Apple sues OpenAI, Gemini 3.5 Pro stalls, and August's phone wave loads up
A blockbuster Apple-vs-OpenAI trade-secrets lawsuit, Google's flagship AI missing a third deadline, a hidden Android audio trick, an honest coding-AI face-off, and a look at the phones landing in the next few weeks.
- Long Press · Daily Five18 Jul 202601 / 05
commentaryApple just sued OpenAI, and it reads like a spy thriller
Apple has filed a blockbuster lawsuit against OpenAI over alleged theft of hardware trade secrets. The claims are striking: more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, an ex-engineer allegedly never returned a laptop loaded with confidential documents, and Apple project code-names were reportedly used during OpenAI's recruiting. My read is that lawsuits like this rarely kill a rival, they signal fear. Apple sees the race to build the first great AI device slipping, and the io team it is fighting was co-founded by Apple's own former design boss.
The problem
Apple's biggest AI threat may not be a competing product — it might be its own former employees and design leadership walking out the door to build something new.
What changed
Apple filed a blockbuster lawsuit against OpenAI alleging theft of hardware trade secrets — more than 400 former Apple employees now work there, an ex-engineer allegedly never returned a laptop loaded with confidential documents, and Apple project code-names were reportedly used during OpenAI's recruiting. The io team Apple is fighting was co-founded by Apple's own former design boss.
The catch
Dramatic-sounding allegations still need to survive discovery and cross-examination — lawsuits like this rarely kill a rival outright, they mostly signal how threatened the company filing feels.
What it means for you
Read this as a fear signal, not a settled fact: Apple sees the race to build the first great AI device slipping away, and it's fighting a team led by people who used to run its own design language.
- Long Press · Daily Five18 Jul 202602 / 05
aiGoogle's flagship AI just missed its third deadline
Google's Gemini 3.5 Pro has quietly slipped past a third deadline, reportedly over coding performance below target, multi-step reasoning gaps, and reliability issues serious enough that Google rebuilt parts of the model rather than just fine-tuning it. I would rather Google hold a model back than ship a half-baked flagship, but every week it waits, OpenAI's GPT-5.6 and xAI's Grok 4.5 chip away at the lead.
The problem
Shipping a flagship AI model under competitive pressure creates a real tension between getting it out fast and getting it right — and Google has now chosen 'right' three times in a row.
What changed
Gemini 3.5 Pro has quietly slipped past a third deadline, reportedly over coding performance below target, multi-step reasoning gaps, and reliability issues serious enough that Google rebuilt parts of the model rather than just fine-tuning it.
The catch
Holding back a half-baked flagship is the right call in isolation, but every week it waits, OpenAI's GPT-5.6 and xAI's Grok 4.5 chip away at whatever lead Google was hoping to claim.
What it means for you
If you're choosing a model today, don't wait on Gemini 3.5 Pro — its delays mean GPT-5.6 and Grok 4.5 are the more dependable options right now, with Gemini worth reconsidering only once it's actually shipped and reviewed.
- Long Press · Daily Five18 Jul 202603 / 05
tipYour Android can play audio to two Bluetooth devices at once
Most people have no idea Android can stream audio to two Bluetooth devices at the same time, your earbuds and a friend's, together. Turn it on under Settings, then Connected devices, then Connection preferences, then Audio sharing. It is perfect for sharing a movie on a flight, a gym playlist with a buddy, or watching something in bed, with no splitter or dongle. It works on Pixel and most newer Android phones with LE Audio.
The problem
Sharing audio with someone else on a flight, at the gym, or in bed has usually meant a splitter cable, a dongle, or just one person going without.
What changed
Android can stream audio to two Bluetooth devices at the same time — turn it on under Settings, Connected devices, Connection preferences, Audio sharing — letting you and a friend listen to the same movie, playlist, or show simultaneously, no hardware required.
The catch
It requires LE Audio support, so it works on Pixel and most newer Android phones, but older devices may not have the feature at all.
What it means for you
Check if your phone supports Audio sharing before your next flight or gym session — it's a built-in fix for a problem people usually solve by buying an accessory.
- Long Press · Daily Five18 Jul 202604 / 05comparison
ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Claude, who wins for coding right now
The honest coding verdict for mid-2026: Claude is still the model most developers trust for clean, reliable, ship-it code. ChatGPT with GPT-5.6 is the best all-rounder thanks to its huge ecosystem and quick prototyping. Gemini is genuinely powerful in the Google stack, but 3.5 Pro's delays have stalled its momentum. For serious code, reach for Claude; for a do-everything assistant, ChatGPT; and if you live in Google Workspace, Gemini. There is no universal winner, it is about your workflow.
The problem
Developers need a straight answer about which AI model to actually trust for shipping code, and the honest answer keeps shifting as each lab updates its models on a different schedule.
What changed
The mid-2026 coding verdict: Claude is still the model most developers trust for clean, reliable, ship-it code, ChatGPT with GPT-5.6 is the best all-rounder for quick prototyping and its ecosystem, and Gemini is genuinely powerful in the Google stack but 3.5 Pro's delays have stalled its momentum.
The catch
This ranking is a snapshot, not a permanent verdict — Gemini's coding standing could shift quickly the moment 3.5 Pro actually ships, given how much of its value proposition depends on that release.
What it means for you
For serious code, reach for Claude today; for a do-everything assistant, ChatGPT; and if you live in Google Workspace, Gemini — but revisit this the moment Gemini 3.5 Pro actually lands.
- Long Press · Daily Five18 Jul 202605 / 05news
August is about to get loaded with phones
The next few weeks could be stacked, though all of this is still rumor and leak with nothing officially confirmed. The Google Pixel 11 Pro is tipped for an August 12 reveal, and Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 are expected in July or August with thinner bodies and near-invisible creases. My hot take is that 2026 is the year foldables finally stop feeling like a science experiment, thin enough, crease-free enough, and durable enough to be your only phone. That is the real story, not the spec sheet.
The problem
Phone buyers trying to time a purchase around new releases have to piece together scattered leaks from multiple manufacturers, with nothing officially confirmed yet.
What changed
The next few weeks look stacked: the Google Pixel 11 Pro is tipped for an August 12 reveal, and Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 are expected in July or August with thinner bodies and near-invisible creases.
The catch
All of this is still rumor and leak, with nothing officially confirmed by either Google or Samsung — dates and specs could still shift before either event.
What it means for you
If you're phone-shopping, it's worth waiting the next few weeks before buying — 2026 looks like the year foldables finally stop feeling like a science experiment and start being durable enough to be your only phone.