Harmony Evans's Blog, page 16
November 15, 2025
OnePlus and Oppo can’t keep giving us the same phone in a different font
There’s no debating that the OnePlus 15 and Oppo Find X9 Pro were cut from the same cloth.
While previous Oppo and OnePlus phones have shared a few characteristics, this year’s flagships look nearly identical, despite being quite different phones under the hood – a decision that I’m really struggling to understand.
The familiar design of the Oppo Find X9 Pro and OnePlus 15With OnePlus now a subsidiary of parent company Oppo, there were always going to be similarities in hardware. We’ve already seen it on the software front, with OnePlus’ OxygenOS looking more ColorOS-like every year, but the similarities between the Oppo Find X9 Pro and OnePlus 15 hardware really take the biscuit.
OnePlus 15
Oppo Find X9 Pro
It’s as if OnePlus has copied Oppo’s homework, but not quite changed enough to hide that fact – or vice versa, I’m not quite sure who came up with the design first. I’m leaning more towards it being a OnePlus innovation considering we saw the design first on the OnePlus 13T earlier this year, but I can’t say for sure.
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Either way, it doesn’t really matter; what matters is that we’ve now got two nearly identical-looking phones on sale in the UK.
And I’m not just being hyperbolic here; the phones really are identical in most aspects. Both share the same overall design with flat edges and rounded corners, though they aren’t exactly the only phones to adopt those hugely popular characteristics.
OnePlus 15
Oppo Find X9 Pro
It goes further than that though; both have the same size screen with ultra-slim bezels, the same AI button on the upper-left side, and both have a near-identical camera housing, with only the camera and flash module placement varying slightly between models. That’s not exactly enough to tell them apart, is it?
Of course, you have the logo on the rear that helps you tell the two apart, but once they’re in a case, it’s anybody’s guess.
If you look really closely, there are a few other differences in design; the AI key is slightly higher up on the Find X9 Pro than the OnePlus 15, and the Oppo also features an iPhone-like button for zooming and taking photos on the bottom-right – but these are differences you’ll only notice if you have both phones side-by-side, like I do.
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There are plenty of differences, but you couldn’t tell at a glanceThe near-identical design would lead some to believe it’s simply a branding exercise; if you’re a OnePlus fan, opt for the OnePlus 15, and if you prefer Oppo, choose the Find X9 Pro. They’re basically the same, right?
Actually, no. Look beyond the design of the two phones, and there are actually plenty of differences between them that make them suited to very different people.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)The OnePlus 15 is certainly the more performance-focused of the two. It features Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, offering some of the best performance I’ve seen from any phone to date, along with a big 7300mAh battery and rapid 120W fast charging – with bypass support – to boot.
It’s the screen that truly sets it apart from its sibling though; OnePlus went with a 1.5K AMOLED screen with an LTPO-enabled 165Hz refresh rate.
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That in itself is impressive – gaming phones with 165Hz tend to cap out at FHD+ – but OnePlus went a step further by working with popular game devs to introduce 165fps support in games. That means you can actually hit 165fps in games like Call of Duty Mobile – a real boon for mobile gamers.
The Oppo Find X9 Pro, on the other hand, offers a more camera-first experience. It not only offers the Hasselblad branding no longer present on the OnePlus 15, but it swaps out the OnePlus’ 50MP periscope lens for a 200MP alternative for impressive zoom performance.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)There’s also the Hasselblad Teleconverter lens add-on for the X9 Pro that really takes zoom photography to the next level. More generally, Oppo’s image processing tech is the better of the two, delivering more accurate colours and detail than OnePlus’ alternative across the board.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)However, you won’t be getting the 165Hz refresh rate, 120W charging or Snapdragon power from Oppo’s more expensive phone – though the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 isn’t exactly a slouch in the processing department.
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Still, there’s enough here to sway consumers one way or the other, but all that is lost when consumers are faced with two phones that look nearly identical without diving into spec sheets or reviews.
Selling near-identical phones in the UK is confusingEssentially, selling nearly identical-looking phones in the same market is confusing, and neither manufacturers nor consumers truly benefit.
