However, foldable smartphones have taken thinness to another level. Once unfolded, many of them become way slimmer than conventional smartphones, making them some of the most impressive achievements in mobile technology today.

Although foldables are among the most expensive smartphones on the market, the category has matured considerably in 2026.

The conversation is not whether foldable phones are good enough for everyday use. Instead, manufacturers are competing on processing power, battery life, software optimisation and display technology.

The first half of 2026 provided several interesting foldables. Samsung finally commercialised the trifold smartphone it unveiled last year, while OPPO, Honor and Motorola introduced new models that address many of the shortcomings seen in earlier generations.

In this review, we explore the top foldable smartphones released in H1 2026 and what makes each one stand out.

1. Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold

We are still in the early years of foldable smartphones, yet Samsung has already moved beyond the traditional book-style design with its trifold approach.

Rather than simply making a larger folding display, the Galaxy Z TriFold unfolds twice, giving users a screen that behaves like a foldable tablet while remaining compact enough to fit into a pocket.

This evolution is possible because Samsung has spent years refining both its hardware and software. The new One UI 8.5 is heavily optimised for multitasking across multiple screen sections, allowing three or more applications to run comfortably without feeling cramped.

Foldable Features:

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Display: Triple Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and an unfolded display measuring nearly 10 inches
• Battery and charging: 5,600mAh battery with 45W wired charging
• Durability: Reinforced Armour Aluminium frame, IP48 rating

Unique Feature:

The Galaxy Z TriFold’s biggest advantage is its trifold design.

Unlike other foldables that simply double the screen size, Samsung’s design unfolds twice to create an almost tablet-sized workspace. That makes it ideal for professionals who frequently multitask, edit documents, watch videos or use Samsung DeX-like desktop features without carrying an additional device.

Price: Starts at approximately $2,799 (N3.8 million), making it one of the most expensive consumer smartphones ever released.

2. OPPO Find N6

While Samsung continues to experiment with new form factors, OPPO has taken a different approach. The Find N6 focuses on refining almost every aspect of the traditional book-style foldable rather than reinventing it. The result is one of the most balanced foldables released so far this year.

The Find N6 continues OPPO’s tradition of hardware optimisation. Instead of focusing solely on being the thinnest, OPPO combines flagship performance, impressive battery endurance and one of the least noticeable display creases currently available on a foldable smartphone.

Foldable Features:

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Display: Large LTPO AMOLED inner display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2,500 nits of peak brightness
• Battery and charging: 6,000mAh Si-C battery with 100W wired charging
• Durability: Aircraft-grade hinge construction, IP59 rating

Unique Feature:

The Find N6 excels in balance.

Many foldables excel in one area while compromising another. OPPO combines excellent battery life, a premium display, flagship performance and a lightweight design without any obvious weaknesses. For many buyers, it comes closest to being the all-round foldable flagship of 2026.

Price: Starts at around $1,699 (N2.3 million), making it a more affordable choice than Samsung’s TriFold while still offering flagship hardware.

3. Honor Magic V6 (2026 Foldable)

Honor is showing no signs of slowing down. After launching the 600 Pro, one of its most talked-about flagship smartphones earlier this year, the company followed up with the Magic V6, continuing its reputation for packing powerful hardware into an ultra-thin design.

Even with its slim profile, the Magic V6 houses Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon platform alongside one of the largest batteries found in any premium foldable, proving that thin smartphones no longer have to sacrifice battery life or performance.

Foldable Features:

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Display: Dual LTPO OLED displays with a 120Hz refresh rate
• Battery and charging: 6,660mAh Si-C battery with 80W wired charging and fast wireless charging
• Durability: Advanced titanium hinge, IP69 rating

Unique Feature:

The Magic V6’s greatest strength is how much technology Honor manages to fit into such a slim body.

At just 4mm when unfolded, it combines one of the largest batteries in the foldable market with flagship cameras, premium displays and top-tier processing power. It is also one of the easiest foldables to recommend for users who want a familiar slab-style smartphone that unfolds into something larger.

Price: Starts at $1,799 (around N2.4 million), although it may cost more in Nigeria because of import duties and exchange rate fluctuations.

4. Motorola Razr Fold

Motorola surprised consumers this year by introducing the Fold form factor to the Razr lineup.

Previously, the Razr series focused almost entirely on clamshell-style flip phones. The Razr Fold changes that by adopting a larger book-style design while maintaining Motorola’s emphasis on clean software and practical usability.

Powering the device is Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon platform with custom Oryon V3 CPU cores and an Adreno GPU, delivering excellent multitasking performance that complements its expansive 8.1-inch internal display.

Foldable Features:

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with Qualcomm Oryon V3 CPU architecture
• Display:1-inch LTPO OLED internal display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 6,000 nits of peak brightness
• Battery and charging: 6,000mAh battery with 68W wired and 80W wireless charging
• Durability: Reinforced titanium hinge, IP48/IP49 rating

Unique Feature:

Motorola’s biggest advantage is its software experience.

Instead of overwhelming users with numerous multitasking features, Motorola keeps Android close to Google’s vision while introducing thoughtful foldable optimisations. The result is one of the cleanest and easiest foldable experiences available, particularly for users migrating from traditional smartphones.

Price: Starts at around $1,599 (about N2.1 million in Nigeria), making it one of the more competitively priced premium foldables released this year.

