TechRadar's reviews crew has been working as hard as ever this month, putting dozens of gadgets and gizmos through their paces to find the ones that are worth recommending. In this Reviews Recap, I've pulled together just our very favorites; the products that impressed us enough to score 4.5 or 5 stars in our tests.

This month, we called the formidably tough new GoPro Mission 1 Pro a "fantastic all-round vacation camera", fell in love with the Marshall Stanmore IV speaker's "rumbling bass and amp-inspired aesthetic", and declared the Samsung S95H "one of the best OLED TVs [we'd] ever tested"... despite its rather controversial design.

We were also won over by smartwatches from both ends of the price spectrum. The flashy Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 impressed our reviewer with its slimmed-down design, slick apps, and intuitive UI — we called it "a great option for hardcore exercisers". The Amazfit Active 3 Premium comes in at a fraction of the price, yet still manages to look great and offer a strong range of features. According to our tester, it's good enough to "hang with entries from the major names in the industry".

Scroll down to explore all of our top-rated gadgets from the past four weeks, across all of our physical product categories. Note: only the products that are available in your region will display as cards.

5-star products

4.5-star products

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.

It's time once more for yet another look through this week's best tech deals at Amazon UK. While there are far fewer offers right now compared to during major sales events, there are still some solid bargains up for grabs. I've picked out the 11 best deals I'd recommend.

• See all of today's best deals at Amazon UK

With back-to-school season upon us, there are some strong laptop deals up for grabs, with several great picks if you need a new device for the year ahead. My standout is this Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 for £499.99 (was £699.99), as it offers a solid set of specs for the price. There's an Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive — everything you need for capable all-around performance.

Another popular pick is the Philips OneBlade 360 for £42.99 (was £54.99). This was a best-seller during Prime Day, so if you missed it during last month's sale, here's another chance to pick one up for a great price.

I've highlighted several more deals below on tech, appliances, and more, so do check them out if you're looking to treat yourself to a little shopping this week and take advantage of any payday deals.

This week's 11 best deals at Amazon UK

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.

It's the end of the sales season for a while now, but that doesn't mean the deals are gone for good. Yes, prices may not be as low across the board as during the recent Prime Day sale, but Amazon UK still has several solid offers if you're looking to shop right now. So, I've looked through the retailer's latest batch of offers and picked out 17 deals that are good buys.

• See all of today's best deals at Amazon UK

There are actually a couple of deals from Prime Day that are still available, including the five-star Nothing Ear (a) for £48.99 (was £69). These are some top-rated buds that offer audio quality, noise cancellation and battery life that rivals Apple's very own AirPods — but at a much lower price.

Given all the hot weather we've been experiencing lately, I also like the look of this Warmco Portable Handheld Fan for £19.88 (was £24.99), which is a super-low price for a convenient little gadget to take on the go.

Check out all of my top picks below, including fitness trackers, appliances, and more cheap tech.

Today's 17 best deals at Amazon UK

• 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

Can you believe it? We're at the midway point of 2026 already. That means one thing: it's time for our half-year 5-star reviews roundup. So far this year we've tested over 600 gadgets, games and appliances across all of our channels. That's way too many to put into a single roundup, so for this mini retrospective I've focused only on physical products, and only the five-star awardees.

These are the gadgets that soared through our rigorous tests, and shone in crowded markets. They're the products we just couldn't find fault with. There are speakers that wowed us with their "crystal clear, fathoms deep" sound, a "perfect" Android tablet that rivals the best Apple can offer, a soundbar that raises the — er — bar for soundbars in 2026, and a mini fan that blew the competition away.

Without further ado, let's begin our showcase of the best products we've tested so far in 2026. Click the More details button for more info and each one, and a link to the full review.

Headphones & speakers

Mobile & computing

Home tech

Cameras and accessories

Gaming accessories

Audio gadgets

• 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

We've spent all week trawling through Amazon's Prime Day sale and it's been a doozy, with some record-breaking deals, first-time discounts and a flurry of top-rated products at excellent prices.

It's also been a week where the importance of saving some cash feels more pertinent than ever; Apple just announced price increases on many of its latest products, while Microsoft announced yet another price hike for the Xbox.

Meanwhile, GTA VI pre-orders launched but with an undercurrent of frustration at the code-in-a-box physical copies, and the Steam Machine pricing was finally revealed and met with a sigh of frustration.

That aside, it's been a genuinely good Prime Day this year. Deals might be fewer in volume than they once were, but they feel better curated, and that's a win for fans of big-name brands such as Apple and Samsung as well as broad-appeal household names including Ninja, Dyson and more.

So, I've asked each of the TechRadar team (or at least, those who were available) to tell me about their favorite products currently on offer. Act fast; sales end tonight at midnight.

Note: some products are only on sale in specific countries, but I've indicated where that is the case

Best Amazon device deals

Starting strong with some of the best deals every Prime Day; naturally, these are on Amazon's own devices.

It's a topic myself and my colleage Mackenzie Frazier, our lead deals editor and savings expert in the US, agree on:

"I say this every Prime Day, but the best deals are always on Amazon's own devices. Every year, I end up buying an Amazon device I've had my eye on because the gadgets are on sale at record-low prices and offer fantastic value.

"This year's sale includes record-low prices on Kindles, Echo Speakers and smart displays, Blink security cameras, Ring Doorbells, and Fire TV Sticks. Amazon devices are rarely discounted otherwise, so it's worth taking advantage of the deep discounts Prime Day offers."

Echo Dot Max

My own top pick is on Amazon's latest and greatest Dot; the Echo Dot Max. Aimed at a more discerning audiophile audience, the Dot Max packs an 0.8-inch tweeter and 2.5-inch woofer, and while on its own it's a little pared-back, the real power is in rigging up the Dot Max with another Dot Max, some Echo Studios and even an Echo Sub for surround or stereo sound.

