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Everything is iPhone now

Original iPhone coming out of a Mac desktop window.

This is part of our package about Apple's 50th anniversary. Read more here.

The thing about the iPhone is that everyone knew it was going to be a big deal, and then it was an even bigger deal than that. Hell, it's still the biggest thing going.

It's hard to remember, but almost 20 years ago Apple's first iPhone really was that good. The trick that Steve Jobs and Jony Ive kept pulling off in that era was turning the limitations of the available technology into focal points of the products they made. The first iMac was built around a big, heavy CRT display - but Ive made the translucent case wrap around it, transforming the internals into a …

Read the full story at The Verge.

April Fools’ Day 2026: the best and cringiest pranks

A clown face with s huge smile on a lime green background

Welcome to the worst day on the internet! As Chaim Gartenberg pointed out years ago, brands and a holiday dedicated to hoaxes are rarely a winning combo. If you’re a company with any kind of social media, internet, or AI chatbot presence in 2026, you really, truly only have four options on April Fools’ Day:

  1. Don’t do an April Fools’ joke. Put the time and energy into doing something productive that will materially benefit the world (or, less idealistically, your business) instead. Or just don’t do anything. Abstaining entirely would still be a net positive over the drain of resources and mental energy.
  2. Do an April Fools’ “joke,” but actually follow through on your stunt. This is arguably not a prank since you’ve actually created a video game skin or a real product that people can buy — but it doesn’t really hurt anyone.
  3. Do an April Fools’ joke, but be extremely clear from the start that this is a dumb joke and you have no intention of doing the thing that you are “humorously” pretending to do. Does this defeat the purpose of doing an April Fools’ joke because you’re not “fooling” anyone anymore? Absolutely. (Please see my first two points.)
  4. Lie to your customers, successfully tricking them into believing you are making some product, rebranding, or service you are not. By doing so, you will almost certainly annoy everyone once your deceit is made plain for the extremely small gain of pointless PR. The aphorism goes that there is no such thing as bad publicity; the seemingly endless line of companies willing to make fools out of themselves has proven this false time and time again.

So far, we’ve seen some socks that even you can’t lose, Snapchat “Reals” took a shot at Instagram’s Xerox machine approach to product development, and the monitor accessory cats want the most.

If you see anything that particularly sticks out for good, bad, or just unusual reasons, send it to us.

Kia’s compact EV3 is coming to the US this year, with 320 miles of range

The North American version of the 2027 Kia EV3 SUV in white and black
2027 EV3 | Image: Kia

At the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday, Kia announced that its compact electric SUV, the EV3, will be available in the US "in late 2026." The EV3 has been available overseas since 2024, when it launched in South Korea and Europe. The 2027 model coming to the US appears to have the same slightly boxy design as the current 2026 model, and it looks like Kia updated the center console to remove the much-mocked "chopping board" armrest in the original design. The North American version will also have a new glossy black "Nightfall" appearance package option.

The EV3 will be available in standard and long-range configurations, offer …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are now at their lowest price in months

The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 deliver good bass for a pair of bone conduction headphones. | Image: The Verge

As the days get warmer, it’s tempting to take your workouts outside. Bone conduction headphones let you listen while staying aware of your surroundings, making them ideal for runs, walks, and more. Through April 7th, Shokz is discounting several models during its spring sale, from the Shokz OpenFit Air Earbuds to the OpenDots One clip. The best deal, however, is on the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, which are on sale for $139.99 ($40 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Shokz. That’s their best price since December and $15 shy of their all-time low.

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2

Picture of Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 in front of sneakers

Where to Buy:

The OpenRun Pro 2 are Shokz’s best bone conduction headphones yet, addressing a long standing problem with the category: bass. The running-safe open-ear design often comes at the expense of clarity. The OpenRun Pro 2 tackles that problem with dedicated 18mm by 11mm air conduction drivers, which our reviewer Victoria Song found delivered noticeably richer bass and clearer sound than their predecessor.

She was also impressed by the fit. The updated design features thinner, more flexible ear hooks connected to a lightweight neckband, resulting in a more secure and comfortable feel than earlier models like the AfterShokz. Those older versions could feel too tight around the temples and uncomfortable with glasses, but here, the reduced clamping force and more flexible build make a difference.

In addition to delivering better sound, the OpenRun Pro 2 also offers improved battery life. They can last up to 12 hours on a single charge, and now recharge over USB-C. They also include AI-powered noise cancellation to improve call performance, though in our testing it wasn’t particularly effective. Still, if you’re looking for a comfortable, safety-minded pair of headphones, they’re still a solid option, particularly if you primarily use them for listening to music or podcasts.

Read our Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 review.

