In recent years, Apple’s Pro iPhone models have typically been its best sellers, but while that's still seemingly the case this year, initial demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max is reportedly much lower than for their predecessors.
Ming-Chi Kuo – an analyst with a great track record for Apple information – has carried out a supply chain survey to estimate the pre-order numbers of each iPhone 16 model, and has found that the iPhone 16 Pro is down 27% relative to its predecessor, at 9.8 million units pre-ordered, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is down 16%, with 17.1 million units pre-ordered.
This seemingly came as a surprise to Apple, particularly in the case of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, as the company reportedly produced around 6 million units of the phone ahead of pre-orders, which is 106% more than it produced of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Still, it’s not all bad news for Apple, because while initial demand for the Pro models is seemingly down, the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are reportedly proving more popular than their predecessors, with pre-orders of the iPhone 16 said to be up by 10%, with 7.3 million units pre-ordered, and the iPhone 16 Plus’s said to be up by 48%, though still with the lowest demand overall, at 2.6 million pre-ordered units.
But according to Kuo, that hasn’t made up for the reduced interest in the Pro models, with the iPhone 16 line as a whole estimated to have sold around 37 million units so far, which is down 12.7% from the iPhone 15 series on its first weekend.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max(Image credit: Apple)
Missing a headline feature
So why is this? Kuo highlights the lack of Apple Intelligence at launch as being a major factor. This suite of AI features is one of the key selling points of the iPhone 16 line, but no Apple Intelligence features will be available until October, and even then, we won’t initially get all the features Apple has revealed.
Kuo also suggests that intense competition from Chinese phone brands has impacted pre-order numbers.
Beyond that, we’d guess the standard and Plus models might be proving more popular than their predecessors because they have more in common with the Pro phones. They have the new Camera Control button for example, which Apple could have easily made exclusive to the Pro phones.
They also gained the Action button from last year’s Pro models, and they have a new A18 chipset rather than inheriting the A17 Pro from the iPhone 15 Pro line. All of this could make the Pro models feel less essential, so it’s no real surprise that pre-orders for these are lower than for last year’s models.
Still, Kuo predicts that demand for the iPhone 16 line as a whole could well increase later in the year, once Apple Intelligence does start rolling out, and once we enter the year-end holiday season.
SmallRig has been featured at Apple's mobile phone launch event for three consecutive years, showcasing their dedication to technological innovation. In 2024, SmallRig introduced the new SmallRig x Brandon Li All-in-One Universal Mobile Video Kit, expanding their photo and video accessories ecosystem. This kit empowers mobile phone creators to explore their creativity with greater freedom and enjoyment.
If you want to capture truly spectacular smartphone videos, you need a good rig as an addition to your phone – a good rig such as Smallrig's universal mobile video kit, designed in collaboration with renowned filmmaker Brandon Li. This rig delivers pro-level expandability, stability, and control, taking your phone shooting to a whole new level. This kit is essential for filmmakers of all kinds.
Check out the video to see what you can create with it:
Enhance the Creative Process
Today's smartphones have incredible cameras, but they are not easy to handle like traditional camera rigs. Even the largest flagship phones are difficult to keep still and stable, particularly when adjusting the zoom and focus. SmallRig changes that by providing a two-handed grip for better control and stability, and by placing all necessary controls within reach. This kit also features a variety of interfaces allowing you to attach various accessories to suit any of your needs.
(Image credit: Smallrig)
Pro-Level Filming with Any Phone
SmallRig x Brandon Li All-In-One Universal Mobile Video Kit Co-design Edition features both MagSafe magnetic attachment and clamp fixation for greater compatibility, dual bilateral quick release handles with M.2 SSD enclosure and wireless control, a 67mm magnetic filter adapter with adjustable panel for attaching filters, and a 4-in-1 USB-C Hub for interface expansion.
The wireless control incorporates key adjustments for both iOS and Android, including focus, zoom, and shutter control. The bilateral quick release handle adapters enable swift attachment to the cage and bi-directional infinite rotation.
Additionally, there is a power bank holder for extended phone use and an Arca-Swiss quick release adapter for swift mounting on Arca-type tripods.
(Image credit: Smallrig)
Comprehensive Interface Configuration
The cage kit includes a detachable 67mm magnetic filter adapter with an adjustable panel, 3 anti-glare magnetic plates, providing light-modifying options for different phone models, and a 67mm VND 2-32 (1-5 Stop).
Moreover, the cage features multiple standard 1/4"-20 threaded holes and cold shoe mounts, supporting the free combination of accessories, allowing for more possibilities for your shooting.
The 4-in-1 USB-C hub offers a high-power PD charging port, a USB-C 3.0 interface, and two USB-C 2.0 interfaces. When used for mobile photography or videography, it enables simultaneous charging, data transfer, and utilization of a USB-C microphone.
(Image credit: Smallrig)
All You Need to Shoot Like a Pro
The package includes everything you need to improve your shooting experience: a universal phone cage, 67mm magnetic filter adapter, 67mm VND 2-32 (1-5 Stop), rotatable bilateral side handle with M.2 SSD enclosure and wireless control, rotatable bilateral side handle, 4-in-1 dock station (USB-C PD / USB-C 3.0 / USB-C 2.0), Arca-Swiss quick release adapter, power bank holder, multifunctional data cable, even velcro ties, and photography bag!
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Thunderbolt 5 (TB5), Intel's latest leap in high-speed connectivity, is set to improve how we handle data transfer, display output, and...