Foldable smartphones are expensive, but they now provide better value than they did just a few years ago.

Among the devices reviewed, the OPPO Find N6 delivers the best balance of price, battery life, performance and display quality, making it the strongest overall value for buyers who want a premium foldable without paying Samsung’s premium prices.

What all four devices have in common is Qualcomm’s latest flagship Snapdragon platform, which delivers the level of performance expected from smartphones in this price category.

Combined with advances in hinge engineering, Si-C batteries and flexible OLED technology, manufacturers are now able to pack powerful hardware into devices that become remarkably thin when unfolded.

The standout innovation, however, belongs to the Galaxy Z TriFold. As foldable technology continues to evolve, the next challenge for manufacturers will be making these devices thinner, more affordable and accessible to a wider range of consumers.

The post Top Foldable Smartphones of H1 2026 appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

This is one of Apple’s biggest hardware investments in recent years, revealing how the company plans to build the wireless technology that powers future iPhones.

Rather than fully replacing Broadcom, Apple appears to be strengthening a partnership that remains critical to the performance of its devices.

Apple’s Wireless Chip Strategy is Taking Shape

For years, Apple has worked to reduce its reliance on outside chipmakers.

The company successfully replaced Intel processors in Macs with its own Apple Silicon, while its A-series chips have powered iPhones for years.

That success encouraged Apple to pursue a similar strategy for wireless connectivity, with the goal of reducing its dependence on suppliers such as Qualcomm and Broadcom.

The company has invested heavily in developing its own connectivity technologies, including the N1 chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as the C1 and C1X 5G modems, which are intended to gradually replace Qualcomm’s modem technology.

Building wireless chips, however, is proving far more challenging than designing application processors.

Unlike a computing chip, a modem must operate in an environment crowded with signals from mobile networks, Wi-Fi routers, Bluetooth devices, satellites and other radio sources. Before useful data can be processed, unwanted signals must first be filtered out without affecting performance.

That is where Broadcom continues to play a vital role.

The company has spent decades developing specialised radio-frequency technologies, particularly FBAR filters, which help isolate clean wireless signals and reduce interference. These components remain among the most technically demanding parts of a smartphone’s wireless system.

Instead of pursuing a complete break from Broadcom, Apple is now combining its own modem technology with Broadcom’s expertise in radio-frequency hardware. The new agreement suggests that collaboration, rather than outright replacement, will define Apple’s next phase of wireless chip development.

What It Means for the Next iPhone

The iPhone 18 lineup is still widely expected to feature Apple’s C1 or C1X 5G modem, according to multiple industry reports and recent supply chain leaks.

However, the latest agreement makes it clear that Apple’s wireless platform will not be fully developed in-house just yet.

Broadcom’s radio-frequency components will continue to support Apple’s modem technology, helping deliver the wireless speed, signal quality and reliability users expect from premium smartphones.

Bigger Than the iPhone

The agreement also forms part of Apple’s broader commitment to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years.

In expanding Broadcom’s existing manufacturing facility in Colorado instead of building a new production network, Apple can accelerate domestic manufacturing of key wireless components while strengthening its supply chain.

The investment is also expected to benefit from U.S. incentives aimed at boosting semiconductor production and advanced manufacturing.

Governments in other markets, including Nigeria, are also introducing incentives to attract investment in technology manufacturing, although the scale and maturity of those programmes remain significantly smaller than those in the United States.

The post Why Apple is Spending $30 Billion to Secure the Next iPhone’s Wireless Performance appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

According to IDC, smartphone shipments dropped 4.3% year-on-year to 66 million units between April and June.

The decline also dragged first-half shipments down 4.2% compared with the same period last year.

Huawei and Apple were the only major smartphone brands to record growth during the quarter. Huawei’s shipments rose 19.4%, while Apple posted an even stronger 24.4% increase.

Their performance stood out as most Android brands struggled with weaker demand after increasing prices or reducing lower-cost models to offset higher memory and component costs.

Huawei finished the quarter as China’s largest smartphone vendor with a 22.6% market share. Apple followed with 18.1%.

By comparison, Xiaomi’s shipments fell 21.7%, while Oppo and Vivo recorded declines of 9.7% and 11.4% respectively.

IDC said Huawei and Apple benefited from keeping prices stable while competitors passed higher costs on to consumers.

“Huawei and Apple held their prices steady while competitors were raising theirs, and that gave hesitant buyers a reason to go ahead and purchase in a ‌quarter ⁠when most of the market was giving them a reason to wait,” said Arthur Guo, a senior analyst at IDC China.

The research firm attributed the market decline to higher prices for memory chips and other smartphone components, which began surging from late March.

Faced with high cost of production, many Android manufacturers either increased retail prices or reduced the availability of budget devices.

The market also lost support from government subsidy programmes that had helped sustain demand in previous quarters. At the same time, consumers were careful about spending, leading many to delay replacing their smartphones.

That weaker demand was also seen during China’s annual “618” shopping festival, where smartphone sales dropped by nearly 15% compared with a year earlier.

The slowdown is not limited to China, as global smartphone shipments also fell to their lowest second-quarter level since 2013, according to data from Counterpoint Research.

Samsung regained its position as the world’s leading smartphone vendor, revealing how competition at the top of the market continues even as overall demand remains weak.

