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It feels like a lifetime ago now that Motorola rebooted the Razr as a foldable device, reimagining the classic flip-phone for the modern era.

Motorola has been iterating on the foldable Razr concept since its inauspicious 2020 debut, eventually settling on something popular enough to warrant annual updates. Now, the next generation of Razr foldable smartphones is almost upon us, with a launch date set for next week. Here's everything we know about the new Razr and Razr Plus, including the latest leaks and when and where you'll be able to get one.

SEE ALSO: New foldable iPhone specs leaked, including alleged details on the camera and Touch ID Motorola Razr 2025: Everything we know

Lucky for us, there have been some pretty extensive leaks about the new generation of Motorola phones.

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Fortunately, we needn't rely on leaks for this part. Motorola itself has teased the launch of its next foldable on social media, confirming a launch date of April 24. Based on the short video in the post, it seems like Motorola is gearing up to announce both a new Razr and a new regular-style Edge phone. However, the foldables seem to be the point of emphasis here; you can see three Razr phones in different colors in the video. That doesn't necessarily mean there will be three new models of Razr, though, as Motorola has been rolling with a default model and an upgraded "Plus" (or "Ultra" internationally) model for the past couple of years.

Specs

While precedent suggests there will be a base Razr 2025 model, all of the spec leaks so far have concerned the Razr Plus 2025 model (or Razr+, if you prefer). 91mobiles, with the help of leaker OnLeaks, got the scoop on the phone's specs, which are reportedly as follows:

• 7-inch internal 1440p AMOLED display with 165Hz refresh rate

• 4-inch pOLED cover display with a 165Hz refresh rate

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor

• 16GB RAM

• 512GB storage

• 50MP wide and ultra-wide rear camera lenses

• 50MP selfie cam

• 4,700mAh battery

Some of those specs are big upgrades over last year's Razr Plus model. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset would potentially provide a big boost in power, while the battery is substantially larger than the 4,000mAh cell found in the Razr Plus 2024. The 50MP selfie cam would be an upgrade over last year's 32MP lens, while 68W fast charging would be a boon to anyone who needs to juice up real quick.

Unfortunately, info on the supposed entry-level Razr 2025 model is harder to come by. But at the very least, the Plus model seems to offer a pretty big upgrade over its predecessor.

Price

This is obviously not set in stone until Motorola tells us the official price next week. That said, 91mobiles spotted some prices from European retailers online that could give us an idea of what to expect.

The answer is...not pretty. The European version of the premium Razr is expected to cost around €1,346, which is almost $1,500 USD. (The 2024 version is priced at $1,199.99.) That's also before potential tariff price increases come into play, though it's impossible to say what tariffs will even look like a week from now. For now, you can buy the previous generation Motorola Razr (2024) starting at $699.99.

Regardless, the new Razr Plus phone looks to be a big step up from the one before it. Hopefully, it doesn't make weird, disconcerting noises like that first 2020 model did for us.

Opens in a new window Credit: Motorola Motorola Razr (2024) $699.99 at Motorola
256GB, Unlocked Shop Now

Writer/director Ryan Coogler has previously awed audiences with Black Panther and Creed. For Sinners, he's reunited with longtime collaborator Michael B. Jordan, who plays twins in the critically heralded vampire flick.

Set in Clarksdale, Mississippi circa 1932, where the blues was born, Sinners stars Jordan as the SmokeStack Twins, two debonair rogues who, after years up north in Chicago, are fixing to start a juke joint in their hometown. Helping them along the way is a smooth-talking bluesman (Delroy Lindo), the no-nonsense local grocer (Li Jun Li), old friends (Omar Miller), former lovers (Wunmi Mosaku and Hailee Steinfeld), a sultry singer (Jayme Lawson), and their young cousin Sammie (Miles Caton), who aspires to be a professional musician. But Sammie’s soulful music attracts more than revelers — it also attracts a prowling vampire (Jack O’Connell), determined to turn their juke joint into an all-you-can-eat buffet.

SEE ALSO: 'Sinners' review: Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan deliver a vampire movie for the ages

This mix of sensational song numbers and vampire-led violence means Sinners is a film that might have some calling it a horror musical. But do Coogler and his cast agree? Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko sat down with Coogler and his Sinners ensemble to discuss the matter, and to explore how making a “genre-fluid” film so physically demanding worked for the cast. 

