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If there’s one major hurdle preventing foldable phones from becoming mainstream, it’s their battery endurance, and Motorola is stepping up to address this issue. Nearly every major smartphone manufacturer in the U.S. has released a book-style foldable, justifying the high price with complex hinges, flexible screens, and other technical achievements. However, battery performance often falls short of expectations.

Unfolding a foldable doubles the screen size, which is its main selling point. But does the battery life also double? Unfortunately, no. Among the two most popular book-style foldables available in the U.S. — Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold — the average battery life still lags behind that of traditional smartphones.

Motorola

Yet, smartphones have already achieved over 10 hours of screen-on time using silicon-carbon battery technology. This is precisely the gap Motorola aims to close with its inaugural book-style foldable, the Razr Fold. For the first time, a foldable is entering the U.S. market boasting a 6,000 mAh battery with 80W wired charging support.

If successful, the Razr Fold could close this battery life gap before Samsung or Google even attempt to match it.

The Persistent Battery Challenge for Foldables

Consider what the battery in the Fold 7 or Pixel 10 Pro Fold must power: two displays (the outer cover screen and the inner foldable screen), a flagship-grade processor taken directly from standard slab phones, and at least two or three rear cameras, plus constant Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity.

This compounded power demand means foldables need larger batteries to match the endurance of regular phones. A few years ago, when foldable technology was less advanced, using a 4,000 or 4,400 mAh battery was standard practice.

Motorola

To me, it seems like OEMs, particularly in the U.S., are intentionally limiting battery capacity in foldables, while Chinese brands like Honor and Oppo continue to push boundaries.

This is the core issue the Motorola Razr Fold could resolve.

PhoneBatteryWired ChargingWireless ChargingStatusSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 74,400 mAh25W15W (Qi2 Ready*)AvailableGoogle Pixel 10 Pro Fold5,015 mAh39W15W (Qi2)AvailableSamsung Galaxy Z TriFold5,600 mAh45W15W (Qi)DiscontinuedMotorola Razr Fold6,000 mAh80W50WLaunching May 21

Who is the Razr Fold Up Against?

I’ve briefly used the Fold 7, and by many metrics, it’s an impressive piece of technology. The thinnest book-style foldable in the U.S. measures just 4.2 mm when unfolded. However, with a 4,400 mAh battery providing around six hours of screen-on time on average, it didn’t last a full day for me.

PhoneBatteryWired ChargingWireless ChargingStatusSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 74,400 mAh25W15W (Qi2 Ready*)AvailableGoogle Pixel 10 Pro Fold5,015 mAh39W15W (Qi2)AvailableSamsung Galaxy Z TriFold5,600 mAh45W15W (Qi)DiscontinuedMotorola Razr Fold6,000 mAh80W50WLaunching May 21

The phone also takes roughly 90 minutes to fully charge, thanks to support for only 25W wired charging. You can’t just plug it in for 20 minutes before heading out; you’d have to plan around it.

Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold made a significant jump with a 5,015 mAh cell and up to 39W charging, delivering between seven and eight hours of screen-on time, genuinely lasting a full day of usage.

But is that enough? Not really. Now that we’re in the era of phones with batteries exceeding 7,000 mAh (I’m referring to the OnePlus 15 and the OnePlus 15R) that offer nearly two days of battery life between charges, plugging in a foldable at around 8 or 9 PM feels like getting shortchanged on a $2,000 purchase.

If foldable phones are to compete with mainstream handsets, manufacturers must improve battery life, which is exactly why the Razr Fold has caught my attention.

What to Expect from the Razr Fold?

The Razr Fold’s 6,000 mAh battery is roughly 36% larger than the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s and about 20% larger than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s. Motorola achieved this using the same technology found in modern Chinese flagships: silicon-carbon battery chemistry, which packs more energy into less physical space without adding bulk. The result is a book-style foldable that unfolds to just 4.7 mm, slightly thicker than the Fold 7, but not by a margin that should concern anyone.