The post China’s Smartphone Shipments Fall Again as Huawei, Apple Defy Market Slowdown appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

With high memory chip prices pushing handset costs higher, resulting in slowed consumer demand, data from Counterpoint Research shows the market recorded its lowest second-quarter shipment volume since 2013. 

The research firm linked the decline to a prolonged shortage of memory chips, which has forced smartphone makers to raise prices, particularly on entry-level and mid-range devices.

Despite the slowdown, Samsung returned to the top of the global smartphone market with a 24% share. 

The company strengthened its position through strong demand for its Galaxy S26 series, improved product availability and relatively stable pricing in key markets, including India and the Middle East.

Apple, however, was one of the few manufacturers to post growth during the quarter. The company increased shipments by 3%, lifting its global market share to a record 20% as demand for its premium iPhone models remained steady.

Although Apple kept prices unchanged during the quarter, analysts believe that may not last for long. They expect higher component costs to eventually feed into retail prices in the coming months.

The stress on smartphone makers comes from the memory chip market, where suppliers prioritise customers building artificial intelligence data centres over consumer electronics manufacturers. 

That has reduced the supply of memory components available for smartphones and pushed up the prices of DRAM and NAND chips.

Manufacturers have responded by passing much of those higher costs to consumers. Budget and mid-range smartphones have felt the greatest impact, making buyers more reluctant to replace their devices.

Chinese smartphone brands were among the hardest hit. Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo recorded the sharpest shipment declines within the world’s top five smartphone vendors, showing their heavier dependence on lower-priced devices, where demand has weakened the most.

Counterpoint expects the difficult conditions to continue, as the company maintained its forecast that global smartphone shipments will decline by about 14% in 2026 and said the memory chip shortage is likely to continue into 2027.

The new data noted that while demand for premium smartphones remains relatively resilient, the market is still affected by higher costs of production and weaker consumer spending, especially in price-sensitive segments.

The post Samsung Regains Top Spot as Global Smartphone Shipments Hit Lowest Q2 Level Since 2013 appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

It was a Tuesday morning, and my phone was winning. Seven unread WhatsApp messages, four of which were my mother forwarding prayer points.

A calendar reminder for a meeting I had completely forgotten. Three bank alerts I was too afraid to open. An Uber driver calling to tell me he was ‘right in front’ while Google Maps showed him three streets away.  And somewhere underneath all of that, an actual work task I needed to handle before 10am.

I don’t think I am uniquely disorganised. I think this is just what it looks like to have a smartphone in 2025: the device that was supposed to simplify your life has quietly become a second job.

You manage it. You tend to it. You scroll past twelve things to find the one thing you actually needed.

So, when I was asked to spend two days with EllaClaw, TECNO’s new agentic AI, built into the CAMON 50 Ultra, I didn’t approach it the way you approach a product review. I approached it the way you approach a friend’s recommendation, genuinely open, quietly unconvinced.

Before I even unlocked the phone, one thing became clear: TECNO wasn’t simply introducing another AI feature. With EllaClaw, the company is exploring what it calls Practical AI, technology designed not just to answer questions, but to quietly reduce the everyday mental load of using a smartphone. R

ather than adding another tool for users to learn, the idea is to create an intelligent companion that understands intent, coordinates tasks, and helps people get things done. It’s a subtle shift, but one that could redefine what we expect from our smartphones.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

It doesn’t feel like a chatbot, which is the whole point.

The first thing I noticed is that EllaClaw doesn’t sit there with its hands folded, waiting for you to speak first. It introduces itself. Tells you what it can do.

Asks what to call you. That sounds small, but it sets a different tone immediately, less ‘I will now process your request’ and more ‘hi, what are we doing today?’

EllaClaw lives inside Ella, TECNO’s on-device assistant. Calling it a voice assistant is like calling a lawyer a ‘professional talker.’ Technically not wrong. Completely misses the point. The distinction matters. A voice assistant responds. An agent acts. You give it a goal, not a command, and it figures out the steps.

The difference, once you feel it, is hard to describe to someone who hasn’t. It’s the gap between saying “set my alarm for 6am” and saying “I have an early flight tomorrow, help me not miss it,” and having the phone actually understand that the second one involves more than one step.

EllaClaw is built for the second kind of request. That’s either very exciting or slightly unsettling, depending on how much you trust your phone. By the end of two days, I had a more complicated answer than either.

THE SMS PROBLEM

The inbox that knows what actually matters.

My first real test was the one I cared most about personally: the SMS situation

If you have a Nigerian number, your SMS inbox is a disaster by design. Banks alone generate a message for every transaction, every login attempt, every failed attempt, every successful attempt.

Add OTPs, network promotions, church announcements if someone added you to a broadcast list, and the occasional genuine message from an actual human being, and you have an inbox that makes finding the one thing you need genuinely stressful.

I asked EllaClaw:

“Summarise my important messages from this week. Focus on anything financial.”

It didn’t hesitate. It pulled recent messages, grouped them by type – debits, credits, OTPs, others, and surfaced the ones that looked urgent. It correctly flagged a low-balance alert and a suspicious debit. It told me I had two OTPs from earlier in the week that were now expired and could be ignored.

