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One of the biggest differences between being rich and poor is having people to do things for you. When a person moves from being poor to the middle class, they might get a cleaner or take their clothes to a dry cleaner; when they become rich, they might get a driver, a private chef – an entire entourage devoted to making their lives easier.There’s growing excitement about the rise of AI-powered agents that act on behalf of consumers - not just during product discovery, but right through to purchase. Search-like queries on ChatGPT might only represent 1% of those on Google, but 1% of the colossal global search market is a huge number of searches, with potentially millions in revenue.Originally conceived as digital concierges to simplify search, these agents are now making actual purchases, and they’re doing it without ever handing control back to the shopper.Large payments players are laying the groundwork for AI-based commerce. Visa recently launched a Digital Credential Innovation Hub to explore new identity models for agent-based transactions, while Stripe confirmed it is developing secure transaction capabilities for AI agents. And just yesterday, Google revealed plans for an AI agentic checkout for shopping — a move that confirms this shift is no longer speculative, but imminent.But beyond the optimistic headlines lies a more complicated picture. What happens when an AI agent makes a purchase for you? And more importantly, what can go wrong?What’s Really Going On Behind the Scenes (Usually)Let’s be clear: there’s no single “standard” for how agentic shopping works – the process is still evolving, and different platforms take different approaches. That said, here’s a common flow we’ve observed in early implementations.When a consumer uses an AI agent to shop, the process is superficially simple, but technically intricate. First, the user saves their payment card details — including full PAN, CVV, expiry, billing, and delivery addresses — with their chosen AI platform.Shoppers are unlikely to be buying very inexpensive items like a pizza or very expensive items like a new car. They probably won’t be using it for goods with a heavy visual emphasis, where part of the enjoyment is browsing until something hits you – clothing being the best example. They are likely, at first, to use agentic AI to help them decide between relatively expensive products that are difficult for non-experts to understand: let’s use a good pair of Bluetooth headphones as an example.The agent, which could be powered by ChatGPT, Google, TikTok Shop, or Amazon’s AI initiatives, uses natural language to respond to a shopper’s request. Just like a shop clerk, it will ask questions to refine results: how much do you want to spend? Do you want over-ear or in-ear headphones? Are there any features like noise cancelling or waterproofing that you need? It can then refine results and present purchase options.Once the shopper decides a payment process begins that will be mostly invisible to the shopper:The shopper stays in the AI interface and never visits the merchant’s site.A “Buy” command within the agent UI triggers the agent to autofill the checkout form on the merchant’s site.The merchant receives the full card details as if a human shopper were typing them.The agent submits the order, and confirmation is sent via both the agent and the merchant.Critically, the merchant is unlikely to know that they’re dealing with an agent rather than a human. This introduces risks, because if anything goes wrong — an incorrect item, a delivery mix-up, or pricing error - the shopper must resolve it directly with the merchant, even though they never interacted with the merchant’s website themselves.In other words: don’t talk to me – talk to my agent.Known Risks (So Far)There are several emerging pitfalls already evident:Security vulnerabilities: In January 2025, Chinese AI platform DeepSeek was hacked, exposing users' stored credentials. The centralization of payment data in AI agents makes them lucrative targets.Susceptibility to scams: Fraudsters may design sites specifically to trick agents into completing fake checkouts.Ambiguity in liability: If an agent misplaces an order or inputs incorrect details, it’s unclear whether the AI provider or the consumer bears responsibility.Poor compatibility:It may not support alternative payment types like PayPal, digital wallets or bank transfers (which account for roughly 45% of eCommerce volume in the EU).It can’t easily handle additional checkout steps (e.g. seat selection, delivery slots).Struggles with card declines, especially in international transactions, where