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Tech Archive

Archives for February 2026

Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
This is Xiaomi and Leica’s new Leitzphone.

I just reviewed the Leitzphone, a special edition of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra with a load of Leica twists: a refreshed industrial design including the iconic red dot, Leica-tweaked software, and a novel rotating camera ring that can control zoom and more. Thanks to great haptics, it’s also a top-tier fidget spinner.

Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
This is Xiaomi’s concept EV hypercar.

The Vision GT was designed to split the difference between performance on straights and corners, with a chassis that was “sculpted by the wind.” Apparently it’ll be on display at the MWC show floor, where hopefully I’ll get a better look at it.

Photo of Xiaomi Vision GT being revealed on stage at MWC 2026, showing the car from the side
Photo of Xiaomi Vision GT being revealed on stage at MWC 2026, showing the car from the front
Photo of Xiaomi Vision GT being revealed on stage at MWC 2026, showing the car from the back
Photo of Xiaomi Vision GT being revealed on stage at MWC 2026, showing the car from the top
1/4Photo: Dominic Preston / The Verge
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Xiaomi’s super-slim power bank costs extra in orange.

The Xiaomi UltraThin Magnetic Power Bank 5000 is just 6mm thin thanks to its silicon-carbon battery, and only weighs 98g. It’s €59.99 (about $70) in Europe, but there’s a €5 premium if you want it in iPhone orange.

Photo of thin Xiaomi power bank 5000mAh in orange showing the front
Photo of thin Xiaomi power bank 5000mAh in orange showing the back and wireless charging coil
Photo of thin Xiaomi power bank 5000mAh in orange showing how thin it is from below
Photo of thin Xiaomi power bank 5000mAh in orange showing it attached to an iPhone
1/4
In fairness, orange has always been Xiaomi’s logo color.
Photo: Dominic Preston / The Verge
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Xiaomi has two new tablets too.

The Pad 8 and Pad 8 Pro have launched alongside the Xiaomi 17 phones. They’re not as thin as Honor’s upcoming MagicPad 4, but I suspect they’ll be good — the Pad 6 has been my go-to Android tablet for two years. Pick the €599.99 Pro ($700) for a faster chip, better cameras, and a matte display option.

Image of man using Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro
Both tablets support Xiaomi’s €99 ($120) Focus Pen Pro stylus.
Image: Xiaomi
Xiaomi’s Leica Leitzphone mostly earns the name

8

Verge Score

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra and its Leica co-branded special edition are closer to cameras than ever before.

Dominic Preston
Tenways nearly perfects the shareable city e-bike

9

Verge Score

The sturdy CGO compact rides big and tucks away small.

Thomas Ricker
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
The other connection between Jeffrey Epstein and 4chan.

It’s a posthumous one because, as Buzzfeed reported in 2019, someone on 4chan of all places confirmed Epstein’s death more than half an hour before the first media reports. Now, Business Insider reports that within the files recently released, there are documents showing how the Justice Department and FBI investigated by subpoenaing 4chan, T-Mobile, and AT&T, trying to find the source.

They were unsuccessful.