Flip phones are having a bit of a comeback. But most modern versions either feel cheaply made or swap one set of distractions for another. That’s exactly what Light says it wants to change with the Light Flip — its first-ever flip phone. The new device combines a classic clamshell design with a minimalist software experience that helps users stay connected without constantly competing for their attention. Also, it costs $299.
Next, we have China leveling up in the AI race, where tech giants are aggressively recruiting teenagers. Companies like Tencent, ByteDance, and Geely are launching specialized research camps, talent pipelines, and guaranteed job offers directly targeting high school students as young as 13. As traditional degrees lose priority to raw intelligence, firms are bypassing conventional career paths to secure high-upside engineering talent before the market fully prices them out.
Apple may be testing a 6.96-inch display for a future iPhone, bringing its largest handset within a whisker of the 7-inch mark. Keeping the same aspect ratio means the screen would grow both taller and wider.
Anime fans have a date to circle. A new My Hero Academia story is officially two weeks from release.
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Light's new $299 flip phone ditches apps in favor of simplicity
Light has unveiled the Light Flip, a $299 clamshell phone built around the same stripped-down philosophy the company has pursued since its crowdfunding days. The device runs LightOS, Light's custom operating system, and deliberately leaves out the social media apps, notification floods, and algorithmic feeds that define modern smartphones. In their place, users get practical tools including navigation, a music player, predictive T9 texting, voice-to-text, and audio messaging, all wrapped in a 2.8-inch OLED clamshell with a traditional T9 keypad, a 12MP camera, 128GB of storage, 5G connectivity, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a replaceable 1,800mAh battery.
The Light Flip is the company's fourth phone and its first flip-form device, arriving at a moment when the clamshell is experiencing a broader revival. Light's argument is that current options on the market either feel cheap or simply replace one set of digital distractions with another. By packaging its minimalist software into one of the most recognizable phone shapes ever made, the company is pitching the Flip directly at people who feel nostalgic for simpler hardware but unwilling to sacrifice modern essentials like Bluetooth 5.0, eSIM support, and USB-C.
The Light Flip is available to preorder now at $299 outright or through Light's mobile service starting at $39 per month, with shipments expected to begin in April 2027.
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Chinese tech companies are courting teenagers to solve a deepening AI talent shortage
China's AI industry is facing a talent crunch serious enough to push its biggest technology companies down into high school hallways. McKinsey estimates the country could fall short by 5 million AI workers by 2030, with existing pipelines covering only about a third of anticipated demand. That pressure is already showing up in hiring data: between January and May of this year, Chinese employers posted more than three AI job openings for every qualified candidate, even as the number of AI engineering positions grew nearly 28 percent year over year. To get ahead of the problem, companies including Tencent, ByteDance, and automotive giant Geely have launched structured programs targeting students as young as 13, offering everything from mentorship camps in AI and robotics to guaranteed post-graduation employment with salaries matching those of university graduates.
The approach reflects a broader rethinking of what relevant experience even looks like in a field this young and fast-moving. MiniMax, whose average employee is 29 years old, says it evaluates candidates on intellectual curiosity and demonstrated ability rather than credentials or years on a resume. A senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit put it plainly: engineers who have grown up with open-source models and fast experimentation carry lower adjustment costs and longer potential runways inside a firm, making them attractive targets before the market fully prices in their value. The U.S. has seen similar moves, with Palantir last year launching a fellowship designed to funnel high school graduates into full-time roles, and Google steadily reducing the share of job postings that require a college degree.
For most Chinese companies, recruiters say the high school programs are less about immediate hiring and more about tracking promising students over several years to see who develops into the talent they eventually want to bring on board, a long game in an industry where the rules keep changing.
Apple may be testing its biggest ever display for its special iPhone
Apple may be quietly exploring the biggest screen it has ever put on an iPhone. According to leaker Digital Chat Station, the company is testing a 6.96-inch display panel that would bring its largest handset to the edge of the 7-inch mark. The experimental screen is said to maintain the same aspect ratio as the current Pro Max display, meaning it would grow both taller and wider without changing the phone's fundamental proportions. The iPhone 20 Pro Max is floated as a possible destination, though the leak stops well short of connecting the panel to any finished or confirmed device.
