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Mobile & Gadget News

Smartphone launches, wearables and consumer tech highlights from The Verge, Engadget & more

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Latest in Mobile & Gadget News

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Redmi Buds 8 Pro unboxing

Redmi Buds 8 Pro unboxing

These are the Redmi Buds 8 Pro in Glacier Blue, and we’re ready to unbox them right after their global premiere. They are the latest addition to the Redmi brand’s audio portfolio and bring some impressive specs, including triple drivers, hi-res audio streaming with LDAC support and active noise cancellation (ANC) rated at up to 55dB, all while retailing for under €100/£100.

Xiaomi Watch 5 unboxing

Xiaomi Watch 5 unboxing

Xiaomi's latest Wear OS smartwatch is here, and it means serious business. Meet the Xiaomi Watch 5, a no-compromises smartwatch with a massive battery.

Everything announced at MWC 2026: The new Leica Leitzphone by Xiaomi, Honor's ultra-thin MagicPad 4 and more

Everything announced at MWC 2026: The new Leica Leitzphone by Xiaomi, Honor's ultra-thin MagicPad 4 and more

MWC 2026 officially gets underway on March 2 and will continue through March 5, but the announcements are already coming ahead of its start. We can always count on the annual tech event to bring tons of new phones, laptops and tablets, and we're expecting to see some robots and other gadgets too — plus plenty of AI news, of course.

Alaska could be the next state to crack down on AI-generated CSAM and restrict kids' social media use

Alaska could be the next state to crack down on AI-generated CSAM and restrict kids' social media use

Alaska's House of Representatives unanimously passed HB47 , a bill that imposes sweeping limits on when and how minors use social media apps, along with bans on generating or distributing harmful deepfakes of children. The bill's original form was focused on prohibiting the possession and distribution of sexually explicit images of children using AI, but Alaska lawmakers decided to add amendments that would impose social media restrictions.

Shuttered studio Bluepoint reportedly pitched a Bloodborne remake, but it got shot down by FromSoftware

Shuttered studio Bluepoint reportedly pitched a Bloodborne remake, but it got shot down by FromSoftware

Bloodborne fans may not be happy to hear that a remake was reportedly rejected, but that doesn't mean it's completely off the table. Bluepoint Games , Sony's closed-down studio behind many PlayStation remakes, pitched remaking the classic Gothic horror RPG in early 2025, but was blocked by the game's developer, FromSoftware, according to a Bloomberg report.

Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro unboxing and hands-on

Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro unboxing and hands-on

A few months after launching in China, the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro is expanding to more markets around the world. This is one of Xiaomi’s thinnest LCD tablets as it is 0.4mm slimmer than the Pad 7 Pro.

Leica’s Leitzphone by Xiaomi has a huge 1-inch camera sensor and a stylish new design

Leica’s Leitzphone by Xiaomi has a huge 1-inch camera sensor and a stylish new design

Alongside a global launch for Xiaomi's 17 Ultra (read about that right here ), the company announced a further deepening of its relationship with Leica . The CEO of Leica, Matthias Harsch, took to the stage to announce a new Leitzphone, which appears to be an even deeper collaboration than 17 Ultra by Leica, which is a different phone.

Xiaomi Tag unveiled, we go hands-on

Xiaomi Tag unveiled, we go hands-on

Xiaomi launched a tracking tag called simply the Xiaomi Tag. We have one in our hands and we can see a few reasons why you may want to pick one up over trackers from other brands.

Xiaomi unveils the Leica Leitzphone with a rotating Leica Camera Ring, 200MP telephoto camera

Xiaomi unveils the Leica Leitzphone with a rotating Leica Camera Ring, 200MP telephoto camera

Xiaomi today announced the Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra for international markets at an event in Barcelona, Spain, alongside a bunch of other products, including the Leica Leitzphone. No, it isn't one of those Japan-exclusive Leitz Phones made by Sharp, but basically the global version of the China-exclusive Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition we already reviewed, with the most notable difference being the battery capacity.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra hands-on: Incredible cameras, but maybe hard to get

Xiaomi 17 Ultra hands-on: Incredible cameras, but maybe hard to get

China’s biggest phone makers continue to relentlessly forge ahead with high-spec phones that you may never see in the US. With the Xiaomi 17 Ultra this year, the company has continued its pattern from previous iterations by focusing on powerful camera sensors, huge batteries and… being selective about global availability.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra goes global with 200MP 75-100mm camera, Xiaomi 17 joins it with a 6,330mAh battery

Xiaomi 17 Ultra goes global with 200MP 75-100mm camera, Xiaomi 17 joins it with a 6,330mAh battery

The Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra launched in China at the end of Q3 last year – so if you wrote them off as China-only phones that you can’t buy, it’s time to have a second look since they are now launching to new markets. There are no surprises on their spec sheets, other than the predictable decrease in battery capacity for the global models.

