It doesn't fold, but it probably is the one most people will buy.

Nike wants to make sure no one gets cold feet

We've had Samsung's latest Ultra smartwatch for about a week, and here are our first impressions.

Come join us as we report live from the company's "All systems glow" event.

The new laptops are geared towards corporate buyers, with a price to match.

Join our liveblog as we bring you Google's news live from the developer conference, where Android XR and intelligent eyewear products were just unveiled.

Basketball player Stephen Curry has long collaborated with Google, and last year took on the role of “Performance Advisor” at the company as part of a multi-year partnership. It appears the first product of this union is “coming soon,” based on a video posted to Curry’s Instagram account. The 15-second clip shows shots of Curry playing with a basketball, and a gray-and-orange band sits conspicuously on his left wrist. Interspersed are the words “A new relationship with your health coming soon,” and the video ends on the Google logo.

We reached out to Google for comment and details, and the company said “Our Performance Advisor has been working with the team to cook up something special 👀. More to share soon.”

In a voiceover in the video, Curry says, “I’m excited for what this is going to mean for the world, for health, for wellness. It’s the first of its kind in a way. I won’t spoil it — you kind of have to see it for yourself.”

Based on what we see in footage, the band seems to resemble a Whoop wearable, although a screen or any module is never shown. It’s unclear how Google’s product would be different, although it wouldn’t be a stretch to guess that AI might feature somehow.

Whoop was started in 2012, and announced today that it had raised $575 million with a valuation of $10 billion. Whoop’s investors include athletes like LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo, among other celebrities.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/googles-performance-advisor-steph-curry-teases-probable-new-wearable-183612209.html?src=rss

©

Shark has been making some intriguing devices lately, and its newest offering is one I’m personally very excited about. The company has just announced the ChillPill — a gadget it’s describing as a “3-in-1 personal cooling system.” It’s a modular system that offers a fan, mister and cold plate in one portable accessory, and is available today (March 10) for $150. Just in time for the summer, I guess. I’ve had a ChillPill to test for a few days and while I think it’s a bit pricey, I’m impressed by the sophistication and versatility you get for the money.

The ChillPill looks kind of like a strange, modern pair of binoculars. It is made up of two tubes connected via an inch-long silver rotating hinge. Unlike a pair of binoculars, though, one of the halves of the ChillPill can swivel on its hinge to about 100 degrees in either direction, so you can twist it to your heart’s desire. The hinge clicks firmly into place, and feels solid, so it can hold steady in whatever position you’ve chosen.

The smaller of the two tubes is where the controls and the USB-C charging port sit. There is a switch near the bottom here that locks the controls so the ChillPill doesn’t accidentally turn on when it’s in your cluttered purse. This is important, since turning on the device and adjusting the intensity levels is a matter of pressing the other end of this tube and rotating the dial. There’s a screen that takes up the top surface and it’ll show your battery level and what speed or mode you’ve selected.

The matte, slightly larger tube is where the attachments go, and the other end of this is an air inlet. Shark calls the attachments “caps,” and like mentioned earlier, these are the “High-speed fan” cap, a “Dry Touch Mist” cap and the “InstaChill Cooling Plate.” The fan is basically an inch-thick disc, while the other two are a bit taller (or deeper), and the misting pod has a tank with a wick in it. You have to fill this with potable water (and the instruction manual repeatedly warns against using oils, fragrances or other additives) before turning the device on.

Swapping the caps out is a fairly easy affair thanks to the self-explanatory symbols on the edge. Twist the parts till the circle or lock icons are on top of the solid white dot on the other side, and you’re all set.

Shark

Of the three attachments, I was most excited for the cold plate, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the mister. I was initially skeptical when Shark’s reps told me it was a “dry mist,” and I assumed it was probably much wetter than they promised. But when I filled the container with cold tap water and turned the ChillPill on, I found the resulting cool air and mist very refreshing. And though my chin, which got the most of the water vapor, did get a bit wet, it all dried off very quickly. Plus, if I didn’t want to risk any moisture on my face at all, I could just hold the device a bit further away. I also think it would be thoroughly enjoyable when aimed at other areas, like my neck or back, for a quick cooldown.

