Apple's long-rumored product leasing program, which it calls unironically "Apple Upgrade," is finally here, and it looks like a low-cost way to slide into the Apple ecosystem whether on the shiny surface of a gleaming iPhone 17 Pro, a Snoopy-faced Apple Watch, a clamshell Apple Silicon Mac, or an ultra-slim iPad Pro.

With no upfront fee and monthly charges as low as $11.99 a month (it's only available in the US for now), your new Apple Watch might cost you far less than your daily Starbucks mocha latte.

Honestly, this sounds like a great program, especially when you can snap up a powerful MacBook Pro for as little as $38.99 a month. Naturally, most people might be looking at the Upgrade program, a leasing program actually run by Klarna, for their next iPhone and probably the popular iPhone 17 Pro Max, which starts at $34.99 a month. Still, when I asked on a pair of social media platforms (X and Threads) if people would be leasing their next iPhone, the sentiment was decidedly negative.

On Threads and with 199 votes in, 80% said no. On X, with 105 votes, 78% said nah. I was surprised, but some of the responses to my anecdotal polls offered a little insight.

One thing a few talked about was ownership. Apple Upgrade works like most other lease programs, which means ownership is not really a thing. Here are the highlights:

• You have to qualify for the program (might be a credit check)
• You pay a fixed fee for 12, 24, or 36 months
• You're not paying off the cost of the phone
• At the end of the lease term, you own nothing
• You can return the phone
• You can turn it in for an upgrade and continue paying
• A better device (upgrading from an iPhone 17 to an iPhone 17 Pro Max) will increase your monthly fee
• You can buy the leased device at the end of the lease term (it's the full price minus whatever you've paid thus far via the lease program)

Virtually every part of this resembles a typical lease program you might have with an automobile.

"I have an Apple Card for a reason… I like being able to pay it off whenever and ACTUALLY own the thing," wrote brianniesniak on Threads.

The ownership argument is the sole reason I've never leased a car. I always buy them with a substantial down payment and then pay the rest off. Of course, I tend to hold onto my cars for a decade or more. In the world of technology, like smartphones, laptops, watches, and tablets, technical advances are so rapid that it rarely makes sense to hold onto them for that long.

On the other hand, there are people who own their tech for extraordinarily long times and only upgrade when companies like Apple, Microsoft, or a necessary third-party application force them to through lack of support. These days, many companies, including Samsung and Google, tout years of OS and security updates, but in a world of leases, none of that really matters. Every two years, you could have a new device; it will always have the latest software and security protections.

Access for all

"If you can’t buy it, you can’t afford it," argues Mrmarchall on Threads. I mean, isn't that the whole point of credit and lease programs? They throw open the doors of access to these products to those who don't have the funds to cover full purchase. Yes, there is the risk of someone who unexpectedly is unable to afford the lease, and then, if they try to leave the program, they're still on the hook for the remainder of the program (they leave at 3 months and still have to pay 21 months).

Even though most in my poll respondents were anti-lease, some saw the obvious benefits. "People who picked no, you seriously have $1000 laying around?" wrote Ajvizz on Threads.

"Yeah, probably. I can't personally think of any negatives in my situation," surmised Dilpickle1 on Threads.

Others on X pointed to the excellent option of refurbished iPhones, which offer access to pre-owned iPhones (sometimes higher-end models) at far more reasonable prices. And you get the added benefit of true ownership, if that's your thing.

The endless age of subscriptions

Apple Upgrade's inherent lack of ownership and never-ending payments because you're in an endless upgrade cycle does raise some concerns and correlates to an unfortunate and rapidly growing trend.

"It is absolutely crazy that we have entered the era of leased consumer electronics. "Everything is a subscription!" should not be the new normal," wrote Tech Journalist Matthew Keys on X.

I had to agree. Last year I wrote about tech services subscription culture and how companies are now often placing key features behind subscription paywalls. At least in this instance, you're getting the whole device and all its capabilities. The lease only equates to a subscription in that there's an assumption you will jump from one leased device to another, hence the name "Apple Upgrade".

If I were asked, I think I'd look more positively on Apple Upgrade.

Smartphones, laptops, smart watches, desktop computers, and tablets are, in some ways, a fact of life. No one leaves home without a phone in their pocket. Frustration over aging iPhones that can't support the latest OS or whose battery life ends faster than a summer vacation is all too real. The knowledge that with a relatively affordable monthly payment, you're guaranteed a better phone in 24 months might be a relief.

It's an irrefutable fact that as soon as you unbox your shiny new iPhone, it's worth less than it was seconds before. Those who buy cars know that depreciation, which begins the moment you drive it off the lot, is real. It's no different with consumer electronics. Maybe ownership isn't all it's cracked up to be. So what if joining Apple Upgrade means, for the next 24 months, Apple kind of owns you?

For a long period during the early 21st century, Apple was the envy of the technology industry – pumping out a series of excellent products and seemingly unable to put a foot wrong. When the iPad came along, it had many detractors, chief among them the former CEO of its industry rival, Microsoft.

Pegged back

Bill Gates was a huge advocate for the tablet computer and had long attempted to thrust this form factor into the mainstream.

However, in comments to the now-defunct web magazine BNET, the Microsoft co-founder played down the impact he felt that Apple's first edition of the iPad would have. One month after its launch, he suggested it wouldn't catch on because many users would long for physical elements in such a device.

The iPad, however, proved a stellar success in the months and years that followed, so much so that Microsoft followed this trend in 2012 with the first edition of its now popular Surface device, called Surface with Windows RT.

A man ahead of his time

Although Microsoft's attempt to compete with Apple in the tablet market felt reactive at the time, the company, under Gates' leadership, played a big role in first introducing this strange form factor to the world.

The origins of the tablet are disputed, with Steve Jobs even envisioning such a device in 1983 – and even earlier examples in papers, proposals and blueprints. The first tablet with pen input and handwriting recognition, however, was the 1987 Linus Technologies Write-Top. But this type of device didn't catch on.

More than 10 years later, Microsoft attempted to reinvigorate interest in the tablet with its Microsoft Tablet PC, with the first device launching in 2003. Again, the devices were a commercial failure. Although Apple was the first to bring this concept back from the dead, today's Microsoft Surface Pro devices are outstanding in their own right and have earned a place in a very competitive market.

The iPhone 7 isn’t remembered as being a particularly important iPhone release, but it did represent several ‘firsts’ for Apple. It was the first iPhone to lose the traditional headphone jack, the first to boast IP67 water resistance, and the first to swap the mechanical Home button for a pressure-sensitive equivalent.

The iPhone 7 was also the first standard-sized iPhone to feature Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), which uses physical gyroscopes to counteract shake-induced blur, and has been a feature of every iPhone released since (that’s 35 models and counting).

Why am I writing about the iPhone 7? Because it arrived almost a decade ago — on September 16, 2016, to be precise — and because I came across TechRadar’s iPhone 7 review sample during a recent clearout of our office cupboard.

I’m currently using the iPhone Air — released on September 19, 2025 — as my daily phone, which is a similarly thin and lightweight iPhone with only one rear camera, and so I thought it would be fun (and nostalgic!) to compare the camera capabilities of these two devices to see how far Apple’s camera hardware has come in 10 years. The answer, as you can imagine, is 'very far'.

Specs

Before I jump into the side-by-side comparisons, here’s a table detailing the key camera specs of the iPhone 7 and iPhone Air:

It's worth noting that the iPhone Air defaults to shooting in 24MP, rather than 48MP, via a 'Fusion' process that merges 12 high-dynamic-range pixels and 12 low-dynamic-range pixels into a single 24MP shot. You can choose to shoot in 48MP on new iPhones like the iPhone Air, but I stuck to the default option for this comparison.

Photo gallery

Right, onto the side-by-side photos. I took both phones on a walk around the neighborhood, comparing their wide-shooting capabilities, ability to capture color, digital zoom capabilities (neither device has a dedicated telephoto zoom), and low-light shooting capabilities.

First shot: a tree on the sidewalk. This isn't a particularly demanding scenario, but at first glance, both phones appear to have captured a similarly detailed image. Apple's approach to color science doesn't appear to have changed all that much in 10 years, either (at least in this example — more on color science later).

If you zoom in, though, the iPhone Air's shot is clearly superior. Check out the detail on the property nameplate to the left of the tree, for instance, or the paving stones in the foreground. The iPhone 7 smears over details it can't capture, while the iPhone Air's sensor picks up lots more information. These are subtle differences, but the iPhone Air's shot is the better of the two.

This is another example of subtle differences. The two images look similar at first glance, but the iPhone Air captures more brick, metal, and pavement detail than the iPhone 7. The dog is just as cute in both images, mind you.

Pub time! Again, the iPhone 7 does a decent job here, but the detail and color of the main building are more real-looking in the iPhone Air's image. If you zoom in on the main Holly Bush logo or the Hollybush House sign, you'll notice the difference in clarity. The shadows in the latter photo are also more pronounced, which speaks to the iPhone Air's superior dynamic range.

How about a butterfly? The iPhone Air's image is clearly the richer of the two. The leaves, branches, and pattern on the butterfly itself are more detailed in the shot captured with Apple's newer phone, while the iPhone 7's image is softer, almost as if there's a streak of sunblock on the lens. This is the first shot where I think, "Yeah, that photo was shot on an old iPhone."

This is a tricky one. The petal detail on the main flower is slightly better on the iPhone Air shot, and the color of the rear wall is more accurate, too. But the iPhone 7 keeps more foreground detail intact (see the green leaves on the left and the red label at the bottom). We'll call it a draw.

And here we come to the best example of Apple's modern approach to color science in action. On newer iPhones, Apple prioritizes style over realism, occasionally warming things up with more saturation, so shots have an almost yellowish quality. As you can see above, the ice cream is literally a different color in both pictures.

The iPhone 7's approach to this image is too cold — I chose the salted caramel flavor, and the older iPhone saps all the fun and warmth out of that decision. It makes the ice cream look unappetizing and the weather miserable. The iPhone Air's photo looks immeasurably warmer, and while my surroundings weren't quite that yellow, I'd rather exist in this sun-kissed world than in the iPhone 7's gloomy alternative.

Another big win for the iPhone Air here. Neither phone has a dedicated zoom camera, so I had to employ digital zoom in both cases (around 4x), and the iPhone Air captures far, far more detail than the iPhone 7.

So far (the zoom example above notwithstanding), the iPhone 7 has delivered less detailed but still largely usable images versus the iPhone Air. That stops when you switch to low-light scenarios.

In this example, the iPhone 7 just can't handle the bright light of my IKEA donut lamp — you can't even tell that it's a donut at all. The iPhone Air, meanwhile, captures the charming shape of the lamp itself as well as details in the shadows it creates. Look at the pattern on the cupboard door — it's simply not visible in the photo captured by the iPhone 7.

Again, the difference is night and day here (almost literally). The candle in the iPhone 7 photo is extremely blown out — no pun intended — while the iPhone Air more accurately recreates what I was seeing with my eyes (read: light).

If this were a competition to see which phone could best recreate the neo-noir visual style, the iPhone 7 would win (the first photo is very Lynchian). Alas, it's not, and so here we have a great example of just how far the iPhone's night photography skills have come. The iPhone Air photo is more detailed, has better dynamic range, and has more accurate colors — try and read the number plates in the iPhone 7 photo, and tell me I'm wrong.

Oh look, it's me! I'm actually quite impressed with the detail served up by the iPhone 7 here — the hairs on my head and face are equally visible in both examples — but the iPhone Air more accurately captures the whites of my eyes and the details of my complexion (read: the blemishes. Sigh.)

In fact, now I'm looking at the iPhone 7 photo again — specifically, my black eyes — I look a bit like a Great White Shark who's enjoying his last hours as a human. Maybe that's what Apple was going for in 2016?

Verdict

Surprise! The iPhone Air captured a better photo than the iPhone 7 in almost every example. That was to be expected, and, if you're spending close to four figures on one of the best iPhones in 2026, hoped for.

Apple's latest single-camera iPhone delivers superior details, colors, dynamic range, and digital zoom clarity than its predecessor 10 generations removed, and if that wasn't the case, you'd be worried for the company's future.

But in writing this comparison, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the iPhone 7 held up against the iPhone Air. At first glance, it delivered comparable photos on several occasions, only revealing itself to be a 10-year-old device when I zoomed in and dug into the details (or lack thereof). The low-light examples were a different story, but again, that's to be expected.

So, yes, iPhone photography has come a long way since 2016, but if you find yourself forced to use a banged-up old iPhone 7 for a few days (for whatever reason), it won't be totally incapable of capturing usable photos.

While OpenAI continues to sit pat on whatever device it is planning to build with Jony Ive, it is embarking on a journey that Google began years ago with the launch of the Android and Chrome OS operating systems followed by its own Pixel devices.

Long before anyone had heard of ChatGPT, Google CEO Sundar Pichai made clear that AI was a primary driver behind Google’s device push. Now, the company’s journey is about to take a turn with the launch of Googlebooks.

While Googlebooks and Chromebooks will coexist for a number of years, it’s clear that the former will eventually replace the latter. But are Googlebooks actually new “books” or really just new “chapters” that represent an evolution of the Chromebook. That depends on where the comparison lies.

Chromebooks have done an excellent job of retaining attributes such as ease of management, security, and affordability. On the other hand, the AI-first mission of the Googlebook represents a dramatic contrast from the cloud-first mission of the Chromebook, and the two platforms carry significant enough differences to justify the new naming.

Foremost, the Googlebooks’ new technical foundation of Android should greatly improve the performance and integration of Android apps versus today’s Chromebooks.

A crash landing from the cloud

Indeed, that serves as a reminder that the original philosophy of the Chromebook as a minimalist web app appliance disappeared a long time ago. And while it is still tough to beat the Chromebook when it comes to computing on a tight budget (Microsoft’s most recent attempt, the education-focused Surface Laptop SE, had the company’s quickest market retreat since Windows RT), Google and its partners have sought to climb the pricing ladder with Chromebook Pluses.

These devices, which have embraced higher quality materials and earlier access to Google’s AI innovations (albeit mostly cloud-based ones), have sold well enough to signal to Google that the market is ready for Windows alternatives that shift away from competing so heavily on price.

While it’s not a perfect parallel for what Apple was able to do in bringing kids who grew up with the Apple II to the Mac, Google has an opportunity to provide a more capable alternative to a generation of kids who grew up with Chromebooks, particularly at a time when AI stands to transform the PC experience from being a tool to being an agent.

And so the more important question becomes not how Googlebooks will diverge from Chromebooks, but how their new functionality will stack up to Windows, which will also of course continue to evolve.

In this sense, Google’s timing is excellent because it does not need to rely on Android versions of apps catching up to Windows versions; the company has never had much luck getting developers to optimize for Android platforms beyond the phone. Rather, it can compete on a new breed of AI-focused functionality.

But despite Microsoft pulling back from cramming CoPilot into every corner of its desktop operating system, it is still in the early days of integrating AI into that platform as well.

At Build, for example, Microsoft showed not only how it is bringing OpenClaw-pioneered workflows into Windows, but how it is expanding the supporting processor family to include the bold and powerful RTX Spark architecture from MediaTek and Nvidia.

That should put some distance between Windows and Android-based PCs at the top of the market, but the real test will come down to how well Microsoft can scale such AI down versus how well Google scales its desktop AI up.

Apple’s macOS 27 release — dubbed ‘Golden Gate’ by the company — is packed with new features, despite Apple saying that this year was more of an evolution than revolution. There are plenty of additions that have got tongues wagging and pens scribbling across the internet.

Yet for every Siri app and Liquid Glass tweak, there are many more upgrades that people are barely talking about. That means that if you don’t dig below the surface, you might miss some of the interesting new ways you can use your Mac once you’ve downloaded and installed macOS 27.

Here, we’ll run through five of our favorite little-known inclusions in the macOS Golden Gate beta. Get to grips with all of them and you’ll have fresh ways to use your Mac on a daily basis.

Visual Intelligence

Previously, Visual Intelligence was only available on iOS. You’d point your iPhone at an object, press the Camera Control, and Visual Intelligence would identify the object or pull out details from an event flyer and add them to your calendar. Now, similar powers can be harnessed on your Mac.

But you might be asking how this will work on a Mac, seeing as you can’t just go up to something and take a picture of it with your laptop. Fortunately, Apple has adapted Visual Intelligence to macOS 27 in a handy new way.

Much like when you take a screenshot, you can drag a box over part of your screen using your mouse. When you let go, you can ask Visual Intelligence to help you with what you have selected. You can ask Siri AI a question about the image and it will respond. You can then go back and forth with the chatbot if you need more information.

If you highlight an event, you can add it to your calendar. Even better, if you use Visual Intelligence on a festival schedule with multiple acts playing at different times, for instance, you can add as many or as few to your calendar as you want, all saved as separate entries with relevant info like the band that’s playing and the stage that you’ll find them on.

This is one of my favorite features in macOS 27 as it’s not only useful, but highly flexible and intelligent. Visual Intelligence is able to understand many different inputs and the contexts surrounding them, turning Siri into much more of the powerful assistant that it was always meant to be.

Automatic password strengthening in Passwords

The best password managers often alert you if your logins stored in the app are weak or compromised, but that usually means updating them to stronger alternatives yourself.

If that requires manually visiting affected websites and changing your login details by hand dozens or even hundreds of times, the task can feel incredibly daunting. Faced with that kind of situation, many people likely just give up, preferring to stick with their untrustworthy passwords rather than go through the hassle of changing them all one by one.

That’s an obvious security risk, and it’s one that macOS 27 has attempted to put right. Although the following change hasn’t had much airtime since the feature was announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, I feel like it could be one of the most important features in the new operating system.

In macOS 27, all you need to do is ask Apple’s Passwords app to fix your dodgy passwords for you. Just one click and it’ll get to work visiting affected websites and updating your logins without you needing to lift a finger.

It’s a great example of how useful AI agents can be, all backed up by Apple’s well-known security and privacy credentials.

Natural language in Calendar

How many times have you opened the Calendar app on your Mac and tried to create a new event with a phrase like “Movie night with James tomorrow at 8pm at home,” only to find none of the details — such as the time or the place — are properly added to the event?

It’s been a recurring problem for years, and a frustrating one, too, as Apple fans have watched other apps race ahead with similar features while Calendar lags behind.

Now, that’s been improved. Changes in macOS 27 mean that you just need to enter an event using the type of natural language that you’d use in an everyday conversation. Any details that Calendar can pick up on — like a person, place, time or date — will turn gray. Click them and select the suggested detail and they’ll be properly added. This feature understands your context, too, such as where your home is located.

Sure, similar features have been present in rival calendar apps for years, and that could explain why Apple’s Calendar update hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire in the weeks and months since it was announced.

But having this feature is nonetheless an excellent addition for users of the Calendar app. The more naturally you can use your apps, the more effortless they become, allowing you to quickly be done with them so you can get on with what matters in your day. This natural language upgrade for the Calendar app lets you do exactly that.

App resizing in iPhone Mirroring

Of all the clever new features announced last year as part of macOS Sequoia in 2024, iPhone Mirroring was one of the more intriguing. As the name suggests, it mirrors your iPhone onto your Mac’s screen, bringing up a software view of your device where you can open apps, type messages, and basically use everything on your iPhone through the Mac sitting in front of you.

But there was one annoying quirk with this system: you couldn’t resize the iPhone window to use different aspect ratios. That meant any apps you opened on the virtual iPhone were limited in size and failed to make use of your Mac display’s larger proportions.

Thankfully, Apple has fixed that up in macOS 27. Instead of being stuck with the unchanging iPhone window of the past, macOS 27 now lets you drag the on-screen iPhone and change its dimensions as required.

You can now make the iPhone window wider or taller and the content inside the app will automatically adapt. It’s far better than what we had before.

So, if you’d given iPhone Mirroring a try before but were put off by the tiny window you had to work with, macOS 27 could make using your iPhone on your Mac a little more comfortable.

Improved support for ultra-wide displays

Before macOS 27, using an ultra-wide display with your Mac could be a downright pain. Many ultra-wide resolutions were not supported natively in macOS, meaning you had to settle for something that wasn’t quite right for your display, which could in turn negatively affect your macOS experience.

And when competing operating systems like Windows could support ultra-wide monitors in a more comprehensive way, the frustration for Mac users was understandable.

Worse, if you ever unplugged your monitor and then plugged it in again, macOS would forget your previous display settings, forcing you to set up your ultra-wide monitor as needed every single time. If you relied on one of the best MacBooks as your daily driver and you frequently disconnected it from your desk display, this was a regular irritation.

In macOS 27, though, that’s finally a thing of the past. You’ll now be able to run an ultra-wide monitor up to 5K resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate, meaning far more high-end displays will now work with macOS 27 without a hitch.

And Apple has fixed the disconnection issue so that hooking up your monitor no longer requires you to dial in your settings every time. Instead, macOS remembers your preferences so that no manual adjustments are needed.

That makes this a seemingly small change on the surface, but one that will be appreciated by anyone who owns an ultra-wide monitor and has long struggled with the limitations of macOS.

• AppleCare One is launching in the UK from August
• It'll be available for older devices as well as new purchases
• It's £16.99 per month for three devices, £4.99 p/month for each additional device

AppleCare, Apple's extended warranty for its devices, is expanding. A new AppleCare One bundle comes to the UK on August 4 2026 and could make it cheaper for you to cover multiple Apple products. It also lets you cover older devices rather than just new purchases.

At the moment, you've got 60 days from purchase to take out AppleCare+ coverage. That gives you free 24/7 tech support, subsidised battery replacements if your device's battery drops below 80% capacity, and unlimited accidental damage repairs including liquid damage.

AppleCare One expands the eligibility to cover devices up to four years old (one year for AirPods) provided they're in good condition. In some cases that may require a trip to the Apple Store to check the condition of an older device before you can add it to the plan.

One of the important changes is that Apple has expanded Theft and Loss coverage, which protects you for up to two incidences of theft or loss per year, to cover the Apple Watch and iPad as well as the iPhone. You can get that cover as part of AppleCare One, or take out a standalone plan for a single device.

The other key difference is that AppleCare One is a rolling subscription rather than a fixed term extended warranty — for example, if you upgrade your iPhone and trade in your old one, the AppleCare One plan will now cover your new iPhone.

As ever with bundles, how much you save depends on the particular products you have. But you can potentially save up to £11.48 per month compared to the cost of individual AppleCare+ subscriptions.

How much can you save with AppleCare One?

AppleCare One is £16.99 per month to cover three devices. You can add additional cover for £4.99 per month per additional device.

Let's say you have an iPhone Air, Apple Watch Ultra 3 and a 13-inch M5 iPad Pro. Individually, AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss will cost you £11.99, £4.99 and £8.49 per month. That's a total of £25.47, so the AppleCare One bundle is going to save you £8.48 per month.

