News

4-inch iPhone makes a comeback

Published

March 22, 2016

Michael Josh Villanueva

Big things come in small packages.

From its moderately sized Town Hall in Cupertino, Apple unveiled a couple of “small” devices today, including a new 4-inch iPhone.

Dubbed the iPhone SE, the new iPhone looks exactly like the iPhone 5S from 3 years ago, sporting the same 4-inch Retina display, diamond cut chamfered edges, and blasted aluminium finish.

iphone-se-array

But don’t be deceived by appearances, internally the iPhone SE is as powerful as its top of the line model. Apple is calling it the most powerful 4-inch phone (phone not just smartphone) ever, and that’s great news for users who like phones that are small but powerful.

For years, Android smartphones have led the shift towards larger screen sizes. A hesitant Apple followed suit, growing the original iPhone from 3.5 inches to 4.0 inches in 2012 and again to 4.7 inches in 2014. But many still preferred the smaller form factor, so Apple wisely kept older models around and ended up selling 30 million 4-inch iPhones last year.

The introduction of the iPhone SE may spark a renaissance for small smartphones, not that you can’t buy a sub 5-inch smartphone today. But usually, size comes at the cost of power, battery life, and camera performance. Not anymore.

iphone-se-power

The iPhone SE has the same A9 processor as the iPhone 6S with promised performance improvements of up to 2x (vs the 5S); the same 12 megapixel iSight camera, regarded as one of the best in the biz; longer battery life; Touch ID fingerprint scanner; and faster LTE and WiFi. The only thing missing is the iPhone 6S’ pressure sensitive 3D touch display.

Pre-orders for the iPhone SE begin on Thursday, March 24 and will be available as early as March 31 in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, US Virgin Islands and the US.

Apart from the usual colors – space gray, silver, and gold, the iPhone SE will also be available in rose gold (or pink as we prefer to call it). The phone comes in 16GB and 64GB models, and will retail for $399 and $499 respectively.

Priced competitively at $250 less the iPhone 6S, the iPhone SE is Apple’s answer to mid-range Android smartphones that are hugely popular in developing markets like India and Southeast Asia. Apple says the phone is a response to what its users want, but we think, a cheaper iPhone is exactly what Apple needs.

[irp posts=”11425″ name=”Tiny iPhone SE gets twice the storage”]

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.