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We were first introduced to the Rabbit R1 in January 2024, at CES 2024 , but what exactly is it? The charming sidekick (designed by Teenag...

We were first introduced to the Rabbit R1 in January 2024, at CES 2024, but what exactly is it? The charming sidekick (designed by Teenage Engineering) is promising to take pocket gadgets to the next level – offering something like a smartphone, but with an intuitive, unified, AI-driven interface that means you (theoretically, at least) need to interact with individual apps and websites.

If you're curious about the Rabbit R1 and the ways in which it might change the course of personal computing – or at least show us how next-gen smartphone voice assistants might work – we've gathered together everything you need to know about it here. From what it costs and how it works, to the AI engine driving the R1 experience, all the details of this potentially revolutionary device are here.

The first batches of the Rabbit R1 are due to start shipping to users later in 2024, although it seems availability is going to be rather limited to begin with – so you might have to wait a while to get your very own Rabbit R1.

Rabbit R1: one-minute overview

Rabbit r1 device

The r1 (Image credit: Rabbit)

The Rabbit R1 is a lot like a phone in terms of its looks, and in some of its features: it has a camera and a SIM card slot, and it supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. What's different, and what makes the Rabbit R1 special, is the interface: instead of a grid of apps, you get an AI assistant that talks to your favorite apps and does everything for you.

For example, you could get the R1 to research a holiday destination and book flights to it, or queue up a playlist of your favorite music, or book you a cab. In theory, you can do anything you can already do on your phone, just by asking. That said, there remain a lot of questions over exactly how it works and protects your privacy in the way it describes.

We've seen next-gen personal assistants depicted in movies like Her, and the R1 is trying to make that a reality – leveraging the latest AI capabilities to replace the traditional smartphone interface with something a lot more intuitive and slick.

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Another way to think about the Rabbit R1 is as an evolution of the Amazon Echo, Google Nest, and Apple HomePod smart speakers. The voice-controlled digital assistants on these devices can do some rudimentary tasks – like check the weather or play music – but the R1 wants to go way beyond what they're capable of.

Rabbit says the R1 is "the future of human-machine interfaces", and you can check out its pitch for the device in its very Apple-flavored CES 2024 keynote below.

Rabbit r1: release date and price

The first batch of 10,000 units of the Rabbit R1 were made available to preorder at the same time as the device was announced at CES, on January 9, 2024. Those units quickly sold out, as did a second batch of 10,000 units made available shortly after.

Rabbit says that the people who got their preorders in should start having their devices shipped to them in March and April 2024. At the time of writing, there's no indication yet when another batch of units will be made available to preorder, or when we might see the r1 go on sale more widely.

What we do know is that the price of the Rabbit R1 starts at $199, which works out at around £155 / AU$300. To begin with, the Rabbit R1 is available to order in the US, Canada, the UK, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, South Korea, and Japan, from the Rabbit website.

What's more, unlike rival AI devices such as the Humane AI Pin, there's no ongoing subscription fee that you have to pay out.

Rabbit r1: hardware

Rabbit r1 device

The r1 comes in a distinctive color (Image credit: Rabbit)

The Rabbit r1 is square, and bright orange, and comes with a 2.88-inch color touchscreen on the front. It's quite a compact device, almost small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, and it weighs in at 115 grams (about 4 oz). There's only one design, for now – you can't pick this up in multiple colors.

We know there's a far-field mic embedded in the R1, as well as built-in speakers. There's an integrated 360-degree camera here too, which is apparently called the Rabbit Eye. You can interact with elements by touching the screen, and there's an analog scroll wheel at the side of the device as well, if you need it.

Rabbit r1 device

The r1 camera (Image credit: Rabbit)

On the right of the Rabbit R1 is a push-to-talk button, which you make use of whenever you want to talk to the AI assistant on the device. There's no need for any "hey Google" or "hey Siri" wake command, and it also means the assistant doesn't have to be constantly listening out for your voice. Double-tapping the button activates the on-board camera.

Under the hood we've got a 2.3GHz MediaTek Helio processor, and Rabbit says the device offers "all day" battery life. That battery can be charged with a USB-C charge cable and power adapter, but it's worth bearing in mind that these aren't included in the box, so you'll have to use ones you've already got.

Rabbit R1: software

With its bright orange casing, the Rabbit r1 looks kind of cute, but it's the software that really makes it stand out. If you've used something like ChatGPT or Google Bard already, then this is something similar: Rabbit OS is fronted by an AI chatbot, capable of both answering questions and performing tasks.

In the CES keynote demo, Rabbit founder and CEO Jesse Lyu showed the R1 answering philosophical questions, checking stock prices, looking up information about movies, playing music on Spotify, booking an Uber, ordering a pizza, and planning a vacation (complete with flights and hotel reservations).

Rabbit r1 software

The r1 runs Rabbit OS (Image credit: Rabbit)

To get some of this working, you need to connect the Rabbit OS with your various apps and services, which can be done through a web portal. From the demo we've seen, it looks as though Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Expedia, Uber, eBay, and Amazon will be some of the services you can connect to.

Rabbit is keen to emphasize that it doesn't store any of your login details or track you in any way – it simply connects you to the apps you need – though the specifics of how it does this via the cloud are still unclear. 

Rabbit's privacy page gives us a few more details, stating that "when you interact with rabbit OS, you will be assigned a dedicated and isolated environment on our cloud for your own LAM [large action model]. When our rabbits perform tasks for you, they will use your own accounts that you have securely granted us control over through our rabbit hole web portal".

It also adds that "we do not store your passwords for these services. Rabbits will ask for permission and clarification during the execution of any tasks, especially those involving sensitive actions such as payments." Exactly how Rabbit provides each user with a "dedicated and isolated environment" in its cloud isn't yet clear, but we should find out more once it lands with its first early adopters.

We've also been told the R1 can handle communication, real-time translation, and analyze images taken with the camera – show the R1 what's in your fridge, for example, and it could up with a dish you can cook.

The Rabbit R1 promises speedy responses too, quicker than you'd get with other generative AI bots. You can converse with the R1 as you would with Siri or Google Assistant, or you can bring up an on-screen keyboard by shaking the device. It calls its on-board AI a Large Action Model or LAM, similar to a Large Language Model or LLM (familiar from bots like ChatGPT), but with a lot more agency.