This, on its own, was enough for me to understand the value proposition. Not because it was magic, but because it saved me the four minutes of scrolling I would have done otherwise, four minutes during which I would have also been distracted by something unrelated, lost my train of thought, and answered a WhatsApp message I didn’t mean to answer.

The limitation: it couldn’t always tell a real bank alert from a bank-branded promotional message. A loan offer dressed up in the same font as a transaction notification fooled it twice. That’s a real gap. When you’re relying on something to triage your financial messages, you need the triage to be close to airtight.

Still. Seven out of ten, and I use that score seriously.

THE WORK TRIP TEST

One sentence. Let’s see how far it gets.

The scenario EllaClaw seems most designed for, the one in every piece of marketing, is travel prep. So, I gave it the most realistic version that I could.

“I’m travelling to Abuja for work on Thursday. Two meetings. Help me prepare.”

It found both calendar entries immediately. Organised a loose itinerary. Pulled the Abuja weather. Suggested an alarm time based on my departure. All of that was competent, fast, and genuinely useful.

Here is where it got interesting: one of my calendar entries had very little information in it. Just a meeting title, no location, no notes. A human assistant would probably ask one clarifying question and then make a reasonable assumption. EllaClaw stopped and waited for more information before proceeding.

That’s not a disaster; it’s arguably the right behaviour. You don’t want an AI inventing meeting locations. But it did break the “one sentence” magic.

The more context you put into your calendar entries, the more impressive EllaClaw becomes. For people who treat their calendar as a rough sketch rather than a detailed record, which is a lot of us, there will be gaps.

The miss that stayed with me: it didn’t cross-reference my messages. I had an SMS from an airline about a schedule change that was directly relevant to the trip.

EllaClaw never surfaced it. I found it myself later. That connection, calendar plus messages plus context, is where agentic AI gets genuinely powerful, and it isn’t fully there yet.

What struck me wasn’t simply that EllaClaw could organise a trip or summarise messages. Plenty of AI tools today can perform impressive individual tricks.

What felt different was the philosophy behind it. Instead of opening one app after another to complete a task, I found myself describing what I wanted to achieve and letting the phone figure out the process.

It’s a small behavioural shift, but one that helps explain why the industry is increasingly talking about AI Agents rather than AI Assistants.

The real innovation isn’t that AI can answer more questions; it’s that it can begin helping people complete more tasks.

THE DATA QUESTION

Three days left. Everything is buffering.

This one I did not expect to find useful, and then I did.

“My data is running out, and I have five days until renewal. What’s eating it?”

EllaClaw pulled up a breakdown of data usage by app, ranked highest to lowest, without me navigating anywhere. Turned out a video app I hadn’t opened in two days was still consuming data in the background, and a social media app had auto-played enough content overnight to make a significant dent.

It offered to walk me through turning off background data for both. It didn’t do it for me;  that autonomy boundary is consistent across everything EllaClaw does, but the diagnosis was instant, accurate, and something I would have spent ten minutes finding myself inside settings menus.

For a market where mobile data is expensive and not unlimited, this is a feature that earns its space. It’s unglamorous. It will never be in a launch video. But it solves a real problem.

THE HONEST PART

What it is, and what it is not yet.

By the end of two days, I had a clearer picture of EllaClaw than any product brief could give me.

It is genuinely useful in a specific and honest way. Not the way AI is usually marketed, not ‘it will change your life’ or ‘the future is here’, but the way a good tool is useful.

It removes friction from things that create friction every single day. The SMS inbox. The data check. The loose prep for a trip.

What it is not yet: fully autonomous in the way the marketing implies. The ‘one sentence, multiple steps’ promise is real in spirit but is still being earned in practice.

The more organised your phone life is, that is, detailed calendar entries, clean contacts, well-labelled notes, the more impressive EllaClaw becomes.

If your phone is a controlled environment, cperforms well. If your phone looks like mine did on that Tuesday morning, it helps, but it still needs you to fill in some gaps.

The cross-app intelligence – the part where calendar and messages and context all talk to each other without being asked, is where EllaClaw will become genuinely hard to ignore when it’s fully realised. Right now, it’s more like a very good individual feature set that sometimes connects, rather than one fluid mind running across your phone.

TECNO’s positioning here is right. Practical AI. Not performative AI. Not AI that does a clever trick once and then disappears into the background.

The ambition is much more useful than that. It’s to build a phone that quietly takes care of the low-level cognitive load of everyday life, so users can spend less time managing technology and more time focusing on what actually matters.

That ambition also reflects a much bigger shift taking place across the smartphone industry. AI is gradually moving beyond answering questions and generating content toward understanding intent, coordinating actions across apps, and helping people achieve outcomes. If that evolution continues, the smartphone will become less of a collection of applications and more of an intelligent partner that understands how they all fit together.

TECNO is building in the right direction. EllaClaw isn’t finished. But it’s not pretending to be. The smartphone has spent years becoming faster, smarter, and more powerful. With EllaClaw, TECNO is asking a different question: what if it also became more helpful?

After two days, I don’t think the Agent Phone era is fully here yet. But for the first time, it feels close enough to imagine. And that’s what makes EllaClaw interesting. For more updates, follow TECNO on Facebook, Instagram, and X(Twitter).

And on a Tuesday morning in Lagos, with seven unread messages and a meeting I’d forgotten – that’s more than most apps can say.

