Technology

• Chinese company DapuStor builds high capacity ultra-fast enterprise SSDs
• Its 1-DWPD Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB SSD seriously impressed in a new review
• An "engineering masterpiece," the SSD delivered record read speeds

DapuStor is a Chinese start-up specializing in the development and manufacturing of enterprise-grade SSDs - and although you’ve possibly never heard of it, it makes very large - and very fast - storage products.

At the start of 2025, TweakTown tested DapuStor’s J5060 61.44TB SSD against a number of enterprise SSDs, including Solidigm's same size beast, and came away impressed with the drive’s superior read performance, declaring it to be “the most efficient SSD of its capacity point currently in circulation”. A new 122.88TB version of that SSD has been spotted online, and we look forward to seeing how it compares.

Before that, however, TweakTown managed to get its hands on another DapuStor product, the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB Enterprise SSD. It may not be anywhere near as big as the J5060, but – spoiler alert – it is incredibly fast.

An engineering masterpiece

Introducing the new drive, TweakTown says, “The new SSD is built on DapuStor's in-house developed DP800 controller and firmware. The new series features a PCIe 5.0 interface and 3D eTLC NAND Flash. Supporting the NVMe 2.0 protocol, it delivers twice the performance of PCIe 4.0 SSDs.”

The 1-DWPD (1 Drive Write Per Day) SSD proved to offer blistering performance in the tests that TweakTown put it through, leading the site to declare the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB PCIe Gen5 x4 U.2 SSD to be an “engineering masterpiece”, scoring it 100% for performance, quality, features and overall.

In summing up his findings, TweakTown’s Senior Hardware Editor Jon Coulter gushed, “The drive delivers a record breaking 3.62 million 4K random read IOPS at QD512. This is a whopping 10% more than anything we've encountered previously. Additionally, its 14,600 MB/s sequential read throughput is right up there with the best of them, as is its over 11,000 MB/s sequential write throughput.”

That level of throughput alone would be impressive, but it’s only part of the story.

“Then there is its mixed workload prowess where our 1-DWPD test subject delivers more than anything in its class at queue depths of up to 64. Its mixed workload performance is so good that it can hang in with 3-DWPD SSDs at queue depths of up to 16. And finally, as perfectly illustrated by our preconditioning charts, the R6101 7.68TB delivers QOS that is as good as we've ever seen,” Coulter concluded.

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• These are the fastest SSDs that you can buy right now
• And these are the largest SSDs and HDDs on the market
• Is this the faster 61.44TB SSD out there? DapuStor J5060 is a speed freak

• Chinese company DapuStor builds high capacity ultra-fast enterprise SSDs
• Its 1-DWPD Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB SSD seriously impressed in a new review
• An "engineering masterpiece," the SSD delivered record read speeds

DapuStor is a Chinese start-up specializing in the development and manufacturing of enterprise-grade SSDs - and although you’ve possibly never heard of it, it makes very large - and very fast - storage products.

At the start of 2025, TweakTown tested DapuStor’s J5060 61.44TB SSD against a number of enterprise SSDs, including Solidigm's same size beast, and came away impressed with the drive’s superior read performance, declaring it to be “the most efficient SSD of its capacity point currently in circulation”. A new 122.88TB version of that SSD has been spotted online, and we look forward to seeing how it compares.

Before that, however, TweakTown managed to get its hands on another DapuStor product, the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB Enterprise SSD. It may not be anywhere near as big as the J5060, but – spoiler alert – it is incredibly fast.

An engineering masterpiece

Introducing the new drive, TweakTown says, “The new SSD is built on DapuStor's in-house developed DP800 controller and firmware. The new series features a PCIe 5.0 interface and 3D eTLC NAND Flash. Supporting the NVMe 2.0 protocol, it delivers twice the performance of PCIe 4.0 SSDs.”

The 1-DWPD (1 Drive Write Per Day) SSD proved to offer blistering performance in the tests that TweakTown put it through, leading the site to declare the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB PCIe Gen5 x4 U.2 SSD to be an “engineering masterpiece”, scoring it 100% for performance, quality, features and overall.

In summing up his findings, TweakTown’s Senior Hardware Editor Jon Coulter gushed, “The drive delivers a record breaking 3.62 million 4K random read IOPS at QD512. This is a whopping 10% more than anything we've encountered previously. Additionally, its 14,600 MB/s sequential read throughput is right up there with the best of them, as is its over 11,000 MB/s sequential write throughput.”

That level of throughput alone would be impressive, but it’s only part of the story.

“Then there is its mixed workload prowess where our 1-DWPD test subject delivers more than anything in its class at queue depths of up to 64. Its mixed workload performance is so good that it can hang in with 3-DWPD SSDs at queue depths of up to 16. And finally, as perfectly illustrated by our preconditioning charts, the R6101 7.68TB delivers QOS that is as good as we've ever seen,” Coulter concluded.

You might also like

• These are the fastest SSDs that you can buy right now
• And these are the largest SSDs and HDDs on the market
• Is this the faster 61.44TB SSD out there? DapuStor J5060 is a speed freak

ITX has had a hell of a battle over the years.

It's a form factor that naturally draws quite a bit of ire depending on which side of the great PC gaming form-factor debate you sit. For those that love it, ITX and SFF machines are the stuff of legends. Intricately complex builds, ungodly power, and a real David-vs-Goliath kinda gaming rig.

For the full-tower fans, they're pointless, overly hot, and lack the full connectivity that you'd find in a more robust, balanced chassis and form factor.

For me, I 100% live life in that first category. In fact, I wouldn't have a career in hardware journalism if it weren't for building a machine inside of Bitfenix's now legendary Prodigy ITX gaming chassis from way back when in 2013 and showing it off to PC Format's editor back in the day.