Rabbit r1 keynote

The r1 wants to take over multiple phone tasks (Image credit: Rabbit)

On top of all this, Rabbit says you can teach the R1 new skills. So, if you showed it how to go online and order your groceries for you, the next time it would be able to do that all by itself. In the CES demo, we saw the Rabbit R1 learning how to create AI images through Midjourney, and then replicating the process on its own.

Interestingly, Rabbit says it doesn't want the R1 to replace your phone – it wants to work alongside it. The R1 can't, for example, browse YouTube, check social media or let you organize your email (at least not yet), so it would seem that the humble smartphone will be sticking around for a while yet.

While some of the specifics about how the Rabbit R1 works and interacts with your favorite apps and services remain unclear, it's undoubtedly one of the most exciting pieces of AI hardware so far – as shown by the rapid sell-out of its early stock. We'll bring you more first impressions as soon as we've got our hands on one of 2024's early tech stars. 

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Remember when Microsoft said Windows 10 wouldn’t get any more features , and was effectively on ice, with the exception of minor tweaks? We...

Remember when Microsoft said Windows 10 wouldn’t get any more features, and was effectively on ice, with the exception of minor tweaks? Well, the reversal of that policy is clear enough now, as another inbound feature for Windows 11 is also coming to its predecessor OS.

Namely a ‘richer weather experience’ – including dynamic, interactive weather updates – on the lock screen.

This is something that’s already been spotted in testing for Windows 11, and is now in the latest preview build for Windows 10 (version 19045.3992).

It means that when you hover over the weather on the lock screen, further info is revealed. On top of that, if you click the weather card, you get the MSN website weather forecast popping up (in Microsoft’s Edge browser, as you might guess).

This will be the default setup for the lock screen if its status is set to ‘none’ Microsoft explains, but you will be able to turn it off if you wish.


Analysis: Thawing the feature freeze

Okay, so this is no big deal as a feature, but nonetheless it is a new piece of functionality, and not a minor tweak. Of course, the other addition since Microsoft announced that feature freeze for Windows 10 was the introduction of Copilot – and you couldn’t get a more major move than that.

As Windows Central (Zac Bowden), which spotted this latest development, points out, late last year, when Copilot was announced for Windows 10, Microsoft did say it was revisiting its decision to halt features for the older OS, and planned to make ‘additional investments’ in the operating system. It appears that this is happening, then, and we can likely expect further features to be bolted on to Windows 10 as 2024 rolls onwards.

Furthermore, Bowden has heard on the grapevine that Microsoft will be reopening the Windows 10 Beta channel for testers, which is a clear suggestion that more features will be on the way for the operating system – as they’ll need to go through a full testing process.

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To say that CES 2024 has delighted and surprised us is an understatement, with audio innovations, wireless wizardry and great-sounding gad...

To say that CES 2024 has delighted and surprised us is an understatement, with audio innovations, wireless wizardry and great-sounding gadgets taking their place upfront and center stage (and rightly so). 

CES 2024 proper kicked off on Tuesday, January 9 and ran until Friday, January 12, 2024 (oh, we didn't want it to end!), and over the course of the event, manufacturers from BREGGZ to Bose, EarFun to FiiO, Hidizs to Kanto, Naqi to Sonos, Sony to Victrola and myriad more showed off their latest audio tech, concept ideas, prototypes and ready-for-market products. 

The sonic treats unveiled will soon be vying for a spot on our best headphones, best turntables, and best wireless earbuds lists, once we can get our hands on them and put them through our fully star-rated review process. That said, we've had people on the ground in Las Vegas throughout the event, so our ears-on coverage might be all that's needed for you to decide whether a product is worth snapping up now – or as soon as its hits the shelves. 

We've rounded up the 23 most exciting audio tech announcements revealed at CES 2024 – so strap in and get comfortable, there's plenty here to enjoy. 

Speakers, turntables, streamers and, er… cassette players

Want to improve your home theater surround-sound system or upgrade your speakers? CES 2024 is the place to find out what's hot right now; we've been treated to a veritable smorgasbord of home audio solutions. 

LG DukeBox with a man, sitting in an armchair, enjoying the music, in sepia

It's not Sean Bean, but if you squint it could be him…  (Image credit: LG)

First up is the unique LG Labs DukeBox (above), a concept translucent OLED screen-toting valve amp jukebox with fireside visuals – yes, that's really as good a summary as we can muster. Billed as "an innovative audio product that seamlessly combines the charm of vacuum tube audio with cutting-edge transparent OLED panel technology", we have to admire the idea: classic sensibilities mixed with state-of-the-art technology. 

Sonos Faber Suprema

Formidable, but beautiful under a full moon…  (Image credit: Sonos Faber)

Elsewhere, Sonus Faber unveiled arguably the most high-ticket item at CES, the Sonus Faber Suprema speaker system, yours for a cool $750,000 (and who's to say it isn't worth every last cent?). At the other end of the food chain, JBL brought special sonic Auracast powers to its most lovable and affordable next-gen JBL Clip 5 speaker. 

On that note, our very own Matt Bolton attended a very special Auracast demo at CES involving faux airport lounges and the like, and he truly believes the audio broadcasting tech will change our relationship with our headphones – and with each other. 

Focal Aria Evo X range on a patio

We should all be going green (Image credit: Focal )

The Focal Aria Evo X is a five-strong lineup of Focal speakers unveiled at CES – and, frankly, we think the availability of a moss green finish option alone makes it the floorstander to beat at CES

Audio Pro C20 next to a turntable in a lounge room

Audio Pro's C20 is a demure but exciting new multi-room audio speaker  (Image credit: Audio Pro)

If you want a speaker around which to build a multi-room wireless audio system or one to connect to a turntable, the new Audio Pro C20 could be it. I've written love letters to this firm's stunning speaker output, and with the slightly bigger C20, the company has broadened its already extensive connectivity options. 

By adding a phono stage, Audio Pro's new speaker can be plugged straight into your turntable, allowing you to simply power it on, lower that needle and get into the groove! Of course, this is Audio Pro (maker of some of the best wireless speakers on the planet), so the new C20 also features AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth, ARC and multi-room capability, too.