The size jump lands in an interesting moment for Apple's roadmap. Bloomberg has previously reported that Apple is developing two special iPhones to mark its 20th-anniversary milestone in 2027, and Digital Chat Station has separately claimed that Samsung is working on an advanced shallow quad-curved, polarizer-free display for Apple. Taken together, those reports give the company ample reason to be pushing its display ambitions further than usual. A nearly 7-inch screen would give users meaningfully more room for video and gaming, though the Pro Max is already a large device, and even a small increase could affect how comfortably it sits in a hand or a pocket.
A panel under evaluation is a long way from a shipping product, and this report comes from a single source without independent confirmation. Apple could adjust the dimensions, redirect the display to a different model, or shelve the concept entirely before anything reaches a production line. The next meaningful signal will be whether a separate source ties this specific panel to one of the rumored 2027 anniversary devices.
Quick Hits
Computing
For more than a year, one of Apple's privacy tools quietly did the opposite of its job. Hide My Email, which is supposed to keep your real address out of sight, leaked it. (More)
Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has been temporarily paused for 14 days after a judge ruled the merger is likely to violate antitrust laws. (More)
Nvidia gives DLSS 5 developers two sliders to tune its AI image filter (More)
Bring SSP Automation Into Your Billing Platform
SSP under ASC 606 shouldn't live in spreadsheets. On July 22, Tabs' team shows how native SSP automation runs on real billing data, ties to your Product Catalog, and generates audit-ready documentation automatically.
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Mobile
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 preorders in Austria no longer come with free storage upgrades. Instead, buyers get discounted upgrades, which isn't quite as good a deal. (More)
Siri in iOS 27 has been put through its paces for three weeks, and seven standout features are already changing how the assistant feels to use day-to-day. (More)
Apple's new financing program called Apple Upgrade is reportedly launching later this month in partnership with Klarna, letting you pay off new devices over time. (More)
TSMC reportedly plans up to a 10% chip price hike starting in 2027 (More)
Audio / Video
Motorola's Moto Pad 70 Groove packs nine JBL speakers into a tablet with a 120Hz screen and built-in stand, making it one of the most audio-forward portable entertainment slates we've seen. (More)
Gaming
Critical Role's new tabletop adventure *Road to Nowhere* ties into the gothic-horror miniseries Age of Umbra: Sallowlands. (More)
Steam Deck sales have dropped roughly 80 percent since Valve raised prices in May, according to an analysis of bestseller charts. (More)
A Game Boy Advance was turned into a working password-cracking machine by a developer. It's about thirty million times slower than a modern rig, but that's kind of the point. (More)
My Hero Academia anime short starring Eri streams August 3 (More)
Entertainment
The Guild reunion film smashed its crowdfunding goal by raising $2.5 million in under a day, with the original cast set to return for *The Guild: Ren Faire'd* in 2027. (More)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Songs of the Past expansion is set to make its world premiere at Gamescom Opening Night Live in late August, CD Projekt Red has confirmed. (More)
Harris Dickinson stepped behind the camera for the first time, and the result is Urchin, a London-set story about addiction and life on the street. Money was never the point here. (More)
AI
Smart Home
Smart home gadgets for curb appeal are having a moment, with devices like video doorbells, smart locks, and outdoor lighting systems making your home's exterior as connected as its interior. (More)
Cars / EV
Tesla's AI ambitions are coming at a steep cost, with rising cash burn set to test how long investors will fund the bet before demanding results. (More)
Wearables
Photography
Fujifilm Instax Mini 13 is a sub-$100 instant camera that trades algorithmic photo processing for no-frills retro charm, making it a solid pick for anyone craving analog simplicity. (More)
Final Bits
Ghost in the Shell's new anime is surprisingly raunchy
Pokémon Pokopia gets a Zorua hide-and-seek contest
The Odyssey used a woman as Matt Damon's arm double
Splatoon Raiders early concept made devs feel like villains
Sadie Sink dodges the Jean Grey casting question
PlayStation physical game sales are cratering in the U.S.
Nintendo won't refund Switch price hikes, lawsuit claims
Wicked: For Good is now streaming on Netflix