Stripe has hit a $159bn valuation, according to a recent letter from company founders.
Irish fintech giant Stripe is considering acquiring some or all of PayPal, reports Bloomberg, citing insiders.
According to the publication, Stripe has already expressed preliminary interest in a potential acquisition of the US payments company or some of its assets. Stripe declined to respond to queries put forth by SiliconRepublic.com. PayPal has not yet responded.
PayPal share prices shot up by around 6.74pc since Bloomberg first reported the story yesterday (24 February).
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The US company, which went public in 2002, has a market capitalisation of $43.2bn. The 2010-founded Stripe was valued at $159bn earlier this week. Stripe’s co-founders are seemingly in no rush to take the company public.
Founded in the late 1990s, PayPal has struggled to modernise against emerging rivals in the payments space such as Apple and Google.
However, the executive switch-up did not sway investor confidence after the company missed revenue expectations in the quarter past, sending share prices down by 20pc. Company shares have dropped more than 80pc over the last five years.
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Stripe, however, has remained “robustly profitable”, according to a letter from the founding brother-duo Patrick and John Collison. The company is investing heavily in product development and making strategic acquisitions that include programmable wallet company Privy, stablecoin orchestration platform Bridge and Metronome, which “powers the intricate usage-based billing models used by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Confluent and Nvidia”.
A new suit filed by the New York attorney general seeks to stop Valve Software’s use of “loot box” mechanics in its popular PC games, accusing the Bellevue, Wash.-based company of making billions of dollars by luring children and teenagers into gambling on rare Counter-Strike skins.
The lawsuit alleges that Valve’s first-party games are essentially an illegal gambling operation aimed at younger players. It seeks to stop Valve from implementing loot box mechanics in its games going forward, as well as hit the company with a fine equal to “three times the amount of its gain from the illegal practices alleged herein.”
While it’s arguably best known for running the digital gaming marketplace Steam, Valve Software also owns and operates several of its own popular PC games, including Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2.
All three games feature an optional mechanic where players can pay real money in exchange for “loot boxes”: a virtual item that drops a randomly-generated piece of cosmetic gear that can be used in-game. Most of these items have no mechanical impact and are there strictly for looks, such as silly hats in TF2 or neon-painted “weapon skins” in CS2. This might not make sense to you, but there are people in this world who will pay any price to get an appropriately ugly virtual rifle, and these people are part of why Valve CEO Gabe Newell has a superyacht.
Despite their lack of actual effect, loot boxes and item trading are both an extraordinarily lucrative market for Valve. Virtual items for these three games have been sold for staggering amounts of real money. One estimate cited by the AG’s office indicates that the market for Counter-Strike skins alone was worth over $4.3 billion as of last year.
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While Valve absolutely benefits from the strangely frenetic market for virtual items in CS2, TF2, and Dota 2 — it sell these loot boxes in the first place, and hosts the secondary market for them via the in-app Steam Marketplace — the occasionally shocking prices for these items is part of a player-created economy.
In an official press release, New York Attorney General Letitia James wrote that “illegal gambling can be harmful and lead to serious addiction problems… Valve has made billions of dollars by letting children and adults alike illegally gamble for the chance to win valuable virtual prizes. These features are addictive, harmful, and illegal, and my office is suing to stop Valve’s illegal conduct and protect New Yorkers.”
GeekWire reached out to Valve for further comment.
The suit against Valve marks the latest in a series of moves by James to tamp down on gambling operations within New York state, such as shutting down 26 online casinos last year, as well as taking aim at Meta and TikTok for those platforms allegedly posing “harms to young people’s mental health.”
Panasonic has unveiled two very different additions to its audio lineup: the audiophile-focused Technics SL-1500CS direct drive turntable and the party-ready SC-BMAX30 transportable speaker.
The Technics SL-1500CS marks the return of the well-regarded SL-1500C. It has been updated with the company’s latest audio innovations such as the ΔΣ-(Delta Sigma) Drive technology, which it has borrowed from more expensive models in its line-up.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
The addition of the ΔΣ-Drive, as well as reducing motor vibrations and improving the rotational stability of the platter, is whyTechnics claims the SL-1500CS delivers “best in class” standard for sonic performance.
