We unfolded the iPhone Duo
You only get one chance at a first impression, and getting to introduce Apple's first folding phone is certainly a strong way to start things off as Apple's CEO. On The Vergecast today, we're talking all about Apple's launch event: how John Ternus did in his first appearance as CEO, what we make of the new iPhones, and whether Apple is stepping into dangerous territory with its new AI features on the Apple Watch.
First up, Allison Johnson joins me to discuss the new iPhones, which she had a chance to test in Cupertino. Both of us have some questions about the new variable aperture camera on the iPhone 18 Pro - and whether the real upgrade s …
The White House calls Truth Social the ‘most powerful and popular’ social media platform
The White House claims the Donald Trump-owned Truth Social is the "most powerful and popular social media platform in the world." The statement, provided to The New York Times by White House spokesperson Davis Ingle, is at odds with the user counts from some of the biggest social media platforms on the web.
Data gathered by Search Engine Land shows YouTube is the most popular platform in the world, with 2.65 billion monthly active users. Facebook comes in second with 2.39 billion active users around the globe, followed by TikTok with 2.21 billion and Instagram with 1.99 billion. Truth Social doesn't make Search Engine Land's top 10 list, wh …
Anthropic spent this week in hot water over cybersecurity
After admitting earlier this year that its AI models had hacked other companies' systems on a handful of occasions, Anthropic released a new report on Wednesday detailing the attacks. It reveals a string of incidents displaying what Anthropic deems its models' single-minded "recklessness" - and will likely fuel already raging concerns about cybersecurity and AI.
In Anthropic's report, it detailed four cases this year in which its own AI models hacked an external company or exploited vulnerabilities. In one, an "internal, general-purpose research model" broke into third-party systems, using access tokens and passwords and downloading files. …
Microsoft’s head of comms is leaving after almost 20 years
Frank Shaw is leaving Microsoft after 17 years as chief communications officer. In an internal note to his team, Shaw says he's "decided it is time for me to move on and try new things," after supporting Microsoft's communications for 29 years - nearly 20 years as a Microsoft employee plus time at the Waggener Edstrom agency (now We. Communications) before that.
Shaw has been at the heart of Microsoft's communications since 1997, helping the company navigate multiple Windows and Office releases, CEO transitions, the all-important bet on cloud, and huge acquisitions like the $26.2 billion LinkedIn purchase in 2016 and the $69 billion acquisi …
Meta may have leaked the first look at its slim ‘Project Phoenix’ headset
Just a couple of weeks before Meta Connect starts on September 23rd, UploadVR posted images seemingly revealing the design for Meta's "Project Phoenix" headset. The images, which UploadVR says were "found in the HorizonOS Prescription Lens firmware package," suggest Meta may be looking to compete with devices like those from Xreal or Viture. These companies' mixed reality glasses are a bit bulkier than something like Meta's Ray-Ban AI smart glasses, but a step down from a full VR headset like Meta's Quest 3.
This leak shows something that's almost in between larger headsets and smart glasses, with lenses set into a slim, glasses-style fram …
Where to preorder the Apple AirPods 5
The Apple AirPods 5 are bringing active noise cancellation to the masses, and they're now available for preorder at a variety of retailers. They'll officially launch on September 18th, the same day as the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, as well as the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
There are two versions this time around, just like with the last-gen model. The standard $129 model adds active noise cancelation, which was previously only found on the more expensive $179 AirPods 4 with ANC models. They're available from Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Apple. The upgraded $149 model features a wireless charging case, longer battery life, and touc …
Anime reaction YouTubers are at war with copyright enforcers
On September 6th, YouTuber Nicholas Light posted a video to one of his channels that made it seem like all of his content was about to be removed from the platform. In the video - ominously titled "My Channel will be Deleted Today" - Light alleges that he was on the receiving end of some of the "thousands upon thousands of false copyright strikes" recently initiated by a company called Remove Your Media. Light spends much of the 13-minute video accusing Remove Your Media CEO Eric Green of being a troll who systematically targets creators whose content mentions or features clips of popular anime series like Bleach and One Piece.
It's not cl …
The wireless earbuds with unbeatable call quality got their first discount
Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro came out swinging in May with incredible call quality, something that competing ear buds have struggled to get right. They’ve become part of our reviewer John Higgins’ rotation of earbuds for more than just taking calls; The Liberty 5 Pro have fantastic audio once you make some tweaks in their app, and they stand out thanks to an IP55 rating and LDAC high-res audio codec support on Android.
What’s more, they’re typically cheaper than the competition at $169.99, but you can snag them for $149.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and at Anker. They come in four colors (black, blue, white, pink), and include a screen-equipped charging case that lets you make adjustments to active noise cancellation, sound profiles, speak-to-chat and enabling Dolby Atmos head tracking. Your mileage may vary with the usefulness of the case, but it’s nice not to have to use the app for quick tweaks.
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro
Where to Buy:
I’ve been eagerly awaiting any sort of deal on the Liberty 5 Pro since John’s review dropped. Clearly, Anker caught wind of its success and kept them locked at $170 for months (not even a small price drop during June’s Prime Day sale). What could have lead to the price drop? Likely the debut of the AirPods 5 that start at $129 but have a more feature-rich version that’s $20 more — the same current price as Anker’s Liberty 5 Pro. Read our review.
window.HYPE_DESK_CONFIG = { productImageUrl: "https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/SCR-20260902-lfhb.jpeg", productImageAlt: "CORSAIR GALLEON 100 SD", productTitle: "CORSAIR GALLEON 100 SD", shortDescription: "The Corsair Galleon 100 SD combines a premium mechanical gaming keyboard with built-in Stream Deck controls, and it is $50 off through September 13.", longDescription: "The Corsair Galleon 100 SD pairs 12 customizable LCD keys, two rotary dials, and a display with hot-swappable MLX Pulse switches, up to 8,000Hz polling, and a dedicated Game Mode. Its built-in Stream Deck lets you control games, Discord, Spotify, streaming tools, and system functions directly from the keyboard. It is on sale for $299.99 through September 13, a $50 discount. Purchase it from Corsair.com in September and Corsair will also email you a $20 coupon for a future eligible gaming gear purchase after your order ships.", purchaseUrl: "https://go.corsair.com/c/482924/490888/8513?subId1=VergeHypeDesk&subId2=CorsairArticle1&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.corsair.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Fp%2Fkeyboards%2FCH-912A31I-NA%2Fgalleon-100-sd-stream-deck-integrated-mechanical-keyboard-ch-912a31i-na&partnerpropertyid=7032191", purchaseLinkText: "BUY AT CORSAIR" };Here are three more great deals
- Those shopping for a battery-powered video doorbell may want to consider the second-gen Ring Battery Doorbell Pro, which is steeply discounted at Wellbots thanks to an exclusive offer code for Verge readers. Currently $249.99 at Amazon, the 4K-enabled doorbell with 10x digital zoom is $149.99 with code 100VERGERING used at checkout. This price, frankly, spanks the previous lowest price of $179.99 at Amazon we saw in late August. You can read more about Ring’s latest generation of battery doorbells in our coverage. But put simply, they’re sleeker, more capable, and still come with a removable, rechargeable battery.
- I’m hyped for Control Resonant, the follow-up to Remedy’s brilliant Control. It launches on September 24th, and you can get $12 off Steam preorders at Newegg. The game will debut for $59.99, but the code CNTRLXV used at checkout knocks it down to $47.99, which is the best price I’ve seen. It’s not tough to find the game at other key sellers for around $50, though. While it’s a direct sequel, it’s also the latest addition to Remedy’s connected universe that canonically includes Alan Wake titles. Here’s our hands-on from Summer Game Fest.
- While we’re on the topic of games, we recently covered that Walmart was discounting preorders for the physical version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2. Well, that also extends to Amazon, which is selling it for $59.99, a discount you’ll see at checkout. The cartridge version typically costs $10 more than digital — a change that Nintendo made earlier this year — but both retailers have a reputation for eating the price hike during the preorder phase for Nintendo Switch 2 titles.
Meta says it’s changing AI suggestions after posing invasive personal questions
Meta says it's making changes to the prompts suggested by its AI chatbot after a viral video showed it digging for personal information about a woman's young daughters, as reported earlier by Futurism. In a statement to The Verge, Meta spokesperson Dina El-Kassaby says the company "missed the mark," adding that "the feature never should have prompted the individual with questions like that."
Last week, Instagram user Kalie Robins posted a video explaining how Meta AI presented her with an invasive suggestion after cross-posting a clip to Facebook. The AI prompt, "Who is the child passenger?" appeared beneath a video of her and her child sin …
New York City’s last pickpocket doesn’t need a smartphone
Hello once again from Toronto, where for a week every year I watch far too many movies and tell you all about them. The festival, better known as TIFF, is always a great preview of the months ahead in film, with a nice mix of mainstream fare, awards contenders, indie surprises, and genre flicks destined to be cult classics. The streamers also love to make their presence felt here, previewing some of their most anticipated projects. Last year, for instance, Netflix showed off both Guillermo del Toro's long-awaited Frankenstein as well as the third Knives Out movie, and I was also able to watch everything from the terrifying video game adaptat …