Plus, it's powered by the zippy AZ3 chip for faster Alexa experiences, and it's Alexa+ compatible right out of the box. It's at a record-low price in both the US and the UK, so it's well worth checking out.

Kindle Colorsoft

Our Editor-at-large Lance Ulanoff suggests one of his favorite gadgets:

"If you love to read graphic novels but hate carrying them around, the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft my be your perfect gadget.

"It's the size of a monochrome E ink Kindle, but brings full color for the comics and photo-rich magazines. This is the best price I've ever seen and makes it easy to choose it over the Kindle Paperwhite. Plus, you can carry around dozens of great graphic novel reads and never feel the weight."

Best computing deals

Logitech Lift Mouse

Our Phones Editor Axel Metz is up next with some personal experience on desk ergonomics.

He says: "I was always pretty skeptical about vertical mice, until I began to notice aching pain in my elbow and wrist after using my conventional mouse for only a few hours. Normal mice force our forearms into a twisted, unnatural position, which can lead to repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) of the sort that stop you working altogether.

"Vertical mice like the Logitech Lift aim to neutralize that awkward alignment, putting your hand at a more comfortable, natural-feeling 57-degree angle. I switched to the Lift almost two months ago, and I'll never go back to a conventional mouse. It's currently on sale at Amazon in both the US and UK, though even if it wasn't, it'd still be worth the investment."

AutoFull M6 Ultra 2.0

Our News Writer, Isaiah Williams, really knows how to live, judging by this pick:

"If you're on the lookout for a new gaming chair that effectively ticks all the boxes in terms of comfort, adjustability, and longevity, then the AutoFull M6 Ultra 2.0 is your best bet. The UK has the leading deal, where it's currently 19% off, available at £483.99, down from £599.99, but in the US you can save a neat $100, too.

"While that still seems like a steep price to pay, you're certainly getting your money's worth, especially if reclining is a must (and you want to avoid snapping your back like I almost did with my old chair). With dual-zone massaging, 2-in-1 ventilation and heating, and dynamic lumbar support, there's not much more to ask for."

Dell 14 Plus

Matt Hanson, our Managing Editor of Core Tech and expert in all-things computing, has a great laptop recommendation, especially in light of the recent MacBook Neo price increases.

"Thanks to a massive $570 price cut, the Dell 14 Plus is now cheaper than the MacBook Neo, but it's the same price; however it offers a much better spec thanks to its 6-core AMD CPU, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD. It's a great example of a Windows 11 laptop now being much better value than the Neo after Apple's rather drastic price rises."

Note: this deal is only available in the US

Best phone and tablet deals

iPad Air (2026, M4)

Another from Axel Metz here:

"The iPad Air fell victim to Apple's unexpected-but-sort-of-expected price hikes this week, making Amazon's Prime Day deals on that very product all the more appealing.

"Indeed, the model keeps dipping in and out of stock at various retailers, suggesting buyers are rushing to make use of this rare (and perhaps never-to-be-seen-again) buying opportunity.

"As iPads go, the iPad Air is a great all-rounder tablet. It's powered by Apple's superfast M4 chip and boasts a crisp Liquid Retina display, making it perfect for both streaming and productivity."

Best audio, TV and home entertainment deals

WiiM Sound / Sound Lite

Our Global Editor-in-Chief, Marc McLaren, is emphatic in his recommendation for WiiM deals this Prime Day:

"Six months ago I made the biggest change to my audio setup in about 15 years: I ditched Sonos and bought myself a WiiM Sound.

"Don't know WiiM? It's a relatively new AV company which has won itself a ton of fans through its streaming devices, amps and — now — it's standalone smart speakers. The WiiM Sound was its first smart speaker, and having owned one for six months I want to sing its praises to the world.

"And there's plenty to be vocal about — for instance, its surprisingly full, bass-friendly sound, 100W of power, excellent connectivity and — best of all — its love of hi-res audio: it supports up to 24-bit/192kHz tunes and plays nicely with the likes of Qobuz and Tidal.

"The color touchscreen is another nice feature, although if you want to save a little cash you can ditch that and buy the Sound Lite instead — there's no other difference between them. Or better still, buy both and pair them in a multi-room setup; your ears will thank you."

Sony WH-1000XM6

Our Senior Editor of Engagement, Amelia Schwanke, recommends something I see her constantly using in our office to block out the noise (it's me, I'm the noise):

"I'm not the first person to sing the praises of Sony's flagship headphones and I know I won't be the last. Beloved by most of the TechRadar team, the WH-1000XM6 sit atop our best headphones guide — a spot their predecessor-but-one, the WH-1000XM4, held for a long time before them.

"There's good reason for that, too. They ticked just about every check box in our testing, from expansive sound quality to the comfortable design for all-day wearing. The only real downside is the price, which is exactly why the Prime Day discounts this week are the deals I'd pull out of the sale first.

"Over-ear headphones of this quality don't come cheap, making sales like this the ideal time to finally act on a wish-list purchase. I promise you, if you've seriously been considering buying them, you won't regret it. I wear mine every day and won't travel without them anymore."

Sennheiser HD 660S2

Another headphone pick here, but more for the music producers among you; this comes from our Reviews Editor Josh Russell:

"As both an audio reviewer and someone who produces music in his free time, I'll admit I've had my eye on the Sennheiser HD 660S2 for a long time.

"With their open-backed design, they're able to really precisely convey a sense of space in the music you're listening to. On top of this, the spread of their frequency range is canyon-esque, stretching from 8 - 41,500Hz, for seriously expressive sound. And now you can buy them for $321 / £181 off on Amazon, I'm fully ready to add these to my basket."

AirPods Max 2

Our fabulous Audio Editor, Becky Scarrott, is my go-to for all things earbuds and headphones, and she's got a top pick for the US:

"Yes, these are the new new, second-generation March 2026 edition AirPods Max 2, with the H2 chips (I know, one in each ear cup!) and all of the upticks in performance that brings.

"What are the upticks I speak of? Of course: ANC that's 1.5 times better than before (I tested them side by side and I can vouch for that claim; it's almost scarily good for that serene bubble of silence effect), punchier audio, gestural support, Live Translation, Conversation Awareness and the Camera Remote on the digital crown. And while many might have predicted an Apple-style $50 saving for Prime Day (yawn), this $150-off steal is crazy! Nobody had this on their bingo card for Prime Day.

"Let me be abundantly clear: the noise cancellation, sound and overall user experience here are all hugely upgraded, even if the aesthetic is unchanged — and I know, because I reviewed them…"

Note: this deal is only available in the US

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2)

Next up from Becky, a neat UK deal:

"Just look at my 'Sonic Sangria' set though! I get so many compliments wearing them, honestly. And now, they're £40 cheaper than I've ever seen them, because Black Friday late last year was the first-ever saving I saw on this set of 5-star late 2025-release noise-cancelling earbuds (reviewed by yours truly), which saw them go from £299 to £249.

"For me, at £209 the ANC makes them a no-brainer if you need noise cancellation in an in-ear design. Here's the other thing: Bose products rarely ever see discounts, and that is because they basically walk all over anything else on the market for noise cancellation (except maybe Apple's AirPods Pro 3 — but if you don't own an iPhone, I don't recommend those, whatever the deal). A lowest-seen fee on a truly excellent set of new earbuds from Bose? Yes please."

Note: this deal is only available in the UK

Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2

Our Senior Reviews writer and bluetooth speaker aficonado Harry Padoan recommends this deal:

"A huge saving on the Bluetooth speaker I use at home just about every day. The Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2 offers a delightful blend of clean, well-balanced sound, stellar looks, and a durable build — with a drop-resistant and IP67 waterproof design.

"I also love how easy it is to customize via Bose's companion app, its programmable shortcut button, and its range of funky colors. At less than $100 / £100, this is an absolute steal."

LG B5

So, what about TVs? Well, James Davidson, our TV Hardware Staff Writer who constantly has his eyes glued to some kind of big screen, says:

"The best value OLED TV you can get right now is the LG B5. Its successor the B6 has arrived, so there's no better time to buy the B5. It delivers brilliant picture quality with rich colors and strong contrast, with those inky black tones you look for in an OLED, as well as super-smooth motion that's perfect for sports.

"It's also a superb gaming TV, kitted out with four HDMI 2,1 ports, supporting 4K 120Hz, full VRR including FreeSync and G-Sync and it boasts a measured 9.1ms input lag for razor-sharp gaming performance.

"At this size and price, you won't find many better TVs."

Note: this deal is only available in the UK

Best home and appliance deals

Roborock Saros 10/R

Ruth Hamilton, our Collections Editor, has extensive experience in vacuums and robovac testing, and she's a real sucker for her top pick:

"This is one of my most-used gadgets — I've been using my Saros 10 robot vacuum every night for the past two years, and it's the main thing preventing me from being overwhelmed by dog hair. With 42% off in the UK it's now at a new lowest-ever price (In the US, the more performant 10R is 45% off; bonus!) — the reason for that chunky price drop is likely because a few newer Roborock bots have since joined the fleet, but the Saros 10 is still an incredible performer, more than holding its own against newer options I've used.

"The vacuuming is efficient and effective, the navigation and object avoidance is reliable, and the mopping is effective and thorough. Plus, it comes with a dock that takes care of a bunch of maintenance tasks, so I barely need to get involved at all."

Philips Baristina

Our Homes Editor Cat Ellis (who is also a trained barista) comes in with this recommendation, but unfortunately this one's a US-exclusive:

"The Philips Baristina is the smallest bean-to-cup coffee maker I've ever tested, and also one of the best. It's incredibly easy to use, doing all the dosing, grinding, and tamping for you before pulling your shot of espresso — and unlike most automatic coffee makers, it's a piece of cake to keep clean.

"It's a great option if you're just getting into coffee, or thinking of upgrading from a capsule coffee maker to fresh beans."

Note: this deal is only available in the US

Suri 2.0 electric toothbrush

This comes from our Senior Deals Editor, James Pickard, who's a deft hand at finding the best deals during events such as Prime Day.

He says: "When I picked up the Suri Sonic Electric Toothbrush, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. Over $50/£50 feels like a lot for an electric toothbrush, but the Suri, with its 40-day battery life, magnetic mounting, aluminum body and plant-based heads, and convenient charging options, all changed my mind. It’s been 100% worth the investment.

"Not only does it do its job incredibly well, but all of those key features are so useful. I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to charge it so far, while the body and brush heads feel so much nicer to use than the usual icky plastic designs."

Best fitness & wearables deals

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

Matt Evans, our Senior Fitness and Wearables Editor, is keeping his recommendation short and sweet:

"You can get 47% off in the US and 45% off in the UK on the very popular Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, its top watch with up to 100 hours of battery life, rugged nigh-unbreakable case, and fitness tracking/navigation features to rival the Apple Watch Ultra."

Speaks for itself!

Garmin Vivoactive 5

Graham Barlow, our Senior Editor of AI by day, Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert by night, is impressed by this year's Garmin Vivoactive deal:

"I've been waiting for Amazon Prime Day to get a smartwatch. I wanted one that had a long battery life (11 days) and could cover all the bases like general notifications, step counting, sleep tracking and health information.

"I found that the Garmin Vivoactive was hard to beat. The latest Garmin Vivoactive is version 6, but the previous version 5 still has most of the features that you'll use all the time, and it's available for a knock-down price thanks to an Amazon Prime Day deal that's still going.

