The Morning After: iPhone sales are up 50 percent year over year

The curse of buying new tech at the wrong time will get us all. In the last year, I’ve seen fellow Engadget employees buy a Nintendo Switch just before the OLED model broke cover, take the plunge with the iPhone SE just before the iPhone 12 mini was unveiled and make several more shopping missteps. Now, I might have done the same.

I picked up Sony’s vlogging camera, the ZV-1, earlier this month. I was looking for an agile video setup for the occasional time I have to record footage at Engadget without a skilled member of our video team. It’s very easy to make it work, with great face tracking capabilities and even a product showcase mode that helps me really show off whatever gadget I’m handling and I was happy with it. 

For a couple of weeks.

Then I heard the rumors that Sony was about to expand its vlogging camera family, and my heart sank. Here it is, then. The ZV E-10, a new vlogging camera that fuses the tiny frame of the ZV-1 with interchangeable lenses. 

The two major improvements seem to be a larger 24-megapixel sensor and an interchangeable mirrorless mount. The latter means you can use one of the 60-plus E-mount lenses, while that larger sensor should offer improved light sensitivity and a shallower depth of field. The ZV-E10 will launch by the end of August and will cost $700 for the body or $800 in a bundle with one of Sony’s power zoom lens. The price is roughly level with how much I paid for the ZV-1 earlier this month. It’s probably too late to ask for a refund, right? 

— Mat Smith

Another record-breaking quarter for Apple.

Despite the pandemic, Apple has spent most of the last two years relentlessly upgrading its product lineup, and its moves are definitely paying off. During its fiscal year third quarter, all of its product segments (the iPhone, Mac, iPad, services and wearables/home/accessories) increased in revenue year over year, leading to total revenue of $81.4 billion. iPhone revenue of $39.6 billion made up almost half of that figure, likely thanks to an unusual four devices making up the iPhone 12 lineup. Continue reading.

The company delayed its launch due to battery cell shortage and supply chain issues.

Tesla has revealed during its most recent earnings call that it has pushed back the truck’s arrival — yet again — to 2022, three years after its original launch target in 2019. Last year, the company announced it had to delay the vehicle’s release to 2021 but didn’t elaborate on why. Now, the company has told shareholders the delay is due to the limited availability of battery cells and global supply chain challenges. Continue reading.

A limited-edition online drop will take place on July 31st.

The new hardware startup from the co-founder of OnePlus is almost ready to show off its first product — and I hope you like wireless earbuds. Taking a leaf out of Carl Pei’s former company, the dripfeed for Nothing’s Ear 1 hasn’t left much to reveal, although we’ve gleaned an eventual US launch date, mid-August, and some battery estimates. Rumor has it, we’ll have some first-hand impressions on these see-thru wireless buds very soon. Stay tuned. Continue reading.

They’re demanding the company improve working conditions.

After sharing an open letter decrying the company’s “abhorrent and insulting” response to a harassment lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), Activision Blizzard employees plan to hold a walkout.

According to Kotaku, at least 50 employees will protest the company’s recent actions in person and call on it to improve working conditions for women by at least temporarily leaving their posts today. In the open letter, the employees call on Activision Blizzard to end the use of forced arbitration for all current and future employees, adopt new hiring policies designed to increase representation across the company, publish transparency data on compensation and hire a third-party firm to conduct a review of the studio’s HR department and executive staff. Continue reading.

But wait, there’s more…

‘The Simpsons’ gets a home arcade cabinet for its 30th birthday

Discord finally adds threaded messaging

Microsoft’s profits skyrocketed by 47 percent in Q4

Waze will warn you about traffic jams and detours before you drive

Netflix turned a Twitter account into an animated show

Google parent Alphabet made a whopping $61.9 billion last quarter

Facebook recalls Quest 2 foam inserts over skin irritation issues

US government sells ‘Pharma Bro’ Martin Shkreli’s one-off Wu-Tang Clan album

AZIO’s colorful IZO collection looks great (and that’s about it)