Sinners is now in theaters.

ChatGPT users have discovered that the popular AI chatbot can serve as a reverse-location search tool. In other words, you can show ChatGPT a picture, and it can pretty reliably tell you where it was taken. The trend is inspired by the online game Geoguessr, where folks try to figure out a location from a simple web image.

We decided to put this new ChatGPT trend to the test, and the results were downright scary. Mashable tech reporters prompted ChatGPT to play a geo-guessing game and uploaded a series of photos. Even when ChatGPT identified the wrong location, it still got pretty close (such as identifying a rooftop hotel in Buffalo instead of Rochester). In other cases, it suggested specific addresses.

ChatGPT's new reasoning models are getting smarter

This week, OpenAI introduced its newest ChatGPT reasoning models, o3 and o4-mini, with improved visual reasoning. OpenAI also recently made its image generator available to free users. That's led to a number of ChatGPT-based viral trends. People have used it to turn their pets into humans or themselves into action figures, for instance. The reverse location trend, however, is a bit more complicated — and concerning from a privacy standpoint.

The trend started when folks online realized that ChatGPT has become proficient at guessing a location just by analyzing a photo. Ethan Mollick, a professor who researches AI, posted an example on X where ChatGPT was able to correctly guess where he was driving despite the fact that he stripped the image of location info. (Images often contain metadata that includes precise location data.)

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Mollick noted that this ability also shows off the capabilities of agentic AI, which allows AI models to reason out answers in multiple steps and perform more complicated tasks such as web searches.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Putting ChatGPT's visual reasoning to the test

We tested ChatGPT on these new abilities, and it did a decent, if imperfect, job. First, we uploaded a recent photo of a flower shop taken in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. ChatGPT was able to deduce the photo was taken in Brooklyn. It incorrectly thought the image was of a specific flower shop about seven miles away from the true location.

We then uploaded a photo taken from a car on a recent trip to Japan, and ChatGPT's new o3 model was able to identify the exact location. "Final answer:📍 Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan, near the Togetsukyo Bridge, looking across the Katsura River."

The prompt... Credit: Screenshot courtesy of OpenAI ...and the correct answer. Credit: Screenshot courtesy of ChatGPT

When we ran the same prompt with an older reasoning model, the results were much more general: "Given the combination of mountainous terrain, the style of the guardrail, the road, and the overall setting, this looks very much like it could be Japan...The scenery is reminiscent of the areas around Kyoto or Nara, where the countryside meets historic and cultural sites."

We then took things a step further. We uploaded screenshots from the profile of a popular Instagram model — the type of person who would have genuine concerns about privacy and stalkers. With the latest reasoning models, ChatGPT correctly identified the general location, even suggesting specific high-rise apartments, and in one case, a specific home address.

Now, to be fair, the address in question is a home popular among influencers and TV productions, but the specificity was impressive. And a bit scary. It's yet another reason to be careful about what you post online — AI can now help folks deduce where you're located.

OpenAI has said ChatGPT's reverse location abilities could prove helpful, while also acknowledging privacy concerns.

"OpenAI o3 and o4-mini bring visual reasoning to ChatGPT, making it more helpful in areas like accessibility, research, or identifying locations in emergency response," an OpenAI spokesperson wrote in an email to Mashable. "We’ve worked to train our models to refuse requests for private or sensitive information, added safeguards intended to prohibit the model from identifying private individuals in images, and actively monitor for and take action against abuse of our usage policies on privacy.”

New restrictions on semiconductor exports to China are scrambling sales and fueling concerns that the Chinese tech giant will become a chip-making powerhouse.

Among the eerie, slow-moving horrors of the 2014 film It Follows, the image I can't stop thinking about years later is that famous seashell e-reader. Unfortunately, its genius design was made just for the movie, but a new e-reader just debuted that may get us one step closer.

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This week, Taiwan-based company Readmoo debuted its latest color e-reader at the 2025 Touch Taiwan Exhibition. The mooInk V is a color e-reader that has a center hinge (à la the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7) so it folds in half. This reminds us of another innovative technology — something called a book.

While specific dimensions of the e-reader have yet to be revealed, based on images released from the event, it appears to fold up smaller than a paperback book. However, it is slightly heavier than a Kindle at 225 grams, likely due to the mechanics of its hinged aluminum-magnesium alloy build. While we can't testify to its durability, the company claims it can handle more than 200,000 bends.

