news,technology

The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3: key information- Releasing on Prime Video in July- Comprised of 11 episodes- No official trailer, but a short teaser from filming- Main cast to return- Season 3 will be the show’s last- Writer/showrunner Jenny Han has vision for more

The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 is officially coming to Prime Video in July, but it will also be the show’s last.It should come as no surprise really considering the show is based off the book trilogy by showrunner Jenny Han. So, what's next for one of the best Prime Video shows?Well, there’s plenty of story left to tell and one more dreamy summer in Cousins Beach to endure as the love triangle between Belly and the Fisher brothers plays out. That's one final season to unravel the love shared between the three of them, which so far has been tumultuous at best.And it's up to one of the best streaming services to bring The Summer I Turned Pretty to our screens for the last time. We'll watch on as love, heartbreak, and the touching coming-of-age tale plays out over one final perfect summer. Here's everything we know about The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 from release date, to cast, to plot and more.

The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3: is there a release date?

A post shared by The Summer I Turned Pretty (@thesummeriturnedpretty)A photo posted by on

While The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 was announced back in August 2023, the show has been officially confirmed to release on Prime Video in July.That’s two years after season 2, but there’s a good reason. When the show was renewed, Prime Video added to their official Instagram post: “Season 3 was greenlit ahead of the strikes and production will not begin until after negotiations are resolved.”Fortunately, Deadline revealed that filming commenced in May 2024 and just over a year later, we'll finally get to enjoy the show's final summer outing in July. Thanks to an update from Jenny Han during Amazon's Upfront presentation (as per Deadline), we also know that this season will be 11-episodes long, which in previous seasons has only been seven and eight respectively.

The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3: has a trailer been released?

we’re officially rolling on #TheSummerITurnedPretty Season 3. 11 episodes coming your way. see you in Cousins in 2025 🫶 pic.twitter.com/uk7ewxvebrMay 14, 2024

We don’t have a The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 trailer just yet. For now, we have a teaser clip from filming back in May 2024. In just 11 seconds, Lola Tung, who plays Belly, is seen hitting a beach ball around with Steven, Conrad, Jeremiah and Rachel before saying, “See you summer 2025.” That's all we have for now, but we'll be sure to update you with a full trailer once we have one.

The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3: confirmed cast

The main cast are set to return for one last summer (Image credit: Prime Video)

Thanks to the small teaser seen above, for The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3, we know that five of the main cast members will return. We'd also expect two more names to return, especially given flashbacks of previous seasons:

Lola Tung as Belly ConklinChristopher Briney as Conrad FisherGavin Casalegno as Jeremiah FisherSean Kaufman as Steven ConklinRain Spencer as Taylor Madison JewelJackie Chung as Laurel ParkRachel Blanchard as Susannah Fisher

One character definitely not returning is Aunt Julia. Notorious in season 2 for trying to sell the Fisher boys’ late mom’s beach house, Kyra Sedgwick, who played Julia, told People in June 2024, “I’m not in season 3. No, no, no. Spoiler alert.” As to whether Julia’s daughter, Skye, played by Elsie Fisher, will return is still unclear.

The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3: story synopsis and rumors

Will Belly and Jeremiah's love last the course of season 3? (Image credit: Prime Video)

Full spoilers for The Summer I Turned Pretty seasons 1 & 2 to follow. Plus, potential spoilers for season 3.

As a trilogy, it’s not surprising to hear that The Summer I Turned Pretty is rumored to be based on the third and final book, We'll Always Have Summer, where Belly makes her final choice between Conrad and Jeremiah. Yes, the season 2 finale felt 'final', but it is never quite the case with Belly and the Fisher boys. Belly seemingly made her final choice picking Jeremiah and it all felt very definitive with Conrad dramatically returning the infinity necklace. But, there's always Susannah's final request for Belly to look out for Conrad which means they'll always have a bond.There's certainly more to come for Belly and her rollercoaster ride of emotions in season 3. Speaking at the Teen Vogue Summit in 2024, the show’s writer Jenny Han said of Belly’s final summer: “I’ll tell you guys, season 3 is a lot. She goes through the ringer.”While the love triangle is a major part of the show's plot, there's still Belly's coming-of-age story at its core, which is set to continue in season 3: “We’re just with her every step of the way and hopefully having empathy for her and empathy for ourselves in moments where we have acted less than perfectly. I think it’s hard to see characters really like go through it or make these big mistakes and say those things that they really regret.”So, we know that season 2 ended with Belly and Jeremiah. But, if you take the plot of Han’s final book, there's plot twists and heartfelt moments that steer the tale into its final direction. Without giving too much away, in the book Belly and Jeremiah attend the same college together, Finch University, and their relationship is certainly not linear (but when has it ever been?).If you've not read the book, we won't delve into the storyline too much in fear of ruining season 3, but there's one last thing to add. In the season 2 finale, Susannah is seen during a flashback writing letters before she passed away. This plays a pivotal part in Han's final book and that's all we'll say about that.Of course, there's always potential to steer away from the books. Speaking to Us Weekly, Gavin Casalegno showed support for this bold move: “I do feel like there’s a strong chance that that’s a possibility. I try to keep it as real as possible in that regard. Obviously, I know where he ends up going and what ends up happening. But I don’t emphasize on that. Because I think Jenny writes it so well that I’m able to kind of get there naturally without having to force it a certain direction.”

(Image credit: Prime Video)

And something that doesn't happen in the books is Belly heading to Paris. But, Teen Vogue reported in October 2024 that Lola Tung had been "spotted by fans around Paris shooting varying scenes in train stations, as well as out on random streets around town." So, perhaps a swerve away from the books is in store. Though, at time of writing, no official plot has been revealed.Meanwhile, we also have Steven and Taylor's relationship to enjoy, which again is not part of the books. Officially becoming a couple towards the end of season 2, their relationship has blossomed throughout the show and there's clearly more to explore for the show's other romantic pairing. Speaking to Deadline, Casalegno said: “I’m really excited to see what comes next for all of us in the show itself, especially for Jeremiah and Belly’s final moments in Season 2."

Will there be more seasons of The Summer I Turned Pretty?

(Image credit: Prime Video)

While The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 is the show’s last, it's not necessarily the last we'll see of the characters, with scope to move in a different direction.Speaking to Deadline in September 2023, Amazon and MGM Studios head of TV, Vernon Sanders hinted of more to come: "This show is going to continue to be a huge centerpiece for us, and we absolutely have plans to continue building it. Jenny’s got great vision for where she wants to go with all of it, but we’re already hard at work developing complementary pieces."And when asked what complementary pieces means, Sanders added: “I will say stay tuned, but Jenny’s got some exciting surprises. So we’re thrilled about a season 3, and she’s got a vision for more.”It's no new endeavour for Jenny Han to expand on her much-loved books. She has, after all, released three Netflix movies based off of her To All the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy. From these movies came spin-off TV show XO, Kitty, following the life of Lara Jean's younger sister.Whether Han would take one of the characters in their own direction hasn't been confirmed, but knowing that she has more ideas would certainly prompt us to say, watch this space.

For more Prime Video TV-based coverage, read our guides on The Boys season 5, Mr and Mrs Smith season 2, The Rings of Power season 3, and Fallout season 2.

The Apple Mac mini M4 is arguably the biggest bargain in computing. This (almost) pocket-sized mini Mac is fast, powerful, near-silent and costs around half the price of the cheapest equivalent MacBook Air. It's almost too good to be true.I bought one last month, my first new Mac since the MacBook Air M1 in 2020, and it's given me that same sense of 'how did they do that?' wonder.We described it as "the best small form factor PC" in our Mac mini M4 review – and with good reason. I can't believe how quiet it is, how small it is, how swift it is at doing things that my now-slightly creaking M1 MacBook Air struggles with (such as opening more than 10 Chrome tabs at once).But if you're thinking of buying one – and you totally, definitely, absolutely should – I have one bit of advice for you: do not waste your money on Apple's own internal SSD upgrades.Seriously, don't even consider it. Because while the Mac mini is an undoubted bargain, Apple's storage is so overpriced that it's a joke.Instead, you'll want to buy an external enclosure and NVMe storage. That's exactly what I did, and it's saved me a fortune.

The problem: Apple SSD storage is too expensive

(Image credit: Apple)

The simple fact is that Apple charges too much for SSD storage. Like way too much.The base Mac mini M4, with 16GB RAM and a paltry 256GB SSD, costs $599 / £599. And while it really is one of the best bargains in computing history, that's despite the storage on offer, rather than because of it.Doubling it to 512GB costs another $200 / £200, and bumping it up to 1TB doubles that again.The maximum SSD size available on the base M4 is 2TB – and for that you'd pay a whopping $1,399 / £1,399. That's $800 / £800 extra for another 1.75TB of SSD storage.There's no 4TB model available on the base M4, but if you step up to the M4 Pro – which has other benefits, such as a more powerful 12- or 14-core CPU and 16- or 20-core GPU – you can upgrade to a 4TB or 8TB SSD.For that privilege, you would pay an astonishing $600 / £600 extra for the jump from 2TB to 4TB, and then a further $1,200 / £1,200 to take you to 8TB.

You can easily calculate what Apple is charging per GB for its upgrades, so I did just that.

So, leaving aside the jump from 256GB to 512GB – which is just ridiculously bad value at 0.78 US dollars or pounds per gigabyte extra – you're generally paying 30-40 cents/pence per GB.How does that compare to third-party storage? Not well.Our best SSD buying guide lists nine options, that have all been thoroughly tested and TechRadar-approved.Number one in the list, the Samsung 990 Pro, currently costs $100/£90 for 1TB – which works out at around 10 cents / 9 pence per GB. Jump up to the 4TB model and the price per GB drops to 7.5 cents, or 6 pence.Factor in that the 990 Pro is one of the most expensive options and you can see the difference here – it's roughly a quarter of the price of going direct with Apple.The flipside is that you will need to buy an external enclosure too, but these are not expensive.And nor do you need to worry about it being a difficult installation process. The most complicated thing about all of this, if you're not particularly techie, is simply the terminology around it all.

The solution: What you need to buy

(Image credit: Future)

You have two options for upgrading your Mac mini's storage: a portable SSD or an internal SSD plus an external enclosure.The former is simpler, in that you just buy one off the shelf and plug it in to a port on the mini, but they're generally more expensive per GB and almost certainly slower.Still, if you want to take your storage on the road with you, this might be your best bet; our guide to the best portable SSDs has plenty of options.I took the other route, which involved buying an internal SSD and a separate enclosure, or case, to put it in; I'll go into details on that below.This has the advantage of being fast enough to rival the mini's internal SSD – well, so long as you buy the right one.

Know your ports

(Image credit: Future)

If you're coming to the Mac mini M4 from a MacBook, the ports on offer will be a welcome surprise: you get two USB-C 3 ports and a 3mm headphone socket on the front, plus three Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C 4 ports, HDMI and Ethernet on the rear.

Jargon busterM.2: The SSD's form factor; small, rectangular, like a stick of gumNVMe: The SSD type; massively faster than the older SATAPCie 4.0: The interface bus standard the SSD will connect to. For the fastest speeds this would be 4.0, but the older 3.0 will also do just fineThunderbolt 4: The connectivity standard used by the Mac mini 4's rear ports. It can charge devices, handle two 4K displays and transfer data via USBUSB 4: The USB protocol used by Thunderbolt 4, enabling speeds of up to 40Gb/sUSB 3.2: The previous generation of USB standard has a maximum speed of 10Gb/s. The mini's two front USB-C ports have this spec

External storage can plug into any of those five USB-C ports, but you'll get the fastest speeds from the Thunderbolt 4 options on the rear. These use USB 4, and have a maximum data transfer speed of 40Gb/s, compared to 10Gb/s for the front ports.(The Mac mini M4 Pro, meanwhile, has Thunderbolt 5, which can handle up to 120Gb/s. That's arguably overkill, but then so is the CPU…)Theoretically, the absolute fastest speeds will come from an SSD that can take advantage of USB 4 – look for SSDs listed as PCIe 4.0 or 'Gen4', with above 7,000MB/s read and 6,000MB/s write. The Samsung 990 Pro mentioned above is one such SSD.That said, you won't get those kind of speeds in real-world use, due to USB 4's 40Gb/s limit. You could therefore buy a cheaper PCIe 3.0 card such as the Samsung 970 EVO Plus. It might be a tiny bit slower than a 4.0 SSD, but you won't notice it outside of benchmarks.In terms of form factor and type, meanwhile, there's a dizzying array of jargon associated with SSDs – but there's no need to be confused by it all.Simply make sure you buy an M.2 NVMe SSD, ideally Gen4 / PCIe 4.0 if you can afford it, and all will be well.

The enclosure

Once you've chosen your SSD you'll need something to put it into. It is technically possible to upgrade the Mac mini's internal storage, but this would void your warranty, and given how easy it is to use an enclosure I'm not sure it's worth it.There are dozens of suitable enclosures for SSDs, but all simply provide a home for the storage to slot into, plus a cable to connect to a USB port.Some have active cooling fans, some use passive cooling; given that the Mac mini is almost silent, I hated the idea of spoiling that quiet, so went with a passive option.Once again, you'll need to ensure the enclosure can handle the speed of your SSD and then transfer that speed to the Mac.Therefore, searching for 'M.2 enclosure' will not suffice – you might end up with something that only works with USB 3.2.Instead, you specifically need an M.2 NVMe USB 4 or Thunderbolt 4 enclosure. You can use USB 3.2 if you want, but you'll be limited to about a third of the speed.

What I bought

(Image credit: Samsung)

SSD: Samsung 990 Pro M.2 NVMe 4TBIn terms of the SSD, I ended up buying the Samsung 990 Pro M2 NVMe in its 4TB guise. This cost me £257 – which works out at 6 pence per GB.This is definitely overkill for the Mac mini M4, in that I'm only getting about half of its potential speed, with USB 4 being the bottleneck.However, I figured that I may well upgrade the Mac in the next couple of years, and if I do the Samsung SSD can come along for the ride. Plus, we gave it 5 stars in our Samsung 990 Pro SSD review, so it would seem rude not to pick this.As I said above, you could spend less on a PCIe 3.0 SSD and not lose too much in terms of performance. Either way, you will definitely save money over taking the Apple upgrade.

Enclosure: OWC Express 1M2For the enclosure, I went with the OWC Express 1M2, which cost another £149.This is one of the highest-rated USB 4 enclosures around; we awarded it 4.5 stars in our OWC Express 1M2 review, and on Amazon it has the same score from more than 200 user reviews.It's a beautifully made thing, with an entirely metal body covered with fins that make possible its passive cooling. It's not small – about the length of the Mac mini itself, albeit much more narrow – and weighs about 250g, but that didn't worry me as it isn't something I'll be moving around very much.

(Image credit: Future)

More importantly (to me), it looks great next to the Mac mini; many of the cheaper enclosures are black plastic affairs, but I would rather pay slightly extra for the aesthetics.It also has rubber feet on the bottom that keep it stable, plus a USB-C port in which to plug the all-important (and supplied) data cable. I can't praise it enough.

Putting it all together

I'm no stranger to SSD or RAM upgrades, but even a complete novice will find the OWC Express 1M2 easy to set up – not least because there's a super-helpful video tutorial on the OWC website.You'll need to remove a couple of screws, then slide off the bottom of the case to reveal the NVMe slot inside. Remove one more screw, insert the SSD, push down to make contact with the thermal pads, put the screws back in and you're away.The whole thing takes about five minutes, max; it's really not a complicated process.Next, you'll need to hook it up to one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back of the Mac mini, then format the drive for use.Make sure you choose APFS, unless you want to also use it with Macs running an older version of macOS (in which case go for Mac OS Extended) or Windows (ExFAT, generally).

(Image credit: Future)

Performance gains

(Image credit: Future)

Any SSD will be fast enough for most people, particularly if you're used to an old-school hard drive. However, if you're going down the external route rather than buying an Apple upgrade, you'll want your solution to be at least comparable to the internal SSD.It's worth noting that the SSDs in Apple's mac Mini M4s vary in speed depending on the size; the 512GB SSD is about 30% faster than the 256GB model, according to discussions on Reddit at least, and the 1TB model is faster still.I'm only using the 256GB model, of course, and get a speed of around 2,000 MB/s write and 2,800 MB/s read, based on BlackMagicDesign's Disk Speed Test.The Samsung 990 Pro plus OWC 1M2 combo, meanwhile, gives me 3,100 for both write and read – so, slightly faster than the internal SSD.Nor does it get too hot. The 1M2 does a fantastic job of keeping it cool whilst in use, and while you can feel it heating up, it's never uncomfortably warm.

(Image credit: Future)

In real life, the difference in speed between the internal and external drives is irrelevant; either one can copy a 5GB file in a matter of seconds. But psychologically, it's great – not only have I saved myself at least £400, but I've even improved the performance, too.The result is that I can treat my external storage almost as if it's internal. I have folders on it, I have applications running from it, I have lots and lots of music and photos stored on it – and I'd never know it wasn't sitting inside the Mac mini itself if I didn't look at it. It's one of the best upgrades I've ever made.

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At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Signify (the company behind Philips Hue) announced that the Hue ecosystem will soon have its own generative AI assistant to make lighting your home easier.Details are quite scant so far, but we know that it will be possible to control the tool using typed or spoken commands, and that it will create "personalized lighting scenes based on mood, occasion, or style." You'll also be able to give feedback to help improve the assistant's output in the future.There's no word on exactly when the assistant will be released, but late last month, the editor of fan site Hueblog.com noticed that the usual magnifying glass icon in the Hue app's search box had been replaced by the cluster of stars that typically represent AI features.The launch could happen at any time, but what exactly will it bring? Will it just focus on changing the colors of your lights, or will it change how you use your whole Philips Hue system?As someone with a complete set of Hue lights at home, I'm intrigued to see what's coming, and I've got a wish list of things I'd love to see when the assistant eventually lands.

