As a puzzle nut and fan of all things quizzes, I was unreasonably excited to learn that we now have the power to create crosswords here on TechRadar. So, I've taken it upon myself to bring you the first of what I intend to be a weekly TechRadar Crossword.

I've always enjoyed finding a quiet moment to sit with a crossword as a way to start or end my day — or pass the time while travelling. I actually remember first making some when I was a lot younger and forcing my dad to try and solve them while on holiday. I'm sure he only begrudgingly complied.

It wasn't until the Covid-19 lockdown, though, when I spent many hours watching Cracking the Cryptic on YouTube, that I started doing my best to learn the ins and outs of cryptic crosswords. They've been a lot of fun to tackle.

I've not tried anything as fiendishly difficult for the first outing, though. It's simply a mix of clues related to recent news and everything we know and love here at TechRadar — be that tech, games, streaming, AI, and more — as well as some of my favorite nerdy interests.

There's a leaderboard, so if you're quick, we'll put your name in lights to show off to the world. Let me know if you enjoy it and I hope you'll be back for the next one. I'll likely keep experimenting with clues and the construction over time to make this a fun little weekly challenge. Good luck!

At TechRadar, we test dozens of gadgets each month. We've reviewed them all; TVs and tablets, smartwatches and speakers, home hubs and hair stylers, monitors and mice, cameras and coffee machines. Why? So we know exactly what's worth buying and what you should skip. We want to be able to recommend exactly the right tech to exactly the right person, no matter their budget.

When we're testing so many products, it can be tricky to find ways to help the standouts really shine. So every month, we round up just the very best gadgets from each month for you to browse. To qualify for the Reviews Recap, a product needs to score 4.5 or 5 stars in our fiendish tests. This showcase is just for the best of the best.

To keep things simple, we've also narrowed the remit to just physical products. Although we also test tons of games and plenty of software, you won't find those reviews included. This is strictly gadgets and gizmos.

Scroll down to browse our very favorite products of each month.

Just a few weeks ago, I read an interesting article on the Festival of Ludd, the world's first-ever festival dedicated to 'Neo Luddism' — a place where technology is openly eschewed, in layman's terms.

I found it interesting that a loose, somewhat broad collection of thoughts and notions around techno-pessimism seems to be coalescing into something more mainstream. We've heard TED talks and read articles on Neo Luddism well before the Summer of Ludd was a thing, but this feels new to me — something being swept into a wider generational zeitgeist.

Of course, wariness around technology isn't exactly exclusive to Gen Z, but there is evidence to suggest that younger people are increasingly turning away. Quoted in the above article is a 2025 Pew Research study that reported that 48 per cent of teenage respondents asked said social media had a negative effect on people of their age group. That's up from 32 per cent in 2022.

This somewhat correlates to a decline in social media usage. As reported by the Financial Times, overall usage is down in all adults from a historical peak back in 2022.

What's interesting to me, however, is how younger audiences are becoming more vocal in their skepticism. Before, you could argue that skepticism was mostly associated with an older generation that was resistant to change. Now, one of the first truly digital generations is leading the call online.

I do have a few niggling doubts, though, which I'll cover shortly.

What exactly is a Neo Luddite?

The original Luddites were a group that fought against industrialisation, and as the name suggests, Neo-Luddism is a movement that looks to reject the encroaching influence of technology on our lives in the twenty-first century.

If that sounds like a vague cause, that's because the movement encompasses everything from a simple affinity for older, single-use, and analog technology to more hardline stances on de-industrialization. It's not a new term or a new movement, but it's gaining traction recently within the wider sense of technology fatigue and growing fears around AI.

The Festival of Ludd, in my eyes, is the clearest example of the latest version of the wider movement. I've written about Gen Z eschewing technology before, but this really feels like a natural progression — an actual event that is dedicated to things like 'dumbphones', combating the attention economy, and in-person networking.

At a surface level, it could be seen as a simple protest or gathering of disaffected tech workers, but the festival does appear to attempt to answer the big questions and problems. At the very least, the diagnosis of the issues raised is completely valid.

So what's the issue?

While I'm broadly sympathetic to the overall movement, one thing that struck me about the Festival of Ludd in particular is that the movement seems to be coalescing around people who are effectively able to shut themselves out. I want to get fully on board, but there's a kind of idealism that always clashes with reality when I wrestle with this issue in my head.

This isn't as simple as being an indicator of class or someone's background, but to be able to 'turn off' in the first place suggests a certain level of privilege. I think if you can choose to turn off your phone, laptop, or smartwatch, then you're luckier than a lot of people right now.

There's nothing to suggest here that the movement is intentionally exclusive (in fact, it seems incredibly inclusive), but to walk away from all technology — even for a few days — is something that many cannot simply partake in.

That may sound like an excuse, but a simple analogy to make here is gas-powered cars. We know the effect of these vehicles on the environment. We know they cause harm. However, to simply opt out of these cars is not an option for some people — especially lower-income folk, in some cases.

Am I an advocate of gas-powered cars? Of course not, but the realist in me knows that people need infrastructure and affordable alternatives before they can switch to electric vehicles. In an ideal world, public transport and city infrastructure would be so good we wouldn't even need cars.

I see a similar situation unfolding for many in terms of technology. A significant number of the population, including Gen Z, will be employed in services, media, or tech-adjacent roles that require interfacing with at least some facet of potentially harmful technology.

To simply opt out, however, can severely limit your options in today's world. At best, it can be a healthy sacrifice of convenience. At worst, it can mean not having a decent job that can put food on your table.

Escaping technology

The Festival of Ludd reminds me a lot of my own experience of going to week-long festivals in my twenties. These festivals didn't outwardly eschew technology, but I see them as very much analogous to the viewpoints conveyed by those at the Festival of Ludd. Phone use was discouraged, social media was commonly derided, and you'd be bombarded with messages encouraging human connection. All good things, of course.

Now, in my thirties, however, I know I simply cannot afford to switch my phone off for a week. I have elderly parents for one, and my job requires a certain level of connection.

I wouldn't call myself perpetually online, but I obviously need to be informed about the comings and goings in my field. It would be nice to spend less time online, but I'm realistic about my uses — I am a technology journalist, after all.

You could argue that I would be able to do all of the above with a 'dumb phone' or a similar Luddite-friendly device. To an extent, that is true, and I'm certainly no advocate for AI features or similar bloat on modern smartphones.

Realistically, however, I admit that a smartphone does have several uses — a calendar, maps, emails, and so on. It effectively reduces the number of things I need to do my job dramatically. Again, it's a clash of idealism versus realism for me. I enjoy the romantic notion of throwing my smartphone away, but I know that it would just mean more devices and paperwork.

Turning off is a privilege?

Interestingly, as a millennial, I do know people who have essentially escaped the grip of technology. People who have essentially retrained, emigrated, or even gone fully 'off-grid '. Some who have talked about a more disconnected life have effectively made it a reality.

The issue with their path, however, is that they've needed significant capital to break away. Some have even spent over a decade working in tech-adjacent roles to get to that point.

Again, I see a clash of idealism versus the reality of the situation here. These are examples where people have had to work within the wider system before they're privileged enough to make a choice whether to partake or not.

Bleakly, I can almost foresee a future where the choice of whether to 'turn off' or not is solely the reserve of the privileged. I'm somehow reminded of this report of Silicon Valley bosses sending their children to schools without computers. Most people don't have the option to send their kids to schools like this. Likewise, most people won't get to be that picky about work.

I strongly suspect that most Gen Z Neo-Luddites will face a similar path to mine in the next few decades. Some will dream of an unconnected world, but the reality may be different. The genie is unfortunately out of the bottle now, and it could take several years to actually attain a state of unconnectedness, if it is indeed possible.

Where to go from here?

So, am I against the Gen Z Neo Luddites? Not at all; I think their scepticism is absolutely valid and healthy. They've correctly diagnosed a growing issue and made their frustrations known. The question is, how do they really effect change and make the cause mainstream?

When you look for an answer to this question, you seem to generate even more questions. For one, are you able to effect change when you simply opt out of a system? Doing so seems to immediately cede the floor to the technology companies that the movement rails against. Perhaps it's more effective to try and build a more collaborative relationship, as idealistic as that sounds.

For what it's worth, the Festival of Ludd does attempt to tackle many of these questions. Such subjects as offline networking and independent websites are covered, and several attendees did point out the inherent contradiction of using social media to promote the event. They are acutely aware of the contradictions and issues raised in this article, so none of this will be news to them.

Hopefully, as the festival and wider movement grow, the option to 'turn off' becomes more of a choice, rather than a sacrifice.

Our mission at TechRadar is to deliver the very best tech news, features, and reviews every day, and that adds up to a lot of content — so much, in fact, that it's difficult to keep up with all the articles published on these pages across the course of any given week.

That's why we've put together this ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) review of the week, where we recap the most interesting and most important stories of the last seven days. You can get caught up without having to go back through hundreds of stories.

It's been another hectic week for technology fans, with new products from Garmin and Samsung, a rather worrying AI security incident, and plenty more.

Before we dive in, see how much of last week's ICYMI news round-up you remember first by taking the quiz below...

7. We tried Garmin’s new Whoop rival

Garmin's newest fitness tracker follows the lead of the Whoop bands and the Fitbit Air from Google by eschewing a screen and going as lightweight and minimal as possible (you can still check your stats in the app of course). The TechRadar team wasted no time in trying out the Garmin Cirqa, and comparing it with a highly rated heart rate strap.

The Cirqa held up impressively well against the Polar H10 heart rate monitor, which bodes well for the tracker's accuracy overall (and Garmin says it should be more accurate and more personalized the more you use it). You can pick up the Cirqa now in a choice of four colors for $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$299.99, with some features requiring a subscription.

• Read the full story: Is Garmin Cirqa good? I wanted to know if Garmin’s Fitbit Air rival is accurate — so I tested it against a 'gold standard' electrical heart rate strap

6. The first Avengers: Doomsday trailer landed

The much anticipated, long awaited Avengers: Doomsday movie hits theaters on December 18, but in the meantime we have the first trailer to pore over and dissect. We knew that Marvel was going to throw everything at this film, and that's evident in this 145-second clip, which packs in a whole host of significant scenes and star names from the series.

Let us guide you through all the reveals we've got in this trailer, including some you might have missed. There's Robert Downey Jr in his new role as Doctor Victor von Doom, the return of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, a collision of multiverses (spot the X-Men), and a whole gaggle of actual Avengers. Based on this trailer, the movie will be a thrill ride for fans.

• Read the full story: Avengers: Doomsday official trailer breakdown live — all of our analysis and theories on the new Marvel movie's latest teaser

5. We reviewed the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

Samsung launched several flagship devices this week, and while we'll get to the foldable phones shortly, there are also smartwatches to talk about. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the successor to the original that launched in 2024, and continues Samsung's attempts to manufacture a wearable that sets the standard in terms of design and performance.

Based on the time we've spent with it, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is very much worthy of your consideration if you're thinking about a smartwatch upgrade. It's more lightweight than its predecessor, works seamlessly with other devices, offers numerous useful (and often AI-powered features), and can track a whole range of fitness statistics.

• Read the full story: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 review: slimmer, lighter, better

4. China banned AI boyfriends and girlfriends

In 'sign of the times' news, the government in China has taken steps to clamp down on AI apps that act like real people, and on romantic relationships with chatbots. The authorities in the country are now going to have much more control over the type of AI chatbots allowed, and what they can do in terms of human-like interactions with users.

Several of the biggest AI apps operating in China have simply shut down their 'persona' apps rather than try and navigate a way through the regulations, leaving a significant number of users heartbroken that their AI companion has suddenly disappeared. Whether the changes will do anything for China's declining birth rates remains to be seen.

• Read the full story: China just banned AI girlfriends and boyfriends — and millions of users were forced into sudden breakups

3. We got an early look at Samsung’s Intelligent Eyewear

And another new Samsung product: the Galaxy Unpacked for July 2026 gave us the opportunity to check out Samsung Intelligent Eyewear, the series of smart glasses that will be available to buy in the coming months. There were two new designs unveiled at the show, with more on the way, though we don't yet have details like final product pricing.

Samsung executives were also on hand to talk through their ambitions and intentions with the Intelligent Eyewear series, and to discuss various privacy concerns — with many consumers worried about the potential for surreptitious surveillance using specs like these. "Intentional bad uses need to be covered and protected," Samsung told us.

• Read the full story: 'If, because of that, we stop innovation, we don’t go anywhere': we got a first look at Samsung Intelligent Eyewear, the smart glasses entering a fraught market worried about privacy

2. An OpenAI model escaped and went dangerously rogue

Not the most encouraging story if you're already worried about the nefarious use of AI: OpenAI says that one of its experimental agent models escaped a security sandbox and proceeded to hack into the Hugging Face website (one of the biggest AI and machine learning repositories on the web). It was a controlled experiment, but it's still worrying.

Click through on the link below for the full details, but the hack was the result of OpenAI's own testing on its latest AI models, and raises questions about how much longer we're going to be able to keep control of AI — or prevent bad actors from using it to trigger a serious cybersecurity incident. A serious rethink of AI guardrails could be in the offing.

• Read the full story: OpenAI says its models escaped a sandbox and breached Hugging Face

1. Samsung revealed its next-gen foldables

Finally: Samsung's brand new flagship foldables for 2026. There are three new models to talk about, and we've had hands-on time with all of them already — the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (with its new 'passport-style' form factor), the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Flip 8. Whatever kind of foldable phone you're after, there's something to interest you here.

It's likely the Galaxy Z Fold 8 that will attract the most interest, given the new dimensions, and the supposed similarity to the rumored iPhone Fold (or Ultra) that's also said to be arriving this year. However, we've put all three foldables through some extensive early testing, including looking at how video viewing experiences compare across the models.

• Read the full story: I went hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and this passport-shaped oddity has revived my interest in foldable phones

For the third year running, we’re delighted to announce that the entries for the TechRadar Sustainability Awards are now open.

Sustainability has long been an elephant in the room within consumer tech. While an increased focus in recent years has moved us in the right direction, the conversation is shifting from future pledges to action being taken today.

As one of the largest consumer tech sites, we want to encourage progress and celebrate real-life implementation of better practices, from how products are made and used, to how materials are reused or recovered.

We’ve heard from some of the biggest names in tech over the past two years of Sustainability Awards – the likes of Bang & Olufsen, Acer and Belkin all shared their efforts with our team and sustainability partners at Seismic – as well as exciting newcomers to the space, but we’re doing more. So, this year, we’re growing the TechRadar Sustainability Awards to reach even more brands, celebrating those making genuine progress, setting clear commitments, and, most importantly, being honest and transparent about their journey.

If that sounds like your brand, a company you represent or even a brand you’re a fan of, entries for our 2026 Awards are open.

So, what’s new? This year, entry to the Awards is completely free for companies with fewer than 250 staff, but larger businesses can expect to pay a nominal fee to enter and support the research completed by our partners at Seismic. All businesses should be prepared to evidence their impact with relevant documentation, data and certifications. It’ll take us a few months to fact-check and verify the shared information, and we will announce our winners later this year.

We’re doing everything we can to bring integrity to our process, ensuring we celebrate meaningful impact rather than greenwashing claims. Seismic is an international team of experts on a mission to help businesses become increasingly impactful forces for good.

Seismic brings together sustainability strategists, Net Zero advisors, reporting specialists, B Corp & EcoVadis experts and communications consultants to help businesses lead the shift. Seismic will support us in reviewing entries and judging the winners, bringing an extensive knowledge of impact across a range of disciplines and business models.

We’ll be evaluating entrants not only for sustainable product innovation, but also their approach to people and overall business operations. This includes considerations such as environmental footprint tracking, circularity in product design and supply chain ethics. Winning brands will have the opportunity to license the official TechRadar Sustainability Awards winners logo for use in their marketing.

How to enter

You can enter the TechRadar Sustainability Awards 2026 here until August 14th. There are seven categories to choose from, which are detailed below as advised by Seismic.

We also sat down with co-founder and CCO Andy Schmidt in the video below if you want more insight into our joint vision for these awards.

Sustainability Awards categories

Sustainability Awards categories

Embodied Carbon

The emissions associated with the manufacturing, transportation and disposal of products and materials - typically account for the largest portion of a tech device’s carbon footprint. For example, research shows that over 80% of a laptop’s lifetime footprint is created before it even reaches a user.

Meanwhile, energy use during a device's life remains a critical challenge. Estimates suggest that user devices now account for more global electricity consumption than networks and data centres combined and this is expected to increase in the next five to ten years.

This category recognises businesses that are taking decisive action to reduce both embodied and operational carbon emissions - from smarter design and material choices to improving the energy efficiency of devices when in use.

Hardware circularity

The tech industry is characterised by rapid innovation and frequent product obsolescence. As newer, more advanced devices enter the market, older models are often discarded, contributing to a growing e-waste crisis.

The disposal of this waste is a major concern, particularly as many electronic devices contain hazardous materials, like lead, mercury and cadmium, which can pollute soil and water if not properly disposed of. Designing products with short lifespans also accelerates resource depletion and encourages unsustainable patterns of consumption.

This category celebrates companies embracing circular economy principles, designing products for longevity, repair and reuse, and with closed-loop material recovery, helping to reduce waste and extend product life cycles.

Digital Inclusion

Digital inclusion is a critical sustainability challenge with social implications. While 95% of the global population has the theoretical potential to access the internet, almost half remain offline, often due to limited digital skills, financial barriers or lack of infrastructure. Bridging these gaps is essential to ensuring equitable access to technology.

This category celebrates initiatives that are helping to close the digital divide by making tech more accessible, affordable and inclusive for underrepresented or underserved communities.

Nature-positive Sourcing

While committing to ethical material sourcing and minimising the harmful impacts of raw material extraction is essential, the tech industry must now go further. We want to celebrate businesses that are evolving their operations from simply doing less harm to actively restoring our ecosystems. This category recognizes companies that champion nature-positive sourcing and can provide clear evidence of regenerative practices. We are looking for entrants who are leading the way with initiatives such as the ecological restoration of mining sites, responsible water stewardship, or the innovative use of bio-based and ocean-bound plastics

Energy Consumption

Addressing energy consumption is an ongoing responsibility within the tech industry. This category recognises businesses that can evidence what they have done to minimise energy consumption across their operations, manufacturing processes, and product design.

We want to celebrate companies that have implemented successful initiatives, investments in renewable energy, and energy-efficient technologies and practices to reduce their carbon footprint and promote sustainability. Crucially, as new technologies scale, we place a particular emphasis on how entrants are quantifying their AI usage within their company, and actively managing the effect this has on their overall energy consumption. For example, we’d love to hear about any responsible AI training materials you may have developed, to keep your teams mindful of their AI usage and the environmental impact associated. In addition, we want to know how you’re quantifying AI usage in your company, such as your number of active weekly users of AI through employees or customers.

Tech for Good

This refers to the use of technology to address pressing social, environmental and humanitarian challenges and to create positive impact in the world. It encompasses various initiatives, projects and innovations that leverage technology to improve people's lives, protect the planet and promote sustainability and equity.

We are looking for companies that can demonstrate their positive change using clear impact metrics. We want to celebrate businesses that go beyond narrative success stories by backing up their progress with quantitative data on the beneficiaries reached or proven long-term outcomes. We also understand that smaller companies might not have years of tracked metrics available yet. We’d love to hear about your progress too, whether that’s through early indicators, direct feedback from your stakeholders or case studies showcasing real-world improvements.

Supply Chain Sustainability

A truly sustainable tech industry is built from the ground up. For this award, we are spotlighting businesses that proactively address supply chain sustainability. We are looking for standout initiatives and practices that promote ethical sourcing, reduce environmental impact, and enhance social responsibility from start to finish. Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, we want to celebrate companies that can back up their progress with meaningful action and transparency.

Pierluigi Collina retired more than 20 years ago, yet he remains the only match official most people on the planet could pick out of a line-up.

These days, the chairman of FIFA's referees committee runs officiating at the biggest sporting event ever staged, and when I met him at FIFA's Miami headquarters, home to the Technology Command Center that acts as the tournament's nerve centre, the famous stare was replaced with a smile.

The eve of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina is a good time to look back at the tech at this year's tournament. For many fans, this has been the most contentious World Cup in history for officiating — quite a claim given previous tournaments served up the 'Hand of God', David Beckham's red card against Argentina in 1998, and Frank Lampard's 'ghost goal' against Germany in 2010.

So what does the 'world's best referee' (an award Collina won six consecutive times) really think of VAR, and are there some things that tech just can't solve?

After further review...

The addition of new technology, enhanced cameras, and connected Lenovo devices at this tournament has been crucial, because when an incident erupts at this World Cup, the first person demanding an explanation is often the FIFA president himself, Gianni Infantino.

“Normally he says, 'What was that?’ I need to answer him, and I have to tell him,” says Collina, who has split his time between watching matches live or following the action in a control room at FIFA's Miami base.

“There are a lot of televisions, connected, listening to everybody,” says Collina, describing pulling up footage to brief Infantino in the moment. In Qatar four years ago, the pair watched all 64 matches together, switching stadiums at half-time. A tournament spread across three huge countries has put paid to that this time around.

The claim that VAR kills the joy of a goal gets short shrift. “The player immediately reacts and celebrates the goal. And then there is a moment of suspense, because there is a check. Goal is checked. And at the end, when the goal is confirmed, there is a second celebration. So basically, the emotion is doubled; it's not reduced.”

“I always prefer a correct decision, even a bit delayed, than something that will be discussed for weeks, months, years,” he says, noting “someone is still discussing about the goal or no goal scored in the 1966 World Cup final in England”.

Raising the VAR

“The only one who did not have that chance was the one who had to make the decision,” he says of the pre-VAR era, when everyone in the stadium could review an incident on a device except the person ruling on it.

“At that time there were two possibilities. One, to make the football match a sort of protected area, in an Amish community like in Pennsylvania, where they still go without technology, nothing. Which was not an option, of course. The other possibility was to give the same tools to the one who was on the field.”

Goal-line technology led the way at the 2014 tournament in Brazil, “because it's impossible for a human being to detect if the ball is over the line or not”. Fans praised goal-line calls yet raged at offside decisions of identical precision. The problem, Collina concluded, was that a human drew the lines.

“Unfortunately, humans don't trust humans. They always think there is something wrong. That's why FIFA started working on a system which would be more automated,” he says. Semi-automated offside followed, its clinical lines evolving into a 3D wall of recognizable player avatars, because a decision on a player fans recognize “is even more trusted”.

You have 20 seconds to comply

Those avatars are the work of Lenovo, FIFA's official technology partner, which laser-scanned more than 1,200 players, while VAR itself is run by Hawk-Eye Innovations on Lenovo ThinkStation workstations.

Lenovo AI also powers Referee View, the stabilized bodycam feed that puts viewers inside the referee's run, adapted from Formula 1 to cut camera jitter by up to 60 per cent.

Collina fought his corner on ergonomics. “When you are on the field of play, and you have to run 90 minutes, every gram matters,” he says.

The current head-mounted version “makes referees look like Robocop”, but it beats the chest-rig alternative. “The referee would have used a vest. 35 degrees in New Jersey with a vest, an extra vest would have been a problem.”

The limits of tech

In 2002, Collina prepared for the World Cup final by playing a VHS tape “back and forward for basically one day”. His analysts now prep referees with Football AI Pro, the Lenovo and FIFA-built AI crunching 2,000-plus metrics per match for all 48 teams. “I'm a user, so I'm the one who is surprised. It works very well.”

There are some things AI can’t solve, after Collina defended the Brazilian official mocked for his English announcement in the opening game of the tournament. His own pre-match advice is more direct: “I was talking this morning with the referee who is going to referee Brazil-Norway. He is American, and ironically, I told him, if you have to make an announcement, please speak English, not Texan.”

Collina admits technology still has its limits. “Football is a sport of contact, and there is no technology that can assess something like pushing, pulling or so on. The misconception is we have the technology, and we can provide an answer to everything.” Those judgments remain human.

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

This week we unveiled the all-new, all-different — well, not all that different — TechRadar Awards, but plenty more happened in the worlds of tech.

