News

HTC U11+ comes with translucent body and much larger battery

Published

November 2, 2017

Marvin Velasco

As good as the U11 is, it wouldn’t seem right for that bezel-heavy smartphone to be HTC’s flagship for the year. That’s why the U11+ makes a lot of sense.

Conforming to the increasingly popular 18:9 display standard, the 6-inch U11+ is much taller than the previous flagship, and manages to fit a significantly larger 3930mAh battery inside to push the hungrier 2880 x 1440-pixel resolution.

As for the rear design, HTC is offering a translucent black option for the glass panel. While not clear in the renders shown here, it gives you a more intimate look into the innards of the handset. You’ll also notice the relocated fingerprint reader on the back now that the bottom bezel can’t contain it anymore.

The Snapdragon 835 processor with flagship-level memory and storage configurations (4GB to 6GB RAM and 4GB to 128GB expandable storage, depending on your region) make a return.

On paper, the once class-leading 12-megapixel main camera seems to be unchanged, but we’ll have to wait for DxOMark and our own review to see the difference. The front contains an 8-megapixel selfie shooter up top.

It goes without saying that Edge Sense is back. This will once again allow you to squeeze the phone to activate a function or launch an app of your choice — unlike the Pixel 2 pair, which can only bring up Google Assistant.

Everything else is mostly the same experience you’d get from the smaller U11, including the loud BoomSound speakers and IP68-rated water and dust resistance. The bonus, however, is having Android 8.0 Oreo straight out of the box.

We’ll update this space as we learn more about the pricing and availability per region. As of the moment, we’ve been informed that this model won’t be available in North America.

[irp posts=”21239″ name=”24 hours in Beijing with the HTC U11″]

Featured image credit: MobileGeeks

News

Apple reportedly gives up on the Vision Pro

But Apple will continue to sell the current model.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

When they unveiled the Vision Pro in 2023, Apple touted the wearable as the next big thing after the iPhone. Now, almost three years removed from the launch, the Vision Pro hasn’t really taken over the coveted spot occupied by the iPhone. Apple, according to a report, is allegedly canning the short-lived wearable.

According to MacRumors, Apple has reportedly given up on making the Vision Pro a thing. The team handling the wearable has supposedly been subsumed by other teams within Apple.

If true, the wearable’s end is unfortunate but not surprising. Despite being out for years, the Vision Pro has sold only a little more than half a million units with numerous returns from customers. Most recently, Apple updated the wearable with the M5 chip, but the move hasn’t revitalized the device’s status in Apple’s lineup.

Most of the complaints about the device stem from its exorbitant price or its cumbersome battery pack. Besides costing a whopping US$ 3,499, the Vision Pro is also difficult to move around with, especially because of its total weight and a battery pack that can get in the way.

To be clear, Apple has not officially discontinued the Vision Pro yet. The company continues to sell the version with the M5 chip. Apple can also restart development in the future.

However, the meantime retirement on future development does coincide with the recent restructuring inside the company. Tim Cook recently decided to step down as CEO with John Ternus as his replacement. Canning the Vision Pro might be Ternus’ first step in redefining Apple according to his plans.

Apps

YouTube makes picture-in-picture mode free for everyone globally

The update is rolling out globally now.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Picture-in-picture (or PiP) mode is a godsend for multitaskers. The feature lets users watch videos in a tiny floating window while doing other tasks. However, the feature isn’t readily available for all users. Or wasn’t, at least. YouTube is now rolling out PiP mode for free globally.

Previously, PiP mode was exclusive to YouTube users who pay for Premium or Premium Lite. It was also exclusive to the United States.

Now, YouTube is making the feature completely free for users all over the globe. It will be available for both iOS and Android versions of the app.

There’s still a catch, though. The free version is available only for “longform, non-music content.” The same goes for Premium Lite subscribers. Music is still an exclusive feature for those who pay for the regular version of Premium. Basically, there is no change for paying users or users in the United States.

Using PiP mode is simple. All you need to do is load up a video you want to watch in the background. Then, just exit the YouTube app and go about your other tasks. The video will be inside a floating, resizable window while you look at other things.

There’s no timeline on when the update will reach your device. However, YouTube has promised that it will roll out globally within the coming months.

Enterprise

OnePlus has reportedly merged with realme

Both brands were previously rumored for restructuring early this year.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

OnePlus has a problem. For a while now, rumors have swirled about the company’s dissolution. For their part, the company has continued to deny the reports, citing business as usual. Likely to their dismay, the reports just keep coming. Today, sources have hinted that OnePlus has merged with realme.

Back in January, it was rumored that OnePlus would be closing up shop this year. Since the company very quickly denied the rumors, the report hardly made waves. However, a suspected merger with realme is more difficult to debunk.

For one, realme is itself in a very interesting position. Also back in January, realme was reportedly moving back into being a sub-brand of OPPO. Coupled together with the OnePlus debacle, all this internal restructuring seems par for the course.

According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, OnePlus and realme have already concluded the merger. The two brands have reportedly united their Chinese and international operations under one roof. Likewise, their marketing will be the same. Pete Lau will still be the main head for this new division.

As with anything of this nature, take this with a grain of salt. OPPO, OnePlus, and realme have not issued any official statements concerning a merger or a shutdown for any brand.