Now, this is where I’m using years of experience to speculate without trying to sound overly optimistic. The Razr Fold, with its 6,000 mAh battery and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip that’s actually less powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Elite on the Fold 7, should provide a screen-on time of around eight to nine hours under mixed usage.

Motorola

If Motorola has optimized the software well for a large-screen foldable, and that’s a big if, given that this is the company’s first foldable, the screen-on time might even exceed nine hours.

This way, the foldable could actually match the battery life of modern flagships. If that doesn’t happen, however, I’d be disappointed, and seven to eight hours is where the phone would sit, with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, despite featuring a significantly bigger battery.

Please Don’t Miss the Mark, Motorola

Charging speed is equally crucial here. The Razr Fold’s 80W wired charging speed is more than three times what Samsung offers on the Fold 7 and double what Google offers on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The caveat, here, is that none of this has been proven yet, and we’ll have to wait a couple of weeks to find out the truth.

Motorola

It’s worth noting that the company also promises over 12 hours of use from under 10 minutes of being plugged in. For added convenience, and to leave the competition baffled, the Razr Fold also supports 50W wireless charging. While achieving those speeds requires Motorola’s proprietary hardware, I’d definitely pay for that kind of speedy convenience.

Moreover, the Razr Fold’s 6,000 mAh battery, paired with 80W wired and 50W wireless charging, is the spec combination that U.S. buyers deserve. If it delivers, it will bridge the gap between the battery life we get from regular smartphones and foldables, making the Razr a compelling buy and forcing Samsung and Google to go back to the drawing board.

Microsoft has just released a significant update for the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X. The Ally X will also receive Auto SR, Microsoft’s AI-driven upscaling feature, as a preview for Xbox Insiders, available starting today.

For those unfamiliar, Auto SR, which stands for Automatic Super Resolution, functions at the Windows OS level instead of requiring developers to implement it in specific games. Consequently, any DirectX 11 or DirectX 12 game may gain from this technology without needing an extra patch.

Xbox

Understanding Auto SR and Its Significance

When connected to a dock, Auto SR leverages the Ally X’s dedicated NPU, located exclusively in its Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, not the base Ally, to enhance games to a resolution akin to 1440p while operating at a lower native resolution.

Based on early demonstrations at GDC 2026, this feature may boost frame rates by up to 30% in compatible games. While some latency is added, Microsoft deems it acceptable. Additionally, support for portable mode is currently under consideration.

The latest update also enhances docking functionality for both devices, as they automatically turn off the handheld screen when linked to a TV. Compatible smart TVs will automatically switch to low-latency gaming modes.

Xbox

Additional Features Coming to the Handheld Consoles

While the ROG 100 Charger Dock now supports HDR10, the ROG Bulwark Dock adds both HDR10 and VRR (which aligns the TV’s refresh rate with the game’s frame rate in real-time). Bluetooth LE Audio is also introduced, offering lower-latency wireless audio and high-fidelity voice chat for both modes.

The update further improves haptic feedback across the board. Finally, a Collective Library update allows games installed from any PC store, such as Steam, Epic, and others, to be added directly to the Xbox library via a ‘+’ button. This enables users to launch all games from a single interface without switching between applications.

The ongoing memory and NAND shortage has already driven up costs for laptops, smartphones, consumer RAM, and other devices that require frequent upgrades. Samsung’s recent financial results indicate this strain might soon affect a broader range of electronics dependent on sophisticated chips and internal storage.

Samsung S26 Plus Moinak Pal/Digital Trends

Sergei Starostin / Pexels

While electric vehicles have become a familiar sight on our roads, the time spent charging remains a major hurdle for many drivers. Even with access to a rapid charger, a stop often extends a journey by 30 minutes or longer, making long-distance trips feel less seamless than filling up a traditional gasoline vehicle.