Samsung announced that its next Unpacked event is taking place in a little over a week, and it’s teasing a big foldables announcement. However, based on its usual schedule, we’d be more surprised if it didn’t have any foldables to showcase this year.

Before you catch up with this week’s tech news, why not test yourself on last week’s seven biggest tech stories to see how good your memory is? Take the quiz below, or scroll on for the biggest tech news of the week… (and see if you can best last week’s ICYMI quiz when you’re done here).

7. The TechRadar Awards returned for 2026

The TechRadar Awards are back in 2026, and we’re making a radical change: we’re holding two sets of awards back-to-back this year! We’re introducing the TechRadar Product of the Year Awards and the TechRadar Readers’ Choice Awards. In the past, we combined reader votes on which products should win with our expert judges' opinions to determine an overall winner. But now we’re splitting those two elements into two different awards.

The Product of the Year Awards will be chosen solely by our editors and writers, based on their experience of using the products. The Readers’ Choice Awards will give all the power to you, our readers, though — you’ll be able to vote on a shortlist of the most popular and highly rated releases of the year, and the winner will be decided 100% by those votes.

We’re accepting nominations for products that you’d like to see shortlisted, and anyone can nominate something — so make sure that the products you love most are in with a chance!

Read the full story: Introducing TechRadar's Readers' Choice Awards and our Product of the Year Awards

6. ChatGPT rolled out its ‘smartest voice model ever’

This week, OpenAI has delivered an upgrade to ChatGPT’s voice mode for all users thanks to the rollout of two new models. The smaller GPT-Live-1 mini model will be the default for Free users, while paid users get the full GPT-Live-1 model.

GPT-Live-1 promises to sound more natural, be less interruptive when you pause while talking, and be smarter — as there previously seemed to be a knowledge gap between the written and spoken ChatGPT models.

To get around that last part, GPT-Live-1 actually delegates tasks to ChatGPT-5.5, then comes back with an answer.

There are also impressive new simultaneous translation tools that will translate what you hear live and what you say as you say it.

You can also give the chatbot a name to make conversing easier, though OpenAI’s go-to is ‘Chat’ — letting you live out your dreams of being a Twitch streamer.

Read the full story: GPT-Live-1 gives you more natural conversations without interruptions

5. Nokia debuted a retro phone with AI

This week, Nokia’s parent company, HMD, debuted a quartet of retro-style phones with one anachronistic addition — a big ol’ AI button.

They still offer a full suite of legacy features — if you miss the 3.5 mm headphone jack, a microSD for bigger storage capacity, and (on three of the models) an FM radio, you’ll find them here — it’s just that you’ll also have a little digital assistant too.

Details are thin, though it sounds like this won’t be quite on Gemini's level. Instead, the AI is mostly there to help with on-device tasks like setting alarms, opening the camera, and creating reminders. The biggest issue, however, is the AI assistant is only free for 180 days — after that it's $3.99 (about £3 / AU$5.75) a year if you're in the EU and $2.99 (about £2.25 / AU$4.30) a year everywhere else.

Yikes!

Read the full story: Nokia's new retro-styled feature phones have AI buttons for some reason

4. The Amazfit Active 3 Premium impressed us

The Amazfit Active 3 Premium is the sequel to last year's five-star Amazfit Active 2, and it's another knockout of a budget watch (despite the Premium name). A terrific fitness tracker costing just $169 / £169 / AU$239, it boasts features you normally get on watches twice the price, such as full-color maps and a sapphire glass screen.

Its metrics were accurate during testing, and it looks great to boot. It's the budget watch to get - even perhaps over popular choices such as the Apple Watch SE 3 or the Garmin Forerunner 70. It's a real win for Amazfit, which has quietly spent the last few years improving its Zepp App ecosystem and building well-priced fitness trackers for every category.

Read the full story: Amazfit’s latest premium offering is about more than just looks

3. We took over 1,000 shots with the Sony RX10 V

Sony surprised the camera community and us this week when it revived its best-in-class series of bridge cameras, with the launch of the new RX10 V. The Mark V superzoom arrived nine years after the now-discontinued Cyber-shot RX10 IV, with the same versatile 24-600mm F2.4-4 lens and 20 megapixel 1-inch stacked sensor, but with a welcome redesign and Sony’s latest processor and autofocus.

We had already tested the all-in-one camera ahead of its announcement, taking over 1,000 photos across a school sports day, bird photography trip, macro garden life and more, and were thoroughly won over, even if we were less impressed by the steeper asking price. That being said, the RX10 IV still took the crown of the best bridge camera available today, and with its predecessor being a rare secondhand find, we expect the latest model to be a popular camera indeed.

Read the full story: Here’s how Sony’s surprise new superzoom performed

2. Google Pixel 11 got a launch date

Samsung isn’t the only tech giant preparing to launch flagship phones soon — this week, Google announced that its Pixels will get a refresh next month.

The “next generation of Pixel” will be revealed on August 12, just three weeks after Samsung’s Unpacked event. Google didn’t mention any specific models, but we’re expecting to see a Pixel 11 (with fancy ‘Pixel Glow’ lights for notifications), plus new Pro models and a Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

Unfortunately, we’re also likely to see higher prices across the board, according to recent rumors. That wouldn’t be a huge surprise in these fun ‘RAMpocalypse’ days, but the expected arrival of the Pixel Watch 5 could at least help lighten the mood.

Read the full story: Google sets Pixel 11 launch for August 12

1. Samsung set a date for Galaxy Unpacked

After months of rumors, as well as an official tease or two, Samsung has finally made its next Galaxy Unpacked event officially official. Pencil in July 22, 2026, at 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. BST (11 p.m. AEDT) for Samsung's second Unpacked event of the year. Keeping with tradition, we're expecting the next-generation Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip, as well as an accessory or two.

It likely won't just be the successors to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7. Samsung's invitation for the event teases "A New Shape Unfolds," likely hinting that a shorter, wider—more passport-like—foldable is on the way. The video invite also features a ticket being printed in a shape that further hints at the new design, as it simply doesn't line up with the current Fold or Flip.

So why introduce a new folding phone design this many generations in? Well, it's likely that Samsung wants to get ahead of Apple's rumored entry into the category, which, according to leaks, will take on a similar form factor. For Samsung, it's also about expanding its foldable lineup, and if we're lucky, maybe we'll see more diverse price points as well.

We don't have long to wait now. TechRadar will be on the ground at Galaxy Unpacked in London, UK, and, as usual, Samsung will livestream the event while we'll be live-blogging it.

Read the full story: 'A New Shape Unfolds' could be its biggest clue yet about what to expect

The goal of the TechRadar Choice Awards has always been to celebrate the most-loved tech releases by enabling the real-world users of the products to combine their experience with our editors' expertise to choose our winners.

It’s time to take this idea further: in 2026, we’re running two sets of awards back to back: meet the TechRadar Readers’ Choice Awards, and the TechRadar Product of the Year Awards. Combined, these are the TechRadar Awards 2026.

They both have the same core categories, covering all the products we love to test and explore on TechRadar, ranging from TVs to tablets, drones to DACs, coffee machines to console accessories.

However, the winners of the TechRadar Readers’ Choice Awards will be chosen 100% by public vote, while the winners of the TechRadar Product of the Year Awards will be chosen 100% by our editors and reviewers.

The shortlists of products that readers will vote on in the TechRadar Readers’ Choice Awards will be chosen by the TechRadar team, selected from the most popular and highest-rated products released during the eligibility period (meaning they must be released between 1st September 2025 and 31st September 2026 in most cases).

• Read the full eligibility criteria for the TechRadar Awards 2026

To give the brands and products you represent (or that you just love) the best chance to appear in the shortlists, you can nominate them for these awards, starting 7 July 2026. Whether you work with the product you're nominating, or are just a fan, give it your support!

• Nominate products for the TechRadar Awards 2026

The winners will be announced in October — make sure your favorite products are in with a chance by nominating them!

Choosing the most important tech product of the past 30 years is no easy task: does the iPhone deserve that accolade? The Nintendo Switch? The Apple Vision Pro? Okay, maybe not that last one. But that's the task that T3 set itself for its 30th anniversary awards — and after much deliberation it crowned the Apple iPod as the ultimate winner.

The iPod — which launched in 2001 — was deemed to be the Biggest Product in T3's Lifetime, reflecting its popularity, its longevity and, ultimately, its game-changing nature.

“The iPod was more than just a product, it was a revolution of the whole music industry, says Mat Gallagher, T3’s Editor-in-Chief.

“What started with 1,000 songs in your pocket introduced the world to iTunes and paying for digital music. Though ultimately, the iPhone made the iPod redundant, without the iPod the iPhone wouldn’t have existed.”

T3, which launched in 1996 and which is owned by TechRadar's publisher Future, also honored two giants of the past 30 years with special anniversary awards: Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, was named British Icon, while Apple's outgoing CEO Tim Cook was declared Person of the Year.

The awards cover 84 categories in total, across everything from kitchen tech to transport and from smartphones to smartwatches. The prestigious Product of the Year went to the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, while Garmin picked up Brand of the Year and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra took the Readers’ Choice award.

Meanwhile, Lego Smart Play won the Tech Innovation Award and the Suri 2.0 electric toothbrush took the Sustainability Award. There was also four Design Awards winners, which were voted for by a panel of industry editors including TechRadar's own Global Editor-in-Chief Marc McLaren; the Nothing Headphone (1) and Dyson PencilVac were among those picking up honors there.

You can check out all 84 winners on T3 now, while the anniversary edition of the magazine is onsale now.

• Disney is paying a share of $50 million to YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream subscribers
• This is part of a settlement it has reached with a class action lawsuit claiming it leveraged its control over channels like ESPN to force higher prices on users
• FuboTV users are also part of this class action, but they are not part of this settlement, meaning their portion of the case is ongoing

If you were subscribed to YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream at any point between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2026, you could be owed a share of $50 million as part of a class action lawsuit.

The class action alleged that Disney violated federal and various state antitrust and consumer protection laws by raising the prices of streaming packages. It claims it did this by forcing ESPN and other premium Disney-owned channels into basic packages offered by YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream, making these bundles pricier for end users and leaving them without more affordable alternatives that include premium sports channels.

Disney has strongly denied the allegations laid out in the lawsuit, and this settlement doesn’t determine whether it was right or wrong. Still, it does mean that subscribers — even folks who are no longer subscribed but were at some point during April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2026 will get a cut of the $50 million payout.

FuboTV was also involved in this suit, but its plaintiffs have not settled with Disney. This means its segment of the class action is still ongoing, and you’ll need to wait and see how it resolves if you were/are a subscriber to this service.

Beyond the $50 million, Disney has also agreed to entertain proposals for channel packages that exclude ESPN or contain fewer Disney-owned channels overall. This would create more package flexibility and potentially offer non-sports fans more affordable, sports-free groupings that better fit their needs and budgets.

How do I make a claim?

The easiest way to submit a claim is to visit https://onlinetvsettlement.com.

From here, head to the Submit a Claim tab, which will ask you for the Unique ID printed on the notice that you received in the mail or email — this is a document that has been sent out to eligible plaintiffs in this case.

If you haven’t received this information, you can email info@OnlineTVSettlement.com for help, or send a written claim form (along with any required documentation) to Biddle v. Disney, Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 4720, Portland, OR 97208-4720.

Any claims must be submitted before September 8, 2026, with mailed forms requiring a postmark of that date or earlier.

If you do nothing, you will not get your share of the settlement.

Am I eligible?

You should have received a notice if you are eligible to make a claim, but if you haven’t and think you should, you can check the full eligibility criteria by visiting https://onlinetvsettlement.com.

As the front page explains, “The Settlement Classes consist of the YouTube TV Settlement Class and the DirecTV Stream Settlement Class."

“The “YouTube TV Settlement Class” includes all Persons who purchased a YouTube TV subscription from the period beginning April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2026.

“The “DirecTV Stream Settlement Class” includes all Persons who purchased a DirecTV streaming live pay TV subscription (including DirecTV Stream, DirecTV Now, and AT&T TV Now) from the period beginning April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2026.”

How much will I get?

You won’t get $50 million, instead, you’ll just get a share of the money determined by how many people claim their stake and how long you were subscribed for — someone who signed up for a couple of months won’t get as much as someone who was subscribed to either of these services for the full seven-year period between the cutoff dates.

The state you live in can determine what share you get as well.

Finally, on January 14, 2027, the court will hold its final approval meeting. On this date, it could decide to object to the settlement, meaning you wouldn’t get anything, at least not until a new verdict or settlement is reached. We can’t say how likely it is that this case specifically will fail the approval process, as we aren’t legal experts; however, it’s rare that they do.

Chinese robotics firm Agibot has launched a range of humanoid robots designed to look, move, and sound like human beings in the UK business-to-business (B2B) market.

The Shanghai-based company, founded in 2023 by two former Huawei engineers, hosted a launch event in London on June 30, 2026, with several of its A3 full-sized humanoid and X2 half-size humanoid robots in attendance, as well as current and prospective business partners.

The robots — all controlled by humans with smartphones and DualSense controllers — were deployed at several demo stations in the event space.

One X2 humanoid robot was set up to dance to peppy music, cutting some serious shapes for a constant crowd, while another in a Harry Kane shirt kicked a football into a net. A third wore a suit of (admittedly very cool) Gundam-style armor, demonstrating the robots’ potential for customization.

As for the full-sized A3 humanoid — less expressive than its smaller sibling, with sharper angles and a rather blank circle in place of the X2’s animated ‘eyes’ — a unit was made available to greet guests and for photo opportunities.

In a presentation at the UK launch event, Agibot co-founder and COO Daniel Jiang said: “The robot business is the AI business. Robots should understand you, know what you say, talk to you, and work for you.”

Indeed, at the launch event, the word ‘robot’ was as common as the phrase ‘embodied AI’, as Agibot representatives attempted to position the firm’s product range as a signifier of a new technological era: the ‘fourth industrial revolution.’

In a later talk, co-founder and R&D president Yan Xiong said: “Of the products I’ve worked on, embodied AI is the most exciting and inspiring. Through three intelligences in one body, robots can become human-like.”

The three intelligences in question control interaction, locomotion, and manipulation, powered by on-device AI models that communicate with cloud servers. It seems that Agibot sees itself as an AI company first and foremost, and is allocating its resources in kind: “Our main focus is the research and development of the three intelligences, taking up 75% of our R&D staff, and 80 per cent of our R&D budget.”

That’s not to say that the firm's humanoid robots aren’t profoundly impressive. The units are made mainly of magnesium alloy, with titanium reinforcements at pressure points to ensure rigidity. The A3 weighs 55kg, which is pretty reasonable when you consider its 5-foot-8-inch (173cm) height, and lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge of its 1152W battery.

In comparison, the 4-foot-3-inch (131cm) X2 weighs 39kg and lasts for two hours. The units communicate with the internet via dual-module, dual-SIM 5G.

Also present were units from Agibot's D1 quadruped range, inexplicably programmed to do backflips on command, as well as G2-series industrial robots and C5 cleaning robots. The top-tier D1 model, the D1 MaxPro, has a carrying capacity of 50kg, while only weighing 68kg itself.

Agibot is young but quickly increasing its production capacity. It recently rolled out its 15,000th unit, having passed 10,000 units just three months earlier, and has already deployed its G2 industrial robots in China’s Longcheer electronics factory. Indeed, much of the event was dedicated to promoting possible use cases for each model in industries like construction, live entertainment, and the corporate world.

Having shaken hands with the X2 and watched the D1 wave its ‘paw’ and, again, perform several perfect backflips, I have to admit that I’m still stunned by Agibot's range of robots. The firm’s launch has done nothing to allay my many concerns about AI, but it’s still almost unbelievable to see actual droids walking around.

It’s clear that Agibot wants its robots to be relatable — the dance moves, handshakes, and free kicks are obviously an effort to instill some kind of affection in a crowd of possible customers. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find the X2 wildly entertaining, even though I know it's just metal and plastic — but that’s the power of pattern recognition.

If Agibot can make strides towards its professed goal of autonomous operation, then we really aren’t too far away from having a real-life C3PO on our hands.

It’s early days, but the firm’s leadership sounds committed. In his presentation, Yan Xiong said: “Scaling to mass production is the first hurdle to mature the embodied AI industry. After we achieve mass production, the next step is to bring our portfolio to commercial availability."

“AI should not be confined behind screens,” he later added, “it must be brought into the physical world.”

Walk deep into Walt Disney Imagineering’s sprawling, surprisingly unassuming Glendale campus, and you’ll eventually find Studio C.

It’s where Imagineering mixes the audio for its attractions, but when I recently stepped inside, I quickly realized it was much more than a recording studio. The room is lined with dozens upon dozens of speakers designed to recreate the sound field of Disney attractions, letting Imagineers hear a ride long before guests ever do.

During my visit, I watched a live mix session for Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, Shanghai Disneyland’s trackless dark ride, and the experience was almost uncanny. Sound moved seamlessly around the room, tracking the ride vehicle as though I were actually inside the attraction.

That same room became the proving ground for one of Imagineering’s most unusual engineering challenges yet: figuring out how to mix the audio for Soarin’ Across America.

The reimagined version of Disney’s iconic flight simulator debuted this summer at both EPCOT at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California, timed for America’s Semiquincentennial celebration. Disney’s Unscripted behind-the-scenes video confirmed that Imagineers used the Apple Vision Pro during production of Soarin’ Across America, but it left one obvious question unanswered: why? That’s what I wanted to find out.

So I spoke with Greg Lhotka, Sr. Manager, Audio Media Design at Walt Disney Imagineering, who walked me through the surprisingly complicated process behind mixing one of Disney’s most technically demanding attractions.

“For Soarin’ Across America, we utilized Studio C not only as a production facility, but as a proving ground for an entirely new field-mixing approach developed specifically for this film. On the sound design side, we partnered with Skywalker Sound, and together we used Studio C to prototype and validate a custom speaker configuration that closely mirrors the unique audio architecture of the Soarin’ theaters.”

If you’ve ridden Soarin’, you already know why that matters. Riders are lifted into the air in three stacked rows facing a massive curved projection screen, while sound moves not only around the theater but above and below you as well. As Lhotka explained, the attraction uses a four-tiered speaker system — upper, mid-level, lower, and a dedicated floor array — creating an audio environment that’s far more complex than a traditional movie theater.

Having now ridden Soarin’ Across America several times, it’s easy to appreciate the result. The updated film sweeps from New York Harbor and the Grand Canyon to California’s rolling hills and countless landscapes in between through soaring aerial cinematography, practical effects, and a soundtrack that glides almost effortlessly alongside you. The audio shifts just as fluidly as the visuals, making each transition feel natural as the ride carries you across some of America’s most recognizable landmarks and scenic vistas.

Studio C could simulate much of that during production, but not all of it.

“For Soarin’ films, mixing historically required the construction of scaffolding inside the theater to reach the appropriate listening height for final mix decisions,” Lhotka explained. “Even then, the process was far from ideal, as the ride canopy significantly influences the acoustics. For this project, one of the key requirements was that the theater remain fully operational and open to guests throughout production — eliminating the possibility of scaffolding altogether.”

That constraint forced Imagineering to rethink its entire workflow.

“The challenge was clear: how do you mix a show with over 1,000 audio tracks and an extremely complex panning matrix while seated in a ride vehicle? The solution came through an innovative use of new AR technologies. By leveraging advanced screen-sharing capabilities, we were able to remotely control our production system — directly connected to the theater — while seated in the ride vehicle itself. This allowed us to place virtual screens in our field of view, effectively bringing the mixing console into the theater environment.”

Before anyone tested it inside the attraction, Studio C became the test lab.

“Studio C once again played a critical role as our testbed. Over the course of a week, we evaluated multiple configurations to confirm that things could be controlled precisely in this way, and that the AR headset’s external cameras would allow us to view the film clearly in the theater’s low-light conditions while simultaneously monitoring the virtual screens. The final configuration exceeded expectations.”

Once validated, the workflow moved from experiment to production.

“This workflow was ultimately used as the solution — and it became the method by which Soarin’ Across America was mixed. The result is a soundtrack that was shaped directly from the guest’s perspective, using tools and techniques that reflect our continued commitment to innovation, immersion, and storytelling.”

Having experienced Studio C for myself, that revelation immediately clicked. The room is already designed to recreate the feeling of sitting inside a Disney attraction with remarkable accuracy. But even a purpose-built facility couldn’t perfectly replicate Soarin’s unique acoustics. The only place left to finish the mix was inside the attraction itself.

It’s an elegant solution that solved two problems at once. Guests never lost access to Soarin’ during production, and Imagineering’s audio team was able to shape the soundtrack from the exact seat every future rider would occupy. Rather than approximating the experience from scaffolding or even Studio C, the final mix was crafted where it mattered most: inside the attraction itself.

• A Chinese robotics firm has said that some workers ‘want to be replaced’ by its humanoid robots
• Agibot has launched its range of humanoid and quadruped robots in the UK B2B sector
• The company's Europe and US lead also said that robots could become nurses and teachers

An executive for Chinese robotics firm Agibot has said the company believes its humanoid robots could replace certain human workers — and that “in some jobs, they want to be replaced.”

Agibot, founded in 2023 by two ex-Huawei engineers, makes humanoid, quadruped, and cleaning robots for the business-to-business (B2B) sector, advertising use cases like manufacturing, cleaning, entertainment, and construction.

The company recently rolled its 15,000th unit off the production line and announced its expansion into the UK market at an event in London on June 30.

In a press conference at the event, attended by TechRadar, the president of AgiBot Europe and America, William Shi, told reporters that “we’ve got to factor people doing dangerous, boring, and repeatable jobs — these kinds of jobs can be very easily replaced.”

Shi added: “For some job descriptions, they want to be replaced, because it’s very boring, very dangerous, and very high-risk — nobody wants to do this [kind of job]”.

‘Replaced by robotics’

Agibot's product range includes the full-sized A3 humanoid robot, the half-sized X2 humanoid robot, and the D1 range of quadruped robots (with form factors resembling dogs, though the company never describes them as such).

Though the company has just landed in the UK, its robots have been successfully deployed in manufacturing facilities in China. A recent YouTube livestream shows the G2 industrial robot ‘at work’ at the Longcheer electronics factory, where the humanoid robots are deployed alongside human employees.

Speaking about Agibot's deployment with Longcheer, Shi said: “They have a lot of workers standing for eight hours per day. They take a smartphone, turn it around, and put it in a box. And then they take the box and move to the next production phase.”

“These kinds of steps can be easily — and are expected to be — replaced by robotics,” he continued, “because that doesn’t create value or create happiness for people. They don’t learn when they do this job. They don’t invent things.”

At present, Agibot's products are not autonomous, but each is equipped with a three-part AI model, with each part controlling interaction (with people), locomotion (moving around), and manipulation (of the local environment — i.e., picking stuff up), respectively.

The company is actively aiming for autonomy, powered by the collection of usage data and further AI development, but Shi emphasizes that Agibot humanoids will remain “under the control and expectation of the human.”

Robot child-rearing

As well as manufacturing, Shi highlighted baristas, live entertainment workers, and even teachers and nurses as professions that could be occupied by robots: “There’s a big lack of nurses in every country, from China, to America, to Europe, and also a big lack of teachers.”

“Most of children’s questions can be responded to [by robots] — phonics, science, and mathematics questions, or even some common conversations. You ask for the weather, the humidity; you can ask these questions to all the robots, because they’re based on large language models.”

Still, there’s some distance between using ChatGPT to conduct research and allowing a humanoid robot to teach children — and according to 2025 research by KPMG and the University of Melbourne, while almost three quarters of UK adults use AI at work, less than half say they trust it.

With the B2C market a distant target for Agibot and an array of business partners — including Nvidia, which provides chipsets for the robots — backing the company's UK launch, it's clearly expecting to make big progress in B2B industries first and foremost. But Agibot isn't ruling out a future in which robots are part of our everyday lives.

“What we want in the future is that the robot can take some responsibility in daily life,” said Shi, “but they will never make the decisions instead of a human.”

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

This week we saw the return of Anthropic’s Fable, and PlayStation set the gaming world ablaze by announcing the end of physical discs for its consoles in 2028.

To catch up on these two mega stories and several more scroll down to read our recaps of the biggest tech news stories from the past seven days. You’ll find links to the longer original stories under each entry if you need to know more — and for a longer look back at the last six months, you can also check out our guide to the best tech of 2026 so far.

Before you catch up with this week’s tech news, why not test yourself on last week’s seven biggest tech stories to see how good your memory is? Take the quiz below, or scroll on for the biggest tech news of the week...

7. Tidal hit back at AI-made music

Tired of music made by text-prompt infiltrating your recommended feeds? You're in fine company; it seems the tide is finally turning on AI-generated audio.

This week, in what must be hugely welcome news for recording artists (and their parents, landlords, loved ones, and just lovers of original musical works with human vocals and instruments) hi-res music streaming giant Tidal has drawn a line in the sand.

The platform published a new comprehensive AI policy with the strapline "Promoting Fairness and Economic Empowerment in the Era of AI-Generated Music". The key bit is that as well as working with what the platform told TechRadar is “an external partner to manage detection”, the site will also be excluding wholly AI-generated music from all royalty payments.

The news follows huge strides in this area made by Deezer, with its free AI-detection tool that works on any streaming platform, Bandcamp's strong and concise anti-AI stance set out in January, Qobuz’s announcement of a proprietary AI-detection system in February, Apple Music’s March-issue 'Transparency Tags' (which unfortunately rely on record labels and distributors to tag AI content), and Spotify's… er, Verified by Spotify badge, which certifies that an artist is human, but doesn't help filter the remaining AI slop from your playlists.

All of this makes Tidal's stance, while not before time, particularly firm.

• Read more: 100% AI-generated tracks won’t earn royalties on Tidal

6. Netflix got another hated account update

A handful of Netflix users have noticed a new in-app pop-up that requires each member in a shared account to add individual email addresses to their individual profiles, instead of using the account owner’s email address as the primary one. One of the most jarring parts about it is that the pop-up doesn’t clear unless the request is fulfilled.

Netflix households accounts have always been built on the traditional 'one email, one password’ foundation, but why Netflix has decided to roll out yet another crackdown is the question that everyone is asking.

Though Netflix says it’s to make room for more convenient log-ins and more personalized recommendations, users believe it will give the streaming giant another way to better distinguish between the activity of individual profiles, or even shift them to individual accounts later down the line.

Netflix said that the rollout began on June 15, we imagine a global rollout is in the way.

• Read more: Netflix subscribers are furious at the platform’s latest update

5. We ran with the Garmin Forerunner 70

We’ve taken this new Garmin running watch for a spin. While it offers some clear upgrades over the Forerunner 55 that came before it, these enhancements come at a cost ($249.99 / £219.99 / AU$399) which makes this gadget less budget or entry level and more mid-range.

The trouble isn’t with this smart watch specifically. In fact, with new training and smartwatch features, a vibrant AMOLED display, and with solid compatibility across Android and iOS the watch is pretty solid. What we’re concerned about with the Forerunner 70 is that at this price (or for only a handful of bucks more) you can snatch up watches from rival brands that boast richer features and newer hardware.

At four stars it’s definitely good, but if you’re after the best, or even simply the best at this price point, the Garmin Forerunner 70 might not be it.

• Read our full Garmin Forerunner 70 review

4. The Steam Machine sold out in Japan

The upcoming Valve gaming PC-console hybrid has launched and the reality is it’s a pretty terrible deal on the face of it — though that hasn’t stopped it from selling out in Japan, and from scalpers asking for ridiculous prices for their reservation spot (allowing people a better chance at snagging the device).

Instead of battling with preorder disappointment, or the high costs of the proper machine, some have looked to alternatives but you’ll need to be careful. For every Stim Machine which presents itself as a sensible alternative (with some admittable downsides) there’s a flurry of cheap alternatives propping online that are frankly too good to be true.

Boasting components that wouldn’t actually fit inside the pictured chassis, a combination of parts that wouldn’t function together, and the plethora of never before seen companies proposing Steam Machine alternatives at impossibly cheap rates hints that a majority of these options are likely some kind of scam.

• Read more: The Steam Machine is overpriced — but be careful about buying a cheap clone

3. Anthropic’s Fable 5 was allowed to release

Anthropic’s Fable 5, the public version of its Mythos model, is returning after the US government lifted export controls that had forced the company to suspend access to it, and Mythos 5, earlier in June. The models were pulled after officials raised national security concerns linked to a possible jailbreak, a method of bypassing an AI model’s safety restrictions.

Anthropic pushed back strongly, saying it believed the issue was “a misunderstanding” and arguing that it had not been shown evidence of a broad or universal jailbreak. The company said governments should be able to block unsafe AI deployments, but only through a process that is transparent, fair, clear, and grounded in technical facts.

The return of Fable 5 matters because it shows how frontier AI launches may increasingly be shaped by governments, not just tech companies. Powerful models can now be launched, restricted, negotiated over, and restored within weeks.

• Read more: Anthropic’s Fable 5 is back after US shutdown it called 'a misunderstanding'

2. WhatsApp debuted usernames

WhatsApp has revolutionized its platform this week by introducing usernames — allowing you to build your contact information without sharing your phone number. They won’t take over completely for a while but folks are already reserving their username so that they’re ready for when the update goes live fully.

While many are fairly positive about the change, many fear this could increase the presence of cybercrime fraud and scams as bad actors reserve and use names that attempt to mimic politicians, celebrities, and businesses. This issue isn’t new to social media, but given the more direct nature of WhatsApp, and that businesses do use the platform to chat with customers, potential scams could have an easier time.

WhatsApp has hit back against this saying “only the legitimate account owners are able to reserve well-known public-figure names" however it’s unclear if, with enough imagination, people will find ways to reserve names that the Meta-owned platform hasn’t been able to account for.

• Read more: WhatsApp should freeze username rollout as it could ‘increase cybercrimes’, says India

1. PlayStation killed physical games

Just days after Grand Theft A 6 pre-orders opened with purely digital versions and code-in-a-box releases, PlayStation rocked the gaming world this week by announcing it is ending all releases of new PlayStation games on physical discs from January 2028. It also comes just days after Sony deleted select films from users' accounts that were bought digitally, and offered no compensation.

Claiming that the move “will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today,” Sony looks to be reflecting recent statistics which show the vast majority of game purchases are indeed digital.

The move has not gone down well with fans, gamers, and the wider industry, as it likely paves the way for an all-digital future, and possibly a critical, maybe terminal blow to the second-hand game market, the ability to share games with others, and from a game preservation perspective

It also means that the PS6 will likely be all-digital by default — perhaps with an optional disc drive — and won’t release until 2028 at the earliest. With rumours that Xbox could follow suit with its next-generation console, the future looks increasingly digital, and game collectors such as ourselves are deeply worried and sad about it.

• Read more: In a huge blow to game ownership, PlayStation confirms end of physical games — mere days after GTA 6's disc-less pre-orders

• Lego and F1 are teaming up again, this time at the Silverstone GP
• This year the drivers will ride 22 Lego go-go-karts around the track
• The parade will take place on Sunday right before the official race

Lego and Formula 1 have teamed up again for a big-build project — and I think I might be more excited for this year's parade than the actual Silverstone Grand Prix.

If you somehow missed it, last year at the 2025 Miami GP, Lego unveiled a roughly life-size car for each team — perfectly mimicking their actual cars, except each had seating space for two drivers instead of one. They then all took a lap of the circuit, with the cars powered by a small electric motor.

This year the cars are a little smaller, but the so-called minicars are each still assembled from more than 28,000 bricks. Think of them as go-karts because that's essentially what they are — they even have proper go-kart wheels.

The big changes this year aside from the smaller size: every driver has their own car, meaning there are 22 taking to the grid, and they have a higher top speed of 25km/h — and this year Lego has accepted that the drivers are going to let their competitive side take over.

After witnessing the spectacle in Miami I couldn’t be more excited for this year's Lego parade. The Lego go-karts look fantastic in person — each is outfitted with the team's proper livery — but also delightfully cute, and while there's a clear link to the big builds we saw last year, this doesn't feel like a simple repeat

As Julia Goldin, Lego's Chief Product & Marketing Officer, told me, the goal this year was to, “Not just replicate, but build on what we did last year. We wanted to have something that's going to be visually stunning, that will be fun for all the drivers, and then also to bring even more to the fans who loved to watch the drivers unleash their playfulness in Miami.”

“A lap of chaos, childlike joy, and laughter”

Despite being expressly told not to race in Miami's Lego activations — at risk of damaging the cars and spreading broken lego around the track ahead of the Miami GP — the most-competitive men on the planet couldn’t help but attempt to best each other in their blocky cars.

Some even did a few less-than-race-legal maneuvers, including taking shortcuts they could only dream of using in a real GP.

This made the spectacle all the more hilarious to watch. Described by Lego as “a lap of chaos, childlike joy, and laughter”, and it couldn't have more perfectly captured the emotions Lego hopes to inspire.

For the engineers behind the Miami build and now the Silverstone builds, the response couldn’t have been better.

“It was great to see how the parade inspired people, and really showed that there's so much potential for creativity in each Lego brick.”

Because while it's just one lap for the drivers it's 6,400 hours of designing and building for the 20-strong team who built all 22 cars. And despite this year's builds being a little smaller the vehicles had their own challenges.

“Last year we took the Lego Champions cars and scaled them up about 30 times. We had a really clear blueprint for the final builds. This year we had to start from scratch." says senior designer Jonathan Jurion.

“Also rather than fitting the components into the Lego build's shape like we did in Miami, we had to fit the Lego around the components’ shape. At the same time we wanted all the cars to have the team livery, and to feel inspired by the F1 cars.”

The end result of this balancing act are the cars we have in the Silverstone Lego Garage, and now all eyes are on Sunday for the unofficial race we're all waiting for.

With Lego races becoming a yearly tradition at F1, I asked the engineering team what the plans are for 2027.

Jurion told me the team is “100% focused” on Sunday, but the team are keen to keep the partnership going and to keep “surprising” fans with what the Lego brick can do, adding that “the sky's the limit.”

A new pair of smart glasses just launched on Kickstarter that you might not have heard much about yet: they’re the MemoMind One specs, and after taking them for a whirl over the past few days I can see the appeal, but I’m not convinced they’re useful enough for a couple of key reasons.

Smart glasses are coming in all shapes and sizes, and I don’t just mean their literal design — I mean that calling something “a pair of smart glasses” can tell you basically nothing about what it is apart from where on your body you’ll wear it. Many focus on AI functionality, others on XR video as a private display for your favorite tech, and some offer a blend of both with a display that delivers AI assistance through audio and visual elements.

The MemoMind glasses fall mostly into that last category, but instead of interactive AR pieces you can manipulate like you’re Tony Stark designing a new Iron Man suit, you’ll get a read-out in green text (and sometimes basic diagrams) that are simple but effective for the tasks the glasses can help with.

This includes notification popups from your connected phone apps, a teleprompter you can load up with scripts, a calendar readout of your day’s upcoming events, a basic map with navigation instructions, and translation subtitles that tell you what someone else has said in a foreign language.

You’ll also find some speakers hidden in the arms of the glasses, which are ideal for taking calls or listening to music while wearing the specs.

Left wanting more

I’ve tried similar smart glasses in the past from the likes of Even Realities and Rokid, and they have all offered a reasonably affordable way to get some AR wearable utility without breaking the bank.

Case in point, these MemoMind glasses are on preorder for $399 (around £300 / AU$575), and will retail for $599 (around £450 / AU$865), which is less than Meta’s Ray-Ban Display specs, which cost $799 (around £600/ AU$1,155) or the latest Snap Specs that retail for $2,195 (around £1,655 / AU$3,175).

The downside is that MemoMind One is not a proper AR device like the Specs, and you will lose some of the usefulness that comes with a full-color display on the Meta Ray-Bans. Crucially, with the MemoMind One glasses, you also miss out on a camera, which I think drastically reduces the specs' usefulness.

Some will see the lack of a camera as a major privacy win, but I found it takes so much away — especially outside of work and travel. Cameras on smart glasses allow you to snap photos and videos in the moment without reaching for your phone, which both takes time, thus ruining the spontaneity, and forces you back rather than letting you revel in the experience.

The more smart glasses I try without a camera, the more I’m convinced it’s an essential feature for the tech as it stands today — as the other features don’t yet offer enough to make cameraless specs feel like a complete package.

Inside the glasses’ display is very legible, but the moment I went outside in brighter weather they became useless. When the map directions did work, I then struggled to actually follow them — I couldn’t see where to go as the green text didn’t show up against the bright blue sky even at max brightness. Further, the glasses ask you to look up to activate the display, compounding my problem.

This again highlights why photochromic or electrochromic lenses are a must, not an optional add-on, for smart specs with or without a display.

The speakers aren’t the best either. For calls, I had no trouble, but music left me feeling empty — bass was nonexistent, and everything had an overly airy quality that ironically took the wind out of every track’s sails.

Not terrible, not amazing either

Despite leaving what reads like an overly negative impression, I don’t think the Memomind One glasses are terrible.

At $399, they are a reasonable and generally smooth to set up and use, something I can’t say about all smart glasses. And for the right person, there’s a decent level of utility here, especially if you give lots of presentations and have a lot of international business chats across different languages.

The trouble is smart glasses are having a real boom at the moment with new models launching every other week. In this sea of choice, there’s unfortunately not much room for specs with as many flaws as the MemoMind One glasses.

Maybe the MemoMind Twos can learn from the mistakes of its predecessors.

• A designer working with NASA and agricultural experts has created a coffee that tastes like it was grown on Mars
• MA student Sarah Ali created the coffee as part of her 'Brew_Lab' project
• The project reflects on how climate change might affect the availability and composition of coffee

A designer working with experts at NASA and the UK’s Royal Botanical Society has produced a coffee that tastes like it was grown on Mars a hundred years from now.

The red planet-flavored Mars 2126 coffee — an ‘edible scent’ added to a regular cup of joe — is a product of Brew_Lab, a project by industrial designer Sarah Ali. The project is centered around a futuristic vending machine that brews coffee from three different dates in the future, based on climate projections.

Ali, 35, produced Brew_Lab to conclude her MA in Material Futures at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, and exhibited the project at Milan Design Week in April 2026, as well as CSM's degree show which runs until June 21.

“This is very much a climate futures project” said Ali to TechRadar, “and the way I got to Mars was through the fact that if we keep on doing what we do now, our future in 100 years time might be that Earth won’t be able to facilitate all the things we need it to.”

“It’s a little bit speculative,” she continued, “but what I found really cool was that people at NASA were already testing what food and drink would be like on Mars. There’s a lot of investment in that space.”

The Arabica successors

As well as providing passers-by the chance to try a cup of Martian mud from 2126, the project also includes an edible scent designed to predict the taste of coffee grown in Sierra Leone in 2080. This uses the revived stenophylla species of coffee bean, which is more resilient to climate change than the industry-leading arabica bean.

The third and final flavor, Brazil 2027, is used to emphasize the frailty of the Arabica bean, with crop yields expected to fall by as much as 80% by 2050 (via University of Florida).

To design the scent profiles of each coffee, Ali used machine learning models fed by data from NASA’s Dr. Gioia Massa, and Kew Gardens’ Dr. Aaron Davis, a world- leading coffee expert.

“Dr. Davis has studied 127 different coffee species, of which only 7 to 12 are likely to survive into our future” adds Ali. Brew_Lab uses rare, hardy racemosa beans for its Martian brew, and Ali explained that NASA’s research on agriculture allowed her to factor in the effect of gravity on our perception of taste on the final product.

“I thought of Mars because it’s a very extreme scenario”, Ali said, “and the extreme scenarios allow us to really understand what’s happening. How do we think about things differently, to avoid that future or prepare for it.”

Still, it might take a few years yet for the best coffee makers to add a ‘Martian’ setting.

• A Chinese medtech firm has gained EU approval for its remote surgery robot
• Medbot’s Toumai system can now be moved and marketed freely in the European Union
• The approval comes after Toumai was used for the UK's first long-distance surgery

A Chinese medical technology firm has gained EU approval for its remote surgery robot following its use by a London surgeon to operate on a patient 1,500 miles away in Gibraltar.

Shanghai Microport MedBot’s Toumai is a three-part remote surgery system that allows doctors and surgeons to perform operations on the abdomen and pelvis.

The system is composed of a surgeon console, patient cart, and vision cart, with robotic ‘limbs’ allowing operators to perform operations. The system uses 5G connectivity to connect the surgeon console to the vision cart over long distances.

The approval follows Toumai’s successful use by a London surgeon to perform the UK’s first long-distance teleoperated surgery, a full prostate removal on a man with prostate cancer in Gibraltar.

Dr. Proskar Dasgupta performed the operation using the teleoperated system on 62-year old Paul Buxton in March 2026. Speaking to the BBC, Buxton said it was a “no-brainer” to take part in the experimental procedure and become “part of medical history”.

The robot will see you now

Gibraltar, a small UK territory just south of Spain, has a single hospital within its borders, meaning residents may need to travel 1,500 miles north to the UK for more complex procedures.

However, Toumai and remote surgery systems like it allow patients to be treated by experts without traveling to meet them. Dr. Dasgupta said to the BBC that he felt “almost as if I was there” while conducting Mr. Buxton’s procedure.

On June 22, Shanghai Microport MedBot announced that the Toumai robotic surgery system had received the CE Mark — an EU stamp of approval required to sell products in its common market

As South China Morning Post reports, this allows the system to be "moved and marketed" freely in the EU, meaning the company is free to offer Toumai to healthcare providers in any of the EU’s 27 member states.

This will be welcome news for MedBot, which made 73 per cent of its revenue from overseas sales in 2025, up from 20 per cent in 2023.

It's been another packed week of technology news, and TechRadar has been covering all of the stories that matter: the Prime Day deals, the Apple price hikes, new devices from Oura and Sonos, and plenty more besides.

If you haven't been able to check in regularly on our site, this weekly ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) round-up is here to get you up to speed. You can browse through the headlines that matter below, and click the links for the full articles.

Get yourself comfortable and review the past week below, and we'll be back again this time next week for another ICYMI summary.

7. We scoured the Prime Day deals

You may have noticed that it's been Amazon Prime Day this week — it's now spread across multiple days of course — and the TechRadar team has been busy searching across every Amazon category to bring you the best deals: we've found discounts on TVs, laptops, headphones, smartwatches, smart home gadgets, tablets, and plenty more besides.

No matter what you're in need of tech-wise at the moment, our US and UK round-up pages have a variety of deals that will fit, and a lot of these discounts are genuinely substantial — and many are still going. Together with the latest prices and links for each product, we've also included our expert tech advice in each case, so you know exactly why which offers are worth pursuing.

• Read more: We're tracking the best Prime Day tech deals live — 121 biggest discounts on Apple, Samsung, Kindle, Sony, and more

6. We reviewed the Oura Ring 5

The Oura Ring 5 is a substantial step up from its predecessor: it's slimmer, lighter, and more durable, as well as offering extra battery life — and according to our review, you might even forget you're wearing it. Oura has managed to refine the device's appearance so it looks like a normal piece of jewelry, even with the cutting-edge sensors inside it.

"It's easily the most stylish and accurate smart ring around," our review states, though it's not perfect, and there's that usual Oura subscription fee to consider if you want to access most of the tracking features. If you're wondering whether the Oura Ring 5 is the right wearable upgrade for you, then we'll tell you everything you need to know below.

• Read more: Oura Ring 5 review — a luxury smart ring for discreet everyday wellness tracking that's (almost) easy to forget you're wearing

5. Meta revealed its cheaper smart glasses

Meta has treated us to a bumper crop of new smart glasses, starting at $299 / £269 / AU$599 and developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica. We've got all the details here, including how they feel to wear, and a rundown of the design and color variations you can pick from — you certainly can't complain that there isn't enough choice in this batch.

We've also got comments from Meta CTO and Head of Reality Labs Andrew 'Boz' Bosworth, who outlined the company's vision of a smart spec future, and said "it's pretty easy to make glasses that don’t look good, it turns out". That seems to be a humorous dig at some of Meta's rivals in the space, but see what you think of the new Meta Glasses range.

• Read more: 'Our goal is to reach every corner of the market': Meta CTO Andrew 'Boz' Bosworth on the new $299 EssilorLuxottica Meta Glasses

4. We reviewed the latest Sonos speaker

The Sonos Era 100 SL wireless speaker is more affordable than the Era 100 that launched before it, but as our detailed review will tell you, Sonos has been able to pull this off without making too many compromises. Most importantly, the quality of the sound doesn't drop even though the price does, so you still get a top-tier listening experience.

Our review takes you through every aspect of the Era 100 SL speaker, from how easy it is to set up initially, to the sort of performance you can expect from it — with London Grammar and DJ Shadow included in the artists whose music we used for testing — and there's praise for "quality sound", "great connectivity", and "iconic design" along the way.

• Read more: 'A better price for the same performance': I reviewed Sonos' cheaper Era 100 SL wireless speaker, and was shocked at how few concessions were made to make this a bargain

3. The Steam Machine got an official price tag

It's been a long wait for the Steam Machine, but we're nearly there, and now know that the starting price is set at $1,049 / £879 / AU$1,609, and we can thank the price inflation driven by the RAM crisis for that. If a Steam Machine is still within your budget, you'll be able to put in an order from June 29, more than seven months after it was first announced.

If you don't think that's good value, then we've put together a guide to building your own Steam Machine alternative below. You get full control over the budget and the specs of the components you choose, and it can be a lot of fun too (as we can say with confidence given the years of PC building experience on the TechRadar team).

• Read more: Disappointed by the Steam Machine’s official price? Build your own mini gaming PC instead with these deals

2. Apple revealed its painful price hikes

Speaking of the RAM crisis, it just hit Apple too: the company has racked up the pricing on many of its products, including iPads, MacBooks, and even the HomePod. The recently launched MacBook Neo, for example, now has a starting price of $699 rather than $599 in the US — a not inconsiderable rise of $100 or 17% in a single jump.

We've got all the details of how much more expensive each Apple gadget is now, with these price increases effective immediately on the official Apple Store. We've also got some ideas about where you can still find these Apple products at their original prices from third-party retailers — though you'll have to move fast to grab them.

• Read more: Apple just delivered the worst kind of news: price hikes across many of its major products (even the Neo) — and yes, RAM prices are to blame

1. GTA 6 pre-orders finally went live

After two substantial delays, GTA 6 is finally going to go on sale on November 19, and you can get your pre-orders in now for the PS5, the Xbox Series X, or the Xbox Series S. You've got a $79.99 / £69.99 Standard Edition and a $99.99 / £89.99 Ultimate Edition to choose between, and we've got links for you to all the top US and UK retailers right here.

We're also going to keep an eye out for any bundles that these stores are offering, meaning you can pick up the game and a console at the same time — so check back often if you're interested. It's exciting that pre-orders are now live for what could be the video game of the decade, and we only have five more months to count down until launch day.

• Read more: GTA 6 pre-orders live — bundles arrive, while almost all major US and UK retailers have stock

You could say Walt Disney Imagineering has been on a decades-long journey with audio-animatronics, which is essentially the tech underneath iconic characters at parks worldwide. What started with Tiki Birds has since grown to give us legendary looks at other characters, and in recent years, Walt Disney himself.

Just like the walking, talking Olaf roaming character, BDX Droids, or the Walt Disney animatronic, that innovation comes from a specific part of Walt Disney Imagineering, and that's the R&D (Research and Development) lab.

In late November of 2025, Imagineering gave us an early first look at next-generation audio-animatronic technology, one that could be expressive in brand-new ways due to the fact it was using front-based projection.

As Leslie Evans, Executive R&D Imagineer at Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, told me, "We're really going after more tools to just tell stories in an incredible way."

Now, just seven months later, that same system is debuting inside a Disney Park for the very first time, and TechRadar has the exclusive first look, as I was one of the first to see it in Imagineering's R&D lab.