The post My Phone Was Running My Life | Then I Let TECNO’s EllaClaw Take Over appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

When the 5.64mm-thick iPhone Air was officially released in September last year, it immediately set the gold standard as the thinnest slab-form smartphone ever made.

It was released with every current flagship iPhone feature, from the A19 (3nm) chip to the Super Retina

XDR display, but it made a compromise in battery size, which is most probably why it earned the title of the world’s slimmest slab-form phone.

Meanwhile, a few other manufacturers have also tried their hands at slim aesthetics since the launch of the iPhone Air, and they are actually not selling their options for too much.

Instead, they offer bigger batteries, more attractive camera specs, and a few other advantages that might make a budget buyer not so envious of someone with a premium device like the iPhone Air.

This review compares and explores the slimmest, most affordable alternatives for consumers in emerging markets like Nigeria.

TECNO Camon Slim, Spark Slim, and Pova Slim

Two from this trio from TECNO (a subsidiary of Transsion) were launched around the same time the iPhone Air was released, while the Camon Slim is the most recent of them, having been released just last month.

While the iPhone Air comes with a slim build and less than a 4,000mAh battery inside, every device here offers more than 5,000mAh while still remaining around or under 6mm thick.

When it comes to camera strength, the Camon Slim maintains a competitive setup, and the only upper hand the iPhone Air might have over it is computational photography.

The Camon Slim and Spark Slim are not designed to be heavy-performance devices like the iPhone Air, as they come with a modest chipset that might fall short for heavy graphics. However, the Helio G200 inside them targets smooth everyday use and entry-level gaming.

Because MediaTek’s Helio G200 also targets ultra-thin device designs, it prioritises thermal efficiency and battery life over raw, high-end performance.

On the other hand, we have the TECNO Pova Slim. It is from the same brand as the Spark and Camon Slim, but there is a difference in performance because the Pova series is actually meant for budget to mid-range gaming.

The biggest upgrade the Pova Slim has over the rest here is cellular speed and processing performance. The Dimensity 6400 supports 5G connectivity and also delivers slightly better performance than the Helio G200 inside the Camon and Spark Slim. Ultimately, they offer similar battery and thermal efficiency.

Main Specifications

Camon Slim

• Thickness:39mm
• Processor: MediaTek Helio G200
• Battery: 5,600mAh
• RAM and storage: 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB ROM
• Durability: IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance
• Camera: 50MP Sony LYTIA 600 main camera, 32MP front camera
• Price: N300,000 to N350,000

Spark Slim

• Thickness:93mm
• Processor: MediaTek Helio G200
• Battery: 5,160mAh
• RAM and storage: 8GB/256GB
• Durability: IP64 water and dust resistance
• Camera: 50MP rear camera with dual flashes and a 13MP front camera
• Price: N290,000 to N300,000

Pova Slim

• Thickness:95mm
• Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 6400
• Battery: 5,160mAh with 45W charging
• RAM and storage: 8GB RAM with 128GB/256GB storage
• Durability: IP64 water and dust resistance
• Camera: 50MP + 2MP rear cameras, 13MP selfie camera
• Price: Approximately N420,000

Nubia Air Pro

Within the same week TECNO launched the Camon Slim last month, Nubia also released its thinnest phone yet, with a comparatively faster processor than all the TECNO phones here, a heavier camera setup than the iPhone Air, and a durable battery and build that are usually found only in premium phones, all for about half the iPhone Air’s price.

This device was released just last week and sells for around €499 in Europe. When it becomes widely available in Nigeria later this month, it will not be a cheap device, but it can still be considered a cheaper mid-range alternative to the iPhone Air.

Main Specifications

• Thickness:99mm
• Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7100
• Battery: 5,000mAh
• RAM and storage: 8GB RAM with 512GB storage
• Durability: IP69
• Camera: 108MP rear camera with a 32MP selfie camera
• Price: €499

For buyers who cannot afford the $999 iPhone Air, the devices here are modern alternatives that offer the same slim aesthetics with features that are not really bad for much less money.

Every device reviewed here also comes with an identical display size, an AMOLED panel, and 120Hz – 144Hz refresh rate, which, when combined, offers a more immersive media experience than what Apple offers with the iPhone Air.

All the same, the iPhone Air is an entirely new category that also deserves appreciation for its performance, ergonomic design, and resale value, which none of these devices can offer. However, the smartphone space is now more competitive than ever, and great features can now be accessed even on a budget.

The post Budget-Friendly Alternatives to iPhone Air appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Compared to last year’s Galaxy A26, the A27 delivers meaningful upgrades, particularly in design and processing power.

However, there is a different conversation to have in markets like Nigeria.

At roughly $350 (about N480,000), the Galaxy A27 enters a price bracket that many Nigerians simply cannot justify, especially when Samsung’s own Galaxy A17 5G costs around $170 to $200 (N250,000 to N300,000) and offers surprisingly similar features.

This is why this review is less about identifying the more powerful phone and more about determining which one delivers the better value for money for the average Nigerian buyer.

Performance Comparison

The biggest difference between the two devices is processing power.

The Galaxy A27 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, which is actually ahead of the Exynos 1330 inside the Galaxy A17 5G. It is even a noticeable improvement over the Exynos 1380 used in last year’s Galaxy A26, delivering roughly 40% better overall performance alongside the more capable Adreno 710 GPU.