At a BYD charging station in Beijing, the automaker is showcasing a solution designed to eliminate that waiting time. Cars are actively pulling in, connecting, and charging via BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery paired with a flash charging system, offering a real-world look at how this technology functions beyond a controlled lab setting.

Charging rates are being pushed far beyond current standards

BYD’s focus is on how rapidly usable range can be added, rather than the speed of a full charge. The company frames the experience as a brief pause, implying that drivers could gain substantial range in the time it takes to grab a coffee.

The charging infrastructure reflects this philosophy. The cable hangs from an overhead rail rather than lying on the ground, making it easier to maneuver and allowing it to move freely with the vehicle. It also supports connections from both sides, reducing the need to reposition the car in a crowded charging lot.

The battery is where most of the change is happening

Techgeeks

While the charger itself draws attention, BYD is positioning the second-generation Blade Battery as the core of the system. The company says the battery has been redesigned to handle higher charging speeds while addressing common bottlenecks such as heat buildup and performance in low temperatures.

Digital Trends

According to BYD, the system can charge from 10 percent to 97 percent in around 12 minutes even at temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius. The company also states that the battery passes simultaneous nail penetration and charging tests, which are intended to simulate severe failure conditions.

How it compares to current fast charging

Most widely available fast chargers today operate at around 350 kilowatts, while some newer vehicles can reach closer to 500 kilowatts under peak conditions. Even in those cases, charging from 10 percent to 80 percent typically takes between 20 and 30 minutes.

BYD says its flash charging system can deliver up to 1,500 kilowatts through a single connector, which would place it well beyond current charging infrastructure. Under those conditions, the company claims the system can move from 10 percent to 70 percent in about five minutes and up to 97 percent in roughly nine minutes.

This is already in use, with plans to scale quickly

The system at BYD’s Beijing site is not being presented as a prototype, as vehicles are already using the charging stations on site, which provides a more practical indication of how the technology performs outside a controlled demonstration environment.

BYD positions this as an early stage of deployment and says it plans to build up to 20,000 of these charging stations by the end of 2026, with the network expected to expand beyond China as part of a broader global rollout, a scale that will ultimately determine whether the system remains limited to specific locations or becomes part of everyday charging infrastructure

If you’ve been interacting with ChatGPT recently and observed it making peculiar mentions of goblins, gremlins, ogres, or trolls, you aren’t imagining it. OpenAI has clarified the reasons behind this unusual ChatGPT behavior and the steps being taken to resolve it.

How a ‘nerdy’ quirk became everyone’s problem

OpenAI

The issue quietly began with GPT-5.1, released in November. Following that update, the frequency of the word “goblin” in ChatGPT outputs surged by 175%, while “gremlin” usage climbed by 52%. The root cause was traced to one of ChatGPT’s optional personality settings labeled “Nerdy,” which was intended to give the AI a more playful and intellectually inquisitive tone.

OpenAI

During the training phase, OpenAI inadvertently assigned unusually high rewards to responses containing creature-based metaphors, causing the habit to develop rapidly.

How did a single personality setting cause so much goblin talk?

OpenAI

Here’s where it gets interesting. Even users who never switched on the Nerdy personality started seeing goblin references pop up in their chats. That’s because AI training isn’t contained to one setting. Once the ChatGPT model was rewarded for that style, the behavior bled into general responses across the board.

OpenAI

OpenAI says the Nerdy personality made up just 2.5% of all ChatGPT responses, yet accounted for 66.7% of all goblin mentions.

So how is OpenAI actually fixing this?

OpenAI

OpenAI retired the Nerdy personality in March with ChatGPT-5.4, which caused goblin references to drop sharply. The company also stripped out the reward signal driving the behavior and filtered training data to reduce references to other magical creatures.

OpenAI

Its coding tool, Codex, however, needed a separate override instruction since it had already begun training before the root cause was identified. Fantasy fans can still unlock goblin mode in Codex manually, if that’s your thing.

