David Phelan
David Phelan focuses on how new consumer technology behaves in real use, with a particular emphasis on the details Apple reveals late in the cycle, such as accessibility features, incremental hardware updates and the subtleties of software design. He writes for Forbes on smartphones, tablets, wearables and related devices, returning repeatedly to how small design decisions shape everyday experience.
Apple ecosystem, with an eye for overlooked details
Phelan’s Forbes coverage centres on Apple, especially the iPhone and iOS, where he tracks both headline launches and quieter mid-cycle developments such as major accessibility upgrades and interface refinements. He covers Apple’s software roadmaps, including new iOS releases and feature overhauls, and explains what those changes mean for day‑to‑day use rather than just listing them.
He often picks out less-hyped capabilities - for example, changes in accessibility settings, notifications or camera behaviour - and treats them as core product news rather than footnotes. Across iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and Mac, he pays close attention to how features interlock across the ecosystem, including continuity tools and cross‑device experiences.
Smartphones, wearables and personal tech hardware
Beyond Apple, Phelan writes frequently about flagship and mid‑range smartphones from other major manufacturers, comparing hardware design, camera performance and battery life across competing models.
His archive includes regular coverage of new phone launches, hands‑on impressions and follow‑up pieces that revisit devices after software updates or price changes. He also reports on smartwatches and other wearables, looking at fitness tracking, health features and how well these products integrate with dominant mobile platforms.
His work often situates a new device within its competitive set, indicating where it advances the category and where it lags.
Hands‑on reviews and buyer‑oriented guidance
Phelan’s pieces typically blend news and service journalism, with a strong emphasis on hands‑on testing. He writes detailed reviews that walk through setup, everyday performance and specific use cases such as low‑light photography, travel or accessibility needs. Many of his headlines frame stories around practical questions - whether to upgrade, how a new feature changes usage, or which model represents the best value in a crowded line‑up. He regularly breaks out features into focused stories, such as single‑feature explainers or spotlight pieces on one part of a larger software release, which allows communications teams to see where he might dig into an individual capability or specification.
Longstanding technology beat and multi‑outlet experience
Phelan is a long‑time technology journalist who has written across multiple outlets on consumer devices, mobile platforms and digital services. Over this period he has maintained a consistent focus on how new hardware and software affect everyday users, rather than treating launches solely as industry or financial events.
His experience gives him a wide frame of reference for comparing new releases with previous generations and with rival products. That breadth, combined with a habit of highlighting specific, often under‑reported features, distinguishes his coverage from more generic product‑announcement reporting.
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Adam Conway
Adam Conway stands out for treating consumer tech as systems to experiment with rather than products to set and forget. He is a journalist at XDA who covers phones, networks, and DIY-friendly hardware with a tinkerer’s mindset. His work focuses on hands-on testing, clear explanations, and practical ways to push devices further. He writes in depth about enthusiast hardware such as ESP32-based touchscreens, mesh networking projects, and off-grid communication tools, emphasizing setup, usability, and trade-offs. On the mobile team, he covers Android phones, software updates, and ecosystem changes, digging into network performance, battery behavior, and connectivity features. He also writes detailed how-tos on modding, customization, and configuration, with a focus on risks, prerequisites, and real-world use. His coverage is analytical, enthusiast-focused, and aimed at readers who act on his reporting.
Adnan Farooqui
Adnan Farooqui is a technology journalist at SamMobile whose work centers on Samsung’s hardware, software and strategy, with a focus on what its moves mean for the company’s future. He treats foldable phones as a strategic inflection point, using devices like the Galaxy Z Flip line to examine portfolio strategy, demand, cost and competition, and to track how long Samsung sustains product lines. He also covers the everyday Galaxy ecosystem of phones, tablets, wearables and the software that connects them, following One UI and Android updates, security patches and new features. His reporting ties product news to business decisions, pricing, launch strategy, software support windows and subscription pushes. He blends fast news with analysis, separates confirmed facts from his own reading of events, and uses plain language to frame why Samsung’s choices matter to different buyers.
Alex Heath
Alex Heath covers the AI race and the tech industry’s inside conversation through scoops, internal documents, product roadmaps, and interviews with leaders. He founded Sources in 2025, an independent newsletter and podcast about artificial intelligence, platform strategy, AI talent, compute, search, agent-based interfaces, and experimental hardware. His reporting examines companies including Meta, Google, OpenAI, Apple, Amazon, and X, and explains how their internal decisions affect products, talent, users, and the broader tech ecosystem. He has interviewed Mark Zuckerberg, Demis Hassabis, Sam Altman, and Daniel Ek. Before Sources, he spent more than a decade at Business Insider, The Information, and The Verge. He covered Facebook, Snap, Twitter, apps, and streaming services, then led reporting on major technology companies. His Command Line newsletter developed the inside-conversation approach he now uses at Sources. He also co-hosts ACCESS and uses AI tools to support drafting and editing.
Alexander Haro
Alexander Haro stands out for surf and ocean culture coverage that focuses on how people really use gear and technology in the water. He writes for surf readers who care about feel, not specs, and he often uses specific surfers, sessions, and waves to show how new equipment, design ideas, and board-building trends change the ride. He writes regularly about surf equipment, especially foiling, and he covers surf craft, foils, and the practical effects of new gear on paddling, speed, and wave connection. His work is short, session-driven, and video-led, with measured, conversational reporting that avoids hype while respecting surf history and newer ideas.