News

Not SE? Apple unveils the iPhone 16e

Part of the iPhone 16 family

Published

February 20, 2025

Rodneil Quiteles

What most people expected to be the latest version of the iPhone SE turned out to be something different. Same. But different. Officially announced is the iPhone 16e which is part of the iPhone 16 family. One key similarity is that it also sports the A18 chip found in the rest of the iPhone 16 fam.

The iPhone 16e will be available in two matte finishes — black and white. There will also be colorful cases available. Pre-orders begin Friday, February 21, with availability beginning Friday, February 28.

Performance

The 6-core CPU is up to 80 percent faster than the A13 Bionic chip on iPhone 11. The 4-core GPU powers stunning graphics performance and unlocks next-level mobile gaming on the go, enabling graphically demanding AAA titles and hardware-accelerated ray tracing for more realistic lighting and reflections.

Meanwhile, the 16-core Neural Engine is optimized for large generative models and runs machine learning (ML) models up to 6x faster than A13 Bionic.

Apple Intelligence

Having the same chip as the rest of the family means the iPhone 16e is built for Apple Intelligence. It enables features like the Clean Up tool which most people will probably recognize as the “Magic Eraser”. As some samples on the Internet have circulated, Apple’s Clean Up tool can get messy and isn’t as Magical as the Google’s Magic Eraser.

But there are other Apple Intelligence things too. Image Playground, create the perfect emoji with Genmoj, and make their writing even more dynamic with Writing Tools. They can now type to Siri, and Siri is more conversational with the ability to follow along if users stumble over their words. Siri can also maintain context from one request to the next.

With access to ChatGPT seamlessly integrated into Writing Tools and Siri, users can choose to access ChatGPT’s expertise without jumping between applications, so they can get things done faster and easier than ever before.

Action Button

Like the rest of the fam, the iPhone 16e also sports the Action Button. The Action button can be used to quickly open the camera or flashlight; switch between Ring and Silent modes; recognize music with Shazam; activate Voice Memos, Focus, Translate, and accessibility features like Magnifier; or use Shortcuts for more options.

Single rear shooter

The iPhone 16e, unlike its… siblings(?) only has a single rear camera. It’s a 48MP shooter. However, Apple is calling it a 2-in-1 camera system.

Using computational photography, the 48MP Fusion camera takes super-high-resolution photos, so users can capture gorgeous images that balance light and detail. It does have a 2x telephoto zoom. That’s why Apple says it’s a 2-in-1 system. Sounds like a stretch, but sure.

It can record 4K with Dolby Vision up to 60 fps. It also records video in Spatial Audio for immersive listening with AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, or a surround sound system, and enables more ways to edit video sound with Audio Mix

Naturally, there’s a front-facing TrueDepth camera. Its autofocus enables sharper close-ups and group selfies.

Price and availability

The iPhone 16e will be available in white and black in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities, starting at USD 599 or USD 24.95 per month for 24 months.

Customers in 59 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, and the U.S., will be able to pre-order iPhone 16e beginning at 5 a.m. PST on Friday, February 21, with availability beginning Friday, February 28.

Enterprise

TikTok finally gets a buyer in the United States

The deal targets a closing date in late January.

Published

December 19, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

The year started with a ban. A day before Donald Trump started his second term, TikTok went dark, in anticipation of an impending ban. The platform quickly went back online, leading to an ultimatum that saw TikTok hunt for an American buyer to full stave off a definitive ban in the United States. Now, as the year ends, a buyer is finally here.

Via CNBC, TikTok has reportedly inked a deal to finalize a deal in the United States, as stated in an internal memo from CEO Shou Zi Chew. The memo, which was sent just this week, details a plan that will see the deal close by January 26, 2026.

Fifty percent of TikTok’s newly restructured U.S. arm will be held by a collection of American investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. Meanwhile, already existing investors of TikTok will hold 30.1 percent. Finally, ByteDance will retain 19.9 percent.

Additionally, TikTok’s algorithm in the United States will be retrained with American data. The American arm will also handle the country’s “data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance.” Oracle will be the “trusted security partner” in charge of making sure the company keeps within regulations in the country.

With a deal pushing through, the long-running TikTok saga in the United States might finally come to a close.

Gaming

Silksong is getting its first major expansion next year

The expansion is called Sea of Sorrow.

Published

December 16, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

I still can’t believe that Hollow Knight: Silksong came out this year. After years of just waiting for the mythical title, it’s surreal to have it in my library. Now, barely waiting to catch their breath, Team Cherry is already working hard towards the next content drop, starting with Silksong DLC.

Just like the original Hollow Knight, Silksong is getting free DLCs to expand its story. The upcoming Sea of Sorrow DLC will be the game’s “first big expansion.”

The expansion’s trailer barely shows anything about the new content, besides vague allusions to what’s coming. At the very least, Team Cherry has confirmed, both via the announcement and the accompanying poster, that Sea of Sorrow will be nautical-themed.

It will feature new locations, new tools, and new enemies. By itself, Silksong is already a huge game. Adding more content then is a massive undertaking. Plus, Team Cherry says that this is just the first expansion, hinting at more coming in the future.

Sea of Sorrow will launch in 2026.

Besides the new expansion, the studio is also working on a Nintendo Switch 2 update for the original Hollow Knight. It will add higher framerates, resolutions, and more graphical effects. PC players will also get some upgrades to support larger screens.

The Switch 2 update, which will be free for those who already own the original game, will also launch next year.

Entertainment

Supergirl gets its first teaser trailer

Milly Alcock stars as the titular character.

Published

December 12, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

Before the new year starts, it’s already fair to assume that Supergirl might be one of the most anticipated movies of 2026. Premiering a year after the globally successful Superman, Supergirl will see the adventures of Clark Kent’s superpowered cousin, Kara Zor-El. Now, the next film in the sage finally has a teaser trailer.

As James Gunn mentioned previously, Supergirl will be based on Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Off traveling to other planets to party, Kara finds herself thrust back into the role of being a hero after a young girl named Ruthye Mary Knoll asks her for help.

Though the teaser trailer is mostly a montage of scenes, we already know what we can expect. According to Gunn, Supergirl will be tonally different from Superman, and we see this in the trailer.

However, we can still see influences from Gunn including the usage of “Call Me” by Blondie for the trailer. Also, the film’s space scenes look like they can fit right in with Guardians of the Galaxy.

Still, that’s what we have, and we’re excited. Supergirl will premiere on June 26, 2026.

The film will be directed by Craig Gillespie (Cruella). Milly Alcock plays the titular character. Meanwhile, she will star alongside Eve Ridley as Ruthye Mary Knoll.