Apple iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max first impressions, Xiaomi 18 Fold, Poco F9 Pro/Ultra, and more with Matt Swider of The Shortcut

Join me for episode 496 of the Mobile Tech Podcast with guest Matt Swider of The Shortcut -- brought to you by Mint Mobile. In this week's show, we recap the Apple event and share our first impressions of the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max, Apple Watch Ultra 4/series 12, and AirPods 5. We then discuss my hands-on with Honor's Robot Phone, plus new handsets from Xiaomi, Poco, and Motorola. Finally, we cover news, leaks, and rumors from Honor, Oppo, and Huawei.

Episode Links

- Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tnkgrl

- Donate / buy me a coffee (PayPal): https://tnkgrl.com/tnkgrl/

- Support the podcast with Mint Mobile: https://mintmobile.com/mobiletech

- Matt Swider: https://www.threads.com/@mattswider

- Matt's recap of the Apple event: https://www.theshortcut.com/p/apple-iphone-duo-event-live-blog

- Matt's Apple iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max first impressions: https://www.theshortcut.com/p/iphone-duo-first-look

- Apple iPhone Duo alternatives: https://www.gsmarena.com/here_are_the_apple_iphone_duo_alternatives-news-74560.php

- Xiaomi 18 Fold: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8iWRnEq6DQ

- My IFA 2026 recap article (with Honor Robot Phone hands-on): https://hothardware.com/reviews/ifa-2026-recap-colorful-laptops-nvidia-rtx-spark-machines-and-robot-phones

- My IFA 2026 recap video (with Honor Robot Phone hands-on): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPpQMiaBTT4

- Honor Magic9 Pro Max video leaks, coming Sep 28: https://www.gsmarena.com/the_honor_magic9_pro_max_stars_in_a_handson_video_before_its_official_announcement-news-74542.php

- Moto Edge 70+: https://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_edge_70_plus_razr_70_with_crystals_watch_ultra_handson-news-74468.php

- Poco F9 Pro/Ultra: https://www.gsmarena.com/poco_f9_pro_and_f9_ultra_announced_-news-74425.php

- Oppo details Find X10 series cameras: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_find_x10_to_feature_dual_200mp_cameras_pro_max_gets_open_gate-news-74555.php

- Huawei Mate XT 2 Ultimate: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_xt_2_ultimate_design_is_official_with_a_kirin_9050_pro_soc_5600mah_battery-news-74503.php

- My silicon-carbon battery story: https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/i-interviewed-honor-and-oneplus-about-their-silicon-carbon-battery-tech-apple-and-google-are-quickly-falling-behind

Affiliate Links (If you use these links to buy something, we might earn a commission)

- Apple MacBook Neo: https://link.amazon/A0gLI0s07

- Apple iPhone 17 Pro: https://link.amazon/B0b89kaoS

- Apple Watch Ultra 4: https://link.amazon/B0f4TzUW4

- Apple AirPods 5: https://link.amazon/B06UmJ2YQ

- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8: https://link.amazon/B031wEijB