decline rates can be anywhere from 5 to 30%.In markets like the EU or Japan, legal requirements around Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) mean that consumers must approve each card transaction, making AI-led flows problematic or non-compliant.The Bigger Picture: Are We Witnessing a Commerce Revolution?Beyond the immediate risks and logistics, the rise of agents raises fundamental questions about the structure of digital commerce.Will this model gain traction with consumers? It could fizzle like voice commerce and Amazon’s Dash buttons, which failed to take off due to trust and usability issues. Or it could explode, much like the rise of marketplaces or in-app mobile buying. The answer depends on how much value consumers place on convenience, and how well AI agents can overcome trust and control issues.If AI agents become the preferred interface for eCommerce, the web as we know it may fragment. Why visit a merchant site at all, when your agent can do the work? This shift could drive the development of Model Context Protocols (MCPs) - AI-optimized data layers that replace websites altogether. Some merchants may respond by blocking known agent IPs or designing checkout flows that frustrate automated systems to force direct interaction. Industries like marketing would fundamentally change as it becomes more important to engage with AI agents than human beings.Meanwhile, platforms like ChatGPT will need to find ways to monetize their newfound influence. That might mean charging merchants referral fees, sparking the emergence of a new SEO-for-AI ecosystem. But such monetization introduces new questions about trust: if your agent is taking commission from merchants, how unbiased are its recommendations?As we stand on the edge of this transformation, one thing is certain: the infrastructure of digital payments is being rewritten. The question now is whether consumers - and merchants - are ready to follow their agents into this new era.And I, for one, will be watching closely - either directly, or via my agent.LINK!This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Whichever way you slice it, OnePlus is enjoying a fruitful 2025. Just a few months after the OnePlus 13 sailed onto our list of the best phones money can buy, the OnePlus Watch 3 became one of the best Android smartwatches around, and the newly announced OnePlus Pad 3 looks set to feature prominently in our guide to the best Android tablets.All three of those products are flagships in their respective categories, but OnePlus is now gearing up for its annual swipe at the mid-range tech market.In an exclusive interview with TechRadar, Celina Shi, Chief Marketing Officer at OnePlus Europe, revealed the names and details of five new mid-range OnePlus products heading to stores in July – specifically the OnePlus Nord 5, OnePlus Nord CE5, OnePlus Buds 4, OnePlus Pad Lite, and OnePlus Watch 3 43mm.TechRadar: What do you see as the key USP of the OnePlus Nord series in 2025, in terms of both its place in the OnePlus portfolio and the wider mid-range smartphone market?Celina Shi: The OnePlus Nord Series is our mid-range smartphone series designed to offer a balance of flagship features at an affordable price. It’s become much-loved by a significant number of our community who enjoy its fun and more playful tone. The OnePlus Nord Series is bolder in color and style than our flagship Series and offers a real opportunity for people to demonstrate their personal identity through the devices and its brand.In July this year, I'm pleased to announce that OnePlus will launch two new devices in the OnePlus Nord series: the OnePlus Nord 5 and the OnePlus Nord CE5. The latest series is a performance powerhouse that offers endless endurance, allowing you to play and create all day and night.The OnePlus Nord 5 (left) and OnePlus Nord CE5 (right) (Image credit: OnePlus)TR: What, specifically, makes the OnePlus Nord 5 a “performance powerhouse”?CS: The new OnePlus Nord 5 is what we're calling a double-punch – it has an exceptional camera and an exceptional chipset.While you'll have to wait to find out about the camera, I can confirm that the OnePlus Nord 5 will include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform, an unfairly high-spec chipset for the mid-range market.The OnePlus Nord 5 is equipped with LPDDR5X RAM and an advanced 7,300mm² CryoFlex Liquid Cooling System, ensuring consistently smooth performance even under pressure.The new OnePlus Nord 5 is what we're calling a double-punch – it has an exceptional camera and an exceptional chipset.Celina Shi, OnePlusFor the gamers, OnePlus Nord 5 will also support Battlegrounds Mobile India at native 90 frames per second to 144fps with frame rate interpolation, meaning smooth gaming and less lag.We've included all of these features as our core OnePlus Nord audience wants a fast and smooth experience, since they use their smartphones for creating, gaming, and multitasking. As these types of activities get more complex with more processing load, we've doubled down on our chipset to ensure we deliver the signature fast and smooth experience that we've become famous for.TR: Both new Nord models feature a vertical camera array. Why the move back to this orientation on the flagship model this year?CS: With any smartphone, there is always negotiation between aesthetic design and what's physically possible within those parameters. As tech components evolve, so too will our design to make the best-looking products that function optimally.The camera module is vertical in the latest OnePlus Nord Series as this layout optimizes space within the device, allowing us to include a best-in-class chipset, battery, and screen within.TR: And similarly, what can you tell us about the rear panel design?CS: While I can't reveal specifics about the OnePlus Nord 5 Series materials just yet, I can say that it won't be in a metal frame this year.Our design concept for all of our devices is grounded in consumer insight. Following a global survey conducted across Europe, North America, India, and China, we found that our target audience places strong emphasis on practicality in design.The camera module is vertical in the latest OnePlus Nord Series as this layout optimizes space within the device.Celina Shi, OnePlusThey consistently prefer styles that are brief, simple, and elegant. In response to this, in the OnePlus Nord Series this year, we are offering a Nordic-inspired design that reflects these values and resonates with our consumers globally.With that in mind, I'll exclusively reveal to you one color each for the OnePlus Nord 5 and the OnePlus Nord CE, which will launch in Europe on July 8: the OnePlus Nord 5 will launch in Dry Ice, and the OnePlus Nord CE 5 in Marble Mist.TR: Are you confident that users will embrace the new Plus Key and Plus Mind interface on the Nord 5 series?CS: We're really excited about the new Plus Key, the extension of OnePlus' personalized AI experience. The Plus Key is not a removal of our Alert Slider, it's a natural evolution to allow it to be more capable, more intuitive to use, and now highly customizable. The Plus Key is a customizable button programmable for various actions like switching sound profiles, launching the camera, initiating translation, or starting recordings.(Image credit: OnePlus)The Plus Mind interface sits perfectly alongside our Plus Key and is the first step to building a truly personalized smartphone experience with AI. Users can simply press the Plus Key to recognize screen content and add it as a 'memory'. This includes actions like saving on-screen content, suggesting schedules to be added into a calendar, storing on-screen content into Mind Space, and searching with a conversational prompt via AI Search.Beyond simple screen capture, AI Plus Mind leverages AI to analyze content contextually. For instance, it can extract schedule details from an image or text and add them directly to the user's calendar. AI Search, integrated with AI Plus Mind, supports natural language queries for easy retrieval of saved content.TR: With mid-range smartphones improving in quality every year, how does OnePlus distinguish between mid-range and flagship in 2025?CS: At OnePlus, our vision is to empower the world through better technology. We launched the OnePlus Nord series to make cutting-edge technology, including the OnePlus Fast & Smooth experience, accessible to more people. Therefore, when we look at the OnePlus Nord Series offering, we try to balance flagship technology with an affordable price.But the identity of the OnePlus Nord Series is quite different to that of our flagship series. It's more playful, colourful, and bolder in style.The OnePlus Nord 4 is still one of the best mid-range Android phones (Image credit: Future)People who buy our OnePlus Nord Series are different to those buying flagships. For our flagship products, like the OnePlus 13 series, we target power users. These are tech enthusiasts that place high demands on their devices, and expect bleeding-edge hardware and frictionless, performance-focused software.Our OnePlus Nord products are a way for us to take our flagship technology and make it more accessible to a wider range of users. These are value-aware consumers that expect a Fast & Smooth experience at a price point that allows more people to join our community.At OnePlus, the flagship line and Nord line play equally important roles in our product and brand strategy. On one hand, we will continue building flagship devices that integrate the most advanced technologies to deliver cutting-edge experiences in the premium and ultra-premium tiers. In parallel, we are also committed to making the OnePlus experience and quality more accessible to more users with the Nord product line.TR: Moving away from smartphones for a moment, what else is OnePlus planning on launching next month?CS: This summer, on July 8, we are focusing on building our product portfolio across different categories and price segments. Alongside our OnePlus Nord Series devices, I'm pleased to announce that we will be launching three new products: a new wearable, the OnePlus Watch 3 43mm, our latest flagship headphones, the OnePlus Buds 4, and a new tablet, the OnePlus Pad Lite.In February this year, we launched our latest flagship wearable, the OnePlus Watch 3. It was highly popular due to its huge battery life, accurate GPS, and health and wellbeing metrics.We're bringing a smaller iteration of this device that's perfect for those with smaller wrists – but don't underestimate it! It's packed with specs that rival the full-sized version, as well as exclusive monitoring features not found on any other device – and will be available in sleek Silver Steel!We are deepening our roots into broader consumer electronics sectors to become a premium 'Android Builder'.Celina Shi, OnePlusHot off the heels of the OnePlus Pad 3 launch in June, we've found that a strong section of our Community is looking to OnePlus for an affordable tablet that works seamlessly with their other OnePlus devices. We're delighted to bring this to them this summer. The OnePlus Pad Lite will be available in Europe in Aero Blue.For OnePlus Buds 4, you can expect a flagship sound experience, with Dual Drivers, Dual DACs, Hi-Res LHDC 5.0, and 3D Audio. For gamers, the OnePlus Buds 4 also offer 47ms ultra-low latency in Game Mode, ensuring audio syncs perfectly with on-screen action for a competitive edge.As with all OnePlus products, style has been front and centre of the design process [for our new earbuds]. This year, the OnePlus Buds 4 are available in two colour options: Zen Green and Storm Gray.The OnePlus Buds 4 in Storm Gray and Zen Green (Image credit: OnePlus)TR: And lastly, looking ahead, what’s the overarching product strategy for OnePlus in 2025?CS: Our journey started in 2014 with the release of our first smartphone, the OnePlus One, which shared great technology with the world and challenged the industry status quo. While our ambition remains to deliver exceptional value to our smartphone users, we are deepening our roots into broader consumer electronics sectors to become a premium 'Android Builder'. Today, we offer a broad portfolio of devices across four main categories: smartphone, tablet, audio, and wearables.Through our ecosystem of devices, we want to elevate the digital life of our community with products that seamlessly connect and improve their lifestyle through better technology. We host Open Ears Forums for our community, where we get invaluable feedback from our users. In 2025, we have doubled down on that effort through regular community catch-ups through one-on-one sessions where we carefully listen and understand their needs.On the product side, we will continue to enhance our hardware and software offering with features we've become famous for, like long battery life, [unique] design and [powerful] performance; but also integrate newer technologies, like upgraded OxygenOS, OpenCanvas, and AI, to ensure the OnePlus product experience across all categories and all devices is faster and smoother than ever.So there you have it, folks – the OnePlus Nord 5 and OnePlus Nord CE5 will launch in the UK and Europe on July 8, along with the OnePlus Watch 3 43mm, OnePlus Buds 4, and OnePlus Pad Lite. We’ll be getting all five new products in for testing over the coming weeks, so stay tuned to TechRadar for our full verdicts on OnePlus’ latest mid-range devices.Which of the newly announced OnePlus products is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.You might also likeBest OnePlus phones: top flagship and budget models‘The key is to build a bridge with iOS’: OnePlus has a plan to tackle Apple's smartphone industry dominance‘It will take time for foldables to become mainstream’: OnePlus defends decision to delay the OnePlus Open 2 and bow out of the foldable phones race in 2025

OnePlus revealed the OnePlus Buds 4 exclusively to TechRadarLanding July 8, alongside Nord 5 Series phones, Pad Lite and Watch 3 43mm LHDC 5.0 support listed and given price of the older Buds 3, I'm stokedOnePlus is a formidable name in portable tech, although not necessarily one celebrated for its crystal-clear naming strategies.It's hardly alone in that respect, given Apple's decision to skip straight to iOS 26 (from iOS 18) and Samsung seemingly set to bypass the Buds 2 FE to go straight to the Buds 3 FE, but anyway, 2025 is not looking any different for the Chinese tech giant.Today (Monday, June 16) the company has exclusively revealed to TechRadar its five newest products: the OnePlus Nord 5 Series (comprising two smartphones: the OnePlus Nord 5 and OnePlus CE5), the OnePlus Buds 4, the OnePlus Pad Lite and a new, smaller OnePlus Watch 3 – it's got a 43mm dial.Important things to note on the Buds 4? Firstly, there's no 'Nord' prefix, which typically denotes OnePlus' mid-range propositions. So while the incoming phones might sit within the brand's more affordable handsets, it's flagship territory where its earbuds are concerned.All of the OnePlus newness… (Image credit: OnePlus)OnePlus Buds 4: specs and everything we know so far You'd be forgiven for experiencing a modicum of confusion when gazing upon OnePlus' current earbuds lineup – so allow me.A quick look on the OnePlus website reveals a trio consisting of the newest OnePlus Buds Pro 3 (which launched in August 2024), the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro (which arrived in July 2024 and despite our best efforts, we never managed to source a set for review) and the January 2024-issue OnePlus Buds 3. If you really want to get granular on their respective spec sheets or you're thinking of snapping up a deal on the outgoing model when the Buds 4 hit shelves (clever), our OnePlus Buds Pro 3 vs OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro explainer can help.But this changes everything! OnePlus Buds 4 – so simple. So stylish. I don't have too much information on the design or colorway options, but the case echoes the design language of the Buds 3 Pro, rather than the Buds 3, which is a good thing since I found it much more secure.OnePlus tells me the Buds 4 feature dual drivers and dual DACs (read: the kind of audio architecture that ought to promote much-better-than-average audio quality), LHDC 5.0 (a higher-resolution audio codec similar to LDAC in that it supports up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution) and OnePlus' 3D Audio software, which we really liked in the OnePlus Buds 3 because it'll even level up Spotify's lossy files, making them more immersive.For gamers, the OnePlus Buds 4 also offer 47ms ultra-low latency in Game Mode and while I'm no avid gamer, the Buds Pro 3 included the perk and we liked it a lot, so it's good to see it included in non-Pro Buds.(Image credit: OnePlus)Anything missing here? Well, there's no mention yet of noise cancellation which, if that plays out, might be a deal-breaker for some buyers. Again, this is an early exclusive (we've no concrete information on pricing either) so there are plenty of details still to come, but it's worth mentioning.Thus far, OnePlus has yet to really make a dent in our roundup of the best earbuds – but perhaps that's set to change. We'll be giving them a full-fat review, so watch this space…You may also like Need audiophile-grade sound? Check out our pick of the best wired earbuds…and also the best wired headphonesWant to stay wire-free? See our feature on hi-res audio and how to get it

We have a release date for the smaller 43mm OnePlus Watch 3It will begin rolling out on July 8It's said to be "packed with specs that rival the full-sized version" When I reviewed the OnePlus Watch 3 two months ago (at the time of writing), I said it was already a contender for the best Android smartwatch of 2025. I loved the stainless steel, classic aesthetic and excellent battery life, but my biggest gripe was a style one: it was a big, heavy metal watch, and only came in one size.As a sports watch, that's a major downside. One of the reasons the best Apple Watches are so popular is that they offer watch faces of different sizes, allowing people with smaller and larger wrists to find a watch that feels like it belongs on their arm.Having reviewed fitness tech for many years, I know search terms like 'smallest Apple Watch' and 'best smartwatch for women' are popular on Google. Customers who don't want to wear big, chunky timepieces, whether that's due to aesthetics or comfort, are sadly limited in choice.Thankfully, OnePlus listened to our complaints. In my OnePlus Watch 3 review, I wrote: "My main gripe is the watch’s size: at the time of writing the initial early review, I said I would have loved to see OnePlus bring out a second, smaller model for those with smaller wrists. Many people, including a lot of women, will find it’s just too big and heavy for daily wear."However, during my testing, OnePlus published the news there would be a second, smaller size along with LTE capabilities for future models, and my fears were dispelled."