For more modest devices the savings are smaller, but the additional device eligibility may still make AppleCare One an attractive option.

For example I have an iPhone 16 Pro and an Apple Watch Series 10, both of which are currently covered by AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, but I didn't take out cover for my iPad Pro and the 60-day window has long closed. I'm currently paying £15.98 per month to cover my phone and watch; it'd cost just £1.01 per month more to cover an eligible iPad or iPad Pro — although sadly my iPad is an M1 so it's too old to be included.

It's worth noting that the AppleCare One bundle is for devices on the same Apple account. That means you can't cover family devices linked to other Apple accounts, even if they're in your Family Sharing group. And for some older devices you may need to confirm that they're in "good condition" by taking them to the Apple Store.

As a long time AppleCare customer I think AppleCare One looks good, and it'll save you money if you have three or more devices to cover. My only worry is that it's a subscription, and if there's one thing we know about tech giants' subscription services is that their prices always go up.

AppleCare One launches in the UK on August 4 2026.

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• Researchers show Gatekeeper can be bypassed by replacing a previously run legitimate macOS app with malware
• Attack requires prior user‑level code execution, then swaps in a malicious app that Gatekeeper won’t re‑verify
• Apple dismissed the issue, saying locally rebuilt bundles fall outside Gatekeeper’s scope, leaving risk to social engineering

A pair of researchers claims to have found a way around Gatekeeper, a built-in macOS security feature that helps protect users from running malicious or untrusted software. However Apple doesn’t really see it that way and has seemingly decided not to pursue the issue further.

Gatekeeper’s modus operandi is rather simple - when a user downloads an app from outside the App Store, it verifies the product comes from an identified developer and is notarized by Apple. If it can’t verify it - it won’t allow it to run on the machine.

Now, security researchers Talal Haj Barky and Tommy Mysk claim that, as long as a legitimate app was run at least once on a macOS device, it can be replaced with a malicious version, and Gatekeeper won’t even blink its virtual eye.

Locally built

That also means the attack is not that straightforward to pull off. The threat actor needs to have a way to execute user-level code (for example, a malicious app, a compromised software package installed through a package manager, or a prompt injection attack that tricks an AI agent).

Once that is obtained, they can archive a legitimate app, remove the original, then replace it with malware, and Gatekeeper will not try to re-authorize it. That malicious version can then trick the victim into compromising the device even further, since a certain level of trust was already established.

After reporting the issue to Apple, the company apparently just closed it.

"Apple doesn't consider this attack to be 'modifying' the signed executable," Mysk said. "Instead, Apple says that by archiving/restoring the app bundle, the proof-of-concept code overwrites the entire app bundle, making it locally built. Locally built app bundles are not covered by macOS guards. And this is why access to Keychain or TCC protected directories require system authorization prompts. And for users to accept those is a matter of social engineering attacks that Apple considers out of scope."

Via The Register

• Spotify is rumored to launch its own song ID tool
• Changes in the Android app were spotted, with references to 'Identify a song’, ‘listening’, and ‘analyzing’
• It could add a level of convenience when adding identified songs to a playlist, just like Apple Music's Shazam shortcut

There’s one thing that Spotify has over Apple Music, and that’s music discovery features, though the latter service has the edge when it comes to music recognition — but that could all change soon.

In a recent investigation from Android Authority, the outlet found lines of code in the latest version of the Spotify app which suggest the platform is working on its own song identification feature. Though this has only been found in Spotify’s Android app, we wouldn’t rule out the possibility of it launching on iOS.

As it is with every rumor, we’re taking this with a pinch of salt until more information surfaces, but Android Authority’s findings present some pretty convincing evidence, showing text that reads ‘Identify a song’, ‘listening’, and ‘analyzing’. It seems the feature will need access to your device’s microphone, and will display pop-ups when a song can’t be identified.

Essentially, it sounds like Spotify is developing its own in-house version of Shazam, which could act as a band-aid for many music fans out there who, like myself, rely on third-party music-recognition software to put titles to songs.

When Apple bought Shazam in 2018, it thrust the music-recognition platform right into the iOS experience. Instead of needing to use the standalone Shazam app, you can add the ‘Recognize Music’ tab to your iOS Control Center for easier access, and Shazam will be right there at your fingertips.

It also works wonders for quickly adding songs to your Apple Music library. When you Shazam a song, a pop-up reading ‘Add to Apple Music?’ appears and all of your tracks will be sent to your library. Until now, this level of convenience wasn't available for Spotify users.

Since Apple took ownership of Shazam, Apple Music and its users have greatly benefited, but listeners who use Spotify, Tidal, and the rest of the best music streaming services have been missing out. Not all was lost however; last year Shazam rolled out a feature where each song you identified using the app would be automatically added to a special playlist in your Spotify account titled ‘My Shazam Tracks’.

I have to say, this small but effective feature has become one of my most-used tools for keeping tabs on new music, but if you Shazam quite a lot of songs from different genres, it creates a very messy-looking playlist.

Even after my Shazamed songs have been added to ‘My Shazam Tracks’, I still go back into the playlist to individually move songs into my other playlists — which is why a native Spotify song ID tool would go a long way, and would be even better if you can add it to your iOS Control Center.

Just think about it: you’re out and about and a song starts playing which you know you’ve definitely heard before, but can’t remember for the life of you what it’s called or who sings it. A simple swipe down to the Control Center and a tap of a button gives you the song title in seconds, and then it directs you to your Spotify Library where you can add your recently-discovered song to a specific playlist.

We’ve reached out to Spotify for a comment, who replied with the following:

"We're always exploring ways to improve our product and deliver more value to users, but we don't comment on speculation around possible new features and don't have anything new to share at this time".

Having just watched the Samsung Unpacked event, I think the Korean company has just fixed every major problem that existed with foldable phones. They’re now thinner, wider and more normal-looking, and yet even at the point where most of the kinks have been ironed out… I still find them a bit uncool.

There’s still something about unfolding a phone in 2026 that feels unnecessary and a bit like a throwback from the 90s. It takes something that has been refined into a seamless sheet of glass and puts a hinge back into the middle of it.

Sure, retro is cool, but foldable phones still feel stuck between two worlds to me.

Cheaper in Korea

Foldable phones are also still pretty expensive — I wasn’t the only one in the office raising an eyebrow at the Z Fold 8 Ultra’s eye-watering $2000+ price when it was announced— although at this point I’m tempted to blame AI for making everything more expensive, even if it's up to 48% cheaper in Korea.

The new foldable phones look amazing, but it’s taken Samsung a while to get here — it launched its first foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold , back in 2019 — at the time we called it, “The most forward-thinking phone you shouldn't buy”.

But the real cultural test of the foldable phone may not arrive until Apple does what Apple does best — walks into an established category, removes a few visible seams, adds a name that sounds like it came from a yoga retreat, and behaves as if everyone else had merely been beta-testing the future.

Under Steve Jobs, being best, not first, was Apple’s greatest trick. The iPod was not the first MP3 player. The iPhone was not the first smartphone. The iPad was not the first tablet. Apple’s genius was letting other companies prove there was a category, then making the version people could imagine actually buying.

It remains to be seen if the incoming CEO John Ternus has the ability to work the controls of Steve Jobs’ reality distortion machine in exactly the same way and convince people that Apple’s version of a folding phone will make them cool.

Enter the iPhone Ultra

That rumoured Apple foldable phone is the iPhone Ultra, which could arrive in September this year. I’d also be surprised if it wasn’t well over the $2,000 mark, too. Some reports suggest $2,500.

I haven’t gotten hands-on with the new Z Fold 8 Ultra yet, but I’ve used foldable phones before and they always felt incredibly geeky to me. They’re impressive but slightly awkward to use, especially in public, and mostly bought by people who like explaining their phone to strangers.

I understand that the foldable form factor makes it better for watching videos using that massive inner screen, or by using the design to prop the phone up on a desk so you can watch on its outer display without having to hold it or carefully balance it against something.

I get that a large screen is better for gaming, too, but I can’t remember the last time I played a game on my iPhone.

My problem is that I don’t want to attract attention to myself. Phones are expensive and waving a larger screen around in public seems like it could make you more of a target for thieves, or the simple curiosity of strangers. I’d rather be left alone to enjoy my journey in peace with a phone that doesn’t advertise my presence.

The real problem isn't the hinge

All of which makes me think that in September, Apple’s biggest challenge might not be around making the perfect, seamless hinge, camera or screen aspect ratio.

It might be simply to convince people that foldable phones can be cool, even at their ridiculous prices, and that’s going to be a tougher task than any of the technical hurdles it will need to overcome.

Saying that, if anybody can make us think that folding phones are for everyone, it’s Apple. Samsung has done the brave work of making foldables exist. Apple’s job is to make them feel less like a magic wallet and more like an iPhone that has learned a party trick.

• Apple is rumored to be planning to rent Macs, as well as iPhones and other devices, to consumers
• 'Apple Upgrade' will allow you to pay via a subscription (with financing handled by Klarna), and buy the device eventually if you wish
• This is seemingly Apple's way of sidestepping the RAM crisis and keeping Mac sales going, as we're also hearing about frightening memory price hikes from Framework

We're seeing the continued fallout from the RAM crisis, with Framework outlining plans to deal with massive increases in the cost of memory, while Apple is rumored to be about to unveil new way of selling you a Mac in order to cope with ever-higher sticker prices: it'll rent you the PC.

Let's start with Apple's apparent plan, which is detailed in a report from Bloomberg, in which Mark Gurman tells us that Apple is preparing to launch a device-leasing scheme for consumers in conjunction with Klarna (on the finance side).

We're told this will be announced on July 28 and it'll be called 'Apple Upgrade'. The sell (ahem) is that you can regularly upgrade your rented hardware, as well as avoiding taking a huge dent to your wallet with the sizeable outlay required to buy many Macs these days.

This won't just be for Macs, mind you, but also the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with most models of all this hardware seemingly set to be included. It sounds like it might be a US-only initiative to begin with, but it could come to other regions later.

Apple Upgrade will seemingly work as a subscription over a 36-month term (or 24 months for iPhones and Apple Watches), although there'll be an option to pay off the device early and buy it outright (or upgrade to a newer model early). When the end of the subscription is reached, you can either return the Mac and upgrade to a newer model on a new financing agreement, or just keep it (with a final payment, naturally).

As mentioned, Klarna is apparently running the finance side, and applications for Apple Upgrade will be subject to a soft credit check.

This new scheme will supposedly take the place of the iPhone Upgrade Program and Apple's standard financing. The former offers a way to buy an Apple smartphone on monthly payments direct from the company (with 0% interest), but there's no Mac equivalent.

Gurman says of the Apple Upgrade scheme: "Apple plans to advertise the program as a way to have lower payments versus current financing programs." The leaker also clarifies that Apple Upgrade won't include AppleCare (unlike the iPhone Upgrade Program, which does).

Some of Apple's cheaper devices won't be eligible for this rental scheme, too, and that includes the MacBook Neo, as well as the Apple Watch SE, entry-level iPad, and iPhone 16.

As for the move with Framework laptops, this was revealed in a blog post that Tom's Hardware noticed. The notebook maker said that with its Framework Laptop 13 Pro: "We recently received a cost update from our LPCAMM2 [laptop memory] supplier that goes far beyond anything we had predicted and anything we're able to absorb without placing our ability to operate at real financial risk.

"Rather than the low-to-mid double digit percentage increase we had forecast from Q2 to Q3 on LPCAMM2 costs, we received prices that are more than double that of the prior inventory we had brought in."

Framework is doing its best to cope (in a commendably transparent way), and is adjusting existing pre-orders as is necessary. That means dropping some 64GB orders down to 32GB, charging the original 32GB price — and the same for 32GB orders going down to 16GB, maintaining the original price for the latter.

Pricing for the 32GB module hasn't quite doubled, but it's up 82% (with Framework absorbing some of the increase), and a 64GB module is up 88%. This means the latter nugget of RAM is now an eye-watering $1,600 in the US, and £1,600 in the UK (yes, nugget seems an increasingly appropriate term these days).

Analysis: own nothing, be happy

Unfortunately, July has brought us a clear picture of the RAM crisis getting worse. We've just been hearing about DDR5 memory seeing a notable uptick in pricing (after plateauing somewhat for a few months), and the boss of a big chip maker has informed us that things are going to get much worse, with 2027 set to be the 'worst year' in the RAM industry's history no less.

Framework's story of a doubling in laptop memory cost is a truly worrying hike on top of all this, and doubtless we can all still recall Apple's price hikes that arrived at the end of June. Particularly those of you who were mulling a Mac purchase, and are regretting not pulling the trigger before the increases were ushered in.

Seemingly Apple has a solution to the RAM crisis, though, but this rental plan hasn't gone down well online. Yes, you can imagine the reaction to this on social media – one Redditor observes that it's "one step closer to owning nothing" (as in 'own nothing and be happy') – but in fairness, this is still a rumor. Although given the details, and the apparent proximity of the launch, it sounds fairly cast-iron – but we shouldn't jump to conclusions.

A lot of how any rent-with-an-option-to-buy scheme will play out is going to depend on the pricing Apple (and Klarna) attaches, and the world out there on social media fears the worst. I don't blame the doubters, frankly, and particularly those who are worried that the final instalment to buy the Mac (or other Apple device) will be punishingly high. Generally speaking, this is, of course, the way these lease agreements tend to run, and the same will likely be true of the option to exercise an upgrade before the current lease is up.

What's interesting is that last week, I spilled my thoughts on how I was worried that Mac sales were going to flag, and how Apple's in a bit of a tricky situation in terms of combating this. Between MacBook holdouts, the continued RAM crisis, and cynicism around an apparent renewed focus on AI from Apple, the Mac waters are getting seriously choppy.

I didn't expect to have a (theoretical) answer so soon, and apparently now we know how Apple plans to keep Mac sales buoyant. The devil will be in the details of the Apple Upgrade scheme, assuming it happens, but the overriding online speculation for now remains that the terms of the rental plan will be more likely slanted in a hellish direction than a heavenly one.

• We just got a fresh info dump on Apple's incoming Macs from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman
• It includes the claim that the MacBook OLED may be on track for a debut later this year, and that it's now being tested with macOS 27.1
• The laptop would have the M5 Pro and Max chips, with a follow-up potentially arriving as early as the end of 2027 with the M7 Pro and Max

Apple will likely launch a whole load of new Macs over the next couple of years, and if you were wondering about the MacBook OLED, seemingly this laptop remains on target for a possible launch later this year.

Mark Gurman spilled a whole lot of info and updates in a Bloomberg report that details Apple's upcoming Mac overhauls, and how things stand right now (as ever, sprinkle seasoning on this liberally).

The model that many people are interested in is that MacBook OLED which will be a high-end effort in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, sporting a touchscreen for the first time (not everyone's so keen on the latter, mind). They will pack the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, not the M6.

Gurman says that this MacBook is currently being tested with macOS 27.1 by Apple, and that the device "remains on track for release between the end of this year and early next year". The leaker had previously asserted that we're looking at a late 2026 or early 2027 release (although there's a nuance here that I'll come back to shortly).

What about M6 MacBooks? We'll seemingly get a refresh of the low-end MacBook Pro 14-inch this year that packs the M6, and this will be the first launch to use the next-gen silicon. There will be new iMacs with the M6, too, all of which are supposedly arriving this fall (likely around October 2026, in other words, give or take a month).

The MacBook Air isn't being ignored, of course, and Gurman informs us that a refresh of this consumer lineup is coming in early 2027, with 13-inch and 15-inch models that "closely resemble the current version" — so don't expect much in the way of change.

Another MacBook Pro launch is, he says, planned for 2027 in the form of an entry-level 14-inch laptop with a new design that will be similar to the high-end OLED models, but this will have a major upgrade with the M7 (vanilla) chip.

Unsurprisingly, he adds that a refresh of the popular MacBook Neo is underway, which upgrades to an A19 Pro chip and offers more memory (new colors will be added, too).

Further down the line for MacBooks, there might be a more radical change coming for the MacBook Air, with an OLED take on the notebook that Gurman says could arrive in 2028, while a follow-up to the high-end MacBook OLED should debut between the end of 2027 and early 2028, with an upgrade from the M5 Pro and Max to the M7 Pro and Max.

Apple is also working on an iMac with OLED, Gurman believes, and we've heard about that before. (Much of this rumor dump is confirmation of previous speculation, it should be noted, with updates on timelines).

Gurman also tells us to expect refreshes in the realm of the Mac mini and Mac Studio. He claims the Mac mini is in testing with M5 Pro and M6 processors, while Apple looks to be going with the M5 Max and M5 Ultra for the Mac Studio. These would be trickier launches for Apple given the RAM crisis, and the need for beefier memory configurations causing additional headwinds for these particular Macs. Due to this, the launch timeframes for these purported products are, Gurman says, still up in the air.

Analysis: on track – but out of touch?

There's a lot in the pipeline, clearly, but the most interesting update here is that the high-end MacBook OLED is apparently still on target, and we could see it later this year – potentially in just a few months. Remember that not so long ago, Gurman appeared to waver on the idea of this touchscreen MacBook arriving in 2026 at all, but it seems that this is still very much in the cards (although not guaranteed, by any means).

This device is notably still missing a name, and the leaker isn't referring to it as the MacBook Ultra, as the broader rumor mill has been doing. That it packs the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips makes sense, because there will only be a vanilla version of the M6, according to what Gurman's heard on the grapevine before – Apple is apparently skipping swiftly over that generation to get to the M7 and more powerful AI capabilities therein. The follow-up to the high-end MacBook OLED will carry the Pro and Max chips from the M7 family, as noted.

In this report Gurman frames all these revamped Macs as Apple looking to "capitalize on demand for powerful laptops and desktops fueled by the artificial intelligence boom", underlining the recent emphasis the leaker has placed on how important AI is for Tim Cook's company now.

Predictably, this notion hasn't gone down well with some Mac fans, and the idea of a touchscreen on a MacBook (with that incoming OLED model) remains contentious, too, based on feedback from social media.

One Redditor puts it in particularly strong terms: "Touchscreen laptops are disgusting. I cannot fathom anyone actually using them. The ergonomics make no sense, the fingerprint factor is horrible, the OS is not built around touch the way tablets or phones are. Why are companies actively pursuing this technology in 2026?"

Another says: "Apple is entering 'the touchbar phase' again. Dark days lay ahead. I'll wait until they inevitably walk back whatever changes they make."

So, while people love the idea of an OLED, the fact that it's touch-capable is certainly dampening enthusiasm in some quarters, not forgetting that it'll add to the price tag, which is one of the other big fears about this laptop.

With the new school year approaching, it's the ideal time to check that your tech is up to the task. One area you may be looking at for an upgrade is your laptop, and fortunately, there are dozens of deals available in the back-to-school sales. So, I've taken a look and picked out 10 of the best laptop deals I'd recommend right now.

The biggest battle when it comes to bagging the best bargain is between these two options: the Dell XPS 13 or the MacBook Neo. With a student discount, both can be yours for $599.99, which is outstanding value for money for a pair of powerful and efficient laptops.

The choice, ultimately, comes down to whether you prefer a Windows or an Apple device, as I really don't think you can go wrong with either if you want a capable laptop for school, college, and general use.

Alternatively, if you have less (or more) to spend, then I've picked out several other options that are on sale and I think are worth buying in the back-to-school sales. There's everything from super-cheap Chromebooks for basic use starting at $159, to performance powerhouses that come with the extra juice you might need for more demanding or creative tasks such as coding, photo editing, or video editing.

Have a browse through all of my recommendations below, which I've chosen based on the opinions of our expert testers, my experience hunting down laptop deals for TechRadar, and exactly what you get for your cash.

Today's best back-to-school laptop sales

• Amazon: big savings on laptops
• Apple: up to $150 gift card
• Best Buy: up to $600 off laptops
• Dell: up to $900 off
• Lenovo: up to 33% off laptops & tablets
• Walmart: laptops from $199.99

10 of the best back-to-school laptop deals

• Someone used an AirPod to record flying disc throw statistics
• Tested with throws of up to 45mph and no damage
• Strava-friendly export for dedicated disc throwers

One of Apple's most famous adverts opened with "Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently." The text didn't explicitly say "here's to the ones sticking AirPods on frisbees", but I think Steve Jobs would have approved of the Redditor who's done exactly that.

Pavlo Sharhan, aka Disastrous-Body-297, has invented a use for AirPods that I'm pretty sure nobody at Apple ever considered. He used them to upgrade a standard frisbee and to stream real-time data. It can even export sessions to the Strava app.

Airpods can track frisbee throws from r/airpods

Why upgrading a frisbee with AirPods isn't completely crazy

As the intrepid inventor explains: "The AirPod streams motion data to the phone and detects/analyses throws in real time. With optional voice feedback into the second AirPod. It measures speed, revolutions, airborne time, throw count. It also measures heartrate (either with latest AirPods or external HR)."

You can try it for yourself: the app is the sports metrics app Kinapod, which the creator says is currently going through Apple's approval process. The AirPod is literally just put through a hole created in the dead center of the disc. Sharhan says "Just punch a hole in the center of the disc and that’s it! You’ll be surprised how reliable it is. The AirPod stem is not entirely cylindrical, it doesn’t slide out."

The result is a lot of data: average speed, maximum spin, total airborne time, and more.

There's a market for that kind of information: as one Redditor, lenfantsuave, joke posts, "Tech disc: I will never financially recover from this." Tech Disc is a company that makes a range of launch monitors for disc golf priced at $299.99, which track multiple metrics and flight paths in order to help players improve their game, and someone from the firm joined in the online conversation to praise Sharhan's ingenuity.

Sharhan's tracker is very much a "fun thing" rather than a serious setup, not least because expensive earbuds aren't the most cost-effective gyro sensors to attach to a frisbee; the risk of damage or destruction is clearly pretty high, although the AirPods have survived so far.

Sharhan is currently chatting with Redditors on forums such as r/discgolf about alternative and more affordable ways of collating data. And in the meantime, the AirPod/Frisbee combination made me and other Redditors happy: "This is very rad," says claybythebay9, while GrandMasterFlex reckons, and I'm including to agree, that "this is sick as hell".

As Apple's ad put it, "while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius." Or as SilverMelodyPrincess says in the Reddit thread: "Apple accidentally made the most over-engineered frisbee stat tracker and I'm here for it."

The original version of this story used Sharhan's old screen name rather than his real name, so we've updated it.