Thunderbolt 5 docking stations went mainstream at IFA but where are the laptops that support them? Promises of 80 Gbps of bandwidth and 8K resolutions are not enough to convince notebook makers
Thunderbolt 5 (TB5), Intel's latest leap in high-speed connectivity, is set to improve how we handle data transfer, display output, and device charging.
With up to 80 Gbps of bandwidth - and a boost option up to 120 Gbps - it effectively doubles the speed of Thunderbolt 4. This extra power is perfect for handling dual 8K displays, transferring large video files, and running real-time applications like gaming and virtual reality.
A standout feature of Thunderbolt 5 is its ability to deliver 240W of power, which means faster charging for laptops and enough juice to power even more demanding devices through a single cable. Plus, it's backward compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and 4, so integrating it into your current setup should be straightforward. The extra bandwidth and power are also future-proofed for technologies like 16K displays and more powerful external GPUs.
Where are the laptops?
At IFA 2024, UGREEN unveiled its new Revodok Thunderbolt 5 docking station, one of the first devices to make use of the technology.
It comes equipped with three Thunderbolt 5 ports that offer up to 80 Gbps of data transfer and can boost up to 120 Gbps when needed. It’s versatile too, supporting a single 8K display for Windows users and triple-display setups for Mac. With 13 ports, including USB-C, USB-A, and HDMI, it’s built to cater to users with a serious need for connectivity.
The Revodok docking station really shows off what Thunderbolt 5 can do in terms of data transfer, display output, and power delivery. It’s a handy solution for professionals managing loads of data and running multiple displays and devices. We previously reviewed the UGREEN Revodok Max 208 8-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 docking station, and you can read our four star review here.
However, while it, like other TB5 docking stations (e.g. J5 Create) offers a glimpse into the future, laptops with built-in Thunderbolt 5 ports are still on the horizon. For users to get the full benefit of Thunderbolt 5, we’ll need to see more widespread adoption from laptop makers. It will happen, but when is the big as yet unanswered question.
Aside from the docking station, UGREEN also revealed a number of other products at IFA, like the Nexode Power Bank, a 20,000mAh charger capable of delivering up to 145W, and the NASync series, a new line of network-attached storage for personal and business use. It also showcased its Uno Series chargers and power banks.
There are lots of reasons to love vinyl records. There's the sound of a good quality LP, of course. But there's also the joy of crate digging, which is when you rifle through the racks in the hope of finding a lost classic, an obscure curio or an absolute bargain.
There's the joy of getting a brand new repressing of an old favorite, its heavy-duty vinyl enabling you to hear it like it's the first time all over again.
There's the art of a good cover and the seductiveness of an interesting sleeve, and the anticipation between lowering the needle (hopefully onto one of the best turntables TechRadar recommends) and the music beginning.
And with independent and small-label artists, there's also the knowledge that some money is actually going to the artist rather than to some shareholders somewhere, so it's good for your conscience too.
In other words, vinyl is brilliant. So how do you get started?
While getting into vinyl is a little more complicated than getting into streaming, it's not very complicated: all you need is a turntable, an amplifier and some speakers – and sometimes you can get all of those things in a single device. There are plenty of really good, really affordable and really straightforward turntables that are absolutely perfect for vinyl beginners and returning music lovers alike.
We test all kinds of turntables here at Techradar, ranging from super-cheap models to ones that cost more than you would spend on a car. And that means we know what turntables come with the least messing around and deliver the most musical bang for your bucks.
Whether you're buying your very first turntable or coming back to vinyl after years of digital downloads and streaming, the following three turntables come highly recommended.
Buy now, enjoy forever: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
How your turntable sounds is the most important thing, we know. But there's also value to a turntable whose looks make your heart sing a little every time you see it. And that's definitely the case here, because the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon comes in a range of colors and looks great in all of them. It's a bit like having really great artwork on a really great record.
The Debut is one of Pro-Ject's most user-friendly and affordable turntables, and it sounds fantastic. As we said in our review: "The Debut Carbon Evo is a luxuriously full-bodied listen, but that’s not to say it’s in any way languid. It has plenty of the warmth and richness that’s so often held up as an unarguable vinyl virtue, but it doesn’t wallow or slur. It’s easy to listen to, but it’s not uninvolving... Like any worthwhile turntable, it’s very adept and tying everything together."
This is at the higher end of many beginners' budgets, we know. But the sound it delivers is truly amazing, and while this particular model doesn't bother with the likes of Bluetooth that's not a problem when what it does do, it does so beautifully.
If it's a little too pricey, or if you want Bluetooth, we'd recommend checking out the same firm's newly updated E1 range: that's available without or with Bluetooth, and the non-Bluetooth version is cheaper than the Debut.
If your budget can't quite stretch to the Pro-Ject, this sub-$200 turntable (street prices are typically $149 / £179 / AU$299) is an excellent alternative: it's our current best budget buy. That's because it does a creditable job in every department, including Bluetooth streaming to wireless headphones and speakers.
The materials aren't quite as touch-me as the Pro-Ject, but it's perfectly well-made and looks pretty good; the tonearm does feel a little flimsy, though, so it's wise to be careful with that. But really we're nit-picking here: the sound you get for the money you pay is really good, and this is a superb option for a starter turntable you won't outgrow too quickly.
We're not snobbish about all-in-ones: if you're short of space or cash or both, an all-in-one system can be a great way to dip your toes into the vinyl waters without too much effort or expense. We wouldn't recommend this as the audio source for a seriously specified hi-fi system, but for around $230/£220 you're getting a lot of kit for not too much money - including Bluetooth streaming from other audio sources such as your phone. There's 50W of power via four speakers, and as a Bluetooth speaker it's really rather good.
Inevitably, though, the low price means some corners have had to be cut. We found a few flaws compared to rival turntables: the tonearm and lifter feel insubstantial so this might not be one for clumsy folks, and the sound is decent rather than jaw-dropping. In our review we found that the platter's rotation speed varied audibly, and once we noticed it we couldn't un-notice it. It's not a bad record player by any means, but it's not up there with the very best.
If you're thinking of taking the first steps towards building a really amazing hi-fi system, we wouldn't start here. But if you're looking for a bedroom player, something for a small flat or just don't know if you're going to be bitten by the vinyl bug, this is a good affordable, transportable option.
Netflix won't be giving the keys back to the reality series Buying London as the best streaming service canceled the show after one season – and I can't help but feel slightly disappointed.
A Netflix spokeswoman confirmed the cancelation to Deadline in early September and declined to comment further – but I think its dreadful 14% Rotten Tomatoes score is enough of an explanation for why Buying London was axed by the streamer.
The reality show made a brief appearance in the Netflix top 10 for one week, but failed to meet the sheer success of its critically acclaimed American counterpart Selling Sunset. The critics did not sing high praises for the show, with The Guardian writing in their scathing zero star review that it's "the most hateable TV show ever made" (ouch). Netflix subsequently used the publication's review to promote the show on X (see the post below), which probably helped it make a home on the streamer's top 10 list, as well as on my TV screen.
"Probably the most hateable TV show ever made."Stirring up drama, on and off screen. Buying London is now streaming! pic.twitter.com/c5C3WrqamxMay 22, 2024
The series is a British alternative to one of my all-time favorite reality shows Selling Sunset (so of course I had to watch it) and is a spin-off of Buying Beverly Hills, which was also canceled by Netflix. The show follows property mogul Daniel Daggers and his agents at DDRE Global as they navigate London's prestigious property market. Much like its predecessor, there's mega mansions, office gossip, and friendship feuds, but they definitely aren't as juicy as the drama I've seen across the pond in Selling Sunset.
While Buying London failed to grasp my attention as much as Selling Sunset, news of its unsurprising cancelation was still a tiny sting to the heart after I watched three worst-rated TV shows on Netflix. Yes, Buying London isn't one of the best Netflix shows, it doesn't have any style or substance, and won't win awards – but this doesn't stop it from being enjoyable.
Buying London doesn't pretend to be something it's not. It's a reality show, simple as that. It gets the job done in providing mindless, casual entertainment to escape our lives and block out the world when we desperately need to. And that's something I think is important in the world of streaming.
From London to LA
There won't be a second season of Buying London on Netflix, sadly. (Image credit: Netflix/Zoe McConnell)
There are still so many loose ends to the series: did agent Lauren Christy leave DDRE to join a rival company? Is there still bad blood between her and colleague Rasa Bagdonaviciute due to Daniel's apparent favoritism? Oddly, I wanted answers to these questions in a Buying London season two and to snoop inside more homes of the mega rich that I would never be able to afford. But I guess I'll have to settle for Selling Sunset to keep me going.
In a stark contrast to Buying London, Selling Sunset took the world by storm when it first aired in 2019 and has become a huge hit for Netflix's reality TV portfolio. The Emmy-nominated series goes behind the scenes of the cutthroat world of LA real estate as it follows a group of glamorous female brokers at The Oppenheim Group who sell luxury properties to elite buyers.
Selling Sunset's runway success has since birthed an eighth season, and two spin-offs Selling Tampa and Selling the OC, so it's clear that this kind of content is a big winner with audiences.
While Buying London is yet another canceled Netflix show, it doesn't seem to be all bad as a spokeswoman for Daniel Daggers Real Estate Global told Deadline: "Buying London did exactly what we wanted it to do – it enabled us to put DDRE Global on an international stage, and as a result, generated record interest in our business. We are at the forefront of 'contemporising' an archaic industry by embracing new technologies and ways to communicate to likeminded people communities, which we have been doing since 2020 and what caught the eye of Netflix in the first place. Our work has only just begun and there’s so much more of our story yet to be told. Stay tuned…"
An unlikely retro mirrorless camera is set to become the new most sought-after snapper after it was spotted in the hands of pop megastar Taylor Swift this week.
You might expect a billionaire to step out in style with a pricey Leica – the red-dot brand hailing from Germany makes premium hand-crafted all-metal stunners often seen in the hands of celebrities, like the recently announced M11-D. However, Tay-Tay has a penchant for Olympus instead.
You can currently pick up the stylish snapper new for around $650 / £600 / AU$1,000 – it's an excellent budget camera. However, thanks to the 'Swift effect' it's unlikely to remain at that price for long, or remain in stock at all.
From the low-res photo alone, shared on X (formerly Twitter) by @43 Rumors, I can't be 100% sure it's the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV model. Swift has been spotted on multiple occasions years ago with the OM-D E-M1 II, which has a similar design. However, I'll take 43 Rumors' word for it that's she updated to the newer E-M10 IV. In any case, she's certainly rocking a retro-style Olympus MFT (micro four-thirds) camera.
Cool: Taylor Swift shoots with the Olympus E-M10IV - https://t.co/IJaZkKj9q2 pic.twitter.com/kMwlzkIv8DSeptember 10, 2024
The celebrity effect
A potential surge in interest is great news for as OM System, the company that took over the Olympus brand, and for MFT cameras.