It's not all been glamorous, of course. Motherboards have often been lacking, case design has been pretty terrible at times, and there are all manner of cooling and cabling problems that have needed to be overcome. But I honestly feel like we're in a position now that, technologically at least, ITX is in a place where for the vast majority of power users, there's no major difference between it and a big boy build.

The challenges of building in compact cases

That's the big thing too: a lot of the problems that ITX initially faced, even less than a decade ago, stemmed from how we managed hardware.

For instance, ATX builds once used to be able to house multiple graphics cards running in SLI or Crossfire, but over time that was whittled down to just two cards, until finally, with Nvidia's 30 series, support was removed entirely.

There's no major difference between running an RTX 5090 in an ITX build than there is in a full E-ATX setup, and in fact, you'll notice that pretty much every motherboard now only comes with a single (usually reinforced by some "armor" or gimmick) PCIe x16 slot up top for the graphics card. But just one.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Then there's the M.2 conundrum, and again, ITX used to be massively disadvantaged here as well.

Yet similarly, as NAND density has increased and cost decreased, along with some clever and quite intuitive raised PCBs and M.2 slot designs, it's quite easy to find ITX motherboards with two or even three M.2 slots.

Combine that with one of the best SSD you can get your hands on for your OS drive and a nice chunky backup SSD for your secondary storage, and once again, you're already well-equipped to compete with larger mid-tower cases for the vast majority of people.

I could go on, but the fact is that ITX today, from cases to coolers to the hardware we use, is really nowhere near as limited as it used to be. Even processor performance, with auto-turbo galore, isn't exactly held back anymore. But the question remains: Why bother? What's the point? Why do I care so much?

Power in small packages

It matters because ITX represents that defining principle of modern-day technology of the last 30 years. In my lifetime, I've seen tech shrink and become more powerful time and time again. It might be because I'm a short(ish) fellow, but there's something quite admirable I find about a tiny but mighty build.

That Moore's Law-esque power creep, or the sleeper build housing ungodly performance in a form factor that could fit in an entertainment center in a living room. It's like rocking up to a drag race with a seemingly clapped-out VW Caddy Mk1, only to know you've got a 500-horsepower engine under the hood. It has that vibe, and I love it.

(Image credit: Geekom)

Over the years, I've built countless PCs and published hundreds of build logs, pursuing all manner of hardware launches and gimmicky headlines designed to entice the reader in pushing the limit of what's possible with off-the-shelf hardware. And time and time again, the builds that stick with me aren't the crazy $10,000 dream machines or the full-fledged RTX 5090 E-ATX monsters; no, it's the ITX ones.

Don't get me wrong, I'm screaming at them each and every time I build them as I struggle with cable management or liquid-cooling runs, but deep down, I love that form factor more than anything else. And if you haven't given it a shot and are looking for a PC building challenge, and a rig that not only delivers on the performance but also takes up a fraction of the space, I highly recommend giving it a go.

You might also like...

• I’m suddenly really excited about Nvidia’s new RTX 5090 – but probably not for the reason you’re expecting
• PC case sizes explained: all form factors available in 2025
• The Asus ROG NUC carries the torch for Intel's mini gaming PC dreams, but the cost of entry is still too steep

ITX has had a hell of a battle over the years.

It's a form factor that naturally draws quite a bit of ire depending on which side of the great PC gaming form-factor debate you sit. For those that love it, ITX and SFF machines are the stuff of legends. Intricately complex builds, ungodly power, and a real David-vs-Goliath kinda gaming rig.

For the full-tower fans, they're pointless, overly hot, and lack the full connectivity that you'd find in a more robust, balanced chassis and form factor.

For me, I 100% live life in that first category. In fact, I wouldn't have a career in hardware journalism if it weren't for building a machine inside of Bitfenix's now legendary Prodigy ITX gaming chassis from way back when in 2013 and showing it off to PC Format's editor back in the day.

It's not all been glamorous, of course. Motherboards have often been lacking, case design has been pretty terrible at times, and there are all manner of cooling and cabling problems that have needed to be overcome. But I honestly feel like we're in a position now that, technologically at least, ITX is in a place where for the vast majority of power users, there's no major difference between it and a big boy build.

The challenges of building in compact cases

That's the big thing too: a lot of the problems that ITX initially faced, even less than a decade ago, stemmed from how we managed hardware.

For instance, ATX builds once used to be able to house multiple graphics cards running in SLI or Crossfire, but over time that was whittled down to just two cards, until finally, with Nvidia's 30 series, support was removed entirely.

There's no major difference between running an RTX 5090 in an ITX build than there is in a full E-ATX setup, and in fact, you'll notice that pretty much every motherboard now only comes with a single (usually reinforced by some "armor" or gimmick) PCIe x16 slot up top for the graphics card. But just one.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Then there's the M.2 conundrum, and again, ITX used to be massively disadvantaged here as well.

Yet similarly, as NAND density has increased and cost decreased, along with some clever and quite intuitive raised PCBs and M.2 slot designs, it's quite easy to find ITX motherboards with two or even three M.2 slots.

Combine that with one of the best SSD you can get your hands on for your OS drive and a nice chunky backup SSD for your secondary storage, and once again, you're already well-equipped to compete with larger mid-tower cases for the vast majority of people.

I could go on, but the fact is that ITX today, from cases to coolers to the hardware we use, is really nowhere near as limited as it used to be. Even processor performance, with auto-turbo galore, isn't exactly held back anymore. But the question remains: Why bother? What's the point? Why do I care so much?

Power in small packages

It matters because ITX represents that defining principle of modern-day technology of the last 30 years. In my lifetime, I've seen tech shrink and become more powerful time and time again. It might be because I'm a short(ish) fellow, but there's something quite admirable I find about a tiny but mighty build.

