Alex Blake

Alex Blake

Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

Articles by: Alex Blake

Apple Siri

‘More intuitive than ever’ — iOS 27’s new AI voice controls could finally make Siri feel smart

By Alex Blake Published

Recent accessibility upgrades might hint at agentic AI powers coming to Siri in iOS 27.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp’s secret new feature will delete texts once you’ve read them — and it could be coming to iOS and Android soon

By Alex Blake Published

WhatsApp is testing a new feature that can automatically delete messages once they’ve been read.

Google's Universal Cart interface

Google’s Universal Cart uses Gemini AI to find deals and product restocks — and it might change the way you shop forever

By Alex Blake Published

Google’s new Universal Cart taps into AI to help you get better online shopping deals at checkout.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 with hypertension detection

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is tipped to get a new way to keep your heart healthy — but there’s a catch

By Alex Blake Published

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 might get a new blood pressure alert feature, a report claims.

The LightInk solar-powered watch on a desk.

Forget the Apple Watch Ultra 3, this E Ink smartwatch offers 400 days of juice to obliterate its battery rivals

By Alex Blake Published

The LightInk smartwatch has 400 days of battery life, but some serious compromises too

WWDC 2021 screenshot

‘Exactly what I've been waiting for’: iOS 27 could let users build Shortcuts with AI — and I’m glad Apple is finally paying attention to one of the iPhone’s best features

By Alex Blake Published

Apple’s iOS 27 update might let you create Shortcuts automations with natural language prompts.

The Apple Store in Santa Monica, California.

Apple was dying by the end of the 90s, but then it opened its first ever Apple Store 25 years ago - and the rest is history

By Alex Blake Published

Apple opened its first Apple Stores 25 years ago and changed the world in the process...

An iPhone on a blue background showing the Siri logo

Apple says its new AI Siri will be ‘fundamentally different’ from ChatGPT and Gemini — but WWDC could be a make-or-break moment

By Alex Blake Published

Siri’s AI upgrade will get a privacy boost but could only launch in beta, a report claims.

OpenAI

‘They haven’t even made an honest effort’: OpenAI could sue Apple over its fractious Siri partnership — here’s what it might mean for you

By Alex Blake Published

A report claims OpenAI is considering suing Apple over the AI partnership between the two tech giants.

AI Agent

Forget the App Store — Apple could be about to launch the ‘agent store’ for AI apps, and it could transform how you use your iPhone

By Alex Blake Published

A report claims Apple is working to welcome AI agents to its App Store as it attempts to embrace the future.

The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra smartwatch.

Amazfit’s budget ultra-running watches launch – just one day after Garmin unveils its own new watches

By Alex Blake Published

Amazfit has launched the Cheetah 2 Ultra, a new ultra-running watch for off-road enthusiasts.

iOS 26 presented at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2025.

iOS 27 will bring updates to key apps on your iPhone, report claims, but don’t expect big Liquid Glass changes

By Alex Blake Published

A new report claims iOS 27 will see big changes to Apple’s iPhone apps, including Liquid Glass adjustments.

The Huawei Pura X Max being held in the hand

The iPhone Ultra could be a surprise hit as new survey suggests potentially millions of Apple fans would buy a foldable phone

By Alex Blake Published

According to a new survey, 14% of iPhone users say 'new phone concepts' is their biggest reason for upgrading, which bodes well for the fortunes of the iPhone Ultra.

The underside of the M4 Mac mini, showing its power button.

macOS 26.5 has fixed a ‘low-key hilarious’ problem that has marred the Mac mini for years

By Alex Blake Published

macOS 26.5 allows users to power on their Mac mini without touching the device.

An iPhone showing an RCS message sent to another user.

‘We knew we couldn’t stop there’: iOS 26.5 arrives with cross-platform encrypted RCS messaging, but there’s a serious security catch

By Alex Blake Published

End-to-end encryption is coming to RCS messages, Apple and Google have announced.

Apple's Craig Federighi discusses macOS Tahoe at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2025.

‘The way Apple’s design team intended it from the start’: Liquid Glass is getting a macOS 27 overhaul to fix its most glaring problems

By Alex Blake Published

Apple aims to fix its Liquid Glass design in macOS 27, a new report claims.

Apple introducing MagSafe at its October 2020 "Hi, Speed" event.

Hear me out: MagSafe has failed to reach its potential, but the foldable iPhone Ultra could revive it — here’s how

By Alex Blake Published

MagSafe isn’t as good as it could be, but the iPhone Ultra is a chance for Apple to put things right.

ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode

OpenAI has 3 new AI voice models that the ChatGPT maker says will ‘unlock a new class of voice apps for developers’

By Alex Blake Published

OpenAI has released new AI models for deep reasoning, translation and transcription.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 on a wrist

Your next Samsung Galaxy Watch could ‘dramatically reduce’ your chances of injury thanks to this one clever feature

By Alex Blake Published

Future smartwatches could predict fainting episodes and reduce the chances of injuries before they happen.

A laptop screen showing Google's Deep Search in AI Mode

A new search AI tool from Google will summarize tips from Reddit and social media — the ‘Expert Advice’ panel will ‘include a preview of perspectives from public online discussions’ and other sources as part of its updates to AI Mode and AI Overviews

By Alex Blake Published

A new search AI tool from Google will summarize tips from Reddit and social media.

Apple Intelligence

‘AI capabilities that did not exist at the time’: Delayed Siri features have cost Apple a massive $250 million, and iPhone users could get up to $95 per device

By Alex Blake Published

Apple is paying $250 million due to delayed Siri features, with affected users eligible for up to $95 per device.

Unbox Therapy examines a dummy unit of Apple's folding iPhone Ultra.

Apple’s iPhone Ultra ‘feels like a major downgrade from your existing iPhone experience’ says YouTuber as they show off what they claim is a dummy unit

By Alex Blake Published

Dummy units of Apple’s iPhone Ultra folding phone have been leaked in a new YouTube video.

A surgeon wearing an Apple Vision Pro headset next to an in-headset view of a cataract surgery

‘Safer, smarter, and more connected’: Apple’s Vision Pro used in world-first VR-assisted surgery, and it could be the future of medicine

By Alex Blake Published

Apple’s Vision Pro headset has been used in hundreds of surgeries over the past year.

An Apple iPhone 4s against a blue background.

How the white iPhone 4 may have accidentally paved the way for Apple’s next big iPhone shakeup

By Alex Blake Published

The delayed white iPhone 4 might’ve prompted Apple’s current iPhone launch schedule — a tradition that’s on the cusp of major change.

Employees at the China Southern Power Grid operating humanoid robots

‘The future has arrived’: China’s power grid will soon be run by an army of humanoid robots and robot dogs as state announces $1 billion investment in 8,500 robo-helpers

By Alex Blake Published

The Chinese government spent $1 billion on AI-driven robots as a new report says the US’s power grid is struggling.

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