When Fujifilm's previous premium compact, the X100V, was out of stock throughout all of 2023, people even resorted to snapping up the closest alternatives, such as the Fujifilm X-E4.
For now, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV is still available at leading retailers, though it's probably a good idea to snap one up asap before it sells out. Should you miss the boat, there are some good E-M10 IV alternatives, such as the OM System OM-5, which is our favorite travel camera.
I personally own an Olympus OM-D E-M1, and can vouch for its image quality and easily handling. The MFT system it's part of is super-lightweight, and includes hundreds of superb lenses for just about every scenario. Still, you don't need me to persuade you when Tay-Tay is already convinced.
For the last few years, TechRadar’s audio team regularly raved about the JLab Go Air Pop – ultra-cheap earbuds that massively defied their low price with their performance and build quality. They were a stalwart of all our guides, from our best budget earbuds list up to our full list of the best wireless earbuds of any kind.
However, they’ve been getting harder to get hold of recently, so we started looking at alternatives to recommend… but it turns out the reason why is that their successor was getting ready to secretly drop at IFA 2024.
Obviously, I found that unacceptable, so here’s what you need to know about the JLab Go Air ANC: they have active noise cancellation; they’re super small and light; they have a six-hours battery life in the buds and 24 with the case; they have a built-in USB-C charging cable; they have multi-point pairing; they’re going to come in cool 2000s-inspired translucent cases at a later date (they come in solid black, green and pink for now); they have IP55 waterproofing; and they’re still stupidly good value for their $29.99 asking price – so around £25 or AU$45, although unlike the confirmed US dollars MSRP, those last two figures are unofficial estimates.
I tried them out during my time at IFA, and it really does feel ridiculous that something so cheap delivers music as well-rounded as you get here. Obviously, compared to the AirPods Pro 2 I also had with me at the time, there’s much less depth to the bass, the details aren’t as sharp, and the mid-range is softer. But all seems fair considering they cost one seventh of the price.
The ANC is also staggering effective as well. I know you're expecting me to add "for $35" here, but based on my early testing, it's just straight-up good. With music, and the volume at 60% or so, they were as effective as I could need on my flight, a test more expensive earbuds have failed. It stumbles more if you're listening to podcasts, though, because the relative thinness of the mid-range and slightly soft detailing means the voices are more shadowed by the sounds that do come through. There's a transparency mode that's pretty crude but effective, too.
(Image credit: Future)
I love how light and discrete the buds are – if you like a bud that doesn’t seem like you’ve got a cybernetic attachment in your ears, these will be perfect for you. They have touch controls that include on-ear volume control, and you can also switch between ANC modes with a tap, and you can even switch EQ modes with a triple tap, though I haven't played with this yet.
I found them very comfortable, though with the medium ear tips, I found that the in-ear seal weakened enough to let in outside sounds depending on what positing my head was in, since it changes your ear shape a little. That's something we'll explore more in a full review, but is certainly a difference from more expensive buds.
The case is super-slim, which I always appreciate from a pair of buds. JLab has kept one of the odder foibles of the previous version, which is a built-in charging cable, though this time it's USB-C. JLab knows what it's doing, so I have to assume people want this, but it just seems a shame to remove the flexibility of being able to plug into different power sources to me – I bought my mum a pair of Go Air Pop buds, but I don't know if I'd buy her the Go Pop ANC because she doesn't have a single USB-C charger in her house, and if I need to buy one then it changes the value of the earbuds.
(Image credit: Future)
Of course, being an editor on the website TechRadar dot com, I've been running an all-USB-C house for a while – so if you're the same as a reader of that august publication, then perhaps this will seem like a silly complaint.
We'll have to do a more in-depth judgment on them, but let me leave you with my prevailing thought about what good value they are so far: more than once while using them specifically to test the ANC, I’d made my judgment and taken notes, and then didn't bother to switch back to the AirPods Pro 2 sitting right there in my pocket. The Go Pop ANC were doing the job perfectly nicely already, so I just kept using them. It’s not like I’d switch permanently from my premium buds to these or anything, but as a picky listener, the fact that I didn’t switch back instantly is kind of a miracle.
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Wowzas. Just as IFA 2024 was wrapping up we got an Apple iPhone event, a PS5 Pro announcement, and a new version of ChatGPT to try out, alo...
ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from the PS5 Pro to Apple's iPhone 16 launch
Wowzas. Just as IFA 2024 was wrapping up we got an Apple iPhone event, a PS5 Pro announcement, and a new version of ChatGPT to try out, along with plenty of other major tech updates.
To help you get caught up to speed on it all we've rounded up the seven biggest tech news stories from the past week and condensed them all into this one quick ICYMI round up.
After months of increasingly strong rumors, Sony has finally revealed the PS5 Pro – a substantially more powerful version of the PS5.
With upgrades centered around graphical improvements, Sony claims that the PS5 Pro’s beefed-up graphics card will be able to render 45% faster than the base PS5. Throw in some advanced ray tracing capability, and new AI-drive upscaling tech called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution and we could be in for some real treats, with the company pitching the console as a machine that will simply remove the need to choose between fidelity and performance modes in games.
It costs a pretty penny though as it’s set to launch at $699 / £699 – and won’t even come with a disc drive or vertical stand.
PS5 Pro pre-orders start at PlayStation Direct on September 26, and at other retailers in the US and UK on October 10.
