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Apple season / Catch up on everything iPhone before Apple’s big event this week.

What to expect at Apple’s September 9th launch eventWhat to expect at Apple’s September 9th launch event

Apple’s expected to announce a new lineup of iPhones, which could include its first foldable phone.

Stevie Bonifield
iPhone Handoff will seamlessly share one number between two phones

The feature is expected to launch as part of iOS 27 later this month.

Terrence O'Brien
Get ready for a really busy month of smartphones

Xiaomi, Apple, Huawei, and more are all launching flagship phones this month.

Dominic Preston
It looks like Apple’s iPhone 18 really will skip the fall launch this year

A supplier’s earnings call supports rumors that Apple will stick to launching high-end phones like the Pro series this fall.

Stevie Bonifield

Everything under the sun / Solar is cheaper and more powerful than ever.

Solar power is having its toaster momentSolar power is having its toaster moment

The US is finally reclassifying plug-in solar as a household appliance to offset high energy costs.

Thomas Ricker
EcoFlow’s $200 PowerStream is so clever, you might buy a $4,000 solar generator

A mini power plant that turns a standard power outlet into a solar power inlet.

Thomas Ricker
Bluetti’s Sora 500 solar panel is incredibly powerful for its size

Too bad this 500W N-Type panel isn’t bifacial.

Thomas Ricker
DJI’s latest power station is proof that good things come in mini packages

The Power 1000 Mini is the smallest 1kWh power station you can buy.

Thomas Ricker

Staff picks / Our favorite stories you don’t want to miss.

Robotaxis enter their villain era Robotaxis enter their villain era 

Road Rage is a new short film in production that casts a murderous autonomous car as the bad guy — and taps into everything people already fear about AI on the road.

Rani Molla
Why AI food looks like that

Worms, holes, and cracks reveal the technical weaknesses of image generators.

Robert Hart
Is this the future of America?

If you want to know what the data center occupation looks like, visit sleepy Loudoun County, Virginia.

Lauren Feiner
OpenAI’s next big AI model has ‘entered the AGI era’

It emphasized stronger guardrails for GPT-6 Astra after the company’s models hacked Hugging Face.

Hayden Field

Review roulette / A selection of our latest reviews, from phones to headphones.

The Fairphone 6 Plus is the midrange phone we desperately neededThe Fairphone 6 Plus is the midrange phone we desperately needed

8

Verge Score

Fairphone’s proper US debut feels like a triumph in the middle of RAMageddon.

Allison Johnson
Bentley’s Torcal EV tries to balance authenticity with fake V8 sounds

The British automaker is on the hunt for a new demographic with its first electric vehicle.

Peter Nelson
The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is at its best when there’s friction

The cover screen feels more like a phone than ever, but the limitations are still what makes it.

Dominic Preston
The second-generation Bose QuietComfort Headphones are good, but don’t stand out

There’s nothing really wrong with the QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen, but there’s nothing exciting about them, either.

John Higgins

The KickerSeptember 8

The VergeThe Verge logo.
Andrew J. Hawkins
Andrew J. Hawkins
Trump wants Ford to cut ties with Chinese companies.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a letter to the automaker that he was “deeply alarmed” that Ford licenses tech from battery maker CATL and automaker Geely, Reuters reports. Ford responded by accusing Duffy of being “wrongheaded” and “chasing headlines” — which, if you know Duffy, makes perfect sense. The letter drops a few months after the Trump administration banned Geely-owned Polestar from selling its EVs in the US.

Hayden Field
Hayden Field
The DoD reportedly asked OpenAI to provide military AI that rarely declined to cooperate. 

The Intercept, citing documents it had seen, reported that the Pentagon requested a custom version of OpenAI’s technology with “minimal refusal rates” for military commands. OpenAI denied ever having signed a contract with such phrasing.

Sony isn’t phasing out discs quite as quickly as we thoughtSony isn’t phasing out discs quite as quickly as we thought

Sony’s last discmaking plant is reportedly decreasing production by 10 percent, not 90.

Sean Hollister
Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Gemini’s Daily Brief is now available to everyone in the US.

First announced at I/O in May, Daily Brief is an AI feature that generates a summary of your day with the emails, meetings, and other information pulled from apps connected to Gemini. It was previously only available to Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers.

Image: Google
Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
Dbrand seems to know what Apple is announcing tomorrow.

It currently has a page on its website for “iPhone Ultra” cases, skins, and screen protectors. Preorder notices say they’ll ship in September and “early October.” Dbrand’s also offering accessories for the unannounced iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. We’ll see if Apple’s rumored foldable fits the case on Wednesday.

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

A screenshot of Dbrand’s cases for the iPhone Ultra
Image: Dbrand
Drama swirls around OpenAI’s legendary mathematical milestoneDrama swirls around OpenAI’s legendary mathematical milestone

OpenAI’s breakthrough with a 90-year-old problem is challenged by researchers who solved a related problem the day before.