Same goes for the cooling plate attachment. It uses basically the same technology as the under-eye plates on the Shark CryoGlow LED face mask and the Shark DePuffi device. The company’s InstaChill technology essentially gives you a super cold surface that you can press to your skin (or, in theory, any surface that needs to chill) to quickly cool things off. Not only can this be great after, say, a hot yoga session or running to the subway in the middle of summer, but it can also be quite calming. I set the plate to the lower of the two chill settings and rubbed it all over my face before a call with my boss. I can’t say I was completely relaxed during the chat, but I was certainly a lot less strung out than I might have been without the ChillPill.

Finally, though the fan is the least exciting, it does work as promised and gets so powerful at the top level of 10 that I was genuinely shocked. It was like a mini cyclone in my hand, and if all you want is for moving air (that doesn’t have to be cooled), the ChillPill offers plenty of oomph and a wide range of intensity options.

For the money, I wish that Shark included some ChillPill accessories like the wrist strap, clamp, belt clip, crossbody strap or travel case. I also would love for the company to find a way to keep all the attachments on the device so I don’t have to carry loose caps with my ChillPill or buy a carrying case. I also found the half of the device with the power button on it to be a bit prone to becoming slick or greasy, making it a bit slippery at times.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed using the ChillPill to keep me cool. I can see this being a popular device in a hot, humid country like Singapore (where I’m from), and you best believe I’ll be ordering a few as gifts for my family members. Well, maybe just one or two. I’m not rich, after all, and these aren’t that affordable.

Update, March 10 2026, 3:42 PM ET: This story has been updated to edit the degree at which the two tubes can rotate on the hinge.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/sharks-chillpill-puts-a-mister-fan-and-cold-plate-in-one-portable-package-123000848.html?src=rss

©

By introducing the iPhone 17e just a year after the iPhone 16e, Apple is closing some gaps. Before, the company would only roll out a new entry-level iPhone every few years, with the iPhone 5c (2013), iPhone XR (2018) and iPhone SE (2016, 2020, 2022) all having two to four years between their releases. But Apple is getting into an annual groove now, and having renamed the device to integrate better with the rest of the iPhone lineup, Apple is making a clear statement: It cares about the midrange now. 

With the current state of global economics, Apple’s focus on lower cost devices like the iPhone 17e and newly launched MacBook Neo is timely. Most people probably don’t make full use of the high-powered machines in their pockets and on their laps, and might be reconsidering whether they need to spend as much money on the Pros and the Airs of Apple’s product lineup. At $599, the iPhone 17e is about half the price of an iPhone 17 Pro or the iPhone Air. It’s $200 cheaper than the base iPhone 17, too.

Since I reviewed the iPhone 16e last year, I’ve been using it as a work phone, mostly for Slack, email and light editing in Docs. The way I see it, most people considering the iPhone 17e are likely in a similar situation — either thinking of getting a supplementary device or looking for a good enough phone for a child or other dependent. For this review, I’ve tried to cover most of those scenarios whether it be a person that would spend most of their phone time on social media and games like a teenager or someone that’s largely using it for administrative work purposes. I mostly want to answer this question: If you’re getting your first iPhone or buying one for someone else, should you get the iPhone 17e or the iPhone 17?

iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e, for testing’s sake

It’s very clear from Apple’s website that it doesn’t want you comparing the iPhone 17e to the iPhone 16e. The company doesn't allow you to do so in the comparison tool on the iPhone 17e product page, limiting you to the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and the iPhone SE (second and third generations). Sure, I understand that no one is really thinking about getting an iPhone 17e after just buying the 16e last year. But for the purposes of this review, it makes sense for me to shout out what’s new from the previous generation. The most significant additions this year are the A19 chip, double the storage, improved Portrait photography and MagSafe with faster wireless charging. Oh, and a new pink color option, adding an ever so subtle splash of color to the previously monochromatic lineup. 

The A19 chip is supposed to make AI processes faster, thanks to the neural accelerators in its GPU. In my testing so far, the difference has been negligible at best. Initially I was seeing the iPhone 17e perform slower than the 16e, but after a software update, the iPhone 17e caught up. In Apple Intelligence-powered tools like Cleanup, the iPhone 17e was a split second faster at identifying unwanted objects in photos and erasing them than the 16e. If you’ve just received your iPhone 17e and run into issues where image generation or cleanup is slow or stalling, give it a day or so for the software to stabilize. 

