News

Polar's new fitness tracker is targeting users that want a slightly smaller footprintThe Grit X2 is intended to offer many of the features from the Grit X2 Pro at a lower price pointIt's packed with sensors, as well as offline map functionalityIt would be fair to say that many of the best fitness trackers right now are so comprehensive that it's tricky for anyone to break new ground.That means most devices launching in 2025 are evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, falling into one of two categories. They're either adding small tweaks to preceding models, creating more premium versions, or they work to lower the price where possible by slimming down to democratize the technology.Polar, a company well-versed in incremental improvements, has managed to go down both routes with its new Polar Grit X2. The latest rugged smartwatch is aiming to be more "affordable, durable, and compact" than the Polar Grit X2 Pro, and launches today, June 4 for £399 (around $540 / AU$835), in the UK and EU, with US and other regions to be added.A strong first impressionThe Polar Grit X2 offers a 1.28 inch AMOLED panel, smaller than the Grit X2 pro's 1.39-inch, with the same sapphire crystal glass and stainless steel bezel for durability. This watch will be ideal for Polar fans with smaller wrists, looking for a slimmer, lighter adventure companion.It meets military-grade 810H standards, meaning it should withstand "extreme temperatures, high altitudes, shock, and immersion" according to Polar.Polar has long been pushing its navigation features, and that's not changing here. The Grit X2 gains the Grit X2 Pro's full-color, offline topographic maps to help with getting from A to B, or finding your way back if you get off the path.This is particularly good as it slots within the same price point as this year's Garmin Instinct 3, an excellent adventure watch that's sadly missing full-color, topographical maps. Polar's managed to undercut Garmin here.Polar Elixir health monitoring technology(Image credit: Polar )Polar Elixir, the company's 'most advanced biosensing platform to date' includes a fourth-generation optical heart rate sensor, ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, and skin temperature updates, and the company says it'll be getting new features in lockstep with the Grit X2 Pro.“Outdoor sports are thriving like never before – and it's women who are leading that growth", Sander Werring, CEO of Polar Electro explained via press release."Yet the market still lacks well-designed outdoor watches that truly cater to those seeking a more compact fit. Too often, designs are bulky or lack essential features.""With the launch of Grit X2, we address this long-standing gap, delivering premium functionality in a streamlined design, built to move with a new generation of adventurers."You might also like...Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and 8 Classic reportedly certified – but no mention of the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2Garmin's long-rumored Whoop-style screenless 'sleep band' will reportedly break cover soonI used the Garmin Instinct 3, Whoop MG, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and AllTrails all at once on a hike – here's how they compare

Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC cost £249 / $299 (about AU$520)Adaptive noise cancellation and THX Spatial Audio with head trackingUp to 60 hours listening time; Bluetooth 5.3 with LE AudioIf you're going to compete with the likes of Sony and Bose for the title of best ANC headphones, you need to bring your A game, and ideally a bag with a skull on it. And Skullcandy has done exactly that with its new Aviator 900 ANC headphones.Where rivals tend to offer a case, Skullcandy has gone for the more fashionable cross-body bag pictured below. And where rivals offer some form of spatial audio, Skullcandy's gone for THX Spatial Audio with head tracking.The bag feels like a genuinely useful and practical addition, while also being a more fashionable option, so it's maybe a win all round.These aren't the first Skullcandy Aviator headphones: the previous model, relreased in 2010, was something of a hit among celebrities and influencers. This new model takes the same retro aesthetic but brings it bang up to date.Where rivals offer a carrying case, Skullcandy has a bag with a skull on it (Image credit: Skullcandy)Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC: key features and pricingThe noise cancellation here is adaptive, with six microphones analyzing the audio around you, and with ANC on you can get a very respectable 50 hours of listening; with ANC off that rises to 60-plus hours. Rapid charging will give you four extra hours from a 10-minute charge.Bluetooth is 5.3 with LE Audio and multi-point pairing, and there's a low latency mode for gaming and watching video. Google Fast Pair and Google Finder are both supported.The Aviator 900 ANC headphones include personalized audio via Mimi, and they also come with three EQ presets and a customizable 5-band EQ. You can customize the button functions via the companion app, and there's Spotify Tap support for instant access to your Spotify tunes.These are Skullcandy's most premium headphones yet, we're told, but they're not priced too expensive: the list price is $299 / £249 / €299 / about AU$520.That puts them in competition with the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort Headphones – though they're still less premium-priced than the $399 / £349 of the new Sony WH-1000XM6.We look forward to seeing if they can stand up to those headphones when it comes to performance – but when it comes to features and design, they're off to a good start.