Tag Archives: region|US

The Morning After: Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold phone is real

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As promised, we’re back to normal. Don’t even think about buying Kindles or subscribing to a new streaming service until Black Friday 2026.

Instead, let’s talk about a new Samsung foldable with even more folds. The Galaxy Z TriFold is breaking cover and will launch in Korea and other select countries (read: not the US) on December 12.

Unlike the early trifold from Huawei, the smartphone has an inward-folding display meant to protect the wider main display, 10 inches wide. The cover screen is 6.5 inches when folded, while the entire TriFold is 12.9mm when collapsed and 3.9mm at its thinnest when unfolded.

TMA
Engadget

That might seem a bit chunky in the face of super-thin smartphones, but it’s much thinner than Samsung’s first Z Fold (17.1mm), back in 2019. Arguably, it’s a 10-inch tablet (with the right screen ratio) crammed into a smartphone form factor.

The phone runs on a custom Snapdragon 8 chip, with a 5,600 mAh three-cell battery and support for 45W super-fast charging. Like the Z Fold 7, the rear camera lineup includes a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 200MP wide-angle lens and a 10MP telephoto lens.

Intrigued? Samsung says the TriFold will be available in the US and elsewhere in the first quarter of 2026. The company hasn’t stipulated pricing yet, but it could be spicy.

— Mat Smith

Struggled to cast Stranger Things over the long weekend? It wasn’t you — and it probably wasn’t your TV’s fault either. Netflix is ending support for casting from mobile devices to many TVs. According to a help page spotted by Android Authority, “Netflix no longer supports casting shows from a mobile device to most TVs and TV-streaming devices. You’ll need to use the remote that came with your TV or TV-streaming device to navigate Netflix.” The company previously removed AirPlay support in 2019 due to “technical limitations.”

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Apple has hired AI researcher Amar Subramanya, a longtime Google exec, pulling him away from Microsoft to push its AI efforts forward. Subramanya, who Apple describes as a “renowned AI researcher,” spent 16 years at Google, where he was head of engineering for Gemini. The company also announced that current AI exec, John Giannandrea, will retire in 2026.

Giannandrea has shouldered much of the blame for the delays in delivering the next-generation version of Siri. He joined Apple in 2018 after a stint at Google that included VP of search. While his hiring was seen as a major coup for Apple at the time, the company has failed to deliver its more personalized AI-centric version of Siri, previewed earlier last year. Not earlier this year: last year.

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TMA
Engadget

Google has announced that free users can currently generate two images per day, down from three previously, on its Nano Bana Pro image generator. “Image generation and editing is in high demand,” the company writes. “Limits may change frequently and will reset daily.”

This is due to the new model being a big improvement on what came before. The text rendering portion is significantly improved and can even render legible text on top of an existing image. It can also blend multiple elements into a single composition, supporting up to 14 images at once. Google is also limiting free Gemini 3 Pro use.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121513576.html?src=rss

The best Xbox games for 2025

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Whether you’re into shooters, fighting games or immersive RPGs, there’s something for every Xbox owner out there. While Microsoft’s first-party output has been a bit slim lately, the company has been on a tear acquiring the likes of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard, as well as pumping up the amount of worthwhile titles in its Game Pass subscription service. The result is a plethora of games to choose from, which can be either a blessing or a curse for the indecisive gamer.

To make life a bit easier, we’ve highlighted some of the best titles available on the Xbox Series X and S (some of which are also playable on older Xbox One systems). We’ve chosen a mix of old and new titles, but given the hundreds of hours we’ve put into these games, we can guarantee they’re well worth your time.

Check out our entire Best Games series including the best Nintendo Switch games, the best PS5 games, the best Xbox games, the best PC games and the best free games you can play today.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/best-xbox-games-140022399.html?src=rss

The best wireless chargers for 2026

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If you’ve upgraded your phone recently, there’s a good chance it supports wireless charging. Battery life can be one of the first things to deteriorate as your phone ages, so you’ll need quick and easy ways to power up wherever you are. You may not always be able to have a cable on your person, but investing in a wireless phone charger (or a few) can make it more convenient to plop your phone down and know it’ll have more juice when you pick it back up again.

