After much anticipation, Apple finally announced the iPhone 16e yesterday. Looking at its position in the company's lineup, the 16e is a headscratcher. My colleague Ian Carlos Campbell already wrote about how strange it is that the phone is missing MagSafe, a feature universally loved by Apple users. However, the omission that stands out the most to me is that the iPhone 16e doesn't come with more than a single rear camera, and no, 2x telephoto cropping doesn't count.
Sure, if you put the 16e against its predecessor, the 2022 iPhone SE, its not a surprising omission but when you consider today's broader smartphone market, it's a glaring weakness. At $599, the 16e is $100 more than the Pixel 8a, a device with two amazing rear cameras and an AI-capable processor (more on that in a moment). The 8a is also frequently on sale for as little as $399. Some people hate the Pixel comparison, so I'll give you another one. Last spring, Nothing released the $349 Phone 2a. Like the 8a, it has two rear cameras. Oh, and a fresh design that's not borrowed from 2020. At almost $200 more than the phone it replaces, the 16e is very much not a midrange device.
I know what you're thinking: what's wrong with one camera, as long as that camera is great? In the case of the 16e, I think the problem is that Apple is misreading the market and what people want from their next phone. All consumer devices are a compromise in some way. Those become more pronounced as you move down the market.
For most people, their phone is their primary camera and how they document their lives and memories. Think about what was the first thing you tested when you upgraded to your current phone. I bet it was the cameras. In that context, more are better, because they make it easier to capture moments that are important to you.
For a device some outlets are describing as "low-end," the iPhone 16e features a state-of-the-art chip. It might be cut down with one less GPU core, but the 16e's A18 is still a 3nm chip with 8GB of RAM to support the processor. Apple clearly felt the A18 was necessary to get its AI suite running on the 16e. But that means the rest of the phone had to suffer as a result, starting with the camera package.
I don't know about you, but if I were in the market for a new phone, I would want the most bang for my buck. The SE line had its share of drawbacks, including a dated design and a lackluster screen, but at $429, they made sense. For all its faults, the SE still felt like a bargain in 2022 because you were getting a modern chip, access to iOS and all the great apps that come with it and Apple's excellent track record of software support. With the iPhone 16e, you're not saving nearly as much off the price of a regular iPhone. Yes, everything I said about the SE's strengths is still true of the 16e and it even builds on that phone with additions like a better battery and an OLED screen, but the smartphone market has evolved so much in the last three years.
Again, I know people hate the Pixel comparison, but the 8a makes far fewer compromises. Not only does it feature a more versatile camera system, but it also comes with a high refresh rate OLED. The 8a's Tensor G3 chip is also fully capable of running Google's latest AI features.
I know offering the best hardware features for the price has never been Apple's approach, but that approach only made sense when the company had the best software experience. We can all agree Apple Intelligence has not met its usual quality standards. Just look at notification summaries, one of the main selling points of Apple Intelligence. Apple recently paused all news and entertainment alerts generated by the system to address their poor quality.
Right now, Apple Intelligence is not a compelling reason to buy a new iPhone, and its inclusion on the 16e at the expense of other features feels, at best, a cynical attempt to boost adoption numbers. If the 16e was $100 cheaper, maybe I would be less critical, but right now it feels like Apple missed the mark.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/great-cameras-not-apple-intelligence-is-what-people-want-from-an-iphone-16e-130041307.html?src=rss
Oppo is back with a new foldable, and the Find N5 is a technically impressive balance of thinness and power. Skipping over the whole unlucky number four thing (this is technically the fourth iteration of the Find foldable), the company claims its latest book-style foldable is the worlds thinnest at 8.92mm. That's not a lot thicker than a typical flagship phone. Despite that, the Find N5 has a 6.62-inch outer display and an 8.12-inch inner screen which, Oppo says, features multiple durability improvements, flanked by a new titanium hinge.
For the sake of clarity: While you may not have bought, used or even seen an Oppo phone, this company is under the same corporate owner as OnePlus. Last years Find N3 foldable ended up in the US as the OnePlus Open, so you may see the Find N5 similarly rebadged. If thats the case, and this is eventually the Open 2, you wont see it this year. OnePlus announced that its follow-up foldable will not land until 2025.
At an early briefing, my first impression of the Find N5 was that it was a very thin, premium foldable. Unfolded, one side is just 4.21mm thinner than a headphone jack. (Thats a great excuse for the lack of one.) Its so slender that Oppo had to reinforce and beef up the edges of the Find N5s USB-C port, which has only a razor-thin border around it. The ring camera array which still looks a bit much has also been shaved down 20 percent.
Mat Smith for Engadget
In addition to that thinner profile, which seems to be the 2025 trend for phones, the Find N5 weighs just 229 grams (8.07 ounces). Thats only two more grams than the single-screen iPhone 16 Pro Max and 10 grams less than the N5's main rival the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Its even more impressive when you consider that the Find N5 has a bigger internal screen than all the other foldables.
In fact, using its external screen when closed it feels like any other non-foldable phone, due to its sharp profile and light weight. A 6.62-inch screen is larger than most phones I use regularly, so browsing and watching things before Ive even unfolded the N5 feels like a treat.
Despite its thickness (or lack thereof), Oppo has ensured it is suitably powerful, with a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and a 5,600mAh battery. (For comparison, Samsungs latest Galaxy Fold has a 4,400mAh cell.) Unlike the OnePlus Open, the Find N5 is compatible with wireless chargers and if you have Oppos own wireless fast charger, it tops out at 50W AIRVOOC.
Using the included fast charger, you get an impressive and swift 80W wired charging speed. I could completely recharge the Find N5 in less than an hour. However, like many other recent Android phones, this device is not Qi2-ready. Oppo argued that its proprietary wireless charging tech is faster, and added that a magnetic case will be on sale when the device launches. (Oppo does include a non-magnetic case to cover the device's rear with the phone.)
With its Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the Find N5 is the first foldable to pack Qualcomms most powerful mobile chip, with substantial power efficiency gains alongside performance boosts compared to older Snapdragon 8 silicon. Weve been amazed by battery life improvements on Samsung and OnePlus devices with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and Oppo continues that trend. Combined with that massive battery, this foldable typically lasted almost two days in my testing before needing to charge.
One of the biggest challenges to foldables is durability, and to address this, Oppo has upgraded the Find N5s hinge and screen toughness. The hinge is now made from titanium alloy, 3D-printed to maintain the material strength while shrinking the hinges size by 26 percent. At a press briefing in London, the company decided to showcase the hinge strength by suspending a 44-pound kettlebell from its new foldable, which spanned two tables. Im not sure this translates to real-world toughness, but it was an impressive spectacle. Next time, put your newest thousand-dollar-plus device somewhere near a three-year-old lets see how tough it really is.
Mat Smith for Engadget
Oppo says the smaller external screen is made of nanocrystal glass, which includes an outer layer of ceramic to improve scratch and drop resistance. The company also says the inner screen has been strengthened with a new anti-shock film that can absorb impact, improving shock resistance by 70 percent.
The Find N5 also comes with a literal list of water resistances: IPX6 (resistant to powerful water jets), IPX8 (resistant to being submersed in water deeper than 1 meter) and IPX9 (resistant to powerful, high-temperature water jets). If you think at least one of those must be redundant, I agree.
The Find N5 is the first foldable to claim all that protection. However, theres no dust-resistance rating, which might concern existing foldable users who have been grappling with that lil bit of dust lodged in their years-old smartphone screen.
Camera improvements are focused on the periscope telephoto shooter, which is upgraded to 50MP sensor from the 32MP one found on the Find N3. The Find N5 can now punch into 3X optical zoom, up from 2X on its predecessor. Theres a lossless 6X zoom that taps into AI to sharpen detail, but as usual, your mileage may vary here. I find the lossless options on most phones often a little too smooth (and turn most zoomed-in faces into nightmares), but at least its an option.
The periscope telephoto camera can also utilize a macro mode, meaning you can zoom in closer and still maintain crisp focs and detail. Macro photography with a typical smartphone doesnt always work. Your phone will cast a shadow on your subject, or perhaps you cant get your camera close enough. On the Find N5, a four-inch focal distance makes this less of an issue, and early images are promising. Its not the first time weve seen the feature (both the Huawei P60 Pro and vivo X100 Ultra have telephoto macros) but its rare in most devices that make it to the west. We usually have to make do with a macro mode on the ultrawide camera, and hope for the best.
Mat Smith for Engadget
The camera has many familiar features, too: portrait mode (with some Hasselblad assistance) and Lightning Snap burst shooting. The latter is augmented by Oppos take on AI unblurring and sharpening. Fold in an AI eraser and reflection remover and it goes toe-to-toe with recent Samsung and Google flagships.
Multitasking is similar to the OnePlus Open, with some improvements. Oppos version is called Boundless View, with several features now accessible from a triple-dot icon, where you can shift second and even third apps into shrinkable windows. By tapping the top bar above one app, you can automatically widen it, but leave a sliver of the other app in view, making it easier to switch between them.
One smart touch is that the Find N5 will gauge your multitasking, offering a prompt when switching between two apps to use them in split screen mode. As someone who doesnt use book-style foldables, I find it a nice reminder of the utility of this form factor.
Another software addition is the O+ app, where you can manage files on your phone and even sling them across to your Mac. At the briefing, an Oppo exec showed how easy it was to transfer a photo across devices, which was pretty unremarkable. (Think of all the cloud options we have in 2025)
Mat Smith for Engadget
But it was the Remote Mac Control that surprised me. With the Find N5 propped up and half-folded, the Oppo spokesperson used the onscreen trackpad and keyboard to interact with their Mac. This feature works with both Intel and Apple Silicon-based Macs, so I was able to test it out with my aging Intel MacBook Pro. Does anyone remember and pine for that VAIO laptop that could slip into your jeans pocket? No? Just me? Just me. Anyway, it felt like using that. Youre not going to work daily from it, but if there are files, or certain simple tasks you need to accomplish in Photoshop or other PC programs, its functional and impressive.
Its not quite as effortless or seamless as Apples own Continuity feature, since you have to install apps on the Find N6 and your Mac. Oppo promises a future update allowing you to transfer files to your Mac from Find N5s native Files app without dabbling in Remote Mac Control.
Wrap-up
Mat Smith for Engadget
With the Find N5, Oppo went to town on hardware. It feels and looks more premium than the companys previous foldables but with substantial spec bumps at a time when many smartphones seem a little iterative. (Yes, Samsung, you.) The intriguing part is, if the OnePlus Open 2 isnt happening in 2025, will this device make it to the US at all? And if it does appear next year, will all these upgrades be as impressive?
The Find N5 launches globally today, with Oppo so far only announcing official pricing in Singapore: 2,499 Singapore Dollars. That equates to just below 1,500 in the UK, where it will go on sale, or shy of $1,900. That would put it at the same price point as the leading foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6. However, it's much more interesting (and impressive) than Samsung's latest foldable.
However, without US availability, this is just an exercise in currency conversion for now.We'll update this story when we get more precise availability. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-oppo-find-n5-hands-on-release-date-price-120058154.html?src=rss
While graphics cards have been getting almost ludicrously more powerful over the years, it's also been increasingly difficult to actually buy one. In an effort to address this problem, NVIDIA has introduced a plan it's calling Verified Priority Access for its recently released GeForce RTX 50 series of GPUs. Verified Priority Access offers an unspecified number of people the chance to buy either a GeForce RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 Founders Edition graphics card direct from the company.
This "opportunity" will only be available to US customers with an NVIDIA account that was created on or before January 30 at 9AM ET/6AM PT. Interested parties can sign up on a form and invites will be sent starting next week.
NVIDIA took a similar approach to dealing with shortages of its 4090 card, although that was an invite-only pilot. This system could help keep more of the products away from scalpers or crypto operations in favor of legitimate customers. But considering how long GPU access has been an issue, it would be nice to see more robust responses coming from the manufacturers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/you-can-now-apply-for-the-opportunity-to-purchase-an-rtx-5090-or-5080-from-nvidia-235549765.html?src=rss
Attention audiophiles: the archive of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop is being made available to the public for the first name. This department was founded in the 1950s as a laboratory that could invent original music and sound effects for BBC radio, and later television, programming. Over the years, its roster of innovative musicians and composers created audio for iconic BBC productions of the 1950s and 1960s such as Doctor Who, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Goon Show and Blake's 7. In addition to developing those signature sounds, members' work also laid early foundations for creating electronic music and sampling. In the words of Radiophonic Workshop archivist Mark Ayres, the department "was purely for making bonkers noises."
Now, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop library is being offered to today's creators to sample through a collaboration between Spitfire Audio and BBC Studios. This library includes sounds from the studio's original tapes as well as new recordings and content from the Workshop's members and associates. The collection has subheadings for topics such as found sounds, junk percussion and synths, so there's a lot of fascinating stuff to explore. It is available at an introductory price of $159 (119/143) until March 6; afterwards, the standard price will by $199 (149/179).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/the-bbc-radiophonic-workshops-archive-is-now-available-to-sample-223100146.html?src=rss
The second major update to Hades II adds a mysterious "final confrontation," an updated Altar of Ashes and the return of the god of war... Ares. (Were you expecting someone else?) And there's more to come: In addition to Wednesday's Warsong Update, developer Supergiant Games says its third big one is in the pipeline for "some months from now."
