ai and ml

One in four long-form social media posts appear entirely AI-generated, with nearly half of those on Microsoft’s and Elon’s platforms involving AI in some form

No surprise here. A study from AI detection platform Pangram suggests that social media posts are teeming with AI-generated slop, particularly if the posts are long and especially if they live on LinkedIn or X. If you’re sick of reading non-human prose, we’d recommend getting off the platforms altogether.

Along with offering your typical AI-content detection services, Pangram released a Chrome extension at the end of April that, with a $20/month subscription, will automatically scan a user’s LinkedIn, Medium, Substack, X, and Reddit feeds to check for AI-generated or assisted content. With more than one million posts analyzed from users who opted in to share data through the extension since its launch, Pangram has concluded that, while AI slop is flooding social media, it’s hitting longform content particularly hard. 

With longform content defined in its study as any post over 250 words, Pangram found that a full 25 percent of such posts across all the platforms it studies were fully AI-generated. Fully, mind you, meaning that doesn’t include posts in which users got the assistance of an LLM to gussy up their bland prose. That average across platforms was hardly evenly distributed, though. 

Leading the way was LinkedIn, where 41 percent of longform content was fingered by Pangram as being AI-generated. That’s likely unsurprising to anyone who’s ever bothered to read a lengthy professional diatribe from the Microsoft-owned slop shop, or for El Reg readers – a prior story we reported on in late 2024 from AI detection outfit Originality.ai found that 54 percent of LinkedIn longforms were AI-generated. Originality’s definition of Longform was a bit looser, however, with anything over 100 words counting in its analysis. 

Per Pangram, shortform content on LinkedIn isn’t much more likely to be human authored – they found 30 percent of posts between 50 and 250 words were fully written by AI. 

For LinkedIn thought slop leaders, it’s generally all or nothing when it comes to using AI to write posts, with a mere 4.3 percent of longform content written with AI assistance. On the other hand, only 55.2 percent of longform posts on the platform, Pangram concluded, are actually written by humans. 

While LinkedIn may take the cake in terms of the volume of full-slop longform posts, Elon’s X has it beat when adding partially-written AI garbage into the mix, but not by much, honestly. A quarter of posts on X are fully AI authored, and an additional 23.2 percent are believed to be written with AI help. That leaves 52.7 percent of Twitter posts attributed to humans. In effect, you’re roughly batting .500 on either site. 

Pangram found that Medium isn’t that much better, with roughly one in three posts likely to have been written by, or with the aid of, an AI. Substack was far and away the least likely place to find AI slop in disguise, but even then, nearly a quarter (21.9 percent) of posts analyzed by the Chrome extension were written by or with AI. 

Reddit is a slightly more complicated situation, with comments on posts making up a large portion of Reddit content. According to Pangram, 11.6 percent of Reddit posts are AI authored or assisted; 98.1 percent of comments were found to be human authored, and the sheer quantity of comments vs. top-level posts meant that Reddit appears to be the place to go if you want to avoid an intrusion of AI thinking. 

All said, Pangram concluded from its data that AI writing is flooding social media, just like it’s flooding websites and basically everywhere else online. 

“An internet that is completely flooded with undisclosed AI content is bleak, but we don’t believe it’s inevitable,” Pangram CEO Max Spero said of his company’s findings in the report. Pangram believes letting internet users know what’s been AI-generated so they can ignore it is a solution to the problem, but you’ll have to pay $20/month if you want the Chrome extension to provide that service. It’s still usable without paying, but content has to be manually input, and the daily limit is just 4,000 words. 

In other words, unless you want to pony up and see who’s bullshitting you on social media, you’ll have to just assume everyone is. Like we suggested up top, maybe it’s time to disconnect from those feeds entirely. ®

Vinyl collecting has entered the spreadsheet era, which sounds terrible until you realize how much money some of us have sitting in crates, shelves, jackets, inner sleeves, outer sleeves, and the occasional box set that required a small act of financial self-deception.