That Moore's Law-esque power creep, or the sleeper build housing ungodly performance in a form factor that could fit in an entertainment center in a living room. It's like rocking up to a drag race with a seemingly clapped-out VW Caddy Mk1, only to know you've got a 500-horsepower engine under the hood. It has that vibe, and I love it.

(Image credit: Geekom)

Over the years, I've built countless PCs and published hundreds of build logs, pursuing all manner of hardware launches and gimmicky headlines designed to entice the reader in pushing the limit of what's possible with off-the-shelf hardware. And time and time again, the builds that stick with me aren't the crazy $10,000 dream machines or the full-fledged RTX 5090 E-ATX monsters; no, it's the ITX ones.

Don't get me wrong, I'm screaming at them each and every time I build them as I struggle with cable management or liquid-cooling runs, but deep down, I love that form factor more than anything else. And if you haven't given it a shot and are looking for a PC building challenge, and a rig that not only delivers on the performance but also takes up a fraction of the space, I highly recommend giving it a go.

You might also like...

• I’m suddenly really excited about Nvidia’s new RTX 5090 – but probably not for the reason you’re expecting
• PC case sizes explained: all form factors available in 2025
• The Asus ROG NUC carries the torch for Intel's mini gaming PC dreams, but the cost of entry is still too steep

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 392 for March 30.

Hints and answers for Connections for March 30, #658.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,380 for March 30.

• Rubin Ultra GPUs previewed at Nvidia GTC 2025 with Kyber rack mockups
• Each NVL576 rack may include 576 GPUs across four internal pods
• Projected power draw reaches 600kW with performance targets of 15 EFLOPS

At Nvidia GTC 2025, the company gave a preview of what its future data center hardware could look like, showcasing mockups of its Rubin Ultra GPUs housed in the Kyber-based NVL576 racks.

These systems are expected to launch in the second half of 2027, and while that’s still some way off, Nvidia is already laying the groundwork for what it describes as the next phase of AI infrastructure.

A single NVL576 rack, according to Jensen Huang, co-founder, president, and CEO of Nvidia, could draw up to 600kW. That's five times more than the 120kW used by current Blackwell B200 racks, suggesting a steep rise in power per rack going forward.

Powering the future

Tom’s Hardware reports, "Each Rubin Ultra rack will consist of four 'pods,' each of which will deliver more computational power than an entire Rubin NVL144 rack. Each pod will house 18 blades, and each blade will support up to eight Rubin Ultra GPUs - along with two Vera CPUs, presumably, though that wasn't explicitly stated. That's 176 GPUs per pod, and 576 per rack."

The Kyber rack infrastructure will support these systems, along with upgraded NVLink modules which will have three next-generation NVLink connections each, compared to just two found in existing 1U rack-mount units.

The first Rubin NVL144 systems, launching in 2026, will rely on existing Grace Blackwell infrastructure. Rubin Ultra arrives in 2027 with far more density.

Tom’s Hardware says that the NVL576 racks are planned to deliver “up to 15 EFLOPS of FP4” in 2027, compared to 3.6 EFLOPS from next year's NVL144 racks.

During the GTC 2025 keynote, Jensen Huang said future racks could eventually require full megawatts of power, meaning 600kW may only be a stepping stone.

As power climbs toward the megawatt range, questions are inevitably growing about how future data centers will be powered.

Nuclear energy is one obvious answer - The likes of Amazon, Meta, and Google are part of a consortium that has pledged to triple nuclear output by 2050 (Microsoft and Oracle are notably missing for the moment) and mobile micro nuclear plants are expected to arrive in the 2030s.

You might also like

• This is the best dedicated server hosting you can choose right now
• And this is how small businesses can choose the right server
• Nvidia is dreaming of trillion-dollar datacentres with millions of GPUs

• Rubin Ultra GPUs previewed at Nvidia GTC 2025 with Kyber rack mockups
• Each NVL576 rack may include 576 GPUs across four internal pods
• Projected power draw reaches 600kW with performance targets of 15 EFLOPS

At Nvidia GTC 2025, the company gave a preview of what its future data center hardware could look like, showcasing mockups of its Rubin Ultra GPUs housed in the Kyber-based NVL576 racks.

These systems are expected to launch in the second half of 2027, and while that’s still some way off, Nvidia is already laying the groundwork for what it describes as the next phase of AI infrastructure.

A single NVL576 rack, according to Jensen Huang, co-founder, president, and CEO of Nvidia, could draw up to 600kW. That's five times more than the 120kW used by current Blackwell B200 racks, suggesting a steep rise in power per rack going forward.

Powering the future

Tom’s Hardware reports, "Each Rubin Ultra rack will consist of four 'pods,' each of which will deliver more computational power than an entire Rubin NVL144 rack. Each pod will house 18 blades, and each blade will support up to eight Rubin Ultra GPUs - along with two Vera CPUs, presumably, though that wasn't explicitly stated. That's 176 GPUs per pod, and 576 per rack."

The Kyber rack infrastructure will support these systems, along with upgraded NVLink modules which will have three next-generation NVLink connections each, compared to just two found in existing 1U rack-mount units.

The first Rubin NVL144 systems, launching in 2026, will rely on existing Grace Blackwell infrastructure. Rubin Ultra arrives in 2027 with far more density.

Tom’s Hardware says that the NVL576 racks are planned to deliver “up to 15 EFLOPS of FP4” in 2027, compared to 3.6 EFLOPS from next year's NVL144 racks.

During the GTC 2025 keynote, Jensen Huang said future racks could eventually require full megawatts of power, meaning 600kW may only be a stepping stone.

As power climbs toward the megawatt range, questions are inevitably growing about how future data centers will be powered.

Nuclear energy is one obvious answer - The likes of Amazon, Meta, and Google are part of a consortium that has pledged to triple nuclear output by 2050 (Microsoft and Oracle are notably missing for the moment) and mobile micro nuclear plants are expected to arrive in the 2030s.

You might also like

• This is the best dedicated server hosting you can choose right now
• And this is how small businesses can choose the right server
• Nvidia is dreaming of trillion-dollar datacentres with millions of GPUs

One of the oft-touted benefits of buying Apple products is their seamless compatibility with other Apple products. Thanks to iCloud, it’s possible to synchronize your data, apps, photos, and contacts across iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices.

However, some of these settings can be easy to miss, and it’s nice to know how to manually sync different apps and data as and when you want to.

This guide focuses on how to sync iPhone with iPad, specifically, since you'll likely be keen to have each device mirror the other when it comes to files and settings.

Tools & requirements

• iPhone
• iPad
• Apple Account
• Internet connection

Steps for how to sync iPhone to iPad

• Sign into your Apple Account on both devices
• Head to the iCloud menu in the settings app of each device
• Toggle which apps and services you'd like to sync over iCloud
• Check that iCloud sync is working

Step-by-step guide for how to sync iPhone and iPad 1. Log in to your Apple Account

(Image: © Jamie Richards / Future)

The first step to syncing your iPhone with your iPad is making sure you’re signed into the same Apple Account on both devices.

On both iPhone and iPad, you can sign into your Apple Account by heading to the Settings app and tapping the Apple Account tab.

You’ll then have the option of signing in manually, with your email address and password, or by bringing another signed-in device nearby.

2. Head to iCloud settings

(Image: © John-Anthony Disotto / Future)

Once you’re signed in to the same Apple Account, head back to the Settings app. You should see your name at the top of the list of Settings. Head for the iCloud menu found within this tab.

Within the iCloud menu, you should see a box named Saved to iCloud.

Tapping this box takes you to a list of toggleable options to synchronize things like your Calendar, Photos, and Notes apps. Switching the toggle to the on position allows that particular app or function to connect to iCloud.

This means that, to sync an app between your iPhone and iPad, you need to set the toggle to the on position on both devices.

Keep in mind that iCloud storage is limited to 5GB by default, with more space purchasable via Apple’s iCloud+ subscription plans. Photos and videos, especially, can eat up that free 5GB very quickly.

3. Check iCloud sync is working

(Image: © Jamie Richards / Future)

After setting your desired apps to sync across your iPhone and iPad, it’s wise to check that iCloud is working properly.

If all goes to plan, you should see photos, calendar events, notes, and contacts appear on both devices – subject to the apps you selected to sync, of course.

Once sync is turned on, data will automatically synchronize across each device as it’s created, so there’s no need to manually sync again.

If you want to stop syncing, it’s as easy as heading back into iCloud settings and deselecting the app or function in question – though this will cause synced data to disappear from all but its original device.

Keep in mind that it may take a little while for each device to catch up, so don’t worry if your data doesn’t appear immediately. If, after a few hours, things still aren’t working, it could be worth getting in touch with Apple customer support.

If you’re still thinking about picking up an iPhone or iPad, be sure to check out our lists of the best iPhones and best iPads.

You might also like

• How to turn off an iPad
• How to check iPad battery health
• How to screenshot on iPad

One of the oft-touted benefits of buying Apple products is their seamless compatibility with other Apple products. Thanks to iCloud, it’s possible to synchronize your data, apps, photos, and contacts across iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices.

However, some of these settings can be easy to miss, and it’s nice to know how to manually sync different apps and data as and when you want to.

This guide focuses on how to sync iPhone with iPad, specifically, since you'll likely be keen to have each device mirror the other when it comes to files and settings.

Tools & requirements

• iPhone
• iPad
• Apple Account
• Internet connection

Steps for how to sync iPhone to iPad

• Sign into your Apple Account on both devices
• Head to the iCloud menu in the settings app of each device
• Toggle which apps and services you'd like to sync over iCloud
• Check that iCloud sync is working

Step-by-step guide for how to sync iPhone and iPad 1. Log in to your Apple Account

(Image: © Jamie Richards / Future)

The first step to syncing your iPhone with your iPad is making sure you’re signed into the same Apple Account on both devices.

On both iPhone and iPad, you can sign into your Apple Account by heading to the Settings app and tapping the Apple Account tab.

You’ll then have the option of signing in manually, with your email address and password, or by bringing another signed-in device nearby.

2. Head to iCloud settings

(Image: © John-Anthony Disotto / Future)

Once you’re signed in to the same Apple Account, head back to the Settings app. You should see your name at the top of the list of Settings. Head for the iCloud menu found within this tab.

Within the iCloud menu, you should see a box named Saved to iCloud.

Tapping this box takes you to a list of toggleable options to synchronize things like your Calendar, Photos, and Notes apps. Switching the toggle to the on position allows that particular app or function to connect to iCloud.

This means that, to sync an app between your iPhone and iPad, you need to set the toggle to the on position on both devices.

Keep in mind that iCloud storage is limited to 5GB by default, with more space purchasable via Apple’s iCloud+ subscription plans. Photos and videos, especially, can eat up that free 5GB very quickly.

3. Check iCloud sync is working

(Image: © Jamie Richards / Future)

After setting your desired apps to sync across your iPhone and iPad, it’s wise to check that iCloud is working properly.

If all goes to plan, you should see photos, calendar events, notes, and contacts appear on both devices – subject to the apps you selected to sync, of course.

Once sync is turned on, data will automatically synchronize across each device as it’s created, so there’s no need to manually sync again.

If you want to stop syncing, it’s as easy as heading back into iCloud settings and deselecting the app or function in question – though this will cause synced data to disappear from all but its original device.

Keep in mind that it may take a little while for each device to catch up, so don’t worry if your data doesn’t appear immediately. If, after a few hours, things still aren’t working, it could be worth getting in touch with Apple customer support.

If you’re still thinking about picking up an iPhone or iPad, be sure to check out our lists of the best iPhones and best iPads.

You might also like

• How to turn off an iPad
• How to check iPad battery health
• How to screenshot on iPad

• The foldable iPhone is tipped to have 4:3 aspect ratio displays
• This would match the iPads, ensuring software and app consistency
• We're not expecting the folding iPhone to launch before 2026

The foldable iPhone leaks are arriving at a pretty regular pace now, which makes us think that an actual launch is getting closer – and the latest rumor is that both the internal and external displays on this device will use a 4:3 aspect ratio.

This comes from well-known tipster Digital Chat Station (via MacRumors), and the thinking is that the software interface will be consistent between both screens, whether you've got the device open or closed.

It's also the same aspect ratio used by the Apple iPads, including the 7th-gen iPad Air launched earlier this month. It's possible that the foldable iPhone will actually use iPadOS, because of the tablet-sized main display.

According to Digital Chat Station (and Google Translate), the folding iPhone is going to have a software ecosystem "comparable" to the iPad, so draw your own conclusions. It should certainly be able to run apps designed for Apple tablets.

What we think we know so far

Google has also entered the foldables market (Image credit: Google)

Earlier this month we heard talk that Apple was prioritizing battery life on its upcoming foldable iPhone, to ensure as much time as possible between charges, and that the device will make use of a liquid metal hinge to improve durability.

Other rumors have told us that the folding iPhone is going to be 9.2 mm thick when folded, and 4.6 mm front to back when unfolded. It sounds as though the device will be a bit like two iPhone 16 handsets put together, with 5.49-inch and 7.74-inch screens.

All of this isn't going to come cheap: a couple of weeks ago we came across a prediction that the iPhone Fold (or whatever it's going to be called) is likely to cost at least $2,300 (which is roughly £1,775 or AU$3,650).

You do at least have some time to save up: most people in the know are suggesting the foldable iPhone will launch sometime in 2026, by which time we may well be up to the Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 and the fourth Google Pixel foldable.

You might also like

• Huawei may beat Apple with its own folding iPad
• Apple needs to launch a folding iPhone and get back on track
• These are the best foldables right now

• The foldable iPhone is tipped to have 4:3 aspect ratio displays
• This would match the iPads, ensuring software and app consistency
• We're not expecting the folding iPhone to launch before 2026

The foldable iPhone leaks are arriving at a pretty regular pace now, which makes us think that an actual launch is getting closer – and the latest rumor is that both the internal and external displays on this device will use a 4:3 aspect ratio.

This comes from well-known tipster Digital Chat Station (via MacRumors), and the thinking is that the software interface will be consistent between both screens, whether you've got the device open or closed.

It's also the same aspect ratio used by the Apple iPads, including the 7th-gen iPad Air launched earlier this month. It's possible that the foldable iPhone will actually use iPadOS, because of the tablet-sized main display.

According to Digital Chat Station (and Google Translate), the folding iPhone is going to have a software ecosystem "comparable" to the iPad, so draw your own conclusions. It should certainly be able to run apps designed for Apple tablets.

What we think we know so far

Google has also entered the foldables market (Image credit: Google)

Earlier this month we heard talk that Apple was prioritizing battery life on its upcoming foldable iPhone, to ensure as much time as possible between charges, and that the device will make use of a liquid metal hinge to improve durability.

Other rumors have told us that the folding iPhone is going to be 9.2 mm thick when folded, and 4.6 mm front to back when unfolded. It sounds as though the device will be a bit like two iPhone 16 handsets put together, with 5.49-inch and 7.74-inch screens.

All of this isn't going to come cheap: a couple of weeks ago we came across a prediction that the iPhone Fold (or whatever it's going to be called) is likely to cost at least $2,300 (which is roughly £1,775 or AU$3,650).

You do at least have some time to save up: most people in the know are suggesting the foldable iPhone will launch sometime in 2026, by which time we may well be up to the Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 and the fourth Google Pixel foldable.

You might also like

• Huawei may beat Apple with its own folding iPad
• Apple needs to launch a folding iPhone and get back on track
• These are the best foldables right now

• SoftBank buying Ampere may signal shift from licensing to manufacturing
• Stargate project could benefit from Ampere’s experienced chip designers
• OpenAI lacks internal chip development team so that makes sense

Arm’s Japanese owner, SoftBank, is set to acquire Ampere - Arm's only independent server chip vendor - for $6.5 billion (approximately ¥973.0 billion).

It’s a big move, and one that could see Arm shift from simply licensing chip designs to manufacturing its own silicon. The move would put it in direct competition with its existing customers but also expand Arm’s footprint in the growing and highly lucrative data center space.

The deal is set to conclude in the latter half of 2025, subject to the usual regulatory approvals, including U.S. antitrust clearance. The Santa Clara, California-based Ampere will continue operating under its current structure until then. The exact reasons for the acquisition aren’t known outside of Ampere and SoftBank, but there are plenty of theories flying around.

It makes a lot of sense

The Next Platform thinks it may have something to do with the Stargate project, which President Trump announced at the start of 2025 and which will see OpenAI working with SoftBank and Oracle (which, incidentally, is a major investor in Ampere) to secure American leadership in AI and boost the US tech sector.

How would Ampere’s acquisition fit into Stargate? The Next Platform notes, “probably somewhere around 1,500 of the nearly 2,000 people at Ampere Computing are chip designers and these people, plus those working at Graphcore, could be tapped by OpenAI to help design custom CPUs and GPUs for the Stargate effort.”

While he’s not claiming any insider knowledge, TNP’s Timothy Prickett Morgan said, “Why else would SoftBank pay $6.5 billion for a company that is hoping to be a second-source processor for the hyperscalers and cloud builders who are all making their own Arm server CPUs and who also buy scads of x86 server processors from Intel and AMD?”

It's a good question. “As far as we know, Sam Altman & Co. has not put together a chip development team of any appreciable size, and even if it had, OpenAI has not created a compute engine and shepherded it through development,” Prickett Morgan concludes.

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Arm’s Japanese owner, SoftBank, is set to acquire Ampere - Arm's only independent server chip vendor - for $6.5 billion (approximately ¥973.0 billion).

It’s a big move, and one that could see Arm shift from simply licensing chip designs to manufacturing its own silicon. The move would put it in direct competition with its existing customers but also expand Arm’s footprint in the growing and highly lucrative data center space.

The deal is set to conclude in the latter half of 2025, subject to the usual regulatory approvals, including U.S. antitrust clearance. The Santa Clara, California-based Ampere will continue operating under its current structure until then. The exact reasons for the acquisition aren’t known outside of Ampere and SoftBank, but there are plenty of theories flying around.

It makes a lot of sense

The Next Platform thinks it may have something to do with the Stargate project, which President Trump announced at the start of 2025 and which will see OpenAI working with SoftBank and Oracle (which, incidentally, is a major investor in Ampere) to secure American leadership in AI and boost the US tech sector.

How would Ampere’s acquisition fit into Stargate? The Next Platform notes, “probably somewhere around 1,500 of the nearly 2,000 people at Ampere Computing are chip designers and these people, plus those working at Graphcore, could be tapped by OpenAI to help design custom CPUs and GPUs for the Stargate effort.”

While he’s not claiming any insider knowledge, TNP’s Timothy Prickett Morgan said, “Why else would SoftBank pay $6.5 billion for a company that is hoping to be a second-source processor for the hyperscalers and cloud builders who are all making their own Arm server CPUs and who also buy scads of x86 server processors from Intel and AMD?”

It's a good question. “As far as we know, Sam Altman & Co. has not put together a chip development team of any appreciable size, and even if it had, OpenAI has not created a compute engine and shepherded it through development,” Prickett Morgan concludes.

You might also like

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I’ve been using Microsoft Windows since the days of Windows 3.1, but I’ve never loved the operating system. Instead, I’ve stuck with it over the decades mainly out of familiarity. I know how Windows works and when things break (which they continue to do all too often), I usually know how to fix things quickly.

On the surface, there might not seem like there’s a lot in common between Windows 3.1 and Windows 11, but some things – especially legacy features added in Windows 95 – continue to work the way they've always done.

While this causes problems – Windows 11 feels like a modern OS glued on top of an old, rickety OS at times – there’s a certain comfort to using such a familiar product.

Also, while Linux and macOS, Windows’ biggest competitors when it comes to operating systems, are getting better at supporting games, if you’re a PC gamer who wants the widest selection of titles to play – like I am – then Windows 11 really is the only choice.

Nostalgia, laziness, and being a hostage to my own games library aren’t the best reasons to keep using a product, however, and it’s a problem that I feel Microsoft has been struggling with for a long time.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Windows is by far the most popular desktop operating system in the world when it comes to user numbers – but it just isn’t that popular when it comes to… well… popularity.

Despite Microsoft wishing people loved Windows, the lack of affection is a danger for the company, because it means rival operating systems are finding it easier and easier to win over Windows users.

With Windows 10’s End of Life approaching in October 2025, this danger could be even more pronounced as there are going to be a lot of Windows 10 users looking to change operating systems after Microsoft stops officially supporting the older OS.

While the Redmond-based company would like all those users to move to Windows 11, there are going to be many users looking at other operating systems – and if people don’t enjoy using Windows, but just stick with it out of habit, then that’s not going to be enough to guarantee that those users will continue using Windows.

Recently, Apple has been putting out some great computing products, and that’s meant I’ve been using macOS a lot more – both at home on my M2-powered MacBook Pro and at work with the Mac mini M4.

With the Windows PC I use at work showing its age, I decided it was time to make the switch permanently and use the Mac mini as my main PC – and therefore stop using Windows 11 daily and instead use macOS Sequoia. Here’s what I found.

(Image credit: Sergey Zaykov / Shutterstock / Microsoft) What I didn’t miss when ditching Windows 11

I’ve been using macOS for years as well, so I wasn’t going in completely blind. However, I was removing the safety net of deep familiarity that I have with Windows.

After two weeks of using macOS as my sole operating system for work, there were plenty of Windows 11 quirks I wasn’t missing.

For a start, I certainly didn’t miss the adverts and nagging messages from Microsoft trying to get me to use more of its services, something that is getting increasingly annoying in Windows 11.

Where Windows 11 puts games in my Start menu that I have no interest in, ignores my default browser settings to open up Microsoft Edge at any given opportunity, and shows pop-ups trying to get me to sign up for Games Pass, macOS is impressively clean.

There’s still attempts to get you to use Apple’s ecosystem, but it seems less invasive, and can mainly be ignored. The closest it came was in the Preferences app where Apple was trying to convince me to try its AI tools known as Apple Intelligence. Still, compared to Microsoft’s attempts to force me to use its own AI assistant, Copilot, this was far less annoying.

(Image credit: Future)

I also appreciated that when I used Apple’s own Safari browser to download Google Chrome, my web browser of choice, I wasn’t bombarded with messages and warnings trying to put me off – something that Microsoft tries to do with varying degrees of desperation when using Edge to download Chrome.

It also felt like macOS respected my choices when I set non-Apple applications as defaults. Once I’d set Chrome as my default web browser, that was it. Meanwhile, with Windows 11 it always felt like it was trying to either change my mind or trick me into using Edge, even when I explicitly set Chrome as my default web browser.

This includes incidents like opening a website from within the Start menu, Widget area or within the Settings app – as they would ignore my settings and open up the website in Edge.

After installing large updates, Windows 11 will also sometimes show a screen asking you to finish setting up your PC, and it often includes an option to use recommended internet settings. If you don’t pay attention and just click ok, you end up with Edge becoming your default browser again.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Another thing I didn’t miss was the instability. While I usually have a good idea of how to fix Windows 11 problems, it doesn’t mean they are any less annoying when they strike – and sometimes there’s no easy fix. Meanwhile, macOS feels a lot more stable and dependable.

To be fair to Microsoft, this is mainly due to the sheer breadth of devices that can run Windows 11, with PCs and laptops from all manner of manufacturers coming with different hardware configurations. It’s essentially impossible to write software for a near-infinite number of hardware configurations and guarantee that there will be no bugs or incompatibility problems.

Meanwhile, Apple strictly restricts what devices can run macOS to Macs and MacBooks that the company itself makes – and it can be ruthless about cutting support for older devices as well. I’m not a massive fan of this, but it does mean Apple has a clear idea of the hardware that will be running macOS, and can therefore more easily ensure that the software works properly.

That’s not to say that there are never macOS problems, but they feel a lot less common – and overall the user experience just feels a lot more stable.

On the other hand, when something does break in macOS, I’m often at a bit of a loss, whereas with Windows I have a good idea of what might be causing the issue and how to fix it.

(Image credit: Studio Romantic / Shutterstock) What I missed about Windows 11

The more I used macOS every day, however, I found myself missing certain things about Windows 11 – things that I hadn’t really paid much attention to before.

Perhaps the biggest, yet least exciting, thing was copy and pasting. I’m not talking about getting used to pressing CMD + C on a keyboard instead of CTRL + C (that was annoying but quickly became second nature, and you can also change it to the Windows way of doing things in Preferences).

What I did miss was Windows 11’s excellent Clipboard Paste feature.

(Image credit: Future / Microsoft)

Rather than using CTRL + V to paste something, in Windows 11 you can press the Windows key + V to open up a small menu that shows a history of things you’ve copied to the clipboard, making it easy to switch between items to quickly paste. It’s one of Windows’ best recent features, and I really missed it in macOS.

I ended up installing a third-party tool to do something similar, but it wasn’t was easy to use as Microsoft’s integrated feature.

When I work on the smaller screens of laptops, I also really appreciated how easy it was to snap windows to the left and right-hand sides of the screen, which made multitasking with a small display much easier.

Just grabbing the menu bar of a window and dragging it to the left or right of the screen will enlarge the window so it takes up half the screen. You can then do the same with a different window on the opposite side of the screen to get two equally sized windows open side-by-side.

I often use the Windows key + arrow key keyboard shortcut to make this process even easier. When snapping a window, Windows 11 can also show you other open windows to quickly snap to the opposite side.

(Image credit: Apple)

While macOS Sequoia has finally introduced a similar feature, it still isn’t as slick as Windows 11’s implementation, and lacks some of the features. Being able to drag a window to the top of the screen in Windows 11 to open it full-screen is also something I really missed when moving to macOS.

To be honest, the clipboard feature alone has been enough for me to go back to Windows 11. Despite all the hassles and annoyances, this one feature really makes a difference to my day job.

So, Microsoft might be pleased that it’s not completely lost another customer (and I’d still use Windows on my gaming PC), but I’d also like it to understand that the best way it can keep people using its operating system, and maybe even one day like its operating system, isn’t with AI gimmicks and annoying ads for its services, but by concentrating on seemingly simple features that work well and make people’s lives easier.

My concern is that Microsoft won’t, and will instead think that shoving Copilot in more apps will be the way to keep people using Windows. Trust me though, it won’t.

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I’ve been using Microsoft Windows since the days of Windows 3.1, but I’ve never loved the operating system. Instead, I’ve stuck with it over the decades mainly out of familiarity. I know how Windows works and when things break (which they continue to do all too often), I usually know how to fix things quickly.

On the surface, there might not seem like there’s a lot in common between Windows 3.1 and Windows 11, but some things – especially legacy features added in Windows 95 – continue to work the way they've always done.

While this causes problems – Windows 11 feels like a modern OS glued on top of an old, rickety OS at times – there’s a certain comfort to using such a familiar product.

Also, while Linux and macOS, Windows’ biggest competitors when it comes to operating systems, are getting better at supporting games, if you’re a PC gamer who wants the widest selection of titles to play – like I am – then Windows 11 really is the only choice.

Nostalgia, laziness, and being a hostage to my own games library aren’t the best reasons to keep using a product, however, and it’s a problem that I feel Microsoft has been struggling with for a long time.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Windows is by far the most popular desktop operating system in the world when it comes to user numbers – but it just isn’t that popular when it comes to… well… popularity.

Despite Microsoft wishing people loved Windows, the lack of affection is a danger for the company, because it means rival operating systems are finding it easier and easier to win over Windows users.

With Windows 10’s End of Life approaching in October 2025, this danger could be even more pronounced as there are going to be a lot of Windows 10 users looking to change operating systems after Microsoft stops officially supporting the older OS.

While the Redmond-based company would like all those users to move to Windows 11, there are going to be many users looking at other operating systems – and if people don’t enjoy using Windows, but just stick with it out of habit, then that’s not going to be enough to guarantee that those users will continue using Windows.

Recently, Apple has been putting out some great computing products, and that’s meant I’ve been using macOS a lot more – both at home on my M2-powered MacBook Pro and at work with the Mac mini M4.

With the Windows PC I use at work showing its age, I decided it was time to make the switch permanently and use the Mac mini as my main PC – and therefore stop using Windows 11 daily and instead use macOS Sequoia. Here’s what I found.

(Image credit: Sergey Zaykov / Shutterstock / Microsoft) What I didn’t miss when ditching Windows 11

I’ve been using macOS for years as well, so I wasn’t going in completely blind. However, I was removing the safety net of deep familiarity that I have with Windows.

After two weeks of using macOS as my sole operating system for work, there were plenty of Windows 11 quirks I wasn’t missing.

For a start, I certainly didn’t miss the adverts and nagging messages from Microsoft trying to get me to use more of its services, something that is getting increasingly annoying in Windows 11.

Where Windows 11 puts games in my Start menu that I have no interest in, ignores my default browser settings to open up Microsoft Edge at any given opportunity, and shows pop-ups trying to get me to sign up for Games Pass, macOS is impressively clean.

There’s still attempts to get you to use Apple’s ecosystem, but it seems less invasive, and can mainly be ignored. The closest it came was in the Preferences app where Apple was trying to convince me to try its AI tools known as Apple Intelligence. Still, compared to Microsoft’s attempts to force me to use its own AI assistant, Copilot, this was far less annoying.

(Image credit: Future)

I also appreciated that when I used Apple’s own Safari browser to download Google Chrome, my web browser of choice, I wasn’t bombarded with messages and warnings trying to put me off – something that Microsoft tries to do with varying degrees of desperation when using Edge to download Chrome.

It also felt like macOS respected my choices when I set non-Apple applications as defaults. Once I’d set Chrome as my default web browser, that was it. Meanwhile, with Windows 11 it always felt like it was trying to either change my mind or trick me into using Edge, even when I explicitly set Chrome as my default web browser.

This includes incidents like opening a website from within the Start menu, Widget area or within the Settings app – as they would ignore my settings and open up the website in Edge.

After installing large updates, Windows 11 will also sometimes show a screen asking you to finish setting up your PC, and it often includes an option to use recommended internet settings. If you don’t pay attention and just click ok, you end up with Edge becoming your default browser again.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Another thing I didn’t miss was the instability. While I usually have a good idea of how to fix Windows 11 problems, it doesn’t mean they are any less annoying when they strike – and sometimes there’s no easy fix. Meanwhile, macOS feels a lot more stable and dependable.

To be fair to Microsoft, this is mainly due to the sheer breadth of devices that can run Windows 11, with PCs and laptops from all manner of manufacturers coming with different hardware configurations. It’s essentially impossible to write software for a near-infinite number of hardware configurations and guarantee that there will be no bugs or incompatibility problems.

Meanwhile, Apple strictly restricts what devices can run macOS to Macs and MacBooks that the company itself makes – and it can be ruthless about cutting support for older devices as well. I’m not a massive fan of this, but it does mean Apple has a clear idea of the hardware that will be running macOS, and can therefore more easily ensure that the software works properly.

That’s not to say that there are never macOS problems, but they feel a lot less common – and overall the user experience just feels a lot more stable.

On the other hand, when something does break in macOS, I’m often at a bit of a loss, whereas with Windows I have a good idea of what might be causing the issue and how to fix it.

(Image credit: Studio Romantic / Shutterstock) What I missed about Windows 11

The more I used macOS every day, however, I found myself missing certain things about Windows 11 – things that I hadn’t really paid much attention to before.

Perhaps the biggest, yet least exciting, thing was copy and pasting. I’m not talking about getting used to pressing CMD + C on a keyboard instead of CTRL + C (that was annoying but quickly became second nature, and you can also change it to the Windows way of doing things in Preferences).

What I did miss was Windows 11’s excellent Clipboard Paste feature.

(Image credit: Future / Microsoft)

Rather than using CTRL + V to paste something, in Windows 11 you can press the Windows key + V to open up a small menu that shows a history of things you’ve copied to the clipboard, making it easy to switch between items to quickly paste. It’s one of Windows’ best recent features, and I really missed it in macOS.

I ended up installing a third-party tool to do something similar, but it wasn’t was easy to use as Microsoft’s integrated feature.

When I work on the smaller screens of laptops, I also really appreciated how easy it was to snap windows to the left and right-hand sides of the screen, which made multitasking with a small display much easier.

Just grabbing the menu bar of a window and dragging it to the left or right of the screen will enlarge the window so it takes up half the screen. You can then do the same with a different window on the opposite side of the screen to get two equally sized windows open side-by-side.

I often use the Windows key + arrow key keyboard shortcut to make this process even easier. When snapping a window, Windows 11 can also show you other open windows to quickly snap to the opposite side.

(Image credit: Apple)

While macOS Sequoia has finally introduced a similar feature, it still isn’t as slick as Windows 11’s implementation, and lacks some of the features. Being able to drag a window to the top of the screen in Windows 11 to open it full-screen is also something I really missed when moving to macOS.

To be honest, the clipboard feature alone has been enough for me to go back to Windows 11. Despite all the hassles and annoyances, this one feature really makes a difference to my day job.

So, Microsoft might be pleased that it’s not completely lost another customer (and I’d still use Windows on my gaming PC), but I’d also like it to understand that the best way it can keep people using its operating system, and maybe even one day like its operating system, isn’t with AI gimmicks and annoying ads for its services, but by concentrating on seemingly simple features that work well and make people’s lives easier.

My concern is that Microsoft won’t, and will instead think that shoving Copilot in more apps will be the way to keep people using Windows. Trust me though, it won’t.

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