The mooInk V can bend at a 90-degree angle or lay flat. Credit: Readmoo

Press photos from the mooInk V's debut show an ultra-saturated color screen, but I'm cautiously optimistic about just how bright it will actually be. So far, the color e-readers on the market don't quite live up to their vibrant hype.

Current color e-reader models like the Kobo Libra Colour and Kindle Colorsoft use a Kaleido 3 display, which is a color filter layered on top of a black and white E-Ink panel. That limits the shades that those e-readers can display, usually resulting in slightly muted tones.

Another look at the mooInk V from Readmoo Credit: Readmoo

The mooInk V will instead feature E Ink's Gallery 3 display, which contains colored ink capsules to produce up to 50,000 shades. Like Kindle and Kobo e-readers, the mooInk V will have a screen resolution of 300ppi.

There's still a lot we don't know about the mooInk V, like its specific dimensions, cost, and release date, but we're curious about its promises.

SAVE $8.25: As of April 18, get the AirFly Pro Bluetooth Wireless Audio Transmitter on white background for $46.74, down from its usual price of $54.99. That's a 15% discount, applied via clipping the on-page coupon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon AirFly Pro Bluetooth Wireless Audio Transmitter $46.74 at Amazon
$54.99 Save $8.25 Clip 15% off on-page coupon Get Deal

Though we've been steadily moving away from 3.5 mm audio jacks in our electronics (and all but eliminated them from our phones), you can still find some here and there. And they can be instrumental in making your favorite tech, namely headphones, a little more convenient. In fact, they can help give you wireless functionality where it wasn't there previously. That's super helpful when it comes to situations where cords tangling up just doesn't work. And thanks to this Amazon deal, you can always be prepared for if and when it happens.

As of April 18, get the AirFly Pro Bluetooth Wireless Audio Transmitter on white background for $46.74, down from its usual price of $54.99. That's a 15% discount, applied via clipping the on-page coupon.

You can use the AirFly Pro to transmit and receive Bluetooth audio, such as with a pair of Apple AirPods or other headphones, say, on a plane or other location where there is none. From hooking up to in-flight entertainment or gym equipment, it opens up a whole new world of audio, including on gaming consoles and other tech. Best of all, it makes things quick and easy.

The AirFly Pro itself has 25 hours of battery life as well, with a 33 ft reach, so you can listen even when you're not up close and personal. That makes it an affordable and useful addition to your regular travel kit, or your gym bag. Just be sure to clip the coupon so you can have the 15% discount applied when you buy yours.

You're not the only one who turns to Wikipedia for quick facts. Lately, a deluge of AI bots training on Wikipedia articles has put enormous strain on the organization's servers.

To curb the influx of "non-human traffic" scraping the site for training data, Wikipedia is taking a proactive approach: serving up its data directly to AI developers.

On Wednesday, the Wikimedia Foundation announced a partnership with Google-owned company Kaggle to release a beta dataset "featuring structured Wikipedia content in English and French." Uploaded on April 15, the company said the dataset "simplifies access to clean, pre-parsed article data that’s immediately usable for modeling, benchmarking, alignment, fine-tuning, and exploratory analysis."

According to Ars Technica, bots that scrape Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons pages have consumed 50 percent of its bandwidth, putting a massive strain on the nonprofit's entire operation. Wikimedia hopes that serving up data to developers will dissuade them from deploying bots all over its pages.

The rise of generative AI has let loose a flood of scraping bots hungrily crawling all corners of the internet for more data. To compete against rivals, AI companies have a seemingly insatiable appetite for data. This has included copyrighted works, a contentious issue with artists. Authors, artists, and musicians are arguing in court that this training violates copyright law when it's done without credit, compensation, or consent.

That's why companies like Meta and OpenAI are currently embroiled in legal battles over copyright infringement from plaintiffs like the Authors Guild and The New York Times, who argue this practice is not protected by the fair use doctrine.

But the difference here is that all Wikipedia content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, which means its content is free to use as long as it's properly attributed and distributed under the same license. The Wikimedia Foundation told Gizmodo that Kaggle paid for the data through the Wikimedia Enterprise, and AI companies "are still expected to respect Wikipedia’s attribution and licensing terms."