Apple unveiled four new phones that included new chips, new hardware, and new capabilities, and the jury is split on whether this is revolution or evolution. There’s that new Camera Control (not a button if you ask Apple) that gives you instant access to the iPhone 16 camera (yes, it’s on all the new phones) and is gesture sensitive for accessing further controls.
There are A18 chips for everyone, though the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max got the more powerful A18 Pro. Perhaps that extra power will help drive the now slightly larger screens on both devices. All that Apple Silicon will be tasked with powering Apple Intelligence (Apple’s brand of AI) which is set to arrive on these handsets shortly after they ship to consumers later this month.
All four iPhone 16 models got camera upgrades and we now have zoom parity between the two Pro models. There’s also consistent support for spatial photography (great news if you have a VR headset to view them on).
Finally, we have color and titanium hue upgrades across the board. The colors on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are particularly appealing.
Is it time to upgrade? It's too soon to tell but keep watching this space for more guidance.
Apple used its Glowtime event to give us a brand new smartwatch as well, this time with a bigger brighter screen, a slimmer body, and some new features – including the ability to play music through its speaker as a backup when your AirPods run out of charge (though it’s slightly odd that wasn’t possible before), and sleep apnea detection.
The new smartwatch is launching on September 20 for $399 / £399 / AU$649 and we were somewhat impressed with it when we gave it a whirl for our hands-on Apple Watch Series 10 review.
The only major gripe we have so far is that Apple didn’t make room for a bigger battery – an ongoing issue with Apple’s smartwatches – though it did introduce faster charging which could help to mitigate this problem. We’ll have to wait and see.
During the Glowtime festivities we also saw the arrival of the new Apple AirPods 4… well two new AirPods 4. One version (costing $179 / £179 / AU$299) comes with active noise cancellation and related features like a transparency mode so you can better hear the world around you, while the other cheaper model drops ANC to offer a more entry-level option (that only costs $129 / £129 / AU$219).
But the big announcement came for the AirPods Pro 2, which now have FDA approval to be used as hearing aids. They’ll offer hearing protection and a hearing test feature too, all at no additional cost. The AirPods Pro 2 won’t have the battery life of full-on hearing aids but they’re a lot cheaper and could act as a solid middle-ground option for people who might want to explore getting a hearing aid but aren’t ready to shell-out on something pricier.
The next generation of ChatGPT has arrived, and you can try it now, provided you’re a ChatGPT Plus subscriber, which costs $20 / £16 a month. Initially called Project Strawberry, the new chatbot is actually named as ‘o1-preview’ in the ChatGPT interface, and is accessible from the drop-down menu at the top left of the screen.
Strawberry is much better at solving math problems than previous versions of the popular chatbot, and OpenAI claims this more powerful o1-preview has performed “similarly to PhD students on challenging benchmark tasks in physics, chemistry, and biology.”
The Google Pixel Watch 3 got Fitbit Premium’s daily readiness score as a free feature, and now older Fitbit trackers and smartwatches are getting the same treatment. The Daily Readiness Score is an overview of how ready you are to take on the day and a big workout based on your resting heart rate, heart-rate variability, and recent sleep patterns, and it’s useful for knowing if you should take things easy or push yourself a little harder.
Now, rather than need to pay for Fitbit Premium, users with a Pixel Watch, Pixel Watch 2, Sense, Sense 2, Versa 2, Versa 3, Versa 4, Charge 5, Charge 6, Inspire 2, Inspire 3, or Luxe can access this feature in their Fitbit app for free once they update to version 4.23.
Foldable phones still only account for around 1.5% of the global smartphone market, but that hasn’t stopped Chinese mobile giant Huawei from pushing the technology even further.
This week, the company debuted the Huawei Mate XT – the world’s first commercially available dual-hinged, triple-screen phone. Yes, you read that right: triple-screen phone. When collapsed, the Mate XT’s front-facing OLED display measures a traditional 6.4 inches, but when fully unfolded, the new device spans three separate screens and a whopping 10.2 inches.
Of course, all that display real estate comes at a price. The Huawei Mate XT – which is currently only available in China – starts at 19,999 yuan (around $2,810 / £2,150 / AU$4,220) for the model with 256GB of storage. For context, the cheapest version of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 – aka the most expensive of the best foldable phones in 2024 – costs $1,899.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,749. But since when did innovation come cheap?
Most Samsung Galaxy S25 leaks so far have focused on the top-end model, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, but now we've had our first look at what may be the design of the standard Samsung Galaxy S25.
This comes in the form of renders shared by reputable leaker @OnLeaks, in collaboration with Android Headlines, one of which you can see below – and at first glance you might think you’re looking at the Samsung Galaxy S24, as these renders show a very similar design to that phone.
As with the Galaxy S24, these Galaxy S25 renders show a triple-lens camera array arranged vertically at the upper-left of the phone's rear, with an identically positioned flash, while on the front there’s once again a punch-hole camera aperture in the top-center of a flat screen.
(Image credit: @OnLeaks / Android Headlines)
There are some small changes though. For one thing, the housing around the camera lenses is larger and black here, while on the Samsung Galaxy S24 it’s smaller and more of a silver color. Also, the bezels are apparently smaller on the Galaxy S25.
They don’t really look any smaller in these renders, despite the source saying they are, but leaker @UniverseIce agrees that they’re smaller and has shared an edited version of one of the renders, showing how they might actually look, which you can see below.