Secret Chord Analogue’s new Vinyl Record Tracker, or VRT, is not another record cataloging tool trying to out-Discogs Discogs. The company is pitching it differently: cataloging tools tell you what you own, but VRT tells you what is happening to your collection. That distinction matters. VRT tracks plays, cartridge hours, stylus wear, record cleaning, Record Restore treatments, playback history, and maintenance reminders from a phone, tablet, or desktop.

For collectors who already obsess over pressing plants, deadwax, mastering engineers, and whether a record was cut from the original analog tapes, the next logical step might be knowing whether your stylus is quietly turning your favorite Blue Note into floor polish.

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Vinyl Is Bigger, More Expensive, and More Worth Protecting

This product lands at the right moment because vinyl is no longer a niche physical format reserved for audiophiles arguing with strangers in Facebook groups and Reddit threads about deadwax, pressing plants, and whether their copy of Aja was handled by the correct mastering engineer.

According to the RIAA, U.S. vinyl revenue surpassed $1 billion in 2025, marking the format’s 19th consecutive year of growth. Vinyl also remained the dominant physical format, selling 46.8 million units compared to 29.5 million CDs.

That is not nostalgia anymore. That is a growing, financially viable segment, and the music labels are not about to toss vinyl back into the dumpster bin of history now that people are willingly paying $35 to $150 for records they already bought three formats ago.

Luminate’s 2025 Record Store Day data also shows how deep this has become. During the week of Record Store Day 2025, U.S. independent record stores sold 1.2 million albums, just over 1 million of them on vinyl. It was the fifth consecutive year that Record Store Day week exceeded 1 million album sales.

Record Store Day 2026 kept the machine moving with more than 365 exclusive or limited-edition releases and participation from thousands of stores around the world. The first official Record Store Day took place in 2008, but in 2026 it is no longer a niche holiday for crate diggers with elbow pads and coffee. It is a global retail event with real economic weight.

We know how strong Record Store Day has become because we have spent years standing outside in the rain before sunrise next to collectors clutching wantlists, coffee, and the faint aroma of poor life choices.

The problem is that the more vinyl grows, the more casual some of the ownership becomes. People will spend $40, $50, $75, or more on a new pressing, slide it into a cheap paper sleeve, play it with a dirty stylus, forget when it was last cleaned, and then act shocked when surface noise arrives like a letter from your ex reminding you that Langdon’s lacrosse camp payments are due.

What Secret Chord Analogue VRT Actually Does

Secret Chord Analogue VRT is a web-based vinyl tracking and care system built around the Play Log. Each listening session can be recorded with the album played, cartridge used, turntable and tonearm configuration, and play duration. From there, VRT tracks cumulative cartridge hours, stylus wear, cleaning status, record treatment history, and playback activity.

The system also supports barcode scanning, Discogs lookup, album management, play-count history, storage tracking, and QR-code location tools for collectors who need to remember whether a record lives in the main listening room, the office, the overflow shelf, or that pile they keep pretending is temporary.

Secret Chord Analogue says VRT can track Record Restore treatments, fluid levels, stylus tip cleaning reminders, cartridge service thresholds, and recent playback history. The dashboard shows cartridge health, Record Restore readiness, recent plays, and system configuration.

That makes VRT less of a “collection database” and more of an analog maintenance dashboard.

Core vs. Pro

VRT is available in Core and Pro versions. According to Secret Chord Analogue’s official product page, current pricing is:

• VRT Core Annual Licence: AU$39
• VRT Core Lifetime Licence: AU$99
• VRT Pro Annual Licence: AU$65
• VRT Pro Lifetime Licence: AU$179

Core includes play logging, dashboard, album management, equipment setup, Record Restore tracking, playback history, and backup. Pro adds analytics, data exports, and advanced playback-history tools.

One note: some early reporting lists slightly different Pro annual pricing, so regional pricing should be checked before ordering. The official Secret Chord Analogue product page currently lists Pro Annual at AU$65, while SoundStage Australia lists AU$99.

Why This Is More Interesting Than Another Vinyl App

There are already ways to catalog a record collection. Discogs remains the default for many collectors because it handles pressing information, marketplace value, wantlists, variants, and buying/selling behavior. That is not what makes VRT interesting.