Don't have a turntable yet? Don't you worry, we've just the thing… 

Victrola Stream Sapphire on a table, with a KEF wireless speaker beside it

Victrola Stream Sapphire – a wealth of connectivity  (Image credit: Victrola)

If it's a new plate-spinner you're after, Victrola's extensive CES rollout included a slew of hot decks. Our favorite? We've narrowed it down to either the Victrola Automatic, a fully automatic turntable with a first-of-its-kind "Repeat" feature to continuously repeat the side of a vinyl record, or the Victrola Stream Sapphire (pictured above), the company's new best-in-class flagship wireless turntable, which now works with multiple streaming ecosystems. What makes it so good? The Victrola Stream Sapphire builds on the DNA of Victrola’s inaugural October 2022 Stream deck – which you can learn about in our dedicated Victrola Stream Carbon review – by expanding on its connectivity solutions, to stream vinyl in "stunning clarity" to UPnP and Roon-integrated systems as well as Sonos, plus support for up to 24-bit/48kHz lossless FLAC audio. 

FiiO CP13 cassette player

The portable cassette player is back again (Image credit: Future)

If that’s not old-school enough, feast your eyes on this ode to the original 1979 Sony Walkman, the FiiO C13. That's right, we came to CES 2024 and saw a portable cassette player. There's no Bluetooth, so forget wireless listening (this is real retro; you've got to live it), plus the only new-fangled feature is the USB-C charging port, so you won't need to keep buying batteries. It does have a rewind button, though, so there will be no flipping the tape over and fast-forwarding to go back to the start of your jam, right before the beat drops. 

FiiO R9 showing the back of the unit and front, on white background

(Image credit: Fiio )

Back to the future (see what we did there) of audio and FiiO's been busy here, too –check out the little bijou music maestro above, the FiiO R9. In a nutshell, it's the compact music system with smartphone-esque screen I need in my life, because it's so multi-faceted it's hard to know what to call it. DAC/amp streamer? Music hub? Entire just-add-speakers music streaming system? It's all of these things – and, refreshingly, it takes up about the same room in you home as a houseplant. 

FiiO calls it a "flagship desktop audio player/streamer & balanced DAC/amplifier". We call it a fantastically featured and great-looking little proposition. 

Soundbars

Adding a soundbar (or upgrading the one you have) can add oodles of separation, immersion and bass clout to your home entertainment setup, and CES 2024 has delivered standard "bar-and-sub" propositions and quirky space-saving options in equal measure.

The Samsung HW-Q990C

The Samsung HW-Q990D in the home we'd all like to own (Image credit: Samsung )

Take Samsung, which revealed its 2024 soundbar lineup at CES, headlined by the Samsung HW-Q990D (above), which is the successor to the fantastic Samsung HW-Q990C – one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars available. It has 11.1.4 channels (the same as the Q990C), supports wireless Dolby Atmos, and now comes with 4K 120Hz passthrough for games consoles, something the Q990C lacked. There’s also Party Play mode, which tunes the HW-Q990D to play a balanced sound across the whole system when listening to music, so everyone has the same experience. 

Samsung Music Frame speaker with a saxophone player image, on dark wooden wall

Samsung's Music Frame – art that really speaks to us (Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung had an ace up its sleeve, though – the Music Frame. It's essentially a picture frame that's also a wireless speaker and/or subwoofer, and I think that is both a great idea and a very bad one, in equal measure.

Look, we adore Samsung's The Frame TV, which happily becomes an electronic art gallery when you're not bingeing the entire series of Beef on Netflix – and as our IKEA-meets-Sonos Symfonisk Picture Frame with Wi-Fi Speaker review proves, we love an audio solution boasting space-saving style and substance. Samsung tells us the Samsung HW-LS60D (aka the technical name for the Music Frame) is the world’s first customizable and personalized wireless speaker with built-in IoT hub, and it's meant to "be used as a TV speaker, rear speaker, or a subwoofer – and even pair two for more surround sound options". 

Music Frame also boasts Dolby Atmos support and hides two woofers, two tweeters, and two mid-drivers behind your chosen photo (you can digitally print your favorite memories onto the accompanying "Art Panel"; a Diasec matte acrylic plate). 

From an audio perspective, we must remain cautious: the Music Frame is literally meant to hang on a wall, which should mean vibrations, articles, echo – all of the audio nasties. Then again, we love the space-saving, art-loving concept and this is Samsung, after all, so we'll reserve judgement until we've heard it properly. 

Headphones and earbuds

CES 2024 has seen a swathe of fantastic wireless earbuds, so it might seem odd to be kicking off with a relatively humble-looking pair (by today's standards) from EarFun. But the EarFun Wave Pro aren't just the company's first ever stab at over-ear headphones; they're also LDAC and hi-res certified, offer noise cancellation and a whopping 80-hour battery life, all for $79.99. Suffice to say, we can't wait to hear them. 

EarFun Wave Pro on red/black two-tone background

80 hours is an awful lot of stamina for $80, no?  (Image credit: Earfun)

Screens on earbuds' cases are definitely a thing at CES 2024 – Samsung unveiled a Galaxy Buds case with an OLED screen, but said it had no plans to actually release it, while JBL is sticking to its screen-enhanced earbuds lineup with the new JBL Live 3. They come in three different designs, but they all have one feature in common: JBL's touchscreen Smart Charging Case, which is designed to make it much easier and quicker to access your audio playback and your earbuds' various features – it's like having a smartwatch screen right on the case.

Three images showing the OLED screen of the Samsung Galaxy Buds concept

Unveiled at CES: an OLED screen on a Samsung Galaxy Buds case (Image credit: CNET)

We first saw JBL's screen-enhanced case in the JBL Tour Pro 2, and were fans initially: in our JBL Tour Pro 2 review we said that the case was "a thing of beauty". However, the novelty kind of wore off, over time, in favor of our trusty phone and JBL's excellent companion app. 

There are three options in the JBL Live 3 range: Buds, Beam and Flex. As with their current incarnations, the Buds 3 look most like standard earbuds; the Beam 3 are like Apple's AirPods Pro, sporting a stick design and an in-ear fit; the Flex 3 are like regular AirPods, with a stick design but no silicone tip that sits right in the ear canal. All three have JBL's True Adaptive Noise Cancelling and Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio

JBL Live 3 range, showing the three different fit types

The JBL Tune Flex earbuds (Image credit: JBL)

The next big thing in portable listening gear at CES 2024? Neural headphones. If the idea of your headphones being able to read your mind doesn't sit easy with you, calm yourself with the thought that products such as the CES Innovation Award honoree Naqi Neural Earbuds and NeurGear ZenBud are designed not to neurohack your noggin and control your actions, but to help you out – either by giving you full, hands-free control over your Windows or Mac computer, including typing, browsing, online shopping and gaming (Naqi); or by stimulating your Vagus nerve using ultrasonic sound waves to relax you (NeurGear).

