Google's getting into the phone hardware business. Properly. It's just signed an agreement with HTC to poach some top smartphone development employees from the Taiwanese phone-maker, as well as to license some of its intellectual property. The deal is said to be worth $US1.1 billion, and will give Google the tools it needs to step up to the plate against Apple when it comes to making a vertically integrated smartphone: everything from the hardware inside it to the software that runs on it.

For those with an affinity with Chinese numerology, this is definitely the year for a new smartphone. Between the iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note8, there has never been a luckier line-up of smartphone to choose from.

Apple's new iPhones are now available on pre-sale from most Australian telcos. Here are the full range of plans for Telstra customers.

Apple's new iPhones are now available on pre-sale from most Australian telcos. Here are the full range of plans for Optus customers.

If you've already pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy Note8 or are planning to, Samsung has some good news for you: Due to unprecedented demand, telcos have agreed to send out pre-orders early. This means you should get your hands on the Note8 ahead of its September 22 launch date - if you don't have it already.

While there is a lot of hype around the launch of Apple’s new all-glass iPhone X, the attention of consumer lawyers is probably focused in a different direction. In April, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged that Apple had contravened consumer law by wrongly representing to customers they were not entitled to have a phone defect remedied if their device had previously been fixed by an “unauthorised” repairer.

The action was brought after reports that some consumers who had had their screen repaired by a third party suffered an “error 53”, which disabled their iPhone or iPad, after downloading an iOS update. Given that the new iPhone launched on Tuesday in the US, it’s timely to think about the rights available to Apple fans under Australian law if they suffer that most common of breakages – the shattered screen.

Remember 2009? Remember when every house party was 10 drunk-ass dudes, brand new iPhones in hand, swinging that goddamn lightsabre app, breaking lampshades and spilling beers.

“Whoom”

“Whoom”

“Whoom”

Remember that? I certainly do. I was one of those idiots.

If you're looking for a cheap, and somewhat tasty, lighting solution for your selfies or smartphone portraits, look no further. Bah-da-ba-ba-bah, I'm lovin' this Big Mac box lighting trick.

Android Oreo has at last been fully baked, and given a name, and is rolling out to those of you with a Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, or Pixel C; Google says a bunch of other handsets will get Oreo by the end of the year too. So what can you look forward to? Here are the new tricks you'll be able to play around with when your update arrives.

Apple's new iPhones go on pre-sale today from most Australian telcos. Here are the full range of plans for Virgin customers.

If the rumour mill is correct, we could be looking at a $1500 price tag on Apple's new iPhone when it hits stores in a few weeks. And it won't be alone; Samsung's new Note 8 also launches with a $1,499 RRP towards the end of the month.

But you don’t have to spend $1500 on a new phone, of course. There are loads of great options for half the price or less. We've also included a selection of mobile plans for each option!

If you've been alive in the last, say, 10 years, you've been subject to the spate of articles claiming that smartphones are destroying a generation. Today's young people, the argument goes, are more isolated, have shorter attention spans, and...

They're here! Apple's new iPhone range have finally rumbled onto the world stage with a host of improvements under their collective hoods. Some of the changes are significant, others are incremental. If you're planning to upgrade to the iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, here's everything you need to know, including Australian pricing, release date and specifications.

In just a few hours' time, Apple will finally lift the lid on its new iPhone devices, including the mysterious iPhone X. If you're keen to follow the action from home, you can watch a live stream of the iPhone 8 launch right here.

Apple has set the date for this year's major product announcement event and the next iPhone will definitely be making an appearance. For Australians that want to devour all the announcements live, here's how you can watch the keynote in the comfort of your own home.

How much would you be willing to pay for the iPhone 8? WhistleOut surveyed 1000 Aussies to work out an average price we'd think to be reasonable - and it falls just a bit (okay, a lot) short of the anticipated $1,500 price tag. $920, on average, is what we'd be happy to pay for the new model - $580 less than the expected retail price.

Tomorrow morning, Apple will finally unveil a new suite of iPhones, which will reportedly include an ultra-premium model dubbed the 'iPhone X'. Most people have been pronouncing it as a letter (i.e. - "Ex").

Apparently, this could be incorrect. There's strong reason to believe that Apple is actually using the roman numeral and we're all supposed to call it "iPhone Ten" instead. Here's the evidence.

So you've had Instagram for a while and you upload photos regularly, but nobody seems to care. No likes, no follows, and no comments. Boo. Give these tips a try, you sad instagrammer you.

Few adolescent experiences are as liberating as being granted a smartphone The bond I felt with my first phone (a Nokia 6610), bordered on covalent and that was sans access to today's veritable buffet of games and social networks — not to mention the internet at large.