Articles by Rowan Davies, Editorial Associate

Rowan is an Editorial Associate and Apprentice Writer for TechRadar. A recent addition to the news team, he is involved in generating stories for topics that spread across TechRadar's categories. His interests in audio tech and knowledge in entertainment culture help bring the latest updates in tech news to our readers.

He has been writing for publications since he started his studies at age 18. Rowan graduated from Cardiff University in 2023 after attaining a Master's in Creative Writing, and earlier a Bachelor's in Media, Journalism, and Culture. He began his journey as a writer at Cardiff University's Quench Magazine contributing to film/ TV, music, and culture sections, later becoming Music Section Editor.

In his free time, Rowan is a freelance writer for Cardiff-based culture magazine Buzz where he reviews music, film, and conducts interviews with featured guests. When he is not writing, you can find him at any given music gig, or endlessly scrolling TikTok immersing in celebrity news and drama.

Articles by: Rowan Davies

A phone on a green background showing the WhatsApp username setup process

WhatsApp just opened username reservations for three billion people — here’s how to claim your handle before it's taken

By Rowan Davies Published 29 June 26

WhatsApp is tightening the screws on its privacy with the announcement of usernames.

Netflix subscribers are furious at the platform’s latest update — now users are required to use separate email addresses for account profiles, but some think they've found a handy workaround

By Rowan Davies Published 29 June 26

A new Netflix update requires you to add email addresses to individual profiles, and users think it's another password crackdown situation.

Two smartphones showing Spotify's Reserved notification and in-app pop-up

Spotify tries to explain how its 'Reserved by Spotify' early ticket access will work — but it still hasn't answered my biggest question

By Rowan Davies Published 18 June 26

Spotify is rolling out its ticket priority tool Reserved, but it raises questions on who the 'bigger fans' really are.

The new Google Home Speaker is launching next week, and you can pre-order your new smart hub right now — but you’ll need Google Home Premium for the full Gemini package

By Rowan Davies Published 17 June 26

Google has announced that its new Google Home Speaker will be go on sale on June 25.

A smartphone showing Spotify's new Track Reactions

Spotify's new Track Reactions update gives you yet more ways to judge your friends' music taste in Collaborative Playlists — but I'd like the emoji list to be even more brutal

By Rowan Davies Published 17 June 26

Spotify's new Track Reactions give you a new way to interact with your friends in Collaborative Playlists.

The Roku homescreen next to a smartphone with the Fox News app

‘Time for a new streaming stick’: Fox is acquiring Roku for $22 billion, and users of the streaming devices are far from happy

By Rowan Davies Published 15 June 26

Fox and Roku have entered a $22 billion agreement, but Roku users fear the damage it could cause.

A close-up of the Miko cassette player by Gadhouse with wired earbuds plugged in

I ditched Spotify and bought a cheap cassette Walkman — one month on I've fallen back in love with music and my tape stash is overtaking my vinyl collection

By Rowan Davies Published 13 June 26

I used a cassette player for the first time, and it's become my favorite way to enjoy the albums I love the most.

23 Comments

The Trump T1 phone, Link in bed, and an iPhone

ICYMI: here's the week's 8 biggest tech news stories from WWDC 2026 to Trump's not-so-made-in-America phone

By Hamish Hector Published 13 June 26

The week's biggest tech news from Nintendo, Apple, Trump Mobile, and more for June 13, 2026.

Two smartphones showing Spotify's New Music Friday Playlist and Olivia Rodrigo's new album

Spotify is giving one of its best playlists a big visual upgrade to give subscribers ‘a closer connection’ to its New Music Friday curators — and I think it could be the update it’s always needed

By Rowan Davies Published 12 June 26

Spotify is rolling out videos to its New Music Friday playlist, spotlighting its editors new music recommendations.

Google says a ‘certain speaker’ will finally go on sale next week, marking its first new smart hub in over six years — and it could just be the reason I abandon my trusted Amazon Echo

By Rowan Davies Published 12 June 26

Google might have just confirmed that the new Google Home Speaker is officially arriving next week.

2 Comments

Does your Apple TV support tvOS 27? These two models have surprisingly been dropped from upgrade support much earlier than expected

By Rowan Davies Published 11 June 26

tvOS will come with a handful of performance boosts, but Apple is leaving two models out of the update.