1. No subscription fee

This might be too much to ask, considering the time and cost of developing and running AI tools. Even so, Philips Hue products are already among the most expensive smart lights on the market, and adding an extra subscription fee for AI features might put off some potential customers - even if those tools are optional.The backlash against the AI-powered Garmin Connect+ subscription demonstrates how angry customers can become if new features are locked behind a paywall after paying for the hardware.I won't hold my breath. After all, the Philips Hue ecosystem already has various subscription options for those who want extra features, including Philips Hue Secure for security cameras and an optional monthly fee for the Philips Hue Sync app on LG and Samsung smart TVs (as an alternative to a one-off payment).The fact that the default search icon changed to an 'AI' symbol without any payment being made gives me hope that it will be available free to everyone. However, a free AI assistant might be very limited in scope, so i'm a little torn about this.

It's possible that the Philips Hue AI assistant could work not only with lights, but with cameras and sensors as well (Image credit: Signify)

2. More than moods

The Philips Hue ecosystem includes some of the best smart lights around, and they can do a lot more than just create mood lighting. So, it would be great if the upcoming AI assistant could capitalize on that.For example, if you could tell the assistant "I'm going away for a week", it might enable a seven-day 'mimic presence' automation that switches lights on in different rooms throughout the day to create the impression that someone is home.A more sophisticated assistant might also be able to create a full morning routine that gradually wakes you by increasing the brightness of your lights and an evening routine that dims them (and changes the colors to sunset tones) after dark and turns off your smart plugs and switches, all without tinkering with settings manually.

3. Compatibility with cameras and more

Signify says that the upcoming AI assistant will be able to control your lights, but it would be even better if it also worked with other Hue devices. After all, the ecosystem includes some of the best smart switches and best home security cameras, so it makes sense to incorporate these.If the assistant worked with devices other than lights, you could also use it to arm and disarm your security devices. For example, telling it, "I'm going to work," might arm your security system and turn off all lights until you're due home (or it senses that you're back).

I'd like to see an AI assistant that knows when to arm my security system (Image credit: Signify)

4. Simple search

A few weeks ago, Ring announced a new feature for subscribers: the ability to search their video recordings for specific events using AI. The Smart Video Search function lets you find a specific moment using natural language. Just type your request into the app (such as 'show me when the package was delivered' or 'show me the deliver driver in the brown uniform'), and the tool will find and display that snippet of footage.If you already have a Philips Hue Secure subscription, something similar would be a great addition that would save you time scrubbing through footage to find out when something happened.

5. Energy-saving suggestions

The fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat monitors how you heat and cool your house and uses AI to suggest changes that you could make to reduce your energy consumption - so why not something similar for your lights and devices connected to Philips Hue smart plugs?Granted, lights use much less energy than an HVAC system, but it would still be nice if your bulbs, sensors, and cameras worked together to determine optimal times to turn off your lights to conserve a little power.It's even possible that one day your Philips Hue light bulbs may be able to act as presence sensors, so you wouldn't even need any extra devices to determine whether you're in the room, or you've left and it's fine to switch off the lights.

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Report comes as Microsoft has apparently declined to take more AI resources from billion-dollar AI startup Google has already pledged to invest tens of billions in capital expenditure in FY 2025, most likely in AI hardware In other news, the Nvidia-backed CoreWeave lost nearly a quarter of its value in 48 hours amidst wider stock malaise

It’s interesting times for Nvidia-backed CoreWeave, which provides cloud infrastructure optimized for AI workloads.It was labelled a “turkey” and “the WeWork of AI” by Jeffrey Emanuel, whose prescient article warning about DeepSeek famously wiped $2 trillion off global markets and cut Nvidia’s market capitalization by $600 billion in day.Around the same time, Microsoft walked away from a nearly $12 billion option to purchase additional data center capacity from CoreWeave. That same capacity ultimately went to the Microsoft-backed OpenAI. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which have been wreaking havoc on the stock market, particularly in the tech sector, have impacted the AI hyperscaler as well. The company lost nearly a quarter of its value within 48 hours.

A significantly smaller investment

Still, it’s not all bad news, as a report from The Information claims Google is in advanced talks with CoreWeave to rent Nvidia Blackwell chips from it after struggling to meet growing demand.Google CFO Anat Ashkenazi said during the company’s recent earnings call, “We exited the year with more demand than we had available capacity. So, we are in a tight supply-demand situation, working very hard to bring more capacity online. As I mentioned, we've increased investment in capex in 2024, continue to increase in 2025, and we'll bring more capacity throughout the year."There’s no word yet on how much Google might spend with CoreWeave, but The Information reports that the amount will be “significantly smaller” than the $10 billion Microsoft plans to spend by the end of the decade, or OpenAI’s new $12 billion five-year contract.Google and CoreWeave are also reportedly in “preliminary discussions” about leasing space in CoreWeave’s data centers to house Google’s custom TPU chips, The Information adds.If true - Google and CoreWeave have not commented on The Information’s story which cites “two people briefed about the situation” as its source - this would be a welcome boost for CoreWeave, which had to scale back its initial public offering and reportedly receives 77% of its revenue from just two customers, one of which is Microsoft.

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It could be considered tremendously geeky to fuss over, or to even discuss, the remote control that comes with your TV. But a solid, well-designed remote is a key feature of the best TVs, and if you spend several hours every day watching, it’s something you’re getting plenty of hands-on time with.As someone who reviews TVs and other AV gear regularly, remote controls are something I pay close professional attention to. When I reviewed the Hisense U8N TV, I’m not ashamed to admit feeling a sense of delight when I held its solid, well-designed remote, which even featured a backlit keypad.It was a huge upgrade over the cheap, plasticky, and basic remote that came with the Hisense U8K that preceded it, and it added more value to an already high-value TV.Conversely, I nearly shuddered when I saw the remote control that came with the Panasonic Z95A, the company’s 2024 flagship OLED TV, and one that marked the brand’s triumphant return to the US market. In my Panasonic Z95A review, I generously called it “disappointing given the Z95A’s otherwise premium build quality (and price!).”The Z95A’s remote was essentially the same one you’d get with any cheap Fire TV set you’d buy on Prime Day for a bargain price from Amazon, which supplied the Fire TV smart TV interface for Panasonic’s new 2024 TVs.

The new-old hybrid AI Magic Remote (shown above) boasts a very different design than the fully re-designed AI Magic Remote (shown at top) (Image credit: Future)

LG’s Magic Remote control is a long-standing feature of its TVs, including many of the best OLED TVs over the past decade. The Magic Remote differs from other TV remotes in that it has both a scroll wheel and a pointer wand control that lets you hover a cursor over items in the TV’s webOS smart interface and click on them to make a selection.The Magic Remote operates like a wireless computer mouse, and I’m sure that was a deliberate design choice back in the days when companies like LG were first adding a web browser and other computer-like features to their TVs, thinking people were going to eagerly use them for web-surfing and work.The Home Office Quick Card in webOS 25 provides strong evidence that LG still thinks people want to use their TV as an oversized computer monitor for work, which is something I can’t ever see myself doing.I’ve always found LG’s Magic Remote to be fine to work with, even if I’m not using it to actually do work on a TV. But it’s certainly a divisive design, even among longtime fans of LG OLED TVs. Fans such as TechRadar contributor Dave Meikelham, who said this of the Magic Remote: “The aging peripheral now possesses about as much sorcery as a drunk magician unsuccessfully trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat at a crestfallen child’s birthday party.”

Magical thinking

LG's Home Office hub wants to help with your productivity (Image credit: Future)

Part of the resistance to LG’s Magic Remote is a feeling that the cursor function is inaccurate, with the arrow whizzing randomly around the screen when you attempt to select an item on the smart interface or in a menu (the cursor’s speed can be adjusted in the TV’s setup menu, a setting critics may not have bothered to mess with).But another big part is that LG hadn’t updated the basic design in years, and worse, the remote had a cheap build quality that seems out of step with a premium, pricey TV.When I recently reviewed the LG G5, the brand’s flagship 2025 OLED, I was very happy to see that it came with a redesigned Magic Remote. Finally! This new AI Magic Remote version abandons the old shoehorn-like design for a more modern flat form factor with gently rounded corners and a streamlined keypad with a limited button count.Yes, the scroll wheel is still there, and as with the previous version, clicking on it will trigger the cursor control to use that function. But the new design appears to favor the more conventional navigation disc control option, which works perfectly well on the speedy, responsive webOS 25 smart interface.The new design also adds a few buttons that previously weren’t found on Magic Remotes, specifically Accessibility, Home Hub, and AI shortcut buttons. That last one also facilitates voice commands, which is clearly something LG now wants us to be using on its TVs.What’s missing in the new-look AI Magic Remote are number buttons and, crucially, an input select control, which is something I griped about in my G5 review. Yes, you could use voice commands to create a shortcut for selecting a specific input on the TV (which supports Google Home and LG’s own ThinQ smart home protocols), or you can, as I found myself doing, jump to the Home Hub and select an input from there.But I guess I’m old school that way: I want an input button on my TV remote control (and backlighting too, thanks).

Regional realities

In the absence of an input select button on the AI Magic Remote, a visit the Home Hub on LG TVs will let you switch between sources (Image credit: Future)

Now that I’ve pumped up LG’s AI Magic Remote (for the most part), I need to step back and share that the new design isn’t available in all regions – the UK, for instance.Certain regions have legal requirements that prevent TV manufacturers from removing buttons such as a numbered keypad from remote controls, and for those regions, LG is retaining the same old Magic Remote design.The good news here – if you see it that way – is that this design is a new-old hybrid AI Magic Remote that includes the AI and Home Hub buttons. The bad news? The input select button has been removed from this one as well.I wish it didn't have to be this way – there's been a history of companies such as Samsung including two remotes in the box to get around these rules – but for those of use who get the stylish new remote, I think it's a much-awaited step forward.

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Unofficial renders of the Pixel Watch 4 have leaked onlineThe design looks similar to the Google Pixel Watch 3Wireless charging and a bigger battery could be added

We've not heard much so far about the successor to the Google Pixel Watch 3, but considering that wearable came out last September, a follow-up shouldn't be too far away – and newly leaked, unofficial renders may offer our first look at the Pixel Watch 4.These renders come from seasoned tipster @OnLeaks and 91mobiles, and are apparently based on information sourced from Google's supply chain. They show a smartwatch that doesn't vary too much from the current design in terms of its looks.There are some small changes to talk about though: the Google Pixel Watch 4 is said to be slightly thicker than its predecessor, possibly indicating a larger battery and longer battery. The display bezels are also reportedly going to be slightly smaller than they are on the Pixel Watch 3.The leak also mentions that wireless charging could be introduced for the Pixel Watch 4, something we haven't seen on Google's smartwatches so far – which would potentially mean it could be charged via a bigger range of third-party accessories.

New buttons, two sizes

We've also got two tiny buttons either side of the speaker, on the left of the watch as you look at the screen. It's not clear what these buttons are for yet, but they're nowhere near as prominent as the digital crown on the other side.According to this new leak, the Pixel Watch 4 will be available in two sizes, as the Pixel Watch 3 was. Those sizes will "possibly" be 41 mm and 45 mm, matching the current model, but we'll have to wait and see on all these details.Leaks and rumors around the Google Pixel Watch 4 have been thin on the ground so far. We have heard murmurings that Google will aim to improve repairability on its next smartwatch, which would be welcome, but that's about all we've heard – though more details may emerge between now and September.Head over to our Google Pixel Watch 3 review and you'll see we were mostly impressed with what it's got to offer, including its running tools. If the Pixel Watch 4 can add some substantial upgrades, it should make our best smartwatches list.

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For smartphone manufacturers, competing with Apple must feel like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Every. Single. Quarter.The best iPhones aren’t necessarily the best phones outright (read: they’re not), but the Cupertino giant has undoubtedly managed to cordon off a large swath of smartphone-owning consumers (perhaps indefinitely so) through its decades-long focus on building a watertight product ecosystem. Heck, even Samsung, Apple’s biggest competitor, has seen its own home country fall victim to iPhone fever, and Apple remains a force to be reckoned with in China, too.What, then, are Apple’s rivals to do? According to OnePlus’ Senior Product Marketing Manager Rudolf Xu, there’s only one thing for it: push for greater compatibility with iOS.“I think the key thing is to build a bridge with iOS,” Xu told TechRadar during a recent visit to OnePlus HQ in Guangdong, China. “That’s why, for example, on OxygenOS 15, we have a feature called Share with iPhone, and people love it – we are getting very positive feedback, because it makes file transfer [between Android and iOS] a lot easier. That’s something that Android devices have always struggled with.“Another thing is the sharing of live photos,” Xu continued. “If you capture a live photo with the OnePlus 13, you can actually still see the live photo effect on an iPhone [if you transfer it]. That’s because we’re using the latest format to package live photos.“These are all the efforts we’re putting in to build a bridge between OnePlus products and the iOS ecosystem. We don't want to build an ecosystem that shuts the door for other customers. We want to make [our ecosystem] as open as possible, so that we can attract more users.”

iOS 18 partially improved the messaging experience between iPhone and Android users (Image credit: Apple)

In person, Xu’s comment about “an ecosystem that shuts the door for other customers” wasn’t made in reference to Apple directly, but it does rather nicely highlight the crux of the issue at hand. Apple won’t willingly open up its operating system to rival software developers (and why would it?), so there’s only so much that brands like OnePlus can do to improve compatibility between Android- and iOS-based devices.

We want to make [our ecosystem] as open as possible, so that we can attract more users.Rudolf Xu, OnePlus

Indeed, Apple would never make the process of connecting AirPods to one of the best Android phones as seamless as connecting AirPods to an iPhone, but OnePlus can at least ensure that its own smartphones aren’t totally incompatible with Apple handsets.Of course, compatibility does not equal homogeneity, and OnePlus has found other ways to differentiate the best OnePlus phones from iPhones (not to mention other Android phones) in recent years.We recently reported that consumers are growing tired of modern smartphone design, and while, in our interview, OnePlus’ Xu acknowledged that there is logic behind the industry’s current sameness, he affirmed his brand’s commitment to standing out from the crowd.

The OnePlus 13 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

“When it comes to design language, [there’s a reason] why more and more products look alike,” Xu explained. “Basically every [manufacturer] is putting a camera in the upper-left corner of the phone, and actually, from an R&D perspective, this has the highest efficiency for component stacking. By ‘component stacking’, I mean how a phone’s battery [is arranged in relation to] its chipset, and so on.“Most [manufacturers] like to put the battery [in the bottom half of the phone], the chipset [adjacent to the camera], and the camera [in the upper left corner]. In terms of R&D, this is the most effective and efficient way to stack the components. So, maybe that’s why we’re seeing more and more similarly designed phones. There is reasoning behind that.“But on the other hand,” Xu continued, “we also try to maintain our unique design language. That’s why there’s consistency across the OnePlus 10 Pro, the 11, the 12, and now the 13. I mean, it is a challenge [to develop devices that are both unique and popular], but we want to maintain our unique identity across all OnePlus products.”As far as we’re concerned, this approach is working – in our OnePlus 13 review, we described the company’s latest flagship as “one of the best-looking phones you can buy.” Now, OnePlus has the not-so-small task of putting such an impressive phone in the hands of Apple’s iPhone-owning faithful.