• Reports indicateHuawei is building and operating DRAM fabs through a joint venture with state-controlled SwaySure
• This is part of an alleged 11-fab network Huawei operates behind state-owned fronts that it denies exists
• The move, seen as a bid by Huawei to secure captive HBM supply for its increasingly powerful Ascend AI chips, could place the company above Apple, Intel, and Nvidia, none of which makes its own memory.

Mounting evidence suggests Huawei is taking the same approach that saw it build CPUs and AI chips in the past to DRAM in the present.

The Chinese tech conglomerate is allegedly building and operating DRAM fabrication plants on the mainland, bringing it into direct competition with only one major player at the same scale, albeit for a much larger consumer base: Samsung.

Drawing on media reports and postings by semiconductor analysts, Block & Files has published claims (which Huawei currently denies) that the company is potentially building and operating DRAM fabs through a joint venture with Shenzhen-based memory maker SwaySure, giving it effective control over at least 11 different semiconductor fabs in the region.

A move borne out of sanction-mandated necessity

Despite its ramifications and Huawei's denials, the claim is hardly new: the first link between the two companies was in 2025, when the Financial Times published satellite images of Huawei's advanced chip production line that tied it to SwaySure and cited state financial backing for the facilities shown.

Huawei's purported move did not happen in a void, however; it finds itself in a situation where the Chinese state is increasingly and aggressively defending it not only covertly but overtly, on multiple fronts, as it responds to Washington-backed sanctions that limit and in some cases all but eliminate its ability to access cutting-edge silicon.

The overt part is easy to identify: the Semiconductor Industry Association estimated that Huawei is receiving $30 billion in state funding from the central government and its hometown of Shenzhen to build its chip network, while a separate 2019 estimate put the lifetime figure at US$75 billion in state support.

The government has also effectively barred its tech giants from buying AI chips from AMD and Nvidia while propelling Huawei's Ascend line to de facto standard in the Chinese market, guaranteeing Huawei revenue it would otherwise have to compete for.

The covert part is much harder to identify, but equally crucial: China also allegedly tolerates a shadow fab network that is, at least on paper, not directly associated with Huawei but is, for all intents and purposes, an arm of the giant, the opacity making it hard to pinpoint the direction and scale of Huawei's ambitions in the space. This is also why the US resorts to Entity List designations of Huawei's affiliates: Washington is trying to pierce a veil Beijing built on purpose.

The strongest corroborating signal, ironically, comes from Huawei's adversary: the US government's own Entity List designations imply that BIS investigators concluded these companies function as one network, which is as close to official confirmation as is currently available.

Huawei's move stems from a voracious appetite for AI-centric High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), which sanctions ensure it cannot source directly from international suppliers, with the US having tightened export controls to keep it, at least legally, out of Chinese hands.

While a Huawei that fabs its own DRAM would be a notable leap, it may be more of a potential future supplier to Apple than a direct competitor, as Apple is toying with the idea of buying memory from Chinese makers to ease its own supply issues.

Huawei's products do, however, compete with Apple in the smartphone segment, with Intel's server CPU offerings, and with Nvidia's AI chips, even as the last of these struggles to find a foothold in what was once one of its largest markets by revenue.

It does seem to have Samsung's Western position in its crosshairs as it builds toward zero Chinese dependency on suppliers Washington can sanction, but it has a lot of catching up to do to hold its own against the current king of the hill. Samsung holds a 3–4 year lead in HBM, arguably the gap that matters most, over China's CXMT, while its DRAM lead is much narrower and closing considerably faster against China-based memory makers.

Chinese makers have meanwhile reached relative parity in the NAND flash used in SSDs, an increasingly important space for AI, even as Huawei still relies on SMIC for CPU and GPU fabrication, a process roughly two nodes behind industry leader TSMC.

Huawei, at least on paper, has its own designs but does not fab them itself, leaving that to other specialist firms. But if the report holds true, it just might become the first real challenger to Samsung's position as chip designer, fabricator, and memory supplier all rolled into one.

Best Buy's Black Friday in July sale is running all week, and as part of the event, there are several offers on all sorts of Apple tech. I've gathered up all of the biggest savings right here, including discounts of up to $500 on MacBooks, iPads, AirPods, Apple Watches, and iPhones.

• See all Apple deals at Best Buy

My main highlight is the return of the AirPods Pro 3 to $199.99 (was $249.99). This was once the record-low price for the popular Apple buds, but they did fall to $169 very briefly during the recent Prime Day sale. However, this is the next best price, and it's unlikely they'll fall that low again until Black Friday in November.

You can also find the Apple Watch Series 11 for $299 (was $399). Again, that's the lowest price available right now for the best-selling smartwatch — and only $20 more than the previous record-low price. Not a bad deal, then, outside of a major sale.

If you're shopping for more than Apple tech, do check out my full guide to the Best Buy Black Friday in July sale, where I've hand-picked over 40 of the best deals across TVs, appliances, laptops, headphones, and more. There are some surprisingly strong offers that I'd recommend if you're not willing to wait until Black Friday proper in November.

Best Buy Apple sale — quick links

• AirPods: from $99.99
• Apple Watch: save up to $100
• Beats: up to $150 off
• iPads: up to $500 off
• iPhone: up to $1,100 off with a trade-in
• MacBook: up to $400 off

My top 10 deals from the Best Buy Apple sale

As part of Best Buy's Black Friday in July sale, the price of the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) has dropped to $1199 (was $1299).

Powered by Apple's M5 chip, it combines a 10-core CPU, 16GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD in a lightweight design. For my money, with the extra RAM and storage this makes it to model to choose if you're buying a MacBook Air.

It's an excellent choice for students, professionals, and anyone looking for a premium everyday laptop that's lightweight and loaded with long-term value - especially given Apple recently announced price increases across all its laptops and tablets.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy this deal if...

You want a lightweight premium laptop with strong everyday performance, and enough memory and storage for years of work, study, and creative tasks. Battery life impressed us during testing, lasting around 15.5 hours of web use and comfortably getting through a full working day on a single charge.

❌ Skip this deal if...

You need a larger display, more ports than Thunderbolt 4 provides, or dedicated graphics for demanding professional workloads and modern PC gaming. In that case, check out the MacBook Pro instead.

Today's best MacBook Air deal

Why we recommend it

In his review, our laptop expert Lance said the latest MacBook Air was "the best ultraportable I've ever used". He noted it delivers an outstanding balance of performance, battery life, and portability, handling everything from everyday productivity to photo editing, 8K video editing, and even gaming without feeling out of its depth.

Despite its slim, fanless design, he found it surprisingly difficult to push the M5 chip to its limits, even with demanding creative applications and heavy multitasking.

The 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and 16GB of memory provide plenty of performance for work, creative projects, and everyday computing, while the upgraded 512GB SSD delivers faster storage than previous entry-level MacBook Air models, helping applications launch quickly and improving file transfers.

At just 2.7 pounds, it's easy to carry every day, while the premium aluminum chassis feels exceptionally solid despite its lightweight design.

Price Context & Historical Value

Although the $100 discount isn't huge, deals on Apple's newest MacBook Air models are relatively rare - especially with Apple recently hiking prices across all its devices. With the upgraded 512GB base storage and M5 processor, Apple's latest ultraportable is a must-have.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

This configuration offers excellent everyday performance, but it isn't designed for intensive 3D rendering, high-end gaming, or workloads that benefit from dedicated graphics.

Connectivity is also limited to two Thunderbolt 4 ports, so you may need a hub or dock if you regularly connect multiple wired accessories.

• Shop all MacBooks at Best Buy

• People keep arriving at a Reddit user’s house seeking their lost iPhones
• It may be down to a quirk with how Apple’s Find My system works
• It sounds similar to another case from ten years ago

If someone turned up at your door claiming their lost device was at your address — and you knew it definitely wasn’t — you might be a little confused, but not too bothered. But if it happened repeatedly over a period of years, you’d start to get concerned. That’s exactly what’s been happening to one long-suffering Reddit user, and the cause is still a mystery.

As recounted by the victim on their recent Reddit thread, “About 3-4 years ago, we had two men turn up to our door because one of them had an iPhone stolen the night before, and the Find My app brought them to our house.” The device wasn’t there, however, and the men left.

“Ever since, we’ve had at least four or five more instances or random guys, iPad, or friend’s phone in hand, saying ‘My phone is here,’” they continued. “It’s frustrating to have to explain to them that this has happened and we don’t have them.”

But aside from the mere confusion of the incidents, the original poster was also concerned about their safety. “We’re both women, and I don’t want one guy to be absolutely fuming about his phone missing and hurt us,” they worried.

Some people thought this might be more than a simple case of mistaken identity or Find My having a glitchy moment. “I’ve seen videos from Ring doorbells being posted saying that this is a common scam nowadays,” said one, with another adding that “I would call the police. It may be someone trying to gain access to your property, whatever you do don’t let them in.”

Can anything be done?

Situations like this can be concerning, especially if they keep happening with different people turning up on your doorstep. But this is not the first time Apple’s Find My feature has befuddled people in this way, with a similar case reported back in 2013, for example.

And back in 2016, the Reply All podcast investigated after a strikingly similar occurrence in Atlanta, GA. In the end, the podcast concluded that it was all to do with the “digital desert” present in the area, with the Atlanta victims being one of the few homes with a router in the area.

As the podcast explained, if a lost phone is trying to broadcast its location, it might do so by connecting to GPS. If that’s not feasible, it’ll next try to find the nearest IP addresses and Wi-Fi networks, triangulating itself based on the relative strengths of those networks.

If the center of that IP address area happens to be a person’s house, that’s where people seeking their lost device will end up. Moreover, considering how few routers were in the area, any lost phone that was relatively nearby and couldn’t connect to GPS might have found the victims’ router as a fallback, leading people straight to the home in question.

What's the answer?

Apple’s Find My feature uses Bluetooth to connect to a network of other devices, using them to pinpoint a lost phone’s location.

It’s therefore conceivable that the solution for the Reddit conundrum is slightly different to that suggested by Reply All. One alternative suggested on Reddit was that stolen devices are being handled nearby and send out a ‘ping’ before they’re disassembled or deactivated. That ping is an approximate location, but it happens to line up with the victims’ house, sending people to their door.

Another possibility relates to Wi-Fi networks, as in the 2016 case. This time, it was pointed out that Find My can log local Wi-Fi networks — if the victims’ home network strength is strong enough, lost devices nearby could show it as the phone’s last known location. The answer this time could be to add _nomap to the home network SSID name, as one user suggested.

But without a solid idea of what’s happening, solutions might not always be possible. As one commenter said, “depending on where you live it could be that your home happens to be the location that a lot of IP addresses default to on the map. Sadly there is very little you can do about it.”

Apple's MacBooks seemingly have some big changes on the horizon. One of the biggest is the rumored MacBook Ultra packing that OLED screen, and this is something to be excited about, don't get me wrong. Well, worries about the price aside, and wider issues around Mac pricing overall, but there's something I'm more concerned about now.

Namely the direction in which Apple is heading with its M-series silicon, following the latest rumor dump from prolific leaker Mark Gurman. In last weekend's Power On newsletter for Bloomberg, Gurman dropped a whole lot of fresh info about Apple's CPU roadmap and the incoming M6, M7 and M8 chips.

The leaker tells us — and bear in mind, this is all just rumors, but eye-opening speculation nonetheless — that Apple is doing something very different with the next range of M silicon. The M6 will consist of just a vanilla chip, with no more powerful variants, which isn't something Apple has ever done before — there's always been a Pro and Max version (if not an Ultra, too).

This is because Apple apparently wants to usher in the M7 series more swiftly, with the M6 debuting late this year and the M7 following in the first half of 2027, just six months (or so) later. The M7 will have a full complement of Pro, Max and Ultra chips, the former two following at the end of 2027, with the Ultra in 2028. Gurman believes this is Apple's current plan and the reason for rushing to get to the M7 is AI.

Cue multiple groans, no doubt. Gurman theorizes: "The reason for this break with tradition: AI. Apple had been planning major neural-processing upgrades for the M7 family and ultimately decided those improvements were important enough to justify accelerating the next generation rather than completing the M6 lineup."

We're further told that beyond this, Apple is "already developing M8 chips with even greater AI capabilities" to land in 2028.

Gurman concludes: "The takeaway is that AI is no longer just another feature Apple's chips need to support. It is now shaping how those products are designed and when they are shipped."

A wise path to follow?

So, what am I worried about here exactly? Obviously there's a strong suggestion that AI is taking much more of a center stage role with Mac chips, and given what's currently going on with MacBooks, I've got to wonder about the wisdom of this — and how it might affect Apple's PC sales.

Currently Mac sales are strong and considerably buoyed by the launch of the MacBook Neo in March 2026, a budget laptop that has undoubtedly flown off the shelves. However, Apple's recent price hikes have poured cold water on those sales prospects to an extent, even hitting the MacBook Neo, which went up by $100 in the US (£100 in the UK, and AU$150 in Australia).

Granted, while it's odd for a device to get a price rise like this so soon after launch, given the demand around the Neo, it's not going to be sidelined with this increase (although the upper-tier model with 512GB storage now looks shakier and out of budget territory, frankly). The harder pill to swallow is the harsher MacBook Air price hikes, and as we pointed out a few weeks back, some wallet-friendly Windows 11 laptops now look a lot more tempting after Apple's price increases.

Looking on Reddit, it's not hard to find a lot of unhappiness about the MacBook price hikes. There's considerable angst from some people who were thinking of pulling the trigger on a new Apple laptop, and then watched those price increases swoop in, and are now feeling the opposite of buyer's remorse (holdout's regret?). Some of those folks are acting with their wallets, closing them and vowing to wait for a better buying opportunity now that they've missed the boat, as it were.

That could be a long wait, though. Of late, we're hearing a lot of gloomy news about the RAM crisis getting worse later this year, and in 2027 — maybe a lot worse. The memory supply situation is what caused Apple to jack up Mac prices, of course, and it's difficult to see how the MacBook maker will continue to weather this storm if it worsens next year, given that its resources in terms of built-up inventory of RAM (or SSDs) are clearly running dry (or have run dry).

Rumors have continued to persist about Apple potentially tapping Chinese memory chip makers for its RAM needs, as an alternative to the big three mainstream suppliers (Micron, Samsung, SK Hynix). That's a worrying development in itself, and it's doubtful whether even Tim Cook can pull off navigating that kind of negotiation before he leaves his Apple CEO role (there are various possible hurdles to clear and governmental complications, put it that way).

Diving into AI headfirst

I don't think any of this bodes particularly well for next year's Mac sales given the prospect of pressure around more price hikes (although yes, other PC makers face the exact same unfavorable conditions). And then we come back to this apparent renewed focus on AI, which hasn't gone down well on Reddit and other social media.

Here's one Redditor who sums all this up neatly: "I was about to buy a new MacBook to replace my M1 Pro with an ailing battery and small storage. But then Apple jacked up the prices by almost 20%. And now they are diving into AI headfirst. It might be time for me to look at Framework laptops."

There's a strong backlash against AI right now, whether that's about sprawling data centers and them chugging huge amounts of power, or Copilot in Windows 11 and indeed Apple Intelligence. So, it's no surprise that the idea of "diving into AI headfirst" has been greeted by a lot of skepticism.

What exactly is Apple Intelligence going to serve up in terms of compelling features in the next year or two? The trouble is that this feels very much up in the air, yet Apple is supposedly building its Mac strategy around this now. It seems like a bit of a leap into the unknown to say the least, and I'm not surprised that it's making Mac fans nervous.

Okay, so this AI focus is still just a rumor, although Gurman is one of the more reliable Apple sources out there, and it appears to be a well enough fleshed-out piece of speculation. Even if it's true, Apple may yet switch away from this course, but for now, I'm struggling to find the logic of shifting to a heavier AI focus so soon.

Maybe the reasons for this will become clearer as we see how Apple Intelligence develops in the near future. However, in the meantime, I think there are reasons to be concerned about Mac sales potentially flagging next year, between disgruntled MacBook holdouts, the continued RAM crisis, and cynicism around Apple's apparent new AI-led approach.

Foldable phones are no longer a novelty, but what is novel this year is that Apple is almost certainly joining Samsung and Google in releasing a phone in a foldable form factor — and the launch is significant enough that it's led to a change in strategy from Samsung, now in its eighth year of launching Galaxy Z Fold models.

If you've been keeping up with the rumors, you'll know that Samsung is widely expected to reveal both a standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 and a 'wide' version of the phone when the next Unpacked rolls around on Wednesday, July 22.

That's very likely because the iPhone Ultra (or iPhone Fold if you prefer) is being tipped to adopt the wide form factor itself. By wide, we mean the phone is shorter and wider than previous book-style foldables, whether it's open or closed.

So why the shift in design this year? Is it likely to drive more foldable phone sales? And should you be looking at picking up either a Galaxy Z Fold 8, an iPhone Ultra, or a Google Pixel Fold 11 over the coming months? As a tech journalist whose used foldable phones for years now, I can lay out what's going on for you.

The rumors so far

Rumors around a foldable iPhone are nothing new, but for months now it's been clear that this is the year that the speculation finally turns into an actual device: there have been so many rumors, from so many well-placed sources, that it would now be a huge surprise if the iPhone Ultra didn't show up around September time.

As the rumors have started gaining momentum, we've seen a running theme: the iPhone Ultra's screens are going to be shorter and wider than is typical for a device like this. A 5.5-inch cover screen and a 7.8-inch main display are what we're expecting, which would make it smaller overall than the foldables Samsung and Google have been producing.

Through leaks such as this 3D CAD mockup, we've got a pretty good idea of what the Apple phone will look like, and it might be the most interesting design choice on this device (though I'm also looking forward to seeing just how 'invisible' Apple has been able to make that crease, which will go a long way to determining how appealing the phone is).

Over to the Samsung camp then, and around the same time that it emerged that Apple was taking the shorter and wider form factor approach with its foldable, we got news that Samsung was bringing out its own version — presumably to appeal to those who would otherwise go with Apple for their next folding phone.

Originally known as the Galaxy Z Fold Wide, it now appears that this handset will get the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 moniker, while the 'normal' foldable will become the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (try and keep up at the back). You'll get a direct choice between Samsung and Apple when it comes to this more 'squat' approach to foldable design.

Google, meanwhile, doesn't appear to be changing its approach for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold (due on Wednesday, August 12): that means this phone will be more of a regular handset size when it's closed, and have a squarer screen when opened, and that brings us to the reason why these wide foldables are appearing.

The foldable phone experience

For as long as foldables have been around, manufacturers have had to balance two experiences: what the phone is like to use when it's closed, and what it's like to use when it's opened. A foldable handset needs to score highly on both counts to get consumers to consider spending money on, but to date there's been almost too much of a compromise.

As a tech journalist, I've had the privilege of using multiple foldable phones, including many months with a Pixel 9 Pro Fold that Google loaned to me. Here's the thing though: most of the time I used that phone, I kept it closed. I didn't really have any need to switch to the bigger display, even though it's an impressive feat of engineering to have the two screens in one device.

Now part of the appeal of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold — as mentioned prominently in our review — is that it looks like a 'normal' phone when it's closed. But if that's one of the main selling points, it begs the question of why you wouldn't just buy a normal PIxel, which is going to be significantly cheaper and much thinner.

The trade-off from sticking to a standard display aspect ratio when a foldable is closed is that the larger display is more or less square. That means big black letterboxing when you're watching videos and playing a lot of games, and when I've used foldables in the past, I've usually ended up watching movies and shows with the phones closed and in landscape orientation.

That brings us back to what Apple and Samsung are doing this year. A square display is still useful for some tasks — like web browsing, and getting two apps up side-by-side — but these new foldables will have a more tablet-like 4:3 aspect ratio when opened up. That will make them much better for watching video content and for gaming (and much more iPad-like, in Apple's case).

The whole point of a book-style foldable, after all, is that larger display — and in 2026 that's the screen that Samsung and Apple are going to be focusing on, even if it does mean the handsets will look rather odd when they're closed. The passport-style foldable is the future, and I think it'll be a successful switch.

• Prices are going up across almost all the Apple Music tiers
• There are some bumps in Apple Music prices too
• These are the first price hikes we've seen since October 2022

Apple Music is the latest subscription package to get a bump in price, leaving users with the choice between paying more or losing access to the streaming part of their library. The bundled Apple One package that includes Apple Music now costs more as well.

As reported by Music Business Worldwide (via Engadget), the reason cited by Apple is "rising licensing costs". It's the first price hike for this particular subscription we've seen since October 2022. The new monthly prices are below:

The Apple One price increases are less clear, as they're not as easily available on the Apple website. It appears the Apple One Family plan is now $27.95 (up $2) / AU$24.95 (unchanged) per month and the Apple One Premier plan is now $39.95 (also up $2) / AU$52.95 (up AU$3), though the Apple One Individual plan has stayed at $19.95 / AU$24.95. Internationally, similar price rises are likely.

This comes at a time when everything tech-related is getting more expensive, from laptops to streaming services. Exploding AI resource demand has sent the price of memory and storage rocketing, and that continues to have a knock-on effect everywhere.

Loss of control

Apple raises prices for Apple Music and Apple One subscriptions from r/apple

Apple is of course by no means the first company to put up its subscription prices, but it's a reminder of the pitfalls of the digital rental model. As soon as you stop paying, you lose access — so if you need a service, you have no choice but to accept the higher price.

The online reaction has mostly focused on this too: "It's not even about the cost sometimes," writes one Redditor. "It's about loss of control over your finances. Companies can jack up their prices whenever they want." Few commenters seem ready to quit Apple Music, though many are pointing out the billions that Apple has in the bank.

Apple Music doesn't have a free tier like Spotify does, but it beats every other music streaming service in the support it gives you for local files. If you have enough MP3s and ripped CDs, you can use it perfectly well without a subscription.

As we've written about recently, Apple is selling more and more of its software products through recurring payments rather than a flat one-off fee, and one of the reasons is that it's more profitable — and makes it more likely that users will continue to pay up.

Every week here at TechRadar we publish a whole host of technology stories — it would be a seriously impressive feat if you managed to keep up with all of them, what with everything else happening going on (was there a World Cup?).

The aim of this ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) round-up is to help you quickly catch up on the biggest stories and the most important headlines in tech. These are the articles that mattered most over the past seven days.

We've got news on Apple, OpenAI, OnePlus, Volkswagen, and Microsoft, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at Samsung and an important GoPro review. But before we dive in, see how much of last week's ICYMI news round-up you remember first by taking the quiz below.

7. Volkswagen revealed the world's techiest e-bike

Volkswagen has a brand new electric bicycle to show off: the new Smart eBike range has been developed in partnership with n+, and goes big on the tech and the safety features. You'll find radar-assisted traffic monitoring here, as well as a high-definition rear view camera, so while you're pedaling (or not) you'll have a better idea of what's around you.

There's an expanded safety ecosystem too, with an optional smart helmet for syncing turn signals and making them more visible, and a pair of smart glasses that are perhaps the most cutting edge part of the whole package. You can use the smart specs to get journey information and navigation instructions put in front of your eyes when they're needed.

• Read the full story: Volkswagen unveils its innovative eBike with the world's first integrated rear-view camera and smart glasses

6. We reviewed GoPro’s premium action cam

GoPro is being a little bit more ambitious with its new Mission 1 Pro, a flagship action camera that builds on the classic form factor while adding some premium extras. Our Senior Staff Writer Hamish Hector has been giving the camera a thorough TechRadar test, and came away impressed with just about everything the Mission 1 Pro has to offer.

Special praise was given to the high-resolution video recording, the choice of recording modes, and the tweaked design choices that make the Mission 1 Pro different to its predecessors. Click through to see what the premium camera is capable of in terms of photo and video performance, and to find out whether it's the right upgrade for you.

• Read the full story: The Mission 1 Pro isn’t just GoPro's flagship action cam, it’s a fantastic all-round vacation camera with the point-and-shoot grip — I just wish it was cheaper

5. We went inside Samsung Display’s secret labs

Samsung phones and tablets are known for the quality of their screens, so of course we jumped at the chance when we were invited to take a behind-the-scenes tour of a Samsung Display factory. This is where current displays are made and tested, and where next-gen models are tested (though sadly we didn't get to see the Galaxy Z Fold 8).

From advanced stress tests to upcoming displays with optical illusions built in, there was a lot to look at on the tour, reading through our write-up is the next best thing to actually getting access yourself. Of course, we also had to ask Samsung Display representatives about the rumored iPhone Fold, but they didn't seem too worried by the competition...

• Read the full story: Inside Samsung Display's secret labs, where it builds and stress-tests next-gen displays — and says it's ready for Apple to launch a foldable: 'We mean it, we love other companies to join this market'

4. The iOS 27 public beta landed with the new Siri

The upcoming iOS 27 software update gives iPhone owners a lot to look forward to, not least the new and improved Siri AI app (or Siri 2.0, effectively). This week the public beta dropped, which means that anyone who wants to can try out the new features early — assuming they don't mind putting up with a few bugs or random crashes along the way.

Whether you're a veteran at running betas or thinking about dipping your toe in for the first time, our guide will explain how to download and install iOS 27 on your phone. We've also highlighted three of the new features you should test out first, including the improved photo editing tools that use a bit of AI magic to make your pictures look better than ever.

• Read the full story: How to download the iOS 27 public beta — and 3 new things to try first

3. Windows 11 got a major update

There have been some missteps along the way, but generally speaking Microsoft is on something of a roll when it comes to improving Windows 11 this year. The latest July update continues that trend, and if you're a user of the desktop operating system then you should be happy: there are some smart new features, and some important bug fixes.

One of the stand-out upgrades this time is a feature we've been waiting a while for: a proper pause function for Windows 11 updates, so if you don't want to install the latest patches right away, you don't feel like you're being pestered to get them applied as soon as possible. We've got details on how the feature works, plus what else is new this time.

• Read the full story: New Windows 11 update is a big one — these are my top 4 features, including the ability to pause updates indefinitely

2. A bombshell Apple vs OpenAI lawsuit landed

It's fair to say Apple and OpenAI aren't on as good terms as they used to be, what with staff being poached and confidential information being stolen... allegedly. Apple has now filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming that the ChatGPT developer has pinched trade secrets through ex-Apple employees — and the case could have serious long-term repercussions.

Depending on what the courts and judges decide, this could impact OpenAI's nascent plans to launch hardware devices, as well as having an influence on how Apple develops its software — remember that ChatGPT is still embedded in Siri, at the time of writing. We're likely to hear much more about this astonishing case in the months to come.

• Read the full story: Apple vs OpenAI lawsuit — 8 bombshell accusations and how the legal war might change your next iPhone

1. OnePlus officially quit the US and Europe

OnePlus has finally run out of road — in the US and Europe at least. Parent company Oppo has decided the brand will withdraw from those markets, which means a large part of the world will be missing out on some great handsets. In recent years, some of our favorite phones have come from OnePlus, but availability will be much more limited from now on.

If you already own a OnePlus device in the US or Europe, then you'll continue to get support and software updates, but there won't be any new phone launches. "It wasn't a decision made in a rush," explained Oppo's Shuang Chen in a briefing. "Being a responsible brand means knowing when to go all in and when to make a choice."

• Read the full story: 'It wasn't a decision made in a rush': OnePlus explains why it’s just quit the US and Europe — and answers our 5 biggest questions about what it means

• Apple has ended a popular loophole used when buying an iPhone
• It previously let you get an unlocked iPhone on carrier finance
• The workaround still works when purchasing an iPad

For many years, there’s been something of an open secret among Apple fans who want to get a new, fully unlocked iPhone deal with affordable carrier financing. Now, though, Apple has ended this workaround, much to the dismay of the Apple userbase — but there’s better news if you’re thinking of getting an iPad on finance.

The iPhone loophole worked like this. While buying an iPhone on finance from a carrier usually meant it was locked to that provider, buying the same device straight from Apple’s website — even when using carrier financing — got you an unlocked phone.

This applied to both T-Mobile and Verizon contracts, although AT&T users were still locked to their carrier. It meant that you could get the benefit of a generous financing offer or trade-in deal without having to stick with one carrier until your device was paid off.

Now, Apple has changed its terms. In the Frequently Asked Questions section on any iPhone purchase page, Apple has inserted some new language: “If you choose to finance an iPhone through the AT&T Installment Plan, T-Mobile Equipment Installment Plan, or Verizon Device Payment Program, your iPhone will be locked to the carrier until paid in full.”

The change hasn’t gone down well with Apple users, who have been lamenting the more restrictive practices that are now in force. On Reddit, comments have ranged from “no idea why carrier locking is still legal,” while another posted commented that the situation is “sad, I was buying phones this way since 2022.”

This situation is not present in every country. Since December 2021 in the UK, regulators have prohibited mobile networks from selling new handsets that are locked to their network. Go to Apple’s UK online store and you won’t see the wording about an iPhone being locked or unlocked.

Better news for iPad buyers

If you’re still interested in getting an Apple device on finance, there’s another option, as Apple has just introduced a 36-month option when buying any of the best iPads equipped with Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity direct from Apple. This offer appears at checkout on Apple’s website and is available for the iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro.

While Apple offers interest-free financing using Apple Card, that spreads the cost over 12 months. The 36-month option means your monthly repayments will be lower, although you also have to factor in the additional cost of cellular service and any extras like an activation fee.

Your current options are AT&T or Verizon. Interestingly, though, you won’t be locked to the carrier while the repayment period is ongoing, as Apple says “You can switch carriers when you purchase an iPad directly from Apple and choose carrier financing as your payment option.” That makes this iPad deal very similar to the recently shuttered iPhone workaround, and it’s unknown if or when Apple will end this loophole.

Aside from Apple, you can also buy an iPad with a 36-month financing plan from carriers. And as noted by AppleInsider, this sometimes involves bill credit or other offers that lower the cost of the iPad, meaning you could get a better deal by not going through Apple itself — although doing so likely means you’ll be locked into using that carrier, rather than being free to switch when buying from Apple. As ever with this sort of thing, shop around to see if you can get a bargain.

• MacBook users are complaining about their devices’ sharp edges
• Several have decided to file their laptops down for more comfort
• One recently outlined the process in detail on their blog

Apple is known for its keen sense of design and the exacting standards it holds its designers to, which is why it’s all the more surprising to see users of the best MacBooks filing the edges off their prized laptops. Yet that’s exactly what’s been happening over the last few months, with many arguing that it makes for a far more comfortable experience.

The latest example comes from software engineer Max Bretschneider, who posted a blog entry explaining their decision and how they went about doing it. They described their motivation this way: “A laptop will be frequently used on a lap, meaning the wrists will touch the sharp edge at an angle which is very uncomfortable.”

To file down the edge and reduce its sharpness, Bretschneider used a metal file and a block of progressive sandpaper. They taped off areas like the keyboard and trackpad, clamped the MacBook into place, then got to work.

Despite describing the process as “very scary,” Bretschneider added that the modification was “far easier and approachable than it seems initially.” They were able to “achieve an even level” when filing and sanding, leaving them with a device that could “serve its primary purpose as a tool better.”

A multitude of MacBook mods

Bretschneider is far from the only person to have recently sanded down their MacBook’s sharp edges — you’ll find an example from April 2026 featuring designer Kent Walters, for example. Going further back, users have apparently been taking a file and sandpaper to their MacBook’s edges since at least 2010.

And readers chimed in with their own thoughts, with one Hacker News user testifying that “the sharp edges have bothered me since they started with the unibody.” Another argued that sharp edges were “my number one complaint about the M-series [MacBook Pro] line.”

People have been augmenting their Apple devices in new and creative ways for many years now. We’ve seen people attempting to transform old iPhones into new ones, adding USB-C to iPhones that didn’t have it, crafting custom mechanical keyboards with built-in Touch ID, stuffing Mac minis inside old iMacs, and much more.

So, if you’ve found the edges of your MacBook to be a little too sharp for comfort, know that it’s entirely possible to sand them down for a more pleasant experience. Just make sure you’ve planned well ahead — and don’t expect Apple to look too kindly on your work.

• Google, Apple, GitHub sites are inaccessible on Russian IP since July 14
• The state regulator, Roskomnadzor, denies blocking the webistes
• A reliable VPN remains the only way for citizens to bypass outages

Russian internet users found themselves locked out of crucial digital services on Tuesday, as widespread and unexplained outages knocked Google, Apple, and GitHub offline across the country.

The network disruptions, which began around 10:00 Moscow time, prevented anyone using a domestic IP address from reaching the websites. This sudden digital blackout is the latest hurdle for citizens trying to access the open web, making the use of VPN services an absolute necessity rather than just a privacy luxury.

According to data from Russian web monitor platforms Detector404 and Sboy.rf — as reported by Novaya Gazeta — the failure rates were staggering. The tracker noted that HTTPS connections to Google broke in 26% of cases, while connections to Apple sites failed 99% of the time.

The outages sparked over a thousand user complaints within hours, heavily concentrated in regions like Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk. Users quickly discovered that accessing the sites via a foreign IP address completely restored service.

Despite the highly localized nature of the blocks, Russia's telecommunications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, denied any state involvement. In a statement reported by the Moscow Times, the regulator claimed it did not restrict access to the affected platforms.

Regardless of the official explanation, the result is the same: the only way to restore normal access to these everyday platforms is by routing your connection through a secure, foreign server using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

How a VPN helps and why VPN traffic is the next target

For anyone caught behind Russia's digital iron curtain, a VPN is a critical lifeline.

By encrypting your internet traffic and routing it through a secure server outside of the country, a VPN masks your real IP address. This effectively tricks the network into thinking you are browsing from a completely different location, allowing you to sidestep domestic censorship and load Google, Apple, or investigative news outlets as normal.

However, the Kremlin is well aware of this workaround, and the censorship landscape in the country is rapidly deteriorating. Russia's ongoing war against the open internet has increasingly zeroed in on the circumvention tools themselves, with Roskomnadzor wanting to block 92% of VPN apps by 2030.

The tactics go far beyond simple website bans. Earlier this year, Russian authorities ordered major mobile operators to disable the ability for users to top up their Apple ID balances via mobile phone accounts. This calculated move was designed specifically to stop citizens from paying for premium VPN apps through the App Store, compounding the payment difficulties created when Visa and Mastercard suspended operations in 2022.

Worse still, VPN traffic itself is now actively targeted. Roskomnadzor has heavily invested in deep packet inspection (DPI) technology to detect and block VPN protocols.

Over the past few months, the agency has throttled popular protocols like WireGuard and VLESS, creating a frustrating cat-and-mouse game for providers trying to keep their users online — the popular Amnezia VPN included.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to use DNS and DPI blocking to restrict YouTube, Telegram, and WhatsApp while aggressively pushing state-controlled alternatives.

As state control tightens, free access to basic tech tools is no longer guaranteed. If you are in the region, securing a tested, obfuscated VPN is the only remaining defense against an increasingly isolated Russian internet.

• EA Sports Madden NFL 27 is coming to Apple Arcade
• The exclusive Arcade Edition launches on August 6, 2026
• It offers full controller support and does not feature microtransactions

EA Sports Madden NFL 27, the next entry in the blockbuster football franchise, is just around the corner — but you won't need a pricey console to play it. That's because an exclusive version is coming to Apple Arcade that you'll be able to dive into right from your iPhone when it arrives on August 6.

Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition is an exclusive version of the game designed specifically for Apple Arcade with zero ads or microtransactions. It features a range of teams and the latest NFL player rosters, with 11-on-11 gameplay on the field that's intended to be as authentic as possible while offering streamlined controls for mobile play. There's also plenty of franchise management, putting you in charge of trades, free agents, and more.

As you play through each season, a newly introduced 'Narrative Messaging System' will challenge you with new events with decisions that can impact player performance and force you to adapt to the consequences.

Aside from the flagship Franchise mode, you'll also be able to dive into Quick Play or try a selection of custom-themed franchises with their own handcrafted narratives that are changed on a monthly basis.

Regarding the announcement, EA vice president of franchise strategy and marketing Evan Dexter argued that "Apple Arcade is the perfect home for Madden" and "matches the complete, no-compromise experience we’ve built." He added: "the future of football is now in your hands.”

In addition to iPhone, the game will also be available on iPad, Mac, and Apple TV if you prefer to slump on your couch while you play. This is the first mobile Madden NFL game to offer full mobile controller support as well, giving you a truly console-quality experience if you have the compatible hardware.

The title joins a number of other sports games that are already available on the service, including NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition and Football Manager 26 Touch — a selection that senior director of Apple Arcade Alex Rofman said means "Apple Arcade delivers an unmatched lineup of sports games for every kind of fan".

The service is available for $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$9.99 or $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$9.99 a year or as part of all tiers of the pricier Apple One bundle.

Many consider two of the most valuable companies in the world, Microsoft and Apple, to be at different ends of a spectrum. While different in their broad target market, they compete intensely in similar markets like operating systems, consumer hardware and enterprise software. It's little surprise, then, that their respective leaders have looked at each other with disdain throughout history.

Big Macs and chips

Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs compared Microsoft to the fast food chain McDonald's in an interview for the 1995 PBS documentary series 'Triumph of the Nerds'.

In a set of scathing comments, he said the company that Bill Gates founded was only able to enjoy its reach and success due to a "Saturn-5 booster called IBM". Gates used the opportunity granted by IBM outsourcing the operating system for the first IBM PC to Microsoft, called MS-DOS, with Gates retaining the rights to license the software and "create more opportunity", as Jobs phrased it.

Although he praised this aspect of the business – reiterating that Microsoft deserves its success – Jobs was adamant the firm doesn't add any originality into the broader ecosystem and isn't interested in the user experience. They have no "spirit" he said, and described their products as "very pedestrian".

From enemies to friends

Despite the decades-long sparring that Gates and Jobs engaged in, they eventually underwent a multi-stage reconciliation process that eventually led to a very different kind of relationship before Jobs' death in 2013.

In today's technology landscape, the two companies enjoy less of a heated rivalry that peaked during the operating system wars in the 1990s – with each enjoying a moat (Microsoft in the enterprise space and Apple in the consumer space).

Instead, they now compete in domains like AI and cloud computing alongside plenty of other Silicon Valley rivals. However, that doesn't mean there isn't the occasional jab – like outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook dunking on the Surface Pro.

There has been a developer beta of iOS 27 for a while, but now it’s available in public beta, which both makes it slightly easier to get hold of and suggests it might be more stable than it was initially.

That said, this still isn’t finished software, so while stability may have improved, you’re still likely to encounter bugs and potentially unfinished features.

So this isn’t for everyone, and as a general rule we’d recommend running it only on a secondary handset. If in doubt, simply wait for the finished iOS 27 release, which we’re expecting in September.

But if you do have a spare phone lying around or want to take the jump with your main device, then the beta could be worth checking out, as it comes with loads of new and improved features — some of which we’ve looked at further down.

How to install the iOS 27 public beta on your iPhone

Before you start downloading and installing the iOS 27 public beta, make sure your iPhone is backed up, just to be on the safe side. We won’t detail that here because we’ve got a full guide covering how to back up your iPhone.

Once your data is safely backed up, the next step — if you haven’t run a beta before — is to sign up for Apple’s beta program. You can do this by heading to the Apple beta page and tapping ‘Sign up’, after which you’ll have to log into your Apple account to enroll. If you’re not sure whether you’ve already signed up for this or not, then instead press the ‘Sign in’ button on that page — if it doesn’t let you sign in, then sign up instead.

Once you’re registered, you can simply head to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates on your phone, and tap ‘iOS 27 Public Beta’. There may be other betas listed too, but this is the one you want.

Then tap the back arrow at the top of the screen, and the page you were on before will now show the beta you selected, complete with notes on it and a download size. From there, just tap ‘Update Now’ to grab it, or ‘Update Overnight’ if you’d rather wait until you’re sleeping to put your phone temporarily out of action.

Then you just need to wait for it to install. Once it has, there’s plenty to check out, but below we’ve highlighted some of what you might want to try first.

3 things to try first

iOS 27 has an enormous number of features — so many in fact that we found 21 that Apple didn’t even have time to mention during its announcement. But below, you’ll find some of the biggest and best to start off with.

1. Siri’s AI overhaul

By far the biggest thing in iOS 27 is the long-awaited AI overhaul for Siri. There are many elements to this, but the main one is that Siri now works much like ChatGPT or other AI chatbots — you can have natural, back-and-forth conversations with it, and its responses aren’t just preset or based on basic web searches.

Siri can both search the web and interact with apps to get answers or carry out the tasks you need, and it now comes with a dedicated Siri app where you can find and pin previous conversations.

2. Improved photo editing

Photo editing has also gotten a lot better with iOS 27, allowing you to do things like reframe or extend photos after they’ve been taken, and remove larger objects than previously.

It makes the photo editing tools far more powerful and brings them more in line with those available on Pixel and Samsung phones.

3. New ‘Describe a Shortcut’ tool

Shortcuts has long been one of the most powerful apps that comes with your iPhone, but it can also feel a bit impenetrable. Now, though, it’s far simpler.

Rather than creating a shortcut or automation through various menus and complicated ‘if this then that’ rules, you can now simply use natural language to describe what you want.

So, for example, you could say “When I’m leaving work, message Pedro I’m on my way with my ETA,” and the app will automatically create an automation that does exactly this.

Having spent decades covering Apple, I understand and respect its efforts to maintain a shroud of secrecy over its product development. Reading this line in the blockbuster Apple vs OpenAI lawsuit, I can hear the voices of countless Apple execs and PR people who, rightly or not, feel deeply wronged by what it considered a trusted partner: "OpenAI’s nascent hardware business now rests on the shakiest of foundations, rotten to its core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets."

Late last week, Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and, more specifically, a pair of key employees who, over the last two years, left Apple to join OpenAI's hardware business. The massive filing, which calls for a jury trial, accuses the pair of corporate espionage, essentially stealing a raft of trade secrets to help bolster OpenAI's still unrealized efforts to build AI hardware (it's currently working with Jony Ive to build what may eventually become a wearable device).

I've spent some time poring over the documents and, to be honest, the accusations are stunning and, if true, seem unaccountably brazen for people who spent years with the Cupertino tech giant.

From the inside out

Tang Yew Tan, who currently serves as OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer, was at Apple for a quarter of a century and, according to his own LinkedIn profile, "Oversaw the design and development of iPhone and Apple Watch Product Design, Interconnects Design, Acoustics and Materials technology centers."

Chang Liu (whose LinkedIn handle is "changliu-apple") spent almost a decade as an iPhone Electrical Engineer.

Apple's NDA's that they hand to journalists like me are almost legendary (the first time I signed one, I swear my hands were shaking). I can only imagine the intensity of the Intellectual property agreements (IPAs) Apple says it asks employees to sign from time to time. The language is probably appropriately terrifying; it's hard to conceive of how Liu and Tan could ignore them, and yet, according to the lawsuit, that's exactly what the pair did both during their waning days at Apple and in the time after when they joined OpenAI.

OpenAI's only public response so far has been from its Director of Strategic Communications Drew Pusateri, who said on X, "We have no interest in other companies' trade secrets. We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere."

The company's co-founder and CEO Sam Altman also only obliquely referenced it on X when someone accused him of being afraid of Apple. He wrote, "I am not afraid of Apple, but I have tremendous respect for them. s-tier company." ("S-Tier" basically means "elite").

I won't ask you to read the full document and instead have cherry-picked the most eye-watering accusations:

A potentially sneaky exit

When Liu left Apple, he allegedly took his work laptop with him. If you've ever worked in a corporate environment, you know this is a no-no. Most companies will pursue you to the ends of the earth to retrieve that hardware and whatever corporate access and secrets it contains.

It gets worse

Lui apparently didn't shelve the old (we assume) MacBook. Instead, he, according to Apple, exploited a network vulnerability and used the system to access Apple network folders. If true, that's an incredibly bold move. Surely Liu would've known how Apple's internal forensics could discover what was accessed by whom and when.

Boasting

While allegedly downloading Apple's proprietary files (details on unreleased products, presentations, tech data, specs, and more), Liu may have messaged someone through the Apple-issued laptop, celebrating how he was pulling the wool over Apple's eyes with "LOL" and "so funny". Again, was Liu the most careless corporate spy ever? Who would boast when they know Apple would eventually stumble on these details?

Coaching recruits

Apple claims Liu was actually recruiting Apple employees and coaching them on how to gather data before leaving the company. He may have told them how to email themselves files before exiting Apple.

Now, I understand how some of your, say, personal data, can end up intertwined with corporate data and you may want to hold onto some of that. On the other hand, if you didn't keep a firm line between work and personal files, that's on you.

A real betrayal

Tang Yew Tan spent 25 years with Apple, and what he's being accused of has surely enraged and disappointed Apple. "Mr. Tan has been methodically using Apple’s confidential information to benefit OpenAI," claims Apple.

Like Lui and other Apple recruits, Tan may have emailed himself proprietary Apple info.

Using Apple codenames

Apple claims Tan is asking Apple recruits about upcoming projects using code names only Apple employees would know.

We have their OK

This one is kind of mind-blowing. Apple alleges that OpenAI has used Apple info to get a partner to apply a "specific trade-secret metal finishing technique," because they convinced the partner Apple was OK with them doing so.

Carry out

This last one might be the boldest move of all. Apple alleges that OpenAI instructed potential Apple recruits to bring everything from CAD files to actual prototypes or parts to OpenAI interviews.