Emma Roth
Rivian’s Also apologizes for delays in shipping futuristic e-bikesRivian’s Also apologizes for delays in shipping futuristic e-bikes

The TM-B from Rivian’s micromobility spinoff Also was supposed to reach customers by spring 2026. But after months of delays, the company is opening up about the challenges it’s facing.

Andrew J. Hawkins
Razer’s ANC-equipped gaming headset for PS5 and Xbox is almost $100 offRazer’s ANC-equipped gaming headset for PS5 and Xbox is almost $100 off

The BlackShark V3 Pro gaming headset features a clear microphone, ANC, and crisp spatial audio.

Brad Bourque
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Geoff Keighley and Mark Cerny are launching a fellowship program for young game developers.

Keighley (who hosts The Game Awards and other events) and Cerny (the lead system architect for the PS4 and PS5) have made “multi-million-dollar donations” to establish the Nova Games Foundation, Keighley tells Game File. Applications will open in December 2026.

A screenshot of the Nova Games Foundation website.
Image: Nova Games Foundation
ChatGPT Sketch turns your bad drawings into detailed AI imagesChatGPT Sketch turns your bad drawings into detailed AI images

OpenAI’s updated image generation tools in ChatGPT let you use a doodle as part of your prompt.

Jay Peters
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Mark Zuckerberg tells you to trust Muse.

With the launch of Meta’s new AI agent that it says can handle your life for you, the social network exec posted this video highlighting how secure, private, and trustworthy Muse is, and that it will get even more secure in the future. Trust.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Why is Apple’s Watch SE 3 unavailable?

It’s not too surprising that most of Apple’s wristwear is now listed as unavailable on its website for shipment or pickup (but not all — we did see some Ultra models available), with a product event scheduled for tomorrow, but MacRumors points out that the value-priced version of the Apple Watch is unavailable too.

Based on the rumors, we have been anticipating updates for the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3, and maybe the SE 3 is just taking a break in solidarity. We’ll find out tomorrow.

Justine Calma
Justine Calma
The Trump administration is giving a Google-backed nuclear power plant a $1.9 billion loan.

It’s to finance the restart of an Iowa plant that’s been closed since 2020. Last year, Google announced a partnership with NextEra Energy to reopen the site to help power the company’s AI data centers. But you won’t see that tidbit in the Energy Department’s press release today.

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Hori’s electronic Ocarina of Time requires no musical talent.

It was briefly shown during Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct today, but Hori’s website now has a listing for its $49.99 electronic ocarina. You can play your own songs by pushing buttons, play one of 12 pre-programmed songs from the games, use it with the Ocarina of Time remake’s sound recognition feature, or connect headphones for a private jam session.

1/3Image: Hori
Meta bets on AI agent Muse to catch up in AI raceMeta bets on AI agent Muse to catch up in AI race

Meta drills down on ease of use and privacy options after spending billions overhauling its AI strategy.

Robert Hart
Travis Larchuk
Travis Larchuk
Today’s Vergecast: The tech that made a 2-hour marathon possible.

At this year’s London Marathon, two runners completed the route in under two hours, becoming the first people to ever do so on an official course. It’s a feat that Outside magazine’s Alex Hutchinson once thought wouldn’t be accomplished until 2075. The Verge’s senior policy reporter (and marathoner) Lauren Feiner talks to Alex about “super shoes” and the other surprising technological advances that led to this moment.

Andrew J. Hawkins
Andrew J. Hawkins
The untold history of the seat-belt warning.

I found this Washington Post story about the “lowly” seat belt warning — how they came to be, which automakers have the best and worst chimes, and the people who are still militantly opposed to wearing seat belts — to be highly fascinating. The occasion is that the federal government is delaying new rules that would require automakers to install more persistent warnings. It’s troubling because seat belts literally save lives, and so do reminders to wear them.

Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
We flew the banned drone with snap-on propeller wings.

Dom says it’s quick and easy to snap a propeller backback onto the HoverAir Versa, and then… it can fly! Shame that HoverAir isn’t transparently telling backers that this camera has been banned in the US, and shame on the Trump administration for creating the dumb drone ban to begin with.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Everyone’s talking about home robots. But they still can’t do anything.

The buzz at IFA was all around robotics — humanoids, quadrupeds, and wheeled bots designed to be household helpers and companions. I was on a panel (watch it here) where roboticists and entrepreneurs insisted that in five years everyone will know someone with a humanoid at home.

I don’t buy it. Yes, I saw some impressive-looking robots. But behind almost every one was a human with a PlayStation controller.

Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
The original Star Wars is getting its first-ever IMAX release.

IMAX says the 50th anniversary re-release coming on February 19th, 2027 will be “the first time fans can experience the Star Wars universe in the gold standard film format,” referring to IMAX 70mm. A few months later, Star Wars: Starfighter is also getting released in IMAX 70mm on May 28th, 2027.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Panic is hosting a Playdate showcase tomorrow.