Some Spotify users are convinced the platform is creating AI artist profiles and bios, and I think these conspiracy theories are getting out of hand — and there are other music fans who agree

By Rowan Davies Published 10 June 26

Spotify is facing more scrutiny over AI slop, but the accusations are getting out of hand.

The Philips Skylight attached to a home ceiling mimicking a blue sky

Philips just launched a new ceiling light that looks like a skylight, and I think it looks incredible — but its lack of smart features might not justify its hefty price tag

By Rowan Davies Published 10 June 26

Philips is launching an impressive ceiling light that mimics natural daylight, but it doesn't have smart home integration just yet.

An iPad showing a 3D-rendered aerial view of a city in Apple Maps

Apple Maps has a huge iOS 27 upgrade on the way for Flyover that will help you ‘see cities around the world like never before’ — and users think it’s down to Gaussian Splatting, the next big 3D photography craze

By Rowan Davies Published 9 June 26

Apple Maps' Flyover view will look even more detailed in iOS 27, and it could give Google a run for its money.

Nest Mini and Nest Audio speakers are mysteriously vanishing from the shelves, and I'm convinced the new Google Home Speaker is arriving soon

By Rowan Davies Published 9 June 26

Google has wiped the Nest Mini and Nest Audio speakers from its online store, meaning its new smart speaker could be imminent.

Apple Music is getting a mini iOS 27 glow-up — but it still lacks the features many subscribers actually want

By Rowan Davies Published 9 June 26

Apple Music's iOS 27 revamp isn't the most striking — and we're still waiting for playback continuity upgrades.

Apple's new, AI-powered Siri is finally here — here are the biggest upgrades coming with Siri AI

By Rowan Davies Published 8 June 26

Apple has unveiled iOS 27, and its long-awaited AI-powered Siri at WWDC 2026 — here's what you need to know.

Spotify wants to have more video content, and it could start streaming live concert footage soon — but my scepticism is telling me that YouTube still has the upper hand

By Rowan Davies Published 8 June 26

Spotify is looking to expand its video content, and now it wants to start broadcasting live concerts.

Google Health is getting a staggering 14 new upgrades after Fitbit users dragged it through the dirt, and it’s just the start of Google’s wider improvement plans — but will it be enough to keep users satisfied?

By Rowan Davies Published 5 June 26

A new Google Health update aims to solve a lot of user issues including food logs and activity accuracy.

3 Comments

Large number of students sustaining a written exam indoors of a huge hall and the Chamelo smart glasses

‘In the worst cases, they could lose all their A-level grades’: Students could resort to using smart glasses and hidden ear pieces to cheat in exams — but it’s not just a threat to UK schools

By Rowan Davies Published 5 June 26

UK government warns that cheating cases in exams are increasing, and it's because of the rise of smart devices.

Ereaders are only going to get smarter thanks to E Ink’s partnership with MediaTek, and it could be a big improvement to color displays — but AI is unfortunately involved

By Rowan Davies Published 2 June 26

E Ink and MediaTek want to make future ereaders smarter, but that includes having AI-integrated features.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 watch in grey worn on a female wrist

Fitness trackers are back — hot on the heels of the Google Fitbit Air, Samsung is reportedly launching a new Galaxy Fit

By Rowan Davies Published 2 June 26

The Galaxy Fit 4 fitness tracker could be in development at Samsung, and it could arrive later this year.

Spotify could be giving you more freedom on how your profile looks to your friends, and I think it could be the start of the platform’s much-needed social overhaul — but there are other issues I think need more attention first

By Rowan Davies Published 1 June 26

Spotify could allow you to change your username and add a bio to your profile, but I think there are other social features to improve first.

The Google Pixel Watch 5 has reportedly leaked in a bizarre scuba diving discovery, but the incident is more than a bit fishy

By Rowan Davies Published 1 June 26

A Google Pixel Watch 5 has been found at the bottom of the sea, and it's the most unhinged tech leak since the iPhone 4 in 2010.

The new Google Home Speaker could finally have a release date thanks to this leaky retailer — here’s when Google’s first smart speaker in six years could be hitting the shelves

By Rowan Davies Published 1 June 26

Best Buy Canada has leaked the release date for the Google Home Speaker, and it could be arriving on June 25.

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