That's a particularly stunning accusation, and again, just seems so reckless. What kind of corporate spies operate with this level of impunity?

Naturally, OpenAI will, at some point, respond properly to this lawsuit, perhaps with one of their own. Apple could also eventually settle this suit out of court. They've done so before with similar cases, though I don't think they were quite at this level.

Can they come back from this?

Whatever happens with this case, it's hard to imagine the Apple / OpenAI relationship, which is already somewhat fraught, survives.

For now, you can explicitly choose to use ChatGPT to handle requests in the new Siri in iOS 27 dev beta, and it's a key part of Image Playground and Visual Intelligence. Apple could pull those options and lean harder into its Google Gemini foundation Model partnership while this case works its way through the courts.

I don't think that will materially impact your iPhone experience, but the loss of direct access to those hundreds of millions of iPhone customers could hurt OpenAI, a company that, as Apple acknowledges, is trying to build its own hardware business.

Plus, if OpenAI loses, it could see a lot of the in-house hardware innovation potentially tied to Apple's work blocked from ever reaching consumer hands.

And, obviously, it'll be hard for the partnership to come back from this passage in the suit:

"Apple lacks visibility into what’s been happening behind closed doors at OpenAI, where such misconduct is normalized and exemplified by leadership. This much is clear, however: at every level, from members of its Technical Staff to its Chief Hardware Officer, and in coordination with business partners, OpenAI has been stealing Apple’s trade secrets and confidential information."

There used to be a time when you’d buy an Apple app by paying for it once and never again. Then along came the idea of app subscriptions, and slowly but surely, Apple has started selling more and more of its software products through recurring payments. From iCloud+ to Apple TV, there are many ways to spend your cash on Apple’s wares on an ongoing basis.

Today, Apple flogs bundles of its own apps to its users, with Apple One in particular offering a cluster of apps for a single monthly price. And Apple hasn’t stopped there, with the Creator Studio package being introduced a few months ago for users of its artistic apps.

But while these app groupings ostensibly give you a way to get the software you need without paying multiple subscription fees, I’m starting to worry about how they restrict your choices and force you down avenues you might not want to travel.

Not only can they be expensive, but they’re also inflexible, giving you very little ability to customize them to your needs. If subscriptions are the future of app monetization, then Apple needs to do a whole lot better.

Enter the Creator Studio

Apple likes to portray itself as the company of creatives — think about its “Here’s to the crazy ones” or “I’m a Mac” commercials of days gone by. And the firm already sells apps made specifically for this demographic, including Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator Pro, and more. So it makes sense that Apple would want to offer a software suite that grants interested users access for a single fee, instead of requiring several payments, whether one-off or ongoing.

That’s what you get with the Creator Studio, which is priced at $12.99 / £12.99 / AU$19.99 a month or $129 / £129 / AU$199 a year. In return for your cash, you get a pass for the following apps:

• Final Cut Pro
• Logic Pro
• Pixelmator Pro
• Keynote
• Pages
• Numbers
• Motion
• Compressor
• MainStage

And yes, some of these apps — like Keynote, Pages, and Numbers — are already free, but pay the Creator Studio entry fee and you get “a library of high-quality, royalty-free photos and graphics, and powerful intelligence features” in addition to what comes with the toll-free editions, Apple says.

Considering Logic Pro alone costs $199.99 if you want to buy it outright (rather than pay an ongoing subscription), this package might seem like a rather good deal. But it’s not the price that I’m interested in — it’s the way app bundles like Creator Studio work.

Right now, there are two main app collections available from Apple: Creator Studio and Apple One. While Creator Studio contains the aforementioned creative apps, Apple One starts at $19.95 / £18.95 / AU$24.95 a month and comes with 50GB of iCloud+ storage, plus memberships to Apple TV, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade.

There are two additional tiers, with the most expensive costing $37.95 / £36.95 / AU$49.95 a month and throwing in 2TB of iCloud+ storage, Apple Fitness+, and Apple News+, in addition to what’s already in the entry-level option.

But what if you want to mix and match your apps and services from Apple? What if you want, say, Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro from Creator Studio, plus Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, and Apple News+? Well, you’re going to have to either take out the top Apple One bundle and separately buy those creative apps outright, or you’ve got to pay for memberships of two distinct ongoing subscriptions.

In this instance, combining Creator Studio with the most expensive edition of Apple One means paying $50.94 a month when all you want are five apps. The rest of the content you pay for is superfluous. Throw in AppleCare+, and you’re forking out even more.

Apple gives practically no flexibility or customization with its app collections. You can’t mix and match apps and services, and if there are some you want from both subscriptions, you’ve got to pay for both. That makes it an incredibly expensive way to go.

But with Apple seemingly getting evermore enthusiastic about subscriptions — and the revenue they bring in — don’t be surprised if this state of affairs continues.

Is there a better way?

You might feel that, since Creator Studio is relatively new, Apple is still working out the logistics of how to sell the apps and services it contains. But Apple is no stranger to subscriptions. It’s been offering the likes of Apple Music and Apple Arcade for years now, so it knows a thing or two about how to structure subscription offerings.

Is the lack of flexibility here and the absence of any way to pick and choose apps a deliberate policy on Apple’s behalf? We can’t know for sure, but it’s not a good look.

While the Creator Studio might seem like a decent bargain on its face, it becomes considerably less so if you’re not interested in everything it offers and want to pair its apps with those from the Apple One bundle.

Considering how keen Apple seems to be on subscriptions, I’m surprised it doesn’t offer individual memberships for each component app within these packages. For instance, why is there no individual subscription for Pixelmator Pro? Instead, you’ve got to choose between a one-off fee or the full Creator Studio.

If Apple were to go down this route — and it's what I'd do if I were CEO-to-be John Ternus — it would instantly solve the problem of pairing different apps from different collections. You could simply add whichever apps you wanted to your own “build a bundle” package and get exactly what you need for a more acceptable price.

But that kind of process doesn’t seem to be anywhere on the horizon. There are no rumors saying it’s coming, no telltale clues nestled in Apple’s code. Don’t hold your breath for its imminent arrival.

Until we do get something like that, Apple customers are going to continue to feel ripped off by a rigid, inflexible system that is happy to take their cash in return for apps they don’t want or need. It’s a situation that’s in desperate need of a rethink.

• The Mac mini has emerged as an affordable system for agentic workloads
• Apple has seen "incredible demand" for the Mac mini and Mac Studio
• Apple silicon can handle an agentic AI while other architectures use a GPU and CPU

If you’re looking for the best way to explore and deploy agentic AI without breaking the budget, the Mac mini might be just what you’re looking for.

Apple’s Doug Brooks has expressed enthusiasm for how the Mac mini and Mac Studio desktop computers are capable of handling agentic AI tasks, thanks to Apple silicon, the ARM-based SoC that the company has introduced over the past half decade.

Success with local AI on these machines has been attributed to design choices made before the arrival of advanced LLMs, with the evolution of Apple’s Neural Engine highlighted as a key factor.

How the Mac mini is ideal for agentic AI

Brooks is the senior product manager of Apple silicon, and referred to the “incredible demand” for Mac minis and Mac Studios when speaking to The Deep View before WWDC 2026.

Describing the Mac mini as an “amazing system” that can “tap into the strengths of Apple silicon and unified memory in a very power-efficient way, and increasingly they're delivering compelling price-performance as well.”

The price point of a Mac mini – compared to the more expensive Mac Studio – makes it particularly suited to teams exploring agentic AI but without the budget to pay for tokens and larger systems.

Neural Engine technology dates back to the A11 chip, and its evolution and inclusion within the current generation of Apple chips, and its high-performance, power-efficient compute processes are pivotal in delivering machine learning to the desktop.

As many AI tools were available first on the Mac (or released exclusively for macOS), it seems that upgrading to the latest Mac mini or switching from Windows has been instrumental in demand.

Mac mini: amazing for AI

Apple’s work on AI has seen deployment in everyday use across computers, tablets, and smartphones, and the company has been a leading exponent of hybrid AI, where an agent can “decide what needs to happen locally and what needs to happen in the cloud based on the workload.”

“For agentic workloads, people often want a system that's under their control, isolated from their primary machine, and capable of running 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

But it is the strength of the Apple Mac mini and Apple Studio – as well Apple’s notebooks – in handling AI that seems to have enthused Brooks the most. He cites security and economics as concerns for developers and creators who are now realising that they can handle AI workloads sitting at their desk – whether using a Mac mini or something more powerful.

A good mini PC for students needs to do more than chunter along running Microsoft Word and a browser full of tabs. As hardware editor, my team and I have put hundreds of mini desktop PCs to the test - but I wanted to highlight the best all-rounders for schoolwork.

As I say, we've reviewed all the best mini PCs. But out of all those machines, these 6 models here stand out to me as top picks for college and university thanks to their ability to tackle office software, content creation, and even some gaming. Click View details to find out why each mini PC shines for students, and read our review notes.

I've specifically selected compact PCs that deliver great performance across a range of tasks at a range of prices, from top budget picks to slightly more expensive powerhouse machines (but nothing that'll wipe out your student loan). For more school-ready devices, we've also rounded up the best cheap back-to-school laptops you can get right now.

My top back-to-school mini PCs

Don't forget the extras

A mini PC is only part of the kit you'll need for the back-to-school season. If you really want to get the complete setup, my team and I always put the best business monitors, best home printers, the best mice, and the best keyboards through their paces - and these are the ones I'd recommend pairing with your new machine.

How we test mini PCs for student life

We begin all our mini PC testing with productivity tasks that are essential for any student. So, that's running software from the Microsoft Office suite, browsing with plenty of tabs open, and streaming content from YouTube and Netflix. It gives us a good idea of how each machine performs in day-to-day tasks.

For content creation tasks, we perform a range of layer-based image editing in Adobe Photoshop and bulk photo management in Lightroom. For videos, the three apps we rely on to gauge performance are Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve for heavy 4K editing, and CapCut for simpler cuts.

And we always test each one's gaming capabilities. This part of our review process starts with less demanding games, such as Sid Mier's Civilization, older titles like DiRt Rally. Finally, we see how well even the cheapest mini PCs run AAA titles including Tekken 8, Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Right on cue, Amazon Prime Day in Australia has delivered a much better price on the Apple AirPods Pro 3, dropping Apple’s latest noise-cancelling earbuds to just AU$299.

That’s a mighty AU$130 saving on their AU$429 RRP, and more importantly, it’s the lowest price we’ve seen for the AirPods Pro 3 on Amazon.

Considering they launched at a higher price than their predecessor, this Prime Day deal makes them a far more tempting option for iPhone users who have been waiting for a deeper discount.

I’ve been using the Pro 3 since they launched in September and, while I was initially unsure how much better they could really be than the Pro 2, I’ve had to concede that Apple’s updated earbuds are something special.

The noise cancellation, fit and overall sound quality all make them easy to recommend, and this AU$299 price makes that recommendation even easier.

If you’re a devoted iPhone user, there’s a good chance the AirPods Pro 3 are already on your radar.

If you want a deeper breakdown before buying, our Apple AirPods Pro 3 review covers their features, sound quality and noise-cancelling performance in detail.

My audio-loving colleague Becky Scarrott described them as the earbuds for “iPhone owners who value great, shut-out-the-world noise cancellation”, and that lines up with my own experience.

As soon as you put the Pro 3s in your ears and turn on ANC, they do a remarkable job of cutting out the world around you.

I’ve worn them while walking along busy roads and even while vacuuming at home, and in both cases, the AirPods Pro 3 have made it far easier to focus on whatever I’m listening to.

They’re not the cheapest earbuds around, even with this Prime Day discount, but at AU$299 they become a much more compelling pick among the best wireless earbuds, especially if you’re already deep in Apple’s ecosystem.

I don’t expect this price to stick around once Amazon Prime Day wraps up, so if you’ve been waiting for a proper AirPods Pro 3 discount, this is the deal to jump on.

Quick links to the best Apple deals on Amazon

• Amazon Prime Day: shop the main Prime Day sale
• Apple at Amazon: browse everything Apple in one place
• AirPods deals: check the best AirPods prices
• iPad deals: shop iPad offers at Amazon
• Apple Watch deals: see the best Apple Watch prices
• iPhone deals: check current iPhone deals
• Apple accessories: browse AirTags, chargers, cables and more
• MacBook price checks: find MacBook restocks and price drops

Even more AirPod deals

Finding the perfect budget laptop for college or university can be a tricky task. You want something that won't break the bank, but will be a great studying companion that won't let you down. At TechRadar, we've tested hundreds of laptops; this guide runs through our top affordable recommendations for college or university students.

I've focused on options that deliver strong bang for your buck, and can handle an average student's day-to-day typing, research and entertainment needs. Most offer generous battery life, so you can move about without having to worry about staying near a power outlet, and are pleasingly compact and portable too. Note, these are all affordable, relatively basic options and as a result, they're not suitable for demanding tasks — head to our general best laptop or best student laptop guides for a wider range of options for more intensive needs.

Scroll down for our top recommendations. Hit the View Details button to find out more about each one and why it's a great choice for students specifically, or hop to the bottom for a specs comparison table.

College champions

Cheap college laptops: specs compared

• Apple extends Broadcom partnership to supply chips until at least 2031
• Development for next-generation C2 modem could still be underway
• Broadcom and Apple investors are happy as shares rise

Apple has extended its partnership with Broadcom to supply it with chips until 2031, signing new agreements covering chip development and supply for upcoming generations of the company's own silicon.

Broadcom remains a key supplier of radio (RF) chips, Wi-Fi chips, Bluetooth chips and other networking hardware, even though Apple has successfully replaced several components with in-house alternatives like its high-performance M-series chips and recent C-series cellular modems.

By signing Broadcom up for another five years, it may indicates Apple doesn't yet have immediate plans to replace all chips with in-house production, spelling out good news for third-party suppliers.

Apple will still use Broadcom to source many chips

The extension is major news for Broadcom in particular, which credits around a fifth of its revenue to supplying Apple. The extension through 2031 provides the chipmaker with long-term revenue visibility and greater certainty for future product planning.

For Apple, it means more time to develop its own silicon with guaranteed supply from Broadcom. "locking in Broadcom through 2031 buys supply-chain certainty at a moment of chip scarcity, and spares Apple from having to in-source key iPhone components," Emarketer analyst Jacob Bourne commented (via Reuters).

However, vague wording around custom ASIC silicon has led some to believe that Apple could be exploring broader chip production from Broadcom including AI accelerators and other AI-supporting hardware.

Broadcom shares rose around 4% following the announcement, confirmed by Reuters. Apple shares are also back up, after a slight dip following the company's annual developer conference WWDC.

Looking ahead, Apple is believed to be working on a next-generation C2 modem that could even support mmWave, meaning it could be added into more devices like the full iPhone 18 family, ultimately reducing the need for third-party supply.

• A Reddit user manually upgraded their MacBook’s storage chips
• The process involved soldering, 12 hours and ‘some nerves’
• The move saved them $2,200 after Apple recently increased its prices

How much is too much to pay for laptop storage? After Apple’s shocking price rises, things might feel so bad that you’re tempted to roll up your sleeves and perform an emergency DIY upgrade job on your MacBook. That’s exactly what one Apple fan did — and they saved themselves a cool $2,200 in the process.

Posting on Reddit, user arduinoRPi4 explained how they took their MacBook Pro with 2TB of storage and boosted it all the way to 8TB, quadrupling their available storage with a serious improvement that means they can “store anything I want.” They spent “around $800” on parts, which saved them $2,200 (around £1,650 / AU$3,170) compared the exorbitant $3,000 (about £2,240 / AU$4,320) it would have cost to pay Apple for a similar upgrade.

Of course, this being Apple, opening a MacBook Pro and increasing its storage yourself is far from straightforward. The post revealed that it took them 12 hours “and some nerves” to make the change — and no wonder, as doing so requires removing the existing storage modules from the MacBook Pro’s mainboard and soldering alternative chips in their place.

As well as that, the poster indicated that they had to “fill in the power components on the other side as well” in order to complete the upgrade. “That was really hell,” they admitted, adding that these parts “are TINY packages.”

All the work was done while they were on vacation in Shenzhen, China, where they “borrowed a lab from a friend who does component level repair.” They used a hot air station and microscope soldering and stencils to do the work, which involved soldering power management integrated circuits into place, followed by 4TB of NAND storage chips on each side of the laptop for a total of 8TB.

‘It looks like excellent work’

If you’ve got the resolve, patience and skill for a spot of laptop surgery like this, the savings can be enormous. A 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max chip and 2TB of storage will set you back $4,099 / £4,099 / AU$6,399 at Apple’s increased prices. Change the storage to 8TB and that tweak will add a hefty $3,000 to your bill, bringing the total to an eye-watering $7,099 / £7,099 / AU$10,899.

The difference is even starker when you apply this change to Apple’s entry-level MacBook Pro. A 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 chip and 2TB of storage currently costs $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,949. Add 8TB of storage and the total shoots up by a colossal $4,600. That’s partly due to the expensive storage addition and partly because it requires changing the M5 chip to an M5 Max, which is the only chip that can be configured with 8TB of storage.

A $3,000 upgrade is well out of reach for most MacBook buyers (much less a $4,600 one), so it should perhaps be unsurprising that an enterprising user with plenty of experience and a little time on their hands felt motivated to manually upgrade their storage.

Most posters in the thread were highly impressed with their work, with comments like “very impressive, I could never” being typical. One user was especially effusive in their praise, saying “This kind of work blows my mind.”

That said, other users weren’t happy that a task like this is even needed at all. “Crazy that you have to go this level of modifying just to upgrade your storage,” said one, indicating that Apple’s increased storage prices are not exactly the most popular move it’s ever made.

But with the artificial intelligence (AI) goldrush pushing up component prices worldwide and Apple unwilling to compromise its famously high margins, increased costs are here to stay, at least for the time being. And while that’s still the case, there will probably be plenty more people willing to take on the considerable task of upgrading their laptop’s storage with a few off-the-shelf components and a soldering iron to hand.

• A mistake meant an iPhone user sent ‘sensitive’ texts to the wrong person
• Their partner’s phone number was associated with the wrong device
• The error happened when their partner didn’t properly reset their iPhone

When you sell an old iPhone, do you really know that it’s been fully wiped and disconnected from all your accounts? Because if you don’t, the consequences could be terrible — as one unfortunate Redditor has just vividly demonstrated. This particular story should come as a warning to any iPhone user who is thinking of getting rid of their device.

The Reddit thread in question has the alarming headline of "I may have accidentally been texting a child instead of my boyfriend?" It includes screenshots that show a conversation with someone who claimed that “You have the wrong number. This is a child’s phone.”

Worse, the original poster confided that the messages erroneously sent to the child’s device included “sensitive pictures” and “sensitive messages.” “I am mortified,” they revealed.

It appears that this mix-up could be the result of the poster's partner not fully resetting their iPhone and disconnecting it from their Messages account — something Apple specifically advises you to do if you sell an iPhone and replace it with an Android device.

As a result, messages that were sent to their partner's number were directed to their old device, not their new one, resulting in the humiliating situation they described. And interestingly, this appears to be a problem explicitly linked to switching from an iPhone to an Android device.

Here’s what you can do

Luckily, there are a few ways to avoid falling into a similar situation yourself. And it’s important that you get it right. If you don’t, not only is the potential for embarrassment high, it could put your privacy and even your financial data at risk if you accidentally send it to the wrong person.

If you’re about to sell your old iPhone and replace it with an Android alternative, the first thing you’ll want to do is back up your device. This is so you’ve got a way to restore your iPhone if anything goes wrong. You can back up your phone to your computer, a Mac or a PC — just follow Apple’s instructions and you’ll be set.

The next step is to deregister iMessage. Ensure your SIM card is in your old iPhone and you’re connected to a cellular network, then open the Settings app and go to Apps > Messages. There, disable the toggle next to iMessage to turn it off. Finally, if you got rid of the iPhone before you could deregister iMessage, Apple has a special web page where you can carry out the process safely.

There are other steps you’ll need to consider. First, go to Apps > FaceTime in the Settings app and turn off the toggle next to FaceTime. If you’ve got an Apple Watch, it should be unpaired, and if you’re subscribed to AppleCare+, you’ll need to transfer that to your new device or cancel your coverage. Then, sign out of your Apple Account by navigating to Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out.

Once all that’s complete, there are still a few steps you’ll need to do before your iPhone is fully reset (assuming you haven’t already disposed of it). Open the Settings app and head to General, scroll to the bottom, then tap Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the on-screen prompts and your iPhone will be completely reset to factory settings.

Finally, the very last thing to do is to remove your old iPhone from your list of trusted devices in your Apple Account. Once that’s done, you’ll be safe to get rid of it.

Remember these tips when it comes time to move on from your old iPhone, especially if you’re going to replace it with an Android device. Otherwise, you could end up in the unfortunate position of sending texts to an unwitting recipient — along with all the potentially sensitive material those messages might contain.

Going anywhere nice this summer? If you have a trip planned, a tablet might be what's missing from your kit list. These packable computers can be loaded up with TV shows, games or movies, to provide hours of entertainment while you're on the move. As many parents may have already discovered, they can also be ideal for keeping young children occupied at times when running about / getting stuck into bigger games isn't possible or desirable.

At TechRadar, we've tested hundreds of tablets over the years, and below I've rounded up our computing team's top recommendations for travel. What makes the perfect travel tablet? I've focused on options that aren't too big (it needs to be able to slip easily into a bag when not in use), offer good battery life, and aren't too pricey (just in case it gets dropped / sat on / spilled on). Because these tablets are predominantly for streaming, none of them are especially powerful or advanced — if you're looking for that type of slate, head to our general best tablet ranking for a wider range of options.

All clear? Let's get started. Click on the More details button to see more about why each pick is especially well-suited to travel, as well as a link to the full review for each one.

Top travel tablets

Having tested countless pairs of ANC headphones, it takes something special to truly wow me. But today, we’re going to compare two sets of premium cans that did exactly that: Apple’s AirPods Max 2, and Sony’s WH-1000XM6.

If you’re considering which pair of headphones are for you, I’ve got you covered. I’ve spent hours testing both sets side by side, assessing each model on their feature-sets, performance, design, and most importantly, value for money.

The AirPods Max 2 and Sony WH-1000XM6 are both wonderful headphones, and each earned a 4.5 star review and hearty recommendation from us here at TechRadar. They’re different in more ways than you may expect, offering a pretty unique listening and user experience, but ultimately, there’s one set I’d pick over the other. Curious to hear my verdict? The scroll on down to see this clash for the ages to unfurl.

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: price & specs

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: features

Both the AirPods Max 2 and Sony WH-1000XM6 are rammed with features, but there’s one major point of differentiation — Apple’s cans are heavily tailored towards iOS users.

That’s right, the AirPods Max 2 have a lot of features that Android users won’t get access to. Stuff like Spatial Audio, auto-device switching, Siri, and Apple Intelligence integrations. This is understandable, although it’s a shame that Android users have no way to directly alter the headphones’ EQ. Apple users get a fantastic range of options to choose from, though, with stuff like Live Translation and the head-tracked Spatial Audio really standing out.

Sony’s headphones are undeniably more versatile, with myriad features available to both iOS and Android users. They have no end of options, with a 10-band EQ, scene-based listening, a Cinema upmix mode, speak to chat, and mic-mute. This is all controlled by Sony’s Sound Connect app, which is easy to use, although some settings do feel a little hidden in sub-menus.

But how about the main event: ANC? This is a much closer fight than I expected, actually. See, the XM6 offer class-leading noise canceling capabilities, and even when I’ve used them on flights they’ve silenced the sound of the deep jet engines firing or conversations happening around me. But the AirPods Max 2 are genuinely very competitive, even against the XM6. In my office, the sounds of keyboards clacking, colleagues talking, and cars passing by outside were totally crushed. Both headphones are top-tier when it comes to noise cancelling, and I’d argue they even rival Bose.

Another crucial area to explore is battery life. The Sony WH-1000XM6 keep things pretty standard with 30 hours of battery life with ANC on. This is the typical figure you’ll see for headphones in this kind of price range — nothing special, but enough to get you through a fair few days of listening. The AirPods Max 2, however, only supply 20 hours with ANC on. That’s just not good enough, and falls well short of the competition. If you don’t want to charge your cans all too often, then the XM6 are a better pick.

There are a few other areas where the XM6 prevail over the AirPods Max 2 as well, such as their superior call quality and background noise supression, inclusion of intuitive and precise touch controls over Apple’s digital crown, and use of DSEE Extreme for upscaling lower-quality audio files.

So, if you’re an iOS user, the AirPods Max 2 definitely have some snazzy features up their sleeves — including some smart options that the XM6 leave out. Each are great when it comes to ANC, and are on relatively even footing there. But Sony’s cans offer superior compatibility, battery life, and call quality, making them the overall winner in this category.

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: sound quality

This is what you really came here for, right? But before I get into my sound comparison, let’s take a look at a few technical differences.

Like their predecessor, the Sony WH-1000XM5, the Sony WH-1000XM6 use 30mm dynamic drivers, except they’ve been redesigned with high-rigidity carbon fiber for better performance across the frequency range. They also feature Sony’s QN3 processor featuring a noise-shaper, which pre-empts sudden sound changes for a more controlled listening experience.

On the other hand, the AirPods Max 2 use custom 40mm drivers — just as the original AirPods Max did. However, the sequel added a new amplifier alongside Apple’s H2 processor, which is intended to supply more detailed, cleaner sound. Unlike the LDAC-equipped XM6, the AirPods Max 2 have no higher-res Bluetooth codec support, although you can access lossless playback via the headphones’ USB-C port.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get into my listening comparison. In Journey by Ruze, the differences between the two pairs of headphones were clear. With the AirPods Max 2, I was treated to a spacious, immersive interpretation, with expansive vocals and dreamy synths showing off the headphones’ nuanced soundstage.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 went for a different approach, with a tighter and punchier take. Bass came through with the kind of impact that instantly demanded my attention. Vocals and synths were also really clear and well separated in the mix, but didn’t have quite as much of an expansive quality.

Moving over to something softer with Sakamichi by Yuta Orisaka and it was a similar story again. Vocals were emotive and tonally accurate, and were elegantly separated from strumming guitars. Percussion was also rhythmic and well-defined in the mix, and the broad soundstage exposed the track’s layers with finesse.

The XM6 excelled too, and vocals had excellent clarity in the mix, warped electric guitars sounded brilliantly separated — almost as if they were operating in a separate pocket. Meanwhile, the warmth of the track’s bass came through beautifully, and subtle percussive elements were weighted nicely too. Despite this, there was still a tightness to the sound — the direct and cohesive sound of the XM6 is simply very striking.

So, which headphones sound better? I think it’s a question that’s harder to answer than you may expect. On a strictly technical level, I’d argue that the AirPods Max 2 offer a bit more nuance, thanks to their wider soundstage, which opens up a more revealing and insightful listen. But I really do think there’s a case to be made for the XM6. Their punchier, tighter approach sounds spectacular, and adds a lot of vim and excitement — especially to more energetic tracks.

Ultimately, this one’s down to personal preference. If you want a more intimate sound with the joys of LDAC, then the Sony WH-1000XM6 are for you. But if you’re looking for an ultra-spacious, meticulous soundstage with clean all-round sound, then the AirPods Max 2 get the nod for me. Let’s call this one a tie.

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: design

The AirPods Max 2 and Sony WH-1000XM6 have shown themselves to be very different propositions so far. And that’s reflected in their design as well.

In my view, the AirPods Max 2 are some of the best-looking wireless headphones on the market today, with a super-striking metallic look, an elegant fabric headband, and a selection of eye-catching colors. Sure, they look just about identical to the original AirPods Max, but if it ain’t broke…

The Sony WH-1000XM6 look pretty good themselves, though. They have a sleek, cohesive, and textured appearance, which resembles the XM5 pretty closely. The XM6 have more of an understated selection of colors than the AirPods Max 2 — personally I prefer what Apple’s headphones have to offer, but it’s totally down to personal preference.

I’d argue that the AirPods Max 2 have a more premium look and feel — as you’d hope considering the price difference — I just think they’re more striking. In addition, I prefer the flatter appearance of the earcups on Apple’s headphones to the semi-bulky look of the XM6’s.

But hang on. The XM6 aren’t down and out just yet. Because if we’re talking about pure practicality, they have the AirPods Max 2 beat. The XM6 are totally foldable, making them phenomenally compact if you want to toss them into a small bag, whereas Apple’s headphones are a bit more rigid. On top of that, the XM6 come with a fantastic magnet-lock case that's far better than the bizarre smart case of the AirPods Max 2, which doesn’t even protect the headband.

Overall, though, I’m gonna hand this one to Apple. I do like the case and foldability of the XM6 for sure, but the attention-grabbing, luxurious look of the AirPods Max 2 is undeniable. Yes, they’re also a fair bit heavier than the XM6 too, but I still found Apple’s cans very comfortable in use, meaning they just about edge it for me.

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: value

There’s no hiding the fact that the AirPods Max 2 are significantly pricier than the Sony WH-1000XM6. Apple’s latest headphones typically come in at $549 / £499 / AU$999, while Sony’s have a list price of $449 / £399 / AU$699. But which one actually offers better value for money?

As I noted above, these headphones are very different, so the answer will vary depending on a few factors. The AirPods Max 2 offer more expansive sound than the XM6, paired with an excellent set of features for Apple device users and a luxurious look to boot. They are definitely on the expensive side, though, and although we’ve seen them pop up on sale with a few retailers (even as low as $399 in the US over Amazon Prime Day), they do have some notable flaws for the price.

The battery life instantly comes to mind — 20 hours isn’t very competitive. They also lack higher-res Bluetooth codecs, and their compatibility with Android devices is limited. Still, they’re a great pair of headphones overall, with fantastic sound quality, looks, and iOS functionality.

At $449 / £399 / AU$699, the Sony WH-1000XM6 feel like an easier sell. They offer ANC that’s easily on par with the AirPods Max 2, a more practical design, they sound spectacular, with a punchy yet well-balanced signature, and their broad compatibility is a big win — especially if you own a Windows laptop or Android phone.

These are also on sale fairly regularly, and I’ve seen them drop as low as $380 / £300 in recent times in the US and UK respectively. Sure, if you only have Apple devices, these may not offer the same convenience as the AirPods Max 2, and Sony’s headphones also leave out USB-C audio passthrough and have a slightly less premium look.

It’s closer than I initially thought, but I do think the Sony WH-1000XM6 are better value when all’s said and done. For less money, you get super-engaging sound, top-tier ANC, better battery life, and a more versatile software setup.

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: verdict

So, if I could only choose one pair of these excellent headphones, which would I recommend? In this instance, I’m going to hand it to the Sony WH-1000XM6. Apple’s headphones are undoubtedly fantastic performers, and if you want the most spacious sound and features tailored for iOS, they’ll undoubtedly serve you very well. But for less money, the XM6 are just the slightly better value pick for me. Their combination of S-tier ANC, balanced, yet tight and punchy sound, and more versatile compatibility make them the ideal all-rounders.

2026 is almost over — well, not quite, but given we're already halfway through the year, it won't be long before those year-end awards are in sight again. And with the 2026 progress bar hitting 50% this week, we decided it was a good time to look back on the last six months and pick out the early 'gadget of the year' contenders from everything we've tested since January.

And we've been testing a lot — 639 products, to be precise, have passed through our labs and the real, unvarnished lives of our experienced testers this year. Those hundreds of gadgets span everything from coffee machines and smartphones to life-boosting accessories like portable DACs, fans and smart Lego.

So if you've just woken up from a six-month nap (we don't blame you) or are looking for some gadget inspiration, the list below will make for some fascinating reading. It doesn't contain every five-star product we've tested this year (check out our separate five-star review roundup for those), but it is a temperature check of all the products our reviewers haven't been able to stop talking about over the past six months...

21. Fitbit Air

• The fitness tracker of 2026 so far

The Google Fitbit Air is the highest-profile, most exciting fitness release of 2026 so far, and it’s generated plenty of buzz online. A screenless Whoop-style band weighing just 12 grams (including strap!) and with up to a week of battery life, the Fitbit Air is the most exciting thing we’ve seen from Fitbit since Google brought the brand.

The hardware is excellent, proving to record heart rate accurately in our comparison tests, and it’s eminently comfortable to wear. I had no problems wearing it virtually 24/7 during my testing period, including to shower and sleep in. It looked great, was super-light, felt comfortable and delivered accurate, insightful metrics.

The app is another story. While its AI-powered premium functionality is good, not everyone’s going to jive with the chatbot format of the AI Coach, and existing Fitbit users are irked that their community features and historic badges were deleted, replaced by an AI Coach to help you ‘celebrate your achievements’ in a different way. The app is uniformly recognized as being messy and cluttered, too. But away from the app’s design, the tracker is still the boldest, most interesting release in the fitness tech world this year.

Matt Evans, Senior Editor, Fitness, Wellness & Wearables

• Read our in-depth Fitbit Air review

20. Maxell Wireless Cassette Player

• Our favorite blast from the gadget past

Look me in the eye and tell me you have no cassette tapes hiding anywhere in your home. Right, there’s a shoebox somewhere. But where to play them? That’s where the Maxell Wireless Cassette Player comes in.

Not only is it brand new gear to play these old tapes, but it works with your favorite Bluetooth headphones; I found it the perfect blend of nostalgia and modern audio pleasure. Even its imperfect functionality, like flaky Bluetooth support, was somehow charming.

I wish it had recording like my old portable cassette player, but it was still kind of wonderful to get to hear old mixtapes, recordings, and even classic releases from 1980s music icons (The Traveling Wilburys!) again.

Lance Ulanoff, Editor at Large

• Read our in-depth Maxell Wireless Cassette Player review

19. MacBook Neo

• Still a winner, despite its recent price hike

Up until a month ago, the MacBook Neo was my favorite laptop of 2026, and I didn’t think there’d be any other new laptop this year that could beat it. With a launch price of $599 / £599 / AU$899, it was the cheapest MacBook you could get, and despite its budget price, it offered the kind of build quality, design, screen and performance that you just didn’t expect from laptops and Chromebooks around that price point.

It certainly made a big impact. Running on the A18 Pro chip, it could run pretty much any macOS app that more expensive Macs could, offered excellent battery life and a bright and vibrant display (something a lot of budget laptop makers often neglected to keep prices down). It sold like hot cakes, and gave a kick up the bum to rivals. Since its launch, both Acer and Dell have announced laptops (the new Acer Swift Air and Dell XPS 13) that the companies are very open about how they’ve been designed to take on the MacBook Neo.

However, last month Apple announced a raft of price increases for some of its products, including a $100 / £100 increase in price for the MacBook Neo. While not a massive increase (unlike what the MacBook Air and Pro got), it’s enough to make the MacBook Neo less of an instant recommendation, and some of its compromises, such as slow USB-C ports and no backlit keyboard, are suddenly harder to forgive.

Matt Hanson, Managing Editor, Core Tech

• Read our in-depth MacBook Neo review

18. Lego Smart Brick

• The opinion-splitter that won us over

The toy brand introduced a new technology-fueled piece in its iconic build block system this year at CES 2026 — and while some reactions have been mixed online we here at TechRadar have fallen in love with the system. If you’re a kid who loves playing with your sets and not just admiring them it hits the mark (almost) perfectly.

Out the gate it featured in a handful of Star Wars themed builds adding iconic starship noises, blaster fire effects, and flashing lights as the model moves and its play features are used. It does this thanks to motion and color sensors in the brick which perform different effects based on the special NFC tiles the smart brick is placed onto — the tile effectively programs the smart brick’s lights and speakers while they touch.

Admittedly it wasn’t perfect at launch, but Lego has already started to solve some of our issues with the builds and the brick’s interactiveness in its upcoming Pokémon Smart Play sets — helping to cement the smart brick as one of the best gadgets of the year, and we’re confident it’ll only get better.

Hamish Hector, Senior Staff Writer, News

• Read our hands-on Lego Smart Brick review

17. iFi Go Link 2

• A huge audio upgrade for your phone or laptop

Some hi-res products require careful tinkering and compatibility testing. This isn't one of those. Instead it's a no-fuss, super-small headphone DAC (which stands for digital-analog-converter) to effectively take the job away from the small and likely pretty basic DAC and amp stage in your smartphone or laptop, do the conversion job a lot better, and deliver the improved audio to your wired earbuds or headphones (and thus, to your shell-likes) of choice.

Did I mention it's also super-cheap? This thing costs just $59 / £59 and it essentially turns your source device's sound into something you'd get from hi-res player — and those can cost thousands.

It's smaller and lighter than the iFi options that came before it too. The Go Link 2 will happily slip into your pocket or bag along with your smartphone without issue, and if you're looking to get in on the wired trend (hey, lots of people are) it's a very good way to add wired headphone support to devices that have long since dropped the 3.5mm headphone jack.

OK, its amp stage won't be enough to drive high impedance planar magnetic cans (and those would probably come toting a 4.4mm jack anyway, which this doesn't have) but provided you're just looking to level up with closed-back dynamic solutions, this is little money, well-spent.

Becky Scarrott, Audio Editor

• Read our full iFi Go Link 2 review

16. RayNeo Air 4 Pro

• A lightweight personal cinema for travelers

Android XR and Meta might be stealing the smart glasses spotlight in 2026 with their announcements, but here at TechRadar we think the best new pair to launch so far this year is something a little different: the RayNeo Air 4 Pro.

The biggest difference between the RayNeo and those other specs is they don’t bother with AI — instead they’re effectively a portable display for your compatible phone, tablet, laptop, console, essentially anything that can output video and audio via USB-C.

The Air 4 Pro don't reinvent the wheel but add important new tools like being the first specs of their kind to support HDR10 — leading to more accurate and vibrant colors from their micro-OLED displays. Couple that with solid sound, a comfy fit, and optional Batman/Joker stylings for DC mega fans (plainer designs are available) and you have something incredible.

Hamish Hector, Senior Staff Writer, News

• Read our in-depth RayNeo Air 4 Pro review

15. MacBook Air M5

• The best ultraportable we've ever used

The MacBook Air is, in some ways, the portable most other laptops aspire to; it’s thin, light, surprisingly powerful, and has simply outstanding battery life.

At the time of review, Apple had doubled that storage space (far more important than you might think), finally upgraded connectivity to the future (Wi-Fi 7 and BLE 6) and, of course, slipped in the new M5 silicon.

The price rose a bit, and some wished for more colors (heck, maybe they'll think about Citrus for the next Air), but none of this really detracted from the MacBook Air’s sizable qualities, including a fantastic keyboard, huge ForceTouch trackpad, and Thunderbolt 4 ports. MacBook Air was the laptop that lured me away from Windows, and the M5 model is what’s keeping me here.

Lance Ulanoff, Editor at Large

• Read our in-depth Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) 

14. Oppo Find X9 Ultra

• The new camera phone king

If you're in any doubt about whether the Oppo Find X9 Ultra is the best camera phone on the market right now, just look at the devices we've compared it to. In our Oppo Find X9 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra comparison, the Chinese flagship came out on top in almost every category, and in our Oppo Find X9 Ultra vs Lumix TZ300 vs Nikon Z8 comparison, we found that its telephoto capabilities "render most travel zoom compact cameras redundant." High praise indeed.

So, yes, the Find X9 Ultra — which is the first Ultra-branded Oppo phone to ship outside of China (albeit not in the US) — is the new camera phone king. But it comes with plenty of other flagship bells and whistles, too. There's the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, the 12GB of RAM, the 6.8-inch OLED display, and the enormous 7,050mAh battery. And Oppo's software has also come on leaps and bounds in recent years.

If we're talking 'the best phones of 2026 so far', the Find X9 Ultra is a must-include.

Axel Metz, Phones Editor

• Read our in-depth Oppo Find X9 Ultra review

13. Audeze Maxwell 2

• The best-sounding gaming headset I've ever tested

The Audeze Maxwell 2 isn't the gaming headset that's received the highest score from our team of reviewers so far this year on TechRadar Gaming, but it's still one of the absolute best to release this year. And it gets that mantle on sound quality alone.

The 90mm planar magnetic drivers produce the finest gaming audio I've ever experienced, and I can't imagine using anything else now (unless I have to for pesky work reasons). Audeze's patented SLAM tech means the bottom end is even better than ever, and so the whole soundscape is much more rounded and fulsome, while being exceptionally detailed and immersive.

It's a chunky headset, yes, but it has all the modern features you realistically need to get the most out of a headset for single-player immersion and gaining edges in multiplayer games: a robust mic, reliable connectivity, good design and build, all supporting that brilliant audio quality.

After nearly a decade of testing and reviewing gaming headsets of all stripes, I have not been treated to audio this good. It's proven so good that I disagree with our own review (sorry, Phil) and have written about how, after a few months of living with the Maxwell 2, I think it's a five-star gaming headset. If you want to consider any new gaming headset of 2026 thus far to upgrade your audio game, then this has to be it.

(Rob Dwiar, Managing Editor, TechRadar Gaming and Streaming)

• Read our in-depth Audeze Maxwell 2 review and my op-ed on why I would have scored the Maxwell 2 higher

12. Dyson PencilVax FluffyCones

• The most streamlined vacuum we've ever used

It's been a long time since I saw a vacuum that truly made me do a double-take, but that was the case with the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones. Instead of the chunky dust cup / battery / filter configuration usually found at the top of a stick vacuum, the PencilVac has... nothing. There's just a broom-shaped handle. In fact, this handle houses all those components, except they've been shrunk down to an almost impossibly small size, and hidden away. That makes the PencilVac incredibly light, nimble, and easy to wield.

The floorhead is equally unique, with its two pairs of cone-shaped, fluffy rollers, rotating in opposite directions to whisk away dust from hard floors and clear hair without tangling. This head pivots ultra-smoothly, can be used either way around, and enhances the incredible maneuverability on offer here. A truly innovative design from Dyson, and a useful one at that.

Ruth Hamilton, Collections Editor

• Read our full Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones review

11. Dali Sonik 1

• Small, passive stereo speakers that sound twice their size

It's not just because the Dali Sonik 1 are clearly the cat's miaow — although that never hurts!

The Dali Sonik 1 are the smallest in the Danish brand's ever-expanding new line of passive stereo speakers, but while this February 2026 proposition might be bijou, they sound easily twice their size. And for this money, that's a huge win.

We love them for their clear-mindedness, sparkling vocal reproduction, textured transients and remarkably deep, thumping robustness. They’re also low-distortion, with a sonic profile that never falls foul of overstating itself, apart from a very occasionally overzealous bass reflex (but that's largely down to placement).

You might be thinking you've seen this all before: small passive stereo speakers, they must all basically be the same, no? The Dali Sonik 1 are better than that — in fact we think they're currently the absolute best in their size and price category. It could well be the Sonik 1’s use of Dali’s trademarked Clarity Cone technology (taken from the Kore range before it), or the “SMC” (Soft Magnetic Composite)-assisted magnet systems that constitute the driver.

However it has been achieved, collectively this in-house wizardry has created a fulsome yet supremely natural-sounding set of standmount speakers. And they'll easily fit into your home (for a refreshingly palatable fee).

Becky Scarrott, Audio Editor

• Red our fully star-rated Dali Sonik 1 review

Our top 10 of 2026 (so far)

10. Apple AirPods Max 2

• The best noise-cancelling iPhone headphones on the planet

At first glance, Apple's March-issue second-generation flagship headphones probably didn't receive too many hugely excited whoops and cheers from the Cupertino giant's noted fanbase. Why? Because they arrived looking exactly the same as the first pair.

And they still come out on top in any mid-year headphones roundup. The ANC is just that good. We may sometimes be harsh at TechRadar, but we're always fair…

Put them on your head, engage the ANC and get them playing music. Suddenly it's impossible to knock them. There's a new H2 chip in each ear cup (plus a new amplification module) and that combination is a bona-fide game-changer.

OK, so you can use the Digital Crown as a remote and yes, you can now use Live Translation, nod or shake your head to control call-handling, or pipe up and the headphones now adjust playback accordingly. But none of these under-the-hood improvements is what seals the deal for me.

No, it's all about the sound, underpinned by the noise cancellation performance that is 1.5 times better — and anyone who owns the inaugural set will know how big a deal that is. Also, the overall sonic profile is punchier, more vibrant and with an extra ounce dynamic nuance across the frequencies.

The only reason I couldn't give them the full five stars? The stamina, at only 20 hours with ANC deployed. The thing is, when the cocoon of silence is this good, I'll take a hit on battery life.

Becky Scarrott, Audio Editor

• Read my full and in-depth Apple AirPods Max 2 review

9. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

• The new king of Android

It can be hard to mess with near perfection, but that was the task facing Samsung when it built the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. It’s a follow-up to the best Android flagship I'd ever used and, thankfully, the S26 Ultra did not disappoint.

The excellent, solid design (despite losing titanium) is a perfect showcase for Samsung’s vast OneUI 8 and all that AI. Plus it has a built-in S Pen that’s endlessly useful and new privacy screen feature that's so cool I wonder when Apple will copy it.

The just-short-of-perfection is mostly because it wasn't a full redesign some wished for and the frustrating lack of any kind of MagSafe charging capabilities. Those were, obviously, minor niggles in what is otherwise a powerful, big-screen handset that should be on everyone’s Android shortlist.