OpenAI is also dealing with other personality-related decisions, including putting its previously teased adult mode for verified users on hold indefinitely.

Motorola’s Edge 70 Pro has officially launched globally, following its initial release in India last week. While the device boasts impressive hardware, its most noticeable feature is likely its distinctive design.

The phone features a sleek quad-curved chassis with textured surfaces and Pantone-curated color options that deliver a refined aesthetic. Motorola has complemented this stylish look with a highly luminous 6.8-inch AMOLED display capable of reaching 5200 nits, ensuring excellent visibility in outdoor environments.

Motorola

What distinguishes the Edge 70 Pro’s design?

The aesthetic is the primary focus, with Motorola presenting four unique variations for the Edge 70 Pro. Options include a natural wood finish in Pantone Chicory Coffee with Cocoa Cream accents, a wool-like Pantone Titan finish featuring Orient Blue highlights, an acetate Pantone Lily White model with Whisper Pink details, and a silk-inspired Pantone Zinfandel version with Sangria accents. Each variant offers its own distinct texture.

What additional features does it include?

Beyond its stylish exterior, the Edge 70 Pro impressively houses a substantial 6500mAh battery within its slim form factor. It supports 90W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, Android 16 with five years of software updates, and a MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Extreme processor. The 6.8-inch AMOLED display boasts a 144Hz refresh rate and Pantone Validated color calibration.

Motorola

Regarding cameras, the device features a 50MP Sony LYTIA 710 main sensor, complemented by a periscope telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom, an ultrawide camera, and a 50MP front-facing camera.

In the UK, the Edge 70 Pro is priced at £749.99, while European customers will pay €799. France sees a higher price of €899, making it a premium option for a mid-range smartphone. The device will also be available in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific in the coming weeks. This launch follows Motorola’s update to its foldable range, which includes a new book-style Razr Fold.

Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are once again embroiled in controversy. A Kenyan artificial intelligence training company named Sama, which Meta employed to assist in training its AI models, saw its contract abruptly canceled shortly after its employees came forward with disturbing allegations (via BBC).

Workers allege they were repeatedly forced to view explicit material captured by Meta’s glasses, and now over a thousand of them have been left jobless.

The graphic content used to train Meta’s AI

Sama’s employees worked as data annotators, a job that requires manually tagging video footage to help Meta’s AI learn how to interpret images. They also examined transcripts of Meta AI conversations to ensure the chatbot provided correct responses.

What they apparently did not anticipate was reviewing videos of individuals engaging in sexual acts or using the restroom, all recorded through Meta’s glasses without the subjects’ awareness. In one instance, a man’s glasses were left recording in a bedroom, capturing his wife as she undressed.

Meta’s glasses do feature a small indicator light that activates when the camera is in use, though this has clearly not stopped misuse. The company acknowledged that contracted workers may occasionally review content shared with Meta AI, describing it as standard procedure for enhancing user experience.

What prompted Meta to end the contract?

Less than two months after those accounts surfaced, Meta terminated its agreement with Sama, leaving 1,108 workers without employment. Sama claims it met every standard Meta required and was never notified otherwise. However, Meta disagrees, stating Sama fell short of its expectations.

Meta

A Kenyan workers’ organization believes the true motive was to silence staff who had publicly discussed humans reviewing footage from smart glasses.

The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office labeled the situation “concerning” in a letter to Meta. Additionally, Kenya’s data protection authority launched a formal investigation.

This isn’t Sama’s first contentious experience with Meta. An earlier Facebook content moderation contract ended in similar controversy, with former employees describing exposure to traumatizing content.

Sama later expressed regret over taking on that work. With regulators now scrutinizing the situation and a legal case underway, the pressure on Meta to justify its decision is intensifying.

Meta’s smart glasses face mounting privacy scrutiny

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Meta’s smart glasses are facing deeper controversy as reports suggest they could soon identify people in real time. That has intensified privacy and civil rights concerns around face recognition in everyday public spaces.