It infinitely muddies the water of what would otherwise be a pretty straightforward buying decision, while also diluting the brand recognition of both OnePlus and Oppo. There’s no way that anyone will see the OnePlus 15 or Oppo Find X9 Pro in the wild and be able to say for sure that it’s one or the other – and that’s a baffling decision.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)It’d make more sense if only the Oppo or OnePlus went on sale in the UK, but that’s not the case. We’ve got both, and both were announced within weeks of each other, further blurring the lines between the two.
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I have no problem with both Oppo and OnePlus phones going on sale in the UK – I’m a big fan of both, after all, and I welcome more variety with open arms – but I really hope they diverge in design a little more next year.
November 14, 2025
A profile of Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist, who says LLMs are a dead end for reaching AGI and backs world models instead, and is reportedly leaving Meta (Meghan Bobrowsky/Wall Street Journal)
Big Technology Podcast:
Inside The AI Bubble: Debt, Depreciation, and Losses — With Gil Luria
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Data Centers in Space + A.I. Policy on the Right + A Gemini History Mystery
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The company at the heart of the AI bubble
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
“Dumbest idea I’ve heard” to $100M ARR: Inside the rise of Gamma | Grant Lee (CEO)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Great Chat:
Turns out, there’s still a line (don’t mock the pope)
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
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Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Kyle Vogt from The Bot Company
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Apple is intensifying CEO succession planning as Tim Cook, now 65, may step down as early as next year, with John Ternus seen as the likely successor (Financial Times)
Big Technology Podcast:
Inside The AI Bubble: Debt, Depreciation, and Losses — With Gil Luria
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Data Centers in Space + A.I. Policy on the Right + A Gemini History Mystery
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The company at the heart of the AI bubble
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
“Dumbest idea I’ve heard” to $100M ARR: Inside the rise of Gamma | Grant Lee (CEO)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Great Chat:
Turns out, there’s still a line (don’t mock the pope)
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Kyle Vogt from The Bot Company
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
local opposition blocked or delayed 17 US data center projects worth $98B in Q2 2025, vs. 16 projects worth $64B from May 2024 to March 2025 (Molly Taft/Wired)
Big Technology Podcast:
Inside The AI Bubble: Debt, Depreciation, and Losses — With Gil Luria
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Data Centers in Space + A.I. Policy on the Right + A Gemini History Mystery
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The company at the heart of the AI bubble
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
“Dumbest idea I’ve heard” to $100M ARR: Inside the rise of Gamma | Grant Lee (CEO)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Great Chat:
Turns out, there’s still a line (don’t mock the pope)
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Kyle Vogt from The Bot Company
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
X replaces DMs with Chat, a new messaging system that it says is E2EE, supports file sharing, video calling, and more, rolling out first to iOS and the web (Karissa Bell/Engadget)
Big Technology Podcast:
Inside The AI Bubble: Debt, Depreciation, and Losses — With Gil Luria
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Data Centers in Space + A.I. Policy on the Right + A Gemini History Mystery
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The company at the heart of the AI bubble
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
“Dumbest idea I’ve heard” to $100M ARR: Inside the rise of Gamma | Grant Lee (CEO)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Great Chat:
Turns out, there’s still a line (don’t mock the pope)
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Kyle Vogt from The Bot Company
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Digital asset treasuries increasingly rely on in-kind contributions, with sponsors using their own crypto instead of cash, shifting risk to retail investors (Suvashree Ghosh/Bloomberg)
Big Technology Podcast:
Inside The AI Bubble: Debt, Depreciation, and Losses — With Gil Luria
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Data Centers in Space + A.I. Policy on the Right + A Gemini History Mystery
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The company at the heart of the AI bubble
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
“Dumbest idea I’ve heard” to $100M ARR: Inside the rise of Gamma | Grant Lee (CEO)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Great Chat:
Turns out, there’s still a line (don’t mock the pope)
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Kyle Vogt from The Bot Company
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Trump’s Plot To Rig The Midterm Election Is Falling Apart
There has always been a practical reason why states have not previously embraced mid-decade redistricting. Besides the basic fact that it is undemocratic, there is also the possibility that it doesn’t work, or backfires on the party trying to gerrymander their way to a midterm House majority.
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Trump’s poll numbers have the look and stench of a term-limited president who is set to become a lame duck as the opposition party appears ready to sweep back into power.