The actual bezel of Galaxy S25 is as shown in the Right picture, and the Left picture is wrong. pic.twitter.com/LFb8vMOlCfSeptember 13, 2024
Slightly smaller but ultimately similar
In any case, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is also said to have a 6.17-inch screen which Samsung will likely market as being 6.2 inches, as on the Samsung Galaxy S24. But – probably in part because of the reduced bezel size – the handset overall is said to be slightly smaller than the S24.
This leak points to dimensions of around 146.9 x 70.4 x 7.2mm, while the Samsung Galaxy S24 is 147 x 70.6 x 7.6mm.
So if this all proves accurate then the Samsung Galaxy S25 will probably look marginally different to the S24, but will be almost identical overall. That’s a bit disappointing, especially as, while many observers felt that Apple’s iPhone 16 announcement was underwhelming, the company at least added some new buttons to its phones. Still, maybe what’s on the inside of the Galaxy S25 will be more interesting.
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In a bid to meet the spiraling energy demands of advanced AI models, Oracle is set to build a data center powered by three small modular nu...
One of the world's largest software firms is building a data center with not one but three nuclear reactors — Oracle wants to build world's most powerful supercomputer ever, yes, even more powerful than Colossus
In a bid to meet the spiraling energy demands of advanced AI models, Oracle is set to build a data center powered by three small modular nuclear reactors.
Larry Ellison, Oracle's co-founder and chairman, revealed this ambitious plan during a recent earnings call transcribed by The Motley Fool.
The proposed nuclear-powered data center aims to produce over one gigawatt of energy, sufficient to meet the substantial processing needs of Oracle's upcoming projects, including efforts to create a supercomputer more powerful than xAI’s new supercluster, Colossus.
Building permits for three nuclear reactors
“Today, Oracle has 162 cloud data centers, live and under construction throughout the world. The largest of these data centers is 800 megawatts, and it will contain acres of Nvidia GPU clusters able to train the world's largest AI models," Ellison noted.
"That's what's required to stay competitive in the race to build one, just one, of the most powerful artificial neural networks in the world. Soon Oracle will begin construction of data centers that are more than a gigawatt. Building giant data centers with ultra-high bandwidth RDMA networks and huge 32,000-node Nvidia GPU clusters is something that Oracle has proven to be very good at. It's the reason we're doing so well in the AI training business,” said Ellison.
Ellison went on to explain the rising costs of AI development, saying, “This race goes on forever, to build a better and better neural network. And the cost of that training gets to be astronomical. When I talk about building gigawatt or multi-gigawatt data centers… the entry price for a real frontier model from someone who wants to compete in that area is around $100 billion. Let me repeat, around $100 billion.”
Ellison highlighted the complexity and scale of the projects Oracle has under development, saying, “We're in the middle of designing a data center that's north of a gigawatt. We found the location and the power source. We've looked at it, they've already got building permits for three nuclear reactors. These are the small modular nuclear reactors to power the data center. This is how crazy it's getting.” Oracle's chairman remained tight-lipped about the exact location and timeline for the project.
Small modular reactors (SMRs) have recently been gaining traction as a viable power source for large-scale data centers. Notebookcheck notes that currently, there are only a few operational SMRs around the world, notably in Japan, China, and Russia. NuScale Power, an Oregon-based company, secured certification for the first SMR in the US last year, and it's likely that Oracle will utilize this cutting-edge technology.
Microsoft is currently testing Xbox 360-style friend requests on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One.
Microsoft announced the news via its official Xbox X / Twitter account which stated it plans to reintroduce the older friend request system. Screenshots accompanying the post-show that there will be a menu within the 'People' tab that shows friend requests you've both sent and received. Players will also have the option to adjust friend requests via their privacy settings or turn the feature off entirely should they prefer.
We’re re-introducing friend requests! You will be able to send, accept, or delete friend requests, in addition to following or being followed by others. We are testing with Xbox Insiders now and look forward to sharing more later this year on a full rollout. pic.twitter.com/dQCNEtGBtkSeptember 11, 2024
The accompanying Xbox Wire post explains that this friend request system is currently being tested within the Xbox Insider program for Alpha Skip-Ahead users specifically, and Xbox expects to share more information on a full rollout of the feature sometime this year.
For those potentially worried about losing their friends lists when the update is made, Xbox reassures in a follow-up post that: "your existing mutual friends will update automatically with this change once we roll it out. You'll stay friends with people who had also added you as a friend previously and continue following anyone who hadn't."
Xbox confirms that the follower system will still remain in place and work as it always has. However, friend requests will act as a "two-way, invite-approved relationship," thus giving players a lot more control over their Xbox mutuals. I can imagine many disabling the follower features entirely in favor of a more tried-and-true friend request system.
Businesses are struggling with unpredictable cloud bills. Managing cloud computing expenses is a growing concern, especially with an increasing reliance on digital infrastructure.
According to Gartner, spending on public cloud services is expected to increase by 20% in 2024, and with most organizations spending more on cloud storage than they budget for, cloud costs could rapidly become an unmanageable expenditure for many.
So, how can organizations navigate these rising costs without compromising on the cloud services they need?
The hidden costs of the cloud are catching companies by surprise
The first step is identifying the hidden costs of the cloud and areas where overspending is occurring. Businesses have been ambushed by unexpected cloud costs with subscription models. This leads to inconsistent monthly costs. The advantages of the cloud, like scalable IT infrastructure, can be a double-edged sword when considering costs and waste. At the same time, many of the largest providers of cloud infrastructure applications and services are increasing storage and cloud hosting fees as inflation takes hold.
