Tech – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content

Tech

The latest tech news about the world’s best (and sometimes worst) hardware, apps, and much more. From top companies like Google and Apple to tiny startups vying for your attention, Verge Tech has the latest in what matters in technology daily.

Apple is ‘not able to predict’ when it’ll have enough iPhone Duos to go around

John Ternus says Apple is seeing ‘unprecedented’ memory pricing.

Emma Roth
Apple set an iPhone sales record even without a new standard iPhone

iPhone revenue jumped 17 percent with Pro-only models during this year’s refresh.

Emma Roth

Latest In Tech

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Meta and Lionsgate are 3D converting new movies for Meta’s VR glasses.

3D-converted movies could be in for another big push, as Deadline reports the arrangement between Meta and Lionsgate will start with The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

After their theatrical run, the plan is for the movies to become available on Meta’s $1,300 VR headsets, along with games and other content.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
The macOS ChatGPT Classic app is going away.

A banner in the app says the app will “retire” on January 30th, 2027, according to 9to5Mac. The banner also points users toward the updated app, which was released earlier this year.

Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
What if your Mac Mini was a Steam Machine?

Don’t get too excited yet; it’s running in a virtual machine, and trees and water in The Witcher 3 aren’t supposed to look like that! But SteamOS on Arm-based Macs is now a thing with surprisingly decent performance, ETA Prime demonstrates in this video. Here’s the GitHub page.

David Pierce
David Pierce
Today’s Vergecast: Cloud gaming works — but it’s not winning.

Streaming all your video games seems like such a good, simple idea. All your games, everywhere, on any screen you like — it’s the dream! The Verge’s Sean Hollister explains how the tech works now (which might be better than you think), why it’ll take a huge amount of work to make it even a little bit better, and why games like Grand Theft Auto VI probably can’t just live in the cloud.

Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Google’s Phone, Messages, and Contacts apps have a new look.

The new icons trade the flat blue look for a gradient style in line with the updates across Google’s other logos.

Image: Google
Lauren Feiner
Lauren Feiner
Snap settles kids online safety case right before trial.

It was the last defendant in a case brought by two young social media users. Meta, TikTok, and YouTube previously settled their claims, and opening arguments were set to begin this week. But the companies will be back in court soon, with the next bellwether cases scheduled for March 2027.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Type “zelda” into Google for a little Easter egg.

As a nod to this week’s Ocarina of Time release, you can click the Master Sword that pops up to be transported back to a classic list of blue links, complete with a retro “Google!” logo. I wish this was an option for every search.

A screenshot of Google’s Ocarina of Time Zelda Easter egg that shows a classic list of links.
Searching “Ocarina of Time” works, too.
Image: Google
Mia Sato
Mia Sato
How OpenAI is trying to woo Hollywood.

This profile of friend-to-the-stars Charles Porch (formerly of Meta) details how OpenAI is working to seed AI within the entertainment industry.

Porch describes, for example, how having Real Housewives stars at personal events could pay off in the future: “If an AI model comes up on the show, it might be Chat because we have this nice drumbeat. This is what I’ve been trying to explain to folks: It’s not about deals; it’s about relationships.”

Why Peacock is making a huge bet on YouTube
Play

NBCU Media Group chairman Matt Strauss on sports, streaming, and keeping you watching.

Nilay Patel
Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
T-Mobile’s new 5 Gig fiber plan has a 10-year price guarantee.

The fastest fiber internet option T-Mobile offers costs $90 per month, excluding taxes and fees, if you use Autopay. It will be available starting November 3rd.

Vivo’s first Pro Max phone proves its Ultra is still in a league of its own0

The X500 Pro Max is great, but it’s a step back from my favorite phone camera.

Dominic Preston
Could data center backlash flip Florida?
Election 2026

Bipartisan outrage has been growing for months — but Republicans’ many advantages could still help them win.

Gaby Del Valle
Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
Tonal’s smart weightlifting machine gets a frosty design update.

The Tonal 2 “Glacier” edition is available for $4,795. Aside from being a white colorway of the Tonal 2, it also has a mirror-like display that reflects the room when idle, built-in accessory storage, and some small design tweaks like arm covers and sculptural refinements across the top and bottom caps.