While you’re not going to get the same charging speed with a wireless charger that you would with a power cable, the convenience of a power source like this is undeniable. Stick a wireless charger on your bedside, on your desk at work, in your kitchen or wherever you spend a good chunk of your time and you’ll have a reliable way to power up your phone, sans bulky, messy cables. Needless to say, there are a ton of options out there with different charging capabilities and price ranges. Below, we’ve collected the best wireless chargers we’ve tested to make your search a little easier.

While it’s tempting to buy a wireless charging pad optimized for the specific phone you have now, resist that urge. Instead, think about the types of devices (phones included) that you could see yourself using in the near future. If you’re sure you’ll use iPhones for a long time, an Apple MagSafe-compatible magnetic wireless charger will be faster and more convenient. If you use Android phones or think you might switch sides, however, you’ll want a more universal design. If you have other accessories like wireless earbuds or a smartwatch that supports wireless charging, maybe you’d be better off with a 3-in-1 wireless charger or full wireless charging station.

Odds are that you have a specific use case in mind for your charger. You may want it by your bedside on your nightstand for a quick charge in the morning, or on your desk for at-a-glance notifications. You might even keep it in your bag for convenient travel charging instead of bulky portable chargers or power banks. Think about where you want to use this accessory and what you want to do with the device(s) it charges while it’s powering up. For example, a wireless charging pad might be better for bedside use if you just want to be able to drop your phone down at the end of a long day and know it’ll be powered up in the morning. However, a stand will be better if you have an iPhone and want to make use of the Standby feature during the nighttime hours.

For a desk wireless charger, a stand lets you more easily glance at phone notifications throughout the day. For traveling, undoubtedly, a puck-style charging pad is best since it will take up much less space in your bag than a stand would. Many power banks also include wireless charging pads built in, so one of those might make even more sense for those who are always on the go. Some foldable chargers are also designed for travel, collapsing flat to take up less space.

Although wireless charging is usually slower than its wired equivalent, speed and wattage are still important considerations. A fast charger can supply enough power for a long night out in the time it takes to change outfits. Look for options that promise faster charging and support standards like Qi2 certified charging for the best balance of efficiency and compatibility.

In general, a 15W charger is more than quick enough for most situations, and you’ll need a MagSafe-compatible charger to extract that level of performance from an iPhone. With that said, even the slower 7.5W and 10W chargers are fast enough for an overnight power-up. If anything, you’ll want to worry more about support for cases. While many models can deliver power through a reasonably thick case (typically 3mm to 5mm), you’ll occasionally run into examples that only work with naked phones.

There are some proprietary chargers that smash the 15W barrier if you have the right phone. Apple’s latest MagSafe charging pad can provide up to 25W of wireless power to compatible iPhones when paired with a 30W or 35W adapter — the latter being another component you’ll have to get right to make sure the whole equation works as fast as it possibly can.

Pay attention to what’s included in the box. Some wireless chargers don’t include power adapters, and others may even ask you to reuse your phone’s USB-C charging cable. What may seem to be a bargain may prove expensive if you have to buy extras just to use it properly. As mentioned above, you’ll want to make sure all of the components needed to use the wireless charger can provide the level of power you need — you’re only as strong (or in this case, fast) as your weakest link.

Fit and finish is also worth considering. You’re likely going to use your wireless charger every day, so even small differences in build quality could make the difference between joy and frustration. If your charger doesn’t use MagSafe-compatible tech, textured surfaces like fabric or rubberized plastic are more likely to keep your phone in place. The base should be grippy or weighty enough that the charger won’t slide around. Also double check that the wireless charger you’re considering can support phones outfitted with cases — the specifications are usually listed in the charger’s description or specs.