Also, with many businesses operating in a multi-cloud environment without a comprehensive tool to show costs from across the entire cloud platform, they can’t track resources such as a usage-level breakdown. It’s easy to over-provision resources in the cloud, leading to wasted spend. Costs often overrun, and without full visibility, companies fail to pinpoint the exact cause.
If businesses don’t have full visibility of their cloud usage, they’ll never know exactly where they are overspending or if they are paying for services they didn't know existed. It’s also much harder for organizations to experiment and innovate with the latest cloud technology if they don’t fully know what they are using in the first place.
Cloud cost management and cloud optimization can help to minimize expenses and maximize the value derived from cloud investments. It's crucial to identify a predictable cloud vendor who can help with optimizing workloads. Greater transparency across the cloud infrastructure is essential, as is investment into tools that can help provide much-needed visibility when monitoring costs and protecting the cloud.
Adopting a holistic approach to cloud management
In complex, hybrid cloud environments, businesses are often unsure where outsized cloud costs are coming from. They often find that they’re paying for outdated resources or unnecessary storage.
With a more holistic approach, businesses gain a greater understanding of their requirements and the associated costs. Not only does this eliminate waste, but it also helps organizations be more strategic about their requirements. But this approach is not solely concerned with cutting costs – it’s about aligning cloud expenses with an organization’s business objectives. The goal is to strike a balance between cost efficiency and maximizing the benefits of cloud technology for the overall business.
Tools of the trade
The need for scalable and budget-friendly cloud resources is unprecedented. However, businesses also need to invest in tools that help manage these resources and ensure the cloud is cost-efficient.
Understand your workloads, implement load balancing, and continuously review and adjust to reduce the cloud costs. Cloud spend tools that support cloud cost management across various cloud platforms give businesses a unified view of their spending and are the most beneficial to businesses.
Businesses should also look for tools that offer in-depth cost analysis and customizable reports to identify cost drivers, detect anomalies, and track spending trends over time. Reports in native tools, for instance, sometimes don’t track the resources level usage or user-level breakdown to identify who or what resource attributed to the cost overrun. Most public cloud platforms offer discounts if you pay in advance, but the cost overruns and limitations often neutralize the discounts you receive. Instead, to leverage cost saving opportunities, businesses should identify and invest in tools that can set budgets and cost forecasting capabilities, help anticipate future expenses and proactively plan.
How AI can help
A Wasabi report shows that 49% of CIOs expect AI and ML adoption to create challenges for the cloud due to AI and ML’s substantial use of data.
However, AI could also be a significant asset when considering cloud costs. There’s potential for the technology to bring greater financial governance to the cloud, namely through its ability to detect unexpected spikes or irregularities in cloud expenses by analyzing large amounts of data. AI could also play a crucial role in identifying cybersecurity threats and helping businesses keep up with the technology landscape.
Staying ahead of cloud costs
Access to scalable, budget friendly cloud resources is more important to businesses than ever before.
The rise of AI and ML has driven a new demand for cloud space, and research shows that IT leaders anticipate cloud costs will surpass budget allocations.
In this environment, adopting a holistic approach can help businesses keep an eye across the whole cloud landscape to quickly identify rising–and unnecessary–costs. Cloud spend tools, along with leveraging tech such as GenAI, will also play a significant role. Businesses can also foster a culture of cost awareness, which helps keep costs under control and ensures cloud investments deliver maximum value. Ultimately, cost management for cloud resources is an ongoing journey.
This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here:https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro
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The majority of organizations in the UK are not confident they would be able to withstand a cyberattack at all, new research has claimed. ...
Barely any businesses are really that confident about their security protection
The majority of organizations in the UK are not confident they would be able to withstand a cyberattack at all, new research has claimed.
A report from TeamViewer based on answers from 500 business leaders in Australia, Canada, Japan, Germany, the UK, and the US found one of the problems leading to a vulnerable outlook is poor connectivity.
In fact, global organizations with gaps in connectivity are more likely to be held back by differences between departments (30%) and the inability to show the ROI of tech connectivity (27%). Furthermore, those with excellent connectivity are most likely to be held back by worries of cybersecurity (24%). Also, just a quarter (25%) of businesses in the UK believe they are the leaders in their sector when it comes to cybersecurity performance.
In data we trust
Besides poor connectivity, businesses are also distrustful towards internal data, mostly due to “multiple versions of the truth within the company”, based on different data sets (37%), and conflicting data management practices (34%). Ultimately, in 31% of cases, there is simply too much unreliable hardware.
Organizations of different sizes have varying levels of trust, too, driven mostly by data literacy. Among smaller companies (those generating up to $50 million a year in revenue) data literacy is present at roughly 40% of the workforce. Among larger enterprises ($10 billion in annual revenue or more), data literacy sits at 21%.
While confidence in cybersecurity is low, the number of (successful) cyberattacks is growing every year. Currently, cybercrime is one of the biggest worries for many organizations, with global losses reaching $12.5 billion in 2023, according to the FBI, and Statista. The year before, losses were roughly $10 billion.
With the iPhone 16 series now here, the next major smartphone launch we’re expecting is that of the Samsung Galaxy S25 line, and while that probably won’t arrive until January, a new render has provided what is potentially our first close look at the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, specifically.
Android Headlines and leaker @OnLeaks have crafted renders of the supposed design of the upcoming flagship, and while this isn’t the first time we’ve seen unofficial Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra renders, it is the first time we’ve seen the phone from quite so many angles.
In any case, these new renders – one of which you can see below – show a phone that largely looks similar to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, but with more rounded corners.