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Looking for a different day?A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, April 13 (game #672).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #673) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

HUNTCHECKGAMEFORDPRESIDENTPLAYCARSTOPOXENBLOCKMOVIEACTORDAMDYSENTERYDIRECTORCONCERT

NYT Connections today (game #673) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: Prevent GREEN: Sold outBLUE: Pioneer life strategyPURPLE: A word in the blue group is the common thread

Need more clues?We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #673) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: RESTRICT GREEN: TICKETED EVENTS BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH THE GAME THE OREGON TRAILPURPLE: WHAT "FORD" MIGHT REFER TO

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #673) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #673, are…

YELLOW: RESTRICT BLOCK, CHECK, DAM, STOPGREEN: TICKETED EVENTS CONCERT, GAME, MOVIE, PLAYBLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH THE GAME THE OREGON TRAILDYSENTERY, FORD, HUNT, OXENPURPLE: WHAT "FORD" MIGHT REFER TO ACTOR, CAR, DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT

My rating: HardMy score: Fail

I crashed out today, after getting the yellow and green group. RESTRICT was easy enough, although I did hesitate over DAM, thinking that it could be in a water-based group with FORD, but I took the leap.I got the green group without thinking tickets was the common thread, just that they were all things people paid for.After this I was utterly clueless and tried random groupings with little logic. For my final guess I did almost make it, as I got “one away”, but it was too late. I should have realised that FORD was both an answer and a connector.In my defense, The Oregon Trail is not something that really crossed the Atlantic to the UK, although I do have vague recollections of “You have dysentry” T-shirts going viral a couple of decades ago – not that I understood why.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 13 April, game #672)

YELLOW: STEAL NICK, PINCH, POCKET, SWIPEGREEN: ATTENDANCE STATUS ABSENT, EXCUSED, LATE, PRESENTBLUE: FONT-MODIFYING WORDS GOTHIC, ROMAN, SANS, TYPEWRITERPURPLE: __BERRY CAPER, ELDER, GOOSE, LOGAN

What is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, April 13 (game #406).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #407) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… April showers …

NYT Strands today (game #407) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

STOPFILLSNOWSHIRTGRINFOLD

NYT Strands today (game #407) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #407) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: bottom, 3rd columnLast side: top, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #407) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #407, are…

IRISDAFFODILTULIPHYACINTHLILYCROCUSSPANGRAM: SPRING FLOWERS

My rating: ModerateMy score: 1 hint

At first I thought we were looking for synonyms for rain – I even found “snow” hidden in the puzzle – but thankfully this wasn’t the case.Drawing a blank and spotting lots of words that actually were not in the game, I took a hint to get me going and didn’t look back.The first word I got myself was DAFFODIL – a flower which doesn’t carry the same gravitas as the others in our SPRING FLOWERS search.At least that’s the case in the UK, where they’re the lowest-cost flowers you can buy and as a consequence are great for a bit of cheap and cheerful color but don’t really cut it if you’re buying flowers to send some a romantic message.They don’t so much say ‘I love you’ as much as ‘I’d rather not spend too much money on you’.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 13 April, game #406)

HELLOFLEWPILOTQUEENHEIGHTPLAQUESPREADSPANGRAM: COLOR RHYMES

What is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, April 13 (game #1175).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1176) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1176) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1176) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1176) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1176) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• D• C• A• L

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1176) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1176, are…

DRAWLCROOKACTORLANCE

I began with one word where I had all five letters in incorrect positions, W-R-A-L-D. I got DRAWL after deciding DR was the perfect starting combination, but in hindsight I don’t think any other word would have been possible.It was a similar story for the second word, but with just four incorrect letters. After a process of elimination I dismissed the only other words I could think of with R-A-O-T in them (ROAST and ABORT) and decided ACTOR was the only possibility.A nice mental work out.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1176) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1176, are…

SHINYSNOOPWRESTMERCY

Quordle answers: The past 20

Quordle #1175, Sunday 13 April: SHALE, KINKY, SHORN, WHOOPQuordle #1174, Saturday 12 April: BLIND, OVOID, CACHE, THINGQuordle #1173, Friday 11 April: FOLLY, PITHY, SCOWL, CURLYQuordle #1172, Thursday 10 April: LEAST, SEWER, UNTIE, NOOSEQuordle #1171, Wednesday 9 April: LITHE, LEFTY, KNOLL, MULCHQuordle #1170, Tuesday 8 April: WIDTH, VISOR, MEDAL, BROOKQuordle #1169, Monday 7 April: BROTH, SHOUT, BRUTE, CABINQuordle #1168, Sunday 6 April: AMBER, GAUZE, STORE, SLICKQuordle #1167, Saturday 5 April: GUSTY, VAULT, WHINE, BEGATQuordle #1166, Friday 4 April: OAKEN, LOOPY, CURIO, BUTTEQuordle #1165, Thursday 3 April: ASCOT, JETTY, DRUNK, JOLLYQuordle #1164, Wednesday 2 April: INDEX, QUEEN, INCUR, STOLEQuordle #1163, Tuesday 1 April: HUMUS, BALMY, WORRY, ERECTQuordle #1162, Monday 31 March: RECUT, MOODY, WHERE, BRACEQuordle #1161, Sunday 30 March: CRIME, DRINK, CLOVE, TRUERQuordle #1160, Saturday 29 March: LATER, ODDLY, CUMIN, AGREEQuordle #1159, Friday 28 March: TERSE, MUSHY, PROVE, FRONDQuordle #1158, Thursday 27 March: CRONE, APNEA, LIGHT, AWOKEQuordle #1157, Wednesday 26 March: LEFTY, NOOSE, NOISE, TRIADQuordle #1156, Tuesday 25 March: SNEER, WATCH, FLORA, STAIN

Look, Microsoft, we need to talk. It’s no secret that you’ve been nagging me (and everyone else) to upgrade to Windows 11 for a while now, with everything from ads to in-OS reminders pushing me towards the settings menu to check if my PC is eligible for an upgrade. But here’s the thing, Microsoft: this path you’re on isn’t sustainable.I mean this in a few different ways. Firstly, the extremely literal sense; Windows 11 forces a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 requirement, which for the uninitiated is a specific chip on your laptop or desktop’s motherboard enabling enhanced security features. No TPM 2.0? No Windows 11. Yes, I know you can technically upgrade to Windows 11 without TPM 2.0, but I wouldn’t recommend it.Is that enhanced security good? Yes, absolutely - but it effectively means that many older computers literally can’t run Windows 11, which combined with the impending Windows 10 End of Life is eventually going to result in a lot of PCs headed to the ever-growing e-waste pile. That’s a real problem in itself. But I’m not here to rant about e-waste (though it’s really bad). I want to talk about how users perceive Microsoft’s nigh-omnipresent operating system, and how its current trajectory could result in serious issues further down the line.

Chop and change

See, Windows is constantly evolving - from humble beginnings as an MS-DOS interface in the mid-Eighties to beloved iterations like Windows XP and 10 (and widely panned versions, such as Vista and RT). But over the years, there have long been whispers of a ‘final’ version of the OS; a ‘Windows Perfected’ if you will, designed to last forever with continual updates - or at least, designed to last for a very long time.In a sense, what those hunting for this ‘last’ Windows iteration want is the same experience that macOS users get: an operating system that just continually gets free updates adding new features, rarely changes in a hugely significant way, and isn’t chock-full of annoying ads. Of course, it’s not quite that simple for Microsoft; Apple has incredibly tight control over the macOS hardware ecosystem, while Microsoft theoretically has to make Windows run on a near-limitless selection of custom- and pre-built PCs as well as laptops from numerous different manufacturers. Then again, keeping ads out of Windows should be as simple as it is for macOS, and that hasn’t happened…

I'm no Apple lover, but there's no denying that macOS is in many ways better-maintained than Windows. (Image credit: Apple)

At the end of the day, Microsoft doesn’t need to keep creating entirely new versions of Windows - it does so because outside of an Apple-esque closed ecosystem, that’s profitable, as system manufacturers will need to keep buying new OS keys and users will need to keep buying new systems.Sure, there might need to be major overhauls now and then that leave some people behind - the TPM 2.0 debacle is perhaps one such example. But there are cracks in this methodology that are slowly starting to show, and I suspect it won’t end well unless Microsoft changes course.

Time for some defenestration?

If upgrading to a new OS is a lot of hassle for an individual (I’ve personally been putting it off for years, still using Windows 10 on my personal desktop), imagine how much work - and how much money - it takes for a large business to do it. Although Windows 11 adoption is finally on the rise, plenty of private businesses and public sector organizations are still stuck on Win10 or older, despite Microsoft’s insistence for us all to upgrade.A 2021 report by Kaspersky suggested that 73% of healthcare providers globally are still using equipment with an outdated OS for medical purposes. Now, this isn’t just talking about Windows computers, but it’s a damning figure - a more recent investigation by Cynerio claimed that 80% of imaging devices are still using operating systems that have been officially EoL’d and are now unsupported, like Windows 7 and XP.

I learned a lot about the tech used in hospitals when I was undergoing cancer treatment back in 2021. Spoiler alert: it's almost all horribly outdated. (Image credit: Christian Guyton)

Healthcare is just one such sector, but it’s felt widely, particularly in sectors and countries where funding for hardware and software upgrades often isn’t readily available. Running an out-of-support OS can lead to a variety of issues, not least with security and compatibility. It’s not that these organizations don’t want to upgrade, it’s that they literally can’t - not without the significant expenditure of completely replacing the computer, and sometimes the entire machine it’s hooked up to.

Annoying ads

Lastly - and I’m going to be a bit brutally honest with you here, Microsoft - the slow but inexorable enshittification of Windows has got to stop. Ads, bugs, pestering notifications, the constant forcing of Copilot AI down our throats; just stop it, guys. Please.I have Windows 11 on my laptop, and also the ROG Ally I used for handheld PC gaming. I’m no stranger to how bad it’s become. My dislike of Apple hardware is well-documented, yet macOS’s year-on-year consistency and total lack of ads is beginning to look mighty appealing.Win11 feels less like a product you buy and own and more like an ‘OS as a service’ - something you pay for but don’t really own, and can be snatched away or heavily modified at a moment’s notice. It’s already a serious issue in the game industry, with triple-A games increasingly becoming less about providing a good, fun experience and more about extracting as much value from the player as possible.

I don't hate Windows 11, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Even Windows 10 isn’t safe from Microsoft’s meddling. At this point, I’m half looking forward to the EoL purely so that Microsoft will take its grubby little fingers out of my desktop OS. No, I don’t care about how great Windows 11 supposedly is now. No, I don’t care about Copilot and how it’s going to fix my digital life and cure all my worldly ailments.Let me create a little analogy here. Imagine if you bought a car. It’s a good car, it runs fine and doesn’t give you any major issues. Then, a few years later, a new model comes out, and every morning, no matter where you park, the dealership sends someone to put a flyer on your windshield advertising the new car, or some other new offer the dealership is running. Every now and then, they also take away a small part of your car, like a wiper blade or a single tire nut. The kicker? You don’t want the new car, and you might not even be able to afford it anyway.I just want a straightforward OS that runs smoothly and doesn’t become outdated every five years. Is that really too much to ask, Microsoft?

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Apple hasn’t abandoned its previously rumored plans to release a less expensive Vision Pro, according to Bloomberg. Mark Gurman reports in the Power On newsletter this weekend that the company has two new models in development: one that’s lighter and cheaper than the first generation headset, and one that would tether to a Mac. While Apple had once considered the latter setup for AR glasses, it shifted the idea over to the Vision Pro so it can “create an ultra-low-latency system for streaming a user’s Mac display or for connecting to high-end enterprise applications,” according to Gurman.

Apple’s ultimate goal, though, is reportedly to create AR glasses that are practical and comfortable enough to be worn like regular glasses, and the next iterations of the Vision Pro are seen as steps toward getting there. Gurman reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook is “hell-bent on creating an industry-leading product before Meta can.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/apple-is-reportedly-working-on-two-new-versions-of-the-vision-pro-153536984.html?src=rss

Researchers from top US universities warn extending pre-training can be detrimental to performance Too much pre-training can deliver worse performance due to something akin to the butterfly effect The more they are pre-trained, the more they become sensitive to small changes that could disrupt the end result

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, Harvard, and Princeton are challenging one of AI development’s accepted core beliefs - that the more pre-training data the better the performance.As reported by HPCwire, a new paper discuses the concept of “catastrophic overtraining,” whereby extended pre-training can harm a model’s performance after fine-tuning.The researchers compared two versions of the OLMo-1B model, one trained on 2.3 trillion tokens and another on 3 trillion. Despite the larger training set, the more extensively trained model reportedly performed up to 3% worse on benchmarks like AlpacaEval and ARC.

Reaching the inflection point

This performance drop, the study claims, is linked to a phenomenon called “progressive sensitivity.”As the token count increases, the model becomes more fragile. Even small tweaks, like adjustments during fine-tuning, or the introduction of noise, can reverse earlier gains.The authors demonstrated this by injecting Gaussian noise into pre-trained models, noting that performance degraded more sharply the longer the model was trained.The point where this additional training starts to degrade performance is called the “inflection point.”Once reached, the benefits of training start to become outweighed by the risk of internal instability. The study found that this tipping point often occurs beyond 2.5 trillion tokens in smaller models, like OLMo-1B.“Catastrophic overtraining may be inevitable... especially when the pre-training and fine-tuning tasks are misaligned,” the authors warn in their paper, which you can access through the arXiv pre-print server.While the researchers are not suggesting an end to pre-training, they do feel that developers should consider just how much pre-training is enough. As the paper concludes, “Our findings call for a renewed focus on model scaling that considers the entire training pipeline.”For AI developers chasing scale, the message seems clear: sometimes, less really is more.

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Apple is said to be readying some big improvements for iPadOS that could bring it more in line with macOS. According to Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter, Apple’s iPadOS 19 will “focus on productivity, multitasking and app window management — with an eye on the device operating more like a Mac.” It won’t quite be macOS for iPad, but Gurman notes that “the changes will likely go far enough” to please those users who are looking to get more out of the tablet’s software.

It's expected to arrive later this year. Chances are we'll hear all about it at WWDC 2025, which Apple has set for the second week of June. This year is rumored to be bringing some major changes to iOS and macOS as well, as Gurman previously reported. It all reportedly comes as part of Apple’s push to make its software look more consistent across its devices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/ipad-software-will-reportedly-get-more-mac-like-with-the-ipados-19-redesign-200759136.html?src=rss

Bungie finally took the wraps off its upcoming team-based extraction shooter, Marathon, sharing a look at gameplay and a cinematic short during its showcase this weekend. We also now know the release date: September 23. Marathon will be available on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and support full cross play and cross save.

Marathon, a reboot of Bungie’s 30-year-old FPS series, was first announced back in 2023, and we’ve heard little more about it until now. Now, Bungie says:

In Marathon, players inhabit a Runner, a cybernetic mercenary scouring the remains of a lost colony of Tau Ceti IV for fortune and power. Players team up in crews of three as they battle rival Runner teams and hostile security forces for weapons and upgrades. Survive and everything they’ve scavenged is theirs to keep for future runs on Tau Ceti IV — or if they’re brave enough, a journey to the derelict Marathon ship that hangs above.

If you missed the live Gameplay Reveal Showcase on Saturday, you can catch up on all the highlights now on Bungie’s website and the official Discord. The team says there will be a “fairly small” Closed Alpha Test from April 23 to May 4, ahead of bigger tests leading up to the release in September.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/bungie-shares-first-looks-at-gameplay-from-its-new-shooter-marathon-alongside-a-release-date-213530509.html?src=rss

Spoilers follow for The Last of Us season two, episode one

The heart of all things The Last of Us, whether it’s the games or the first season of the HBO adaptation, is the relationship between Joel and Ellie. It was brought to life in remarkable fashion by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in season one; the pair’s chemistry was the show’s undeniable high point. So it’s a bit of a shock that they only share a few minutes of screen time together in the season two premiere “Future Days” — and that their time together is strained to say the very least.

That all comes near the end of the episode, though. Backing up a bit, the show resumes exactly where we left off, with Ellie saying “okay” to Joel’s lies about what happened in the season one finale. That episode saw him decimate the Fireflies to save the immune Ellie. The Fireflies were hoping to make a cure for the cordyceps infection that devastated the world, but it would have killed her in the process. “Okay” meant that she was accepting his story, even if she didn’t quite believe it. Fast forward five years, and things are tense — so tense that our hardened Joel is in therapy.

We get to eavesdrop on a session with Joel’s therapist Gail, played by the always-wonderful Catherine O’Hara. I’ve been looking forward to seeing how she’d be used since Gail was revealed in an early trailer, and both her and Joel are having a day when they get together. Joel’s relationship with Ellie is apparently what drove him to meet with Gail, and he’s going on about the distance in their relationship — she barely talks to him, sulks and acts distant, and Gail isn’t exactly impressed. She notes that Ellie is acting like every other 19-year-old acts towards their father, and also says it's clear there’s a lot more going on between them.

Pedro Pascal and Catherine O'Hara in HBO's The Last of Us season twoPhotograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO

Gail then opens up to Joel in an effort to get him to be honest (and because she’s a few drinks in) and drops a bit of a bomb in the process: Joel shot her husband Eugene (a character from The Last of Us Part II who we never met in the game). She says she understood that he had to do it — an implication but not confirmation that Eugene had been infected — but can’t forgive him for the way she found out and can’t help but hate him for what he did. Not the kind of thing you usually hear from your therapist, but that’s The Last of Us for you. She then gets Joel to tearfully admit he did something to Ellie, but when she asks if he hurt her, he responds by saying he saved her and then gets the hell out of her house. Season one showed Joel as a more vulnerable person than his game counterpart, a change that benefitted him given the expanded drama and depth of the show, and I’m glad season two is emphasizing that in a way that’s pretty unconventional for the post-apocalypse world.

We also get a hint at the discord between Joel and Ellie via Dina, a new character introduced as Ellie’s best friend through a conversation she has with Joel. The two of them are getting along just fine; Joel even calls her “kiddo,” showing a similar dad-like affection for Dina that he usually does with Ellie. After a little chat she asks him point blank why Ellie’s angry with him, and he responds with more vagaries about the two of them figuring out what it’s like being a father and daughter at her age while asking Dina to keep the therapy sessions he’s having a secret — his therapy-speak when discussing how he’s dealing with everything was just too on the nose for her to miss.

Isabela Merced and Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us season twoPhotograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO

But the most pivotal scene in this exposition-heavy episode is the New Year’s Eve party where Dina and Ellie share a dance, share a kiss and get shouted at by the drunk town bigot. Just as Ellie is about to treat him like a clicker, Joel intercedes, shoves Seth to the ground and asks if she’s okay — which gets him a disgusted look and verbal smackdown from Ellie, after which he slinks away in decidedly un-Joel fashion.

Things are decidedly unwell between the pair, and while it’s an intriguing note to start the story on, it’s also hard not to be disappointed about the lack of time together for Pascal and Ramsey. Having them at odds is a totally reasonable story beat — even if she was a normal 19-year-old, they’d be having their share of challenges. But the loss of their connection and the lack of interactions between the two put a subdued mood over everything, something that episode writer / director and showrunner Craig Mazin certainly intended and will exploit throughout the season.

Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO

Mazin also paid tribute to the game in some lovely ways in this episode, particularly with the town party scene. Right from the start of season one, I expected to see more scenes from the game done nearly note-for-note in the show, and my expectations have been largely defied throughout, right from the start of the series’ first episode. It’s been clear that the goal of the show is not to reproduce all of the game’s iconic scenes but expand on it while still picking the right moments to deploy some tributes to the source material. The party scene is a perfect example, starting off with a shot of Ellie’s back as she looks over the merriment in front of her; what follows is nearly identical to the pivotal game scene in dialog, set design and framing. What is different, though, is the timing — we’re getting this right off the bat rather than much later in the story as you’d find in the game.

Similarly, the episode’s other most significant scene takes place right at the beginning. After that quick flashback, we’re immediately introduced to Abby, one of the second game’s playable characters. We learn that she and her friends are survivors of Joel’s Firefly massacre at the hospital in Utah, and that Abby in particular is keen on revenge. Mazin and co-showrunner Neil Druckmann have already discussed how they wanted to introduce Abby and get into her motivations quicker in the show than in the game, largely because players build a relationship with her through gameplay. In this case, though, we already know that Abby is after Joel, and the episode ends with her crew reaching Jackson. While “Future Days” focused more on scene-setting than action (with the exception of some pretty tense scenes of Ellie and Dina against some Infected), things are clearly going to ratchet up next week — and not just with Abby, as the show also teased a major Infected threat as well. Let’s get those flamethrowers ready for next Sunday.

Infected score: 6/10

One of the main complaints from fans of the video games during season one was a relative lack of Infected. The showrunners say they’ve changed things up in season two — let’s see if they’re sticking to their word.

Episode one was mostly an exposition episode without a ton of action, but we did see Ellie and Dina stealthily take down a pair of Clickers. But the most exciting bit was seeing a Stalker in action for the first time in the show. It had Ellie completely fooled, even giving her another bite that she had to hide from Dina. Here’s hoping we see more of these creepers as the season goes on. And, of course, the threat of tendrils lurking in the pipe in the middle of Jackson promises bigger problems soon, but we’re not there yet. I’m giving this episode a 6 of 10 — there wasn’t all that much action, but the stalker reveal was intense enough to up this episode’s rating.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-last-of-us-season-two-premiere-future-days-highlights-the-fracture-between-ellie-and-joel-020029565.html?src=rss

The MDLondon Curl is a curling wand with a difference. For one, it looks more like something you'd find in a tool box than on a dressing table. That right-angled wand is designed to be more comfortable to hold, for a styling experience with more control and less arm-ache. Unfortunately, the only demo video I can find shows someone having their hair done, and I'm struggling to envisage how you might use it on yourself.The main body of the curler is shaped very similarly to most of today's best hair dryers. It's not a hair dryer, though – there's no air blowing out. The ceramic barrels simply heat up to set the hair into place, like a traditional curling tong.Another cool upgrade is that the curl barrel is swappable. The Curl comes with four different barrel styles, and you can simply switch them out for different looks. There's a fairly standard 25mm barrel, a chunkier 31mm one for bigger curls, an ultra-thin 10mm one for super-tight corkscrews and an intriguing reverse conical one (pictured below) that the brand says will give you a relaxed, beachy look.

(Image credit: MDLondon)

While I'm still a little unsure about the right-angled design, I am fully sold on the idea of swappable barrels. In a market flooded with multi-stylers, it's starting to feel old-fashioned to have a tool that just does one thing, and this is a clever way to add versatility. Tiny curling wands (to create tight curls) are having a bit of a moment right now, but for most people that'll just be an occasional look rather than something for every day. Adding it as an option alongside more relaxed curl barrel options saves you from having to buy a whole separate gadget that you just might not need that often.We've tested MDLondon hair gadgets before and been consistently impressed – the MDLondon Strait features in our best hair straightener roundup, and we found the MDLondon Blow hair dryer "lightweight yet luxurious, compact yet powerful". Both have some slightly out-of -the-ordinary design tweaks, although neither are quite as head-turning as the Curl. I'm interested to see how it holds up in practice, and if other haircare brands start to follow suit.

Heat vs air

It's a little unusual to see a traditional heated tong (albeit within a non-traditional design) being launched these days. The current focus seems to be all about Dyson Airwrap-style tools that use directed air to create curls using the Coanda effect. The idea is that it's better for your long-term hair health because there's less extreme heat.While I do like that approach – I've just reviewed the Dyson Airwrap i.d. and was very impressed, and today's best Airwrap dupes are increasingly capable too – I will concede that it does have its drawbacks. Curls created using air still tend to drop more quickly than those created using heat, the styling process takes longer (and especially if you're diligent about using a cold shot to help set each curl) and it can be fiddly, too – hair is attracted to the barrel and wraps around automatically, but you have to be precise or you'll end up with strands from other curls getting pulled into the curl you're currently working on. It might be that a revamped traditional tong is just what we need.The MDLondon Curl curling wand is only currently available in the UK, and it costs £129 (but that would make it around $168 or AU$270, as a rough estimate).

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Whether you're listening to playlists on your daily commute or zoning out with a podcast at home, wireless headphones can make your audio experience much more comfortable. With no cords to untangle or get caught on your bag, they’re a great pick for anyone who wants convenience without compromising on sound quality. If comfort and immersive audio are high on your priority list, over-ear wireless headphones are often the way to go — they wrap around your ears to help block out the world and deliver rich detailed sound that earbuds can sometimes miss.There’s a wide range of over-ear wireless headphones to choose from, whether you want active noise cancellation, long battery life or a comfy fit for marathon listening sessions. Of course, if you're after something a little more compact or tailored to a specific use case, we also have you covered with our buying guides for the best earbuds, the best gaming headsets and the best budget earbuds. But if wireless headphones with top-tier sound and a comfortable, over-ear design are what you're after, read on — we’ve tested the top options to help you find the right pair.

Table of contents

Best wireless headphones for 2025

How to choose the best wireless headphones for you

How we test over-ear headphones

Other wireless headphones we tested

Wireless headphones FAQs

Best wireless headphones for 2025

How to choose the best wireless headphones for you

When it comes to shopping for a good pair of wireless headphones, the first thing you’ll need to decide on is wear style. Do you prefer on-ear or over-ear headphones? For the purposes of our buyer’s guide, we focus on the over-ear style as that’s what most noise-canceling headphones are nowadays. Sure, you can find on-ear models with ANC, but over-ear designs are much more effective at blocking sound. Speaking of noise cancellation, you’ll want to determine early on if you even want that. If you frequently crank up the beats in noisy environments, you’ll want to not only make sure it’s there, but also make sure it’s good, preferably with adaptive ANC. If you plan to use your new headphones in quieter spaces, skipping ANC can save you some money.

The next area to consider is features. We recommend trying to get the most bang for your buck, but as you’re shopping around you should determine which items are must-haves and what you can live without. And don’t take basic things like automatic pausing and Bluetooth multipoint connectivity for granted, as not all companies include them. We also suggest reading reviews to see how well a company’s more advanced features work. This will help you decide if those are something you’re willing to (likely) pay extra for. Keep an eye on better battery life estimates to avoid disappointment, as some manufacturers promise more hours than real-world testing delivers. And don’t be easily swayed by lofty promises about call quality without verifying them.

Sound can be subjective, so we recommend trying before you buy if at all possible. We understand this isn’t easy at a time when we’re doing most of our shopping online. But trying on a set of headphones and listening to them for a few minutes can save you from an expensive case of buyer’s remorse. We also recommend paying attention to things like Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, 360 Reality Audio and other immersive formats. Not all headphones support them, so you’ll want to make sure a perspective pair does if that sort of thing excites you. If you plan to use your headphones for other media besides music, checking for latency is also a must — some delay can impact playback for things like movies or games, even if most true wireless headphones now offer minimal lag.

How we test over-ear headphones

The primary way we test wireless headphones is to wear them as much as possible. We prefer to do this over a one- to two-week period, but sometimes embargoes don’t allow it. During this time, we listen to a mix of music and podcasts, while also using the earbuds to take both voice and video calls. Since battery life for headphones can be 30 hours or more, we drain the battery with looping music and the volume set at a comfortable level (usually around 75 percent). Due to the longer battery estimates, we’ll typically power the headphones off several times and leave them during a review. This simulates real-world use and keeps us from having to constantly monitor the process for over 24 straight hours.

To judge the best Bluetooth headphones, we focus on higher-quality audio by listening to a variety of genres and paying close attention to how each style sounds. We also test at both low and high volumes to check for consistency in the tuning. To assess the quality of phone calls, we’ll record audio samples with the headphones’ microphones as well as have third parties call us.

When it comes to features, we do a thorough review of companion apps, testing each feature as we work through the software. Any holdovers from previous models are double checked for improvements or regression. If the headphones we’re testing are an updated version of a previous model, we’ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older set. Ditto for the closest competition for each new set of headphones that we review.

Other wireless headphones we tested

AirPods Max

Apple’s AirPods Max are premium, well-designed over-ear headphones that incorporate all of the best features you find on standard AirPods: solid noise cancelation, spatial audio and easy Siri access. However, their $550 starting price makes them almost prohibitively expensive, even for Apple users. There are better options available at lower prices, but if you can pick up the AirPods Max at a steep discount, they might be worthwhile for the biggest Apple fans among us.

Dyson On-Trac

The On-Trac headphones have an almost infinitely customizable design, and that’s what’s most unique about them. The sound profile offers some nice detail, but lacks dynamic range overall. ANC is average at best and there aren’t any advanced features that will make your life easier. Well, except for the hearing health monitor which is actually handy. All told, that’s not a lot in a set of $500 headphones.

Sonos Ace

The Sonos Ace is an excellent debut for the company’s first headphones. The combination of refined design, great sound quality and home theater tricks creates a unique formula. However, ANC performance is just okay and key functionality is still in the works for many users.

Sony ULT Wear

If most headphones don’t have the level of bass you desire, the ULT Wear is an option to consider. The low-end thump isn’t for everyone, but there are also plenty of handy features and a refined look to make the $200 set more compelling than many in this price range.

Sony WH-CH720N

While the WH-CH720N are a great affordable option, we prefer the Audio-Technica in the budget category. Sony’s cans are lightweight with good sound quality, but ANC struggles at times and they’re made with a lot of plastic.

Beats Studio Pro

The Studio Pro lacks basic features like automatic pausing, and multipoint connectivity is only available on Android. Moreover, they’re not very comfortable for people with larger heads. Overall sound quality is improved, though, and voice performance on calls is well above average.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones

Bose’s latest flagship model has a lot to offer, but its trademark Immersive Audio feature can be inconsistent across different types of music. There’s still world-class ANC, excellent comfort and a clearer transparency mode, but for the price, the non-Ultra model is a better choice right now.

Master & Dynamic MH40 (2nd gen)

The MH40 are a great set of headphones if you favor crisp, clear and natural sound that isn’t overly tuned. This pair showcases the company’s affinity for leather and metal too, but limited customization and short battery life for non-ANC cans kept this set from making the cut.

Bowers & Wilkins Px8

The company’s trademark pristine sound is on display here, but the Px8 are more expensive and not nearly as comfortable as the Px7 S2.

Wireless headphones FAQs

How can you tell the quality of wireless headphones?

I typically look at three factors: design, sound quality and features. In terms of design, I’m usually looking to see if the build quality of the headphones feels cheap and plasticky. Plenty of companies use plastic, but they can do so in a way that doesn’t look or feel like budget models. For sound quality, I want to hear a nice, even tuning where highs, mids and lows are all well represented. No overly boomy bass or scooped out mids. I also want good clarity where you can pick up fine details and an open, immersive soundstage. Features is typically a distant third, but if a company doesn’t cover basic functionality (automatic pausing, transparency mode, multipoint Bluetooth, etc.) it can be an indication of overall quality.

How do I choose the best quality wireless headphones?

“Best” can be pretty subjective, but I always recommend going to a place where you can listen to the headphones you’re thinking about buying before you commit. Sometimes this isn’t possible, so you’ll want to check return policies. I also recommend doing some research to determine what your priorities are in a new set. Are you an audiophile who wants the best sound quality? Is powerful active noise cancellation (ANC) the most important? Would you rather have conveniences like automatic pausing?

Which brand has the best wireless headphones?

Sony consistently tops our list with its 1000X line. This is mostly due to the combination of sound quality, ANC performance and the truckload of features these headphones pack in. I’ll be the first to tell you that there are better sounding options and other companies, like Bose, offer more effective noise cancellation. But when you add everything up, no one comes close to the full slate of tools Sony puts in its premium headphone line.

Do expensive wireless headphones sound better?

Exorbitant price tags don’t mean better audio quality. Bowers & Wilkins’ headphones are on the high end for wireless noise-canceling models and they sound amazing. However, Audio-Technica’s M50xBT2 is much more affordable and doesn’t have ANC, but these headphones have a warm, natural sound profile that I find very inviting. At the end of the day, it will come down to personal preference, but you don’t need to spend a lot to find great headphones.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-headphones-wireless-bluetooth-120543205.html?src=rss

The first few months of the new year have already proven transformative for the AI sector, with rapid advancements reshaping the industry landscape. As we close out the first quarter of the year, let’s look ahead at how emerging trends are likely to evolve throughout 2025.From reasoning models with enhanced critical thinking capabilities to agentic systems operating with greater autonomy, we are entering a new era where AI implementation moves from experimental to essential.From tailored model training to groundbreaking advances in IT infrastructure, the focus has shifted towards solving real-world problems at scale. However, addressing the substantial costs of acquiring, operating, and maintaining GPU compute remains a critical challenge for long-term sustainability. Organizations that can implement more energy-efficient solutions will not only optimize computational resources but also significantly reduce utility expenses.2025 will also push the AI industry to redefine innovation and accessibility. With heightened attention to sustainability, regulatory oversight, and hardware specialization, the stage is set for a new wave of breakthroughs with AI tools that will impact industries across the board.

AI gets personal for enterprises

The era of one-size-fits-all AI is coming to an end. In 2025, enterprises will accelerate their efforts to fine-tune AI models using proprietary data, creating hyper-targeted tools that transform industry-specific workflows. Large-scale AI adoption will move beyond proof-of-concept to fully integrated systems designed for efficiency and measurable impact.From an infrastructure perspective, as AI models grow more complex, demand for advanced GPUs and high-performance computing (HPC) clusters will continue to rise. Meeting this demand will require not only innovation in hardware but also significant improvements in data center power efficiency, cooling, and network capabilities.

The compute divide persists and innovators step in

Access to high-powered computing resources remains uneven, with large enterprises and well-funded AI labs enjoying privileged access to superclusters, while startups, independent researchers, and universities struggle to secure the latest chips at reasonable costs.This imbalance presents an opportunity for specialized providers to step in and level the playing field. Some companies are addressing this challenge by offering flexible, affordable access ranging from on-demand GPU rentals to dedicated, high-performance clusters. By making AI infrastructure more accessible, it ensures that innovation is available to a broader ecosystem of builders and researchers.

Green is the new gold

As AI adoption skyrockets, so too will its energy demands. The computational requirements of training and running increasingly sophisticated models are straining already overburdened power grids and challenging sustainability commitments.This growing energy footprint is prompting organizations to pursue innovative cooling techniques, renewable energy partnerships, and more efficient model architectures that deliver comparable performance with reduced computational resources. As industry leaders recognize that addressing AI’s energy consumption is not only an environmental imperative but also a significant cost factor, sustainability will drive innovation in more efficient chips, data center design, and AI model optimization.

AI systems will evolve and become autonomous

AI is evolving beyond simple tools into self-directed agents capable of handling complex, multi-step tasks with minimal human intervention. The shift will move beyond model fine-tuning and prompt engineering towards fully integrated AI solutions that can automate entire workflows, creative processes, and business operations.We'll see more focus on developing specialized chips designed specifically for AI tasks. These chips will make AI systems faster, more efficient, and more affordable to deploy across various industries. Having hardware for specific AI functions will enable businesses to run generative AI solutions at scale without the high costs or performance issues that come with general-purpose hardware. This will enable a wider range of applications, from healthcare to entertainment, and could make advanced AI more accessible to companies of all sizes, and for their final customers.

Regulation homes in on dataset copyright

With AI permeating every sector, legal and ethical scrutiny will intensify. Expect stricter regulations around data ownership, licensing, and privacy, with an emphasis on transparency and accountability. These changes will likely mean more clear guidelines on who can access and use data, and how it should be handled by different parties.

Open-source video models will reshape content creation

The availability of open-source tools for video generation will make advanced video creation more accessible to everyone, fueling a new wave of creativity and innovation. In the coming years we will see major advancements in real-time, interactive, and personalized video generation, enabling new forms of media, entertainment, and marketing experiences. In terms of creativity the possibilities will be endless. Things we haven’t seen or even thought about will be possible through video and image generation tools accessible to everyone.

Future-forward AI

As we progress through 2025, AI is continuing to evolve at a rapid pace, shaped by enterprise-driven innovation, sustainability imperatives, and increasing regulatory oversight. While compute access disparities persist, new players are stepping up to bridge the gap. AI systems are becoming more autonomous, open source video generation is unlocking new creative frontiers, and specialized hardware is making large-scale AI adoption more efficient.The organizations that adapt to these shifts, investing in tailored AI solutions, sustainable infrastructure, and regulatory compliance will be the ones leading the next wave of technological transformation. Meanwhile, AI builders of all sizes will benefit from increased access to high-performance infrastructure, unlocking new levels of creativity and innovation. With these forces converging, 2025 is not just a turning point, it is a proving ground for the future of AI.

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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

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not new – it has been evolving for over 70 years. However, recent advancements in compute power, the rise of AI applications like ChatGPT, the emergence of Agentic AI, and real-life use cases have created a perfect storm, driving unprecedented demand for data centers.Yet, this surge presents significant challenges for operators who must rethink infrastructure to keep up. A holistic approach to design is now essential to overcome operational inertia and ensure scalability.I recently chaired a panel at Data Centre World 2025, where industry leaders Niklas Lindqvist, Nordics General Manager at Onnec and Stefan Nilsson, Sales & Marketing Manager at Conapto shared their insights on the future of AI-ready data centers. Here are some key takeaways from our discussion.

Designing AI-Ready Data Centers

AI investment is accelerating, but traditional data center infrastructure is struggling to keep up. Unlike conventional IT workloads, AI tools are highly unpredictable and often require immense power and cooling capabilities.In some regions, such as Sweden, retrofitting existing sites is becoming increasingly unfeasible. Many Swedish facilities have been upgraded in recent years, making another wave of retrofits for AI impractical – both financially and spatially. For instance, AI requires increased height above racks for cooling solutions, which many legacy facilities simply cannot accommodate.Historically, data centers were designed for moderate-density, air-cooled environments, but AI demands high-density solutions with hybrid cooling methods. Operators must rethink their design philosophy, to ensure that new builds can support liquid cooling and other innovative technologies. Without this shift, retrofitting will remain costly, slow, and ultimately ineffective in supporting AI growth.

The Need for a Holistic Design Approach

A successful AI-ready data center must integrate both traditional and AI-specific infrastructure under one roof. Flexibility and scalability are paramount here. AI-ready facilities must accommodate a range of workloads, from low-density racks to 100kW+ liquid-cooled deployments. This is where a modular approach is key. Operators must be able to expand incrementally by adding power and cooling modules as demand grows. This strategy helps to align with customer-specific hardware needs and avoids unnecessary upfront costs.Operators must embrace a holistic design mindset. Power, cooling, and cabling cannot be treated as separate components – they must be integrated from the outset. Poor planning leads to capacity constraints, delays, and costly modifications.There is also a need for an “inside-out and outside-in” approach: operators must first understand computing needs and design the data center accordingly, while also considering space constraints and facility requirements. High-quality cabling is another crucial yet often overlooked element.Many operators prioritize speed to market and opt for second-tier cabling, but this short-term gain results in long-term operational headaches and frequent retrofits. Hyperscalers invest heavily in structured cabling strategies, and colocation providers must follow suit to remain competitive.

Sustainability: The Industry’s Biggest Challenge

Sustainability remains the most pressing issue facing the data center industry. Simply acquiring renewable energy certificates is no longer enough – operators must actively reduce their carbon footprint. One major consideration is location. Many data centers in the Nordics are built in remote areas where excess heat cannot be effectively utilized.In contrast, urban data centers offer opportunities to contribute to local infrastructure, turning AI into part of a circular economy. Many Swedish data centers are integrated with Stockholm’s district heating network, selling excess heat back to the city. This approach is made even more efficient with liquid cooling and internal cooling loops that ensure sustainability without compromising operations.Regional climate also plays a role in determining the best cooling strategies. For example, in southern Europe, where temperatures remain high year-round, immersive cooling systems may be more effective than traditional liquid cooling. Best practices in sustainability extend beyond cooling solutions.Operators must prioritize genuine renewable energy sourcing, heat reuse initiatives, and battery storage solutions that enhance grid stability. Sustainability must be embedded in every stage of AI data center design – treating it as an afterthought will only lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities.

The Human Factor: Skills, Safety, and Community Engagement

As AI data centers boom, the demand for skilled professionals in power, cooling, and infrastructure design is outpacing supply. This skills gap presents a serious challenge, as AI facilities require expertise in handling high-power densities, advanced cooling systems, and complex network architectures. Undertrained workers in these environments pose significant operational risks.The rapid pace of AI-driven expansion also increases workplace safety concerns. Shortened build timelines can lead to accidents if proper safety protocols are not enforced. Proactive risk assessments, rigorous documentation, and meticulous planning are essential to maintaining a safe working environment. Operators today must prioritize worker safety as much as they do technological innovation.Community engagement is another critical aspect often overlooked. Data centers frequently face local opposition due to misconceptions about their environmental impact and perceived lack of community benefits – think ‘not in my backyard’. To counter this, operators must take an active role in educating the public about their role in digital infrastructure, sustainability efforts, and economic contributions.

Keeping Up with the AI Race

The rise of AI is transforming data center demands at an unprecedented pace, requiring operators to adapt quickly, and smartly. Meeting these challenges isn’t just about scaling up power and cooling; it’s about rethinking the entire approach to design. AI-ready data centers must be built with flexibility, efficiency, and resilience at their core, ensuring they can evolve alongside fast-moving technological change.Success will depend on more than just infrastructure – it will require a shift in mindset. Operators who invest in integrated, sustainable designs, prioritize skills development and safety, and engage with local communities will be best positioned to thrive in the AI era. Those who fail to take this holistic view risk falling behind in an increasingly competitive landscape. The AI race is on – and the data centers that power it must be ready to run at full speed.

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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

I probably look at my computer screen more than I look at my family members. And copious hours sitting at a desk have not done favors for my already wonky neck and shoulders. If you also feel some discomfort from typing and mousing the day away, you might want to invest in an ergonomic keyboard. The first time I tried a fully split, thumb cluster board, I knew I had found the answer to my particular problem. But it was tricky to figure out how to type on it. Other unibody boards with angled keys, such as Alice style keyboards, might make things more comfortable for you without requiring much relearning.I tried out more than 15 models of ergonomic boards and found a few that stood out. While there’s no single “best” option for everyone (since bodies are inherently different), this guide explores the options so you can find the best ergonomic keyboard for you.

Table of contents

Best ergonomic keyboards for 2025

What to look for in an ergonomic keyboard

How we tested ergonomic keyboards

Other ergonomic keyboards we tested

Best ergonomic keyboards for 2025

What to look for in an ergonomic keyboard

Alice vs split

Most ergonomic keyboard layouts fall into two categories: unibody (or Alice) and split. The former is a single board with the two halves of the keys rotated about 30 degrees apart at the bottom. The separation forms an A-shaped space between the keys — which has nothing to do with why it’s called an Alice layout, it’s just a happy coincidence. This subtle tweak pushes your elbows away from your ribs while keeping a straight line from your forearm to your middle knuckle. Using one, I pretty instantly felt more open along the front side of my body. This layout more closely resembles a traditional keyboard, so it should be easier for most folks to get used to than a fully split option.

Speaking of, split boards break the keys into two separate parts you can position individually. You can put them shoulder distance apart, bring them closer together or angle them as much as feels comfortable. You can also put your mouse between the halves, which may feel like an easier trip for your cursor hand and could potentially help with conditions like repetitive strain injuries (RSI). Personally, I like being able to put my current snack between the two parts. I've also found that pairing a split keyboard with a good ergonomic mouse has helped me even more, particularly a vertical mice.

Tenkeyless

You can find ergonomic keyboards with and without number pads. Not having those number keys on the right side lets you keep your mouse closer in, minimizing overall reach. But if you work with numbers a lot, you’ll likely want that pad included. Some programmable boards allow for the use of layers, which temporarily repurpose keys and can provide you with a ten-key option through clever remapping of letter keys.

Tenting and negative tilt

Tenting raises the middle of the keyboard up, so your hands move closer to a “handshake” position. Alice keyboards usually angle up towards the middle and always to a fixed degree, since the two sides are connected. Split boards often let you adjust the degree of tenting, going from flat to subtle to extreme lift.

You may have encountered keyboards with an optional lift at the back of the board, raising the top keys higher than the space bar. Every set of hands is different, but for most people, pulling the backs of the hands towards the forearms increases strain. Negative tilt has the opposite effect by sloping in the other direction, lowering the top number keys while raising the edge with the spacebar. Many Alice and some split keyboards offer an optional negative tilt. I found it was more comfortable to enable that feature when I’m standing, and I preferred to have the keys flat when sat at my desk.

Staggered vs columnar

This decision seems to be one of the more hotly-contested among ergo enthusiasts. A conventional keyboard has staggered keys, with each row slightly offset to the rows above and below it — so the A key is about halfway between the Q and W above it. This is a holdover from vintage mechanical typewriters, in which each press activated a hammer that smashed ink onto paper in the shape of a letter. To fit the hammers as close together as possible, while still allowing for finger pads, the keys were staggered.

Columnar or ortholinear keyboards stack the keys in orderly columns, often with rows that are not linear. Proponents claim this makes the keys easier to reach. Whether that’s true will be up to your fingers to decide, but I can say for certain that if you learned to type on a staggered keyboard, switching to a columnar layout is tough. It will take days, possibly weeks before you instinctively hit the C key. The N, M and B keys don’t fare much better.

Programmable keys

With a few exceptions, most ergonomic keyboards will work with PCs or Macs as a standard typing input, but the use of function and hot keys may require some remapping. It can be as easy as an onboard switch to toggle between Mac and PC layouts, or as involved as downloading software to change up the keys. Some boards even include (or let you buy) extra keycaps to change, say, the Mac’s Command and Option keys to PC’s Start and Alt buttons. Those are what's called hot-swappable keys, meaning you just pull the old key off (usually with a provided key puller) and stick the new one on, no soldering required.

For some boards, remapping or programming keys using software is a crucial feature. Gaming peripherals have extra keys that you can set to execute a series of keystrokes with the push of a single button, and we cover the best gaming keyboards in a separate guide. Keyboards that work with layers, in which a single button can perform several functions, typically allow you to change what those are. Some ergo keyboards have non-standard layouts, like thumb clusters with multiple keys near the space bar that you operate with your thumb. You’ll also be able to program those.

Other considerations

Ergonomic keyboards come in mechanical, membrane, and scissor switch versions. Which works best for you is, again, up to your preference. I won’t get too deep into the particulars here, as we have an entire guide devoted to the best mechanical boards, but the short of it is that membrane and scissor switches are less customizable than mechanical and typically cheaper. Typing on them tends to be quieter and softer. Mechanical switches are more customizable, offer a more responsive typing experience and are usually pricier.

You’ll also have the option of wired or wireless ergonomic boards. All other things being equal, wired models are less expensive. Competitive gamers who rely on split-second responses may prefer the zero-lag of wired keyboards. Wired models also never run out of battery life and have fewer connectivity issues. But wireless keyboards keep your desk less cluttered.

Some ergonomic keyboards come with permanent or removable wrist or palm rests, which can be cushioned or hard. This is another area where opinions diverge: proponents claim they help you maintain a neutral hand position, while detractors say they put pressure on the tendons in your wrist and can exacerbate conditions like carpal tunnel. Ideally, your palms should be resting, not your wrists, and you might find you like having that support or you may find the pressure uncomfortable.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

How we tested ergonomic keyboards

All our guides begin with extensive research to figure out what’s out there and what’s worth testing. We consider brands with good reputations that we’ve heard good things about from colleagues and look at keyboard reviews in forums and other trusted publications. For this guide, I looked for keyboards with ergonomic features like tenting, split keys, palm support and so on. I also zeroed in on boards that didn’t require a deep amount of familiarity with the vast and exhaustive world of custom keyboards.

Once I settled on ten boards, I acquired them and used each one for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. I tried out the remapping and macros software and considered the comfort, design, price and durability of each model before arriving at picks I think will work best for the most people out there. For subsequent updates to this guide, I have continued to acquire and test out new keyboards as they come on the market, adding and replacing the top picks as warranted. If and when Microsoft ergonomic keyboards, like the Sculpt, come back on the market, as a collaboration with Incase has promised, I'll try those models, too.

Other ergonomic keyboards we tested

Naya Create

I didn’t get to fully test the Naya Create keyboard, but I was able to try one out for a few minutes during CES this year. It’s one of the more customizable keyboards you’ll find. Not only is it a fully split, mechanical board with programmable keys, the thumb clusters sit just below two modular platforms that each accept a touchpad, rollerball, dial or a 3D joystick. These are meant to replace your mouse and other input devices, eliminating travel for your cursor hand. Each half of the keyboard body bends in two places to allow for precise tenting and, from my short time with the Naya, the hinges and the entire board felt solidly built. The Naya Create starts at $500 before you add on any of the mouse modules, but that’s not stopping people from ordering. According to Naya’s website, the first three batches of pre-orders sold out and the fourth batch will ship in July 2025.

Goldtouch Elite Adjustable

I remember wondering if something like the Goldtouch Elite Adjustable existed when I first started testing ergonomic keyboards. It didn’t at the time, as far as I could tell, but now a connected yet adjustable split board is indeed a product you can buy. It’s a solidly-built board and the ball joint connecting the two halves feels like it will put up with a lot of use. A squeeze of the lever at the top of the keys lets you set the board just how you like, adjusting both the vertical tenting and the angle between the two halves. There’s no programming to speak of, just the ability to swap a few function keys like print screen and home.

Unfortunately, the tenting doesn’t work for me. Because of the extra keys at the outer edges, raising the middle edges upwards lifts the center keys considerably, which brings my wrists and forearms off the desk instead of letting them rest. Holding them like that created extra neck and shoulder strain on my part, which is sort of the opposite of the goal. But if you’re not into tenting anyway and want a flat, Alice-split board with an adjustable splay, this works quite well.

Kinesis Form Split Touchpad Keyboard

The idea behind the Kinesis Form Split Touchpad Keyboard is pretty ergonomic: put the trackpad between the two halves and minimize travel for your mouse hand. The distance between the two puts your elbows at a comfortable distance and keeps your wrist nearly in-line with your forearms. The build is excellent, with low profile mechanical switches that feel smooth and just the right amount of clacky. The trackpad is responsive, but gestures only work with Windows computers. Even dragging and dropping doesn’t work on a Mac here, so I don’t see Apple users getting much use out of the board. I also found myself wishing for the slightest rotation of the keys — though they’re a good distance apart, a slight angle would keep my wrists fully unbent. There’s no tenting or negative tilt either, both of which could help a bit more, ergonomically speaking.

Logitech Wavekeys

While it's a perfectly fine and affordable Bluetooth keyboard, the Logitech Wavekeys has minimal ergonomics. The keys rise up slightly in the middle and there's a comfortable wrist rest attached, but the layout is the same as any other keyboard, with no splitting of the keys to open up your arms or keep your wrists straight.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-ergonomic-keyboard-130047982.html?src=rss

Microsoft shed 203 UK workers between June 2023 and June 2024However it still has more than 5,000 employees in the UKMicrosoft revenue grew by 15-16% in that year

Microsoft has reportedly cut 203 jobs from its UK workforce despite healthy financial performance, however it might not spell out disaster for the company.The figures come from account documents shared with Companies House (via City AM), revealing the company had reduced its headcount from 5,540 to 5,337 in the year to June 30, 2024.However, despite the small drop, Microsoft had grown its headcount from 4,955 in the previous year, so the UK footprint is still of a considerable size.

Microsoft trims UK workforce

Microsoft Limited, the company’s primarily British arm, posted £9.62 billion in revenue in the 12 months leading up to June 30, 2024, marking a considerable 15% increase from £8.38 billion in the previous year.Microsoft as a whole generated $245.12 billion in revenue in the same period – itself a 16% increase over the $211.92 billion 2023 saw in revenue.One of the most notable regulatory things to have happened for Microsoft in the UK last fiscal year was the clearing of its partnership with OpenAI by the Competition & Markets Authority, which ruled that a full-scale investigation would not be required.However, more recently, two US Senators have raised concerns about both Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI and Google’s partnership with Anthropic.Despite the headcount reduction, Microsoft continues to expand its footprint in the UK, having announced plans for a new hyperscale data center near Leeds after the acquisition of a 48-acre site in June 2023, which had previously been used for a power station.This marks the third series of minor layoffs in 2025 (via layoffs.fyi), and a considerable slowdown from previous years.TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft to share details of the nature of the redundancies, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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The first leaked images from the Avengers: Doomsday set have appeared onlinePictures seem to show two legacy X-Men characters engaging in conversationThe photographs also reveal the return of a prominent supporting MCU hero

Filming is underway on Avengers: Doomsday – and, surprise surprise, images from its set have already leaked online.The cameras only started rolling on the highly anticipated Marvel movie in late March. However, despite the comic book giant's best attempts to keep everything in-house, some sneaky photographers have snapped some slightly spoiler-based pictures of what's being shot.Potentially big spoilers immediately follow for the next Avengers film. Do not proceed if you're actively avoiding them.

Wong (right), Benedict Wong's MCU character, has been spotted on the Doomsday set (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

Last Friday (April 11), Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan account BuiltFromSmash posted a tweet with one of the aforementioned images attached to them.The photograph appeared to confirm the return of Wong, one of the MCU's most prominent supporting characters. He wasn't announced as part of Doomsday's initial 27-strong cast on March 26, but Marvel has teased that more cast announcements will be made in the months ahead. So, Benedict Wong's hero is unofficially the first addition to Avengers 5's increasingly sizeable ensemble.Wong's surprise return notwithstanding, the pictures also seemingly showed him interacting with James Marsden's Cyclops – one of many legacy X-Men heroes set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. It's unclear what they're talking about but, according to some fans, it may have something to do with the apparent soon-to-be-constructed spaceship that was first teased by industry leaker UnBoxPhD.

Comment from r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers

Now, there are many, many spacefaring vessels in Marvel Comics that this spaceship could be.On Reddit, though, some MCU devotees think it'll be the Life Raft. In the comics, that spacecraft was used to relocate survivors from multiple universes to Battleworld during the Marvel Multiverse's destruction.Given that Doomsday and its sequel Avengers: Secret Wars will, as the films' directors Joe and Anthony Russo exclusively told me "draw inspiration" from both of Marvel's 'Secret Wars' comic series, the Life Raft seems like a safe bet from a speculation standpoint.If you want to catch up on what that might mean, there's a great deal on Marvel's Unlimited digital subscription right now.

Marvel Unlimited monthly subscription: was $9.99 per month now $4.99 at MarvelThe ultimate digital comics subscription for Marvel fans is offering new and returning customers 50% off their first month, which is much cheaper than a streaming subscription to watch all the best superhero movies. To gain access to a library of more than 30,000 comics, use the code 'SPIDEY50' at checkout. You're able to use the Marvel Unlimited app on all iOS and Android devices, including the web, too. But, be quick – the deal expires on May 5!View Deal

To me, my X-Men!

James Marsden's Cyclops (right) was snapped speaking to McKellen's Magneto (Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

As for the other leaked image, which was again uploaded to X/Twitter by BuiltFromSmash, it shows Marsden's Scott Summers discussing matters with Ian McKellen's Magneto.Considering these mutants have sparred in Marvel literature, and on the big and small screens, across the decades, it seems strange to see them on apparently amicable terms in the Marvel Phase 6 film. As BuiltFromSmash points out, though, there are rumors circulating online that Magneto is trying to assemble The Brotherhood of Mutants, a Magneto-led mutant supremacy group that resorts to extreme measures to fight human prejudice.If that's true, it's plausible that Magneto is trying to recruit Cyclops to join his fellow mutants in combating the threat from Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom or – whisper it quietly – to face off against The Avengers. Marvel detectives already think that Doomsday's plot will revolve around an X-Men versus Avengers storyline, so that's not out of the realms of possibility.Should that prove to be the case, it's also likely that Wong might be trying to convince Cyclops that an Avengers-X-Men showdown is a bad idea because, you know, multiversal incursions and all that.Avengers: Doomsday is currently slated to release on May 1, 2026. Expect plenty more set leaks in the weeks and months to come, then.

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Samsung has reportedly paused its rollout of One UI 7 on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, the Galaxy Z Flip 6, and the Galaxy Z Fold 6This is said to be due to a bug that prevents users from unlocking their phoneThis delay might mean there's also a delay in other Samsung devices getting One UI 7

It's been a long wait for Android 15 on the best Samsung phones (notwithstanding the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, which launched with it). The update arrived on Google’s Pixel phones back in October, but it has only just started rolling out to Samsung’s flagships – and now a delay has set it back further.According to leakers @UniverseIce and @tarunvats33 (via Android Police), the One UI 7 update – which is Samsung’s take on Android 15 – has been halted for the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 globally.As for the reason, @UniverseIce claims that some people who downloaded the update found that their phones “could not be unlocked normally in some cases." ​So, that sounds like quite a significant issue, which would make sense given that Samsung has reportedly halted the update.

Unable to unlock

The reason for the delay in the Galaxy S24 push is that users of the official version of One UI7 of the Korean S24 series found that "they could not be unlocked normally in some cases." ​​​Samsung urgently reviewed the firmware withdrawal in other countries.Have you ever…April 14, 2025

It’s not clear how widespread this issue is, but if you already have the One UI 7 update and are experiencing it, we’d imagine Samsung is working on a fix as fast as possible.As for everyone else, you’ll probably have to wait a bit longer than expected to get One UI 7 – but at least, once you do, it will hopefully be working as intended.Sadly, though, this delay likely means there will be a delay in rolling out One UI 7 to other Samsung devices, too, so if you’re rocking an older or less high-profile handset, you might have a while to wait yet.That's all the more disappointing given that Android 16 might just be a couple of months away, so Samsung is in danger of slipping well behind.

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The PS5 Digital Edition has seen price rises in some regionsThe price has gone up in the UK, Europe, Australia and New ZealandThe disc drive, however, has seen an overall reduction in price

As of today (April 14, 2025), the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition has been hit with another wave of price increases in some regions. But there is some good news for PS5 Pro owners looking to pick up the disc drive.Announced via an official PlayStation Blog post, Sony has confirmed that the PS5's price will be increased in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The company cited "a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates" as key reasons for the "tough decision."In the UK and Europe, there have been no price changes for the standard PS5. Otherwise, you can see the current changes here:

In slightly better news, especially for PS5 Pro owners looking to add a physical disc option to their setup, the price of the disc drive has been reduced. The new disc drive prices are as follows:

The new prices in these regions have been reflected on PlayStation Direct, Sony's official storefront for PlayStation products including the PS5. However, you may still have luck at other retailers if you're currently in the market for the console.For example, in the UK, Argos currently has the PS5 Digital Edition bundled with Astro Bot at a very wallet-friendly £339.99 right now. Currys is also yet to reflect the price increase, and the PS5 Digital Edition is still available here for £389. If you've been planning on picking up a PS5 soon, then, it may be a good idea to pounce now before the price increases are reflected across the board.

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The April update for Windows 11 24H2 created a mysterious empty folderSome advised this could be deleted, but this isn’t actually the caseIf you delete the ‘inetpub’ folder, a security fix applied by the April patch won’t work, so you need to reinstate it if you removed the folder

Windows 11 24H2 users who were confused by a mysterious empty folder appearing on their system drive after applying the latest update for the OS should be aware that this is not a bug, but an intentional move – and that said folder shouldn’t be deleted.In case you missed it, last week Windows 11 24H2 received its cumulative update for April 2025, and it created an ‘inetpub’ folder that was the source of some bewilderment or annoyance for those who noticed it.You may also recall that some folks advised that it was fine to just delete the folder, not an unreasonable conclusion to reach seeing as it was empty, didn’t appear to do anything, and was related to Microsoft’s Internet Information Services (IIS) web server software for developers (and was appearing for those who didn’t have IIS installed).Still, at the time, I advised that you removed it at your own risk and that it might be best left alone – seeing as it was empty and appeared harmless (and also just because you never quite know what’s going on with Windows). It seems I was right, as Microsoft has now warned against removing the folder, as noted at the outset.Microsoft told Windows Latest that the folder is created as part of a security fix for a vulnerability that “can let local attackers trick the system into accessing or modifying unintended files or folders.”In its advisory for this security patch, Microsoft notes: “After installing the updates listed in the Security Updates table for your operating system, a new [inetpub folder] will be created on your [system drive]. This folder should not be deleted, regardless of whether Internet Information Services (IIS) is active on the target device. This behavior is part of changes that increase protection and does not require any action from IT admins and end users.”In short, it doesn’t matter whether you use IIS or not, you need to leave this folder alone. Without the folder being present, the mentioned security hole will remain present in Windows 11, offering attackers a potential opportunity to compromise your PC (at least if they are local to the device, meaning they have physical access).

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Melnikov Dmitriy)

Analysis: What if I’ve already deleted the folder, though?

This is an odd affair, and I assumed this was a bug when I wrote about it last week, since it seemed like a weird way of implementing a security fix. Of course, what Microsoft should have done is made it very clear in the release notes for this patch that it creates the folder and that users should leave it alone (while noting that it’s empty and harmless).As I already observed, though, it’s best to proceed with caution when tinkering with Windows. What’s particularly strange about this affair is that there are reports in the past of this same folder being created, so maybe this was part of the implementation of security patches in these cases too – who knows.What about if you’ve already deleted the folder? Well, in that case, you need to reinstate it, and Windows Latest is on hand with the solution. You need to open the Control Panel, then go into Programs > Programs and Features. On the left, you’ll see an option to ‘Turn Windows features on or off’ – click on this. Scroll down the alphabetical list of features and find ‘Internet Information Services’ and tick the box next to this, then click on the OK button.The folder will now be recreated. If you did delete it last week, be sure to complete these steps.

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Sony's new soundbars get US pricing, though no release dateSony Theater Bar 6: $649 | Sony Theater System 6: $769Continues a trend of pricing higher than the competition

Sony recently unveiled the US prices of its new TV line-up, and the price of its new OLED TV is way higher than the competition – and that's despite the same TV being right in line with the competition in the UK.It looks like the same pattern is happening with its new soundbars too. We don't have UK pricing yet, but the US pricing is pretty high by budget-to-mid-range soundbar standards.The new Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6, which is a 3.2.1-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar with upfiring speakers and a separate wireless subwoofer, will cost $649. The Sony Bravia Theater System 6 is a 5.1-channel surround system with soundbar, two rear speakers connected to a wireless box, and a subwoofer – and it'll cost $769.Don't get those two models confused despite the very similar names – the latter doesn't include upfiring drivers, although it does support Dolby Atmos decoding. Both soundbars supports DTS:X too.Sony's new Theater Rear 8 wireless rear speakers that can be added to soundbars (including the Bravia Theater Bar 6, but also the likes of the Sony Theater Bar 8) cost $449 for the pair.There's a lot of power and scale to the sound from these speakers – the Theater System 6 is 1000W – but they're not particularly high-spec, and these seem to follow Sony's trend of pricing its TVs and soundbars a little high in the US.

The Sony Theater Bar 6 is a replacement for the Sony HT-G700, a model that cost $599 when it launched in 2020. For its replacement to add upfiring speakers and to only cost $50 more given that inflation has totaled over 20% since then in the US means the price rise isn't too bad in a vacuum.But the issue here is really how much higher the US price is likely to be than the UK price. We don't have that yet, but the UK launch price of the HT-G700 was £449 – that equated to $560 at the time, and that price included sales tax. The street price in the UK also tends to drop more regularly on Sony soundbars.As I alluded to above, we're seeing the same kind of story with the Sony Bravia 8 II TV, which the company's new top-tier OLED TV, and is priced much higher in the US than the UK.In the UK, the Bravia 8 II is priced very slightly higher but basically in line with its competitor, the LG G5, at 55 inches – and is cheaper than the G5 at 65 inches. In the US, however, the Bravia 8 II costs $600 to $1,100 more than the LG G5 or the Samsung S95F, depending on size.

There's a question over whether Sony has priced these with the expectation of needing to include tariff costs – but the company hasn't confirmed this, and there's no real reason to think so, other than the prices being so out of line with the competition.But as I said above, Sony has a frustrating habit of doing this in the US, and the soundbar prices fit right in with what we've seen from the company in the past.Will the soundbars be worth the price anyway? I've heard them both in action, and the Bravia Theater System 6 (the surround one) offers a very impressive scale of sound, plus a great party trick (literally) that I think Sonos should steal.The Theater Bar 6 is also impressively punchy, though in my demo I had concerns that it was a little compressed in the mid-range. We'll have to wait for a full review to be sure, but with the Samsung HW-Q800D having a street price very close to the Theater Bar 6, I suspect the Sony may be edged out on value by the better-specced Samsung.I wanted to see Sony come out swinging with aggressive prices for these bars, and really take our list of the best soundbars by storm – the competition is good for everyone. These prices seem just a little too high – but we'll wait on our reviews for final judgment.

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Google Workspace unveils host of new AI toolsGoogle Docs gets new audio overviews, "help me refine" toolsGoogle Sheets and Meet also see new upgrades

Taking your Google Workspace files to the next level should soon be easier than ever thanks to a host of new updates.The company revealed a number of AI-powered office software upgrades at its Google Cloud Next 25 event designed to give users a productivity and creativity boost when they need it most.Among the new launches are new audio tools in Google Docs which can create listenable versions of your document, as well as upgraded analysis tools for Google Sheets to help get the most out of your data.

Help me...with everything

(Image credit: Google Workspace)

Google Workspace says its new audio tools for Docs will allow users to spot any issues in the wording or flow of their work, giving a whole new perspective on the document.Described as, "a completely new way to interact with your content", users will be able to generate a full audio version of a document, or a podcast-esque format that sees two different voices going back and forth covering the key points.Docs is also getting a "help me refine" tool, which will offer users helpful tips and suggestions on how to spice up your content. This could include ways to strengthen an argument, improve the structure of a piece, or make the key points clearer, as well as helping make sure formatting is consistent throughout."The goal isn't just to fix the document, but to help you become a more effective communicator over time," Google Workspace says.

(Image credit: Google Workspace)

Elsewhere, Google Sheets will soon see a new "help me analyze" tool to help users wade through large amounts of data whenever they need it.The company says the tool will offer guidance to get you started on a new spreadsheet, as well as pointing out interesting trends, suggesting next steps, and creating clear, interactive charts to bring your data to life.Lastly, for anyone needing extra help catching up (or listening in) to a Google Meet video conferencing call, Gemini in Meet will now help users get up to speed on anything they might have missed. Its upgraded Gemini features will also look to provide extra clarity on certain points, as well as offering recaps and suggestions on how to get your point across better."As AI reshapes our world, we’re focused on making powerful technology genuinely useful and accessible, and bringing it into the flow of your everyday work," Yulie Kwon Kim, VP, Product - Workspace, noted."This is AI built for the reality of work today, not some fantasy of the future. Our announcements represent the next step in bringing helpful AI tools for work to everyone."

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Sennheiser Accentum Open have an open-ear design28 hours of battery life in total€89.90 (about £100 / £78 / AU$161)

Sennheiser has announced a new set of earbuds in its Accentum range of great mid-range headphones: the Sennheiser Accentum Open.As the name suggests they have an open-style design so you're not putting a tip into your ear and cutting yourself off from the world around you – and they come with good battery life and an impressively low price tag.This particular design are just like AirPods 4, in that they sit right outside the ear canal (and have stems, like AirPods) – they're not like the earclip or around-ear sports designs you get from some of the best open earbuds.They look like they'll undercut the AirPods on price, though, with a costing around $100 / £78 / AU$161 based on their European launch price.

(Image credit: Sennheiser)

Sennheiser Accentum Open: key features and pricing

Sennheiser says that the Accentum Open have been calibrated to offer "a rich and detailed sound", and they have been designed to deliver environmental awareness without compromising the quality of that sound.Battery life is a promised 28 hours including the charging case, and those 28 hours should be comfortable: the Accentum Open are lightweight with a slim stem so they shouldn't feel too weighty in your ears.The earbuds have multipoint Bluetooth, and there are touch controls built in for easy audio navigation and adjustment.In our Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless review, we found that the sound lacked a little energy, but that they were good overall. Perhaps the 11mm drivers and different acoustic design here will deliver something closer to the awesome value of the Sennheiser Accentum Plus headphones.The Accentum Open have only been announced in Europe so far, with a price tag of €89.90. As I mentioned above, that's roughly $100 / £78 / AU$161 – we'll update this story with official pricing elsewhere once Sennheiser reveals it.

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An Ikea franchise company suffered a ransomware attackThe incident cost Fourlis Group millions thanks to operational disruptionRansomware is steadily rising in popularity

An attack on Ikea franchise company Fourlis Group cost the firm over €15 million ($17 million), it has revealed.Cybercriminals breached the company’s systems just two days before Black Friday 2024, one of the biggest trading days of the year - impacting Fourlis Group assets in Romania, Greece, Cyprus, and Bulgaria.At the time of the attack, it wasn’t clear which parts of Fourlis were impacted, but it has now been revealed that online Ikea stores and customer management system were disrupted. The hacker’s intrusion is said to have lasted over two weeks, creating “serious gaps at a critical commercial period,” local media (translated, originally in Greek) reported.

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A qualitative burden

Vasilis Fourlis, the group’s chairman of the board of directors, confirmed that there was “no doubt that there was also a qualitative burden,” and that the firm is making “a huge effort to reverse the situation”.Affected systems were restored very quickly, without any personal data leaked and without the payment of a ransom, it added, noting further attacks targeted the company, but were successfully deflected.Ransomware attacks surged in 2024, and the retail industry was a top target, as downtime for these organisations is seriously costly, and they tend to hold large amounts of personally identifiable information on their customers, like names, email addresses, shipping addresses, and payment information - all of which can be leveraged or sold on the dark web.It’s not clear what the initial point of entry was in this attack, but thanks to the rise in AI, cyberattacks are now much more accessible to criminals, who can use the technology to send out more sophisticated attacks at a higher rate than ever before.The Fourlis Group has reportedly invested a million euros into digital infrastructure, and has transferred some IT systems and cybersecurity capabilities in-house following the incident.Via Capital.gr (translated, originally in Greek)

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New gadgets from Motorola could be on the way very soonThe Moto Watch Fit looks to be similar to the Apple WatchThere are also some Moto Loop Earbuds in the leak

Motorola is best known for its smartphones as far as consumer gadgets go, with more flip foldables on the way later this month, but it seems the company is also busy working on a cheap competitor to the Apple Watch and some wireless earbuds.This is according to a new leak from well-known tipster @evleaks, who has posted an image showing the "Moto Watch Fit" and the "Moto Loop Earbuds". We don't get any other details here, such as pricing or a potential launch date.Motorola has dabbled in both of these product categories before, with devices like the Moto Watch 40 and the Motorola Moto Buds+, but the two gadgets shown in this leak appear to have some differences from what we've seen before.The Loop Earbuds in particular look like a break from the norm, with open, circular stems. This being Motorola, they're bound to be inexpensive and offer plenty of value for money, but they're unlikely to offer the highest levels of audio fidelity.

Taking on the Apple Watch

The Moto Watch 40, which launched last year (Image credit: Motorola)

Judging by the appearance of the Moto Watch Fit, with its square-ish display and its fabric strap, this is designed to go head to head with the Apple Watch – perhaps specifically the Apple Watch SE 2, which starts from $249 / £259 / AU$399.Motorola's most recent smartwatch, the Moto Watch 40, launched last year: it has a tall, rectangular 1.57-inch screen, up to 10 days of battery life between charges, and features such as heart-rate monitoring and sleep tracking.You can pick up the Moto Watch 40 for around $65 / £65 / AU$150 at the time of writing, so the Moto Watch Fit would do very well to undercut that price. It may be substantially more expensive, while staying cheaper than the best Apple watches.Given the screen we can see on the Moto Watch Fit in this leak, it looks as though Motorola will once again go with its own custom software for the wearable. As with previous models, it should be compatible with both Android phones and iPhones.

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Samsung has officially lifted the lid on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, with the new plus-sized smartphone having been unveiled – alongside the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – at the first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event of 2024. They're also all out now.You'll find our full verdict on Samsung's latest Plus-sized model in our Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review, but if you’re after a quick, bird’s-eye overview of the new phone, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we break down everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, from its price and availability to specs and features. If you’re interested in learning how the Galaxy S24 Plus stacks up against its siblings, check out our Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comparisons.

Latest newsThe Samsung Galaxy S24 line is out now. Check out our Samsung Galaxy S24 review, Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review for our thoughts on all three devices.Plus, Samsung has now started rolling out the first update for these phones, adding a vividness slider and improving the cameras.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: specs

Here’s an at-a-glance look at the key Samsung Galaxy S24 specs boasted by the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: price and availability

Out nowStarts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus was announced at Samsung’s latest Galaxy Unpacked event on January 17 and all three new devices began shipping on January 31, so they're out now.Pricing for the Galaxy S24 Plus starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 for the base configuration (12GB RAM / 256GB storage), and rises to $1,119.99 / £1,099 / AU$1,899 for the model with 12GB RAM / 512GB storage.If you're interested, you can see our best Galaxy S24 deals page for a roundup of the current best deals.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: colors

The Galaxy S24 (middle) and Galaxy S24 Plus (left, right) (Image credit: Samsung)

Available in Amber Yellow, Cobalt Violet, Marble Gray and Onyx BlackAdditional color options expected post-release

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus is available in four colors: Amber Yellow, Cobalt Violet, Marble Gray and Onyx Black. Three more color options – Sapphire Blue, Sandstone Orange and Jade Green – will become available for the new phone at a later date through Samsung.com exclusively.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: design and display

Image 1 of 5The Galaxy S24 Plus rear panel (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 2 of 5The Galaxy S24 Plus display (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 3 of 5The Galaxy S24 Plus USB-C port (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 4 of 5The Galaxy S24 Plus side profile (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 5 of 5The Galaxy S24 Plus top-down profile (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

More durable Enhanced Armor Aluminum frame6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED 2X display

On the design front, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus looks a lot like its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, though it does have slightly flatter edges and narrower bezels (it follows the lead of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 in that respect). The new phone’s new QHD+ display is a touch larger, too, measuring 6.7 inches against the Galaxy S23 Plus’ 6.6-inch screen (taking the S24 Plus’ overall measurements to 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7mm), and it also boasts a (supposedly) more durable Enhanced Armor Aluminum frame.That new 6.65-inch screen size plays host to a dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a variable 1-120Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy S23 Plus, by contrast, uses a 48-120Hz refresh rate.The Galaxy S24 Plus also gets a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, which marks a hefty increase over its predecessor’s 1,205-nit peak brightness.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: cameras

The Galaxy S24 Plus' triple-lens rear camera array (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Similar camera hardware to the S23 PlusBut offers more AI-powered editing tricks

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus retains its predecessor’s 50MP wide lens (f/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.2), 10MP telephoto lens (f/2.4, 3x optical zoom), and 12MP selfie camera (f/2.2) – but it does boast some neat new AI-powered capabilities over the Galaxy S23 Plus.In a similar manner to Google’s best Pixel phones, the Galaxy S24 Plus lets you move or remove people and objects in photos and instantly make slo-motion videos using AI, with tools like Generative Edit and Instant Slow-Mo also on hand to provide more scope for photographic creativity.The new Plus gets the same video capabilities as the Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra – meaning you can shoot in up to 8K at 30fps – and Samsung’s iPhone-beating Portrait mode returns from the S23 Plus, too (as do features including Astrophoto, Astro Hyperlapse and Super HDR selfie video).For more details, check out our breakout article looking at the Samsung Galaxy S24 cameras.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: performance & software

All Galaxy S24 models, not just the Galaxy S24 Ultra (above), have ray tracing support (Image credit: Samsung)

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset in the US, Exynos 2400 elsewhereBoth chipsets facilitate new AI-enhanced assistance

The chipset powering the Galaxy S24 Plus will depend on the region in which you buy the phone. Those in the US will get a Galaxy-tuned version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, while those in Europe and other regions will get Samsung’s Exynos 2400 chipset.Given that Samsung’s Exynos-powered Galaxy S22 phones were noticeably less powerful than their Snapdragon-equipped US equivalents, this news might understandably concern anyone who qualifies for the Exynos 2400 instead of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. But fear not! This time around, we’re confident that the gap between the two chips is much slimmer than before. Sure, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will inevitably edge the Exynos 2400 when it comes to on-paper benchmark scores. But early results promise similarly impressive real-world performance from the latter chipset, so we don’t suspect there’ll be much in it this year.Elsewhere on the performance front, a larger vapor chamber means the Galaxy S24 Plus boasts much better heat dissipation than its predecessor, and the new phone also gets ray tracing support (might the Galaxy S24 Plus be one of the best gaming phones of 2024?).

Live Translate on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (Image credit: Samsung)

The real ace in the hole for the Galaxy S24 Plus, though, is its AI capabilities. Irrespective of which chipset the phone ships with, the S24 Plus offers a whole host of helpful AI tricks (under the banner term 'Galaxy AI') that Samsung believes give it the edge over comparably priced handsets. Among the new features are Live Translate – i.e. real-time two-way call translation – Note Assist, Chat Assist, Tone Tweak and Circle to Search. We’ll be taking these features for a spin as we test the Galaxy S24 Plus for review.Beyond AI, on the software front the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus runs Android 14 with Samsung's One UI 6.1 overlay at launch. As of April 2025 it has had some small software updates, while One UI 7 with Android 15 is about to roll out for it, but has reportedly been held up due to a bug.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: battery

Uses a 4,900mAh battery

The Galaxy S24 Plus uses a 4,900mAh battery, which marks a 200mAh increase over the S23 Plus’ 4,700mAh battery. That said, we’re not expecting the new phone to offer significantly better real-world battery life than its predecessor. In our testing, we found that the Galaxy S23 Plus could comfortably last for almost two days, so we’re anticipating something similar from the Galaxy S24 Plus. We’ll confirm as much in our upcoming review of the phone.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: outlook

Minor upgrades on paper might not make the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus seem that compelling in the face of others on our best Android phones list. But a tweaked design and an injection of AI abilities could mean the S24 Plus becomes more than the sum of its parts. Expect the Galaxy S24 Plus to be the phone to get if you're not into the Galaxy S24 Ultra but want a little more screen space and sharpness over the standard S24.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 series bring in a trio of new phones to take on the best form Apple and Google. There's the compact Samsung Galaxy S24 (which we'll focus on here), the larger Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus and the fully-loaded Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.Regardless of model, those all-important Galaxy AI features persist across all three new entries, as do qualities like color selection. While it may be the S24 Plus that gets the most notable upgrades over its predecessor, the standard S24 still promises to deliver with a new larger display, boasting slimmer bezels and improved brightness, a new chipset and a reworked, hardier design, plus more, and it's out now.We've fully reviewed the biggest and best new Galaxy phone, as you'll see in our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review; and it's one heck of a smartphone that might be exactly the Android device you want. As for the other phones, you'll find our full verdicts in our Samsung Galaxy S24 review and Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review. As of April 2025, Samsung had also started rolling out One UI 7 with Android 15 for these phones, but a bug has reportedly halted the rollout.

(Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

Samsung's Galaxy S phones consistently land themselves on our shortlist of the best phones, so we've got high hopes for all three new Galaxy S24 devices, so stay tuned to see where they rank.

Samsung Galaxy S24 cheat sheet

New Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (US) | Exynos 2400 for Galaxy (RoW) chipset offering more power & power efficiency.Larger 6.2-inch display with narrow bezels and smaller front camera punch hole than the Galaxy S23.Dynamic refresh rate now spans 1Hz to 120Hz – up from 48Hz to 120Hz on S23.A higher peak brightness of 2,600 nits, beating last year’s model.New 2x sensor-cropped optical zoom adds greater versatility to rear camera design.Seven generations of OS and security updates, matching that of market leader Google.Revised design boasts 10% stronger Armor aluminum frame and better ergonomics.Larger 4,000mAh battery, up from 3,900mAh on the S23.Starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399.Out now as it shipped on January 31.

Samsung Galaxy S24: specs

Here a Samsung Galaxy S24 specs comparison with all three new devices side by side:

Samsung Galaxy S24: release date and price

Starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399Available to buy now

The Samsung Galaxy S24 launched alongside the Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra at a dedicated Galaxy Unpacked event in San Jose, California on January 17. Samsung Galaxy S24 preorders for all three models kicked off on the same day, with the phones going on sale two weeks later on January 31, meaning they're out now.If you're interested, you can see our best Galaxy S24 deals page for a roundup of the top options.

The Galaxy S24 comes in three storage variants, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB, with Australia skipping the 128GB model available in markets like the US and UK, and instead gaining a higher capacity 512GB model, priced at AU$1,599. The 128GB model sells for $799 / £799 and the 256GB build costs $859 / £859 / AU$1,399. This marks a notable reduction in price year-on-year for the base 128GB S24 in the UK, with its predecessor costing £50 more at launch, at £849.

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Samsung Galaxy S24: design and display

New One-Mass Design languageStraighter sides10% stronger Armor AluminumLarger, brighter 6.2-inch display

From a distance, the Galaxy S24 looks like its predecessor, but the newly-named One-Mass design language is most apparent in the new straighter sides this that S24 adopts, along with the fact that frame is no longer glossy, but lightly textured. For their latest phones, it would seem Apple and Samsung have met in the middle design-wise, meaning both phones look much more like one another this generation.That new frame is also hewn from 'enhanced' Armor Aluminum, which Samsung says is 10% stronger than before. Both the front and back of the phone are clad in Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and the phone retains its IP68 dust and water resistance too.As for the Samsung Galaxy S24's colors, this year all three devices come in the same quartet of finishes, with the caveat that the names for the Galaxy S24 Ultra color's are preceded by the word 'Titanium', rather than the descriptors the other two phones use. In the case of both the S24 and S24 Plus you can pick the phone up in Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet or Amber Yellow, while three additional Samsung.com-exclusive options manifest as Sandstone Orange, Sapphire Blue and Jade Green.

The S24 has pleasingly thin bezels and a tiny punch hole front camera. (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

Although a little taller, the size and weight of the S24 haven't changed much from that of its predecessor, which is particularly impressive when you consider that the screen has grown to 6.2-inches. Samsung has achieved this, not only by way of that flatter frame but thinner bezels than we've ever seen from the company, and they're now uniform too. Additionally, the punch hole front camera is smaller, making the viewing experience that little more immersive.Samsung finally figured out how to bring the full 1Hz to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate of the Ultra to the S24 and S24 Plus this generation, making for a more power efficient display (the S23's screen ranged from 48Hz to 120Hz), while peak brightness across the range now hits an impressive 2,600 nits (with a high brightness mode of 1,600 nits). Previously, the S23's screen topped out at 1,750 nits and 1,200 nits, respectively, so expect greater outdoor visibility and improved HDR visuals.

Samsung Galaxy S24: software

Samsung One UI 6.1 atop Android 14 at launchPromised seven generations of OS & security updatesNew 'Galaxy AI' features throughout

One of the first phones to run Samsung's One UI 6.1 user experience, the S24 adopts the familiar software look and feel of its predecessors. However, now there are 'Galaxy AI' branded threads running throughout.New features like Circle to Search show a tight collaboration with Google that grants users the ability to search anything on-screen after simply long-pressing the home button. Tone Tweak – now built into the Samsung Keyboard – can analyze typed sentences and suggest alternatives, depending on the tone you're trying to strike, while generative wallpapers ensure you can get something new a truly unique on a regular basis, just by relying on the new AI smarts of the S24.Real-time two-way translation across both written text and spoken word – even in calls – is now a native part of the Galaxy S experience too.Samsung previously led in the realm of Android updates, until Google crashed its party with the impressive offerings afforded to its latest Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. But with the S24 range, the scales have been balanced, with the company now committing to seven generations of both operating system and security updates; which would carry users up to Android 21 and, presumably, One UI 13.1.Since launch, Samsung has started updating the Galaxy S24, and as of April 2024 the One UI 7 / Android 15 update had started rolling out, but a bug has reportedly caused Samsung to halt the roll out. Still, Android 15 should be available soon.

Samsung Galaxy S24: cameras

50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP 3x telephoto rear camerasNew 2x optical zoom optionProVisual AI EngineAI-based Edit Suggestions

The trio of rear cameras (and the front-facing punch hole camera) look, on paper, to comprise the same set of sensors at the same focal lengths as with the previous Galaxy S23. So what's new?The main buzzword in the S24 photographic arsenal is its 'ProVisual AI Engine', which promises to more intelligently enhance shots by way of noise removal, more vivid and accurate colors and improved quality in low light shooting; all staple areas of improvement that Samsung and pretty much every other phone maker works on with each new generation of phone camera.Perhaps more impressive than improved gyro-based stabilization and more versatile 2x optical zoom focal length (using sensor cropping), is the suit of new AI editing that comes to the S24's photographic experience.

(Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

AI editing suggestions now offer to dress appropriate shots with a portrait effect – even if they weren't taken in portrait mode, generally remaster the qualities of an image's color and contrast or, more practically, intelligently remove reflections in a scene. Generative fill adds in pixels where there weren't originally any when, for example, straightening up a skewed shot, and the S24 even lets you move and resize subjects in a scene, promising to seamlessly paint in the space they were moved from; a feature that feels decidedly similar to the Pixel 8 series' Magic Editor.Smaller tweaks, like being able to view almost any video in your gallery in slow motion by long-pressing during playback (which relies of frame interpolation to offer up to 120fps slow-mo) and – through Samsung's well-established collaborations – allowing for HDR capture and review natively from third-party apps, like Instagram, all sweeten the capture experience on the S24.

Samsung Galaxy S24: Performance & battery

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy or Exynos 2400 for Galaxy chipset8GB RAM (LPDDR5X) on all modelsAll storage now UFS 4.04,000mAh battery w/ 25W wired fast charging

After a brief reprieve where Galaxy S phones came running the same silicon wherever you bought one in the world, the company is up to its old tricks again of splitting the heart of the Galaxy S24 series by region. Stateside, users get Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (but an enhanced 'for Galaxy' variant), while S24 and S24 Plus models in markets outside the US – including the UK and Europe – come with Samsung's own new Exynos 2400 'for Galaxy' (the S24 Ultra gets the 8 Gen 3 globally).While we can't say for sure how big a disparity there is between these two 3nm chipsets at this stage, previous splits have shown that Qualcomm's chipset usually reigns supreme, with weaker power efficiency and thermal performance holding previous Exynos chips back. That said, Samsung may have finally addressed previous shortcomings with the Exynos 2400 and there's even talk of better battery life from this new chip, by comparison to Snapdragon-toting S24s; something we're eager to test in review.One range-wide upgrade is the move to faster and more efficient UFS 4.0 storage across all three storage builds of the S24. The Galaxy S23's dirty little secret was that the base 128GB build ran on older and less elegant UFS 3.1 storage; no longer. You also get 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, whichever variant you opt for.While charging remains the same for the S24 (25W wired and 15W wireless), Samsung has increased battery capacity to 4,000mAh, narrowing the gap between the standard and Ultra Galaxy S phones to closer than it's ever been.

Samsung Galaxy S24: Outlook

Overall, the Galaxy S24 appears to be an iterative step over its predecessor, at least on paper. But a few design tweaks and more importantly a big dose of practical AI features could make for an impressive phone. It may not have the glitz and glamour of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the standard Galaxy S24 is keenly-priced and well equipped, meaning it may just be a viable contender for a spot on our best phones list.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is official, with Samsung having debuted the new foldable alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Ring at its latest Galaxy Unpacked showcase.We've now fully tested the Galaxy Z Flip 6 for ourselves, and you can check out our thoughts on this best foldable phone contender in our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review.However, if you're after a more condensed rundown of the new phone's release date, price, specs and features, we've included those details below. So, read on for everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The latest clamshell foldable from SamsungWhen is it out? Pre-orders from July 11, shipping from July 24How much does it cost? From $1,099.99 / £1,049 / AU$1,799What upgrades does it have? A new 50MP camera, a faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a bigger batter, and improved durabilityDoes it look different? Apart from some minor design tweaks and new colors, it's a similar-looking phone to the Galaxy Z Flip 5

Release date and price

Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Flip 6 (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 6 (right) at Unpacked in June (Image credit: Future)

Samsung revealed the Galaxy Z Flip 6 at its latest Galaxy Unpacked showcase on July 10, 2024. Galaxy Z Flip 6 pre-orders are now open, with the phone set to begin shipping on July 24. In Australia, shipping will begin on July 31.The Galaxy Z Flip 6 starts at $1,099.99 / £1,049 / AU$1,799 for the model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, rising to £1,149 / AU$1,999 for the model with 512GB of storage. We'll update this section with further US pricing when we have it.Below, you'll find a full breakdown of Galaxy Z Flip 6 pricing, alongside a breakdown of Galaxy Z Flip 5 pricing for comparison.

As you can see, the starting price for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is $100 / AU$150 higher than that of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, though you do get 12GB RAM instead of 8GB with the newer phone. UK pricing remains unchanged across both storage variants.

Specs comparison

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 (left) and Galaxy Z Flip 5 (right) (Image credit: Future)

Here's how the Galaxy Z Flip 6 stacks up against the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in terms of specs.

Improved durability and sanded edges

Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3(Image credit: Future)

Same dimensions and weightColor-matched rings around the rear camera lensesSanded finish on the sidesVastly improved durability

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 doesn't look all that different from the Galaxy Z Flip 5, but there are some minor changes to its design.The phone once again boasts two displays – specifically a 3.4-inch cover screen and a 6.7-inch folding screen (more on these later) – and it measures 72 x 85 x 15mm when folded and 72 x 165 x 7mm when unfolded. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 also weighs the same as its predecessor, at 187g.In terms of what's new, Samsung has added some neat-looking colored rings around the Galaxy Z Flip 6's rear camera lenses, and the phone's sides (or edges) are now sanded, rather than reflective (as they are on the Galaxy Z Flip 5).

(Image credit: Future)

The biggest upgrades to the Galaxy Z Flip 6's design come in the durability department. Samsung says the Armor Aluminum frame encasing the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is now 10% stronger than before, while the phone's hinge and edges have also been toughened up.Perhaps best of all, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 gets an IP48 dust- and water- resistance rating, which betters the water-only IPX8 rating of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr 2024, but falls just short of the Galaxy S24’s totally dust-proof IP68 rating. Essentially, an IP48 rating means that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is protected against particles over 1mm in size.

New colors

(Image credit: Future)

Launch colors are Silver Shadow, Mint, Yellow and BlueMore Samsung-exclusive colors to follow soon

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is available in four (mostly) new launch colors: Silver Shadow, Mint, Yellow and Blue. Three more colors – Crafted Black, White and Peach – will be made available exclusively via Samsung.com in the comings weeks.For reference, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 launched in Mint, Graphite, Cream and Lavender, with Gray, Blue, Green and Yellow shades being offered at a later date on Samsung's site.

Brighter main display

Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Future)

Same display sizes and panel typesBut a new peak brightness of 2,600 nits for the main display

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 boasts two displays: a 3.4-inch, 60Hz AMOLED cover screen (720 x 748) and a 6.7-inch, Full HD+ AMOLED foldable screen (2640 x 1080), with the larger of the two getting an adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate. Those are the same displays as you'll find on the Galaxy Z Flip 5, though Samsung has boosted the peak brightness of the Galaxy Z Flip 6's screens from 1600 nits to a Galaxy S24-rivalling 2,600 nits.

New 50MP main camera, upgraded 12MP ultra-wide camera

(Image credit: Future)

New 50MP main camera12MP ultra-wide has been optimized with software

The chief hardware upgrade for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a new 50MP main camera, which replaces the 12MP main camera from the Galaxy Z Flip 5.This larger sensor is joined by the same 12MP ultra-wide camera as before, though Samsung says it's been optimized to perform even better on the Galaxy Z Flip 6.Essentially, Samsung's latest clamshell foldable boasts the same main and ultra-wide cameras as on the Galaxy S24 Plus, and you'll also get the latter's ProVisual photography engine, too, which should automatically improve your shots.On the software side, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 introduces Auto Zoom – which automatically finds the correct zoom length when you're not operating the phone manually – as well as Portrait Studio and new zoom toggle for Camcorder Mode.

Faster chipset, bigger battery

(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipsetMore RAM than before4,000mAh battery

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is powered by Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which is the same chipset you'll find inside almost all of today's best Android phones.Samsung has also upgraded the new phone's RAM capacity from 8GB to 12GB, and added the first-ever vapor cooling chamber in a clamshell foldable, so you needn't worry about the Galaxy Z Flip 6 struggling for performance (whether you're keen to use it for gaming, streaming or general browsing).On the endurance front, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is equipped with a 4,000mAh battery, which is notably larger than the 3,700mAh battery in the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Presumably, this larger capacity will deliver longer battery life, though we'll have to put it to the test in our full Galaxy Z Flip 6 review.Charging speeds are the same, though. Like its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 offers 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.

Galaxy AI upgrades aplenty

(Image credit: Future)

New Galaxy AI features including Sketch to ImageSeveral foldable-specific optimizations

Samsung is introducing several new Galaxy AI features with the Galaxy Z Flip 6, as well as a host of foldable-specific software optimizations.Among the new tools is Sketch to Image, which lets you turn your scribbled Samsung Notes drawings into more developed pieces of art.The Flex Window on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 can now be customized with generative wallpapers and ambient weather animations, though you're still able to pick from the usual mix of clock, calendar and timer widgets.Interpreter has been optimized for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, too. The feature now utilizes the internal and external displays, so you can conduct live, two-way translated conversations with someone opposite you. Previously, you both had to gather around the same screen.Of course, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 also gets the usual smorgasbord of existing Galaxy AI features, including Circle to Search, Chat Assist, Note Assist and Edit Suggestion.Out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 runs One UI 6 with Android 14, but as of April 2025, Android 15 is about to roll out for the phone, though has reportedly been held up by a bug.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6?

(Image credit: Future)

At first glance, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 looks to have brought plenty of iterative upgrades over the Galaxy Z Flip 5 – not least a new 50MP camera, a faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a bigger batter and improved durability.As such, it's likely to be an objectively better phone than its predecessor, but we're hesitant to pass judgement until we've put the Galaxy Z Flip 6 through our full review process (as a reminder, you can read our early thoughts on the new device in our hands-on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review).Mind you, if you're not coming at this guide as an existing Galaxy Z Flip owner, and are instead considering whether to make the Galaxy Z Flip 6 your first foldable phone purchase, then we think it's got a great chance of ranking alongside the best foldable phones (and indeed the best Samsung phones) released so far. Stay tuned for our comprehensive verdict in the coming weeks.

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A new report claims Apple is developing two new Vision Pro headset modelsOne version will apparently be lighter and more affordableThe other will connect to a Mac for a lower-latency experience

Despite its technical brilliance, Apple’s Vision Pro headset has struggled to sweep consumers off their feet, with serious questions being raised about the future of the virtual reality (VR) headset. In spite of this potential crisis, though, Apple apparently has a plan to right the ship and get the Vision Pro back on track.At least, that’s according to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter. There, Gurman says that Apple is working on two new Vision Pro models that could shake up the device and potentially give it a new foothold in the industry.Neither of these models will be simple refreshes. While Gurman says that Apple had previously considered a few minor tweaks – like changing the headset’s chip from the M2 to the M5 chip – Apple is apparently now mulling more ambitious plans.Instead, Apple is “now looking to go further,” Gurman says, with one device that is both cheaper and more lightweight than the current Vision Pro, which should make it both more accessible to consumers and reduce the neck strain that can sometimes occur after long periods of use.The second Vision Pro in development is “more intriguing,” Gurman believes. Supposedly, this model will connect directly to a Mac, which will allow for greatly reduced latency. Some Vision Pro headsets are being used in surgery and in flight simulators, Gurman says, which are two areas where reduced latency will be incredibly important.

Addressing two key problems

(Image credit: Apple)

Interestingly, Gurman likens the second Vision Pro to a product Apple reportedly canceled in January: a set of lightweight glasses outfitted with augmented reality (AR) capabilities that would be tethered to a Mac. The ultimate goal for Apple is to create an entirely wireless pair of AR glasses that a user can wear all day, but it will take many years before that device is ready for prime time.Still, even if the next Vision Pro isn’t as lightweight as a pair of glasses, anything that reduces its weight will be a welcome change. I don’t own a Vision Pro myself, and one of the main reasons is that I’ve heard the stories of the pain caused by wearing it for too long. If I’m going to make a significant investment in a product like this, I want to be able to use it without risking soreness after just a few hours’ usage.The other reason I’ve steered clear is the eye-watering price, with $3,500 feeling incredibly steep when the Vision Pro is still in its early stages. I know I’m not alone here, with multiple reports suggesting that sales of the device have been very slow.If Apple can address both of those problems, I might finally be tempted to fork out for a Vision Pro, particularly for its Ultrawide Mac Virtual Display mode. We've previously described that as a "lightbulb moment" for the device, given it gives you a massive 32:9 aspect ratio – the equivalent of two displays side-by-side. That would definitely be more enticing on a headset that's more comfortable, and also potentially not too much more expensive than buying an extra monitor.I’m not entirely convinced yet, but at least Apple seems to be heading in the right direction.

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is now official. Revealed at a Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event on July 10, 2024, this new flagship foldable phone builds upon the formula of its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but brings in more power, a tweaked design, and a host of artificial intelligence features baked in. People expecting new cameras and a titnaium design may be left disappointed, as on paper Samsung hasn't really made any significant changes. But a lot of little tweaks can add up to a big deal. For our verdict on the new Fold, check out our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review.Below we'll breakdown the main upgrades the Galaxy Z Fold 6 brings to the table and whether it looks set to get a spot on our best foldable phones list.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The latest flagship Samsung foldableWhen is it out? July 24, 2024 / July 31 for AustraliaHow much will it cost? It starts at $1,899 / £1,799 / AU$2,749What are the core upgrades? New Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip tuned for Samsung, a bigger battery, a shorter and wider designIs it tougher than the Fold 5? Yes. The hinge has been upgraded and the Armor aluminium is stronger

Release date and price

(Image credit: Future)

I have some bad news: the price of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has jumped up from that of its predecessor. In the US, the starting price has risen from $1,799 to $1,899. In the UK it's jumped by £50, from £1,749 to £1,799. Australians will need to pay an extra $150 as the price has risen from AU$2,599 to AU$2,749. Now the Galaxy Fold phones were never cheap, but the price hike may be difficult to swallow when the likes of the Google Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open undercut the Fold 6 but hundreds. However, Samsung is pitching the Fold 6 has a high-end device and it comes with a whole lot of feature that could justify the high ticket price. Just bear in mind, that Samsung once again doesn't bundle in an S Pen like it does with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. As for the release date, in the US and UK, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 went on sale in the US and UK on July 24, with Australia needing to wait for July 31.

New Snapdragon chip

(Image credit: Future)

As is the case with all new Samsung Galaxy phones, the Fold 6 gets a new chipset. And like the Galaxy S24 series, the new Fold has access to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, only it's not a standard off-the-shelf slice of silicon but one tuned for Samsung. Now the previous Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip was no slouch, or indeed the Gen 1. I know this as I've been using a Galaxy Z Fold 4 for some time and it's never felt slow. So the touted 14% boost in CPU performance and 25% jump in GPU performance in benchmarks, does not stir me. However, ray-tracing performance is up by 53%, which should deliver more visually impressive gaming, and add in a 1.6x larger vapor chamber and the Fold 6 could deliver high performance for longer than the Fold 5. And a 41% jump in neural processing performance means the Fold 6 looks set to power snappy responses from its baked-in AI tools; more on those later. It would have been nice if Samsung up the RAM of the Fold 6, but it sticks to 12GB. Likewise storage coms in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB variations. Check out the specs table below for more information and how the phone compares to its rivals, and do read my breakdown of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 specs for a deeper look and analysis.

A shorter, wider design and display

(Image credit: Future)

At a quick glance you'd be forgive for thinking the Galaxy Z Fold 6 was identical to its predecessor. But Samsung has shortened the phone's hight and made it a little wider. As a result, the cover display is bigger by 0.1 inches. That might sound inconsequential but it makes the display that bit more usable in one hand when the Fold 6 is folded shut.

Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Future)The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a more durable hinge.Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Future)The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a more durable hinge and a shorter but wider cover display. Image 3 of 3(Image credit: Future)The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a more durable hinge.

It's long been an issue with reviewers and myself that the cover display on the Fold phones feels too tall and narrow to be easily usable; Samsung may have fixed that with this design tweak. The Fold 6 is also slimmer and by a millimeter or two, and weighs 239g to the Fold 5's 252.3g. As such, the new Fold feels that bit nicer in the hand. Add in an improved dual-rail hinge that can better withstand shocks and pressure, along with a 10% improvement in the 'Armor Aluminium' chassis, and you're looking at a tougher overall foldable phone.

(Image credit: Future)

The range of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 colors is also pleasant if a little uninspired. I like the look of the pink model and the gray-meets-sliver of the Shado Silver option, but the navy version is basic. Exclusive through Samsung, there's also a 'Crafted Black' option and a white color; I've not seen these in the metal and glass, but neither shade sets one's pulse racing.

Clever cameras and a stealthy upgrade

(Image credit: Future)

It's arguably a little disappointing that Samsung didn't take the 200-megapixel main camera found on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and put it into the Galaxy Z Fold 6 , given the latter phones price. Insead the South Korean tech giant has suck with a 50MP main camera much like the one it gave the Fold 5.However, a Samsung representative explained to me that give the AI processing and improved image signal processing, there's no need for a higher resolution main camera sensor. Be that as it may, but I tend to think the more megapixels to play with the better. The telephoto camera has also stuck to a 10x telephoto camera with a 3x zoom. That's fine but it's not likely to compete with something like the 5x optical zoom of the iPhone 15 Pro Max's periscope camera. However, the ultra-wide camera is new. Despite sticking to a 12MP sensor, aperture and pixel size, Samsung says the camera has improved low-light photography thanks to a dedicated image signal processing unit. And it can now capture HDR photos. A small upgrade, but add in AI features and you're still looking at a rather flexible camera system, especially when you add in there's the front-facing camera and an under-display camera on the foldable display. All this is helped by Samsung's ProVision engine having an overall upgrade, which should deliver better photos that are more balanced in terms of colors and contrast.

AI features baked in

(Image credit: Future)

Out of the box, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is running Android 14 with One UI 6.1.1 on top of it. So you'll get features like enhanced lock screen customization and Magic Compose that'll serve up smart responses to messages with different tones. But the significant thing here is the implementation of Samsung's Galaxy AI. We've already see this with Generatvie Edit on the Galaxy S24 series, which lets you basically recompose a photo using AI to fill in the gaps or get rather artistic with a real-world shot. For the Galaxy Z Fold 6 these features have been retooled to work on the foldable display. This means Circle to Search can address search queries across the tablet-like screen on the Fold 6. That screen can also be used to better tweak photos with the Smart Select, a AI-powered image overlay and selection tool, and the new Sketch to Image tools, which recognises S Pen scribbles as trying to put sunglasses on an image of a dog, for example. There's now a new transcription feature for the Note app that can provide a summary of one's notes. And a new Composer feature in the Samsung Keyboard can generate text based on simple keywords for emails, social media posts and comments.Probably the smartest new AI feature is how the Interpreter app can work across the Fold 6's displays by providing a conversation mode that shows two-way translations of the main and cover displays, the idea being it aids more natural interactions between two people speaking different languages. Live Translation also works in third-party apps.Since launch, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has had small updates, with its first major update (to Android 15 and One UI 7) due imminently as of April 2025, though a bug has reportedly delayed it.

A battery boost, but charging remains static

(Image credit: Future)

Take a deep breath as the Galaxy Z Fold 6's battery has been boosted by a whole... 400mAh. Ok, so that's not a lot as it puts the Fold 6's battery at 4,400mAh compared to the Fold 5's 4,000mAh. But this is notable as the Fold 6's more-powerful chip and AI features means it's silicon heart will likely be running harder and faster for longer, meaning it needs more energy. So that 400mAh could make the difference between a phone that last a day and one that gives up the ghost mid commute home. I'm a little disappointed that the charging is still stuck at 35 watts when wired, as that's not fast at all, But then again, the Fold 6 can apparently charge to 50% in around 30 minutes, which ins't bad and may help prolong the battery's health.

Should you buy the Galaxy Z Fold 6?

(Image credit: Future)

Having fully reviewed the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which achieved a hefty 4.5 out of 5 stars from Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff, I think it's safe to say the new flagship foldable phone is the one to get if you want a top-tier foldable experience. There's an argument that it doesn't deliver quite enough for people to upgrade from the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but for newcomers to foldables it may just be the high-end phone to get. Ulanoff noted that the "Galaxy Z Fold 6 is Samsung's most comprehensively thought-out foldable to date" and the combination of a cleaner design and AI features make it very appealing indeed. The cameras leave a little to be desired, but they still deliver solid phone photography. The price is the only real sticking point. If you baulk at the high price tag, may I suggest waiting a few months and the Black Friday sales as that's when we tend to see price cuts on the Fold series.

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Microsoft is testing new features for Defender for EndpointThe features will block traffic from and to undiscovered endpointsThe goal is to minimize malicious lateral movement

Microsoft wants to minimize the risk of undiscovered endpoints by adding a new feature to its Defender for Endpoint product, which will automatically block all traffic to and from such devices.Such devices are a major security risk because they can bypass monitoring, lack security controls, and potentially serve as entry points for cyberattacks or data exfiltration.The company is currently testing a new capability that will contain the IP addresses of devices that have not been discovered or onboarded to Defender for Endpoint.

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Automatic protection

"Containing an IP address associated with undiscovered devices or devices not onboarded to Defender for Endpoint is done automatically through automatic attack disruption. The Contain IP policy automatically blocks a malicious IP address when Defender for Endpoint detects the IP address to be associated with an undiscovered device or a device not onboarded," Microsoft said."Through automatic attack disruption, Defender for Endpoint incriminates a malicious device, identifies the role of the device to apply a matching policy to automatically contain a critical asset. The granular containment is done by blocking only specific ports and communication directions."We do not know yet when the feature will be released for the users, but we do know that it will be available on Defender for Endpoint-onboarded devices running Windows 10, Windows 2012 R2, Windows 2016, and Windows Server 2019+.Microsoft also explained that there is a way to stop the product from containing different IP addresses by restoring the connection. That can be done via the “Contain IP” menu in the “Action Center”, which will have an “Undo” button.Via BleepingComputer

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