We've been covering similar tech since June of last year, with the Neurable headphones. It seems the idea really is here to stay, and if it could potentially act as a safe and non-invasive alternative to brain implants, we're all for it. 

The Naqi Neural Earbuds held in a hand at CES 2024

Naqi's Neural Earbuds are billed as a safe, non-invasive alternative to brain implants (Image credit: Future)

Elsewhere, BREGGZ has unveiled a new "hearable": made-to-measure earbuds that both promise a custom fit better than even hand-made molds. They're are also being touted as "the world’s first truly wireless, custom-made in-ear computer". 

In a resoundingly positive nod to sustainability, BREGGZ's IEMs also utilize a unique, patented "one-box" technology, where all of the hardware and firmware is processed in a mini cartridge, which can be easily replaced if (or when) the user wants to upgrade to a newer version, or following a battery charge decrease over time. 

A BREGGZ earbud in a metal cage, suspended, on dark background

A thing of beauty and a nod to sustainability (Image credit: BREGGZ)

But what of the heavy-hitters? Sennheiser has unveiled the new Momentum True Wireless 4 along with the Accentum Plus, and Momentum Sport for every kind of listener – but the headline grabber is the Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds, billed as "Sennheiser's most capable earbud yet". They're built around the Qualcomm S5 Sound Gen 2 platform – which is also going to be a really big deal in 2024 – and Snapdragon Sound, which means aptX lossless sound quality, as well as exceptionally low latency. The Bluetooth version is 5.4 with confirmed support for Auracast, improved ANC, something Sennheiser calls "evolved tuning", and upgraded batteries to boot. 

Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4

Lovely looking little Sennheiser earbuds  (Image credit: Sennheiser)

Also landing were the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 wireless earbuds – chic, hi-res Audio-Technica earbuds with LDAC streaming for less – and, in the wired realm, the Hidizs ST2 Pro Digital IEMs, which not only boast hi-res audio support but also a DAC built into the USB-C connector. 

It's a simple audiophile-friendly solution that means levelling up your wired audio with a separate DAC dongle to get the goods will no longer be necessary – making the ST2 Pro almost certainly a serious audio upgrade for your iPhone 15, Android phone, Mac or PC. 

Hidizs ST2 Pro digital IEMs

Can you see where the DAC is?  (Image credit: Hidizs)

Hi-Fi acessories

TechRadar's Josephine Watson (Managing Editor, Lifestyle) tried Nanoleaf's new music-syncing software at CES, and discovered that house parties will never be the same. Nanoleaf announced a spring 2024 release along with news of its new outdoor lights (which she also saw at CES, and they're gorgeous), describing the software as  a “real-time audio-visual experience”. 

Nanoleaf Orchestrator is a new desktop-based music interpretation engine that actually analyzes your music itself, to create a comprehensive light show with your devices. Not only can Orchestrator create a palette of colors based on your chosen song's vibe or mood, it also lets you customize which lights respond to which musical passages or frequencies of a song. Want your bulbs to pulse along with the bassline while your smart light panels react to the mids or highs? Done. 

Mercedes-Benz S 580 with Dolby logo

Great-looking Merc; great-sounding Burmester system (Image credit: Dolby)

Want to take your music out of your home and on the road? TechRadar's Senior Editor of Home Entertainment, Al Griffin, has you covered. He got to experience a Mercedes-Benz S 580 tricked out with a 4D sound system furnished by German manufacturer Burmester at CES. The 31-speaker Burmester 4D configuration is an option for the latest MBUX-generation infotainment system in Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and it allows for Atmos-compatible tracks to be streamed in an immersive format from Apple Music and Amazon Music. How was it? Music on the road never sounded so good. 

Need more newness? The why not check out our roundup of the 20 best gadgets at CES 2024, or comb through our pick of the best smart home tech at CES 2024? Happy (virtual) shopping. 

We’re covering all of the latest CES news from the show as it happens. Stick with us for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor!



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Try as it might, Samsung just can’t stop the tidal wave of Samsung Galaxy S24 leaks, the latest of which is a series of marketing slides, ...

Try as it might, Samsung just can’t stop the tidal wave of Samsung Galaxy S24 leaks, the latest of which is a series of marketing slides, highlighting some key features of the Galaxy S24, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

These were shared on X by @Harshit66250605 (via NotebookCheck), who isn’t an established leaker, so we’d take these images with a pinch of salt. But they look convincing, and they line up with things we’ve heard previously.

The first slide highlights the design and colors of the phones, showing them off from the back in four different shades, specifically yellow, black, gray, and violet. We’ve seen and read about these Samsung Galaxy S24 colors before, and you can see that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s version of these shades is slightly different to the version used for the other two models.

The next slide highlights gaming performance, with stats like a 12% faster touch response than on the Samsung Galaxy S23 line, and a vapor chamber that’s up to 1.9 times larger, for improved cooling.

See more

It also mentions ray tracing support, and that some Galaxy S24 models will use an Exynos 2400 chipset while others will use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It doesn’t specify which models will get which chipset, but previous leaks suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will get the Snapdragon, and for the other models it might depend on where you are in the world.

Next up, there’s a slide detailing the screens on these phones, with mention that – as previously leaked – they have a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. That’s up from 1,750 nits on the Samsung Galaxy S23 line.

As a result, these screens are apparently up to 48% brighter in the sun, and the slide also mentions that they have slimmer bezels, and that the Galaxy S24 has a 6.2-inch display, the Galaxy S24 Plus has a 6.7-inch one, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 6.8-inch one.

Finally, there’s a slide focused on the 50MP 5x telephoto camera that we’ve long heard is planned for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The phone is apparently capable of ‘optical quality’ zoom at 2x, 3x, 5x, and 10x – though the 2x and 10x zoom are likely to be crops of 1x and 5x zoom shots respectively.

The slide also mentions that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will use AI to improve digital zoom quality when zooming beyond 10x.

This isn't the only new Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra leak either, as a brief hands-on video has also emerged, showing a distinctly flat screen. The previous model was curved, and while we'd heard this one might be flat, this video pretty much confirms it.

The clip was originally shared by leaker @UniverseIce, who has since deleted it, but it can still be found on Android Authority's site.

You can try Galaxy AI before you buy

Samsung itself hasn’t said much about the Galaxy S24 line yet, but it has teased that these phones will extensively feature ‘Galaxy AI’, and now the company has announced that you’ll be able to try out these as yet unannounced AI features in select cities.

This includes New York, where you can give them a try between January 17 and February 16 in the Galaxy Experience Space at 50 W. 34 St., NY 1000, and London, where Galaxy AI will be available to try between January 17 and February 14 at Westfield White City. You can find the full list of other cities on Samsung’s site.

That January 17 date is the same day as the Samsung Galaxy S24 line is set to be unveiled, so even if you can’t make it to one of those cities, you’ll at least know all the details about these phones soon.

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Sand Land , the upcoming action role-playing game based on the manga series by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, is officially set to re...

Sand Land, the upcoming action role-playing game based on the manga series by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, is officially set to release this April. 

Specifically, Sand Land is set to hit PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Xbox Series X|S on April 26, so there’s not too long to wait. The main story will see fan-favorite characters from the manga series, Beelzebub (the son of the king of demons, Lucifer), Thief (Beelzebub’s demon chaperone), and Rao (an elderly human sheriff), set out on a quest to locate the Legendary Spring to end a drought plaguing the world.

Even if you’re not familiar with the plot of the manga series, the signature art style shines through in video-game form fantastically. The game is being developed by ILCA (which also made 2023’s One Piece Odyssey) and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. You can take a look at the latest trailer below.

Furthermore, in a PlayStation blog post published yesterday (January 11), more details were revealed about the vehicles shown off in the trailer - the Hovercar and Hovertank. While the Hovercar is said to be perfect for traversal over rough terrain and treacherous areas like quicksand, the Hovertank is more combat-focused, with powerful long-range weaponry ready to deploy.

In addition, players will be able to customize their vehicles with different engines, suspensions, and secondary weapons, as well as skins and decals to change their look. Those who pre-order the game will receive three camouflage vehicle skins.

Speaking of pre-orders, those are open right now, and beyond the base game, prospective players have the choice of the pricier Deluxe and Collector’s editions. The Deluxe edition (which is $69.99/£69.99) includes extra downloadable content, such as two-room furniture sets, a decal set, and the ‘Speed Demon Pack’ (which contains some consumables and tank weapons). 

Meanwhile, the Collector’s edition includes all those same bonuses, as well as a 20cm Figuarts figure of Beelzebub, a steelbook, and postcard set, packed in an “exclusive box.” It costs $129.99 / €139.99 from the Bandai Namco Store. 

Looking for more fantastic games to play? Be sure to check out our lists of the best RPGs, as well as the best story games, for some suggestions.



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While CES 2024 is pretty heavy on exciting new hardware, we've been blessed this year with some excellent new software, too - and none...

While CES 2024 is pretty heavy on exciting new hardware, we've been blessed this year with some excellent new software, too - and none more exciting for me personally than Nanoleaf's new Orchestrator software.

Nanoleaf announced the Spring 2024 release along with news of its new outdoor lights (which I also saw at CES, and they are gorgeous), describing the software as offering a “real-time audio-visual experience”.

I'll admit, I was skeptical at first; it's not the easiest software to do well, and it's very ambitious, but having had some hands-on time with the software at CES, I can safely say it's one of the most exciting smart light developments this year.

Bring the beat in

In fairness, there are a few smart light manufacturers offering software that intelligently interprets music, but many of these simply create motions or pulsations to your selected light profile or maybe create a fairly latent color-reactive scene; but it's very rare they'll offer both. 

Plus, with the exception of Philips Hue's Spotify integration, most music interpretation on smart lights leverages small on-device microphones that are easily confused by ambient sound. 

That's all set to change with the introduction of Orchestrator, Nanoleaf's new desktop-based music interpretation engine, which actually analyzes the music itself to create a comprehensive light show with your devices. Not only can Orchestrator create a palette of colors based on the mood of the song, but it also allows you to customize which lights respond to which parts of a song. 

So, for example, you could set up your bulbs to react to the bassline while your smart light panels respond to the mids or highs of a track. You can also select your own preferred palette, too.

Nanoleaf orchestra

(Image credit: Future)

Dance! Boogie wonderlaaaand...

My partner is a music producer, so when I visited Nanoleaf's demonstration suite, I quickly booted up one of his chillscape techno tracks on Spotify to test. Through Orchestrator, the lights translated its mood into a light blue and white, rapidly pulsating light show that was truly breathtaking; and not just because I'm my partner's number one fangirl. 

To see just how much variety the software offered, we also played a relaxing ambient track, which Orchestrator translated into warm yellow lighting with a soft, relaxing flickering motion. 

As of writing, Orchestrator is a desktop-exclusive experience compatible with the Nanoleaf Desktop App, tapping into the audio spectrum of your device's output to auto-generate gorgeous light shows.

It marks a major upgrade to Nanoleaf's existing Rhythm software, and hands-down it's the best audio-interpreting software I've ever seen that's available to consumers. 

We’re covering all of the latest CES news from the show as it happens. Stick with us for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor!

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Dropshare has confirmed that it will be retiring its own cloud storage after around eight years of service, citing a drop in demand and st...

Dropshare has confirmed that it will be retiring its own cloud storage after around eight years of service, citing a drop in demand and stiff competition as its key reasons.

Dropshare Cloud was initially brought to market in 2016 and forms part of an in-house offering to complement the company’s macOS and iOS apps for cloud file management.

By now, Dropshare’s Apple-focused apps support “over 27” different cloud services, so there’s little need for it to offer its own, helping the company to focus on building its customer experience.

Dropshare pulls the plug from its own cloud

According to 9To5Mac, Dropshare Cloud started at €2 per month for 10GB. Users paid €7.50 per month for 100GB of storage. Google Drive’s 100GB is substantially cheaper, at €1.99 per month.

Founders Tim and Timo shared a public memo online to discuss the company’s decision:

“We decided to sunset the Dropshare Cloud storage service in favor of focussing to support all major cloud storage providers in the apps, those that you already might use and trust.”

Dropshare’s macOS and iOS apps support popular cloud storage drives like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box, as well as business-oriented options like Amazon S3 and Backblaze B2.

Existing subscribers have been given until January 31 to upload and download any files before the service switches off. New subscriptions have already been stopped.

9To5Mac also shared that files will be deleted from February and that subscribers will receive a part refund for any remaining period as well as a 50% discount on licenses to use the apps.

One license, which can be used on up to three Macs, costs $39 and covers versions 5.x. Each major release commands a new payment, but users upgrading from version 4.x are eligible for a $14 discount.

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At CES 2024 , Acer has announced an expansion of its graphics card portfolio, introducing new models including the Predator BiFrost AMD Rad...

At CES 2024, Acer has announced an expansion of its graphics card portfolio, introducing new models including the Predator BiFrost AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT OC and a selection of Nitro graphics cards powered by the latest AMD Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs, including AMD's newest card, the Radeon RX 7600 XT. 

Announced at the beginning of the CES this year, the Radeon RX 7600 XT, as well as the other three graphics cards expands Acer's graphics card partnership with AMD after a successful partnering with Intel last year. These new products are designed to provide users with enhanced gaming experiences, featuring up to 16GB memory and incorporating next-generation technologies like ray tracing and AI accelerator chips for AI workloads like Stable Diffusion.

The Predator BiFrost AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT OC is set to launch in North America starting in February, with a starting price of $549.99, with the UK and Australia getting the card within Q1. The Nitro series, including the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT OC, RX 7700 XT OC, and RX 7600 XT OC, will also be available in these regions around the same time, with prices starting from $509.99 in the US.

The Predator BiFrost model features 60 unified AMD RDNA 3 compute units, paired with Predator FrostBlade 3.0 fans, promising high performance in 1440p and 4K gameplay. The Nitro series, on the other hand, offers options ranging from 12 GB to 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, along with various bandwidth capabilities to cater to different gaming needs. All models emphasize advanced cooling systems, incorporating features like Nitro FrostBlade ringed fans and reinforced copper bases for efficient heat absorption.

The release of these graphics cards marks Acer's commitment to catering to the needs of gamers and creative professionals alike. Leveraging AMD's RDNA 3 architecture, these cards aim to deliver fluid resolution and high-refresh-rate gaming, even in the most demanding titles. Additionally, they support DirectX 12 Ultimate API for enhanced visuals and include AMD's new encode/decode media engine for a dynamic range of colors and improvements in playing or streaming.


Check out our CES 2024 hub for all the latest news from the show as it happens. We'll be covering everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI, so stick with us for the big stories. And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor! 



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When it comes to the best action cameras on the market, it takes a lot to draw attention away from GoPro – but SJCAM thinks that the dual-...

When it comes to the best action cameras on the market, it takes a lot to draw attention away from GoPro – but SJCAM thinks that the dual-lens setup and night vision capabilities of its new SJ20 model has enough about it to be a serious GoPro challenger.

One of the two lenses (f/2.0) is specifically for daytime shooting and the other (f/1.3) is for night, which SJCAM says ensures high-quality results no matter what time you're recording. Video recording goes up to 4K, and image capture tops out at 20 megapixels.

There's a 6-axis gyroscope built in here too, intended to ensure ultra-stable footage in any scenario, from kayaking to cycling. Clearly we can't comment until we've reviewed the SJ20, but the demo footage certainly looks impressive.

SJCAM says the battery life is around 7 hours between charges, while you can extend that by buying an external battery pack and a rechargeable camera grip. The camera has been specifically designed with a modular interface to make attaching accessories easier.

Video modes and dual displays

Other specs and features you'll want to know about are waterproofing up to depths of 16 feet (that's nearly 5 meters), motion detection, pre-recording and slow-motion capabilities, and continuous shooting and timelapse modes.

As well as the dual camera lenses there are two screens: a 1.3-inch display on the front and a 2.29-inch touch-enabled display on the back. If you think all of this sounds very promising, the camera is available now for $229 /  £179.

It's been a few years since we've had a close look at an SJCAM model, but our SJCAM SJ8 Pro review awarded 4.5 stars to the device. There was lots of praise for the quality of the 4K video, and the number of shooting options on board.

The GoPro Hero 12 Black review is the sort of competition that the SJ20 is going to be going up against – though it's worth bearing in mind that the pricier Hero 12 Black retails for $399.99 / £399.99 / AU$649.95.

Analysis: Could the SJ20 be the new low light champion?

SJCam SJ20 action cam on superimporsed underwater background

(Image credit: SJCam)

Until our full review of the SJ20, all we have to go on regarding its night vision capabilities is the f/1.3 aperture lens that lets in more light than the f/2 daytime lens, and sample videos shot at night, shared on the SJCam website, that pits the SJ20 against the GoPro Hero 12 Black. In this comparison test, the SJ20 video looks brighter and punchier, but we have no information as to how that test was conducted.

We also don't know what image sensors are used in the SJ20 – is there a sensor for each lens and if so how different are they? And the video comparison is only against the market leading GoPro Hero 12 Black action cam, whose low light capabilities are outshone by the DJI Osmo Action 4, another excellent action camera with a physically largely sensor than the GoPro Hero 12 Black.

Put simply these are more questions that answers, and the price of the SJ20 feels too good to be true as a true GoPro and DJI challenger. For now, the SJ20 has grabbed our attention and we're excited to give it a full test. It offers something a little different and at a much lower price than the market leading models. 

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As many as two in five UK SMBs are concerned about high inflation, with many worried that rising costs are an expense that’s totally out of...

As many as two in five UK SMBs are concerned about high inflation, with many worried that rising costs are an expense that’s totally out of their control.

According to a Zoho study of more than 1,500 senior digital transformation decision-makers from five European countries, including 300 from the UK, the pressure from high costs resulting from supply chain disruptions and an ongoing skill shortage is mounting.

The outlook is positive, though, with more than half (55%) believing the UK is now “past the worst”, indicating that they have already come to terms with increased prices and are now hoping to see the pressure ease.

Inflation is hitting Britain’s small businesses hard

While many may be hopeful, that leaves 45% concerned by the economic outlook. Inflation in Britain still stands at 4.6%, or around double what the UK government had set out as its target.

Employers see customer experience, employee experience, artificial intelligence, and data privacy as four key areas of investment, but overall, digital spend has been somewhat limited due to the Bank of England’s rising interest rates.

Sachin Agrawal, Managing Director for Zoho UK, commented: “Business confidence has taken a beating over the past few years, so it is no surprise that many are still concerned about the stability of the UK economy.”

Data privacy looks to be increasingly important as SMBs aim to protect the tools and resources that they already have, before they look to invest in expanding what they already use in an era of AI tools.

Agrawal added: “A data-driven business can use real-time and extensive insights to make the right decisions to take advantage of opportunities and to reduce risk. However, for technology such as AI to be adopted successfully, businesses need to adopt it with customer trust in mind to deliver benefits such as automation, forecasting or improved customer service, to name just a few examples.”

Zoho refers to the news as a “wake-up call,” claiming that only one in five (19%) of UK companies have “good digital health.”

Clearly, 2024 should be a year for businesses to invest in technology solutions, however the ongoing economic pressure will continue to be troublesome for many.

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Fancy a cinema-spec IMAX Enhanced projector in your front room, or a secret ceiling projector that pretends to be a magic lamp? XGIMI has y...

Fancy a cinema-spec IMAX Enhanced projector in your front room, or a secret ceiling projector that pretends to be a magic lamp? XGIMI has you covered. At CES 2024, the firm is showing off its Horizon Max, an IMAX projector boasting some smart software and the use of dual light sources to deliver a wider color gamut, strong brightness, and improved contrast. The same technologies will be coming to some of the firm's more modest projectors too.

The Horizon Max is being unveiled early, as it isn't expected to go on sale until late 2024. But XGIMI is clearly very pleased with the device, which it says is the world's very first long-throw smart projector with IMAX Enhanced certification – something that was previously only available in very premium-priced projectors. The goal here is to make the best 4K projector for people who want theater-like visuals true to the aspect ratio of the original movie (available through Disney Plus and some 4K Blu-rays) – although as yet we don't know what its actual price tag will be.

Let there be (dual) light

The Max includes two key technologies, which XGIMI calls ISA (Intelligent Screen Architecture) 5.0 and Dual Light 2.0. The former uses a mix of hardware and software including a fully automated motorized gimbal to automatically identify the best projection positioning, and in a smart touch it can remember the settings for different walls – so you could game on one wall and then turn the projector to face a bigger wall for movie night, with the system automatically reconfiguring it for you.

The second technology, Dual Light 2.0, combines a triple laser and a phosphor light. The latter is designed to deal with any imperfections produced by the former, and the result is both bright – 3,100 ISO Lumens – and high in contrast, with a native contrast ratio of 2,000:1. XGIMI says it's the firm's brightest projector to date, with brightness 35% higher than its previous flagship, the Horizon Ultra.

Aladdin's latest lamp is seriously smart

The Xgimi Aladdin projector light, shown as a product and also attached to a ceiling, projecting an image

(Image credit: XGIMI)

XGIMI is also going to unveil Aladdin, which it calls "a unique triple-threat": it's a ceiling projector, a smart light, and a speaker in a single device. It's capable of projecting an HD image of up to 100 inches with a 0.7:1 projection ratio, and the built-in Harman Kardon speaker delivers 360-degree sound. Aladdin also provides dynamic wallpapers, huge interactive children's books and ambient bedtime sounds; its many talents earned it an honorary mention among the CES 2024 Innovation Awards. 

Unfortunately Aladdin isn't going to be a US or European release in the first half of this year; it'll launch in Japan in June but a wider release hasn't yet been announced. It's a very clever idea for rooms of limited space who want big images, though – it can replace your light and do a useful job most of the time, and then suddenly you can watch movies out of nowhere, without any surfaces in your room being taken up by equipment.

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It's the new year! Time to set a bunch of new year's resolutions that involve over-ambitious movie watchlists! Luckily, we're h...

It's the new year! Time to set a bunch of new year's resolutions that involve over-ambitious movie watchlists! Luckily, we're here to help you make headway on that goal because, honestly, what better way to kickstart 2024 than by settling in for a slew of the best horror movies on the likes of Netflix, Paramount Plus and Peacock.

Whatever you're in the mood for there's something on this list for you. This month's selection accommodates all tastes with a '90s sci-fi classic, recent hits from James Wan and Jordan Peele, and a handful of brand new flicks hitting horror streamer Shudder that you cannot afford to miss if you're a genre fan.

Event Horizon (1997)

When: January 1
Where to stream it: Paramount Plus (US, UK), rent or buy (AU)

If Alien mastered the haunted house in space concept, then Event Horizon drenched that idea in blood and grue and dragged it across space and time. Paul WS Anderson's late '90s sci-fi horror is a magnificent exercise in over-the-top performances and stomach-churning grot. Set in 2047, the movie follows the crew of the rescue vessel Lewis and Clark, tasked with investigating long-lost starship Event Horizon when it mysteriously reappears. 

While its plot resembles direct-to-video flimflam, this ensemble cast and its commitment to bloodshed make its cult classic status. Sam Neill steals the show as Dr. Weir, chewing all of the scenery and dispensing a trove of one-liners.

Malignant (2021)

When: January 1
Where to stream it: Netflix (US, UK), Foxtel Now (AU)

Taking a break from Aquaman movies, James Wan dives back into horror for a wacky body horror that feels plucked from the 2000s. Akela Cooper's screenplay warrants acclaim for its ability to pull off a maelstrom of twists and wild setpieces all at the same time. Annabelle Wallis stars as Madison Mitchell, a woman whose life begins to untangle with the onset of visions chronicling the actions of a serial killer. Of course, nothing is as it seems, and before long Madison realizes she may be connected to the murderer. If you've not yet had the twist spoiled then read nothing else about this campy horror and savor the madcap revelations.

The Lodge (2020)

When: January 1
Where to stream it: Max (US), Netflix (UK), rent or buy (AU)

Snow-capped landscapes! Christmastime! A quaint holiday village! Don’t be fooled by the wintry components of this 2020 thriller – this isn’t a warm and fuzzy horror flick. The Lodge is an uncomfortable and deeply disturbing watch that revolves around a family who venture to a remote cabin for the holidays. When Richard (Richard Armitage) has to leave on a work commitment, he leaves his two children in the care of their stepmom Grace (Riley Keough) for the duration. 

What follows is a twisted nightmare when a blizzard traps Grace and the children indoors, where it's unclear who or what is happening. Don't expect a happy ending but instead a journey into the abyss that concludes with a wild final act.

Destroy All Neighbors (2023)

When: January 12
Where to stream it: Shudder (UK, US, AU)

Cruise into 2024 with this wild, madcap horror comedy directed by Josh Forbes. Destroy All Neighbors conjures the early movies of Peter Jackson (think gross, gloopy FX) with a musical twist. William Brown (Jonah Ray Rodrigues) is a rocker whose mission in life is to craft a prog opus despite everyone in his life refusing to support his goals. 

That includes his new neighbor from hell Vlad (an unrecognizable Alex Winters) whom he accidentally decapitates during a heated confrontation over the noise. William is then taunted by Vlad's corpse who refuses to leave him in peace while trying to craft his masterpiece, which, honestly, fair?

The Passenger (2023)

When: January 15
Where to stream it: Shudder (UK, US, AU)

Are we in the era of Kyle Gallner? The indie actor continues to dominate horror with stand-out performances in recent pics Scream, Smile, Mother, May I? [I remember him in the phenomenal but under-watched Veronica Mars! - Ed] and now The Passenger  in which he tackles the part of an unhinged fast food employee. 

The critically-acclaimed film follows Gallner's character Benson, who goes on a workplace rampage in an effort to support his co-worker Randy (Johnny Berchtold), but instead makes his life a living hell. Horror hounds will recognise director Carter Smith who helmed 2008 plant horror The Ruins, Jamie Marks is Dead and 2022's Swallowed. Expect this one to be part of the social-media chatter when it drops mid-month.

Nope (2022)

When: January 18
Where to stream it: Peacock (US), Sky Cinema (UK), Netflix (AU) 

Proof that lightning strikes thrice for Jordan Peele. The comic-turned-horror filmmaker delivers another winning entry into the genre canon with Nope. Despite its unabashed horror tropes, it carries a summer blockbuster aesthetic thanks to its locale; sunny Agua Dulce in California. 

Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer play siblings Em and OJ Haywood, who inherit their family's horse training business following the mysterious death of their father. The pair discover a mysterious object flying above their home which may be responsible. To say more would ruin one of last year's most surprising and genuinely creepy horror movies. Watch and be amazed at the lengths Peele goes to to prove the villainy of its monster.

Suitable Flesh (2023)

When: January 26
Where to stream it: Shudder (UK, US, AU)

A Lovecraft adaptation that sheds light on one key factor most of the modern world has overlooked: Heather Graham deserves to be a bigger genre star. In this modern retelling of The Thing on The Doorstep, Graham tackles the lead role of psychiatrist Elizabeth Derby who becomes enveloped in the world of one of her patients Asa Waite (The Babysitter's Judah Lewis) who comes to her with a strange proposition: he believes his body is sporadically occupied by his father. Joe Lynch directs the hell out of this otherworldly premise that co-stars horror legend and Lovecraft stalwart Barbara Crampton.

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There have been plenty of leaks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S24 ahead of its official unveiling later this month, and the latest one gi...

There have been plenty of leaks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S24 ahead of its official unveiling later this month, and the latest one gives us live images of the Ultra model that show off its front and back design.

These pictures come courtesy of tipster @WorkaholicDavid (via GSMArena). These photos line up with what we already know about the design of the Galaxy S24 Ultra – and the gold-ish color is one that's previously popped up too.

Our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra hub is where we've collected everything that we know about this top-end handset so far – and you'll see there an image that looks like an official promotional picture, matching the newly leaked photo.

We can see the ultra-thin bezels of the Galaxy S24 Ultra in this leak, as well as the quad-lens rear camera. That fifth circular cut-out you can see on the back is the laser autofocus module (see our Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review for more details).

See more

Coming soon

We now have an official Samsung Galaxy S24 launch date after Samsung confirmed that its next Unpacked event would be on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 – and there's no doubt we'll be seeing plenty of AI features unveiled at the same time.

The event gets underway at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT on January 17 – that's 5am AEDT on Thursday, January 18 in Australia – and you can follow via a livestream. We'll be covering all the announcements as they happen too.

As well as the 6.8-inch Ultra model, we're also expecting a standard 6.2-inch model, and the 6.7-inch Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus. These phones are unlikely to be hugely different to their predecessors, but a few key upgrades are anticipated.

Pretty much all the specs of these phones have now appeared online, though nothing is certain until it comes from Samsung. What we can say with confidence is that these phones will set the standard for everything else that follows in 2024.

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Nvidia’s graphics cards could soon experience much leaner stock levels, if a new rumor is right – a prospect which brings with it the fear ...

Nvidia’s graphics cards could soon experience much leaner stock levels, if a new rumor is right – a prospect which brings with it the fear of GPU price hikes, though hopefully not to the extent that we’ve seen in the past.

Wccftech flagged up a report from tech site MyDrivers which claims that industry sources in Taiwan are saying that Nvidia’s GeForce gaming GPUs are starting to experience lower supply levels as of Q4 2023.

Be cautious about that report, of course, as with any rumor, and we aren’t told which models of Nvidia graphics cards are affected in particular, although it sounds like this is more or less across the board for consumer models.

This is talking about the Asian market as the likely worst hit region, but the report mentions stock shortages in the US and Europe, too, where Nvidia GPUs could also become harder to find.

The expectation according to MyDrivers is that supply of Nvidia boards could be “very limited” in the near future, worryingly, and there’s a mention of price hikes for at least some products being possible.


Analysis: Contradictions aplenty?

We’ve already seen this to some extent, of course, with the RTX 4090, but that was a special case due to its ban in China (which Nvidia has sidestepped with the incoming RTX 4090 D variant, though not before a lot of vanilla 4090 stock was shipped to Chinese retailers, which had a substantial impact on global pricing of the Lovelace flagship).

The worry is that other Nvidia graphics cards, or at least some Lovelace models as mentioned, could follow in those footsteps. We’re told the reason why Nvidia is pulling back production and supply for GeForce GPUs is that it’s prioritizing manufacturing chips for AI cards.

AI GPUs are where the big profits lie – massive profits of late, in fact – so it does make some sense. What doesn’t make sense is that Nvidia is about to produce a bunch of new RTX Super refreshes: three of them are purportedly set to launch throughout this month, challenging for a place in our best graphics card rankings, after a CES 2024 reveal at the start of next week.

If production capacity is being reeled back in a meaningful way, why go ahead with a bunch of new launches? Well, Nvidia needs to rejig its mid-to-upper range bracket with Lovelace, as it has made rather a hash of the GPUs available here – the RTX 4080 with its reportedly dire sales levels in particular – so it is perhaps regarded as a necessary move in that respect. Saving face against AMD in the consumer GPU market, if you will.

Also, Nvidia will be scrapping the RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 Ti – they will effectively be replaced by the RTX 4080 Super and RTX 4070 Ti Super, in theory – so it’s a case of swapping in and out, rather than new cards being made as such.

Although that noted, the new RTX 4070 Super will run alongside the existing RTX 4070 – the latter isn’t going anywhere. Furthermore, the pricing of these new RTX Super models is supposedly going to be pretty competitive, which again doesn’t exactly marry with the idea of stock shortages, and therefore upward pricing pressures in the near future.

On top of this, the MyDrivers article feels rather brief and sketchy, and we’re not sure how much stock (pardon the pun) we’ll put in it at this point. Let’s hope it’s off the mark, anyway, because the last thing we need is to be staring down the barrel of a fresh round of GPU prices rises from Nvidia.



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