Articles by Myriam Joire

Poco F8 Ultra Review: They Put a Subwoofer in a Flagship Phone, and Somehow That’s Not Even the Wildest Part

In Xiaomi land, Poco and Redmi generally focus on making excellent mid-range and budget phones, while parent company Xiaomi focuses on making great flagships. This is the way. But every now and then, Poco and Redmi crank things up a notch and release a genuine flagship. Behold the Poco F8 Ultra, an affordable flagship with a metal frame, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, triple 50MP rear shooter, a 6,500mAh silicon-carbon battery, and 50W wireless charging. Oh, and did I mention it comes with a Bose-branded subwoofer? Madness!

Reviews

I Tested Apple’s iPhone 17 and 17 Pro Max in the Yukon: Here’s What I Learned

It’s been almost six months since Apple released the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max, alongside the iPhone Air, and Apple just unveiled the iPhone 17e. I’ve been using a lavender iPhone 17 and a cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro Max on and off since late September 2025, primarily to create content, so I think it’s time for a proper review. Currently, my main phone is Google’s Pixel 10 Pro XL (the Canadian model with US-compatible 5G bands and a SIM tray), and while I mostly review Android phones, I prefer using iPhones to create content, especially for…

Reviews

Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro Review: This Affordable Phone Is Simply Fantastic

What if I told you that for just $279, you can get a stylish Android phone with a flagship-grade display, proper quad camera system, mid-range chip, two-day battery life, great software, and only one real compromise (no stereo speakers)? And, what if I told you this handset is available in the US and has microSD support for additional storage? Behold CMF Phone 2 Pro – Nothing’s successor to last year’s awesome $239 CMF Phone 1.

Editorials

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Battle of the Android Giants

If you live in the US and want a flagship smartphone that runs Android and doesn’t fold in half – something with the biggest display, best cameras, longest battery life, and latest AI features – you basically have three options: Google’s Pixel 9 Pro XL, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the OnePlus 12. While the OnePlus 12 is a fantastic handset, it’s the oldest of the three, and it’s not available through carriers. So, let’s focus on comparing the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and see which one is the best fit for you.

Events

Best of MWC 2024: AI Takes Focus, but Hardware Still Rules

Mobile World Congress (MWC) – the trade show that’s all about mobile tech – just took place in Barcelona last week, so here’s a recap of the best stuff I saw at the event. Not surprisingly, AI was the buzzword du jour at MWC this year – just like it was at CES in January – but this didn’t detract from manufacturers launching some interesting products and showing off exciting concepts.

Reviews

Oppo Find N3 Flip Review: Flipping Samsung the Bird

Back in 2019, Motorola ushered the era of the folding flip phone with the nostalgia-infused (but ultimately flawed) Moto Razr. The next year, the company followed suit with the Moto Razr 5G, and Samsung refined the idea with its Galaxy Z Flip and Z Flip 5G. But it wasn’t until Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Flip3 in 2021 that the folding flip design finally gelled.

Reviews

OnePlus 11 5G Review: This Flagship Ticks All the Right Boxes, Except for One

A lot has changed at OnePlus over the past couple of years. The company has merged with OPPO, and OnePlus’ OxygenOS now shares a common codebase with OPPO’s ColorOS. Warp Charge is now called SuperVOOC, which is OPPO’s fast charging brand. And while OnePlus’ affordable Nord N series has been doing well here in the US, the company’s flagships appear to have lost their mojo.

Reviews

Huawei P40 Pro+ Review: Amazing Hardware, Killer Camera, Crippled Software

For a few years now, Apple and Samsung have battled for leadership in the global smartphone market share. This is particularly obvious in regions like the US, where both brands dominate. But did you know that Chinese manufacturer Huawei is consistently in the top three as well? In fact, it was #1 in Q2 2020 — yes, the same Huawei that the US government put on an entity list in 2019, barring it from doing business with US companies like Google.

Reviews

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra Camera Review: Great Photos, Good Videos, Giant Zoom

Samsung recently announced the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, and it packs a very interesting camera system. It’s similar to what Samsung offered on the Galaxy S20 Ultra earlier this year, but with a few key differences. Since I’ve been using the company’s latest flagship for a few days, I wanted to share my experience shooting photos (primarily) and videos. So what’s new, what’s different? Is it better, is it worse? Let’s dive in.