Although Supergiant is staying mum about who is involved, it teased a "Final Confrontation on the surface" as the headlining feature of today's update. "Discover what lies beyond the Guardian of Olympus... if you dare!" The sinister and demonic voice in the video below suggests it might not have the best of intentions.
Also new (in the sequel, anyway) is Ares, the god of war. He has "varied and vicious" Boons on offer, as one would expect from a bloodthirsty God of Olympus. Supergiant also updated the Altar of Ashes with new art and reworked Arcana effects, a new Animal Familiar and other changes.
The Warsong Update is free and an automatic download. Of course, Hades II is still in early access. Given that the first game stayed there for nearly two years, you probably shouldn't hold your breath for an imminent public release. Regardless, you can check out the sequel's new content on Windows and macOS via Steam or Epic.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/hades-iis-second-major-update-adds-a-final-confrontation-and-more-220401973.html?src=rss
The second season of The Last of Us now has a firm premiere date. HBO has announced that its adaptation of Naughty Dog's games will hit the network and Max on April 13. "Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind," HBO said in a press release. Ominous!
Warner Bros. Discovery had already confirmed that the latest batch of episodes would arrive this April, in large part to make sure that the season is eligible for next year's Primetime Emmy Awards. Given that the third season of The White Lotus premiered this week, a mid-April start date makes sense for TLOU. There are only seven episodes this time around in any case, and they'll all air before the Emmy eligibility window closes on May 31.
The second season of the series is based on The Last of Us Part 2, but it won't take us through all of the events of the second game. It'll take at least two seasons to retell the story of that terrific, if overly lengthy misery simulator.
In the meantime, if you haven't played the sequel yet, you'll soon be able to do just that on PC. The Last of Us Part II Remastered will hit Steam and the Epic Games Store on April 3. Meanwhile, the game's developer, Naughty Dog, recently revealed its tasty-looking first entry in a brand-new sci-fi franchise.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-last-of-us-season-2-premieres-on-hbo-and-max-on-april-13-211022032.html?src=rss
Indie horror game Mouthwashing is making the leap to consoles. Developer Wrong Organ shared today that its creepy creation will be available on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch later this year. As well as appearing in the digital storefronts, the console versions will get a physical release and additional merch courtesy of Fangamer.
This is one of many truly excellent horror games that debuted in 2024. Mouthwashing harkens back to the low-poly look of games from the early 2000s, the type you would have found cutting edge at the time and which still retains a nostalgic appeal for many players. But rather than cultivating any warm fuzzies, Mouthwashing tells the tale of the doomed space ship's crew as they turn on each other, lose their minds and die.
Wrong Organ also announced that the game has reached 500,000 sales to date on Steam, which is a solid performance for a team that specializes in surreal, story-driven games and is only on its third release.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/horror-game-mouthwashing-will-land-on-consoles-later-this-year-204817692.html?src=rss
The fallout continues from the recent WhatsApp hacking campaign (by a still-unconfirmed entity) that targeted nearly 100 journalists and activists. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that a collection of Italian media groups has filed a criminal complaint with the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office. They hope to discover who installed the zero-click spyware, which was made by the Israeli-founded Paragon Solutions.
According to Bloomberg, the complaint describes the spyware as an "intolerable intrusion into the personal and professional dimension of journalists," exposing them and their sources "to enormous and still persistent risks for their individual safety." It alleges that those responsible violated Italy's laws banning the "illicit installation" of eavesdropping equipment.
WhatsApp said it reached out privately to notify the victims of the hack, which reportedly took place in December and targeted users across Europe. Three Italian victims have come forward, including Francesco Cancellato (a journalist and head of Fanpage.it) and activists Beppe Caccia and Luca Casarini. The latter two focus on charity with the group Mediterranea Saving Humans.
WhatsApp said the zero-click hack used malicious PDFs sent to groups on the platform. The company has since released a fix to prevent future uses of the exploit.
Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaking in Parliament in Rome.ANDREAS SOLARO via Getty Images
The scandal is putting pressure on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her far-right Brothers of Italy party. Earlier this month, the government confirmed that at least seven Italian phones were involved in the campaign and that its National Cybersecurity Agency was investigating. Arturo Di Corinto, a spokesman for the agency, told Bloomberg this week that the investigation was ongoing.
The Italian government has denied involvement in the hacks, but speculation abounds. Last week, Cabinet Minister Luca Ciriani confirmed in parliament that the government had a long-standing contract with Paragon to assist with intelligence and national security-related issues. However, he insisted the law was "rigorously respected."