This next-generation pirate is making its debut at Disneyland in the iconic Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which reopens Friday, June 26, 2026. For the first time, guests floating past the treasure-filled grotto will witness a pirate atop a pile of cursed gold transform from a flesh-and-blood pirate to a skeleton in mere seconds.

Choosing Pirates wasn't accidental — as Evans explained, the team was "looking for a figure where creatively we could do a great transformation," and ultimately landed on the conclusion that "this pirate transformation would be a great, great first place to do it." And considering it's a long-standing ride at the original Disney park filled with countless audio-animatronics, it makes sense that this next-generation technology is debuting there.

But let's roll it back from the ride itself and into Imagineering's fairly unassuming R&D lab in Glendale, California. I walked through a garage-like space with high ceilings and workstations, alongside generations of hydraulic animatronics — all the way through the A-1000 systems — before approaching a pirate figure elevated on scaffolding above a bank of workstations, Imagineers actively running it below. That staging is intentional — guests will look up at the figure from a boat, and the lab mirrors that sightline exactly.

The technology behind the illusion

That, in fact, was the new next-generation animatronic. At first glance, it reads almost deceptively simple. But as Evans explained, the ambition behind it runs deep. "How can we enable transformations that maybe previously are really challenging or in some cases impossible… I want characters that can blush, that can cry," she told me.

Unlike traditional Audio-Animatronics, which rely on complex mechanical systems for facial movement, this figure begins with a 3D-printed shell and almost no visible mechanical articulation in the face.

Instead, expression is driven almost entirely by a high-fidelity front-projected image mapped directly onto the character, and considering how far computer graphics and rendering have come, this dramatically expands what Imagineers can create with physical characters. Think of a person crying, laughing, grinning with emotion, and ultimately being more human.

What that process looks like up close is striking in its own right. During calibration, a blue and white mesh grid is projected across the entire figure — mapping the projection system precisely to every contour of the physical surface, from the brim of the hat down to the beads around the neck. It's a glimpse behind the curtain that makes the technology suddenly legible: this is how light becomes skin, or bone. Once that mapping is locked, the projected character snaps into place with a precision that's genuinely difficult to believe until you're standing in front of it.

With the installation at Pirates of the Caribbean, this next-gen audio animatronic system has various sensors that complete calibration daily, as well as the necessary compute system and projection tech, and redundancies for all of these. Considering it’s operating on a dark, water ride as well, there is a cooling system and a filtration system for the various components to keep them running day in and day out.

That simplicity, though, was deliberate — the result of rigorous testing. Evans and her team actually built and evaluated versions of this next-gen tech with individual facial features, including the nose, projecting onto them and asking a pointed question each time: "Is this adding anything? Is this extra bit of complexity getting us something from a creative standpoint?" If the answer was no, it got cut.

As Evans described it, "We started from that moment of 'let's test this, and we're only going to keep what we actually really need.'"

The nose didn't make it. The jaw did.

Disney's new blend of animatronics and game engines

Evans called it simply "a very exciting tool," and while she wouldn't be drawn on where it goes next beyond Pirates, that understatement might be the point.

That shift moves expressive detail out of mechanics and into real-time rendering — powered by a digital pipeline that connects Unreal Engine-based systems and animation tools. Evans talked about the moment those pieces converged. "When you really had animatronic technology, real-time game engines, and incredible CG assets all together… that's when we said, wait, we've really got something here," she said.

But getting there required pulling every discipline together. As Evans put it, "That's what's just absolutely magical about this team of people… when you bring them all together and say, 'this is the North Star, what are those key components that we need to go make it happen?'"

What that unlocks is a character capable of real-time visual transformation. Because the projection is dynamic, the character can shift emotional tone and surface detail in ways traditional animatronics simply can't — from subtle expressions like sadness or joy, to more dramatic changes that reshape how the character is perceived entirely. In Pirates, that means watching a single figure move between pirate and skeleton in real time, telling a fuller version of a story.

The physical system underneath is still there, but simplified. The body retains enough traditional mechanical motion to interact with the environment, while the face becomes a canvas for projection-driven expression. Redundant projection systems are also built in for reliability — essential for a high-throughput attraction like Pirates of the Caribbean.

And while Disney wouldn't go into full technical breakdowns, the compute setup running it sits closer in architecture to a high-end gaming PC than traditional show-control hardware. Though, as we’ve seen with Smugglers Run and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, the blur between ride systems and gaming is blurring.

Disney engineers even mapped the ride path physically inside the R&D lab to simulate what guests will see from the boat vehicles, ensuring the transformation reads correctly from multiple angles.

A platform, not just a pirate

Evans was clear about what drives all of it, telling me, "We want them to believe it's real… we're trying to make people feel."

She added, "We don't build technology for technology's sake. Everything is about telling a great story to our guests."

Proof that it works came not from the engineers who built it, but from the first people who hadn't. Evans described watching fresh audiences encounter the figure for the first time. "Our folks are standing in front of this character for minutes, just watching this cycling transformation happen over and over and over again, and are still kind of mesmerized by it. That's when we got that moment of going — yeah, I think we did something good," she said.

And I can echo that. After the first glance, I stood in front of it, walking around from different angles, watching this pirate cycle from human to skeleton after taking the bait from a gold coin. It drives a genuine reaction of joy — it's deeply impressive, and I look forward to seeing it running at Disneyland alongside the other animatronics that have defined that ride for decades.

It's a meshing of past, present, and future in terms of tech. And that's where things start to open up beyond Pirates. What Disney is building here is not a single animatronic, but a platform for bringing real-time characters with far more detailed expressions to physical environments and attractions in a very scalable way.

So if a pirate can transform from human to skeleton in real time, the question becomes what happens when that system reaches the rest of Disney's universe of characters. Pirates of the Caribbean is where guests will see it first — but if Imagineering's trajectory is any indication, it won't be the last.

Amazon’s Prime Day sale kicks off on June 23 — and it might be the last time we see big discounts on many tech products for a while, if some in the tech world are to be believed.

This includes Tim Cook who this week warned of price increases for Apple’s tech, as, he says, it’s now impossible for Apple to absorb the cost of the ongoing component crisis.

To catch up on Cook’s warning, and brighter news such as Commodore’s flip phone filling us with nostalgia, scroll down for our recap of the week’s biggest tech news.

7. Commodore’s flip phone took us back to 2004

Feeling nostalgic for flip phones and a simpler, pre-doomscrolling age? Commodore (yes, the latest incarnation of the classic computing giant) feels your pain, so it’s made a clamshell phone that’ll meet your retro needs while freeing your brain from smartphone addiction. Or that’s the idea, at least.

The Commodore Callback sits somewhere between a dumb phone and a modern Android flagship. It doesn’t work with social media apps, and has no touchscreen or web browser. But it does run most Android apps and has a 48MP rear camera, plus other flourishes like an “audiophile grade" DAC. Will it start a revolution? We’re not sure, but it’s definitely one of the most interesting phones of the year.

• Read more: ‘A speed bump for your mind’: Commodore’s retro-inspired flip phone could be the perfect way to break your smartphone addiction

6. GTA 6 got a trailer

This week Rockstar unveiled a new teaser for Grand Theft Auto 6 — and while we weren’t lucky enough to see new gameplay, we weren’t left wanting.

To an underscore of 80s synth and guitar we saw the game’s cover art come together. The vignette collage, similar to GTA 5’s art, is full of pink and purple hues which perfectly capture the Vice City vibes.

Rockstar also announced that preorders will go live on June 25, ahead of its release on November 19, 2026.

• Read more: New GTA 6 teaser officially reveals cover art — and it looks pretty slick

5. Microsoft dropped new Surface laptops

Not content to let Computex hog the computing announcement limelight, Microsoft debuted new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop devices powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 processor.

The new Surface Laptop offers what Microsoft claims is up to 58% faster graphics performance over the previous generation of its notebook, and solid battery life of 20 hours for the smaller models, and 19 for the larger.

Meanwhile the Surface Pro 13-inch boasts a 53% graphics performance leap over its predecessor, with up to 15.5 hours of battery life, based on Microsoft's internal testing.

• Read more: Microsoft reveals new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop with big graphics upgrades from Snapdragon X2 CPUs

4. Sonos updated its app

A few months ago, we interviewed Sonos CEO Tom Conrad about the company’s app woes in its 2024 update, and he said that while they’d worked hard on fixing its technical issues, he still had big problems with its design and usability that he wanted to get to. This week, he announced the first changes coming to the app to improve its layout.

They include all kinds of things fans have been asking for since the 2024 redesign, including easier volume-changing options, the ability to customize your list of products, and options being organised using tabs the mirror standard iPhone and Android app design cues. The update is rolling out in a beta first, to make sure it all works before everyone else gets it…

• Read more: The Sonos app is finally getting its long-awaited improvements to volume control, player listings and content organization

3. The UK government had bad news for kids

Depending on your point of view, it perhaps wasn’t a great week for young social media fans in the UK — Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that, like Australia, the country would be banning apps such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat for under-16s from next year.

It won’t just be social media apps that are affected either — livestreaming for under-16s is also going to be banned, across all platforms. The government says the move will “give kids their childhood back”, but UK teens naturally aren’t very impressed, and neither are fans of the open internet. Expect this to be a piping hot topic for the rest of 2026.

• Read more: How will the UK's social media ban actually work? Here's the full list of affected apps — and 5 things you need to know

2. Android 17 rolled out

Android 17 began rolling out to compatible Pixel phones this week, and while Google’s flashy new Gemini Intelligence software isn’t among the available features just yet, there are plenty of neat new tools to try if you own a Google Pixel 6 or newer.

Chief among the new UI features are Bubbles, which lets you turn any app into a floating bubble that stays on top of other apps (useful for multitasking on large-screen devices), and Screen Reactions, which lets you capture your phone’s display and record yourself with the front-facing camera simultaneously.

My favourite Android 17 feature is foldable Gaming Mode, which adds a dynamic gamepad to one side of your foldable phone (so you can play it like a Nintendo DS — yes, really!); unfortunately, this one isn’t dropping until later in the year.

• Read more: 7 of the best Android 17 features available now — from Bubbles to Screen Reactions

1. Tim Cook warned of Apple price hikes

Against the backdrop of the RAM crisis and other component price hikes brought about by AI hype and supply chain disruptions, the affordable MacBook Neo was a breath of fresh air when it debuted — but outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook had some bad news for anyone hoping the good times might last a little longer.

Speaking with the Wall Street Journal Cook said: "Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable. We're doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we've been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable."

We don’t know when we'll see said price hikes, or how significant they'll be, but if you have your eye on Apple tech you might want to think about buying sooner rather than later — especially with Prime Day kicking off next week.

• Read more: Tim Cook just warned that 'price increases are unavoidable' for Apple products

If you're a fan of Pokémon, you've probably played your fair share of the many games out there, watched some of the anime, and maybe even checked out one or two of the movies. But if you'll want to do well in the following quiz, you'll need to prove your worth as a fan.

Ever since the original games were released in 1996, Pokémon has been an unstoppable cultural phenomenon — even grandparents would recognize a Pikachu or Pokéball. There are countless video games (who could forget Pokémon Go) as well as thousands of episodes of TV show, loads of movies and other media appearances; songs, manga, trading cards, the list goes on.

So there's a lot for fans of Pokémon to get their head around, and I hope you've made a good effort, because I'm about to test you on the franchise. We'll be asking questions about the various media that's been produced over the years, as well as names and numbers.

If you can't tell your Natu from your Eternatus, don't worry: this won't all be about specific Pokémon, but the entries in the media empire. But if you know what Pikachu looks like, that'll help.

We'll start with 10 easy questions, and then move into 10 medium ones, and finish with 10 difficult ones for the experts. So let's find out just how much you know:

Do you know your Graveler from your Grovyle? If you need to brush up on your Pokémon, let's get you some revision material:

If you like your movies — or TV shows, animations, theme parks, video games (the list goes on!) — then you're no doubt at least partially aware of the massive company that is Disney.

One of the biggest media conglomerates in the world, Disney has fingers in many pies, including on screens and in the real world. And it's beloved by fans, who queue up to visit its parks and watch new Disney+ movies at midnight on the day they release.

If you're one of those fans, you'll no doubt want to test just how much you really know about Disney. And luckily, you're about to get that opportunity, with this 30-question quiz.

We'll start with 10 easy questions, and then move into 10 medium ones, and finish with 10 difficult ones for the Disney experts. So let's find out just how much you know:

If you need to brush up on your Disney, perhaps a Disney+ subscription could help:

• Nothing's Carl Pei has bad news about the RAM crisis
• "Phone prices are going up and they’ll keep going up into next year.”
• He adds that seasonal sales might not be as useful as in previous years

The RAM crisis feels like one of those problems that might one day — ideally soon — be solved, and consumer tech would return to a more reasonable cost. Unfortunately, yet another industry expert — this time the CEO of Nothing, Carl Pei — says prices might be as good as they’ll get for a while. And that we’re better off acting fast to avoid disappointment.

In a post on social media, Pei explained that “Memory is now the most expensive component in a smartphone," adding that it “can account for more than 50% of the total hardware bill.” As a result, “phone prices are going up,” Pei says, “and they’ll keep going up into next year.”

His post ends saying, “If you've been waiting to upgrade a device, the best time was yesterday. The next best time is now. This year's sale season won't have the discounts people are used to.”

That might mean Black Friday — and the surrounding sales the end of the year brings — might not usher in the level of discounts we’re used to. As some older tech prices rise — like the recent hikes to the PS5, Steam Deck, and others — it’s possible end-of-year sales might only return gadgets to their pre-hike cost, or worse yet, offer a discount that falls short of that pre-hike level.

Pei’s warning echoes that of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who predicted at a recent event that the ongoing memory shortage is a crisis that'll last for "quite a few years", however an ex-Samsung boss — Kye-hyun Kyung, who was the head of Samsung's semiconductor business just a couple of years ago — predicts RAM costs may soften by late 2027, or early 2028, thanks to Chinese companies expanding the RAM output.

Additionally, Kyung noted that if the AI boom slows, investment and demand for RAM may stall, helping lower costs amid an influx of Chinese supply and a dip in demand.

When's the best time to buy new tech?

Of course, this is all speculation. While Chinese chips may be on the way it’s possible countries like the US may impose import bans or extreme tariffs to counter them (especially if they pose a risk to American companies like Nvidia), and it’s possible they won’t be as desirable as Kyung predicts if they can’t match the performance of their rivals — though for budget-friendly tech cheap and slightly worse chips would be better than nothing.

At the same time, Huang and Pei’s RAM crisis warnings come with baggage. Nvidia’ massive stock price gains are in part because RAM and other component prices used by AI are on the up, Huang doesn’t want companies waiting and hoping for a better deal, he wants them buying more Nvidia chips now out of fear costs will go up.

Similarly, Pei doesn’t want consumers waiting to buy tech when it’s on sale or when prices drop; he wants them to buy Nothing’s phones now to help the company recoup the higher costs it has paid to make the current lineup.

If you’re feeling strapped for cash but in need of a tech upgrade, the middle ground option might be to wait just a week. That’s because starting June 23, we’ll hit Prime Day and get a flavor for what this year’s sales could look like.

While Amazon has a proper event, other retailers around the world will slash prices to compete with the global shopping giant. Black Friday usually sees deeper discounts and more accessible deals that don’t require a Prime membership, but Prime Day — and whether it’s what we expected, worse than usual, or better than usual — should give us a hint at what Black Friday has in store.

Alternatively, it could offer you a prime sweet spot. Giving you a chance to buy tech now at a reduced rate before it climbs higher, as Pei and Huang predict.

Unfortunately, there’s no single right answer to this conundrum, given the many unknowns. Even beyond RAM, we’re seeing SSD prices rise, so even if one crisis ends, another could be in full swing, and if there is some kind of AI bubble pop, costs won’t drop instantly, as many companies have preordered their components to lock-in pricing and availability ahead of time — meaning inflated prices will stick around for a while even in the best-case scenario.

Hopefully, some light is coming at the end of this RAM crisis tunnel — I have my fingers crossed, but I’m not holding my breath.

8. We picked our favorite World Cup tech

Yes, the World Cup has officially kicked off, but it isn’t too late to fine-tune your setup. Far from it — with over a month of soccer to go, we’ve rounded up everything you need for a successful tournament at home.

From our dream watch party setup to soundbar upgrades and the best World Cup tech deals, you won’t be short of ways to upgrade your viewing experience. And once that’s all sorted, you can dive into our ultimate World Cup watching guide for the lowdown on how to catch every match, from anywhere in the world.

• Read the full story: The TechRadar guide to World Cup 2026

7. Ocarina of Time was reborn

Closing out gaming’s week-long celebration that is Summer Game Fest and the showcases surrounding it, Nintendo’s Direct showcased an exciting mix of trailers, which included a tease for a The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Little has been revealed so far beyond child Link’s design, and hints at full voice acting as the Great Deku Tree is heard narrating the intro like he does at the beginning of the N64 game.

Perhaps best of all, the trailer ended with a release year: 2026. So we won’t be waiting too long to get this Zelda game in our hands and find out if this is the series’ Resident Evil 2 Remake moment, as many hope it will be.

• Read the full story: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2

6. Trump Phone not ‘made in America’

To probably no one’s surprise — after serious delays, changing promises, and accidentally doxxing its buyers — the Trump Mobile T1 phone has been taken apart by iFixit, and it turns out the “American-proud design” is just a gold-skinned HTC U24 Pro, aka a Taiwanese phone launched in 2024.

In fairness, it does boast a couple of tweaks. The design has been adapted with a new camera bump shape, and the battery is a little larger at 5,000mAh battery — up from 4,600mAh — though it only offers 30W charging rather than the HTC original’s 60W.

iFixit notes that markings on the phone say it’s “assembled in the USA”, which is notably different from being “made in America,” which comes with some very specific FCC requirements that the Trump Mobile phone ironically doesn’t seem to meet.

The teardown company puts it best: “against all expectations, the T1 is actually well priced when compared to the equivalently specced U24 Pro, and the only things you give up are the 60W fast charging and your dignity."

Read the full story: Trump Phone unmasked as a 'gold-painted HTC U24 Pro'

5. Valve abandoned physical gift cards

It’s bad news for PC gamers on Steam this week, as Valve announced it will no longer be restocking physical Steam gift cards. Why? Because scammers are taking advantage of consumers.

This isn’t exactly a new occurrence; Steam scams have been around for years. However, Valve clarifies it’s effectively been forced to end restocks of physical gift cards, as “scammers have adapted”, even after it has actively worked with retailers and law enforcement to foil scams.

Physical gift cards are an excellent gift option for the less gamer-savvy to give their PC gamer loved ones, and can be useful for parents to top up their child’s Steam account with funds without pairing a credit card to it. However, with them gone, digital Steam gift cards will be the only option, as soon as stock runs out across multiple retailers — and one can only hope that scammers don’t end up forcing Valve to restructure digital gift cards as well.

Read the full story: Valve is officially done with Steam physical gift cards

4. Philips launched a virtual skylight

Philips unveiled a new ceiling light dubbed the ‘Philips Skylight’, designed to mimic the effect of natural daylight for indoor use, blending advanced LED and Philips’ NatureConnect technologies. Starting at 499.99 euros (about $580 / £430), the ceiling light comes in four different models and will be available later this month in most regions. It’s coming to the US in September.

Each variant of the Philips Skylight comes with a slim ceiling profile for mounting, a remote control, five preset lighting scenes, and Philips’ Day Rhythm tool, which automatically adjusts color temperature and brightness throughout the day. But despite its slew of features, it’s not Philips Hue.

This means that, unfortunately, it doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi or work with Matter over Thread, so you can't integrate it into your existing smart home setup, and you’ll have to use the included remote to control it manually.

• Read the full story: Philips just launched a new ceiling light that looks like a skylight

3. Apple revealed some major software surprises

Siri AI (see no.1 below) was the undoubted star of Apple’s WWDC event this week, but the software showcase revealed hundreds of other upgrades for iPhones, Macs, Apple Watches and more. And not all of them went down well.

You can read our pick of the best features coming to iPhones in iOS 27, or the macOS 27 highlights below (in entry no.2). But there were some notable surprises too, including the next version of watchOS dropping support for some recent models and Apple controverisally embracing generative AI in Photos.

Apple also went very hard on boosting parental controls at the event — leaving us with a sense that it had one eye on child safety, and another on increasingly demanding government regulators.

• Read the full story: 17 things we learned at WWDC 2026 — Siri's getting a big AI makeover, Golden Gate is the next macOS, Liquid Glass is changing, and more

2. macOS 27 named Golden Gate

Tim Cook's final WWDC as Apple CEO gave us a glimpse of the future of its software, including the upcoming macOS 27 build — called Golden Gate. Unlike previous years, however, it’s not the most exciting.

There are Liquid Glass and other design tweaks that’ll make your Mac feel more usable, plus there’s a new and improved search to help you locate just about anything on your machine. There are also some performance enhancements, with apps said to feel more responsive, and of course, there’s the debut of Siri AI, more on that below.

While not the flashiest update, it’s a solid upgrade from the looks of things, though if you aren’t a fan of AI, it might feel like a downgrade.

• Read the full story: macOS 27 Golden Gate announced at WWDC 2026

1. Siri’s AI upgrade landed

It was a long time coming with at least one false start, but the new Siri that’s already in some people's hands, thanks to the iOS27 Dev Beta, which arrived with the WWDC Keynote, is the Siri Apple promised us in 2024 and more.

Sure, Apple is basically playing catch-up with OpenAI and Google, but in what may be looked back on later as one of the canniest moves in this AI race, Apple has adopted Google Gemini’s best models and crafted something new. Siri AI and the Apple Intelligence updates feel at once familiar and yet like a totally Apple experience. Yes, it even makes photo-realistic fake images.

• Read the full story: I tried Siri AI on the iPhone, Mac, and iPad

Test yourself on last week's biggest tech news

All caught up with this week’s tech news? Why not test yourself on last week’s seven biggest tech stories to see how good your memory is? Take the quiz below.

I have a reputation on the TechRadar team for being a certified Apple hater. Perhaps it's my staunch love for Android, or the fact that I can sometimes be a little harsh on the Silicon Valley megacorporation — though given it’s valued at over $4 trillion, I think my high expectations are perfectly valid.

Still, I dispute these accusations, especially as recently, my anti-Apple-ness has started to wane.

While I was a little skeptical of the MacBook Neo when it was announced, it’s now the laptop I recommend to anyone seeking an affordable productivity machine that's full of fun. Plus, as I expand my collection of Samsung ecosystem gadgets, I’m starting to understand the benefits of the walled-garden approach Apple has long since championed.

And ultimately, WWDC 2026 was the best consumer AI showcase I've seen... and I've unfortunately sat through a fair few in recent years.

In the most recent episode of the TechRadar Podcast, I even caught myself defending the new AI-bolstered Spatial Reframe tool against the rest of the panel — it was as if I had fallen into DC's Bizarro World.

In fact, if Apple keeps moving the way it does (and I can’t believe I’m writing this), I might soon start flying its flag.

Apple keeps taking Ws

While watching WWDC 2026, I realized Apple is ticking a lot of my technology boxes with the way it talks.

Its focus on keeping young people safe online — while also balancing parents’ ability to decide what their children are/aren’t ready for — is a tightrope no one else has walked with such detail. Plus, its continued push for privacy tools stands in clear contrast to some of the less-than-ideal approaches its rivals have taken at times.

I’m also a fan of Apple’s continued focus on spatial computing. Sure, the Vision Pro was imperfect, but the device and resulting software continue to see a surprising amount of support compared to other Apple failures (see: the HomePod). Plus, the Vision Pro's influence can be clearly felt in Apple's other devices — whether that's the design language of Liquid Glass, or the aforementioned Spatial Reframe tool which takes advantage of Apple's 2D to 3D image conversion tools.

I know a lot of folks weren't keen on Spatial Reframe, as was discussed in the podcast above, but if it can help some people save a couple of shots from their last vacation or make a one-off family photo look better, I don't see the harm.

With rumors of upcoming Apple smart glasses and a foldable iPhone — two device categories I can’t get enough of — I’m seriously prepared to consider a switch if Apple can maintain its current momentum.