Lance Ulanoff, Editor at Large

• Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review

8. EcoFlow Stream Ultra X

• A game-changing home battery for renters

It's no surprise that in a year of spiraling energy costs one of the big trends has been home batteries that can cut chunks out of your electricity bills — and this powerful, balcony-friendly unit is the most complete we've tested so far.

The EcoFlow Stream Ultra X isn't cheap and, at the time of writing, isn't available in the US (although its lower-capacity Stream Ultra X sibling is). But with its 3.84 kWH capacity and AI-powered energy management, it is a glimpse of a smart home genre that will soon become mainstream.

In short, this lithium iron phosphate battery charges from the sun via solar panels or from cheap grid power during the day, then powers your home at night. In our tests, we estimated that it could easily pay for itself in three years — and that's without connecting it to solar panels.

On its own, the Stream Ultra X isn't powerful enough to power your whole home during a power cut — it's more like the first rung on a ladder that can take you to solar or a bigger home energy system. But you can connect five more Stream series units to hit 23 kWh of power, and its versatility makes it one of the best examples so far of what the Germans call 'Balkonkraftwerke' (or 'balcony power plants').

Mark Wilson, Managing Editor, News (UK)

• Read our in-depth EcoFlow Stream Ultra X review

7. Sony InZone H6 Air

• Sony’s first open-back gaming headset is the best

This year Sony debuted its first open-back gaming headset with the Inzone H6 Air, and it’s the best such model that we’ve tested, blowing strong competitors like the Turtle Beach Atlas Air out of the water.

Underpinned by the same studio quality drivers found in the audio giant’s ever-reliable MDR-MV1 studio monitor headphones, now reworked for additional bass, it delivers crystal-clear, well-balanced sound that’s perfect for both gaming and music listening.

That open-back design lends itself to a wonderfully wide soundstage that adds depth to your favorite games — the detailed weapon sound effects of Battlefield 6 have never seemed so real, while we found that more narrative driven titles like The Last of Us Part 2 or Assassin’s Creed Shadows benefit from a whole new level of aural immersion.

They’re incredibly light and comfortable, coming in at 7oz / 199g, but that doesn’t mean that they feel cheap. The premium aluminum earcup shells are hardwearing and we’re certain that the durable fabric headband will last us for many years to come.

Dashiell Wood, Gaming Editor

• Read our in-depth Sony InZone H6 Air review

6. DJI Avata 360

• Our new favorite all-seeing drone

The big new trend for drones in 2026 is 360 models. A bit like flying versions of cameras like the Insta360 X5, these all-seeing aerial gadgets let you reframe your aerial videos and photos after you've landed, so you don't need to be so precise or decisive up in the sky.

The DJI Avata 360 isn't the first 360 drone we've seen — that was the Antigravity A1 — but it is our new favorite thanks to its unrivaled versatility. Yes, you can shoot 360 videos thanks to its dual 1-inch sensors, then edit that footage using DJI Fly mobile app or the DJI Studio desktop software.

But switch to the drone's single-lens mode, and you effectively have a DJI Avata 2, an FPV drone that can perform aerial acrobatics and get some very different footage. Because you get to choose between using FPV goggles and a standard RC2 two-stick controller, you also don't always need to bring along a spotter friend to fly it legally either.

Mark Wilson, Managing Editor, News (UK)

• Read our in-depth DJI Avata 360 review

5. Dyson HushJet Mini Cool

• A surprisingly powerful heat wave savior

Heatwaves have been another big theme of 2026 — and if you've been baking under a 'heat dome' in the past few months, you might well be interested in the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool, a tiny fan whose performance is as good as its name.

Dyson’s first portable fan excels for two main reasons. Firstly, the fan’s powerful motor reaches a staggering 65,000rpm, and the shape of the HushJet nozzle concentrates the airflow so it’s all directed right at you. Even on the lowest setting you can really feel it, but dial it up to maximum and you’d think you’re using a hairdryer.

You also don’t just have to use it as a hand-held fan — you can wear it around your neck, attach it to clothing or a bag strap, or stand upright on your desk, so it’s pretty versatile to boot. But we know what you’re thinking; it's a Dyson, so isn’t it going to be ridiculously expensive? Fortunately not, so that's why we awarded it a rare five stars.

Rowan Davies, Editorial Associate

• Read our in-depth Dyson HushJet Mini Cool review

4. JBL Go 5

• The best tiny Bluetooth speaker, now even better

When I fired the JBL Go 5 up for the first time, it genuinely blew me away. See, its predecessor was already a very solid-sounding speaker given its minuscule size, and it had great build quality and features to match.

But JBL really outdid itself with this sequel. The Go 5 has even more open and expressive sound than what came before, with clean and agile bass, enhanced detail and clarity in the mid-range, as well as articulate and controlled treble. Pair that with new, customizable edge lighting, improved IP68 dust and waterproofing, and options like USB-C lossless audio, and the Go 5 is easily one of the best small speakers on the market.

It’s also drop-proof, comes in a range of funky colors, and has personalizable EQ, enabling you to find the perfect sound for any occasion. At less than $55 / £40, it’s also sensational value for money, and it couldn’t be more deserving of its five-star rating.

Harry Padoan, Senior Writer, Reviews

• Read our in-depth JBL Go 5 review

3. Philips Baristina

• Bean-to-cup that's great value and a doddle to use

As far as entry-level coffee makers go, the Philips Baristina is simple, stylish, and just as easy to use as any pod coffee machine. Basically, it’s the best affordable bean-to-cup espresso machine we’ve tested.

Like a manual espresso machine, the Baristina uses a portafilter handle. All you need to do is push the empty handle into place, select your drink, and the Baristina will grind the right dose of coffee into the filter basket, so you don’t even need to weigh the coffee beans before brewing.

Using a simple set of three buttons — one for single espresso, one for a lungo, and one to boost the intensity by increasing the dose of ground coffee — it’s incredible value for money. While it doesn’t come with a steaming wand for milk and is very much espresso-first, the Baristina remains an excellent beginner-friendly espresso machine that's perfect if you're new to fresh beans.

Rowan Davies, Editorial Associate

• Read our in-depth Philips Baristina review

2. Sony A7R VI

• Sony just perfected mirrorless cameras

I've tested just about every major camera release spanning the last 15 years, and I don’t use the word 'perfect' lightly — but that's what the Sony A7R VI is. For me, it’s the winning combination of raw quality and speed — thanks to a stacked 66.8MP full-frame sensor with ludicrous dynamic range, lightning-fast burst-shooting and reliable autofocus performance. I really pushed the A7R VI, shooting everything from landscape photography to wildlife and portraits, and it didn’t skip a beat.

The A7R VI is also a seriously well-designed professional mirrorless camera, with an immersive high-resolution EVF and multi-angle touchscreen, plus it packs an all-new higher-capacity battery that bags more shots. Sure it costs a lot, but considering it’s capable of 95% of what the A1 II can do, with more resolution, for a much lower price, I think it’s decent value.

I've never owned a Sony Alpha mirrorless camera, but the A7R VI has me seriously tempted, especially since Sony has made my favorite lenses over the last 18 months. If I could keep a hold of a single new camera from 2026, the A7R VI would be it, and that’s why it’s my top pick.

Timothy Coleman, Cameras Editor

• Read our in-depth Sony A7R VI review

1. LG C6

• The OLED TV that somehow improves on its near-perfect predecessor

The LG C6 is the best TV I’ve tested this year so far. Impressively, it makes huge improvements over its predecessor, the LG C5. Thanks to its new, flagship-level processor, the C6 delivers brilliant, vibrant colors, powerful contrast and crisp detail, delivering better picture quality over the C5: which is no mean feat. When I tested the C6 next to the C5, the C6 proved to be more accurate too, eliminating a green tint that was noticeable on the C5.

The C6 is a gaming powerhouse, continuing the LG C-series’ legacy as one of the very best gaming TVs on the market. With four HDMI 2.1 ports, 4K 165Hz, full VRR including FreeSync and G-Sync, Dolby Vision and ALLM all supported, plus an ultra-low, measured 9.2ms input lag time, gaming is fantastic on the C6.

The C6 covers all the bases, offering solid built-in sound, an intuitive smart TV system that gets better each year and it’s generally the most competitively priced OLED as well. The C6 will take some beating in 2026.

James Davidson, TV Hardware Staff Writer

• Read our in-depth LG C6 review

Early last month, when I was planning this half-year look at the best laptops that have so far been released in 2026, it was easy for me to pick the number one spot: the MacBook Neo.

Launched in March for $599 / £599 / AU$899, it was a shot across the bows of other laptop and Chromebook makers, as Apple showed that you could have a stylish and well-built budget laptop that didn’t have to feel cheap.

Sure, there were compromises, such as the 8GB of memory and slow USB ports, but those were easily forgiven thanks to such an affordable price — especially when so much of the MacBook Neo puts similarly priced budget laptops to shame.

However, at the end of June, Apple announced a Neo price increase, taking it up to $699 / £699 / AU$1,049. While that’s not the biggest price rise in a world that, at the moment, seems to be full of them, it’s enough to make the MacBook Neo less of an easy recommendation. Suddenly, all those compromises are harder to accept.

The MacBook Neo still earns a spot in this list, however, due to the huge influence it’s had on the laptop market. Since its launch, I’ve seen numerous laptop makers, including Acer and Dell, release products directly aimed at challenging the MacBook Neo; offering slim and stylish designs, strong performance and screens, all for around the Neo's original $599 / £599 / AU$899 price. While Apple has raised the price of the MacBook Neo, many of those new challengers haven’t — yet — done the same, which makes them even better value in comparison.

Now, it’s probably inevitable that those new MacBook Neo rivals will eventually increase in price too (thanks, AI, for gobbling up all the RAM and making price rises an everyday reality for a lot of tech). However, due to the variety of Windows 11 laptops available and where they’re sold compared to MacBooks, if you shop around you should find prices remain relatively competitive.

So, Apple might have just inspired its rivals to make better, and cheaper, alternatives. That might not be great for Apple, but for us consumers, it certainly is. So, as we’re at the halfway point of the year, let’s look at the five best — or most influential — laptops that have been released so far in 2026.

5. HP OmniBook 7 Aero

• Reviewed: February 2026
• Rating: 4.5/5

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero is a brilliant example of how Windows laptops are looking to beat Apple at its own game. The HP OmniBook 7 Aero is a thin, light and stylish laptop, with a capable AMD AI 5 or AI 7 CPU, integrated graphics, and a starting RAM configuration of 16GB, plus a 512GB SSD.

It launched at $949.99 / £649 (around AU$1,420), undercutting the MacBook Air and even (in the UK) the MacBook Neo after the price rise. For such a nicely designed laptop, this price is incredibly good value.

In our review we were impressed with the clear, bright, and vibrant screen and huge 26 hour battery life. Depending on the tasks you use it for, this laptop could go for multiple work or school days on a single charge, which is seriously impressive. It even manages to play games, such as Cyberpunk 2077, and while you certainly wouldn’t want to buy it as a gaming laptop, it shows how far Windows laptops, and the mobile components they use, have come in recent years.

4. Razer Blade 18 (2026)

• Reviewed: June 2026
• Rating: 4.5/5

This year’s Razer Blade 18 is another hit from the gaming laptop pros, which my colleague Christian Guyton, in his review, claimed "annihilates the competition". It features cutting edge mobile components such as an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX or Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti – RTX 5090 laptop GPUs, up to 128GB of RAM and a stunning 18-inch Dual UHD+ 240Hz / FHD+ 440Hz screen, which allows you to switch between resolutions to get even higher refresh rates. All of this is packed into a slim and stylish body that once again proves that gaming laptops don’t need to be big and bulky these days.

Gaming-wise, it’s a beast, hitting up to 160fps when playing Cyberpunk 2077, and 218fps with Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Basically, it’ll handle any modern game you throw at it, and allow you to play at 4K resolution and the highest of settings. Its battery life — often the Achilles’ heel of gaming laptops — is pretty impressive, hitting almost eight and a half hours in our tests.

What’s the catch? Well, there’s the price, starting at a whopping $3,499.99 / £3,299.99 (around AU$4,870), but going up to $6,999.99 (around £5,200 / AU$9,735) for the highest specification. Ouch.

Razer’s devices are premium products, and when you combine that with some of the most powerful components you can get, and the ongoing memory crisis driving up prices, you end up with a brilliant laptop that’s wildly expensive. It’s a brilliant investment if you can afford it, it’s just a shame so few of us can.

3. Apple MacBook Neo

• Reviewed: March 2026
• Rating: 4.5/5

As I mentioned earlier, if I’d written this article before Apple’s price rises, the MacBook Neo would probably be number one in this list. When it launched, it really was a game-changer. It proved that affordable laptops could still feel premium, with exceptional build quality, modern features and solid performance.

Unlike other recent MacBooks, the Neo is powered by the A18 Pro chip (which powered the iPhone 16 Pro), rather than Apple’s more powerful M-series chips. Compared to chips found in budget Windows 11 laptops and Chromebooks, the A18 Pro proved impressive on test, handling regular macOS apps with ease.

It's possible to use an iPad as a second screen, and see your iPhone’s messages and answer calls all from the desktop — features we’ve come to expect from more expensive MacBooks. The bright and vibrant screen makes a mockery of other cheap laptops that often feature dim, low resolution screens, to keep down prices.

When it first launched, this budget laptop (from a brand that’s more associated with luxury devices), which undercut and outperformed the competition, was a surefire hit. Apple has commented about how well the Neo sold, and even more importantly, it seemed to light a fire underneath many of its competitors. Not only was the MacBook Neo one of the best laptops of 2026, it was one of the most impactful.

What a difference $100 / £100 makes. While the new price doesn’t completely undermine the MacBook Neo’s value proposition, it makes it harder to recommend to everyone.

It makes some of Apple’s compromises to keep the price down, particularly the rather paltry 8GB of memory, slow USB speeds (it has two USB-C ports, but uses older USB 3.0 and the practically ancient USB 2 technology) and lack of a backlit keyboard, much harder to justify as well.

Worse, those competitors that Apple ‘inspired’ are fighting back. Acer’s Swift Air 14 (2026) will launch at the same original price of the Neo, with a great-looking display, and an Intel Core Series 3 processor. An Acer employee I spoke to at Computex 2026 was particularly pleased to point out that the Swift Air has faster USB-C ports than the Neo, an extra USB-A port and is thinner and lighter as well. The fact that it’s also now cheaper spells trouble for Apple, and it’s why the MacBook Neo has slipped down in my ranking.

2. Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra

• Rating: 4.5/5
• Reviewed: February 2026

I’ll be honest: I was torn between putting the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra or the MacBook Air (M5) in this spot. The reason I went for Samsung’s ultrabook in the end is that while the latest MacBook Air is undoubtedly a fantastic device (it sits atop our best laptops list for a reason), it’s also a bit… well… boring. It’s a simple spec update to the M5 chip, with no new design flourishes, but a new, higher price (which has since risen even higher after Apple’s price hikes).

The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra, on the other hand, feels a lot more ambitious. Samsung's laptops have never particularly impressed me, but with the Galaxy Book series, that’s changed.

As with Samsung's Galaxy phones and tablets, Galaxy Book laptops are high-end, premium devices, and as the name suggests, the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is the pinnacle of this. It’s thin, light and powerful (especially if you go for the option with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 5070 GPU), and with a strong battery life of over 15 hours, this is a great choice for anyone seeking a stylish workstation laptop that can handle heavy duty tasks such as 3D modeling.

Its AMOLED screen is also stunning, and easily one of the best displays you can get on a laptop (another category that Apple was once untouchable in).

What I really like about the Galaxy Book6 Ultra is how Samsung has been working on integrating its ecosystem of devices, so its laptops, earbuds, smartphones, and tablets can all work nicely together. It leads to some very Apple-like features, such as the ability to use a Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet as a second screen for the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra, simply by moving the devices close together.

It’s not quite as seamless as Apple’s implementation, mainly because Samsung doesn’t make the software its products run on (Windows and Android), but it’s come a huge way. If you have a few Samsung devices, the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is particularly great, then, but even if you don’t, this is still a brilliant laptop that’s doing new things, not just resting on its laurels.

1. Dell XPS 16 (2026)

• Rating: 4.5/5
• Reviewed: May 2026

The Dell XPS 16 is a remarkable laptop for many reasons. It’s a beautifully crafted device with a stunning OLED screen, as well as premium — and powerful — components, and it’s a great showcase for how good Windows 11 laptops can be.

It’s also noteworthy for bringing the XPS lineup back with a bang. Last year, Dell made the baffling decision to drop its XPS branding. It was one of the few product names outside of Apple that had mainstream recognition, and had long been associated with Dell’s most premium laptops. Thankfully, Dell realized its mistake and has resurrected the XPS brand for 2026, and the new Dell XPS 16 makes a fantastic statement: XPS is back, and it’s better than ever.

In our review, we gushed over this laptop's slimline design and high resolution OLED display, whilst also praising its performance. Powered by an Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, which has an Arc B390 integrated GPU, the Dell XPS 16 can handle demanding tasks, and even a spot of gaming. Battery life is also superb, with the Dell XPS 16 (2026) lasting well over 17 hours in our tests.

It’s pricey, but the quality on offer helps justify the investment. Welcome back, XPS. You’ve been missed.

• A user got bugged to verify their identity on their new iPhone
• They shouldn’t have needed to, as their local laws didn't require this
• The culprit was their iPhone, which was imported from the UK

Apple has just jacked up its prices across the board, and while the iPhone is safe for now, many users are wondering if it’s only a matter of time before Apple’s best iPhones feel the weight of price rises. If that sounds familiar, you might have snapped up a second-hand iPhone in a bid to get ahead of the game — but that could leave you falling foul of an annoying, unforeseen consequence.

That’s exactly what happened to Reddit user, who said that their new iPhone was forcing them to verify their age, despite the fact that they live in Bulgaria, an EU country where age verification is not required by law.

Understandably, they were reluctant to upload their ID documents, describing the process as a “huge privacy black hole.” But due to their refusal to do so, they were unable to access “certain types of content, social apps, GTA games and other things I paid for.” As they put it, “Content and privacy restrictions, scanning my chats, FaceTime calls and photos in gallery are forced upon me without my will and consent.”

The case seems to be a confusing one, as Bulgarian users are not subject to ID verification laws that mandate them to confirm their age before accessing certain apps and services. But there is one nearby country that does have laws like this, and it proved to be the key to unlocking the mystery.

Check the model number

The UK has enacted laws that necessitate users to verify their identities in order to access certain apps and services on their devices, with the stated aim of protecting children from online harms. But the regulations — specifically the Online Safety Act — has caused much controversy among privacy advocates and has resulted in a surge of angry users downloading the best VPNs to protect their identities and sidestep the requirements.

Back on Reddit, the age verification mystery was solved when the Redditor discovered where their iPhone originally came from. This is something you can find in the Settings app by going to General > About and looking in the Model Number section.

The iPhone's model was MFYP4QN/A and this contains several clues about its origin. For example, "MFYP4" refers to the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Deep Blue with 256GB of storage. The “QN” part of the code, meanwhile, relates to the regions where this model is sold: “Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, United Kingdom, Israel.”

In other words, although the Redditor bought their iPhone in Bulgaria, the device was likely imported from the UK. As a fellow Redditor noted, there is no official Apple presence in Bulgaria, making an import the probable answer. As they put it, “If it is a UK model, it will behave like a UK model” — which would explain why the device was asking the user to verify their identity, even though local Bulgarian laws did not require that to be done.

With different regions enforcing different privacy and age verification laws, the risk — as demonstrated on Reddit — is that you can buy a second-hand iPhone in a country that doesn’t compel you to confirm your identity, yet still get forced to do so by an imported iPhone. It’s all a bit of a mess.

If you’re thinking of buying a used iPhone and you’re at all able to check it in person, make sure you note down its model number first in the Settings app. As explained by The Apple Wiki, if the code contains the letters B, KN, QN, Z, ZD, ZF or ZM just before the forward slash — for example, MFYP4ZD/A — then it might be a UK device and therefore might act as if it is governed by UK laws, regardless of where you bought it. And that could have big consequences if you’re not prepared.

• A new report suggests foldable phone prices could rise by 18% this year
• That's in part due to the iPhone Ultra, which could launch at a very high price
• Samsung and other brands may well cash in on this market shift

2026 could be one of the biggest years for foldable phones yet, as the foldable iPhone Ultra looks set to finally arrive in September. But while that’s sure to excite anyone who’s been waiting for an Apple-made foldable, it could also come with some bad news for consumers.

You see, according to a recent Counterpoint Research report (via 9to5Mac), the average price of foldable phones could rise by as much as 18% this year, and that increase will in part be thanks to Apple’s upcoming model.

Specifically, the average price is predicted to rise to $1,485 (roughly £1,110 / AU$2,140), and that’s in part because the iPhone Ultra itself will probably cost significantly more than that, with a recent IDC report predicting that the phone could retail for as much as $2,500 (around £1,870 / AU$3,600) — and that might just be the starting price.

This being an iPhone, it’s sure to be popular and could therefore drive up the average price of foldable phones. But its impact might extend to other brands too, because a $2,500 foldable iPhone could make such prices more palatable when attached to phones from Samsung and other companies.

A welcome rival

With this in mind, it’s perhaps no surprise that a Samsung exec said last year that the Korean giant is “welcoming others to join this category,” in response to a question about the iPhone Ultra’s arrival.

Don’t be surprised, then, if future Samsung foldables cost more than current ones — and not just because of rising RAM prices and inflation, but also because of the Apple impact.

Still, this Counterpoint report has some good pricing news too, as while it predicts that book-style foldables will continue increasing in price, clamshell models are expected to fall in price on average, bringing them “closer to premium bar-type smartphone alternatives.”

So while book-style foldables might start feeling even further out of reach for a lot of buyers, clamshell models could become increasingly attainable.

For a company that prides itself on delivering polished, functioning hardware and software, Apple dropped the ball with its original AI-powered Clean Up tool.

Not only did this Apple Intelligence feature arrive almost a year after similar tools from Samsung and Google, but by all accounts, it was objectively worse at removing unwanted objects in images than those big-name rivals. We tested Clean Up against Galaxy AI last year, and found that the former “comes incredibly short of the mark when Samsung’s offering is capable of truly achieving what it sets out to do.” Ouch.

But Apple has promised to make things right in iOS 27. At WWDC 2026, the company announced that Clean Up will be faster and more capable in your iPhone’s next software update — and so I put that claim to the test by comparing Clean Up as it exists in iOS 26 against Clean Up as it exists in the iOS 27 developer beta (if you’re keen to try an early version of iOS 27 for yourself, here’s how to download the iOS 27 developer beta).