Xiaomi’s tracker doesn’t need a case to clip to your keys

Xiaomi’s tracker doesn’t need a case to clip to your keys

Xiaomi has announced its first Bluetooth tracker, and while the Xiaomi Tag has a more elongated design than the Apple AirTag, that lets you use it in more places right out of the box. On one end of the tracker you'll find an integrated metal loop that can be attached to a keyring or clipped […]

Xiaomi’s Leica Leitzphone mostly earns the name

Xiaomi’s Leica Leitzphone mostly earns the name

Xiaomi and Leica's long-running phone partnership just got a little closer. Alongside the new international release of its 17 Ultra flagship, Xiaomi has been entrusted with manufacturing a separate version that is the first Leica Leitzphone to release outside of Japan, following three Sharp-made models exclusive to the country.

Xiaomi 17 is a small(ish) phone with a big(ish) battery

Xiaomi 17 is a small(ish) phone with a big(ish) battery

Xiaomi has just given a global launch to two of its latest flagship phones, the Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra, along with a Leica-branded Leitzphone edition of the Ultra. There's no sign, however, of the 17 Pro, which launched in China with an additional display mounted next to the rear cameras.

OpenAI strikes a deal with the Defense Department to deploy its AI models

OpenAI strikes a deal with the Defense Department to deploy its AI models

OpenAI has reached an agreement with the Defense Department to deploy its models in the agency’s network, company chief Sam Altman has revealed on X. In his post, he said two of OpenAI’s most important safety principles are “prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human responsibility for the use of force, including for autonomous weapon systems.” Altman claimed the company put those principles in its agreement with the agency, which he called by the government’s preferred name of Department of War (DoW), and that it had agreed to honor them.

Trump orders federal agencies to drop Anthropic services amid Pentagon feud

Trump orders federal agencies to drop Anthropic services amid Pentagon feud

President Donald Trump has ordered all US government agencies to stop using Claude and other Anthropic services, escalating an already volatile feud between the Department of Defense and company over AI safeguards. Taking to Truth Social on Friday afternoon, the president said there would be a six-month phase out period for federal agencies, including the Defense Department, to migrate off of Anthropic's products.

The best instant cameras you can buy right now

The best instant cameras you can buy right now

Even with the ability to take excellent photos with our phones and instantly share them across the world, there’s something magical about the old-school instant camera. With just a click of a button, you can capture a moment in a photo that you can see and touch almost immediately.

FCC approves the merger of cable giants Cox and Charter

FCC approves the merger of cable giants Cox and Charter

The Federal Communications Commission has given the go ahead for two of the US' biggest cable providers, Charter Communications and Cox Communications, to merge. Charter announced its intention to acquire Cox for $34.5 billion in May 2025, with specific plans to inherit Cox's managed IT, commercial fiber and cloud businesses, while folding the company's residential cable service into a subsidiary.

The PS5 Pro is getting upgraded upscaling tech in March

The PS5 Pro is getting upgraded upscaling tech in March

After suggesting a version of AMD's FSR 4 could be ported to the PS5 Pro last year, it looks like Sony is finally rolling out an update with the upscaling tech in March. Mark Cerny, the lead architect of the PS4, PS5 and PS5 Pro, shared via a blog post that the PS5 Pro will be updated with a new version of the company's PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) upscaling tech next month, and Resident Evil Requiem is one of the first games to use it.

Woot’s ‘Video Games for All’ sale features some of our favorite games

Woot’s ‘Video Games for All’ sale features some of our favorite games

There’s a sale happening at Woot that’s delivering Black Friday-esque deals on video games through March 5th. The “Video Games for All” sale includes discounts on physical games for most modern consoles, making it a great time to treat yourself (or a pal) to some titles that you’ve been waiting to see big price drops […]

TCL’s $7,000+ flagship TV is ready to fight

TCL’s $7,000+ flagship TV is ready to fight

Since I saw the TCL X11L SQD-Mini LED TV at a pre-CES event in December, I've been eager to get a close look at it in my living room. At first glance, the TV impressed me enough that I named it the best TV of CES 2026.

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