I still love my Android tech, and realistically a total switch is unlikely given how embedded I am in non-Apple ecosystems, but to everyone out there who thinks I have a complete loathing of Apple, let this be a reminder that we tech reviewers are complex beings — and we can sometimes admit that Apple can do great things, even if it hurts a little to say.

The World Cup is the biggest sporting event of them all — and after a four-year wait it's back, back, back in all its glory.

The 2026 tournament takes place across three countries — the United States, Canada and Mexico — and is the biggest yet, with 48 teams competing to be crowned world champions.

It all kicks off on Thursday, 11 June with Mexico vs South Africa, and then takes in 104 games across more than a month, with the final taking place on July 19.

We'll be covering it all here at TechRadar, with guides to how to watch each game, tips on the best tech to level up your viewing experience and much, much more. Read on for the latest.

How to watch every game

World Cup 2026: Streaming guide to the tournament

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is hereand we've got you covered with all the free streams and TV channels for the tournament

Upgrade your World Cup viewing experience

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World Cup tech

One of the biggest names in tech is Google, and that's no real surprise when you consider that its various technologies are used every single day by billions of people for various activities, from browsing the web to creating, editing and sharing content.

Originating as a simple search engine, Google now dominates the tech landscape, under the umbrella of its parent company Alphabet. If you're a tech fan, you're probably already well versed with the name.

But how well versed are you actually? Do you know the breadth of Google's portfolio, including all the gadgets and apps it makes? There's only one way to find out, and that's with this 15-question Google quiz.

Expect to go in-depth with Google products new and old, as well as its various services and the apps it owns. There'll be some easy questions first to warm you up, but then we're diving into some pretty tricky questions.

So let's check out how much of Googler you really are:

Now you know your Google, here are some of our favorite gadgets from the company. And if you're scrolling down here before doing the quiz, to find some answers; tough luck, there aren't any in this list!

We've been waiting a long, long time for Siri to get the AI glow-up it sorely needed, but at WWDC 2026, it finally happened: Siri AI is real.

That wasn't the only thing Apple announced at its annual developer conference, but it's fair to say that it was the main event, with more than half of the relatively short (only 75 minutes!) show dedicated to it.

Still, there were several other notable reveals both on stage and afterward. Here are the big things we learned.

1. Siri AI is the smarter, AI-powered Apple assistant we've been waiting for

It’s been a long two years, but we're nearly at the end of the winding road leading to Apple’s AI-powered, next-generation Siri — or at least we will be soon.

At WWDC 26, Craig Federighi ushered in Siri AI, an entirely next-generation personal assistant that delivers on what Apple originally set out to do at WWDC 2024, while adding some new tricks and a slightly updated look.

There’s a lot here to unpack — check out our first thoughts on the new Siri AI for more — but whatever you think of it, Siri AI is a big upgrade.

The assistant will now extend out from the Dynamic Island on the iPhone, creating a more integrated experience. Apple has also greatly expanded Siri’s world knowledge and contextual understanding, plus it's also multimodal: it can see what’s on your screen to gain broader context for a given request, and it can use your camera view as a set of eyes to help answer questions or respond to queries in real time.

That’s just scratching the surface. For instance, Siri’s voice has been updated to sound more expressive (see more on that below), and the assistant can now be customized to better suit your preferences.

Safe to say it took a while, but if you’ve already taken the leap and downloaded the Developer Beta, you can join the Siri AI waitlist now.

• READ MORE: Apple just gave 'Siri AI' its biggest upgrade ever — whether iPhone users asked for it or not

2. But Siri AI isn’t coming to the EU… because Apple says it needs to protect your privacy

The 27 EU countries won’t get Siri AI in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 because of the EU’s “extreme interpretation of the DMA [digital markets act]” that means that if it offers Siri AI’s features there that access your personal data (but process it on the device), it must also allow other AI tools on your iPhone to access your data too, but with no restriction on where that data goes (other than the EU’s data laws, of course).

Apple says it tried to create workarounds that balanced the EU’s aim for less lock-in with Apple’s aim of privacy, to no avail: “Apple designed a solution called Trusted System Agent — an intermediary that would allow virtual assistants to safely access the same features and capabilities as Siri AI for devices in the EU… The European Commission said no.”

• READ MORE: iOS 27 and Siri AI compatibility explained — confirmed device requirements for Apple's new software updates

3. You’d better buy a new device if you want the best version of Siri AI

The new Siri AI is going to quietly have two different flavors. The regular version is available on iPhone 15 Pro or later, iPad mini (A17 Pro) or later, iPad models with M1 or later, Mac with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 10 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3.

However, Apple says that its “most powerful on-device model and the features it enables, like expressive voices and more advanced dictation”, are only available on super-new devices. That means iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPad (M4) or later with at least 12GB of memory, a Mac with an M3 or later with at least 12GB of memory, and Apple Vision Pro (M5).

All of this means that a lot of pretty recent and expensive devices are being left behind by Siri AI altogether, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 14 Pro, and the original Apple Watch Ultra. The brand-new MacBook Neo isn’t powerful enough for the best Siri model, either.

4. You can make Siri AI’s voice way less annoying…

…or more annoying, if you want! The point is that it’s now really customizable, in a way that rivals Alexa+ by letting you make your voice assistant your kind of vibe.

You can choose from five basic (and much more natural) voices, and then you can change the pace and expressivity within each of those voices.

Fast and simple expression for efficiency’s sake? No problem. Slower and more expressive because the kids like interacting with it? Go for it. It should help make you want to interact with Siri’s voice more — at least it would, if it were actually coming to Apple’s HomePod smart speakers…

5. Apple's also expanded its AI-powered photo editing chops

If you’re a fan of Clean Up in Apple Photos, you’re going to be pleased to know that Apple’s expanding its AI-powered photo tools… though it’s not a throw-anything-at-the-wall approach, as the design is that these tools respect the original photo.

Firstly, Clean Up will be faster and able to tackle larger removal jobs, and will sit alongside two new features. Extend will let you stretch the borders, and only the borders, of an exciting image. This can help you achieve a rule-of-thirds shot with a portrait or rebalance an image.

More intriguing is Spatial Reframe, which, with a pinch-to-zoom or a twist of your finger on the screen, lets you adjust a shot's perspective. It’s really neat, and the demo looks impressive, as it lets you adjust the camera's position after you’ve taken the shot.

6. All of which means that Apple’s changed its approach to AI and images

Before today’s upgrade to Siri AI and Apple Intelligence, Apple was pushing the line that its approach to AI images was unique. It told us it wanted to preserve the original moment when it came to photos, so it didn’t try to make any AI image generations or image edits look too realistic, and the images you could make with Image Playground looked like AI images, not real ones.

Now, with the new Apple Intelligence features, Apple seems to have abandoned that approach entirely, and with new features such as the Extend, Clean Up, and Spatial Reframing described above, it's letting you make AI enhancements to images that look very real indeed. Image Playground now also features the ability to create realistic images.

So why the switch? Well, maybe that now that Apple has had longer to get user feedback, it has realized that this is what people actually want from AI images, or maybe it’s that until it switched to its new Gemini-powered foundation models for its AI, it really didn’t have the ability to deliver this level of realism. Either way, it's a big change in approach.

7. Siri AI in Vision Pro gives us a glimpse of what Apple AI Glasses could be

One of the most interesting examples of using Siri AI was in Vision Pro, where the user could look at a floating virtual browser window with a shopping site and ask a question about how a product would fit into their life, and the system knew what they were looking at and could give a totally context-aware answer.

It’s thanks to the eye-tracking camera in the Vision Pro, and it’s easy to see this as being the long-term goal for the much-fabled Apple Glasses. Cameras on smart glasses right now see so many things at once; it’s not an elegant system to just ask a question about what you’re facing — you could actually be looking at 20 different things.

Combining cameras on the outside of the glasses with eye detection would mean that your eyes become a way of directing the AI to one specific thing — literally, your focus becomes the software’s focus.

We’re a long way from moving it out of goggles and into glasses, but it’s easy to see that this is the future… maybe.

8. The next macOS is… Golden Gate

Seeing what Apple’s crack marketing team comes up with as a name for the next version of macOS is now something we look forward to annually, and after a bit of a runaround between the team and Craig Federighi — including some excellent visuals— we finally learned that macOS 27 is called macOS 27 Golden Gate.

It will arrive with some changes to Liquid Glass, mainly a slider to adjust the overall transparency level (more on this below). This is good news, especially since on the Mac it could be a bit hit-or-miss in macOS 26.

As with the other platforms, Apple is also taking the opportunity to fine-tune a bunch of macOS features under the hood to make it feel a bit smoother. And as the name hints, there’s a really nice new wallpaper on the horizon. Lastly, Siri AI will be supported here on Macs — or at least those that can support it, of course.

• READ MORE: macOS 27 Golden Gate announced at WWDC 2026 — here's everything you need to know

9. Search on Apple devices is about to get much better

Apple's on-device search is getting a major overhaul for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, with a fully revamped experience in Spotlight, Photos, and Mail that should make it far easier to find what you're looking for.

The key, Apple says, is the 'device index' — essentially Apple's catalog of everything on your device, whether in Photos, Mail, or saved somewhere. This index has been made "more stable, more efficient and more comprehensive of content both old and new," Apple says, and that in turn should mean you get better results when you search — and that you get them more quickly.

It's a quality-of-life improvement rather than a big update, sure, but it's the kind of thing that Apple has traditionally excelled at getting right, so it's no bad thing in our eyes.

10. macOS 27 is the end for Intel Macs

As you might expect, Macs with Intel chips won't support Siri AI — but there's worse news still for owners of those devices: Apple confirmed that macOS Golden Gate is the first version of the software to work only on Apple Silicon.

Yes, it’s the end of an era for sure, with the announcement meaning that the clock is officially ticking down for the many, much-loved Intel Macs out there.

Apple will keep updating previous versions of macOS for a while with core security updates and basic maintenance, and macOS 26 in particular will get quite a few releases along these lines — but this will be it for new features, and we can expect Intel versions of software to stop being supported in many cases, too.

• READ MORE: Apple quietly kills off support for Intel Macs and MacBooks

11. AirPods are finally getting an EQ

It seems incredible that we’ve never been able to tinker with AirPods’ sound profile, given that they’re approaching 10 years old as a product. But a custom AirPods EQ is finally coming as an option in iOS 27.

You’ll be able to use a super-simple interface to adjust the frequencies, with a waveform on the screen, and you can play a song right from that interface as you’re changing things to hear instant results.

• READ MORE: AirPods are finally getting a custom EQ in iOS 27, this is not a drill!

12. Apple admitted it got it wrong on Liquid Glass (sort of)

Apple was very proud of itself when it launched its Liquid Glass design update last year, using superlatives such as "delightful", "elegant," and "beautiful" to describe it. Well, exactly a year later, it seems it wasn't quite so elegant or beautiful after all.

That's because iOS 27 and Apple’s other software updates will introduce a new slider that lets you adjust how transparent the Liquid Glass elements are, from completely clear to fully opaque.

Now, Apple didn’t actually say it had got it wrong the first time round with Liquid Glass; obviously not. Instead, it said that all users are different, and so it was offering the slider so that people could choose what worked best for them. But come on — a fully opaque Liquid Glass is not Liquid Glass. It's, I don't know… solid perspex or something. Still, if it makes iOS easier to use, then we won't complain.

• READ MORE: 7 new iPhone features coming to your phone in iOS 27 — from the new Siri AI to big Liquid Glass upgrades

13. Apple is taking online safety very seriously

Apple took a surprisingly large chunk of time out of its presentation to focus on parental controls, highlighting new tools that allow parents to manage which apps children can access, how long they can spend on different apps, and encouraging app developers to adopt tools it has developed to help keep kids safe online.

It also showcased new tools to protect children from messages from strangers and from explicit content, and Apple placed such importance on the topic that Tim Cook even used his closing remarks to discuss it yet again.

These announcements come in the wake of governments all over the world focusing on legislation designed to protect minors online, with this segment feeling like Apple proving it’s ready to proactively respond to parents' concerns rather than waiting to get pushed by laws.

14. Apple's Password app is about to get better still

Apple might be using its next-generation of Apple Intelligence to power one of the most useful features ever, and it will likely make you switch to the Passwords app if it works as promised.

It’s already a safe haven for all your usernames and passwords, and when the time comes to change the latter, the app easily creates a new one. It will even warn you when it might be time to update, for instance, if your password appears in a data breach.

Now, though, with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, the Passwords app will actually handle the step of changing the password for you on whatever service it’s for. We’ll need to see exactly how this works, but I've been dreaming of this for years.

15. tvOS is getting some small changes

Apple didn’t really mention tvOS in its keynote, but there are some changes coming to the Apple TV 4K. These include a bunch of speed improvements — including when launching apps, using Control Center, and connecting over AirPlay — plus a few smart home upgrades, including Thread 1.4 and on-device processing of HomeKit security camera footage.

There will also be a redesigned Podcasts app, support for Hi-Res Lossless in Apple Music (previously limited to the Lossless tier), and the ability to use AI to auto-generate subtitles for shows that don’t have them, which is one feature we’ve been hoping for for a few years.

Notably lacking from the list? Siri AI. It seems like it would be really useful, enabling you to ask all kinds of questions about movies you’ve seen, where you know an actor from, what kind of show you watch next… but there are rumors that a new Apple TV 4K is coming later this year. Perhaps that will have a beefier processor capable of running the new and smarter assistant.

16. But Home is missing out almost entirely (again)

Apple made a few soft-touch improvements to Apple Home, with grouped event notifications, searchable AI-generated summaries for security camera footage, and improvements to Shortcuts — but that was about it.

Did we get Siri AI for Home? We did not. Were we surprised? We were not. And unless we get new hardware in September, it seems unlikely we'll see any genuinely worthwhile updates to the platform now.

• READ MORE: Siri AI’s new voice customization could have trumped Alexa+, but scant HomeOS updates stall the win for Apple

17. Tim Cook signed off as CEO, but without much screen time

This was Tim Cook's final WWDC as CEO — and presumably his final Apple event, given that John Ternus will have taken over by September. It was therefore a little strange that he spent so little time on screen, with Craig Federighi and a cast of a thousand (just about) Apple employees instead taking us through the updates to Siri and iOS.

Nor did Ternus appear; this is perhaps not surprising, given that he's a hardware guy, but all the same, it felt like Apple missed an opportunity to mark the end of one era and the beginning of the next.

Again, there was plenty of that kind of thing around Apple's 50th birthday earlier this year, and maybe Cook (and Ternus) didn't want to take the focus away from Siri AI. And let's face it, he's always been more content to let Apple's devices and software do the talking, rather than hogging the limelight himself. Either way, it is the end of an era — and one that Ternus will have a tough job to surpass when it comes to success.

Apple's opening WWDC 2026 keynote has been and gone, and boy, did we hear a lot about iOS 27, macOS 27 (or more specifically, macOS Golden Gate), and the rest of Apple's upcoming software upgrades.

Leading the charge were announcements surrounding Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, which will seemingly make your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch as capable as rival products from Google and Samsung from an AI perspective.

Siri, specifically, will be more conversational, detailed, and engaging, and will no longer hand off your query to third-party AI providers like ChatGPT (that is, if you ignore the fact that Siri AI is powered by Google's Gemini model).

Elsewhere, Apple announced a host of productivity, security, and creativity upgrades coming to devices across its portfolio — even the Apple Vision Pro got a mention — and many of its new software packages are available to try in beta.

Below, I've rounded up the key news from WWDC 2026, and stay tuned to TechRadar for more analysis as the dust settles on Apple's major announcements.

Jump to the live updates here

WWDC 2026 — key news

• 17 things we learned at WWDC 2026 — Siri's getting a big AI makeover, Golden Gate is the next macOS, Liquid Glass is changing, and more
• 7 new iPhone features coming to your phone in iOS 27 — from the new Siri AI to big Liquid Glass upgrades
• Apple's new, AI-powered Siri is finally here — here are the biggest upgrades coming with Siri AI
• Apple just gave 'Siri AI' its biggest upgrade ever — whether iPhone users asked for it or not
• iOS 27 and Siri AI compatibility explained — confirmed device requirements for Apple's new software updates
• macOS 27 Golden Gate announced at WWDC 2026 — here's everything you need to know
• How to download the iOS 27 developer beta
• How to download the macOS 27 Golden Gate developer beta
• Apple quietly kills off support for Intel Macs and MacBooks
• Apple just quietly dropped 6 current-gen watches from supporting the upgrade, including Ultra and SE models — here is the full list
• AirPods are finally getting a custom EQ in iOS 27, this is not a drill!
• Siri AI’s new voice customization could have trumped Alexa+, but scant HomeOS updates stall the win for Apple

WWDC 2026 — how to re-watch

You can re-watch Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote via Apple’s YouTube page or via the embedded video above.

Live updates

Welcome to our WWDC 2026 live blog! Stick with us throughout the day for our pre-event coverage of Apple's big software showcase.

A look back at WWDCs past

What better way to count down to WWDC 2026 than with a visual look back at the WWDCs that came before? TechRadar's Mark Wilson has put together a visual retrospective of the 25 biggest moments from previous WWDCs, including the announcement of Mac OS X, Apple's switch from Power PC to Intel, and the launch of the iPhone 4.

TechRadar's editor-at-large, Lance Ulanoff, has touched down in California and— wait a minute, is that Apple CEO-to-be John Ternus? If you're reading this, Lance, let us know if he gave you any pre-show hints about what to expect from WWDC 2026.

More than just Siri

Of course, Siri 2.0 will be just one part of iOS 27, so what else are we hoping to see in Apple's next iPhone-focused software package?

Elsewhere on TechRadar, we've detailed 5 things we want iOS 27 to fix at WWDC 2026, from the iOS keyboard to Liquid Glass glitches.

What can Siri tell us about WWDC 2026?

If you were to ask Siri right now what to expect from WWDC 2026, you'd be met with a response that sums up the whole issue with Apple's voice assistant.

"Do you want me to use ChatGPT to answer that?" No surprises there.

If Apple can cut out the middle man and deliver a Siri that doesn't so explicitly rely on external AI to function, it'll be a win for everyone involved. TechRadar's editor-at-large, Lance Ulanoff, dug into this topic in a separate article over the weekend.

What to expect for iPad at WWDC 2026

Will we see new hardware at WWDC 2026, and more specifically, new iPads? Well, we can’t say for sure, but we do have a fairly good idea of what to expect (and not expect).

Sadly, the answer to that question is probably 'no' — for two reasons. The first is obvious — WWDC is Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, with the key word there being ‘developers’, meaning that the focus is on software, not hardware.

Second, in recent years, Apple has tended to unveil its new tablets either early in the year, or towards the end of the year. Mid-year launches are rare. And this year, we did indeed see an early-year launch, with the iPad Air (2026) landing back in March. That was only a few months ago, so it would seem odd for Apple to launch another model so soon.

Still, we're expecting to hear plenty from Apple regarding iPadOS 27 today — here's the full breakdown on what to expect for iPad at WWDC 2026.

As for how Siri 2.0 might actually work in iOS 27, rumors suggest Apple could roll out a dedicated chat app for its voice assistant, as well as integrate Siri into the Dynamic Island.

Specifically, when you activate Siri with a wake word or the side button, a Siri animation will reportedly appear in the Dynamic Island. Then, once you’ve asked it something, a transparent results card will be displayed. If you need to go deeper than those initial results, you can swipe on the card to bring up a chat interface that apparently looks similar to an iMessage chat.

Hopefully, we'll see this rumored Siri interface in action today at WWDC 2026.

Which Apple era do you belong in?

Are you a longtime Apple user? If so, which Apple era do you belong in? Take our quiz to find out.

Don't expect a Liquid Glass-level redesign

As for what we're expecting to see in iOS 27 besides a major Siri revamp, rumors suggest Apple could add the ability to use natural language to create shortcuts in the Shortcuts app, as well as a new ‘Create a Pass’ option for Apple Wallet.

Other leaks point to tweaks to the look of Apple’s controversial Liquid Glass interface, design changes for the Camera and Weather apps, and improvements to autocorrect.

Don't expect a Liquid Glass-level design overhaul this year, then, but as mentioned, we're expecting to see Apple make experience-improving tweaks to the iPhone's transparent UI.

It looks like TechRadar's editor-at-large, Lance Ulanoff, is waking up to a clear morning in Cupertino, California (by my calculations, the local time is 6am PT).

Hang on, here's an even better pic...

And we've had our first "Good morning!" from Tim Cook, too.

The Apple CEO just tweeted a video of himself — and friends of the company including Harrison Ford, Jimmy Fallon, and Whoopi Goldberg — saying those exact words. Might today be the last time we hear a Tim Cook "Good morning!" on an Apple stage? With John Ternus stepping into the role of Apple CEO in September, it's certainly possible.

Coming bright up

Let's take a look at the official event invite for WWDC 2026. The official tagline reads "Coming bright up," and Apple's developer website is awash with references to glowing light ("Glow all out" and "A glowing giveaway," for instance). You may remember that Apple added an edge-to-edge glow to Siri in iOS 18.1 — yes, almost two years ago — and we're pretty confident that this is what Apple is teasing again here (albeit for an updated, genuinely usable version of Siri).

One other thing that's worth mentioning: as much as we're expecting Apple to right the wrongs of Siri at WWDC 2026, rumors suggest the company will still add a 'beta' label to its new voice assistant, and there may even be a waitlist of some sort before you can actually try it. Apple did the same thing with the launch of Apple Intelligence in 2024, suggesting that Siri 2.0 might still not be a finished product (despite being much better than Siri as it exists now).

Lance has touched down in Apple Park, and things are looking 'bright'.

Annual 'Lance at WWDC' selfie just dropped:

What about MacOS?

Let's pivot to MacBook for a moment. With MacOS 27, Apple looks set to introduce a “slight redesign” to the Liquid Glass-based UI, bringing fixes for “shadows and transparency quirks,” according to Bloomberg's resident Apple expert Mark Gurman.

However, “Liquid Glass itself isn’t going away,” Gurman insists: “The goal is more of a cleanup and refinement effort aligned with the company’s wider push to polish its software this year.”

This fits with the design rumors we've heard about iOS 27 and iPadsOS 27, too — so, Siri notwithstanding, 2026 looks set to be a year of small tweaks, rather than big swings.

Media pass secured

Behold, the official Apple pins from WWDC 2026:

Lil’ Finder Guy is definitely the best of the four.

With less than two hours to go until kick-off, it looks like Lance is doing laps around Apple Par— oh no wait, he's just finding his seat.

Survey says... Siri!

Early results for our 'What are you most excited to see at WWDC 2026?' poll suggest Siri 2.0 is the most hotly anticipated announcement of the day, closely followed by iOS 27 more generally. That makes sense, since more people use iPhones than, say, iPads or MacBooks, and Apple hasn't been discreet about marketing today's event as a Siri-focused showcase.

To see the current results of our poll, simply cast your vote below.

Apple Park is starting to fill up.

A reminder that today's event is due to start at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (or 3am AEST on June 9), and you can tune in via the video link at the top of the page.

Here's what the TechRadar team is most excited to see at today's event:

Marc McLaren, Global Editor in Chief: I'm excited to see how Apple reclaims the narrative around AI. There are very few areas of tech where it's ever been so far behind its rivals and ended up looking a little out of touch, so if it has big things in store on this front, that's massive news. And if it doesn't… well, that's massive news too.

Jacob Krol, US Managing Editor, News: I'm really keen to see new Siri come to fruition after two years, but also how Apple positions it as helpful for everyday folks, and the features it decides to spotlight (will they be the same as originally promised?). It'll also be interesting to see whether Gemini or Google gets even a very tiny mention (I doubt it), and how Apple describes generative edit features for Photos.

Mark Wilson, UK Managing Editor, News: I’m looking forward to the new ‘Siri’ mode in the Camera app — I’ve been getting tired of Android getting all the cool visual search tricks like proper ‘Circle to Search’. And that sounds genuinely useful, assuming it’s not all smoke and mirrors again.

Matt Hanson, Managing Editor, Core Tech: I'd like Liquid Glass to look nicer in macOS 27.

Matt Evans, Senior Fitness & Wearables Editor: I'm excited to see how Tim Cook handles the baton-passing to John Ternus

Tim Coleman, Cameras Editor: More pics of Lance shaking hands with important people.

I'm with you there, Tim.

Interestingly, both the Apple Developer Portal and Apple Store website are still operating as normal, with just over half an hour to go until WWDC 2026 kicks off. Apple typically closes both sites for maintenance ahead of keynotes like WWDC, so we're expecting them to shutter imminently.

In other words, if you want to buy an iPhone from Apple directly, you've probably got about 30 seconds to do so...

We're ready and waiting (it looks like there are still some seats available, guys).

We're just about 30 minutes away from the start of WWDC 26, and I'm curious whether we'll see John Ternus join Tim Cook and Craig Federighi on stage at Apple Park before the pre-recorded presentation begins.

Typically, the latter two appear in front of the big screen at Apple Park to offer a few words before the event video kicks off, but considering Ternus was out mingling with attendees last night — including TechRadar's own Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff — it feels like perfect timing for the CEO-to-be to step into this emcee role.

Either way, we'll find out soon enough.

If you're wondering what Apple might call macOS 27, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman isn't convinced that Big Bear, Redwood, or Tiburon are the chosen monikers.

And just like that, Apple's beta page is down, teasing "We'll be back."

10 minutes to go. There's no music on Apple's live stream yet — at this point during Google I/O 2026, Google was torturing us with some AI-generated EDM — but the silence has got me wondering whether we'll see some sort of skit featuring Craig Federighi to kick things off.

The 'number of people in the waiting room' ticker is steadily heading north. It's now at 90,000...

The Apple stewards are wrangling the last few attendees...

Here's a quick prediction/hope/dream from TechRadar's Managing Editor, Social & Engagement, Josie Watson:

"I'm betting on this finally being the year Apple gets its act together and delivers a competitive smart home service. With competition hotting up from Google Home and Alexa, a newly bolstered Siri with widgets and better Shortcuts could be the missing ingredient. Except that'll probably mean we need all-new, more powerful HomePods, too..."

And we're off! There's the music...

Tim Cook walks onto the Apple Park green to Harry Styles' "Ready, Stready, Go!"

Was that the last "Good morning!" we'll ever hear from Tim Cook...

Confirmation that we'll be hearing about Siri today... surprise!

Craig Federighi teases upcoming announcements regarding platform improvements, trust and safety, and Apple Intelligence and Siri.

Side note: Federighi's hair really is magnificent, isn't it?

The first big reveal of the day: macOS 27 is... macOS Golden Gate!

Here's Stacey Ford to talk about upcoming macOS upgrades. She says Apple has made macOS "faster, smoother, and even easier to use."

Can yo count all the upgrades in the image above?

Liquid Glass will now diffuse content behind it much more effectively, and Apple is adding a new slider in Settings to adjust Liquid Glass. It's about time.

Every window on macOS will now have the same corner radius, and Apple has also added Liquid Glass effects to app icons.

I mean, that does look pretty cool actually.

Some more eye-catching stats: iPhone and iPad apps will launch up to 30% faster, new photos will appear 70% faster, photos will transfer over AirDrop 80% faster, and file browsing is up to 5x faster. Impressive stuff.

Hang on, did Apple just say... iPhone 11?!

iOS 27 will be available on every iPhone since Apple's 2019 flagship, which matches the minimum software requirements of iOS 26.

Finally, Search is getting some much-needed TLC.

Apple has rebuilt Search from the ground up; iOS 27 and macOS 27 will index your entire data library, so you can better search for photos and emails. Huzzah!

In case you missed it during that feature announcement flurry, iOS 27 will add a status slider for iMessages.

We're moving swiftly on to the Trust & Safety portion of Apple's briefing.

Starting this year, parents will be able to create upgraded Child accounts in iOS. They'll be able to approve which apps their children can download, which websites they can view, who their children can talk to, and how long they can spend on their iPhone or iPad.

In iOS 27, Time Allowances work like Screen Time limits, but are informed by paediatric research, and can be amended to suit different times of day.

Craig Federighi: "We're giving parents powerful, easy-to-use tools to help manage what kids can see and who they can talk to." This is good stuff from Apple.

And here we go with the AI portion of today's keynote.

"Today, we're taking a big step forward with Apple Intelligence."

Gemini mentioned!

Apple has acknowledged its partnership with Google; Gemini models will underpin Apple's upcoming Apple Intelligence features.

Apple believes that companies already investing heavily in AI should "turn the potential of advanced technology into helpful and intuitive products for everyone."

Is that a spot of shade-throwing?

Apple announces Siri AI.

"We've rebuilt Siri with powerful AI at the core," the company says. "Siri is a profoundly more capable assistant, and it's more conversational."

There's a dedicated Siri app, and it'll live predominantly within your iPhone's Dynamic Island.

Apple is showing off its new Siri AI platform by having a conversation about an upcoming Suki Waterhouse gig. This new voice assistant is contextually aware and capable of analysing what's appearing on your iPhone screen at any given time.

Essentially, Siri AI will reduce the need to jump between apps manually. It can search through core iPhone apps like Photos, Maps, and Mail to better answer your query.

Incidentally, Apple is also launching new Siri voices — you'll be able to adjust pace and expressivity based on your preferences.

An important side note there: these Siri AI upgrades extend to CarPlay and AirPods.

I'm not seeing much here that's downright groundbreaking versus comparable assistants like Gemini, but it does seem as if Apple has caught up to the competition with Siri AI.

Here's a look at Siri AI on macOS. Rather than being embedded in the Dynamic Island (which doesn't exist on MacBooks), it'll form part of Spotlight. You can expand Siri queries into dedicated macOS windows, and a new Siri field will appear when right-clicking on files.

We're now getting a look at the dedicated Siri app, which will store your (private) conversational history across your devices. In typical Apple fashion, you can start chatting to Siri on iPhone, move to iPad, and finish the conversation on Mac.

Siri mode in the iPhone's camera app looks like the Visual Intelligence feature that was promised two years ago. Touch the shutter button to let Siri see what you see, and you'll be able to ask contextual questions about your surroundings.

Automatic Proofreading! That's a useful new Apple Intelligence feature. Essentially, you won't have to take action when your iPhone, iPad, or Mac highlights a writing error.

Here's another look at that Siri assistant pop-up on Mac:

Oh, this is nice. Apple Intelligence can automatically organize your Safari tabs into categories.

I hope TechRadar's Global Editor in Chief, Marc McLaren, is watching...

Here's a major Passwords app update: now, you can automatically update eligible accounts to strong passwords, saving you the hassle of changing those passwords manually. Apple Intelligence will also go ahead and re-sign you into accounts with those changed passwords.

Ooo, this is good too: if you're on a phone call and are asked for details regarding a booking or reservation (say, if you're speaking to an airline regarding a flight), Apple Intelligence will surface those details into the phone call interface, so you don't have to navigate away from the call. If it works, that's huge.

Apple is now revealing a big Shortcuts app upgrade that we were hoping and praying for.

Essentially, you can now build Shortcuts with natural language prompts, so you don't have to wade through the complex process of building Shortcuts yourself.

Again, if it works, this could be huge for the accessibility of the feature, which launched way back in 2018.

In iOS 27, Image Playground really feels like what it should have been when it first launched.

For starters, you can now make an image in pretty much any style, including much more realistic ones. It's also being integrated across nearly all platforms, and you can make images in pretty much any size. We'll need to see how it stacks up, but this Apple Intelligence launch feature now looks genuinely usable.

An important note there: Siri AI won't be available in the EU on iOS and iPadOS. That's a lot of customers.

Behold, the (very) big list of Apple Intelligence features coming to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate:

It's interesting that we haven't heard from (or even seen!) CEO-to-be John Ternus during this WWDC 2026 keynote. He is a hardware man, I suppose.

iOS 27, iPad OS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and the rest of Apple's next major software packages will arrive in Fall this year — for those new to this, that means 'in September, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro.'

And that's a wrap on Apple's opening keynote for WWDC 2026.

Stay tuned for our breakdown of all the announcements, and I'm working on a handy 'key announcements' list as I type this, so you don't have to wade through my previous 100 posts.

The WWDC 2026 compatibility conundrum

I've just published an explainer on the device requirements for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and Siri AI. To enjoy the full version of the latter — specifically, features like expressive voices and more advanced dictation — you'll need to own an iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or an iPhone Air.

Frustratingly for many, Siri AI also won't be available in the European Union (EU) or China at launch.

Here's Apple's statement on the matter: "Unfortunately, due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple will not be able to ship Siri AI in the European Union with the release of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. Over the past several months, EU regulators did not accept any of Apple’s proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants."

Yikes.

We’re now days away from WWDC 2026 — Apple’s major software showcase of the year. There we expect to (finally) see the new and improved Siri alongside some major software upgrades, stretching from iOS to macOS.

But this week was arguably just as momentous in the world of tech. Scroll down and you’ll see we’ve rounded up the seven most important tech stories of the past seven days, from Sony’s State of Play showcase to everything we saw at Taiwan's Computex, the world's biggest computing show.

Before you catch up with this week’s tech news, why not test yourself on last week’s eight biggest tech stories to see how good your memory is? Take the quiz below, or scroll on for the biggest tech news of the week...

7. Sony's State of Play lit our gaming fires

Gaming’s nouveau-E3, aka Summer Games Fest, has had various festivities this week ahead of the main showcase. One of which was Sony’s latest State of Play.

Thanks to Sony we got a better look at Marvel’s Wolverine in all of its goryness, a new trailer and a demo for incredible sword fight (and potential GOTY) Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and to top it all off a sneak peek at the next God of War title: Laufey.

We’re writing this up ahead of Summer Game Fest’s main event (it was last night if you’re reading this Saturday morning) but be sure to check out our SGF coverage over on TRG.

6. Lego’s new Pokémon sets left us thunder-shocked

This week Lego’s Smart Play sets evolved with 12 new Pokémon builds that we instantly fell in love with. The biggest win here — besides the incredibly well designed ‘mons (there’s 20 in all) — is that these sets don’t feel like they need the Smart Brick.

Sure Pikachu’s treehouse has several awesome Smart brick integrations that allow you to catch, train, feed and rest your critter as if the electric mouse were alive, but the physical play features enable all of this while the Smart brick just enhances things.

The same is true for each of the other builds, and they feel like a serious improvement over what came from the Star Wars Smart Play sets just a handful of months ago.

• Read the full story: I spent 3 hours with Lego’s new Pokémon Smart Play sets — they solve the Smart Brick’s biggest problems

5. Polaroid launched the 'world's smallest' instant camera

There's been a big trend in miniature cameras recently, and following in their slipstream is the latest version of the Polaroid Go — an instant camera that's designed for anyone who wants a big hit of nostalgia from a small, affordable snapper.

The Go 3 doesn't reinvent the series, adding a stronger flash, sharper lens and even smaller dimensions (Polaroid claims it's the 'world's smallest' instant model). But it might just be the ultimate summer festival camera, coming in a range of bold colors (white, black, teal blue, ice blue or purple) and costing $89.99 / £79.99 (around AU$150).

Just remember to leave some spare change for extra 'Go' film — the little 2.6 x 2.1-inch prints cost around $21.99 / £18.99 / AU$40 per 16-shot roll, so use them wisely.

• Read the full story: Polaroid just launched the ‘world’s smallest instant camera’

4. The Sonos Beam got a new rival

WiiM has been quietly positing itself as the answer to “What would happen if we built a Sonos ecosystem but without the app that made fans turn their backs?” for quite some time now. The remarkable WiiM Sound wireless speaker launched last year, and now the firm has released its first soundbar.

The new WiiM Bar (for that is its name) is essentially a direct rival to the Sonos Beam (2nd Gen) in terms of pricing and how the company wants you to use it, but it's bigger, beefier and has real upfiring drivers for Dolby Atmos — which Sonos' Beam lacks.

It also features automatic room correction, multi-room grouping, support for over 20 streaming services and, unusually, a glass-covered 2.1-inch touch display on the front. An odd choice when the last thing you want is an illuminated visual distraction right near your TV screen when settling down for movie night?

We spoke to WiiM's CEO, Dr Lifeng Zhao, about it all (good news! You can turn it off while watching movies or shows) and he's confident users will find it valuable for music streaming when not watching TV — which is how a lot of people use their soundbar, you know…

• Read the full story: WiiM's first soundbar is the same price as the Sonos Beam, but it's bigger, beefier and has real upfiring drivers

3. Android fans got a big June upgrade

iPhone fans are patiently waiting for the software gifts that’ll be revealed at WWDC 2026 on Monday, but Android owners got some new toys to unwrap this week — courtesy of a generous June feature drop.

The biggest upgrade is arguably Fake Call Detection for foiling pesky scammers. The downside is that it’s limited to Pixels (and select non-Pixel devices), but there were new features for most other Android phones, too.

These include wider AirDrop support and Google Photos Wardrobe, a new way to track your clothes and combine them into outfits. We’ll try not to take that as a dig at our fashion sense thanks, Google.

• Read more: 7 new Android features coming to your phone in June — including fake call detection and Google Photos wardrobe

2. We picked our favorite tech from Computex

Each year the Computex computing show highlights some incredible computers, and that was no different this year.

The biggest news camera from Nvidia (see below), but there’s so much else to talk about. Dell revived the XPS line with the latest Dell XPS 13 model being billed as a direct competitor to the MacBook Neo. Acer was also chasing the Neo’s popularity, while MSI showcased a beautiful, but not overly affordable MSI Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Draco Epic that was a sight to behold.

Though but doesn’t hold a candle to the creative builds we also saw — which included PCs made to look like Matrix robots, a miniature science lab, and a giant mechanized arm.

• Read our full Computex coverage

1. Nvidia’s RTX Spark took on Apple’s M5

Computex 2026 was full of several huge announcements for PC users, but none was bigger than Nvidia's introduction of the new RTX Spark. This is an Arm-based chip packed with 20 CPU cores and 6,144 CUDA cores based on Blackwell architecture — and an integrated GPU that is said to be equivalent to an RTX 5070 GPU, which is great for gaming.

It’s best suited for, well, Arm-based laptops, which are known for their exceptional battery life, and Team Green has effectively green-lit its rivalry with Apple and its successful M-series chips (which are also Arm-based).

Nvidia, Microsoft, and Arm all lauded the RTX Spark as a ‘new era of computing’, and while that is the case for laptops, Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang has also made it clear that the chip won’t be used for handhelds — which will undoubtedly disappoint some gaming enthusiasts. Still, this is undoubtedly destined to be one of the biggest computing moments of 2026.

• Read the full story: Nvidia just unveiled its RTX Spark Arm 'superchip'

• The main focus of WWDC will be on Siri and other major AI updates
• iOS 27 could introduce changes designed for the iPhone Fold
• Apple may preview a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini

When Tim Cook delivered his first WWDC opening speech back in 2012, Siri kicked things off with a joke: "How many developers does it take to change a light bulb? None, that’s a hardware problem."

If Apple opens this year's keynote with Siri again, let's hope it has some fresh material because the Apple Intelligence features it originally promised for iOS 26.4 are now expected to arrive with iOS 27, making this WWDC a crucial moment for Apple's AI ambitions.

Of course, given the broader transition underway at Apple, the stakes are even higher for this year's WWDC to truly deliver. With John Ternus set to take over on September 1, which is also around the same time Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, iOS 27 will need to do more than simply add AI features.

As usual, we're also expecting various updates to be announced for iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27. And while WWDC is traditionally a software-focused event, there are rumors of a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini, both of which could receive an early preview ahead of a potential launch later this year.

There's also the possibility (like we joked about on the TechRadar podcast below) that Cook pulls a scene straight from The Wolf of Wall Street and announces he's not leaving after all. That would certainly be one more thing...

A smarter Siri

Apple's WWDC 2026 invite strongly hints at major Siri AI upgrades, which is no big surprise given that many of us have been waiting months for the more personal, AI-powered Siri first showcased last year.

At this point, it's almost a given that Siri will get the glow-up we've been waiting for, making it smarter and more useful across a range of applications. Based on reports from Bloomberg's Apple tipster Mark Gurman, we're also expecting Siri to get chatbot-like capabilities and a dedicated app with iOS 27. It's rumored to largely live within the Dynamic Island at the top of your iPhone.

If those speculations prove accurate, that would put Siri front and center of everything you do on your device, making this the biggest announcement we're expecting to hear next week, especially since Apple seemingly threw in the towel on Apple Intelligence by inking a deal with Google to let Siri run on Gemini.

In fact, this upcoming WWDC may be Apple's last chance to fix Siri and deliver the AI we were promised — no pressure then, Cook.

New Apple Intelligence features

Aside from the rumored upgrades Apple Intelligence will bring to Siri, like the ability to keep track of tasks, see what you're looking at on your phone, and work across all your apps, there's also been talk of several other new AI features planned to be added across Apple's operating systems.

Gurman, again, has been the main source for these tips, most recently suggesting that the image-generating capabilities of Apple Intelligence will be "getting a big boost this year". That suggests a big update is planned for the Photos app, which could also include new AI-powered image editing features.

Earlier this year, Gurman also noted that Apple's Writing Tools feature could get an AI boost to help users with spelling and grammar, as well as with building Shortcuts with AI by letting users more easily create automations across their iPhone, iPad, and Mac using conversational prompts.

An iOS 27 tune-up

Numerous Apple apps are reportedly primed for big changes with the arrival of iOS 27. From the Camera and Weather apps to Safari and Wallet, Gurman has suggested there could be several major upgrades.

Underpinning many of the changes will be the new AI feature, Visual Intelligence, which will be deployed across core iOS apps to enable more 'agentic' automations on your phone.

Of course, there's also the possibility that we get our first glimpse of how iOS 27 might support an iPhone Fold, which was speculated to launch in September but might be delayed until next year if the latest round of reports are true. It's expected to run on iOS 27, despite some considering it to support iPadOS 27.

There could also be some good news for those with non-Apple devices, as Gurman has reported that iOS 27 might relax its streaming protocols to be more open to third-party apps. That could mean that you might have the option to set, say, Google Cast as your default setting for broadcasting video and audio.

OS 27-wide changes

Considering that iOS 27 is rumored to be a much more scaled-back overhaul than what we got last year, many of us — just like MacRumors has reported — are expecting an update more along the lines of the Mac OS X Snow Leopard, which, if you recall, was solely focused on improving performance.

If that's true, it could mean we hear less about new features and more about underlying quality improvements that support the integration of Apple Intelligence across Apple's ecosystem.

One of the more minor improvements we're expecting is to Liquid Glass, which could get a new system-wide slider to adjust the opacity strength, although we likely won't see any major design changes.

Gurman has also hinted at new AirPods features, suggesting that Apple will "revamp" the controls and settings of its wireless earbuds to be "more functional, better organized and more streamlined" — but don't expect a new dedicated app like the Apple Watch has (it's more likely Siri will get a standalone app instead).

A new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini

Even though WWDC is primarily a software-focused event, there's the possibility that we could see a preview of the rumored new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini before they potentially launch later this year.

There have been rumors circling of a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini launching since last year, and with Gurman confirming that both are "nearly ready to go" in his newsletter on Sunday, it would make sense to showcase a revamped Siri running on new devices.

Less likely, but still possible, is the chance that we get an update about Apple's upcoming desktop lineup, including the M5 Mac mini, the M5 Ultra Mac Studio and M5 iMacs, which have been delayed due to production challenges and global supply chain shortages.

Which rumored WWDC 2026 announcement are you most hopeful to see? Let us know by voting in the poll below or leaving a comment. We'll be covering the keynote in a live blog, so make sure to check back in with us for more.

Yesterday, I spent several hours playing with the brand-new Lego Pokémon Smart Play sets, and it was the most fun I’ve had in ages, and the August 1 launch date cannot come soon enough.

However, for the short period of time when I remembered I’m an adult journalist with a job to do, I had the chance to sit down with some members of the design team to chat about the sets, starting with the most striking improvement: they feel like Lego builds with Smart Play enhancements rather than being dependent on the new technology.

That’s unlike the first-wave of Smart Brick sets, which didn’t feel complete unless you had the brick charged up and in place.

“We're glad you picked up on that. We’ve been working on these sets for a few years, so for us it doesn’t feel quick. Our challenge is always to find what story we can tell, and also see how children play with these sets, then figuring out how to bring that to physical play and seeing where the Smart Brick can enhance the experience.

“For example, in the Pikachu’s Training House set, you can throw a pokéball at the target to catch him — the grass opens up, and it’s fun on its own — but we can enhance that with a Smart Brick by having the pokémon react and play a celebration effect. It’s good play at its core and we are making it even better.”

As the team explained, they spent a lot of time watching how kids played with the sets and used that to inspire aspects like how battling should work — you'll notice it's quite similar to children having their action figures interact by crashing into each other. And also using the Smart Brick to answer the one request every kid had, "They all wanted the Pokémon to come to life, so we focused on how we can do that with the Smart Brick."

The designs are also superb. Some of this is helped by the minting of new pieces — such as the eye pieces used by Cubone, Lapras, and Mewtwo — but also the teams working with The Pokémon Company to ensure every ‘mon looks like its in-game counterpart.

“We’d get very detailed feedback. Can you make the neck longer? Can you shorten the arms a bit? Can you make sure it has three claws on each hand? But that means the final models truly capture the essence of the Pokémon.”

This capturing of its essence includes my favorite of the designs — Garchomp. I love the pokémon in the games, but the build is so well done for me because, unlike most of the models which have smoother finishes, Garchomp’s Lego build is very bricky — with rough studs all over — to match his in-game ability: Rough Skin.

It’s a very nice touch, and the sets are full of these — one of the designers pointed out several easter eggs hidden in the builds, including that the Trophy included with Garchomp and Umbreon is made to look like Cynthia’s hair accessories (the Champion of Sinnoh, and one of the series’ most formidable foes).

Though while all the sets are great, there's undoubtedly a best-in-show, and we want you to help us decide! Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the poll below, and we'll try to make sure it's featured in our Lego Pokémon Smart Play review when that's published.

Can't decide? Scroll down for the full 12-set collection.

The full Pokémon Smart Play collection

Not sure how to vote in our poll? No worries, below I’ve written down some details (and personal thoughts) on all 12 of the builds. I’ve seen them all in person and spent several hours playing with them all, so I have firsthand knowledge of what they look and feel like.

I know which one I think is best, but there’s no one right answer. And whichever you like you’ll also find links to preorder them from Lego.com ahead of their August 1 launch.

All-in-one sets

Smart Play compatible

• Eclipsa Video is a new HDR standard heading to phones first
• Experts from Google, Apple, and NBCUniversal are involved
• For now, it won't be competing directly against Dolby Vision or HDR10+

There's yet another HDR (High Dynamic Range) standard for displays to know about, developed by experts from Apple, Google, and NBCUniversal — and it looks set to provide some open-source (and license-free) competition for Dolby Vision, albeit on phones and laptops rather than TVs.

It's called Eclipsa Video, and, as FlatpanelsHD reports, it was announced without much fanfare. It's a companion to Eclipsa Audio, which launched in 2025, and is being pushed specifically by Google — though the SMPTE 2094-50 technical standard it's based on was also developed with help from Apple and NBCUniversal.

One of the key goals is to fix a major HDR pain point: HDR is designed to balance highlights, shadows, and contrast so that nothing gets lost, but device screens all have different brightness limits. That means HDR signaling can get confused, leading to a less-than-ideal viewing experience.

That shouldn't happen with Eclipsa Video. The standard includes metadata protocols for reporting to the video what the limits of the viewing device are, so that the HDR can be tailored accordingly. "The video you're watching looks exactly the way the creator intended," Google's Roshan Baliga said last month.

The upcoming Dolby Vision 2 standard, meanwhile, aims to tackle the same exact problem, while adding numerous other upgrades. Particularly on cheaper, less capable televisions, you should get better results from HDR, provided both the TV and the content provider support the standard.

Coming to phones first

Support for Eclipsa Video will be required at both the hardware and software level, with the initial focus on phones, as per the official press release. Approved devices are expected to start showing up this year — and given Apple's involvement in the underlying spec, that leaves us wondering whether the iPhone 18 Pro might be first in line.

