Technology

• MagNav uses Earth’s magnetic field to guide aircraft without GPS signals
• Q-CTRL uses quantum gravimetry to navigate ships without satellite signals
• Saab uses quantum timing to keep radar networks synchronized without GPS

Global positioning systems (GPS) have long served as the invisible backbone guiding ships, aircraft, and military operations across the planet.

That reliance now faces a genuine challenge, as adversaries increasingly jam or spoof satellite signals to disrupt navigation entirely.

Three organizations on three continents have each tested working alternatives within the span of a few short weeks.

A wave of independent breakthroughs

The combined progress of these teams suggests the technology is edging out of laboratories and into active field conditions.

The US Defense Innovation Unit, a Pentagon organization tasked with fielding emerging commercial technology for military use, confirmed a successful flight test of its magnetic navigation program, known as MagNav.

The route carried an Embraer 170 aircraft over the Pacific Ocean, running from Seattle's Puget Sound toward southern Alaska and back again.

After four hours and 23 minutes without satellite guidance, the system improved location accuracy by 89% compared to older backup navigation methods.

"This is a significant win for the department's quantum sensing priorities, showcasing that MagNav capabilities are no longer a distant research goal," said Kyle Norman, deputy director of DIU's Kill Web portfolio.

Separately, Q-CTRL, an Australian quantum computing firm, announced a maritime field trial in the Coral Sea; its quantum gravimeter kept location errors within one nautical mile across the entire mission.

That figure reportedly beat conventional satellite backup systems by more than ten times during the same test window.

"Q-CTRL's demonstration shows a credible path to accurate navigation without reliance on external satellite signals," said Steve Sklenka, a retired Lieutenant General with the U.S. Marine Corps.

The company’s founder Michael Biercuk added that the technology is ready now, calling it proof that quantum tools can already support active defense missions.

Radar networks join the shift

Saab UK also reported a milestone, working alongside Aquark Technologies and Britain's Royal Navy to test radar timing without satellite input.

Multiple Giraffe 1X radar units operating from separate locations kept a single, coherent air picture using independent quantum timing sources.

Engineers introduced deliberate timing errors to mimic jamming conditions, then confirmed the network recovered once synchronization returned.

"This trial is a great example of how collaboration can accelerate innovation," said Andy Fraser, Group Managing Director at Saab UK.

Jason Ralph, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Liverpool, noted that gravity sensing remains the only passive alternative technology that works globally and resists jamming or spoofing attempts entirely.

The trials arrive amid rising concern over deliberate satellite interference, with roughly 978,000 jamming events recorded worldwide during the first quarter of 2026 alone, most concentrated in the Middle East.

Taken together, these three trials suggest quantum navigation is edging closer to practical deployment rather than remaining a theoretical concept.

Whether it can fully replace GPS, rather than simply back it up during outages, still depends on further testing and cost considerations.

Apple has announced the iPhone Duo, its first-ever folding phone, calling it “the most transformational iPhone experience since the original.” Like every other tech fan in the world right now, I want one.

As detailed in our Apple Event 2026 recap, Apple has decked out its first foldable with a range of high-spec specs befitting the phone’s Duo branding and new ‘Intelligent Personal Hub’ concept.

It gets a 5.4-inch cover display, a 7.6-inch inner display, and an A20 Pro chipset. It also comes with a 48MP wide-angle camera, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, a 12MP selfie camera on the cover screen, and an under-display camera under the inner screen. Apple also claims the iPhone Duo lasts up to 24 hours on a single charge when both screens are used equally. Put simply, this thing is a beast.

I’ll say it right now — I want the iPhone Duo more than I’ve ever wanted a folding phone. I’ve used plenty of the best folding phones in my time as a tech journalist, penning TechRadar’s Honor Magic V5 review and Oppo Find N5 review, but the iPhone Duo’s combination of Apple finesse and futuristic form factor has put it squarely at the top of my shopping list — now all I need is a spare $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,499.