The partnership between Wikimedia and Kaggle represents a more nuanced way forward, allowing AI companies to train models on internet data that's been legally and, at least more ethically, obtained.

SAVE UP TO 30%: Celebrate Earth Month with up to 30% off at Grove Co. Shop dish soap, laundry sheets, multipurpose cleaner, and more.

Opens in a new window Credit: Grove Co. Grove Co. Earth Month Sale Save up to 30% on household essentials Get Deal

I didn’t think there’d be a day when buying cleaning supplies and other household essentials would take such a big chunk of my paycheck, but it’s 2025, and here we are. But there are still ways to save and be environmentally conscious.

Right now, you can get up to 30% off sitewide during Grove Co.’s Earth Month Sale. This includes refills and dispensers for laundry detergent, dish soap, hand soap, and all-purpose cleaner, as well as products like toilet paper, paper towels, and more. You can also get free shipping when you spend $29 or more.

SEE ALSO: Grove Co. makes eco-friendly cleaning product swaps easy

That being said, Grove Co. is one of many companies affected by the recent tariff changes. They've announced that starting Tuesday, April 22, 2025, prices on a number of its products will increase. (If you’re a current Grove subscriber, you might want to check your cart to make sure you’re still happy with your scheduled order!)

So, what's the takeaway? Now’s the time to take advantage of the current Earth Month Sale (with up to 30% off sitewide and free shipping on $29+) and stock up on your favorite Grove Co. essentials before the new prices kick in on April 22.

SAVE $35.97: As of April 18, get 3 months of Kindle Unlimited for 99 cents at Amazon. That's a discount of 97%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Get 3 months of Kindle Unlimited for 99 cents $0.99 at Amazon
$35.97 Save $34.98 Get Deal

Thinking about reading more books? It's a noble goal that many of us end up setting, but many also fall short. Books can be expensive, after all, and it always feels like there's just no time in the day to do everything you really want to do. But if you have tons of books at your disposal for a low price, that could change things significantly. Amazon's Kindle Unlimited subscription is a great option in that respect, and right now you can try it out for a significant discount.

As of April 18, get 3 months of Kindle Unlimited for 99 cents at Amazon, down from its usual price of $35.97 ($11.99 monthly). That's a discount of 97%. This offer only applies to Amazon Prime members joining Kindle Unlimited for the first time. You will need to be logged in to a Prime account without a subscription to be eligible (or to see the discount). After your 99 cent subscription ends, you must cancel or your subscription will raise to $11.99 monthly.

Kindle Unlimited allows you to read as many books, magazines, and audiobooks you want from Amazon per month. While not all of Amazon's books are included, there's plenty to choose from, with tons of NYT bestsellers, classics, and favorites to download and read on your Kindle. It's like checking a book out from the library without having to leave your home.

You can borrow up to 20 titles at a time and use your subscription across multiple devices. There are no due dates, so all you need to do is "return" a book when you're done and just get another one. It's a simple and affordable way to read more, and you can use it anywhere you can access your Kindle books. If you want to do all this on the cheap, be sure to snag this offer while it's available.

Best early Amazon Book Sale deals: Best Kindle deal Kindle Scribe (64GB) $364.99 (save $85) Get Deal Best subscription deal Three Months of Audible Premium Plus $0.99 (save $42) Get Deal Best book deal 'The Good Girl' by Mary Kubica $7.87 (save $11.12) Get Deal

Amazon’s annual book sale kicks off on April 23 and runs through April 28, but if you’re itching to get your hands on some new reading material, you can shop early deals now.

Here are the best early Amazon book sale deals we could find as of April 18:

Best Kindle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Kindle Kindle Scribe (64GB) $364.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $85 Get Deal Why we like it

The Amazon Kindle Scribe (64GB) has returned to its all-time low price of $364.99, down from $449.99. That’s a 19% discount and $85 in savings.

The Amazon Kindle Scribe (64GB) doubles as an e-reader and a digital notebook that you can literally write on (with the included Premium Pen). The “paper” is designed to feel and function like real paper, and with a 10.2-inch glare-free screen and 300ppi resolution, you can read and write comfortably in any light.

Write in the margins your favorite books (or textbooks), jot down notes, create to-do lists, and more. Then, convert your handwritten notes into text and email them to colleagues, friends, family, or yourself.

