Hey,
Welcome to this week’s issue!
This one dives into the flagship phone wars — iPhone, Samsung, Pixel — and what actually matters beyond the hype.
Here’s what’s inside:
Which flagship quietly wins (and which one’s falling behind).
The truth about YouTube sponsorships — and what brands actually pay for.
Gear tests, battery surprises, and what I’m taking to VidSummit.
Let’s dive in👇
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Forget the Hype:
iPhone vs. Samsung vs. Pixel — Who Wins?
The never-ending question: which flagship should you actually buy?
After testing the iPhone 17 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and Pixel 10 Pro, here’s how they stack up where it matters.
📸 Cameras
iPhone 17 Pro — New square front sensor makes vertical/landscape shots easier. This is a game-changing upgrade, and we’ll likely see all phones adopt it eventually.
Samsung S25 Ultra — The 100x zoom is fun to show friends, but photos aren’t worth framing. Good main shooter though.
Pixel 10 Pro — AI-heavy photo tricks, but blind tests often favor older Pixels. Sometimes feels too processed.
🤖 AI & Editing
iPhone 17 Pro — Apple Intelligence is underwhelming, but you can map Gemini to the Action Button for real usefulness.
Samsung S25 Ultra — Packed with genuinely handy AI tools for editing and productivity. But when it comes to AI editing, it’s essentially the same as Pixel’s.
Pixel 10 Pro — The AI edit king… if you’re okay with photos being rebuilt in the cloud. It would clearly beat the S25 if Magic Cue worked as advertised.
🔋 Battery & Charging
iPhone 17 Pro — Surprisingly leads with faster wireless charging (Qi2.2). Overall performance is close to Samsung, but the faster wireless still gives iPhone the edge.
Samsung S25 Ultra — Still behind, though S26 might close the gap. Very close to iPhone overall aside from wireless speed.
Pixel 10 Pro — Matches iPhone on Qi2.2 and includes magnets/charging, but it’s the weakest overall for battery.
⚡ Performance
iPhone 17 Pro — Smooth, consistent, powerhouse chip. Performance feels very similar to the S25 Ultra.
Samsung S25 Ultra — Big specs but not noticeably faster in daily use. Roughly on par with iPhone in real-world performance.
Pixel 10 Pro — Trails behind in raw speed. Close to the others, but still struggles at times.
🌍 Ecosystem
iPhone 17 Pro — Once you’re in, you’re stuck. AirDrop, Macs, AirPods — they’ve got you.
Samsung S25 Ultra — More open; mix and match watches, buds, laptops.
Pixel 10 Pro — Same Android flexibility, but fewer polished partner devices. That said, its watch is actually the best of the bunch.
Here’s how I’d personally rank them out of 10 across the stuff that actually matters 👇
Feature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
📸 Cameras | 7/10 | 6/10 | 5/10 |
🤖 AI & Editing | 2/10 | 6/10 | 6/10 |
🔋 Battery & Charging | 6/10 | 6/10 | 5/10 |
⚡ Performance | 9/10 | 8/10 | 6/10 |
🌍 Ecosystem | 9/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 |
🔑 My Take
iPhone: Strong on performance and ecosystem, but the lock-in is real.
Samsung: King of features (some useful, some gimmicky).
Pixel: Clever AI, but weaker hardware year after year.
👉 At the end of the day, my advice is simple:
Don’t obsess over spec sheets. Pick the phone that actually fits your day-to-day life.
Which team are you on right now?
📱 Enjoying this newsletter? Share it with a friend who’s as obsessed with tech as you are:
📺 What I’m Testing & Consuming This Week
Some things I’ve been enjoying and bookmarking lately:
Homey Pro Mini — Still running my whole smart home through this little hub.
Ubiquiti gear — Networking, wireless, and even CCTV — basically, Ubiquiti everything right now.
iPhone 17 — Daily driver, still digging into performance and quirks.
ESR chargers — Testing out new charging setups.
Aqara home automation — More devices added into the mix this week.
Logitech MX Master 4 — Just launched; could be the best productivity mouse yet.
ROG Xbox Ally X — Pre-orders are live… who’s grabbing one?
Xiaomi 17 Pro — Launched in China; basically copied the iPhone 17 Pro but the hardware is wild.
🎙️ Podcast: YouTube Sponsorships Explained (& How to Charge)
This week’s episode goes straight into the money side of YouTube — the messy, unpolished reality of sponsorships.
From what brands really pay for, to why skipping iPhone launch videos might have been a costly mistake, we’re pulling back the curtain.
Inside this episode:
The truth about how creator channels actually make money 💰
Growing sponsorships from £700 to £50K/month 🚀
Why skipping iPhone launch videos could backfire 🧐
The different sponsorship types — and which ones brands truly value 🤝
The harsh reality behind brand trip invites ✈️
How creators really pay themselves (and their teams) 📑
📱 Next Issue: Apple Watch Ultra vs. Garmin Fenix — Who’s Built Better?
Apple keeps pushing the Watch Ultra as the ultimate smartwatch. Garmin’s Fenix line doubles down on rugged endurance.
Both promise to be the one watch you’ll never take off — but which one actually delivers?
In the next issue, I’ll put them head-to-head:
Can the Ultra’s fitness + GPS tracking keep up with Garmin’s accuracy?
Where Garmin’s battery life and durability shine… and where it still lags.
A real-world outdoor test that showed the Ultra’s limits but Fenix nailed.
The wild gap in everyday use, smart features, and ecosystem lock-in.
The dealbreakers: price, comfort, and long-term reliability.
Plus: my blunt verdict on which watch is actually worth buying right now — and who each one is truly built for.
📅 See you Saturday.
Help Me Shape What’s Next
I want these issues to be genuinely useful (and fun) for you — so tell me: