News

iPhone 17: Better display tech, power efficiency, more

More capable Neural Engine, longer battery life, Center Stage front camera among upgrades

Published

September 10, 2025

GadgetMatch

The latest iPhones are here. Apple has launched the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, alongside the standalone iPhone Air model on Tuesday morning.

The base model, the iPhone 17, has been made more capable than ever, with upgrades in display technology, power efficiency, Neural Engine, and more.

So, what’s new?

Better, brighter, larger display

The iPhone 17 comes with a slightly larger 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display with thinner borders for more display real estate.

This display now features the same ProMotion technology found on Pro series models, with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate.

In a nutshell, that means smoother scrolling and better video playback, but for gaming, it means the audiovisual experience is elevated as well.

Users can also benefit from the now 3,000 nits peak outdoor brightness — the highest ever on an iPhone — and reduced glare.

Moreover, the display is protected by Ceramic Shield 2. This upgraded coating is said to be three times more scratch resistant than Ceramic Shield, adding to the iPhone 17’s overall durability and toughness.

More power efficient, more capable of AI tasks

The iPhone 17 features an A19 chip built on a 3nm technology. It makes the handset faster and more efficient for handling even intensive tasks.

Featuring a 16-core Neural Engine, the chip also enables more power-efficient AI inference.

Users will benefit from the more powerful 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU chip especially in gaming and graphics intensive tasks.

The chip is likewise tailor-made for running on-device AI better while still being power efficient.

Of course, the iPhone 17 runs on iOS 26 and features Apple Intelligence, as well as relatively newer features like Visual Intelligence and Live Translation.

Faster wired charging also enables the iPhone 17 to be charged to 50% in just 20 minutes.

iPhone 17 cameras

As for its cameras, the iPhone 17 features a 48MP Dual Fusion Camera System. This 48MP main camera allows users to shoot at up to 2X zoom without detail loss.

In addition, the iPhone 17 has a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera camera which can also double as a 12MP 1x macro shooter for higher-quality close-up shots.

Center Stage front camera

Also new across the series is the 18MP Center Stage front camera. This features the widest field of view yet on an iPhone selfie camera.

That’s thanks to its large sensor that is almost twice the size of the previous one. Furthermore, what makes the sensor different is it has a square shape.

This means users will have better time taking selfies as they do not have to rotate the phone itself anymore.

The device will also intelligently respond when there are more subjects in the frame, widening the field of view to its maximum or even rotate it to landscape orientation.

Stabilization has also been made better for filming using the front camera. This optimization can also be felt on video calls.

iPhone 17 price, availability

The iPhone 17 starts at US$ 799 for the 256GB configuration. There are five available colors: Lavender, Mist Blue, Black, White, and Sage.

Pre-orders start on Friday with general availability starting September 19th.

Related Topics:Apple iPhone 17 iPhone 17 Air iPhone 17 Series

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.