You’ll also want to think about the minor conveniences. Status lights are useful for indicating correct phone placement, but an overly bright light can be distracting. Ideally, the light dims or shuts off after a certain period of time. And while we caution against lips and trays that limit compatibility, you may still want some barriers to prevent your device falling off its perch on the charging station.

Many wireless chargers do work if you leave the case on your phone. Generally, a case up to 3mm thick should be compatible with most wireless chargers. However, you should check the manufacturer’s guide to ensure a case is supported.

Checking the phone’s specification should tell you if your phone is compatible with wireless charging. You might see words like “Qi wireless charging” or “wireless charging compatible.”

Most often, wired charging will be faster than wireless charging. However, wired charging also depends on what the charging cable’s speed is and how much power it’s designed to carry. A quick-charging cable that can transmit up to 120W of power is going to be faster than a wireless charger.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-wireless-charger-140036359.html?src=rss

Samsung fully unveils its Galaxy Z TriFold phone, and it’ll be available in Korea in a few days

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Samsung has unveiled its newest smartphone, and it's the highly-anticipated Galaxy Z TriFold. During an interview in July, a Samsung exec confirmed that the company was working on a three-panel phone that it aimed to release by the end of the year. The company said it expects the phone to be available for purchase in Korea on December 12, with markets including China, Taiwan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. For US shoppers, the TriFold will be available in the first quarter of 2026, but no specific date has been revealed yet.

The phone has an inward-folding design intended to protect the main display. If it has been folded incorrectly, the device will automatically vibrate and show an on-screen alert to notify its user. When fully extended, the TriFold has a 10-inch screen and the cover screen is 6.5 inches when folded up. It is 3.9mm at its thinnest point when unfolded and then 12.9mm while collapsed. 

To give that some context, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a traditional foldable that also has a 6.5-inch exterior screen and an internal display that opens to 8 inches wide diagonally. It has a profile of 8.9mm when folded and weighs 215 grams compared with the TriFold's 309 grams. With its two-hinge form, the TriFold makes it so you have basically a ten-inch tablet that folds down to a slightly heftier version of the Z Fold 7.

A side view of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold showing its thickness in the unfolded state
A side view of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold showing its thickness in the unfolded state
Samsung

Foldables introduce some additional design demands, and Samsung said that the screen panels meet with minimal gap but no actual contact when they are closed. The hinges have been designed to resist wear and the screen received a new reinforced overcoat to improve resistance. 

The phone runs on a custom Snapdragon 8 chip. It has a 5,600mAh three-cell battery system and offers 45W super-fast charging. The rear camera lineup includes a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 200MP wide-angle lens and a 10MP telephoto lens, which is identical to the setup on the Z Fold 7. The main screen and the cover screen both have 10MP front cameras. 

No pricing information is currently available, but it seems like a safe assumption that this will be expensive. The Z Fold 7 starts at $2,000, so expect to pay a premium for that second hinge.

Promo image showing the fold angles of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold
Promo image showing the fold angles of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold
Samsung

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-fully-unveils-its-galaxy-z-trifold-phone-and-itll-be-available-in-korea-in-a-few-days-010000499.html?src=rss

Texas AG opens probe into Shein

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into online fast fashion retailer Shein. The probe will examine whether the company violated state laws related to labor practices and product safety. According to a release, Paxton's office wants to know if Shein uses toxic or hazardous materials and whether it misleads consumers about product safety and ethical sourcing. The Texas investigation will also look into privacy concerns and data collection at Shein, which isn't the first time those topics have arisen for the business.