A built-in phono equaliser is included, making it easier to connect the deck directly to amplifiers or speakers without the need for dedicated phono preamp. Given the SL-1500C came out seven years, the design has also been a much-needed lick of paint refreshed, with a metallic grey colourway that retaining Technics’ minimalist aesthetic.
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The SL-1500CS will retail for £1,099 when it goes on sale from March 2026 onwards.
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From the Panasonic side of the audio department comes a new flagship party speaker in the SC-BMAX30. It’s able to deliver 320W of power, a speaker that’s main intent is to boom out a deep bass performance. We were at Panasonic’s Experience Event in Germany and ti delivers plenty low frequency welly.
Despite its size, portability is clearly a priority. The SC-BMAX30 has wheels, a telescopic handle, and can reportedly last up to 14 hours of battery life.
A metal grille conceals a dynamic lighting system designed to sync with your music, and the design is also rated to IPX4 to protect this party speaker from splashes and light weather.
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For connectivity options include Bluetooth Multipoint for pairing two devices simultaneously and Wireless Chain Connection for linking multiple units together. Moreover, there are dedicated mic and guitar inputs for karaoke or live sessions, though as one person pointed out, it could do with some RCA connections.
The SC-BMAX30 goes on sale March 2026, and it is priced at £399.99 / €449.
The recently unveiled x86CSS project aims to emulate an x86 processor within a web browser. Unlike many other web-based emulators, Lyra Rebane’s implementation is written entirely in CSS. More precisely, the x86CSS page hosts a C program compiled with GCC into native 8086 machine code, which is then executed through… Read Entire Article Source link
There was a time when only the richest ham radio operators could have a radio with a panadapter. Back in the day, this was basically a spectrum analyzer that monitored a broad slice of the receiver’s intermediate frequency so you could see signals on either side of the receiver’s actual frequency. Today, with SDR technology and computers, this is an easy thing for receivers to implement. But what if you want to refit a classic radio? It isn’t that hard, and [Mirko Pavleski] shares his notes on how he tackled the project. You can also check it out in the video below.
The plan is simple. A FET amplifier taps the radio’s IF stage before the first IF filter. This provides good isolation and buffering. Then, an emitter follower stage provides a matched output to the SDR through a low-pass filter. The SDR remains tuned to the IF frequency, of course. The rest is essentially software and procedures.
Of course, your exact connection to your radio will differ unless you have the same receiver shown in the video. A modern scope with an FFT should be able to help you quickly locate a good spot, though.
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Of course, you could just listen through the SDR, but that doesn’t seem sporting but that’s what it looks like he does in the demonstrations. Essentially, he’s using the radio’s RF system via the first IF mixer, then letting the SDR handle the rest. But you could just use the display and tune the radio instead.
If you really wanted a cool system, you could frequency count the internal frequencies and display the correct frequencies in software. Then you could also track the current frequency. This would make it seem more like a traditional panadpater and less like just replacing most of the radio’s features with an SDR.
It’s always a fun day for the space nerds when a NASA team has new images to share from the James Webb Space Telescope. Today’s pair has brains on the brain, with a look at the fittingly named Exposed Cranium Nebula. More officially, this cloud of space dust and debris is known as Nebula PMR 1. The images shared today may capture a moment in the final stages of a star, as well as giving hints as to how the nebula got its brain-like shape.
“The nebula appears to have distinct regions that capture different phases of its evolution — an outer shell of gas that was blown off first and consists mostly of hydrogen, and an inner cloud with more structure that contains a mix of different gases,” NASA’s blog post reads. The dark line that runs vertically through the nebula, giving it the cranial appearance, could be the result of “an outburst or outflow from the central star, which typically occurs as twin jets burst out in opposite directions.” Both Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) were used to document the nebula.
The US added 57 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery storage capacity to its electric grid last year – enough to supply the annual electricity needs of roughly five million homes. The SEIA report projects an additional 21 percent increase by the end of 2026, representing about 70 GWh of new capacity in a single year. Read Entire Article Source link
Over 30 years after the premiere of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Studio Khara announced that a new Evangelionanime is in the works. The franchise follows depressed teenager Shinji Ikari and his allies as they pilot giant robot EVAs to protect the world from the destructive Angels, only to discover another conspiracy at play that threatens all of humanity.
As an Evangelion fan, the prospect of seeing another series in the franchise is very exciting. However, the question lingers: will this new Evangelion anime live up to its predecessor with the talent behind it, and is such a series even necessary?
Evangelion already ended on a high note
Studio Khara / Studio Khara
Through Evangelion’s tumultuous history, audiences have witnessed three different endings to its story in the original anime series, The End of Evangelion, and Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time. The latter film ended with Shinji overcoming his depression and recreating the world into one without EVAs, allowing him and his friends to grow up and have normal lives, giving them all the happy ending they deserve.
This film delivered a satisfying, uplifting conclusion to the long-running anime. Shinji’s decision to break the vicious cycle of trauma and remake the work aligned with the story’s themes of courage and moving forward in life, even if it means feeling pain or making mistakes. which is supposed to bring him and the audience closure after all these years. It was honestly my favorite of the franchise’s three endings, and it didn’t feel like Evangelion needed to go any further.
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It’s unknown whether the next Evangelion series will be a prequel, sequel, or remake of the original anime. We may or may not see Shinji and his friends again in this new anime. Fortunately, Evangelion has left open some room for the story to progress after the most recent film.
Evangelion 3.0+1.0 revealed that Shinji and the rest of the cast were trapped in a time loop, forcing them to relive the franchise’s story as seen in the original show and films. This concept makes it easier for us to imagine the upcoming anime starting fresh while continuing where Evangelion’s story left off.
The new anime’s creators suggest a fresh, faithful follow-up
Studio Khara / Studio Khara
Though Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno won’t helm this new anime, it still features some returning talent working behind the scenes. Rebuild of Evangelion film director Kazuya Tsurumaki will lead the project alongside Evangelion 3.0+1.0 assistant director Toko Yatabe. Tsurumaki has worked closely with Anno since the days of Neon Genesis Evangelion, so someone with this much experience with the franchise should ensure the new anime stays true to the source material.
What is truly remarkable is that the upcoming Evangelion series will be written by Yoko Taro, who created the hit sci-fi video game series NieR. Similar to Evangelion, the NieR franchise has told subversive stories about characters who grapple with loneliness and seek purpose in life, all while depicting robots fighting in a post-apocalyptic world. Yoko has gone as far as to call NieR: Automata‘s story a retelling of Evangelion. Given Yoko’s success as a subversive storyteller and reverence for Evangelion, his writing a new chapter in the latter’s story would be interesting, to say the least.
The new anime will also be produced by Hideaki Anno’s animation company, Studio Khara, which produced the four Rebuild of Evangelion films. It will also be produced by CloverWorks, the animation studio behind popular shows like Darling in the Franxx, The Promised Neverland, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, and My Dress-Up Darling.
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We’ve seen both Khara and CloverWorks deliver some top-tier animation with their respective projects. The two of them working together to revive Evangelion would lead to a dynamic, layered, and vibrant installment to an already stunning anime.
Will Evangelion be the same without Anno?
Studio Khara / Studio Khara
The Evangelion anime has long been the brainchild of Hideaki Anno. The acclaimed writer poured his experiences with clinical depression into the characters’ psychological journeys, particularly Shinji’s, presenting a harrowing, thought-provoking anime unlike any other.
Anno seemed to have finally made peace with his beloved anime with his final Rebuild of Evangelion film. Just as Shinji broke free from the cycle of sadness and violence that dominated his life, Anno finally concluded his magnum opus after writing multiple endings, allowing him to move on from the franchise after working on it for so long.
It’s hard to imagine this franchise without Anno at the helm. It’s also unclear what the new Evangelion creators will add to such a personal story that will allow it to stand out while honoring Anno’s work. However, Anno said in a 2016 interview that he hopes other creators will work on Evangelion in his stead.