Before we dive into the image comparisons, an important note: Clean Up is better in iOS 27 because it’s capable of engaging Apple’s powerful Foundation models when needed. Say, for instance, you want to remove an obstruction from your face; your iPhone will employ a ‘High Quality’ version of Clean Up that taps into Apple’s own Private Cloud Compute servers to access these Foundation models. But it doesn’t do this all the time.

For small touch-up jobs, your iPhone employs a ‘Fast’ version of Clean Up that uses Apple's on-device AI models to complete your request, just as it does in iOS 26 (albeit not under this 'Fast' banner). This version is (surprise!) faster than the ‘High Quality’ alternative, but it's also not as effective at removing objects.

In iOS 27, your iPhone defaults to using an ‘Auto’ version of Clean Up that switches between ‘High Quality’ and ‘Fast’ depending on the edit request you’re making, but you can force your iPhone to use one or the other by selecting your chosen mode in a drop-down menu.

For this comparison, I stuck to ‘Auto’ to test how well my iPhone recognizes when (and when not) to use the more power-intensive ‘High Quality’ version of Clean Up — and because most people will use Clean Up in this default ‘Auto’ mode. I also wanted to see whether ‘Fast’ in iOS 27 — which my iPhone surely used for a few of the photos below — is more effective than it is in iOS 26.

I've added a separate section for comparing ‘Fast’ and ‘High Quality’ results in iOS 27, which is the starkest example of how much Apple's Clean Up tool has been improved.

And, of course, my results are based on the iOS 27 developer beta, not the finished version of iOS 27. There's every chance that Clean Up will be improved further once iOS 27 proper arrives later this year.

Photo comparisons

In this first example, iOS 26 leaves behind an unnatural smear in place of the dog, while iOS 27 adds a more detailed, natural-looking replacement. The latter looks more like a bush than grass — and the end of the dog's tail is still visible in both examples — but iOS 27 delivers the better overall result.

iOS 26 actually delivers the better result here, leaving behind a slightly less visible L-shape than iOS 27. I suspect this is an example of that 'Fast' version of Clean Up in action, and that if I manually selected 'High Quality', the iOS 27 version would be superior (see the 'Fast' vs 'High Quality' comparison at the bottom of the page to see what I mean). This comparison also proves that 'Fast' in iOS 27 doesn't always deliver superior results to Clean Up in iOS 26 (at least as far as the developer beta goes).

Again, I'd say iOS 26 delivers the better result in this example — focus on the llama's erased head in both photos to see what I mean.

This is the first example in which I'm convinced my iOS 27-enabled iPhone switched from 'Fast' to 'High Quality'. When asking Clean Up to remove the long strands of hair over my left eye, the iOS 26 version completely botches the job, adding random ugly smears and not actually removing anything. The iOS 27 version, meanwhile, serves up a genuinely impressive result. It's not completely devoid of fakery, but it's certainly the more usable of the two results.

Now you see him, now you don't. At first glance, both iOS 26 and iOS 27 appear to do a similarly OK job at removing Bad Bunny from the roof of La Casita, but if you look closely, iOS 26 doesn't recognize that there are stairs behind him. The iOS 27 result isn't that much better, but it's the objectively superior of the two.

Another slim win for iOS 27 here. Neither version of Clean Up completely removes the dog's shadow, but iOS 27 makes a slightly better go of it than iOS 26.

In this example, the iOS 27 result is the much better of the two. Not only does iOS 26 leave behind a smeary cloud, but it also adds a random shape and (badly) generates an extra helping of mountain in the background. None of these mistakes are visible in the iOS 27 result.

iOS 27 wins again here, but not by much. The dark splodges left behind in the iOS 26 result are a tad more visible than those in the iOS 27 result, and I'd be more comfortable passing the latter off as reality.

This is probably the most challenging request of the bunch. I'm sitting on a backless bench while pedalling a piece of urban gym equipment, and I asked Clean Up to remove me, but keep everything else intact. iOS 26 fails miserably, and while iOS 27 doesn't totally succeed either — it leaves my right foot behind and removes the end of the bench entirely — it does do a better job of replacing what it removes with real-looking imagery.

Fast vs High Quality in iOS 27

Here's an example of the different results you can achieve by manually selecting the 'Fast' and 'High Quality' versions of Clean Up in iOS 27.

As you can see, the difference is huge. The 'Fast' result is a total mess, while the 'High Quality' result is genuinely real-looking. The latter isn't perfect — it's changed the menu art, for instance, and reduced the menu count from two to one — but I suspect that's because a portion of the menu was caught in the circle I drew around the coffee cup (and for that reason, I hope Apple reduces the thickness of the Clean Up line when iOS 27 releases in full later this year).

First impressions

In all but three of the comparisons, the iOS 27 developer beta version of Clean Up delivered the better result; however, it's clear that, when your iPhone opts for the 'Fast' version of the feature, the gulf in quality is not dramatic. In fact, in some examples, the iOS 26 result is better — so it's probably best to think of 'Fast' Clean Up and iOS 26 Clean Up as the same tool.

It's a different story for the 'High Quality' version of Clean Up in the iOS 27 developer beta, which delivered vastly superior results to Clean Up in iOS 26 when my iPhone auto-selected that option, or when I manually enabled it (as in the coffee cup example).

This proves beyond doubt that Apple has improved Clean Up in iOS 27 as it exists right now — but unless users manually select this 'High Quality' option (or always request complex edits that trigger its automatic use), the difference in Clean Up's capabilities may not be all that noticeable.

Again, though, I've been careful to specify that these iOS 27 results are from the developer beta — Apple will likely further tweak Clean Up between now and iOS 27's September release, so I expect the tool to get even better.

I had to make sure Prime Day in Australia hadn't already started when I saw this AU$200 saving on the AirPods Max 2, since it's not everyday that Amazon discounts Apple tech. And, if there are any discounts to be found, it's the online retailer's annual mid-year sale that tends to throw them up.

So if you've had your eye on the latest set of Apple's over-ear headphones, then this price cut might just be of interest.

It's no secret that the AirPods Max 2 are among the most expensive headphones we've ever tested here at TechRadar, and with a AU$999 RRP, you can easily spend less on a highly capable pair from the likes of Sony, Bose or Sennheiser.

Apple has thrown everything at the Max 2s though to help justify the high price, and they're easily some of the best headphones on the market right now, particularly if you can make use of their Apple Intelligence features (provided you have an iPhone 15 or newer device).

These features include things like live translate, advanced call screening, gesture control, conversational awareness, and adaptive audio. Pair all of these with a stunning high-end design, class-leading noise cancellation, and fantastic audio quality, and the AirPods Max 2 are definitely worth considering.

As we said in our Apple AirPods Max 2 review, they're the "the best noise-cancelling iPhone headphones on the planet", with a soundstage that's "expansive" and "a noise floor so low that bass frequencies rumble, snap and boom in so much space it's almost a crime".

If you own an iPhone, they're a no brainer.

Should I wait for Prime Day?

That's tricky question to answer. As I mentioned earlier, it's surprising that there's a discount of any sort on the AirPods Max 2. However, it only applies to the blue colourway — could Amazon be teasing discounts to expect when Prime Day rolls around next week, and apply a saving to all colours?

We'll ultimately have to wait and see. I feel the blue colour is pretty inoffensive and should suit most people pretty well — midnight (navy blue) or silver are obviously more ambiguous — so if you've been considering Apple's top-tier cans, but don't want to pay a grand, this is a good opportunity to save a decent chunk of cash.

• Reddit users have complained of a worrying storage ‘bug’ in iOS
• This sees the System Data category eat up huge amounts of storage
• Fortunately, there are several ways to fix this problem

iPhone storage often comes at a premium — after all, it’s not like you can open up any of the best iPhones and add more space after you’ve bought one. That’s why it can be frustrating to see a massive chunk of your storage taken up by your iPhone’s “System Data” category, and especially worrying if this number seems to keep creeping up. Luckily, there are a few solutions you can try to put things right.

This problem was recently illustrated on Reddit, where user TakenToTheRiver posted a screenshot showing that 86.96GB of their iPhone’s storage was taken up by the System Data category. Worse, they only had 128GB of total space, meaning a whopping 68% of their iPhone’s internal storage had already been gobbled up.

As they put it, “This is not something the average iPhone user should have to deal with.” They added that this “bug,” as they called it, “has persisted for years, and we shouldn’t have to work around it ourselves.” It’s also something we’ve seen elsewhere — such as in the Maps app — so it’s not an isolated issue.

They were also far from the only person struggling with System Data on their iPhone or iPad. User laszlotuss had lost 100.62GB, while for DanscoRed that figure stood at 150.56GB. Clearly, something was amiss.

How to reclaim storage space

Luckily, there are one or two ways you can get back precious space eaten up by your iPhone’s System Data category. They might take a little work, but they’re worth it if you’re worried about filling up your device.

Different approaches have worked for different iPhone users. For some, simply backing up their iPhone (either to iCloud or to your computer), resetting it, then restoring from the backup has done the trick.

A similar tip was provided by jg61600, who said (via machine translation), “Back up your entire iPhone in iCloud, and then restore it to DFU mode if you’re going to remove all the cache you have.” DFU mode restores your firmware to working order and installs a fresh copy of iOS, which could help with runaway System Data.

This backup-and-restore method was exactly the one that helped the most when we investigated Apple Maps taking up too much storage space, so it should have a good chance of success. However, it’s quite a drastic technique, so you might want to try one of the other ideas below first.

For instance, another successful technique has been opening the iPhone's Settings app, going to Apps > App Store, then scrolling down and enabling Offload Unused Apps. This uninstalls apps you haven’t used for a while (but keeps your documents and data intact), which Dapper_Contest_5695 said “seemed to fix the extra system storage issue” for them.

Finally, EffectiveEquivalent shared another potential solution: clear the caches for your web browser and podcast app. They also “deleted a game that had an extra download once in the app.” They added: “I suspect the latter will trip up most people.”

Seeing your iPhone’s storage space slowly diminish without knowing how to stop it can be an exasperating experience, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do about it. Try the ideas that have worked for us and others above and you might be able to reclaim lost storage and put an end to the misery.

• Apple Hide My Email can reveal a user's authentic email address
• The bug puts users at risk of identification, experts warned
• It has been unpatched for over a year

A bug in Apple’s ‘Hide My Email’ feature allows for those with knowledge of the vulnerability to identify the real email address hidden behind the anonymous email address.

The bug was discovered by EasyOptOuts co-founder, Tyler Murphy, who shared the exploit with 404 Media after notifying Apple multiple times that the feature could be actively exploited.

“We reported the issue and replication instructions to Apple over a year ago. We don't know why it hasn't been fixed, but we don't feel comfortable waiting any longer,” Murphy said.

Hide My Email can be actively exploited

As the bug still hasn’t been patched, the details of how the exploit works have not been shared.

Apple’s Hide My Email feature was designed to anonymize email addresses, helping to prevent a user’s real email address from being leaked in a data breach, or to prevent a user’s email address from being linked to them personally in a way that could reveal their identity.

There lies the crux of the issue. By being able to identify the real email address by exploiting the bug, a malicious actor could uncover the real identity of the anonymized email.

“Free, publicly accessible people-search sites make it easy to link an email address to other personal details, so people relying on Hide My Email for safety may be at risk,” Murphy said. “We don't know the full scope of the issue, but in our limited tests with volunteers, 100% of Hide My Email addresses were exploitable.”

Users concerned about being identified via people-search sites can use a data removal service to have their data scrubbed from these sites, but the process can take a few days.

The issue was first reported to Apply by Murphy in June 2025, with Apple replying a month later that it was looking into the cause of the issue. Earlier this year, in March, Apple said that it had “addressed the reported issue in a recent system change,” but Murphy found that the bug could still be exploited.

Again, Murphy notified Apple, who replied in May 2026, stating, “We are still investigating this issue. To avoid placing our customers at risk, we would appreciate you not disclosing this information until our investigation is complete. We appreciate your assistance in helping us to maintain and improve the security of our products."

Later in the same month, Apply said a fix was “expected in the coming weeks."

• Apple will reportedly refresh its iPad Pro line in early 2027
• The main change is likely to be a new chipset, but it's uncertain whether the M6 or M7 will be used
• It's also very likely that these will be extremely expensive tablets

It will soon be a year since the last iPad Pro models launched, but if you were hoping for successors this year, you’re probably out of luck, as a new report suggests we won’t see new models until 2027.

According to reputable Apple tipster Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg (via MacRumors), the company will launch new 11-inch and 13-in iPad Pro models in ‘spring’ 2027 — presumably meaning sometime between March and May.

Apparently, their designs won’t be changed much, but the internals will be updated, with a new chipset and potentially a vapor chamber to help keep them cool.

However, which chipset they’ll use remains uncertain — the iPad Pro 11-inch (2025) and iPad Pro 13-inch (2025) both have an M5 chipset, so we’d expect at least an M6. But according to this Bloomberg report, Apple will debut its M7 chipset “as early as the first half of 2027.” So if that’s out in time for the next iPad Pro’s launch, there’s a chance it will be included.

Either way, this should be a very powerful tablet, but if it does launch with an M6 chipset only for Apple to announce the M7 soon after, that might make it less desirable than it could otherwise be.

A pricey prospect

The bigger concern about the next iPad Pro, though, is how much it might cost. The ongoing RAM crisis recently caused Apple to raise the prices of many of its devices, including iPads, and since the 9-month-old iPad Pro 2025 has shot up in price, there’s no doubt that 2027’s iPad Pro models will launch at a very high price too.

Exactly how high is uncertain, though. For reference, the iPad Pro 2025 series now starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$1,999, so the iPad Pro 2027 will almost certainly cost at least that much. But if RAM prices keep increasing, then it’s feasible that it could cost even more — especially with inflation and a new chipset.

So, you might want to get saving — or just make do with your old tablet for a while longer, especially if you upgraded in the last few years.

The Apple Mac mini (M4) is easily one of the best machines our team has ever tested. But if I had to find fault with it, it's that the front-facing ports and storage options can be limiting. Especially for content creators using the machine for editing large photo and video files.

And that's where I think Ugreen's M4 Dock & Stand for $55 (was $90) at Amazon really comes into play. It's a sleek, cleverly designed way of protecting the Mac mini's compact footprint, while boosting the connectivity and storage capacity.

For me, it's one of those 'secret weapon' gadgets that you never really realize you need, but you absolutely rely on once you have it. In the UK, it's currently down to £70 (was £90) at Amazon, too.

Today's top dock deal

The standout feature is the built-in M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure, which supports drives up to 8TB. Compatible with 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 SSDs, it gives you an easy way to add high-speed storage for 4K video editing, photo libraries, backups, and other demanding workloads without relying on external drives scattered across your desk.

Transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps also help move large files quickly, making this a superb, highly affordable upgrade for creators and professionals working with sizeable media projects.

It's important to note however, that the SSD isn't included, so you'll need to supply your own.

Beyond storage, the dock transforms the Mac mini into a much more capable workstation.

It adds 11 ports, including three USB-A 10Gbps ports, two additional USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and SD and microSD card readers, giving you plenty of room for external drives, cameras, peripherals, and other accessories.

Ugreen has also paid attention to lots of little details. The dock follows the Mac mini's shape, includes anti-slip silicone pads, and even adds a clever power button lever, so you can switch on your Mac without lifting the computer.

A short 4cm cable helps keep your workspace tidy, while the dock can draw power directly from the Mac mini or use an external adapter if you're connecting several devices.

In our five star review, we called the Mac mini "smaller, faster, better" and said it might even be the "best Mac ever."

If your Mac mini M4 or M4 Pro is starting to feel short on storage or ports, this dock is a brilliant upgrade and a 39% saving makes it even more attractive.

• US: See all docking stations at Amazon
• UK: See all USB hubs at Amazon.co.uk

Amazon Prime Day started in Australia ends tonight, and we've seen some good Apple deals show up this year. While there were no worthwhile iPhone or MacBook discounts, we saw record-low prices on AirPods and Apple Watches.

Sadly most of these good discounts ended during the weekend, so even before the sale finished. In the last hours of Prime Day, there aren't too many good Apple deals, but below are what we still have.

Of course, not every Apple discount is worth buying, especially if a deal only applies to one colour, one size or a product that has been cheaper before. So we’re focusing on the Apple deals that are genuinely good after comparing to Apple’s official pricing and what else is available at Amazon or elsewhere.

Quick links to the best Apple deals on Amazon

These direct links are the fastest way to check the main Apple categories on Amazon before delving into the individual deals below.

• Amazon Prime Day: shop the main Prime Day sale
• Apple at Amazon: browse Apple deals in one place
• AirPods deals: check the best AirPods prices
• iPad deals: shop iPad offers at Amazon
• Apple Watch deals: see the best Apple Watch prices
• iPhone deals: check current iPhone deals
• Apple accessories: browse AirTags, chargers, cables and more
• MacBook price checks: find MacBook restocks and price drops

Best Amazon Prime Day Apple deals

These are our favourite Amazon Prime Day Apple deals. We’ve split them by product type so you can easily compare deals on AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, iPhone, accessories and MacBooks.

If you don't see any products in a particular category, check back later as we'll be working hard every day to find more deals.

Best AirPods Prime Day deals

AirPods are usually one of the easier Apple products to find discounted at Amazon. The cheapest option here is the open-fit AirPods 4, while AirPods Pro are the better choice if you want noise cancelling, while AirPods Max are great for anyone who wants over-ear headphones.

Unfortunately allmost all the best AirPod deals have sold out, but you can check out everything remaining on Amazon here.

Best iPad Prime Day deals

iPad deals can be tricky because Amazon often only discounts specific storage sizes or colours, and the deals tend to change rapidly. Sadly iPads also just got hit by Apple's price rises, so the base cost has gone up.

We think the standard iPad is the best fit for casual use, though the iPad Air is worth the extra cost, whereas the iPad Pro is aimed at those who really need the better screen and higher performance.

If you don't see any iPad deals below, don't worry, we'll add more as soon as we can. In the meantime, there are some discounted iPad accessories worth checking out.

Best Apple Watch Prime Day deals

Apple Watch deals are worth watching if you use an iPhone and want fitness tracking, notifications and health features without paying Apple’s normal price.

Case size, colour and band choice can change the price, so if comparing options under the one listing, double check the exact model selected before buying.

Best iPhone Prime Day deals

iPhone deals are often harder to judge than AirPods or iPad deals because Amazon discounts often apply to one colour or storage size.

Best Apple accessories Prime Day deals

Apple accessories usually aren't the deals people are most excited about, but they are useful add-ons if the price is right. AirTags, chargers, cables and Mac desk gear are also the kinds of Apple products Amazon tends to discount more often than iPhones or MacBooks.

Best MacBook Prime Day deals

MacBook deals are hard to find at Amazon right now. We’re still doing our best to rustle up any discounts because MacBooks are one of the Apple products we are all excited about during Prime Day. Especially after the recent Apple price hikes that bumped up the base cost by as much as 17%.

Amazon Prime Day Apple deals 2026: key information

Amazon Prime Day Apple deals: shopping tips

Prime Day can be a good time to buy Apple gear, but it’s also often hard to navigate. Amazon can show large percentage discounts from old prices, and Apple products often get small price cuts that only apply to one colour, size or storage option. So we created some steps that can help you work out whether an Apple Prime Day deal is worth buying.

1. Check Apple’s official price first

Start with the current price on the Apple website. That gives you a clean comparison point before you look at Amazon’s claimed discount. It matters more than usual this year because Apple recently raised Australian prices on a number of products, including Macs and iPads.

2. Look at price history, not just the discount badge

It's easy to get pulled in by a big percentage saving, but the current price is what matters. For Amazon deals, camelcamelcamel.com can show whether today’s price is actually low or just lower than an old list price.

It is also worth searching OzBargain.com.au to see whether the same product has been cheaper before and how other shoppers rated past discounts. If the deal still looks good after those checks, you can buy with confidence.

3. Figure out what features you actually need

A discount on an iPad Pro or MacBook Pro can look tempting, but the best Prime Day deal is not always the product with the largest saving. If you mainly want a tablet for streaming, browsing, note-taking and video calls, a standard iPad or iPad Air may be the better-value buy.

The same logic applies across Apple’s range. If you're buying a laptop, think about whether you really need a MacBook Pro or whether a MacBook Air is the better choice. If you're buying a phone, decide whether camera quality, storage, battery life or price matters most before jumping on a deal just because it has a big discount.

4. Be flexible on colour, storage and case size

Apple deals at Amazon often apply to one specific version of a product. That might mean one AirPods model, one iPad storage size, one Apple Watch case size or one iPhone colour. Check the exact model before you buy, and make sure the cheaper version is actually the one you want.

5. Check whether the price needs Prime

Many Prime Day deals need an active Amazon Prime membership. Some early deals are available to everyone, but others only show the lowest price once you're signed in with Prime. Also check the delivery estimate, especially if the product is coming from overseas or has limited stock.

6. Don't assume MacBooks will be the best category

AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad and Apple accessories are usually easier to find discounted at Amazon. MacBook deals can happen, but they are hard to find right now, and some listings have long delivery dates or limited stock. If you see a MacBook discount, compare it with Apple’s current price and check whether the saving is enough to justify buying now.

There's no understating the influence of Jony Ive – the man responsible for designing so many iconic Apple products – in changing the way that manufacturers approached consumer and business electronics.

Modern design

Ive, Apple's former chief design officer, first publicized this way of thinking during the introduction to iOS 7 at WWDC 2013.

The operating system was widely lauded at the time for revolutionizing the structure of the iPhone's layout – ditching the skeuomorphic approach (where digital objects deliberately mimicked real-world counterparts).

Instead, the new iOS 7 introduced a sleeker and flatter design as well as crisp typography, alongside a visual parallax in which a 3D effect allowed the background to subtly shift and tilt behind app icons as you moved the device. This came alongside a host of functional additions including the Control Center and AirDrop.

Setting trends

At the core of Ive's approach was to perform something of a magic trick: making technology – an inherently complex area – appear simple to the unsuspecting.

To exude simplicity, Ive believed, you first had to understand how to wield and package powerful and complex technology in a way that doesn't overwhelm the user. Mastering chaos and complexity, in this way, is about being so on top of it that you can then disguise it.

Such was the success of Ive's entire approach to design at Apple that a long list of manufacturers have long strived to mimic not just the hardware, but software layout too. This is despite Ive having moved on in 2022.

A recent example is the introduction of the Dynamic Island – an interactive pill that sits atop the iPhone screen. Phone makers like Xiaomi have integrated similar features into their latest devices with HyperOS. The introduction of Liquid Glass in 2025 is also something that Android-based developers are borrowing.