Oddly, in some side-by-side Image Playground testing, the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e were neck and neck. Sometimes, the iPhone 16e was faster. Occasionally, the iPhone 17e was ahead. I’ll continue to keep an eye on how both phones do here, as it could still be due to some early software issues, but for now the improvements from the A19’s GPU seem to be hit or miss.

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

Improved portraits on the iPhone 17e

Of all the improvements to the iPhone 17e, to me, one of the most important is in portraits. In my review of the iPhone 16e, I said that the majority of my grievances with the single camera setup was the fact that Apple ended up using an older version of Portrait mode.

That version was much more limited and didn’t allow for applying a background blur to pictures of non-human subjects. This time, Apple borrowed the algorithms it developed for the iPhone Air for the iPhone 17e’s rear and front cameras. This not only delivers a general improvement to portraits, with better segmentation and a more natural-looking bokeh effect, but also allows for depth information to be captured when applicable. For instance, when a person, cat or dog is detected, the iPhone 17e will automatically capture depth information so you can apply a blur after the picture is taken, even if you didn’t use Portrait mode initially. 

Importantly, these “next-gen portraits” also allow you to edit the level of blur and change up the focal point of the picture after you’ve taken the shot. In some photos of my neighbor’s grumpy shih-poo, I was shocked that my colleagues actually preferred the samples I shared from the iPhone 16e over the ones from the iPhone 17e. But their critique was fair: the newer phone blurred out Oreo’s tail, keeping only his face in focus. I was able to address this by going into the editing tools and dragging the slider for aperture to bring more of the dog into focus. I also played around and tapped on Oreo’s tail to make it clear, and the iPhone 17e blurred up his face instead. 

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

When using Portrait mode to photograph people, the iPhone 17e did indeed deliver more pleasant bokeh than its predecessor. In pictures of my friend Brenda Stolyar, with the “depth” or aperture set to f/4.5 across both devices, there was more softness in the brick wall behind her on the new phone. I was slightly confused since it seemed like the older iPhone actually delivered a sharper picture, until I realized it was actually just softer bokeh. 

For those coming from older phones like the iPhone 11, 12 or SE, the addition of next-gen portraits should feel like a major step up. Even when compared to the iPhone 16e, the fact that I was now able to apply the effect on photos of food and other inanimate objects with no faces made me happier. It makes the camera more versatile, and feels like a noteworthy update that makes your photos feel more modern. 

But that is definitely because I like pictures with the artificial depth of field effect. If you don’t care for bokeh and really only want a phone’s cameras to be good enough to snap pictures of menus or receipts, for instance, the 17e’s improvements here won’t mean much.

MagSafe and wireless charging

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

What might matter more, then, is this generation’s wireless charging speeds. While the iPhone 16e could only support up to 7.5W, the iPhone 17e goes up to 15W (with adapters of 20W or higher) and also works with MagSafe accessories. I can’t imagine anyone considering a new iPhone 17e already has magnetic cases or stands, but if you decide to invest in those accessories, you’ll find them convenient and satisfying. 

I placed both models on my wireless charging stand — the 17e snapped on and started charging, while the 16e clattered helplessly off the stand. I placed it on the charging pad at the base instead and noted how much power each of them gained in 15 minutes. The improvement is clear: the iPhone 17e went up by 16 percent (30 percent to 46 percent), while the 16e only gained 3 percent (69 percent to just 72 percent).

Beyond the numbers, what this means is that when you’re in a pinch and trying to quickly top up your phone on, say, a wireless charger you found at a cafe, you won’t need to sit around as long with the iPhone 17e. For those of you that simply leave your phone on a stand overnight, this is less likely to meaningfully impact you. 

There are a few other updates that I haven’t really tested in this review, like the improved durability with Ceramic Shield 2 on the iPhone 17e’s screen. The new display also has a treatment that is supposed to reduce glare, and considering the week of wonderfully gloomy weather we’ve had here in New York, this isn’t something I’ve truly had a chance to evaluate. Also, while I do appreciate the doubled storage, which is sure to please the media hoarders among us, I will say I’ve already been served warnings about my iCloud storage running out. It still feels like something else Apple might need to address, but for newcomers to the iOS world, the higher base storage is absolutely a positive.