“…I want them to be appealing works; it won’t be without specific conditions, but I will not confine them to what my works have established. Just like Gundam, which keeps continuously supporting the animation world, Eva can become a new pillar. After all, it is the purpose that led me to resume through the New Theatrical Versions. I want to maintain this pillar, which carries the animation world…,” said Anno. ‘I do this for the well-being of the animation industry. Gundam can be enjoyed through various works, and it would be nice if Eva can develop in the same way. I think it’s better if there is a diversity in the works.”
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While Evangelion has long been a reflection of the man who created it, it is clear that the franchise has grown far beyond Anno, and he is happy to let the saga move forward with someone else.
Ultimately, Evangelion’s story is destined to repeat itself, but it seems to be for the better. An installment to such a prestigious franchise will undoubtedly be a huge economic boon for the animation industry. It will also keep Anno’s legacy alive and allow a new generation of viewers and creators to take in this story and conjure their own interpretations. Whatever this anime has in store for us, it will be a bold, new beginning for Evangelion worth watching.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro entered the market today with self-assured credentials, and early hands-on reviews are strengthening the argument that they have a good chance of overtaking competing wireless earbuds this year, notably the AirPods Pro 3. Despite being launched today, Prime members can pre-order a pair of the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro for $249.99 (was $279.99) with a $30 gift card today.
To start with, the engineers conducted thousands of simulations to refine the design of these items and essentially combed through millions of ear shapes to find the best one. With a canal fit design and silicone tips that assist establish a secure seal in your ear, each tiny bud weighs only 5.1 grams. Notably, a characteristic metal blade with a lovely polish runs along the stem. All of the controls are on this blade; all you have to do is pinch to adjust the volume.
PRE-ORDER BUNDLE: Prime members get an Amazon Gift Card when you pre-order Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro. Select the gift card bundle variation for…
EXCEPTIONAL AUDIO: Catch details like never before. Designed with a High-Res Audio¹ 24-bit hi-fi codec, the latest Galaxy earbuds maintain the…
TWO-WAY SPEAKER: Enjoy every audio experience to the fullest with two speakers in both Buds, including a tweeter for rich highs and a woofer for deep…
When the cover is closed, you can see the buds inside a transparent clamshell. They are available in black, white, and a pink gold color exclusive through Samsung. With the Buds 4 Pro, Samsung has really put a lot of effort into the audio. A 5.5mm planar tweeter and an 11mm super-wide woofer make up the new two-way speaker system. That woofer’s effective area has increased by about 20% over the previous generation, which helps to maintain the treble clear and sharp while reducing distortion and producing excellent, powerful bass lines.
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Additionally, the codec has been upgraded to enable 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution audio on compatible Samsung phones and their Seamless Codec for smooth, high-fidelity streaming. In the meantime, 360 audio provides spatial dimension when combined with the appropriate equipment, and adaptive EQ essentially continuously scans your ear shape and fit in real time to sort out and maintain the audio.
Noise cancellation has also been improved; it can now adapt to low-volume rumbling noises from the road or transit while still allowing you to hear critical sounds like sirens. Chats are handled naturally by ambient mode, but a new function now recognizes your voice and lets in a little more of your surroundings while you’re speaking. The ANC is then turned back up after you’re done speaking. Super Clear Call activates during a call, expanding the audio bandwidth to 16 kHz and using machine learning to reduce background noise and boost your voice.
In terms of battery life, the Buds 4 Pro can play music for up to seven hours when ANC is off and six hours when it is turned on. This is extended in this case to 26 hours with ANC on and 30 hours without it. Talk time can last up to five hours while the ANC is off and four and a half hours when it is in use. Bluetooth 6.1 ensures you stay connected with zero dropped conversations and automatic device swapping, while fast charging keeps everything running smoothly. Broadcasting shared audio to other compatible devices is another benefit of Auracast capability.