(Image credit: Apple)

However, the iPhone Duo comes with some caveats that could upset long-time Apple fans. It lacks Face ID, a staple since 2017. It also loses the Action Button, which you'll find on all but a few iPhones released since the iPhone 15 Pro launched in 2023. And it misses out on the telephoto camera boasted by its sibling, the iPhone 18 Pro, and similar zoom lenses sported by competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

Even if you don’t use these features much, some Apple fans are bound to feel let down by the fact that the iPhone Duo misses out on key hardware found on cheaper models. But I’m not one of these people — here are five reasons why I still want the iPhone Duo more than any other folding phone.

Ecosystem and software

(Image credit: Apple)

It’s been said a million times, but I’ll say it once more — Apple’s ecosystem prowess is not to be underestimated. Despite a few wobbles with the launch of iOS 26 last year, the Apple ecosystem is still the cleanest, least ad-infested, and most seamless software environment on the consumer tech market.

Having a folding phone join the fray gives Apple the opportunity to merge the function of the iPhone and iPad in new ways, bringing together the company’s experience across mobile and tablet development. We saw this during the Duo's announcement — Apple has created a fluid transition between folded and open states with a seamless Liquid Glass animation; it's moved core controls to the right side of the screen for easier access; and it's optimized all of its own apps for the Duo's new form factor. And, of course, the Duo is still keyed in to AirDrop, AirPlay, and other Apple conveniences.

If Apple is sensible enough to equip the Duo with the iPad versions of productivity and creative apps like Pages and Final Cut Pro, the new device could be a genuine portable workstation like nothing Samsung or Google have ever released. Apple simply has access to better software than Android folding phones; it just has to leverage it.

@techradar

♬ Candy - Lane 8 & Quentin Quivera The iPad legacy

(Image credit: Apple)

On the subject of iPads, Apple has the best track record of any small tablet maker, bar none, thanks to the quality of the iPad mini, so the iPhone Duo already has a model of success to follow. Our list of the best tablets highlights the iPad mini as the best compact tablet, and has done so for years.

We saw the iPhone Duo used in split-screen mode during the keynote, with Apple showing off optimized apps from Netflix, Slack, and Detail, and telling us all about the performance of the A20 Pro mobile chipset. Considering the MacBook Neo, a full-on laptop, runs on an A18 chipset from two generations back, I’m pretty confident that the iPhone Duo will be as powerful as any true tablet bar the M-series iPads.

I’ve used and reviewed tablets from other manufacturers, and while I’ve been impressed on occasion, these devices typically come nowhere close to the iPad’s smooth performance and software optimization. And other folding phones have to contend with some jank as phone makers try to make the Android and off-the-shelf chipsets play ball with their specific screen size, resolution, and processing requirements.

Apple's display pedigree

(Image credit: Apple)

What good is software without decent hardware to experience it on?

The iPhone Duo comes with two screens that share the same 10:14 aspect ratio, offering more consistency than taller foldables, with a nano-textured upper layer laser-lithographed to create a lens for each pixel. Apple also claims that the screen “doesn’t degrade over time” due to a system of layered polymers that slide over one another as the screen moves.

As folding phone screens are known to peel and wear down, I won't pass judgment on the folding inner screen until I see it in person, but the excellence of Apple's previous iPhone and iPad displays gives me faith (at least when it comes to quality).

Build qualityAppleAppleAppleApple

Apple spent plenty of time in the keynote talking about iPhone Duo’s durability. The phone is made of glass, ceramic inserts, and grade 5 titanium, and achieves the IP68 dust and water resistance that Samsung and Google only recently achieved with their foldable devices. Also, its larger vapor chamber means it offers 35% better sustained performance than iPhone 18 Pro, by Apple’s own metrics.

In fairness, Samsung and Google build folding phones exceptionally well too — but even at the sky-high prices foldables command, this isn’t a given. I’ve used some folding phones that wobble around when partially opened, don’t stay fully shut, or show signs of screen peeling after just a few weeks of use. Apple will still have to earn my trust with the iPhone Duo, but the keynote suggests its engineering teams are on top form.

The missing features aren't *that* important

The iPhone Duo uses Touch ID, not Face ID (Image credit: Apple)

Comment section debaters, get ready. Part of the reason I still want the iPhone Duo is that its missing features just don’t matter that much — at least to me.

While the iPhone Duo does lose Face ID, I’ve always preferred in-button fingerprint scanners to any other kind of biometric security — they’re faster, easier to use, and won’t get blocked by a scarf or sunglasses. I love the scanner on my Oppo Find N6, for example.

I think I’d miss the Action Button and telephoto camera, but these don’t preclude the iPhone Duo’s software potential. With the iPhone Duo’s wide unfolded form factor, I can see why Apple ditched the button, as it may not be useful when the phone is unfolded.

And TechRadar Phones Editor Axel Metz made peace with the iPhone Air’s single camera, so I’m sure the iPhone Duo’s dual camera system would be perfectly usable, even without the reach of the zoom lenses found on competing foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

So, for me, Apple's first foldable iPhone was worth the wait — at least on paper. I can't wait to get my hands on one and put it through its paces.

The foldable iPhone was the star of today’s show, but we also saw big news for AirPods and the Apple Watch.

Apple’s first foldable phone is also its first with pen support.

Compare 10 smartphones with batteries from 5,088mAh to 10,000mAh, plus gaming-test results that show why capacity alone cannot predict endurance.

The post Think 5,000mAh Is Big? These 10 Smartphones Go Much Higher appeared first on TechRepublic.

The feature will be available with iOS 27, but will be limited to specific cellular carriers for now.

Do the math to make sure the upgrade makes sense.

The new iPhone 18 Pro gets a photo-authentication feature to show that a photo hasn’t been altered with AI.

It’s like you’re opening a small book, not flipping a Star Trek communicator open.

A faster chip, new health sensors, deeper recovery insights and a new AI Audio feature that helps you remember conversations. Here’s what’s new for the Apple Watch.

Your Apple Watch can take notes and rewind time from previous conversations, if you let it.

The update to Apple’s endurance wearable is now official — and costs the same as last year’s Ultra 3.

Apple is raising prices for the two smartphones by $100 each.

Get more updates on your most important apps and notifications, from directions to music details and more.

The phone has a 7.6-inch inside display and a 5.4-inch cover display. It’ll be available in October.

Apple’s Health app has gotten several new features to help you keep track of your health and wellness.

Apple’s camera app is getting manual pro controls for the first time.

Like their AirPods 4, the AirPods 5 come in two versions, but both now feature active noise-canceling — and it’s 50% more effective.

Apple took the wraps off its new flagship phones at its “Surprise and Shine” event on Wednesday.

• Some Android Auto users are missing the Google Maps speedometer
• The feature only recently rolled out to a wider group of people
• Real-time traffic data on the map has also vanished for a number of users

Google Maps has only recently started showing speed limit information on Android Auto screens — so recently that it hasn't reached everyone yet — but now users are reporting that the speedometer has started disappearing unexpectedly, together with real-time traffic data in some cases.

Reports appearing on Reddit (via 9to5Google) suggest the problem isn't affecting everyone, and comes and goes intermittently, but is definitely a real issue. Stop signs and traffic signals also appear to be affected by the same bug.

Some commenters on Reddit are saying that the speedometer shows up in Android Auto when connected to the phones of some family members but not others. That might indicate the problem is related to a specific Android or app version somehow.

Other users say the bug is connected to switching to or from the beta versions of Android Auto and Google Maps, which could be another explanation of what's happening. For now though, Google hasn't officially acknowledged that there's an issue.

Affecting some but not allGoogle Maps: feature loss from r/AndroidAuto

The problem of real-time traffic information not showing up has actually been going on for longer, and seems to be sticking around. Again, it doesn't look like a vast number of users are affected, but the bug is definitely having an impact for some.

With so many different Android device models, software versions (including betas), and vehicle types involved, it's perhaps no surprise that annoyances like this crop up from time to time — but that doesn't make the experience any less frustrating for users.

At least one Redditor in the main complaints thread has already quit Google Maps over the decision to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America in the app, under the direction of the White House, which does mean no need to worry any more about these bugs.

The good news for everyone who's sticking around is that Google regularly rolls out updates for Android, Google Maps, and Android Auto, and so we're hoping that these problems are sorted sooner rather than later. In the meantime, if you're seeing these issues, you'll just have to sit tight and wait for a fix to appear.