Elsewhere, there are virtually no differences between the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e. They have the same size displays with the same resolution, brightness, refresh rate, contrast ratio and color gamuts. Both are rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, and have similar battery lives (up to 26 hours of video playback, according to Apple). They also have the exact same dimensions of 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches, although the iPhone 17e does weigh a whole 2 grams (0.8 ounces) more than the 16e, which is almost definitely attributable to the addition of MagSafe. Unless you have weighing scales for hands, though, this difference is negligible.

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

Should you get the iPhone 17e or the iPhone 17?

Where you might find more meaningful distinctions is when comparing the iPhone 17e to the iPhone 17. For $200 more, you’ll get longer battery life and slightly better performance thanks to one more GPU core. The iPhone 17 also has a larger, sharper and brighter display that’s 6.3-inches, with higher refresh rates and a full-screen design incorporating the Dynamic Island. It also supports the Always On Display and has an 18MP front camera with the Center Stage feature that allows for easy switching between landscape and vertical orientations in your selfies without having to rotate your phone. 

In fact, the camera upgrades alone on the iPhone 17 might be worth the money. On top of getting the additional ultrawide camera, you’ll also gain the dedicated camera control button on the right edge, the latest generation of Photographic Styles, support for macro photography, Cinematic mode and Dual Capture in videos as well as spatial and macro recording capabilities. It also comes with sensor-shift optical image stabilization, which is more advanced than the OIS on the iPhone 17e. Rounding out that long list of differences is higher recharge speeds (with compatible chargers) and Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for more precise Find My support. The iPhone 17 also offers dual-frequency GPS and works with the latest standards in connectivity, like Thread, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 (whereas the iPhone 17e only gets to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3). 

Sure, the iPhone 17 is slightly taller and heavier, but considering all the bonuses and the extra camera, that feels like a tradeoff that is more than fair. It’s a lot more advanced for $200, and feels like a better starter phone than the iPhone 17e. But if your budget is tight and camera performance isn’t a priority, you’ll get a great experience from Apple’s latest.

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

Wrap-up

In 2026, it feels like Apple has done the impossible. It’s managed to serve up multiple iPhones at various price points with enough meaningful differentiations to justify each tier. Meanwhile, each iPhone 17 in the full lineup is a capable and satisfying device for its price. Upgrading to the iPhone 17e from the iPhone 11, 12 or SE will certainly feel significant, although getting almost any current-gen phone will feel modern compared to those. 

In fact, if you’re platform agnostic and wouldn’t mind an Android device, there are options out there with significantly superior screens and cameras. The Pixel 10a, for instance, offers a larger display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a dual-camera system all for $100 less. With Apple seeming to be setting its sights on the midrange market, it should seriously consider stepping up in those two areas in the next e-series iPhone.

But of course, the name “iPhone” carries its own premium, and the iPhone 17e is a solid entry-level handset for those who need a basic, no-frills path into the Apple ecosystem.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-17e-review-the-economical-choice-130000647.html?src=rss

©

The iPhone 17e was announced on Monday through a press release, so there was no real chance to immediately get a hands-on with it. But at Apple’s event in New York today, the phone was on display alongside the new MacBook Neo, iPad Air M4, MacBook Pro M5 and Studio Display XDR. I managed to take it for a quick spin to see if it is truly as similar to the iPhone 16e as it appeared from pictures. Spoiler: It mostly is.

One of the most noteworthy changes to the iPhone 17e is the addition of MagSafe support, and aside from confirming whether that works, I don’t really have any impressions to add. I also can’t tell you at the moment whether the increased wireless charging speed makes a difference, although mathematically I have to imagine it would.

I did get a chance to try out the new Portrait photography here. I brought my iPhone 16e and tried taking portraits with both devices. I could immediately see that the iPhone 17e allowed me to apply an artificial background blur to pictures I was framing up of the new MacBook Air M5, whereas my iPhone 16e just said “No person detected.” In the Photos app, I was able to adjust the level of blur and adjust the focal point to bring a different group of flowers in focus, too.

The other thing I can tell from seeing the iPhone 17e in person is that this new pink color option is absolutely delightful. I won’t go as far as to call it stunning or vibrant — it’s too subtle to be either of those things. It’s almost the same shade of pink as the Pixel 3, except a bit rosier. I do really like this color, it’s understated and elegant.

Other changes include the stronger Ceramic Shield 2 covering the iPhone 17e’s screen, which is a step up from the Ceramic Shield on the iPhone 16e. Obviously I didn’t attempt to throw the new phone around at this event, and would not have been allowed to, so we’ll have to wait till I spend more time with a unit in the real world to better gauge its durability.