"In the US, it's currently 37% off, now $189.99 (was $299.99), but it's not sold at list price there at all this year. However, in the UK, you can get the Vivoactive 5 for £141.55 (was £209.99) which is a huge 33% saving.

"Yes, version 6 has a few extra features like smart alarm clock and a Body Battery score, but all the essentials are still available in the Vivoactive 5, for a lot less."

Oura Ring 4

Another from Matt Evans here, but I can also concur as I write this while wearing one;

"This huge price cut shaves £150 off the Oura Ring 4 in the UK due to the appearance of the 5 last month, but at this price the 4 is clearly the better-value option. Even with the premium subscription, it's a good deal for Oura's exceptional smart ring — it's like getting 2.5 years free. It's a similar deal in the US, with the Oura Ring 4 reduced from $349 to just $226."

Best gaming deals

Thrustmaster ESWAP X2

Our Managing Editor of Gaming and Entertainment Rob Dwiar picked out a controller I'm putting straight in my basket, especially at its low UK price.

He says: "This premium Xbox and PC controller is down to a stupidly low price right now. It's the Xbox controller I use most, and has a wonderful modular design so you can shape it how you want, as well as excellent buttons with quick actuation, and a robust design and build quality. Great value at this wildly low price in the UK."

The US deal isn't quite as mind-blowing but it's a decent deal on a great product nonetheless.

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds

Rob's feeling greedy today as he's offered another option for gamers:

"Literally the best gaming earbuds money can buy in our eyes, and now down to a ridiculous lowest-ever price with nearly 50% off.

"If you want a set of gaming earbuds, no matter the platforms, that can do it all, from great features to comfort, and awesome audio to super battery life, then these are the buds to get right now."

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite

And Rob also spotted another deal well worth checking out (steady on, mate) in excess of the two picks above available on both sides of the pond, this time a UK-exclusive on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite;

"The most complete premium headset on the market right now, and the best gaming headset I have ever tested, the Elite is a high-end beast that offers everything. This 10% discount takes it down to a record low too, so now the best in the biz can be yours for less."

Dell 14 Plus

Matt Hanson, our Managing Editor of Core Tech and expert in all-things computing, has a great laptop recommendation, especially in light of the recent MacBook Neo price increases.

"Thanks to a massive $570 price cut, the Dell 14 Plus is now cheaper than the MacBook Neo; however it offers much better spec thanks to its 6-core AMD CPU, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD. It's a great example of a Windows 11 laptop now being much better value than the Neo after Apple's rather drastic price rises."

Hopefully there's something above for everyone — but remember, Prime Day finishes today, so if you don't want to miss out, make sure you don't leave it too late. See you next year!

Even though I think these cans deserve more online column inches, I'm going to be fairly brief since Amazon Prime Day ends at midnight — and I get it, you don't have much time to learn about them. That said, I do need you to know about it, so give me maybe four minutes of your time? You won't regret it.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

I think if you have heard of them, the Cambridge Melomania P100 SE perhaps got a slightly bad rep on their release. Why? Oh, purely because they were a fairly minor update on the original — and excellent — P100, to add some DynamEQ software (a slightly more V-shaped, optional sound profile in addition to the beautifully integrated hi-fi listen the originals already came with), a cushier headband, and a new colourway.

But all of that is water under the bridge. All you need to know is: they're excellent, they have all of the key features you're going to want, they're comfortable — and I know this because my other half has had them for nearly a year now, and wears them every single day — and they're only £169 (was £249) at Amazon.

I cannot tell you the full value this represents. But as TechRadar's Audio Editor, I'm going to try, so let me start out by saying that these headphones have stood the test of time. My other half plays tennis and football, plus he cycles and surfs regularly, albeit not always in headphones (to be clear, there's no IP rating here, so don't head into the sea with these headphones) and so they're been in a few sweaty bags without issue.

And the sound? It's really, really good. But that's not actually why I gave them to him: we're both huge fans of What We Do in the Shadows and Toast of London, you see. And if you select 'Southwark' in the voice prompts menu, you get Matt Berry's outstanding voice prompts to update you on battery life, noise cancellation profiles and so on…

Today's best Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 SE deal

See, there they are, on his desk right now! We've got the fan on and the curtains closed (working from home in a heatwave, aren't we?) but soon, he'll put them back on and continue with his listening — which, if I know him, will be Public Service Broadcasting's Every Valley on a day such as this ("Retro? GO! Fido? GO!").

Not after cans this Prime Day? That's OK! My colleague Rowan has written about the corresponding, Matt Berry-enhanced earbuds from the brand, and I'll link a little Prime Day deal block below. Also, I've got a roundup of the best earbuds and headphones deals still live this Prime Day, which might help you out.

But for me, the over-ears are too good at this price to consider buds. If I could simply scream 'BAT!' and flap my wings over to an Amazon warehouse — although (whisper it) the deal's also live at Richer Sounds, if you prefer — and nab myself a pair so I didn't have to keep stealing his, I would.

Again, Prime Day ends tonight, at midnight (when Laszlo Cravensworth and the vampires of Staten Island all come out to eat, of course) so don't say I didn't warn you…

More Prime Day deals

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

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.

Earlier this year, I wrote about my travels around the world with the Scapade AirPack — a Find My-enabled rucksack with more built-in security features than Fort Knox.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

I carried the AirPack with me through Chilean deserts, Brazilian cities, and Australia’s Whitsundays archipelago, but in fact, Scapade’s anti-theft rucksack is intended for professionals on the move: it’s a work bag, which I decided to use as a travel bag because of its myriad security features.

And so now that the Scapade AirPack is on sale for just £99 (was £124.99) at Amazon, I’m re-upping it as a great option if you’re in need of a new (and more secure) work backpack in 2026.