(Image credit: Android Headlines / @OnLeaks)
These renders also show all four sides of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra as being flat, while the left and right edges of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra are slightly curved.
Note, however, that some details of these renders might be slightly wrong, as leaker @UniverseIce posted on X claiming that the texture on the camera housing might differ from this, as it’s apparently based on speculation, and that the bezels in these renders are too big. They also supplied an edited version of one of the renders to show the smaller bezels they’re expecting, which you can see below.
This is the Galaxy S25 Ultra in my eyes, the smallest symmetrical bezel in the history of smart phones. pic.twitter.com/Fhn3TuHlihSeptember 11, 2024
A smaller phone with a new camera
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in titanium grey(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
In any case, Android Headlines and @OnLeaks also supplied some specs to go with their renders, claiming that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will weigh just 219g, making it lighter than both the 232g Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the 227g iPhone 16 Pro Max.
It will also apparently have the same 6.8-inch screen size as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra but be a marginally smaller phone, at 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm rather than 162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm.
This latest leak also suggests that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, a 5,000mAh battery (just like last year), and a largely similar selection of cameras to before, including a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP 5x telephoto, and a 10MP 3x telephoto, along with a new 50MP ultra-wide.
Whether this will all prove accurate remains to be seen, but @OnLeaks does have a great track record for leaks, so these are among the more credible Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leaks we’ve heard so far.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has revealed plans to invest £8 billion into the construction, operation, and maintenance of data centres across the UK over the next five years.
The project is expected to contribute £14 billion to UK GDP before 2028, and support more than 14,000 jobs within the data centre supply chain, including construction, engineering, and telecoms.
AWS has spent £3 billion in development in the UK since 2020 to meet the growing demand from customers. This has supported an average of 6,000 full time jobs at local business level. The total impact of cloud computing services in the UK accounted for over £42 billion in 2023 - over 1.6% of GDP.
Digital economy
Surveys suggest that cloud computing services have saved small businesses money and allowed them to compete with larger companies by giving them access to the same technologies.
Tanuja Randery, Vice President and Managing Director, Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) at AWS, said: “The next few years could be among the most pivotal for the UK’s digital and economic future, as organisations of all sizes across the country increasingly embrace technologies like cloud computing and AI to help them accelerate innovation, increase productivity, and compete on the global stage.“
The cloud infrastructure market is dominated by three major firms; AWS, Microsoft, and Google. In 2023, an investigation into the supply of public cloud infrastructure services in the UK indicated that AWS may have engaged in anti-competitive behaviours which could have disadvantaged UK customers and businesses.
It’s not clear how this new investment will affect the UK market - but the final decision is expected in April 2025.
Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 16 series, one thing we heard rumored was that all four models would have 8GB of RAM, and – while Apple never reveals RAM amounts in its phones – it seems that claim was probably right.
MacRumors – with assistance from @iSWUpdates – claims to have found mention of 8GB of RAM for all four models in the latest version of Xcode 16 (an Apple tool for developers).
That would be a 2GB boost for the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus, but it would mean that the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max have the same amount of RAM as their predecessors.
An issue for AI
The iPhone 16 Pro Max(Image credit: Apple)
That latter point is slightly disappointing, especially since Apple Intelligence is likely to need quite a lot of RAM – especially for the stuff that’s handled on device. For comparison, the Google Pixel 9 line comes with between 12GB and 16GB of RAM to help handle all of the many AI features on those phones.
Of course, we still can’t quite take this leak as a confirmation that every iPhone 16 model has 8GB of RAM. We’ll have to wait for teardowns for that, but we’d say it’s very likely accurate.
For one thing, Xcode files have accurately revealed RAM amounts in previous iPhone models, and for another, it makes sense that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus at least would have 8GB, since the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus don’t support Apple Intelligence, and that’s likely at least in part because they only have 6GB of RAM.
That again though shows how important plenty of RAM probably is for Apple’s AI, so it will be interesting to see whether the Pro models feel less than Pro when carrying out AI tasks.
With the announcement of a PS5 Pro being on most folks' bingo cards for this year, it seemed likely that we were going to get official confirmation sooner rather than later. Especially with the rumor mill hitting a fever pitch.
And with Sony just yesterday announcing a PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation to be aired today (September 10) at 8am PDT / 11am EDT / 4pm BST, it seemed like we were finally going to be able to put the rumors to bed. But then again, there's always room for it to be something else, right?
Well, no, actually. As spotted by Wario64 on X / Twitter, it looks like today's technical presentation will indeed focus on the PS5 Pro. A screenshot of an unlisted video displays the title 'PS5 Pro' with the technical presentation's teaser as the video itself. You can still check the link out, but the video has since been renamed to 'PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation - September 10' as was likely intended in the first place.
an unlisted YouTube video confirms it's PS5 Pro (duh) https://t.co/TkuEPocXcW https://t.co/aCh54rS5xP pic.twitter.com/E8R50AZf1NSeptember 9, 2024
It's not the first sign of the PS5 Pro trying to breach containment before its official reveal. The mid-gen refresh was seemingly accidentally revealed (or potentially even deliberately teased) in the promotional material for PlayStation's 30th anniversary celebrations. Looking at the image here, you can spot what appears to be a new-look PS5 wedged between the PlayStation logo and the '3'.
Still, while revealing the PS5 Pro announcement before the technical presentation was undoubtedly a flub, Sony might welcome the distraction considering it quietly bumped up the price of its DualSense Wireless Controller by $5 / £5 over at PlayStation Direct and other retailers.
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