Shein also drew criticism last month after a French consumer protection watchdog discovered illegal weapons and childlike sex dolls available on its website. France is now taking steps to suspend Shein's business in the country. Last year, the US government also seemed ready to take action against Shein and fellow low-cost retailer Temu over issues of product safety.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/texas-ag-opens-probe-into-shein-000812688.html?src=rss

Apple hires Google veteran as its new vice president of AI

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Apple has tapped AI researcher Amar Subramanya, a longtime Google exec who was most recently corporate vice president of AI at Microsoft, as its new VP of AI. The company also announced that current AI exec, John Giannandrea, will retire in 2026.

Subramanya, who Apple describes as a "renowned AI researcher," spent 16 years at Google, where he was head of engineering for Gemini. He left Google earlier this year for Microsoft. In a press release, Apple said that Subramanya will report to Craig Federighi and will "be leading critical areas, including Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and AI Safety and Evaluation." 

It's not entirely surprising that Apple is shaking up its AI leadership. Giannandrea joined Apple in 2018 after a stint at Google that included VP of search. While his hiring was seen as a major coup for Apple at the time, the company has faced some significant setbacks since. Most notably, its failure to deliver a more personalized, AI-centric version of Siri that it previewed last year. Giannandrea, who oversaw Siri for years, has shouldered much of the blame for the delays. Bloomberg reported earlier this year that Apple CEO Tim Cook had "lost confidence in the ability of AI head John Giannandrea to execute on product development" and put other executives in charge of Siri instead. 

In a statement, Cook said he was "thankful" for Giannandrea's contributions to the company and credited Federighi with pushing the revamped Siri forward. "In addition to growing his leadership team and AI responsibilities with Amar’s joining, Craig has been instrumental in driving our AI efforts, including overseeing our work to bring a more personalized Siri to users next year.”


This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-hires-google-veteran-as-its-new-vice-president-of-ai-234820021.html?src=rss

Instagram mandates total return to office for employees in 2026

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Instagram employees will be back at their desks full time next year. Beginning February 2, workers with the social media network will be expected to spend five days a week working in person in offices. Instagram leader Adam Mosseri announced the change in an internal memo first reported by Alex Heath's Sources newsletter. "It's clear we have to evolve," he told the staff, also closing with the note that "2026 is going to be tough." 

The full return to office mandate applies to Instagram's US employees in offices with assigned desks. The memo allowed that people will still be able to work remotely "when you need to," but gave an open-ended call to "use your best judgment" about when to take advantage of that flexibility. 

Many tech companies have adopted a hybrid approach to office work in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, Meta instituted a policy of three days a week spent in the office in 2023. Although the messaging from executives insists that in-person work has important benefits, employees have often resisted the shift back to old ways. 

Mosseri outlined other planned changes intended to make the social media company "more nimble and creative." One shift that's probably more welcome than the return to office is to scale back recurring meetings. Any recurring meetings will be canceled every six months unless they're deemed "absolutely necessary." He also plans the team to have more prototypes of product overviews rather than decks, and a faster process for unblocking and decision-making.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-mandates-total-return-to-office-for-employees-in-2026-212738225.html?src=rss

India will require a state-owned cybersecurity app to be installed on all smartphones

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Telecom regulators in India have reportedly asked smartphone manufacturers to preload a state-owned cybersecurity app that cannot be deleted onto all new devices, and push the app to existing devices via a software update. Reuters reports that, according to a non-public government order sent to manufacturers, Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi and others were given 90 days to comply.

The app in question is called Sanchar Saathi (meaning Communication Companion), and is primarily aimed at fraud prevention with tools that allow users to report and lock lost or stolen devices. According to Reuters, the app has a reported 5 million downloads since its release and has helped block 3.7 million stolen or lost phones in India. An additional 30 million reportedly fraudulent connections have been terminated using the app.

"If I lose my phone, immediately the app is on my phone which I can then register and make sure my phone is not used by any fraudulent individual. It's a step to protect the consumer," Telecom Minister Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said in an interview with CNBC. The Minister said the installation order should be issued in the "next couple of days."