Today's best Scapade AirPack deal

The USP of the AirPack is its compatibility with Apple’s Find My network. There’s a discreet Find My module tucked into its rear panel, which is easily paired with your iPhone and viewable from the Find My app.

There are no separate apps or subscription fees here; once paired, you’re good to go, and the tracking module will last for up to six months on a single charge. There’s also a 120db ringer, should you need to locate the AirPack or expose unsuspecting bag thieves in a crowded location.

The security features don’t stop there. The AirPack features a TSA-approved combination lock, theft-resistant pocket zips, and padded, scratch‑protective compartments for laptops and tablets of up to 16 inches and 13 inches, respectively.

It also features specific slots for keys, cards, and passports, and if you’re packing heavy, you can even retract the bag’s back panel 180 degrees and load it up like a suitcase.

Scapade has thought of everything with the AirPack, and while its usual £124.99 retail price might be too steep for some, Amazon’s sub-£100 deal price has brought this exceptional piece of kit into great-value territory.

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: up to 25% off SSDs & games
• Grand Theft Auto 6: pre-order now
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

I need to make something abundantly clear, gentle reader. I ought perhaps to mention that we're tracking every Amazon Prime Day deal worth noticing if that's what you're after (and that the event is ongoing as I type), but, probably because of this big sale thing, I've been getting the question a lot and wanted to pin my colours to the mast.

Right then: the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and no other set of earbuds before or since these June 2025-issue buds still offer the best active noise cancellation on the market, provided your source device doesn't have a piece of fruit with a bite taken out of it etched on the back. I test earbuds as a full-time job and have done so since 2019 (I know, nice work, etc.), so it's my job to know these things.

Other buds can offer better sound; I might point you towards Technics or Bowers & Wilkins here. And there are further buds I'd nudge you towards if you want novel features (here it is impossible not to note Samsung's own sets with live translation, as well as the ubiquitous ice-white offerings from Tim Cook's behemoth, some of which can monitor your heart rate). But for solid ANC, with music present and correct? Bose wrote the book on the technology, and Bose's buds are emphatically still the best.

And although I'm contractually bound to tell you that right now, you can get the QCU Earbuds (2nd Gen) for a whopping £89 off, since they're now £209 rather than £299 at Amazon (and their lowest discount before today was to £249, so it's big), that's not why I'm here.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

No, I want to set the record straight once and for all. Until such time as a new set of earbuds swoops in and steals the spoils, this is the current, up-to-the-minute hierarchy.

Yes, AirPods Pro can cut out the noise, and I've got a roundup of the top AirPods Prime Day deals if you need 'em. But unless you own an iPhone, those won't serve you as well — which is how Apple wants to keep it. If you're on Android, I maintain that the earbuds you're reading about now are hands-down the best. And they don't care what file format or streaming service you're listening to when it comes to offering the excellent head-tracked spatial stuff, too…

Today's best Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) deal

My in-depth Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review is the place to go for my own even more detailed appraisal, but a cursory glance at the maximum five-star rating is perhaps all you need, along with this: They're just really, really good.

Also, for those with particular interest, the 'Sonic Sangria' finish pictured above is in the deal (hurrah!), and please believe me when I tell you they get plenty of compliments when I wear them. (All other finishes are included in the deal, though.)

I keep these buds beside my home desk, because the tree surgeons have been out in force recently (joy), and nothing cuts out chainsaw shrieks and the sound of falling timber quite like these. I also keep them here for when I'm testing the active noise cancellation efficacy of the competition. Yes, the Bose QCUE (2nd Gen) are essentially my reference product for ANC — a benchmark for what can be achieved in an in-ear design, if you've got a very special set of skills.

With this particular second-generation model, you get wireless charging from the box (which wasn't so with the originals) and multi-point connectivity that works seamlessly, something the original QCU Earbuds also bizarrely lacked on their release.

I also need to point out that I adore the Immersive audio profiles, which somehow mix device- and streaming service-agnostic spatial audio plus Bose's iconic noise-nixing to provide various vigorous, zealous, exciting soundstages for your movies or music.

Some of the best earbuds on the market? Oh absolutely. And one of the best Prime Day earbuds deals I've seen? Oh, OK then — 100% yes.

More Prime Day deals

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

We're officially on day three of Prime Day 2026, and Amazon's discounts on MacBooks and iPads couldn't be better timed.

Apple just raised prices across nearly its entire Mac lineup — including MacBooks, iMac, and Mac Studio — alongside the iPad family and home products such as the HomePod and Apple TV 4K.

While Apple's online store is already reflecting the higher prices, Amazon is still offering some of the best discounts we've seen all year on MacBooks and iPads — even without updating the new original prices.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Those deals look even better now that Apple's higher MSRPs are officially in effect. For instance, Apple now lists the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M5 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage at $1,299.99, but Amazon currently has it for $949. Likewise, the entry-level iPad now starts at $449 from Apple, while Amazon is selling it for just $299.

There's no telling how long these prices will last — though we're hoping they stick around through the remainder of Prime Day's four-day run. For now, keep scrolling for the best live deals on Macs, iPads, and Apple home devices that let you beat Apple's latest price increase.

You can even use the sidebar to jump to specific sections for each device category in the United States and the UK. Furthermore, while Apple hasn't raised prices for the Apple Watch, AirTags, or iPhone, I'm including deals for those as well since it's Prime Day after all.

Today's best iPad deals in the US

Today's best Apple MacBook deals in the US

Today's best Apple AirPods deals in the US

Today's best Apple Watch deals in the US

Today's best Apple AirTag deals in the US

Today's best Apple iPad deals in the UK

Today's best Apple MacBook deals in the UK

Today's best Apple AirPods deals in the UK

Today's best Apple Watch deals in the UK

Today's best Apple AirTag deals in the UK

Today's best Apple iPhone deals in the UK

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Summer holiday season is almost upon us, and I'm getting organised for my own annual excursion. I have a number of non-negotiables when it comes to holidays — and browsing the current Amazon Prime Day sale, I spotted that several of them are heavily discounted right now.

