Pope Francis gets engulfed by eager smartphone users in Washington, DC. Photo: IIP Photo Archive/Flickr CC

Pope Francis landed on U.S. soil for the first time last week on Tuesday, September 22. He has talked to victims of sexual abuse, spoke out about his views on immigration and gave several moving speeches across the country. However, the pope was also able to impact American culture in a way that is completely unintentional: he put the mobile phone revolution on giant display.

The last time a pope visited the United States was back in April 2008 when Pope Benedict XVI was still at the reigns of Catholicism. A lot has happened in seven years. Modern smartphones were only starting to become prevalent back then. Apple had just released the first iPhone less than a year ago and Android was still in development.

The change in our culture needs no explanation because photos of crowds swarming Pope Francis through his journey across America manage to say it all. Crowds glow with endless displays.

Really, Samsung? Photo: Carly Page/The Inquirer

When you’re lining up for a brand new iPhone on launch day, the last thing you expect to see outside the Apple Store is a whole team of people from Samsung. But that’s exactly what iPhone 6s buyers in London were greeted by this morning.

Samsung sent a flock of people to gatecrash the iPhone 6s launch at the Apple Store on Regent Street to promote the Galaxy S6 edge and S6 edge+, and to hand out free goodies bearing Samsung’s “#NextisNew” slogan.

Google’s Now on Tap isn’t the only upgrade for voice search. Screenshot: Cult of Android

Google voice searches just got faster and more accurate, thanks to new acoustic models that provide better voice recognition, especially in noisy environments.

One A9’s six color options. Photo: Evan Blass

HTC’s upcoming iPhone clone, the One A9, has leaked out again ahead of its official unveiling.

A new press image confirms the device will be available in six colors, with gigantic bezels above and beneath its display that somewhat spoil its otherwise attractive look.

Pebble Time Round is the thinnest smartwatch so far. Photo: Pebble

Pebble’s latest smartwatch forgot it’s hip to be square.

The Pebble Time Round has a circular display that hopes to appeal to traditional watch wearers, and compete round rivals like the Moto 360 and Samsung’s upcoming Gear S2. Its all-metal design is also the thinnest and lightest Pebble has crafted to date.