Some more ways to save:

  • Now through April 13th, Woot is selling the white, 14-ounce Ember Mug 2 Heated Coffee Mug for just $79.99 ($70 off), which is its best price to date. The self-heating smart mug is a Verge favorite, letting you set and save your preferred temperature between 125 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit via the app, and sending a notification when your drink reaches it.  It keeps beverages warm for up to 80 minutes on battery or all day on the included charging coaster, and automatically wakes and sleeps to conserve power. Just note that while the mug’s water-resistant, it isn’t dishwasher-safe so you’ll have to wash it by hand.
  • The Goliath Power Saber is on sale for $22.99 ($37 off) at Woot through April 4th. As my colleague Sean Hollister wrote in 2024, the lightsaber toy is the first of its kind to automatically extend to a full 35 inches and retract back down at the press of a button. While it lacks official Star Wars branding and premium build quality, it still captures some of the magic of more advanced (and far pricier) lightsaber props. The toy also features motion-activated sound effects and can be displayed on the included stand or carried with the attached belt clip.
  • Apple has just released the second-generation AirPods Max, but if you want to save $150 the original model is currently available for $399 at Woot, which matches its all-time low. The first-gen AirPods Max still offer a premium build with aluminum, stainless steel, and breathable mesh along with great sound and noise cancellation, even if the newer version improves on both and adds features like live translation courtesy of Apple’s new H2 chip. Read our review.

I tested a living room full of cheap Ikea speakers against Sonos and Bose

A green Ikea Kallsup Bluetooth speaker on a wooden coffee table in front of a stack of more green, pink, and white Kallsup speakers.

Ikea's $10 Kallsup Bluetooth speaker is fun and colorful and sounds better than its price suggests. It's not mind-blowing (it is a $10 speaker, after all), and there are no features to speak of, other than the ability to connect up to 100 of them together, but at that price, I don't really care. They're a quick addition if I need a bit more color and sound on my desk or in my son's room.

The Kallsup is about as simple as a Bluetooth speaker can get. It's a 2.75-inch plastic cube enclosure with four short feet on the bottom and a single speaker inside, and it's available in pink, white, and yellow green. There are two buttons and a small LED …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Snapchat’s ‘Reals’ joke mocks Instagram’s many ripoffs

The Snapchat ghost icon in white, on a rust red and black background

It's April Fools' Day, and Snap is using the occasion to "announce" that it's switching the name of Snapchat's Spotlight feed, the app's Instagram Reels-like feed of shortform vertical videos, to "Reals."

In a video featuring co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel, Snap also includes a description of "Reals" as a place where "real people share real moments. Really." Spiegel adds that "People feel free to be their full selves and to keep it Real on Snapchat" (In the video's captions, Snap capitalized "Real").

Spiegel also used the video to remind users about its ephemeral Stories format - which, like TikTok's vertical video feed, Instagram ripped …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The Trump administration’s antitrust honeymoon is over

Photo illustration of a gavel about to hit Monopoly game pieces.

"It's not personal, Sonny, it's strictly business."

That quote was first delivered by mob boss Michael Corleone in The Godfather, but last Monday, it became the title of a speech by the Justice Department's acting antitrust chief Omeed Assefi. At a George Washington University event co-hosted with the publication MLex, Assefi described an agency firing on all cylinders, standing strong against bad corporate actors when warranted, but being open to reasonable negotiation to reach the strongest possible result.

Implicitly, Assefi was responding to months of complaints that his agency was bowing to corporate lobbyists and striking weak settle …

Read the full story at The Verge.

SpaceX reportedly files for IPO but it’s keeping the numbers secret (for now)

Elon Musk looking up with stock tickers and Space X rockets.
The world’s first trillionaire? | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

What's expected to be the biggest IPO in human history is reportedly underway. SpaceX has filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a report from Bloomberg. But for now, the filing is confidential.

Under SEC rules, SpaceX isn't required to make its S-1 prospectus public until 15 days before it begins pitching to investors on its roadshow. That means we'll have to wait for details like Starlink's subscriber revenue, the cash burn rate of the Starship program, and how the recently absorbed xAI fits into the corporate structure.

Currently, the company is rumored to be targeting a staggering …

Read the full story at The Verge.

These Raspberry Pi price hikes are no joke

The new 16GB version of the Raspberry Pi 5 microcomputer against a neutral background.

As of today, the price of the 16GB version of the Raspberry Pi 5 is going up by $100, a price bump that's almost as much as the original $120 price tag. Driven by the ongoing RAM shortage, Raspberry Pi is raising prices on over a dozen of its bare-bones computers, after previous increases in December and February. The increases range from $11.25 to $150.

In a blog post announcing the price increases, Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton reiterated that they won't be permanent, stating, "The circumstances in which we find ourselves are challenging, but in the future they will abate. When they do, we will reverse our price increases, and until they d …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Amazon’s Big Spring Sale 2026: all of the latest deals

If you were looking for the best time to get a deal this spring, it might have just passed you by, as Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is over. That being said, several deals are still happening (some companies list April 1st as the final day to save). So, we’re still highlighting the best that the remains of the sale has to offer.

While there are fewer deals to browse than the past week offered, you can still find deals on all sorts of consumer tech, from personal audio and home theater upgrades to steep discounts on video games, mobile accessories, and various doo-dads for tinkerers. Given that the sale coincided with the arrival of spring, you can also find deals on plenty of outdoor-friendly gear, including portable Bluetooth speakers, open-style earbuds, and more.