Best subscription deal Opens in a new window Credit: Audible Three Months of Audible Premium Plus $0.99 at Amazon
$14.95 Save $13.96 Get Deal Why we like it

If audiobooks are more your speed, you can get three months of Audible Premium Plus for $0.99 per month. It’s regularly $14.95 a month, so you’re saving about $42 over the three months.

With Audible Premium Plus, you’ll get one credit per month to pick any title from the premium selection (including bestsellers and new releases) to keep forever. You also get unlimited access to the Plus Catalog, featuring thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Audible Originals.

This deal is available through April 30.

Best book deal Opens in a new window Credit: MIRA 'The Good Girl' by Mary Kubica $7.87 at Amazon
$18.99 Save $11.12 Get Deal Why we like it

Tons of Editors’ Picks are on sale right now, including The Good Girl by Mary Kubica.

This book has sold over one million copies worldwide, and you can get your hands on the paperback version for just $7.87. That’s a 59% discount and a savings of $11.12.

The Good Girl is a thriller novel, but if you’re a fan of Gone Girl, you’ll probably like it.

Within a year, two federal judges declared the tech giant a monopoly in search and ad technology. The tide may be turning for antitrust.

SPEND $30, GET $5 CREDIT: As of April 18, spend $30 on home essentials at Amazon and get a $5 credit.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Get a $5 Amazon credit when you spend $30 on home essentials Get Deal

Are all your home essentials running low? Need to stock up on everything you use regularly? Don't run to the department stores or put in a hasty DoorDash order. Amazon has a deal that could make filling your shelves a much less expensive and frustrating ordeal.

As of April 18, spend $30 on home essentials at Amazon and get a $5 credit. Add the products you want to shop from the Amazon promotion page to your cart. Be sure to add a total of items that add up to $30. When you're finished, simply check out. Your offer will automatically be applied at checkout.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch 2 preorder guide: Everything you need to know ahead of time

This sale isn't just about goodies for your pantry, though. It encompasses a wide variety of things, from beauty products to outdoor goods and baby items and much more. The luxurious Eos Shea Better Body Lotion is included, as is the popular Tree Hut shea sugar scrubs that come in several different scents. It's mostly a sale that nets you home items instead of food, however, so keep that in mind when shopping.

You can shop multiple orders with the credit, so if you need to grab items for different addresses, or you want to get away with saving more money, you can do that. Just be sure to grab the items specifically from the landing page to make your life easier.

Nintendo confirmed on its website today that Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. will officially start on April 24, two weeks after the originally scheduled April 9 start date.

Two weeks ago, Nintendo showed off the Switch 2. Just a few days later, pre-orders in the U.S. were shut down because of Trump's tariffs.

That's all over, for now, anyway. Besides the pre-order announcement, the biggest news here is that the console's price, after weeks of speculation, is not changing. At this time, the Switch 2 will launch in the U.S. for the original listed price of $449.99, with a Mario Kart World bundle going for $499.99.

SEE ALSO: 'Mario Kart World' Nintendo Direct: 3 big takeaways from the stream

With the chaotic situation surrounding U.S. tariffs in recent weeks, it was reasonable to expect a price bump on the console itself, but Nintendo was able to find a way to avoid that. However, not everything is so rosy. To compensate for not increasing the console's price, Nintendo has increased the prices of several accessories, but only by $5 to $10 per product, as far as I can tell. Some of the new prices include:

• Switch 2 Pro Controller: $84.99

• Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 set: $94.99

• Switch 2 camera: $54.99

• Switch 2 dock set: $119.99

Those are all big prices for video game accessories, but given everything we've been hearing about tariff price impacts over the past few weeks, it's almost a pleasant surprise that they aren't higher. Of course, there's every possibility these prices fluctuate over time (and not always in the right direction), so keep an eye out. Regardless, you now know when you can finally lock down a Switch 2.

“The market for social networks, or even what Meta is, is very different now than it was even a couple of years ago.”

It's been a whirlwind year for the iPad lineup, with every model getting a refresh within the last year. In 2024, Apple introduced the M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air, and less than a year later, the iPad Air already got an M3 chip upgrade. Plus, we finally got a new iPad Mini and the iPad 11th generation. That's a lot of new Apple tablets.

At this point, iPads can do anything your laptop can do. Whether you want to stream, browse the internet, illustrate, or edit videos, you can do it on the iPad’s HDR display. Recent developments in the Pro and Air models also set them up as gaming devices.