VRT is aimed at the part of vinyl ownership that usually lives in someone’s head, on a Post-it note, or nowhere at all.

When was this record last cleaned?
How many times has this cartridge been used?
How many hours are on this stylus?
Did I already treat that used copy of Kind of Blue, or did I just think about doing it while holding a drink?
Which records get played constantly and which ones are basically expensive wall insulation?

That is the gap Secret Chord Analogue is trying to fill.

The company also frames VRT as part of a broader vinyl-care ecosystem that includes its Record Restore treatment system and VSS sleeves. HiFi Pig also reports that VRT is designed to work alongside compatible hardware, including the AFI FLAT.DUO, and can support dealers or resellers using Record Restore as an ongoing monitoring service.

Who Should Consider It?

VRT is not for someone with 24 records, a suitcase player, and a copy of Rumours purchased because TikTok had a moment. That listener has bigger problems, some of them structural.

This is for collectors with serious money invested in records, cartridges, and cleaning gear. If you own hundreds or thousands of records, rotate multiple cartridges, buy used vinyl regularly, run a record-cleaning routine, or care about stylus hours, VRT starts to make sense.

Secret Chord Analogue is positioning VRT as more than a collection database. It is part of the company’s broader vinyl-care ecosystem, including Record Restore, VSS sleeves, and compatible hardware such as the AFI FLAT.DUO, with potential use for collectors, dealers, and resellers who want to track cleaning history, cartridge use, and record-care status over time.

The Bottom Line

Secret Chord Analogue VRT is niche, but it is the right kind of niche. It does not promise to make your records sound better by magic, and it does not physically measure groove wear with sensors. Based on the available information, it tracks usage, maintenance, cartridge hours, stylus wear estimates, Record Restore treatments, and playback history from the data users log into the system.

That distinction matters.

VRT is not replacing good record cleaning, cartridge alignment, stylus inspection, or common sense. It is trying to make all of that easier to remember and harder to ignore.

For casual listeners, this might feel like turning vinyl into homework. For serious collectors, it might be the missing maintenance layer between buying records and actually protecting them.

Secret Chord Analogue lists VRT through its official Australian site, with North American shoppers directed to the company’s Record Restore store for local pricing and shipping.

Because at this point, vinyl is not cheap, cartridges are not disposable, and nobody needs to discover that their stylus crossed the danger line three months ago while playing a $125 reissue with the confidence of a man backing into a swimming pool.

For more information: secretchordanalogue.au

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Hackers compromised the Injective Labs SDK project’s GitHub repository and used it to publish a malicious package on the Node Package Manager (npm) that stole cryptocurrency wallet private keys and mnemonic seed phrases.

Application security companies Socket, Ox Security, and StepSecurity detected the supply-chain attack via version 1.20.21 of the @injectivelabs/sdk-ts npm package.

Injective SDK is a TypeScript/JavaScript software development kit (SDK) for building applications on the Injective blockchain, a Layer-1 blockchain focused on decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenized assets, and decentralized exchanges.

The package has 50,000 weekly downloads on npm and is used by developers building cryptocurrency wallets, trading bots, decentralized exchanges, DeFi applications, and payment tools.

According to the researchers, the attacker compromised a GitHub account belonging to a legitimate project contributor and made the first suspicious commits on June 8, publishing the malicious version of the package shortly afterward.

The attacker also published version 1.20.21 for another 17 packages associated with the project, pinning all of them to the compromised SDK version.

The legitimate account owner detected the compromise within minutes, reverted the changes, and published a clean release, version 1.20.23.

However, developer systems fetching the malicious packages via an update or used them were likely compromised.

Socket says the malicious version of the package was downloaded 310 times before it was deprecated, not removed, and the malicious GitHub release artifacts are still available.

The researchers also note that the package has 87 direct dependencies on npm and very likely multiple additional transitive dependencies.

A report from Ox Security warns that the 87 dependent packages had a cumulative download count of a little over 112,000.

Targeting cryptocurrency wallets

The malware activates when the developers use SDK functions that generate or import wallet keys, rather than upon installation.