(Image credit: OnePlus)OnePlus had already revealed a smaller size was coming, but not when, nor did we have any other details about it. Would it have the same specs as the larger model? What about battery life? Would it still be a OnePLus Watch 3, or something closer to an Apple-style 'SE' model? For months, we had no answers to these burning questions.Published today in an exclusive interview with TechRadar, Celina Shi – Chief Marketing Officer at OnePlus Europe – finally spilled the beans on the new watch's release date, and even provided an image – the picture above. At first glance, the 43mm looks a lot more Pixel Watch-y than the full-size 47mm Watch 3."In February this year, we launched our latest flagship wearable, the OnePlus Watch 3. It was highly popular due to its huge battery life, accurate GPS and health and wellbeing metrics," said Celina. "We're bringing a smaller iteration of this device that's perfect for those with smaller wrists – but don't underestimate it."It's packed with specs that rival the full-sized version, as well as exclusive monitoring features not found on any other device – and will be available in sleek Silver Steel!"It sounds like it's getting at least one exclusive feature, although we don't know any more details on it. It'll also pack specifications that match the 47mm version of the watch.The best part? It's launching on July 8, mere weeks away, along with a bevy of other OnePlus devices such as the OnePlus Nord 5, the OnePlus Buds 4 and the OnePlus Pad Lite.You might also like...Your Wear OS smartwatch can now warn you about imminent earthquakesGarmin Venu X1 revealed – meet the surprise new Apple Watch Ultra 2 rival with Garmin’s biggest display yetI wore the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 for 2 weeks, and it's impressively cheap for the sheer amount of features it packs

BT could save £3 billion by cutting up to 55,000 workers, AI could end even more contractsIf share prices don't rise, BT might have to spin off OpenreachGroup revenue was down 2% year-over-yearBT CEO Allison Kirkby has indicated the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence could lead to even deeper cuts beyond current plans to trim the company's workforce.Kirkby confirmed plans, which are hoped to save £3 billion by 2030, to cut 40,000-55,000 jobs by the end of the decade.In an interview with the Financial Times, Kirkby stated: "Depending on what we learn from AI... there may be an opportunity for BT to be even smaller by the end of the decade."BT CEO blames AI for further job cutsKirkby took over BT in 2024, replacing former CEO Philip Jansen, and has led several saving exercises, including selling off non-core assets like the company's Italian and Irish units.The FT also noted that BT had spun off its international business last month, citing sources familiar with the matter, suggesting that it could be open to offers on it.However, the CEO believes that BT's current share price (£186.45) does not reflect the true value of Openreach – its broadband network arm. If this perceived undervaluation continues, BT could consider spinning off Openreach after the fibre rollout is complete, however Kirkby said she would prefer the share price to improve rather than having to resort to yet another spinoff.Speaking about BT's latest full fiscal year, which ended on March 31, Kirkby said the company had realized "over £900m of annualized cost savings." She blamed "lower international sales and handsets" on the 2% dip in revenue, to £20.4 billion.BT's reach across the UK could be about to get even stronger, with The Guardian revealing that the company could have entered initial discussions to buy out TalkTalk, a smaller broadband provider that has struggled financially.However, such an acquisition, together with BT's ownership of mobile network provider EE, could spell out great domination over UK networks, potentially sparking an antitrust investigation.The recently-completed merger of Three and Vodafone was subject to an in-depth investigation before eventually approved by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).You might also likeOpenreach declares aim to accelerate UK high-speed broadband rolloutWant to maximize your signal? These are the best mesh Wi-Fi systemsWe've listed the best eSIMs for international travel