The rapid pace of iPad updates makes shopping for a tablet all the more difficult. We've tested every model in Apple's iPad collection to help you decide which is right for you.

SEE ALSO: Every new Apple product rumored for 2025 Which iPad model should I buy?

The right iPad for you depends purely on your needs. Do you want something that has enough storage and speed for streaming? Do you want to use it to read? Do you want to use a tablet as your primary workstation? Your answers should factor into your decision.

To get you started, we believe the best iPad for most people is the new M3 iPad Air (2025). It has exceptional performance but is also in the middle range for both price and capability.

Entertainers can't be tariffed — at least not yet — but content creators, especially those who double as small business owners, are in a world of their own when it comes to the impacts of President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs.

We're in a trade war. Last month, Trump announced a 10-percent levy on nearly all imports, plus steeper tariffs targeting specific countries like China, Vietnam, and Japan. The president even placed tariffs on a remote, uninhabited island called home by a bunch of penguins. As it stands, there's a 145-percent tariff on all Chinese goods bound for the U.S., with some exceptions, and a 25-percent tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada. 

The tariffs have been a bit of a moving target, causing economic distress for business owners and people who buy things from businesses, which is pretty much everyone. And for those who are part of the ever-growing $250 billion creator economy, these tariffs can have a pretty steep effect. Influencers, content creators, and entrepreneurs make money online in a variety of ways, and sometimes a combination of them all: selling their own goods, signing onto brand deals to sell other companies' goods, entertaining us, and, of course, using TikTok — a social media giant whose parent company is based in China and is already at the center of other U.S.-China debates.

SEE ALSO: Trump's China tariffs reportedly tanked the TikTok deal

It seems like the tariffs are affecting every industry. So what do they mean for the tens of millions of people who work within the creator economy?

How tariffs might affect small business owners — and how they can leverage social media to fight back

The line between small business owner, content creator, and influencer might seem blurred, but the tariffs can really put things into perspective. Take Chelsey Brown, founder of Curio Blvd, a home goods brand known for its sentimental items like the Time Capsule Journal and the Keepsake Case, which Brown said "went viral" a year ago and is built in China. She doesn't identify as an influencer, and actively does not send her products to influencers to review, but she's a savvy user of social media when it comes to getting the word out about her products.

Now, due to the tariffs, she’s had to take out a loan to keep her business going, and she's even considering closing Curio Blvd.

"We found out about the tariff on April 2, and by that time, the tariff went from 20 to 54 percent," Brown told Mashable. She already had inventory en route from China well before Trump announced the tariffs in April, and, by then, it was too late to pull her product. Now, she says, "We have a bunch of Keepsake Cases and our new bedding line headed to the U.S." That means that even though she purchased them before the tariff went into effect, Brown will now have to pay the tariff on those items.

Even worse, her remaining inventory is stuck in China because she can't afford to pay the tariff on those goods. She refuses to increase prices, wanting to keep her goods accessible, but that leaves her stuck in what she calls a “weird stalemate.”

Some of the comments on her TikTok have suggested she simply move production to the U.S., but that’s easier said than done. According to Brown, U.S. manufacturers can’t replicate the same quality, and charge significantly more when they come close. She argues that the materials and factories she needs simply aren't available in the U.S., and it would take far longer to begin producing her products. "Honestly, making it in the U.S. is actually more expensive than what the tariffs would be," Brown said. For now, she's just hoping the tariffs decrease because they're "essentially destroying small businesses like mine."

And that's just small businesses that handle product sales themselves. Brown doesn't use TikTok Shop or any third-party seller, but for those who do, there's another looming change: The "de minimis" exemption, which allows packages worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. tax-free, will no longer apply to Chinese shipments starting May 2. That means sellers using platforms like TikTok Shop, Temu, or Shein will face a 120-percent tariff on items, with a $100 “postal item” charge increasing to $200 by June 1.

"Many influencers aren’t just promoting products; they are the small businesses, often relying on affordable overseas manufacturing to run lean [direct-to-consumer] brands," Captiv8 Co-Founder and CEO Krishna Subramanian told Mashable. "If tariffs drive up costs, some creators may need to rethink pricing or product strategy." But it's not all gloom and doom. "Creators are uniquely agile," she said. "They’ve built loyal communities, and that direct connection gives them room to adapt faster than traditional retailers."