The gap is significant, but what does it actually mean in everyday use?

Interestingly, both chips use Cortex-A78 performance cores clocked at up to 2.4GHz. These cores handle demanding tasks like multitasking, gaming, media consumption and 5G connectivity. The difference is that the Exynos 1330 has two Cortex-A78 performance cores, while the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 doubles that to four. This allows the A27 to maintain smoother performance under heavier workloads and deliver more consistent frame rates while gaming.

For users who spend hours gaming, edit videos on their phones or constantly multitask, the A27’s processor is easily worth the extra cash.

That said, the Galaxy A17 should not be underestimated. Built on Samsung’s efficient 5nm process, the Exynos 1330 remains one of the more capable chips in the budget segment. For social media, streaming, photography, web browsing and everyday productivity, it is more than powerful enough.

In short, the A27 offers considerably more performance, but most average users may never fully utilise that extra power.

Battery, Charging and Connectivity

Battery life is often one of the most common deciding factors for smartphone buyers in emerging markets like Nigeria, where inconsistent electricity supply makes long battery life more important.

Here, both phones are almost identical.

Each comes with a 5,000mAh battery and supports Samsung’s familiar 25W fast charging. Samsung has once again maintained its conservative approach to charging speeds, so neither device gains an advantage in this area.

The only notable difference is efficiency. Since the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is manufactured on a newer 4nm process compared to the A17’s 5nm chip, the Galaxy A27 consumes slightly less power during demanding tasks, resulting in better battery endurance over time.

Both phones also support 5G connectivity, making them future-proof as Nigeria’s 5G networks continue expanding.

Camera and Display

Surprisingly, there is very little separating the two devices here as well.

Both phones feature a 50MP primary camera, a 5MP ultrawide sensor and a 2MP macro camera, meaning the overall photography experience should be almost similar.

On the front, the Galaxy A27 uses a 12MP selfie camera, while the Galaxy A17 comes with a slightly higher-resolution 13MP sensor. Although megapixels might not always mean better image quality, the A17 may capture more detailed selfies under good lighting conditions.

Display quality is equally close.

Both devices come with large 6.7-inch AMOLED displays with similar FHD resolution and brightness levels, making them excellent for media consumption. But the main difference is refresh rate.

The Galaxy A27 has a smoother 120Hz display, making scrolling, gaming and general navigation feel noticeably more fluid. Meanwhile, the Galaxy A17’s 90Hz panel still provides a smooth experience and remains more than adequate for everyday use.

Unless you spend a lot of time gaming or simply appreciate smoother animations, the difference does not justify paying almost twice as much.

Price Comparison

This is where value for money becomes difficult to ignore.

Starting between $170 and $200 (N250,000 – N300,000), the Galaxy A17 delivers nearly everything most smartphone users need. It offers the same battery capacity, similar cameras, 5G support, an excellent display and a processor that remains capable for everyday tasks.

The Galaxy A27 starts at around $350 (approximately N480,000), making it about $150 more expensive.

This price certainly buys you a faster processor, better graphics performance and a smoother 120Hz display. But for buyers who primarily use their phones for social media, messaging, photography, streaming videos and occasional gaming, those upgrades may not provide enough value to justify the extra cost.

For the average Nigerian, where smartphone purchases are always carefully planned around budget rather than specifications, the Galaxy A17 arguably makes the smarter financial decision.

Conclusion

Retailers in Nigeria have already begun accepting reservations for the Galaxy A27, allowing customers to secure a unit with an initial N50,000 deposit before paying the remaining balance when it officially arrives later this month.

The Galaxy A27 is undoubtedly the better smartphone. It is faster, future-proof and a better device for gamers, power users and anyone planning to keep their device for several years.

But being the better phone does not automatically make it the better buy.

For almost half the price, the Galaxy A17 offers an experience that is remarkably close in the areas that matter most to everyday users. While its 5nm Exynos processor is still more than capable for a budget phone.

The post Why the Samsung Galaxy A17 Might Be a Smarter Choice Than the Galaxy A27 appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Leveraging newly introduced Kaspersky Container Security capability, the researchers have discovered 8 repositories with critical misconfigurations that could lead to supply chain compromise.

Open-source components are now indispensable to modern software engineering. However, they also introduce hidden vectors for supply-chain attacks, such as the prominent Mini Shai-Hulud campaign conducted by TeamPCP in May 2026.

This attack exploited weaknesses in GitHub Actions build pipelines and led to the compromise of more than 170 npm and PyPI packages, affecting projects such as TanStack, Mistral AI, and OpenSearch.

In general, misconfigured GitHub Actions workflows can transform trusted development pipelines into dangerous entry points, allowing attackers to compromise automated workflows, introduce malicious code into production environments, or access critical infrastructure keys.

Kaspersky GReAT experts have completed the assessment of GitHub Actions workflows, analysing more than 130,000 pipelines across 30,000 of the platform’s top starred repositories. Utilising the specialised scanning ruleset introduced in the latest Kaspersky Container Security update, the researchers identified over 250,000 potential misconfigurations in continuous‑integration/continuous‑delivery (CI/CD) processes, underscoring the widespread adoption of insecure configuration practices. Only 10% of the analysed repositories triggered no alerts at all.

Among the discovered issues 59.8 % are classified as low‑risk, 39.8 % as medium‑risk, and 0.4 % fall into the high‑risk category according to Kaspersky taxonomy.