Republicans could have come up with some good policy ideas or maybe addressed the issues that voters care most about, instead of cutting taxes for billionaires and redecorating the White House, but that would have taken work and an effort to understand what the American people want.
Trump’s idea was to try to cheat his way to victory by forcing Republican run states to gerrymander their congressional maps.
The president got Texas to fall in line right away, creating up to 5 new Republican House seats. North Carolina gerrymandered one additional Republican seat.
Then the wheels started to fall off for Republicans. Ohio Republicans were scared out of an aggressive gerrymander by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. A Utah judge tossed out the MAGA-drawn map of that state and set up an additional Democratic leaning district. California passed Prop 50 to counter the Texas gerrymander with five new Democratic House districts.
Trump was counting on other red states to come through for him, but he got some very bad news about one that he has had his eyes on for months.
Story continues below.
Opera says in the 12 months ending with October, it saw a 88% surge in daily active iOS users across Europe, partly due to the changes mandated by the DMA (Marcus Mendes/9to5Mac)
Big Technology Podcast:
Inside The AI Bubble: Debt, Depreciation, and Losses — With Gil Luria
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Data Centers in Space + A.I. Policy on the Right + A Gemini History Mystery
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The company at the heart of the AI bubble
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
“Dumbest idea I’ve heard” to $100M ARR: Inside the rise of Gamma | Grant Lee (CEO)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Great Chat:
Turns out, there’s still a line (don’t mock the pope)
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Kyle Vogt from The Bot Company
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Addabbo set to open New York legal review to potentially regulate prediction markets
New York is now formally examining whether it has the power to regulate prediction markets, with State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. telling ReadWrite he is already consulting with Senate legal counsel on a review that will guide potential legislative action when the new session begins in January.
In an exclusive conversation with ReadWrite, Addabbo said he is currently working to figure out what authority New York might have over new prediction market platforms. His review comes as Assemblymember Clyde Vanel recently proposed the ORACLE Act, a bill aimed at regulating prediction markets in the state. “What we do is seek legal counsel about this and other bills, which will take the holidays. That’s what we do. So let’s see,” he said, noting the review is still preliminary.
Addabbo’s warning comes at a time when prediction market operator Kalshi has already taken the New York State Gaming Commission to court after being told that its political contracts might break state gambling laws. At the same time, Congress is considering different federal approaches, including the proposed AB 9251 bill, that could change which agencies oversee prediction markets across the country.
‘Very little guardrails’
I guess we’re just filing lawsuits on weekends now. Kalshi files a preemption suit against New York. pic.twitter.com/wAKyeWD5c3
— Andrew Kim (@akhoya87) October 27, 2025
Addabbo, who played a key role in creating New York’s regulated mobile sports betting system, said his top priority is protecting consumers, especially when it comes to gambling addiction.
He compared the rapid growth of sweepstakes casinos to the sudden rise of prediction markets in New York, noting that both trends raise similar concerns. “When we look even [at] the sweepstakes casinos… we haven’t legalized online gaming yet in New York. And yet here we were faced with these sweepstakes casinos generally doing online gaming in New York,” he said.
He said the risk with prediction markets is much the same, only with fewer safeguards in place.
“These particular markets have very little guidelines or guardrails or safety measures for those who may have a gaming addiction. That’s my primary concern.” – Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr.
He contrasted this with New York’s regulated mobile sports betting ecosystem, which he called “maybe the number one product in the country” and one that has “raised us about $0.5 billion in revenue” for education.
He warned that prediction markets could undermine that progress if they are allowed to expand without proper oversight.
“When you have outside entities doing things in the gray area, maybe illegally… it’s cutting into our educational funds,” he added.
State vs. federal power: ‘What can we do within our jurisdiction?’Across the country, prediction markets sit in a murky legal area. Some operators treat them like financial derivatives overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), while many states see them as gambling products.
Addabbo said he is well aware of that tension.
“You know, what jurisdiction do we have as a state? You look at the court cases… there’s a lot. But I always look at what we can do within the jurisdiction of the state,” he said.
The senator said he plans to look closely at whether New York should take early legislative action, wait for clearer direction from the federal level, or try a mix of both. He pointed to his colleague Vanel’s bill as an early sign of where the conversation might go, but stressed that figuring out who has authority over these markets is still the key issue.
