After a year-long struggle, the boutique maker of stealthy electric bikes finally gets it right.
Yes, that’s an e-bike, despite the hidden battery and motor that’s so quiet and diminutive that nobody would expect it. It’s built by Ampler, which isn’t a household name — but should be.
Founded in 2014, the Estonia-based company was one of the first to recognize that sleekly designed e-bikes are an ideal form of clean and convenient urban transport for young commuters at a time when bicycles with ugly bolt-on batteries were still the domain of cycling septuagenarians. Now, Ampler is back with five models of e-bikes injected with all the know-how the company has accumulated since.
I’ve been testing Ampler’s Yoda-green Axel in Amsterdam, where the company recently opened a showroom and service center, its fifth in Europe. I actually started this review a year ago, but a series of issues, both in and out of Ampler’s control, created quite a few issues and delays that I’ll go into later.
The Axel e-bike isn’t as aggressively styled as Ampler’s Curt or as relaxed as the Juna or Stellar models. Nor is it as sturdy as the company’s Stout. For me, Axel sits right at the sweet spot of sporty yet practical. It’s for anyone looking to travel long distances on a well-made commuter bike that’s also great for running errands around town — so long as you live in Europe and can afford its €2,790 (about $2,970) price tag.
But hey, shipping is free.
Wait, that’s an electric bike?
Refreshingly, Ampler is an e-bike company, not an e-bike plus services company that tries to tempt you with costly upsells like European rivals VanMoof and Cowboy. Ampler also uses lots of industry-standard parts that your local bike shop can procure and service, assuming the supply chain hasn’t been upended, as it has been for much of the last three years.
The Ampler Axel from the summer of 2022, when this review began (click hereto enlarge).
The first thing you notice about the Axel is that it looks like an ordinary bike. That’s because Ampler integrates the battery into the downtube as it does on every model the company sells. The tiny 250W motor (400W peak) of custom Ampler design is located in the hub of the rear wheel. The result is a great-looking e-bike, though one drawback is a non-removable battery (it comes out only for service), which could complicate charging for many city dwellers. Fortunately, though, should you need to maneuver it inside a building or hoist it up and down some stairs, the Axel is relatively light at 16.3kg (almost 36 pounds).
Axel comes in two sizes to fit riders from 172 to 200cm (5ft 8in to 6ft 7in). The rear carrier on my review bike is a €60 option (about $64), but the excellent front and rear lights, fenders, and kickstand all come standard. Axel is currently only available in this matte-green finish I rather enjoy.
Ampler has also done a better job hiding the cables on its second-generation e-bikes. Not only does that make this Axel e-bike look better — it prevents anything from getting snagged when trying to lock the bike in crowded parking stands.
Okay, but how does it ride?
Riding the Axel is comfortable and intuitive. The saddle felt good even after longer rides, and the grips offer an extra degree of sponginess needed to offset the hand-heavy forward stance. The single-speed Gates Carbon belt drive means no shifting and no maintenance of a messy chain and derailleur. And because Axel is fitted with a torque sensor, the pedal-assisted power is delivered in harmony with the pressure you exert on each downstroke.
Still, starting the single-speed bike on even a moderate slope can be a bit of a struggle for the bike’s rated 45Nm of max torque, even in the most powerful pedal-assist mode. If that concerns you, then maybe consider the 11-speed Ampler Curt or nine-speed Stout and Stellar models. The Axel’s motor does a better job at leveling out those hills as they arrive during the commute, however. The throttle-less e-bike offers two pedal-assisted riding modes, which can be toggled in the app or by tapping the button located beneath the on-bike display. It shows the basics, like charge level and trip statistics. The button can also be used to turn the bike on and of, as well as the lights, without having to resort to the app.
The Axel’s relatively fat Continental Contact Urban 50-584 tires feel fantastic on a commuter bike. They soak up bumps reasonably well and make the bike feel stable, even while carrying heavy loads like groceries in bags slung from the grips, a Christmas tree laid across the length, or even a new friend perched precariously on the rear rack after a night out. They also survived a direct hit to chunks of shattered glass from a smashed bottle on the street during my testing — damn tourists.
I did all my testing in max power on mostly flat roads, allowing me to take the 48V 336Wh battery from 100 percent to empty in 54km (33.6 miles). A few other range tests petered out in the low 40km range, however. That’s mostly consistent with Ampler’s claim of 50km to 100km on a single charge. You can, of course, ride the Axel without any power at all if you run out of juice or just looking for the exercise. Otherwise, it will recharge in a little less than 2.5 hours using the included 3A charger.
Measuring speed on a Garmin watch, the motor usually stops providing assistance at around 27km/h, which Ampler says is within the 25km/h max speed tolerances allowed by the EU. Two-piston hydraulic brakes at the front and back bring the Axel to a stop with confidence and control, with the added benefit of the rear nighttime running light serving as a brake indicator.
The Ampler motor is essentially silent, easily masked by the din of the city and wind in my ears. Some early Axels I tested had a noisy freewheel, but my final review model sounded just right when coasting. Taken together with the styling, tiny motor, and fact that the display shuts off as soon as you get up to speed, nobody riding next to an Axel will know it’s an e-bike.
Another way Ampler stands apart is with control over its own firmware and app development. The app connects to the bike over Bluetooth and opens to a customizable dashboard showing charge, speed, and range remaining. It can also be used to lock the motor, show the bike’s location, and monitor historical ride statistics. The app is also needed to send firmware updates to Ampler’s new bikes, allowing them to be serviced in the field, sometimes before owners even know there’s a problem. For me, the app strikes a good balance of being useful without trying to do too much, unlike many other e-bike apps out there.
Ampler’s locking feature is a bit underwhelming at the moment. Locking the Axel does two things. First, it prevents the pedal assist from being turned on until the motor is unlocked in the app — but the bike can still be pedaled away. Second, it causes the front and rear lights to silently flash if the bike is jostled.
The new location tracking works, but its precision can be hit-and-miss. Connectivity depends upon the availability of LTE-M and 2G services in the area, and Amsterdam’s narrow streets that cut through block after block of six-story buildings created a challenge for the Axel. For example, as I type this, the bike is parked outside my building (I hope!), locked to a rack with relatively clear views of the sky. However, the Ampler app still shows its location from six hours ago. Unsurprisingly, tracking usually didn’t work on the ground floor of my house, where even my smartphone often fails to connect to my network provider.
Ampler tells me that an upcoming March software update will help the accuracy issue by pulling location information from connected phones over Bluetooth. And it seems to be working fine elsewhere. “We have already plenty of happy customers reporting to us how they found the stolen bike thanks to the GPS,” said Ampler co-founder and CEO Ardo Kaurit in an email exchange.
What about those delays?
While the company considers the launch of the new Ampler lineup announced last year a success, growing sales by 70 percent compared to 2021, the company still wasn’t able to meet covid-induced demand due to a myriad of issues.
Amsterdam’s Ampler showroom and service center opened last year just steps from Central Station (click hereto enlarge).
Long story short: the company’s launch of five new e-bikes built around a new platform developed in-house for the first time was overly ambitious. Early issues with volume production and defective parts were exacerbated by a Russian invasion of Ampler’s Ukrainian neighbors, followed by waves of covid lockdowns in China that turned the global supply chain upside down — at least that’s how Ampler’s Kaurit explained it to me.
More specifically, the company struggled early on with defective displays that delayed assembly at its Estonian factory, where everything is designed and engineered. And when customers did receive their new e-bikes, some discovered a battery issue that required them to send their expensive vehicles back for warranty repairs. The company also had issues with its in-house developed connectivity solution. Fortunately, some of those problems were solved by over-the-air updates to the bike’s firmware and app.
From March to August 2022, I tried — and returned — three different Ampler e-bikes all suffering from a variety of problems. The company is now confident enough with its production that it sent me a new Axel to test a few weeks ago. “I am happy to say that we have solved all those issues,” said Kaurit. And for what it’s worth, I believe him.
Kaurit has always been excessively transparent about Ampler’s successes, failures, and blindspots. Hell, I’ve known the guy since 2016, when he drove almost 1,500 miles from Tallinn to deliver a prototype of the company’s first commercial e-bike to me just so I could test it. The Axel I’ve ridden almost every day for the last few weeks has been issue free and, aside from slow location updates, performs like a premium e-bike should.
Having said that, if I bought an Ampler, I’d want to live close to one of the company’s nine service centers around Europe, just to be safe. But assuring you can get easy service is my advice for anyone that drops over €2,000 for an e-bike, no matter the brand. At that price, you’re buying a daily commuter that should be available every single day without fail for years to come. Service and repairs are an inevitability for a computer-controlled machine used outdoors in all kinds of weather — so it’s best to be prepared.
Ampler’s new range of e-bikes is designed to appeal to every type of rider. Frame geometries support riders both short and tall and those who prefer to cruise along in an upright position or bomb down hills with a forward lean. It took a while to work out the kinks, but in 2023, Axel has proven to be an excellent e-bike that should be on your shortlist if you’re in the market for a sporty daily commuter that looks as good as it performs.
The best phone to buy right now
Photo Illustration by William Joel / The Verge
Bad news: flagship phones cost a small fortune these days. Good news: we can help you pick the right one and get the most for your money.
Modern flagship smartphones are little engineering marvels. And they should be since they start around $800 and can cost well over $1,000. They tend to last upwards of four or five years, so the high cost is a little easier to swallow, but it’s still a major purchase for most of us.
To make sure you get the most for your investment, we’ve picked out the best of the best. The phones highlighted below may be pricey, but they deliver excellent daily performance and great cameras and will keep on running well into the foreseeable future. Just bear in mind that a new crop of flagship phones are likely right around the corner — along with the trade-in deals and carrier freebies that go along with them. Android fans especially may want to hold off and see what the next few weeks bring.
If you’re looking to spend a little less and still get the best smartphone on a budget, you can find something really good for under $500. For those recommendations, you can check out our guide to budget smartphones.
The best phones of 2023
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
If you aren’t concerned with getting the very latest features, then the iPhone 13 is a great buy in 2023.
The iPhone 14 seems like the obvious choice for anyone who needs a new iPhone but doesn’t want to step up to the 14 Pro. But hear me out: the iPhone 13 does almost everything that the 14 does, and it’s $100 cheaper. Sure, if your carrier is offering you a good trade-in offer or dirt-cheap financing for the 14 or you want the (slight) year-over-year upgrades, then go ahead and get that one. It’s great! But if trade-in deal season is over or you’re paying out of pocket, we think the standard iPhone 13 is the better buy; the $799 14’s improvements are so minor that they’re not worth the extra money.
By opting for the 13, you don’t miss out on anything as far as the screen or processor is concerned. The iPhone 13 features a 6.1-inch screen with a standard refresh rate — no smooth-scrolling ProMotion here — as does the 14. There’s an A15 Bionic chipset in both phones, and although the 14’s is a slight upgrade with an extra GPU core, they both deliver excellent performance. They’re both MagSafe compatible for wireless charging and IP68-rated for robust water and dust resistance.
Upgrading to the 14 does get you a slightly better camera system, but the improvements are subtle. The ultrawide and front-facing cameras do better in low light compared to the 13, and the main camera features a bigger sensor that’s able to hold on to detail in dim conditions a little better. But for the most part, you have to go looking for these differences in fine details — most people viewing their images at web- and social-media-friendly sizes won’t see what’s changed.
You’ll miss out on a couple of emergency features, too. The 14 includes a new Crash Detection feature that uses specialized sensors to recognize when a car crash has happened and automatically call emergency services. There’s a satellite-based emergency messaging service, too, for when you’re out of cell range. For a small group of people, these services might be worth upgrading for, but they’re likely things that most of us can do without.
From the outside, the iPhone 14 and 13 look almost identical. There are some physical differences to note, though. The first is that you can’t just use an iPhone 13 case on the 14 because the camera bump is a bit bigger. And below the glass and aluminum surface of the iPhone 14, Apple made some changes that enable much easier repairs to the back panel. That means out-of-pocket repairs will likely cost less, and if you’re a DIYer, it’s a much less daunting task to take on yourself.
There are a handful of other interesting new iPhone features this time around, but they’re reserved for the Pro models. If you consider yourself an early adopter or you just want the very best iPhone you can buy right now, it’s worth stepping up to the Pro. But if you’re just looking for a reliable device to get you through your day, take great photos and video, and keep the blue-bubble chat a-flowin’, then the iPhone 13 will serve you just as well as the 14 — for a little less money.
Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
The S23 Plus includes a big screen and a highly capable Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
The S23 Plus is a minor update to its predecessor, but the upgrades are good ones. It still has a large 6.6-inch display with a smooth-scrolling 120Hz top refresh rate, and it’s a lovely screen to use — not as high-res as the Google Pixel 7 Pro’s 1440p display, but it’s top-notch. Some tweaks to the display tech and a bigger 4,700mAh battery give the S23 Plus stronger battery performance than its predecessor, so you can get through a full day of heavy use with a little more wiggle room than the outgoing model afforded.
There’s also a new chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It’s included in all models sold across the globe, and that’s a good thing — it is whip-fast. It handles daily tasks without a problem and heavier tasks like gaming with remarkable ease. Otherwise, there’s a lot that’s familiar about the S23 Plus. It still starts at $999, though the base model now comes with 256GB of built-in storage.
The rear triple-camera system is also recycled from last year’s model, and for the most part, that’s fine. The 50-megapixel main sensor produces punchy, vibrant 12-megapixel photos by default. Portrait mode photos from either the main sensor or 3x telephoto camera are fantastic, with excellent subject isolation. Outside of portrait mode, the 3x camera looks a lot more average. It’s a shorter focal length than the 5x telephoto on the Pixel 7 Pro, so it’s a bit less useful for distant subjects.
Our least favorite part of a Samsung phone is the out-of-box software experience, as it comes with a lot of duplicate apps to replace or accompany Google’s stock apps like Messages, Google Calendar, and Google Assistant. Unless you’re a Bixby fan, you’ll need to take a little time to de-Samsung the S23 Plus. The Pixel 7 Pro offers a much more streamlined experience right out of the gate. But there’s good news: the phone ships with One UI 5.1 and is slated to receive four more OS platform upgrades and five years of security updates. That means you can keep using the phone safely well into the future and get the most out of your investment.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The 6.7-inch Pro Max (left) and the 6.1-inch Pro (right) both introduce some worthwhile new features to the iPhone lineup.
For a lot of iPhone owners, this isn’t an upgrade year, especially if you’re coming from a 12 or a 13. But if you do need a new iPhone right now and you want the very best device, then Pro is the way to go. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max usher in some new ideas from Apple that the standard 14 doesn’t get, like the “Dynamic Island,” a playful mash-up of hardware and software that turns the notch into a shape-shifting status indicator. It’s handy for system-level info, like whether your AirDrop went through, and it’s getting more useful as third party app-makers start to use it. There’s also a new high-resolution camera and an always-on display.
The iPhone 14 Pro, which starts at $999, is the very best iPhone you can buy right now. But it’s a bit of an early adopter special. There’s plenty that’s good but a lot of room for Apple to fine-tune and improve these features over the coming years. If you’re not ready to spend a thousand dollars on the first iteration of a new design, then look at the previous-gen iPhone 13. The standard iPhone 14 is an incremental upgrade over the 13 and doesn’t get you that much more; the 13 is still available and starts at $699. That’s our choice for most people, but the 14 Pro does have a lot to offer.
The 14 Pro comes with a 6.1-inch screen, and the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen. They’re both ProMotion displays like the 13 models, with adaptive refresh rates that go up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling and animations. New to this generation is an always-on display: when you lock your phone, the screen dims and drops into a low-power mode, with frame rates as low as 1Hz, but the clock, widgets, and wallpaper all remain visible. This means you can check the time or see if you have notifications without having to wake the display.
The display’s other new trick is, of course, Dynamic Island. Apple took the notch — the area of the screen that houses the front-facing camera and Face ID sensors — and turned it into a pill-shaped cutout that appears to expand dynamically (get it?) to show system indicators and notifications. It’s a handy place to quickly see what your phone is doing, whether it’s playing back music, sending files via AirDrop, or using navigation. It’s nice, but it’s something Apple and third-party developers will keep making more useful over the next few years — definitely not something to upgrade for right now.
The 14 Pro also has a new 48-megapixel main camera, which uses pixel binning to maximize light sensitivity and produce 12-megapixel images. The real-world improvements are subtle, with more fine detail in shadows and in low light, but the differences compared to a standard 12-megapixel sensor in the iPhone 14 are hard to see unless you’re looking really closely. The higher-resolution sensor also enables a 2x telephoto mode that’s essentially a 12-megapixel crop from the middle of the sensor. It’s the new default view for portrait mode, and it’s one that feels like a happy medium between the wide and 3x telephoto that have been the only options on iPhones past.
Outside of the new stuff, there’s a lot that’s familiar. The phone’s battery gets through a moderate day of use, though it seems to run down a little faster than the 13 Pro. The camera may not be the leap forward in photography that Apple claims it is, but it’s still one of the best in the game and records stunning video clips. And the new A16 Bionic chipset handles intensive tasks like gaming without a problem.
Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
The Galaxy S23 Ultra stands alone with a maximalist feature set.
The S23 Ultra is Samsung’s kitchen sink flagship phone. It’s a maximalist experience with a built-in stylus, four rear cameras (including two telephotos), a massive 6.8-inch screen, and the top-shelf Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. It’s hard to imagine what you could cram into this device without turning it into a foldable (please turn it into a foldable, Samsung).
All that hardware comes at a high starting price of $1,200, so it’s not our top pick for just anyone looking for a great Android phone. But if you’re looking for the best of the best — particularly if you live in the US where choice is limited — it’s at the very top of our list. The camera system is impressive; portrait mode photos are excellent, and it’s capable of very good images all the way to 30x zoom. There’s a new 200-megapixel main camera sensor at the heart of the rear camera array, and it does a good job of bringing out fine details in both good lighting and low light conditions.
The integrated S Pen isn’t new or updated for 2023, but it’s still a nice tool to have at the ready when you need to jot down a quick note. That massive screen is detailed and scrolling is smooth, with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz all the way down to 1Hz. The sizeable 5,000mAh battery powers it through a day of heavy use, but don’t count on getting a lot more than one day out of it.
Our usual gripes with Samsung software apply here, too, and if anything they’re a little more glaring on such a pricey phone. The phone will happily download a bunch of extra apps you probably don’t want during setup, although you can opt out of a fair chunk of them and hide most of the ones you can’t uninstall. But Samsung’s healthy software support policy is fitting of a $1,200 phone: you’ll get four OS platform upgrades and five years of security updates. Not quite as good as Apple, but among the best on Android.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
The iPhone 13 Mini has all the same cameras and features as its siblings but packs a smaller battery for light users.
The iPhone 13 Mini is one of very few small phones on the market with top-tier features and specs; you don’t have to compromise on performance, build quality, or cameras. Apple didn’t announce a new Mini with the 14 series, instead opting for a big-and-bigger approach with the 6.1-inch 14 and 6.7-inch 14 Plus. The 13 Mini is likely your last shot at a small, highly functional iPhone, so get it while you can.
Though it’s much smaller in size than pretty much every other modern smartphone, the Mini’s 5.4-inch screen is still big enough for text messaging, email, web browsing, apps, video, and games, and if you’re coming from an iPhone 6, 7, or 8, it will feel quite spacious. But it’s also small enough that most adults, even those with small hands, will be able to comfortably reach all of the screen with their thumb. You won’t need a PopSocket on this one.
One important downside to a smaller phone: the iPhone 13 Mini has a smaller battery that probably won’t last a power user through a whole day without a charge. It’s really designed for someone who isn’t glued to their phone all day. Otherwise, the Mini is the same phone as the iPhone 13: it has the same design, processor, cameras, 5G support, and build quality as the larger model. It’s just smaller and has a smaller price tag — about $100 less.
If you prefer Android, the Asus Zenfone 9 is a good alternative. It’s a little bigger than the 13 Mini, with a 5.9-inch screen, and it doesn’t work on Verizon, but it’s otherwise a very similar proposition: great build quality, top-notch processor, and high-end features like a 120Hz screen are all tucked into a pocket-friendly device.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
The less expensive 6A offers most of what the pricier flagship models include, starting with the custom Tensor chipset.
The Pixel 6A follows the same budget phone recipe Google has used for years: deliver core Google features in a stripped-down device with just the basics. In previous years, that meant getting the same camera system as the flagships. That recipe changed slightly with the 6A. Now, you get the same Tensor custom chipset as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro but an older camera system. It’s a recipe that works: the Pixel 6A is a great all-around budget device, and even without the latest hardware, it still offers one of the best cameras in its class. And although its processor is one generation behind the very newest Pixel phones, you’re not missing out on much in terms of new features, and performance is still top-notch.
The 6A includes a 1080p 6.1-inch screen with a standard 60Hz refresh rate, and this is one area where Google made a sacrifice to hit a lower price point. The 6 and 6 Pro feature faster refresh rate screens, and you’ll even find other budget phones with faster refresh rates, like the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G. This is only something you’ll miss if you’re coming from a phone with a high refresh rate screen, so don’t worry about it if your current phone has a regular ol’ 60Hz display. There’s also no wireless charging, and it’s rated IP67, so water resistance isn’t quite as robust as on the Pixel 6.
The cameras are a step behind Google’s current flagships, but the stabilized main 12-megapixel camera and 12-megapixel ultrawide are still highly capable — especially compared to the rest of the midrange class. Google’s image processing is smart, and Tensor enables some interesting software features, like Face Unblur, which uses information from both rear cameras to keep human photo subjects looking sharp, even in dim lighting.
Most of all, Tensor puts the Pixel 6A’s day-to-day performance on par with the 6 and 6 Pro. And it should keep up for a long time: the phone will get security updates through July 2027. Sure, the 6A misses out on a few nice things, but it’s got it where it counts.
Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
The Flip 4 is a modern take on the classic flip phone format.
When the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is flipped open, you get a big 6.7-inch screen that handles just like the slab-style smartphone you’re used to. But fold it in half, like the flip phones of yore, and you can use its small outer screen to see basic widgets and read notifications. It’s unconventional, but it’s also fun and kinda stylish. It’s a great choice if you’re feeling a little bit adventurous — it’s still the early days for this form factor — and you’d appreciate a way to quickly check info on your phone without having to fully engage with it.
The Flip 4 is the definition of an incremental upgrade, but when you’re talking about a phone that folds in half, that’s still a pretty impressive achievement. It’s the same basic size and shape as the Flip 3, with a slightly slimmer hinge and some squared-off corners. It’s still IPX8 water resistant (no dust resistance, so please don’t take it to the beach), and the cover screen is still a tiny 1.9 inches — big enough to read an email subject line or check the current weather but not big enough to do much more than that.
The inner screen is protected by stronger ultrathin glass than the Flip 3. There’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector in place, as there was on the previous model, but the adhesive that attaches it is stronger this time around. That will hopefully avoid the bubbling problem seen by some owners of previous-gen foldables.
The Flip 4’s cameras are mostly the same as the Flip 3’s, and they’re still a bit behind what you’d expect from your garden-variety flagship phone. There’s a 12-megapixel main camera with slightly bigger pixels than the last one, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 10-megapixel selfie camera. Most other phones priced at $999 will throw in a telephoto lens of some kind, but not the Z Flip 4. Still, it’s a lot of fun taking pictures and recording videos in the phone’s L-shaped Flex mode. (Just try and name another phone that comes with its own built-in kickstand.)
If you’re a Flip 3 owner, there’s nothing about the Flip 4 worth upgrading for. In fact, many of the new software-based features introduced with the 4 are already making their way to the 3. And there are still plenty of ways Samsung could improve on its design: making it slimmer, more durable, and increasing the size of the cover screen, for a start. The Flip 4 offers some valuable refinements over the 3 that make it feel like a more mature product and less of a concept. There are likely significant improvements coming down the line for the Flip series, but right now, it’s undeniably fun and different.
Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
The Z Fold 4 is pricey, but there’s nothing else quite like it on the market.
The Fold 4 is Samsung’s latest folding phone, and it is a pricey multitasking powerhouse — a phone and a tablet wrapped up in one device. Like the Fold 3 before it, it’s sized like a skinny smartphone that fits in your pocket, but it unfolds to reveal a tablet-sized 7.6-inch display on the inside.
That inside screen makes everything from reading books and browsing the web to watching videos and playing games more enjoyable and immersive. When you’re done using it, just fold it back up and stick it in your pocket just like any other phone. You can use the 6.2-inch outer screen for simpler tasks like you would on a slab-style smartphone, but the big screen is there when you need it. The Fold 4 is undeniably a gadget person’s gadget, best suited for someone who wants to get the absolute most out of their mobile device, cost be damned.
The Fold 4’s outer screen looks and handles like any other slab-style smartphone screen; unfold the device and you’re looking at something quite different. For starters, there’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector glued to the inner display to protect against scratches — the ultrathin glass that allows it to fold is easily damaged without it. The whole device is IPX8-rated, meaning it offers robust water resistance but no dust resistance. Folding phones: not recommended for the beach.
On the software side, the Fold 4 provides a lot of ways to get the most out of that big screen. There are new multitasking interface options that make it easy to open apps in multiple windows or use it in an L-shape like a laptop. These features are already becoming available to the Fold 3, so nobody should run out and upgrade from the previous-gen folding phone just for the software improvements.
The Galaxy Fold 4 is just brimming with cameras, including a 3x telephoto zoom lens, upgraded from a 2x zoom on the outgoing model. There are also 12-megapixel standard wide and ultrawide cameras on the rear panel, plus a 10-megapixel selfie camera on the outside and a 4-megapixel under-display camera on the inside. Image quality is on par with the S23 and S23 Plus, including a great portrait mode. You’d get a more powerful set of cameras on the significantly less expensive S23 Ultra, but the Ultra doesn’t fold in half.
The Fold 4 has evolved beyond the early hardware hiccups of the first Fold phones in the series, and it’s a device you could actually use as your daily driver — not just as a cool gadget that stays at home. The refinements over the Fold 3 are minor, like slightly wider aspect ratios on the screens and better adhesive on the non-user-replaceable inner screen protector, but they push the Fold a little closer to the mainstream. With apologies to the also-ran Microsoft Surface Duo 2, there’s just nothing else like it on the market — if you’re willing to pay the very high $1,800 premium.
Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
The OnePlus 11 5G performs like a flagship but doesn’t cost quite as much as one.
After a little journey of self-discovery, OnePlus has finally come back around to its strength: making not-quite flagship phones that cost less than the high-end devices from Samsung and Google. The OnePlus 11 costs $699, includes a fantastic Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, has an excellent 6.7-inch screen, and comes with a great software support policy with four OS upgrades and five years of security updates. That alone makes it a very competitive option.
However, OnePlus cut a couple of corners to get to that relatively low price. It comes with an IP64 rating for splash resistance, which is less robust than the IP68 rating most devices in this price bracket carry — they can withstand full immersion in water. There’s also no wireless charging, another feature that virtually every other phone over $500 includes. Instead, you get super-fast wired charging: 80W if you’re in the US and 100W elsewhere. That’s enough to fully charge the phone in less than 30 minutes. You have to use the included charger and cable, and they don’t deliver the same speeds as other devices — bummer. But hey! There’s a charger in the box.
That’s the bad news. Back to the good news: the OnePlus 11 works on all three major 5G networks in the US right out of the gate — previous devices came with patchy 5G support at launch. The fan-favorite three-stage alert slider is back after taking a hiatus on the OnePlus 10T. And the 1440p OLED offers excellent detail along with smooth scrolling thanks to a 120Hz top refresh rate. It’s a great screen for the price.
The OnePlus 11’s bottom line is that it delivers excellent performance for less than you’d typically pay for a phone with the flagship chipset du jour. If you can live without wireless charging and you’re not concerned about the lack of waterproofing, then you’ll find it’s a great deal.
Other good phones
There are a few other devices that didn’t quite make the cut for any of the above categories but are still worth mentioning. The Samsung S23 Plus just edged out the Google Pixel 7 Pro as our pick for the best Android phone for most people. It’s still a great device, and the $899 price tag is attractive (and often marked down). We like its software out-of-the-box better than Samsung’s, and its camera system sometimes outdoes the S23 Plus’ — especially with its longer 5x telephoto lens. But while its custom Tensor G2 chipset is capable, it’s unclear how it will hold up in the long run.
Pixel 6 and 7 owners have also reported their fair share of software bugs and unusual hardware problems. Google seems to be doing the right thing and repairing phones under warranty, and the Pixel series’ frequent updates mean that bugs are usually fixed in a timely manner. Samsung, on the other hand, is pretty much on cruise control with the S23 Plus.
The iPhone 14 Plus is worth considering if you prefer iOS and you like a bigger phone. If the 14 Pro feels like overkill but you want a big screen and a big battery, then the 14 Plus is a good alternative. It costs less than the $1,099 Pro Max, though its $899 price isn’t exactly cheap. But like the iPhone 14, the 14 Plus offers very few appreciable updates over the iPhone 13 and doesn’t quite lend itself to a broad recommendation.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 stands tall — er, small — in a field dominated by huge screens. Its 6.1-inch display makes it a little bigger than the Asus Zenfone 9 and its 5.9-inch screen, but compared to the 6.6-inch-plus screens that are much more common in this category, the Galaxy S23 is your best (maybe only?) option for flagship specs in a reasonably sized phone.
Resident Evil 4 remake’s latest trailer is packed with iconic faces and places
Image: Capcom
Capcom just released a new trailer for the Resident Evil 4 remake as part of Thursday’s PlayStation State of Play presentation, and to me, it’s looking more and more like it will be an excellent recreation of an all-time classic.
The trailer is chock-full of iconic moments from the original game, making me think that it’s going to do justice to the classic horror title. Here are just a few that I saw: Leon and Ashley dodging catapulted debris on the castle walls; Leon taking on two El Gigante enemies at once; Leon coming face-to-face with Major Jack Krauser; and even a showdown in what appears to be that giant pool-filled hall in the castle. I can’t wait to play it myself.
The game is set to release in just over a month on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X / S, and PC on March 24th, 2023. At the end of Thursday’s trailer, Capcom revealed that a “special demo” will be available soon.
Supreme Court Wrestles With Suit Claiming Twitter Aided Terrorists The case, arising from an attack in Istanbul, was a companion to a case argued a day before that tested a shield for technology platforms.
Ramping up domestic graphite production could aid the green energy transition Given the growing importance of graphite in energy storage technologies, a team of Northwestern researchers has conducted a study exploring ways to reduce reliance on imports of the in high-demand mineral, which powers everything from electric vehicles (EVs) to cell phones.
Netflix’s new NFL docuseries starring Patrick Mahomes debuts this summer
Photo by Cooper Neill / Getty Images
Netflix is getting into football. On Wednesday, the streaming giant announced a new sports docuseries, Quarterback, that will focus on three NFL quarterbacks: Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs (who just collected his second Super Bowl win and second Super Bowl MVP award); Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings; and Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons. The series is set to debut this summer.
“For the first time ever, the NFL allowed quarterbacks to be mic’d up for every single game of a season,” Netflix wrote in a post about the series. “The upcoming show will feature behind-the-scenes access to some of the biggest moments of the season, as Mahomes set an NFL record for total offense on his way to winning the league and Super Bowl MVP awards; Cousins engineered the greatest comeback in NFL history and led the Minnesota Vikings to an NFC North Division title; and Mariota took over as the starting quarterback in his first season with the Atlanta Falcons.”
Netflix says this is the approach for “this year,” which indicates the show could take a different format in following seasons, should they happen; Netflix has only ordered one season so far, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Quarterback adds to a growing lineup of sports content at Netflix. The fifth season of the smash hit Formula 1: Drive to Survive premieres on Friday, and Netflix has already launched a tennis-focused series, Break Point, and a golf-focused series, Full Swing, this year. Netflix is also working on shows about the 2022 Tour de France and the 2022 World Cup.
Razer launches new Blade 15, and it’s still 16:9
Unlike the Blade 16, the 2023 Blade 15 keeps the same aspect ratio we’ve seen on Blades past. | Image: Razer
Razer has launched a new Blade 15 model refreshed with Intel’s 13th Gen processors and Nvidia’s RTX 4000 GPUs.
The company announced a 16-inch Razer Blade a few weeks ago, and some assumed that it would replace the 2022 Razer Blade 15. The Blade 16 threw a number of new features into the Blade 15’s formula — most notably, a 16:10 Mini LED dual-mode display.
But the Blade 15 is a much more minor upgrade from last year’s Blade 15. While the chips are new, the 2023 Blade 15 keeps the same 16:9 aspect ratio as its direct predecessor, just in case you’re one of those old-fashioned people (sorry, I said what I said) who prefers a shorter and wider screen. It’s also the same size and weight as last year’s Blade 15, which means it’s noticeably thinner and lighter than the Blade 16 — 25 percent smaller overall, according to Razer.
Image: Razer
There are two models with two different GPUs.
Elsewhere, the 2023 Blade 15 will be powered by Intel’s Core i7-13800H specifically and either an RTX 4060 or RTX 4070 GPU. The display will have a 240Hz refresh rate and QHD resolution. Both models include 16GB of RAM (5200MHz dual-channel) and 1TB of storage (PCIe Gen4 M.2).
The Blade 15 is available now with a starting MSRP of $2,499.99. That’s a good deal cheaper than the larger Blade 16, which starts at $2,699.99.
Tesla announces new engineering headquarters in California
Image: Sean O’Kane / The Verge
Tesla announced a new engineering headquarters in California, saying it would take over office space in Palo Alto formerly occupied by Hewlett Packard. Tesla CEO Elon Musk made the announcement Wednesday alongside California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), who called the announcement “another proof point of the renewable energy vibrancy that is California.”
Tesla was founded in San Carlos, California in 2003 and has called the state home for most of its 20 years of existence. In October 2021, the company abruptly moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas, in recognition of its new Gigafactory that was under construction in the state. Tesla also has Gigafactories in Nevada, Berlin, Buffalo, and Shanghai.
The company continues to operate its factory in Fremont, California, outside of San Francisco. And California is one of Tesla’s largest markets in the world. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s relationship with the Golden State has grown increasingly shaky over the years.
Musk himself moved to Texas toward the end of 2020, as SpaceX dramatically increased its presence in the southern tip of the state. He also said that he thought California had become too “complacent” with respect to its residents and businesses.
But Tesla has retained its presence in California. The company continues to invest in its Fremont factory and still maintains its old headquarters in Palo Alto. And California has invested in Tesla over the years, in the form of tax breaks and other taxpayer funded incentives. According to Newsom’s office, California has invested more than $3.2 billion in Tesla since 2009.
Was trading NBA Top Shots actually like trading stocks? A lawsuit will decide
Image: NBA Top Shot
NBA Top Shot developer Dapper Labs and its CEO, Roham Gharegozlou, will face a lawsuit accusing the company of selling unregistered securities in the form of its “Moments,” which are non-fungible tokens for sports fans.
Despite Dappers’ lawyer’s claims that “Basketball cards are not securities. Pokémon cards are not securities. Baseball cards are not securities. Common sense says so. The law says so. And, courts say so,” Judge Victor Marrero decided to let the case go forward.
In totality, the economic realities of this case support the Court’s conclusion that the AC’s allegations pass muster at this stage. In sum, Plaintiffs adequately allege that Dapper Labs’s offer of the NFT, Moments, was an offer of an “investment contract” and therefore a “security,” required to be registered with the SEC.
ALL HAIL THE KING @YoDough scooped up this Legendary LeBron James Moment from our Cosmic Series 1 set for $208,000‼️ This Moment is from our first Legendary set ever minted
The top acquisition for any NBA Top Shot Moment ... so far.
The plaintiffs, Gary Leuis, Jeeun Friel, and John Austin, accuse Dapper Labs of not only making hundreds of millions of dollars in profit through the sale of unregistered securities but also “propping up the market for Moments as well as the overall valuation of NBA Top Shot” by preventing users from withdrawing their money for months on end. While Top Shot users couldn’t withdraw, Dapper highlighted Moments sales to draw interest and increase value for its Flow Blockchain and Flow token.
When we covered NBA Top Shot near the peak of its activity in March 2021, many users still couldn’t get their money out of the platform. According to CryptoSlam, the number of active buyers peaked that month at 184,000 before sharply declining, while a post on the company’s blog from March 26th, 2021, said about 28,000 users were approved for withdrawals, with 5,000 more due to be added in the next week.
The plaintiffs cited marketing for NBA Top Shot that highlighted high-priced sales of Moments and increased trading on the platform, like this tweet about a $208,000 transaction for a LeBron James Moment. The plaintiffs referenced our 2021 article in their lawsuit as part of their argument that Dapper Labs didn’t stop Top Shot users from viewing and referring to their purchases of Moments as investments.
In their counterarguments, lawyers for Dapper Labs and Gharegozlou wrote, “When Dapper sold its Moments, it was selling formed products not as part of capital fundraising but as products. This was not a capital investment drive, not an appeal to passive investors, but the sale of cards to collectors.”
In an emailed statement to The Verge today, Dapper Labs SVP, head of communications Stephanie Martin said, “Importantly, today’s order - which the court described as a “close call” - only denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint at the pleading stage of the case. It did not conclude the plaintiffs were right, and it is not a final ruling on the merits of the case. Courts have repeatedly found that consumer goods – including art and collectibles like basketball cards – are not securities under federal law. We are confident the same holds true for Moments and other collectibles, digital or otherwise, and look forward to vigorously defending our position in Court as the case continues.”
However you view them or whatever the courts ultimately decide, interest in NBA Top Shot Moments as either investments or “formed products” dropped quickly from a peak two years ago, when market tracker CryptoSlam noted $45 million in sales in just one day on February 22nd, 2021, as part of a $224 million month.
Today, CryptoSlam shows $71,645 in sales and just over 12,000 unique buyers this month... so far.
Here’s what Messenger’s BeReal-ish ‘Roll Call’ looks like
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge
We’re now getting a look at Meta’s “Roll Call” feature that would let you “see what everyone is up to in a group chat” via their front and back cameras, thanks to screenshots posted by analyst Matt Navarra on Twitter. References to the feature, which is like a private version of BeReal, were spotted in Instagram last year, but now a more fleshed-out version of it has shown up in Messenger.
The feature is “an internal prototype, and not testing externally,” according to Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney, but the screenshots do still give us an idea of how it could work should it ever make it to Messenger or other Meta apps. According to Navarra’s post, people in a Messenger group chat would get five minutes to respond to a roll call with their own pictures. The person initiating it can add custom prompts to request, say, pictures of people’s lunches or pets. Like BeReal, you wouldn’t be able to view other people’s roll call submissions until you’d posted your own, according to a description of the feature shared by Navarra.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Meta working on a feature that mimics BeReal’s main idea. In December, it announced that it was testing something called Candid Stories for Instagram, which featured a daily notification reminding you to make a candid post, which people could only see after making a candid post of their own. The company also said it was working on something similar for Facebook Stories.
The prototype for Messenger seems to be a bit different in that it’s geared toward private groups rather than public posts; there’s not a global notification that everyone gets at the same time, like with BeReal.
External display size could be the next battleground for foldable flip phones
This could be Motorola’s next Razr. | Image: Evan Blass
Upcoming foldable flip phones from Samsung and Motorola could have much larger cover displays than the current generation, if a series of leaks about the unannounced devices are to be believed.
First there’s the Galaxy Z Flip 5, which Samsung is anticipated to announce this summer. Leaker Ice Universe, who’s been a reliable source of information on unannounced Samsung devices in the past, recently tweeted to “say for sure” that Samsung’s next flip phone will have a bigger external display than the Oppo Find N2 Flip. For reference, Oppo’s flip phone has a 3.26-inch cover display, which is already substantially larger than the Z Flip 4’s 1.9-inch display.
The clues have surfaced.
The first leak
I can say for sure The external screen of Galaxy Z Flip5 It is bigger than the external screen of OPPO Find N2 Flip. pic.twitter.com/E9HjUeW2ZR
That tallies with a prediction from display supply chain analyst Ross Young, who last year predicted that we’d see a cover screen over 3-inches in size on the Z Flip 5. Young also expects Samsung to use a new hinge design for the upcoming foldable that should reduce the visibility of the screen crease.
As I told my Super Followers yesterday, there are a couple of important changes coming to the Z Flip 5... pic.twitter.com/rEcD2DvaWw
Meanwhile, Motorola may also be increasing the size of the cover display for its next generation Razr. Leaker Evan Blass shared renders of an unnamed device where almost the entire rear panel of the phone is covered by a secondary display. Although Blass’ tweet doesn’t name the device directly, the images line up with a recent report on the 2023 Motorola Razr published by The Tech Outlook. An exact size for this cover display wasn’t listed, but it looks much larger than the 2.7-inch cover display on the 2022 model, which was released in China and select other markets but never made it to the US.
Image: Evan BlassBlass’ tweet included two renders of a foldable thought to be Motorola’s upcoming Razr.
As we saw with the Oppo Find N2 Flip, as well as larger foldables like Samsung’s Z Fold handsets, a bigger cover display opens the door for the phone to be able to do more without having to unfold it, whether that’s to check the weather, set a timer, or fire off a quick response to an incoming message (so long as the phone’s software supports it, that is). But it’s also wild to remember that the iPhone’s original display was 3.5 inches in size, meaning foldables could soon have secondary cover displays that rival the size of the primary screens on early smartphones — albeit in a different aspect ratio.
How Arizona Is Positioning Itself for $52 Billion to the Chips Industry The state has become a hub for chip makers including Intel and TSMC, as the government prepares to release a gusher of funds for the strategic industry.
Microsoft and Sony square off in EU showdown over Activision and Call of Duty
Illustration: The Verge
Microsoft and Sony’s gaming chiefs are both preparing to meet with EU regulators today in a showdown over Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The closed-door hearing in Brussels will see Xbox chief Phil Spencer and other senior Microsoft executives argue the case for the $68.7 billion deal to proceed, with PlayStation chief Jim Ryan attending to voice Sony’s concerns over the deal.
It’s a pivotal moment for Microsoft’s proposed acquisition, which has already seen opposition from regulators in the UK and US. The FTC is suing Microsoft to block its Activision Blizzard purchase, while the CMA published its provisional findings of its investigation earlier this month, warning that the deal could harm UK gamers. The CMA has offered up possible remedies that include Microsoft being forced to sell off Activision Blizzard’s business associated with Call of Duty.
Today’s closed-door meeting will feature a stack of executives from Microsoft including president Brad Smith, alongside Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. Reuters reports that representatives from Google, Nvidia, Valve, Electronic Arts, and the European Games Developer Federation will all be present, alongside half a dozen different national competition watchdogs.
Microsoft’s Smith revealed earlier today that the company has now signed a legally binding contract with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty — and potentially other Xbox games — to Nintendo consoles. Smith tweeted the announcement this morning, before a meeting with reporters where he said Microsoft is willing to accept regulatory undertakings to get the deal approved in Europe.
We’ve now signed a binding 10-year contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo’s gamers. This is just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms. pic.twitter.com/JmO0hzw1BO
“We’re more than willing, given our strategy, to address the concerns that others have, whether it’s by contracts, like we did with Nintendo this morning, or whether it’s by regulatory undertakings, as we’ve consistently been open to addressing,” said Smith, in a meeting attended byBloomberg.
Notably absent in Smith’s tweet is any mention of Sony. While Microsoft has offered Sony a similar 10-year commitment on new Call of Duty games, it so far hasn’t accepted the deal. “We are in contact with Microsoft and have no further comment regarding our private negotiations,” said a Sony spokesperson in a statement to the Financial Times earlier this month.
It’s clear the negotiations between Microsoft and Sony have been fraught, particularly after Microsoft’s initial offer to keep Call of Duty on Sony’s consoles for “several more years” beyond an existing marketing deal was described as “inadequate on many levels” by PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan. Sony was planning on keeping details of its negotiations private, according to Ryan. “I hadn’t intended to comment on what I understood to be a private business discussion, but I feel the need to set the record straight because Phil Spencer brought this into the public forum,” said Ryan in a statement in September last year.
In December, Smith claimed that “Sony has emerged as the loudest objector” to the Activision acquisition, and any potential deal on Call of Duty between Microsoft and Sony would only strengthen Microsoft’s case with regulators. Microsoft has also accused Sony of paying developers to keep their content off of its Xbox Game Pass service, while Sony has argued that Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition could “hurt developers and lead to price rises.”
The European Commission will now need to decide how it handles objections to Microsoft’s deal. It reportedly sent its statement of objections to Microsoft earlier this month, issuing a formal antitrust warning against the software giant. The EU hasn’t published those objections publicly yet, and onlookers are waiting to see if lawmakers in Europe take a similar stance to the UK, with concerns around cloud competition and game exclusivity.
While the CMA is open to behavioral remedies that could involve deals for Call of Duty, it seems to favor structural ones — including a suggestion that involves a partial divestiture of Activision Blizzard in the form of selling off the Call of Duty business. Today’s meeting will highlight the European Commission’s main concerns and any potential remedies Microsoft may need to consider ahead of an April 11th deadline for a final decision.
Microsoft’s defense is bound to single out Sony, and perhaps even Google, as the opposition to this deal, with Microsoft’s allies including Nintendo, Valve, and even the Communications Workers of America union and UNI Global Union. The CWA called on the EU to “seriously consider the positive impact the Microsoft-Activision merger could have on the video game labor market,” and UNI made a similar plea on the eve of this crucial meeting.
Microsoft is still hoping to get this deal closed by the summer with its allies helping to sway regulators. But the European Commission, FTC, and CMA will dictate the timelines now. That doesn’t mean Microsoft isn’t willing to fight this all the way, though. Microsoft’s Brad Smith has already responded to the FTC warning of court action in the US. “While we believe in giving peace a chance, we have complete confidence in our case and welcome the opportunity to present it in court,” said Smith last year.
The outcome of today’s meeting and the EU’s decisions in the coming weeks will undoubtedly shape whether Microsoft will head to court to defend its deal in Europe and beyond.
Tuesday’s top tech news: A new era (or two) for Sonos
The Sonos Era 300.
Plus an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, and more lobbying from Microsoft.
We’ve been reporting for months on Sonos’ upcoming speakers, but yesterday my colleague Chris Welch published some pretty final-looking marketing images of the Era 100 and Era 300 smart speakers. Expect both to offer USB-C line-in and support for Bluetooth streaming, while the Era 300 will additionally support spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. An official announcement is apparently just a few short weeks away.
Finally, Microsoft is continuing to work hard to close its deal to acquire Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard. It’s reiterated the ten-year deal it’s signed with Nintendo to bring the first-person shooter franchise to the company’s console as senior Microsoft execs reportedly prepare to meet with EU regulators in an attempt to allay their competition concerns.
‘It took over my life!’ How one man made his dream 90s video game on his own
Computer programmer Cassius John-Adams explains how he mashed up Crazy Taxi and The Fifth Element during an obsessive three-year period, single-handedly creating the game he’d always dreamed of
Over lunch one day at work, Cassius John-Adams, a computer programmer for a Canadian TV network, was moaning to his co-workers that things aren’t as good as they used to be. “We got on to how everything, from video games to science-fiction films, was better in the late 90s and early 00s when we were all much younger,” explains the 45-year-old from his house in Toronto. Someone mentioned The Fifth Element, Luc Besson’s wildly inventive 1997 sci-fi film. John-Adams brought up Crazy Taxi, Sega’s cartoonishly energetic driving game. And then, “I was like: ‘Man, I wish there was a mix between the two.’ Everyone around the table went, ‘Yeah, that would be the perfect mix.’”
It was the spark for one of the great passion projects in recent video-gaming history. Doing nearly all of the work himself, fitting it around his day job, John-Adams has made that very hybrid, a new game called Mile High Taxi that splices the vibe of Besson’s movie and the hurtling mayhem of Crazy Taxi into a heady compound of millennial nostalgia.
Microsoft signs binding Call of Duty deal with Nintendo ahead of EU Activision hearing
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Call of Duty will be available to Nintendo players on the same day as Xbox with “full feature and content parity” under a 10-year agreement between the two platforms, Microsoft’s Brad Smith announced. The deal was announced in early December, but Smith is offering more details today ahead of a hearing in which Microsoft will argue its case with EU regulators to allow its $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard to proceed, Reuters reports.
As my colleague Tom Warren wrote back in December, the Nintendo deal is almost certainly part of Microsoft’s attempt to pressure Sony into accepting a similar offer and allay regulatory competition concerns. The PlayStation maker has emerged as one of the chief opponents of Microsoft’s proposed acquisition, saying it risks reducing competition by locking key franchises like Call of Duty to Xbox consoles and Microsoft services like Game Pass.
We’ve now signed a binding 10-year contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo’s gamers. This is just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms. pic.twitter.com/JmO0hzw1BO
As well as Call of Duty, Smith’s tweet alludes to “Xbox games” more generally, though it doesn’t offer specifics on what franchises these may come from.
Smith has said that a similar 10-year deal is on the table if Sony wants to sign. But PlayStation chief Jim Ryan previously called a Microsoft offer to keep Call of Duty on Sony’s consoles for “several more years” beyond an existing marketing deal “inadequate on many levels.”
News of the deal comes as Microsoft is preparing to plead its case to EU regulators today. The closed hearing is expected to be attended by representatives from Microsoft including Brad Smith and Xbox head Phil Spencer, as well as Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, and Sony’s Jim Ryan. Representatives from Google, Nvidia, Valve, Electronic Arts, the European Games Developer Federation, and over half a dozen different national competition watchdogs are also expected to take part, per Reuters.
The EU reportedly issued a formal antitrust warning to Microsoft over the deal earlier this month, in which it’s believed to have expressed concerns over the deal’s impact on fair competition in the video game market. In response, Microsoft spokesperson David Cuddy said that the company is “committed to solutions and finding a path forward for this deal” and that it is “listening carefully to the [European Commission’s] concerns and are confident we can address them.”
Outside of the European Union, Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition has also faced opposition from UK and US regulators. The USA’s Federal Trade Commission filed a legal challenge to block the acquisition in early December 2022, arguing that it would “enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business.” Meanwhile, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority said the deal “could result in higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation for UK gamers,” in provisional filings announced earlier this month.
Today’s statement from Microsoft says that the deal is to bring Call of Duty games to “Nintendo players,” without mentioning specific hardware like the Nintendo Switch. As it approaches its sixth year on the market, the portable Switch console is increasingly showing its age and relatively low processing power compared to the latest consoles from Sony and Microsoft, as well as the modern gaming PCs, where gamers typically play the latest Call of Duty releases. The last Call of Duty game to release on a Nintendo console was 2013’s Call of Duty: Ghosts on the Wii U.
Twitter is ending free SMS two-factor authentication. So what can you use instead?
Receiving login codes via text message is much easier to compromise. Using authenticator apps or even a USB are preferred alternatives
On the weekend, Twitter announced that from 20 March, people who haven’t subscribed to Twitter Blue will have two-factor authentication via SMS disabled.
Twitter has recommended people use third-party apps or a security key instead, but for the overwhelming majority (74.4%) of the 2.6% of active Twitter users who use SMS as their method of authentication, it will mean they have a month to switch or potentially lose protection.
‘It’s a long-term journey we’re on’: taking a ride towards self-driving cars
Nissan’s ServCity project shows how far autonomous vehicles have come and difficulties they still face
The journey in a self-driving Nissan across Woolwich in south-east London begins smoothly enough: fitted with cameras and sensors, the electric car confidently handles pedestrian crossings, vans cutting into its lane without warning and even scurrying jaywalkers.
Then comes an unexpected obstacle: a football-sized rock, fallen from the back of a lorry on to the middle of the road. The specially trained safety driver hastily grabs the steering wheel, taking back control to avoid a nasty crunch.
Monday’s top tech news: Paid verification comes to Meta
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge
While Twitter removes a key security feature for non-paying users.
Meta is testing letting users on Instagram and Facebook pay to be officially verified, after Twitter rolled out a similar feature under Elon Musk’s ownership last year. Meta’s implementation will only be available in Australia and New Zealand to start, and will require people to submit a government ID to get their blue badges. Let’s hope it doesn’t face the same impersonation problems that Twitter encountered when its service originally launched last year.
And finally, for those keeping track, today is the day that Nothing, Forever’s Twitch suspension is set to lift. The AI-generated Seinfeld spoof was in the process of going viral before being taken down after one of its characters made a transphobic remark, but its creators hope to bring it back with more safeguards against inappropriate content in place.
Now, here’s a silly tweet to start your day:
There is a profound, generational transformation happening on LinkedIn right now: pic.twitter.com/BwKfpAHQth
On my radar: Gabrielle Zevin’s cultural highlights
The American writer on her film of the moment, a fantastic young novelist and an animated series that’s wonderfully human
The novelist Gabrielle Zevin, whose Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow appeared on many of 2022’s books of the year lists, was born in New York in 1977. She studied English at Harvard, where she met her partner, the film director Hans Canosa. Zevin wrote the screenplay for Canosa’s 2005 film, ConversationsWith Other Women, and the pair adapted two of Zevin’s novels for the screen, most recently The Storied Life of AJFikry. She is working on a film version of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, which follows two childhood friends as they reunite in adulthood to create video games. She lives in Los Angeles.
Revolut: can the chancellor’s fintech favourite fix its image problem?
The UK’s would-be ‘Amazon of banking’ run by Nikolay Storonsky has raised alarm over delayed accounts, EU regulatory fines, its co-founder’s Russian ties and issues with staff
Minutes after Jeremy Hunt had finished speaking, Nikolay Storonsky collared the chancellor backstage. The 38-year-old co-founder of British financial technology company Revolut, wearing a tech bro’s uniform of jeans and a sweater, had been listening to Hunt set out his vision of the UK as “the world’s next Silicon Valley”, in a speech last month at the media group Bloomberg’s London headquarters.
The chancellor had praised Revolut as a “shining” success, saying the government was willing to back innovative companies “to the hilt”. After a quick introduction, the pair posed for a photo – which was swiftly posted by Storonsky’s team to one of Revolut’s Twitter accounts.
Supreme Court to Hear Case That Targets a Legal Shield of Tech Giants The justices are set to hear a case challenging Section 230, a law that protects Google, Facebook and others from lawsuits over what their users post online.
A second Hellboy reboot is officially on the way
David Harbour as Hellboy in the 2019 reboot. | Image: Lionsgate
Almost two decades after the release of the Guillermo del Toro-directed Hellboy, the character is getting yet another reboot. Millennium Media has confirmed that Hellboy: The Crooked Man will enter production next month in Bulgaria, Deadline reports. Casting for the titular character (originally played by Ron Perlman and then David Harbour) is yet to be announced, but the new film will be directed by Brian Taylor, best known for the Jason Statham action movie Crank.
Perhaps most interesting is that the comics’ original creator Mike Mignola has written the script for the upcoming film alongside Chris Golden. Both were reported to have worked on the script for the 2019 reboot by The Hollywood Reporter, though Andrew Cosby ultimately ended up with sole credit for writing the screenplay. The 2019 reboot is widely considered to have been both a commercial and critical failure, bringing in roughly $55 million at the box office on a budget of $50 million.
Deadline’s report doesn’t explicitly say what form the film will take but Discussing Film — which originally reported news of The Crooked Man’s production — says it’ll be live-action. The Crooked Man was originally used as the title of a Hellboy comic from 2008. Here’s a plot synopsis of the upcoming film from Deadline:
“The new film will see Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia. There, they discover a small community haunted by witches, led by a local devil with a troubling connection to Hellboy’s past: the Crooked Man.”
“The Crooked Man is a departure from all previous Hellboy films where Mike Mignola and the creator of the comics will finally shepherd an authentic version of his stories and characters in film form,” said Millennium Media president Jeffrey Greenstein. “This is the first in the series of films that will captivate audiences in familiar (and new) ways.”
A release date for Hellboy: The Crooked Man is yet to be announced.
Tesla fires more than 30 workers after union drive announcement
Workers at the Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, New York, allege employees were fired in response to a union organizing drive
Tesla workers at the Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, New York, allege over 30 workers were fired on 14 February in response to the announcement of a union organizing drive at the 1,000-worker facility.
The Tesla chief executive, Elon Musk, has fought union drives in the past. The campaign, Tesla Workers United, is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) affiliate Workers United and has filed an injunction with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking to halt the firings.
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