phones – Topical Fruit

Six Wild Phone Features We Want by 2036

Samsung asked 2,000 people what they want their phones to do by 2036, and the answers did not disappoint.

Some are genius. Some are terrifying. All of them prove we’re sprinting toward a future where your phone might know you better than your mom.

One charge = one week of freedom

No more panicking at 3% while begging your Uber to arrive. People want a phone that can hold a charge for at least seven days. Bonus points if it charges just by moving around. You’d never need a charger again – just pace around your apartment like a caffeinated squirrel.

Languages no longer matter

Real-time translation during phone calls? Yes, please. Imagine chatting with anyone in the world, no Duolingo owl required. It’s like the Babel fish from Hitchhiker’s Guide, but less slimy and more Bluetooth.

Holograms, baby

We’re talking full-on Star Wars projections. 3D meetings, holographic selfies, maybe even midair cat videos. People want to interact with their screens in the air. The future is one big Zoom call where nobody’s pants are real.

Your phone is your life coach

Forget Googling. Folks want their phones to listen in and offer real-time advice. Like, “Hey, maybe don’t text your ex right now.” We’re already kinda there, but this would crank it to full-on nosy best friend mode. Privacy? Never met her.

Total money management

Imagine never paying a bill again – because your phone just… handles it. Auto-pay on steroids. You’d wake up, sip coffee, and your phone’s already paid rent, canceled your unnecessary subscriptions, and moved your leftover fun money to a taco fund. (Sadly, tacos will cost $100 each by 2036.)

Think it, send it (regret it instantly)

Hands-free texting? Yes, your phone can read your mind. Why type when your iPhone could just know what you’re thinking and send it for you? It’s efficient, sure – but your phone better not leak your inner monologue. Yikes.

Only One of These Emojis Will Be Added – Which One Would You Use More?

It’s emoji showdown time, and there can be only one.

Two contenders are currently battling it out for a spot on your phone’s emoji keyboard: Face with Squinting Eyes vs. Cracking Face. Only one is expected to make the final cut this year, so the question is… which one would you use more?

The Unicode Consortium – a group of very serious people who decide which emojis get added – will pick the eventual winner. It’s like The Emoji Bachelor, and only one face gets the final rose.

Squinting Eyes was originally selected, but now they’re having second thoughts and may replace it with Cracking Face.

Let’s meet the contenders.

Squinting Eyes

It’s giving “Wait, what am I looking at?” or “That can’t be right…”. It could mean you’re confused, suspicious, trying to read tiny print, or just throwing a little side-eye without going full shady. It’s a little redundant with the monocle emoji, but more casual. Kind of like the monocle emoji’s skeptical little brother who doesn’t own a monocle, but does squint at receipts. 🧐

Cracking Face

This one looks like someone dropped it on the floor. It’s meant to symbolize feeling damaged or broken – physically, mentally, or spiritually – but still holding it together. Think: “I’m barely functioning, but I’m here!” They also expect it to get used sarcastically, which feels on-brand.

Which one would you use more?

So, what’s it gonna be? The “I’m not buying it” squint? Or the “mentally shattered, but here for it” cracked face? One is skeptical, the other unhinged – but both are relatable this day and age. (For our money, it seems like Squinting Eyes offers a little more bang for its buck. But it’s hard to argue the average person isn’t feeling somewhat shattered these days.)

It sounds like Cracking Face could be the eventual winner, but you never know which way the top brass at Unicode might go. They’re the same folks who OK’d the Dotted Line Face emoji (🫥) that no one has ever used, so they’re hard to read and don’t always make the obvious choice.

Eight More Emojis We’re Definitely Getting Soon

The rest of the new emojis on the docket seem to be safe and sound on the final list. Here are the other eight we’ll probably be seeing when the update rolls out in early 2027. (Yep, emoji approval is a slow process.)

14% of Gen Z’ers Use More Than 100 Emojis a Day

You probably know at least one person who almost exclusively comments in emojis online… for better or worse.

And it’s probably “for worse” if you don’t like decoding all messages like it’s “Classic Concentration”.

In a recent study by Adobe, 91% of people say emojis make it easier for them to express themselves.

More than half of messages from Gen Z’ers or Millennials include at least one emoji. And Gen Z’ers estimate that 41% of their messages are only emojis.

14% of Gen Z’ers say they average more than 100 emojis a day. That declines for older adults. Only 2% of Boomers are that prolific.

But emojis can complicate communication too.

More than 70% of Gen Z and Millennials say they’ve received an emoji that did NOT match the emotion a person was trying to convey. And about two-thirds of Gen Z and Millennials admit that they’ve used emojis differently than their intended meanings.

Maybe you’re someone who’s somehow still holding out, and refusing to use them. But it would be a lot cooler if you did. 73% of American emoji users think people who use emojis are friendlier, funnier, and cooler than those who don’t.

🤠🏆❤️😍💁🤡🥳🦒👽🙄

Gen Z Answers the Phone By Not Saying “Hello”?

Recruiters are talking, and Gen Z is… not. Literally.

A viral social media post from a recruiter has sparked a very modern etiquette debate: Why are so many Gen Z candidates answering phone interviews with total, unnerving silence?

The recruiter explains she does tons of scheduled phone interviews, and she’s noticed a specific trend among younger applicants.

She’ll call right on time… calls they scheduled, with her number… and they’ll answer… and just breathe. No “hello,” no “hi, this is Taylor,” not even a confused “…yeah?”

Just ambient breathing and maybe a faint TikTok video playing in the background.

To be clear, she’s not slamming them. She says it’s not a deal-breaker, just weird.

A Millennial hopped into the conversation to explain why this freaks people out: “Saying ‘hello’ isn’t just polite. It’s how you confirm you’re a human who picked up the phone, not a haunted voicemail system.” (Rough paraphrase, but you get it.)

There are a few theories about why Gen Z doesn’t say hello. For one, they probably never grew up with landlines, so nobody taught them the sacred ritual of answering with, “Hello, this is [your name].”

Also, they mainly text. Phone calls are already borderline terrifying for some Gen Z’ers. Combine that with a lifetime of spam calls and AI bots, and you get a generation that treats every ring like it might be a trap.

The post has stirred up reactions ranging from “who cares?” to “this is why we can’t have nice things.” Some people think it’s just a new normal, while others believe that if you’re interviewing for a job, you should probably start the call like you’re not being held hostage by an invisible demon.