Once those functions are called, the malware captures the full mnemonic seed phrase and private key and encodes the data in base64. All the information is exfiltrated via an HTTP POST request to an Injective Labs public infrastructure endpoint to make the traffic appear legitimate.

StepSecurity reports that the malware did not immediately transmit stolen secrets, but instead queued multiple keys and mnemonics for two seconds, bundled them in the HTTP request header, and sent them.

The attackers may then use the mnemonic or private key to port the victim’s wallets to their own devices and access, use, or transfer their digital assets.

Developers who suspect compromise should transfer their cryptocurrency to new wallets and rotate all secrets in their environment.

Security teams log 54% of successful attacks and alert on just 14%. The rest move through your environment unseen.

The Picus whitepaper shows how breach and attack simulation tests your SIEM and EDR rules so threats stop slipping by detection.

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The dedicated digital audio player was supposed to be dead by now. The smartphone had the screen, the storage, the apps, the wireless headphones, and the smug little habit of replacing everything else in your pocket. And yet, here we are in 2026, talking about the Shanling M0 Pura, the fourth generation of Shanling’s ultra-compact DAP line, following the original M0 in 2018, the M0 Pro in 2023, and the M0s in 2024.

That progression matters. Shanling is not trying to convince normal people that they need another device to carry just to play music. That ship sailed, hit an iceberg, and was replaced by a phone plan. The M0 Pura is aimed squarely at audiophiles who still care about local files, wired headphones, Bluetooth flexibility, and better playback quality than the average phone dongle can deliver.

It also leans into nostalgia with some obvious iPod nano energy, but the pitch is not just retro cuteness. Shanling is betting that the DAP market still has life because some listeners want a dedicated player that puts music playback first.

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Dual DACs Give the M0 Pura Some Actual Audiophile Bite  

The M0 Pura uses dual Cirrus Logic CS43131 DACs with support for PCM playback up to 32-bit/384kHz and native DSD128. Shanling says the new DAC section improves overall audio performance, while output power rises to a claimed 250mW into 32 ohms when the player is used with the company’s optional 3.5mm to 4.4mm balanced adapter.

That is not desktop amplifier territory, but for something this small, it gives the M0 Pura more muscle than its tiny chassis suggests.

Touchscreen

A 1.54-inch color touchscreen handles music playback and menu control, while Shanling’s in-house MTouch operating system is designed for quick navigation through albums, playlists, and settings. The M0 Pura is powered by the Ingenic X1000 platform, giving Shanling a compact foundation for hi-res playback without turning battery life into a hostage situation.

Connectivity

Do not let the M0 Pura’s size fool you into thinking this is just another cute little novelty box for people who still miss click wheels. Shanling has packed its newest ultra-compact DAP with a wide range of wired and wireless playback options, which makes the tiny player more flexible than it looks.

Two-way Bluetooth support allows the M0 Pura to work as a wireless music source for headphones and speakers, or as a Bluetooth receiver when paired with a smartphone, console, or laptop. In that mode, it functions as a compact Bluetooth DAC and headphone amplifier. USB-C connectivity adds another layer of flexibility, enabling USB DAC functionality and allowing the M0 Pura to serve as a bit-perfect digital transport for external USB DACs.

Storage 

In addition to listening via Bluetooth or a USB-connected device, users can store music locally by inserting a microSD card into the M0 Pura’s card slot. The M0 Pura supports microSD cards with up to 2TB of storage capacity.

Format Support

Digital audio format support includes FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, APE, MP3, AAC, OGG, and DSD, which covers everything from CD and vinyl rips to old iTunes downloads and newer studio-quality digital files. 

Additional Playback Features

Additional playback features include adjustable playback speeds for podcasts and spoken-word content, A-B repeat, SyncLink remote control via the Eddict Player app for Android and iOS, sound customization settings, and user-selectable screensavers.

Comparison

The Bottom Line 

The Shanling M0 Pura is not trying to replace your smartphone, and that is probably its greatest strength. This is a tiny, purpose-built digital audio player for listeners who still care about local music files, hi-res playback, broad format support, two-way Bluetooth, USB DAC functionality, and better wired output than most phones can offer without a dongle dangling off the bottom like a sad little tail.

What makes the M0 Pura interesting is the combination of size, price, and flexibility. Shanling has managed to squeeze dual DACs, microSD storage support up to 2TB, USB-C digital output, and optional balanced headphone output into a player that is closer in scale to a smartwatch than a modern smartphone. That makes it a good fit for audiophiles who want a dedicated music player for commuting, travel, the gym, or a desktop setup without spending Astell&Kern money or carrying around a device the size of a deli sandwich.

The biggest downside may be the same thing that makes it appealing: the M0 Pura is very small. Misplacing it feels less like a possibility and more like a scheduled event. Shanling might want to include a lanyard, or perhaps a tiny AirTag shrine.

Price & Availability:

For more information: en.shanling.com

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Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle has a repeated letter that might trip you up. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Read more: New Study Reveals Wordle’s Top 10 Toughest Words of 2025

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has one repeated letter.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has one vowel, but it’s the repeated letter, so you’ll see it twice.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with C.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with L.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to an artificially constructed waterway designed for navigation, water transport or drainage and irrigation management.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is CANAL.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, July 9, No. 1846, was AMEND.

Recent Wordle answers

July 5, No. 1842: SWAMI

July 6, No. 1843: TODDY

July 7, No. 1844: SLING

July 8, No. 1845: DEMON

The iPhone 17 and Samsung Galaxy S26 are two very similar standard flagships, making the decision of which to buy all the more challenging.

Do you go for the premium, Liquid Glass-inspired iPhone 17 or stick to the ultra-slim Android flagship experience of the Samsung Galaxy S26? Is there really a difference in how they perform day-to-day? And what about elements like camera hardware, screen tech and all-important battery life?

While it’s easy to compare the two on paper, we’ve used both the iPhone 17 and Samsung Galaxy S26 in day-to-day use – and here’s how they compare in the real world. 

Pricing and availability

The Samsung Galaxy S26 is the more expensive of the two, coming in at £879 for its 256GB model.

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That said, if budget is a primary concern, the iPhone 17 is a slightly more affordable option at £799, with the same generous 256GB of storage out of the gate. 

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Design

The iPhone 17 and Samsung Galaxy S26 both present beautifully compact forms compared to their giant Ultra and Pro Max siblings, making them much easier to use one-handed, though they tackle premium builds in slightly different ways. 

The Samsung Galaxy S26 is certainly the thinner and lighter of the two, measuring in at just 7.2mm at the edges and a mere 167g in the hand. Samsung has refined the design slightly this year, shrinking the display bezels further and housing the cameras in a raised, pill-shaped island rather than letting them poke out awkwardly. 

However, if you hate a phone that rocks when placed flat on a table, beware; the S26 is the wobbliest phone we’ve used in a while.

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It’s a pretty premium experience elsewhere, however, with a chassis constructed of aluminium and Gorilla Glass Victus 2, complete with full IP68 dust and water resistance to round things out. 

The iPhone 17, on the other hand, retains its highly familiar (and now iconic) flat-edged, rounded-corner look it has sported for several generations, complete with the same aluminium frame and frosted glass panel on the rear. It also comes in attractive colour options like Sage and Mist Blue, alongside a premium-looking matte-black finish. 

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Like the Pro models, it features the programmable Action button on the left and Camera Control on the right, though the latter remains placed a little too far down the side to be comfortable enough for swift setting changes or snapping photos.

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Apple has, however, enhanced the phone’s ruggedness with Ceramic Shield 2 on both the front and back to ward off micro-scratches and damage from drops, and while it matches the S26’s IP68 rating, it boasts added protection down to 6 meters for up to half an hour. 

Screen

Both Apple and Samsung deliver a top-notch screen experience, though the iPhone finally takes the win with this generation.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 delivers a vibrant 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 1080 x 2340 resolution and a smooth LTPO-enabled 120Hz refresh rate – a very familiar setup largely carried over from the Galaxy S25. 

Still, general viewing angles are fantastic, and its 2600nit peak brightness easily cuts through direct sunlight outdoors. It does, however, miss out on the anti-reflective coating and Privacy Display tech found on the S26 Ultra. 

Apple, on the other hand, has finally relented and added the previously Pro-exclusive ProMotion 120Hz screen tech to the base-model iPhone 17.

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The 6.3-inch screen packs a sharp 1206 x 2622 resolution that remains detailed, bright and vivid, but the more important element here is LTPO tech; it allows the screen to drop all the way down to 1Hz to maximise battery life, just like Samsung’s option. 

Visibility is also impressive, with the iPhone 17 reaching a massive 3000-nit peak brightness (1600-nit in high-brightness mode) while dropping to just 1 nit for a more comfortable late-night viewing experience. 

Cameras

If there’s one area where the Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17 diverge, it’s in the camera department.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 features a strong triple-camera system comprising a 50MP main sensor, a 10MP 3x telephoto zoom lens, and a 13MP ultrawide. The primary camera is the strongest of the bunch, capturing detailed photos with a vibrant, saturated processing style that preserves shadow detail in backlit scenes – but the other sensors are weaker.

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The 3x zoom struggles to lock focus on moving objects in windy conditions, and because it’s only a 10MP sensor, digital cropping is limited compared to high-res rivals. The 13MP ultrawide is the weakest link, turning out grainy, pale images with clear edge distortion as soon as light levels drop. 

The iPhone 17, on the other hand, lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, instead relying on an optical-quality 2x in-sensor digital crop from its otherwise excellent 48MP main sensor, which can push to around the 4x mark before things get spotty. 

The main snapper provides sharp, colour-accurate images with Apple’s reliable ‘always good’ point-and-shoot processing. This year’s standout is the massive upgrade to the accompanying 48MP ultrawide sensor, which finally matches the main sensor in colour and detail, even in more challenging lighting conditions.

We’re also big fans of the iPhone’s new selfie camera; it uses an 18MP square sensor, allowing you to take full-res portrait or landscape shots without needing to rotate the phone. A small touch, but one that makes a big difference in use. 

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Performance

In terms of day-to-day use, both devices feel rapid with plenty of processing headroom that’ll get you through most mobile-related tasks without breaking much – if any – of a sweat. 

The Galaxy S26 ships with the Exynos 2600 chipset in the UK (the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in other regions like the US) and a rather generous 12GB of RAM. Benchmark scores are, unsurprisingly, brilliant, nearly matching the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the S26 Ultra in some cases.

It also helps that One UI is highly optimised, ensuring that taps and swipes are fluid and lag-free. Gaming is similarly smooth, with titles like Mario Kart Tour running at high resolutions without noticeably heating its relatively thin chassis.

The iPhone 17 counters the S26’s performance with its custom Apple A19 chip alongside a more conservative 8GB of RAM. Though it lacks the extra GPU core of the A19 Pro variant, it handles pretty much everything flawlessly. Social media timelines scroll without a hint of stutter, and intensive apps load instantly. You’ll be able to play even console-level games on this thing without much issue. 

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Software

Your choice of phone will likely come down to your preference for iOS or Android, but regardless, both systems have had notable updates this year. 

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The S26 runs One UI 8.5 based on Android 16, but the bigger focus here is its AI smarts. Galaxy AI covers a wide range of features, from returning favourites like photo eraser to new features like the real-time AI Noise Eraser, which reduces distracting background tracks and crowd sounds directly in apps like YouTube. And, with seven years of OS upgrades to look forward to, it should only improve over time. 

The iPhone 17 runs iOS 26, which as I’m sure we’re all aware of at this point, ships with the redesigned Liquid Glass interface. The at-times controversial UI change adds an unmistakable charm to the software, with colours physically refracting beneath the UI layers and moving with organic elasticity. 

Unfortunately, Apple’s AI push remains underwhelming, especially compared to Samsung’s. The Photo Clean Up tool leaves glaring signs of editing, text transcription is hit-and-miss, and Image Playgrounds looks almost child-like compared to rivals. 

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However, that could all change with iOS 27 and the long-awaited release of the redesigned, smarter Siri – we’ll just have to wait and see for now. 

Battery life

When it comes to both overall battery life and charging capabilities, Apple’s iPhone 17 has a clear win.

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The Samsung Galaxy S26’s 4300mAh battery is an improvement over its predecessor, but it remains somewhat average in use. Light users managing around 3-4 hours of screen time per day will coast through easily, but power users will find themselves running low before the sun goes down. 

It’s also severely let down by slow 25W charging and a Qi2 wireless implementation without magnets, instead leaving magnetic connectivity to casemakers.

The iPhone 17, on the other hand, sports a 3692mAh battery that comfortably lasts through an intense 12- to 14-hour day with few complaints. Everyday tasks like scrolling through TikTok, using Google Maps for navigation and messaging on WhatsApp will still leave you with a solid 20% or so in the tank by bedtime.

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Charging is also significantly improved, boasting rapid 40W wired charging and 25W MagSafe wireless support. Paired with a 65W charger, it hits 50% in just 26 minutes – much quicker than the Samsung competition.  

Verdict

Overall, the iPhone 17 stands out as the better buy for most people in this generation, with Apple finally addressing key long-term complaints in its entry-level iPhone.

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Both devices offer premium, compact designs that are increasingly rare in the smartphone market, paired with fluid 120Hz displays, exceptional flagship performance, and capable primary camera sensors. However, the iPhone 17 justifies its price with superior camera hardware – both front and rear – and vastly superior 40W wired and 25W magnetic wireless charging. 

That said, the Galaxy S26 remains an excellent choice if you’re on the market for a triple-lens camera system with a dedicated 3x zoom lens, prefer an ultra-thin 7.2mm body, or simply prefer Android to iOS. There’s no hardware that’ll tempt you if you don’t like the hardware it runs on, after all.

But, with its weak secondary cameras, average battery life and slower 25W charge speeds, it takes a back seat to the more polished package offered by the iPhone 17.

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To see how the two compare more widely, take a look at our selection of the best smartphones.

Baseus Inspire XP1: A trickle of earbuds from value oriented brands have come out in the last year in collaboration with Bose, which has been gradually expanding its “Sound by Bose” initiative that brings its brand to more affordable headphones and earbuds. Like the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds, the Baseus Inspire XP1 feature very good sound in a set of comfortable earbuds that share some similarities with Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, particularly how they fit (they have similar ear tips to the Ultras, and the buds fit my ears quite well). The Inspire XP1’s price fluctuates and sometimes dips to $100, which is the best time to buy them.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC: Released in 2023, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC earbuds carry a lower list price than 2022’s Liberty 4 buds and are arguably better in some ways. They have improved noise cancellation and better sound quality, along with support for the LDAC audio codec for devices that support it. (Many Android smartphones do, and in theory it offers slightly improved sound quality when paired with a music streaming service that offers high-res tracks.) Nicely discounted, they’re lightweight buds that should fit most ears comfortably with four sizes of ear tips to choose from. That said, the newer P31i cost less and offer similar performance.

QCY MeloBuds Pro: Like Earfun, QCY makes a variety of budget earbuds and headphones that deliver good bang for your buck. The MeloBuds Pro look a little generic, but they’re lightweight and comfortable and sound good for what they cost, offering decent clarity and well-balanced audio (you can tweak their sound profile a bit with the EQ settings in the QCY companion app). Also, they’re noise-canceling and voice-calling performance are better than average for sub-$50 earbuds. And finally, they have ear-detection sensors, multipoint Bluetooth pairing, a low-latency gaming mode and support for Sony’s high-quality LDAC audio codec (many Android devices support LDAC).

Roseselsa Ceramics X: Truth be told, I’d never heard of the Roseselsa Ceramics X earbuds before I saw a post comparing them to Final Audio’s more expensive ZE3000 SV buds that argued the two models are essentially the same. This would make the Ceramics X far better value but it didn’t quite prove to be true. While I ended up liking the Final Audio ZE3000 SV better, I was impressed by the sound quality of the Ceramics for how little they cost. Also, not only did they fit my ears well, but I thought their noise canceling was effective, and their voice-calling performance was acceptable. They also support the AAC and LDAC audio codecs for Bluetooth playback (many Android smartphones support LDAC).

Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2: Anker’s Soundcore AeroFit 2 used to be on list but their list price has risen from $100 to $130, so I had to pull them off. These open earbuds have been completely redesigned and look quite different from the original AeroFit buds, which also listed for $100. The second-gen Aerofit are not only more comfortable but look sleeker, sound significantly better and offer all-around improvements. The buds aren’t as light as the Shokz OpenFit 2 buds and don’t sound quite as good, but they cost quite a bit less and offer good all-around performance with augmented bass response. Available in multiple colors, they’re a good option for those looking for ear-hook style open earbuds with a fairly premium design and good sound quality without the high price tag of top-end models.

Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS: What makes these $40 Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS buds special is that they sound surprisingly good for open earbuds — they’re close to what you get from Apple’s AirPods 3 for sound (they’re a little more behind the AirPods 4, which offer improved sound from the AirPods 3). On top of that, they support Sony’s LDAC audio codec for devices that offer it. Not too many cheap open earbuds have good sound but these Soundpeats have good bass response and clarity. They’re also good for making calls and have a low-latency gaming mode. Battery life is rated at 5 hours at moderate volume levels, and these are IPX4 splash-proof.

Amazon Echo Buds (2023): Amazon’s 2023 Echo Buds impressed me in a few ways that I wasn’t expecting. For starters, they sound good for inexpensive open earbuds, delivering decent clarity and ample bass. But they also have a robust feature set, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, hands-free Alexa and ear-detection sensors that pause your audio when you take one or both buds out of your ears. Their sound falls short of that of Apple’s AirPods 4, which deliver better bass performance and overall fuller, cleaner sound (they’re better at handling more complicated music tracks with a lot of instruments playing at the same time). But the AirPods 4, even the entry-level model ($129), cost significantly more.

Jabra Elite 4: The lightweight Elite 4 fit my ears comfortably and offered good, well-balanced sound with punchy bass and decent clarity. They support Qualcomm’s aptX audio codec (for Android and other devices that support aptX) but only the SBC codec for iPhones (no AAC support). The Elite 4 is missing more premium features like ear detection sensors and has a four-microphone array for noise canceling and voice calls (voice-calling performance is good but not exceptionally good). What’s a little confusing is that Jabra also sells the Elite 4 Active, a slightly more ruggedized version of the same buds that carries a list price of $120 but sometimes sells for less than the standard Elite 4. So get the Elite 4 Active if it costs less.

JBL Live Pro 2: Over the years, JBL has put out some decent true-wireless earbuds, but nothing that really got me too excited. That’s finally changed with the arrival of the Samsung-owned brand’s new Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 buds. Both sets of buds — the Live Pro 2 have stems while the Live Free 2 have a pill-shaped design — offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance, plus a robust set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 splash-proof rating and wireless charging.

JBL Live Free 2: Like the Live Pro 2, JBL’s new Live Free 2 buds are surprisingly good. With 11mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicon tips, they combine a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance. Features include multipoint Bluetooth pairing and wireless charging, and they’re rated for up to seven hours with IPX5 water-resistance (splash-proof).

Beats Studio Buds: The Beats Studio Buds look a lot like the rumored stemless AirPods some people have been waiting for. Geared toward both iOS and Android users, they are missing a few key features on the Apple side of things (there’s no H1 or W1 chip), but they’re small, lightweight buds that are comfortable to wear and offer really good sound. While their noise canceling isn’t as good as the AirPods Pro’s, they do have a transparency mode and they’re decent for making calls. Read our Beats Studio Buds review.

Sennheiser CX: If you can’t afford Sennheiser’s flagship Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds, the CX are a good alternative. They feature very good sound, plus decent noise canceling and voice-calling performance. The only issue is they stick out of your ears a bit and may not fit some smaller ears. This model, which often sells for less than $100 on Amazon, doesn’t feature active noise canceling but the step-up CX Plus does (the CX Plus is also a good value, particularly when it goes on sale). Learn more about the budget earbuds in my full Sennheiser CX true wireless earbuds review.