Simple pinch and swipe movements allow you to manage playback and volume, and tilting your head allows you to answer calls or call your preferred assistant—whether it’s Perplexity, Google Gemini, or Bixby. Hands-free controls are incredibly useful. With an IP57 rating, the Buds 4 Pro meet high durability standards, allowing you to run or splash them in the shower without worrying about water getting in the way.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G is a reasonable mid-range Android phone in terms of decently zippy performance, a large and sharp OLED screen and a detailed 200MP snapper. Battery life is a strong point, too, although you can get more power and a less cluttered operating system for similar money.
Excellent battery life
Reasonable price to performance
Vivid, detailed OLED screen
Ad-riddled OS leaves a sour taste
Much more expensive than its predecessor
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Key Features
Review Price: £429
6.83-inch 120Hz OLED screen
The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G has a slightly larger OLED screen before that can get super bright.
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6500mAh battery
It’s also got a huge battery inside that can keep it going for several days on a charge.
Very robust
This Xiaomi phone is drop-proof from up to 2.5m and has full water and dust resistance that’s more flagship quality than mid-ranger.
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Introduction
Xiaomi has become synonymous with budget-centred phones that punch above their weight into the mid-range, and the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G is the brand’s latest and greatest for 2026.
This new model has seen upgrades over the previous Note 14 Pro Plus 5G, such as a bigger AMOLED screen, improved IP rating, a new Snapdragon SoC and a lighter frame that seeks to make it the most complete Xiaomi Note phone yet.
I’ve been putting the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G through its paces for the last few weeks to see if this is truly one of the best Android phones in its price class.
Design
Polycarbonate frame makes it lighter than the older model
Curved edges may date it a little
Excellent dust and water resistance
The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G builds on the previous model’s successes by making some small, but noteworthy changes, to make this the sleekest Pro Plus model Xiaomi has made.
For instance, the chassis has moved to a polycarbonate material to shave some weight, meaning this phone weighs just 207g in the black colourway I have. Opt for the faux leather-backed Mocha Brown model, and it adds an extra gram. Either way, it makes this Xiaomi handset one of the lightest at its price point.
The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G is available in other colours besides black and brown, with Xiaomi also offering Glacier Blue if you’d prefer a more defined splash of colour.
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There are curved edges on the front and back, unlike the other models in the Note 15 lineup, which isn’t as on-trend as it used to be. Nonetheless, I’ve always liked curved edges from the point of comfort, and this Xiaomi phone isn’t tiresome to hold.
Ports are standard fare for a modern phone, with a USB-C port for charging and a SIM slot off to the left. Gone are the days of cheaper phones still coming with things such as a headphone jack or expandable storage.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
Where the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G really punches above its weight is with its improved water and dust resistance over its predecessor, with full IP66/IP68/IP69/IP69K certification that’s up there with flagship devices.
There is also Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for added durability on the display, a pre-applied plastic screen protector, and a TPU case in the box so you’re ready to go as soon as you get the phone.
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Screen
6.83-inch 120Hz 1280×2772 OLED
Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support
3200 nits peak brightness
The screen size on the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G has been upped from 6.67 inches to 6.83 inches, making its 1280×2772 resolution AMOLED panel one of the largest Xiaomi has fitted to a handset yet. It seems to be the same screen that was present on the more premium Xiaomi 15T, proving some components can trickle down to more affordable models.
Xiaomi promises up to 1800 nits of panel-wide brightness and up to 3200 nits peak, which would be seriously impressive for a more mid-range device. In real-world use, I didn’t feel any reason to doubt the brand’s claims, as displayed images in video and games were sharp and vibrant, indoors and out. The panel also benefits from HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR support for increased vibrancy in supported content for even greater vibrancy.
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Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
It’s up to 120Hz of refresh rate here, which gives an added slickness against the 60Hz we were stuck at for a long time, although the screen here lacks the more advanced LTPO tech we see in dearer phones, meaning the variable refresh rate works in a blockier manner. For the most part, the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G’s panel sticks at 120Hz, which isn’t much of a hardship.
Xiaomi has also included an optical under-display fingerprint sensor for this phone, mounted quite low down on the panel. It’s fine to use, although not quite as good as the ultrasonic ones seen on higher-end devices.