The most frequent issues involve implicitly granted or overly broad access permissions, missing version pinning for dependencies and workflow‑level settings. Fewer repositories expose top-level secrets, use unsafe run conditions, or process external data insecurely, potentially leading to more severe compromises.

Among 200 repositories identified as high-risk, the team discovered 8 repositories with critical flaws that could lead to supply chain compromise.

The affected repositories spanned a wide range of use cases, including AI integration in enterprise environments, developer and automation services and security testing tools. The identified critical issues were reported to the respective developer.

“Over the past year, we have observed serious supply-chain attacks, that could have been prevented by following secure CI/CD configuration guidelines,” said Leonid Bezvershenko, senior security researcher at Kaspersky GReAT. “While the uncovered issues do not automatically indicate exploitable vulnerabilities, they point to areas where developers should verify and strengthen configurations. By identifying these weaknesses early, organisations can build more resilient pipelines and reduce the likelihood of supply-chain compromise. The rules developed for our container security solution provide a practical framework to identify and remediate these gaps before they can be exploited.”

To detect and mitigate potential security issues caused by misconfigurations, Kaspersky Container Security users can leverage GitHub repository scanning, whether embedded directly into CI/CD pipelines or operated in standalone mode.

The post Over 250,000 Potential Security Issues Uncovered in GitHub Actions Workflows appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

In fact, the last time we saw this level of experimentation was in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when manufacturers were still trying to figure out what portable personal devices should look like.

And there is one major factor driving this new wave of innovation: artificial intelligence.

Unlike last year, when AI mostly existed as software features built into apps and devices, 2026 has seen AI spread much deeper into processor chips (NPUs) and operating systems. This has made it possible to create entirely new categories of devices.

The clearest example is smart eyewear. Google introduced a new line of AI-powered glasses, Snap unveiled its new SPECS, and Meta just announced the Meta Glasses. Starting at $299, Meta’s latest offering is around $90 cheaper than the entry-level Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

This new wave of AI wearables is worth paying attention to because manufacturers have traditionally paid less attention to the eyewear form factor. But things are changing quickly. Here are the most interesting AI-powered eyewear products announced so far in 2026.

1. Meta Glasses

It is fitting to start with the most recent announcement.

Meta is clearly trying to expand its smart glasses lineup with the new Meta Glasses. They are expected to start at $299, making them considerably cheaper than the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Although they are still built in collaboration with Ray-Ban’s manufacturer (EssilorLuxottica), they do not carry the Ray-Ban branding.

Meta has emerged as one of the biggest players in the AI race, and these glasses are another sign that the company wants AI to become part of everyday life.

Integrated with Meta AI, the glasses are designed to handle tasks naturally without requiring users to constantly reach for their phones.

The biggest attraction is the price. By reducing the cost, Meta hopes to bring smart glasses to more people and attract buyers who may have considered the category too expensive in the past. If the company gets the balance right between features and affordability, these glasses could become one of the most widely used AI wearables yet.

2. Google’s Intelligent Eyewear

Unlike the original Google Glass, which was developed entirely by Google and eventually failed to gain mainstream acceptance, Google is taking a different approach this time.

Instead of building everything under its own branding, the company is working closely with hardware partners like Samsung and Qualcomm.

As a result, there will not be a single product carrying Google’s branding. Rather, Google is creating a new category it calls “Intelligent Eyewear”.

The common thread across these products is Google’s Android XR software and Gemini AI optimisation. The goal is to reduce how often people need to touch or even look at their phones. Tasks like translation, navigation, notifications and contextual assistance can all be handled through voice interactions.

More importantly, because it is not tied to a single hardware product, the platform allows manufacturers to release devices across different price ranges, from premium models to more affordable options. This is a contrast to Google Glass, which launched with a $1,500 price tag.

The first wave of Intelligent Eyewear, expected around September, will focus mainly on audio experiences rather than visual interfaces. More advanced versions with visual capabilities are expected later.

3. XGIMI Memo-Mind One

Announced earlier this year at CES 2026 and already available for preorder, the XGIMI Memo-Mind One is another interesting attempt at AI-powered eyewear.

Created by projector specialist XGIMI, the glasses are camera-free and designed with privacy in mind. Instead of recording video, they project useful information such as notifications, translations and navigation directly into the wearer’s field of view.

The company places heavy emphasis on comfort, battery life and customisation, making the glasses suitable for all-day use.

However, the relatively high price could make them less attractive compared with offerings from Meta and Google. Still, for users looking to try something different from the major brands, the Memo-Mind One is an interesting alternative.

4. Snap SPECS

Snap, the company behind Snapchat, has been experimenting with smart eyewear for years, and its latest effort is called SPECS.

These ultra-lightweight AR glasses run on Snapdragon chips and SnapOS 2. They are packed with advanced augmented reality features, but they also come with a premium price tag of more than $2,000.

Snap says the glasses deliver around four hours of battery life, which is respectable considering the technology involved. But with cheaper options coming from Meta and Google’s ecosystem, it is difficult to argue that SPECS offers the best value for money.

For now, they appear to be aimed more at developers and enthusiasts rather than everyday consumers..

After years of cautious experimentation, smart eyewear is finally moving closer to the mainstream, driven largely by AI.