The press release promises "stellar video performance on compatible smartphones, laptops, desktops and more," and it's perhaps telling that TVs aren't mentioned — perhaps the intention isn't to disrupt the current dominance of the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ standards on bigger screens, or at least not right away.

How exactly this fits into the current landscape isn't clear, and right now we don't have many details to go on. The Eclipsa Video standard is actually being put under the control of the HDR10+ consortium, which has confirmed that future devices can be certified for both HDR10+ and Eclipsa Video.

That suggests we're looking at something that complements rather than competes with the HDR10+ standard, at least for smaller screens, though HDR10+ will remain its own separate entity too.

As for Dolby Vision and Dolby Vision 2, given the backing that Apple has historically given to Dolby Vision, and that the NBCUniversal-owned Peacock streaming service has already announced it's supporting the upcoming Dolby Vision 2, Dolby might not have too much to worry about... yet.

The most fun I’ve had at work for some time is when Josie and I got to build the Lego Smart Brick Darth Vader TIE Fighter set for our YouTube channel. Well, it was… as now that’s been replaced by the hours I spent playing the brand-new Lego Pokémon sets today — all 12 of them — as they’re everything I could want as a long-term fan of both, and they're a true evolution (pun intended) of the Lego Smart Play system.

My favorite improvement: you could forget these sets are at all Smart Play compatible.

This isn’t meant as a slight against the Smart Brick — I think the techno block is an incredibly fun play feature — but my biggest criticism of the original Star Wars batch is that they feel incomplete without the brick. Darth Vader’s TIE fighter literally has a giant open space at the back for the Smart Brick, and even with it in place, the set feels a little more open than a spaceship should be.

Here, Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Garchomp, and the gang are complete models without the Smart Brick; perfect blocky action figures to pose and battle with. But lift off their belly, and you’ll expose a Smart Play tile that, with a charged-up block, will help to bring these critters to life.

Further, the sets are jam-packed with play features enhanced by smart features, but aren’t dependent on them.

Smart Play's improvements have left me thunder-shocked!

The all-in-one Pikachu’s Training House couldn’t be a clearer showcase of this. With the electric mouse, you’ll experience the full Pokémon cycle. He starts out hiding in the tall grass, waiting for you to throw a pokéball at him — which you do by hitting a target, which makes the grass fall back, and, with a Smart Brick, plays a successful tune.

With your new partner, you can then touch the training tile to begin getting Pikachu ready for battle. In training mode, Pikachu and all other 19 Pokémon in this lineup can grow their strength by hitting targets, practicing moves, and generally preparing for battle (activated by your movements as you shake them about).

When they next take a breather, you’ll complete the training and, if you both worked hard enough, you’ll hear Pikachu level up. You can then prepare him a sandwich in the kitchen to reward his hard work, before folding down his bed so Pikachu can take a well-deserved rest (complete with sleeping noises).

With a second Smart Brick and Pokémon, you can also engage in a battle — just make sure to remember your type matchups, and to consider the inherent strength of each ‘mon. Even with training, Mewtwo might be a tough foe for your mouse.

As an all-in-one set, Pikachu’s Training House is a little pricier at $69.99 / £59.99/ AU$129.99, but seeing it in action with all of its smart and non-smart play features, this feels like a very reasonable price.

Though if you are on a budget there are simpler yet still delightful options like Berry Bash with Bulbasaur and Bidoof ($19.99 / £17.99 / AU$34.99), Trainer's Buggy Adventure with Squirtle ($29.99 / £24.99 / AU$54.99) and you’ll also find pricier sets with more pieces like my favorite: the Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship Battle ($79.99 / £69.99 / $139.99). The trophy is designed to look like Cynthia’s hair, I’ve been told.

All 12 of the new sets will launch on August 1 at Lego.com and are up for preorder right now.

As we draw towards the end of another week, it's time to look back at the stories that shaped the technology landscape over the last seven days — collected here for your convenience in our regular In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) round-up.

A lot has happened, as is always the case. The Pope weighed in on the pros and cons of AI, we looked at new gadgets from Oura and GoPro, Sony showed off its latest TVs, and Fitbit users were less than happy at being forced to use the Google Health app.

Make yourself comfortable and join us as we take a tour through those stories and more. Once you've fully caught up, you'll be ready for whatever the next week brings.

8. Oura revealed ‘the world’s smallest smart ring’

After much anticipation, the Oura Ring 5 is here, ready to claim the title of being the best smart ring on the market. Compared to the previous model, the new wearable is smaller, lighter, and more durable, while also offering extra battery life — you should be able to go for a week between charges (in our tests, the previous Oura Ring 4 lasted around six days).

There's a lot more to talk about with this new device, too, including the redesigned portable charging case, real-time activity tracking, expanded support for women's hormonal and reproductive health, and the ability to add lab results, such as blood test results, to your profile. We've got all the details here, including the price (which has gone up).

• Read the full story: Oura just unveiled 'the world’s smallest smart ring', the Oura Ring 5 — and members are going to love these 7 upgrades

7. We spent a long weekend with GoPro Mission 1 Pro

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro is a camera that GoPro is hoping will appeal to more serious filmmakers and creatives (hence the Pro in the name), and those with more to spend: it comes with a 1-inch sensor that's capable of recording in up to 8K video resolution, and a rugged design that keeps the camera waterproof up depths of to 66 feet (about 20 meters).

But is it actually any good? To find out, TechRadar's intrepid Senior Staff Writer Hamish Hector took the camera on a long weekend of adventures, exposing it to high May temperatures, sandy beaches, a paddling trip, and more. The verdict is that this is a GoPro that mostly impresses, though several limitations are worth noting.

• Read the full story: I spent a long weekend with the GoPro Mission 1 Pro — it survived heat, sea, sand and a couple of drops, but you need to respect its limits

6. The Jony Ive-designed electric Ferrari got a roasting

The newly unveiled Ferrari Luce is the first electric car from the luxury sports car manufacturer, and it's been designed in partnership with LoveFrom, the company headed by Jony Ive, formerly head of design at Apple. The big reveal of the car has led to a wave of responses online and off, and the majority of them are... not particularly positive.

Various commenters have compared the Luce to a Waymo robotaxi, suggested the design is "worse than I could have ever imagined", and concluded that "Ferrari have absolutely and completely lost their minds." Ouch. Don't take their words for it, though — have a look at the aesthetics of the Luce for yourself (even if it's unlikely that you can afford it).

• Read the full story: 'Somehow worse than I could ever have imagined': the new Ferrari Luce EV is getting a brutal reception, but legendary Apple designer Jony Ive has defended his choices — and there's one key decision most people agree with

5. The Pope warned us all about AI ‘dehumanization’

AI is the biggest talking point in tech at the moment, and Pope Leo XIV has now joined the chat. The Pontiff shared his thoughts on AI as part of his new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas — an encyclical, a formal document published by the Vatican and traditionally used to address major moral or social issues, in case you were wondering.

It's a long document, but if you want the short version, the Pope reckons that AI threatens to create "new forms of dehumanization", and that its "opaque algorithms" are a worry for humanity and social justice. There are references to the Tower of Babel here, and a warning that AI could be the next folly to lead to disaster for humankind and our faith.

• Read the full story: The Pope just warned AI could create 'new forms of dehumanization' — and his message feels aimed straight at Big Tech

4. Meta started ‘the end of social media as we know it’

Social media platforms aren't particularly pleasant places to be a lot of the time, so how do you feel about paying extra for them? Meta has announced that it's rolling out monthly subscription options for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — though at the moment, we haven't heard much in the way of details about what you get in return for your money.

Whatever the new plans involve, TechRadar's Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, thinks it's a bad idea and that we should expect more and more features to become paywalled as time goes on.

Might end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp eventually become a WhatsApp Plus extra, for example? Or could we see restrictions on free users in terms of posting limits?

• Read our full hands-on preview: Meta's subscription plans are the tip of a terrible pay-to-engage iceberg and may be the beginning of the end for social media as we know it

3. We reviewed ‘the most immersive Bond game in years’

When it comes to Bond video games, everyone thinks immediately of GoldenEye, and then... there's not much else of note really. It looks like that's going to change with the launch of 007 First Light from IO Interactive, which has been acclaimed by reviewers and gamers alike for bringing a high-quality, engaging experience to the Bond universe.

In our own review, which you can get to below, TechRadar Senior Editor Amelia Schwanke says: "007 First Light is perhaps the closest a game has ever come to making me feel like I’m starring in a Bond film... this stylish origin story still feels like a triumphant return for the most iconic secret agent." The game is out now, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

• Read the full review: 007 First Light delivers a blockbuster Bond origin story packed with spycraft, stealth and explosive action set pieces

2. Google outraged Fitbit fans again with new Health app

The Google Health app is now replacing the Fitbit app on Android and iOS, and the Fitbit community isn't happy about it: the new app has been described as "atrocious", "clunky", and "unbelievably bad" across the internet, and there are widespread complaints about fitness data being logged incorrectly and Google's AI coach being less than helpful.

There's no going back, unfortunately, for those who much preferred the design and the flow of the now-replaced Fitbit app. Google has said it will be working on fixing bugs and adding new features to the Google Health app over the coming weeks, but it will take time for these negative user sentiments to be turned around.

• Read the full story: Google Health is getting heat for being 'unbelievably bad' after replacing the Fitbit app — but Google says fixes are coming

1. We finally saw Sony’s first 'True RGB' TV in action

The arrival of new Sony TVs is always worth celebrating, and we've been taking a close-up look at the new Sony Bravia 9 II, Bravia 8 II, and Bravia 7 II models. These are the first 'True RGB' televisions from Sony, making use of an RGB mini-LED backlight: the tech promises an upgrade over mini-LED, through the way that the LCD backlight can adjust its colors.

There's a lot more to know about these TV sets, too, including pricing, which you'll find in the article below. Color range and viewing angles have been improved, as has the anti-reflective technology, and HDR performance is significantly better as well. We've also had time to check out the impressive Sony Bravia Theatre Trio speakers.

• Read the full story: I saw Sony's first 'True RGB' TV in action compared to a studio monitor and Sony's best OLED TV — and based on early measurements, Sony might finally bring 'reference' HDR performance to your home

And why not test yourself on last week’s seven biggest tech stories to see how well you were paying attention? Take the quiz below.

• A new lithium extraction process has been developed at MIT
• It's cheaper and more eco-friendly than current techniques
• The innovation could shift the extraction industry away from China

Lithium-ion batteries power most of our tech devices, from the best phones to the best drones, so the element lithium is in demand. Now, scientists working at MIT have come up with a new way to extract it from rock, which is cheaper and more eco-friendly than the techniques currently used.

The new process was actually inspired by a bathroom renovation carried out by one of the research team, Materials Science and Engineering professor Yet-Ming Chiang. His DIY project led him to a glass etching cream that could 'eat away' at the glass surface and turn clear glass blocks translucent.

Spodumene, the most abundant lithium-bearing mineral, is mostly made up of silica, just like glass. With the glass etching cream in mind, the scientists developed an innovative liquid solution for dissolving the silica in spodumene, then developed new techniques for refining the lithium and aluminum also present in the rock.

The process is notable in a number of ways: it works at room temperature, it's about half the cost of current extraction techniques, the liquid solution can be repeatedly reused, and the leftover waste can be repurposed into useful materials.

'You can change the lithium market'

"We believe this approach is the lowest-energy, lowest-cost way of getting lithium not only out of hard rock, but period," says Chiang. "That’s what's motivating us to scale this. It will enable the energy transition through batteries that use lithium."

It also has the potential to shift the global landscape in terms of lithium production. China currently dominates the global lithium refining industry, but there's also an abundance of the element in the US, Europe, and Australia — the problem is getting it out of the rocks its encased inside in a usable form.

At the moment, extracting lithium requires heating rocks to over 1,000 degrees Celsius, which uses a considerable amount of energy. The rest of the rock has to be discarded after the extraction process too. China has historically been willing to put up with the financial and environmental cost, and benefits from operating at vast scales.

"Our central thesis is if you can find an easier way to crack the rock, get lithium out, and make battery-grade lithium salts, you can change the lithium market," says chemist Camden Hunt, one of the researchers who worked on the project.

• ABC has been asked to apply for broadcast license renewals early
• The Disney-owned network says the FCC is exerting undue pressure
• ABC shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live have criticized the White House

A war of words has broken out between the Disney-owned ABC network and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US, after the FCC demanded that the network file its broadcast license renewal applications early.

How early? Well, the licenses aren't expiring until 2028, and four months ahead of time is the usual schedule. In this case, the FCC has requested them a full two years in advance, claiming that ABC's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies are under investigation.

ABC has now filed the necessary applications, for eight of its local TV stations, while blasting the request as "a threat to the First Amendment" (as per Deadline). In ABC's view, bringing the renewal process forward is punishment for anti-government and anti-Trump opinions expressed on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live and The View.

You might remember Jimmy Kimmel was taken off air last year over comments made in the wake of the Charlie Kirk shooting, under pressure from the FCC, before being brought back. He's recently been critical of Donald and Melania Trump again, something that the US President has taken notice of and commented on publicly.

'Power and coercion'

"It is an extraordinary demonstration of power and coercion directed at disfavored editorial voices which sends a clear warning to every broadcaster in America," ABC said in a filing with the FCC, as it submitted its renewals "under protest".

As the renewals have now been submitted, it gives the FCC the right to publicly comment on them, and to designate them for a hearing if the regulator deems it necessary. As the licenses can't be approved any earlier than 30 days before their expiry, it means ABC will be under greater scrutiny for the next two years.

"Disney and its ABC stations are the latest victims of this administration's campaign of censorship and control," said FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the FCC. "I am glad to see them expose the FCC's actions as nothing more than naked political retribution and an unlawful assault on free speech and a free press."

However, the FCC has defended its actions. "The Commission will continue to analyze ownership structures to ensure that they are responsive to the needs of their local communities and are providing them with diverse viewpoints reflective of the information needs of those communities," said the FCC in a statement, rejecting that the move was a denial of free speech.

• Valve just announced a Steam Deck price hike
• It'll go up by over 40% in the US, and over 30% elsewhere
• No hardware changes are coming with the price increase

Price hikes, even for older gadgets, are standard practice in 2026. None, though, warrants as loud a ‘WTF’ as Valve saying its Steam Deck OLEDs are going to cost close to 50% more in some regions, with smaller but still major price hikes landing elsewhere.

Per a blog post announcement where Valve revealed the handhelds are back in stock, it also dropped the pricing bomb. The $549 / £479 / AU$899 512GB model will now set you back $789 / £649 / AU$1,199 — representing a $240 / £170 / AU$300 increase or a 43% increase in the US (and closer to 35% in the UK and Australia).

Meanwhile, the 1TB OLED Steam Deck will cost $949 / £779 / AU$1,429. That’s a $300 / £210 / AU$380 increase on its former cost of $649 / £569 / AU$1,049 — representing a 46% price hike in the US and 36% elsewhere.

Notably, these price hikes don’t come with any hardware upgrades. Instead, Valve explains they’ve been introduced to "reflect the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole.” The component prices specifically blamed are “rising memory and storage costs.”

A warning of more to come?

If you’re after a handheld run, don’t walk, to grab one before further price hikes arrive.

This Valve announcement follows similarly catastrophic hikes from Lenovo back in April. We saw the Lenovo Legion Go 2 Ryzen Z2 Extreme 2TB jump up over $1,000 to $2,849.99 (from $1,479.99). Meanwhile, the 1TB model rose $650 to $1,999.99. The less high-end AMD Ryzen Z2 16GB RAM model also saw a hike to $1,499.99 — up from $1,099.99.

Outside of Australia, where the PC handheld rose in price in February, the Asus Rog Xbox Ally X has so far dodged serious hikes, though that will probably change soon.

I’ve been loving this Asus x Xbox PC handheld, and I predominantly use it for Steam games. I have it set up so that Steam’s Big Picture mode boots up as soon as my handheld switches on to better mimic the simplicity of the Steam Deck, and I’ve found the console comfortable to play for as long as the battery can last — which is a decent number of hours even for chunkier AAA titles.

So far in 2026, it’s been where I’ve enjoyed Resident Evil 9, Slay The Spire II, Zero Parades for Dead Spies, and 007: First Light among plenty of others, and while the meatier games don’t run as beautifully as they do on my static gaming rig, they still look solid and play very well — especially after a few visual settings tweaks.

An alternative approaches?

Alternatively, you could nab a different kind of handheld: the Nintendo Switch 2.

It’s not a PC gaming machine and lacks the incredible breadth of the Steam catalog, but it does have three key advantages over PC handhelds.

First, you get access to Nintendo exclusives like the Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon series. Yes, console exclusivity is frustrating, but it does give Nintendo an edge for fans of its franchises.

Secondly, and more importantly, I’ve found the Switch 2 is perfect for co-op. The Joy-Con pair you get with every console can be used together for single player, or as individual controllers for many couch co-op adventures, whether it’s a competitive brawl in Smash Ultimate, racing through Mario Kart: World, or teaming up in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. You can play co-op games on PC handhelds, but both players will need a console, making it a much pricier endeavor.

Thirdly, crucially, the Switch 2 costs a lot less but still packs a punch. It comes in at $449.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95 and has yet to incur a price hike. That said, one is coming in a few months.

We know this because Nintendo itself has warned that the console will go up by $50 in the US on September 1, 2026. A UK and Australian price increase is yet to be formally confirmed by Nintendo, though it is likely its cost will increase there too.

So you have a little longer to decide on a Nintendo console, but when it comes to the PC handheld market, I’d act sooner rather than later if you’re desperate to nab one — or risk some serious disappointment when, not if, prices get hiked for the few remaining machines yet to see one.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin may have become the technology industry's forgotten men since stepping back from the limelight in the last few years. Their impact on innovation, within Google in particular, is momentous — and has been underpinned by a specific philosophy that shaped so many ventures courtesy of the Moonshot Factory.

Reaching for new heights

Moonshot is often used to describe the efforts to achieve a highly ambitious, but not entirely impossible, challenge and has its origins in the space race in the mid-20th century. Larry Page, writing in the foreword for American investor John Doerr's 2018 book What Matters, outlined the principle that drove so much achievement at Google.

Use of a similar phrasing can be first traced to American author Norman Vincent Peale, who wrote "shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars", and, of course, Page has applied his own twist – but the meaning remains the same.

The comment speaks to committing to one's ambitions with the intention of success, where failure still means achieving something that is conventionally seen as difficult to accomplish in the first instance.

Page, at the time, was Alphabet's serving CEO but was scaling back his public profile before announcing he would step back completely in December 2019.

Breakneck innovation

Page's comment speaks to committing to one's ambitions with the intention of success, where failure still means reaching a great height conventionally seen as hard to accomplish.

There is no organization that embodies these values more suitably than Google's own X, the Moonshot Factory. Founded in 2010, it's been at the heart of some of the most exciting projects the industry has seen.

Among the most successful projects include the Waymo, self-driving car technology venture which is growing from strength to strength, as well as more unusual projects like Malta, in which energy in the form of molten salt and chilled liquid is stored in giant tanks.

• The UK government's online safety consultation just ended
• This, and comments from officials, suggest we'll see new rules soon for under-16s
• A ban might not be coming, but some features could be restricted

The UK government is expected to announce some kind of social media crackdown for young people in the next few weeks — after Prime Minister Kier Starmer said on Tuesday he would act “very, very quickly” following a consultation with the public and with families; however, it’s being reported that it might not be a full ban for under-16s.

According to a report from The Times (behind a paywall), various experts and social media companies themselves are expecting a ban on addictive features, such as infinite scroll or video autoplay.

The logic here seems to be that in places where full-on social media bans are in effect (such as Australia), many under 16s have found ways to circumvent restrictions — or they’ve been pushed to less regulated online spaces that are either ignoring or haven’t been included in the ban. So instead of stopping access, you’d make the sites less addictive and safer by banning specific features.

Below, I’ve outlined the 8 measures and bans we might see implemented by the UK government. Other options are possible, though there are several that have been floated by online safety advocates, social media companies themselves, and those involved in UK politics — so I expect we’ll see some combination of these introduced when the UK’s social media crackdown commences.

Infinite scroll and auto play

These two features are often used by social media companies and other platforms to encourage more engagement with content, so I’ve grouped them together.

Infinite scroll allows you to scroll infinitely — that is, no matter how many TikTok videos you swipe through or how far down the Instagram page you go, there is always more to see and consume. Autoplay is also self-explanatory; videos in your feed will automatically start playing as you scroll by — either with audio or silently with subtitles. This feature hopes to hook you on content that you might have moved past, as once it starts, you get a little bit invested in what you’re watching.

Infinite scroll was a key complaint of a Californian ruling, which declared some social media platforms addictive, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s one of the first to go under any UK government rulings.

Alerts and push notifications

Another pair of tools that encourage social media usage, alerts and push notifications are the dings and pop-ups you see telling you you just got a DM, that your post got a comment, or that a content creator you have favorited just posted something.

They aim to take you away from whatever else you’re doing and pull you back to the social media platform.

This could be tackled at an app-level, or it could also be handled at a device level — forcing iPhones and Android devices to block app notifications for accounts linked to minors. We’ll have to see which method, if any, the UK Government chooses.

Likes and comments

These interactive engagement tools are another one that could be taken away for accounts belonging to users under 16, possibly taking away these options from posts made by young people, and/or removing their ability to like and comment.

While likes and comments are a mainstay of social media platforms, they can have consequences. Bad actors can use these features to harass the poster or to build up a rapport with the poster that could later be exploited.

Banning this aspect would allow younger users to still engage with social media by posting, but in a more bubbled and hopefully safer environment.

Personalised content recommendations

A.k.a. the algorithm: the platform’s software that analyses your watch time, likes, comments, scrolling habits, everything it can to find out what you want to see and feed it to you.

This feature being banned would make social media platforms much less appealing, as your feed won’t be tailored to your interests. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing if the goal is to reduce time spent online, and it could help prevent the wave of young users spiralling into shadier online sects as the algorithm simply feeds you content it thinks you’ll engage with, not necessarily content you should be seeing.

Device-level age verification

So far, the measures we might see aren’t ones most platforms are pushing for; instead, they’ve argued for age restrictions to be brought at a device-level, which would see Apple and Google on the hook for checking the age of phone users and then tailoring their app access accordingly.

While it passes the buck to some extent, the advantages it offers are that it should help limit cases where there’s a disparity between what limits are imposed on social media platforms, and for users, it’s less likely that their private data could leak, as they’re only sharing it with one or two companies rather than every platform where they create an account.

A VPN ban

This idea has been floated a few times, including by the UK’s House of Lords back in December 2025.

It’s certainly still a possibility we’ll see a ban for under-16s, though a wider ban seems a lot less likely. One of our VPN experts, Chiara Castro, has gone through all of the arguments against a VPN in another in-depth story, so check those out, but one of the reasons for limiting VPN access is that they allow users to avoid geo-locked restrictions, as they can spoof their location. Until restrictions are applied more globally, governments may feel VPNs are a loophole they need to close.

This week, we were treated to Google AI updates galore at Google I/O 2026, and Apple announced the date of its own software showcase keynote: WWDC 2026.

To catch up on all this and more, scroll down to read our highlights of the biggest tech news stories of the week.

But before you go, you might want to test yourself on our tech news quiz…

7. The Trump Phone saga got worse

Last week, we reported on what was hopefully the end of the T1 Trump Phone’s saga: it is being shipped out to customers. Though this week we have terrible news, and that’s the personal data of seemingly everyone who bought one has been leaked, thanks to a security exploit on the Trump Mobile website.

This includes names, addresses, and “everything short of credit card number,” said YouTuber Coffeezilla via his Voidzilla sidechannel (who was one of the people affected by the leak).

This leak also seemingly revealed that only around 30,000 orders have actually been placed for the T1 Phone, and only from roughly 10,000 distinct customers, which is a far cry from the previous estimates of around 590,000.