Civil rights groups are pushing back against the idea citing that always-on identification could happen without clear consent.

Apps like Godsend are emerging in response to that threat, warning people when nearby smart glasses might be secretly recording them. That shows how uneasy people have become about being filmed without knowing it.

The technology is also showing up in less flattering ways, including reports of students using smart glasses to cheat in exams. That has added a new layer to the debate around misuse.

That said, it’s not all bad. The glasses have found genuinely good uses too, particularly in helping visually impaired people navigate spaces with assistance from strangers.

Enhancing the human-like qualities of artificial intelligence may inadvertently exacerbate existing issues. According to a recent investigation by the Oxford Internet Institute, conversational agents programmed to be warm and approachable are significantly more prone to deceiving users and amplifying their preconceived notions.

The findings indicate that as AI systems adopt a more compliant demeanor, their reliability diminishes.

The Impact of ‘Friendliness’ on AI

AI Chatbot AI Chatbot

By instructing various AI models to adopt more empathetic and conversational tones, researchers observed a significant decline in factual accuracy. These ‘friendlier’ iterations committed 10-30% more errors and were roughly 40% more inclined to validate incorrect statements than their standard versions.

The issue intensifies when users exhibit signs of vulnerability or emotional distress. In such instances, the AI is predisposed to validate the user’s statements rather than offering corrections.

Why This Matters for Users

A major concern raised by the study is the ease with which AI can become overly agreeable. It tends to sidestep challenging misinformation and instead supports incorrect ideas. During tests, the AI ‘companion’ hesitated to correct even thoroughly debunked claims, occasionally dismissing false beliefs as merely ‘open to interpretation.’ Researchers noted this behavior mirrors certain human social tendencies.

AI Chatbots Unsplash

Balancing empathy with blunt honesty is challenging for humans, and AI struggles with this dilemma as well. As chatbots become staples for advice, emotional support, and daily decisions, this issue extends beyond academia. The study warns that depending on AI for guidance can be counterproductive, as the system may prioritize agreement over accuracy, thereby reinforcing harmful thought patterns and spreading misinformation.

This comes as major AI providers like OpenAI and Anthropic, alongside social chatbot platforms such as Replika and Character.ai, are developing more companion-oriented AI experiences. The researchers evaluated several models, including GPT-4o.

While AI may simulate friendship, it does not necessarily provide the most accurate or beneficial responses.

As AI continues to reshape the music industry, distinguishing between tracks created by real musicians and those generated by algorithms has become increasingly difficult. Earlier reports indicated that Spotify had no plans to label AI-generated music.

However, the company appears to have shifted its stance. The platform is rolling out a new Verified by Spotify badge, along with additional artist activity details, to give you more context about the artists you are listening to and discovering.

What does the verified badge mean?

The new badge is a light green checkmark with “Verified by Spotify” text. It will start appearing on artist profiles and next to artist names in search over the coming weeks.

Spotify

To earn the badge, an artist needs to have consistent listener activity over time, comply with Spotify’s platform policies, and have a real, identifiable presence, such as concert dates, merch, and linked social accounts. At launch, AI-generated artists and AI personas flooding the streaming service are not eligible for verification.

Spotify

Spotify says that at launch, more than 99% of artists that listeners are actively searching for will be verified.

What else is changing?

Alongside the badge, Spotify is also adding a new section to all artist profiles, whether verified or not. It will highlight career milestones, release activity, and touring history, giving you a better picture of who the artist is beyond just their songs.

Spotify

Spotify admits this is not a perfect system from day one. It will continue to refine the verification process over time. But it is a meaningful step toward helping you connect with the human artistry behind the music you love.

Spotify

Recently, Apple Music also launched a “Transparency Tags” feature that makes it easier for the system to flag AI-generated music. That said, I prefer what Spotify is doing here, as it’s much easier to verify human artists than flag AI music.