“Once the bill is introduced, then they go research and everything else… I get to try legal counsel and say, what can we do within New York’s jurisdiction?” he explained.
Are prediction markets gambling, finance, or something else?When asked how he personally sees prediction markets, Addabbo said the label might matter less than the risks to consumers and the gaps in oversight.
He cautioned that prediction contracts involving elections, politics, or entertainment could “creep into” the mobile sports betting world, an area where New York already has clear authority and significant financial interests.
“We regulate… to make sure it’s safe. That’s my concern. I want to have when we start off that we regulate,” he said.
While he acknowledged that some operators argue they fall under CFTC oversight, Addabbo repeated that the state still has a duty to shield New Yorkers from products that may be risky or predatory.
For him, the urgency is not only about money but also about fast moving technology. “The accessibility of these games… we have to be concerned,” he said, adding, “You want to be ahead of the curve, you don’t want to be reactive.”
What comes next: a January updateAddabbo expects to have a better sense of the situation early in the new legislative session in January, but he said he plans to start looking more closely at the bill as soon as next week.
With state and federal regulators at odds over who should shape the future of prediction markets, and with operators already battling New York in court, the next few months could decide how firmly these platforms establish themselves in one of the country’s most important betting markets.
Featured image: Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr via New York Senate
New Jersey law enforcement busts multimillion-dollar, family-run sports betting ring
Fourteen people have been charged with running a sports betting ring in New Jersey. Announced by the Attorney General, Matthew J. Platkin, the “multimillion” scheme was run by an organized crime operation. It comes as several sports leagues, such as the NBA, have faced similar scandals involving star players.
At the heart of the gambling ring is Joseph M. “Little Joe” Perna. The 55-year-old has been charged with first-degree racketeering, as well as money laundering, second-degree conspiracy, and third-degree promotion of gambling. Perna’s charges could land him in prison for over 50 years, as the first-degree charges carry 10 to 20 years with them, alone.
Today we announced charges against 14 defendants for their roles in a multimillion-dollar illegal sports betting ring.
Organized crime may evolve, but our message is clear: we will pursue and prosecute those who break the law.https://t.co/H6THjr4bRH pic.twitter.com/GlJ2OW8zd4
— Attorney General Matt Platkin (@NewJerseyOAG) November 13, 2025
Perna will most likely face fines too, with the maximum fine tallying over $850,000 if he’s given the maximum. Joining Perna for racketeering are his wife and ex-wife. Rosanna Magno, 52, Perna’s ex-wife, was allegedly caught concealing the ledgers for the gambling ring. Kim Zito, 53, Perna’s current wife and mother to the also arrested Frank Zito, reportedly took payments from the gambling ring.
Alongside the Perna’s stepson, wife, and ex-wife, Perna’s sons, nephews, and a variety of other individuals have also been charged.
The case began in January 2024, as the Port Investigations Unit and the NJSP Port Security Section worked to kick off the investigation in Essex and Bergen counties in New Jersey. According to the Attorney General’s report, those involved were student athletes, and the gambling ring itself managed to make around $2 million.
As the New Jersey Attorney General’s press release reports, Perna’s son, Joseph R., 25, took charge of the daily operations of the gambling ring.
Speaking in the press release, Platkin said: “We may all think that the portrayal of organized crime we remember from movies and television shows, and books no longer exists, but we are announcing charges today that allege it still does.
“Despite the proliferation of legal betting of all kinds, gambling remains a mainstay of members and associates of organized crime. The locations and methods may have evolved, but illegal gambling – in this case, sports betting – remains a problem, and we will charge those who seek to profit from it.”
Organizational chart showcasing the hierarchy and roles within an alleged sports-betting operation in New Jersey: Office of the Attorney GeneralDCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton added: “Today we are alleging that a member and associates of the Lucchese crime family were running a sophisticated sports betting operation.
“They are also charged with money laundering and other crimes as part of their racketeering enterprise. We are committed to rooting out these illegal operations and protecting the public from becoming their victims.”
Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, concluded: “The takedown of this organized illegal sports gambling ring underscores our unwavering commitment to dismantling criminal networks that profit from corruption and greed.
“These racketeering operations exploit vulnerable individuals and communities, and today’s charges send a clear message — we will continue to protect victims and pursue justice wherever organized crime takes root.”
Featured image: Rutgers Edu.