I’ll also work on testing things like battery life, charge time and performance improvements with the A19 chip in my full review. For now, my early look at the iPhone 17e tells me everything I expected is largely true, and that pink is a surprising scene stealer. The iPhone 17e retails for $599 and is available for pre-order now, with in-store and shipping arrivals slated for March 11.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-17e-hands-on-pretty-in-pink-with-portraits-enabled-163946647.html?src=rss

©

As part of its big week of announcements, Apple has unveiled a new pair of M5 chips alongside two new MacBooks. The new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips will power the new MacBook Pro that was just announced today, while the new MacBook Air comes with the base M5. According to the company’s press release, the M5 Pro and M5 Max come with an “advanced GPU with Neural Accelerators and higher unified memory bandwidth for a massive increase in AI compute.”

At the heart of the M5 Pro and M5 Max are what Apple is calling a new “Fusion Architecture” that “combines two dies into a single system on a chip (SoC).” The chips both feature a new 18-core CPU, six of which Apple is now calling “super cores, that are the word’s fastest CPU core.”

The other 12 are “all-new performance cores, optimized for power-efficient, multithreaded workloads.” Altogether, Apple says these CPU changes improve performance by “up to 30 percent for pro workloads.” Meanwhile, the GPU is a jump over the next-gen design we saw in the M5, as it goes to up to 40 cores. Each GPU core has a Neural Accelerator in it, and together with the higher unified memory bandwidth, the company says the M5 Pro and M5 Max offer “over 4x the peak GPU compute for AI compared to the previous generation.”

Apple added that graphics performance is also getting a substantial boost, by up to “35 percent for apps using ray tracing” compared to the M4 Pro and M4 Max.

To be clear, this isn’t the first time Apple has claimed it has the “world’s fastest” core. According to our resident Apple Silicon expert Devindra Hardawar, the benchmarks have proven the company’s claims true. It’s also worth noting that the two-die design isn’t novel or unique, as companies like Intel and AMD have been doing similar.

The M5 Pro and M5 Max will first show up in the new MacBook Pro, which is available for pre-order starting March 4, and will arrive on Wednesday, March 11.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/apple-unveils-the-m5-pro-and-m5-max-chips-which-feature-new-faster-super-cores-141533420.html?src=rss

©

Apple has just announced the addition of the iPhone 17e to its smartphone lineup. This model is kitted with the same A19 chip that powers the base iPhone 17, and it will support the Apple Intelligence suite of AI tools. As the rumors suggested, the iPhone 17e will indeed be priced at $599, same as last year’s iPhone 16e. The base model will come with 256GB of storage, and also be available in a new pink color.

The iPhone 16e was missing a few elements that are now being added to the 17e, most notably MagSafe charging at Qi2 speeds. This means it can charge wirelessly at 15W compared to the 7.5W on last year’s model.

Apple also gave the iPhone 17e its C1X cellular modem, which it said is “up to 2x faster than C1 in iPhone 16e.” This year’s entry-level iPhone also has Ceramic Shield 2 on its 6.1-inch Super Retina display, which Apple says offers “3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation and reduced glare.”

Most of the other specs appear similar to the iPhone 16e, including the 48-megapixel Fusion camera that uses one single hardware sensor to provide two dedicated camera pipelines. It’s not yet clear whether there are specific changes here, but to use Apple’s words in its press release, “[The Fusion camera] also enables an optical-quality 2x Telephoto — like having two cameras in one.”

The iPhone 17e is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, and will also support Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages and Find My via satellite. From the outside, the device looks very similar to its predecessor, with the same shape, notch and buttons as before. We’ll of course have to wait for a review unit and more information to know for sure, but Apple continues to state that the iPhone 17e delivers “all-day battery life,” though adding this time it’s aided by the C1X modem “and the advanced power management of iOS 26.”

Apple unveiled most of its iPhone 17 roster back in September, but its budget models usually are introduced a few months later. We're also still waiting on the official news of what’s colloquially being calling the iPhone Fold, which is rumored to arrive in the back half of this year.

The iPhone 17e will be available for pre-order on March 4, and will start arriving in stores on March 11.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-introduces-the-599-iphone-17e-with-magsafe-and-twice-the-storage-140612085.html?src=rss

©