Image: Tonal
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Birdfy’s smart feeders now identify birds without a subscription.

Starting today, new and existing owners of the company’s smart bird feeders will receive an unlimited number of identifications of over 6,000 different species when a bird lands to feed. Previously, free users were limited to only 10 AI bird recognitions per day. Those wanting more details, including a bird’s sex, age category, and health estimates, can opt for the $79.99-per-year Birdfy Membership Plus subscription or the $149.99-per-year Pro option.

If you buy something from a link, The Verge may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Three Birdfy Feeder 2 Duo smart bird feeders mounted in different spots around a backyard.
Image: Birdfy
The center will not hold

The push to build the future of AI in America.

Verge Staff
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Google is testing scrollable tabs in Chrome (again).

Chrome used to support tab scrolling with an experimental flag, but removed it earlier this year. Now it’s coming back in the latest Canary build for Chrome Desktop. It lets you navigate crowded tab bars using the scroll wheel, gestures, or arrow controls.

Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
WhatsApp is rolling out smarter message actions.

Long-press a message with an email address, phone number, address, or meeting time, and the app will suggest dynamic actions like sending emails, saving contacts, or creating calendar events. It’s rolling out across iOS and Android, though only some Verge team members are seeing the feature on our phones so far.

Screenshot of WhatsApp showing action prompts from an email address
Screenshot: WhatsApp
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Samsung’s smart glasses might stick to the US and South Korea.

That’s according to the Chosun Ilbo, which reports markets including Europe, China, and Japan will have to wait until later for the “intelligent eyewear,” powered by Google, and designed by Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. Chosun also reports the glasses will go on sale in mid-December, a little later than we’d previously heard.

Robert Hart
Robert Hart
Elon Musk appears to have throttled Grok Bot for being “unsustainably” expensive.

Musk hinted at the change in an X post after users complained they were hitting usage limits sooner than expected. The cost of running xAI’s always-on AI agent was “unsustainably high relative to revenue,” he said, without providing details on what has changed.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Billboards around the globe were hacked to show porn.

LED billboards in Egypt, Malaysia, Brazil, and possibly Iraq and China were hacked to show sexually explicit material. The group Leakers$ claimed responsibility for the attack and said that “anyone with two brain cells” could have done it. According to Gizmodo:

A representative said participants using the pseudonyms Never, 19ylegal, CH, and Nivex identified thousands of exposed systems through an automated random scan lasting roughly two hours. The systems were allegedly accessible via web pages and interfaces that lacked basic security protections.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever seen on YouTube?

To close out spooky season, I shared some of my favorite creepy clips from YouTube. I tried to avoid series that spanned multiple videos or had the backing of bigger corporate sponsors, like Adult Swim’s infomercials. But let’s toss all qualifiers out the window: What YouTube clip or clips have unsettled you the most?

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Adam Mosseri tries Instagram’s new long-form Features.

Mosseri opens the video by saying he’s “suspicious anyone actually is interested in” his roughly 6-minute day-in-the-life video. I can’t say anything that follows would lead me to disagree with him. But at least we know he won’t be making any extra money from it.

HomePod Mini 2 first look: three things I love and one disappointment
Hands-on

The new Mini is faster, quieter, and gorgeous in green, but its upgraded Mac speaker feature didn’t work for me.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Anker upgrades its Omni S2 robovac with a UV-C light to kill mold, bacteria, and viruses.

Nearly 10 months after the Eufy Omni S2 debuted at CES 2026, Anker has announced a new Pro version that boosts suction from 30,000Pa to 40,000Pa while also introducing a UV-C light on the underside to help disinfect floors as the robovac cleans and mops. The Eufy Omni S2 Pro is available starting today for $1,699.

Overhead and front photos of the Anker Eufy Omni S2 Pro robovac connected to its charging dock.
Image: Anker
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
These 30th-anniversary Pokémon guitars are gorgeous and gorgeous-sounding.

Sadly, they’re so limited that they’re only available through a lottery. But these red and green Fenders feature sprites and pixel art from the original games under a transparent, tinted finish, plus a built-in bit crusher for authentic 8-bit tones.