Among all the products announced so far, the most anticipated are those coming from Meta and Google. On one side is Meta, which is betting on affordable hardware and its rapidly growing AI ecosystem.

On the other is Google, which is building an entire platform with partners like Samsung and Qualcomm.

It is shaping up to be a competitive race between two AI pioneers, and the outcome could determine how millions of people interact with technology in the years ahead.

The certain thing is that smart glasses are no longer a futuristic concept. They are becoming the next major form factor in consumer technology.

The post Best AI Smart Glasses, Wearables Announced in H1 ’26 appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Artificial intelligence is helping make that possible, moving beyond improving productivity to supporting everyday well-being.

In Nigeria, where long commutes, traffic congestion and the pace of daily life can quickly become exhausting, finding time to unwind is more important than ever.

While yoga and meditation are becoming more popular and recognised, many people simply choose to listen to music, take an evening walk or spend a few quiet moments away from the day’s distractions.

That focus on wellbeing is driving demand for gadgets that do more than play music or count steps. The latest AI-powered earbuds and wearables can block out noise, monitor sleep, track stress levels and provide personalised health insights.

Several new devices launched in the first half of 2026 bring these features to different price points, giving buyers more options than ever.

Here are some of the best AI-powered wearables and audio gadgets released so far this year for relaxation, recovery and everyday wellness.

1. Sony WF-1000XM6

If blocking out distractions is the priority, Sony’s WF-1000XM6 stands out as one of the strongest options available.

Released earlier this year, the premium earbuds feature Sony’s new QN3e processor, which uses AI-powered processing to improve active noise cancellation. According to Sony, the earbuds reduce background noise by up to 25% more than the previous generation.

The earbuds continuously analyse surrounding sounds and adjust in real time, making them ideal for meditation, focused work or simply enjoying music without outside interruptions.

Sony also added AI-powered beamforming microphones for clearer voice calls, improved audio quality and a redesigned ergonomic fit for greater comfort during long listening sessions. Battery life reaches up to 24 hours with the charging case, while support for high-resolution audio rounds out the premium package.

The biggest drawback is the price. At roughly $330 (about N450,000), the WF-1000XM6 is beyond the reach of many Nigerians. Still, for buyers looking for top-tier noise cancellation, it remains one of the best premium earbuds available.

2. Google Fitbit Air

Google introduced the Fitbit Air this year as a lightweight wearable built around its growing AI ecosystem.

Rather than relying on a display, the screen-free device delivers health information through the Google Health app, where AI-generated insights help users improve their sleep, fitness and recovery.

The Fitbit Air supports sleep tracking, workout monitoring and wellness coaching while remaining light enough to wear comfortably throughout the day and night. Its screen-free design also helps reduce distractions by encouraging users to check their health data only when needed.

Priced at around $99 (about N135,000), it is among the more affordable AI-powered wearables currently available. However, it works best when paired with an Android smartphone, making it a better fit for users already invested in Google’s ecosystem.

3. Xiaomi Smart Band 10

For buyers looking for maximum value, Xiaomi’s Smart Band 10 is one of the strongest contenders in the affordable wearable market.

Unlike the Fitbit Air, it comes with a bright 1,500-nit AMOLED display that remains easy to read outdoors. Its slim, near bezel-less design also makes viewing health data and notifications more convenient.

The Smart Band 10 continuously tracks heart rate, blood oxygen levels, stress and sleep, while supporting more than 150 workout modes. Xiaomi also includes media controls, camera controls and a selection of built-in games.

Battery life is another standout feature. Xiaomi says the device can last up to 21 days on a single charge, reducing the need for frequent charging.

Starting at around $50 (about N68,000), the Smart Band 10 offers many of the same health tracking features as the Fitbit Air while adding a display and significantly longer battery life. The main trade-off is the lack of Google’s AI ecosystem, but for many Nigerians, it represents excellent value.

4. WHOOP 5.0 Peak

WHOOP targets athletes and users who want detailed health and recovery data.

The new WHOOP 5.0 Peak offers advanced health metrics, stress monitoring, sleep tracking and recovery analysis, alongside battery life of up to 14 days. Its strain monitoring also helps users understand when to train harder and when to rest.

Like previous WHOOP devices, it has no display, allowing users to focus on long-term health insights instead of constant notifications.

Its biggest limitation is cost. At about $239 per year, the subscription-based service may be difficult to justify for many buyers.

A more affordable alternative is the Amazfit Helio Strap. The screen-free wearable offers sleep tracking, workout strain and recovery monitoring through the Zepp app, without requiring a monthly or yearly subscription.

Selling for about $99, the Helio Strap gives users full access to their health data after purchase, making it a more practical choice for budget-conscious buyers.

With more people placing greater importance on rest, recovery and overall wellbeing, AI-powered gadgets are evolving beyond productivity tools into everyday wellness companions.

Whether it is Sony’s industry-leading noise cancellation, Google’s AI-driven health insights, Xiaomi’s affordable all-round performance or WHOOP’s advanced recovery tracking, there are now options to suit different lifestyles and budgets.

For anyone looking to improve sleep, reduce stress or better understand their health, the first half of 2026 has delivered plenty of compelling choices.

The post Best AI Wearables, Audio Gadgets for Relaxation, Sleep & Recovery in H1 2026 appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.