Panic’s latest Playdate Update Showcase will take place at 12PM ET on Wednesday — meaning it will be wedged between the 10AM ET Nintendo Direct and the 1PM Apple September event. The show will focus on the handheld’s upcoming third season of games and “some other fun news.”

Update: Added Bluesky post.

Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Crooked Media is launching a social initiative to attract young voters to the Democratic party.

Crooked Ideas, the nonprofit arm of Crooked Media, is tapping Chaotic Era author Kyle Tharp to head up the iniative, which will support existing political influencers and focus on creating content related to issues like AI safety, climate change, healthcare, and “enshittification,” according to a report from Semafor.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Autonomous racecars wreck at Imola.

Season two of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League put five cars on the track this weekend, and it was going more smoothly than the series’ 2024 debut, for a while.

Unimore Racing suffered a sensor failure while leading the race on lap ten, causing it to suddenly slow down and stop on track, where the second-place Polimove car ran into it — maybe next time they’ll add training data from Hulkenberg or Hadjar.

Nintendo isn’t scared of GTA VINintendo isn’t scared of GTA VI

While everyone else is avoiding Rockstar’s next game, the Ocarina of Time remake is going right up against it.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
A curious collaboration.

When you hear that Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan are working on a project together, it’s safe to assume there will be both ghosts and romance. And that’s exactly what the first trailer for Remain promises. The movie isn’t out until next year, but a novel from Sparks is already available.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Luca Guadagnino would like to remind you about Sam Altman’s gun hoard.

The new teaser trailer for Luca Guidagnino’s Artificial makes it seem like Andrew Garfield is about to deliver a wild performance that highlights just how unsettling Sam Altman can be. The film releases on Christmas day.

Tesla Cybercab doesn’t have any manual controls — but it does have a virtual joystickTesla Cybercab doesn’t have any manual controls — but it does have a virtual joystick

The virtual controls seemingly appeared accidentally to several riders in the first couple weeks of the Cybercab’s public launch.

Andrew J. Hawkins
The White House pulls its racist Tetris cloneThe White House pulls its racist Tetris clone

The Tetris Company previously said that it’s ‘reviewing the matter.’

Emma Roth
Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Chrome is now on a two-week update cycle.

As previously announced, Google has halved the release cycle for its web browser with today’s stable release of Chrome 153 on desktop, Android, and iOS. Chrome 154 Beta is now ready for testing, ahead of its stable release on September 22nd.

Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
Asahi Linux has officially added support for M3 Macs.

The project’s developers say they now have “almost everything” running in Linux on M3 devices, but they’re still working on full DCP and GPU support. Asahi warned users not to expect “performant or power-efficient 3D acceleration right now.” Sleep mode and the HDMI port are also not working yet.

Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
Apple buys sensor tech startup Sonera.

The acquisition happened earlier this year. Sonera claimed in 2023 that it will make “brain activity as easy to measure as heart rate, temperature, and other physiological signals,” which could lend itself to future wearable devices.

Pusheen’s first game is coming to Apple ArcadePusheen’s first game is coming to Apple Arcade

Pusheen’s Place lets you collect and care for more than 100 variations of the cartoon cat.

Emma Roth
JBL’s soundbar with detachable rear speakers is over $300 offJBL’s soundbar with detachable rear speakers is over $300 off

A soundbar with modular (and rechargeable) satellite speakers. Plus, save on the trilogy of Final Fantasy VII remakes.

Cameron Faulkner
Emma Roth
Emma Roth
An air traffic control glitch is disrupting flights across the UK.

Several UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and others, have grounded departing flights as the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) deals with a “technical issue” affecting its “flight processing system.” NATS adds that its “engineers are on site and working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible.”

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Nintendo is launching a Zelda-themed Switch 2.

It has colorful green Joy-Cons and a lot of Triforce imagery. I think it looks nice. There’s a special Pro Controller and carrying case on the way, too.

They’ll all be available on October 29th, which is one week before the November 5th launch of the Ocarina of Time remake.

Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
Qualcomm’s collaborating with Amazon on “multiple generations” of chips for AWS data centers.

The two companies are also partnering to develop “high-performance optical connectivity solutions,” potentially amping up competition with Nvidia. As part of the deal, Qualcomm will use Amazon’s AI servers to speed up its chip design process.

Nintendo’s Ocarina of Time remake launches in NovemberNintendo’s Ocarina of Time remake launches in November

The company showed off its next Switch 2 showcase during a Zelda anniversary stream.

Andrew Webster
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Godzilla’s back to finish the job.

The latest Godzilla Minus Zero trailer doesn’t reveal much more about the film, but it does highlight just how much more hell the kaiju is going to give humanity when the film hits theaters on November 6th.

A word with a woman who’s trying to pull off a crossbody phone strapA word with a woman who’s trying to pull off a crossbody phone strap

She’s beauty and she’s grace, she’s got embarrassment written all over her face.

Allison Johnson
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