News

Flagship OnePlus 3T replaces not-so-old OnePlus 3

Published

November 16, 2016

Marvin Velasco

It took only half a year for OnePlus to discontinue its best-ever phone and add a “T” to its immediate successor. Welcome the OnePlus 3T, a somewhat faster and better-equipped OnePlus 3.

The plain OnePlus 3 was very well-received and has been in demand since it’s launch last June, so it’s a surprise to see it scrapped so soon. We did our own unboxing and hands-on of the handset, and we were wholly impressed.

Changes are actually quite minor; so much so that the newer model looks identical to its predecessor. Some fans may be turned off by the higher price tag, but the updated internal hardware hopes to justify the slight increase.

Shelling out $439 for the 64GB storage variant or $479 on the 128GB storage model (both have 6GB of memory) gives you a faster chipset in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 (compared to the original’s Snapdragon 820), a jump to a 3400mAh battery from capacity of 3000mAh, and double the front camera’s resolution at 16 megapixels.

Looks exactly the same as the original

The only glaring omission is Android’s seventh-generation Nougat operating system, meaning you get the same old 6.0 Marshmallow the older OnePlus 3 has. The company promises a Nougat rollout for both phones by the end of the year, so you’ll have to make do with whatever refinements OxygenOS is offering this time around.

That’s pretty much it; no waterproofing, improved rear camera, or curved display has been added. This is obviously OnePlus’ way of milking its third-generation design before a real successor comes out next year.

And yet, the decision to replace a flagship phone so soon — a fantastic one at that — and offer something more expensive undercuts the company’s own strategy of offering a high-end product at the most affordable price possible.

The same fast-charging technology and fingerprint scanner are still here

Still, critics will appreciate the bump up in specs, specifically the battery’s capacity. As you may or may not know, the only knock most reviews have against the OnePlus 3 was its less-than-stellar battery life. Any sort of upgrade without finding a way to ruin it, like adding a higher-resolution display or making it much thicker, is sweet music to our ears.

Before we forget, there’s also a new color: Gunmetal. That should help distinguish the newer model from the older one — okay, not really. You can get a hold of it beginning November 22 in the US or November 28 in Europe.

[irp posts=”2997″ name=”OnePlus 3 has almost everything you want in a smartphone, including a very attractive price”]

Source: OnePlus

News

The iPhone 18 might sell out for an unexpected reason

The ongoing shortage might play a part in the phone selling out earlier than expected.

Published

August 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

An iPhone selling out is not news. Because of how popular the phones are, it’s within the realm of probability that Apple runs out of stock at some point. According to a new report, this year won’t be any different… but it’s for an entirely different reason.

First reported by analyst Tim Culpan, Apple is reportedly struggling to meet its demand for semiconductors for the iPhone 18 and the foldable iPhone. The ongoing memory shortage is cutting off Apple’s ability to deliver the required supply of smartphones in a timely fashion. The report even claims that TSMC, which helps produce the iPhone, is sitting on a shipment of processors, worth US$ 1 billion, that don’t have memory chips.

Now, Apple is still confident that it can weather the launch. However, if the shortage persists, the iPhone 18 generation will likely sell out much more quickly than expected.

It’s an interesting time for Apple to experience such a shortage. It’s been heavily rumored that the company will launch its very first foldable phone next month, creating a new market for the brand. Apple definitely wants this attempt to succeed after the tepid response to its last new product, the Vision Pro.

News

These “smart” glasses just sold out in under a week

DuckDuckGo touts that these glasses have zero AI, zero cameras, and an infinite battery life.

Published

August 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Smart glasses are in a weird place right now. While a chunk of the population views them as cool and innovative, another significant chunk sees them as a privacy nightmare. If you’re in the latter group but want to see what life is like on the former, DuckDuckGo has a new product: a pair of anti-surveillance glasses with no camera or AI, otherwise known as just normal sunglasses.

If it’s not obvious, yes, it’s a troll product. DuckDuckGo is a search engine famously known for pushing privacy as a priority, opposing Google’s penchant for advertising and AI. Now, the search engine is taking on the smart glasses market.

Partnering with Knockaround, DuckDuckGo released the Paso Robles, a pair of sunglasses touted as having zero cameras, an always-offline mode, and a battery life of infinity.

It’s a statement piece. The rims have a logo mark, similar to the Meta’s glasses. The packaging also states that the glasses are “designed to block the sun, not send data to the cloud.”

Now, if you want a pair, they cost only US$ 35, as opposed to Meta’s US$ 299 price tag, but they are already sold out.

Which says quite a bit about today’s sentiment against AI and for privacy. Of course, to be fair, DuckDuckGo’s supply is certainly less than Meta’s stock for their smart glasses. It does, however, prove that the sentiment is there.

As of now, the world is slowly realizing that unimpeded smart glasses aren’t such a good idea, leading to people concerned about their privacy. In fact, some states have already started banning the technology in certain public spaces.

News

Google will force Android users to use Gemini next month

Google Assistant will be retired as well.

Published

August 6, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

What is Google’s voice assistant called? Technically, there are two possible answers: Google Assistant and Gemini. Despite Google’s push for Gemini, the ubiquitous Google Assistant is still a common option for most users. However, the company will soon take that choice away as the voice assistant will retire in favor of Gemini.

First reported by 9to5Google, Google has sent emails to users, declaring that Google Assistant will no longer be an option for Android users starting September 4. On that date, the company will slowly roll out an update to get rid of the assistant’s availability on device.

Google also makes it clear that Gemini will be “the assistant experience on Android” moving forward. If you’re used to Google Assistant to help you with handsfree use, you’ll have only one option soon. This also affects other peripherals including smartwatches and audio accessories.

Of course, there are a few exceptions. Devices that can’t support an AI-powered assistant like Gemini are mercifully spared of the forced transition. Likewise, devices in countries that don’t support the AI assistant are also saved.

Despite the tepid reception of AI today, Google remains adamant about pushing Gemini to more users, regardless of whether they want it or not. In fact, a forced move like this will likely inflate the numbers that more devices are using Google’s AI software than ever before, while conveniently hiding the fact that most users never really had much of a choice.