Some are already adapting by turning the economic fallout into content. Brown’s videos about how tariffs have impacted the financial side of her business have garnered hundreds of thousands of views and a wave of support. Most of the comments are full of empathy and encouragement — many even promise to start buying from Curio Blvd. right away.

"Your video just got you a new customer 🫶🏽 wishing you all the best," one commenter said.

Gartner Director Analyst Claudia Ratterman told Mashable that there's an opportunity for brands and creators to create content "really [highlighting] the value they bring" to connect with their audience during economic uncertainty.

"That kind of message not only grabs [people's ] attention but also makes [them] feel valued and understood. It's a win-win because it boosts engagement in the short term and over time, you’re hopefully nurturing a potential loyal customer," Ratterman said

How tariffs might affect brand deals 

When tariffs are put in place, brands have to either spend more money on their goods or move the production of them, which also costs money. Because of this, we might see brands having to shift their budgets. Usually, when that happens, they'll cut spending in places like marketing and public relations and instead focus on something that might be cheaper — something like influencer marketing.

We've seen these kinds of shifts before. In 2020, there were some short-term economic shocks to the supply chain because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, brands shifted their budgets to influencer marketing because it was a cheaper and more effective alternative to traditional ads. Of course, the pandemic isn't a perfect one-to-one parallel — people were stuck in their homes and scrolling with more fervor than ever before. But the spike in prices for many goods made consumers more cautious with their spending, and marketers had to rethink how to win them over.

Instead of taking out loans — an option many companies could pursue — some brands may choose to cut marketing budgets to prioritize production. If they want to market at all, they'll need to spend less, shifting away from costly tactics like TV ads in favor of user-generated content (UGC) and influencer partnerships.

Now, with tariffs driving up costs across multiple levels of business, we may see a similar adjustment. Businesses that can survive these tariffs will need to stay relevant, and one of the best ways to do so is to remain on consumers' For You Pages.

Subramanian told Mashable that rising costs "could trigger a shift in advertising strategy" and cause brands to move dollars towards lower-cost, high-ROI influencer marketing. "Creators offer flexible, authentic ways to engage consumers," Subramanian said, adding that "we’re already seeing brands double down on creator-led content that drives both trust and purchase intent." 

SEE ALSO: Updating: All the tariff price increases in the tech world so far

But it might be important that influencers shift the way they're showing up, too. Layla Revis, the vice president of social, content, and brand at Sprout Social, a social media management tool, told Mashable that empathy and transparency are more important than ever. With tariffs driving up the cost of everyday goods — and putting financial pressure on consumers — brands need to show they understand what people are going through. That’s where influencers play a crucial role.

"Influencers are trusted advocates, they have access to niche communities and they’re on the front lines of the consumer experience," Revis said, adding that the majority of people who shop from influencers are more likely to provide product feedback with an influencer over a brand. "For this reason, influencer marketing not only has an impressive ROI, on average $5.78 for every $1 invested, but it is key for developing long-lasting consumer trust and relevance — two factors brands must have in their strategies right now."

That's a lot to take in, but, ultimately, Revis said, "because of this effectiveness, I suspect we will see brands lean into influencer partnerships during this time."

"With so much skepticism these days, it's more important than ever for brands to leverage influencers and [user-generated content], because people connect with people," Ratterman told Mashable. "However, it must be the right influencer — someone who people genuinely trust — before their recommendation can truly influence buying decisions."

Will tariffs have any effect on content creators who are strictly entertainers?

Pure entertainers in the content creator space likely won't see the effects of the tariffs apart from the general malaise of living within a state of economic turmoil. Ratterman said this time opens up the ability for creators to offer a "fun escape" or dig into the reality of our times and give practical tips. But those creators will still reap the same monetary benefits from things like the Creator Fund that they always have — tariffs aren't going to stop users from watching TikTok videos.

"Overall, while tariffs introduce some short-term complexity, they also reinforce the long-term value of the influencer ecosystem," Subramanian said. "It’s decentralized, adaptive, and built on real human connection, which is exactly what brands need when market conditions are in flux."

Keep checking Mashable for our latest tariff news and explainers, from delayed Nintendo Switch 2 preorders to reports of iPhone 16 panic buying.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Beats By Dre Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones (Open Box) $99.99
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