How smartphone manufacturers will respond remains to be seen. Apple, for its part, doesn't have the strongest history of standing up to governments that oversee large markets for the company. Just a few weeks ago Apple removed two of the largest LGBTQ+ dating apps from the Chinese App Store at the government's request. In 2019 the iPhone maker removed a Hong Kong protest app following pressure from Chinese authorities. The company has also become increasingly entangled with India as it looks to move US-bound iPhone production to the country.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/india-will-require-a-state-owned-cybersecurity-app-to-be-installed-on-all-smartphones-192305599.html?src=rss

Marques Brownlee’s controversial Panels app is shutting down

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Marques Brownlee's Panels app is shutting down on December 31. The creators blame this on a shifting development team, as they weren't able to "bring in collaborators who shared our passion and vision, and we weren't able to find the right fit."

Annual subscribers will get a refund when the app shutters and any downloaded wallpapers will still be available to use. Additionally, the developers will be making the app's code available to "allow anyone to build on what we started."

Brownlee, a popular tech YouTuber who goes by MKBHD, introduced the Panels app back in 2024. It sailed to the top of the various app charts, for a time, but was mired by controversy. It's basically just a marketplace for smartphone wallpaper images, but one that requires a steep subscription price for real access. Angry consumers also complained that the app was plagued by intrusive ads and mandated intrusive data-tracking permissions.

MKBHD tried to assuage concerns by introducing a cheaper subscription tier and improving the free experience. However, it looks like the damage was done. Panels was a tough sell even without the frustrations, as not that many people want to spend real money on smartphone wallpapers. Maybe that idea would've flown when smartphones were still new and exciting, but that ship sailed over a decade ago.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/marques-brownlees-controversial-panels-app-is-shutting-down-192224468.html?src=rss

Shopify was down for much of Cyber Monday

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Here’s hoping the retailers offering tasty Cyber Monday deals that caught your eye aren’t having trouble with Shopify. The ecommerce platform is experiencing some issues. According to a support page, some merchants were having trouble logging into the Shopify platform, which was experiencing outages with the checkout and admin systems. Shopify’s point-of-sale (POS), API and mobile and support systems also saw “degraded performance.”

Editor's note (on December 2 10:35AM ET): The outage appears to have been resolved, with Shopify posting on X at 6:11PM yesterday that it “had a system degradation that has now been mitigated.” The statement further clarified that checkout and storefronts remained online during the outage, while admin interfaces were “temporarily unavailable for some merchants.” Also, the outage “briefly extended to POS but was quickly resolved.”

In an update at 12:39PM ET, Shopify wrote “We are continuing to investigate and apply mitigations for the issues with accessing Admins and POS systems.” It added “Some merchants may also see an issue with POS checkouts, due to not being able to access POS systems.”

At 2:31PM ET, the company posted an update to its status page, saying “We have found and fixed an issue with our login authentication flow, and are seeing signs of recovery for admin and POS login issues now. We are continuing to monitor recovery.” You might start to see some services go back to normal, and it should hopefully not impact your holiday shopping too much.

Shopify said in a blog post just last week that it powers 12 percent of ecommerce in the US. Brands including Netflix, Mattel, Supreme, Glossier and Converse are among those that use the platform.

When asked for more details about the outage, Shopify directed Engadget to its status page as well as a tweet posted at 10AM that read, “We're aware of an issue with Admins impacting selected stores, and are working to resolve it.”

Somewhat ironically, that very account posted on November 27 that 56 seconds was the average amount of wait time the prior week and that its team was ready to “keep that pace” for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping rush. It has been hours since the outage was first reported this morning.

Update, December 1 2025, 2:48PM ET: This story has been updated to include Shopify’s latest post about resolving a login authentication issue, as well as its tweet from November 27.

Update, December 2 2025, 10:35AM ET: This story has been updated to include an Editor’s note with the latest on the outage, which seems to mostly have been resolved.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/shopify-was-down-for-much-of-cyber-monday-180958407.html?src=rss