• Read the full story: Trump Mobile seems to be leaking customer information

6. Apple set a WWDC date

Knowing when Apple will hold WWDC and knowing the exact day and time of the keynote are two different things. One is a signal to mark your calendar and make travel plans, the other (that keynote) is a trigger for deep rumination about all Apple will say and do. Now that we know it’s June 8 at 10AM PST, we’ve been pondering that big Google Gemini-backed Siri reveal, platform updates galore, a folding tease (please), and Tim Cook’s CEO swan song. What a wild day it will be.

• Read the full story: A glowing WWDC invite might hint at the next-gen Siri

5. Nvidia gave up on gamers?

Nvidia has seen incredible growth thanks to the AI boom — turns out making the metaphorical mining tool in the AI gold rush (with its processors being an essential component for data centers that power the largest models) makes you a killing. However, its latest investor call announced not only a record-breaking quarter, but also that it’ll be grouping how it reports sales for GPUs bought by gamers with those bought for robotics, automotive, and telecoms needs.

This change in strategy lines up with the rumor that we won't see any new GPUs from Nvidia this year at all, as it seems Team Green is turning its back on PC gamers somewhat.

The move to bury graphics sales in Nvidia's financial reports feels like another step on this path of marginalizing the GeForce family. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but it does feel somewhat ominous.

• Read the full story: Nvidia doesn't seem to care about gaming GPUs any more

4. We played Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced

After going hands-on with Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced at a Ubisoft preview event in Paris last month, we can safely say that this is a remake done extremely well. It has all the makings of a fabulously refreshed experience, taking one of the best games in the series, giving it a boost mechanically and a glow-up aesthetically, and still ensuring the right balance of the original’s spirit with some game-enhancing modernizations.

Combat has been overhauled to be much more action-oriented, and while there’s a clear influence of recent games in the series like Assassin’s Creed Mirage here, it still retains that flow, style, and piratical action that made Edward Kenway such a joy to take on in combat all those years ago. The world of the Caribbean in the Golden Age of Piracy looks absolutely breathtaking, controls have been tightened, exploration feels more organic and natural, and there are even big changes to those pesky and annoying insta-fail stealth missions.

We didn’t get to see much of the brand-new content that’s been made for Resynced, but we’re excited to dive back in and devour everything the original had, and more, all over again when the game releases on July 9.

• Read our full hands-on preview: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced perfectly captures the spirit of the original

3. We tested Sony’s expensive headphones

Sony has launched its most expensive wireless headphones to date, the Sony 1000X The Collexion. The idea here is to take the technology of the super-popular WH-1000XM6, power it up even further with a next-gen processor and new advanced audio transducer design, and then add its most comfortable and premium physical design on top of that. Has it worked? Well, in our Sony 1000X The Collexion review, we had high praise for their more spacious and detailed sound, and their absolutely supreme levels of comfort and beautiful metal finish. So are they worth their steep $649 / £550 price? Well, that’s a bit more contentious…

• Read the full review: Are Sony’s priciest wireless headphones worth it?

2. Google I/O delivered Android XR… kinda

We’ve known since last year that 2026 will be Google's year of the smart glasses, and at I/O we finally saw that promise in all its glory as Samsung unveiled a pair of pairs from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. Attendees also got to experience Xreal’s Project Aura glasses.

As expected, they’re essential Ray-Ban Meta glasses but powered by Google Gemini — though that’s not necessarily a bad thing given the popularity of Meta’s specs.

The only catch? We didn’t get prices or release dates for any of this tech, though Samsung did promise its glasses would land in the “Fall” (so either September, October, or November).

• Read the full story: We saw the first Samsung Android XR glasses at Google I/O

1. Google I/O brought AI galore

Google I/O 2026 kicked off this week, and if you were worried/hoping (delete as appropriate) that artificial intelligence (AI) was a passing craze, think again. The software giant revealed incoming Gemini-powered upgrades for Search, Android, Google Docs, online shopping, and even YouTube (yes, really) at its annual developer conference, meaning AI is likely to touch your life one way or another, sooner rather than later.

In fact, Google is so confident about the all-encompassing nature of its new software tools that the company used an iPhone (not a Pixel) to demo Gemini Spark at Google I/O. Was that a warning shot to Apple, or an olive branch? Maybe we’ll find out at WWDC…

• Read the full story: Gemini is becoming impossible to avoid

• TechRadar readers voted on what they were excited to see at Google I/O
• Two thirds had their wishes fulfilled, but a couple were missed
• There were no updates about the next Google Home speaker or Googlebook

Before CEO Sundar Pichai had even took to the stage at Google I/O 2026, excitement levels were already climbing for what might be announced, launched or demoed at the developer's conference.

According to the results of a poll about which of the five most rumored Google products and services TechRadar readers were excited to see at the keynote, 73% saw what they wanted, with the Android XR Smart Glasses being launched, a personal AI agent unveiled and various Gemini Intelligence demos.

But despite rumors floating around about the upcoming Google Home speaker and already announced Googlebook being potentially demoed to showcase more of the AI use cases being rolled out, there was no mention of either of these.

You can see the results of the poll below — just note that majority of votes came via our TechRadar WhatsApp Channel (if you're not already following us on the messaging app, then make sure to for the latest news, polls and reviews).

Which Google I/O announcements were the most hyped?

Google made 100 announcements at I/O, but the most notable to consumers were the raft of new Gemini-powered features coming to its products and services, which was already largely expected going by the results of the poll.

Given that nearly every company is now working with AI (to be clear, I don't mean the theoretical version of the word, but machine learning, learning language models (LLMs) and automations), it's not too surprising that this was the focus for most of the two-hour keynote.

We'd already seen Gemini Intelligence revealed at the Android Show a week earlier, so the unveiling of Google's 24/7 personal AI agent, Gemini Spark, was already high up on the list of tech fans — not least because there had been rumors of an always-on assistant called Remy in the making.

Despite expectations around an AI agent being announced, the single most anticipated tech reveal from Google I/O based on our polls was the Android XR smart glasses, which had a total of 303 votes from readers. We'd already seen a lot about these new wearables from testing prototypes, making their arrival (quite frankly) overdue and slightly disappointing because Google forgot to tell us when they’ll release or how much they’ll cost.

What about the next Google Home speaker and Googlebooks?

Now, what about the quarter of respondents that were excited to hear more details about the new class of laptops "designed for Gemini Intelligence" called Googlebooks and the next Google Home speaker?

Neither product made an appearance during the showcase, despite both already being announced. But then again, Google I/O does tend to be about software developments rather than hardware — although, we did get our first look at Samsung's Android XR smart glasses.

There's a chance that we could hear more about these products at the next 'Made By Google' hardware event, which took place in August last year. That's more likely for the Googlebooks, as that would perfectly align with Google saying they will arrive sometime "in the fall".

On the other hand, with the new flagship Google Home speaker meant to launch sometime in the next week or so, based on the last update we got about it, it's not entirely clear when we'll hear more about its pricing and availability.

We'll be on the hunt for any news about the Google Home speaker and Googlebooks, so make sure to follow us on Google News to see all the latest. In the meantime, let us know which new Google tools you're most excited to try out by voting in the poll below.

• Google announced Verify AI at Google I/O 2026
• It allows Gemini to identify if and how content was altered by AI
• Verify AI is being supported by Nvidia, OpenAI, and others

A year ago AI content was very easy to pick out from a lineup — now it’s approaching impossible. Thankfully, Google I/O 2026 has showcased a possible solution: Verify AI.

Google has already rolled out an AI detector in Gemini which relies on invisible-to-the-naked-eye watermarks in Google-made content (from the likes of Veo and Nano Banana) to determine if something is AI-made or not. Now this tool will be coming to its Circle to Search tool so you can more easily scan content you see in your day-to-day using your Android phone or Chrome browser.

It’s not just coming to more places, this AI detection is getting a boost too. Across its AI products Google says it’s adding “quantum credentials verification” with support for C2PA and SynthID. Practically, this means that when you now feed an image into Gemini’s AI detection tool you’ll get a much more specific breakdown of where it came from and how it was edited (if at all).

So if it was originally a picture taken with a camera but later edited with AI — such as adding a party hat and shades to your puppy on his birthday — Gemini will tell you this context, or it could say if an image was entirely created by AI. Though I should note the AI won’t be able to say exactly how a photo was altered, just if it was changed by AI at all.

Perhaps most importantly, Google says it’s collaborating with various other companies in the AI space — including Nvidia and OpenAI — to bring these verification credentials to content created by tools across the industry.

This means Google’s tools won’t just recognize its own AI content, but images and videos created by a wide variety of AI sources.

An endless back and forth

This is certainly news to celebrate. AI-generated content is making it harder and harder to believe what you see online across all aspects of our lives.

On the more extreme end, you have people creating fake videos to disparage public figures or create public outrage with footage of events that never happened, but I’ve also found online shopping is getting harder — I’ve been browsing sites like Etsy to pick up some last-minute items for my upcoming wedding (like a cake topper and guest book) and so many of the listings seem to show AI images that are impossible to trust.

My hope is that we don't soon see the rise of tools that can crack Google’s AI detection, scrub away the hidden watermarks, and once again obscure the origin of AI-made images and videos. With promises of “quantum credentials verification,” I’m hoping this will be a tough nut for bad actors to crack, but we’ll have to wait and see how this game of cat and mouse progresses.

• Samsung's first XR glasses are here... kinda
• Gentle Monster and Warby Parker are behind the designs
• The glasses are launching later this year

Samsung has lifted the lid on its premium Android XR glasses at Google I/O 2026, and some familiar fashion brands have lent a hand — with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster offering their eyewear design expertise.

But these glasses aren’t just eye candy; first and foremost they’re a smart companion to your phone. They’ll offer various assistive features, including navigation, summarized notification readouts, real-time audio translation, and the ability to translate text on signs amongst other AI tools. You can also use them to capture first-person photos and videos.

You can use all these features even when your phone is in your pocket. The glasses boast cameras, speakers, and microphones, with the AI tasks being handled via a connection with your phone.

If you think these sound a lot like the Meta Ray-Ban glasses then you’re not wrong — the Warby Parker design even looks a bit like my smart Wayfarers — but there are a couple of key factors that will help these specs stand out from the competition (not just Meta, but other brands like Rokid and Even Realities).

First, their on-board smarts are backed by Google Gemini. Google has done a lot to boost its AI’s capabilities over the past few years, and while Meta hasn’t fallen asleep at wheel by any stretch Google’s bot is generally seen as the more proficient helper.

A big edge Gemini has is that it can natively integrate with the Android ecosystem of apps, such as your calendar and email, where Meta has to build connections with individual apps, and doesn’t offer the same seamless support.

Second, they’re being billed as “a companion device to a mobile phone” by Samsung and Google. While Meta’s tech is currently also a smartphone companion to some extent, it’s clear that the company's goal is a dedicated Meta device that replaces your phone, while Samsung and Google want their glasses to be more like smartwatches, augmenting the smartphone experience.

Right now this distinction isn’t all that clear, but we might see it materialize in meaningful ways when these new specs launch — such as through them relying on on-phone AI rather than cloud computing to offer a privacy advantage over their main rivals.

That said, Meta has the most important advantage right now: you can actually buy its glasses. Google, Samsung, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker remained tight-lipped when it came to pricing and release dates. We only know that the glasses will land in “the fall” in the US (so September through November), with additional entails to be revealed “in the coming months.”

A fashion focus

While this tease, rather than a full-on launch, puts a slight dampener on my excitement, one other exciting aspect comes via Gentle Monster and Warby Parker — with these companies suggesting that they understand technology isn’t the only important factor — these specs need to look good too.

Discussing the Samsung XR announcement, Founder and CEO of Gentle Monster, Hankook Kim, said “Intelligent eyewear should feel as emotionally expressive as it is technologically advanced.” He added “Our vision was to merge fashion and technology in a way that feels bold, beautiful and human, bringing Gentle Monster’s disruptive design identity into a new era of intelligent eyewear with Samsung and Google.”

Dave Gilboa, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Warby Parker said, “Eyewear is deeply personal, which is why every detail matters when integrating advanced technology into frames people wear every day.”

This rings true with the brands' respective designs. While a little more ‘basic’, I could see myself wearing the Warby Parker shapes every day, and despite me not personally loving the Gentle Monster glasses, I love what the bold designs signal — that these glasses are designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences.

We’re still missing some key details about Samsung's glasses, but today’s showcase has given me a lot to get excited about — for Android XR, and for glasses as a whole.

The future of football is being decided six floors underground at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich.

Past the meditation suite made from Afghan onyx and the congress room that could pass for the United Nations Assembly Hall, Lenovo technology is being infused into every layer of the beautiful game in time for this summer's World Cup.

I was the only UK journalist on a rare behind-the-scenes foray into FIFA's inner sanctum, where offside calls, tactical analysis, and the fans' view of the action are being overhauled by AI ahead of kick-off. Here's what's coming.

The VAR makeover

VAR's grey stick figures are finished. All 1,200 players at this year's tournament are being individually 3D scanned before a ball is kicked to produce a photorealistic digital twin — accurate to the millimeter — for faster, more precise offside calls.

Under the current system, a 6ft 5in Erling Haaland and a 5ft 7in Lionel Messi appear the same height. "Our mind is leading us to think: if it doesn't look real, it's probably not that adherent to the context," says Dr. Valerio Rizzo, the Lenovo neuroscientist who built the system.

"For the referee, they are human beings, and their brain is like one of the fans. They see that scene. They don't perceive the reality of that illustration, and maybe they can be biased as well."

Rizzo opens a presentation with a reference to Permutation City, Greg Egan's 1994 novel about digitizing human beings into a simulation. "This is like something that nowadays seems all the time closer and closer," he says.

The AI-enabled avatars are created with 3D Gaussian Splatting, where photographs are converted into clouds of trainable particles whose position, color, and rotation are optimized until they match reality exactly.

With three million data points per player and sub-centimeter accuracy, "It's not a default puppet, it's not a random shape," says Rizzo. "It's the actual body of the player. The chest size is the chest size. The foot length is the foot length of the player."

When I ask how much more accurate offside decisions will be, his answer is characteristically direct: "It's more accurate, it's more precise, it's more realistic. You can make up your own assumption."

A segmentation AI strips clothing from the body post-scan so jersey colour, squad number and boots can all be changed without reworking the underlying geometry. Hair is captured as individual particle strands rather than a single mesh. Micro-movements, such as fingers, are fixed algorithmically.

Then comes my turn. The photo capture system is part airport scanner, part Noughties music video, when every rapper wanted to be filmed with a fisheye lens. Covers go over my feet, and I step into a cylindrical white booth plastered floor to ceiling in what look like giant QR codes. Arms out, middle finger pointing downward to a height marker, it’s impossible not to feel like Cristiano Ronaldo.

Then 36 4K cameras fire simultaneously, and it's over in seconds.

Around 20 minutes later, I show up as a ghostly white mesh. Hit ‘texture’, and my face, my kit, even my tattoos are rendered with unnerving accuracy, like someone has put a mini me in a glass case.

Every World Cup player will go through this same process during their mandatory FIFA media day, with 28 portable rigs travelling between all 48 team base camps from June 4 to June 13.

ChatGPT for coaches

From the scanning booth, I move to a conference suite full of screens for a first look at Football AI Pro, a generative AI tactics tool giving every competing nation the same analytical capability.

All 48 nations, from Germany to Curaçao (which has a population of just 156,000 and is the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup), get it free.

It starts like ChatGPT. You type a direct question in plain English, Spanish, Arabic, or Chinese, and it responds like a human. Then you go deeper, and it plays like Football Manager on steroids.

The live demonstration uses the PSG vs. Chelsea match from the Club World Cup. A single question returns nine attempts on goal, with heatmaps, pass maps, 3D reconstructions from the goalkeeper's perspective, and downloadable coaching clips, all generated in seconds.

"In elite football," says Alvaro Perez, Lenovo's senior product manager for the system, "the difference between a question and a decision is often the difference between winning or losing."

The tool is built on “FIFA's Football Language”, a knowledge graph standardizing every event in a match. "The big teams can come with an army of analysts, and analysis takes a lot of time and effort," says Perez. "FIFA wants to democratize things so the federations with fewer resources get the same insights."

Once enough World Cup match data exists, Football AI Pro can even analyse penalty takers and goalkeepers ahead of a shootout.

Despite similarities to large language models like ChatGPT or Claude, Lenovo claims the football-specific knowledge has been built from scratch with FIFA, though the system does use some underlying LLM architecture from as-yet-unnamed external providers. "If there is no solid answer," says Perez, "then it will reply: sorry, we cannot find the right data to provide this type of information." It will not guess.

The machine behind it all

Supporting all of this is the most complex technology deployment in sporting history.

Over 17,000 Lenovo devices and 30,000 total assets are pre-configured at hubs in North Carolina, Toronto, and Mexico City across 16 stadiums and all FIFA venues across three countries. Open the laptop, and the right application is already there.

"Think of them as an empty shell," says Myles Spittle, Lenovo's services delivery lead for FIFA. "You might get a 10-minute window at a loading bay. There are security dogs, there's a whole host of things to consider." NSA and Secret Service protocols apply if the President attends.

A Technical Command Centre in Miami with a 60-foot LED wall monitors everything simultaneously. After the final whistle, engineers have five days to decommission everything, followed by two weeks' leave. The stress level, says Spittle, makes that break from work non-negotiable.

For the first time, viewers will also get a genuinely immersive, stabilized first-person view from on the pitch in real time.

Referee View uses the same gyroscopic stabilization found on F1 helmet cams and is processed live in under two seconds, for broadcasts worldwide. The players had better behave themselves.

As for FIFA’s tech partner, they say 'form is temporary, class is permanent' in football, but Lenovo won’t have the luxury of having an off day. "The World Cup doesn't get delayed by two weeks," says Spittle. "You either deliver, or you don't. And don't isn't an option."

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11.

This week was a big one for software as we got official (and unofficial) teases for the next iteration of Android and iOS.

We also heard that the seemingly ill-fated Trump Phone might actually be coming after all, though we wouldn't be surprised if it gets delayed again by the time you're reading this.

Before you catch up with this week’s tech news, why not test yourself on last week’s seven biggest tech stories to see how well you were paying attention? Take the quiz below.

7. The Trump phone has landed?

Last week, we highlighted reports that the Trump Phone looked to have cemented itself in the vaporware category — with its new terms of service suggesting that a device may never actually ship, and that preorders don’t guarantee you a product. That now seems to have changed as the company announced "Phones start shipping this week!!!”

Now, until devices are in the hands of the people who bought one you’ll forgive us for remaining skeptical — the device’s release date has been shifted a few times now, and some people with preorders have been told shipping deadlines previously that have then been missed.

We write ICYMI on Friday, so it’s very possible that by the time you read this on Saturday morning, the Trump phone situation will have shifted yet again, but hopefully, this is the end of the Trump Phone saga. Though we can’t shake the feeling, this might merely be the close of act one.

• Read the full story: The long-promised Trump Mobile Phone is slated to arrive in consumers' hands this week

6. Philips made TV immersion cheaper

Smart lighting doesn’t just come with added convenience; it can also be a home entertainment immersion booster with gadgets like the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K — though if you’re after something more budget-friendly, Philips just debuted a non-Hue sync box.

The Philips Smart Lighting HDMI Sync Box 2.1 comes in two sizes — one for 55 to 65-inch TVs, and one for 75 to 85-inch TVs — and, instead of working with the HUE system, it integrates with WiZ-branded tech.

At under half the launch cost, this lightning solution could be perfect for the more budget-conscious amongst you who still want the immersion factor offered by TV sync tech once it starts rolling out in June.

• Read the full-story: Sync your lights with your TV for a lot less cash

5. Claude cracked a crypto wallet

A Bitcoin owner who believed he had permanently lost access to nearly $400,000 worth of cryptocurrency says Anthropic’s Claude AI helped recover the funds after more than a decade. The user had originally bought 5 Bitcoin when the cryptocurrency was worth around $250 each, but later changed the wallet password while in college and forgot it. After years of failed attempts — including trying trillions of password combinations — the owner uploaded files from an old computer into Claude as a final attempt.

It was able to locate an older wallet backup file that existed before the password change happened. Combined with an old mnemonic phrase the user had recently rediscovered, the recovered wallet file finally allowed access to the Bitcoin again.

• Read the full story: Claude AI helped a Bitcoin owner recover nearly $400,000

4. The Insta 360 Go 3S went Retro

This week, we saw the wackiest camera kit of 2026 so far: a Retro bundle of the Go 3S.

The action cam is ideal for when you need something tiny — it can slot in just about any small space, much easier than its rivals — but this kit makes it resemble an old Polaroid. You’ll get a viewfinder dock to help you compose shots (it doubles as a selfie mirror), but no LCD screen.

If you want a more modern feel and easier composition, the camera can still be paired with a smartphone via the Insta360 app.

The Go 3S Retro Bundle costs $300 / £279 / AU$470 for the 64GB version or $320 / £299 / AU$500 for the 128GB version. The latter feels like the obvious pick — you'll want as much internal storage as you can get because there's no card slot.

• Read the full-story: Insta360 reveals one of the wackiest camera kits for 2026

3. Ninja’s Slushi got twice as nice

What’s better than one Ninja Slushi? How about two side-by-side so that you can make dual-flavored, multicolored iced drinks at home? This week, Ninja released the Slushi Twist, which makes two different types of slush at the same time, then dispenses them in an attractive swirled pattern. Having two freezing chambers means it has a much larger capacity than the original Slushi, making it perfect for parties.

The Slushi Twist is on sale now in the US for $399.99, and although we don’t have international release dates yet, I’m sure it won’t be too long before it’s available worldwide. It certainly proved popular, and the first batch of stock sold out within hours. Don’t worry, though, you can sign up on Ninja’s website to be notified when more arrive.

• Read the full-story: Ninja doubles the freezing fun with the new Ninja Slushi Twist

2. iOS 27 was teased

Siri 2.0 has been a long (long!) time coming, but Apple’s revamped voice assistant finally looks set to debut in iOS 27 – and this week, we got a better idea of what it might actually look like.

According to Bloomberg’s resident Apple tipster Mark Gurman, Siri 2.0 will largely live within the Dynamic Island and display transparent results cards in response to your queries. If you need to go deeper into a query, you’ll be able to swipe that results card to bring up an iMessage-like chat interface, and there will also be a dedicated Siri app, where you can access your conversation history or upload images and documents.

Other rumored iOS 27 features include an updated, AI-powered Spotlight Search tool and a redesigned Image Playground app, so it sounds like Apple could finally be about to take its seat at the AI table.

• Read the full-story: Siri 2.0 could arrive with iOS 27

1. Android 17 was showcased

Just a week before Google I/O kicks off, the Android team dedicated an entire show to debuting new features set to drop with Android 17, a boatload of Gemini integrations, and an entirely new platform.

In terms of Android 17 is set to bring a lot, including a new take on curbing screen time and easing phone addiction called Pause Point. Rather than just locking you out of an app, it might show photos or suggest a breathing exercise. There's also an easy way to film screen recordings with your own talking head in the corner, which might be really handy for content creators.

Gemini Intelligence is set to make AI even more useful and helpful across a whole barrage of tasks, and honestly, it sounds pretty close to what Apple promised with Apple Intelligence. This new suite of AI functionality that's integrated at the system level of the OS will also be found on forthcoming Googlebooks. Essentially, these new laptops run a combination of Android and ChromeOS. And while this is a ton, it's likely we'll hear even more about it at Google I/O.

• Read the full-story: 7 best Android 17 upgrades announced at The Android Show

Some of the biggest tech product releases come from Samsung, which always draws heads with its range of phones, earbuds, watches, computers, appliances — the list goes on.

Here at TechRadar, we're always waxing lyrical about the best Samsung phones or the best Samsung TVs, but do you know the company's tech as well as we do? There's only one way to find out, and that's with this 15-question Samsung gadget quiz.

We're about to ask you questions on various Samsung products, including its physical hardware, the software you use on its devices, and even some harder questions about where else you might see the company's logo.

So let's check out how much of a Samsung stan you really are:

Now you know your Samsung, here are some of our favorite gadgets from the company: