Opinion – Trusted Reviews

Loewe is betting big with its new products. Here's hoping it works

Kob Monney — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 15:00:00 +0000

OPINION: No quarter asked and no quarter given. Loewe is not messing about with its 2024 product launches, telling everyone that it’s not only back, but it’s here to stay.

So far Loewe has announced plans to manufacture its own OLED TVs: jumped into premium hi-fi with floorstanding and standmount speakers, signed Kylian Mbappé as a brand ambassador as well as launched Mbappé-themed We Hear Pro wireless speakers, and its most recent announcement was for its range of premium OLED TVs.

More announcements are in the offing but the crux of it is that Loewe is a resurgent brand after experiencing its share of economic turmoil in the not too distant past. It came close to bankruptcy in 2013 and then went bankrupt in 2019 before being rescued by investment from Skytec in 2020. The last ten years have been a struggle.

And when I went was invited to see Loewe’s upcoming products at an event in Berlin, I was split about what to take from the event. On the one hand there was a lot of ambition with Loewe pushing into new areas you wouldn’t associate it with – but on the other hand I felt concern. From its TV manufacturing plant, to new product areas, is it growing too fast too soon and spreading itself thin?

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

But Loewe had to do something different as what it was doing before didn’t rescue it from its eventual financial malaise. Diversification would make sense and associating itself with Kylian Mbappé, who has joined Real Madrid, which would link Loewe with a global brand that’s won its 15^th (fifteenth!) European Cup can only help its visibility, especially with younger, more affluent customers.

But though this iteration of Loewe carries the history of the 100-year old brand, it is also in essence, a new company. I’d assume it’d need to rebuild or at least think different about how it distributes its products and which dealers can help it best because it not only has to be built up again but be better than before.

That won’t be easy, especially as Loewe positions itself as a premium brand. Just look at pricing for its 32-inch HD HDR TV (available in Currys UK) which is more expensive than a 48-inch LG C3 OLED TV. Value is not what Loewe is going or its strongest suit.

But it’s also worth remembering that its direct competitors aren’t the likes of LG, Samsung, and Sony but Bang & Olufsen. It means a smaller, more premium market to cater to but one impacted by Loewe chiefly being visible in Europe and not worldwide.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Wherever I’ve travelled I’ve seen Bang & Olufsen stores but the Loewe stores I’ve seen are the boutique fashion house. You’d imagine if this version of Loewe is to be a success it has cast it net far and wide in search for new customers.

Its current tactics will help re-establish the brand and show it is more than just an AV brand but Europe also feels a little lacking in premium ‘tech’ brands that can strut their stuff at the higher end of the market. It needs a success story, a powerhouse that combines aesthetics and high performance in a uniquely European way.

Loewe are going full send with their new products, and here’s hoping they can succeed where previously they stumbled.

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Adobe may have just made it easier for someone to steal your art style

Hannah Davies — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 15:41:18 +0000

OPINION: Adobe recently unveiled the newest and most advanced version of its Firefly generative AI model, Firefly Image 3, but could this update trigger an increase in art thefts and imitation?

Currently in its beta phase, the Firefly Image 3 model promises some significant upgrades for both Firefly and Photoshop.

What’s new?

Firefly is now better at understanding prompts and is more skilled at creating images when it comes to both structure and detail. The Image 3 model can also produce a more varied range of human emotions and draws inspiration from a broader range of art styles.

Photoshop’s Generative Fill gen-AI tool has also received a substantial Firefly-powered update, with new features including Reference Image, Enhance Detail, Generate Background, and Generate Similar.

Reference Image is the tool that immediately caught my attention, allowing users to upload existing images as prompts rather than relying on a short textual description. During a demo with Adobe, I watched as a guitar was uploaded as a Reference Image prompt. Firefly then took heavy inspiration from that image, placing a near-identical guitar in the arms of the bear already open in Photoshop.

Used for evil

This technology is very impressive, making it possible to convey a specific shape, style, and colour item to Generative Fill without typing a word. However (and perhaps this says something about me), I was immediately struck with how this feature could be used for evil.

Art theft is already a pervasive problem online with people reuploading and claiming work as their own, whether for money or likes. Couldn’t this feature be used to generate art similar to a piece that’s already out there?

I took these concerns to CTO of Digital Media Business at Adobe, Ely Greenfield, and this is what he told me.

“The concept of whether an artist has a right to their style is a complicated one”

“Our perspective at Adobe is that an artist should have a right to their style and we work with regulators, we’re promoting various legislation in the US right now, I think, to try and actually get laws passed to support that. What I’ll say is yes, you could upload an image as a style match, as a reference match, and the whole point is to be able to use that as a source, as a seed, to be able to generate other things like that”, explained Greenfield.

“There’s a certain degree of responsibility that we put on the user. I mean this is like anytime you’re using any editing tool, even a pencil, you have the ability to copy somebody else’s work and so we can’t stop people from doing that. We do everything we can in the tool to try and help encourage people to act with integrity. We remind people to make sure they have the rights. We check for content credentials to see if there’s a flag on it that says please do not use this with AI, but at the end of the day, yes, you can upload somebody else’s content and use it even when you don’t necessarily have the rights and permission to do it”.

Could someone make money from your art style?

I asked Greenfield if there are any systems in place to prevent or flag images that have been generated from another piece of art from being uploaded to print-on-demand websites, such as Redbubble or Amazon.

“There’s no way for us to validate whether you have a right to an image, and there’s no way for us to track what you do with that image after the fact. So unfortunately, no, there’s nothing we can do about that”, he said.

“The best we can do, and a lot of this is our half of our investment with the Content Authenticity Initiative, half of it is technical. How do we create the systems that allow us to track this information? And half of it is societal, social, political. We work with regulatory agencies, we work with other media and technology companies, hardware companies, software companies, to try and get the technology out there, so that we can, over time, change the expectation of the public”.

The Content Authenticity Initiative

The Content Authenticity Initiative is a collective of media and tech companies that are working together to promote the adoption of an open industry standard for content authenticity. One way Adobe has been doing its part has been by marking images created or edited using AI with its Content Credentials metadata.

“[One] analogy I like to use is the lock icon on the browser where we got to the point where eventually people started to expect that lock icon and, if it wasn’t there, they were suspect of the website, wouldn’t put their credit card in. Now, we’re getting close to the point where now the browser is starting to say, if it’s not there we’re just going to not let you see the website. You can work around it, you can say I want to take the risk, but more and more the browser is saying [no].”, explained Greenfield.

“I’d love to see us get to that point with Content Credentials, but it’s definitely a journey to get from here”.

Is generative AI bad for artists?

This doesn’t mean Adobe is against generative AI. You only need to spend five minutes in Adobe Firefly to realise that Adobe is one of the frontrunners in this race.

“I actually don’t think manipulation is inherently a bad thing, and AI isn’t inherently a bad thing”, said Greenfield when asked if Adobe’s vision for the future was an internet in which every image is flagged if it has been manipulated using AI.

“If we wanted to flag any image where AI was used in the making of the image and put a big warning label on it, every photo that came out of an iPhone would be flagged because AI is used in the rendering, in the capturing of the image. It is not actually the raw luminosity values that the sensor is seeing. Apple actually has AI, wonderfully. It does things like detect faces and brighten them up because that’s what people want to see in their photos. 99.999% of the use cases of people using generative AI in Photoshop are perfectly legitimate reasons… they’re either making changes that don’t distort truth, or they’re not trying to represent truth”.

“I don’t think we end up in a world where we’re getting warning signs left and right, like AI was used on this. I think we end up in a world where when a consumer says, oh this person is representing truth, or we could have situations where the AI can help detect is this an editorial story, is this meant to be representing truth, and that information is surfaced in those situations so the consumer can choose to go and make a choice”.

What is Adobe’s end goal with Content Credentials?

“Our job is to, number one, educate the public that we all should be paying attention to this when it matters, and number two, make it drop dead easy, stupid easy, for people to then go and actually get the information they need and understand how to put that information to work when they decide it’s important to them. That’s the vision of the future”.

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Sound & Vision: I've heard the future of sound, and xMEMS are at its forefront

Kob Monney — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: To me my xMEMS!

You may not have heard about xMEMS and might even confuse the name with the fictional mutants from Marvel Comics, but I’ll wager that you’ll be hearing more about this company in the coming months as it has the potential to disrupt the headphone and speaker market for the first time in decades.

Maybe that’s a bit hyperbolic, but when it comes to headphones, the technology that drives the sound hasn’t changed all too much in years.

Dynamic drivers are used across the industry and while planar magnetic, electrostatic, bone conduction, and balanced armature are used in headphones, they aren’t as popular as a dynamic driver. And this technology is decades old.

Dynamic drivers are based on coil and magnet technologies – it’s also more familiarly referred to as moving coil – and it works by using a fixed magnet that creates a magnetic field and this works together with the voice coil, causing it to move backwards and forwards, impacting on the diaphragm and pushing the air around it to create the sound we hear.

The purpose of xMEMS is to disrupt this old way of creating sounds

The tech uses a solid-state solution, which has gained traction in the last several years, most notably with SSDs. With headphones, xMEMS aim is to replace moving coil architecture completely. It still operates on the same principle of pushing the air around it but the coil on the magnet has been replaced by a thin Piezo film. When voltage is applied to it, it bends, creating the push and pull effect.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

According to xMEMS, what you get from this silicon and the diaphragm as one unit is consistency – “every speaker on this wafer performs exactly the same, same loudness, same phase characteristics”. Having assembled a pair of headphones at the Sennheiser factory in Ireland and checked whether the speaker drivers were matching (some didn’t), having this degree of consistency removes waste.

It also takes the human element out of the equation to some degree as this process is highly automated. I imagine that might cause consternation for some but in a process that requires a degree of efficiency and precision, the one part that introduces some variability is the human part of the production process.

And then there’s the precision and efficiency in how the speaker operates. Silicon is stiffer, which should help in cutting down on distortion. The mechanical response of the speakers is 150 times faster than a magnet and coil, which means that the attack and decay of the electrical signal can be recovered quicker. xMEMS claims that you could throw lots of dynamic content at these speakers with speed and clarity, retaining detail without muddying the sound.

All that said we’re not at the point where there are fully solid-state MEMS drivers on the market just yet. Creative Audio has adopted the technology for its Aurvana Ace and Aurvana Ace 2 wireless earbuds (look out for those reviews), a hybrid combination of the MEMs and coil with the woofer focusing on the low frequencies and the MEMS on the mids and highs.

2025 is circled as the year when we could have headphones that employ a single full-range MEMS driver.

I’m impressed

Having sampled the technology, I have to say that I’m impressed by the clarity and detail in the mids and highs. At the same time, there’s a punchiness and clarity to the low frequencies on one of the prototype headphones I listen to that avoids the lack of clarity and misshapen bass I’ve heard with other headphones.

I would say that it does depend on the tuning of the headphones. A warm, smooth sounding headphone won’t offer quite as much clarity and detail as a pair of headphones tuned with neutrality or clarity in mind. I’ve been listening to the Aurvana Ace 2 in recent weeks against another similarly priced true wireless and I can hear the step up in clarity and detail that gives them just a little more fidelity in the audio stakes.

In the end though, I’d wager it’ll all depend on what type of sound you like, as it always does. But as we seem to heading down this path of increasing the number of high quality sources and improving that transmission of data over Bluetooth, xMEMS appears to be in a very good position to take advantage of this higher quality, wireless sound that we’re moving towards.

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Winners and Losers: Android users get message editing as Sony disappoints at State of Play

Hannah Davies — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0000

OPINION: May is officially behind us, meaning it’s time to recap the last week of the month in the world of tech.

Nothing showcased a colourful version of the Nothing Phone (2a), while Samsung announced that its Galaxy AI technology would be coming to the Galaxy Watch soon. Meanwhile, Apple revealed the truth behind the recent photos bug, as Alexa gained some new movie knowledge for Fire TV’s AI-powered search engine.

However, none of the above earned our title of winner or loser this week. Keep reading to learn what did, along with why.

Winner: Google

Our winner this week is Google after the company announced a range of updates coming to its Android platform.

One major update rolling out is the ability to edit RCS messages in Google Messages. This means users will no longer need to rely on asterisks and follow-up messages to correct typos and autocorrect mistakes. Instead, they’ll be able to tap and hold to edit that message up to 15 minutes after it has been sent.

This is the same time limit offered by Apple to iMessage users, meaning iPhone owners will hopefully keep the same editing capability when RCS messaging arrives on the platform later this year, allowing for a more seamless transition when writing to their Android user friends.

Other updates include the ability to share hotspots between devices with one tap, and the option to add the Google Home Favorites widget to your home screen to control your most frequently used smart devices.

Digital car key is also coming to more vehicles and there’s a new range of Emoji Kitchen sticker combinations rolling out on Android.

Finally, Google announced two updates for Apple Watch users, including PayPal coming to Google Wallet for Wear OS and the Google Home Favorites tile and complication, allowing you to view and control smart home devices with a tap.

Loser: Sony

Our loser this week is Sony after the company hosted its May 2024 State of Play detailing all the new releases coming to PlayStation in the future.

Sony showcased a range of trailers and announcements during the stream, but there weren’t any major surprises during this State of Play which was disappointing to see.

On top of this, Microsoft announced this week that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 would be available as a day one release for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

This means that Game Pass users won’t need to pay a penny extra to access the latest Call of Duty instalment – a big departure from the £69.99 they needed to pay for Modern Warfare 3 last year.

This news could sway those looking for the best way to play the game on day one to choose Xbox over PlayStation this June, while the rather lacklustre State of Play certainly won’t help Sony win gamers back.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: Chromebooks deserve a second chance

Thomas Deehan — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Last week I had the chance to see a sneak preview of Google’s AI plans for its Chromebook Plus range.

I was able to test out those same AI features on a Chromebook supplied by Google, but instead of moving back to my trusty Windows laptop after the news became public, I have since stayed put. Using that same Chromebook as I type this, I’ve come to realise one thing: Google’s laptops could finally be ready to have their day in the sun.

Even though Chromebooks have been on the market since 2011 and now command a respectable portion of the laptop market, I haven’t been able to shake the notion that they are only really suited to students in need of a cheap yet reliable laptop to see them through their studies.

Aside from the fact that I haven’t used a Chromebook since university, the understanding that these devices revolve around Google’s ecosystem hasn’t exactly dissuaded my opinion of them.

After all, Chromebooks are never going to offer up the same amount of raw power that’s possible on Windows and MacOS, and there was always the issue that if you didn’t have an internet connection, a Chromebook was about as useful as a doorstop.

Using a Chromebook in 2024

All of these issues worked against me using a Chromebook as my daily work laptop but in 2024, I have come to realise that Chromebooks (and in my specific case, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515) offer up everything I need in quite an impressive way.

For starters – and I’m sure this is the case for any many others reading this – the entirety of my workload revolves around the Chrome browser. Whether it’s subbing articles, assigning work, responding to emails or diving into a Zoom call, it all happens in-browser. It’s the first thing that gets booted up and the last program to be shut down.

Online applications have come so far, particularly with the boom of cloud storage, that there’s very little that you can’t do in a browser these days, and what helps is the fact that unless you’re forking out for the fastest processors, Chromebooks (as one would hope) offer a speedy version of Chrome.

That speed also applies to an incredibly quick start-up process wherein I can honestly open up the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 and get straight into my emails in about 30 seconds. I can’t remember the last time I used a Windows laptop that ran that quickly, and now I’m hooked.

The same also goes for battery life. Only now that I’ve been using a Chromebook Plus for over a week have I realised how often I kept monitoring the amount of juice left in the tank on my Windows laptop.

Because ChromeOS is far less power intensive, I’ve largely been able to forget about the battery life, never feeling bamboozled by a sudden drain in the background. What this means is that whenever I do decide to work from a local cafe, I’m not dreading the idea that I might not get a table next to a power outlet.

All of this has made me realise that for a section of the working population that relies almost exclusively on web-based applications, you’ll get on perfectly well with what Chromebooks have to offer, and if you’re on a budget, I don’t think you’ll get quite the same value for money elsewhere. I only wish I’d given Chromebooks a second chance sooner.

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Fast Charge: New leaks point towards big changes for 2024 foldables

Lewis Painter — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 08:30:00 +0000

OPINION: The foldable market is advancing at an increasingly rapid pace, and it looks like 2024 could be a particularly transformative year for some of the most popular foldable brands around – if leaks and rumours are to be believed, anyway.

The Motorola Razr’s big cover screen is about to get even bigger

Let’s start with the Motorola Razr 50 lineup, which is rumoured to appear as soon as sometime in June.

The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra was one of the absolute best clamshell foldables of last year, and my personal favourite. It fixed a lot of complaints I had about the form factor prior to its release, like having to unfold the phone to perform simple tasks not available on the narrow cover screens we were used to.

With the Razr’s 3.6-inch cover screen that allowed access to any Android app I had installed, that was no longer an issue.

However, it seems that this year’s Razer 50 Ultra is going to take that a step further if recent leaks and rumours are to be believed. It’s said that the top-end Razr for 2024 will sport an even larger 4-inch cover display, taking up practically the entire front panel.

razr+ 2024 / razr 50 ultra pic.twitter.com/5RbTmxqrGb
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) May 17, 2024

This not only means that apps will be even more usable than they were on the Razr 40 Ultra, but, going by leaked renders, it also gives the Razr 50 Ultra an extremely premium look unmatched by any other foldable right now.

It should also have quite the hardware upgrade, with leaked specs including a double 50MP camera setup, up from the 12MP and 13MP combo from last year’s foldable, along with an improved IPX8 water resistance rating, Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 power and AI-powered photo and video editing tools to boot.

The regular Razr 50 should also get a huge upgrade to match its premium sibling, ditching the narrow strip display on its cover for the same 3.6-inch OLED cover screen as the Razr 40 Ultra. Combined with a vegan leather finish and new colour options, it should be a serious upgrade over the Razr 40 that might surpass anything else at the budget end of the foldable market.

razr 2024 / razr 50 pic.twitter.com/hHir2PEP6b
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) May 17, 2024

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 should look more refined

Motorola isn’t the only brand looking to refresh its foldable line for 2024, with Samsung’s big-screen Z Fold 6 also said to get some much-needed TLC. However, if you were hoping for a substantial redesign that’d bring its traditionally tall-and-narrow 6.2-inch cover screen down to something a little more manageable, you’ll be disappointed.

Instead, the cover screen is said to match its predecessor in terms of dimensions, though the Z Fold 6 will have much slimmer bezels and squared-off corners. That gives it a look not too dissimilar to the top-end Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, with some rumours claiming that it’ll also come equipped with the same titanium frame.

You can see it side-by-side with the older Galaxy Z Fold 5 in the below X leak:

Galaxy Z Fold5 vs Galaxy Z Fold6
Fold6 screen width =Fold5 screen width+right bezel width pic.twitter.com/cbIjMNjikV
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) May 30, 2024

It’s not a huge redesign, granted, but it’s one that makes the Z Fold 6 look a little more refined while also improving the (sometimes awkward) typing experience.

The rear of the phone is also said to get a refresh with a redesigned camera housing, seen below, though it could be a case of misdirection from Samsung as rumours suggest that the actual camera hardware will match that of the Z Fold 5.

OH IT LOOKS GOOOOOD

Square edges and we also see the bigger cameras with new rings

Galaxy Z Fold6 partial rear image from @UniverseIce pic.twitter.com/UHKNSKKGJY
— Anthony (@TheGalox_) May 30, 2024

Instead, it’s the Z Flip 6 that’s said to get some much-needed camera improvements this year, along with a faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and a larger battery, though don’t expect it to look any different to last year’s Z Flip 5.

Again, this is something that we won’t have to wait too long to see in the flesh, with rumours pointing towards a reveal on 10 July 2024 in Paris, much earlier than previous entries in the Z Flip and Z Fold series.

The Google Pixel Fold 2 could fix everything

I’ve got to admit, I didn’t love the Google Pixel Fold when I reviewed it last year – and that was before I’d seen truly next-gen foldables like the OnePlus Open and Honor Magic V2 that make the Pixel Fold look practically ancient.

It was thick, heavy, had a relatively small cover screen, oddly thick bezels on the internal display and issues with app support that most other foldable manufacturers had already overcome. Considering the £1,749 price tag, I just couldn’t recommend it to consumers.

However, it looks like that could change with the Pixel Fold 2 – or Pixel 9 Fold, depending on who you ask – with leaks suggesting there could be quite a big redesign on the cards.

The initial leak was a doozy; a photo of the phone itself. It’s likely an early prototype than a finalised model given it leaked in early February, but it gives us a good look at the unfolded Pixel Fold 2.

Image Credit: Android Authority

Per the image, it looks like it has a taller, narrower cover screen, a redesigned camera housing and more. The source of the image, who spoke to Android Authority, also claimed that the metal frame felt more premium than the original Fold, and that the device felt much slimmer too.

That’s something we got confirmation on a little later, with more detailed Google Pixel Fold 2 renders from the ever-accurate OnLeaks and SmartPrix showcasing a device with a redesigned cover screen, slimmer bezels and what looks like an under-screen camera on the internal foldable display.

Image Credit: OnLeaks x SmartPrix

The leaker also suggests that the cover screen measures in at a larger 6.4 inches, up from 5.8 inches, and a 7.9-inch foldable screen, up from 7.6 inches. It’s also said that the Pixel Fold 2 measures in at 5.27mm when unfolded, compared to 5.8mm from the Fold, and a folded width of 10.54mm, down from 12.1mm.

The camera housing looks totally different from the rest of the Pixel lineup, and considering the regular Pixel 8 camera bar usually gets caught in my pocket as I take it out, I welcome the change with open arms.

That’s not all, folks

Of course, there are plenty of other foldable manufacturers including Honor, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi and Huawei, all of which are likely working on next-gen foldable hardware right now, so who knows what other innovations we’ll see from the foldable market as the rest of 2024 plays out. The future of foldables certainly looks bright, either way.

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Google just gave Chromebook Plus a reason to exist

Thomas Deehan — Tue, 28 May 2024 13:00:00 +0000

OPINION: It hasn’t even been a year since Google launched its Chromebook Plus branding and yet it feels as if more time has passed given just how much the concept has dropped out of general conversation. Luckily for Google, this is about to change.

For the uninitiated, the Chromebook Plus line was launched in October of last year under the concept that it separated a handful of ChromeOS devices from the pack by adhering to a list of minimum spec requirements such as a 1080p webcam and an Intel Core i3 12th Gen/AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series (or above) processor, just to name a few.

There were a small handful of benefits that came with these higher specs, including the availability of Google’s Magic Eraser software in browser, as well as a 25% discount on the ChromeOS version of LumaFusion, but they weren’t exactly enough to give Chromebook Plus laptops a distinct identity. That is, until now.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

To tie in with Google’s ongoing push to be one of the leading companies in AI, all Chromebook Plus laptops now come with Google Gemini on device and out of the box (with existing models receiving a software update).

For the last few days I’ve been using an Acer Chromebook Plus 515 preloaded with this new software and I’m quite impressed with what I’ve seen – so much so that I’ll likely be staying with team ChromeOS for the foreseeable future.

A new future for Chromebook Plus?

Before I get ahead of myself, I will admit that I am still sceptical of AI. As a journalist who works exclusively in online media, Google’s plans to offer up AI-led search results and bury articles like the one you’re reading right now doesn’t leave me with a great deal of optimism. However, in the realm of speeding up your workflow and offering advice on how to tackle various tasks, AI has a ton of potential.

For instance, over the weekend I sought to put a plan together for how I might optimise my spare time to build a YouTube channel with a sustainable schedule to boot. Not only was Google Gemini able to offer up a week-by-week timeline for how to realistically get that done, but it was also able to provide me with a list of YouTube channels tackling the same niche that I’m interested in so that I could learn from the work that’s already out there.

That’s huge, and if you’re working alone it’s almost like having a second person in the room to bounce ideas off of.

Just like what’s possible with Galaxy AI, Chromebook Plus devices are also getting the ability to make AI-generated wallpapers using a handful of pre-selected prompts. It’s not quite as boundless in the way that Google Gemini is, but it has been fun to play around with.

To sweeten the deal even further however, Google is now offering 12 months of its AI Premium Plan for free to Chromebook Plus users, until the end of the year. This plan includes access to Gemini Advanced which, on top of some pretty impressive coding chops, can summarise documents for you and even work within a handful of Google apps such as Docs and Gmail, to give you more contextual assistance.

When you pair all of that together, on top of the benefits that Chromebooks already tout including excellent battery life and speedy performance, it feels as if Google is finally on to something with the Chromebook Plus range.

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Sound & Vision: Sonos just represented the best and worst aspects of tech

Thomas Deehan — Sun, 26 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: From Microsoft unveiling its new AI ventures to the latest generation of handsets from Poco, there’s been no shortage of tech reveals this week. But the two that have absolutely floored me are, funnily enough, from the same company.

Unless you decided to ignore the news this week, you’re likely aware that Sonos finally debuted its first pair of headphones in the Sonos Ace.

This is a milestone not just for the company itself but for the headphone market at large as it now means there’s one more fighter in the ring to challenge premium picks from the likes of Apple, Sony and Sennheiser.

It says a lot that despite well known audio chops in the realm of home entertainment and speakers, Sonos took its time before deciding to enter this already populated market, giving it the best opportunity to make an impact by bringing meaningful features to the table that pair well with Sonos’ signature sound.

While it has all the usual headphone trappings including active noise cancellation and automatic pause/play functions, what really stands out is the fact that it can seamlessly link up with a Sonos Arc soundbar so that when you want to transition to personal audio during a film or TV show, all you have to do is switch on the headphones.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

This is just the type of feature that could appeal to home cinema enthusiasts (and existing Sonos users) and while there are similar versions of the idea on competing devices, they haven’t been presented in this way before. Again, it’s a great example of a company eyeing up the market and seeing where it can stand out amongst the crowd, and yet for whatever reason, Sonos has done the complete opposite with the surprise launch of the Sonos Roam 2.

Is this really the new Roam?

As one of the few products to ever score a full five-star rating here at Trusted Reviews, the original Sonos Roam is still a great recommendation in 2024, years after release, and any minor issues we had with the device simply weren’t enough to diminish it overall. You would think that Sonos would be happy with that but instead, to keep the Roam fresh in the minds of consumers, it has put out the most iterative of updates I have ever seen.

There has been no change to the sound quality, the design is almost identical (save for a change in the colouration of the Sonos logo) and the battery life remains the same at 10-hours. So what exactly has changed here? Well, there’s now a dedicated Bluetooth button and the Roam 2 can now pair right out of the box without having to go through the previous Wi-Fi set-up. That’s it.

At a time when big brands like Samsung and Apple are accused of relying on only the smallest of updates for their yearly phone releases, I never expected Sonos of all companies to drag the bar down even further. How the new Roam ever got a ‘2’ added to its name instead of being released in a similar fashion as the USB-C AirPods Pro, I’ll never know.

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Winners and Losers: Nintendo does right by its fans, while Galaxy Ring price leak worries

Max Parker — Sun, 26 May 2024 08:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Another week, another chance to choose our winners and losers of the past seven days in the world of tech.

We’re deep into tech conference season now, with Microsoft taking to the stage for its annual Build conference this coming week. A day before Build started, Microsoft also hosted an exclusive launch of its next-gen Surface devices and we got an early look at the Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 11.

Elsewhere, Sonos finally announced its first set of headphones with the Sonos Ace and the early signs are positive, while rumours suggested the iPhone 16 series could come with some huge camera upgrades. Neither of these nabbed our Winner or Loser spot for the week, so what did?

Winner: The Switch is still going strong

There has been a lot of talk about the Switch 2 recently, with a launch of the next-gen console likely coming sometime in early 2025. In the meantime however, owners of the original console – which has celebrated its 7th birthday this year – are still getting exceptional new titles to play, including Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

Our glowing 4.5/5 review of the remake of the Nintendo classic went live this week, shortly before the game’s release, and we called it a “fantastic and faithful remake of the beloved GameCube gem with enhanced visuals, reworked music and quality-of-life improvements elevating this classic to the same standard as modern Switch games.”

Yes, this is another remake of an older title, something which has become slightly commonplace on the Nintendo Switch, but given that The Thousand-Year Door is something of a cult classic, it’s great to see Nintendo finally give the game some recognition. Plus, it’s great to see the Switch still getting some top-class releases even with its successor getting ever closer.

Loser: Samsung’s pricing for the Galaxy Ring could be an issue

Samsung first teased its entry into the growing smart ring space alongside the launch of the Galaxy S24 series, and we got our first look at the dinky device a month later at MWC 2024. While many of the details of the ring are still under wraps, news this week has hinted at possible pricing – and it’s not cheap.

Leaker Yogesh Brar took to X this week to claim the Samsung Galaxy Ring will be priced between $300 and $350 in the US. If it was to be released at this price then the Galaxy Ring would be arriving at a similar price to its key rival, the Oura Ring 3, which starts from $299/£300.

Like the Oura Ring, it looks as if the Galaxy Ring would also require a monthly subscription of around $10 to enable all of its features.

Samsung Galaxy Ring at MWC 24

If it were to start at this price, and with a subscription required, Samsung could have trouble trying to tempt people away from its own Galaxy smartwatch line which requires no recurring payments and can be picked up for much less.

Of course, smart rings have some benefits over even the best smartwatches – notably the more discreet form factor – but it’ll be interesting if Samsung can convince buyers to spend a large amount of money on a fairly new category of wearable. It also means Samsung will have to ensure that it doesn’t lack many of the features that have made Oura Ring 3 such a hit.

As with any early leak, this pricing must be taken with a pinch of salt until it’s confirmed by Samsung. We’d expect the Galaxy Ring to hit the market later this year, possibly alongside the release of Samsung’s next wave of foldables.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: I tried all the Copilot Plus PCs and I've never been as excited about Windows

Max Parker — Sat, 25 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: When we look back at the big computing news of 2024, Microsoft’s huge announcements this week will surely stand as one of the biggest events.

I was in Seattle for both the Surface event that kicked off the week and the Build Developer Conference that took place afterwards. There was an air of positivity around the place that showed just how important the proceeding announcements were.

During the event many were expecting the news to be the consumer versions of the business-focussed Surface devices Microsoft announced a couple of months ago. This certainly wasn’t the case.

Instead we got a new category of PC (the Copilot Plus PC), and the promise of Windows 11 machines that could offer huge battery life improvements and performance ahead of Apple’s M3 family.

All these Copilot Plus PCs run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series of chips, be it the Plus or flagship Elite versions. Like Apple’s M-series, these are built on the Arm architecture. Whether you plump for a machine with the Plus or Elite branding, the NPU (neural process unit) remains the same and enables the various AI features in Windows 11, including the clever (if slightly controversial) Recall. As we’ve seen with Arm chips on the Mac and iPad ranges, they also have dramatic effects on battery life and general performance.

While myriad partners including Asus, Acer and HP, launched machines around the event, the flagship products were the duo of new Surface devices.

The Surface Laptop Copilot Plus PC (or Surface Laptop 7) and the Surface Pro Copilot Plus PC (or Surface Pro 11) both feel like notable upgrades, and for the first time in about a decade I am seriously thinking about moving across to Windows for one of these new machines.

Big battery claims

The highlight of the Surface Laptop 7 is the claimed 22 hours of battery life, although the 86% performance boost over the Intel i5 version of the older Surface Laptop 5 should generate a lot of interest too.

I was also taken with the design, which has thinner bezels around the screen compared to the previous version and comes in four tasteful colours. It’s slim and light too, all the ingredients required for a laptop like this to be successful.

Surface Laptop

The Surface Pro 11 is a delight too. Here, Microsoft swapped the LCD for a wonderful OLED panel that really ups the quality of the screen. I am also a huge fan of the new Flex keyboard, which can be used independently of the tablet for more versatility. It’s just a shame neither a keyboard nor a pen is included in the box.

I got to spend a few hours with each machine after the initial announcement, however questions remain that will only be answered by getting these machines into our labs and putting them through our review process.

Are those performance claims correct? 22 hours of battery life might be achievable when watching offline video, but what’s the endurance like across a regular workday? My biggest question is around app compatibility, and how the biggest services work on this Arm hardware.

Surface Pro

Microsoft did address this during the launch, claiming that apps like Spotify, Disney Plus and Chrome would all be natively built for the hardware. Numerous apps in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite are native too, with others – like Premiere Pro – coming soon. Finally, the Prism emulator will be on hand for apps not natively designed for Arm and Microsoft said 90% of apps will work fine on day one.

The other side of the software debate is focused on AI. Microsoft has made it clear that Windows 11 is built with AI at the heart, and these PCs have that focus too thanks to the dedicated on-device AI hardware. During the Copilot Plus PC launch, Microsoft also announced Recall – a new way of finding everything from Teams messages to presentation slides – and a Photos app with generative AI features. The NPUs inside these Qualcomm chips are capable of performing 40+ trillion operations per second, so expect these AI features to be very fast.

The combination of excellent hardware, capable chipsets that promise huge boosts to both battery life and performance, plus the selection of genuinely exciting AI advancements in Windows 11 make this the most tempting Microsoft computing product I can remember.

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Fast Charge: The Poco F6 range has massively shaken up the mid-range market

Lewis Painter — Sat, 25 May 2024 08:30:00 +0000

OPINION: The mid-range market has been gathering steam over the past few years, benefiting from the use of trickled-down flagship tech to vastly improve the experience on offer – all without that premium price tag.

That means that mid-range phones are getting closer and closer to their flagship brethren, and with the release of the Poco F6 and Poco F6 Pro, that gap is smaller than ever.

Pocophone, the Xiaomi sub-brand, has a bit of a reputation for undercutting the competition with impressive hardware. One of its first phones, the Pocophone F1, caused a stir at release in 2018 because it featured a flagship-level chipset despite costing just £309, easily beating phones that cost upwards of £300 more in the benchmark department.

It’s a trend that Pocophone has continued with other recent favourites like the Poco X6 Pro, a £369 smartphone with a premium vegan leather design, strong battery life, fast 67W charging, and the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra, a chipset usually found in premium phones around the £600 mark.

That was impressive enough, but the new Poco F6 and Poco F6 Pro really kick things up a notch.

Let’s start with the regular Poco F6. It’s a phone that Poco claims is focused on high performance for gamers, with an impressive spec to match, the headline of which is the inclusion of the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset.

Poco F6

While this isn’t quite as powerful as the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 found in the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, it’s not that far off.

In fact, when I spoke to a Qualcomm rep about the chipset at its launch in April, he explained that the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 sits somewhere between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and 8 Gen 3 in terms of performance, complete with premium features like support for on-device GenAI capabilities.

For context, the only other phone in the Western market to feature that chipset right now is the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra, Motorola’s top-end smartphone for 2024, which comes in at a cool £849.

It’s easy to write it off as a cheap phone with an expensive chipset, but it’s not just the Poco F6’s chipset that stands out compared to the competition. It sports a 6.67-inch AMOLED 1.2K screen with a 120Hz refresh rate along with support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, a 2400nit peak brightness, and Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

It’s even a premium charging experience with support for Xiaomi’s 90W HyperCharge tech, and to really seal the deal, the charger comes in the box. There are plenty of 2024 flagships that you can’t say that about.

All this tech paints a picture of a phone that could easily sell for £600, if not a little more, but the Poco F6 has an RRP of just £399. In fact, during the early bird sale, it can be found for as little as £339.

That’s already impressive, but things get even more fanciful with its bigger brother, the Poco F6 Pro.

It oozes even more of a premium look with an all-glass-and-metal design, but it’s more than just a looker.

Poco F6 Pro

Take the display for example; it sports a similarly sized 6.67-inch AMOLED to its cheaper sibling but cranks things up a notch with a smattering of truly premium tech like a 120Hz refresh rate, support for 12-bit colour, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, a whopping 4000nit peak brightness and a pixel-packed WQHD+ (1440 x 3200) resolution.

The latter, in particular, is something you’d usually only find on flagships like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and OnePlus 12.

It also sports a similarly premium chipset to the regular Poco F6 with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the flagship chipset of choice for flagships in 2023. It might not be the fastest around right now, but it’ll come pretty close, especially when paired with either 12- or 16GB of LPDDRX5 RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage.

There’s also an impressive 50MP main camera with the premium Light Fusion 800 sensor, praised for its impressive dynamic range, although the accompanying 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro lenses need a little TLC before competing with flagship-level competition.

Finally, the Poco F6 Pro takes the fast charging experience and cranks it up even further with 120W HyperCharge support, with Poco claiming a full charge only takes 19 minutes. And, like the regular F6, the 120W HyperCharge charger comes in the box, free of charge.

Again, looking at the spec sheet, this is a phone that you’d expect to cost somewhere north of £700 – but the Poco F6 Pro starts at just £499, and can be found for as little as £449 during the early bird sales.

Of course, the Poco F6 and Poco F6 Pro are somewhat of a rarity in the mid-range smartphone market, with most others trailing far behind, but releases like this could force the hand of manufacturers to really up their game when it comes to affordable smartphone tech.

If not, then Pocophone has a real chance of cleaning up the mid-range market in 2024 with the Poco F6 and F6 Pro.

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The 6 most graphically demanding mobile games to test your gaming phone

Lewis Painter — Fri, 24 May 2024 14:35:53 +0000

So you’ve got yourself a gaming phone and want to put the high-end mobile hardware to the test – but which games should you play?

There are a plethora of games to download on Google Play, but most of these are designed to be played by practically any smartphone, meaning the graphics aren’t usually that impressive. To truly push your gaming phone’s hardware, you instead need to hunt down the most demanding 3D titles around.

That’s where I come in; I’ve been playing mobile games for years, everything from Candy Crush to Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG Mobile and much more, and here’s my selection of the six most graphically demanding mobile games that I think will push your gaming phone’s hardware to the absolute limit.

Genshin Impact

When it comes to demanding mobile games to test your gaming phone’s mettle, there’s no better example than the ever-popular Genshin Impact.

The title, available for mobile devices, PCs and consoles, can hammer even the most powerful mobile chipsets if you crank the graphics settings up to maximum – so much so that most phones can’t sustain smooth 60fps performance for extended periods of play – but damn, it looks good.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

This makes it the ideal benchmark for mobile gamers curious about just how well their gaming phone can perform under load – and it also helps that it’s a pretty amazing, free-to-play, title with an anime-like visual style, vivid graphics and an addictive gameplay loop. It’s a game you’ll keep on playing too, with reports that it can take 211 hours to fully complete.

Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile

Not quite as taxing as Genshin Impact but still impressive-looking for a mobile game, Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile is another great game to stretch your gaming phone’s muscles – and it has more optional graphics settings than most mobile titles, allowing you to really dial in the kind of visuals you want.

Cranking the graphics up to max and enabling optional visual effects will make any gaming phone sweat, but the ultra-realistic graphics, high-res textures and smooth FPS gameplay make it an absolute joy for those who enjoy online shooters.

Like Genshin Impact, it’s totally free to play with an optional online marketplace to buy skins and other gear, and with a very active online community, you’ll never be waiting long to jump into a game.

Ark: Survival Evolved

Ark: Survival Evolved is one of a growing number of PC and console games with a mobile port, and as long as you’ve got the mobile hardware to run high textures, the detailed 3D world looks absolutely phenomenal.

For those unaware of the 2017 hit title, Ark: Survival Evolved revolves around survival on an island filled with dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes. Craft gear, armour and weapons, build huge castles and even tame a dinosaur or two in this action-survival title.

In a running theme of these high-end titles, Ark: Survival Evolved is free to play on smartphones with an in-app marketplace acting as the main source of income for the title.

Fortnite

Fortnite was, at one time, the most popular game in the world, so it doesn’t really need much of an introduction. The bright and appealing art style makes it a great candidate for gaming phones, especially when you crank the graphics settings – of which there are many – to the maximum.

The game’s ever-changing world keeps things interesting, as does Epic Games’ collaborations with high-profile brands, helping keep the battle royale fresh and interesting.

One Punch Man: World

One Punch Man: World is one of the newest games on this list. Set in the world of the hit anime One Punch Man, you follow Satiama’s journey as you explore the open world and battle familiar faces from the series, including Subterranean King, Beast King and many more.

The anime art style matches the anime series perfectly, delivering stunning graphics that make those boss fights feel all the more epic. Don’t be fooled by the 2D art style though; this is very much a game that demands a high-end processor to do its best work.

Grid Autosport

Grid Autosport is another PC/console game that has made its way to mobile with very few visual compromises.

It’s a game that can look absolutely stunning if you’ve got powerful enough mobile hardware to handle ultrarealistic graphics and car physics. It doesn’t just look good either; it plays like a proper semi-simulator racing game like Project CARS with a quality you rarely see on mobile racing games.

Plus, with the option to play at up to 120fps, it’s the perfect game to test the FPS limit of your gaming phone. The only catch is cost; it’s not a cheap download at £9.99/$9.99.

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Microsoft Copilot AI agents are coming for your office job

Chris Smith — Tue, 21 May 2024 17:23:55 +0000

OPINION: Microsoft has announced new developer tools that’ll enable automation of office productivity tasks. While it might free up time for more rewarding work, it could also replace people’s jobs entirely.

The AI agents will take a more proactive approach to handling complex tasks imperative the day-to-day operations of business. For example, instead of waiting for the user to ask Copilot to do something specific, the AI agent can perform tasks like data entry and email inbox monitoring of its own volition.

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In the Build 2024 blog post announcing the tools Microsoft says businesses can built copilots that “proactively respond to data and events, tailored to specific tasks and functions.”

It goes on: “Copilots built with this new category of capabilities can now independently manage complex, long-running business processes by leveraging memory and knowledge for context, reason over actions and inputs, learn based on user feedback and ask for help when they encounter situations that they don’t know how to handle. Users can now put Copilot to work for them – from IT device procurement to customer concierge for sales and service.”

Microsoft will undoubtedly pitch this as a way to save office workers time and enable them to dedicate their energies to less tedious matters.

It uses an example of how a Copilot agent could help with an employee onboarding: “Imagine you’re a new hire. A proactive copilot greets you, reasoning over HR data and answers your questions, introduces you to your buddy, gives you the training and deadlines, helps you with the forms and sets up your first week of meetings. Now, HR and the employees can work on their regular tasks, without the hassle of administration.”

However, there’ll be some sense among AI sceptics that everything Microsoft is describing will only help businesses streamline their operations and reduce the number of employees they’ll need as a result.

I suppose it could perhaps be likened to the way advanced robotics and machinery as well as outsourcing abroad, transformed Britain from a manufacturing country that worked on production lines to one that predominantly worked in offices operating PCs running on Microsoft’s software.

Ironically, that shift coincided with Microsoft’s rise into the computing behemoth that still enjoys a near-monopoly in offices today.

One might worry, this is how the eradication of something like data entry jobs starts. Countless families around the world rely on these jobs. However, if the tasks could be accounted for by a few lines of code that run automatically, why would a nimble business keep that employee around?

Well, at least after it had helped to train the Copilot to get by when it “encounters situations that they don’t know how to handle.”

Microsoft says most of these tasks are accounting for things that nobody really wants to do. However, it’s clear some people would rather have a job that pays them to perform those tasks.

On the plus side, I’m actually fine with it replacing the aforementioned HR employees. At least with an AI taking on the role of corportate stooge, you won’t have to put up with a human pretending they’re representing your best interests, rather than simply protecting the company at all times.

I, for one, welcome our human relations AI overlords.

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Sound & Vision: Panasonic's 2024 TVs are more evolution than revolution

Kob Monney — Sun, 19 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: It’s been a hectic few months in the TV world. Samsung launched its TVs, followed by LG, Sony, Hisense, TCL, and now Panasonic. All have revealed their hand for what’s to come in the following months.

There have been rumours – or at the very least some musings in the industry – that Panasonic would pull out of the TV industry sooner rather than later.

It left the North American market several years ago and it appears to have exited the Australian market (which many brands seem lukewarm to these days).

If you wanted to read the tea leaves in a certain way, they might reveal a Panasonic that’s losing interest in a fiercely competitive market where profit margins are shrinking, especially towards the budget end of the market.

But this and the 2023 line-up showed a Panasonic that seemed willing to tough it out. More OLED screens than before, a wide range of LCD LED options, and its first Mini LED screen. That doesn’t sound like a company losing interest. In fact, the 2024 range is Panasonic being very aggressive.

And yet, in the press release it spoke about revolution with its latest line-up and having seen the TVs and walked through a series of demonstrations, I can’t help but feel that new ideas are a little low on the ground.

Panasonic isn’t the only one to speak of revolution in 2024. Sony said something similar with its Bravia announcement and Samsung has raved about AI in its TVs, even though there’s been AI in its TVs for years now.

The point I’m trying to make is that true innovation has become thin on the ground. At the plenary event in Dusseldorf, Panasonic talked up its Extreme True Game modes and another partnership with Diablo for the upcoming expansion. All this echoed last year’s announcements without moving the needle forward much.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

There was another partnership announced with a mastering house – Platige – who create in-game cinematics for the likes of Call of Duty along with Company3, who use Panasonic TVs for mastering films including Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. However, Disney mandates that any company working with it uses LG OLEDs across its productions, and although LG doesn’t talk about this, it arguably puts the Korean company in a bigger sphere of influence within the film industry and the home market.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The Fire TV tie-up was already announced but the addition of the TiVo interface was a nice surprise. The UK won’t get Panasonic Google TVs, but from what I know and have seen of the TiVo operating system, it’s a very good alternative.

It’ll be sad to see My Home Screen disappear, but in today’s smart age, Panasonic needed to level up and despite my misgivings about Fire TV, it has achieved that.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

I was shown an audio demo of the Z90A OLED that didn’t sound as good as the MZ1500. While it was more refined in some ways it lacked the weightiness and energy of the MZ1500’s sound system.

The OLED and Mini LED picture quality all looked to be a step up from the 2023 models, with smoother gradation and reduced banding; as well as Panasonic supporting Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail, a feature that only LG TVs had up until now but presents even more detail and finesse in the image.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

However, these all felt like incremental improvements rather than one big leap forward; evolution rather than revolution.

When I first started going to these events, I always felt as if Panasonic was the company bringing new ideas to the market – higher brightness OLED panels, genuinely good sound systems for a TV, Dolby Vision IQ and Filmmaker mode picture accuracy. It was the TV brand that was bringing new technology to the market, and more often than not, it was the first to do so.

Now everyone has caught up, and the innovation Panasonic was bringing seems to have slowed. Perhaps that’s something that could be applied to the industry as a whole but much of what I saw felt like a repeat of things I’ve already seen from Panasonic. Were they better? Yes, but there was a sense of familiarity hanging over the event.

Where does that leave Panasonic in the mix of things? I’m not entirely sure. I think the quality of its TVs deserves a bigger reward; and perhaps the adoption of Fire TV, Google TV, and TiVo can make the TVs more accessible. I hope that’s the case because the TV world needs a Panasonic that’s taking chances and pushing the TV market forward.

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Winners and Losers: Canon confirms flagship EOS R1 as Sony Xperia 1 VI loses its 4K display

Hannah Davies — Sun, 19 May 2024 08:00:00 +0000

It’s Sunday again, meaning it’s time for us to name our winner and loser of the week here at Trusted Reviews.

This week was all about AI as OpenAI announced the latest version of ChatGPT with real-time translation and Google showcased its Gemini AI assistant in Android 15.

We also heard polarising news from Apple, as the company revealed that eye-tracking would be coming to the iPhone and iPad in iOS 18. While the feature sounds pretty uncanny, it’s actually designed as an accessibility feature to help people with physical disabilities navigate the interface.

Speaking of accessibility, Microsoft unveiled a new modular Xbox controller this week designed to address accessibility needs with more than 100 million different custom configurations.

Keep reading to discover who we named our winner and loser this week.

Winner: Canon

Canon is our winner this week after the company officially confirmed that a flagship camera was on its way.

The EOS R1 has long been rumoured as the flagship of the EOS R mirrorless system, with one Canon exec going as far as to mention it last year. However, this is the first time Canon itself has officially confirmed the camera’s existence.

According to the popular camera brand, the EOS R1 will be aimed at professionals in need of top-class performance, high durability and the latest cutting-edge technology. This includes photographers and videographers working in sports, news reports, and video production.

The EOS R1 will be powered by a new image processing system, consisting of a new CMOS sensor, the Digic X, and a newly developed image processor Digic Accelerator. This combination will allow the R1 to process large volumes of data at high speeds and improve subject recognition and subject tracking, with new features that sound especially useful for sports photography.

The image quality will also see a jump with an image noise reduction function soon available in-camera.

So, when can you get your hands on the EOS R1? Canon says it’s aiming for a 2024 launch for the flagship camera, meaning we should hear more before the end of the year.

Loser: Sony

This week’s loser is Sony as the company announced its own flagship in the form of the Sony Xperia 1 VI.

While the phone is packed with upgrades, one major downgrade is the display. Sony has ditched the 4K screen that made it unique.

The Xperia 1 VI swaps out Sony’s signature 4K resolution and 21:9 aspect ratio for an FHD+ display with a more common 19.5:9 aspect ratio. This means you can no longer expect the latest films to fill the screen perfectly, making the change a definite disappointment for cinema fans.

Of course, the display isn’t all a step backwards for the Xperia line. The display is Sony’s first LTPO screen, meaning it’ll be more energy-efficient than its predecessors. The brightness has also been increased by 50%, while Sony’s ‘Powered by Bravia’ AI image adjustment technology uses machine learning to reproduce the image quality of Sony’s popular TVs.

Film fans can also rest assured knowing the 3.5mm headphone jack isn’t going anywhere with a new Premium Audio Circuit, while the stereo speakers have received an upgrade too.

Other upgrades can be found in the camera, battery, chipset, and vapour chamber cooling system. For these reasons, you shouldn’t expect the phone to see a price dip – even with the unfortunate screen downgrade.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: Google is ruining its search engine with AI Overview

Ryan Jones — Sat, 18 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Google I/O has historically been an event used to showcase the latest updates coming to Android. However, this week, Google chose to focus on AI instead, and specifically how it will change how we navigate the web.

Google’s search engine is arguably the most important asset that the company owns, acting as the launchpad to make Google the technology giant it is today. According to Statista, Google dominates a whopping 82% of the desktop search engine market share, as of January 2024. In second place is Bing, with just 11% of the share.

And yet despite its dominance, Google has announced that it will be drastically overhauling its popular search engine, by integrating a new feature called AI Overview.

This new feature leverages advanced artificial intelligence technology to generate unique answers for many search queries. As the answers are generated by Google they will be embedded into the results of the search engine, meaning you won’t need to click on any link to actually find the information you’re looking for.

I can certainly understand the appeal of this for the average user, as you’re able to get all of the information you need more quickly, while also having it all neatly summarised so you don’t have to scroll through lines of text. Google even offers you the option to simplify the summary even further, or even break it down into more detail.

That all sounds great on paper, but I’ve got a lot of concerns about where Google is getting all this information from. Google does at least give credit to the websites and articles that it’s harvesting the information from, but given the nature of AI, it’s not always perfect at correctly summarising that information.

Google has also been known to take information from unreliable sources, and then present incorrect information as its ‘Featured Snippet’ in the search results. You can check out the video from Vox below, which showcases some of these significant mistakes, including a post that suggests dinosaurs never existed, and were simply a construct to indoctrinate children.

That video is admittedly seven years old now, and Google will argue that it’s improved its search results significantly in that time frame, but there are a few major mistakes of Google’s new AI Overview already going viral.

While I can’t verify this search result, one post on X (formerly Twitter) claims that Google’s AI Overview suggested that anyone suffering from kidney stones should drink urine every 24 hours to help them pass.

Credit: @kristileilani

Having medical advice that is unvetted by a professional or expert is incredibly dangerous, and Google is running the risk of doing this by rolling out its new AI Overview feature. In fact, even beyond medical advice, Google is unable to ensure that all the information it’s harvesting is coming from an expert.

Google recently penned a deal with Reddit, allowing the tech company to use posts from countless forums to train its AI. During Google I/O, a demonstration video also showed Quora pop up as one of the sources of information used for the answer generated by AI Overview.

Forums are a valuable place to get information from other people across the web, but since anyone can post without any professional knowledge or fact-checking process, there is no way to guarantee that what you’re reading is correct. That’s completely fine if you’re aware of this when scrolling through answers in Reddit and Quora, but it becomes a lot more dangerous when the information is presented as being factual from a trusted source such as Google.

Of course, that’s not to say you wouldn’t still find incorrect information when using Google’s search engine and clicking on a link to visit a website. The difference here, though, is that the reader can make up their own decision as to how trustworthy the information is.

For example, you’re far more likely to think the information is accurate when reading it on the BBC as opposed to an amateur blog. But with Google, many people may incorrectly assume that Google is just as reliable as any prominent publication for providing factual information, which sadly isn’t the case.

With the world wide web already rife with misinformation, I’m growing very concerned that Google’s push into AI won’t actually solve this problem, but intensify it instead. An answer generated by AI is always going to be more prone to error than one written and fact-checked by an experienced journalist, and Google needs to understand that quickly before it damages the quality and credibility of its search engine.

Ctrl+Alt+Del is our weekly computing-focused opinion column where we delve deeper into the world of PCs, laptops, handhelds, peripherals and more. Get it straight into your email inbox every Saturday by signing up for the newsletter.

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Fast Charge: 4K was overkill, but the Xperia 1 VI goes too far the other way

Lewis Painter — Sat, 18 May 2024 08:30:00 +0000

OPINION: The Sony Xperia 1 range has always stood out from the crowd, and for good reason: it’s the only smartphone line-up on the market that offers a true 4K display. At least, that was the case until Sony launched the new Xperia 1 VI this week which, to the chagrin of the company’s loyal fan base, ditched that famously high-res screen.

Now, I’ve got to admit, I’ve always thought that having a 4K resolution on such a small screen was overkill.

Sure, you can tell the difference between 1080p and 4K on a big 50-inch TV, but on a screen that’s just 6.5 inches? I’m not convinced. In fact, I’ve said in past Xperia 1 reviews that the 4K screen is just a bit of a waste, not to mention the detriment to overall battery life having to power all those pixels.

Still, even I was surprised when Sony revealed that the latest top-end smartphone, the Xperia 1 VI, doesn’t have a 4K screen like its predecessors.

What was more surprising, however, was that Sony had dropped the resolution right down to Full HD+, skipping the QHD+ and 1.5K resolutions that many of its premium competitors – like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Honor Magic 6 Pro – boast. For the media buffs that the top-end Xperia has always been targeted at, it’s not good news at all.

Credit: Sony

In fact, Sony has gone even further with its display changes, ditching the 21:9 aspect ratio that much of the Xperia range has utilised for years. The 21:9 aspect ratio did give the phones a rather thin-and-tall look, but they were perfectly suited to watching widescreen Hollywood blockbusters without annoying black bars on either side of the content.

In its place, you’ll find a 19.5:9 aspect ratio that Sony claims is better for both portrait video playback and general use for social media. Given that plenty of the best Android phones share the same aspect ratio, there must be some truth there. However, it does mean the return of the black bars if you do want to watch a movie on the phone.

Despite all this, Sony still frames the Xperia 1 VI as a great phone for watching video content, highlighting its ‘Powered by Bravia’ AI image adjustment technology at the announcement, which the company claims reproduces the image quality of Sony’s TVs.

It’s also the first Xperia to get LTPO tech that lets the screen drop down to as little as 1Hz to save battery life, and it’s also 50% brighter than its predecessor, so it’s not a complete downgrade by any means.

It’s just a rather odd decision for one of the most expensive smartphones on the market, and it’ll be interesting to see how Sony fans react to this once the phone goes on sale in early June.

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Google finally showed me a vision for AI I’m comfortable with

Chris Smith — Tue, 14 May 2024 21:25:04 +0000

OPINION: Google I/O was almost entirely focused on its Gemini AI model’s takeover of its most important products. It may not have been the most exciting showcase of AI’s potential, but it’s the first to leave me feeling enthusiastic rather than icky and scared.

I’ve seen generative AI as a personal and existential threat ever since it emerged as this decade’s most disruptive tech trend. I’ve been incredibly sceptical about its ability to be a net benefit for humanity now and in the future.

As tech journalists we’ve seen Microsoft et al pitch a future where no-one clicks our websites because search has neatly summarised our collective words into an aggregated paragraph, complete with a link to the shopping page for the product we’ve spent weeks testing.

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I’ll often be reminded that ChatGPT can do what I do as a copywriter, but in seconds. Ask a graphic designer who creates logos for people’s businesses. They’ll tell you the same.

Reporting on that stuff in real time has felt like writing my own career obituary. And people wonder why I became a yoga teacher as a side hustle!

However, during Google I/O on May 14, I began to see a side of AI that could aid my personal and professional life, rather than hinder it. It’s one that could help me be more productive and achieve complex tasks in double quick time. And no-one else’s livelihood needs to suffer.

All benefits, no thievery

Take the series of Google Gemini tools coming to Android 15, Google Photos and Google Search, for example. I was particularly impressed with the new Google Lens tool that enables a video of a tech issue to be uploaded along with a voice query relating to the problem.

Gemini could identify the model, analyse the nature of the issue, and spit out a load of text that might help you with troubleshooting the problem. This potentially eliminates a dozen web other searches and ensures people don’t have to spend ages looking for the technical term, like the tone arm in this image below.

The ability to make a deeply personal vegan meal plan for the week (and easily adjust it) could save me a couple of hours on a Sunday morning while I’m watching the football and – due to the complex potential within search – save me some money too.

The Gemini Overlay in Android 15 will leverage the multimodal elements of the generative AI model to “Ask This Video” within YouTube as a shortcut to the information or the portion of the video required.

Again, much of this comes with the caveat that Google eventually finds a way to compensate the people who wrote those troubleshooting guides, recipes, and created the videos to gave Gemini the knowledge in the first place.

The tools within Workspace apps like Gmail and Docs look ever so useful in terms of harnessing the information that can otherwise take ages to find.

Instead of scouring your Gmail inbox, you can ask Gemini very specific questions about the content. I can bring up my most recent invoices, find my upcoming deadlines, summarise a lengthy brief. It’s much more powerful than the Google Assistant ever was and it’ll help me make my living without screwing anyone out of theirs.

From distorting to enhancing reality

I’ve been wary of some of Google’s AI photography tools in recent years. Things like Magic Eraser and Magic Editor don’t sit well with me because their entire purpose is to completely distort reality. In my view, these images cease to be a photograph and become just an embellishment of a former reality.

However, the new Ask Photos tool is a joy because it harnesses content you’ve already organically created and makes it more meaningful and more useful thanks to proactive prompts.

Hell yeah, create me a lovely little album of all the best places my wife and I have been in 15 years together. Show me one photo of my dog per week we’ve had him.

How many times are you endlessly scrolling through your photo library looking for a singular picture or piece of information? Ask Photos can eradicate this.

This is a vision for generative AI I’m far more comfortable with. It’s not quite as mindblowing and future-altering, but it’s something that can shave minutes off frustrating, time-consuming daily tasks. It’s something that can harness content I’ve already organically created and show me the best of it within just a few seconds.

I could get used to this. Perhaps.

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Using the Google Pixel 8a has made me worried about the Pixel 9

Max Parker — Tue, 14 May 2024 10:26:20 +0000

OPINION: I have been using Google’s new Pixel 8a smartphone for the past few days and one thing has become immediately clear – this is just about all the phone that anyone needs.

With the past couple of releases, Google has been on a great run with its mid-range devices, consistently improving year-on-year by taking the best parts of its flagship series and making them more accessible. This has reached a culmination with the Pixel 8a.

Google’s £499/$499 mid-range option for 2024 is the most complete A-series phone yet, and in multiple ways it’s a better choice than the pricier Pixel 8. Considering just how easy to recommend the Pixel 8a is, I am not sure whether Google will be able to make the upcoming Pixel 9 notably better to justify the likely price difference between the two phones.

The Google Pixel 8a shines so brightly because rather than focus on a single feature (a trap many mid-range phones fall into), it ticks multiple boxes without leaving much out. Welcome features like a good IP67 rating and Qi wireless charging are both here, as is a 120Hz OLED and the same Tensor G3 chip found in the $999/£999 Pixel 8 Pro.

Now, the Tensor G3 is a chip that isn’t going to bother the very best phones for pure performance benchmarks and it lacks the efficiency of the latest silicon from Apple and Qualcomm, yet inside a device below £500/$500 it really gets the job done.

It also brings many of the excellent AI features from the pricier Pixel phones, including support for Gemini Nano down the line via a software update and the barage of GenAI photo editing skills. As it uses the same chip, there’s every chance the Pixel 8a will pick up the same AI features that come to the Pixel 8 Pro in the future.

Arguably the biggest reason to plump for the Pixel 8a is the software promise. Google has said that it will support the phone for seven years with Feature Drops, security updates and full-on Android updates all included.

This is rare for £1000/$1000+ phones, but it’s almost unheard of for cheaper devices where two years of Android updates is often seen as better than average. Investing £500/$500 on a phone and knowing it’ll receive new features for all those years makes that initial outlay easier to swallow.

A better Pixel 8 in many ways

When Google first announced the Pixel 8a, a lot of headlines claimed people should just buy the Pixel 8 instead. In some ways, the claim is correct – the Pixel 8 does have a more capable camera and a slightly better display, but in actual use I much prefer the Pixel 8a. It’s a little smaller, with a much more comfortable rounded body and it also has the far nicer matte backing of the Pixel 8 Pro.

It seems a given that Google will carry over some of these Pixel 8a design changes to the inevitable Pixel 9, but I can’t see that device pushing the bar far enough to make any price difference worth it. The Pixel 8a ticks so many boxes for the cost that it already feels like the Pixel 9.

While Google I/O is set to be the home of multiple new AI features, and leaks surrounding the Pixel 9 Pro are already circulating, I feel there’s very little reason to go for anything but the Pixel 8a if you’re not interested in the flagship £1000/$1000 experience.

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Sound & Vision: The new Sonos app looks great, but it's a mess

Max Parker — Sun, 12 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Sonos launched a redesigned version of its multi-room speaker control app this week, and it’s fair to say the response has been mixed.

Sonos announced in late April that it would launch a fresh update to its control app, with a completely new interface designed to get users to their music more quickly. Ahead of the launch, Sonos said that it had focused on “creating a better way to listen”, and redesigned the app for an easier, faster, and better experience that can support “more rapid innovation”.

All this sounded great, with the tabbed interface of the previous app ditched for something that put your music and frequently used services within easy reach.

It’s not gone to plan

However, with the app now out for both iOS and Android the reaction from users has been underwhelming. As someone who uses the app daily, I can see where this frustration comes from. While the new app is an upgrade from a design perspective, the baffling removal of features – some very important ones – along with numerous bugs makes this a rocky start.

Take a look at replies to the announcement post on X or scroll through the active Sonos subreddit and it’s easy to see where the majority of the initial frustration lies.

In this redesign, Sonos has removed alarm and sleep timer functionality – two basic features for a multiroom speaker system. Sonos has noted the change, saying that the “feature is not currently available in the Sonos app, but will return in a future update.”

Hi Nikki! This feature is not currently available in the Sonos app, but will return in a future update. We appreciate your feedback and will pass it along to our team
— Sonos (@Sonos) May 8, 2024

For a duo of simple features to be removed is odd, but the issues don’t seem to end there. Users have reported that important accessibility features have been removed, that TruePlay tuning is broken – something I can attest to – and music queues can’t be edited. App launches can often be bumpy, but this reaction will be far from welcome for Sonos.

Of course, bugs are to be expected and Sonos has made it clear in replies to disgruntled users on X that this is its “most ambitious software update yet” and certain features will return in future updates.

The problem with that is there’s no timeframe on the return of these basic features, and for Sonos to even think about removing them from such a huge update gives me the impression that it wasn’t expecting anything resembling the backlash it is currently getting. It could be a while before the new app gets all the features of the previous one.

Sonos new S2 app

There are some welcome changes here, but the issues are plentiful

Visually, I think the app looks a lot better than it did. The heavily customisable home screen is an improvement and being able to select a preferred streaming service makes searching for songs a lot more practical. The constantly visible Now Playing screen is welcome too, making it easier to jump back to whatever is playing when you’re elsewhere in the app.

A lot of settings are buried deeper than before, EQ for instance, but personally I wouldn’t delve into that too often. My biggest issues revolve around app performance – things are just so unreliable at the time of writing, almost like I am beta testing an app that hasn’t been properly released yet.

For instance, when I opened the app for the first time, multiple services needed to be reauthorised, with Apple Music refusing to work at all. I ended up deleting Apple Music from my services and adding it again – after about five tries, it worked. I’ve also had issues with volume levels varying wildly between songs on different speakers.

After such an outcry, I would hope the app gets all the features users want quickly, especially as Sonos looks set to have a busy summer with the launch of its first set of headphones.

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Winners and Losers: iPad gets even better while Xbox shutters studios

Thomas Deehan — Sun, 12 May 2024 08:00:00 +0000

If you haven’t had a chance to catch up on the biggest stories in tech this week then we’ve got you covered with Winners and Losers.

Even though it was a short working week for folks in the UK, the tech world didn’t slow down in the slightest as things kicked off with Apple’s iPad-centric event which featured the first proper updates for the iPad range since 2022.

There were plenty more tech launches besides Apple’s, including the TicWatch 5 Pro Enduro, the super sleek (and surprisingly small) Pixel 8a, and the futuristic Huawei Watch 4 Pro Space Edition.

You can always check out our news coverage for a deep dive into all that took place but to see which stories stood out above the pack, just keep on reading.

Winner: Apple

It’s no secret that Apple has all but conquered the tablet market with its range of iPads, and that’s unlikely to change any time soon.

The previous crop of iPads was hardly lacking in power or efficiency but Apple has found a way to raise the bar yet again, allowing the new iPad Pro to leapfrog the M3 series of chips completely by launching with the even more powerful M4 processor.

It seems a little absurd to provide a tablet with that level of processing power, but it’ll no doubt cement the iPad Pro 2024 as the most powerful tablet available by a wide margin. The iPad Air 6 won’t be mistaken for a slouch either as that’s being given the M2 chip to play with.

In addition to a new Magic Keyboard as the impressive Apple Pencil Pro, there was also a notable price drop for the iPad 10th Gen, making it a much better buy given that its launch price of £499 had us all raising our eyebrows. Whether you like Apple or not, you can’t deny that the company is crushing the tablet game right now.

Loser: Xbox

The games industry is very much in a state of flux, as reports of layoffs seem to be a neverending occurrence in the current news cycle. Unfortunately, Xbox has only added more fuel to that fire after shutting down a total of four games studios that came under its wing as part of the Bethesda acquisition some years ago.

Two of the studios in question were responsible for Redfall and the critically acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush which was recently ported to PS5. As part of a company-wide email from the head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, he detailed:

“These changes are grounded in prioritising high-impact titles and further investing in Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games and beloved worlds which you have nurtured over many decades.”

From the email, it seems as though Xbox is pivoting its focus towards top-tier franchises, with less room for smaller indie titles. To make matters worse, there are rumblings that even more closures could be on the way from Xbox, indicating above all that the games industry is in dire need of a rethink when job security is so tenuous.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: The Asus ROG Ally X has solved PC handhelds' greatest flaw

Ryan Jones — Sat, 11 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: This week, Asus confirmed that it will be launching the ROG Ally X, a new PC handheld system that will coexist with the original model as a more high-end option.

Asus is keen to point out that the ROG Ally X won’t act as the sequel, as The Verge reports that the new model will still feature the same AMD Z1 Extreme and 7-inch 120Hz LCD screen.

It’s admittedly disappointing that Asus isn’t upgrading to an OLED display, as it’s been a question mark over the ROG Ally ever since the introduction of the Steam Deck OLED. But on the other hand, I’m pleased to see that Asus will be addressing the great flaw of the ROG Ally, and handheld PC systems in general: battery life.

Asus ROG Ally X

I’m a big fan of the original Asus ROG Ally. It’s powerful enough to play all of my favourite PC games, and is remarkably light considering the specs it’s packing. However, all of that portable power arguably goes to waste when you consider how poor the battery is.

When testing the handheld with modern AAA games, the ROG Ally was only capable of lasting around 90 minutes when set to Performance mode. That’s poor stamina, and sadly not long enough to last long long trips on a plane or train.

This isn’t a problem exclusive to the ROG Ally though. I found that the Ayaneo 2S only lasted 100 minutes in the same test, while the Lenovo Legion Go was only able to hit two hours. The Steam Deck OLED is the best of the bunch in this regard, but even then you need to make compromises to performance settings to last more than three hours.

Steam Deck OLED – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Asus is opting to fix this problem with the upcoming ROG Ally X. With the official launch still a couple of months away, the company has been coy on exact figures, but when speaking to The Verge, Asus claimed there will be a significant improvement for battery life.

“We’re not looking at 30 to 40 percent more capacity,” Asus SVP Shawn Yen told The Verge. “We’re looking at way more than that.” When pushed further, Asus even hinted that we can expect a battery life longer than three hours, which would double the stamina of the original.

Since Asus isn’t changing the chip, it seems that this stamina boost will come from a larger battery pack. This will likely have significant consequences for the rest of the device, especially in terms of weight.

Asus ROG Ally – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

I don’t think that will be an issue though. The vanilla Asus ROG Ally only weighs 608g, which is even lighter than the Steam Deck. This leaves plenty of wiggle room for more heft, while still ensuring it’s portable enough to easily carry around. That’s a great compromise in my eyes, considering how important the battery life is for a gaming system designed to be used on the go.

My biggest concern is that the ROG Ally X will come with an inflated price. The gaming handheld is already rather expensive at £599/$699, yet Asus has confirmed that the X model will have a higher price. For those who already own a ROG Ally, I’m not convinced that a longer battery life, boosted RAM and a M.2 SSD slot will justify an upgrade.

Nevertheless, the introduction of the Asus ROG Ally X shows that handheld PC makers are going in the right direction. Battery life should be one of the most important considerations when designing these devices, even if that results in compromises to performance and design.

And with both Asus and Valve focusing specifically on this area with their latest revised models, I’m growing more confident that we’ll see even greater battery life improvements for future devices. If I can play my PC games for over five hours straight on the go, then my purchase will be guaranteed.

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Fast Charge: Forget the iPad Pro, the Air is all the tablet you need

Lewis Painter — Sat, 11 May 2024 08:30:00 +0000

OPINION: Apple this week announced a bunch of new iPads, including the new top-end iPad Pro range with slightly larger OLED screens, a much thinner design – seriously, these are the thinnest Apple products to date – and, of course, the new ultra-powerful 3nm Apple M4 chipset.

But all that high-end tech comes at a steep price. The base 11-inch iPad Pro starts at £/$999, while the 13-inch iPad Pro starts at £/$300 more, at £/$1299 – already a hard pill to swallow when you consider that the only difference between the two is the size of the screen.

Then there’s the fact that you’ll have to opt for either the 1TB or 2TB variant if you even want the option of adding Apple’s new nano-texture coating to the screen – an extra that’ll also cost you £/$100 more.

It’s worth noting that, even for the same price as a MacBook Air, you’ll still only be getting the iPad Pro – and not even a charger if you’re in the UK. You’ll still need to fork out for the £/$129 Apple Pencil Pro and £/$299-£/$349 (size-dependent) Magic Keyboard if you’re seriously considering using it for work or creative purposes, driving the price up even further.

Old iPad Pro vs new iPad Pro

Let’s be honest; for the vast majority of people, it’s not worth it – especially with the new iPad Air range floating around at a much cheaper price point. Granted, the new 11- and 13-inch iPad Airs aren’t exactly cheap at £/$599 and £/$799 respectively, but they’re much more manageable figures than Apple’s top-end tablets.

The Air could be the better choice

First off, with matching 11-inch and 13-inch options available, the iPad Air offers the same screen real estate as its more premium siblings. Granted, they’re Liquid Retina LCD screens and not the ProMotion-enabled OLED panels of the iPad Pro range, but considering most iPads until this point have used LCD panels, it’s not exactly a downgrade that most will notice.

Then there’s processing power to consider; the new iPad Air range sports the desktop-level Apple M2 chipset – the same chipset as the previous-gen iPad Pro range, which we felt – and still feel – is more than enough power for iPadOS, with only a slim fraction of the available apps coming close to utilising the M2’s power.

iPad Air 11 and iPad Air 13

Yes, the iPad Pro range has an M4 chipset, but considering that most apps can’t even take advantage of the M2, the M4 feels like much of a muchness at this point. Maybe that’ll change with the reveal of the next version of iPadOS at WWDC in June, but right now, it feels pretty pointless.

The iPad Air, with its desktop-level chip, allows it to offer features not available on the likes of the iPad mini and iPad, including Stage Manager, external display extension support and even Hover Mode with the Apple Pencil, continuing to close the gap between it and the iPad Pro range.

Then there’s the all-important accessory support to consider. Despite being debuted alongside the iPad Pro and not the iPad Air, the new Apple Pencil Pro does work flawlessly with the latest Air range.

That allows digital artists to utilise the new tech within the stylus like a squeeze action to access an on-screen toolbar, haptic feedback and a built-in gyroscope that captures rotation as well as movement, all without the iPad Pro, and at £129, it’s the exact same price as the previous Apple Pencil.

Apple Pencil Pro features

That’s not quite the case with the second-gen Magic Keyboard, which remains exclusive to the iPad Pro, but you’ll find first-gen Magic Keyboards for the iPad Air range that work just as well. You won’t get the new function buttons or aluminium build, but the core concept of the Magic Keyboard remains unchanged – essentially turning your iPad into a trackpad-equipped laptop.

Let’s go back to those all-important numbers from earlier. If you were to buy a 13-inch iPad Air, stylus and keyboard it’d still cost you £/$1277, but that’s less than the competing iPad Pro. It’s a more positive picture with the 11-inch combo, coming in at a total of £/$1027.

So, yes, while the iPad Pro boasts the ultimate tablet hardware, you can get pretty damn close for much less with an iPad Air.

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Apple’s best announcement had nothing to do with the iPad Pro

Thomas Deehan — Wed, 08 May 2024 19:00:00 +0000

keyboard ipad 10th gen

OPINION: Even though plenty of new products and features were unveiled during Apple’s Let Loose event, it was clear that the company wanted to focus on the M4-toting iPad Pro. Given just how unbelievably powerful the device will be, this is fair, but I think that for many people the best news of the night was found elsewhere.

It was a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ announcement but towards the end of the event, Apple unveiled a sizeable price drop for the standard iPad 10th Gen, bringing the price down from £499/$449 to just £349/$349. As someone who uses the iPad 10 daily, I can safely say that this is a seriously good deal.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

For starters, the iPad 10 should never have launched with its price, being a notable uptick on its predecessor and much closer in price to the iPad Air. Seeing Apple rectify this is great, but now that it has a lower price in tow, the iPad 10 is easily the one that most people should get.

It’s all too easy to be enamoured by the processing chops of the iPad Air and iPad Pro, but these devices are designed for a very niche crowd that work in industries like animation or content creation. For everyone else, you’d struggle to find something that the iPad 10 can’t do.

With the humble A14 Bionic chip in tow, my iPad 10 has allowed me to edit videos in LumaFusion, practice the piano in Rocksmith Plus and, courtesy of Scrivener, finish my first book (agents, hit me up).

Plenty of power

For these tasks and more, the iPad 10 has been my go-to device, and at no point have I hit a wall that could have been fixed by a more powerful iPad. With that in mind, I would implore those currently shopping for a new iPad to be unperturbed by Apple’s FOMO marketing – the company has made a great, affordable tablet that leaves you wanting for very little.

Plus, with the £250/$250 difference between the iPad 10 and the new iPad Air, you always put the money saved towards accessories like the Apple Pencil, or an Apple Watch SE. You can’t say fairer than that.

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6 features the Nintendo Switch 2 must have for me to buy it

Ryan Jones — Wed, 08 May 2024 18:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Nintendo has finally confirmed that the successor to the Switch will launch before April 2025, which means it’s only a matter of months away from release.

The Nintendo Switch has been a huge success, currently ranking as the third best selling console of all time. This means that the Switch 2 has a lot to live up to, especially now that there’s far more competition in the handheld market following the release of the Steam Deck.

With that in mind, I’ve created this list of the 6 features that the Nintendo Switch 2 must have in order to guarantee my purchase and become another success story. Check them out below:

Enemies – Image Credit (Ubisoft)

Improved graphics performance

I love the Nintendo Switch and still use it regularly, but there’s no denying that its Nvidia Tegra chip is starting to show its age. There have been performance issues for first-party games such as Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, while the third-party offering has dried up in recent years due to the Switch’s inability to keep up with the PS5 and Xbox Series X hardware.

For example, Assassin’s Creed Mirage failed to materialise on the Switch, despite being playable on an iPhone 15 Pro smartphone. There’s also a growing number of third-party games on Switch that are only playable through the cloud, including Resident Evil Village, Hitman 3, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Kingdom Hearts 3.

I’m hoping that this cloud workaround will be a thing of the past, and the increased firepower of the Switch 2 should enable it to run more complex games. It should also open the door for first-party developers to be even more ambitious.

While a handheld system is always going to be more restricted than a home console, I believe that making use of AI features such as DLSS should allow it to push up performance as high as a 1080p resolution while still maintaining a healthy battery life.

4K output to TV in docked mode

I’ve heard some Switch fans say they’re hoping for a 4K upgrade for handheld mode, but I’d disagree on that point. You don’t really need that high of a resolution for a small 7-inch screen to make a noticeable difference, and upping the pixel count this high would have a detrimental effect on battery life. However, there’s no reason why Nintendo couldn’t enable a 4K performance when the Switch 2 is connected to the TV.

Right now, the Switch’s dock is essentially just a plastic docking station that makes it easy to hook up the portable to a TV. I think Nintendo should upgrade the dock to feature a powerful chip which could upscale the performance of the Switch when connected to the TV. This would theoretically enable the Switch to reach a 4K resolution on a TV without compromising on the battery life in handheld mode.

Now that 4K TVs are steadily becoming the norm, especially following the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it’s a good time for Nintendo to finally make the jump. I personally think the 1080p output to a TV can look a little pixelated at times, especially since I own a 55-inch television. Enabling 4K mode on the Switch’s dock would immediately solve this issue, and make the succeeding console feel like a substantial upgrade.

Hall-effect joysticks

If you asked every Switch fan what is their most hated feature of the portable gaming system, it’s likely that Joy-Con Drift will rank very high. This is the term given to Joy-Con controller issue that will trigger unwanted inputs for the analogue sticks, potentially causing your in-game character to spin around in a circle or move in the wrong direction.

Joy-Con Drift can be caused by excessive use of the analogue stick, to such an extent that the mechanical parts begin to erode away. Nintendo sadly hasn’t been able to fix this issue, even with the release of the Switch OLED edition, but this should hopefully be rectified with the Switch 2.

The emergence of hall-effect joysticks has been revolutionary for controllers, as it uses magnet technology rather than physical contact to register your inputs, therefore greatly reducing the risk of wear and tear. If Nintendo were to implement the hall-effect technology into its next-gen Joy-Con, then it would immediately eliminate Joy-Con Drift for good.

Backwards compatibility

The Nintendo Switch has now been around for over seven years, and in that time, it has amassed a huge collection of games. It would be a huge shame if it wasn’t possible to play these games on the Switch 2, and so I have my fingers crossed that there will be support for backwards compatibility.

Having backwards compatibility on the Switch 2 would also ease the pressure on the new device to deliver a compelling line-up of launch games in the first year, allowing access to your existing Switch games.

I’m also hopeful that the Switch 2 could offer a performance or visual boost to older games. For example, if the Switch 2 supported 4K resolution in docked mode, I’d love to revisit games such as Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Odyssey in the enhanced resolution.

I’m also hopeful that the Nintendo Switch Online service continues to offer all of the NES, SNES, N64 and Game Boy classics, as I’ve loved being able to dip into these retro games on the portable.

Speedier loading times

One of my favourite PS5 upgrades is the transition to M.2 SSDs. This cutting-edge storage solution offers significantly speedier loading times, which has all but eradicated loading screens for modern games.

I’d love to see this upgrade arrive on the Nintendo Switch 2, as loading screens can still be pretty lengthy, especially for open-world games such as Tears of the Kingdom.

The PS5’s new SSD has also allowed for improved gameplay features, such as near-instant fast travel, and the ability to hop between game worlds in an instant, demonstrated best by Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.

Sony has arguably underutilised the breakneck speed of the PS5’s SSD, but I can’t imagine Nintendo doing so, as it loves to eke every drop of potential out of every new innovation, whether it’s the motion control of the Wii or the 3D effects of the 3DS.

Customisable UI

I’m a big fan of the user interface of the Nintendo Switch, as it’s simplistic and easy to navigate, especially since all of the games are organised in a row, organised by the most recently played.

That said, I do wish that the Switch offered a tad more customisation. For example, I loved being able to set my own background on the PS4, offering more personalisation to differentiate your Switch from one owned by a sibling or friend.

It’s an obvious win for Nintendo in my eyes, as it could not only sell fun wallpapers on its digital store, but also provide special edition variations through Amiibo as an extra incentive.

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The Pixel Tablet without the dock is even harder to recommend

Lewis Painter — Wed, 08 May 2024 12:37:31 +0000

hub screen on pixel tablet

Google made a bold move this week.

Less than two hours after Apple revealed the new iPad Air range and top-end iPad Pro range, Google made a tablet-themed announcement of its own.

No, it’s not the Pixel Tablet 2, but instead a new version of the Pixel Tablet sans the hybrid dock/speaker system. Y’know, the one feature that made the Pixel Tablet interesting in the first place?

Frankly, even with a £200/$100 discount compared to the Pixel Tablet & speaker combo, the standalone Pixel Tablet is almost impossible to recommend to the vast majority of consumers.

You see, the £599/$499 Pixel Tablet’s hybrid nature was essentially the reason to pick it up over any other Android tablet, or even an iPad. The idea was that the Pixel Tablet could function as your everyday tablet in use, and when not in use, it could double up as a smart screen like the Nest Hub Max.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

It was a feature we praised in our review, helping it stand out from a sea of tablets from the likes of Samsung, OnePlus and even Apple. The tablet goes into what Google calls Hub Mode whenever docked, providing a slimmed-down version of the UI found on the Nest Hub with access to Google Assistant, smart home controls, Google Photos library and more.

It wasn’t quite as impressive as the experience from a full-fat smart display like the Nest Hub Max, missing out on features like facial recognition, and sound quality was lacking, but it did a good enough job as a smart display overall.

That’s important because when it comes to the actual tablet aspect of the Pixel Tablet, it’s pretty damn underwhelming.

The Tensor G2 chipset powering the tablet is fine, but it wasn’t even the most powerful chipset around at its initial 2023 launch despite being used in the likes of the Pixel 7 and even the Pixel Fold, focusing more on AI than pure processing power. That gap is widening in 2024 with huge advancements from MediaTek and Qualcomm, as well as the rollout of the newer Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8 range.

In fact, we found that it was on a par with the OnePlus Pad’s Dimensity 9000 chipset that was first released in 2021 – and the OnePlus Pad is quite a bit cheaper than the Pixel Tablet too. For reference, it can currently be found as little as £359/$399 at the time of writing.

Image Credit: Google

Speaking of the OnePlus Pad, that tablet’s 11.6-inch 144Hz display also makes the Pixel Tablet’s 10.95-inch 60Hz display feel comparatively jittery when swiping around the tablet.

There’s also the fact that, unlike most mid-range and premium tablets, there are no official stylus or keyboard case accessories for the Pixel Tablet, limiting its use to entertainment rather than work or educational purposes.

What I’m trying to get across is that, without the hybrid dock system, the Pixel Tablet simply doesn’t do enough to entice consumers.

The budget/mid-range tablet is an extremely competitive one, with options from Apple now including the £349/$349 iPad 10, as well as the likes of the £359/$399 OnePlus Pad and the £449/$449 Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE, all offering a better tablet experience than Google’s standalone Pixel Tablet – and most at a cheaper price point too.

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The Apple M4 feels wasted without new iPad Pro software

Ryan Jones — Wed, 08 May 2024 11:58:18 +0000

OPINION: This week, Apple shocked the world by unveiling yet another generation of Apple Silicon chips, this time in the form of the Apple M4 chip.

The fact that Apple is launching a new chip isn’t surprising in itself, but rather the timing. After all, the Apple M4 was announced just seven months after the release of its predecessor, the M3 chip.

Many have suggested that this short gap between generations is likely due to Apple’s eagerness to capitalise on the growing popularity of AI. All of the major technology companies, such as Microsoft, Intel, Google, Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm, are investing heavily in AI right now, so Apple seemingly wanted to act quickly before being left behind.

According to Apple, the M4 features the most powerful neural engine ever, capable of a stunning 38 trillion operations per second. For comparison, the preceding Apple M3 is restricted to just 18 trillion operations per second, which is less than half the AI performance of the M4 processor.

The AI power of the Apple M4 is remarkable, but all of that power will be wasted if Apple doesn’t develop enough software to make use of the processor’s cutting-edge neural engine. AI performance differs from raw processing power, as it only impacts the performance of AI-powered workloads. Right now, there aren’t a huge number of AI features that Apple offers, at least not enough that will benefit from the added power that the M4 chip promises.

When the M4 was first announced, Apple gave a couple of examples of AI features that could benefit. The first involves being able to isolate a subject from its background when editing a 4K video in Final Cut Pro. However, this is a feature that’s already available via the Google Pixel 8 smartphones, and is quickly becoming available in a wider range of devices.

Credit: Apple

Apple also says the AI power of the M4 allows iPad Pro users to automatically create musical notation by simply listening to someone play the piano. It’s an impressive feat, but it’s a feature that the vast majority of people will have no interest in.

As of now, there isn’t really any Apple AI feature that’s enticing enough to make me consider an iPad Pro purchase, or any future Mac that will be upgraded to the new M4 chipset.

This isn’t an exclusive issue to Apple. It’s currently the same problem for Windows devices, as the AI power of Intel’s 14th Generation processors currently feels underutilised, with a dearth of advanced AI features to whet the appetite.

Credit: Apple

That said, I find the issue more surprising with Apple, as the company is in the unique situation of having full control of both the hardware and software of its products. As a result, it should be easier for Apple to harness the full potential of its M4 chip via new software updates and apps.

I expect Apple will eventually address this issue. In fact, the upcoming WWDC event on 10th June 2024 is the perfect opportunity for the company to release a slew of AI-powered features that will make the purchase of an iPad Pro far more compelling.

Nevertheless, I still can’t help but feel the release of the M4-powered iPad Pro is a tad premature. The record-breaking AI performance may be an exciting development, but if you buy the tablet this month, you won’t really be able to benefit from its untapped potential.

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5 important announcements you might have missed from Apple's iPad event

Max Parker — Wed, 08 May 2024 11:01:47 +0000

Apple packed a lot into the Let Loose event, despite its short running time. While the iPad Pro and the new M4 chip were the headline attractions, there were a lot of little details that might have gone unnoticed.

Apple events are always packed full of small announcements that are buried inside larger reveals. Below we’ve highlighted some of the smaller stories from the show you might have missed.

For more from the latest Apple event, see our iPad Air 6 vs iPad Mini 5 comparison and our look at the M4 vs M3.

No charger in the UK

An odd one, this. If you purchase the iPad Pro M4 or Air M2 in the UK or other European countries it will ship without a charger – rather just a USB-C cable. It’s a different story in the USA though, where the tablet will have a 20w power adapter included inside the box.

The iPad Pro lacks the ultra-wide camera

The iPad Pro 2024 looks like a huge upgrade in many areas, however there is one slight downgrade. Instead of two cameras on the back, the new Pro models only have a single 12MP snapper – no 12MP ultra wide.

We can’t imagine many will be too fussed about this omission, in fact we don’t think we’ve ever properly used this camera, yet it’s rare for a feature like this to be removed.

iPad Pro 2024 camera

The iPad 10 is now the budget iPad

Apple didn’t update the iPad 10 during the Let Loose event, however it did drop the price to £349/$349, ditching the iPad 9 completely from the range in the process. This means the iPad 10 is now the most affordable iPad that Apple sells, and it’s a very tempting prospect.

The Apple Pencil Pro is the same price as the Apple Pencil 2

Apple’s Pencil range is now four products large, with each offering different features and compatibility. You might be surprised to learn that the new Apple Pencil Pro is actually selling at the same £129/$129 price as the Apple Pencil 2, even though it has new features like haptic response.

There are differences with the M4 depending on which storage size you get

As Apple’s Pro tablets have picked up more capable chips, things have become a little more complicated. No longer are all the Pro models the same, and there are some big differences depending on which storage option you select.

M4 models with 256GB or 512GB of storage have an M4 chip with a 9-core CPU comprising 3 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores. Jump up to the 1TB or 2TB models and along with heaps more storage, the M4 chip has a 10-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores.

There’s a difference in RAM, too. The 256GB and 512GB models have 8GB of RAM, whereas the 1TB and 2TB have 16GB.

Finally, the nano-texture glass option is available only on the 1TB and 2TB models.

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Apple just launched the strangest pricing strategy I’ve ever seen

Thomas Deehan — Tue, 07 May 2024 16:00:29 +0000

(OPINION) Apple’s latest event brought a ton of new products including multiple sized iPad Airs, M4 toting iPad Pros and even a pro-level upgrade for the iPad’s trusty stylus, the Apple Pencil. Known as the Apple Pencil Pro, this new device is already breaking my brain.

From first impressions, the Apple Pencil Pro definitely seems like quite an impressive device. On top of familiar features that we’ve come to appreciate from Apple’s iPad accessory, the Apple Pencil Pro now features an all-new squeeze button, a gyroscope for recognising rotation, haptic feedback and even Find My support (great news for anyone who’s lost of one of these things in the past).

As far as accessories go, that’s quite a solid amount of upgrades and I have no doubt that digital artists are already lining up to put down a pre-order for the Apple Pencil Pro, and you might be wondering exactly how much more these features will set you back.

Here’s the thing, the Apple Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil 2 are the same price.

Here’s what I’ve been staring at on the Apple Store

I’ve now rewatched the pricing portion of Apple’s event multiple times and refreshed the Apple Store plenty just to double check that I’m not missing something but so far as I can tell, Apple has decided to lump the Apple Pencil Pro with the same £129/$129 price tag as the lesser powered Apple Pencil 2.

On the one hand, this is definitely a rare win where consumers are concerned, and it does offer up something of an obvious winner when pitching the two devices against one another, but it does beg the question: what is Apple’s strategy here?

After all, Apple is known for being a luxury brand and if you want to opt for more storage or even a different style of chassis, the company has been more than ready to charge you quite a bit extra for the pleasure.

There was no mention during the presentation about sunsetting the Apple Pencil 2 or even bringing the price down to reflect the cost of the Apple Pencil Pro, so again I have to ask, what is Apple trying to do here?

It’s not the type of company to overlook such an obvious oddity, so if there is some kind of plan behind it all then I’d love to know, otherwise I’ll be stuck here refreshing my browser until Tim Cook himself tells me that it’s not a mistake.

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3 things I want from the Apple Watch 10 (and something I don’t)

Thomas Deehan — Mon, 06 May 2024 09:00:00 +0000

OPINION: With its tenth iteration on the horizon, 2024 could end up being one of the biggest years for the Apple Watch yet.

As great as the Apple Watch has been for setting the standard on the smartwatch market, there’s no denying that the range hasn’t changed much in the last couple of years.

While Samsung moved towards a stylish, more sports-focused design from the Galaxy Watch 4 onwards and Google has adopted an almost pebble-like aesthetic in the Pixel Watch, Apple’s wearables have maintained the same look for almost a decade.

Well, if even a handful of rumours turn out to be true then the Apple Watch 10 (or the Apple Watch X) could bring about the design overhaul that’s desperately needed. While we wait to see if this speculation comes to fruition, I have a few more wishlist items that would make the Apple Watch 10 one of the best smartwatches yet (and one potential mistake that could hurt it).

We need custom watch faces

One of the best things the Apple Watch has going for it is the premium array of watch faces that Apple has designed from scratch. Whether it’s the recent Snoopy pick which brings the beloved character to life with great animations, or the timelapses of various cities worldwide, Apple has built up quite the collection over the years – but it hasn’t left much room for user expression.

Apple has never been a company to give users the complete freedom to customise things to their exact liking, but even if the watch face library was opened up a bit to feature designs created by watch brands like Casio or Seiko, it would go a long way towards allowing the Apple Watch to work better as a fashion accessory.

It’s time for an Apple Health overhaul

The simplicity of Apple’s fitness tracking software has always been one of the Apple Watch’s greatest strengths, but having spent enough time testing wearables from the likes of Garmin and Fitbit, it’s become clear that Apple doesn’t do the best job in actually breaking down information in a meaningful way.

For instance, cardio recovery and sleep tracking stats are just thrown at the user with very little explanation as to what it all means. By comparison, my trusty Whoop Strap 4.0 lets me know if I’ve been overtraining, if it’s time for a rest day, or the amount of genuine sleep I was able to get from the total time I spent in bed.

These are the breakdowns that make a huge difference and actually allow users to make actionable changes as a result. If I could get that information from my Apple Watch, it could be a game changer.

The battery situation has to change

Any fellow Apple Watch users will know exactly what I’m talking about here, and I’m still in partial disbelief over the fact that the abysmal battery life of these devices still hasn’t been addressed.

Apple’s been quoting the 18-hour battery life of the Watch for so long now that it feels almost like a moot point to even mention it, but against battery champions like the TicWatch Pro 5 and the OnePlus Watch 2, this reality of one-day per charge is starting to feel ridiculous.

One of the benefits of a smartwatch is that it can act as a backup device for when your phone runs out of battery, thanks to NFC payments and messaging, but that concept doesn’t really work if it barely outlives your smartphone.

Please Apple, don’t change the watch band design

One of the rumours I’ve seen is that in order to bring about battery gains for the Apple Watch 10, it could be using all-new watch straps that take up less space on the chassis itself, allowing for a larger battery cell.

While the allure of a longer battery life might sound like a tempting trade-off, it would be a great shame if every compatible watch band until now was suddenly made redundant.

I’m partially saying this because I’ve built up a nice collection of Apple Watch bands that I’d like to continue using, but there’s also a bigger problem at play. Apple has been making strides in reducing its e-waste, whether that be in moving to carbon neutral designs or taking charging bricks out of the box, but if it were to suddenly make countless compatible accessories useless then it would feel like an unnecessary betrayal of all the environmentally conscious work the company has put in thus far.

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Sound & Vision: Vinyl has a waste problem and Evolution Music wants to fix it

Kob Monney — Sun, 05 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Billie Eilish caused a bit of a stir (seemingly with Taylor Swift fans) when she commented on the state of vinyl releases for Record Store Day when she talked about the wastefulness of multiple releases. And she made a pertinent point about it.

And it’s not just multiple vinyl releases that should be viewed as wasteful, but the vinyl record industry as a whole is rather wasteful in its approach to sustainability, an aspect that should – and likely will – be coming under the microscope as vinyl continues its resurgence among music fans.

The company looking to take on this issue is Evolution Music, headed by its CEO Marc Carey, who came to a Clarity Alliance event in May to set his stall out.

He started as a DJ back in the 80s but as a keen environmentalist, he worked in the clean tech sector conducting research about materials and general sustainability, work that involved working for local authorities too.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

At the same time he was still DJ-ing, turning it into the UIC radio show. Having grown tired of working in the corporate/local government area, concerned by greenwashing issues and not having enough impact on sustainability, he focused on the radio show, working with established artists but mainly also focusing on springboarding new talent. And with this environmental bent, the ethos and ethics behind UIC was based on the permaculture movement – “People Care, Earth Care, Fair Share”.

The Earth Care aspect of that proved difficult working in the music industry in terms of finding sustainable options, and like a lightning bolt, an idea flashed into being with regards to vinyl production.

And here we get to the crux of the matter, with estimates putting vinyl manufacturing as creating over 300,000 tonnes of PVC every year – how to reduce that? By creating a new type of record that will work with any record player.

Evolution Music calls it EvoVinyl, which is produced in the same way as traditional PVC LPs (to avoid having to install a new, more expensive set-up), but the raw materials have changed in using bioplastics (renewable biomass sources), the sustainability remit extending further ensure the packaging (reused cardboard) for records is more planet-friendly than before.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Plenty of testing and proving the concept from the Diamond Black pressing plant in Luton to a test listen with Mark’s friend Rob Cass at Abbey Road, and also taking their EvoVinyl to the National Physical Laboratory to test against traditional vinyl – and they found there was “no real difference”.

There is surface noise, which is being addressed, and the one difference they did find was that the biomaterial used dissipated static better. With traditional vinyl, static can affect the sound and usually involves more care and upkeep.

Having proved it can be a) be produced and b) competes well against vinyl performance, the next hurdle was to see what the music industry makes of it.

So far it’s been positive.

Brian Eno’s EarthPercent charity has done proof of concepts, including Michael Stipe’s album from 2022, with EvoVinyl used for records as part of the EarthDay 2023 concert, with Coldplay, Chvrches, Nile Rodgers, and Emeli Sande just some of a few who had records pressed to EvoVinyl as part of the concert.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Need more convincing?

As Evolution Music has worked with more pressing plants, they’ve found that because EvoVinyl presses at a lower temperature saving about 30% in terms of energy costs, and its cycle time is 50% faster (the time it takes to press a record).

But don’t think of that to mean that EvoVinyl will be glaringly less expensive than the alternative. Vinyl is expensive, which makes it prohibitive for some to get into, and EvoVinyl is likely to be the same, and with Gen Z discovering vinyl, lower costs are important to keep vinyl’s momentum going.

But the hope is that pressing plants will give over more lines for its production (and why wouldn’t they with the savings involved), and over time this will reduce the price because of the scale it’s being manufactured at.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

British hi-fi brand PMC has invested in EvoVinyl as part of its commitment to sustainability, and it’s likely that you’ll be hearing more as Evolution Music and EvoVinyl gain traction.

It’s true what Billie Eilish said about the amount of waste vinyl production can produce, but the answer isn’t years away but is available right now. You might not have realised or even thought about it, vinyl is on the cusp of changing for the better.

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Winners and Losers: Sony brings PlayStation invites to mobile as Spotify adds lyric limit

Hannah Davies — Sun, 05 May 2024 08:00:00 +0000

It’s the first of two May bank holiday weekends, but that doesn’t mean we’re taking a break from calling out our winner and loser of the week.

This week saw some big (albeit not great) news surrounding Apple, as the iPhone saw a sales drop in the second quarter of 2024. That said, Apple can’t be suffering too much as newly emerged court documents revealed that Google had paid the company $20 billion in 2022 alone simply to remain the default search engine in Safari.

We also shared our in depth looks at two exciting new phones, including the luxury Honor Magic 6 RSR Porsche Design and the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra and its unique telescoping lens.

Winner: Sony

Our winner this week is Sony as the company announced a new way to send multiplayer invites via the PlayStation app.

Soon, gamers will be able to generate shareable links on the PS5 and in the PlayStation app and send them to other PlayStation users via any messaging app or social media platform. Then, all that person needs to do is click the link or scan the QR code to join the game from the chat.

This means you don’t need to nudge your friends to come online to start a multiplayer session. For those you’ve just met, you don’t even need to add each other as friends before jumping into a game.

Another update that should encourage people to transition from their chat to a game is the PS5 session invites for Discord. Links shared in Discord will display a live multiplayer status, allowing you to check if a session is still active and how many players are present before hitting join.

Lastly, Sony is launching a feature that’ll let you share your or a friend’s PlayStation Network profile on any messaging app by generating a link. This should streamline the process of adding friends on your PS5.

Image credit: Reddit user superbuza

Loser: Spotify

Our loser this week is Spotify as some users reportedly hit a roadblock when trying to view lyrics using their Spotify Free accounts.

Users took to X/Twitter and Reddit to share their frustration after discovering they could no longer view lyrics using Spotify Free. Instead, they found themselves faced with a preview of the lyrics and a pop-up that reads “Enjoy lyrics on Spotify Premium”, suggesting that users now need to subscribe to the music streaming service to access a feature that was previously free.

It doesn’t appear as though Spotify has removed the lyric feature from Free accounts altogether. Instead, Free users will be subject to a monthly limit on lyrics, with every tap on the “Show lyrics” button counting toward this limit (via Dexerto).

Spotify users have been split on their response to this update. On the one hand, you have the Free users who are upset that Spotify would lock a previously free feature behind a paywall.

On the other hand, there are those arguing that you should pay for Spotify Premium if you can to ensure that artists get their fair share of the revenue from these streaming apps – though why Spotify can’t offer new perks (such as lossless audio from the long-awaited Spotify Hi-Fi) to encourage people to subscribe rather than revoking free features might be the real question here.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: Slow down Apple, it's too early for an M4 chip

Ryan Jones — Sat, 04 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: This coming Tuesday, Apple is holding yet another showcase event where it’s expected to unveil a new range of iPads. And if rumours are to be believed, the next iPad Pro will be powered by the Apple M4 chip.

Apple analyst, Mark Gurman, reports (via Bloomberg) that Apple could launch an M4-powered iPad Pro at the Let Loose event. What’s more, he suggests that Apple will also upgrade the iMac, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini with the M4 chip later in the year.

This has all come as a big surprise, with Apple only introducing the M3 chip back in October 2023. If Gurman’s report is accurate that would mean there will only be a 7-month gap between the M3 and M4 generations. Some may applaud Apple for the speed it’s producing new chips, but I think this is more of a negative than a positive.

More of a negative than a positive

Most chip makers, such as AMD and Intel typically leave at least a 12-month gap between processor generations. This is frequent enough to ensure the brands are continuously pushing the envelope but also leaves customers enough time to purchase a new device without worrying that it will become outdated within a matter of months.

Apple M1	November, 2020
Apple M2	June, 2022
Apple M3	October, 2023
Apple M4	May, 2024?

This is the same tactic that Apple uses for its iPhone launches, with new phones hitting stores every September like clockwork. When spending big bucks on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple fans want to feel assured that this will be the ultimate flagship iPhone for at least the next 12 months. If there was any threat of a successor launching a few months later instead, then the appeal of buying the new phone would diminish.

Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t been quite as structured with its Mac releases. In March this year, Apple launched a new MacBook Air powered by the cutting-edge M3 chip. It wasn’t a huge upgrade overall, but the new processor at least provided a welcome performance boost. However, just two months later, reports now indicate that the iPad Pro could benefit from an M4 upgrade. This would put the tablet in a strange position of being a more powerful option than Apple’s entry-level laptop.

If I had bought a MacBook Air in the last couple of months, I’d be pretty annoyed by the potentially imminent release of the M4 chip. Suddenly, the new laptop feels outdated, and I’d be wondering why Apple didn’t instead wait a couple of months to upgrade it with the more advanced chip.

MacBook Air – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Gurman suggests that Apple has decided to accelerate its computer processor upgrades in order to show off the M4 chip’s new AI capabilities. This makes a lot of sense, with Intel recently making huge strides in AI innovation, and Qualcomm making big AI performance claims about its upcoming Snapdragon X Elite chips. The likes of Microsoft, Nvidia and Adobe have also spent the last couple of years doubling down on AI advancements, while Apple has been surprisingly quiet on the AI front in comparison and has arguably been left behind by its rivals.

The Apple M4 chip will seemingly rectify that, with the iPad Pro acting as Apple’s very first AI-powered device. I’m excited to see what kind of AI features Apple will introduce, with the company in a perfect position to innovate due to its seamless integration of both software and hardware.

However, Apple has long known about the rapid advancements and popularity of AI, so that doesn’t excuse its poor planning. The M3 has felt like a rather pointless generation to me, especially since it’s failed to materialise in several devices (including the Mac Mini and iPad Pro).

M2-powered iPad Pro – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Sure, it’s helped to boost sales of Apple’s Macs, but it’s probably left many new Mac owners feeling buyer’s remorse with the M4 seemingly arriving just a matter of months after. Maybe it’s the case of the M3 chip arriving too late as opposed to the M4 arriving too early, but it’s still an issue that needs addressing.

The move over to Apple Silicon has undoubtedly been a huge success for Apple, but if it wants to continue competing with the likes of AMD and Intel, it really needs to stick more faithfully to a structured roadmap. This way, customers can feel confident that their new Mac purchase will offer cutting-edge performance for at least the next 12 months, rather than feeling outdated in a matter of weeks.

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Fast Charge: The OnePlus Pad Go comes a little too late – and that’s a bit of a shame

Lewis Painter — Sat, 04 May 2024 08:30:00 +0000

While working on my OnePlus Pad Go review – which should be live in the next couple of days here at Trusted Reviews – I had a realisation.

The OnePlus Pad Go’s £299 price tag is indeed tempting, not only because of the boosted spec but inclusion of LTE connectivity by default, but there’s a problem: the more powerful OnePlus Pad isn’t as expensive as it was at release in early 2023 and, just like with the release of the Galaxy S23 FE and S23, is now only slightly more expensive than the Pad Go.

It’s not even third-party retailers that are undercutting the new budget tablet; OnePlus itself is offering the OnePlus Pad at quite a significant discount, with 20% off the RRP at the time of writing, bringing the full-fat tablet down to just £359 – £60 more than the OnePlus Pad Go.

That’s a problem because the OnePlus Pad boasts quite a bit more tech than the Pad Go. That includes a larger, faster 11.6-inch 144Hz display, a much more powerful processor in the form of the Dimensity 9000, along with 12GB of RAM, and rapid 67W fast charging tech that we found delivered a full charge in 64 minutes.

The OnePlus Pad also has another key strength compared to its entry-level sibling; accessory support. The OnePlus Pad offers support for both a OnePlus-designed keyboard cover and stylus, with both attaching to the tablet via magnets in the same way a high-end iPad does.

Granted, these accessories come at an additional cost, but simply the option of using them makes the OnePlus Pad a more appealing tablet than its cheaper sibling, especially for school or work purposes.

But why is this even happening in the first place? It’s mainly down to OnePlus’ decision to delay the launch of the OnePlus Pad Go in Europe.

You see, despite its 2024 release, the OnePlus Pad Go initially made its debut in October 2023 in India. That made a lot of sense for OnePlus – the regular Pad was around six months old at the time and was still selling for quite the premium compared to the Go, making the Go’s budget nature a tempting option for budget-conscious buyers.

The problem with the European launch is that OnePlus has waited too long. Tech depreciates pretty quickly, and that’s especially true in the mobile and tablet worlds where tech is advancing at an increasingly rapid pace, making what look like flagship-level products look comparatively outdated within a year of release.

That means that the discounted OnePlus Pad has a very real chance to undercut the “more recent” OnePlus Pad Go, simply because of the poor timing and significantly delayed release compared to its Indian launch.

OnePlus can’t go much cheaper than the £300 mark with the Pad Go without incurring some kind of loss – especially with elements like LTE connectivity rarely seen at the price point – so there isn’t a clear fix here. Sure, OnePlus could bump the regular Pad’s price back up to £449, but it’s still available at a discounted price from third-party retailers.

Instead, it seems OnePlus will have to commit to a European launch for its key products with a much shorter turnaround than what we’ve seen with the OnePlus Pad Go. Let’s hope the company learns from its mistakes and strengthens its Western release plans going forward.

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Winners and Losers: Adobe Firefly AI gets smarter as Biden signs TikTok ban

Hannah Davies — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0000

It’s Sunday, meaning it’s time for us to pick our winner and loser of the week.

This week marked some exciting launches, including an affordable tablet and smartwatch from OnePlus, a nostalgic 6-disc CD changer from Bang & Olufsen, and the Snapdragon X Plus chip for future laptops.

Meanwhile, Meta teamed up with Microsoft to create a limited edition Xbox-inspired version of the Meta Quest, while Apple is rumoured to have cut production of its own Vision Pro mixed reality headset due to low demand.

But who are our main winners and losers of the week? Keep reading to find out.

Winner: Adobe

It was a busy week for Adobe as the company hosted its annual Adobe Max conference in London.

No doubt the most exciting news from the event surrounded the company’s latest Firefly Image 3 model generative image model, which marked some substantial upgrades for both Firefly and Adobe Photoshop.

The generative AI model is both better at understanding prompts and more skilled at structuring images and producing detail. These improvements should be apparent in instances that might usually be dead giveaways that AI has been used, such as wonky straight lines and a lack of detail in faces when generating crowds.

The new model is also capable of drawing from a broader range of art styles and producing a more varied range of human emotions.

For Photoshop users, Firefly Image 3 is the magic behind several new features rolling out in Generative Fill this week.

New tools include Reference Image, a feature that allows users to upload photos or illustrations as prompts instead of typing words. Photoshop will then generate an object with similar characteristics and place that item in the scene.

There’s also Enhance Detail, a tool that uses AI to improve the clarity of your image, and Generate Background which generates entire backgrounds from a written prompt. Lastly, there’s the Generate Similar tool to finetune generated images when the results aren’t quite what you wanted but are very close.

Despite what your opinion is on generative AI, there’s no doubt the Firefly Image 3 model is an impressive update with a huge amount of potential for Photoshop users.

Loser: TikTok

Our loser this week is TikTok, as US president Joe Biden signed a bill that will ban TikTok in the country if ByteDance does not sell the app in the next year.

The bill – which gained widespread support from US senators – was initially introduced to address concerns that TikTok shares user data with the Chinese government. This is something that the app has continuously denied, stating that ByteDance “is not an agent of China or any other country”.

Of course, TikTok is not going down without a fight. Singaporean businessman and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew posted a response to the news in a video titled ‘Response to TikTok Ban Bill’:

“Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok, and a band on you and YOUR voice. Politicians may say otherwise, but don’t get confused, many who sponsored the bill admit a TikTok ban is their ultimate goal,” said the CEO.

“Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere. We are confident and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. The facts and the Constitution are on our side, and we expect to prevail again”.

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Sound & Vision: Personalised apps and headphones are the future

Kob Monney — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0000

OPINION: If you could plot the future of where audio devices are going, it’d be a line that splits into various branches. There might be some overlap and some convergence, but it seems that audio brands all have different ideas of what the future will be.

Some have jumped down the direction of wearable audio, some believe immersive audio will be the breakout feature, and others place their faith in delivering true lossless high fidelity audio on the move.

What’s occurred to me in the last few weeks is how personalisation is also driving the direction of headphones, wireless speakers, and even apps.

First up was the news of Sonos’ relaunching its S2 app. It’s no surprise that with so many music streaming services out there, some are beginning to get flustered. If you subscribe to more than one, how do you keep all your favourite tracks together in one place?

That’s what Sonos aims to achieve with its revised app that’s coming in May. It’s made personalisation and customisation key to the experience, as well as simplified and streamlined the app. There’s no jumping from tab to tab to perform various functions – it’s all consolidated into one home screen. And now you can pin albums, songs, and playlists to that home screen, making it faster and easier to get back into the music you like.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

And it makes sense. With so much ‘content’ available to wade through, having choice actually feels overwhelming. Don’t you find it annoying when you open the Netflix app and then spend minutes if not longer scrolling for something to watch before giving up? By making you the curator of your own experience, you’re in charge of what you want.

So there’s the one side in terms of the app and service experience that’s putting personalisation at the forefront. The other aspect I want to talk about is the hardware itself.

Recently I was invited to a demonstration by Japanese brand Final Audio to peek at its technology that could make a sound profile unique to you. Final Audio calls it Timbre Physical Personalization, which I’ll try to simplify as being about how we hear sounds and how our brains interpret those sounds.

In the first session, a virtual version of my head and upper torso was made, as well as a scan of both my ears to create an ‘Acoustic Avatar’. The second session was conducted with me in the UK and technicians in Japan where I listened to a track multiple times to see if I could hear any differences.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Sometimes the loudness, tone and pitch of sounds changed, other times I could barely hear a difference, but that’s not a problem. Our ears are all different, and it’s about what you can hear rather than overly focusing on what you think you can hear.

What Final is getting at is creating a sound profile, or timbre, that reflects how you hear the world. You’ll see a lot of manufacturers focusing on tone – bigger bass, brighter highs, neutrality, crispness etc but that’s reflective of the brand’s own tastes in tuning. Sony will have a different taste, Bose will have a different philosophy, Bowers & Wilkins have its own approach, and so on. Final’s perspective on the matter is that it wants to remove the philosophy from the equation and echo how you hear the music, not impart how they think music should be heard.

It’s not necessarily a new idea, there have been a lot of acoustic hearing tests in apps, but the method and the depth of the scanning of my body takes it to a whole new level that I’ve not seen before.

Both what Sonos and Final are doing show that personalisation is coming to the fore. We’ve always had that aspect of personalisation and customisation with apps, such as fine-tuning the ANC, swapping out voice assistants or changing the controls; but this feels like a step forward, and potentially a sign of brands relinquishing control over the wheel and putting you in the driver’s seat.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: I can't quit PlayStation – Steam on Xbox won't change that

Adam Speight — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: I’ve been a “PlayStation gamer” since around halfway through the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation when I decided to ditch my 360 for Sony’s offering. But, like many I suspect, I’m questioning the value that the PlayStation 5 offers. I don’t know what may finally make me switch, but it won’t be Steam coming to Xbox.

To varying levels, it feels like I’ve spent the last year or so pondering if it’s time to switch from PlayStation to Xbox. I’m in the enviable position of having an Xbox Series S alongside my PlayStation 5 already but I’ve begun spending more and more time with the former. But, I can’t seem to go all in. PlayStation still has me on the hook for the promise of future exclusives but with so few blockbusters coming in the near future, it feels like my exit is imminent.

The musings of Xbox boss Phil Spencer around a month ago (via Polygon) may move many others in my position even further towards his console brand, but it isn’t the final nail in Sony’s coffin for me.

Steam and Epic Games Store coming to Xbox would be a gamechanger

Towards the end of April, Phil Spencer continued with his musings regarding an ever more open Xbox experience. He’s now spent years talking about the “Xbox Anywhere” strategy and it’s been intriguing to see it grow, with speculation of Game Pass landing on different platforms, game streaming expanding and, even, the announcement that some games would be headed to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation.

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So far though, it has felt like the strategy is more about putting Xbox anywhere rather than such an openness being reciprocated. However, Spencer has indicated he’d be open to other game stores, such as the Epic Game Store, coming to the Xbox console. It’s a move that would have huge ramifications and it’s not immediately clear how it would work in practice.

Starfield (Xbox exclusive)

Nevertheless, this could be huge for solidifying Xbox’s approach to simply being happy to have players within its ecosystem in some way, whether that being Xbox Game Pass members or just using their console. If you’re on the Xbox, even if you’re playing your Steam games, the company will likely be happy in the knowledge that you’ve bought their console and will likely spend other money with them in the long run too.

But, looking at it from a consumer point-of-view, it’s not a move that would tempt PlayStation-exclusive fans like me to make the jump.

A bad run of exclusives would spell danger for PlayStation

For many, you may think the console wars are over but my view is that Xbox is just playing 4D chess. Instead of going blow for blow with Sony, it’s aiming to undermine its key selling point, by talking about breaking down barriers i.e. exclusives (via Polygon).

In previous years, PlayStation has absolutely crushed it, with excellent exclusives like the God of War, The Last of Us and Marvel’s Spider-Man series. However, as games become more expensive to make and take longer to do so, the economic reality of that is clearly becoming a challenge (via Forbes). As such, things are lining up well for Xbox’s new strategy of being more open. It wants subscribers for its Xbox platform not just buyers of its Xbox consoles and exclusives.

PS5 (Slim) – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

But, it’s those exclusives that are keeping me hanging onto my PS5 by a thread. I still feel like I can’t ditch Sony knowing that I’ll miss out on those experiences if I decided to go big and trade in my current console for an Xbox Series X.

Xbox has certainly drawn me in with its Game Pass offerings, streaming capabilities and its PC options too. It serves as a constant reminder that PlayStation is lagging across the board in this area and it’s lacked any serious innovation on this side of things for some time.

Its recent push into accessories felt more like a transparent way of squeezing more out of its players with the promise of enhanced experience but… for what games? Don’t get me wrong, PS Plus isn’t a baron wasteland but it can’t compete with Xbox Game Pass in terms of breadth and the lack of a true streaming solution remains a stark shortcoming.

PlayStation Portal – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

If the economic viability of exclusives is becoming unsustainable then Sony needs to get its act together and fast, especially if Xbox continues to pack its platform with such an inviting range of freedom – like if Steam, Epic Games Store and more did debut there.

The current expected slate of exclusives for the next year or so for the PlayStation 5 looks rather bleak, with Marvel’s Wolverine being the only big IP that grabs my particular interest. An open Xbox might not be enough to push me away from PlayStation but a dwindling set of exclusives just might.

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Fast Charge: Huawei, please license out your amazing camera tech

Lewis Painter — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 08:30:00 +0000

OPINION: Huawei makes some of the best smartphone camera systems in the world, and it has been a leader in the segment since the late 2010s.

The problem is that, without Google Play Services, the phones aren’t as tempting as they should be, and that means that most people miss out on the stellar photography experience that Huawei devices provide.

While Huawei cameras were always good, 2018’s Mate 20 Pro really opened my eyes to how far ahead of the curve Huawei’s camera tech was. The combination of 40MP, 28MP and 8MP rear cameras may not sound impressive by 2024 standards, but they delivered exceptional shots compared to the iPhone X, which was my daily driver at the time.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

That was especially true of night photography, with the Mate 20 Pro really boosting those low-light shots in a way I hadn’t seen before. Of course, most manufacturers have now caught up, but sample shots from last year’s Huawei P60 Pro showcase that the company’s camera tech remains some of the best around when it comes to low-light and general photography alike.

Huawei also tends to be ahead of the curve when it comes to utilising new smartphone camera tech, be it the introduction of periscope lenses with the Huawei P30 Pro, or the variable aperture of the Huawei P50 Pro that allows you to shift between f/1.4 and f/4.0 to change the look of your shot.

It’s a trend that continues with this year’s Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, with not only an impressive main camera with a huge 1-inch sensor, a variable aperture of f/1.6 to f/4.0 and sensor-shift stabilisation, but a unique retractable camera system to fully make use of that large sensor, creating the necessary distance between the lens and sensor without a huge hulking camera module.

Huawei Pura 70 Ultra

Though we’re yet to go hands-on with the phone, those who have seemed very impressed by what the phone can deliver.

But, alas, even with some of the best camera tech around, the lack of Google services means that the vast majority of Android users simply won’t invest.

Of course, the ideal fix to this scenario would be for the US to lift its sanctions on Huawei, allowing the company to work with the likes of Google once again and bringing the Play Store and Google services back to its smartphone collection – but given that this has been going on since 2019, it seems unlikely that’ll happen anytime soon.

Instead, I implore Huawei; please, license your stunning camera tech to other smartphone makers.

It seems like a win-win in my mind; smaller smartphone companies like Nothing could take advantage of Huawei’s vast camera R&D while only paying a percentage of what it’d cost to develop the same tech in-house, and it’d generate a solid, consistent income for Huawei.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Given that Huawei phones haven’t been all that popular outside of China since the ban, it could also be a way for Huawei to show that its tech is still best-in-class, even if it can’t deliver the full smartphone experience that Westerners expect.

And, with the majority of Western brands not having any presence in China, it’s not like Huawei would be competing with its own camera tech on its home turf.

After all, we’ve seen various smartphone companies collaborate with camera companies like Hasselblad and Leica in the past, Huawei included, so why not collaborate with Huawei on developing top-notch camera hardware?

I, for one, would pick up a high-end Android phone with Huawei-designed camera tech in a heartbeat, and I’ve got a feeling that people who have used Huawei phones in the past 8 years or so would feel the same way.

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The Nordic Blue OnePlus Watch 2 might be my favourite smartwatch of 2024

Lewis Painter — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 09:15:01 +0000

OPINION: I’ve been in Helsinki for the past few days to cover the launch of the OnePlus Pad Go and OnePlus Watch 2 Nordic Blue Edition, a more upmarket version of the already-impressive OnePlus Watch 2 exclusively available in Europe.

During that time I’ve been testing out the functionality of the watch, be it fat biking along a Finnish peninsula or hiking through snow-covered woods, and I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen.

Combined with the generally slick Wear OS performance and charming Nordic-inspired look, it might be my favourite smartwatch of 2024 so far.

To me, the Nordic Blue variant of the watch fixes one of the complaints we had with the regular Watch 2; it didn’t do much to stand out from a crowd of similar-looking smartwatches. That can’t be said of the Nordic Blue edition, with a charming blue and white theme across the smartwatch, from the bezel around the display to the matching strap and stitching.

I also really like the look of the new hybrid leather strap, which uses a fluoroelastomer band on the inside and a leather band on the outside, essentially allowing you to wear the leather strap when exercising without worrying about the degradation of the leather. The flouroelastomer inner strap also means it’s not as irritating as leather straps can be – in my experience, anyway.

There’s even an exclusive OnePlus-designed watch face to complement the high-end look, though I am slightly disappointed that the widgets aren’t customisable like most others in the OnePlus Watch collection.

Still, it remains a stunningly good-looking watch that I can’t help but admire as I check the time or recent notifications.

More than just a looker

As I mentioned, I’ve had the privilege of enjoying the Finnish countryside as part of the launch, which gave me the perfect opportunity to test out not only the fitness tracking but dual-band GPS.

Despite fairly thick tree coverage during both biking and hiking, the GPS-generated map looked fairly accurate, and compared to others also wearing the Watch 2, we got near-identical distance calculations. That’s pretty consistent for a challenging environment like that.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

There are occasional inaccuracies with heart rate monitoring, as Mike Sawh noted in our regular OnePlus Watch 2 review, but I’d argue that it’s accurate enough for most wanting to get a little fitter.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there’s sleep tracking, and the Watch 2 excels in this department. It’ll offer the same insights into your sleep as most other wearables, delivering information like time asleep, sleep zones, heart rate and blood oxygen, but the Watch 2 goes a step further by bringing your smartphone into the mix to monitor your snoring.

It does require you to hit a little button on the app before you go to sleep, but having used Sleep Cycle for years for similar purposes, I don’t mind all that much.

Using all that data, the watch can give you a breakdown of your risk of breathing problems, including information like snoring duration, average sleep SpO2 and more. That’s way more insightful than anything I’ve ever got from the Apple Watch and comes pretty close to the sleep apnea detection of the Galaxy Watch 6, but that’s only available in the US for now. Not great for us Brits.

Fitness and sleep tracking aside, it’s a great smartwatch to use in everyday life. Small elements, like the curved edges of the screen to make swiping from the edge a little nicer, really elevate the experience on offer. It also boasts a slick dual OS setup, which in itself isn’t new – TicWatch has something similar with the Watch 5 Pro – but the integration is much more flawless here.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Essentially, the Watch will run Google Wear OS most of the time, but if the battery runs too low or you want to really extend endurance, you can switch to RTOS, a system that’s much less taxing on the battery. Sure, you’ll lose access to certain faces and Wear OS apps, but important elements – notification delivery, health and sleep tracking, workout tracking with GPS and more – are all still present and accounted for.

Speaking of battery life, that’s one of the main reasons I’m enjoying the OnePlus Watch 2 Nordic Blue edition. Like the regular variant, the watch boasts an impressive 100-hour battery life that’s seen me through much of the trip despite tracking various exercises, but that can be increased to a whopping 12 days by switching to the RTOS operating system mentioned earlier.

Compared to some of the best smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, which lasts around 2 days, that’s impressive, and even more so when compared to the paltry 18-hour offering from the Apple Watch Series 9.

Admittedly, most of this is also true of the regular OnePlus Watch 2 with near-identical hardware, but I think that the elevated design of the Nordic Blue edition really seals the deal for me. It looks the part, it works extremely well, lasts for days on end at £329 for the new colour option, it’s not that pricey either. For me, it’s a no-brainer – this is my favourite smartwatch of 2024 so far.

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4 big reveals we expect to see at Apple's May Let Loose event

Max Parker — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 15:17:42 +0000

Apple has just announced that its next big product event will take place on May 7, and here’s everything we expect to get revealed at the show.

Apple’s Let Loose event looks set to see the launch of a slate of new iPads. We’ve been waiting for these updates for a while now, with 2023 notably absent of any updates to Apple’s tablet range.

Rumours have swirled in the past few months about when we might finally see the new devices, with some suggesting Apple would forgo an event and simply release the tablets via a press release.

That doesn’t look to be the case though, as this event seems the perfect spot to unveil a bunch of new iPads. Here’s what we think will headline the event.

New iPad Pros with OLED displays

The star of the show will surely be the next-gen iPad Pros, the flagship tablet in Apple’s range. All of the rumours point to the big upgrade here being a new OLED display – a first for an iPad – for both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models. There have also been rumblings that we could see a matte screen option, which would make the tablet even more tempting for digital artists.

A move to the M3 chip seems a given, while a thinner and lighter design that includes some sort of wireless MagSafe charging would be welcome. As would the talk that Apple is finally moving the position of the webcam to make it better suited to landscape use.

The biggest iPad Air yet

With reports of iPad Air stock at retail locations dwindling, it seems likely that this event will see updates to Apple’s mid-range tablet too.

The big news here could be the introduction of a larger 12-inch iPad Air – a first for the series. Some rumours have even suggested this bigger model could use a similar Mini LED display to the one found in the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro. We are huge fans of that display, so its arrival on a more affordable option would be very welcome.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

A revised Apple Pencil

The invite for the Let Loose event has a very clear Apple Pencil right in the middle, so along with pointing towards new iPads, we could also see a fresh spin on the stylus that many pair with the tablet. Some code inside the iPadOS 17.5 beta pointed towards a new ‘Squeeze’ gesture so this could be one of the new benefits.

There’s also been talk that the next Apple Pencil could have support for VisionOS and Apple’s Vision Pro headset.

An updated Magic Keyboard case

Alongside a revised Apple Pencil, the event could also see a redesigned Magic Keyboard announced as a partner to the new iPads. The current Magic Keyboard helps turn the iPad Air and Pro into viable laptop replacements, and rumours suggest the next iteration could have more of a MacBook look by adding an aluminium lid.

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Winners and Losers: AirPlay checks into hotels as Amazon makes its cheap Prime Video tier harder to find

Hannah Davies — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 09:22:34 +0000

It’s the start of a new week, meaning it’s time for another edition of Winners and Losers.

It’s been a major week in mobile, with Motorola announcing the Edge 50 Ultra and the Edge 50 Pro, Huawei taking phone cameras to the next level with the Pura 70 Ultra, and HMD and Heineken teaming up to create The Boring Phone, a drab-looking flip phone designed to take you offline.

This week also saw some big announcements in audio from the Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a) to the Marshall Major V and Minor IV headphones.

Keep reading to learn who we named our winner and loser this week.

Winner: Apple

Our winner this week is Apple as AirPlay support officially began rolling out in IHG hotels. That means no more worrying about germs on the remote control or wrapping the remote in plastic if you’re used to taking extra precautions.

Apple first announced that it would be launching AirPlay support on compatible LG TVs in hotel rooms last year. However, the update didn’t make it onto the iPhone until January’s iOS 17.3 release and didn’t arrive in its first hotel chain until this week.

Going forward, guests at select IHG locations will be invited to connect to the TV sets in their rooms via a QR code displayed on the screen. From there, they can stream content from the apps on their iPhones and iPads or use their device as a remote to navigate the menus on the TV, essentially rendering the TV remote useless during their stay.

AirPlay also supports multiple devices, meaning friends and family members sharing one room can all connect to the TV during their stay.

Not only is AirPlay more sanitary than a traditional remote, but it also means that iPhone users can enjoy a wider variety of shows and movies while away from home. Hotel guests can swipe through holiday pics, play games on Apple Arcade, work out with Apple Fitness+, practice presentations, and listen to music using the TV’s speakers.

AirPlay is only available in IHG locations right now, with 60 hotels and resorts in the US, Canada, and Mexico offering support for the feature.

Loser: Amazon

Amazon is this week’s loser as the company reportedly made it more difficult to subscribe to Prime Video without registering for Prime delivery.

The change was reported by Cord Busters who spotted that attempts to sign up to the Prime Video-only tier in the UK and US were being redirected to the sign-up page for a full Prime account. The outlet later updated its report to reflect that the cheaper tier had not been axed but had been removed from Amazon’s primary sign-up pages, making it harder for new subscribers to find.

The Prime Video-only tier, which launched in 2016, made it possible to stream popular shows and movies from Prime Video without committing to a full Prime membership in exchange for a discounted subscription. That means no access to additional benefits like on-day and same-day delivery, Amazon Music, Prime Try Before You Buy, and Deliveroo Plus.

While for many the perks of a full Prime membership outweigh its higher price, there are still users happy to pay for access to Prime shows and movies and leave the rest if it means saving a few quid every month. The Prime Video-only plan is Amazon’s lowest-priced streaming tier aside from its student plan, making it an easy win for anyone wanting to stream the new Fallout series while also juggling multiple other streaming subscriptions.

The Prime Video-only tier costs £5.99/month in the UK and $8.99/month in the US, while a full Prime membership comes in at £8.99/month in the UK or $14.99/month in the US. That’s a potential £3/$5 saving if you know to look for the tier.

Thankfully, Amazon has only removed the option from its main sign-up pages. However, with the prices of streaming services continuing to rise, it might only be a matter of time before the company chooses to bin it entirely.

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Sound & Vision: Sony's XR Backlight Master Drive tech won't be the death of OLED

Kob Monney — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: As you might have noticed, Sony has revealed what it’s bringing to the TV market for 2024 and it’s got the AV sphere of the Internet all hot and bothered.

Sony’s new backlighting tech did look very impressive when I saw it at CES 2024 and as usual, the nature of the reports have pitted Mini LED vs OLED, which is not unsurprising, but the way some have commented is as if Sony’s XR Backlight Master Drive will somehow replace OLED TVs.

It will not

No picture TV technology is perfect, whether it’s a Full Array Local Dimming backlight, OLED, Mini LED, Micro LED – they all have their strengths and weaknesses, and they all pursue a different philosophy for picture quality.

That’s not to say that they don’t cross paths in some way, but having these technologies is a way of offering choice to the consumer. Sony’s big bet for the future of its BRAVIA TVs is that it believes content will be mastered at higher brightness. Those who create content are mastering at higher brightness – in some cases up to 4000 nits. But does that mean you’ll see that level of brightness on your TV at home? No.

I doubt Sony will comment on the specifics of its 2024 TVs but I’ll make an assumption and say they won’t be able to hit 4000 nits of peak brightness. Having a higher peak brightness does lead to increased colour volume (the range of colours visible at different levels of brightness), which then makes for a colourful image, but that brightness has to be controlled to avoid blooming that affects a TV’s black levels. It looks as if Sony’s new backlight technology may be able to achieve this, but as I wrote earlier, no TV tech is perfect.

Most of the work in mastering content for film and television appears to be at the darker end of the light spectrum. I don’t think many have forgotten about the Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon episodes that took this to an extreme, but TVs going forward will have to manage both ends of the spectrum, and the self-emissive nature of OLED screens will have the advantage in terms of pixel level precision dimming.

Credit: Sony

Furthermore, the upcoming BRAVIA 9 looks to only be available at 75- and 85-inches, selling for £4499 and £4999 respectively. That’s respectably priced against the likes of the LG G4 OLED, but as this particular model is only available at those sizes, that restricts it to bigger homes and even bigger wallets and indicates that Sony, like other TV manufacturers, thinks the future of TVs is bigger.

We’ll have to wait and see if Sony’s bet for the future of TV works out but it looks as if Sony is willing to shake things up, and the TV industry does need something of a jolt to propel it forward.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: A 12.9-inch iPad Air spells danger for boring Windows laptops

Adam Speight — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: I’ve longed for Windows laptops with more interesting designs since I started reviewing tech products five years ago. Most attempts have floundered and now a larger iPad Air is set to extend Apple’s design lead.

In many cases, Windows laptops represent function over form. Picture a Windows laptop in your head and there’s little chance most will deviate from that template to a great extent. Devices like those from the LG Gram and the Asus Zenbook range go some way to presenting exciting thin and light options but they can’t match an iPad for just how luxurious yet stunningly thin they are. And, now, a 12.9-inch iPad Air is rumoured (via industry analyst Ross Young [9to5Mac]), making the gloriously portable machine even more functional. Windows laptops need to get less boring.

Windows laptops can’t keep up with iPad design

There’s no getting away from the fact that iPads have some limits when it comes to being fully-fledged laptop replacements but, as straightforward productivity or entry-level creative machines, they are remarkably intriguing options, especially when paired with one of Apple’s (admittedly expensive) keyboard accessories. And, for many, the reduced capabilities will be worth the price of admission when it comes to getting the industry-leading luxury portable design.

Let’s compare, the current iPad Air measures in at 461g for the 11-inch model and jumps up to around 800g when you add the Magic Keyboard Folio. The device is a trim 6.1mm thick, with an additional 10mm added with the aforementioned case. On the Windows side, laptops like the LG Gram 17 and Asus Zenbook 14 OLED are heavily touted for their innovation when it comes to being thin and light. The Gram 17 comes in at 17.8mm and 1.35kg while the Zenbook 14 OLED is measured at 14.9mm and 1.29kg.

iPad Air (2022) – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Comparisons on weight are a mixed bag depending on the keyboard add-on you go with then but the iPad Air wins comfortably in just how stunningly thin it is. Again, the caveat that those rival machines provide more horsepower and larger displays is necessary but, if design is your priority, they aren’t in the iPad’s league. If I pivot to a fairer comparison, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 with the Slim Keyboard measures 1.16kg and 14.2mm (880g and 9.3mm on its own). A comfortable win for the iPad Air in the lightweight department.

Windows does have a ray of light in the form of the Arm-based Snapdragon laptops expected to launch this year. A redesigned Surface Laptop 6 could be at the forefront of seeing a new-look Windows machine that can get on the iPad Airs level in terms of cutting-edge design. An unverified leak of the next Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 sporting a Snapdragon X Elite chip looks promising too should it be confirmed as a legitimate release down the line (via WalkingCat).

A larger iPad Air will bring style and improved usability

Everything I’ve said so far makes the argument for the current iPad Air as an impressive piece of cutting-edge design that could replace your laptop but… what if it gets better? As an owner of an 11-inch iPad Pro, it certainly has its limits in terms of the canvas it provides for more serious productivity and creative tasking. But, Apple looks set to answer my concerns, without requiring customers to shell out for a more expensive 12.9-inch iPad Pro, by bringing the larger size to the cheaper iPad Air range.

iPad Pro M2 (12.9-inch) – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

iPad Air devices aren’t taking on budget laptops, costing upwards of £1,000/$1,000 when you factor in boosting your model from the measly 64GB storage starting point to 256GB and adding a keyboard case for a couple of hundred quid.

Not only would a 12.9-inch iPad Air be more expensive but it’d firmly be in the territory of the MacBook Air. That’s compounded by the second half of this particular 12.9-inch model rumour which points towards the new size getting the same Mini LED display as higher-end iPad Pros, adding a further dose of luxury to this slim machine but likely bringing an even higher price.

However, as with comparing the iPad Air to Windows laptops, even the MacBook can’t offer the versatility and remarkably thin design that the iPad range can. And, a Mini LED display is something else that Apple’s entry-level laptop doesn’t provide.

The 12.9-inch display boost will be a game-changer for enhancing the multitasking you can do on the mid-range iPad models while also enabling greater usability for apps that benefit from various windows within them, such as editing software. Those who value high-end design and extreme portability in their laptop purchases should be seriously considering a 12.9-inch iPad Air for their next machine.

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Fast Charge: Google One’s latest downgrades make me want to cancel my subscription

Lewis Painter — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 08:30:00 +0000

OPINION: I’ve been a subscriber to Google One for around three years, and I’ve been happy with the subscription service during that time. I not only got more storage for my photos, videos and other files, but a bunch of other benefits to sweeten the deal.

The problem? Google is quite rapidly reducing these features and, with them, the general appeal of Google One. In fact, it has now reached the point where I’m considering cancelling my subscription altogether.

When I first subscribed, the Google One subscription consisted of the core cloud storage upgrade – 200GB, in my case – plus additional extras. These come in various forms, from the less helpful (like sharing my precious storage with friends and family) to considerably more valuable benefits like Google Store discounts, all for the relatively small asking price of £2.49 per month.

That list of extras included Google VPN, providing secure internet access without a dedicated VPN subscription.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Google’s VPN is rather basic compared the best VPNs like ExpressVPN and Nord VPN, lacking the ability to select your server location and being able to use it on a variety of devices, instead locked to iPhone, iPad, Windows and Mac, but it was a huge benefit nonetheless.

I’m not exactly an avid user of VPNs, admittedly out of pure laziness, but it did come in handy on the rare occasion that I’d connect to open, public Wi-Fi.

Well, it seems that I won’t have that option soon, as Google has confirmed it’s winding down its VPN service, citing a lack of interest from consumers, with no replacement in place for Google One subscribers. There’s no word yet on when it’ll cease to exist, but it should be sometime in the next couple of months.

That would’ve been a big enough Google One pill to swallow, but Google hasn’t stopped there. Nope. In the early hours of Monday morning, I got another email from Google about other changes to Google One that will take effect on 15 May 2024 – under a month from now.

More than the loss of VPN access

And, just my luck, those changes affect the one other key feature of Google One that I use regularly – editing features in the Google Photos app.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

More specifically, this relates to Magic Eraser, Portrait Light, Colour Focus and Sky editing features. These features, up until now, have been exclusively available for Google Pixel users and Google One subscribers.

Even if Magic Eraser doesn’t deliver the best results around, it was a handy feature that I’d sometimes use to remove annoying distractions from my snaps. The Sky feature was equally handy for giving my photos a certain look or feel.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see Google opening its previously Pixel- and Google One-exclusive editing features to all users of Google Photos free of charge, but it doesn’t exactly reward long-time Google One subscribers. It feels like a bit of a slap in the face to not offer something else in its place.

So, by my count, in the past month, Google has removed two of the most tempting reasons to opt for a Google One account instead of other readily available, and cheaper, cloud storage services like Dropbox and OneDrive.

The only thing keeping me tied to my Google One subscription, for now, is the extended cloud storage for my photos and videos in Google Photos.

I’ve got 10+ years of photos and videos in Google’s cloud storage, and that’ll be a bit of a headache to download and transfer to another cloud service – even if I do currently get free photo storage in Amazon Photos with my Prime subscription. But, with Google One now offering less value than ever, I’ve never been quite as tempted to make the move as I am right now.

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Sound & Vision: This House of Marley turntable is turning me into a vinyl fan

Kob Monney — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: With Record Store Day 2024 almost here, I thought it be worth turning this column’s eye to that of the vinyl world and the renaissance of a physical format some had cast out to the peripheries.

Quite what stirred the re-interest in vinyl I’m not sure – like with recent resurgences in VHS and tape cassettes, these revivals seem to come out from left-field, likely because we hi-fi fans, like a magpie, seem interested in shiny and new things, while what we liked before gets washed away.

But things never work like that it seems. Records were a part of my upbringing, though not in the sense that I was ever playing around with them. There were just in the background, whether it was my father’s records to my brothers trying out their DJ sets (this being close to the turn of the century, there was a lot of DJ EZ booming from their bedroom).

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

But times change, and as I’ve got older, I’ve wanted to try out different things. So when I was offered to chance to review the House of Marley Stir It Up Lux turntable, I thought why not. I’ve dabbled with turntables, read plenty about them, but not put the words into action. I also have vinyl records in the house without the means to hear them – it felt like it was about time I should give it a go.

It’s an entry-level model with Bluetooth wireless support, a built-in phono stage, and good looks. I quite liked the physical feel of setting it up and putting things together and then came the part I was a bit terrified by – setting the tonearm weight.

In my mind this process takes on some sort of horror-esque situation where I feel if I do something slightly wrong I’ll break the tonearm, destroy the stylus, or gouge the records and the stylus tears through it.

It was a process that took me a long time to do in the most traditional way, so I settled for a much easier alternative way, put a record on platter, turned the player on, crossed my fingers… and I was pleasantly surprised. Everything seemed to work – I didn’t mess it up.

And then there’s the ritual of playing the music itself. Taking it out of its cover, having a look to see if there are any scratches or dust, placing it A-side up and once that side is done, flipping it over. In this ‘modern’ age there’s an expectation that things are delivered fuss-free, without. You finish an album on a streaming service, here are some recommendations we think you’d like as if you’re on a conveyor belt that never stops.

But playing vinyl feels different. There are pauses and stops, moments where you’re flipping sides over or when you want to lift the tonearm and ‘search’ for a track to hear it again. The physical aspect of vinyl is one I find engaging – I’m not just a sloth sitting on the couch listening to my playlist of 2000 songs in shuffle mode.

Like in the ‘old days’ you listen to an album from start to finish rather than skip a track you don’t like in the first ten seconds – it’s an activity that requires attention, not something that always goes hand-in-hand with music streaming.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

And there’s the quality of vinyl itself, hearing a well presented album compared to one that feels a little… rustic. Though the pops and crackles do annoy me. And vinyl is so expensive…

Vinyl is turning me into a fan, and if you’ve ever felt on the fence about it, I’d say jump in and give it a chance and see what all the fuss is about.

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Winners and Losers: Apple repairs become more sustainable as Google One VPN gets the axe

Hannah Davies — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0000

It’s the weekend again, meaning it’s time for us to reveal our winner and loser of the week.

This week saw multiple announcements from DJI, including the beginner-friendly Avata 2 FPV drone and the RS 4 and RS 4 Pro professional gimbals. Roku unveiled its newest TV software, Kobo brought colour to its e-readers, and Dyson debuted a new AR feature that’ll give you a nudge when you’ve missed a spot.

Keep reading to discover who we named our winner and loser this week.

Winner: Apple

Apple is our winner this week as the company announced it would be expanding its repair service to offer genuine used parts. This includes Apple’s Self Service Repair program, which enables iPhone users to fix their own devices at home.

Used Apple parts will boast the same functionality and security found on brand-new, factory-calibrated parts, giving users a more sustainable repair option when their iPhones break down.

On top of this, customers will no longer be required to provide their device’s serial number when ordering parts from the Self Service Repair Store for any repairs that do not involve replacing the logic board.

Apple has also put measures in place to prevent an increase in theft to obtain used part. The company has announced that its Activation Lock feature – which currently prevents lost and stolen iPhones from being reactivated – will extend to cover parts. This means that parts taken from phones with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled will see their capabilities restricted in an effort to deter iPhone thieves.

Starting with select models this autumn, you’ll be able to order used parts to repair your iPhone on the cheap – or, at least, we hope it’ll be affordable. While we were excited to hear that Apple had launched its self-repair program in 2022, we were disappointed to discover that repair bundles were only slightly cheaper than asking Apple to do out-of-warranty work for you.

Hopefully, these used parts will cost less than their shiny new counterparts, making repairs a more tempting prospect and increasing the lifespan of iPhones in general.

Loser: Google

This month’s loser is Google as the company announced it would be axing its Google One VPN service.

Google has been including a free VPN – or Virtual Private Network – with its Google One cloud storage service since 2020. This allowed users to protect their browsing and hide their IP address when surfing the web.

However, the VPN is set to disappear in the coming months, according to an email sent out to subscribers. Google confirmed to 9to5Google that it will be “discontinuing the VPN feature as [they] found people simply weren’t using it”.

The goal behind ending the service is to allow the team behind the VPN to refocus on the Google One features that are more in demand.

This will be disappointing news for any users who considered the Google One VPN a major incentive in subscribing to Google’s cloud storage service.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: Apple's AI-focused M4 needs to be about more than buzzwords

Adam Speight — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: If you’re in the business of computer chips, and the devices that house them, right now then artificial intelligence will be all over your agenda. Like Intel, AMD, Qualcomm and more, Apple is all over it. But, the upcoming M4 chip needs to be a worthy AI showcase.

I’ve already had a good old whinge about the term “AI PC” and how its buzzwordy nature isn’t providing meaningful value to your average consumer quite yet. Well, unsurprisingly, it seems Apple is putting a focus on AI with its expected next set of chips. But, here’s hoping Apple won’t just say “AI” several times in its big reveal to please its stakeholders but will implement useful new features.

Webcam effects won’t be enough

Undoubtedly, artificial intelligence is set to play a huge, and growing, part in our daily home and working lives over the next decade and beyond. But, for now, AI PCs have primarily showcased new features through one simple addition, and that’s Windows Studio Effects.

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That fancy new NPU that comes inside new Intel Core Ultra and some AMD Ryzen 8000 chips that are now on the market has been talked up to high heavens but, then, when it comes to showing what it can do for typical users, there isn’t a ton of benefit quite yet.

Instead, the big feature is Windows Studio Effects, letting you natively add video conferencing-related effects to your video and audio. And, these are things apps like Zoom could largely do anyway.

One of the first Windows “AI PCs” – Asus Zenbook 14 (2024)

The next big thing when people think of AI coming to more PCs in 2024 is, of course, assistants. But, for now, Microsoft’s Copilot operates in the cloud so whether your hardware is an “AI PC” or not is largely irrelevant. However, deeper Copilot hardware integration is expected as we venture further into this new AI era (via The Verge).

So, what could an AI MacBook actually do?

Apple is yet to formally reveal its upcoming AI-focused plans, which is expected at June’s Apple WWDC event. Instead, information comes via a report from veteran Apple reporter Mark Gurman (via Bloomberg). But, it looks set to fit with expectations that are being set by key rivals like Microsoft. Gurman highlights, “A large swath of those features is designed to run on the devices themselves — rather than in remote servers”.

MacBook Air M3

This would provide that step up in capabilities from what we’ve experienced with “AI PCs” thus far. Further, Gurman adds that Apple is set to drive this with “speedier chips”. Technically, Apple has had an “AI PC” on its hands for much longer than most key rivals, with the M1 chip featuring an NPU right from the inception of Apple Silicon.

Again, it’s key to think about what this all means, as no customer benefits from a brand simply touting better AI without key features to show for it.

Well, to get some idea of what Apple may be planning, we can look to its rivals who have already been demoing more on-device AI. I’m talking about the upcoming Snapdragon X Elite platform from Qualcomm. Since its reveal, the brand has been demoing various on-device AI features to talk up its artificial intelligence chops and we can expect these to be key battlegrounds going forward

The features include more powerful and faster image generation that you currently get from cloud-based solutions, as well as boosting image editing itself. There’s also been the touting of intriguing new tools like fast on-device multimodal features, such as image-to-text translation, speech-to-text translation and more (via Qualcomm). Privacy features heavily too, something Apple regularly showcases with its devices.

Aside from these boosted versions of features that already exist in some form, creating AI assistants that feel truly useful remains a missing piece of the “AI PC” puzzle and we know it’s something Apple is keen on enhancing with its devices — and taking it further with physical robot assistants using these models too (via Bloomberg).

Apple has an impressive habit of presenting new and exciting leaps forward in technology in a way that seems actually useful for consumers. That’s often presented up against some rivals who focus on performance metrics over user needs. It’s time for Apple to use this superpower once again and make a MacBook truly worthy of the moniker “AI PC”.

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Fast Charge: Please Android 15, end my notification nightmare

Ryan Jones — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Pixel owners are now able to download the first Android 15 public beta. I don’t usually rush to download these pre-launch software updates, despite owning a Pixel phone, but this time is different due to its promise to get notifications under control.

In recent weeks, I’ve been getting increasingly frustrated with the number of notifications I receive. If I don’t open my phone for an hour or so, then I’ll be greeted to a long list of overwhelming notifications that clog up my phone’s newsfeed.

It can take so long to scroll through these notifications that I usually just end up clearing them all instead, despite the risk of missing a big BBC News headline or injury updates ahead of the fantasy football deadline.

Part of this is my own fault. Android offers up the option to deactivate notifications for specific apps, so I really should engage in some spring cleaning. After all, I really don’t need Domino’s reminding me about the latest pizza deal every week.

However, my biggest gripe is in regards to how many notifications I receive from each app on a single day. I don’t really want to deactivate my The Athletic notifications, just in case an important news story pops up about my favourite football team, but Android says I’m receiving about 10 notifications per day from this single app – that’s far too much.

The Athletic isn’t the only guilty party either. According to my Pixel phone, I receive around 105 notifications on an average day. It’s no wonder that my inclination is to now delete a notification rather than read it.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Fortunately, Google is promising to help reduce this avalanche of notifications with the introduction of Android 15, which offers up a new Notification Cooldown feature. This will apparently lower the quantity of successive notifications from the same app, allowing me to continue receiving notifications from my favourite apps without getting spammed.

It’s a step in the right direction, but I still feel that notifications can still be improved upon further. Now we’re entering the age of on-device artificial intelligence, I’m hoping that Google can develop a smarter filtration system for notifications.

Ideally, Android should be able to determine whether I have an interest in a notification by registering my actions, whether it’s a swift deletion or a click through to find out more information about a specific headline. It should then be able to react accordingly, and show more/less notifications according to my level of interest. Doing so would greatly improve my experience of using an Android phone.

I’m also annoyed by the number of apps, which I rarely ever use, are still able to send me notifications on a regular basis. Threads, Bing and BeReal all send notifications on a weekly basis, yet I can’t remember the last time I opened those apps. Sure, I could manually deactivate those app notifications myself, but I’d prefer it if Android automatically sorted this out for me.

When discussing AI on smartphones, we usually focus on the grandiose features such as making it easy to scrub an ex from a photo. But realistically, most people would actually benefit more from intelligent notifications, as I’m sure there are plenty more Android users experiencing the same notification nightmare as me.

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Sound & Vision: What can we read into LG's UK pricing for its new OLED TVs?

Kob Monney — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Tis the season, the new TV reviewing season that Is – as the newest models begin to arrive for review.

If you’ve been keeping an eye out in recent weeks, you would have seen Samsung’s latest models scrutinised, and we’ll be hoping to get close and personal with LG’s 2024 TV range soon.

Ahead of that, LG has been dropping the prices for its OLED TVs in various territories, and this week it revealed what UK customers can look to pay. And it’s good news.

Across the board, it would seem that UK prices are a little less expensive than the 2023 models. They’re less expensive than their US counterparts, though the exchange rate still means we’re paying quite a bit more than our US friends. What insight, if any, could this offer us?

It’s good news

Prices for LG OLEDs have been creeping up year on year. For example, the 65-inch G3 was about £200 more expensive than the G2 at £3499, but now that size has gone slightly down to £3399. Still expensive but marginally less so, and if it had followed the trend of before the G4 would be £3699.

These are all guesses on LG’s part but perhaps the drop in price across all models would indicate that the manufacturing process for OLEDs had become less prohibitive. OLED TV technology has been around for more than ten years, LG Display is the biggest producer of OLED TV panels and they’re available in a wide range of sizes, offering customers an array of options to choose from for their home. LG has always had the ambition of wanting an OLED in every home, perhaps with the prices coming down that’s more achievable.

LG G3 OLED

It could also be that these prices have been subsidised in a way by Samsung Electronics adopting the technology for its S90D range. Reports from out of Korea implied that LG had conveyed to Samsung that its WOLED panels should not be treated as lesser compared to Samsung’s competing QD-OLED technology, which has caused some confusion about what screen you’d get in the panel lottery.

Samsung has clawed plenty of market share in the OLED market when it launched the S95B, but it’s more likely that it hasn’t taken much market share away from LG itself but simply reduced the totals of other rival screens from the likes of Sony, Panasonic and Philips, leaving LG more room to lower its prices as it’s now in competition with just one brand, not others.

Down to demand?

Or maybe it’s a sign of the OLED TV market saturating. After all, the price for the 65-inch G4 has only gone up by $100 in the US from the OLED65G3, which is not a big jump at all considering that the new model packs the third-gen MLA META Brightness Booster technology, improved upscaling and motion processing, along with a tweaked audio system. I don’t know what the sales of last year’s LG OLEDs were, but perhaps the demand for OLEDs in 2023 wasn’t as great as it was in previous years.

I’d say that this pricing for its 2024 OLED models is quite an aggressive move, particularly for the bigger sizes which have more drastic reductions to the tune of nearly £500. The main takeaway is that LG wants to hammer home its advantage to make sure there’s an OLED in every home, and its 2024 pricing suggests it is confident in achieving that goal.

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Winners and Losers: Google adds translate shortcut as Disney warns of password-sharing deadline

Hannah Davies — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0000

The first week of April has been a relatively quiet one in tech, with few huge announcements or April Fools pranks to grab our attention.

However, that doesn’t mean we didn’t hear any good (or bad) news. This week was heavy on rumours – especially regarding Google and Apple. Google was reported to be considering charging a subscription price for its Search AI tech, while we learnt that Apple might be working on an in-home robot designed to follow users around the house.

In news, OpenAI stopped making an account mandatory to access ChatGPT, Google agreed to destroy data collected via Incognito Mode and Meta informed developers that the OG Meta Quest would be obsolete by the end of the month.

Keep reading to learn who we named our winner and loser this week.

Winner: Google

Google is our winner this week after the company announced an update to its Circle to Search smartphone feature that is sure to prove handy for anyone travelling abroad or looking to learn a new language.

Circle to Search can now be used to translate any text on your screen from one language to another. This means that you can directly translate images, PDFs, lyrics, and more simply by long pressing the home button or navigation bar and tapping the translate icon.

Google has incorporated Google Translate into Circle to Search to reduce the number of steps it takes to reach its translation technology. Before this update, you’d need to save, screenshot or take a photo of any text you wish to translate and move over to the Google Lens app to complete the process. Now, you can access the same technology from any app in a flash with the press of a button.

Circle to Search translations will begin rolling out in the coming weeks, with the Pixel 6, 7, and 8 and Samsung Galaxy S23 and S24 series’ on the list. Other devices set to receive Circle to Search include a range of foldables and tablets from both Google and Samsung.

Don’t fret if you don’t own any of these devices – you can continue to upload images and screenshots to Google Translate using the Google Lens app. This update will simply streamline the process for those using a compatible device, creating a new compelling reason to pick up a Google or Samsung phone.

Loser: Disney

Our loser this week is Disney after the company revealed a timeline for when it’ll start cracking down on password sharing on Disney Plus.

In an interview on Tuesday, CEO Bob Iger told CNBC that Disney will kick off the process of ending password sharing in June. Disney will begin with a small number of countries and expand later down the line, with the goal being to tackle all subscribers suspected of sharing Disney Plus accounts by September of this year.

“In June, we’ll be launching our first real foray into password-sharing, just a few countries in a few markets”, stated Iger in the interview. “But then it will grow significantly with a full rollout in September”.

Disney has yet to confirm whether it’ll introduce a Netflix-style extra member fee in an attempt to appease disgruntled users unhappy with the idea of paying for the full account price. However, Disney has explored solutions that would allow paying subscribers to continue sharing their accounts in the past.

Regardless, it seems that anyone sharing an account with a friend or family member will be forced to pay for their access by the end of 2024 or risk losing Disney Plus and any half-streamed shows altogether.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: Why Steam should make a Game Pass rival

Ryan Jones — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Valve is the undisputed king of PC gaming, with Steam proving to be the most popular PC digital storefront in the world. However, Valve would be naive to stand still with the ever-growing threat of Microsoft’s Game Pass.

Game Pass is a subscription service offered by Microsoft, with a monthly fee granting access to a large selection of games. It’s best to think of it like the gaming version of Netflix, proving to be a cost-effective option for those who like to play a lot of games each month.

Not only is Game Pass available on Xbox consoles, but there’s also a PC version of the service. This currently features popular PC games such as Diablo IV, Cities: Skylines II, Age of Empires IV and Football Manager 2023, as well as major Xbox exclusives such as Halo Infinite, Starfield and Forza Horizon 5.

Game Pass is surging in popularity, with Microsoft announcing that the platform amassed 34 million subscribers as of February 2024. Assuming that Game Pass’ growing influence will be restricted to consoles would be a mistake, and there’s no doubt in my mind that it could eventually start to gnaw away at Steam’s market share. After all, why would you spend £60/$70 on a new PC game when you could access it through PC Game Pass for just £7.99/$9.99 per month?

Game Pass – Credit: Microsoft

The obvious solution would be for Valve to launch its own subscription service. Valve already has the infrastructure and contacts in order to launch its own take on Game Pass. Of course, it would need to come to financial arrangements with many game publishers in order to include those games in its subscription service, but I don’t see why that would be an issue. It would also be able to throw in some of its own games such as the Half-Life and Portal series.

Unfortunately, Valve’s president Gabe Newel dismissed the idea of a subscription service back in 2022 during an interview with PC Gamer.

“I don’t think it’s something that we think we need to do ourselves, building a subscription service at this time,” Newell said. “But for their customers it’s clearly a popular option, and we’d be more than happy to work with them to get that on Steam.”

So does that mean the idea of a Steam Pass is dead and buried? I’m not convinced. I think the landscape has changed significantly since 2022, which may cause Valve to rethink its strategy.

Firstly, Game Pass had just 25 million subscribers in 2022, but that figure has since grown by 36%. These impressive numbers may well convince Valve that it’s an option worth exploring, but also compounds concerns that Microsoft is becoming a major rival in the PC space.

Secondly, it could give Valve a reason to push into cloud gaming. It’s becoming increasingly clear that gaming is gradually moving over to the cloud, with the likes of Game Pass and Nvidia’s GeForce Now allowing you to play games without the need for expensive hardware. It would be foolish for Valve to ignore this emerging trend, and a subscription service would be the perfect platform for Steam to offer that functionality.

Steam Deck – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

And thirdly, I think a Steam Pass subscription could help to boost sales of the Steam Deck. Valve’s handheld gaming PC has been a triumph, but its success has also seen a litany of third-party manufacturers such as Asus, Lenovo, MSI and Ayano launch their own takes on the device. Suddenly, the Steam Deck has a lot of competition.

The Steam Deck is my personal favourite of the bunch due to its affordability, but it does annoy me that it’s slightly more difficult to load up Game Pass on the portable compared to the Windows devices. I don’t see this changing anytime soon though, as the main reason the Steam Deck is so much cheaper than its rivals is because Valve can make money through game sales, so it probably isn’t keen on the idea of making Microsoft’s Game Pass easy to access.

If Valve launched its own Steam Pass and made it available on the Steam Deck, then it would not only quieten calls for a native Game Pass app, but also encourage players to keep within the Steam ecosystem. Suddenly the Steam Deck would become an even more tempting prospect.

The more I think about it, the more a Steam Pass subscription makes a lot of sense. Despite Valve previously dismissing the idea of creating a Game Pass rival, I personally believe it’s only a matter of time until the company makes a U-turn. Refuses to adapt to an evolving market, and Valve could eventually lose its status as the king of PC gaming.

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Fast Charge: I really hope the Galaxy Z Fold 6 gets the upgrade it desperately needs

Lewis Painter — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 08:30:00 +0000

OPINION: Samsung might’ve been one of the first to market with a foldable with the release of the original Galaxy Fold back in 2019, but the competition has caught up – and arguably surpassed – the Korean giant in the past few years with alternatives that are thinner, lighter and more user friendly.

However, rumours suggest that could finally change with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

The source of this rumour is the ever-reliable Ice Universe, who took to X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week with a whole host of leaked Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 spec claims – and if true, it sounds like the biggest upgrade for the book-style foldable yet.

Per the leaker, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 could drop 14g, bringing it down to a more acceptable 239g which isn’t that far off the 232g Galaxy S24 Ultra, and it’s also the same as the competing OnePlus Open.

Continuing the exclusive leak, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 standard version has an unfolded thickness of 5.6mm, a folded thickness of 12.1mm, and a weight of 239 grams. The resolution of both the internal and external screens has been improved. The internal screen is 7.6 inches,…
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) April 3, 2024

Not content with a lighter foldable, Samsung has allegedly reduced its thickness. The Z Fold 6 reportedly measures 5.6mm thick when unfolded and 12.1mm when folded. That’s a big improvement on the 6.1mm and 13.4mm, respectively, of last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Considering that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 was among the thickest foldables on the market even at its launch in August 2023, it should make a big difference to the device’s overall look and feel.

After all, I’ve praised the OnePlus Open and Honor Magic V2 for their svelte dimensions, which really do make a difference in daily use. The Z Fold 5 was just a little too chunky, and that’s a tad awkward considering it’s still one of the most expensive foldables around. Both the OnePlus Open and Honor Magic V2 come in at slightly less despite their improved designs.

Honor Magic V2 (left) and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (right)

However, the big change I’m most looking forward to is the redesigned cover screen – arguably the biggest pain point of the Z Fold line since its inception. All current iterations of Z Fold sport an awkwardly tall and narrow 6.2-inch cover display that’s a little too tall for comfortable one-handed use and too narrow to enjoy TikToks or games without having to unfold the phone.

That, again, is in stark contrast to the foldable competition with the OnePlus Open and Magic V2 sporting 6.3- and 6.4-inch panels that closely resemble a regular smartphone display.

That means they’re instantly more easily useable one-handed, and apps load as you’d expect, reducing the need to unfold the phone for a quick scroll through TikTok or a round of Call of Duty Mobile.

Honor Magic V2 (left) and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (right)

Even the Google Pixel Fold, with its short, squat 5.8-inch cover display, provides a better experience than the Z Fold 5’s narrow panel.

There is a caveat here though; even with the change, it will still not be as user-friendly as the competition. Ice Universe claims it’ll sport a slightly more regular – but still tall and skinny – 22:9 aspect ratio.

For context, the current Z Fold 5 6.2-inch cover screen has a 23.1:9 aspect ratio, while the OnePlus Open sports a 20:9 aspect ratio shared by plenty of regular phones.

Of course, there’s still a lot that we don’t know about the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

It’s safe to assume it’ll sport either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or Samsung Exynos 2400 chipset as with the Galaxy S24 range, but whether elements like camera, battery life or screen tech get a much-deserved boost is yet to be seen.

Considering the Z Fold 5 falls behind the camera offering of the competing Magic V2 and OnePlus Open, both in terms of megapixel count and overall quality, it’s certainly in need of some TLC.

In a world with increased competition in the premium foldable space, Samsung can’t afford to simply rest on its laurels with the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It really needs to keep innovating to regain the foldable throne that it helped build, but we’ll have to wait until later this year to see if it has succeeded.

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The Meta Quest 3 has completely changed my workout routine

Thomas Deehan — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 13:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Even before the pandemic, there was always a conversation around burning off calories through VR, as the medium encourages you to be far more active during gameplay in a way that consoles rarely do. Fast forward to today, however, and that conversation has ramped up considerably.

Hop on the Meta Quest store and you’ll see an entire section dedicated to games that have a fitness-first approach, with standout titles like Les Mills Bodycombat and CleanSheet Football.

Still, even with plenty of testimonies online from those who swear by VR fitness routines, I remained sceptical. I’ve been going to the gym for over 10 years now and I just couldn’t see how VR could ever hope to replace it, but when I was offered the chance to put it to the test, I decided that now was as good a time as any to see if there was any truth to it. After a month and a half of utilising the Meta Quest 3 as a workout tool, I’m genuinely impressed.

For starters, time spent in virtual reality got my heartrate up to a level that I didn’t expect. Diving in for a 20-minute round of Les Mills Bodycombat, I was able to get my heartrate above 173BPM, with an average rate of 154BPM throughout the session. That blew my mind for a workout taking place entirely in my living room.

It’s a similar story for games that aren’t explicitly designed around fitness. Another 20-minute bout in Samba de Amigo: Party Central, Sega’s rhythm game that sees you flinging virtual maracas to a selection of hit songs, managed to raise my heartrate to an average of 125BPM, helping me to burn far more calories than my PS5 or Xbox Series S could ever hope to.

However, you might have noticed a recurring theme here – the length of these workouts. Regardless of how engaging these apps are, the strenuous activity of exercising with a piece of tech strapped to your head meant that I could never really go beyond half an hour at a time, and this is VR’s biggest crux.

When you really start to sweat, the presence of the Meta Quest 3 on your face is difficult to ignore, and because of this, VR should never be used as your sole form of exercise. After all, it is recommended that you should try and get in an hour’s exercise each day, something that just can’t be done comfortably with a headset.

Plus, there’s no getting around the fact that VR can’t offer the same consistent cardiovascular strain that running or cycling can, and you can forget about building muscle definition unless you bring resistance bands into the mix, but that’s a catastrophe just waiting to happen.

Those might sound like pretty big caveats, but in recognising the limits of VR, I’ve found where best to bring it into the fold. On the days where I’m strapped for time and can’t get down the gym or it’s technically a rest day and I’m in the mood for a bit of low-impact active recovery, the Quest 3 offers up the perfect solution.

In this context, using VR as an addendum to your gym routine is just the ticket for helping you to cover all of your bases, and as someone who’s a bit obsessed with maximising the amount of exercise I can realistically squeeze into a week, the Meta Quest 3 has helped me to do just that.

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Sound & Vision: Now is the best time to buy a premium TV

Kob Monney — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 11:00:00 +0000

OPINION: The 2024 TV reviewing season has officially kicked off with new TVs from Samsung starting things off with a bang. You can read this site’s thoughts on the flagship 8K Mini LED and OLED, along with impressions of the step down 8K and OLED screens.

You might look at the high prices of those TVs and think to yourself “what is this writer on about with the headline?” Nearly £7000/$7000 for an 8K TV or £3500/$3500 for an OLED? These aren’t prices that are anywhere near affordable.

But the headline is not in relation to the brand new TVs with all their fancy anti-glare technology coming to market, but instead TVs from 2023 and 2022. If you’ve been waiting to purchase a new TV for a few years, right now is the best time to do so.

That’s because with the new models coming to the market, the older models have to go somewhere, which is in the discount aisle to make space for the new stock. While Black Friday is a good time to invest in a new TV, I’d say that Spring time – just before Easter pops around – is when you should be thinking about spending your hard-earned money.

And that’s mainly down to a reluctance during Black Friday for TV manufacturers and retailers to offer deals on their most premium TVs, with their cheaper models getting further discounts instead. For big brands, the competitive landscape of the budget TV market (cost, pricing, manufacture etc) means there aren’t many, if any, profits to be had from tussling with other TV makers. The profits come from keeping high prices for as long as possible while still generating appeal to customers who desire a premium experience.

Let’s say that premium TVs in general have a lifespan of about two years. For a premium TV that launched in 2023, Black Friday 2023 would be about a quarter of the way through its lifespan. That’s a little too early to start reducing the price if you’ve got a long-term approach to TV sales.

To use LG as an example, that would mean that the B2, C2, and G2 OLEDs are inching close to end of life (EOL) status. In fact, look up the LG OLED65G2 and you’ll find that it’s reduced to clear. When we first reviewed that TV, it was priced at £3299 – now you can get this five-star OLED for £1299. That’s a bit of a bargain in my opinion, especially if you’re not someone who is massively concerned about having the latest TV technology.

Those timings aren’t the case for every TV manufacturer. Philips tends to refresh its line-up every six months, which makes keeping track of prices and models trickier. By the time we’ve got our hands on a sample, the new model would have been announced. Nevertheless, I’m seeing reductions on 2023 TVs from Sony and Panasonic, the A80L OLED can be snapped up for £1399 (down from £2399) and the MZ1500 is £1599 (down from £2899), and both are very impressive TVs that were excellent at their original RRPs and an even better proposition at their less expensive prices.

So while it’s helpful to look for a banger of a deal in the Black Friday sales, for premium TVs I’d suggest you keep your powder dry and wait until Spring time for the best deal. Like an Easter egg, there are deals just waiting to be cracked open if you have the patience to wait.

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Winners and Losers: Galaxy S23 upgrades, but iPad wait goes on

Chris Smith — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 08:00:00 +0000

OPINION: It’s been another hectic week in the tech world, with the industry’s key names among the headlines. Here are this week’s winners and losers.

There are plenty of contenders for the honours this week. There were strong rumours of a Pixel 9 Pro XL, which would actually a huge win for lovers of smaller phones. In more good news for Android fans, Google reckons the messaging divide will finally be bridged by autumn, when Apple brings RCS to iMessage.

Apple, as always, has been in the news. It confirmed the WWDC 2024 date and promissed it’ll be “Absolutely Incredible” No prizes for guessing that’s a huge hint pertaining to the forthcoming AI-based features in iOS 18 and beyond. However, it wasn’t all good news for Apple fans, as you’ll read below.

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Then came a leak suggesting the Xbox Series X is getting a disc-less edition that might lower the price point of Microsoft’s top console for those who play digital games only. We’re not sure whether it’s a win or a loss at the moment, considering the demand isn’t that great for the S or the X models and this one simply would simply bridge those.

There was also a big win for TV shoppers with the news Vizio is launching an 86-INCH 4K TV for under $1,000, but it’s a big fat L for Brits who don’t get Vizio tellies.

Keep reading to see who tops the winner and loser podium this week…

Winner: Samsung

Owners of Samsung’s 2023 flagships and foldables had a great week with One UI 6.1 beginning its rollout. The upgraded custom user interface that sits atop Android 14 will bring many of the S24 range’s top software features to last year’s models.

Giving the S23 Series (including the S23 SE), Galaxy Z Fold/Flip 5 models and the Galaxy Tab S9 a new lease on life are plenty of the Galaxy AI features that headlined the 2024 models.

Those include Chat Assist, which can translate messages into 13 different languages, as well as recommendations for composing messages in the tone you wish to convey. It’ll also offer grammar suggestions when writing.

There’s also a new Generative Edit photography feature, which enables users to “resize or fill in the background of a shot after removing an object, like when a person walks into the frame,” according to Samsung.

The S24’s Live Translate feature, which will translate voice calls in real time while providing live caption transcripts, is also coming to devices farther down the trough. Google’s Circle to Search tool is a useful way to leverage Google without typing in commands, and it’ll now be available on the S23 range and others.

So, this is much more than a fresh lick of paint for the S23 Series. It brings a host of genuine improvements that’ll make the 2023 range feel brand new again.

Loser: Apple

For the second week in a row, Apple takes the inausicious honour. Last week the company was sued, this week we learned its next iPads may have been delayed.

It’s been around 18 months since Apple launched a new iPad, but that was expected to change in the first three months of 2024. That certainly isn’t going to be the case now and it mightn’t be for at least another month, according to a well-connected Apple reporter.

The reliable Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman reckons the release date for new iPad Pro and iPad Air models has slipped into early May because Apple is still finalising the software for the new models.

Gurman had been among those banging the drum about a Q1 release, so it’s plausible that information wasn’t on the money and Apple was always looking at a spring release.

However, that doesn’t make it any less frustrating for those who’ve been waiting years for Apple to slap OLED tech within a revamped iPad Pro, or offer a massive 12.9-inch iPad Air.

With no new iPads during the entirety of 2023, it’s no surprise that Apple reported a year-on-year fall in iPad revenue of 25%, when the company last went public with its earnings, in February.

That new iPad Pro, reported to be powered by the M3 chip with a revamped Apple Pencil and and Magic Keyboard sounds like just the ticket to revive the category… if only Apple could get it out the door.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: Even Xbox is dreaming of a better Windows handheld

Adam Speight — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 13:00:00 +0000

OPINION: How do you know a product category might not be long for this world?

The death knell is almost certainly sounding when a CEO close to the situation is publicly describing how they’d reinvent it. The category is Windows handhelds and it’s Xbox’s Phil Spencer that thinks they can do better.

It’s nothing new, as there’s been plenty of chatter and rumours swirling around the idea of an Xbox gaming handheld, especially as we’ve seen PlayStation release the Portal and more manufacturers join the PC handheld rat race. I’ve even written about it in this very column previously, declaring ‘The ROG Ally shows why we need an Xbox handheld‘. Xbox CEO Phil Spencer appears to completely agree.

“I want my Lenovo Legion Go to feel like an Xbox”

The Steam Deck offers a wonderful value-packed streamlined experience for playing your PC games on the go.

By comparison, Windows 11-powered handhelds have offered varying degrees of success in this department, often dependent on the performance of the hardware inside as well as how good the manufacturer’s software works in bringing all your games together.

In our review experience, the Asus ROG Ally does this well but the Lenovo Legion Go… not so much.

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Lenovo Legion Go – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

And, based on a recent interview with Polygon, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer thinks the exact same, and he’s begun speculating on how Xbox could make that experience better.

I brought [the Legion Go] with me to GDC. I’m on the airplane and I have this list of everything that makes it not feel like an Xbox … Are all of my games there? Do all my games show up with the save [files] that I want? I’ll tell you one [game] that doesn’t right now — it’s driving me crazy — is Fallout 76. It doesn’t have cross-save.
I want to be able to boot into the Xbox app in a full screen, but in a compact mode. And all of my social [experience] is there. Like I want it to feel like the dash of my Xbox when I turn on the television. [Except I want it] on those devices.”

Same, Phil, same. Coincidentally, I, myself, used the Legion Go on a plane during my test period with the device. As well as the software quirks, the hardware irked me as it wouldn’t sit steadily on the tray table. Add that to the list, Mr Spencer.

On to the main point the Xbox CEO is making, the current Windows-based handheld experience isn’t great and I suspect he’s looking on in envy at a device like the Steam Deck. I’ve made the specific argument for an Xbox handheld but, while Xbox continues to have a key focus on hardware, it’s clear that getting Xbox Game Pass everywhere is the priority above all else.

But, when (and what)?

Phil Spencer hasn’t, of course, outright stated that an Xbox handheld is coming. Instead, he says the Xbox hardware team is looking into ‘different hardware form factors’.

Spencer added that the Xbox team were specifically looking into a device that would allow people to play games when and where they normally wouldn’t be able to. That does sound a lot like it could be handheld, but sceptics would suggest he could simply be referring to Xbox Cloud Streaming being available on Android, and the door now open for it to return to iOS.

GameSir X3 mobile controller – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

However, it’s clear to me that Spencer is talking about new avenues to get into. Given Xbox has its consoles, and you can find the Game Pass app on mobiles and some Smart TVs, where else is there for Spencer to expand the Xbox ecosystem into? I’m not sure I want to play Starfield on a smartwatch.

Further, Spencer is so clearly thinking about it and what it would need to be. When talking about PC gaming handhelds he stated, “The things that usually frustrate me are more Windows-based than device-based.” And, the head honcho knows who is best positioned to fix that: “[It’s] an area I feel some ownership of. Like, I want to be able to log in with a controller. I’ve got my list of things we should go do.”

So, an Xbox handheld must be a go, right? Spencer does add a key caveat that suggests handhelds from the likes of Asus, Lenovo, MSI and others aren’t going away. “If I want to go play my console games on the go with a handheld, I don’t want to only be able to buy one brand of handheld… I want everything that we’re doing in the hardware space to be great. But if somebody chooses to go play today [somewhere else], I don’t want them to feel like a lesser Xbox [player].”

Steam Deck (Top), Asus ROG Ally (Bottom) – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

All that adds up to an added level of intrigue on my part regarding the next evolution of Xbox on handhelds, but it largely brings more questions than answers. Will we get PC handhelds that have a much more siloed Xbox experience so you can live in that space without the stress of tackling the awkwardness of Windows and manufacturer software?

Or, could we see those new style handhelds and an Xbox handheld for those who’d like it, as it doesn’t seem like an Xbox handheld completely taking over that space is something Phil Spencer wants to do?

My thoughts are: just do it. An Xbox console-like experience on a handheld sounds like a stress-free dream and, if Xbox did improve the operating system experience for all PC handhelds but still introduced its own hardware, I’d expect users to flock to the Xbox version anyway.

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Fast Charge: The rumoured Google Pixel 8a could make the regular Pixel 8 obsolete

Lewis Painter — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 09:30:00 +0000

OPINION: Just a few days after Google confirmed that this year’s Google I/O would take place on 14 May, the Pixel 8a – which is expected to be announced at the showcase – suffered a huge leak.

If the rumours are indeed true, the Pixel 8a sounds like a capable beast. So much so that I’m a little bit concerned about the regular Pixel 8.

There have always been similarities between the A-series and the flagship Pixels, but there have always been key differences between them that showcase the Pixel A-series’ budget nature.

With the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7a, those differences came in the form of refresh rate, display size and the camera offering. The Pixel 7’s 6.3-inch panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and dual camera offering beating the 90Hz, 6.1-inch screen and dual camera offering from the Pixel 7a. However, if the rumours are true, most of these differences could be a thing of the past with the release of the Pixel 8a.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Take the refresh rate for example; despite only making the jump to 90Hz with the Pixel 7a, the Pixel 8a could again make the jump, this time to the same 120Hz as the regular Pixel 8. It’s not just the refresh rate either; other key Pixel 8 screen tech, like the 1400nits peak HDR brightness, could be available on the Pixel 8a.

The chunky bezels of the Pixel 7a could all but disappear with the Pixel 8a, with the same report claiming that the corner radius of the Pixel 8a’s screen closely matches that of the regular Pixel 8 series.

In fact, rumours suggest that the panel will be sourced by BOE and Samsung, the same manufacturers that handle the Pixel 8’s screen tech. This lends credence to the idea that the two panels will be near-identical. The only other key difference is size, with a rather insignificant 0.1-inch difference between the two.

The flagship Pixel 8 also introduced DisplayPort output support, another feature that’s said to be coming to the Pixel 8a. While it doesn’t offer a PC-esque DeX setup like Samsung flagships right now, it could in the future. Hey, the Android 15 reveal is only a couple of months away…

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

And, of course, the Pixel 8a will continue the long trend using current flagship-level chips, this time in the form of the Google Tensor G3. That’s the same as the Pixel 8 – in most regards, anyway. While there are small differences in the manufacturing process with the Pixel 8a’s G3 essentially using cheaper parts, the real-world difference is likely negligible, as with previous A-series phones.

That’s all a roundabout way of saying that the Pixel 8a will be closer to the Pixel 8 than any other A-series release before it, and with an expected price tag of around £449/$499, it’ll be much cheaper than the £699/$699 flagship.

There are still differences between the two phones – the Pixel 8a uses a smaller 64MP main sensor in place of the Pixel 8’s larger 50MP sensor, and it’s a similar story in the ultrawide department. The Pixel 8 also offers marginally better dust and water resistance, but for the bargain-hunting consumer, I’m not sure these differences matter all that much.

In most key metrics, it seems the Pixel 8a will match the Pixel 8’s offering at a cheaper price point. That’s great for consumers around the world, but it doesn’t exactly bode well for sales of the flagship alternative.

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For Vision Pro to succeed 'Immersive Video' must be the norm, not a rare teaser

Chris Smith — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 15:26:54 +0000

OPINION: New Apple Vision Pro Immersive Video content arrives, but it’s well overdue. It’s just a reminder of why you shouldn’t buy one yet.

Apple is finally launching more of the Vision Pro’s signature Immersive Video content, this time focused on the Major League Soccer playoffs, specifically five minutes of highlights from the 2023 MLS Cup.

The 180-degree 8K 3D virtual reality video, complete with spatial audio is one of the most impressive capabilities of the $3,499 headset. However, thus far, there’s very little of it to enjoy. This, for example, is the first sports film to launch – joining a couple of wildlife/adventure shorts – since the launch two months ago.

Unfortunately, this one’s short too. It’s just five minutes long and features footage from last season’s games. While it’s likely to be a technical marvel offering a genuinely wowing experience, it’s really not enough. And, right now, it’s an argument against buying the Vision Pro.

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When I sampled the Vision Pro in-store demo in February, the highlight was the Immersive Video content that was undoubtedly the most realistic VR experience I’d…erm… experienced. But there wasn’t a lot of it. A short, few minutes with clips from MLS games (which I presume will be repeated here), MLB games and some wicked wildlife clips.

For this to be a reason to buy the Vision Pro there needs to a large library of this content. Not just technical demonstrations that have diminishing returns each time you watch.

Apple has to up the ante here. The true value in the Vision Pro experience will be in being able to watch these MLS and MLB games (it has the rights to stream) in the Immersive Video format live. At the very least, they need to be full games, available on demand soon after the game, not a five minute showcase offering choice snippets.

Wearers paying three and a half grand for a Vision Pro should be able to feel like they’re in the stands – they almost need to be able to smell the beer flying in the air when the goals go in, as the spatial audio recordings giving you the impression you’re celebrating goals with tens of thousands of other supporters.

The short snippets of Immersive Video can trick your brain into believing you’re viewing the scene with your own eyes. This was the case during the in-store demo, where some of my experiences included:

“The singer was strikingly attractive and it made my heart jump a beat for a second, until my brain clicked that she wasn’t right in front of me, serenading me.
“There’s an incredible clip of a goal as viewed if you were sat in a prime spot behind the goal.”
“There was a tightrope walker (don’t look down), incredible vistas of landscapes and cityscapes, and finally a bear entering a crystal-clear lake to close the experience. I looked down and expected to see my feet.”

But this demo of Immersive Video lasted just a couple of minutes.

There needs to be more of this. Much more of it. We don’t yet have much of an idea of what goes into shooting and editing this Immersive Video content, but Apple should have been gathering as much of it as humanly possible in the time it has been prepping Vision Pro, and should have creating it non-stop ever since.

There is a sense that the first consumer version of the Vision Pro is still more of a proof of concept priming the future audince for what to expect, rather than a fleshed out model of what the category will become.

However, until this type of content IS the experience, rather than a teaser of what’s possible, then it’s impossible to recommend spending so much money on the Vision Pro.

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Pixel 9 Pro "XL" reports would be great news for compact phone lovers

Chris Smith — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 21:52:27 +0000

Pixel 8 and 8 Pro

OPINION: Two Pixel 9 Pro models, with the same cameras and different display sizes, would be a massive win for smartphone lovers who prefer good things to come in small packages.

Google may be planning to expand the flagship Pixel smartphone line with a third size option in time for the Pixel 9 range this autumn. According to new leaks, the larger of the Pixel 9 devices will be called a Pixel 9 Pro XL and will come with a 6.5-inch display.

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According to a 91 Mobiles/OnLeaks report, the Pixel 9 Pro will be 6.1-inches, while a standard Pixel 9’s display will be a tiny bit smaller at 6.03-inches. Maybe due to larger bezels or something, rather than an smaller phone?

Ironically, if this comes to fruition, the Pixel 9 Pro XL will actually be smaller than the existing Pixel 8 Pro, which is 6.7-inches. That would make the Pro flagships similar to Apple’s handling, with two Pro options of different sizes – iPhone Pro and Pro Max.

All in all, this actually sounds like bigger deal for people who prefer smaller phones, rather than those seeking an XL flagship. The report says each Pro model will have a triple camera system, meaning you’ll hopefully be able to get the best camera technology Google has to offer in a more pocket-friendly model.

Last year, if you wanted the best camera, the Pixel 8 Pro was the only way to go. That meant a 6.7-inch display. Both phones had the same 50-megapixel main camera, but the Pro had a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, compared with the 12-megapixel ultrawide on the standard Pixel 8.

The Pixel 8 Pro also had a 30x Super Res Zoom lens, which users AI to ensure images of faraway subjects are clear and crisp. Pixel 8 users had to make do with an 8x version of the same tech.

Of course, the computational, back-end aspect of Google’s cameras phones is a great leveller, but none of this was great news if you’d have actually preferred the 6.2-inch phone, which matched the Pixel 8 Pro’s power thanks to the Tensor G3 processor.

Indeed, Beyond the display sizes and cameras, the only other trade-off between the two phones was the thermometer on the Pixel 8 Pro. That only recently became worthwhile anyway, when Google revealed its body temp feature had been approved for use in the United States.

Of course, you did save £100 by opting for the Pixel 8 standard edition, but why should smartphone users even have carry a slab around in their pockets just to get the best cameras?

Should Google follow through by offering the same cameras in both purported Pro phones, as well as the same experience elsewhere with the display tech, battery life and processing power, it’ll be a noted step forward for Android phones.

Display size matters to people. I hear it all the time when I talk to people. They’ll often prioritise the word “small” when telling me what they want in a smartphone. Not tech nerds like us who are true enthusiasts, of course, but every day folks who tend to just upgrade to the newest model on their contract every couple of years. They’ve been upsized by default.

Just because you choose a 55-inch OLED TV over an 80-inch OLED screen, it doesn’t mean you get less in the way of features, does it? Google’s reported move would democratise display sizes in much the same way. Let’s hope it happens.

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Sound and Vision: The Sennheiser Orpheus is luxury audio at its finest

Kob Monney — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Earlier in March I was given a tour of the Sennheiser Headphone factory in Tullamore, Ireland, and while I was there I was given the opportunity to listen to the Sennheiser Orpheus HE-1.

Now while I wouldn’t say that I have some sort of audio bucket list, the Sennheiser Orpheus has always been one of those audio products where I wondered if I’d ever get the chance to listen to it.

Named after the Greek God endowed with superhuman musical skills, at £60,000/$60,000 (if not more) it’s not a product where access to it is easy, though someone else on the trip said they had already listened to it twice before. The Sennheiser Orpheus is something of a sacred hi-fi object. Only a poor taste in music could possibly desecrate it, but such is its capabilities that it could make the most soporific of songs sound interesting.

And like all expensive pieces of kit, there’s drama to its unveiling. Turning the Orpheus on is essentially theatre with some misdirection thrown in. The base is a solid block of Carrara marble (sourced from Italy), with an electrostatic headphone in a see-through compartment on top with dials that push out from the fascia, and valve tube amplifiers that rise from the marble block. It’s like the rocket positioning its engines and getting ready for launch.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The misdirection is that the valve tube amplifiers need some time to warm up and get ready, so all that theatre is there to get stuff in the background up and running, which on first start-up takes about a minute.

You’re given the headphones which are massive but comfy, the design of which looks like a prop from out of a Tarsem Singh film – and then you sit back and allow yourself to be transported away.

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Now, some of that may come across as hyperbole. It can’t be that good, it’s too expensive, etc, and yes the Orpheus could (or can) be very well those things if you come at it from a certain perspective. What do I care, my £50 headphones do the trick for me etc.

But part of the enjoyment about luxury audio is that it is ostentatious, silly but also a great deal of fun. In performance terms the Orpheus sounds terrific – it sounds effortless with its warm sound; that’s inviting and wraps around your head like some sort of sonic cosy. It performs just as well at quieter and louder volumes, never sounds as if it’s straining and vocalists sound as if they were standing in front of you. Best of all, you stop thinking and just listen.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

That’s what the best audio products do. They disarm and transport the listener into the music, not to some distant vantage point where you’re thinking and analysing. I’m not a big fan of Daft Punk’s now final album in Random Access Memories but the rich, soulful performance the Orpheus elicited from the vinyl album made me want to listen to it again in full – but probably only on the Sennheiser Orpheus…

A trip through The Beatles’ Revolver album was equally illuminating (and had me bopping my head to Yellow Submarine), as was a listen to Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain. Whatever the music genre, the Orpheus fleshes it out in a rich and rewarding way.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

I only spent an hour with it, but everyone else on the tour could have easily spent plenty more time listening to it. It’s a special product, put together by one person (hello Damien!), which takes him about two weeks to put together before it ends up as a 21kg product put through acoustic, mechanical, and electromechanical tests before it gets shipped to its new owner.

We never learnt who bought a Sennheiser Orpheus, but they’re a lucky person. Such products don’t come around often, which is rather the point, and when they do, you’ve got to enjoy them from an uncynical point of view. After all, music can do many things, and one of them is to put a smile on your face, and that’s what the Sennheiser Orpheus HE-1 does – as long as you’ve got £60,000/$60,000 in your wallet.

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Winners and Losers: Nvidia goes big on AI, and Apple gets sued

Ryan Jones — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

OPINION: It’s been a busy week in the world of technology, with plenty of strong candidates for both our winners and losers.

Microsoft shared more details about its Copilot feature, while also unveiling some new laptops aimed squarely at businesses. And there have been plenty of fantastic deals thanks to Amazon’s Spring Deal Days event. There have also been numerous leaks and rumours, particularly surrounding the PS5 Pro and Google Pixel 8a.

And yet none of the above have qualified as our winner or loser this week. Instead, Nvidia and Apple have been awarded those accolades. Keep reading on to find out why.

Winner: Nvidia

This week Nvidia announced a new AI chip called the Blackwell B200, which the company claims is the most powerful chip in the world. However, with the price of the new GPU coming in at between $30K–$40K, it’s not something that the average person will be able to buy.

That said, while most individuals won’t be able to buy the B200 GPU that doesn’t mean you won’t be affected by its release. Nvidia says that companies such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft have already expressed interest in the chip.

We all make use of AI services daily, whether it’s using Google Search, or making use of Microsoft’s new Copilot feature. Thanks to the new performance ceiling offered by Nvidia’s new GPU, we could see significant advancements in AI services across the globe.

Nvidia’s advancements with AI technology recently helped it become the third most valuable company in the world. Now Nvidia has an even more powerful AI chip on the books, all signs point towards the company continuing this upward trajectory for the foreseeable future.

Loser: Apple

This week the US Department of Justice revealed that it plans to sue Apple for maintaining an illegal monopoly over the smartphone market.

DOJ Antitrust Division Chief Jonathan Kanter said in a statement, “For years, Apple responded to competitive threats by imposing a series of ‘Whac-A-Mole’ contractual rules and restrictions that have allowed Apple to extract higher prices from consumers, impose higher fees on developers and creators, and to throttle competitive alternatives from rival technologies.”

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Apple has of course hit back, with spokesperson Fred Sainz claiming that the lawsuit “would set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology. We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it.”

This isn’t the first time Apple has come under scrutiny for monopolistic tactics. The EU recently fined Apple £1.5 billion for breaking competition laws over music streaming.

Of course, the US Department of Justice’s case has only just been filed, so we won’t know the verdict for quite some time. The only clear thing is that this won’t be the last time we hear about this seismic allegation, and it will be very interesting to see how this could potentially impact Apple products further down the line.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: Snapdragon X Elite could beat the MacBook to a huge gaming win

Adam Speight — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 12:30:00 +0000

OPINION: “Gaming on a Mac,” it’s a phrase that’s become part of computing industry jargon as Apple’s aims in the department have ebbed and flowed. Now, Qualcomm seems extremely bullish about making gaming on Arm chips a thing ahead of Apple and its M-series chips.

Even before it announced the Snapdragon X Elite chip, Qualcomm had been hyping up the powerful PC chips it had in its locker. And, it’s worth our attention. Qualcomm has made a lot of claims relating to raw performance and efficiency numbers but, during the Game Developer Conference 2024, it highlighted the gaming capabilities of the Snapdragon X Elite chip. If it stands up, it could be an exciting step forward for gaming on thin-and-light laptops.

“Your game should already work”

Towards the end of 2023, I wrote about how the biggest hurdle for Snapdragon X Elite laptops is going to be Windows on Arm. Expectedly, Qualcomm is keen to allay those fears. The more practical side of those fears simply comes down to the compatibility and performance of Windows apps with Arm chips, whether that’s apps created natively or apps using a compatibility layer.

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However, the Snapdragon X Elite could turn this potential negative into a huge positive if the solution has been cracked to such an extent that video games are set to work seamlessly on the new chip. The proof will be in the pudding but things sound promising.

The reporting on Qualcomm’s excitement at GDC 2024 comes courtesy of Sean Hollister of The Verge, who snapped some key images from the brand’s presentation at the event. The all-important snap highlights the advantages and limitations of “x64 emulation”. “x64” (and, x86 for older apps) is the architecture of the majority of apps right now that you run on Windows devices sporting Intel and AMD chips.

Image Credit (Sean Hollister – The Verge)

The advantages will be music to the ears of those who have been eagerly awaiting the reveal of Snapdragon X Elite-sporting laptops but wanted to dabble in gaming or simply had doubts regarding how well Windows x64 apps will run on Arm. These are, and bear in mind these notes are aimed at app developers, “Faster Porting”, “Your game should already work”, “GPU performance unaffected by x64 emulation” and “After initial hit to translate a new blocks of code, caching system is extremely efficient”.

Those first three are the ones that may get the excitement levels going. First, faster porting is sure to encourage more app (and game) developers to be willing to take onboard any necessary work and improvements it can make to their products when it comes to running well on a Snapdragon X Elite chip. But, the second point suggests there’ll be little to do on that front, the phrase “Your game should already work” is a remarkable one and shows Qualcomm’s high level of confidence in the emulation here.

For consumers, for Qualcomm to tout that graphical performance shouldn’t take a hit because of the emulation from a non-Arm app to one that runs on Arm is wondrous. Performance is a key factor for a lot of gamers so keeping pace with Intel and AMD rivals will be important.

What’s the catch, Qualcomm?

It’s worth having a healthy level of scepticism surrounding the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite before reviewers get their hands on the devices, as many of the benchmarks and demos showcased so far have been managed affairs.

The same goes for these claims. They sound great but must be tested. Admittedly, Qualcomm is clear on the limitations here too, stating the emulation won’t work with “kernel drivers” such as anti-cheat systems, which could be a hurdle for some modern games – liike Fortnite.

Snapdragon X Elite specifications – Image Credit (Qualcomm)

Qualcomm also made clear at this GDC presentation that it isn’t claimed the Snapdragon X Elite can do everything amazingly well all at once, so it’s good to see some realism. Hollister put the question to Qualcomm senior director of product management Micah Knapp “if he’s seen Arm run a game faster and get better battery life than x86″, to which Knapp replied that he had not seen both on one device.

So, while there are reasons to be excited about the Snapdragon X Elite laptops, it sounds like you’ll still have some typical laptop-related choices to make when it comes to picking one up. There’ll be models made for gaming and models made for longer battery life, but not both. Meaning, if you were hoping to finally see a Windows MacBook Air-esque device that can take down gaming while still offering strong battery, that seems unlikely.

However, something close to a MacBook Pro or, simply, a step forward in thin and lightweight design for graphically performant laptops on the Windows side of things, might be on the cards.

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Fast Charge: The new iPad Pro is coming – here's what we know

Max Parker — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

FC 22 MAR 24 V1

OPINION: The rumours surrounding the latest round of iPad releases have been swirling for months now, with each week bringing us closer to that final reveal many have been eagerly awaiting.

While Amazon’s big Spring Deals sale and the US Department of Justice’s claims against Apple have taken up many of the headlines this week, there have been a few more rumours about the upcoming iPad slate trickle through too.

These rumours, which will only be validated if and when Apple does announce the products, have shed new light on a device that has been pegged as ‘coming soon’ for what seems like 18 months now.

2023 was the first year in the iPad’s lifecycle that we didn’t get any hardware revisions. There was no new Pro, new Air, new MIni or even base iPad and it has left the line feeling somewhat stagnant. 2023 was full of interesting Android tablets, notably the OnePlus Pad and Google Pixel Tablet, and while the iPad still reigns supreme as the best tablet on the market, the distance between rivals isn’t as great as it has been.

While it is expected the new iPad Pros will shift to an M3 chipset, come with a slimmer design with a redesigned FaceTime camera module and new screen tech, this week has seen a few more reported features come to light.

Attack the bezels

The first of the recent slew of iPad rumours revolves around the high-end Pro model – Apple’s priciest duo of slates. Apple leaker Instant Digital claimed that the 11-inch version of the new iPad Pro will feature a 7.12 mm-thick screen frame – excluding the metal edge – while the larger 12.9-inch model’s frame will be 7.08mm thick.

According to calculations from MacRumors, these figures would make the new iPad Pro bezels around 10 to 15% skinnier than the ones on previous iPad Pro models released over the past six years.

The front of Apple iPad Pro M2

Thinner bezels have been a theme of recent Apple devices, notably the iPhone 14 Pro, however I am less enthused about having them on larger touchscreen devices like tablets. While they do give a more modern overall look, it can make them hard to grip comfortably without your fingers encroaching on the screen.

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Multiple screen options

It’s very much expected that both versions of the 2024 iPad Pro series will switch to an OLED display. This will be a welcome upgrade, especially for the smaller 11-inch model which has always had an LCD IPS.

However, recent rumours, once again from Instant Digital, suggest that Apple will go one step further and offer multiple finishes on the iPad’s display. Jumping on the back of the popular matte screen protector trend, the leaker claims that Apple will offer both glossy and matte versions of the iPad Pro. The report (via MacRumors) also states some blue-light filtering tech might be included with the matte option.

The ProDisplay XDR have a duo of coating options

Offering displays with two different coatings isn’t new for Apple, as it’s something it offers across its Studio and Pro Display ranges. Typically, the matte option has been the premium offering, minimising glare and reducing reflection.

The benefits would likely be the same on an iPad, but it could also give the tablet a more papery feel when used for sketching and note-taking.

I can see this feature being far more useful than the thinner bezels, especially for those who primarily use the iPad as a creative tool. For those who use it more for watching movies, the glossy panel would likely still be preferable.

The release date still very much up in the air

When these new iPads will be arriving remains a mystery, though all signs point to it being sooner rather than later. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported multiple times that the tablets are coming soon, though he has recently dismissed March 26 as the all-important date.

Not true https://t.co/4vec7H4mk4
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) March 21, 2024

Apple announced new MacBook Air models with the M3 chipset earlier this month – you can read my MacBook Air 13-inch M3 review here – without a lavish event, and the new iPads could launch similarly.

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Sound and Vision: More dimming zones does not make a better TV

Kob Monney — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: The saying “it’s not what you got, it’s how you use it” could be interpreted in many ways, but for the purpose of this Sound & Vision column, I’m going to use it in reference to TVs, and not whatever you might be thinking of...

This week saw the announcement of the X11H Mini-LED TV from TCL, a name that sounds like it should be a SpaceX rocket. It has a panel capable of 6500 nits of brightness with over 14,000 dimming zones.

In recent years, the TV industry has had a thirst for ever-greater brightness, and TCL is no stranger to increasing the light output of its TVs (or trying to manufacture one as big as they possibly can). It has the feel of an F1 car in pre-season testing, going for a glory run to get their name in the headlines. I’m writing about it and you’re reading this article, so it must be working.

But to go back to “it’s not what you got, it’s how you use it”, in my experience, it’s something of a fallacy to equate bigger numbers with better performance, especially when talking about dimming zones.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The high number in the X11H will focus debate on how technological advanced it is (which is surely the outcome TCL wants), and about how the TV is so bright it’ll be like the scene in Danny Boyle’s Sunshine when Cliff Curtis’ Seale takes off his glasses. Perhaps apply some factor 45 sunscreen and a welder’s mask before you watch any bright content.

But there is more to backlight control, pinpoint blacks and high brightness than having a huge number of dimming zones. It’s more important as to how those dimming zones are controlled, and what they’re instructed to do.

I’ve reviewed TVs with high dimming zones and still seen blooming and clouding. I’ve seen TVs with far fewer zones and not seen much, if at all.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

I can see why companies such as Sony are reluctant to get into the numbers game, as it creates the perception of more is better and less is not as good. I’ll reference the upcoming and (so far) secretive Sony TV coming later this year, which I’ll designate as the ‘Triple M’ – the Mystery Mini-LED Model.

It features Sony’s proprietary technology, fitted inside tiny 22-bit LED drivers capable of a huge amount of processing that can more precisely tell and control what the Mini-LEDs are doing.

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Compared to a rival model, which my assumption had more dimming zones, the Sony prototype was better not just in terms of backlight control with its black levels and more precise light output, but the gradation of colours (the transition from one shade to another).

Credit: Sony

Rather than make the story about the number dimming zones, it’s about the algorithms and processing deployed that tell Min-LEDs how to interpret and respond to the picture information they’re receiving. Don’t go down the road of more dimming zones, it’s a cul-de-sac. It’s about the quality of the processing.

Another aspect that’s gaining traction is that high peak brightness is the direction that TVs are travelling down (or up, I should say). That has its advantages: higher brightness copes better with reflections and ambient light, as well as delivering on more of the potential that HDR brings to table with improved colour volume.

Though OLED is earning prime time in front of customers, Mini-LED represents its biggest threat. OLED has perfect blacks and infinity contrast, but it can’t match the brightness of Mini LED in every test case or at every price point. There is no such thing as a perfect TV, but in the chase for higher brightness that some TV brands believe in, Mini-LED is the screen of choice.

But other manufacturers would refute this. If you look at the direction Hollywood mastering suites are going in, the action isn’t happening at the top end, but taking place towards the darker end of the brightness spectrum.

Filmmakers and mastering specialists are much more interested in darkness – you only have to look at the infamous Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon episodes, the latter clocking in at a miserly 1 nit. It’s great having a peak output of 6500 nits, but that’s 6499 more than that scene will ever require.

Look back to the past and the likes of legendary cinematographer Gordon Willis, and the films he lensed such as The Godfather, and how he dispensed with the saturated brightness of studio films to work in the shadows, earning the nickname the Prince of Darkness.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

TV manufacturers will try to find new ways to push the technology at their disposal, though I’m sceptical about whether the high brightness future some are imagining is going to happen, at least any time soon. Don’t get tricked by the high numbers – few films are even mastered beyond 4000 nits.

Even if we’re talking about future-proofing TV sets, it’d be years (perhaps a decade) for content that bright to be regularly available. You only have to look at 8K to see where promise led to disappointment.

It’s not what you got, it’s how you use it; and the TVs with this motto in mind will be the ones you should really be keeping an eye out for.

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Winners and losers: Intel introduces powerful CPU as PS5 proves better at running an Xbox exclusive

Hannah Davies — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

It’s Sunday again, meaning it’s time to reflect on the past week with this edition of Winners of Losers.

This week hasn’t been short of launches with Intel announcing its latest CPU, Asus showcasing the flagship Zenfone 11 Ultra, Samsung launching the Galaxy A55 5G and A35 5G and Instax unveiling its Instax Mini 99 instant camera.

Keep reading to discover our winner and loser from the last week.

Winner: Intel

Our winner this week is Intel after the company announced its fastest desktop processor yet and the most advanced chip in the Meteor Lake series, Intel’s 14th Generation of CPUs.

The Core i9-14900KS Unlocked is capable of hitting speeds of up to 6.2GHz out of the box, beating Intel’s own 6GHz record established by last year’s i9-13900KS. Not only is the Core i9-14900KS the “world’s fastest desktop processor” according to Intel, but the CPU offers a 15% performance boost compared to the previous generation of Intel chips.

“The Intel Core i9-14900KS showcases the full power and performance potential of the Intel Core 14th Gen desktop processor family and its performance hybrid architecture,” said Intel VP and general manager of Intel’s Enthusiast PC and Workstation Segment, Roger Chandler.

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“Extreme PC enthusiasts – especially gamers and creators – can now enjoy the i9-14900KS’s record-breaking 6.2 GHz frequency while taking their desktop experience to higher levels of performance than ever before.”

The 24-core i9-14900KS is available to buy from March 14. However, it won’t be long before we hear all about Intel’s 15th Generation of chips, with Intel Arrow Lake expected to arrive at the end of 2024.

Loser: Microsoft

This week’s loser is Microsoft after the company opened up a former Xbox-exclusive title to PlayStation gamers only to receive feedback that the game ran better on the PS5.

Narrative game Pentiment – which also recently arrived on the Switch – proved able to run at 120fps on the PS5, while Xbox Series X users had previously settled for 60fps.

According to Pentiment director Josh Sawyer, a bug had caused the 120fps setting to be disabled on the Xbox and the faster frame rate would be made available with the next patch which has just rolled out.

Other fixes delivered with this patch include a fix for the High Contrast accessibility option not rendering correctly, updated icons, an updated trophy name and new PS4 and PS5 controller graphics.

While it’s good to see Microsoft open up its first-party games to a wider variety of platforms, it seems this particular launch backfired slightly. Hopefully, the next IP the company shares with the PS5 and Nintendo Switch will run just as smoothly on its own Xbox consoles as it does on its competitors’.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: A foldable MacBook is a terrible idea

Adam Speight — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: There’s been plenty of speculation surrounding when Apple will get in on the foldable game. The latest rumour points towards a foldable MacBook being one of its first folding devices – that’s a truly awful idea.

Have you used a foldable laptop? And, don’t come at me with the “all laptops are foldable” line. Laptops are two pieces connected with a hinge. What makes a foldable laptop “foldable” is the bending display.

Now that PSA is over, I’ll say that I’ve used a few foldable laptops now and they are just bad. And, that’s why Apple should put this idea on the shelf and go down a different route.

Foldable laptops are bad

So what makes foldable laptops so bad? Well, I want to clarify some redeeming qualities first. There have only been a few so far but HP’s first effort was quite strong, with the Spectre Fold offering a stunning display, decent performance and a refined design.

However, the various modes afforded by its folding nature were cumbersome and, above all, it cost a breathtaking £5000/$5000. I’ll pause while you pick your collective jaws up off the floor.

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HP Spectre Fold – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Then, there was our most recent foldable laptop review from Deputy Editor Ryan Jones. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 seemed troubled from the start, taking over a year to launch following its initial announcement.

Despite its headstart, the device fell short of HP’s debut offering. Ryan called out its lack of a built-in kickstand, small screen, disappointing battery life and a price in the UK that is almost more jaw-dropping than HP’s. Oddly, it comes in at £4389 in the UK, compared with a more reasonable but still astounding $2499 in the US.

The aforementioned Zenbook 17 Fold OLED was an acceptable effort for a first try from Asus, but it still came with an initial high price tag of £3299/$3999.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

These high prices lead to a sense of dread regarding what Apple could charge for a foldable MacBook. But other running themes have me concerned too.

All the devices offer poor battery life, an awkwardly creased and reflective display as well as a real lack of direction when it comes to justifying why this form factor is worthy of existing. A huge display on the go sounds like a great idea in practice but, so far, it’s leading to far too many sacrifices.

Apple should make a dual-screen MacBook instead

Now, I’m well aware that Apple could burst onto the foldable scene and provide an experience more refined than what has gone before.

But, I just want to ask…why? Why bother making a foldable MacBook and all the pitfalls that it brings when there’s a simpler solution that provides clear benefits? Apple doesn’t need to jump on the foldable trend for the sake of it.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Instead, Apple should make a dual-screen laptop. Let’s return to Lenovo and Asus once again to see just how well this alternative take on a new style of laptop can go. Lenovo’s Yoga Book 9i was far from perfect but it won me over as an excellent way of having more screen space on the go, and that’s in stark contrast to the same brand’s lacklustre ThinkPad X1 Fold 16.

Admittedly, it still came at a high price (around £2000/$2000) for fairly simple internals, but Asus has come along and said, “Pish posh” to that notion.

Asus Zenbook Duo – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The Asus Zenbook Duo (2024) knocked the socks off of our reviewer. Like the Lenovo, the dual-screen setup is truly useful in various modes, enhancing productivity and viewing experience while still being immensely portable. Asus refined the form factor too, building in a stand as well as providing a full-size laptop keyboard and trackpad offering.

With the dual-screen concept, Apple has the opportunity to make something new and exciting while bringing its signature style and usability. If other rumours are to be believed, Apple could potentially take this idea even further too.

Last year, I wrote about how Apple should make its own Surface Book, stemming from a patent suggesting the tech giant could be looking into a device that could be a dual-screen device but also let you swap one screen for an attachment similar to the bottom half of a keyboard.

That would be an adaptable wonder that would take the dual-screen MacBook idea to another level. But, let’s not get carried away. The more immediate and realistic bottom line is: foldable laptops are bad and Apple shouldn’t bother – all signs point towards a dual-screen MacBook being a far better device.

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Fast Charge: Asus has got it all wrong with the Zenfone 11 Ultra

Lewis Painter — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 09:30:00 +0000

OPINION: Asus launched the Zenfone 11 Ultra this week, the first big-screen phone in the Zenfone collection in a couple of years. Framed as a ‘larger alternative to the compact Zenfone,’ the Zenfone 11 Ultra looks to cash in on the demand for bigger smartphones in 2024 – and it’s one of the strangest launches of the year so far, for all the wrong reasons.

Let’s start with the launch itself, which surprised me not because of the announcement of the Zenfone 11 Ultra – it had been heavily leaked in the weeks leading up – but because there’s no regular Zenfone 11. So, what makes the Zenfone 11 Ultra an ‘Ultra’ if there’s nothing to compare it to? Surely if there’s no base version, that makes this phone the Zenfone 11.

At my pre-launch briefing, other journalists and I asked Asus reps where the regular Zenfone 11 was. While I’m paraphrasing here, the response was essentially, ‘the Zenfone 10 is still very much the flagship compact having come out less than a year ago.’ That makes some sense – why would Asus cut the life of the Zenfone 10 short if it was released less than a year ago?

But, if that’s the logic, why not just delay the launch of the Zenfone 11 Ultra until the Zenfone 11 is ready? I can’t see any real benefit to the Ultra launching specifically in mid-March.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Also, it’s pretty flawed logic because there’s another phone that recently got replaced after less than a year on the market, and it was none other than Asus’ own ROG Phone 7 series, replaced by the ROG Phone 8 series after just eight months on the market. Why can’t Asus do the same with the Zenfone 11?

Launch semantics aside, the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra is a rather odd phone because it’s essentially a carbon copy of the ROG Phone 8. Not just the overall design but the tech, sporting almost identical screen technology, performance, camera hardware, and even battery capacity.

The only notable difference is that the Zenfone 11 Ultra doesn’t offer the gaming-specific features of the ROG Phone, elements like AirTriggers, advanced cooling, support for advanced accessories and the dot-matrix LED panel on the rear that allow it to come in at a cheaper price point of £869/$899.

ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition

I don’t know about you, but I was hoping for something a little bit different from an entirely different smartphone range. But hey, at least it’ll be easier for Asus’ production lines to handle…

The fact that the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra is based on the ROG Phone 8 made me even more frustrated when I noticed that the Zenfone suffered from overheating issues when playing demanding 3D titles. Of course, most phones get a little warm when pushed to the max, but the Zenfone got so hot I couldn’t even pick it up after a 20-minute gaming stress test.

Why on earth would the Zenfone get so hot when the near-identical ROG Phone 8 was explicitly designed to stay cool under load? I get that Asus wants to keep the top-end cooling exclusive to the gaming phone, but to hamstring the cooling of the Zenfone so much is just annoying.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Asus also spent a lot of time highlighting the AI features of the Zenfone 11 Ultra at its announcement, with the phone able to perform GenAI tasks like voice note transcription, AI noise cancellation on calls, translation in calls, generating AI wallpapers and semantic search all on-device.

There’s a catch, however. While I was able to test the features for my review, Asus informed me that it won’t actually be available on the Zenfone 11 Ultra at launch, instead coming via an OTA update a little further down the line.

If one of the biggest features of 2024 isn’t ready at launch, why not delay the launch? Maybe by a few months to, say, align with the release of the expected Zenfone 11? What a concept.

So yes, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Zenfone 11 Ultra is one of the biggest oddities in the smartphone market in early 2024. Let’s hope that the next Asus launch isn’t quite so… chaotic.

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With Tidal's new pricing, it might be check-mate for Spotify HiFi

Kob Monney — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Recent news about streaming has been mostly doom and gloom. People are railing about prices getting more expensive, although that was always going to be the case, and at some point the market won’t hold with so many options.

It won’t be an implosion, but it’s likely some consolidation will take place. The boost streaming services gained from the pandemic wasn’t permanent, and media companies across the world are having to adjust.

Which makes Tidal’s recent announcement so intriguing. Tidal were one of the first music streaming services to put the emphasis on quality and paying a premium for it. But now they’ve gone in a different direction, reducing the price from £19.99/month to £10.99/month in the UK, and re-organising their subscription tiers into one size that fits all.

From a consumer perspective it’s a smart move. It makes Tidal more accessible, you get the same good stuff you were getting for a less expensive price, making the service more attractive for new users as well retaining old ones.

And it’s a smart move for Tidal because it jabs a finger in the face of Spotify.

Looking back at the announcement article for Spotify HiFi, it mentioned that the service “will begin rolling out in select markets later this year, and we will have more details to share soon”. This was three years ago and since then it’s gone into hibernation.

Only a few morsels of information have leaked, but nothing through official channels. Whatever the reason behind its extended (indefinite?) delay, this dilly-dallying has provided impetus to Spotify’s rivals.

Apple Music is £10.99/month, Deezer is £11.99/month, the most you’ll pay for Qobuz is £12.99/month, while for Amazon Music it’s £9.99/month. All those offer CD quality and Hi-Res audio as part of the subscription.

Spotify, on the other hand, costs £10.99/month and the max quality you’re getting is 320kbps streaming. So while Spotify does offer a wide variety of content, if we’re looking at it from the just the audio purist perspective, it’s the weakest of all the services.

And Supremium/HiFi was meant to rectify that with lossless audio, and the rumour was that it’d be priced at £19.99 – $19.99/month. Well if Spotify HiFi ever does hit the market, it’s been snookered thanks the more affordable prices of other streaming services.

Like a game of chess, Spotify is taking too long to makes its moves, and the result is that it’s being outmanoeuvred and squeezed into check or even a check mate position. That could mean starting from scratch, which would be an embarrassing concession.

The market has changed, and audio quality is becoming one of the driving reasons behind a purchase of a premium headphone. The boosts in audio quality over Bluetooth – whether you can necessarily hear them or not is up for debate I suppose – is felt across streaming services, mobile devices, and headphone makers.

Snapdragon Sound is growing its presence in the market with premium earphones such as the Denon Perl Pro and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 supporting it, down to the Earfun Free Pro 3 at an inexpensive £79.99. If that’s not the market demanding higher quality audio and responding to it, I’m not sure how much louder the message needs to be.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Who really knows whether the subscription prices will stick at their current level in the long term, but for the foreseeable future it seems they will. And in doing so Spotify has been handed a hot potato to deal with. Whatever angle you look at it, Spotify is going to take a hit if it hasn’t done so already, whether in terms of confidence from the music industry or from its subscribers.

Perhaps Supremium will launch and everything will be fine, but that sentence reads more like a fantasy than a reality. The fumbled “launch” of Spotify HiFi seems reflective of a company that seems indecisive about how it wants to proceed.

Every other service offers CD quality or higher audio for around the same price as Spotify offers MP3 level quality. So what’s holding Spotify back?

It’s becoming more of a mystery with each passing year.

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Sound & Vision: 4K Blu-ray is getting a little too expensive

Kob Monney — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Despite all the doom and gloom about physical media in recent months, it continues to walk – perhaps a little unsteady, but it’s still one foot in front of the other.

Streaming is where the majority of consumers have moved to, and from a convenience perspective, it’s a move that I can understand. However, in terms of long-term sustainability, I’m not sure how long the market can sustain so many options. Eventually they’ll have to be a loser, or several losers. If or when that happens, physical media will still be there as an option, but the way in which we consume it is changing.

And I’m not fond of the direction it’s going in.

4K Blu-ray has been in existence for about eight years, and after tentative launches of new films – it took Disney more than a year to launch its first 4K Blu-ray title in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 – there’s been an increasing amount of new films and catalogue (older titles) hitting the market.

Not all the titles I’d like to be on 4K Blu-ray are making it to the format. It would have been nice to see a 4K physical version of Greta Lee’s Past Lives, but I can see the logic of a small film not being the biggest seller in the market. That Poor Things and The Iron Claw are new releases that aren’t getting a 4K release (at least for the time being) is disappointing, considering I think those two films would benefit from the boost in resolution and colour performance.

But what I find more frustrating is that, like vinyl, there is an increasingly big push towards 4K Blu-ray becoming a collectors market. As I write this Dune: Part Two has hit the cinemas, the home cinema releases have been announced and the film is getting a limited edition steelbook release on HMV, and the email I received on March 1^st already had the words “limited copies available”.

Dune: Part Two

In the ‘olden’ days, you’d have expected this type of release a couple years after the film had been available, as a way of making people double dip. Instead, steelbooks are being used to push the price up while – aside from the visual design – there’s nothing particularly special about steelbooks themselves. And even more annoyingly, studios are now packaging the Blu-ray along with the 4K Blu-ray, but only with the steelbooks, so if you want a HD copy for your library then you’ll have to pay more.

More studios are employing this tactic, so what was once a 4K Blu-ray + Blu-ray combo that would (in the UK) set you back £24.99, the price has now been set to £34.99 for the steelbook, and all you’re getting is fancier looking packaging. I don’t even feel that current-day steelbooks look or feel as nice as steelbooks did in the DVD days either. I was walking through Fopp in London with a friend and they genuinely exclaimed when they saw a title going for £35.

We’re also still paying the same price for the standard release, but getting less in return. There’s very little –if any – effort with the special features which have dwindled to a few EPK vignettes. Studios such as Paramount (which seemed to start this trend), Warner Brothers, and Universal are all going down the road of single disc standard releases.

And I imagine they’ve seen what the boutique labels such as Arrow, Second Sight, and Shout Factory (US) have done with the collectors market and followed their stead. But unlike the major studios, while independent labels sell for more money, they are providing plenty more value with each release. The version I have of Drive 4K Blu-ray comes with the hardback book of the original novel, a 240-page book of essays, as well as new features for the film itself. I’m not being asked to trade up just to get a Blu-ray and different packaging design.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

There are other aspects that bug me about the direction that 4K Blu-ray is going in. For example, the UK is seemingly not getting standard 4K releases, but premium 4K releases instead, which again ups the price and turns it into a collector’s market; or that this side of the Atlantic is not getting 4K releases at all for the likes of Elemental, Nightmare Alley, and The Sandman.

Thankfully, 4K Blu-rays are region free, and importing isn’t a hardship if you know where to go, but there have been instances where 4K titles have been region locked – by accident, apparently – by smaller, boutique labels, which goes against the specification of the format. And in several cases, either a region-free disc has not been offered, or it would seem in the case of the Italian 4K disc of Killers of the Flower Moon, another “region-free” release is coming except you’ll have to pay for it.

I’ll be supportive of the 4K Blu-ray format, but I’m not as willing to pay full-price for some titles. It’s becoming a more expensive hobby with what feels like fewer releases, especially of new titles. In the end, the result will be that fewer people buy it, and I can’t see how that would help anyone involved in physical media – although obviously, you can see how that would help the streaming cause…

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Winners and Losers: Google One gets new perks as the Galaxy S24 proves less powerful in the UK

Hannah Davies — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

MWC has officially wrapped up in Barcelona, giving us a short break from the chaos of mobile announcements as we step into March.

That doesn’t mean we didn’t hear any news this week. Sennheiser announced its latest pair of flagship Momentum True Wireless earbuds, while Nothing released the affordable Nothing Phone (2a). Meanwhile, Apple surprised us all with two new M3-powered MacBook Air models, the MacBook Air M3 13-inch and the MacBook Air M3 15-inch.

Keep reading to learn who we named our winner and loser this week.

Winner: Google

Our winner this week is Google after the company introduced two major incentives to join its Google One Premium plan – with one slight caveat.

According to one Google One subscriber on Reddit, Google reached out via email to notify them that they now have access to Fitbit Premium at no additional cost. The news was reported by 9to5Google who soon received confirmation from Google that “Fitbit Premium & Nest Aware are currently available with Google One Premium plans in the UK”.

Fitbit Premium gives users access to a range of health and fitness features for wearables, including daily readiness scores, video workouts from expert trainers and deeper sleep stats, while Nest Aware introduces features like 30 days of video event recording, familiar face recognition and smoke alarm alerts for Nest cameras, doorbells and more.

Fitbit Premium typically costs subscribers £7.99/month, while Nest Aware starts at £6/month. This means that users currently paying £13.99/month for both services could switch over to the £7.99/month Premium plan and receive all the perks of Google One Premium, including 2TB of storage, more Google Photos editing features, Google Workspace premium features and a VPN, for £6 less overall.

Of course, there is a small caveat to all of this. Fitbit Premium and Nest Aware are only included with Google One Premium in the UK right now, which means that users outside of the region will need to wait to see if Google introduces these added perks globally.

However, adding Fitbit Premium and Nest Aware to Google One Premium gives users a major incentive to upgrade to the top-tier cloud storage plan, and could even give Apple One a run for its money.

Loser: Samsung

If our winner this week was in favour of UK users, our loser is the exact opposite as we saw undeniable proof that the Galaxy S24 is more powerful in the US than it is in the UK and Europe.

With the S24 launch, Samsung returned to its long-running trend of offering two different chipsets in the US and Europe. The US gets the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, while Europe is given the Exynos 2400 for Galaxy.

Despite Samsung reassuring our Mobile Editor Lewis Painter that the Exynos-equipped Galaxy S24 was on par with the Snapdragon-powered model in terms of both power and battery efficiency at the company’s briefing event, it seems that this is not quite the case.

We recently ran several benchmarking tests on both devices and found that the US-exclusive model that features the Snapdragon chip outscored the Exynos-powered phone in all GPU tests. The US version of the S24 also beat out the European model in CPU performance, however the results were much closer. The battery life, meanwhile, seems to be in line across the two devices.

All of the above means that the difference in chipsets will likely be most apparent when gaming on the two phones.

If you’re considering picking up the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the chipset split isn’t something you need to worry about as the phone packs the Snapdragon chip globally. However, for Galaxy fans thinking about picking up the Galaxy S24 or S24 Plus, this performance disparity is certainly something to be aware of – especially if you reside outside of the US.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: Microsoft's Surface Laptop 6 could be the MacBook Air killer

Adam Speight — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: This week, rumours and reports have pointed towards a Surface Laptop 6 to arrive in the coming months. It seems like this could potentially mark the debut of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite on a laptop. The new chip, alongside a long-needed design refresh, could make this new device a big threat to the new MacBook Air.

As someone who has spent much of my near-five years as a technology reviewer testing laptops, I’ve been keenly tracking the path that’s been leading us towards the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip. Ever since Qualcomm picked up upstart chip company Nuvia, comprised of some former Apple staffers, a more powerful PC chip from the company has moved closer and closer.

The announcement came last year, with the Snapdragon X Elite reveal, and now that big release looks to be converging with another similarly long road – the road towards a big Surface Laptop refresh. It could be a potent combination.

Arm wrestling

Putting the chips aside for one moment, the fact that Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 6 and the Surface Pro 10 are finally getting substantial refreshes is, well, refreshing.

In terms of design, Microsoft’s flagship laptop has always felt like the closest Windows machine to a MacBook. It offered a great keyboard, some of the best laptop speakers around and a delightfully portable design. But then, as soon as you open it up and peek inside, you’re greeted by what are some truly unsightly bezels in 2024, unbefitting of a luxuriously priced machine.

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But, hope is in sight, with Windows Central and The Verge reporting that the Surface Laptop 6 is set for a metaphorical kick up the backside. The new model is set to offer up thinner bezels, more rounded corners and a haptic trackpad. No word on if it will be particularly thinner or lighter though.

Outside of cumbersome bezels, the Surface Laptop range has often felt a tad behind key rivals on important metrics like performance and battery life, not by much but enough to see it eclipsed by models from Asus, Dell and, yes, Apple. But that could be about to change.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The reports state that the new Surface Laptop will be coming in two flavours – an Intel Core Ultra version and the debut of the Snapdragon X Elite. Laptops with the new Core Ultra chip, like the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED have massively impressed, so the Intel version could be a strong contender in its own right. But, with it being more of a known quantity now, it is the Snapdragon edition that has that unknown sense of excitement to it.

With a Snapdragon X Elite model of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6, we look set to finally see just how Qualcomm’s shiny new computing chip performs. The company has been making a lot of claims, up against both Intel and Apple chips, since it announced the new system-on-chip (SoC), but I’ve been keen to get my hands on it to put it through our thorough reviewing processes ever since. Will it live up to the overall performance claims being made? And, more importantly, how does it function day-to-day?

Snapdragon X Elite specifications – Image Credit (Qualcomm)

I’ve previously written about the key hurdle Qualcomm’s new chip faces, and that’s Windows on Arm. Windows is still yet to prove that it has nailed the compatibility problem that still lingers when it comes to finding the best versions of your favourite apps on an Arm device. However, with Apple forging the path, it very much seems like the industry is determined to make Arm a thing, with Nvidia and AMD set to get in on the action more in the future.

As such, while it may not happen immediately, Windows on Arm seems certain to improve and will hopefully reach the heights that Apple managed with its Arm switcheroo with the M series.

A true MacBook Air challenger

So, what does this all add up to? The convergence of a modernised design, along with the touted power and battery life benefits that the Snapdragon X Elite provides, could make Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 6 a formidable foe.

The MacBook Air M2 was, and remains a top-notch machine, but the new M3 range does appear to be a largely iterative affair, as we learned in our review of the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max).

13-inch MacBook Air (M2) – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

With Apple largely standing still this year in the laptop department – but we’ll investigate that further in our MacBook Air M3 review when the time comes – it seems like the perfect time for a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite device to pounce.

We’re expecting to see a range of devices sporting the new chip later in the year and there may be top picks from manufacturers other than Microsoft. But, with design long being the most valuable asset of the Surface range, even if the bezels fell by the wayside, the new Surface Laptop 6 looks best placed to give the MacBook Air M3 a run for its money.

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Fast Charge: The Galaxy S24 FE sounds capable, but it needs to arrive sooner rather than later

Lewis Painter — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 09:30:00 +0000

OPINION: Rumours are swirling about the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE this week with a particularly impressive set of alleged specs doing the rounds online – but as with the Galaxy S23 FE, the spec isn’t the problem Samsung has. It’s timing.

Let me pull back for a second here and delve into those purported specs. According to leaker @OreXda, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE will either come with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or Exynos 2400. That’s the same setup as the regular Galaxy S24, but as with the flagship series, the chipset will likely depend on where you are in the world.

Things start to get a little confusing here, as the leaker suggests that the S24 FE will also have a 4500mAh battery and 12GB of RAM – that’s more than the regular Galaxy S24’s 4,000mAh and 8GB offering. Combined with the flagship chipset, it looks like the S24 FE could be more powerful than the flagship. I’m not too sure about that one.

Finally, it’s stated that it could have a 6.1-inch display, down from the 6.2-inch display of the regular S24 – though that does match last year’s Galaxy S23’s screen size – and a downscaling of the 6.4-inch Galaxy S23 FE. The leaker admits that isn’t confirmed, however.

Samsung Galaxy S24

If the above specs are true, it points towards a very capable alternative to this year’s flagship Galaxy S24. But 2023’s Galaxy S23 FE was also a pretty solid mid-range alternative to the flagship Galaxy S23 with all the right compromises. The problem the S23 FE had was timing; it was released in October 2023 in the US and December 2023 in the UK.

By that point, the flagship Samsung Galaxy S23 range had been out for almost a year and, as we see from most phones after being available for a similar amount of time, the Galaxy S23’s base price had begun to slip.

So much so, in fact, that the full-fat flagship Galaxy S23 could be found at the same £599 price as the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE at its UK launch in December. So, as good a job as Samsung did with the S23 FE, delivering all the right compromises and a decent price tag that was supposed to be £150 cheaper than the regular S23, it just was not a tempting option at all.

That was further complicated by the announcement, and subsequent release, of the Samsung Galaxy S24 range in January 2024. That not only had the knock-on effect of making the Galaxy S23 FE look rather outdated just months after its release, but it meant that the base price of last year’s Galaxy S23 again plummeted as retailers began shifting surplus stock.

For context, the SIM-free Galaxy S23 is currently available for £570 in the UK, while the Galaxy S23 FE still retails for £599.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE

If Samsung wants better results from the Galaxy S24 FE, this simply cannot happen again. My hope is that not only will Samsung release the Galaxy S24 FE in the US and UK simultaneously, but that the release will be brought forward considerably.

It makes sense for Samsung to wait a few months before releasing the Galaxy S24 FE – it doesn’t want to undercut the flagship sales, after all – but I feel that it’d be much better received if, say, it was released alongside the Samsung foldables in the summer months.

At that point, the S24 FE would be cheaper than the regular S24, and it’d stay relevant for at least six months before the Galaxy S25 appears sometime in early 2025. Will that actually happen? It’s hard to say, but if Samsung wants to learn from its past mistakes, something needs to change.

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Apple has made a huge error with the MacBook Air M3

Ryan Jones — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:05:39 +0000

OPINION: This week, Apple surprised us all with the announcement of a brand new MacBook Air laptop.

Apple has upgraded the processor to the new M3 chip, which not only boosts performance but also unlocks support for Wi-Fi 6E and the ability to connect up to two external displays when the laptop lid is closed.

Beyond that, Apple hasn’t tweaked much else, and why should it? The MacBook Air is arguably the best ultra-portable laptop you can buy today. It has a competitive performance, an ultra-portable stylish design and an affordable price point.

However, there is one area where Apple is starting to fall behind its competitors, and that’s the screen. That may be hard to believe, as Apple has – for a long time – produced some of the very best screens you can find on a laptop.

The new MacBook Air has the same screen as before, which means you get the choice of 13-inch or 15-inch size, a 2560×1664 native resolution and a 500-nit peak brightness that is far brighter than the vast majority of IPS laptop screens you can find on the market. If you’re purchasing any Windows laptop LED-backlit display, it’s probably not as good as the MacBook Air.

MacBook Air M3

However, LED displays are starting to feel dated. Many laptop manufacturers have now moved onto OLED or Mini LED displays, which offer superior contrast, darker blacks and a punchier overall picture. This screen technology has been around for numerous years now, but it was previously reserved for the most expensive laptops, such as the MacBook Pro. That’s no longer the case, as such screens are now becoming the norm.

The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (£1399/$1399), Acer Swift Go 14 (£999/$1049) and Samsung Galaxy Book 4 360 (£1199/$1099) all share a similar price point to the latest MacBook Air, yet offer an OLED screen. And while the likes of the new Dell XPS 14 don’t come with an OLED panel at default, you still get the option to upgrade to one.

No OLED here

Apple unfortunately doesn’t offer an OLED screen on any of its laptops, and if you want a Mini LED display, you’ll need to pay at least £1699/$1599 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

I can only assume that Apple resisted the urge to upgrade the MacBook Air screen to incentivise people to buy the MacBook Pro instead, especially now it’s available with the standard M3 chip. But that leaves the 15-inch MacBook Air in an odd spot.

Acer Swift Edge – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

There’s no option for the big-screen laptop to be upgraded to Mini LED, so if you don’t want to compromise on size, you’ll need to purchase the 16-inch MacBook Pro instead, which costs an almighty £2599/$2499. For comparison, the Acer Swift 16 costs just £1299/$1299 despite having a 16-inch OLED panel.

This doesn’t make the new MacBook Air a bad laptop. For those who aren’t planning on watching video on their laptop, you really only just need a portable laptop with speedy productivity performance. But I still feel you can’t discount it as a major flaw.

When the M1-powered MacBook Air first launched back in 2020, it was the absolute best ultra-portable laptop in almost every department. Without testing it, I doubt I’ll be able to say the same about the latest iteration of the MacBook Air, and that’s all because of the lack of OLED.

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The long wait for new iPads is nearly over

Max Parker — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:06:20 +0000

The iPad Pro M2 standing up

OPINION: This could be a big few weeks for the iPad, with up to four possible new models of Apple’s tablet rumoured to be getting their big reveal very soon.

News leaked out over the weekend, from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, that Apple wouldn’t be holding a dedicated March event as the brand’s latest wares are instead being revealed via a press release and accompanying product videos. Gurman indicated no timeframe for the launch, however MacRumors then reported that the new products were imminent and could arrive in the coming days.

While Apple has hosted live in-person events in March, it’s not unusual for products, especially those in the iPad range, to skip high-profile launches and arrive with YouTube product videos and updated listings on Apple’s site instead.

The previous round of iPad reveals, which took place in late 2021, was announced this way and even the Magic Keyboard accessory’s first unveiling came without the fanfare of a streamed Apple showcase. Releasing products this way does hint at them being smaller upgrades, with launch events instead reserved for products that need greater explanation from key staff.

Gurman reports that Apple is set to unveil four iPads with both the Pro and Air lines in line for a freshening up. The Pro line, Apple’s top-end iPad range, is said to come in two sizes (11-inch and 13-inch) both with OLED displays for the first time and the same M3 chips first seen in the MacBook Pro 14-inch and iMac 2023.

An updated Magic Keyboard accessory is also rumoured, possibly with an aluminium casing to give it a classier finish, alongside a new version of the Apple Pencil.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Two new iPad Air models are expected too, with a larger 12.9-inch screen option joining the standard 10.9-inch choice. This would be the first time Apple has launched a larger 12-inch-plus tablet in the Air family. It would make sense for these to sport the M2 chip, an upgrade to the M1 found in the current iPad Air, and come in brighter colours than those available with the Pro.

There have been rumours previously that the base iPad and rarely updated iPad Mini are also in for refreshes, however this might have to wait until later in the year.

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It’s the right time for an iPad refresh

2023 was a standout year for the iPad. Not because we got numerous new models, but because it was the first year in the tablet’s history where no revisions were announced. This has left the tablet range feeling a little unloved, but that could be about the change.

My biggest issue with the iPad is that the Pro model doesn’t do enough to separate it from the cheaper Air range. Faster screens aside, the Air features most of the skills of the pricier model and it had become harder to recommend the Pro.

By releasing updates to both models at the same time, it looks like there’ll be a clear differentiation between the two. If you want OLED and the very latest chipset go for the Pro, whereas more casual users will be fine with the Air.

Of course, it’s worth taking all of these rumours with a pinch of salt until Apple actually does reveal the updates. Many had expected these models to arrive last year, and that never materialised.

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Sound & Vision: Is 8K going the way of 3D TV?

Kob Monney — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 12:01:00 +0000

OPINION: It’s around this time of the year when AV journalists do the rounds and get invited to manufacturer’s TV events to see what’s new for the coming year. I’ve seen what Philips has in the bag, as well as Samsung’s play to increase its market dominance, and the next few weeks will see more details spill out from other TV brands.

But one thing you won’t be hearing too much about is 8K TV. Suffice to say that it is suffering from some complications. Consider this article as 8K’s yearly check-up, just like I did in 2021, 2022, and last year.

For whatever and however many reasons, 8K has never particularly had the outright confidence of the TV market. A report from 2023 mentioned that 8K TVs were afflicted by the “high prices of panels” and high inflation “reducing consumers’ disposable income”. That same report mentioned that of the “global annual shipments of about 200 million units, 8K TVs only have a scale of 300,000 units, and the market share is only 0.15%.”

Considering 8K TVs have been a thing since about 2016 and that we reviewed the Samsung Q900R in 2018, that is a small piece of the pie.

The silence from manufacturers about 8K is reaching deafening levels. I saw an OLED from Philips at an event many years ago, but it was a proof of concept and there was never any interest to bring it to market.

Samsung is flying the flag

Sony hasn’t produced a new 8K model since 2022 (the Z9K). Chinese brands such as Hisense and TCL produce 8K TVs but there isn’t the same level of emphasis as there is with 4K models, while it’s looking distinctly likely that LG won’t be launching a Z4 OLED, with the Z3 model carrying over to 2024 (which isn’t available in the US either).

Only Samsung is still flying the 8K flag and it has the market almost to itself. Under other circumstances that’d be great.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The focus for TV manufacturers appears to have moved towards bigger and brighter 4K screens. Despite the advantages 8K brings with its sharper, clearer picture, and the need for more advanced processing to give life to those 33 million pixels; the infrastructure for 8K content hasn’t materialised.

It’s expensive, the availability of native 8K content in mainstream terms hasn’t happened, and more to the point, the means of distributing 8K programming to the masses hasn’t opened up either.

I was invited to a discussion about 8K with Samsung and the 8K Association a few years back and there was optimism about it following the same growth line as 4K did. There was even the thought it’d be faster than 4K adoption and that 8K content would be readily available with the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics shot at the resolution.

This discussion was in October 2019, and suffice to say no one was expecting what was going to happen in the following months.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Nevertheless, we’re still struggling to get 4K readily available into households (will ITVX and Channel 4 ever offer 4K content?). There is programming that’s been shot and mastered in 4K but has appeared on screens in HD, so what chance did 8K really have?

The various trials from BT Sport (now TNT Sports) or the Roland Garros tennis trial from 2019 remain exactly that – trials, tests, and nothing more. Despite the development of 200TB optical discs, physical media was never an option for 8K with the majority of consumers moving towards streaming for their content fix over discs, despite the issues that entails.

And yet only Japanese state broadcaster NHK is doing 8K broadcasts. No streamer has offered an 8K tier (Rakuten mentioned they would and then there was no word from them again about it). 8K simply has not progressed in the manner many (perhaps overconfidently) expected it would.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Call me a believer

And yet, despite 8K being dogged by naysayers since its inception, I remain something of a believer.

Of the two 8K TVs I’ve tested in the last year – the Samsung QN800C and LG Z3 OLED – I’ve been impressed by both. Of all the TVs Samsung makes, I believe the 8K models are its best TVs in terms of performance. They are an improvement on the Mini-LEDs and OLEDs I’ve seen.

The perception is that 8K may slow down in 2024 before ramping (slightly) up but without a crystal ball I’m hesitant to say as to whether sure 8K can ever truly recover its momentum.

Perhaps the most damming aspect about 8K TV is that the situation remains the same, that growth appears to stalling, and as hard as some try, there remains a lack of enthusiasm. A format too far? Perhaps, and while we can give 8K the year off for 2024 and check back in 12 months, will anything have changed or will 8K soon go the way of 3D TV into the AV graveyard?

It’ll be a shame if it does.

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Winners and Losers: The PSVR 2 gets PC games as the Apple Car is sent to the scrapyard

Hannah Davies — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

It’s March now, meaning one of the biggest events in the mobile world has just wrapped up.

Mobile World Congress (MWC) was packed with phones, tablets and wearables this year, along with concepts designed to give us a glimpse toward the future of mobile tech.

Highlights for us here at Trusted Reviews included the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, the Honor Magic 6 Pro and the Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Laptop Concept. There were also some standout wearables present at the event, including the Humane AI Pin and the Samsung Galaxy Ring.

Keep reading to discover who we named our winner and our loser this week and why.

Winner: Sony

This week’s winner is Sony after the company announced that it would be rolling out PC game support on the PSVR 2. Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Gillen McAllister revealed the exciting news in a recent entry shared to the PlayStation Blog.

“We are currently testing the ability for PS VR2 players to access additional games on PC to offer even more game variety in addition to the PS VR2 titles available through PS5,” wrote McAllister. “We hope to make this support available in 2024, so stay tuned for more updates.”

This is great news for PC gamers considering investing in Sony’s second-generation VR headset, as well as those who have already picked the PSVR 2 up. However, Sony didn’t elaborate on whether you’d be able to use PC storefronts such as Steam freely, or whether you’d be locked to a PlayStation-branded storefront.

In the meantime, Sony announced a number of native games coming to the platform this year, including The Wizards – Dark Times: Brotherhood, Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate, Little Cities: Bigger!, Zombie Army VR and Soul Covenant, as well as a free update for Arizona Sunshine 2.

Loser: Apple

Our loser this week is Apple after a new report suggested that Apple has cancelled plans to build an Apple Car. This report arrived a decade after rumours of the electric car (codenamed “Titan”) first emerged in late 2014.

Though the existence of Project Titan was never officially confirmed by Apple, the Apple Car rumours were kept alive by leaks and rumours. One such rumour involved a driverless Lexus RX450h SUV being spotted exiting an Apple facility as far back in 2017.

As of 2018, it was estimated that around 5000 employees were working on the secret project. Apple also had a reported 66 self-driving cars and 111 registered drivers out on the roads that same year when the company was involved in a minor crash with a human-operated Nissan Leaf (via BBC). While both vehicles sustained damage, neither person reported any injuries.

More recently, it had seemed as though Apple was taking a step back from developing its own car, with reports stating it had pivoted its focus to software and services for self-driving vehicles. This became more convincing when Apple announced several car features it might have otherwise reserved for the Apple Car, including the Apple CarKey and updated CarPlay plans.

That brings us to February 2024. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, CEO Tim Cook broke the news to the remaining 2000 staff this Tuesday. According to the report, many of these staff members will move their focus to creating an Apple generative AI model that can rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini chatbots.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: AI laptops aren't ready yet – make them repairable instead

Adam Speight — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Laptops may not have been the focal point of Mobile World Congress this year, with mobile phones expectedly taking centre stage. However, three trends emerged on the PC side: concepts, “AI PCs” and, to a lesser extent, repairability. Yet, I’m way more excited about the latter than the others.

Repairability isn’t the most eye-catching of features but, for an industry that loves to tout sustainability, it could put a lot more effort into making it a priority.

Instead, the last year or so has seen the term “AI PC” grow and grow across announcements in the computing world despite experience with AI on PCs remaining extremely limited.

Windows Studio Effects that make your video calls better are great and all but they’re hardly cutting edge. And, a lot of people’s interaction with AI on their devices is likely to have been cloud-based, such as various dabbles with ChatGPT at home or work. I’m sure AI will play a huge part in the future of laptops, but we’re not there yet. Repairability, however, is far more within reach.

Repairability is growing, but it remains far too niche

The star of MWC 2024 when it comes to repairability was Lenovo. Yes, more focus was placed on its Transparent Laptop Concept and the bendable phone from its sister brand Motorola, but it was something else that could make an impact in the near future.

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That device was the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5. Lenovo worked with repairability outfit iFixit to boost what this laptop could offer in this area. iFixit describes the efforts as, “From easily replaceable parts, to a design that supports safe and straightforward repairs, Lenovo’s team prioritized repair down the cable connections and fasteners.”

iFixit typically scores laptops out of ten for repairability and it has touted that, despite looking remarkably similar on the outside, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 of old received a 7/10 but the new device it consulted on now warrants a 9/10.

iFixit X Lenovo at MWC 2024 – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The ThinkPad T14 Gen 3, more specifically, comes with wider access to customer replacement parts, a cable-free connector for the battery along with replaceable RAM, SSD and network card. There are also visual indicators to provide information on how to carry out the repairs and replacements, with Lenovo creating new repair guides to accommodate this.

The ultimate aim, Lenovo says, is to “extend the product lifecycle, reduce electronic waste and provide cost-saving advantages to business and individuals” – all admirable goals in my view.

Lenovo’s showing at MWC isn’t the only exciting development in repairability over the last months, with Dell’s Concept Luna initiative making its way onto the brand’s commercial-focused Latitude laptops in a similar fashion to Lenovo’s ThinkPad work.

Then, there’s Framework, a pioneer in this area, with its latest Framework Laptop 16 offering a stunning hot-swappable device. It allows for the easy repair and upgrade of key parts, with even the graphics chip being an upgradeable part in this laptop. Our review called it a modular “work of genius”.

The “AI PC” gimmick

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the buzzword of the moment in the technology world. But, when it comes to laptops, “AI PC” has been honed in on. Whether that’s Honor and, even, Lenovo at MWC 2024 for the big chip brands who are driving this home from the very top, like Intel and AMD, it is everywhere.

Now, AI is undoubtedly set to become a larger part of how we interact with our devices, in both our home and working lives, and in a rapid way. But, companies have already dove head first into describing machines as “AI PCs” when, in reality, what you get right now is a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) on the latest flagship chip-sporting laptops which, for most, currently just enables Windows Studio Effects and not much else.

Of course, some specific tasks for specific professionals may use the NPU regularly already but “AI PC” isn’t a worthy selling point for the average consumer quite yet.

Even, Microsoft’s Copilot, which is set to be the first port of call for meaningful interaction with AI for many laptop users, hasn’t been fully rolled out. It’s also cloud-based so it doesn’t need an “AI PC” to operate.

Honor MagicBook Pro 16 – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Yet, brands are keen to slap “AI PC” on the announcement of their latest laptop products as if it warrants being a huge selling point in early 2024.

Honor’s MagicBook Pro 16 looks like an intriguing device, with Intel’s Core Ultra chip and accompanying NPU onboard but its key “AI” features are its Magic Portal, enabling fast collaboration with other Honor devices. Not only is it a tad niche as it requires you to have multiple Honor products but we’ve seen this technology from other brands like Apple, Samsung and Huawei with no mention of it requiring AI to operate.

Honor is touting that the laptop will come with its on-device MagicLM generative AI assistant too, but its largerly functionality provided by cloud-based solutions right now, though being on-device should provide added security.

As such, I’d much rather see laptops proudly touting repairability over “AI PC” features in 2024. Not only does it shoot for more broad and admirable sustainability goals but, done right, it could have a real impact on the consumers’ wallet – breaking a cycle of needing to replace your device and fork out huge costs at the sign of a problem or digital wear.

iFixit puts it best, “The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 shows that repairable design doesn’t need to be a niche that comes with uncomfortable trade-offs, but can be made possible within the requirements of a modern business laptop.” Hopefully, more and more brands get onboard with these initiatives and a future where it’s all modern laptops, not just business ones, that make repairability the new “AI PC”.

Ctrl+Alt+Del is our weekly computing-focused opinion column where we delve deeper into the world of computers, laptops, components, peripherals and more. Find it on Trusted Reviews every Saturday afternoon.

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Fast Charge: MWC seems to be going the way of E3

Lewis Painter — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 09:30:00 +0000

OPINION: I’ve spent the past few days wandering around the halls of the Fira, the home of the long-running Mobile World Congress, better known as MWC. I’m no stranger to the show, having attended multiple times during my time as a journalist, but things just feel a little bit… different this year, and not for the better.

Back when I first began attending MWC in the mid-2010s, the event was jam-packed with announcements from most of the big players in the mobile space.

I remember one particular Samsung launch back in 2016 with a surprise appearance from Mark Zuckerberg while we all donned the Gear VR headsets. It was surreal.

It wasn’t just Samsung that’d use MWC as a springboard to showcase their latest tech; I’d usually have a jam-packed show with launches from many big-name brands like Huawei, LG and Sony that would keep me busy, running from hall to hall to not only attend the launches but to go hands-on at the companies’ respective booths at the show.

Samsung launches products at dedicated Unpacked events

What’s changed?

In 2024 though? It’s not quite the same story. Big players like Samsung have now stepped away from MWC launches, instead choosing to branch out and do their own events, usually weeks before the show’s start. The company is still there in a big way to showcase its latest smartphone tech, but it’s no longer an MWC launch.

Then there’s OnePlus who, despite launching the OnePlus Watch 2 at the same time as MWC, didn’t have a presence at the show at all.

While there are differences in circumstances, it does feel like big players in the mobile market are pulling away from MWC, choosing instead to host their own events, sometimes not even show-adjacent – and that reminds me a lot of E3 before it eventually went the way of the Dodo.

In a similar way to what we’re seeing with MWC, big E3 publishers like EA began pulling away from the main show with its adjacent EA Play show, while others, like Sony and Nintendo, would snub the show altogether. Granted, the final nail in the coffin was the pandemic and a failed attempt at a digital alternative to the in-person show, but the writing was on the wall for quite some time.

Xiaomi announced the 14 Ultra for Europe at the show

Of course, I’m not saying that MWC 2025 won’t be happening, with Chinese manufacturers like ZTE, Tecno, Xiaomi and Honor taking advantage of the swathe of European press at the show this year, with interesting announcements this year including the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Honor Magic 6 Pro and the Tecno Phantom Ultimate concept.

It also remains a huge networking event for businesses, with much of the event space not taken by consumer-focused brands like Samsung but brands covering a span of related industries like mobile connectivity, AI, telecoms and much more.

I just wonder whether it’ll eventually morph into something solely business-focused, leaving big mobile brands to host their launches in the first few months of the year. It does seem to be trending in that direction, but let’s see…

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Why a golden era of gaming might be coming to an end

Chris Smith — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 20:45:09 +0000

OPINION: Greedy publishers can’t continue cuts and expect studios to produce great games. Thousands of redunancies ensure a brilliant era of gaming is wholly unsustainable.

As gamers, we’ve never had it better. The quality and variety of games is greater than ever. Cloud gaming allows us to take AAA titles everywhere, portable PCs like the Steam Deck have liberated PC gamers from their command centres, and even smartphones are now capable of running games like Assassin’s Creed and Resident Evil.

Subscriptions services place hundreds of titles at your fingertips, and even the old PlayStation vs Xbox barricades are beginning to erode. If you wish, you can even game in a different reality.

But this week’s events may spell the beginning of the end for this halcyon era.

These incredible gaming experiences are only possible because of the creative minds and phenomenal engineers who are put to work on them in high enough numbers. And, if you’re one of those people, it’s been a pretty rough couple of weeks.

While gaming is as lucrative as ever according to various companies’ balance sheets, the burgeoning revenue and profit is not enough for publishers to do good by the people who make the games.

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The cartel cuts back

This week Sony laid off 900 workers at PlayStation’s first-party studios. Developers at Naughty Dog (who brought gamers The Last of Us and Uncharted series), Insomniac Games (Marvel’s Spider-Man) and Guerrilla (Horizon Forbidden West). Sony’s London-based studio Firesprite, which in recent times has focused on VR, is closing completely.

Think about that for a second. In recent years, these studios take the lion’s share of the credit for PlayStation’s success. Arguably, Xbox has the better platform, while Sony has the better games.

900 of these people have now been deemed surplus to requirements, despite Sony posting record revenue for its gaming division in the three months that included Christmas. It was up 32% year on year. Profits for the division were up 16%.

Today we’re learning EA is cutting 670 people globally. That scuppers a planned Star Wars game from Respawn Entertainment, rumoured to be centred around The Mandalorian TV show. In December, EA also dumped a load of Codemasters staff, probably some of those behind perennially popular franchises like F1 and Dirt.

EA also reported stronger earnings in December that beat expectations thanks to what the CEO called the company’s “incredible teams”. Many of those incredible people are now looking for new jobs.

Microsoft is getting rid of 1,900 staff from its gaming division. Some of them are Activision Blizzard staff, who probably saw this coming as soon as the acquisition got over the line.

This consolidation of ownership wasn’t going to negatively affect the industry, Microsoft told us. Anyone with half a brain could see through that B.S. trotted out by corporations and swallowed by out-of-touch governments since time immemorial.

What do Sony, EA and Microsoft have in common? Just the fact that they’re global, publicly traded companies who answer primarily to shareholders.

Next time an independent studio you love comes under the ownership of what is essentially becoming a cartel, it’s probably safe to assume this trio will be hacking away at what made them great at the earliest opportunity.

The only company in gaming that continues to do right by its people is Nintendo, which raises wages and doubles down on its commitment to staff when profits fall and times get tough. That probably makes the Switch 2 a safe bet moving forward.

Recession proof, not greed proof

For a long time gaming was considered recession proof. Tough times would come and go, but the games would continue to flow and gamers would lap them up. Even during the financial crisis of 2008, as people lost their homes, video games boomed while other retail sectors slumped.

Escapism perhaps? Cheaper per-hour entertainment? Either way, video games have been there for many of us in the toughest of times. And so were the developers who created them. Despite gaming being in incredible shape overall, many of those developers will be looking for a new job right now.

What does this mean for gamers? Well the chances of another blockbuster The Last of Us game in the medium-term future just dropped somewhat. That Wolverine game from Insomniac won’t be completed any sooner that’s for sure.

EA’s best franchises EA Sports FC and Madden are desperately in need of freshening up. Call of Duty has been tried for years. Can we expect that when already overworked teams are likely to be stretched further? And these layoffs might just be the tip of the iceberg. This situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.

It might be a chance for smaller studios to reinvest in talent. Many of these layoffs may spawn new ventures from developers with burning ideas. Perhaps the redundant Activision staffer who has faced resistance about how to reinvent Call of Duty and give it new life, might get the chance to apply that vision outside of the big publishing house now?

Historically, gaming has a way of replenishing itself in that way. But in the short to medium term, this is a damaging blow that leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Spare a thought for your friendly neighbourhood gaming developer right now.

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I'm in two minds about Samsung's S95D Glare Free OLED tech

Kob Monney — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 16:00:09 +0000

OPINION: I was in Frankfurt for the World of Samsung event in February, and the Korean electronics firm offered more details for its latest TVs ahead of their upcoming launch.

I’ve talked about the bane of reflections in a Sound & Vision column, mainly in the context of cheaper 4K TVs lacking that feature. Samsung’s OLED Glare Free tech has been talked about since it was demonstrated at CES 2024, and reaction has been on the mixed side.

And I must say, I’m in two minds about it too.

Samsung used similar tech with its Frame TV, and it worked excellently on that model. The anti-glare tech works on the S95D too, very effectively removing any light sources and reflections from appearing on the screen. You can see how well it works in the pictures below. There’s no issue with it as far as bright, colourful scenes are concerned.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

But in dark scenes, the tech has the effect of reducing the depth of black levels, which is a no-no in my book. This is especially important since we’re talking about a QD-OLED – sorry OLED – TVs, where pin-point and precise black levels are its raison d’être. You can just see in the image above, in the area around the nose that blacks look a little lifted and raised.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Now it may not look like a big deal, I may be making a fuss over nothing, but deep black levels help boost contrast, and as the S95D will be one of the brightest OLED screens when it launches later in 2024, to compromise those black levels in favour reducing screen reflections seems a step back rather than a step forward. In person, the image looks a little less defined.

Samsung’s argument – and it’s a fair one – is that reflections shouldn’t really exist when watching content in a bright room, it’s distracting and potentially causes eye strain as your eyes can focus on the reflection than the screen. Speaking from experience, that phenomena (briefly) makes my eyesight go a little wonky.

The age group that Samsung feels this tech has appeal for is a younger one, a demographic Samsung appears to think will be more concerned by seeing glare and reflections than older generations.

I’m not sure I necessarily agree with this assertion. I don’t think a younger audience is any more bothered than an older one about reflections, we can all agree that they’re annoying. Given how much money the S95D OLED is likely to cost, though, is this really the age group that’ll be purchasing a flagship OLED anyway? That’s where Samsung’s justification misses the mark for me.

The S95D is orientated towards a certain type of buyer: older, affluent, and interested in the highest picture performance. The impression I have is that a younger generation reared on smartphones, tablets, and laptops aren’t as interested in a high quality picture as Samsung might think they are.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Samsung did say that if the glare-free tech on the S95D didn’t appeal, there’s always the S90D, but as I’ve mentioned in my Sound & Vision column, that OLED line-up doesn’t carry the same panel tech throughout its sizes; and as the step down OLED, it doesn’t have picture parity with the S95D.

It makes for an odd OLED line-up for 2024 – choose between a less expensive but less bright OLED, or choose for a more expensive TV with fewer reflections and compromised black levels. If I had the pockets for either one, with the information I have know, rather than knowing exactly which one I’d go for, I’m actually now less certain about which TV I’d get.

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This is how Tecno brought the fun to MWC 2024

Adam Speight — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 12:58:05 +0000

OPINION: On the first day at MWC 2024, I scoured the halls looking for some hidden gems. Yes, there has been a good number of big announcements but these shows often bring the weird and wonderful. As innovation becomes more software focused, there seems less room for quirky and innovative gadgets. But, Tecno is standing out amongst this trend.

Tecno’s booth at MWC 2024 was a bit of a box of wonders. Given it is far from one of the most well-known brands in the world, I wasn’t necessarily privy to all that they had on offer. There were three hidden gems that brought out the tech-loving kid in me. Naturally, as Computing Editor, it was a gaming PC that first caught my eye.

A “mega” mini gaming PC

There it is, Tecno’s latest MEGAmini Gaming PC. It isn’t the first time it’s shown off something of this ilk, with a concept model with a different look displayed at IFA 2023. But, it was seeing this model in person that really got me excited. If you’ve ever had a powerful gaming PC, you’ll know the logistical burden it can put on your bedroom or office space. Admittedly, larger form-factor gaming PCs are getting smaller but they remain substantial space occupiers.

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By comparison, the Tecno MEGAmini Gaming PC is positively miniscule. I’d compare it to the size of your typical pod coffee machine (we don’t have the exact dimensions at the time of writing and I didn’t get my tape measure out on the MWC 2024 show floor). What’s particularly remarkable is that it features a fully-fledged graphics card, not simply a mobile version that you may find in laptops. Further, there’s water-cooling and some lovely RGB inside as well. A remarkable feat that I’d gladly welcome on my desk, and have plenty of room to spare.

There’s strong specifications inside too, with an Intel Core i9-13900HX chip, RTX 4060 graphics card, 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage. Despite its small size, power has not been put to the back of the priority queue.

AR gaming glasses taken to the next level

Mobile Editor Lewis Painter going hands-on with the Tecno Pocket Vision

Next, there was a wonderfully fresh take on the AR glasses craze. In my experience with AR glasses so far, they’ve largely underwhelmed and felt rather cumbersome. The Tecno Pocket Go AR Pocket Vision that’s offered up as an accessory to Tecno’s Pocket Go handheld, controller and Tecno smart box streaming option is focused on gaming. The results are wondrous, with it offering a “unparalleled immersive 6D gaming experience.” Not sure about the “6D” but happy to express the Trusted team was blown away regardless.

The AR experience comes through a 0.71-inch Micro-OLED screen that gives the impression of a massive 215-inch display at around six meters away. When it comes to tracking, the AR Pocket Vision has a six-axis gyroscope, nano-structured acoustic materials along with advanced AI head-tracking and vibration. It was the type of experience that truly made going to MWC in-person feel worthwhile, a gadget that needs to be witnessed to be believed.

Keep rollin’ rollin’

It’s quite remarkable that I’m getting to a phone that can extend the size of its screen at the press of a button towards at the end of this article but here we are, and it speaks to the excitement that Tecno brought to MWC this year. The Tecno Phantom Extreme rollable concept is an idea you may have seen from some other brands but its rare to get to experience it in the flesh.

When I first arrived at the Tecno booth, I spotted the Phantom Extreme being display in a box and thought that might be as close as I was going to get. But, no, a Tecno representative had one in their hands and eagerly handed it over for me to try myself. It was quite a treat and the rollable mechanism worked just as advertised. There’s no need for that positively archaic folding solution (I jest), instead, with the press of a button at the top of this concept, you can go from a typically-sized phone display to a larger tablet-esque one.

From pushing the boundaries of gaming tower form-factors and changing how we experience gaming altogether through AR to pushing innovation on mobile phone design, Tecno showed gadget fans, and other tech companies, how to bring the fun to MWC.

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Rollable phone tech is improving fast, but I still can’t really see the point

Lewis Painter — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 15:16:58 +0000

OPINION: Back at MWC 2023, I got to play with the then-new Motorola rollable concept, a squared-off phone that could extend its display to a regular 16:9 aspect ratio on demand.

Fast forward a year to MWC 2024 and Tecno has taken up the rollable mantle with what I think is the most polished rollable concept phone yet – but I’m still not entirely convinced that it’s something consumers want or need. In its current form, anyway.

Let’s start with last year’s Motorola rollable concept. It was something I was very impressed with at the time, having not previously seen the tech in action for myself. It was still an early prototype, however, and there were a few key issues with the hardware during my demo.

Not only was the screen extension fairly slow, taking multiple seconds, but the protruding thin display was just asking to be snapped, lacking any real protection from the squared-off chassis.

That’s why I was so shocked that, just a year on, Chinese manufacturer Tecno burst onto the rollable scene with its Tecno Phantom Ultimate concept. It’s a completely different design to the concept from Motorola, instead offering regular smartphone dimensions that, with either the push of a dedicated button or a side-swipe with three fingers, can extend horizontally rather than vertically.

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Tecno’s screen expanding tech is far more impressive too; it felt seamless in use with a smooth screen extension while sitting comfortably in my hand. At just 1.3 seconds to extend and retract, it’s the fastest rollable concept around right now. The main display is just about as premium as foldables get in 2024, with the extra bit of rollable screen doubling up as a rear display for notifications when not fully expanded.

It also doesn’t feel that different to a regular phone in its rolled-up mode, helped by the fact it measures in at a fairly chunky, but still not massively thick, 9.9mm.

When unrolled, the tall and narrow display widens to something akin to a 4:3 aspect ratio, one which Tecno claims is much better for multitasking than your regular candybar screen.

The rep I spoke with gave examples like being able to view both photos and album lists in the Gallery app with the extended display active, and I imagine it’d be handy for split-screen multitasking, though there isn’t really anything it could offer that a foldable or a tablet couldn’t – and that’s my problem with the concept. It just doesn’t seem to fix any real issues in its current form.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The ability to get an extra half an inch on your screen doesn’t really seem worth the current trade-offs to durability and resistance, and I imagine that if/when these begin to appear, they’ll be similarly priced to top-end foldables. Instead, I think manufacturers need to think bigger.

In the same way that book-style foldables offer a regular candybar experience when folded and a tablet-esque experience when unfolded, I think manufacturers really need to lean into the extension tech to provide a similar phone-tablet hybrid.

In an ideal world, it’d be able to extend by quite a bit – inches, rather than centimetres – to really transform what you can do with the device, whether that’s split-screen multitasking or simply enjoying a film on a larger screen.

I imagine that’s still quite a way off, but considering the leaps and bounds that the technology has come along in the past year, we might not be that far off from seeing the first rollable hit the market. The question is, will they be phone-sized or tablet-sized?

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Best in Show: Our favourite tech from MWC 2024

Max Parker — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 11:20:27 +0000

MWC, or Mobile World Congress, is a mobile tech show that has, in the past, been the home of huge releases by Samsung, Sony, LG and more.

In the past few years though, the focus of the show has changed slightly as most of the big players in the mobile space transitioned to their own dedicated events for major launches. It’s unlikely we’ll ever see the next big Samsung Galaxy S device getting its grand unveiling at the show.

MWC is now the home to a smattering of new releases, concept tech and more of a focus on tablets, wearables and other mobile devices – including plenty of talk of AI.

This is our look at our favourite new tech that our experts have laid their eyes on at MWC 2024. Below you’ll find everything from transparent laptops and ultra high-end phones to AI devices and more.

(Additional reporting from Adam Speight and Lewis Painter)

Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Laptop Concept

Lenovo often arrives at MWC with a concept product, and this year is no different. The Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Laptop Concept manages to completely stand out from the crowd thanks to its transparent display – yes, you can look straight through the laptop screen and see everything going on behind it.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The top of this laptop is a 720p 17.3-inch display, while the bottom half is a piece of glass that provides a touchscreen keyboard and trackpad. Lenovo’s latest concept feels like it’s been plucked straight out of sci-fi movies from the early 2000s and we can’t wait until it’s a real product.

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Infinix E-Color Shift Technology

Infinix brought a splash of colour to MWC 2024 with its E-Color Shift technology. Its prototype Infinix E phone dons a customisable colour panel on its back, adding a dose of excitement and variety to a typically static portion of a phone.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

We saw a set of four different and vibrant designs, all offering 60 customisable areas and changing colours. They can be tailored to change based on time, mood and more. The technology behind the Infinix E is the E Ink Prism 3; an approach that uses different voltages to modify colour particles in the phone’s shells without affecting battery power.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra

MWC isn’t completely devoid of true flagship phones, and the first to catch our eye is the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. We were disappointed when the Xiaomi 13 Ultra didn’t make it out of China, so we’re relieved its follow-up is getting a much wider release.

The star of the show here is the quad 50MP camera array on the back, which is designed in partnership with Leica and features a variable aperture on the 1-inch main sensor. It has a striking textured back, a gorgeous flat display and all the latest components – including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – on the inside.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Xiaomi 14

The smaller, cheaper member of the Xiaomi 14 family, this powerhouse is a direct rival to Samsung’s Galaxy S24. Like the Ultra, the Xiaomi 14 sports top-end components and a Leica-branded camera array on the back with various shooting modes influenced by the German imaging specialists.

The 6.3-inch display is bright and sharp, while the matte texture on the black colourway feels great to hold.

Honor Magic 6 Pro

Another competitor to the ultra high-end phone crown that launched at MWC 2024 is the Honor Magic 6 Pro. This is Honor’s most successful attempt yet to create a no-compromise smartphone, with one of the very best phone screens we’ve ever laid our eyes on.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The zoom camera skills are very impressive too, there’s plenty of AI skills buried inside the software and we can’t help but be drawn to the striking green trim and standout camera module.

Honor MagicBook Pro 16

The MagicBook Pro 16 is Honor’s attempt to bring AI features into a laptop, hopefully without sacrificing the general day-to-day experience.

Features like Smart Picture Search, Smart Document Summary, Text Comprehension, AI Subtitle, and Magic Text hint towards a productive future where AI helps take some of the strain out of daily tasks. There’s plenty of power available here too, plus a slick design and good display.

Humane AI Pin

Even if it might not be ready to replace our smartphone quite yet, the Human AI pin is certainly an eye-catching piece of tech and one that we can’t wait to properly review.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

This small pin uses on-device GenAI capabilities to provide you with information in a conversational way and it can handle general knowledge queries, currency conversion – and real-time translation too. There’s even a display that can be projected onto your hand.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

There’s a futuristic air about the Humane AI Pin that we can’t help but get excited about.

Samsung Galaxy Ring

Announced, or more accurately teased, alongside the Galaxy S24, the Galaxy Ring has been seen in the flesh for the first time at MWC 2024.

Details might still be scarce – it’ll arrive sometime this year, likely in three hues and with many of the health tracking features we’d associate with the smartwatch – but this already feels like the future of wearable tech.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4

Lenovo’s ThinkBook range delightfully blurs the line between its all-in-on-business-focused ThinkPad lineup and its more consumer-facing options.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The result is ideal for the hybrid worker. The latest iteration of this is the tremendously versatile ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4.

It comes with Intel’s latest Core Ultra chips along with a footprint of just 16.85mm and a 1.64kg weight. As a 2-in-1 device, you get a 360-hinge and an accompanying stylish, which can snuggly attached magnetically to the side of the device. It’s a stylish and adaptable machine for the home and the office.

Tecno MEGAmini Gaming PC

Ever fancied a powerful PC in a form factor that isn’t going to dominate your desktop? That’s what Tecno is aiming for with this MEGAmini gaming PC.

It has all the classic gamer-y signs, with RGB and, even, a dose of cooling. Remarkably, it even has a full-size GPU too, not some reigned in mobile version.

Sure, there’s got to be some compromises in terms of output, it’s just physics, but it points to an interesting future where you may not have to have a humongous gaming tower on your desk to enjoy high-powered gaming fun.

ZTE Nubia Flip 5G

The Nubia Flip 5G was a bit of an MWC surprise from Chinese manufacturer ZTE, jumping into the foldable market with one of the best-specced clamshells around.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

It sports the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 alongside up to 24GB of RAM, the biggest clamshell battery at 5000mAh and a unique circular cover display that could help it stand out in a fast-growing market.

Tecno Phantom Extreme rollable concept

Rollable concepts have been floating around for the past few years – Motorola had its own at MWC 2023 last year – but the Tecno Phantom Extreme is the most polished we’ve seen to date.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

It’s a great showcase of the concept tech, expanding its regular display into a square display with the press of a button, and it takes just 1.5 seconds. We likely won’t see it released, but it’s a very interesting look at the potential future of phones.

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Switch 2 release delay could finally thwart gaming's biggest scourge

Chris Smith — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 21:35:22 +0000

OPINION: Reports say Nintendo may be holding off the Switch release to stop scalpers getting their mitts on hardware and jacking up prices for gamers. It’d be a great first step to combat a practice that shouldn’t be legal in the first place.

The latest scuttlebutt surrounding the Switch 2 release suggests it may have slipped to March 2025. New reporting over the weekend may tell us why.

The reputable Nikkei agency in Nintendo’s Japanese homeland is reporting Nintendo wants to ensure it has stockpiled enough consoles to satisfy demand when the console eventually does go on sale.

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The idea behind that, the report says, is to discourage the scalpers seeking to take advantage of the shortage to hike prices on the secondary market.

Even through it means we might be waiting a considerably longer period – maybe us much as six months longer than initially planned – for the Switch 2, I’d be all in favour. Scalping is an absolute scourge and has been out of control for years now.

For the first couple of years of the current Xbox and PlayStation generation the issue was rife, with scalpers using bots to quickly snap up batches of online stock, in order to sell them on for well above the RRP.

Nintendo fans looking to grab themselves a Switch console, particularly during the early months of the pandemic, were particularly hindered by the predatory practice.

Unbridled capitalism

Largely because the United States welcomes unbridled capitalism at all costs, nothing is ever done about this. It’s disgraceful that there’s a simple “supply and demand” rationale applied to these crooks.

The situation is not quite as egregious as the concert ticket palaver, where the scalper never even has to take possession of a physical product in order to make a fortune from ripping off genuine fans, but it’s not far off either.

So Nintendo looking to head this off at the pass by simple building as many Switch 2 consoles as it can to ensure everyone who wants one can get one would be a most welcome development.

This would represent real change. Historically, Nintendo has been more than ok with fostering a fevered demand for its consoles. The original Wii for instance was notoriously hard to get for a couple of years. The company was often accused of under-producing on purpose to keep demand sky high.

However, it was the Switch’s launch in 2017 that really sparked the issues with scalpers snapping up the supply Nintendo was able to get on the market and jacking up the prices to up to £400-£500.

Thankfullly, Nintendo has already made comments suggesting it will do its best to ensure scalpers don’t get their grasping little paws on the next-gen system.

“With regard to resale measures when launching new hardware, we recognise that the most important thing is to first produce and ship in numbers that can meet customer demand,” Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said in July last year when asked how it would make sure the console would be purchased by those who wish to play games on it. “We will then consider whether there are any other possible measures that can be taken.”

Of course, Nintendo could also adopt the strategy Sony often did with the PS5 by inviting gamers to subscribe for the chance to buy the console direct from the manufacturer.

However, the company relies heavily on third-party retailers to stock consoles and games well beyond the post-launch scramble for hardware, and those sellers have zero concerns about who buys the console and what happens to it after it is shipped.

There’s only so much Nintendo can do, but making sure there are enough Switch 2 consoles to ensure the asking price remains the selling price in the vast majority of instances, would be a great step forward.

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The Fujifilm X100VI makes me want to ditch my DSLR

Hannah Davies — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 17:07:15 +0000

OPINION: I’ve been a loyal DSLR user since I picked up my first (non-disposable) camera in 2013. I learnt how to take photos on my Canon 100D and only recently accepted that I’d need to upgrade to a mirrorless camera sometime soon. That is until Fujifilm handed me the X100VI in Japan last week.

The X100VI is Fujifilm’s latest compact camera, replacing the X100V at the top of the brand’s X100 line-up.

In all honesty, I’d mentally written off compact cameras as an option for myself. The idea of a fixed lens hasn’t appealed to me since I discovered the versatility of an interchangeable lens mount and I’m particularly fond of wide-angle lenses, along with a good nifty fifty for portrait photography. Even a telephoto lens has its place in my collection for when I attend conventions.

However, compact cameras possess a quality that many mirrorless cameras and certainly DSLRs with their interchangeable lenses struggle to emulate and the clue is in the name – they’re incredibly compact.

When I picked out my Canon 100D over a decade ago one of the biggest draws for me was the size of the camera. At the time, the 100D was one of the smallest and lightest DSLRs around, making it especially appealing to me, an at-the-time 16-year-old girl and known gym skipper searching for a DSLR I could take out and hold up to my eye without worrying about aching arms and bulky bags.

Of course, camera designs have come a long way since 2013. Mirrorless cameras, in particular, are often praised for their slim, lightweight builds despite the large sensors and growing number of features manufacturers manage to cram into each body with every iteration.

Compact cameras take this a step further by incorporating a fixed lens – in the X100VI’s case, this is a small lens with a 35mm equivalent focal length. While I expected to feel slightly restricted by the fixed lens, the compact effect of it all felt surprisingly liberating, even compared to the slim mirrorless cameras I’ve reviewed over the years. I didn’t think twice about popping the camera into my tiny bag when heading out into the streets of Tokyo and ended up catching moments I would have otherwise relied on my iPhone to capture.

There’s also something to be said about the simplicity of having one lens to choose from. Not only did it take the indecision out of which lens to carry each day, but it also forced me to be more creative with angles and composition to get the best possible shot. If I wanted to get a close-up of some cherry blossoms I had to physically get close to them and if I wanted to capture a row of buildings I needed to cross the road until I was far enough back to fit all of them in frame.

Fujifilm X100VI – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

That isn’t to say the X100VI is a simple or undeveloped camera. The compact model carries the same processor and sensor as Fujifilm’s latest X Series mirrorless cameras. Other highlights include 20fps continuous shooting, subject detection AF and IBIS. There’s even support for 6.2K video recording in 4:2:2 10-bit.

There’s a lot to love with the X100VI and the sacrifices for picking a compact camera over a mirrorless model are few and far between. This isn’t to say I’ll be buying an X100VI of my own – to that point, I’m still torn between it and a recent mirrorless model. However, if I’m sure about one thing it’s that I’m ready to retire my trusty old DSLR.

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The Humane AI Pin is cool, but phones aren't going anywhere

Lewis Painter — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:50:29 +0000

OPINION: After months of seeing videos and teasers about the AI-powered pin, I finally got to see the Humane AI Pin for myself at MWC 2024. It’s an incredible feat of engineering that’ll likely find its niche in a growing smartphone accessory market, but this isn’t, as some have suggested, the replacement for the smartphones we know and love.

The Humane AI Pin is an interesting concept; it’s a square-ish plastic pin that sits on your chest, magnetically attached to your t-shirt like the Insta 360 Go 3 action cam to avoid making holes, of course. It looks largely unassuming, available in a handful of colour options, but things get interesting once you wake it up.

I’d like to think of the Humane AI Pin as Google on your chest – though I’m not sure Google would appreciate that analogy – as it uses on-device GenAI capabilities to provide you with information in a conversational way, much like you’d expect from the likes of ChatGPT and Google’s own Gemini assistant.

It can handle general knowledge queries, currency conversion – with one demo at the show getting a conversion from US Dollars to Euros without telling the Pin where we were in the world – and like a growing number of GenAI models, it can handle real-time translation too, though there was still quite a delay between speaking and translating in my MWC demo that would stilt an actual bi-lingual conversation.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

There’s even a built-in camera that can be activated by a tap of the touchpad or controlled via voice input, providing a more natural way to capture photos and videos without focusing on your phone. It’s an idea that works exceptionally well on the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, and I expect people to appreciate it just as much here.

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The most Sci-fi aspect of the Pin, for me, is its projection capabilities. Using a built-in system, it can project simple graphics like time, battery life and other information to the palm of your hand if it’s positioned correctly in front of the Pin.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Frankly, it’s not that great. It reminds me a lot of the Oppo Air Glass 2 smart glasses I used at MWC last year, complete with basic graphics and a single green colour, which makes it less than ideal to, say, preview that photo you just took,.but I imagine this is something that’ll improve drastically as tech gets smaller and more powerful.

So, yes, the Humane AI Pin is cool – very cool, in fact – but it won’t be replacing the humble smartphone anytime soon, if ever.

Elements like a conversational chat assistant and a built-in camera are very handy, but even with better projection technology, I can’t see many people ditching the stunningly high-res screens and capable cameras that most modern smartphones have for something like that.

Instead, I foresee a future where the two are used in conjunction with one another; the Humane AI Pin for basic queries, quick phone calls and snaps, while a phone continues to be the ‘main’ device for most.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Of course, I could be totally wrong. We could be headed towards a Star Trek communicator-style world and I’m just a bit of a Luddite, but I doubt it.

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Qualcomm’s new FastConnect 7900 is way more than your average mobile Wi-Fi chipset

Lewis Painter — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

I get it; mobile component announcements aren’t that sexy at the best of times, let alone when it’s just a Wi-Fi chipset – but bear with me here because Qualcomm’s new FastConnect 7900 is actually rather interesting.

It follows on from the first Wi-Fi 7 chipset that Qualcomm revealed two years ago at MWC, and it should not only seriously boost the Wi-Fi capabilities of your next flagship smartphone, but it should enable some pretty cool experiences too.

Let me rewind a bit; the FastConnect 7900 is the first Wi-Fi chipset to utilise onboard AI to enhance the wireless experience. According to Qualcomm, the AI is smart enough to understand the context of how it’s being used without encroaching on your privacy by accessing personal data or inspecting packets, and it’ll optimise both latency and power consumption accordingly.

This could manifest itself in several ways; it could boost your Wi-Fi connection during video calls, when streaming videos online or downloading apps or games from Google Play to get you the fastest speeds possible, then automatically reduce speeds to provide better battery efficiency when not needed. It’s also feasible that it could reduce Wi-Fi power during downtimes, like when you’re asleep and only need a minimal connection to maintain app notifications and the like.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

This will not only have a knock-on effect on the overall battery life of your device, with Qualcomm’s early tests on reference hardware showcasing a power reduction as high as 30% compared to a regular Wi-Fi 7 chipset, but you’ll be getting a much more responsive, stable Wi-Fi connection – as long as you’re connected to a Wi-Fi 7-enabled network, that is.

To me, however, that’s only one exciting element about the chipset.

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The other big feature is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) support all within the FastConnect 7900 chipset. This is not only good news for manufacturers as one chip takes up less space than three, allowing more space for other components like a larger battery, but it should hopefully speed up adoption of the rather niche UWB connectivity.

It has been a staple of iPhones for a while, but adoption isn’t quite as ubiquitous on Android, and I can only assume that it comes down to the cost of the additional component. With the functionality built into the latest Wi-Fi chipset, that should hopefully remove that big hurdle.

For those that haven’t had the chance to use a UWB-enabled iPhone with AirTags, it essentially allows phones to locate nearby devices with exceptional accuracy, with an iPhone pointing you directly towards the AirTag with a compass and a distance measurement to let you know if you’re close. Imagine that, but on a larger scale, allowing your Android phone to be able to not only accurately locate Bluetooth trackers but also perform actions like get localised directions around a busy shopping centre using Wi-Fi sounding and UWB sounding.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The latter is something that’s still a way off, requiring retailers to build the tech into stores, but if the tech is readily available on most smartphones, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t.

It also plays nicely into the augmented reality future we’re slowly marching towards, with future UWB-enabled smart glasses able to identify and communicate with nearby devices.

So, yes, while the announcement of the FastConnect 7900 may not be the sexiest thing to come out of MWC, it’s a component that could have a huge impact on the mobile market over the next couple of years.

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I can’t wait for Qualcomm to put GenAI in the hands of Android devs

Lewis Painter — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Qualcomm has kicked off MWC 2024 with a bang, with a range of GenAI-focused announcements, a new Wi-Fi chipset for mobile devices, new on-device GenAI demos and much more.

While much of this is focused on the MWC expo in Barcelona this week, including on-site demos of the first large multimodal model running entirely on an Android phone and more, one announcement in particular caught my attention.

That was the announcement of the Qualcomm AI Hub, a new resource aimed at third-party Android developers. In essence, the AI Hub looks to be a one-stop shop for integrating GenAI features into third-party apps designed for use either on Snapdragon-powered devices (like the Galaxy S24 Ultra) or wider use across supported Qualcomm platforms.

Granted, it doesn’t sound that exciting on the surface, but this is a huge step forward for GenAI. That’s because up until this point, much of the GenAI functionality we’ve seen on phones like the Galaxy S24 range and, more recently, the Honor Magic 6 Pro is focused on OS-level integration. There’s still a distinct lack of apps that take advantage of the on-device GenAI processing that 2024 flagships are capable of.

That’s what Qualcomm is hoping to change with the introduction of the AI Hub.

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Qualcomm claims that it has a large library of over 75 AI models that makes referencing up to 4x faster than current online repositories. That includes popular GenAI uses like image generation, image classification, low-light enhancement, object detection, text generation and natural language understanding just to name a few.

This could mean that popular apps like TikTok could soon integrate a much more natural way to search for and maybe even edit videos, and it could also enable photo-focused apps like Snapchat or Instagram to use generative fill effects to enhance the look of captured photos – much in the same way as Adobe with its latest Photoshop beta, but all on-device on your smartphone. That makes it, in theory at least, much faster and more secure than uploading content to the cloud.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Of course, that’s just pure speculation on my part, but it does at least give you an idea of the kinds of things that third-party apps on Android will soon be able to do. It should also give consumers another reason to opt for a GenAI-compatible phone like the Galaxy S24 or OnePlus 12.

Qualcomm claims that the process is pretty simple for developers too; simply select the AI model you’d like to use, select the target platform – this can be device-specific or platform-specific – and click Deplayoment. You’ll then be provided with code that can be integrated into your Android app to make use of GenAI.

It has also committed to making its resources available on other popular online platforms like GitHub, which should hopefully make for more widespread adoption of GenAI on mobile – when it comes to Android devices, anyway.

I, for one, can’t wait to see what Android developers can do with this huge new processing resource, and I’ll certainly be keeping my eyes peeled on Google Play over the next few months.

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MWC 2024: Lenovo's transparent laptop hints at the future of phones

Adam Speight — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 23:00:00 +0000

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

OPINION: Have you ever thought about having a transparent phone? No, no, I’m not talking about mobile upstart Nothing and its see-through designs. I’m talking about a truly see-through phone. Lenovo revealed a transparent laptop concept at MWC 2024, and I think we’re on the way.

Now, this is all a bit pie-in-the-sky, as I can’t imagine how our typical glass slabs can become completely transparent. The chips, battery, camera and other components all have to go somewhere. But, you’ve seen it in movies, right? I’m talking the communicators that are almost all see-through screen, like Tony Stark’s phone-like device in Iron Man 2. I can’t accept a world where we’re not going to reach that somehow. Let’s dive into what’s gotten my hopes up.

The Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Laptop Concept

Unfortunately, the images I’ve taken of the Lenovo transparent laptop at MWC 2024 really don’t do it justice, it is not a device that likes its picture taken. But, I’m sharing them anyway. As you can see, it does what it says on the tin. The top half of this laptop is a 720p 17.3-inch Micro LED display that can reach an eye-scorching (that’s hyperbole, don’t worry) 1000 nits. Then, the bottom half is a piece of glass that provides a touchscreen-esque keyboard and trackpad. It can switch to be a canvas for drawing too. There’s no haptic feedback so it’s rather unsatisfying to use. Regardless, the top half is the real interesting part of this laptop.

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What made me start thinking about what this technology could mean for phones was the mix of arguments made for its existence as a laptop. Here’s what Lenovo says:

The transparent screen opens up new avenues of work collaboration and efficiency by enabling the interaction with physical objects and overlaying digital information to create unique user generated content. The transparency allows it to effortlessly integrate naturally within its environment.

The second argument isn’t one I can get onboard with. Sure, a lack of opaque bezels and the display itself blocking some of the view between you and your colleagues may impact your interaction a tad, but I’m not sure a transparent display would make much of a difference. If anything, seeing the back of your on-display content as you chat to your workmates may provide more of a distraction.

Tony Stark’s transparent phone in Iron Man 2 – Image Credit (Marvel/Disney)

The first point is more intriguing and it sets me on the path towards the mobile realm. During my time looking at the Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Laptop Concept, I wasn’t graced with a demo on the “the interaction with phyisical objects and overlaying of digital information” but it’s something that would work perfectly with a mobile phone.

In a world where many of the biggest technology companies are trying to convince us to put a cornocopia of pixels on our faces inside of a cumbersome headset, why not just have us hold a display up to the world to look through when we’d like to?

AR you happy to see me?

This train of thought leads me to think about augmented reality and artificial intelligence as well. Both are key buzzwords in tech right now and manufacturers still strive to make them feel worth our cash. AR and VR often promise to transport us to different worlds or, at least, enhance the one we’re in. Then, many a presentation on AI has highlighted how it can provide information relevant to your circumstances based on key contexts you provide it, whether that’s through your data or new information you input.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

So, how could we do both in a way that isn’t a chunky headband? Well, there’s that phone in your pocket. Having been inspired by the Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Laptop Concept, I’m imagining a future where you can hold your phone up to almost anything and been provides with extra information. Think, Google Lens supercharged. See a house you like with a for sale sign outside? Hold your phone up and see the price, along with various other relevant tidbits on your phone. Want your phone to tell you what to make out of a few specific ingredients in your cupboard? Hold it up and get instant recipes.

And, maybe, your phone then asks you to interact further. You’ve got a t-shirt in your wardrobe and want to purchase something similar. Again, hold your phone over it so your camera can see it, let it provide suggestions and ask if you want to order. Love plants? This imaginary phone will tell you how often you need to water it and how much sunlight it needs when you wave your phone in front of it.

Motorola rollable concept – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

I have little idea how this phone could exist anytime soon. The internals have to go somewhere so something completely transparent seems far from feasible. But, handily, the answers might just be found nestled in the future of phones developed by Lenovo’s mobile-focused sister brand, Motorola.

In 2022, it showed off a “rollable” phone concept where the phone could extend and show off a larger display. If there’s a way to house the internals in one section of the phone while another is almost all screen, like a rollable, then this transparent phone future may not be so out of reach after all. But, we’ll have to wait and see. Until then, I’m going to imagine a world where instant context is in the palm of your hand, along with the power to seamlessly act on it.

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Sound & Vision: Samsung is taking OLED TVs seriously but is it confusing customers?

Kob Monney — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: I attended the World of Samsung in Frankfurt this week, where the Korean electronics company laid out its vision for the devices it makes, all of which could be summed up as an unrelenting focus on AI.

At the core of Samsung’s products is AI that relieves annoyances, AI that relieves stress or fuss, AI that makes picture quality better. It’s an interesting message, perhaps even a compelling one to buy into as technology continues to progress.

I, however, am focused on Samsung’s TVs – specifically its OLEDs and the messaging around those screens. Suffice to say it’s not quite as clear as its stance on AI.

After years of giving OLED TV screens a view of its backhand – at times the competition overstepped – it’s now embraced the technology; first through creating its own version in QD-OLED, and secondly in striking a deal with LG Display to purchase screens from its rival.

At CES, Samsung announced the S90D model will be available in sizes ranging from 42- to 83-inches. The problem with that statement is QD-OLED panels aren’t manufactured in 42-, 48- or 83-inch sizes, so those sizes will be LG Display’s WOLED panels.

Samsung started doing this mix-and-match approach in 2023, adding an 83-inch version of the S90C, but it stands to reason that not every OLED TV is alike; and that mixing QD-OLED and LG Display’s WOLED panels – which offer different performance – can be the source of confusion.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Are buyers keen-eyed enough to spot the difference or even be aware of it? Samsung Electronics seemed keen to not distinguish the difference between QD-OLED and OLED from the start, which baffled me because it looked as if Samsung didn’t want customers to know that QD-OLED was (at the time) a step forward in picture quality.

And now that it’s engaging in mixing different types of OLED screens, it runs the risk of people thinking they’re going to get one TV but perhaps getting something else.

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Sony, on the other hand, included its A95K and A95L as part of its OLED line-up, but also made it clear that both were QD-OLED TVs, whereas Samsung rather hides behind infrequent mentions of QD technology. It’s rare you’ll even see that terminology used in product descriptions of its QD-OLED TVs.

I understand that Samsung wants to keep its marketing clear and simple, but the market that I imagine for these TVs – especially at the prices previous models have gone for – is the type where people know their QD-OLED from their WOLED panels, and are looking for a performance that fits their requirements. Imagine spending a huge amount on an 83-inch S90D only to find out it doesn’t boast the same level of performance as some of the smaller screen sizes.

credit: Sony

I think it’s much simpler to be clear and consistent, like with Sony’s messaging. The QD-OLED is the flagship TV model, it has technology not available in any other TV they offer, which in turn causes potential buyers to be interested because they want the best.

Perhaps this is me making a molehill of a mountain but Samsung’s approach doesn’t sit right with me. It would almost make more sense if it called the WOLEDs the S85C range and promoted it around the idea of “small and large” OLED options. That to me has more of a hook.

It’s great that Samsung seems committed to the OLED market, providing much-needed competition to LG, but I do wonder whether in trying to make its messaging simpler it’s made it confusing. Perhaps this is another use for AI like ChatGPT, if it could sift through all the information and make some sense of it.

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Winners and Losers: TikTok's favourite camera gets a welcome refresh while the Switch 2 release date slips

Max Parker — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 09:00:00 +0000

OPINION: We’re just days away from MWC 2024, traditionally a huge smartphone-related conference that should see several shiny new devices showcased for the first time.

Before we descend on Barcelona to cover all things mobile, we’ve got this week’s winner and loser to crown. This has been one of the busiest weeks of 2024 so far as we got our first look at the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360, reviewed the very clever Echo Hub and rendered our final verdict on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus.

Garmin also unveiled a new OLED-toting running watch, Apple released a dedicated Sports app and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 leaks seemingly hinted at several new features coming in the year. None of these, however, picked up a gong this week.

So, who did?

Winner: Fujifilm launches the X100VI

Fujifilm’s X100 line of retro-themed compact cameras has caused quite a stir on TikTok and Instagram over the past few years, drastically pushing up prices for used models and even forcing Fujifilm to stop taking new orders for the X100V due to the sheer amount of interest.

Whether it’s the classic film camera styling, the wonderful film simulations or excellent JPEG shots the camera produces that have helped it to skyrocket in popularity, we’re sure the X100VI, which was unveiled in Japan this week, will prove just as popular.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Our camera expert Hannah Davies has been in Japan putting the X100VI through its paces, noting in her initial hands-on that “Fujifilm celebrates its 90th anniversary with what could be its best compact digital camera to date.”

The X100VI adds in a new 40.2 MP X-Trans CMOS back-illuminated sensor, an updated processor and 5-axis IBIS with six stops of image stabilisation. It’s not a reinvention, but the additions are certainly welcome.

Those glorious retro looks are kept around too, with dials and switches everywhere and a choice of either silver or black colours. At £1599/$1599 – around £200/$200 pricier than the X100V – this isn’t a cheap camera, yet for those who fawn over its dreamy film-like images, it’ll no doubt be a worthy upgrade.

You can pre-order the Fujifilm X100VI now and it’ll arrive later in February.

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Loser: Switch 2 release date ‘pushed’ until 2025

Previous indications had hinted that we might get a long-awaited announcement for the Nintendo Switch 2 as early as March 2024, however a new report that arrived this week seemed to put those rumours to bed – with 2025 now looking like a more likely. This is according to VGC sources.

The site says it has heard from “multiple sources” that Nintendo is telling third-party publishers the follow-up to the Switch will now be made available in the first three months of 2025.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

VGC’s report was followed up by a Eurogamer report stating a similar release timeframe. “The console’s launch moving into early next year – but still within the coming financial year – is designed to ensure Switch 2’s launch line-up features as many titles as possible, Eurogamer understands,” it said.

So, it looks like we’ll have roughly another year of the original Switch before a successor is announced. Luckily. there are still plenty of new titles arriving for the hybrid console.

A Nintendo Direct this week revealed the once Xbox-exclusive title Grounded is coming to the console, alongside a remaster of the iconic Star Wars Battlefront games.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: PSVR 2 support for PC is the boost it desperately needs

Adam Speight — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: Last week, I wrote about how PlayStation and Xbox are turning me into a PC gamer, with increasingly open ecosystems leading the charge. This direction has continued, with the news this week that PSVR 2 could get the huge boost of working with your PC down the line.

The news was brought to us by PlayStation itself, with a virtual reality-related blog announcing a bunch of game release dates and the like. Nestled in the closing section of the introduction, standing out like a sore thumb was the following bombshell for those eager to get access to more games on their PSVR 2:

Also, we’re pleased to share that we are currently testing the ability for PS VR2 players to access additional games on PC to offer even more game variety in addition to the PS VR2 titles available through PS5. We hope to make this support available in 2024, so stay tuned for more updates.

From the outset, the PSVR 2 has failed to invigorate VR on PS5 quite like Sony would’ve hoped. Industry analysts Omdia highlighted the underperformance of VR in general throughout 2023, but put some of the PSVR 2’s lack of overwhelming success down to a lack of “compelling releases, leading to slower adoption than its predecessor, worsened by Sony’s shift in focus towards expanding PS5 peripherals.”

Not long after launch, Bloomberg reported that Sony had slashed its expectation of selling two million units, with it eventually hitting 600,000 when the period was over. It was then comfortably topped by the Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 over the holiday season, with the numbers at roughly 10,500 versus 320,000 (via RoadToVR).

Sony has clearly recognised these shortcomings itself, with comments that come across as cagey on its VR offering to say the least. In October, it described PSVR 2 as not being its “core proposition,” a largely obvious statement but not something typically said aloud (via Barrons), while in December it recognised the VR market was a “challenging category” (via Bloomberg).

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In our initial review of the PSVR 2, our reviewer, deputy editor Ryan Jones, highlighted the issue of a lack of games from the off. Its flagship VR title, Horizon Call of the Mountain, received plenty of praise but the rest of the offerings were light and largely bulked out by Meta Quest ports. Since then, there have been very few launches that have taken the VR world by storm, with the likes of Resident Evil Village, Gran Turismo 7 and Arizona Sunshine 2 being the “big” releases.

PSVR 2 – Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

So, it’s clear, PSVR 2 has a “games” problem. And, this week’s announcement might just be the saviour that this device needs. It opens up an extra slice of freedom, even if this prospect may be most appealing to a bit of a niche market – that being PlayStation 5 owners who also have a solid Steam library. However, even for those without an existing PC game library, bringing PC support to PSVR 2 for those who also own a gaming PC is an absolute gamechanger.

It would immediately open up a sea of VR titles to PSVR 2 owners that they’ve never been able to access before. Think titles like the runaway hits Powerwash Simulator or Phasmophia, even games like F1 23, Assassin’s Creed: Nexus and, the holy grail, Half-Life: Alyx may then have a chance of being playable on the PlayStation headset. The prospect of a huge new selection of games for the PSVR 2 could be a beautiful thing for the waning peripheral.

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Fast Charge: The Samsung Galaxy S25 needs a serious overhaul, or I'm done

Lewis Painter — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 09:30:00 +0000

OPINION: Samsung has a bit of a reputation for being the ‘Apple of the Android world’ – and it’s not hard to see why. The smartphone maker has consistently put out quality smartphones, not just flagships but mid-range and budget devices and, more recently, foldables.

These phones traditionally offer the very best smartphone tech, from screen tech to the latest cameras, but that’s certainly not the case with the latest Samsung Galaxy S24, or its bigger sibling, the Galaxy S24 Plus.

Why? Simply put, they’re just a bit boring.

That’s not to say that the Galaxy S24 and its larger sibling aren’t wholly capable flagship smartphones – they certainly are, complete with a great screen and flagship performance from the Exynos 2400 chipset within alongside elements like Galaxy AI and an extended seven-year OS promise.

But in a market where much of the flagship competition has gone above and beyond to offer something fun and unique, Samsung’s flagships struggle to stand out.

That starts with the design, with the Galaxy S24 looking a whole lot like last year’s Galaxy S23, which is to say that it once again looks a lot like an iPhone. Okay, I can’t wholly blame Samsung for this as there are only so many ways you can dress up a slab of glass and aluminium, but the same flat edges and rounded corners do give it a particularly Apple-esque vibe.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus

It also doesn’t help that Samsung has leant into the minimalistic design aesthetic, with the phones lacking simple elements like a camera housing that helps give modern phones some personality.

Samsung has also seemingly given up on improving the charging experience of the Galaxy S24 range despite much of the flagship competition offering double – and even faster – charging speeds.

The regular S24 is capped at 25W, while the S24 Plus matches the Ultra’s 45W, with all three getting a full charge in around 70-80 minutes. That would’ve been fine five years ago, but those numbers pale in comparison to the 100W charging of the competing OnePlus 12 which delivers a full charge in just 26 minutes.

The OnePlus 12

Even the screen department, an area where Samsung has truly excelled in the past, is a little underwhelming on the Galaxy S24. There are admittedly positives here, like the inclusion of LTPO tech for the first time, but these have been staples of much of the flagship competition for a few years now, so it’s more Samsung playing catch-up.

Besides, while features like 2600nits maximum brightness are an improvement, they still pale in comparison to some of the truly amazing screen tech used by 2024 flagships, be that the LTPO 4.0 support of the cheaper OnePlus 12R or the exceptional 4600nit brightness of the flagship OnePlus 12.

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Samsung also has a long way to go in terms of HDR format support, only offering the niche HDR10+ in place of more readily used codecs by streaming services like Dolby Vision HDR. Again, these are all features of competing phones at very similar, if not cheaper, price points to the S24 and S24 Plus.

The S24’s neglect becomes most apparent in the camera department, however.

That’s because the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus sport a 50MP primary camera alongside a 12MP ultrawide and a 20MP 2.5x telephoto. That might sound a little familiar, and there’s a good reason why; it’s the exact same setup as not only last year’s Galaxy S23 but 2022’s Galaxy S22 too. For three years, Samsung hasn’t even touched the camera setup of two of its three flagship devices.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus

That’s not to say that they don’t capture decent photos – they do, albeit with slightly sickly vibrancy in some shots – but they simply just don’t go far enough compared to the similarly priced competition like the Google Pixel 8 or OnePlus 12.

It’s even more frustrating when you consider that, in the same span of time, the top-end Ultra model has seen huge changes not only to its overall design but key components like its camera setup.

It has not only seen a huge boost to main camera performance with a 200MP lens that has yet to make its way to the regular models, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra goes even further with a new 50MP 5x periscope lens. All this while the ‘flagship’ Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus sit on the same ageing hardware.

It’s clear that Samsung is trying to upsell users the all-singing-and-all-dancing S24 Ultra, but at £1,249/$1,249, it’s not exactly affordable for most.

So with that all said, it’s clear that Samsung has its work cut out for next year’s Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus. If they don’t, I think Samsung could be in serious trouble of losing the spotlight it has held for so long. Who’d have seen that coming a few years ago? Certainly not me.

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Sound & Vision: We've entered the age of wearable audio

Kob Monney — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: With the official unveiling of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, it feels as if we’ve crossed some sort of threshold and entered a new space within the headphone market – actual wearable audio.

Now, everywhere you look, there’s an encroachment of wearable technology, but it’s rather hard to define and understand the lexicon behind it. I was talking to someone about this recently because the simplest definition would probably cover every headphone ever made. After all, headphones are wearable, and they play audio.

A more precise definition of wearable audio seems to be about reducing the intrusive aspect of a headphones’ design, of meshing the audio you hear with the environment around you. That sounds like a contradiction to me – I don’t want to always be aware of everything around me, and enjoying music comes from being fully immersed in it without distraction. After the launch of the original AirPods however, this is definitely something that people want from their audio devices.

The number of people I’ve seen wearing bone conduction and air conduction headphones on the Underground (of all places) suggests they’re not bothered about being interrupted.

Open-air audio has been around for years, Bose has dabbled with it before in its SoundWear Companion speakers, as has Sony with its Neckband speakers; but the recent spate of launches has miniaturised the technology into something portable and discreet. The emphasis Bose and Huawei have placed on it is that wearable audio also has a attractive fashion element to it as well, and it’s that part of the wearable aspect that seems to be gaining momentum

The mooted Samsung Galaxy Ring along with the Oura rings have a nondescript design in that they look like any other type of ring, but the technology they pack means they’re convenient and have that ‘cool’ factor that brands are always searching for.

Aesthetic is an important part of wearable audio; the Ultra Open Earbuds are sleek and stylish, the Huawei FreeClip stands out with their glossy, bulbous appearance, while the Sony LinkBuds have the most the conventional look but even they are unlike any other true wireless. Wearable audio is fashionable – it stands out by appearing just like other ornaments we wear, a Trojan Horse full of tech in the most unassuming way.

I reckon it’s this aspect of wearable audio that will fuel its interest, and that much of this interest will come from a younger generation who aren’t taken in by traditional designs. As I have spoken about in a previous Sound & Vision column, younger generations place more of an emphasis on comfort than sound. Safety is another aspect I’ve heard mentioned in discussions, that people feel safer when they’re aware of what’s close by.

The obvious problem with wearable audio is that it doesn’t sound as good as headphones with a sealed design – but that didn’t stop the Apple AirPods from becoming popular all around the world. Wearable audio encourages, or is accepting of, a different mindset.

credit: Bose

People who want these devices aren’t as interested in high quality sound, which is in opposition to the push for higher fidelity across the board. The Ultra Open Earbuds supports aptX Adaptive which to me sounds like overkill for a casual, mainstream audio product.

But again, the appeal of the design and awareness seems to trump all that. If there’s some sort of definition, it’s that wearable audio is meant to be comfortable, trendy but discreet, easy to use and offers awareness all the time.

It’s in stark contrast to headphones that have always suggested to other people that “I’m busy”. Wearable audio is meant to be inviting to others because they won’t realise it is a pair of headphones. It’s a conversation starter in a few ways.

Is it for me? I’m not sure but it could suit you. It remains to be seen as to whether wearable audio will truly take off, but at the same time, it does not look as if it’s going away.

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Winners and Losers: The Galaxy Watch gains a new feature as Amazon Prime Video scraps two

Hannah Davies — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 09:00:00 +0000

It’s Sunday, meaning it’s time for us to name our winner and loser from the past week.

This week, Google announced a powerful new AI model, Sony was forced to revise its PS5 sale forecasts and Microsoft teased an exciting Xbox hardware announcement for the end of the year.

However, it was Samsung and Amazon who earned our winner and loser titles this week. Keep reading to learn why.

Winner: Samsung

Samsung is our winner after the Galaxy Watch received a potentially lifesaving new health feature in the US.

The sleep apnea feature on the Samsung Health Monitor app was given De Novo authorisation from the FDA this week and will be available on Galaxy Watch devices in the US from Q3 2024.

With the help of a compatible Galaxy Watch and phone, the feature is designed to detect signs of sleep apnea in those not already aware they have the condition. It looks for signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in users over the age of 22 over a two-night monitoring period.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, around 25% of men and 10% of women in the US experience obstructive sleep apnea. If left untreated, this condition can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia and stroke.

The goal of the sleep apnea feature is to alert users if they may have the condition so they can seek medical care to reduce the possibility of encountering any of these complications.

The US isn’t the first country to give the sleep apnea feature the go-ahead. The feature was approved in Samsung’s home country South Korea last October. However, users in the UK and Europe are still awaiting approval to see the feature on Galaxy Watches across the pond.

Loser: Amazon

Our loser this week is Amazon after the company quietly reduced the quality of shows and movies on its new Amazon Prime Video ad-supported tier.

According to a report by German website 4KFilme, Amazon Prime Video continues to support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos on the ad-free tier, but has replaced these features with HDR10 with Dolby Digital 5.1 on smart TVs streaming its ad-supported tier.

Amazon spokesperson Katie Barker confirmed this change to The Verge, stating that “Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos capabilities are only available on the ad-free option, on relevant titles.”

Amazon only recently upped the price of its ad-free tier to make room for the ad-supported tier, meaning subscribers on what was formerly the cheapest plan were already told to pay an additional $2.99/£2.99 every month to keep ads away. Now this extra cost will also be required to keep hold of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

While users were warned about the first change, the latter is certainly a disappointing surprise. It seems the loss of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos is just another incentive for users to upgrade to or stick with a tier that has gained no real benefits since the price hike came into place.

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Ctrl+Alt+Del: PlayStation and Xbox are turning me into a PC gamer

Adam Speight — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: There’s been a lot of chat this week about the future of console gaming, from Xbox and PlayStation directly as well as their respective communities. The general vibe is one of openness, and that could present a bright future for PC gaming.

Over the majority of my three decades on this planet, I’ve been a devout console gamer but, given my role as Computing Editor and extensive testing of gaming laptops, I’ve spent more and more time in the PC gaming realm. That has only grown in recent years with the PC experience being broader and richer, from Xbox providing better native support, streaming from the likes of GeForce Now enabling higher performance gaming with less costly hardware and the growth of PC gaming handhelds providing an exciting new way to play.

With Xbox and PlayStation now openly talking about their plans to accelerate by having even more open platforms and game launches, it seems like PC could end up being the best platform to get the best of all worlds. And, I’m expecting to eagerly convert into a fully-fledged PC gamer.

So, what are PlayStation and Xbox actually saying? Xbox has been the talk of the town this week, with Phil Spencer being part of an impromptu “Xbox Business Update” podcast following on from the ramping up of rumours relating to the company’s future strategy on exclusives and console form-factor.

But, before I get into the meat of that, Sony also dropped in a tidbit on a similar theme. Sony president and PlayStation chairman Hiroki Totoki revealed on a financial call the company wants to get more “aggressive” in how it drives profit margins around its first party games (via VGC).

Totoki stated, “In the past, we wanted to popularise consoles, and a first-party title’s main purpose was to make the console popular,” adding, “… if you have strong first-party content – not only on our console but also other platforms, like computers – a first-party [game] can be grown with multi-platform, and that can help operating profit to improve, so that’s another one we want to proactively work on.”

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These comments fit perfectly with PlayStation’s latest moves, which have seen Helldivers 2 launch on the same day on the PS5 and PC. That’s quite a difference compared with the long wait there has been for other first-party titles, like the God of War series, to come to PC.

But, such a move with a live-service game doesn’t necessarily mean the next huge single-play title from the brand will come to PC sooner, though it does now seem more likely. Either way, in the same call, Tokoki revealed we won’t see a new major franchise release until 2025 (via IGN), with such lag time being another factor that is making me consider my options this year.

That’s potentially speedier and more frequent PC releases from the PlayStation side of things. What of Xbox? The aforementioned business update saw the company reveal that four previously-exclusive games would be coming to multiple platforms, including the PS5. The identities of those games weren’t revealed, but The Verge reports they are set to be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves and Grounded. Xbox also played down reports that Starfield and the new Indiana Jones games will come to PS5, but rumours remain that it is being considered for some point down the line (via The Verge).

Starfield

Despite the multiplatform chat, Xbox was keen to stress Game Pass will remain Xbox and PC only, while also revealing there is new hardware that is the “largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation” coming “this holiday”. It’s a reiteration of the line that its consoles will be the best place to play Xbox even with the move towards being more open.

Xbox is already head first in the multiplatform world, with PlayStation and Nintendo Switch being the last holdouts when it comes to where it expands its web too. The platform is now accessible across consoles, laptops, desktop PCs, PC gaming handhelds, phones, tablets and smart TVs in one way or another.

These moves by PlayStation and Xbox speak to a broader trend across technology where innovation in software and flexibility in hardware is becoming a greater focus for new products, over just the latest and greatest hardware specifications.

And, it’s this trend that is pushing me towards embracing PC as my primary platform. Do I want the best performance and viewing experience for PlayStation’s luxurious AAA titles? Of course, but PC is going to come pretty damn close. Do I want the benefits of using Xbox Game Pass and its high-end hardware? Absolutely. But, with a version of Game Pass on PC, and many Xbox titles being well supported on the platform, PC seems like a more than a viable way into Xbox.

All of that combined, along with having easy access to launchers like Steam and the variety of hardware available, like the emergence of handhelds and game streaming, is adding up to a bright future for PC gaming – a future where having a console is becoming far less of an essential purchase.

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Fast Charge: I can't wait to see what Apple does with iOS 18

Lewis Painter — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 09:30:00 +0000

OPINION: Apple hasn’t exactly slouched with the past few generations of iOS, introducing prominent new features like customisable lock screens that refresh the feeling of even old iPhones. However, previous updates could pale in comparison to what Apple has planned for iOS 18 if rumours are to be believed – and I can’t wait.

The primary source of early information about Apple’s next big iPhone update comes from Bloomberg’s ever-informed Mark Gurman. In a recent subscriber-only Q&A in his Power On newsletter, the journalist claimed that iOS 18 could be the “biggest” software update in the iPhone’s history.

And when you consider how transformative some iOS updates have been, whether that was the switch from skeuomorphism in iOS 7 to the long-awaited introduction of widgets in iOS 14, updates that have had a significant impact on the iOS experience, one can’t help but wonder what Apple might have planned for iOS 18.

Thankfully, I don’t have to rely on reading tea leaves or looking into a crystal ball to get an idea of what Apple has up its sleeve courtesy of the internet rumour mill.

The first feature isn’t even a rumour, as Apple has explicitly confirmed that the feature will make an appearance on iPhones “later” in 2024, which in my mind at least, aligns well with iOS 18.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

That feature is the much-requested RCS support, which isn’t a big deal for iPhone owners but it’s a huge step forward for Android users. RCS essentially allows iPhone users to send high-res photos, videos and audio messages to Android users and enjoy benefits like read reports, Wi-Fi messaging and improved group chat support without relying on the dated SMS and MMS protocols.

It’s not quite the same as opening iMessage to the Android crowd, but it’s the next best thing and essentially means that iOS users will no longer need to use apps like WhatsApp or Telegram to enjoy most of the aforementioned features when messaging an Android user.

That pales in comparison to the big iOS 18 feature however. Generative AI is a big talking point at the moment, especially with the recent release of the Galaxy S24 range with the GenAI-powered Galaxy AI, and Tim Cook himself has confirmed that Apple is working on GenAI internally with a reveal set for sometime in 2024.

Mark Gurman suggests that Apple could use GenAI to “improve how both Siri and the Messages app can field questions and auto-complete sentences” while teasing GenAI support for first-party apps like Apple Music, Pages and Keynote.

More information on GenAI came from a report from The Information, claiming that Apple is planning to incorporate large language models (LLMs) into Siri to provide not only a more ChatGPT-style conversational experience but one that can automate complex tasks.

If you’ve yet to use ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot or any other GenAI-powered chat assistant, you might not understand just how transformative this could be to the iOS experience.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Even if we go by what Samsung’s Galaxy AI brings to the S24 range – real-time translation in phone calls, rewriting texts and emails, transcribing and summarising voice recordings and even using generative fill to edit photos, all without the need for an internet connection – it could completely change the way you use your iPhone.

Of course, with Apple being Apple, I have no doubt that it’s working on entirely new ways to utilise GenAI that we’ve not seen until now.

Apple tends to reveal its big yearly updates at its developer-focused WWDC event which usually takes place in early June, so we don’t have that long to see what Apple has been working on for iOS 18 for ourselves. I just hope it’s as exciting as it’s rumoured to be.

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Next Xbox will be dead on arrival – Microsoft has made sure of that

Chris Smith — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 20:51:53 +0000

OPINION: You think the Xbox Series S/X have had a rough time against the PS5? Just wait until people think they can get next-gen Xbox games on the next PlayStation console!

Do you think it matters Microsoft is already promising the biggest technical leap ever for a console generation, when the successor to the Xbox Series X rolls around? I sure as hell don’t.

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If the console gaming public believes that by buying a PS6 they’ll be able to have the best of both worlds, even Xbox die-hards would struggle to resist a Sony machine.

In my view, the big takeaway from this week’s announcement that some Xbox and PC games will lose their exclusivity is that the future looks grim for Xbox hardware as we know it.

Or, even grimmer than it already is.

The sales gap is currently thought to be 2:1 in PlayStation’s favour and Microsoft’s announcement this week practically assures there’s little chance of closing that gap next time around – especially when it has already promised that Call of Duty will be available everywhere to get its big Activision Blizzard deal over the line.

Even though Microsoft isn’t naming the games it’ll be offering up to PS5 and Nintendo Switch gamers yet, it doesn’t really matter. All people will hear from yesterday is “Xbox exclusives are coming to PS5.” It’ll be hard for Microsoft to convince gamers otherwise now the seal has been broken.

The Xbox team aimed to assuage concerns that Starfield and Indiana Jones won’t be among the games crossing the console divide, but how long will it be before the resolve to keep anything exclusive ebbs away?

Despite Phil Spencer making no promises beyond those initial four games, the smart money is on a lot more titles losing their platform exclusivity as time goes on.

The initial titles are designed to maximise revenue on games that have reached their potential on Xbox and PC, but there will be more of these, and the names of the games will get bigger.

The eventuality I envisage is first party games arriving for Xbox and Game Pass subscribers on day one, and available as a standalone purchase everywhere else you play a few months later. The only exclusives will be timed exclusives; even on the biggest Xbox franchises like Forza, Halo, Gears of War and others from Bethesda and the various first party studios.

This initial move strikes me as simply dipping a toe in the water before the big cold plunge that ends the console wars for good. And Microsoft has been preparing for life without console tribalism for this entire generation.

It has already made Game Pass available in as many places as currently possible and/or permitted. And Spencer has already talked up a future where ‘every screen is an Xbox’ so who is going to spend £500 on a black box when it isn’t necessary?

By the time the next generation rolls around, Xbox Cloud Gaming is likely to be in the 4K/120fps realm and there’ll truly be even less need for the dedicated Xbox hardware.

Microsoft’s biggest successes have been as a software company offering the best experiences on third-party hardware, enjoying fruitful partnerships with manufacturers. Even the PC gaming industry is predicated on running Windows, and you can play PlayStation Games there too!

Look, I don’t wish to envisage a future where console gamers have to be online and have to stream their games over the cloud. And, I hope for those people who play traditionally and seek the best experience from a pure hardware perspective, that Microsoft’s next Xbox is everything they want it to be.

However, the events of this week have made it clear the next Xbox console will be dead on arrival – a niche device at best.

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Prime Video's ad-free tier is a baffling own goal

Kob Monney — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 13:03:23 +0000

OPINION: I remember first hearing about Prime Video’s move into ad-supported content ages ago, and when it became official in September 2023 I made my peace with it.

As long as the ads weren’t intrusive, it’s not something I’d be fussy about. After all, I’ve spent the majority of my TV watching life sitting through ads anyway.

But when 4Kfilm.de did some digging it became clear that the new ad-free tier removed Dolby Vision and Atmos support – and Amazon didn’t even bother to announce or confirm it until prodded. Speaking for myself, it’s eroded some of my trust in Prime Video. It simply did not need to happen in this hush-hush on the QT manner.

I find it a rather disrespectful move for Prime Video to not be open or transparent about its motives, it treats a certain group of customers (that’s the home cinema devotees amongst us) with what feels like mild contempt.

That people would jump to the more expensive tier just to escape ads – and perhaps this is the worst bit – not even notice that Dolby Vision and Atmos had actually been secreted away. Faith and any goodwill tend to flag in moves such as this. What else could Prime Video, or any streaming service for that matter, change their minds on?

Maybe Amazon is hoping the furore will die quickly, though the class-action suit that’s coming its way in California would suggest this could rumble on.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

I’ve mentioned in my Prime Video review that the tagging system needs some reworking. Whenever a title emerges onto Prime Video streaming and says it’s 4K UHD, more often than not, it’s not available to stream in 4K but instead in HD. This happened with Dune, La La Land, The Matrix Resurrections, and John Wick: Chapter 4.

In one fell swoop, Amazon has made its Prime Video service worse

My suspicion is that the tags from when the film or TV series was in the store are global tags, and don’t change when content moves from one service to another. The problem that this creates is that it misleads the customer into thinking they’re watching video at a certain they are not.

With this new tier, Dolby Vision and Atmos titles are still shown as exactly that, except as soon as you play content, the Dolby Vision tag doesn’t appear, and your soundbar (if you have one) won’t flag that it’s Atmos you’re listening to.

In one fell swoop, Amazon has made its Prime Video service worse. If you signed up hoping you’d get the best performance from your TV and surround system, well, it’s now been degraded, and just to get it back you’ll have to pay more for it.

It also makes me wonder what role Dolby might/could/did play in this move.

Dolby has always considered its technology as premium – Dolby Cinemas across the world are high quality venues – and I imagine the company must have known beforehand of this change. After all, HDR10, HDR10+ (incidentally, Amazon were one of the initial backers of the HDR10+ Alliance), and 5.1 audio stick with the standard tier, while the more expensive tier is now just Dolby alone.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

And if we have an issue with Dolby Atmos, we’ve sleepwalked into a problem with Dolby Vision. On Max, Paramount+ (US version), Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video, have all ushered Dolby Vision HDR onto its most expensive plan. That begs the question of how many people watch titles in Dolby Vision on their Dolby Vision-enabled TVs?

What’s the point of Dolby Vision if services keep making it harder to watch? Only Apple TV+ is keeping the flag flying for Dolby Vision and Atmos content for all.

As I mentioned when Netflix raised its prices, the move is like a 50/50 tackle in sports – you’re giving the referee a decision to make. In this case, it’s a debate about whether to spend more to get back what you once had. I’m not sure that in the way Amazon has handled this, it will like the decision that customers end up making.

If customers decide they don’t really care about premium AV formats, what does that ultimately say about the value of Dolby Vision and Atmos to them?

I don’t think Amazon needed to poke this bear.

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Sound & Vision: More TV brands should follow Sky Glass payment model

Kob Monney — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000

OPINION: From the end of February and throughout March is usually when we first get info on the new 2024 TVs. It’s also the time of the year where you can find cracking deals on 2023 TVs as retailers make space for new models.

It is as it ever was – year in, year out, the same carousel of TV turnover.

There are a few aspects of the TV industry that I don’t think make it easy for the customer to follow. The proliferation of confusing model names is such an area, and how people pay for TVs is another that could be simplified.

Let’s travel back, Lazarus Project-style, to 2021 when Sky Glass appeared. It’s a TV that came with many promises and hype – it didn’t necessarily hit the mark but its concept of making the TV buying process simpler is one that stuck. Sky Glass’ adoption of a contract similar in vein to smartphones was its smartest idea.

credit: Sky

Breaking down the cost of a TV into smaller bites made the initial hit less scary. Which would you prefer? £1000 out of your pocket now, or £1000 across two years?

Each year there is the same churn. TVs launch at high prices, then gradually come down as the year goes on, and though I don’t have access to data as to when customers purchase a TV, I don’t think it’s hard to surmise that most spend money when there’s a sale or the price has depreciated significantly.

But what would it look like if you could pay for a TV monthly? Would more customers be open to purchase a new TV earlier in its lifecycle?

From the TV manufacturer’s perspective, a monthly contract locks the customer in, but in the age of smart devices, we’re no longer talking about just a TV, we’re talking about an ecosystem. Bundle in Netflix, Paramount+, or Apple TV+ while you’re at it too.

As I’ve mentioned before, TV operating systems are, and will continue to have, a big focus in the next few years, and having a viewer enmeshed in an ecosystem could develop brand loyalty – if they have a good experience, of course. Perhaps if they have a good experience with one product, they’ll consider another from the same brand.

And once the contract is up, they can likely switch it for another size or perhaps stick with the TV now that the costs are covered in a similar vein to Sky Glass. If they have a good experience, I’d imagine it’s unlikely that they’d want to switch back to the ‘traditional’ buying experience again.

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

It puts the focus on service, less on a TV’s A/V credentials, which Sky Glass has shown works. It’s the direction TVs are going into with the focus on operating systems, but it’s a surprise that other than Sky, no one has made it central to their messaging.

Samsung does offer its TVs on a monthly contract directly through its website, as does Sony (via Klarna payments) but looking at the big brands, it’s rare, and the likelihood is that most shop through online retailers rather than direct.

Considering the current cost-of-living crisis, it would be more helpful to have the option to reduce the initial hit. Perhaps even from an environmental perspective, launching fewer TV models each year equals less waste, as some TV models could launch in cycles of two or three years.

Smartphones are offered on a contract basis, and you can similarly purchase a car – we’ve become used to monthly payments across a wide range of products and services. Amazon offers the option of buying a product and breaking it down into payments across many electrical devices – it seems a smart move, but the impression I get from TV brands is that it’s not something they’re fully onboard with.

My solution? Well, this payment option wouldn’t be for the premium TV models or necessarily the affordable budget options, but for mid-range TVs that a customer may aspire to have but can’t stretch their budget to afford.

Perhaps I’ve missed something obvious, but I don’t see many downsides. Making things easier rather than confounding is the field TV brands should be ploughing. It seems they’re missing a trick by not making this an important part of their messaging going forward.

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Opinion – Trusted Reviews

Loewe is betting big with its new products. Here's hoping it works

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