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Cameras
200MP main sensor provides natural images
No telephoto lens meaning zoom isn’t too brilliant
Good 4K video from rear camera
In spite of Xiaomi’s long-running partnership with Leica, tech from that collaboration hasn’t worked its way down to the brand’s more affordable handsets just yet. Instead, the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G is bestowed with a dual camera setup, with an 8MP ultrawide and a 200MP 1/1.4-inch main sensor doing most of the heavy lifting.
It’s a similar setup to the previous model, and the same advice applies – stick to the main 200MP snapper as much as possible. That’s because it resolves the most detail, provides the most natural colours and pleasing imagery for a mid-range camera.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
General wide photography yields a natural image that doesn’t have the saturation cranked up for unrealistic, poppy colours, with sharp detail and great dynamic range in my walkabout in London a few weeks’ back. The larger sensor size helps with this, with a 1/1.4-inch size surprisingly large for a more modest handset.
The main sensor does reasonably well in the dark, although let things get too dark, such as in the case of the beef sandwich image, and things begin to look a little fuzzy in places as detail retention drops.
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The lack of a dedicated telephoto lens means Xiaomi is left to crop in on the 200MP sensor to offer an artificial form of zoom via pixel binning, and a choice of focal lengths in the phone’s camera app. At anything up to 4x, detail is still reasonably sharp and well-preserved, although go fully into a digital zoom range of 10x or more and it falls off a cliff in terms of sharpness, detail preservation and more besides.
The 32MP front selfie snapper on the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G is reasonable, although there isn’t any autofocus here to make sure you remain the star of the show. It’s still reasonable for vain photos of yourself, and the dedicated Portrait mode can add some pleasant bokeh, but images can come out a little soft.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
We’ve got up to 4K/30fps video supported on the rear camera with good detail and smooth zoom action, although the front camera’s 1080p/60fps feels comparably limiting in both general performance and overall sharpness.
Performance
Newer Snapdragon chip inside
Middling performance for the price
Decent for gaming, although there are limitations
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As expected for the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G, Xiaomi has opted to use a newer version of the Qualcomm chip found in last year’s model. Here, we’ve got an eight-core Snapdragon 7S Gen 4 SoC, against the Gen 3 model found in the 14 Pro+, along with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage in my sample.
The performance in the Geekbench 6 benchmark isn’t groundbreaking by any means, with as much performance as a flagship from a few years ago, and a modest boost over its predecessor. It’s largely in line with rivals, such as the Motorola Edge 60 Neo, although the OnePlus Nord 5 remains the standout for pure power at this price.
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General use proves the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G doesn’t feel sluggish, in spite of the middling numbers. Navigating around Android felt zippy, as did my general workflow of using my phone for using social media, streaming music from Tidal and playing the odd game.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
More serious multi-tasking can lead to some minor lags or stutters, although that’s perhaps more due to the middling LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage arrangement than the outright raw grunt of the processor.
Gaming is possible with the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G, and with the Game Boost features that spring into life when you open one, it’s possible to optimise your experience as much as possible. It’s possible to clear RAM and enable a faster performance profile to eke out more oomph, and there’s a decently competent GPU inside to allow for 60fps in the likes of Call of Duty Mobile.
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For more prolonged intensive loads, expect this Xiaomi phone to get a little on the warm side, although it seems the phone’s vapour chamber cooling solution does its job well to prevent things from getting too warm.
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Software & AI
HyperOS isn’t as polished as its rivals
More ad-riddled than previous versions
Middling OS and security upgrade commitments
I’ve had a couple of run-ins with Xiaomi’s HyperOS skin of choice in the past, and to be truthful, it’s never been my favourite Android skin against the likes of One UI or the Stock Pixel Launcher due to a lack of polish and the presence of pre-installed guff I didn’t ask for.
It borrows a lot of cues from Apple’s iOS, which become particularly noticeable with the OS’ quick settings menu that’s accessed by swiping on the right side of the screen and has a very Apple feel in terms of brightness and volume control. It’s the same as Honor’s MagicOS, so I’ve been quite used to it, but if you’re moving from other Android variants, it can take some getting used to.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
There are also Google’s latest AI additions, such as Circle to Search and utilising Gemini as an assistant. There are Xiaomi-specific AI gubbins here, which mostly feature in the gallery app when editing images, such as object removal and portrait blurring with an artificial bokeh effect. There are also a few more advanced options, like the ability to remove backgrounds, FOV expansion and AI-powered automatic video editing.
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What I dislike about HyperOS is the amount of bloatware that comes pre-installed, such as Xiaomi’s own MI app store, as well as OneDrive, the Opera browser, and the Booking.com app. Honor is guilty of this, too, and I wish more brands would opt for a cleaner approach to their Android skins.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
The big problem here is the prevalence of ads at virtually every turn – most of them are for Temu – and it majorly cheapens the feel of the operating system.
Xiaomi promises more modest updates and software longevity for the Redmi Note 15 Plus 5G, with four years of OS and six years of security updates. It’s okay, if not class-leading.
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Battery Life
6500 mAh battery
100W wired charging
No charger in the box
The Redmi Note 15 Plus 5G comes with a hefty 6500mAh battery, which is one of the largest available on a phone at this price, and I could comfortably get through a working day without so much as even thinking about battery life. Only a small top-up was needed with a charger before I went to bed to keep it ticking over without worrying for a second day.
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This phone supports up to 100W wired fast charging, but unfortunately the proprietary Xiaomi charger isn’t included in the box. For my testing, I used a more modest 66W 6A charger that wasn’t as brisk in its speeds, taking 75 minutes to get to 50 percent and well in excess of two and a half hours for a full charge. It isn’t the quickest to get back to full.
Moreover, this phone doesn’t support any form of wireless charging, which feels like quite a misstep in 2026, as many of its rivals do.
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Should you buy it?
You want a dazzling screen
The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus excels with its bright, large OLED screen that’s one of the sharpest you’ll find on a phone at its price.
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The letdown with this phone is its ad-riddled version of Android that leaves quite the sour taste against rivals.
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Final Thoughts
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G is a reasonable mid-range Android phone in terms of decently zippy performance, a large and sharp OLED screen and a detailed 200MP snapper. Battery life is a strong point, too, although you can get more power and a less cluttered operating system for similar money.
The likes of the Google Pixel 9a and OnePlus Nord 5 can outperform Xiaomi’s choice in terms of grunt, for instance, while Google’s own version of Android is much cleaner and easier to live with, and its camera is also a strong performer. The Nord 5 isn’t as strong on battery life as Xiaomi’s choice, though, but its OxygenOS skin is much less in your face with AI or any ads compared to HyperOS.
With this in mind, there’s still a fair bit to like about the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G, and it’s a cromulent Android handset for the price. For more options, check out our list of the best Android phones we’ve tested.
How We Test
We test every mobile phone we review thoroughly. We use industry-standard tests to compare features properly and we use the phone as our main device over the review period. We’ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
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Used as a main phone for over a week
Thorough camera testing in a variety of conditions
Tested and benchmarked using respected industry tests and real-world data
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FAQs
Does the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G come with a charger?
No, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G doesn’t come with its own charger, so you’ll need to supply your own.
Is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G water-resistant?
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Yes, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G is fully dust and water-resistant and comes with full IP66/IP68/IP69/IP69K certification.
How many upgrades will the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G get?
Xiaomi has committed to four years of OS updates and six years of security updates with the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus.
Mathematics is often regarded as the ideal domain for measuring AI progress effectively. Math’s step-by-step logic is easy to track, and its definitive automatically verifiable answers remove any human or subjective factors. But AI systems are improving at such a pace that math benchmarks are struggling to keep up.
Way back in November 2024, non-profit research organization Epoch AI quietly released FrontierMath. A standardized, rigorous benchmark, Frontier Math was designed to measure the mathematical reasoning capabilities of the latest AI tools.
“It’s a bunch of really hard math problems,” explains Greg Burnham, Epoch AI Senior Researcher. “Originally, it was 300 problems that we now call tiers 1–3, but having seen AI capabilities really speed up, there was a feeling that we had to run to stay ahead, so now there’s a special challenge set of extra carefully constructed problems that we call tier 4.”