(Image credit: Skullcandy)You might also likeThe best noise cancelling headphones for all budgetsThe best noise-cancelling earbuds 2025, for all budgetsThe best over-ear headphones 2025 for all budgets, tested by us

Several possible iOS 19 features have been rumoredThese includes polls and automatic translations in the Messages appThe Notes app might let you export in Markdown, and Music could be getting animated album artwork on the lock screeniOS 19 is expected to be a major visual overhaul for the operating system, and it may even include a new naming scheme, with the update possibly set to be called iOS 26 instead.But as well as these big changes there are sure to also be smaller updates, and some possible ones have now been shared by 9to5Mac.According to the site, the Messages app will be getting two new features. For one thing, it will apparently add support for polls, and may even use Apple Intelligence to suggest polls based on the context of a conversation.The other feature apparently coming to Messages is automatic translation of incoming and outgoing messages. So if someone messages you in a language other than your phone’s system language, it will arrive translated, and likewise if you message someone in something other than their native language, they’ll receive a translation.The iPhone 16e (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)Getting animatedThe Music app is also said to be getting a new feature in the form of animated album art that can be displayed on the lock screen. You can already see animated album art within the Music app, but with iOS 19 it will apparently be possible to display this on the lock screen too.Finally on the iOS 19 front, the Notes app is apparently gaining the ability to export notes in Markdown.9to5Mac also claims that CarPlay is getting an overhauled UI that will see it look more like iOS 19 (which itself is also expected to be overhauled).All of this should of course be taken with a pinch of salt, but Apple is expected to unveil iOS 19 on June 9 at WWDC 2025, so we should know exactly what the company has planned for its software soon.You might also likeiOS 19: the 5 upgrades I'm really hoping for at WWDC 2025How to watch WWDC 2025: get ready for new Apple Intelligence features, iOS 19, macOS 16 and moreBest iPhone: which Apple smartphone reigns supreme?

KDE has a campaign to persuade Windows 10 users to switch to LinuxThe desktop environment maker accuses Microsoft of ‘tech extortion’ with the end of support deadline for Windows 10There are serious environmental concerns here, but at the same time, the language used in this campaign is going too farAs Windows 10 comes nearer to its End of Life – and we’re getting quite close now – there’s a growing movement attempting to persuade those who can’t (or won’t) switch to Windows 11 to migrate to Linux instead.Recently we saw the ‘End of 10’ project, which is a group of Linux enthusiasts urging folks to switch to one of the flavors (known as distros) of that operating system as an alternative to Microsoft.And now, Windows Latest flagged up that we’ve got ‘KDE for Windows 10 Exiles’ which is, shall we say, a bit more full-on in its attempts to persuade people to defect to Linux.If you’re wondering what KDE is, it makes a desktop environment called Plasma which comes preinstalled with some of the best Linux distros (and can be installed with others, too).The portal on the official KDE website doesn’t pull any punches, as we’re told: “Running Windows 10 on your computer? On October 14 Microsoft wants to turn it into junk.“It may seem like it continues to work after that date for a bit, but when Microsoft stops support for Windows 10, your perfectly good computer will be officially obsolete.”KDE then points out that if it’s unpatched, which is what happens when support ceases, Windows 10 is insecure, and you open yourself to being hacked, adding that also: “New versions of your apps will not run, but Microsoft will still block you from upgrading to the next version of Windows until you buy the new computer they decide.“You will be forced to spend your hard-earned cash and will be unwillingly polluting the earth and water as your old machine rots in a landfill. The air will also be polluted with the emissions that come from manufacturing and shipping a new device you don’t really need.”(Image credit: Microsoft)Analysis: Firing the big gunsOuch, in a word. That’s quite the heavy cannon fire aimed at Microsoft. Indeed, the KDE website accuses Microsoft of leveraging a form of ‘tech extortion’ here – but is this fair? Not really, no, but it’s not entirely baseless either.The anger is coming from the fact that Windows 11’s heftier system requirements mean that some Windows 10 PCs simply can’t have the newer OS, because their CPU is too old (or they don’t have TPM 2.0, a security feature).This could be an impossible issue to resolve with a laptop (where the hardware can’t be replaced at all), and perhaps even super-tricky on a desktop PC (you may end up upgrading basically everything, which might be well beyond the abilities of many owners, or not make any sense cost-wise).That enforcement of a loftier PC spec is done for what Microsoft argues is (primarily) security improvements with Windows 11, and it’s a move that many organizations have criticized because it’s likely to push a whole heap of computers onto the scrapheap. This is where the stark images of landfill come into play, and this is a looking environmental disaster on the tech front, I wouldn’t argue against that.Can Linux rescue your old PC from that fate? Well, yes it can, though it’s not quite as simple as that. For less tech-savvy users, a move to Linux will be a complex process where they may wonder where to even begin (picking a good Linux distro for beginners, or perhaps one that’s similar to Windows, would be a start).And I can’t pretend there aren’t serious shortcomings with Linux in some ways: it’s a whole new interface to learn, some of the apps you’ve spent money on may not work with the OS, and certainly some games won’t run (at all).There are brick walls that may be run up against, including potential hardware or driver issues – and for a less experienced computer user, that’s going to be a whole lot to cope with, only relying on online support from the community to get them through. (Although I must admit, the Linux community cannot be faulted for their helpfulness).I’ve covered this ground before, but for somewhat more experienced Windows 10 users, a switch to Linux could be a viable enough way to keep old hardware alive. For the less confident tech types out there, though, maybe not so much.As for calling out Microsoft for extortion – well, that’s going too far. Windows is a paid OS, and as such, it won’t last forever. Windows 10 has been around for a decade, so really, that’s hardly bad value for money – especially seeing as a fair few folks got the upgrade for free, anyway. You can also pay for another year of support for Windows 10, and it doesn’t cost a whole lot.If I was to chuck stones at Microsoft’s Windows greenhouse, it would be for including promotional activity in a paid-for OS, not charging for the software in the first place. That is a serious frustration with Windows. It’d also be nice to have the option of extended support for consumers that’s longer than a year, too (while that could still happen, Microsoft hasn’t said it will yet).It’s worth noting that some folks who work on KDE were part of the End of 10 project, and there’s a link across to the latter website, too. So, it’d appear that KDE really is making a big play to capitalize on disgruntled types who feel Microsoft is being unfair with its Windows 11 system requirements, and that’s fair enough.However, I think it’d be wise to rein in some of the language and the way this campaign is angled here.You might also like...Windows 11 is getting some big upgrades to tackle dreaded boot failures – and help novices set up their new PCBeen hiding from Windows 11 24H2 due to the fuss about all the bugs? There’s nowhere to run now as Microsoft’s made the update compulsoryWindows 11 fully streamlined in just two clicks? Talon utility promises to rip all the bloatware out of Microsoft’s OS in a hassle-free way

A new leak points towards a Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 launch dateWe also have details on colors and spec optionsPricing might be the same as last year in most parts of the worldWe've already heard plenty of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 rumors in recent months, but a flurry of new leaks just appeared, covering release dates, colors, storage options, and pricing.First up, reliable tipster Ice Universe (via Android Authority) says the foldables will launch at the same time as last year – which would be July 10. However, as the Android Authority report points out, there is some debate among leakers about whether that's accurate.All the signs are certainly pointing towards July, to match the 2024 schedule for Samsung's flagship foldable phones, but we'll have to wait and see whether this July 10 prediction is correct. Time zone calculations need to be considered too, because Samsung's home of South Korea is some 13 hours ahead of the US east coast.Whenever the foldables show up, in most countries they should match last year's models in terms of pricing, according to tipster PandaFlash (via 9to5Google). Last year's Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 started at $1,899 / £1,799 / AU$2,749, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 started at $1,099.99 / £1,049 / AU$1,799.Colors and specsGalaxy Z Fold7: 12+256GB 12+512GB 16+1TB Silver ShadowBlue ShadowJetblackCoralredJune 3, 2025Next, there are a bunch of leaks from WinFuture and tipster Arsène Lupin about the colors and spec options on these handsets. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is said to be coming in black, blue, coral red, and silver colors, with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage on board.As for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, the colors here are expected to be black, blue, and coral red. As for specs, we're looking at 8GB or 12GB of RAM, plus 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage. However, there are some discrepancies between the two sources, so as usual we'll have to wait for full confirmation from Samsung.The more affordable Galaxy Z Flip FE also gets a mention. In this case you get 8GB of RAM plus 128GB or 256GB of storage, and the predicted colors are black or white. This phone may well show up at the same time as the other foldables.It looks likely to be a busy Samsung Unpacked event in July, with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and perhaps a Samsung tri-fold also set to make an appearance. As always, we'll bring you all the official news as it's announced.You might also likeFuture Samsung foldables could get a titanium upgradeThese are the best foldables available nowThe Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 will launch with One UI 8

Microsoft is changing Edge for the better in the European Economic AreaThis is happening due to the Digital Markets Act in that regionIt means Edge will stop nagging to be the default browserMicrosoft is relenting with its constant prompting of folks to use the Edge browser under Windows 11, but not everyone is getting this welcome relief.Sadly, the pushing of Edge in some notable ways is only being curtailed in the European Economic Area (EEA) due to rules imposed by the Digital Markets Act. With no such regulatory pressure in the US or elsewhere, these restrictions on Edge aren’t happening.TechSpot noticed Microsoft’s blog post introducing these various changes, the key one being that Edge will stop annoying you to set it as the default browser in Windows 10 and Windows 11. It’ll only prompt a request to be your go-to app for web browsing if you open Edge directly, and this feature has already been implemented as of the end of May, with version 137.0.3296.52 of the browser.Another change is that when Edge is uninstalled, you won’t get other Microsoft apps telling you to reinstall it.Furthermore, when you set any web browser as your default choice, it’ll have a whole lot more file formats (and link types) tied to it, rather than having Edge still open some file types. This stood as another sneaky way to get Edge back on your radar after you’ve chosen to give it a wide berth.Additionally, when using the Windows search box and clicking on a web search result, it will be opened in your chosen default browser, rather than Edge, in Bing.All these changes should be in place soon, and will be rolling out in June in the EEA, save for the main one, which is already in place as noted.Away from Edge, another potentially sizeable plus point for Windows users in this region is that they’ll be able to uninstall the Microsoft Store, should they wish. That move won’t be coming until later in 2025, though.Microsoft clarifies that if you remove the Microsoft Store, but have already used it to install some apps, that software will continue to receive updates in order to ensure it gets the latest security patches, which is good news.Analysis: Give us all a break, Microsoft(Image credit: Shutterstock)These are welcome moves for Windows 11 and 10 users in this region, but it’d be nice if Microsoft could implement them elsewhere as well. However, without the relevant authorities breathing down the neck of the software giant, it won’t do anything of the sort. All these behaviors will persist outside the EEA because Microsoft clearly believes they may help drive more users to Edge.When in fact they are more likely to drive people up the wall. Repeatedly insisting that folks should use Edge in scenarios of varying degrees of overreach is a tiresome policy, as is popping up Edge whenever possible, rather than using the default browser choice. That should always be the default; no matter what’s happening, the clue is in the name, Microsoft.Don’t expect Microsoft’s overall attitude to change anytime soon. Still, at least some people will get to enjoy a slightly less nag-laden experience in Windows 11, and fewer instances of Edge clambering onto their monitor screen in a bid to remind them that it exists. However, the majority of us can doubtless expect more pop-ups and general weirdness in terms of some of the more left-field efforts Microsoft has made to promote its browser.You might also likeCan’t upgrade your laptop to Windows 11? Asus joins Microsoft’s campaign urging you to buy a new Copilot+ PC, and I’m not sure that’s wiseI’ve tried the Opera Air browser – here are 3 features that have already convinced me to ditch ChromeHow to use Microsoft Edge