Tech

Apple announced the iPhone 17E yesterday, and one feature tells you everything about their 2026 strategy: MagSafe is now standard, not Pro-only.

This sounds minor. It’s not. It’s Apple acknowledging that their Pro/Non-Pro segmentation was confusing users and leaving money on the table.

What the 17E Actually Is

The “E” stands for “Essential,” not “Economy.” Apple learned from the SE that cheap positioning hurts brand perception. The 17E is mid-tier pricing ($699) with near-flagship features.

Samsung’s marketing calls the S26 “the phone that thinks.” After seven days of actual use, here’s what that means in practice.

The AI features work about 70% of the time. When they work, they’re genuinely useful. When they don’t, they’re annoying enough that you’ll turn them off.

This is not the glowing review Samsung wants. It’s also not a pan. It’s the messy reality of AI-first hardware in 2026.

What actually works

Smart Select is the standout. Draw a circle around any object in any photo, and the phone identifies it with surprising accuracy. It found obscure book covers, identified plants I couldn’t name, and pulled text from screenshots faster than any OCR app I’ve used.

The Kindle Scribe shouldn’t exist. In 2026, we have tablets, laptops, phones, voice dictation, AI transcription. Why would anyone want a device specifically for writing by hand?

And yet, Amazon keeps selling them. The Scribe, with its 10.2-inch e-ink display and stylus, has found a market. Not a massive market—Kindle sales dwarf Scribe sales—but a real, committed market.

The reason isn’t nostalgia. It’s neuroscience.

The Science of Handwriting

The Motor-Cognition Connection

Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders went live March 27. Within hours, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and GameStop websites were struggling or down completely. Nintendo’s $450 console just broke the internet.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. The Switch 2 is an evolution, not a revolution. Same form factor, better specs, backward compatible. No surprise features, no price shock, no scarcity marketing. Just a solid upgrade to a successful console.

And yet, demand crashed retail infrastructure. What happened?

Your next smartphone will cost $100-200 more than your current one. Blame AI.

Not the AI features in your phone. The AI happening in massive data centers that are consuming every available memory chip on the planet. And there’s no quick fix.

The Memory Crunch

Supply vs. Demand

Global memory chip production is essentially sold out through 2027. Not because factories can’t make chips—they’re running at 95% capacity. Because demand from AI companies is insatiable.

NBCUniversal’s Peacock previewed its mobile app redesign on March 26, and it’s not really a streaming service anymore—it’s TikTok with premium content.

The new Peacock mobile experience combines vertical video, AI-powered “Bravoverse” content, casual games, and traditional streaming. The goal isn’t just to compete with Netflix and Disney+—it’s to compete with the apps consuming most of users’ screen time.

The Vertical Video Strategy

Courtside Live Goes Vertical

Peacock’s NBA coverage pioneered vertical video at the 2026 All-Star Game. The feature drew younger viewers who reflexively hold phones vertically and find horizontal content annoying.

Apple never mentions specific model sales in earnings calls. They talk about “iPhone revenue” and “Services growth” and “active installed base.” But they don’t tell you how many iPhone 17E units moved versus iPhone 17 Pro Max.

You have to read between the lines. And the lines are saying something Apple didn’t want to emphasize.

What Apple Said

In the Q2 2026 earnings call (transcript released March 23), Apple reported:

I’ve spent two weeks with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, and I keep asking myself the same question: who is this phone for?

The Good

The 200MP camera with AI-enhanced zoom is genuinely impressive. I photographed a street sign from 100 feet away and could read the parking restrictions clearly. The new vapor chamber cooling system actually works—no more overheating during gaming sessions.

Battery life is excellent. Two days of moderate use without anxiety about finding a charger. The S Pen latency is noticeably improved, though I still can’t shake the feeling that handwriting recognition peaked in 2015.

Netflix thought cracking down on password sharing would boost revenue. They were half right.

The revenue went up. But the company’s reputation may never recover.

What Netflix Did

In early 2024, Netflix announced the end of password sharing. The rules were clear:

• One household per account
• IP tracking to verify location
• $7.99 per extra member

Wall Street celebrated. Analysts predicted 15 million new paying subscribers.

What Actually Happened

I analyzed Netflix’s public filings and third-party data. Here’s what the numbers show:

Sarah Chen hit 10,000 steps every day for 847 consecutive days. She also developed an anxiety disorder, stopped enjoying walks, and eventually threw her Fitbit into a lake.

“I couldn’t just walk anymore,” she told me. “I had to optimize every step.”

Her story isn’t unique. It’s increasingly normal.

The Quantified Self Has Become the Obsessed Self

Wearable fitness trackers promised to make us healthier. Instead, they’re making us miserable.