I also spotted a few more gadgets in the sales that I think would make excellent additions to my luggage, and I've rounded up all of my finds below, starting with nine instant winners for under £30 each, then moving on to some higher-priced devices that I'm sorely tempted by.

One of my absolute essentials for travel is a great pair of noise-cancelling headphones. We've tested both of the budget-friendly pairs I've included below, and were blown away by their performance for the price, but honestly I was spoiled for choice in this area — I have a separate guide to cheap headphones and earbuds that's worth checking out if neither of these appeal.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

At the top of my travel wishlist is a pair of Loop Quiet ear plugs. I've heard nothing but good things about this brand's products, and as someone with sensitive ears and a strong desire not be to bothered while travelling, they look like they could be a game changer (I'll be pairing them with my blackout sleep mask for an undisturbed flight).

I also think this might be the year I invest in a video doorbell for extra peace of mind while I'm away. Amazon has some big discounts on Blink and Ring products for Prime Week, so it seems like a no-brainer.

Top travel tech

Bonus buys if you want to blow the budget

The below picks are outside of the sub-£30 budget, and require a bit more consideration before buying. However, they're all so heavily discounted that I felt it would be remiss of me not to at least mention them. We've tested most of these products, and they all scored highly — in particular the DJI Mini 4K (4.5 stars) and the Sony WH-1000XM5 (which we awarded a perfect five stars). I've linked said reviews under the 'More details' button if you want to find out more.

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Fans: from £20
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

With summer and Amazon Prime Day in full swing, you might be in the middle of weighing up what can actually fit in your suitcase for your next holiday — and if you are, I've found some great portable beauty-tech deals that could make that decision easier.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

From a foldable hair dryer to a silicon LED face mask that can easily slide into the lining of your suitcase, I've made sure this round-up of beauty tech deals is filled with only devices that are light, transportable, and USB-C charged.

I haven't tried all of these products myself, but other members of the TechRadar team have, and they can confirm that they're worthwhile investments. For example, Josephine Watson is a big fan of light-therapy devices, particularly the Nanoleaf LED Light Therapy Face Mask for $149.99 (was $249) at Amazon in the US.

If you're in the UK, the best saving I've found is on the Ulike Air 10 IPL at Amazon, where it's £246.99 (was £399.99). I've been using this myself, and it's a huge saving compared to going to the salon for expensive laser hair-removal treatments. You won't be able to go out in the sun after using it, but if you're on a longer trip it's light enough to pack in your luggage.

I've also snuck in few more gadgets that aren't strictly beauty tech, like the Oura Ring 4 for wellness tracking, and some earplugs — traveling can be be a noisy affair, so anything that can help you block out sound is useful.

Growing up in Australia meant that if I wanted to visit family overseas I had to prepare for a grueling 24-hour flight, confined to a seat for much of the time; and while that was fine when my legs were shorter, it's no longer the most thrilling experience. These gadgets won't make economy class glamorous, but they will make it a bit more bearable.

Today's best beauty tech deals in the US

Today's best beauty tech deals in the UK

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

An Amazon Prime Day deal on Garmin’s Vivoactive 6 for £169 (was £225.62) has tempted me to jump back into the smartwatch arena after a bad experience with an Apple Watch caused me to abandon smartwatches entirely.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

I don’t run or jog and I’m not overly obsessed with statistics about how well I slept and how many steps I’ve taken today, but I think it’s time I got a smartwatch again.

My colleague Matt Evans first brought the Garmin Vivoactive 5 for £117 (was £174.99) to my attention with the great price he’d found it for as part of Amazon Prime Day.

But after researching the Vivoactive range for a little while I decided I actually wanted the Garmin Vivoactive 6 (currently on our best Garmin watches list) and the chance of saving 25% was too tempting — I was sold.

Today's best Garmin Vivoactive 6 deals

Slave to technology

It’s not that I hated my Apple Watch, I just couldn’t be bothered to keep charging it every day. I actually started to resent the watch because it was forcing me into this daily ritual of caring for it that felt like I was a slave to technology, not the other way around.

The main thing that attracted me to the Garmin was that it’s got an 11-day battery life. Why hasn’t Apple made something that will last that long on a single charge? Yes, I know that you can do more with an Apple Watch, but I rarely used the voice control features.

I have definitely missed some aspects of not having a smartwatch. For example, notifications on my wrist are a lot easier to deal with than having to fish my phone out of my jeans pocket to see the latest Whatsapp from a family member.

It’s the same with payments — having the device on my wrist would make it a lot easier to pay for things when my hands are full. And finally, general health tracking, including sleep tracking, would be nice to get back into. I’ve got more and more curious about what kind of sleep quality I’m getting, and even if it’s just counting my steps all day. I miss having all those stats at my fingertips.

Body Battery Score

There is a Garmin subscription service called Garmin Connect+ that has AI and coaching features I don’t want or need, but you’re not required to join it to get any of the watch’s features to work. All the health and fitness features remain gloriously subscription-free.

In fact, the only downside I can see with the Garmin is to do with transferring music to it. I’ve got a subscription to Apple Music, not Spotify, and you need Amazon Music or Spotify Premium to transfer music to a Garmin. (You can transfer MP3 files you've purchased, of course), but if I eventually get back into jogging I might have to be content with podcasts if I want to leave my phone behind.

I'm looking forward to getting to play with a smartwatch again, and to seeing whether Garmin's much-praised Body Battery score really is as useful as its fans claim. But mostly, I'm curious to find out whether a smartwatch has finally become something I actually want to wear every day.

