technology and the subsequent hype machine around upgrading phones to get it, every chip it makes now includes 5G — so it isn’t a differentiator anymore. You simply know that “Snapdragon” means you’re getting high-end 5G networking by default.
There’s a visual component to this whole branding change as well, though Qualcomm isn’t yet ready to show it. We know that there will be a new range of colors that match the tiers of chips, with gold now being reserved for the highest-end offerings. But there isn’t much else to say until we can actually see it all laid out.
We’ll be able to see how this all comes together next week, when Qualcomm rolls out a bevy of announcements during its Snapdragon Tech Summit event. The company is expected to once again announce a new flagship chip for smartphones, as well as chips for laptops and potentially further enhancements in imagining and networking technology.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.