To a rough approximation, tiers 1–4 go from advanced undergraduate through to early postdoc level mathematics. When introduced, state-of-the-art AI models were unable to solve more than 2% of the problems FrontierMath contained. Fast forward to today and the best publicly available AI models, such as GPT-5.2 and Claude Opus 4.6, are solving over 40% of FrontierMath’s 300 tiers 1–3 problems, and over 30% of the 50 tier 4 problems.
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AI takes on PhD level mathematics
And this dizzying pace of advancement is showing no signs of abating. For example, just recently Google DeepMind announced that Aletheia, an experimental AI system derived from Gemini Deep Think, achieved publishable PhD level research results. Though obscure mathematically—calculating certain structure constants in arithmetic geometry called eigenweights—the result is significant in terms of AI development.
“They’re claiming it was essentially autonomous, meaning a human wasn’t guiding the work, and it’s publishable,” Burnham says. “It’s definitely at the lower end of the spectrum of work that would get a mathematician excited, but it’s new—it’s something we truly haven’t really seen before.”
To place this achievement in context, every FrontierMath problem has a known answer that a human has derived. Though a human could probably have achieved Aletheia’s result “if they sat down and steeled themselves for a week,” says Burnham, no human had ever done so.
Aletheia’s results and other recent achievements by AI mathematicians point to new, tougher benchmarks being needed to understand AI capabilities, and fast, because existing ones will soon become irrelevant. “There are easier math benchmarks that are already obsolete, several generations of them,” says Burnham. “FrontierMath will probably saturate [meaning state-of-the-art AI models score 100%] within the next two years; could be faster.”
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The First Proof challenge
To begin to address this problem, on February 6, a group of 11 highly distinguished mathematicians proposed the First Proof challenge, a set of 10 extremely difficult math questions which arose naturally in the authors’ research processes, and whose proofs are roughly five pages or less and had not been shared with anyone. The First Proof challenge was a preliminary effort to assess the capabilities of AI systems in solving research-level math questions on their own.
Generating serious buzz in the math community, professional and amateur mathematicians, and teams including OpenAI, all stepped up to the challenge. But by the time the authors posted the proofs on February 14, no one had submitted correct solutions to all 10 problems.
In fact, far from it. The authors themselves only solved two of the 10 problems using Gemini 3.0 Deep Think and ChatGPT 5.2 Pro. And most outside submissions fared little better, apart from OpenAI and a small Aletheia team at GoogleDeepMind. With “limited human supervision” OpenAI’s most advanced internal AI system solved five of the 10 problems, with Aletheia achieving similar outcomes—results met with a spectrum of emotions by different members of the mathematics community, from awe to disappointment. The team behind First Proof plans an even tougher second round on March 14.
A new frontier for AI
“I think First Proof is terrific: it’s as close as you could realistically get to putting an AI system in the shoes of a mathematician,” says Burnham. Though he admires how First Proof tests AI’s mathematical utility for a wide range of mathematics and mathematicians, Epoch AI has its own new approach to testing—FrontierMath: Open Problems. Uniquely, the pilot benchmark consists of 16 open problems (with more to follow) from research mathematics that professional mathematicians have tried and failed to solve. Since Open Problems’ release on January 27, none have been solved by an AI.
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“With Open Problems, we’ve tried to make it more challenging,” says Burnham. “The baseline on its own would be publishable, at least in a specialty journal.” What’s more, each question is designed so that it can be automatically graded. “This is a bit counterintuitive,” Burnham adds. “No one knows the answers, but we have a computer program that will be able to judge whether the answer is right or not.”
Burnham sees First Proof and Open Problems as being complementary. “I would say understanding AI capabilities is a more-the-merrier situation,” he adds. “AI has gotten to the point where it’s, in some ways, better than most PhD students, so we need to pose problems where the answer would be at least moderately interesting to some human mathematicians, not because AI was doing it, but because it’s mathematics that human mathematicians care about.”