The irony is that the feature that brought me back isn't AI, advanced health tracking, or even fitness coaching. It's battery life. After years of increasingly clever gadgets demanding more of my attention, the thing that finally tempted me back was a watch that promises to stay out of the way for nearly two weeks at a time.

If the Vivoactive 6 can manage that while quietly handling my notifications, music, payments, and the occasional sleep report, then it might just convince me that smartwatches were worth another chance after all.

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

Let me set the scene: I've been patiently waiting for the Prime Day sales to make some big, important purchases. Last night, my patience was rewarded: there's a deal on exactly the thing I wanted to buy. In fact, a really good deal — the cheapest price all year on this particular gadget. I check out, and I'm feeling pretty smug.

Fast-forward to today, and someone on my TechRadar Slack channel mentions a voucher. Specifically, a £15 Amazon voucher — with no strings attached! — to those who spend over £60 in the Prime Day sales. I have spent well over £60, and I have no such voucher to show for it. My smugness fades pretty quickly.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

A quick investigation reveals my error — after putting the same item back in my cart as an experiment, I see there's a checkbox for the voucher. In my hurry to secure the goods, I missed it the first time around.

I'm writing this article as a PSA: if you're shopping the Prime Day sales (perhaps using our Amazon Prime Day deals live blog to find the best bargains), don't make the same mistake. Take your time and get your voucher. Here's a picture of what you're looking for:

There are a few more potential caveats to know about. Most of these are unconfirmed — pop a note in the comments if you have more information you could share.

First, the amounts may be slightly different. I was offered £15 on a £60 spend (on the total basket, rather than needing to be on one individual item), but I've seen reports of a £20 voucher on an £80 spend. (My basket was over £80, for the record.)

Second, this deal might not be available to those on a free trial. The official Prime Day deals are only available to Prime subscribers, but signing up for your free month is a popular hack for unlocking those deals without having to commit to a membership long-term. If that's a workaround you're pulling, you might not be offered a voucher. (Although it's still worth looking for that checkbox to make sure.)

There might be a time limit on the voucher. Again, it'd be easier to check this if I'd successfully obtained my own voucher, but there we go. I'm seeing reports the voucher might only be available to use until the end of July. But given that Amazon sells everything from toilet rolls to washing up liquid, I'm sure you can find something useful to redeem it on in time.

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

We're in the midst of (a very hot) summer, and I'm sure many of you out there are raring to go on your travels this season. But if you're about to jet off on your vacation, then it's best to be as prepared as possible. And you know what you need to make your travels as seamless and enjoyable as possible? Some top-tier tech.

I'm a Senior Reviews Writer here at TechRadar, and have tested hundreds of gadgets over the years, from premium noise-cancelling headphones through to power banks and misting fans. So, I've got the lowdown on all the travel tech essentials you need to make this summer one to remember — for all the right reasons, of course.

I've included seven must-haves, with a small speaker, travel chargers, and even a compact clothes steamer on the list. Everything here has either been tested by me, or someone on the TechRadar team, so I'm confident that each item will serve you well on your adventures this summer and beyond. So, without further ado, let's dive right into my top picks!

1. Noise cancelling headphones: Sony WH-1000XM6

Ah, Sony WH-1000XM6, my beloved. These are, in my view — and the view of many at TechRadar — the best headphones you can buy right now.

The XM6 have it all. Class-leading active noise cancellation works great, even on flights with jet rumbles and screaming children. They sound incredible, with brilliant balance across the frequency range, as well as plenty of low-end punch and excitement to make energetic tunes sound their best. And they're foldable too, making them incredibly compact when you're on the move.

These come with a handy magnetic carry case, 30 hours of battery life, and excellent touch controls. Sony's Sound Connect app also makes it easy to tailor sound to your liking and make any subtle changes you need. They're simply the best, but I'll let you find that out for yourself.

2. Small speaker: JBL Go 5

The JBL Go 5 launched recently, and when I reviewed it, the speaker genuinely took my breath away.

It's exactly how to do an upgrade right, offering better sound, a more flashy design, and even better durability than its already impressive predecessor, the JBL Go 4. I love its edge lighting, its well-balanced sound with clean bass and rich mids, and also its broad feature set, which includes EQ options and multi-speaker pairing.

Despite improving on what its predecessor had to offer, the Go 5 is available at a very similar price, typically coming in at around the $55 / £40 mark, and if you need excellent sound, solid battery life, and high level (IP68) waterproofing on a budget, then it's the best small Bluetooth speaker to buy right now.

3. Power bank: Anker Nano Power Bank 10K 45W

I genuinely bring this Anker power bank with me everywhere. It's the definitive portable battery for travel for a few key reasons.

The first is its size. This model is absolutely tiny and can easily slip into a pocket or small bag, no problem. Second, it's incredibly practical. There's an integrated USB-C cable, making charging on the go totally seamless. And finally, it's a fantastic performer. That 45W max wattage means fast-charging is easily accessible on even some of the best phones.

A 10,000mAh capacity should also mean it can charge a pair of wireless headphones as well as your handset, so if you want an ultra-practical, lightweight power bank to bring on the go, the Anker Nano Power Bank 10K 45W is my number one recommendation.

4. Travel charger: Anker Nano Charger 45W with USB-C Cable

If you need a travel charger for your phone, tablets, and wireless earbuds, then look no further than the Anker Nano Charger 45W, which comes with a USB-C cable in the box — a nice touch!

I've used this one a lot myself, and it's great for travel. Why? Well, it's incredibly compact and packs in quite a bit of power, meaning you can make use of fast charging without lugging a massive brick around. If you're using a travel adapter, the model's low weight also means it won't awkwardly get weighed down or stick out, which is a huge plus.

This charger is well-built, foldable — helping it to slide into your pocket — and highly affordable. It really has it all, so if you're still using a slow charger, then take things up a notch with this awesome Anker alternative.