The Guardian reported that Paragon recently suspended a contract with Italy after the spyware attack became public. However, Ciriani said the intelligence services contract with Paragon is still active, which suggests there was a second agreement. Indeed, Israel's Haaretz reported that Paragon had two contracts with Italy to use its military-grade Graphite software, which WhatsApp has said was used to infect the victims' devices.
Paragon, essentially a professional spyware company, has a policy of only doing business with democratic governments. It recently entered into a controversial $2 million contract with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department. Paragon was acquired in December by American private equity company AE Industrial Partners. The company hasn't yet commented on the hacking.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/italian-media-groups-file-criminal-complaint-over-the-whatsapp-hack-on-journalists-203150860.html?src=rss
The iPhone 16e, Apple's replacement for the iPhone SE, has plenty of features that make it a good deal, from its A18 chip to the fact that it actually comes with an OLED screen. But one glaring omission in its spec sheet makes no sense: Why doesn't this $599 phone have MagSafe?
Despite looking a lot like an iPhone 14, and using components that are similar to the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16e doesn't support MagSafe or fast wireless charging. Apple expects iPhone 16e owners to be happy with the same wireless charging speeds as an iPhone SE released in 2022, and the slight advantage of using a USB-C port rather than a Lighting port.
The iPhone 16e's missing MagSafe feels particularly strange because the feature has been a given for years at this point. Apple introduced MagSafe to its smartphones with the iPhone 12 as a magnetic accessory and charging standard, and has included it in every phone since. MagSafe borrows the name of the magnetic connectors on Apple's laptops, but with some key differences. MagSafe on an iPhone means you have strong built-in magnets that let your phone attaches to cases, mounts, wallets and stands, without any extra fiddly pieces. When you charge over MagSafe, you also get faster charging speeds, bumping things from 7.5W charging to up to 25W charging with the right charging brick.
Chris Velazco for Engadget
More importantly, using magnets to directly guide a charger to charging coils largely eliminates the possibility of a phone being on a charger but not actually getting charged. It's likely one of the main reasons why MagSafe was adopted into the wider Qi2 wireless charging standard it just makes the whole thing a lot more convenient.
That doesn't really explain why Apple would leave it out of the iPhone 16e, though. The company's definition of what makes a "Pro" feature is always in flux, and it will often will leave features or components out to justify a lower price. But Apple and its partners likely sell a lot of MagSafe accessories, doesn't Apple want to sell those to iPhone 16e owners, too?
The interesting wrinkle in all of this is Qi2, which has been available for phone makers to use since 2023, but hasn't seen widespread adoption outside of Apple's phones. Samsung, a company that should have more than enough money to work Qi2 into its flagships, instead offers a case you can buy if you want to use Qi2 charging on the Galaxy S25. Other Android makers are no better: you won't find Qi2 on the Pixel 9, Motorola Razr+ or Galaxy Z Flip and Fold 6. It's possible Qi2 or MagSafe is more expensive (or difficult) to include than it appears, and Apple has been "generous" all this time. That might make the decision to not support the standard make more sense. But that doesn't change the fact that the iPhone 16e's lack of MagSafe is very annoying.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-16es-lack-of-magsafe-doesnt-make-sense-202101406.html?src=rss
Twitch has rolled out a number of changes to its violation enforcement system. The biggest change is that now infractions will disappear from an account after a set amount of time. This is great news for long-time creators, as minor violations stacked. This led to folks getting suspended as these smaller infractions piled up.
The platform says that most minor infractions, like cheating in an online game, will expire after 90 days. More serious violations, like participating in hateful conduct, will remain on an account for one to two years. The worst behavior will still result in an immediate suspension. Also, if a user is indefinitely suspended due to the accumulation of multiple violations, they can apply for reinstatement after six months.
Twitch
This isnt any type of get out of jail free card. Twitch is also upping the consequences for repeatedly violating the rules in the same policy category. Each time a similar infraction occurs, the length of a suspension will increase. This will be true even if the severity of the offense hasnt gone up. The platform says this new rule is to help people understand the importance of adhering to our Community Guidelines without needing to resort to an indefinite suspension.
Finally, Twitch is making good on its promise for increased transparency regarding policy violations. For most policy violations, users will now get a detailed email regarding the reasoning behind any suspension decision. This data will soon include specific chat messages or stream snippets. The information will also reside in the Appeals Portal. This starts with chat messages, with video clips coming later on.
Most of these changes are rolling out right now. Twitch recently added something called Enforcement Notes that inform users if certain trends violate one of its policies. It also publishes notes to alleviate widespread community confusion and alert folks as to which behaviors are and arent out of bounds.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/twitch-community-guideline-violations-will-now-disappear-from-accounts-after-a-set-time-195122034.html?src=rss