5. Portable fan: Shark ChillPill

In the UK, it's absolutely scorching right now. It feels like I'm fighting for my life here with the combination of high humidity and near record-breaking temperature. And when you're on your summer travels, I'd wager that it will be similarly blazing in a number of countries. What you need, then, is a portable fan.

We're big... fans... of the Shark ChillPill here at TechRadar, and awarded it a 4.5 star review recently. It has good battery life, is filled with a range of cooling options, and even has a mister for when you need a healthy blast of cold.

The build and design quality is strong here too, and the straightforward controls make it a joy to use. Yes, it's a little expensive, but we've seen it pop up on sale from time to time, so if you want to stay chilled on the move, then I'd strongly suggest picking this lil' gadget up.

6. Philips Shaver S9000 Prestige

OK, so not everyone will need this, but if, like me, your facial hair seems to grow back in the blink of an eye, the Philips Shaver S9000 Prestige will be a great addition to your travel tech arsenal.

With multiple speed settings to suit your desired sensitivity, wet and dry shaving versatility, interchangeable heads (including a beard trimmer), and spectacular handling, the S9000 Prestige is a true all-rounder.

This model also has solid battery life and I rarely need to juice it up. But it comes with a wireless charging pad for when you're running low on power. There's also a cleaning device thrown in the box, and a carry case for whenever you're on the move.

I've found that the S9000 Prestige is kind on my skin, which is pretty prone to razor burn, and its flexible foil shaver is great at getting into those hard to reach areas around the nose, for instance. It launched at a fairly high price, but you can regularly swipe it up on sale now, so why not give it a go?

7. Clothes steamer: various options

OK, in all honesty, I've not actually got a travel clothes steamer, but when some colleagues of mine heard that I was writing this piece, they were clear that it's a must have.

After all, how many times have you been on holiday or out on a business trip and realized that our garments look a little creased? For me, it's a few times too many. With a compact clothes steamer, you can wave goodbye to pesky creases and wrinkles in a flash.

So, I have a few recommendations from the team that I'm here to share with you. For our US readers, Managing Editor of News & Deals, Jacob Krol, suggests the Conair Handheld Garment Steamer. This affordable model boasts "turbo steam power," comes with a 3-in-1 attachment, and has a water tank that's good for 20 minutes of steaming. Not bad, eh?

Over the pond, our Managing Editor of Social & Engagement, Josephine Watson, had a couple of recommendations. The first, the Tefal Pure Pop Slim Handheld, is cheap, comes in a range of funky colors, and heats up in just 15 seconds for super speedy action. Josephine told me that her bridesmaid friend bought this model in order to save a wedding dress disaster — and luckily, it worked. Talk about coming in clutch.

Josephine also recommended the Russell Hobbs Steam Genie 2in1 Handheld, even claiming she would trade her firstborn for it. Pretty high praise. This model has a 150ml water tank, can heat up nice and swiftly, and claims to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria within 60 seconds.

It's the 35th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise this year, with the blue blur having launched all the way back in 1991.

It's fair to say that the series has had its ups and downs, but it's definitely in a strong spot at the moment. Recent releases like Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and Sonic x Shadow Generations have been absolutely excellent, and the last few years saw the launch of an official Lego line based on the franchise.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Whether you're a long-time Sonic fan or more of a newcomer, there are loads to dive into, and I've spent some of my time today rounding up the best Sonic games and Lego sets out there right now. Many of them are even discounted as part of the ongoing Amazon Prime Day sales.

Sonic 35th anniversary deals – quick links

• Shop Sonic deals on Amazon US
• Shop Sonic deals on Amazon UK

For Sonic fans in the US

For Sonic fans in the UK

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £21.99
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• TVs: from £129.99

With some schools and nurseries across the UK closing due to the heatwave, you might be on the hunt for some cheap Amazon Prime Day deals for keeping the kids cool and entertained — and if that's you, I've got you covered.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

The team here at TechRadar have already been busy rounding up all the best tech deals, which I've included a selection of below for LEGO, kitchen appliances, gaming, streaming and fans. I've also had a browse around Amazon for some cheap finds that will make a real difference over the next few days. Most of these are aimed squarely at the kids, but if you've got a dog who's suffering in the heat, a couple of these picks will go down just as well with them.

I grew up in Australia so you can trust me when I say my recommendations will make a difference. Believe me, a pack of Ice Lolly Moulds at Amazon for £6.45 (was £9.99) will be the best tenner you spend all week — even if it's the only thing you buy.

Today's best deals to keep cool for under £30

Today's best Lego deals

Today's best streaming deals

Today's best gaming deals

Today's best fan deals

Today's best kitchen appliance deals

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

Amazon's Prime Day is nearly over, but here's some excellent news, especially if you're a Lego fan. Many of the early Lego deals we started tracking at the start of the week are still in full force, and there are plenty of excellent discounts to be had on the fourth and final day of the sale.

• Browse all Lego US deals at Amazon / all LEGO UK deals at Amazon

As TechRadar's resident Lego expert, I've been searching near and far on Amazon for the best of the best deals on the most popular brick-building sets. Whether you're after a recently launched Botanical set, a Disney set, a Star Wars set, or even one that can build three different things, you won't be disappointed.

Amazon is already offering return-to-all-time-low prices on a variety of Lego themes, and I've rounded up my top 71 deals below — including picks across Star Wars, Disney, Technic, Creator 3-in-1, and Botanicals, as well as several options that won't break the bank at $15 or less.

Brits should hop down the page for the best UK Lego deals.

Today's best Lego deals under $15

Today's best Lego Star Wars deals

Today's best Lego Creator deals

Today's best Lego Disney deals

Today's best Lego Botanicals deals

Today's best Lego Technic deals

Today's best Lego City deals

Today's best UK Lego deals